Triplici nodo triplex cuneus OR AN APOLOGIE FOR THE OATH of Allegiance Against the two Breues of Pope PAVLVS QVINTVS and the late Letter of Cardinal BELLARMINE to G. BLACKVVEL the Arch-priest Tunc omnes populi clamauerunt dixerunt Magna est Veritas praeualet ESDR 3. ¶ Authoritate Regiâ ¶ Imprinted at London by Robert Barker Printer to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie ANNO 1607. AN APOLOGIE FOR THE OATH of Allegiance WHat a monstrous rare nay neuer heard of treacherous attempt was plotted within these few yeeres here in England for the destruction of his Maiestie the Queene their Posteritie the whole house of Parliament and a great number of good Subiects of all sorts and degrees is so famous already through the whole World by the infamy thereof as it is needlesse to be repeated or published any more the horror of the sinne it selfe doth so lowdly proclaime it For if those a Gen. 4 10. crying sinnes whereof mention is made in the Scripture haue that Epithet giuen them for their publique infamie and for procuring as it were with a lowd cry from Heauen a iust vengeance and recompence and yet those sinnes are both old and too common neither the world nor any one Countrey being euer at any time cleane voyd of them If those Sinnes I say are said in the Scripture to cry so lowd What must then this Sinne doe plotted without cause infinite in crueltie and singular from all examples What proceeded hereupon is likewise notorious to the whole world His Maiesties Iustice onely taking holde vpon the Offenders and that in as Honourable and publique a forme of triall as euer was vsed in this Kingdome 2. For although the onely reason they gaue for plotting so heinous an attempt was the zeale they caried to the Romish Religion yet were neuer any other of that profession the worse vsed for that cause as by his Maiesties gratious Proclamation immediatly after the discouery of the said Fact doeth plainely appeare Onely at the next sitting downe againe of the Parliament were there Lawes made setting downe some such orders as was thought fit for preuenting the like mischiefe in time to come Amongst which a forme of Oath was framed to be taken by all his Maiesties Subiects whereby they should make cleare profession of their Resolution faithfully to persist in his Maiesties obedience according to their naturall Allegiance To the end that hereby his Maiestie might make a separation not onely betweene all his good Subiects in generall and vnfaithfull Traitors that intended to with draw themselues from his Maiesties Obedience But specially to make a separation betweene so many of his Maiesties Subiects who although they were otherwise Popishly affected yet retained in their hearts the print of their naturall duetie to their Soueraigne and those who being caried away with the like Fanaticall zeale that the Powder Traitors were could not conteine themselues within the bounds of their naturall Allegiance but thought diuersitie of Religion a safe pretext for all kinde of Treasons and rebellions against their Soueraigne Which godly and wise intent God did blesse with successe accordingly For very many of his Maiesties Subiects that were Popishly affected aswell Priests as Layicks did freely take the same Oath whereby they both gaue his Maiestie occasion to thinke the better of their fidelitie and likewise freed themselues of that heauy slander That although they were fellow professors of one Religion with the powder Traitors yet were they not ioyned with them in Treasonable courses against their Soueraigne whereby all quietly minded Papists were put out of despaire and his Maiestie gaue good proofe that he intended no persecution against them for conscience cause but onely desired to be secured of them for Ciuill obedience which for Conscience cause they were bound to performe 3. But the deuil could not haue deuised a more malitious tricke for interrupting this so calme and clement a course then fell out by the sending hither and publishing a Breue of the Popes countermaunding all them of his profession to take this Oath Thereby sowing new seedes of iealousie betweene his Maiestie and his Popish Subiects by stirring them vp to disobey that lawfull commandement of their Soueraigne which was ordeined to be taken of them as a pledge of their fidelitie And so by their refusall of so iust a charge to giue his Maiestie so great and iust a ground for punishment of them without touching any matter of Conscience throwing them needlesly into one of these desperate straights Either with the losse of their liues and goods to renounce their Allegiance to their natural Soueraigne Or else to procure the condemnation of their soules by renouncing the Catholicke faith as he alleadgeth 4. And on the other part although disparitie of Religion can permit no intelligence nor intercourse of Messengers betweene his Maiestie and the Pope yet there being no denounced warre betweene them he hath by this Action broken the rules of common ciuilitie and Iustice betweene Christian Princes in thus condemning him vnheard both by accounting him a Persecutor which cannot be but implyed by exhorting the Papists to endure Martyrdome As likewise by so straightly commanding all those of his profession in England to refuse the taking of this Oath Thereby refusing to professe their naturall obedience to their Soueraigne For if he thinke himselfe his Maiesties Iudge wherefore hath he condemned him vnheard And if he haue nothing to doe with the King and his gouernment as indeed he hath not why doeth he mittere falcem in alienam messem to meddle betweene his Maiestie and his Subiects especially in matters that meerely and onely concerne Ciuil obedience And yet could Pius Quintus in his greatest furie and auowed quarrel against the late Queene doe no more iniury vnto her then he hath in this case offered vnto his Maiestie without so much as a pretended or an alleadged cause For what difference there is betweene the commanding Subiects to rebell and loosing them from their oath of Allegiance as Pius Quintus did and the commanding of Subiects not to obey in making profession of their Oath of their duetifull Allegiance as this Pope hath now done No man can easily discerne 5. But to draw neere vnto his Breue Wherein certainly he hath taken more pains then he needed by setting downe in the said Breue the whole body of the Oath at length whereas the onely naming of the Title thereof might as well haue serued for any answere he hath made thereunto making Vna litura that is the flat and generall condemnation of the whole Oath to ferue for all his refutation Wherein he hath as well in this respect as in the former dealt both vndiscreetly with his Maiestie and iniuriously with his owne Catholicks With his Maiestie in not refuting particularly what special words he quarrelled in that Oath which if he had done it might haue bene that his Maiestie for the fatherly care he hath not to
whereupon hee was to be accused For at that time there was yet nothing laide to his charge And if Charitie should not be suspitious what warrant had hee absolutely to condemne our Soueraigne of vsing persecution and tyrannie which could not but bee implied vpon his Maiestie if Blackwell was to be a Martyr But surely it may iustly bee said of Bellarmine in this case that our Sauiour CHRIST saith of all worldly and carnall men who thinke it enough to loue their a Matth. 5. 43. friends and hate their enemies the limits of the Cardinals charitie extending no farther then to them of his owne profession For what euer he added in superfluous charitie to Blackwell in reioycing in the speculation of his future Martyrdome hee detracted as much vniustly and vncharitably from his Maiestie our Soueraigne in accounting of him thereby as of a bloody persecutour And whereas this ioy of his was interrupted by the next messenger that brought the newes of the said Arch-priest his failing in his Constancie by taking of this Oath hee needed neuer to haue bene troubled either with his former ioy or his second sorrowe both being alike falsly grounded For as it was neuer his Maiesties intention to lay any thing vnto the said Arch-priests charge as he hath neuer done to any for cause of Conscience So was Blackwels constancie neuer brangled by taking of this Oath It being a thing which hee euer thought lawfull before his apprehension and whereunto hee perswaded all Catholikes to giue obedience like as after his apprehension he neuer made doubt nor stop in it but at the first offering it vnto him did freely take it as a thing most lawfull Neither meanes of threatning or flatterie being euer vsed vnto him as himselfe can yet beare witnesse And as for the temperature and modification of this Oath Except that a reasonable and lawfull matter is there set downe in reasonable and temperate wordes agreeing thereunto I know not what he can meane by quarrelling it for that fault For no temperatnesse nor modifications in words therein can iustly be called the deuils craft when the thing it selfe is so plaine and so plainely interpreted to all them that take it as the only troublesome thing in it all be the words vsed in the ende thereof for eschewing Equiuocation and mentall reseruation which newe Catholique doctrine may farre iustlier be called the deuils craft then any plaine and temperate words in so plaine and cleare a matter But what shall wee say of these strange Agrestes whome of with the Satyre we may iustly complaine that they blowe both hote and cold out of one mouth For Luther and all our bolde and free speaking writers are mightily railed vpon by them as hot brained fellowes and speakers by the deuils instinct And now if we speake moderately and temperately of them it must be termed the deuils craft And therefore wee may iustly complaine with CHRIST that when wee a Matt. 11. 17. mourne they will not lament and when we pipe they wil not dance But neither Iohn Baptist his seueritie nor CHRIST his meekenesse and lenitie can please them who builde but to their owne Monarchie vpon the ground of their owne traditions and not to CHRIST vpon the ground of his Word and infallible Trueth But what can bee meant by alleadging That the craft of the deuill herein is onely vsed for subuersion of the Catholike Faith and euersion of S. Peters Primacy had need be commented anew by Bellarmine himself For in all this Letter of his neuer one word is vsed to prooue that by any part of this Oath the primacie of Saint Peter is any way medled with except Master Bellarmine his bare alledging which without prouing it by more cleare demonstration can neuer satisfie the conscience of any reasonable man For for ought that I knowe Heauen and Earth are no farther asunder then the profession of a Temporall obedience to a Temporall King is different from any thing belonging to the Catholike Faith or Supremacie of Saint Peter For as for the Catholike No decision of any point of Religion in the Oath of Allegiance Faith can there bee one word found in all that Oath tending or sounding to matter of Religion Doeth he that taketh it promise there to beleeue or not to beleeue any Article of Religion Or doeth hee so much as name a true or a false Church there And as for Saint Peters Primacy I know no Apostles name that is therein named but the name of our Soueraigne Iames though it please him not to deigne to name him in all the Letter albeit the contents thereof concerne him in the highest degree Neither is there any mention at all made therein either conceptis verbis or by any other indirect meanes either of the Hierarchy of the Church of Saint Peters succession of the Sea Apostolike or of any such matter But that the Author of our Letter doeth brauely make mention of Saint Peters succession bringing it in comparison with the succession of Henry the eight Of which vnapt and vnmannerly Similitude I wonder he should not bee much ashamed For as our King Henries successour whom by he meaneth neuer did nor will presume to create any Article of Faith or to be Iudge thereof but to submit his exemplary obedience vnto them in as great humilitie as the meanest of the land So if the Pope could bee as well able Farre more easie to proue his Maiesties succession from his Aucestors then the Pope from S. Peter to prooue his either Personall or Doctrinall succession from S. Peter as hee is able to proue his lineall descent from the Kings of England and Scotland there had neuer bene so long adoe nor so much sturre kept about this Question in Christendome Neither had a Bellaâ— de Rom Poâ—t lib. 4 cap 〈◊〉 Bâ—llar de Rom Pontif. lib. 2 cap. 12. M. Bellarmine himselfe needed to haue bestowed so many sheetes of paper De summo Pontifice in his great Bookes of Controuersies And when all is done to conclude with a morall certitude and a pie credendum bringing in the b Bellar de Rom. Pontif. lib. 2. cap. 14. Popes that are parties in this cause to be his witnesses And yet their Historicall Narration must be no Article of Faith And sure we are that his Maiestie our Soueraigne doeth vertuously imitate the worthy Actions of his predecessors In whom their Vertues doe more brightly shine then can be well proued the Popes in our age to be similes Petro especially in cursing of Kings and setting free their Subiects from their Allegiance vnto them But now we come to his strongest Argument which is That he would alledge vpon our Soueraigne a Panick terrour as if he were possessed with a needelesse feare For saith the Cardinall from the beginning of the The Cardinals waightiest Argument Church his first Infancie euen to this day where was it euer heard that euer a Pope either commanded to be
in all matters appertaining to Faith and Religion that if they shall continue in a fault against Christian Religion after one or two admonitions obstinately for that cause they may and ought to bee deposed by the Bishops from all the Authority they hold amongst Christians f Ibidem Bishops are set ouer Imperiall Kingdomes if those Kingdomes do submit themselues to the Faith of CHRIST We doe constantly g Sand. de clau Dauid lib. 5. cap. 2. affirme That all Secular power whether Regall or any other is of Men. The h Ibidem Anoynting which is powred vpon the head of the King by the Priest doeth declare that he is inferiour to the Priest It is altogether against the will of i Sand. de clau Dauid lib. 5. cap. 4. CHRIST that Christian Kings should haue Supremacy in the Church And whereas for the Crowne and conclusion of all his examples he reckoneth his The Card. paire of Martyrs weighed two English Martyrs Moore and Roffensis who died for that one most weightie head of Doctrine as he alleadgeth refusing the Oath of Supremacie I must tell him that he hath not bene well informed in some materiall points which doe very neerely concerne his two said Martyrs For it is cleare and apparantly to be proued by diuers Records That they were both of them committed to the Tower about a yeere before either of them was called in question vpon their liues for the Popes Supremacy And that partly for their backwardnesse in the point of the establishment of the Kings Succession whereunto the whole Realme had subscribed and partly for that one of them to wit Fisher had had his hand in the matter of the holy a Called Anna Burton See the Act of Parliament maid of Kent he being for his concealement of that false Prophets abuse found guilty of Misprision of Treason And as these were the principall causes of their Imprisonment the King resting secure of his Supremacy as the Realme stood then affected but especially troubled for setling the Crowne vpon the Issue of his second Marriage So was it easily to be conceiued that being thereupon discontented their humors were thereby made apt to drawe them by degrees to further opposition against the King and his Authority as indeed it fell out For in the time of their being in prison the Kings lawfull Authoritie in cases Ecclesiasticall being published and promulged as well by a generall Decree of the Clergie in their Synode as by an Acte of Parliament made thereupon they behaued themselues so peeuishly therein as the old coales of the Kings anger being thereby raked vp of new they were againe brought in question as well for this one most weightie head of Doctrine of the Pope his Supremacie as for the matter of the Kings marriage and Succession as by the confession of one of themselues euen Thomas Moore is euident For being condemned hee vsed these words at the Barre before the Lords Non ignoro cur me morti adiudicaueritis videlicet ob id quod nunquam voluerim assentire in Hist aliquot Martyrum nostri seculi Anno 1550. negotio Matrimonij Regis That is I am not ignorant why you haue adiudged me to death to wit for that I would neuer consent in the businesse of the new marriage of the King By which his owne confession it is plaine that this great Martyr himselfe tooke the cause of his owne death to be onely for his being refractary to the King in this said matter of Marriage and Succession which is but a very fleshly cause of Martyrdom as I conceiue And as for Roffensis his fellow Martyr who could haue bene content to haue taken the oath of the Kings Supremacy with a certaine modification which Moore refused as his imprisonment was neither only nor principally for the cause of Supremacy so dyed he but a halting and a singular Martyr or witnes for that most waightie head of doctrine the whole Church of England going at that time in one current and streame as it were against him in that Argument diuers of them being of farre greater reputation for learning and sound iudgement then euer he was So as in this point we may well arme our selues with the Cardinals owne reason where he giueth amongst other notes of the true Church Vniuersality for one we hauing the generall and Catholike conclusion of the whole Church of England on our side in this case as appeareth by their booke set out by the whole Conuocation of England called The Institution of a Christian man the same matter being likewise very learnedly handled by diuers particular learned men of our Church as by Steuen Gardiner in his booke De vera Obedientia with a Preface of Bishop Boners adioyned to it De summo absoluto Regis imperio published by Master Bekinsaw De vera differentia Regiae Potestatis Ecclesiae Bishop Tonstals Sermon Bishop Longlands Sermon the letter of Tonstall to Cardinall Poole and diuers other both in English and Latine And if the bitternesse of Fishers discontentment had not bin fed with his daily ambitious expectation of the Cardinals hat which came so neere as Calis before he lost his head to fill it with I haue great reason to doubt if hee would haue constantly perseuered in induring his Martyrdome for that one most waightie head of doctrine And surely these two Captaines and ringleaders to Martyrdome were but ill followed by the rest of their countrymen for I can neuer reade of any after them being of any great account and that not many that euer sealed that waightie head of doctrine with their blood in England So as the true causes of their first falling in trouble whereof I haue already made mention being rightly considered vpon the one part and vpon the other the scant number of witnesses that with their blood sealed a point so greatly accounted of by our Cardinall there can but small glory redound thereby to our English Nation these only two Enoch and Elias seruing for witnesses against our Antichristian doctrine And I am sure the Supremacy of Kings The supremacie of Kings sufficiently warranted by the Scriptures may and will euer be better maintained by the word of God which must euer be the true rule to discerne all waightie heads of doctrine by to be the true and proper office of Christian Kings in their owne Dominions then he will be euer able to maintaine his annihilating Kings and their Authorities together with his base and vnreuerend speeches of them wherewith both his former great Volumes and his late Bookes against Venice are filled In the old Testament Kings were directly a 2. Chron. 19. 4. Gouernours ouer the Church within their Dominions b 2. Sam. 5. 6. purged their corruptions reformed their abuses brought the c 1. Chron. 13. 12. Arke to her resting place the King e 2. Sam. 6. 16 dauncing before it f 1. Chro. 28. 6. built the
to his Maiesties sacred person or to his Gouernement or to some of his Subiects That if the Pope shall by Sentence Excommunicate or depose our King his Subiects are not to beare Faith and Allegiance to his Maiestie If the Pope shall by Sentence Excommunicate or depose his Maiesty his Subiects are not bound to defend with all their power his Maiesties Person and Crowne If the Pope shall giue out any Sentence of Excommunication or Depriuation against the King the Subiects by reason of that Sentence are not bound to reueile all Conspiracies Treasons against the King which shal come to their hearing and knowledge That it is not Hereticall and detestable to holde that Princes being Excommunicated by the Pope may be either deposed or killed by their Subiects or any other That the Pope hath power to absolue his Maiesties Subiects from this oath or from some part thereof That this oath is not administred to his Maiesties Subiects by a full and lawfull Authoritie That this oath is to be taken with Equiuocation mentall euasion or secret reseruation and not with the heart and good will sincerely in the true faith of a Christian man These are the true and naturall branches of the body of this Oath The affirmatiue of all which Negatiues doe neither concerne in any case the Popes Supremacie in spirituall causes nor yet were euer concluded and defined by any complete generall Councell to Touching the pretended councell of Later See Plat. In vita innocen 3. belong to the Popes Authoritie and their owne schoole Doctours are at irreconcilable oddes and iarres about them And that the world may yet farther see his Maiesties and whole States setting downe of this oath did not proceed from any new inuention of theirs but as it is warranted by the word of God so doth it take the example The oath of Allegiance confirmed by the authoritie of Councels from an oath of Allegiance decreed a thousand yeeres agone which a famous Councel then together with diuers other Councels were so farre from condemning as the Pope now hath done this oath as I haue thought good to set down their owne words here in that purpose wherby it may appeare that his Maiestie craueth nothing now of his Subiects in this Oath which was not expresly and carefully commanded then by the Councels to be obeyed without exception of persons Nay not in the very particular poynt of Equiuocation which his Maiestie in this oath is so carefull to haue eschewed but you shall here see the said Councels in their The ancient Councels prouided for Equiuocation decrees as careful to prouide for the eschewing of the same so as almost euery poynt of that Action and this of ours shall be found to haue relation and agreeance one with the other saue onely in this that those olde Councels were carefull and strait in commaunding The difference between the ancient Councels and the Popes counselling of the Catholikes the taking of the same wheras by the contrary hee that now vaunteth himselfe to be head of all Councels is as carefull and strait in the prohibition of all men from the taking of this Oath of Allegiance The wordes of the Councell bee these Heare our Sentence Whosoeuer of vs or of all the people thorowout Concil Toletan 4. can 74. all Spaine shall violate the Oath of his fidelitie which he hath giuen for the preseruation of his Countrey or of the Kings Person or shall go about by any Conspiracy or endeuour to touch the life of the King or shall vsurpe by any power or Tyrannicall presumption the Soueraigntie of the Kingdome let him be accursed in the sight of God the Father and of his Angels and be holden an Alien from the Catholike Church which he hath profaned by his periury together with all Fidelitie in their mouthes when they holde an impious perfidiousnesse in their mindes And f Concil Tolc 4. Cap. 75. againe They sweare to their Kings that thereupon they may preuaricate in the fidelitie which they haue promised Neither doe they feare the volume of Gods Iudgement in the which the curse of God is threatned vpon them which doe sweare in the Name of God deceitfully To the like effect spake they in the Councell of a Concil Aquisgran sub Ludou Pio Greg. 4. can 12. anno 836. Aquisgran That whosoeuer from the highest to the lowest of the Cleargie shall make defection from the Orthodoxe Emperour Lodowicke or shall violate the Oath of Fidelitie made vnto him or shall adhere to his Enemies let him bee depriued of all Honour and Dignitie And now to come to a particular answere of his Letter First as concerning the sweet memorie hee hath of his old acquaintance with the Arch-priest it may indeed be pleasing for him to recount But sure I am his acquaintance with him and the rest of his societie our Fugitiues whereof he also vanteth himselfe in his preface to the reader in his booke of Controuersies hath prooued sowre to vs and our State For some of such Priests and Iesuites as were the greatest Traitours and Fomenters of the greatest Conspiracies against her late Maiestie gaue vp Father Robert b Campion Hart. See the conference in the Tower Bellarmine for one of their greatest authorities and oracles And therfore I doe not enuie the great honour hee can winne by his vaunt of his inward familiaritie with an other Princes Traitours and Fugitiues whom vnto if he teach no better maners then hitherto he hath done I thinke his Fellowship are little beholding vnto him And for desiring him to remember him in his prayers at the altar of the Lord If the Arch priests prayers proue no more profitable to his soule then Bellarmines counsell is like to proue profitable both to the soule and body of Blackwell if he would followe it the authour of this letter might very well be without his prayers Now the first messenger that I can finde which brought ioyfull newes of the Arch-priest to Bellarmine was he that brought the newes of the Arch-priestes taking and first appearance of Martyrdome A great signe surely of the Cardinals mortification that he was so reioyced to heare of the apprehension imprisonment and appearance of putting to death of so old and deare a friend of his But yet apparantly he should first haue bene sure that he was onely to be punished for cause of Religion before hee had so triumphed vpon the expectation of his Martyrdome For first by what rule of Charitie was The Cardinals charitie it lawfull for him to iudge the King our Soueraigne a Persecutour before proofe had bene made of it by the saide Arch-priestes condemnation and death What could hee know That the said Arch-priest was not taken vpon suspition of his guiltinesse in the Powder-treason What certaine information had he then receiued vpon the particulars whereupon he was to be accused And last of all by what inspiration could he foretell
So his Saint Leo lift vp Saint Peter with praises to the Skie that he being his d For so he calleth himselfe in sermo 1. in die â—ssum heire might haue gone vp with him For his Saint Leo was a great Orator who by the power of his Eloquence redeemed Rome from fire when both e Exbreniario Romano Attilas and Gensericus would haue burnt it Some fruits of this Rhetorick he bestowed vpon Saint Peter saying The Lord f Epist 89. did take Peter into the fellowship of the indiuisible vnitie which words being coupled to the sentence alleadged by the Cardinall That hee hath no part in the diuine Mystery that dare depart from the solidity of Peter should haue giuen him I thinke such a Sare as he should neuer haue dared to haue taken any aduantage by the words immediatly preceding for the benefit of the church of Rome and the head thereof since those which immediatly follow are so much derogatory to the diuine Maiestie And againe My g Epist 52. writings bee strengthned by the merit and Authority of my Lord most blessed Saint Peter We h Epist 89. beseech you to keepe the things decreed by vs thorough the inspiration of God and the Apostle most blessed Saint Peter If i In ser 2. in die anâ—â—â—er asâ—um suae any thing be well done or decreed of vs If any thing be obtained of Gods mercy by dayly prayers it is to be ascribed to Saint Peters works and merits whose power doth liue and Authority excell in his owne Sea He k Ser. 3. in die annâ— assump suâ— was so plentifully watered of the fountaine of all Graces that whereas hee receiued many things alone yet nothing passeth ouer to any man but by him And in a word he was so desirous to extoll Saint Peter That a message from him was an c Epist 24. Embassage from S. Peter Any thing done in his presence was in Saint Peters d Epist 4. presence Neither did he vse all this Rhetorick without purpose for at that time the Patriarke of Constantinople contended with him for Primacy And in the Councell of e Concil Calcâ—d Act. 16. c. â— 28 Calcedon the Bishops sixe hundred and more gaue equall Authority to the Patriark of that Sea and would not admit any priuiledge to the Sea of Rome aboue him but went against him And yet hee that gaue so much to Peter tooke nothing from Caesar but gaue him both his Titles and due giuing the power of calling a Councell to the Emperour as it may appeare by these one or two places following of many If it may please your f Epi. 9. Theodo sio Godlines to vouchsafe at our Supplication to condescend that you will command a Councell to be holden within Italy And writing vnto the Bishop of Constantinople Because the most Clement g Epist 16. Flauiano Emperour carefull of the peace of the Church will haue a Councell to be holden Albeit it euidently appeare the matter to be handled doth in no case stand in neede of a generall Councell Albeit h Epist 17. Theodosio my occasions will not permit me to be present vpon the day of the Councell which your Godlinesse hath appointed So as by this it may well appeare that he that gaue so much to Peter gaue also to Caesar his due and prerogatiue But yet he playeth not faire play in this that euen in all these his wrong applied Arguments and Examples he produceth no other witnesses but the parties themselues bringing euer the Popes Sentences for approbation of their owne Authority Now indeede for one word of his in the middest of his Examples I cannot but greatly commend him that is that Martyrs ought to indure all sorts of tortures and death before they suffer one syllable to be corrupted of the Law of God Which lesson if he and all the rest of his owne profession would applie to themselues then would not the Sacrament be administred sub vnâ specie directly contrary to Christs Institution the practise of the Apostles and of the whole Primatiue Church for many hundred yeres then would not the priuate Masses bee in place of the Lords Supper then would not the words of the a Bellar. de sacra Eucharist lib. 4. cap. 14. Canon of the Masse be opposed to the wordes of Saint Paul and Saint Luke as our Aduersary himselfe confesseth and cannot reconcile them nor then would not so many hundreths other Traditions of men be set vp in their Church not only as equall but euen preferred to the word of God But sure in this point I feare I haue mistaken him for I thinke he doth not meane by his Diuina dogmata the word of the God of heauen but onely the Canons and Lawes of his Dominus Deus Papa otherwise all his Primacy of the Apostolike Sea would not bee so much sticken vpon hauing so slender ground in the word of God And for the great feare he hath that the suddainty of the Apprehension the bitternesse of the Persecution the weakenesse of his Age and other such infirmities might haue bene the cause of the Arch-priests fal in this I haue already sufficiently answered him hauing declared as the trueth is and as the said Blackwell himselfe will yet testifie That hee tooke this Oath freely of himselfe without any inducement thereunto either Precibus or Minis But amongst all his citations he must not Some of Sanders his worthy sayings remembred forget holy Sanderus and his Visibilis Monarchia whose person and actions I did already a little touch And surely who will with vnpartiall eyes reade his Bookes they may well thinke that he hath deserued well of his English Roman-Church But they can neuer thinke but that he deserued very ill of his English Soueraigne and State Witnesse his owne bookes whereout I haue made choice to set downe heere these fewe Sentences following as flowers pickt out of so worthy a Garland a Sand. de visib monar lib. 6. cap. 4. ELIZABETH Queene of England doeth exercise the Priestly acte of teaching and preaching the Gospell in England with no lesse authority then CHRIST himselfe or MOSES euer did The Supremacie of a b Sand de cla Dauid lib. 6. cap. 1. woman in Church matters is from no other then from the Deuill And of all Kings in generall thus hee speaketh The c Sand. de visib Monar lib. 2. cap. 4. King that will not inthrall himselfe to the Popes authority he ought not to be tollerated but his Subiects ought to giue all diligence that another may be chosen in his place assoone as may be A King that is an d Ibidem Heretike ought to be remoued from the Kingdome that he holdeth amongst Christians and the Bishops ought to endeuour to set vp another assoone as possibly they can We doe constantly e Ibidem affirme that all Christian Kings are so farre vnder Bishops and Priests