cunning Merchants to cease to vent such stuffe for ancient and Catholike wares in the Christian world till they haue disproued their owne Venetians who charge them with Noueltie and forgery in this poynt 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 Cardinall 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 1609. AN APOLOGIE FOR THE OATH of Allegiance WHat a monstrous rare nay neuer heard of Treacherous Attempt was plotted within these few yeeres heere in England for the destruction of Me my Bed-fellow and our Posterity 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 horrour of the sinne it selfe doth so lowdly proclaime it For if those crying Sinnes whereof mention is made in the Scripture haue that epithete giuen them for their publique infamie and for procuring as it were with a loud crie from heauen a iust vengeance and recompense 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 loud What then must this sinne doe plotted without cause infinite in crueltie and singular from all examples What proceeded hereupon is likewise notorious to the whole worlde our Iustice onely taking hold vpon the Offenders and that in as honourable and publique a forme of Trial 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 carried to the Romish Religion yet were neuer any other of that profession the worse vsed for that cause as by our gracious Proclamation immediatly after the discouery of the said fact doeth plainely appeare onely at the next sitting downe againe of the Parliament there were Lawes made setting downe some such orders as were thought fit for preuenting the like mischiefe intime to come Amongst which a forme of OATH was framed to be taken by my Subiects whereby they should make a cleare profession of their resolution faithfully to persist in their obedience vnto me according to their naturall allegiance To the end that I might hereby make a separation not onely betweene all my good Subiects in generall and vnfaithfull Traitors that intended to withdraw themselues from my obedience But specially to make a separation betweene so many of my 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 my Subiects that were popishly affected aswel priests as layicks did freely take the same Oath whereby they both gaue me 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 Souereigne whereby all quietly minded Papists were put out of despaire and I gaue a good proofe that I intended no persecution against them for conscience cause but onely desired to bee 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 malicious 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 ielousie betweene me and my 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 fidelity And so by their reâ—usall of so iust a charge to giue me so great and iust a ground for punishment of them without touching any matter of consâ— throwing themselues needlesl◠〈…〉 of these desperate straites 〈…〉 losse of their liues and 〈…〉 their Allegiance to theâ—◠〈…〉 or else to procure the condemnation of their Soules by renouncing the Catholike faith as he alleadgeth 4. And on the other part although disparity of Religion the Pope being head of the contrary part can permit no intelligence nor intercourse of messengers betwerne me and the Pope yet there being no denounced warre betweene vs he hath by this action broken the rules of common ciuility and iustice betweene Christian Princes in thus condemning me vnheard both by accounting me a persecutor which can not be but implyed by exhorting the Papists to endure Martyrdome as likewise by so straitly commanding all those of his Profession in England to refuse the taking of this Oath thereby refusing to professe their naturall obedience to me their Soueraigne For if he thinke himselfe my lawfull Iudge wherefore hath he condemned me vnheard And if he haue nothing to doe with me and my gouernement as indeed he hath not why doeth hee mittere falcem in alienam messem to meddle betweene mee and my Subiects especially in matters that meerely and onely concerne ciuill obedience And yet could Pius Quintus in his greatest furie and auowed quarrell against the late Queene do no more iniury vnto her then he hath in this cause offered vnto me without so much as a pretended or an alleadged cause For what difference there is betweene the commaunding Subiects to rebell and loosing them from their Oath of Allegiance as Pius Quintus did the commanding of Subiects not to obey in making profession of their Oath of their dutiful Allegiance as this Pope hath now done no man can easily discerne 5. But to draw neere vnto his Breue wherin certainly he hath taken more paines then he needed by setting downe in the said Breue the whole body of the Oath at length whereas the only naming of the Title thereof might as wel haue serued for any answere he hath made thereunto making Vna litura that is the flat and generall condemnation of the whole Oath to serue for all his refutation Therein hauing as well in this respect as in the former dealt both vndiscreetly with me and iniuriously with his owne Catholikes With me in not refuting particularly what speciall wordes hee quarrelled in that Oath which if he had done it might haue bene that for
vnto the said Arch-priests charge as I haue neuer done to any for cause of conscience so was Blackwels constancie neuer brangled by taking of this Oath It being a thing which he euer thought lawfull before his apprehension and whereunto hee perswaded all Catholikes to giue obedience like as after his apprehension he neuer made doubt or 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 temperate words agreeing thereunto I know not what he can meane by quarelling it for that fault For no temperatnes 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 onely troublesome thing in it all bee the words vsed in the end thereof for eschewing aequiuocation and mentall reseruation Which new Catholique doctrine may farre iustlier bee called the Deuils craft then any plaine and temperate words in so plaine and cleare a matter But what shal we say of these strange countrey clownes whom of with the Satyre we may iustly complaine that they blovv both hote and cold out of one mouth For Luther and our bolde and free speaking Writers are mightily railed vpon by them as hot brained fellovves and speakers by the Deuils instinct and novv if vve speake moderately and temperately of them it must bee tearmed the Deuils craft And therefore we may iustly complaine vvith CHRIST that when we mourne they wil not lament and when vve pipe they vvill not dance But neither Iohn Baptist his seueritie nor CHRIST his meekenesse and lenitie can please them vvho build but to their owne Monarchie vpon the ground of their ovvn Traditions and not to CHRIST vpon the ground of his Word and infallible trueth But vvhat can bee meant by alleadging that the craft of the Deuill herein is onely vsed for subuersion of the Catholique faith and euersion of S. Peters Primacie had need bee commented anevv by Bellarmine himselfe For in all this Letter of his neuer one vvord is vsed to proue that by any part of this Oath the primacy of S. Peter is any vvay medled vvith 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 know heauen and earth are no farther asunder then the professon of a temporall obedience to a temporall King is different from any thing belonging to the Catholique faith or Supremacie of S. Peter For as for the Catholique 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 he so much as name a true or a false Church there And as for S. Peters Primacie I know no Apostles name that is therein named except the name of IAMES it being my Christen name though it please him not to deigne to name me in all the Letter albeit the contents thereof concerne me in the highest degree Neither is there any mention at all made therein either disertis verbis or by any other indirect meanes either of the Hierarchie of the Church of S. Peters succession of the Sea Apostolike or of any such matter but that the Author of our Letter doeth brauely make mention of S. Peters succession bringing it in comparison with the succession of Henry the eight Of which vnapt and vnmannerly similitude I wonder hee should not bee much ashamed For as to King Henries successour which he meaneth by mee as I I say neuer did nor will presume to create any article of fayth or to bee Iudge thereof but to submit my exemplary obedience vnto them in as great humilitie as the meanest of the land so if the Pope could bee as well able to proue his either Person all or Doctrinall Succession from S. Peter as I am able to proue my lineall descent from the Kings of England and Scotland there had neuer been so long adoe nor so much sturre kept about this question in Christendome neither had 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 piè credēdum bringing in the Popes that are parties in this cause to bee his witnesses and yet their historicall narration must be no article of faith And I am without vantrie sure that I doe farre more neerely imitate the worthy actions of my Predecessors then the Popes in our age can be well proued 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 me a Panick terrour as if I were possessed with a needlesse feare For saith the Cardinall from the beginning of the Churches first infancie euen to this day where was it euer heard that euer a Pope either commanded to be killed or allowed the slaughter of any Prince whatsoeuer whether he were an Hereticke an Ethnike or Persecutor But first wherefore doth he here wilfully and of purpose omit the rest of the points mentioned in that Oath for deposing degrading stirring vp of arms or rebelling against them vvhich are as vvell mentioned in tha◠Oath as the killing of them as being all of one consequence against a King no Subiect being so scrupulous as that hee will attempt the one and leaue the other vnperformed if he can And yet surely I cannot blame him for passing it ouer since he could not otherwise haue eschewed the direct belying of himselfe in tearmes which hee now doeth but in substance and effect For as for the Popes deposing and degrading of Kings hee maketh so braue vaunts and bragges of it in his former bookes as he could neuer with ciuil honesty haue denied it here But to returne to the Popes allowing of killing of Kings I know not with what face hee can sent so stout a deniall vpon it against his owne knowledge How many Emperors did the Pope raise warre against in their owne bowels Who as they were ouercome in battaile were subiect to haue bene killed therein which I hope the Pope could not but haue allowed when hee was so farre inraged at Henry the fift for giuing buriall to his fathers dead corps after the Pope had stirred him vp to rebell against his father and procured his ruine But leauing these old Histories to Bellarmines owne bookes that doe most authentically cite them as I haue already said let vs turne our eyes vpon
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 Primacie of the Apostolike Sea would not be so much sticken vpon hauing so slender ground in the word of God And for the great feare he hath that the suddennes of the apprehension the bitternes of the persecution the weaknesse of his age and other such infirmities might haue bene the cause of the Arch-priests fall in this I haue already sufficiently answered him hauing declared as the trueth is and as the said Blackwel himselfe wil yet testifie that he took this Oath freely of himselfe without any inducement therunto either Precebus or Minis But amongst all his citations he must not forget holy Sanderus and his Viâ—ibilis Monarchia whose person and actions I did already a little touch And surely who will with vnpartiall eyes read his bookes they may well thinke that he hath deserued wel 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 books whereout I haue made choice to set downe here these few sentences following as flowers pickt out of so worthy a garland Elisabeth Queene of England doth exercise the Priestly act of teaching and preaching the Gospel in England with no lesse authority then Christ himself or Moses euer did The supremacy of a woman in Church matters is from no other then from the Deuill And of all things in generall thus he speaketh The King that wil not inthrall himselfe to the Popes authority he ought not to be tolerated 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 Heretike ought to be remoued from the kingdome that he holdeth ouer Christians and the Bishops ought to endeuour to set vp another assoone as possibly they can Wee doe constantly affirme that all Christian Kings are so far vnder Bishops and Priestes in all matters appertaining to faith that if they shall continue in a falt against Christian Religion after one or two admonitions obstinately for that cause they may and ought to be deposed by the Bishops from their temporal authority they hold ouer ChristiaÌ„s Bishops are set ouer temporall kingdomes if those kingdomes do submit themselues to the faith of Christ We doe iustly affirme that all Secular power whether Regall or any other is of Men. The 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 CHRIST that Christian Kings should haue supremacie in the Church And whereas for the crowne and conclusion of all his examples he reckoneth his two English martyrs Moore and Roffensis who died for that one most weighty head of doctrine as he alleadgeth refusing the Oath of Supremacie I must tel him that he hath not bene well informed in some materiall points which doe very neerly concerne his two said martyrs For it is cleare and apparantly to be prooued 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 Supremacie And that partly for their backwardnesse in the point of the establishment of the Kings succession wherunto 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 mayd of Kent he being for his concealement of that false prophets abuse found guiltie of misprision of treason And as these were the principall causes of their imprisonment the King resting secure of his Supremacie 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 therby made apt to draw them by degrees to further opposition against the King and his authoritie 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 wel by a generall decree of the Clergie in their Synode as by an Act 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 wel for this one most weighty head of doctrine of the Pope his supremacy 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 he vsed these wordes at the barre before the Lords Non ignoro cur me morti adiudicaueritis videlicet ob id quod nunquam voluerim assentiri in 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 busines 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 only for his being refractary to the King in this said matter of Marriage and succession which is but a very fleshly cause of martyrdome 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 onely nor principally for the cause of Supremacy so died 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 diuerse of them being of farre greater reputation for learning and sound iudgement then euer he was So as in this point we may wel arme our selues with the Cardinals own reason where hee giueth amongst other notes of the true Church Vniuersalitie 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 M Bekinsaw De vera differentia Regiae Potestatis Ecclesiasticae 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 bene fed with his daily ambitious expectation of the Cardinals hat which came so neere as Calis
An Apologie for the Oath of ALLEGIANCE FIRST SET FOORTH WITHOVT a name And now acknowledged by the Authour the Right High and Mightie Prince IAMES by the Grace of GOD King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. Together with a PREMONITION of his Maiesties to all most Mightie Monarches Kings free Princes and States of Christendome PSAL. 2. Vers 10. Et nunc Reges intelligite Erudimini qui iudicatis terram ROM 14. Vers 13. Non ergo ampliùs inuicem indicemus Sed hoc iudicate magis ne penatâ—s offendiculum fratri vel scandalum ¶ Imprinted at London by Robert Barker Printer to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie April 8. ANNO 1609. Cum priuilegio Regali TO THE MOST SACRED AND Inuincible Prince RODOLPH the II. by GODS Clemencie Elect EMPEROVR of the ROMANES KING OF GERMANIE HVNGARIE BOHEME DALMATIE CROATIE SCLAVONIE c. ARCH-DVKE OF AVSTRIA DVKE OF BVRGVNDIE STIRIA CARINTHIA CARNIOLA and WIRTEMBERG c. Earle of TYROLIS c. AND TO ALL OTHER RIGHT HIGH AND MIGHTY KINGS AND RIGHT EXCELLENT Free PRINCES and STATES of Christendome Our louing BRETHREN COVSINS ALLIES CONFEDERATES and FRIENDS IAMES by the grace of GOD King of GREAT BRITAINE FRANCE and IRELAND Professor Maintainer and DEFENDER OF THE True Christian Catholique and Apostolique FAITH Professed by the auncient and Primitiue Church and sealed with the blood of so many holy Bishops and other faithfull crowned with the glory of Martyrdome WISHETH euerlasting felicitie in CHRIST our Sauiour TO YOV MOST SACRED AND INVINCIBLE EMPEROVR RIGHT HIGH AND MIGHTIE KINGS RIGHT EXCELLENT FREE PRINCES AND STATES MY LOVING BRETHREN AND COVSINS To you I say as of right belongeth doe I consecrate and direct this Warning of mine or rather Preamble to my reprinted Apologie for the Oath of Allegiance For the cause is generall and concerneth the Authoritie and Priuiledge of Kings in generall and all supereminent Temporall powers And if in whatsoeuer Societie or Corporation of men either in Corporations of Cities or in the Corporation of any mechanike craft or handie-worke euery man is carefull to maintain the priuiledges of that Societie whereunto hee is sworne nay they will rather cluster all in one making it a common cause exposing themselues to all sorts of perill then suffer the least breach in their Liberties If those of the baser sort of people I say be so curious and zealous for the preseruation of their common priuiledges and liberties as if the meanest amongst them bee touched in any such poynt they thinke it concerneth them all Then what should we doe in such a case whom GOD hath placed in the highest thrones vpon earth made his Lieutenants Vice-gerents and euen seated vs vpon his owne throne to execute his Iudgements The consideration heereof hath now moued me to expone a Case vnto you which doeth not so neerely touch mee in my particular as it doeth open a breach against our authoritie I speake in the plurall of all Kings and priuiledge in generall And since not onely all rankes and sorts of people in all Nations doe inuiolably obserue this Maxime but euen the Ciuill Law by which the greatest part of Christendome is gouerned doeth giue them an interest qui fouent consimilem causam How much more then haue ye interest in this cause not being similis or par causa to yours but eadem with yours and indeed yee all fouetis or at least fouere debetis eandem causam mecum And since this cause is common to vs all both the ciuill Lawes and the municipall Lawes of all Nations permits and warne them that haue a common interest to concurre in one for the defence of their common cause yea common sence teacheth vs with the Poet Ecquid Ad te pòst paulò ventura pericula sentis Nam tua res agitur paries cùm proximus ardet Awake then while it is time and suffer not by your longer sleepe the strings of your Authoritie to be cut in singulis and one and one to your generall ruine which by your vnited forces would rather make a strong rope for the enemie to hang himselfe in with Achitophel then that hee should euer be able to breake it As for this Apologie of mine it is true that I thought good to set it first out without putting my name vnto it but neuer so as I thought to deny it remembring well mine owne words but taken out of the Scripture in the beginning of the Preface to the Reader in my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that nothing is so hid which shall not bee opened c promising there which with GOD his grace I shall euer performe neuer to doe that in secret which I shall need to be ashamed of when it shall come to be proclaimed in publique In deed I thought it fit for two respects that this my Apologie should first visite the world without hauing my name written in the forehead thereof First because of the matter and next of the persons that I medled with The matter it being a Treatise which I was to write containing reasons discourses in Diuinity for the defence of the Oath of Allegiance and refutation of the condemners therof I thought it not comely for one of my place to put my name to books concerning scholastick Disputations whose calling is to set forth Decrees in the Imparatiue moode for I thinke my selfe as good a man as the Pope by his reuerence for whom these my Answerers make the like excuse for that his Breues are so summary without yeelding any reason vnto them My next reason was the respect of the persons whom with I meddled Wherein although I shortly answered the Popes Breues yet the point I most laboured being the refutation of Bellarmines Letter I was neuer the man I confesse that could thinke a Cardinall a meet match for a King especially hauing many hundreth thousands of my subiects of as good birth as he As for his Church dignitie his Cardinalship I meane I know not how to ranke or value it either by the warrant of God his word or by the ordinance of Emperours or Kings it being indeed onely a new Papall erection tolerated by the sleeping conniuence of our Predecessors I meane still by the plurall of Kings But notwithstanding of this my forbearing to put my name vnto it some Embassadours of some of you my louing Brethren and Cosins whome this cause did neereliest concerne can witnesse that I made Presents of some of those bookes at their first printing vnto them and that auowedly in my owne name As also the English Paragraphist or rather peruerse Pamphleter Parsons since all his desciption must runne vpon a P. hath truely obserued that my Armes are affixed in the frontispice thereof which vseth not to bee in bookes of other mens doing whereby his malice in pretending his ignorance that he might pay me the soundlier is the more inexcusable But now that I find my sparing to put my name vnto it
hath not procured my sparing by these answerers who haue neither spared my Person directly in naming me nor indirectly by railing vpon the Author of the Booke it is now high time for me no longer to conceale nor disauow my selfe as if I were ashamed of my owne deed And therefore that yee may the better vnderstand the nature of the cause I will begin at the first ground thereof The neuer ynough wondered at and abhorred POVVDER-TREASON though the repetition thereof grieueth I know the gentle hearted Iesuite Parsons this Treason I say being not onely intended against me and my Posteritie but euen against the whole house of Parliament plotted only by Papists and they onely led thereto by a preposterous zeal for the aduancement of their Religion some of them continuing so obstinate that euen at their death they would not acknowledge their fault but in their last words immediatly before the expiring of their breath refused to condemne themselues craue pardon for their deed except the Romish Church should first condemne it And soone after it being discouered that a great number of my Popish Subiects of all rankes and sexes both men and women as well within as without the Countrey had a confused notion and an obscure knowledge that some great thing was to be done in that Parliament for the weale of the Church although for secrecies cause they were not acquainted with the particulars certaine formes of prayer hauing likewise bin set down and vsed for the good successe of that great errand adding hereunto that diuers times and from diuers Priests the Arch-traitors themselues receiued the Sacrament for confirmation of their heart and obseruation of secrecie Some of the principall Iesuits likewise being found guiltie of the foreknowledge of the Treason it selfe of which number some fled from their triall others were apprehended as holy Gamet himselfe and Ouldcorne were and iustly executed vpon their owne plaine confession of their guilt If this Treason now clad with these circumstances did not minister a iust occasion to that Parliament house whom they thought to haue destroyed couragiously and zealously at their next sitting downe to vse all meanes of trial whether any more of that mind were yet left in the Countrey I leaue it to you to iudge whom God hath appoynted his highest Depute-Iudges vpon earth And amongst other things for this purpose This Oath of Allegiance so vniustly impugned was then deuised and enacted And in case any sharper Lawes were then made against the Papists that were not obedient to the former Lawes of the Countrey if ye will consider the time place and persons it will bee thought no wonder seeing that occasion did so iustly exasperate them to make seuerer Lawes then otherwise they would haue done The time I say being the very next sitting downe of the Parliament after the discouerie of that abominable Treason the place beeing the same where they should all haue bene blowen vp and so bringing it freshly to their memorie againe the persons being those very Parliament men whom they thought to haue destroyed And yet so far hath both my heart and gouernment beene from any bitternes as almost neuer one of those sharpe additions to the former Lawes haue euer yet beene put in execution And that ye may yet know further for the more conuincing these Libellers of wilfull malice who impudently affirme That this Oath of Allegiance was deuised for deceiuing and intrapping of Papists in points of conscience The truth is that the Lower house of Parliament at the first framing of this Oath made it to containe That the Pope had no power to excommunicate me which I caused them to reforme onely making it to conclude That no excommunication of the Popes can warrant my Subiects to practise against my Person or State denying the deposition of Kings to be in the Popes lawfull power as indeed I take any such temporall violence to bee farre without the limits of such a Spirituall censure as excommunication is So carefull was I that nothing should be contained in this Oath except the profession of natural Allegiance ciuill and temporall obedience with a promâ—se to resist to all contrary vnciuill violence This Oath now grounded vpon so great and iust an occasion set forth in so reasonable termes and ordeined onely for making of a true distinction betweene Papists of quiet disposition and in all other things good Subiects and such other Papists as in their hearts maintained the like violent bloody Maximes that the Powder-traitors did This Oath I say being published and put in practise bred such euill blood in the Popes head and his Cleargie as Breue after Breue commeth forth vt vndam vnda sequitur prohibiting all Catholiques from taking the same as a thing cleane contrary to the Catholicke faith and that the taking thereof cannot stand with the saluation of their soules There commeth likewise a letter of Cardinall Bellarmines to Blackwell to the same purpose but discoursing more at length vpon the sayd Oath Whereupon after I had entred in consideration of their vniust impugning that so iust and lawfull an Oath and fearing that by their vntrue calumnies and Sophistrie the hearts of a number of the most simple and ignorant of my people should be mis-led vnder that faire and deceitfull cloake of conscience I thought good to set foorth an Apologie for the said Oath wherin I proued that as this Oath contained nothing but matter of ciuill and temporall Obedience due by Subiects to their Soueraigne Prince so this quarrelling therewith was nothing but a late vsurpation of Popes against the warrant of all Scriptures ancient Counsels and Fathers vpon the temporall power of Kings where with onely my Apologie doth meddle But the publishing of this Booke of mine hath brought such two Answerers or rather Raylers vpon me as all the world may wonder at For my Booke beeing first written in English an English Oath beeing the subiect thereof and the vse of it properly belonging to my subiects of England and immediatly thereafter being translated into Latine vpon a desire that some had of further publishing it abroad it commeth home vnto me now answered in both the Languages And I thinke if it had beene set forth in all the tongues that were at the confusion of Babel it would haue beene returned answered in them all againe Thus may a man see how busie a Bishop the Deuill is and how he omitteth no diligence for venting of his poisoned wares But herein their malice doth cleerely appeare that they pay me so quickly with a double answere and yet haue neuer answered their owne Arch-priest who hath written a booke for the maintenaÌ„ce of the same Oath and of the temporall authoritie of Kings alledging a cloud of their owne Scoolemen against them As for the English Answerer my vnnaturall and fugitiue Subiect I will neither defile my pen nor your sacred eies or eares with the describing of him who ashames nay abhorres not to rayle
no absurdities Otherwise it is an easie thing for Momus to picke quarrels in another mans tale and tell it worse himselfe it being a more easie practise to finde faults then to amend them Hauing now made this digression anent the Antichrist which I am sure I can better fasten vpon the Pope then Bellarmine can doe his pretended temporall Superioritie ouer Kings I will returne againe to speake of this Answerer who as I haue alreadie told you so fitteth his matter with his maner of answering that as his Style is nothing but a Satyre and heape full of iniurious and reprochfull speeches as well against my Person as my Booke so is his matter as full of lyes and falsities indeed as he vniustly layeth to my charge For three lyes hee maketh against the Oath of Allegiance contained and maintained in my Booke besides that ordinary repeated lye against my Book of his omitting to answere my lyes trattles iniurious speeches and blasphemies One grosse lye hee maketh euen of the Popes first Breue One lye of the Puritanes whom he would gladly haue to bee of his partie And one also of the Powder-Traitors anent the occasion that moued them to vndertake that treasonable practise Three lies he makes of that Acte of Parliament wherein this Oath of Allegiance is contained He also maketh one notable lye against his owne Catholike Writers And two of the causes for which two Iesuites haue bene put to death in England And hee either falsifies denies or wrests fiue sundry Histories and a printed Pamphlet besides that impudent lye that he maketh of my Person that I was a Puritane in Scotland which I haue alreadie refuted And for the better filling vp of his booke with such good stuffe he hath also fiue so strange and new principles of Diuinitie therein as they are either new or at least allowed by very few of his owne Religion All which lyes with diuers others and fiue strange and as I thinke erroneous points of Doctrine with sâ—n dry falsifications of Hystories are set downe in a Table by themselues in the end of this my Epistle hauing their Refutation annexed to euery one of them But as for the particular answering of his booke it is both vnnecessarie and vncomely for me to make a Reply Vnnecessarie because as I haue alreadie told you my Booke is neuer yet answered so farre as belongeth to the maine question anent the Oath of Allegiance the picking of aduantage vpon the wrong placing of the figures in the citations or such errors in the Print by casuall addition or omission of words that make nothing to the Argument being the greatest weapons wherewith hee assaults my Booke And vncomely it must needs be in my opinion for a King to fall in altercation with a Cardinall at least with one no more nobly descendâ—d then he is That Ecclesiasticall dignitie though by the sloath of Princes as I said before it bee now come to that height of vsurped honour yet being in the true originall and foundation thereof nothing else but the title of the Priestes and Deacons of the parish Churches in the towne of Rome at the first the style of Cardinals beeing generally giuen to all Priestes and Deacons of any Cathedrall Church though the multitude of such Cardinall Priests and Deacons resorting to Rome was the cause that after bred the restraining of that title of Cardinall Priests and Deacons onely to the Parish priests and Deacons of Rome And since that it is S. Gregorie who in his Epistles sixe hundreth yeares after CHRIST maketh the first mention of Cardinals and so these now Electours of the Apostolike Sea beeing long and many hundreth yeers vnknowen or vnheard of after the Apostolâ—ke age and yet doth he speake of them but in this sense as I haue now described I hope the Cardinall who calleth him the Apostle of England cannot blame me that am King thereof to acknowledge the Cardinall in no other degree of honour then our said Apostle did But how they should now become to be so strangely exalted aboue their first originall institution that from Parish-priests and Deacons Priests inferiours they should now come to be Princes and Peeres to Kings and from a degree vnder Bishops as both Bellarmine and Onuphrius confesse to be now the Popes sole Electors suâ—plying with him the place of a General Counsel whereby the conuening of generall Councels is now vtterly antiquated and abolished nay out of their number onely the Pope to be elected who claimeth the absolute Superiority ouer all Kings how this their strange vsurped exaltation I say should thus creepe in and be suffered it belongeth all them in our place and calling to look vnto it who being GOD his Lieuteâ—aÌ„ts in earth haue good reason to be iealous of such vpstart Princes meane in their originall come to that height by their owne creation and now accounting themselues Kings fellowes But the speciall harme they do vs is by their defrauding vs of our common Christian interest in generall Councels they hauing as I sayd vtterly abolished the same by rowling it vp and making as it were a Monopoly thereof in their Conclaue with the Pope Whereas if euer there were a possibilitie to bee expected of reducing all Christians to an vniformitie of Religion it must come by the meanes of a generall Councell the place of their meeting beeing chosen so indiffereÌ„t as all Christian Princes either in their owne Persons or their Deputie Commissioners and all Church men of Christian profession that beleeue and professe all the ancient grounds of the true ancient Catholike and Apostolike Faith might haue tutum accessum thereunto All the incendiaries and Nouelist fire-brands on either side beeing debarred from the same as well Iesuites as Puritanes And therefore hauing resolued not to paine my selfe with making a Reply for these reasons here specified grounded as well vpon the consideration of the matter as of the person of the Answerer I haue thought good to content my selfe with the reprinting of my Apologie hauing in a maner corrected nothing but the Copiers or Printers faults therein and prefixed this my Epistle of Dedication and Warning therunto that I may yet see if any thing will be iustly said against it Not doubting but enow of my Subiects will reply vpon these Libellers and answere them sufficiently wishing YOV deepely to consider and weigh your common interest in this Cause For neither in all my Apologie nor in his pretended Refutation thereof is there any question made anent the Popes power ouer mee in particular for the excommunicating or deposing of me For in my particular the Cardinall doeth me that grace that he saith The Pope thought it not expedient at this time to excommunicate me by name our question beeing onely generall Whether the Pope may lawefully pretend any temporall power ouer Kings or no That no Church men can by his rule be subiect to any temporall Prince I haue already shewed you And what
owne Catholikes as to commaund them to disobey their Soueraignes lawfull commandement If it be vnlawful why hath he neither expressed any one cause or reason thereof nor yet wil giue theÌ„ leaue nay rather he should commaund and perswade them in plaine termes not to liue vnder a King whom vnto they ought no obedience And as for the vehement exhortation vnto them to perseuere in constancie and to suffer martyrdome and all tribulation for this cause it requireth no other answere then onely this That if the ground be good whereupon he hath commaunded them to stand then exhortation to constancie is necessary but if the ground bee vniust and naught as indeed it is and I haue in part already proued then this Exhortation of his can work no other effect then to make him guilty of the blood of so many of his sheep whom he doeth thus wilfully cast away not onely to the needlesse losse of their liues and ruine of their families but euen to the laying on of a perpetuall flaunder vpon all Papists as if no zealous Papist could be a true subiect to his Prince and that the profession of that Religion and the temporall obedience to the Ciuill Magistrate were two things repugnant incompatible in themselues But euill information and vntrue reports which beeing carried so farre as betweene this and Rome cannot but increase by the way might haue abused the Pope and made him dispatch this Breue so rashly For that great City Queene of the World and as themselues confesse mystically Babylon cannot but be so full of all sorts of intelligencies Besides all complainers as the Catholikes heere are be naturally giuen to exaggerate their owne griefes and multiply thereupon So that it is no wonder that euen a Iudge sitting there should vpon wrong information giue an vnrighteous sentence as some of their owne partie doe not sticke to confesse that Pius Quintus was too rashly caried vpon wrong information to pronounce his thunder of ExcoÌ„munication vpon the late Queene And it may be the like excuse shal hereafter be made for the two Breues which Clemens octauus sent to England immediatly before her death for debarring mee of the Crowne or any other that either would professe or any wayes tollerate the professors of our Religion contrary to his manifold vowes and protestations simul eodem tempore as it were deliuered vno eodem spiritu to diuers of my ministers abroad professing such kindnesse and shewing such forwardnesse to aduance mee to this Crowne Nay the most part of Catholikes heere finding this Breue when it came to their handes to bee so farre against diuinity policy or naturall sense were firmely perswaded that it was but a counterfeit Libel deuised in hatred of the Pope or at the farthest a thing hastily done vpon wrong information as was before saide Of which opinion were not onely the simpler sort of Papists but euen some amongst them of best account both for learning and experience whereof the Arch-priest himselfe was one But for soluing of this obiection the Pope himselfe hath taken new paines by sending foorth a second Breue onely for giuing faith and confirmation to the former That whereas before his sinne might haue beene thought to haue proceeded from rashnesse and mis-information he will now wilfully and willingly double the same whereof the Copie followeth TO OVR BELOued sonnes the English Catholikes Paulus P.P. V ius BEloued Sonnes Salutation and Apostolicall benediction It is reported vnto vs that there are found certaine amongst you who when as wee haue sufficiently declared by our Letters dated the last yeere on the tenth of the Calends of October in the forme of a Breue that ye cannot with safe Conscience take the Oath which was then required of you and when as we haue further straightly commanded you that by no meanes ye should take it yet there are some I say among you which dare now affirme that such Letters concerning the forbidding of the Oath were not written of our owne accord or of our owne proper will but rather for the respect and at the instigation of other men And for that cause the same men do goe about to perswade you that our commands in the said letters are not to be regarded Surely this newes did trouble vs and that so much the more because hauing had experience of your obedience most dearely beloued sonnes who to the end ye might obey this holy Sea haue godlily and valiantly contemned your riches wealth honour libertie yea and life it selfe we should neuer haue suspected that the trueth of our Apostolike letters could once be called into question among you that by this pretence yee might exempt your selues from our commandements But we doe herein perceiue the subtiltie and craft of the enemie of mans saluation and wee doe attribute this your backwardnesse rather to him then to your owne will And for this cause we haue thought good to write the second time vnto you and to signifie vnto you againe that our Apostolike letters dated the last yeere on the tenth of the Calends of October concerning the prohibition of the Oath were written not onely vpon our proper motion and of our certaine knowledge but also after long and weightie deliberation vsed concerning all those things which are conteined in them and for that cause that yee are bound fully to obserue them reiecting all interpretation perswading to the contrary And this is our meere pure and perfect will being alwayes carefull of your saluation and alwayes minding those things which are most profitable vnto you And we doe pray without ceasing that he that hath appointed our lowlines to the keeping of the flocke of Christ would inlighten our thoughts and our counsels whom wee doe also continually desire that hee would increase in you our beloued Sonnes faith constancy and mutuall charity and peace one to another All whom wee doe most louingly blesse with all charitable affection Dated at Rome at Saint Markes vnder the Signet of the Fisherman the x. of the Calends of September 1607. the third yeere of our Popedome THE ANSWERE to the second Breue NOw for this Breue I may iustly reflect his owne phrase vpon him in tearming it to bee The craft of the Deuil For if the Deuil had studied a thousand yeres for to finde out a mischiefe for our Catholikes here hee hath found it in this that now when many Catholiks haue taken their Oath and some Priests also yea the Arch-priest himselfe without compunction or sticking they shall not now onely bee bound to refuse the profession of their naturall Allegiance to their Soueraigne which might yet haue beene some way coloured vpoÌ„ diuers scruples conceiued vpon the wordes of the Oath but they must now renounce forsâ—eare their profession of obedience already sworne and so must as it were at the third instance forsweare their former two Oaths first closely sworne by their birth in
vvith the ciuil obedience of subiects to their Soueraigne in meere temporall causes And that it may the better appeare that vvhereas by name he seemeth to condemne the last Oath yet indeed his vvhole Letter runneth vpon nothing but vpon the condemnation of the Oath of Supremacie I haue here thought good to set downe the saide Oath leauing it then to the discretion of euery indifferent reader to iudge whether hee doeth not in substance onely answere to the Oath of Supremacie but that he giueth the child a wrong name I A B. doe vtterly testifie and declare in my Conscience that the Kings Highnesse is the onely Supreame Gouernour of this Realme and all other his Highnesse Dominions and Counties as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes as Temporall And that no forraine Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to haue any Iurisdiction Power Superioritie Preeminence or Authoritie Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall within this Realme And therefore I do vtterly renounce and forsake all forreine Iurisdictions Powers Superiorities and authorities and do promise that from hencefoorth I shall beare faith and true Allegiance to the Kings Highnesse his Heires and lawfull Successors and to my power shall assist and defend all iurisdictions Priuiledges Preâ—minences and Authorities graunted or belonging to the Kings Highnesse his Heires and Successours or vnited and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of the Realme So helpe mee God and by the Contents of this booke And that the iniustice as well as the errour of his grosse mistaking in this point may yet be more clearely discouered I haue also thought good to insert here immediatly after the Oath of Supremacie the contrary Conclusions to all the points and Articles whereof this other late Oath doeth consist whereby it may appeare what vnreasonable and rebellious points hee would driue my Subiects vnto by refusing the whole body of that Oath as it is conceiued For he that shall refuse to take this Oath must of necessitie hold all or some of these propositions following That I King IAMES am not the lawfull King of this Kingdome and of all other my Dominions That the Pope by his owne authoritie may depose me If not by his owne authoritie yet by some other authoritie of the Church or of the Sea of Rome If not by some other authoritie of the Church Sea of Rome yet by other meanes with others helpe he may depose me That the Pope may dispose of my Kingdomes and Dominions That the Pope may giue authoritie to some forren Prince to inuade my Dominions That the Pope may discharge my Subiects of their Allegiance and Obedience to me That the Pope may giue licence to one or more of my Subiects to beare armes against me That the Pope may giue leaue to my Subiects to offer violence to my Person or to my Gouernement or to some of my Subiects That if the Pope shall by sentence excommunicate or depose me my Subiects are not to beare Faith and Allegiance to me If the Pope shall by Sentence excommunicate or depose mee my Subiects are not bound to defend with all their power my Person and Crowne If the Pope shall giue out any Sentence of Excommunication or Depriuation against me my Subiects by reason of that sentence are not bound to reueale all Conspiracies and Treasons against mee which shal come to their hearing and knowledge That it is not hereticall and detestable to hold 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 my Subiects from this Oath or from some part thereof That this Oath is not administred to my Subiects by a full and lawfull authoritie That this Oath is to be taken with Equiuocation mental 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 spiritual causes nor yet were euer concluded and defined by any complete generall Councell to belong to the Popes authoritie and their owne schoole Doctors are at irreconciliable oddes and iarres about them And that the world may yet farther see ours and the whole States setting downe of this Oath did not proceed from any new inuention of our owne but as it is warranted by the word of GOD so doeth it take the example 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 downe their owne words here in that purpose whereby it may appeare that I craue nothing now of my 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 point of equiuocation which I in this Oath was so carefull to haue eschewed but you shall here see the said Councels in their Decrees as carefull to prouide for the eschewing of the same so as almost euery point of that Action and this of ours shall be found to haue relation and agreeance one with the other saue only in this that those ould Councels were carefull and strait in commanding the taking of the same whereas by the contrary he that novv vanteth himselfe to bee head of all Councels is as carefull and strait in the prohibition of all men from the taking of this Oath of Allegiance The vvordes of the Councell bee these Heare our Sentence Whosoeuer of vs or of all the people thorowout all Spaine shall goe about by any meanes of conspiracie or practise to violate the Oath of his fidelitie which he hath taken for the preseruation of his Countrey or of the Kings life or who shall attempt to put violent hands vpon the King or to depriue him of his kingly power or that by tyrannicall presumption would vsurpe the Soueraigntie of the Kingdome let him bee accursed in the sight of God the Father and of his Angels and let him be made and declared a stranger from the Catholike Church which he hath prophaned by his periurie an aliant from the company of all Christian people together with all the complices of his impietie because it behooueth all those that bee guiltie of the like offence to vnder-lie the like punishment Which sentence is three seuerall times together and almost in the same wordes repeated in the same Canon After this the Synode desired That this Sentence of theirs now this third time rehearsed might be confirmed by the voyce and consent of all that were present Then the whole Clergie and people answered Whosoeuer shal cary himselfe presumptuously against this your definitiue sentence let them be Anathema maranatha that is let them
be vtterly destroyed at the Lords comming and let them and their complices haue their portion with Iudas Iscarioth Amen And in the fift Councell there it is decreed That this Acte touching the Oath of Allegiance shall bee repeated in euery Councell of the Bishops of Spaine The Decree is in these wordes In consideration that the mindes of men are easily inclined to euill and forgetfulnesse therefore this most holy Synode hath ordeined and doeth enact That in euery Councell of the Bishops of Spaine the Decree of the generall Councell which was made for the safetie of our Princes shall be with an audible voyce proclaimed pronounced after the conclusion of all other things in the Synode that so it being often sounded in their eares at least by continuall remembrance the mindes of wicked men being terrified might bee reformed which by obliuion facilitie to euill are brought to preuaricate And in the sixt Councell We doe protest before God and all the orders of Angels in the presence of the Prophets and Apostles and all the company of Martyrs and before all the Catholike Church and assemblies of the Christians That no man shall goe about to seeke the destruction of the King No man shall touch the life of the Prince No man shall depriue him of the Kingdome No man by any tyrannicall presumption shall vsurpe to himselfe the soueraigntie of the Kingdome No man by any Machination shall in his aduersitie associate to himselfe any packe of conspirators against him And that if any of vs shal be presumptuous by rashnesse in any of these cases let him be strickē with the anatheme of God and reputed as condemned in eternall iudgement without any hope of recouery And in the tenth Councell to omit diuers others held also at Toledo it is said That if any religious man euen from the Bishop to the lowest Order of the Church-men or Monkes shall be found to haue violated the generall Oathes made for the preseruation of the Kings person or of the nation and Countrey with a profane minde forthwith let him be depriued of all dignitie and excluded from all place and honour The occasion of the Decrees made for this Oath was That the Christians were suspected for want of fidelitie to their Kings and did either equiuocate in taking their Oath or make no conscience to keepe it when they had giuen it as may appeare by sundry speeches in the Councell saying There is a generall report that there is that perfidiousnes in the mindes of many poeple of diuerse Nations that they make no conscience to keepe the Oath and fidelitie that they haue sworne vnto their Kings but doe dissemble a profession of fidelitie in their mouthes when they hold an impious perfidiousnes in their minds And againe They sweare to their Kings and yet doe they preuaricate in the fidelitie which they haue promised Neither do they feare the volume of Gods iudgement by the which the curse of God is brought vpon them with great threatning of punishments which doe sweare lyingly in the Name of God To the like effect spake they in the Councel of Aquisgran If any of the Bishops or other Church-man of inferiour degree hereafter thorow feare or couetousnes or any other perswasion shall make defection from our Lord the Orthodoxe Emperour Lodowicke or shall violate the Oath of fidelitie made vnto him or shall with their peruerse intention adhere to his enemies let him by this Canonicall and Synodall sentence be depriued of whatsoeuer place hee is possessed of And now to come to a particular answere of his letter First as concerning the sweete memory 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 Iesuits as were the greatest Traitours and fomenters of the greatest conspiracies against the late Queen gaue vp father Robert Bellarmine for one of their greatest authorities and oracles And therefore I doe not enuie the great honor he can win 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 prooue no more profitable to his soule then Bellarmines counsel is like to proue profitable both to the soule and body of Blackwel if he would follow it the author of this letter might very wel be without his prayers Now the first messenger that I can finde which brought ioyfull newes of the Archpriest to Bellarmine was he that brought the newes of the Arch-priests 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 it lawfull for him to iudge me a persecutour before proofe had bene made of it by the said Arch-priestes condemnation and death What could hee know that the said Arch-priest was not taken vpon suspicion of his guiltinesse in the Powder-Treason What certaine information had he then receiued vpon the particulars whereupon hee was to be accused And last of all by what inspiration could he foretell whereupon hee was to bee accused For at that time there was yet nothing layed to his charge And if charitie should not be suspicious what warrant had he absolutely to condemne mee of vsing persecution and tyrannie which could not be but emplied vpon me if Blackwel was to be a Martyr but surely it may iustly be said of Bellarmine in this case that our Sauiour CHRIST saith of all worldly and carnall men who thinke it enough to loue their 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 Blackwel in reioycing in the speculation of his future Martyrdome he detracted as much vniustly and vncharitably from me in accounting of me 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 he needed neuer to haue bene troubled either with his former ioy or his second sorrow both being alike falsly grounded For as it was neuer my intention to lay any thing
before hee lost his head to fil it with I haue great reason to doubt if he 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 folowed 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 weighty head of doctrine with their blood in England So as the true causes of their first falling in trouble wherof 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 it a point so greatly accounted of by our Cardinal there can but smal glory redound therby to our English nation these onely two Enoch and Elias seruing for witnesses against our Antichristian doctrine And I am sure the Supremacie of Kings may and will euer be better maintained by the word of God which must euer bee the true rule to discerne al weighty heads of doctrine by to be the true and proper office of Christian Kings in their owne dominions then he wil be euer able to maintaine his annihilating Kings their authorities together with his base 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 Gouernours ouer the Church within their Dominions purged their corruptions reformed their abuses brought the Arke to her resting place the King dancing before it built the Temple dedicated the same assisting in their owne persons to the sanctification thereof made the booke of the Law new-sound to be read to the people renewed the couenant betweene God and his people brused the brasen Serpent in pieces which was set vp by the expresse cōmandement of God and was a figure of Christ destroyed all Idols and false gods made a publike reformation by a Commission of Secular men and Priests mixed for that purpose deposed the hie Priest and set vp another in his place and generally ordered euery thing belonging to the Church-gouerment their Titles and Prerogatiues giuen them by God agreeing to these their actions They are called the Sonnes of the most High nay Gods themselues The Lords anoynted Sitting in Gods throne His seruants The Angels of God According to his hearts desire The light of Israel The nursing fathers of the Church with innumerable such stiles of honor wherwith the old Testament is filled wherof our aduersary can pretend no ignorance And as to the new Testament Euery soule is commaunded to be subiect vnto them euen for conscience sake All men must bee prayed for but especially Kings and those that are in Authority that vnder them we may lead a godly peaceable and an honest life The Magistrate is the minister of God to doe vengeance on him that doth euill reward him that doeth well Ye must obey all higher powers but especially Princes and those that are supereminent Giue euery man his due feare to whom feare belongeth and honour to whome honour Giue vnto Caesar what is Caesars and to God what is Gods Regnum meum non est huius mundi Quis me constituit Iudicem super vos Reges gentium dominantur eorum vos autem non sic If these examples sentences titles and prerogatiues and innumerable other in the old and new Testament do not warrant Christian Kings within their owne dominions to gouerne the Church as well as the rest of their people in being Custod es vtriusque Tabulae not by making new articles of faith which is the Popes office as I saide before but by cōmanding obedience to be giuen to the word of God by reforming the religion according to his prescribed will by assisting the spiritual power with the temporal sword by reforming of corruptions by procuring due obedience to the Church by iudging and cutting off all friuolous questions and Schismes as Constantine did and finally by making decorum to bee obserued in euery thing establishing orders to be obserued in al indifferent things for that purpose which is the only intent of our Oath of Supremacy If this Office of a King I say doe not agree with the power giuen him by Gods word let any indifferent man voyd of passion iudge But how these honourable offices styles and prerogatiues giuen by God to Kings in the old new Testament as I haue now cited can agree with the braue stiles and titles that Bellarmine giueth thē I can hardly conceiue 1. That Kings are rather slaues then Lords 2. That they are not only subiects to Popes to Bishops to Priests but euen to Deacons 3. That an Emperour must content himselfe to drinke not onely after a Bishop but after a Bishops Chaplen 4. That Kings haue not their authority nor office immediatly from God nor his Lawe but onely from the Law of Nations 5. That Popes haue degraded many Emperours but neuer Emperour degraded the Pope nay euen Bishops that are but the Popes vassals may depose Kings and abrogate their lawes 6. That Church-men are so farre aboue Kings as the soule is aboue the body 7. That Kings may be deposed by their people for diuers respects 8. But Popes can by no meanes bee deposed for no flesh hath power to iudge of them 9. That obedience due to the Pope is for conscience sake 10. But the obedience due to Kings is onely for certaine respects of order and policie 11. That these very Church-men that are borne and inhabite in Soueraigne Princes countreys are notwithstanding not their Subiects and cannot be iudged by them although they may iudge them 12. And that the obedience that Churchmen giue to Princes euen in the meanest and meere temporall things is not by way of any necessary subiection but onely out of discretion and for obseruation of good order and custome These contrarieties betweene the booke of God and Bellarmines books haue I heere set in opposition ech to other Vt ex contrarijs iuxta se positis veritas magis elucescere possit And thus farre I dare boldly affirme that whosoeuer will indifferently weigh these irreconciliable contradictions here set downe wil easily confesse that CHRIST is no more contrary to Beliall light to darkenesse and heauen to hell then Bellarmines estimation of Kings is to Gods Now as to the conclusion of his letter which is onely filled with strong and pithy exhortations to perswade and confirme Blackwell to the patient and constant induring of Martyrdome I haue nothing to answere saue by way of regrate that so many good sentences drawen out of the Scripture so well and so handsomely packed vp together should bee so ill and vntruely