left off to be a Paradise Paradise ouerflowne with the flood But this vniesuited Bellarmine that he might preserue that place free from the inundation of waters to be more pleasant and wholesome for Enoch and Elias hath remooued it into a place neere the circle of the Moone Paradise not neere the Moone But the Iesuite Pererius doth proue that it is the more incommodious and vnholesome and altogither inhabitable First for the neerenesse of the Sunne and other starres then for the Element of fire placed next the moone besides for the perpetuall agitation of the place being carried swiftly about with the constant motion of the heauen So that Bellarmine hath prouided very ill for those good Fathers when he placed Paradise so neere the Moone hath done great wrong to the Inhabitants of the earth as Pererius noteth pretily and pleasantly that the height of Paradise being in a place opposite to the east would keepe away the light of the Sunne It is good sport to see these two learned Iesuits wrangling together about the scituation of Paradise Papist against Papist as the Madianites wounding one another with their mutuall blowes Yet out of this their conflict the truth doth appeare that Enoch and Elias is not in the earthly Paradise And yet without all doubt they must be in Paradise then in heauenly Paradise Which when all is done he confesseth they bee not in the ethereall but aeriall heauen Aeriall Doctour who dreames that God will giue but an aeriall happinesse to these his excellent Prophets For whereas he thinkes it is a matter of religion for any to confesse that heauen gates were open for any before Christ and to the proofe therof hath gathered and bent all his forces that most learned Byshoppe of Elie hath so weakened and disperst them that he hath cleane vanquished the Sophister and driuen him out of the field Enoch and Elias are members of the sonne of man the sonne did first ascend into heauen by his owne power Enoch and Elias being members of Christ haue ascended by the power of the sonne of man so that Christ may bee rightly said to tread the way before them both Whence seeing it sufficiently appeares that Enoch and Elias doe now liue in heauen I will demand againe The second Question whether they entred heauen in their soules alone or with their bodies also For if onely in their soules as certaine learned men doe thinke they must twise rise againe if it be true that Bellarmine saith once to fight against Antichrist the second time to conuert the Iewes to Christ If with their bodies also which the greater sort and better learned on both sides do conclude that they may not deny the priuilege giuen to them for our comfort I will not curiousty inquire whether they enioy the blessed vision of God when I heare they be entred into the house of God that is the heauens wherein Christ saith that he hath many mansion places Three examples of God his glory Enoch Elias Christ. It contents me that God for the comforting of his Church vpon earth would haue three examples and shewes of his glorie to appeare Enoch before the Law Elias vnder the Law Christ vnder the Gospell that the two former by anothers Christ by his owne power entred heauen in their bodies Enoch for the comfort of married folkes Elias for the comfort of Virgins Christ for the comfort of either estate who being borne of a Virgin that was espoused did adorne both of them in his life the Virgin by his example the married by his miracle but especially that Enoch being famous for his integritie Elias for his zeale Christ for his perfection in all graces might be openly knowne to haue their entrance into heauen Hence euery faithfull man may behold the foundation of his happinesse in Christ the first fruits in Enoch and Elias in him the working cause in these a warrantable earnest of their resurrection and ascension into the highest heauen with the highest ioy and hence may we conclude against any Iewish heretike that as there was an entrance into heauen to Enoch and Elias to perfect their happinesse so a returne to the earth is denied vnto them onely Christ who ascended vp into heauen not for himselfe alone but for them and vs must come againe in the latter day that hee may bring those that belong vnto him into heauen Nor let any doubt but that Christ by which power hee shall carrie those being changed in the twinkling of an eye into heauen whom hee shall finde aliue at his comming on the earth hath with that power changed Enoch and Elias in the very moment of their translation and assumption that being made like to his glorious bodie he shall as he hath made them so also make vs fit for heauen The third Question Here I thirdly demand how Bellarmine can imagine their bodies to be mortall and corruptible who haue so many ages enioyed in the heauens immortalitie and incorruption for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdome of heauen and corruption cannot put on incorruption as the Apostle teacheth Bellarmine contradicteth the Scripture whom the Cardinall doth contradict Enoch was translated that hee should not see death saith the Apostle he shall returne that he may see death saith the Cardinall so Bellarmine alwaies beates against the rocke so long till it be to be feared he will be beaten in peeces by the rocke But if so be that Enoch and Elias doe liue in their bodies in the heauens which is Gods house as the wiser Papists doe confesse to be agreeable to Scripture it followeth that their bodies be incorruptible and immortall The fourth Question I demand therefore in the fourth place how it can be that they should be killed by Antichrist in the latter day how they can so die that they be raised vp the third day There is no shew of truth in the inuention no probabilitie in the deuise And yet these two inhabitants of heauenly Paradise the possessors of immortalitie as Hierom calls them not that now they desire but that they now enioy immortalitie as Tertullian speaketh the marke-men and first borne of our resurrection as Epiphanius saith the most ancient inhabitants of heauen in whom the worth of grace hath changed the law of nature as Athanasius saith Immortalitie not ouercome by death euen these two this old doting Doctor Bellarmine doth imagine shall returne againe vpon the earth that they may dye by the hand of Antichrist Mortalitie shall be drunke vp of life but immortalitie shall not be drunke vp of death For God will not giue that glory to Antichrist that he triumph ouer the death of the Saints in heauen for they be immortall If they be heauenly and immortall what businesse haue they vpon the earth to fight with Antichrist whom Christ hath purposed by three meanes vtterly to destroy and abolish 1. By the effectuall ministerie of his word
he may take from one and giue to another as to his vassals at his owne will and pleasure as Gregrrie the seuenth did And if hee will to vnite each power both the Bishoply and Imperiall in himselfe by the force and right of his Popedome as Boniface the eighth did Whereof the diuine Apostle S. Peter did neither but being poore and lowly who thought that the care of feeding not the power of ruling was granted vnto him and that not the gouernment but the ministery was committed to him As Bernard said to Pope Eugenius Bern. de consid ad Euge. lib. 2. Gouernment is forbidden the Apostles Therefore darest thou vsurpe either gouerning the Apostle-ship or being an Apostle the gouernment The Apostolike forme is this gouernment is forbidden the ministery is enioyned What then will you say did he denie that Eugenius the Pope was the temporall Lord of his prouinces Not so But hee answereth be it that thou challenge them it must bee by some other claime not by the right of an Apostle Lib. 5. de Rom. Pont. cap. 20. For Peter could not giue that he had not Which answer the Cardinall doth well allow Whereby it appeareth that these two powers by the force and right of the Popedome either can or ought to be confounded in one person Nich. pa. in epist ad Micha Imp. As Nicholas the first himselfe taught when wee come to the truth speaking of Christ the Sauiour neither did he of his owne accord as Emperour take to him the right of the Bishopricke Lib. 5. de Rom. Pont. cap. 5. or being Bishop vsurped the name of the Emperour which place Bellarmine taking vpon him to expound Nicholas the first saith hee doth directly teach that Christ did distinguish the acts offices and dignities of the Bishop and the Emperour lest the Emperour should presume to enter vpon the right of the Bishop or the Bishop vpon the rights of the Emperour And yet Bellarmine doth maintain that these two powers are confounded in the Bishop of Rome Bellarmin contradicteth Christ the Pope and himselfe by the power and right of his Bishopricke which he confessed to be distinguished plainely by Christ and the Pope What will you doe with this good-fellow who contradicts both Christ the Pope and himselfe at his pleasure But I leaue Bellarmine in this point to be fully confuted and confounded by our Counseller Regius Heere only I make it plaine that the Pope doth vsurpe temporall dominion ouer the Emperour which neither Peter nor Christ had The Pope accounted inferiour to the Councell and either of them condemned in a Bishop Peter also was inferior to the Councell of Ierusalem § 215 and the Pope for a long time was accounted De elect electi potesta cap. significasti euen of his owne side inferiour to the generall Councell As Panormitane In matters of faith the Councell is aboue the Pope so that hee cannot decree any thing against the determination of the Councell Councels deposed Popes Hence it is that the Councell may condemne the Pope for heresie as the generall Councels of Pisa Constance and Basill did displace many Popes out of their Popedomes for heresie wherin it was decreed that the Councell was aboue the Pope Concord lib. 2. cap. 34. Hence Cusan shewing the custome of the Church writ that the generall Councell was of the cheifest power in all things euen aboue the Pope himselfe I might alleadge many other notable Papists to be of this minde but I holde it not cessarie in this place But now the Pope is lifted vp aboue the Councels and imagineth that the supremacy is cheifely placed in himselfe that Bishops being cast off and Emperours cut downe Is he Peters successor that is nothing like Peter and Councels supprest he may doe what hee please without controulment And may we thinke him to bee Peters successor that hath nothing in him like Peter which notwithstanding Bellarmine takes for granted when no thing is so much in controuersie As hee doth likewise euery where affirme that he is Christ his Vicar without proofe when as nothing is so necessarie for the Romish Catholike faith then that hee should confirme both these out of the Scriptures The successour of Peter is read in the fathers the Vicar of Christ is not read It is not therefore to be beleeued by Catholike faith but by historicall faith Of the Vicar of Christ I shall consider afterward now in few words of the successour of Peter § 216 Neither will I argue in this place those things which are much controuerted whether Peter were at Rome whether hee were euer Bishop or whether Bishop of Rome neither if he were will I dispute the case whether the personall dignitie of Peter could passe into a successour which is denied when it was granted by Christ in respect of his confession which he deliuered not of the seat which hee possessed Neither if it were in respect of the seat when it is reported that Peter had two seates one at Antioch the other at Rome I will not now enquire why Peters priuiledge should be tied to Rome rather then to Antioch Againe I will not discusse that in this place which shall be enquired after in more words in the whole explication of the Popes Creede whether the Pope haue succeeded Peter in the faith onely heere I will briefely enquire whether hee succeeded in the seat and whether the succession of the Pope whereon all Popery dependeth bee a diuine or humane constitution For if it be a humane constitution and confirmed only by humane testimonies sure it cannot be an article of the Catholike faith as Argentine auerred out of his Doctors If it be diuine let them tell vs in what place of Scripture they finde it written that the Bishop of Rome should succeede Peter or where Peter ordained the Pope or any other to bee his successour They answer for the most part as much as they can that Christ when hee said Feede my sheepe did vnderstand Peters successour in that place to whom together with Peter he gaue the cheife and perpetuall iurisdiction ouer the whole flocke But neither the successour there nor the Bishop of § 217 Rome is named the successour Grant that Peter the Apostle was superiour to the rest of the Apostles in this place doe they thinke that the Bishop of Rome successour to Peter being dead was made superiour to all the Apostles being aliue let them answer and let the Papists vnloose this knot if they can for their liues Baronius writeth that Peter died the yeere 69. and Iohn the yeere 101. so 32. yeeres came between the death of Peter and Iohn Now I demand whether Linus or Clemens succeeded Peter being dead If any should haue the supremacy it was Iohn that suruiued Peter for thereof there is a great controuersie among them whether Linus was aboue Iohn or Iohn aboue Linus if they say that Linus was aboue Iohn
a captiue seruant to his redeemer acknowledge thy selfe a seruant who of right dost owe dutie vnto thy Lord and whereas God doth call thee his sonne acknowledge grace and forget not nature Neither thinke thou hast deserued any thing if thou haue done well because thou oughtst to haue done so Besides remember that there is some filthines from the flesh mingled with thy worke though good which doth purely flow from the spirit that that very thing that we seeme to liue iustly is a fault if our work when Gods seueritie iudgeth it Gods mercie doe not excuse it before himselfe so that the fault in the worke must first be forgiuen to the penitent by grace before the worke it selfe bee crowned by promise Lastly the Apostle saith that the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory which shall bee reuealed that if a man should serue God a thousand yeares and that most zealously he should not deserue for the merit to be halfe a day in heauen Anselm de mensura crucis Anselme said although we die a thousand times although wee performe all the virtues of the minde yet wee can doe nothing worthy of earthly blessinges and such as are present which we daily receiue from God much lesse heauenly and future which wee looke for as Ierome Jerom. in hunc loc Chrysostome and Basill haue taught But take away merite and the desire of virtue will waxe cold It may be in bastardes who serue God with a seruile and mercenarie minde but in sonnes it is not so who worship God the father with a free voluntary spirit which the spirit of adoption hath giuen them who testifieth to their spirites that they be the sonnes of God the inheritors of heauen and coheires with Christ And if the free loue of God whereby he being moued did bring thee backe from death to life and forgaue thee all thy transgressions and healed all thy infirmities and hath crowned thee with his mercies marke what the Prophet saith not with thy merites but with his mercies if this free loue I say shall not drawe from thee free obedience nothing shall euer draw it from thee There be many forceable arguments whereby the Apostle perswadeth vs to liue holily soberly and iustly that with good workes we set forth Gods glory which workes though they appease not God yet they please God and make our election and vocation thereby sure vnto vs. But there is nothing more powerfull then the fatherly loue of God to prouoke to goodnesse the ingenuous mindes of sonnes This is the will of God euen the sanctification and saluation of vs all to the which endes he chose vs from eternitie hee called and iustified vs in time and he shall glorifie vs to eternitie So the mercie of Iehouah toward his sonnes is from eternitie to eternitie for whom he hath preordained saluation in chosing them declared it in calling them begun it in iustifying them and shall perfect it in glorifying them They that being perswaded by the spirit of God doe certainely know that they bee in the grace of God now present and shall be euer hereafter entring into the state of grace by faith and standing therein by faith and glorying vnder the hope of the glorie of God by faith as the Apostle teacheth which place Chrysostome doth thus expound that hee that hath giuen his faith to God that there ought not onely a full perswasion to be assured them of those things which are giuen presently but of those that are to come as if they were now giuen That the state of regeneration should be thought to bee more certaine then of creation The state of the first Adam was changeable of the second vnchangeable whose true and liuely members all the sonnes of God are to be esteemed Wherefore of the state of Christ be vnchangeable the state of them that are truely Christians who being grafted into Christ by faith do liue and shall liue by their faith as the Apostle noteth out of the Prophet must needes be vnchangeable For it was granted to Adam that hee was able not to die as Austin speaketh but to a Christian that he cannot possibly die Three things saith Bernard I consider wherein all my hope doth consist 1. The loue of adoption 2. The truth of the promise 3. And the power of the reward Which do so strengthen and confirme my heart that no want of merites no consideration of our profit no accompt of the heauenly blessing can driue mee from the depth of that hope wherein I am surely grounded Therefore let my foolish thought murmure all it can saying who art thou or how great is that glory or by what merites dost thou hope to obtaine it And I will confidently answere I know whom I haue trusted I am in great assurance because my God in great loue hath adopted me because he is true in his promise and able to performe it Thus Bernard out of the Apostle Who makes it plaine that the state of regeneration is most assuredly confirmed to euery sonne of God not onely by Gods promise but by Gods Oath Whom hee maketh partaker of the right faith and of working loue and of liuely hope and of earnest repentance and of new obedience and calleth him the heire of the promise To whom God as being willing to make the immutable certainety of his counsell knowne plentifully as to Abraham the Father so to Abrahams sonne did not onely promise but sweare that hee would performe that to him which he had promised Heb. 6. For in God it is all one to sweare and to say Yet that we should haue strong consolation who follow after to obtaine the hope set before vs which hee hath appointed as a sure and strong anker entred within the veile i. heauen whither Christ the forerunner is entred before vs he hath confirmed our immutable state vnto vs by two immutable things his promise and his Oath Let the prayer of Christ be ioyned to the oath of God wherein hee praieth to God the father that he would imbrace vs with the same loue that he embraced Christ himselfe i. with eternall loue and would crowne vs with the same glorie as hee crowned himselfe and did not onely pray for vs but died also and rose againe and was receiued into heauen that hee should for euer make intercession for vs. Who hath left vnto vs his holy spirit whereby he hath sealed vnto vs the heauenly inheritance And therefore God hath assured eternall saluation to his sons not onely by promise but by Oath but by prayer and sacrifice of Christ and by the seale of the holy Ghost that wee should not doubt thereof And yet that wicked Councell of Trent decreed that none could know by the certainetie of infallible faith that hee is in the state of Grace much lesse shall bee but that euerie one should bee in doubt and feare of his owne Grace That it seemeth to haue vtterly ouerthrowne all
such trifling toyes of the same kinde In the meane time the crafty teachers and the vnhappy hearers being vtterly voyd of true faith and repentance when they haue done all they can doe for all that inwardly feele inwardly I say feele the horror of Gods diuine iudgement and the most greeuous torment of the afflicted conscience and this falleth out after those scorpions haue strucken them with their stings whereupon their greefe is like the greefe of a scorpion when it hath stung a man For as when a Scorpion stings a man with the sting of his taile the wound is not presently felt but the deadly poison doth afterward spred it selfe abroad So those that be hurt by these Loyolane Scorpions doe not presently feele the hurt but doe by little and little perish without sense assoone as they sucke in the venome of their poysonfull doctrine So these Locusts doe hurt men with their number venome and sting CHAP. XIII Other properties of Locusts 11. THese be strange Locusts that are resembled to horses prepared for battell What comparison can there be betweene a base Locust and a warre-like Horse Thus notwithstanding the strength of this vild Locust is expressed 12. The Locusts doe likewise weare crownes vpon their heads heere hee setteth downe the cunning and the craft It is worth the noting that the heads of those Locusts are sayd to be crowned when the hornes of the Sea-beast afterward are sayd to bee crowned why so Because the Priests haue more preuailed with their subtilty and craft then the Ethnicke Emperours with their power and force 13. But the crownes the Locusts weare are not of golde but like to gold Heere hee sets out their pride true and golden crownes are fit for Kings false and couterfet for Priests and therefore are sayd not to bee golden but as it were golden Whereat as if they were true and their owne they waxe very proud for by the sufferance of Princes they are growen to that power that they haue often cast off their golden crownes 14. The faces of the Locusts are as the faces of men wherewith they deceiue men 15. They haue womens lockes which signifie the diuerse enticements and deceipts of false doctrine where againe their cunning is described 16. Teeth as it were of Lyons wherewith like their Master that roaring Lyon they rend asunder tear in peeces those with their iawes whom they caught with their guile Heere you haue their fiercenesse and their cruelty 17. They had habergions like habergions of iron These noble Locusts very warlike with crownes vpon their heades mens faces womens haire Lyons teeth armed at all points are elegantly and liuely described by the holy Ghost Some will happily obiect that all this place is not to be vnderstood of Antichrist and his Ministers but of the Turkes I answere that cannot bee For whereas at the sound of the 4. Trumpet Cap. 9. v. 1. the Angell had foreshewed the Arch heretikes the forerunners of Antichrist at the sound of the 5. Trumpet the Angell bringes in the King of the Arch-heretikes before which the Angell beginneth with that dreadful Proem in the 8. chap about the end crying with a loud voice wo wo wo vpon the inhabitants of the earth By the first wo signifying the darke kingdome of Antichrist by the second wo the violent tyrannie of the Turke which cannot be one and the same because he saith in the 12. vers one wo is past and behold two woes follow after This is not therefore the same but an other wo. By the third wo the terrible appearance of the last iudgement But Bellarmine saith but proues it not Bellarmines lewde dealing with the King of England Bellarmine Christana vic Pacenius Becanus Personius Cidonius Garnettus Gerardus Grenwellus Creswellus Reynaldus and infinite other That Luther is that falling starre and that Lutheranes and Protestants are those Locusts Hauing forgotten that Paul the fift that Prince is the Captaine Generall of those warlike Locusts Who after hee had compared the most renowned King IAMES to Iulian the Apostata doth secretly signifie that hee is denounced excommunicate and may be slaine by his Subiects in bataile but not by cutthroates Bloody Cardinall fitly painted out by a Pasquill a Lyon in the caue with this Motto well appllied Open the caue and you shall see his disposition This iest is too bitter will some say to bestow vpon that great learned Cardinall Is it so he that allowes the murther of a King in fighting doth not he deserue a sharpe reproofe in writing Hee doth not deale with our most worthy IAMES as a King and wee doe not meane to deale with him as a Cardinall Hee was learned heretofore now he is malitious heretofore he was a cheife man in disputation now in rebellion Heretofore a close enemie now an open Heretofore the scorpions venome was not wanting in him but lurckt in him Cardinall Comensis set on Parry that Cutthroate to murther Queene ELIZABETH with his dagger Cardinall Bellarmine nothing the honester but the cunninger denieth that the King may bee dispatcht by a murtherer but by a Souldier he denieth not As if there were any difference in the case of murther whether one kill a King in a Campe or vnder a canopie by open warre or secret treacherie That may be rightly spoken of Bellarmine that Cicero spake of a great Lawyer hee must kill a King that will vse his helpe Therefore that may be well said to this slippery Sophister this armed and bloody Locust which Martiall said to a certaine Cobler Good Tortus be not angrie with my iest I taxe thy craft I meane thy life none ill Indure it man from mirth I will not rest When thou dost thinke that others thou maist kill The cruell dealing of the Papists with Hen 4. the French King How ready a Scholler Mariana this mans Auditor found of Rauiliake the death of that illustrious French King Henry the 4. neuer sufficiently to bee lamented neuer of kings sufficiently to be reuenged doth too too well declare The first of his Schollers strooke out his tooth the second tooke away his life themselues buried his heart A magnanimous and valiant King murthered of a base rascally parricide like to Caesar in his life like in his death for so hee is bemonde of a Christian Poet. Caesar and Heâ— 4. compared Caesar in valour I was like to thee In kinde of death we likewise do agree The knife before thee tooke away thy breath The knife behinde me brought me to my death Thou by the handes of Senators didst fall I by a base and Sauage Caniball But this Rouge you will say was not Marians scholler no more then Catsby Percy Write and Faux were schollers to Garnet Parsons Gerard and Grenwell 18. But let vs returne to Saint Iohn Vers 16. who giueth the Locusts stings in their tailes and a short time to hurt 19. Whose King being the Angell of the bottomlesse pit he brings in
of the world Therefore after hee had vers 15. Vers 15. described her ouerthrow he adioyned both counsell and comfort counsell the ver 16. Vers 16.17.18.19.20 17.18.19.20 that they that were in Iury should shift for themselues by speedy flight and that women great with childe should pray that their flight bee not in the winter or on the Sabbaoth day Comfort wherin he promiseth that for the Elect Iewes sake the time of the siege shall be shortned and that otherwise no Iew should escape as Chrysostome expounds the 22. verse This exposition of Chrysostome is notably confirmed by the collation of Luke with Matthew For as in Matth. 24.15 Christ doth propound those words out of Daniel When you shall see the abomination of desolation which Daniel cals the abominable wings desolating to stand in the holy place Luc. cap. 21. 20. expounds it thus When you shall see Ierusalem enuironed with armies What the abomination of desolation in Daniel meaneth which Daniel termes abominable wings then vnderstand that the desolation and destruction is at hand both to the holy city and the holy Temple and hee warneth the Iewes that they auoyd these calamities hanging ouer their heads with flying away vers 23. Vers 23. 24. But whereas Christ Matth. vers 23. begins to prophesie of the end of the world Vers 34. and of his comming to iudgement vers 34. where there seemeth to be the greatest mixtures of ech of the prophesies hee speaketh so distinctly when hee foresheweth the signes seuerally going before the destruction of Ierusalem and the end of the world that he defines a certaine time of the one and leaueth the other vncertaine Of that verily I say vnto you this generation shall not passe away before all those things be fulfilled pointing his finger at Ierusalem as hee sate vpon the Mount of Oliues But of this i. The vncertaine certainty of the end of the world of the end of the world as he noteth the certainty of the thing so the vncertainty of the houre and the day which neither any Angell or the sonne of man knew but the father alone By which the consequence of Bellarmines proposition is found out to be very vaine and foolish which sets 14 15. The preaching of the word dispersed ouer the whole world out of those verses to be the signe forerunning the comming of Antichrist against the literall sense of the prophesie most cleerely set downe not onely by Chrysostome but by Christ himselfe Luke being the interpreter You see the inconsequence of the proposition now marke the falshood of the assumption But the Gospell is not preached ouer all the world as Paul Coloss 1. vers 6. The Gospell preached in the world saith that the Gospell was preacht in all the world in his time and therfore before the destruction of Ierusalem which hapned two yeeres after the Apostles death as Eusebius writeth lib 4. and the Apostle addes that the Gospell came so into the wolrd that it brought forth fruit True saith Bellarmine The Gospell was virtually then in the whole world but not actually No How then could it bring foorth fruite if it were not in the whole world actually but the Apostle there speaketh more significantly vers 23. That the Gospell was preached to euery creature vnder heauen Whom shall we beleeue Paul or Bellarmine the Apostle or the Cardinall Their sound is gone thorough the whole world saith the Apostle that is shall goe out saith Bellarmine But Chrysostome by the same testimonies of the Apostle doth prooue that the prophesie of Christ was then fulfilled the Gospell was preached all ouer the world Chrysost homil in Matth. 24. before the destruction of Ierusalem So by Fame the Gospell could come to all nations saith Bellarmine not by seuerall preachings Paul saith not the report of the Gospell in all lands but that their fruit by their preaching was dispersed which could not bee without Preachers Yet by the whole world euery little and obscure corner of the world is not meant but the greatest part of the knowen and habitable world Luc. 2.1 Neither by all nations are ment all seueral nations but all in generall that is both Iewes an Gentiles For in this place as elsewhere there is an opposition betweene all Nations and the Iewes At that time the Gospell was onely heard of in Iury wherein the Church at that time was enclosed but the partition-wall being broken downe and the hedge being broken vp it made such a sound euery way with such a number of Preachers and with such admirable efficacy of preaching that it is easie to be beleeued that the sound of the Gospell could goe into all lands within the compasse of forty yeeres for so many yeeres at the least came betweene the prophesie expounded and fulfilled Lastly although it was preached to all it was not receiued of all therefore left as a testimony to all nations that being offered to all and reiected of some it might make them inexcusable Doe you not see the foolish consequence of Bellarmines proposition and the apparant vntruth of his assumption Therfore I do retort the argument vpon him thus Christ himselfe prophesying Paul interpreting and Chrysostome assisting The Gospell was preached in all the world before the sacking of Ierusalem Therfore by the consent of Bellarmin Antichrist is already come And Caluine seems to me with very deep iudgement to set the vniuersall preaching of the faith before the vniuersall defection from the faith the head whereof by the Apostle is said to be Antichrist The preaching of the Gospell hindered by Mahumet in the east and Antichrist in the west for there could not be a generall falling from the faith before there were a generall preaching of the faith which when it was interrupted as in the east by Mahomet so in the west by Antichrist it was true that the succession being interrupted diuers men of God were extraordinarily raised vp by God I say Angells of God who by the sincere preaching of the Gospell did restore and repaire the visible Church miserably torne in peices by him who did cast downe the wall of the westerne Babylon as of Iericho and did tread downe the glorie of Antichrist as of Dagon so that by the noise of the Euangelicall Trumpet Babylon seemed to fall in the middest of men and the world began now not to doubt of the comming of Antichrist The decay of Antichrist but to deliberate of his departure For with the greatest part of the Christian world the swelling title of Antichrist failed his great power fainted his spirituall by the iudgement of others ☜ his temporall by his owne his markets of indulgences deceased his golden Euphrates was at an ebbe his great streames of money running into that Church wholy dried vp being brought backe againe into their owne chanels not without great loue shewed to that Tyberine Bishoppe to whom Luther and Caluixe and other preachers of the
of two sorts answering the double couenant One legale which beleeueth the promises and threatnings of the law to bee true the other Euangelicall which is rightly called iustifying faith which doth beleeue the promises of the Gospell grounded vpon my selfe not onely to be true in generall but doth apply them to euery beleeuer in particular to eternall life Now saluation is to be expected of you not out of the forme of each of these couenants but out of one of them The forme of the Legale couenant is as I said Do this and thou shalt liue the forme of the Euangelicall couenant is beleeue and thou shalt be saued If therefore you looke for saluation out of the legall couenant you must wholely and entirely and at all times doe that which is commanded You do it not you shall die therefore If you looke for saluation by the Gospell you must certainely beleeue that which is promised These bee the distinct formes of each couenant for the procuring saluation by no meanes to bee confounded yet the Pope hath confounded them Doe and beleeue and so hath brought in a third couenant which holy writ doth not acknowledge Thus the Prince of the couenant hath broken Gods couenant It is not to bee denied that faith and good workes are to bee ioyned together in a man that is iustified but to mingle and confound these two formes Doe this and beleeue that thereby a man is to be iustified is vtterly to bee denied as my Apostle Paul hath deliuered For as the Law doth not admit the least transgression so the Gospell doth not admit your least satisfaction Now what is more euident then that this hypocriticall enemie who vants himselfe to be a faithfull keeper of my will hath not onely in many places â—ased my will The Dominicans brought in a new Gospell but which is farre more heinous shuffled in a new will As when the Dominicans printed their new Gospell by the sufferance and conniuency of the Pope as when Paul the fift caused the conformities of Saint Francis that typicall Iesus my ape S. Francis typicall Iesus to be reprinted A meere forger who hauing abrogated my will hath brought in one of his owne A manâ— testament which is ratified by the death of the testator admitteth not either addition or detraction saith the Apostle much lesse Gods testament which is confirmed with my bloud and death But my testament say they is of two sorts The first nuncupatiue The second writen The last doth abrogate the former as my Apostle teacheth The Pope deuiseth Christs nuncupatiue will But I know what vexeth them The Legacies set downe in writing they thinke not sufficient to serue their turnes and therfore they haue deuised a will nuncupatiue not out of my Sermons but out of their decretals A fit similitude between the bodâ— of man Scripture of God How farre better did the old Rabins who compared the fiue bookes of Moses for the absolute knitting of the parts thereof within themselues to the body of man whereto if you adde a part as as finger to a hand you bring in a deformitie if you take away a part as a iaw from the face you bring in infirmitie if you shut vp a part as the mouth which nature hath opened or open a part as the side which nature hath shut vp you bring danger to the life So if the Pope do adde vnnaturall parts to the written will of God hee doth corrupt Gods booke as when he addeth Apocryphall and decretall Epistles if hee take away naturall parts he doth deceiue the soule of man as when he taketh the second commandement out of the decalogue and taketh the cuppe from the supper if he open those things that should be shut he offers wrong to God if he shut vp those that should be opened he offers wrong to men The Rabins shall rise vp in iudgement and condemne both the Pope and all Popelings who accuse all the written will of God of imperfection when as they iudge the fiue bookes of Moses to bee a volume most perfect They who diminish adde change euery thing at their pleasure shaue away with their censure what they mislike and what they like restore that curiously open secrets so that their owne Clergie thinkes basely of them and of enuie shut vp things to be reuealed that they bee not knowne of the people of God They I say are contumelious to God whose last will they haue either corrupted or abolished They are iniurious to the sonnes of men from whom they haue either openly stolne away or priuily filcht away God heauenly Legacies Here I appeale to all learned and ingenuous Papists It is no smale matter that is in hand but one of the greatest that euer was the thing in controuersie is Gods Testament The legacies of all the sonnes of God are in question which cannot be of force vnlesse Gods testament be safely kept Herein the sonnes of God must maintaine their right against men and Diuels Your Masters grant that Rome is Babylon the context and euent conuince it to be Byshoply Rome against whom my seruant Iohn doth denounce most certaine destruction Come foorth of her therefore assoone as possibly you can Yea out of the Catholike Church doth some of you say he is euer harping on this string he should say from the Catholike or common whore if he would harken to Iohn Bid her therefore farewell whose wellfare shee cannot endure I hartily beseech you that you would be pleased to be saued Saued you cannot be vnlesse Gods last will and testament wherein the saluation of man is conteyned be kept safe and sound from the corruptions of Antichrist The parts of the Testament are two Remission of sinnes The sanctifying of a sinner which consisteth in the true enlightning of the minde and the reforming of the heart The parts forme and Legacies of he new Testament The forme of the Testament is I will be your God You shall be my people Vpon these three Legacies doe depend The remission of your sinne The imputation of my grace The gift of eternall glory The forgiuenes of sinne is free is perfect is eternall It is free I blot out your sinnes for my owne sake not for your sakes but for my owne names sake I am that lambe that was slaine who alone take away your sinnes Are you then so mad that you will goe from the Lambe that is staine to the golden Calfe that is set vp that you beleeue the sinne of man can be forgiuen by the man of sinne The dispensing of grace is not in his power much lesse the forgiuenesse of sinne which as it is free so it is perfect For I doe not remit some sinnes and reteyne others I doe not remit the fault and reteyne the punishment but I wash away all your sinnes and forgiue all your punishment if your confession be earnest my pardon is perfect What Is it not also euerlasting Righteousnes
imputed I haue made an euerlasting couenant with you neuer to forsake you euer to blesse you and to send my feare into your hearts that you neuer forsake me The imputation of righteousnesse doth necessarily follow the forgiuenes of sinne the grant of life and that eternall life doth likewise follow imputation of righteousnes for he that beleeueth in the sonne of God shall neuer come into condemnation but shall go from death to life and let him surely perswade himselfe that being now iustified by me and now glorified by me that being saued by my grace he shall sit in heauenly places with me and enioy the reall possession of the highest heauens Your sanctification Sanctification is the second part of the new couenant the beginning of your glorification as your coronation hereafter is the full accomplishment For what is grace but glory begun ☜ and what is glory but grace perfected Eternall life therefore which is begun in this world and made perfect in the world to come doth not differ in kinde but in degree Therefore your sanctification is begun in this world so that the relikes of sinnes doe abide in the most holy but couered the inbred corruption did abide in Paul regenerated but weakned it remained in him to try him not to destroy him that corruption is remitted not finished the guilt is released but the act remaineth Sanctification is not therefore perfect but true which inlightneth your mindes to true knowledge and reformeth your wills to the sincere obedience of the Gospell and therefore doth change the whole man both the inward and the outward man into my likenes by the power of my spirit that beholding the same in the Gospell as in a glasse Glorification you may proceed from glory to glory that is from the glory of your sanctification here to the glory of your coronation hereafter And herein behold how ill the Pope and I agree How Christ Antichrist disagree I set before you free remission he a mercenarie I a categoricall and absolute he an imperfect and hypotheticall I an euerlasting he a temporarie I require a sincere sanctification of a sinner in this life but imperfect hee faines a perfect holinesse but a counterfeit Now your Christ Iesus as he is propounded in the free couenant and the new testament is appointed the only foundation of the Church by the Prophets and Apostles vpon whom they are taught to build their good workes as gold siluer and pretious stones as the superficies fit for that golden and pretious foundation but they denie good workes to be the foundation it selfe because your workes be they neuer so glorious cannot endure the weight and burthen of the kingdom of heauen They make Christ alone euen Christ alone apprehended by faith as it were that mightie Atlas that with his shoulders and his power can beare vp heauen being made of God for you wisdome iustice sanctification and redemption and therefore the foundation of the whole building Not that saluation is begun by him and made perfect by you for there is one great stone of the whole building as deepest in the foundation so chiefest in the corner as the ground and beginning so the roofe and accomplishment of saluation Which your Pope hath not only deformed with wood hay and chaffe built vpon it that is with foolish and absurd doctrines differing from the foundation but with wicked and pestilent doctrines ouerthrowing the foundation and by that meanes hath most wickedly taken away the beginning matter forme instrument and end of saluation The causes of saluation For whereas the holy Scripture doth appoint the free mercy of God the efficient cause of righteousnesse the meritorious my obedience both actiue and passiue the formall the imputation thereof by the Holy Ghost the instrumentall faith conceiued out of Gods word founded vpon a free promise the finall the glory of Gods diuine mercy and iustice when as the Pope doth ouerthrow all the foundations of saluation then doth hee take and stop from you all the meanes and lights of comfort While I set before you eternall life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a reward of grace he makes it a stipend for worke that I make a gift hee makes a debt that I make a patrimonie he makes a stipend what I make due to adoption he makes as paid for obedience Hee doth not say it to him that is obedient which is very true but for obedience which is very false that he forsooth might set my gifts to sale and by that meanes depriue me of glory and you of peace From whence it doth arise that the Romane Antichrist let him pretend what he will is a breaker of Gods couenant a corrupter of his will a subuerter of the foundation being full of Satan being busie about this one thing to bring destruction to my Churches and damnation to your soules Is it any maruaile then if he bring destruction to bodies and ouerthrow to Empires Papists as Doggs when as he secretly sends in his runnagate Priests into your Kingdomes who as mad dogs with their infamous libels may rent in sunder the good name and fame of Kings bring them into hatred contempt of others Who as subtle Foxes Foxes do with their cunning sleights alienate the Kings subiects from the faith of their obedience due by my commandement and to be performed by their oath Wolues And as cruell Wolues after they haue taken away the Kings good name by false calumniations and drawne away the Kings subiects from their fealtie and obedience doe spill the Kings blood by what meanes soeuer either by open rebellions or secret conspiracies and defend it to be a deed most lawfull and meritorious They shew their dogs tooth by rayling their fox-like subtletie by equiuocating and their woluish crueltie by conspiring They doe nothing else but deceiue the simple bite them that be sincere and deuoure those that be innocent They pretend faith but they teach periurie They say they reconcile men to Christ but in deed reconcile them to Antichrist in the meane while whom they get to adhere to the Pope they draw from the King For while they build vp spirituall obedience they cast downe the ciuill is not this the qualitie of a Fox They set vpon those that be weakest that they may ouercome the strongest as the Serpent seduced Eue that Eue might seduce Adam so these Serpents set vpon wiues that the wiues may deceiue their husbands they catch after women that they may entangle young men in whom is greater vigor and heat to commit any wicked enterprise So they haue a schoole full of masculine women and feminine men doth not here appeare to you the wilinesse of the serpent Now with what vilanous slanders these curres haue abused Princes both liuing and dead being the excellencies and glories of the earth witnes those infinite libels cast out against Elizabeth Queene of England and Iames King of Great
and went about to perswade others to do the same And he had almost preuailed with me but that the most Holy Father did interpose his greater authoritie A third guest Argentines shadow I will conceale by your leaues vnlesse you will assure me that you will procure him no harme which cannot well be without my danger It is his part to dispute against the obedience of subiects which in his minde hereticall Kings doe vniustly exact of them and to obiect the strongest reasons he can for the authoritie of the Pope in deposing such Kings and releasing their subiects from the oath of Allegeance And if you can wipe away and weaken his obiections you shall easily perswade me and my Argentine too I thinke to performe the oath of fealtie and obedience to our King Then Patriotta truly said he so he attempt nothing § 3 against the King and kingdome and dispute as it were in the schoole to search out the truth and not in an assembly to moue sedition I giue you my honest promise I will not take on me the part of a spie and leaue of to be a guest nor cast off the dutie of a friend while I reteyne the dutie of a subiect Here Regius as one that knew the danger of the law better pausde a while yet following his purpose that I may gaine a lost sheep to the King I will said he borrow so much of the law that I may heare a Iesuite disputing And vpon this condition said Calander smiling I will name you my third guest in habite a Courtier in profession a Iesuite Father Robert Saturnine And thus all the guests meeting together in the Parlor Patriotta said that after they had courteously saluted one another as the manner is they sate downe to a costly supper and that it might not be a dumbe feast the Priests did wisely dissemble their inward griefe of minde with forced and pleasant discoursing When supper was ended they were all brought into a gallerie and there sometime walking and sometime sitting they continued their conference about the matters in question till it was late in the night § 4 Here Calander beginning whereas your comming said he was euer welcome to me Velbacel and Saturnine then neuer more welcome then in this dangerous time wherein there is a great and a greeuous controuersie not onely betweene Catholikes and Heretikes but betweene Catholikes and Catholikes about the oath of Allegeance and the Popes authoritie in deposing hereticall Kings and the absoluing the subiects from their obedience due to them as it is thought As it falls out betweene you two one of you disswades me that I should not sweare the other perswades me that I should sweare Thus we Laicke-Catholikes are torne asunder by you the Priests and so distracted in this quarrell betweene the Bishop and the King that we know not in the world what to doe Wherefore when I was desirous that you should discusse your contrarie reasons in this matter of difference and by the discourse and bending of your wits some sparkes of truth might appeare to the satisfaction of our consciences see of a sodaine there are met two great learned men Antonius Patriotta and Carolus Regius two shrewd Aduersaries that I may say the truth in the whole busines of Religion but yet without malice vnknowne happily to you but very friendly to me so that you need not feare that your conference come abroad so it be done freely not licentiously § 5 Then said Saturnine your promise made to me CalaÌ„der doth make me feare no danger from these Gentlemen your friends Therefore I lay aside that person and habit which the necessitie of the time not mine owne will and desire hath cast vpon me and I take to me the person of a Iesuite Although I haue not forgot the last Tearme of all that an holy Priest condemned by the Queenes Law was cruelly put to death O Dracos Law written with bloody letters Good words I pray you saith Patriotta it was not § 6 the Queenes law but the Popes Bull that hanged that Priest For when there were two Priests condemned for one offence the King offered life to them both if they would take the oath of Allegeance The one of them tooke it thother refused it The one of them liues by the mercy of the King the other died by the commandement of the Pope Now tell me whether it were the Queenes law or the Popes Bull did hang him O Hipponactean Bull whose seuerall lines Hipponax a Poet of Ephesus who being painted by Bubalus in such manner that he was laught at made such bitter verses against the Painter that foâ— shame he hung himselfe The Iesuites deceiued the Pope with false alarmes Câ—â— lib. 1. cap. 11. as seuerall lambickes brought the Priest to the gallowes But in the forefront of it he wisheth health and apostolicall benediction to his sonnes the Roman Catholikes but within it there is conteyned a curse and destruction to you all Belike your Pope did sweeten the edge of the cup that the poyson within might go downe more merily This bitter cup the Pope hath mingled for you Calander and Argentine and the rest of the Lay-Papists The Iesuite hath wisht it to you who being the Popes intelligencer signified that the power of the English Papists was greater then the Protestants if hee would that outward forces were ioyned with them as Cominaeus writes that the Burgundian spies being deceiued with the mist and darknesse of the night deceiued the Duke of Burgundie telling him that the forces of France were greater and neerer when as they tooke the longer bryars and brambles in the field for iauelins lances So the false reports of the Iesuites deceiued the Bishop whereby he tooke rash and vntimely counsell to send his Bulls vnto you Hence the Pope as Pius the fift had done before him compiled an horned argument wherewith hee strooke his sonnes on both sides and droue them to that exigent that either they must runne vpon the point of the Queenes law if they obeyed not the King or incurred the Popes curse if they obeyed him For he driues them whose calamities vndertaken for the Catholike faith he doth miserably deplore either to hell or the gallowes For of necessitie they must either be damnde or hangd if you beleeue the Pope damned vnlesse they obey the inhibition or hangd if they obey it Is this the saluation of Paul the fift that he sendeth to his sonnes is this his Apostolicall blessing Doth the pitifull Father thus blesse his sonnes that haue hitherto endured so great afflictions for reteyning as he writes the Catholike faith He hath well rewarded your holinesse that hath sent his Papists in a bad cause with a false feare of hell to certaine death vpon the gallowes § 7 And the Roman-Catholikes Saturnine may not only thanke the false messages sent to the Pope The Iesuites false doctrine hath troubled the Papists but the pestilent doctrine broached by
Empire was translated out of Greece into Germanie when it did reside in the family of Charles the great who had left the Pope great possessions in Italy Caus 2. quest 7 cap. Sic nos how dutifull and humble did the Pope shew himselfe to Ludouike his sonne and Lotharius his nephew The submission of Leo the fourth Bishop that wee may make short is famous and notorious which hee shewed to Ludouike and Lotharie Wee if wee haue done any thing Leo the Bishop writing to Lodouike and haue not dealt iustly with them ouer whom we be placed whatsoeuer is done amisse we will amend at the discretion of your Excellencie beseeching your Maiestie that you would bee pleased to send those who in the feare of God may strictly examine not onely those things whereof we are accused but all other our dealings both great and small Heere we haue the Emperour the Popes correctour in great matters and small But this was you will say no part of the Popes duty Ibi ca. Petrâ— but a dispensation of the Popes humility Indeede Gratian doth speake so ridiculously as if the Bishop had submitted himselfe in iest for a mocke to the Emperor and not in earnest and of bounden duty Distinct 10. de capi Caro. Ludo La. ha Did he afterward in iest or with voluntarie humility submit himselfe to Lotharius and not rather in all duty obseruancie when he promised that he would inuiolably obserue all the Ecclesiasticall lawes of Charles Ludouike and Lotharius and did sweare not onely present obedience but for euer after The Bishop of Rome was then as you see the Emperours subiect and seruant He did humbly supplicate the Emperour as his Lord hee did not proudly command him as his seruant He did obey hee did not resist and that not a Catholike onely but an hereticke also and that an Arrian Hee gaue honour to his person he offered no wrong to his crowne Hee kept his lawes hee did not gaine-say them And hee receiued Ecclesiasticall canons from him himselfe set downe none He did performe the Oath of obedience he did not then free others from keeping it The Emperours themselues were not onely but their Lieutenants also were the Bishops of Rome Iudges and Correctours in all matters both small and great The Popes therefore were not then their Iudges and Controllers They were not as yet Lords of the spiritualties much lesse of the temporalties as they are now tearmed by their Claw-backes § 101 Popes grew greater by abundance diuision of the Empire At the last being enriched and furnished with the temporalties of Bishops Kings by little little they began to wax proud against their Lords Patrones grew very great by the diuision of the Empire the departure of the Emperour out of Italy the dissention of Kings and the rebellions of the people Gregorie the 7. was the first as Frisingensis testifieth Gregorie the 7. the first that excommunicated curst Emperours 1600. yeares after Christ that curst Henry the 4. Emperour with excommunication and assayed to set him beside his kingdome and to that end loosed his subiectes from their oath of obedience Whos 's next successors followed his franticke humour Who as Hilde brand had stirred vp first Rodolphus then Hermanuus after that Ecbertus all seruants against their Soueraigne and lastly Courad and Henry sonnes against their father all of them being bound with an Oath of fealtie and these besides with the bond of nature But the Author of this tragedie Gregorie Sigeb in ann 1â—84 Vesserg in an 1089. Gregories fall foure years after being forsaken by his owne people with a ioynt consent of all was cast out of his Popedome And being at the point of death as Sigebert found it written of him one of his twelue Cardinals whom he chiefly fauoured being cald vnto him hee confest to God to S. Peter and the whole Church that hee had greiuouslie sinned in the administration of the pastorall charge committed vnto him In the life of Greg. 7. and that by the instinct of the Deuill he had raised discordes and warres among men as Benno the Cardinall writeth I am not ignorant that the Italian writers of malice against the Emperor did go about to hide and dissemble the faults of their Pope with the greatest skill of lying that might be Who can giue credit to Blondus Fulgofius Trithemius and other writers of small accompt either of a later time who were borne some hundred yeares after these things were done that eitheâ— for fauour or hatred as Bloudus or for ignorance as Fulgosius and Trithemius the Abbot they might easily ouer-reach who I say can credite these men as ribing false praise to Hildebrand when as his owne Abbote and Cardinals who were not onely earewitnesses but eyewitnesses of the whole tragedie who had a purpoâ—e not to honour the faultes of men but defend the ordinance of God branded him with deserued infamie and writ that the chief Authour of rebellion and periurie was put besides his Popedome and that hee troubled the world being moued by the instinct of the Deuill as hee confest vpon his death bed And may we not now maruell that this Byshop who followeth his outrage may not feare his ruine Who hath stirde vp Tirone against King Iames a most mercifull Prince as he stirred vp Rodolphe against Henry the Emperour § 102 But Rodolphe the cheife Actour when he beheld his right hand cut off in the skirmish Rodulphus ruine and repentance Vrsbergene in ann 1080. and ready to giue vp the Ghost fetching deepe sighes is said to speake thus to the Byshops that stood about him as Vrspergensis recordes Behold this is that right hand wherewith I sware fealty to Henry my soueraigne Lord and now as you see shewing the truncke of his arme I leaue both his Kingdome and this present life Whose end I wish to Tirone that most treacherous Traytor but I wish him his repentance also In ann 1080. Hildebrands reuelation Sigebert writeth that Hildebrand by a reuelation from heauen as he said foretould the death of a false King that yeare wherein Rodolphe was slaine He vnderstood him to be Henry But Henry fighting with his Saxons returned Conquerour and Rodolphe the false King died If this were a true Reuelation as Gregorie said God as he foretould did thus punish Rodolphe the false King whom Gregorie had raised vp against his Lord if it were not a diuine Reuelation but some diuelish familiaritie with the spirits what a holy Saint was this man whom you so commend who had such acquaintance with the Deuill who deceiued and betraied the franticke humor of this his hellish Scholler § 103 That same treacherous head likewise of Hermannus being broken by a stone cast from a tower by a womans hand Hermannus ruine his braine being dasht in peeces and running about his eares frighted and scattered the armie following the ensignes of his treacherie
another whereof is mention to the Ephesians where he vnderstandeth not Peter only but all the Apostles as they be Doctors of the Church are the doctrinall or instructing foundations as it is in the Apocalypse where the Apostles are accounted the 12 foundations of the house of God § 158 Let Saturnine now come and himselfe be iudge whether he can call the person of Peter the rocke and the foundation of the Church If he affirme it still for I know his wrangling and neuer yeelding wit let him say likewise that Peter was borne for vs dyed for vs rose againe for vs and ascended into heauen for vs that Peter was made of God for vs wisdom iustice sanctification redemption satisfaction purging life glory that our faith and confidence is as well vpon Peter as vpon a foundation as vpon Christ For Christ in this sense is both the rocke and foundation of the Church Do you not see Calander these mens open blasphemie Popish blasphemie who haue called Peter and in him the Pope the second foundation of the Church to me truly there can be no more deadly plague than they who make a meere man the rocke of the Church But they make a holy man but a man as Marie a blessed woman but a woman when as shee is said to breake the Serpents head as Peter a holy man but a mortall man and a sinner And then hardly a man when fearing death he denied life as Gregorie saith yet they call him the rocke whom Christ afterward called Sathan Who put such a weake and slender foundation of Christ his Church what other thing do they offer to the world than that which the Atheist may scoffe at and the Iewes detest Let them leaue of therefore any more to be madd with the disgrace and hurt of the Church and let them confesse the only sonne of God to be the eternall foundation of the eternall Church But the names of King Lord Bishop Pastor and § 159 the like giuen to Christ are giuen to Kings and Priests We confesse and acknowledge that such names as expresse his ministerie giuen to Christ may be giuen to Magistrates either ecclesiasticall or ciuill after a certaine manner but that those names which do expresse the neerest coniunction of Christ and his Church Certaine names giuen to Christ not to be giuen to men by the power whereof life and saluation is deriued vnto vs as the names of Head Rocke Foundation that those should be giuen to any mortall man whatsoeuer in respect of the whole Church that we deny againe and againe But the Fathers call Peter the rocke wherevpon Christ hath founded his Church as Ierome and diuers other Fathers affirme Cusan lib 2. de cencord eccles cap. 13. But your Cardinall Cusan hath answered before out of Ierome although Peter by the rocke is to be vnderstood the stone of the foundation yet agreable to him the other Apostles were likewise the stones of the Church as Apoc 21. twelue stones The rest rocks as well as Peter therefore so many Apostles so many foundations which is spoken in respect of the Apostolicall doctrine as Paul before expounded it Other and that more iustly vpon this rocke I will build my Church expound it of Christ as Austin August â—e verb D m secund Mat Sâ—m 13. Thou therefore saith he art Peter and vpon this rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this rocke which thou hast acknowledged saying Christ the only rocke Thou art the sonne of the liuing God I will build my Church that is I will build my Church vpon my selfe the sonne of the liuing God vpon my selfe I will build thee not my selfe vpon thee And Gregorie Christ saith he doth call himselfe the rocke Other call the faith and confession of Peter the rocke Chrysost serm de Pent Homil. 55. in Matth Hilar. de Trin lib 2. as Chrysostome Vpon this rocke saith hee not vpon this Peter for hee buildeth not his house vpon a man but vpon faith And Hilarie There is one immoueable foundation there is one blessed rocke of faith confessed by the mouth of Peter Thou art the sonne of the liuing God vpon this rock of confession is the Church builded this faith is the foundation of the Church Ambros in Ephes cap. 2. And Ambrose The Lord said to Peter vpon this rocke I will build my Church .i. vpon this catholike confession of faith Faith therefore is the foundation of the Church for there is nothing said of the flesh of Peter but of the faith of Peter because the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it § 160 Out of whose most weighty witnesses that I may reckon no more I gather this argument not to be excepted against That according to Scripture and Fathers which Peter confessed that wherein he beleeued was and is the rocke But Peter confessed Christ not himselfe Peter beleeued in Christ not in himselfe Therefore according to Scripture and Fathers not Peter but Christ was and is the rocke which argument may be gathered out of venerable Bede Beda in cap 21. Johan who writeth that Christ was the rocke vpon which foundation euen Peter himselfe was to be built The ground whereof agreable to the Scripture may be fetcht out of Peter de Alliaco Pet de Alliacâ— recommen scrip pag. 269. a reuerend Cardinall of Rome a very eager maintayner of the Popes supremacie who notwithstanding being ouercome with the light of that truth By the rocke saith he Peter doth not seeme to be vnderstood but Christ. For who can ground the strength of the Church vpon Peters weaknes whereof aske but the damosell that kept the dore and she will answer you that Peter being frighted at her word as Gregorie saith while he feared death denyed life Wherefore seing Peter did stagger and his Vicar hath no fast footing and seing Bishops them-selues doe so greatly differ about the chiefe Priesthood of Peter and Priests wrangle about their chiefe Priest who dare presume to say any man of what sanctitie or dignitie soeuer whether he be Priest or chiefe Bishop whether it be Peter or Peters Vicar or any other whosoeuer but Christ himselfe to be the foundation of the Christian Church Christ therefore hath founded his Church vpon himselfe as a most sure foundation against the synagogue of Satan and vpon this rocke hath surely grounded Peter himselfe of whom hee spake that former sentence vpon this Rocke These are the words of Peter de Alliaco You would thinke that Luther or Caluin were speaking And yet Cardinall Bellarmine was so saucie as to § 161 apply the prophecie of Esay of the chosen stone Blasphemie subscribed to by the popish pretious corner stone a sure foundation placed in Sion to the Pope sur reuerence This hath that base slaue of Antichrist deliuered against the most manifest exposition of Peter 1 Pet 2. to whom Tho Aquin. Cardinall Caictan and Maldonat and Fererius Iesuites and many
limitation of the ciuill to him the bond of the spirituall obedience is the disioynting and loosing of the ciuill Is not Bellarmines deceit euident enough who vnder the pretence of spirituall obedience hath taken the ciuill cleane away So he playeth the iugler Ciuill obedience taken away to deceiue the Papists sight and that with a twofold tricke One whereby he perswadeth that for the shew of ciuill obedience they thinke the spirituall may bee abiured by them the other whereby vnder the shew of spirituall obedience he cleane taketh away the ciuill Hence ariseth those new and strange interpretations § 177 of Bellarmine in the schoole of Diuinitie Bellarmines new and strange interpretations Let not obedience be shewed to man contrary to the obedience of God that is let not obedience be shewed to the King contrary to the obedience of the Bishop And we must rather obey God than men that is we must rather obey the Pope than Kings I appeale to your owne consciences ye Papists whether you thinke this to be the Apostles commentarie that in respect of spirituall obedience which consisteth in faith deuotion loue and feare of God a sinfull mortall man should be aduanced into the seat of God What if the Pope command which God forbiddeth that wee take from Caesar the things that are Caesars by Gods owne gift his sword scepter crowne subiects and life is not this vnder the shew of spirituall obedience to forbid ciuill obedience And to command that obedience be giuen to the Pope commanding vniust things against Gods obedience who hath enioyned your subiection to the King Rom 13. This ought not to appeare spirituall obedience to you but spirituall cousenage whereby vnder the cloake of spirituall obedience which the Pope hath gotten by the gift of men he loose the bond of ciuill dutie which is due to the King by the gift of God § 178 I beseech you ô yee Christian Kings and Princes whether you thinke it be for your good A caue at for Kings that such positions as these be setled into your subiects mindes That such a catechisme as this not only lye close hidden in books but be openly taught in your Vniuersities Churches There be none so dangerous trecheries to Princes as those which are hid vnder the cloake of duty and coloured with the name of catholike religion Vnder the pretence whereof Bellarmine hath cherished rebellion in the subiects of the Venetian common-weale which professeth Popery as hee hath done at this time in the subiects belonging to the most excellent King of Great Britaine A Troiane or a Tirian to him are all alike Beware ô yee Kings lest the mischiefe intended to one fall vpon all the rest Saturnine is an ill egge of an euill bird as in the proofe of the article of supremacie he is a corrupter of Gods will so in the practise of it he is an enemy of princely gouernment And as you had him ere while a manifest forger so now you haue him an open traytor § 179 Here Calander both your discourses said he the one against the Pope the other for the King giue me iust occasion of two doubts one how the spirituall and ciuill obedience is distinguished in the word of God the other whether the former Councells did cast of this spirituall power which the Pope doth generally vsurpe Which two points being briefely and plainly discust will cleare the whole controuersie and satisfie any man that is not contentious Then Patriott You do wisely Calander saith he to call euery thing to her beginning for euery thing as it is first so it is true and that which is right sets out both â—â—lshood and it selfe First therefore I answer about the distinction of the double power the Spirituall and Ciuill Chrysost de verbis Esa Vidi Dâ—m hem both which Christ ordayned I call that Spirituall which concernes the soules and that Ciuill which rules the bodies That 4. Power distinguished Christ committed to his Minister this to his Magistrate somtime to more somtime to few often to one That is called Episcopall gouernment this Princely or that is spirituall this ciuill Each as I said is of God To whom it is committed and how performed The Holy Ghost hath appointed Bishops to rule the Church of God Act 20. and Wisdome saith By me Kings doe raigne and Law-makers appoint iust things Therefore Kings doe rule by God as Bishops do feede Gouernment belongs to them Ministerie to these But these you will say haue Gouernment also I confesse it Bernard de consid ad Eug But these haue an inward gouernment ouer mens soules they haue an outward ouer mens bodies Bishops haue the key of the word and sacraments to be exercised not in the name of the King Matth 16. but in the name of Christ nor the key only of knowledge The difference of gouernment between Princes and Bishops Rom 13. Chrysost ex Paul ibid. but of discipline and that not after their owne pleasure but after Gods will Kings haue the sword to be drawne in defence of godlines and iustice whereby they command those things that be true and good forbid such as be false and euill and punish the wicked of what calling soeuer and defend the righteous The weapons of Bishops are spirituall of Kings corporall Therefore Bishops ought to teach to admonish to reproue to depriue of the seales of grace and to driue from the communion of the faithfull those that grieuously and publikely offend till they repent Chrysost ibid. Kings ought to restreyne them according to the qualitie of the offence either of libertie or goods with losse of limmes or of life it selfe Therefore the gouernment of Bishops is by perswasion of Kings by compulsion of a Bishop directing of a King constreyning A King rules men a-against their will a Bishop with their wills Jerom. al Heliâ— in Epitap Nâ—potiani Hee doth gouerne by feare this bringeth to libertie He reserueth the bodies for death this keepeth the soules for life Either of them doth punish not only theeues murtherers adulterers periured men traytors but also blasphemers Idolators Heretickes Schismatickes whether they be of the Laity or Clergie but he with the corporall sword the byshoppe with the spirituall Either of them haue equally a care of holinesse and honesty the one that he may teach by precepts the other that hee may ordaine by lawes Either of them is practised about holy things but not vpon holy things For they are not subiect either to the wil of the Pastor or gouernment of the King The King is conuersant about holy and diuine things not in the administration and execution thereof as Vzias but in appointing and ordering them as Ezechias A byshoppe is conuersant about holy things in the doing and executing of them to preach the word to Minister the sacraments and vse the keies Good lawes are made to settle truth by the counsell and faithfulnesse of the