vsing at his death these words Because I haue loued Iustice and hated wickednesse I now dy in banishment Vrbane that succeded Gregory both in office and in zeale against the Emperour being driueÌ out of Italy into France hauing so great need of the Kings assistance yet was he so voide of humane respects that at that very time he excommunicated Philip King of France for putting away his true wife and liuing in open incest The Kinge saith an vnpartiall Historian threatned that except Vrbane would restore him to the Church Crowne he wold depart with his whole Kingdome from his obedience the obedience of the Roman Sea yet this moued not that most holy Bishop to relent In fine Philip was faine to yeeld not being able to extort otherwise releasment from excommunication and so religion conscience preuailed ouer thâ Scepter and the Diademe the inuincible Maiesty and Name of King So admirable for constancy were those Popes that vsed their authority to depose wicked Emperors so free from loue of the world that we may iusâly thinke God fauoured their cause Hââsoeuer their perpetuall good successe for so many ages against all aduersaries though the reason therof be hidden may giue iust cause in my opinion for Kings to be wary how they aduenture their Crownes vpon preuailing against them and how they deuise new oathes of Allegiance that wage warre against the authority of their Sea And this is the last thing which I desire to leaue to be seriously pondered by you that loue the King so I coÌclude praying the Lord hartily that as hitherto he hath defended Kingly authority in our great Britany froÌ open enemies so now he will defend the same from secret plots and trayterous Treatises which by shew of friendship seek the ouerthrow thereof Philanax I am glad Aristobulus that wee fell into this discourse in which you haue cleerly discryed Theodidacts fraudulent vndermining of Royall Authority The publishers of that booke besides their secret plotting agaynst ãâã âoueraignty of Princes seeme likeââââ to haue had an eye to their owne âuere in the diâulging therof For there being a commaund that this Booke both in publicke and priuate schooles be read to Children of both sexes ech booke sold for six pence which is hardly worth two pence you must needs see a great summe of money that heÌce is yearely made a summe I say so great as doth farre surpasse the custome of the Peter-pence which in old time euery house payed to the Pope Notwithstanding at this their enriching themselues by this deuise I do not so much grieue but I am hartily sory that so many odious vngrounded positions coÌcerninâ Royall Authority that may raise vp horror rather theÌ loue of Kinges be instilled into the tender mindes of ChildreÌ which afterward when any occasion is giuen may soone turne into hatred But thereof yoâ haue spoken inough Wherfore I likewise will end with your harty good wishes towardes his Maiesty and our most gracious Prince Charles beseching the Almighty to defend them both and to giue them the spirit of wised ãâã wherby they may discouer these ââââsons hidden with a shew of friendshipp The Printer to the Reader THIS Treatise gentle Reader may seeme written by some English Protestant agaynst some Puritans enemies of Kingly Soueraignity which by them in former times openly impugned they now seeke to ouerthrow by grouÌding the same vpon odious and âaungerous PositioÌs touching the immunity of Tyrants The Authour disputeth the questioÌ of this weighty subiect in such moderate stile and manner bringing ãâ¦ã ns both solide and not reg ãâ¦ã ing with Catholike doctrine that he may be thought to be in opinion Catholike though for modesties sake to the end that this truth might be more pleasingly accepted of Protestants in this worke he discourseth as if he were Protestant And for this reason some Catholike arguments he doth pretermit others he doth not vrge to the vttermost partly for breuityes sake but cheefly because his inteÌt is no more then to shew that the new Protestants principles from which they deduce Râyall Authority be at the least doubtfull and vncertayne And this he doth cleerly demonstrate and thence concludes that it is against the rules euen of humane policy to forsake the most sure grounds of Soueraigne Power in Kinges whereon Christian Kingdomes relying haue hitherto stood firme and florished vnd ãâ¦ã Catholike discipline iust l ãâ¦ã and to build the sacred authority of Princes whereon their peoples safety dependes vpon the new vngrounded Doctrines Paralogismes of Scriptures which seemes to haue byn the drift of the former Dialogue For this cause I thought it would not be amisse nor lost labour to put the same in print renewed before hand corrected The title God and the King I would not alter because iâ two wordes it doth fully put downâ the Catholike opinion concerning Princes Authority their subiects Allegiance For as this treaâise doth iâsinuate three opinions in this poynt now are in EnglaÌd The first of PuritaÌs who wil haue God without King or else such a King that must depend on the peoples beck ãâã their ConsistoriaÌ Preachers ãâ¦ã ose perfidious audacity his âââesty hath had sufficient experience The second is of Politicians who haue no more Christianity then Parlamentary decrees breath into them These will haue King without God or at least King and God that is God so longe and no longer then the King shall please whome they will haue still obeyed though he go openly about to extinguish the light of Christian Religion The third opinion is of Catholikâs whose âote is God and the Kingâ in the first place they worship God in the second the King to whome they giue all Allegiance and subiection as farre as Religion and conscience will permit And this is to giue what is Caesars to Caesar and what is Gods to God Farewell FINIS Dial. God and the Kinge pag. 2. Dial. p. 33. 34. âpeach in the Star-chamber 16.6 Bancroft in the Dangerous poâitioÌs p. 33. Psal. 84. v. 16. 2. Thessal â 2 v. 10. Hooker Ecclesiast pol. prefac p. 28. Hooker ibid. p. 29. Suruey of the holy âiscipline p. 93. (a) Baâil Dor. p 40. 41. (b) Knox. histor of the Church of Scot. p. 265. Dang poâit p. 11. (c) Sleydan l. 28. l. 22. Oâian Epist. cent 16. p. 566. (d) Cuspin of the Church of France p. 625 Ferres histor p. 588. (e) Osiand ibid. p. 94. (f) Chitrâeus in chron p. 71 (g) Fulk answere to the declam of P. ârarines (h) Dang posit l â c. â 4â seq (i) Suruey of the disc p. 101. (k) Dang poâit Suruey and others by D. Bancroft (l) Principes sunt omnium quos terra âustinet sâultisâimi deterrimi nebulones ToÌ 2. Ger. âen de mag saecul fol. 200. (m) Cal. in Dan. cap. 6. v. 22. (n) Knox to Engl. Scotl. fol. 78. (o) BuchaÌ de iââe Reg.
together with the vse of Scriptures their authority to iudge definitions of the Church by Scriptures The deuisers of this way seemed to haue great zeale of the truth but were not carefull to prouide for peace And so in practise this deuise begot a multitude of Sects and Religions one against another that many weary of all began to thinke it were better men should be vnited in error then thus mortally diuided in Truth A meane was deuised to decide Controuersies by nationall Synods that are confessed may erre but the Ciuil magistrate as our chief Deuines teach as being President in them is to compell his subiects by the sword to imbrace those doctrines that be determined be they true or fals For this course say they was appointed by God who thought it better in the eye of his vnderstanding that sometimes an erroneous definitiue sentence should preuaile then that strifes should haue respite to grow and not come speedily to some end Heere desire of peace concord may seeme to haue made these men lesse zealous of the Truth then behooued them So it opened a gappe specially in England to prophanes irreligiosity which is to be iust of the Kings Religion whatsoeuer it be or rather of none A salue for this sore hath been inueÌted that subiects ought to obey their Princes Lawes and definitions when they haue only probabilities against them not when they haue necessary and demonstratiue reasons which discharge the conscience and giue liberty to resist This caueat and salue for Truth sets the wound of dissention againe a bleeding Sects in the world are now allmost infinite for number amongest which not one is found that pretendeth not cleere and euident demonstration and proofe from holy Scripture for their contrary and repugnant opinions And who shall iudg in this contradiction and confusion whose reasons are necessary and demonstratiue The arguments which we think demonstratiâe moue Papists nothing at all and arguments which we iudg of no force Puritans as Archbishop Bancroft writeth of them take to be so vrgent that if euery hayre of their head were a seuerall life they wold giue them all in the cause This controuersy therfore whose reasons are demonstratiue and whose are not is the greatest of all others nor is there any way to decide it in our churches besides the sword of the temporall Prince Princes therfore for conseruation of peace must keep the spirit in awe practising power infallible in deedes which they dare not challenge in wordes This is the cause of the secret emnity betweene power of Kings and feruour of our Ghospell The Prince can neuer be assured of our Gospellers by the Principles of their Religion that their zeale to the Truth will not trouble the peace of his Kingdome nor Ghospellers of the Prince that his loue of temporall peace will not compell them to trust to his deceaueable definitions Whence it is manifest that so longe as the one shal be zealons and feruent to follow and preach what by light of the spirit they conceaue to be in Scâipture occasions cannot be wanting to the other that will force him to vse his power to curbe their liberty Which power so long as he shal vsurpe so long as he will be Prince and Protestant he must needes vsurpe let him neuer expect that Ghospellers can loue his gouernment though they may flatter in outward shew Those men had no doubt the pure spirit of our Ghospell who professed that except they might haue the reâormation they desired they would neuer be subiect to mortall man Looke vpon the first erecting of our Religion in Germany France Flanders Sweâeland Denmarke and Scotland you shall find that the Ghospell went not so fast vp but Kings and their authority went as fast downe What Bullenger writeth of Anabaptistâ was the true course of our Reformers They began with Bishops pulling them from their seates they ended with Kings casting them froÌ their Thrones Books haue been written of this argument by no Papists that shew their practises and doctrines to be in the highest degree iniurious to Kings Luthers inuectiues I omitt not to pollute your eares Caluin is more modest yet so bould with Kinges as to write that when they resist the Ghospell they are not to be obeyed but rather we ought to sâit it in their faces This is nothing to that which HottomaÌ Beza Goodman Knox Vrsinus Buchanan to forbeare the naming of others innumerable haue writteÌ wherby they make Maiesty subiect to the peoples pleasure no more sure of his state then wethercocks that must turnâ with the wind Vt sumat vt ponat secures Arbitrio popularis aurae What thinke you of these their propositions following Yf Princes be tyrants against God and his Truth their subiects are freed from their oath oâ Allegiance The people are greateâ then the King of greater authority The people haue the same power oâuer the King that the King hath oueâ any one person The people haue right to bestow the Crown at their pleasure As the patient may choose the phisitiaÌ he likeââ best reiect him at his pleasure so the people in whose free choice at the beginning it was to be vnder kings or no may when they be weary of their bad gouernment cast him from his Office into prison into irons put him to death and set whome they please to gouerne in his place Kings haue their authority from the people and the people may take it away againe as men may reuoke their letters of Attorney Yf kings without feare transgresse Gods Lawes they ought no more to be taken as magistrats but be examined accused condemned and punished as priuate transgressors When magistrats do not their duties God giueth the sword into the peopleâ hand from âe which no person King Queene ãâã Emperor is exempt being Idolater ãâã must dye the death These and the ââke positions haue been inuented by ââe zealous professors of our Religion âhe same or worse were renewed and âttered by the feruerous reformers that âroue for discipline in Queene Eliz. âayes that as a worthy prelat writes All the Popiââ traitors that hitherâo haue written and all the Geneâian Scottish Reformers come not neere âhem for malicious and spiteful taunts âor rayling and bitter tearmes for disâaineful and contemptuous speaches âgainst Prince Bishops Counsailors âll other that stand in their way Their âecret practises to set vp by som meane âr other sweete or violent the said âisciplin haue neuer been interrupted âr remitted as he doth particularây relate beginning at the yeere 1560. âo the yeere 1591. when was practised âhat most blasphemous and barbarous âreason of their counterfait Iesus-Christ Hacket and his two Prophets âf mercy and vengeance who would âaue planted the discipline by depriuing the Queene and murthering thâ nobles that stood against it of
holdes this his ground of Soueraigntyâ The Kinge hath no superiour but God alone iâ âlippery and vncertayne that he dares not stand vpon it himself For elswhere contradicting this principle he âaith in playne termes that Kings that âaue giueÌ their names vnto Christ are sheepe of âis fold so are to obey their spirituall pastors âauing ouersight ouer them that they are to be âbedient vnto their spirituall Pastors as Emâassadors from Christ thâtâ Kings and Bishops âe mutually Pastors and Superiors one to the âther Yf Bishops be ouerseers Pastors Superiors to the King how is it true âhat the King hath no superiour but God alone Yf nothing be more excellent noâhing more sublime then a Bishop as our Theodidact approuing S. Ambrose his âaying teacheth âo wit in spirituall ând Ecclesiasticall causes which to adâminister they are sent how can a King âe more excellent then a Bishop in âhose causes Is it possible that the same man should be superior and subiect to âhe same persons in respect of the same Court I confesse I cannot vnderstand this diuinity that subiects may iudg âheir Superiors euen in those causes wherin they are subordinate to them That the Kinge supreme Gouernour of the Church may be sententially summoned arraiâgned and cast out of the Church by a Bishop â Yf soueraigne Princes may be iudgeâ by their subiects in those causes wherin they are supreme and independant what doth their supremacy auaile theÌâ Yf supreme gouernors of the Churcâ may be cast out of the Church by theiâ Bishops that arâ their spirituall subiects what solid reason can Theodidacâ assigne why Soueraignes may not likeâwise be cast out of their Kingdome by their Barons and Peeres thougâ they be their vassalls Philanax I could wish our Authors concerning the Kings supremacy spake morâ coherently yet seeing this proposition the King hath no superior but Goâ alone doth so much extoll the Soueâraignty of Kings I can not be broughâ to forsake Theodidact herein except bâ the confutation of his reasons I perceaue this pillar of Maiestye to be vncertayne and vnsound Aristobulus Small reading and skill in Scriâture is sufficiânt to shew that Theodidacts arguments against Papists be not so conuincing as we may securely ground the authority of Kinges therâpon For either thââ make nothing to the purpose or els proue what Papists do not deny that the King is supreme in temporalls His maynââround and principle is that in the old Testament Priests were not superior to Kings but rather that Kings were their Iudges Could he haue assumed a doctrine more vncertaine or rather more false then is this A doctrine against the learnedst of the Iewes Iosephus saith that to their Priests not to Kings was committed the custody of the Law and the charge of greatest affaires so that they were ouerseers of all Iudges of controuersies and punisher of offenders Philo writeth that Priestly dignity is preferred before royall by the Iewes who iudge Priesthood by so much the more excellent then Royalty by how much God surpasseth man With whomâ agree the Chriâtian Fathers namely S. Chrysostome auerring that God woulâ haue Kings submit their heads to the hands of Priests that men might vnderstand that Priestâ are more worthy Princes and more venerable then are Kings Yea the word of God seâmeth âo distinguish the office of high Priest from the office of King assigning to the high Priest the care of things that pertayne to God to the Kinge the chârge of temporall affayres And who conuersant in the old Testament knoweth not that to the high Priâââ was giuen the supreme and last power to decide all controuersies about the law VVhosoeuer shal be proude and refuse to obey the sentence of the Priest let that man dye the death Philanax These testimony of the Fathers and Scriptures seeme very vrgent But hath not Theodidact made some answere to them Aristobulus No nor brought any proof of his opinion besides the bare example of âalomon that deposed Abiathar the high Priest ând placed Sadocke in his roome â But first be âroues not that Salomon deposed Abiaâhar lawfully that therein he exceeded âot the boundes of his authority The deeds of Kings be not euer iustifiable âor was Salomon such a Saint that we may thinke all his actioÌs praise worthy without further proof Secondly he proueth not that Salomon deposed Abiaâhar by the ordinary power of King Papists say Salomon did in that action proceed not as King but as Prophet Which answere Theodidact doth not confute but misvnderstand as though they meânt that Salomon was therfore a Prophet because he fulfilled what God had foretould against the house of Heli which he reiecteth with a iest that so Herod might be tearmed a Prophet in murthering the Innocents because therin he âulfilled what God by Ieremie had foretolde But the Papists be not so absurde as to say that whosoeuer fulfilleth a prophecy is a Prophet nor that Iudas in betraying his Maister and hanging himself was a Prophet though therin he fulfilled prophecies They say that God to the end that what he had threatned aâgainst the house of Heli might come tâ passe he gaue to Salomon propheticall extraordinary Commission to deposâ Abiâthar high Priest of the stock of Helâ Salomons royall authority not beinâ sufficieââ for the lawfull performancâ thereof Which doctrine is so solidâ that Theodidact not being able to ouerâthrow it by argument thought gooâ to make it ridiculous by mistaking itâ Finally though we graunt that Saloâmon deposed Abiathar and by Kingly authority the most that may be thencâ inâerred is that Salomon was supremâ in temporall affaires and might puânish Priests in case of Treason Whicâ notwithstanding in things pertayning tâ God Princes might be subiect to thâ high-Priest for spiritual crimes tenâding to the ouerthrow of Religionâ might be deposed And in my opinion it is want oâ iudgment in them that would bâ thought friends to Kings to stir thâ stories of the old TestameÌt which for one high Priest desposed by a King withoât cleere approbation of the âact yeeldeth two soueraigne Princes deposed by the high Priest and their deposition warranted by the holy Ghost Did not Iehoida high-Priest depose Athalia Queene pronounce sentence of death vpon her and in âer roome make Ioas King Did not Azarias high-Priest cast King Ozias out of the Temple depriue him of gouernment for his presuâptuous vsurping the Priestly office to offer incânâe to the Lord What needed Theodidact to prouoke Papists to bring forth these examples for the Popes authority two for one and such as he to aunswere theÌ is driuen to very hard shiftâ What he saith concerning Athalia that she was not lawfull Queene but an vsurper he neither proueth nor is it very probaâble She came blodily vniustly to the Crown but this doth not coÌuince that she was not afterward righful Queen They who
GOD AND THE KING OR A DIALOGVE Wherein is treated of Allegiance due to our most Gracious Lord King Iames within his Dominions WHICH by remouing all Controuersies and causes of Dissentions and Suspitions bindeth Subiects by an inuiolable band of Loue Duty to their Soueraigne Translated out of Latin into English Printed at Cullen M. DC XX. To the Reader THE former Dialogue set forth vnder thiâ same Title GOD AND THE KING the persons of the same being Theodidactus and Philalethes the first signifiyng One taught of God the other A louer of Truth did âeed explication in diuers poynts aswell in regard of the verity of the discourse as also for the more safty both of Kings and their Kingdomes VVherfore it was thought good that in this present Dialogue two other persons should treate of the same subiect Aristobulus that is A good CouÌsellour and Philanax A Louer of Kinges of which the one wisheth all good vnto Kinges the other suggesteth what he iudgeth best for their State And so in few wordes gentle Reader thou hast the scope of both Dialogues Farewell GOD AND THE KING Philanax YOv are well met Aristobulus your countenance and gesture import that your thoughtes are much busied What may bâ the occasion of these Meditations Aristobulus I haue lately perused a short Treatise intituled GOD AND THE KING the Author whereof vndertaketh to shew the groundes foundations of royall Soueraignty and of the Oath of Allegiance Philanax Why should the perusall of the Treatise cause such admiration in you I am sure you bâing a Professour of the Ghospell are noâ of their number that seeke to depresse Kingly power or thinke much that Kings should oblige their subiects to them by Oathes Aristobulus My professioâ and my deedes declare sufficiently my dutifull affection to Kings my high esteeme of their authority my detestatioÌ of all treason hollownes and insincerity towardes them I approue the doctrine of this Dialoguâ that vnder the pious and reuerend appellations of Father and Mother are comprized not only our naturall Parents but likewise all higher Powers and especially such as haue soueraigne authority as Kings Princes who more expresly then any Gouernours represent the person maiesty of one God ruling the whole world and are his substitutes lieutenants euery one within his owne Kingdome The subiect may not touch his soueraigne with any hurtfull touch nor stretch out his hand against his sacred person nor aâfright nor disgrace him by cutting the lapp âf his garment not hurt him in word no not âo much as in thought He must discharge his âanifold duties towards him by payinge âribute for his regall supporte by fighting his âattailes with Ioab aduenturing his life with Dauid to vanquish his enimies Reuealing with âeligions Mardochaeus treasonable designeâents against him by powring out praâers ând supplications for his wellfare by esteeming and âonouring him from the harte and out of conscience as the annointed oâ the Lord Gods holy Ordinance and Minister and as a God vpon earth These doctrines I allow and these duties towardes Princes whosoeuer infringeth either by tumults or seditions against his state or by treacherous and violent attempts against his person deserue as violators of Gods will contemners of natures âaw and enemies to the good of their Countrey to be punished persecuted âo death by sword and fire Philanax Seeing then that the Treatise you âpeake of doth so fully declare the duty of Allegiance to the Kinge what âroubleth you therein that your counâenance discouereth dislâke Aristobulus To commend allegiance in generall termes simply and playnly conceaued is most alowable necessary in these times But bold or rather desperate Treatises such as this is that disclose the mysteries of Regall Prerogatiue which as his Maiesty well noteth ought not to be searched into that ground the authority of Kings so necessary for mankinde vpon doubtfull curiosâties that moue questions about depositions both disgracefull to Maiesty and odious to the subiects such Treatises I say doe more harme then good and without doubt the first Authors of such conceipts be secret enemies to Kingly gouernment and by this stratageme would craftily vndermine what hitherto in vayne they haue assaulted openly Philanax I am persuaded the Treatise you mention was not written by any Papist nor that any of that generation âad their hand in it Who then may we think be these vnderminers of Monarchy you speak of Aristobulus I would to God it were hard to name them or that euery one could not point with his finger at that professioÌ which from her cradle hath euer been a mortall enemie ãâã Kings That the first planters of the Ghospell in this age rooted the same in rebellion and in hatred to Monarchy neitheir wee nor any of their best frends can deny Our late Arch-bishop excuseth them that their zeale was very greate the light of the Ghospell sayth he then first appearing vnto them so dazeled their eyes that they did not well consider what they did Without doubt so it was and so it will euer be where the pure light as they call it of this Ghospell shineth and zeale therof feruently burneth there can be no assured allegiance to the Prince This I confesse is no small blemisâ to the Religion which I would conceale did not loue to his Maiesty force me to speak And the reason why it must needes be so is euident A true spirit zealous in ReligioÌ can neuer be quiet in the busines of sâluation and in questions and Controuersies of Faith ââll he find some ground infallible whereon he may rest The Papist holdes that the Popes sentence specially in generall Councels is the infallible decider of Controuersies vpon which he repoââth his conscience And by submitting euery one his priuate iudgment to the sentence of a supreme Iudge they gayne peace and vâity among themselues and their Iudge still when he defines being as they pretend assisted by Gods spirit they are secured from errour An easy and sweet way to end Controuersies had it pleased God to haue appointed it wherein verity and charity mâet Iustice doctrine I say iust with Gods word kisseth with peace and Christians might haue enioyed what S. Paul so highly commendeth charity of ââuth But our Authors constantly affirme that since the Apostles God grâunted no such priuiledge to any Pastor nor wold bestow so great blessing on his Church as to haue perpetually such a visible gouernour to decide her doubtes nimium vobis Romana propago visa potens superi propria haec si dona fuissent Wâerfore by the conseÌt of the Churches which we call reformed the spirit of God deciding Controuersies which Papists tied to the Pope and his Councells was giuen to euery man that should attend to the spirit speaking in Scriptures A course which pleased much the common people in the beginning persuading them that they had been blinded and wronged by the Pope taking from them
whome they were bound vnder payne of gâuions sinne to expel as you heard this forsaid Father affirme Philanax I see the old Testament specially according to S. Chrysostomes exposition doth not very plausibly proue regall independency of Priest-hood hath not Theodidact better arguments out of the new Aristobulus He alleageth diuers testimonies that euery soule is to be subiect to the higher powers and of Fathers auerring that there is no state nor man in the world equall to the Emperour Which particulerly to relate were to wast paper seeing these testimonies proue no more then what Pâpists commonly graunt That Kângs are Soueraigne and supreme in temporall affaires within their Dominions That all men whatsoeuer Prophetsâ Euangelists Apostles Priests Monks that liue within their states are subiect to their Gouernment and to the lawes which they make for the good oâ the Common wealth They proue that primitiue ChââstiaÌs both laymen Priests were bound to pay tribute to the Emperour were in criminall causes answerable before the teÌporall Magistrate For the dignity of Priestly state and the speciall ordinance of Christ exempting them was not then sufficiently promulgated nor accepted of by Princes as afterward it was in gratitude for the benefit of their conuersion to Christianity by the preaching and labours of Priesthood The places then of Scriptures and Fathers shew that Priests euen Apostles were subiect to the Emperour in causes temporall but can any man with reason thinke that their testimonies import that vnbeleeâing Empârours were in all spirituall occurreÌces the soueraignâ Gouernours of the Christian Church That the supreme Pastorship to decide doubtes of faith gather Councels or excommunicate disobedient ChristiaÌs was committed to them I thinke Protestants will hardely graunt this Whence Papists inferre that had Kings byn ordeyned by Christ supreme Gouernours next himself in the Ecââesiastical hierarchy he would haue prouided Christian Kings to furnish that place in the first erecting of his Church Which seeing he did not they fuâther deduce that Kings cannot challenge by Christs institution any place of gouernment in Church-affayres that the keyes of his Church signifying supreme authority were by him deliuered not to Kings but to Peter by which gift he made him high steward of his house Whosoeuer will be of Christs family must yield themselues their swordes their Crownesâ subiect to Peters keyes Their soules you will say but not their bodies not their swords not their Crownes But agaynst this they vrge that accessorium sequitur principale What is accessory and consequent still followes and waits vpon the principall The King submitting his person to the Church must needs likewise submit togeather with his person his Crowne and sword that not only as men sed in quantum Reges seruiant Christo eueÌ as Kings they be seruants to Christ. In acknowledgmâât of which superiority Constantine as S. Augustin writeth eminentissimum culmen Romani Imperij diadema suum piscatori Petro subiecit being the most emineÌt Soueraigne of the Romain Empire submitted not only his soule but his scepter and diademe to the fisherman Peter to the end that Peters keyes might direct temporall power towardes the consecution of eternall life and to restraâne the same if at any time the owner therof should vse it to the ouerthrow of Christianity They bring an history to this purpose out of Suidas â concerning Constantius the Arian who seemeth the first that challenged this Supremacy in Church affayres As he was saâth Suidas ânce sitting in Councell in the midst oâ many Prelates Iudge of their Controuersies Leontius the most holy Bishop of Tripolis reproued him openly that being a secular lay man he wold meddle with Church-affaires which saying made that prophane Emperour to conceaue the vndecency of the practise that out of band for very shame be desisted If to the fauorits of Kinges ancient Fathers seeme ouer playne and bitter who call them that will gouerne in the Church Antichrists so in my opinion wee ought to take heed that our Church disgrace not herselfe by being base and seruile in this poynt laying her Keyes vnder the feete of Kings which iâ another extreme What may we think of Theodidact who writes that the Kinge saileth to heauen in his owne ship guided by his owne subiects ouer whome he is Iudge and may punishe them with death if he find them in his opinion to deliuer their owne errors in steed of diuine truth S. Paul were he aliue would preach that the Church the ship to conuay passengers to heauen is not the Kings but Christs which he bought with his pretious bloud and the gouernment therof he committed not to Kingsâ but to Bishops The two Orthodoxe Saints and Bishops Hosius and Ambrose did they now liue would say Pallaces belonge to Emperors Churches to Priests The great Gregorie of Nazianzum were he now liuing his doctrine would be that Kings are subiect to the tribunall of Bishops that Priests are the more eminent Gouernours nât Kings subiects in Church affayres but as another Gregorye sayth their Fathers Maisters and Iudges yea that it is miserable madnes âor Kings to goe about with their wicked lawes to make them be at their command to whom they know that Christ together with the Keyes gaue power to bind in heauen and in earth These and the like authorities of Fathers Papists heap together which I haue brought not that I desire that any thing be detracted from royall authority but to the end that you may see that it is not wisdome to ground Royall Soueraignty vpon this Kingly Church-primacy which Proâestants allow Puritans detest Papists with the saying of Fathers shake and batter Philanax Herein I agree with you yet that the Roman Bishop hath not this supremacy to depose Kings I am moued to beleeue by that which Theodidact writeth that none of them exercised it before the time of Gregory the VII otherwise tearmed Hildebrand who excommunicated and deposed Henry the Foââth Emperour about the yeare 1073â more then a thousand yeares from Christs ascension as Otho Frisingensis liuiâg neere those times saith I read and read againe the gestes of the Romane Kings and Emperors and no where I find any of them till this man Henry the Fourth excommunicated or deposed by the Bishop of Rome Aristobulus I do not desire to proue that authority of the Pope my drift is to shew that Kings Church-primacy is not aduisely brought and placed as the pillar of their ragall Soueraignty For to that which moueth you so much behold the Papists how easily and how many things they answere First deposition being an extraordinary remedy against the persecution of hereticall Princes not to be vsed but in cases of extâemity what wonder that practises therof vpon Romane Emperours haue not been many Moreouer for the first 300. yeares after Christ there was no Christian Emperour on whom that power might be vsed In the other two hundred the
And without doubt by this their familiar acquaintance with the word part of the horror against the action is lost Which may be the cause that where speach against the Pops authority for deposing of Kings hath been rifest most vulgar those Countries for practise against the life of their Kinges haue been most vnfortunate Whereas Spayne hath seene no such tragicall practise nor any attempt thereoâ but hath enioyed a longe happy peace where the questions how to proceede with Tyrants are freely permitted to the schooles without any popular declamations agaynst Scholasticalâ opinioÌs in this poynt Philanax I must confesse that I haue been my selfe much deceaued in my expectation about the sucâesse of Papists in this controuersy When I considered the circumstances of the contention the doctrine impugned not gratefull to Princes not so cleerly decided in their Church by some of their writers denied the person impugning by sword and penne a Monarch mighty learned beloued euen of Popish Potentates and this at a tyme of great aduantage vpon the gunpowder treason which was vrged as a sequell of this doctrine that euen the greatest fauorers therof seemed fearfull These circumstances made me think that Pâpery would receaue a great blow and that his Maiesty would draw the whole Church to be of his opinion What the successe hath been we see you haue shewed I could wish the Controuersy might not haue further progresse be now buried in silence that posterity may not say that Rome grew by his Maiesties opposition against it that this point of her authority was made renowned by victory ouer him what the Papists before did doubtfully defend the bloud of their Martyrs suffering vnder King Iames made certaine knowne illustrious And peace concluded about the silencing of this controuersy might be the beginning of an vniuersall agreement with that Sea seeing other doctrinall controuersies by discussion be brought to that yssue that as I haue heard some learned intelligent persons auerre a calme consultation void of priuate interest and animosity might soone end them Aristobulus This peace were much to be wished nor is it safe to mantaine strife with that Sea but vpon vnauoidable occasions And this is the fifth and last thinge which I wish you would seriously ponder and not wonder that this counsell should be suggested by mee that am no Paââst The knowne bad successe that Kings and Princes haue still had in their opposicions against the Romane Church may mooue sufficiently all faithfull Counsailors though not of the Popes Religion neuer if they may choose to engage their Soâcraignes in such quarrelles Arioch the Ammonite Prince could tell Holosernes out of experience that his power and force would not be able to subdue the Iewes that in the end he would be repelled with disgrace yet he was not a Iew in ReligioÌ The like aduise Amonâ Counsailors that were heathens gaueâ him to desist in his quarrell against Mardochaus the Iew Thou canst not say they resist him he being of the stock of the Iewes but shalt fall beâore him It was noted that when Octauâaâ and Antony were youthes still in their games Octauian had the best wherupon a prudeÌt frend gaue Antony warning in ciuill controuersies neuer to encounter him Thou art said he more noble then he more eloquenâ and better qualified yet I see cleerly his Genins is stronger theÌ thine if thou try the forâune of warre with him he will doubtles be Conquerour What the cause may be why it shold be so who knows but experieÌce now a thousand and six hundred years oldâ shewes that this is theâ fate and felicity of that Sea to conquer with their patience and bring vndââ subiection into nothing all the opponents against their doctrine or their authority The Roman Emperors for 300â yeares together bloudily oppugned Christian Râligâon but principally the Roman Sea in so much as thirty Bishops therof were martyred and the persecuting Emperors as S. Cyârian saith were more greeued that a new high Priest was placed in that Sea then that a new Prince was chosen set vp against them What was the successe For those three Centuries of yeares scarce any Emperour that persecuted them can be named that deriued the Empire to a third heire or dyed not an vnfortunate death and in the end Constantine their Successor submitted the Empire to the obedience of the Roman Bishop wherin the Empeâors that followed him contynued Afterward soâe Christian Emperors begaÌ to quarrell with the Church about the priuiledgeâ and immunities of the Clergy specially Valentinian the third and the succeeding Emperors of the West Did they preuaile In their daies the westerne Empire began to decay The Franks tooke to theÌ France the Saxons Britanny and VVandalls Asrick the Visigothes Spaine the Gothes Italy â which âoone after were made Chriâââans and submitted their Kingdomes to the Pope and their Kings professed to receaue their Crownes authority from him Who knoweth not how pittifully the Easterne Emperors and the Patriarches of Constantinople vexed thâ Pope for many ages which their quarrell they neuer would giue ouer till finally they fell into the miserable bondage slâuery of the Tuâke wherin at this present without hope of remedy they grone What successe to omit many other experiences had the German Caesars that stroue with the Pope for the inuestiture of Bishops by staffe ringe Henry the 4. excommunicated and deposed by Gregory the 7. vpon that cause prospered for a while which this treatiser sets downe to encourage Princes to follow his example but he concealeth how in the end in punishment of his rebellion against his spirituall Father as Papists thinke he was deposed by his owne Sonne put in prison whence escaping he gathered forces was defeated brought to such want as he sued to be Sexton in a Churcââ and serue Priests Masse who had most cruelly vexed the high Priest of Christians many yeares together Not admitted to that office he turned himself to begge of laymen in lamentable manner crying Haue mercy on me at least you my friendes for the hand of the Lord hath touched mee and so full of misery repentance and anguish of mind he pined away to death The newes whereof was receaued with generall ioy of all Christians And his Sonne though for a while he trode the steps of his Fathers disobedience yet finally he yielded vp his right in possession whereof the Roman Bishop is at thiâ day Wherein not only the successe which Popes had against so potent Aduersaries as was Henry the 4. who fought more battaileâ then euer did Iulius Caesar but their courage and confidence also was admirable Neither ought any discreete Protestant trust Theodidacts relatioÌ of HidelbraÌds fainting in the quarrell taken out of Sigebert a partiall Monke seeing Papists bring 50. Historians that contradict him These whose fidelity can with no rea ãâ¦ã called in question relate that he ended his life full of coÌstancy