it is not then from Saint Peter Much lesse from Christ Christ would haue no difference among the blessed Apostles nor haue them reigne as Kings of the nations he bad the Priests giue to Caesar the things that are Caesars as good giue them nothing as not obedience Christ was obedient before his birth when he trauelled for the taxe all his life had many lessons of obedience he paid tribut vnto Caesars customers was conuēted before his deputie confest his power was from aboue and ouer him What greater humility could there be then that the Son of God should submit himselfe vnto the son of man the Lord of heauen vnto a lumpe of earth and the King of Kings vnto the subiect of a King His death was the summe of all obedience he was obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse and learnt obedience in that he suffered the more he suffered he was willing to suffer more this hee neither needed nor deserued but that with his humility he would humble his followers vnder temporal authority Now looke vpon the Pope how faire he followes him far of Christ would not become a deuider betwixt brethren but the Pope diuides between Princes as Alexander did the East West Indies betweene Portingale and Spaine Christ would not aske his right albeit he were very neere vnto the crowne the Pope would haue many crownes albeit he hath no right in them Christ was a king yet would seeme none the Pope is none yet would seeme higher like the Romane Dictators they detest the title yet arrogate greater power to make their Senate of Cardinals as good as kings The Pope therefore is not the successor of Saint Peter but of Caesar which was neuer great Prinsquam pontificiam potestatemcum Caesarea coniunxisset before he ioyned the Priesthood and Empire in one person not the sole Vicar of Christ but of Satan which promised all kingdoms vnto those that would fall down and worship him not the God of men as their Glosse pretends but the man of sinne who sets himselfe aboue all that is called God on earth i. all ciuill powers There hath bene great contention betwixt the spirituall and the ciuill state and it hath fared with vs as Gedeons fleece when it rained on the fleece it rained not on the ground when on the ground not on the fleece when the Spiritualty was rich the Temporality was poore now the laity is rich the Spiritualty is poore I would to God as we might meete in faith we might in loue and both bee content one with anothers aduancement and prosperity the ciuill state should bee like a father to prouide for vs while the the spirituall as a Tutor doth instruct vs the ciuill as a good husband should care for such things as are abrode the spirituall as a good huswife tend that which is within our doores in our conscience the ciuill as our head to guide our outward motions the spiritual as our hearts for to direct our affections Both of them should be like Atrides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the two Sheepheards of the people like Amarias and Zebadiah they should meet in one to consult vpon negotia Iehouae Regit Reipub. the businesse of God the King and Common-wealth like both our hands they should worke together for the whole body of the kingdome so that both be subiect vnto the king which in this is not mere laicus a meere Lay-man much lesse a Clerke but like the soule which does all in all yet is not any part like a center in whom the lines of all inferior powers do meete yet is no line like the Sun which works contraries by the same force yet feeles not the mixture of any such qualities Thus the Kings of Israel had potestatem directiuam and correctiuam ouer Priests and people Dauid as hee ruled these prudently with all his power hee set them likewise in their orders Salomon as he iudged betwixt harlots he deposed Abiathar and put Zadocke in his roome Iehosaphat as hee sent the Iudges hee sent the Priests and Leuites into the prouinces Let euery soule then saith Saint Paul the soule of the Priest saith Chrysostome as well as of the people euen the soule of Saint Peter which was one of the Romane Church be subiect vnto these higher powers To determine all in a word we may conclude the Pope as Blackwell saith hath ability to rule Princes when they be willing but the king hath authority to rule men whether they will or no the Pope may be Christs Vicar like other Priests when he preaches and ministers the Sacraments in steed of him but the king is Gods Vicegerent as Anastasius the Pope called Anastasius the Emperour and Eleutherius the Pope entituled Lucius king of Britaine to iudge and execute his iudgements vpon earth the Pope may barre the king from his Masses indulgences and his owne orisons and the king may barre the Pope from intermedling with his kingdomes Let them like Iacob Laban not passe this pillar towards one another for euill and all things else will quietly be composed But if by violence of his excommunications the Pope licence any to take armes he goes beyond his teddar and knowes not of what spirit he is for as Saint Bernard saith of Eugenius in criminibus non possessionibus potestas vestra praeuaricatores exclusura non possessores Your power consisteth not in expelling any from possession but in expelling sin from them the keyes of heauen were not giuen vnto such purposes the rod of Moses may bee turned into a Serpent but the rod of Aaron buddeth bodeth peace Dauid could not build the Temple being stained with bloud Paul protested he was pure from the bloud of all Gregory though he might haue kild the Gothes he woud not meddle in such bloudy matters shall the pillars of the Sanctuary the successors of S. Paul and Gregory fil their heartes and hands with such practizes Euer blessed bee the Right worthy Earle of Sarisbury Qui baculum fixit which hath set his rest on this that neuer any Protestant regular or vnconformitant did euer mingle their differences with bloudy massacres but it was excellently noted of the most noble learned Earle of Northampton that there was neuer any disturbance of the state without a Priest By their fruites then you shall know them Enuie strife and sedition is from a wisedome which is earthly sensuall and diuellish but the wisedome from aboue is pure and peaceable easie to be entreated the fruites of righteousnesse are sowne in peace of them which make peace Excommunication is not now worse then in the daies of Samuel when Saul had bene accurst of God so farre that he might not be praied or mourned for yet he could not be killed or depriued of Dauid the next annointed not worse then in the daies of Christ which would haue vs count excommunicates for heathens publicans yet himselfe would eate and ciuilly conuerse
in Persia when the second Squire of Darius body said the king ruled all all thing were done at his command warfare tillage tribute killing sparing planting wasting all depended on his pleasure It was not so with Ioshua to whom the Reubenites Gadites and halfe the tribe of Manasse said whosoeuer shall resist thy will or will not obey whatsoeuer thou commandest let him be done to death It was not thus at any time in Israel for whether the kings were faithfull or vngodly the people euer yeelded ciuill faith Samuel when he should first annoynt a king he told the manners of a tyrant that hee would make his people and their children slaues not because a king should be so but because if hee were so we should rather suffer then resist If the Centurion bid the souldiers come they came or go they went do this or that and they did it and shall our Generall in all causes be lesse honored then a Centurion The Iewes were bidden pray for the peace of Babylon with the life of Nabuchadnetzar and of Balthasar his sonne and shall we cease to pray for kings those that are in authoritie that we way leade a quiet life vnder them Without all question we must be faithfull in thought word and worke Curs not the King no not in thy thought speake not euill of the ruler of thy people but rather pray for him as Daniel for Darius though he put him in the Lyons denne By this obedience likewise must we be readie saith Saint Paul to euery good worke Obedientia perfecta sua imperfecta relinquere and sometimes thou must leaue thine owne vndone to do the businesse of thy Soueraigne Such is the faith we should performe vnto which wee must also ioyne defence this is as manifest in Scripture the wisest holiest and mightiest kings of Israel had a speciall guard of Cherethites and Pelethites which would neuer haue bene granted of Gods owne people vnto men after Gods owne heart vnless the like might haue the like It was an honor vnto Iudah that notwithstanding the treacheries of Sheba yet they stood fast vnto their King from Iorden to Hierusalem The Worthies of Dauid are also counted by their threes and their thirties as they stood more or lesse for him in like manner they are not vnworthily most honored of our Soueraigne which haue stood most in his defence Like to Dauid is he worth many thousands therfore if any danger shold happen he should be kept farthest from the reach of it This is religion to defend the defender of the Faith why should not all defend him who defendeth all His sword cuts off theeues and murtherers that wee may keepe our goods and bodies in safetie his lawes curbe adulterers that we may keep our wiues and daughters in chastitie his nauies on seas and forces on land mainetaine our quiet and securitie in him as in the Palladium or purple haire of Nisus consists the safeguard of our common weale As the King of Syria sayd fight neither against small nor great but onely against the King of Israel so the Pope which hath persecuted vs euer since Wickliffe with fire and sword now fights not against small nor great but hath cast all his quarrell vpon our Soueraigne and therefore both small and great must fight for him Farre be it then frō English hearts for to be like the men of Belial who despised Saul as if he could not saue them but we must be like those whose hearts the Lord had touched for to stand with and followe him not like accursed Meroz which would not helpe which would not helpe the Lord against the mightie but like to Zabulon or Nepthalim who ieoparded their liues to death with Barak and Debora not like to Ioab who for his priuate quarrell would make Dauid naked of his friendes but rather like Abishai which exposing his owne bodie to perill preserued the life of his deere Prince For as a Serpent will defend his head and a man his heart because therein lies the life-blood of their bodies so should euerie subiect their Soueraigne being as Iosiah was the breath of their nostrils and the blessing of their state as Codrus did for Athens or Curtius for the Romanes or if I may compare as Christ our Sauiour for his truth so should euery man euen with his owne life redeme the life of his king on whom so many liues depend Dulce decorum est pro patria mori euen death were pleasant and honorable in such a cause let vs then bee valiant for our Prince our Citties and the seruice of our God and let the Lord doe that which is good in his owne eyes so should wee promise and performe defence And thereon followes the disclosing all conspiracies which is a part of true defence for otherwise qui tacet consentire videtur he that conceales seemes to consent who can hide fire in his bosome and not bee burnt who can conceale a mischiefe and bee guiltlesse Qui non vetat peccare quum posiit iubet he that forbids not such a sinne fauours if not furthers it and it is not onely those that sinne but those that fauour sinne that shall be punished in Gods iudgement When Iezabel shall bee cast into the bedde of paine her louers also shall suffer great afflictions if Bigthan and Teresh then intend euill against Assuerus it is for Mardochaeus an honourable seruitor to disclose it if the King of Aram euen in his priuy chamber worke mischiefe against the King of Israel it is for Elizaeus to reueale it if Absalon or Adoniah stirre vp rebellion against Dauid or Salomon it is for Zadock and Abiathar the Priests and Nathan the Prophet with all speede possible to preuent it It is the tricke of a Dalilah not to disclose a danger till the Philistines be vpon vs but Michol will discouer it euen against her owne father while there is time to fly Beware then of Iacobs curse who said of his owne children when they became brethren in euill Into their secret let not my soule enter let not my honour bee ioyned vnto their assembly so grieuous was their crime he thought it a sinne to know them and a shame to come amongst them Praeferre patriam liberis Regem decet It is a Princes glory to preferre his country before his children much more is it in priuate men to say with Aristotle Amicus Plato magis tamen veritas est amica Our friends or kindred may bee deare but our king and common-wealth must be dearer As a good Pilot then discry the tempest and giue warning discouer treason before thou be discouered as a partie for otherwise either the bird of the aire saith Salomon may vtter the voyce or the stones in the street saith Christ will cry out the truth or thine owne mouth may condemne thee like Iudas who could not hold from saying maister is it I. This may perswade the lay parties but the Priests in their auricular confession
bellicus labor subdidit quam quod pax Christiana subiecit Although they got much by their warfare yet their Christian cunning peace hath got more to their dominion as a Prophet of their owne foretold and taught Tu regere Imperio populos Romane memento Hae tibi erunt artes pacique imponere nomen Like the snake Rome hath bene warmed in the bosome of our greatest kingdomes till it stung them vnto death like iuie so long it hath embraced that it hath eaten vp whole Monarchies like the Crocodile by weeping and creeping it hath got into the best estates like old Rome it vseth all Religion onely for a vantage he setteth Kings at ods and then becoms an arbiter hee brings kingdomes to the ballance and makes that weightier where hee doth propend As the Romane Emperours would bee counted Monarkes of the world although their Empire in Scipioes iudgement was but a point and vnder Traian when it flourisht most it was not the thirtieth part so the Popes will be taken for Gouernours of the world though that there bee but a little cantle of Europe which will hold of them Thus you see that it is the citties custome not the Churches right which makes them thus vsurping For there is no other no not Saint Peter that can yeeld it them Saint Peter they say was cald a Rocke therefore on Saint Peters chaire must the Church bee built to which we say that as Simon was called Peter i. a rocke so Peter was called Simon i. obedient to shew that they should build so that they might still obey nay being both Simon Peter he was after called Satan to shew the succession of that name would after proue Satannicall But Peter had the keyes of the kingdome of heauen which might loose or binde the kingdome of heauen we confesse was opened by S. Peters key the preaching of the word but the kingdomes of this earth are yet reserued in the power of God promotion comes not either frō East or West from North or South but it is God that sets vp one and pulleth downe another But Peter was bidden feed the lambes sheep why feeding is not fleecing chiefest of the flocke Peter was bidden kill and eate such killing was the conuersion not the confusion the mortifying not the murdering of the Gentiles it was not the killing sword but pricking word which wan Cornelius and 3000. at one sermon I but Peter by walking on the sea did get a dominion from sea to sea and from the floud vnto the worlds end no more say we then Christ that fled thither and walk there because he would not bee made a king But Christ came into S. Peters ship to shew that he would come into S. Peters sea yet as hee came in he came out againe as he desired Christ for to depart from him for he was a sinfull man to shew that hee would part from them when as they parted from his truth yet Peter was foretold his death and bidden follow to shew that as he followed in suffering he should follow in reigning but all this was no more then hee said vnto Iames and Iohn of the cup and baptisme they should be baptized with no more then hee told his other Disciples when he bad them take vp his crosse and follow promising they that left all for him should sit vpon twelue seates and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel who notwithstanding haue no iudgement in this world If they say S. Peter paid for Christ wee may say the fish paid it him if how Christ was first seene of Cephas then of the twelue Mary Magdalen saw him before Cephas if how S. Peter spoke the first and most vnto the Iewes of Christ we must answer it was because he spoke last and worst when he blasphemed him These are the prerogatiues of S. Peter whereon Bellarmine would build the Popes patrimony but how absurdly you may see by that vntempered morter with which hee daubes the Church-gouernment A monarchy saith Bellarmine is the best and to this we grant the best Monarke euen Christ alone as the father establisht him I haue set my king vpon mine holy hill of Zion All thinges according to S. Paul hapned vnto the Iewes in a figure saith Bellarmine and therefore our high Priesthood must resemble theirs to which we must answer Saint Paul meanes al things that are there mentioned for otherwise al their ceremonies are to become Christian the Church indeed as Bellarmine saith is a kingdome but Christ is the king to whom all power is giuen in heauen and earth a flocke but Christ is that good sheepheard a body but Christ is the head a ship which the blessed Apostles could not guide in the tempest vntill our Sauiour came and stilled the waues God forbid I should here condemne all Metropolitans and Diocaesans for I know there bee certaine Ecclesiasticall reserued cases in which they may determine but an vniuersall infinite and incontrollable iurisdiction ouer men Angels diuels and purgatorie soules cannot be but Luciferian vnto which our aduersarie compares it and Anti-christian How can the Pope take on him to direct all truth and salue all mischiefs in this world vnlesse he pull Christes office from his hands Can any man effectually call and send orders of Ministers but Christ which enables vs vnto this calling Can any determine all controuersies but the Spirit that leads into all truth any make one faith but one Christ in whom wee trust Can any gouerne well all the world but he must bee more then a man for a man can hardly gouerne his owne family more then an Angel for Angels are proportioned vnto seuerall prouinces in Daniels prophecie He must bee equall in iustice power and wisedome to God himselfe who takes no more in charge then the Pope challengeth Saint Paul had a care indeed of all Churches but it was of all that were conuerted then far fewer then are now to bee directed it was in writing praying preaching trauelling which the Popes haue little leasure to meddle with it was for edifiyng not destruction as they now intend Beeing destitute of Scripture they flie to their owne decretals whereof some are so plainely forged some full of so plaine falsehood the residue so much partiall that we may say with Christ He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory and If I beare witnesse of my selfe my witnesse is not true Saint Peter did referre the choise of an Apostle to the disciples the Councell of Ierusalem preferred him before the rest hee cals himselfe but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fellow Elder Saint Paul withstood him to his face as being in place and deed such as might and should bee blamed Cyprian saith all the Apostles had the fame fellowship of honour and office vnto which also Hierome consenteth Pelagius the second and Gregory the first would not be cald vniuersal thus it was til Phocas the murderer of his Maister made Boniface the third Pope of Priests