then men They be like to the Martyrs of the Primitiue Church who freely professe themselues before their Persecutors to be such as indeed they are That is to say much vnlike the Iesuites who range vp and downe sometimes like poore Lay-men sometimes in the habite of Gentlemen thrusting themselues into solemne assemblies at banquets and feasting somtimes into the Vniuersities for some of this stampe lie close in the Vniuersities to peruert inconstant heads greedy of nouelties But you will say They are miserable for if they refuse the oath which Apoc. 13.17 is the mark of the Beast they are forced to vndergoe not onely imprisonments torments and punishments but also death itselfe Truly they are not therefore miserable but most happy for so hath our Sauiour taught vs in the Gospel Mat. 5.10 Blessed are they vvho suffer persecution for righteousnesse for theirs is the kingdome of heauen But then you will say It is a hard thing to suffer how is that hard which is done with ioy and delight Heare what is said of the Apostles Acts 5.41 And they vvent away reioycing from the Councell because they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the Name of Iesus Heare also what the Apostle saith of himselfe 2. Cor. 7.4 I am filled vvith comfort and am exceeding ioyous in all our tribulation From whence commeth this ioy but of the double gift of the holy Ghost Hope and Charity Hope of future glory that maketh vs ioyfull and full of comfort in all aduersity Rom. 8.18 The afflictions of this present time are not vvoorthy of the glory vvhich shall bee shewed vnto vs. But the Papists say thus The sufferings of this life are worthy of the glory that shal be reuealed Vnto the Martyrs as they say their sufferings are meritorius and vnto other supererogatorie according to the old verses of prayer made vnto Thomas Becket Tuper Thomae sanguinem quem prote impendit Fac nos Christe scandere quò Thomas ascendit Make vs ô Christ vp to ascend by vertue of S. Thomas blood Which for thy sake he once did spend to heauens race among the good And vnto the Heb. cap. 10.34 You suffered vvith ioy the spoyling of your goods knowing that you shall haue a better and more enduring substance But of the Iesuits it may bee said cleane contrary You haue receiued plenty of other mens goods to their vnrecouerable harme witnesse the Venetians knowing that heere you receiue your reward in this world and therefore cannot looke for any better or more enduring substance in the world to come And no lesse is the force and power of Charity Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or famine c. But in all these things we are more then conquerours through him that loued vs. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels c. nor any creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ our Lord. But the Iesuits call this pious and godly assurance impious presumption And from this forge came that flagitious discourse of Bellarmine De incertitudine iustitiae Of the vncertaintie of righteousnes or iustification Heereto belong the examples of Christ of other the Saints which haue great force and efficacie to stir vp and strengthen the harts of Catholiques to suffer patiently in this life prisons fetters torments yea death it selfe 1. Pet. 2.20 If you suffer patiently for well dooing this is thanke-worthy with God Heereunto are ye called because that Christ hath suffered for you leaning you an example that you should follow his footsteppes who did not sin neither was there guile found in his mouth who when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed it to him that iudgeth righteously But of the Iesuits it may be said cleane contrarily and most truly They doing euill continually suffer impatiently whose glory is their shame witnes the Venetian For heerevnto are they called to make of faithfull subiects rebells and Traytors to their Kings to sley or poyson Kings thereby treading in the manifold and deeply imprinted steps of of Antichrist to commit all most hainous and bloudy acts to their vttermost endeuour In whose mouth is euer found the guile of aequiuocating so hatefull and pestiferous to mankind who reuile when they are not reuiled Iude v. 8. and blaspheme euen such as are in highest authoritie who threaten when they suffer not endeuouring to betray their King and his royall issue the Nobles and states of their owne Nation assembled in Parliament to the mercilesse and swist deuouring Gun-powder flames and so committing their cause to that vniustly iudging Claudius Aquauiua their prouost generall miraculously set oâ—ser them Who taught the Iesuits to commit themselues â—â—â—im iudging iusily when he boasted he could send mo souldrers Gretzer ddu Iesuit and sooner into the field to weet his Iesuits then any Christian King in the world could doe and when he promised the Pope viz. in time of the Venetians interdiction the Popes imminent danger to send vnto him for his succour 40000. men but vpon condition that as many of them as were slaine in the battaile should be canonized Martyrs And Heb. 12. v. 1. Therfore Let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith But the Iesuits say thus Therefore let vs by vnbridled audaciousnes ioyned with all manner wickednesse runne the race that is set before vs striuing against Priests Academicks and Kings looking to Ignatius Loyola the author and finisher of our Iesuiticall faith For saith Euerhard The Iesuits are prest and alwaies ready to vndertake with cheerefulnesse and alacrity and what in them lieth to perpetrate any flagitious wickednesse enioyned them because they belieue that if they die in executing the commaunds of their Superiors they shall obtaine I know not what crowne greater and more excellent then that of Martyrs With these and other the like restimonies of holle writ as Heb. 11. v. 36.2 Cor. 11. v. 23. et 12. v. 9. c. that most reuerend Archbishop Cranmer and the reuerend Bishops Latimer and Ridley beeing armed and encouraged chose rather to suffer death then to oblige themselues with that impious Papall Oath Whom followed very many in that glorious combat burned in the flames wherein they shined more then those said burning and shining flames Vnto these may be added the true catholick Protestants who in Rome Spaine vnder those hellish Furies the most sauage Inquisitors more bloudily cruel then that infamous Tyrant Busiris are imprisoned fettered proscribed died purple redde with their owne bloud In and of whom these following are verified Psal 116. ver 15. Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his Saints S. Cyprian Epist 9. O blessed Church of ours which in our daies the glorious blood of Martyrs hath made illustrious Before it
successors in their kingdoms The first Kings that ruled after the dinision of the kingdome made were Ieroboam King of Israel Roboam King of Iuda In either Kingdom were Priests and Leuits But the high or Chiefe Priest could not resid-in both kingdoms but onely in one and that ordinarily in Iuda yet not withstanding hee was Head of all the Prusts and Leuites that remained in both Kindoms Neither could Ieroboam lawfully say vnto his Priests and Leuites You shall not obey the High Priest that resideth in the Kingdom of Iuda but you shall obey me onely for you are exempted from his iurisdiction and power c. And though he shold haue so said yet no doubt but he had offended If now King Ieroboam could not exempt the Priests and Leuites of his ovvnâ— Kingdome from the Iurisdiction and Power of a sorraine High Priest by vvhat right then doth now King Iames of England doe the same especially seeing hee anerroth that hee claimeth no more right or inrisdiction vnto himselfe oner the Church then the Kings of the old Testament did The Conclusion 1. ALL then that hath beene hither to said may be reduced into three heads The first is that the Kings Primacie in the Church is a nevv thing and first brought in by King Henty the eight nor hitherto hath beene beard of or vsurped in any other place then onely in the Kingdome of England The second is that there be so manie Iarres and disagrements of the English Ministry among them selues concerning this Primacy that it is not manifest nor certaine what the said Primacy is nor what sorce and authority the same hath The third that the Oath of this Primacy can neither be exacted by the King nor may the subtects take the same 2. Heerehence three other questions which might bee made concerning the Subiects will easily be solued There be 3. sorts of Subiects in England The sirst as some call them are Henricians vvho both acknowledge and sweare vnto this Kingly Supremacy The second sort are Puritans orpure Calumists who indeed doe not acknowledge the said Supremacy but yet doe sweare thervnto The third are Catholicks which neither acknowledge it nor will sweare it 3. The first question then is What may bee said of these Henricians vvhich both acknowledge and swear to the Kings Supremacy I aunswer that they doe vnwisely and inconsideratly The reason is Because it is folly and rashâ—es as before I haue said to sweare a thing that is doubt full vncertaine But the Primacy of the King is a thing altogether doubtfull and vncertaine amongst the Henricians as is manifest by their iarres and dissentions which hither to we haue shexed Ergo to sweare to such a Supremacy is both folly and rashnes 4. The second question is What may be said of the Puritans or pure Caluinists who doe not indeed acknowledge the Kings Primacy and yet if they be commaunded doe sweare thereto I answer that they are periured persons and Politicians The reason is Because they belieâ—c one thing and sweare another They beliene with Caluin that neither Kings nor secular Princes haue any Primacy in spirituall and Ecclesiasticall matters but onely in temporall yet neuerthelesse they sweare Allegiance vnto the King together with the foresaid Henricians as to the Primate and supreme Head of the Church and this they doe to make an externall and politicall peace vvhich is more esteemed by them then their faith and Religion and therefore they are rather to be called Politicks then Christians Of whom his Maiestie gaue a most vvorthy testimonie in his Preface Monitory to wit That hee had found more truth and honesâ—ie in the high-land and bordering theenes then in that sort of people 5. The third question is what may bee said of Catholicks vvho neither acknowledge the Kings Primacy nor swcar thereto I answere that they be inst vpright men vvho walke before God in truth veritie They be sincere who professe with their month that vvhich they thinke in their bart They are wise indeed who with good Eleazarus had rather die then consent to any vnlaw full thing no not so much as in outward shew They be like vnto the Apostles vvho endeauour to obey God rather then men They be like vnto the Martyrs of the Primitine Church vvho freely professe themselues before the persecutors to be such as indeed they are 6. But you vvill say they be miserable For if they refuse the Oath they are forced to vndergoe impresonments torments punishments Truely they are not therefore miserable but most happy For so dâ—d our Sauiour teach vs in the Gospell Math. 5. 10. Blessed are they who suffer persecution for â—ustice for theirs is the kingdome of heanen But then you will say It is a hard thing to suffer How is that hard which is done with â—oy and delight Heare what is said of the Apostles Act. 5. 41. And they went from the sight of the Councell reioycing because they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the Name of Iesus Heare what the Apostle saith of himselfe 2. Cor. 4. Superabundo gaudio in omâ—i tribulatione nostra I exceedingly reioyce in all our tribulations 7. And from vvhence commeth this ioy Truly froÌ„ a twofold gift of the holy Ghost to wit Hope and Charity Hope of future glory that maketh vs ioâ— full and full of comfort in all adnersities Rom. 8. 18. The sufferings of these times are not condigne to the foture glory that shall bee renealed in vs. And againe Rom. 12. 12. Reioycing in hope and patient in tribulation And Heb. 10. 34. The spoyle of your owne goods you tooke with ioy knowing that you haue a better and a permanent substance Do not ther fore leese your confidence which hath a great reward For patience is necessary for you that dooing the will of God you may receiue the promise c. 8. Nor is the force of Charitie lesse Rom. 8. 35. VVho then shall separate vs from the Charitie of Christ Tribulation or distresse or famine or nakednes or danger or persecution or the sword c. But in all these things we onercome because of him that hath loâ—ed vs. For I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angells nor Principalities nor Powers neither things present nor things to come neither might nor height nor depth nor other creature shall be able to separate vs from the Charitie of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord c. 9. Heereto belong the examples of Christ of other Saints vvhich haue great force and efficacy to stirre vp and streng then the harts of Catholicks to suffer patiently in this life prisons fetters torments yea death it selfe 1. Pet. 2. 20. If dooing well you sustaine patiently this is thanke before God For vnto this are you called because Christ also suffered for vs leaning you an example that you may follow his steppes who did not sin neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reâ—â—led did
intestine Iarres and differences of Romane Writers about the Popes Supremacie and our full agreement in the Kings Supremacie What shall I neede to speake of the iniquity of his Cause For it fights against the Church of Christ in the behalfe of the honour and Soueraignetie of Antichrist after the manner and biasse of Icsuits And in this case what one of the forenamed hath he not iust cause to feare Againe your indifferent equitie wherein with the Venetians and the Parisian Sorbonists you detest the Iesuites who seeke to iustifie their Cause by the imprisonments bonds and deaths of Traitors suffered for their rebellions against their natiue Kings whose hands vnlesse they were the hands of this Becane would it not shake and cause to let fall the penne whose spirits though neuer so lofty would it not depresse infringe and dissipate saue onely of Becane But very impiously and impudently doth he apply to the Gun-powder Traitors that which Saint Paul 1. Cor. 4. wrote of the persecuted Saints viz. You are made a gazing stock to God to Angels and to Men. Let them be so since the Iesuite will haue it so 1. Agazing stock to God who beholding their trecherous and couert conspiracies against their most gracious Soueraigne his Anointed as the Iesuite here confesseth laugheth them to scorne enfeebling their forces for our victory and preparing hell fire for their eternall punishment 2. A spectacle to Angels who wondring there be any so much as stiled with the name of Christians that tremble not to call the royall Supremacies of Kings in the Church ordained by God himselfe grounded vpon Scriptures practised with commendation by the best both Kings of Israell and Emperors Christian Potentissimos Inferorum Principatus The most potent principalities of hell reioyce to beholde such infamous and execrable Traitors committed to the safe custody and torture of spirituall wickednesses Lastly A spectacle to men who being dispersed through the whole world and but hearing of these most inhumane and bloudie Iesuiticall conspiracies more sauage then cruelty it selfe are inflamed for the Lords Anointed to vndergo perpetuall combats with all these pestilent Emissaries of Antichrist Moreouer if you know not with what great varietie inconstancy and vanitie of opinions the popish Writers trauell and with what vniforme consent of all our Writers the Kings Supremacie is maintained listen and read-ouer but cursorily this little Booke which here I present to you and in it you shall finde particularly expressed before your eyes wherein and in what heads they differ among themselues about the Popes Supremacie and how we accord in the Supremacie of our King And heere it much concernes your desire of peace and tranquillitie to obscrue how gallantly this Becane presenteth himselfe to you with his counterfaite and childish wiles to entrappe you wherein he playeth his prizes so skilfully and subtilly to circumuent you that by his onely cunning hopeth to gaine no small praises But seeing he is ready for the combat I will so prouide that he shall not finde me vnprepared not only to meete with his blowes but also to repell them and to turne them backe againe vpon his owne head Of which our conflict I desire you to be Spectators In the meane time I beseech the most mercifull heauenly Father to grant you zeale according to knowledge c. The most desirous of your saluation Richard Harris Becan Exam. By the way of a lie and calumnie you write that I did vse that of the Apostle You are made a gazing stock to God Angels and Men of Traitors I did not vse it of Traitors but of those Catholikes who are with you imprisoned banished spoyled of their goods and fortunes or also put to death You knowe who they are Dr. HARRIS Reply I Knowe the Iesuite heerein belyeth this State most impudently by which none but traiterous or at least seditious obstinate Cacolikes not any one meerly for faith or religion haue been or are imprisoned exiled dispoyled or executed 2. The Iesuit here confesseth that those said traitors were Catholikes and themselues euen the Gun-powder-traitors confessed that their treason was vndertaken for their faith and religion So traiterous and dangerous to Christian States is the Iesuited Popery 3. This Becane in his cōscience thinketh that these words You are made gazing stocks were and are most fitly and truely to bee applyed to Garnett that cunning but arch-traitour viz. when hee was dismembred and his head and quarters fixed on high to be gazed on 4. The present Iesuited Romish faith is impious heresie and Idolatrous blasphemy the religion is grosse superstition and open rebellion against God and the King or rather an open profession of the lawfull killing of Kings Gods Anointed by the meanest vassals of the said Kings authorized by the Pope to kill them As it is plainely set downe by Suarez in his late booke against our King Lib. 6. chap. 4. imprinted by publike authoritie with priuiledge Therefore by all lawes diuine and humane why may not all such Iesuited Cacolikes be most iustly imprisoned dispoyled exiled or executed as guiltie of high treason for this their traiterous and rebellious faith and religion so stiffely maintained by them especially when as by their owne popish doctrine Hereticall obstinate Schismatikes such as indeede all those Cacolikes are may be imprisoned and dispoyled of goods lands and life it self and when as so many thousand deare Saints of the Lord meerely for their orthodoxall faith and pure religion haue beene in their bloudy Inquisition and other popish persecutions most sauagely tortured euen to death Therefore with great impudency doth he charge vs with shedding the bloud of Martyrs for faith and religion from which wee are as free as they therein are guilty 5. No small number of popish Martyrs so canonized and enrowled amongst them were in truth haynous and diabolicall Traitors against the King Queen and State heere and accordingly were here executed therefore indeede these words You are made agazing stock c. the Iesuite applied to Traitors to wit such popish Martyrs 6. Lastly the exceeding clemency of our King towards the now imprisoned seditious and treacherous Cacolikes is such that they fare more deliciously and liue more sportfully I might well haue said riotouslie then millions of his Maiesties good subiects doe who enioy their libertie This is too too well knowne And this forsooth is that hard-hard vsage and hot persecution which hath bred this Iesuiticall exclamation BECANVS Iarre THE Kings Supremacy in the Church of England is a new thing It began vnder King Henry the 8. continued vnder King Edward the 6 and Queene Elizabeth and now vnder King Iames the same is rent and torne in peeces with so many domesticall iarres and diuisions that long it cannot stand So as Christ in the Gospell said full well Omne regnum in se diuisum desolabitur Euery Kingdome diuided in it selfe shall be destroyed But what and how great these discords be I will shew in these
betwixt the Papists vvho hold obedience fidelitie to the King in things ciuill from those that were indiutdually affected to the Gun-powder treason Concerning your glorious Martyrs as you stile Bishoppe Fisher and Sir Thomas More you might haue learned out of Tortura Torti pag. 360. how the worthy Bishop of Ely stoppeth Tortus his mouth saying Dixerat Apologiae author c. The Author of the Apologie said that it was not any spirituall Primacy but a carnall matrimony that brought the supposed Martyr dome to Sir Thomas More and the Bishop of Rochester and this he spake not amisse But then replyed Tortus Then it vvas a carnall matrimany that caused holy S. Iohn Baptist to suffer martyrdome when he freely reproued King Herods mariage With this example Tortus woundeth himselfe For tell mee O Tortus vvhat was that mariage vvas it not with his brothers wife vvas not this the vvord that cost the Baptist his life It is not lawful for thee to haue thy brothers wife But what was the cause of the death of More and Fisher was it not cleane contrary It is lawful for thee to haue thy brothers wife it is not lawful for thee to put her away So that if Saint Iohn Christs forerunner died vniustly they died most iustly and if hee vvere a Martyr as he was then vvere they some other thing vvhich I will not tell you For he dyed that the King should not keepe his brothers vvife but these dyed that the King should not put away his brothers vvife Hee told King Herod it vvas not lawfull they told King Henry it was lawfull and hee must not doe otherwise Could Tortus any vvaies marre their martyr dome more deepely So far the Bishop of Ely And giue mee leaue to adde something more O glorious Martyrs who had rather consent together to die then to confesse the royall supremacy of Kings established in the Scriptures vsed and practised by all the most commended Christian Kings and withall to establish the Papall Primacy which Christ himselfe expresly forbad which the Fathers of the Councell of Ephesus called the smoake of worldly power and they of Carthage with all care and diligence admonished the Church to beware of as Typhum saeculi the arrogancie of this present vvorld Concerning that notorious fact of Pope Paul the fift and Bellarmine which heere the Iesuit remembreth full of inhumanitie impietie and audaciousnesse that excellently learned man Ma. Causabon in his Epistle to Front Ducaeus hath taught him pag. 167. thus De fidelitatis iuramento cui occasionem praebuit pulueraria coniuratio c. Concerning that Oath of Allegiance first occasioned by the Gun-powder treason I maruell vvhy the English Papists so much complaine They haue much more cause to complaine of Cardinall Bellarmine some fevv others vvho hardened the hart of Pope Paul the fift to yeeld vnto them vvho at the first vvith stood them for I speake not rashly but haue good Authours for my assurance that all the Catholicks in England should heere perish rather then a matter so iust and equall should be permitted For vvhat can be more equall then that subiects should promise fidelity to their Soueraigne especially after a treason so barbarous and notable for crueltie The King in the Common-wealth is the same that a householder is in his priuate house and doe you thinke that such a man were well advised to keepe in his family any seruaunts of whose fidelity he was not perswaded or rather whose disposution hee greatly suspecteth I thinke no bodie that is not mad would grant such a thing Wherfore either King Iames hath lesse power in his Kingdome then a householder in his house or else these complaints about the subiects Oath of Allegiance are all vniust and friuolous For in good sooth I haue met with many Papists both in France and England and I haue also read the writings of many vvho deeme this Oath not onely most iust but also most holie Wherefore many of your side some of them Priests yea the Arch-priest Black well haue taken the same without all scruple of conscience not against their wills and by their publique writings learnedly and truly though sharply against the Pope and the Iesuits haue perswaded others to doe the like such are Maister Sheldon and Maister Warmington But yet there are some vvith whom the Popes Bulls and Bellarmines Letters preuaile more then the law of God the law of nature of all Nations or the examples of vvise men And if the Law run vpon these vvhat place is there left for complaint And you your selues which call this a persecution of Catholicks cannot tell for vvhat cause and by vvhat example of antiquitie you so tearme it It was neuer done nor heard of that Christian people said they suffered persecution if they vvere commaunded to sweare Allegiance to their Soueraigne But wee read the contrary in the Councells vvhere they are accursed that breake faith to their Kings vvhich they had voxed to them for the preseruation of the slate of their Countrey and of their King And you know the fourth Councell of Toledo declareth all such excōmunicat from the Church Heere is worke for the Iesuit let him satisfie these things and in the meane time let him vnderstand that that Catholique faith is accursed with all maledictions as inhumane impious sacrilegious Antichristian diabolicall whereof this is one Article That Christian people ought not to sweare allegiance to their lawfull Soueraigne to weet that which as hath been declared the law of God the law of nature and the Canons of Councells haue ordained as most equall and most holy Orelse thus to speake after Becans manner That for Christian people to sweare allegiance to their lavvfull Prince is to deny the Catholick faith And this reason being very sound all good Catholicks admit saith Becane but in truth this reason as very rotten is onely admitted by Antichristian Catholicks but we Protestants the onely true and proper orthodoxall or right belieuing Catholicks will neuer admit it And I saith the Iesuit will adioyne two other reasons on the behalfe of Catholicks against the Oath of Supremacie which by the Aduersary cannot bee reiected Hee should rather haue said thus And I for the destruction of my friends the Romish Catholicks will adioyne two other reasons vvhich may be most iustly refused exploded by all our Aduersaries the Protestants But hath Martin the Iesuit heere forgotten himselfe were not the reasons of Pope Paul and Bellarmine lately alledged expresly brought against the oath of Allegiance which onely was in controuersie and will he now dispute against the oath of Supremacie which is distinct and seuerall from the Oath in question Martin therefore should rather say thus I haue determined for the ruine of Catholicks in England to adioyne two reasons more nothing differing from the former Well then let vs heare these two prettie reasons his first reason is this 1. It is manifestly false or at least