Garnet was brought in suspition of the last treason least the guilt of such a Priest might be preiudiciall to the Catholike cause did before the formerly named Magistrates at the point of death recall his foresayd confession thrise with protestation Vpon my saluation saith he I was not acquainted with Garnet this many years After his death is Garnet apprehended and examined of that point of acquaintance with Tresham who did vnder his hand writing confesse both the times and places of their conuersing together al this Garnet did acknowledge at the Barre Then the right Honorable the Earle of Salisburie whose rare wisedome did in that vmuersall audience proue it selfe often the only racke to that Iesuite in extracting many truths from that Equiuocator to his often publike confusion asked him What iudge you M. Garnet of that false protestation of M Tresham he made vpon his saluation Garnet smiling answered I thinke he did equiuocate Smiling a thousand beheld him A very ridiculous answer indeed if it had not bene horribly impious which therefore the whole audience as children of truth did then by a common murmure openly detest To conclude I must now my moderate Answerer necessarily racke you but feare not onely by that Logicall instrument which is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus you would perswade vs that Priests thinke our Protestant Magistrates competent before whom you may not vse Equiuocation your Superior by whome if you be a Iesuite this your booke was priuiledged did both by practise and position more then allow the vse of Equiuocation the last day euen in a most honorable presence Now therefore if your booke was not priuiledged by Garnet then this inscription of your booke With licence of Superior is vntrue if you say he did priuiledge it then this excuse for all your Priests saying We allow Magistrates in England coâ— petent before whome we may not equiuocate Garnet gaine saying it is likewise vntrue The greatest difficultie now will be to tell whether of you two be the Superior in lying you in saying You do not defend that which you do so manifestly defend a flat lye or he who defendeth that which no man can euer defend Equiuocation the very damme of all damnable lying Whereof more at large in the Confutation Yet behold a greater mysterie of this iniquitie then hath bene yet reuealed Tresham taketh it on his saluation that to his knowledge no Priest was acquainted with the plot Digby and others make the like protestations at their death Garnet a Priest did deny with maine and many protestations that he had conference with Hall and defended it lawfull till he was conuicted by witnesse To what end lest that Priests guiltinesse might make their priestly function and Religion more odious Whence I may conclude that it were more then sottishnesse for any Protestant to beleeue the Priests protesting their innocencie as Garnet did at the Barre or their disciples protesting as Tresham and Digby did the innocencie of Priests and their adherents at their death I say all their witnesses deserue no credite who defend thus to equiuocate till they be euidently conuicted by witnesse CHAP. XXVIII The Discouerie The third abuse of Oathes is in dissoluing them THat though they take an oath of allegeance in cases temporall yet their common interpretation is still with respect of their more supreme head During the will of the Pope who say they hath power to free both himself and others from the bond of an oath Which is their old glosse saying that The case is so to be interpreted namely except the Pope shall release him from his oath because in euery oath the authoritie of a Superior must be excepted The moderate Answerer There must needes be some exception of lawfull oathes else whatsoeuer wickednesse is sworne must be performed as that of the Iewes against Saint Paule and of Herod against the Baptist The Replie There must be some exception of an oath which is this In male promissis rescinde fidem that is A wicked vow is well broken But your Popish exception for two respects we iustly think intolerable this will be plaine by this example If now the Spanish in his league vpon expresse conditions with the English would for the performance of his oath depend vpon the Popes arbitrement which is Till you can find oportunitie for a mischiefe then silly English are in no better case then a goose tyed with a line by the legge to a foxe tayle which doth appeare in the Discouerie following The Discouerie Practise Their practise we haue shewed in the former Reasons we may here adde a more auncient example A Canonist saith a Iesuite did inueigh against Pope Gregorie the 12. who in the time of a great schisme did openly and solemnely sweare that if he were made Pope he would giue it ouer againe but being elected he performed nothing lesse The Canonist doubtlesse wanted not a Canon to condemne this perlurie though the Iesuite vpon presumption of iusta causa doth defend it For the cause was indifferent whether to giue ouer his Popedome or to keepe it but the oath of indifferent matters doth inferre a iustice in performance and condemne the not performance of periurie Who also in the same Volume holdeth their generall position saying Other mens oathes may be dissolued by the Pope So that when the Pope shall send but his Bull of freeing our English the bond of their oath will proue as strong as the knot of a Bul rush The moderate Answerer But to speake vnto this Obiector concerning Protestants proceeding in equiuocating The Reply But first men should be so modest as to couer their owne bald pates before they note others of like imperfections The moderate Answerer f I plainely answer that all Catholikes of this Kingdome both Priests and others do and ought syncerely to acknowledge his Maiestie absolute and really a true King of all his kingdomes c. And that among other duties to denie to sweare or violate an oath iuridicè iustly and according to the course of lawe proposed and to equiuocate therein is a sinne damnable The Reply In this your protestation by these words It is damnable to vse Equiuocation before them iudging iuridicè iustly and according to lawe I doubt much that you your selfe vse some damnable Equiuocation for what is I pray you iuridicè iustly may you Priests take a corporall oath before a ciuill Magistrate whomsoeuer this is against your owne Decrees A Priest saith your Iesuite may not take an oath before any ciuill Magistrate though the Bishop should â—â—cence him thereunto Secondly call to mind the forme of our English oath To acknowledge no forraine power either of any King or Prelate to haue any preheminence ouer our Soueraigne to insist onely vpon this branch in causes temporall either directly or indirectly Say now will you be sworne to this or no If you shall say you will not take heed then
the common-wealth and a King is as well a King of the Cleargie as of the Laitie therefore the Cleargie is subiect vnto the ciuill autoritie in temporall things for such matter is not ruled by any power spirituall a plaine demonstration The third Obiection from the prophecie of the old Testament and the euents of the new The Romish pretence This is the tenor of the late yongue Buls of Popes as of Paulus 3. Pius 5. and all their followers I the seruant of the seruants of God placed in the seat of iustice according to the Prophecie of Ieremie where it is written Ierem. 1. Behold I haue appointed thee ouer Nations to roote them vp and destroy them to plant and establish them doe excommunicate these Kings and their fauorites absoluing subiects from their obedience and commanding them to take vp armes to roote them out Is this the true sense of that Prophecie It was spoken to the Bishops of Rome in the person of Christ The Answer O arrogant glossers yea impudent glosers and peruerters of the sacred Oracles of God! Did euer Ieremie put downe Kings to root them out Hearken to your Lyranus No he did onely denounce Gods iudgements against wicked Kinges Hearken to that godly Pope Gregorie who sheweth that Ieremies act was onely By preaching and not by fighting If you demaund in whom this prophecie was fulfilled listen to your Doctor Capella It was fulfilled in Christ at whose comming Idols and false Oracles ceased and the Prince of the World was cast out Which Scripture lest the Pope might vnaduisedly applie to himselfe holie Bernard doth forewarne him to Beware of insolent pride for these wordes being applied vnto the Pastors of the church betoken onely an industrioâ—s ministrie but no predominant autoritie CHAP. VII The antiquitie of this pretended Papall power is examined from the Apostles times The Romish pretence THe Priest of the new Testament in the Priesthood of Christ haue more authoritie than that of the law ouer Kinges to depose them The Answer This is not probable except you can shew some footings either of Christ or his blessed Apostles or their holie successors in the purer periods of times But 1. Christ vsed not this ciuill iurisdiction For Princely autoritie as your chiefe Iesuite confesseth had beene supersâ—uouâ— in Christ whose end was to worke the worke of Redemption of man whereunto the onelie spirituall power was sufficient 2. Peter and the other Apostles neuer challenged temporall authority This also is confessed Apostles saith Carerius were subiect vnto the heathen Kings in all temporall respects because Pontificall gouernment is only ouer Christians within the church but the Heathens are said by the Apostle to be without 1. Cor. 6. Heereupon your Saunders doth conclude that Peter receiued of Christ no power ouer Heathen Kings He conceiteth a reason There is a double power of fortitude and Christian valour saith he The one in suffering aduersitie constantly the other in attempting and effecting hard matters couragiously that power of suffering as more excellent Christ chose as fittest for himselfe and his Apostles and their successors for the gaining of the world to the faith and therefore they did abstaine from armes and prescribe obedience The Romish insist As though there were not a difference of the condition of the church as of a vine there is one time to plant and water it an other to loppe and prune it The Answer As though the Church which before time was planted watred with the blood and deaths of holie Martyrs ought now for that is this mans scope to be lopped in the cutting off of the heads of wicked Kings Nay but if the patient suffering of the tyranny of Kings be as your Sanders truely said the more excellent Christian power than acting and working the death of Kings and that therefore that power was practized of our Lord Christ and bestowed on the Apostles for the confirmation of the glorious faith pardon vs if we fall at Iesus feet to choose the better part especially knowing that To all those who suffer vniustly for iustice there remaineth a crowne of iustice which the iust Iudge will giue in that day of Reuelation CHAP. VIII The primitiue Successors of the Apostles for the space of two hundred yeares and long after did acknowledge all Obedience temporall to all Emperours and Kings whether heathen or baptized although Tyrants or Heretickes or Apostatates yea euen then when they wanted no force to resist The Romish pretence IN former ages Christians said your Bellarmine did not depose wicked Emperours as Diocletian Iulian and such because they wanted force Which maketh some Catholicks said your Bannes now not resisting their Kings excusable because they want force For it is commendable said your Frenchman to suffer when thou canst not resist Otherwise Catholickes said your Creswell are bound to hazard their liues in this cause assooue as they can make resistance Whereunto might haue beeneadded your Cardinall Allen Ancient Bishops saith he might haue excommunicated the Arian Emperours and hauedefended themselues from them by force of armes but they did not by reason of greater forces of their Persecutors The Answer This is the very Arche of all your rebellious building which all your Iesuites haue erected and whereupon our bastard English Cardinall doth insist in his booke intituled A True and modest Defence for English Catholickes which how false and shamelesse it is I am now ready to shew vnto all true catholickes for their confirmation and to the others for their conuersion First in generall For. For the space of two hundred yeares we cannot reade saith your learned Tolossanus of any christians resisting Emperours of other times or in their most bloudy persecutions to haue raised any tumult in the Common-wealth no not then when they were able both by equall number and power to match them But heerin they thought their religion aduanced before all others and gloried in this behalfe to be called Christians who professed this as a most holy doctrine namely obedience to Magistrates True the patient Christian did aduance Christian religion by suffering vnder Kings but the now pragmaticall Christian God grant I may be a false Prophet by acting and plotting Strategemes in resisting Kings will ruinate the holy faith To Tolossanus agreeth your Cunerus saying The Martyrs of those times when they by reason of their multitude might easily haue conspired against their persecuting Tyrants Hearken you conspirators and be ashamed yet for the honour of Christ by performing obedience to the higher power chose rather to suffer then resist For as saith S. Augustine they would demonstrate their hope of the life to come and by their confessions and deaths whereby they gaue witnesse to the truth of God were called Martyrs witnesses whose number was so great that if it had pleased Christ to arme them and aid them as he did
the Hebrewes of old what nation could haue resisted thew force Although these glorious Martyrs of the mother Church in their death whereby they haue anouched that good and glorious profession of Christian faith haue thereby also sealed the infallible truth of Christian obedience due to earthly Potentates yet will we not be content with these two hundred yeares but challenge the currant and successiue practise of 4000. more We therefore come to CHAP. IX The same duty of Subiection proued in the next 400. yeares FIrst Tertullian in his Apologie in defence of Christian loyalty God forbid saith he that Christian professours should reuenge themselues with humane power or feare that touch of persecution whereby they are tried for if we would either seeke secret reuenge or vse open hostility can you imagine we could want sufficient force we are visibly knowen vnto you and are interested in all your affaires your Cities Iles Forts Borrowes Tents Tribes Decuries Senate Maâ—kets are all full of Christians except only your temples Now what warre are not we ready and sit for who being in power moe yet do willingly suffer death if by this profession it were not more lawfull to be killed than to kill Heerein you who boast often of yours as great multitudes in England as there were locusts in Aegypt able to do mischiefe if you would and professing also to be willing as soone as you are able Compare but your God speed with Tertullian his God forbid and then you shall see that God cannot be said to be otherwise in your Popes Buls to kings than he was in Aarons calfe for in both there is a sinne of rebellion against Gods ordinance The second is Cyprian he likewise penneth an Apology and directeth it to Demetrianus the Officer of the persecuting Emperour answering in behalfe of all the Christians of his time None of vâ—when he is apprehended doth resist or reuenge himselfe of your vniust violence although the number of our people be maruellous great for our certaine confidence we haue in him that will take vengeance of all transgressours doth confirme our patience Whereby you are taught not to glory of patience who if you had force would banish obedience The third is Athanasius writing an Apologie for himselfe to Constantius an Arian Emperor and therfore hereticall to free himselfe of a slanderous imputation which was that he had suggested some matter to the Emperour Constance a Catholicke thereby to kindle coales of dissention betwixt Brethren therefore he saith I call God to record vpon my soule and your Brother Constance could witnesse that I neuer spake word of you in euill part I was not so madde as to forget the commandement of God who saith Thou shall not speake euill of thy King no not in thy hart but did obey your command when I had charge to depart from Alexandria The summe is this When he had power to stirre the Emperour Constance a true professor against his brother Constantius an hereticke yet he made conscience not to raise rebellion but rather submitted himselfe to the violence of persecution If your Pope had beene truly catechized in this Creed of Athanasius belonging to the truth of faithfull allegeance he would not so oft haue raised King against King as your selues confessed And why then may not hee be that man prophecied of Sitting on a red horse and hauing power permissiuely giuen vnto him to take peace from the earth and that they should kill one another The fourth is Gregory Nazianzene in his Oration against the Emperour Iulian who the very hinge of this cause had beene a Christian and did after Apostate and proue an Infidell saith Against whom of you did wee euer raise any insurrection or sedition among your people though otherwise of themselues prone to rebellion or whose death did wee euer conspire But you lately whose deaths haue you not conspired The fifth is Ambrose When the Emperour infected with the heresie of Arius had sent magistrates to remoue Ambrose from his Bishopricke and the people thronged to rescew him In such power saith Ambrose that the Officers could not resist their force I quieted the people and yet could not auoid their malice Then sure he did abhorre by raising sedition among the people to prouoke magistrates to malice The same Father vpon that penitentiall dumpe of holy Dauid to thee only haue I sinned proueth that some Kings are not subiect to any penall law of man And for S. Ambrose his actiue profession in this kind it is confessed by your owne Doctor saying that Saint Ambrose when he was sufficiently armed both by power of people and souldiers strengthened with the might of Christ yet would not defend his Church with violence against the fury of the hereticall Emperor The sixth is Basill Who by reason of the strength of the forts wherein he was needed not to feare any danger yet suppliantly offered himselfe to Iulian the Apostate and caused the gates of the city to be opened vnto him thereby to appease his wrath against Christians The seuenth is S. Augustine who in his expositioÌ„s of some proposition doth concerning this point giue this instruction Whereas the Apostle saith he exhorteth that we should not resist gouernors in temporall matters he saith It is necessary that we be subiect and lest any might not performe this in loue but as from constraint and necessity he addeth Not for feare of wrath but for conscience sake that is not dissemblingly but dutifully in good conscience and loue to him God who commandeth subiection and as in another place he exhorteth Seruants Obey your hard and iniurious masters but not with ey-seruice as only pleasing men but God Therefore you must not plead Your most humble subiect aboue ground and from the concaue and vautes of the earth seeke how to humble your soueraigne Forey seruice and hart-seruice do distinguish a Christian from a Pagan according to that of Arnobius You Pagans do feare onely the outward sight of men we only the inward conscience of our mind The eight is Pope Leo writing to a true Catholicke Emperour You may not be ignorant saith he that your Princely power is giuen vnto you not only in worldly regiment but also Spirituall for the preseruation of the Church As if hee had said Not only in causes temporall but also inspirituall so far as it belongeth to outward preseruation not to the personall administration of them And this is the substance of our English oath and further neither do our Kings of England challenge nor subiects condiscend vnto We are not yet passed the lists of 500. yeares The last is Pope Gregory in his Epistle to Mauritius a right Christian Emperour To this end saith he is power ouer all persons giuen from heauen vnto my Lord that good men may be helped in the way to the kingdome of heauen And again In those gratious commands of your
that which is without force might not be by craft or that they who pretend a forged donation of the Emperour Constantine as your own Pope called it before he was Pope would want art to delude his Successours It it not impossible for Pyrats to build a shippe for spoile and call it Gods prouidence Which wil so much rather appeare in this by how much more you labour to obscure it for Boniface the 9. as your owne Balbus noteth was the first who did assay to challenge there giment of Rome to himselfe which was in the yeare of Christ 1400. And this was but a forged challenge too as is euident because Emperour Charles the fift about the yeare 1550. was the first that bestowed the city of Rome and the Territories adioining vpon the Pope CHAP. XIII Their second Reason from a pretended right of Confirmation of Emperours to conclude a power of abrogation and deposing THe Emperour in his election is confirmed by the Pope and as the Popes minister is to vse the sword at his command and at his command be is deposed Proue this This is apparent by the oath that he taketh at his coronation Proue this The Pope himselfe saith of himselfe that the right and authority of examining the person elected saith he to be a King or Emperour belongeth to vs who doe anoint and consecrate him What will you prooue by this In euery vacancie of temporall States the Pope is Successour in the gouernment What yet more That when there ariseth any doubt betwixt the Emperour and a Prince the Pope is a competent Iudge yea when there is a cause or doubt betwixt the Pope and Emperour the Pope himselfe is Iudge The Answer You know the fable If the wolfe may iudge the sheep in the cause of troubling the water the wolfe wil be the guilty but the sheepe shal be the condemned But that you say The Emperour is not without the approbation of the Pope is false And your Consequents Ergo the Pope doth succeed in vacancy Ergo he may depose are both friuolous and preiudicious to your owne cause To the Antecedent your Bishop Lupoldus hath satisfied long sithence saying That hee that is chosen Emperour by the consent of the greater part of Electours needeth not either seeke or receiue any approbation of the Pope This doth your other learned bishop Balbus by many arguments determine and to this end produceth A publicke decree of the Emperour Lodouicke by the consent of all the Electours Ad â—…ging All such as deny the imperiali dignity to depend only of God as not needing the Popes confirmation to be seditious and presently they that deny it and whosoeuer consenteth vnto thâ—… to be reputed as guilty of high Treason and to incurre all the pâ—…s due to so great a guilt We proceed now to your consequent and first shew the noueltie of your claime For as the same your author witnesseth It was an ancient custome and of long continuance and till Adrian the Pope in the yeare of Christ 815. without contradiction that the Emperour did confirme the election of the Pope that none could be Pope without the approbation of the Emperour which custome after the death of Adrian was inforce till Pope Gregory the 9. which was in the yeare 1072. But now we see a new and contrary countenance of the state of Christendome which the Lawiers deplore as miserable and complaine that the Emperour lost his priuiledge by cosenage and deceit c. How it was we leaue the case to be disputed among your Romists that heere is a change of Antiquity it is not denied either by your Balbus or Carerius or any other Hence we argue That if power of approbation of the election of the Emperour do conferre a temporall authority Emperiall vpon the Pope then when the Pope was confirmed by Emperours there was in the Emperour a spirituall authority ouer the Pope if you will deny our latter consequent then you teach vs to deny your former CHAP. XIIII Their third Argument from a presumed danger The Romish Pretence EXcept there were a way of deposing Apostate Princes God had not prouided sufficiently for his Church The Answer This obiection is in your Extrauagants and so it may be called because it rangeth Extra without the bonds of Gods ordinance beside the presidence of primitiue example beyond the compasse of your owne allowance First from Gods ordinance For by the word of God as your Cunerus diuinely reasoneth which is not partiall and not by the selfe-pleasing fancy of sensuall affection must this question bee determined Though therefore it may seeme to vs a decree of nature for euery one to defend himselfe and the things he doth enioy yet the law of God doth forbid to doe this by taking armes against the higher powers as our L. Christ taught his Disciple now about to defend his Master Put vp thy sword for he that smiteth with the sword shall perish with the sword Because the sword is not put into the hands of Subiects against their Kings but into the hands of Kings against Subiects Accordingly S. Augustine doth conclude Those who beare the sword saith he against rulers must perish therefore the Apostle speak th generally He that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God And againe not defending your selues my Dearest but giue place to wrath of the Gouernour for it is written vengeance is mine therefore no reuenging power ouer Kings and I will reuenge saith the Lord be not ouercome of euill but ouercome euill with good The second is the consideration of examples of the primitiue Church when for the space of 300. yeares it was in grieuous persecution where as S. Paul speaketh the faithfull fought with beasts after the manner of men namely as some doe allegorize with men as sauage as beasts and there was found no power on earth to restraine that earthly power Was therefore God awanting to his Church God forbid Nay rather he was not awanting for it is written Vertue is perfected in infirmity And againe As gold is purgedin the fire So by affliction c. Because When the outward man suffereth the inward man is renued And When I am weake then am I strong As therefore the wisedome of the Artist is then present with the gold when he is refining it the Physician with his Patient when he woundeth to cure him So whensoeuer the three faithfull be in the fiery furnace Behold a fourth that is a diuine succourer either by the inward miracle of comfort in patience or the outward of deliuerance The third is the view of your owne Popish Principles which is this That the Pope saith Bellarmine may not be iudged of any person vpon earth whether secular or Ecclesiasticall no not of a generall councell Nether may be saith your Carerius be deposed