long hence But the consequence is false Therfore the antecedent He proues his proposition out of the Apostle That Antichrist shall come a little before the end of the world and immediately before the second comming of Christ and then that ioyly fellow shall appeare whom the Lord Iesus shal consume with the spirit of his mouth and the brightnesse of his comming But the Apostle doth distinguish betweene the comming and the destruction of Antichrist betweene the substance of Antichrist and his appearance or reuelation betweene which and his destruction there is a great distance He lay close hidden in the daies of Saint Iohn Saint Paul as I haue said before he was therefore He did appeare after the remouing of the Empire for that did hinder that he might not appeare which happened not till many ages after Againe the Apostle distinguisheth betweene the consuming of Antichrist and his finall ouerthrow After he is reuealed he saith hee shall wast away by little and little with the spirit of the Lordes mouth but shall bee vtterly put out by the brightnesse of his comming Bellarmine a prophane Iester Heere let me a little touch Bellarmines prophane iesting Surely saith he the spirit of Christ must be very weake if it cannot dispatch Antichrist raging aboue a 1000. yeares And there it pleaseth him to distinguish betweene the word of God and his power As though there is not power in the word of God to weaken and breake Antichrist in peeces the force whereof the beast shall feele in his fall and destruction Now the thing is a working now Christ doth enfeeble Antichrist with his word afterward hee shall destroy him with his presence Hee shall kill him by weakening him that I may put off the Cardinals ridiculous distinction who doth thus distinguish Hee doth not say he shall weaken him but hee shall kill him And it pleaseth him to scoffe at vs when wee say that now Antichrist shall be ouerthrowne by the word of the Lord ☞ when as now the word of the Lord shall be ouerthrown by him May not a Christian and an old man and a Diuine blush for shame as for a Cardinall nothing will make him blush to sport and iest in a matter so weighty and serious As God himselfe so Gods word is eternall his Ministers Gods witnesses Antichrist could kill the word it selfe he could neuer kill which shall abide when he rots to nothing Yea truely as the word of God is a liuing word so the Ministers of the word Gods faithfull witnesses being slaine shall by the power of the word rise againe if not in their seuerall persons yet in a succession and kill this murthering Antichrist Christ therefore hath not a weake spirit but the Cardinall hath a weake braine who doth not as yet vnderstand the degrees and meanes which Christ vseth in the abolishing of Antichrist But he tells vs Saint Iohn saith that Antichrist shall come in the last houre What is ment by the last houre But he vnderstandeth the last houre to be all that time from the ascension of Christ to his second comming which God doth call an houre very short in respect of the Saints glory but very long in respect of their patience This testimonie I thus retort When that Antichrist commeth it shall be the last houre saith Iohn But Antichrists are now come meaning the whole bodie together with Antichrist that head which elsewhere he affirmeth is come Therefore now is the last houre And if then was the houre of the comming of Antichrist he is not to be destroyed three yeeres and a halfe before the end of the world CHAP. XLI Of the sixt and last Note BVt he proues it out of Daniel Cap 12.12 that after Antichrist hath raigned three yeeres and a halfe hee shall be destroyed 45 dayes before the day of iudgement For when he had continued 1290 dayes he addes happy is he that shall liue to see 1335 dayes Daniel mistaken This place is properly to be vnderstood of Antiochus of his death and of the deliuerance of the Iewes But grant that the place be to be vnderstood of the kingdome of Antichrist and the end of the world then it would follow Three absurdities first that the kingdome of Antichrist lasted not 1260 daies which make three yeeres and a halfe but 1290. Againe it followes that Antichrist is to be destroyed 45 dayes before the end of the world whom the Apostle saith must be destroyed at the comming of Christ Thirdly it would follow that the time of Christs comming should be knowne to men which Christ doth assure vs is vnknowne vnto Angells If these consequences be absurd then the Antecedent is absurd from whence they arise You haue Paul the fift Bellarmines six demonstrations making small proofe that Antichrist is not yet come Now seeing I haue dilated about Antichrist all the questions whether he be what he is of what kinde what is his kingdome and retinue what hee doth and wherein he is busied the name wherewith he is termed the marke wherewith he is branded What Antichrist is the seate wherein he ruleth the time wherein he is reuealed and withall what he is not It is not requisite that I tell you in many words who it is when you your selfe seeme to haue Antichrist wholy in your breast and to carrie him in your bosome Antichrists sufferings You haue heard what hee hath done now heare what hee shall suffer For wee are so farre from doubting of his comming that wee thinke of his destroying foretold of the Angells in Iohn Apoc. 14.7 The first Angell I saw saith he an Angell flying in the middest of heauen hauing the eternall Gospell to preach vnto them that are vpon the earth and to euery nation tribe tongue and people speaking with a loude voice Feare the Lord and giue honor to him because the time of his iudgment is at hand and worship him who made heauen and earth the sea and all that are therein This Sermon of the Angell what is it else but a briefe summe of all those Sermons which Luther and Caluin The Angell and the Protestants prâ—â—ch alike and other Preachers of the Gospell preached in all the coasts of the Christian world that they might bring the people to the faith of Christ the feare of God and the worship of him alone He onely that made heauen and earth is to be worshipped he only is to be serued God only made heauen and earth Therefore we must worship and serue God only This syllogisme of the Angell as a Ramme is aduanc't by our men to batter ouerthrow and expell out of the consciences of men all those forces of Idolls which Antichrist hath erected And there followed another Angell saying The second Angell Apoc 14.8 Babylon is fallen Babylon that great Citie is fallen because she hath made all nations drunke with the wine of the wrath of her fornication Here the spirituall fall
iustification and of the saluation of the Elect by the grace of Christ before Peter gaue his sentence and that not sitting but arising and that very modestly and gently Afterward Iames did onely yeeld his opinion but pronounced and set downe in writing the decree it selfe which all the assembly of Apostles and Preists did follow It seemed good also not to Peter alone but to the Apostles and Preists with the whole Church to send certaine choice men to Antioch with the Apostle Paul and Barnabas and the Synodall Epistle did not beare the name of Peter but of all the Apostles Preists and Brethren And if Peter had receiued the primacy of iurisdiction from Christ the other Apostle had done him great wrong that suffered not Peter to bee President of the Councell that they sent Peter as inferior into Samaria that they took accompt of his doing that they met not together by his appointment that they suffered him not to sit aboue others to propound the decree to send Legates and to seale vp the Synodall Epistle in his owne name But the Apostles did no wrong to Peter It followeth then that Peter receiued no primacy of iurisdiction from Christ but was equall to the rest of the Apostles and inferiour to the whole Councell The Papists doe grant a double gouernment to Peter § 201 Peters double pretended gouernment Galat. 2. Paul nothing inferiour to Peter They make him Lord of the spirituals and temporals Therefore the Apostle Paul did ill bee it spoken with reuerence who made himselfe equall to Peter and gaue out that he was inferiour in nothing vnto Peter and which was more reprehended him sharpely to his face as his equall and fellow-seruant and that publikely when hee tooke him in a fault For the Gospell saith he was committed to me ouer the Gentiles as it was to Peter ouer the Iewes For hee that was powerfull through Peter in the Apostleship of the Iewes the same was powerfull in mee ouer the Gentiles And when as Iames Cephas and Iohn who seemed to bee pillers knew that grace was giuen me then they gaue the right hands of fellowship to me and Barnabas See Cephas doth acknowledge Paul his fellow hee had him not for a subiect neither did hee challenge to himselfe the highest top of gouernment but gaue the right hand of fellowship which was done by Peter not only in respect of humilitie of minde but for equalitie of office Farre be it from vs to thinke it was written by Paul for pride of minde but for the truth of the matter And if Christ had appointed Peter the vniuersall Bishop Prince of his Church how durst Peter and Paul couenant betweene them-selues in the 18. yeare after Christ his passion that Peter should exercise the Apostleship ouer the Iewes and Paul ouer the Gentiles not only but chiefly whereby Paul by the Antients is called the Prince of the Apostles as well as Peter But the equall hath no gouernment ouer his equall Peter would be are no rule ouer the clergie 1 Pet 5. Neither could Peter himselfe beare rule ouer the Clergie that he might not seem to permit that to other which he would not take to himselfe when hee called himselfe not a chiefe Priest but a fellow Priest Much lesse did he vse the sword and ciuill gouernment and iudge Caesar to be subiect vnto him but admonished himselfe with all other Christians to submit themselues to Caesar as to the most excellent and to other Magistrates as sent from him neither did at any time exercise ciuill gouernment He had it not therefore for that is not a power which is neuer brought into act Therefore Peter was no more ouer Kings than hee was ouer Apostles § 202 Nay Christ himselfe as a man was not aboue the Emperour Christ himselfe as man not aboue Emperors As he is God he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords as he was man he did not only submit himselfe to Tiberius but to Pilate Tiberius Deputie in Iurie You had no power said he ouer me if it were not giuen you from aboue Againe he saith that his kingdome was not of this world when he was demanded of Pilate what kingdome he laid claime vnto Whereby it appeareth that Christ was to haue not a temporall August in Psal 47. but a spirituall kingdome as Austin gathereth out of those words Harken to this ô yee Kings and enuy not Christ is a King after another fashion than you are who said my kingdome is not of this world Feare not therefore if the kingdome of this world be taken from you you shall haue another giuen vnto you and that a heauenly one whereof he is King If Christ had not a temporall kingdome was it for Peter to haue it what is this else but to make the seruant aboue his master and the embassador aboue him that sent him and if it did not belong neither to Christ nor to Peter do you thinke that not only the temporall kingdome but the chiefe gouernmēt ouer all temporal kingdoms was giuen to the Pope Christs supposed Vicar Peters counterfeit successor fie vpon such foolish pride fie vpon such loftie vanitie which Christ did reprehend in many places in the the Apostles when he said the Kings of the earth beare rule ouer them but you not so And as my father sent me so I send you And my kingdome is not of this world And yet Bellarmine dares to write Bellarmine contrary to Christ that the supreme temporall power was giuen to the chiefe Bishop which Christ himself by his owne confession did not exercise Christ saith the Kings of the earth beareth rule ouer them but you not so Bellarmine contrary but you so Christ as my Father sendeth me so I send you Bellarmine contrary not as my Father sendeth me do I send you The Father sent me in humilitie and ignominie I send you in pompe and maiestie Christ my kingdome is not of this world Bellarmine contrary yea it is of this world and of all this world So manifestly doth the Cardinall contradict Christ But although Christ as man did not exercise temporall § 203 power he might if he had so liked saith Bellarmine Here the question is not what Christ could haue done but what he did Neither is the authoritie of Peter to be grounded vpon that which Christ could haue done but vpon that which Christ did indeed Christ could if he had pleased haue made the world in an instant but he would not the Scripture witnesseth he would not because it is said that hee tooke to him six daies to bring forth that worke He could if he would haue redeemed the world with one drop of blood without death but he would not that hee would not the Scripture beareth witnes wherein it is said that he must die for vs. So he could if hee would as man exercise the dominion of temporall things but hee would not that hee would not truth it selfe
thought of Bellarmine and Julian alike who with Iulian the Apostata will fasten a lye vpon Christ while together with him he will as it were carrie stones to the building of it he in a mocke to Christ this in the honor of Antichrist That Bellarmine may feare fire from heauen to disturbe the worke which as the storie reporteth Iulian suffred Theodoret. lib. 3 cap 20. Sozom lib. 5. cap. vlt. Cic de orat 3. One thing I greatly feare that Antichrist will not take it in good part that such a mightie Monarch of the world as he is like to be must sit in a Temple bâ—â—â—ded in part Cicero did pretily set out the praise of the Capitol wherein Latine Iupiter doth reside that the roofe was not onely good for vse and necessitie but for ornament and beauty that although the Capitoll were builded vp as high as the heauen where the raine was not engendred yet it would haue no name if it had no roofe But Bellarmine although he caried morter and stone to the Temple of Ierusalem by the helpe of Antichrist wherein so great a Prince should sit so farre of he was for tendring his Masters honour that he did not supply necessitie for hee left the Temple with out beames or roofe hee left it on the earth where many showres doe gather many stormes doe sodenly fall that he may seeme to haue exposed the great Prince to the pleasure of the vnmercifull heauen in the middest of his stately Palace But let vs make vp the rest of the tale of this imagined Prince gouerning in an imagined place For hee addeth many things of his kingdom and his victories whereof the Scripture hath not one word It is a very conceited dreame that is fetcht out of Daniel mis-vnderstood who prophecied of Antiochus Epiphanes the sonne of great Antiochus the brother of Seleucus Philopater the successor of that namelesse beast the tenth horne literally and properly as of nine others which went before cap. 11. which Bellarmine himselfe confesseth and yet concludeth 1. That Antichrist rising out of a most base stocke by fraud and guile shall obteyne the kingdom of the Iewes 2. That he shall fight with three Kings of Aegipt Lybia and Ethiopia and shall possesse their kingdomes themselues being vanquished which was not true of Antiochus himselfe being the figure of Antichrist 3. That he shall make captiue seuen other Kings and shall enioy the Monarchie of the whole world O noble conqueror to be preferred before all the Pompeis Caesars and Alexanders who shall doe so great acts in the compasse of three yeeres and a halfe 4. With his mightie armie he shall persecute the Christians and these be the warres of Gog and Magog Doe you thinke these to be the oracles of the Scriptures or Bellarmines owne dreames grant that Antiochus was Antichrists type in many things what then if we should apply all those things Antiochus Antichrist vnlike to make them the same many absurdities do follow which were proper to the person of Antiochus to Antichrist in respect whereof he was not the type of Antichrist and shall inferre from them not the like but the same thing Let Antiochus be fetcht out of hell and let his soule passe into Antichrist that he may performe all those things And although Antichrist be a most vilde beast as Antiochus yet he must come not out of a most vilde but a most honorable stocke that he the sonne of Antiochus the Great the brother of Seleucus Philopater and successor in the kingdome of Syria as Antiochus is plainly set downe by Daniel cap 11. v. 21. in whose place one that is very vilde shall arise Platoes great yeere must returne againe that Antiochus againe must be an hostage at Rome before he come to his kingdome and kill his Nephew Demetrius as Richard the third King of England did and make three voyages into Egipt And great Achilles must be sent againe to Troy Let Antiochus make warre againe let him in his returne plague the Iewes and let Antichrist do all the acts of Antiochus which Daniel the Prophet doth so liuely describe that to Porphery who knew not with what spirit he wrote he seemeth to haue compiled an historie rather then a prophecie whereof more hereafter Now let vs pursue the rest of the pretty passages of this tale Enoch and Elias must come againe from heauen to earth to wit those two witnesses who preach the Gospell in their owne persons and fighting with Antichrist shall be killed by him and shall rise againe after three daies and a halfe and the rest which out of the 11 of the Apocalyps they miserably by force presse out by wringing the letter so that they seeme to play the Iewes in no place more Although in that place neither Enosh nor Elias The second beast mistaken for the first nor Antichrist as certaine learned men thinke is vnderstood for the beast that makes warre against these witnesses of God is said to ascend out of hell which seemes to be the first beast which is said to rise out of the sea cap 13. v. 1. when as the second is said to rise out of the earth Againe the floore of the Church is said to be giuen ouer to be trampled on by the Gentiles 42 monthes v 2. which time is assigned to the persecution of the first beast cap 13. v. 5. Againe it is to be troden on by the Gentiles not the Iewes whose Prince Antichrist is faigned to be Now they which precisely take the two witnesses to be two men The two witnesses Apoc. 11. not agreed on could neuer yet agree among themselues about the persons Some that they were Elias and Moses some Elias and Elizeus some not Elias but Ieremie others together with Elias and Moses thinke that Iohn the Diuine is added as a witnesse aboue number of Enoch none of the Fathers make any reckoning of the two Testaments as two witnesses and the diuers sincere Interpreters of the two Testaments who expound the place they doe more easily shift themselues as it shall be vnderstood afterward who being clad with sackcloth in great sorrow and griefe did preach repentance to the Gentiles at whose hands in steed of reward Persecution committed they receiued most cruell death The cruell persecution of the first beast wherein they deuoured the most faithfull witnesses of God lasted 294 yeeres which made the 42 monthes according to Daniels weekes whereof more anon Neither did God suffer his witnesses to die vnreuenged Persecution reuenged if wee compare the storie to the Prophecie For God did punish those bloody Emperors for his two witnesses sake so that the Nations were consumed by sharpe and quicke diseases growing by long drought and too great heat of the Sunne which bred such plagues that often deuoured whole Cities and consumed whole armies So happily the two witnesses may be said to haue shut heauen that it should not raine and to haue opened
Seleucus Callinicus to reuenge his sisters death v 8. and vanquished him and being crowned King of Siria returned into Egipt with his spoiles and prisoners and hauing greater power then Callinicus enioyed Siria many yeeres and Iurie therein v 9. Wherefore the two sonnes of Callinicus Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus the Great inuaded Siria and raised a cruell warre Ceraunus against Ptolomie Euergetes v 10. who being dead Antiochus the Great gathered great forces against Ptolomie Philopater the the sonne of Euergetes Of this Antiochus the great the Angell prophecieth from the 10. v 11. 12. verse to the 20. first of his warres with Ptolomie Philopater and those first prosperous wherein he recouered Siria then vnfortunate 7. Ptolomie Philopator wherein he lost it againe Here Ptolomie Philopator lifted vp into pride by this good successe was the seuenth horne and slew many thousands of the Iewes and therefore shall not alway preuaile v 12 13 14 15 16. After of the warres and victories of Antiochus the Great which hee got of Ptolomeus Epiphanes the sonne of Philopater and of the depopulation of the Iewes whence Antiochus the Great is the eight horne 8. Antiochus the Great He gaue his daughter Cleopatra in mariage to Ptolomie Epiphanes that hee might againe mingle the yron and the clay together but all in vaine according to the prophecie cap 2. when as hee pretended peace and friendship by that mariage but intended destruction to Ptolomie but all in vaine because Cleopatra tooke part with her husband against her Father Lastly v 17. of Antiochus the Great his inuading the Isles of Greece which he subdued v 18. and of the warres he made with the Romanes wherein hee gat great disgrace and of his ignominious death inflicted vpon him in a mutinie by sauage people for his sacrilege v 19. Into his roome succeeded Seleucus Philopator his sonne the ninth horne 9. Seleucus Philopator who did impouerish the people with greeuous impositions and emptied the treasurie and the Temple of Ierusalem and perished not by warre but by treacherie for Heliodore being suborned by Antiochus Epiphanes tooke him away by poyson Now into his place shall step vp saith the Angell a most contemptible fellow .i. there shall succeed Seleucus Philopator in the kingdome of Siria one very base in manners not in his Ancestors Antiochus Epiphanes the third sonne of Antiochus the Great the brother of Seleucus Philopator Demetrius Vnkle the tenth horne 10. Antiochus Epiphanes that litle horne so fully described by Daniel in the rest of the 7. and 11. chap for the Angell doth prophecie of his entrance deeds and end in the rest of the chapter of his entrance to note that he came not to the kingdom of Siria by any lawfull right of succession or election for Demetrius his Nephew was right heire of the kingdome but crept in by cunning and flatterie as a tutor and a gardian of the young Prince and a protector of the Kingdome in the nonage and absence of Demetrius sent to Rome for an hostage in his steed You haue the historie agreeing with the prophecie described both by others and especially by Iosephus Antiq. lib. 12. cap 1. Therefore Antiochus Epiphanes the tenth and litle horne out of small and weake beginnings vsurped the kingdome of Siria a man for his wickednes vile and contemptible who did breake off and cast away by his craft three of the former hornes in the Kingdom of Syria the father the brother and the nephew that he might attaine to the Kingdome And vttered speeches against the Almighty and so oft trampled vpon the Saints of God so that the times of persecuting the people of God Daniels country-men assigned to the little horne do precisely agree with the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes Foure degrees of deliuerance which are diuersly reckoned vp in respect of the beginning and ending for there are foure degrees noted of the deliuerance from the tyranny of Antiothus procured at foure seuerall times The first cap. 7. vers 25. when the worship of God was renewed and the Temple restored by Iudas Machabaeus for from the prophanation of the Temple which beganne the fifteenth of Casleu anno 145. to this reformation made the 25. of Casleu anno 148. three yeeres and ten dayes came betweene which space Daniel cals a time times a peece of time cap. 7. v. 25. The second degree when the Iewes hauing vanquished Antiochus draue his forces out of Iury and re-established the new reformation P◠Bell. I. de lib. 1. cap. 1. which happened 3. yeeres and an halfe as Iosephus obserues from the time when the daily sacrifice did cease which space Daniel cals a time times and halfe a time cap. 12. vers 7. The third degree is from the prophanation of the Temple to the deadly sicknesse of Antiochus which is contained by Daniel in 1290. dayes cap. 12. vers 11. The last degree is from the profanation to his death which happened 45. daye after and these daies are exactly cast vp by Daniel to be 1335. By all which it appeareth that Daniel did shadow out by the fourth beast not the Romane Empire but the kingdome of the Seleucides and the Lagides The disagreement of Bellarmine Daniel and that he described by the tenth and little horne not Antichrist properly but Antiochus Epiphanes And I pray you marke how ill Bellarmine agreeth with Daniel Daniel describeth a beast with a tenth horne Bellarmines beast hath an eleuenth Daniel speaks of ten Kings who successiuely did afflict the Iewes Daniels country-men Bellarmine speakes of ten Kings who together with an eleuenth at the same time did altogether beare rule in the world but in diuers places Daniel sets downe ten kings whereof the three latter were rooted out in the sight and procurement of the tenth the other sixe either all of them or most of them being dead before he was borne Bellarmine faines that three of them were slaine by him and seuen others subdued at such time as they were not in the world Lastly Daniel saith that his horne or king was broken off being infamous for his cowardly flight and being infected with a filthy disease after hee had tormented the Iewes the time appointed did miserably consume away and perish Bellarmine imagines his horne the Aegyptians Lybians and Aethiopians being vanquished and seuen other Kings subdued should get the monarchie of the whole world for three yeeres and a halfe O admirable Conquerour more renowned then the Antiochi Alexanders and Caesars ☜ Therefore we looke that Bellarmine shall play the Orator for Antichrist who may excellently set foorth these warres and victories as Cicero did Caesars No man hath so flowinng a wit so copious and eloquent tongue and stile who I will not say can paint and set out but point at and reckon vp thy worthy Acts Most Mighty Antichrist Neither could any man so soone passe thorow remote Kingdomes by
of Boniface the 8. Hee was loosed from the death of the Baptist almost 300 yeeres that he might rage in the Romane Emperours against the primitiue Church to the Empire of Constantine when hee was bound againe with the Angells chaine for a 1000. yeeres v 2. cap 20. He was againe let loose that hee might rage for a litle while v 3. as before almost three hundred yeeres in the Turkish Emperors and the Rom Bishops from Ottoman the first and from Boniface the 8 whereof he without this within 1300 yeeres from the death of Christ 1000 from the death of Constantine began cruelly to rage against the Church one in the East the other in the West There are who number the beginning of the 1000 yeeres from the yeere of Christ 73. wherein Ierusalem being defaced Satan cap 12. did endeuour to put out the Church dispersed among the Gentiles the seede of the woman which fled into the wildernes for a short time that is a time times and halfe a time which space doth well answer 42 monthes and 1260 daies as the learned teach which according to the supputation of Daniel doe make two hundred ninetie and foure yeeres In which time the Dragon as is said being angry with the woman did goe about to destroy the rest of the womans seed that remained Now in the 20. chapter where the same historie is thought to be continued the Angell is said to haue bound Sathan with a chaine for a thousand yeeres which was ended in the yeere 1703. at what time Satan is vnderstood to be loosed in Gregorie the 7. Gregor 7. in whom Antichrist as a strong man began to striue against the Empire Difference about the loosing of Satan But they seeme more rightly to interpret this place who thinke that Satan bound for a thousand yeeres was let loose at the riuer Euphrates in the outward enemie of the Church Ottoman the first Emperor of the Turkes and his posteritie the most barbarous enemies of the Christian name in whom the prophecie of Gog and Magog is thought to be fulfilled Vnlesse they be rather to be beleeued who vnderstand the place not of the Turke only nor of the Pope only but of them both counting as I said the second loosing of Satan from the raigne of Constantine wherein he was bound for a 1000 yeeres to the raigne of Ottoman and the Popedome of Boniface wherein hee was loosed after that bloody decree of the counsell of Laterane about the burning of Gods seruants termed by them Heretikes which hath most cruelly deuoured and consumed many millions of innocent men tormented with a lingring death who referre the place to Antichrist only doe shrewdly gale Bellarmines master who referre it to the Turke only doe take away Bellarmines demonstration They that referre it to them both Two staâ—es erected for crueltie when both performe the same they erect two stages one at Constantinople thother at Rome wherein wee may see a blacke Diuell furiously raging in the one and a white Diuell in the other For whereas it is certaine that the Saracens without and Antichrist within did bring many plagues vpon the Church within the compasse of that 1000 yeeres and did stirre vp many mischiefes and many garboyles within the bowels of the Church Satan being the leader and the Pope the author First I say that the inuasion of the outward enemies neither was so generall nor so continuall nor the persecution of the inward enemies although it was raised vp often for the shew of religion not so often for the cause of religion as for a greedy humor to gouerne that the Church might feele rather the outward peace to be intermitted then quite omitted and that Satans chaine did seeme rather to be somewhat slackned by the Angell rather then altogether loosned For Satan did rather nourish and increase Antichrist his darling and sweet heart with outward peace then warre flattering the world rather then threatning it bound rather then loose so that in comparison of those continuall inuasions of Turkes and the perpetuall persecutions of Popes wherwith the whole East and West Churches haue bin most miserably torne in pieces these 300 yeers The outward peace may seeme to bee giuen to the Church as a breathing time for a thousand yeeres but yet such as the Church may cry out with Esay behold in peace my bitternesse is most bitter for by those meanes whereby Sathan did grant an outward peace to the Church by the same hee assayed to take away the inward being very carefull to yeeld to the Pope his gainfull merchandize of soules while hee solde sinnes Sathan did more hurt bound then loose as it were by the drumme in the Temple at the highest rate and did racke and gather together great treasures to his companion compast him with pleasures and got him all authority all which he could not haue effected without long peace Sathan therfore was bound ☜ not that hee should not at all stirre against the Church but that he might doe it more mildly and for his owne good that hee might seeme rather to play then rage in his chaine and to play not the cut-throat but the cozener and might rather infect men then kill them and might not massacre them with murthers but deceiue them with lies and shew himselfe more a Comedian then a Tragedian and deceiue the world more with sweete baites then mingle any sower vnlesse it were when he went about to get his eldest sonne the Empire then he is sayd to play the Tragicomedian So Sathan being bound did doe more good to Antichrist then if he had beene loose yea rather he lost that being loose that hee got being bound For whom Antichrist long held blinded with superstition and deceiued with the enticements of peace those he did after so stir vp worne out with warres and discontented with persecutions that they at last rebelled against him and did very valiantly defend the oppressed cause of the Gospell Now that I haue shortly expounded the place of Sathans loosing let vs returne to Bellarmines argument who prooues out of this place that the most greeuous persecution that euer was shall be vnder Antichrist which if it touch the Turke onely it taketh away the foundation of Bellarmines demonstration if it presse the Pope the argument is brought vpon the authors head For the most greeuous persecution whereof he speaketh is come already And therefore Antichrist is come Adde that this comes neerer the Pope then hee is aware For The inward most greeuous persecuter of the Church is Antichrist The Pope is the most greeuous inward persecuter of the Church The Pope therefore is Antichrist But Antichrists persecution must be most notorious saith he The Popes persecution is not most notorious why so because all the wicked would oppugne the Church with open warre and not onely infidels and knowen sinners but hypocrites and false brethren would ioyne themselues to the Pope and laying themselues open would
thinke that these be notable demonstrations in a controuersie of this weight which Antichrists hyred slaues haue vttered as Oracles vpon their bare authoritie against the perpetuall and manifest commandements of Christ and practises of the Apostles In the meane while the Apostles shall be silent the Fathers shall be mute while Kings shall be censured by two of the Popes young and sworne Chapleynes professed and sworne enemies of Kings § 18 But that famous Lateran Councell both for antiquitie and number must fight in the quarrell The Laterane Councell answered We seeke not what euill associates but what good authors you can alledge in this businesse neither must you striue with number but with reason It was no hard matter at that time for Innocent the third to call together 800 Couent Priors and their Vicars his creatures the hungry Friers and drousie pated Monkes for whom it was not lawfull to sit in Councels who might preuaile against 400 Bishops not in weight of reason but in number of voices and coine any decree against Princes at the becke of the Pope their great God and maker But what if at that time nothing at all was decreed but only propounded and deliberaetd on as Platina testifieth that many things were offred to consultation but that nothing could be determined because the Pope suddenly departing to quiet a sedition lately stirred vp died in his iourney And yet will you call the meeting of a number of hunger-starued Fryers onely consulting how the Pope might depose a King out of his kingdome but concluding nothing because the Popes sodaine death preuented it will you call it the most famous generall Laterane Councell And that power which Kings haue receiued from God and that obedience which subiects are bound to performe both by a charge from Christ and rules from the Apostles shall a few of the later proud Bishops 1000 yeeres after Christ and mercenarie schoolemen and begging Monkes take the same power from Princes by the decrees of men Shall God ordeyne Kings and shall men ouerthrow them Hath Gods word bound vs to obedience and shall mans word release vs of the same But that I may doe no wrong to Gods word I will oppose men to men Catholikes to Catholikes as they be called and ancient to younger ones Otho Frisingensis writes after hee had read ouer and § 19 ouer the acts of the Romane Kings and Emperors Lib 6. cap. 35. that he found none before Henry the 4th Emperor excommunicated by the Bishop of Rome or set beside his kingdom which was first assayed by Gregorie the seuenth in the yeere after Christ 1066. I haue found out Vrsbergensis Vrsbergens in anno 1085. who speaking of the Sinode of Mentz wherein the Popes Legates being present the Bishops that had taken armes with Gregorie the seuenth against the Emperor were deposed and cast out of their Bishoprickes said that there by common consent and counsell was setled the peace of God whence he concludeth that Gregorie was the author of that diuelish garboyle against the Emperor Sigebertus the Abbot speaketh playner Sigibertus in anno 1088. and goeth further if good men will giue me leaue to say so This only noueltie saith he that I may not say heresie did not as yet appeare in the world that his Priests who saith to a King thou Apostata and that causeth an hypocrite to beare rule for the sinnes of the people should teach the people that they ought to shew no obedience to wicked Kings and though they haue taken an oath of Allegeance yet owe no fealtie neither are to be called Periurs if they haue such mindes against Kings yea that hee is accounted for an excommunicant that doth obey the King that hee doth against the King is freed from the fault of iniustice and periurie This was counted noueltie this was counted heresie of your Sigebert about 500 yeares since which doctrine you thrust vpon vs as catholike out of Aquinas Toletane and the Laterane Councell And because Baronius the Cardinall Vincent in Spec. hist lib. 15. cap 84. doth denie Sigebert the Abbot a Schismatike I adde Vincentius the Bishop aboue 300 and fiftie yeeres agoe by whom this very heresie is condemned in the same words wherewith they are taxed by Sigebert And if either Sigebert or your Vincentius haue lost their authoritie because as Schismatikes they were said to take part with Kings against the Pope see that your credits be not crackt by these late writers because the fauourers of this nouell heresie as rebells flatter the Pope against Kings For it is plaine that there were very excellent and sincere Catholikes not a few as they were accounted in those times whom Gregories fact did mightily displease and who did plainely denie that the Apostolike See had any authoritie to depose Henry the 4. Emperor as he did and to absolue his subiects from their oath of fealtie as the Bishop of Mentz who was in great fauour with Gregorie the seuenth Gregor 7. epist 21. lib. 8. apud Sâ—uer ad Conc. writ to him and intreated him to furnish him with those reasons whereby he was moued to depose the Emperor that hee might be the better prouided to answer them that did gainesay him And Gerochus Gregories great champion was constreyned to say Auent lib. 5. fol. 563. as it is in Auentine that the Romanes tooke diuine honor to themselues neither would giue any accompt of their doings neither would endure that any should say to them why doe you so who answer as the Poet writes So I will so I command my will stand for a reason I did first vse heauenly weapons against you Saturnine you made resistance with humane Now I oppose humane against humane yours against yours and I will proue it with a necessarie argument that it was a new heresie which Sigebert so called If that be taken for a good definition of heresie which Robert Grosthead that holy and learned Bishop of Lincolne vnder King Henry the third fetcht out of S. Austen The definition of heresie Heresie in Greeke saith he is an election or choice in Latine wherein an opinion chosen by a humane sense contrarie to the holy Scripture is openly taught and obstinately maintayned By which argument as Matth Parisiensis reports he proued Innocent the Pope to be an Heretike because he thought it in his power to bestow a benefice vpon a childe with the same argument shall Paul the fift be convicted who thinkes it in his power to depriue a King of his Kingdome For this opinion was first chosen by humane sense by Hildebrand to get vaine-glory and enlarge the boundes of the Churches dominion with all humane policies and powers And it is against the holy Scriptures which hath submitted Bishops to Kings not Kings to Bishops as before I concluded And it is openly taught being set out in two Bulles by Paul the fift and it is obstinately defended by the Bishop who forbids vnder the paine
erre greatly It was their office to discerne the leprosie the Magistrates to separate lest they should faint others That we may therefore vrge this figure against you It is the duty of Princes to separate the leprous that is hereticall Popes rather then of Popes to separate hereticall Princes But whereas you said the person of the King was stoutly assalted by Azaria and 80. other Priests and by violence cast out of the Temple that is an error far more dangerous For they did not violently cast him out but as the text hath it they caused him to make hast to go out of the temple no force at all being attempted For it followeth because the Lord stroke him he was forced of his owne accord to depart And so the word signifies and so your vulgar translation hath it which you call Ieromes he made hast to go foorth 2. Chron. 26. The Iesuits violence taxed But this error hath brought forth that dangerous sin Saturnine by the helpe of your conclusion as it were by the aide of a Midwife For you conclude it is a manifest example that it is lawfull for Priests by force of armes and by violent meanes to represse the wickednesse of Kings Azarias I confesse and the other Priests did resist the King but with words not with weapons And because he had broken the Law by burning of incense they did as it was meete sharpely reproue him neither did they forceably rush vpon the Magistrate or lay strong hand vpon him to driue him out of the temple much lesse out of the kingdome But your men Saturnine go further and from admonition fly to rebellion from reprehension to force from reprofe to armes being cousoned and deceiued by the false interpretation of this and the like places § 37 Here I appeale to you Princes neither to you only who haue departed from the Pope but to you who cleaue vnto him ☜ How long will ye suffer these martiall and swaggering Priests to abuse your patience how long shall this superstitious madnesse deceiue you An Ap strophâ— to popish Kings how long shall this wolâ—ish fearcenesse vnder sheepes cloathing assaile you how long shall they couer their detestable rebellion against kings vnder the cloake of religion And as if they fetcht poyson from heauen as Hercules Aeteus in the tragedie abusing the authoritie of holy Scriptures and examples of holy Priests gather force against your sacred persons and opprobry to your Maiesties This is said Saturnine to chaffe with vs not to dispute § 38 with vs. But marke the reason if you please why Ozias the king was stroken with the leprosie because he presumed to execute the spirituall and priestly function whereof you haue ordained your Kings supreame Gouernours I marke it well said Patriotta and when we maintain that it is lawfull for our Princes to preach the Gospell to baptise to minister the supper of the Lord to forgiue sinnes then cast vs in the teeth with Ozias pride and plague In the meane while learne that it is not for priests but kings to beare armes and the kings of Iuda who vsed the temporall sword to restore the truth and suppresse error which Dauid Iehosophat Ezekias Iosias were said to haue done got great fauour with God and great honour with men But wee when wee are iustly displeased with you whenas like seditious tribunes you stirre vp the commons against Kings and call them to armes wherewith they may vanquish the professours of the Gospell as occasion is offered then here I pittie you exceedingly that from Azarias example peeuishly vnderstood and wretchedly drawn to your purpose you draw from an idle figure so slender an argument of your out-rage that there appeareth neither probabilitie in the Antecedent or necessitie in the consequence And whereas you said that Athalia was depriued of § 39 her kingdome and put to death by Iehoida the priest with the forces of the priests and people Athaâ—â—â— iustly deposed but not by the Priest Ioash the right heyre whom hee preserued in the temple being proclaimed annointed and crowned king you held that the Pope might likewise rightly depriue a lawfull king for heresie both of his kingdome and life it doth lay open apparantly the wretchednesse of your cause For what can you say else then that a wicked woman who flew all Ochasias the kings ofspring one sonne only excepted and did vniustly vsurpe the kingdome was surprised and punished by the vndoubted and lawfull heire of the crowne the king being proclaimed and annointed and the crowne set on his head by the consent of the whole kingdome as you your selfe haue confessed But Iehoida the high priest commanded to put her to death not the king True but hee commanded it by the authoritie of the king not his own But the king you say was but a childe of seuen yeares of age but hee was no lesse a king at seuen yeares then if he had beene of seuentie yeares For age cannot take away the right of a kingdome which bloud hath giuen him Iehoida had Gods law mans law to approue his action But Iehoida when he commanded Athalia to be slaine in the kings name did it both by Gods law and mans law First he preserued the young king in the Sanctuarie being kept from the rage of Athalia and nourisht him secretly in the Lords house Againe hee was the chiefe of his Tribe as others were of theirs that hee might arrogate so much to himselfe as others might in the nonage of the king to pacifie the kingdome and to take vengeance vpon the vsurping Queene for the cruell tyrannie against the kings progenie Besides that his wife was the kings Ant and he was his neerest kinsman and therefore was bound both by the law of nature and nations to defend the kings right his age and innocencie Last of all whatsoeuer hee attempted was with the Kings authoritie and with the common counsell and consent of all the nobility For he conuented all the captaines and cheife Fathers of Israel vnto him into the house of God and made a couenant with them and exacted an Oath of them in the house of God and shewed the kings sonne vnto them And so being not only the high priest but chiefe also of his Tribe and neerest allie to the king nor with his owne but with the common counsell and consent of the Peeres nor commanded with his owne but with the kings authoritie that wicked Athalia iniustly vsurping the kingdome the kings ofspring being first murthered and extinguished to be cast from her kingdome and of her life What is this to the Pope to depose a lawfull king to be murthered by a rebellious people being first by excammunication deposed from his kingdome And whereas you bragge of Elias zeale who did not § 40 only answere king Ahab very stoutly but slew 400. Elias killed not Baals Priests of Iesabels false Prophets you tell vs of the act but you cunningly conceale
neighbour Princes the faction of subiectes the treason of the nobles and the superstition of the people And doe you call this a moderate chastisement And safe for kings and good for subiects Wherein as there are many thinges very vniust and vnworthy so those are most of all that hee tearmeth these wicked treacheries holy counsells and pretendes that they tend in order to a spirituall end And doe in that manner sowe the scruples of conscience mingled with the seedes of treacherie in the harts of men as if the graines of religion and rebellion had sprung out of one and the same blade So it comes to passe that the Romane faith at this day doth beget and nourish most dangerous faction both to Kings and subiectes which so long is very demure and humble till as a wise man obserues it hath found the keye of power and authoritie For as all faction which springs out of the heate of desire is dangerous so that is most dangerous which riseth out of the scruple of conscience For when it riseth from desire it is like fire that taketh hold of stubble which though presently it rise vp into a great flame yet soone being consumed is extinguished But when it ariseth from the conscience it is like fire that heates iron which getting his strength but slowly keepes it surely as a very worthy and a wise Senator left it in writing Wherefore that which Bellarmine said of the Oath of § 88 allegeance that it was not therefore lawfull because it was offered someway tempred and qualified that may more iustly be said of the Popes temporall dominion as it is qualified and tempered by Bellarmine knowe therefore Argentine that such qualifications are nothing else but Satans sleights and deceits wherewith the maiesty of Kings is either openly or closely assailed which Christ hath fortified plainely with his commandements That these vaine pretences of Aduerbes are Sathans ginnes and stratagems whereby vnder the colour of religion he bringeth vtter destruction both to your soules and bodies But because you will not giue as good credite to vs as to your owne men and I think it not meete to take vpon mee Velbacellus part I pray you Calander entreat your Confessour that hee would lay open and vnfold the subtill and hurtfull fleights deuises of this working braine Yeelde so much saith Calander to the Catholikes your friends Velbacellus yeelde it to the Catholike religion which is necessary to bee discerned from these false Catholike opinions as you call them lest the consciences of Catholikes be corrupted § 89 Then Velbacell I will doe saith hee as you require me in respect of my duty to the King not vnwillingly but against the Popes inhibition not so willingly howsoeuer it bee I answer for the satisfying of the conscience sincerely and for the Catholike religion not vnfitly The Oath of Allegeance and Supremacy confounded by Bellarmine And I maruell much that Bellarmine beeing a learned man and of great wit did confound the Oath of Allegeance with the Oath of Supremacy but I am greeued at the heart that the supremacy of the Pope which he doth of right enioy in spirituall and ecclesiasticall causes is so enfolded with the worldly gouernment which is in temporall and ciuill causes that hee brings his lawfull authority in hazard to be lost Adde thereto that when he had ouerthrowen the direct dominion of the Pope in all temporall matters with sound reasons hee did maintaine the indirect gouernment in order to the spirituall as hee speaketh with such slight flaggy arguments that with this his playing fast loose hee seemes to haue left him no authority at all Although other thinke otherwise and thinke that hee doth aswell submit Kings crownes to the Popes feete as Baronius doth But let it bee as euery man takes it Hee cannot directly take away the crownes from Kings What then but he can indirectly hee cannot as Pope ordinarily depose Kings but extraordinarily he can as hee is the cheife spirituall Prince Hee hath not inherent authority but that is fetcht else where much forsooth what matter is it with what authoritie Kings be cast off if they may be cast off by the Pope But they be worse then mad who subiect the crownes of Kings to schoole-distinctions Heere Saturnine But although sayd hee it please § 90 you to scoffe at the distinctions of Catholike Doctors yet I hope you will not deny that the Pope is Lord of all the temporaltyes which doth belong to the Bishopricke of Rome But that England Ireland are portions of Peters patrimony and the Bishop of Romes temporalties it is plaine by the articles of agreement betweene Alexander the third Pope of Rome and Henry the second King of England agreed on in the yeere of the Lord 1171. who when he was absolued by the Pope for the death of Thomas of Becket did couenant that none should afterward accept that Crowne of right or should be acknowledged for King till hee had his confirmation from the cheefe pastour of our soules Which couenant was renewed in the yeere 1210. by Iohn King of England who had confirmed the same by oath to Pandulphus the Popes Legate at the request of the Barons and Commons as a matter of great importance to preserue the common-weale to keepe it from the vniust vsurpation of Tyrants and to auoyd other mischeefes whereby before they had smarted and to preuent that they fall not into the like againe by the default of any wicked King thereafter Wherefore if it bee honourable and pious for the Bishop to dispose of the kingdome being made tributary why may hee not likewise depose a refractory and a disobedient Prince § 91 Then Velbacellus you alleadge saith hee a worme eaten and ridiculous charter whereby you make the King of England Tributarie to the Pope England not tributarie to the Pope neither can bee which was neuer done and if it were it neither could or ought binde the successours Kings of England For Rome neither can nor euer could at any time shew such a grāt as Thomas Moore that great Catholike doth argue and if it could it was to no great purpose for no King of England might at any time giue away England to the Pope or make his kingdome tributary though he were so disposed Therefore let vs passe by that counterfet compact and that friuolous deuise and let vs returne to the matter in hand The question is not Saturnine of the true temporalties of the patrimonie of Peter but of the true temporalties of the patrimony of Kings the soueraignty whereof either directly or indirectly is giuen to the Pope and it is giuen either by Law diuine or positiue and therefore the temporalties of Kings doe no more belong to the Pope then the temporalties of Peter belong to Kings And euery King may as well depriue a Pope as any Pope may depriue a King And an Emperour may aswell he called Lord of all the spiritualties as
Empire was translated out of Greece into Germanie when it did reside in the family of Charles the great who had left the Pope great possessions in Italy Caus 2. quest 7 cap. Sic nos how dutifull and humble did the Pope shew himselfe to Ludouike his sonne and Lotharius his nephew The submission of Leo the fourth Bishop that wee may make short is famous and notorious which hee shewed to Ludouike and Lotharie Wee if wee haue done any thing Leo the Bishop writing to Lodouike and haue not dealt iustly with them ouer whom we be placed whatsoeuer is done amisse we will amend at the discretion of your Excellencie beseeching your Maiestie that you would bee pleased to send those who in the feare of God may strictly examine not onely those things whereof we are accused but all other our dealings both great and small Heere we haue the Emperour the Popes correctour in great matters and small But this was you will say no part of the Popes duty Ibi ca. Petrâ— but a dispensation of the Popes humility Indeede Gratian doth speake so ridiculously as if the Bishop had submitted himselfe in iest for a mocke to the Emperor and not in earnest and of bounden duty Distinct 10. de capi Caro. Ludo La. ha Did he afterward in iest or with voluntarie humility submit himselfe to Lotharius and not rather in all duty obseruancie when he promised that he would inuiolably obserue all the Ecclesiasticall lawes of Charles Ludouike and Lotharius and did sweare not onely present obedience but for euer after The Bishop of Rome was then as you see the Emperours subiect and seruant He did humbly supplicate the Emperour as his Lord hee did not proudly command him as his seruant He did obey hee did not resist and that not a Catholike onely but an hereticke also and that an Arrian Hee gaue honour to his person he offered no wrong to his crowne Hee kept his lawes hee did not gaine-say them And hee receiued Ecclesiasticall canons from him himselfe set downe none He did performe the Oath of obedience he did not then free others from keeping it The Emperours themselues were not onely but their Lieutenants also were the Bishops of Rome Iudges and Correctours in all matters both small and great The Popes therefore were not then their Iudges and Controllers They were not as yet Lords of the spiritualties much lesse of the temporalties as they are now tearmed by their Claw-backes § 101 Popes grew greater by abundance diuision of the Empire At the last being enriched and furnished with the temporalties of Bishops Kings by little little they began to wax proud against their Lords Patrones grew very great by the diuision of the Empire the departure of the Emperour out of Italy the dissention of Kings and the rebellions of the people Gregorie the 7. was the first as Frisingensis testifieth Gregorie the 7. the first that excommunicated curst Emperours 1600. yeares after Christ that curst Henry the 4. Emperour with excommunication and assayed to set him beside his kingdome and to that end loosed his subiectes from their oath of obedience Whos 's next successors followed his franticke humour Who as Hilde brand had stirred vp first Rodolphus then Hermanuus after that Ecbertus all seruants against their Soueraigne and lastly Courad and Henry sonnes against their father all of them being bound with an Oath of fealtie and these besides with the bond of nature But the Author of this tragedie Gregorie Sigeb in ann 1â—84 Vesserg in an 1089. Gregories fall foure years after being forsaken by his owne people with a ioynt consent of all was cast out of his Popedome And being at the point of death as Sigebert found it written of him one of his twelue Cardinals whom he chiefly fauoured being cald vnto him hee confest to God to S. Peter and the whole Church that hee had greiuouslie sinned in the administration of the pastorall charge committed vnto him In the life of Greg. 7. and that by the instinct of the Deuill he had raised discordes and warres among men as Benno the Cardinall writeth I am not ignorant that the Italian writers of malice against the Emperor did go about to hide and dissemble the faults of their Pope with the greatest skill of lying that might be Who can giue credit to Blondus Fulgofius Trithemius and other writers of small accompt either of a later time who were borne some hundred yeares after these things were done that eitheâ— for fauour or hatred as Bloudus or for ignorance as Fulgosius and Trithemius the Abbot they might easily ouer-reach who I say can credite these men as ribing false praise to Hildebrand when as his owne Abbote and Cardinals who were not onely earewitnesses but eyewitnesses of the whole tragedie who had a purpoâ—e not to honour the faultes of men but defend the ordinance of God branded him with deserued infamie and writ that the chief Authour of rebellion and periurie was put besides his Popedome and that hee troubled the world being moued by the instinct of the Deuill as hee confest vpon his death bed And may we not now maruell that this Byshop who followeth his outrage may not feare his ruine Who hath stirde vp Tirone against King Iames a most mercifull Prince as he stirred vp Rodolphe against Henry the Emperour § 102 But Rodolphe the cheife Actour when he beheld his right hand cut off in the skirmish Rodulphus ruine and repentance Vrsbergene in ann 1080. and ready to giue vp the Ghost fetching deepe sighes is said to speake thus to the Byshops that stood about him as Vrspergensis recordes Behold this is that right hand wherewith I sware fealty to Henry my soueraigne Lord and now as you see shewing the truncke of his arme I leaue both his Kingdome and this present life Whose end I wish to Tirone that most treacherous Traytor but I wish him his repentance also In ann 1080. Hildebrands reuelation Sigebert writeth that Hildebrand by a reuelation from heauen as he said foretould the death of a false King that yeare wherein Rodolphe was slaine He vnderstood him to be Henry But Henry fighting with his Saxons returned Conquerour and Rodolphe the false King died If this were a true Reuelation as Gregorie said God as he foretould did thus punish Rodolphe the false King whom Gregorie had raised vp against his Lord if it were not a diuine Reuelation but some diuelish familiaritie with the spirits what a holy Saint was this man whom you so commend who had such acquaintance with the Deuill who deceiued and betraied the franticke humor of this his hellish Scholler § 103 That same treacherous head likewise of Hermannus being broken by a stone cast from a tower by a womans hand Hermannus ruine his braine being dasht in peeces and running about his eares frighted and scattered the armie following the ensignes of his treacherie
Byshoppe of Rentzburge when he deliuered the bull against the prince All of them scoft at the mans impudency and disdainefully askt what that light headed and superstitious French man what the Rome-pope himselfe did in Germanie without the consent of the Germaine-byshops his colleagues They disdaine that discordes should be sowne that the libertie of Christians should bee opprest that the flocke of Christ redeemed by his blood should bee brought into slauerie by false Teachers And when the Legate would not giue ouer the Germane Byshoppes did not onely dispise his commandements but denounced a curse against him in all their Churches as an enemie to Christian peace and an Arch hereticke and pronounced him to be worse then any Turke Saracene Tartar or Iew. They did publickly likewise accuse the Byshoppe of Rome for attempting such matters among Christians which were against reason and the law of nations against the doctrine of Christ and which were not at any time done among the most sauage Tartars And as the Byshops so the nobles of Germanie did take in foule scorne so great a wrong offered by the § 116 Pope to the Emperour their Master to repell it conuented all the States wherein Eberhardus the Archbyshoppe of Salisburge a godly olde man when hee had knowne ten Romane-byshoppes and had diligently markt their practizes and dispositions vnder Fredericke the first Henry the sixt his sonne and Fredericke the second his Nephew for fifty yeares together that the chiefe byshoppe was wholy compounded of auarice luxurie contention warres discordes and desire of rule and so did decipher him for a rauenous wolfe in each part vnder a Shepheards weede and so liuely paint him out that although in other matters he were not a Lutherane in this one you would haue said he had beene almost Luther himselfe The old Catholicke fathers Oration is extant in Auentine a Catholicke Writer Auenti annal lib. 7. fol. 683. there you may haue it if you will read it § 117 That which the Byshoppes and Nobles of Germanie with the whole commons did with common consent against Innocent the fourth in the quarrell of Fredericke the Emperour the very same they did in the like quarrell of Lewes the fourth Emperour against Iohn the 22. that although they were released from the Oath of Obedience they did notwithstanding take the Oath of obedience to be faithfull to Lewes though hee were remooued and that they did by the iudgement of all the Doctours in both lawes Philip the faire the French King in a councell with full consent of the Nobles and Byshoppes did not only set at nought and despise the iniust sentence of the Popes depriuation sent out against him but brought all the kingdome from the Popes obedience and that hee might the better tame his pride he laid hold of the Pope kept him in durance so that within sixe weekes after in great anguish of soule hee gaue vp the Ghost Popes crossed by the French The pragmaticall sanction is well knowne which did of old infringe the Popes authoritie and all the canons of the Church of France that part which maintaineth the popish religion and all the decrees of the Kings parliament do so disanull the Popes power in excommunicating Kings and releasing their Subiectes from the Oath of obedience Tract inscript le Franc. Discours an 1600. that the very body of Sorbone and the whole Vniuersitie of Paris doe condemne the doctrine of the Iesuites as schismaticall and pernicious Neither Henrie the 8. onely Edward the 6. and § 119 Queene Elizabeth English practise against Popes whom you tearme Caluinists and Heretickes did by their lawes expell this vsurped authoritie of the Pope and punished by death the Abetters thereof but other Kings of England who raigned in the midst of poperie thought good to contemne the Popes censures and to suppresse the Actors therein by your Lawes The law of Edward the 3. 25 Edwar 3. doth it not seeme to bee made by a Caluinist which makes it treason to attempt and go about the death of the King to mooue warre in his Kingdome against the King or to ioyne with the Kings enemies in his kingdome or to giue them aide and comfort either within the Kingdome or without Doe you not see how that two hundred yeares before Queene Elizabeth was borne the Priests treason couered with the habite of religion by the Statute of Edward the third in euery branch of it as it were with lime twigges is met with and suppressed If to attempt the death of the King be treason therefore Greenway and other Iesuites who tooke counsell to destroy the King and kingdome had beene Traytors by Edward the thirds Law although Queene Elizabeth had made no such law If to raise warre against the King in his kingdome were then treason the priests were Traytors who stirred vp papists to take armes and to ioyne themselues with Catsby and Persie in the rebellion If to ioyne with the Kings enemie in his kingdome were then treason how can you then ye Iesuits auoide the sharpenesse of King Edwards law who being the instruments of sedition doe adheare to the Pope the Kings deadly enemie vnder the colour of religion If to aide and animaâ—e the Kings enemies either within his kingdome or without was treason at that time truly whosoeuer at this day vnder pretense of religion whatsoeuer do either solicite foraine Kings to inuade this Kingdome as Garnet Creswell Baldwine and others haue done or perswade the people to take armes to depose their King as Greenwell Hall and others haue vndertaken were Traytors although Elizabeth with her Caluinists had neuer made any law against them § 120 But King Edwardes law you will say doth not touch the people by name True But when the noble King remembred that the French King was stirred vp against Iohn King of England who had contemned the Popes censures that the Subiectes were incensed against their King the Barons and Byshops fell from him and were the Ministers of the Popes wrong that thereby hee might the better confirme his subiects in their obedience against the French the Spanish and the Romane and all others whatsoeuer froâ— whom he foresaw danger might come to himselfe and his kingdome and that he might decline the enuy of naming the Pope particularly made a generall Statute with the consent of the Byshoppes Baron and Commons without any exception of person or cause whatsoeuer wherein hee made him a Traytor whosoeuer did adhere to the Kings enemy in his kingdome or did aide or animate any either within his dominions or without who should moue warre against the King including by his generall word aswell the Pope as the Popes factours as if hee had expressely named them § 121 But in the 26. of Richard the second the Prelates Dukes Earle Barons and aâ—l the Commons of England the Clarkes and Lay people named the Pope when they all ioyned in a couenant of association with the
Egyptian Byshoppes to byshoppe Marcus wherein they doe complaine forsooth that the true copies were burnt by the Arrians at Alexandria and therefore required the true coppie of the seuentie Cannons Athanasius Epistle forged And as one lye commonly begets another they counterfeit Marcus answere to Athanasius and the Egyptians giuen the tenth before the Calendes Nouember when Nepotian and Secundus were Consuls which day was neere the end of the 13. yeare of the raigne of Constantine as wee may see in Sozomen the first booke cap. 25. and 28. in which yeare he writeth that Athanasius was absent out of Egypt in the Councell of Tyre and returned not home but fledde to Constantinople and remained there till he was banished into France How then could Athanasius send this Epistle to Marcus out of Egypt where hee was not when the Epistle was sent Againe in Marcus Epistle is mention of the persecution of Egypt which was not at all in Constantines time but long after vnder Constantius when Marcus was dead Tusc 1. Cicero laughes heartily at a Fellow who said hee remembred what was done before hee was borne Who can choose but laugh at your Marcus remembring the persecution in Egypt raised after his death Sozom. lib. 1. ap 17. Beda distinct 16. Nicene canons burnt before they were made Now Marcus went next before Iulius Iulius was byshoppe of Rome when the Nycene Councell was gathered as Sozomen and Bede write Therefore your Athanasius who is said to write to Marcus writes that the Nycene Cannons were burnt before they were made Besides whereas there were twentie Cannons afterward made they were preserued vncorrupt in the publicke § 195 and authenticke recordes of Churches wherein the Creede of the Nycene faith was contained and the Arrian heresie was confuted the other 50. were said suddainely to haue perished through the malice of the Arrians O foolish Arrians who blotted out 50. Cannons which touched no part of the Arrian heresie and spared the Nycene creed and the Epistle sent to them of Alexandria which condemned that whole heresie The Orator doth make himselfe merry with certaine witnesses of Doris Orat. pro Flac. who being produced against Flaccus when they had lost nothing said they had lost the publicke tables O Shepheardes said hee desirous of letters for they tooke nothing from them but letters if they had brought foorth those that had beene true there had beene no fault if false there had beene a punishment for corrupting the letters They thought it best to say they were lost These popish witnesses are not much vnlike The Papists like foolish Shepheards who faine that the Arrians stole 50. Cannons out of the Nycene Councell which hurt them nothing at all and left twentie sound and vntoucht whereby they were to be condemned If the Papists bring foorth the true Cannons they hurt their cause if false they hurt their credit They thinke it the safest course to say that 50. were burnt and that by them who could receiue no profit by this their dealing But if the Arrians were so foolish the Romanistes were wiser then to suffer 20. Canons to remaine among them which did restraine their supremacie and suffer 50. to perish which did enlarge it But we see so little likelihood in the tale The former forgerie reiected by Bellarmine that Bellarmine himselfe hist it out For hee writeth that the burnings of the bookes hapned in the time of Constantius the Emperour whenas Athanasius being banished one George an Arrian was ordained in his place as Athanasius witnesseth in his Epistle to all the Orthodoxe Marcus receiued an Epistle after he was dead But it appeareth saith he by Ieromes Chronologie that Marcus the Pope was dead at that time Therefore Marcus after he was dead receiued an Epistle from Athanasius And therefore being dead made answere to Athanasius if we giue credit to Bellarmine It is good sport to see how these lying Papists doe couer this tale with their mutuall contradictions But Iulius answer doth confirme Marcus Epistle § 196 wherein there is mention of seuen and twenty Nycene canons A counterfet Iulius besides those twenty which are reckoned vp by Ruffinus Heere wee haue a counterfet Iulius not onely lying for the supremacies sake but also forswearing himselfe though he that is a common lier as it is sayd is a common for-swearer Hee doth not onely counterfet false canons but ratifies them with an oath That I sayd true the God-head is my witnesse as he saith in that counterfet answer But if the answer of the true Iulius sent to the Councell of Antioch in Athanasius quarrell mentioned by Athanasius in his second Apology if it bee compared with this it will lay open all the circumstances of this vntruth and periury I will not goe farre for proofe this blinde and bastardly decretall doth plainly reprooue it selfe It was giuen the first of Nouember as it is written when Felician and his Colleague were Consuls Socrat. l. 1. c. 40 that very yeere wherein Constantine died Now the Councell of Antioch that deposed Athanasius Sozom. l. 3. c. 5. and to which Iulius writ was gathered together by Constantius fiue yeeres after Constantines death So this answer was sent to the Synode of Antioch fiue yeeres before that Synode was assembled Doe you not see with your eyes and feele with your fingers how grosse this lie is Beside Iulius in his answer writeth that Athanasius remained with him at Rome a yeere and a halfe waiting for the presence of the Antiochians after hee had cited them with his first processe whereto is ascribed the calends of October as to the latter the calends of Nouember of the same yeere So betweene the two daies of appearance were one and thirty daies in which short time to goe from Rome to Antioch Pegasi bee horses with wings and returne againe the Popes Paritours had neede to bee Pegasi who were not to gallop but flie But if Iulius sixe canons did more cleerely set out the Popes prerogatiue then that one canon of Sozimus truely you make Sozimus to bee a very wise man who chose one canon and the worst when hee could haue alleadged sixe and those farre better For whereas you bring many other canons of the Nycene Councell as you cal them beside those twenty recited by great authors let your Iesuites make you an answer who distinguish the decrees of the Councell of Neece into two kindes The first kinde they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is constitutions as they interpret them The other they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is properly canons as they with vs confesse They are ignorant as they confesse of the number § 197 of the constitutions and acts But of the canons properly so called they grant that the number is rightly set downe by Ruffinus To the first kinde they refer those your canons improperly so called whereof some they affirme are among the acts of the
doth witnes which said my kingdom is not of this world From a possibilitie to a deed the argument is not of force in Christ much lesse in Peter O pleasant madnes of Bellarmine wherby he dreameth that the temporall power in possibilitie as hanging in the ayre is bestowed vpon his Bishop § 204 But marke the mans reason God hath appointed Christ to be heyre of all things How the temporall rule forsooth descendeth vpon the Pope Therfore if he would he could haue cast Tiberius out of his throne and Pilate out of his iudgement seate for he was the heyre of all things Peter could if hee would haue wrested Nero's scepter out of his hands for he was heyre to Christ And the Pope can if he will cast of the Crowne from the head of any King heretike or catholike if he begin to go astray for he is Peters heyre For all comes to this at last that the temporall dominion of the whole world descends from Christ to Peter from Peter to the Pope That the Pope forsooth might haue and exercise power ouer Kings which Christ had but vsed not but might haue vsed if hee had been so pleased A vant with all these foolish quiddities which inferre such dangerous consequences Austin and Maldonate against Bellarmine But if hee had consulted not only with Austin but also with Maldonat on of his owne side hee should haue vnderstood that that place was to be interpreted of the spirituall not temporall inheritance of the world granted to Christ by the Father For what he that refused the iudgement of diuiding a priuate inheritance would he take to him the publike inheritance of the whole world And he that willingly submitted himselfe to the authoritie of Pilate giuen from aboue euen to the death of the Crosse did hee shew himselfe a temporall Lord both ouer Tiberius and the whole world The power of Pilate saith Bellarmine was not ordeyned § 205 but permitted And this is the sense of the place that Pilate could do nothing against Christ if God had not permitted it As that place is also vnderstood this is your houre and power of darknesse Luc 22. but because S. Thomas saith he vpon the 13 to the Romanes vnderstandeth the place of the ordinarie power we do not disagree But that this power did extend it selfe to Christ we thinke that to be done out of Pilates ignorance who not knowing the worthines of Christ iudged him as some priuate Citizen of the country As if in our dayes a Clergie man were brought to the bar of a Secular Iudge vnder the name and habite of a Lay-man hee may be condemned by that power wherewith a Laicke may out of the ignorance of the Iudge yet it doth not follow thereby that Clarkes by law are subiect to the iudgement of Lay-men or that Christ was subiect to the iudgment of Pilate Thus far Bellarmine But Christ said that Pilates power was not permitted § 206 but giuen from aboue The permitted power was that power of darknes whereby God suffred that the Iewes should kill the Lord of Glory wherein they sinned most greiuously And therefore it is called the power of darknesse not giuen from aboue as was Pilates the Iudge which Austin called not an vsurped but an vniust power Which place saith he when I heard it to be expounded by S. Thomas of a lawfull power I do not withstand it Bellarmine contradicteth himselfe It is well that which before you did wickedly affirme being instructed by Thomas you honestly deny The man speakes out of a boate now enclining to this side now to that neither doth he somtime contradict others so much as himselfe But marke how by turning himselfe into all parts he hath found a starting hole to escape by Whereas Pilate did stretch out this power against Christ it was out of Pilates ignorance that knew not the worth of Christ As if a Clerke vnder the habite of a Lay man should bee brought before a lay-Iudge he might by the ignorance of the Iudge be condemned as a Lay-man which notwithstanding the Law doth not allow c. That which he imputes to the ignorance of Pilate Austin imputes it to his feare lest he should offend Caesar in loosing of Christ. But this may be ascribed to his ignorance that he beggeth the question Bellarmine begs the question For he takes it as granted which is in question that a Clerke may not by law be condemned by a secular Iudge though out of the Iudges ignorance he may being attired like a Layman As if he should say that Alexander the 3. being in his pontificalibus might not rightly be iudged by Fredericke the Emperor Alexander 3. but being in his cookes apparell he might by ignorance or that Bishop who bare armes against Richard the first King of England An English Bishop in K Richard the first dayes Odo brother to W. Conqueror could not be hanged in his Bishops attire but being found in a coat-armour hee might by ignorance Or that Odo the brother of William the first a very wicked traytor could not be committed to ward as Bishop of Bayon but as Earle of Kent Or that some trayterous Iesuite imagine some Garâ—et or Oldcorne could not bee hanged in his massing robes but might by ignorance being clad in a Courtiers attire I could wish rather that such Clerkes were vnknowne than knowne But he doth very vntowardly make Christ his innocencie a cloake for a harmefull Clerke that because Christ could not be rightly condemned by Pilate therefore euery Clerke is exempted from the iudgement of a secular Iudge It is as I said a manifest begging of the thing in question For I can better dispute after a contrary manner There was no exempting of the person of Christ from the iudgement of Pilate Therefore there is no exempting of Paul the fift from the iudgment of the Emperor For if Christ the chiefe Bishop was not exempted from the iudgment of the Emperor whose power was from aboue then certainely the Bishop of Rome ought not to be exempted from the iudgement of the Emperors power The actions of Christ are rules for the Pope the actions of Popes are not rules for Christ But whereas the Cardinall brings in his Clearke in § 207 a Lay-mans weede before a secular Iudge hee doth very ill apply it to his purpose For he hauing got this freedome or exemption as is taught he should not say to the Iudge that hee hath power from heauen against him but the contrary you haue no power against me froÌ„ aboue for I am a Clerke but when Christ said not this but the cleane contrary you haue power against me froÌ„ aboue he allowed not the exeÌ„pting of a Clerke vnles the prerogatiue of a Clerke be greater than the prerogatiue of Christ But you haue brought in a very dull-pated Clerke who being endowed with a priuiledge as you call it cannot vtter it that he may be safe from danger being