world hath blinded that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God should not shine vnto them let them all know that these voices sound from heauen vnto them to their conuersion and consolation if they accept them or condemnation and confusion if they reiect them Come out from among them separate your selues saith the Lord and touch no vncleane thing and I will receiue you and I will be a Father vnto you and you shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord. This voice is not the voice of man but of God Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers in her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues for her sinnes are come vp into heauen and God hath remembred her iniquities as it is there prophecied of the fall of mysticall Babylon which is Rome Therefore let my exhortation bee that vnto you which a reuerend and learned Doctor gaue as a farewell to his friends Commendo vos dilectioni Dei odio papatus I exhort you to loue God and leaue the corrupt doctrine of Popery which is a forme of Religion yet Non secundum Iesum Christum nec verbum nec tenet capâ—t Not according to Iesus Christ or his Gospell nor doth it rightly hold the head making the Church a monster with two heads the Pope a visible Head on earth and Christ in heauen the inuisible Head We beseech you in the tender bowels of Christ to haue pitty vpon your owne soules open your eyes without partiality or preiudice to behold the truth and embrace it and to moue your hearts with Peters wordes as newborne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby so shall you and we haue infinite cause to reioyce and our Church say with Peter yee were as sheepe going astray but are now returned vnto the chiefe shepheard and Bishop of your soules With which sauing Grace the God of all grace and goodnesse Iesus Christ enrich your soules withall to grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ to him bee glory both now and for euer Thus hauing declared in part the corruptions of popish Doctrine which must be reiected of all who desire to be faithfull seruants to our Sauiour or performe seruice acceptable vnto him for what concord hath Christ with Belial what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Take heede of the Leauen of Rome as our Sauiour warnes his Disciples of the leauen of the Pharisees and Sadduces their pernicious doctrine full of errors repugnant and decrogatory to Christ and his Gospell It remaines and followes in the next place to touch That if you beleeue and embrace al the points of moderne Popery now broached and maintained in the Church of Rome you cannot bee dutifull and obedient Subiects to our and your Soueraigne and since I haue in my former Tractates obiter by the way promiscuously touched lesuiticall precepts and practise in this kinde papall depositions of Kings from their Regiment and absolutions of subiects from loyall obedience applauding traytors by canonization commendation for treasonable attempts I will not be large and liberall heerein onely propound a few positions and propositions to your consideration to iudge of them whether they be not opposite to all loyall obedience which are maintained and divulged to the world by your great Doctors and Pillars of the Romane Church And first you are not ignorant that very lately Anno 1606. Pope Paul the fifth prohibited all the Romane Catholickes so tearmed by his Breue that they should not take the oath of Allegiance vnto which they were enioyned by the Kings Maiesty which argues hee would haue them refractary in matters which onely concerne ciuill obedience for the scope of that oath tended to professe and practise a dutifull allegiance to the King in all loyall submission The like also did Pius quintus Pope to the late Queene Elizabeth commanding her Subiects to rebell and discharging them from allegiance But omitting these things as vulgarly knowne I will goe to the Iesuites schoole and heare how they teach you If a Christian King become an Hereticke immediatly his people are freed from his command and their subiection saith Symancha But all Christian Kings are esteemed Heretickes who are not Catholikes of the Romane size Ergo. The Iesuite Creswel vnder the name of Andreas Philopator against the Decree of the Queene of England sect 2. â—u 157. deliuers this proposition Principem qui a Catholica religione deflexit excidere statim omnipotestate a Prince who declines from their Catholike religion rather superstition falls presently from his Regall power But all Protestant Princes decline from that religion Ergo no King or no power The same Iesuite num 160. saith Omnium Catholicorum esse sententiam obligatos esse subditos ad principes haereticos depellendos qui sidei Catholicae inuriosi sunt si modo vires ad hoc habeant idoneas It is the sentence of all Catholikes that the subiects are bound to driue away hereticall Princes who are iniurious to the Catholike Faith if they haue forces fit for this purpose And againe num 162. Subâ—â—ti â—…di Principes suos non tantum legitime possunt 〈◊〉 sedetiam ad hoc praecepts divine conscientiae arctissimo vinculâ— ac extremo animarum suarum periculo tenentur Subiects may not onely lawfully trouble such Princes but are bound to doe it by Diuine precept and most strict band of conscience and extreame perill of their owne soules And the same Iesuite againe Si Imperator vel Rex haereticuÌ„ fauore prosequatur ipso facto regnum amittet If an Emperor or King fauour an heretike he shall lose his kingdome ipso facto Now Protestants in their Calendar are branded for heretickes Ergo. And to these accord and publish the like doctrine many others of their writers Ribadeneira de principe lib. 1. cap. 18. pa. 177. c. 26. pag. 172. c. Paulus Chirlandus de haeret q. 3. nu 2. Conradus Brunus de haeret lib 3. cap. vltimo Io. Paulus Windeck de extirp haer Antidoto 10. pag. 404. Antidot 11. pag. 408. Stapleton in oratione contra politicos Duaci habita Baronius Card. in Epistola contra Venetos Bellarmine the Cardinall full of such stuffe Hee affirmes that Kings are subiect to Popes Bishops Priests Deacons and would prooue this inferiority by Scriptures and Fathers De laicis lib. 3. He holds many other propositions disgracefull to Kings vndutifull for subiects and contradictory to all Scripture Secular principality is ordained by men and hath his being by the law of Nations de Rom. Pontif. lib. 1. c. 7. § praeterea a grosse Assertion for so great a Doctor In causes onely Temporall Cleargimen are bound to obey Princes and no longer obey then the Pope will de clericis lib. 1. cap. Per totum caput So ridiculous positions
vp Israel against Dauid and all Adoniahs that gape to take the kingdome from our Salomon all like them let them perish like them Then will all loyall subiects reioyce when they see the vengeance they shall wash their feet in the bloud of the wicked Let our feruent prayers be daily powred forth vnto God to defend him from all Traytors to reueale their plots and reuenge their purposes that they qui volunt occidere regem posse nolunt That they who would kill a King may neuer haue power to performe it that no danger may assault him no treachery may endanger him giue thine Angels charge O Lord to sentinell ouer him make his chamber like the tower of Dauid built for defence a thousand shields hang therein and all the targets of the strong men and his bed like Salomons threescore strong men round about it of the valiant men of Israel they all handle the sword and are expert in warre euery one hath his sword vpon his thigh for the feare by night that so no enemy may oppresse him nor the wicked approach to hurt him to destroy his foes before his face and plague them that hate him his seed long to endure and his daies as the daies of heauen So shall the Lord be gracious to his Seruant and mercifull to vs his people who continually pray God saue the King Corporally CHAP. X. 2. Spiritually GOD Saue the King Spiritually God euer keep him constant and couragious to maintaine the true profession of the Gospell and to labour to purge Gods Church of all superstition and to plant in it Gods true religion This is the first duety of Kingly seruice vnto God to cleanse his Church of all idolatry and superstition The good Kings Ezechias and Iosias were carefull in this behalfe Ezechiah when hee came to the Crowne of Iudah he tooke away the high places brake the Images and cut downe the groues and brake in peeces the brazen serpent c. that is rooted and raced out all Idolatry So Iosiah puts downe all Idols and Idolatrous Priests who defiled the Temple So Asa tooke the wicked Sodomites out of the land and deposed Maacha his Mother because shee had made an Idoll in a groue So Salomon installed in his kingdome built a Temple for seruice and worship of the Lord. It is the office of a King specially to take care to prouide that God may be religiouslie worshipped that his people may feare the Lord serue him in the trueth for the happinesse of King and Kingdome consists in the trueth of their religion For that nation and kingdome which will not serue the Lord shall perish and be vtterly destroyed saith the Prophet Esay Est boni Principis religionem ante omnia constituere saith Liuie It is the part of a good King first to establish true religion for that is the very fountaine and foundation of all felicity Beneficentia quae fit in cultum Dei maxima gratia That loue and care which is declared towards the true worship of God is most commendable for true religion is Cardo or Axis the very Pillar of all prosperity the soule of Tranquility the totall summe of true felicity Propter Ecclesiam in mundo durat mundus saith Luther Christs Church on earth is the cause of the continuance of this earthly world without the light of the Gospel Kings people liue in thraldome in the Egypt of wofull blindnesse it is but painted happinesse a vaine flourish nay a dangerous ship of state where God sits not at the sterne As all kingdomes stand luteis pedibus vpon clay feet so that Kingdome cannot stand at all which wants the foundation true religion It is the speech of an Heathen but may be the lesson of a Christian Religio vera est firmamentum reip c. True religion the foundation of a Common wealth and the chiefe care ought to be to plant the same So Dauid reioyces in nothing so much as in the Arke of God desirous rather to be a dore-keeper in Gods house then to rule in the tents of the vngodly Like to that good Emperor who gloried more to be membrum Ecclesiae then caput Imperij a member of Gods Church then an head of a great Empire Salomon begins well first in building an house for God knowing nothing can prosper without God Except the Lord keep the City the watchman watcheth but in vaine In vaine doe the Kings of the earth stand vp if they assemble against the Lord for then hee laughes them to scorne and shall haue them in derision Be wise now therefore O ye Kings serue the Lord in feare be wise in Diuine matters serue the Lord in feare for his feare is the beginning of wisedome to direct you to rule your selues and people in the seruice and worship of his holy name We read it recorded of Constantinus the Emperor that when he died he did much lament for three things which had happened in his reigne First the murther of Gallus his kinsman Secondly the liberty of Iulian the Apostate Thirdly the change and alteration of religion And surely there cannot be a greater cause of lamentation then an innouation or alteration of religion yea then a tolleration of a contrary religion It had beene a hard matter to haue had obtained a tolleration of such a thing as a Masse at Moses hands with a masse of money A godly Prince may not suffer any religion but the true religion in his Dominions and this we may proue by diuers reasons First the exercise of a false religion is directly against the honour and glory of God Ergo. Secondly consent in true religion is vinculum Ecclesiae the chayne and bond of Gods Church for there is but one faith therefore a difference and dissention in religion is a dissolution in Gods Church but no Prince ought to haue his hand in dissoluing Gods Church for Kings are nursing Fathers of the Church Thirdly it is the Princes duty to prouide for the safety of the bodies much more for the safety of the soules of his Subiects Now true religion is the foode but false the bane of soules and you know Qui non seruat periturum cum potest occidit He that doth not helpe one ready to perish being able to helpe kills him Fourthly the Angell of the Church of Pergamus is reprooued for hauing such in Pergamus as maintained the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicholaitans and the Church of Thiatyra reproued for suffering Iezabel to teach and deceiue Fiftly the Lords Altar and Baals Altar must not stand together Quae concordia Dei Belial No agreement twixt God and Belial Indeed the Papists haue beene very earnest to supplicate for a Tolleration for their corrupt religion and yet themselues neuer allow it The Pope neuer afforded such fauour to Protestants witnesse their
done wrong to or whom haue I hurt c. And all the People of Britanny must answere with the people of Israel there Thou hast done vs no wrong nor hurt vs nor taken ought of any mans hand the Lord is witnesse His Highnesse speciall care and gracious desire is to haue Gods Religion sincerely imbraced Iustice executed Vertue promoted Vice punished Gods Lawes and the good Lawes of the Land generally maintained and obserued so that the Church finds him a true Defender of the Faith the Common-wealth a Father the proud a powerfull Prince the meeke and humble a mercifull Gouernour All find him a most religious and vertuous King carefull of the good of Church and Common-wealth that all the politicke members of this Princely Head may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty These Princely properties and sacred graces will procure his Maiesty an eternall Crowne of glory in Heauen as God hath promoted him to a soueraignety and supremacy here on Earth and may truely moue all sound members of this politicke body whereof his sacred Highnesse is supreame Head to pray with the Psalmist Giue thy Iudgements to the King O Lord and thy righteousnesse vnto the Kings sonne then shall he iudge the people with righteousnesse and thy poore with equity In his dayes shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace shall be so long as the Moone endureth yea to pray like the Isralites for the life of our King and the life of his royall Queene his Princely Sonne the County Palatine of Rhene with the Princesse Elizabeth and their Progeny that all their dayes may be vpon the Earth as the dayes of Heauen and that God would giue vs strength and lighten our eyes that we may liue vnder their shadow and may long doe them seruice and find fauor in their sight That God would confound all their enemies and put them to a perpetuall shame That the Lord of Hosts may be euer with them and the God of Iacob may be their Refuge to protect and direct them to hide them from the conspiracy of the wicked and from the rage of the workers of iniquity that God may euer blesse them and preserue their going out and comming in from henceforth and for euermore So we thy people and sheep of thy Pasture the louing and loyall subiects and seruants of the Lords Annointed will praise thee for euer and pray vnto thee from generation to generation God saue our King Corporally Spiritually Politically Peroratio I will draw these lines to the maine Center of all making our conclusion short and gratulatory First to your Grace sacred Soueraigne the mighty Monarch of these flourishing Kingdomes shall I that am but dust and ashes prefume to speake vnto my Lord and King Let not my Lord be angry though I speake once and how happy shall this poore Embrio be if euer it be graced with the milde aspect of your Princely eyes and once but touched with your Regall hands which holds the Iacob staffe to measure the height of all learning Giue patient leaue and licence to your vnworthy and vnable vassall prostrated in all submissiue obedience at your Highnesse feete to celebrate and congratulate the happy day of your Maiesties entrance into this kingdome A day of good tidings and who can hold his peace A day which was the beginning to multiply and aduance our chiefest ioyes on earth making vs sing with the Psalmist This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs be glad and reioyce in it O Lord I pray thee saue now Lord preserue him whom thou hast giuen giue him O King of Kings good successe peace prosperity multiply these good daies grant him many of these happy yeares Annos vt annis addat è nostris Deus Eusebius the Bishop of Caesarea thought himselfe much honoured that he was appointed to preach at the inauguration of Constantinus the Emperour so I take it as my great ioy that I the most weake of all our tribe am one of the first in this kinde to write the aniuersary of Englands happinesse by your Maiesties entrance to put them in a perpetuall remembrance to reioyce with thankefulnesse And if I should remember in your presence the innumerable benefits and blessings your subiects of great Brittaine enioy by your Princely comming to this Crowne I might be iudged a flatterer a creature most odious in your Graces eyes modesty compels me to be silent I will onely say that which I haue read the Painter Zeuxes did who being to make the portraiture of Iuno chose out certaine amiable Virgins put the seuerall beauty of them all into that picture so indeed the wise Creator of all hath made you such a King the liuing picture of all earthly perfections and as it was an old saying That in one Austen there was many Doctors in one Iulius Caesar many Captaines so in one and our King Iames many Kings the very perfection of most Kings But I will turne our praises into prayers remembring Antaloides saying to a certaine Orator making a long oration of Hercules praises cut him off thus Quis eum vnquam sanus vituperauerit VVho euer in his right wits discommended him So who dare nay who can except the seed of the serpent dispraise your Highnesse whose vertues finde fauour with God and men euery tongue pronounces your name with ioy and euery heart affects your Maiesty with content and comfort As God hath giuen you power in hand so haue you pittie in heart Clementia Regis est quasi imber serotinus saith Salomon The pitty or fauour of a King is like the latter raine and your princely delight is not in sono catenarum in the noyse of chaines but like the good Emperor rather desirous to call the dead to lise then put the liuing to death So that I may say to your Grace as Mecaenas saide of Octauius Caesar Omnes te tanquam parentem seruatorem suum intuentur te moderatum vita inculpata pacificum amant c. All people fixe their dutifull eyes vpon you as vpon the publike Father of the Common-wealth loyally louing you being milde and mercifull holy in life and peaceable in gouernment So that though at last there must be a translation to an incorruptible Crowne in Heauen yet all your Subiects pray the time of that transmigration may bee long dedeferred Horac Serus in coelum redeas diuque Laetus intersis populo Britanno I need not heere play the part of King Philips Page to cry at your Princely chamber dore Memento te esse mortalem Remember you are mortall or with the Artificers of the Emperors tombes at the day of the Emperors Coronation offer a lap full of stones with these verses Elige ab his Saxis ex quo Augustissime Caesar ipse tibi tumulum me fabricare velis Of these same stones most
ouer the night So in the firmament of the vniuersall Church God hath set two great dignities the authority of the Pope and Emperor of the which two this our dignity is so much the weightier as that we must giue account to God for the Kings of the earth and for the Lawes of men Wherefore know ye Emperors that ye depend vpon the iudgement of vs and we must not be reduced to your will for looke what difference there is betweene the Sunne and the Moone so great is the power of the Pope ruling ouer the day that is ouer the spiritualty aboue Emperors and Kings ruling ouer the night that is ouer the Laity Now seeing then the Earth is seauen times bigger then the Moone and the Sunne eight times greater then the earth it followes that the Popes dignity many degrees doth surmount the estate of Emperors And although Constantine the great writing to a Pope alleadged the words of Peter 1 Pet. 2. 13. Submit your selues to euery humane creature as to Kings c. Yet in their Decretals they expound the minde of Peter to exhort all subiects and not his successors to be subiect proouing the Priesthood to be aboue Kings by the wordes of Ieremy Behold I haue set thee ouer Kings and Nations c. Neyther must Kings and Princes thinke it much to submit themselues to my iudgement for so did Valentinianus the Emperour and also Carolus For my power is not of man but of God who by his celestiall prouidence hath set me Master and gouernour ouer his vniuersall Church whereby all criminall causes as well of Kings as all other to be subiect to my censure For my Church of Rome is Prince and head of all nations the Mother of the Faith the foundation cardinall whereupon all Churches doe depend as the doore doth vpon the hinges The first of all other seates without spot or blemish Lady mistresse instructer of all Churches a glasse and spectacle to all men to be followed in all whatsoeuer she obserues Against which Church of Rome whosoeuer speakes any euill is forthwith an hereticke yea a very Pagan a witch an Idolater and Infidell hauing fulnesse of power onely in her owne hands in ruling deciding absoluing condemning casting out or receiuing in To which Church of Rome it is lawfull to appeale for remedy from all other Churches although it was decreed otherwise in the Councell of Carthage that no man should appeale ouer the Sea vnder paine of excommunication yet Gratians glosse can helpe that with a limitation Nisi forte Romanam sedem appellauerint Vnlesse they appeale to the Sea of Rome Of the which Church of Rome the Pope is Head the Vicar of St. Peter yea not the Vicar of St. Peter properly but the Vicar of Christ and successor of Peter Rector of the vniuersall Church and directer of the Lords vniuersall flocke chiefe Magistrate of the whole world Lex animata in terris A liuing Law in the earth hauing all Lawes in the chest of my breast Yea Nec Deus nec homo quasi neuter inter vtrūque Being neyther God nor man but the admiration of the world and a middle thing twixt both The Pope hath both swords in his power both of Temporall and spirituall iurisdiction able by his owne power alone without a Councell to depose the Emperor to transferre his kingdome and to giue a new election as hee did to Fredericke and diuers others to whom Emperors and Kings bee more inferior then lead is to gold for doe you not see the neckes of Kings and Princes bend vnder our knees yea and think themselues happy and well defenced if they may kisse our hands What doe wee talke of Kings The Pope is aboue Angels as his Clarke Antoninus writes That hee is greater then Angels in foure things 1 In iurisdiction 2 In administration of Sacraments 3 In knowledge 4 In reward And so in Bulla Clementis the Pope commands the Angels of Paradise to absolue the soule of man out of purgatory and to bring it into the glory of Paradise Who is able to comprehend the greatnes of my power and seate For by me onely generall Councels take their force and confirmation and the interpretation of the said Councels and of all other causes doubtfull must stand to my determination yea my Letters and Epistles Decretall are equiualent to Generall Councels and whereas God hath ordained all causes of men to be iudged by men he hath only reserued me that is the Pope of Rome without all question of men vnto his owne iudgement and whereas all other Creatures be vnder a Iudge onely I which am Iudge of all can be iudged of none neyther of Emperor nor the whole Cleargy nor of Kings nor yet of people For who hath power to iudge vpon his Iudge so that I differ in power and maiority and honor reuerentiall from all degrees of men For the better declaration of it the Canonists make three kindes of powers in earth 1. Immediata which is mine immediately from God 2. Deriuata which belongeth to other inferiour Prelates from mee 3. Ministralis belonging to Emperors and Princes to minister for me for the which cause the anointing of Princes and my consecration differ for they are annoynted in the arme or shoulders and I in the head This order of Priests Bishops Archbishops Patriarkes and Cardinals the Church of Rome hath instituted following the example of the Angelicall Army in heauen and the Apostles on earth For among them there was a distinction of power and authority albeit they were all Apostles yet it was granted to Peter they all agreeing to it that hee should haue superiority ouer them all and therefore had his name giuen him Cephas that is say they head or beginning of the Apostles whereupon the order of Priesthood first in the new Testament began in Peter to whom it was said Thou art Peter and vpon thee will I build my Church Math. 16. 18. And I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen Whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth c. v. 19. Seeing then such power is giuen to Peter and to the Pope in Peter as his successor who is then in all the world that ought not to be subiect to my Decrees which haue such power in heauen in hell in earth with the quicke also the dead whereupon Pope Clement in his Bull of lead sent to Vienna granted to all such as died in their peregrination to Rome that the paine of hell should not touch them And all such as tooke the holy Crosse vpon them should euery one at his request not onely be deliuered but also deliuer 3. or 4. soules out of Purgatory And againe Christ said to Peter I haue
as the very naming of them is a confutation Simancha and Creswell haue concluded that no hereticke that is a Protestant is capable of a Crowne and though a lawfull heire yet no iust possessor hauing obtainedit And to this effect Pope Clements Bull was After the death of the late Queene whether by course of nature or otherwise whosoeuer should lay claime or Title to the Crowne of England though neuer so directly or neerely interessed therein by descent and Blood royall yet vnlesse he were such an one as would not onely tollerate the Catholicke Romane religion but by all endeuours and force promote it they should admit or receiue none to the Crowne of England And Samancha Tit. 64. Sect. 75. faith The father may be deposed for an hereticke and his sonne and heire also excluded from claime of succession vnlesse he be a Romane Catholicke Thus they seeke to dispossesse Kings who are enthroned by God and haue their Scepters from the King of Kings yea they â—ind Kings to their good behauiour if they doe displease the Pope then depose them and so no Kings Molina saith The King can vse his Temporall sword but at the Popes becke Tract 2. de Institut Di. 29. Thus debasing Kings the highest powers on earth to be subiects to the Pope who yet in a counterfeit style cals himselfe Seruus seruorum a seruant of seruants Sonat humilit as in voce sed superbia in actione Saith Gregory Iacobs voice and Esawes hands Hypocriticall humility is worse then manifest pride And truly if the Pope had a sparke of the spirit of humility he would condemne his Parasites voices Papa est per queâ—reges regnant The Pope is he by whom Kings reigne Saith Bozius or Papa data est omnis potest as in caelo in terra Dominatur amarivsque admare à flumine vsque adtermin os orbis To the Pope is giuen all power in heauen and earth and reignes from one Sea to an other from the stood to the end of the world or Papa potest omnia facere quae Deus potest The Pope can doe all that God can doe horrible impiety and intollerable flattery And these tell the world he can make and vnmake Kings and the Popes like it well enough excommunicating Kings deposing them and disposing of their Kingdomes to others So that it mooued Art 〈◊〉 King of Peru to say as Benzo and Lopez tell it Insigniter fatuum esse opertere papam qui quae non haberet alijs liberaliter largitur vel carte impedentem nebulonem qui eiectis veris possessoribus alienas terras peregrinis addiceret in mutuas cades mortale genus armaret That either the Pope was an egregious Sot who would liberally giue things which he had not or a very impudent companion who expulsing the true possessors giues it to strangers arming the world to mutuall yea mortall slaughters I will not trouble my selfe to behold the nakednesse rather wickednesse of these drunken Noes vncouered in the midst of their Tents vomiting out vile positions full of sedition and disobedience against the Kings of the earth it require rather teares to bewaile it then a pen to report it and the learned heerein know more then I write and for the ignorant it is good for them in this case to be ignorant still yet I confesse I aimed most in this labour to informe the ignorant hauing no minde to meddle with seducing Priests I cannot charme such deafe Adders if this litle handfull of my loue and labour presented vnto you may be profitable to win any of you I will say and end with the Apostle Iames Brethren if any of you haue erred from the Truth and some man hath conuerted him let him know that hee which hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes The Lord who is a God of Truth for his mercy sake and for Christs merits sake open all your eies to behold the Truth and your hearts to embrace it that we may all hold one Head in vnity and haue one heart in verity that all with one minde and mouth may praise and pray vnto the Lord in the militant Church on earth and be thrice happy members of the Triumphant Church in heauen Amen Candido lectori Humanum est errare errata hic corrige lector quae penna aut praelo lapsa fuisse vides FINIS * Epist 34. * Baron annal tom 1 ad an 1. fol. 53. * Math. 2. 11. * Walafriâ— Strabo lib. de rebus Eccles * Epist 77 * Eccluâ— 24. 39. * 1 Cor. 4. 3. * Le moribus a 2 Kings 11 3. b 2 Chr. 22. 9. 10. 11. c 2 King 11. 4 d 2 Chr. 23. 2. e 2 Kin. 11. 4. f 2 Ch. 23. 3. g 2 King 11. 6. 11. h 2 Chr. 23. 11. i 2 Kin. 11. 12. * A queene ouer men a queene ouer her selfe for a maiden queen k Mundi totius vna decus Beza Epigram in class hisp Anno 1588. l Gen. 27. 41. Ad certum tempus sunt Christiani postea peribunt redibunt Idola verum tum cum expectas miserinfidelis vt transeant Christiani transis ipse sine Christianis Aug. in P s 70 m Quo nil praestaÌ„tius orbe nobiliusque nihil nostro sol aspicit aeuo Mortua regina quasi non est mortua quia reliquit similem plus quam fimilis hic n Quem beneficia accepta memorem non redduÌ„t is grauius suppliciuÌ„ meretur Chrysost de Sacerd. lib. 4. o Tertul. in Apâ—log c. 30. p Psal 132. 18. q Plut. in vita Flaminij r 1 Kin. 1. s 1 King 1. 40. t 39. Proditor est martyr coeli certissimê° hares u Mariana de reg lib. 1. c 7. * Maria. p 60. Vid orat sixt Qt habit in consistoria Saunders Fra de Verone Azorius Philopater Allen aly x Tertul in Apol. Spolia opima Joui Sen. Prosperum scelus vocatur virtus y 1 Chr. 16. 22. z Reu. 17. 46. a Machau Princ. c. 11. b Psal 21. 8. 9. c Psal 129. 6. a 1 Tim. 2. b Tribus argumeÌ„tis ostendit oranduÌ„ esse proregibê° quorum duo sumpta sunt ab effectu vtili Pisc in locuÌ„ c Plin 2 Panegy ad Traianum Rex sapiens est stabilimentum populi Wisd 6. 24. Rex si bonus est nutritor est tuus si malus tentator tuus est Aug. ser 6. de verb. dom secund Math. Bellua multorum capitum homine nullum morosius animal nec maiori arte tractandum Sene. d Quot capita tot sententiae quot homines tothumores quot humores tot mores Lipsius e Exod. 18. 19. f Psalm 2. 10. g 2 Chr. 1. 10. h Wisd 6. 21. i Magna seruituâ— est magna fortuna nam ipsi Caesari cui omnia licent propter hoc ipsu multa non licent Seneca consolat ad
prayed for thee that thy faith shall not faile hauing such a promise and assurance who then will not beleeue my doctrine So that all they that beleeue not my doctrine or stand against the priuiledge of my Church of Rome I pronounce them heretickes for he goeth against the Faith which goeth against her who is the mother of the Faith And moreouer to shew the strange vertue of the Popes keyes his Schoole Doctors haue a twofold distinction 1. Clauis ordinis the key of order hauing authority to binde and loose but not ouer the persons whom they binde loose which authority they take not immediately from Christ but from the Pope the Vicar of Christ 2. Key is Clauis Iurisdictionis the key of Iurisdiction which the Pope hath from Christ immediately as being his Vicar hauing not onely power to binde and loose but also dominion ouer them on whom this key is exercised By the iurisdiction of which key all are subiect to the Pope the Emperours ought to subdue their executions to him Onely the Pope is subiect to no creature no not to himselfe except hee list in foro poenitentiae to his ghostly father submitting himselfe as a sinner but not as a Pope the papall maiesty euer remaining vnminished No man must iudge or accuse the Pope of any crime as murder adultery simony c. but as the Iewes were commanded to obey the High Priest of the Leuiticall Order so are all Christians bound to obey the Pope Christs Lieutenant in earth Concerning whose obedience or disobedience reade Deutron 17. 12. where their ordinary Glosse payes it home saying That he who denieth to the Priest obedientiam obedience lyeth vnder the sentence of condemnation as much as he that denieth to God his omnipotentiam his omnipotence The greatnesse of the Popes priesthood began in Melchisedech solemnized in Aaron continued in his children perfectionated in Christ represented in Peter exalted in the vniuersall iurisdiction and manifested in Syluester c. So that in regard of this priestly preheminence it may be verified of the Pope which the Psalmist writes Psalm 8. 6. 7. c. Thou hast put all things vnder his feete all sheepe and oxen the beasts of the field the fowles of the aire and the fish of the Sea c. which place his owne Antoninus hath applied to the Pope and with a clearkely Paraphrase hath expounded thus By Oxen are signified the Iewes and heretickes by the Cattell of the fielde Pagans by Sheepe all Christian men Princes Prelates and people by the Birds Angels and powers of Heauen by the Fishes of the Sea the soules departed in paine or purgatory as Gregory by his prayer deliuered the soule of Traiane out of hell By them which passe through the paths of the Sea are signified such as are in Purgatory and stand in need of others helpe and yet be in their iourney Viatores de foro Papa passengers and belong to the Court of the Pope and may be relieued out of the storehouse of the Church by the participation of Indulgence And though it be truely doubted that pardons haue no power to extend to the departed yet Romes Doctors can helpe that for though it was said to Peter Whatsoeuer thou shalt loosevpon earth and so being not on earth they cannot be loosed yet they will dissolue that doubt by a distinction vpon super terram vpon the earth that may be taken two waies eyther to the looser and so a Pope being dead cannot loose or to the loosed which must be vpon the earth or about the earth But what do I talke of the Popes power in such points the whole Quire of the Popes Cleargy in their books tractations distinctions glosses summaries c. sing altogether such notes The Pope say they being the Vicar of Iesus Christ throughout the whole World in the stead of the liuing Lord hath that dominion on earth which Christ would not haue yet had it in habitu and gaue it to Peter in Actu that is the vniuersall iurisdiction both spirituall and also temporall which double iurisdiction is intimated by the two swords in the Gospell and by the wisemens offering of Incense and Gold to Christ to signifie that the dominion spirituall and temporall belong to Christ and his Vicar And as Christ saith All power is giuen to him both in Heauen and Earth so it is holden inclusiue that the vicar of Christ hath power on things cclestiall terrestriall and infernall which he tooke immediatly of Christ and all other take it mediatly by Peter and the Pope And they that say The Pope hath onely dominion in spirituall things may be compared to the Counsellors of the King of Aram 1 Kin. 20. 23. Their Gods are Gods of Mountaines and therefore they ouercame vs but let vs fight against them in the plaine or vallies and doubtlesse we shall ouercome them So Counsellors flatter Kings saying Popes and Prelats be Gods of Mountaines that is of spirituall things but not of vallies that is of temporall things Therefore let vs fight against them in the vallies in the power of temporall possessions and so we shall preuaile ouer them But what saith God v. 28. Because the Aramites haue said that the Lord is the God of mountaines and not God of the vallies therefore will I deliuer all this great multitude into thine hands and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Which place though very impertinent in this point they vrge with great importunity to proue the Popes power ouer all mountaines and vallies that is say they ouer spirituall and temporal matters and so very vnthankfully they regard Constantines gift of their patrimony to Syluester saying It was not so much a Donation as a Restitution Yea they say the Pope is superior to Emperors yea superior to Lawes and free from all Constitutions Who is able of himselfe and by his interpretation to preferre equity being not written before the Law written The Faith Supremacy Chaire of Peter Keyes of Heauen power to bind and loose all these be inseparable to the Church of Rome being presumed that God prouiding and Saint Peter assisting the Diocesse of Rome that it shall neuer fall from the Faith and though the Pope be not alwayes good yet the merites of Saint Peter be sufficient for him who bequeathed a dowry of merites with inheritance of innocency to his posterity And if the Pope be an Homicide or an Adulterer he cannot be accused but rather excused by the murders of Sampson the thefts of the Hebrewes the adultery of Dauid or if any of his Clergy be found imbracing of a woman it must be presupposed that he doth it to blesse her To be briefe All the Earth is the Popes Diocesse and he the Ordinary of all men hauing the authority of the King of Kings vpon Subiects yea God and his vicar haue
complaint is verified vpon vs My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge the seeds-men of the worde sent from the blessed sower who broke vp our stony hearts and made them flexible and did labour to turne many to righteousnesse they are taken from vs and now Impius haec tam culta novalia miles habebit Barbarus has segetes Not Masse but Mars-Priests in the Churches field Possesse the fruits which others labours tilld These and more pittifull mones would haue beene fresh and frequent in this land crying with Ieremy The ioy of our heart is gone our dance is turned to mourning the Crowne of our head is fallen woe vnto vs that wee haue sinned our necks are vnder persecution wee are weary and haue no rest Our King a Nursing Father to the Church and Common-wealth Our Noble men of Sion comparable to fine Gold Our reuerend Prelates and Pastors the salt of the earth and light of the land the chiefe Iudges and choice Gentry of the Kingdom who were as eyes to the blinde and feete to the lame All the pillars of Church and Common-wealth maintainers of the Law and Gospell had perished in this intended Massacre So that the shepheard being smitten the sheepe will be scattered yea sheepe not hauing a shepheard will fall into the hands of wolfes who will deuoure their flesh and their fleeces And looke still further and behold these powder-traitors men nourished with Tygers milke who enterprised not onely to procure a temporall politicall and spirituall ouerthrow of Church and Common-wealth but also so farre as in their power they could seeked to procure the eternall death of body and soule vnawares by force of fire to part vnprepared soules and blow vp with a fiery Dimittis bodies and soules before they could haue time to say feelingly Inmanus tuas Domine O Lord into thy hands we commend our soules heerein shewing themselues desirous to be bloudy murtherers to murder the body with death temporall and also to make away the soule with death eternall which second death worse then millions of corporall deaths Continet Myriades mortis Prima mors animam dolentempellit de corpore secunda mors animā nolentem tenet in corpore as Austen The first death driues the pained soule out of the body the second death keepes the vnwilling soule in the body for then men shall seeke death and shall not finde it for in life there is some ease in death an end but in the second death neyther ease nor end Mors sine morte finis sine fine So that to draw all to a conclusion which should haue beene the conclusion yea confusion of vs all I may supply my defects in the description of this immatchable treason with the Poets excuse Non mihi si centum linguae sint oraque centum Ferreavox omnes scelerum cōprendere formas Omnia poenarum peccurrere nomina possem No tongue can tell no pen descry This Map of mischiefe the Powder-Tragedy The Lord of Hosts who neither slumbers nor sleepes who in pitty and prouidence prouides for the safety of his Church and Children beheld our English Israel and Popish Amaleck the members of the Church militant and malignant the one secretly plotting to blow vp the other but the Lord against whom no wisdome nor vnderstanding nor counsell can preuaile became an impenetrable shield suffered not one of his seruants haires to be burnt with fire but besotted these Traytors to communicate their counsels though darkly to others by which meanes they were discouered And we are perswaded and confirmed of the all-sauing protection of our good God towards his deare Seruant and our dread Soueraigne with the rest of the religious assembly congregated for the glory of his name and good of his Church in that Honourable House of Parliament that if the Lord had suffred them to haue made a further progresse to the instant of that disastrous and dismall action that hee would haue disabled the party who with his vnhappy hand should haue kindled that fatall fire as he did the hand of infamous Ieroboam in the very act of stretching it against the Prophet it withered or like the hand of Valens the Emperor when hee tooke his pen to confirme the sentence of Basils banishment strucken of God shooke and shrunke not able to hold the pen So surely the Lord would haue benummed that accursed hand which sought to ouerthrow Christs Church among vs for it is as easie to pull Christ from Heauen as to put his Church out of the Earth Christ cannot be a bodilesse Head nor the Church an headlesse body and though outward meanes of deliuerance to vs may seeme defectiue yet stand comforted and couragious for the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church It is a lame and halting confidence which cannot goe to God without the stilts and crutches of externall meanes for the Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly and in the very point and article of time will be a present helpe in trouble God came to Adam with a promise in the time of despaire to Abraham with supply in the time of sacrifice to Isaacke with reliefe in the time of famine and danger to Ioseph with honour in the time of exile to Elias with comfort in the time of persecution to Gideon with helpe in the time of battle to Daniel with safety in the Lyons denne to Ionas with release in the Whales belly to Susanna with life condemned to death to the three Children with a protecting Angell in the fiery Furnace yea to this Kingdome of England with a most mercifull preseruation neere the time of the appointed Powder-destruction to make all our English Israel alwayes in all distresses and dangers say with Moses Feare not stand still behold the deliuerance of the Lord which he shewed vnto you this day Dies Ista Salutis erat candore notabilis ipso The Lord would not haue this Powder-proiect to haue power to burne one haire of his seruants head or any smell of fire come vpon them yet caused some of these vault-pyoners to be wounded and disfigured with powder In quo peccarunt in eodem plectuntur Wherewith they sinned by the same they were also punished So that all these extraordinary mercies of Almighty God summed vp together should haue more then a Magneticall attraction to draw all Christian hearts euer to praise his infinite goodnesse and continually inuite and induce all to a serious consideration and conseruation of this admirable deliuery from this intended miserable calamity agnizing God the sole and supreme cause in preuenting of it and therefore ascribing all the glory to him who hath preserued still his Church in tranquility our King in glory the State in safety the Realme in prosperity Iutuere rupem erige ratem The snares of death and destruction prepared