bellicus labor subdidit quam quod pax Christiana subiecit Although they got much by their warfare yet their Christian cunning peace hath got more to their dominion as a Prophet of their owne foretold and taught Tu regere Imperio populos Romane memento Hae tibi erunt artes pacique imponere nomen Like the snake Rome hath bene warmed in the bosome of our greatest kingdomes till it stung them vnto death like iuie so long it hath embraced that it hath eaten vp whole Monarchies like the Crocodile by weeping and creeping it hath got into the best estates like old Rome it vseth all Religion onely for a vantage he setteth Kings at ods and then becoms an arbiter hee brings kingdomes to the ballance and makes that weightier where hee doth propend As the Romane Emperours would bee counted Monarkes of the world although their Empire in Scipioes iudgement was but a point and vnder Traian when it flourisht most it was not the thirtieth part so the Popes will be taken for Gouernours of the world though that there bee but a little cantle of Europe which will hold of them Thus you see that it is the citties custome not the Churches right which makes them thus vsurping For there is no other no not Saint Peter that can yeeld it them Saint Peter they say was cald a Rocke therefore on Saint Peters chaire must the Church bee built to which we say that as Simon was called Peter i. a rocke so Peter was called Simon i. obedient to shew that they should build so that they might still obey nay being both Simon Peter he was after called Satan to shew the succession of that name would after proue Satannicall But Peter had the keyes of the kingdome of heauen which might loose or binde the kingdome of heauen we confesse was opened by S. Peters key the preaching of the word but the kingdomes of this earth are yet reserued in the power of God promotion comes not either frō East or West from North or South but it is God that sets vp one and pulleth downe another But Peter was bidden feed the lambes sheep why feeding is not fleecing chiefest of the flocke Peter was bidden kill and eate such killing was the conuersion not the confusion the mortifying not the murdering of the Gentiles it was not the killing sword but pricking word which wan Cornelius and 3000. at one sermon I but Peter by walking on the sea did get a dominion from sea to sea and from the floud vnto the worlds end no more say we then Christ that fled thither and walk there because he would not bee made a king But Christ came into S. Peters ship to shew that he would come into S. Peters sea yet as hee came in he came out againe as he desired Christ for to depart from him for he was a sinfull man to shew that hee would part from them when as they parted from his truth yet Peter was foretold his death and bidden follow to shew that as he followed in suffering he should follow in reigning but all this was no more then hee said vnto Iames and Iohn of the cup and baptisme they should be baptized with no more then hee told his other Disciples when he bad them take vp his crosse and follow promising they that left all for him should sit vpon twelue seates and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel who notwithstanding haue no iudgement in this world If they say S. Peter paid for Christ wee may say the fish paid it him if how Christ was first seene of Cephas then of the twelue Mary Magdalen saw him before Cephas if how S. Peter spoke the first and most vnto the Iewes of Christ we must answer it was because he spoke last and worst when he blasphemed him These are the prerogatiues of S. Peter whereon Bellarmine would build the Popes patrimony but how absurdly you may see by that vntempered morter with which hee daubes the Church-gouernment A monarchy saith Bellarmine is the best and to this we grant the best Monarke euen Christ alone as the father establisht him I haue set my king vpon mine holy hill of Zion All thinges according to S. Paul hapned vnto the Iewes in a figure saith Bellarmine and therefore our high Priesthood must resemble theirs to which we must answer Saint Paul meanes al things that are there mentioned for otherwise al their ceremonies are to become Christian the Church indeed as Bellarmine saith is a kingdome but Christ is the king to whom all power is giuen in heauen and earth a flocke but Christ is that good sheepheard a body but Christ is the head a ship which the blessed Apostles could not guide in the tempest vntill our Sauiour came and stilled the waues God forbid I should here condemne all Metropolitans and Diocaesans for I know there bee certaine Ecclesiasticall reserued cases in which they may determine but an vniuersall infinite and incontrollable iurisdiction ouer men Angels diuels and purgatorie soules cannot be but Luciferian vnto which our aduersarie compares it and Anti-christian How can the Pope take on him to direct all truth and salue all mischiefs in this world vnlesse he pull Christes office from his hands Can any man effectually call and send orders of Ministers but Christ which enables vs vnto this calling Can any determine all controuersies but the Spirit that leads into all truth any make one faith but one Christ in whom wee trust Can any gouerne well all the world but he must bee more then a man for a man can hardly gouerne his owne family more then an Angel for Angels are proportioned vnto seuerall prouinces in Daniels prophecie He must bee equall in iustice power and wisedome to God himselfe who takes no more in charge then the Pope challengeth Saint Paul had a care indeed of all Churches but it was of all that were conuerted then far fewer then are now to bee directed it was in writing praying preaching trauelling which the Popes haue little leasure to meddle with it was for edifiyng not destruction as they now intend Beeing destitute of Scripture they flie to their owne decretals whereof some are so plainely forged some full of so plaine falsehood the residue so much partiall that we may say with Christ He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory and If I beare witnesse of my selfe my witnesse is not true Saint Peter did referre the choise of an Apostle to the disciples the Councell of Ierusalem preferred him before the rest hee cals himselfe but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fellow Elder Saint Paul withstood him to his face as being in place and deed such as might and should bee blamed Cyprian saith all the Apostles had the fame fellowship of honour and office vnto which also Hierome consenteth Pelagius the second and Gregory the first would not be cald vniuersal thus it was til Phocas the murderer of his Maister made Boniface the third Pope of Priests
it is not then from Saint Peter Much lesse from Christ Christ would haue no difference among the blessed Apostles nor haue them reigne as Kings of the nations he bad the Priests giue to Caesar the things that are Caesars as good giue them nothing as not obedience Christ was obedient before his birth when he trauelled for the taxe all his life had many lessons of obedience he paid tribut vnto Caesars customers was conuēted before his deputie confest his power was from aboue and ouer him What greater humility could there be then that the Son of God should submit himselfe vnto the son of man the Lord of heauen vnto a lumpe of earth and the King of Kings vnto the subiect of a King His death was the summe of all obedience he was obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse and learnt obedience in that he suffered the more he suffered he was willing to suffer more this hee neither needed nor deserued but that with his humility he would humble his followers vnder temporal authority Now looke vpon the Pope how faire he followes him far of Christ would not become a deuider betwixt brethren but the Pope diuides between Princes as Alexander did the East West Indies betweene Portingale and Spaine Christ would not aske his right albeit he were very neere vnto the crowne the Pope would haue many crownes albeit he hath no right in them Christ was a king yet would seeme none the Pope is none yet would seeme higher like the Romane Dictators they detest the title yet arrogate greater power to make their Senate of Cardinals as good as kings The Pope therefore is not the successor of Saint Peter but of Caesar which was neuer great Prinsquam pontificiam potestatemcum Caesarea coniunxisset before he ioyned the Priesthood and Empire in one person not the sole Vicar of Christ but of Satan which promised all kingdoms vnto those that would fall down and worship him not the God of men as their Glosse pretends but the man of sinne who sets himselfe aboue all that is called God on earth i. all ciuill powers There hath bene great contention betwixt the spirituall and the ciuill state and it hath fared with vs as Gedeons fleece when it rained on the fleece it rained not on the ground when on the ground not on the fleece when the Spiritualty was rich the Temporality was poore now the laity is rich the Spiritualty is poore I would to God as we might meete in faith we might in loue and both bee content one with anothers aduancement and prosperity the ciuill state should bee like a father to prouide for vs while the the spirituall as a Tutor doth instruct vs the ciuill as a good husband should care for such things as are abrode the spirituall as a good huswife tend that which is within our doores in our conscience the ciuill as our head to guide our outward motions the spiritual as our hearts for to direct our affections Both of them should be like Atrides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the two Sheepheards of the people like Amarias and Zebadiah they should meet in one to consult vpon negotia Iehouae Regit Reipub. the businesse of God the King and Common-wealth like both our hands they should worke together for the whole body of the kingdome so that both be subiect vnto the king which in this is not mere laicus a meere Lay-man much lesse a Clerke but like the soule which does all in all yet is not any part like a center in whom the lines of all inferior powers do meete yet is no line like the Sun which works contraries by the same force yet feeles not the mixture of any such qualities Thus the Kings of Israel had potestatem directiuam and correctiuam ouer Priests and people Dauid as hee ruled these prudently with all his power hee set them likewise in their orders Salomon as he iudged betwixt harlots he deposed Abiathar and put Zadocke in his roome Iehosaphat as hee sent the Iudges hee sent the Priests and Leuites into the prouinces Let euery soule then saith Saint Paul the soule of the Priest saith Chrysostome as well as of the people euen the soule of Saint Peter which was one of the Romane Church be subiect vnto these higher powers To determine all in a word we may conclude the Pope as Blackwell saith hath ability to rule Princes when they be willing but the king hath authority to rule men whether they will or no the Pope may be Christs Vicar like other Priests when he preaches and ministers the Sacraments in steed of him but the king is Gods Vicegerent as Anastasius the Pope called Anastasius the Emperour and Eleutherius the Pope entituled Lucius king of Britaine to iudge and execute his iudgements vpon earth the Pope may barre the king from his Masses indulgences and his owne orisons and the king may barre the Pope from intermedling with his kingdomes Let them like Iacob Laban not passe this pillar towards one another for euill and all things else will quietly be composed But if by violence of his excommunications the Pope licence any to take armes he goes beyond his teddar and knowes not of what spirit he is for as Saint Bernard saith of Eugenius in criminibus non possessionibus potestas vestra praeuaricatores exclusura non possessores Your power consisteth not in expelling any from possession but in expelling sin from them the keyes of heauen were not giuen vnto such purposes the rod of Moses may bee turned into a Serpent but the rod of Aaron buddeth bodeth peace Dauid could not build the Temple being stained with bloud Paul protested he was pure from the bloud of all Gregory though he might haue kild the Gothes he woud not meddle in such bloudy matters shall the pillars of the Sanctuary the successors of S. Paul and Gregory fil their heartes and hands with such practizes Euer blessed bee the Right worthy Earle of Sarisbury Qui baculum fixit which hath set his rest on this that neuer any Protestant regular or vnconformitant did euer mingle their differences with bloudy massacres but it was excellently noted of the most noble learned Earle of Northampton that there was neuer any disturbance of the state without a Priest By their fruites then you shall know them Enuie strife and sedition is from a wisedome which is earthly sensuall and diuellish but the wisedome from aboue is pure and peaceable easie to be entreated the fruites of righteousnesse are sowne in peace of them which make peace Excommunication is not now worse then in the daies of Samuel when Saul had bene accurst of God so farre that he might not be praied or mourned for yet he could not be killed or depriued of Dauid the next annointed not worse then in the daies of Christ which would haue vs count excommunicates for heathens publicans yet himselfe would eate and ciuilly conuerse
with them not worse then in the daies of Saint Paul who deliuered ouer an incestuous person vnto satan that his spirit might be saued in the day of the Lord. Now their spirit cannot be saued if they be slaine excommunicate The company that he forbids is not that we should vtterly forsake their society for then we must forsake the world but that we should abstaine from their communion wee should not eate with them of the same vnleauened passeouer Christ Iesus wee should seeke to restore them in the spirit of meekenesse wee should striue to doe good vnto all though they be not of the houshold of faith Saint Paul thought it sufficient that the excommunicate was rebuked of many but our Aduersaries are not satisfied vnlesse they take life and al. God banisht Adam out of Paradice and yet he gaue him certaine meanes to liue Gods holy Spirit parted from the former world yet he left them one hundred and twenty yeares leasure to repent themselues God seuered Mirian from the campe yet hee would haue the people to stay for her that she should not vtterly be desolate and shall wee censure more seuerely then the Lord of hoasts Hereupon their owne decrees affirme that excommunication is not mortalis but medicinalis gladius not a killing but healing sword Saint Austin saith it is not Corporalis but Spiritualis poena a penaltie for the soule not for the body Cyprian shews the very case suppose an euill doer cannot be seuered without sedition Tolera Zizanium eslo frumentum be wheat and beare with tares Thus did Saint Ambrose excommunicate Theodosius his threatning was Rogamus non pugnamus wee cannot fight but pray Lachrimae sunt arma t is the teares of our eyes not weapons in our hands which must ouercome you our warfare is not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God wee must fight with knowledge against ignorance with humility against pride with examples of obedience against wilfulnesse in wickednesse How many Iewes Turks Atheists Epicures and murderers doth God now suffer in this world and sets a marke on them as on Cain that none shall kill vntill he please to take them hence can any thing then be so shameles vnder the pretence of religion to murder whom they list as that Frier did who slew sixe score with his owne hands in a French massacre Their doctrine therefore cannot be but impious against God in deposing or abusing his officers for he will take it as if it were himselfe as he said of Samuel they haue not cast away thee but me It is hereticall against the Scripture which commands the contrary truth loue and peace it is abhominable and so damnable in their owne conscience the censure of the world and the sight of God Although the Popes propose it as meritorius yet their guilty conscience foretelleth heauy things and in their hearts proditionem amant nov proditorem they loue the deed as far as it profits them but the doer they will haue in bitter detestation much more the world hateth this and for it owne safety will not suffer such a sinne vnpunisht Nature abhors murder as appeares by the bleeding of the murdered in the presence of the murderer much more the murders of a Prince whose life hath bene accounted sacred in all ages countries and religions much more vnder the color of religion when Gods Holinesse is made a patron of such diuellish treacheries and therfore in his iudgment hee will punish the lesse offenders with lesse torments and these with worst and most as being most mischieuous men Thus their opinion must needes be absurd which puls all kings kingdoms from Gods power leaues them in the disposition of a weake old sinful man As then this oath may betaken with a good conscience being vndertaken it must be kept notwithstāding al absolution it may be wisdome as times alter to change an opinion but it is impietie to breake a resolution grounded on Gods word Zachariah beheld a flying booke the length was 20 the bredth was 10 cubits which entred into the swearers house and eate vp the timber stones thereof but now we may behold a flying bul of mighty voyce but little force which coms from Rome to licence command many to forsweare themselues Violare Deorum non licet acta Deum if one Magistrat infringe what an other hath determined there followes nothing but confusiō God although that he promist whatsoeuer we boūd or loosed on earth shold be so bound or loosed in heauen yet he neuer promist we might loose on earth what was already bound in heauen Woe to them therfore which call euil good good euill which de iustitia would make iniustitiam and breake the seauen-fold binding of an oath as the Hebrew name imports as Samson did the new made cords with little force or care who can this be but Anti-christ who sitting in the Temple of God would exalt himselfe aboue God so far as to dissolue the bonds made sacred by his holyname and bring that blemish vpon Christianity which euen Iewes and Turks abhorre who say the causes of our Christian troubles are our daily blasphemies periuries This doctrine of absolution is so contrary to inward peace outward honesty so odious in it selfe perilous for example scandalous to the Church preiudicious in the confederacies of Princes and suspicious in all contracts for if our couenants be neuer so surely writ on earth and registred in heauen yet they say they may be cancelled of his Holinesse that it cannot be suffered in a Christian common wealth looke then into the word of God whether it be better obeying the king in keeping of a lawfull oath then a stranger in breaking it looke into thy conscience whether it can be discharged of periury by the bull of such a Bishop looke vnto the iudgement of all flesh whether the Popes pardons can proue a supersedeas against hell Thus we must not looke for absolution Equiuocation and mentall reseruation is as dangerous they be solaecismes in reason much more absurd in conscience Christianity This was Lysanders noted crime to deceiue children with triffles and men with oathes This was that heinous fault of Ananias hee told not all he should haue told but kept halfe backe for his owne profit and so lied against the holy Ghost This was the custome of hereticks to protest one faith and haue another in their bosome This is the shame of Christendom since this doctrine was defended men make a common trade of lying and deceiuing This is the heart and the heart whereof Dauid so complaines the dissembling to satisfie for the present which Eleazar much abhorred the trick of a false brother which had the voyce of Iacob and the hands of Esau he spoke like a friend and dealt like an enimie The Satyre could not abide him could blow both hot and could Solon condemned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ambidexters in their words and deedes God will not suffer