other forrein Potentates as afore And also aswell the said Statute made in the said eight and twentieth yeer as the Statute made in the said Session of the Parliament holden the 35. yeere of the Kings Majesties Reigne for establishment and declaration of His highnesse succession and all Acts and Statutes made and to be made in confirmation and corroboration of the Kings Majesties power and Supremacie in earth of the Church of England and Ireland and of other the Kings Dominions I shall also defend and maintaine with by body and goods and with all my wit and power and this I shall doe against all manner of persons of what estate dignitie degree or condition they be and in no wise doe nor attempt nor to my power â—uffer or know to be done or attempted directly or indirectly any thing or things privily or apertly to the let hinderance damage or derogation of any of the said Statutes or of any part of them by any manner of means or for or by any manner of pretence And in case any Oath hath been made by me to any person or persons in maintenance defence or favour of the See and Bishop of Rome or his authoritie jurisdiction or power or against any Statutes aforesaid I repute the same as vaine and annihilate and shall wholly and truly observe and keepe this Oath so helpe me God all Saints and the holy Evangelists The Oath of Supremacie enacted 1 â— Elizabeth cap. 1o. I A. B. Doe utterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the Queenes highnesse is the onely Supreame governour of this Realme and of all other her Highnesse Dominions and Countries as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes as Temporall and that no forreigne Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction power superioritie preheminence or authoritie Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall within this Realme and therefore I doe utterly renounce and forsake all forraigne jurisdictioâ—s powers superiorities and authorities and doe â—â—omise that from henceforth I shall beare faith anâ—â—rue Allegiance to the Queenes Highnesse her 〈◊〉 and lawfull Successour and to my power shall assâ—st and defend all jurisdictions priviledges preheminences and authorities granted or belonging to the Queenes Highnesse her Heires and Successours or united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme So helpe me God and by the Contents of this Booke A Proviso in an Act 5 o. Elizabeth c. 1o. for expounding this Oath PRovided also that the Oath expressed in the said Act made in the said first yeere shall be taken and expounded in such forme as is set forth in an Admonition annexed to the Queenes Majesties Injunctions published in the first yeere of her Majesties reigne that is to say to confesse and acknowledge in her Majestie her Heires and Successours none other authoritie then that was challenged and lately used by the noble King Henrie the eighth and King Edward the sixth as in the said Admonition more plainly may appeare The Admonition annexed to the Injunctions Elizabeth 1o. followes with this Title An Admonition to simple men deceived by malicious THe Queenes Majestie being enformed that in certaine places of this Realme sundry of her native subjects being called to Ecclesiasticall Ministrie in the Church be by sinister perswasion and perverse construction induced to finde some scruple in the forme of an Oath which by an Act of the last Parliament is prescribed to be required of divers persons for the recognition of their Allegiance to her Majestie which certainly neither was ever meant ne by any equitie of words or good sense can be thereof gathered would that all her loving subjects should understand that nothing was is or shall be meant or intended by the same Oath to have any other Dutie Allegiance or Bond required by the same Oath then was acknowledged to be due to the most noble Kings of famous memorie King Henry the eight her Majesties Father or King Edward the sixt her Majesties Brother And further her Majestie forbiddeth all manner her subjects to give eare or credit to such perverse and malicious persons which most sinisterly and maliciously labour to notifie to her loving subjects how by the words of the said Oath it may be collected that the Kings or Queenes of this Realme possessours of the Crowne may challenge authoritie and power of Ministrie of Divine Offices in the Church wherein her said subjects be much abused by such evill disposed persons For certainly her Majestie neither doth ne ever will challenge any other authoritie then that was challenged and lately used by the said noble Kings of famous memory King Henrie the eight and King Edward the sixth which is and was of ancient time due to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme that is under God to have the Sovereigntie and rule over all manner of persons borne within these her Realmes Dominions and Countries of what estate either Ecclesiasticall or Temporall soever they be so as no other forreigne power shall or ought to have any superioritie over them And if any person that hath conceived any other sense of the forme of the said Oath shall accept the same Oath with this interpretation sense or meaning her Majestie is well pleased to accept every such in that behâ—lfe as her good and obedient subjects and shall acquit them of all manner penalties contained in the said Act against such as shall peremptorily or obstinately refuse to take the same Oath The Conclusion of the Authour of the Animadversions to the Reader THis Treatise Christian Reader penned by a learned and intelligent Romanist resembles Ortwhinus his Booke intituled Fasciculus rerum expetendarum et fugiendarum or the two baskets of figgâ—s Ier. 24.1.2 set before the Temple one basket had very good figges and the other very naughtie Among the very good are these assertions That in the Protestant Church there is no Idolatrie committed That the Liturgie of the Church of England hath not any malignitie in it that may â—ustifie Popish Recusancie That the Oathes of Allâ—giance and Supremacie are iustifiable by the law of God But among the very naughtie are these that when we are questioned about our Religion before a Magistrate we may vulpizure cum vulpibus goe beyond the foxe if wee can in fox-craft that in taking an oath we may frame a meaning to our selves which is proved contrary to the meaning of him that made or ministreth the Oath that we may by our outward gestures and actions make shew of that Religion of which indeed we are not that a Prudent Catholique may both frequent the Protestant Church in publique as this Priest sâ—ith he hath done often and goe to Masse â—r say Masse in private This is no better then to weare a garment not on our bodies â—ut on our soules made of 〈◊〉 and to plough in Christs â—ield with an Oxe and an Asâ—e and to 〈◊〉 betweene two opinions reproved by the holy Prophet Eliah tâ—is is to be of the
were to the injury of the Gospell retained and Christ himselfe blasphemed which no Christian eare ought to endure a See page 22. letter Q b If Papists trusted not in their owne merits it would goe better with them then I feare it will with many who the more they arrogate to themselves the more they derogate from our Saviour and the further they go from salvation I confesse many of them upon their death-beds have renounced their own merits and wholly stucke to our Saviours yet certaine it is that the generall doctrine of the Church of Rome is for trust in their own merits For they teach that faith alone doth not justifie us before God that good works are not only satisfactory for sin but also meritorious of eternall life and supererogatory also for others Consil. Trid. in sess 16. Bellar. l. 5. de iustif c. 16. and they who beleeve that they can so farre stead them do commonly confide in them Let them returne to the more ancient and true tenent with Bernard saying Meritum meum est miseratio Domini Gods mercy is my merit and if their be any worke of our own meritorious it is the renouncing our owne merits and flying meerely to Christ sufficit ad meritum scire quod non sufficiant merita Let them confesse with holy Iob Iob. 9.3 that they cannot answer one of a thousand and professe with Esay Esa. 64.6 All our righteousnesse is as filthy clowts and pray with David Psal. 143.2 Lord enter not into iudgement with thy servants for in thy sight shall no man living be iustified and close up their last Will and breath also as Bellar. is said to have done For Papists often dye in another faith then they lived with that holy ejaculation Lord vouchsafe to receive me into the number of thy Saints non meriti estimator sed veniae largitor not weighing my merits but pardoning my offences and we will not only cleare them of Pharisaicall pride and trusting in themselves but also conceive a better hope of their salvation c See a spunge to wipe out this false aspersioÌ„ upon that worthy servant of Christ and great Instrument of Gods glory pag. 59. letter H. d See the Advertisement to the Reader f The head of controversies betweene the Romish and Reformed Churches is the controversie about the Head of the Church which the Papists will have the Pope to be but reformed Churches Christ alone I say head of the Vniversall or Catholique Church but of particular Churches sovereigne Princes within their severall Realmes may be termed Heads that is chiefe Governours which this Priest here acknowledgeth For the acknowledgement of this supreame authoritie and power of the King in his dominions of England and Ireland the Oath of Supremacie was appointed by Act of Parliament in the 35. of Henry the eighth to be taken by all his Majesties subjects this Act was continued in the reigne of Edward the sixth but repealed in the first and second of Philip and Mary and revived the first of Queene Elizabeth now the question here is whether the Oath of Supremacie thus confirmed by divers Acts of Parliament exclude not that Spirituall jurisdiction which all Papists beleeve to be in the Pope Iure divino or which comes all to one whether a Papist ut siâ— that is remaining a Papist and holding his Popish religion may salvâ— conscientiâ take this Oath of Supremacie this Priest affirmeth he may but we shall demonstrate the contrary hereafter by impregnable arguments drawne from the intention of the Law-makers the letter of the Acts of Parliament and the Queenes Injunctions the judgement of the Church of Rome and the confession of the adversarie himselfe g Not the same authoritie which the Pope had in all things but so farre as it is expounded and limited in the Queenes Injunctions in the first yeere of her reigne the Queene as her brother and father before onely resumed that power which the Pope had unjusty taken from the Crowne and usurped it himselfe a power which is and was of ancient time due to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme that is under God to have the Sovereigntie and rule over all manner of persons borne within these Realmes and Dominions and Countries of what estate either Ecclesiasticall or temporal soever they be See admonition to the Injunctions in the Appendix h Calvine conceived that King Henry the eighth by the Title of Head of the Church challenged a farre greater power then what the Act of Parliament acknowledged in him or he ever exercised but after the Title of Head of the Church was publikely declared and expounded by Q. Elizabeth boâ—h he and all the Reformed Churches rested satisfied in the lawfulnesse of that Title which imported not Supreame teacher or directer unto Trtuh but Supreame commander for the Truth in all causes and over all Persons i The intention of Henry the eighth and Queene Elizabeth was the selfe same as is expressed in the Act of Parliament 35. Henry the eighth and the Admonition annexed to the Injunctions of the 1 Elizabeth namely the extirpation and extinguishment of the usurped and pretended authoritie power and iurisdiction of the See and Bishop of Rome and the recovery of their owne right by adorning the Crowne with a flowre before wrongfully taken from it and here I cannot sufficiently admire the impudence of this Priest who so confidently affirmes that the intention of Queene Elizabeth was divers from her father in prescribing and requiring this Oath whereas she her selfe in the above named Admonition declareth to all her loving subjects That nothing was is or shall be meant or inâ—ended by the same Oath to have any other dutie allegiance or bond required by the same then was acknowledged to be due to the most noblâ— King of famous memory K. H. 8. her Maiesties father or K. Ed. 6. her Maiesties broâ—â—er k The liberty he speakes of was given by the approbation of the chief Vniversities beyond the Sea of the Romish Religion l Not to forme another Church but to reforme that Church which was before and restore Religion to her puritie by the example of Ezekiah Iosiah and other religious Kings m No power at all excepted but the former power explained onely how farre it extended viz Not to the authoritie and power of Ministrie of divine Office in the Church which none of the Kings or Queenes of this Realme possessours of the Crowne ever challenged Nor I in this place by what authoritie your Bishops anoynt your thumbes and ordaine your Priests to offer the unbloody sacrifice of the Masâ—e for the living the dead There is nec vola nec vestigium of any such calling in the Scripture or purer Antiquitie as for our Ministry it is â—o clearely justified together with the succession thereof out of your own best records and tenents by Francis Mason de succes Episc. Ministerio Angl. that ever since the printing therof all your Romish cavillers
per vâ—scera misericordiae charitatem quam Christus à suis omnibus exigit ut eam paluâ— dilucide quam primùm expediatis qua multi in hoâ— regno implicatâ— torquentur Quod haec charta complectitur nullius nomine singulariter praefertur quia non ad unum aliquem pertinet quod hic petitur sed ad omnes fere nobiles quos Anglia habet Catholicos quibus jam multis modis pericula intentantur Iis universis in tua illustrissima Dominatione magna spes auxilii effulget si eadem vel Dei vel nobilitatis respectu agere dignabitur cum amicis quos in concilio habet Tridentino ut huic questioni quae totius nobilitatis nomine his adjuncta est responsum maturum Deliberatum accommodetur huc commoda tuae D. opera perferatur In quo haud dubie acquiessent perturbatae nunc conscientiae si ex tetam sancto nobili patre certiores fieri possint quid patres hac de re iudicent Quanquam fortasse tutum non fuerit hanc questionem publice in concilio proponi ne res divulgata nostrorum protestantium animos exacerbet aliquibus periculum acceleret nisi tuae prudentiae aliter videatur ideo tua prudentia consultius fecerit si ita cum selectis quibusdam hanc causam egerit ut quod ipsi in hac causa piissimi doctissimi theologi consulti significaverint id proinde valeat ac si universi patres sententias dixissent Caeterum hoc totum tuae Do judicio arbitrio relinquendi satius sit ut ipsa quod magis in rem esse prospiciat â—d libere agat Qui in Anglia â—unc sunt theologi partim metuunt partim varie respondent ideo plane omnibus satisfaciet quod te procurante ex Tridenâ—â—no huc respondebitur Pro quo vestro tam firme christiano vere religioso animo non possumuâ— non Deo opt max. agere gratias nobis magnopere gratulari Etsi enim calamitatum vestrarum sensus cunctos vehementer tangat cruciet ut Christiana charitas hortatur quae tam arcto necessitudinis vinculo omnes devinctos constrictos tenet ut mutuo afficiat membra atque fratrum commoda incommoda non aliena sed propria ducat in illo tamen non est minima consolatio quod calamitosis hisce temporibus in eo potissimum regno in quo fides religiosorum miserè jacet cernimus nullo iniuriarum concursu aut metus vi charitatis vestrae ardorem extinguâ— aut fidem convelli aut constantiam labefactari quinimò vos esse qui in tanta rerum omnium confusione ac molestiarum turbulentissimá tempestate nunquam curvaveritis genua ante Baal non sine magna Divini nominis Christianaeque disciplinae gloria Ne igitur vestris constans animus qui nullis coÌ„modis ad impietatem torqueri flective unquam potuit fallacibus rationibus ad vestram perniciem comparatis aut Divinae legis ignoratione pietatisve simulatione deciperetur minueretur quod sustinemus dignum Christiani hominis officio debitum existimavimus vestris piissimis optatis morem gerere causamque vestram examinandam accuratè diligenter maturèque commissimus gravissimis quibusdam patribus ac reverendissimis Dominis Archiepiscopo Bracharensi Archiepiscopo Lanciâ—nensi Episcopo Dombriscensi Episcopo Lerenensi reverendo patri Iacobo Laineâ— generali societatis Iesu simulque spectatissimis quibusdam Doctoribus Alphonso Salmeroni Fratri Petro de Soto quem arbitramur vobis facie nomine notissimum D. Georgio de Fr. Francisco Fercensi Doct. Melchiori Cornelio Iacobo Paiva de Andrada item Doctori quorum omnium religio pietas eruditio certissimis testimoniis explorata est Quorum sententias nostro etiam judicio comprobatas non dubitamus quin sententiae totius concilii instar sitis merito habituri Hâ—i igitur patres ac Theologi quibus haec provincia data est cum sâ—pe convenissent atque diligenter circumspectè divina oracula sanctorum patrum sententias instituta deliberando evolvissent communibus suffragiis concluserunt minime vobis sine magno scelere divinaque indignatione licere hujusmodi hereticorum precibus illorumve concionâ—bus inâ—eresse ac longe multum praestare quaevis atrocissima perpeti quam in profligatissimis sceleratissimisque ritâ—bus quovis signo illis consentire c. The Oath of Supremacie Enacted 35. Henrici octavi I A. B. Having now the vaile of darknesse of the usurped power authoritie and jurisdiction of the See and Bishops of Rome clearely taken away from mine eyes doe utterly testifie and declare in my conscience that neither the See nor the Bishop of Rome nor any forrein Potentate hath nor ought to have any jurisdiction power or authoritie within this Realme nether by Gods law nor by any other just law or means And though by sufferance and abuse in times passed they aforesaid have usurped and vendicated a fained and unlawfull power and jurisdiction within this Realme which hath been supported till few yeeres passed therefore because it might be deemed and thought thereby that I tooke or take it for just and good I therefore now doe clearely and franckly renounce refuse relinquish and forsake that pretended authoritie power and jurisdiction both of the See and Bishop of Rome and of all other forrein powers And that I shall never consent and agree that the foresaid See or Bishop of Rome or any of their successours shall practise exercise or have any manner of authoritie jurisdiction or power within this Realme or any other the Kings Realmes or Dominions nor any forrein Potentate of what estate degree or condition soever he be but that I shall resist the same at all times to the uttermost of my power And that I shall beare faith truth and true Allegiance to the Kings Majestie and to his heires and successours declared or hereafter to be declared by the authoritie of the Act made in the Session of the Parliament holden at Westminster the fourteenth day of Ianuary in the five and thirtieth yeere and in the said Act made in the eight and twentieth yeere of the Kings Majesties reigne And that I shall accept repute and take the Kings Majestie his heires and successours when they or any of them shall enjoy his place to be the only supreame Head in earth under God of the Church of England and Ireland and of all other His Highnesses Dominions And that with my body cunning wit and uttermost of my power without guile fraud or other undue means I shall observe keepe maintaine and defend all the Kings Majesties styles titles and rights with the whole effects and contents of the Acts provided for the same and all other Acts and Statutes made or to be made within this Realme in and for that purpose and the derogation extirpation and extinguishment of the usurped and pretended authoritie power and jurisdiction of the See and Bishop of Rome and all
she meant that she might dispose of Church matters as her Father had and have power to forme what Church she pleased and so that should suffice her Highnesse It is to be noted thirdly that the aforesaid oath when it was made was unlawfull to be taken by any Catholique as the oath before made in the dayes of King Henry the 8th Although when it was made it was not altogether so unlawfull as that of King Henry because in his dayes there was no other Church extant or like to be extant in England but the Catholique Church of which contrary to the Law of God and his own conscience he made himself head as appears by a booke set forth by the said King himself in the later end of his raigne and many yeers after he had framed his Oath of Supremacie intituled A necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian man set forth by the Kings Majestie of England c. In which he sets forth the Christian faith then to be professed in England Which was as absolutely Catholique and the self-same in every point as now it is in Rome And if any man should have sworne him the supreame head as he intended of that Church he would have sworne false as making the Church a Monster in having two heads or depriving the Pope of his authoritie granted him by God which had been to have denyed an Article of faith but when the said Oath was repealed in Queene Maries dayes And another Oath of Supremacie made in the aforesaid first yeere of Queene Elizabeth It was as I have said to inable her not so much to be head of the Church then extant and to be utterly abolished as to be Governour of a new Church distinct from the Catholique Church then out of hand to be propagated and established of which to sweare Her Head before it was or to sweare Her Head of the Church then extant which she conceived superstitious of which indeed she was not head was in a true and proper sence unlawfull And so continued unlawfull untill after the abrogation of Masse and perfect establishment of the new Protestant Church within this Realme and other His Majesties Dominions Which being established as now it is the said Oath of Supremacie ceased from being unlawfull because then there was an apparant face of a Church distinct from the members of the Catholique Church which then began scarce to appeare in respect of the greater multitude of which only she was supreame governour and chief head and no other person whatsoever had or ought to have any jurisdiction or preheminence in the same and all that were or are not of the same faith and Church were and are in a true and proper sense forreiners to the same It is to be noted fourthly that a man may be said to be a Forreiner in a twofold sence First in respect of a temporall Dominion Secondly in respect of faith whence ariseth a spirituall jurisdiction In the first sence all that are not Natives of His Majesties Dominions although some Lawyers say all that doe no homage to His Majestie are forreiners In the second sence all that are of the Protestant faith with the King are Domesticks of the same faith and within His Dominions only subject to His spirituall jurisdiction by the Laws of the Realme And all that are not of the Protestant faith are forreiners to the same conformable to St. Paul who accounted all those of whatsoever Nation or under whatsoever temporall Dominion or Iurisdiction in the world who were of the same faith with himselfe which he taught were Domesticks of that faith And those of whatsoever Nation or temporall Dominion that were not of the same faith he accounted forreiners Whence he saith Gal. 6.10 Let us doe good to all but especially to the domesticks or those of the house of faith And 1 Thess. 4. vers 12. Rogamus ut honeste ambuletis ad eos qui foris sunt nullius aliquid desideretis We desire you brethren that you walke honestly towards them that are without that is forreiners to our faith and need nothing of any mans It is to be noted fifthly and chiefly what conditions are required in every lawful oath which according to the Prophet Ieremy are three viz Truth Iudgement and Iustice for he saith in his fourth Chapter Thou shalt sweare our Lord liveth in truth and in judgement and in justice upon which place the holy Doctor S. Hierome noteth that the foresaid conditions are requisite to every oath of whom all Divines have leâ—rned the same requiring in every lawfull oath every of the said three conditions The reason hereof is because an oath being an invocation of God as witnesse that what we speake is true it is requisite that we should use judgement or discretion to see that we doe nothing rashly or without due reverence devotion and faith towards so great a Majestie but we must especially regard that we make not him who is the chiefe and Soveraigne veritie and inflexible justice either ignorant oâ— what we say or Patron of a lye as witnesse of that which either is false in assertion or unjust in promise Hence an oath wanting Iudgement or discretion and wisdome is a rash and foolish oath that which wanteth Iustice is called an unjust oath And finally where there is not truth it is adjudged a false or lying oath and is more properly then all the rest called Perjurie These notes premised I shall now prove the said Oath of Supremacie to be lawfull for any Catholique to take Every Oath that is accompanyed with the three said conditions or companions viz. veritie justice and judgement in the opinion of all Divines Canon and Civil Lawyers is a lawfull Oath but such is the Oath of Supremacie above recited in every part and particle of the same Ergo. The Minor is proved discoursing of every branch in particular and first of the first branch wherein I sweare that the King is only Supreame Governour of this Realme as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes touching the Church of the said Realm as Temporall touching the State or of any other his Dominions Which I doe sweare discreetly as a thing true and just For there is no other Supreme Governour of temporall things to be assigned but the King as all will confesse nor of Ecclesiasticall things or the Church of England as by a sufficient Enumeration may be proved For the Parliamâ—nt is not supreame governour of the Churches within this Realme when as according to the naturall light of reason the King is governour of that and therefore not supreame The Primate cannot be assigned supreame governour when as he hath all his authoritie of government from the King and so he hath a Superior A Lay-eldership cannot be supreame governour for although it be unknowne what it is or from whence it receiveth its authoritie yet I thinke no Lay-eldership so barbarous as not to
carpers at it have been as mute as fishes o See p. 117. letter â— p A shameles untruth in his sense for he taketh Catholike as usually in this Pamphlet for the Romish and Popish Church in that sense it is most false For there were many congregations in England before this 35 of Hen. 8. of Protestants and divers crowned with martyrdome as Th. Man in the yeere 1518. Io. Browne in the yeere 1517. and divers others set down in the Acts and Monuments of the Church some before and some after Luther began the Reformation in Germanie q A notorious untruth as appeares by the very Act Ann. 35. in which the Oath of Supremacy was first required to be taken King Henry never challenged to himselfe the Style of Head of the universall Church but only to bee supreame Hâ—ad under God of the Church of England and Ireland and all other His Majesties Dominions r No other Oath at all in sense but the former only abridged in words as will appeare evidently by comparing them both which are copied out in the Appendix s A ridiculous evasion and contrary to the intention and letter of the law as shall be proved hereafter The intention of the law was to abrogate the Popes usurped jurisdiction not over the Protestant Churches which he never had but over the Romish Catholiques or Papists which he before that time enjoyed and exercised Besides the letter of the law carryeth supreame governour of the Realme and all other Her Highnesse Dominions and Countreys not only of the Protestant Church within Her Realmes This is made more evident in the Admonition to the Injunctions 1. Eliz. where Her Supremacie is described to be over all manner of persons borne within Her Realmes Dominions and Countreys therefore over Papists as well as Protestants unlesse they be no manner of persons t I acknowledge the word forreiner is sometimes taken for an opposite to domesticus fidei a stranger from the covenant of grace but in the Act of Parliament and Oath of Supremacie as it is expounded in the Admonition which is also Enacted the word forreiner can signifie no other but those who are not natives u Neither can the Pope Here we thanke him for freeing us from all subjection to the Pope and See of Rome Though he challengeth not to be the Head of the Catholike that is the universall Church of Christ scattered farre and wide over the whole face of the earth yet he challengeth to be and is Supreame Governour of all His Subjects within His Dominions whether they are members of the Romish or Reformed Church w The superstition and Idolatry of Papists practised in England doth not any way abridge His Majesties Supreame power for he exerciseth His power not in regulating those idolatrous and superstitious rites but in suppressing them and punishing those who so defile Gods worship in His Kingdome x See this Evasion refuted pag. 120. letter S. y The words of the Oath are not that no forreiner Prince or Prelate hath or ought to have any iurisdiction or spirituall authoritie within the Protestant Church but within the Realmes therefore no jurisdiction within His Majesties Dominions over any members either of the Protestant or of the Romish Church z See the Answer to this sophisme pag. 120. letter T. a It is true if the words will beare it and it be agreeable to the intention of the law lawmaker but maledicta glossa quae corrumpit contextum cursed be the Glosse which corrupts the Text quite perverts the meaning of the law as this doth See the Injunctions b Of the intention of the law and lawmaker in prescribing this oath to that which I have spoken before I shall adde something in the close of this Chapter to which â—referre the Reader for further answer c The law is just and reasonable without your forced and forged Glosse for why should not all that enjoy the benefit of his Majesties lawes as well as Protestants submit themselves to his Majesties scepter and supreame power over themselves as well as Protestants especially seeing the power is the same which the most religious Kings of Iuda and most Christian Emperours of Rome and divers of his Majesties Predecessors within this Realme have exercised upon all their subjects d See pag. 119. letter Q. e See pag. 119. letter R. f And yet his words as you cite them out of his Praemonitorie Preface pag. 9. are these The oath of Supremacie was devised for putting a difference betweene Papists and them of our profession Devised by whom but by the lawmakers and if devised by the the lawmakers for this end to put a difference betweene Papists Protestants it cannot be denied but that it was their intention to make this oath as a didinctive signe whereby to know Papists in the kingdome from Protestants g See pag. 118. letter P. h The question whether a Papist may with a safe conscience take the â—ath of Supremacie may be understood either in sensu diviso or in sensu composito in sensu diviso it is true that a Papist may and ought to take the Oath of Supremacie for he that is now a Papist may become a Protestant and then he not onely may but ought to take this Oath being lawfully tendered unto him but in sensu composito it is false that a Papist continuing in his faith and profession of popery may with a safe conscience take this Oath for this Oath implyeth the renouncing a maine Article of his faith from whence he hath the denomination of a Papist See the Notes of the Rhemists upon Act. 11.26 which fasten and assume this word or name Papist to the children of their papall Church namely the Popes Supremacie and this as before was promised shall now be demonstrated 1. â—irst from the intention of the law and lawmakers who prescribed this Oath of Supremacie as appeares both by the Preface to the Oath Whereas therâ— was a Statute made and ordained against such as would extoll and stand to the iurisdiction power and authoritie of the See and Bishop of Rome in which Statute there is comprised another oath in such wise as in the same Statute among other thinâ—â— is mentioned for as much as in both the said Oathes there lacketh full anâ— sufficient words whereby some doubts might rise Be it enacted by the authoritie of this Parliament that this Oath hereafter mentioned in this Act shall sâ—and in force and place of the same two Oathes And by these words in the bodie of the Oath I shall keepe all the contents of the Act and all other Acts and Statutes made in and for that purpose viz. the derogation the extirpation and extinguishment of the usurped and pretended authoritie power and iurisdiction of the See and Bishop of Rome As likewise by the Preface to the Act of Parliament in 1. Elizabeth viz. To the intent that all usurped and forreigne power and authoritie Spirituall and Temporall may