Christe by whoÌ„ and for deffence of whose honor he reigneth that theÌ„ I may most lawfully breake with him So in olde times of the primatiue Churche the Catholike people did often by armes defend and kepe their Bishopes in their seates against the Infidels and specially against the coÌ„maunde ment of hereticall Emperours Yea and lawfully resisted them in the deffence of theiÌ„r Churches and Churche goodes So the people defended See Pruden de monacho Antioch Nazian in etus laudibus lib. â— epi. ipsius the Churche of Antioche from the Emperour Galerius his officers So they deffended S. Basil in the like case So they deffended S. Ambrose Prouided neuerthelesse alwaies in this case that we followe not our deceitfull wills as our aduersaries doe condemning for Gods enemies suche Princes or persons as the holie Churche who must be ouriudge informer in all these thinges pronounceth and holdeth to be most iuste godly and Catholike kinges But then must we take theÌ„ for heretikes when our lawful Bishops and popes do so adiudge them to be and so commaunde vs to take them yea and charge vs to forsake them Then be we sure in conscience discharged of our othe obedieÌ„ce which be bands of such qualety and nature that they hold not nor haue force against iustice and where the matter ys vnlawfull And we haue iust cause to arme our selues for defence of Gods honor and our innocencie and to seke for succor at Popes and Princes handes Theod. li 2 cap 5. 13. Soc. li. 1. cap 13. Soz. li 4 â—rp 7. Yea Bishops of the cuntrie so oppressed and so persecuted by hereticall princes should so specially doe For so did holie Athanasius who knewe his devvtie to his kinge and soueraigne vvel enoughe and vvhen and vvhere he might rise against him aske ayde against Constantius the Arian and first hereticall Emperour vvhom Pope Felix declared to be an heretike of his ovvne brother Constance the Catholike Emperour of the vvest For feare of vvhose armes he restored Athanasius and other Catholike Bishopes to their Churches and honors againe But aftervvarde vvhen the Caholike ConstaÌ„ce vvas deade the said Emperours brother did more furiously persecute Athanasius for the same Soc. lib. 4 cap. 16. 17 30. Sor. lib. 6 cap. 19. So against Valens the Arian Emperour did Petrus Athanasius his successor brother to Saint Basil seke to he Pope of Rome for succor as all other bishops in like distresses euer did that no man neede to maruell why we haue done the like now Sol. 2 ca. 18. Nice lib. 14. ca 21 So did Atticus Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople craue aide of Theodosius the yonger against the Kinge of the Persians that persecuted his Catholike subiectes and was therby forciblie depriued the Catholikes deliuered Leo epist. 7â— euaÌ„g â—i 2. ca. 8. So did holy Pope Leo the first persuade the Emperour called Leo also to take armes against the Tyrant of Alexandria for the deliuerie of the oppressed Catholikes from him and the heretikes Eutichians who then threw doune monasteries and did other great sacrileges as ours now doe and haue done in England O Emperour saied S. Leo If it be lawdable for thee to inuade the hethens how muche more glorie shall yt be to deliuer the Churche of AlexaÌ„dria from the heauy yoke of outragious heretikes by the calamité of which Churche all the Churches in the world be iniured As at this time ther is no Churche in Europe that feeleth not the smarte of our English miseries Lib. 1. epi. 72. In brefe so did S. Gregory the first moue Genâ—dius the Exarke to make warrs against the hereti kes as a very glorious thinge so haue euer all holy Bishopes of the primatiue Churche done DepositioÌ„ of Princes for heresie For which crime of heresie and iniuries done to Gods Churche as for a fault most detestable and most directly subiect to their correction they haue specially intermedled aswell by way of excomunicatioÌ„ as by force procured for their De consideratione ad Eugen li. 4. deposition For as saith Saint Bernard though Popes fighte not in person nor draw the sword themselues yet it must be done at their commaundment where Gods honor and our saluation require it For religion therfore specially though otherwise sumtimes Princes haue bene by Popes iustly bothe excomunicated otherwise punished for notorious crimes namely wheÌ„ their owne subiectes require the Churches Rhegino anno 864. aide and sentence therin as kinge Lotarius brother to the Emperour Lewis the second was excomunicated by Nicolas the first for deuorsinge Sigisberâ— Trâ—â—hem his lawfull wife and marieng a strumpet and diuers others for suche like offences yea namely Popes haue pursued in princes their fall from religion disobedieÌ„ce to Gods Churche as a sinne properly subiect to their correction Zon. in vita Leonis 3. For heresie was Leo the third both excommunicated and depriued of all his temporallties in Italie by Gregorie the second Chalc oÌ„ rerum turc li. 1. For heresie and Schisme were the Greke Empe perours discharged and the Empire therby traÌ„slated to the Germans by Pope Leo the third and like wise diuers German Emperours for iniuries done Tho. 2. 2. quest 12. art 2. to Gods Churche and for heresie by sundry holie Popes haue ben brought to order as Henry the fourthe Frederike the first Otho the first Frederike the secoÌ„d Lewis the third many other Bonifa Dec. 4. For heresie was George kinge of Bohem excomunicated ther vpon by the forces of the kinge of Hungarie finally depriued As John Albert Guie lib. 2. Honuf in vita â—ulij secundi Polid. lib. 15. had half of his kingdoÌ„ of Nauar takeÌ„ from him by Ferdinandus surnamed Catholicus Kinge of Aragon bicause he gaue aide to Lewis the xij then excomunicated by Iulius the seconde For shamefull iniuries done to the holie Churche and for persecution of Bishops religious was Iohn one of our kinges of England with his whole cuÌ„trie Interdicted and at length forced to yeild his croune and dominions to the curtesie of the Popes legate as afore is meÌ„cyoned Nubrig lib. z. c. 25. 34. For like causes and namely for being accessarie to the murther of the blessed Bishop S. Thomas of Caunterbury was Henry the second driuen by AlexaÌ„der the third to order penaunce Henry the eighte also for more horrible waste and desolation of Religion wherin he farr surmounted all his auncetors and all other that euer we reade of since the time of Julian the Apo stata for arrogatinge the title of supreme head of the Churche and forcinge all his people to sweare to his folly and that his concubine Anne Bullen was their Queene and his lawful wife for most cruell slaughter of Catholike Bishopes Preistes religious and laie men for infringinge and vtterly abolishinge against his owne othe all the priuileges and liberties graunted to the Churche of England by holie Kinge
AN ADMONITION TO THE NOBILITY AND PEOPLE OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND CONCERNINGE THE PRESENT VVARRES made for the execution of his Holines Sentence by the highe and mightie Kinge Catholike of Spaine By the CARDINAL of Englande A o. M. D. LXXXVIII Gulielmus miseratione Diuina S. R. E. Tituli San ti Martini in Montibus Cardinalis Presbyter de Anglianuncupatus Cunctis Regnorum Angliae Hiberniae Proceribus populis personis omnibusque Christi fidelibus salutem in Domino sempiternam RIghte honorable worshipfull and moste dearelie beloued in our lorde no man can be ignorante that eyther by reporte readinge or remēbrance list looke backe not muche further thē fiftie yeares paste that this great miserie and mutation of state and Religiō in this our realme of England by which our Churche Alas ys already ouerthrowne our cuntrie in extreame tearmes of perishinge and our selues with what so euer is deare vuto vs in daily dreade of destructiō and damnation proceaded not firste of the subiectes disorder or disobedience to theire kinges as els where Heresie often dothe and as we see in many of the next nations vnto vs yt presently hapneth where popular mutenie against theire magistrates hath caused their like calamity But begonne firste and wholly in effecte by our Kinge that then was Henrie the eighte and afterwarde till this daie hathe bene specially pursued by our princes pretensed lawes and vsurped souerainty ouer our soules to the which our Nobilité Priestes and people by force and feare haue rather bene drawne then by lawful consente yeilded therunto lob 14. And albeit wicked and hipocriticall kinges be suffred sumtimes or sent from God for the subiectes sinnes and for our offences greate no doubte and greauous in euerie estate let none excuse themselues let none accuse others and that we hereby may worthely also be thought to haue deserued bothe our princes fall and our 1. Reg. 13. owne punishement accordinge to Gods most holy cōmination that when his people should cease to serue him in truthe and comitt wickednes bothe they theire kinge shoulde perishe together Neuerthelesse to see and knowe the place specially affected and the nexte immediate surge of all our sores where we expecte remedy and not ruine ys necessary for our recouery VVherin though the case haue longe semed vvel neere desperate yet God himself not forget full of his olde mercies beholdinge from heauen our not voluntary but coacted miseries and our moste holy and zelous father in Christe Sixtus the fifte his higheste Minister and our chefest magistrate and master in earthe to whom our Sauiour hath giuen Apostolike power to take vengeance vpon disobedience moued by the sorowes and sighes of so manie aflicted soules and instant praiers of all Christian people that pittie our enforced perishinge in Schisme and Heresie doth giue vs at this time both better meanes more hope and redyer helpe then we coulde euer possiblie haue either deserued or de sired yea thei haue not the pope alone but God himselst suerly and other the most zelous and mightiest Princes in Christendom by his Induction takē the whole care of our case into their owne handes and that with suche sinceare intention whereof my-self can best beare witnes and assure you my deare cuntrymen and in such sweete moderate mercifull sorte that in the appliance of the prepared remedie neither the corps of our commonwealthe nede to feele or feare any distresse nor any parte other then the principall affected and sum suche feawe as will not followe this offer of Gods ordinaunce be wroonge or wrinched thereby For albeit of ten els in likecase of reuolte from Gods Churche and our fathers faithe not onlie the kinges but also their cuntries after diuers dreadefull Censures and Sentences haue bene by supreme authority of Christes vicar giuen vp to Inuasiō warres wastes and final distruction and we nowe mighte by way of rigor and extreame Iustice be bothe charged chastised far more depely then the Churche of Theatira for tollerating Apo. 2. the wicked Iesabell not now as then callinge herself a prophetisse but the verie cheefe spirituall gouernesse vnder God to teache and deceaue Gods seruantes and to force them to fornication to eate breade of Idolatrie in Schismati call seruice And also for that by error of cōscience or wante of couragc we haue so longe vnnaturally subdued our soules to our bodies hazarded our eternall saluation to saue our transitorie substance obeyed man more then God preferred the temporall title not only of lawful ciuill authority but of manifold vsurped Tirannie aboue the supreame Bishops spirituall soue Mat. 16. Io. vl◠raignty by Christes expresse worde established on earthe yeilding to the one moste seruilly as to our household and home God and as to a verie nationall idol subiection bothe of bodie and soule thearby disobeyinge disgraceynge dispi singe and blaspheminge the other as a forrē power or rather as a strange deuill or Antechriste Deut. 17 Luc. 10. Num. 16. a thinge punishable in the olde lawe by deathe reputed inthe newe for expresse contempt of Christes owne person reuenged in Core and his confederates by fearefull fier from heauen by horrible gapinge of the grounde they stoode vpon and by sudden sinkinge downe to hell Yet all this notwthstandinge the Popes holines who accordinge to his Apostolike benignity wholly inclined to mercy followinge Gods rule and example rather of sparinge the wicked for the good then punishinge the innocent for the euil that the soule which sinneth onely may perishe doth most mercifully forget and forgiue all the premisses aswell in the whole body of the cōmō wealthe as in euery particuler person that ys penitent and wearie of these horrible disorders and treasons committed against God the See Apostolike holie Churche and our cuntrie incorrigible persons and principall procurers of these mischefs only excepted and only meaneth in Christes woorde and power giuen vnto him and in zeale of Gods house to pursue the actuall depriuation of Elizabethe the pretensed Queene eftsones declared and iuditially sentensed by his Holines predecessors PIVS QVINTVS and GREGORIE the XIII for an heretike and vsurper and the proper present cause of perdition of millions of soules at home and the verie bane of all Christian kingdomes and states neere aboute her That in this one womans condigne correction Gods mighty arme that deposeth the proude and powrable persons frō their Luc. 1. seates may be feared and glorified and the horrible and wicked outrages of Henrie the eighte her supposed fathers house and person together with Gods vengeance on the same may in sum measure of his iustice be accomplished and our whole people put in happy hope of saluatiō and full fredom of conscience againe that all the Psal 5◠iuste of the earthe may saie Lo this is she that tooke not God for her strenghte but trusted to her treasures and preuailed in her wickednes And that all the worlde and namely our owne
nation and people to whom the matter so nearly apperteineth may throughly iudge aswell of this womans and her parentes deâ—ertes as of his Holines and his mightie and godly confederates moste happie intention and howe iustelie and nedefullie for our only benefiâ—e and succour they procede at this present to her chastisement and deposition Yt may please all my most deere cuntrymen and specialy our peeres and Nobilitie on whom the auncyent honor and libertie of our churche and cuntrie cheifely dependethe and by whose sworde and kinghtehood specially giuen to them and theire noble progenitors for defence of the Catholike religion our cuntrie hathe often bene deliuered from the tyranny and vexation of diuers disordered insupportable kinges and cruell vsurpers May it please them I saie to consider but alitle with me the condition of the person pursued and censured by Gods Churche together with the weight qualety number of her offences and horrible crimes which beinge open almoste to all the worlde before and now brefely recorded by this writinge no man I truste shall maruell why Christes vicar here in earthe with other highe ministers of Gods iustice wolde or could depriue this tirante of her vsurped state and dominion when no commonwealthe by lawe of nature nether wolde nor mighte iustelie suffer any suche to rule or raigne ouer any humane societie thoughe neither Christe Pope fayth nor religion were knowne The chee se poinctes of this admonitioÌ„ To procede therfore brefely and plainely we will sett downe what manner of womaÌ„ she ys against whom this holie enterprise ys made of whom and in what maÌ„ner dissended Howe intruded into that dignity wherin she standeth Howe she hath behaued herself both at home and abrode By what lawes of God and man her punishement ys pursued Howe iuste honest and necessarie causes all true Englishmen haue to embrace sett forward the same seing yt procedeth from so lawfull authorite so iust groundes so holie intentions and tendeth to so happie an ende and is to be executed by so suer and sweete meanes and chosen persons as now shall be declared And first of all it is notorious to the whole worlde that Henrie the supposed father to this pretensed Queene besides the infinite quantety and enormeous qualety of his most execrable wickednes for the which by all lawe of religioÌ„ reason nature he deserued often times to be depriued was in fine for his horrible sacriledges murtheringe of Saintes and rebellioÌ„ against Gods Churche lawfully excommunicated and depriued by Paulus tertius in the yeare 1535 and there withall by name and in particuler all the issue that should procede of his incestuous copulation with Anne Bullen was moste iustly declared illegitimate and vncapable of succession to the croune of England and that aswell by the sentence of the said Paule and of his predecessor Clement the VII in the yeare of our lorde 1533. bothe which stande in theire full force still as by sundry actes of parliament made by Henry him self and neuer repealed legitimating her sister and declaringe her to be base she must nedes be adiudged by lawe nature vnable to inherite the croune Neyther may she here alege that by consent of the states and Commonwelthe she ys lawfully possessed for that by force she intruded and constreyned many men to giue theire consentes deposinge vniustly the Lordes of the Clergy without whome no lawfull Parlament can be holden in that Realme nor Statute made which hath force to authorise Prince or binde Subiectes Ouer and besides that she neuer had consente nor any approbation of the See Apostolike without which she nor any other can be lawfull Kinge or Quene of Englande by reason of the auncyent Acorde made betwene AlexaÌ„der the. III. the yere 1171. and HeÌ„ry the II. then kinge when he was absolued for the deathe of sainte Thomas of CaÌ„terburie that no maÌ„ might lawfully take that Crowne nor be accoÌ„pted as Kinge till he were confirmed by the soueraigne Pastor of our soules which for the time shoulde be This accorde afterwardes beinge renewed aboute the yere 1210. by Kinge Iohn who confirmed the same by othe to Pandulphus the Pope his legate at the speciall requeste and procurement of the Lordes and Comons as a thinge most necessary for preseruatioÌ„ of the Realme from vniust vsurpation of Tyrantes and auoydinge other incoÌ„ueniences which they had proued and mighte easely fall againe by the disorder of some wicked Kinge But howsoeuer she be dissended or possessed of the croune her manifolde wickednes hath ben so heinous and intollerable that for the same she hathe bene in person iustly deposed by the sentences of thre sundrie Popes wherunto yf we adde the two former censures condemninge her incestuous natiuity and generatioÌ„ we shall finde that she hathe ben condeÌ„ned by fiue declaratorie iuditiall senteÌ„ces of Gods Churche Personable crimes of Elizabeth and first of Heresie And to beginne with the highest and most heinouse crime of all against God and his Churche she ys conuicted of many damnable heresies and open rebellion against Gods Churche and See Apostolike for which she ys so notoriously knowne termed and taken for an heretike aswell at home as abrode that she was glad to prouide by a special acte of parliament that none should call her heritike Schismatike Tyrante vsurper or infidell vnder paine of highe treason She arrogateth spirtiuall dignite She vsurpeth by Luciferian pride the title of supreme Ecclesiasticall gouernment a thinge in a woman in all mens memory vnheard of nor tollerable to the mastres of her owne secte and to Catholikes in the world most ridiculous absurde monstrous detestable and a verie fable to the posterite Bastardie She vnlawfully intruded herself as before I haue said in to possession of the croune of England and the annexed dominions not by any dissent of inheritannce or other lawfull title but only by enforced vniust partly made by her supposed father beinge then an excommunicated person and partely coacted by herself and her coplices in the beginninge of her pretended raigne beinge indede taken and knowen for an incestuons bastard begotten and borne in sinne of an infamous curtesan Anne Bullen after warde executed for aduoutery treason heresie and inceste amoÌ„gest others with her owne naturall brother which Anne her said supposed father kepte by pretensed mariage in the life of his law full wife the most renonmed and blessed ladie Queene Katherine daughter of Castill and Ara gon as he did before vnnaturally knovve and ke pe bothe the said Annes mother and sister Periury and impiety She ys guilty of periury and highe impietie for that she did breake violate and deride the sollemne othe and promise made in her coronation for defence of the Ecclesiasticall liberties and priuileges graunted by the auncieÌ„t Christian kinges of our realme and for the contempte of the holy ceremony vsed in the annointinge and inuestinge of all faithfull princes wher in her wickednes was so notorious that the
hauinge abolished the solemne feaste of our blessed ladies natiuity she hathe caused her owne impure birthe day to be solemnlie celebrated and put in to the kalender the verie eue of the said holie feaste and put out the name of an other sainte the 17. of Nouember to place the memory of her Coronation God graunte she may repente leaste in steade of her `excessiue praises that her fauorers and flaterers now giue vnto her she heare yet in her owne daies the saienge of the prophet against the proud prince Nabuchodrnosor how didest Esa 14 thow fall Lucifer from heauen that wast so orient in the moringe how wast thow brought doune to the grounde that woundedst nations that subuertedst kingdoms and saidst in thy hart I will be like the highest or feele the plague of one of the Herodes that for to to muche delytinge in the peoples praises acclamatioÌ„s and for not giuinge glorie to God was suddenly stricken by Gods angel eaten of wormes and died Obstinas in maliâ—â— Now of all these heynous horrible facts not credible almost to be acheiued by one woman and her coÌ„plices not so many she hathe in fine shewed herself incorrigible and altogether impatiet of admonitioÌ„ wherof she neuer had waÌ„te aswell by the writinges of sundrie her lerned subiectes as sumtimes by the Imperiall Maiestie and other temporall Princes and namely by diuers holie Popes whose Nuntioes she wold neuer admitt to tell her as of deutie they thought themselues boÌ„ude Gods threatninges for all her forsaid and many other intollerable Her excomunication and conteÌ„pte therof disorders of beleife lyfe gouernment But to accomplishe all other impiety and to shew herself wholly solde to sinne she hathe now eightene yeres stoode stubbernly contemptuously and obduratly as in the sight of God by her owne willfull separatioÌ„ through schisme and he resie iudged condemned before so now by name notoriously excommunicated and deposed in the word of Christe and omnipotent power of God by sentence giuen against her by holie Pius the fyfte the highest courte of religioÌ„ vnder the heauens The which state of excomunication thoughe presently of the faithelesse where ther is no Sense of religion it be not felt nor feared is moste miserable most horrible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most neare to damnation of all thinges that may happen to a man in this lyfe farr more greauous Aug. lib. 1. contra Faust cap. 17. sayeth a certen glorious Doctor then to be hewen in peeces with a sword consuned by fier or deuoured of wilde beastes and it is expressed in the scriptures by the state of kinge Pharao his obduration and excecation in wilfull wickednes She murthered the executors of the Popes sentence And she hathe not onely continued in this daÌ„nable contempte of the holie Churches Censures so loÌ„ge as we haue said but also coÌ„maunded and caused the publishers defenders approuers and all others that attempted most honorably godly the execution therof aswell of the nobility as the Cleargie and commons sum beinge apprehended at home and others traiterously bought and soulde abrode and sent home all in cruell manner murthered yea and for theire partes verie willinglie martyred to their eternall estimation rather then they wold liue serue or see any suche hereticke Atheiste and vsurper from whose preteÌ„sed kingly authority they wete in consideration of all these her heinous crimes clearly by Christes owne vicar the warrante of all the faithefull world that neuer tooke it self bounde to obey a condemned heretike or an Apostata before God and man discharged The murther of Bishopes and Preistes In which her obstinacie and Sathanicall obduration dailie increasing she hathe these late yeares imbrued her handes and cuntrie with the sacred blud of a number of most innocent lerned and famous religious men yea holie Bishopes The Archebishop of Casseles and the Bishop of Mayon also aswel in England as Ireland caused theÌ„ pittifully to be racked rent chained famished beaten buffeted derided abused and by false accusation of crimes neuer intended vnder preteÌ„ce of treason against her vsurped state and person to be finally with all crueltie executed to the regret and shame of our nation and wonder of all the worlde And finally to accomplishe the measure of all her inhumaine crueltie she hathe this last yeare barberouslie vnnaturally against the lawe of nations by a statute of riot and conspiracie murthered the ladie Marie of famous me morie Queene of Scotland douager of France The slaughter of the queene of Scotlande Gods Annointed her next kinswoman and by lawe and righte the true owner of the croune of England The iustice of the sentence against Elizabeth All which her open enormities and other her secret wickednes hiddeÌ„ from vs which must nedes be great and not numerable in a Caytif so longe vnder Gods and holie Churches curse giuen vp into a reprobate sense and hardnes of harte may put all faithefull and reasonable men out of doubte of the iustice of the Apostolike sentence and censure against her beinge well assured that if any case may fall in which a Prince may iustly be forsakeÌ„ or resisted by his subiects or yf any crime in the worlde eyther in lyfe regimeÌ„t or religioÌ„ can deserue depositioÌ„ of a kinge that here all causes together do concur in the person of the pretensed in the highest degre None euer not amongest the heathen so vnprofitable so euill so faithles so pernitious no realme euer so farr falne from religion publike honesty order and sincerity as ours hathe done in her vnhappie vsurped gouernement A necessati consideration And here we may beholde the pittifull race of an vnbridled powrable sinner woe be to our offences that haue deserued the experience of solamentable a case this vnworthie womans supposed father frist as now her self afterward by reason of theire height of erthly power free froÌ„ ciuil chastisemeÌ„t could not be coÌ„tent therwith till they had also discharged themselues of all remorse of conscience of all awe of religion of all spirituall discipline put themselues in full fredome from Pope Prelate Prophet Priest and ghostlye father an example for all coÌ„mon weal thes in the world to beware of by vs for euer therfore not onely in their hartes said against God his annointed Let vs shake of theire yoke and breake theire bondes a sunder But opeÌ„ly and boldly both said and made theÌ„selues heades of the Churche spirtualtie aswel now of the soules as they were before of the bodies That all lyfe faithe religion Churche counsell conscience scripture Sacrament ceremonie what soeuer was i heaueÌ„ or earthe might wholli haÌ„ge at their haÌ„des lustes lykinges At which licentious irreligiosity Antechristian pride thoughe the highest in heaueÌ„ doe in the meane time laugh by loÌ„ge patieÌ„ce not onely forbeare the present reuenge therof but also by secret iudgmeÌ„t for the parties increase of damnatioÌ„ or
his custodie annointed and crouned him kinge and caused immediately the pretensed Queene to be slaine with her fautors at the courte gate not withstaÌ„dinge they cried TREASON TREASON as not onely iuste possessors but wicked vsurpers vse to doe this loe is the ende of iniuste titles this is the zeale authoritie of preistes for the maintenaÌ„ce of righteousnes religion Achab and â—esabell 3. Reg 18 19. No man can be ignorante with what courage and constancie Elias being sought to death by Achab Iesabell that ouerthrewe holie aulters and murthered the true religious of the lande told them that they and their housâ— were the subuersion of Israel and slew in his zeale all the Queenes false prophets foure hundrethe at one time and so sett vp holie alters againe He spared 4. Reg. 1. not the Idolatrous kinge Ochosias his capitains and messengers but destroied them by fier from heauen till the third capitain was forced to humble 4. Reg. 9. himfelf vpoÌ„ his knees vnto him Elizeus also caused Iehu to be coÌ„secrated kinge the house of Achab to lose their right to the kingdom and his sonne IoraÌ„ to be slaine by whose coÌ„maundment cursed Iesabell was afterward throwne out of her chaÌ„ber window in to the courte and after eaten of dogges in the very same place where she had comitted crueltie and wickednes before This Iesabell for sacrilege coÌ„tempte of holie preistes rebellion against God crueltie dothe so muche resemble our Elizabethe that in moste forrein cuntries and writinges of straÌ„gers she is comonly called by the name of Iesabell I know not whether God haue appointed her the like or a better ende Maacha 2. Par. 15. Queene Maacha mother to good kinge Asaa was as ours is an apostata from the true faithe and in fleshly lust not vnlike for she erected opeÌ„lie and worshiped the filthy Venerius statua of Priapus and replenissed all her courte cuntrie with effeminate and amorous persons and therfore was deposed from her regalitie by her owne sonne which the holie scriptures muche commende in him and the land purged of her whorishe abhomination By all which we lerne what crimes deserue in a prince deposition And howe preistes and prophetes haue bene principall workers and Gods ministers in there depriuatioÌ„ VVhearin the prophet Ely was so notorious that to his honor it is thus said of him in holie writ He cast downe kinges Eccle. 48 and destroied them and plucked the honorable from theire seates And of Elizeus in the same place thus He neuer feared prince nor could of no man be ouercum And thus it was in the olde testameÌ„t Nowe in the newe testament where the preistes haue muche more soueraigne authoretie the prince far strairer charged to obeye loue and cherishe the Churche the cause for vs is muche more cleare of which Churche it is said Kinges Isa 49. â—2 Isa 60. Psal 2. shal be thy fosterfathers and Queenes thy nurces And againe Kinges brests shall nurishe the and euery kingdome that serueth not the shall vtterly perishe In this Churche without faile is the supereminent power of Christes preistehood who with his iroÌ„ rod bruseth like a potsheard the pride Ier. 1. of princes that rebell against his holie spouse and hathe righte in his Churche ouer all kingdoms to plante and to plucke vp to buyld and destroie afore whom all kinges shall fall doune all nations shall do him seruice Matt. 16. Now is Christes preistly prerogatiue in moste ample and exacte termes comunicated to the chefe preist and pastor of our soules in other manner of clause then our pretensed monstrous spirituall gouernesse can shew for her self fie on that secular pride and wilfull blinde heresy that so repugnethe to Gods expresse ordinaunce and yet is wickedly vpholden of her flatterers though reproued both at home and abrode by the most notorious heretikes sect-masters of all sorts Now all Christes sheepe without exceptioÌ„ be they princes be they poore meÌ„ if they be ChristiaÌ„ men are put to Peters feadinge Iâ—an 21. Matt. 1â— and gouernment now the keyes of heaue giuen to Christs vicarr to let in to locke out to bynde to loose to pardon to punishe Nowe we be commaunded euery one be we Hebr. 13. kinges be we Cesars to obeie our prelates pastors and to be subiecte what Christian prince can excepte himself to theÌ„ as to those that must make accompte for our soules Nowe they haue 1. Cor. â— 2 Iohn 2 ad â—â—t 3. authoritie to forbid vs the cumpany of heretikes idolaters blasphemers not so muche as to salute them muche more not to obeie theÌ„ Act. 5. Nowe we finde by the experience of the Apostles practises and exaÌ„ple of their vsage that not onely our soules but our bodies goodes be in our pastors subiectioÌ„ so farr as is expedieÌ„t to our soules healthe and the Churches vtilitie which the very order and course of nature requireth Nowe S. Peter for Sacralege and simulation strooke starke dead bothe man and wyfe by his worde Now did S. Paule strike blinde Elimas Act. 13. the sorcerer for resistinge Gods truthe Now 1. Câ—r 4. 1. Cor. 5. did he threaten to cum to his coÌ„temners in rodd of discipline Now did he excomunicate a notable personage at Corinthe for inceste Not all onelie by spirituall punishement but by bodely vexation giuinge him vp to Satans chastismeÌ„t Now he also by excomunication corporally molested by an euill spirite for heresie and blasphemie 1. ad Timo 1. 2. Cor. 10 Himeneus and AlexaÌ„der Nowe he hathe authoritie to reuenge all disobedience and to bringe vnder all loftie spirites to the obedience of Christe Apostolicall povver Suche loe now is the Apostolicall force and power of Christes Preistehood in the new testa meÌ„t so farr aboue the authorety of earthly kinges as the sun is clearer then the moone heauen aboue the earthe the Soule of man better then his body and the comoÌ„ weale of the Catholike Churche formed by Christe more excelleÌ„t then any secular societie ordeined by man VVhere were then these disordred lawes and statutes that make the Apostles yea Christe him self and all his preistes that be borne out of EnglaÌ„d to be forren powers it was fiftene huÌ„dred yeares before kinges euer conceiued suche wickednes muche lesse to chalenge this moÌ„strous spirituall regiment for laie men children and verie women But this was then enacted this lawe stoode theÌ„ firme and bindeth the highest potentate of the world if he beare the name of a Christian aswell as the poorest person in earthe This I saie yfhe obeie not or heare not the Mat 18. Churche let him be taken for an Ethnike Strugglinge of princes against spirituall povver Yet such is the miserie and peruersnes of men that in a cause so plaine as this is some kinges haue bene founde to struggle against the ordinaunce of God and now oflate haue had flaterers to