troubles enough from the Papacy euen in these remote parts farre from Rome after the thousandth yeer of Christ that is after the loosing of Sathan Reuel cap. 20.7 8. and after that the Pope came to his height Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury did somewhat trouble King Henry the first for whereas in former times the Bishops and Abbots of England vsed to receiue their Inuestitures from the King by receiuing a Pastorall Staffe and Ring at his hand as Saint Wulstan had done from St. Edward the King professing thereby he would resigne it onely to him now Anselme refused to consecrate certaine Bishops whom the King aduanced and gaue them their Inuestitures so that the King was compelled to send an Embassage to the Pope Paschalis and before him to pleade his cause as Anselme also did his in like manner But this matter was indifferently quietly ended for the Pope by the mediation of white and red saith a Monke the historian was content to confirme the Bishops but ordained withall that the King should doe so no more that is that the King should lose the priuiledge of his Ancestors This was done Anno dom 1104. Anselme died Henries primi anno 11. Speed Chron. pag. 457. But Thomas Becket being made first Lord Chancelor and afterwards Archbishop by the fauour of King Henry 2. troubled the King much more for the King being informed of much misdemeanour of Clergy men who besides other offences had committed an hundred murders in his raigne and that they were not punished nor degraded by the Bishops but shifted away into Abbeyes or otherwayes defended so that the wronged had no remedy the wrong-doers no punishment true innocent men no safety and none of them were in condition of subiects the King required such to be punished by his Lawes and to haue the customes of his Ancestors obserued whereunto all the Bishops assented but onely Becket who not only resisted but complained of the King to Pope Alexander and Alexander at first desiring to hold the Kings loue willed Becket to yeeld and Becket so promised to the King absolutely But when the King assembled his States at Clarendon in Wiltshire Becket relapsed and said hee had grieuously sinned in promising but would not sinne in performing yet at the instance and teares of many Noble persons and others priuately intreating him for the good of the whole land he yeelded againe and promised in verbo sacerdotali to obserue all and all the Earles Bishops Abbots and Clergy did sweare and promise the like but when hee should set his hand and seale to a writing thereof hee refused againe Of all this the King by Embassage enformed the Pope desiring a legantiue power to be sent to the B. of Yorke which the Pope vnwillingly granted and withall made it so slight that the King in disdaine sent the Bull backe againe to the Pope Then was Becket required to giue an account of his Chancelorship which he refused to doe and to come vnto the King and being told he would be condemned of periury and treason for not yeelding temporall alleagiance to his temporall Soueraigne as hee had sworne and that the Prelates would disclayme all obedience vnto him as their Archbishop hee caused to bee sung before him at the Altar The Princes sit and speake against mee and the vngodly persecute me And forthwith taking his siluer Crosier in his hands went armed into the Kings presence Whereat the King inraged caused his Peeres to proceed in iudgement against him they condemne him to prison for treason and periury he appeales to Rome and away gets him into France procures the French Kings fauour and by him the Popes To the Pope the King sends a Noble Embassage desiring to haue two Cardinalls sent into England to end the matter The Pope denies it reseruing the iudgment to himselfe The King by his Sherifs Sequesters all Beckets profits in England Becket in France excommunicates all in England that maintained the Auitall or ancient customes naming some great men The King fearing his owne excommunication gathers a great Army pretending to subdue Wales Meane season the Pope is perswaded to send two Cardinalls but they cannot perswade Becket to yeeld any thing and so that designe for peace was frustrate At length the two Kings of France and England being reconciled met in France before whom Becket being called and earnestly dealt withall would not yeeld any thing so that all men blamed him The Pope willed Gilbert B. of London to admonish the King to giue ouer hee did so but excused the King to the Pope The Pope excommunicates Gilbert and went so farre that the King had scarce one left to reade diuine Seruice in his Chappell The King prayes the Pope to send two Cardinals to absolue his subiects and to make peace Two come into Normandy but returne without possibility of doing any good because Becket would not yeeld a iot At last by the Popes mediation the two Kings met at Paris where King Henry offered to stand to the iudgement of the Diuines of Paris but no peace would be had After all this the King crowned his sonne the Archbishop of Yorke supplying Canterburies absence And in the beginning of the seuenth yeere of the banishment of Becket the two Kings met againe in France and the King fearing the whole Realmes interdiction by the Pope receiued Becket into fauour yeelding him his Bishopricke with all the profits and arrearages and signified it to his sonne in England Now Becket Archbishop in England shortly after published the Popes letters suspending the Archbishop of Yorke for crowning the young King which was Canterburies office with all his adiuuants and would not absolue them but vpon conditions at the earnest request of the young King which the Father King hearing in Normandy was sore displeased and shewed it by some words which foure Knights Courtiers hearing and thinking to doe a great pleasure to the King and to ease the Kingdome of much trouble posted into England and at Canterbury the next day after Innocents day killed the Archbishop at the high Altar and fled into the North. The old King was exceeding sorrowfull at the newes of this murder and sent to the Pope desiring him to send Cardinalls to enquire of the murder to whose wils he would submit himselfe if he could be found consenting Here obserue 1. What these customes were which Becket withstood 1 That without the Kings licence none should appeale from the Courts of England to the Court of Rome 2 That no Bishop nor Archbishop should leaue their Flocke and goe to Rome without the Kings license 3 That they should not interdict nor excommunicate any officer or such as held on the King in chiefe without the Kings licence 4 That Clerkes accused for secular offences should bee tried before secular Iudges 2. Obserue that these Customes besides profitable and necessary were also ancient and so termed but now shortly after Hildebrands time must be altered Kings and States depressed and
priests onely Cassander writes and Micrologus Cassander praefat ord Romani Microl. de officio Missae cap. 19. Clicthâ—veus on the Canon of the Masse cited by Cassander ibidem and Clicthoveus among many others Circumgestation saith Cassander is contrary to the manner of the Ancients Cassander consult art 22. Feild quo supra for they admitted none to the fight of the Sacrament but the partakers and therefore the rest were bidden depart Crautzius praiseth Cusanus who being the popes Legat in Germany tooke away his Circumgestation vnlesse it were within the Octaues of Corpus Christi day The Sacrament being instituted for vse and not for ostentation Touching the honour of Saints Gerson and Contarenus Gerson de Directione cordis consider 16. sequent Contarenus in confut artic Lutheri and many others reprehend sundry superstitious obseruations and wish they were wisely abolished Whether the Saints in heauen doe particularly know our estate and heare our cryes and grones not onely Saint Augustine August de cura pro mortuis Glossa in Esay 63 Hugo Erudit Theolog. de sacram fidei lib. 2. part 16. cap. 11. and the Author of the Interlineall glosse But Hugo de Sancto victore tels vs it is altogether vncertaine and cannot be knowne So that though in generality they pray for vs or rather for all the Church on earth yet we may not safely and with faith pray to them That in the primitiue Church publike prayers were celebrated in the vulgar tongue Lyra confesseth Lyra in 1. Cor. 14 Caietan in respons ad Articulos Parisienseâ— and Caietan professeth that he thinketh it would bee more for edification if they were so now And he confirmeth his opinion out of Saint Paul Saint Bernard wrote diuers things concerning the now Romish Doctrine touching speciall faith imperfection and impurity of inherent righteousnesse merits power of freewill the conception of the blessed Virgin and the keeping of the feast of her conception a See D. Field Appendix to the fift booke of the Church part 1. pag. 89. Bernard serm 5. de verb. Esaiae All our righteousnesse saith he is as the polluted rags of a menstruous woman b Serm. 1. de Annunciat We must beleeue particularly that all our sinnes are remitted vs. c Tract de gratia lib. arb in fine Our workes are via regni not causa regnandi they are the way that leadeth to the kingdome but no cause why we raigne d Epist 175. ad Canonicos Lugd. The blessed Virgin was conceiued in sin and the feast of her conception ought not to be kept So that what errours and abuses we haue amended in our reformed Churches those the learned men of former Ages haue espied and haue written against them and we haue made no other Reformation then they heartily desired For conclusion of this point see what a number of famous men writing and preaching against the corruptions of Rome One Vniuersity afforded and thereby gesse what the world did §. 15. Gabriel Powel de Antichristo Edit Lond. 1605. reckons these Oxford men amongst many others in his Preface 1 King Alfred Founder of Oxford Vniuersity would not haue his people ignorant of Scriptures or bard the reading thereof Anno 880 Capgrav cataloge Sanct Angliae Polydor. Virg hist Ang. lib. 5. Baleus 2 Joannes Patricius Erigena a Brittan first Reader in Oxford ordained by the King wrote a booke of the Eucharist agreeable to Bertrams and condemned after by the Pope in Vercellensi Synodo And he Martyred for it anno 884. Philip. in Chron. lib. 4. sub Henr. 4 Baleus cent 2. cap 24. 3 Some Diuines at Oxford were burnt in the face and banished for saying the Church of Rome was the Whore of Babylon Monkery a stinking carrion their vowes toyes and nurses of Sodome Purgatories Masses dedications of Temples worship of Saints c. inuentions of the Deuill anno 960. Matth. Paris lib. 4. Guido Perpin de haeresib Baleus cent 2. 4 Arnulph or Arnold an English preacher a Monke of Oxford for preaching bitterly against Prelats and Priests wicked liues and corruptions cruelly butchered anno 1126. but saith Platina greatly commended by the Roman Nobility for a true seruant of Christ Bale cent 2. cap. 70. 5 Joannes Sarisburiensis anglus Oxoniensis theologus Episcopus Carnotensis beloued of the Popes Engenius 3. and Hadrian 4. wrote against the abuses of Clergy and Bishops in Objurgatorie Cleri in Polycratico he saith The Scribes and Pharises sit in the Roman Church laying importable burdens on mens shoulders The Pope is grieuous to all and almost intollerable Ita debacchantur ejus legati ac si ad ecclesiam flagellandam egressus sit Satan a facâ—e domini and he that dissents from their doctrine is iudged an Hereticke or a Schismaticke c. 1140. Sarisburien Polycr lib. 5. cap. 16. lib. 6. cap. 24. 6 Gualo Professor of Mathematicks in Oxford much praised of Sarish in Polycrat wrote inuectiues against Priests of the Monkish profession their luxuries pompes and impostures anno 1170. Bale cent 3. cap. 15. 7 Gilbert Foliot Doctor of Diuinity in Oxford Bishop first of Hereford and after of London perswaded King Henry 2 after the example of Jehoshaphat and other Kings to keepe the Clergy in subiection and oft resisted and blamed Tho. Becket to his face 1170. Bale ib. cap. 7. 8 Syluester Gyrald Archdeacon Meneuensis beloued of Hen. 2 and Iohn King of England wrote a booke of the Monks Cistertians naughtinesse c. 1200. â—eland catalogo virorum illustrium Bale cent 3 cap. 59. 9 Alexander a Diuine of Oxford sent by King John to defend his authority against the Pope which he did by reasons and Scriptures and wrote against the Popes power and temporall Dominion He was banished by Langton Bishop of Canterbury and dyed in exile he liued anno 1207. when King Iohn banished 64. Monkes of Canterbury for contumary breaking his commandement Bale cent 3 cap. 57. 10 Gualter Maxes Archdeacon of Oxford a famous man hauing been at Rome and seene the ambition of the Pope he set it out while he liued with most vehement satyricall criminations He wrote a booke called The Reuelation of the Romish Goliah and diuers others of the enormity of the Clergy lamentation ouer Bishops and against the Pope the Roman Court the euils of Monkes c. he flourished anno 1210. Siluester Gyrald in spec eccles lib. 3. c. 1. 14 Bale cent 3 cap. 61. 11 Robertus Capito Robert Grosthead Doctor of Diuinity in Oxford Bishop of Lincolne wrote against Prelats idlenesse and thundered against the Romish Court he modestly but yet publikely reproued the couetousnesse pride and manifold tyranny of Pope Innocent 4. He was excommunicated to the pit of hell and cited to come to their bloudy Court but he appealed from the Popes tyranny to the eternall tribunall of Iesus Christ and shortly after dyed anno 1253. The Priests that taught mens commandements and not
many nay But the issues of these Ladies were very vnfortunate and many calamities proceeded from these marriages as he there reports Yet the pope dispensed with all this partly to bind the French vnto him and partly to bridle the Emperour whom he would not haue grow too great by addition of Britany to his State Besides he needed not much care for this present Emperour Maximilian a poore prince full of affaires and of small credit Yea Maximilian himselfe afterwards affected the popedome as Guicciardine reporteth But come we to the affaires of our owne Nation Pope Julius the 2. gaue a dispensation that King Henry the 8. of England might marry Katherine the wife of his brother Arthur deceased A marriage plainly condemned by the Scriptures Leu. 18.16 and 20.21 and Mat. 24.2 4. and by many learned Vniversities Afterwards pope Clement the 7. Hist concil Trid. lib. 1. pag. 68. at Henries sute sent Cardinall Campeggio into England framing a Briefe to dissolue the Kings said marriage with Katherine to be published when some few proofes were passed which he was sure would easily be made and to giue liberty to the King to marry another This anno 1524. but anno 1529. The pope thinking it better to ioyne with the Emperour who was sonne to Katherines sister sent another Nuncio to Campeggio with order to burne the Breefe and to proceed slowly in the cause For the popement to apply himselfe to his best aduantages but the King espying their iugling finally banished the popes authority out of England Annals ibid praepar pag. A. 3. Latin Apparat. p. xij But Queene Mary the daughter of Hâ—nry by the said marriage of Katherine perswaded her selfe that all the right that she had to the Kingdome of England was vpholden by no other meanes then by the power of the pope whose dispensation made that marriage lawfull and gaue sentence of her side after her father had declared her illegitimate and therefore she was bound to cleaue strongly to the Pope Also Charles the 5 Emperour procured a marriage betwixt Philip his sonne of Spaine and Mary Queene of England by a dispensation of pope Iulius the 3. because they were allied in the third degree and that Charles himselfe had contracted to marry her being then vnder age for time to come Ibid. pag. 5. sed â—atin pag. 4. After her death King Philip desirous to keepe England treated seriously of a marriage with Queen Elizabeth his late wiues sister with promise to obtaine a speciall dispensation from the pope Which the King of France fearing it would be granted by the pope laboured secretly to hinder but the hindrance of the marriage was from Queene Elizabeth her selfe Relation of Religion in the West pag. 34. 27. See the whole Tract pag. 25. seq By such dispensations from the pope marriages in the house of Austria haue been so neere that they remaine still as brethren all of one family and as armes of the selfe-same body Keeping their dominions vnited still together without distraction Philip the second of Spaine might call the Archduke Albert both brother cozen nephew and sonne being vncle to himselfe cozen-german to his father husband to his sister and father to his wife Such marriages made lawfull onely by the pope dispensing with the Law of God must needs binde both the parties and issue thereof to be firme to the Papacy and to maintaine that authority by which themselues stand maintained and honoured So searched and penetrant is that Sea of Rome to strengthen it selfe more by vnlawfull marriages of other men then euer Prince yet could doe by the most lawfull marriage of his owne And thus the Pope by some one act ties vnto himselfe the fauour of many friends and many generations Yet may this be thought fit onely for blinded or ill-minded Princes The well-sighted or well-minded need no such cloake nor will make vse of any such for any otherwise vniustifiable courses But if they through their owne ignorance or their Ancestors vniust proiects haue been inuolued in such nets as their conscience now mislikes they may after our King Henries example by Gods booke and the counsell of godly wise and learned men alter their courses abolish his authority that alters Gods Lawes or deludes them and establish their state by more sound meanes Humanum est errare perseuerare diabolicum §. 9. VI. Other dispensations See Verdunt discourse anno 1563. Mense Febr. in hist conc Trid. lib. 7. pag. 676. See Tortura Torti pag 57. for diuers things hurtfull to the Church States and People but very profitable to the Pope and Court of Rome are ordinary About which one Iohannes Verdun spake freely and iudiciously in the Councell of Trent Dispensations saith he are accounted dis-obligations from the Law but Gods Law is perpetuall and remaineth inuiolable for euer The Pope is not Lord and the Church his seruant to bestow fauours as a master vpon his seruants Hee is but a seruant at the best to him who is Spouse of the Church neither can he by dispensing vnbinde any that is bound but onely declare to him that is not bound that he is exempted from the Law Indeed humane Lawes through the imperfection of the Law-makers and Cases not foreseene may admit dispensations in sundry occurrences as exceptions from the generall Law where it may be iustly thought the Law-makers would haue made exceptions if they had foreseene those Cases but where God is the Law-giuer from whom nothing is concealed and by whom no accident is not fore-seene the Law can haue no exception but all his Law is equity it selfe perpetuall and immutable Hist conc Trid. lib. 4. pag. 321. The King of France anno 1551. in a Printed Manifest published to his subiects that they were not to regard the Popes dispensations which were not able to secure the conscience and are nothing but a shadow cast before the eies of men which cannot hide the truth from God Euen in mens lawes Dispensationes sunt legum vlnera Dispensations are deepe wounds In Gods Lawes deadly wounds both to the lawes and to the dispenser for lawes often wounded haue little life left in them and he that wounds them hath little feeling of conscience Christ came not to dissolue the Law but to fulfill it Matth. 5.17 the Pope comes not to fulfill the lawes but to dissolue them He vnbinds subiects oathes to Princes yea bindes subiects with oathes against Princes both against Gods Law binding where he should loose loosing where he should binde as Anti-god and Antichrist He bindes his Catholickes for a time while they want strength they shall not stirre getting strength then they are loosed then stirre killâ— and massacre Thus Gregory the 13. interprets the Bull of Pius the 5. And thus Princes of the old Christian faith that they liue and reigne are beholden to the Catholickes of the new stampe not for their faith but for their weakenesse Hist conc Trent lib.
Vicar or Vicegerent be applyed giuen or sold to whom he thinkes good A quaint deuise but without all this purgatory pardons pilgrimages Masses for the dead c. are to no purpose If Saint Pauls doctrine of Iustification by Christs merits onely stand then haue we no merits if no merits no supâ—rerogation if no super-erogatory merits then no pardons if no pardons surely either no purgatory or no deliuerance by the pope from thence and then a great deale of the popes income is cut off But horresâ—o refâ—rens rather then that earthly treasure be diminished the spirituall and heauenly treasure and worth of Christs merits be diminished the sound Doctrine of Iustification corrupted mans free-will merit supererogation pardons and other gainfull doctrines appendant thereunto deuised magnified and established Saint Paul said 1 Tim. 6.6 9 10. Godlinesse is great gaine these men make great gaine to be godlinesse He saith They that will be rich fall into temptations snares foolish and hurtfull lusts and that the loue of mony is the root of all euill which while some haue coueted after they haue erred from the faith Alas that they that hold the chiefest places in the Church should be of that number §. 13. I omit Crucifixes Beads Amulets Graines Medals and other things of great vertue sent from the pope to be hanged about peoples neckes or otherwise worne about them 1 Cor. 3.12 as defensatiues against euill spirits and other dangers which though they may be thought to be but hay and stubble yet when your Midaâ— hath touched them they are taken for pure gold and of great vertue farre fetched and deare bought §. 14. To omit these and many other things I will speake onely of extraordinary exactions and in our Countrey onely An. Dom. 1245. Regis 29. or especially Matthâ—w of Wâ—stmiâ—stâ—r â—n his booke called Flores Historiarum writing of King Henry the thirds tâ—me saâ—th that the Kâ—ng vpon search through euery County of England found the Romane reuâ—nues to amount to threescore thousand markes by yeare equall to the Kings reuenues And yet the popes exactions were so great besides Pag. 195. that our Nobles made complaints thereof both by words anâ— writing in the Counâ—ell of Lyons shewing the â—ntollerable grieuanâ—es oppressions of the popes Officers most impudently violently done that by the popes Commissâ—on coâ—mand with a non obstante which took away all lawes or rights and authenticke writings The pope for the present put off his answer being busied with excommunicating Fâ—edericke the Emperour But afterwards enraged with anger and disdaine at their complaints he multiplied their oppressions without measure or end So that a Parliament was called to take some course to saue the land from vtter spoyle and ruine of the pope Pag. 206 207. and all men reioyced to see the Kings courage and constancy hoping now they should be powerfully deliuered from the iniuries of the Court of Rome And first seuerall letters were sent to the pope and Cardinals wrâ—tten by the Bishops and by the King and by the Abbots and Priors and by the Earle Richaâ—d and all the Nobles with him all humbly petitioning to spare the exhausted Realme of England and recall the grieuances which in their letters they rehearsed which letters were pennâ—d in such pittifull sort that they were able to soften an heart of yron saith the story But they receiued hard answers Pag. 209 210 217. and drew more misery still vpon them For the pope shortly after demaunded of euery Beneficed man in England resident on his charge a third part and of non residents an halfe of their goods for thâ—ee yeares which prouoked all Christ and in England to hate and curse the pope And diuâ—rs Noblemen of France to wit the Duke of Burgundy the Eâ— le of Britaine the Earle of Saint Pâ—ul and many other conspired against â—im and bâ—gan a Sch sme which tâ—â— puâ—lished in writing which is extent in â—he â—â—ory and in Mâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—erswading all men to reforme and liue after the fashion of the Primitiue Church Anno 1247. But the State and Clergy of England wrote againe to the popâ— and Cardinals for ease from these exactions giuing notice also of a dangerous Shisme else like to follâ—w This caused the pope somewhat to mitigate the exaction in England and draw downe to â—lâ—uen thousand markes to be payed for his present necessities Which summe our Bishops thought best to grant to auoyde the Roman greater persecution But out of this payment they left out all the Abbots of England pag. 219. to be deeplier fleeced by the Court of Rome At the same time also the pope got vp sixe thousand markes in Jreland and in other Countries what could be raked vp pag. 210 After all this new exactions came vpon the English especially vpon the Abbots and exempted persons pag. 222. Of one Abbey of S. Albans the popes Officer demaunded foure hundred markes which yet the pope was afterward induced to mitigate Math. Paris in vlla Henrici tertij See also Speeds Chron. in Henry 3. nu 52 57 60. anno 1234. In the same Kings raigne Mathy Paris saith that by the popes mandata de prouidendo for illiterate Italian Clerkes and Gratiae expectativae to wit in giuing Benefices as they fell voyd to Italians that neuer came at them but had the yearely reuenues thereof in mony brought into Jtaly to them there went out of the land yearely more treasure then the Kings reuenues amounted vnto And because it was not possible that the English of themselues should be alwayes funished with money to be sent in such summes out of the land the popes Merchants as they called them that is men sent hither for that purpose supplied them with money vpon vsury and the Roman Farmers and Proctors like greedy Harpies scraped vp all into their hands to the great impouerishing and misery of the English So that holy men with heart-breakings teares and deadly groanes singultu cruentato saith Paris professed it were better for them to die then to see such miseries vpon their Nation and vpon holy men the Daughter of Sion becomming such an impudent Harlot Against which Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne opposeth himselfe writing to the Pope his Epistle is extant in Mathy Paris that his detestable abhominable soule-murdering actions did euince him to be an Hereticke worthy of death yea to be Antichrist and to sit in the chaire of pestilence next to Lucifer h mselfe and that he had no power to excommunicate such as resisted these his actions Paris telleth further that King Henrie requiring the Prelates to binde themselues to the Popes Merchants for a great summe of money they replyed English Prelats counted it rather Martyrdome to dye against the Pope then for him that they would rather dye then suffer such oppression holding it a more manifest Martyrdome to dye in such a cause then was the death of Thomas Becket
1213. and 1220. §. 4. The twelfth Chapter sheweth there were many of the Waldenses Religion in England Matth. Paris in anno 1174. some burnt in anno 1174 saith Math Paris and in King Henry the second his time many were grieuously persecuted in England saith Thomas Waldensis an English man Waldens de Re sacram lib. 6. tit 12. cap. 10. Wiclife taught their very doctrine and greatly spread it in England Also in Saxony and Pomerania and in the Diocesse of Eisten in Germany ib. cap 11. were many Waldenses they had twelue Pastors knowen besides the vnknown Yea as Trithenius reports they were in such numbers and so spread in Germany that they could trauell from Colen to Milan in Italy and euery night lodge with hostes of their owne profession §. 5. The thirteenth Chapter shewes many in Flaunders the fourteenth in Poland Sigonius de Regno Italiae lib. 17. Rainer in summa fol. 18. the fifteenth in Paris it selfe the sixteenth in Italy as writeth Sigonius Rainerius saith in anno 1250. The Waldenses had Churches in Albania Lombardy Millan Romagnia and also in Vicence Florence and Val Spoletine Anno 1280. there were many Waldenses in Sicilia saith Du Haillan Roger Haillan in the life of Philip. 3. Sigonius lib. 17. King of Sicilia made constitutions against them and Pope Gregory the ninth persecuted them in Jtaly especially in Millan as saith Sigonius So did Honorius and Boniface the 8. The seuenteenth Chapter sheweth Rainerius de forma haereticor fol. 10. an 1250. the Waldenses had Churches in Constantinople Philadelphia Slavonia Bolgaria Digonicia by the testimony of Rainerius and they were spred into Livonia and Sarmatia Vignier histor Biblio thec part 3. pag. 130. as Vignier sheweth Sectionis 3. Subsectio 4. § 1. The Waldenses continued aboue 400 yeeres vntill Lutherrs time and after § 2. Jn England by meanes of Wiclife § 3. His doctrine and many followers Oxford Diuines § 4. The story of Iohn Hus Ierom of Prage and Bohemian affaires § 8. and 9. The continuance of the Waldenses after Luthers time Luther wrote a Preface to one of their bookes Letters passed betwixt them and Oecolampadius Bucer Caluin c. Antiquus Enough Sir of their spreading but except you shew also their succession and continuance till Luthers rising you can haue no hope to satisfie Antiquissimus I haue shewed Councels consultations persecutions massacres and mighty warres against them whereby many thousands of them haue beene burnt slain rooted out banished wasted Vsher ib. cap. 10. §. 64. but yet the maruellous hand of God still appeared in preseruing multitudes of them in diuers and many places in the middest of all their grieuous and continuall persecutions their doctrine was still preserued preached beleeued spred continued and deliuered to posterity Your a Thuanus hist sui temporis in praefatione Thuanus writing but the other day saith Supplicia parum profâ—cerunt Persecutions or punishments preuailed little They were slaine banished spoyled of their goods and dignities and scattered into diuers Countries rather then conuicted of errour or brought to repentance Surely as the persecution of the Apostles at Ieruâ—alem quenched not the Gospell but b Acts. occasioned the spreading thereof in Samaria and remoter parts so did the persecutions of the Waldenses in some parts of France occasion their spreading into other parts and other Countries as Germany Bohemia Polonia Livonia c. as c Thuanus ib. Thuanus there sheweth §. 2. In Britany or England the Waldenses doctrine was quickly receiued by many Haply by means of the entercourse of the English people with the great Earle of Tolous his subiects by reason of the d Before subs 3. §. 4. affinity betwixt those Princes for in the yeere 1174 and in Henry the seconds time there was persecution and burning of them as e Subs 2. § 6. Mathy Paris and Thomas Walden haue recorded But that doctrine was more generally receiued and had fuller passage in King Edward 3 raigne when f See Archb. Abbot against D. Hill Reason 1. §. 25 Fox iâ—â—ita Wicl â—â— Iohn Wiclife a learned Doctor of Diuinity g Bailiol Colledâ—â— Master of a Colledge in Oxford and publike Reader of Diuinity in that Vniuersity taught it there with the great liking applause of the hearers and approbation of the whole Vniuersity For the Vicechancellour Proctors diuers Preachers and Batchelors of Diuinity tooke part with him And when Buls came thicke from Rome against him and his Doctrine First from Gregory 11. anno 1378. And afterwards from Gregory the 12 whereby he was to be condemned for an Hereticke The whole Vniversity gaue a testimony in fauour of him vnder their seale in their Congregation house in these words among others h Anno 1406. Octob. 5. God forbid that our Prelats should haue condemned a man of such honesty for an Hereticke c. §. 3. This mans doctrine as the said Bulles of the two Popes did say agreed with the doctrine of Marsilius Patavians and Johannes de Ganduno i Abbot ib. This Marsilius a very learned man in that Age about the yeere 1324 had written a booke entituled Defensor Pacis in defence of the Emperor Lewis of Bauier who was mightily laid at by three Popes successiuely demoÌ„strating the supreme authority of the Emperour and beating down the iniquity of the Popes vsurpations ouer Christian Princes and generall Councels shewing that things are to be decided by the Scriptures that learned men of the Laity are not to be debarred voyces in Councels that the Clergy and pope also are to be subiect to Princes That the Church is the whole company of the faithfull that Christ is the foundation and head of the Church hath not appointed any one to be his Vicar that Priests may be married as well as other Christians that S. Peter was neuer at Rome that the Popish court or Synagogue is a denne of theeues that the doctrine of the Pope is not to be followed because it leadeth to euerlasting destruction The popes being informed that this was also Wiclifes doctrine must needes condemne him or yeeld themselues guilty Many other positions were attributed vnto him also some bad enough and vndoubtedly false as had been before to the Waldenses and the Primitiue Christians but what hee truely held may be seene in his owne workes that remaine and in Mr. Foxe writing his life and in Catalogo testium veritatis lib. 18. Gabr. Powel De Antichristâ— In Prafatione n. 25. The summe whereof Mr. Gabriel Powel a diligent searcher and obseruer deliuereth thus Hee taught that there ought not to be one supreme Bishop in the Church that the pope is not only not Christs Vicar but also that he is Antichrist that his priuiledges bulles dispensations and indulgences are not onely idle and vnprofitable but also wicked and impious that to spirituall men is not to be giuen the politicke Dominion
him or sent to Rome before him And yet these euils are small in comparison of others which Englishmen haue felt continually for many Ages from the Court of Rome as the Historians of those times with full consent record Verè enim hortus deliciarum Papis fuit tum Anglia puteus inexhaustus As we reade it was truly and trâ—mly said by Pope Jnnocent 4. England was a Garden of deliciousnesse to the Popes and a fountaine inexhaust or vndrainable I speake not now of the true blessings of the soule for which all men may thanke the Reformation of Religion which pious Princes make more account of then of all the Kingdomes of the earth The sincere worship of God alone without fellowes or copartners The veneration of the B. Virgin and holy Saints without superstition The peace of conscience with God by faith in the merits and death of Christ not that the faithfull should cease from good works fie away with such madnes but that when a man hath doneall he can do yet to acknowledge himself an vnprofitable seruant and neuer place confidence in his owne merits to gather exceeding great comfort in the daily and continual reading and meditating of the Scriptures not interpreting them after his own sense but in those things which he finds in them perspicuous and plaine for in such sort they afford vs if we beleeue the Fathers all things necessary to saluation and such as are agreeable to the expositions of the first Doctors of the Church he may sortisie his minde against false opinions which at this day are obtruded vpon the vnwary for ancient articles of faith The receiuing of the holy Communion according to the institution and commandement of our Lord and the continuall practise of the Chuch for more then a thousand yeeres vnder both kindeâ— Mindes confirmed against those thunders of Excommunication so terrible in former times which the Popes cast abroad oftentimes against innocent Princes and rather for humane causes then Diuine as euery man knoweth As when Innocent 3 kept all the people of this Land vnder a curse most deadly and damnable as the Popes would haue men beleeue and then it was so beleeued whole sixe yeeres three moneths and fourteene dayes In which time all that dyed in the Land were depriued of buriall and iudged to bee damned creatures all new borne remained vnbaptized prayers and teaching ceased in all Churches and men liued like Infidels In so large a land so plentifull of people to continue this curse but for one day vpon so many thousands of Innocents had been doubtlesse a most wicked and damnable thing But from all these euils and many other the blessed Reformation of that formerly corrupted Religion hath redeemed vs. Such things writes the learned and iudicious Casaubon And as the Reformation deliuered vs froÌ„ many euils so it hath filled vs with many blessings which we daily feele in full measure but are not able in any sufficient measure to expresse Take a short view of our blessings enioyed vnder our late Princes Cambden Annales Elizabethae initio B. Carltons Thankfull Remembrance initio Queene Elizabeth entring her raigne anno 1558 found at first many potent enemies few and impotent friends Philip King of Spaine who sued to marry her by a dispensation from the Pope hauing buried Mary her sister his former wife now being refused by her turned his loue into hatred Henry 2 King of France with whom she sought peace and amity brake out into open hostility His sonne Francis hauing married Mary the Queene of Scotland professed his Wife to be the heire of England assumed the Armes and Title thereof and sought to displace Elizabeth as one also accounted an Hereticke So were the great neighbour-States of Spaine France and Scotland her professed enemies Her Friends that would haue hâ—â—ped her were weake and could not but stood in need of helpe from her The Scots sore troubled with the French Armies procured by the Guisians The Low-Countries beaten down by the Duke of Alva Agent for the King of Spaine The Protestants of Denmarke and France were faine to craue aide from Her as also other friends did The State at home was much troubled the treasure exhausted and oppressed with great debt contracted by King Henries boundlesse expences King Edwards minority and Queene Maries forraigne marriage and other troubles the land without strength forces souldiers artillery powder and treasure Calis lately lost and nothing seemed lefâ— but a weake and poore State destitute of meanes and friends So that her great neare Neighbours round about her made no other account of her but as one left to be a prey to the strongest that would inuade her Yet see the mighty hand and blessing of God vpon her not onely to deliuer her out of all these difficulties but further to enable her to support her friends and to match and master her enemies When shee prouided Armour at Antwerpe and King Philip caused it to bee stayed yet she partly procured Armour and Weapons out of Germany but principally God opened new Brasse Mines in England which had been long before neglected sufficient for vs and to vent into other Countries and yeelded vs then first the stone called Lapis calaminaris needfull for working in Brasse By meanes whereof She caused store of Gunnes to be cast of Brasse and Iron at home and Gunpowder also then first to be made in England which before was bought from other Countries Camden ibid. pag 27. And further By the happy abolishing of the Popes Religion as England became the most free of all other Countries in the world the Scepter being as it were manumitted from the former seruitude of the Bishop of Rome so it became also more rich then in former Ages a great masse of money being kept at home which formerly was exhausted and yearely and daily carried to Rome for first fruits Indulgences appeales dispensations Palles such other things Strengthned therefore by all these blessings She fortified Barwicke against Scotland and prouided a great Nauy to safeguard the Sea-coasts And whereas former Kings hyred ships from forraigne places Hamburg Lubecke Dantiske Genua Venice c. Now She built great store of ships of Warre Herselfe and all Coast-townes with incredible alacrity wondring at her wisedome and care of them did the like So that in short time England was able to employ twenty thousand men in Sea-fight at once And her enemies began to feare her more then she did them And such was her power and policy See Speedes Chronicle in Elizabeth § 347. seq and Gods extraordinary blessings vpon them that the great affaires of Europe mainly depended vpon Her directions She sitting at the helme of the ship as Fronto spake of Antonius the Emperour arbitrated and guided their estates both in peace and warre Spaine seeking to ouerflow all was beaten backe and scarcely able to maintaine her owne Barkes In France the house of Valoys vnderpropped by Her counsell that of Bourbons
TO HIS HONORABLE FRENDE Sr. HENRY SKIPWITH Knight and Baronet The Author hereof sendeth this his worke as a Testimony and Memoriall of the LOVE and HONOVR which he beareth to his WORTHINES A IVSTIFICATION OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND Demonstrating it to be a true Church of GOD affording all sufficient meanes to SALVATION OR A Countercharme against the Romish enchantments that labour to bewitch the people with opinion of necessity to be subiect to the Pope of ROME Wherein is briefly shewed the Pith and Marrow of the principall bookes written by both sides touching this matter with Marginall reference to the Chapters and Sections where the points are handled more at large to the great ease and satisfaction of the READER By ANTHONY CADE Bachelour of DIVINITY GALAT. 3.1 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth LONDON Printed for GEORGE LATHVM dwelling at the Bishops head in Pauls Church-yard Anno 1630. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD IOHN LORD Bishop of LINCOLNE my very good Lord and Patron RIght Reuerend Father I humbly craue your Patience to take notice of the Causes and Manner of my writing and your Patronage to countenance it The occasions of my writing 1 Particular I euer accounted it a great blessing of God and it is still the ioy of my heart to record that in my stronger yeeres I was thought worthy to be employed in the trayning vp of some Nobles and many other yong Gentlemen of the best sort whose names here to insert might happily be censured ambition in me in the Learned Tongues Mathemacicall Arts Musicke and other both Diuine and Humane Learning and that Many of them haue since risen to great places and dignities in our Church and Common wealth And it was afterwards my great griefe to heare that any of them or of their Parents by mee much honored should be seduced or drawn to embrace the present Religion of the Papacy and to separate froÌ„ our so excellently-reformed Church The falling away of persons of so Noble birth and place after such education likely also to be means by their examples and reputation to draw others to the like defection made a deepe impression of sorrow in my soule and wrought a desire to seeke their recouery 1 More generall I saw also a generall inclination of many sorts of people to returne againe to the Old Religion as they called it vpon a strong perswasion that the Protestants Religion was new and but of yesterday although we daily cry downe all nouelties in Religion and professe to embrace nothing which is not of the ancient faith Iude verse 3. once or first deliuered to the Saints These considerations excited and vrged me by that bond of loue and duty wherewith I feele my selfe bound both to my late dearely beloued yong Nobles and Gentlemen in particular and to our whole Church and State in generall The purposes and ends of my writing to addresse my selfe to writing to recollect and perfit that which I had long professed obserued and taught both to put those former in mind of such grounds of sound Religion which in their youth both by pulicke Sabboth-dayes Sermons and by priuate Schoole-Catechizings on Frydayes and by other Conferences they had learned of me and to confirme those grounds with Inuincible Reasons and Allegations And also to improue my Talents such as they are to the best seruice of the whole Church our Gracious Soueraigne the State in generall and euery particular soule for their eternall and temporall happinesse by instructing the Ignorant confirming the right beleeuers and good Subiects reducing the errant staying the weake and wauering or confounding the obstinate and thereby so much as in me lyeth working a happy peace loue vnity and vnanimity amongst all To which purpose An obiectioâ— answered though many haue written most learnedly and excellently already yet I thought good to follow S. Augustines aduise Augustin libro 1 De Trinitate cap. 3. Vâ—ile esâ— plures à pluribus fieri libros diverso stylo non diuersa fide etiam de quaestionibus â—â—sdem vt ad plurimos reâ— ipsa perueniat ad alios sic ad alios autem sic who wisheth where heresies are busie that all men which haue any faculty of writing should write though they write not onely of the same things but the same reasons in other wordes either that hereticks may see multitudes against them or that of many bookes written some at lest may come to their hands as it happily fell out in the time of the Arrians And for the manner of my writing The manner of my writing I endeuoured to fit it the best way to the Persons to whom I intended it and to these times I saw that bookes of all sorts are infinitely multiplied in the world and that neither men of great place nor many others haue time afforded from their necessary affaires to read many bookes or any large discourse I thought it therefore though the most painfull yet the most profitable course diligently to collect and faithfully to relate with all possible breuity and perspicuity the substance of that which former learned Authors Fathers and Histories haue deliuered what the Romish Doctors haue probably obiected and Protestants especially English haue substantially answered so much as concerneth my purpose and the points which I handle that the Reader might haue in one view and volume the Pith and Substance of the best bookes written on both sides touching these matters as an Epitome of them all And withall pointing to the bookes chapters and sections By marginall notes for the most part or pages of them all as an Index referring the vnsatisfied where he may read of euery point more at large I find to omit all others the late most learned Lipsius in humane knowledge Iusti Lipsij Politica See his Prefaces hath taken this course without any disgrace to himselfe but rather with the great commendation of his diligence and learning writing to the Emperour Kings and Princes which haue no leisure to read great bookes briefe Aphorismes methodically deliuered by him but euermore in the most learned Authors owne words and quoting their bookes Vt quae optima sunt aut per me cognoscatis aut mecum recognoscatis saith he to those great Estates That either by me yee may know these excellent things or with me call them againe to minde And herein saith he Verè dicere possum omnia esse nostra nihil All things in the booke are mine and nothing Because the matter was the Authors whoÌ„ he cites the whole inuention and order was his owne And Bellarmine in diuine Controuersies is esteemed to haue done the greatest seruice to the Church of Rome by collecting the substance of the learned large writers of Controuersies into one body coÌ„futing as he could what was against and confirming what was for that Church I haue followed these great wits though longo
more then three times so much as the taxe for Incest with a mans Mother 4 Consider Bellar. de Iustif lib. 2. cap. 1. in fine if they winke not at our doctrine in their owne men as Pighius the Diuines of Colen Durandus and hundreds of others as long as they professe subiection to the pope in such Catholickes our opinions are not heresie but in vs the same opinions are persecuted with fire and sword 5 Consider Histor concil Trent lib. 3. pag. 293. how kindly they offer to tolerate things otherwise very odious vnto them if men will professe subiection to the pope as anno 1548. Paul the third sent the Bishops of Verona and Ferentino his Nuncij into Germany then almost lost from him with faculties to grant vnto all persons Kings Princes Ecclesiasticall and Regular that would returne to his obedience absolution from all censures dispensations for irregularities or objuration penance oathes perjuries and to restore them to honour fame and dignity and to license them to partake the Cup in the Communion to eat flesh in Lent and Fasting dayes with many other immunities so farre as might be done in time and place without scandall c. So Pius the fourth Annals Eliz. Engl. pag. 63. Latin pag. 49. anno 1560. offered to Queene Elizabeth to allow our whole booke of Common Prayer if she would receiue it as from him and by his authority 6 Consider whether this was not the maine cause of the popes quarrell and thunder against the German Emperours and our English Kings John and Henry the 8. who held all the doctrinall points of the Romish Religion and onely impaired the popes highnesse greatnesse or reuenues In Henry 8 time Hist conc Trid. lib. 1. pag. 70. the Court of Rome maintained that it could not be said There was no change of Religion in England the first and principall article being changed which is the supremacy of the pope and that seditions would arise as well for this onely as for all the rest which the euent shewed to bee true For though the King continued the Religion of the pope so fully by commands and punishments that pope Paul 3 commended him highly to the Emperour Ibid pag. 89 90. ibid. pag. 87. as an illustrious example to bee imitated in that course yet for abrogating the popes supremacy and reuenues in England he thundred a Bull against him denouncing him depriued of his kâ—ngdome and his adherents of whatsoeuer they possessed and commanding his subiects to deny him obedience and strangers to haue any commerce with that kingdome and all to take armes against and to persecute both himselfe and his followers granting them their estates and goods for their prey and their persons for their slaues It is not therefore the points of true ancient Catholike Christian Doctrine that you so much contend for to make good gracious Christians inheritors of heauenly felicity but it is your wealth and greatnesse or the setting vp and maintaining of your Visible Monarchy of the Church as you Doctor Sanders calls it whereof Christ and his Apostles spake neuer a word and whereof the Primitiue Church neuer dreamed This if our Religion would allow Pius 4. Hist conc Trid. lib. 8. pag. 745. you would allow of our Religion The rather-politicke-then-pious pope saide once since he could not regaine the Protestants it was necessary to keepe those in obedience which hee had Bellar. de eccles militant lib. 3. c. 2. §. nostra autem sententia See Triplici nodo pag. 41 42. Printed 1609. to make the diuision strong and the parties irreconciliable Conformable whereunto now their Doctrine is that such as submit not to the popes supremacy doe renounce Christianity For the Church saith Bellarmine is the company of them that liue in subiection to the pope professing the same faith with him though they haue no inward vertues but be indeed Atheists Hypocrites or Heretickes And in his Epistle to Blackwell the Arch-priest in England anno 1607. he cals the popes supremacy one of the principall heads of the Faith and foundation of the Catholicke Religion and saith They that disturbe or diminish that primacy seeke to cut off the very head of the Faith and to dissolue the state of the whole body and of all the members §. 4. This primacy is practised in the popes challenged gouernment ouer the Church of the whole world For a Turrecremata lib. 2. c. 27. Aug. Triumph q. 19. art 1. as Matrimony is contracted betwixt a prelate and his particular Church by his election and consecration so betwixt the pope and the Vniuersall Church Thus if the pope be the generall bridegroome sponsus and Rome the generall bride sponsa then they two are the common parents of all Christians so that none is to be accounted a Christian that hath not the pope for his father and that Church for his mother Capist fol. 31. â— So saith Capistranus fol. 56 a. A manifest errour for 1 none of the Churches of the New Testament Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippi Colossus Thessaly Smirna Pergamus Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia Laodicea c. nor 2 other Primitiue Churches following for many hundred yeares were any way dependant vpon Rome or her Bishop but were built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets in generall Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone and by that meanes Eph. 2.20 were no more strangers and forrainers but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes 2.19 20. They did not acknowledge Rome their mother but their sister not the roote but a particular branch of the Church such a one as equally with the rest did partake of the root and fatnesse of the Oliue tree Rom. 11.17 Rom. 11.18 20 21 22. And to the Roman Church was written directly this propheticall Caueat Boast not against the branches but if thou boast thou bearest not the root but the roote thee Bee not high minded but feare for if God spared not the naturall branches take heed lest he also spare not thee if thou continue not in his goodnesse thou shalt also be cut off This shewes 1 that Rome is but a branch not the root of the vniuersall Church 2 that it may be cut off and yet other Churches stand and flourish being vnited to the common root and therefore are independant vpon the Church of Rome Baronius an 45. n. 18. Bellar. de Rom. pont lib. 2. c. 2. lib. 3. cap. 13. And it is plaine that the mysticall Babylon ' mother of Abominations drunken with the bloud of the Saints and Martyrs Reuel 17.5 6 is the very City of Rome built vpon seuen mountaines verse 9. and raigning ouer the Kings of the earth Ribera in Apoc. 14. n. 27. seq Viegas in Apoc. 27. comment 1. sec 3. Suarez lib. 5. c. 7. n. 11. Of this point see the glorious Panegyrick Oration of Innotencius 3. calling himselfe the Spouse of the
Church and magnifying the largenesse dignity wealth and dowry of his Bride apud Vsserium De ecclesiarum successione statu cap. 9. initio pag. 255. See also B. Carlton Consens contr 2. de ecclesia cap. 1. pag. 156. and D. Field of the Church lib. 5. cap. 41. pag. 267. where he answereth Bellarmines arg libri 2. de Rom. pont cap. 31. Ex nominibus quae Romano Pontifici tribui solent verse 18. so plaine that that the Iesuites cannot doe not deny it our Rhemists say it was Rome vnder Nero c. but later Iesuites Ribera and Viegas Suarez confesse it must needs be Rome towards the end of the world wherein Antichrist shall sit make hauocke of the Church and be finally destroyed CHAP. 5. §. 5. II. As the Pope challengeth a superiority ouer all Christians so much more particularly ouer all the Clergy who must all deriue their both Orders and Iurisdiction from him as from the vniuersall Pastor of the Church in whom all power of Orders and Iurisdiction originally resideth So that Bishops pay to the Pope great summes of money for their ceremonies at their entrance and Priests also their first fruites and yearely tenths with other payments to fill the Popes Cofers by exhausting Christian Kingdomes and all Bishops and Priests become the popes subiects exempted from the Iurisdiction Lawes and penalties of the Princes in whose Countries they liue both their persons goods and lands which is a double iniury to Christian Princes and Common-wealthes First that the Princes and State haue no dominion ouer the persons or bodies of the Clergy or ouer Monkes Fryars Nunnes or other Regulars or Votaries they cannot be punished by the Kings lawes be they adulterers murderers robers traitors or tainted with other villanies except the popes officers will degrade them make theÌ„ seculars Which was the Controuercy betwixt King Henry the second Read this whole story in our Chronicles especially in Speeds and Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury who would not yeeld the King any authority to punish Clergy malefactors as being none of his subiects Secondly that the Princes and State haue no aide subsidies or reuenues out of the goods or lands of Church-men or Abbies whereas the goods or lands of such men may arise to a quarter or a third part of the whole Realme yea and they continually increase from Age to Age by gifts bequests and purchases and are neuer alienated to the great impairing of publicke reuenues and publicke force For which the Venetians and other Common-wealthes haue been compelled to make Lawes of restraint lest they should in time be swallowed vp by the Clergy This is against Diuinity equity and antiquity Christ was not exempted from the Magistrates power he acknowledge Pilat to haue power to crucify him Iohn 19.10 11 power to release him euen lawfull power giuen him from aboue He payed tribute to Caesar for himselfe and his Saint Paul acknowledged Caesaer to be his lawfull iudge And taught all men both for conscience sake Mat. 17. end Act. 25.10 Rom. 13.1 c. 1 Pet. 2.13 Bernard epist ad Episcopum Senonensem Omnis anima tum vestra quis vos excipit qui tentat excipere tentat decipere and in equity for the good we receiue from the Magigstrates to be subiect to the ciuill Magistrates that beare the sword Saint Peter doth the like Saint Bernard writing to a Bishop tels him he is not exempted from temporall subiection to Princes he that excepts him deceiues him Father Paul of Venice in his Considerations vpon the censure of Pope Paul 5. pag. 39. shewes how the Exemptions of the Clergy came in peece-meale by the priuiledges of Princes and not jure diuino Anno domini 315. Constantine the great exempted their persons from publicke and Court seruices And Constant and Constance his sonnes added their exemption from illiberall or sordid actions and from Impositions 308 Valens and Gracianus 400 Arcadius and Honorius 420 Honorius and Theodosius 2. c. put the tryall of the Clergy to the Bishop if both parties were willing otherwise to the secular Magistrate which was confirmed by Gracian also anno 460. and by Leo. 560 Iustinian put the Clergy in ciuill causes to the Bishop and in criminall to the secular Iudge 630 Heraclius exempted the Clergy both in ciuill and criminall causes from the secular Magistrate yet euer reseruing entire the Princes immediate Deputies and substitutes But the popes in following Ages challenged these priuiledges as due to them by diuine right and abused these Emperours bountifulnesse to their great disturbance and dishonour And in these last Ages wherein priests and Iesuites are so busie with State matters to the great disquiet and danger of Princes making Religion a Maske to couer and closely conuey treasons and rebellions these exemptions and priuiledges are not tollerable §. 6. III. The Popes authority staies not here in the general Fatherhood of the Church or dominion ouer the Clergy exempting from the secular powers These are but staires to an higher ascent In the first and best times of the Church the gaining of soules to God was the principall end and wealth a poore inferiour meanes to maintaine them selling their lands to relieue the poore Christians Acts 2.45 and 4.34 c. Now it seemes greatnesse and wealth are the chiefe ends and a shew of Religion is a meanes to get them Christs kingdome was not of this world Iohn 18.36 The Popes is Doctor Sanders calls it Sanderi libri de visibili monarchia The visible Monarchy of the Church a Monarchy ouertopping all other yea practising to depose dispose transpose all other Christian Potentates as shall seeme good to the Pope to giue Henries Empire to Rodulph sending to him a Diadem with this Inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus Diadema Rodulpho authorizing him like Zimri to kill his Master and raigne in his stead To giue England from King Iohn to Philip of France our Henry the eigth his Kingdome to whosoeuer could take it by force Queene Elizabeths to the King of Spaine to omit many others Pope Celestinus crowned Henry 6 and his Empresse See Tortura Torti pag. 264. 262. Baronius approued not Alexander 3. act annot 177. for he thought the story not true But Celestinâ—s fact he commends and defends B. Andâ—ews in Tortura Torti pag. 263. with both his feet and cast off his with one An Emperours Crowne is but the popes football Gregory 7 made Henry 4. attend bare-footed foure dayes in Winter before his gates Alexander 3 trode vpon Fredericke Barbarosaes necke reciting the verse of the Psalme 91.13 Thou shalt treade vpon the Lyon and Adder The yong Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou trample vnder thy f et These things the world cryed shame vpon and Bellarmine blusheth at some of them and laboureth to weaken the credit of the Reporters but our Bishop Andrewes reckons aboue 20 Authors of diuers Nations reporting them Christ would not
Guisanus from vpper Germany and Stephanus Tugius who remained at Rome All these of extraordinary learning and experience hauing bin Gouernors of Colledges or Schooles a long time in their seuerall Countries These were appointed by the Pope and Aqua viua to consult of the best manner of trayning vp yong men in the Seminaries They had consultations instructions and intelligences from other places a whole yeare together and doubtlesse concluded vpon the most politicke and likely course that humane wit could deuise to subdue the the world to their owne purposes Meane season there were entised or drawen out of diuers Nations by bookes published ee B. Bilson â—ifference of subiection and rebellion part 1. pag. 149. seq and other meanes many of the best wits such as wanted maintenance or had missed preferments in the Vniuersities or other places or were otherwise discontented or desirous of nouelties c. they were drawne by magnificall promises of preferment degrees honours imployment and most exquisite education in all manner of learning to come to the most bountifull Pope and receiue them And by this meanes shortly were furnished many Seminaries with Iesuite Gouernours and Readers and with plenty of hearers or students Seminarium Romanum Germanum Anglicum Graecum and Maronitanum or of the Inhabitants of Montlibanus to traine vp and make fit instruments in the shortest time to be sent againe into their Countries to put in practise the things they had learned and with all possible wit and diligence to recouer and restore the authority of the Roman Church where it was decayed and in all other places also to preuent such blowes and wounds as the Papacy had already otherwhere receiued To which purpose they had priuiledges contrary to other orders as times and occasions required to goe disguised not in Religious but Lay-mens habits like Gentlemen gallants or seruing-men Dialogue betweene a secular Priest a Gentleman pag. 90. One of their secular Priests reports that a Iesuite hath worne a Girdle Hangers and Rapier worth ten pounds a Ierkin worth as much and made himselfe three sutes of apparell in a yeare his horse furniture and apparell valued at an hundred pounds the better to insinuate into all Companies vnsuspected and creepe into their mindes with cunning perswasions ere they were aware and so goe forwards or fall off as hopes or feares should meete them And wheresoeuer they could finde or worke out entertainment they had priuiledges Buls and Faculties to heare Confessions to pardon sinnes to reconcile and receiue penitents into the bosome of the Church of Rome to instruct them that Princes not of the Catholicke Romish faith nor subiect to the pope were no Princes but had lost their authority rule gouernement and dominion their Officers no Officers their Lawes no Lawes their subiects were freed from obedience to them further then for feare or want of strength they might obey but when they had strength and power they might and ought by all meanes to put such Princes downe and set vp others such as the pope should like of That they should by no meanes come to the Protestant Churches or prayers but maintaine an irreconciliable hatred to all religious Acts and Doctrines of theirs seemed they neuer so good and as they should be able vtterly to extirpe them as people worse then Infidels And for their cunning and appearing sanctitie they became Confessors and Counsellours to Kings and Queenes and great personages and thrust themselues into counsels and actions of state gouernment intelligences and had such connexions amongst themselues as no kinde of men could goe beyond them in wit learning power or policy They nested themselues in places of best aduantage of Princes Courts chiefest Cities greatest men and where they could once place Seminaries or Colledges of their owne Society they made account that Countrey was their owne Their Colledges as it is obserued placed vpon the walles of Cities afforded them passage into the City or abroad into the world at pleasure to giue or receiue intelligence as occasion serued They haâ— their Generall at Româ— at the popes elbow as the aforesaide Claudius de Aqua viva and vnder him Prouincialles and Arch-priests in euery Countrey as George Blackwell Henry Garnet and after him George Bircot in England to giue order and directions to inferiour Iesuites and there to appoint them their limits and imployments call them to accouâ—t and send them when and whither they thought good And so erected a new Iesu ticall gouernment and clasped the Kingâ—ome as farre as was posâ—ible in their owne fists See the full discouâ—se hâ—re of in Mâ—â—â—â—to Gaâ—lobâ—lâ—iâ—o Daâ—tâ—cano anno 1607. pag. 67. It was wâ—ll discoursed to the Pâ—lonian Nobility assembled for Reformation of the troubles in the Land That the greatest enâ—mies to that other free estates were the Iesuites who had a Monarchicall policy fittest to mooue and act tyed to one head at Rome and tyed to their superiours in straitest forme of Obedience that the lower may not enquire into any no not the absurdest commands of the superiours but must yeeld ready obedience without knowing any reason of the equity or danger thereof Which blinde obedience hath brought forth many desperate audacious instruments and designes So that the Iesuites faction is a most agile sharpe sword whose blade is sheathed at pleasure in the bowels of euery Common-wealth but the handle reacheth to Rome and Spaine So that the very life death and fortunes of all Kings Magistrates and Common-wealthes hangs vpon the horoscope of the Iesuites pleasures If the Iesuites be as lucky starres in the ascendent and culminant they may liue continue and flourish if maleuolent they perish but that Deus dominabitur Astris §. 5. See Rainold Hart. confeâ— cap. 1. din. 6 â—p 382. The great estate and authority of Cardinals was an especiall meanes to aduance and vphold the Papacy after that the parishes grew so populous that there needed morâ— Priests and Deacons then one in euery Parish and Ward in Rome the principall was called the Cardinall priest and Cardinall Deacon Bellâ—r Apolog. conâ—â—a praesat mâ—â—â—ortum Iacob Regâ—s cap. 4. paâ— 34. 38 39 Ibid. pag. 337. conâ— Latâ—ran cap. 1. and this honourable name was in time also giuen to the chiefe Bishops neere vnto Rome they were also called Cardinall Bishops as the Bishop of Alba Tusculum Preneste Sabine Portuesse and Ostia And vntill the yeare 1180. they all Bishops Priests and Deacons liued on thâ—ir owne charge and discharged it in their owne persons though also as nearest often imployed in the popes affaires But by Alexander the third Cerem Eccle. Rom. lib. 1. 3. August Triumphus dâ— potest eccl q est 8. art 4. Antonin Sum. part 3. tit 21. cap. 1. § 2. Ceremoniar Rom eccl s lib. 1. sect 8 cap. 3. Some fetch a prophesie of Cardinals from Samâ—ch Mâ—ther 1 Sam 2.8 where hâ— saith Doâ—ini suâ—t cardines terrae posunt super
that the pope and his Clergy haue engrossed the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen into their custody and neither enter themselues nor suffer others to enter he disallowed Transubstantiation Masses Offices Canonicall houres and other Battologies from Baptisme he remoued the Chrisme and taught that the faithfull ought to be baptized with simple water as Christ did he disallowed Auricular confession the papists doctrine of penance satisfaction and worship of Relickes and the Inuocation of Saints whom he called Seruants not Gods for the word Knaue which he vsed signified in those dayes a seruant not as it doth in our dayes a wicked Varlet as his enemies malitiously interpret it Bellarmine for one a man vtterly ignorant of the English tongue Hee reiected humane rites new shadowes and traditions he denyed it to be lawfull for any man to adde any thing to the religion contained in holy Scriptures and to make it harder as hee complained the pope had done hee thought fit that the pallaces and all that pompe and maiesty of the Pope and also diuers degrees of the Spiritualty should be taken away he condemned the orders of Monks as superstitious impious and very hurtfull to true Religion and said they were to be forsaken as soone as could be he defended the holy Communion in both kindes he wrote as Aeneas Sylvius witnesseth aboue two hundred volumes mostwhat against the impious liues traditions and abuses of the Popes Monkes and Clergy for which he liued a while in banishment but at last being restored he had many fauourers as appeateth by the writings of Walden Knights and Peeres of the Land who in places vnder their gouernment abolished Images and cast out other rites of the Popes He flourished anno Dom. 1360. See Bale century 6. chap 1. These were the points of doctrine which Wiclife taught for which and other such like fathered vpon him he was condemned by the Councell of Constance forty yeeres after he was dead and his bones digged vp and burned D. Abbot contra Hill reason 1. §. 25. Histor Waldens lib. 2. cap. 12. His preaching while he liued was euident and so powerfull that beside the Vniuersity of Oxford it gained him many great fauourers of the Nobility as John of Gaunt and the Lord Henry Percy the one Duke of Lancaster the other Marshall of England Fox ex Regisiro Ceâ—â—tney Aot Parlam An. 5. Rich. 2. cap. 5. also Lewis Gifford and the Chancellour the Earle of Salisbury and in a manner all the inferiour people among whom it was preached in many places in Churches Churchyards Markets Faires and other places of great Congregations so generally commonly publikely with such plainnesse and euidency of the truth and notoriousnesse of the abuses which he reprooued that it wonne all mens assent and liking and tooke so large and deep root that it could not be rooted out Gabriel Powel De Antichristo edit Lond. 1605. in praefatione by all the meanes that for many yeeres after his death the popes Princes Bishops and their officers could deuise or vse Gabriel Powel reckons vp a great number of Diuines of that one Vniuersity of Oxford beside all others that from time to time and age to age euen to Luthers time maintained Wiclifes doctrine in England and many of them were persecused and put to death for it of which number these are some Vtred Bolton anno 1380. Io. Bale cent 6. cap. 85. and John Ashwarby fellow of Oriel Colledge Doctor of Diuinity Pastor of S. Maries in Oxford both of them much troubled for preaching and promoting Wiclifes doctrine the same yeere anno 1380. Iohn Ashton Fellow of Merton Colledge anno 1382. Ib. cap. 78. persecuted and finally condemned to perpetuall prison Philip Repington of Merton Colledge Ib. cap 90. afterwards Bishop of Lincolne 1382. Nicholas Herford Doctor of Diuinity Jb. cap 92. he taught that there was nothing in Wiclifes Doctrine disagreeing from the holy Scriptures 1382. Walter Brute of Merton Colledge Ex catalogo sociorum Merton Fox act tom â— Bale cenâ— â— cap. 2. ib. cap. 10. persecuted by the Bishop of Hereford 1390. Peter Pateshal preached Wiclifes doctrine ordinarily at London and in the Court auoyded persecution by flying into Bohemia 1390. At the same time Richard With of Merton Colledge preached the same doctrine Henry Crumpe an Irish man Doctor of Diuinity in Oxford Ib. cent 14. cap. 58. Ex Waldeni fasciculo zizaniorum first an aduersary to Wiclife but after conuicted by his doctrine taught it boldly and being therefore persecuted by the Bishops fled into Ireland and there was long imprisoned by a Bishop 1393. Catal. sociorum Mert. Richard Wimbleton Fellow of Merton Colledge 1394. Fox act monu William Sawtrer a Diuine of Oxford imprisoned degraded and finally burned by Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Canterbury 1400. Fox tom 1. William Swinderby of Kings Colledge in Oxford after preacher at Leicester taught Wiclifes doctrine being maintained by the Inhabitants against their Bishops will at last taken was compelled to recant but shortly after repenting and gathering strength and renuing his doctrine he was burned in Smithfield 1401. Walsing in chron Thomas Ocleue maintained the doctrine of Wiclife and Berengarius publikely in the schooles at Oxford 1410. Ludovic Rabus in 3 parte de martyr Fox to â—1 Fox ib. William Thorp Fellow of Queenes Colledge in Oxford examined imprisoned and there secretly put to death by Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Canterbury 1407. Laurence Redman Dauid Sawtrey William Iames Thomas Brightwell William Hawlam Radulph Greenhurst Iohn Schut grieuously persecuted by the popes friends 1420. Capgraue lib. 1. de nobilibus Hen. Fox tom 1. Sir Iohn Oldcastle Lord Cobham student in Oxford vnder William Thorp after many warres and victories for his Prince and Countrey imbracing Wiclifes doctrine with other Lords and Knights Iohn Clenborow Lewis Clifford Richard Sture Thomas Latimer William Neuel John Montacute he was lastly accused before the Archbishop of Canterbury and finally condemned and burned in Saint Giles fields 1417. Puruey in com in Apoc. Bale cent 7. cap. 50. John Puruey who wrote a learned Commentary vpon the Reuelation reprouing the pope as Antichrist and the Babylonian whore complained that many before him who had oppugned this spirituall Babylon had bin imprisoned killed and their bookes burnt and that none was suffered to preach but such as first sware obedience to the pope He was secretly made away in prison by the Archbishops appointment 1421. William White Fellow of Wickam Colledge Fox tom 1. for his preaching was taken by the Archbishop and compelled to recant 1424. but quickly repenting and publikely confessing his weaknesse and inconstancy with great lamentation and renuing his former doctrine at last hee was taken and condemned to the fire by the Bishop of Norwich 1428. Richard Wiche Fellow of Wickam Colledge Ibid. burnt for the like profession 1428. Peter Clerke an Oxford Diuine
Odonel and shortly after Tyrone with Oroik Raymund Burk Mac Mahim Randal Mac Surly Tarrel the Baron of Lixnaw with the choice Nobles making 6000. foot and 500 horse confident of victory being more and in better plight then the trauelled wearied English which were also pinched of victualls I tell you this thus largely to shew the greatnesse of the danger and our mens valour Tyrone now went about to put 300. Irish and other supplies of Spaniards into Kinsale but our Deputy preuented him gaue him a great ouerthrow and slue many Tyrone Odonel and the rest flung away their weapons and fled Alfonso O Campo and six Ensigne bearers were taken prisoners nine Ensignes were borne away by the English and 1200. Spaniards slayne Don D' Aquila sought peace confessed the Deputy to be an honourable person the Irish vnciuill and perfidious Peace was granted for the Spaniards to be gone to haue victualls and ships for mony at reasonable prices the ships to passe and returne safely hostages giuen and so they departed The Deputed pursued the rebels from hole to hole building ramparts still as he went and receiuing many Fortts Tyrone finally came in submitted and when he was to be sent into England Queene Eâ—izabeth a Conquerour of all her foes dyed King Iames entring pardoned Tyrone But he afterwards stirring agayne and fearing deserued punishment fled out of Ireland and left it to bâ— planted with more ciuill people Cap 17 Reade this story in Speeds Chronicle 22. In King Iames his time Watson and Clarke Papist Priests entred a strange conspiracy to surprize the King ere he was crowned and Prince Henry to keep them in the Tower or conuay them to Douer Castle and seize vpoÌ„ their treasures til they had obtained their purpose to wit to get their pardons alteration of Religion remouall of some Counsellors and some other proiects executed In this practise were inuolued Henry Brooke L. Cobham Thomas L. Gray of Wilton Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Griffin Markham Sir Edward Parham George Brooke Bâ—rtholomew Brooksby and Anthony Copley who were all apprehended committed and condemned saue Sir Edward Parham who onely was acquitted by the Iury Watson Clark and Brook executed the rest pardoned their liues A foolish conspiracy hauing neither strength to act the businesse nor heads to carry it Cap. 18. Speeds Chronicle 23. The vpshot of all the Romish irreligious practises was the powder treason anno 1605. contriued by Henry Garnet the Arch-priest or chiefe gouernour of all the Iesuits and Priests in England or with his knowledge and allowance by Catesby Robert Winter Thomas Winter Thomas Percy Iohn Wright Christopher Wright Guy Fauks Francis Tressam Iohn Graunt Bates Catesbies man Robert Keyes St Euerard Digby Ambrose Rookwood Some of these wrought in a secret mine beginning in Percies hired house to bee continued through a strong wall vnder the Parliament house with very great labour and difficulty But ere that mine was made through the wall they found meanes to hire the roome iust vnder the Parliament house to lay in prouision of wood and coales In which roome they couched secretly at one time twenty barrels of gun-pouder and afterwards more couering them with Faggots and Billets which they purposed when the King Prince Nobles and all Parliament-men were assembled aboue to set on fire with a trayne of gun-powder to blow vp the house and murder all therein in one instant And at the same time they appointed a great hunting to bee at Dunnesmore heath to draw multitudes of people get certaine great horses into their hands and to seize on the Lady Elizabeth the Kings daughter lying neere that place to proclayme her Queene vpon newes of her Fathers and Brethrens death seruing her a while till they had made themselues strong enough to sway the State and to set vp another fitter for their purpose crying out continually of the Puritans as authours of the Kings death and of blowing vp the house This most mischieuous plot came to light by occasion of a letter sent from an vnknowne person to the Lord Mount Eagle warning him to absent himselfe from the Parliament for that there should a great blow be giuen which might endanger him and the danger might be past as soone as hee had burned the letter With this letter the Lords being acquainted shewed it to the King who presently conceiued some treason by Gun-powder and appointed the roomes vnder the Parliament to be searched The search was made secretly in the dead of the night and Fanks was found and taken with his matches and powder layd hold of and vpon the remouall of the Billets and Faggots 36. barrels of Gun-powder found all which when Fauks saw discoâ—ered hee confessed what hee meant to haue done Winter and the two Wrights hasted from London to carry the newes of the discouery of their plot to their fellow hunters neere Couentry where Graâ—rt with helpe of other violent Papists had broken one Benoks stable and taken out some great horses sent thither by some Noble men to bee managed for which the Countrey rose to pursue them But vpon this newes they rose into open rebellion hoping to draw multitudes vnto them But the Sherifs of the Counties preuenting the swiftnesse of proclamations raising the Countries pursued them so that finally the chifest of them entred into Steuen Littletons house at Holbeach in Staffordshire to shroud themselues and the house being assaulted by the Sheriffe as they were drying some Gun-powder in the house the fire tooke it blasted and disabled the faces of some of the chiefest rebells and discouraged them that God by such powder as they meant to destroy others themselues were scourged so that they fell on their knees and cryed God mercy for their bloudy intents and presently opened the gates and desperately sought their owne destruction Catesby Percy and Winter ioyning backe to backe the two first were slayne with one shot the third taken aliue the other whole or lightly hurt carried away prisoners and sent to London where with the rest of their fellowes as they had formerly liued blindly and practised desperately so they by the iust doome of the Law died miserably leauing their memory to bee cursed throughout all generations First by all this you may see how vaine your conceit is that the Popes in these latter times haue beene more moderate and become more like to their first Ancestors nay you see the abuse of their Supremacy hath encreased and growne more vntollerable In these last times they haue set vp Schools at Rome and Rhemes to trayne men vp to the defence and practise of Idolatry and treasons See before Book 1 c. 6. §. 4. Camd. Annaâ— pag 315. 348. a libi passim out of which as out of the Troian Horse haue proceeded innumerable wicked instruments troublers of the Church and Common-wealth Incendiaries homicides for Kings are men parricides for Kings are Fathers of the Common-wealth yea Christicides for Kings are the Lords Annointed