your Romane Law-giuer found and father his Lawes vpon his familiar conference with his fained goddesse Egeria Such is your Holy Ghost I quake to repeat the words of your blasphemies And for your Armour of light what is it but Pistols Stellettoes Poysons your vsuall weapons whereby you perpetrate those hellish workes of darknesse which who so putteth not off can neuer put on the Armour of Light Yet notwithstanding all these blasphemies which shall certainly hasten confusion to Babels pride notwithstanding their vaine confidence in many prayers which for all their number want weight yet forasmuch as at this present they set all their Counsels a worke for the bringing to passe of some damnable plot against this Church and State which by all apparant signes so farre as wee may gather from the language of Babell in this Papall Bull wherein his Holinesse is still vp with Constancy and Fortitude animating his sonnes to a sublimitie of a triumphant mind and to be ready to vndergoe imprisonment the racke death whereof for ought that wee can see there is no such occasion giuen to speake but rather the contrary in regard of the great mildnesse vsed towards them and the large libertie they enioy cannot bee any other designe but some strong and sudden Inuasion whereby to subiugate this poore Church and State to Papall thraldome and to the Iberian in plaine English Spanish crueltie this may bee a sufficient warning to awaken vs out of our sweet slumber and to buckle on out Armour to defend our Religion Countrey Liues Libertie the noble England against this proud Antichrist and all his Confederates It followeth ANd if violence proceed so farre as it compell you to that pernicious and vnlawfull Oath of Alleagiance of England remember that your prayer is heard of the whole assemblies of the Angels beholding you and let your tongues cleaue to your gummes before you cause the authoritie of blessed Peter to bee diminished with that forme of Oath For that is not all that fidelitie be kept to the King but that the sacred Scepter of the Catholique Church be wrung from the Vicars of God Almightie that which our predecessor Paul the fifth of blessed memorie in so graue a deliberation decreed that ought yee altogether to obserue as the decree of truth Beloved sonnes this tribute due to the Prince of the Apostles no threats of men or flatteries ought at any time to extort from you they that perswade you otherwise those prophecie to you a lying vision and a fraudulent divination For sooner ought the sword of the mightie to take away from a Christian man his life then his faith Yea if an Angell from Heaven teach you otherwise then the Apostolique truth let him bee accursed Answer Aâ—ter the skirmish all this while at length his Holinesse comes to the maine battell wherein the sinewes of Pontifician strength consists and wherein Antichrist shewes himselfe in his Colours displayed Here he valiantly cuts in sunder the Gordian knot of all ciuill societie not as Peter cutting off onely the eare but the whole head from the body For the summe of this clause is to charge his sonnes by no meanes to suffer the Oath of Allegiance to bee imposed vpon them eyther by flatterie or by force But why should his Holinesse bee so streight laced for the taking of the Oath seeing hee can with a wet finger absolue or dissolue it at his pleasure Henry the third King of England knew this too well when trusting still to the purchase of Papall absolutions hee would not sticke to sweare and seale to solemne couenants made with his Nobles in Parliament which to breake at his pleasure it was but sending to Rome But the case it seemeth standeth now vpon more tickle termes Something is to bee done out of hand which eyther will not admit of the Oath as being a clogge to resolution or admitted cannot tarie for an absolution from Rome as being an impediment to speedy execution But come wee to the words as they lye If violence proceeded so farre as to compell you to that pernitious and vnlawfull Oath of Allegiance of England c. Surely such oathes of fidelitie as must bee extorted from subiects to their lawfull Prince are scarce worthy to bee trusted Slaues and not subiects require such violence Yet indeed if an Oath be pernitious and vnlawfull not violence it selfe should extor it But the Oath of Allegiance of England saith his Holinesse of Rome is pernitious and vnlawfull Pernitious to whom To his Holines vnlawfull By what law by none But his Holinesse owne law When till the Pope broached it was an Oath of fidelitie betweene Subiects and Prince vnlawfull let the Pope show this I say not in the sacred but in any prophane storie yea or in the Turkes Alcoran But it is enough if the Pope saith it But if violence c. Remember that your prayer is heard of the whole assembly of the Angels beholding you Remember Since when Or whence know they this The Pope tels them so But why the Angels Were it not more comfort to bee heard of God then of the whole assembly of the Angels But what if the Angels bee otherwise other where imployed as in remotest parts of heauen or earth farre from the sight of England What if the Popes sonnes doe not pray lowd enough as to be heard of the whole assembly of Angels They had need cry a loud as Elias told the Priests of Baal But least as Elias wee prouoke their Zeale too much to launch their flesh we will passe ouer this only noting againe being occasioned a fresh that this Angell seruice so much esteemed and commended by the Pope to his sonnes is a most infallible marke of that Antichrist and great Apostate from Christ the Head as Col. 2. 18. 19. And let your tongue cleaue to your gummes before c. It was a part of Israels song in Babilon If I remember not thee O Ierusalem let my tongue cleaue to my gummes c. And loe here the King of the spirituall Babilon vsurpes this Scripture and would haue his sonnes conversing in Iury rather to suffer their tongues to cleaue to their gummes then suffer the honour of Babylon of Rome to be impeached Yea but the Pope saith not so but Rather then you cause the authoritie of blessed Peter to bee diminished with that forme of Oath What is this to Babylon Yes For Peter from Babylon writ his Epistles What is this to Rome Yes saith the Pope Peter was now at Rome which he calleth Babylon A sound proofe that Peter was at Rome Rather shall Rome be Babylon then the Pope will want Proofe that Peter was at Rome For else how shall the Pope be Peters successour But admit Peter was at Rome must therefore the Pope bee Peters Successour But Peter was Byshop of Rome To omitt invinsible arguments against it suppose that too Yet the Pope can neuer prooue that Peter was Pope of Rome Great difference
purgatorie and those subterrestiall or infernall kingdomes according to that Phil. 2. v. 10. Psal 8. 7. v. 8. which places they familiarly apply to the Popes vnlimited power in these places vnderstanding by the Beasts men on earth by the Fishes soules in hell and purgatorie and by the Fowles the winged Angels ouer all which the Pope saith he hath dominion Thus all power is giuen him in heauen and earth Thus hee runnes away with Christs power but leaues the charge of Christ to his Disciples to preach the word and administer the Sacraments But in the meane time all this arrogant and blasphemous vsurpation of the Pope what doth it but most clearely conclude him to be that Great Antichrist described in the Scripture This is hee that exalis himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped This is hee that sits in or vpon the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God to wit inuested in all the power of God and of Christ in heauen and earth as the Vicar of God almightie Herein hee is not Christs Vicar who would not meddle in matters of the world but indeede his Vicar that said to Christ All this power will I giue thee and the glory of them for that is deliuered vnto me and to whomsoeuer I will I giue it The Dragon spake this and of Antichrist it is said that he hath two hornes like a Lambe but speakes like the Dragon The Pope speakes iust like the Dragon here See this verified in the Pope to an haire to a very letter Pope Hadrian saith Vnde habet Imperator Imperium nisi à nobis c. From whence hath the Emperour his Empire but from vs that which the Emperour hath he hath it all of vs c. Loe it is in our power to giue it to whomsoeuer we will Therefore wee are appointed of God ouer Nations and Kingdomes that wee should destroy and plucke vp See how like the Sonnes voice is to the Syres Hee speakes iust like the Dragon onely in a more loftie stile wee for I. Also Pius 5. in his Bull against Queene Elizabeth of happy memorie vsed the like speech in Ier. 1. v. 10. So that the Pope and his clients conclude that all Emperours and Kings hold their Empires and Kingdomes but in fee of the Pope Thus Henry 1. King of England was glad with much paying and praying to obtaine of Pope Alexander the 3. that he and his successours should haue the title of the King of England This held till King Iohns time when the Pâ—pe againe resumed the kingdome of England into his own power but was content at length to let King Iohn haue it to farme So Pope Celestine 3. crowned Henry 6. Emperour and his Empresse with his holinesse feet and when he had done so strucke it off againe with his foot to signifie it was in the power of the fame foot to take away his crowne that had put it on Thus we see Antichrist exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God and that in the highest degree So that it may be admired that any man hauing but his eyes open to compare the Pope with his owne picture can doubt that he is that Antichrist vnlesse such men be giuen vp to a strong delusion because they receiued not the loue of the truth But it is lamentable to see learned men so blind-folded as not to see this Mysterie of iniquitie But more pernicious that not seeing it themselues they would perswade the world also that the Pope is not Antichrist Is it time now to make Apologies for the Pope not to be Antichrist when he so egregiously plaies the Antichrist euen vnder our noses when hee goes about to seduce and withdraw the hearts of subiects from the King from our gracious Soueraigne It was Tortus his speech noted by the learned Bishop in his Tortura to be Romes Doctrine that at the hissing of a slye which is in Babylon namely at Rome the subiects would reuolt from the obedience of their Prince and so by the window treason immediately entreth The Pope is the flye of Babylon who can make of the Prince no Prince of the subiect no subiect and the no subiect against the no Prince what may he not attempt But this is in case the Prince bee an Hereticke or Schismaticke And what is it for the Prince to be an Herticke forsooth if hee doe not yeeld himselfe the Popes Vassall which saith the Bishop is else to deny one of the prime Articles of the Christian faith It was the case of Philip le Bell. Thus the Bishop To proceede the Pope mentioneth a graue Decree of his Predecessor Paul 5. no doubt he meaneth that Bull sent hither into England inhibiting his sonnes the oath of allegiance The Pope calleth it a Decree of truth which must be diligently obserued For a taste I will insert one sentence of it cited by the learned Bishop Vobis ex verbis ipsis Iuramenti perspicuum esse debet quod huiusmodi iuramentum saluâ fide Catholica salute animarum vestrarum prestari non potest From the very words of the oath it ought to bee cleare vnto you that saith an oath cannot be vndertaken with the safetie of the Catholike faith and the saluation of your soules If so good reason their tongues should rather cleaue to their gums then they take it great reason that neither threats nor flatteries extort it from them rather part with life then faith yea this they must bee so vndoubtedly resolued of that If an Angell from heauen teach otherwise then this Apostolike truth let him be accursed Here at last breakes forth the thunderbolt it selfe which were enough to blast the very Angels of heauen if for subiects to denie due obedience to their lawfull Princes were an Apostolike truth But can a Christian eare heare such blasphemie without horror with any patience This an Apostolike doctrine an Apostolike truth Papall it is Diabolicall it is raked out of the pit of hell Apostolike it is not neither from Paul nor Peter from Paul 5. but not from Paul the Apostle Paul teacheth the contrary Rom. 13. Peter the contrary 1. Pet. 2. 13. how durst you you blessed Apostles preach such a doctrine as is contrary to the Apostolike truth of Rome either you must recant your doctrine or loe a smoaking Anathema is breathed out against you But lest those holy Apostles lest God himselfe lest Iesus Christ lest the holy Ghost lest the whole sacred word of God should come within the danger of the Popes curse and all for the mistaking of one word Apostolike for Apostaticke We are rather to thinke that as Manicheus writing himselfe Apostle hence hee would conclude his damnable doctrines to be Apostolike so the Pope calling himselfe that Apostolike one therefore all his lying Oracles must be taken for Apostolike truths And see here also how impiously the Pope goes on to peruert and prophane
yet against your hope the prayers of Christs Church are neuer wanting for the frustrating of your fairest hopes Our Church in particular publiquely prayeth That it may please God to bring into the way of truth all such as haue erred and are deceiued And in another prayer for the whole estate of Christs Church in the end of our Communion booke Wee beseech thee ô Lord to reduce all such as bee yet ignorant from the miserable captiuitie of blindnesse and errours to the pure vnderstanding and knowledge of thy truth that wee all with one consent and vnity of mind may worship thee our onely God and Sauiour And for our King blessed bee God his heart is established vpon firmer grounds then to be remoued from that true faith wherein hee was bred and brought vp so easily as you hoped yea that pietie which with your solemne Crosse you haue so crowned our hope is that his Maiesty may in time by Gods grace so purifie and persit as that royall Queene shall account it the most rich dowry of her wedlocke to be made partaker of the liberty of that faith which her Royall husband professeth that so they may long enioy a sweet sociall conjunction as in their affections so in their Religion If that noble Lady Anne Sister sometime to Wenceslaus King of Behemia being married heere to Richard the 2. King of England and that in a deplored time when the Kinges of England were ouer-awed by the Popes vsurped power being tyrannized ouer also with that spirituall Egyptian seruitude if shee I say by the meanes of this marriage comming and liuing in England became so happy as to be made acquainted with the Gospell of Christ which shee had written in the English tongue namely the foure Euangelists with the Doctours vpon them in the reading thereof shee was dayly exercised and so by this meanes also many Bohemians comming hither into England comming to the sight and knowledge of Wickliffes workes conveyed the same into Bohemia whereby a good foundation was laid of planting and so establishing the true religion there what hopes then may wee perceiue of this our noble Queene who beeing married to such a royall husband who is not onely in title but in realty Defender of the faith yea a Prince who is excellently able to worke vpon such a noble disposition by infusing into her the seedes of the true Christian faith that so not onely her selfe may become a sound Protestant but by the blessing of God this religion may from so noble a roote multiply and branch it selfe into those her fathers Countries also so that when they shall taste of the clusters of Chanaan growing by the meanes of this blessed vine hir fathers house may then blesse the time that euer she was transplauted into so happy asoyle The Lord bring these faire blossomes of our hope to a timely maturity as your Pontifician hope is heerein already blessed be God blasted in the bud And the same God that preuented that intended massacre of Religion in Bohemia by the death of the King Ladislaus at whose intended marriage with Magdalene the French Kings Daughter of Prague where and when the confluence of so many Pontifician States should haue beene the massacre should the more easily haue beene effected that God hath and will wee trust euer preserue this his true religion professed in England and that by preseruing the life of our gracious Soueraigne long amongst vs to his glory and his Churches good maugre all Pontifician hopes of the contrary But it should seeme the Popes hopes are turned into feares but now saith he the vowes and councells of your enemies are feared Whom doth he meane here by enemies Surely by coherence with the premisses he must needes meane the most Potent King of whom he spake in the former part of the sentence And certainely in nothing shall our noble King show himselfe more Posent then by rooting out of his Dominions all Popish Priests and Iesuites and by establishing in vnity of doctrine that Religion which for these many yeares hath beene so happily mayntained therein Herein herein stands the potency and securitie of our Most Potent King The establishing of true religion is the establishing of the Kinges Throne It were happy if other Kinges in Christendome had their eyes opened to see their miserable thraldome vnder the Popes yoake and vpon what a tottering foundation their Kindomesstand where Papall authoritie and Iesuiticall doctrines take place But here we may not passe ouer that he faith Your Enemies Who or whose enemies what the King an enemy to whom to the Popes Sonnes here in England what to the Priests and Iesuites in England There were some reason why the King should showe himselfe an enemy to these for who are more mortall enemies to the King and his Crowne then they But it is playne by the sequell that hee meaneth chiefely heere such Catholique sonnes of his as are or at least ought to bee true subiects to the King Loe here then Pontifician malice The Pope doth here most subtilly insinuate that the King is an enemy to all those his subiects who are Roman Catholikes Enough with such a brand to kindle the flames of hatred and rebellion in such subiects against their King while the Pope thus blowes the bellowes But wherein is the King an enemy to their persons no but to their religion which is enmity against God and the King But the Pope feareth the Kings Councells Now the good Lord so direct the King and blesse him in all his Councells that they may more and more be matter as of feare to the Pope so of ioy and comfort to himself and all his People But hee feares also his enemies vowes What vowes For tolleration forsooth of the Popes Orthodox religion Yf Orthodox then ought it not onely to bee tollerated but publikely imbraced professed avowed But if it bee as it is the Antichristian Babylonian Apostaticall idolatrous religion of Rome that Where of Babylon then no vowes ought either to bee made or much lesse kept for the tollerating of such a religion It is against our vowe in baptisme wherein we disavow the Deuill and all his works and therefore all doctrines of Devills A precontract with our spouse Christ disanulleth all after contracts with Antichrist with a harlot Yea vowes made against God and his word are ipso facto voyd and become a meere nullity And if the Pope at his pleasure can dissolue all lawfull vowes which being duely made obliege men inviolably to keepe them hath not God himselfe power to disanull all impious vowes which are made to maintaine the religion of Antichrist Therefore the Pope must giue vs leaue herein not to giue credit to his Holinesse complaint which howsoeuer wee knowe to bee most vniust And whereas the Pope calls his Religion orthodox let the contents of this Bull witnesse Wee need goe no further for proofe Ipse dixit Yet you complaine that notwithstanding your orthodox Religion a
of Heauen and Earth No doubt they are to play some notable prize Or rather hee brings them forth into the open field where the maine battle is to be fought Hee is now growne to that confidence in his Pontifician forces as hee scorneth any more to goe to worke by digging and delving and close vndermining hee will try it out by dint of sword To this end hee calls mightily vpon his sonnes for fortitude for rigid constancy for sublimitie of a triumphant mind for such bright armour for such braue actions as may be the examples of fortitude This whole clause breathes nothing but Arme Arme. Now is Antichrist come to his full height hee will now aduenture his Kingdome in one maine battle now is the time in all appearance for the fulfilling of that Prophecie Reu. 17. it would be set downe in Capitall letters THE TEN HORNES TEN KINGS HAVE ONE MIND GIVE THEIR POVVER AND STRENGTH VNTO THE BEAST THESE SHALL MAKE WARRE WITH THE LAMBE AND THE LAMB SHALL OVERCOME THEM FOR HE IS LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS AND THEY THAT ARE WITH HIM ARE CALLED AND CHOSEN AND FAITHFVLL The preparation vnto this warre marke it and marke it well all yee on the Lambes side is set downe in the former chap. vpon the powring out of the vyoll of the 6. Angell which noteth this very last time immediately foregoing the seuenth Angell at the powring forth of whose vyoll is the finall and fatall consummation all these earthly states three vncleane spirits like froggs came out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and of the mouth of the false Prophet for they are the spirits of Diuells working miracles which go forth to the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battail of that great day of God Almighty Loe here this fulfilled before our eyes this day when were there more swarmes of Iesuites those vncleane spirits those frogs those spirits of Diuells that seduce with lyes that teach doctrines of Diuells and that as is to bee doubted in England where this battaile is mainely intended to be fought then at this day how doth the Pope here animate and incite them and how vigilant and diligent are these froggs to arme states and kingdomes here and else where yea like those froggs of Egipt crawling into Kings Chambers by their Croking and crowching to gather them to this great battaile of the great day of God Almighty Now euen now I say is this a doing and for their better successe and good speede in this battaile they haue the anxious prayers of the mournefull Church But blessed be God our comfort is they be but the anxious prayers of the malignant Church not of the truly Militant For the Pope speakes of his owne Roman Catholique Church that Antichristian Apostatized Church that whore of Babilon that enemy of Christ and his word That Church whose prayers are abomination to the Lord for as much as they not onely proceede of infidelitie and want of true faith in God which they haue altogether abandoned and accurssed as in their councell of Trent but because also they are powred out for obtaining of their most wicked ends and purposes as the dishonour of God treasons and rebellions murthers and massacres and all mischiefes God forbid such prayers for all their anxiety should prevaile with God Nay God hath forbid it as he hath forbid such abominable prayers What successe had the Popes anxious prayers against poore Luther wherin he solicited Christ Peter Paul all the Gods and Goddesses the whole Roman Catholique Church militant and triumphant Or what successe had all his solemne processions his new letanies to the Blessed Virgin in Spaine and else where in behalfe of the invincible Armado So little feare is there of any such prayers though neuer so anxious But alas would to God our sinnes were not more prevalent to pull vpon vs the plague of your spirit of Charitie and fortitude then your prayers which your prayers if they proue to haue any force at all against vs it is from the impotent strength of our iniquities not of any your pietie Wee feare not that awfull name of the Church though neuer so mournefull which you arrogate to your selues and appropriate to Rome Although wee know that the prayers of the true Church when shee is most mournefull are most powerfull with God Wee feare not the bead-rolles of your Babelling prayers your Aue-Maries your Masses your solemne Processions and infinit such trumperies Wee know that your God is not as our God euen your owne consciences being witnesses and so manifold externall euidences of his diuine dealing in mercy for vs in judgement against you in all those former attempts of yours against vs. And know O Romish sinagogue that in vaine doe yee machinate and meditate the ruine of this faire Church and state if wee bee true but to this our God who hath euer been so true to vs your warre against vs shall not preuaile if wee labour to bee at peace with him Your prayers shall bee of no force where our faithfull and mournefull prayers interpose themselues If God as euer hitherto bee on our side how shall you bee against vs Doe you not remember how many times how mightily how miraculously our God hath defended vs and defeated you how he frustrated your proud confidence in that your invinsible Nauy in 88. as he did the Aegiptians in the Red Sea doe yee not remember how in your Gunpowder plott wherein you digged as deepe as hell presuming no eye saw you yet his all-seeing eye espied you and descried all your councells to cause the heads of those principall powers to bee mounted as high aboue the Parliament house as they mined vnderneath it Vpon what confidence then dare you now renew your old attempts doe you take our God for a changeling But yee presume we are become changelings to make God our enemie God forbid Wee haue not yet forsaken our God as yee haue done Yet we must needes confesse to our owne shame that we haue not walked worthy of nor answerably vnto all those precious mercies and blessings of God which from his good hand vpon vs wee haue enjoyed for these many yeeres euen to the astonishment and swelling enuy of all our enemies Wee haue too much declined from our first loue wee haue not rendred to the Lord in thankefulnesse according to all his goodnesse towards vs wee haue not been so zealous of his glory in maintaining his truth in the purity of it and in suppressing ouer audacious heresie and Idolatrie among vs affronting vs to our face The Lord be mercifull to vs herein And know O yee Pontificians that one publique fast of our Church solemnly and sincerely kept in humiliation for our manifold and great sinnes shall quash and quell all your Dirges and Masses all your solemne prayers and Processions all your hypocriticall fasts and crossings and whatsoeuer
superstitious trumperies yee can deuise against vs. Did yee not heare did not the fame thereof eccho vpon Romes gates what a wonderfull mercy the Lord shewed to this Land the last yeare when vpon the very day of our publike fast throughout the Land being the second of August a day worthy to be put in the Rubrick of our perpetuall thankesgiuing vpon that very day I say God began euen miraculously to stoppe that sad and vnseasonable influence of heauen wherewith our fields now waxing white to the haruest were so pittifully drenched that almost all hope of harvest was drowned in our feare of a deluge in stead thereof yet even then began the heauens to cleare and cheare vp their clowdy and angry countenance when wee began to weepe they began to smile and from that day forward continued so extraordinarily and constantly faire without one dayes intermission vntill by Gods fauour they brought vs in not onely an harvest in season but in an extraordinary aboundance hath the Lord done thus to vs for temporall things vpon such our humiliation and will not be also for spirituall much more when wee truly sett our selues to seeke his face and fauour in the pardon of our sinnes Assuredly he will And as you may remember our deliverance from your Gunpowder plott vpon the fifth of Nouember so yee may bee pleased to recognize how the same God sent a fearefull vengance in bringing the same House downe vpon your heads when there yee being solemnely assembled began to erect your Dagon cheeke by joule by Gods Arke and to aduance the Throne of your Antichrist euen in the face of Christs Tribunall and all this remember and marke it well vpon your very fifth of Nouember Remember I say and forget it not that it may teach you to tremble before that God of Ours and euer may we also remember it for thankefullnesse to our God for vindicating his owne cause and glory against such proud and insolent affronts Well consult I say lay your heads ioyne you forces together arme your selues with as much might as yee haue malice against vs we feare you not so long as we shall oppose our religious to your anxious prayers Wee praying and humbling our selues as behoues vs yee shall no more prevaile against vs then Amaleck did against Israell while Moses bands were held vp The Lord giue all his people grace to put on the true Armour of Light euen the whole Armour of God whereby wee may stand fast in the euill day Then shall wee be sure that not all your spirit of charitie which is nothing else but the spirit of malignitie and confederacie against Christ now your spirit of fortitude which is the spirit of all lawlesse daring against God and his Gospell shall any whit auaile you In the meane time yee mightily triumph in your hopes as if already yee had the victorie So yee did in 88 so at the Gunpowder plot Yee may now as well as then reckon before your Host Yet it is good for vs to take notice of this your confidence of triumph It may teach vs though not to feare your brags yet not to bee secure but to prouide betimes to preuent your triumphs and to turne the examples of your fortitude into the examples and spectacles of confusion iustly falling vpon such Giant-like fighters against God and his Word But beside your anxious prayers you haue your councels yea councels of your onely Apostolicke inerrabilitie of your Apostolicke Senate your Conclaue of Cardinals drawing all their councells from your Holinesse breast For that is the proper seate of all your Senatorian power and councells Your predecessor Pope Nicholas the third assumed to himselfe the whole Senatorian power he by decree shut out all other temporall regiment in Rome and about and subiected it all to his Apostolick Soueraintie This now is your Apostolicke Senate Thus you proue your selfe that Beast bearing the Image of the former to wit of the ancient secular Roman power Reuel 13. Thus you exercise the whole power thereof being perpetuall Dictator hauing Consular and Senatorian power which ioyn'd with Apostolicke showeth you to bee both the seauenth and the eighth Head of that great Beast and so insumme that Antichrist Your Apostolicke Senate is of no lesse power then that ancienter Roman Senate to whom it belonged to admit into or to reiect from the number of their Gods whom they pleased So that Tiberius the Emperour could not preuaile to haue Christ sainted for a God because the Senate forsooth had not first allowed of it And doth not your Apostolicke Senate the same You saint and defie whom you please And Christ himselfe is no farther God with you but as you limit him by diuiding his Prerogatiues among your other pettie Gods Saints yea his mother you set aboue him your own Apostolicke Senats aboue all in Heauen earth You told vs before you feared our Counsels What need you You haue all counsell in your Apostolike Conclaue You can say to vs as once your predecessor Innocent the fourth to Henry the third King of England when hee went about to restraine Papall vsurpation in this Kingdome Rex Anglorum in quis qui jam recalcitrat Frederiz at suum habet consilium ego vero meum habeo quod sequur The English King saith he who now kicketh with the heele and playeth the Fredericke hath his Counsell and I also haue my Counsell which I will follow Of the two we feare more your counsels then your prayers But forasmuch as you spare not here to blaspheme also the Holy Ghost our trust is he will befoole all your Counsels Dare your father your impious Counsels and confederacies vpon the Holy Ghost that his Lights should be your Oracles Dare you ascribe your Counsels of darknesse to the illuminations of the Holy Ghost Surely your Holinesse is deceiued Is it not that spirit which as some of the Cardinals with their Pope Iohn the twentie two sitting in a Counsell at Rome praying for the presence of the Holy Ghost said appeared in the likenesse of an oughly Owle out staring the Pope in his face This indeed is a liuely embleme of that Spirit by whose Oracle your Apostolicke counsels are directed But neuer for shame goe about to perswade the world that your counsels for treasons and rebellions for absoluing subiects from their fidelitie and allegiance are the illuminations of the Holy Ghost So was Mahomets Doue his Holy Ghost So his epilepsian or comitiall fit but a trance wherein he talked with his Angell Gabriell So might Eugenius the third your predecessor haue two holy Ghosts at once attending vpon him while as he was saying Masse two Doues miraculously ascended and descended vpon him So Zedechiah the false Prophet might perswade he had the Spirit intail'd to him as you to Peters chaire when he said to Michaiah When went the spirit from me to speake vnto thee So did Numa Pompilius
betweene the Byshops of Rome and the Popes of Rome yea the Pope of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Byshops of Rome till Constantine the Great were all or most of them Martyrs all of them were of equall jurisdiction with other Patriarches onely preceding them in order of place not of power till Boniface the 3. vsurped his Supremacie over all Byshops with his Papall Motto Volumus Jubemus we will and command after this also all were subiect to the Emperour till Gregory the 7. None of them wore any such thing as a single Diadem till Syluester none the triple crowne till Boniface the 8. Yet now forsooth all Papall power and Pompe must be deriued from blessed Peter which alas good man he never had But to incist in the present purpose where or when or whence had blessed Peter any such Souerainety and authority over Kinges and their Kingdomes you haue pregnant proofes for it as Christ said to Peter Feede my sheepe that is saith your Bellarmine Regiâ— more Impera Raigne as Kings But Peter was of another minde as where he teacheth Byshops not to be as Lords ouer Gods heritage but as examples to the flocks And submit your selues to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreme What saith your Holinesse to this we know you want not shiftes as here to accept and exempt Peter himselfe What can yee not say while yee can abuse the Scriptures themselues as you list Peters feeding of Christs flocks you can turne to Kingly raigne and convert Peters sheepehooke into a papall Scepter Christ bid Peter launch out into the deepe here say you the Pope hath power giuen him to fish all the world Thus yee neede never want Scripture to proue your Papall Paradoxes But what say you to Peters paying of Tribute to the Emperor for Christ and himselfe at Christs appointment Is not Tribute a token of subiection But from this very place your Bellarmine can learnedly proue Peters Supremacie over all But over Princes too Yes by the bye in directly at least in ordine ad spirituali yea the Pope Vrban himselfe no lesse learnedly then Papally interprets that place of the Tribute in the fishes mouth saying that by the piece of money in the fishes mouth is meant onely the exteriour things of the Church which she giueth to Kings to defend Her in peace but not the Pontificall Apex or Supremacie which is supereminent in the mouth of the head of the Church So the Pope Though Christ said Pay that for Me and Thee speaking expressely of their persons implying the subiection of Ecclesiasticall persons to Emperours and Kings And as the Glosse confesseth Tributum est signum subiectionis Tribute as a signe of subiection And yet more rather then faile Cardinall Baronius hath taken in hand to proue the Popâ—s Supremacie as well Papall as Sacerdocall from the very shadow of Peter Act. 5. 15. which shadow the Pope retaining in himselfe makes him a complete Lord Paramount Thus by hooke or by crooke you will haue it though all proue to bee but a shadow But will you nill you both Peters practise and Peters doctrine are flatte contrary to yours and crosseth all your Glosses nor haue you so much as a shadow for it Yet if your plea from Peter as his Successor will not hold water yee adde ad corroborandum titulum your plea from Christs Vicarship You say that is not all that fidelitie be kept vnto the King but that the sacred Scepter of the Catholike Church bee wrung from the Vicars of God Almightie That you here againe sleight our gracious King not vouchsafing him the title of King of England or your sonnes King wee maruell not we smell your secret reseruation either that he is no King that holds not his crowne of your holinesse or that the Kingdome of England in speciall is none otherwise to bee holden but as in King Iohns time in see of the Pope But great reason you should haue regard to your Catholike or rather your Romane Catholike Church For sure the Catholike Church of Christ neuer had any such sacred Septer as you speake of to which the disposall of Kings and Kingdomes is subiect But your Romane hath and therefore not Catholike Whence then haue you this sacred Septer by vertue of your Vicarship of God Almightie Doe not now equiuocate with vs or goe not about to found a new Vicarship yet this is not the first time you and your Predecessours of late dayes haue entituled your selues Gods Vicars As in that inscription or Dedication to Paul 5. whom by and by yee name Paulo V. Vice Deo to Paul V. vice God whereof the numerall letters as well in the Latine as in the English make vp the number of the beast 666. you were wont formerly to content your selues with the title of Christs Vicar but now must yee be the Vicars of God of God Almightie that from thence you may deriue an omnipotencie to your selues as it was added to that former inscription Paulo V. vice Deo totius orbis Christiani Monarchae Pontificiae omnipotentiae defensori acerrimo To Paul 5. vice God the Monarch of the whole Christian world and the most stout defender of the Papall omnipotencie No maruell then if you entitle your selues the Vicars of God Almightie rather then of Christ But you will say all comes to one reckoning sith Christ is God Almightie and therefore it is all one to be the Vicar of Christ of God almightie By your fauour no for although Christ be God almightie yet in this case of your pretended Vicarship it is one thing to say Christs Vicar another God Almighties Vicar Christs Vicar here on earth wee acknowledge none but his owne and the Fathers holy Spirit him Christ sent to supply his stead at his ascension This Spirit gouernes and directs his Church into all truth This is that other Comforter the spirit of truth By this spirit Christ is present with his Church to the end of the world But for any one visible and singular Vicar Christ hath appointed none the Church acknowledgeth none As for any Vicar generall visible of God almightie simply considered as God and gouernour and iudge of all here on earth wee acknowledge not any Onely all lawfull Magistrates as Kings and Princes are as so many Vicegerents of God almightie to gouerne and moderate their peculiar Dominions in for and according to God and his word these be Gods Lieutenants here on earth and therefore called Gods Now giue me leaue to tell you that the iurisdiction of God almighty here on earth is distinct from that of Christ Gods iurisdiction is also in things temporall Christs iurisdiction as Mediator is in things spirituall These two iurisdictions are not compatible not coincident or concurrent in their totall extent in any one man Onely the outward politie of the Church both as touching persons and causes
or kingdomes so miserable as those vnder the Spaniards insolent intollerable tiranny To say nothing of the West-Indies whose wretched slauery hath been the subiect of large volumes setting out the matchlesse examples of spanish cruelties enough to cause euen those barbarous heathen to abhorre heauen it selfe if it were as the iugling Friers Iesuits falsly informed them the reward of Spaniards with whom they would be loath to goe thither vpon any tearmes to speake as little of our neighbour Netherlands once vnder the Spaniard but whose saluage and treacherous crueltie grew so intollerable that theu shooke him quite besides the saddle enough to proue him vnexpert in the Art of good Horse-manship which consists rather 〈…〉 and moderating of the 〈◊〉 then in the rough and ouer imperious vsage of the Rod and Spurre to passe by also those goodly Countries in Italy as of Naples Millain and the rest how groane they vnder that Iberian yoake how the people once conquerours of the world now made slaues their Nobility debased their ancient Gentrie defaced and all trampled vnder the Spaniards proud foote Go no farther then Spaine it selfe Aske that company that came lately out of Spaine and tooke a full view of the Spanish Regiment they can tell you how vnworthy it is to become so much as a Paterne for the Noble State of England to follow How base and wretched is the whole Commonaltie of that Nation though Natiues What slaues vnder a Tyrant rather then Subiects vnder a King There no lawes are in force but such as establish an absolute tyranny There euery monyed man may not bee permitted to purchase lands no nor to buy himselfe good 〈◊〉 but according to his stinted pittance a pound of Beefe or so There the common 〈◊〉 for all their great Masters 〈…〉 of so many mynes are glad of copper coyne instead of siluer for who goes worse shod then the shoomakers wife and if he chance to get any siluer purchased with his double commodities he must be sure to pay the King and the Priest in the purest coyne for if he offer them the base the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Priest can finde no hands to recieue it turning away his face as though he cared not for money and such an offence is not absolued nor expiated without â—â—ere siluer As for his base coyne that he may lay out to haue as base commodities for it not halfe so good penny-woorths as our poore haue at the Chandeler for their farthings For as neere as they can the seller shapes his price according to the stuffe or mettall which the buyer bringeth Their taxes are intollerable Take but one instance the common meritorious Curtisans that trade for three pence a turne must pay one penny of it to the King and another to the Pope and haue but the third penny to herselfe though it be too much vnlesse she deserued it better To say nothing of the miserable captiuity of the Spaniards who sitting at dinner or so if the Priests bell doe but tinkle at the doore his Dame be she neuer so buxome or debonaire louely or dainty away she must to priuate shrifte while the good-man must be glad to bite vpon the sower hearbes of cholericke jealousie leauing his dainty Kates perforce alas to the Priest to feede upon O poore Spaniards yea some of them informed by our English then their Guests how free we were in England from such bondage deepely sighed as far as they durst saying England was happy and enjoyed Heauen while themselues were tormented in Hell and Purgatory And tell me now O yee English Romain Catholickes do yee enuy the happinesse of the Spanish yoake Is it so sweete trow you to exchange for it your English liberty Yet though you affect it neuer so much though Iesuiticall eloquence neuer so fairely guilt ouer with a brainsick ambition of becomming great Magnificoes yet soft a while you must not looke 〈◊〉 to goe cheeke by iowle with senior Spaniole to bee vsed â—â—â—â—gether so favourably as your Don is For he is a Natiue of Spaine you Aliens he is for all his Masters yoake poore and true to his King so poore that he cannot chuse but bee true for yee seldome or neuer heare of rebellion or treason in Spaine by a Spaniard Why because the poore shakes are kept so cold that they want courage strength to sting but in England it is otherwise As king Henry 4 of England a wise Prince who full well knew the humour of the English they are a graue authors words in his admonition to his Sonne at his death said of English men so long as the haue wealth and riches so long shalt thou hâ—ue obeysance but when they be poore then are they ready to make insurrections at euery motion For as Alfred of Beuerly sang of England in his Poem Libera gens cui libera mens libera lingua Sed lingua melior libera 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Nation free whose minde whose tongue if free But hand then tongue will better freer be And what liberty doe not euen you yourselues here inioy wherein are you restrained vnlesse a little in that wherein it were happy for you that ye had not the least communion at all I meane your Romish Religion But of that Anon. But say any should renounce the best natiue properties of English men which is fidelitie and loyaltie to their Prince and Country and retaine the worst to wit an itching affection after noueltie and change Say that the Iesuits with their Circean Cup should so transforme our English as Vlisses his men into Hoggs as when the hungry Wolfe or Fox should see me to present to their smell some gratefull coÌ„modity they should inconsiderately with the snowt of sensuality cast open the doore of their owne sty and so let in the rauenous Beasts to prey both vpon themselues the whole litter turning their habitations into Dennes of such wild Beastes In plaine tearmes say that if the subtile and cruell Spaniard were now with a great Nauy vpon our narrow Seas seeking to arriue on our Coast but could not 〈◊〉 we kept our Sinque-Ports and Forts well guarded yea specially so long as we were all fast knit in vnity among our selues like true English-men but that the Popes Catholick sons should be perswaded for the obtaining 〈◊〉 least of the liberty of their consciences if not to plunge themselues into a further thraldome to rise vp for the Catholick King by which meanes he might haply 〈◊〉 footing in England what thinke you then should become of you Grandees all of you would be Yea Grand deuills and such as your new master of Spaine would neuer account worthy to be trusted so much as to digge in his siluer Mynes in the West-Indies who so vnnaturally would not stick to betray your deare natiue Country Nay would he not spare that labour and cost to carry you so farre to bee his slaues though as Mendoza answered Henry 3 of France that
I had seene but some publique Edict for the burning of the Breeue as also for the effectuall banishing of all Iesuites the onely Factors for the Pope in such Adventures for Treason and Rebellion But be like notice hath not as yet beene giuen thereof to your Grace And that you may bee not the lesse sensible of the danger of a Papall Breeue You may be pleased to know that such neuer appeareth but as some prodigious Comet not signifying only but designing and producing some sad fatality Thus did the Pope in 88 thus at the Gunpowder plott Thus now This Romish Lightning may warne vs of a Crack not farre off God keepe vs from the Thunderbolt If it were only a bare prognosticating signe it were the lesse Sapiens dominabitur Astris but being an operatiue Instrument wherein the Iesuites are Agents to improue it to the vtmost of their Masters aduantage it is not so to be slited Iesuits why are not all Iesuits packed away long since by Proclamation Alas Sir you may be pleased to know they are like cunning Iugglars that can passe and repasse at pleasure They say England is fuller of them at this day then euer And now while the Popes yron is in the fire how doe they sweat in beating it to perfection But if they be catcht they are put in prison Alas they are there but as a bird tyed to the nett to call in other birds which seeming to come to releiue the prisoner they are more intangled themselues But thence they are quickly dismist to bee gone and voyd the Land Alas they doe but play the cunning Duck which sent out doth by her wily insinuation tolle and traine hundreds and thousands into her Masters Nett Thus cunningly can they play at fast and loose How then shall these Proteus-like Foxes be taken Certainly there is no other way but to hunt them out with the Kings owne doggs Your Grace is the great Iusticiarius Forestae And anciently Iustices in Eyre were sent with Commission into sundry Counties to heare such causes especially as were termed Plees of the Crowne Lo here a great plee of the Crowne yea such as wher in the title of the Kings Crowne is not onely questioned but strongly vsurped by the Claime of a forraigne Power What English eares can with patience heare such an insolencie When King Ahashuerus did but vnderstand of the desperate estate of the Iewes wherein that wicked Haman as Hester told the King had brought them the good King by and by sent forth his Edicts by Post into euery Prouince to incourage and arme the poore people of God to stand vpon their guard and so they preuented and ouercame the perill Now who stand more deeply charged with the care of the Kings Crowne then your Grace So that I neede not I trow in such a case vse spurres to your agility and readines for the putting of all dull courses in speedy execution for not onely the apprehension but the condigne punishment of such kinde of Malefactors Why what Malefactors such as Iesuits are not onely of factious treacherous traiterous spirits as they are men possessed with the spirit of Iesuitisme but euen by vertue and force of their Order and Profession Traitors ex professo They must be so they are bound to bee so else they are no Iesuits else must they renounce their Holy Order of the society of Iesu And is it possible that such should roust in England Nay reuell and riot Nay not onely bee profest traitors themselues but drawing Parties to their side continually euen to the diuiding of the limmes the armes and shoulders legges and feete from the Head of this goodly Politicke body It is the fashion indeed in other neighbour Popish States publickely to allow and auow such kinde of Creatures in the State But none haue more reason to vphold them then the Spaniard their good Master For certainly in time if they be suffered to goe on they will bring all Christendome vnder the Spanish yoake God forbid Yet if they should so do I make a question whether the Spaniard would suffer such pragmatical spirits any longer in Christendome lest as the restles sea hauing wrought as far as it can one way it worke as far as fast the contrary way It is likly then that he would send them into the Turks Dominions into Persia all those Easterne Empires to make compleat the Monarchy of Spaine that ioyning the two Indies together and circling in whole globe of the earth his Motto may then be Ne plus vltra But why doe I roue so farre when our home is in such danger What is to bee done shall I shoot a fooles bolt Shall I bee bold with your Grace Why not I haue heard men say you are of a noble disposition which will easily pardon a fooles bluntnesse In briefe then Your Grace knowes the King wants money extreamely You know againe that Treason is vnsufferable to wink at it to conceale it brings a man within Misprision of treason You may be pleased all to know that all Iesuites as by their profession so in their practise are high Traitors to Kings and States You know againe that all Iudges and Iustices of peace in this land are sworne to the King to see the lawes duly executed but especially vpon fellons and traitors You know that all such as shall bee found guilty of such Periury or Misprision of treason are punishable not onely in their persons but in their purses and estates Can the King then lacke money so long as there are as they say so many Iesuits in the land which passe euery where vnpunished O that your Grace would finde out the Delinquents in this kinde Nay let your Grace be assured if you will but take a round course with the Iesuites in rooting them out according to their demerits as it would bring safety security to the Kings Person and State so being the faithfull discharge of that trust reposed in you what a comfort will it be to your conscience what a blessing from God might you expect yea what loue also from all the Kings louing subiects Then would all things proceed succeed happily whereas on the contrary so long as Iesuits with their factions and treasons are suffered in this land what can wee expect but that euery thing we take in hand should proue very vnprosperous crosse For God is highly displeased with vs for suffering such miscreants to practise their impieties on this his Church to the great dishonour of his Name and Religion And how shall we be worthy to inioy such a King such a Country such a Church so many blessings of God if we be so prodigall of them All the world admires the wonderfull trust that the King hath reposed in you I pray God your Grace may answer it in your faithfull prudent and vigilant care I remember a speech which his Highnesse when he was Prince vttered among vs that were his seruants that when he
Conjurers do with the name of Iesus And among others this is not the least that by the hanging out of this signe he blinds the peoples eyes that they cannot so easily espie where the proud Antichrist dwelleâ—h Like as when a Spanish Pyrat hangs out an English flag In briefe this Marke notes that religion whose mother is Ignorance Ignorants write their marke in stead of their names And to know whose Marke this is loe here the name subscribed Pope Vrban 8. POpe is a title signifying father and being appropriated to the Pontise or Bishop of Rome who alone is so intituled it notes the great Antichrist The Pope as much to say as the Antichrist Christ saith Call no man father vpon earth The meaning is call no man on earth such a father as the Pope challengeth to himselfe namely Papa that father who as supreme ouer all other fathers will and must be honoured and obeyed Yea he will be such a Papa or Father as vnto whose becke is subordinated and limited that obedience which all do owe to our heauenly Father They must no further obey God then the Pope alloweth for euen the sacred Scriptures themselues the onely rule of our obedience to our heauenly Father are so locked vp in the Cabinet of the Popes brest that they may yeeld vs no other sense but what his key openeth as is intimated in the Bull of Pius the 4. affixed to the Trent Councill super formâ Iuramenti professionis fidei ad perpetuam rei memoriam So that not our heauenly Fathers owne commands may be of force where the Popes Counter-mand commeth with a Non obstante This is that Pope forbidden by Christ thus to be called our Father vpon earth Yet euer since Boniface the 3. who obtained of that Parricide Phocas to be the sole vniuersall Bishop and was the first that bore away the title of Pope from all other Patriarches and Bishops which euer since hath beene intailed to all his successors as their proper style quarto modo hath that Antichrist tyrannised vnder this name of Pope by vertue of his vniuersall Father-hood Hereof we cannot haue a more pregnant proofe then this present Bull as will appeare in the further opening of it This Pope is Vrban the 8. a new name customarily assumed with the Popedome And lightly they borrow such names as are contrary to their natures There haue not beene more wicked Popes then the Bonifaces nor more cruell then the Clements nor more impious then the Piuses nor more noxious then the Innocents nor more turbulent then the Vrbans As Vrban the 6. for his implacable furiousnesse was called of the people Turban a troubler And such a Turban I feare we shall finde of this Vrban the 8. as we may easily discerne by the clouen foote of this Bull. The Popes Bull is a prodigious or disastrous blazing starre it neuer appeareth but it portendeth and bodeth some approching fatality to Princes and States Onely the Comet is but a signe no cause of future euents but the Popes Bull is not onely a signe but a cause procuring and producing sad Accidents to ensue To goe no further then home for instances To prepare away for the Spanish Inuasion in 88. as an harbinger to prouide them lodging vpon their arriuall on the English Coast Pope Sixtus the 5 or if you will sice sinque as hauing already cast the Dice for England sends out his Balis declatatory wherein he excommunicateth the good Queen Elizabeth of euer gratefull memory and absolueth her subiects of their allegiance lauishing also out of the bottomlesse bag of his Church treasure plenarie Indulgence to all foraine States and Princes that would joyne their helping hand against England Enough to set the whole Pontifician world about our eares but that our heauenly Father shewed himselfe more potent in blessing vs then the Balaam of Rome in cursing vs. Also about the time of the Gunpowder plot the Pope sent out his Bulls Clement the 8. by name as here Vrban the 8. they agree both in name and number God grant they agree not in the nature of their mischiefesment vs or God grant them al the like euents that formerly Clement the 8. I say his Bull or Breeue being in safe keeping with Father Garnet and by him shewed to Catesby by whom this businesse began to bee brewed while as yet the powder was but a soaking in the salt-peter tubs he was so animated with the sight thereof that he built and founded all his otherwise perplexed and tottering inuentions vpon those Breeues wherein Garnet also was not wanting to obfirme him more and more whereupon the learned Bishop inferreth Ita omne malam à Breuibus Breeuia à Pontifice so that all mischiefe is from Breeues and Breeues from the Pope These two instances may induce vs to take better heed to this new Bull now in hand and to consider whether this Vrbanicall Breeue may not bode at least the like imminent mischiefes to this land that those did And so much the rather if we weigh all the concurring circumstances of the time The Pope knowes best how to make his own benefit of others homebred hurts his forces are the better vnited and strengthened by others diuisions and he well hopes to licke himselfe whole againe by others putrifying sores And so much the more may the force of this Bull bee feared as not hauing so long hornes as strong sinewes clossely compacted like those skales of Leuiathan Or rather lest the impression of feare might bee a preuention of their purpose it comes in like the aspe presented to Cleopatra in a basket of figgs lurking vnder the greene leaues the biting whereof is not so sensible as exceeding mortall The judicious Reader may therein discerne notable artifice in tempering strong poyson as it were in a paire of Italian or Spanish perfumed gloues And were there nothing else but that it comes from Rome can any good thing come from Rome from the Pope Omne malum à Brenibus Breuia à Pontifice As when Iulian the Cardinall was much recommended to Sigismund King of Romanes he answered Tamen Romanus est yet he is a Roman And a pestilent one too witnesse that woefull ouerthrow at Varna by Amurath whereof Iulian was the chiefe cause hauing perswaded Vladislaus vnjustly to breake the truce with the Turke To say nothing of a peace now offered as they say betweene the aduerse parties but onely this that such a Treaty will very well suite and serue this Breeue with occasion as a milde open season helpeth physicke to worke the more effectually But we haue not forgotten their Treaty vpon 88. Nor are we so foolish or weary of our liues I trust as with Cleopatra wittingly and willingly to suffer our selues to be stung with the Popes Aspe in greene leaues whose womanish spirit would otherwise haue fainted to see her owne death Yea rather we know the nature of such Basiliskes which a man espying
forcible argument if it were rightly applyed your sonnes are threatned You are sore hurt you know full well that threatned folkes liue long But here wee cannot but put your father-hood in minde of your forgetfulnesse A little before you contemplate your sonnes miseries and now is all come but to a bare threatning wee looked for a storme and behold but a cloud for fire and loe but a little smoake onely wee may hence obserue what punctuall intelligence your vigilant sonnes giue your father-hood out of England There stirres not a Mouse but you heare of it vnlesse you haue it by some speciall reuelation reflected in the glasse of your contemplation as your Saints know all is done here below by the perspectiue Glasse of beatificall vision Or else happely you haue it by the spirit of Prophecie as conjecturing what afterclaps or prognosticating what stormes this Meteor of your Papall Breeue might ingender in this our Northerne Clymate against your Sonnes when once they should bee so possessed with the malignant influence thereof as refusing to take the oath of Allegiance they should not onely incurre a threatning but of congruitie yea condignitie merit both imprisonment and punishments But our hope is that Non obstante your peremptory Bull they will shew themselues such true hearted English-men that they will not deserue in that case so much as a threatning But you adde Wee belieue there are among you those who desire to carry about in your owne body the mortification of Iesu Christ and would contemne the blandishments of pleasures and titles of ambition in comparison of the butcherie of hang-men and ignominie of bonds Yet if any bee there who are possessed with a desire of the prosperitie of the present Church wee desire they would take notice that the Pontifician charitie is wondrously sollicitous of their safetie Answer PAuse a while Here is some deepe matter sure here is some deepenesse of Sathan for some Lyncean eyes to discouer No doubt his Holinesse is great with child ready to be deliuered of some Monstrous birth onely hee wanteth some masculine Mid-wife to helpe at a pinch To which purpose behold here a most pernicious clause closly inciting such as are of a more Iesuited spirit to the attempting of some facinorous and audacious fact worthy the butcherie of the Hangman or the ignominy of bonds As the Poet spake but in a farre better sense then the Pope Aude aliquid breuibus Gyaris carcere dignum he ment it by daring to write of the touchy vices of the lawlesse times wherein hee liued Would to God Pontifician attempts were no worse then so But whatsoeuer shame or sorrow their attempts shall make them worthy to suffer they are to haue a speciall respect vnto the reward to wit the Pontifician charitie which will make a full amends for all his father-hood being so wonderously sollicitous of their safetie What is the matter some difficult enterprise full of danger it seemeth to the Actour In regard whereof the Pope is no lesse sollicitious I wis then a naturall father whose sonne being about to encounter some hideous monster or to attempt some Herculian labour is very sollicitous and anxious of the euent so full of danger to his beloued sonne Onely here is the difference a naturall father in that case would vse all his power to disswade his sonne yea vpon his blessing to enioyne him not to hazzard his life in such a desperate aduenture but the Pope on the contrary animateth and inciteth his sonnes by all perswasiue arguments not onely of profound insinuation but of professed approbation to vndertake some desperate enterprise And enterprises of that nature bee they at all aduenture what they will bee we may boldly abide by it that howsoeuer they may endanger the life of the attempter certainly they doe actually destroy the soule of the atchieuer But the Pope is so wondrously sollicitous of their safety that perhaps in case of extremity if they should chance to dye in hotte blood vnconfessed hee will as Pope Clement in his Bull at his Iubilee command the Angells to take their soules out of their bodies absolued and carry them straight into the glory of Paradice and not so much as one touch at Purgatorie by the way Onely here is one item more by the way what they doe it must be as that of Iudas speedily done intimated here by desire of the prosperity of the present Church Present it must bee and rather then the Pope will want matter to animate some desperate sonne or sonnes hereunto besides earnest desire that they should take speciall notice of the pontifician charity so wondrously sollicitous of their safety he prefixeth a most horrible Pontifician blasphemy comparing such his Martyrs to the blessed Apostle whose saying the Pope heere vsurpeth and shamelesly peruerteth and their just sufferings whether for treason murder or rebellion to the mortification of Iesus Christ Now the Lord Iesus destroy thy blasphemous mouth ô Antichrist But hee proceedeth No one dutie is of vs omitted which may conuert the menacing cloud of the growing tempest into a wished calme of consolation yet if hell enlarge her mouth and mortall cruelty thirst after the blood of Martyrs ye ought to be armed with the inuincible buckler of a good resolution and meditate of heauen in the prison of a crowne in the Racke of immortalitiain death Answere NO one dutie is of vs ommitted The Pope here giues vs to vnderstand for an vndoubted truth but implicity that his sonnes heere in England at this present his Iesuites and Priests are wondrous busie and industrious labouring tooth and naile with heaue and shooue to aduance forward their mischeifeous plot in hand For By Vs implyeth the Pope the Arch-Agent and with him all his actiue Instruments both at Rome and in England which haue their motion from his hand and are actuated by that their Head So that this testimony from Rome seemes to confirme the common rumor heere that his most white Sonnes sit in Counsell euery day that what they conclude is forthwith put in execution that all the exorbitant motions wee see in the world proceed from the wheele which these Engineers secretly and imsensibly turne about So that what Archimedes did by the cleane strength of his ingenious Art no lesse admirable then commendable for the defence of his Citty and Countrey against the Romanes that doe this viperous brood by their Arte infernall no lesse detestable then damnable infused into them by that Romaine Architect or cheife machinator of all mischiefe to betray their owne deare Mother Countrey into the hands of Rome into the pawes of the Beast and into the clawes of the Eagle euen into the mercilesse crueltie and tyranny of the Pope and his most Catholique Sonne so that in very truth themselues are the men that worke themselues daily into the fruition of the calme of their wished consolation and poore wee on the other side abide expecting till the menacing
clowd breake forth into a tempest vpon our heades Wee as silly birds like the Done without heart sit and looke on till the fowler spread his net ouer vs or like the foolish fish which beaking her selfe neere the banke suffereth the fisher to tickle and handle her lightly till at length hee gripes her fast and flings her on the Land shall wee thus suffer Romes Fishers to play and dally with vs till by their smooth flatteries they haue with a suddaine vnexpected jerke cast vs out of our fresh pleasant riuers that they may presently vnbowell vs and put vs into their hotte boyling panne and so deuour vs shall thus the theife bee so vigilant rising by night to kill men and shall not honest men awake to preserue themselues Hell no doubt enlargeth her mouth as waiting for the euent of her Sonnes deepe designes and machinations that shee may deuoure such a precious morsell as England is This Hell is Rome or rather the Popes Pallace there from whence through the Gate-Portusa a faire way leadeth downe to a place called the valley of Hell It is a pregnant embleme of the Papall state But the Pope here by his very mentioning of Hells mouth enlarging it selfe doth from hence fetch fire to enflame his sonnes with a more violent ardour of hostilitye telling them that they ought therefore to bee armed with the inuincible Buckler of a good resolution But that he should withall impute vnto vs mortall crueltie thirsting after the blood of Martyrs we cannot choose but take it for a fine frumpe or rather for the Sardenian laughter a most bitter taunt Wee cruell vnlesse by shewing mercy to the Popes white sonnes wee are therein most cruell to our owne selues and so may prooue our selues to bee the Martyrs whose blood that purple whore so thirsteth after Or doe we thirst after the blood of Martyrs doth the Pope imagine so because England neuer since Queene Maries dayes so much as tasted any such like drinke that now after so long abstinence it should bee so thirsty but what Martyrs if he meane Romish rebels traitors murtherers factious seducers and the like cannot our just lawes which at first by such villanies were forced to bee made and now by the like your Romish attempts are a fresh justly enough prouoked to bee executed punish such miscreants but you must charge vs with mortall cruelty as thirsting after the blood of Martyrs such Martyrs of yours as justly suffered death for their many treacheries and treasons in that good Queene ELIZABETHS raigne against her Royall person Crowne and Realme farre vnlike those Martyrs of Christ which suffered fire and faggot in Queene MARIES dayes for the Gospells sake Or your late Martyrs Garnet Catesby Piercy Digby Tressam the two Winters the two Wrighâ—â—â— Rookwoad Grant Koyes and Faux those hellish Conspiratours in the Gunpowder-treason These be your Martyrs yet call yee vs cruell for executing but justice vpon such malefactors Wee know you pretend you exclaime you suffer for religion and therefore Martyrs So did the Donatists in Saint augustines time who beeing justly punished by Imperiall Lawes for maintaining their schismaticall factions and se ducements complayned they suffered Martyrdome whom Saint Augustine reproueth Hoc putant esse signum c. The Donatists account this to be the marke of a true Christian if hee doe not practise but suffer persecution But let them saith hee aske of the Apostle what Church Sara figured when she persecuted her bondmaid Surely in Sara the Apostle saith that the heauenly Ierusalem to witt the true Church of God was figured which afflicted the handmaid Si autem melius discutiamus c. And if wee better discusse the matter the handmaid did more persecute Sara by her insulting then Sarab her by hampering for Hagar did iniurie her Mistresse Sara disciplined her for her pride A pregnant parallell to this purpose Hee that is a Seruant that ought to bee a dutifull and peaceable subject playeth the insolent rebell denyeth obedience and subjection to his rightfull Soueraigne the Soueraigne by just Lawes chastiseth such a rebell whether of these is the Persecutor whether of these is the Martyr for nor paena sed causa facit Martyrem not the punishment but the cause maketh the Martyr But Pontificians suffer for Religion for what Religion not that of Christ but for that which is flat rebellion against Christ and his Word which streightly commandeth loyalty and subjection to Princes and Magistrates In that sense Popish Traytors may be said to suffer for Religion such a Religion which is so combined with rebellion that they can neither bee diuided nor yet distinguished so that not vnfitly in this place so much doth the Pope recommend and mention his Martyrs in this Breeus may wee rancke them with those Heretiques called Martyriam whom Saint Augustine joyneth with the Satamani in his 57. cap. de Haeres These Martyriani were so called for honouring one of their sect put to death by Luppieianus a Generall as a Martyr of God and Christian faith with these consented the Satanici or Satiniant who worshipped Satan as the Moderator of all their actions whose manners Saint Iude describeth These also were consociated with the Euchitae who despising labour were all for praying from whom the whole rabble of Monkes deriue their Order But how farre the Pontificians symbolize with these let their owne doctrines and practises witnesse But howsoeuer the great Vulcan of Rome heere plyeth his Forge hee beates while the Iron is hotte to frame a compleate Armour for his Sonnes and an inuincible buckler of a good resolution concluding this clause with a rhetoricall gradation that neither the prison the racke nor death it selfe should daunt them But when you Pontificians beginne to call to arme against vs your pretended enemies is it not high time for vs to leaue our dallying and in good earnest to buckle on our armour against your intended mischeifes It followeth Among the brittish rockes of their shipwracke religion Christs crosse hath beene a planke which hath brought you into the Hauen of your desire This Crosse you must embrace by the vertue whereof the bitternesse of punnishments is sweetned Answer IF the Pope heere did rightly apply Christs Crosse in that sense whereof the Scriptures spake namely as it is taken for the conformable sufferings of Christs members then might wee of the Church of England take vp this speach and say that by the Crosse of persecution in Queene MARIES dayes wee did swimme from the shipwrake to the shoare in Queene ELIZABETHS time the blood of Martyrs in that time being the seede whereof this our Church by the gracious dew of heauen and plentifull showers of preaching is sprung vp and increased to a most fruitfull harvest and other shipwrake religion wee knowe none but your Pontifician Religion which is a totall apostacie from the faith of Christ wherein you haue too many confederates euery where Your owne Apostate Marcus
with their Prince and common brethren enioy those blessings and comforts which are the inseperable rewards of vnity and peace It followeth Consider Beloued sonnes in what station yee stand and to whose eyes you are made a spectacle the Angelicall Legiens doe flutter about you which receiue in their golden viols the desires of the faithfull and present them at the sanctuary of the mercy of the Omnipotent heaven gates being set open Christ not onely a beholder but a rewarder sheweth you the sacred tryumphs of your Citizens whom purpled in their owne blood England hath brought into the heavenly assemblies Answer THe Pope goes on in his martiall style and his Antichristian blasphemies that so throughout this whole Bull hee might shew himselfe that blasphemous Beast in the Reuelation from horne to hoofe Loe here his sent are in their seuerall stations marshelled by their Generalls and Captaines ready for the fight to which they are provoked by the consideration of those eyes that behold them Who are they the Angelicall Legions what are those good or bad Angells if any they should be rather the good Angells for he attributeth vnto them the office of presenting the prayers of the faithfull in their golden violls at the mercy seat As if that were the office of the heauenly Angells which the Pope here seemeth absurdly to gather from that scripture Reu. 8. which is plainely spoken of the Angells Gods Ministers being the mouth of Gods people to offer the incense of prayer and praise and thankesgiuing vnto Christ in that place for opening the Booke of the Gospell to his Church which had bin closed vp by the Church of Rome Though here his Holines would insinuate vnto his sons his Roman-Catholique practise and doctrine of praying to Angells that which the Holy Ghost sets downe expressely as a brand of Apostacy from Christ Col. 2. 18. 19. So that this Angel worship is an other marke of the Beast onely hee is a little shy of speaking broadly in a matter so grosse especially to his sonnes in England where the light of the Gospell doth easily detect and vnmaske such Popish trumperie and as the Father here dealeth tenderly in such tickle points so his Priestly sons obserue the same rule here in England among their disciples with whom they must deale very cautelously smoothing over their rougher doctrines and qualifying them with sugar lest they should proue too tart to those palates which might happily haue had some tast of sundry doctrines in this Church But after that their Roman-Catholique disciples are once hardened and their stomackes strong enough to digest then they dare loade them with stronger meates and reueale vnto them the more hydden mysteries of their Romish religion This is obserued vnto vs by one who once had beene too well acquainted with such proceedings when he was a Popish Priest till it pleased God by the light of his truth to bring him home vnto vs and make him a worthy member of our Church and a pregnant instrument to detect Antichrist with his delusions But whereas your father-hood tells your sonnes of the Legions of Angells fluttering about them if you speake of the good Angells herein we poore of the Church of England comfort our selues against these your vaine boastings and lying confidence For wee are sure those legions are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them which shall be heires of saluation those Angells haue a charge over Gods seruants to keepe them in all their wayes they pitch their tents round about them that feare God and deliuer them They are as an army of fierie chariots ready to defend one of Gods Prophets against a whole band of enemies Therefore in these heauenly Legions your Sonnes can haue no confidence at all for protection For how can your sonnes be the heires of saluation to whom you vtterly deny the meanes of saluation as is sauing faith in Christ what charge can they haue to protect your sonnes whom you cause to goe out of their waies by rebelling against God and their King yea rather you and your sonnes may justly feare that those Angells shall stand with their swords drawne to stoppe your course and to cut you off as that Angell did to Balaam because your waies are peruerse before God And know that if you persist in seeking the ruine of our Ierusalem one of those Angells is sufficient to smite and slay a million of you in one night when you dreame of no such thing But if by those Legions fluttering about your Sonnes you meane the Legions of Diuells these indeed no lesse delight in rebellions treasons and massacres then your Holinesse doth and when you haue done your worke will be as ready to pay your wages But for Christ in heauen although you most impiously blaspheme in making him an approuer of your damnable practises and plots yet rightly vnderstood true it is hee sits in heauen hee beholds all your machinations and will most certainly bee a seuere rewarder of all Popish impieties against God and his Lieutenants here on earth hee sits and sees he will laugh and deride you he will speake vnto you in his wrath and vexe you in his sore displeasure For the purpled Martyrs whom England hath sent into the heauenly assemblies true it is being vnderstood of the true Martyrs of Christ whom in the dayes of Queene MARY the Antichristian crueltie of Rome rather then England sent be purpled in their owne innocent blood into those heauenly assemblies of their fellow Martyrs and Saints But those you here call Martyrs who in England haue suffered just punishments for their fowle crimes and abominable treasons those without repentance dying embrued in their owne blood were no doubt sent thither where not all your purgatory flames though neuer so hotte can purge away the least slaine of such hellish guilt So that betweene these Romish Martyrs and those our English there is so great a gulph set that there is an impossibilitie of the least communion of societie But wee deny not wee enuy not but pitie rather that all such your Romish Martyrs goe all to one place who as they are confederates in the same crimes so it is just that they should bee associates in the same place and state of condemnation It followeth The anxious prayers of the mournefull Church desire of God for you the spirit of Charity and Fortitude The counsels of the Apostolique senate and the prayers of Christendome take care of your safety in so large a theater of heaven and earth what rigour of year constancy what sublimitie of a tryumphant mind becomes it you to haue in you The counsels of your predecessors haue beene in the like ieopardy the lights of the holy Ghost and the armour of light bee your wise oracles and your actions the examples of fortitude Answer IN the former clause the Pope animates his sonnes as being a spectacle of Christ and Angels here he sets them in the large theater
the sacred Scripture If an Angell from heauen teach you otherwise let him be anathema This was the Apostles speech to the Galathians rightly applyed The Pope vsurpes the same words but to his most wicked purpose Herein also hee shewes himselfe that great Antichrist who was of old noted to be an egregious falsifier and peruerter of the Scriptures Take one example Origen saith Omnis sermo qui profitetur c. Euery speech that professeth the expositions of the Scriptures and the faith of them and hath not the truth is iustly to be vnderstood to be Antichrist comming in Christs name and saying I am Christ lying and not able to shew the forme of truth in himselfe How truly this is verified of the Pope among infinite other instances of his audacious peruerting of Scripture this one here taken from the Apostle may sufficiently euince But the Oath is preiudiciall to the Catholike faith to what Catholike faith you must vnderstand there is a twofold Catholike faith the one that of the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the New of Christ and the Apostles and Prophets of the whole Church of God in all ages in all places of the world which is therefore called the Catholike faith because it is vniuersall and this is the onely true and proper Catholike faith There is another faith that hath the name of Catholike but with an addition either expressed or implied to wit the Romane Catholike faith and because Romane Catholike therefore indeede not Catholike no true but a bastard Catholike faith The obiect of this Romane Catholike faith is together with the History of the Scriptures for the mysterie of the Gospell contained therein to euery true beleeuers saluation they exclude from being so much as a partiall obiect of this their faith but in generall onely as an History the Apocryphall Bookes Which Saint Ierome saith are for instruction of manners not for instruction of faith all their Traditions which they call Apostolicall all their Decretales and Extrauagants and aboue all that which is the summe of all the rest the Oracle of the Popes owne breast inerrable and so whatsoeuer his Holinesse either hath taught or shall hereafter teach as he seeth to be most commodious for the present state of the Church all these are the adequate obiect of this Roman-Catholike faith Among which Doctrines Apostolike this is one to denie fidelitie to Kings and Princes when the Pope commandeth This is an Article of the Romane Catholike faith not to be violated vpon paine of damnation So that to take the oath of Allegiance and keepe it as it cannot stand with the safetie of Romane Catholike faith so neither of their owne saluation Why so By the irrefragible decree of Pope Boniface 8. Porrò subesse Romano Pontifici c. Finally to be subiect to the Pontifie or Pope of Rome we declare determine define and pronounce that euery humane creature is bound vpon necessitie of saluation But by what authoritie The glosse giues the reason from the very first word Porrò Porrò id est Certè quia sic est Truely because it is so A most Papall reason for as the Glosse saith sententiam c. that which is no sentence he maketh a sentence iniustice he can make to be iustice yea of nothing something quia in his qua vult et est pro ratione voluntas In those things which he will his will is for a reason Nor ought any to aske him a reason of his doings sic volo sic iubeo is sufficient quia plenitudinem obtinet potestatis because he possesseth plenitude of power nor is he pure homo and if hee shall carrie with himselfe millions of soules into hell there to be punished cum prime Mancipio with the great Diuell of bell yet let none presume to blame or iudge him for it So that though he should deceiue many here in England perswading them that disloyaltie to their Prince that rebellion and treason are Apostolike doctrines and so leade them with himselfe into hell they haue their amends in their owne hands as the Pope hath the Law in his It followeth We in the meane time will entreat the father of lights that hee suffer not the heart of the English King to bee blinded who shall certainly learne how great credit is to be giuen to Catholike subiects in those things which you may promise who lest they should make themselues lyable to periurie they had rather breath out their spirit then their voice Answer How after all these blasphemies against God and his word dare the Pope intreat the Father of lights vpon what confidence vpon what hope to be heard Will the Father of lights heare the prayer of the man of Sinne of the Sonne of Perdition of the great Antichrist the Beast full of blasphemies yea rather as Christ forbad the diuell to confesse him to vsurpe his name to preach of Iesus so we intreat the Pope not to intreat for our King the Lords Annointed hee needeth none of such prayers Hee hath daily thousands of good Christians of his louing and faithfull subiects to entreat the Father of lights for him for his life Crowne Kingdome happinesse which prayers no doubt will preuaile with God to defeat all Romes prayers and plots and practises against our noble King Church and State We know the Popes prayers to be meerely pharisaicall in stead of praying to prey vpon vs vnder the colour of many Pater nosters to deuoure our habitations Against the Popes prayers here our most humble and harty prayers and shall be to the Father of lights in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ that hee will not suffer the heart of our dread Soueraigne to be blinded with Popish bandishments and faire promses that so he may not too dearely buy the certaine knowledge how great credit is to be giuen to Romane-Catholikes in those things which they may promise For note how his holinesse in the very next words bewrayeth how little confidence is to bee giuen to such promises as his Catholike Sonnes may make for saith he least they should make themseles liable to periurie But it is something that the Pope had rather his Catholike Sonnes should by making faire promises hazzard their fidelitie therein then by taking the Oath incurre the danger of periurie Although a good Christian makes conscience as much of his solemne promise as of an oath But it seemeth if his Catholike Sonnes should take the oath the Pope puts them in minde they should thereby expose themselues to periurie so that if they doe but promise fidelitie he teacheth them the very ready way to perfidiousnesse and breach of promise for if an oath cannot preserue them from periurie how shall a promise from breach thereof seeing both periurie and perfidiousnesse grow from the same root of Iesuiticall doctrine Nulla fides seruanda cum hereticis no faith to be kept with heretickes Herein therefore the Pope is to be commended that seeing he
tels vs plainly he will keepe no faith with heretickes neither will he make any faith with them Onely herein he is most vniust that not onely those who are the onely true and orthodox Catholikes he cals heretickes and those that are his sonnes and consequently the limmes of Antichrist Apostates from the faith of Christ he calleth Catholikes but more especially that hee goeth about to perswade subiects not to enter into couenant of fidelitie by oath to their rightfull and onely Soueraigne King ouer them vpon earth next vnder God which couenant they ought not onely to make being demanded but betweene God and their owne heart religiously to vow and before all the world faithfully auow He that shall perswade men from this naturall bond of dutie is a traitour and vsurper ouer God and man euen the great Antichrist Howsoeuer I am perswaded the Pope hath no one Catholike Sonne in England so impious if he haue but a true English heart in him vn-Iesuited that he will refuse but rather most willingly take the oath and be ready whensoeuer there shall be occasion to hazzard his person and all his power against any Romish Spanish Inuasion They cannot be so farre blinded and besotted with Popish spels and Iesuiticall charmes but that they will euer put an infinite difference betweene their English and a Spanish King But if any be otherwise minded hauing exchanged his English for a Spanish heart if he may not trust himselfe to take the oath for feare of periurie neither I trust will his bare promise be taken lest whensoeuer the great flye should hisse out of Babylon he should forget his promise turn hornet or waspe to set against the Master Bee of this hony-flowing hiue of England But I trust for all the Popes charge here to the contrary that no English Papist will so far preferre his breath before his life that rather then spend the one in taking the oath he will expire the other It followeth But that your vertue may be found more precious then gold which is tried in the fire teach that Kingdome that there is no such force in the crueltie of enemies that it is able to extinguish the eternall fire of charitie in your hearts Pray for them that persecute you humilitie patience concord fasting prayer are your weapons which in the cruell conflict ye ought to draw forth that the palmes of coelestiall triumph may flourish in your hands for seeing blessed Peter was forbidden to smite with the sword the cruell assailants of Christ wee exhort you hauing the present good of the Church before our eyes that in the meane time you thinke the thoughts of peace and that yee pray for eternall life euen for the King while he takes away your mortall life So must the souldiers of Christ make warre vnder the banner of the Crosse the mouth of them that speake wicked things shall be confounded seeing ye know not to hate those who torment you But the Lord who is able to turne your sorrow into ioy shall be at your right hand that yee be not moued and may not forget his testament wherein he had bequeathed the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen to his Imitatours Answer Wee may say of this whole clause in generall as the learned Bishop in his Tortura vpon the very like purpose where bringing in Tortâ— his obiection that the holy Fathers the Iesuites as Father Garnet c. sent a good exhortation from the Citie to the Catholikes in the Countrie here in England he speakes it about the powder treason that they should containe themselues from all tumults saith Vetus ea techna est saepe quidem detecta proin semper suspecta vt non alio magis tempore scribant inde Pontifices in eum finem quam cum maleficium maximè meditantur Mulcere hîs volunt Argos nostros vt sibi ipsis dicant Pax tuta omnia qua sic repentina clades irruat in eos nil tale suspicantes Nan erat certè cur monitionem illam nominares que nobis nuncia est procellae certò tum semper imminentis Quin alia tum erat monitionis huius ratio Tam enim placuit tam certe spes erat Negotium hoc de puluere vt nollent illud interturbari tumultâ—â— vllo iuberent verò quiescere alios omnes vt huic vni locus esset in quo reposita illis spes omnis That is an old peece of craft often detected and therefore alwayes suspected that at no time more the Popes doe write to such a purpose then when most of all they intend mischiefe Here they would sweetly impose vpon our sharpest wits that they may say to themselues Peace and all safe that so sudden destruction may take them tardy while they suspect no such thing There was no cause why yee should mention that admonition which to vs is the messenger of a storme certainely then alwaies imminent But there was also another reason of this admonition for this businesse of the powder-plot was so pleasing so certainely hopefull that they would not haue it interrupted with any tumult but should command all others to bee quiet that this one businesse might take place wherein all their hope was lapped vp Thus by the iudgement of our graue and experienced Fathers wee may learne what interpretation to make what to expect when Romes holy Fathers in their Buls exhort their Sonnes to be quiet and to containe themselues from tumult as here the Pope doth If thus they did vpon the Gunpowder-plot all husht till the sudden blast doth not this extraordinary sun-gleame foretoken some such hideous storme ready to fall vpon vs Is not this a sprinkling of water vpon lime or with oyle to suppresse the flame The token which Iudas gaue to the apprehenders of Christ was a traiterous kisse and Romes signall to her treacherous attempts is Peace peace But as the French say in their Prouerbe When the Spaniard comes to parle of peace then double-bolt the doores so I hope England will be so wise as when they obserue the Popes morning sun-shine of peace from vnder a cloud they will prouide for a rainie day But to the words in more particular In the forefront of this clause here is twice mention of fire And how great matter a little fire kindleth This very word in the Lord Mounteagles letter of fire was that which through Gods prouidence kindled in King Iames his conceit a suspition of such a like plot as indeede it proued Vpon whose iudgements wee may the more boldly suspect by the Popes twice mention of fire that without doubt some fiery triall is now in hand euen fire and sword Here againe the Pope puts his Sonnes in minde of their vertue and prowesse as also of their enemies the King and State enough to blow the coales of their hatred and so to exercise the eternall fire of their vnquenchable charitie A fiery charitie indeede of the nature of wilde-fire or
celestiall triumphs What as a reward of your sonnes peaceable patience here a while for the present good of the Church or rather for the conquest of your Martiall attempts you are now about Is the field already yours May not yee reckon before your hoast Let not him that puts on his armour boast as hee that puts it off But you fight vnder the standard of the Crosse And we vnder Christs standard Euen now yee are about to verifie that prophesie Reuel 20. of Gog and Magog compassing the tents of the Saints your Heretickes round about You thinke you haue vs inclosed in your net but our comfort is fire shall come downe from heauen to denoure you with your huge hoasts the victorie shall remaine on the Lambs side against whom you doe giantlike make warre for as you are that Lady that say in your heart I sit a Queene and am no widdow and shall see no sorrow therefore as it there followeth shall your plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and your Babylon shall be vtterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who iudgeth her Doe yee beleeue this surely your papall Atheisme will not suffer you But wee beleeue it for strong is the Lord God that iudgeth you and faithfull is hee that hath promised deliuerance to his Church It followeth Let vs embrace you in the armes of Apostolike charitie beloued Sonnes to whom we promise the Fathers patrocinie and most louingly bestow our benediction Answer Pape and Ape differ but a letter but their charitie to their Sonnes lesse This is that Father whose charitie to his Sonnes is so Apostolike as though he carrie millions of his sonnes with him into hell to be tormented of the great Diuell yet no man may presume to blame him for it as we noted before But all your impieties will passe for charitie it selfe so it goe but vaild vnder Apostolike Apostolike is a great word with you and serueth at all tumes onely still you mistake Apostolike for Apostaticke which yee must be remembred of But you promise the Fathers patrocinie What Fathers the heauenly Fathers ye cannot for all your power in heauen and earth your owne you may But vpon what securitie what patrocinie can you promise to your selfe and yours from that Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Reu. 19. 19 20. marke the place well read also Reu. 14. 8. if any man worship the Beast and his Image and receiue his marke in his forehead or in his hand namely whosoeuer shall auow himselfe a sworne sonne or rather slaue to the Pope nothing is more plaine then that it is spoken of that Romane Beast the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels behold what a spectacle Pontificians or Papists are made to the blessed Angels and in the presence of the Lambe and the smoake of their torments ascendeth vp for euer and euer and they haue no rest day nor night who worship the Beast and his Image and whosoeuer receiueth the marke of his name This is the portion and patrimonie of that man of sinne that sonne of Perdition that exalts himselfe aboue all that is called God as the Pope exprofesso doth from which what Papall patrocinie what Apostolike benediction can giue protection or securitie Or else not vnlikely the promise of the paternall patrociny the Pope here maketh to his white sonnes the Iesuites that if they apply and play their parts well as no doubt but they will doe their best and his Apostolike benediction to his lay sonnes for he is in some good hope that Peters Patrimonie or Pence which now would be turned into so many pounds will be recouered againe to the Pope out of England if his enterprise now in hand succeede to his hope and expectation Which is the maine vpshot of all the Popes purposes most artificially shaddowed and mystically inuolued in this Breeue Giuen at Rome Saint Peters vnder the signet of the Fisher May 30 1626. the third yeere of our Popedome Answer At Rome And can any good thing come from Rome for what is Rome Euen that mysticall spirituall Babylon described Reuel 17. Rome the present seat of that Antichrist now raigning there in his full height How so the Pope himselfe is witnesse For the Bull wherein he professeth himselfe the supreame soueraigne ouer Kings and Kingdomes to vnking them at his pleasure while hee would depriue them of their subiects allegiance was dated at Rome the prime seat of the Pope Saint Iohn was told expresly that Babylon the great the purpled whore the seauen hils Citie the seauen headed ten-horned Beast was Rome The Woman which thou sawest saith the Angell to Iohn is that great Citie which reigneth ouer the Kings of the earth It reigned then Imperially it reigneth now Papally Papally in name Imperially also in power for the Pope is a twofold head of that Beast mystically typed in his two-topped Miter in the front whereof was anciently written Mysterium that a man might point with the finger This is Antichrist The Pope I say is a two-fold Head the seauenth Head as Pope and also the eight Head as Emperour though not in name Boniface the eight shewed it openly in his great Iubilee when the first day thereof he came forth in his Pontificall robes and the next day following in the Imperiall habit and Diadem with a naked sword carried before him saying Behold here two swords So that Bellarmines owne words of Antichrist fall pat vpon the Pope where he saith Erit enim Antichristus supremum vltimum caput impiorum est vltimus Rex qui Imperium Romanum tenebit tamen sine nomine Romani Imperatoris For Antichrist shall be the supreame and last Head of the wicked and he is the last King which shall hold the Romane Empire yet without the name of Romane Emperour And is not this the Pope of Rome Doth not hee wholly possesse the ancient Imperiall dominion and territories in and about Rome farre and neere Doth not he challenge supremacie of Imperiall power of all Christendome yea ouer the world The Emperor that now is hath not he his election and confirmation from the Pope the seauen Electors were made by the Pope they nominate and elect the Emperor but all this is of no force but as it receiueth approbation and confirmation from the Pope Nor is hee called Emperour of Rome Hands off That is for his holinesse alone So that if as some Pontificians would shift it off that that Citie reigning ouer the Kings of the earth cannot be ment of Rome as now it is because Rome doth not as formerly so reigne Let the Pope answer it whether he haue not or at least vsurpe not a greater power then euer the Romane Emperor had The Papall Rome is called the
the Beasts number very ominous But Deus omen auertat Also in the third yeare of his Popedome Popes yeares are as precious as that day which Medea begged of King Creon before her banishment wherein her womanish malice so bestirred her selfe that by 〈…〉 shee consumed the Kings house with fire and made a cruell massacre of sundry Noble personages yea most vnnaturally euen of her owne Sonnes And what massacres may not this present Pope the head of that Antichristian Beast yea of that Babylonish woman drunke with the blood of the Saints atchieue in three yeeres and a halfe the time which the Antichristian Church though most absurdly limiteth for Antichrists Tyrannie for whose blood-thirstie crueltie neyther the Kings owne house no nor yet the Popes owne though most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can secure themselues Let vs conclude then with that prayer as it was once intire in our English Liturgie in King Edwards dayes of blessed memorie 〈◊〉 seditions and priuie Conspiracie from the Tyrannie of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities from false and 〈◊〉 opinions from hardnessse of heart 〈…〉 and Commandements Good Lord deliuer vs. And let all England say Amen An Aduertisement to those my Countrymen whom the Pope calleth his Catholicke sonnes MY natiue brethren Countrymen or if you will Romane Catholickes 〈◊〉 wherein you so much glory and and which not onely distinguisheth but euen deuideth you from all true Catholickes such as Rome accounts Heretickes although my desire to speake vnto you bee greater then my hope to be heard such is the vaile of 〈…〉 obedience wherein they have shut vp your eares and closed your eyes that you should not heare or 〈…〉 more grieuous Babylonian or Egyptian Captivity spirituall than those temporall typicall were to Gods people yet 〈◊〉 this present necesssity inforced to assay at least what coÌ„mon humaine prudence or English spirit is left in you as not altogether eaten out with that spirit of lethargy and benumbednesse wherewith the Mystery of iniquity hath so wholy possessed many And if at the worst my purpose herein shall proue frustrate yet it shall 〈◊〉 that we would have cured Babylon but she would not be cured and hereby I shall howsoeuer discharge the duty of one that hath obtained mercy to be faithfull deliuering mine owne soule whither ye will heare or whether ye wil forbeare Yet I will hope the best praying God to giue a blessing Yea why should I not rather be most confident herein that all of you will be ready to harken to such a businesse as this which I am to propound vnto you Only as I have premised in the Inscription I except and exclude the Iesuites from my least hope of perswading them because the Arguments and Motiues which may and ought strongly to preuaile with you are directly contrary to the very principles and Grounds of their Iesuiticall Order They haue altogether cast off all hope of heauen all faith in Christ and in steed thereof haue made choice of that offer which Christ refused namely the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them men they are of pragmaticall and worse then 〈◊〉 spirits plotting either to 〈◊〉 all Kingdomes and States or which is as good to subiugate them to the Tyranny of Rome and Spaine Rome's fishers they are who euer find it best fishing in troubled waters by stirring vp coÌ„motions factions rebellions treasons arming and animating Subiects against their lawfull Prince this is their doctrine this their practise who so ignorant as knowes it not so that to goe about to perswade them to imbrace peace loyaltie fidelitie to leave off all their treasonable practises in vndermyning 〈◊〉 were as much as to inferre a new Article of faith to belieue a possibility that a true Iesuite should euer be conuerted to become a true Christian such and vnreconsileable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue they put betweene the order of Iesus and the 〈◊〉 of Christ and they that are once of the societie of Iesus should neuer come to bee of the blessed Communion of Christ so that such is the renoâ—e of their factious society that no maruaile if they set the Sonne against the father the subiect against the Prince when they haue made Iesus to be at vtter defiance and enmitie with Christ Iesuiticall doctrine is such a Dye as will not easily giue place to any other colour otherwise then as Sathan who can change himselfe into an Angell of light in appearance onely The reason why so few or rather neuer any specially English Iesuites renounce their diabolicall professions to imbrace the Truth is beecause they cannot enter into that Profession but with a kind of reluctancy at the first before they be hardned and their consciences seared not onely against the light of their conscience but euen against the light of reason and nature it selfe ceasing to be reasonable men to enter into a new order of Incarnate Deuills whose order is to put out of order the whole course of Nature ouerturning the very foundations of all humaine societies and all under the name of Iesus as if Iesus were no more a name to signify the 〈◊〉 of his people but were as much as Abaddon or Apollion in the Iesuites sense so that a Iesuite being one whose faith and profession is an habituall and vowed wilfull Rebellion against God and Christ against the very light of Nature and of his owne conscience becomes thereby so inuincibly obiurate that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were to iudge whether Satan or he were likelier to renounce their religion sauing onely that the one is a Deuill the other a Man or in mans shape at least For we know Christ hath said that t he sinne against the Holy Ghost shall neuer be pardoned And the reason is giuen by Diuines because it can neuer be repented of no more then that of the Deuill whose sinne was that against the Holy Ghost when he first forsooke the truth to betake himselfe to that order wherein for his Antiquity and pregnancie hee merited long before the 〈◊〉 and last Saint Ignatius to be the Grand-Father and Founder of this new society Leaue we these therefore as Christ did the wilfull blind Pharises to perish together of whom he said Let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind and if the blind leade the blinde they shall both fall into the Pit and let me speake vnto men to English men to wise men such as haue not so farre vowed themselues captiues for Babylon in their blind obedience as to disauow their common sence and reason Tell me if there be euer be among you all so farre besotted and infatuated with Iesuiticall Illusions that treason or rebellion against your Soueraine Prince should be so meritorious as to merit some better Kingdome then this of England yet can your common sense reason be so farre transported as to think you shall be in happier case vnder the Spanish yoake then vnder the gouernmnet of your owne natiue King What nations
it that knew nothing to be the language and religion of Babel by the confused sound and little sense hee could find in it And yet all this while was not Antichrist come to his full pitch stature and strength vntill the Councell of Trent in which the Church of Rome sheweth her selfe to bee quite apostatized and fallen away from Christ ceassing to bee any longer a true Church as having solemnly renounced and accursed the sauing faith of Christ without which is no salvation no communion with him During which Council also was first founded that diabolicall Order of the Iesuites the most actiue instruments of Antichrist and in a manner the only and last supporters of the Babylonian tottering Tower But this by the way In the Councill of Trent I say is the whole Mystery of iniquity fully accomplished and the Pope now declared that Man of sinne that Antichrist prophecyed of in the Scriptures I can but name these things vnto you at this present nor doe I say more then I am able more abundantly to demonstrate if occasion serued For comparing the Pope exactly to the description of Antichrist in the Scripture wee finde him in all points answerable and that in a full measure so that it is not possible for a man to imagine wherein Antichrist can goe higher then the Pope hath done A scantling where of wee may take in this Papall Breeue or Bull wherein throughout hee showes himselfe that Antichrist And if the Pope bee that Antichrist as most demonstratiuely hee is which I dare vndertake to maintaine against all the Iesuites in England then consider ô yee Romaine-Catholickes in what a fearefull condition you all stand that adhere to the Pope as your Head Certainely such are no other then the limmes of Antichrist the members of the Beast the children of that Father who is the sonne of perdition who with all his goe into perdition This is a hard saying you will say but it is too true Nor do I alone say that in the Church of Rome is no saluation to bee found Aske the Councell of Trent which is the onely rule of Romish faith that will tell you To giue you one instance for many one of her Canons is Si quis dixerit fidem iustificantem nihil aliud esse quà m fiduciam diuinae misericordiae peccata remittentis propter Christum vel eam fiduciam solam esse qua iustificamur anathema sit That is If any shall say that iustifying faith is nothing else but a confidence in Gods mercy remitting sinnes for Christs sake or that confidence to bee onely that whereby wee are iustified let him bee accursed What is then Romes iustifying faith Heare another Canon which telleth you that the faith of Rome may subsist being seperate from grace and yet bee a true faith though it bee a dead faith And this is no other faith but that which is in the very Deuills as Saint Iames sayth For as they confesse they may with this their faith goe into hell and there bee punished with the Devils As for the iustifying and saving faith they not onely accurse it but him also that shall say that none is truly iustifyed but hee that beleeueth that he is iustifyed Thus they haue quite excluded and exiled out of their Church with Anathema the saving instifying faith without which there is no salvation no communion with Christ Whence I conclude with this Argument That Church which denieth yea accurseth the sauing faith of Iesus Christ vnto instification allowing onely such a faith which can neuer saue a man but is a graceles faith seperable from grace and which a man may carry with him into hell that is an Apostatized Church vtterly fallen away from Christ wherein no saluation is to bee found or hoped for But the Church of Rome denyeth yea accurseth the sauing faith of Iesus Christ vnto iustification allowing only such a faith as can neuer saue a man but is a gracelesse faith seperate from grace and which a man may carry with him into hell Therefore the Church of Rome is an apostatized Church vtterly fallen away from Christ wherein no saluation is to be found or hoped for Both the propositions are proved out of the Councell of Trents owne Canons already cited If any answer that the Church of Rome denyeth not the true faith forasmuch as the faith which shee alloweth she sayth is true though dead I rejoyne and say that this is a Paralogisme Romes dead faith is indeed for the kind of it a true dead faith or a true faith of devils as one may be said to be a true lyar But I proue that this faith of Rome is meerely different in kind from the true sauing faith of Christ thus That faith which Christ commendeth for the onely true sauing faith doth so iustifie a man that he shal neuer come into condemnation but passe from death vnto life But the only faith which the Church of Rome alloweth doth not so saue or iustifie a man but that he way with it go into condemnation and not passe from death vnto life Therefore the saith of the Church of Rome is not that faith which Christ commendeth for the only true sauing faith And consequently the Church of Rome denying the true sauing faith of Christ whereby to be justified is vtterly voyd of all hope of saluation and so hath quite abandoned Iesus Christ Now for the Proposition it is proved by Christ himselfe Ioh. 5. 24. The Minor is confessed by the Councell of Trent itselfe as hath beene proved Take one argument more That Church which cleaueth to Antichrist as her Head whome shee receiueth all her spirituall life hath no saluation to be found or hoped for in it But the Church of Rome cleaueth to Antichrist as her Head from whom shee draweth all her spirituall life Therefore the Church of Rome hath no saluation to be found or hoped for in it The Proposition is granted of all For Antichrist and all his members are damned and goe into perditition as the Apostle sheweth 2 Thess 2. Reuel 14. 8 9 10 11. 〈◊〉 But for the Assumption that the Church of Rome eleuenth to Antichrist as her Head from whom shee draweth all her spirituall life This is plainly proued yea professed and avowed even by the Pope himselfe and by his Papall Decrees First the Pope is the Head of the Church of Rome Secondly he is not simply a subordinate and Ministeriall Head but the absolute soveraine supreme Head whom as Pope Nicolas 3. in his Euangelicall and irrefragable Decree in Sexti de Electione cap. 17. tit 6. lib. 1. doth peremptorily tell vs the Lord would haue to bee intitled into the fellowship of the indiuiduall vnity that the structure of the eternall Temple built by God might by an admirable gift of the grace of God consist in the firmnesse of blessed Peter and his Successor that from him as from a certaine Head he might diffuse his gifts as into all
his body The like Decree hath Pope Boniface in his Commune Extraugaâ—â—â—â— 1. de Maior obed c. vnam sanctam making Peter and the Pope one and the same Head with Christ lest otherwise sayth the Pope the Church should bee at a Monster with two Heads Thirdly it cannot bee denied but that Antichrist is that Man of Sinne described by the Apostle 2 Thess 2. who exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God who sitteth in vpon for or ouer the Temple of God shewing himselfe that hee is God Fourthly the Pope himselfe preveth that he is that man of 〈◊〉 for hee exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God namely aboue all Kings and Princes and Powers of the world who 〈◊〉 called Gods Psal 82. 6. I haue sayd Yee are Gods That he that exalteth himselfe witnesse this present Breeue or Bull. 〈◊〉 though Pope Boniface 3. with importunate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wicked Tyrant and Murtherer Phocas that Rome should be the Head City over all so that this supremacy might claime its foundation from humaine Constitution Imperiall yet the Popes Personall supremacy over Emperours and Kings came in by the By by his owne meete vsurpation which though it might seeme to bee grounded vpon the same foundation of the Cities Supremacy yet it was never the intent of Phocas the Founder that the Bishop of Rome should haue a personall or reall Supremacy over the Emperour as we haue shewed This learne of the Beast grew out afterward in Hildebrand Pope Gregorie 7. who himselfe being a Conjurer and getting the Popedome by the Deuils meanes hee now began to exercise the Dragons vsurped power over Emperours Kings and Kingdomes of the world as the Dragon sayd to Christ All this power and glory of the Kingdomes of the world is deliuered to mee and to whomsoeuer I will I giue it which very speech Pope Hadrian 4. vsed to the Emperour Fredericke Thus doth the Pope exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God To so little purpose is it to shift it off by saying hee hath this power deliuered to him and therefore hee doth not exalt himselfe For so sayd the Devill All this power is giuen mee and yet was hee not a most shamelesse vsurper But more of this in the Answere to the Breeue Againe doth not the Pope sitt in or vpon or for or ouer the Temple of God For all these the Greeke phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth And what other Temple of God doth the Pope allow but the Church of Rome whereof himselfe is the Head the summe and only Oracle Insomuch as hee sheweth himselfe to bee God by assuming to himselfe the whole vnlimited power of God as if hee were the same with God and Christ as being assumpted into the individuall vnity with Christ as Pope Nicolas decreed O all yee learned Papists that doe adhere to such a Head even to that man of sinne Antichrist which while you doe what remaineth for you but according to the holy Ghost owne doome even damnation and perdition both of soule and body for evermore In the name of Iesus Christ therefore open your eyes put off that Egyptian vaile which this Man of sinne hath cast over you that you should not set the truth shake off those Babylonian chaines wherewith you are so miserably captived by Antichrist and quit your selues like men Hearken diligently to the voyce of Christ in his word who from heaven cryeth vnto you saying Come out of Babylon my people that yee be not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receiue not of her plagues Reuel 18. 4. This Babylon is the Church of Rome so plainly described in the 17 chapter that the most learned Iesuites themselues know not how to shift it off This Babylon chap. 18. 2. is fallen An Angell cryeth mightily Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of Deuils and the bold of euery foule spirit and a cage of euery vncleane bird c. Is fallen is fallen What is the meaning of this fall twice repeated Some fearefull and strange fall sure even an vrtet apostacy and falling a way from the faith of Christ She shall one day fall externally but in the meane time shee is vtterly fallen internally and become the habitation of Deuils c. where the Devil now domineereth in that Antichrist in his full pride and rebellion against Christ Let not these my words seeme tart to your more tender palate I dare say you abhorre Antichrist whosoever and wheresoever he is And doe but open your eyes and you cannot but plainely discerne even the Pope to be the selfesame So that we need not further quarrell Rome about other points as the rubbidge of her infinite idolatries and doctrins of Devils whereof that Tower of Babylon is built vp when as the very foundation of it is rotten and the whole body altogether Antichristian from top to toe when as from the Crowne of the Head to the sole of the foote there is no whole part yea when as the Maine Head of that body is Antichrist and the faith of that Church apostacy No more is to be said I will conclude therefore not with a disswasiue from that damnable practise of disavowing loyaltie to your King for I suppose no true Englishman wil be either so vnnaturally and degenerously impious yea or so vnreasonably sottish as to be ready to betray their sweete natiue country to Rome and Spayne but in the name of Iesus Christ be exhorted to abandon and abhorre such a Father as the Pope being that Antichrist and so that lawlesse one who leading with himselfe Millions of soules into hell to be tormented with the great Deuil yee none must presume to blame him for it as it is in his owne Decretalls hee who is the author and abettor of conspiracies and treasons of treacheries and rebellions as in this Breeue hee professeth he who is that sonne of perdition and that head whose members must necessarily perish being damned for not receiving the loue of the truth but belieuing lyes as 2 Thess 2. and fly with speed unto Iesus Christ high you into the bosome of the Church of England your Mother who reacheth vnto you the pure milke-flowing brests of salvation in the Word and Sacramens As for those that wittingly and wilfully adhere to the Pope as their Head they shut themselues out of the Kingdome of God and of Christ Nor let any English-Roman-Catholicke plead ignorance while they shut their eyes at the bright Sun before them The poor people in Spaine that are shut vp from the light may if any finde some excuse but not so in England He that loueth not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Now the Lord open all your hearts eares eyes that hearing you may see belieue in Iesus Christ to your eternall saluation Amen Your truely loving Country-man H. B. Errata Pag. 31. line 21. for describe read ascribe p. 40. l. 2. for Powers r. Pioners p. 46. l.
if his Master had conquered England in 88. the English should haue had the fauour to be transported to digge in his Indian Mines and by the way sâ—w you vp close in the old Romaine Culleus a leather sack the ancient reward of 〈◊〉 casting you into the Sea as vnworthy to touch any Element that would vnnaturally betray that sweet Country wherein you first receiued your Being and breath The Spaniard 〈◊〉 his lesson ad vnguem Amo proditionem odi Proditorem I loue the Treason but hate the Traytor Or say that necessity may inforce him for the present to allow you to breath still in England to be his Drudges and Vassals as it was with 〈◊〉 at the Captiuity in Babilon to till the ground for him to carry him in prouision for the warres in his conquest of the rest of Christendome and to feed his hungry pround Spaniards sucking the sweet of your swâ—â—t continually yet 〈◊〉 whither you will account this a condign recompense for such a foule treason yea consider also what yee haue now purchased in comparison of that which yee were before when yee liued like free English men euery man vnder his owne Vine and vnder his owne Figtree But why do I so much as suppose or imagine the least probabilitie of the comming to passe of any such prodigious 〈◊〉 God forbid I assure my selfe none of you will euer 〈◊〉 such vnnatural Miscreants to betray your natiue Country to the Spaniard neither if any would be so mad will our good God ever forsake this his inheritance wherein he hath so many thousands of his faithfull and vowed seruants who haue not bowed the knee to Bâ—â—l or kissed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And you cannot but know so much as little acquaintance as is allowed 〈◊〉 to haue with the Scriptures that so long as but one 〈◊〉 was in wicked Sodome euen the power of the Omnipotent himselfe was suspended from taking reuenge vpon it till Lot was safely provided fir and if but one righteous had beene found in the Citie God had spared it for their sakes Therefore neuer let any Romish or Spanish hopes feed themselues with such a vaine conceit of Englands Conquest vnlesse the conniuence at your innumerable 〈◊〉 Idols may indanger 〈…〉 place your chiefe confidence 〈…〉 more zealous then wise and 〈…〉 alleadge the Catholicke cause and the libertie of conscience as preponderating all other mischiefes the freedome of Religion and of the soule being to be preferred before the thraldome of the body yea and the betraying of your earthly Country not to be forborne for the meriting of an heauenly this indeed may seeme a waighty point and therefore not vnworthy altogether in this place of our deepest considerations for the discussing of such a difficulty To begin then at the head-spring of this our discourse it is no newes vnto you that the Pope of late hath sent his Bull or Brieue into England recommended to all his Catholicke sonnes of England wherein he chargeth you by no meanes to take the Oath of Allegeance or fidelity to your King but rather that you should account him for your Enemy the summe is that you should bee armed with the spirit of rebellion against your King and Country when occasion of the Catholicks cause should serue to show your valour in the open field as ye may all more plainely see in this briefâ— vnfolding of the Brieue How to charge subiects to disauow their fidelity to their Prince by what authority who hath such power ouer men to dispense to dissolue to absolue from the bonds of duty and obedience which naturall subiects owe to their King By what lawe or example God in his word hath taught the contrary But Christ Vicar hath this power but Christ practised the contrary But the Apostolicke successour of Peter may doe it but Peter Paul both preached practised the contrary so all the Patriarckes and Prophets Yet Christs Vicar Peters successor are titles not lightly to be regarded to which is added also Head of the Church Oracle of the world to whom is committed all power in heauen and earth who cannot erre to whom all must be subiect vnder paine of damnation and much more then I can tell Huge titles enough to intoxicate and infatuate silly and simple soules yea and to dazzle the eyes euen of the acutest wits with their glorious luster where they are attended or entertained but with credulity But if there be any truth at all in these things concerning the Pope whence in the name of God hath he these titles From what ground of truth He dare plead from Scripture From Scripture Hold you there we desire no better euidence or vmpire in this cause you will graunt then that the Scripture is of authority in it selfe to challenge our faith to rest vpon it as a most sure rule Yes but with condition as you are taught if it haue authority from the Church From what Church What Church Of Rome From whose mouth who must pronounce the verdict The Pope forsooth if so then the Popes power is not built primarily vpon the Scriptures but vpon himselfe and so he is Iudge in his owne cause The Pope belike lendeth authority to the Scriptures and they againe repay him with his owne minted coyne by confirming his supremacy This is pretty Iust as Boniface confirmed Phocas in his vsurped Empire and Phocas reciprocally settled him in his Papall supremacy Or as the Pope makes Saints who by that meanes receiuing a power and merit are by their Canonization qualified to become intercessors for their Canonizer his Holinesse What a coniuration-circle is here but pitch we vpon the center If the Pope giue the authority to the Scriptures prescribing and limiting them their sence whence then hath the Pope this authority From Christ as his Vicar How proues he that From Scripture But what authority hath the Scripture for this till first it receiue it from the Popes brest Come come let such popish jugglings impose vpon fooles and such turn-sicke windings cause the braines of young children to runne round and to conceit that the whole earth runnes round when it standeth still vnmoued But let men be guided by reason vnderstanding iudgement He that denyeth principles is to be detested not disputed with It is a Principle in Divinity that the Scripture is and euer hath beene the rule of Faith Yes say your Pontificians a Partiall rule but not Totall the vnwritten word is to be added What is that Apostolicke traditions Apostolicke That sounds well Well let not Apostolicke Traditions crosse Apostolicke writings and haue with you But otherwise looke not that your penny of Traditions should passe for current siluer with vs for waight and purenesse as the Scriptures in point of rule of Faith for all the Pope stampeth them with the Image and Superscription of Apostolicke Abrahams wells are now digged so deepe so large as not all your Philistian rubbidge can stop them vp not Apostolicke not all Romes holy