and that the tradition of the Fathers obserue the tradition of the Fathers to giue to vnderstand that it was not then any new inuention or deuise did warrant that he could not be deposed if he erred not in faith (d) Epist Henr. 4. ad Greg. 7. à Protestant edita vnà cum alijs Refertur à Centuriat Cent. 11. c. 8. de Schismate The tradition of the Fathers saith the Emperour hath taught that I ought to be iudged by God alone and that I could not be deposed for any crime so I declined not from the faith which is not pleasing vnto God And when Philip Augustus the litle sonne of Philip the first was fallen into the like contempt and dislike of his wife Engeberge sister to the King of Denmark that his Grandfather was of his wife Bertha and had caused his mariage to be dissolued disaunlled by Cardinal William his vncle Archbishop of Rhemes and Legate in France in preiudice of his former mariage he tooke to wife the daughter of the Duke of Morauia The Pope thereupon tooke notice of the matter as of the violating and transgressing of a Sacrament vnder pretence of religiō And seeing the resistāce that the King made he excommunicated him interdicted his Realme (a) Du Tillet en la vie de Philip. August The sentence of Cardinall William was sayth the Lord of Tillet reuoked by Pope Innocent the third as giuen without order of iustice And because the King presently after the sentence giuen holding himselfe vntied and free married Agnes daughter of the Duke of Morauia the King and the Realme were interdicted And hereunto the Cronicle of Foiz cited by Vignier hath addeth (b) Viginer liure 3. de Phist de Prance en Panne 1200 en la Biblioth hist pag. 3. That during the time of this interdict they did put in France to the publique contracts not in the raigne of Philip but in the raigne of Iesus Christ. And when Iohn King of England who was not yet at that time obliged by any temporall acknowledgment to the Pope (c) Act. in t Bonif. 8. Phil. Pulch. fol. 91. p. 1. had driuen the Bishops out of his Realme and seized vpon their goodes the same King Philip Augustus held an assembly of his Estates at Soysson where he proposed to make warre vpon the King of England for that he persecuted the Church and for that the Pope had discharged and absolued his subiects from their oath of Allegiance to him (d) Du Haillan li. 10. de Phist de France en la vie de Phil. Aug. Rigard lib. de vita Thil. Aug. adan 1212. The King sayth Du Haillan notwithstanding he be an historiā very passionate against the Popes at the intreaty of the Pope at Soyssons held an assembly of the Prelates and Peeres of his Realme to take aduise and consult about the meanes how he might passe euer into England against King Iohn to make war vpon him as a persecutor of the Church whome the Pope had then excommunicated acquiting taking away and discharging his subiectes of the Oath of allegiance they did owe vnto him And a litle after The greater part of the Nobility were of opinion that he had iust cause so to do as well being thereunto moued by authority of the Pope as for the reestablishing of the Bishops and other the Prelates in their Churches from which they had beene thrust and driuen out by Iohns Tyranny whome the Pope had excommunicated And againe all the Nobility with one accord promised Augustus to serue him with their owne persons in this enterprize Ferrard the Count of Flanders only excepted And when the Emperour Otho nephew of the said Iohn King of England meant to take his part and to make warre vpon France the said Philip Augustus sent vnto the Pope to sollicite and mooue him to declare Otho depriued of all the rightes of his Empire and for the execution of this censure he bestirred himself and vsed his courage and his Armes so effectually as vnder the conduct and fauour of the Popes cause and quarrell he wan the greatest battavle that euer King of France had gayned against any Emperour to wit the battayle du Pont de Bouuines where the Emperour had aboue an hundred and fifty thousand fighting men The King sayth du Haillan aduertised of the threates of the Emperour Otho Du Haillan la mesine Rigard ibid. vsed such expedition in the busines and wrought so effectually with the Pope as he declared the said Otho enemy of the Sea of Rome and depriued him of his Imperiall titles And the Electors of the Empire at the sollicitation and incitement of Augustus who sent to them Ambassadours to make his way elected and chose Frederike the King of Sicily Emperour And a litle after he putteth downe King Philip his speach to his army in these wordes My Friends saith the King let vs take good courage Du Haillan ibid. Rigard ibid. Let vs not be afraid Let vs haue honour before our eies and the feare of God in the first place to whom we must recommend our selues VVe haue to fight against an Enemy condemned censured and excommunicated by the Church and for his impieties and wickednes separated and cut off from communion with the faithfull And when Reymond Count of Tholouse and the greater part of Gaule Narbonoise became to be infected with the heresy of the Albigenses began to persecute the Catholikes there assembled first a Councell of French Bishops at Montpellier (a) Histoire Albigeoise rapportèe par Vignier en son hist de France liu 3. en l'ann 1214. and after that the Councell of Laterane for heresy depriued both him and Reymond his sonne of the County of Tholouse and adiudged it to Symon Count of Montfort who had taken armes against him and of this came the vnion of the County of Tholouse and of the adioyning Prouinces to the Crowne of France By decree of all the Councell of Laterane saith du Haillan (b) Du Haillan en la vie de Philip August Rigard ibid. whom I do often cite because it is euery where in the handes of all Reymond the Count of Tholouse his sonne also named Reymond were excommunicated c. And the County of Tholouse was adiudged to Symon Count of Montfort And againe Simon shewed vnto the Estates of the County of Tholouse the decree of the Councell by which he was declared Count of the said County And there opposed not any one against it but all with one accord tooke the Oath of fidelity to him And the Lord of Tillet saith in his Memorials these wordes En la vie de Louys 8. The County of Tholouse came to the King by good right the said Reymond and his Father being confiscated that is to say hauing lost it by confiscation for heresy and Symen Count of Montfort hauing procured and gotten it and Amaulry his Sonne hauing transferred and made it ouer to
excepting only a few hypocritical Ministers amongst vs or profane Lawyers amongst our neighbours But as God would haue it neither the Ministers in France are of that opinion for they professe the contrary nor yet the Lawyers of England if you put the case home to them for howsoeuer it costes them nothing to sweare that the Pope can neuer come to depose a King because he is a protestant it would trouble some of their consciences if they haue any to sweare that if an Vpper and Lower house of the English Parlament should condemne a King who might happen to be so great a Tyrant as that he would abrogate all the Statutes and Common Lawes of the Realme bring in by force a summary course of Iustice as is vsed in Switzerland confiscate all the Common Lawyers of England who are able to spend aboue a thousand poundes per annum and in a word dispose of their wiues and children as if they were his owne it would trouble them I say to sweare that such a King might not be deposed by the Houses of Parlament and that themselues could not be so far discharged from the Oath of Fidelity which they made to him when they were sworne Iustices of Peace as to make some personall resistance in their owne defence There is nothing more certaine then that many a man reades ouer the Oath of Allegiance and diuers take it who consider not the importance of those fearefull generall clauses which include and exclude all particuler cases of No Pope No King neither by his owne nor by any other Authority for any cause whatsoeuer can Depose or Absolue subiects c. And yet as I said before there are so many Protestantes who by occasion of this Oath haue entred so deeply into the consideration of Kingly Authority as it is euident to all such as freely and familiarly liue with Protestantes and vnderstand sincerely from them what they think that thousands of them are growne to a lesse adoring conceipt of Royall Dignity then they were wont to haue And though his Maiesty can hardly come to know the preiudice that he hath susteyned by yeilding to them who haue vnfitly sought to help him or rather to help themselues by propounding this Oath because he is a King and cannot equally conuerse with his subiectes nor can he from his seruantes expect but such newes as will be pleasing to him yet it may be hoped for at the Handes of so Excellent a Iudgment as his Maiesty is endued withall that he will one day fall vpon the true account of these businesses by other meanes and not cōtinue his Catholike Subtectes in his so ill conceipt for professing of that beliefe which is now in terminis auowed by the learned and noble Catholikes euen of France the contrary whereof is not auowed by any Protestant Church vpon earth if we chaunge the name of Pope into the name of Common wealth and the sequele whereof hath done nothing but disseruice to him I beseech God of his infinite mercy giue his Maiesty such light of mind wherby to discerne the distempered thoughts of his Ministers who are in such a rage against Catholikes and to vs that he will vouchsafe so much strength of mind as that whatsoeuer happeneth we may rather obey God then Man AN ADVERTISMENT TO THE READER translated out of the French THE Author of this Discourse vnderstanding that some had put in print two seuerall Speaches in his name far different both in sense and wordes from that which he by word of mouth deliuered he was constrayned to bring this to light as an Antidot or Countermaund to those other Neither did he much wonder to see such peeces of changeable colours clapt togeather some true some false according vnto euery ones passion without resemblance to the originall for he doth thinke that no pen could follow nor memory retayne two Speaches wherof the shortest lasted three houres although swiftly pronounced But he was much astonished at the liberty of this tyme that within Paris himselfe being present any should publish two Speaches in his name without acquainting him with it therby to vnderstand whither he would acknowledge them for his owne It is true indeed that he was not the only man who had byn so dealt withall for some other Prelates had lyn handled after the same manner and found as litle of theirs in those remnantes bestowed on them as Euphorbus in Pithagoras Now therefore it doth suffice him to present thee with that he pronounced in the Chamber of the Third Estate For that it was in a manner all one with that he made in the Chamber of the Nobility the reasens being the same and no difference at all but in the beginning conclusion and ornuments By reason wherof the publishing of the one might serue for a generall remedy of the suppositions of the other two As soone as he had therefore signified to the Gentlemen of the Third Order that being to speake in their presence he thought himself obliged to make the same prayer to God which Pericles was accustomed to do being to speake to the Athenians that nothing might passe from him vnbeseeming those that had imployed him neyther of those that were to heare him Psal 50. he directed his words to God saying with the Psalmist Domine labia men aperies and then began as followeth THE ORATION IT had byn to small purpose Noble Gentlemen to honour the dignity of those that make profession to minister Iustice It had byn to litle purpose that which Aristotle taught vs by saying that Iustice is beautifull and admirable like to the starre Lucifer and it had byn to as litle purpose to haue taught vs that in iustice all vertues are summarily conteyned And the answere of Agesdaus King of Sparta had byn vnto as litle purpose which he gaue vnto the King of Persia who tooke to himself the title of the great King that he could not be greater then himselfe valesse he could proue he were more iust And that fable of the Poets had byn to as litle purpose faigning Minos the Patron of iust Princes to haue byn the sonne of Iupiter and that Themis and Dicas were placed on either side of Iupiter if the Scripture did not teach vs that by iustice Kings do raigne if the Sonne of God had not chosen him who was to be his figure called him Melchisedech that is to say King of iustice and that the same Melchisedech whose name doth signify King of Iustice had not been also King of Salem that is King of peace to shew that of iustice dependeth peace which is the mother of all good in heauen and earth And seeing the oracles of diuine scripture agree in cōmendation of this vertue with the testimony of prophane authors it seemes in giuing her the first place of honour and dignity amongst humane vertues is to put in execution the will both of God and men Now Gentlemen if euer there were any Nation in
besides the possession without interruption continued and the perpetuall tradition of the Prouince there were writinges made that very houre the date accordinge to the account of the yeare of our Lord falling to be the same with the yeare 536. Which I alleadge not as I haue before made protestation therehence to inferre any particuler consequence from fact to right but to shew in generall how great reuerence our first kinges did beare to the censures of ancient Popes The Pope sayes du HaillaÌ„ (b) Du Haillan en Phist de France l. 1. incensed with this cruell acte sent word to the King that he should make amendes for this fact otherwise that his realme should be interdicted Then Clotharius feeling remorse of conscience for his crime did ordeine for amendes thereof that from that time forward the Lords of Yuetot and their heires should be quit from all homage seruice and obedience due to the King for the territory of Yuetot c. And thereupon were the euidences drawne and sealed by the foresaid Clotharius And Gaguin (a) Gaguinus hist â—ranc l. 2. I find as an infallible truth that this was done the yeare of our Lord 536. For the English hauing long time after dominion in Normandy there fell out a suite betweene Iohn of Holland Englishman and the Lord of Yuetot as if his territory had beene tributary to the King of England The Lieuetenant of (b) The word which the translator of Gaguin vseth is Caletz which signifieth as well the towne as the coast of Callis the people wherof in old time were cal'd Caletes and wherof one part is euen to this day called le Pais de Caults Callis after he had throughly in the yeare of our Lord 1428. informed himself of the case by order of iustice did determine that he had found iust as I haue noted before And when Queene Brune childe and King Theodorike desirours to haue a confirmation of the priuiledges of the hospitall of Autun which the said Queene had founded and to haue the insuing Kinges bound by the authority of the Sea Apostolike to conserue them inuiolable without the least tuch of any sacriledge the Pope S. Gregory the great at their instance wrote these wordes in an Epistle to Senator which is the tenth in the eleauenth booke of his Epistles (c) An absurd Author hath as fondly made answere that this decree is not found in S Gregory as it was absurdly answered that the Excommunication of the Emperour Theodosius by S. Ambrose was not to be found in the Ecclesiasticall History We grant and confirme ordeyning that no Kings Prelates nor any other of what degree soeuer may in part diminish or take away any thing bestowed on the said hospital by the foresaid most excellent Kings our sonnes And a litle after And if any one of the Kings Prelates Iudges or other secular persons after information giuen of this our constitution do go about to contradict it let him be depriued of his power and dignity For I wil not serue my self of those Buls of the Abbey of Soisson for that they were not inserted within the Register of S. Gregories Epistles but were taken out of the Coffers of the Monkes of S. Medard and put after the work at the end of the Register as appeares both by ancient impressions of the same Register and by the citation of Pope Gregory VII (a) Gregor 7. lib. 8. ep 21. who liued more then 500. yeares since made of the Epistle to Senator without speaking of that of Soisson And when the Emperour Iustinian the 2. sent his Constable to take Pope Sergius and transport him from Rome to Constantinople for that he would not approue the Councel falsely called the Sixt the Imperiall souldiers of Italy opposed themselues droue back the Emperours CoÌ„stable with iniuries reproaches Iustinian the 2. sayes Beda (b) Bed de sex aetat mundi an Author of the same age being offended for that Sergius of happy memory Bishop of the Church of Rome would not signe and fauour the erroneous Synod which he caused to be held at Constantinople sent his Constable Zachary commaunding him to take the Pope and bring him to Constantinople But the Souldiers of Rauenna with the Prouinces adioyning did resist the impious commaundement of the Prince and repelled the said Zachary with contumelies reproaches from the Citty of Rome It is true indeed that afterwardes the same Iustinian did wash away this cryme togeather with other his impieties when as hauing gotten Pope Constantine into the East He threw himselfe prostrate on the earth (c) Bed ib. before him saith Beda and praying him to make intercession for his sinnes he did renew all the priuiledges of the Church And when the Emperour Philippicus successour to Iustinian 2. came to the Empire and according to the custome of the Emperours presently after their comming to the state of sending the profession of their faith to the Pope had addressed vnto him a profession of an hereticall faith the Pope reiected it in Synode and vpon the refusal of it the people of Rome abrogated the Emperour Philippicus his Imperiall titles Philippicus sayth (a) Beda de sex aetat mundi Bede and after him Paulus (b) Paulus Diacon de gestis Longob lib. 6 cap. 4. Diaconus sent vnto Pope Constantine letters of peruerse doctrine which the Pope togeather with the Councell of the Sea Apostolique reiected c. And the people of Rome ordeyned that neither the name nor the edictes nor the money that had the image of the heretical Emperour vpon it should be admitted or receaued And at what time the Emperour Leo Isauricus fell into the heresy of the Iconclastes or Image-breakers and began to persecute the Catholikes in the East Pope Gregory the second after many dilations assembled a Councell of the Bishops of the West at Rome by which he depriued the Emperour of all his rightes tributes iurisdiction and power Imperiall that he had in Italy and all this with the aduise assistance of the French And though some Authors be silent herein yet Theophanes Cedrenus Zonarus Greeke historians affirme it and none of them deny it The most holy Gregory sayth Theophanes (c) Theop. in hiâ—â— miscel lib. 21. withdrew Rome Italy and al the rights as well of the Republique as of the Church into the west partes from the obedience of Leo and of his Empire Zonaras saith (d) Zon. tom 3 Annal in Leon. Isaterico Pope Gregory seeing the persecutions of the Emperour Leo against the Catholikes did cut off from communion with him the Bishop of Constantinople and those who imbraced the same impiety and exposed them together with the Emperour to an Anathema Synodique forbad the tributs which til then had beene paid to the Empire and adioyned himselfe with the French whereupon they might take an occasion to make themselues maisters of Rome And when the French were resolued to abandon and
Religious then his owne he is inseparable indiuisible from the vnion and amity of the Sea Apostolike doth seeke by all manner of reasons both spirituall and temporall to manteyne it In the person of Elizabeth Queene of England the interests of Estate fought against those of conscience and bound her to continue seuered from the communion of the Pope But all the interests aswell of State as of Religion bind the gratitude of our King to conserue himselfe in intelligence correspondence vnion and amity with the Pope he is besides the Titles his predecessors haue gained him a child of the Sea Apostolique in many sortes Pope Clement the Eight receaued the deceased King Henry the Great his Father into the Churches bosome and lappe he resolued and established his mariage with the most Christian Queene Mary de Medices to whose prudence vertue and bountie we owe the prosperity of our new raigne and the memory of whose most happy Regencie al the ages of posterity will extoll and blesse Out of this Mariage is come the Sacred bud of our Lillyes which Salomon did not match with all his glory I meane the King who now raigneth Pope Paul who sitteth at this day in the Sea of Peter was his good Father and as his second Father hath imployed himselfe by all manner of cares and good offices to procure before God and before Men the conseruation of his person and of his Realme And wherefore then should we desturbe or trouble this concord by Lawes not only of State but also of Religion and of conscience which our Fathers haue not knowne Cast your eyes vpon the histories of France and you shall finde that allwayes when our Kinges haue beene in vnion concord and correspondence with the Sea Apostolike and that the Spouse to vse the termes of Scripture hath fed among the lillies all sortes of graces and benedictions temporall and spirituall haue rayned and come downe vpon them and their people you shall find that as when the Arke of Couenant stayed and continued in the house of Obededom there was not any kind of felicity wanting euen so as long as the Communion of the Sea Apostolique hath beene amongst vs that we haue had the assistāce of the Vicar of him who is the true Arke of Couenant we haue had our share in al sortes of prosperities the name of Frenchmē hath dispersed it self from one end of the world to the other and our Lillyes haue extended and reached themselues to the furthest remote corners of the earth Contrariwise at what time our Kinges were seuered from the communion of the Sea Apostolique the Lillies hath beene amidst the thornes and all sortes of afflictions and of aduersities haue besieged vs. Renew within your selues the memory of those thinges and therehence drawe consequences for the tyme to come Remember how many calamities and miseries we haue suffred in tyme of Schismes or apprehensiō of Schismes how many Churches ruyned how many Altars pulled downe how many Cittie 's saccaged and spoyled Represent to your eies the State of your passed life the tyme that our deceased King was depriued of the Communion of the Apostolique Sea and with how many vowes and teares both he and you haue desired his restitution But aboue all lay againe before your eies the state of the life to come from which the authors and fauourers of Schisme be excluded and whereunto none can possibly come if he be not placed not only in the faith but also in the vnity and in the communion of the Catholike Church FINIS
better witnesses then the English writers (a) VVidrington Apol. pro Iur. Prine who haue put their hand to pen for the defence of the Oath made by the present King of England against the Pope For hauing vsed all their endeuour to find some doctours in particuler French who had held their opinion before these last troubles they could hitherto bring forth neuer any one neither Diuine nor Lawyer who saith that in case of Heresie or Apostacie from Christian religioÌ„ the subiects could not be absolued from the Oath of Allegiance On the contrary the French men whome they haue cited as Iohn of Paris (b) supra pag. 47. Iohn Maior (c) Io. Maior in 4. sent dist 24. Iames Almain (d) Io. Alma supra pag. 48. Peter Gregory (e) Petrus Greg. supra pag. 52. alwaies except the cases of Heresie or of Apostacy from Christian religion And as for Strangers and Forrayners as Occham (f) Occ. supra pag 47. Antony de Rossellis (g) Ant. de Rossell Monarch part r. c. 56 and Vulturnus (h) Vultur lib. de Reg. mundi they affirme the same For as touching Marsile of Padua they were not so hardy as to alleage him for so much as he is well knowne for an heretike by the vniforme consent of all Catholiques as hauing denied that the Pope was head of the Church iure diuino and S. Peters Successour which the Councell of Constance (i) Concil Costant sess 8. in condem art VVicaf bindeth to beleeue as an Article of faith and vnder payne of Anathema In so much as for this very cause the Emperour Charles the Fifth caused his bookes to be burned publiquely Moreouer they durst not alleage the Epistle of the Chapter of Liege against Pope Pascalis during the contentions of the Popes and of the Emperour Henry the 4. First for that the Bishop of Liege vnder whome it was written was the Emperours Chaplaine and one of his faction (a) Vâ—sperg in Chron. very passionate against the Pope as hauing beene created Bishop by the Emperour by the Anti-pope Secondly for that at what time it was writteÌ„ the Emperour resided actually in Liege (b) Ibid. Thirdly for that the Chapter of Liege hath since (c) Ibid. abrogated it razed it out by the pardon they craued of the Pope for hauing taken part with the Emperour And fourthly that the same Emperour doth recall it when he wrote to Pope Gregory the seauenth the third Pope after Paschalis saying (d) Inter Epist Hen. â— Protest edit That it was the tradition of the Fathers that he could not be deposed if he erred not in faith Which Cusanus (e) Cusan l. 3. concord Cath. c. 7. the Imperialist writing for the CouÌ„cell of Basil against the Pope hath since auowued and auerred in these words If the Pope finde that he who hath beene chosen Emperour erreth in faith he may declare him not to be Emperour They well alleage indeed Sigebert (f) Sigeb in chro anno 1088. who saith that it was a nouelty not to say heresy to teach the people that they did not owe any subiection to bad Kinges But besides that this Sigebert was a man no lesse passionate for the part of the Emperour then was the Bishop of Liege what he sayth doth not any way touch the case brought by the exception which is of Kinges Heretikes or Infidells Now if those who haue of set purpose laboured in fauour of the Oath of England (g) VVidring in Apol pro iur Princ. to finde out authors who haue affirmed that in case of Heresy or of Infidelity the subiectes could not be absolued from the obligation that they owe to their Princes could not finde out any one And if those who haue since written of the same subiect in France could neuer finde out in all France since the time that Schools of Diuinity haue beene instituted and set open til this day one only Doctour neither Diuine nor Lawyer nor Decree nor Councell nor determination nor Act of Parlament nor Magistrate either Ecclesiastique or Politique who hath said that in case of heresie or of infidelity the subiectes cannot be absolued from the oath of fidelity they owe to their Princes On the contrary if all those who haue written for the defence of the temporall power of Kinges against Popes haue euer excepted the case of heresy and of apostacy from Christian Religion how is it that they can without inforcing of coÌ„sciences not only make men to receaue this doctrine (a) Artic. of the third Estate that in no case the subiects can be absolued from the oath of Allegiance they owe to their Princes for a perpetuall and vniuersall doctrine of the French Church But also to cause all the Bishops Abbots and other Ecclesiasticall persons to sweare it as Doctrine of faith and to condemne the contrary as impious peruerse and detestable And how can we endure a propositioÌ„ to passe for a Fundamentall Law of the Estate of France which came to light was borne in France more then an eleauen hundred yeares since the State of it was founded And when there shal be found as many persons who shall haue followed it in France as there be found who haue followed the contrary what shall they be able to inferre more other nations contradicting then to hold it for problematique in matter of faith and not to cause men to take and sweare it as conforme to Gods word and necessary to saluation and to abuse the other as contrary to the word of God impious peruerse detestable But this is inough for this point Let vs passe to others and endeuour to handle them all in as full worthy maÌ„ner as this Audience doth deserue THE SECOND INCONVENIENCE that I haue bound my self to shew in this Fundamentall PropositioÌ„ is that not only it giueth vnto Lay persons power authority to iudge of thinges of Religion and to decide the doctrine that it contayneth to be conformable to the word of God and the contrary to be impious peruerse and detestable But also it giueth these men authority to impose a necessity vpon the Ecclesiastical persons to sweare preach and teach the one and by Sermons and writinges to impugne the other And who seeth not that this is to make the Church like vnto that woman of whome S. Epiphanius speaketh (a) Epiph. hares 59. quae est Cathar who did put her head-tyre vpon her feete and her shoes vpon her head which is as much to say as to commit the commaund and authority of the Church to the parties that should obey and to put obedience vpon the parties whose office it is to commaund And what is this but to open a gate to all heresy What is it but to turne vpside downe to ouerthrow the Churches authority What is it but to tread vnder foote the respect of Iesus Christ and of his ministery To be short
shall it be in vayne that the Apostle hath said Obey your Prelates Greg. Nazian orat de ser suis ad Iul. trib exeq and be subiect vnto them For they watch for your soules And shall that be said in vayne that S. Gregorie Nazianzene hath written You sheepe feed not your pastors And shall it be in vayne that Saul was accursed because he would vsurpe and take vpon him the authority of Priesthood And shall it be to no purpose that Oza was punished with suddaine death for hauing put his hand to the Arke And shall it be in vayne that Ozias was stroken with the leprosy because he would take the Censar in his hand But the tyme presseth me to get out of this point to dispatch the other two remaining with as much breuity as possibly I can THE THIRD INCONVENIENCE that I haue vndertaken to discouer and lay open to the eye in the examen of your article was that it did thrust vs into a manifest and ineuitable schisme For to say nothing of the declaration that his Holines hath already made of the Oath of England vpon the modell wherof this Article hath been formed and not to permit any hold to those who say that it should be the Pope who should be the authour of the Schisme and not we I say that though the Pope intermeddle not himselfe in our affaires the Schisme is all made the very houre that we accept and sweare this Article or Bill And that it is not the Pope but we that make it And to confirme it how can we sweare that the Pope and all the other parts of the Catholike Church hold a doctrine contrary to the word of God impious and detestable without making schisme and schisme not only against the Popes person but also against the Sea Apostolike and against all the rest of the body of the Church For if the foundation of the Communion Ecclesiastique be vnity in faith and in matters appertaining to saluation how can we belieue and sweare that the Pope and all the rest of the Church erre in faith and in matters belonging to saluation and hold a doctrine contrary to Gods word and impious and detestable and consequently Hereticall without separating our selues from Communion with them and subiecting them in as much as is in vs to a malediction and an Anathema and consequently to deuide the Church or rather separate our selues from the Church And how odious a thing schisme is to God and how much it is detested both of Angells and men we need not any more expresse testimony then that of holy Writ that teacheth vs that the earth opened it selfe vnder the Schismatikes and that they descended all liuing Num. 16. and aliue into hell The ground sayth Moyses brake in sunder vnder their feete and opening her mouth deuoured them with their Tabernacles and all their substance and they went downe quick into hell We need not a more expresse witnes then Great S. Euseb hist Eccl. lib. 6. cap. 45. Denis of Alexandria who wrote to Nouatian in these wordes It were meet in very deed rather to endure all things then to consent to the deuiding of Gods Church the Martyrdomes to which we expose our selues to hinder the dismembring of the Church being no lesse glorious then those which we suffer for the alsteyning from sacrificing vnto Idols We need not more expresse testimony then that which S. Cyprian bringeth That the stayne and spot of Schisme is not washed away by the bloud of Martyrdome De vnit Ecclesiae We need not a more manifest testimony then this of S. Chrysostome who sayth That those who deuide the Church of Christ Ad Eph. hom 11. merit no lesse punishment thent hose who pierced and deuided his owne body We need not a more expresse testimony then that of S. Augustine Aug. de bapt contra Donat. lib. 1. cap. 8. who affirmeth that the wound of schisme is more grieuous then that of Idolatry Those sayth he whome the Donatists heale of the wound 〈◊〉 Idolatry or of Infidelity they hurt and wound more grieuously with the wound of schisme Neither doth this Article only cast vs into an ineffable schisme but doth also precipitate vs into a manifest heresy necessarily obliging vs to confesse that the Catholike Church is perished and decayed on earth for many ages past For if they who imbrace the opposite Doctrine hold an opinion cotrary to Gods word impious and detestable the Pope hath not then for so many ages past beene Head of the Church and Christes vicar but an Heretike Antichrist and all the other partes of the Church haue not beene true partes of the Church but members of Antichrist And this being so where continued the Catholike Church In France alone And shall then the Part haue giuen a bill of diuorce to the whole Shall then that which an ancient Father cried out be accomplished I see that which cannot be done Author li. contra Fulgent inter ep Aug. tom 7. The Part of the Donatists hath ouercome the whole body A corner of Afrike hath excluded and thrust out the whole world What then shall become of the inheritance to whome God the Father said Aske of me and I will giue thee the Gentils for thine inheritance Psal 2. what then shall become of the title of Catholike by which S. Aug. cont ep Fundament Augustine professeth himself to haue beene most of all held and kept in the Church But how should it haue contiuued in France if this Article be true sith all the French Doctors haue for so many ages held the contrary in case of Heresie and of Apostacie from Christian Religion we should then also bid adiew to the Church of France that hath beene before our times and take vp the bodies of so many Doctours either French or those who haue written and taught in France as S. Thomas S. Bonauenture and others without number and burne their bones vpon the Altar as did Iosias burne and consume the bones of the false prophets And this done where should the Church haue beene In the desert of the Apocalyps And why then should we with so mayne force oppugne the inuisibilitie of the Heretikes Church Wherefore should we delay to yeald them the victorie and our armes and all For what greater trophies and signes of victory can we rayse and set vp for them then to auerre professe that the visible Kingdome of Christ should be perished cleane decayed through the world and that for so many hundred yeares past there hath beene neither temple of God nor spouse of Christ nor Church but that all hath beene the Kingdome of Antichrist the Synagoue of Sathan and the spouse of the Diuell And what stronger machines engines could they desire for the abolishing ouerthrowing of the Article of Transubstantiation that of Auricular Confession and other the like which were decided against the Albigenses and in few wordes for