Reliques or peeces of Christs Crosse the rest But neither is Apostlicke Tradition enough to make vp the other moity of the partiall rule parallell to Scripture by Pontifician confession for neither will those serue the Popes turne What then How shall the rule of Faith bee eeked out to the intire perfection to please the Pope in case his Holinesse would come within the compasse of any rule Yes there is forsooth the liuely Oracle or voyce of the Church which being of an vnlimited latitude doth consummate the rule of Faith and the Popes brest is the fountaine whence these waters of Romes sanctuary flow But the truth is if there were any truth in it this rule is such as will not indure copartnership with Scriptures and Traditions for all they be Apostolicke but is the sole and supreme Rule whereby those must be squared whereto they must be conformed Nor is this Rule of the Popes brest certaine but sometimes it giues one sence of Scripture sometimes another according as the changeable various condition of the Church requiteth This is a Mystery which perhaps many of you the Popes Catholicke sonnes will hardly belieue specially such as are indued with any iudgement enjoy the priuiledge to haue the free vse of your reason without papall restraint but if any doubt of it we haue sufficient authentick records for it the best that Rome can afford But come doe but straine courtesie a little with your Ghostly Father and let vs enter in a little priuate sad conference and let right reason be the Moderatour Tell me as Paul asked Agrippa Belieuest thou the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles I know you belieue Surely if yee doe you may answere with Agrippa Almost thou perswadest mee to become an Orthodoxe Christian and true Catholicke And rest but vpon the Scriptures and I will say Thou art not farre from the Kingdome of God But to rest vpon the voyce of the Pope and not vpon the expresse words of Scripture what is it but to suffer him to plucke out both your eyes that so he may the more easily lead you blindfold into hell Or what were this but to make the Pope your God aboue God and Christ and so to adore him who thus aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God Fye for shame as God hath giuen you reason vnderstanding and iudgement so in the name of God vse it to his glory that gaue it and suffer no man to cheate you of it least you proue more sottish then those heathen who worshipped the creature in stead of the Creator who is blessed for euer But you are perswaded of the Popes inerrability as being Christs Vicar Peters successor as hauing continued in the See of Rome euer since the Apostles times so as not any Bishops See in the world hath done the like What then all Bishops and Ministers of the Word may be said to be Christs Vicars and Successors of the Apostles while they execute their Ministry as Christ and the Apostles did But neuer any man was Christs sole Vicar ouer his Church This prerogatiue is peculiar to the Holy Ghost that Other Comforter who onely cannot erre leading Gods people into all truth As for Peters Vicarship he had it but in common with his fellowe Disciples Wee passe by those places of Scripture which Pontificians haue miserably peruerted to this purpose Doe but looke in my answer to this Bull or Brieue And for lineall vniterrupted succession of the Bp. of Rome from the Apostles times what is this to the purpose to proue the Popes Vicarship or his Successors-ship Certainely it makes wondrous much to fulfill all those Prophecies in Scripture concerning Antichrst whose Seat is Rome For may not the same Church of Rome specially if we measure it by the place where it is fixed in so long a tract of time come exceedingly to differ from that it was once in the more pure and primitue age of it Doth not experience teach you that the soundest and solidest Oake in time growes rotten hollow a nest for Owles and such like night-birds vnusefull for building and at last good for nothing but the fire And yet the while it is called by the name of such an Oake still The Church of Rome at first was sound and Apostolicall while it kept the Apostolicke Faith but might not time make it rotten and yet be called Apostolicke still Bethel as much as the house of God so called at first by Iacob who erected there an Altar for Gods pure worship yet retained that name still in Ieroboams time euen when it was wholly polluted with the Idolatry of one of his golden Calues erected there Ancient goodly Chanels haue beene in time so choaked vp with mud and grauell that the maine streame hath beene diuerted and driuen another way and yet haue retained the name of the old chanell still Yea that goodly Cittie Ierusalem in Christs time when it crucified Christ was called the Holy Cittie and for all that God hath made that now a cursed heap and the Country about it a desolation neuer to be repaired yet your Pontificians especially call it the Holy Land still which notwithstanding is neuer a whit the holyer though by the Popes subtile instigation so many thousands of soules haue perished about the pretended quarrell out of a blind zeale of recoucring it againe which whither regained or no the Pope was sure not to loose by the bargain for if he had regained it it might haue brought the greater income to his coffers by the trade of superstitious Pilgrims at least althoug hee hath some footing there with the Turke but he was sure during the quarrell to inlarge his Papall Dominions at home in Christendome which he did but this by the way You see then that continuance of antiquity in name and title may notwithstanding stand with altering the propertie and true nature of the thing Did not the Prophet say of Ierusalem How is the faithfull Cittie become an harlot It was full of iudgement righteousnesse lodged in it but now murtherers c. And may it not proue so with Rome for all you still call it the Apostolicall See And what will you say then What if Apostolicall in title bee turned into Apostaticall in truth What if Tues Petrus c. and tibi dabo claues c. and Orani pro te Petre c. and Omnis mihi potestas data c. Ecce duo gladij hîc satest all proue by the Popes peruertings to make vp the Mystery of iniquity and by fastening all to Rome proue her the Mistres and Mother of whooredomes For let me tell you you cannot finde me out the exact and true naturall Mystery of iniquity indeed but vnder the vaile of such titles borrowed from Scripture None can be Antichrist but he must call himselfe the Vicar of Christ the Successor of Peter the onely one vpon earth that cannot erre and the like translating the whole power of
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
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
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
and abound with that price wherewith they purchase the Diademe of Eternity Indeed we had rather being mindfull of humane frailty that glory and riches were in the tabernacles of the righteous but when we contemplate your miseries Beloued Sonnes wee put so much confidence in your vertue and Christs defence that we dare congratulate vnto you plenty of triumphs The Church well hoped indeed that the minde of the most potent King who of a Catholique wife wished to beget heires that might rule his Countrey Kingdomes being mollified by the fighes of his Wiues ✚ piety would permit the dowry of royall wedlocke to bee the liberty of faith but now the vowes and counsels of your enemies are feared and whereas the Orthodox religion is crowned with a royall Diadome in that most excellent Queene yet there are not wanting those which dare threaten imprisonments and punishments to our sonnes We 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 pleasure and titles of ambition in comparison of the butcherie of hangmen and ignominy of bonds yet if any be there who are possessed with a desire of the prosperity of the present Church we desire they should take notice that the Pontifician charity is wonderously sollicitous of their safety No one duty is of vs omitted which may conuert the menacing cloud of the growing tempest into a wished calme of consolation yet if Hell inlarge her mouth and mortall cruelty thirst after the blood of Martyrs yee ought to bee armed with the inuincible buckler of a good resolution and meditate of Heauen in the prison of a Crowne in the Racke of immortality in death Among the British Rockes of their shipwracke religion Christs Crosse hath beene a Planke and hath brought you into the hauen of your desire This Crosse you must imbrace by the vertue whereof the bitternesse of punishments is sweetned Consider beloued Sonnes in what station ye stand and to whose eyes you are made a spectacle the Angelicall Legions do flutter about you which receiue in their golden violls the desires of the faithfull and present them at the sanctnarie of the mercy of the Omnipotent heauen gates being set open Christ not only a beholder but a Rewarder sheweth you the sacred triumphs of your Citizens whom purpled in their owne blood England hath brought into the heauenly assemblies 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 heauen and earth what rigour of your constancy what sublimity of a triumphant minde becomes it you to haue in you The Counsels of your Predecessers haue beene in the like ieopardy the lights of the holy Ghost and the Armor of light be your wise Oracles and your actions the examples of fortitude And if violence preceed so farre as it compell you to that permitions and vnlawfull oath of Alleagiance of England remember that your prayer is heard of the whole assembly of the Angels beholding you and let your tongue cleane to your gummes before you cause the authority of blessed Peter to bee diminished with that forme of Oath For that is not all that fidelity be kept vnto the King but that the sacred scepter of the Catholique Church be wrung from the Vicars of God Almighty that which our Predecessor Paul 5. of blessed memory in so graue a deliberation decreed that ought ye altogether to obserue as the Decree of truth Beloued sonnes this Tribute due to the Prince of the Apostles no threates of men or flatteries ought at any time to extort from you they that perswade you otherwise those prophesie vnto you a lying vision and a fraudulent Diuination For sooner ought the sword of the mighty to take away from a Christian man his life tken his faith Yea if an Angell from heauen teach you otherwise then the Apostolique truth let him be accursed We in the meane time will intreate the Father of lights that he suffer not the heart of the English King to bee blinded who shall certainly learne how great credit is to be giuen to the Catholique subiects in those things which you may promise who least they should make themselues liable to periury they had rather breath out their spirit then their voice But that your vertue may be found more precious then gold which is tried in the fire teach that kingdome that there is not such force in the cruelty of enemies that it is able to extinguish the eternall fire of charity in your hearts Pray for them that persecute you humilitie patience concord fasting praier are your weapons which in the cruell conflict ye ought to draw forth that the Palmes of eclestiall triumphs may flourish in your hands For seeing Blessed Peter was forbidden to smite with the sword the cruell assailants of Christ we exhort you hauing the prejent good of the Church before our eies that in the meane time you thinke the thoughts of peace and that yee praie for eternall life euen for the King while he takes away your mortall life So must the soldiers of Christ make warre vnder the banner of the Crosse the mouth of them that speake wicked things shall be confounded seeing yee know not to hate those who torment you But the Lord who is able to turne your sorrow into ioy shall bee at your right hand that ye be not moued and may not forget his Testament wherein he hath be queathed the inheritance of the Kingdome of heauen to his imitatours Let vs imbrace you in the Armes of Apostolique Charitie Beloued sonnes to whom we promise the Fathers patrocinie and most louingly bestow our benediction Giuen at Gome St. Peters vnder the signes of the Fisher May 30. 1626. the third yeare of our Popedome THE BAITING OF THE POPES BVLL ✚ EVer blesse your selfe when you see the Popes Crosse This is the beasts Marke Reuel 13. 17. It vsually stands in the forefront of mischiefe like Mysterie in the Whores forehead Vnder this standard the Beast warreth against the Lambe Without this Marke none may buy or sell as by the Bull of Pope Martine 5. prohibiting Wickliffe and Husse and others of the same faith this liberty of common commerce or trade The like prohibition was in the Bull of Paul the third against K. Henry 8. for shaking off the Popes yoake And Innocent 3. in the Lateran Councill grants a speciall Indulgence to all his Catholiques thus signed with the signe of the Crosse as the speciall badge of difference betweene Romes Catholiques and Heretiques as if no Catholiques that want and doe not avow this marke Also Pope Clement the 6. in his Bull willed that all thus signed should haue power to deliuer two or three friends out of Purgatorie Wonderous feates doth the Pope with this marke no lesse then
this is the holy Ghosts vsuall phrase to say They that shall be accompted worthie of that life not They that shall be worthie thereof But this accompt here mentioned is not according to Gods account but the Popes accompt such as the Pope accompts worthie to suffer reproches for the name of Iesu to wit for his Iesutish doctrines teaching the lawfulnesse of rebellion against Princes For vnder this name of Iesu doth that society of the Iesuites the more easily play the Iudasses as hee did with Haile Master no man easily suspecting that there should bee the least affinity betweene that sweet sauing name of Iesus and the massacring Abaddon or Appollyon But the reward of such is They seeme to possesse onely The Pope dares not say They do possesse it c. for then he should seeme to grant the certainty of saluation if men in this life were in possession of it But he must not ouerthrow that Canon of Trent which dischargeth a sulphurious Anathema against the doctrine of the certaintie of remission of sinnes as an Arch-enemy vndermining the golden mines of his Purgatorie Well what seeme they to haue The bill of exchange of Gods loue and abound with that price wherewith they purchase the Diadem of eternitie Here the Pope fals downe right vpon his doctrine of selfe merits so derogatory from yea so destructory of that most precious and pearlelesse ransome payde for the purchase of those Diadems of glory Although the Church of Rome makes little difference betweene Christs paying of our debts himselfe and his inabling vs our selues to pay them sauing that they choose rather to haue the fingering of the money themselues then to trust to Christ for the payment of it As here the Pope they pretend Gods loue Christs merits but all is to enable them by graces infused their Bill of exchange to merit ex condigno the kingdome of heauen or thereby to purchase the Diadems of eternitie Well But ô yee Pontificians doe you not teach that those graces of yours infused may bee altogether and irreuocably lost if then by the way as you are trauailing to make your purchase and so to take possession of those heauenly diadems yee chance to meete with theeues that robbe you of your treasure and take your purse from you what will become of your purchase then were it not therefore safer for you to follow Christs counsell Lay not vp your treasures on earth where the moth and canker corrupt and where theeues breake through and steale but lay vp for your selues treasures in heauen where it is out of all danger what is this to lay vp for your selues treasures in heauen Is not Christ our treasure Is not he in heauen is not the laying vp of this treasure for our selues in heauen our laying hold on Christ by faith aske the ordinary Glosse In Goelo 1. Omnem spem in calestibus ponite lay vp all your hope in heauen fide gradientes charitatem amplectantes walking by faith imbracing charity or following the Apostles practise 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day Aske Lyra the meaning Depositum meum c. my pledge that is my reward which by faith I haue laid vp to be kept with him against the day of my dissolution when my soule shall be glorified against the day of iudgement when my body shall be made immortall So the ordinary glosse excellently quia potens est Dominus Depositum meum seruare spe c. the Apostle is secure in the hope and magnificence of his Sauiour because what he committeth vnto him is in safety and that which he committeth vnto him is his saluation This was the ancient Catholique doctrin of the Church to trust in Christ wholly for their saluation But now from this ancient faith the present Church of Rome is vtterly fallen trusting her selfe for saluation which being in hir owne custody she confesseth not without iust cause that she may come vtterly to loose it No doubt of that yea they haue altogether shut themselues out of the kingdome of heauen already by this their doctrine of Iustification by their grace infused For betweene faith and justification they make such a separation as they decree in their Trent Councill that though by euery mortall sinne the grace of iustification receiued is lost although faith be not lost calling it a Doctrine of Gods Law which excludeth not onely vnbeleeuers but the faithfull also such as they call their fideles fornicarios adulteros molles masculorum concubitores fures c. out of the kingdome of God This is that doctrine of Romes Apostacy from the faith shutting hir selfe out of Gods kingdome as hauing expressely renounced and abandoned that faith in Christ the onely purchase of our saluation as might more abundantly bee shewed But this may suffice for the present occasion so punctually offered by the Pope in this place and that in his owne expresse words which no doubt were throughly scanned in his Conclaue betweene himselfe and his Cardinalls before they should come to see the light as Paul the fift confessed of the contents of his Breeue sent hither Anno 1607. So that in nothing doth the Pope vary from himselfe but in all points shewes himselfe to be that great Apostate that Antichrist from toppe to toe But to conclude this clawse if Treason if rebellion if disloyaltie of subjects against their Prince whereat the Pope here aimeth be so meritorious as to purchase the Diadems of Eternitie then let no malefactor neuer so notorious feare hell or iudgement so hee can but intile his villanies as committed for the Catholique cause The old heathen Rome had hir Culleus for Parracides but Catholique Rome his Diadems would not this startle and astond the very Indian when he should be told that the Kingdome of heauen is full of such gracelesse vnnaturals as for betraying their lawfull Soueraigne their natiue sweete Countrey for blowing vp the beautie and glory of their Nation yea of the whole world at a blast doe now raigne in heauen wearing eternall Diadems would not he make a solemne vow neuer to come there Nay more would Iesus Christ trow you trust such Parricides and Traytors to come neere his person now in heauen lest with Iudas they should againe betray him and with the Iewes and Romanes kill and crucifie him afresh for how could he be perswaded that such would spare his person in heauen who accounted it the speciall point of their religion to Martyr and massacre him in his members heere on earth or that they would yeeld obedience and reuerence to his Royail Majestie in heauen that stucke not to deface and defile his image imprinted vpon his annointed Vicegerents here below Certainly that heauenly Ierusalem is compassed with higher and stronger wals then to be scaled by such Gyant-like assaylants Lucifer was cast out
of heauen for his rebillious pride and shall his sonnes thinke to gaine heauen by the merit of their proud rebellions Suffice it Cain when his very conscience gaue him to be a vagabond and exile from that city aboue and justly for his bloody fratricide he was the first that founded and built a city on earth for his habitation Cain was a figure of the Pope and his city of Rome the Popes eternall habitation And for the Popes diadems of eternitie we reade of a certaine kind of Locusts arising out of the bottomlesse pit hauing a scorpion-like power to sting yet whose power was limitted not to hurt but onely those which haue not the seale of God in their foreheades which Locusts like horses prepared to battell had on their heads as it were crownes of gold Such Diadem may the Pontifician priests merit to weare who not onely resemble these Locusts but are those very froggs spoken of Reu. 16 13 14. which are vncleane spirits comming out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet being the spirits of Deuils working miracles and go forth vnto the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battaile of that great daie of God Almightie But passe we to the next Indeed we had rather being mindfull of humane frailty that glory and riches were in the Tabernacles of the righteous but when we contemplate your miseries Beloued Sonnes we put so much confidence in your vertue and Christs defence that we dare gratulate vnto you plenty of triumphs Answer INdeede wee cannot blame your father-hood â—o wish all prosperity to your Beloued Sonnes and for your selfe and your triumphall chaire wee are not ignorant how prouident you haue beene in your Pontificall Decrees to estblish a triumphant state in that your palace at Rome to be free from all incursions and inuasions and that by your Apostolicke irrefragable constitution Onely wee cannot but admire to see how in the midst of all your Pontificiall pleasures and pompe you can reflect the bcames of your contemplation vpon the miseries of your afflicted Sonnes in England But herein yee show the bowells of a father But you are sensible thereof onely in your contemplation If you contemplate this out of some propheticall vision foreseeing the calamities which your sonnes impieties through your fatherly instigation may further pull vpon them if they shall attempt some speciall service for your father-hood wherein they shall faile of their purpose herein wee desire and hartily pray you may bee as true a Prophet as Balaam was who though you would neuer so faine to obtaine an housefull of gold and siluer which you haue formerly had out of England yet the curse in the end shall fall vpon your own Moabites But if you contemplate and such great present calamitie vpon your sonnes among vs wee are giuen hereby to perceiue that your holinesse may erre vnlesse you will excuse it that you speake it by the figure Iroma you are able to contemplate more herein then all wee can discerne with open eyes Yea on the contrary whereof your holinesse cannot bee ignorant your sonnes are so kindly intreated among vs as though wee might thinke thereby to winne them the more to loue vs and our religion yet forasmuch as they are your holinesse owne sones wee meane the Jesuites and Preists especially the truth is we haue the more cause to feare them We know of old what recompence to expect of the snake if wee foster him in our bosomes Thus doe your sonnes recollect their strength among vs and such vertue wherein to repose your confidence Herevpon it is in plaine truth that your holinesse dare congratulate to your sonnes such plenty of triumphs you may bee confident of it so long as your frogs are suffered to friske and range vp and downe among vs at pleasure without controwle in defiance of Lawes and Proclamations to seduce the Kings Liege people to increase their number daily to strengthen their partie to weaken vs by sowing their seeds of faction that no lesse then a rich plenty of triumphs must needes insue But herein wee comfort our selues that your Papall confidence in your sonnes vertue is preferred before Christs defence you set that in the first place and surely if you had not more confidence in your sonnes vertue then in Christs defence it were very small for wee know that in Christs defence you haue no confidence at all your owne apostatized heart can tell you so much Except yee trust at all in Christs defence because our sinnes haue so much prouoked God against vs and none more then that your sonnes haue beene too indulgently intreated among vs not onely to the damage and murther of many soules if the Lord bee not the more mercifull to giue them repentance to returne to the truth but to the endangering of this noble State if the same our God no lesse mightily then mercifully preuent it not You know too well the Kings of Israeil are mercifull Kings but wee know againe that many times pitie though it is pitie yet being shewed to Amileck and Aramites may redound to the Authors hurt witnesse these * Kings of Israell On the other side wee know what Elias did and afterward what Jehu did to the Prophets of Baal and what a blessing came vpon them from the Lord Iehues Sonnes sate vpon the throne to the fourth generation and had done longer if hee had not cleaued to the sinnes of Ieroboam And Jezabell for all her vengeable malice and impotent fury yet could not wreck it vpon Elias though one single poore Prophet no more then the Pope with all his pontificall and imperiall power could preuent poore Luther of dying peaceablely in his bed so miraculously mightie is the Lord in preseruing his poorest seruants that are zealous for his cause Yf we shew the like zeale now in this frozen age wee may with comfort hope for the like blessing and protection Then put you neuer so much confidence in your sonnes vertue our confidence shall bee in the defence of Christ whose cause wee defend and so wee doubt not but through Gods neuer failing goodnesse to his people all you confidence and daring promises of plentifull tryumphs will vanish into the ayre whereof they were ingendred It followeth The Church well hoped indeed that the minde of the most potent King who of a Catholique wife wished to beget heires that might rule his Countrey kingdomes being mollified by the sighes of his wiues ✚ pietie would permit the dowry of royall wedlocke to bee the libertie of faith but now the vowes and counsels of your enemies are feared and whereas the oxthodox Religion is crowned with a royall diadem in that most Excellent Queene yet there are not wanting those which dare threaten imprisonment and punishments to our sonnes Answer YOu meane the Church of Rome what may it not hope
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
Antonius de Dominis Arch-Bishop of Spalatum whose Italian spirit being mixed with your Romane would not suffer him long to abide in the truth which for a time he embraced among vs he can tell you of Romish Rockes of Christian shipwrake from which in the name of the true Church of Christ hee admonished all good Christians to keepe aloofe hee nameth 12. in number as the most perillous wherein to make shipwrake of faith as 1. the Papacy which is that great Idol-rocke 2. Temporall power 3. infolded faith 4. Excommunication 5. the Commandements of the Church 6. false vnion 7. the Masse 8. Auricular confession 9. Purgatory together with satisfactions Indulgences 10. Inuocation of Saints 11. Images and Reliques 12. Merits Against all these hee hath so learnedly written that you haue no other confutation of his booke but your vsuall argument the fire But we will not herein too much presse his authority as hauing madly made shipwrake on those very rockes againe after he had once swumme from them vpon the plancke of such a repentance as issued from the light of his conscience though not of a sound and sauing faith Hee came vnto vs and hee went out from vs because hee was not of vs for had hee beene of vs hee would no doubt haue continued with vs. But wee haue better testimonie then that of Marcus Antonius de Dominis to proue yours to be the shipwracke Religion the most cleare and authentique Scriptures of the Lord himselfe Vpon these Scriptures as vpon a most impregnable Rocke our Church and the doctrine thereof are built our religion and faith is a sound ship in Gods harbour which might there ride safe and secure enough but that your pyraticall sonnes seeke to rend it a sunder tearing out the planckes that hauing made shipwrake of the faith of Christ they might swimme to Antichrist But it seemeth you hope for some shipwracke to bee made in this our Church by some rent in the shippe through factious schismes that so the brackish water of your Romish Sea may enter in the leake and so cause our wracke But as long as we keepe our shippe tite in the vnitie of faith safe and sound wee feare not the force of all your Croyzadoes And if our English Crosses of Iustice were a little better put in vre against your ouerdaring sonnes according to their demerits your Crosse you speake of would proue but a poore planke to bring them to the hauen of her desires Neither is this your Crosses Christs Crosse but Antichrists Crosse an Idol of your owne making your owne words proue it Ye say by the vertue thereof the bitternesse of punishment is sweetened so that you ascribe a diuine vertue to your Crosse Nor are wee ignorant of your familiar blasphemies in this kind in your frequent Orizons and prayers made to this Idol your Idol I call it for you giue the same worship of Latria to it which you say is proper to God alone It is your God therefore And saith your Thomas Aquinas whatsoeuer matter the Crosse is made off wood stone siluer gold wee so worshippe the Crosse saith he as the Image of Christ which wee worshippe with the adoration of Latria And this he will proue by force of argument saying wee giue to that the worshippe of Latria wherein wee put our hope of saluation but in the Crosse of Christ we put our hope of saluation for the Church singeth ô Crux aue spes vnica c. O Crosse haile thou our onely hope therefore Christs Crosse is to be adored with the adoration of Latria And as it is in the Romane Breuiary Per fignum Crucis de inimicis no stris libera nos Deius noster by the signe of the Crosse deliuer vs O Lord from all our enemies And againe Lignum Crucis defendat me ab omnibus malis let the wood of the Crosse defend mee from all euill yea and in the Romane Pontificall the Bishop in the benediction of the new Crosse saith Quasumus c. wee pray thee ô Csrist to receiue this crosse as thou didst that which thou embracedst with thy hands and as by that the world was redeemed from guilt so the most deuout soules of thy seruants here offering may by the merrit of this Crosse bee freed from all the sinnes they have committed This is that standard vnder which as the God of your hosts ye march you sing ecce signum Crucis fugite partes aduersa behold the ensigne of the Crosse fly ye adn erse parties To the vertue of this Crosse you ascribe all your bloody Massacres as when Henry Spencer Bishop of Norwich at the becke of Pope Vrban 6. carrying hence an Armie into France where winning a Towne and putting all to the sword man woman and child it was sayd sicque Crucis beneficio factum vt Crucis hostes it a deberentur quod vnus ex eis non remansit such courage did the Popes absolution of all these his so signed Souldiers put into them Yet not to make you too proud of this your God you may remember how often it hath failed you To giue you but one instance how sped your Holinesse when against the Popes Leige Lord the Emperour Fredericke the 2. hee sent his crossed Armie which the Emperour for all their Crosses discomfited and as many as hee tooke aliue ript off their crosses as taking first away their charme and then hanged them vp Yea as Abbas Vrspergensis recordeth or rather in his Paraleipomera Fredericke marked them with crossed wounds cutting some of their heads acrosse and the like see Albert Crantzius lib. 8. cap. 9. which example with many more of the same nature considered might somewhat dampe and disharten your Catholique sonnes thus to embrace your crosse and take it vp in such a disloyall quarrell against their rightfull Soueraigne whose just cause the Omnipotent God aboue will euer defend maugre all such your superstitious Idols wherein you trust yea though attended with all your falsehoods and forces And no lesse vaine is the necessary you impose vpon your sonnes to imbrace this Crosse as if by the vertue thereof the bitternesse of their just punishments should be sweetned Alas poore soules what blame of Gilead can heale those gasping wounds or asswage those griping torments of a guilty conscience wounded with the ruefull remorse of disloyaltie rebellion treason euen Iezabell may teach you Had Zimri peace that slew his Master yea what Traitour euer found peace of conscience by any such meanes But wee hope your sons at least those of the Laity whom your more sprightfull sonnes haue notwithstanding too much abused in their ouer-credulous simplicity as by avowing their fidelity to their Prince and not intermedling with but rather seeking by all meanes to frustrate and put by all such wicked designes against their King and Countrey not onely themselues may preuent those fatall punishments which treasonable practises necessarily pull vpon the actors thereof but may
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