To whome quoth Christ O mother I am not able to denie it thee then Marie put in the ballance the droppe of bloud togither with hir merits and then that part weyed downe to the grounde so that the deuils went crying away Our Ladie is too mercifull to Christians we euer fayle where she medleth with vs O Ladie it is not good contending with thee What a derogation is this to Chist And where ye graunt most to the bloud of Christ where ye would salue the matter with intercession euen there ye say not that he will vouchsafe to graunt hir petition but that he is not able to gainesay it yea that it is not lawfull for him to denie it For sayth Cardinall Uigerius Dixit Salomon c. Salomon sayd to his mother aske mother what you will for it is not lawfull for me to turne away my face from hir that bare me VVhat shall wee thinke other than this the Lorde Iesus Christ to say to his mother who is farre wiser and iuster than Salomon And his reason is this Salomons mother had midwiues nources bearers of the child and instructours but Marie was all this hir selfe and so Christ is more bounde to his mother than Salomon to Bethsabée And therefore if we will worship Christ wée must first go to his mother For as sayth Iacobus de Voragine as Eue was in the middest betweene the serpent and the man so Marie making our reconciliation is in the midst betwene God and man. What a dubble blasphemie is this First that our reconciliation is made by any other than Christ of whom the Apostle sayth If when we were yet enimies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more seeing we are reconciled we shall be preserued by his life nor yet onely so but also glorying in God through our Lorde Iesus Christ by whome we haue nowe obteyned reconciliation Secondly that we haue any other mediatour than Christ wher as the apostle sayth Unus deui c. There is one God and one mediatour of God and man the man Christe Iesus neyther will your shift serue you to cloake youre blasphemie that ye make hir a mediatour of intercession for lo here he maketh hir a mediatour of making the attonement and reconciliation betwene mankinde and God which as it is our very redemption so is it the proper office of Christ alone â—…pse est pax nostra c. He is ouâ—… peace whiche hath made one of both hath broken downe the wall that was a stop betweene vs and also hath done away through his flesh the cause of hatred that is to say the lawe of commaundements conteyned in the lawe written for to make of twaine one new man in himselfe so making peace and to reconcile both vnto God in one bodie through his Crosse and slue hatred thereby For through him we both haue an open way in one spirite vnto the father Wherevpon sayth S. August Nes per mediatorem Christum reconciliamur deo VVe are reconciled to God by Christ being the mediator What blasphemie then is this in you to spoyle Christ hereof and giue it to the virgine Marie and make hir as much the instrument and meane of our reconciliation as Eue was the instrument and meane of our perdition But in this entrance of our perdition though both Adam Eue were culpable and both being one flesh are comprehended vnder the name of one and that of Adam the husband as the Apostle sayth Death reigned from Adam to Moses eueÌ„ ouer them also that sinned not with like traÌ„sgression as did Adam which is the similitude of him that is to come Yet afterward S. Paule noting the meane by whome properly the sinne entred first affirmeth that Adam was not deceyued but the woman was deceyued and was in transgression If then ye make the like proportion of our reconciliation froÌ„ Adam to Christ from Eue to the virgin then as Eue properly was the very originall and cause of the transgression though Adam being the assenter bare the name therof then properly the virgin is the very original cause of our reconciliation and Christ is but an assenter so beares but the name thereof What a wicked doctrine is this M. S. â–ª and is this now nothing els but ora pro nobis Might not Christ rather say ora pro nobis to hir syth ye giue hir all him a bare name only Now to the confirming of this blasphemous doctrine commeth in another of hir Chaplayues crying O foemina super omma c. O woman that art aboue all things and blessed of all things the fore elect and most worthie vessell framed of the first artificer the treasorie of the diuine giftes god hath chosen forechosen thee that God and man might dwell nine Monethes in thy tabernacle I dare boldly say that euen for the Virgin conceyued in Gods minde many thousande yeares before shee was borne mankinde was preserued in his beeing For it is euident that for their first transgression Adam and Eue deserued not onely death but euen the vtter rooting them out to nothing And the diuine vengeance which knoweth not the accepting of persons as it left not vnpunished the aungels offence so woulde it not haue left vnpunished mankindes offence but our first parents were preserued that they were not consumed to nothing for the chiefest reuerence that he had to the virgin for he loued hir aboue all creatures that should be created and not vnited vnto god The reason is that this Mayden was in the loynes of Adam as concerning the sede And the power of bringing forth the mayden was imprinted in the first father tyll shee were in deede brought foorth But of hir Iesus ought to be borne who was in Adam onely after his bodily substance to be brought forth of the virgin and of none other God therefore did spare oure first parentes nor consumed them to nothing bicause that so shee had not beene borne and by consequence Iesus neyther nor God had put on flesh Therefore by this noble creature God did saue our first parentes from the transgression and Noe from the floud and Abraham from the slaughter of the Kinges Isaac from Ismaell Iacob from Esau the Iewish people from Aegypt from Pharaos hande from the redde Sea from the force of dyuerse Kinges and Tyrauntes from Nabuchodonozor and from the captiuitie of Babilon Dauid from the Lion from Goliah and from Saule And to conclude all the fauourings and deliuerances made in the olde testament I doubt not but God did them for the loue of this mayden and for the worship of hir whom God had from without beginning foreordeyned to be set aboue all his workes O outragious blasphemie where is Christ How agréeth this with S. Paules doctrine that Christ is the image of the inuisible god the first begotten of all creatures for by him were all things created things that are
〈◊〉 the Pope taketh vpon him to pronouÌ„ce they be no Kings are no longer Kings except he will make him selfe God yea and aboue God too For althoughe God say They â—…gne not by me â–ª yet he calleth them kinges But the Pope calleth them vâ—…urpers that raygne not by him Secondly he alleageth the acknowledging of Ionathas Saules sonne the peoples gathering vnto Dauid For Io nathas it is true that he acknowledged the kingdome shold be deuolued vnto Dauid after his fathers deathe â–ª And so he saith Tu regnabis super Israel Thou shalt raigne ouer Israell I shall be next to thee and this my father knoweth But this inferreth not that he tooke Dauid then presently to be king and his faâ—…her from that day forwarde no longer to be king neither reuolted he from the obedience of his father to Dauids obedience neither could his father lay this treason to his charge that he forsooke his due subiection although most bitterly 〈◊〉 rated him and sayde Thou sonne of the wicked rebellious woman do not I knowe that thou haste chosen the sonne of Isai to thy confusion to the confusion and shame of thy mother For as long as the sonne of Isai liueth vpon the earth thou shalt not be established nor thy kingdome Whereon sayth Caietane the cause is made manyfest bicause he was an impediment to the succession of the kingdome and verily Saule had a true iudgement as the euent of the matter proued And thus the acknowledging of Ionathas proued not Dauids kingdome to be in esse as they say but in futuro not that he was King but that he should be King. Nor the confederacie betwéene Dauid and Ionathas was any conspiracie to depose Saule or to set vp Dauid but a confirming of the loue betwéene them and their houses when God should make him king Nowe for the peoples gathering vnto Dauid about the number of 400. this was not to assemble a rebellious multitude to inuade king Saule to depose him froÌ„ the crowne to set vp him selfe For neither they came for any such purpose but for their succor béeing in debt trouble or otherwise vexed neither did Dauid send for them nor incite any to take his part not proclaimed him selfe to be king or published the Lords anoynting of him or euer vsed that multitude that came vnto him for any suche purposes And yet the question is moued bothe by Caietanus and Lyranus héerevpon The question saythe Caietanus atiseth whether it were lawfull for Dauid to receiue these debters in the preiudice of the creditors that had lent them The solution is that if these men had house field or vineyard they are vnderstoode to haue lefte their goodes vnto them But if they were vtterly vnable to pay their debts they were excused for their vnhabilitie vntill their better habilitie For that Dauid excellently instructed all them that came vnto him while he â—…aried in that caue the Psalme restifieth I will prayse the Lorde at all time Conteyning according to the letter a doctrine giuen there of Dauid vnto the souldiors Therfore Dauid receiued not these men in preiudice of their creditors And thus as he did not receiue them to the preiudice of any priuate man so he receiued them not to the preiudice of the king and publike state Wheron Lyra moneth the other questioÌ„ saying In that he became their captain it seemeth he sinned in receiuing suche as Abimelech receiued the needie and vagabounds assembling theÌ„ vnto him as is contayned Iud. 9. VVe muste say that he gathered them not to slay the innocent as did Abimelech to slay his brethren neither to spoyle the faythfull For we reade not that he spoyled the people of Israell But rather kepte their goodes as is contayned afterwarde 1. Keg 25. of Naball But he gathered them to persecute the Infidels as is contayned afterwarde in many cases And to keepe his owne body from the ambushementes of Saule The which he mighte do in suche a necessitie chiefly when he was nowe anoynted king By reason whereof in suche a case he might prolong the payment of the debtes and in many the forfeyture is released in the case aforesayde Thus sée it was not for that the people tooke Dauid actually to be king but for their owne refuge that they fled to him But whatsoeuer their intent was good or ill Dauid assembled them not to hinder or hurte any priuate or publike person And althoughe he receiued them and vsed them for his defence whiche he mighte do béeing in the state he was yet woulde he neuer suffer them to enter medle in the quarell of his righte to the kingdome nor yet he him selfe woulde euer take it vpon him and impugne king Saule no not when he had him in hys daunger vntyll the Lorde by other meanes tooke Saule away and gaue the kingdome in reall possession vnto Dauid Before whiche time Dauid neuer called him selfe king nor the time of his raygne is reckoned but Saule counted and called and his raigne reckoned as king till his death and neuer shortned disturbed nor once gayne sayd by Dauid for all these folkes assemblies For example When God sent king Saule as it were of purpose euen into Dauids handes and the souldiers moued Dauid to kill him he would neither him selfe hurt him nor suffer any other to do it nor yet take him prisoner so depose him or cause him to resigne But only cut off priuily a flap of his garment for a testimonie howe he spared him yet his heart throbbed that he had done so muche agaynst him His conscience reproued him sayth Lyra in that he had done vnreuerently to Saule who was to be honored so long as he was of God suffred in the kingdome A certaine remorce of conscience sayth Caietane is described in Dauid in that he had cutoff the skirte of Saules cloake For it is the propertie of good mindes euen there to feare a fault where faulte is not found The reason of his remorce was bicause the cutting of the cloake was in his proper kinde iniurious Howbeit it was without fault both bicause it was giuen vnto him by Gods authoritie to do with Saule that whiche seemed good in Dauids owne eies and also good reason moued that Dauid mighte shewe a signe of his beneuolence towardes Saule by a most euident testimonie conuicting Saule that yet at the least Saule might leaue off from so wicked persecution But a better testimony he could not shewe than the skirte of his garment there cut off the action therfore naturally iniurious was not done in the forme of an iniurie but of a necessarie signe to witnesse the truthe of Dauids right mind to Saule â–ª And this good minde Dauid him selfe expresseth The Lorde keepe me from doing this thing vnto my Lorde the Lords anoynted to lay mine hande on him for he is the Lords anoynted And héere Caietanus giueth this note
He toucheth two reasons The one in that he saith to my Lorde The other To the Lordes anoynted But bicause that was the chiefest reason for that Saule was anoynted of the most highe God that onely he nameth twyse Whereby we sée he accempted Saule still as his lawfull king and himselfe to be his dutifull and obedient subiect And so he acknowledged him selfe to Saule when he cried after him saying O my Lord the king â–ª and when Saule looked behind him Dauid enelined his face to the earth and bowed himselfe And Dauid sayd to Saul wherefore giuest thou eare to mennes words that say beholde Dauid seeketh euill against thee Beholde this day thine eyes haue seene that the Lorde hath deliuered thee this day into my hand in the caue and some badde me kill thee But I had compassion on thee and sayd I will not lay my hande on my Maister For he is the Lordes anoynted Moreouer my father behold I say the lappe of thy garment in my hande For when I cut off the lappe of thy garment I killed thee not Vnderstande and see that there is no euill nor wickednesse in me neither haue I sinned against thee According to the Hebrue saith Caietane neither is rebellion in me c. He excludeth all sinne by repeating his worke backwarde For last of all he excludeth sinne against Saul and before rebellion against the King and first of all euill vniuersally And vpon these words The Lord be iudge betwen thee and me And the Lord auenge me of thee and let not my hand be on thee This he said saith Lyra in the zeale of Iustice and not of reuengement For no body ought to take vengeance on his own iniurie by himself except it lye vpon him by his office and euen then it were better that he did it by another All these words saith Caietane are not of him that wisheth but foretelleth and expecteth For they are in the Hebrue texte of the future tence and the indicatiue mode He shall iudge and he shall auenge So farre is Dauid from wishing any euil vnto the king And he so humbleth himselfe vnto him that he calleth himselfe in comparisoÌ„ of the King a dead dogge and a flie Sith I am saith Lyra of no moment or nothing worth in regarde of thee Thus farre was Dauid froÌ„ euer attempting to depose King Saul after Samuel had anoynted him And that not onely where Ionathas but euen where Saul himselfe acknowledged that Dauid shoulde be Kâ—…ng after him saying and nowe I know of a certaintie that thou shalt raigne and the kingdome of Israel shall be established in thy hand But yet he saith not that he then presently raigned neither doth he resigne vnto him but make a couenant and take an othe of Dauid that when he should raigne he shoulde not destroy his séede after him nor take away his name from his fathers house this Dauid swore vnto him Wherin he acknowledgeth though a state to come yet no state in present The like occasion falling out againe 1. Reg. 26. Dauid behaued himselfe to Saul in semblable wise For when he might haue killed him and Abisai would haue killed him â—…he not onely woulde not doe it nor suffer it to be done But he sayth to Abisai destroye him not For who can laye his handes on the Lords anoynted and be giltlesse Dauid sayth Lyra wold gyue this to the person of him so long as he was suffered of God in the Kingdome Alwayes sayth Caietane Dauid had fixed in his harte and in his mouth the honour of the moste high God in so muche that he thoughte none innocent that stretched hys hande vpon the anoynted of god As the Lorde lyueth saith he either the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to dye or he shall descende into battell and perishe The Lorde keepe me from laying my hand vpon the Lords anoynted By this saith Lira Dauid entended that by no meanes he would be the efficient cause of his death excepte perhaps in defending himselfe so that he could not otherwise escape And when Dauid called to Abner he challenged him to be worthy of death for keping the Kings person no better and when Saul knowing his voice said is this thy voyce my sonne Dauid and Dauid sayd it is my voyce my Lorde O king And he sayde wherefore doth my Lord thus persecute his seruant for what haue I done or what euil is in my hand Now therefore I beseeche thee let my Lorde the King heare the wordes of his seruaunt c. thus humbleth he himselfe in his purgation and sayth the King of Israell is come out to seeke a flie as one woulde hunte a Partridge in the mountaynes So lowly abasing himselfe in comparison of Saul whome he calleth the King of Israel Neyther dissembled he but spake Bona fide euen as he thought in his hart So farre was Dauid from not acknowledging Saul to be still hys soueraigne Lorde and lawfull King so farre from gathering anye vnlawfull assemblyes againste him so farre from any priuie conspiracie or open rebellion so farre from so much as thinking to depose him that when he had him in his daunger he woulde not onely not hurt him nor suffer other to doeit but gaue him so great honour as any subiecte can giue his Prince How then is not the storie of Saule and Dauid wrested for a Christian subiect that hath no such authoritie as Dauid had to depose or take armes against his Christian Prince or to go from the obedience of him as no longer lawfull Kyng after the Byshop shall saye he hathe deposed him and to obey any other that the Bishop shal appoint for King The third thing that Master Saunders inferreth is this that althoughe the Pope and his Bishops may doe thus to Princes yet Princes were very tyrants if they should doe oughte to them And hereto he alleageth that when the high Priest Achimelech asked counsell of the Lord for Dauid Saul hauing intelligence thereof commaunded his seruants to fall vpon the Priests of the Lord no man durst execute so cruell a commaundement besides onely Doeg the Idumean For Achimelechs asking counsell of the Lord for Dauid Whâ—… Dauid fled vnto him first the case Maister Saunders is not so cléere but that as Lyra confesseth a question is made theron for there appéereth no such thing in the. 21. Chapter Althoughe Doeg so accused him and Achimelech standeth not to the deniall thereof but vpon his innocencie Lyra sayth Dicunt aliqui c. Some saye that he lyed as tale bearers are wont to saye more than is in deede but the contrary seemeth rather to bee true So that this is not so cleare a case as you make it But what is all thys storye to the purpose or not rather againste you especially that that followeth of Saules puttyng the Priestes to death Wherein although he dyd a wycked and tyrannous acte yet it argueth
¶ The Supremacie of Christian Princes ouer all persons throughout their dominions in all causes so wel Ecclesiastical as temporall both against the Counterblast of Thomas Stapleton replying on the Reuerend father in Christe Robert Bishop of VVinchester and also Against Nicolas Sanders his Uisible Monarchie of the Romaine Church touching this controuersie of the Princes Supremacie Ansvvered by Iohn Bridges The Princes charge in his institution to ouersee the direction of Gods lawe DEVTER 17. After he shall be settled in the throne of his kingdom he shal write out for himself in a volume the copie of this Law taking the same of the Priests of the Leuitical tribe and he shal haue it with him reade it al the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and keepe the wordes and ceremonies of him which are written in this law c. ¶ PRINTED AT LONDON by Henrie Bynneman for Humfrey Toye 1573. · HONI · SOIT · QVI · MAL · Y · PENSE · E. R ¶ To the moste high and moste excellent Princesse Elizabeth by the grace of God Queene of Englande France and Ireland defender of the Faith of Christ and in earth next vnder God of the Church of England and Ireland in all Ecclesiastical and temporall causes the supreme Head Gouernor ALbeit most Gracious Soueraigne I might be vvoorthily noted of presumption in dedicating these my trauailes to your Maiestie as vvel for the basenesse of my skill calling as for the vnreuerent demeanour of the aduersaries that here I ansvvere vnvvorthie vvhom your Highnesse should deigne to loke vpon yet bothe bicause the matter entreateth moste of a Princes estate and that vpon the chiefest point therof belonging in general to al Christian Princes but in especiall to your Maiestie against vvhom they chiefly direct their malice and in maintenaunce vvhereof your Maiestie direct your gouernement and herein haue giuen a mirror to al christian Princes to folovv and be partakers in their common vveales of the lyke blessings wherwith God hath beautified your Highnesse and established youre authoritie I thought it therfore not vnfit setting my self and them aside with all such by matters as incidently fal out in disputation betvvixt the Bishop and master Feckenham of me these my aduersaries â–ª to conâ—…ecrate this argumente of Supremacie to youre moste excellent Maiestie as to vvhom chiefly in your dominions next vnder Christ it dothe pertaine VVhich your Highnesse so nobly maintaines by practise of godlie gouernment hovve euer we by the vvord and argument do defend it There is no controuersie at this day betvvixt vs and the enimies of the gospel more impughed thaÌ„ this one of the Supremacie nor more bookes compiled more libels scattered more vaunts made of truth on their partie more sclaunders deuised of oure doctrine and your Maiesties Title more secrete conspiracies and open treasons against your Royal person and state of the Realme than our aduersaries make only for this Supremacie Shall Sathan then vse al this double diligence in promoting the pride tyrannie of his Antichrist the man of sinne the foreigne vsurper of all Christian kingdoms and shall the children of god be negligent in defence of the kingdom of Christ of the Lordes anoynted of the dutifull office and lavvfull authoritie of their naturall Soueraigne â–ª Other meanes I graunt may be had to suppresse their furious dealing And God bee blessed therefore that hath furnished your Maiestie vvith povver couÌ„sell authoritie lavv vvisedome learning vertue courage and al other Princely habilities â–ª suffiâ—…iet to maintein your Highnesse Title protect that portion of Christes Church vvhich he hath committed to your most Gracious gouernment in peace and truth prosperously 〈◊〉 your enemies VVherein as your Maiestie hath euer most zâ—…lously sought and set forth the glorie of god â—…e hath so glorified you again as he hath promised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glorificabo that your highnesse may say as king Dauid sayd â–ª he hath deliuered you out of your enimies hands and defeated all their purposes he hath established you a kingdom here on earth in peace and righteousnesse and hath prepared in heauen a Kingdom for you in glorie and eternitie Novv although this be so cleeâ—…e that euen the enimies themselues coÌ„fesse God vvorks vvith you God fights for you God hath takeÌ„ your hart into his handes that haue taken his quarel into yours yet sith the 〈◊〉 do mutteâ—… sclander your Highnesse to take suche kind of GouernmeÌ„t on you as vvere not coÌ„petent as the Pope had vvont to do your Highnes is furthest from if this your claime be not proued to be grouÌ„dedon Gods vvord if those enuious be not coÌ„â—…inced by euident argumeÌ„ts of the seripture al the foresaid prosperitie is couÌ„ted but earthly blessings and such as other vvorldly Princes haue All the due authoritie is 〈◊〉 but extorted violence neither is the mouth of the adoersarie stopped neyther is the mind of the subiect satisfied And therfore vvhen al is don â–ª there is no better meanâ—… to may 〈◊〉 this Title than euen by learning 〈◊〉 for to me it to the vttermost and to fight vvitâ—… the vveapon of Gods vvord for it vvhicheâ—…s sharpeâ—… to vvoâ—…nde the aduersaries heart and conscience than any tvvo edged svvord But some vvil say this is sufficiently done by otherâ—… learned labours vvhen both in the dayes of your Maiesties Father of most renoumed memorie euen the best learned of our aduersaries did not only confesse it but vvrote so effectually in defence therof that shamefully aftervvard reuolting their guiltie conscieÌ„cebore vvitnesse against themselues nor they coulde euer ansvvere their ovvne vvritings And also after that in the godlie gouernment of youre Highnesse blessed Brother many other more excellent fathers in vvriting did confirme it And novv lastly in this your Maiesties happie Reigne diuers famous and lerned men to the further confirming of the godlie and confounding the enimie therein haue vvritten vppon this argument Yet sith oure aduersaries haue neuer doone thervvith but sette on a freshe lyke to him that vvhen in vvrastling he was euer cast of pride and vainglorie vvoulde neuer acknovvledge that he had any fall I thought good to make euident to all your Maiesties subiects euen to the enimies themselues the places vvhere they shamefully fel and lie stil in their errour rather than to vvrastle vvith such vvarblers And yet if they start vp again to trie a further pluck vvith them and by the strength of Gods inuincible truth so to ouerthrovv them that as fast as they boast cauill and sclaunder the truth of our cause and the goodnesse of your Maiesties quarell shall shevve it selfe the cleerer although the simplier handled A number of other vvhom I knovve coulde haue done it farre better vvho may also at their discretions further trauaile in it And in deede vvhere the most of this vvas done a good vvhile sith it vvas layde aside thus long expecting if any other vvould attempte it
suum sub manu Aaron patris eorum sicut praeceperat dominus deus Israel These are theyr courses after their ministeries to enter into the house of the Lorde and according to theyr manner be vnder the hande of Aaron their father as the Lorde God of Israel hath commaunded Which last wordes ye beginne withall and ioyne them to the first parte as thoughe the Lordes commaundement had béene of Dauids appoyntment where it was onely of the obedience of all the Tribe of Leuie to be vnder Aaron and his successors in the ministerie which in deede was Gods statte commaundement But the appoynting of the courses to those mencioned in that place was Dauids commaundement euen as your selfe doe say it was King Dauids appoyntment And the Chapter before of the lyke argument playnlye sayeth Iuxta pracepta quoquè Dauid 〈◊〉 c. And according to the last commaundements of Dauid the Leuites were numbered from twentie yeare and vpwarde to wayte vnder the hande of the sonnes of Aaron in the seruice of the house of the Lorde But admit that these wordes Sicut praeceperat c. as god had commaunded be to be ment as you pretend of a speciall coÌ„maundement to Dauid so to dispose those courses as ye expound it he did nothing without gods coÌ„maundement Is this again I pray you any argumeÌ„t to improue his supreme authority next vnder god bicause he did al things sicut praeceperat dominus as the lord had coÌ„maundéd then by this same rule yourpriest should not haue the supremacie neither for I am sure he had no further priuiledge to do against or beyond Gods coÌ„maundement no more than Dauid had It is your Pope that thus stretcheth his claime to do beyonde all Gods forvoade and contrarie to Gods commaundement but little or nothing sicut praeceperat dominus deuâ—… Israel as the Lord God of Israel hath coÌ„maunded As for the Quéenes Maiestie hath not done or doth any thing more than Dauid did which is sicut praeceperat c. as God hath commaunded hir to do And syth Gods commaundement vnto Dauid stretcheth to the placing appointing both aboue vnder in their orders of sacrifices eueÌ„ of all the leuiticall priesâ—…es it strengthneth hir cause the more that she hath not onely the bare example of King Dauid but also the warrant of Gods commaundement for the supreme gouernement of all hir clergie to place them in their seuerall functions Secondly ye say ye haue to note that king Dauid did make appoyntment vnto them of no straunge or new order to be taken in religion but that they should serue God in the temple iuxta ritum suum after their owne vsage custome or maner before time vsed Secondly we note to you againe M. St. that you interprete his sayings ambiguously and applie it maliciously Ambiguously bicause thoughe Dauid neyther made any straunge or newe order to be taken in Religion nor yet in their vsage custom or maner of their ceremonies commaunded of god and so vsed before his time but saw euery thing dutifully obserued both sicut praeceperat dominus iuxta ritum suum as the Lord had coÌ„manded after their owne order yet in their courses and in other circumstances diuers of his orders were new and strange vnto them and of his owne appoyntment And diuers ceremonies that were iuxta ritum suum according to their own order hauing been neglected by the priests and become straunge vnto them those he redressed iuxta ritum suum according to their own order and sicut praeceperat dominus as the Lorde had commaunded But what serueth this howe soeuer ye expounde it to infringe any supreme gouernement in king Dauid bicause the Prince is bounde not to alter the Priestes rites and ceremonies béeing appoynted of God Ergo he is not supreme gouernour in séeing them kéept accordingly might ye not rather argue contrarywise The prince is bound not to alter religion nor those orders that God hath ordeyned bringing in straunge and new Ergo he is bound to ouersée care and prouide that those orders be onely kept and none other brought in And if princes had alwayes looked to this their duetie more narrowly than they haue done then had not your Pope and popishe Prelates broughte in so many vayne traditions false doctrines and superstitious ceremonies as they haue neither iuxta ordinem suum according to their owne order nor sicut praceperat dominus as the Lord commaunded On the other part this your application is a malicious slaunder to the Q. highnesse For she hath not made or appointed to be receiued any strange or new order in religion but reuoked the olde primatiue order of religion ordeined of Christ and hath appoynted the ministers of God to do their dueties secundum ritum suum according to their owne order sicut praeceperat dominus as our sauiour Christ by him selfe and his Apostles hath prescribed to them It is your Pope and Papall Church that offreth strange fire to God that hath appoynted erected those strange and newe orders in religion and therfore hir maiestie hath worthily abolished all those false priests with their strange and new orders and all their false worship of God and in that hir highnesse thus doth she sheweth hir selfe to follow Dauids eâ—…sample like a godly supreme gouernour Thirdly and lastly say you king Dauids appoyntment was that they should serue in the house of God sub manu Aaron patris corum as vnder the spirituall gouernement of their father Aaron and his successors the high Priests Héere agayne to the shew of some aduauntage ye translate sub manu which is vnder the hande importing attendant at hande in their ministerie to the high Priest vnder the spirituall gouernement as thoughe they were exempted from the kings gouernement and so you make your conclusion saying The which words of the Scripture do so well and clearely expresse that king Dauid did not take vpon him any spirituall gouernment in the house of god c. This conclusion is captious and yet not to the purpose There is a difference betwéene spirituall gouernment and gouernment ouer spirituall â—…cclesiasticall matters This ye should conclude not that if ye will confute the bishop And this gouernment ouer spirituall matters tooke Dauid on him the other that is the spirituall gouernment he left entier vnto the Priests without any preiudice to their ecclesiasticall authoritie as ye graunted before And as Dauid therin did so doth the Quéenes Maiestie nowe But what maketh this agaynst king Dauids supreme gouernment that the inferior priests Leuites in their ministeries offices were by the kings appoyntment vnder the hande or spirituall gouernment of their spirituall father Aaron and his successors the high priests as you translate the text Is it not also the Q. Maiesties appoyntment that the inferiour Ministers should serue in their functions vnder the spiritual gouernment of their bishops and bicause it is hir
appoyntment it is an argumeÌ„t not of hir subiectioÌ„ but of hir authoritie héerein ouer them as also is this of Dauid And therfore the exaÌ„ple was very well applied al your three notes on your notable senteÌ„ce that you haue added to your master not onely nothing seruing your turne for all ye haue so notably inuerted the text so wrested the sense so expouÌ„ded the words that your friends might very much muse and maruell at your falshoode but also in the whole euery part all your thrée notes haue made cleane agaynst you And yet ye knit vp your conclusion on them That ye can not but very much muse and maruell why he should alleage king Dauid for any example or proofe in this matter So desperate a face ye can set on the matter though all be quite agaynst you Now as M. Stap. dalied with Moses before if he coulde not proue him a priest yet at the least to proue him a prophet so héere after a florishe in one of his common places slaunderously comparing our clergie with Qza seeing that he can fasten no good argument against princes by the priests he will once agayne assay it by the Prophets And where the bishop alleaged that Dauid made Psalmes ordeined priests Leuites singers and porters c. he denieth not but that Dauid did al these things but sayth he Think you he did al this and the rest of his owne authoritie bicause he was king of the people so you woulde haue your reader to beleeue but the holy ghost telleth vs playnely that Dauid dyd all this bicause God had so commaunded by the handes of his Prophetes What argument call ye this M. Stap the king ordeined and set foorth ecclesiasticall lawes bicause God had so commaunded by the hands of his Prophets Ergo The king is not supreme gouernour to sée those thinges obserued but the Prophetes are the supreme gouernours of them Héere ye stande on two things on Gods commaundement and the Prophetes message As for your reason on Gods commaundement is answered already it 〈◊〉 not that godly Princes authoritie that submitteth him selfe to God as Dauid did and the Quéenes Maiestie doth but it is to be brought agaynst the ambitious proud vsurpation of your Pope that maketh him selfe as it were a God in earth and will controll Gods flat commaundement Agayne that ye vrge so much the ministerie of the Prophets to abase the kings authoritie and thereon make your conclusion saying Thus you see that by the declaratioÌ„ of the prophets Gods ministers then as priests are now the king did al those ecclesiasticall matters and not by his princely authoritie This answere is but a méere shifte and yet nothing for your priestes supremacie But suche is your enuie to princes that ye care not to whome ye ascribe this supreme gouernment so that princes haue it not When ye can not proue that it appertayned to the priests ye alleage the prophets Ye are not so ignorant I dare say but that ye know the prophets were no priests and many of them as ye terme vs lay men and some also of occupation Yea but say you they were Gods ministers then as priestes are nowe Ye should proue they were priestes then for were they but Gods ministers herein to declare the same to the prince doth this proue any supreme authoritie héerein ouer their prince Nay but say you they were suche good ministers as priestes are nowe In déede were they suche as your priestes crake now to be then the matter were out of question For your priests now say they be not onely aboue kings princes and all other men but aboue angels yea that they can make their maker also which Angels can not do as D. Bonner vaunted in his conuocation of priests The Prophets coulde do none of these things nor so exalted them selues They were then Gods ministers and faythfull preachers of his worde they were not sacrificers And if your priests nowe are like prophets then they must not be sacrificers but preachers of Gods worde and so shal they be like the Prophets Your priests chiefly your Pope can not erre in iudgement ye say do ye father this warrant on the Prophetes or on the Priests haue ye not alleaged the priests for it and nowe when ye sée the priests will not serue your turne ye say ye be like the prophets But ye should make a distinction like what prophets ye be â–ª are ye not like to lying prophets are ye not like the Prophet that God sayd he would tempt his people withall that shoulde say come let vs goe worship straunge Gods are ye not like the false flattring prophets that deceiued king Achaz like Baals prophets maynteined of Iesabell But Christ hiddeth vs take héede to suche false prophetes as you be that come in sheepes clothing and are rauening wolues within But let vs consider further this your shift by Prophets Ye say Dauid did all those ecclesiasticall matters but not by his princely authoritie but by the declaration of the prophets Gods ministers then as Priests are now and therfore the next authoritie vnder God was theirs not his bicause he was no prophet But what nowe if Dauid were a prophet also and is so coÌ„monly termed and your selfe the leafe before sayd he had the gift of prophesie and alleaged your master D. Harding for it will not this proue then by your ownâ—… shifte that either he béeing Gods prophet had therby so well as others this authoritie contrarie to the which ye say he had it not but the prophets had it or else the hauing of the gift of prophesie is no argument of any supreme authoritie as ye would so sayne inferre As in déede it is not neither in priest nor prophet which ye shoulde soone haue perceiued had ye but read the next chapter to that out of whiche you tooke as ye fancied your notable sentence for the Priestes gouernement For there are foure chapters going togither the. 23. of the Leuites howe Dauid put order amongst them The. 24. of his appoyntment among the priestes and sonnes of Aaron The. 25. of his ordering of the Prophetes and singers The Chapter beginneth thus And Dauid and the captaynes of the host appoynted out to do seruice the sonnes of Asaph of Heman and Iduthim which should prophecie with Harpes Psalteries and Cymbals And the multitude of the men were to do seruice in their offices The sonnes of Asaph c. to wayte on or to be at the hand of Asaph who prophecied by the king And againe These were the sonnes of Heman the Kings Seer of visions in the wordes of God to lift vp the horne that is the power meaning of Dauid And againe A saph Iduthim and Heman were at the Kings hande that is to say at the kings commaundement to executâ—… hys appoyntment The. 26. Chapter is of Dauids ordring the Porters diuisions ending on this wise VVhom king Dauid made rulers
ouer the Reubenites and the Gadites and the halfe of the tribe of Manasses for euery matter perteyning to God and for the kings businesse that is to say both in spirituall and temporall things And also a little aboue In all the businesse of the Lorde and for the seruice of the King. Howbeit I speake not this so much to proue King Dauids supremacie ouer the Porters in all and euery ecclesiasticall matter so well as temporall but chiefly to followe your shift of the Prophetes For here we sée howe expresly the Prophets also were appoynted their orders by the king and euen the principall fathers of them attendant vnto him as their children were to them And thoughe theyr children were vnder theyr gouernmentes as were the inferiour Priestes vnder the higher Priestes yet as Asaph Heman and Iduthim were vnder the gouernment of the King also who ordered directed appoynted and coÌ„maunded them so was Aaron and his successors the high priests vnder the appointment and order of the King for all that their sonnes and inferior priests were vnderneath their gouernment For the one gouernment doth not exclude the other as master Stapleton himselfe confesseth that in one man many rulers may and do dayly concurre which in some sense may euery one be called his supreme gouernour And thus was first God by the ministerie of his priestes and prophetes the absolute supreme gouernour vnto Dauid So was Dauid next vnder God by his ouersight ordering and commaunding those ecclesiasticall actions to be rightly done the supreme gouernour not onely to the Leuits and Porters but to the chiefe Priestes to the chiefe Prophets and all And so were the chiefe priestes and principall Prophets in their functions and ministeries of theyr offices the supreme gouernors ouer their inferior priests prophets and yet was not their gouernment embarring the kings nor the kings any whit preiudicial to theirs For the priestes and the prophets did the action but the coÌ„maundements the appointing ordring was the kings next to god who coÌ„maunded them to him â—…e to the priests prophets And this order should M. St. haue séene had he but read the next sentence before the text that he vrgeth Secundum dispositioneÌ„ Dauid regis Gad videÌ„tu regis c. According to the commaundement or disposition of Dauid the king of Gad the kings Seer of visions and Nathan the prophet c. Thus the prince euen in those thingâ—… that god coÌ„maundeth by the hand of the prophets is chéef for his authoritie vnder god Next to whom are adioyâ—…ed the Prophets or learned preachers or ministers of Gods worde as by whose mouth or hande God commaundeth it to be done and haue mosts skill thereof And yet that both priest prophet do their offices faithfully apperteyneth to the kings coÌ„mauÌ„dement appéereth further throughout this chap. as also in Ezechias ensample froÌ„ whence be takes this seÌ„tence as we shall sée wheÌ„ we come therto Onely thus much to detect the shifts that M. St. maketh stil leaping from priest to prophet froÌ„ prophet again to priest as it were a squirrel skipping froÌ„ one trée to another to saue hir froÌ„ the birdbolt but all wil not be nothing wil any thing serue his turne but euery thing maketh quite against him which wheÌ„ he séeth as it were to set an Oliuer agaynst a Rowlande he alleageth agaynst king Dauids eusample the ensample of Carolus Magnus Againe saith he the like might you haue alleaged of Carolus Magnus that he corrected most diligently the order of reading and singing in the church that he brought first into Frauâ—…ce caâ—…tum GregorianuÌ„ the order of singing lefte by S. Gregorie at Rome and appoynted singers therfore when they did not well placed other in their rowmes And many such other like matters of the church wherin that godly Emperour much busied him selfe and yet exercised no supreme gouernment ouer the clergie but was of all other Princes most far froÌ„ it as it may easily appeare to him that wil read in the decrees dist 19. in memoriam where he protesteth obedience to the Sea of Rome yea though an importable charge should be layde vpon him by that holy Sea. Ye haue picked out an vnlike vneuen match M. St. to compare herein the doings of king Dauid with K. Charlemaines Where is become your Impar congressus Achilli Troilus the vnequall matche betwene Troilus and Achilles Howe corrupte the tyme of king Charlemayne was and what practises and fetches your Pope vsed to get the crowne of Fraunce to Pepin his father from the right and lawful prince therof and the Empire of Rome to Charlemayne froÌ„ the Emperour of Constantinople to whoÌ„ it dyd belong euery hiltoriographer can tel may fitter be declared in his proper place than here to leape ouer the stile ere ye come at it by many an hundreth miles yet for hast ye breake your shinnes euen agaynst those things that as trifles ye recken vp vnto vs As the correcting most diligently the order of reading and singing in the Church the placing and displacing singers if he did these things as a godly Emperor as ye say then he tooke it that as Emperor he had a gouernment in them But ye say as a godly Emperor he much busied him selfe If he found him self busines like a busie body wherin he had no authoritie thus so place displace to institute order and correct how was he a godly Emperour therin or not rather as ye sayd before played Oza his part But ye say he was therein a godly Emperour therefore he did nothing of any buâ—…iositie but of his owne authoritie and supreme gouernment therein Well yet say you it was but in singing and ouer singers Was it no further M. Stapleton howe then do you say the like you might haue alleaged of Carolus Magnus to King Dauids doings Did King Dauid meddle onely with singing and singers Did he not meddle with Priestes and Prophetes also But to salue the matter ye say and many other suche like matters of the Church Whie tell ye not man what those many other matters were haue ye no lust to declare them for feare they would marre your market Well let them alone till we come to the proper examination of them Howbeit whatsoeuer they shall fall out to be here remember ye liken them to King Dauids doings But King Dauid commaunded and appoynted singers Priests Prophetes all the clergie high and lowe of what degrée so euer Ergo King Charlemaines authoritie stretched further than to singing men euen to all Priestes Prophetes and all the clergie besides And thus eyther your similitude is not like or else the one and the other maketh cleane against you But if these doings of Charlemaine be not like yet hath master Stapleton another proufe in store Also in the decrees 11. Q. 1. which Iuo also alleageth where he renueth out of the Code of Theodosius a lawe binding all his subiects
of all Nations Prouinces and Countreys of what so euer qualitie or condition they were and in all maner causes if the defendant require an ecclesiastiall iudgement it be not lawfull from the Bishops sentence to appeale any higher This lawe is here brought forth master Stapleton very vntimely and impertinently nothing to proue or unproue the ensample or doings of King Dauid vnlesse ye woulde proue it on this wiâ—…e â—…uo alleageth a lawe of Theodosius binding all his subiects of all Nations Prouinces and Countreys of whatsoeuer qualitie and condition they were and in all maner causes if the defendant require an ecclesiasticall iudgement it be not lawful from the Bishops sentence to appeale any higher Ergo king Dauid made the like lawe to this or this was like to king Dauids lawes Howe thys hangeth togither like your Germaines lippes that before yâ—… spake of let others iudge King Dauids lawes were not for priests to be such Iudges but for priests to be subiect to these orders that they should obserue and obey them porter singer Leuit Priest or Prophet high or low of what qualitie or condition soeuer they were These lawes of king Dauid were as ye say by Gods commaundement by the mouth of his Prophets and therefore coulde not be yll The law you cite of Iuâ—… from Theodosius though at that time it were good vpon some godly consideration yet it is not ius diuinum the law of god it is but mans law the princes law sheweth a chief authoritie in him to giue such liberties to the clergie which as they may be very wel vsed especially when princes do looke well to them that they vse their gifts offices and priuileges dutifully so haue they since by your pope and prelates bene very ill vsed euen to the treading down of the doners of theÌ„ Theodosius Iuo or any other And as the Iuy taking al his streÌ„gth growth from the Oke so coÌ„passeth ouergroweth it and that by his gréene pleasant embracings of it till the Iuy haue quite destroied the whole bole of the Oke so haue your clergie by such franchesies liberties of princes at the first by compassing them with counterfeit holines subtile deuises so growne vp aboue them in riches strength and possessions that at the length ye haue destroied brought to nothing all their supreme estate ouer you For whereto bring ye out this priuiledge of the Emperor Theodosius that none might appeale to any higher sentence than the B. but as ye haue brought it now in the end to cal coraÌ„ vobis as your vnderling eueÌ„ the prince himself from whoÌ„ ye coÌ„fesse this your priuilege came And thus ye alleage king Iuo his lawes as it were an Iuy bush to behold how your popish prelates do play the Iuies part But it is hie time with other sharper lawes that princes pull vp such Iuies by the rootes Now as ye haue thus shifted off the answere to king Dauids doings redressings ordrings lawes and chiefe gouernment in ecclesiasticall causes so to knit vp the knot euen like a fawning Iuy about princes your selfe And surely say you no Prince more recognized their obedience to the spirituall magistrate in spirituall causes than such as were most readie and carefull to ayde further and to their power direct all spirituall matters This therefore proueth well that godly princes do further and set foorth godly religion by meanes seemely to their vocations Why master Stap. who desireth or attributeth more to Princes than to set forth Gods religion by meanes semely to theyr vocation If this ensample of Dauid as you say proue thus much then to gouerne direct commaunde and appoynt the Priests yea your hiest Priestes as Dauid did is no vnseemely meanes to their vocation nor vnsitting euen for your Popes vocation to obey the Princes appoyntment and commaundement And if to direct all spirituall matters may be done of Princes yet the obedience to the spirituall Pastor in spirituall matters still recognized then doth not the Quéenes Maiestie any preiudice to them recognizing to them a dutifull obedience in the ministration of spirituall matters for all that she fetteth forth Gods true religion and directeth all spirituall matters as ye graunt she maye Which is as much as the Bishop or any of vs desire or hir Maiestie taketh on hir But say you here is no maner of inckling that Princes do or did euer beare the supreme gouernment in all ecclesiastical matters to decide and determine to alter and chaunge to set vp and plucke downe what religion liked them by their princely authoritie and mere soueraigntie Haue ye gone about to impugne this all this while M. Stapleton then I see well it was not for nothing that alwayes ye aunswered so wide Ye needed not haue sought so many shifting corners The Bishop proponed one thing and you aunswered another Doth the Bishop maintaine or euer sayde that Princes might decide determine alter chaunge set vp pluck downe what religion liked them by their Princely authoritie and mere soueraigntie Quote me the lease name me the place where once the Bishoppe so said Or doth the Q. Maiestie take any such thing vpon hir These be but your wicked I had almost sayde traytâ—…rous slaunders to desace hir highnesse to hir simple subiectes And no doubt so ye report to other Countreys of hir Maiestie as ye write here most opprobiously agaynst hir It is your Pope agaynst whom ye should make this conclusion for he taketh on him to decide and determine to alter and chaunge to set vp and pluck downe what religion liketh him The Quéenes Maiestie God be highly praysed for hir as a most godly supreme gouernour feloweth king Dauids ensample and neyther your wicked conclusion toucheth hir nor these your shifting counterblasts come nere the matter in hande The. 14. Diuision AFter King Dauid the Bishop alleageth the wise King Salomon his sonne citing a briefe summe of his actes that inferre his supreme authoritie For answere to this Master Stapleton chooseth out one act of Salomon as a full aunswere to all the rest besydes and sayth The weight of this obiection resteth in the deposition of Abiathar the high Priest. The weight of this aunswere resteth first vpon a manifest vntruth The Bishop alleaged besides Abiathars deposition the placing of Sadocke the placing of the arke in the temple of Salomon the dedication of the temple the offring sacrifices blessing the people directing the Priestes Leuites and other Church officers after his fathers orders and the Priestes obedience in euery thing to the kinges commaundement none of these obiections resting on Abiathers deposition Onely the néerest that commeth to it is the placing of Sadocke in Abiathars roome And yet sayth M. Stap. the weight of this obiection resteth in the deposition of Abiathar the high priest And so thinketh if he fully aunswere this he hath satisfied all the rest Nowe since M. Stapleton
his kingly authoritie but he traueled full godly in suppressing Idolatrie by his kingly authoritie as though his kingly authoritie stretched no furder than to trauell in the execution of seruing the priestly authoritie But the Scripture is most euident that his kingly authoritie and godly trauell was not in executing the Priestes commaundement but the priestly authoritie traueled in the seruice and executing of the Princes commandement For as he destroyed all their Idols and places of Idolatry and abolished or depriued as Uatablus expoundeth it the false priestes of their priestly dignitie so he commaunded by this his kingly authoritie all the true priestes both the high priest Helchias and vnder him the inferiour priestes and porters to trauell likewise in bringing out to him all the Idolatrous vessels and he summoned or gathered togither all the Priestes And all that there is done is named to be done by him that is to say eyther by him selfe or by his appoyntment and commaundement through his kingly authoritie both in abolishing the false worship and in establishing and directing the true worship of God not onely in generall but also in perticuler yea in the chiefest spirituall matters ouer all the Clergie and the high Priest so well as all his other subiectes and all this was done of him by his kingly authoritie But what then saith M. Stapleton to all this as it were with a phillip to ouerturne al the matter with his Masters what then Forsooth M. St. then it was not his godly trauell in a seruiceable execution of the priestes commaundements but his godly trauell in commaunding them their godly trauel in a seruiceable execution of the kinges commaundements And then it was not onely in suppressing Idolatrie as you limite it but in refourming establishing directing appointing the whole true worship of God besides And then was this his kingly authoritie by the which he did all these things though many of them were Moses Dauids yea the Prophetes former ordinances and Gods commaundement long before yet were they done here by the kinges owne authoritie which in the last example of Ezechias concerning Dauid ye would not admitte bicause it was Gods appoyntment by the hande of his Prophetes Such as were many of these things like wise and yet now ye graunt they were done also euen by Iosias his kingly authoritie And then I pray you what so great a difference finde ye betwéene these twaine the King doth it by his kingly authoritie that here ye confesse and the King doth it by his owne authoritie that there ye denied is not the kinges kingly authoritie the Kinges owne authoritie and yet is all his authoritie from god It followeth then to your what then by your owne confession and the manifest Scripture that this his owne kingly authoritie of Iosias was next vnder God the chiefe and supreme ouer all the Priestes Leuites Singers Porters or any other so well as the people in all abolishing of false religion and in all commaunding and directing the true worship and religion of God which are the principall causes ecclesiasticall And what then say you to this M. Stapleton doth it not cléerely proue the Bishops assertion against M. FeckenhaÌ„ for al your counterblasting it with your bigge what then Thinke ye it proues he did no more then than you will suffer Princes to do now abusing them with the title of good catholike Princes and bereauing them of their good catholike and princely authoritie that by the examples of these good catholike princes they ought to take vpon them and your Pope vsurpes it from them And yet you say to abase the doings of Iosias so do good catholike Princes also to plucke downe the Idolles that ye and your brethren haue of late set vp and yet none of them tooke them selues for supreme heades in all causes spirituall The question is not nowe Master Stapleton what those your good catholike Princes as ye call them take them selues to be whome you haue spoyled and make beléeue what it pleaseth you to tell them that their kingly authoritie reacheth no furder but to be seruiceable trauelers and executioners of your commaundements But the question is here what these Princes mencioned in the holy Scriptures tooke them selues to be which appereth by their appointinges and coÌ„maundinges of their Clergie in their functions that they tooke them selues for their Clergies supreme gouernours in these matters And so ought al good catholike princes by their examples to estéeme of them selues and of their high calling and charge in ecclesiasticall causes and trauayle by their godly supreme gouernment to discharge the same Where ye say therefore so do good catholike princes meaning those that submitte themselues with all the gouernment of religion and all ecclesiasticall matters to your Pope and his prelates not medling them selues therewith as did Iosias and these other godly Kinges whome we sée to haue medled with the gouernment and direction thereof it is apparant false and their doinges herein are no more alike than blacke is like to white than to commaunde directe and appoint others is like to be of the same parties in the same matters commaunded directed and appointed themselues than gouerning is like seruing than one contrarie is like to another And yet you say for ye care not what ye saie as did king Iosias so do your good catholike princes now But what is that they do plucke down the Idols say you that you and your brethern haue set vp Whether we our bretheren or you and your bretheren haue set vp Idols let it fal out betwene vs as it shall hereafter we shall come to the reckening onely stande you to this M. Stapleton that the plucking downe of Idols belongeth to Princes by their kingly authoritie and that so they ought to account of them selues their authoritie which if they had done and diligently executed this their kingly authoritie your shifte of Images and Idols had not auayled you for euen to your moste famous Images shrines and pilgrimages hath foule idolatrie bene committed as the chiefe of your brethren them selues are fayne to confesse and crye out vpon and yet durst your princes neuer pull them downe nor you would euer haue suffred thâ—… so to do for your lucre lay muche therein but caused the Princes to mainteine and enriche suche Images as you dayly did set vp As for the Idols that we should haue set vp who séeth not we haue so little set vp any that we reiecte for Idols those which ye call your Images and professe that neither they nor any other thing besides God nor God in them or by them is to be worshipped but God alone and that in spirite and truthe and so receiue his playne simple worde and sacraments But if as ye sayde before those Princes pull downe our heresies and those are the Idols that we set vp except this presupposall should be graunted you that those be heresies which we mainteine
this onely to shewe your shifting off of your aduersarâ—…e on the one part and your contradiction to your selfe on the other euen in your owne question Although herein if ye say they were no priestes which this your later exposition contrary to the first inferreth ye say the truer and therefore doe well to recant your former saying But sée howe ye contrary your selfe once agayne ye liken the phrase of deposition and sacrificing togither Salomon deposed Abiathar in procuring by some ordinarie way to haue him deposed And Iosue Dauid and Salomon did sacrifice in that they caused the Priestes to offer sacrifice Here the Prince when he will haue sacrifice done causeth the priest to minister and execute the sacrifice and so the Prince doth it by the Priestes handes Who is here the instrument for the furtherance of the execution the priest For the Prince can not except ye will make him a priest Who is the causer as ye call him and such a causer as hath the name of the doer though he do it not but haue an accessorie instrument for him the Prince Doe ye not sée what an ouerthrow ye giue your selfe and withall speake cleane contraryes not a dosen lynes asunder The Prince is not the chiefe but an accessorie instrument to the furtherance of the execution the Prince is the causer and doer but he doth it by an others execution Is not this plain contradiction and yet to helpe the matter ye let another on the necke of it As Iosue and Dauid did sacrifice so did Salomon depose Abiathar Salomon was the minister and executer Iosue and Dauid were not the ministers and executers If these things be a like this is another manyfest contradiction If they be not a like why bring ye them one for proufe of another Why affirme ye them to be alike when the doyng of the one by your owne report is contrary to the other Eyther ye lie in saying they be alike or ye speake huddle and ouerthwart your selfe And yet while ye would séeme nicely to stande descanting on the phrases be it vnwares or wittingly ye graunt the full point of the matter that in the sacrifices and the deposition whosoeuer were the executor the Prince was the procurer the causer and the commaunder therof which is ynough to argue his supreme authoritie therein Your conclusion is he was deposed by the Princes procurement for his treason And who was this that thus was delt withall for sooth the highest priest Why the highest priest is ye say the figure of your Pope was the figure of your Pope then a traytor I trust ye will tell a good tale for your Pope anon Nay will ye say the Pope can not be a traytour nor be deposed bicause he is the highest priest And what say ye to Abiathar the successour of Aaron was not he the highest Priest also If he were not name an higher And yet sée his seate saued him not from being a traytor nor his highnesse from being vnder the prince that deposed him And had he not béene vnder his Prince he could not haue bene a traytour to him A traytour is he that reuolting from his dutifull obedience to his Prince rebelleth or conspireth agaynst him But ye say Abiathar was a traytour Ergo he ought a duetifull obedience to his Prince from the which he swarued Now if that hiest Priesthood which as ye say was a figure of the Popes highest Priesthoode was neuerthelesse obedient to the Princes royall authoritie and the highest priest might be a traytour in swaruing from his obedience then the Bishop of Rome hauing nowe likewyse the highest Priesthoode as ye pretende ought neuerthelesse to bee the Emperour of Romes obedientiarie and if he swarue from his obedience as was Abiathar he is a traytour and ought to be deposed as Abiathar was But howe well he hath set the paterne of Abâ—…athars trâ—…ason before his eyes and farre passed it in conspiring rebelling against the Emperor of Rome and in the end hath exempted himselfe from all obedience of the emperiall estate denying that he can be a traytor therto but contrary that the emperor oweth obedience vnto him it is so manifest that your selues can not deny it Only therfore it now remayneth that all other princes in their signiories as the Quéenes Maiestie hath done in hirs take ensample of wise king Salomons supreme gouernement in deposing this traterous Abiathar And thus thinking to deface the memorie of the blissed martyr Bishoppe Cranmer that neuer conspired agaynst his prince that neuer claymed supremacie ouer his prince that neuer tooke hym selfe to be the highest Priest that in hys lyfe lyued lyke a moste godly father and in his death behaued himselfe as mylde as a Lambe ye haue no whitte Master Stapleton blemished hys renowne yea your disprayse redoundeth to hys greater prayse Neyther doth your masters nor your similitude of him to Abiathar agree in any poynt onely with your Pope it agréeth and that as you sée in euerye poynte so iumpe that as hée claymeth Abiathars chiefest place as hée hath practysed more than Abiathars treason so Chrisâ—…yan Princes followyng King Salomons steppes shoulde giue hym also Abiathars rewarde And were that or thys Abiathar neuer so muche the highest Priest Christian Princes haue the same authoritie nowe to depose lowest and highest also that Salomon had before except Maister Stapleton haue yet some further shifte to delude thys fact of Salomon But nowe master Horne saith he that Salomon was but a minister and an executer herein the verie wordes immediately following the which bicause they serue plainely against your purpose you craftily dissembled do testifie And here he fastneth a triumphant note in the margine Master Horne ouerthrowne concerning the deposition of Abiathar by the very next line of his owne text guilefully by him omitted Here is of a sodaine a sore a doe in déede Salomon shall be proued but a minister and an executer herein by the plaine wordes of the scripture The Bishop shall be proued a craftie dissembler and a guilefull omitter of those wordes And by those wordes he shal be quite ouerthrowne May the matter go by M. Stap. wordes these wordes giue a very boisterous Counterblast But since he will proue it by the scripture let vs heare not his but the scriptures wordes and his conclusion thereon The wordes are these And so Salomon put away Abiathar from being Priest vnto the Lorde to fulfill the wordes of the Lorde which hee spake ouer the house of Hely in Silo. Ergo Salomon was but the minister and executor of Gods sentence published before by Samuell the Leuite What doth this infringe the Bishops purpose or ouerthrow his assertion master Stap can ye conclude hereon he was not the supreme gouernour next vnder God in doing of the fact because he was the minister and executor of gods sentence By this rule the Prince were not supreme gouernour vnder God in any poynt
sung and worshipped the Lorde he tolde the Leuites they were sanctified and commaunded them to doe their ecclesiasticall functions saying Accedite offerâ—…e victimas laudes in domo domini Come neare and offer burnt offrings and prayses in the house of the Lorde Thus are all these ecclesiastical matters hitherto noted done of the Priests and Leuits by the direction commaunding of Ezechias Nor this your common shift can any thing auaile you to abase Ezechias doings bicause he appoynted diuerse of those things According as Dauid had disposed he appoynted also diuers other thinges which Dauid neuer had disposed and yet he had the lyke authoritie and commendation in appoynting both Which argueth his supreme authoritie in appoynting ecclesiastical matters whosoeuer had appointed theÌ„ before And what was Dauit was he not a king also So that this paltrie shift still maketh agaynst you that although godly Princes succeding establish renue appoint commaunde such matters as their predecessors haue done before yet haue they no lesse authoritie therein than had euen the first appoynters of all And also the Quéenes maiestie taketh none other authoritie now on hir in appointing commaunding than Dauid Ezechias other auncient godly Princes did than Constantinus and other hir predecessors haue done before And hir authoritie in renuing such orders as long haue bene decayed or abolished â–ª is nâ—… lesse than was theirs in the first ordering and commaunding of them But ye say king Dauid did not order those things by him selfe but it was Gods commaundement As though any said except it â—…eyour Pope that this supreme authoritie is not subiect to Gods commaundement and vnder hys absolute authoritie or as though this subiection vnder God abaseth the Princes authoritie and not rather confirmeth it to be immediate next vnder him But ye adde further God did it by the handes of his Prophetes If to do a thing by the hands of another do alwayes signifie a supreme authoritie in the partie by whose handes it is done then were the Princes Pursiuant or letter bearer aboue the Lieutenant Iudge or Deputie to whom the letter is sent But the bearer although the Prince sende it by his hande or ministerie is not onely vnder the sender but also vnder the partie to whome it is sent and he not the â—…earer is next and immediate vnder the Prince in the performing of his letter and signifieth againe to the Prince by the bearers hande his dutifull obedience in fulfilling the content thereof Either parties here ye sée vse the bearers hande or ministerie doth it follow therevpon he is superior to either of them or not rather vnder both What good argument can ye frame herevpon God commaunded Dauid by the handes of his Prophets Ergo the Prophetes were aboue Dauid in ordering and directing Gods will and commaundement And againe where ye say Iosue Dauid and other Princes sacrificed by the handes of the Priestes Ergo the Priestes and Leuits were aboue Iosue Dauid and those other Princes Your argument therfore God coÌ„maunded by the handes of his prophete that the king should make such orders Ergo the Prophete is the Kings supreme gouernour is a very slender argument But if ye had reasoned thus The partie that commaundeth is supreme gouernour to him by whose handes he doth it The Prince commaundeth these ecclesiasticall matters to be done by the handes of the Priestes and Leuites Ergo the Prince therein is the supreme gouernour to the Priests and Leuites This had bene the fitter and truer argument of the twayne But this had quite ouerturned your shifte Neuerthelesse M. Stapl. ye haue shifte vpon shifte and more waies I perceiue to the wood thaÌ„ one For séeing that this argument God commaunded by the hands of the clergie that the Prince should make ecclesiastical orders could not inferre he did it by their authoritie but rather it argueth the Princes authoritie ouer the clergie ye fall then in quarelling that the Byshop sayth the king did it by the counsell of the Prophets As though say you Dauid had first done it by the aduise or counsell onely of the Prophets by his owne authoritie Dothe the doing and disposing then of any thing M. St. by the counsell aduise of other inferre his own authoritie in the disposing that is the asker of counsell Thus ye say héere and remember ye say it For hereafter ye make this a common reason He did it by their counsell Ergo he did it not by his owns authoritie But be it Master Stapleton he dyd it not of his owne deuise and simple commaundemente or authoritie but by Gods commaundement and authoritie ouer him Dothe it followe therfore he did it not by his owne authoritie since all his authoritie was of God but what improueth this his authoritie ouer the priests or prophets can ye shew he did it by their authoritie be it their counsel or be it their declaration their authoritie it was not but Gods and vnder God the kinges authoritie in disposing suche orders And therfore your cauiâ—… agaynst the word counsel sheweth you wanted counsell to haue disposed your answere better For euen in this present example do ye not sée how king Ezechias did order diuers eccl. matters by the counsell of his princes clergie people and yet the whole dooing was by his owne authoritie Initoque consilâ—…o Regis principum vniuersi coetus Ierusalem decreuerâ—…nt â—…t fâ—…cerent phase meÌ„se secundo And a councell beeing helde of the king and his princes and al the assemblie of IerusaleÌ„ they decreed to kepe the Passouer the. 2. moneth Wheron sayth Lyra Circa 〈◊〉 celebrationeÌ„ Ezechâ—…s de consilio sacerdotum diem instituit Secundo ad hoc populum inuitauit terâ—…o soleâ—…niter celebrauâ—… About this celebration Ezechias by the couÌ„sel of the priests instituted the day Secondly he bad the people therevnto Thirdly he celebrated it solemnly â–ª So that the whole doing in this councel was by his owne authoritie in a matter neuer vsed before for the present necessitie to change the day of the Passeouer Moses Dauid or any other Prince had neuer by the commaundement of God or by the handes of his Prophetes ordeyned it before And therefore withall where ye say In all thinges that Ezechias or Iosaphat before dyd they dyd but as Dauid had done before I answere that whatsoeuer they dyd you héere do none other than your masters and you haue done before Ye care not what rechlesse lies ye boldly auouch to bolster vp your false cause and furnishe your volumes withall Were all these thinges hitherto recited done before by Dauid had he taken downe and destroyed the Brasen serpent had he caused the Leuites to play the Priestes partes had he altered the Passouer day had he appoynted before to the Cleargie those portions of liuelâ—…de that are mentioned Besides diuers others things that argue his authoritie For after his summons to come
thoughe it were paste for the certeintie of the diuine prouidence So that yet no acte was â—…ast agaynst Saul or vnto Dauid but onely a declaration of Gods purpose to come Héere was therefore no deposing of the one nor placing of the other As for Samuels other sentence 1. Reg. 15. is more destnite when he saythe For that thou hast caste off the worde of the Lorde the Lorde hath caste off thee that thou shouldest not be king And yet he sayth not héere I depose thee â–ª or the Lorde deposeth thée from thine estate and froÌ„ hencefoorth thou shalte neither be king nor be reputed and taken of the Churche of God for king any longer Samuell sayth not thus nor ment thus nor Saule vnderstoode him thus but desired Samuel to returne with him and worship the Lorde And Samuell repeating his words sayd I wil not returne with thee bicause thou hast cast of the comandement of the Lord the Lorde hath cast off thee And Samuell turned to go away but he caught holde of the skirte of his cloake and it rent And Samuell sayde to him the Lorde hath rent the kingdome of Israell this day froÌ„ thee and hath giuen it to thy neighbour a better than thou And yet in all these so effectuall words Samuell sayth not héere In Dei nomine Amen c â–ª In the name of God Amen I do héere presenly depose thée and so foorth as the Pope vseth to do No all this was but a declaration of the time to come as Lyra saythe Dicunt autem Hebraei c. Some Hebrnes say that Samuel then gaue a signe vnto Saule that he shoulde raigne for him that shoulde cutte off the hemme of his garment VVhiche Dauid did as is conteyned 1. Reg. 24. VVherevpon Saule seeing the hemme of his garment in Dauids hande sayde nowe I knowe for certayne that thou shalte raygne And so the Glosse titeth Sainct Augustine Iste cui dixit c. This man to whome the Lorde sayde the Lorde despiseth thee that thou shouldest not be King of Israell and the Lorde hathe rent this day the kingdome out of thy hand ruled fortie yeres to wite euen as long as Dauid raigned And yet this thing he hearde the first time of his raigne Therefore wee vnderstande â–ª it to be spoken to this ende that none of the stocke of him shoulde raigne He rente it saythe the Glosse althoughe he reygned fortie yeres afterwarde But as then he desâ—…rued that the kingdome shoulde be rente from him and giuen to a better â–ª c. Thus these sayinges and doinges of Samuell were not the reall deposing of Saule from his Royall throne For bothe he tooke him selfe still as King and desired Samuel to honor him before the Elders of his people and before Israell But nowe sayth he honor me Sinon c. Although sayth 〈◊〉 not for my persons sake yet do this thing for the honor of my royall dignitie And so Samuell assented to him willing sayth Lyra to giue it vnto Saule so long as he was of God suffred in the kingdome Nowe as for Dauid Samuell in déede anoynted him and that as you saye priuilie Whiche argueth agaynst you that it was no publike acte of making him king but as it were a preparatiue vnto it and a priuie forewarning of Gods purpose to come Secondly it was a thing of Gods especiall appoynting or else Samuell would not nor coulde haue euer done it Thirdly saythe â—…yra Aduertendum est c â–ª VVe muste marke that Dauid was anoynted to be king not to this purpose that he shoulde streighte possesse the kingdome But when the acceptable wyll of God shoulde come But God did suffer Saule in the possession of the kingdome euen vntill his death And thus we sée vpon this acte of the Lorde by Samuell as well to Saule as to Dauid â–ª héere was yet no suche deposing of the one nor setting vp the other as Master Sanders claymeth héere reasoning from the example of Samuels dooing to Saule and Dauid for the Pope to 〈◊〉 Christian Princes offending and to set vp others in the â—…places The second thing that he gathereth héerevpon is this that the king by the Pope béeing deposed is now no longer true lawful king â–ª but a playne vsurper and a wrongful occupier of the kings seaâ—…e beeing armed with a bande of souldiers but the other that is annoynted or otherwise consecrated by the Bishop in his place shall truely from this day forward be the king and the people ought to go to him and not obey the other And for this he alleageth three reasons First the saying of God by the Prophet Osée Secondly the acknowledging of Ionathas Saules sonne Thirdly the gathering of diuers persons vnto Dauid First for the wordes of the Prophet whiche are these They haue raygned and not by me They were Princes I know them not I answere First these worâ—… are Gods complaynt agaynst the wickednesse of those kinges of Israel â–ª that directed not their gouernment by Gods law not that they were not kings but that they were wicked kings Not that they were by no meanes ordeyned of God for 〈◊〉 potestas est à Deo all power is of God and God sayth in generall per mâ—… reges regnant Kings rule by me so well heathen as faythfull kinges â–ª Pilates power was from aboue These kinges of Israell Ieroboam Achab Iehu c. were of Gods ordeyning Yeà Iehu whose house héere God complayned vpon and sayde he and his ofspring raigned not by him â–ª were yet notwithstanding made kinges and raygned by him In respecte of their ambition and priuate affections their raigne was not of him In respecte of Gods ordinaunce of his iustice of his prouidence it was not only permitted but also especially appoynted of him As bothe the â–ª texte is 〈◊〉 and your owne glosse confesseth for Hieroboam the elder that it was done by Gods will althoughe it were done also by the peoples sinne that regarded not the will of God but â—…llowed their owne selfewil And so in some respecte it was not the worke of God and yet in other respects it â—…as the worke of god And so héere 〈◊〉 himselfe and sayth I know them not Not that he was ignorant of them but he acknowledged not their doings Secondly neither the prophet Osee nor any other prophet tooke vpon them to depose any of those wicked kinges but to declare the wrath and vengeance of God to come vpon them After which declarations they did not subtract froÌ„ them their ciuill obedience count them from that day forward no longer to be their kings or exhorted the Church of God to forsake their polytike gouernment but hauing declared their message from God they let them alone till eyther God him selfe did strike theÌ„ or stirred vp by some especiall and extraordinarie meanes some forren or domestical persecuâ—… of them Thirdly this maketh nothing to proue that those kings