Church At the last he calleth Luther that falling starre That falling starre not Luther and the Lutheranes Heretikes and the Protestants Locusts whose armie he brought out of the bottomelesse pit when hee fell Of that anone now I demand how an abiect silly Fryer as they call him out of his cloyster that examineth all things by Scriptures can bee that starre falling from heauen not that great Lucifer much lesse that little Luther can be called the falling starre but some great Byshop as loftie as the starres Lucifers mate who a good while since hath forsaken heauenly doctrin and holy life and hath betaken himselfe to earthly businesses and wicked manners that is hath fallen from heauen to earth For then are Byshops said to stand in heauen What the fall of a star meaneth when they performe their duties and then fall to the earth when forsaking holy life and doctrin they seeke after worldly matters But this doth not agree with the Pope onely for many other starres hauing beene pulled downe by the Dragons taile are falne to the earth The Popes key and the effects of it True But none besides the Pope is of that power as holy Iohn ascribes vnto him For the key of the bottomlesse pit was giuen to this falling starre This great Byshoppe while he shined as a starre in the Church that is in heauen he vsed the key of heauen committed to him as he ought but after he fell from heauen he tooke to himselfe the key of the bottomlesse pit Therefore Antichrist the Angell of the bottomlesse pit is the key keeper of hell Apoc. 9.1 1. Tim. 4.1.3 Whereof blessed Paul giueth a double reason One that by that his key hee brought into the Church the doctrine of Diuells in forbidding meates and marriages Another that lifting vp himselfe aboue all that is called god that is aboue Kings and Emperours hee doth shut them out of their kingdomes and thereby hath brought the darkenesse of the bottomlesse pit into the common wealth Is not this the liuely image of the Pope who assoone as he left of to be a starre by his fall began afterward to be a foolish fire Ignis satuus Whose key is now no longer the key of heauen but of hell For his hatred to that doctrine and gouernment that proceede from God is a most certaine brand of Antichrist Of the key I shall speake more hereafter in the Creede CHAP. VI. Wherein Antichrist is proued an Apostata and vniuersall Bishop WHom Saint Iohn tearmeth a falling starre Saint Paul tearmeth an Apostata from the faith and makes him a Captaine not of a particular but an vniuersall Apostasie whom he so sets downe with his proper markes that he seemeth to haue pointed his finger at the Church of Rome to whom euery way they doe agree She forbiddeth marriages and meates not in open blasphemie as some old Heretickes did but in hidden hypocrisie as the forenamed Apostataes as the Apostle noteth Whence I inferre thus The head of the vniuersall and generall Apostasie is Antichrist The Pope is the head of the vniuersall and generall Apostasie Therefore the Pope is Antichrist Therefore Antichrist is not a Iew or head of the Iewes who cannot be said to haue departed from Christ before they came to him but an Apostaticall Christian Lib. 4. Epist 32.34.38 And as it is obserued by Gregorie the great A Bishoppe beleigerd with an armie of Priests not a Bishop onely but an vniuersall Bishop Not that hee alone for that cause did depose all other Bishops but that he aduanc'd himselfe before all others Whence againe I argue thus An Apostaticall Christian an vniuersall Bishop is Antichrist The Pope is an Apostaticall Christian and an vniuersall Bishoppe The Pope therefore is Antichrist And that title of vniuersall Bishop Pope Gregorie calleth wicked prophane sacrilegious Whereunto to consent is nothing else saith he but to lose the Faith As hee writ to Anianus and thereby to aduance himselfe in honour aboue the Empire as he writ to Mauritius which whosoeuer doth as Iohn Bishop of Constantinople did already and Ciricius did afterward he doth pronounce him confidently to be the follower of Lucifer and the fore-runner of Antichrist The Pope first vniuersall Bishop Pope Gregory was a true Prophet alas too too true a Prophet for within fiue yeers after that King of pride whom he foretolde to be so neere at hand with his army of priests did vsurpe that chaire from whence Gregory did deliuer that Oracle and hath held it now aboue 1000. yeeres being first called the vniuersall Bishop Then vniuersall Prince because he hath the iurisdiction ouer all Bishops As first Boniface that falling starre After that vniuersall Prince created out of himselfe because he had the soueraignty ouer all Kings and Emperours as Gregorie the seuenth So that the Bishop of Rome is by a Bishop of Rome prophetically concluded to bee for his treason Lucifer Lastly Lucifer and Antichrist for the losse of his faith Antichrist But the Bishop as themselues affirme cannot erre in his definitiue sentence for hee hath the Spirit assistant and tied to the Chaire The Bishop therefore is Antichrist for that I may cast vp all into a short summe Antichrist is a falling starre a degenerating shepheard a domineering Bishop CHAP. VII Antichrist within the Church in stead of God and how he lifts vp himselfe against God DOe you not behold your selfe in this Looking-glasse Paul the fift suffer not your selfe to bee deceiued by those men who imagine Antichrist to be an outward aduersarie whom the Apostle doth make an homebred stubborne Traytor for as he doth abuse the name of a King against a King so he doth oppugn Christ in the name of Christ Whom therefore Paul doth place within the Church not without it and sitting not in a bodily gesture but in a spirituall gouernement Besides that Theod. in 2. Thess 2. the thrones of Kings are called the seats of Bishops And he sitteth not in a materiall Temple for Temple is not any where so taken in the new Testament as Bellarmine confesseth therefore in the spirituall Church for the which the Temple of God is alwaies taken as the Fathers expound it Chrysostomus Oecumenius Hieronimus ad Algasium quae 11. who all affirm he shall sit in the Church not in the Temple of Ierusalem Antichrist hee sitteth in the Temple of God not in the Temple which hee shall re-edifie in Ierusalem as is imagined for that should not bee called the Temple of God but of the Diuell Againe he is said to sit against the Temple as Augustine did well translate it out of Greeke as if he were the Temple of God that is the Church Wherein the wretched man bearing rule doth not thinke himselfe to bee God much lesse God alone as Bellarmine dreameth Antichrist is not such a foole but in stead of God for he sitteth as God and taketh vpon him as he were God
God he exacteth subiection of the body Rom. 13. In the beginning of the 13. Chapter speaking of the obedience due to a Prince he requireth the subiection of the soule What obedience is due to Princes Hath hee not likewise submitted the soule to God and the body to the Prince yes verily But to that end he hath distinguished these because men doe for the most part thus excuse themselues that they vowe their soule to God when they prostitute their body to the Deuill and yeeld their body to the magistrate when they deny him the reuerence of the soule Therefore let the soule be subiect to the higher power saith the Apostle Hence two other parts of subiection doe necessarily follow Paul the Apostle doth adde the reasons with a commandement which Paul the Byshoppe doth not adde with his prohibition For all power saith he is of God He speaketh not so much of the Prince as of the gouernment nor so much of the person as of the power To shew that hee rather respecteth the right of gouerning then the qualitie of the gouernour Againe if the power of a King be from God Power from God not the Pope or people then it is not from the Pope as diuers of the Popes flatterers would haue it Neither is it from the people as diuers flatterers of the people doe at this day striue for it I beleeue they leaue the power of destroying a gouernment to him whom they dreame to haue a power giuen to build it vp They that yeeld so much to the Pope subiect a King vnder a sober tyrant they that yeeld so much to the people subiect him vnder a furious tyrant and as the Poet said very wittily and truely to a beast of many heads And therefore the King is not bound to giue accompt either to Pope or people but to God from whom hee receiued all his power immediately Hence the Apostle presently inferreth these two conclusions 1. He that resisteth Gods power resisteth the ordinance of God and draweth to himselfe damnation The 2. that the King is Gods Minister and beareth the sword wherewith he doth defend the good and punish the wicked and that all must bee subiect not for wroth but for conscience That no man may thinke that Peter and Paul thought that obedience was due for the times sake and that they wanted force rather to resist Nero then a minde I will shut vp all in a word The Catholicke faith of the auncient Romane Church as it was deliuered by Paul the Apostle did inferre loyall subiection to a Pagan cruell King The Catholicke faith of the vpstart Church of Rome as it is deliuered by Paul the Byshop doth take away and ouerthrow Allegeance and all obedience as it were vnnaturall from a Christian King and such a King that euen by the confession of his Aduersaries is very mercifull Whom then shall we beleeue Paul the Apostle or Paul the Byshop an holy decree or an vnholy prohibition Neither were these commandements of Christ Peter and Paul of ciuill obedience to be shewed to Emperours Kings and ciuill Magistrates mutable according to times but are to be accounted perpetuall and eternall I haue laid the first foundation of our loyaltie the expresse and euerlasting commandement of Christ the second followes which is the practise of Christians § 16 Heere Saturnine before you go further saith he I yeeld that subiection reuerence honour fealty obedience is to be performed to a King A King excommunicated no King in poperie so long as a King is a king but if he leaue off to be a king then it ought no longer to be performed But he leaueth off to bee a King assoone as he is denounced to bee rightly excommunicated by the Vicar of Christ whereby he is presently accounted by law to bee deposed of his Kingdome and his subiects absolued from the Oath of obedience And although you laie very heynous and greiuous crimes of treason vpon our most holy Father and vpon many holy Priests and chiefly vpon the Iesuits yet if you would thinke of the matter a little better all this smoak of words would vanish to nothing For first I affimre that the Pope of right hath had and now hath this power then I affirme that assoone as he had it hee did put it in practise And yet it followeth not that he that defendes this as you conclude is a Traytor Thomas Aquinas obiected Vnlesse perhaps you dare account Thomas Aquinas that most glorious Saint and Angelicall Doctour to be a Traytor who writeth thus After that the Prince is denounced an Apostata all inferiours and subiects are to bee absolued from the Oath they had taken and from their obedience due vnto him And you may if you please ioyne with him Francis Toletanus obiected as a fellow in the like treason Francis Toletan a worthy Professor in our time who doth thus comment vpon Thomas Note saith hee that there is the same reason of one that is excommunicated because that assoone as one is denounced excommunicate all his subiects are freed from the fealtie The Laterane Councell obiected and that most famous Oecomenicall Lateran Councell held about 300. yeares since of 70. Pattiarches and Archbyshops and 400. and 12. Bishops and 800 other choice Prelates because it decreed that the Pope had the power we speake of do you thinke it was a conuenticle of Traytors Then Patriotta what Thomas Aquinas saith he what § 17 Toletane what Laterane Councell doe you speake of Thomas Aquinas writ 1200 yeeres after Christ was ouertaken with the error of his time and was the Popes vassall neither did hee alledge any Prophet Apostle or Doctor only he rested vpon the only example of Gregorie the seuenth who was the first that a 1000 yeeres after Christ did attempt by excommunication to cast Henry the 4. out of his Kingdom Pope Hildebrand no fit example against Kings A very weighty authoritie forsooth against a Kings sword which Christ ordeyned and to whom the Church of Christ as it shall appeare afterward obeyed for a 1000 yeeres of an vpstart Canonist dreaming in the darke night of Poperie that the subiects might be absolued by the Pope from the oath of obedience wherewith God had bound them and alleaging no other Author but Pope Hildebrand a turbulent and furious monster as he was accounted by his owne Cardinalls And yet Aquinas was somewhat more reasonable then Toletane Aquinas answered he thought that no mans subiects were to be absolued from their oath of obedience but his that was denounced an Apostata that for euer had fallen from all christianitie But Toletan forsooth Toletane answered the worthy professor of our age the Popes hireling with lesse learning and greater boldnesse as if he were some worshipfull Vmpire giues his sentence without all reason Note saith he that the case is all one of a Prince excommunicated by the Pope vpon any cause whatsoeuer Do you not
Empire was translated out of Greece into Germanie when it did reside in the family of Charles the great who had left the Pope great possessions in Italy Caus 2. quest 7 cap. Sic nos how dutifull and humble did the Pope shew himselfe to Ludouike his sonne and Lotharius his nephew The submission of Leo the fourth Bishop that wee may make short is famous and notorious which hee shewed to Ludouike and Lotharie Wee if wee haue done any thing Leo the Bishop writing to Lodouike and haue not dealt iustly with them ouer whom we be placed whatsoeuer is done amisse we will amend at the discretion of your Excellencie beseeching your Maiestie that you would bee pleased to send those who in the feare of God may strictly examine not onely those things whereof we are accused but all other our dealings both great and small Heere we haue the Emperour the Popes correctour in great matters and small But this was you will say no part of the Popes duty Ibi ca. Petrâ— but a dispensation of the Popes humility Indeede Gratian doth speake so ridiculously as if the Bishop had submitted himselfe in iest for a mocke to the Emperor and not in earnest and of bounden duty Distinct 10. de capi Caro. Ludo La. ha Did he afterward in iest or with voluntarie humility submit himselfe to Lotharius and not rather in all duty obseruancie when he promised that he would inuiolably obserue all the Ecclesiasticall lawes of Charles Ludouike and Lotharius and did sweare not onely present obedience but for euer after The Bishop of Rome was then as you see the Emperours subiect and seruant He did humbly supplicate the Emperour as his Lord hee did not proudly command him as his seruant He did obey hee did not resist and that not a Catholike onely but an hereticke also and that an Arrian Hee gaue honour to his person he offered no wrong to his crowne Hee kept his lawes hee did not gaine-say them And hee receiued Ecclesiasticall canons from him himselfe set downe none He did performe the Oath of obedience he did not then free others from keeping it The Emperours themselues were not onely but their Lieutenants also were the Bishops of Rome Iudges and Correctours in all matters both small and great The Popes therefore were not then their Iudges and Controllers They were not as yet Lords of the spiritualties much lesse of the temporalties as they are now tearmed by their Claw-backes § 101 Popes grew greater by abundance diuision of the Empire At the last being enriched and furnished with the temporalties of Bishops Kings by little little they began to wax proud against their Lords Patrones grew very great by the diuision of the Empire the departure of the Emperour out of Italy the dissention of Kings and the rebellions of the people Gregorie the 7. was the first as Frisingensis testifieth Gregorie the 7. the first that excommunicated curst Emperours 1600. yeares after Christ that curst Henry the 4. Emperour with excommunication and assayed to set him beside his kingdome and to that end loosed his subiectes from their oath of obedience Whos 's next successors followed his franticke humour Who as Hilde brand had stirred vp first Rodolphus then Hermanuus after that Ecbertus all seruants against their Soueraigne and lastly Courad and Henry sonnes against their father all of them being bound with an Oath of fealtie and these besides with the bond of nature But the Author of this tragedie Gregorie Sigeb in ann 1â—84 Vesserg in an 1089. Gregories fall foure years after being forsaken by his owne people with a ioynt consent of all was cast out of his Popedome And being at the point of death as Sigebert found it written of him one of his twelue Cardinals whom he chiefly fauoured being cald vnto him hee confest to God to S. Peter and the whole Church that hee had greiuouslie sinned in the administration of the pastorall charge committed vnto him In the life of Greg. 7. and that by the instinct of the Deuill he had raised discordes and warres among men as Benno the Cardinall writeth I am not ignorant that the Italian writers of malice against the Emperor did go about to hide and dissemble the faults of their Pope with the greatest skill of lying that might be Who can giue credit to Blondus Fulgofius Trithemius and other writers of small accompt either of a later time who were borne some hundred yeares after these things were done that eitheâ— for fauour or hatred as Bloudus or for ignorance as Fulgosius and Trithemius the Abbot they might easily ouer-reach who I say can credite these men as ribing false praise to Hildebrand when as his owne Abbote and Cardinals who were not onely earewitnesses but eyewitnesses of the whole tragedie who had a purpoâ—e not to honour the faultes of men but defend the ordinance of God branded him with deserued infamie and writ that the chief Authour of rebellion and periurie was put besides his Popedome and that hee troubled the world being moued by the instinct of the Deuill as hee confest vpon his death bed And may we not now maruell that this Byshop who followeth his outrage may not feare his ruine Who hath stirde vp Tirone against King Iames a most mercifull Prince as he stirred vp Rodolphe against Henry the Emperour § 102 But Rodolphe the cheife Actour when he beheld his right hand cut off in the skirmish Rodulphus ruine and repentance Vrsbergene in ann 1080. and ready to giue vp the Ghost fetching deepe sighes is said to speake thus to the Byshops that stood about him as Vrspergensis recordes Behold this is that right hand wherewith I sware fealty to Henry my soueraigne Lord and now as you see shewing the truncke of his arme I leaue both his Kingdome and this present life Whose end I wish to Tirone that most treacherous Traytor but I wish him his repentance also In ann 1080. Hildebrands reuelation Sigebert writeth that Hildebrand by a reuelation from heauen as he said foretould the death of a false King that yeare wherein Rodolphe was slaine He vnderstood him to be Henry But Henry fighting with his Saxons returned Conquerour and Rodolphe the false King died If this were a true Reuelation as Gregorie said God as he foretould did thus punish Rodolphe the false King whom Gregorie had raised vp against his Lord if it were not a diuine Reuelation but some diuelish familiaritie with the spirits what a holy Saint was this man whom you so commend who had such acquaintance with the Deuill who deceiued and betraied the franticke humor of this his hellish Scholler § 103 That same treacherous head likewise of Hermannus being broken by a stone cast from a tower by a womans hand Hermannus ruine his braine being dasht in peeces and running about his eares frighted and scattered the armie following the ensignes of his treacherie
A LOOKING-GLASSE FOR THE POPE Wherein HE MAY SEE HIS owne Face the expresse Image of ANTICHRIST Together with THE POPES NEW CREEDE containing 12. Articles of superstition and treason set out by Pius the 4. and Paul the 5. masked with the name of Catholike Faith Refuted in two Dialogues Set forth by LEONEL SHARPE Doctor in Diuinitie And translated by EDWARD SHARPE Bachelour in Diuinitie 1. KING 18. How long will you halt betweene two religions if GOD be GOD follow him if Baal be GOD follow him LONDON Printed by EDWARD GRIFFIN dwelling in the little old Bayly neere the Kings-head 1616. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY to the most Reuerend Clergie of ENGLAND IT must not seeme strange most Reuerend Fathers in GOD and my much beloued Brethren if seeing the Captaines of Israel be gone forth to warre against Antichrist a Souldier of a meaner rancke moued with the goodnesse of the cause enter the battaile and ioyne himselfe to the standard For all doe see the Pope renew the old warres and cannot rest quiet but assayes by all meanes Papistas nostros nostras dicerem how he may recouer the possession of GREAT BRITAINE being lost and in a vaine hope thereof our Papists in the masculine I should haue said in the feminine but that I should seem to some to haue spoken false Latine are growne more in number and farre more insolent then they were wont heretofore Who then though he be the meanest seruant of Christ borne vnder or rather with the Gospell restored without which he would not deeme Paradise it selfe to be a pleasant Country would not resist and withstand to his teeth Antichrist himselfe renewing his forces and taking courage vnto him with such earnestnesse to recouer that seat from whence aforetime he was iustly cast out I was not ignorant what labours were to bee vndertaken what wronges were to be digested by them who enter combate and maintaine fight with so cruell an enemie so that it were better for them to be silent if they thought what were auaileable rather for their owne priuate then for the publicke estate of the Church of Christ But that which vsually falles out in warre that the tried prowesse of the Captaines doth by their ensample whet on the courages of the Souldiers and doth stirre vp and pricke forward their sluggish mindes to the effecting of some exploite The very same doth happen to Gods Ministers in this spirituall warfare to whom there is abilitie giuen from God to some greater to some lesse to all some Whereby though they can adde nothing to the matters in controuersie and it may bee they ought not because not new things are to be deliuered by Diuines but after a new manner as Vincentius wrot nor with a diuers faith but with a diuers stile as Austen warneth yet notwithstanding both by the consent of their testimony with the difference of their giftes and the varietie of discourse they can and ought giue their helping hand to the Gospell That was also an encouragement that assoone as the beast wounded with the kings speare began to grunt Bellarmine Parsons Pacenius Christano Becan Coquaeus and many others it presently cast vp out of his mouth a great swarme of Iesuites who should not so much refute with arguments as traduce with slanders written with the hand of scorpions the Kings maiestie being not onely the best of Kings but the best of men and vndoubtedly the true Defender of the Faith Right Heretickes who murther men not with the sword but with their wiles as Ierome writeth for a mans style may bee counted aswell a cutthroate as a sworde drawne against Kings whose honour seemes to be more deare and tender vnto them then their liues So that Iames Clement or Francis Rauillacke were no more cruell in wounding the Kings body then Bellarmine or Pacenius in wounding the Kings name It is said that Ethnicke Rome did imprint that letter whereof Cicero makes mention not to the table of iudges as diuers interpret it but as Cicero and Pliny to the head and forehead of false accusers to the leaden head and iron forehead that they may carry countenances as stigmaticall slaues branded with the markes of those letters in disgrace of their slanderous tongues whom Plautus doth therefore tearme litered men Truely it may seeme very vniust if I doe not desire that those Iesuits should be accompted litered whom popish Rome doth nourish and cherish within her as those old geese and dogges who by their cackling and barking did pursue any that assaulted the capitall Adde that those two staues whereof Zacharie the Prophet maketh mention the authority of Magistrates and the obedience and agreement of Subiects Za cap. 1. vers 7. calling the one the staffe of beauty the other the staffe of bondes These gracelesse Iesuits endeauour to breake them both making rebellion an Arittle of their faith wherein they goe so farre that they be not only conuinced of our side but euen of their owne For of late certaine secular Priests as they are called more moderate in shew then the rest that they may the more freely disperse abroad closly among vs the seedes of superstition do cunningly inueigh against the Articles of treason brought in by the Iesuits whenas Alan and many other secular Priests do both command and practise treason Our men therefore both as good Patriottes and as faithfull Ministers being bound with the double bond of warfare euery one of them for his Graces for his time and place much more for his power ought to oppugne both these Articles whereby we may maintaine according to our vocations the liberty of the kingdome vnder which we were borne together with the truth of the Gospell by which we were borne again Wherein the most learned Byshoppe of Elye doth very iustly taxe the Ministers that are luke-warme and silent in a businesse of such importance Epist Dedicat to the KING who do not bestow their paines in writing when as this cause as hee saith is to be reckoned among those wherein he that gathereth not with Christ doth scatter abroad with the enemie of Christ wherein if any man shall not deliuer his faithfull knowledg eâ—e shall not deliuer his owne soule And doth adde this that in such a busines you were better want power then will and abilitie then faithfulnesse Which I remember was sometime tould me of that most Reuerend Archbyshoppe D. Whitgift then when the quarrell on both sides was not so hot when hee wished that in so great a plenty of excellent Diuines among vs there were more that would imploy their spare times from their duty of preaching in the paines of writing I am come therefore into the fielde being thereto prouoked with the goodnesse of the cause the ensample of the Captaines the iniury of the enemie the Oath of warfare the encouragement of the Fathers that I might somewhat daunt the enemie insulting so vnworthily To which purpose I thought good to set this taske
reuelations naked names of Fathers hired testimonies of Scholemen which she I must confesse hath furnished with fine words and well polished and with a curious composition of sentences attiring the Romaine harlot with all her trimmings with the entisements whereof the vnstable and vnwary young age of many may be caught and deceiued Vpon the Fauorers of which bookes who either bring them ouer to vs or by reading defend them or giue them to other to be read with allowance of them I wish that punishment might be inflicted D. Ed. Cok. do com place in his Epistle prefixed before the case of Postnati which a most Reuerend Iudge declareth to be prescribed by law The authors of these bookes assoone as the Italian ayre hath blowne vpon them do thinke the northerne people to be scarce men who write against them though they write with a better conscience and greater faithfulnesse then themselues For they hold themselues to the true Canon they trust wholy to the writen word they go to the originall The discription of a Protestant they haue the same text and commentarie but that they bring in the Apostles breaking the way and the Fathers following after as witnesses of their owne times as those that iudge the Apostles in a matter of faith are to hee harkened vnto without the Fathers and not the Fathers without the Apostles So they doe not play with reedes in their hands like the Aduersaries but strike thorow with their dartes neither doe they alleage arguments without testimonies or testimonies without argumentes which they doe not reckon vp for number but consider for the weight neither do they deceitfully vrge parcells taken out of the body of the Scripture as the Aduersaries who read them reported out of some magistrall booke or other but alleage them being furnished with all circumstances that from thence they may inferre and vrge the truth neither doe they follow after types and allegories but search out the inward substances and natures of things neither doe the vse any whorish trimmings but such sound and sober ornaments which become the cause of God Fearefull opponents great Orators such as many more are to be esteemed who doe not write whose stinges if any shall thinke are lost because they lye close he is much deceiued By hearing of whose learned Lectures and Sermons and reading their bookes I ingenuously confesse I come better instructed and prepared to defend the cause That as we read the familie of the Scipios were borne to the ruine and ouerthrow of Carthage so me thinke I may hope that our Clergie is borne againe of God and sent into the world to the vtter ruin and destruction of Rome Whom therefore may I better desire to be the Patrone of my labors then that Clergie that is the fatall vanquisher of Rome I may adde thereto that seeing my selfe in the former course of my life haue beene ioyned with many notable men in the Vniuersitie either in the fellowshippe of studies or in the Court in the dutie of preaching or in conuersation in the bond of friendship I thought by this my dutifull Dedication I should renew the memorie of our acquaintance in Christ Last of all who is ignorant that our writers when once they haue stirred vp more earnestly the God of this world and haue touched Antichrist to the quicke with what virulent calumniations the professed enemies will traduce them And it is not to be wondered at if they spare not their bookes whose throates they would cut and detract from their good names whose liues they seeke after who when they cannot doe mischiefe to good men by themselues will attempt to effect it by false brethren If this were done in the greene tree how much more in the withered and if they deale thus with the tale Cedars how will they presse downe the meane trees and lower shrubbs The greater is my hope that it will come to passe that they who write being moued with the sense of their iniurie and they that do not write being moued with the goodnes of the cause will by their authoritie maintaine another that offers himselfe to danger for the glory of Christ For the Doctors and writers in the cause of the Gospell as they be most odious to such as bee wicked so should they be most deare to them that be well giuen For these causes Fathers and Brethren I haue thought good to haue these my small labours to be most humbly and dutifully dedicated vnto you in whose religion I thought faithfulnesse in whose doctrine assistance in whose loue comfort and in whose authority helpe did consist You haue seene as I said at the first the insolencie of the Papists your Fathers haue felt their crueltie you cannot neither ought you to forget the powder or rather the Iesuits treason which threatned the Kingdome the massacres of Paris and the Church the fires of Queene Marie whose imbers the Pope your old friend O ye Clergie of England doth hide and couer he doth well remember your dutie he forgets not your loue toward him Against your argument drawne from the Scripture he fetcheth his drawne from the fagots You passe ouer the fire couered ouer with false ashes Therefore that which ministreth occasion to many to write the same must be an occasion for all to take heed And that which was cause to me to seeke for your patronage and helpe the same should be the cause of stirring vp our zeale and watchfulnesse GOD preserue the KING and Kingdome GOD defend the Clergie the most flourishing of the whole world being the eye of the Kingdome from the iniuries and treacheries of all their enemies Your Lordships and Your worships most deuoted in Christ LEONEL SHARPE THE EPISTLE to the Christian READER Wherein the glasse of Christ and Christianitie is conteyned YOV are not ignorant Christian Reader that the hatred of the Synagogue of Rome hath been a long time very deadly and open against the reformed Church and that it hath been secret against the Scripture and couered ouer with a shadow of outward Religion and a vayle of deuotion For although shee be much moued with the enuy at our florishing Church and with the iniurie of her owne beauty so despised yet because shee feeleth hirselfe so wounded in her head with a weapon from heauen cast by the hand of man shee is no lesse angry with God that gaue the weapon than with man that cast it Which if it were not so truly shee would neuer haue endured so many a Aesops fables a nose of waxe a shipmans hose a Delphian sword blacke and inkie Diuinitie Scripture men inckie Diuines slanders so wickedly prophanely vtterd against the holy Scripture to haue been published in print shee would neuer haue furthered such deuises in her inward Laterane Conclaue which should haue framed b Matth Paris in Hen 3. pag 104. a new Gospell c Liâ—â— consor Franâ—isi pag 304. a new Iesus d The Bull of Pius
4. about the profession of the oath of orthodox faith annex to the Con Trent sub Innoc 3. a new Creede But shee was displeased with the foure Euangelists because they passed by their Pope as a vnknowne man And therefore she created a fift Euangelist who by the helpe of the Monkes might coyne a fift Gospell fitter for their purpose than the other They deemed the true Iesus the sonne of Marie crucified by Gods decree vpon Mount Caluarie for the saluation of men to be but halfe a Sauiour Therefore they deuised Francis Peter Barnardons sonne as if hee had beene pierced with the same wounds of Christ and in the same parts and consecrated him in the Laterane Councell to be the Typicall Iesus Shee thought the twelue articles of the faith gathered together by Christs 12. Apostles not to be sufficient for saluation And therefore published twelue new articles of the faith composed in the Councell of Trent and brought by Pope Pius the fourth into the forme of a Creede Paul the fift being the furtherer of it O holy mother the Church but ô father far more holy In the meane time she preached Christs great loue bounty toward the Pope and the Popes reuerence and obsequiousnes toward Christ But seing Babylon that old whore had learned to trimme and paint hir-selfe but to dissemble her inward affections and cunningly to cloake her hatred with loue and her loue with hatred euery wise-man is to forecast being taught by former hurt and mischiefe not any more what shee doth pretend but what shee doth intend Shee knoweth that the Scripture is a reuealer of her idolatrie luxurie couetousnes pride and crueltie Shee fretts and chafes that no portion of honour and gouernment but of labour and paines is allotted vnto the Pope by Christ his Testament Shee is greeued at the heart that shee is foretold by the Apostles to be mysticall Babylon and the Pope to be that Antichrist Shee abhorres the Scripture as a theefe doth the gallowes shee despiseth the Apostles as her accusers shee hates Christ as her Iudge but with a secret hatred as shee loueth Antichrist with a secret loue whose enemie shee doth earnestly counterfeit hir-selfe to be that shee may seeme to be at familiar enmitie with him So shee doth counterfeit hirselfe to be a most dutifull worshipper of the Scripture as of the former Councells and doth often alledge it as the Diuell doth turned to a contrary sense and doth alledge it but as a falsifier fraudulently corrupted and shee is inwardly vext that such a blow is giuen to her head by the Scriptures not as they be expounded by vs but as they be vnderstood by those Synodes But shee takes nothing more greeuously then that in the supremacie of her iurisdiction .i. in the chiefe article of her publike religion that two of their chiefest founders as shee calls them be so silent witnesses in this cause S. Peter 1 Pet 5. S. Paul S. Peter who did plainly forbid superioritie to any one Priest ouer the Clergie styled himself most truly most humbly not an Arch-priest but a fellow-priest S. Paul who when of purpose he sent an Epistle to the Romanes made no mention at all of the Pope and the prerogatiue of the Church of Rome nor of the after-borne articles of the faith which shee in great plenty brought in afterward And when as of set purpose he had reasoned of the perpetuall gouernment of the militant Church and had gathered together many vnities one God one faith one spirit one body one Lord hee ouer-past one visible head Ephes 4. being forgetfull of their Peter And no maruell when as Peter himselfe was forgetfull of himselfe He did rather diuide the gouernment of the Church among all the Bishops and would rather haue it an Aristocraticall gouernment with many vnder Christ than Monarchicall vnder one as the practise of the Church next following for many ages did approue For that the fiue Patriarches had equall authoritie both Balsamon doth witnes and the Councell of Neece doth confirme And Francis Duarene writes that Boniface the third Francis Duar. de sacris benef lib. 1. cap 10. not before the 607. yeares not without much adoe could obtayne of Phocas to be created the vniuersall Bishop The Pope then is indebted to a King-killer for all the glory of his kingdome and yet he seemeth to giue thanks to Christ as if by his word Feede my sheepe hee had ordeyned the Bishops of Rome in Peter as he writes himselfe a fellow-minister to be Kings so many ages before they were borne Cic. ad PetuÌ„ ep 9. â— 8. As Cicero when as a false decree of the Senate was brought into Armenia and Siria as made against his minde writes that thanks were giuen him from foraigne Kings because he had named them to be Kings by his consent whom he knew not that they were not onely named but not so much as to bee borne But the Nicene Councell doth greatly discontent the Romane Bishop whom he maketh but equall to the Bishop of Alexandria For therefore the Bishop had corrupted that Canon which had restreyned the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome nor being therewith content did adde many yeares after fifty false Canons to twentie true of the Nicene Councell that hee might make the whole world beleeue that his supremacie which was apparantly shortned by the Nycene Fathers being aliue were enlarged by them being dead As the same Cicero doth pleasantly sport himselfe with Antonie Philip 1. when as he had published certaine false decrees of Caesar that the Citizens that were sent into banishment of him aliue should be recalled being dead and that the Citie that was denyed them of him aliue should be granted being dead and that many immunities and priuiledges that were taken of him being aliue should bee sold of him being dead by which meanes Antonie did affect both an infinite and hurtfull power So the Pope doth publish many acts as proceeding from Christ as from the Apostles as from the Nicene Fathers whereby hee doth vsurpe most proud and cruell gouernment in the Church And he fetcheth them from the dead for they were neuer made by them when they were aliue In like manner hee bringeth in the Chalcedon Fathers being dead Coâ—up of a Can of Chalcedon denying that which they affirmed when they were aliue Iudging say the Fathers of Chalcedon that the See of Constantinople in matters Ecclesiasticall bee as well aduanced in matters ecclesiasticall as the Romane being the next vnto it Which words are falsly recited Distinct 22. Renovantes or rather filthily corrupted in the Canon Law while he addeth a negatiue to the last words which altereth the sense of the whole Canon into a cleane contrary yet notwithstanding let it not be aduanced in matters ecclesiasticall as shee but let her be the next vnto it What should I make many words The first six generall Councells which may be thought to
vpon the stage with his head couered for the greatnes of his griefe So these good fellowes bring vpon the stage their pleasant Antichrist hoodwinkt for the greatnesse of his ioy that the world may not see how he fleeres at them The number of the Locusts 5. The multitude and number of Locusts is answerable to the number and power of the Monkes old and new chiefly the Iesuites whose swarmes do adde greater force to doe mischiefe 6. Power is giuen to these Scorpions ouer the earth and charge giuen them that they hurt not the grasse of the earth Apoc 9. v. 4. nor any greene herbe nor any tree but men onely as it followeth in S. Iohn These Locusts then are reasonable creatures yet such as abuse their reason to the destruction of men for they doe not trample vpon herbes and trees but doe annoy the bodies and soules of men whom they strike with their stings infect with their poyson and kill with a lingring death The practise of Iesuites These Iesuites whom these Locusts and Scorpions doe liuely represent doe choke vp with their poyson and extinguish the fidelitie of subiects toward their Prince and the faith of Christians toward God The fidelitie of subiects when they teach they are released from the Oath of Allegeance giuen to their Princes whom the Pope doth denounce excommunicated The Popes vsurped power ouer Princes who can driue out of his Kingdome and depriue of his gouernment Kings Catholike in the faith but wicked as goates hereticall Kings as wolues as Bellarmine writeth neither only open but secret Heretikes as Symanchaâ— nor those onely but their sonnes and followers are vtterly to be rooted out as Creswell agreeth with Symancha by any meanes whatsoeuer as Saunders either by open force 2 King 33. as Iesabel by Iehu or by craft as Holophernes by Iudith as Rainoldus Bourchier write The cruell practise of Papists against Princes or by knife dagger wherby Henry the 3. Henry the 4 were most basely murthered either of them being a Catholike as they terme them only because they fauored hertikes that before sentence was denounced against them or els by a dag poyson The gunpowder treason from Iesuites by which means Queen Elizabeth was often assaulted as Walpoole and Comensus perswaded or else with gunne-powder wherewith King Iames with all the Kings Progeny and Nobilitie and the whole Kingdome of Britaine should haue been vtterly ouerthrowen by certaine wicked English conspirators as Garnet the Prouinciall of the Iesuites in England thought meete whereby it is manifest that the Cheargy-popery whereof Iesuitisme is the braine is nothing else but a catechisme of treason Must we not heere needes acknowledge the poyson of Locusts and Scorpions whereby the Allegeance of subiects towards their Princes is shaken off Let vs looke after another kinde of poyson if you please The Papists poyson the faith of Christians whereby the soules of simple people are infected to choake vp the faith of Christians which they teach must be secret and implicite that the Lay-people must beleeue as the Church beleeueth when as they know not neither what themselues or the Church beleeueth as Bellarmine saith that faith is not placed in the vnderstanding but in â—he assent i. The Colliars faith or that circular faith which Staphilus so much commendeth the master of the sentences proueth out of the first of Iob ver 4. While the oxen were at plow the asses fed neere them Many Mast sent lib. 3 distinct 25. saith he beleeue such things they know not and they haue their faith couered as in a mystery He liketh the greater and Doctors to Oxen Lombards foolish interpretation the lesse and the simpler to Asses who in their humility adhering to the greater beleeue in a mysterie an asse-headed interpretation by the masters leaue 8. Whereby it appeares that Laike-popery is nothing else but meere foolery Vers 4. Whom the Loâ—usts doe hurt 9. Neither doe these Locusts and Scorpions hurt all men but those onely which haue not Gods marke in their fore-head their mindes they goe about to intoxicate with their poyson As S. Iohn saith that the great heapes of vnbeleeuers are onely the prey of the Locusts Vers 5. Locusts kill not but afflict men 10. It is giuen to the Locusts and Scorpions not to kill men but to afflict them for fiue monthes but how can that be true say some when as the Iesuites be notable Cut-throates I answer that S. Iohn in this verse speaketh of the slaughter of soules which these destroying Locusts doe chiefely deuoure Wherein they doe not kill men at a blow but by afflicting them by little and little as they which bee stung of Scorpions consume away by lingring greefe This is S. Iohns sense when he saith that the Scorpions doe not kill men but torment them For when these Antichristian scorpions doe infuse and conuay the poyson into men what gnawing and pritching doe they leaue behinde them how doe they vexe mens consciences how doe they inwardly bite and sting men feele themselues to bee miserable sinners and after death stand in horrour of iudgement They heare little of the true fire of hell much of the false fire of Purgatorie from the Monkes they feele the bitternesse of sinne they feele not the sweetnesse of the remedy They neuer heare of Christ They giue eare to the monks preaching historically of the crosse of the death and resurrection of Christ but of the vertue of the crosse of the benefit of his death of the efficacy of his resurrection the force and power whereof doth consist in speciall application not one word The Papists enemies to certainty of saluation Yea rather there Doctors cry out that it is presumption and arrogancy if the wounded conscience of a penitent sinner be certainely perswaded by faith that Christ Iesus is his Sauiour or that he may confidently trust he is in the estate of grace vnlesse an Angell doe specially reueale it vnto him as though to a faithfull mans spirit the spirit of Christ the God of the Angels doth not giue a more inward more certaine and a more excellent testimony that he is the sonne of God the heire of heauen and fellow-heire with Christ so that the faithfull man feeleth that hee is gouerned by the spirit of Christ from whom hee receiued that testimony and doth ioyne the grace of that gouernment with the grace of that comfort Neither of this do those locusts feele or teach who while they depriue their auditours of the holy confidence in Gods mercy The manner how Papists torment mens conscience nor suffer them to serue God with a sun-like but a seruile spirit and therefore not with the reioycing of the spirit nor suffer them to enioy peace of conscience in the middest of their afflictions and send sinners trembling for feare to the treasure of the Church as popish indulgences and humane satisfactions and
such trifling toyes of the same kinde In the meane time the crafty teachers and the vnhappy hearers being vtterly voyd of true faith and repentance when they haue done all they can doe for all that inwardly feele inwardly I say feele the horror of Gods diuine iudgement and the most greeuous torment of the afflicted conscience and this falleth out after those scorpions haue strucken them with their stings whereupon their greefe is like the greefe of a scorpion when it hath stung a man For as when a Scorpion stings a man with the sting of his taile the wound is not presently felt but the deadly poison doth afterward spred it selfe abroad So those that be hurt by these Loyolane Scorpions doe not presently feele the hurt but doe by little and little perish without sense assoone as they sucke in the venome of their poysonfull doctrine So these Locusts doe hurt men with their number venome and sting CHAP. XIII Other properties of Locusts 11. THese be strange Locusts that are resembled to horses prepared for battell What comparison can there be betweene a base Locust and a warre-like Horse Thus notwithstanding the strength of this vild Locust is expressed 12. The Locusts doe likewise weare crownes vpon their heads heere hee setteth downe the cunning and the craft It is worth the noting that the heads of those Locusts are sayd to be crowned when the hornes of the Sea-beast afterward are sayd to bee crowned why so Because the Priests haue more preuailed with their subtilty and craft then the Ethnicke Emperours with their power and force 13. But the crownes the Locusts weare are not of golde but like to gold Heere hee sets out their pride true and golden crownes are fit for Kings false and couterfet for Priests and therefore are sayd not to bee golden but as it were golden Whereat as if they were true and their owne they waxe very proud for by the sufferance of Princes they are growen to that power that they haue often cast off their golden crownes 14. The faces of the Locusts are as the faces of men wherewith they deceiue men 15. They haue womens lockes which signifie the diuerse enticements and deceipts of false doctrine where againe their cunning is described 16. Teeth as it were of Lyons wherewith like their Master that roaring Lyon they rend asunder tear in peeces those with their iawes whom they caught with their guile Heere you haue their fiercenesse and their cruelty 17. They had habergions like habergions of iron These noble Locusts very warlike with crownes vpon their heades mens faces womens haire Lyons teeth armed at all points are elegantly and liuely described by the holy Ghost Some will happily obiect that all this place is not to be vnderstood of Antichrist and his Ministers but of the Turkes I answere that cannot bee For whereas at the sound of the 4. Trumpet Cap. 9. v. 1. the Angell had foreshewed the Arch heretikes the forerunners of Antichrist at the sound of the 5. Trumpet the Angell bringes in the King of the Arch-heretikes before which the Angell beginneth with that dreadful Proem in the 8. chap about the end crying with a loud voice wo wo wo vpon the inhabitants of the earth By the first wo signifying the darke kingdome of Antichrist by the second wo the violent tyrannie of the Turke which cannot be one and the same because he saith in the 12. vers one wo is past and behold two woes follow after This is not therefore the same but an other wo. By the third wo the terrible appearance of the last iudgement But Bellarmine saith but proues it not Bellarmines lewde dealing with the King of England Bellarmine Christana vic Pacenius Becanus Personius Cidonius Garnettus Gerardus Grenwellus Creswellus Reynaldus and infinite other That Luther is that falling starre and that Lutheranes and Protestants are those Locusts Hauing forgotten that Paul the fift that Prince is the Captaine Generall of those warlike Locusts Who after hee had compared the most renowned King IAMES to Iulian the Apostata doth secretly signifie that hee is denounced excommunicate and may be slaine by his Subiects in bataile but not by cutthroates Bloody Cardinall fitly painted out by a Pasquill a Lyon in the caue with this Motto well appllied Open the caue and you shall see his disposition This iest is too bitter will some say to bestow vpon that great learned Cardinall Is it so he that allowes the murther of a King in fighting doth not he deserue a sharpe reproofe in writing Hee doth not deale with our most worthy IAMES as a King and wee doe not meane to deale with him as a Cardinall Hee was learned heretofore now he is malitious heretofore he was a cheife man in disputation now in rebellion Heretofore a close enemie now an open Heretofore the scorpions venome was not wanting in him but lurckt in him Cardinall Comensis set on Parry that Cutthroate to murther Queene ELIZABETH with his dagger Cardinall Bellarmine nothing the honester but the cunninger denieth that the King may bee dispatcht by a murtherer but by a Souldier he denieth not As if there were any difference in the case of murther whether one kill a King in a Campe or vnder a canopie by open warre or secret treacherie That may be rightly spoken of Bellarmine that Cicero spake of a great Lawyer hee must kill a King that will vse his helpe Therefore that may be well said to this slippery Sophister this armed and bloody Locust which Martiall said to a certaine Cobler Good Tortus be not angrie with my iest I taxe thy craft I meane thy life none ill Indure it man from mirth I will not rest When thou dost thinke that others thou maist kill The cruell dealing of the Papists with Hen 4. the French King How ready a Scholler Mariana this mans Auditor found of Rauiliake the death of that illustrious French King Henry the 4. neuer sufficiently to bee lamented neuer of kings sufficiently to be reuenged doth too too well declare The first of his Schollers strooke out his tooth the second tooke away his life themselues buried his heart A magnanimous and valiant King murthered of a base rascally parricide like to Caesar in his life like in his death for so hee is bemonde of a Christian Poet. Caesar and Heâ— 4. compared Caesar in valour I was like to thee In kinde of death we likewise do agree The knife before thee tooke away thy breath The knife behinde me brought me to my death Thou by the handes of Senators didst fall I by a base and Sauage Caniball But this Rouge you will say was not Marians scholler no more then Catsby Percy Write and Faux were schollers to Garnet Parsons Gerard and Grenwell 18. But let vs returne to Saint Iohn Vers 16. who giueth the Locusts stings in their tailes and a short time to hurt 19. Whose King being the Angell of the bottomlesse pit he brings in
or keepe open doores or haue any contract or businesse or haue any comfortable society with Christs faithfull seruants as Martin the fift in the bull annexed to the counsell of Constance did word for word declare 8. The name of the Beast or of Antichrist doth follow in the last place it is not a proper but a common name For if we know what the Beast is we shall quickly know what his name is CHAP. XVIII Of the name and number of the second Beast THe Beast with seauen heads as I sayd is the state of the Romane and Latine Empire whose sixe Heads or Kings were called Romane or Latine The seuenth is Antichrist called likewise Romane or Latin Therefore Antichrist is the seuenth King of the Romane or Latine Empire But the Pope is the seuenth King of the Romane Empire The Pope therefore is Antichrist 9. But hee must not onely beare the name of the Beast but the number of his name not the number of time but of his name for so saith Saint Iohn no man may buy or sell but he that hath the mark and name of the Beast or number of his name He doth not say the number of the time wherein Antichrist was to bee reuealed but the number of his name which he was to stampe vpon his But the number of the name is the number of the yeeres 666. which is contained The number of the Beast both in the Hebrew name in which language the Prophesie was deliuered to S. Iohn or in Greeke in which language it was written by S. Iohn Romanus in the Hebrew Latinos written in Greeke maketh vp that number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Ireneus witnesse Romanus by Fox his accompt There the common name of Antichrist is Romanus or Latinus It is the name of a man also which is very fitting for Latinus was the name of a King in Italy Romanus of a Pope Heere is wisdome saith S. Iohn hee that hath vnderstanding let him count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a man and his number is 666. It is an olde tradition not to bee reiected of them that bee addicted to traditions that Irenaeus tooke the the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Ignatius Ignatius from Polycarpus Polycarpus from S. Iohn There be other names that containe the same number as Euandas and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but none of these bee the name of the Beast nor the name of a man none such which Antichrist doth imprint vpon his and to whom all the notes of Antichrist doe agree Whosoeuer doth compell those that bee vnder his iurisdiction to take on them the marke and name of the Beast the number of his name and the number of a man is Antichristrist But the Pope of Rome doth compell those that be vnder his iurisdiction to take vpon them the mark and name of the Beast and the number of his name and the number of a man as I haue demonstrated before Therefore the Pope is Antichrist CHAP. XIX Wherein is shewed the place where Antichrist sitteth The Pope sits in Rome which is Babylon WEe haue seene the actions the marke and the name of the Beast Let vs see his seat I haue expounded the starre which fell from Heauen I added somewhat of the Beast which rose out of the earth now hearken to the whore which sitteth on the Beast Ere while the falling starre did represent Antichrist now the whore of Babylon doth represent the seat of Antichrist A falling starre because hee left his place a whore because she broke her troth ere while the Land-Beast did poynt out Antichrist so called not onely because she tooke a surer and a stronger beginning out of rest and idlenesse but because shee being a slaue to her beastly affections sauours nothing but earth and flesh Now the whore of Babylon doth shadow out by your owne confessions the seate and Church of Antichrist Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 16 cap. 17. cap. 22. lib. 18. Sic Hieron in Esa cap 47. v. 1. and else vvhere often Demonst 13. 18. for they are not afraid to call Rome Babylon as the Rhemists Parsons and Bellarmine and mysticall Babylon as Augustine cals Babylon as it were first Rome and Rome as it were the second Babylon and the daughter of the first Babylon whereupon your owne men grant that Rome is that whore of Babylon described by S. Iohn yea they proceede farther for your Saunders calleth it the seat and â—ity of Antichrist We take that you grant for it followes by your grant that not Heathenish Rome but the Bishops Rome is mysticall Babylon for the state of Antichrist being the seauenth head doth follow the state of the Empire being the sixt head of the Beast And therfore Heathenish Imperiall Rome could not be the seat city of Antichrist Therefore Christian Rome the Popes Rome Wherby it is broght to passe that not Heathenish Rome but the Popes Rome is mysticall Babylon For this is the summe of my conclusion Mysticall Babylon is the seat and city of Antichrist described in the Apocal. chap. 17. But Rome is mysticall Babylon there described Rome therfore is the seat and city of Antichrist But they distinguish of Rome in the assumption and they enforce it to be Heathenish and the Imperiall Rome which then gouerned persecuted the Saints Not this Christian and Popish described by S. Iohn It is a very waighty and euident prophesie 1. It had beene a colde and a weake prophesie Reasons to shew it was not Heathenish Rome but the Popish if he had prophesied of that persecution which he saw in others and felt in himselfe Prophesies looke not to the present but the future times 2. If he had meant that Ethnicke Rome had beene Babylon which did afflict the Saints at that time hee had not spoken as of a mystery for that could not seem to him so mysticall that Pagans should persecute Christians That was a plaine mysticall euill that Christians should oppresse Christians 3. Neither would he haue called Ethnicke Rome a whore in that sense which had not giuen her faith to Christ and therefore had not as yet broken it neither did shee deceiue the nations with whorish trickes and daliances but had vanquisht them with military force and weapons Hee doth therefore call Rome a whore after it left off to be a faithfull city which daunted the nations not as Bellona but enchanted them as Circe 4. Neither would he haue made her marchants the Sales-men of soules or that all nations had beene deceiued by her venemous baits if he had meant Ethnick Rome which subdued nations by force did not infect them with poyson For that kept a shambles for bodies not a market for soules And among all the negotiations of Popish Rome none is so gainefull as the trafficke of soules whereof S. Iohn which Ethnicke Rome neuer practised Therfore the Christian Popish Rome is that Babylon Popish Rome
I conclude both out of the Scripture and out of the fathers that Antichrist was to sit in the Temple of God that was in the Church And therefore that Antichrist was not to sit in the temple of Ierusalem Hierome with many other Fathers haue determined And yet this Pythagoras who thinks that his he said so will satisfie fooles doth boldly affirme that he shall sit in the Temple of Ierusalem to be builded againe by him Bellarmine fighteth with himselfe Wherein see I pray you how hee fighteth with himselfe The temple reedified of Antichrist is the Temple of the Deuill But Antichrist shall fit saith he in a Temple reedified by himselfe Therefore he shall sit in the Temple of the deuill not therefore in the Temple of God Vnlesse happily he will change the temple of God into the temple of the Deuill Besides that Antichrist shall sit at Rome as the Rhemists themselues confesse Not therefore at Ierusalem vnlesse peraduenture Ierusalem moued out of her place shall passe ouer to Rome Which perchance they can bring to passe who change the three wisemen of the east into 3. The Papists alter east from weast Kings of Sheba in the west For Sheba stands west from the citie Ierusalem and Chaldee whence they came stands east I cannot see therefore but by the same power they may as well carry Ierusalem to Rome as turne the east into the west I haue euicted before euen by the confession of the Aduersarie That Rome is the seat and citie of Antichrist and yet they proue by a strang kinde of Logicke that Ierusalem is the seat of Antichrist For where Gods two witnesses saith he are killed of Antichrist there is the seat of Antichrist But those two witnesses shall be killed by Antichrist at Ierusalem Apoc. 11.7 Therefore Antichrist his seat is at Ierusalem He takes the proposition for granted which for all that standes in great neede of proffe For wheresoeuer Antichrist shall kill 2. witnesses of God that there he shall haue his seat No more then if some great Prince such an one as they would haue Antichrist to be should there be said to haue the seat of his Empire wheresoeuer his authoritie was of power to kill his enemies Do you not know that Kings haue stretcht-out hands Tiberius hand stretcht out it selfe as farre as Ierusalem to crucifie Christ though he sate at Rome Antichrist hath a long hand whose hand reacheth farther to kill Gods two witnesses then where he sits not euer where Antichrist rageth there he sitteth The proposition then generally taken is false particularly vnderstood is a paralogisme The assumption also is very false for the holy Ghost doth call not Ierusalem but Rome or rather the Rom Empire that great Citie in whose streets the bodies of those two witnesses shall lye slaine and that great Citie is called spiritually Sodome and Egipt where our Lord was crucified Hierusalem aboue is called the holy Citie after Christ his passion how then here is it spiritually called Sodome and Egipt Apoc 11.8 Ierusalem in the Apocalyps taken for the holy Citie alwaies as Hierom writes to Marcella Ierusalem is alway taken in the Apocalyps for the holy Citie Rome for the great Citie which hath the gouernment ouer the Kings of the earth which cannot agree with Ierusalem Besides the word spiritually toucheth Rome very neere for as Rome is mystically Babylon so it is spiritually Sodome and Egipt Sodome for her pride and vncleannesse Rome compared to Babylon Sodom and Egypt ☜ Egipt for her idolatrie and crueltie against the Saints for who is so blinde that can not see that Rome is the chappell of Idolls the stewes of lust the queene of pride the shambles of Saints and the den of King-killers and therefore shee is truly spirituall Sodom and Egipt But where our Lord was crucified there Gods two witnesses were murthered by Antichrist Christ how crucified at Rome But not at Rome but at Ierusalem he was crucified Therefore not at Rome but at Ierusalem those two witnesses shall be killed We denie the assumption At Rome in that great Citie that is in the Romane Empire our Lord was crucified First because by the commandement and authoritie of the Rom Empire Christ himselfe was crucified Apoc. 17.18 as the Rhemists doe confesse Secondly because Christ in his members is often crucified at Rome Thirdly he was not crucified within Ierusalem but without as S. Paul witnesseth to the Heb cap 13. v. 12. Lastly because Ierusalem before the Apocalyps which was extant about the end of Domitian being vtterly ouerthrowne together with their Temple was neuer to be built againe as we haue formerly euicted out of the prophecie of Daniel who saith that the desolation of the Temple and Citie shall continue vntill the end of the world as Hierom expounds out of the words of Christ Neither doe the friuolous answers of Bellarmine much trouble me wherewith he presumes as he writeth that Daniel would haue said something that he doth not say as if hee could not say what he would and therefore he faines that the Prophet spake thus Either that the Temple should not be reedified till a litle before the end of the world or else as it was desolated before it was reedified so the abomination of desolation i. Antichrist should remaine in the same re-edified to the end of the world or else that it should neuer be fully built againe Ierusalem the figure of the Christian Church but that Antichrist should sit in the Temple begun and not finished Ierusalem is wholy the figure of the Christian Church which after it was built vp by the preaching of the Gospell among the Gentiles there was an end both of the Citie and Temple of Ierusalem Matth 24.14 as Christ prophecied Daniels best Interpreter who foretold the abomination of desolation that is the abominable and desolate winges What is ment by the abomination of desolation vnderstanding the Eagles and the Legions of the Romanes as Luke expoundeth should bring a finall destruction to the Citie and Temple so that the desolation of them both should continue to the end of the world as Christ explaineth foreshewing that Ierusalem being ouerthrowne of the Romanes Luc 21.22 23 24. shall be troden vnder foote of the Gentiles till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled i. till hee shall come to iudgement which is described in the next words So that the bounds of the Christian Church being enlarged the Citie and Temple should haue their last end by the testimonie of Christ for the truth appearing the type faded away So that the primitiue Church beleeued that Ierusalem was turned into eternall ashes Ad Marcel and Hierom calleth the opinion of some who thought the Temple should be restored a meere Iewish fable Therefore Bellarmine in Hieroms iudgement who dreames of the restoring of the Temple is not a Christian Doctor but a Iewish Babler Vnlesse hee be worse to be
Britaine What maruaile is it if they raile vpon holy Doctors that doe but write against them when they reuile great Princes that can proscribe them But that is no maruaile that they spare not the good name of a King when they spare not his blood For they be not only byting doggs but deuouring wolues as appeares not only by the gun-powder Treason I should haue said the Iesuites treason but by the cruell death of Henry the third and fourth Kings of France An exhortation to Princes I am grieued at your sluggishnes I am greeued at your slauerie ô yee Kings and Princes who doe endure such sowers of sedition such teachers of periurie such authors of King-killing Beware of these dogs catch these foxes driue away these wolues as my spirit hath aduised you to whom slandering is a sport consening is a game rebellion and conspiracies is meat drinke Foresee that your patience be no longer hurtfull both to you and me Awake out of sleepe at the last and defend my glory together with your owne safetie take the cause of the Gospell in hand and laying aside Antichrist put on Christ Iesus not a false and a faigned Iesus as he is deuised by that Apostata but true and right Iesus as he is preached by the Apostle Doe no longer hold shadowes for bodies shewes for substances preferre not things vaine before those that be sound nor things fraile before eternall Vaine and fraile is the outward shew of Christ which deceiues the eyes sound and eternall is the truth that feeds the soules it is not the forme but the power of the Crosse that brings saluation Let not the glistering shew of Antichrist which wrongs you being aliue and cannot helpe you being dead deceiue your eyes that it may keepe you from Christ from whom you may expect comfort in life and true rest in death Whereby their madnes seemes the more who groueling vpon the ground so dote vpon Antichrist that they neglect the faith of Christ his name onely being reteyned who cannot feele the sauing force of the Crosse nor the inward power of the Spirit nor the heauenly light of the Gospell nor the spirituall glory of my kingdome As if my estate base and contemptible in whom there is no outward forme nor shew to be desired as my Prophet Esay said had caused you to turne both your looking and your liking from me or as if I had suffred the most greeuous anguishes of the soule and the most bitter tortures of the bodie for mine owne sake and had not been wounded for your transgressions and broken for your sins that the chastisement of your peace might reside vpon me and saluation out of my wounds and miseries might come to you For this is the very truth the basenesse of the estate I vndertooke ☜ the weaknes of the flesh I tooke on me the ignominie of the Crosse I endured for your sake seemes vile and contemptible in the iudgement of flesh and blood But if that heauenly maiestie if that power if that glory which through the vaile of humilitie weaknesse and ignominie is transparent to the eye of faith might appeare to your mindes euen as I am described by Iohn a lambe slaine and a lyon inuincible that so I may appeare to you a mighty God in the forme of a weake man How great loue and feare if you beleeue either a heauen or a hell would the vniting of so infinite mercy with such infinite power and iustice stirre vp in your soules Great sinners such as commonly Kings are had need of great grace the preaching whereof shall be as acceptable to you as necessarie when once you shall feele the stinge of an accusing conscience pricking you whereby you might come to heauen by the way of repentance that could not come thither by the way of innocencie But they that vnderstand not the force of their sicknes desire not the force of the remedie And while they feele not the wound inflicted by sinne they looke not for the remedie applied by grace To whom I denounce that I will proue either a most louing Patron or a most seuere Iudge with my right hand to saue them or to be reuenged on them All men whatsoeuer they haue or are owe it all of right to me but Kings and Princes chiefly whom by my speciall fauour and grace I haue aduanced a few ouer so many millions of men and placed them in mine owne throne To what end to what end I pray that they might giue themselues to lust and idlenesse to serue the Dragon to aduance and adorne Antichrist not so not so verily But that they may watch ouer the Church may fight for the Lambe may spoile teare in pieces the Beast if that heauenly quire of Saints in heauen fall down before the lambe sitting on his throne and worship him that liues for euer and cast their Crownes before the throne saying Thou art worthy ô Lord to haue all glory and honor because thou hast made all things and being slaine hast redeemed vs by thy blood vnto God If that innumerable ranke of melodious Angels doe with sweet and loud voices sing of the power wisdome and strength of the Lambe that is slaine and giue him all honor due vnto him What ought you to doe you vnder whose purple robes as yet abideth dust and ashes and who weare but corruptible Crownes vpon your heads what ought yee to do in the cause of your King and Redeemer for since I haue brought those holy soules after the end of all their trauels dangers in my quarrell and battell into the possession of true happines promised and vowed vnto them you that as yet are in the very heat danger of the battell both the necessity of my helpe the expectance of the reward ought to stir you vp to a more feruent desire to defend mine honor Heere I haue a iust grieuous cause to complain that your mutual suspitions quarrels haue made Antichrist weake and contemptible in himselfe to be so dreadfull and mighty Hence it is that that Laterane Idoll hath taken to it selfe the golden head of a swelling title and spread abroad the siluer armes of his pecuniary inrisdiction and strouted out the brazen belly of conspiracy and rebellion and hath mooued and stirred from home those iron feet of violence and pride wherewith he hath not onely trod vpon your crownes but your neckes I tell you plainly the discord of Kings hath encreased Antichrist their amity shall weaken him Is it for your good to admit of spies that may search into your counsels fiery spirits that may cast the seedes of discord betweene neighbor-kings and set them together by the eares Harpeyes that may spoyle you of your treasures Horse leeches that may sucke your blood secret traytors that with faire words may cut your throats who when they haue laught at you in their sleeues that they haue left you lead and taken your golde that
and went about to perswade others to do the same And he had almost preuailed with me but that the most Holy Father did interpose his greater authoritie A third guest Argentines shadow I will conceale by your leaues vnlesse you will assure me that you will procure him no harme which cannot well be without my danger It is his part to dispute against the obedience of subiects which in his minde hereticall Kings doe vniustly exact of them and to obiect the strongest reasons he can for the authoritie of the Pope in deposing such Kings and releasing their subiects from the oath of Allegeance And if you can wipe away and weaken his obiections you shall easily perswade me and my Argentine too I thinke to performe the oath of fealtie and obedience to our King Then Patriotta truly said he so he attempt nothing § 3 against the King and kingdome and dispute as it were in the schoole to search out the truth and not in an assembly to moue sedition I giue you my honest promise I will not take on me the part of a spie and leaue of to be a guest nor cast off the dutie of a friend while I reteyne the dutie of a subiect Here Regius as one that knew the danger of the law better pausde a while yet following his purpose that I may gaine a lost sheep to the King I will said he borrow so much of the law that I may heare a Iesuite disputing And vpon this condition said Calander smiling I will name you my third guest in habite a Courtier in profession a Iesuite Father Robert Saturnine And thus all the guests meeting together in the Parlor Patriotta said that after they had courteously saluted one another as the manner is they sate downe to a costly supper and that it might not be a dumbe feast the Priests did wisely dissemble their inward griefe of minde with forced and pleasant discoursing When supper was ended they were all brought into a gallerie and there sometime walking and sometime sitting they continued their conference about the matters in question till it was late in the night § 4 Here Calander beginning whereas your comming said he was euer welcome to me Velbacel and Saturnine then neuer more welcome then in this dangerous time wherein there is a great and a greeuous controuersie not onely betweene Catholikes and Heretikes but betweene Catholikes and Catholikes about the oath of Allegeance and the Popes authoritie in deposing hereticall Kings and the absoluing the subiects from their obedience due to them as it is thought As it falls out betweene you two one of you disswades me that I should not sweare the other perswades me that I should sweare Thus we Laicke-Catholikes are torne asunder by you the Priests and so distracted in this quarrell betweene the Bishop and the King that we know not in the world what to doe Wherefore when I was desirous that you should discusse your contrarie reasons in this matter of difference and by the discourse and bending of your wits some sparkes of truth might appeare to the satisfaction of our consciences see of a sodaine there are met two great learned men Antonius Patriotta and Carolus Regius two shrewd Aduersaries that I may say the truth in the whole busines of Religion but yet without malice vnknowne happily to you but very friendly to me so that you need not feare that your conference come abroad so it be done freely not licentiously § 5 Then said Saturnine your promise made to me CalaÌ„der doth make me feare no danger from these Gentlemen your friends Therefore I lay aside that person and habit which the necessitie of the time not mine owne will and desire hath cast vpon me and I take to me the person of a Iesuite Although I haue not forgot the last Tearme of all that an holy Priest condemned by the Queenes Law was cruelly put to death O Dracos Law written with bloody letters Good words I pray you saith Patriotta it was not § 6 the Queenes law but the Popes Bull that hanged that Priest For when there were two Priests condemned for one offence the King offered life to them both if they would take the oath of Allegeance The one of them tooke it thother refused it The one of them liues by the mercy of the King the other died by the commandement of the Pope Now tell me whether it were the Queenes law or the Popes Bull did hang him O Hipponactean Bull whose seuerall lines Hipponax a Poet of Ephesus who being painted by Bubalus in such manner that he was laught at made such bitter verses against the Painter that foâ— shame he hung himselfe The Iesuites deceiued the Pope with false alarmes Câ—â— lib. 1. cap. 11. as seuerall lambickes brought the Priest to the gallowes But in the forefront of it he wisheth health and apostolicall benediction to his sonnes the Roman Catholikes but within it there is conteyned a curse and destruction to you all Belike your Pope did sweeten the edge of the cup that the poyson within might go downe more merily This bitter cup the Pope hath mingled for you Calander and Argentine and the rest of the Lay-Papists The Iesuite hath wisht it to you who being the Popes intelligencer signified that the power of the English Papists was greater then the Protestants if hee would that outward forces were ioyned with them as Cominaeus writes that the Burgundian spies being deceiued with the mist and darknesse of the night deceiued the Duke of Burgundie telling him that the forces of France were greater and neerer when as they tooke the longer bryars and brambles in the field for iauelins lances So the false reports of the Iesuites deceiued the Bishop whereby he tooke rash and vntimely counsell to send his Bulls vnto you Hence the Pope as Pius the fift had done before him compiled an horned argument wherewith hee strooke his sonnes on both sides and droue them to that exigent that either they must runne vpon the point of the Queenes law if they obeyed not the King or incurred the Popes curse if they obeyed him For he driues them whose calamities vndertaken for the Catholike faith he doth miserably deplore either to hell or the gallowes For of necessitie they must either be damnde or hangd if you beleeue the Pope damned vnlesse they obey the inhibition or hangd if they obey it Is this the saluation of Paul the fift that he sendeth to his sonnes is this his Apostolicall blessing Doth the pitifull Father thus blesse his sonnes that haue hitherto endured so great afflictions for reteyning as he writes the Catholike faith He hath well rewarded your holinesse that hath sent his Papists in a bad cause with a false feare of hell to certaine death vpon the gallowes § 7 And the Roman-Catholikes Saturnine may not only thanke the false messages sent to the Pope The Iesuites false doctrine hath troubled the Papists but the pestilent doctrine broached by
thinke that these be notable demonstrations in a controuersie of this weight which Antichrists hyred slaues haue vttered as Oracles vpon their bare authoritie against the perpetuall and manifest commandements of Christ and practises of the Apostles In the meane while the Apostles shall be silent the Fathers shall be mute while Kings shall be censured by two of the Popes young and sworne Chapleynes professed and sworne enemies of Kings § 18 But that famous Lateran Councell both for antiquitie and number must fight in the quarrell The Laterane Councell answered We seeke not what euill associates but what good authors you can alledge in this businesse neither must you striue with number but with reason It was no hard matter at that time for Innocent the third to call together 800 Couent Priors and their Vicars his creatures the hungry Friers and drousie pated Monkes for whom it was not lawfull to sit in Councels who might preuaile against 400 Bishops not in weight of reason but in number of voices and coine any decree against Princes at the becke of the Pope their great God and maker But what if at that time nothing at all was decreed but only propounded and deliberaetd on as Platina testifieth that many things were offred to consultation but that nothing could be determined because the Pope suddenly departing to quiet a sedition lately stirred vp died in his iourney And yet will you call the meeting of a number of hunger-starued Fryers onely consulting how the Pope might depose a King out of his kingdome but concluding nothing because the Popes sodaine death preuented it will you call it the most famous generall Laterane Councell And that power which Kings haue receiued from God and that obedience which subiects are bound to performe both by a charge from Christ and rules from the Apostles shall a few of the later proud Bishops 1000 yeeres after Christ and mercenarie schoolemen and begging Monkes take the same power from Princes by the decrees of men Shall God ordeyne Kings and shall men ouerthrow them Hath Gods word bound vs to obedience and shall mans word release vs of the same But that I may doe no wrong to Gods word I will oppose men to men Catholikes to Catholikes as they be called and ancient to younger ones Otho Frisingensis writes after hee had read ouer and § 19 ouer the acts of the Romane Kings and Emperors Lib 6. cap. 35. that he found none before Henry the 4th Emperor excommunicated by the Bishop of Rome or set beside his kingdom which was first assayed by Gregorie the seuenth in the yeere after Christ 1066. I haue found out Vrsbergensis Vrsbergens in anno 1085. who speaking of the Sinode of Mentz wherein the Popes Legates being present the Bishops that had taken armes with Gregorie the seuenth against the Emperor were deposed and cast out of their Bishoprickes said that there by common consent and counsell was setled the peace of God whence he concludeth that Gregorie was the author of that diuelish garboyle against the Emperor Sigebertus the Abbot speaketh playner Sigibertus in anno 1088. and goeth further if good men will giue me leaue to say so This only noueltie saith he that I may not say heresie did not as yet appeare in the world that his Priests who saith to a King thou Apostata and that causeth an hypocrite to beare rule for the sinnes of the people should teach the people that they ought to shew no obedience to wicked Kings and though they haue taken an oath of Allegeance yet owe no fealtie neither are to be called Periurs if they haue such mindes against Kings yea that hee is accounted for an excommunicant that doth obey the King that hee doth against the King is freed from the fault of iniustice and periurie This was counted noueltie this was counted heresie of your Sigebert about 500 yeares since which doctrine you thrust vpon vs as catholike out of Aquinas Toletane and the Laterane Councell And because Baronius the Cardinall Vincent in Spec. hist lib. 15. cap 84. doth denie Sigebert the Abbot a Schismatike I adde Vincentius the Bishop aboue 300 and fiftie yeeres agoe by whom this very heresie is condemned in the same words wherewith they are taxed by Sigebert And if either Sigebert or your Vincentius haue lost their authoritie because as Schismatikes they were said to take part with Kings against the Pope see that your credits be not crackt by these late writers because the fauourers of this nouell heresie as rebells flatter the Pope against Kings For it is plaine that there were very excellent and sincere Catholikes not a few as they were accounted in those times whom Gregories fact did mightily displease and who did plainely denie that the Apostolike See had any authoritie to depose Henry the 4. Emperor as he did and to absolue his subiects from their oath of fealtie as the Bishop of Mentz who was in great fauour with Gregorie the seuenth Gregor 7. epist 21. lib. 8. apud Sâ—uer ad Conc. writ to him and intreated him to furnish him with those reasons whereby he was moued to depose the Emperor that hee might be the better prouided to answer them that did gainesay him And Gerochus Gregories great champion was constreyned to say Auent lib. 5. fol. 563. as it is in Auentine that the Romanes tooke diuine honor to themselues neither would giue any accompt of their doings neither would endure that any should say to them why doe you so who answer as the Poet writes So I will so I command my will stand for a reason I did first vse heauenly weapons against you Saturnine you made resistance with humane Now I oppose humane against humane yours against yours and I will proue it with a necessarie argument that it was a new heresie which Sigebert so called If that be taken for a good definition of heresie which Robert Grosthead that holy and learned Bishop of Lincolne vnder King Henry the third fetcht out of S. Austen The definition of heresie Heresie in Greeke saith he is an election or choice in Latine wherein an opinion chosen by a humane sense contrarie to the holy Scripture is openly taught and obstinately maintayned By which argument as Matth Parisiensis reports he proued Innocent the Pope to be an Heretike because he thought it in his power to bestow a benefice vpon a childe with the same argument shall Paul the fift be convicted who thinkes it in his power to depriue a King of his Kingdome For this opinion was first chosen by humane sense by Hildebrand to get vaine-glory and enlarge the boundes of the Churches dominion with all humane policies and powers And it is against the holy Scriptures which hath submitted Bishops to Kings not Kings to Bishops as before I concluded And it is openly taught being set out in two Bulles by Paul the fift and it is obstinately defended by the Bishop who forbids vnder the paine
of excommunication that the Catholikes shall not take the Oath of Allegeance or else retract it being taken And it is to be doubted that to whom the definition of heresie doth agree whether heresie the thing defined doth agree That Grosthead being dead seemeth with his definition as with his Crosier-staffe to strike the Pope vpon his brest Then Saturnine What Schismatikes saith he what § 21 Sigebert what Vincentius what Grosthead with his Crosiers staffe do you reckon vp As if they were not all condemned by the Church because they were at contention with the head of the Church But that wee may not seeme rather to contend with the authorities of men then of God Paul the Apostle forbad to salute an Heretike yea he warneth that after the first or second admonition we should auoide him If it be not lawfull to salute an Heretike is it lawfull to serue and obey an Heretike Paul teacheth that we sacrifice an heretike as hatefull to God as a great sacrifice to him and tha◠we flie from him as from a gangrene And shall it not be lawfull to cut of the gangrene and cast it away lest it doe infect vs when as we are bidden to cut off our owne flesh if it be affected with a gangrene Now saith Patriotta you shew your selfe a right Iesuite § 22 when as Paul did forbid that we should salute an Heretike How heretikes are to be delt withall but auoide him after the first or second admonition in one word he did forbid voluntarie societie not necessarie dutie familiar salutations which curtesie affords not reuerent obseruance which pietie imposeth priuate acquaintance whereby soules are infected not publike obedience whereby gouernment is maintained It is not lawfull to salute an Heretike will you not therefore pay an Heretike the money that is owing him yes that I would say you I demand againe whether the debt of obedience be not more iust then the debt of money which is of greater force a debt contracted in your owne consent or that which is imposed vpon you by the commandement of God § 23 Here Saturnine We owe nothing saith he to Heretikes Nothing said Patriotta Doth not the seruant owe faithful seruice to his Master being an Heretike he oweth it you say to an Infidell not to an Heretike You trifle If you owe it to an Infidell which doth oppugne the faith doe you not owe it to an Heretike who only doth erre in the faith Doth not the wife owe faithfull obedience to her husband though he be an heretike yes when nothing may be the cause of diuorce but adulterie as Christ teacheth no not infidelitie it selfe as Paul saith Lastly children are bound to obey their Parents in the Lord although they be Heretikes Therefore shall not subiects much more obey the Prince Lord of the familie the husband of the common weale the publike father of the country although he be an heretike for heresie doth not dissolue the bond of dutie but breaketh of the knot of acquaintance But heresie is a gangrene as the Apostle faith But although we are commanded to cut of all heresie as a gangrene yet are we not commanded to roote out euery heretike It were wrong with the Papists if this your opinion were setled in our mens mindes But we leaue these parts of cruell Surgeons to your selues who presently betake your selues to lanching and fearing and alwaies vse the cutting knife and fire and look not for easier and gentler remedies But seeing in this quarrell you seeme to buckle with vs with weapons out of the Scripture which you doe seldom handle whereby you proue that Kings in right may be and in fact haue been depriued that subiects may by a word be absolued as by a word they were bound with an oath of obedience Goe to let vs see before you come to the second foundation the practise of Christians what you can say against vs in the former Then Saturnine I will freely speake saith he what I § 24 verily thinke God had not securely prouided for his Church if he had not sent some holy stout Prophets and Preists who might with their Church discipline correct and keep vnder such Kings as were wicked and tyrannous when they grew desperate Examples out of the old Testament 1. Saul and might remooue them being the hatred of God and men the shame to religion and the burthen to the people Therefore we read the first King ouer Gods people because he seemed to take vpon him the spirituall function was excommunicated by Samuel at Gods commandement and put from the possession of his Kingdome although after Dauids annointing and his owne deposing he held it by tyrannicall force many yeeres and did often attempt to murther both Dauid the competitour of the kingdome and Samuel the executioner of Gods decree as he had slaine foure-score and fiue of the holy Preists the Nobites Who knoweth not that a speciall Prophet was sent § 25 of God to Ieroboam King of Israel 2. Ieroboam who did denounce the iudgement of God against the King and the Kings race because he had separated the people by a wicked schisme from the ancient and true worship of God begunne at Ierusalem and had erected a new altar in Bethel whereby the schisme and diuision from the Apostolike See is properly prefigured and ordained a new Cleargy a hunger-starued and contemptible out of Aarons order such an one as yours is The sinne was afterward so seuerely punished according to the censure of the Prophet that there was none left of the Kings stocke to make water against the wall The King did very fondly lay hold vpon the man of God to kill him because hee thought the denouncing of Gods iudgement was treason against the Kings crowne and dignity § 26 3. Ozia We read likewise that Ozia the King of Iuda beeing puft vp with intolerable pride not content with the honour of a King did insolently presume to vsurpe the spirituall and Priestly office being stoutly withstood by Azaria and 80. other Priests and violently expelled out of the Temple and that because he threatned and resisted the Priests he was strucken with a filthy leprosie and therefore not onely cast out of the Temple but by their authority separated from the company of men which was a speciall figure of the Priestly authority vnder the new Law which may excommunicate Kings as well as others for heresie which is a spirituall leprosie and committed the gouernment of the Kingdome to Iotham his sonne An apparant example that it is lawfull for Priests to take armes and by force to bring vnder the wickednesse of Kings when as they deeme it is auailable for the preseruation of religion and the honour of God § 27 The zeale of the good Priests in the depriuing of that wicked Queen Athalia is worthily commended 4. Athalia whom Iehoida the cheefe Priest with a power of the Priests and Commons did command to be
erre greatly It was their office to discerne the leprosie the Magistrates to separate lest they should faint others That we may therefore vrge this figure against you It is the duty of Princes to separate the leprous that is hereticall Popes rather then of Popes to separate hereticall Princes But whereas you said the person of the King was stoutly assalted by Azaria and 80. other Priests and by violence cast out of the Temple that is an error far more dangerous For they did not violently cast him out but as the text hath it they caused him to make hast to go out of the temple no force at all being attempted For it followeth because the Lord stroke him he was forced of his owne accord to depart And so the word signifies and so your vulgar translation hath it which you call Ieromes he made hast to go foorth 2. Chron. 26. The Iesuits violence taxed But this error hath brought forth that dangerous sin Saturnine by the helpe of your conclusion as it were by the aide of a Midwife For you conclude it is a manifest example that it is lawfull for Priests by force of armes and by violent meanes to represse the wickednesse of Kings Azarias I confesse and the other Priests did resist the King but with words not with weapons And because he had broken the Law by burning of incense they did as it was meete sharpely reproue him neither did they forceably rush vpon the Magistrate or lay strong hand vpon him to driue him out of the temple much lesse out of the kingdome But your men Saturnine go further and from admonition fly to rebellion from reprehension to force from reprofe to armes being cousoned and deceiued by the false interpretation of this and the like places § 37 Here I appeale to you Princes neither to you only who haue departed from the Pope but to you who cleaue vnto him ☜ How long will ye suffer these martiall and swaggering Priests to abuse your patience how long shall this superstitious madnesse deceiue you An Ap strophâ— to popish Kings how long shall this wolâ—ish fearcenesse vnder sheepes cloathing assaile you how long shall they couer their detestable rebellion against kings vnder the cloake of religion And as if they fetcht poyson from heauen as Hercules Aeteus in the tragedie abusing the authoritie of holy Scriptures and examples of holy Priests gather force against your sacred persons and opprobry to your Maiesties This is said Saturnine to chaffe with vs not to dispute § 38 with vs. But marke the reason if you please why Ozias the king was stroken with the leprosie because he presumed to execute the spirituall and priestly function whereof you haue ordained your Kings supreame Gouernours I marke it well said Patriotta and when we maintain that it is lawfull for our Princes to preach the Gospell to baptise to minister the supper of the Lord to forgiue sinnes then cast vs in the teeth with Ozias pride and plague In the meane while learne that it is not for priests but kings to beare armes and the kings of Iuda who vsed the temporall sword to restore the truth and suppresse error which Dauid Iehosophat Ezekias Iosias were said to haue done got great fauour with God and great honour with men But wee when wee are iustly displeased with you whenas like seditious tribunes you stirre vp the commons against Kings and call them to armes wherewith they may vanquish the professours of the Gospell as occasion is offered then here I pittie you exceedingly that from Azarias example peeuishly vnderstood and wretchedly drawn to your purpose you draw from an idle figure so slender an argument of your out-rage that there appeareth neither probabilitie in the Antecedent or necessitie in the consequence And whereas you said that Athalia was depriued of § 39 her kingdome and put to death by Iehoida the priest with the forces of the priests and people Athaâ—â—â— iustly deposed but not by the Priest Ioash the right heyre whom hee preserued in the temple being proclaimed annointed and crowned king you held that the Pope might likewise rightly depriue a lawfull king for heresie both of his kingdome and life it doth lay open apparantly the wretchednesse of your cause For what can you say else then that a wicked woman who flew all Ochasias the kings ofspring one sonne only excepted and did vniustly vsurpe the kingdome was surprised and punished by the vndoubted and lawfull heire of the crowne the king being proclaimed and annointed and the crowne set on his head by the consent of the whole kingdome as you your selfe haue confessed But Iehoida the high priest commanded to put her to death not the king True but hee commanded it by the authoritie of the king not his own But the king you say was but a childe of seuen yeares of age but hee was no lesse a king at seuen yeares then if he had beene of seuentie yeares For age cannot take away the right of a kingdome which bloud hath giuen him Iehoida had Gods law mans law to approue his action But Iehoida when he commanded Athalia to be slaine in the kings name did it both by Gods law and mans law First he preserued the young king in the Sanctuarie being kept from the rage of Athalia and nourisht him secretly in the Lords house Againe hee was the chiefe of his Tribe as others were of theirs that hee might arrogate so much to himselfe as others might in the nonage of the king to pacifie the kingdome and to take vengeance vpon the vsurping Queene for the cruell tyrannie against the kings progenie Besides that his wife was the kings Ant and he was his neerest kinsman and therefore was bound both by the law of nature and nations to defend the kings right his age and innocencie Last of all whatsoeuer hee attempted was with the Kings authoritie and with the common counsell and consent of all the nobility For he conuented all the captaines and cheife Fathers of Israel vnto him into the house of God and made a couenant with them and exacted an Oath of them in the house of God and shewed the kings sonne vnto them And so being not only the high priest but chiefe also of his Tribe and neerest allie to the king nor with his owne but with the common counsell and consent of the Peeres nor commanded with his owne but with the kings authoritie that wicked Athalia iniustly vsurping the kingdome the kings ofspring being first murthered and extinguished to be cast from her kingdome and of her life What is this to the Pope to depose a lawfull king to be murthered by a rebellious people being first by excammunication deposed from his kingdome And whereas you bragge of Elias zeale who did not § 40 only answere king Ahab very stoutly but slew 400. Elias killed not Baals Priests of Iesabels false Prophets you tell vs of the act but you cunningly conceale
vsurper of the Kingdome which had murthered all the Kings Progeny What is this to the Pope that hee may depose a lawfull Prince with his Bishoply authority And whereas you propounded Elias zeale to bee imitated by you Patriott answered truely that your zeale was too fiery and would proue too preposterous vnlesse you could prooue you had Elias speciall instinct And when you said that Achab was remooued from his Kingdome by Elias or Elizeus it is partly true partly false It is true that you say he was remooued but by Iehu whom one of the sonnes of the Prophets did annoynt by Gods speciall commandement which God gaue to Elizeus that Iehu should roote out all the posterity of Achab. Hee was not therefore deposed by Elias or Elizeus but by Iehu whom God had raised vp by name extraordinarily for that purpose Neither did the sonne of the Prophet when hee annoynted Iehu beginne thus thus sayth Elizeus but thus saith the Lord. This doth no whit help the popes cause that Patriott did somtime scatter abroad your arguments as brooms that are not bound together and enforced him as a cripple with a broken legge to halt now vpon one leg now vpon both both in his antecedent and consequent as if the antecedent retained neither truth in the matter or Law in the forme and the consequent had lost all the necessity of proofe So that you neither did helpe the popes power or satisfie our consciences For it was to no purpose as he rightly said to seeke for causes at the last why princes should in fact be deposed by preists and prophets when you cannot proue that any was deposed § 71 You therefore as it seemes could not alleadge that any king was deposed by a priest but Patriott did alleadge that a preist was deposed by a king one especially Abiathar by Salomon This did not onely not help but hurt the popes cause Heere when you did enforce the couenant between God and the King your ready aduersary did demand if the King breake any of the articles of agreement who would enter suite against him or in what court or consistory were hee to bee accused And out of your owne grant hee concluded when you said that the king held his supreame authority taken from God and therefore the king was to yeeld account to God alone in the heauenly court for his gouernment Two pillers of gouernment ouerthrowen And where there are two pillers of gouernment Authority in the King and obedience in subiects which for all our good we are to keep safe sound you seemed Saturnin to ouerthrow them both when you made the king as it were an hypotheticall propositiō and the subiects conditionales but when you made the Popes categoricall and absolute although I reuerence them as most holy fathers yet I will speake truly you haue dealt herein as an vnskilfull Phisition who gets a more greeuous disease to the body by curing one that is easier Being repelled from the old Testament you fled into § 72 the strength of the new and here I had great hope that that your feede my sheepe and I will giue you the keyes had well strengthned the Popes authoritie and sharpned the edge of ecclesiasticall excommunication But it fell out otherwise For the aduersarie proued that by the first wordes diligence was enioyned the Byshoppe to feede the flocke and by the second were committed the keyes of the heauenly not the earthly kingdome And he brought for proofe not onely Augustine and Bernard as common witnesses but Aquinas Pope Vrbane Dominicus à Soto and Ludouicus Rycheomus all of them being on our side who thought the force of the keyes to be not in possessions but in crimes not in binding Scepters but sinnes and iudge it not to be a rooting vp but a meere discipline What you doe you thinke these to be Heretickes as lately you tearmed Sigebert and Vincentius what maruell is it if strangers accuse the Pope when his owne condemne him if his enemies set vpon him when his friends forsake him if the late Catholickes leaue him when the ancient forsake him The first foundation therefore of our obedience laid by Patriotta vpon the perpetuall and vnchangeable commandement of Christ and his Apostles standes firme and sure vnlesse you thinke that it be lawfull for the Vicar of Christ an holy man though a sinner to plucke downe the sacred tables of the Testament to violate the heauenly lawes of Christ and to abrogate the eternall decrees of God Forwhereas in the end you say that the Apostles and their Successours might lawfully haue deposed Nero Dioclesian Iulian Constantius Valens and the rest if the Church had had power to resist you would neuer haue said it as your aduersarie rightly obiected vnlesse you thinke the holy Apostles and fathers were dissemblers who obeyed those euill Emperours for feare not for dutie for times sake not for conscience sake wherein we heard that not the holy Scripture only but the antient historie was directly against you § 73 That we may greatly lament that Bellarmine and Alan so great wittes brought forth so wicked an vntruth And that we may omit Symancha Creswell Reynoldes Parsons and others of our side who brought all their wit and eloquence to patronize so wicked a cause with Alan trumpets not of the word but of warre and we must needes confesse that they haue brought an ouerthrow to many Catholicke families and a plague to their Countrie but also a torture to our consciences and an euerlasting infamie to the Catholicke religion Wherfore leaue off I pray you any more to solicite vs in this cause Saturnine vpon whose head wee see your first argument to be retorted by Patriotta who confest that subiection reuerence honour fealtie and obedience is due to a King while the King is a King But the King is king and we be subiects notwithstanding any excommunication or authoritie of the Pope whatsoeuer as Patriotta hath proued against you as it seemes to vs not only with common but with proper arguments of our owne Catholickes It followeth therefore by your owne confession that all subiection reuerence honour fealtie and obedience is to be performed of vs to our King § 74 Then Saturnine I am right heartily sorry most honourable Calander and am much vext with all that you whom wee euer held a deuout sonne of the Romaine Church now to finde a Renegate in the Heretickes tents and not onely doubting of the supreame authoritie of the Byshoppe but that which is farre worse and more dangerous to your soule oppugning it For not onely the excommunication of Princes which to diuers seemes to be the soueraigne censure of the ecclesiasticall and spirituall power of the Pope belongeth vnto him but their ouerthrow also and rooting out which proceedes not from the power of excommunication but from the power of a certain supreame authoritie in the Pope either as he is directly the Lord of the temporalties or indirectly in
of Popes Causa 15 qu. 6. alius Plat. in Zach. 1. Fâ—â—sing lib. 5. cap. 22. For who knoweth not that Childricke the French King was deposed by Pope Zecharie the first as foolish and vnprofitable and Pipine appointed in his place as it is cleare in our law and Platina writes that by his authoritie the kingdome of France was adiudged to Pipine And Frisingensis which Author your selfe do follow writes that Pipine was absolued by Pope Steuen from the Oath of fealtie which hee had giuen to Childricke and the other peeres of France likewise and that the King being shauen and thrust into a Monasterie Pipine was annointed King More then that Gregorie the great whom erewhile you called a worme in respect of the Emperour did bring the same into practise whereof we now speake foure ages before Gregorie the 7. for in the charter of a priuiledge granted to the monasterie of Saint Medard he so decreeth If any king Prelate Iudge or other secular person whatsoeuer do violate the decree of the Apostolicke authoritie and grant of what degree or state soeuer hee bee let him be depriued of his honour Wherefore in that you depraue Gregorie the seuenth that most holy man being dead because he was the first that offered to depose Henry the 4. Emperor a man full of dishonest lust The Empeâ—â—â— Henry the 4. slandered Auenti lib. 4. Anna. Botâ— infamous for his adulteries whoredomes which his verie freinds could not denie as Auentine writeth truelie it bewraies both great ignorance and singular malice in heretickes And that I may not heape manie things together wherwith the histories of those times haue set foorth the fame and glorie of Gregorie the forme of his election as it is set downe by Platina Sabellicus and other writers Author 3. conuer Angli par 2 cap. 7. doth easily shew what kinde of man hee was Wee haue chosen this day being the 21. day of May in the yeere of our Lord 1072. for the true Vicar of Christ Gregories false praise Hildebrand the Arch-deacon a man of great learning great holinesse wisdome iustice constancie religion The commendation of Lambert Schafnabergensis is extant wherein he writeth that those things which were vsually brought to passe by the prayers of Gregorie with signes and wonders and most feruent zeale for God and the lawes of the Church doe sufficiently defend him against the venemous tongues of all slanderers And what other authors write euen the Germanes themselues of Gregories enemy infamous for adultery Marian. Sco. iâ— chro an 1075 simonie and other trespasses what shall need to speake Marianus Scotus is witnes that Gregorie the 7. moued with the iust outcries of Catholike men who mightily spake against the sauagenes of Henries impietie did for the same excommunicate the Emperour but principally for his simonie in buying and selling of Bishoprickes And this act of the Pope did greatly content Catholikes but displease them who were ready to buy and sell benefices and fauoured the Emperour I might alleadge the same for Adrian the fourth and § 108 Alexander the third against Fredericke the first and for Honorius and Gregorie the ninth and Innocent the third against Fredericke the second but that I remember you gaue vs a caueat that the question betweene vs was not about the quality of the person but about the right of power I might shew also if it were not ouer long that those verie Romane Bishops themselues whose humility and obedience you commended did performe the same not with any preiudice of their right but for want of power to resist the hereticall and tyrannous Emperours I might alleadge likewise nationall Councells and Parliaments also which did alwaies approoue the necessary and iust correcting and deposing of such Emperours and Kings as you name by the Popes censures § 109 Then Carolus Regius it is prettie said he which the Oratour obserues to put ouer the businesse till another time when you haue no more or better matter to alledge though you would But that I may breifly answer the obiections that Leo the 3. Emperour was depriued of all his temporalties by Gregorie the second Leo the Emperour how deposed by the Pope which he held in Italie certainely if we diligently search the historie although the reuolt of the Italians from Leo the Emperour of Constantinople may seeme to be the act of Gregorie the second Zoner an Tom. 3. in impera Leo. Isaar as historians testifie because it made much for the Bishop to haue the Emperours wings clipt in Italy yet it nothing belongs to the controuersie in question for the Pope did it not as the minister of excommunication but as the head of rebellion neither as a Bishop without the rest but as a Rebell with the rest not with that vniuersall authority which § 110 he now claimeth but with a popular sedition Vispâ—rgâ—in an 718. Sigeâ—ert in an 731. Blond dec 2. l. 1 Sabâ—ll Enne 8. lib. 8. Auâ—ntin Anna lib 4. fol. 344. Sigebert in an 801. How the Empiâ—e was translated to the Germanes But the Empire was translated from the Greekes by Pope Leo the third to the Germanes Not so For the Empire was translated not by the Popes keyes but by the decree of the people of Rome as your owne historiographers testifie neither for religions sake but for respect of ciuill iustice for the Romanes who had in purpose reuolted long since from the Emperour of Constantinople who perceiued themselues to bee forsaken of the Grecians and exposed to the inrodes of the Lombards taking that occasion because a frantick woman that is Irene the mother to Constantine the sixt had put out her sonnes eies and taken awaie his crown all of them with one applause chose Charles for their King crowne him by the hands of Leo the Pope and salute him Caesar and Augustus Neither did the Pope depose Childericke Sabell â—nne 8. lib. 8. the French § 111 King but gaue consent to the Peeres and people of the Kingdome deposing him who making much of Pepines prowesse Childericke not deposed by the Pope and being weary of the Kings silly weaknesse Zacharie the Pope being first consulted withall and the title of a King taken from Childericke that all hope of ruling might be taken from him shaue him for a Preist and chose Pepine for their King He was therfore set besides his Kingdome not onely by the Popes consistorie but the councell and consent of the Peeres and people for that hee was vnprofitable for the kingdome as you obserued how iustly I doe not dispute onelie I shew that not by the excommunication of the Pope who could neuer haue brought so great a matter to passe but by the ioynt-consent of the Nobles and people he was put from his Kingdome and Pepine and his posteritie substituted in his place For whereas you said that Gregorie the great brought § 112 the deposing of a King into act that is verie ridiculous for
may be sayd of the secular tyrannicall power as of Tyberius and Nero which may be said of the Popish tyrannicall power as of Gregorie the 7. or Paul the 5. true in respect of the abuse But the ordination of the secular power is of God the abuse of the Diuell Therefore Pilates power which condemned Christ is not sayd to bee tolerated from aboue but giuen from aboue It was therefore a wicked power not a vsurped power as Austin thought wicked in respect of tyranny not vsurped in respect of the ordination but the power of this Prelate I may say this Pilate as Bernard spake it is not onely wicked but vsurped I conclude therfore out of the Apostles principle for the secular power against Bellarmine All power ordained is immediately from God by the witnesse of Paul All secular power whether it bee by the people by the Princes or by the King is a power ordained For reason which is a glimmering of the diuine light doth suggest that all societies must be subiect to one of these whether it bee simple or mixt for the good of common safety Therefore all secular power is immediatly from God § 171 But the title of the power is not diuine but humane therefore the secular Prince hath mediately power and gouernment to rule ouer these or those subiects Bellarmine in his answer to a booke entituled an answer of a Doctor of Diuity to an Epistle written to him by a reuerend freind of the monition of the censures from the Pope denounced against the Venetians either election comming betweene as the Emperour or succession as the Kings of France Spaine and England or grant as the free Princes as the Popes in their own Dominion for so he might haue sayd or by iust war as Godfrey heretofore c. Very ignorantly He doth not distinguish between the title of the power and the power it selfe The title is the condition without the which the power is not obtained to this or that King ouer those or these subiects The power is that authority and iurisdiction which God doth giue immediately to a Prince as Paul teacheth The Cardinall therfore vniesuited as I may so say did abuse that most renowned French King If any man said he should demand of the most Christian King by what right hee holdeth France or maketh Lawes hee shall not answer by the Law of God but by the title of hereditarie succession Yea truely the noble King might haue answered otherwise according to that wit wherewith hee was endued being demanded why he bare rule ouer his subiects or made lawes That hee did it not by the right of hereditarie succession but by the ordinance of that power which hee receiued immediately from God Inheritance doth not giue that power but it is a property necessarie in that man to whom God doth immediately giue that power That subiects may giue reuerence to their Kings not for blouds sake but for Gods sake Goe to and what if one should demand of Paul the fift by what right hee holdeth his Popedome he will answer as he is taught not by the title of mans election but by the Law forsooth of God Therfore the Popes power is by Gods Law as it seemeth although his election bee by the Cardinals Why then may not the Kings power be by the Law of God thogh his succession be from his ancestours for whose condition seemes to be like why should their iurisdiction be dislike The Cardinall therefore deales very vniustly who denieth that to the King which he granteth to the Pope § 172 But the malapert Cardinall did trie the patience of the most Christian King The cruell dealing of the Iesuites with the French King as another of his order a bloody nouist strucke out his tooth when he meant to cut his throat But now the Iesuites doe blesse the King but the King as oft as he cheweth his meate its maruell he doe not curse the Iesuites who while the controuersie depended about the expulsion of the Iesuites receiued a wound from Iohn Chastile and the bloud issued out of his mouth spake pleasantly as his vse was Now at the last the Iesuites being conuicted by my mouth must bee cast out That his friends may greeue that they were brought backe againe by that mouth as innocent and cleered who were the authours of so cruell a murther whose scholler did thrust that valiant King to the heart After the same manner Tom. 11. Baronius that testie olde man did entertaine the Catholike King Philip the second the Champion of their Church for with-holding Sicilie and Naples from the Church Whom will they spare if they spare not the Spaniard What may the Defender of the Faith expect of these fellowes who doe thus entertaine the Christian and Catholike Kings But although there be no truth yet there is some equitie in Bellarmine Bellarmines lewde dealing with all Princes Hee spareth no Princes not those of his owne side Hee holdeth that those who bee Catholike in faith if they beginne to be wicked are to be driuen by the cheife Pastour from the flocke and depriued of their kingdome as well as heretickes Those as giddie headed rammes that they hurt not with their hornes these as rauenous wolues that they deuoure not the flocke So scornfully doth this Braggadochian Cardinall terme the Excellencies and Maiesties of the Christian world The world doth not maruel that Preists be so sawcy but it wonders that Kings bee so patient that they will suffer Princely crownes to be tumbled vp and down by them as foot-bals and the prerogatiues of kingdomes to be so weakned diminished by schoole distinctions For this Cardinall like a bad archer doth strike his confederate next neighbour-kings while he doth directly leuell and aime but in vaine against Iames the King of Great Britaine whom God still defend from his treacherie But to the argument Hee denieth all secular Princes to haue any power immediately giuen from God to rule ouer subiects But it is well that hee doth affirme euen in the same § 173 chapter in as manie words that secular Princes haue power immediately from God to rule their subiects as they are superiors and he alleageth a good reason because the commandement of obedience is immediately from God and this is true For he cannot bee superiour and aboue other if he doe not rule neither can he be a subiect that is not bound to obey And yet againe in the end If secular Princes saith he haue no power immediately from God ouer the Laity much lesse ouer the Cleargie therefore ouer none Which hee granted before Is it so indeede will some say yea truely looke vpon the place Hee is both vnconstant vnlearned you shall see Bellarmine affirming and denying the same predicate of the same subiect and that in respect of the same and that in one and the same chapter Let this great Logician be packing who sends his aduersaries to turne ouer Aristotles
Analytickes and after he hath read them himselfe let him teach vs how two contradictions may be true at once Secular Princes haue no power immediately from Christ to beare rule ouer subiects And Secular Princes haue power immediatly from Christ to rule ouer subiects A manifest contradiction Hee speaketh in both places not of the title but of the power A manifest contradiction But how may Proteus fast be held Who changeth shape at euerie turne But the feeble old man doth often faile in memory and contradict himselfe as Father Paulus and Fulgentius and Marsilius and Chichester haue taken the man tardy and held him to it shrewdly As the mans great wit appeares in Tortus all whose disputation doth hang vpon the begging the thing in question § 174 For that he may proue that the Kings oath doth require not only ciuill obedience of Papists but deniall of the catholike faith Bellarmine continually beggeth the question he taketh the thing in controuersie for granted to wit that it is agreed among all Catholikes that the chiefe Bishop may rightly depose hereticall Kings and free their subiects from obedience And hee affirmeth that this is the catholike doctrine but proues it not which ought soundly to haue been proued if he would disproue the oath He addeth further that when the Kings of the earth haue admittance into the Church with this condition that they submit their scepters to Christ c. if they refuse it it is lawfull for him who hath the rule ouer all the Church vpon earth in Christ his steed to remoue them from the communion of the faithfull and to forbid their subiects to obey them How falsly the Bishop of Chichester teacheth now we obserue the mans wit we are very sorry that Bellarmine doth openly begge and that one thing twise which is in the very question For it is in question among vs whether the Pope haue the power to depose the Prince and to free his subiects from their obedience Here Bellarmine as if like Apollo Pythius he gaue his Oracle from his three-footed stoole pronounceth malapertly enough that hee who is Christ his Vicegerent in gouerning the Church hath that power For he saith that he hath power to excommunicate therefore to depose He proueth that excommunication is an inward thing fastned vpon the supremacie when hee should proue that this deposing is an inward thing belonging to excommunication otherwise hee disputeth not to the point So the state of the controuersie being either turned aside or altogether vnknowne he goeth from the point and fighteth with vs after the manner of the Andabata who fought blind-fold And because the power to depose Princes by excoÌ„munication § 175 is denied the Pope therfore he saith the power of excommunicating is wholy denyed It followeth not it is a fallacie from that which is in some sort to that which is simply and absolutely And when he had affirmed and repeated it againe and againe till a man might loath it that Christs Vicar had so great power he vsed no arguments or proofes to that purpose he desireth to be credited vpon his bare word without reason as if he were a Pope Bellarmine the Pope need not alledge reasoÌ„s of their actions who is not bound to bring arguments to refute the oath for then saith he he might be thought an vndiscreete Prince if he thought he might not forbid a wicked action except he added reasons to his inhibition and write a large treatise after the fashion of the Philosophers to that end They do very cunningly as they seeme excuse that vnreasonable creature who sets downe the articles of the catholike faith as the Mathematikes do their principles You must not therefore ô yee Kings in a matter of such importance as concerns your right so neerely looke for any reasons from Robert Bellarmine more than you expect from Paul the 5. He speaketh as a Prince not as a Philosopher He setteth out not arguments but edicts He disputes not but determines in the Popeâ— cause against the King and that against the opinion of infinite Papists both better learned and honester men than himselfe as appeareth in the answer of the Bishop of Chichester So that Bellarmine seemeth to many wise-men to haue attayned an opinion of learning rather than learning it selfe Foâ— in that whole dâ—sputation the begging sophisme of the thing in question The ground of Bellarmines argument is the begging of the questioÌ„ is the foundation of all Bellarmines answer so heauy headed and dull he seemes in Logick and so vnskilfull in Grammar as appeareth in that part wherein Saturâ—ine disputeth of the spirituall and temporall obedience Bellarmine the great learned man speakes false Latin and alleageth Bellarmines owne words out of Tortus luretur fidelitas Let fealtie saith he be sworne to the King but so ne abiuretur fidelitas that faith be not forsworne to Christ his Vicar § 176 He speaketh false Latin in disgrace of all Grammarians But that farre worse that hee thinketh so basely to the contempt of Kings and Emperors For we doe not so much blame his grammar as his diuinitie And we obserue this by the way he doth obiect incongruitie of speech to others when he himselfe is faultie in manifest barbarisme and calls other mens stiles dyrty when his owne is cast ouer with hell dust That which Robert Bellarmines mouth doth clearely shew the same doth Robert Saturnine who when hee had abased the power of secular Princes to aduance forsooth the power of that one spirituall Prince hath also so tyed the spirituall obedience of Christians to the will of one Bishop that by the pretence therof he may take from Princes at his pleasure the ciuill obedience of subiects God the obiect of spirituall obedience But as he erred in the originall of either power so he erreth in the obiect and end of either obedience We make the true obiect of spirituall obedience to be God himselfe the end Gods word hee makes a contrary obiect the Pope himselfe and the end the Popes will We make the true obiect of ciuill obedience Gods ordination of the ciuill Prince the end the spirituall obedience toward God therefore Paul saith we must obey him for conscience sake not for the busines sake that is enioyned by the Prince but for the authorities sake that is ordeyned by God Hee placeth the Bishop in Gods place enioyning spirituall obedience to vs for very conscience of those things that are enioyned and hee maketh ciuill obedience terminable at pleasure by the obseruation of good order and manners So that subiects obey the ciuill Magistrate not for conscience sake as Paul speaketh but for policies sake as Bellarmine speaketh and that Clergy men obey not for necssarie subiection but at voluntarie discretion and are held in Clergie exempted from obedience not by force of law but by force of reason as hee saith So to vs the obseruing the spirituall dutie is the direction and
iustification and of the saluation of the Elect by the grace of Christ before Peter gaue his sentence and that not sitting but arising and that very modestly and gently Afterward Iames did onely yeeld his opinion but pronounced and set downe in writing the decree it selfe which all the assembly of Apostles and Preists did follow It seemed good also not to Peter alone but to the Apostles and Preists with the whole Church to send certaine choice men to Antioch with the Apostle Paul and Barnabas and the Synodall Epistle did not beare the name of Peter but of all the Apostles Preists and Brethren And if Peter had receiued the primacy of iurisdiction from Christ the other Apostle had done him great wrong that suffered not Peter to bee President of the Councell that they sent Peter as inferior into Samaria that they took accompt of his doing that they met not together by his appointment that they suffered him not to sit aboue others to propound the decree to send Legates and to seale vp the Synodall Epistle in his owne name But the Apostles did no wrong to Peter It followeth then that Peter receiued no primacy of iurisdiction from Christ but was equall to the rest of the Apostles and inferiour to the whole Councell The Papists doe grant a double gouernment to Peter § 201 Peters double pretended gouernment Galat. 2. Paul nothing inferiour to Peter They make him Lord of the spirituals and temporals Therefore the Apostle Paul did ill bee it spoken with reuerence who made himselfe equall to Peter and gaue out that he was inferiour in nothing vnto Peter and which was more reprehended him sharpely to his face as his equall and fellow-seruant and that publikely when hee tooke him in a fault For the Gospell saith he was committed to me ouer the Gentiles as it was to Peter ouer the Iewes For hee that was powerfull through Peter in the Apostleship of the Iewes the same was powerfull in mee ouer the Gentiles And when as Iames Cephas and Iohn who seemed to bee pillers knew that grace was giuen me then they gaue the right hands of fellowship to me and Barnabas See Cephas doth acknowledge Paul his fellow hee had him not for a subiect neither did hee challenge to himselfe the highest top of gouernment but gaue the right hand of fellowship which was done by Peter not only in respect of humilitie of minde but for equalitie of office Farre be it from vs to thinke it was written by Paul for pride of minde but for the truth of the matter And if Christ had appointed Peter the vniuersall Bishop Prince of his Church how durst Peter and Paul couenant betweene them-selues in the 18. yeare after Christ his passion that Peter should exercise the Apostleship ouer the Iewes and Paul ouer the Gentiles not only but chiefly whereby Paul by the Antients is called the Prince of the Apostles as well as Peter But the equall hath no gouernment ouer his equall Peter would be are no rule ouer the clergie 1 Pet 5. Neither could Peter himselfe beare rule ouer the Clergie that he might not seem to permit that to other which he would not take to himselfe when hee called himselfe not a chiefe Priest but a fellow Priest Much lesse did he vse the sword and ciuill gouernment and iudge Caesar to be subiect vnto him but admonished himselfe with all other Christians to submit themselues to Caesar as to the most excellent and to other Magistrates as sent from him neither did at any time exercise ciuill gouernment He had it not therefore for that is not a power which is neuer brought into act Therefore Peter was no more ouer Kings than hee was ouer Apostles § 202 Nay Christ himselfe as a man was not aboue the Emperour Christ himselfe as man not aboue Emperors As he is God he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords as he was man he did not only submit himselfe to Tiberius but to Pilate Tiberius Deputie in Iurie You had no power said he ouer me if it were not giuen you from aboue Againe he saith that his kingdome was not of this world when he was demanded of Pilate what kingdome he laid claime vnto Whereby it appeareth that Christ was to haue not a temporall August in Psal 47. but a spirituall kingdome as Austin gathereth out of those words Harken to this ô yee Kings and enuy not Christ is a King after another fashion than you are who said my kingdome is not of this world Feare not therefore if the kingdome of this world be taken from you you shall haue another giuen vnto you and that a heauenly one whereof he is King If Christ had not a temporall kingdome was it for Peter to haue it what is this else but to make the seruant aboue his master and the embassador aboue him that sent him and if it did not belong neither to Christ nor to Peter do you thinke that not only the temporall kingdome but the chiefe gouernmēt ouer all temporal kingdoms was giuen to the Pope Christs supposed Vicar Peters counterfeit successor fie vpon such foolish pride fie vpon such loftie vanitie which Christ did reprehend in many places in the the Apostles when he said the Kings of the earth beare rule ouer them but you not so And as my father sent me so I send you And my kingdome is not of this world And yet Bellarmine dares to write Bellarmine contrary to Christ that the supreme temporall power was giuen to the chiefe Bishop which Christ himself by his owne confession did not exercise Christ saith the Kings of the earth beareth rule ouer them but you not so Bellarmine contrary but you so Christ as my Father sendeth me so I send you Bellarmine contrary not as my Father sendeth me do I send you The Father sent me in humilitie and ignominie I send you in pompe and maiestie Christ my kingdome is not of this world Bellarmine contrary yea it is of this world and of all this world So manifestly doth the Cardinall contradict Christ But although Christ as man did not exercise temporall § 203 power he might if he had so liked saith Bellarmine Here the question is not what Christ could haue done but what he did Neither is the authoritie of Peter to be grounded vpon that which Christ could haue done but vpon that which Christ did indeed Christ could if he had pleased haue made the world in an instant but he would not the Scripture witnesseth he would not because it is said that hee tooke to him six daies to bring forth that worke He could if he would haue redeemed the world with one drop of blood without death but he would not that hee would not the Scripture beareth witnes wherein it is said that he must die for vs. So he could if hee would as man exercise the dominion of temporall things but hee would not that hee would not truth it selfe
Bishops vnlesse happily any other course seeme better to you Then Calander I promise you said he that nothing § 67 is more acceptable to vs that I may make answer for Argentine my friend I neuer doubted of ciuill obedience to be rightly performed to good Kings by Catholikes I thought to confesse the truth I was absolued from the oath of obedience to Heretikes and Tyrants after once they were denounced excommunicated by the Pope and now lawfully deposed from their kingdome Now seeing I perceiue that Christ Peter and Paul not only taught but shewed ciuill obedience to Tiberij and Neroes and to be so farre from taking from them with their diuine power as they might their scepter sword and Crowne that vnder them they laid downe their life to confirme their faith and obedience You haue said that which makes me begin to doubt of such force of excommunication and such power of the Pope For when I did diligently obserue euery passage of your disputation Patriotta out of that perspicuous and short exposition as it were consisting of those three texts I must needes confesse that the sparkes of this vnknowne and vnhard of truth did first cast them selues into mine eyes wherewith the authoritie of Aquinas Toletane and Laterane Councell for their power of excommunication and the authoritie of the Pope alleaged by Saturnine presently brought a mvst ouer them But light was brought out of the myst by Fristugensis Vrshergensis Sigebert and Vincentius and all the ancient and sincere Catholikes and graue witnesses of those times as I heare my Velbacellus affirme at what time Gregorie the 7. did first attempt to driue Henry the 4. Emperor by his excommunication out of his kingdome Here Saturnine being driuen from humane authorities betooke himselfe to diuine But whatsoeuer he tooke Patriotta straight-way caught it out of his hands where hee said that the Apostle forbad wee should not salute an heretike and commanded to auoide him after one or two admonitions Patriotta made answer that hee forbad voluntarie societie not necessarie subiection priuate familiaritie not publike obedience And when he prest that a gangrene was to be cut of he instantly replyed that it was not an heretike but heresie was compared to a gangrene and with a religious kinde of charitie as it seemde sparing the heretike thought good the heresie should be rooted out And from thence in my iudgement concluded not amisse when no heretike was to loose his inheritance or his life that a King much lesse was to be depriued either of his life or inheritance by reason of heresie Here Saturnine bent all the force of his wit and betaking himselfe into the fortifications of the old Testament from euery place gathering the forces of examples with arguments drawne from thence fought very valiantly so that when I heard him alone he made me consent almost vnto him But this heretike Patriott shrunke not a foote but presently buckled hand to hand He had said that Saul was deposed Patriot as the truth was distinguished that the person of Saul was not remoued from the possession of the kingdome but his of-spring from the succession But by whom euen from GOD not from Samuel whom hee proued to be not a Iudge but a messenger nor to haue inflicted the punishment of deposing but to haue published the decree and that not by the right of his generall vocation but by speciall instinct and reuelation from God not as Prophet but as a Prophet appointed to that end to annoint Dauid for the succession of the kingdome whom God had named with his owne mouth So that nothing can accrue to the Pope from hence vnlesse he can proue he haue receiued a reuelation to depose a Prince When hee contended that Ieroboam was cast aside § 68 by the Prophet he againe denied it confessing hee was greeuously reproued by the Prophet not violently remoued Saturnine assaults againe that Ozias a Leper was by force driuen out of the Temple by Azaria and 80. Priests and that he was separated from the societie of men and the gouernment committed to Iothan his Sonne Here Patriott a better Text-man as it seemeth denied that the King was put out of the Church forceably but being strooke with a leprosie was enforced by his owne accord to depart out of the Sanctuarie not out of the kingdome the right whereof hee reserued to himselfe to his dying day and put ouer the gouernment to his sonne as to his Vicegerent And that a Leper neuer lost his priuate inheritance much lesse his publike And when as heresie is a leprosie nor euer any was depriued of his kingdome for leprosie and therefore for heresie none was to be depriued Which reason must needs satisfie me in this businesse vnlesse it can be proued that the leprous Iewes lost their inheritance And when Saturnine affirmed that the lepers were separated from the company of men by the Priests Patriotta excepted against it that it was their duty to discerne the leprosie but the Magistrates were to put them apart So that the iudgement of the businesse belonged to the Preists the parting of the person to the Magistrate Whence he concluded and retorted it vpon Saturnine who sayd that heresie was a spirituall leprosie that it followed from this figure that the King ought rather to separate an hereticall Pope then the Pope an hereticall king So that this figure was more hurtfull to the Pope then to the King § 69 One thing there was which both Patriott did shrewdly re-enforce against you Saturnine and did likewise mightily offend vs all when you concluded out of Azarias example that it was lawfull for Preists to take armes to represse the wickednesse of Kings for the Preist resisted the King not with arms but with words vnlesse perhaps you will take a greeuous admonition reproofe and reprehension for armes Azarias did not cast the king out of the temple much lesse out of the kingdome And doe you thinke of corslets swords and lawnces wherewith a warlike Preist may remooue a King from his throne fie vpon this proud vanitie A Bishop ought not to bee a striker much lesse a warriour It was not lawfull for Dauid to build vp Gods materiall Temple because he was a man of bloud and will you build vp Gods spirituall Temple with bloudy hands But I referre you to the canons and goe forward For where you sayd that Athalia was lawfully deposed § 70 by Iehoida the Preist it was first answered that shee was neuer rightly created and crowned Againe that she was deposed by Iehoida not as hee was high Preist but cheife Prince of his tribe and next allie to the king nor by himselfe alone but ioyned with all the Nobles of the kingdome not with the authority of the Preist but by the authority of Ioash being first annoynted and crowned by him that whatsoeuer he did he seemed to doe by the power of the king with the common consent of the Peeres and Nobles against the wicked
a King but makes a Cardinall equall with him very fondly The Bishop of Ely was somtime Cardinall of S. Pauls Church as now Bellarmine is Cardinall of the Church of Rome Yet notwithstanding being as well learned hee would not compare himselfe for modestie sake with the Cardinall when well he might For though as he is Bishop of Ely he is inferior to Bellarmine yet as he was Cardinall of S. Pauls Church he was nothing inferior And yet the Cardinall is so mad as to compare himselfe to the King the Bishop of Elies Lord. But let vs returne to the argument It is famous that which the Fathers all with one consent § 146 write vpon this place To feede the same which to teach that to feed is the same which to teach which is not proper to Peter alone but common to all Apostles and Ministers that all the Apostles were equally shepheards of the whole flocke that Iames and Iohn were no more Peters sheepe than Peter was Iames and Iohns sheepe who are equally called pillars to feede and to rule are not synonimaes but by Peterâ— interpretation they be contrary That Peter was thrice confirmed by name because Peter denyed Christ thrise by name Not therefore for honors sake as you say but for comfort or if for honor not that it was enlarged vpon Peter aboue the rest but that it was restored to Peter of whom Christ required a threefold confession of loue that with his threefold confession he might blot out his threefold deniall Excellently said Chrysostome When Christ said to Peter Feed my sheepe it was Christ his purpose Chrysost l. 2. de sacerd to teach Peter and all the rest how much he loued the Church to that end that we with all our minds should take care for the same and else-where in his 87 homilie marke well the words said he feed my lambes .i. feed my faithfull people not yours I haue demanded if you loued me that loue which you professed towards me shew toward them feede them not your selfe Woe to the shepheards of Israel that feede themselues Ezec 34. cap. Ezec 34. not my flocke woe to the shepheardes that scatter the sheepe of my flocke Hearken Paul the fift that feede themselues who seeke their owne profit and glory not the glory of God not the saluation of the faithfull ouer whom they haue charge § 147 Neither did Austen speake lesse elegantly when it was spoken to Peter saith he Aust de agon cap. 3. it was spoken to all Do you loue me feede my sheepe And elsewhere as my sheepe not as thy sheepe Tract in Ioh. 131. seeke my glorie in them not thine owne my gaine not thine Heare Paul the fift you thinke that Kings are not Christ his sheepe but your owne You seeke not the glory of Christ in teaching them but your owne in subduing them How the Pope feedeth You doe not endeauour to gaine sheep to Christ but to seeke wooll for your selfe Yea you doe not only clippe the flocke but deuour the flocke while you deliuer doctrine pernitious to the faith of subiectes to the safty of Kings to inward and outward peace And do you loue Christ you loue your owne selfe Christ you doe not loue no more truly then your Lord Apollyon whose vicegerent you are vpon the earth I might if I would ioyne other fathers to Chrysostome and Austen I might alleadge out of your owne men Marsilius Patauine and Cusan who appoint the feeding to be by word and by example by sound preaching good example and make it common not onely to all Apostles but to all Ministers Bellarmine farre otherwise Bellar lib. 1. de pant cap. 16. He said to Peter Feede Therfore Peter alone must feed He said once feede my sheepe sheepe i. Priests Byshops and Apostles who haue bred Lambes twise Lambes first vnderstanding Iewes and then Gentiles Therefore he committed the vniuersall flocke to Peter and because to feede is the same which to rule therefore he gaue to Peter the vniuersall principality ouer the flocke § 148 A cleare and euident place saith Stapleton that by sheepe Pastors Staepl doctr punc con 2. Byshoppes and Apostles are signified by lambes the rest of the faithfull So happy is Bellarmine that he neuer coyned so ridiculous or idle a conceit but some or other would take it vp Mald in Ioh 21. and commend it ouer to fooles Marke saith Maldonatus if this subtilty cast-not learned men into a laughter Lambes sheep confounded Ioh. 17. the name of the Lambe is a little more kinde and carrieth a greater shew of loue Feede is not to rule but there is no difference in the thing but in the word For whereas you say that to feede is all one with to rule whence you seeme with Bellarmine to fetch the vniuersall Monarchy of Peter it is not only a hungrie but a swelling and proud interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to rule but to feede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not Rectors but Pastors And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are sinononyma the former word Christ vsed in the 3. place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now assume out of Iohn being rightly translated and what will you then conclude that it was giuen in charge to Peter that he should feede the flocke therefore to rule the flocke But be it so let feede and rule be all one to rule when it is enioyned to Byshoppes is that which to direct that is to rule with wisedome and counsell not with power and gouernment But Bellarmine doth thus interpret Christ feede Peter i. rule and gouerne Baronius goeth farther Baronius maketh feede to kill in the excommunication of the Venetians to Paul the 5. there is a double ministery of Peter to feede and to kill for the Lord said to him feede my sheepe and hee heard a voice from heauen kill and eate This killing is not crueltie saith he but pietie and sinceritie § 149 very well Paul the 5. The Pope doth kill in pietie out of his loue and pietie forsooth doth kill men which Seneca doth call cruell pietie But he killeth them that he may hide them in his entrailes saith he I thinke so hee will haue the Pope not onely to fleece the flocke but swallow it vp at a bit Baronius doth vse the words of charity but the examples of crueltie For hee propoundeth Gregorie these uenth and Alexander the third his Countrymen of Sene to be imitated by Paul the 5. Christian Kings must be very secure I warrant you whenas the Pope doth once beginne to play Gregories and Alexanders prankes As Bellarmine doth stretch out his to rule to the head and throate he doth it somewhat more wâ—â—â—ly but with as little honesty For when he had written in his letters to his friend Blackwell that no Pope had euer commanded that the Prince should be killed and the Authour of the Apologie had excepted
that he commanded warre to be raised wherein hee might be slaine he answeres in Tortus How the Papists may kill a King how not that Bellarmine spake not of murther which may happen in battaile but of that murther which may be committed by a royster A very honest distinction As though hee bee not as well a murtherer who at the command of the Pope doth kill the King by open force Cardinall Comensis incited Parry to kill Q. Elizabeth as he that shall doe it by secret treacherie That this Cardinall threatning warres armes is no honester then Cardinall Comensis whose letters are extant wherein he encouraged Parry with promise of reward and pardon from the Pope that hee should bring to good effect the purpose of his good spirit those were his wordes that is that he should murther Queene Elizabeth with his dagger Bellarmine proued no better to our excellent King Iames but somewhat the closer Did Peter feede the Church after this manner This is not foode but poyson Did he so guide the flock of his Master as if the chiefe belweather of the flocke went astray he would take care that he should either closly or openly be slaine Giue a Shipheards crooke to a Shepheard What hath a Shipheard to doe with a sword Yes forsooth saith he when Christ made Peter a Pastor hee made him a Prince For when hee commanded him to feed he commanded him to rule And he gaue him not only a ministery but a magistracy But good Sir the inward and spirituall gouernment is one thing which Peter exercised ouer soules by the worde the Sacraments and the keies the earthly and outward gouernment is another thing which Paul the 5 doth practise by fraude and force against crownes I pray you tell mee Calander what difference you make betweene these two and the Commentaries of the Fathers and their owne popish writers Marke the consequencies depending on this interpretation partly foolish partly wicked Peter is commanded to feede the flocke of Christ § 150 Therefore none but Peter Vpon Peter is laide the charge of feeding and teaching Therefore the honour of ruling and reigning is bestowed on him Peters dutie is to teach Kings Therefore to depose Kings To instruct Kings therefore to destroy Kings To Peter is granted a spirituall regiment therefore an earthly gouernment Whether doth hee that knits together such consequences and these are necessarily gathered out of Bellarmines interpretation seeme to be sent to the schooles or to the Anticira for a purge Charge is laid Calander vpon all true Pastors in Peter to feede and rule the flocke of Christ committed to their charge but so that they feede them with the spirituall foode of wholesome doctrine and rule them with the staffe of wholesome discipline But if Paul the 5. doe not feede the flocke but feede vpon it and doe not order the steppes of his sheepe but breake their legges and their heades truly he doth giue food and vse his shepheardes staffe otherwise then Christ appointed Wherefore I thinke King Iames would rather fast then bee fed by such a Shepheard who feedeth to that end that hee may kill and eat What other Kings doe let themselues looke to it let them laugh in their sleeues as they please when they read these foolish quiddities of Schollers but let them take heede of such wicked baites of rebellion which lurke in Bellarmines new Dictionarie Wherein To feede and to rule are 〈◊〉 To teach a King and to depose a King all one The excommunication of a King and depriuation The absoluing of sinners from sâ—â—e is the absoluing subiects from their duty § 151 Doe they not perceiue that this is the Grammer of that proud and bloody Antichrist Therefore King Iames doth willingly forsake the popish flocke that hee may betake himselfe to Gods flocke which is knowne of Christ and followeth him and flieth from a stranger For he doth not regard these carnall Cardinalls so leaden-pated in their arguing Peter is the Porter of heauen Therefore the Lord of the world Peter is a Pastor therefore a Prince Peter is a Fisher of men therefore of kingdomes A net was giuen him wherewith he may take fishes as well great as little Therefore he hath gouernment aswell ouer Kings as subiects Peter is charged to feede the sheepe therefore he is charged to feede the rest of the Apostles He is twise charged to feede Lambes therefore the Iewes and Gentiles and by consequent all Christians Do not these hange together as a sickmans dreames Doth not Bellarmine seeme to expose the Scripture to mockery when he reasoneth after this fashion against Aquinas rule who doth plainely deny that symbolicall diuinitie Bellarmine buildeth his Church gouernment vppon tropes hath any force to argue whereon for all that hee hath built the whole supremacy and doth pronounce it to be a doctrine of the Catholicke faith most plainly founded vpon the Scriptures The Philosophers doe laugh at Epicure for making the world of moates And will not Diuines hisse out Bellarmine that frameth the ecclesiasticall gouernment of tropes For truely you shall assoone finde Moores Vtopia in the world as Peters Monarchy in the text Which Article notwithstanding is fained to bee the cheefe article of the Popes Creede wherein are contained many articles aswell of superstition and Idolatrie as of conspiracie and rebellion So that Poperie is nothing else but a plaine catechisme of false faith toward God and the King For that double power ecclesiasticall and temporall § 152 which you faine to bee so inwardly ioyned to the supremacy that it cannot be separated from it you haue erected as a double engine to ouerthrow the truth of diuinity and the Kings dignity For you haue translated each of them as it were from Peter to the Pope and the Popes successour which you assume and proue not Ecclesiasticall whereby by excommunication he may binde Kings and absolue subiects not only from sinnes but from vowes lawes and oathes So by excommunication the Pope stealeth away crownes from Kings and soules from subiects while he taketh away authority from the one and obedience from the other In both he breaketh Gods will wherby the ciuill power of the Prince though he be euill and the obedience of the subiect is soundly established as I haue fully and at large satisfied you in the former Dialogue and I haue no lesse infringed the Popes temporall iurisdiction where you alleadged it In the meane while there was no reason this insolent Cardinall should tearme Kings Catholike in the faith if once they began to bee wicked vnruly râ—mmes Bellarmines sawcinesse iustly reprooued and Protestant Kings and Princes rauenous wolues himselfe being a goate and a foxe he durst not I say call them so but that hee thinketh Kings to be very patient Who if they remembred themselues to bee Kings would teach this sawcy and busie Cardinall to follow his holy studie and not to trouble himselfe with Kings affaires Neither would they