Crownes must yéeld humble obeisance and be subiect hauing full power to take them from whom he list and giue them againe to others as it may best please his Holines And touching the kingdome of heauen hée hath it so at commandement that he hath power to open it to some and to shut it to other some as he that kéepeth the keyes of heauen gates in his owne handes as for Hell his power serueth him as well to send thither whole Cart loades of soules no man so bolde for his life as to aske him why nor wherefore These things made Kings Princes so sore astonished that the Emperours at their Coronation abase themselues so low as they promise to serue the Pope for Subdeacon to hold the stirrope while he get on horsebacke and to leade his Horse by the bridle a litle while A worthie péece of homage for the Italians to remember who haue exalted their Sea and Bishop to so great preheminence Of which act they may be well ashamed as also of the dispossessing of Childericke descended from Pharamond of the Crowne of France to inuest Pipin great Maister of the Pallace whome he had sent with his Army to succour the Romanes against other Italians in recompence of his conquestes which hée forgaue the Pope and the people of Rome which was a reward out of other mens purses for it cost Childericke full deare He learned not this by the succession of the Apostles neither did he herein imitate Iesus Christ for he himselfe paide tribute to Caesar and he whose heire and successour he saith he is teacheth him another lesson in his first Epistle Feare God Honour the King And S. Paul writing to the Romanes willeth that euerie soule bee subiect to the higher powers and that in resisting them they resist the ordinance of God Likewise S. Iohn Chrisostome interpreting this place saith that by these words Euerie soule is meant Apostles Prophets Euangelists Bishops Monkes none excepted In like manner the high Priestes representing the person of Iesus Christ did neuer enterprise to make such braueries against Dauid Salomon their successours kings of Ierusalem Is it then likely that a Bishop or poore Monke should go about such high enterprises of his owne motion wée may easily iudge that it is the Italians of Rome who vnder the couering of their names and by their subtill meanes extort from them such things to make themselues rulers and get mony vnder the maske of their authorities from other peoples and nations of the earth Cap. 17. That to make the kings of the earth vassalles tributary to the Romanes they sow warres amongst them and vse Censures ALthough the Italians hauing aduanced their capitall Citie and high Priestes to so high dignitie and soueraigntie ought to haue rested content without encroching any further yet such is the naturall inclination of this nation that hauing an inch granted them they will take an ell they begin now to cast about and deuise some meanes to winde vnder their armes the neckes of Christian Kings and Princes to bring them to be their tributarie vassals To make way to this considering that from the beginning the Popes were not admitted in the election of Emperors or the Kings of France by reason wherof they could not so well master them nor turne and winde them at their pleasure because they durst not enterprise against them so fréely the Councell of Rome taketh away this obstacle and worketh so wel in the matter that the election is translated to the Priests of Rome who are my Lordes the Cardinals That once dispatched séeing themselues greatly aduanced thereby they contriue other meanes which they sée more fit to effect their purposes whereof one is to stirre vp warres and debates betwéene Christian Kings Potentates wherby they may destroy and weaken them selues by their owne proper armes and bow more at ease their neckes vnder the Italian Domination The other is by the Popes censures to set them together by the eares with domesticall and ciuill quarrels and in the meane time while they iarre to get some prouince or kingdom from them into their owne handes it is long since the Romanes vnderstood this practise yea a good while before the domination of Caesar For desiring to bring Greece in subiection wherein there were two inuincible leagues to wit of the Achayans and Ethobians who held so fast together that it was impossible to vanquish them any way by armes they found out this hole to enter in to make them fall to warres and diuisions among them selues so to ruinate their owne countrie that they might more easily set foote into their prouinces And if we looke well vnto the violeries that Caesar won on this side the mountaines the Italians redoubting the Switzers more then any nation in the world as Cicero saith in his Philippickes we shall sée that Caesar charged them by surprise at great disaduantage and against the law of armes they hauing passed the one halfe of their armie ouer the riuer Soane and the other remaining on the other side of the riuer could not come to fight being as yet then no declaration made of open warre betwéene the Switzers and him Besides he tooke Ariomistius chiefe Captaine of the Almanes and all his troupes at vnawares and assailed them in time of truce after to couer his sport and to make the matter good he saide that he had discouered how they went about to surprise him By meanes whereof hauing furnished his armie with two strong and warlike peoples and hauing by diuisions that he sowed euerie where got most of the Gawles on his side being beside verie skilfull to kéepe good order of militarie discipline it was an easiie matter for him to ouerthrow all other peoples Amongst the rest the English withstood him most couragiously at the first and gaue him repulse but he went another way about with them for before he departed he kindled such quarrels and diuisions among them in the which they were verie hote one against another before he returned to set vpon them againe wherefore it was an easie mater for him to vanquish and conquest them afterwardes Cap. 18. The Councell of Rome setteth kinges and christian princes together by the eares and the way how they discouer all their counsels and enterprises THe Romane Councell hath got some more aduantage by this their pollicie and deuice since the creation of their Pope for pretending to bring all kinges peoples and princes of christianitie Catholikes as well spirituall as temporall vnto their subiection vnder cloake of their Bishops they haue spunne the thred of all the warres which haue béene betwéene the Emperours and other christian princes so to bring them on their knées and to vndermine them that waies that they must still of force haue recourse to them as to a place of refuge and protection the onely meane to pull downe their hautie stomakes and to set the Italian farre aboue them To passe ouer this plancke well
as high as heauen gates shutteth openeth them euen as they do the doores of the Consistorie at Rome In some this foundation stone is that Saint Peter had his Apostles seate at Rome and there was martired whereof followeth that the Romane Bishop is his successour and hath vniuersall charge ouer the whole world For the first I deny séeing that neither the Acts of the Apostles nor any other of the Epistles of S. Paul hath made mention therof that he himselfe witnesseth that he was the Apostle of the Iewes called to those that were of the circumcision For the second y t he was martired there I cōfesse for that those of Rome and their Emperours to make a triumph of Iesus Christ and of his doctrine to quench their insatiable crueltie against Christians had caused S. Peter to be transported to Rome from another place where he was detained first prisoner to put him to death ignonimiously and make him a publike spectacle to the world But for hauing by this crueltie and iniustice depriued the world of so famous excellent seruant of God that they should be reputed his successours there is no reason at all nay contrarie I will stand to it they ought therfore altogither to be disinherited for was there euer any man so impudent that for hauing murthered another would dare to challendge his succession And if he had béen borne at Rome and appointed Apostle to the same place which he was not neither they haue made themselues vnworthie of all successorie right and title For this were a prettie matter that for vsing all crueltie and committing bloodie murthers against the seruants of God men should get domination and principalitie as well in earth as in heauen it were farre wide to say so and the greatest absurditie in the world that men might imagine Nay contrarie Christ menaceth great punishment for the like matter when he cried out Ierusalem Ierusalem thou which killest the Prophets thereby denouncing her ruine and ouerthrow by the fire of Gods vengeance foretelling her destructiō to come and the miserable estate wherein she is at this present houre If then this were sufficient to depriue Rome of her succession yet furthermore were she worthie to be depriued for her rebellion against the Gospell and the doctrine of S. Peter wherein she hath perseuered since the death passion of Christ hauing brought foorth the most detestable monsters for Emperours as Tyberius Nero Calligula Commodus and Heliogabalus which haue euer béen remarked to liue vnder the vaute of the heauens who as cruell beasts estranged and degenerat from all Christian blood by reason of y e enormitie of their liues could not suffer any such cleare light to shine there néere them being also set on by their sacrificing Priests Pagans and Idolaters who only taught publikely at Rome soone to extinguish the same But if there were any good Bishops there they laie close and did not openly discouer themselues and were no part of the bodie of this people being indéed sent thither from diuers other partes personages of great learning and eloquence rather to make residence there then in any other part for that this citie was stil replenished with learned men cunning Philosophers and Pagan Oratours against whome it had not béen for Pastors meanely learned to haue disputed without ouerthrow and conuiction Yet all this hath nothing eleuated the Italians aboue any other people of Christentie for hauing Domination ouer them but rather it bringeth lower and abaseth them as a testimonie of their great resistance and rebellion to the truth and the teachers thereof Cap. 37. Constantine the Great King of England apposed himself against the tyrannous persecutours of Christians that Italy brought forth BVt if ye come to aske me what Nation hath more right to haue the Sea of an vniuersall Bishop erected in it then Italy I answere that as Italy hath made it selfe vnworthie by bringing forth the murtherers of S. Peter and of other tyrannous and persecuting Emperors hauing a long time made resistance to the Gospell so those haue best deserued it who being pushed forward with an holie zeale of Gods glorie and of the saluation of men hauing abandoned their liues kingdomes and treasures to make passage for the Gospel throughout the whole worlde in destroying the doctrines of Pagans and all idolatry which had raigned before more then two thousand yéeres all ouer the world except only among the Iewes Now what nation hath that béen of so hautie and magnanimous courage which hath done God so signall a péece of seruice Surely it was England which hauing brought forth that great and thrise sacred Constantine who of a Pagan that hée was making profession of the Christian faith and receiuing Baptisme straight began to warre vpon Maxentius the Romane Emperour a most cruell murtherer and a great persecutor of Christians whome he vanquished and planted the true Gospell and kingdome of Christ not onely in the I le his natiue countrie that bred him but also at Rome the receptacle of all Idolatrie and from thence made passage for it vnto Alexandria the capitall Citie of all Affrica to Constantinople and all that countrie bordering towards Asia enlarging the kingdome of the sonne of God farre and wide which séemed at that time to be banished out of this worlde by the continuall warres of the Romans destroying and ouerthrowing wheresoeuer he went that of Sathan shewing himselfe to be the Executour of that which Iesus Christ had foretold in the twelfth of S. Iohn saying Now is the iudgement of this world now shall the Prince of this world be cast out O that the wonder of thy holie and almost diuine enterprises do make thée go farre beyond all humane creatures for the light that thou madest to shine in the world surmounteth as much that of the holie Kings of the old Testament as doth the light of the Sunne the cléernes of the Moone And as for that which the Apostles and other faithfull Pastors which went before thée it was alwaies diuined and entermingled with the darknes of superstitious Idolaters which had full course among the Emperours and Kings of the earth but thou great Instrument of the Eternall thou hast chaced farre out of thy sight all the sacrifices seruices that men did dedicate vnto the diuil according to the witnes of S. Paul who saith that the Gentiles did sacrifice vnto him And more then this it is thou great Monarke that hast so firmely planted and established this light in the world that what assaults so euer haue béen made to extinguish it yet could it neuer altogither be put out and defaced If then one so great and diuine a benefite had procéeded from Rome as is from England who could imagine how great prerogatiues and honours almost diuine they would challenge from other people whereas neuertheles the Emperour sprung out of Italy haue euer béen the most signall persecuters of Iesus Christ and of his Martirs for all
of the other prophets who haue endured greuous persecutions and neuer moued any of ther dissiples to persecute againe or take any vengeance at all nor of all the sectes of philosophers as of Socrates Plato Pythagoras Aristotle and others who alwayes laboured all the could to wine men to peace quietnes goodnes gentilnes and mildnes whereas this fellow will imprinte in there hartes all rage crueltie outrage and madnes whereby appeareth that he is a very limme and instrument of this olde and subtile Dragon who made Cayne conceaue in his harte the murther of his owne brother Abell the same which moued the preists of Ierusalem vnnaturally to sawe in twayne in the middest this heauenly and diuine Prophet Esaye and to persecute the processe and condemnation of Ieremie He sheweth himselfe seton by a more blooddy spirit then euer were Marius and Silla who shed so much of there owne Citizens boodes but rather more like to Phalaris Catiline Nero Commodus and other such cruell and saluage beastes al together voyde of all humanitie towardes there owne countrymen His shamelesse impudencie and his so insatiable thirst after blood is so apparant that it is not to be hid for he representeth himselfe as a Standerbarer of Christs catholike church who ought to here his voyce and doe after his commandements who pronounceth in the fifth of S. Mathewes Gospell that The mercifull pittifull and peace makers are blessed and that we must forgiue if we wil be forgiuen And the Apostle S. Paule writing to the Romans teacheth vs To haue peace withall men without taking any vengeance which belong onely to God And that if our enimie hunger we shonld giue him to eate and if he thirst we should giue him drinke surmounting his malice by our mildnes and mercy And last of all S. Iohn in his first Catholike Epistle saith That he which hateth his brother is in Darkenes and cannot tell whether hee goeth because the Darknes hath put out his eyes Cap. 35. How this false Catholike Englishman voide of all humanitie transformeth himselfe into all crueltie and rage SOme were then to examine this bloodie booke wherewith he would infect all Christendome with the rage and rancor that possesseth his furious stomack wherby he goeth about to set the people of France togither by the eares to destroy one another like fierce Dragons and cruell Tygers it argueth his cowardly most dastard effeminate spirit for these are things that are neuer in a man that hath any magnanimitie or greatnes of courage in him Wherein he sheweth that he is the verie disciple and trumpet of the maligne spirit the diuell that in shape of a filthie and stinking hée-Goat vseth the like spéeches vnto sorcerers witches who hauing forsaken Iesus Christ go vnto his sabboths to do him homage where he giueth them none other lessons but to put in practise vengeance murthers and cruelties whose footesteps he followeth right pretending to ouerthrow in man all the cléere light of reason and vnderstanding vtterly to extinguish that which maketh him foresée in his actions whether they tende to his honour profit and securitie or no before he vndertake them to abse and make him stoupe to blinde beastlie and furious passions so to make men flie one at another like mad dogs cruel beasts when we sée any aduantage of the side that we take for his drift is to make the Catholikes roote out the Hugonots as a people not to be tollerated in religion yet there is no people vnder heauen that agreeth so well with them as they be the Iewes Turkes or Tartarians against whom thou shouldest rather scum of the froth of thy furie and heate to combat and employ the floud and force of thine eloquence then conspiring the total ruine of Christians against those who receiue and allow of all the bookes of the Bible the foure first Councels with whom hauing none other quarrell but for humane Constitutions thou oughtest rather to take part And furthermore I say that the truest and best Catholikes and Protestantes are for the most part the surest and best friends that any Citie or common wealth hath there is but the Cockle which groweth among this good wheate and other dogs and hogs who smelling out any commodious profite by the Italians and their supposes much like himselfe who for rewarde of his forged crimes and lies smelleth out some Crosiers staffe miter or Abby vnder a false maske and shew of religion passing not to be recognished for the true sonne of the father of lies and auncient slaunderer the diuell when maliciously and vntruly he bringeth the mightie Princesse Elizabeth for an example of wonderfull crueltie against Catholikes to make our French Nation conceiue a great hatred and feare of our King wherein I thinke that his father the diuel would haue béen ashamed himselfe to haue published such impudent lies for as much as this gracious Princesse the Quéene of England and our King of France whom he representeth as her imitator haue neuer béen accused of any blame and reproach but to haue béen too mercifull and pittifull towards such pestiferous mates and seditious spirits as is hée himselfe whom I should haue made knowne for the most pernicious and damnable enemy of all Christendome that euer was on any side whatsoeuer as him that hath fastened the authour of his hope vpon a particular and temporall commoditie caring nothing at all to be cause of the subuersion of the common weale and to depriue himselfe of life euerlasting But because I am preuented by others that haue answered the booke I will not enter further to confute any particularitie thereof I thinke now by a most manifest and briefe description I haue set before the face of the Readers as wel the meanes as instruments by the which the Italians know how brauely to conserue and maintaine their Domination to the great shame and dishonour of those that are subiected thereunto as slaues wherfore it is now conuenient to manifest and propound the remedies by the which all noble and gentle spirites louers of their owne libertie may easily deliuer themselues from their slauery and thraldome Cap. 36. The first remedy by ouerthrowing the foundation stone vpon the which the Romane Domination is builded AS it were a smal matter for a Phisition to be able brauely to discourse of the causes beginnings augmentation and nature of any disease if he should not giue remedies to cure the same so it shal be requisite to set downe the meane whereby men might as well in times past as also hereafter throw away this Italian yoke kéep their mony in their purses without enriching strangers with it for this matter I will begin at the foundation stone vpon the which they haue built augmented and eleuated there so great and loftie Dominatious that it hath no boundes here on the face of the earth as haue the kingdomes and empires of Emperours and Kings but being eleuated if we will belieue them