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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16183	A large examination taken at Lambeth, according to his Maiesties direction, point by point, of M. G. Blakwell, made Arch-priest of England, by Pope Clement 8 Vpon occasion of a certaine answere of his, without the priuitie of the state, to a letter lately sent vnto him from Cardinall Bellarmine, blaming him for taking the oath of Allegeance. Together with the Cardinals letter, and M. Blakwels said answere vnto it. Also M. Blakwels letter to the Romish Catholickes in England, aswell ecclesiasticall, as lay.	Blackwell, George, 1546 or 7-1613.; Bellarmino, Roberto Francesco Romolo, Saint, 1542-1621.	1609 (1609)	STC 3104; ESTC S121306	104,118	220

held by the law of God cum recta fide with a right faith 35 But here it being obiected that although the said oath was framed to meete with the opinion before by him mentioned yet that this his restraining of it thereunto doeth not attaine to that which he knew was intended by it For in his said letter to the Cardinall he doth cite sundry authors which speake of another kinde of authoritie ascribed to the Pope and tending by a nice distinction to this effect that in ordine ad spiritualia in order to things spirituall and indirectly all kings and princes with their kingdomes and countries are subordinate and subiect vnto him insomuch as if he see cause and that kings and princes will not be aduised by him in matters of the Church apperteining to their saluation he may not onely Excommunicate them but proceeding by degrees depose them absolue their subiects from their oathes of Allegeance and rightfully commaund them if neede be to beare armes against them which is as lewd and traiterous an opinion as the former and doeth tend to the same end with it though vnder diuers pretences So as if hee tooke the oath but with relation onely to the first opinion leauing himselfe free as touching the second it was all one as if he had not taken it at all and therefore being pressed to cleare this point he answereth as hereafter followeth 36 First he doth acknowledge the obiection to be very pertinent and rightly collected out of his letter confessing this second opinion not to come behinde the first either for the earnestnesse of those that defend it or for their learning and sufficiencie being such indeede as doe in credite farre ouersway the estimation of their opposites Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe hath laboured much in it and these authors following doe ioyne with him in that point Henricus Iohannes Driedo Iohannes de Turre crematâ Albertus Pighius Thomas Waldensis Petrus de Palude Cardinall Caietane Franciscus Victoria Dominicus Soto Nicolaus Sanderus to which number this Examinate saith he could adde diuers others as Martinus Aspilcueta Couarruuias c. Of which opinion Cardinall Bellarmine saith that it is communis sententia Catholicorum Theologorum the common opinion of Catholicke Diuines albeit Alexander Carerius and Rodericke Sancius doe affirme as much for the other In this number this Examinate confesseth that he did range himselfe in his late letter to the said Cardinall as inclining rather to his side then to the other being notwithstanding bound to neither of them vpon any danger of declining from the Catholicke faith So as if now hee vse his libertie therein as touching his Maiestie hee hath as he supposeth Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe for his author therein 37 For where there is this clause in the oath of Allegeance I doe further sweare that I doe from my heart detest and abiure as impious and hereticall this damnable doctrine and position that Princes which be excommunicated or depriued by the Pope may be deposed or murthered by their Subiects or any other whatsoeuer Cardinall Bellarmine saith that it was neuer heard of ab intio nascentis Ecclesiae vsque ad haec nostra tempora vt vllus Pontifex Maximus Principem vllum quamuis haereticum quamuis Ethnicum quamuis persecutorem caedi mandauerit from the first birth of the Church vnto these our times that any Pope euer commaunded any prince though an heretick though an Ethnicke though a persecuter to be slaine And that therefore the feare which is pretended of the Kings life if the Bishop of Rome had the same authoritie in England which hee hath in other Christian kingdomes is vaine and that all pretences tending that way are but stratagemata Satanae the deceits of Sathan The which affirmations of the Cardinals being true the same for ought this Examinate seeth doe iustifie the said part of the oath by him taken euen the very same which of all other parts in it is most misliked by many Catholickes in England For it must needs be granted generally that were it not in respect of the Popes excommunication of Kings and princes his deposing of them from their Crownes and his absoluing of their subiects from their Allegeance it could neuer be lawfull for any of them to rise vp against their lawfull kings and Soueraignes vnder whom they were borne And it is all one in this Examinats iudgment for the Pope to command a king to be murthered as to doe and commaund that whereby the same is by others of duetie to be effected And then it followeth out of the Cardinals words that it can neuer be lawfull by the Popes authoritie either direct or indirect for any subiect vpon any pretence whatsoeuer or vnder the countenance of any authoritie to excommunicate and depose Kings or absolue their Subiects from their Allegeance to lay violent hands vpon his Souereigne which is in effect that part of the oath aboue mentioned whereunto this Examinate did sweare 38 Furthermore because it was againe tolde this Examinate that this his last answere to part of the said oath stood after a sort but vpon an inference of the Cardinals meaning and was no way sufficient to satisfie the aforesaid obiection hee this Examinate renued his former desire of proceeding by such degrees as hee himselfe thought most fit for the discharge of his duety both to God and his Maiestie and thereupon saith that he beleeueth in his conscience that the Pope is S. Peters successour and the head of the Catholick Church and that although materiall and worldly keyes may open and shut vpon fauour and friendship yet the keyes of the kingdome of heauen doe respect no mens persons be they poore or rich noble or ignoble high or low kings or subiects so as in his iudgement none may be exempted from the Popes Excommunication when there is iust cause vpon due consideration of all circumstances to inflict it adding thereunto that hee holdeth it to be the duety of all Christian kings and princes to submit themselues in causes of religion to the Bishop of Rome as vnto their chiefe Bishop and Pastor of their soules Which profession thus made this Examinate desired that one point in his former Examination published in print might here be receiued as part of his answere to the obiection aboue specified Sect. 16. 39 For there this Examinat as he truly saith M Blakwels Exam. pag. 18 19. Being vrged to explicate himselfe touching the sence he relied vpon out of his Maiesties words when he took the oth of Allegeance in that it was said hee might so vnderstand them as not withstanding his oath that dutie which was expected was no way satisfied because his Maiesties meaning was euident that hee did account it to proceed from appetite and rashnesse in any of the Bishops of Rome whosoeuer who presuming to Excommunicate any King should by the same either absolue his Subiects from their obedience or excite them to beare Armes against him or authorize

whatsoeuer either to the hurt or dishonour of his Maiesties person or the empeachment of his kingdome and Royall authoritie These conceires likewise I doe assure you from my soule are in themselues very detestable repugnant to the Scriptures and ought by all true and sound Catholickes to be for euer abandoned Bee not dismayed therefore I befeech you with any letters or Briefes which doe after a sort insinuate that the taking of the Oath of Allegeance is either repugnāt to any point of Faith as yet concluded vpon by the Church or vnto the Popes Supremacie being bounded as it ought within the limits and reach of the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Those keyes doe no way extend themselues iure diuino vnto kingdomes terrene to open or shut or to tosse or turmoile any of them they haue no wardes in them either so to turne or ouerturne them nor to open vnto you any lawfull entrances into such disobedient and vndutifull courses That the Pope is the head of the Catholicke Church therein I am resolute as also that Emperours Kings and all other Princes that professe Christianitie are subiect in some cases vnto his spirituall censures properly so termed as interdiction and Excommunication but to eradicate them or to depose them by any authoritie he can challenge iure diuino in temporalibus either directly or indirectly in ordine ad spiritualia that is vtterly against my iudgement and yet I hope I continue still as good a Catholicke as any that holdeth the contrarie notwithstanding that Cardinall Bellarmine seemeth to affirme in his Letter to me that no man can concurre with me in opinion herein and so yeeld to take the Oath of Allegeance which only excludeth the Popes authoritie in temporalibus as well that which is ascribed vnto him directly as indirectly but that hee must needes perfidiously denie the primacie of the See Apostolicke At which his words were they not grounded I thinke vpon some misinformation I should greatly meruaile considering that thereby hee doeth insinuate the Popes supremacie which ought to bee maintained without any hesitation to depend a great part of it vpon a wonderfull vncertaintie For no man knoweth better then himselfe that it hath not beene hitherto determined by the Church or iudicially by his Holinesse tanquam ex Cathedrâ whether the Pope hath any authoritie at all in temporalibus further then in those things that doe appertaine to S. Peters patrimonie and other temporalties giuen to the See of Rome And besides if it shall fall out hereafter that the Pope shall be found to haue any such authoritie it must haue beene giuen him by Christ either indirectly as hee the said Cardinall with many others his partakers doe resolutely affirme or directly as the opposite part against him doe take vpon them with as great confidence to mainteine each of them peremptorily denying the others assertion and because likewise vntill the point be ouerruled against one of the said parts which will not be done in haste for many respects it cannot possibly be determined whether the Pope hath any such authoritie as either of them holde or not it had beene fit in my iudgement for Cardinall Bellarmine not to haue entangled the Popes supremacie which is cleare and manifest with these vncertaineties and perplexities for to haue blamed me either for auoiding them my selfe or admonishing of others to take heed lest they might be entrapped or snared with them But his Amplitude writ vnto me and censured mee as it pleased him which I could the more easily haue borne as my duetie required had he not therby published to as many as shall see his Letter the Copie whereof is as I am informed spread farre and neere that by taking of the said oath of Allegeance one of the chiefe heads of our faith and foundations of Catholicke religion in discrimen adducitur is brought into question and endangered there beeing indeede no such head or foundation hitherto agreed vpon or concluded So as there is no cause for ought I know or can iudge why I should not still perseuere in the approbation of the lawfulnesse of the said othe and continue my former admonitions vnto you for the submitting of your selues vnto it when it shal be exacted of you lest otherwise you wilfully cast your selues into those miseries which are likely to fall vpon you not as so many arguments of happines and that blessednesse which is promised to those that suffer for the truths sake but of those iudgements which are inflicted vpon men by Kings and superiour gouernours for their euill behauiour and disobedience Deceiue not therefore your selues brethren such sufferings are not the way to Martyrdome nor approued of God neuer might treacherie or rebellion or the bearing of armes by subiects against their Soueraignes or their secret designements against them or the execution of the same to the endangering or hurt of their royall persons be graced or honored with that most glorious title by whomsoeuer they were either authorized vndertaken or practised Take heede I do most humbly beseech you of this kind of leauen be your lumpe of dough otherwise neuer so pure sweet and sincere this mixture will make it sowre and corrupt it Stand fast in the Catholicke faith and in the true profession thereof as hitherto you haue done Bee not led away with various and strange doctrines of deposing of Kings of absoluing their subiects from their Allegeance of authorizing them to rebell to beare armes against them to plot and lay snares secretly how to entrap them or to offer hurt or violence to their persons These things I thanke God my heart doeth abhorre and my spirit within me doeth loath and detest them The voice that bade Peter Kill and eate neuer meant that hee should deale so with Princes cast them out of their seates and bestow their kingdomes vpon others or procure them to be killed that Christians and Catholicke religion might flourish and bee comforted Meats and drinks may establish our strength but such proceedings with kings ought to be no foode for our soules Iames and Iohn because they would haue had the Samaritanes to haue beene destroyed with fire from heauen for that they would not receiue their master Christ were sharpely rebuked and told by him that they knew not of what spirit they were S. Peter drewe his sword and smote off Malchus eare in as iust a cause to the eyes of humane wisedome as was possible but Christ disliked that his fact and gaue it for a generall rule or caueat in my iudgement to all Catholicke priests and people saying that all that strike with the sword shall perish with the sword These and such like things my deare brethren are written out of question to our correption and Catholicke information Beware therefore of them in whose mouthes and actions sanguis nihil est bloud is nothing Ecclus. 8. 19. tread not in the steps of ruine stumble not against rockes commit not your selues to such laborious

Historiale had testified as much where hauing spoken of the abuse of the keyes he sayth with relation to Gregorie and his next Successour but one Vrbanus Vt pace omnium bonorum dixerim haec Vincent in spec Histor. lib. 15 cap. 84. sola nouitas ne dicam haeresis necdum è mundo emerserat vt Sacerdotes eius qui dicit Regi Apostata qui regnare facit hypocritam propter peccata populi doceant populum quòd malis Regibus nullam debeant subiectionem licet ei sacramentum fidelitatis fecerant nullam tamen debeant fidelitatem nec periuri dicantur qui contra Regem senserint imò qui Regi paruerit pro Excommunicato habeatur qui contra Regem fecerit à noxâ iniustitiae periurij absoluatur That is That I may speake it with the fauour of all good men this meere noueltie that I say not Heresie was not as yet sprung vp in the world that his Priests who saith vnto the king Apostata and who maketh the Hypocrite to reigne for the sinnes of the people should teach subiects that they owe no subiection vnto wicked kings that albeit they haue taken an oath of fidelity vnto such a one yet they are not bound in allegeance vnto him and that such as shall take part against their king may not be sayd to be periured nay that they who performe obedience vnto him are to be held as excommunicated and such as rebell against him are to be acquited from all guilt of the crime of periurie Which report testimony made by so worthy a Bishop aboue 350. yeeres since this Examinate saith hee may not impugne or dislike though Vincentius receiueth it from Sigebert this Examinate no way approouing the discrediting of ancient Catholicke writers vnder pretence of their fauour towards this Emperor or that Emperor because it giueth occasion to some to empeach many other worthy mens writings in like sort vpon colour of their partialitie towards the Bishop of Rome Besides it is apparant that some of the best and most sincere Catholicks were much troubled with that fact of Gregorie there being then many who plainely denied that the Apostolicall See had authoritie to depose as he did Henry the Emperor and to absolue his subiects from their oath of fidelitie vnto him in so much as the Bishop of Metz writ Gregorie 7. Epist. 21. lib. 8. apud Seuerinum de Concilijs vnto Gregorie desiring him being in great fauour with him to assist and arme him with his reasons of such his proceedings with the Emperour that he might be the better able thereby to withstand those that spake against them 53 Furthermore this Examinate the premisses considered being againe mooued for the full clearing of his sinceritie to deliuer his minde concerning the point which he said touched the quicke Sect 45. viz. of the Popes so great an authoritie in temporalibus in temporalties as that he may by any distinction whatsoeuer deale with Emperors or kings as is aforesaid he desiring Sect. 35. 45. to see one of Cardinall Bellarmines bookes de Romano Pontifice did deliuer out of him his this Examinates iudgement saying that he was verily perswaded as followeth viz. That the Pope is not Lord of those possessions which Bell. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 5. cap. 2. Infidels hold that Infidell Princes are the true and supreme princes of their owne Kingdoms that dominion is not founded in grace or in faith that S. Paul doeth bid vs to obey Ethnick Princes for conscience sake that wee were not bound to obey such Princes if they were not true Princes that Princes are not the Popes vicars that the Pope would willingly if hee could giue the Kingdomes of Infidels vnto faithfull Princes that it is a ridiculous conceit to imagine that God hath giuen to the Pope a right ouer all the kingdomes of the world and not to haue giuen him at any time a faculty of vsing such a right that Alexander 6. did not diuide the late new found world vnto the kings of Spaine and Portugall to that end that they should haue gone thither to haue subdued the Infidell kings of that new World or to haue taken to themselues their kingdomes but onely that they should haue procured preachers of Christian faith to haue been sent thither and to haue protected and defended both those preachers and the Christians conuerted by them and that withall hee the said Alexander might preuent the contentions and warres of other Christian princes who would haue vsed traffique in those new regions 54 That the Pope is not lord of the whole Christian Bell. ibidem cap. 3. world that if hee were the lord of the whole Christian world iure diuino the same would appeare in the Scriptures or by some Apostolicall tradition that in the Scriptures there is nothing but that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen are giuen to the Pope without any mention of the keyes of the kingdome of the world that none doeth pretend any Apostolicall tradition to that purpose that Christ neither did nor doeth take kingdoms from those to whom they doe appertaine that Christ came not to destroy those things that were well setled but to make them more perfect that when the king becommeth a Christian he doeth not lose his earthly kingdome which by law he had before but obtaineth thereby a new interest to the kingdome of heauen otherwise the benefite of Christ should be hurtfull to kings and grace should destroy nature that it is no true assertion to say that the Pope hath both powers but comitteth the execution of one of them vnto others that what authoritie soeuer the Emperours haue they haue it from Christ that if the Pope as being the supreme King and Emperour might take from kings the execution of their regall authoritie hee were greater then Christ that although Innocentius doeth compare the Pope to the Sunne and the Emperour to the Moone yet it is to be obserued that the Sunne and the Moone are not one Starre that as the Sunne doeth not make the Moone but God so the Popedome and the Empire are not one nor doe depend the one vpon the other that although the Pope alone hath full authoritie in the temporalties belonging to the Patrimonie of the Church yet in other Regions he hath not so 55 That the Pope iure diuino by the diuine Law Idem ibidem cap. 4. hath no temporall dominion directly of any one place that Christ as he was man whiles hee liued vpon the earth did not nor would receiue any temporall dominion that the Pope is Christs vicar and doeth represent him vnto vs as he liued here amongst men that therefore as he is Christs vicar and the highest Bishop hee hath no temporall dominion that it proceedeth from a false principle to say that the Pope who is Christs vicar is both a temporall king and a Priest that Christ was alwayes the sonne of God the king and Lord of all

grounded vpō this conceit that he this Examinate in taking the oath of Allegeance had sworne against the Popes supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall 72 For answere vnto which erroneous conceit hee this Examinate sayth that when hee writ that hee tooke the oath in this sense viz. That the Pope had no imperiall and ciuill authority to depose his Maiestie the same is true whether it be attributed to the Pope either directly or indirectly also when he writ That the Pope had no imperiall and ciuill authoritie to depose the King at his pleasure and vpon his appetite the same also is as cuident though the Pope had as great authoritie as they pretend hee hath who say he is Dominus in Temporalibus directly that where hee this Examinate hauing cited diuers authours to this effect that the Pope hath authoritie indirectly in ordine ad spiritualia did thereupon inferre that the Pope could not depose his Maiestie because if he should so doe he should vse that his authoritie non ad spiritualia promouenda sed euertenda not to the furtherance of spiritual matters but to the ouerthrow of them and therupon did adde that he held nothing els therein quàm quod vbig Theologi in suas conclusiones compegerunt then what was generally concluded amongst Diuines he said as he thinketh therein also truly for that the cōmon opinion is that the Pope hath no authoritie ad destructionem to destruction So that albeit he might as he saith haue answered to euery point of the Cardinals letter more throughly yet that which he writ being sufficient to answere it he thought it his best course to write as he did 73 It being heere againe obiected that notwithstanding he this Examinate hath very well declared his iudgement to any mans contentment who is ignorant of the new deceitfull shifts of equiuocation yet because Cardinall Bellarmine holdeth that albeit the Pope cannot depose a king by his ordinary authority directly as hee is Pope he may neuerthelesse mutare Regna vni Bell. de Rom. Pont. lib 5. cap. 6. auferre atque alteri conferre tanquam summus Princeps spiritualis alter Kingdomes and take them from one and giue them to another as he is the highest spirituall Prince as hauing authority in temporalibus in ordine ad spiritualia forasmuch as yet it may well be doubted whether he this Examinate when hee saith that the Pope hath no Imperiall or Ciuill authority nor any power in temporalibus either directly or indirectly to depose and eradicate kings to absolue their subiects of their allegeance or to authorize them to beare armes against them hath not this or some such like cuasion viz. that it may truely be affirmed that the Pope hath no such authority to bee termed properly either Imperiall or Ciuill because whether he hath it in temporalibus directly or indirectly yet the authority in it selfe being employed for the deposition of Kings c. is to bee named according to the end wherefore it is so vsed which being for the good of the Church that is spirituall the said authority is not to be called a Temporall but a Spirituall authoritie whereby all which hee this Examinate hath hitherto said may be eluded and made frustrate by this or some such shift viz The Pope hath no Imperiall and Ciuill authority to depose the king that is he cannot depose him by his Ciuill authority as it is Ciuill but as it is Spirituall and againe to the same effect the Pope hath no authority in temporalibus either directly or indirectly to depose kings verum est the authoritie which the Pope hath in Temporalibus to depose kings is to be termed Ecclesiasticall and not Temporall as it is truely called when Kings and Princes doe vse it to an end which is Ciuill he this Examinate was vrged to expedite this difficultie with some reasonable plainnesse and perspicuity 74 Whereupon this Examinate being grieued as he professed that nothing would be accepted in satisfaction of his duetie as he feareth said that assuredly there should be no defect in his sinceritie howsoeuer the same might be wrested and therefore to the said obiection briefly answereth That although hee doeth acknowledge that there are some who say that when Boct. Epon Heroie Ecclesiastic quaest pag. 185. the Pope doth inflict Temporall punishments for the better preseruation of his Spirituall authority nullâ dicetur vti Iurisdictione temporali sed merè spirituali cùm totum hoc ad animarum salutem coelesteque regnum referatur he shall not therein be said to vse temporall Iurisdiction but merely Spirituall sith this whole action hath respect to the saluation of soules and to the kingdome of heauen yet because the most that write after this sort doe qualifie their speeches therein with a quasi or dici potest or magis or aliquo modo it is apparant that their meaning is not that such a temporall authority vsed to a spirituall end is in very deede and in trueth a meere spirituall authoritie 75 Besides he this Examinat further addeth that to his vnderstanding the deposing of Kings and the exciting of their subiects to beare armes against him will hardly be raunged amongst spirituall actions In summe therefore this Examinate saith that in his iudgement the Popes spirituall authoritie ought not to be extended beyond the power of the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and of the censures of the Church properly so called and that the Pope hath no authoritie at all in temporalibus either directly or indirectly to depose Kings c. by what name or title soeuer the said power when he putteth it in practise in ordine ad spiritualia in order to things spirituall as he the said Pope supposeth may bee termed whether spirituall or temporall or whether the end hee aimeth at by such his proceedings with any King or Prince be spiritual or supernaturall that is bee pretended to bee vndertaken for the good of the Church and promoting of Christianitie the same in this Examinats iudgement as hee saith being neither Apostolicall nor agreeable to the practise of the most worthy Bishops of Rome in the Primitiue Church and for a long time after nor auaileable in truth to the Catholicke Church but rather hurtfull and great hinderances thereunto 76 And here this Examinate further saieth that the premisses considered viz vpon what vncertainties the maintenance of the Popes authoritie not to excommunicate but to depose Princes doth consist hee confesseth that hee cannot chuse but acknowledge that he much wondreth and in that cogitation is also exceedingly grieued that euer Gregorie the seuenth or any Pope since did in their Excommunications of certaine Emperours Kings and Princes take vpon them in the same to denounce them deposed from their kingdomes to release their Subiects of the othes of their Allegeance and to authorize them no longer to obey their Soueraignes vnder paine of Excommunication as also that many men aswell Emperours Kings Princes and their

their Regall authoritie with the Ecclesiasticall thereby to strengthen Bishops in the execution of their offices with any purpose that the power Ecclesiasticall should swallow vp depresse or ouertop their temporall Soueraigntie Assuredly my deare brethren such cogitations as these are scandalous to Christianitie and ought to make no impression in your soules otherwise then to eschew them Baptisme doth worke no such alteration in kings or any other it tendeth to the destruction of the kingdome of Sathan but doeth no way empaire or subiect vnto any their temporall estates otherwise then as they shall be mooued in charitie and honour where they haue receiued spirituall blessings there to bestow their benefites and fauours temporall The coniunction of the Church with temporall kingdomes to make one Christian bodie doeth make no other transmutations nor confound their gouernments and functions they doe still remaine distinct as they did before so as neither can any Emperour King or ciuill Magistrate take vpon him the administration of the keyes of the kingdome of heauen nor the execution of any other parts of priestly duties nor any Priest Bishop or the Pope himselfe challenge in right of the Church and as they are Bishops any interest or power in the temporall sword to manage the same as they thinke fit either themselues or by others at their direction it being a power giuen onely by God vnto Kings and Princes to take vengeance on them that doe euill and to be yeelded vnto not because of wrath onely but also for conscience sake Neither may the words of God to the Prophet Ieremie where hee saith I haue set thee Ierem. cap. 1. ouer nations and ouer kingdomes to plucke vp and to throw out and to destroy and throw down to build and to plant be truely inforced to giue authoritie to his Holinesse for the transferring of kingdomes from one to another or to depose kings for any cause whatsoeuer or to absolue their subiects from their allegeance or to authorize them to beare armes against their Soueraignes or to roote out and destroy any kingdome king or prince vnder pretence of building or planting some other This was farre differing from the meaning of the holy Ghost which in my iudgement is more truely syncerely expounded by that worthy Cardinall Hugo Barcbionensis about 368. yeeres since whether you will take the meaning of it literally or mystically where he writeth in this sort I haue placed thee ouer nations Hugo Card. in Iere. cap. 1. and Kingdomes vt euellas i Iudaeos esse euellendos de terrâ suâ enuncies that thou mayest declare that the Iewes are to be caried by force out of their countrey destruas i ciuitatem Ierusalem destruendam terram eorum prophetes that thou mayest foretell the destruction of Ierusalem and of their countrey disperdas i eos disperdendos à principibus Chaldaeorū praedices that thou mayest preach vnto them their dispersion by the princes of the Chaldaeans dissipes i dissipandum esse praedices regnum Iudaeorum per captiuitatem that thou mayest foretell the destruction of the kingdome of the Iewes through their captiuitie And lest the Iewes might haue despaired therefore he doth not onely foretel their captiuity but likewise their deliuerance thence adding aedifices i ciuitatem reae dificandam nuncies that thou mayest assure them their citie shall againe be reedified plantes i Iudaeos adhuc plantandos esse in Iudae praedices that thou mayest foretell the Iewes that they shall bee againe planted in their owne land Hitherto the Cardinal for the literall sense of Gods words vnto Ieremie and then thus of them mystically That thou mayest pull vp vnprofitable berbes that is euill cogitations by contrition and destroy hurtfull delights with pure confession and dissolue sinnes ill growen together by competent satisfaction and breake asunder the bands of euill custome by good conuersation and build vpon a sure rocke by cumulation of merits and mayest plant the tree of life in thy selfe and in others virtutum radicatione by the ingrafting of vertues Out of question the Prophet Ieremie who best vnderstood the meaning of God when he spake vnto him did not otherwise ouerthrow kings or kingdomes or scatter or destroy or plant or build vp any kings people or nations in his time then as this worthy Cardinall hath literally expounded the said words neither may they be further extended either literally or mystically as of later times they haue been extended for such their proceedings with kings and princes as in the Oath of Allegeance are sought to bee preuented Not long since Cardinall Bellarmine did write a letter vnto me in dislike of my yeelding to take the said Oath and perswading of others therein to followe mine example where unto after my answere was made such plots were layed by them who haue their watches ouer me as the Cardinals letter it selfe and the copie of my answere vnto it were knowen and had from me and I was thereupon brought into a long and very strict Examination wherein I being drawen from point to point and pressed vpon my duetie both to God and to his Maiesty to discharge my conscience according to my knowledge I haue dealt as becommeth a true Priest a duetiful subiect to his Maiestie a faithfull seruant of God and an obedient childe to the Popes Holines and of the Catholike Church and doe very humbly pray you my louing brethren of all sorts and withall straightly charge you by the mercies of God and in the bowels of Iesus Christ as being your Arch-priest and thereby hauing yet authority for ought I knowe ouer you thus to write vnto you that if euer my said Examination doe come to your sight as I am verily perswaded it will you doe not dislike or impugne it but wholly conforme your selues and your conuersations by your due obedience to his Maiestie agreeably vnto it The yonger sort of Catholickes I know such as are subiect to passion and strength of sundry humours and in whom there is more feruencie courage and forwardnesse then true discretion iudgement and experience will when they see it mutter and peraduenture exclaime against me But I am better perswaded of you who are more iudicious and of the graue and wiser sort that no suggestions against me or wrested constructions of any thing by me deliuered either herein or in my said Examination may breede in you any offence being men better grounded and setled in the truth touching your obedience to his Maiestie then that hereafter you will euer giue eare to any of these or such like other intiseable perswasions of mens alluring reasons as that you are no longer to obey his Maiestie as dutifull Subiects are commanded by the Apostles but vntill you shall bee able without danger either of losse of goods or of your liues by reason of your numbers or of some direction from the Pope to beare armes against him or to machinate or put in practise any attempt