thinke he doth not meane by his Diuina Dogmata the word of the God of heauen but onely the Canons and Lawes of his Dominus Deus Papa otherwise all his Primacie of the Apostolike Sea would not be so much sticken vpon hauing so slender ground in the word of God And for the great feare he hath that the suddennes of the apprehension the bitternes of the persecution the weaknesse of his age and other such infirmities might haue bene the cause of the Arch-priests fall in this I haue already sufficiently answered him hauing declared as the trueth is and as the said Blackwel himselfe wil yet testifie that he took this Oath freely of himselfe without any inducement therunto either Precebus or Minis But amongst all his citations he must not forget holy Sanderus and his Viâ—ibilis Monarchia whose person and actions I did already a little touch And surely who will with vnpartiall eyes read his bookes they may well thinke that he hath deserued wel of his English Roman-Church but they can neuer thinke but that he deserued very ill of his English Soueraigne and State Witnesse his owne books whereout I haue made choice to set downe here these few sentences following as flowers pickt out of so worthy a garland Elisabeth Queene of England doth exercise the Priestly act of teaching and preaching the Gospel in England with no lesse authority then Christ himself or Moses euer did The supremacy of a woman in Church matters is from no other then from the Deuill And of all things in generall thus he speaketh The King that wil not inthrall himselfe to the Popes authority he ought not to be tolerated but his Subiects ought to giue all diligence that another may be chosen in his place assoone as may be A King that is an Heretike ought to be remoued from the kingdome that he holdeth ouer Christians and the Bishops ought to endeuour to set vp another assoone as possibly they can Wee doe constantly affirme that all Christian Kings are so far vnder Bishops and Priestes in all matters appertaining to faith that if they shall continue in a falt against Christian Religion after one or two admonitions obstinately for that cause they may and ought to be deposed by the Bishops from their temporal authority they hold ouer ChristiaÌ„s Bishops are set ouer temporall kingdomes if those kingdomes do submit themselues to the faith of Christ We doe iustly affirme that all Secular power whether Regall or any other is of Men. The anoynting which is powred vpon the head of the King by the Priest doeth declare that he is inferiour to the Priest It is altogether against the will of CHRIST that Christian Kings should haue supremacie in the Church And whereas for the crowne and conclusion of all his examples he reckoneth his two English martyrs Moore and Roffensis who died for that one most weighty head of doctrine as he alleadgeth refusing the Oath of Supremacie I must tel him that he hath not bene well informed in some materiall points which doe very neerly concerne his two said martyrs For it is cleare and apparantly to be prooued by diuers Records that they were both of them committed to the Tower about a yeere before either of them was called in question vpon their liues for the Popes Supremacie And that partly for their backwardnesse in the point of the establishment of the Kings succession wherunto the whole Realme had subscribed and partly for that one of them to wit Fisher had had his hand in the matter of the holy mayd of Kent he being for his concealement of that false prophets abuse found guiltie of misprision of treason And as these were the principall causes of their imprisonment the King resting secure of his Supremacie as the Realme stood then affected but especially troubled for setling the crowne vpon the issue of his second marriage so was it easily to be conceiued that being thereupon discontented their humors were therby made apt to draw them by degrees to further opposition against the King and his authoritie as indeed it fell out For in the time of their being in prison the Kings lawfull authoritie in cases Ecclesiasticall being published and promulged as wel by a generall decree of the Clergie in their Synode as by an Act of Parliament made thereupon they behaued themselues so peeuishly therein as the old coales of the Kings anger being thereby raked vp of new they were againe brought in question as wel for this one most weighty head of doctrine of the Pope his supremacy as for the matter of the Kings marriage and succession as by the confession of one of themselues euen Thomas Moore is euident For being condemned he vsed these wordes at the barre before the Lords Non ignoro cur me morti adiudicaueritis videlicet ob id quod nunquam voluerim assentiri in negotio matrimonij Regis That is I am not ignorant why you haue adiudged me to death to wit for that I would neuer consent in the busines of the new marriage of the King By which his owne confession it is plaine that this great martyr himselfe tooke the cause of his owne death to be only for his being refractary to the King in this said matter of Marriage and succession which is but a very fleshly cause of martyrdome as I conceiue And as for Roffensis his fellow Martyr who could haue bene content to haue taken the Oath of the Kings Supremacy with a certaine modification which Moore refused as his imprisonment was neither onely nor principally for the cause of Supremacy so died he but a halting and a singular Martyr or witnes for that most waightie head of doctrine the whole Church of England going at that time in one current and streame as it were against him in that argument diuerse of them being of farre greater reputation for learning and sound iudgement then euer he was So as in this point we may wel arme our selues with the Cardinals own reason where hee giueth amongst other notes of the true Church Vniuersalitie for one we hauing the generall and Catholike conclusion of the whole Church of England on our side in this case as appeareth by their booke set out by the whole Conuocation of England called The institution of a Christian man the same matter being likewise very learnedly handled by diuers particular learned men of our Church as by Steuen Gardiner in his booke de vera obedientia with a preface of Bishop Boners adioyned to it De summo absoluto Regis Imperio published by M Bekinsaw De vera differentia Regiae Potestatis Ecclesiasticae Bishop Tonstals Sermon Bishop Longlands Sermon the letter of Tonstall to Cardinall Poole and diuers other both in English and Latine And if the bitternesse of Fishers discontentment had not bene fed with his daily ambitious expectation of the Cardinals hat which came so neere as Calis
to the Emperours for their Confirmation And this lasted almost seuen hundreth yeeres after CHRIST witnesse Sigebert and Luitprandus with other Popish Historians And for Emperours deposing of Popes there are likewise diuers examples The Emperour Ottho deposed Pope Iohn the twelfth of that name for diuers crimes and vices especially of lecherie The Emperour Henry the third in a short time deposed three Popes Benedict the ninth Siluester the third and Gregory the sixt as well for the sinne of Auarice as for abusing their extraordinarie authoritie against Kings and Princes And as for Kings that haue denied this temporall Superioritie of Popes First we haue the vnanime testimonie of diuers famous Historiographers for the generall of many Christian Kingdomes As Walthram testifieth That the Bishops of Spaine Scotland England Hungary from ancient institution till this moderne noueltie had their Inuestiture by Kings with peaceable inioying of their temporalities wholly and entirely and whosoeuer saith hee is peaceably solicitous let him peruse the liues of the Ancients and read the Histories and hee shall vnderstand thus much And for verification of this generall assertion we will first begin at the practise of the Kings of France though not named by Walthram in this his enumeration of Kingdomes amongst whom my first witnesse shall be that vulgarly knowen Letter of Philip le Bel King of France to Pope Boniface the viij the beginning whereof after a scornefull salutation is Sciat tua maxima fatuitas nos in temporalibus nemini subesse And likewise after that Lewes the ninth surnamed Sanctus had by a publike instrument called Pragmatica Sanctio forbidden all the exactions of the Popes Court within his Realme Pope Pius the ij in the beginning of Lewes the eleuenth his time greatly misliking this Decree so long before made sent his Legate to the said King Lewes with Letters patents vrging his promise which he had made when he was Dolphin of France to repeale that Sanction if euer hee came to bee King The King referreth the Legate ouer with his Letters-patents to the Councel of Paris where the matter being propounded was impugned by Ioan. Romanus the Kings Atturney with whose opinion the Vniuersitie of Paris concurring an Appeale was made from the attempts of the Pope to the next generall Councell the Cardinall departing with indignation But that the Kings of France and Church therof haue euer stoken to their Gallican immunitie in denying the Pope any temporall power ouer them and in resisting the Popes as oft as euer they prest to meddle with their temporall power euen in the donation of Benefices the Histories are so full of them as the onely examples thereof would make vp a bigge Volume by it selfe And so farre were the Sorbonists for the Kings and French Churches priuiledge in this point as they were wont to maintain That if the Pope fell a quarrelling the King for that cause the Gallican Church might elect a Patriarch of their owne renouncing any obedience to the Pope And Gerson was so farre from giuing the Pope that temporall authoritie ouer Kings who otherwise was a deuoute Roman Catholike as hee wrote a Booke de Auferibilitate Papae not onely from the power ouer Kings but euen ouer the Church And now permitting all further examples of forraigne Kings actions I will onely content mee at this time with some of my owne Predecessors examples of this Kingdom of England that it may thereby the more clearly appeare that euen in those times when the worlde was fullest of darkened blindnesse and ignorance the Kings of England haue oftentimes not only repined but euen strongly resisted and withstoode this temporall vsurpation and encroachment of ambitious Popes And I will first begin at King Henry the first of that name after the Conquest who after he was crowned gaue the Bishopricke of Winchester to William Gifford and forthwith inuested him into all the possessions belonging to the Bishopricke contrarie to the Canons of the new Synod King Henrie also gaue the Archbishopricke of Canterburie to Radulph Bishop of London and gaue him inuestiture by a Ring and a Crosiers staffe Also Pope Calixtus held a Councell at Rhemes whither King Henry had appointed certaine Bishops of England and Normandie to goe Thurstan also elected Archbishop of Yorke got leaue of the King to goe thither giuing his faith that hee would not receiue Consecration of the Pope And comming to the Synode by his liberal gifts as the fashion is wanne the Romanes fauour and by their meanes obtained to bee Consecrate at the Popes hand Which as soone as the King of England knewe hee forbad him to come within his Dominions Moreouer King Edward the first prohibited the Abbot of Waltham and Dean of Pauls to collect a tenth of euery mans goods for a supply to the holy Land which the Pope by three Bulles had committed to their charge and the said Deane of Pauls compering before the King and his Councell promised for the reuerence he did beare vnto the King not to meddle any more in that matter without the Kings good leaue and permission Here I hope a Church-man disobeyed the Pope from obedience to his Prince euen in Church matters but this new Iesuited Diuinitie was not then knowen in the world The same Edward I. impleaded the Deane of the Chappell of Vuluerhampton because the said Deane had against the priuiledges of the Kingdome giuen a Prebend of the same Chappell to one at the Popes command whereupon the said Deane compeered and put himselfe in the Kings will for his offence The said Edward I. depriued also the Bishop of Durham of all his liberties for disobeying a prohibition of the Kings So as it appeareth the Kings in those dayes thought the Church men their SVBIECTS though now wee be taught other Seraphicall doctrine For further proofe whereof Iohn of Ibstocke was committed to the goale by the saide King for hauing a suite in the Court of Rome seauen yeares for the Rectorie of Newchurch And Edward II. following the footsteps of his Father after giuing out a Summons against the Abbot of Walden for citing the Abbot of S. Albons and others in the Court of Rome gaue out letters for his apprehension And likewise because a certaine Prebend of Banbury had drawen one Beuercoat by a Plea to Rome without the Kings Dominions therefore were Letters of Caption sent foorth against the said Prebend And Edward III. following likewise the example of his Predecessors Because a Parson of Liche had summoned the Prior of S. Oswalds before the Pope at Auinion for hauing before the Iudges in England recouered the arrerage of a pension directed a Precept for seasing vpon all the goods both spirituall and Temporall of the said Parson because hee had done this in preiudice of the King and Crowne The saide King also made one Harwoden to bee declared culpable and worthy to bee punished for procuring the Popes Bulles
drying thereof or vnexspected passage made through it by Cyrus Babylon was wonne and Baltasar destroyed and his Monarchie ouerthrowne euen while hee was sitting in that literall Babylon corporally drunken and quaffing in the vessels ordained for GODS Seruice and so sitting as it were in the Temple of GOD and abusing the holy Mysteries thereof For remedy whereof at the powring forth of the sixt Vial three vnclean Spirits like frogs shall then come foorth out of the mouth of the Dragon that Beast and of the false Prophet which I take to be as much to say as that how soone as the kingdome of Antichrist shalbâ— so obscured with such a grosse and a palpable ignorance as learning shall be almost lost out of the world and that few of the very Priests themselues shall bee able to read Latine much lesse to vnderstand it and so a plaine way made for the Destruction of Babylon Then shall a new sect of Spirits arise for the defence of that falling Throne called three in number by reason of their three-folde direction beeing raised and inspired by the Dragon Sathan authorized and maintained by the Beast the Antichrist and instructed by the false Prophet the Apostatike Church that hath the hornes like the Lambe but speaketh like the Dragon These Spirits indeed thus sent forth by this three-folde authoritie for the defence of their Triple crowned Monarch are well likened to Frogs for they are Amphibions and can liue in either Element earth or water for though they be Church-men by profession yet can they vse the trade of politike Statesmen going to the Kings of the earth to gather them to the battell of that great day of GOD Almightie What Massacres haue by their perswasions beene wrought through many parts of Christendome and how euill Kings haue sped that haue beene counselled by them all the vnpartiall Histories of our time doe beare record And whatsoeuer King or State will not receiue them and follow their aduise rooted out must that King or State be euen with Gunpowder ere it faile And these Frogs had reason indeed to labor to become learned thereby to dissipate that grosse mist of ignorance wherewith the reigne of Antichrist was plagued before their comming foorth Then doeth this Chapter conclude with the last plague that is poured out of the seuenth Viall vpon the Antichrist which is the day of Iudgement for then Babylon saith he came in remembrance before God But in the xvij Chapter is the former Vision interpreted and expounded and there is the Antichrist represented by a Woman sitting vpon that many-headed Beast because as CHRIST his true Spouse and Church is represented by a Woman in the xij Chap. so here is the Head of his adulterous Spouse or false Church represented also by a woman but hauing a cup ful of abominations in her hand as her selfe is called a whoore for her spirituall adultery hauing seduced the Kings of the earth to bee partakers of her Spirituall fornication And yet wonderfull gorgious and glorious was shee in outward shew but drunken with the blood of the Saints by a violent persecution of them And that she may the better be knowen he writeth her name vpon her forehead agreeable to her qualities A Mystery that great Babylon that mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth A Mystery is a name that belongeth vnto her two maner of wayes One as she taketh it to her selfe another as she deserueth it indeed To her selfe she taketh it in calling herselfe the visible Head of the Mystical bodie of CHRIST in professing her selfe to bee the dispenser of the Mysteries of GOD and by her onely must they bee expounded This great God in earth and Head of the faith being a Mystes by his profession that is a Priest And if the obseruation of one be true that hee had of olde the word Mystery written on his Myter then is this prophecie very plainely accomplished Now that indeede shee deserues that name the rest of her Title doeth beare witnesse that sheweth her to be the Mother of all the whoredomes and abominations of the earth and so is she vnder the pretext of holinesse a Mystery indeed of all iniquitie and abominations vnder the marke of pretended feeding of Soules deuouring Kingdomes and making Christendome swimme in blood Now after that this scarlet or bloody Beast and her Rider are described by their shape garments name and qualities the Angel doth next interpret this vision vnto Iohn expounding vnto him what is signified both by the Beast and her Rider telling him the seuen heads of the Beast are seuen Hils meaning by the situation of that Citie or seat of Empire and that they are also seuen Kings or formes of gouernement in the said Citie whereof I haue told my conceit already As for the tenne Hornes which hee sheweth to be tenne Kings that shall at one houre receiue their power and Kingdome with the Beast I take that number of ten to be Numerus certus pro incerto euen as the number of seuen heads and ten hornes vpon the Dragon the Deuill cannot but bee an vncertaine number And that he also imitates in those ten hornes the ten hornes of the seuen headed Beast in the seuenth of Daniel and therefore I take these ten Kings to signifie all the Christian Kings and free Princes and States in generall euen you whome to I consecrate these my Labors and that of vs all he prophecieth that although our first becomming absolute and free Princes should bee in one houre with the Beast for great Christian kingdomes and Monarches did but rise and receiue their libertie by the ruines of the Ethnicke Romane Empire and at the destruction thereof and at the very time of the beginning of the planting of the Antichrist there and that wee should for a long time continue to worship the Beast hauing one Catholike or common consenting minde in obeying her yelding our power and authoritie vnto her and kissing her feet drinking with her in her cup of Idolatrie and fighting with the Lambe in the persecution of his Saints at her command that gouerneth so many Nations and people yet notwithstanding of all this wee shall in the time appointed by GOD hauing thus fought with the Lambe but being ouercome by him that is conuerted by his word wee shall then I say hate the Whore and make her desolate and make her naked by discouering her hypocrisie and false pretence of zeale and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire And thus shal the way of the Kings of the East be prepared as yee heard in the xvj Chapter And then doth hee subioyne the reason of this strange change in vs for saith hee GOD hath put it in their hearts to fulfill his will and with one consent to giue their Kingdomes to the Beast till the words of GOD be fulfilled according to that sentence of
the fatherly care I haue not to put any of my Subiects to a needlesse extremitie I might haue bene contented in some sort to haue reformed or interpreted those wordes With his owne Catholicks for either if I had so done they had beene therby fully eased in that businesse or at least if I would not haue condescended to haue altered any thing in the said Oath yet would thereby some appearance or shadow of excuse haue beene left vnto them for refusing the same not as seeming thereby to swarue from their Obedience and Allegiance vnto me but onely being stayed from taking the same vpon the scrupulous tendernesse of their consciences in regard of those particular wordes which the Pope had noted and condemned therein And now let vs heare the wordes of his thunder POPE PAVLVS the fift to the English Catholikes WElbeloued Sonnes Salutation and Apostolical Benediction The tribulations and calamities which yee haue continually susteined for the keeping of the Catholike Faith haue alwaies afflicted vs with great griefe of minde But for as much as we vnderstand that at this time all things are more grieuous our affliction hereby is wonderfully increased For we haue heard how you are compelled by most grieuous punishments set before you to goe to the Churches of Heretikes to frequent their assemblies to be present at their Sermons Truely we doe vndoubtedly beleeue that they which with so great constancie and fortitude haue hitherto indured most cruell persecutions and almost infinite miseries that they may walke without spot in the Law of the Lord will neuer suffer themselues to bee defiled with the communion of those that haue forsaken the diuine Law Yet notwithstanding being compelled by the zeale of our Pastorall Office and by our Fatherly care which we doe continually take sor the saluation of your soules we are inforced to admonish and desire you that by no meanes you come vnto the Churches of the Heretikes or heare their Sermons or communicate with them in their Rites lest you incurre the wrath of God For these things may yee not doe without indamaging the worship of God and your owne saluation As likewise you cannot without most euident and grieuous wronging of Gods Honour binde your selues by the Oath which in like maner we haue heard with very great griefe of our heart is administred vnto you of the tenor vnder written viz. I A.B. doe truely and sincerely acknowlege professe testifie and declare in my conscience before God and the world That our Soueraigne Lord King IAMES is lawfull King of this Realme and of all other his Maiesties Dominions and Countreyes And that the Pope neither of himselfe nor by any authoritie of the Church or Sea oâ— Rome or by any other meanes with any other hath any power or authoritie to depose the King or to dispose of any of his Maiesties Kingdomes or Dominions or to authorize any forraigne Prince to inuade or annoy him or his Countreys or to discarge any of his Subiects of their Allegiance and obedience to his Maiestie or to giue Licence or leaue to any of them to beare Armes raise tumults or to offer any violence or hurt to his Maiesties Royal person State or Gouernment or to any of his Maiesties Subiects within his Maiesties Dominions Also I doe sweare from my heart that notwithstanding any declaration or sentence of Excommunication or depriuation made or granted or to be made or granted by the Pope or his Successors or by any Authoritie deriued or pretended to be deriued from him or his Sea against the said King his Heires or Successors or any Absolution of the said subiects from their Obedience I will beare faith and true Allegiance to his Maiestie his Heires and Successors and him and them will defend to the vttermost of my power against all Conspiracies and Attempts whatsoeuer which shal be made against his or their Persons their Crowne and dignitie by reason or colour of any such Sentence or declaration or otherwise and will doe my best endeuour to disclose and make knowen vnto his Maiestie his Heires and Successors all Treasons and traiterous Conspiracies which I shall know or heare of to be against him or any of them And I doe further sweare That I doe from my heart abhorre 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 And I doe beleeue and in conscience am resolued that neither the Pope nor any person whatsoeuer hath power to absolue me of this Oath or any part thereof which I acknowledge by good and full Authoritie to be lawfully ministred vnto me and doe renounce all pardons and dispensations to the contrary And all these things I doe plainely and sincerely acknowledge and sweare according to these expresse wordes by me spoken and according to the plaine and common sence and vnderstanding of the same words without any Equiuocation or mental euasion or secret reseruation whatsoeuer And I doe make this Recognition and acknowledgement heartily willingly and truely vpon the true Faith of a Christian So helpe my GOD. Which things since they are thus it must euidently appeare vnto you by the words themselues That such an Oath cannot be taken without hurting of the Catholique Faith and the Saluation of your Soules seeing it conteines many things which are flat contrary to Faith and Saluation Wherefore wee doe admonish you that you doe vtterly abstaine from taking this and the like Oathes which thing wee doe the more earnestly require of you because we haue experience of the Constancie of your Faith which is tried like Gold in the fire of perpetuall Tribulation Wee doe wel knowe that you will cheerefully vnder-goe all kind of cruell Torments whatsoeuer yea and constantly endure death it selfe rather then you will in any thing offend the Maiestie of God And this our Confidence is confirmed by those things which are dayly reported vnto vs of the singular vertue valour and fortitude which in these last times doeth no lesse shine in your Martyrs then it did in the first beginnings of the Church Stand therefore your Loynes being girt about with Veritie and hauing on the Brest-plate of righteousnesse taking the Shield of Faith bee yee strong in the Lord and in the power of his might And let nothing hinder you Hee which will crowne you and doeth in Heauen beholde your Conflicts will finish the good worke which he hath begun in you You know how he hath promised his Disciples that hee will neuer leaue them Orphanes for hee is faithfull which hath promised Hold fast therefore his correction that is being rooted and grounded in Charitie whatsoeuer ye doe whatsoeuer yee indeuour doe it with one accord in simplicitie of Heart in meekenesse of Spirit without murmuring or doubting For by this doe all men know that wee are the Disciples of Christ if we haue Loue one
the naturall Allegiance and next clearely confirmed by this Oath which doeth nothing but expresse the same so as no man can now hold the faith or procure the saluation of his sould in England that must not abiure and renounce his borne and sworne Allegiance to his naturall Soueraigne And yet it is not sufficient to ratifie the last yeeres Breue by a new one come foorth this yeere but that not onely euery yeere but euery moneth may produce a new monster the great and famous Writer of the Controuersies the late vn-Iesuited Cardinall Bellarmine must adde his talent to this good worke by blowing the bellowes of sedition and sharpening the spur to rebellion by sending such a Letter of his to the Arch-priest here as it is wonder how passion and an ambitious desire of maintaining that Monarchie should charme the wits of so famously learned a man The Copie where of here followeth TO THE VERY REuerend Mr. George Blackwel Arch-priest of the English Robert Bellarmine Cardinall of the holy Church of Rome greeting REuerend Sir and Brother in CHRIST It is almost fourty yeeres since we did see one the other but yet I haue neuer bin vnmindful of our ancient acquaintance neither haue I ceased seeing I could doe you no other good to commend your labouring most painfully in the Lords vineyard in my prayers to GOD. And I doubt not but that I haue liued all this while in your memory and haue had some place in your prayers at the Lords Altar So therefore euen vnto this time wee haue abidden as S. Iohn speaketh in the mutuall loue one of the other not by word or letter but in deede and trueth But a late message which was brought vnto vs within these few dayes of your bonds and imprisonment hath inforced mee to breake off this silence which message although it seemed heauy in regard of the losse which that Church hath receiued by their beeing thus depriued of the comfort of your pastorall function among them yet withall it seemed ioyous because you drewe neere vnto the glory of Martyrdome then the which gift of God there is none more happy That you who haue fed your flocke so many yeeres with the word and doctrine should now feed it more gloriously by the example of your patience But another heauy tidings did not a litle disquiet and almost take away this ioy which immediatly followed of the aduersaries assault and peraduenture of the slip and fall of your Constancy in refusing an vnlawfull Oath Neither truely most deare Brother could that Oath therfore be lawfull because it was offered in sort tempered and modified for you know that those kinde of modifications are nothing else but sleights subtilties of Sathan that the Catholique faith touching the Primacie of the Sea Apostolique might either secretly or openly be shot at for the which faith so many worthy Martyrs euen in that very England it selfe haue resisted vnto blood For most certaine it is that in whatsoeuer wordes the Oath is conceiued by the aduersaries of the faith in that Kingdome it tends to this end that the authoritie of the head of the Church in England may be transferred from the successour of S. Peter to the Successour of K. Henry the eight For that which is pretended of the danger of the Kings life if the high Priest should haue the same power in England which hee hath in all other Christian Kingdomes it is altogether idle as all that haue any vnderstanding may easily perceiue For it was neuer heard of from the Churches infancy vntill this day that euer any Pope did command that any Prince though an Heretike though an Ethnike though a Persecutor should be murdered or did approue of the fact when it was done by any other And why I pray you doeth onely the King of England feare that which none of all other the Princes in Christendome either doeth feare or euer did feare But as I saide these vaine pretexts are but the trappes and stratagemes of Satan Of which kinde I could produce not a fâ—we out of Ancient Stories if I went about to write a bookâ— and not an Epistle One onely for example sake I will call to your memory S. Gregorius Nazianzenus in his first Oration against Iulian the Emperour reporteth That he the more easily to beguile the simple Christians did insert the Images of the false gods into the pictures of the Emperor which the Romanes did vse to bow dawne vnto with a ciuill kind of reuerence so that no man could doe reuerence to the Emperours picture but withall he must adore the Images of the false gods whereupon it came to passe that many were deceiued And if there were any that found out the Emperours craft and refused to worship his picture those were most grieuously punished as men that had contemned the Emperour in his Image Some such like thing me thinkes I see in the Oath that is offered to you which is to so craftily composed that no man can detest Treason against the King and make profession of his Ciuill subiection but he must be constrained perfidiously to denie the Primacie of the Apostolike Sea But the seruants of Christ and especially the chiefe Priests of the Lord ought to be so farre from taking an vnlawfull Oath where they may indamage the Faith that they ought to beware that they giue not the least suspicion of dissimulation that they haue taken it least they might seeme to haue left any example of preuarication to faithfull people Which thing that worthy Eleazar did most notably performe who would neither eate swines flesh nor so much as faine to haue eaten it although hee saw the great torments that did hang ouer his head least as himselfe speaketh in the second booke of the Machabees many yong men might be brought through that similation to preuaricate with the Law Neither did Basil the great by his example which is more fit for our purpose carrie himselfe lesse worthily toward Valens the Emperour For as Theodoret writeth in his Historie when the Deputy of that heretical Emperour did perswade Saint Basill that he would not resist the Emperour for a little subtiltie of a few points of doctrine that most holy and prudent man made answere That it was not to bee indured that the least syllable of Gods word should bee corrupted but rather all kind of torment was to be embraced for the maintenance of the Trueth thereof Now I suppose that there wants not amongst you who say that they are but subtilties of Opinions that are conteined in the Oath that is offred to the Catholikes and that you are not to striue against the Kings Authoritie for such a little matter But there are not wanting also amongst you holy men like vnto Basil the Great which will openly auow that the very least syllable of Gods diuine trueth is not to be corrupted though many torments were to be endured and death it selfe set before you Amongst whom it is meete
vvith the ciuil obedience of subiects to their Soueraigne in meere temporall causes And that it may the better appeare that vvhereas by name he seemeth to condemne the last Oath yet indeed his vvhole Letter runneth vpon nothing but vpon the condemnation of the Oath of Supremacie I haue here thought good to set downe the saide Oath leauing it then to the discretion of euery indifferent reader to iudge whether hee doeth not in substance onely answere to the Oath of Supremacie but that he giueth the child a wrong name I A B. doe vtterly testifie and declare in my Conscience that the Kings Highnesse is the onely Supreame Gouernour of this Realme and all other his Highnesse Dominions and Counties as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes as Temporall And that no forraine Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to haue any Iurisdiction Power Superioritie Preeminence or Authoritie Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall within this Realme And therefore I do vtterly renounce and forsake all forreine Iurisdictions Powers Superiorities and authorities and do promise that from hencefoorth I shall beare faith and true Allegiance to the Kings Highnesse his Heires and lawfull Successors and to my power shall assist and defend all iurisdictions Priuiledges Preâ—minences and Authorities graunted or belonging to the Kings Highnesse his Heires and Successours or vnited and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of the Realme So helpe mee God and by the Contents of this booke And that the iniustice as well as the errour of his grosse mistaking in this point may yet be more clearely discouered I haue also thought good to insert here immediatly after the Oath of Supremacie the contrary Conclusions to all the points and Articles whereof this other late Oath doeth consist whereby it may appeare what vnreasonable and rebellious points hee would driue my Subiects vnto by refusing the whole body of that Oath as it is conceiued For he that shall refuse to take this Oath must of necessitie hold all or some of these propositions following That I King IAMES am not the lawfull King of this Kingdome and of all other my Dominions That the Pope by his owne authoritie may depose me If not by his owne authoritie yet by some other authoritie of the Church or of the Sea of Rome If not by some other authoritie of the Church Sea of Rome yet by other meanes with others helpe he may depose me That the Pope may dispose of my Kingdomes and Dominions That the Pope may giue authoritie to some forren Prince to inuade my Dominions That the Pope may discharge my Subiects of their Allegiance and Obedience to me That the Pope may giue licence to one or more of my Subiects to beare armes against me That the Pope may giue leaue to my Subiects to offer violence to my Person or to my Gouernement or to some of my Subiects That if the Pope shall by sentence excommunicate or depose me my Subiects are not to beare Faith and Allegiance to me If the Pope shall by Sentence excommunicate or depose mee my Subiects are not bound to defend with all their power my Person and Crowne If the Pope shall giue out any Sentence of Excommunication or Depriuation against me my Subiects by reason of that sentence are not bound to reueale all Conspiracies and Treasons against mee which shal come to their hearing and knowledge That it is not hereticall and detestable to hold that Princes being excommunicated by the Pope may be either deposed or killed by their Subiects or any other That the Pope hath power to absolue my Subiects from this Oath or from some part thereof That this Oath is not administred to my Subiects by a full and lawfull authoritie That this Oath is to be taken with Equiuocation mental euasion or secret reseruation and not with the heart and good will sincerely in the true faith of a Christian man These are the true and naturall branches of the body of this Oath The affirmatiue of all which negatiues doe neither concerne in any case the Popes Supremacie in spiritual causes nor yet were euer concluded and defined by any complete generall Councell to belong to the Popes authoritie and their owne schoole Doctors are at irreconciliable oddes and iarres about them And that the world may yet farther see ours and the whole States setting downe of this Oath did not proceed from any new inuention of our owne but as it is warranted by the word of GOD so doeth it take the example from an Oath of Allegiance decreed a thousand yeeres agone which a famous Councel then together with diuers other Councels were so farre from condemning as the Pope now hath done this Oath as I haue thought good to set downe their owne words here in that purpose whereby it may appeare that I craue nothing now of my Subiects in this Oath which was not expresly and carefully commanded then by the Councels to be obeyed without exception of persons Nay not in the very particular point of equiuocation which I in this Oath was so carefull to haue eschewed but you shall here see the said Councels in their Decrees as carefull to prouide for the eschewing of the same so as almost euery point of that Action and this of ours shall be found to haue relation and agreeance one with the other saue only in this that those ould Councels were carefull and strait in commanding the taking of the same whereas by the contrary he that novv vanteth himselfe to bee head of all Councels is as carefull and strait in the prohibition of all men from the taking of this Oath of Allegiance The vvordes of the Councell bee these Heare our Sentence Whosoeuer of vs or of all the people thorowout all Spaine shall goe about by any meanes of conspiracie or practise to violate the Oath of his fidelitie which he hath taken for the preseruation of his Countrey or of the Kings life or who shall attempt to put violent hands vpon the King or to depriue him of his kingly power or that by tyrannicall presumption would vsurpe the Soueraigntie of the Kingdome let him bee accursed in the sight of God the Father and of his Angels and let him be made and declared a stranger from the Catholike Church which he hath prophaned by his periurie an aliant from the company of all Christian people together with all the complices of his impietie because it behooueth all those that bee guiltie of the like offence to vnder-lie the like punishment Which sentence is three seuerall times together and almost in the same wordes repeated in the same Canon After this the Synode desired That this Sentence of theirs now this third time rehearsed might be confirmed by the voyce and consent of all that were present Then the whole Clergie and people answered Whosoeuer shal cary himselfe presumptuously against this your definitiue sentence let them be Anathema maranatha that is let them
deposing of Kings And for the second point he bringeth no proofe to the contrary but Pasce oues meas and Tibi dabo claues regni coelorum and That no Catholike euer doubted of it So as I may truely say of him that he either vnderstandeth not or at least will not seeme to vnderstand my Booke in neuer directly answering the maine question as I haue already sayd and so may I iustly turne ouer vpon himselfe that doome of ignorance which in the beginning of his Booke he rashly pronounceth vpon me saying that I neither vnderstand the Popes Breues his Letter nor the Oath it selfe And as hee delighteth to repeat ouer and ouer I know not how oft and triumpheth in this wrong inference of his That to deny the Popes power to depose Kings 〈◊〉 â—o deny the Popes Primacie and his spirituall power of Excommunication So doeth he vpon that ground of Pasce oues meas giue the Pope so ample a power ouer Kings to throne or dethrone them at his pleasure and yet onely subiecting Christian Kings to that slauerie as I doubt not but in your owne Honours yee will resent you of such indignities the rather since it concernes so many of you as professe the Romish religion farre more then me For since hee accounteth me an heretike like Iulian the Apostate I am consequently extra caulam and none of the Popes flocke and so am in the case of Ethnicke Princes ouer whom he confesseth the Pope hath no power But yee are in the Popes folde and you that great Pastour may leade as sheepe to the slaughter when it shall please him And as the asses eares must be hornes if the Lion list so to interpret it so must ye be remoued as scabbed sheepe from the flocke if so be the Pope thinke you to be though your skinne be indeed neuer so sound Thus hath hee set such a new goodly interpretation vpon the words of CHRIST Pasce oues meas as if it were as much to say as depose Christian Kings and that Quodcunque solueris gaue the Pope power to dispense with all sorts of Othes Vowes Penalties Censurers Lawes euen with the naturall obedience of Subiects to their Souereigne Lords much like to that new coined glosse that his brother Baronius made vpon the words in S. Peters vision Surge Petre occide manduca That is said hee to the Pope Goe kill and confound the Venetians And because I haue in my Booke by citing a place in his controuersies discouered him to be a small friend to Kings hee is much commoued For whereas in his said Controuersies speaking de Clericis hee is so bold as to affirme that Church-men are exempted from the power of earthly Kings and that they ought them no subiection euen in temporall matters but onely virationis and in their owne discretion for the preseruation of peace and good order because I say citing this place of his in my Booke I tell with admiration that he freeth all Church-men from any subiection to Kings euen those that are their borne-Subiects hee is angry with this phrase and sayth it is an addition for breeding enuie vnto him and raising of hatred against him For saith hee although Bellarmine affirmed generally that Church-men were not subiect to earthly Kings yet did he not insert that particular clause though they were borne and dwelling in their dominions as if the words of Church-men and earthly Kings in generall imported not as much for Layicks as well as Church-men are subiect to none but to their naturall Soueraigne And yet doeth he not sticke to confesse that he meant it though it was not fit he saith to be expressed And thus quarrels hee me for reuealing his Printed secret But whose hatred did he feare in this was it not yours Who haue interest but KINGS in the withdrawing of true Subiection from Kings And when the greatest Monarchs amongst you will remember that almost the third part of your Subiects and of your Territories is Church-men and Church-liuings I hope yee will then consider and weigh what a feather hee puls out of your wings when he denudeth you of so many Subiects and their possessions in the Popes fauour nay what bryers and thornes are left within the heart of your Dominions when so populous and potent a partie shall haue their birth education and liuelyhood in your Countries and yet owe you no Subiection nor acknowledge you for their SOVERAIGNES So as where the Church-men of old were content with their tythe of euery mans goods the Pope now will haue little lesse then the third part of euery Kings Subiects and Dominions And as in this place so throughout all the rest of his booke hee doeth nothing but amplifie the Popes power ouer Kings and exaggerate my vnreasonable rigour for pressing this Oath which he will needes haue to bee nothing but a renewed Oath of Supremacie in more subtill and craftie termes onely to robbe the Pope of his Primacie and spirituall power making his temporall power and authoritie ouer Princes to bee one of the chiefe ARTICLES of the Catholike faith But that it may the better appeare vnto you that all my labour and intention in this errand was onely to meddle with that due temporall Obedience which my Subiects owe vnto mee and not to entrap nor inthrall their Consciences as he most falsly affirmes Ye shall first see how farre other Godly and Christian Emperours and Kings were from acknowledging the Popes temporall Supremacie ouer them nay haue created controlled and deposed Popes and next what a number of my Predecessors in this Kingdome haue at al occasions euen in the times of the greatest Greatnesse of Popes resisted and plainely withstood them in this part And first all Christian Emperours were for a long time so farre from acknowledging the Popes Superioritie ouer them as by the contrary the Popes acknowledged themselves for their Vassals reuerencing and obeying the Emperours as their Lords for proofe whereof I remit you to my Apologie And for the creating of Popes the Emperours were in so long and continuall possession thereof as I will vse for my first witnesse a Pope himselfe who in a Synod of an hundreth fifty and three Bishops and Abbots did ordaine That the Emperour CHARLES the Great should haue the Right of choosing the Pope and ordaining the Apostolicall Seate and the dignitie of the Romane Principalitie nay farther hee ordained That all Archbishops and Bishops should receiue their Inuestiture from the Emperour or els be of no auaile And that a Bishop wanting it should not bee consecrate pronouncing an Anathema against all that should disobey this Sentence And that the Emperours assent to the Popes Election was a thing ordinary for a long time Platina and a number of the Popes owne writers beare witnesse And Bellarmine himselfe in his booke of Controuersies cannot get it handsomely denied Nay the Popes were euen forced then to pay a certaine summe of money
against a Iudgment that was giuen by the Kings Iudges And likewise Because one entred vpon the Priory of Barnewell by the Popes Bull the said Intrant was committed to the Tower of London there to remaine during the Kings pleasure So as my Predecessours ye see of this Kingdome euen when the Popes triumphed in their greatnes spared not to punish any of their Subiects that would preferre the Popes obedience to theirs euen in Church matters So farre were they then from either acknowledging the Pope for their temporal Superior or yet from doubting that their owne Church-men were not their Subiects And now I will close vp all these examples with an Act of Parliament in King Richard 2. his time whereby it was prohibited That none should procure a Benefice from Rome vnder paine to be put out of the Kings protection And thus may yee see that what those Kings successiuely one to another by foure generations haue acted in priuate the same was also maintained by a publike Law By these few examples now I hope I haue sufficiently cleared my selfe from the imputation that any ambition or desire of Noueltie in mee should haue stirred me either to robbe the Pope of any thing due vnto him or to assume vnto my selfe any further authoritie then that which other Christian Emperours and Kings through the world and my owne Predecessours of England in especiall haue long agone maintained Neither is it enough to say as Parsons doeth in his answere to the Lord Cooke That farre more Kings of this Countrey haue giuen many more examples of acknowledging or not resisting the Popes vsurped Authoritie some perchance lacking the occasion and some the abilitie of resisting them for euen by the ciuill Law in the case of violent intrusion and long and wrongfull possession against mee it is enough if I proue that I haue made lawfull interruption vpon conuenient occasions But the Cardinall thinkes the Oath not onely vnlawfull for the substance thereof but also in regard of the Person whom vnto it is to bee sworne For saith he The King is not a Catholike And in two or three other places of his booke he sticketh not to call me by my name very broadly an Heretike as I haue already tolde But yet before I be publikly declared an Heretike by the Popes owne Law my people ought not to refuse their Obedience vnto me And I trust if I were but a Subiect and accused by the Pope in his Conclaue before his Cardinals he would haue hard prouing me an Heretike if he iudged mee by their owne ancient Orders For first I am no Apostate as the Cardinall would make mee not onely hauing euer been brought vp in that Religion which I presently professe but euen my Father and Grandfather on that side professing the same and so cannot be properly an Heretike by their owne doctrine since I neuer was of their Church And as for the Queene my Mother of worthie memorie although she continued in that Religion wherin she was nourished yet was shee so farre from being superstitious or Iesuited therein that at my Baptisme although I was baptized by a Popish Archbishop shee sent him word to forbeare to vse the spettle in my Baptisme which was obeyed being indeed a filthy and an apish trick rather in scorne then imitation of CHRIST And her owne very words were That shee would not haue a pockie Priest to spet in her childs mouth As also the Font wherin I was Christened was sent from the late Queene heere of famous memorie who was my Godmother and what her Religion was Pius V. was not ignorant And for further proofe that that renowmed Queene my Mother was not superstitious as in all her Letters whereof I receiued many she neuer made mention of Religion nor laboured to perswade me in it so at her last words she cōmanded her Master-houshold a Scottish Gentleman my seruant and yet aliue shee commanded him I say to tell me That although she was of another Religion then that wherein I was brought vp yet she woud not presse me to change except my owne conscience forced mee to it For so that I led a good life and were carefull to doe iustice and gouerne well she doubted not but I would be in a good case with the profession of my owne Religion Thus am I no Apostate nor yet a deborder from that Religion which one part of my Parents professed and an other part gaue me good allowance of Neither can my Baptisme in the rites of their Religion make me an Apostate or Heretike in respect of my present profession since wee all agree in the substance thereof being all baptized In the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost vpon which head there is no variance amongst vs. And now for the point of Heretike I will neuer bee ashamed to render an account of my profession and of that hope that is in me as the Apostle prescribeth I am such a CATHOLIKE CHRISTIAN as beleeueth the three Creeds That of the Apostles that of the Councell of Nice and that of Athanasius the two latter being Paraphrases to the former And I beleeue them in that sense as the ancient Fathers and Councels that made them did vnderstand them To which three Creedes all the Ministers of England doe subscribe at their Ordination And I also acknowledge for Orthodoxe all those other formes of Creeds that either were deuised by Councels or paticular Fathers against such particular Heresies as most reigned in their times I reuerence and admit the foure first generall Councels as Catholike and Orthodoxe And the said foure generall Councels are acknowledged by our Acts of Parliament and receiued for Orthodoxe by our Church As for the Fathers I reuerence them as much and more then the Iesuites doe and as much as themselues euer craued For what euer the Fathers for the first fiue hundreth yeeres did with an vnanime consent agree vpon to be beleeued as a necessary point of saluation I either will beleeue it also or at least will be humbly silent not taking vpon me to condemne the same But for euery priuate Fathers opinion it bindes not my conscience more then Bellarmines euery one of the Fathers vsually contradicting others I wil therefore in that case follow S. Augustines rule in iudging of their opinions as I finde them agree with the Scriptures what I find agreeable thereunto I will gladly imbrace what is otherwise I will with their reuerence reiect As for the Scriptures no man doubteth I will beleeue them But euen for the Apocrypha I hold them in the same account that the Ancients did They are still printed and bound with our Bibles and publikely read in our Churches I reuerence them as the writings of holy and good men but since they are not found in the Canon we account them to be secundae lectionis or ordinis which is Bellarmines owne distinction and therefore not sufficient whereupon alone to ground any article
the very people haue principally the power either to chuse such Priests as are worthy or to refuse such as are vnworthy And I hope he can neuer proue by the Scripture that it had been lawfull to the people of Israel or that it was left in their choise to haue admitted or refused Saul or Dauid at their pleasure after that the Prophet had anointed them and presented them vnto them Thus ye see how little he careth euen in so little a volume to contradict himselfe so it may make for his purpose making the consent of the people to signifie their power of Election in the making of Kings though in the making of Bishops by the peoples coÌ„sent their approbauen of a deede done by others must onely bee vnderstood And as for his example of Ieroboams election to be king hee knoweth well enough that Ieroboam was made King in a popular mutinous tumult and rebellion onely permitted by God and that in his wrath both against these two Kings and their people But if he will needs helpe himselfe against all rules of Diuinity with such an extraordinary example for proofe of a generall Rule why is it not as lawfull for vs Kings to oppose hereunto the example of Iehu his Inauguration to the Kingdome who vpon the Prophets priuat anointment of him and that in most secret maner tooke presently the Kings office vpon him without euer crauing any sort of approbation from the people And thus may ye now clearely see how deepe the claime of the Babylonian Monarch toucheth vs in all our common interest for as I haue already tolde the Pope nor any of his Vassals I meane Church-men must be subiect to no Kings nor Princes and yet all Kings and their Vassals must not onely be subiect to the Pope but euen to their own people And now what a large liberty is by this doctrine left to Churchmen to hatch or foster any treasonable attempts against Princes I leaue it to your considerations since doe what they will they are accountable to none of vs nay all their treasonable practises must bee accounted workes of pietie and they being iustly punished for the same must be presently inrolled in the list of Martyrs and Saints like as our new printed Martyrologie hath put Garnet and Ouldcorne in the Register of English Martyrs abroad that were hanged at home for Treason against the Crown and whole State of England so as I may iustly with Isaiah pronounce a Woe to them that speake good of euill and euill of good which put light for darkenesse and darknesse for light which iustifie the wicked for a reward take away the righteousnes of the righteous from him For euen as in the time of the greatest blindnesse in Popery though a man should find his wife or his daughter lying a bed in her Confessors armes yet was it not lawfull for him so much as to suspect that the Frier ahadny errand there but to Confesse and instruct her Euen so though Iesuites practising in Treason bee sufficiently verified and that themselues cannot but confesse it yet must they bee accounted to suffer Martyrdome for the Faith and their blood work miracles and frame a stramineum argumentum vpon strawes when their heads are standing aloft withered by the Sunne and the winde a publike spectacle for the eternall commemoration of their treacherie Yea one of the reasons that is giuen in the Printers Epistle of the Colonian edition of the Cardinal or his Chaplains pamphlet why he doth the more willingly print it is because that the innocencie of that most holy and constant man Henry Garnet is declared and set forth in that booke against whom some he knew not who had scattered a false rumour of his guiltinesse of the English treason But Lord what an impudencie or wilfull ignorance is this that he who was so publikely and solemnely conuicted and executed vpon his own so cleare vnforced and often repeated confession of his knowledge and concealing of that horrible Treason should now be said to haue a certaine rumor spred vpon him of his guiltinesse by I know not who with so many attributes of godlinesse constancie and innocencie bestowed vpon him as if publike Sentences and Executions of Iustice were rumors of I know not who Indeed I must confesse the booke it selfe sheweth a great affection to performe what is thus promised in the Preface thereof for in two or three places therin is there most honorable lying mention made of that straw Saint wherein though he confesse that Garnet was vpon the foreknowledge of the Powder-Treason yet in regarde it was as he saith only vnder the Seale of Confession he sticketh not to praise him for his concealing thereof and would gladly giue him the crowne of glory for the same not being ashamed to proclaime it as a principal head of Catholique doctrine That the secret of Sacramental conâ—ession ought not to be reuealed not for the eschewing of whatsoeuer euil But how damnable this doctrine is and how dangerously preâ—udiciall to all Princes States I leaue it to you to iudge whom all it most highly concerneth For although it he true that when the Schoolemen came to be Doctors in the Church and to marre the old grounds in Diuinitie by sowing in amongst them their Philosophicall distinctions though they I say do maintain That whaâ—soeeuer thing is told a Confessor vnder the vaile of confession how dangerous soeuer the matter bee yet he is bound to conceale the parties name yet doe none of them I meane of the olde Schoolemen deny that if a matter bee reuealed vnto them the concealing whereof may breed a great or publike danger but that in that case the Confessor may disclose the matter though not the person and by some indirect means make it come to light that the danger thereof may bee preuented But that no treason nor diuelish plot though it should tend to the ruine or exterminion of a whole Kingdome must be reuealed if it bee told vnder Confession no not the matter so far indirectly disclosed as may giue occasion for preuenting the danger thereof though it agree with the conceit of some three or foure new Iesuited Doctors it is such a new and dangerous head of doctrine as no King nor State can liue in securitie where that Position is maintained And now that I may as well prooue him a lyar in facto in his narration of this particular Hystory as I haue shewed him to be in iure by this his damnable and false ground in Diuinity I wil truly informe you of Garnets case which is far otherwise then this Answerer alleageth For first it can neuer bee accounted a thing vnder Confession which he that reueals it doth not discouer with a remorse accounting it a sin whereof he repenteth him but by the contrary discouers it as a good motion and is therein not dissuaded by his Confessor nor any penance enioyned him for the same and in
great griefe of minde But forasmuch as we vnderstand that at this time all things are more grieuous our affliction hereby is wonderfully increased Tortus p. 28. 6 In the first article of the Statute the Lawes of Queene Elizabeth are confirmed Confutation There is no mention at all made of confirming the Lawes of Q. Elizabeth in the first article of that Statute Tortus p. 29. 7 In the 10. article of the sayd Statute it is added that if the Catholikes refuse the third time to take the Oath being tendered vnto them they shall incurre the danger of loosing their liues Confutation There is no mention in this whole Statute either of offring the oath the third time or any endangering of their liues Tortus p. 30. 8 In the 12. article it is enacted that whosoeuer goeth out of the land to serue in the warres vnder forreine Princes they shall first of all take this Oath or else be accounted for Traytors Confutation It is no where said in that Statute that they which shall thus serue in the warres vnder forreine Princes before they haue taken this Oath shal be accounted for Traitors but only for felons Tortus p. 35. 9 We haue already declared that the Popes Apostolike power in binding and loosing is denyed in that Oath of Allegeance Confutation There is no assertory sentence in that Oath nor any word but onely conditionall touching the power of the Pope in binding and loosing Tortus p. 37. 10 The Popes themselues euen wil they nill they were constrained to subiect themselues to Nero and Diocletian Confutation That Christians without exception not vpon constraint but willingly and for conscience sake did subiect themselues to the Ethnicke Emperours it may appeare by our Apologie p. 23 24. and the Apologetickes of the ancient Fathers Tortus p. 47. 11 In which words of the Breues of Clement the 8. not onely Iames King of Scotland was not excluded but included rather Confutation If the Breues of Clement did not exclude mee from the Kingdome but rather did include me why did Garnet burne them why would he not reserue them that I might haue seene them that so he might haue obtained more fauour at mine hands for him and his Catholickes Tortus p. 60. 12 Of those 14. articles contained in the Oath of Allegeance eleuen of them concerne the Primacie of the Pope in matters spirituall Confutation No one article of that Oath doeth meddle with the Primacie of the Pope in matters spirituall for to what end should that haue bene since we haue an expresse Oath els-where against the Popes Primacie in matters spirituall Tortus p. 64. 13 Amongst other calumnies this is mentioned that Bellarmine was priuie to sundry conspiracies against Q Elizabeth if not the authour Confutation It is no where said in the Apologie that Bellarmine was either the Authour or priuie to any conspiracies against Queene Elizabeth but that he was their principall instructer and teacher who corrupted their iudgement with such dangerous positions principles that it was an easie matter to reduce the generals into particulars and to apply the dictates which hee gaue out of his Chaire as opportunity serued to their seuerall designes Tortus p. 64. 14 For hee Bellarmine knoweth that Campian onely conspired against Hereticall impiety Confutation That the true and proper cause of Campians execution was not for his conspiring against hereticall impiety but for conspiring against Queene Elizabeth and the State of this Kingdome it was most euident by the iudiciall proceedings against him Tortus p. 65. 15 Why was H. Garnet a man incomparable for learning in all kindes and holinesse of life put to death but because hee would not reueale that which he could not doe with a safe conscience Confutation That Garnet came to the knowledge of this horrible plot not only in confession as this Libeller would haue it but by other meanes nâ—ither by the relation of one alone but by diuers so as hee might with safe conscience haue disclosed it See the Premonition p. 125 126 c. and the Earle of Northamptons Booke Tortus p. 71. 16 Pope Sixtus 5. neither commaunded the French King to be murdered neither approued that fact as it was done by a priuate person Confutation The falsehood of this doeth easily appeare by the Oration of Sixtus 5. Tortus p. 91. 17 That which is added concerning Stanley his Treason is neither faithfully nor truely related for the Apologer as his maner is doth miserably depraue it by adding many lyes Confutation That which the Apologie relateth concerning Stanley his Treason is word for word recited out of Cardinall Allens Apologie for Stanleyâ—s treason as it is to be seene there Tortus p. 93. 18 It is very certaine that H. Garnet at his arraignment did alwayes constantly auouch that neither hee nor any Iesuite either were authors or compartners or aduisers or consenting any way to the powder-Treason And a little after The same thing he protested at his death in a large speech in the presence of innumerable people Confutation The booke of the proceedings against the late Traytors and our Premonition pag. 125 126 c. doe clearly prooue the contrary of this to be true Tortus p. 97. 19 King Iames since hee is no Catholike neither is hee a Christian Confutation Contrary I am a true Catholike a professour of the truely ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith and therefore am a true Christian See the confession of my faith in the Premonition pag. 35 36 c. Tortus p. 98. 20 And if the reports of them which knewe him most inwardly be trew When he was in Scotland he was a Puritane and an Enemie to Protestants Now in England hee professeth himselfe a Protestant and an Enemie to the Puritans Confutation Contrary and what a Puritane I was in Scotland See my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this my Premonition p. 44 45. ¶ His falsifications in his alledging of Histories together with a briefe declaration of their falshood The words of Tortus p. 70. 1 IT was certaine that hee Hnery 4. the Emperour died a naturall death Confutation It was not certaine since sundry Historians write otherwise that he dyed vpon his imprisonment by his sonne Henry 5. either with the noysomenesse and loathsomenesse of the prison or being pined to death by hunger Read Fasciculus temporum at the yeere 1094. Laziardus epitom vniuersal Histor c. 198. Paulus Langius in Chronico Citizensi at the yeere 1105. and Iacobus Wimphelingus epitome Rerum Germanic c. 28. Tortus p. 83. 2 Henry 4. the Emperour feared indeed but not any corporall death but the censure of Excommunication from the which that he might procure absolution of his owne accord he did thus demissely humble himselfe before Gregory 7. Confutation That Henry 4. thus deiected himselfe before the Pope it was neither of his owne accord neither vpon any feare of the Popes Excommunication which in this particular he esteemed of no force but vpon feare of
be vtterly destroyed at the Lords comming and let them and their complices haue their portion with Iudas Iscarioth Amen And in the fift Councell there it is decreed That this Acte touching the Oath of Allegiance shall bee repeated in euery Councell of the Bishops of Spaine The Decree is in these wordes In consideration that the mindes of men are easily inclined to euill and forgetfulnesse therefore this most holy Synode hath ordeined and doeth enact That in euery Councell of the Bishops of Spaine the Decree of the generall Councell which was made for the safetie of our Princes shall be with an audible voyce proclaimed pronounced after the conclusion of all other things in the Synode that so it being often sounded in their eares at least by continuall remembrance the mindes of wicked men being terrified might bee reformed which by obliuion facilitie to euill are brought to preuaricate And in the sixt Councell We doe protest before God and all the orders of Angels in the presence of the Prophets and Apostles and all the company of Martyrs and before all the Catholike Church and assemblies of the Christians That no man shall goe about to seeke the destruction of the King No man shall touch the life of the Prince No man shall depriue him of the Kingdome No man by any tyrannicall presumption shall vsurpe to himselfe the soueraigntie of the Kingdome No man by any Machination shall in his aduersitie associate to himselfe any packe of conspirators against him And that if any of vs shal be presumptuous by rashnesse in any of these cases let him be strickē with the anatheme of God and reputed as condemned in eternall iudgement without any hope of recouery And in the tenth Councell to omit diuers others held also at Toledo it is said That if any religious man euen from the Bishop to the lowest Order of the Church-men or Monkes shall be found to haue violated the generall Oathes made for the preseruation of the Kings person or of the nation and Countrey with a profane minde forthwith let him be depriued of all dignitie and excluded from all place and honour The occasion of the Decrees made for this Oath was That the Christians were suspected for want of fidelitie to their Kings and did either equiuocate in taking their Oath or make no conscience to keepe it when they had giuen it as may appeare by sundry speeches in the Councell saying There is a generall report that there is that perfidiousnes in the mindes of many poeple of diuerse Nations that they make no conscience to keepe the Oath and fidelitie that they haue sworne vnto their Kings but doe dissemble a profession of fidelitie in their mouthes when they hold an impious perfidiousnes in their minds And againe They sweare to their Kings and yet doe they preuaricate in the fidelitie which they haue promised Neither do they feare the volume of Gods iudgement by the which the curse of God is brought vpon them with great threatning of punishments which doe sweare lyingly in the Name of God To the like effect spake they in the Councel of Aquisgran If any of the Bishops or other Church-man of inferiour degree hereafter thorow feare or couetousnes or any other perswasion shall make defection from our Lord the Orthodoxe Emperour Lodowicke or shall violate the Oath of fidelitie made vnto him or shall with their peruerse intention adhere to his enemies let him by this Canonicall and Synodall sentence be depriued of whatsoeuer place hee is possessed of And now to come to a particular answere of his letter First as concerning the sweete memory hee hath of his old acquaintance with the Arch-priest it may indeed be pleasing for him to recount but sure I am his acquaintance with him and the rest of his societie our Fugitiues whereof he also vanteth himselfe in his preface to the Reader in his booke of Controuersies hath prooued sowre to vs and our State For some of such Priests and Iesuits as were the greatest Traitours and fomenters of the greatest conspiracies against the late Queen gaue vp father Robert Bellarmine for one of their greatest authorities and oracles And therefore I doe not enuie the great honor he can win by his vaunt of his inward familiaritie with an other Princes traitours and fugitiues whom vnto if he teach no better maners then hitherto he hath done I thinke his fellowship are little beholding vnto him And for desiring him to remember him in his prayers at the altar of the Lord if the Arch-priests prayers prooue no more profitable to his soule then Bellarmines counsel is like to proue profitable both to the soule and body of Blackwel if he would follow it the author of this letter might very wel be without his prayers Now the first messenger that I can finde which brought ioyfull newes of the Archpriest to Bellarmine was he that brought the newes of the Arch-priests taking and first appearance of Martyrdome A great signe surely of the Cardinals mortification that he was so reioyced to heare of the apprehension imprisonment and appearance of putting to death of so old and deare a friend of his But yet apparantly he should first haue bene sure that he was onely to be punished for cause of Religion before hee had so triumphed vpon the expectation of his Martyrdome For first by what rule of charitie was it lawfull for him to iudge me a persecutour before proofe had bene made of it by the said Arch-priestes condemnation and death What could hee know that the said Arch-priest was not taken vpon suspicion of his guiltinesse in the Powder-Treason What certaine information had he then receiued vpon the particulars whereupon hee was to be accused And last of all by what inspiration could he foretell whereupon hee was to bee accused For at that time there was yet nothing layed to his charge And if charitie should not be suspicious what warrant had he absolutely to condemne mee of vsing persecution and tyrannie which could not be but emplied vpon me if Blackwel was to be a Martyr but surely it may iustly be said of Bellarmine in this case that our Sauiour CHRIST saith of all worldly and carnall men who thinke it enough to loue their friends and hate their enemies the limits of the Cardinals charitie extending no farther then to them of his owne profession For what euer he added in superfluous charitie to Blackwel in reioycing in the speculation of his future Martyrdome he detracted as much vniustly and vncharitably from me in accounting of me thereby as of a bloody Persecutour And whereas this ioy of his was interrupted by the next messenger that brought the newes of the said Arch-priest his failing in his constancie by taking of this Oath he needed neuer to haue bene troubled either with his former ioy or his second sorrow both being alike falsly grounded For as it was neuer my intention to lay any thing
Fredericke afraide when Innocentius the fourth excommunicated him depriued him of his crowne absolued Princes of their Oath of fidelitie to him and in Apulia corrupted one to giue him poison whereof the Emperour recouering hee hired his bastard Sonne Manfredus to poyson him wherof he died What did Alexander the third write to the Soldan That if he would liue quietly he should by some sleight murther the Emperour and to that ende sent him the Emperours picture And did not Alexander the sixt take of the Turke Baiazetes two hundred thousand crownes to kill his brother Gemen or as some call him Siâ—imus whom hee held captiue at Rome Did hee not accept of the conditions to poyson the man and had his pay Was not our Henry the second afraide after the slaughter of Thomas Becket that besides his going bare-footed in Pilgrimage was whipped vp and downe the Chapter-house like a schoole-boy and glad to escape so too Had not this French King his great Grandfather King Iohn reason to bee afraid when the Pope gaue away his kingdome of Nauarre to the King of Spaine whereof he yet possesseth the best halfe Had not this King his Successour reason to be afraid when he was forced to begge so submissiuely the relaxation of his Excommunication as hee was content likewise to suffer his Ambassadour to be whipped at Rome for penance And had not the late Queene reason to looke to herselfe when she was excommunicated by Pius Quintus her Subiects loosed from their fidelity and allegiance toward her her Kingdome of Ireland giuen to the King of Spaine and that famous fugitiue diuine honoured with the like degree of a red hat as Bellarmine is was not ashamed to publish in print an Apologie for Stanlies Treason maintaining that by reason of her excommunication and heresie it was not onely lawfull for any of her Subiects but euen they were bound in conscience to depriue her of any strength which lay in their power to doe And whether it were armies townes or fortresses of hers which they had in their hands they were obliged to put them in the King of Spaine her enemies hands shee no more being the right owner of any thing But albeit it be true that wise men are mooued by the examples of others dangers to vse prouidence and caution according to the olde prouerbe Tum tua res agitur paries cùm proximus ardet yet was I much neerlie summoned to vse this caution by the practise of it in mine owne person First by the sending forth of these Bulles whereof I made mention already for debarring me from entrie vnto this Crowne and Kingdome And next after my entry and full possession thereof by the horrible Powder-Treason which should haue bereft both me and mine both of crowne and lifâ— And howsoeuer the Pope wil seeme to cleare himselfe of any allowance of the sayd Powder-Treason yet can it not be denyed that his principall ministers here and his chiefe Mancipia the Iesuites were the plaine practisers thereof for which the principall of them hath died confessing it and other haue fled the Countrey for the crime yea some of them gone into Italy and yet neither these that fled out of this countrey for it nor yet Baldwine who though he then remained in the Lowe-countreyes was of counsell in it were euer called to account for it by the Pope much lesse punished for medling in so scandalous and enormous businesse And now what needs so great wonder and exclamation that the onely King of England feareth And what other Christian King doeth or euer did feare but he As if by the force of his rhetoricke he could make me and my good Subiects to mistrust our senses denie the Sunne to shine at midday and not with the serpent to stop our eares to his charming but to the plaine and visible veritie it selfe And yet for all this wonder hee can neuer proue me to be troubled with such a Panick terrour Haue I euer importuned the Pope with any request for my securitie Or haue I either troubled other Christian Princes my friends allies to intreat for me at the Popes hand Or yet haue I begged from them any aide or assistance for my farther securitie No. All this wondred-at feare of mine stretcheth no further then wisely to make distinction betweene the sheepe and goats in my owne pasture For since what euer the Popes part hath bene in the Powder-treason yet certaine it is that all these caitife monsters did to their death maintaine that onely zeale of Religion mooued them to that horrible attempt yea some of them at their death would not craue pardon at GOD or King for their offence exhorting other of their followers to the like constancie Had not wee then and our Parliament great reason by this Oath to set a marke of distinction betweene good Subiects and bad Yea between Papists though peraduenture zealous in their Religion yet otherwise ciuilly honest and good subiects and such terrible firebrands of hell as would maintaine the like maximes which these powder-men did Nay could there bee a more gracious part in a King suppose I say it toward subiects of a contrary Religion then by making them to take this Oath to publish their honest fidelitie in temporall things to mee their Soueraigne and thereby to wipe off that imputation and great slander which was laid vpon the whole professors of that Religion by the furious enterprise of these Powder-men And wheras for illustration of this strong argument of his hee hath brought in for a similitude the hystorie of Iulian the Apostata his dealing with the Christians when as he straited them either to commit idolatrie or to come within the compasse of treason I would wish the authour to remember that although a similitude may bee permitted claudicare vno pede yet this was a very ill chosen similitude which is lame both of feet and hands and euery member of the body For I shall in few words prooue that it agreeth in no one point saue one with our purpose which is that Iulian was an Emperour and I a King First Iulian was an Apostata one that had renounced the whole Christian faith which hee had once professed and became an Ethnike againe or rather an Atheist whereas I am a Christian who neuer changed that Religion that I dranke in with my milke nor euer I thanke God was ashamed of my profession Iulian dealt against Christians onely for the profession of Christes cause I deale in this cause with my Subiects onely to make a distinction betweene true Subiects and false hearted traitours Iulians end was the ouerthrow of the Christians my onely end is to maintaine Christianitie in a peaceable gouernement Iulians drift was to make them commit idolatrie my purpose is to make my Subiects to make open profession of their naturall Alleagiance and ciuill obedience Iulians meanes whereby hee went about it was by craft