by the Lord Cardinall He likewise produceth two Christian Emperours Constantine and Valentinian by name the first refusing to meddle with iudgement in Episcopall causes the other forbearing to iudge of subtile Questions in Diuinity with protestation that Hee would neuer be so curious to diue into the streames or sound the bottome of so deepe matters But who doth not knowe that working and prouiding for the Kings indemnity and safetie is neither Episcopall cause nor matter of curious and subtile inquisition The same answer meets with all the rest of the places produced by the L. Cardinal out of the Fathers And that one for example out of Gregory Nazianzenus is not cited by the Cardinall with faire dealing For Gregorie doth not boord the Emperour himselfe but his Deputie or L. President on this manner For we also are in authoritie and place of a Ruler we haue command aswell as your selfe whereas the L. Cardinal with fowle play turnes the place in these termes We also are Emperours Which words can beare no such interpretation as well because he to whom the Bishop then spake was not of Imperiall dignitie as also because if the Bishop himselfe a Bishop of so small a citie as Nazianzum had qualified himselfe Emperour he should haue passed all the bounds of modestie and had shewed himselfe arrogant aboue measure For as touching subiection due to Christian Emperours hee freely acknowledgeth a little before that himselfe and his people are subiect vnto the superiour powers yea bound to pay them tribute The history of the same Gregories life doth testifie that he was drawne by the Arrians before the Consuls iudgement seate and from thence returned acquitted without either stripes or any other kind of contumelious entreatie and vse yet now at last vp starts a Prelate who dares make this good Father vaunt himselfe to bee an Emperour It is willingly granted that Emperours neuer challenged neuer arrogated to be Soueraigne Iudges in controuersies of doctrine and faith neuertheles it is clearer then the Sunnes light at high noone that for moderation at Synods for determinations and orders established in Councils and for the discipline of the Church they haue made a good and a full vse of their Imperiall authoritie The 1. Council held at Constantinople beares this title or inscription The dedication of the holy Synode to the most religious Emperour Theodosius the Great to whose will and pleasure they haue submitted these Canons by them addressed and established in Council And there they also beseech the Emperour to confirme and approoue the said Canons The like hath bin done by the Councill of Trullo by whome the Canons of the fift and sixt Councils were put forth and published This was not done because Emperours tooke vpon them to bee infallible Iudges of doctrine but onely that Emperours might see and iudge whether Bishops who feele the pricke of ambition as other men doe did propound nothing in their Conuocations and Consultations but most of all in their Determinations to vndermine the Emperours authoritie to disturbe the tranquilitie of the Commonwealth and to crosse the determinations of precedent Councils Now to take the cognizance of such matters out of the Kings hand or power what is it but euen to transforme the King into a standing image to wring and wrest him out of all care of himselfe and his Kingly charge yea to bring him downe to this basest condition to become onely an executioner and which I scorne to speake the vnhappie hangman of the Clergies will without any further cognizance not so much as of matters which most neerely touch himselfe and his Royall estate I graunt it is for Diuinitie Schooles to iudge how farre the power of the Keyes doth stretch I graunt againe that Clerics both may and ought also to display the colours and ensignes of their censures against Princes who violating their publike and solemne oath do raise and make open war against Iesus Christ I graunt yet againe that in this case they need not admit Laics to be of their counsell nor allowe them any scope or libertie of iudgement Yet all this makes no barre to Clerics for extending the power of their keies many times a whole degree further then they ought and when they are pleased to make vse of their said power to depriue the people of their goods or the Prince of his Crowne all this doth not hinder Prince or people from taking care for the preseruation of their owne rights and estates nor from requiring Clerics to shewe their cards and produce their Charts and to make demonstration by Scripture that such power as they assume and challenge is giuen them from God For to leaue the Pope absolute Iudge in the same cause wherein hee is a party and which is the strongest rampier and bulwarke yea the most glorious and eminent point of his domination to arme him with power to vnhorse Kings out of their feates what is it else but euen to draw them into a state of despaire for euery winning the day or preuailing in their honourable and rightfull cause It is moreouer graunted if a King shall commaund any thing directly contrary to Gods word and tending to the subuerting of the Church that Clerics in this case ought not onely to dispense with subiects for their obedience but also expressely to forbid their obedience For it is alwaies better to obey God then man Howbeit in all other matters whereby the glory and maiesty of God is not impeached or impaired it is the duty of Clerics to plie the people with wholesome exhortation to constant obedience and to auert by earnest disswasions the said people from tumultuous reuolt and seditious insurrection This practise vnder the Pagan Emperours was held and followed by the auncient Christians by whose godly zeale and patience in bearing the yoke the Church in times past grew and flourished in her happy and plentifull encrease farre greater then Poperie shall euer purchase and attaine vnto by all her cunning deuises and sleights as namely by degrading of Kings by interdicting of Kingdomes by apposted murders and by Diabolicall traines of Gunne-powder-mines The places of Scripture alledged in order by the Cardinall in fauour of those that stand for the Popes claime of power and authoritie to depose Kings are cited with no more sinceritie then the former They alleadge these are his words that Samuel deposed King Saul or declared him to bee deposed because hee had violated the lawes of the Iewes religion His Lordship auoucheth elsewhere that Saul was deposed because hee had sought prophanely to vsurpe the holy Priesthood Both false and contrary to the tenor of truth in the sacred historie For Saul was neuer deposed according to the sense of the word I meane depose in the present question to wit as deposing is taken for despoyling the King of his Royall dignity and reducing the King to the condition of a priuate person But Saul held the title
of King and continued in possession of his Kingdome euen to his dying day Yea the Scripture styles him King euen to the periodical and last day of his life by the testimonie of Dauid himselfe who both by Gods promise and by precedent vnction was then heire apparant as it were to the Crowne in a manner then ready to gird and adorne the temples of his head For if Samuel by Gods commaundement had then actually remooued Saul from his Throne doubtles the whole Church of Israel had committed a grosse error in taking and honouring Saul for their King after such deposition doubtlesse the Prophet Samuel himselfe making known the Lords ordinance vnto the people would haue enioyned them by strict prohibition to call him no longer the King of Israel doubtles Dauid would neuer haue held his hand from the throate of Saul for this respect and consideration because hee was the Lords annointed For if Saul had lost his Kingly authoritie from that instant when Samuel gaue him knowledge of his reiection then Dauid least otherwise the bodie of the Kingdome should want a Royal Head was to beginne his Raigne and to beare the Royall Scepter in the very same instant which were to charge the holy Scriptures with vntruth in as much as the sacred historie beginnes the computation of the yeers of Dauids raigne from the day of Sauls death True it is that in the 2. Sam. cap. 15. Saul was denounced by Gods owne sentence a man reiected and as it were excommunicated out of the Kingdome that he should not rule and raigne any longer as King ouer Israel neuerthelesse the said sentence was not put in execution before the day when God executing vpon Saul an exemplarie iudgement did strike him with death From whence it is manifest and cleare that when Dauid was annointed King by Samuel that action was onely a promise and a testimony of the choice which God had made of Dauid for succession immediately after Saul and not a present establishment inuestment or instalment of Dauid in the Kingdome Wee reade the like in 1. King cap. 19. where God commaundeth Elias the Prophet to annoint Hasael King of Syria For can any man be so blind and ignorant in the sacred History to beleeue the Prophets of Israel established or sacred the Kings of Syria For this cause when Dauid was actually established in the Kingdom he was anointed the second time In the next place he brings in the Popes champions vsing these words Rehoboam was deposed by Ahiah the Prophet from his Royall right ouer the tenne Tribes of Israel because his father Salomon had played the Apostata in falling from the Lawe of God This I say also is more then the truth of the sacred historie doth affoard For Ahiah neuer spake to Rehoboam for ought we reade nor brought vnto him any message from the Lord. As for the passage quoted by the L. Cardinall out of Reg. 3. chap. 11. it hath not reference to the time of Rehoboams raigne but rather indeed to Salomons time nor doth it carrie the face of a iudicatory sentence for the Kings deposing but rather of a Propheticall prediction For how could Rehoboam before he was made King be depriued of the Kingdome Last of all but worst of all to alleadge this passage for an example of a iust sentence in matter of deposing a King is to approoue the disloyall treachery of a seruant against his master and the rebellion of Ieroboam branded in Scripture with a marke of perpetuall infamy for his wickednesse and impietie He goes on with an other example of no more truth King Achab was deposed by Elias the Prophet because he imbraced false religion and worshipped false gods False too like the former King Achab lost his Crowne and his life both together The Scripture that speaketh not according to mans fancy but according to the truth doth extend and number the yeeres of Achabs raigne to the time of his death Predictions of a Kings ruine are no sentences of deposition Elias neuer gaue the subiects of Achab absolution from their oath of obedience neuer gaue them the least inckling of any such absolution neuer set vp or placed any other King in Achabs Throne That of the L. Cardinall a little after is no lesse vntrue That King Vzziah was driuen from the conuersation of the people by Azarias the Priest and thereby the administration of his Kingdome was left no longer in his power Not so For when God had smitten Vzziah with leprosie in his forehead he withdrew himselfe or went out into an house apart for feare of infecting such as were whole by his contagious disease The high Priest smote him not with any sentence of deposition or denounced him suspended from the administration of his Kingdome No the dayes of his raigne are numbred in Scripture to the day of his death And whereas the Priest according to the Lawe in the 13. of Leuit. iudged the King to be vncleane he gaue sentence against him not as against a criminall person and thereby within the compasse of deposition but as against a diseased body For the Lawe inflicteth punishments not vpon diseases but vpon crimes Hereupon whereas it is recorded by Iosephus in his Antiquities that Vzziah lead a priuate and in a manner a solitarie life the said author doth not meane that Vzziah was deposed but onely that he disburdened himselfe of care to mannage the publike affaires The example of Mattathias by whome the Iewes were stirred vp to rebell against Antiochus is no better worth For in that example we finde no sentence of deposition but onely an heartning and commotion of a people then grieuously afflicted and oppressed He that makes himselfe the ring-leader of conspiracie against a King doth not forthwith assume the person or take vp the office and charge of a Iudge in forme of lawe and iuridically to depriue a King of his Regall rights and Royall prerogatiues Mattathias was chiefe of that conspiracy not in qualitie of Priest but of cheiftaine or leader in warre and a man the best qualified of all the people Things acted by the suddaine violence of the base vulgar must not stand for lawes nor yet for proofes and arguments of ordinarie power such as the Pope challengeth to himselfe and appropriateth to his triple-Crowne These bee our solide answers wee disclaime the light armour which the L. Cardinall is pleased to furnish vs withall forsooth to recreate himselfe in rebating the points of such weapons as he hath vouchsafed to put into our hands Now it will be worth our labour to beate by his thrusts fetcht from the ordinary mission of the new Testament from leprosie stones and locks of wool A leach no doubt of admirable skil one that for subiecting the Crownes of Kings vnto the Pope is able to extract arguments out of stones yea out of the leprosie and the drie scab onely forsooth because heresie is a kind
of the base vulgar a packe of people presuming to personate well affected Subiects and men of deepe vnderstanding and to read their masters a learned lecture Now it is no wonder that in so good an office and loyall carriage towards their King the third Estate hath outgone the Clergie For the Clergie denie themselues to haue any ranke among the Subiects of the King they stand for a Soueraigne out of the kingdome to whome as to the Lord Paramount they owe suit and seruice they are bound to aduance that Monarchie to the bodie whereof they properly appertaine as parts or members as elswhere I haue written more at large But for the Nobilitie the Kings right arme to prostitute and set as it were to sale the dignitie of their King as if the arme should giue a thrust vnto the head I say for the Nobilitie to hold and maintaine euen in Parliament their King is liable to deposition by any forraine power or Potentate may it not passe among the strangest miracles and rarest wonders of the world For that once granted this consequence is good and necessarie That in case the King once lawfully deposed shal stand vpon the defensiue and hold out for his right he may then lawfully be murthered Let me then here freely professe my opinion and this it is That now the French Nobilitie may seeme to haue some reason to disrobe themselues of their titles and to transferre them by resignation vnto the third Estate For that bodie of the third Estate alone hath carried a right noble heart in as much as they could neither be tickled with promises nor terrified by threatnings from resolute standing to those fundamentall points reasons of State which most concerne the honor of their King and the securitie of his person Of all the Clergie the man that hath most abandoned or set his owne honour to sale the man to whome France is least obliged is the Lord Cardinall of Perron a man otherwise inferiour to few in matter of learning and in the grace of a sweete style This man in two seuerall Orations whereof the one was pronounced before the Nobilitie the other had audience before the third Estate hath set his best wits on worke to draw that doctrine into all hatred and infamie which teacheth Kings to be indeposeable by the Pope To this purpose he tearmes the same doctrine a breeder of schismes a gate that openeth to make way and to giue entrance vnto all heresies in briefe a doctrine to be held in so high a degree of detestation that rather then he and his fellow-Bishops will yeild to the signing thereof they will be contented like Martyrs to burne at a stake At which resolution or obstinacie rather in his opinion I am in a manner amased more then I can be mooued for the like brauado in many other for as much as he was many yeares together a follower of the late King euen when the King followed a contrarie Religion and was deposed by the Pope as also because not long before in a certaine Assemblie holden at the Iacobins in Paris he withstood the Popes Nuntio to his face when the said Nuntio laboured to make this doctrin touching the Popes temporall Soueraigntie passe for an Article of faith But in both Orations he singeth a contrarie song and from his owne mouth passeth sentence of condemnation against his former course and profession I suppose not without solide iudgement as one that herein hath well accommodated himselfe to the times For as in the raigne of the late King he durst not offer to broach this doctrine such was his fore-wit so now he is bold to proclaime and publish it in Parliament vnder the raigne of the said Kings sonne whose tender yeares and late succession to the Crowne do make him lie the more open to iniuries and the more facill to bee circumuented Such is nowe his after wisedome Of these two Orations that made in presence of the Nobility he hath for feare of incurring the Popes displeasure cautelously suppressed For therein hee hath beene somewhat prodigall in affirming this doctrine maintained by the Clergie to be but problematicall and in taking vpon him to auouch that Catholikes of my Kingdome are bound to yeeld me the honour of obedience Wheras on the other side he is not ignorant how this doctrine of deposing Princes and Kings the Pope holdeth for meerely necessarie and approoueth not by any meanes allegiance to be performed vnto me by the Catholikes of my Kingdome Yea if credit may be giuen vnto the abridgement of his other Oration published wherein he parallels the Popes power in receiuing honours in the name of the Church with the power of the Venetian Duke in receiuing honours in the name of that most renowned Republike no meruaile that when this Oration was dispatched to the presse hee commaunded the same to be gelded of this clause and other like for feare of giuing his Holinesse any offensiue distast His pleasure therefore was and content withall that his Oration imparted to the third Estate should bee put in print and of his courtesie hee vouchsafed to addresse vnto mee a copy of the same Which after I had perused I forthwith well perceiued what and how great discrepance there is betweene one man that perorateth from the ingenuous and sincere disposition of a sound heart and an other that flaunteth in flourishing speech with inward checkes of his owne conscience For euery where he contradicts himselfe and seemes to bee afraid least men should picke out his right meaning First he graunts this Question is not hitherto decided by the holy Scriptures or by the Decrees of the auncient Church or by the analogie of other Ecclesiasticall proceedings and neuerthelesse he confidently doth affirme that whosoeuer maintaine this doctrine to be wicked and abhominable that Popes haue no power to put Kings by their supreame Thrones they teach men to beleeue there hath not beene any Church for many ages past and that indeede the Church is the very Synagogue of Antechrist Secondly hee exhorts his hearers to hold this doctrine at least for problematicall and not necessarie and yet herein he calls them to all humble submission vnto the iudgement of the Pope and Clergie by whome the cause hath beene alreadie put out of all question as out of all hunger and cold Thirdly he doth auerre in case this Article be authorized it makes the Pope in good consequence to bee the Antechrist and yet he graunts that many of the French are tolerated by the Pope to dissent in this point from his Holinesse prouided their doctrine be not proposed as necessarie and materiall to faith As if the Pope in any sort gaue toleration to hold any doctrine contrarie to his owne and most of all that doctrine which by consequence inferres himselfe to be the Antechrist Fourthly he protesteth forwardnesse to vndergoe the flames of Martyrdome rather then to signe this doctrine which teacheth Kings Crowns to
sit faster on their heads then to be stirred by any Papal power whatsoeuer and yet saith withall the Pope winketh at the French by his toleration to hold this dogmatical point for problematicall And by this meanes the Martyrdome that he affecteth in this cause will prooue but a problematicall Martyrdome whereof question might growe very well whether it were to be mustered with grieuous crimes or with phreneticall passions of the braine or with deserued punishments Fiftly hee denounceth Anathema dischargeth maledictions like haile-shot against parricides of Kings and yet elsewhere he layes himselfe open to speake of Kings onely so long as they stand Kings But who doth not know that a King deposed is no longer King And so that limme of Satan which murthered Henrie III. then vn-king'd by the Pope did not stabbe a King to death Sixtly he doth not allowe a King to be made away by murder and yet hee thinkes it not much out of the way to take away all meanes whereby hee might be able to stand in defence of his life Seuenthly he abhorreth killing of Kings by apposted throat-cutting for feare least bodie and soule should perish in the same instant and yet he doth not mislike their killing in a pitcht field and to haue them slaughtered in a set battaile For he presupposeth no doubt out of his charitable mind that by this meanes the soule of a poore King so dispatched out of the way shall instantly flie vp to heauen Eightly hee saith a King deposed retaineth still a certaine internall habitude and politike impression by vertue and efficacie whereof hee may being once reformed and become a new man be restored to the lawfull vse and practise of Regality Whereby hee would beare vs in hand that when a forraine Prince hath inuaded and rauenously seised the Kingdome into his hands he will not onely take pitty of his predecessor to saue his life but will also prooue so kind-hearted vpon sight of his repentance to restore his kingdome without fraude or guile Ninthly he saith euery where in his Discourse that he dealeth not in the cause otherwise then as a problematicall discourser and without any resolution one way or other and yet with might and maine he contends for the opinion that leaues the States and Crownes of Kings controulable by the Pope refutes obiections propounds the authoritie of Popes and Councils by name the Lateran Councill vnder Innocent III. as also the consent of the Church And to crosse the Churches iudgment is in his opinion to bring in schisme and to leaue the world without a Church for many hundred yeares together which to my vnderstanding is to speake with resolution and without all hesitation Tenthly he acknowledgeth none other cause of sufficient validitie for the deposing of a King besides heresie apostasie and infidelitie neuertheles that Popes haue power to displace Kings for heresie and apostasie he prooueth by examples of Kings whom the Pope hath curbed with deposition not for heresie but for matrimoniall causes for ciuill pretences and for lacke of capacitie Eleuenthly he alledgeth euerie where passages as well of holy Scripture as of the Fathers and moderne histories but so impertinent and with so little truth as hereafter we shall cause to appeare that for a man of his deepe learning and knowledge it seemeth not possible so to speake out of his iudgement Lastly whereas all this hath beene hudled and heaped together into one masse to currie with the Pope yet he suffereth diuerse points to fall from his lips which may well distast his Holinesse in the highest degree As by name where he prefers the authoritie of the Councill before that of the Pope and makes his iudgement inferiour to the iudgement of the French as in fit place hereafter shall be shewed Againe where he representeth to his hearers the decrees of Popes and Councils alreadie passed concerning this noble subiect and yet affirmes that he doth not debate the question but as a Questionist and without resolution As if a Cardinall should be afraid to be positiue and to speake in peremptory straines after Popes and Councils haue once decided the Question Or as if a man should perorate vpon hazard in a cause for the honour whereof he would make no difficulty to suffer Martyrdome Adde hereunto that his Lordshippe hath alwaies taken the contrary part heretofore and this totall must needs arise that before the third Estate his lippes looked one way and his conscience another All these points by the discourse which is to followe and by the ripping vp of his Oration which by Gods assistance J will vndertake tending to the reproach of Kings and the subuersion of Kingdomes I confidently speake it shall be made manifest Yet doe I not conceiue it can any way make for my honour to enter the lists against a Cardinall For J am not ignorant how far a Cardinals Hat commeth vnder the Crowne Scepter of a King For wel I wot vnto what sublimity the Scripture hath exalted Kings when it styles them Gods Whereas the dignitie of a Cardinall is but a late vpstart inuention of man as I haue elswhere prooued But I haue imbarqued my selfe in this action mooued thereunto first by the common interest of Kings in the cause it selfe Then by the L. Cardinal who speaketh not in this Oration as a priuate person but as one representing the body of the Clergie and Nobilitie by whom the cause hath beene wonne and the garland borne away from the third Estate Againe by mine owne particular because he is pleased to take me vp for a sower of dissention and a persecutor vnder whom the Church is hardly able to fetch her breath yea for one by whome the Catholikes of my Kingdome are compelled to endure all sorts of punishment and withall he tearmes this Article of the third Estate a monster with a fishes tayle that came swimming out of England Last of all by the present state of France because Fraunce beeing nowe reduced to so miserable tearmes that it is nowe become a crime for a Frenchman to stand for his King it is a necessary duty of her neighbours to speake in her cause and to make triall whether they can put life into the truth now dying and readie to bee buried by the power of violence that it may resound and ring againe from remote regions I haue no purpose once to touch many prettie toyes which the ridges of his whole booke are sowed withall Such are his allegations of Pericles Agesilaus Aristotle Minos the Druides the French Ladies Hannibal Pindarus and Poeticall fables All resembling the red and blew flowers that pester the corne when it standeth in the fields where they are more noysome to the growing croppe then beautifull to the beholding eye Such pettie matters nothing at all beseemed the dignity of the Assembly and of the maine subiect or of the Orator himselfe For it was no Decorum to enter the Stage with a Pericles in his mouth but with
matter of truth I draw this conclusion Howsoeuer no smal number of the French Clergie may perhaps beare the affection of louing Subiects to their King and may not suffer the Clericall character to deface the impression of naturall allegiance yet for so much as the Order of Clerics is dipped in a deeper die and beareth a worse tincture of daungerous practises then the other Orders the third Estate had beene greatly wanting to their excellent prouidence and wisdome if they should haue relinquished and transferred the care of designements and proiects for the life of their King and the safetie of his Crowne to the Clergie alone Moreouer the Clergie standeth bound to referre the iudgment of all matters in controuersie to the sentence of the Pope in this cause beeing a partie and one that pretendeth Crownes to depend vpon his Mitre What hope then might the third Estate conceiue that his Holinesse would passe against his own cause when his iudgment of the controuersie had been sundrie times before published and testified to the world And whereas the plot or modell of remedies proiected by the third Estate and the Kings Officers hath not prooued sortable in the euent was it because the said remedies were not good and lawfull No verily but because the Clergie refused to become contributors of their duty meanes to the grand seruice Likewise for that after the burning of bookes addressed to iustifie rebellious people traytors and parricides of Kings neuerthelesse the authors of the said bookes are winked at and backt with fauour Lastly for that some wretched parricides drinke off the cuppe of publike iustice whereas to the firebrands of sedition the sowers of this abominable doctrine no man saith so much as blacke is their eye It sufficiently appeareth as I suppose by the former passage that his Lordship exhorting the third Estate to refer the whole care of this Regall cause vnto the Clergie hath tacked his frame of weake ioynts and tenons to a very worthy but wrong foundation Howbeit he laboureth to fortifie his exhortation with a more weak feeble reason For to make good his proiect he affirmes that matters and maximes out of all doubt question may not be shuffled together with points in controuersy Now his rules indubitable are two The first It is not lawfull to murther Kings for any cause whatsoeuer This he confirmeth by the example of Saul as he saith deposed from his Throne whose life or limbs Dauid neuerthelesse durst not once hurt or wrong for his life Likewise he confirmes the same by a Decree of the Council held at Constance His other point indubitable The Kings of France are Soueraignes in all Temporall Soueraigntie within the French Kingdome and hold not by fealtie either of the Pope as hauing receiued or obliged their Crownes vpon such tenure and condition or of any other Prince in the whole world Which point neuerthelesse he takes not for certen and indubitable but onely according to humane and historicall certentie Now a third point he makes to be so full of controuersie and so farre within the circle of disputable questions as it may not be drawne into the ranke of classicall and authenticall points for feare of making a certen point doubtfull by shuffling and jumbling therewith some point in controuersie Now the question so disputable as he pretendeth is this A Christian Prince breakes his oath solemnly taken to God both to liue and to die in the Catholique Religion Say this Prince turnes Arrian or Mahometan fals to proclaime open warre and to wage battel with Iesus Christ Whether may such a Prince be declared to haue lost his Kingdome and who shall declare the Subiects of such a Prince to be quit of their oath of allegiance The L. Cardinall holds the affirmatiue and makes no bones to maintaine that all other parts of the Catholique Church yea the French Church euen from the first birth of her Theologicall Schooles to Calvins time and teaching haue professed that such a Prince may be lawfully remooued from his Throne by the Pope and by the Council and suppose the contrarie doctrine were the very Quintessence or spirit of truth yet might it not in case of faith be vrged and pressed otherwise then by way of problematicall disceptation That is the summe of his Lordsh ample discourse The refuting whereof I am constrained to put off and referre vnto an other place because he hath serued vs with the same dishes ouer ouer againe There we shall see the L. Cardinall maketh way to the dispatching of Kings after deposition that Saul was not deposed as he hath presumed that in the Council of Constance there is nothing to the purpose of murthering Soueraigne Princes that his Lordship supposing the French King may be depriued of his Crowne by a superiour power doth not hold his liege Lord to be Soueraigne in France that by the position of the French Church from age to age the Kings of France are not subiect vnto any censure of deposition by the Pope that his Holinesse hath no iust and lawful pretence to produce that any Christian King holds of him by fealtie or is obliged to doe the Pope homage for his Crowne Well then for the purpose he dwelleth onely vpon the third point pretended questionable and this he affirmeth If any shall condemne or wrappe vnder the solemne curse the abettors of the Popes power to vnking lawfull and Soueraigne Kings the same shall runne vpon fowre dangerous rocks of apparant incongruities and absurdities First he shall offer to force and intangle the consciences of many deuout persons For hee shall bind them to beleeue and sweare that doctrine the contrary whereof is beleeued of the whole Church and hath beene beleeued by their predecessors Secondly he shall ouerturne from top to bottome the sacred authoritie of holy Church and shall set open a gate vnto all sorts of heresie by allowing lay-persons a bold libertie to be iudges in causes of religion and faith For what is that degree of boldnesse but open vsurping of the Priesthood what is it but putting of prophane hands into the Arke what is it but laying of vnholy fingers vpon the holy Censor for perfumes Thirdly he shal make way to a schisme not possible to be put by and auoided by any humane prouidence For this doctrine beeing held and professed by all other Catholicks how can we declare it repugnant vnto Gods word how can we hold it impious how can we accompt it detestable but we shall renounce communion with the head and other members of the Church yea we shall confesse the Church in all ages to haue been the Synagogue of Satan and the spouse of the Deuill Lastly by working the establishment of this Article which worketh an establishment of Kings Crownes He shall not onely worke the intended remedy for the danger of Kings out of all the vertue and efficacie thereof by weakening of doctrine out of all controuersie in packing it vp
with a disputable question but likewise in stead of securing the life and estate of Kings hee shall draw both into farre greater hazards by the trayne or sequence of warres and other calamities which vsually waite and attend on schismes The L. Cardinall spends his whole discourse in confirmation of these foure heads which we now intend to sift in order and demonstratiuely to prooue that all the said inconueniences are meere nullities matters of imagination and built vpon false presuppositions But before we come to the maine the reader is to be informed and aduertised that his Lordship setteth a false glosse vpon the question and propounds the case not onely contrary to the truth of the subiect in controuersie but also to the Popes owne minde and meaning For he restrains the Popes power to depose Kings onely to cases of heresie Apostasie and persecuting of the Church whereas Popes extend their power to a further distance They depose Princes for infringing or in any sort diminishing the priuiledges of Monasteries witnesse Gregorie the first in the pretended charter graunted to the Abbay of S. Medard at Soissons the said charter beeing annexed to his Epistles in the rere The same he testifieth in his Epistle to Senator by name the 10. of the eleuenth booke They depose for naturall dulnesse and lacke of capacitie whether inbred and true indeed or onely pretended and imagined witnesse the glorious vaunt of Gregorie VII that Childeric King of France was hoysted out of his Throne by Pope Zacharie Not so much for his wicked life as for his vnablenes to beare the weightie burden of so great a Kingdome They depose for collating of Benefices and Prebends witnesse the great quarrells and sore contentions between Pope Innocent III. and Iohn King of England as also betweene Philip the Faire and Boniface VIII They depose for adulteries and matrimoniall suites witnesse Philip. 1. for the repudiating or casting off his lawfull wife Bertha and marrying in her place with Bertrade wife to the Earle of Aniou Finally faine would I learne into what heresie or degree of Apostasie either Henrie IV. or Freder Barbarossa or Frederic 2. Emperours were fallen when they were smitten with Papall fulminations euen to the depriuation of their Imperiall Thrones What was it for heresie or Apostasie that Pope Martin IV. bare so hard a hand against Peter King of Arragon that he acquitted and released the Arragonnois from their oath of allegiance to Peter their lawfull King Was it for heresie or Apostasie for Arrianisme or Mahumetisme that Lewis XII so good a King and Father of his Countrey was put downe by Iulius the II Was it for heresie or Apostasie that Sixtus 5. vsurped a power against Henrie III. euen so farre as to denounce him vn-kingd the issue whereof was the parricide of that good King and the most wofull desolation of a most flourishing Kingdome But his Lordship best liked to worke vpon that ground which to the outward shew appearance is the most beautifull cause that can be alledged for the dishonouring of Kings by the weapon of deposition making himselfe to beleeue that he acted the part of an Orator before personages not much acquainted with auncient and moderne histories and such as little vnderstood the state of the question then in hand It had therefore beene a good warrant for his Lordship to haue brought some authentical instrument from the Pope whereby the French might haue beene secured that his Holinesse renounceth all other causes auouchable for the degrading of Kings and that he will henceforth rest in the case of heresie for the turning of Kings out of their free-hold as also that his Holinesse by the same or like instrument might haue certified his pleasure that he will not hereafter make himselfe iudge whether Kings be tainted with damnable heresie or free from hereticall infection For that were to make himselfe both iudge and plaintiffe that it might be in his power to call that doctrine heretical which is pure orthodoxe and all for this ende to make himselfe master of the Kingdome and there to settle a Successor who receiuing the Crowne of the Popes free gift and graunt might be tyed thereby to depend altogether vpon his Holines Hath not Pope Boniface VIII declared in his proud letters all those to be heretickes that dare vndertake to affirme the collating of Prebends appertaineth to the King It was that Popes grosse error not in the fact but in the right The like crime forsooth was by Popes imputed to the vnhappie Emperour Henrie IV. And what was the issue of the said imputation The sonne is instigated thereby to rebell against his father and to impeach the interment of his dead corps who neuer in his life had beate his braines to trouble the sweet waters of Theologicall fountaines It is recorded by Auentine that Bishop Virgilius was declared heretique for teaching the position of Antipodes The Bull Exurge marching in the rere of the last Lateran Council sets downe this position for one of Luthers heresies A new life is the best repentance Among the crimes which the Council of Constance charged Pope Iohn XXIII withall one was this that hee denied the immortalitie of the soule and that so much was publiquely manifestly and notoriously knowne Now if the Pope shall bee carried by the streame of these or the like errors and in his hereticall prauitie shall depose a King of the contrary opinion I shall hardly bee perswaded the said King is lawfully deposed The first Inconvenience examined THE first inconuenience growing in the Cardinall his conceit by entertaining the Article of the third Estate whereby the Kings of France are declared to be indeposeable by any superiour power spirituall or temporall is this It offereth force to the conscience vnder the penaltie of Anathema to condemne a doctrine beleeued and practised in the Church in the continuall current of the last eleuen hundred yeares In these words he maketh a secret confession that in the first fiue hundred yeeres the same doctrin was neither apprehended by faith nor approoued by practise Wherein to my vnderstanding the L. Cardinall voluntarily giueth ouer the suite For the Church in the time of the Apostles their disciples and successors for 500. yeares together was no more ignorant what authoritie the Church is to challenge ouer Emperours and Kings then at any time since in any succeeding age in which as pride hath still flowed to the height of a full Sea so puritie of religion and manners hath kept for the most part at a lowe water-marke Which point is the rather to be considered for that during the first 500. yeres the Church groned vnder the heauy burthen both of heathen Emperours and of hereticall Kings the Visigot Kings in Spaine and the Vandals in Affrica Of whose displeasure the Pope had small reason or cause to stand in any feare beeing so remote from their dominions and no way vnder the lee of
their Soueraigntie But let vs come to see what aide the L. Cardinall hath amassed and piled together out of later histories prouided wee still beare in mind that our question is not of popular tumults nor of the rebellion of subiects making insurrections out of their owne discontented spirits and brain-sicke humors nor of lawfull Excommunications nor of Canonicall censures and reprehensions but onely of a iuridicall sentence of deposition pronounced by the Pope as armed with ordinary and lawfull power to depose against a Soueraigne Prince Now then The L. Cardinall sets on and giues the first charge with Anastasius the Emperour whome Euphemius Patriarke of Constantinople would neuer acknowledge for Emperour that is to say would neuer consent he should be created Emperour by the help of his voice or suffrage except he would first subscribe to the Chalcedon Creed notwithstanding the great Empresse and Senate sought by violent courses and practises to make him yeeld And when afterward the said Emperour contrary to his oath taken played the relaps by falling into his former heresie and became a persecutor he was first admonished and then excommunicated by Symmachus Bishop of Rome To this the L. Cardinall addes that when the said Emperour was minded to choppe the poison of his hereticall assertions into the publique formes of diuine seruice then the people of Constantinople made an vproare against Anastasius their Emperour and one of his Commanders by force of armes constrained him to call backe certaine Bishops whome he had sent into banishments before In this first example the L. Cardinall by his good leaue neither comes close to the question nor salutes it a farre off Euphemius was not Bishop of Rome Anastasius was not deposed by Euphemius the Patriarch onely made no way to the creating of Anastasius The suddaine commotion of the base multitude makes nothing the rebellion of a Greeke Commaunder makes lesse for the authorizing of the Pope to depose a Soueraigne Prince The Greek Emperour was excommunicated by Pope Symmachus who knowes whether that be true or forged For the Pope himselfe is the onely witnesse here produced by the Lord Cardinall vpon the point and who knowes not how false how suppositious the writings and Epistles of the auncient Popes are iustly esteemed But graunt it a truth yet Anastasius excommunicated by Pope Symmachus is not Anastasius deposed by Pope Symmachus And to make a full answer I say further that excommunication denounced by a forraine Bishop against a party not beeing within the limits of his iurisdiction or one of his owne flock was not any barre to the party from the communion of the Church but onely a kind of publication that he the said Bishop in his particular would hold no further communion with any such party For proofe whereof I produce the Canons of the Councils held at Carthage In one of the said Canons it is thus prouided and ordained If any Bishop shall wilfully absent himselfe from the vsual and accustomed Synodes let him not be admitted to the communion of other Churches but let him onely vse the benefit and libertie of his owne Church In an other of the same Canons thus If a Bishop shall insinuate himselfe to make a conueiance of his Monasterie and the ordering thereof vnto a Monke of any other Cloister let him be cut off let him bee separated from the communion with other Churches and content himselfe to liue in the communion of his owne flocke In the same sense Hilarius Bishop of Poictiers excommunicated Liberius Bishop of Rome for subscribing to the Arrian Confession In the same sense Iohn Bishop of Antioch excommunicated Caelestine of Rome and Cyrill of Alexandria Bishops for proceeding to sentence against Nestorius without staying his comming to answer in his owne cause In the same sense likewise Victor Bishop of Rome did cut off all the Bishops of the East not from the communion of their owne flocks but from communion with Victor and the Romane Church What resemblance what agreement what proportion betweene this course of excommunication and that way of vniust fulmination which the Popes of Rome haue vsurped against Kings but yet certaine long courses of time after that auncient course And this may stand for a full answer likewise to the example of Clotharius This auncient King of the French fearing the censures of Pope Agapetus erected the territorie of Yuetot vnto the title of a Kingdome by way of satisfaction for murdering of Gualter Lord of Yuetot For this example the L. Cardinall hath ransackt records of 900. yeeres antiquitie and vpward in which times it were no hard peice of worke to shewe that Popes would not haue any hand nor so much as a finger in the affaires and acts of the French Kings Gregorie of Tours that liued in the same age hath recorded many acts of excesse and violent iniuries done against Bishops by their Kings and namely against Praetextatus Bishop of Roan for any of which iniurious prankes then plaied the Bishop of Rome durst not reproue the said Kings with due remonstrance But see here the words of Gregory himselfe to King Chilperic If any of vs O King shall swarue from the path of iustice him thou hast power to punish But in case thou shalt at any time transgresse the lines of equitie who shall once touch thee with reproofe To thee we speake but are neuer heeded and regarded except it be thy pleasure and be thou not pleased who shal challenge thy greatnes but he that iustly challengeth to be iustice it selfe The good Bishop notwithstanding these humble remonstrances was but roughly entreated and packt into exile beeing banished into the Isle of Gernseye But I am not minded to make any deepe search or inquisition into the titles of the Lords of Yuetot whose honourable priuiledges and titles are the most honourable badges and cognizances of their ancestors and of some remarquable seruice done to the Crowne of France so farre I take them to differ from a satisfaction for sinne And for the purpose I onely affirme that were the credit of this historie beyond all exception yet makes it nothing to the present question wherein the power of deposing and not of excommunicating supreme Kings is debated And suppose the King by charter granted the said priuiledges for feare of excommunication how is it prooued thereby that Pope Agapetus had lawfull and ordinarie power to depriue him of his Crowne Nay doubtlesse it was rather a meanes to eleuate and aduance the dignitie of the Crowne of France and to style the French King a King of Kings as one that was able to giue the qualitie of King to all the rest of the Nobles and Gentrie of his Kingdome Doth not some part of the Spanish Kings greatnesse consist in creating of his Great In the next place followeth Gregorie I. who in the 10. Epistle of the 11. booke confirming the priuiledges of the Hospital at Augustodunum in Bourgongne prohibiteth all
Emperour in the tenth yeare of his raigne The L. Cardinall with no lesse abuse alleadgeth Pope Zacharie by whome the French as he affirmeth were absolued of the oath of allegiance wherein they stood bound to Childeric their King And for this instance he standeth vpon the testimonie of Paulus Aemilius and du Tillet a paire of late writers But by authors more neere that age wherein Childeric raigned it is more truely testified that it was a free and voluntarie act of the French onely asking the aduise of Pope Zacharie but requiring neither leaue nor absolution Ado Bishop of Vienna in his Chronicles hath it after this manner The French following the Counsell of Embassadors and of Pope Zachary elected Pepin their King and established him in the Kingdome Trithemius in his abridgement of Annals thus Childeric as one vnfit for gouernement was turned out of his Kingdome with common consent of the Estates and Peeres of the Realme so aduised by Zacharie Pope of Rome Godfridus of Viterbe in the 17. part of his Chronicle and Guaguin in the life of Pepin affirme the same And was it not an easie matter to worke Pepin by counsell to lay hold on the Kingdome when he could not be hindered from fastening on the Crowne and had already seizd it in effect howsoeuer he had not yet attained to the name of King Moreouer the rudenesse of that Nation then wanting knowledge and Schooles either of diuinitie or of Academicall sciences was a kind of spurre to make them runne for counsell ouer the mountaines which neuerthelesse in a cause of such nature they required not as necessary but onely as decent and for fashion sake The Pope also for his part was well appaied by this meanes to drawe Pepin vnto his part as one that stood in some need of his aide against the Lombards and the more because his Lord the Emperour of Constantinople was then brought so low that he was not able to send him sufficient aide for the defence of his territories against his enemies But had Zacharie to deale plainely not stood vpon the respect of his owne commoditie more then vpon the regard of Gods feare he would neuer haue giuen counsel vnto the seruant vnder the pretended colour of his Masters dull spirit so to turne rebell against his Master The Lawes prouide Gardians or ouerseers for such as are not well in their wits they neuer depriue and spoile them of their estate they punish crimes but not diseases and infirmities by nature Yea in France it is a very auncient custome when the King is troubled in his wittes to establish a Regent who for the time of the Kings disability may beare the burden of the Kingdomes affaires So was the practise of that State in the case of Charles 6. when he fell into a phrensie whome the Pope notwithstanding his most grieuous and sharpe fits neuer offered to degrade And to be short what reason what equity will beare the children to be punished for the fathers debilitie Yet such punishment was laid vpon Childerics whole race and house who by this practise were all disinherited of the Kingdome But shall wee now take some viewe of the L. Cardinals excuse for this exemplarie fact The cause of Childerics deposing as the L. Cardinal saith did neerly concerne and touch Religion For Childerics imbecillitie brought all France into danger to suffer a most wofull shipwracke of Christian religion vpon the barbarous and hostile inuasion of the Saracens Admit now this reason had beene of iust weight and value yet consideration should haue been taken whether some one or other of that Royallstemme and of the Kings owne successors neerest of blood was not of better capacitie to rule and mannage that mightie State The feare of vncertaine and accidentall mischiefe should not haue driuen them to slie vnto the certain mischiefe of actuall and effectuall deposition They should rather haue set before their eies the example of Charles Martel this Pepins father who in a farre more eminent danger when the Saracens had already mastered and subdued a great part of France valiantly encountred and withall defeated the Saracens ruled the Kingdome vnder the title of Steward of the Kings house the principall Officer of the Crowne without affecting or aspiring to the Throne for all that great steppe of aduantage especially when the Saracens were quite broken and no longer dreadfull to the French Nation In our owne Scotland the sway of the Kingdome was in the hand of Walles during the time of Bruse his imprisonment in England who then was lawfull heire to the Crowne This Walles or Vallas had the whole power of the Kingdome at his beck and command His edicts and ordinances to this day stand in full force By the deadly hatred of Bruse his mortall enemie it may be coniectured that hee might haue beene prouoked and inflamed with desire to trusse the Kingdome in his talants And notwithstanding all these incitements hee neuer assumed or vsurped other title to himselfe then of Gouernour or Administrator of the Kingdome The reason Hee had not beene brought vp in this newe doctrine and late discipline whereby the Church is endowed with power to giue and to take away Crownes But now as the L. Cardinall would beare the world in hand the state of Kings is brought to a very dead lift The Pope forsooth must send his Phisitians to know by way of inspection or some other course of Art whether the Kings braine be crackt or found and in case there be found any debility of wit and reason in the King then the Pope must remooue and translate the Crowne from the weaker braine to a stronger and for the acting of the stratageme the name of Religion must be pretended Ho these heretikes beginne to crawle in the Kingdome order must bee taken they be not suffered by their multitudes and swarmes like locusts or caterpillars to pester and poison the whole Realme Or in a case of matrimonie thus Ho marriage is a Sacrament touch the Order of Matrimonie and Religion is wounded By this deuise not onely the Kings vices but likewise his naturall diseases and infirmities are fetcht into the circle of Religion and the L. Cardinal hath not done himselfe right in restraining the Popes power to depose Kings vnto the cafes of heresie Apostasie and persecution of the Church In the next place followeth Leo III. who by setting the Imperiall Crowne vpon the head of Charles absolued all the subiects in the West of their obedience to the Greeke Emperours if the L. of Perron might be credited in this example But indeed it is crowded among the rest by a slie tricke and cleane contrary to the naked truth of all histories For it shall neuer bee iustified by good historie that so much as one single person or man I say not one Country or one people was then wrought or wonne by the Pope to change his copy and Lord or from a subiect of the Greeke Emperours
to turne subiect vnto Charlemayne Let me see but one Towne that Charlemayne recouered from the Greeke Emperours by his right and title to his Empire in the West No the Greeke Emperours had taken their farwell of the West Empire long before And therefore to nick this vpon the tallie of Pope Leo his Acts that hee tooke away the West from the Greeke Emperour it is euen as if one should say that in this age the Pope takes the Dukedome of Milan from the French Kings or the citie of Rome from the Emperours of Germany because their predecessors in former ages had beene right Lords and gouernours of them both It is one of the Popes ordinary and solemne practises to take away much after the manner of his giuing For as he giueth what he hath not in his right and power to giue or bestoweth vpon others what is alreadie their owne euen so he taketh away from Kings and Emperors the possessions which they haue not in present hold and possession After this manner he takes the West from the Greeke Emperours when they hold nothing in the West and lay no claime to any citie or towne of the West Empire And what shall we call this way of depriuation but spoyling a naked man of his garments and killing a man alreadie dead True it is the Imperiall Crowne was then set on Charlemaynes head by Leo the Pope did Leo therefore giue him the Empire No more then a Bishop that crownes a King at his Royall and solemne consecration doth giue him the Kingdome For shal the Pope himselfe take the Popedome from the Bishop of Ostia as of his gift because the crowning of the Pope is an office of long time peculiar to the Ostian Bishop It was the custome of Emperours to be crowned Kings of Italy by the hands of the Archbishop of Milan did he therefore giue the kingdome of Italy to the said Emperours And to returne vnto Charlemayne If the Pope had conueied the Empire to him by free and gratious donation the Pope doubtlesse in the solemnity of his coronation would neuer haue performed vnto his owne creature an Emperour of his owne making the duties of adoration as Ado that liued in the same age hath left it on record After the solemne praises ended saith Ado the cheife Bishop honoured him with adoration according to the custome of auncient Princes The same is likewise put downe by Auentine in the 4. booke of his Annals of Bauaria The like by the President Fauchet in his antiquities and by Mons. Petau Councellor in the Court of Parliament at Paris in his preface before the Chronicles of Eusebius Hierome and Sigebert It was therefore the people of Rome that called this Charles the Great vnto the Imperiall dignitie and cast on him the title of Empeerour So testifieth Sigebert vpon the yeere 801. All the Romanes with one generall voice and consent ring out acclamations of Imperiall praises to the Emperour they crowne him by the hands of Leo the Pope they giue him the style of Caesar and Augustus Marianus Scotus hath as much in effect Charles was then called Augustus by the Romanes And so Platina After the solemne seruice Leo declareth and proclameth Charles Emperour according to the publike decree and generall request of the people of Rome Aventine and Sigonius in his 4. booke of the Kingdome of Italie witnes the same Neuerthelesse to gratifie the L. Cardinall Suppose Pope Leo dispossessed the Greeke Emperours of the West Empire What was the cause what infamous act had they done what prophane and irreligious crime had they committed Nicephorus and Irene who raigned in the Greeke Empire in Charlemaynes time were not reputed by the Pope or taken for heretikes How then The L. Cardinall helpeth at a pinch and putteth vs in minde that Constantine and Leo predecessors to the said Emperours had beene poysoned with heresie and stained with persecution Here then behold an Orthodoxe Prince deposed For what cause for heresie forsooth not in himselfe but in some of his predecessors long before An admirable case For I am of a contrary minde that he was worthy of double honour in restoring and setting vp the truth againe which vnder his predecessors had indured oppression and suffered persecution Doubtlesse Pope Siluester was greatly ouerseene and plaied not well the Pope when he winked at Constantine the Great and cast him not downe from his Imperiall Throne for the strange infidelitie and paganisme of Diocletian of Maximian and Maxentius whome Constantine succeeded in the Empire From this example the L. of Perron passeth to Fulke Archbishop of Reims by whome Charles the Simple was threatned with Excommunication and refusing to continue any longer in the fidelity and allegiance of a subiect To what purpose is this example For who can be ignorant that all ages haue brought forth turbulent and stirring spirits men altogether forgetfull of respect and obseruance towards their Kings especially when the world finds them shallow and simple-witted like vnto this Prince But in this example where is there so much as one word of the Pope or the deposing of Kings Here the L. Cardinall chops in the example of Philip 1. King of France but mangled and strangely disguised as hereafter shall be shewed At last he leadeth vs to Gregory VII surnamed Hildebrand the scourge of Emperours the firebrand of warre the scorne of his age This Pope after he had in the spirit of pride and in the very height of all audaciousnesse thundred the sentence of excommunication and deposition against the Emperour Henry 4. after he had enterprised this act without all precedent example after hee had filled all Europe with blood this Pope I say sunke downe vnder the weight of his affaires and died as a fugitiue at Salerne ouerwhelmed with discontent and sorrowe of heart Here lying at the point of giuing vp the ghoast calling vnto him as it is in Sigebert a certaine Cardinall whome hee much fauoured He confesseth to God and Saint Peter and the whole Church that he had beene greatly defectiue in the Pastor all charge cōmitted to his care and that by the Deuills instigation he had kindled the fire of Gods wrath and hatred against mankind Then he sent his Confessor to the Emperour and to the whole Church to pray for his pardon because hee perceiued that his life was at an end Likewise Cardinal Benno that liued in the said Gregories time doth testifie That so soone as he was risen out of his Chaire to excommunicate the Emperour from his Cathedrall seate by the will of God the said Cathedrall seate new made of strong board or plancke did cracke and cleaue into many peices or parts to manifest how great and terrible schismes had beene sowed against the Church of Christ by an excommunication of so dangerous consequence pronounced by the man that had sit Iudge therein Now to bring and alleadge the example of such a
will and pleasure of his Holinesse The Prelats enformed hereof made answer that in this case they would neuer yeeld obedience to the Excommunication of the said Bishops because it was contrarie to the authority and aduise of the auncient Canons After these times Pope Nicholas 1. depriued King Lotharius of communion for in those times not a word of deposing to make him repudiate or quit Valdrada and to resume or take again Thetberga his former wife The articles framed by the French vpon this point are to be found in the writings of Hincmarus Archbishop of Reims and are of this purport that in the iudgement of men both learned and wise it is an ouerruled case that as the King whatsoeuer he shall doe ought not by his own Bishops to be excommunicated euen so no forraine Bishop hath power to sit for his Iudge because the King is to be subiect onely vnto God and his Imperiall authoritie who alone had the al-sufficient power to settle him in his Kingdome Moreouer the Clergie addressed letters of answer vnto the same Pope full of stinging and bitter tearms with speaches of great scorne and contempt as they are set downe by Auentine in his Annals of Bauaria not forbearing to call him theife wolfe and tyrant When Pope Hadrian tooke vpon him like a Lord to commaund Charles the Bald vpon paine of interdiction that hee should suffer the Kingdome of Lotharius to be fully and entirely conueied and conferred vpon Lewis his sonne the same Hinemarus a man of great authoritie and estimation in that age sent his letters containing sundrie remonstrances touching that subiect Among other matters thus he writeth The Ecclesiastics and Seculars of the Kingdom assembled at Reims haue affirmed and now do affirme by way of reproach vpbrading exprobation that neuer was the like mandate sent before from the See of Rome to any of our predecessors And a little after The cheife Bishops of the Apostolike See or any other Bishops of the greatest authoritie and holinesse neuer withdrew themselues from the presence from the reuerend salutation or from the conference of Emperours and Kings whether hereticks or schismiticks and Tyrants As Constantius the Arrian Julianus the Apostata and Maxmius the tyrant And yet a little after Wherefore if the Apostolicke Lord be minded to seeke peace let him seeke it so that hee stirre no brawles and breed no quarrels For we are no such babes to beleeue that wee can or euer shall attaine to Gods Kingdome vnlesse we receiue him for our King in earth whom God himselfe recommendeth to vs from heauen It is added by Hincmarus in the same place that by the said Bishops and Lords Temporall such threatning words were blowne forth as he is afraid once to speake and vtter As for the King himselfe what reckoning he made of the Popes mandates it appeareth by the Kings owne letters addressed to Pope Hadrianus as we may reade euery where in the Epistles of Hincmarus For there after King Charles hath taxed and challenged the Pope of pride and hit him in the teeth with a spirit of vsurpation he breaketh out into these words What hell hath cast vp this lawe so crosse and preposterous what infernall gulph hath disgorged this law out of the darkest and obscurest dennes a law quite contrarie and altogether repugnant vnto the beaten way shewed vs in the holy Scriptures c. Yea he flatly and peremptorily forbids the Pope except he meane or desire to be recompenced with dishonour and contempt to send any more the like mandates either to himselfe or to his Bishops Vnder the raigne of Hugo Capetus and Robert his sonne a Council now extant in all mens hands was held and celebrated at Reims by the Kings authority There Arnulphus Bishop of Orleans then Prolocutor and Speaker of the Council calls the Pope Antichrist and lets not also to paint him forth like a monster as well for the deformed and vgly vices of that vnholy See which then were in their exaltation as also because the Pope then won with presents and namely with certaine goodly horses then presented to his Holinesse tooke part against the King with Arnulphus Bishop of Reims then dispossed of his Pastorall charge When Philip 1. had repudiated his wife Bertha daughter to the Earle of Holland and in her place had also taken to wife Bertrade the wife of Fulco Earle of Aniou yet being aliue he was excommunicated and his Kingdom interdicted by Vrbanus then Pope though he was then bearded with an Antipope as the L. Cardinal here giueth vs to vnderstand But his Lordship hath skipt ouer two principall points recorded in the historie The first is that Philip was not deposed by the Pope whereupon it is to be inferred that in this passage there is nothing materiall to make for the Popes power against a Kings Throne and Scepter The other point is that by the censures of the Pope the course of obedience due to the King before was not interrupted nor the King disauowed refused or disclaimed but on the contrary that Iuo of Chartres taking Pope Vrbanus part was punished for his presumption dispoyled of his estate and kept in prison whereof hee makes complaint himselfe in his 19. and 20. Epistles The L. Cardinal besides in my vnderstanding for his Masters honour should haue made no words of interdicting the whole Kingdome For when the Pope to giue a King chastisement doth interdict his Kingdome he makes the people to beare the punishment of the Kings offence For during the time of interdiction the Church doores through the whole Kingdome are kept continually shut and lockt vp publike seruice is intermitted in all places bels euery where silent Sacraments not administred to the people bodies of the dead so prostituted and abandoned that none dares burie the said bodies in holy ground More it is beleeued that a man dying vnder the curse of the interdict without some speciall indulgence or priuiledge is for euer damned and adiudged to eternall punishments as one that dyeth out of the communion of the Church Put case then the interdict holdeth and continueth for many yeares together alas how many millions of poore soules are damned and goe to hell for an others offence For what can or what may the faltlesse and innocent people doe withall if the King will repudiate his wife and she yet liuing ioyne himselfe in matrimonie to an other The Lord Cardinall after Philip the 1. produceth Philippus Augustus who hauing renounced his wife Ingeberga daughter to the King of Denmarke and marrying with Agnes daughter to the Duke of Morauia was by Pope Innocent the third interdicted himselfe and his whole Kingdome But his Lordshippe was not pleased to insert withall what is auerred in the Chronicle of Saint Denis that Pope Celestinus 3. sent forth two Legats at once vpon this errand Who being come into to the assemblie and generall Council of all the French Prelats became like dumbe dogs that can not
barke so as they could not bring the seruice which they had vndertaken to any good passe because they stood in a bodily feare of their owne hydes Not long after the Cardinal of Capua was in the like taking For he durst not bring the Realme within the limits of the interdict before he was got out of the limits of the Kingdome The King herewith incensed thrust all the Prelates that had giuen consent vnto these proceedings out of their Sees confiscated their goods c. To the same effect is that which wee reade in Math. Paris After the Pope had giuen his Maiesty to vnderstand by the Cardinal of Anagnia that his Kingdome should be interdicted vnlesse hee would be reconciled to the King of England the King returned the Pope this answer that he was not in any sort afraid of the Popes sentence for as much as it could not bee grounded vpon any equity of the cause and added withall that it did no way appertain vnto the Church of Rome to sentence Kings especially the King of Fraunce And this was done saith Iohannes Tilius Register in Court of Parliament at Paris by the counsell of the French Barons Most notable is the example of Philip the Faire and hits the bird in the right eie In the yeere 1032. the Pope dispatched the Archbishop of Narbona with mandates into France commaunding the King to release the Bishop of Apamia then detained in prison for contumelious words tending to the Kings defamation and spoken to the Kings owne head In very deede this Pope had conceiued a secret grudge and no light displeasure against King Philip before namely because the King had taken vpon him the collation of benefices and other Ecclesiasticall dignities Vpon which occasion the Pope sent letters to the King of this tenour and style Feare God and keepe his commaundements We would haue thee knowe that in spirituall and temporall causes thou art subiect vnto our selfe that collating of benefices and prebends doth not in any sort appertaine to thy office and place that in case as keeper of the spiritualties thou haue the custodie of benefices and prebends in thy hand when they become void thou shalt by sequestration reserue the fruites of the same to the vse and benefit of the next incumbents and successors and in case thou hast heretofore collated any we ordaine the said collations to bee meerely void and so farre as herein thou hast proceeded to the fact we reuoke the said collations We hold them for hereticks whosoeuer are not of this beleefe A Legate comes to Paris and brings these brauing letters By some of the Kings faithful seruants they are violently snatched and pulled out of the Legates hands by the Earle of Artois they are cast into the fire The good King answers the Pope and payes him in as good coyne as he had sent Philip by the grace of God King of the French to Boniface calling and bearing himselfe the Soueraigne Bishop little greeting or none at all May thy exceeding sottishnesse vnderstand that in temporall causes we are not subiect vnto any mortall and earthly creature that collating of benefices and prebends by Regall right appertaineth to our office and place that appropriating their fruites when they become voide belongeth to our selfe alone during their vacancie that all collations by vs heretofore made or to be made hereafter shall stand in force that in the validitie and vertue of the said collations we will euer couragiously defend and maintaine all Incumbents and possessors of benefices and prebends so by vs collated We hold them all for sots and senselesse whosoeuer are not of this beleefe The Pope incensed herewith excommunicates the King but no man dares publish that censure or become bearer thereof The King notwithstanding the said proceedings of the Pope assembles his Prelates Barons and Knights at Paris askes the whole assembly of whome they hold their Fees with all other the Temporalties of the Church They make answer with one voice that in the said matters they disclaime the Pope and know none other Lord beside his Maiestie Meane while the Pope worketh with Germanie and the Lowe Countries to stirre them vp against France But Philip sendeth William of Nogaret into Italy William by the direction and aide of Sciarra Columnensis takes the Pope at Anagnia mounts him vpon a leane ill-fauoured iade carries him prisoner to Rome where ouercome with choller anguish and great indignation hee takes his last leaue of the Popedome and his life All this notwithstanding the King presently after from the successors of Boniface receiues very ample and gratious Bulls in which the memorie of all the former passages and actions is vtterly abolished Witnesse the Epistle of Clement 5. wherein this King is honoured with prayses for a pious and religious Prince and his Kingdom is restored to the former estate In that age the French Nobilitie carried other manner of spirits then the moderne and present Nobilitie doe I meane those by whome the L. Cardinal was applauded and assisted in his Oration Yea in those former times the Prelates of the Realme stood better affected towards their King then the L. Cardinal himselfe now standeth who could finde none other way to dally with and to shift off this pregnant example but by plaine glosing that heresie and Apostasie was no ground of that question or subiect of that controuersie Wherein hee not onely condemnes the Pope as one that proceeded against Philip without a iust cause and good ground but likewise giues the Pope the lie who in his goodly letters but a little aboue recited hath enrowled Philip in the list of heretiks He saith moreouer that indeed the knot of the question was touching the Popes pretence in challenging to himselfe the temporall Soueraingntie of France that is to say in qualifying himselfe King of France But indeed and indeede no such matter to be found His whole pretence was the collating of benefices and to pearch aboue the King to crowe ouer his Crowne in Temporall causes At which pretence his Holinesse yet aimeth still attributing and and challenging to himselfe plenary power to depose the King Now if the L. Cardinal shall yet proceede to cauill that Boniface 8. was taken by the French for an vsurper and no lawfull Pope but for one that crept into the Papacy by fraud and symonie hee must bee pleased to set downe positiuely who was Pope seeing that Boniface then sate not in the Papall chaire To conclude If hee that creepeth and stealeth into the Papacie by symonie by canuases or labouring of suffrages vnder hand or by bribery be not lawfull Pope I dare bee bold to professe there will hardly bee found two lawfull Popes in the three last ages Pope Benedict in the yeare 1408. being in choller with Charles 6. because Charles had bridled and curbed the gainefull exactions and extorsions of the Popes Court by which the Realme of France had been exhausted of their treasure sent
an excommunicatorie Bull into Fraunce against Charles the King and all his Princes The Vniuersitie of Paris made request or motion that his Bull might be mangled and Pope Benedict himselfe by some called Petrus de Luna might be declared heretike schismatike and perturber of the peace The said Bull was mangled and rent in pieces according to the petition of the Vniuersity by Decree of Court vpon the 10. of Iune 1408. Tenne dayes after the Court rising at eleuen in the morning two Bul-bearers of the said excōmuncaitorie censure vnderwent ignominious punishment vpon the Palace or great Hall stayres From thence were lead to the Lovure in such manner as they had beene brought from thence before drawen in two tumbrells cladde in coates of painted linnen wore paper-mytres on their heads were proclaimed with sound of trumpet and euery where disgraced with publike derision So little reckoning was made of the Popes thundering canons in those daies And what would they haue done if the said Buls had imported sentence of deposition against King Charles The French Church assembled at Tours in the yeere 1510. decreed that Lewis XII might with safe conscience contemne the abusiue Bulls and vniust censures of Pope Julius the II. and by armes might withstand the Popes vsurpations in case hee should proceed to excommunicate or depose the King More by a Council holden at Pisa this Lewis declared the Pope to be fallen from the Popedome and coyned crowns with a stamp of this inscription I wil destroy the name of Babylon To this the L. of Perron makes answer that all this was done by the French as acknowledging these iars to haue sprung not from the fountaine of Religion but from passion of state Wherin he condemneth Pope Iulius for giuing so great scope vnto his publike censures as to serue his ambition and not rather to aduance Religion Hee secretly teacheth vs besides that when the Pope vndertakes to depose the King of France then the French are to sit as Iudges concerning the lawfulnesse or vnlawfulnesse of the cause and in case they shall finde the cause to be vnlawfull then to disannull his iudgements and to scoffe at his thunderbolts Iohn d' Albret King of Nauarre whose Realme was giuen by the foresaid Pope to Ferdinand King of Arragon was also wrapped and entangled with strict bands of deposition Now if the French had been touched with no better feeling of affection to their King then the subiects of Nauarre were to the Nauarrois doubtlesse France had sought a newe Lord by vertue of the Popes as the L. Cardinal himselfe doth acknowledge and confesse vniust sentence But behold to make the said sentence against Iohn d' Albret seeme the lesse contrary to equity the L. Cardinal pretends the Popes donation was not indeede the principall cause howsoeuer Ferdinand himselfe made it his pretence But his Lor. giues this for the principall cause that Iohn d' Albret had quitted his alliance made with condition that in case the Kings of Nauarre should infringe the said alliance and breake the league then the Kingdome of Nauarre should returne to the Crowne of Arragon This condition between Kings neuer made and without all shew of probabilitie serueth to none other purpose from the Cardinals mouth but onely to insinuate and worke a perrswasion in his King that he hath no right nor lawfull pretension to the Crowne of Nauarre and whatsoeuer hee nowe holdeth in the said Kingdome of Nauarre is none of his owne but by vsurpation and vnlawfull possession Thus his Lordshippe French-borne makes himselfe an Aduocate for the Spanish King against his owne King and King of the French who shall bee faine as he ought if this Aduocats plea may take place to draw his title and style of King of Nauarre out of his Royall titles and to acknowledge that all the great endeauours of his predecessors to recouer the said Kingdome were dishonourable and vniust Is it possible that in the very heart and head Citie of France a spirit tongue so licentious can be brooked What shall so great blasphemy as it were of the Kings freehold be powred forth in so honourable an assembly without punishment or fyne what without any contradiction for the Kings right and on the Kings behalfe I may perhaps confesse the indignitie might bee the better borne and the pretence aledged might passe for a poore excuse if it serued his purpose neuer so little For how doth all this touch or come neere the question in which the Popes vsurpation in the deposing of Kings and the resolution of the French in resisting this tyrannicall practise is the proper issue of the cause both which points are neuer a whit more of the lesse consequence and importance howsoeuer Ferdinand in his owne iustification stood vpon the foresaid pretence Thus much is confessed and we aske no more Pope Iulius tooke the Kingdome from the one and gaue it vnto the other the French thereupon resisted the Pope and declared him to bee fallen from the Papacie This noble spirit and courage of the French in maintaining the dignitie and honour of their Kings Crownes bredde those auncient customes which in the sequence of many ages haue beene obserued and kept in vse This for one That no Legate of the Pope nor any of his rescripts nor mandates are admitted and receiued in France without licence from the King and vnlesse the Legate impart his faculties to the Kings Atturney Generall to be perused and verified in Court of Parliament where they are to be tyed by certaine modifications restrictions vnto such points as are not derogatorie from the Kings right from the liberties of the Church and from the ordinances of the Kingdome When Cardinal Balva contrary to this ancient forme entred France in the yeare 1484. and there without leaue of the King did execute the Office and speed certaine Acts of the Popes Legat the Court vpon motion made by the Kings Atturney Generall decreed a Commission to be informed against him by two Councellors of the said Court and inhibited his further proceeding to vse any faculty or power of the Popes Legate vpon paine of beeing proclaimed rebell In the yeare 1561. Iohannes Tanquerellus Batchelor in Diuinitie by order of the Court was condemned to make open confession that hee had indiscreetly and rashly without consideration defended this proposition The Pope is the Vicar of Christ a Monarke that hath power both spirituall and secular and he may depriue Princes which rebel against his cōmandements of their dignities Which proposition howsoeuer he protested that he had propounded the same onely to be argued and not iudicially to be determined in the affirmatiue Tanquerellus neuerthelesse was compelled openly to recant Here the L. Cardinal answers The historie of Tanquerellus is from the matter because his proposition treateth neither of heresie nor of infidelitie but I answer the said proposition treateth of both for as much as
it maketh mention of disobedience to the Pope For I suppose he will not deny that whosoeuer shall stand out in heresie contrary to the Popes monitorie proceedings hee shall shewe but poore and simple obedience to the Pope Moreouer the case is cleare by the former examples that no Pope will suffer his power to cast downe Kings to bee restrained vnto the cause of heresie and infidelitie In the heate of the last warres raised by that holy-prophane League admonitory Buls were sent by Pope Gregory 14. from Rome Anno 1591. By these Bulls King Henry 4. as an heretike and relaps was declared incapable of the Crowne of France and his Kingdome was exposed to hauock and spoile The Court of Parliament beeing assembled at Tours the 5. of August decreed the said admonitorie Bulls to bee cancelled torne in peices and cast into a great fire by the hand of the publike executioner The Arrest it selfe or Decree is of this tenor The Court duely pondering and approouing the concluding and vnanswearable reasons of the Kings Atturney General hath declared and by these present doth declare the admonitorie Bulls giuen at Rome the 1. of March 1591. to be of no validitie abusiue seditious damnable full of impietie and impostures contrarie to the holie decrees rights franchises and liberties of the French Church doth ordaine the Copies of the said Bulls sealed with the seale of Marsilius Landrianus and signed Septilius Lamprius to be rent in peices by the publike executioner and by him to be burnt in a great fire to be made for such purpose before the great gates of the common Hall or Palace c. Then euen then the L. of Perron was firme for the better part and stood for his King against Gregorie the Pope notwithstanding the crime of heresie pretended against Henrie his Lord. All the former examples by vs alleadged are drawne out of the times after Schooles of Diuinitie were established in France For I thought good to bound my selfe within those dooles and limits of time which the L. Card. himselfe hath set Who goeth not sincerely to worke and in good earnest where he telleth vs there bee three instances as if we had no more obiected against Papall power to remooue Kings out of their chaires of State by name the example of Philip the Faire of Lewis XII and of Tanquerellus For in very truth all the former examples by vs produced are no lesse pregnant and euident howsoeuer the L. Cardinal hath beene pleased to conceale them all for feare of hurting his cause Nay France euen in the dayes of her sorest seruitude was neuer vnfurnished of great Diuines by whom this vsurped pow-of the Pope ouer the Temporalties and Crownes of Kings hath been vtterly misliked and condemned Robert Earle of Flanders was commanded by Pope Paschall 2. to persecute with fire and sword the Clergie of Leige who then adhered and stood to the cause of the Emperour Henry 4. whom the Pope had ignominiously deposed Robert by the Popes order and command was to handle the Clergie of Leige in like sort as before he had serued the Clergy of Cambray who by the said Earle had beene cruelly stript both of goods and life The Pope promised the said Earle and his army pardon of their sinnes for the said execution The Clergie of Leige addressed answer to the Pope at large They cried out vpon the Church of Rome and called her Babylon Told the Pope home that God hath commanded to giue vnto Cesar that which is Cesars that euery soule must be subiect vnto the superiour powers that no man is exempted out of this precept and that euery oath of allegiance is to be kept inuiolable yea that hereof they themselues are not ignorant in as much as they by a new schism and newe traditions making a separation and rent of the priesthood from the Kingdome doe promise to absolue of periurie such as haue perfidiously forsworne themselues against their King And whereas by way of despight and in opprobrious manner they were excommunicated by the Pope they gaue his Holines to vnderstand that Dauids heart had vttered a good matter but Paschals heart had spewed vp sordid and railing words like old baudes and spinsters or websters of linnen when they scold and brawle one with an other Finally they reiected his Papall excommunication as a sentence giuen without discretion This was the voice and free speech of that Clergie in the life time of their noble Emperour But after he was thrust out of the Empire by the rebellion of his owne sonne instigated and stirred vp thereunto by the Popes perswasion and practise and was brought vnto a miserable death it is no matter of wonder that for the safegard of their life the said Clergie were driuen to sue vnto the Pope for their pardon Hildebert Bishop of Caenomanum vpon the riuer of Sartre liuing vnder the raigne of King Philip the first affirmeth in his Epistles 40. and 75. that Kings are to be admonished and instructed rather then punished to be dealt with by counsell rather then by commaund by doctrine and instruction rather then by correction For no such sword belongeth to the Church because the sword of the Church is Ecclesiasticall discipline and nothing else Bernard writeth to Pope Eugenius after this manner Whosoeuer they be that are of this mind and opinion shal neuer be able to make proofe that any one of the Apostles did euer sit in qualitie of Iudge or Diuider of lands I reade where they haue stood to be iudged but neuer where they sate downe to giue iudgement Againe Your authoritie stretcheth vnto crimes not vnto possessions because you haue receiued the keies of the kingdome of heauen not in regard of possessions but of crimes to keepe all that pleade by couin or collusion and not lawfull possessors out of the heauenly kingdome A little after These base things of the earth are iudged by the Kings and Princes of this world wherefore doe you thrust your sickle into an others haruest wherefore doe you incraach and intrude vpon an others limits Elsewhere The Apostles are directly forbid to make themselues Lords and rulers Goe thou then and beeing a Lord vsurpe Apostleship or beeing an Apostle vsurpe Lordship If thou needes wilt haue both doubtlesse thou shalt haue neither Iohannes Maior Doctor of Paris The Soueraigne Bishop hath no temporall authoritie ouer Kings The reason Because it followes the contrarie being once granted that Kings are the Popes vassals Now let other men iudge whether hee that hath power to dipossesse Kings of all their Temporalties hath not likewise authoritie ouer their Temporalties The same Author The Pope hath no manner of title ouer the French or Spanish Kings in temporall matters Where it is further added That Pope Innocent 3. hath beene pleased to testifie that Kings of France in Temporall causes doe acknowledge no superiour For so the Pope excused himselfe to a certaine Lord of Montpellier
who in stead of suing to the King had petitioned to the Pope for a dispensation for his bastard But perhaps as be speaketh it will be alledged out of the glosse that he acknowledgeth no superiour by fact and yet ought by right But I tell you the glosse is an Aurelian glosse which marres the text Amongst other arguments Maior brings this for one This opinion ministreth matter vnto Popes to take away an others Empire by force and violence which the Pope shall neuer bring to passe as we reade of Boniface 8. against Philip the Faire Saith besides That from hence proceede warres in time of which many outragious mischeifes are done and that Gerson calls them egregious flatterers by whom such opinion is maintained In the same place Maior denies that Childeric was deposed by Pope Zacharie The word He deposed saith Maior is not so to be vnderstood as it is taken at the first blush or sight but he deposed is thus expounded in the glosse Hee gaue his consent vnto those by whom he was deposed Iohn of Paris Were it graunted that Christ was armed with Temporall power yet he committed no such power to Peter A little after The power of Kings is the highest power vpon earth in Temporall causes it hath no superiour power aboue it selfe no more then the Pope hath in spirituall matters This author saith indeede the Pope hath power to excommunicate the King but he speaketh not of any power in the Pope to put down the King from his regall dignity and authority He onely saith When a Prince is once excommunicated he may accidentally or by occasion be deposed because his precedent excommunication incites the people to disarme him of all secular dignity power The same Iohn on the other side holdeth opinion that in the Emperour there is inuested a power to depose the Pope in case the Pope shall abuse his power Almainus Doctor of the Sorbonic schoole Jt is essentiall in the Laye-power to inflict ciuill punishment as death banishment and priuation or losse of goods But according to diuine institution the power Ecclesiasticall can lay no such punishment vpon delinquents nay more not lay in prison as to some Doctors it seemeth probable but stretcheth and reacheth onely to spirituall punishment as namely to excommunication all other punishments inflicted by the spirituall power are meerely by the Lawe positiue If then Ecclesiasticall power by Gods Lawe hath no authoritie to depriue any priuate man of his goods how dares the Pope and his flatterers build their power to depriue Kings of their scepters vpon the word of God The same author in an other place Be it graunted that Constantine had power to giue the Empire vnto the Pope yet is it not hereupon to be inferred that Popes haue authority ouer the Kingdome of France because that Kingdom was neuer subiect vnto Constantine For the King of Fraunce neuer had any superiour in Temporall matters A little after It is not in any place to be found that God hath giuen the Pope power to make and vnmake Temporall Kings He maintaineth elsewhere that Zacharie did not depose Childeric but onely consented to his deposing and so deposed him not as by authoritie In the same booke taking vp the words of Occam whome hee styles the Doctor The Emperour is the Popes Lord in things Temporall and the Pope calls him Lord as it is witnessed in the body of the Text. The Lord Cardinall hath dissembled and concealed these words of Doctor Almainus with many like places and hath been pleased to alledge Almainus reciting Occams authoritie in stead of quoting Almainus himselfe in those passages where hee speaketh as out of his owne opinion and in his owne words A notable peice of slie and cunning conueiance For what heresie may not be fathered and fastened vpon S. Augustine or S. Hierome if they should bee deemed to approoue all the passages which they alledge out of other authors And that is the reason wherfore the L. Cardinal doth not alledge his testimonies whole and perfect as they are couched in their proper texts but clipt and curtaild Thus he dealeth euen in the first passage or testimonie of Almainus he brings it in mangled and pared hee hides and conceales the words added by Almainus to contradict crosse the words going before For Almainus makes this addition and supply Howsoeuer some other Doctors doe stand for the negatiue and teach the Pope hath power onely to declare that Kings and Princes are to bee deposed And so much appeareth by this reason because this ample and Soueraigne power of the Pope might giue him occasion to bee puft vp with great pride and the same fulnesse of power might prooue extreamely hurtfull to the subiects c. The same Almainus brings in Occams opinion in expresse tearmes deciding the question and there ioynes his owne opinion with Occams The Doctors opinion saith Almainus doth simply carrie the most probabilitie that a Pope hath no power neither by excommunication nor by any other meanes to dedepose a Prince from his Imperiall and Royall dignitie And a little before hauing maintained the Greeke Empire was neuer transported by the Pope to the Germaines and that when the Pope crownes the Emperour he doth not giue him the Empire no more then the Archbishop of Reims when he crownes the King of France doth giue him the Kingdome he drawes this conclusion according to Occams opinion I denie that an Emperour is bound by oath to promise the Pope allegiance On the other side if the Pope hold any Temporall possessions hee is bound to sweare allegiance vnto the Emperour and to pay him tribute The said Occam alledged by Almainus doth further auerre that Iustinian was acknowledged by the Pope for his superiour in Temporall causes for as much as diuerse lawes which the Pope is bound to keep and obserue were enacted by Iustinian as by name the law of prescription for an hundred yeeres which law standeth yet in force against the Bishop of Rome And to the ende that all men may cleerely see how great distance there is betweene Occams opinion and the L. Cardinals who towards the ende of his Oration exhorts his hearers at no hand to dissent from the Pope take you here a viewe of Occams owne words as they are alleadged by Almainus The Doctor assoyles the arguments of Pope Jnnocent by which the Pope would prooue out of these words of Christ Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind c. that fulnes of power in Temporall matters belongeth to the Soueraigne Bishop For Innocent saith Whatsoeuer excepteth nothing But Occam assoyles Innocents authoritie as not onely false but also hereticall and saith withal that many things are spoken by Jnnocent which by his leaue sauour and smell of heresie c. The L. Cardinal with lesse fidelitie alledgeth two places out of Thomas his Summe The first in the Second of his Second Quest 10. Art 10. in
Then for King-deposers he frames this answer That by heresie they vnderstand notorious heresie and formerly condemned by sentence of the Church Moreouer in case the Pope hath erred in the fact it is the Clergies part adhering to their King to make remonstrances vnto the Pope and to require the cause may be referred to the iudgement of a full Councill the French Church then and there beeing present Now in this answer the L. Cardinall is of an other minde then Bellarmine his brother Cardinall For he goes thus farre That a Prince condemned by vniust sentence of the Pope ought neuertheles to quit his Kingdome and that his Pastors vniust sentence shall not redound to his detriment prouided that he giue way to the said sentence and shew himselfe not refractarie but stay the time in patience vntill the holy Father shall renounce his error and reuoke his foresaid vniust sentence In which case these two materiall points are to be presupposed The one That he who now hath seized the Kingdome of the Prince displaced will forthwith if the Pope shall solicite and intercede return the Kingdome to the hand of the late possessor The other That in the interim the Prince vniustly deposed shall not neede to feare the bloodie murderers mercilesse blade and weapon But on the other side the Popes power of so large a size as Bellarmine hath shaped is no whit pleasing to the L. Cardinals eie For in case the King should be vniustly deposed by the Pope not well informed he is not of the mind the Kingdome should stoope to the Popes behests but will rather haue the Kingdom to deale by remonstrance and to referre the cause vnto the Council Wherein hee makes the Council to be of more absolute and supreame authoritie then the Pope a straine to which the holy Father will neuer lend his eare And yet doubtles the Councill required in this case must be vniuersall wherein the French for so much as they stand firme for their King and his cause can be no Iudges and in that regard the L. Cardinal requireth onely the presence of the French Church Who seeth not here into what pickle the French cause is brought by this meanes The Bishops of Italie forsooth of Spaine of Sicilie of Germany the subiects of Soueraignes many times at professed or priuy enmitie with France shall haue the cause compromitted referred to their iudgment whether the Kingdome of France shall driue out her Kings and shall kindle the flames of seditious troubles in the very heart and bowels of the Realme But is it not possible that a King may lacke the loue of his owne subiects and they taking the vantage of that occasion may put him to his trumps in his owne Kingdome Is it not possible that calumniations whereby a credulous Pope hath beene seduced may in like manner deceiue some great part of a credulous people Is it not possible that one part of the people may cleaue to the Popes faction an other may hold and stand out for the Kings rightfull cause and ciuil warres may be kindled by the splene of these two sides Is it not possible that his Holinesse will not rest in the remonstrances of the French will yet further pursue his cause And whereas nowe a dayes a Generall Councill cannot be held except it bee called and assembled by the Popes authority is it credible the Pope will take order for the conuocation of a Council by whom he shall be iudged And how can the Pope be President in a Council where himselfe is the partie impleaded and to whom the sifting of his owne sentence is referred as it were to committies to examine whether it was denounced according to Law or against Iustice But in the meane time whilest all these remonstrances and addresses of the Council are on foote behold the Royall Maiesty of the King hangeth as it were by loose gimmals and must stay the iudgement of the Council to whom it is referred Well what if the Councill should happe to be two or three yeeres in assembling and to continue or hold eighteene yeeres like the Council of Trent should not poore France I beseech you be reduced to a very bad plight should shee not be in a very wise and warme taking To be short His Lordships whole speech for the vntying of this knot not onely surmounteth possibility but is stuft with ridiculous toyes This I make manifest by his addition in the same passage If the Pope deceiued in fact shal rashly and vniustly declare the King to be an heretike then the Popes declaration shal not be seconded with actuall deposition vnles the Realme shall consent vnto the Kings deposing What needes any man to be instructed in this doctrine Who doth not knowe that a King so long as he is vpheld and maintained in his Kingdome by his people cannot actually and effectually bee deposed from his Throne Hee that speaketh such language and phrase in effect saith and saith no more then this A King is neuer depriued of his Crowne so long as he can keep his Crowne on his head a King is neuer turn'd and stript naked so long as hee can keepe his cloathes on his backe a King is neuer deposed so long as he can make the stronger partie and side against his enemies in breife a King is King and shal stil remaine King so long as he can hold the possession of his Kingdome and sit fast in his Chaire of Estate Howbeit let vs here by the way take notice of these words vttered by his Lordship That for the deposing of a King the consent of the people must be obtained For by these words the people are exalted aboue the King and are made the Iudges of the Kings deposing But here is yet a greater matter For that Popes may erre in faith it is acknowledged by Popes themselues For some of them haue condemned Pope Honorius for a Monothelite S. Hierome and S. Hilarius and S. Athanasius doe testifie that Pope Liberius started aside and subscribed to Arrianisme Pope Iohn 23. was condemned in the Council of Constance for maintaining there is neither hell nor heauen Diuerse other Popes haue been tainted with error in faith If therefore any Pope hereticall in himselfe shall depose an Orthodoxe King for heresie can it be imagined that he which boasts himselfe to beare all diuine and humane lawes in the priuy coffer or casket of his breast will stoope to the remonstrances of the French and vayle to the reasons which they shall propound though neuer so iustifiable and of neuer so great validitie And how can he that may be infected with damnable heresie when himselfe is not alwaies free from heresie be a iudge of heresie in a King In this question some are of opinion that as a man the Pope may fall into error but not as Pope Very good I demand then vpon the matter wherefore the Pope doth not instruct and reforme the man or
wherefore the man doth not require the Popes instructions But whether a King be deposed by that man the Pope or by that Pope the man is it not all one is he not deposed Others affirme the Pope may erre in a question of the fact but not in a question of the right An egregious gullery and imposture For if he may bee ignorant whether Iesus Christ died for our sinnes doubtles he may also be to seeke whether we should repose all our trust and assured confidence in the death of Christ Consider with me the Prophets of olde They were all inspired and taught of God to admonish and reprooue the Kings of Iudah and Israel they neither erred in matter of fact nor in point of right they were as farre from being blinded and fetcht ouer by deceitfull calumniations as from beeing seduced by the painted shew of corrupt and false doctrine As they neuer trode awry in matter of faith so they neuer whetted the edge of their tongue or style against the faultles Had it not beene a trimme deuice in their times to say that as Esay and as Daniel they might haue sunke into heresie but not as Prophets For doubtlesse in this case that Esay would haue taken counsell of the Prophet which was himselfe To bee short If Kings are onely so long to be taken for Kings vntill they shall be declared heretikes and shall be deposed by the Pope they continually stand in extreame danger to vndergoe a very heauy and vniust sentence Their safest way were to know nothing and to beleeue by proxie least if they should happen to talke of God or to thinke of religion they should be drawne for heretikes into the Popes Inquisition All the examples hitherto produced by the L. Cardinall on a rowe are of a latter date they lacke weight are drawne from the time of bondage and make the Popes themselues witnesses in their owne cause They descant not vpon the point of deposition but onely strike out and sound the notes of excommunication and interdiction which make nothing at all to the musicke of the question And therefore he telleth vs in kindnesse as I take it more oftentimes then once or twice that he speaketh onely of the fact as one that doth acknowledge himselfe to be out of the right Hee relates things done but neuer what should bee done which as the Iudicious know is to teach nothing The second Jnconuenience examined THE second Inconuenience like to growe as the Lord Cardinall seemeth to be halfe afraid if the Article of the third Estate might haue passed with approbation is couched in these words Lay-men shall by authoritie be strengthened with power to iudge in matters of Religion as also to determine the doctrine comprised in the said Article to haue requisite conformitie with Gods word yea they shall haue it in their hands to compell Ecclesiastics by necessitie to sweare preach and teach the opinion of the one side as also by Sermons and publike writings to impugne the other This inconuenience hee aggrauateth with swelling words and breaketh out into these vehement exclamations O reproach O scandall O gate set open to a world of heresies He therefore laboureth both by reasons by autorities of holy Scripture to make such vsurped power of Laics a fowle shamefull and odious practise In the whole his Lordship toyles himselfe in vaine and maketh suppositions of castles in the aire For in preferring this Article the third Estate haue born themselues not as iudges or vmpires but altogether as petitioners requesting the said Article might be receiued into the number of the Parliament bookes to bee presented vnto the King and his Counsell vnto whome in all humilitie they referred the iudgement of the said Article conceiuing all good hope the Clergie and Nobilitie would be pleased to ioyne for the furtherance of their humble petition They were not so ignorant of State-matters or so vnmindfull of their owne places and charges to beare themselues in hand that a petition put vp and preferred by the third Estate can carrie the force of a Lawe or Statute so long as the other two Orders withstand the same and so long as the King himselfe holds backe his Royall consent Besides the said Article was not propounded as a point of religious doctrine but for euer after to remaine and continue a fundamentall Lawe of the Commonwealth and State it selfe the due care whereof was put into their hands and committed to their trust If the King had ratified the said Article with Royall consent and had commanded the Clergie to put in execution the contents thereof it had beene their duty to see the Kings will and pleasure fulfilled as they are subiects bound to giue him aide in all things which may any way serue to procure the safetie of his life and the tranquility of his Kingdome Which if the Clergie had performed to the vttermost of their power they had not shewed obedience as vnderlings vnto the third Estate but vnto the King alone by whome such commaund had beene imposed vpon suggestion of his faithfull subiects made the more watchfull by the negligence of the Clergie whom they perceiue to be linked with stricter bands vnto the Pope then they are vnto their King Here then the Cardinall fights with meere shadowes and mooues a doubt whereof his aduersaries haue not so much as once thought in a dreame But yet according to his great dexteritie and nimblenesse of spirit by this deuice he cunningly takes vpon him to giue the King a lesson with more libertie making semblance to direct his masked Oration to the Deputies of the people when he shooteth in effect and pricketh at his King the Princes also and Lords of his Counsell whom the Cardinall compriseth vnder the name of Laics whose iudgment it is not vnlikely was apprehended much better by the Clergy then the iudgement of the third Estate Now these are the men whom he tearmeth intruders into other mens charges and such as open a gate for I wot not how many legions of heresies to rush into the Church For if it be proper to the Clergie and their Head to iudge in this cause of the Right of Kings then the King himselfe his Princes and Nobilitie are debarred and wiped of all iudgement in the same cause no lesse then the representatiue body of the people Well then the L Cardinall showres downe like haile sundry places and testimonies of Scripture where the people are commaunded to haue their Pastors in singular loue and to beare them all respects of due obseruance Be it so yet are the said passages of Scripture no barre to the people for their vigilant circumspection to preserue the life and Crown of their Prince against all the wicked enterprises of men stirred vp by the Clergie who haue their Head out of the Kingdom and hold themselues to be none of the Kings subiects a thing neuer spoken by the sacrificing Priests and Prelates mentioned in the passages alleadged
of leprosie and an heretike hath some affinitie with a leper But may not his Quoniam be as fitly applyed to any contagious inueterate vice of the minde beside heresie His warning-peice therefore is discharged to purpose whereby he notifies that hee pretendeth to handle nothing with resolution For indeed vpon so weake arguments a resolution is but ill-fauouredly and weakely grounded His bulwarks thus beaten downe let vs now viewe the strength of our owne First hee makes vs to fortifie on this manner They that are for the negatiue doe alleadge the authoritie of S. Paul Let euery soule bee subiect vnto the higher powers For whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God And likewise that of S. Peter Submit your selues whether it be vnto the King as vnto the superiour or vnto gouernours c. Vpon these passages and the like they inferre that obedience is due to Kings by the Lawe of God and not dispensable by any spirituall or temporall authoritie Thus he brings vs in with our first weapon But here the very cheife sinew and strength of our argument he doth wittingly balke and of purpose conceale To wit That all the Emperours of whom the said holy Apostles haue made any mention in their diuine Epistles were professed enemies to Christ Pagans Infidels fearefull and bloody Tyrants to whom notwithstanding euery soule and therefore the Bishop of Rome for one is commaunded to submit himselfe and to professe subiection Thus much Chrysostome hath expressely taught in his Hom. 23. vpon the Epistle to the Romanes The Apostle giues this commandement vnto all euen to Priests also and cloistered Monkes not onely to secular be thou an Apostle an Euangelist a Prophet c. Besides it is here worthy to be noted that howsoeuer the Apostles rule is generall and therefore bindeth all the faithfull in equal bands yet is it particularly directly and of purpose addressed to the Church of Rome by S. Paul as by one who in the spirit of an Apostle did foresee that rebellion against Princes was to rise and spring from the city of Rome Now in case the Head of that Church by warrant of any priuiledge contained in the most holy Register of Gods holy word is exempted from the binding power of this generall precept or rule did it not become his Lordship to shew by the booke that it is a booke case and to lay it forth before that honourable assembly who no doubt expected waited to heare when it might fal from his learned lips But in stead of any such authenticall and canonicall confirmation hee flyeth to a sleight shift and with a cauill is bold to affirme the foundation laid by those of our side doth no way touch the knot of the controuersie Let vs heare him speake Jt is not in controuersie whether obedience bee due to Kings by Gods Lawe so long as they are Kings or acknowledged for Kings but our point controuerted is whether by Gods Lawe it bee required that hee who hath beene once recognised and receiued for King by the bodie of Estates can at any time bee taken and reputed as no King that is to say can doe no manner of act whereby hee may loose his right and so cease to be saluted King This answer of the L. Cardinal is the rare deuise euasion and starting hole of the Iesuites In whose eares of delicate and tender touch King-killing soundeth very harsh but forsooth to vn-king a King first and then to giue him the stabbe that is a point of iust and true descant For to kill a King once vn-king'd by deposition is not killing of a King For the present I haue one of that Iesuiticall Order in prison who hath face enough to speak this language of Ashdod and to maintaine this doctrine of the Iesuites Colledges The L. Cardinal harps vpon the same string He can like subiection and obedience to the King whilest hee sitteth King but his Holinesse must haue all power and giue order withall to hoyst him out of his Royall seate I therefore now answer that in very deed the former passages of S. Paul and S. Peter should come nothing neere the question if the state of the question were such as he brings it made and forged in his owne shop But certes the state of the question is not whether a King may doe some act by reason whereof hee may fall from his right or may not any longer be acknowledged for King For all our contention is concerning the Popes power to vn-authorize Princes whereas in the question framed and fitted by the L. Card. not a word of the Pope For were it graunted and agreed on both sides that a King by election might fall from his Kingdome yet still the knot of the question would hold whether he can bee dispossessed of his Regall authority by any power in the Pope and whether the Pope hath such fulnesse of power to strip a King of those Royall robes rights and reuenues of the Crowne which were neuer giuen him by the Pope as also by what authority of holy Scripture the Pope is able to beare out himselfe in this power and to make it good But here the L. Cardinal stoutly saith in his owne defence by way of reioynder As one text hath Let euery soule be subiect vnto the higher powers in like manner an other text hath Obey your Prelates and be subiect vnto your Pastors for they watch ouer your soules as men that shall giue an accompt for your soules This reason is void of reason and makes against himselfe For may not Prelates be obeyed and honoured without Kings be deposed If Prelates preach the doctrine of the Gospell will they in the pulpit stirre vp subiects to rebell against Kings Moreouer whereas the vniuersal Church in these daies is diuided into so many discrepant parts that now Prelates neither do nor can draw all one way is it not exceeding hard keeping our obedience towards God to honour them all at once with due obedience Nay is not here offered vnto me a dart out of the L. Cardinals armorie to cast at himselfe For as God chargeth all men with obedience to Kings and yet from that commaundement of God the Lord Cardinal would not haue it inferred that Kings haue power to degrade Ecclesiasticall Prelates euen so God giueth charge to obey Prelates yet doth it not followe from hence that Prelates haue power to depose Kings These two degrees of obedience agree well together and are each of them bounded with peculiar and proper limits But for so much as in this point we haue on our side the whole auncient Church which albeit she liued and groned for many ages together vnder heathen Emperours heretikes and persecuters did neuer so much as whisper a word about rebelling and falling from their Soueraigne Lords and was neuer by any mortall creature freed from the oath of allegiance to the Emperour the Cardinal is not vnwilling to graunt that ancient
sinewes of his Papall Office to vnsheath and vnease his bolts of thunder against vngodly Princes and grieuous enemies to the Church wherefore liuing vnder Christian and gracious Emperours haue they not made knowne the reasons why they were hindred from drawing the pretended sword least long custome of not vsing the sword so many ages might make it so to rust in the scabbard that when there should bee occasion to vse the said sword it could not be drawne at all and least so long custome of not vsing the same should confirme prescription to their greater preiudice If weakenes bee a iust let how is it come to passe that Popes haue enterprised to depose Philip the Faire Lewis the XII and Elizabeth my predecessor of happy memorie to let passe others in whom experience hath well prooued how great inequalitie was between their strengths Yea for the most part from thence growe most grieuous troubles and warres which iustly recoyle and light vpon his owne head as happened to Gregory the VII and Boniface the VIII This no doubt is the reason wherefore the Pope neuer sets in for feare of such inconueniences to blast a King with lightning and thunder of deposition but when he perceiues the troubled waters of the Kingdome by some strong faction setled in his Estate or when the King is confined and bordered by some Prince more potent who thirsteth after the prey is euer gaping for some occasion to picke a quarrell The King standing in such estate is it not as easie for the Pope to pull him downe as it is for a man with one hand to thrust downe a tottering wall when the groundsil is rotten the studdes vnpind and nodding or bending towards the ground But if the King shall beare down and break the faction within the Realme if hee shall get withall the vpper hand of his enemies out of the Kingdome then the holy Father presents him with pardons neuer sued for neuer asked and in a fathers indulgence forsooth giues him leaue stil to hold the Kingdome that he was not able by all his force to wrest and wring out of his hand no more then the clubbe of Hercules out of his fist How many worthy Princes incensed by the Pope to conspire against Soueraigne Lords their Masters and by open rebellion to worke some change in their Estates haue miscarried in the action with losse of life or honour or both For example Rodulphus Duke of Sueuia was eg'd on by the Pope against Henrie IIII. of that name Emperour How many massacres how many desolations of cities and townes how many bloody battels ensued thereupon Let histories be searched let iust accompts be taken and beside sieges laid to cities it wil appeare by true computation that Henrie IIII. and Frederic the I. fought aboue threescore battels in defence of their owne right against enemies of the Empire stirred vp to armes by the Popes of Rome How much Christian blood was then split in these bloody battels it passeth mans witte penne or tongue to expresse And to giue a little touch vnto matters at home doth not his Holinesse vnderstand right well the weakenesse of Papists in my Kingdome Doth not his Holinesse neuerthelesse animate my Papists to rebellion and forbid my Papists to take the oath of allegiance Doth not his Holinesse by this means draw so much as in him lieth persecution vpon the backes of my Papists as vpon rebells and expose their life as it were vpon the open stall to be sold at a very easie price All these examples either ioynt or seuerall are manifest and euident proofes that feare to drawe mischiefe and persecution vpon the Church hath not barred the Popes from thundering against Emperours and Kings whensoeuer they conceiued any hope by their fulminations to aduance their greatnesse Last of all I referre the matter to the most possessed with preiudice euen the very aduersaries whether this doctrine by which people are trained vp in subiection vnto Infidel or hereticall Kings vntill the subiects be of sufficient strength to mate their Kings to expell their Kings and to depose them from their Kingdomes doth not incense the Turkish Emperours and other Infidel Princes to roote out all the Christians that drawe in their yoke as people that waite onely for a fit occasion to rebell and to take themselues ingaged for obedience to their Lords onely by constraint and seruile feare Let vs therefore now conclude with Ozius in that famous Epistle speaking to Constantius an Arrian hereticke As hee that by secret practise or open violence would bereaue thee of thy Empire should violate Gods ordinance so be thou touched with feare least by vsurping authoritie ouer Church matters thou tumble not headlong into some hainous crime Where this holy Bishop hath not vouchsafed to insert and mention the L. Cardinals exception to wit the right of the Church alwaies excepted and saued when she shall be of sufficient strength to shake off the yoke of Emperours Neither speaks the same holy Bishop of priuate persons alone or men of some particular condition and calling but he setteth downe a generall rule for all degrees neuer to impeach Imperial Maiestie vpon any pretext whatsoeuer As his Lordships first reason drawn from weakenesse is exceeding weake so is that which the L. Cardinall takes vp in the next place He telleth vs there is very great difference betweene Pagan Emperours and Christian Princes Pagan Emperours who neuer did homage to Christ who neuer were by their subiects receiued with condition to acknowledge perpetuall subiection vnto the Empire of Christ who neuer were bound by oath and mutuall contract betweene Prince and subiect Christian Princes who slide backe by Apostasie degenerate by Arrianisme or fall away by Mahometisme Touching the latter of these two as his Lordshippe saith If they shall as it were take an oath and make a vowe contrary to their first oath and vow made and taken when they were installed and contrary to the condition vnder which they receiued the Scepter of their Fathers if they withall shall turne persecutors of the Catholike religion touching these I say the L. Cardinal holds that without question they may be remooued from their Kingdomes He telleth vs not by whome but euery where he meaneth by the Pope Touching Kings deposed by the Pope vnder pretence of stupidity as Childeric or of matrimoniall causes as Philip I. or for collating of benefices as Philip the Faire not one word By that point he easily glideth and shuffles it vp in silence for feare of distasting the Pope on the one side or his auditors on the other Now in alledging this reason his Lordship makes all the world a witnesse that in deposing of Kings the Pope hath no eye of regard to the benefit and securitie of the Church For such Princes as neuer suckt other milke then that of Infidelitie and persecution of Religion are no lesse noisome and pernicious vermin to the Church then if they had
sucked of the Churches breasts And as for the greatnesse of the sinne or offence it seemes to me there is very little difference in the matter For a Prince that neuer did sweare any religious obedience to Iesus Christ is bound no lesse to such obedience then if he had taken a solemne oath As the sonne that rebelliously stands vp against his father is in equall degree of sinne whether he hath sworn or not sworn obedience to his father because hee is bound to such obedience not by any voluntarie contract or couenant but by the law of Nature The commaundement of God to kisse the Sonne whom the Father hath confirmed and ratified King of Kings doth equally bind all Kings as wel Pagans as Christians On the other side who denies who doubts that Constantius Emperour at his first steppe or entrance into the Empire did not sweare and bind himselfe by solemne vowe to keepe the rules and to maintaine the precepts of the Orthodox faith or that he did not receiue his fathers Empire vpon such condition This notwithstanding the Bishop of Rome pulled not Constantius from his Imperial throne but Constantius remooued the Bishop of Rome from his Papall See And were it so that an oath taken by a King at his consecration and after violated is a sufficient cause for the Pope to depose an Apostate or hereticall Prince then by good consequence the Pope may in like sort depose a King who beeing neither dead in Apostasie nor sicke of heresie doth neglect onely the due administration of iustice to his loyall subiects For his oath taken at consecration importeth likewise that he shall minister iustice to his people A point wherein the holy Father is held short by the L. Cardinall who dares prescribe new lawes to the Pope and presumes to limit his fulnesse of power within certaine meeres and head-lands extending the Popes power only to the deposing of Christian Kings when they turne Apostats forsaking the Catholike faith and not such Princes as neuer breathed any thing but pure Paganisme and neuer serued vnder the colours of Iesus Christ Meane while his Lordship forgets that King Attabaliba was deposed by the Pope from his Kingdome of Peru and the said Kingdome was conferred vpon the King of Spaine though the said poore King of Peru neuer forsook his heathen superstition and though the turning of him out of his terrestrial Kingdome was no way to conuert him vnto the faith of Christ Yea his Lordship a little after telleth vs himselfe that Be the Turkes possession in the conquests that hee maketh ouer Christians neuer so auncient yet by no long tract of time whatsoeuer can he gaine so much as a thumbes breadth of prescription that is to say the Turke for all that is but a disseisor one that violently and wilfully keeps an other man from his owne and by good right may be dispossessed of the same whereas notwithstanding the Turkish Emperours neuer fauoured nor sauoured Christianitie Let vs runne ouer the examples of Kings whome the Pope hath dared and presumed to depose and hardly will any one be found of whome it may be truely auouched that he hath taken an oath contrary to his oath of subiection to Iesus Christ or that hee hath wilfully cast himselfe into Apostaticall defection And certes to any man that weighs the matter with due consideration it will be found apparantly false that Kings of France haue been receiued of their subiects at any time with condition to serue Iesus Christ They were actually Kings before they came foorth to the solemnity of their sacring before they vsed any stipulation or promise to their subiects For in hereditary Kingdomes nothing more certain nothing more vncontroulable the Kings death instantly maketh liuery and seisin of the Royalty to his next successor Nor is it materiall to reply that a King succeeding by right of inheritance takes an oath in the person of his predecessor For euery oath is personall proper to the person by whom it is taken and to God no liuing creature can sweare that his owne sonne or his heire shall prooue an honest man Well may the father and with great solemnitie promise that he will exhort his heire apparant with all his power and the best of his endeauours to feare God and to practise pietie If the fathers oath be agreeable to the duties of godlines the sonne is bound thereby whether he take an oath or take none On the other side if the fathers oath come from the puddles of impietie the sonne is bound thereby to goe the contrarie way If the fathers oath concerne things of indifferent nature and such as by the varietie or change of times become either pernicious or impossible then it is free for the Kings next successor and heire prudently to fit and proportion his lawes vnto the times present and to the best benefit of the Commonwealth When I call these things to mind with some attention I am out of all doubt his Lordship is very much to seek in the right sense and nature of his Kings oath taken at his Coronation to defend the Church and to perseuere in the Catholike faith For what is more vnlike and lesse credible then this conceit that after Clouis had raigned 15. yeeres in the state of Paganisme and then receiued holy Baptisme he should become Christian vpon this condition That in case hee should afterward revolt from the faith it should then bee in the power of the Church to turne him out of his Kingdome But had any such conditionall stipulation beene made by Clouis in very good earnest and truth yet would hee neuer haue intended that his deposing should be the act of the Romane Bishop but rather of those whether Peeres or people or whole body of the State by whom he had been aduanced to the Kingdome Let vs heare the truth and this is the truth It is farre from the customarie vse in France for their Kings to take any such oath or to vse any such stipulation with their subiects If any King or Prince wheresoeuer doth vse an oath or solemne promise in these expresse tearmes Let mee loose my Kingdome or my life be that day my last both for life and raigne when I shall first reuolt from the Christian religion by these words he calleth vpon God for vengeance he vseth imprecation against his owne head but he makes not his Crowne to stoope by this meanes to any power in the Pope or in the Church or in the people And touching inscriptions vpon coines of which point his Lordship speaketh by the way verily the nature of the money or coine the stamping and minting whereof is one of the markes of the Prince his dignity and Soueraignty is not changed by bearing the letters of Christs name on the reuerse or on the front Such characters of Christs name are aduertisements and instructions to the people that in shewing and yeelding obedience vnto the King they are obedient vnto Christ
full of danger to Christians liuing vnder heretical or Pagan Princes For make it once knowne to the Emperour of Turkes let him once get neuer so little a smacke of this doctrine that Christians liuing vnder his Empire do take Gods commaundement for obedience to Princes whom they count Infidels to bee onely a prouisionall precept for a time and wait euery houre for all occasions to shake off the yoke of his bondage doubtlesse he will neuer spare with all speed to roote the whole stocke with all the armes and branches of Christians out of his dominions Adde hereunto the L. Cardinalls former determination that possession kept neuer so long by the Turk in his Conquests ouer Christians gaines him not by so long tract of time one inch of prescription and it wil appeare that his Lordship puts the Turkish Emperour in mind and by his instruction leades the said Emperour as it were by the hand to haue no manner of affiance in his Christian subiects and withall to afflict his poore Christians with all sorts of most grieuous and cruell torments In this regard the poore Christians of Graecia and Syria must needes be very little beholden to his Lordship As for my selfe and my Popish subiects to whome I am no lesse then an heretike forsooth am not I by this doctrine of the Cardinall pricked and whetted against my naturall inclination to turne clemencie into rigour seeing that by his doctrine my subiects are made to beleeue they owe me subiection onely by way of prouiso and with waiting the occasion to worke my vtter destruction and final ruine the rather because Turkes miscreants and heretikes are mashalled by the Cardinall in the same ranke and heretikes are counted worse yea more iustly deposeable then Turkes and Infidels as irreligious breakers and violaters of their oath Who seeth not here how great indignitie is offered to me a Christian King paralleld with Infidels reputed worse then a Turke taken for an vsurper of my Kingdomes reckoned a Prince to whom subiects owe a forced obedience by way of prouision vntill they shall haue meanes to shake off the yoke and to bare my temples of the Crowne which neuer can be pulled from the sacred Head but with losse of the head it selfe Touching the warres vndertaken by the French English and Germaines in their expedition for Ierusalem it appeares by the issue and euent of the said warres that God approoued them not for honourable That expedition was a deuise and inuention of the Pope whereby he might come to be infeoffed in the Kingdoms of Christian Princes For then al such of the French English or Germaines as vndertooke the Croisade became the Popes meere vassals Then all robbers by the high way side adulterers cut-throats and base bankerupts were exempted from the Secular and Ciuil power their causes were sped in Consistorian Courts so soone as they had gotten the Crosse on their cassocks or coat-armours and had vowed to serue in the expedition for the Leuant Then for the Popes pleasure and at his commaundement whole countryes were emptied of their Nobles and common souldiers Then they made long marches into the Leuant For what purpose Onely to die vpon the points of the Saracens pikes or by the edge of their barbarous courtelasses battle-axes fauchions and other weapons without any benefit and aduantage to themselues or others Then the Nobles were driuen to sell their goodly Mannors and auncient demaines to the Church-men at vnder prises and low rates the very roote from which a great part of the Church and Church-mens reuenewes hath sprung and growne to so great height Then to bee short his most bountifull Holinesse gaue to any of the riffe-raffe-ranke that would vndertake this expedition into the Holy land a free and full pardon for all his sinnes besides a degree of glory aboue the vulgar in the Celestiall Paradise Military vertue I confesse is commendable and honourable prouided it be employed for iustice and that generous noblenesse of valiant spirits be not vnder a colour and shadow of piety fetcht ouer with some casts or deuises of Italian cunning Now let vs obserue the wisedome of the L. Cardinall through this whole discourse His Lordship is pleased in his Oration to cite certaine few passages of Scripture culls and picks them out for the most gracefull in shewe leaues out of his list whole troupes of honourable witnesses vpon whose testimonie the Popes themselues and their principall adherents doe build his power to depose Kings and to giue order for all Temporall causes Take a sight of their best and most honourable witnesses Peter said to Christ See here two swords and Christ answered It is sufficient Christ said to Peter Put vp thy sword into thy sheath God said to Ieremie I haue established thee ouer Nations and Kingdomes Paul said to the Corinthians The spirituall man discerneth all things Christ said to his Apostles Whatsoeuer yee shall loose vpon earth by which words the Pope hath power forsooth to loose the oath of allegiance Moses said In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth Vpon these passages Pope Boniface 8. grapling and tugging with Philip the Faire doth build his Temporall power Other Popes and Papists auouch the like authorities Christ said of himself All things are giuen to me of my Father and all power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth The Deuils said If thou cast vs out send vs into this herd of swine Christ said to his Disciples Yee shall finde the colt of an asse bound loose it and bring it vnto me By these places the aduersaries prooue that Christ disposed of Temporall matters and inferre thereupon why not Christs Vicar as well as Christ himselfe The places and testimonies now following are very expresse In stead of thy fathers shall be thy children thou shalt make them Princes through all the earth Item Iesus Christ not onely commaunded Peter to feed his lambs but said also to Peter Arise kill and eat the pleasant glosse the rare inuention of the L. Cardinall Baronius Christ said to the people If I were lift vp from the earth I wil draw all things vnto me Who lets what hinders this place from fitting the Pope Paul said to the Corinthians Know ye not that we shall iudge the Angels how much more then the things that pertaine vnto this life A little after Haue not wee power to eate These are the chiefe passages on which as vpon maine arches the roofe of Papall Monarchie concerning Temporall causes hath rested for three or foure ages past And yet his Lordship durst not repose any confidence in their firme standing to beare vp the said roofe of Temporall Monarchie for feare of making his auditors to burst with laughter A wise part without question if his Lordship had not defiled his lips before with a more ridiculous argument drawne from the leprosie and drie scab Let vs now by way of comparison behold Iesus Christ
paying tribute vnto Caesar and the Pope making Caesar to pay him tribute Iesus Christ perswading the Iewes to pay tribute vnto an heathen Emperour and the Pope dispensing with subiects for their obedience to Christian Emperours Iesus Christ refusing to arbitrate a controuersie of inheritance partable betweene two priuate parties and the Pope thrusting in himselfe without warrant or Commission to be absolute Iudge in the deposing of Kings Iesus Christ professing that his Kingdome is not of this world and the Pope establishing himselfe in a terrene Empire In like manner the Apostles forsaking all their goods to followe Christ and the Pope robbing Christians of their goods the Apostles persecuted by Pagan Emperours and the Pope now setting his foote on the very throate of Christian Emperours then proudly treading Imperiall Crownes vnder his feete By this comparison the L. Cardinals allegation of Scripture in fauour of his Master the Pope is but a kind of puppet-play to make Iesus Christ a mocking stocke rather then to satisfie his auditors with any sound precepts and wholesome instructions Hereof hee seemeth to giue some inckling himselfe For after he hath beene plentifull in citing authorities of Scripture and of newe Doctors which make for the Popes power to depose Kings at last he comes in with a faire and open confession that neither by diuine Oracles nor by honourable antiquitie this controuersie hath beene yet determined and so pulls downe in a word with one hand the frame of worke that he had built and set vp before with an other discouering withal the reluctation and priuie checkes of his owne conscience There yet remaineth one obiection the knot whereof the L. Cardinall in a manner sweateth to vntie His words be these The champions for the negatiue flie to the analogie of other proceedings and practises in the Chruch They affirme that priuate persons masters or owners of goods and possessions among the common people are not depriued of their goods for heresie and consequently that Princes much more should not for the same crime bee depriued of their estates For answer to this reason he brings in the defendants of deposition speaking after this manner In the Kingdom of France the strict execution of lawes decreed in Court against heretickes is fauourably suspended and stopped for the preseruation of peace and publike tranquilitie He saith elsewhere Conniuence is vsed towards these heretikes in regard of their multitude because a notable part of the French Nation and State is made all of heretikes I suppose that out of speciall charitie hee would haue those heretikes of his own making forewarned what courteous vse and intreaty they are to expect when hee affirmeth that execution of the lawes is but suspended For indeed suspensions hold but for a time But in a cause of that nature and importance I dare promise my selfe that my most honoured Brother the King of France will make vse of other counsell will rather seek the amitie of his neighbour Princes and the peace of his Kingdom will beare in minde the great and faithfull seruice of those who in matter of religion dissent from his Maiestie as of the onely men that haue preserued and saued the Crowne for the King his Father of most glorious memorie I am perswaded my Brother of France will beleeue that his liege people pretended by the L. Cardinall to be heretikes are not halfe so bad as my Romane Catholike subiects who by secret practises vnder-mine my life serue a forraine Soueraigne are discharged by his Bulls of their obedience due to me their naturall Soueraigne are bound by the maximes and rules published and maintained in fauour of the Pope before this full and famous assembly of the Estate at Paris if the said maximes be of any weight and authoritie to hold me for no lawfull King are there taught and instructed that Pauls commandement concerning subiection vnto the higher powers aduerse to their professed religion is onely a prouisionall precept framed to the times and watching for the opportunitie to shake off the yoake All which notwithstanding I deale with such Romane-Catholiks by the rules and waies of Princely clemencie their hainous and pernicious error in effect no lesse then the capitall crime of high treason I vse to call some disease or distemper of the mind Last of all I beleeue my said Brother of France will set downe in his tables as in record how little he standeth ingaged to the Lord Cardinal in this behalfe For those of the reformed Religion professe and proclaim that next vnder God they owe their preseruation and safetie to the wisedome and benignity of their Kings But now comes the Cardinall and hee seekes to steale this perswasion out of their hearts Hee tells them in open Parliament and without any going about bushes that all their welfare and securitie standeth in their multitude and in the feare which others conceiue to trouble the State by the strict execution of lawes against heretikes He addeth moreouer that Jn case a third sect should peepe out and growe vp in France the professors thereof should suffer confiscation of their goods with losse of life it selfe as hath been practised at Geneua against Seruetus and in England against Arrians My answer is this That punishments for heretikes duely and according to law conuicted are set downe by decrees of the ciuil Magistrate bearing rule in the countrey where the said heretikes inhabite and not by any ordinances of the Pope I say withall the L. Cardinal hath no reason to match and parallell the Reformed Churches with Seruetus and the Arrians For those heretikes were powerfully conuicted by Gods word and lawfully condemned by the auncient Generall Councils where they were permitted and admitted to plead their owne cause in person But as for the truth professed by me and those of the reformed religion it was neuer yet hissed out of the Schooles nor cast out of any Councill like some Parliament bills where both sides haue been heard with like indifferencie Yea what Councill soeuer hath beene offered vnto vs in these latter times it hath been proposed with certaine presuppositions as That his Holinesse beeing a partie in the cause and consequently to come vnder iudgement as it were to the barre vpon his triall shall be the Iudge of Assize with Commission of oyer and determiner it shall be celebrated in a citie of no safe accesse without safe conduct or conuoy to come or goe at pleasure and without danger it shall be assembled of such persons with free suffrage and voice as vphold this rule which they haue alreadie put in practise against Iohn Hus and Hierom of Prage that faith giuen and oath taken to an heretike must not be obserued Now then to resume our former matter If the Pope hitherto hath neuer presumed for pretended heresie to confiscate by sentence either the lands or the goods of priuate persons or common people of the French Nation wherfore should he dare to dispossesse Kings of
their Royall Thrones wherefore takes he more vpon him ouer Kings then ouer priuate persons wherefore shal the sacred heads of Kings be more churlishly vnciuilly and rigorously handled then the hoods of the meanest people Here the L. Cardinal in stead of a direct answer breakes out of the lists alleadging cleane from the purpose examples of heretikes punished not by the Pope but by the ciuill Magistrate of the Countrey But Bellarmine speakes to the point with a more free and open heart he is absolute and resolute in this opinion that his Holinesse hath plenarie power to dispose all Temporall estates and matters in the whole world I am confident saith Bellarmine and I speake it with assurance that our Lord Iesus Christ in the dayes of his mortalitie had power to dispose of all Temporall things yea to strippe Soueraign Kings and absolute Lords of their Kingdomes and Seignories and without all doubt hath granted and left euen the same power vnto his Vicar to make vse thereof whensoeuer he shall thinke it necessary for the saluation of soules And so his Lordship speaketh without exception of any thing at all For who doth not knowe that Iesus Christ had power to dispose no lesse of priuate mens possessions then of whole Realmes and Kingdomes at his pleasure if it had been his pleasure to display the ensignes of his power The same fulnesse of power is likewise in the Pope In good time belike his Holinesse is the sole heire of Christ in whole and in part The last Lateran Council fineth a Laic that speaketh blasphemie for the first offence if he be a gentleman at 25. ducats and at 50. for the second It presupposeth and taketh it for graunted that the Church may rifle and ransacke the purses of priuate men and cast lots for their goods The Councill of Trent diggeth as deepe for the same veine of gold and siluer It ordaines That Emperours Kings Dukes Princes and Lords of cities castles and territories holding of the Church in case they shall assigne any place within their limits or liberties for the duell between two Christians shal be depriued of the said citie castle or place where such duell shall be performed they holding the said place of the Church by any kind of tenure that all other Estates held in fee where the like offence shall be committed shall foorthwith fall and become forfeited to their immediate and next Lords that all goods possessions and estates as well of the combatants themselues as of their seconds shall be confiscate This Council doth necessarily presuppose it lieth in the hand and power of the Church to dispose of all the lands and estates held in fee throughout all Christendome because the Church forsooth can take from one and giue vnto an other all estates held in fee whatsoeuer as well such as hold of the Church as of secular Lords and to make ordinances for the confiscation of all priuate persons goods By this Canon the Kingdome of Naples hath need to looke well vnto it selfe For one duell it may fal into the Exchecker of the Romane Church because that Kingdome payeth a Reliefe to the Church as a Royaltie or Seignorie that holdeth in fee of the said Church And in France there is not one Lordship not one Mannor not one farme which the Pope by this means cannot shift ouer to a new Lord. His Lordship therefore had carried himselfe and the cause much better if in stead of seeking such idle shifts he had by a more large assertion maintained the Popes power to dispose of priuate mens possessions with no lesse right and authoritie then of Kingdomes For what colour of reason can be giuen for making the Pope Lord of the whole and not of the parts for making him Lord of the forrest in grosse and not of the trees in parcell for making him Lord of the whole house and not of the parlour or the dining chamber His Lordship alleadgeth yet an other reason but of no better weight Betweene the power of priuate owners ouer their goods and the power of Kings ouer their estates there is no little difference For the goods of priuate persons are ordained for their owners and Princes for the benefit of their Common-wealths Heare me now answer If this Cardinal-reason hath any force to inferre that a King may lawfully be depriued of his Kingdome for heresie but a priuate person cannot for the same crime bee turned out of his mansion house then it shall follow by the same reason that a Father for the same cause may be depriued of all power ouer his children but a priuate owner cannot be depriued of his goods in the like case because goods are ordained for the benefit and comfort of their owners but fathers are ordained for the good and benefit of their children But most certaine it is that Kings representing the image of God in earth and Gods place haue a better and closer seat in their chaires of Estate then any priuate persons haue in the saddle of their inheritances and patrimonies which are daily seene for sleight causes to flit and to fall into the hands of newe Lords Whereas a Prince beeing the Head cannot be loosed in the proper ioynt nor dismounted like a cannon when the carriage thereof is vnlockt without a sore shaking and a most grieuous dislocation of all the members yea without subuerting the whole bodie of the State whereby priuate persons without number are inwrapped together in the same ruine euen as the lower shrubs and other brush-wood are crushed in peices altogether by the fall of a great oake But suppose his Lordships reason were somewhat ponderous and solide withall yet a King which would not be forgotten is indowed not onely with the Kingdome but also with auncient desmenes and Crowne-lands for which none can be so simple to say the King was ordained and created King which neuerthelesse he looseth when he looseth his Crowne Admit againe this reason were of some pith to make mighty Kings more easily deposeable then priuate persons from their patrimonies yet all this makes nothing for the deriuing and fetching of deposition from the Popes Consistorie What hee neuer conferred by what right or power can hee claime to take away But see here no doubt a sharpe and subtile difference put by the L. Cardinall betweene a Kingdome and the goods of priuate persons Goods as his Lordship saith are without life they can be constrained by no force by no example by no inducement of their owners to loose eternall life Subiects by their Princes may Now I am of this contrary beleefe That an hereticall owner or master of a family hath greater power and means withall to seduce his owne seruants and children then a Prince hath to peruert his owne subiects and yet for the contagion of heresie and for corrupt religion children are not remooued from their parents nor seruants are taken away from their masters Histories abound with examples of most flourishing
Churches vnder a Prince of contrary religion And if things without life or soule are with lesse danger left in an heretikes hands why then shall not an hereticall King with more facilitie and lesse danger keep his Crown his Royall charge his lands his customes his imposts c. For will any man except he bee out of his wits affirme these things to haue any life or soule Or why shall it be counted follie to leaue a sword in the hand of a mad Bedlam Is not a sword also without life and soule For my part I should rather be of this minde that possession of things without reason is more dangerous and pernicious in the hands of an euill Master then the possession of things indued with life and reason For things without life lacke both reason and iudgement how to exempt and free themselues from being instruments in euill and wicked actions from beeing emploied to vngodly and abhominable vses I will not deny that an hereticall Prince is a plague a pernicious and mortal sicknes to the soules of his subiects But a breach made by one mischiefe must not be filled vp with a greater inconuenience An errour must not be shocked and shouldered with disloialtie nor heresie with periurie nor impietie with sedition and armed rebellion against God and the King God who vseth to try and to schoole his Church will neuer forsake his Church nor hath need to protect his Church by any proditorious and prodigious practises of perfidious Christians For hee makes his Church to be like the burning bush In the middest of the fire and flames of persecutions he will prouide that she shall not bee consumed because he standeth in the midst of his Church And suppose there may bee some iust cause for the French to play the rebels against their King yet will it not follow that such rebellious motions are to be raised by the bellowes of the Romane Bishop to whose Pastorall charge and office it is nothing proper to intermeddle in the ciuill affaires of forraine Kingdomes Here is the summe and substance of the L. Cardinals whole discourse touching his pretence of the second inconuenience Which discourse he hath closed with a remarkeable confession to wit that neither by the authoritie of holy Scripture nor by the testimony and verdict of the Primitiue Church there hath beene any full decision of this question In regard whereof he falleth into admiration that Lay-people haue gone so farre in audaciousnesse as to labour that a doubtfull doctrine might for euer passe currant and be taken for a newe article of faith What a shame what a reproach is this how full of scandall for so his Lordship is pleased to cry out This breakes into the seueralls and inclosures of the Church this lets in whole herds of heresies to grase in her green and sweet pastures On the other side without any such Rhetoricall outcries I simply affirme It is a reproach a scandall a crime of rebellion for a subiect hauing his full charge and loade of benefits in the newe spring of his Kings tender age his King-fathers blood yet reeking and vpon the point of an addresse for a double match with Spaine in so honourable an assembly to seek the thraldome of his Kings Crown to play the captious in cauilling about causes of his Kings deposing to giue his former life the lie with shame enough in his olde age and to make himselfe a common by-word vnder the name of a Problematicall Martyr one that offers himselfe to fagot and fire for a point of doctrine but problematically handled that is distrustfully and onely by way of doubtfull and questionable discourse yea for a point of doctrine in which the French as he pretendeth are permitted to thwart and crosse his Holines in iudgement prouided they speake in it as in a point not certaine and necessary but onely doubtfull and probable The third Jnconvenience examined THE third Inconuenience pretended by the L. Cardinall to growe by admitting this Article of the third Estate is flourished in these colours It would breede and bring forth an open and vnauoideable schism against his Holinesse and the rest of the whole Ecclesiasticall bodie For thereby the doctrine long approoued and ratified by the Pope and the rest of the Church should now be taxed and condemned of impious and most detestable consequence yea the Pope and the Church euen in faith and in points of saluation should be reputed and beleeued to be erroniously perswaded Hereupon his Lordship giues himselfe a large scope of the raines to frame his elegant amplifications against schismes and schismatikes Now to mount so high and to flie in such place vpon the wings of amplification for this Inconuenience what is it else but magnifically to report and imagine a mischeife by many degrees greater then the mischeife is The L. Cardinal is in a great error if he make himselfe beleeue that other nations wil make a rent or separation from the communion of the French because the French stand to it tooth and nayle that French Crownes are not liable or obnoxious to Papall deposition howsoeuer there is no schisme that importeth not separation of communion The most illustrious Republike of Venice hath imbarked herselfe in this quarrell against his Holinesse hath played her prize and carried away the weapons with great honour Doth she notwithstanding her triumph in the cause forbeare to participate with all her neighbors in the same Sacraments doth she liue in schisme with all the rest of the Romane Church No such matter When the L. Cardinal himselfe not many yeeres past maintained the Kings cause and stood honourably for the Kings right against the Popes Temporall vsurpations did he then take other Churches to be schismaticall or the rotten members of Antechrist Beleeue it who list I beleeue my Creed Nay his Lordship telleth vs himselfe a little after that his Holinesse giues the French free scope to maintaine either the affirmatiue or negatiue of this question And will his Holinesse hold them schismatikes that dissent from his opinion and iudgement in a subiect or cause esteemed problematicall Farre be it from his Holinesse The King of Spaine reputed the Popes right arme neuer gaue the Pope cause by any act or other declaration to conceiue that hee acknowledged himselfe deposeable by the Pope for heresie or Tyrannie or stupidity But beeing well assured the Pope standeth in greater feare of his arme then he doth of the Popes head and shoulders he neuer troubles his owne head about our question More when the booke of Cardinall Baronius was come forth in which booke the Kingdome of Naples is decryed and publiquely discredited like false money touching the qualitie of a Kingdome and attributed to the King of Spain not as true proprietary thereof but onely as an Estate held in fee of the Romane Church the King made no bones to condemne and to banish the said booke out of his dominions The holy Father was contented
to put vp his Catholike Sonnes proceeding to the Cardinalls disgrace neuer opened his mouth against the King neuer declared or noted the King to bee schismaticall Hee waits perhaps for some fitter opportunitie when the Kingdome of Spaine groaning vnder the burthens of intestine dissentions and troubles he may without any danger to himselfe giue the Catholike King a Bishops mate Yea the L. Cardinall himselfe is better seen in the humors and inclinations of the Christian world then to be grossely perswaded that in the Kingdome of Spaine and in the very heart of Rome it selfe there be not many which either make it but a ieast or else take it in fowle scorne to heare the Popes power ouer the Crownes of Kings once named especially since the Venetian Republike hath put his Holinesse to the worse in the same cause and cast him in Lawe What needed the L. Cardinall then by casting vp such mounts and trenches by heaping one amplification vpon an other to make schisme looke with such a terrible and hideous aspect Who knowes not how great an offence how heinous a crime it is to quarter not Iesus Christs coat but his body which is the Church And what needed such terrifying of the Church with vglinesse of schisme whereof there is neither colourable shew nor possibility The next vgly monster after schisme shaped by the L. Cardinall in the third supposed and pretended inconuenience is heresie His Lordship saith for the purpose By this Article we are cast headlong into a manifest heresie as binding vs to confesse that for many ages past the Catholike Church hath been banished out of the whole world For if the champions of the doctrine contrary to this Article doe hold an impious and a detestable opinion repugnant vnto Gods word then doubtlesse the Pope for so many hundred yeers expired hath not been the head of the Church but an heretike and the Antechrist He addeth moreouer That the Church long agoe hath lost her name of Catholike and that in France there hath no Church flourished nor so much as appeared these many and more then many yeeres for as much as all the French Doctors for many yeeres together haue stood for the contrary opinion We can erect and set vp no trophey more honourable for heretikes in token of their victorie then to avowe that Christs visible Kingdome is perished from the face of the earth and that for so many hundred yeeres there hath not beene any Temple of God nor any spouse of Christ but euery where and all the world ouer the Kingdome of Antechrist the Synagogue of Satan the spouse of the Deuill hath mightily preuailed and borne all the sway Lastly what stronger engines can these heretikes wish or desire for the battering and the demolishing of transubstantiation of auricular confession and other like towers of our Catholike religion then if it should bee graunted the Church hath decided the said points without any authoritie c. Me thinkes the Lord Cardinall in the whole draught and course of these words doth seeke not a little to blemish the honour of his Church and to marke his religion with a blacke coale For the whole frame of his mother-Church is very easie to be shaken if by the establishing of this Article she shall come to finall ruine and shall become the Synagoue of Satan Likewise Kings are brought into a very miserable state and condition if their Soueraigntie shall not stand if they shall not be without danger of deposition but by the totall ruine of the Church and by holding the Pope whome they serue to be Antechrist The L. Cardinall himselfe let him be well sifted herein doth not credit his owne words For doth not his Lordship tell vs plaine that neither by diuine testimonie nor by any sentence of the ancient Church the knot of this controuersie hath been vntyed againe that some of the French by the Popes fauourable indulgence are licensed or tolerated to say their mind to deliuer their opinion of this question though contrarie to the iudgement of his Holines prouided they hold it onely as problematicall and not as necessary What Can there be any assurance for the Pope that he is not Antechrist for the Church of Rome that she is not a Synagogue of Satan when a mans assurance is grounded vpon wauering and wild vncertanties without Canon of Scrpture without consent or countenance of antiquity and in a cause which the Pope with good leaue suffereth some to tosse with winds of problematicall opinion It hath beene shewed before that by Gods word whereof small reckoning perhaps is made by venerable antiquity and by the French Church in those times when the Popes power was mounted aloft the doctrine which teaches deposing of Kings by the Pope hath been checked and countermaunded What did the French in those dayes beleeue the Church was then swallowed vp and no where visible or extant in the world No verily Those that make the Pope of Soueraigne authoritie for matters of faith are not perswaded that in this cause they are bound absolutely to beleeue and credit his doctrine Why so Because they take it not for any decree or determination of faith but for a point pertaining to the mysteries of State and a pillar of the Popes Temporal Monarchy who hath not receiued any promise from God that in causes of this nature hee shall not erre For they hold that errour by no meanes can crawle or scramble vp to the Papall See so highly mounted but graunt ambition can scale the highest walls and climbe the loftiest pinnacles of the same See They hold withall that in a case of so speciall aduantage to the Pope whereby he is made King of Kings and as it were the pay-master or distributer of Crownes it is against all reason that hee should sit as Iudge to carue out Kingdoms for his own share To be short let his Lordship be assured that he meets with notorious blocke-heads more blunt witted then a whetstone when they are drawne to beleeue by his perswasion that whosoeuer beleeues the Pope hath no right nor power to put Kings beside their Thrones to giue and take away Crownes are all excluded and barred out of the heauenly Kingdome But now followes a worse matter For they whome the Cardinall reproachfully calls heretikes haue wrought and wonne his Lordship as to me seemeth to plead their cause at the barre and to betray his owne cause to these heretikes For what is it in his Lordship but plaine playing the Praeuaricator when he cryeth so loud that by admitting and establishing of this Article the doctrine of cake-incarnation and priuy Confession to a Priest is vtterly subuerted Let vs heare his reason and willingly accept of the truth from his lips The Articles as his Lordshippe graunteth of Transubstantiation auricular Confession and the Popes power to depose Kings are all grounded alike vpon the same authoritie Now he hath acknowledged the Article of the Popes power to depose Kings is
by their decrees the safetie of Kings was not confirmed but weakned not augmented but diminished for as much as they inhibited priuate persons to kill a subiect attempting by wicked counsells and practises to make away his King But be it graunted the Council of Constance is flat and altogether direct against King-killers For I am not vnwilling to be perswaded that had the question then touched the murdering of Soueraign Princes the said Council would haue passed a sound and holy decree But I say this graunted what sheild of defence is hereby reached to Kings to ward or beat off the thrusts of a murderers weapon and to saue or secure their life seeing the L. Cardinal building vpon the subtile deuise and shift of the Iesuites hath taught vs out of their Schooles that by Kings are vnderstood Kings in esse not yet fallen from the supreame degree of Soueraigne Royalty For beeing once deposed by the Pope say the Iesuites they are no longer Kings but are fallen from the rights of Soueraigne dignity and consequently to make strip and wast of their blood is not forsooth to make strip and wast of Royall blood These Iesuiticall masters in the file of their words are so supple and so limber that by leauing still in their speech some starting hole or other they are able by the same as by a posterne or back-doore to make an escape Meane while the Readers are here to note for well they may a tricke of monstrous and most wicked cunning The L. Cardinall contends for the bridling and hampering of King-killers by the Lawes Ecclesiasticall Now it might be presumed that so reuerend and learned a Cardinal intending to make vse of Ecclesiasticall laws by vertue whereof the life of Kings may be secured would fill his mouth and garnish the point with diuine Oracles that wee might the more gladly and willingly giue him the hearing when he speakes as one furnished with sufficient weight and authoritie of sacred Scripture But behold in stead of the authenticall and most auncient word he propounds the decree of a late-borne Councill at Constance neither for the Popes tooth nor any way comming neere the point in controuersie And suppose it were pertinent vnto the purpose the L. Cardinall beareth in his hand a forke of distinction with two tines or teeth to beare off nay to shift off and to avoide the matter with meere dalliance The shortest and neerest way in some sort of respects to establish a false opinion is to charge or set vpon it with false and with ridiculous reasons The like way to worke the ouerthrow of true doctrine is to rest or ground it vpon friuolous reasons or authorities of stubble-weight For example if wee should thus argue for the immortality of the soule with Plato The swan singeth before her death ergo the soule is immortall Or thus with certain seduced Christians The Pope hath ordained the word of God to be authenticall ergo all credit must be giuen to diuine Scripture Vpon the spurkies or hookes of such ridiculous arguments and friuolous reasons the L. Cardinall hangs the life and safetie of Kings With like artificiall deuises he pretendeth to haue the infamous murders and apposted cutting of Kings throats in extreame detestation and yet by deposing them from their Princely dignities by degrading them from their supreme and Soueraigne authorities he brings their sacred heads to the butchers blocke For a King deposed by the Pope let no man doubt will not leaue any stone vnremooued nor any meanes and wayes vnattempted nor any forces or powers of men vnleuied or vnhired to defend himselfe and his Regall dignitie to represse and bring vnder his rebellious people by the Pope discharged of their allegiance In this perplexitie of the publike affaires in these tempestuous perturbations of the State with what perills is the King not besieged and assaulted His head is exposed to the chances of warre his life a faire marke to the insidious practises of a thousand traytors his Royall person obuious to the dreadfull storme of angry fortune to the deadly malice to the fatall and mortall weapons of his enemies The reason He is presupposed to be lawfully and orderly stripped of his Kingdome Wil he yet hold the sterne of his Royall estate Then is he necessarily taken for a Tyrant reputed an vsurper and his life is exposed to the spoyle For the publike lawes make it lawfull and free for any priuate person to enterprise against an vsurper of the Kingdome Euery man saith Tertullian is a souldier to beare armes against all Traytors and publike enemies Take from a King the title of lawful King you take from him the warrant of his life and the weapons whereby he is maintained in greater security then by his Royall Guard armed with swords and halbards through whose wards and rankes a desperate villaine will make himselfe an easie passage beeing master of an other mans life because he is prodigall and carelesse of his owne Such therefore as pretend so much pittie towards Kings to abhorre the bloody opening of their liuer-veine and yet withall to approoue their hoysting out of the Royall dignity are iust in the vaine and humour of those that say Let vs not kill the King but let vs disarme the King that he may die a violent death let vs not depriue him of life but of the meanes to defend his life let vs not strangle the King and stoppe his vitall breath so long as he remaineth King O that were impious O that were horrible and abhominable but let him bee deposed and then whosoeuer shall runne him through the body with a weapon vp to the very hilts shall not beare the guilt of a King-killer All this must be vnderstood to be spoken of Kings who after they are despoyled of Regalitie by sentence of deposition giuen by the Pope are able to arme themselues and by valiant armes doe defend their Soueraigne rights But in case the King blasted with Romane lightning and stricken with Papall thunder shall actually and speedily bee smitten downe from his high Throne of Regality with present losse of his Kingdome I beleeue it is almost impossible for him to warrant his owne life who was not able to warrant his own Kingdome Let a cat be throwne from a high roofe to the bottome of a cellour or vault she lighteth on her feete and runneth away without taking any harme A King is not like a cat howsoeuer a cat may looke vpon a King he cannot fall from the loftie pinnacle of Royaltie to light on his feet vpon the hard pauement of a priuate state without crushing all his bones in peices It hath been the lot of very few Emperours and Kings to outliue their Empire For men ascend to the lofty Throne of Kings with a soft and easie pace by certaine steps and degrees there be no stately staires to come downe they tumble head and heeles together when they fall He that hath once griped anothers
Kingdom thinks himselfe in little safetie so long as he shall of his courtesy suffer his disseised predecessor to draw his breath And say that some Princes after their fall from their Thrones haue escaped both point and edge of the Tyrants weapon yet haue they wandred like miserable fugitiues in forraine countryes or else haue beene condemned like captiues to perpetuall imprisonment at home a thousand-fold worse and more lamentable then death it selfe Dyonisius the Tyrant of Syracusa from a great King in Sicilie turn'd School-master in Corinth It was the onely calling kind of life that as he thought bearing some resemblance of rule and gouernment might recreate his mind as an image or picture of his former Soueraigntie ouer men This Dyonisius was the onely man to my knowledge that had a humour to laugh after the losse of a Kingdome and in the state of a Pedant or gouernour of children merily to ieast and to scorne his former state and condition of a King In this my Kingdome of England sundry Kings haue seen the walls as it were of their Princely fortresse dismantled razed and beaten downe By name Edward and Richard both II. and Henrie VI. all which Kings were most cruelly murdered in prison In the raigne of Edward III. by act of Parliament whosoeuer shal imagine that is the very word of the Statute or machinate the Kings death are declared guilty of rebellion and high treason The learned Iudges of the Land grounding vpon this law of Edward the third haue euer since reputed and iudged them traytors according to Law that haue dared onely to whisper or talke softly between the teeth of deposing the King For they count it a cleare case that no Crowne can be taken from a Kings head without losse of Head and Crowne together sooner or later The L. Cardinall therefore in this most weighty and serious point doth meerely dally and flowt after a sort when he tels vs The Church doth not intermeddle with releasing of subiects and knocking off their yrons of obedience but onely before the Ecclesiasticall tribunall seate and that besides this double censure of absolution to subiects and excommunication to the Prince the Church imposeth none other penaltie Vnder pretence of which two censures so far is the Church as the L. Cardinal pretendeth from consenting that any man so censured should be touched for his life that shee vtterly abhorreth all murder whatsoeuer but especially all sudden and vnprepenced murders for feare of casting away both body and soule which often in sudden murders goe both one way It hath been made manifest before that all such proscription and setting forth of Kings to port-sale hath alwaies for the traine thereof either some violent and bloody death or some other mischiefe more intolerable then death it selfe What are we the better that parricides of Kings are neither set on nor approoued by the Church in their abhominable actions when she layeth such plots and taketh such courses as necessarily doe inferre the cutting of their throates In the next place be it noted that his Lordship against all reason reckons the absoluing of subiects from the oath of allegiance in the ranke of penalties awarded and enioyned before the Ecclesiasticall tribunall seate For this penaltie is not Ecclesiasticall but Ciuill and consequently not triable in Ecclesiasticall Courts without vsurping vpon the ciuill Magistrate But I wonder with what face the Lord Cardinall can say the Church neuer consenteth to any practise against his life whome she hath once chastised with seuere censures For can his Lordship be ignorant what is written by Pope Vrbanus Can. Excommunicatorum We take them not in any wise to be man-slayers who in a certain heate of zeale towards the Catholike Church their Mother shall happen to kill an excomunicate person More if the Pope doth not approoue and like the practise of King-killing wherefore hath not his Holinesse imposed some seuere censure vpon the booke of Mariana the Iesuite by whome parricides are commended nay highly extolled when his Holines hath been pleased to take the paines to censure and call in some other of Mariana's bookes Againe wherefore did his Holines aduise himselfe to censure the decree of the Court of Parliament in Paris against Iohn Chastell Wherefore did he suffer Garnet and Oldcorne my powder-miners both by bookes and pictures vendible vnder his nose in Rome to be inrowled in the Canon of holy Martyrs And when he saw two great Kings murdered one after an other wherfore by some publike declaration did not his Holinesse testifie to all Christendome his inward sense and true apprehension of so great misfortune as all Europe had iust cause to lament on the behalfe of France Wherefore did not his Holinesse publish some Lawe or Pontificiall decree to prouide for the securitie of Kings in time to come True it is that he censured Becanus his booke But wherefore That by a captious and sleight censure he might preuent a more exact and rigorous decree of the Sorbon Schoole For the Popes checke to Becanus was onely a generall censure and touch without any particular specification of matter touching the life of Kings About some two moneths after the said book was printed againe with a dedication to the Popes Nuntio in Germany yet without any alteration saue onely of two articles containing the absolute power of the people ouer Kings In recompence and for a counterchecke whereof three or fowre articles were inserted into the said book touching the Popes power ouer Kings articlcs no lesse wicked and iniurious to Regall rights nay more iniurious then any of the other clauses whereof iust cause of exception and complaint had been giuen before If I would collect and heape vp examples of auncient Emperours as of Henrie IV. whos 's dead corps felt the rage and fury of the Pope or of Frederic 2. against whome the Pope was not ashamed to whet and kindle the Sultane or of Queen Elizabeth our Predecessour of glorious memorie whose life was diuers times assaulted by priuie murderers expressely dispatched from Rome for that holy seruice if I would gather vp other examples of the same stampe which I haue laid forth in my Apology for the oth of allegiance I could make it more cleare then day-light how farre the L. Cardinals words are discrepant from the truth where his Lordship out of most rare confidence is bold to avowe That neuer any Pope went so farre as to giue consent or counsell for the desperate murdering of Princes That which already hath beene alleadged may suffice to conuince his Lordship I meane that his Holinesse by deposing of Kings doth lead them directly to their graues and tombes The Cardinal himselfe seemeth to take some notice hereof The Church as he speaketh abhorreth sudden and vnprepensed murders aboue the rest Doth not his Lordship in this phrase of speech acknowledge that murders committed by open force are not so much disavowed or disclaimed by the Church A little
after he speakes not in the teeth as before but with full and open mouth that he doth not dislike a King once deposed by the Pope should be pursued with open warre Whereupon it followes that in warre the King may be lawfully slaine No doubt a remarkeable degree of his Lordships clemencie A King shall be better entreated and more mildly dealt withall if he be slaine by the shot of an harquebuse or caleeuer in the field then if he be stabd by the stroke or thrust of a knife in his chamber or if at a siege of some city he be blown vp with a myne then by a myne made and a train of gunpowder laid vnder his Palace or Parliament house in time of peace His reason Forsooth because in sudden murders oftentimes the soule the bodie perish both together O singular bounty and rare clemencie prouokers instigators strong puffers and blowers of parricides in mercifull compassion of the soule become vnmercifull and shamefull murderers of the body This deuice may well claime and challenge kinred of Mariana the Iesuites inuention For he liketh not at any hand the poisoning of a Tyrant by his meate or drinke for feare least he taking the poison with his owne hand and swallowing or gulping it down in his meat or drinke so taken should be found felo de se as the common Lawyer speaketh or culpable of his owne death But Mariana likes better to haue a Tyrant poysoned by his chaire or by his apparell and robes after the example of the Mauritanian Kings that beeing so poysoned onely by sent or by contact he may not be found guilty of selfe-fellonie and the soule of the poore Tyrant in her flight out of the body may be innocent O hell-hounds O diabolicall wretches O infernall monsters Did they onely suspect and imagine that either in Kings there is any remainder of Kingly courage or in their subiects any sparke left of auncient libertie they durst as soon eate their nayles or teare their owne flesh from the bones as once broach the vessell of this Diabolicall deuice How long then how long shall Kings whom the Lord hath called his Anointed Kings the breathing images of God vpon earth Kings that with a wry or frowning looke are able to crush these earth-wormes in peices how long shall they suffer this viperous brood scot-free and without punishment to spit in their faces how long the Maiestie of God in their person and Royall Maiestie to bee so notoriously vilified so dishonourably trampled vnder foote The L. Cardinall bourds vs with a like manifest ieast and notably trifles first distinguishing between Tyrants by administration and Tyrants by vsurpation then shewing that he by no meanes doth approoue those prophane and heathenish Lawes whereby secret practises and conspiracies against a Tyrant by administration are permitted His reason Because after deposition there is a certaine habitude to Royall dignitie and as it were a kind of politicke character inherent in Kings by which they are discerned from persons meerely priuate or the common sort of people and the obstacle crosse-barre or sparre once remooued and taken out of the way the said Kings deposed are at length reinuested and endowed againe with lawfull vse of Royall dignitie and with lawfull administration of the Kingdome Is it possible that his Lordship can speake and vtter these words according to the inward perswasion of his heart I beleeue it not For admit a King cast out of his Kingdom were sure to escape with life yet beeing once reduced to a priuate state of life after hee hath wound or wrought himselfe out of deadly danger so farre he is from holding or retayning any remainder of dignity or politike impression that on the contrary he falleth into greater contempt and misery then if he had beene a very peasant by birth and had neuer held or gouerned the sterne of Royall estate What fowle is more beautifull then the peacocke Let her be plumed and bereft of her feathers what owle what iacke-daw more ridiculous more without all pleasant fashion The homely sowter the infamous catchpol the base tincker the rude artificer the pack-horse-porter then liuing in Rome with liberty when Valentinian was detaind captiue by Saporas the Persian King was more happy then that Romane Emperour And in case the Lord Cardinall himselfe should be so happy I should say so vnfortunate to be stript of all his dignities and Ecclesiastical promotions would it not redound to his Lordships wonderfull consolation that in his greatest extremitie in the lowest of his barenesse and nakednesse he still retaineth a certaine habituall right and character of a Cardinall whereby to recouer the losse of his former dignities and honours when hee beholds these prints and impressions of his foresaid honours would it not make him the more willing and glad to forsake the backe of his venerable mule to vse his Cardinals foot-cloath no longer but euer after like a Cardinall in print and character to walke on foote But let vs examine his Lordships consolation of Kings thrust out of their kingdomes by the Pope for heresie The obstacle as the L. Cardinall speaketh beeing taken away that is to say when the King shal be reformed this habituall right and character yet inherent in the person of a King restores him to the lawfull administration of his Kingdome I take this to be but a cold comfort For here his Lordship doth onely presuppose and not prooue that after a King is thrust out of his Throne when he shall repent and turne true Romane Catholike the other by whome he hath been cast out and by force disseised will recall him to the Royal seate and faithfully settle him againe in his auncient right as one that reioyceth for the recouery of such a lost sheep But I should rather feare the new King would presse and stand vpon other termes as a terme of yeeres for a triall whether the repentance of the King displaced be true and sound to the coare or counterfeit dissembled and painted holines for the words the sorrowfull and heauy lookes the sadde and formal gestures of men pretending repentance are not alwaies to be taken to be respected to be credited Again I should feare the afflicted King might be charged and borne downe too that albeit he hath renounced his former heresie he hath stumbled since at an other stone and runne the ship of his faith against some other rock of new hereticall prauitie Or I should yet feare he might be made to beleeue that heresie maketh a deeper impression and a character more indeleble in the person then is the other politike character of Regall Maiesty Alas good Kings in how hard in how miserable a state doe they stand Once deposed and euer barred of repentance As if the scapes and errors of Kings were all sinnes against the Holy Ghost or sinnes vnto death for which it is not lawfull to pray Falls a priuate person he may be set vp and new established Fals a
King is a King deposed his repentance is euer fruitles euer vnprofitable Hath a priuate person a trayne of seruants He can not be depriued of any one without his priuity and consent Hath a King millions of subiects He may be depriued by the Pope of a third part when his Holinesse will haue them turne Clerics or enter cloisters without asking the King leaue so of subiects they may be made nonsubiects But I question yet further A King falling into heresie is deposed by the Pope his sonne stands pure Catholike The Regall seate is empty Who shall succeed in the deposed Kings place Shall a stranger be preferred by the Pope That were to do the innocent sonne egregious and notorious wrong Shall the sonne himselfe That were a more iniurious part in the sonne against his father For if the sonne be touched with any feare of God or mooued with any reuerence towards his Father he will diligently and seriously take heed that he put not his Father by the Kingdome by whose meanes he himselfe is borne to a Kingdome Nor will he tread in the steps of Henry V. Emperour who by the Popes instigation expelled and chased his aged father out of the Imperiall dignity Much lesse will he hearken to the voice aduise of Doctor Suares the Iesuite who in his booke written against my selfe a book applauded and approoued of many Doctors after he hath like a Doctor of the chaire pronounced That a King deposed by the Pope cannot bee lawfully expelled or killed but onely by such as the Pope hath charged with such execution falleth to adde a little after If the Pope shall declare a King to be an heretike and fallen from the Kingdome without making further declaration touching execution that is to say without giuing expresse charge vnto any to make away the King then the lawfull successor beeing a Catholike hath power to do the feate and if he shall refuse or if there shall bee none such then it appertaineth to the comminaltie or body of the Kingdome A most detestable sentence For in hereditarie Kingdoms who is the Kings lawfull successor but his sonne The sonne then by this doctrine shall imbrew his hands in his owne fathers blood so soone as he shall be deposed by the Pope A matter so much the neerer and more deepely to be apprehended because the said most outragious booke flyeth like a furious mastiffe directly at my throat and withal instilleth such precepts into the tender disposition of my sonne as if hereafter he shall become a Romane Catholike so soone as the Pope shall giue me the lift out of my Throne shall bind him forthwith to make effusion of his owne fathers blood Such is the religion of these Reuerend Fathers the pillars of the Pontificiall Monarchie In comparison of whose religion and holinesse all the impietie that euer was among the Infidels and all the barbarous cruelty that euer was among the Canibals may passe henceforth in the Christian world for pure clemencie and humanity These things ought his Lordship to haue pondered rather then to babble of habitudes and politike characters which to the common people are like the Bergamasque or the wild-Irish forme of speech and passe their vnderstanding All these things are nothng in a manner if we compare them with the last clause which is the closer and as it were the vpshot of his Lordships discourse For therein he laboureth to perswade concerning this Article framed to bridle the Popes tyrannicall power ouer Kings if it should receiue gratious entertainment and general approbation That it would breed great danger and worke effects of pernicious consequence vnto Kings The reason because it would prooue an introduction to schisme and schisme would stirre vp ciuill warres contempt of Kings distempered inclinations and motions to intrappe their life and which is worst of all the fierce wrath of God inflicting all sorts of calamities An admirable paradoxe and able to strike men stone-blind that his Holinesse must haue power to depose Kings for the better security and safegard of their life that when their Crownes are made subiect vnto an others will and pleasure then they are come to the highest altitude and eleuation of honour that for the onely warrant of their life their supreame and absolute greatnes must be depressed that for the longer keeping of their Crownes an other must plucke the Crowne from their heads As if it should be said Would they not be stript naked by an other the best way is for themselues to vntrusse for themselues to put off all and to goe naked of their owne accord Will they keepe their Soueraigntie in safetie for euer The best way is to let an other haue their Soueraigne authority and supreame Estate in his power But I haue been euer of this mind that when my goods are at no mans command or disposing but mine owne then they are truely and certainly mine owne It may be this error is growne vpon me and other Princes for lacke of braines whereupon it may be feared or at least coniectured the Pope meanes to shaue our crownes and thrust vs into some cloister there to hold ranke in the brotherhood of good King Childeric For as much then as my dull capacity doth not serue me to reach or comprehend the pith of this admirable reason I haue thought good to seeke and to vse the instruction of old and learned experience which teacheth no such matter by name that ciuill warres and fearefull perturbations of State in any nation of the world haue at any time growne from this faithfull credulity of subiects that Popes in right haue no power to wrest and lift Kings out of their dignities and possessions On the other side by establishing the contrary maximes to yoke and hamper the people with Pontificiall tyrannie what rebellious troubles and stirres what extreame desolations hath England been forced to feare and feele in the raigne of my Predecessors Henry II. Iohn and Henry III These be the maximes and principles which vnder the Emperour Henry IV. and Frederic the I. made all Europe flowe with channels and streames of blood like a riuer with water while the Saracens by their incursions and victories ouerflowed and in a manner drowned the honour of the Christian name in the East These bee the maximes and principles which made way for the warres of the last League into France by which the very bowels of that most famous and flourishing Kingdome were set on such a combustion that France herselfe was brought within two fingers breadth of bondage to an other Nation and the death of her two last Kings most villanously and trayterously accomplished The Lord Cardinall then giuing these diabolicall maximes for meanes to secure the life and estate of Kings speaketh as if he would giue men counsell to dry themselues in the riuer when they come as wet as a water spaniel out of a pond or to warme themselues by the light of the Moone when they
safetie of their King and honour of the truth it is their hard hap to leaue any at all vnsatisfied But suppose the said heretikes were the Authors of this Article preferred by the third Estate What need they to conceale their names in that regard What need they to disclaime the credit of such a worthy act Would it not redound to their perpetuall honour to be the onely subiects that kept watch ouer the Kings life and Crowne that stood centinell and walked the rounds for the preseruation of his Princely diademe when all other had no more touch no more feeling thereof then so many stones And what neede the Deputies for the third Estate to receiue instructions from forraine Kingdomes concerning a cause of that nature when there was no want of domesticall examples and the French histories were plentifull in that argument What need they to gape for this reformed doctrine to come swimming with a fishes tayle out of an Island to the mayne continent when they had before their eyes the murders of two Kings with diuerse ciuill warres and many Arrests of Court all tending to insinuate and suggest the introduction of the same remedy Suggestions are needlesse from abroad when the mischiefe is felt at home It seemes to me that his Lordship in smoothing and tickling the Deputies for the third Estate doth no lesse then wring and wrong their great sufficiencie with contumely and outragious abuse as if they were not furnished with sufficient foresight with loyal affection towards their King for the preseruation of his life and honour if the remedie were not beaten into their heads by those of the Religion reputed heretikes Touching my selfe ranged by his Lordship in the same ranke with sowers of dissention I take my God to witnes and my owne conscience that I neuer dream'd of any such vnchristian proiect It hath been hitherto my ordinary course to follow honest counsells and to walke in open waies I neuer wonted my selfe to holes and corners to crafty shifts but euermore to plain and open designes I need not hide mine intentions for feare of any mortall man that puffeth breath of life out of his nostrils Nor in any sort doe I purpose to set Iulian the Apostata before mine eyes as a patterne for me to follow Iulian of a Christian became a Pagan I professe the same faith of Christ still which I haue euer professed Iulian went about his designes with crafty conueiances I neuer with any of his captious and cunning sleights Iulian forced his subiects to infidelitie against Iesus Christ I labour to induce my subiects vnto such tearmes of loyaltie towards my selfe as Iesus Christ hath prescribed and taught in his word But how farre I differ from Iulian it is to bee seene more at large in my answer to Bellarmines Epistles written to Blackwell from whence the Lord Cardinall borrowing this example it might well haue beseemed his Lordship to borrow likewise my answer from the same place Now as it mooues me nothing at all to be drawne by his Lordship into suspitions of this nature and qualitie so by the prayses that he rockes me withall I will neuer be lulled asleepe To commend a man for his knowledge and withall to take from him the feare of God is to admire a souldier for his goodly head of haire or his curled locks and withall to call him base coward faint-hearted and fresh-water souldier Knowledge wit and learning in an hereticke are of none other vse and seruice but onely to make him the more culpable and consequently obnoxious to the more grieuous punishments All vertues turne to vices when they become the seruants of impietie The hand-maids which the Soueraigne Lady Wisdome calleth to be of her traine in the 9. Prouerb are moral vertues and humane sciences which then become pernicious when they runne away from their Soueraigne Lady-Mistris and put ouer themselues in seruice to the Deuill What difference is between two men both alike wanting the knowledge of God the one fnrnished with arts and ciuill vertues the other brutishly barbarous and of a deformed life or of prophane manners What is the difference between these two I make this the onely difference the first goeth to hell with a better grace and falleth into perdition with more facility then the second But he becommeth exceedingly wicked euen threefold and fourefold abhominable if he wast his treasure and stocke of ciuill vertues in persecuting the Church of Christ and if that may be layed in his dish which was cast in Caesars teeth that in plain sobernes and well-setled temper he attempts the ruine of the Common-wealth which from a drunken sot might receiue perhaps a more easie fall In briefe I scorn all garlands of praises which are not euer greene but beeing drie and withered for want of sap and radicall moysture doe flagge about barbarous Princes browes I defie and renounce those prayses which fit me no more then they fit a Mahumetane King of Marocco I contest against all praises which grace me with pety accessories but rob me of the principall that one thing necessary namely the feare and knowledge of my God vnto whose Maiesty alone I haue deuoted my scepter my sword my penne my whole industry my whole selfe with all that is mine in whole and in part I doe it I doe it in all humble acknowledgement of his vnspeakable mercy and fauour who hath vouchsafed to deliuer me from the erroneous way of this age to deliuer my Kingdome from the Popes tyrannicall yoake vnder which it hath lyen in times past most grieuously oppressed My Kingdome where God is now purely serued and called vpon in a tongue which all the vulgar vnderstand My Kingdom where the people may now reade the Scriptures without any speciall priuiledge from the Apostolike See and with no lesse libertie then the people of Ephesus of Rome and of Corinth did reade the holy Epistles written to their Churches by S. Paul My Kingdome where the people now pay no longer any tribute by the poll for Papall indulgences as they did about an hundred yeeres past and are no longer compelled to the mart for pardons beyond the Seas and Mountaines but haue them now freely offered from God by the doctrine of the Gospel preached at home within their owne seuerall parishes and iurisdictions If the Churches of my Kingdome in the L. Cardinals accompt be miserable for these causes and the like let him dreame on and talke his pleasure for my part I will euer advowe that more worth is our misery then all his felicity For the rest it shall by Gods grace be my daily endeauour and serious care to passe my daies in shaping to my selfe such a course of life that without shamefull calumniating of my person it shall not rest in the tippe of any tongue to touch my life with iust reprehension or blame Nor am I so priuie to mine owne guiltinesse as to thinke my state so desperate so deplorable as Popes
haue made their owne For some of them haue been so open-hearted and so tongue-free to pronounce that Popes themselues the key-bearers of Heauen and hel cannot be saued Two Popes reckoned among the best of the whole bunch or pack namely Adrian IV. and Marcelline II. haue both sung one and the same note that in their vnderstanding they could not conceiue any reason why or any meanes how those that sway the Popedome can be partakers of saluation But for my particular grounding my faith vpon the promises of God contained in the Gospell I doe confidently and assuredly beleeue that repenting mee of my sinnes and reposing my whole trust in the merits of Iesus Christ I shall obtaine forgiuenesse of my sinnes thorough his Name Nor doe I feare that I am now or shall be hereafter cast out of the Churches lap and bosome that I now haue or hereafter shall haue no right to the Church as a putrified member thereof so long as I do or shall cleaue to Christ Iesus the Head of the Church the appellation and name whereof serueth in this corrupt age as a cloake to couer a thousand newe inuentions and now no longer signifies the assembly of the faithfull or such as beleeue in Iesus Christ according to his word but a certaine glorious ostentation and Temporall Monarchy whereof the Pope forsooth is the supreame head But if the L. Cardinall by assured and certaine knowledge as perhaps he may by common fame did vnderstand the horrible conspiracies that haue been plotted and contriued not against my person and life alone but also against my whole stocke if he rightly knew and were inly perswaded of how many fowle periuries and wicked treasons diuerse Ecclesiasticall persons haue been lawfully conuicted in stead of charging me with false imputations that I suffer not my Catholikes to fetch a sigh or to draw their breath and that I thrust my Catholikes vpon the sharpe edge of punishment in euery kind he would and might well rather wonder how I my selfe after so many dangers run after so many proditorious snares escaped doe yet fetch my owne breath and yet practise Princely clemency towards the said Catholiks notorious transgressors of diuine and humane laws If the French King in the heart of his Kingdome should nourish and foster such a nest of stinging hornets and busie waspes I meane such a pack of subiects denying his absolute Soueraignty as many Romane Catholikes of my Kingdome do mine it may well bee doubted whether the L. Cardinall would aduise his King still to feather the nest of the said Catholiks still to keep them warm still to beare them with an easie and a gentle hand It may well be doubted whether his Lordship would extoll their constancie that would haue the courage to sheath vp their swords in his Kings bowels or blow vp his King with gun-powder into the neather station of the lowest region It may well be doubted whether hee would indure that Orator who like as himselfe hath done should stirre vp others to suffer Martyrdome after such examples and to imitate parricides and traitors in their constancy The scope then of the L. Cardinal in striking the sweet strings and sounding the pleasant notes of prayses which faine he would fill mine eares withall is onely by his excellent skil in the musicke of Oratorie to bewitch the hearts of my subiects to infatuate their minds to settle them in a resolution to depriue me of my life The reason Because the plotters and practisers against my life are honoured and rewarded with a glorious name of Martyrs their constancie what els is admired when they suffer death for treason Whereas hitherto during the time of my whole raigne to this day I speake it in the word of a King and truth it selfe shal make good the Kings word no man hath lost his life no man hath endured the Racke no man hath suffered corporall punishment in other kinds meerely or simply or in any degree of respect for his conscience in matter of religion but for wicked conspiring against my life or Estate or Royall dignitie or els for some notorious crime or some obstinate and wilfull disobedience Of which traiterous and viperous brood I commanded one to be hanged by the necke of late in Scotland a Iesuite of intolerable impudencie who at his arraignment and publike triall stiffely maintained that I haue robbed the Pope of his right and haue no manner of right in the possession of my Kingdome His Lordship therefore in offering himselfe to Martyrdome after the rare example of Catholiks as he saith suffering all sort of punishment in my Kingdome doth plainely professe himselfe a follower of traytors and parricides These be the Worthies these the heroicall spirits these the honourable Captaines and Coronels whose vertuous parts neuer sufficiently magnified and praysed his Lordship propoundeth for imitation to the French Bishops O the name of Martyrs in olde times a sacred name how is it now derided and scoffed how is it in these daies filthily prophaned O you the whole quire and holy company of Apostles who haue sealed the truth with your dearest blood how much are you disparaged how vnfitly are you paragoned and matched when traytors bloody butchers and King-killers are made your assistants and of the same Quorum or to speake in milder tearmes when you are coupled with Martyrs that suffer for maintaining the Temporall rites of the Popes Empire with Bishops that offer themselues to a Problematicall Martyrdome for a point decided neither by the authorities of your Spirit-inspired pens nor by the auncient and venerable testimonie of the Primitiue Church for a point which they dare not vndertake to teach otherwise then by a doubtfull cold fearefull way of discourse and altogether without resolution In good sooth I take the Cardinall for a personage of a quicker spirit and clearer sight let his Lordship hold me excused then to perswade my selfe that in these matters his tongue and his heart his pen and his inward iudgement haue any concord or correspondence one with another For beeing very much against his minde as he doth confesse thrust into the office of an Aduocate to pleade this cause he suffered himselfe to be carried after his engagement with some heat to vtter some things against his conscience murmuring and grumbling the contrary within and to affirme some other things with confidence whereof he had not been otherwise informed then onely by vaine and lying report Of which ranke is that bold assertion of his Lordship That many Catholiks in England rather then they would subscribe to the oath of allegiance in the form thereof haue vndergone all sorts of punishment For in England as we haue truely giuen the whole Christian world to vnderstand in our Preface to the Apologie there is but one forme or kind of punishment ordained for all sorts of traytors Hath not his Lordship now graced me with goodly testimonialls of prayse and commendation Am I not by his
prayses proclaimed a Tyrant as it were inebriated with blood of the Saints and a famous Enginer of torments for my Catholikes To this exhortation for the suffering of Martyrdome in imitation of my English traytors and parricides if we shall adde how craftily and subtilly he makes the Kings of England to hold of the Pope by fealty and their Kingdome in bondage to the Pope by Temporall recognizance it shall easily appeare that his holy-water of prayses wherewith I am so reuerently besprinkled is a composition extracted out of a dram of hony and a pound of gall first steeped in a strong decoction of bitter wormewood or of the wild gourd called Coloquintida For after he hath in the beginning of his Oration spoken of Kings that owe fealtie to the Pope and are not Soueraignes in the highest degree of Temporal supremacie within their Kingdomes to explaine his mind and meaning the better he marshals the Kings of England a little after in the same ranke His words be these When King Iohn of England not yet bound in any temporall recognizance to the Pope had expelled his Bishops c. His Lordship means that King Iohn became so bound to the Pope not long after And what may this meaning be but in plaine tearmes and broad speach to cal me vsurper and vnlawfull King For the feudatarie or he that holdeth a Mannor by fealty when he doth not his homage with all suit and seruice that he owes to the Lord Paramount doth fall from the propertie of his fee. This reproach of the L. Cardinals is seconded with an other of Bellarmines his brother Cardinall That Ireland was giuen to the Kings of England by the Pope The best is that his most reuerend Lordship hath not shewed who it was that gaue Ireland to the Pope And touching Iohn King of England thus in briefe stands the whole matter Between Henry 2. and the Pope had passed sundry bickerments about collating of Ecclesiasticall dignities Iohn the sonne after his fathers death reneweth vndertaketh and pursueth the same quarrell Driueth certaine English Bishops out of the Kingdome for defending the Popes insolent vsurpation vpon his Royall prerogatiue and Regall rights Sheweth such Princely courage and resolution in those times when all that stood and suffered for the Popes Temporall pretensions against Kings were enrowled Martyrs or Confessors The Pope takes the matter in fowle scorne and great indignation shuts the King by his excommunicatory Bulls out of the Church stirres vp his Barons for other causes the Kings heauy friends to rise in armes giues the Kingdome of England like a masterlesse man turned ouer to a new master to Philippus Augustus King of France binds Philip to make a conquest of England by the sword or else no bargaine or else no gift promises Philip in recompence of his trauell and Royall expences in that conquest full absolution and a general pardon at large for all his sinnes to be short cuts King Iohn out so much worke and makes him keep so many yrons in the fire for his worke that he had none other way none other meanes to pacifie the Popes high displeasure to correct or qualifie the malignitie of the Popes cholericke humour by whom he was then so intangled in the Popes toyles but by yeelding himselfe to become the Popes vassall and his Kingdome feudatary or to hold by fealty of the Papall See By this meanes his Crowne is made tributarie all his people liable to payment of taxes by the poll for a certaine yearly tribute and he is blessed with a pardon for all his sinnes Whether King Iohn was mooued to doe this dishonourable act vpon any deuotion or inflamed with any zeale of Religion or inforced by the vnresistable weapons of necessitie who can be so blind that he doth not well see and clearely perceiue For to purchase his owne freedom from this bondage to the Pope what could he be vnwilling to doe that was willing to bring his Kingdome vnder the yoke of Amirales Murmelinus a Mahumetan Prince then King of Granado and Barbaria The Pope after that sent a Legat into England The King now the Popes vassall and holding his Crowne of the Pope like a man that holds his land of an other by Knights seruice or by homage and fealty doth faire homage for his Crowne to the Popes Legat and layeth downe at his feete a great masle of the purest gold in coyne The reuerend Legat in token of his Masters Soueraigntie with more then vsuall pride fals to kicking and spurning the treasure no doubt with a paire of most holy feete Not onely so but likewise at solemne feasts is easily entreated to take the Kings chaire of Estate Here I would faine know the Lord Cardinals opinion whether these actions of the Pope were iust or vniust lawfull or vnlawfull according to right or against all right and reason If he will say against right it is then cleare that against right his Lordship hath made way to this example if according to right let him then make it knowne from whence or from whom this power was deriued and conuaied to the Pope whereby he makes himselfe Soueraigne Lord of Temporalties in that Kingdome where neither he nor any of his predecessors euer pretended any right or laid any claime to Temporall matters before Are such prankes to be played by the Pontificiall Bishop Is this an act of Holinesse to set a Kingdome on fire by the flaming brands of sedition to dismember and quarter a Kingdome with intestine warres onely to this end that a King once reduced to the lowest degree of miserie might be lifted by his Holinesse out of his Royall prerogatiue the very soule and life of his Royall Estate When beganne this Papall power In what age beganne the Pope to practise this power What! haue the auncient Canons for the Scripture in this question beareth no pawme haue the Canons of the auncient Church imposed any such satisfaction vpon a sinner that of ueraigne and free King he should become vassal to his ghostly Father that he should make himselfe together with all his people and subiects tributaries to a Bishop that shall rifle a whole Nation of their coyne that shall receiue homage of a King and make a King his vassall What! Shall not a sinner be quitted of his faults except his Pastor turne robber and one that goeth about to get a booty except he make his Pastor a feoffee in his whole Estate and suffer himselfe vnder a shadow of penance to freeze naked to be turned out of all his goods and possessions of inheritance But be it graunted admit his Holinesse robs one Prince of his rights and reuenewes to conferre the same vpon an other were it not an high degree of Tyrannie to finger an other mans estate and to giue that away to a third which the second hath no right no lawfull authoritie to giue Well if the Pope then shall become his own caruer in the rights of an other
if he shal make his owne coffers to swell with an others reuenewes if he shall decke and array his owne backe in the spoyles of a sinner with whom in absolution he maketh peace and taketh truce what can this be else but running into further degrees of wickednesse and mischiefe what can this be else but heaping of robbery vpon fraud and impiety vpon robbery For by such deceitfull crafty and cunning practises the nature of the Pontificiall Sea meerely spirituall is changed into the Kings-bench-Court meerely temporall the Bishops chaire is changed into a Monarchs Throne And not onely so but besides the sinners repentance is changed into a snare or pit-fall of cousening deceit and Saint Peters net is changed into a casting-net or a flew to fish for all the wealth of most flourishing Kingdomes Moreouer the King a hard case is driuen by such wyles and subtilties to worke impossibilities to act more then is lawfull or within the compasse of his power to practise For the King neither may in right nor can by power trans-nature his Crowne impaire the Maiestie of his Kingdome or leaue his Royall dignitie lesse free to his heire apparant or next successor then he receiued the same of his predecessor Much lesse by any dishonourable capitulations by any vnworthy contracts degrade his posteritie bring his people vnder the grieuous burden of tributes and taxes to a forraine Prince Least of all make them tributary to a Priest vnto whom it no way appertaineth to haue any hand in the ciuill affaires of Kings or to distaine vnhallow their Crownes And therefore when the Pope dispatched his Nuntio to Philippus Augustus requesting the King to avert Lewis his sonne from laying any claime to the Kingdom of England Philip answered the Legat as we haue it in Math. Paris No King no Prince can abienate or giue away his Kingdome but by consent of his Barons bound by Knights seruice to defend the said Kingdom and in case the Pope shall stand for the contrary error his Holinesse shall giue to Kingdomes a most pernicious example By the same Authorit is testified that King Iohn became odious to his subiects for such dishonorable and vnworthie inthralling of his Crowne and Kingdome Therefore the Popes right pretended to the Crowne of England which is nothing else but a ridiculous vsurpation hath long agoe vanished into smoake and required not so much as the drawing of one sword to snatch and pull it by violence out of his hands For the Popes power lying altogether in a certaine wild and wandring conceit or opinion of men and beeing onely an imaginary castle in the ayre built by pride and vnderpropped by superstition is very speedily dispersed vpon the first rising and appearing of the truth in her glorious brightnesse There is none so very a dolt or block-head to deny that in case this right of the Pope ouer England is grounded vpon Gods word then his Holinesse may challenge the like right ouer all other Kingdomes because all other Kingdomes Crownes and Scepters are subiect alike to Gods word For what priuiledge what charter what euidence can France fetch out of the Rolles or any other treasurie of her monuments or records to shew that she oweth lesse subiection to God then England Or was this yoke of bondage then brought vpon the English Nation was it a prerogatiue whereby they might more easily come to the libertie of the sonnes of God Or were the people of England perswaded that for all their substance wealth and life bestowed on the Pope his Holinesse by way of exchange returned them better weight and measure of spirituall graces It is ridiculous onely to conceiue these to yes in thought and yet with such ridiculous with such toyes in conceit his Lordship feedes and entertains his auditors From this point he falleth to an other bowt and fling at his heretikes with whom he played no faire play before There is not one Synode of ministers as he saith which would willingly subscribe to this Article whereunto we should be bound to sweare But herein his Lordship shooteth farre from the mark This Article is approued and preached by the Ministers of my Kingdome It is likewise preached by those of France and if neede be I assure my selfe will be signed by all the Ministers of the French Church The L. Cardinall proceedeth for hee meaneth not so soone to giue ouer these heretikes All their Consistories beleeue it as their Creede that if Catholike Princes at any time shall offer force vnto their conscience then they are dispensed withall for their oath of allegiance Hence are these modifications and restrictions tossed so much in their mouthes Prouided the King force vs not in our conscience Hence are these exceptions in the profession of their faith Prouided the Soueraigne power and authoritie of God be not in any sort violated or infringed I am not able to conceiue what engine can be framed of these materialls for the bearing of Kings out of their eminent seats by any lawfull authority or power in the Pope For say those of the Religion should be tainted with some like errour how can that be any shelter of excuse for those of the Romish Church to vndermine or to digge vp the Thrones of their Kings But in this allegation of the Lord Cardinal there is nothing at all which doth not iumpe iust and accord to a haire with the Article of the third Estate and with obedience due to the King For they doe not professe that in case the King shall commaund them to doe any act contrarie to their conscience they would flie at his throat would make any attempt against his life would refuse to pay their taxations or to defend him in the warres They make no profession of deposing the King or discharging the people from the oath of allegiance tendred to the King which is the very point or issue of the matter in controuersie and the maine mischeife against which the third Estate hath bin most worthily carefull to prouide a wholesome remedie by this Article There is a world of difference betweene the termes of disobedience and of deposition It is one thing to disobey the Kings commaund in matters prohibited by diuine lawes and yet in all other matters to performe full subiection vnto the King It is another thing of a farre higher degree or straine of disloyaltie to bare the King of his Royall robes throne and scepter and when he is thus farre disgraced to degrade him and to put him from his degree and place of a King If the holy Father should charge the L. Cardinal to doe some act repugnant in his owne knowledge to the Law of God I will religiously and according to the rule of charity presume that his Lordship in this case would stand out against his Holinesse and notwithstanding would still acknowledge him to be Pope His Lordship yet prosecutes and followes his former purpose Hence are those armes which they haue oftentimes
borne against Kings when Kings practised to take away the libertie of their conscience and Religion Hence are those turbulent Commotions and seditions by them raised as well in the Law-countryes against the King of Spaine as in Swethland against the Catholike King of Polonia Besides he casteth Iunius Brutus Buchananus Barclaius and Gerson in our teeth To what end all this I see not how it can be auaileable to authorize the deposing of Kings especially the Popes power to depose And yet his Lordship here doth outface by his leaue and beare downe the truth For I could neuer yet learne by any good and true intelligence that in France those of the Religion took armes at any time against their King In the first ciuill warres they stood onely vpon their guard they stood only to their lawfull wards and locks of defence they armed not nor tooke the field before they were pursued with fire and sword burnt vp and slaughtred Besides Religion was neither the root nor the rynde of those intestine troubles The true ground of the quarrell was this During the minority of King Francis 2. the Protestants of France were a refuge and succour to the Princes of the blood when they were kept from the Kings presence and by the ouer powring power of their enemies were no better then plaine driuen and chased from the Court I meane the Grand-father of the King now raigning and the Grand-father of the Prince of Condé when they had no place of safe retreate In regard of which worthy and honourable seruice it may seem the French King hath reason to haue the Protestants in his gracious remembrance With other commotion or insurrection the Protestants are not iustly to be charged But on the contrary certaine it is that King Henry III. raysed and sent forth seuerall armies against the Protestants to ruine and roote them out of the Kingdom howbeit so soon as they perceiued the said King was brought into dangerous tearms they ranne with great speed and speciall fidelitie to the Kings rescue and succour in the present danger Certaine it is that by their good seruice the said King was deliuered from a most extreame and imminent perill of his life in the city of Tours Certaine it is they neuer abandoned that Henry 3. nor his next successor Henry 4. in all the heat of reuolts and rebellions raised in the greatest part of the Kingdome by the Pope and the more part of the Clergie but stood to the said Kings in all their battels to beare vp the Crowne then tottering and ready to fall Certaine it is that euen the heads and principalls of those by whome the late King deceased was pursued with all extremities at this day doe enioy the fruit of all the good seruices done to the King by the said Protestants And they are now disgraced kept vnder exposed to publike hatred What for kindling coales of questions and controuersies about Religion Forsooth not so but because if they might haue equall and indifferent dealing if credit might be giuen to their faithfull aduertisements the Crowne of their Kings should be no longer pinned to the Popes flie-flap in France there should be no French exempted from subiection to the French King causes of benefices or of matrimonie should be no longer citable and summonable to the Romish Court and the Kingdome should be no longer tributarie vnder the colour of annats the first fruits of Benefices after the remooue or death of the Incumbent and other like impositions But why do I speake so much in the behalfe of the French Protestants The Lord Cardinall himselfe quittes them of this blame when he telleth vs this doctrine for the deposing of Kings by the Popes mace or verge had credit and authoritie through all France vntill Caluins time Doth not his Lordship vnder-hand confesse by these words that Kings had been alwaies before Caluins time the more dishonoured and the worse serued Item that Protestants whome his Lordship calls heretikes by the light of holy Scripture made the world then and euer since to see the right of Kings oppressed so long before As for those of the Low Countries and the subiects of Swethland I haue little to say of their case because it is not within ordinary compasse and indeed serueth nothing to the purpose These Nations besides the cause of Religion doe stand vpon certaine reasons of State which I will not here take vpon me like a Iudge to determine or to sift Iunius Brutus whom the L. Cardinall obiecteth is an author vnknowne and perhaps of purpose patcht vp by some Romanist with a wyly deceit to draw the reformed Religion into hatred with Christian Princes Buchanan I reckon and ranke among Poets not among Diuines classicall or common If the man hath burst out here and there into some tearmes of excesse or speach of bad temper that must be imputed to the violence of his humour and heate of his spirit not in any wise to the rules and conclusions of true Religion rightly by him conceiued before Barclaius alledged by the Cardinal meddles not with deposing of Kings but deals with disavowing them for Kings when they shall renounce the right of Royaltie and of their owne accord giue ouer the Kingdome Now he that leaues it in the Kings choice either to hold or to giue ouer his Crowne leaues it not in the Popes power to take away the Kingdome Of Gerson obtruded by the Cardinall we haue spoken sufficiently before Where it hath been shewed how Gerson is disguised masked and peruerted by his Lordsh In briefe I take not vpon me to iustifie and make good all the sayings of particular authors We glory and well we may that our religion affordeth no rules of rebellion nor any dispensation to subiects for the oath of their allegiance and that none of our Churches giue entertainement vnto such monstrous and abhominable principles of disloyaltie If any of the French otherwise perswaded in former times now hauing altered and changed his iudgement doth contend for the Soueraignty of Kings against Papal vsurpation he doubtles for winding himselfe out of the Laborinth of an error so intricate and pernicious deserueth great honour and speciall prayse He is worthy to hold a place of dignity aboue the L. Cardinall who hath quitted and betrayed his former iudgement which was holy and iust Their motions are contrary their markes are opposite The one reclineth from euil to good the other declineth from good to euill At last his Lordship commeth to the close of his Oration and bindes vp his whole harangue with a feate wreath of praises proper to his King He styles the King the eldest Sonne of the Church a young shoot of the lilly which King Salomon in all his Royaltie was not able to match He leades vs by the hand into the pleasant meadowes of Histories there to learne vpon the very first sight and viewe That so long so oft as the Kings of France embraced vnion and kept good
tearmes of concord with Popes and the Apostolike See so long as the spouse of the Church was pastured and fed among the lillies all sorts of spirituall temporall graces abundantly showred vpon their Crownes and vpon their people On the contrary when they made any rent or separation from the most holy See then the lillies were pricked and almost choaked with sharpe thornes they beganne to droope to stoope and to beare their beautifull heads downe to the very ground vnder the strong flawes and gusts of boysterous winds and tempests My answer to this flourishing close and vpshot shall beno lesse apert then apt It sauours not of good and faithfull seruice to smooth and stroake the Kings head with a soft hand of oyled speech and in the meane time to take away the Crowne from his head and to defile it with dirt But let vs try the cause by euidence of Historie yea by the voice and verdict of experience to see whether the glorious beauty of the French lillies hath been at any time blasted and thereupon hath faded by starting aside and making separation from the holy See Vnder the raigne of King Philip the Faire France was blessed with peace and prosperity notwithstanding some outragious acts done against the Papall See and contumelious crying quittance by King Philip with the Pope Lewis 12. in ranged battell defeated the armies of Pope Iulius 2. and his Confederates proclaimed the said Pope to be fallen from the Popedome stamped certaine coynes and peices of gold with a dishonourable mot euen to Rome it selfe Rome is Babylon yet so much was Lewis loued and honoured of his people that by a peculiar title he was called the Father of the Country Greater blessings of God greater outward peace and plenty greater inward peace with spirituall and celestial treasures were neuer heaped vpon my Great Brittaine then haue been since my Great Brittaine became Great in the greatest and chiefest respect of all to wit since my Great Brittaine hath shaken off the Popes yoke since shee hath refused to receiue and to entertain the Popes Legats employed to collect S. Peters tribute or Peter-pence since the Kings of England my Great Brittaine haue not beene the Popes vassals to doe him homage for their Crowne and haue no more felt the lashings the scourgings of base and beggarly Monkes Of Holland Zeland and Friseland what need I speake yet a word and no more Were they not a kind of naked and bare people of small value before God lighted the torch of the Gospel and aduanced it in those Nations were they not an ill fedde and scragged people in comparison of the inestimable wealth and prosperity both in all military actions and mechanicall trades in trafficke as merchants in marting as men of warre in long nauigation for discouerie to which they are now raysed and mounted by the mercifull blessing of God since the darknes of Poperie hath been scattered and the bright Sunne of the Gospel hath shined in those Countryes Behold the Venetian Republique Hath shee now lesse beautie lesse glory lesse peace and prosperitie since she lately fell to bicker and contend with the Pope since shee hath wrung out of the Popes hand the one of his two swords since she hath plumed and shaked his Temporall dominion On the contrarie after the French Kings had honoured the Popes with munificent graunts and gifts of all the cities and territories lands and possessions which they now hold in Italy and the auncient Earledome of Avignon in France for an ouer-plus were they not rudely recompenced and homely handled by their most ingratefull fee-farmers and copy-holders Haue not Popes forged a donation of Constantine of purpose to blot out all memory of Pepins and Charlemaignes donation Haue they not vexed and troubled the State haue they not whetted the sonnes of Lewis the Courteous against their owne Father whose life was a pattern and example of innocencie Haue they not by their infinite exactions robbed and scoured the Kingdome of all their treasure Were not the Kings of France driuen to stoppe their violent courses by the pragmaticall sanction Did they not sundrie times interdict the Kingdome degrade the Kings solicite the neighbour-Princes to inuade and lay hold on the Kingdome and stirre vp the people against the King whereby a gate was opened to a world of troubles and parricides Did not Rauaillac render this reason for his monstrous horrible attempt That King Henry had a designe to warre with God because he had a designe to take armes against his Holinesse who is God This makes me to wonder what mooued the L. Cardinall to marshall the last ciuill warres and motions in France in the ranke of examples of vnhappie separation from the Pope when the Pope himselfe was the trumpetor of the same troublesome motions If the Pope had beene wronged and offended by the French King or his people and the Kingdome of France had been scourged with pestilence or famine or some other calamitie by forraine enemies it might haue been taken in probabilitie as a vengeance of God for some iniurie done vnto his Vicar But his Holinesse beeing the root the ground the master-workman and artificer of all these mischiefes how can it be said that God punisheth any iniury done to the Pope but rather that his Holinesse doth reuenge his owne quarrell and which is worst of all when his Holinesse hath no iust cause of quarrell or offence Now then to exhort a Nation as the L. Cardinall hath done by the remembrance of former calamities to currie fauour with the Pope and to hold a strict vnion with his Holinesse is no exhortation to beare the Pope any respect of loue or of reuerence but rather a rubbing of memorie and a calling to mind of those grieuous calamities whereof the Pope hath been the onely occasion It is also a threatning and obtruding of the Popes terrible thunderbolts which neuer scorched nor parched any skinne except crauens and meticulous bodies and haue brought many great showres of blessings vpon my Kingdome As for France if she hath enioyed prosperitie in the times of her good agreement with Popes it is because the Pope seeks the amitie of Princes that are in prosperitie haue the meanes to curbe his pretensions and to put him to some plunge Kings are not in prosperitie because the Pope holds amity with Kings but his Holinesse vseth all deuises and seeketh all meanes to haue amitie with Kings because hee sees them flourish and sayle with prosperous winds The swallow is no cause but a companion of the spring the Pope is no worker of a Kingdoms felicitie but a wooer of Kings when they sit in felicities lap he is no founder but a follower of their good fortunes On the other side let a Kingdome fall into some grieuous disaster or calamitie let ciuill wars boyle in the bowels of the Kingdome ciuill warres no lesse dangerous to the State then fearefull and grieuous to the people who riseth sooner
then the Pope who rusheth sooner into the troubled streames then the Pope who thrusteth himselfe sooner into the heate of the quarrell then the Pope who runneth sooner to raise his gaine by the publike wrack then the Pope and all vnder colour of a heart wounded and bleeding for the saluation of soules If the lawfull King happen to be foyled to be oppressed and thereupon the State by his fall to get a new master by the Popes practise then the said new-master must hold the Kingdome as of the Popes free gift and rule or guide the sterne of the State at his becke and by his instruction If the first and right Lord in despite of all the Popes fulminations and fire-workes shall get the honourable day and vpper hand of his enemies then the holy Father with a cheerfull and pleasant grace yea with fatherly gratulation opens the rich cabinet of his iewells I meane the treasurie of his indulgences and falls now to dandle and cocker the King in his fatherly lap whose throat if he could he would haue cut not long before This pestilent mischiefe hath now a long time taken roote and is growne to a great head in the Christian world through the secret but iust iudgement of God by whom Christian Kings haue beene smitten with a spirit of dizzinesse Christian Kings who for many ages past haue liued in ignorance without any sound instruction without any true sense and right feeling of their owne right and power whilest vnder a shadow of Religion and false cloake of pietie their Kingdomes haue beene ouer-burdened yea ouer-born with tributes and their Crownes made to stoope euen to miserable bondage That God in whose hand the hearts of Kings are poised and at his pleasure turned as the water-courses that mighty God alone in his good time is able to rouze them out of so deepe a slumber and to take order their drowzy fits once ouer and shaken off with heroicall spirits that Popes hereafter shall play no more vpon their patience nor presume to put bits and snaffles in their noble mouthes to the binding vp of their power with weake scruples like mighty buls lead about by litle children with a small twisted thred To that God that King of Kings I deuote my scepter at his feet in all humblenes I lay downe my Crowne to his holy decrees and commaunds I will euer be a faithfull seruant and in his battels a faithfull champion To conclude in this iust cause and quarrell I dare send the challenge and will require no second to maintain as a defendant of honour that my brother-Princes and my selfe whom God hath aduanced vpon the Throne of Soueraigne Maiesty and supreame dignity doe hold the Royall dignity of his Maiesty alone to whose seruice as a most humble homager and vassall I consecrate all the glory honour splendor and lustre of my earthly Kingdomes FINIS I haue receiued aduertisement froÌ„ diuers parts that in the Popes letters to the Nobilitie these words were extant howsoeuer they haue beene left out in the impression rased out of the copies of the said letters In 12. seuerall passages the L. Card. seemeth to speake against his owne conscience Pag. 85. Pag. 99. Pag. 95. 97. In the Preface to my Apologie Pag. 4. Pag. 7. 8 Pag. 13. Arist 1. top cap 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sound both one thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prouided the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or vtrùm do stand before as Vtrùm homo sit animal Pag. 7. Pag. 9. Conc. Constan Sess 15. Caus 15. Can. Alius Qu. 6. Paul Aemil in Phil. 3. Annal. Boio Lib. 3. Iuuanen Episcop Optima poenitentia nova vita Conc. Constan Sess 2. Exampl 1. pag. 18. Evag hist Eccles lib. 3. cap. 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Nomocan Affric Can. 77. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Can. 81. eiusd Nomo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anathema tibi à me Liberi Faber in frag Hilarij Exampl 2. Exam. 3. pag. 22. * Epist 6. l. 3 Ego autem indignus pietatis â—uae seruus Ego verò haec Dominis meis loquens quid sum nisi pul vis vermis Ibid. Ego quidem â—â—ssioni subiectus c. Ep. 61. l. 2. Examp. 4. Examp. 5. Examp. 6. Data 10. Cal. Decem Imperante Dom. pijssimo Augusto Leone à Deo coronato magno Imp. anno decimo Imperij eius Examp. 7. Pag. 25. Perfectis laudibus à pontificâ— more Principum antiquorum adoratus est Auentinus Annalium Boiorum lib. 4. post haec ab eodem Pontifice vt caeteri veterum Principum more maiorum adoratus est Magnus Sigeb ad an 801. Maria. Scotus lib. 3. Annalium Plat. in vita Leon. 3. Auent Annal Boio lib. 4. Imperium transferre iure suo in Germanos Carolumque tacito Senatus consulto plebiscitoque dâ—cernunt Examp. 9. pag. 27. Examp. 10. pag. 28. Exam. 11. An. 1076. Sigeb ad an 1085. Otho Frisingens in vita Hen. 4. lib. 4. cap. 31. Theo. lib. 2. Hist cap. 16 Ammia lib. 27. Decret dist 79. Platina Sigebertus Anastatius Platina Lib. Pontisi Diaconus 〈…〉 Sigeberius Iustin Authent 123. cap. 3. * Note that in the same Dist the CaÌ„ of Greg. 4. beginning with Cum Hadrianus secundus is false and supposititious because Greg. 4. waâ— Pope long before Hadri 2. Tria tcterrima monstra Boâ—heâ— Decret Eccles Gallican lib. 2. tit 16. Annal. Boio lib. 4. Examp. 12. Bochei pag. 320. Extrauag Meruit See the treatise of Charles du Moulin coÌ„trà paruas Datas wherein he reporteth a notable Decree of the Court vnder Charles 6. Theodoric Nâ—emens in nemore vnion Tract 6. somnium viridarij Pag. 5â— Pag. 26. Nisi de consensu Regis Christianissimi Bochellus Indiscretè ac inconsideratè Doctrinaliter tantùm non iuridicè Pag. 47. Bibliotheca Patrum Tom. 3. Dâ— coâ—sidâ—r ib. 1. cap. 6. Lib. 2. cap. 6. Dist 24. quaest 3. Comment in l. 4. Sent. Dist 24. fol. 214. De potest Regia Papali cap. 10. Almain de potest Eccl. Laica Quest 2. cap. 8. De dominio naturali ciuili Eccl. 5. vlt. pars Quaest 1. de potest Eccles laic c. 12. 14. Quaest 2. c. 8. sic non deposuit autoritatiue Quae. 3. c. 2. Quaest 1 1. câ—â— Sacerd Quaest 2. de potest Eccl. Laic cap. 12. In cap. 9. 10 11. Quest â— cap. 14. Pag. 40. Pag. 44. Pag. 108. 109. 119. where the Card. takes Char. 7. for Charl. 6. Pag. 52. sequentib Aduer Barclaium Can. Si Papa Dist 40. Nisi sit à fide deuius Omnia iura in scrinio pectoris Pag. 86. Pag. 61. Pag. 62. Orat. ad ciues timore perculsos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Canones Graecos à Tilio editos Pag. 66. 1. Sam. 23. 20. 24. 15. 2. Sam. 2. 5. 1. Sam. 26. 11. 1. Sam. 16. 13. 2. Sam. 2. 4 1. Kâ—â— 12. 1. Kin. 19. Pag. 68. 2. Chro. 26. Antiq. l. 9. cap. 11. Pag. 69. Pag. 67. Pag. 66. Pag. 69. Pag. 71. Tert. Apol. cap. 37. Hesterni sumus omnia vestra impleuimus Cypr. cont Demetr Socr. lib. 3. cap. 19. Theod. lib. 4 cap. 1. Sozom. lib. 6. cap. 1. Augustâ—n Psal 124. Pag. 81. Pag. 82. Epist lib. 5. Epist 33. Epist lib. 5. In Apol. pro iuram fidel His owne words lib. 7. Epist 1. Apud A. than in Epist ad solitar vitam agentes The 2. reas Pag. 77. Psal 2. Pag. 77. Pag. 76. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the Bull of Innoc. 3. at the end of the Later Conc. Ier. 1. 1. Cor. 2. Extauag Vnam Sanctam Psal 45. Ioh. 12. Pag. 85. Pag. 84. Note by the way that here the Church of Rome is called a sect Contr. Barclaium cap. 27. Sess 9. Sess 25 cap. 19. Pag. 87. Pag. 89. Gerson In Phaedone In reos Maiestatis publicos hostes omnis homo miles est Ter. apol cap. 2. Pag. 95. Can. excom Caus 23. Quaest 6. Pag. 97. Pag. 95. Lib. 6. cap. 4. Si papa Regem deponat ab illis tantum pâ—terit expelli vel interfici quibus ipse id commiserit Aliquot annis post Apostolicae sedis nuncius in Angliam ad colligendum S. Petri vectigal missus Onuâ—phri in vit Paul 4. Vide Math. Paris Onup de vitis Pontif. in vit Mar. 2. doth testifie that Marcel also after Adrian 4. vsed these words Non video quo modo qui locum hunc altiss tenent saluari possint Pag. 10. Pag. 105. Richerius