of two extremities the meane of which consisteth in fiue royall prerogatiues The first is a power to make Lawes L. 55. v. C. de leg Tit. c. de veâ—stig without the coÌ„sent of any subiect necessary thereto consequently to coine mony to giue it value to stamp his armes vpon it to impose taxes according to the necessity of the State Secondly to make peace or warre be it to succour his allies or to reuenge an iniury L. vt Armorum Auth. de armis l. 1. ad l. Iul. de Ambitu l. ius gladij de reg iu. Doct. in l. 3. de iurisd omnium whosoeuer haue committed it Thirdly to create Magistrates and to establish or suppresse them Fourthly to take knowledge of and to iudge appeales definitiuely And lastly to haue power of life and death ouer all sorts of inhabitants in his kingdome ouer all persons resident within his Dominions and generally to dispose according to the lawes of their goods life reputation Of which points whosoeuer preteÌ„deth himselfe to be exempt resisteth the ordinance of God and are guilty of high Treason what pretext soeuer they bring CHAP. III. That Ecclesiasticall persons were subiect to Princes before the comming of our Lord IESVS CHRIST THAT is not new which is froÌ„ the beginning of the world 1. Ioh. 2.7 2. Ioh. 5. saith Saint Iohn Teneaut Sa. Iesuite in his Aphorismes Printed at Antwerp v. Princeps v. Clericis Wherefore we cannot sufficiently detest the new opinion of the Iesuits who teach that Ecclesiastical persons caÌ„not be condemned for high Treason because they are not the Kings subiects To conuince which heresie to hinder that none following this doctrine doe any more atteÌ„pt against our Kings let vs lead these Pharisies to that which was at the beginning We haue no Hystorian more antient then Moses who from the creation of the world vntill his death in the yeare of the world 1493. telleth vs of no other superiour power but of the Prince ouer all the inhabitants of his Territory And accordingly hereunto Exod. 20. to the 25. Chapter the Law was giuen of God to Moses the Duke and King of the people and not vnto Aaron acording as it is written Ex. 24.7.8 that Moses tooke the booke of the Couenant and read it in the hearing of the people c. Tooke the bloud of the couenant and sprinkled it vpon the people And wheÌ„ the chiefe Priest with all the visible Church had committed idolatry about the golden Calfe Moses reproued him saying to Aaron Ex. 32.21 What did this people vnto thee that thou hast brought so great a sinne vpon them To which reproofe Aaron answered him not that he could not erre nor his Church nor that hee iudged the whole world and was not to be iudged of any but acknowledged himselfe to be in the State and consequently the Princes subiect asketh him pardon saying Let not the wrath of my Lord waxe fierce The like reprehension Eleazer the chiefe Priest did take in good part when Moses said vnto him Leuit. 20. Yee should haue eaten it in the holy place as I had commanded In the same manner also as touching the iurisdiction for it was wholly in the hands of Moses Exod. 18.13 c. as being the Prince of the people iudging in person as in times past the Kings of France haue done or ordeining Iudges to take knowledge of causes which respect either the Church or processe betweene man and man Afterwards also there was references appeales in cases of difficulty which returned to Ierusalem 2. Chron. 19.8 Deut. 17.8 And to himselfe was giuen of God the direction of the seruice and order Ecclesiasticall and not to the Priests Against which truth it will not serue the turne to say that Moses was of the family of Leui for seeing hee reproued the chiefe Priests themselues it was not in quality of a Leuite who had bene inferiour to the least of the Priests if hee had not further had the quality of Duke So Dauid a man after Gods owne heart who tooke not vpon him aboue his charge hauing named Salomon his son for successor gathered a Councell 1. Chro. 23 numbred and distributed to the Priests their charges and offices described in that place which consisted not in commanding but in their administring before the Lord For to purifie all holy things for the shew-bread and for the fine flower for the meate offering and for the vnleueaned cakes and to offer burnt-offerings 2. Chro. 6. c. Salomon likewise dedicated the Temple and consecrated it to God in presence of all the Church And himselfe conceiued prayer and blessed the people the Priests being present Iosaphat also hauing broken downe the groues and banished the seruice of images 2. Chron. 19.3.8.11 Hee established in Ierusalem namely for the iudgement of the Lord Amariah the Priest and Zebadiah a ruler of the house of Iuda for all the Kings affaires 2. Chron. 17.6 and in the third yeare of his raigne he sent of his principall Gouernours and the Leuites with them for to teach the people And of Iosias it is written 2. King 23. And the King stood by the pillar and made a couenant before the Lord c. and it is added then the King commanded Helkijah the high Priest c. Who said not that the King had nothing to do to command him in matters which concerned the seruice of God but fulfilled the Kings commandement Likewise it is said of King Ezechias 2. Chro. 29 Hee opened the dores of the house of the Lord in the first yeare and in the first moneth of his raigne and repaired them c. called for the Priests and Leuites and said vnto them Heere me yee Leuites sanctifie now your selues and sanctifie the house of the Lord. Againe Now I purpose to make a couenant with the Lord God of Israel c. Then he said to the Priests the sonnes of Aaron that they should offer vpon the Altar he appointed the Leuites in the house of the Lord c. Then Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering vpon the Altar Also he saith Now yee haue consecrate your selues to the Lord come neere and offer the sacrifices and praises c. Againe 2. King 18.4 Hee tooke away the high places brake the images cut downe the groues and brake in peeces the brasen serpent that Moses had made And he gathered together the whole Church and wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasses 2. Chro. 30 that they should come to Ierusalem to celebrate the Passeouer c. For the King marke it and his principall Officers with all the congregation had held a counsell in Ierusalem to celebrate the Passeouer in the second moneth 2. Chron. 31.3 2. Chro. 35 1. King 2.27 Nehe. 8.8.13 the Postes therefore went note it by commission from the King Also hee prouided for the sacrifices as did Iosias
Canonum 25. q. 1. in deed or word are said by the Pope to be damned and to blaspheme against the Holy Ghost Although hee take leaue to himselfe to transgresse the Law and the Gospell of God and to shew it these blasphemous words are in the Canon Can. sors nō est causa 26. q. 2. Before that the Gospell was explaned many things were permitted which in time of a more perfect discipline haue bene altogether banished for the marriage of Priests or of cousin germans is not forbidden neither by the Law nor by the authority of the Gospell nor of the Apostles Notwithstanding by the discipline of the Church it is wholy forbidden O what perfection to transgresse the Law and the Gospell is not this to fulfill that which is foretold should come 1. Tim. 4. In the last times some shall depart from the faith giuing heed to spirits of errour and doctrines of diuels teaching lies through hypocrisie and hauing their consciences seared with an hot yron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be vsed with thankes-giuing of them which beleeue and know the truth for euery creature of God is good and nothing to bee refused being taken with thankes-giuing For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer If thou be put in minde of these things thou shalt bee a faithfull seruant of IESVS CHRIST c. And that which S. Ignatius wrote to the Philadelphians (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man confesse not these things but saith that the generation of children and lawfull marriage is pollution or that certaine meates are execrable that same man hath for familiar the Apostata Dragon Of the same opinion is Saint Augustine blaming them (b) Ad Ian. Epist 119. c. 19.20 that do so depriue themselues of the vse of meates that they esteeme such impure as vse them The like opinion hath he concerning mariage and alleageth for ground of his saying that place of S. Paul Now the reason may be taken from this that (c) Gen. 2. God hath instituted marriage That Aaron the chiefe Priest was not the lesse apt for the sacrifices that his sonnes succeeded him in the Priest-hood That God saith It is not good for man to bee alone That our Lord honored mariage with his presence in Cana of Galilee That he wold be borne vnder the veile of marriage although the holy Virgin remained without the company of man In a word in the state of Holinesse Adam and Eue were conioined by mariage Gen. 2.24 7 The Sacraments are also of God called his body and bloud the vse of which in matter and forme as hee hath prescribed ought to bee practised in the Church Such men neuerthelesse teach that the Church that is to say the Pope hath power to change in them whatsoeuer it thinketh meete Conc. Trident sess 21. c. 1. c. 22. act 23. although our Lord haue instituted it vnder two kindes And by this authority they haue added cut off from the forme Con. Const sess 13. matter and number of Sacraments And forasmuch as the Hoste among the Romish Catholickes is said to bee of God Monluc li. de relig ad Regin matrem De Monluc Bishop of Valentia complaineth by writing to the Queene mother that the Pope going forth of the Citty made the same bee carried vpon a little curtall among his carriage and the Courtesans and then come backe to meete the Pope accompanied with the pompe of the Court of Rome This same Hoste was much more despised by Hildebrand Gregory the seuenth whom Bellarmine calleth Saint The Abbot of Vespurg in the life of the Emperour Henry 3. Benno Cardinall in the life of Hildebrād for hee caused Pope Victor the second to bee impoisoned in the wine of the Eucharist The same Pope cast into the fire the consecrated Hoste in presence of many Cardinals because it gaue him no answere touching the euent of the warre that hee made against the Emperour Henry the fourth As for Gregory the ninth Baleus li. 5. of the liues of Popes hee refused the Gospell and in stead thereof substituted a Legend compiled by a Monke named Cyrill It is notorious the base account that Boniface the eighth had of the same Hoste Platina being prisoner of the Gibelins in the Citty of Agnania Another caused the Emperour Henry the seuenth surnamed of Luxemburke to bee poisoned and that in the consecrated bread giuen him by a Monke at Florence Pope Iulius the second after hee had lost the battel neere to Rauenna against the Earle of Foix cast the consecrated Hoste away and made it be troden vnder feete as the history of his time reporteth 8 The Church is of God for it is the body of CHRIST is the onely spouse of her onely head God hauing giuen to this head the solide Lordship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all the inheritance Act. 3.16 as it is written for IESVS is both of the triumphant and militant Church yea of euery particular Church Epes 1.22 Rom. 8.9 of the least indiuiduall Christian both the head and saluation incommunicably to any other according as it written for the whole 2. Cor. 11.2 It is he whom the Father hath appointed head of his Church both of the militant visible and particular I haue prepared you for one husband to present you as a pure virgin to CHRIST speaking to the Church of Corinth to euery Christan he saith CHRIST is the head of euery man 1. Cor. 11.3 Cap. quoiā lib. 3. decretal de Eccl. in 6. cap. vnico extrauag Nes de vacante Neuerthelesse these men with audacious boldnesse speake thus Not being willing to neglect our iustice and the iustice of the Church our Spouse And Bellarmine passeth farther saying that the Pope is the head of the Church CHRIST excluded etiam Christo secluso Bellar. li. 1. de Pon. c. 9. which is against the Gospel I am with you alway vntill the end of the world and contrary to the glosse of the Canon where it is said that CHRIST is alwaies the gouernour and head of his body which is the Church Gl. v. non consonam Clem. Ne Romani l. 1. de Elect. tit 3. and although the Vicar faile yet hee doth neuer faile it And how should hee faile in the guidance of his Spouse since hee tooke vpon him our nature seeing he guided her foure thousand yeares before as being her onely Bridegrome for euer as saith Origen Orig. Cant. hom 2. Think not that the Church hath bene called Spouse onely from the comming of Christ in the flesh shee was so from the creation of Mankind and from the beginning of the world Why then doth Bellarmine put IESVS apart and in default shall hee bee lesse the Spouse of his body since his Incarnation then hee was before the same Moreouer these same blasphemers attribute to the
hee spake to that hee should first confesse him to bee God before he gaue him the title of good But what should wee say if in the Kings chamber of presence some great man did cause himselfe to be stiled Your Maiesty Would he be excused of crime by such as haue authority And who is it perceiueth not by this the mystery and name of blasphemy foretold of by Saint Iohn Reuel 13. which should bee written vpon the forehead of such a head For whereas the chiefe Priest did weare vpon his Miter this inscription Exod. 28. Holinesse to the Lord This man of sinne will be entituled Holinesse of the Prelate of Rome Now seeing these Tiara's and ornaments more stately do publish abomination against the honour of the most High Let vs be rather of those lesser vtensiles of which Zachary speaketh on which is grauen openly Holinesse pertaineth to the Lord Zechar. 14. excluding all creatures 9 Yet this is not all for Kings also must be submitted vnto him Wherefore they say that the spirituall and temporall sword are in his disposition the one for to execute it personally by excommunications and Anathema's the other to cause it be borne by his subiects Lib. Extrauag communium c. Vnam sanctam de maiori obedientia See al that is alleaged by the glose of the chapter Nouit verbo iurisdictionem li. 2. decretal tit 1. de iudicijs Emperours Kings and Princes and bee drawne forth or sheathed ad nutum vel patientiam Pontificis according as the Pope will suffer it or make signe with the head for saith hee Wee declare and define that it is necessary to saluation in all things and in all places for all creatures to bee vnder the Bishop of Rome How is there any Article necessary to Saluation omitted in the Apostles Creed And neuerthelesse hence it is hath crept in the adoration of him reiected by Saint Peter who said to the Centurion (a) Act. 10.26 rise vp for I am a man also as thou art and by Saint Paul and Barnabas who rent their garments seeing that the inhabitants of Lystra in Lycaonia would haue giuen them an honour due to God alone (b) Act. 14. Wee are men as yee are And by the Angell who saith to Saint Iohn (c) Reuel 19.10 See thou doe it not I am thy fellow seruant Worship God And it serueth not to say that there is two kindes of worship and that men kisse the hands and garments and bow the knee before Princes for this kinde of worship is ciuill by reason of the homage due vnto them But Kings or Emperours doe not owe worship to the Pope for why more to a strange Bishop then to their owne Pastours which administer the Sacraments vnto them Yea why to either of them both seeing that ciuilly Kings and Emperours are greater then they all And as for religious worship that is alone referred to God euen by the Angels themselues Now to take away all equiuocation these new Doctors haue sufficiently expounded themselues one of the Popes Clerkes saying in an oration hee made to Leo the tenth incerted in the ninth Councel of Lateran in these wordes Your feete haue receiued voluntary kisses from them whose terrible hurts were feared that as before so againe is fulfilled in you the onely true and lawfull Vicar of CHRIST and of God this Prophesie All the Kings of the earth shall worship him and all nations shall serue him As if the Prophesies concerning our Lord IESVS onely should haue any other accomplishment then in his person or that religious worship ought to be conferred to man seeing we know that the humanity euen of our Sauiour is not adored of Christians but in as much as it is one same person with the God-head Wherefore the Creede of Ephesus translated out of Greeke into Latine by the Iesuite Peltanus hath these expresse termes Symbol Ephes Wee confesse that IESVS CHRIST our Lord ought to be worshipped wholly yea with his body but that he ought not to bee worshipped according to his body For the Arrians for this occasion were called idolaters by Athanasius Cyrill and Theoderet for that they worshipped a God which they said was created So saith Ireneus Iren. de incarnat cap. 25. CHRIST hath worshipped with vs yet he must be also worshipped for euery knee ought to bow before him but that is in regard of one of the natures And Saint Augustine giueth an example of it Aug. de verbo diu sermo 58. of the Kings Crowne being on the ground or vpon his head Now if religious worship ought to bee denied to all other humanity then to that which is personally vnited with the God-head who is hee dares challenge it but the God-man IESVS CHRIST Vnlesse it bee that man of sinne of whom it is written that hee should sit as God in the Temple of God 2. Thess 2. behauing himselfe as if he were God This is hee of whom Saint Hierome saith Hier. ad 11. c. Zachar. that the sword is vpon his right eye and hee boasteth that he seeth more cleerely in matter of the Sacraments then all the Prophets that haue gone before him For who is it vaunteth to see more cleerely but they which take away the cup as superfluous from the lay-people change the forme and matter of the Sacraments Can. Romanus de consecrat dist 4. c. praeter in fine dist 32. and adde vnto them twice so much as the sonne of God hath ordained suffering Baptisme to bee performed by a silly nurce keeper or midwife and approuing that which is conferred by a Pagan but the Sacraments that hee hath ordained are reserued to the highest in dignity among his Prelates and although this man armed with two swords sitteth in the Temple of God yet the faithfull are not bound to submit themselues vnto him but as soone as they perceiue the abuse they ought to imitate holy men in the like occurrence namely Moses and Iosias of whom one brake in peeces the Golden Calfe the other the brazen Serpent So the Prince and Magistrate may destroy idols and reforme abuses that they may saue the bodies and soules of idolaters The same did our Sauiour driuing the money-changers out of the Temple And if the tirranny and violence or hardnesse of the Apostasie bee such that one cannot bee in it without transgressing the Law of God and that admonition will not serue the turne the examples of Elias Micheas Isay and Ieremie vnder the Law and of the Apostles who turned to the Gentiles and the testimonies of the Doctors of the Church do shew what must be done So cryeth Ieremy Iere. 51.9 Wee would haue cured Babell but shee could not be healed forsake her and let vs go euery man to his owne country And wee need not feare the being schismatickes for such a separation for they are schismatickes which are the cause of separating Secondly in that the synagogue
of this man of sinne retaineth still the name of the Church of God it is in regard of that it was when hee first thrust himselfe into it for euery corruption hath his degrees nemo repente fuit turpissimus like as when a house is set on fire so long as the floores roofes and walles do stand it is called a house both in name and effect and when it is al◠burnt to ashes it hath no more but the bare name when we say there is a house burnt therefore no man will bee so vnwise to bee perswaded hee should dwell in it which hath neither walles to defend nor roofe to couer him though all men should tell him it was called the house of such a one no not though some part of the same yet stood because hee could not bee in safety Also there is not any Iudge so vniust will be so rigorous to a husband that accuseth his wife of adultery as to condemne him to liue with her onely because in pleading he calleth her his wife For seeing that adultery is cause of the dissolution of marriage in that the husband giueth the name of wife to her he pleadeth against it is to shew what she was that he might ground his action and depriue her of her matrimoniall couenants This causeth vs boldly to point out such a man and to maintaine that it is necessary to saluation to separate our selues from him and his Church without feare of being thereby separated from the true Church of God I say from such a one of whom we are forewarned not as of an open enemy such as the Turke is who ruinateth frō his first rising and therefore sitteth not in the Church But it is he that is entred as a Fox and raigneth as a Lyon who cōmeth in sheeps cloathing within is a rauening wolfe who hath hornes like the Lambe but vttereth blasphemy out of his mouth to wit I am God I cānot erre I am the spouse of the Church I rule in heauen and in earth Who will doubt then but that wee ought to refuse such a head seeing the Cardinall establisheth him ouer the militant Church etiám Christo secluso Bel. lib. 1. de Pontifi c. 9. CHRIST IESVS excluded or separated frō it although the vnion of him his Church is euer to remaine hath bene frō the foundaion of the world and seeing also the Cardinall createth him Monarch Temporal and Spiritual And for such a separation no Christian is separate from the Church as I haue handled at large in the discourse of Catholick Vnity Chap. 3. of the Church in chap. 7. tit of Schime where may bee obserued among other three significations of the Church first the materiall building secondly the visible assembly of euery Parish and thirdly the inuisible company of all the faithfull which is the Catholicke Church beleeued by faith and not seene with the corporall sences for vniuersall things are not the obiect of the sences and being one of the Articles of faith there is none but God that knoweth who are his seeing it may so fall out that a whole companie of men making profession to serue God may bee composed of hypocrites in euery particular man thereof Chrysostom hom 46. in Mat. Hither is referred these testimonies first of Saint Chrysostome Hee goeth not out of the Church that goeth out bodily but hee that in minde forsaketh the groundes of Ecclesiasticall truth We haue left with them the foundations of walles they haue left with vs the foundations of the Scriptures Hierom. in Psal 33. And Saint Hierome The Church consisteth not in walles but in truth of doctrine there where is the true doctrine there is the true Church And Saint Hillary Hilar. contra Auxentium The loue of walls hath taken you in vaine ye reuerence the Church in houses and buildings doe yee doubt whether Anti-christ shall sit there mountaines forrests lakes gulfes prisons are more safe vnto mee Psal 2.10 Bee wise now therefore ye Kings be learned yee Iudges of the earth serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in trembling And I will let you see an extract of one or two orations pronounced in the Councell of Lateran by the Popes Clerkes and by Moderne Canonist Doctors seene allowed and Printed by the commandement of Pope Leo the tenth as may bee seene in his Bull in the beginning of the said Councel the fift of May 1515. Yea the words of him Oratio Antonij Puccij Clerici Apostoli 3. Non Maiae 1515. sess 10. that spake to the Pope in presence of the whole Councell Although the aspect of your diuine Maiesty by the resplendent glory whereof the weaknesse of my eyes is dazaled Here is God robbed of his Maiesty we must come to the King saying And as the chiefe Byshop Leo by diuine prouidence hath bene en-registred in the royall race of chiefe Bishops Item As before in thee alone the true and lawfull Vicar of CHRIST of God this prophesie to be againe fulfilled All the Kings of the earth shall worship him Psal 71. all nations shall serue him Then vsurping the title of IESVS a iealous God hee saith Before and now the vniuersall body to wit the Church is acknowledged subiect to one onely head namely vnto thee Item Knowing that to thee alone from the Lord hath bene giuen all power in heauen and in earth that thou maist giue law and iudge not onely Spirituall men but also the earthly powers of this world But that which is most admirable is that any truth should proceed out of the blasphemous mouth of this mā in that he acknowledgeth Rome to be Spirituall Babylon in these wordes After we haue examined all the decrees of the Church and that I come to the Citty it selfe which the Prince of Apostles inspired with the holy Ghost calleth Babilō 1. Pet. 5. c. Behold this heauenly Ierusalem diuine Spouse c. clad in mourning c. which seemeth to be full of teares and discheueled prostrate at the most sacred feet of the cheife Bishop Is it so most sweete Bridegroome that thy onely thy faire thy wel-beloued Spouse which cannot say looke not vpon mee for I am browne c. Where are the Pastors of the flocke which rule rather then profile which scatter and not gather which kill in steed of sauing c. Then in the end this excreable flaterer saith to Leo. Make hast arise compasse about Syon our mother thy Spouse embrace her c. Instruct and frame the hearts of the faithfull And the Citty to wit of Rome first of all that iudgement may beginne at the house of the Lord afterward restore the whole earth by the censure of thy discipline into the puritie of the ancient faith hope and charity Is not this to exalt himselfe aboue that which is called God there is diuine Maiestie Royall race spouse and head of the Church that hath all power in heauen and
truth the new Doctors belye the Gospell and hold it expedient that the humanity of our Sauiour bee on earth but not to gouerne the Church and make a sinfull and partiall man to gouerne it who sheddeth the bloud of them for whom IESVS CHRIST shed his bloud and will not haue men beleeue the truth which teacheth that the corporall presence of CHRIST the most perfect head of all men and his carnall gouernance is taken away from vs into heauen that so they might establish Liuetenants in a charge which no mortall man can or ought to haue after the Ascension of the Generall And as new Pharisies who expected a Messiah triumphing ouer Temporall powers and subduing nations by materiall armes these picture forth a successour with mixt power who is ashamed of the simplicity of the Gospell and is an enemy to the crosse of CHRIST which hee cannot endure but grauen or painted And since the Ascension of our Lord IESVS 1. Cor. 3.16 whom wee know no more according to the flesh these men will haue gouernours that are carried on mens shoulders succeding herein the opinion of the Israelites when Moses was so long in the Mount saying to the Priests Exod. 32.23 make vs Gods to goe before vs for as for this man wee know not what is become of him These are likewise those same which the parable of our Sauiour denoteth Luk. 19.12 saying A certaine noble-man went into a farre country to receiue for himselfe a Kingdome and so to come againe c. but his Citizens sent an Embassadour after him saying wee will not haue this man raigne ouer vs but the Lord being returned saith Vers 27. Bring hither those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them and slay them before mee So let it bee done to all such as will not continue seruants till the Kings returne who is gone to take possession of the Kingdome of heauen and to prepare a place there for vs that they may know that as the Iewes doe in vaine expect a Messiah triumphing in that manner as they would haue it so with as little ground they haue hoped for another Anti-christ then him whom the Iesuites paint forth with his double sword See more of this in a Treatise I haue made of Catholicke Vnity Chap. of the Church sect 6. Mat. 20.26 Mar. 10.43 Can. Constan seque dist And they in all the succession of the Apostles finding but one key of heauen would get the key of earthly Empire and as our Sauiour had said Thou art Peter these men adde Thou art Constantine Pepin and Lewis And because our Sauiour had forbidden superiority among the Apostles these men insert a Canon in these wordes The Emperour Constantine gaue this priuiledge to the Byshop of the Romane Church to be the head of all Byshops as the King is the head of Iudges And the following Cannons adde that hee gaue him also his Pallace his Crowne and Imperiall Ornaments because it was not (a) Idem habetur ca. 17. fundamenta li. 1. 6. decretal De Electione See the abhominations of this Canō reasonable that the Emperour should reside in the same Cittie where the Pope is and then to shew their thankefulnesse they forged that the Emperour was a leaper against the records of all Histories (b) Euseb 5. libris de vita Constantini Plin. li. 21. cap. 1. Mantuan lib. de patientia c. 30. cap. 1. Nesede vacante cap. extra d e consuet Clem. pastorali can 2. de re iudic And vpon this supposition or forgery they build that the Pope is appointed ouer Kings and Kingdomes and succeedeth the Empire vacant and may transport Empires from one nation to another and depose Emperours hauing the exercise of two swordes Behold how of one absurdity many do arise For first that same Donation is false as the learned (c) Hottom brutum fulmen cap. 12. Crimen falsi Hottoman verifieth by twenty sixe reasons And (d) Bartol Proemio digest nu 14. videte nos sumus in terris Eccl. ideo quod illa donatio valuit Bartoll himselfe saith it is true for no other reason but because hee wrote in the territory of Rome and therefore durst not write the contrary The best proofe against this falshood is that Constantius the sonne of Constantine neuer forsooke Rome and the dominions thereof but deposed Liberius Bishop of Rome who became for this occasion an Arrian and subscribed against Athanasius as Saint Hierome (e) Hieron in cap. Fortunatianus Catalogo scriptorum Ecclesiastic Athanasius in Epistola ad solitarium vitam agētes witnesseth But these Doctors must confesse that the great goods that Popes possesse haue proceeded frō the liberality of the Kings Pepin Charles Lewis Also in the confirmation (f) Ego Ludouicus 63. dist volater l. Geor. 3. that beginneth Ego Ludouicus there is no mention made of Constantine but only of Pepin and Charles the grand-father and father of Lewis Now the reason why this donation was published in the name of Constantine Du. Tillet was for that the Emperour tooke it ill as then that the King gaue away that which hee pretended to belong vnto him So this augmentation of titles hath caused the diuerse enterpretation of the word to feede either as a King in commanding or as a Byshop in preaching Aug. de verbo domini ser 20. tract 10. 124. in Ioan Cyril li. 4. dial de Trinit as Saint Augustine and Saint Cyrill enterprete it But Cardinall Baronius passeth further for he maketh to feed the flocke to be as horses feed on grasse saying against the Signory of Venice Holy Father kill and eate I know the word Feed signifieth three things to command as a King to exercise the Ecclesiasticall Ministery and the last to eate but the distinction is knowne according to the subiect whereto it is applyed As therefore it were impertinent to conclude for a King that hee is to Preach the Law of God and administer the Sacraments because the Lord said to Dauid 1. Kin. 2.11 2. Sam. 5.2 Thou shalt feede my people Israel so as wide from the purpose will the Iesuites cōclude that the Pope is to command ouer the Temporallity of Kings because our Sauiour saith to S. Peter Iohn 21. Feed my sheep for that is meant onely of the feeding for which hee had commission Otherwise it would follow by such equiuocations and abusing of words of many significatiōs that an asse turned out to feed in the third signification should be furnished with a Miter a Crosier staffe But to returne to our discourse with what audaciousnesse do they vaunt that the grounds of the Romish Bishops superiority ouer others is taken frō the law of God or diuine right seeing that it is the gift of the Emperour For if hee gaue it it followeth that hee had it before hee granted it and if the Pope receiued it frō
him he had not that preheminence ouer other Bishops before it was giuen to him by the Emperour for as no man can giue that which he hath not so none receiueth that of gift which by right pertaineth to him Thirdly it being but an humane priuiledge it followeth that it is not a right common nor diuine consequently subiect to confirmation and reuocation in case of abuse especially being (a) Guido pp. q. 239. Decius Cons 191. 1 parte Lucas de Penna l. quicunque de omni agro deserto l. 11. c. Can. Intelecto de iureiur gl verbo depereunt in proemio prag sanct l. 1. 2. Cod. Theod. de Epis cler lib. 6. Nouel vt Cler. 83. §. Si tamen coll 6. a domaniall right it could not bee alienated by the Emperour And therefore Popes ought not be vnthankefull towards the Kings that haue aduanced them Phocas gaue thē the name Pepin gaue them the reuenue Constantine granted nothing at first to Bishops but an exemption frō tutelle and gatherings of monies Constantius his sonne added vnto them that they should not bee criminally proceeded against before the Iudges royall that their faults might not bee published And Iustinian extended the priuiledge to all Ecclesiasticall persōs not to with-draw thē from vnder his obedience but that he might do them speedier iustice with lesse scandale Which priuiledges haue bene confirmed by Christian Kings not without exception neither in all sortes of crimes for Princes from whom as from the fountaine all inferiour Iustices are deriued and who are perpetuall moderatours of subalternall iustices doe neuer grant any priuiledge against themselues for these causes haue they excepted certaine cases properly called Cases Royall and improperly called priuiledged Cases for they bee cases excepted from the priuiledge granted to Ecclesiasticall subiects or others of which Iustice is done by the Kings Officers because they very notably concerne the King As when any matter of high treason is in hand or of bearing armes of the Kings safegard infringed of iniury done to one of the Kings Officers performing his Office Item If a Priest in some office for the King behaue himselfe ill and many others For as much therefore as the King is himselfe priuiledged aboue the priuiledge that he granteth it is manifest the error which these men publish for the aduantage of their head that it was a priuiledge granted to the King by the Pope hauing no other ground then the equiuoke of the word Priuiledged Case But since they haue passed further and if Kings and their seruants any longer winke at it they will effect that they teach and already they are about it they attribute to themselues a double power the keyes and the sword heauen and earth Spirituall and Temporall euen to the deposing of Kings and Soueraigne (a) Can. Alius 15. q. 6. Princes dispensing their (b) Can. Engeltrudam cau 3. q. 4. subiects from their obedience and not onely proceeding to excommunicate and anathematize them which is the most rigorous censure cutting off from the communion of charity and faith but also to cut them off out of the world to giue them ouer to the first murtherer that will attempt against them who shall not be iudged (d) Can. Excommunicatorum 23. q. 5. a murtherer by the doctrine of the Popes new Canons Thus after they haue said that whatsoeuer thing Princes ordaine in Ecclesiasticall matters Can. 1. dist 96. they ought to haue no authority they passe vpon their liues and states a doctrine contrary to the discipline of the Apostles and humility of Saint Gregory writing to the Emperour Mauritius Lib. 2. Epist 61. in dict 11. I the vnworthy seruant of your piety c. and he concludeth I haue therefore caused your commandement to bee published but because the same is not comformable to the Law of God I haue therefore aduertised your Maiesty and so haue acquitted my selfe of my duty in obeying the Emperour and yet not being silent in Gods cause And we must not thinke that hee saith one thing and meaneth another for in those daies there was no schoole of equiuocation and speaking in humility he also spake the truth for as saith Saint Augustine Serm. 29. de verbo Apostoli tom 10. When thou liest by humility though peraduenture thou wert not a sinner before yet in lying thou becommest one Now they not onely refuse to bee subiect but also change the censure ordained for a spirituall remedy of the soule into a perpetuall confiscation of goods and mortall bane of mens bodies And the pretended temporall Lord is more rigorous then any other for let the seised doe the best endeuour hee possible can yet the seizure abideth stil and the effect of the proscription to the profite of the vsurper And indeed was it euer spoken of at Rome to cause Nauarre to be restored and to excommunicate the vsurper But with what importunity doe they bring in the Heraulds of such power to make vs allow both the title and the possession against the Kings right From the same ground proceed the vnreuerend behauiours of the members belonging to this mixt authority of some against the Princes of bloud others against Courts of Parliament and by degrees against the Kings Officers And least any more speech should bee made as in time past was by the Emperour Ferdinand and Lewis the twelfth to reforme both the head and members These vpstart busie-bodies haue come to helpe by entertaining our diuisions in religion in steed of quenching them faining that they come to reforme abuses among them replying against others which require a Councell that their opinions haue bene already sufficiently condemned and that there needeth no more Councels as if vniust iudgements against lawfull proceeding were a Law against a third which hath not beene heard nor called If this maxime were true there would haue bene no Councels holden of very many yeares and places of Iustice should be shut vp CHAP. X. That it is one of the most pernicious heresies to despise the King THIS title will not be held a paradox by good men who know that the seruice we render to the King proceedeth from the ordinance of God For though many heathen nations haue performed this duty yet not hauing the knowledge of Gods cōmandement nor an intention to obey the same they haue respected only their owne particular that they might preserue their policies and therefore such vertues meerly moral are not allowable before the throne of Gods iustice For whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin Rom. 14.13 So we may say that the equall diuision of spoile among theeues is not a true execution of iustice but a shadow therof that there society may the longer continue which if contention should arise amōg thē could not long endure And therfore as the final cause is vitious so the meanes wherby they attaine the same ought not to be held lawfull In like maner all
him was to make warre against God for saith that prodigious murtherer God is the Pope and the Pope is God Further there was found about him a Character with a heart of Cotten hung about his necke hee shewed to the Iesuite D'Aubinie who confessed him and heard his visions of Hosties a knife whereon was grauen a Heart and a Crosse and with what sort of mē were the prisons filled after this fact but with such as were infected with heresies preiudiciable to the State and to the Church I beseech your Maiesty pardon my zeale grounded vpon that I know as one of your faithfull seruants pardon the iust griefe of a subiect passioned against the parricide committed on two of his Kings Giue mee leaue my Lord to shedde true teares for the death of your Royall Father suffer me to lament for my Abimelec Ier. 4.20 of whom I said in my heart I will liue amidst the nations vnder his shadow vnder his Edict by whose benefite seeing I haue permission to speake and write the truth I haue presented it to your owne hands not to renew sorrowes passed but to preuent them that are to come For iudge I beseech you how much it importeth to make apparant vnto your Maiesty that Popes are not Gods that they may erre that they forget themselues against God the King to the end that in discouering the cause of this euill I may leaue vnto your Maiesties wisedome to remedy the same when time and age shall inuite you thereto Meane while till that time of perfect cure doth come these two preseruatiues seeme necessary for the two members which this disease would seize on and corrupt namely Piety and Iustice the Pillars of State For to what end would they cause the prudent Counsell of the Senate to bee despised but because they thinke to ouerthrow the State after the example of Rehoboams new Counsellours What arrogant presumption to censure the Sentences of that great Senate Iudge of the Empire sometime Arbiter of Europe and to what other end do they procure with so great importunity delayes of so holy iudgements And wherefore else hinder they the en-registring of the decrees of the Sorbonne so Canonicall Why do they terrifie and amerce the Preachers that speake the truth Courage ye good and loyall seruants that hide not but vse your Talent Serue God and the King Mat. 15.14 Luk. 19. and you shall enter into the ioy of your Lord For my part which is all I can doe for you I would engraue you in this memorial if your modesty did suffer it and that the hatred to which I expose my selfe were not cōmunicated to you For as for vs 2. Tim. 1.7 God hath not giuen vs the Spirit of feare but of strength and of loue and of a setled mind And if a Souldier for being praised of his Captaine will runne against the points of pikes cast himselfe into the trench and despise the fury of Canons what would a Frenchman Burgesse of the capitall City doe on so high a stage of Europe fighting for the honour of God and the seruice of his King Abeant questus discede timor vitae est auidus quisquis non vult mundo secum pereunte mori Now my Lord letting iustice bee administred as you doe according to her ordinary course your Maiesty shall bee the better serued and shall not incurre enuy in your person not being of age to employ your priuate authority in giuing extraordinary commandements and the Queene shall euer bee better obeyed gouerning herselfe as shee doth by the ancient Lawes of the State and ordinary course of iustice whereas if she let herselfe bee carried away with importunities many inconueniences would ensue For these men get ground of vs and go by degrees hauing bene first refused of all the orders and estates after that receiued with modification and now would driue out them that oppose themselues to their designes And if for the installing of these new Doctors this reason bee found good not to displease him that sendeth them what will not be done vpon this ground must wee renounce the most faithfull confederates of France who haue expelled cast them off neuer to receiue them more into their States and Common-wealthes must wee renew warre against them that acknowledge not this new power and not keepe our faith with them any longer then it shall please that Spirit of discord And if it bee thought vnfit to bring vs to such a misery wherefore do some counsell to repeale the causes Yea rather wee should resist the beginning And because that vnder pretence of maintaining Religion such men slily infect weake soules with maximes against the State The second remedy is taken from the other pillar of the State to wit The Vniuersity Piety that must be aided strengthened in the body of the Vniuersity which is not destitute of learned men as some calumniate This Vniuersity hath bene euer called in France Du Tillet of the liberties of the Church the keeper of the key of Christianity And it was the same that appealed from the Bull of Pope Pius the second and caused their protestations to bee en-registred in the Court of the Chastelet And Maister Iohn de S. Romain the Kings Attorney generall did the same actions as your Maiesty seeth done by your Aduocate generall Maister Sernin a man both learned couragious and incorruptible in iustice and in the seruice of his Prince Out of this Vniuersity King Lewis the twelfth tooke sixe Doctors for Counsellours of Estate It was this Vniuersity that ceased the massaker stirred vp by the Duke of Burgundy proclaimed through the streetes peace good people vnder the raigne of King Charles the sixt Out of this body were taken the sixe Doctors that decided the question now againe brought to be discussed of in Court Whether it be iust to assist the confederates of France against the will of the Pope when Pope Iulius excommunicated Alfonsus Duke of Ferrara whom King Lewis the twelfth assisted by the aduise of the Gallicane Church assembled in Councell at Tours in the month of September Anno. 1510. And although King Henry the Great followed onely the steppes of his Predecessours and the decisions of Catholicke Doctors neuerthelesse wee haue perceiued with an extreme mischiefe the effects of a pernitious doctrine the obstacles they would haue brought against the succour promised to the confederates of the Crowne for remedy whereof it seemeth that the exhortation of the Curates your Maiesties seruants and of the Doctors of Sorbonne will bee very necessary together with the writings of the most learned whom your Maiesty shall please to chuse for although armes bee seemely neere about your Maiesty yet is it no lesse profitable to prepare the affections of the subiects in such sort that armes may bee more for ornament then necessary for the safety of the Prince and that such men may bee employed herein as haue in their mindes an
Antidote against this moderne poyson For not onely great and learned Captaines as Alexander and Caesar haue attained to the Empires of the world but also Generals of warre haue profitably vsed the Counsell of learned men for to execute great designes To this purpose Pyrrus said hee wanne more Citties by the industry of his Orator Cineas Plutar. in Pyrrhus then hee tooke by force of armes Yea a sillie Scholler following Regilianus profited him to obtaine the Empire by meanes of his declining Rex Regis making allusion to the name of Regilianus Trebel Pollio in Regill for the Souldiers which were in the Campe taking that for good presage proclaimed him Emperour Such men Alphonsus the Phenix of the Spanish Kings vsed calling vnlearned Princes Golden Flecees added that the dumbe were his best Counsellours meaning bookes that flattered not Kings but told them the truth and reprouing the opinion of one of his Predecessors who thought it vnbeseeming a noble and generous minde to haue learning saith It was the voyce of a brute beast rather then a man The want of which register hath caused that the most generous actions of our ancient Gaules haue remained buried in obliuion or haue bene much lessened by the writings of such as enuied their greatnesse For military actions are renowned to posterity according as the penne of hystory hath extolled the same thus are Achilles and Aeneas made famous by Homer and Virgil and Caesar himselfe by his true testimony And contrariwise they that haue had learning for aduersary remaine in opprobry to posterity Thus the iniury that the Vniuersity of the Athenians receiued by the cruel imposition of foureteene children sent to the King of Creta though otherwise he were in such reputation of iustice that antiquity made him a Iudge in the Elizium yet could hee not obtaine against pen and inke weake instruments in apparance Quaesitor Minos vnam mouet but that hee was dishonoured in his bed and his children Icarus and Minotaure the one an example of vanity the other a prodigious monster and himselfe taxed in his person as perishing miserably It is a worke worthy your Maiesty to establish the Kings Colledge the building vp whereof God hath reserued vnto your Maiesty as hee did the building of the Temple to wise Salomon and doubt not my Lord but that there will bee found Regents sufficiently capable honour nourisheth Artes they haue not hitherto appeared because the Muses could not bee heard during the noise of the Trumpet and sound of the Drumme The nurse-children of the Muses shut vp themselues in the caues of Parnassus and come not at the Court vnlesse they bee sent for But my Lord seeing it is a matter of peopling a royall Colledge there should not bee any Doctors not royall or not for the King nor any that haue taken oath of blind vow to any out of the Kingdome for saith the Gospell No man can serue two Maisters And why should the King maintaine at his charge Professours that will corrupt the syncerity of the affections of his subiects by the poyson of the new Canons of which wee haue quoted some By these two meanes euermore profitable for the State the State shall be preserued till it please God to encrease your Maiesty in age and in all sorts of Spirituall and Temporall blessings that you may gouerne the same in person and remoue away the cause of this euill which I hope for by Gods grace so much the more assuredly as your Maiesty is a liuely purtraiture of those great Kings that haue commanded the people of God succeeding as a yong Iosias to a father murthered by the disloyaltie of some of his subiects as a Salomon to triumphing Dauid his father as a Saint Lewis vnder the Regency of his mother God grant that your Maiesty may accomplish the posie of King Lewis the twelth your predecessour Perdam Babylonis nomen That is I will destroy the name of Babylon seeing that they now renew the like attempts as they did then vnder his raigne To the end that as the most high Monarch of heauen and earth would not employ to such a worke the mighty arme of flesh Henry the Great your father no more then hee did that of Dauid whom hee had destinated vnto battels your Maiesty as a Salomon his sonne by the workes of peace may restore the Gallicane Church by the common voyce of which with bended knees hands lifted vp to heauen and heart to God your Maiesty heareth the like blessing as the Queene of Sheba gaue to Salomon 2. Chron. 9.8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which loued thee to set thee on his throne as King to execute iudgement and iustice And let the Prophesy of Nathan in the highest heauen bee ratified in your Maiesty 2. Sam. 7.13.14 I will stablish the throne of his Kingdome for euer I will bee vnto him a father and hee shall bee my sonne Amen Mart. 9.104 Prima tuo gerito pro Ioue bella puer FINIS