that hee should rule and defend the Kingdome and the people of the Lorde and aboue all things the holy Church And when the Popes eyes were fixed vpon the Bishopricks of England to bring them all spirituall promotions to his owne donation his Holinesse receiued admonition from the same Conqueror that hee should goe against the most auncient Lawes of his kingdome if he did admit or acknowledge the power of any forreiner as the Pope was A.D. 1088 So William Rufus sonne to the Conqueror did strictly forbid Anselm Archbishop of Canterburie and charged all other Bishops to haue no respect to Rome or to the Pope saying J cannot endure any equall in my kingdome so long as J liue A.D. 1114 Henry the first by his Atturney did forbid Anselm returning from Rome to enter his land vnlesse he would faithfully promise to keep all the customs both of William the Conqueror his Father and of William Rufus his brother A.D. 1164 Henrie the second made all the Bishops c. sweare in a generall assembly at Cloredon that these liberties of the Crown amongst which one was That no Archbishop Bishop or any other person should goe out of the Realme without the King his leaue Another did direct Appeales That if any were made they should come from the Archdeacon to the Bishop from the Bishop to the Archbishop and if the Archbishop fayled in doing Justice it shall bee lawfull at the last to come vnto the King that by his commaundement the matter may bee ended in the Archbishop his Court So that no person shall presume to appeale further without the King his consent And hee writ letters to all his Shiriffes Lieutenants in England in this manner I commaund you that if any Cleargie man or Lay man in your Countie appeale to the Court of Rome you attach him hold him fast-ward till Our pleasure bee known Henrie the third when it was propounded in Parliament whether one borne before Matrimonie may inherit in like maner as they that are born after And the Bishops intreating the temporall Lords to consent to the affirmatiue because the Canons Decrees of the Church of Rome are so all the Earles and Barons answered with one voyce That they would not haue the Lawes of England changed and so the statute passed with the Lords temporall against the orders of Rome The same King writeth in this wise to the Bishops seuerally to euerie one in his Diocesse Henry the third by the Grace of God to the Reuerend in Christ B. of N. Whereas Wee haue heretofore written vnto you once twise thrise as well by Our priuie Seales as also by Our Letters Patents that you should not exact or collect for the Popes behalfe anie tallage or other helpe of Our Subiectes either of the Cleargie or of the Layetie for that no such tallage or helpe either can or is vsed to bee exacted in Our Realme without the great preiudice of Our Princely dignitie which Wee neither can nor will suffer or sustaine Yet you contemning and vilipending Our Commaundement and contrarie to the Prouision made in Our last Councell at London graunted agreed vpon by Our Prelates Earles and Barons haue that notwithstanding proceeded in collecting the same your taxes and tallages Whereupon Wee doe greatly maruaile are moued especially seeing you are not ashamed to doe contrarie to your owne Decrees whereas you and other Prelates in the said Councell in this did all agree and graunt that no such exactions should bee heereafter vntill the returne of Our and your ambassadors frō the Court of Rome sent thither purposely of Vs and in the name of the whole Realme for the same to prouide for redresse against these oppressions Wherefore Wee straightly will and commaund you that from henceforth you doe not proceede any more in collecting exacting such tallages or helpes as you will enioy Our fauour and such possessions of yours as within this Our kingdome you haue and hold And if you haue alreadie procured or gathered any such thing yet that you suffer it not to bee transported out of Our Realme but cause it to bee kept in safe custody till the return of the said Ambassadors vnder the paine of Our displeasure in doing of the contrarie and also of prouoking Vs to extend Our hand vpon your possessions further thē you will thinke or beleeue Moreouer willing charging you that you participate make knowen this Our Inhibition with your Archdeacōs Officials which We here haue set forth for the liberties of the Cleargie and of the people as knoweth God c. A.D. 1212 When King John had refused the disordered election of Stephen Langton to the Archbishopricke and See of Canterburie Jnnocent the third forced the King to resigne his kingdome and to take it of him againe the said Pope at the yearely rent of 1000. Markes But the Barons the Bishops were so much displeased therewith that in plaine contempt of the Popes keyes curses they did choose them another King and chased King Iohn the Popes fermor in dispite of all his new Landlord could doe A.D. 1291 King Edward the first made a Statute at Carlile that the Pope should exercise no Iurisdiction in England and in his time one bringing an excommunication from Rome against a Subiect of England and the same being brought by complaint before the King and his Councell the fact was adiudged high Treason the offendor had suffred death but by the mediation of the Chauncellor Treasurer the King was content with his banishment Edward the second would not suffer the Peter-penie to bee collected otherwise then had been accustomed A.D. 1360 Edward the third reuiued the Statute of Premunire made by Edward the first Pope Gregorie the eleuenth writ to him that this Law might bee abrogated but preuailed not Shortly after this time Richard fitz Ralfe liued was made Archbishop of Armagh a holy learned man as appeareth by his labours and disputations against the begging Friers A.D. 1413 Henry the fourth made a Law that no Popes Collector thenceforth should leuie any money within the Realme for first fruites of any Ecclesiasticall liuing vnder pain of incurring the Statute of Prouisions or Premunire An. 5. Henr. 5. Act. 17. It was enacted in a Parliament That the Church all estates should enioy all their liberties which were not repealed or repealeable by the common Law meaning the excluding of the Popes forreine power which hath alwayes beene excluded by the common Law A.D. 1428 As King Henry the sixt with Duke Humfrey Lord Protector the rest of the Councell were in the Dukes house in the Parish of S. Bennets by Pauls Wharfe one Richard Candray Procurator in the Kings name behalfe did protest denounce by this publike instrument That whereas the king and all his Progenitors Kings before him of this Realme of England haue beene heretofore possessed time out of minde with speciall priuiledge custom vsed and
it followeth in the storie that at length hee made peace with all the nations round about Concerning Officers Rex Assuerus Aman quamuis alienigenam ad id honoris euexit vt cunctis Persarum Medorum Principibus anteferretur Et Mordechaium totius honoris dignitatis eius successorē constituit The Book of Kings and Chronicles yeeld cleere testimonies that these Offices were in the Kings dispose hee placed and displaced them all euen the high-Priests too Pope Boniface the 8. would haue put himselfe into these rights in Frāce But he got a Great fooliship for this attempt Sciat maxima tua fatuetas c. and then was quiet Who can doubt of the matter of appeale that reads Pauls prouocation vnto Cesar I stand at Cesars iudgement seate where I ought to be iudged not only in respect of himselfe because hee could not decline that iurisdiction but of all others besides for none could exempt him because Cesar had the last resort and supreame Iudicature Last of all the grace of deliuerance and pardoning criminalls was in the King else Ioab was mistaken in the middest of his subtilitie when he sent the woman of Tekoah to Dauid Dauid Salomon were mistaken too the one when hee pardoned Absolon and Shemey the other when he gaue to Abiathar the high priest his life Thou art worthy of death but I will not kill thee goe to Anathoth to thine owne fields Hee did confine him Now who can denie the Kings Supremacie seeing all the particulars of Soueraignetie meete together in his person Peter graunts it Submit yourselues to all maner ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it bee to the King as hauing more then all that is the force of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in my poor vnderstāding he that hath power boue all must needes bee Supreame But why doth Peter call it a humane ordinance The Kings power is like to Pearles that are found heere below but carrie a resemblance of Heauen in their brightnesse and Orient colours Such is the authority that I treat of S. Peter calls it a humane ordinance because it is conuersant here vpon earth and exercised amongst men But it may iustly challenge an higher parentage when the beautie therof is marked and the emoluments considered Then it is like to Daniels goodly Tree of whose fruite all mortall men doe tast and eat vnder whose shadow they also take rest and comfort How often haue those holy Fathers run to the defence and succour of this Tree in stormes which now in their faire Sunne-shine goe about to shroude lopp the branches O vnthankefull remembrancers But to the point If this power be of men how is it sacred and if it be from heauen why should it not be Soueraigne The Royall Law is this Thou shalt make him King ouer thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose The people haue no authoritie to make a King no voyces nor interest in the businesse when they desire a King God reserueth that power to himselfe You know who saith it Acts 13. When the people of Jsrael desired a King God gaue vnto them Saul the Sonne of Cys Samuel did not appoint him the people did not chuse him but God To morrow about this time I will send thee a Man him shalt thou annoynt There is Samuels warrant And will you see what part the people had Samuel assembled the people the tribe of Benjamin was taken So Saul the sonne of Cys was taken And Samuel said see you not him whom the Lord hath chosen Nor Priest nor Prophet nor people had Nomination Election or Approbation of the King but God did all according to the reseruation of his own Law The people were beholders no actors they did take Conditions they could make none Hoc erit ius Regis This shall bee whether you translate it the Kings right or his manner It is an Item to Subiects that they can neuer Capitulate with their Prince If you translate it the Kings right then that may not be inuaded If you translate it His manner or custome that creates an other right and cannot handsomely be auoyded Heere is the difference between a Law that giueth right a Custome that maks a manner in the former there is an expresse allowance in the second a secret consent The appointment of the second King was like vnto the first and the third also was assigned to Dauid by God The greatest diffrence was that Gods Election began then to be hereditarie and to bee declared by succession But mens inheritances take not away Gods right they confirme it rather because he appointeth heires Ego dixi dij estis He calleth them Gods to whom the Word of God came Which speech of Christ is an Hebraisme signifying that Kingdomes Gouernments come not by authority or practise of men but by Gods holy Ordinance and Commission The Word of God must come vnto them before they can be called Gods And so I will shut vp this point with that which they say Peter spake to Birthwould a Moncke of Glassenburie when hee was anoynting Edward the Confessor as I remember The Moncke was inquisitiue who should succeed him in the kingdome And Peter answered Ne talia cures Sir Moncke trouble not your head with such cares Regnum enim Angliae Dei regnum est For the Kingdome of England is Gods kingdome Euen so Lord IESVS let it euer continue that it may bee safe vnder the shadow of thy wings If the Monckes vision were true it brings our Superuisors of kingdomes a Supersedeas from Peter that should be of some force amongst those that crie nothing but Peter Peter If it be not true yet it shews what the opinion of the world was then namely That the disposition of kingdomes belongeth to God alone And that the Care of Titles and Successions was no fit Meditation for Monckes and Parsons of that rancke Thus much for the Supremacie of the Kings power Now the stile of Kings followeth which our SAVIOVR in this place would haue proportionable to the Maiestie of their places wee are commanded To giue honour to whom honour belongeth Surely none hath such right vnto it as the King And the first part of honour consisteth in Tearmes and Titles of respect My sonne feare the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are seditious God and the King are proposed ioyntly and made the Obiects of our feare therefore the Holy Ghost inioyneth vs to performe no perfunctorie or vulgar reuerence to Kings but that which is Sacred Cordiall Bring such reuerence all Complements of Honour will follow to content Christian Princes And remember that as they haue Gods Chaire and represent Gods image so hee hath communicated his Name vnto them which containeth the amplitude of all Honour Heere the Sonne of God calleth them Benefactors or gracious Lords a Title anciently
giuen to Kings and none sorteth better with the intent end of their office which is as Aristotle admonisheth king Alexander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul expresseth it in good English Hee is the Minister of God for thy good Tu regem patremque geras tu consule cunctis You haue heard how the Lord that is annoynted honoureth the Lords annoynted with Supremacie in his Iurisdiction with Maiestie in his Stile and Titles It is our dueties to wish him good lucke with his Honour Peace be within his Wals plenteousnesse within his Palaces for my Brethren Companions sake I will wish him prosperitie yea because of the house of the Lord J will pray for his good Now let vs see the last passage what interest the Apostles and their successors haue in this matter of Supremacie and Titles of Maiestie Our Sauiour takes it from them Positiuely Vos autem non sic You that are Apostles shall haue no such power Our Masters of the Church of Rome drawes it to them crookedly whether will ye beleeue him that was indifferent and without respect of persons or these that are partiall him in the trueth or these in their pride the Sonne of God or the Brethren of the Conclaue Amongst many differences that be betweene them this may be reckoned for one That we beleeue the Sauiour of mankinde vpon his word Jpse dixit is sufficient But the other must attend for no further credit from vs then they can winne by the euidence of their proofes And these are either Blasphemous or Triuiall They now say that wee must conceiue a secret implyed Oath in our Baptisme to yeelde obedience to the Pope A proofe full of horrible blasphemie true Christians will detest to sweare into the Popes wordes and to ioyne him in their Baptisme as a Consort with the three Persons of the holy and vndiuided Trinitie Hearest thou not this O Christ at the right hand of God How the Aduersaries for their owne greatnesse would euacuate and violate thy holy Baptisme The other proofes Feede my sheepe and Vnto thee will I giue the keyes for I reade no more in the writhen Diuine are ouerworne triuiall proofes vnbeseeming the cause which is now made one of the principall Articles of Faith as if none could be faithfull vnlesse he beleeue in the Pope vnfitting the person that alleageth them from whom the world did looke for Oracles and behold nothing but that which euery triobolour Papist can tel As to the former Paul in his farewell tould the Elders of Ephesus that The holy Ghost had made them ouerseers to feed the Church of God Wherein I note two things First the Office of Elders did consist in feeding Secondly that the Church of God which they must feede is of equipollent and of as large compasse as the sheepe of CHRIST Therefore if there bee any force in the words of our Sauiour vnto Peter for feeding his sheepe because they are indefinite There must needs bee the same in these of Paul to the Priests of Ephesus because they are equiualent And so euerie inferior Minister should hould a kinde of Soueraignetie in their places which peraduenture our Aduersaries may intend though it bee not expressed for they conceale many things till opportunitie serue But if the Pope by feeding of Christs sheepe may exercise authoritie ouer Kings be well assured that his inferior Ministers which haue the same power of feeding may and will practise the like vpon you that are Subiects Is it possible that any Subiects should bee in better Condition then their Soueraigne Doe not deceiue your selues my good Brethren friends the seruant is no better then his Master That which is good in the head of the Church against the heads of Kingdomes will alwayes be of validitie in the Members of the Church against the Subiects of kingdomes Therefore beware of them beloued They that dare attempt against the Maiestie and Persons of Kingdomes will much sooner attempt against your lands and liues goods Nothing shall be left vnviolable nothing remaine free in any part of the Common-wealth all must bee at the pleasure and mercie of the Pope his Priests You see how he is not content to sheare but will skin his sheepe so as no man hath cause to be sorie that hee is not of his fould Now looke vpon his Keyes if they bee as powerfull as the feeding of sheepe The keyes of the kingdome of heauen is a perspicuous exposition of the Gospel teaching men what way they may goe to Heauen and how to be saued This Key was not cōmitted to Peter alone but vnto all the rest of the Apostles Hoc dictum Tibi dabo Claves regni Coelorum caeteris quoque commune est Et quae sequuntur velut ad Petrum dicta sunt omnium cōmunia This sentence of Christ Vnto thee will I giue the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen is spoken to the other Apostles too and the wordes that follow which seeme to bee deliuered vnto Peter are common to all the rest Then if wee maruaile that they which are designed to the charge of expounding of the Gospel and opening Heauen vndertake other things by the power of their keyes as Kingdomes and Gouernments of the Earth wee doe it not without the warrant of Scripture Heere is a Patterne that our Sauiour leaueth to his Apostles in my Text Soueraignetie is interdicted and a Ministerie is enioyned them Bernard writ to as great a Pope as Paul the fift Quid vos alienos fines invaditis What doe you meane to enter vpon other mens rights Disce tibi Sarculo opus esse nō Sceptro vt opus Prophetae facias Vnderstand that an Hooke to weede withall is fitter for you then a Scepter to doe the office of a Prophet Esto vt quacunque alia ratione hoc tibi vendices non tamen Apostolico iure By what other right soeuer you can challenge this thing it is certaine you may not doe it by any right deriued from the Apostles Nec illud tibi dare Petrus potuit quod non habuit For that which Peter had not himself he could neuer conuey to the Pope And so hee concludeth I ergo tu tibi vsurpare aude aut dominans Apostolatum aut Apostolicus dominatum Goe too then vsurpe if you dare either a Lord-like Apostleship or an Apostolicall Lordship Planè ab alterutro prohiberis You are cleerely forbidden the one of the two Si vtrumque similiter habere voles vtrumque perdes If you will needes haue them both together you must needes loose them both Well then are not the Keyes sometimes a Cognisance of absolute Authoritie yes verily but that is Dauids Keye not Peters I but CHRIST had that keye too It is true but he did not communicate it to Peter or to any of the Apostles This saith he that hath the keye of Dauid then he had it he hath it still hee