before he would attempt any thing he caused to come vnto him into the house of the Lord and made a couenant with thē and tooke an oth of them in the house of the Lord shewed them the kinges sonne After which consent and couenant accorded amongst them hauing disposed an order for the proclaiming and establishing of Ioash the young rightfull king whom he had so saued from the massacre hee brought him forth as the text saith and put the Crowne vpon him and gaue him the testimonie and têhy made him king And when Athalia hearing the noise of the running of the people came in and cryed treason treason the text saith thêy layd handes on her and she went by the way by which the horses go to the house of the king and there was shee slaine So it appeareth by the very text itselfe that Athalia was neither deposed nor slaine by Ioiada nor by his authority but by the Nobles whole state of the countrey and by the authoritye of the rightfull king whom they firstcrowned annointed and proclaimed neither did Ioiada any thing in the matter more then duety nature and conscience moued him vnto to present vnto the nobles and fathers of Israell the kinges sonne whom he had saued and to further the restoring of him to his right being the king his maisters sonne and neerest allyed vnto him and especially right heire to the kingdome None authoritie did hee take vpon himselfe therein especially in respect of his priesthood Thus you see how little this example of of the vsurping Queene Athalia serueth D. Allens turne to proue the Popes authority to depose Princes And for the other of Ahab Iesabell they proue euen as much For if D. Allen meane Ahab himselfe touching his owne person he was neither depriued of his kingdome nor slaine by any priest or prophet but died king of Israell and was slaine in the field fighting against the king of Aram about Ramoth Gilead But if he meane the sonnes and whole house of Ahab which were destroyed by Iehu D. Allen abuseth both himselfe and you very much to tell you that they were deposed and destroyed either by Priest or Prophet for it was Iehu the king of Israell that slue Iehoram and smote the house of Ahab and caused Iesabell to be cast out of the window But saith D. Allen Iehu receiued authority and commission so to do from Eliseus the prophet therefore the Pope may giue and consequently hath himselfe authoritie to depose and kill Princes I deny your antecedent M. Doctor For it is most false that Iehu receiued authority from Eliseus as you seeme to intend he did from Elias mistaking either the man or the matter in your defense of the English Catholike to put downe the sonne and whole house of Ahab for the Prophet which was sent by Eliseus vnto Iehu to annoynt him neuer spake word of Eliseus to him much lesse deliuered him any authority from Eliseus but deliuered his message expressely from God beginning with Thus saith the Lord God of Israell c not Thus saith Eliseus So was it the authority of God and not of a Prophet wherby the house of Ahab and Iesabel were put downe slaine neither was priest or prophet the doer but Iehu the king of Israell whom God had by speciall commandement appointed to depose and smite them being himself before annoynted king in their place by the same commandement Now if D. Allen will hereupon gather any argument to mainteine the same authority in the Pope to depose destroy princes he nust needs make him equall in authority with God which neither Christian Iew nor Pagan will in reason allow vnto any mortall creature Now for his other example of k. Saul wherby he goeth about to inferre that as Samuel deposed Saul so the Pope may depose Princes it doth not onely make nothing at all for his purpose but is also most forcible against himselfe as shall bee most plainely declared vnto you For whereas first he assumeth it as a thing most true and certeine that Samuel deposed Saul he vtterlye mistaketh or rather most wickedly belyeth the holy historie in this as he hath done in the others For the Scripture saith that God rebuked Samuel for mourning for Saul that God had reiected him from reigning ouer Israel Whereby it appeareth manifestly that although Samuel in this place as the rest of the prophets in other places did by Gods expresse commaundement denounce the sentence of deposition yet was it not Samuel but God himselfe that deposed Saule from his kingdome to the great griefe of Samuel So is D. Allens argument cleane ouerthrowne in this example aswell as in the former vnlesse he will conclude that the Pope hath in himselfe as much authority as God himselfe which I thinke he would not greatly sticke to affirme if he thought he might be belieued for he maketh it not dainty to dubbe that which is as false in saying that the prophets deposed Princes So little regard hath he either of God or man so that he may bring his purpose to effect But let vs look further into this example and we shall see how farre it setteth him beside the saddle Albeit Saule was thus deposed by God himselfe and Dauid annointed king in his place by Gods owne precise commandement yet did Samuell thereupon euer go about to depriue him of his kingdome or encourage the people to reuolt from him and disobey him Or did the people themselues stir against him so long as he liued Or did Dauid which was the annointed king in his place euer offer to thrust him out of the kingdome or seeke his life No Saul reigned many yeares after that and the people both obeyed and serued him Yea and Dauid himselfe when he might haue slaine him in the Caue and so haue gotten also the present possession of the kingdom to himselfe yet he would not nay he thought it a sinne for him to haue done it For who said he can laye his hand on the Lordes annointed and be guiltlesse Yea percusso corde trepidauit saith S. Augustine he was stroken and trembled at the heart because hee had cut but the lappe of Saules coate And in th'end when word was brought him of Saules death how rewarded he the messenger I pray you for his tydings and for the Crowne and Bracelet of Saule◠which hee brought him Forsooth he caused him to bee slaine forthwith in his presence saying How wast thou not afraid to put forth thine hand to destroye the Lords annointed Thy bloud be vpō thine own head for thine own mouth hath witnessed against thee saying I haue slaine the Lords annointed Thus you see Saul a wicked King deposed not by a Pope nor by a Priest nor by a Prophet but by God himselfe and Dauid chosen and appointed by God and anointed in his place and yet
neither the Prophet euer counselled or mooued the people to disobey Saul being so deposed nor the people euer offered to reuolt or to deny him their obedience seruice nor Dauid the true and rightfull king appointed by God in his place euer sought or cōsēted to depriue him of the kingdome though due vnto himselfe but notwithstanding he knew him to be his deadly enemy and to hunt after his life yet hauing him twice in his hands where he might safely haue slaine him and therby inuested himselfe of the kingdom neuerthelesse wold he neither touch him himselfe nor suffer any other to touch him calling him the Lords annointed and esteeming it a high sin to laie his hand on him though hee were deposed by God himselfe and which is yet most notable caused the messenger that brought him the first newes of his death to be forthwith slaine for his labour And all this notwithstanding yet is not D. Allen ashamed to wrest this example quite contrarie to the trueth for a president to prooue that the Pope hath authoritie to depose and depriue Princes both of their kingdomes and liues and to release discharge the subiects of their allegeance and further that it is lawfull for subiects to reuolt from their Souereignes to yeeld vp their holdes trecherously vnto their enemies and to beare armes against them To which doctrine hee could not haue found in all the whole Scriptures though all bee flat against it anie one example more directlie contrarie then this the iudgement whereof I referre to the reason consideration and conscience of all men that haue anie sparke of Christianitie morall vertue or naturall reason in them Now then if none of all these examples of Scripture which D. Allen hath cited to prooue the Popes authoritie to depose Princes doe shew that anie of those Princes whom he mencioneth was deposed either by Priest or Prophet as hee falslie assumeth but by God himselfe how can hee then inferre vpon these examples that the Pope hath anie such authoritie vnlesse hee attribute as I said before as much authoritie vnto him as to God himselfe And if Saul being deposed by God himselfe yet neither the Prophet did thereupon disswade the people from obeying him nor the people once offered to reuolt from him but continued in all duetie and obedience towardes him as long as he liued which was manie yeeres after his deposition and if Dauid beeing the lawfull annointed King in his place yet neither sought to put him out of the kingdome but yeelded him obedience and seruice calling him Lord maister during his life thought it sin to laie his hand on him notwithstanding he was deposed lastly in token of the misliking and displeasure he tooke at the death of Saul caused the messenger that brought him the tidings thereof to be slaine how can D. Allen by this example induce men of anie reason or sense to beleeue that either the Pope maie lawfully authorise encourage or exhort subiects to disobey or to laie hands on the Lords annointed or that anie subiect may lawfully renounce his allegeance reuolt from and beare armes against his Souereigne beeing a lawfull Prince onelie vpon a colourable warrant of deposition by a man a Priest a stranger who hath no authoritie in the worlde to depose anie Prince from his kingdome no though hee were an Infidel but is himselfe euen by Gods ordinance a subiect to Princes With what face can hee vtter such manifest vntruthes with what confidence can hee persuade himselfe to bee beleeued when his lies are so monstrous and his impostures so euident But most of all with what conscience can hee presume to force the word of God to his purpose which is so directly against him But hereby may all men plainely perceiue how small regard that sect hath vnto religion but onlie to serue their turnes which are not ashamed to make such impudent and vngodly shiftes to maintein their vsurped authoritie Call you this holines M. D. to abuse the people with false doctrine to belie the scriptures to peruert the most sacred word of God to rob him of his own peculiar authoritie and prerogatiue for the defence and furtherance of your owne rebellious practises In trueth it resembleth much the holines of your holie thiefe whom it pleaseth you somewhat merrily in your Pamphlet to compare vnto vs but in truth a righter patterne of your own profession which to speake truely what I thinke in my conscience is much discredited by your owne double dealing You your selfe to further your owne purpose as you supposed could prefixe before your Pamphlet euen in the first page as a sentence vnder the title thereof the resolution giuen by Christ vpon the tempting demand of the Pharisees Reddite quae sunt Caesaris Caesari wherein Christ himselfe commandeth all men to giue vnto Caesar that is to the King and Ciuill Magistrate whatsoeuer is due vnto him that is feare honor subiection and tribute And how dare you then euen in the same Pamphlet countermaund this commandement of our Sauiour bending all your forces craft and cunning to persuade the subiect to resist his Souereigne and thereby to break this high and peremptorie commandement But you saie the Pope hath authoritie to discharge the subiect of this duetie and obedience which is here commanded Shew me then I praie you some Text of Scripture that giueth the Pope so large Commission as you speake of nay shew me anie dispensation out of Gods word that may exempt you or the Pope himselfe out of the compasse of this commandement For the precept is generall and therefore extendeth to all men and besides was expresly giuen by Christ vnto his Disciples to whom hee spake in presence And if the Pope and you bee the Disciples of Christ as you would seeme to bee then must you also as well or rather then others yeeld obedience and subiection to your Ciuill gouernours or els fall into the breach of Christs commandement And if you bee subiect to the ciuill Magistrate as you are by this rule of Christ how can you take that authoritie from them which Christ hath giuen them ouer you If you saie there is no subiection due vnto them longer then they continue in the truth of Religion I pray you tell mee first how prooue you them to be heretikes vnlesse you your selues may be Iudges Will you then both condemne and punish them before they bee conuicted of crime and will you that are parties bee both iudges and executors of your owne will and pleasure Secondly suppose they were as you vniustly condemne them to be heretikes yea suppose they were Iewes Turkes Heathens yet is there neuertheles obedience and subiection due vnto them For what was Caesar himselfe but a Heathen what were the Princes in the Aposties times of whom it is said Let euerie soule be subiect vnto them and whosoeuer resisteth them resisteth the ordinance of God what
Ergo he hath no authoritie from God d If any place of Scripture had warranted the Pope to depose Princes it is likely D. Allen would haue alledged it but he alledgeth none e Exod. 22. 28. Ecclesiastes 10. 20. f God forbiddeth all men to speake euil of Princes so much as in thought Ergo much more to hurt them in deed and to depriue them of their kingdomes and liues too which the Pope seeketh to doe and D Allen mainteineth may lawfully be done What God commandeth in one place of Scripture he doth not countermand in another neither are the Scriptures coÌ„trarie one to another Luke 1. Dan. 2. 20. cap. 4. 14. 22. God not the Pope putteth downe and setteth vp Kings The ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church confirme the supreme authoritie of Princes next immediatly vnder God Tertul. ad Scapulam Idem in Apologetico Optat. contra Parmenian lib. 3. Chrysostom ad populum Antioch hom 2. Greg. epist lib. 3. cap. 100. cap. 103. The Pope must necessarily presume himselfe to be God els can he not be aboue Princes The Pope must either acknowledge himselfe to be no man and not to bee at all or els must he necessarily be inferior to Princes * The Pope whatsoeuer he be Ecclesiasticall or temporall person must needes be subiect to the power of Princes The power to set vp and put downe Princes peculiar to God alone D. Allen more deuoted to the Pope then to God A notable impiety added to sacrilege What D. Allen cannot proue directly by sentence of Scripture he endeuoureth indirectly to induce by example Athalia Ahab Iesabell An argumeÌ„t sauouring more of malice then of substance D. Allens cankred mind D. Allens argument drawne from the example of Athalia The consequent denyed The reason why The Demonstration shewing the difference betweene both the persons and cases The Queenes Maiestie knowne to be a lawfull prince no vsurper D. Allens Antecedent also false 2. Kings 11. Ioash was restored not by Ioiada alone but by the whole Nobility and State Athalia deposed and slaine by the Nobles and State not by Ioiada alone nor by his authority Ahab and Iesabell Ahab himself was neuer deposed 1. King 22. Neither priest nor prophet but Iehu king of Israell deposed and smote the whole house of Ahab 2. Kings 9. 2. Kings 9. 6. The house of Ahab and Iesabell deposed and slaine by the authority and expresse commandement of God not of a priest or prophet D. Allens example of k. Saul deposed Saul not deposed by Samuel 1. Sam. 16. Saule deposed by God himselfe to the great griefe of Samuel D. Allens argumeÌ„t ouerthrowne vnlesse he will conclude that the Popes authority is equall to Gods This example further prosecuted against D. Allen. 1 Though Saul were deposed by God himselfe yet neither did Samuell encourage the people to reuolte from him neither did Dauid the annnointed king secke to put him out of the kingdome neither did the people disobey him so long as he liued which was many yeares after 2 Dauid when he might haue slaine Saule would not nay he thought it sinne to haue done it and calleth him the Lords annointed after his deposition a 1. Sam. 26. Aug. contradit Petihan lib. 2. cap. 48. 3 Dauid caused him that brought newes of Saules death to be forthwith slaine 2. Sam. 1. Marke how direct this example is against D. Allen a Howsoeuer D. Allen inteÌ„deth Saul to haue been deposed by Samuel yet the learneder Diuines take the sentence of God pronouÌ„ced by Samuel touching his reiecting of Saul not to extend to the present deposing of Saul himselfe No example in the whole scripture more directly against D. Allens doctrine and purpose then this The Conclusion As much conscience in D. Allens holie thiefe whom hee mentioneth in his Pamphlet as in himselfe Matth. 22. D. Allen prefixeth before his Pamphlet the sentence of Christ which notwithstanding in the same Pamphlet he doth wholy courtermand in his doctrine The Pope and his followers will be both parties iudges and executioners of their owne doome in their owne cause Princes whether they be Heretikes Turkes or Heathens yet is there subiection due vnto them Rom. 13. The Pope claimeth his authoritie from Christ as his Vicar The greatest Prince liuing subiect to the admonition and reproofe of the meanest Minister but not to his correction Matth. 10. The punishment for disobedience of Gods word and contempt of the Minister is reserued vnto God Peter from whom the Pope claimeth authoritie as his successor was commaÌ„ded by Christ to feede his sheepe but expresly forbidden to vse the sword a Ioh. 21. b Matth. 26. 53. Ioh. 18. 11. Matth. 20. * Christ from whom the Pope deriueth his authoritie neuer tooke vpon him the authothoritie to depose Princes But the Pope doeth 1 Christ not only commanded others to obey but did himselfe also obey Princes The Pope not only refuseth himselfe but also forbiddeth others to obey Princes 2 Christ professed himselfe not to be a king of this world but a subiect to kings and a seruant a Ioh. 18. 36. Matth. 20. â—â— The Pope presâ—â—neth himselfe not to be a subiect to Kings but a superiour and Lord ouer all Kings of this world 3 The Scholler aboue his Maister 4 The Vicars authoritie greater then his from whom he taketh all his authoritie 5 Phe Pope in all points opposite to Christ 6 What is this but Antichrist a D. Allen a wrester peruerter belier of the Scriptures b M. Bilson Warden of Winchester in a booke published Anno. 1586. whereof it seemes D. Allen will take no knowledge All this hath bene directly proued both by expresse authority of Scripture and by arguments drawn from D. AlleÌ„s owne examples D. Allen respecteth the cunning conueiance of his purpose not the sound teaching of the truth An entrance into th'examination of D. Allens perswasions The end of his perswasions already declared To what persons his perswasions are intended Not to Protestants Nor likely by any great reason to Newters or men indifferent He slaunderously reporteth our whole countrey to be fallen into Atheisme Why should men indifferent be lead rather by D. Allens lurking perswasions to a blind and supersticious religion then by our publike and continuall preaching to a cleare and perspicuous religion It resteth that D. Allens persuasions must needes be chiefly or wholly intended to the papists The papists in England not so many as D. Allen presumeth There are none so blind but will see when a man giueth them counsell against themselues The D. of G. and those of the holy league in France though they pretend the patronage of the popish Religion they spare no papist more theÌ„ protestant from the spoile and sword The very quarrell and intent of the D. of G. Some of the greatest and best affected papists hane abandoned that party What danger the English papists runne into if they should but offer to stirre against