honor est in honorante say Deuines in exposition of the princely Prophets speech Omnis honor regis ab intus in fimbrijs aureis c. And for that the questioÌ„ is not of admittance into the nuÌ„ber of nobles or geÌ„tles but being once matriculated cataloguated registred in that KaleÌ„der whether that then being but a Gentleman of proper merite onely and not of bloud coat-armor or auncestrie the foresaid wants and defects do more disable the subiect wherein they are inherent to aduancement ecclesiasticall or ciuill that is whether a Priest by function or an Esquire by creation ought more to conceale and hide his faults and which of them may be soonest hindred from preferment to higher dignities as from an ordinarie Priest to be a Pastor Vicar Deane Archdeacon Bishop c. and from a Gentleman of coat-armor to be a Knight Baron Lord baron Vicount and Earle c. Wherein because it is presupposed that they are both in the way to preferment the one as a consecrated Priest by his spiritual the other as a created Esquire by his temporal gentrie the difference by consequent must needes follow thereupon to be this that being once admitted by dispensation legitimation c. those things most in request with a Priest afterward must be learning vertue gouernment c. None of which in our speech of meanes to aduancement are so exactly required in a temporall Gentleman and on the other side the graces and abilities expected at a temporall mans hand must be parentage valor comelinesse of person and wealth sufficient to maintaine his estate c. which may cause his good fortune by marryage and otherwise none of which are required so precisely in a Priest and perhaps not at all necessities his preferment standing not vpon mariage or ostentation of his wealth friends and temporall abilities but vpon the managing of the thing he hath or is to take in hand wherein wisedome prudence and other ciuill politicall and morall vertues are required And so by consequent it followeth that as both are to maintaine their honour renowne and credite to the vttermost so both may conceale such defects as may hinder the same preferment which otherwise might and would accrew vnto them alwaies respecting time place person and other circumstances as may preiudice either one or other thereby which to explane how that may happen I will set the case downe in these few examples following Saint Augustine rightly called the Apostle of England because sent hither by blessed Saint Gregorie the Great to conuert as he did this countrie to the Catholike Romane faith sending for the Welch or Briton Priests fallen into Apostacie and Pesagianisme to come to conference with him concerning sundrie of their heresies and grosse errors obseruing well his actions and behauiour towards them vpon the speech of a false prophet or Pelagian Hermit they all that came to parlee presently left him before the first encounter because he did not rise and giue them the chaire place or honor point at their meetings mightily condemning him for an arrogant proud man But yet was it no pride in him at all because he both came in all humble wise submitting himselfe to the meanest in all Kent vntill he had conuerted them and also for that he should by giuing them place coming as he did an Apostle haue preiudiced the See Apostolike and the Popes Holinesse from whence as an ambassadour with Legatiue power he came and also he should therein haue preiudiced the Regall Maiestie of King Ethelbert of Kent by name who then hauing receiued the Catholike Romane faith at Saint Augustines hands whom for that cause his Maiestie had highly priuiledged they did not send for him but he sent for them by authoritie from the said King who afterward also compelled them to receiue the same faith and to renounce their heresie with the death of two thousand Monks of Bangor Abbey at one time procured by the King of Kents exciting the King of Northumberland and others to warre vpon them c. Conformable to this example in another kind may very well be the secular and Seminarie Priests comming into England with like Apostolicall authoritie as did Saint Augustine and therefore as they are to humble themselues in all respects wheresoeuer they come in England as he did in Kent vnder any ciuill magistrate vnder her Maiestie and not to contend for a cappe or a knee where is readie prepared for them a racke and a halter by course of lawe in this land through the Iesuites mischieuous practises bringing all the rest to be had in iealousie thereby so are and ought they to stand vpon points when they come in place where their priesthood is called in question Aâ—â—â—e 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 weâ—l â—e two â—â—â—â—ble â—â—â—â—â—â—es of 〈◊〉 N◠〈…〉 boâ—â— hâ—â—â—â—â—d aâ—â—bâ—â—h 〈◊〉 â—â—all men Th◠〈◊〉 was aâ—â—oâ—re shewâ—â— by the Lord â—â—d Dâ—cre â—o Capt. Stukeâ—â—y whâ—ch Stukeâ—â—y tak ng vpon him to be â—n extraordinary gâ—â—aâ— person desireâ—â—he â—â—â—le Dacre is 〈◊〉 on a time to gâ—ue him countenance and the place of 〈◊〉 where eâ—â—â— hâ— staâ—â—◠〈…〉 checks 〈◊〉 it told hiâ— â—oâ— and further if he once esteâ—ed to take either place or titlâ— of honor vpon him in his presâ—nce he would maâ—â— him know him selfe as too â—reat â—n indignity 〈◊〉 so highly â—â—scenâ—ed of that honor he was of 〈◊〉 hâ— bloud to be suffered thâ—t be should well know that honour consisted not in popular applause nor yet 〈◊〉 excesse furâ—â—it of worldly â—ches The other example was of a Noble mans son who being prisoner to a Knight fâ—r that the said Knight had enâ—red into some â—â—aiâ—â— with 〈◊〉 concerning hiâ— Noble bloud be tooke him by the sleeâ—e as they wâ—re in goâ—â—g ouer a stile passing ouer before him said Know you Sir H.B. I am W. sonne of W Lo. S. and though I gaue you place before yet hereafter I will not neither can I without preiudice of my house and honour do it c. and vsed with contempt either of their function or of the Sea Apostolike by whose authoritie they pleade Marrie yet herein also with a different respect had to an aduersarie of an other profession and religion whom in these times to contend withall it were in vaine and but an occasion of moe dangers many blasphemies greater sinnes and to one that is of the same religion the secular Priest is of A verie fit example agreeing whereunto was of late shewed by one secular Priest to three sundry persons all Catholikes and one a Priest Iesuited to the first being a Gentleman but yet meaner of calling then either of the other he gaue place at table hand wall and stile because he saw it proceeded of simplicitie inciuili lâ— rudenesse in him though perhaps entermingled with some spice of sâ—lâ— conceit and sawcinesse and withall there came no contempt of Priesthood direâ—tly thereby The second hauing also before time alwayes giuen place because he was
for contempt of all authoritie power and soueraigntie in regall maiestie Whereupon entring into a new league of confederacie that from thencefoorth they would neuer come at the Queene though she sent for them without consent of their companie they animated their faction to be alwaies readie and to stand vpon their guarde They gaue their Queene the lie diuers times and vsed her with most despitefull speeches They sawcily termed her part a faction euen iust in all things like to the Iesuiticall proceeding and renouncing their obedience vnto her protested that whosoeuer should take her part should be punished as a traitor whensoeuer God should put the sword of iustice into their hands They consulted with Wilcocke Knox and other ministers for deposing of the Queene regent from her gouernment who assuring the rest that it was lawfull for them so to doe processe was made sentence was giuen and her highnes was depriued of all regiment by a formall act set downe in the same storie penned by Knox and printed in part afterward here in England Sixtly another most grosse antistatisticall principle of theirs is that they of their exorbitant word and authoritie might call a parliament and enact what they pleased without consent of king Queene or other state Whereupon holding a mocke parliament ann Dom. 1560. by consent of the French king and their Queene his wife they forsooth therein reformed religion and set out a confession of the Christian faith And vpon intelligence giuen to the said king and Queene denied to confirme or ratifie the actes thereof being mooued thereunto the confederates answered We little said they regard it for all that we did was rather to shew our dutifull obedience then to beg of them any strength to our religion And when it was obiected that it could not be a lawfull parliament where there was neither scepter crowne nor sword borne They made light of it saying that these were rather pompous and glorious vaine ceremonies then any substantiall points of necessitie required to a lawfull parliament Thus much for their principles of practise Now for their doctrine of statizing the principles are also of like condition whereof these are chiefe scil First that reformation of religion belongeth to the commonaltie Secondly that the commonaltie by their power may bridle the cruell beasts to vse that beast Knox his words the priests Thirdly that the commonaltie if the king be negligent may iustly prouide themselues of true preachers and maintaine and defend them against all that doe persecute them and withall deteine the profit of the Church liuings from the other sort Fourthly the commonaltie and nobilitie ought to reforme religion and in that case may remooue from honor and punish such as God hath condemned he meaneth idolaters in the Deuteronomicall law of what estate condition or honor soeuer Fiftly it is not birth-right onely nor propinquitie of blood that maketh a king lawfully to raigne aboue a people professing Christ Iesus Sixtly if princes be tyrants against God and his truth their subiects are freed from their othes of obedience Seuenthly the people are better then their king and of greater authoritie Eightly the people haue right to bestow the crowne at their pleasure Ninthly the making of lawes belongs to the people and kings are but as Masters of the Roles Tabulariorum custodes Tenthly the people haue the same power ouer the king that the king hath ouer any one person Eleuenthly it were good that rewardes were appointed by the people for such as should kill tyrants as commonly there is for those qui lupos aut vrsos occiderunt aut catulos eorum deprehenderunt saith Buchan de iure regni Twelftly the people may arraigne their princes Thirteenthly the ministers may excommunicate the king Fourteenthly he that by excommunication is cast into hell is not woorthy to inioy any life vpon earth c. There are an hundred twise told of the like statisticall principles and practises to be collected out of Caluine of Beza of Buchanan of Hotaman of Vrsin as he commeth out from Newstad vindici contra tyrannos and of other puritan ministers of the consistoriall tribe fitly agreeing to the Iesuitical platforme in their high councels of reformation and other writings All which are such matters of state indeed as no true subiect can deale in allowing of them but is a ranke traitor for his paines THE II. ARTICLE VVHether the seculars doe or may preiudice the crowne common-wealth or both or either state or gouernment of England ecclesiasticall or temporall by dealing in these affaires now in hand THE ANSWERE NO way possible for them or any other loyall and naturall English subiect to preiudice hurt or offend any either publike or priuate person or body naturall ciuill or politicall dealing as they doe in seeking onely a relaxation of persecution on their owne and the catholiks behalfe and a securitie of state and quiet on the behalfe of their prince and countrie for both which nature conscience loue loyaltie and dutie doe binde them all to pleade as is euident by discourse vpon all the particulars As first for her Maiestie it is a preuention of all dangers to her royall person bicause hereby a singular meanes may in her high wisedome be vsed as well to finde out the puritane as the Iesuiticall faction as also to roote both out of the land by information giuen and discouerie of the one faction on the part of the protestants of the other on the part of the catholikes Secondly for the state present in generall it giueth an assurance that by no word writing or other practise there can be any thing attempted without their priuitie bicause euery one for their owne indemnitie will be ready to reueale it and thereby stop the impotencie of traitors from so attempting for feare of discouerie ere euer it come to acting Thirdly to the Lords temporall or ciuill state there cannot come any thing for them to dislike of as there being nothing desired at their hands by the seculars and other catholikes but onely a good word on their poore distressed countrymens behalfe to her Maiestie that they may be hereafter without feare of losse of life lands or goods or to be sackt ransackt pild and polde as by inferior officers they haue sometimes hitherto been And that the penall lawes for paiment of money for their recusancie may so be tempered as both her loyall catholike subiects may be able to liue her Maiesties cofers more inriched their seruice done with more alacritie to her Highnes in time of neede and all better appointed and able to performe what they take in hand on her royall person and countries behalfe by this meanes Fourthly to the Lords spirituall there can in like sort no inconuenience grow thereby for that there is no suite either made or intended in preiudice of their present incumbencie or hinderance of one farthing they inioy of the ancient catholike church reuenues or abatement of one inch of their honor knowing
appellationem factam manis est excommunicatio or as saith the glosse Nemo potest excommunicari 2. That admit there had beene no appeale yet could no excommunication suspension c. binde them in the case proposed in foro conscientiâ—e quia litterae impetratae suggesto mendacio non nocent eis contra quos impetrantur c. sententiae contra leges canonesue perlatae debent vtique pro infectis haberi c. 4. Lastly a question doth rise heere out of this article whether in foro exter an excommunication suspension c. do alwaies binde or not The Archpriest is knowne directly to haue no such authority as he master Parsons giuâ—â—ut he hath to excommunicate suspend c. neither was his holinesse priuâ— to his vsurpate intâ—nt on in taking more vpon him than he hath graÌ„ted ergo ad placâ— tum whether any will obey him in the points in question or not c. vers gra whether if by meanes made to his holinesse on the Iesuits and Archpriests behalfe there should a precept briefe or bull be obteined to command all Catholicks to be at master Blackwels command and to obey him in all things sub paena excommunicationis suspensionis amissionis omnium facultatum c. were it to be obeied or not To which I answere first that it were as is saide before scil to suffer patiently that iust torment inflicted vpon them if knowne directly that it were his holinesse will and intent to haue it so by refraining from the Sacraments and thus much propter obedientiam piae iurium ecclesiam eiusque cap. Rom. po tum ad euitandum scandalum which in this case might happen to the infirme and weake Catholicks iudgeing it to proceed of contempt and disobedience to the sea Apostolick if they should presume to come at the holy altar or frequent any Sacraments being excommunicated c. though neuer so wrongfully and iniustly Secondly that notwithstanding such an excommunication yet the said seculars and their adhaerents might proceede as before either in prosecuting the appeale begun or beginning a new and following of the same Note that the Archpriest cannot haue authoritie from the Pope to stop all appeales froÌ„ him to the Pope and by consequence thâ—ugh in Blackwell had authority to excommunâ—cate suspend c. in all thinges which he hath not neither daâ—e take it vpon him to defend he hath so yet were his excommunication void both in foro conscientiae ecclesie in this case of forbidding appeales wherein so free al men were from any bond to obey as they were bound to disobey it and reiect him as an Antipape notwithstanding any command or authority to the contrary vntill such time as the truth of their cause were made knowne to his holinesse and that they had receiued his resolute answere Which had no such censure could be incurd because the wrong accrewing in ius suum by making the Archpriest aboue himselfe it were not in the Popes power to giue him such an authoritie and remaine Pope after it for that the passage of an appeale must alwaies be from an inferior to a superior ergo if master Blackwell haue authoritie to command that none shall write nor send nor seeke for iustice from him to the Pope nor and by consequent then it followeth to any other but whom he shall assigne as his charge giuen to the apellants to goe into the Low countries c. includes so much arrogancie and vsurpation of a supremacy at least vnder paine of excommunication c. then it followeth that he the said Blackwell is the supreme head of the church Catholike at least heere in England from whom there is no appeale to be made but all iniuries to be borne off with head and shoulders neither will his or the Iesuits excuse for him serue their turns to say the seculars appeale is but about friuolous light matters in themselues proceeding of a seditious stubborne disobedient obstinate contentious spirit not well established in the grace of God c. In all which cases it were expresly against the Canons to disobey him or to appeale from him as from say they their lawfull superior and by consequent that he may command them not to trouble his holinesse with such brabling matters c. I say this neither will neither shall serue his turne For if they be but trifles or wranglings A Bishop cannot authorize his chaplein a king his secretary not the Pope his protonotary in things wherein the so authorized depriues the authorizer of his superioritie ouer him and withall of the chiefe act of iustice and title of his dignity and honor belonging to his person or place but must withal make him by that act his superior bicause no duals in popedomes kingdoms or Bishopr ckes but all singles as one in one c. then haue the seculars the woorst of it being sure to be sharpely punished when the plea shall come before his holinesse but if otherwise it will prooue then videant ipsi Iesuitae cum suo Archipr But howsoeuer be it so or be it not yet the seculars affirming that it is of matters of most moment that euer hapned in this age as both by these 10. Quodlibets and sundry other bookes written of this subiect may and will appeere it is neither Blackwell nor Garnet nor Parsons nor Lucifer nor who is the prowdest of them to face it with greatest impudency that shall dare presume to be iudge therein or stoppe it from comming to his holinesse but shall be noted for an Antipope at least Thirdly I say further that suppose there were neither Rex nor summus Pontifex in all the world as for the space of 2000. yeeres or thereabout it was so the first borne sonne of euery family being that while vnder the law of nature both king and priest in authoritie without the name and that all gouernment on earth were as it should be in that case Aristocraticall yet did not that hinder but that still a subordinate power shoud be aswell in the church as common-wealth and lawe and iustice there take place in order so as alwaies an appeale might be lawfull and not deniable from an inferior person court corporation common-wealth or what name title or authoritie soeuer to a superior but not on the contrary in any of these without preiudice of the predominant and so from one to another till it come to the chiefe and highest court Yea this kinde of subordination is euen in the lawes themselues the Ciuill lawes or lawes Common heere in England which equall the lawes Ciuill being inferior to the lawes Canon or municipall in this lande as is cleere by a plea which ordinarily may be remooued from the common Law into the court of Chauncery and the law Canon inferior to the law of Nature and Nations which commonly is taken to be one with Natures lawe and againe the lawe of Nature to the Law of God as it is giuen written
in this point of rebellion and popularitie saith that where Salomon affirmeth By me kings raigne and Saint Paul auoucheth that authoritie is not but of God and therefore he that resisteth authoritie resisteth God these places are to be vnderstood of authoritie power or iurisdiction in it selfe according to the first institution for otherwise when it is vniustly vsed it may be resisted in manie cases euen by the commons or multitude whom in his Appēdix he bindeth in conscience to rebell c. which kinde of shifts we haue euer detested and therefore nowe you shall heare what we thinke of this doctrine To speake plainely my minde in this case with all humble submission to the Catholike church and censure of my opinion herein I hold this doctrine of the Iesuits in these daies to be an open way to Atheisme so to expound the Apostles as that they might be thought to temporize which is a plaine kinde of dissimulation For there being question made concerning the doctrine of the Catholike church and Gospel of Christ as though it had impeached the authority of the ciuill Magistracie the Apostles to cleare themselues of so false an imputation did of purpose propose the contrary and prescribed such obedience and duty to all subiects as was by the lawes of God and all nations due vnto them But if the Apostles had beene of the Iesuits opinion in this matter and would haue dealt truely sincerely and directly as the Iesuits do neuer when such a doubt was made by the States where they preached they should haue answered to this effect scil If you that are Emperors kings and worldly gouernours doe meane to continue your wicked courses in opposing your selues against Christ and vs his seruants we are by the doctrine of our Master Christ and authoritie committed vnto vs to seeke your confusion and to depriue you from your Empires kingdomes and gouernments as soone as we are able to make head against you or if any of you will be content to heare and obey vs we must tell you that wherunto you must trust which is that when once you haue submitted your selues to this our said doctrine If you shall not foreuer afterwards conforme your behauiour and conuersation according to our rules and prescription we must be bold with you and do the best we can to mooue your subiects to rebellion and to depose you likewise as soone as they shall haue competent strength to incounter with you and in default thereof it is our duety to perswade by all the policies we can deuise some of your neighbour princes to take your subiects parts for your vtter ruine Inter bonos bene agere oportet We professe our selues to be teachers of the truth and therefore we cannot chuse being vrged vnto it in this particular but to signifie the truth vnto you after our plaine and direct proceedings with all men Now if such a kinde of answere to haue beene made by the Apostles do seeme most absurd then what wicked and absurd wretches are these good fathers who by their interpretations do impose it vpon them if they had dealt sincerely Or if the Apostles should haue meant indeed as these men would haue them and as it is before expressed then what might the world haue thought of them that to couer such tragicall points of blood and rebellion and to abuse princes they did pretend nothing but prayers paying of tributes honoring of kings and obeying of them for conscience sake But this course was farre from the blessed Apostles It is indeed very well befitting the puritanes the Iesuits such as Parsons Creswell c. who are the mē that teach practise it For it is their doctrine by dissimulation hypocrisie by lying equiuocating to seduce their hearers But what saith Master Blockwood to Buchanan Paulus vtendum fore precepit Laruatam hypocrisin sub persona religionis latere voluit Potestatibus obediendum edixit quia resisti non posset Christianos viribus admotos ad armacessantes ad arma concitat imperiumque frangit Did Saint Paule commaund vs to be time seruers Was it his minde that religion should be disguised with such a visard of hypocrisie Did he command men to obey the magistrates bicause they were not able to resist them Did he prouoke them to armes when their number and strength serued and bad downe with the Emperor This is right Mahumetisme tendeth to the ouerthrow of the Gospel and church Catholike the sweete spouse of Christ and therefore is to be detested cane peius angue Fiftly this Iesuiticall dreame doth derogate so much from the Maiestie of holy Scripture and the churches authority as thereby the vanity of it is very manifest and apparant For what saith Master Blockwood to Buchanan Itan ' diuinas leges vt humanas Aristotelis mensurarum similes esse putas Doest thou thinke Gods lawes as Aristotle speaketh of humane lawes that they are like measures that they should turne with the weathercocke and chaunge with the conditions of times and places No no much more truely and as it were by diuine inspiration doth he expresse the strength and constancie of diuine lawes who saith Non erit c. There shall not one lawe bee at Rome an other at Athens now one and then an other but there shal be one immortall lawe for all Nations and all times Imperator omnium Deus and God shall be Lord and Emperor of all He is the Inuenter the expounder and the giuer of this lawe which he that will not obey is his own enimy maximas poenas luet and he shal neuer escape greeuous punishments And such were Christs and his Apostles precepts not subiect to alteration and chaunge not framed to serue the time not fitted to this or that priuate person or plebian multitude one while commaunding obedience to tyrants and presently after to take vp armes against them but as we are to thinke of the very lawes of God their rules of obedience are permanent and to continue vnchangeable whilest this world endureth Furthermore it is to be supposed that the Church of God in the times of Iustinus Martyr and Tertullian did vnderstand the meaning of Christ and of his Apostles in this point as well as Parsons or any of his crue But it would haue seemed a strange doctrine both to them and all other Catholikes that had the feare of God before their eyes or any sparke of true and vnfained Catholike religion in their harts in those daies to haue heard it set down for positiue Diuinitie that notwithstanding any thing that Christ or his Apostles taught as touching obedience to kings and Princes yet it is to be accounted a pernitious and vnspeakeable sinne for subiectes being of sufficient force and ability not to resist for to that effect are father Parsons words in his Appendix and take armes against them if they be euill and wicked Instinus Martyr as I haue before obserued hauing set downe the duety of
Christendome and farre more then they will allow to the poore prisoners at Wishich or to students at home or other places where the Seminary and secular Priestes liue vnder them and therefore rightly called their prisoners as kept so streightly that they may not recreate themselues together nor two of them haue any speech or conference without a third with many like Turkish cruelties which these tyrants vse against the English Priestes whilest they liue in all iollitie wealth and pleasure themselues there as in all other bookes and Apologies you may find set out at large of that matter Seuenthly they professe no continuall silence nor solitarie life as sundrie religeous do and keepe it most strictly thinking it a death to come foorth of their Cels and Cloisters into the world to haue any speech medling or sight of any worldly thing But they quite contrarie professe such a popularity secularitie temporalitie and all mundane kind of life and medling in worldly affaires as wonder it is how euer they haue time to thinke of God or any good Saint Eightly they professe neither chastitie nor yet obedience more then any other religious order doth yea no more in very deed their manner of performing obedience to their superiour considered then euery secular Priest doth And if a man go to the wayes and meanes of performance of this their vowe of chastitie and obedience it is farre inferiour and more imperfect vncertaine and dangerous in them then in any or the most part of other religious orders Ninthly if their perfection consist in this that they labour in preaching teaching conuersion of soules ministring of Sacraments managing of causes with Princes and ciuill persons and therefore as diuines say quia maius est illuminare quam illuminari so they affirme that they haue taken a state of most perfection that way vpon them and indeed they take so much vpon them in that behalfe as they seeme to arrogate an Apostolicall power and authoritie reserued to themselues alone therein speaking it in plaine tearmes that the seculars ought not to meddle in such affaires but content themselues like sillie simple men with hearing confessions at most or onely saying of Masse for as for confessions I wis they will not with their good-wils permit that a secular Priest should take the confessions of any vnlesse it be of meane persons and poore folkes where no gaine nor commoditie is to be had but at Gods hand onely yet by these worshipfull Rabbies leaues if they vsurpe secular Priests places and authority and thereupon challenge a degree of perfection vnto them before and aboue all other then would I know from whence they haue that gift to illuminate and power and authority of preaching teaching hearing confessions and other like Ecclesiasticall iurisdictions For as for their managing of Ciuill and Martiall causes as inuasion of kingdomes raising of rebellions defamation of Princes and bringing all into a popular contempt that are not themselues or dependent on them and the like absurdâ—ties as they haue receiued no such commission from God nor his Church but directly from the common enemy of mankind as suggested by him and after bred in their itching ambicious idle working braines so no secular will wish seeke or accept of that their seditious turbulent and bloudy office vnfit of all other for Priests to deale in out of their hands It is therefore of the former Ecclesiasticall iurisdictions lawfull authorities whereof I speake would know from whence of whom they haue them Either they must haue them immediatly from God or else from man To say they haue them immediatly from God I thinke they will not but yet if they dare say so as who can tel what giddy heads puffed vp with swelling pride impudency insolency wil say or do when it stands theÌ„ vpon to stand to their tacklings or else haue all their followers disciples forsake them then first it wil be demanded per quaÌ„ regulam do they proue it Secondly what testimony or witnesse haue they for it Thirdly how when in what place was this new institution of Ecclesiastiques promise granted confirmed ratified Fourthly by what signe tokeÌ„ wonder or miracle shal we know it is from God immediatly for miracles we must haue for confirmations of all new doctrine approbation of ancient Catholike traditions customes orders Thirdly what manner of man vbi gentium where was he borne whose sonne was he where and how was he brought vp how liued he how died he that was the first author or illuminate of this innouation and change Sixtly and last of all after all these things are examined and knowne and that with helpe of an Aesopian fable they can bring vs into a conceit of a Lucean Tower to be firmely built in the imaginatiue horescope of their wandring zodiacke yet will they all be proued by this meanes to be flat forerunners of Antichrist and Archinuenters of new Puratinisme worse then euer yet was heard of or else made to do publike pennance throughout all Churches in Christendome confessing before the whole world as I pray God graunt them grace humility and patience to do it what blind guides and seducers of innocent hearts they haue bene leading many soules into eminent danger of perdition by arrogating to to much vnto themselues c. Againe if they say they haue this authority and by consequent are in state of perfection aboue the seculars by institution and gift of and from the Pope his Holinesse and Sea Apostolike then it will be replied by necessary sequele vpon them First that the Pope himselfe must needes be thereby of a more perfect life then they are which in no wise they will yeeld vnto yea arrogating an extraordinarie familiaritie with God to be due to them alone and a kind of impossibilitie of errour in their Synodall consultations called vnder and by their Generall their speciall prerogatiue and meanes to bring any one to perfection they are so farre from yeelding or granting it at least equally with them to his Holinesse is such as they haue preached openly in Spaine against Pope Sixtus the last of all holy memorie and rayling against him as against a most wicked man and monster on earth they haue called him a Lutheran hereticke they haue termed him a wolfe they haue said he had vndone all Christendom if he had liued and in few Card. Bellarmine himself as Iudge Paramount being asked what he thought of his death answered Qui sine paenitentia viuit sine paenitentia moritur proculdubio ad infernum descendit and to an English Doctor of our nation he said Conceptis verbis quantum capio quantum sapio quantum intelligo descendit ad infernum Well let this passe as a comfort to seculars to be ful of imperfections as vnworthie creatures to be iustly censured of by these worthie perfectiues that dare iudge their chief Pastor which no sacred Sinode nor OEcumenicall Councell either wold either
busie to stone Saint Stephen to keepe their clokes that ran after him to beate him downe to get letters with great eagernes and zeale in his kinde to take examine and bring all vp to Hierusalem that should call vpon the name of Iesus and to leaue nothing vndone pertaining to a Pursiuant a persecuter a cruell tyrants part Who that had heard and seene these things would euer haue thought to haue heard it oracled frō heauen of this same man that vas electionis est mihi vt portet nomen meū coram gentibus c And finally who that had seene S. Marceline Pope offering incense to idols S. Boniface polluted in his lust with Aglae a noble Romane matrone The blessed Magdalene pointed at in the streets as a cōmon woman would euer haue looked for to haue heard that the two first should haue bin martyrs or much lesse the last to haue bin a womā of rarest vertues our blessed lady excepted that euer either before or since was borne Sed non sicut homo iudicat Deus Sixtly I say last of al that as there is no assurance of any catholikes perseuerance not any impossibilitie of any ones conuersion that liues on earth So be the profession whatsoeuer it shal happen yet may an affied trust be put for matters pertaining to ciuill conuersation and other affaires in men of good morall life and conuersation be they of what religion soeuer they be shall And if experience haue tried it in Queene Maries daies that a Throckmerton Sir Nicholas by name knowne to haue been a hot protestant was one and the first by Parsons owne confession in Greene-coate that informed the said Queene of such attempts as then were to haue preuented her raigne ouer vs then should we wrong our owne harts cause and actions if any the least-scruple should be in vs not to reueale whatsoeuer trecherie or treason were intended by any against our now Soueraignes royall person crowne or state and by consequent doe both our selues and those vnder her Maiestie wrong if we should be distrustfull to vtter our mindes freely or to enter into familiaritie with any for to doe either our afflicted friends as we are catholikes or our countrie as we are English any good that can be possible THE ARGVMENT OF THE EIGHT GENERALL QVODLIBET IN the argument of the seuenth I told you of this eight Quodlibet which by many particular points there glanced at you may perceiue must directly tteate of matters of state in the highest degree And therefore is it of all other the most dangerous point to deale in without offence of any whom I would not willingly offend for mine owne part in any thing by reason of speciall occurrents which being handled as some heretofore haue handled them might breede great apparant and manifest danger either to body or soule or both together For here I am to intreate of excommunications and depositions of princes of pontificall power and regall maiestie and of other points of most importance that in a world can be found And bicause I am a catholike by profession and an Englishman by birth and education in respect of the former religion doth inioyne me to acknowledge to death an humble obedience to the one and onely tressacred apostolicall catholike Roman Church the See Apostolike and our mother Citie And hereupon I say with that reuerend prelate the last catholike Archbishop of Yorke that howsoeuer his holines hath beene heretofore or may be hereafter durus Pater vnto vs and our nation by inflicting excommunications or other ecclesiasticall censures vpon our prince countrie or our selues and thereby occasionating our heauier persecutions yet must we alwaies be dutifull children And againe in respect of the latter naturall loyaltie doth binde me to wish no longer to liue then vntill the swiftest flight of a thought shall crosse my dutifull obedience to my prince and countrie And vpon this ground doe I build firmely to death neuer to attempt by act word or consent any thing that may preiudice the one or the other and so keeping a golden meane betwixt the two extremes yeelding to Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which is his owne I will now proceede to the effectuall points whereupon all true catholikes doe and ought to stand THE EIGHT GENERALL QVODLIBET OF PLOTS by statizing THE I. ARTICLE VVHether any ecclesiasticall person may or ought to deale in matters of state And if they may then whether any catholike priest may doe so on the behalfe of the catholike Roman Church or the English Bishops on the behalfe of the Church of England or Scots ministerie on the behalfe of the Church of Scotland or how and in what sort these doe differ from one another in freedome to deale in state affaires THE ANSWERE THat it is now and euer hath been lawfull for the clergie in generall to deale in state matters and affaires practise experience and consent of all persons nations times and ages doe approoue ratifie and confirme it not a legifer not a lawe not a parliament not an act enacted nor decree made without the Lords spirituall yea the word State it selfe when we talke of state affaires hath a relation to an ecclesiasticall state which being the first and principall of the two members in a bodie politicall once depriue the clergie of all dealings or medlings any manner of way in state matters and then repeale reuoke reuert all statute lawes and put out those words Lords spirituall for euer after the first most ancient and woorthily prime inuested Barons of this land as all Bishops of England are being these Lords spirituall or ecclesiasticall state Therefore can I not but often smile in my sleeue to heare and see the Iesuits coggery in euery thing and how that now of late it is blowne abroad amongst catholiks that the secular priests forsooth are become prophane lay persons in conuersation studying onely state matters and practizing with the ciuill magistrate in state affaires Vpon occasion of which speech a gentlewoman in a passage of these matters at her table saide to a secular priest my selfe being there present vnknowne and therfore freer to laugh as I did hartily to heare her nay my masters quoth she if you once become statesmen and haue dealings with the Lords of the Counsell or other ciuill magistrates then I haue done with you For I neuer could heare of anie Iesuit that did so As though there coulde be no dealings in matters of state but that the party must be accessary to an acte of treason and be holden for a statizer in a sense detestable Well let it passe for a Iesuiticall iangling and leauing the etymologie we will come to the common phrase and acceptance of this worde State and Statiste as they are now taken and thereby shall be seene ere this Quodlibet be ended whether the seculars or Iesuits are greater statists that is intermedlers in state affaires And for the time present I say as followeth In