forme of the said Oath shall accept of the same Oath vvith this interpretation sense or meaning her Maiestie is vvell pleased to accept every such in that behalfe as her good and obedient subiects and shall acquite them of all maner penalties contayned in the said All against such as shall peremptorily or obstinately refuse to take the same Oath The words of that Admonition being thus set downe I shall need to say no more For hereby you see I trust verie fully the true certaine and undoubted sense scope meaning and interpretation of the Oath Why therefore should anie be so contentious or malicious as to wrest or wring it to a contrarie meaning or such as it never intended For hereby appeareth that although the king be supreme Governor within his owne Dominions yet it is explained That he is supreme Governor under God so that by reason thereof the King neither doth nor can take upon him anie authoritie over Gods word or ordinances to devise alter or frame religion as he list as some verie odiously and no lesse strangely have inferred Such thoughts be farre from his godly minde Neither when it is said at anie time That the King hath Authoritie or Iurisdiction ecclesiasticall is anie other thing meant thereby but his Iurisdiction or Authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes and over ecclesiasticall persons and thereby is not meant or intended as some againe verie absurdly and malignantly have imagined That the King hath anie such authoritie as is meerely Ecclesiasticall and proper to Bishops Pastors and such like Ministers of the Church as namely to preach to minister the Sacraments to excommunicate to absolve to consecrate Bishops or such like for the exposition of the Oath which is before delivered in the Admonition and ratified by an expresse Act of Parliament directly declareth the contrarie to that conceit And therefore his Majesties authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes must not be conceived to be anie such as is properly Sacerdotall or Episcopall but such as is rightly and properly Regall and Imperiall Which Regall and Imperiall Authoritie ought no more to be denied unto him then that which is meerely and properly Sacerdotal or Episcopal may be denied to Priests or Bishops What should hinder then but that yee all may as ye ought utterly renounce and forsake for ever the Papall and all forraine Iurisdictions whatsoever and further also promise according to the tenor of the Oath to your power to assist and defend all jurisdictions priviledges preeminences and authorities granted or belonging to the King his heires and successors or united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme considering that there is no Authoritie in these matters ecclesiasticall granted or belonging to the King or united or annexed to his Crown but such as appeareth to be lawfull and is rightly Regall and Imperiall and which withall in no sort wrongeth the authoritie of anie other Church governors of Gods institution whosoever Yea the King is so farre from encroching or intruding upon or impugning or hindering anie of the offices or authorities granted or belonging unto them from God that contrariwise he leaveth all those rights and authorities wholly and entirely unto them to be executed and which is more such is his most godly and Christian disposition that to that their divine Calling Ambasâ—age and Ministerie enioyned them from God and by them sincerely and faithfully administred himselfe in his owâ—â— person most readily and willingly yeeldeth both reverence and obedience as wel knowing that in respect of God whose Ambassadors and Ministers they be and whose word and will onely they are to teach and deliver the greatest King is but a subiect Howbeit neverthelesse otherwise and in respect of their owne persons it must be confessed that they be subiect unto him and owe him obedience and are in all dutie and humilitie to performe the same unto him So that I hope you now sufficiently perceive that his Maiesties Supremacie under God his government and authoritie as touching causes persons ecclesiasticall being such as is only Regal and Imperial and no way derogatorie preiudiciall or iniurious to anie Bishops Pastors or Ministers that be of divine Institution or to their offices and functions but rather verie much helpfull to them in their places is so farre from being to be disliked that contrariwise being rightly understood it is ever to be allowed and that with much praise thanks unto God for the same whose gracious ordinance it is for the further good greater comfort and benefit of his Church and Religion CAP. II. Wherein is shewed That our Church was in the Apostles dayes and in all times and ages since howsoever that which we call Popery did as an Infection or Corruption grow unto it whereof it was againe to be purged and so to become as we call it a reformed Church and that all these things came thus to passe in the Church according to the Prophecies thereof formerly delivered in Gods owne Booke AND What is to be thought of those forefathers of ours that lived and dyed in the time of Poperie AS ALSO That long before the Dayes of King HENRY the eight and long before LUTHER or CALVIN were borne the Pope of Rome was complayned of and exclaymed against and affirmed and published to be Antichrist as also Popish Rome affirmed to be the whore of Babylon mentioned in the Revelation of S. Iohn BEfore I enter to speake of the other particular points hereafter mentioned it will not be amisse here to speake something in a generall sort concerning Gods Church and his Religion For how confident and resolute soever some take upon them to be in that Popish Religion they hold and professe yet is that no proofe that therefore they be right for not only those of a right Religion but those also of a wrong be verie resolute and confident as appeareth by all Sectaries Heretickes and Schismatickes who be verie pertinacious and resolute for the maintenance of their severall errors and opinions Neither is it a reason sufficient for them to say they follow the waies of their forefathers and ancestors except they be sure that they went the right way for we are not to follow our forefathers and ancestors in anie vices or errours they held be they otherwise never so deare unto us VValke not yee saith God in the ordinances of your fathers nor observe yee their maners nor defile your selves vvith their Idols I am the Lord your God vvalke yee in my statutes and keepe my Iudgements and doe them Yea ye may remember that it is written thus of some people who are therefore much reproved So did their children and their childrens children As did their fathers so doe they unto this day Where further it is said that notwithstanding this following of their forefathers and doing after their old custome yet they obeyed not God Nor is it sufficient for them to say they follow the doctrine or direction of their
Law of the Realme bee put to death or was there a Law in former times when Poperie raigned to put Protestants to death under the 〈◊〉 of Heretickes which were in verie died no Heretickes but of the most ancient religion and the Orthodox and right beleeving Christians and is there not a Law now when Protestancie reigneth to put Papists to death for heresie who be Hereticks reveâ—â— and in verse deed For you must 〈…〉 it is not the Determination of a Councell without appâ—â—bation of Gods word that is sufficient to prove a man an Hereticke because then should that renowned famous godly Bishop Athanasius who was condemned in the Councels of Tire and Antioch bee held and concluded to bee an Hereticke Which God forbid Yea if as is evident the determination of Councells bee not sufficient to convince or proove Athanasius Iohn Chrysostome and other Orthodox Bishops in that time to bee Heretickes much lesse is the determination of the Bishop of Rome and of his Councells in these latter times when both hee and they bee so farre revolted and degenerate able to convince the Orthodox Protestants of Heresie The strength force and authoritie of the holy Canonical Scriptures must be produced to convince a man to be an Hereticke For an Hereticke is hee that stifly and obstinately holdeth maintaineth an error in matter of Faith against the manifest authoritie of the Canonical Scriptures So that not what men hold but what God holdeth to be error heresie is so to be reputed And by this rule namely by sufficient evidence and warrant of the Canonical Scriptures it was that the Bishops their Councels in ancient time convinced the Arrianâ— Nestorianâ— Eâ—tâ—chians the other Heretickes of their dayes Which rule of iudging and convincing Hereticks by the Canonical Scriptures if it had beene held as evermore it ought it is thereby evident that Protestants never were nor ever rightly could have beene concluded to bee Hereticks Yea by this rule Papists cleerely are to bee iudged the Hereticks as appeareth by examining and trying their severall and particular Doctrines and Opinions wherein they differ from us and wherein they bee so wilfull and pertinacious by the same Canonical Scriptures And how should it or can it be otherwise For must not the doctrin of the gâ—and Antichrist of his Concubine the Whore of Babylon bring adulterate erroneous and Antichristian needs be concluded if it be wilfullie and obstinately persisted in to be cleere Heresie If then our Bishops should as they might if they were so disposed and that His Maiestie would give â—â—ave thereunto censure some points of Poperie to be heresie being 〈…〉 and obstinately persisted in and thereupon should cyte some Papists to come before them to answer as for heresie and did upon hearing and examining of the cause by sentence defiâ—â—tive declare and pronounce them to bee Hereticks What should or can hinder but that the Kings Writ de Haereticâ— Comburendo after all due circumstances observed might issue and be awarded for the putting of them to death Doth not the Law of the Realme apparantly warrant this For the Lawyers of your owne Religion can tell you that even by course of Common Law those that bee convicted and condemned of heresie may bee put to death And this it further evident even by those verie Statutes themselves viz. of 2. H. 4. cap. 1.5 and 2. H. 5. cap. 7. and 25. H. 8 cap. 14. which although they were afterward repealed in England yet do they sufficiently shew declare both what was yet stil is the Common-law in that case namely that Bishops in their several Diocesses and Provinces aswell as in their Convocations might and therfore still may even by course of Common-law notwithstanding the repeale of those Statutes by their Iurisdiction ordinarie cite Heretickes censure and sentence them and so leave them to the Lay power to bee executed And this also is learned and judicious Writer in his Apologie of certaine proceedings by Iurisdiction Ecclesiasticall doth tell you and testifieth against Fitzherberts opinion who seemeth to put a difference in this point betweene the Bishop of a Diocesse and the Convocation that hee hath heard the two Chiefe Iustices the Lord chiefe Bar◠〈◊〉 some other Iudges and the Queenes learned Councell resolve against that difference in a speciall consultation held about the matter of Heresie viz that Every Bishop within his owne Diocesseâ— as well as the Convocation might at the Common-law and still may â—â—â— demne an Hereticks Yea hee hath made a whole Chapter affirming this verie point viz. that Iudgement of Heresie still reâ—aineth at the Common-law in Iudges Ecclesiastical and that the Provise in the Statute of 1 Fliz. cap. 1 which is in Ireland 2 Eliz. cap. 1. touching Heresie is onely spoken of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and such as bee authorized by that Statute So that the authoritie and Iurisdiction of Bishops in their severall Diocesses Provinces as also in their Convocations notwithstanding that or anie other Stat. still remaineth such as it was at the Common-law namely of force sufficient for the citing censuring sentencing of Heretickes whereupon Execution of death by burning may ensue All which neverthelesse I speake not to anie such end as to incense or exasperate anie in authoritie so farre against papists but only to answer and disanull their untrue conceits and so to represse and remove the insolencie of some of them and to shew them that if our Protestant princes pleased and were so disposed they might have found as still also they may a way and meane and law sufficient to put Papists to death for Heresie Wherefore it is no defect of matter of Heresie in Poperie wherewith it doth abound nor anie defect of law which sufficiently warranteth the putting of Heretickes to death but it is the meere mercie and clemencie of His Maiesty and of other Protestant Princes his Predecessors that doth thus spare and forbeare them Whereby as they may all learne to be highly thankfull unto God for such mercifull gratious Princes to whom they are so much beholding for not executing the severitie of their lawes upon them in this case so is it their parts to give no occasion further to incense or anie way to provoke them thereunto Where also you may observe to put a difference betweene the two Religions viz. of Protestancie and Poperie considering how milde gentle and mercifull the one is namely Protestancie in comparison 〈◊〉 the other which is and ever hath beene where it is predominant and beareth rule against Protestants most terrible cruel inhumane and extreamely Bloodie and so bee mooved to affect and imbrace the one and to abhorre and detest the other as it deserveth But as touching these points I shall not neede to use manie words to men of understanding learning and iudgement especiallie when the thing desired of you tendeth to your owne good not onely in respect of this world but
good ends and purposes and not to satisfie the severity of his Iustice by that meanes for their sinnes and the punishment thereto belonging p. 125. c There is no iust cause to be shewed vvhy the pretended Catholicks should refuse to take the oath of Supremacy or refuse to come to our Churches Their obiections and reasons answered p. 1 2 c p. 407 c. See also throughout the vvhole booke for this purpose Concerning auricular Confession and to vvhom confession of sinnes is to be made and that it ought to be free and voluntarie and not forced or compelled pag. 302 303 c. pag. 253 254 D FOr vvhom Christ Dyed and to vvhom hee is a Redeemer pag. 187 188 189 c Every sinne Deadly in his owne nature although all sinnes be also veniall and remissible in respect of Gods mercie grace and bounty except the sinne against the holy Ghost pag. 114 115 E THe Emperor in ancient time had the Supremacy and not the Pope pag. 30 The Emperor in times past had power to place and displace Popes pag. 27 The Emperor in ancient time banished imprisoned and otherwise punished aswell Bishops of Rome as other Bishops pag. 22 Hee did make Lawes concerning Ecclesiasticall causes and religion pag. 24 As also Commissioners in an Ecclesiasticall cause and the B. of Rome himselfe vvas one of those Commissioners pag. ibid. An appeale to the Emperor in an Ecclesiasticall cause pag 24 Generall Councils in ancient times called by the Emperor and his Authoritie pag. 24 The Christian Emperor did and vvas to meddle in matters of the Church and concerning Religion pag. 25 The Christian Emperor in ancient time did nominate and appoint Bishops of Diocesses and Provinces and even the Bishop of Rome himselfe pag. 25 Emperors in ancient time did ratifie the decrees of Councils before they vvere put in execution pag 28 Miltiades Leo and Gregory all Bishops of Rome in their severall times subiect to the Emperor and at his command pag 24.26 Ancient Fathers Popes of Rome and Councils aswell generall as provinciall may erre even in matter of faith aswell as in matter of fact pag. 49 50 51 52. c See also the Preface for this point The Romane Empire dissolved ever since the Emperors have ceased to have the soveraigne command and rule of Rome and that the Popes have gotten to be the heads and supreme Rulers of that City and to be above the Emperors pa. 331.332 and pag. 391.392.393 The Pope of Rome hath no power or authoritie from Christ to Excommunicate any pag. 299 c Excommunications be they never so iust and lawfull be by Gods law and appointment of no force to depose from Earthly kingdomes or to dissolve the dutie and allegeance of subiects pag. 299 300 301 c F OVr Forefathers and ancestors not to be followed in any vices or errors they held pag 34 35 Foretold in the Booke of God that an apostacie from the right faith and a mysterie of iniquitie otherwise called an Antichristianisme should come upon the Church and that so the Church by degrees should grow corrupted and deformed pag. 35 36 280 Foretold also how long the Church should lye in those her corruptions and errors and vvhen she should begin to be clensed and reformed pag. 35 36 VVhat is to be thought of our Forefathers that lived and dyed in the time of Popery pag 39.40 41 42 Foretold that a strong delusion to beleeve lyes shouâ—d possesse them of the Antichristian Church because they received not the love of the truth extant in the divine Scriptures pag. 307 308 Men are iustified in Gods sight and before his tribunall by Faith only and good vvorkes be the fruits and declarations of that faith pag. 99 100 101 c. to the end of that chapter and pag. 116 117 118 c. to the end also of that chapter G God is not the author of sinne pag. 168 169 c. H NOt Protestants but Papists be the Heretickes pag. 72. and Schismaticks pag. 37 38. pag. 413.414 c Not the Pope but Christ onely is the Head of the universall militant Church as well as of the triumphant pag 94 95 96 97 98 I VVHo is to be the infallible Iudge of controversies in religion or vvhich commeth all to one effect in the conclusion vvhat is the infallible Rule vvhereby men must iudge and be directed for the finding out of truth in those controversies pag. 49 50 51 c. See also the Preface for this matter The Implicita fides of Papists reproved pag 78 79 80 K KIngs have the Supremacie over all maner of persons aswell Ecclesiasticall as Civill vvithin their own Dominions pa. 1. to p. 5 Their Supremacie in all kinde of causes aswell Ecclesiasticall as Civill pag. 5 c Kings and Princes although they have the Supremacie yet thereby claime not nor can claime to preach to minister the Sacraments to excommunicate absolve or to consecrate Bishops or to doe any other act proper to the function of the Ecclesiasticall ministers pag. 32 c Kings and Princes be notwithstanding their Supremacies under God and subiect to him and his vvord pag. 33 Even heathen Kings may command and make Edicts and Proclamations for God and his service pag. 7. c Christian Kings and Queenes are by Gods appointment to be nursing fathers and nursing mothers to his Church and Religion p. 7. The authoritie of a Christian King in respect of contemptuous disorderly and unruly persons requisite and necessary in the Church as vvell as in the Common-weale pag. 6 c Kings and Princes may command and compell their subiects to externall obedience for God pag. 6 7 8 9 10 Christian Kings may make lawes about matters Ecclesiast p. 7 8.24 Hee may make Commissioners in Ecclesiasticall causes pag. 24 He may have Appeales made unto him in a cause Ecclesiastical ib. He may nominate and appoint Bishops of Diocesses and Provinces pag. 27. Councels and Convocations to be assembled by his authoritie and the decrees thereof by him to be ratified and confirmed before they be put in execution pag. 26 27 28 Christian Kings doe punish offendors in Ecclesiasticall causes not Ecclesiastically but Civilly pag. 6 7.32 Subiects ought not to rebell against their Kings and Princes though they be adversaries to the Christian Religion and though subiects have power force enough to do it pa. 20 21 22.299 300 Kings of Rome did sometimes send the Bishops of Rome as their Ambassadors pag. 22 How thankefull subiects ought to be unto God for Christian Kings and Princes pag. 33 The power of the Keyes most grossely abused by the B of Rome to vvorke his owne exaltation above Kings and Princes pag 299 300 301 c The Keyes of the kingdome of heaven no more given to S. Peter then to the rest of the Apostles pag. 292 293 294 295 L NO Licentiousnesse or impiety in the doctrine of Iustification by faith or in the doctrine of predestination or
Patriarchship This then sheweth That the Bishop of Rome his government in those times extended but to the precincts of his owne Province likewise and no further For had it stretched over all the world then could not from thence anie good patterne have beene drawne to confirme and fortifie the like at Alexandria which was not to extend it selfe over all the world but to keepe it selfe within certaine limits and bounds onely Yea what resemblance or parilitie was there or could there be betweene him that is an universall Bishop and a Provinciall So that if you will make the Bishop of Rome at that time to have an universall governement over all the Christian world you must conclude the same also for the Bishop of Alexandria that hee had so likewise for there was parilis mos the like usage in both as the very words of the Canon it selfe affirme But if you will say as you must needs that by this Councell of Nice the Bishop of Alexandria had his limits and bounds confirmed to him by the patterne and example of the Bishop of Rome for that is the patterne there proposed for Alexandria then must you also grant according to right and truth that the Bishop of Rome aswell as the Bishop of Alexandria and the rest of the Patriarchall Bishops in those times had likewise everie one of them their severall limits bounds and precincts set them beyond which they might not passe nor extend their authoritie And this you may yet further see by Ruffinus lib. 1. cap. 6. and by the Councell of Africa cap. 92. 105. c. verie cleerely for your better satisfaction Againe the first generall Councell of Constantinople held about anno 381. and consisting of 150. Bishops Can. 2. 3. And the Councel of Ephesus also held about ann 431. Ca. 8. doe both shew that the Provinces of the world were in those times distinguished and distributed and the Bishops and Patriarches so restrained to their owne severall precincts and limits ut nullus Episcoporum alienam invadat provinciam that no Bishop or Patriarch might invade or intrude upon anothers Province or precinct It is true that the Bishop of Rome had the honour of the first place the Bishop of Constantinople had the second place the Bishop of Alexandria the third the Bishop of Antioch the fourth and the Bishop of Hierusalem the fift But this precedencie or prioritie of place all men know is such as may be among those that be otherwise Equals amongst themselves and proveth only a prioritie of order but no prioritie of Dominion or of a Princely power or Monarchicall authority in anie one of them over the rest Yea the generall Councell of Calcedon also held about ann 451 wherein were 630 Bishops Act. 16. hath these words Following the Decrees of the holy Fathers and of those 150 Bishops assembled under Theodosius the elder of blessed memory in the royall Citie of Constantinople and acknowledging the same VVee also Decree and ordaine the same things concerning the priviledges or preeminences of the said Church of Constantinople vvhich is new Rome For our fathers gave those preeminences to the seate of Elder Rome because that City had the Empire And the 150 Bishops moved vvith the same consideration gave the same preeminences to the most sacred seate of New Rome thinking it reason that the citie vvhich is honoured vvith the Empire and Senate should have equall preeminences vvith Elder Rome and in Ecclesiasticall matters should be advanced Equally vvith her being in place the next unto her It is true that the then Pope of Rome by his Legats or Vicegerents did what hee could to withstand and hinder this Decree but for all that it prevayled and was of force as even Cardinal Cusanus himselfe affirmeth thereby proving a Generall Councell to be above the Pope and the Decrees thereof to be good and avayleable though the Pope never give his consent unto them Yea the sixt generall Councell of Constantinople Can. 36. did also long after confirme and ratifie this Decree and accordingly made another Decree to the same effect saying thus Renuing the Decrees of the 150 Fathers that met in this royall City of Constantinople and of the 630 Bishops assembled at Chalcedon vvee likewise decree that the Sea of Constantinople have equall Priviledges vvith the seate of Elder Rome and in Ecclesiasticall matters be advanced equally vvith Rome being the next unto it By all which it is apparant that the Bishop or Patriarch of Constantinople was within his Patriarchship to have as great priviledges preeminences and authorities as touching Church affaires as the Bishop of Rome was to have within his Patriarchship And as you may observe by these Councels that the Primacie which the Bishop of Rome at the first had and obteyned was onely a Primacie of honour or of Order or of place and not anie Primacie of Princely or Regall power over the rest of his fellow Patriarches so you may also perceive that even that Primacy was not given him as belonging to him in anie right from S. Peter as hee now strangely claimeth but by reason onely of the Citie or place whereof he was Bishop namely for that Rome was then the Imperiall Citie or seate of the Emperors But the Bishop of Rome contented not himselfe with this Primacie of honour or of order or precedencie of place but afterward clymbed higher even to a Primacie of Princely power and Monarchicall authoritie and that not onely over his fellow-Patriarches and Bishops but over all Emperors also and Kings and Princes which be his Superiors and over all Generall Councels likewise his Pride and ambition having no meane nor measure in it And yet is this his claymed Supremacie over Councels also but a new devise and of a verie late standing in the world For Councels untill of verie late times were held both for opinion and practise to be above the Pope and the Popes authoritie as is apparant by the Councell assembled at Pisa about the yeare of our Lord 1408. two striving at that time for the Popedome viz. Gregory the 12 and Benedict the 13. This Councell proceeded against both these Popes deposed them condemned them both for hereticks and schismaticks and required all Christians not to take them for Popes or to yeeld obedience to them which Councell is also by Io Gerson much commended Likewise in the Councell of Constance which was called about Ann. 1414. was Pope Iohn the 23th deposed and for confirmation thereof it declareth the right and authoritie of a Councell to be above the Pope The Councell of Basil likewise deposed another Pope namely Eugenius the fourth where againe the authoritie and power of a Councell above the Pope is expresly ratified and confirmed and he affirmed to be an hereticke that shall say to the contrarie How then can Iesuites and others avoid the note and name of hereticks which in these latter times contrarie to the practise and
decrees of these former generall Councels dare and doe affirme the Pope to be above all general Councels to be supreme Iudge over all and not subiect to the iudgement of anie upon earth Is not this intolerable pride and most abhominable licentiousnesse and lawlesnesse in the Pope of Rome and most grosse notorious and palpable flatterie in his followers The Popes Supremacie ecclesiasticall then which he claimeth over all Bishops and Councels and the civill Supremacie which he likewise claimeth over all Kings and Emperors appeareth to be not onely a meere Noveltie but a thing also extreamely iniurious to all Bishops and Councels and to all Kings Princes and Emperors also and is therefore iustly worthie of all to be detested and reiected 6 For must not the Supremacie civill which hee also claimeth over Emperors Kings and Princes to depose them from their Crownes and Kingdomes and to assoile their subiects of their allegeance be a most strange and a most damnable impietie when God himselfe saith thus By mee Kings raigne and not by the commission or permission of anie Pope and when in Daniel a voice from heaven proclaimeth That it is not the Pope but The most high that beareth rule over the kingdome of men and giveth it to vvhomsoever hee vvill and when moreover not the Pope but God himselfe is hee that is intituled King of kings and Lord of lords Besides it is a thing cleerely out of the commission of the Apostles and consequently out of the commission of all Bishops and other Ministers of the Gospel for they be the Keyes of the kingdome of heaven and not of earthly kingdomes that bee committed unto them And therefore it is not within the compasse of this their Divine and Ecclesiastical commission to meddle with anie earthly matters much lesse with earthly kingdomes or to depose anie Kings from their Thrones or to give away their kingdomes or to disanull the duetie and allegeance of subiects which by the law of God and Nature they owe unto their Soveraignes Did anie Apostle yea or all the Apostles together in ancient time take upon them to depose Nero or anie other Emperor were he never so great a persecutor or were hee never so wicked Or did anie Bishops in the ancient Church take upon them to depose anie of them that were hereticall Arrian Emperors in their times and persecuters of the Oxthodox and right beleeving Christians Yea did anie Bishop or all the Bishops in the world together take upon them to depose the Emperor Iulian though an Apostata though a man Anathematized though a most impious person and a scorner of Christ and of all Christian Religion By this one president then of Iulian the Apostata if there were no other you may easily perceive that no excommunication or Anathematization nor anie power of the Keyes whatsoever committed by Christ to Bishops Ministers of the Gospel have anie force included in them to depose Emperors Kings and Princes be they never so wicked or adverse to Christ or Christianitie yea that Bishops in no sort neither directly nor indirectly or in ordine ad Spiritualia as they speake or for advancement of anie pretended or Revera Catholike cause have anie such authoritie For Iulian still remained an Emperor and his Christian souldiers and subiects notwithstanding that he was so great an enemie to their Religion were neverthelesse obedient dutifull and serviceable unto him as S. Augustine also sheweth and affirmeth So farre off were they from rebelling or withdrawing their allegeance from him and so farre off also were the Bishops of those times from perswading abetting or counselling anie such wicked matter unto them Yea whereas Bellarmine and some other Papists affirme that the Christians in the primitive and those ancient Churches were therefore obedient because they wanted sufficient power and force to withstand their wicked Emperors doe they not herein speake more like politicke Atheists then Christian Divines Where is Obedience for conscience sake which God requireth of all Christians as S. Paul witnesseth if such Popish doctrine as this were true But besides Tertullian expressely confuteth it witnessing that such was the affection and disposition of the Christians in those times being ledde thereunto by dutie conscience as that they neither taught nor put in practice any course of disloyaltie or disobedience or bare armes against their Emperor albeit they had as he there sheweth sufficient force to have done it Yea the Christians in those times notwithstanding all their great number strength their sufficient power to rebel if they had bin so ill disposed were neverthelesse so farre from rebelling or procuring rebellions to be made against the Emperor of their times that contrariwise they were quiet and suffered all things patiently and prayed for him that Almightie God would grant unto him A long life a secure raigne safetie in his Court valiant Souldiers a faithfull Counsell dutifull subiects a quiet kingdome and all those blessings and comforts that his heart could desire Sigebert mentioning the Popes proceedings against Henry the Emperor divers hundred yeares since saith thus Bee it spoken vvith the leave of all good men This novelty that I say not heresie had not as yet sprung up in the vvorld that Gods Priests should teach the people that they owe no subiection to evill Princes and though they have sworne allegeance to him yet they owe him no fidelitie nor shall be counted periured that devise against the King yea That hee that obeyeth him shall be counted for excommunicate and he that doth against the King shall be absolved from the guilt of vvrong and periurie Vincentius likewise testifieth the same matter Where you see how directly they both condemne these trayterous and rebellious positions of Poperie which be at this day by too manie amongst them cherished and maintained for points of Catholike doctrine and that notwithstanding the pretence of the Popes authoritie and of a Catholike cause they be long since condemned and accounted and recorded to be meere Novelties if not Heresies Now then you perceive I trust that as the Pope hath no Supremacie lawfull in Ecclesiasticis so much lesse hath he anie Supremacie lawfull in Temporalibus within the Kings Dominions or elsewhere within the Dominions of anie other King And I assure my selfe that such are your loyalties and such the odiousnesse and apparant untruth of the trayterous and rebellious positions delivered in these later times by Iesuites and such like Popish Teachers against Kings for maintenance of the Popes pride that yee unfainedly and utterly abhorre detest those positions of theirs together with their practises as they are indeed iustly worthie I would yee did also detest the rest of their false doctrines as I hope upon better information ye will even for truths sake and the safetie of your owne soules 7 But to proceed what cleerer or greater argument can there be against the Popes Supremacie
the second at Constantinople was called by Theodosius the elder the third at Ephesus by Theodosius the yonger the fourth at Calcedon by Valentinian and Martian And this is so manifest a truth that Cardinall Cusanus confesseth and affirmeth that the first eight generall Councells were called by the Emperors And so also witnesseth Socrates that Since Emperors became Christians the businesses of the Church have seemed to depend upon their vvill and therefore the greatest Councels saith he have beene and still are called by their appointment But here Bellarmine steppeth in and would perswade that howsoever Emperors did call Councels yet it was done authoritate Papae by authoritie of the Pope A verie strange assertion and untrue for even Leo himselfe Bishop of Rome in his time made supplication to the then Emperor Theodosius the yonger Supplicationi nostrae dignetur aâ—nuere That hee vvould be pleased to yeeld to his Supplication for the calling of a Councell in Italy But the Emperor for all that contrarie to the Popes will and desire and notwithstanding that his humble petition caused the Councell to bee called and assembled not in Italy as the Pope desired but at Ephesus Afterward againe the same Leo Bishop of Rome made a second supplication alledging withall the sighes and teares of all the Clergie for the obtayning of a Councell in Italy He sollicited the Princesse Pulcheria to further his supplication to the Emperor He wrote to the Nobles Clergie and people of Constantinople to make the like supplication to the Emperor and yet for all this he could not obtaine it this second time neither For although then a Councel were granted yet it was not in Italy as the Pope would have had it but at Calcedon It is then more then manifest by this example of Leo that Councels in those times were assembled and convocated not by the commandement and authoritie of the Popes but of Emperors Yea by the subscription also to those constitutions you may further discerne that the Pope in those times had no authoritie to command the Emperor but contrariwise the Emperor had to command the Pope for thus saith the same Leo to the then Emperor Because saith he I must by all meanes obey your sacred and religious vvill I have set downe my consent in writing to those Constitutions If then there were no other evidences or proofes doe not these three former examples viz. of Miltiades Leo and Gregory all Bishops of Rome in their severall times make plaine demonstration and openly proclaime to the world that in those dayes the Bishops of Rome were without all question or contradiction inferior obedient and subiect to the Emperors and not superior to them But yet further ye know that King Solomon removed the high Priest Abiathar and put Zadoc in his place The Emperor Theodosius the elder did likewise nominate and appoint Nectarius to be Bishop of Constantinople Honorius also appointed Boniface to be Bishop of Rome And other Emperors did the like Is it not then lawfull for King IAMES our Soveraigne Lord likewise to nominate appoint a Bishop of a Diocesse or Province and upon iust cause againe to remove and displace him For as touching the sacration or consecration of Bishops or other Minister ecclesiasticall otherwise called the ordination of them by imposition of hands the King medleth not but leaveth those kind of Acts to be done by Bishops and such to whom they belong Yea King VVilliam Rufus likewise in his dayes nominated appointed Anselmus to be Archbishop of Canterburie And before him King VVilliam the Conqueror used the like authority nominating and appointing Lanfrancus to be the Archbishop as is also testified by the same Author And even before the Conquest King Edward the Confessor appointed one Robert first Bishop of London and afterward an Archbishop And before that King Alfred nominated and appointed Asserio Bishop of Sherborne and Denewulfus Bishop of Winchester And more then 200. yeres before that Edelwalk King of the South Saxons appointed VVilfred to an Episcopall Sea Grantzius speaking of the ancient times saith thus The Emperor placed a Bishop in Monster And mervaile not saith he that a Bishop vvas appointed by the Emperor for this vvas the Custome of those times vvhen Emperors had power to place and displace Popes And further he saith That vvhomsoever the Prince did nominate that man vvas to be consecrated a Bishop by the next adioyning Bishops And he addeth further That concerning this Iurisdiction there vvas a long contention betweene the Papacy and the Empire This vvas the Iurisdiction vvhich the Two Henries the father and the sonne and vvhich the Two Fredericks likewise the grandfather and the grandchilde sought long to Defend and maintaine but the sword of the Church saith he prevayled and forced the Emperors to relinquish their right to the Church Thus you see how namely That partly by fraude and partly by force the Popes after much striving and contending prevayled at last against the Emperors and made them to loose their rights And therefore worthily is that Statute which giveth these rights againe to our Kings and Princes entituled An Act restoring to the Crowne the ancient Iurisdiction over the state Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall and abolishing all forraine power repugnant to the same The premisses then well and advisedly considered what is there in all the authoritie concerning Ecclesiasticall causes attributed or belonging to the King that can iustly offend anie of you For I doubt not but such authorities in Ecclesiasticall causes as were in ancient time yeelded to the godly Kings of Iudah or unto the godly Christian Emperors yee will well allow as in all right and reason ye ought unto Christian kings Princes within their dominions And amongst the rest of their rights and authorities this also was one that the Emperors approved ratified and confirmed even the Constitutions and Decrees of Councels before they were promulged or put in execution For so did Constantine that Christian Emperor confirme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Decrees of the Councell Againe Rogamus clementiam tuam saith the Councell to the Emperor Theodosius ut per Literas tuae pietatis ratum esse Iubeas confirmesque Concilij Decretum Wee beseech your clemencie that by your Letters you will ratifie and confirme the Decree of the Councell Sacro nostrae Serenitatis Edicto saith also Martian the Emperor venerandam Synodam confirmamus We by the sacred Edict of our Serenity doe confirme the reverend Synod This then is a right which must likewise be acknowledged due and to belong to King IAMES our Soveraigne Lord. What obiection then or exception can be taken against his Maiesties Supremacie in any point or why should not all his subiects most readily and willingly acknowledge it and in testimonie thereof take the Oath concerning the same whensoever they bee thereunto lawfully required For if anie suppose as
Paschall the second would have warre made upon the Emperor promising to give remission of sinnes and assurance of everlasting life to all that would doe it and on the other side to excommunicate all those that would shew obedience to him They say thus Because VVee keepe the Law of God they obiect against us that vvee transgresse their new Traditions But God saith unto them vvhy do you transgresse the commandements of God by your Traditions God commandeth to give unto Cesar the things vvhich are Cesars and to God that which is Gods which S. Peter and S. Paul doe lâ—kewise teach honour the King let every soule be subiect to the hâ—gher powers Hee that commands every soule to doe this whom doth hee exempt from this earthly power Because therefore wee honour the King and serve our Lords and Maisters in the simplicitie of our hearts are wee therefore excommunicated c vvho can reprehend a Bishop for keeping his faith and loyaltie to his Prince and yet they that teare in sunder the kingdome and Priesthood with new Schismes and new Traditions promise to absolve them from the sinne of periurie that breake their faith to their king Suppose say they our Emperor vvere an hereticke yet is he not to be repelled as such a one by us by taking armes against him yea they alledge that the Prophet Ieremy praied for Nebuchadnezzar and S. Paul for Nero and adde further VVhich of the Popes of Rome hath by his Decrees given authoritie that a Bishop should use the sword of vvarre against any offendors All from Gregory the first used the spirituall sword alone unto the last Gregory vvho was the first that armed himselfe and by his example others vvith the sword of warre against the Emperor c You say that if a man be excommunicate for vvhat cause soever if he dye in that estaete hee is damned But the Authoritie of the Church of Rome say they helpeth us in this point vvho teach that the Bishop of Rome hath power to absolve any that is uniustly excommunicated by others If then the Bishop of Rome may doe this vvho will say that God cannot absolve whomsoever the Pope hath uniustly excommunicated yea the Popes curse of Excommunication they make no reckoning of but contemne and despise it but above all say they vvee feare that which the spirit of God by the mouth of the Psalmist hath said viz. Cursed are all they that decline from his commandements That Curse of excommunication vvhich Pope Hildebrand Odoardus and this Third have by a new Tradition indiscreetely brought in vvee vvholly reiect and vvee hold and reverence those first holy Fathers unto this day vvho by the motion of Gods spirit not carried vvith their owne affections have otherwise ordeyned c. forasmuch therefore as vvee sticke to the Ancient rule and are not carried away vvith every winde of Doctrine we are called Excommunicates false Clerkes c. Howbeit let Pope Paschall lay aside his spirit of presumption and let him advisedly consider vvith his Counsaylors how from Silvester to Hildebrand the Popes have obtayned the chaire at Rome vvhat and how manie outrages have beene committed by the Ambition of that Sea c. As for those Legats à latere vvho run through the world to fill their purses vve say they wholly reiect them according to those Councels of Affricke held in the times of Zozimus Caelestinus and Boniface for that vve may know theraby their fruits there proceeeds from their legations no correction of manners or amendment of life but the slaughters of men and the spoyle of Gods Church c. That there should be such desolation of the Church such oppression of the poore and vvidowes such crueltie such rapine and vvhich is worse such effusion of bloud without respect of good and evill and all this and worse then all this Done by the Commandement of the Pope vvho would beleeve it if his owne mouth had not spoken it VVee remayne astonished at the novelty of these things and vvee enquire from vvhence this new Example should come That the Preacher of peace with his owne mouth and the hand of another man should make vvarre against the Church of God c. Where further they directly affirme Rome to be Babylon and say that the Apostle so calleth it as foreseeing by a Propheticall spirit The confusion of that dissention vvherewith the Church at this day is torne in pieces c. And a great deale more is spoken in that Epistle of theirs which though it be long and large is worthie the reading over And this no doubt moved the Bishop of Florence also in the yeare 1106 publiquely to preach that Antichrist was borne and then in Esse which Pope Paschall understanding of and being much grieved therewith tooke the paines to goe himselfe in person to Florence to stop the mouth of this Bishop And fearing as it seemes to stirre in the matter too much contented himselfe onely to admonish him to desist from this bold enterprise lest otherwise indeed the truth of that matter should more strongly breake out But yet further about the yeare 1150. The letters of the Emperor Fredericke Barbarossa to the Princes of Germany be sufficiently knowne wherein he sheweth unto them that the Pope had no other drift but to set his foot upon the Emperors head that so hee might the more easily overcome the members And upon this it was saith Radevicus That the Pope vvas not ashamed to maintaine that the Emperor vvas his man and held the Empire of him Yea the Popes are gone so farre saith Aventinus that they affect both domination and deitie so that they vvill be feared of all as God yea more then God pretending that they are not bound to give account of their Actions to any That amongst them be many Antichrists and that indeede there be none more pernicious to the Christian Religion then the Popes The same Emperor in his letters to King VVencislaus saith that the high Bishops of Babylon that is of Rome doe sit long over the Temple of God and seise upon the divinity that to please the desire of these false Christs thâ— Princes doe ruinate one another and all states be in a combustion That they be blinde vvhich see not that they be cruel vvolves which under sheepes cloathing spoyle the flocke of Christ. And that this was the Iudgement also even of sundry of the Germane Church as wel as of the Emperor appeareth by the oration of an Archbishop to the States of the Empire for saith he He that is the servant of servants as if he vvere God coveteth to be the Lord of Lords hee disclaymeth the counsell of his brethren or rather of his Lords He feareth lest hee should be forced to give account of that vvhich he doth and usurpeth every day over the lawes Hee uttereth great things as if he vvere God Hee coyneth new devises in his minde to appropriate the Empire to himselfe
Supper not only a signe but a seale also to everie several particular faithfull man of the full and free remission of all his sinnes and of that immaculat perfect complete righteousnesse which hee hath by and in Christ Iesus Where therefore you may note by the way that the Doctrine of Assurance of Salvation is a most certaine true and undoubted doctrine inasmuch as these verie Sacraments themselves doe assuredly testifie and seale up the same even to everie several and particular faithfull and godly person that receiveth them S. Augustine somtimes useth the word in the large sense and acception but when hee speaketh of Sacraments in the more proper and strict sense he reckoneth them as wee doe saying Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina Sacramenta These be the two Sacraments of the Church And againe he saith that Christ and his Apostles have delivered unto us a few Sacraments in stead of many Baptisme and the Lords Supper So S. Ambrose likewise treating purposely of the Sacraments speaketh of two as the reformed Churches doe Yea Innocentius the third speaking of them maketh mention of these two which we receive not of the rest which we refuse And even Cardinal Bessarion also saith Haec duo sola Sacramenta in Evangelijs manifestè tradita legimus VVee reade these twoâ—Sacraments onely to be manifestly delivered in the Gospel It is true that Bellarmine proveth the word Sacrament to be sometime given in some writers to the other five but that is as I said before when the word is taken in a general or large signification for anie Signe or token in which case it may indeed more properly be called a Signe then a Sacrament These five therefore namely Confirmation Pennance Matrimony Orders and Extreame unction wee reject from being Sacraments properly and strictly so called the other two namely Baptisme and the Lords Supper wee embrace as being altogether perfect and sufficient not onely to enter and plant a man into the Church but also to cherish increase confirme strengthen and maintaine him in it unto the end and therefore no need is there of anie moe to be Sacraments for anie of those uses ends or purposes 2 First then touching Confirmation It is granted that the Christians in the ancient Church caused their Children after that they came to yeares of discretion to come before the Bishop who examined them in the principles and fundamental points of Religion and instructed them further for their confirmation therein and that this action might have the more reverence and esteeme hee laid his hands upon them and praied unto God for them that hee would encrease and continue the good things that hee had begun in them But howsoever this was a laudable usage yet doth it not follow that therefore it was a Sacrament Yea your maner of Confirmation with Chrisme or Oyle for you make this Oyle to be the outward signe of this your supposed sacrament hath no institution or commandement from Christ therfore it can be no Sacrament for it is well knowne that everie sacrament must have an outward visible signe or element ordained and appointed of God for that purpose as in Baptisme the outward visible signe or element is water and in the Lords Supper the outward visible signes or elements be bread and wine and all these of Gods owne instituting and appointing But what institution or appointment from God can be shewed for this your Chrisme or oyle to be used as a visible signe in Confirmation Iust none at all in Gods booke Inasmuch therefore as this outward visible signe of Chrisme or Oyle used in Popish Confirmation is none of Gods instituting it can be no sacrament It is true that wee finde in the Scripture that the Apostles sometimes used Imposition or laying on of hands but therein wee reade of no Oyle or Chrisme they used Yea moreover by that their imposition or laying on of hands the miraculous gifts of the holy Ghost were given as appeareth in the same places of Act. 8.17.18.19 c. Act. 19.6 which power of giving the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost by that meanes is now ceased and is not to be found in the Popish Church at this day nor in anie other Church and therefore should not be attempted Howbeit as touching another kinde of Imposition of hands used in the ordination of Ministers shall be afterwards spoken 3 Concerning Pennance The Papists call it Pennance which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines Poenitentia or rather Resipiscentia and wee call it Repentance which consisteth properly in the change of the mind and affections and not so much in the outward afflicting and punishing of the bodie Yea the outward afflicting and punishing of the bodie anie manner of way howsoever is to no purpose if there be not inwardly a true change of the minde and affections You may call it Pennance if you will externally so to punish the bodie but allowable or good Christian repentance it will never be without a change of the minde and alteration of affections and becomming a new man For Repentance is an outward true godly sorrow for sinnes committed ioyned with fervent prayer unto God for the forgivenesse of them and hath in it an earnest desire purpose and endevour not to commit them anie more and is indeede a dying to sinne and a walking in newnesse of life and is testified by fasting weeping and mourning and by such outward tokens and declarations of it as wee reade of in holy Scripture to be approved Now that this which wee call Repentance and the Papists call Penitencie or Pennance is no Sacrament proper to the New Testament is hereby manifest First because it was in the time of the Old Testament and ever since the time of mans fall and transgression required in all ages and of all persons that they should repent for their sinnes committed Secondly it wanteth a visible signe instituted of God for this purpose to make it a Sacrament such as water is in Baptisme and such as bread and wine is in the Lords Supper and for want of this outward signe also it can therefore bee no Sacrament But Bellarmine saith that Christ instituted the Sacrament of Pennance when after his resurrection he said to his Apostles VVhose sinnes yee remit they are remitted and vvhose sinnes yee retaine they are retayned and he saith further that the vvords of absolution be the outward signe and that the remission of sinnes is the grace therby signified This is farre fetcht to prove it a Sacrament But first I demand of Bellarmine or of anie other How words of Absolution or anie words whatsoever uttered and spoken can be an outward and visible signe Words be audible I know when they be uttered and spoken but how are they visible when they cannot be seene for not audible but visible signes be required to a Sacrament Yea if words uttered by a Pastor or Minister
offer up Christ everie day or often and that in a bodily manner and this sacrifice so offered by them they also say is propitiatorie and taketh away the sinnes of men which is most intolerably blasphemous against that sacrifice of Christ. His all-sufficient mediation and intercession they also oppugne by making manie Mediators and Intercessors beside him as namely the Virgin Mary and other Saints and Angells for whose intercession sake they desire God to heare them and to grant their requests The Kingdome of Christ the Papacie likewise oppugneth for they will not suffer his Church to be ruled and governed by his owne Word and by such orders rules and lawes as hee in his Scriptures hath ordained but according to the canons rules and pleasure of the Pope and according to his constitutions and ordinances Yea as for the lawes and ordinances of God the Pope partly dispenseth with them and partly abrogateth them making them at his pleasure of no effect by his constitutions traditions and devises yea hee taketh to himselfe to be king and head of the whole militant Church and all the authoritie to the head and king of the Church belonging and that without anie warrant at all from Christ like a notable traytor and usurper For which cause it is that he also destroyeth so much as he can all the good subiects of this kingdome of Christ even his best Saints and servants be they Kings Princes or whosoever And thus you see how he oppugneth Christ everie maner of way both in respect of his Person and in respect of his Offices and that not openly and professedly but in a cunning close and covert manner that is in such a sort as belongeth to Antichrist and Antichristian people to doe 4 It is further said in this Text where Antichrist is described that Hee shall be exalted above all that is called God or that is worshipped Observe that he doth not say that he shal be exalted above God but above every one that is called God For it is one thing to be God essentially and another thing to be called God or to have the name of God or Gods attributed to him Who then be the men that be in Scripture called God or Gods It is evident that they be Kings Princes other such like Rulers and Magistrates Now it is manifest that above all these the Pope is exalted yea even above the Emperors themselves for he claimeth a Supremacie above them all taking upon him to depose Kings Princes and Emperours and to give away their Kingdomes Empires and Dominions at his pleasure O damnable and intolerable pride in a Bishop Did ever S. Peter whose successor he pretendeth to be thus detestably magnifie and exalt himselfe All the Christian world knoweth that S Peter was of another and more humble spirit not exalting himselfe above but subiecting himselfe evermore unto and under the authoritie of Kings Princes and Emperors and taught all people likewise this duety of subiection and obedience And so did S. Paul also Yea all Bishops and even the Bishops of Rome themselves aswell as the rest were in ancient time subiect to the Emperors and the Emperors commanded over them The Emperors Writ saith Hierome caused the Bishops aswell of the East as of the West to draw to Rome This is saith Eusebius a copie of the Emperors Writ whereby hee commandeth a Councell to be kept in Rome Note that he saith he commanded it Yea hee so commanded a Councell that Pope Leo himselfe excused his absence before the Emperour The Emperor Constantine saith Sozomen sent out his Letters unto all the Rulers of the Churches that they should all meete at Nice upon a day Vnto the Bishops of the Apostolicke Sees unto Macarius the Bishop of Hierusalem and unto Iulius the Bishop of Rome c. VVee command saith Iustinian the Emperour the most holy Archbishops and Patriarchs of Rome of Constantinople of Alexandria of Antioch and of Hierusalem c. Seeing then that all Bishops and even the Bishop of Rome aswell as the rest were in ancient time subiect to Kings Princes and Emperors as to the higher powers so ordeined of GOD over them What monstrous pride is it now in the Bishop of Rome so highly to magnifie and advance himselfe as to claime and arrogate to himselfe a Supremacie and authoritie over them all Insomuch that it is registred of him in his owne Records that hee is so manie times greater then the Emperor as the Sunne is greater then the Moone Is it not then high time and more then time for all to renounce and to be ashamed of such an unholy Father whose pride by no pretences can be excused and is so superlatively ill as that it is unmatchable 5 For indeed long before this his usurping and taking to himselfe a Supremacie over all Kings Princes and Emperors to whom of right and duetie he ought to be subiect did his pride appeare and shew it selfe in taking upon him a Supremacie over all Bishops and Patriarches who were his equals so that he would be called Vniversal Priest or Vniversal Bishop chiefest Bishop head of the whole universal Church of Christ upon earth and by other such like loftie and supereminent titles And yet when Iohn the Patriarch of Constantinople affected that title of Vniversal Bishop over all you may remember what Gregory himselfe the then Bishop of Rome spake namely thus I speake it confidently that vvhosoever calleth himselfe the universal Bishop or desireth to be so called he is in that his Elation the forerunner of Antichrist because in that his pride he setteth himselfe before others Againe he saith None of my Predecessors Bishops of Rome â—ver consented to use this ungodly name No Bishop of Rome over tooke upon him this name of singularitie vvee the Bishops of Rome vvill not receive this honour being offered unto us Againe writing unto Eulogius hee saith thus Behold even in the preface of your letter you have written the word of a proude appellâ—tion naming mee the universal Pope notwithstanding I have forbidden it I beseech your holinesse to doe so no more For whatsoever is given to any other above reason the same is taken from your selves Yea it is further recorded even in Gratian himselfe that The Bishop of Rome may not bee called universal Bishop Here then you may perceive how shamelesly the Popish Church abuseth some places of Scripture wresting them for the maintenance of this their Popes claimed Supremacie and universalitie over all Bishops and the whole Church of Christ. As first they alledge that saying of Christ to Peter where after that Christ had demanded of his Apostles VVhom doe yee say that I am and that Peter had answered in the name of them all saying Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God Christ said unto him Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not revealed this
and yet having his sinnes forgiven him and therefore being bound to love Christ more then the rest because more was forgiven him Christ thrice requireth of him to manifest and declare that his greater love by so much the more diligenter feeding of his Sheeepe for this is the verie drift true scope and meaning of Christ in that place As S. Cyrill doth also declare in these wordes Because Peter saith he being enobled from Christ himselfe with the name of the Apostleship with others did thrice deny Christ in the time of his passion now by right is required of him three confessions of his love that three denials might be countervayled and recompensed vvith an equal number of confessings c. Christ asked of him vvhether he loved him more then the rest did for he that had experience of the greater clemency of the Lord towards him ought of right to be affected with greater love for although generally all the Disciples were stricken vvith great feare vvhen the Lord vvas betrayed yet the fault of Peter vvas greater then of the rest vvho so denyed Christ in so short a time Because therefore hee obteyned remission of sinnes by greater clemency of the Saviour greater love of right is required of him for he to vvhom more is forgiven ought more to love S. Augustine also upon this Text likewise inferreth saying Let the duty of love be to feed the Lords flocke And Chrysostome likewise saith Ter interrogat c. Christ asketh thrice and he alwayes commandeth the same thing that hee might shew how great care he hath of his sheepe and that the feeding of them is the greatest argument of love To the like effect speake other also of the ancient Fathers declaring that the speech of Christ to Peter touching the feeding of his sheepe belongeth not onely to Peter but to all Bishops Pastors and Ministers of the word also Wherefore S. Basil saith thus Christ said unto Peter Lovest thou mee Feede my sheepe And in like sort unto all Pastors and Doctors hee gave the same power a Token vvhereof is this that they doe All equally binde and loose aswell as Peter In like sort speaketh againe S. Augustine saying The vvords of Christ Lovest thou mee and Feed my sheepe vvhen they are spoken unto Peter they are spoken unto all And so witnesseth S. Ambrose also saying Our Lord said unto Peter Feede my sheepe vvhich sheepe and flocke not only Peter then received but he receiveth the same together vvith us and all vvee have received the same together with him So that Peter neither in respect of feeding the flocke of Christ nor in anie other respect can be shewed to have or to have exercised anie imperious or Princely primacie or Monarchical superioritie over the rest of the Apostles but was in respect of rule power and authoritie equal with the rest the rest with him And this also further appeareth by the verie Commission it selfe if you look upon it which was given to them when they were sent out into all the world for therein is no more principalitie power or authority given or appointed to the one then to the other But now here lastly observe withall that they be the Keyes of the Kingdome of heaven and not of Earthly kingdomes which Christ hath committed to his Ministers So that neither Excommunication nor anie other power of the Keyes be it never so lawfully or iustly administred or executed is of force to depose anie man from an earthly kingdome though it be of force being rightly used to seclude a man from the kingdom of God if he repent not And therfore here I must crave leave to tell you that most wickedly intolerably hath the Pope of Rome abused excommunication and the power of the Keyes whilst he hath used them for the pulling down of Kings and Princes from their Thrones and thereupon hath moved subiects to revolt from their Soveraignes to rebell against them Is not this sweet doctrine and an holy religion that upon no warrant at all yea contrarie to the rule commandement of God shall presume to perswade subiects to rebell against their lawfull Soveraignes because forsooth the Pope hath excommunicated them For consider well the matter First it appeareth that the Pope is no Minister at all of Christ but the verie Grand Antichrist as this Booke cleerely manifesteth and hath therefore no authoritie from Christ to excommunicate anie Christians at all much lesse to excommunicate Christian Kings and Princes But secondly if he had that authority that Princes were excommunicated by him yet is excommunication of no force be it never so rightly done or used to dissolve the duetie and allegeance of anie subiects or to depose from earthly kingdomes inasmuch as excommunication and the whole power of the Keyes as is here apparant stretcheth onlie to the Kingdome of Heaven and not to earthly Kingdomes I know they alledge that we are to account an excommunicate person as a Publican or Heathen What of this Admit if you will that hee were thereby become actually and in all respects a very Heathen yet I pray tell mee be not Heathen Kings Kings aswell as those that be Christian Yea were they not manifestly Heathen Kings and Princes whom neverthelesse S. Paul and S. Peter also commanded obedience and subiection to be yeelded unto Were not all those Heathen Emperors likewise to whom the first Christians that lived under their persecutions were neverthelesse obedient You see then that if it were so that excommunication did as it doth not make a christian King to become a verie heathen King in all points and respects yet still neverthelesse hee remaineth a King and consequently is still to be honoured and obeyed as a King of all his subiects They alledge secondly that the familiars and wonted companions of a man excommunicated are to withdraw their companie from him to the end hee may be ashamed of his sinne and so be brought to repentance but doth this inferre that therefore subiects may or ought to withdraw their obedience and allegeance from their King No such matter For subiects cannot be termed or held for familiars or companions to those Kings and Princes under whom they be but the Kings and Princes of other Nations and such as be forreiners if anie If the Father be excommunicated though others withdraw their companie from him to the end hee may be ashamed of his sinne committed yet may not his sonne that oweth special dutie to him as to his father therefore withdraw his duetie and obedience For though excommunication make him as an Heathen and a Publican yet it maketh him not no father but hee still remaineth a father as he was before and therefore of all his children is to be reverenced honoured and obeyed as a father So likewise if the Husband be excommunicate and that others therefore are to withdraw themselves from him yet neverthelesse hee still
to shew how the other words in the Text be also verified in the Pope whilest he taketh upon him to forgive sinnes as fully absolutely as God himselfe whilest he taketh upon him to depose Kings and to dispose of their kingdomes at his pleasure whilest he taketh upon him not onely to order and dispose of earthly kingdomes but also to rule and order the whole Church of God upon earth at his owne will what doth hee else but sit in the Temple of God as God and so shew himselfe as if be vvere God yea whilest he advanceth himselfe above all Bishops Kings Princes and Emperors of the World and above all general Councels also so that hee will not be censured or controlled by anie of these or by anie of their lawes or constitutions and which is yet more whilest hee advanceth himselfe even above the divine Scriptures then selves dispensing with them at his pleasure what doth he else but so carrie himselfe as if he were God or rather above God But againe what doth he else but sit in the Temple of God as God and so shew himselfe as if he were God whilest he ruleth and raigneth in mens consciences like God yea or rather above God himselfe for common experience sheweth that the men and women that be under his subiection and of his Church and superstition be more devoted and more regardfull to know and obey his will and his ordinances and constitutions then they be to know and obey God his word and commandements It is then verie evident that the Pope is at the least as a God unto them and that upon him they as confidently relie as upon God himselfe affirming and supposing him to have an infallibilitie of iudgement and such a special direction by the Holy Ghost as that he cannot possibly erre in anie thing he teacheth decreeth or determineth Yea doth he not sit in the Temple of God as God so shew himselfe as if he were God when he not onely taketh upon him the proper and peculiar powers honours preeminences rights and authorities belonging unto God as is before declared but even the verie title and name also of God For with a verie bould face hee acknowledgeth himselfe to be called God urgeth the title and challengeth it and further they say of him that he is Dominus deus noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope And doe not also these Verses dedicated to him and accepted of him sufficiently declare the same Oraclo vocis mundi moderaris habenas Et meritò in terris crederis esse Deus That is By Oracle of thy voyce thou rul'st and govern'st all And vvorthily a God on earth men deeme and doe thee call 6 But S. Paul proceedeth and saith thus Remember yee not that vvhen I vvas yet vvith you I told you these things and novv yee knovv vvhat vvithholdeth that hee might bee revealed in his time for the mysterie of iniquitie alreadie vvorketh only bee vvhich novv vvithholdeth shall let untill hee bee taken out of the vvay and then shall that vvicked or lavvlesse â—an bee revealed Here hee sheweth what it was that did withhold and keepe backe Antichrist that hee did not appeare in his colours in those times of the Apostles albeit the Mystery of that Iniquiâ—y was not then altogether idle but was even then a working in such close manner as it could This same To chatechon vvhich vvithholdeth and letteth and hindereth Antichrist that hee could not then appeare was the Romane Empyre as Tertullian Chrysostome Augustine Hierome and others doe expound it For so long as the Romane Empyre stood in his full and florishing estate Antichrist could not rise to that his power and height And therefore that Antichrist might appeare and shew himselfe in his glorie and greatnesse it was requisite that the Emperour of Rome should give place and depart from that Cittie where the seate of the Empyre then was that so the Pope might possesse it and make it his seat according to that prophesie in the Revelation of S. Iohn before mentioned where it is foretold that that great City of Rome was to become the head and Metropolitan Citie for the Antichristian Kingdome And the issue and event hath shewed it selfe answerable For the Emperor Constantine removed and translated the seat of the Empire from Rome in Italy unto Bizantium otherwise called Constantinople in Greece and after that began the Emperors by little and little to loose their right in Italy so that at the last Rome the ancient seate of the Empyre with a great part of Italy fell into the Bishop of Rome his hands and now and for the space of manie hundred yeares hath the Bishop of Rome otherwise called the Pope not the Emperour there had his seate This is so evident as that it needeth no further declaration Wherefore to goe forward S. Paul saith that The comming of Antichrist shall bee by the vvorking of Satan vvith all povver and signes and lying vvonders and in all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse amongst them that perish because they received not the love of the truth c. This is before shewed to agree verie fitly to the Kingdome of Poperie For who boast so much of Miracles as they And yet even touching the Miracles in their Legends Claudius Espencaeus himselfe saith No Stable is so full of dung as their Legends are full of fables Canus also taxeth even Gregories Dialogues and Bedaes Historie in this point And Caietan further taxeth as uncertaine the Miracles done even by those that bee the Canonized Saints in Poperie Why then will they still bee so credulous as to beleeve their Miracles to obiect them or to rely upon them For if you doubt of the reall bodily presence of Christ in the Sacrament they will tell you that it hath beene confirmed by Miracle If you doubt of Purgatorie and whether Masses Trentalls Praiers or such like do the Soules of the dead anie good they will also tell you of a Miracle or of some strange Vision Revelation or Apparition of some dead person to prove the same And so to comprehend all in few words for the confirmation of their whole religion they will tell you strange tales of Miracles Apparitions and wonders wrought by their Popes Priests Iesuites Monkes and other their supposed holy men and holy women of their religion Howbeit God himselfe hath herein given us a good rule and direction saying thus If there arise among you a Prophet or a Dreamer of Dreames and give thee a signe or vvonder and the signe and the vvonder vvhich hee hath told thee come to passe saying Let us goe after other gods vvhich thou hast not knovvn and let us serve them thou shalt not hearken to the vvords of that Prophet or unto that Dreamer of dreames for the Lord your God proveth you to knovv vvhether you love the Lord your God vvith all your heart and vvith all your soule yee
of being Pope and Bishop of Rome and not under anie name or title of being the Emperor For they hold as Antoninus writeth that Potestas Papae maior est omni alia potestate creata The power of the Pope is greater then all other created powers But to conclude what doth he else but exercise this Imperial Authoritie before his face whilest he domineereth over him that is now called Emperor of Rome and Germanie and maketh him his vassall and at his command Yea not only hath the Pope for his part thus disloyally and uniustly depressed and subiugated the Emperor exercising and that verie impudently all his authoritie before his face but hee did so worke and perswade with the inhabitants of the earth that they also were content at last to vvorship the first Beast vvhose deadly vvound vvas healed that is to honour and submit themselves to that Imperial State whereof himselfe after the overthrow of the Emperors became the Monarch For it was an Imperial Monarchie to be ioyned to his Episcopal which he so much desired and thirsted after 4 Wherefore to compasse and effect this which hee so much affected it is said that Hee did great vvonders so that hee made fire to come downe from heaven on the earth in the sight of men and deceived them that dwell on the earth by the signes which vvere permitted him to doe in the sight of the Beast saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an Image to the Beast vvhich had the vvound of a sword and did live And it vvas permitted to him to give a spirit unto the Image of the Beast so that the Image of the Beast should speake and also should cause that vvhosoever vvould not vvorship the Image of the Beast should be killed If you remember who this Beast is that had the deadly vvound by the sword namely that it was the Romane State wounded in the sixt head viz. in the Emperors you will the better perceive that the Image of that Beast is and must needs be some State or forme of government erected like unto that of the Imperial for what is an Image but a likenesse or resemblance of that whereof it is an Image Now then what is or can bee this Image of that Beast but the Popedome erected in lieu of that Empire at Rome This doth Augustinus Steuchus himselfe though a great Papist sufficiently declare in these words In Pontificatu etsi non illa veteris Imperij magnitudo species certè non longè dissimilis renata est Qua Gentes omnes ab ortu occasu band â—ecus Romanum Pontificem venerantur quam omnes Nationes Olim Imperatoribus obtemperabant In the Popedome saith he there arose if not the greatnesse of the ancient Empire yet verily a forme not much unlike to it VVherby all Nations from East and VVest doe in like manner VVorship the Pope of Rome as they did in times past obey the Emperor And therefore a little after the same Steuchus calleth the Popedome an Empire and a Maiestical Royaltie in expresse termes Blondus likewise comparing Rome restored under the Pope with Rome flourishing under the Emperors saith that Habet Roma in Regna Gentes Imperium Dictatorem nunc perpetuum non Caesaris sed Piscatoris Petri successorem Imperatoris praedicti id est Christi Vicarium Pontificem summum Principes Orbis adorant colunâ— c. Quid quòd maiora vel câ—rtè paria priscorum temporum Vectigalibus Europa pene omniâ— tribuâ— a Romam mittit Rome hath an Empire over Kingdomes and Nations The Princes of the VVorld doe now adore and vvorship the Pope of Rome being the perpetual Dictator and successor not of Caesar but of Peter the Fisherman and the Vicar of Christ c. Yea in a maner all Europe sendeth greater tribute to Rome or at least Equal to that of the old times And with this agreeth that also of Bellarmine where he saith Antichristum fore ultimum qui tenebit Romanum Imperium tamen sine nomine Romani Imperatoris that Antichrist shall be the last head of Rome vvho shall hold the Romane Empire but yet vvithout the name of the Romane Emperor For the name and title of being Pope of Rome and of Christs Vicar and Peters successor under which hee exerciseth all his authoritie both Imperial and Episcopal Spiritual Temporal is better pleasing and more beneficial to him then the name and title of Emperor Yea it is this spiritual power that animates and gives life and spirit as the Text speaketh unto the temporal and which maketh it to be of so great so glorious and so high esteeme for this opens the peoples hearts and purses unto him and brings in and heapes up abundance of wealth and treasure this causeth Kings to stoupe and bow unto him and his censures and thunderbolts of Excommunication to be so dreadfull causeth men to repaire from all quarters to Rome to partake of the spiritual liberalities of his Holinesse and yet hee is ever a gainer by that meanes notwithstanding all that his bountie and liberalitie Neither did this second Beast the false-Prophet Antichrist cause onely the Image of the Beast that is the Papal Empire to be thus made and erected nor did only put a life or spirit into it whereby it did speake that is give forth Edicts Lawes Sentences and Decrees but did further so speake as this Text sheweth that vvhosoever vvould not VVorship the Image of the Beast that is this Papal-Empire should be killed and put to death namely as an Heretick or schismatick or as a seditious person These things be so plaine and evident as that they need no further explication or proofe For to what other end tend all their cruell persecutions their bloudie Inquisitions their detestable Massacres their abominable Leagues Conspiracies and Warres against Protestant Kings Princes people but that none might live or breath if they might have their wills which would not worship and become obedient to it Yea not onely would they have them to be deprived of their lives but of houses also lands goods libertie whatsoever other solace of humane societie For thus did Pope Alexander the third decree in the Councel of Turon against such as would not subiect themselves to the Sea of Rome Ne ubi cogniti fuerint receptaculum quisquam eis in terra sua praebere aut praesidium impertiri praesumat sed nec in venditione emptione aliqua cum ijs communio habeatur ut solatio humanitatis amisso ab errore viae suae resipiscere compellantur Quisquis autem contra haec venire tentaverit tanquam particeps iniquitatis eorum anathemate feriatur Illi vero si deprehensi fuerint per Catholicos principes custodiae mancipati omnium â—onorum amissione mulctentur That after they be knowne no man presume to give them any receipt upon his land or harbour them neither in buying and
Christ slept a long time For from the yeare 870 to the yeare 1050 whom doe you see but Necromancers but Adulterers and Murtherers and Infamous persons prâ—ferred to the Papacie Platius in the life of Benedict the fourth speaketh the like and giveth the reason of all this saying thus This libertie of sinning saith hee hath begotten us these Monsters and Prodigies vvho by ambition and corruption have rather usurpt then possest the holy chaire of Peter there being no Prince to represse the vvickednesse of these men Yea Platina though the Popes Servant and Secretarie yet well knowing their vices and the vices of the people under his government doth in a manner speake as if himselfe despaired of their salvation for thus bee his words Our vices saith hee bee grovvne to thaâ— height that they vvill hardly ever finde mercie in the sight of God But observe yet further how horrible and wicked their reproachings slanderings and defamings heretofore have beene and yet still bee of Gods church people their religion calling them usually Heretickes Schismatickes and by such other odious names laying sometimes most notorious slanders and most impious false accusations to their charge perswading as if our religion were a religion allowing licentiousnesse a condemner and disallower of all good works and as though wee approoved of all dissolutenesse and were enemies to the Virgin Marie to all Saints as though we made God the Author of sinne and evill other such like things which we utterly detest dislike and abhorre and which hee cleane contrary to our opinion and to the doctrine of our Religion Yea they not onely thus dishonour wrong the true Church and people of God upon earth but even the Church triumphant and Saints also in heaven For is it not a great wrong and dishonour to the glorified Saints in heaven to turne them into Idols or to make them instruments of Idolatry or of dishonouring God by invocating praying unto them when as Praier and Invocation is a service worship and honour properly and onely belonging to God Againe do they not much dishonour the Saints when they imploy them about base offices commending the keeping of their Hogs to one of their horses to another the curing of the Scurffe to a third c. Yea even concerning that most chast blessed glorious Virgin Mary Doe they not extreamely dishonour her when they make her to favour Immodestie uncleanenesse For there is an Italian book entituled Miracoli dâ—ella gloriosâ— Virgine Maria printed at Millan in the yere 1547 which saith that a certaine Abbesse being with Child the holy Virgin being willing to cover her crime did in her stead present her selfe before the Bishops in forme of the Abbesse and shewed him by an ocular demonstration that shee was not with Child Caesarius also in his seventh Booke Chapt. 35 reports that the Virgin Marie for twelve whole yeares did supplie the place of a certaine Nunâ—â— called Beatrice whilst shee lay in the Sâ—ewes till at last she came backe again to take her place and freed the Virgin from being in her roome any longer But consider yet further the most terrible cruell barbarous and bloodie persecutions of Gods Church and people committed by Papists About 400 yeares since Pope Innocent the third within the space of a few monthes made more then 200000 of the faithfull to bee slaine whom they called Albigenses In S. Bartholomewes Massacre in the yeare 1572 more then 80000 men were slaine in cold blood In a Massacre in France within a few dayes were murthered 70000 persons And how execrable beyond all measure abhominable and damnable was that their late Plot of Gunpowder-Treason for the overthrow of the whole State of England in Parliament at a blow and God knoweth of how many States and Kingdomes beside Yea what meaneth their Holy League as they call it not long since made for the extirpation and rooting out of all Protestancie Doe they not by all these shew themselves to bee utter enemies and that in the worst sort that can bee to all Civill States Kings and Kingdomes which reiect the Popes usurped Supremacie and his depraved and Antichristian Religion Why else also have they decreed that Faith is not to be kept with Heretickes And why else doe they hold that before Hereticall Iudges and Magistrates as they call them it is lawfull for them to sweare with Equivocations and Mental reservations and in a false deluding and deceitfull manner And why else doe they dislike and disallow Subjects not onely to take the Oath of Supremacie but the Oath also of Allegeance when in very deede and of right neither of both ought to bee refused What also meaneth the resort and comming of Popish Priests and Iesuits into Protestant Kingdomes under colour and pretence of Religion Is it not to make a partie for the Pope or some of his confederates against a fit time And doth it not also tend to sedition and treason in a Common-weale What doth the Popes claime to depose Kings and to give away their Kingdomes when and to whom hee list tend unto but to the setting of Princes together by the Eares aswell as Subiects to rebell against their lawfull Soveraignes Doe not all these things tend to the overthrow aswell of civill States and civill Iustice as of Religion and of Kingdomes and Common-weales aswel as of Gods Church and which maketh the matter yet more and indeede most odious all this they doe under pretence of Christianitie and of a Catholicke cause when it is nothing so but cleane contrarywise extreamely divelish and Antichristian Let then everie equal person now judge whether the Pope of Rome that thus wrongeth God his Church and Religion and not onely Bishops but all Kings Princes and Emperors also their People Kingdomes and Common-wealths and that thus intolerably abuseth the whole Christian world and yet for all that inflexibly persisteth therein without anie remorse or repentance shewed yea which with all his power and strength iustifieth upholdeth defendeth all those his wrongs errors abuses and impieties boasting glorying and delighting in them bee not rightly affirmed to be The Man of sin the Sonne of perdition and the verie undoubted Grand Antichrist in all respects THE CONCLVSION to the same pretended CATHOLIKES NOw then it appearing verie cleerely by the premisses that the Pope of Rome whom his blinded followers so much adore and reverence is the verie grand Antichrist and that the Popish Citie of Rome whereof he is the Head and Ruler is undoubtedly the VVhore of Babylon mentioned in the Revelation of S. Iohn What scruple or doubt should you or anie of you conceive to make all the good hast yee may to forsake that grand Antichrist that his Concubine the whore of Babylon and all his Priests Iesuites Bishops Monks Friars Nunns and the rest of that his Antichristian rabble and to betake and apply your selves with us to the embracing and following of Christ and
of the elect and eternall life as witnesseth the Apostle who saith Other foundation can no man lay beside that which is laid which is Christ Iesus Yet doth the same Claudius acknowledge that S. Peter received a kinde of primacie for the founding of the Church in respect whereof he termeth him Ecclesiae principem and Apostolorum principem the prince of the Church and the prince or chiefe of the Apostles but he addeth withall that S. Paul also was chosen in the same maner to have the primacie in founding the Churches of the Gentiles and that he received this gift from God that he should be worthy to have the primacie in preaching to the Gentiles as Peter had it in the preaching of the Circumcision and therefore that S. Paul challengeth this grace as granted by God to him alone as it vvas granted to Peter alone among the Apostles and that he esteemed himselfe not to be inferiour unto S. Peter because both of them were by one ordayned unto one and the same ministerie and that writing to the Galatians he did in the title name himselfe an Apostle of Christ to the end that by the verie authoritie of that name he might terrifie his readers judging that all such as did beleeve in Christ ought to be subject unto him It is furthermore also observed by Claudius that as when our Savior propounded the questiō generally unto all the Apostles Peter did answer as one for all so what our Lord answered unto Peter in Peter he did answer unto all therfore howsoever the power of loosing binding might seeme to be given by the Lord unto Peter alone yet without all maner of doubt it is to be knowne that it was given unto the rest of the Apostles also as himselfe doth witnesse who appearing unto them after the triumph of his passion and resurrection breathed on them and said unto them all Receive the holy Ghost whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose sinnes yee retayne they are retayned Lastly as Claudius noteth that the foundation of the Church was laid not only upon S. Peter but also upon S. Iohn so in a certaine Hymne supposed to be written by Secundinus knowne in this country commonly by the name of S. Schachlin in the yeare of our Lord CCCCXLVIII S. Patrick also is thus commended He is constant in the feare of God and unmoveable in the faith upon whom the Church is builded as upon Peter whose Apostleship also hee hath obtained from God and the gates of Hell shall not prevayle against him yea Christ is there said to have chosen him for his Vicar upon earth and as for the titles of Summus Sacerdos and Summus Pontifex the highest Priest and the highest Bishop we finde them in Cogitosus attributed unto the Bishop of Kildare himselfe those titles and prerogatives which the Pope now peculiarly challengeth unto himselfe as ensignes of his Monarchy being then usually communicated unto other Bishops when the universal Church was governed by an Aristocraty Master Campion I know telleth us that vvhen Ireland first received Christendome they gave themselves into the Iurisdiction both spirituall and temporall of the See of Rome but therein hee speaketh without book of the spirituall jurisdiction untruly of the temporall absurdly For from the first legation of Palladius and Patricius who were sent to plant the faith in this country it cannot be shewed out of anie monument of antiquitie that the Bishop of Rome did ever send anie of his Legats to exercise spirituall jurisdiction here much lesse anie of his Deputies to exercise jurisdiction temporall before Gillebertus quem aiunt primà functum legatione Apostolicae sedis per universam Hiberniam saith one that lived in his owne time even Bernard himselfe in the life of Malachias One or two instances peradventure may be alledged out of som obscure authors whose names and times and authoritie no man can tell us newes of but unlesse that which is delivered by Bernard as the tradition that was current in his time can be controlled by some record that may appeare to have beene written before his dayes we have small reason to detract anie thing from the credit of so cleare a testimonie This countrey was heretofore for the number of holy men that lived in it termed the Iland of Saints of that innumerable companie of Saints whose memorie was reverenced here what one received anie solemne canonization from the Pope before Malachias archbishop of Ardmagh and Laurence of Dublin who lived as it were but the other day We reade of sundry Archbishops that have beene in this land betwixt the dayes of S. Patrick and of Malachias what one of them can be named that ever sought for a Pall from Rome Ioceline indeed a late Monke of the abbey of Furnesse writeth of S. Patrick that the Bishop of Rome conferred the Pall upon him together with the execution of legatine power in his roome But he is well knowne to be a most fabulous author and for this particular Bernard who was his ancient informeth us farre otherwise that from the very beginning untill his time the metropoliticall see of Ardmagh wanted the use of the Pall. And therefore Giraldus Cambrensis howsoever he acknowledgeth that S. Patrick did choose Ardmagh for his seate and did appoint it to be as it were a metropoliticall see and the proper place of the primacie of all Ireland yet doth he affirme withall that in verie deed there were no Archbishops in Ireland but that Bishops onely did consecrate one another untill Iohannes Paparo the Popes legate brought foure palls thither in the yeare of our Lord 1152. Gelasius was then arcbishop of Ardmagh who dyed in the yeare 1174. at which wee finde this note in our Annales This man is said to be the first Archbishop because he used the first Pall. But others before him were called Archbishops and Primates in name only for the reverence and honour of S. Patrick as the Apostle of that nation The same time that the foure Archbishopricks were established by Iohannes Paparo our Bishopricks also were limited reduced unto a fewer number whereas at the beginning they were verie many for we reade in Nennius that S Patrick founded here 365. Churches and ordayned 365. Bishops beside 3000. Presbyters and in processe of time were daily multiplied according to the pleasure of the Metropolitan so farre that every Church almost had a severall Bishop whereof Bernard doth much complaine in the life of Malachias For in erecting of new Bishopricks the Pope was no more sought unto here then in the nomination and confirmation of the Bishops themselves all matters of this kinde being done at home without relation to anie forraine authoritie The ancient forme of making a Bishop is thus laid downe by Bonifacius archbishop of Mentz in the life of Livinus When Menalchus
dissented from the Church of Rome in the celebration of Easter and manie other things made no scruple to prefixe this loving respectfull superscription to their letters To our Lords and most deare brethren the Bishops or Abbots throughout all Scotland Laurentius Mellitus and Iustus Bishops the servants of the servants of God For howsoever Ireland at that time received not the same lawes wherewith other nations were governed yet it so flourished in the vigour of Christian doctrine as Abbot Ionas testifieth that it exceeded the faith of all the neighbour nations in that respect was generally had in honour by them It now remaineth that in the last place we should consider the Popes power in disposing the temporall state of this kingdome which either directly or indirectly by hook or by crook this graund Usurper would draw unto himselfe First therefore Cardinall Allen would have us to know that the Sea Apostolick hath an old claime unto the soverainty of the countrey of Ireland and that before the covenants passed betweene king Iohn and the same Sea Which challenges saith hee Princes commonly yeeld not up by what ground so ever they come What Princes use to yeeld or not yeeld I leave to the skanning of those unto whom Princes matters doe belong for the Cardinalls Prince I dare be bold to say that if it be not his use to play fast and loose with other Princes the matter is not now to do whatsoever right he could pretend to the temporall state of Ireland he hath transferred it more then once unto the Kings of England and when the ground of his clayme shall be looked into it will be found so frivolous and so ridiculous that wee need not care three chippes whether he yeeld it up or keep it to himselfe For whatsoever become of his idle challenges the Crowne of England hath otherwise obtained an undoubted right unto the soveraintie of this countrey partly by Conquest prosecuted at first upon occasion of a Sociall warre parâ—ly by the severall submissions of the chieftaines of the land made afterwards For whereas it is free for all men although they have beene formerly quitt from all subjection to renounce their owne right yet now in these our dayes saith Giraldus Cambrensis in his historie of the Conquest of Ireland all the Princes of Ireland did voluntarily submitt and binde themselves with firme bonds of faith and oath unto Henry the second King of England The like might be said of the generall submissions made in the dayes of King Richard the second and King Henry the eighth to speake nothing of the prescription of diverse hundreds of yeares possession which was the plea that Iephte used to the Ammonites and is indeed the best evidence that the Bishop of Romes owne proctors doe produce for their Masters right to Rome it selfe For the Popes direct dominion over Ireland two titles are brought forth beside those covenants of King Iohn mentioned by Allen which hee that hath anie understanding in our state knoweth to be clearly void and worth nothing The one is taken from a speciall grant supposed to be made by the inhabitants of the countrey at the time of their first conversion unto Christianity the other from a right which the Pope challengeth unto himselfe over all Ilands in generall The former of these was devised of late by an Italian in the raigne of King Henry the eighth the later was found out in the dayes of King Henry the second before whose time not one footsteppe doth appeare in all antiquitie of anie clayme that the Bishop of Rome should make to the dominion of Ireland no not in the Popes owne records which have beene curiously searched by Nicolaus Arragonius and other ministers of his who have purposely written of the particulars of his temporall estate The Italian of whom I spake is Polydore Vergil he that composed the booke De inventoribus rerum of the first Inventers of things among whom he himselfe may challenge a place for this invention if the Inventers of lyes be admitted to have anie roome in that companie This man being sent over by the Pope into England for the collecting of his Peter-pence undertook the writing of the Historie of that nation wherein he forgatt not by the way to doe the best service hee could to his Lord that had imployed him thither There he telleth an idle tale how the Irish being moved to accept Henry the second for their King did deny that this could be done otherwise then by the Bishop of Romes authority because forsooth that from the very beginning after they had accepted Christian religion they had yeelded themselves and all that they had into his power and they did constantly affirme saith this fabler that they had no other Lord beside the Pope of which also they yet do bragge The Italian is followed herein by two Englishmen that wished the Popes advancement as much as he Edmund Campian and Nicholas Sanders the one whereof writeth that immediatly after Christianitie planted here the whole Iland with one consent gave themselves noâ— only into the spirituall but also into the temporall Iurisdiction of the See of Rome the other in Polydores own words though he name him not that the Irish from the beginning presently after they had received Christian religion gave up themselves and all that they had into the power of the Bishop of Rome and that untill the time of King Henry the second they did acknowledge no other supreme Prince of Ireland beside the Bishop of Rome alone For confutation of which dreame we need not have recourse to our owne Chronicles the Bull of Adrian the fourth wherein he giveth libertie to King Henry the second to enter upon Ireland sufficiently discovereth the vanitie thereof For hee there shewing what right the Church of Rome pretended unto Ireland maketh no mention at all of this which had beene the fairest and clearest title that could be alledged if anie such had beene then existent in rerum natura but is faine to flie unto a farre fetcht interest which he saith the Church of Rome hath unto all Christian Ilands Truly saith he to the King there is no doubt but that all Ilands unto which Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse hath shined and which have received the instructions of the Christian faith doe pertaine to the right of Sainct Peter and the holy Church of Rome which your Noblenesse also doth acknowledge If you would further understand the ground of this strange clayme whereby all Christian Ilands at a clap are challenged to be parcell of S. Peters patrimonie you shall have it from Iohannes Sarisburiensis who was most inward with Pope Adrian and obtayned from him this verie grant whereof now wee are speaking At my request saith he he granted Ireland to the illustrious King of England Henry the second and gave it to be possessed by right of inheritance as his owne
letters doe testifie unto this day For all Ilands of ancient right are said to belong to the Church of Româ— by the donation of Constantine who founded and endowed the same But will you see what a goodly title here is in the meane time First the Donation of Constantine hath beene long since discovered to be a notorious forgerie and is rejected by all men of judgement as a senselesse fiction Secondly in the whole context of this forged Donation I finde mention made of Ilands in one place onely where no more power is given to the Church of Rome over them then in generall over the whole Continent by East and by West by North and by South and in particular over Iudaea Graecia Asia Thracia and Aphrica which use not to passe in the account of S. Peters temporall patrimonie Thirdly it doth not appeare that Constantine himselfe had anie interest in the kingdome of Ireland how then could he conferre it upon another Some words there be in an oration of Eumenius the Rhetorician by which peradventure it may be collected that his father Constantius bare some stroke here but that the Iland was ever possessed by the Romanes or accounted a parcell of the Empire cannot be proved by any sufficient testimonie of antiquitie Fourthly the late writers that are of another minde as Pomponius Laetus Cuspinian others do yet affirme withall that in the division of the Empire after Constantines death Ireland was assigned unto Constantinus the eldest sonne which will hardly stand with this donation of the Ilands supposed to be formerly made unto the Bishop of Rome and his successors Pope Adrian therefore and Iohn of Salisbury his soâ—licitor had need seeke some better warrant for the title of Ireland then the Donation of Constantine Iohn Harding in his Chronicle saith that the Kings of England have right To Ireland also by king Henry le fitz Of Maude doughter of first King Henry That conquered it for their great heresie which in another place he expresseth more at large in this maner The King Henry then conquered all Ireland By Papall dome there of his royaltee The profytes and revenues of the land The domination and the soverayntee For errour which agayn the spiritualtee They held full long and would not been correct Of heresyes with which they were infect Philip Osullevan on the other side doth not only denie that Ireland was infected with any heresie but would also have us beleeve that the Pope never intended to conferre the Lordship of Ireland upon the Kings of England For where it is said in Pope Adrians Bull Let the people of that land receive thee and reverence thee as a Lord the meaning therof is saith this Glozer Let them reverence thee as a Prince worthy of great honour not as Lord of Ireland but as a Deputie appointed for the collecting of the Ecclesiasticall tribute It is true indeed that King Henry the second to the end hee might the more easily obtaine the Popes good will for his entring upon Ireland did voluntarily offer unto him the payment of a yearely pension of one penny out of every house in the countrey which for ought that I can learne was the first Ecclesiasticall tribute that ever came unto the Popes coffers out of Ireland But that King Henry got nothing else by the bargaine but the bare office of collecting the Popes Smoke-silver for so wee called it here when wee payed it is so dull a conceit that I do somewhat wonder how Osullevan himselfe could be such a blockhead as not to discerne the senselesnesse of it What the King sought for and obtained is sufficiently declared by them that writt the historie of his raigne In the yeare of our Lord MCLV. the first Bull was sent unto him by Pope Adrian the summe wherof is thus laid downe in a second Bull directed unto him by Alexander the third the immediat successor of the other Following the stepps of reverend Pope Adrian and attending the fruite of your desire we ratifie and confirme his grant concerning the dominion of the KINGDOME of Ireland conferred upon you reserving unto S. Peter and the holy Church of Rome as in England so in Ireland the yearly pension of one penny out of every house In this sort did Pope Adrian as much as lay in him give Ireland unto King Henry haereditario jure possidendam to be possessed by right of inheritance and withall sent unto him a ring of gold set with a faire Emerauld for his investiture in the right thereof as Iohannes Sarisburiensis who was the principall agent betwixt them both in this businesse doth expressely testifie After this in the yeare MCLXXI the King himselfe came hither in person where the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland received him for their KING and Lord. The King saith Iohn Brampton received letters from every Archbishop and Bishop with their seales hanging upon them in the maner of an Indenture confirming the KINGDOME of Ireland unto him and his heyres and bearing witnesse that they in Ireland had ordayned him and his heyres to be their KINGS and Lords for ever At Waterford saith Roger Hoveden all the Archbishops Bishops Abbots of Ireland came unto the King of England and received him for KING and Lord of Ireland swearing fealtie to him and to his heyres and power to raigne over them for ever and hereof they gave him their Instruments The Kings also and Princes of Ireland by the example of the clergie did in like maner receive Henry King of England for Lord and KING of Ireland and became his men or did him homage and swore fealtie to him and his heyres against all men These things were presently after confirmed in the Nationall Synod held at Casshell the Actes whereof in Giraldus Cambrensis are thus concluded For it is fit and most meet that as Ireland by Gods appointment hath gotten a Lord and a KING from England so also they should from thence receive a better forme of living King Henry also at the same time sent a transcript of the Instruments of all the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland unto Pope Alexander who by his Apostolicall authoritie for so was it in those dayes of darkenesse esteemed to be did confirme the KINGDOME of Ireland unto him and his heyres according to the forme of the Instruments of the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland and made them KINGS thereof for ever The King also obtained further from Pope Alexander that it might be lawfull for him to make which of his sonnes he pleased KING of Ireland and to crowne him accordingly and to subdue the Kings and great ones of that land vvhich would not subject themselves unto him Whereupon in a graund Councell held at Oxford in the yeare of our Lord MCLXXVII before the Bishops and Peeres of the kingdome he constituted his sonne Iohn KING of Ireland according to
that grant and confirmation of Pope Alexander And to make the matter yet more sure in the year MCLXXXVI he obtained a new licence from Pope Vrban the third that one of his sonnes whom he himselfe would should be crowned for the KINGDOME of Ireland And this the Pope did not only confirme by his Bull but also the yeare following purposely sent over Cardinall Octavian and Hugo de Nunant or Novant his legates into Ireland to crowne Iohn the Kings sonne there By all this we may see how farre King Henry the second proceeded in this businesse which I doe not so much note to convince the stoliditie of Osullevan who would faine perswade fooles that he was preferred only to be collector of the Popes Peter-pâ—nce as to shew that Ireland at that time was esteemed a Kingdome and the Kings of England accounted no lesse then Kings thereof And therefore Paul the fourth needed not make all that noyse and trouble the vvhole Court of heaven with the matter when in the yeare MDLV hee took upon him by his Apostolicall authoritie such I am sure as none of the Apostles of Christ did ever assume unto themselves to erect Ireland unto the title and dignity of a Kingdome Whereas he might have found even in his own Romane Provinciall that Ireland was reckoned among the Kingdomes of Christendome before hee was borne Insomuch that in the yeare MCCCCXVII when the legates of the King of England and the French Kings ambassadours fell at variance in the Councell of Constance for precedencie the English Orators among other arguments alledged this also for themselves It is well knowne that according to Albertus Magnus and Bartholomaeus in his booke de proprietatibus rerum the whole world being divided into three parts to witt Asia Africk and Europe Europe is divided into foure Kingdomes namely the Romane for the first the Constantinopolitane for the second the third the kingdome of Ireland which is now translated unto the English and the fourth the kingdome of Spaine Whereby it appeareth that the king of England and his kingdome are of the more eminent ancient Kings and Kingdomes of all Europe which prerogative the kingdome of France is not said to obtaine And this have I here inserted the more willingly because it maketh something for the honour of my country to which I confesse I am verie much devoted and in the printed Actes of the Councell it is not commonly to be had But now commeth forth Osullevan againe and like a little furie flyeth upon the English-Irish Priests of his owne religion which in the late rebellion of the Earle of Tirone did not deny that Hellish doctrine fetcht out of Hell for the destruction of Catholicks that it is lawfull for Catholicks to beare armes and fight for Heretickes against Catholickes and their country or rather if you will have it in plainer termes that it is lawfull for them of the Romish religion to beare armes and fight for their Soveraigne and fellow subjects that are of another profession against those of their owne religion that trayterously rebell against their Prince and countrey and to shew how madde and how venemous a doctrine they did bring these be the caitiffes own termes that exhorted the laity to follow the Queens side he setteth down the Censure of the Doctors of the Universitie of Salamanca and Vallodilid published in the yeare MDCIII for the justification of that Rebellion and the declaration of Pope Clement the eights letters touching the same wherin he signifieth that the English ought to be set upon no lesse then the Turkes and imparteth the same favours unto such as set upon them that he doth unto such as fight against the Turks Such wholsome directions doth the Bishop of Rome give unto those that wil be ruled by him farre different I wisse from that holy doctrine wherewith the Church of Rome was at first seasoned by the Apostles Let every soule be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God was the lesson that S. Paul taught to the ancient Romanes Where if it be demanded whether that power also vvhich persecuteth the servants of God impugneth the faith and subverteth religion be of God our countreyman Sedulius will teach us to answer with Origen that even such a power as that is given of God for the revenge of the evill and the prayse of the good although he were as wicked as eyther Nero among the Romanes or Herod among the Iewes the one whereof most cruelly persecuted the Christians the other Christ himselfe And yet when the one of them swayed the scepter S. Paul told the Christian Romanes that they must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake and of the causelesse feare of the other these verses of Sedulius are solemnely song in the Church of Rome even unto this day Herodes hostis impie Christum venire quid times Non abripit mortalia Qui regna dat coelestia Why wicked Herod dost thou feare And at Christs comming frowne The mortall he takes not away That gives the heavenly crowne a better paraphrase whereof you caâ—not have then this which Claudius hath inserted into his Collections upon S. Matthew That King which is borne doth not come to overcome Kings by fighting but to subdue them after a wonderfull maner by dying neyther is he borne to the end that he may succeed thee but that the world may faithfully beleeve in him For he is come not that he may fight being alive but that he may triumph being slayne nor that he may with gold get an army unto himselfe out of other nations but that he may shed his precious blood for the saving of the nations Vainly didst thou by envying feare him to be thy successor whom by beleeving thou oughtest to seeke as thy Saviour because if thou diddest beleeve in him thou shouldest raigne with him and as thou hast received a temporall kingdome from him thou shouldest also receive from him an everlasting For the kingdome of this Childe is not of this world but by him it is that men doe raigne in this world He is the Wisedome of God which saith in the Proverbes By me Kings raigne This Childe is the Word of God this Childe is the Power and Wisedome of God If thou canst thinke against the Wisedome of God thou workest thine owne destruction and dost not know it For thou by no meanes shouldest have had thy kingdome unlesse thou hadst received it from that Childe which now is borne As for the Censure of the Doctors of Salamanca and Vallodilid our Nobility and Gentry by the faithfull service which at that time they performed unto the Crowne of England did make a reall confutation of it Of whose fidelitie in this kinde I am so well perswaded that I doe assure my selfe that neyther the names of Franciscus Zumel and Alphonsus Curiel how great Schoole-men soever