former acts of Couetousnesse and Coozenage he draweth out in Crueltie against the Saints of God thereby both deuouring and massacring whole Townes as f Fox Martyrâ—log tom 2. pag. 859. August Thuames lib. 52. Cabriers and Merindoll in Piemont many thousands of people in all parts of Europe yea and diuers Christian Princes as g Collyuâ—ts Historie of the Ciuill Warres in France IONE Queene of Nauarre poysoned Henry the Third and Henry the Fourth Kings of France most treacherously murdered and animating vile Traitors vnto wicked designes against the liues and states of good Princes as how many waies hee made against Queene Elizabeth and in them all was wonderously defeated all the world hath beene astonished assenting in heart to those censures which diuers well learned men haue giuen foorth against the Pope for his raging crueltie both in generall of them all and in speciall of some most remarkeable Panthers h Aelian lib. 5. de histor animal cap. 40. drawing vnto them by the sweet smell of their outward faire skinne and shew of fleshly fashions in outward Ceremonies a multitude of silly soules and simple-hearted people whom they without mercy consume and bring to nothing For of the Pope in generall his owne chiefe Secretary i Theodoric à Neim lib. 1. de Schismate apud Gowlart in Catalogo test verit lib. 19. p. 850. Theodoricus a Neime said I truely assent as the Canonists dispute that Popes are neyther gods nor men but Deuils incarnate and of some in particular wee haue these witnesses first Machiauell k Machiauell cap. 18. de Princ. against his Patron Alexander the sixth whom he termeth an Impostor or Deceiuer of all mortall men exercising his mind in nothing but vnto fraud and malice secondly Bellarmine against his Master Sixtus Quintus whom although in flatterie hee l Bellar. Epist praefixa tom 2. Oper. acknowledgeth to bee both a learned a godly and a bountifull Prince yet in priuate hee thus iudged of him after his death if we may beleeue m Watson Quodlib q. 3. art 2. pag. 57. one Locust now stinging another Qui sine poenitentiâ viuit sine poenitentiâ moritur proculdubiò ad infernum discendit and Conceptis verbis quantum capio quantum sapio quantum intelligo discendit ad infernum n Quidam Poeta in Alex. 6. apud Gowlart in Catalog test verit lib. 20. c. 93â— De vitio in vitium de flammâ transit in ignem Roma sub Hispano deperit Imperio Sextus TARQVINIVS Sextus NERO Sextus isle Semper sub Sextis perdita Roma fuit that is From sinne to sinne from flame to fire Rome still fals vnder Spaines Empire Sixt TARQVINE Sixt NERO this Sixt they call For vnder Sixtus rule Rome still doth fall And thus now by comparing the Qualities of Antichrist expressed in Scripture with these lewd tricks of Popes made knowne by time through wofull experience wee see what the Pope is 2. His seate or place of residence euen that Great Antichrist as now his seate or place of Residencie shall euidently demonstrate For it is agreed amongst the best both of o Lod. Viues in lib. 18. August de Ciuitate Dei cap. 22. Rhemenses in 17. Apoc. §. 5. Learned Papists and of Zealous p Iun. Danaeus Whitaker Abbot vbi supra Protestants that the place of Antichrists Kingdome is that Rome where the Pope now sitteth as hee thinketh in Peters Chaire but in truth vpon the stoole of Wickednesse in the middest of Babylon if wee may beleeue Petrarch thus iustly exclayming against the bloudie q Francis Petrarcha Ep. 16. Citie Olim Roma nunc Babylon falsa nequam Once Rome now Babylon false and wicked 3. His time And therefore we may quickly passe from the place to the time concerning which also wee need not adde much to that Of beginning which hath beene spoken before seeing both the beginning and continuance of Antichrist and the Papacie is altogether one For first the Pope began to worke like Antichrist in the Primitiue times by infinite superstitions such as are r Epist Telesphori the forbidding of Meales and Å¿ Ep. 2. Clement Marriages t Ep. 1. Euaristi the exemption of the Clergie u Ep. 3. Anacleti the Supremacie of the Romane Bishop x Ep. 1. Alexan. the necessary vse of holy Bread and holy Water and many such like recorded in those Epistles which they vsually call Decretall and which well may conuince the Popes of Antichristianisme seeing they are allowed by them howsoeuer wee haue iust cause vtterly to reiect them for a Bastard-brood both by their rude stile not any way correspondent y Qibus vixerunt Liuius Tacitus Seneca Lucan Silius Italic Plinij Quintilian Martialis alij classici linguae Latinae autores to those pure times of Latine speech and by the bad matter not any way well agreeable to the proportion of faith albeit z Turrian lib. 1 in Magdeburg Turrian a Baron tem 1. Annal. Bisciola in Epitome Baronius b Binnius tom 1. Conciliorum Binnius and c Genebrard lib. 3. Chronolog others labour neuer so much to proue them Authentike d Sophocl apud Erasm in Chili ad sub titulo Inanis Opera * Labor by Labour bringeth Labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly the Pope was hindred from vsurping this Temporall power by the Emperour for a time as we may see plainly by the Epistles of e Leo Ep. 53. ad Leon. August Leo f Agath act 4. Agatho and g Synodi in superscript Gregor lib 4. Regifiri Ep. 32.33 c. Gregory the Great vnto the Emperours whom according to their due Alleageance they intitled Soueraigne Lords Thirdly then the Pope was manifested to be the Great Antichrist when the Roman Empire fel into ruine and vtter decay first h Naucler generat 11. tom 2. by the fatall translation of the Imperiall Seate from Rome vnto Constantinople secondly by the i Eutrop. Procopius Paulus Diacon c. miserable deuastation of Italie and the Westerne Empire by the Gothes Vandalls Hunnes Longobardes and other like barbarous people issuing out of the North as swelling flouds thirdly by the k Platina in Zachar. 1. Steph. 2. calling of Frankes into Italie to whom craftie Popes adhered for aduantage like the Iuy to the Oke till they had suckt out from them all the sap of their power both Spirituall and Temporall For first they got the Spirituall Iurisdiction partly by that purchase which l Platina in Bonifacio 3. Boniface the Third made with Phocas the Parricide for the title of Vniuersall Bishop then in controuersie betweene the Bishops of Rome and Constantinople about the yeere of our Lord six hundred and sixth and partly by that plot of policie which m Bisciola ad Annum 684. Benedict the First contriued secretly against the
laboured to excuse some to defend others to patronize those who fled away yea to register for Saints the chiefest Authors of this deuillish intendment I need goe no further then to Eudaemons Apologie soundly and most religiously confuted by the most Learned and Reuerend Authour of the Antilogie So that all the premisses put together haue enforced mee to this settled iudgement concerning a Papist which without any feare or scruple of conscience Two certaine Correllaries grounded vpoÌ„ the Premises The former The latter The former demonstrated I boldly thus propose in these two conclusions the first A Papist as a Papist is no true Christian the second A Papist as a Papist is no good subiect What I speake I will prooue or else take all for nothing In the former point thus No sworne Slaue of Antichrist is a true Christian For no u Mat. 6.24 man can serue two Masters for either he shall hate the one and loue the other or else he shall leane to the one and despise the other no Yee cannot saith the x 1. Cor. 10.22 Apostle drinke the Cup of the Lord and the cup of Deuils yee cannot bee partaker of the Lords Table and of the table of Deuils He saith y Ambr. sâ—r 17. AMBROSE that will bee partaker of heauenly things must not bee a fellow or companion of Idols But euery Papist as a Papist is a sworne Slaue of Antichrist because as a Papist hee holdeth onely of the Pope whom wee haue sufficiently prooued before to be that Great Antichrist Therefore no Papist as a Papist is a true Christian Hee may haue the outward Name but he wanteth the true Nature and forme of a Christian as indeed z Rom. 9.6 All are not Israel which are of Israel Hee may bee baptized in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost according to the outward forme not to be iterated vpon his Conuersion by a new Baptisme but not according to the inuisible Grace which through his Apostasie hee either receiued not at all or if hee made some small shew of it only he wilfully thrust it from him by the Witchcraft of his wicked Stepdame the Romish Synagogue which as Hierusalem in the a Ezech. 16.20 Prophet bare children vnto God but offered them vnto Molech The latter demonstrated In the latter thus None who giue any Primacie to the Pope in another mans Dominion wherein he liueth as a member of that Common-wealth can bee a true subiect to that his owne Liege King and naturall Soueraigne Because he depriueth the King of his due contrarying therein the precept of the Apostle who willeth vs to render to b Rom. 13.7 all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whom honour For it is the c 26. Hen. 8. apud Rastal in â—a Rom. Kings due that he should be acknowledged by euery person borne bred and liuing as a Subiect within the Kingdomes and Dominions of the same King for Supreme head and gouernour next vnder Christ in all causes and ouer all persons as well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall as it was prooued in the dayes of King Henry the eight largely and learnedly by two great Clarkes of that time Stephen d Gard. l. de verâ obedientiâ Gardiner Bishop of Winchester and Cuthbert e Tonst in his Sermon before K. Henry 8. in Act. Monument p 986. Tonstall Bishop of Duresme For the very title of Supreme head next vnder Christ c. is assigned vnto Kings and Princes first by the Holy Ghost in Scripture as where Peter saith f 1. Pet. 2.13 Submit your selues to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is saith Bishop g Vbi supra Tonstall as to the chiefe head as indeed vnto him who hath a chiefedome or superioritie ouer vs like as h Psal 18.43 Dauid was called the head of the Nations and Saul tearmed the a 1. Sam. 15.17 head of the Tribes secondly by the ancient Fathers both assembled in Councell as in the b Apud â—innium tom 2. Concil in praefatione Toleta Concilij 8. eight Toletan where they all accord to the wordes of K. Reccesiunthus saying the cause of gouerning the members is the saluation of the head and the happinesse of the people the Princes clâ—mencie and seuerally whensoeuer they had iust occasion to manifest or demonstrate their most respectfull and bounden obedience to Regall Soueraignety as witnesse for the Latine Fathers Tertullian when he saith c Tertull. l. con Scapulum cap. 2. we reuerence the Emperour as is lawfull for vs and expedient for him euen as a man second to God and obtayning from God whatsoeuer he is and inferiour to God only for so is he superiour vnto all others as he is inferiour to the true God only and for the Greeke Church d Chrysost tom 4. bom 2. ad populum Antioch Chrysostome when bewayling the miserie of the Antiochians likely to ensue for their despitefull outrage done vpon the statue of Theodosius the Great he said he to wit the Emperour is abused who hath not an equall vpon the earth being the top and head of all men vpon the earth But euery Papist as a Papist giueth a supremacie vnto the Pope in these kingdomes and dominions of our most gracious Soueraigne For first the e Gratian. dist 22. can 1. ibi Gloss Extrauag â—om l. 1. tit 8. can vnam sanctam Canonists with f Tho. Bosius l. 3. de regno Ital. c. 4 lib. 4. cap. 5. Bosius g Carer li. 2. de Rom. Pontif. potestate cap. 9. Carerius and other h Apud Azor. part 2. Instit l. 4. cap. 19. M. Blackwels large Examination pag. 22. â—3 c. palpable flatterers of Popes hold him to be the Supreme head absolutely fully and directly both in Spirituall and Temporall things secondly the i Bellar. l. 5. de Pontif. Rom. cap. 4.5 c. Iesuits fraudulently maintaining as much as the other hold him to haue a Primacie directly in spiritualibus and in Temporall things indirectly only in ordine ad spiritualia thirdly the * Conc. Parisiâ— an Dom. 829. li. 1. c. 3. ConueÌ„t Paris 1561. 1595. apud Bochellum decret Gall li. 5 tit 4. Parisians and secular Priests our English Dormise such k Iohn Haâ—t in Ep. ante Collâ—t cum D. Rainoldo as Hart l Watson Quodlibet q. 8. art 4. Warmington Watson together with Doctor m Galiel Barc de pote Papae c. 2. Barkeley howsoeuer they collogue with Christian Princes in granting vnto them a chiefedome or Primacie within their Dominions in temporall affaires yet will they not in any case derogate any one iot from the Popes supremacie in spiritualibus making the Pope to be head of the Church
by which he cleanely scoured the deepest bottome of the greatest bagge that any euer of h Zach. 11.17 his Idoll and idle Shepheards could fill by the i Ezech. 34 10 fleecing and flaying of the Flocke of Christ For by the happy restraint and absolute k Vid. Rastal sub tit Rom. prohibiting of seeking the Pall crauing Inuestiture making of Appeales to the Court at Rome and of such other like Popish vsurpations we the people of Great Brittaine now serue God onely and truely obey our Naturall Liege Lord and Soueraigne King as most loyall Subiects now Gods great Name be praysed therefore free wholly from a Triple feare The first of Forraine inuasion which l Wat. Quodlibet q 8. art 6. incensed by Iesuiticall Renegadoes and attempted by the doting deluded Spaniards hath by Gods onely helpe beene happily preuented to the wonder of the world they all in the meane time perishing m Psal 83.10 at Endor and becomming like the dung of the earth The second of Domesticke Rebellions whose Authours and Abettors are quickly espied by the watchfull eye of the most wise and religious Counsellors of Estate and seasonably caught by the faithfull and strong hand of Gods Great Captaines sighting n 2. Sa. 22.8 c for Israel against these Philistims the sonnes of HAREPHAH who digging o Pro. 26.27 a pit fall into it themselues and rowling a stone finde it returned vpon them only because in Gods iust iudgement for the safetie of his Seruants p Pro. 5.21 his owne iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe and hee shall bee holden with the cords of his sinnes The third of those great and common calamities which amongst the q Leuit. 26.1 Esay 9.12 Ezech. 5.17 Amos 5.1 2. c Prophets are threatned as true consequences and rewards of Idolatrie as Desolation Famine sudden Earthquakes and vniuersall Plagues which iustly before-times befell vnto the Idolaters within this Iland both Heathenish and Popish but since the Reformation neuer came either altogether or vpon the whole Land at once God in his mercie proportioning them seuerally vnto our abilitie that we may beare them now one then another as a light scourge for a time to our true amendment So that where our r Bell. lib. 4. de Eccles Milit. ca. 18. Anglo-Papistae ferè omnes Aduersaries haue it oftentimes in their mouthes Ob. that since they left off the vse of the Romish Religion which is meerly Superstition within this Kingdome all things haue growne dearer things are not so plentiful and the Land is much disquieted with the Garboyles of Warre I cannot but condemne their carnall conceit Sol. in this their madde measuring of the Heauen by the Earth of the Spirit by the flesh of Religion by prosperitie iust like ſ Ier. 44.7 those Idolaters who complained that since they left off to offer burnt incense vnto the Queene of Heauen and to powre out drinke-offerings vnto her they haue wanted all things and haue beene consumed by the Sword and by the Famine For albeit this libertie of the Gospell which wee now doe enioy doth counteruaile all these earthly good things in the true estimation of the Saints of God who should with Saint PAVL t Phil. 3.8 account all things of worth but losse and dung for the excellent knowledge sake of CHRIST because life eternall as our u Iohn 17.3 Sauiour saith is to know thee that is the Father to bee the very God and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ yet x 1. Tim. 6.6 godlinesse is great gaine if a man be content with that which he hath since y 1. Tim. 4.8 godlinesse is profitable vnto all things hauing promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come For z Mat. 6.33 seeke ye first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all these things shall bee added vnto you added saith Saint a Apud Aquinatem in Catenâ super Eumgelia in locum AVGVSTINE conueniently without your hinderance and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both for possession and for vse for possession for England neuer had more wealth in the ruffle of Poperie then it hath now possessed since the Reformation of Religion amongst vs for the space of these last three and fiftie yeeres wherein all manner of Commodities haue more abounded then euer before partly through the b Vid M. Rich. Hackluits Discoueries great vse of Nauigation into all other parts of the World abroad and partly by the exercise of Husbandry at home according to the nature of euery soyle no place now left vnmanured at all but imployed to his proper and greatest profit for Cattell or Corne that euen now the most desolate Regions of this Iland in times past lying waste in the Northerne parts or in the Marches of Wales may verifie what Dauid spake of Gods mercie c Psal 107.35.36 who turneth the Wildernesse into standing water and dry ground into water springs and there maketh the hungry to dwell that they may prepare a Citie for habitation and sow the fields and plant Vineyards which may yeeld fruits of increase for vse For these Kingdomes neuer had more people in them since their first habitation then now in these last fiftie yeeres when Cities are like Bee-hiues sending swarmes of men abroad into Suburbs inlarged or into the Country now so full of Townes Corporate and scattered Villages that Englands Common-wealth may well take vp the words of the Church in the Prophet d Esay 49.20 The place is too straite for me giue place to me that I may dwell and yet they are not any way pestred with throng since Peace hath brought Plentie both to the comfort of the people whose wants are supplyed by store of Coyne more currant now then euer before and to the honour of the Prince who may ioy in such an abundance of people as faithfully now serue him in euery place since as Salomon e Prou. 11.28 saith In the multitude of the people is the Kings honour but in the want of people is the destruction of the Prince Surely as it happened to the good Kings of Iudah Dauid Salomon Asa Iehoshaphat Vzziah Iothan Hezekiah and the godly Iosiah that the more zeale they had for the purging of Religion from Heathenish Idolatry the better they prospered in outward things according as f Iere. 22.6 Ieremie said to the Sonne of IOSIAH Did not thy Father eate and drinke and doe iudgement and iustice and then it was well with him So we may plainely behold and demonstrate the manifold blessings of God vpon g K. Henry 8. K. Edward the 6. and blessed Q. Elizabeth those Princes who reformed Religion within these Kingdomes whereas h Q. Marie shee who looked backe to Sodome againe re-enslauing her selfe and her Kingdome to the Pope liued alwayes in troubles abroad like ISMAEL i
Christ Iesus So that such Heresies Schismes as arise in our Churches like a Math. 13.32 Tares in the field are defended by none but by such as b 2. Tim. 3.13 waxe worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued as appeareth either by their secret colluding vnder colourable tearmes of a true meaning craftily deuised for escaping of due punishment so was it with c Arminius in declarat sententiae Apologia Arminius d Vorstius in Oratione Responsione ad articulos Angliae Vorstius and others or by their open and shamelesse reuolting to Papists as Schioppius Iustus Caluinus Walsingham and others or to Anabaptists as Smith or to Brownists as Iohnson or to the Anti-Trinitarians as Laelius Socinus or to the most abominable Sect of Familists as Dauid George Henry Nichols and some such Phantastikes in England and the Low Countries against all which Viperous Generation and Deuillish Brood of Hellish Heretikes Our Churches pronounce f 1. Cor. 16.20 a Maran-atha and our Soueraigne Princes according to their seuerall Estates of Gouernment vnder God in Christ Iesus are carefull to execute the sentence of death thereby g Deut. 13.5 to purge out all euill from Israel and to root out the Relikes of the Great Antichrist out of their Kingdomes For what should be done else to meete with these mischiefes § XXXIII Surely The vse of the latter doctrine what meanes God Himselfe vsed against the Head the same must bee taken in hand by good Men of God to cut off the Taile I meane that against such Heretikes and Schismatikes they must put in vse the double Sword Spirituall and Temporall that for the Ministerie this for the Magistracie To Ministers For that Ministers must fight with the Sword of the Spirit h Ephes 6.16 which is the Word of God against these enemies the Apostle doth warrantize by this his prescription directed to Titus who i Tit. 1.6.9 must ordaine in euery Citie of Creete where he left him such Elders or Bishops as hold fast the faithfull Word as they haue beene taught that they may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to conuince the Gayne-sayers For as when k Math. 2.14 Christ with Ioseph and Marie flying from HEROD went downe into Aegypt l Euseb lib. 6. de Demonstr Euangelicâ ca. 20. the Images there trembled and when the Gospell began to bee preached by the Apostles the Oracles there m Vid. Zâ—huerum Adag sacr Centur. 5. Adag 63. ceased according to that Prophecie of the burden of Aegypt n Esay 19.1 Behold the Lord rideth vpon a swist cloud and shall come into Aegypt and the Idols of Aegypt shall be moued at his presence and the heart of Aegypt shall melt in the middest of it c. So when Christ shall speake by the preaching of the Gospell for reformation of Religion then Antichrist shall feare and Heresies will flye away as o Iohn 3.23 they who doe euill hate the light to the great encouragement of all Gods seruants who because the Euangelicall and Apostolike faith ouerthroweth all Heresies therefore are alwayes to be most mindfull to keepe that rule saith p Leo primus Epist â—6 cap. 1. Leo to Anatolius For to the q Esay 8.20 Law and to the Testimonie if they speake not according vnto this word it is because there is no light in them since this Word is a r 2. Pet. 1.18 light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the Day-starre arise in our hearts But it may be this Word howsoeuer it be Å¿ Rom. 1.16 the power of God vnto saluation in them that beleeue yet cannot through the iudgement of hardening winne the Heretike although it most euidently conuinceth the Heresie and therefore the Temporall Sword must bee drawne out by the Magistrate onely t Rom. 13.4 who beareth not the Sword for nought To the Magistrate For u Prou. 20.26 a wise King scattereth the wicked and bringeth the wheele ouer them because it is a Law that x Deut. 17.12 the man that will doe presumptuously and will not harken vnto the Priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God or vnto the Iudge euen that man shall dye and thou shalt put away the euill from Israel For lo a double rule fit for all Gouernours to obserue for their quietnesse against all such disturbances the former from y Tertullian lib. contra Gnostices cap. 21. TERTVLLIAN Duritia vincenda est non suadenda Stubbornenesse must by force bee ouercome and not be perswaded by any fayre meanes The latter from z Bernard BERNARD Melius est vt pereat vnus quà m vnitas It is better that one perish then that the vnitie should bee dissolued Princes are here to deale as Chyrurgions doe with ripened vlcers launce the sinners to let out sinne if not from the Offendor who it may be is incorrigible yet from the ouer-lookers and standers by who by that meanes may feare as Cyprian a Cyprian Ser. de lapsis said Plectuntur quidam quò caeteri corrigantur Exempla sunt omnium tormenta paucorum that is Some are punished that others may bee restrained for all may take example although some onely smart To the people of God Therefore if Christian Princes by that true Authoritie which they receiue from God shall seuerely punish either pernitious Heretikes or obstinate Schismatikes according to their due deserts either with Death or Exile or Proscription or Imprisonment or depriuation from Benefice or by any other course which by Law is prescribed wee my deare Brethren must not grudge or murmure thereat as the a Numb 16.41 Israelites did vpon the iust destruction of rebellious Corah and his company lest as they were so we may bee plagued with some Iudgement for our rash discontentment which if it proceede of pitty is folly since they pitty not themselues but if from a settled affection of good liking towards those wicked Imps then it is a part-taking which is as obnoxious to punishment as the sinne was of the principall Offendors seeing as the rule of b 3. Henr. 7.10 Law runneth in high Treason such as Heresie is to God-ward there is no Accessorie When c Prou. â—9 16 the wicked are multiplied transgression increaseth but the righteous shall see their fall Surely wee true Subiects vnto His Soueraigne Maiestie within these His seuerall Kingdomes and Dominions Three dueties are most entirely bound and obliged to a threefold dutie First of Gratulation Secondly of Supplication And thirdly of Obedience 1. Of gratulation Of Gratulation or most heartie thanksgiuing vnto our great and best God that hath so thorowly inflamed the good heart of our most Gracious Soueraigne Lord King IAMES with so godly a zeale for the iust defence of the True Ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith that we may as truely report of His most Sacred