his Prince whensoeuer it should please his holines forsooth vpon any displeasure or priuate occasion vnder pretence of some hainous crime to Excommunicate him What if we should deny that these Popes or any other Pope euer had or hath any authoritie to Excommunicate a forrein Prince no way subiect to his charge D. Allen hath not prooued it in his Pamphlet nor anie where els neither is hee able to prooue it with the helpe of all the Cardinals in Rome yea and of the Pope himselfe too while he liueth But such as are Romanists are of another minde and will happely beleeue D. Allens bare affirmation in this behalfe and so may be persuaded not onely that the Pope hath authoritie to Excommunicate and depose Princes at his pleasure but also that the subiects of Princes so Excommunicate and deposed by the Pope may lawfully and ought in duetie to disobey and reuolt from their seruice How they may bee seduced by erroneous doctrine I know not but for other men that are either of sounder Religion or men indifferent or not so throughly and obstinately as vpon a meere selfewill addicted to that faction I doubt not but they will be better aduised then to giue credit vnto the affirmation of anie man or the authoritie of anie Pope though hee make himselfe more then a man beeing directly contradictorie to the expresse word and will of God as hath been shewed by the places of Scripture aboue rehearsed and by manie more may be But because they also shall not haue anie colour of defense left them whereby to excuse themselues so much as vpon ignorance in this behalfe I will since I am entred into it laie before them in as few words as I can the abuses of D. Allen whereby hee goeth about to deceiue them in this point and prooue directly and manifestly vnto them that neither the Pope hath any authoritie to depose Princes from their thrones which is the ground whereon he buildeth his warrant of reuolt and further that it is vtterly vnlawfull for the Subiect for any such occasion to deny the Prince the obedience subiection and seruice due vnto him much more in traitorous manner to rebell against him which D. Allen so alloweth and commendeth First therefore as concerning the Popes authoritie to depose Princes I demand from whom hee hath that authoritie whether of himselfe or from God Of himselfe I know he will not say for that were as great arrogancie as absurditie in him to saie And if he would as perhaps he could be content to take it vpon himselfe if hee thought it might go for currant yet can hee not yeeld any colour or shew of reason to mainteine it being contrarie to the expresse word of God For There is no power saith the Apostle but of God and the powers that be are ordeined of God Then can the Pope haue no power or authoritie of himselfe vnlesse he will affirme himselfe to be God And the Prince being a power and consequently ordeined of God it were great presumption in him to affirm and greater blindnes in men to beleeue that the authoritie of man can frustrate or take away the ordinance of God It resteth therefore that the Pope if he haue anie authoritie to depose Princes he must haue it from God And if he haue it from God thē is there some warrant in his word to authorise the Pope thereunto But there is not anie place of Scripture that giueth the Pope any expresse power to depose Princes and therfore hath he no such authoritie from God For the proofe of my Minor First it is likely that if there were any such place of Scripture as giueth the Pope expresse power to depose Princes D. Allen would vndoubtedly haue alledged it for the more credit of the cause and not haue passed it ouer with a bare affirmation beeing a matter heretofore by many and manifest arguments and proofes of Scripture cleerly disprooued and conuinced against him Secondly for further confirmation thereof I reason thus Besides the obedience and subiection which God hath commanded in the Scripture to be done vnto Princes hee hath further forbidden all men to speake euill of the ruler of the people or to curse the King yea so much as in thought Whereupon I frame this argument God forbiddeth all men to curse the King yea so much as in thought Ergo he forbiddeth the Pope to curse the King so much as in thought And he that forbiddeth to doe the lesse much more forbiddeth to doe the greater But it is far greater to curse the K. indeed openly and to depriue him of his kingdome then to curse him in thought only or to speake euill of him Ergo God forbidding the Pope to speake euill of the King or to curse him in his thought much more forbiddeth him to curse the King openly or to depriue him of his kingdome wherupon it followeth by good consequence that God doth not in any place of Scripture authorise the Pope to depose Princes for so should he allow and warrant that in one place which he hath forbidden in another whereof you see what inconuenience should follow that God should command contraries and the Scriptures should bee repugnant to themselues which were plaine Atheisme to affirm Whereby it maie be cleare and manifest vnto euerie man that hath any sense of Christianitie in him that God hauing in these former places of Scripture expresly forbidden all men to curse in thought or to speake euill of the King much more to curse him openly or to bereaue him of his kingdome doeth not therefore in anie place of Scripture admit or authorise anie man contrarie to this inhibition to curse excommunicate and depose Princes out of their kingdomes For that were to countermand his owne commandements and to shew himselfe variable inconstant repugnant to himselfe which were high impietie for anie man to imagine Thus you see beside the presumption which is to be gathered out of D. Allens own dealing in that hee alledgeth no place of Scripture to warrant the Popes depriuing of Princes that it is therfore likely that no place of Scripture doth authorise him thervnto you see it I say directly proued by sound and substantiall argumēt as by many more also might be verie aboundantly if either the cause required proofe or if it were my purpose to stand vpon the confirmation of that which is of itselfe so manifest that the Pope neither hath nor can haue anie expresse authoritie giuen him directly by the word of God to depose Princes which is the thing that God reserueth wholy to himselfe for it is he not the Pope that deposeth the mighty from their seat exalteth them that are low it is he not the Pope that putteth downe kings setteth vp kings and giueth kingdomes to whomsoeuer he will For God hath ordeined Princes to rule his people and to represent his own Maiestie
neither the Prophet euer counselled or mooued the people to disobey Saul being so deposed nor the people euer offered to reuolt or to deny him their obedience seruice nor Dauid the true and rightfull king appointed by God in his place euer sought or cōsēted to depriue him of the kingdome though due vnto himselfe but notwithstanding he knew him to be his deadly enemy and to hunt after his life yet hauing him twice in his hands where he might safely haue slaine him and therby inuested himselfe of the kingdom neuerthelesse wold he neither touch him himselfe nor suffer any other to touch him calling him the Lords annointed and esteeming it a high sin to laie his hand on him though hee were deposed by God himselfe and which is yet most notable caused the messenger that brought him the first newes of his death to be forthwith slaine for his labour And all this notwithstanding yet is not D. Allen ashamed to wrest this example quite contrarie to the trueth for a president to prooue that the Pope hath authoritie to depose and depriue Princes both of their kingdomes and liues and to release discharge the subiects of their allegeance and further that it is lawfull for subiects to reuolt from their Souereignes to yeeld vp their holdes trecherously vnto their enemies and to beare armes against them To which doctrine hee could not haue found in all the whole Scriptures though all bee flat against it anie one example more directlie contrarie then this the iudgement whereof I referre to the reason consideration and conscience of all men that haue anie sparke of Christianitie morall vertue or naturall reason in them Now then if none of all these examples of Scripture which D. Allen hath cited to prooue the Popes authoritie to depose Princes doe shew that anie of those Princes whom he mencioneth was deposed either by Priest or Prophet as hee falslie assumeth but by God himselfe how can hee then inferre vpon these examples that the Pope hath anie such authoritie vnlesse hee attribute as I said before as much authoritie vnto him as to God himselfe And if Saul being deposed by God himselfe yet neither the Prophet did thereupon disswade the people from obeying him nor the people once offered to reuolt from him but continued in all duetie and obedience towardes him as long as he liued which was manie yeeres after his deposition and if Dauid beeing the lawfull annointed King in his place yet neither sought to put him out of the kingdome but yeelded him obedience and seruice calling him Lord maister during his life thought it sin to laie his hand on him notwithstanding he was deposed lastly in token of the misliking and displeasure he tooke at the death of Saul caused the messenger that brought him the tidings thereof to be slaine how can D. Allen by this example induce men of anie reason or sense to beleeue that either the Pope maie lawfully authorise encourage or exhort subiects to disobey or to laie hands on the Lords annointed or that anie subiect may lawfully renounce his allegeance reuolt from and beare armes against his Souereigne beeing a lawfull Prince onelie vpon a colourable warrant of deposition by a man a Priest a stranger who hath no authoritie in the worlde to depose anie Prince from his kingdome no though hee were an Infidel but is himselfe euen by Gods ordinance a subiect to Princes With what face can hee vtter such manifest vntruthes with what confidence can hee persuade himselfe to bee beleeued when his lies are so monstrous and his impostures so euident But most of all with what conscience can hee presume to force the word of God to his purpose which is so directly against him But hereby may all men plainely perceiue how small regard that sect hath vnto religion but onlie to serue their turnes which are not ashamed to make such impudent and vngodly shiftes to maintein their vsurped authoritie Call you this holines M. D. to abuse the people with false doctrine to belie the scriptures to peruert the most sacred word of God to rob him of his own peculiar authoritie and prerogatiue for the defence and furtherance of your owne rebellious practises In trueth it resembleth much the holines of your holie thiefe whom it pleaseth you somewhat merrily in your Pamphlet to compare vnto vs but in truth a righter patterne of your own profession which to speake truely what I thinke in my conscience is much discredited by your owne double dealing You your selfe to further your owne purpose as you supposed could prefixe before your Pamphlet euen in the first page as a sentence vnder the title thereof the resolution giuen by Christ vpon the tempting demand of the Pharisees Reddite quae sunt Caesaris Caesari wherein Christ himselfe commandeth all men to giue vnto Caesar that is to the King and Ciuill Magistrate whatsoeuer is due vnto him that is feare honor subiection and tribute And how dare you then euen in the same Pamphlet countermaund this commandement of our Sauiour bending all your forces craft and cunning to persuade the subiect to resist his Souereigne and thereby to break this high and peremptorie commandement But you saie the Pope hath authoritie to discharge the subiect of this duetie and obedience which is here commanded Shew me then I praie you some Text of Scripture that giueth the Pope so large Commission as you speake of nay shew me anie dispensation out of Gods word that may exempt you or the Pope himselfe out of the compasse of this commandement For the precept is generall and therefore extendeth to all men and besides was expresly giuen by Christ vnto his Disciples to whom hee spake in presence And if the Pope and you bee the Disciples of Christ as you would seeme to bee then must you also as well or rather then others yeeld obedience and subiection to your Ciuill gouernours or els fall into the breach of Christs commandement And if you bee subiect to the ciuill Magistrate as you are by this rule of Christ how can you take that authoritie from them which Christ hath giuen them ouer you If you saie there is no subiection due vnto them longer then they continue in the truth of Religion I pray you tell mee first how prooue you them to be heretikes vnlesse you your selues may be Iudges Will you then both condemne and punish them before they bee conuicted of crime and will you that are parties bee both iudges and executors of your owne will and pleasure Secondly suppose they were as you vniustly condemne them to be heretikes yea suppose they were Iewes Turkes Heathens yet is there neuertheles obedience and subiection due vnto them For what was Caesar himselfe but a Heathen what were the Princes in the Aposties times of whom it is said Let euerie soule be subiect vnto them and whosoeuer resisteth them resisteth the ordinance of God what
were they all but Heathens If Christ himselfe then hath confirmed the authoritie and power euen of Heathen Princes how can the Pope dissolue and take away the authoritie power kingdom yea life too of Christian Princes And yet he claimeth his authoritie from Christ as his Disciple and Vicar here on earth by which title he maketh all Princes subiect vnto his authoritie In truth so is the greatest Prince liuing subiect vnto the meanest Preacher and Minister of God to obey the doctrine and word which hee deliuereth out of the Scriptures and to receiue his instruction exhortation admonition and reproofe yet is hee not though he should reiect his instructions to be therefore deposed from his kingdome or resisted and disobeyed by him And greater authoritie hath not the Pope himselfe ouer anie Prince then the meanest Minister and messenger of God I finde not in all the Scripture that euer Christ gaue vnto his Disciples anie Commission to depose Princes although they should disobey his word but I finde that he gaue them Commission to Preach And whosoeuer shuld not receiue them nor heare their words he bad them that when they should depart out of that house or Citie they should shake the dust of their feete reseruing the punishment of them vnto God As for the superioritie which the Pope challengeth ouer Princes as the Successor of Peter disciple of Christ I finde no such Commission giuen vnto Peter himselfe to authorise him in such sort ouer Princes but I finde that Christ said vnto him three times Feede my sheepe As for the swoord wherby is signified the Ciuil Authoritie Christ expresly forbad Peter to vse it commanding him to put it vp into the sheath To the same effect also spake he not only to Peter but to all the rest of his fellowes the Apostles when there was some contention risen amongst them about superioritie Ye know saith hee that the Lords of the Gentiles haue domination ouer them and they that are great exercise authoritie ouer them But it shall not be so among you But whosoeuer will be great among you let him be your seruant And if the Pope bee Christs Disciple hee must learne this lesson of his Maister to be a seruant to his fellows not a Commander of Kings Christ himselfe from whom the Pope deriueth his supreme authoritie as his Vicar on Earth neuer tooke vpon him the authoritie to depriue Princes of their kingdoms nor to discharge the subiects of their dutie obedience but contrariwise confirmed the power of Princes both by his doctrine teaching that Feare Honor Obedience Subiection is due euen to Heathen Princes and also by his owne example yeelding tribute with all duetie and obedience vnto them and submitting himselfe his bodie and life to their authoritie iudgement correctiō And for himself professed that his king dō was not of this world that he came not to be serued but to serue And if Christ acknowledged himselfe not to haue any kingly authoritie in this world but to be a subiect vnto kings to their inferior officers and a seruant how can the Pope deriue vnto himself from Christ not onlie a kingly authoritie but a predominant authoritie ouer all kings Can the scholler bee greater then his Maister will the Vicar take vpon him more authoritie then hee from whom he taketh all his authoritie Nay will he of himselfe presume to giue warrant directly cōtrarie to the commandement of Christ Let euerie man then iudge both what he is that so opposeth him self against Christ what D. Allen is that iustifieth his so doing for iustification thereof pretendeth warrant of Scriptures against God himselfe which how shamefully he hath therin wrested peruerted and belied hath been I hope alreadie sufficiently declared vnto you so far forth as his pamphlet gaue occasion and farther should haue been but that this question is handled at large and all that D. Allen can say therein abundantly confuted by a learned Diuine a man of as great sufficiencie and of more sinceritie then himselfe in the answere to his Defense of English Catholikes Now to come to the matter and to the prosecuting of D. Allens purpose you see that hee hath not onlie failed in the proofe of the Popes authoritie to depose Princes and consequently of his warrant for the subiects reuolt but also his own examples and arguments retorted against himselfe and the contrarie part prooued both by them and by diuers other reasons and authorities of Scriptures out of which Doctor Allen bringeth not so much as one Text in trueth I must confesse because he cannot vnlesse hee should coyne it himselfe to proue directly his prophane assertions So that no man can be so blind but he must needes perceiue and acknowledge that the Pope hath neither power of himselfe nor authority from God to depose Princes from their kingdomes neither can giue to the subiect any commissiō or licence sauing only that licence which he hath himselfe that is that licence qua sumus omnes deteriores so much as to disobey their Souereignes much lesse to reuolte from them to their enimies to lay handes on them to beare armes against them Whereby it cannot but bee most apparant that D. Allen respected wholye herein the subtilty of his drifte not the soundnes of his doctrine and for the obteinment of credit and attainment of his purpose thereby affied him selfe altogither vpon the smoothnes of his perswasions and the affectionate mindes and inclinations of his adherents ANd sithens we haue alreadie discouered the foundation of his perswasions to bee weake false and rotten it shall not be amisse to bestowe a little labour to trie if a small wind will not ouerthrow the building it selfe which I doubt not but we shall find to be patched togither of as rotten stuffe and of as slender substance as the foundation is and to haue nothing in it to withstand the weather but onely the bare outside and colour of religion The ende whereunto this perswasion of disobedience and reuolte from her Maiestie tendeth hath bene alreadie declared namely the furtherance of all trayterous and rebellious designementes that may be by any person or in any wise attempted against her Maiestie and particularly the assistance of the k. of Spaine and the other forreine forces inuasion nowe presently intended and prepared against our countrey Let vs then next see to what persons D. Allen principally purposeth and addresseth his persuasions First for Protestants and such as are of sound Religion as I trust the greatest parte of England by great ods is D. Allen cannot be so madde as to hope that his perswasions can haue any authoritie or worke any effect with them but to confirme them rather in her Maiesties seruice and obedience for the better mayntenaunce of their Religion and defence of themselues
Allens owne position to be sin and punishable by Gods lawes Two other ouersightes or rather grosse absurdities more sentence The first of the two ouersightes No comparison betweene thinges simply iust and things onely deemed iust The second absurdity Vno absurdo dato infinita consequuntur D. Allen first maketh both wrongful obteining and deteining of goods sinnes mortall and damnable afterward maketh the obteining lawfull and the deteining damnable The wrongfull taking away of goods as as great or rather a greater sinne then the wrongful withholding of the same goods The wrongfull taking away of liberty and life a greater sinne then y e wrongfull taking away of goods onely Ergo the wrongfull taking away both of goods liberty and life all which D. Allen maketh no sin but a thing lawful are farre greater sinnes thē the wrongful deteining of goods onely which D. Allen pronounceth to be a sinne mortall and damnable euen in the same case * Note the honest and Syncere dealing of D. Allen. A bad cause betrayeth it selfe 1. Esdr 4. 41. D. Allen presumeth either vpō the ignorance of thē to whom he writeth that they are not able to discerne his abuses or els vpon their credulity that they account all Gospell that he speaketh otherwise would he be more wary how he published such euident absurdities and falshoods Math. 15. 14. Now to the very purpose of D. Allens pamphlet D. Allen spēdeth the least part of his labour in the iustification of the action which he pretendeth to be the occasion of his pamphlet besides leaueth it in the ende more indefensible then in the beginning What his direct purpose is Whether D. Allen haue had any wrōg offered him in resembling him to Sinon let all men iudge The order which D Allen obserueth to attaine vnto his purpose First he defameth her Maiesties most noble and Princely actions Secondly he giueth the Subiect a warrant to disobey and reuolt from her Maiestie Thirdly Hee persuadeth them flatly to disobedience and plaine rebellion The names and doings of Princes are not to be called in question by such companions Princes represent the power and Maiestie of God on earth Her Maiesties dealings in the low countries alreadie iustified by D. Allens owne arguments The declaration of the causes that mooued her Maiestie to relieue the distressed people of the low Countries published Anno. 1585. Her Maiesties actions in the low Countries by further reasons prooued lawfull Offic. lib. 1. It is one of the kindes of Iniury or Iniustice not to defend the iniuried Ibidem A principall part of Iustice to defend the iniuried How falsly D. Allen chargeth her Maiestie with entring by hostilitie into the K. of Spaines Dominions c. Her Maiestie being offered and intreated to take the low Countries into her absolute gouernment hath refused them Her Maiestie content with hir own kingdome Her iust and mercifull gouernment It is a great benefit for him that seeketh worldly pleasure or profit to be frendes with the Pope who by his speciall prerogatiue can dispence with any sin be it neuer so abhommable and make all thinges lawfull that he lusteth howsoeuer God forbid them For this which D. Allen obiecteth to vs let him looke to his own party D. Allens tongue is no slaunder D. Allens Scosses at the Earle of Leicester 1. Psal 1. and hath not sit in the seat of skorners The Earle of Leicesters managing of the low coūtrie affaires during his abode there Graue betrayed Venlo solde Nuys badly lost Berke two moneths besieged and then abandoned for feare of our army marching towardes it Duisburgh yeelded to the Earle of Leicester on Fryday the secōd of Septembre 1586. This encoūter was the 22. of Sept. 1586 wherin the most worthy noble and valiant knight Sir Philip Sidney receiued his deth◠wound * The Earle of Leicester wan the sort the 6. day of October following the Prince being with his whole army within two mile of the place Here are not mentioned all the seruices which were done vnder the Earle of Leicesters conduct in the low countries as the ouerthrow of the Spaniards at Graue the winning of Axell and diuers fortes and Castles in those partes but onely those partes but onely those seruices wherat he himselfe was present in person a principall director and actor in them all * If D. Allen had bene there I beleeue hee would haue bene in an other humour skarce so pleasant though happely more ridiculous * The fault of the losse of Sluys not to be imputed to the Earle of Leicester which was in other mens negligence or Epist 2. The cause why the Earle of Leicester is most odious to D. Allen. Sundry libels heretofore cast forth by Papists particularly against the Earle of Leicester The Papistes cankred malice to the Earle of Leicester Their libels discredited euen by the notorious falshoods conteined in them And therefore thought not fit to be answered The mischief which the authours therof meant vnto the Earle is fallen vpon their own heads Psal 7. 15. Matth. 5. 11. D. Allens vnnaturall impiety towards his countrey The second steppe of D Allens ladder To giue the subiect a warrant for his disobedience Obedience subiection both to the Prince and his ministers commanded Rom. 13. 1 2. ◠Pet. 2. 13. 14. 15. ver Little Diuinity or rather none at all vsed by D. Allen to warrant the subiects disobedience D. Allen is very bold with Princes which maketh them all subiect to a Priest D. Allens first authoritie to warrant disobedience to the Prince Hildebrand a Pope of Rome otherwise called Gregory the seuenth D. Allens second authoritie to warrant disobedience Pope Vrban the second A good warrant from a paire of Popes Pope Hildebrand tooke vpon him to Excommunicate the Emperour Henry the fourth to make wars against him and erect another Emperour in his place But God to punish the pride of the Pope disobedience of his Adherents giuing the victorie vnto the true Emperour Henry the fourth against the vsurping Pope and Emperour the said Henry caused Hildebrand himselfe by a Synode in Italy to be deposed as Pope Iohn Syluester Benet and Gregory the sixt were also by other Emperours foure Popes within a few yeeres deposed Neither D. Allens affirmation nor the authoritie of anie Pope ought to haue any credit being directly contradictorie to the expresse word of God That the Pope hath no authoritie to depose Princes Rom. 13. There is no power but of God Ergo the Pope can haue no power of himselfe to depose Princes a Againe No man hath power of himselfe to frustrate the ordinance of God Ergo the Pope hath no power of himselfe to depose Princes which are ordeined of God If the Pope haue any authoritie to depose Princes he must haue it from God a If he haue it from God he must haue it by some warrant out of his word b But no place of Scripture giueth him warrant to depose Princes c
if Belzebub himselfe the maister of that malicious sect had sat by giuen them instructions haue not only raked their owne braines to the bare scull but I am sure haue not left any one corner within the whole compasse of Hell it selfe vnransacked to seeke and find out some new strange kinds of rancor and venim more then all the Poets from the beginning of the worlde could euer inuent for the description of Enuie the Furies themselues wherewith to exasperate and empoison their most outragious slaunders breathed out against him Which euen vpon the very first view haue appeared vnto all men so manifestly false monstrous and farre from all colour of truth credit or likelyhood as his very enimies themselues and such as hate him in their hartes haue not onely bene ashamed of the slaunders but openlye condemned the authours of that most barbarous villany and shamelesse immanity In which respect being with all men generally so much discredited detested and abhorred for their abhominable vntruth they haue not hitherto bene thought worthy fit or seemely to be answered by any man and therefore shall not presently be further stirred by me but returned to the filthy sinke from whence they proceeded And for the authours thereof as thinking by this meanes to make his Lordship odious amōgst men they haue not onely failed of their purpose but haue thereby also made themselues hatefull vnto God and infamous to the worlde and fallen themselues into the pit which they digged for him So haue they contrarie to their own minds and against their willes heaped on his head the heauenly blessings which Christ himselfe with his owne mouth pronounceth vpon those which are reuiled persecuted falsely slandered for his sake Which may be and no doubt is a singular comfort to the most honourable zealous and godly minded Earle not onely to despise and contemne their despitefull slanders but so much the more hartily to reioyce and triumph ouer their malice as he seeth him selfe the more impudently and furiously assailed with their iniurious reproches It were too much labour and too ill bestowed either to reply vpon or to repeate all the railing and slanderous speeches which D. Allen belcheth out against his Soueraigne her ministers and countrey for therein onely in mine opinion he seemeth to himselfe to haue best grace But he that will defile his owne nest as they say the countrey wherein he was borne and bred calling it the Buckler of all rebellion and iniustice and an enimie of lawfull Dominion and Superioritie yea he that will not sticke to rippe vp the wombe and to teare and take out the bowels of his owne mother he that will endeuour to bring in an inuasion to the vtter spoyle ruine and depopulation of his deare countrye what iniurie what wickednesse what impietye will hee leaue vnattempted But now will I come to the second step of his ladder wherein hauing already sought by defaming her Maiesties most iust honorable actiōs to withdraw the hartes loue of her subiectes from her he now goeth about to embolden them to disobey her by giuing them a warrant for their disobedience teaching that since her Maiestie was excommunicate and deposed by the Popes authoritye there is no subiect that neede or ought or may lawfully serue her in any case be it otherwise neuer so lawfull A very good doctrine no doubt and well agreeing with the word of God The holy Ghost saith Let euery soule be subiect to the higher power and whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement And further Submit your selues whether it be to the king as vnto the superiour or vnto Gouernours as sent by him for so is the will of God c. But these are matters out of my profession and meeter to be argued by Diuines and so is all this whole question touching the excommunication and deposition of Princes Yet because I see litle Diuinitie vsed by D. Allen for the proofe of his part but such as may easily be answered by a man of small reading I may be the bolder in briefe manner to examine his handling of this point that you may see what he hath to say for manteinance of this seditious doctrine Wherein if I proceede vltra crepidam as D. Allen hath doone in dealing with Princes titles and State matters or steppe a little out of square I humbly craue pardon of the learned Diuines for entring into their professiō which D. Allen doeth not of Princes for entring into their possession But the lesse maruell is it that hee is so bold with Princes in that point when he toucheth their freeholds so much neerer in making both them their persons and kingdomes subiect to the Commandement and disposing of a man of as meane qualitie in a maner as himselfe But we see God hath giuen vnto Princes authoritie and commandement ouer their Subiects and hath willed all sorts of people as well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall and consequently both D. Allen and the Pope himselfe to submit themselues vnto Princes to be subiect vnto them to obey and not to resist them vnder paine of iudgement let vs see then by what authoritie D. Allen can release and discharge the Subiect from his obedience duetie and allegeance vnto his Prince His first authoritie is taken from Hildebrand whom hee calleth Gregory the seuenth who taking vpon him more like a king of kinges or lord of the whole world then like a true scholler and follower of Christ pronounceth his decree with a great Maiestie in the plurall number We saith he according to our predecessours Decrees doe assoile discharge all them that by obligation of oath or fidelitie are bound to persons excommunicate and that they doe not obey such we do expresly forbid His secōd authoritie which is euen the like he fetcheth from Vrbanus the second who vseth this inhibition forbid saith hee the sworne soldiers of Conte Hugh that they serue him not so long as hee standeth Excommunicate And if they pretende their former oath made vnto him admonish them that God is to be serued before men and that the oth which they made to him when hee was a Christian Prince is not now to be kept towards him being an enemy to God and his Saints and a breaker and contemner of their commandements A faire paire of authorities drawen from a couple of Popes who had euen as good authoritie to giue these discharges and inhibitions as D. Allen himselfe Is this the best warrant you haue to release the subiect of his oath and obedience to his Prince because two Popes of your owne pack whose whole practise hath been for these foure or fiue hundreth yeeres to bring the heads of Princes vnder their girdles haue to that intēt pronounced it to be lawful for the subiect to renounce his allegeance to
ouerhardened their mindes so maliciously bent against her Maiestie their Countrey and vs all What shall I then say further to them Alas in so desperate a case I can say no more then Doctor Allen in his Pamphlet saieth to his Countrey but with a better minde and meaning towards them then he doth towards vs Alas for them and thrice Alas for them for I doe euen from the bottome of my hart pitie their errour I enuie not their Religion I doe euen from the bottome of my heart bewaile their obstinacie I hate not their persons I doe euen from the bottome of my heart lament their their miserable estate I malice not the men I wish better to them then they doe vnto vs I desire neither the spilling of their blood nor the spoiling of their substance but I pray pray hartily for them God amend them God lighten their eies if they be blinde and doe not see open their eares if they bee deafe and cannot heare turne their hearts if they bee obstinate and will neither see nor heare God if it bee his will giue them grace to know his will to acknowledge his will and to conforme themselues to his will that they may be heires of his euerlasting Will. And to you my brethren countreymen fellow-subiects what shall I say more then hath bene said Shall I endeuour to exhorte you to obedience and to the loue of your prince and defense of your countrey Why should I seeme so much to suspect your obedience your loue to your Prince or your zeale and care of your countrey Because D. Allen hath attempted by his perswasiōs to corrupt you withdraw you frō thē Why you see his perswasions are of litle force grounded vpon falshood and contrarye to the word of God But were they neuer so forcible why should you be corrupted by them An honest faithfull mind may well be assaulted but will reuer be ouercome with the corruption of wicked perswasions Nay thêre is vertue most shewed where against the hottest assault is made the strongest resistance But why should you disobey and reuolte from your princes seruice and take armes against her and your countrey as D. Allen exhorteth you to do Whether vpon iust cause or vpon discontentment If vpon discontentment you shewe yourselues rebels not to your Souereigne onely but to God himselfe in that you are not contented with his ordinaunce but will striue to put it downe and set vp a new ordinance of your own This motion cannot proceede but of the deuill himselfe the rebellious spirite and mouer of all sedition If you saie vpon iust cause you deceiue your selues for there can be no iust cause to committe an vniust fact If there might anie cause bee iust who shall be iudge of the iustice thereof Your selues that were not fit you are parties and therefore partiall and no competent iudges Againe you are priuate men and subiects and therefore can haue no lawfull authoritie in this case to iudge Who then shal be iudge to determine this cause There is no lawfull power in this Realme but your Souereigne and her ministers then if there be anie cause you must open it vnto her and submit both your selues and the cause to her iudgement and reformation and in the meane time continue in your due obedience till the cause be decided But you will say your Souereigne is a partie also aswell as you in the cause So may she be yet a iudge But to whose iudgement then will you appeale there is none to be iudge ouer her but God Will you then be iudged by him Indeed he is the highest iudge and by him the whole world is to be iudged And will ye be content to stand to his iudgement I know you will not call him out of heauen in person to iudge betwixt you for you neede not because he hath left his lawes and iudgements amongst you here on earth recorded in his owne bookes of the old new testament which may be sufficient to determine this cause without any further assistance seeing that by them the whole world is to be iuged Looke then into his booke for his iudgemēt in this case and you shal finde that he forbiddeth you absolutely without exception of any cause to laye your handes vpon the Lordes annointed and commaundeth you as absolutely without all manner exception to submit your selues aswell to your Prince as to her ministers and inferiour gouernours to obey her and not to resist her for if yee resist her he telleth you that yee resist his ordinaunce and shall thereby receiue to your selues iudgement You heare now how God in his holy Scriptures determineth this case directly against you that you may not for any cause offer to lay your hands vpon your Souereigne but that you must submit your selues vnto her obey and not resist her vpon paine of iudgement How then will you dare to lift vp your hands and to take armes against her But if it were lawfull for you as it is not for any cause to rise in armes against the Queens Maiestie your liege drad Souereigne what cause I pray you would you pretend for your so doing will you say Religion Indeed Religion is the cause for which D. Allen teacheth you that it is lawful honorable for you to take armes against your prince laboureth earnestly to perswade you therunto such as are of his religion But what kind of Religion call you that that stirreth you vp to Rebellion You haue receiued no such religion from Christ nor from his Apostles for they teach you the contrary both by their doctrine and examples They tell you that you must submit your selues to your Souereigne obey and not resist her They when they were imprisoned tossed and turmoyled from place to place reuiled striken yet neuer offered resistance against the Magistrates neither moued or attempted any sedition nor entred into any conspiracy against thē but endured all with patience as constant witnesses of the Truth which is cleane contrarie to this Religion which you professe From whom then receiue you your Religion from your holy father the Bishop of Rome It may very well be for it sheweth it selfe from whence it cometh And is this the Religion for which you will take armes against your Prince Why you see it is a Religion taken from man and not from God and therefore cannot stand You see it is a Religion contrarie to the doctrine and Religion of Christ and the Apostles and therefore not the true Religion Will you then take armes against your Prince in the quarrell and defense of a false Religion you know not what you do and that is also the fault of your Religion For if you had giuen your selues to the reading of the Scriptures and studie of knowledge whereby you might haue bene able to giue an account of your faith and knowne the ground of your Religion and not leaned
so much nor giuen so great trust vnto mens traditions you might with Gods grace and assistance haue found out a sounder Religion But then should you haue fallen from the precepts of your Popish teachers But yet should you haue followed the commaundement of Christ who biddeth you Search the Scriptures What fault find you with our Religion Wee teach nothing but what we learne out of the Scriptures we hold constantly the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ and of the holie Apostles in all pointes vnchanged and by them we offer our selues to bee tried and our Religion And do you condemne the Scriptures the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles If you do the whole world will condemne you if you do not how can you then condemne our Religion Compare it with your owne and if you bee not ouer partiall senselesse or shamelesse be iudges your selues whether of the two is the sounder We ground our Religion wholy on the word of God you more vpon the traditions of men we recommend vnto all men the knowledge of the Scriptures for the direction of their life and assurance of their saluation your teachers restrayne from you the knowledge of the Scriptures deliuering you their owne traditions both for your instruction of life and assurance of your saluation we commend vnto subiects obedience and fidelitie to their Princes they commaund subiects disobedience and rebellion against their Princes Denie anie part hereof if you can examine your owne consciences if this be not all true and then iudge your selues by the true cognisance of Religion whether of the two is the true Religion We flie not to armes to mainteine our Religion for the truth is able to vphold it selfe and hath God for her protector Your Religion had neede to be aduaunced by armes els must it soone decaie hauing neither God nor the Truth nor reason to mainteine it And will you then take armes against your Prince for defense of this Religion No no if you doe you deceiue your selues you take armes against both your Prince and Religion and in defense of mens traditions and tromperies vnder pretense of Religion you seeke to ouerthrow the true Religion wherein you rebell not onelie against your Prince but against God himselfe who is the authour and defender of this Religion Christ teacheth you not to take armes though ye were persecuted for Religion but to flie and if ye will abide and stand in the Truth he willeth you to suffer like Martyrs not to resist like Rebelles But you haue no such cause giuen you either to resist or to flie for ye are not persecuted but instructed and if yee refuse to come to heare ye are punished for your disorder and disobedience not for Religion for what Religion teacheth you to refuse to heare the word of God preached Christ saith My sheepe heare my voyce whose sheep are you then for you are none of Christes If ye wil be of Christes flock you must renounce that Religion which withdraweth you from the hearing of his voice for till then you cannot be his sheepe Do you call th'execution of Iustice against your Iesuits and Seminaries persecution for Religion You do either ignorantlie mistake it or slaunderouslie misreport it For none was euer executed for Religion but for expresse Treason against her Maiesties person as hath bene sufficientlie declared and published to all men But you will say they did nothing but what Religion moued and bound them in conscience to do I beleeue it and affirme asmuch as you saie this is the fault I warned you of before in your Religion A good Religion ywis that moueth and bindeth men to the committing of Treason against their Christian Rulers Can you confesse so much your selues and yet are ye so blinde that you will not see the impietie of your Religion Yet see your owne daunger how in professing that Religion you condemne your selues of treason If your Religion tie thē necessarily to treason that hold it as in truth it doth for they must either disobey her Maiesty or not obey the Pope how can you acknowledge your selues professors of that Religion and not condēne your selues for traitors to your souereigne Leaue leaue therefore that erroneous and vngodly profession and terme it not by the holie name of Catholike Religion but meere blindnes and Superstition being grounded vpon the vaine inuentions and traditions of men so directly opposite vnto the word of God so contrarie to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and so inseparably combined and linked with Treason as you cannot be either true Catholiks Christians or loyall subiects so long as you persist in it Pretend not the quarrell of Religion against your Prince and Religion for assure your selues if you will admit as you ought that onely to be the true Religion which is founded vpon Christ the head Corner stone there is no Religion that alloweth so rebellious an action If you giue any heed vnto outward and Ciuill respects consider with your selues the long peacible and prosperous reigne of your Souereigne the like wherof your forefathers haue not seene nor any age doth record If long peace wealth and prosperity be the outward blessings of God as vndoubtedly they bee whereby hee declareth his speciall fauour vnto that Prince kingdome which feare him worship him syncerely and with whom he is well pleased according to his word and promises in the Scriptures al these maie be to you an assured argument both of the singular fauour of God vnto your Prince and Countrie and of the true sincere Religion professed by them wherewith hee is well pleased But looke yet further into the exceeding fauour of God shewed particularlie vnto her Maiestie I speake not of her rare and singular giftes of wisedome learning vertue and other her excellent and Princely qualities and perfections both of bodie and minde with all other Complements of nature so abundantlie bestowed vpon her as few ages haue euer knowen her equall all which wee must yet acknowledge to bee the speciall graces of God looke I saie into his gracious goodnes towardes her in protecting her from the manifold dangers and mischiefes attempted against her own person I know there is none of you ignorant how often sundrie times her deare life hath bin sought and how neare the bloodie tortors haue been to the verie execution of their deuilish designement some of them more then once or twice in neerest and priuate place with their murderous weapons in their hands euen readie to strike the deadlie and cursed stroake of our calamitie and their owne vtter confusion and damnation had not God preuented it by striking them with a sodeine trembling of heart and astonishment of minde for the preseruation of his annointed seruant and handmaid This you know to haue been attempted not once nor twice nor thrice but oftener then either memorie serueth mee to repeat or horrour of the
villanie will suffer mee to remember and will you not acknowledge the Diuine prouidence and the fatherlie and louing kindnes of God vnto her Maiestie in so miraculouslie deliuering her euen out of the bloodie hands of the cruell Butchers for the aduancement of his glorious Gospell and propagation of true Religion by her faithfull and zealous Ministerie on the other side his iust iudgment and vengeance vpon the traitorous Parricides in not onlie defeating but discouering most wonderfullie euen by some of their owne mouthes their accursed and damnable purposes and bringing them to a shamefull end for an example to all others of that sort to take heede how they enter into such wicked conspiracies And who haue bin the actors in all these tragical attemptes but onlie such as you terme Catholikes professors of the Romish Religion and such as the Pope and his adherents haue inueigled and set on to execute their most impious and detestable deuises and to conclude such as Doctor Allen inticeth and exhorteth you now to bee But what Atheist is hee so irreligious what monster of nature so barbarous what Tyger so fierce and cruell as can finde in his heart to laie his hand vpon the Lords annointed to imbrue his murderous blade in the blood of a Prince of a Mayden Prince in whom is nothing but mildenes clemencie vertue modestie Religion all kinde of Princely nature and exellencie Whose royall Maiestie ought to be a terror to all traitorous thoughts whose tender sexe ought to bee a safegard against all violent assaults whose sacred vertue a protection against all villanous attempts Let Gods especiall fauours therefore miraculously shewed vnto her Maiestie and his exceeding blessings abundantly powred out by him vpon her Countrey bee vnto you as it is indeed an assured argument that her Religion is the true Religion acceptable vnto God and conformable to his word and let the vngodly and irreligious practises of the Church of Rome to murther Princes and mainteine Rebellion contrarie to the word and will of God be vnto you as they ought to bee infallible tokens of a false and counterfeit Religion and let the greeuous iudgement and iust vengeance of God inflicted vpon those abhominable Traitors bee vnto you as to your best behoofe it may bee a terror from assenting vnto anie such traitorous or rebellious enterprise Looke into the Histories of ages past either of forreine Nations or your owne Chronicles and tell mee where you euer reade or heard or founde written that Rebelles did euer preuaile against their lawfull Souereignes Looke neerer into the examples of your owne Countrey and within your owne memorie and namely the Insurrections in the time of the late most vertuous Prince of famous memorie Edward the sixt against whom a rabble of rebellious subiects in sundrie partes assembled themselues some pretending the quarrell of Religion some of a Common wealth and gathered mightie forces of manie thousands to the great amazement of the whole Countrey and the Prince a Child yet what I pray you was the ende of their Rebellion but speedie discomfiture and confusion The histories are ful of the like exāples of all ages for what age hath not brought forth of both sorts as well disobedient Rebels and miscreants as honest and duetiful subiects but how different soeuer the causes and quarrels haue been as there was neuer anie such action so bad but had the pretence and colour of some good intent for which the Rebels haue entred into Armes against their lawfull Princes yet the ende hath euer for the most part been alike For they that resist their Rulers resist God Whose ordinance they are and those that resist God God will confound them which is most wretched and miserable their infamie shall remaine vpon perpetuall record for a spectacle to all posteritie What hope haue you then left to encourage you to so godlesse an action to take armes against your gratious Souereigne Doe you expect redemption as you pretend Religion through the meanes and assistance of forreine Forces Nay rather assure your selues of certeine Captiuitie or destruction For if forreine powers should preuaile ouer your countrie do you hope for aduācemēt at their hands in your countrie No no your forrein Lordes will stand too much in doubt of your fidelitie towardes them which haue not been faithfull to your owne naturall Prince Countrie and therfore will keep you low inough for their own security for though they loue your treason yet they will not trust your traitorous mindes So shall you be faine with your Countrie to endure the losse of your libertie and in your Countrie become vassals bondmend vnto Strangers A iust reward for your vniust rebellion And this is the best issue you are to expect of so bad an action For if your forreine auxiliarie forces goe to the ground as I trust they shall if euer they giue the attempt against her Maiestie and this Realme looke you to goe with them also for companie as you are well worthie if you goe not before them euen when soeuer you shal first offer to stir For I know English men how soeuer some few of the skumme and dregges of them as of other Nations may either of a discontented minde or desire of alteration for hauock and spoiles sake or through the lewde inticements of others be stirred vp to sedition yet they are all generally by nature most faithfull vnto their Prince and Countrie and especiallie against forreine enemies in a case of Inuasion whereupon they shall see lieth the hazard of the vniuersal ouerthrow of themselues and their Countrey And therefore whatsoeuer you bee that beare a Rebellious minde against your Prince and Countrey and an vnnaturall affection to the partaking and furtherance of a forreine enemie make sure account of this that there shall not so soone be fiue Rebels gathered in a cluster to runne to their confederates but there will bee fiftie true harted Subiects rounde about them readie to cut their throates And doubt you not but the Magistrates are circumspect prouident and carefull inough to set a good order and caution for the timely preuenting of all such your pernicious purposes Seeing then the assured issue of your rebellious attemptes if anie of you should be so wickedly inclined and the present danger and destruction hanging ouer your heads mee thinks you should haue but litle courage or comfort to stir in such a cause against your Prince Countrie But let not terror in these outward respects either onlie or principally driue you from disobeying or resisting of your Souereign whom you are expresly commanded by God to obey not for feare but for conscience but if there be in you Religion as you pretend shew your religion in obeying his word and feare his euerlasting iudgements if you disobey him So shal your obedience to your Prince bee a willing a hartie a cheerfull a louing a faithfull obedience acceptable