chosen kingdome and that the Ecclesiasticall Romanes ioyned with some number of ignorant people seduced by them haue this right of election whereof thou speakest such proues are not in the strength of all your Sorbonne Beholde then the first reason sufficing to declare the falsehood of thy Commentarie And so I come forward to the second drawen from the nature of the people ouer whome the aforesayd king ought to bee appointed where Moses saith thus Thou shalt not set ouer them c. Inferring by this Pronoune that amongst these priuiledges and speciall graces which God woulde giue vnto his people he would giue them a king hauing the quality of a brother and making profession of the same religion which they did for the better distinguishing and separating them from other nations the which should carrie the same common markes of alliance and adoption Gen. 17. and also for want whereof it was sayd in Genesis that euerie man childe not circumcised should be cut off This was not then neither hath beene sithence common to anie other nation for all men knowe that God by the preaching of his Gospell hath neuer called at once whole nations to the knowledge of him and that for the most part he hath rather and first of all conuerted the subiects yea the meanest sort from amongst the sayd subiects as the Apostle witnesseth to the Corinthians where it appeareth 1. Cor. 1. that the faithfull had neither right nor power to appoint a king ouer themselues of theyr religion It behoueth vs then to holde this resolution for a maxime in diuinitie that God onely calleth whome he pleaseth to the knowledge of his truth and giueth the kingdomes of the earth to whom it seemeth him good sometimes to a beleeuing Prince and sometimes to an Infidel The soueraigne God sayth Dauid hath power ouer the kingdomes and there placeth whome he will therefore after Nabuch◠donosor hee placed Balsasar Darius Cyrus all Pagans As also sithence the death of Iesus Christ of long continuance he hath rather called Pagan Princes to gouerne the Empire than Christians the which succeeded one another by the ordinance and pleasure of him euen as Saint Paul taught the christiās Rom. 13 saying that there is no power but of God that those which doe resist resist the ordinance of God From thence it insueth that if anie one opposeth himselfe against God when for the cause of religion hee would depose the soueraigne princes which hee hath placed and hath not called to the knowledge of him Examine then this reason whiles that Ipasse to the third point which goeth altoge ther against thee so good an aduocate art thou Beholde how thou wouldest inferre that because it was forbidden to the Israelites to admit anie heretike for their king that the same ought to be sayd and vnderstood of all Christian people To the which I aunswere denying the proposition and the illation together beginning at the first thou canst not denie but the most parte of the kings of Iuda and of Israel haue beene heretikes as theyr idolatries and abhominable sacrifices doe witnesse recited in theyr actes the which kinges for all that were not deposed from theyr crownes On the other side therefore thou shalt bee constrayned to confesse that the Christians much lesse then ought to depose theyr kinges for causes of heresie Luk. 20. Rom. 13. Tit. 3 seeing that the commaundement of Christ and his Apostles doe forbidde the same as hath beene and shall bee seene And for the fourth reason I silie that the king being a Christian man baptised and nourished in the Christian Church if hee doeth fall into some errour or defaulte deseruing a grieuous censure ought not for the same cause to bee reputed as a stranger whiles that hee maketh some profession of the same religion or whiles that hee witnesseth his loue towardes the same for the which cause Saint Paule speaking of Excommunication which hee calleth 2. Thes 9 marked by the Letter sayeth Conuerse not with him to the end that hee may be ashmed neuerthelesse hold him not as a common enemie but rather admonish him as a brother If thou oughtest to doe this to the meanest in a realme much more then to the soueraigne in neglecting whereof thou shewest thy selfe such a one as thou art Finally this lawe is quite contrarie to that of thine when as thou doest hinder the waie which doeth establish kings at this daie as well approued of God as the ancient lawe of the Iewes the difference beeing onely in the aforesayde circumstances and not in the substaunce of the matter From whence it proceedeth that thou doest resist the ordinance of God when thou doest reiect him which hath right and calling to raigne ouer Fraunce beeing approued and receiued by the naturall and lawfull officers of the Crowne hauing right and commaundement so to doe To conclude from the aforesayd reasons then it followeth that this lawe of Moses is not generall but of old time particular to the Iewes As in deede thou canst not produce anie one example out from the primitiue church thereby to saie that that hath interpreted and vnderstood this text so seeing that that hath taught and practised altogether contrarilie And as for that that thou addest that the king hath bene condemned by the iudgement of the Church it is answered that one Bishop of Italy assisted with his Romish Consistorie neither is neither can represent the vniuersall Church dispearsed throughout the whole world And furthermore that hee of Rome can haue power no where but in his owne diocesse as the auncient Doctours doo witnesse Chap. 23 amongst whom Basile in his booke intituled The solitarie Life sayth That all Bishoppes doo binde and absolue equally as well as Peter The ninth Canon of the councell of Antioch Can. 9 carrieth as much where it is likewise said that euerie Bishop hath power and authoritie ouer his owne diocesse The Romane Bishop ought therefore to content himselfe with his owne at Rome and not to vsurpe ouer all those of France where he hath nothing to doo as hereafter more at large shall be discoursed and proued Now I come to the other text by the which thou dost alleadge that it is lawfull for thee to kill thy king if thy credite could doo the same It is expressed in the fiue and twentith of Numbers Num. 25. that the Lord commanded Moses to take all the heades of the people and hang them vp before the Lord agaynst the Sunne which had committed fornication and idolatrie with the Moabitish women wherof thou dost conclude that the king ought to be hanged as culpable of such a crime This is a leagued hangman that sayth so and I answere that this example is nothing to the matter or to the purpose Beholde therefore the supreame magistrate is not therby to be punished and much lesse to be reiected Secondarily as well the diuines as the politicians do affirme that it is
worlde knoweth that the king is accused of heresie by this Monke and his like forasmuch as hee sayth and holdeth for certaine that the Romish church hath need of reformation vpon the which proposition is demaunded wherefore the king raigning shall bee sooner accused of heresie than infinite others of his like others as wel in Europe Asia or Affrica Besides that which hath beene sayde else where wee faie that in our region the last King constrayned but too late to knowe this truth had giuen charge to a learned personage to set foorth certayne Articles concerning the necessitie of reforming the Church The last Duke of Sauoy sayd to an Italian named Castro Caro professing the reformed religion Thou doest wel to maintaine thy faith Afterwards he placed him as gouernor ouer the vallyes of Angrongne Apol for Herod A Duke of Florence with like purpose answered the Ambassadour of the souldan of Egypt that in Christendome the fooles were shut vp in Monasteries The Venetians haue of long time detested the persecutions of the Popes The best part of Christian kings doe confirme this truth and the noble men in deede as much for it is proued that there are a great many Gentlemen throughout Europe which do euen grone and breath after this reformation If we come to the Ecclesiasticall persons the quantitie of them swarming out of the Couents and monasteries doeth likewise preach on high the same thing vnto vs. The like also is found by the Popes being constrained to produce such a like kinde of cōsent when as one of thē vpon the abuse of the Romane Church which was obiected and proued to him sayde to the protestant Princes of Germanie that his intention was to vnderstand it Sleidan and remedie it To whom it was answered that that did not appertaine to one Bishop alone As for philosophers councellers of lawe-rights and people of the third estate knowing the same truth and necessitie will be found euerie where such a great number that they will be innumerable In Asia an infinite number of Iewes doe deferre their conuersion to the Christian religion for the great abuses and idolatries which they see in the Romish church Let vs passe into Affrica then Presbiter Iohn great gouernour ouer the Ethiopians making profession of Christianitie verifieth the same by the generall permission of holy matrimonie instituted by God by the intire distribution which the Bishops doe make of the sacred signes of the holy supper following the ordinance of Iesus Christ What will then this malecontent saie when as for this cause onely hee accuseth his king of heresie seeing that so many Monarchies Princes Lordes Prelates of the Church Councellors Philosophers and other great godly and learned personages throughout all Europe haue holden sayd reproued confessed the same truth the which hath beene confirmed by so many Doctors and so many arguments that it is impossible for the gainsaiers to answere them The which doctors and arguments durst and dare maintaine and proue that if there be anie Prince in the world clere and purged from the crime of heresie it is our king for following the greatest reformation of Christian religion as euer hath beene sithence the death of the Apostles That it is so thou shalt finde by reading and considering the profession of faith which he hath shewed towards the two last kings which is come to light a long time sithence Therefore take a little paines with patience to conferre it with the holy Scriptures Now let vs come to the examination of the first Article conteining as we haue sayde seuen texts of the Scripture with the which this ligall Monke woulde helpe himselfe for his better reiecting the king if he could The first therefore is taken out of the seuententh Chapter of Deutronomie Deut. 17.17 where it is commanded to the people of Israel to constitute ouer them the king whome the Lorde their God should chuse comprised in the couenant which he had contracted with him from the which place the aaforesayd Monke doth drawe his conclusion as aforesaid that is to saie that the king for being an heretike ought not to be admitted to the crowne of France no more then in oldettme a Pagan might to that of the Iewes Therefore saith he the lawe of Moses concerning the election of the kings of Israel is morall and by consequence doth binde all Christians to the obseruation of the same The answere to this is that seeing Phisicke must be applied to the bodie that is diseased let vs put the case whether the question was concerning a king being an Infidell or an heretike For the regard namely of such a soueraigne I denie the proposition the which I maintain to be false for foure resons to be considered in the examination and circumstance of the text Deut. 17 where Moses saith thus Thou shalt make him king ouer thee whome the Lord thy God shall choose from amongst thy brethren thou shalt not set a stranger ouer thee which is not thy brother Where first of all is to bee vnderstoode that the king which the Lorde woulde giue vnto his people called in the Scripture the annointed of the Lord should be chosen after another fashion and to another end than others were Therefore Moses sayd that God himselfe woulde choose this king differing from them of other nations for that hee woulde haue him represent and figure the Messias his sonne beeing king euerlasting and redeemer of the world and that he would haue him to raigne ouer an holy nation which priuiledge giueth vs to vnderstand that these sacred kings were holy and separated from others Wherefore Moses in this text 1. Sam. 10 and the historie of the Kings doe witnesse that theyr election proceeded from God not from the people for which respects there was a separation and a difference put betweene them and others So as is seene in the election of Saul 1. Chron 28. Iug. 9 Dauid and Salomon The cause why Abimelech being before appointed king of Sichem indured but a while was for that that hee was not so called of God the time of the kings being not yet come Where it appeareth that such proceedinges are not conuenient at this daie for other nations If thou doest replie that christian kings haue one and the selfe same holines as those of the Iewes had proceeding from one common God I answere that it sufficeth to proue that the Christian nations neuer had this particular commandement nor this speciall promise to haue power alwayes to constitute ouer thē a king of their owne religion so giuen of GOD this is a priuiledge onely which the Iewes had for the Christians haue ben and are bound by the generall commandement of God to abide subiect to their Princes which hee hath giuen them of what religion soeuer they haue ben or be as shall be more at large discussed in his place To that which remaineth thou oughtest to proue that this realme is a
Ier. 27. that the nation and kingdome which wil not serue Nabuchadnezer king of Babilon shal be visited saith the Lorde And in confirmation whereof Iesus Christ saith giue to Caesar that which is Caesars then Luk. 20. although he was a Pagan and thus is the Minor prooued Againe Iargue thus against the same Canons and decrees which do enterprise to displace Monarkes and kings beeing their Lordes God onely is the authour and giuer of kingdoms wherfore it followeth that Popes and Bishops haue no right to put them out the antecedent is thus proued produced by Ieremy I haue made the earth the meÌ„ Iere. 27 the beasts which are vpon the face of the earth saith the Lord c. I haue giuen to him to whoÌ„ it hath pleased me now haue I giueÌ„ al the earth into the hands of Nabuchadnezer king of Babylon my seruant all people shall serue him and his sonnes and the sonnes of his sonnes To the same ende the wise man did bring in God speaking thus By mee kinges doe raigne Prou. 8. the consequent is prooued in this sort No man hath right or commaundement to take away from any man that which he cannot giue and wherwith he hath nothing to do The Popes Cardinals Bishops haue no right nor any thing to do ouer kingdomes of the worlde from them it followeth that they haue no right to dispossesse them whereof these textes are witnesses Rom 13. Luk. 12. that the powers are ordained of God Giue to all them to whome it is due tribute to whome tribute belongeth and honor to whom honor is due Luk. 12. The kings of the nations do beare rule but it shall not be so with you Oh man who hath appointed me iudge a decider amongst you Marke Christ whose wisedome power was more great than that power of a million of millions of Popes Cardinals would not then although required intermeddle with deciding betweene two brothers Contrarily the Pope without beeing required in any thing will by constraint not onely iudge but parte diuide and take awaye the kingdomes of the worlde to transpose them where he list Mat. 4. imitating Satan when hee tempted Iesus Christ and would haue made him beleeue that the kingdoms of the earth were at his disposition to giue them wher he should thinke good And I holde a third argument against suche Canons and decrees vpon the calling right and nature of kinges to whom as to Soueraignes of kingdomes common-wealthes God hath subiected all other persons Rom. 13. that do owe subiection homage obedience tribute and other like duties vnto them 1. Tim. 2. So farre off is it then that the kings as these Canons would haue them in such sort should be tractable and punishable by the Ministerie of Bishoppes whereas on the contrary such Ministers as their subiectes do owe to them all the foresaid homages euen to be them selues not onely to bee disgraded for default of this theyr dutie but also furthermore to bee punished according to the qualitie and quantitie of the faulte that they commit Now then that the kinges being soueraigne Magistrates haue preheminence dominion and lordship generally ouer all men of their kingdomes of what condition soeuer they be Rom. 13. as appeareth by this generall commaundement of the Apostles proposed by word distributiuely All persons ought to be subiect to their superior powers seeing then that the Bishops are comprehended in the same subiection from thence it ensueth not onely that they haue no right or power to depriue temporall Lordes of their estates and dignities but that contrariwise they ought to maintaine and defend them euen to death if need be Let such Bishops of Rome consider therfore these things and remember themselues what Salomon saith Prou. 19. that it is not conuenient for the seruaunt to rule ouer Princes and for the more celebrate commendations of them the holye Scriptures doe adorne them with the titles of diuinitie Iohn 10. When then the Bishop in stead of reuerencing and respecting his king doth lift himselfe vp against his Maiestie he committeth two other abhominable faultes The first is where he detaineth vniustly that which he oweth to another The second is that hee is a rebell traitour and felon in lifting vp himselfe against his Lorde to whom hee is in subiection by the lawes of God and nature The conclusion is then that a Bishop yea were it the Bishop of Rome vndertaking to destroy and ouerthrow the state of a king is worthie to be hanged S. Iude speaking of such people S. Iude in hâ—â— epist sayth that the obscuritie of darknesse is prepared for them And heere it will not serue sufficiently for him to arme himselfe with a pretence of a Romish preheminence seeing that it hath no proppe nor foundation in the Scripture Let the greatest amongst you be as the least saith our sauiour Christ it was not so from the beginning Luk. 12. Mat. 19. The contrarieties and absurdities which are founde in the Canons and decrees of the Popes doe witnesse sufficiently with what spirite they doe proceede and doe shewe what credite and authoritie ought to bee giuen to them Petrarke who as one that had more knowledge than anye of his time did call Rome the hell of the liuing and the prison of wrath Notwithstanding these leaguers woulde make vs beleeue that when such Bishops shal commit the greatest and most enormious faultes of the worlde such as are their conspiracies against the soueraigne magistrates giuen and appoynted of God that they are mooued by the heauenly inspiration The wise king may heere consider to whome it doth appertaine to destroye the councell of the wicked Prou. 20. as Salomon sayth to turne the wheele vpon them God punisheth such when it seemeth him good It is verie true that the not punishing of these kinde of people proceeding from the ignoraunce and negligence of the soueraigne Magistrates is the occasion that these doe giue themselues leaue continually to do like faults hoping that it will be alwayes with them as with harlottes 2. Pet. 3. which perswade themselues of no punishment for that they alwayes keepe themselues in Townes or publike Stewes of the common-wealth thinking that they are not only tollerable but also to bee maintained as those of Rome But if this iniurious time causeth that there is not founde a Magistrate at this daye in the earth which dooth repaye suche by Iustice when as they manifest themselues to bee seditious trayterous schismatickes heretikes murderers Sodomites Magitians and Atheistes the vengeance of God in the time appoynted can verie well pay the interest of such attentions and dilations This is heere spoken vpon the more than diuelish sawcines of the Bishops of Rome 2. Thess 2. the which by decrees and Canons as Giantes doe take in hande contrary to the ordinance of God not only to disgrade but also to kill and exterminate the
princes of the earth This is no meruaile then seeing the Pope challengeth power also ouer the Angelles Let vs continue the examination of this Article The Author addeth by exclamation and parenthesis that for the cause of heresie such canons doe disgrade euen to the Pope desiring to affirme notwithstanding that hee is erected aboue all Monarkes of the earth What greate admiration is this as if it were not knowne that all men receyuing a charge of the Bishop receyueth it with condition to bee deposed If hee becommeth an heretike the word of God doth declare it manifestly and the euill is that in thy place the practise doth oppose it selfe Admit this yet it is denied that hee may take in like manner frō the kings of the earth Tit. 3. because that amongst other thinges their charge is different from the ecclesiastical because they haue receiued their politike administration without such condition But if it doth fall out that a prince should be censured touching the depriuing him of the goods honors of this world it belōgeth to a politike conuocation of estates not to ecclesiastical persons And proceeding the Monke addeth that these Canons do absolue release all subiectes from the obedience that they owe to their Lordes or kinges being heretikes Now for the answer It hath been said proued against such iniustice that God raigneth ouer kingdoms establisheth those whom he pleaseth be they faithful or infidels I haue called thee saith the lord to Cirus Isay 45. although thou hast not knowne me and I haue named thee by this name to the ende to make the nations subiect vnto thee This is here saide of Pagan princes Now let vs enter into the cōmon-welth of Israel where the church of God was and where all the kings ought to haue made profession of the true religion There were found many heretikes before and after their comming to the kingdom neuertheles not one of them was euer deposed for heresie To bee shorte neither the Prophets Iesus Christ nor his Apostles haue euer taken away Ier. 27. Luk. 20. Rom. 13. or abolished the dignities and pollicies of the world for such respects but rather haue maintained and confirmed such magistrates in commaunding to giue to Pagan Princes the things which God hath ordained assigned for them Heere thou doest reply that seeing that we ought rather to obey the creator than the creature if it commeth to passe that the seruice of the king doth detract vs from the seruice of God wee ought to leaue the lesse to obey the greater The answere is that this maxime is verefied in it selfe but very badly applyed to that which is the question beeing considered that they doe obey the creator which do obey his commaundements as concerning their dueties which they owe vnto their soueraigne Magistrate And if for the cause of religion he would draw thee from the seruice of God then the Prophets Iesus Christ and his Apostles commaund thee not to digresse from it so farre off is it that thou shouldst roote him out that contrariwise thou oughtest to pray to God for him because hee hath the hearts of Princes in his handes and otherwise Prou. 21. Math. 10. they commaund thee to endure persecution or to flie and go some where else If these be not thy proceedings thou art no disciple of Christ Let vs see how thou doest borrow the examples following The first is of the bande of wiues towardes their husbandes The second is of children towardes their fathers The third is of seruantes towardes their maisters Where thou saiest that in the case of heresie such bands do cease and from thence thou dost inferre that for the same cause the band of the subiectes towardes their Princes ought to cease Now for aunswere I say that the antecedent is false and that the consequence is not true Beginning at the first example thou doest alleadge and apply falsly for the text sayth word for word That if any woman hath married an infidell and if hee is content to dwell with her let her not depart from him 2. Cor. 7. Where it is added what knowest thou woman whether thou shalt saue thy husband or not that is to say by praiers instructions and good conuersations It is well sayd in the text that if the infidell or vnbeleeuer will departe let him departe But such a seperation commeth not from the beleeuer but from the vnbeleeuing Behold how thou doest falsly alleadge the worde of God And in respect of the second example all men know that amongst the dueties of the worlde the obedience of children towards their fathers be they beleeuers or vnbeleeuers is so generally and profoundly imprinted in the brest of mankinde that aswell the lawes diuine as humane doe commaund it alwayes without exception so clearely that to dilate these thinges by examples and textes is to sowe nothing else but wordes of wisedome in vaine Terent. A Pagan would aunswere that nature could not breake this duetie If some of your Canons haue giuen him such great authoriti◠as thou talkest of it may bee aunswered that the anthors of them were worse than infidelles And as for the third example taken from slaues Mat. 5. which may in case of heresie saiest thou in like sorte abandon theyr maisters To aunswere that Saint Paule the Doctor of the Gentils doth tell thee that thou doest lye when hee commaunded seruantes in his time to obey theyr Maisters which were for the most part infidels saying Seruants Ephes 6. Gen. 14. obey them which are your Maisters according to the flesh for so Ioseph was obedient vnto Pharao and also to his first Maister and Abdias to Achab his Lorde which was an heretike 1. King 28. and moreouer an hypocrite and a persecutour of the Church If then because of religion priuate men maye not leese their right which they haue ouer their seruants much lesse then shoulde Monarkes leese the obedience and acknowledgement which is due vnto them from those whom the Lorde hath subiected vnto them by diuine and humane right otherwise I pray you what maner of arguing wold this be if a prince disobeyeth God in a pointe of religion then it is permitted to take his scepter from him Now I must enter into the great denth of the Romish excommunication by the Ministerie whereof this leaguer doth pretend to curse and roote out aswell the king as the nobles and other subiects which do take his part He saith then that if a prince be excommunicated the Canons doe forbid that any obedience should be giuen vnto him And comming from these to Hypothese he produceth the sentence of excommunication of Pope Sixtus the fifth of that name denounced against the king in the yeare 1585. the ninth of September beginning thus we do establish in the full power which the king of kinges hath giuen vs c. in the which are comprised the nobles and other Catholicks which do