neither iust nor reasonable to vse the same rigour forme and fashion to a soueraigne Prince beeing the lieuetenant of God as is vsed to his subiects amongst others the example of Dauid sufficeth as a witnesse And in the third place for to speake the truth such principals of the people haue not bene punished for the cause of heresie but rather and principally for the cause of their fornication being qualified euen as Saint Paul declareth to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. where alledging this historie he onely maketh mention of the aforesayde fornication the which idolatrie hath not beene accounted but as accessarie seeing that the intention of these back-sliders was not to commit idolatrie but onelie to commit fornication Beholde then the allegation of this text is altogether from the matter and verie foolishly and falsely applyed Of the selfe same nature is the interpretation which thou giuest of that which followeth out of S. Math. 18 Matthew where our sauiour Christ would haue him holden for an heathen man which will not obey the church and also out of the which text thou drawest the like conclusion The answere is that there he speaketh of particulars and not of soueraigne magistrates Secondly of an ecclesiasticall censure and not of a politike Thirdly the being taken for a pagan did not nor yet doth take a waie the politike rightes of this world which the Lorde giueth as well to princes as to their subiectes The interpretation then which thou giuest to this text is altogether repugnant to the intent of the spirite of God Chro. 21 To this may bee applyed sayest thou the example of the towne of Libna belonging to the Leuites which reuolted from king Ioram because of his idolatrie Wherefore the holy historie sayth that he had forsaken the Lorde God of his fathers To proue then that such an example is nothing at all to the matter but rather tending to mutinie and rebellion the reasons are these The king hath not forsaken the God of his fathers and to proue that this is true the holy Scripture doth describe and propose the same God vnto vs to be creator of all the world Gen. 1. the redeemer of them which beleeue in him and obey him according as hee hath commanded in his worde Eph. 1. they then which doo so acknowledge this onely God of our fathers Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ Matth. 11 by whom onely he hath reconciled the world to himself following all the mysteries of our redemption 1. Cor. 5 which they ought to perfite and accomplish in him the onely Christ Act. 4.12 Forasmuch as there is no other name vnder heauen by the which men may be saued This father of Iesus Christ and of all faithfull Christians is the God of our fathers as the heauenly oracles doe witnes vnto vs. Now the king beleeueth in him as such a God approueth him as such a one wherevppon it followeth that hee hath not forsaken the God of our fathers Secondly thou oughtest to know that the contract of alliance betweene God and the Iewes did more concern diuine religion than humane policie Wherfore there was such a reciprocate subiection required betweene the kings of Iuda and theyr subiectes as a thing that was not else where And for the last poynt Ioram pretended to cause the people to commit idolatrie against God the which our king would neuer do nor practise Thou turnest awaie then from this example as also from the two following 1. King 15. 2 King 11. of Maacah and Athalia which thou doest associate with him And as for the first let it be considered that she was a subiect deposed for idolatrie and not a soueraigne and that in the Country of Iuda And as for the other she was a traitor and an vniust vsurper of the crowne which had massacred the two inheritours of the realme and therefore was forsaken of those which did belong vnto her hauing the gouernment of the yong king Ioas. This was then the vniust vsurpation of a kingdome that was the occasion of this wicked womans death and not heresie Heere ought I to speake one worde and one for all of the pretended eloquence but I will leaue it vnto the young Orators and those wicked wretches who desire to shew vnto the world Howsoeuer it bee they care not the smoakie stinking exhalations of the same the which thou doest euaporate at all times as well in this thy first Article as also in those that followe thereby to discharge thy Prince Thou makest the qualitie of the vessel to be knowen by the stinking smell that commeth forth of it The names signifie the things I will content my self to vse simplicitie and sinceritie according to the property of the truth aduertising thee that verba voces non leniunt dolorem Wordes and voices do not asswage griefe And by thy maiesticall iniurious speeches thou doestaccuse the king to haue vsed many and diuers actes of hostilitie in the warres which hee hath had heretofore Vppon the which thou canst not denie these two tryed truthes the one that he hath had a iust calling and necessarie occasion to defende himselfe against the forces of Guyfe his enemie and the other that hee hath by diuerse sufferances and alterations in comparison playd the part of an Angell whilest that they playd with him the part of a Deuill vntill that time that by such proceedinges you haue obiected against him that hee hath vsed subtletie to get aswell the good opinion of one as of another But goe in one accorde your floutes and let vs see the last poynt of of this Article which is contained in the first to the Cor. where the Apostle doth reprehend the faithful Christians 1. Cor. 6 which hauing matters of controuersies amongst them go to plead them before Iudges being Infidels not among themselues showing them that it was euil done to submit themselues to the iudgment of Infidels that they rather ought to take the least amongst them appoint them for their Iudges Wherupon this Ligall Doctor saith that it is a very reprochfull thing to Catholickes to receiue him for king which is now in the kingdome the which he calleth more outragiously than before one that is falne a relapse an Apostata frō the Christian religion concluding that the Catholickes ought rather to chuse the least amongst themselues to bee theinking than to submitte themselues vnder the yoke tyrannical gouernment of an Heretike Thou saiest all this But if the heauens should fall what a noise would there be Neuertheles yet let vs examine the fame The agreement of the personages as thou comparestable in one with another doth prooue that the thing of it selfe i◠nothing at all alike nor to the matter for to compare the particular scandale which the Corinthians did giue in going to pleade their matters before heathen Iudges with the generall right due to Infidell Princes that doth nothing at all
estate of gouernement Ergo hee is periured if he inquireth of traitors who haue sworne to do it But in despite of the rage which causeth these furious to bee so madde I demaunde who is the chiefe in a kingdome if the soueraigne Magistrate be not Next vnto God who ought a man to sweare faith and fidelitie vnto but onely vnto the soueraigne Magistrate Are not the lawes in this case cleare and formable enough that is to say that the subiect is culpable of the crime or treason if he doth not reueale vnto him the conspiracies which are practised against him But one hath promised and sworn not to say any thing I answere that it hath beene proued that it is not lawfull to sweare to doe euill and if it be that any hath so sworne that then he ought presently to cal it back agayne and repent least that the second sinne bee woorse than the first Moreouer true it is that that which presseth thee without comparison is the feare of hanging of some Monke or Priest Wherupon thou oughtest to vnderstand that the crime of treason against his soueraigne is worthy to be made hanging aswell towards the Ecclesiasticall as toward the Nobilitie and aswel towards the councellors as the Merchants Now let vs heare thy prophesie If the king of Nauarre were head ouer the French Church that of these two faire heades should Antichrist be borne for hee would sayest thou take away religion from the Frenchmen bring in a most cruell French inquisition To the which also I aunswere that the Church neither ought nor can haue but one heade Ephe. 1 1. Thes 2 which is Christ Iesus Secondly that Antichrist is borne long time since Thirdly that the king had rather die a hundred and a hundred times than to take away the Christian religion from France not hauing any thing at all determined in his mind to bring in any inquisition whatsoeuer so far off is it from being like to that of Spayne the which thou callest iuste but thou hast omitted amongst the deuils in hell seeing that his vnspeakable crueltie and tyranny is not exercised but amongst those who are most religious according to the will of God and most iuste amongst men the which is knowne of all noble hartes louing the truth and vertue And because ye hate such people ye doe the more commend such a kind of Inquisition forasmuch as it hurteth none but them for the maintenance of your ambition auarice superstition cookry idlenes and tyranny Beholde how the treatie of religion is in Spayne the Soueraigne is altogether robbed and spoyled of the knowledge that a Magistrate ought to haue ouer his subiectes when as there is any capitall crime committed or any other corporall punishments to be vsed vppon what occasion soeuer it be for all men knowe that king Philip through a pretended deuotion hath giuen transported this right whereof we speake vnto his Ecclesiasticall Romish Spanyardes which haue desired and wrested it from him by all the most subtill coosenages and deceits that any kinde of way they could deuise to bring the same to passe that therby they might the more subtilly vse their deuelish cruel actions agaynst those which do but once open their eyes against theyr errors trumperies and falsehoods And all this husbandrying intituleth it selfe the Inquisition of Spayne the which giueth such authoritie boldnes vnto his Clergie that they dare quarrell with the princes of the bloud and challenge them euen so farre foorth as to the razing of them out so as is already come to passe Where is to be vnderstood that the Soueraigne prince did neuer rule more imperiously ouer Spaine than these ecclesiasticall Lord gouernors doe by the ministerie of this Inquisition which maketh them to liue like kinges and princes and in assurance being most assured that theyr filthines and deceits shall neuer fall into any examination or censure but amongst themselues Now this is the cause that this Leaguerer and his companions finding all this to be so good according to their mind why they would willingly eat a part of it And for the attaining vnto the which sayest thou that it is better to take a king of a straunge nation that is to say a Spanyard daring to assure thy selfe that by the office and seruice of his Inquisition this Metamorphosis would worke well for thee and thy mates so that of simple priestes and prelates ye might become little kings like vnto your vsurping Spanyards Thou hast a natutall pretended reason indeede and goe on with it seeing that Satan hath no more expedient meanes to maintayne your ambition couetousnes tyranny and idlenes by But for feare of beeing accused of accusing a king of Spayne with such like ignorance and vndiscreetnes being reputed wise amongst all the monarchies of the earth it behoueth me to eschue such a blame in discouering his intention and to what ende he proposeth himselfe when as hee giueth the iurisdiction and power which euery Soueraigne ought to keepe himselfe when hee should minister the criminall punishment which belongeth vnto his subiects vpon what occasion soeuer to his ecclesiasticall persons For there is no cause why we should esteem or think that one onely and superstitious indiscretion doth induce this great prince to such wicked proceedinges wee shall finde and conclude then that in making this present Inquisition actiuelye vnto hys Cleargie hee hath imitated the subtill proceedinges of Mahomet the which beeing not able to install his tyranny amongst the Arabians imployed himselfe vnder the colour of religion by the ministerie of the which hee executed his wickednesse more easily But had not such a subtletie beene the estates of Spayne had hindred their king well enough from biting and kicking so furiously as he doth now and as the codition and lesson of those of Arragon do witnesse beginning thus We which can doe more than yee wee chuse you for king with such conditions c. By the meanes whereof they had expulsed from them this tyranny had it not been for the subtleties and villainous aide of their wretched ecclesiasticall priestes What preachers are these which by their exhortations preachings and authorities doe helpe to maintaine this deuilish inquisition with the which office these venerable personages doe acquite themselues the more willingly because that in steade of feeling theyr part of the tyranny they make it serue to their greatnesse immunities honours pleasures commodities and other such like benefites comming and issuing from the aforesaid inquisition Behold also now the motiue and efficient cause of the same where it appeareth that aswel the king as the Clergie of Spayne do complot sucke and gripe the people ouer whom God hath constituted them as fathers and guides What religious people be these which sporte themselues thus with poore Christians sending them frō Caiphas to Pilate For which cause two euident examples will witnesse that the zeale of religion hath nothing at all induced neither the king of Spayne
anihilate the obedience or dutie which Christians doo owe them as it appeareth by the same text where Saint Paul doeth not permit the Corinthians to digresse from their obedience for that cause so farre off is he then from that that he commandeth in other places 1. Tim. 2. Kom 13. that praiers shoulde bee ordinarily made for them and to honor them and paie them tribute And furthermore that because the Apostle in this place doeth indeuour to take awaie the scandale which the Corinthians had giuen it should followe by the counsell of this venerable leaguer that in stead of one shoulde spring mo then one hundred But this is a knowen thing that the deciding of a particular wrong hath no communitie with the generall administration of a whole realme for wee may well for our owne right or wrong in giuing place to our selues proceede without scandale or sedition but the putting a king frō his kingdom can neuer be so done and to be short the one is permitted the other is forbidden the one is in our power the other not Consider then this sottish fashion of arguing It is lawfull for mee in respecte of my businesse to choose him that I would then is it lawfull for subiectes in renouncing theyr king to choose such a one as they thinke good because the other is not of theyr religion This is well à simili I praie you what incongruities are there What diuine or polititian woulde reason thus Doest thou not see that besides this thy wickednes intaking a waie the seepter from him to whome the Lord hath giuen it that it is not so easie a thing as thou doest make it to rauine vp the pray from the lyon Oh how thou wouldest bite and rend in peeces if they counsell coulde attayne so much Thou sellest mans bloud good cheape Also what Paradoxe is it when as thou saiest that it were better to chuse one of the moste contemptiblest amongst the Catholickes and make him king Doest thou not perceyue that heere wee ought to reason of the naturall Frenchman beeing valiant which will neuer practise the prouerbe Ab equis ad asinos Out of the hall into the kitchin Furthermore that such a little king shoulde bee a poore vnaduised Icarus Virg. the which the heate of the sunne in a moment woulde cause to fall into the sea And not beeing therewith contente to haue called the king an Ethnicke and Hereticke but moreouer thou namest him one that is fallen a relapse and an Apostata To the which thou hast beene already sufficientlye aunswered else where besides that which by and by shall be added It behooueth thee to proue sound and examine the trueth of matters and not falsly to deface the Magistrates giuen of God by odious wordes beeing inuented at pleasure against thy conscience Behold the answere to thy first Article the which declareth thee to be a seditious slaunderer and dooth cause thee to checke thy selfe of the faulte the which thou doest falsly impute vnto thy king for that that it is heresie to wrest the holy scriptures so as thou doest in causing subiects to turne from the obedience which they owe vnto their soueraignes And as for those which do obiect that the last kinges were not admitted to the crowne of France but by the administration of the Romish ceremonies the which doe require as some say that the king that now raigneth might enter in by the same gate wee aunswere that such ceremonyes ought not anyething at all to preiudice the diuine right because the necessitie doth present it selfe to reforme the Church This beeing heere admitted of all true diuines it shall also bee admitted that it is not reasonable so bring kings in subiection to superstitions beeing forbidden of God and much lesse to take away their politike administration which God hath giuen them ouer kingdoms for not obseruing the same The second Article NOw I come to the second Article of this leagued Doctor containing the Statutes Canons of the Councels to the which to be of the same nature and dependencie I will adde the seauenth comprehending the decrees of the Pope For these two Articles by a common consent do take in hand to excommunicate the king as an heretike with the nobles others that follow him in quality of fautors adherents of the heresie Therfore it is necessary to see whether such lightnings doe fall from heauen as sent from God or whether they came out of the depth as proceeded from Satan to knowe whether the children of light ought to feare them or not Let vs also be holde from the entraunce whether this tempester throwing his tempestes against the king doth shield himselfe as in former time with the pretence of heresie which if he doth we may annswere him in like sort as before how he ought to addresse himselfe to a sicke body moreouer that the remedie which he pretēdeth to giue to thē which might be holden of such a malady is pestiferous mortall and by consequence not to be receiued wherfore he shal answere to the names of such spirituall maladies not maintaine the heresie far off is it but to shewe that the Bishop of Rome nor any other in the manner of spirituall Phisitions haue neither calling right mandate or warrant to depose infidell Princes frō their kingdoms scepters Luk. 22. crownes which God hath giuen them seeing the ecclesiastical censures ought to do nothing but in spiritual punishments concerning religion not in politike causes of the world To the which ends we wil thus argue against such abuses tyrannies All that which is done in the church for the cause right vsage of christian religiō ought to haue the worde of God for obiect foundation 1. Cor. 3. for the authority of the same is altogether argued of in diuinity But the Canons of such Bishops the decrees of such Popes haue nothing for obiecte nor foundation but only the corruptible wil inuentions of corruptible men therfore it followeth that such Canons decrees do no carrye themselues to the right vsage of christian religion The Maior is proued by this generall maxime A Bishop can neither adde nor diminish to or from the holye scripture Deut. 4 1. Cor. 3. for that it pronounceth a curse against all men that shal take in hand to doe it forbiddeth to laye any other foundation but him which is already laide that is to saye Iesus Christ And like wise it shal be said to them that do otherwise who hath required these thinges at our handes Esa 1 they are an abhomination vnto me The Minor is thus proued God commandeth to approue Rom 13. 1. Tim. ◠acknowledge and respect all kings which he giueth to people of what religion soeuer they bee From whence it followeth that such decrees Canons doe oppose themselues against his commandements to the truth wherof these texts are witnesse And it shall come to passe