Colledges and Vniuersities of this Realmes are abrogated as are also the conseruators Ecclesiasticall of the Vniuersities together with the priuiledged of this Crowne It forbiddeth such as haue made vowe of Religion in any wise to dispose of their gotten goodes whether moueable or immoueable contrary to the ordinance of the States of Orleans conformably with the decree of the Counsaile of Mogonce holden in y e time of Charlemaign It permitteth the begging Fryers to enioye and possesse rents landes reuenues and immoueable goodes contrary to the Counsaile of Vienna holden in the yeere of 1310. and infinite auncient arrestes of the Court It taketh from the King the nomination in Couents and Monasteries reguler which to him apperteyneth also the Triennalitie of Abbesses and Prioresses appointed by the sayde Estates It permitteth Munckes to meete and hold congregations and Chapters generall which in an Estate is perilous and daungerous and a matter whereby they bee accustomed to withdrawe themselues from vnder the authoritie and power of the King and all other temporall Magistrates in respect whereof also such assemblies haue by the arrest of the Court bene many tymes declared abusiue It giueth the Bishop authoritie to institute newe Feastes which haue bene reproued by many arrestes of Parliament namely by the prouinciall Counsayle holden at Sens in the yeere 1527. It encrocheth Lay patronages if the patrones by authenticall writings proue not the presentations continued and hauing taken effect 50. yeeres together and reiecteth al other kinde of proofe It giueth to the Ecclesiasticall Iudge notice of the right and possession of the sayd patronages obteyned by foundation donation or construction within these fortie yeeres which is a great intrusion vpon the King and his Magistrates It erecteth a newe kind of Iudges delegate whom it calleth Apostolick and authorizeth the Bishops to choose them euery one in his owne Dioces without the Kings knowledge or authoritie which are so many creatures not subiect to that Maiestie where-vnder they liue It declareth the Pope to be aboue him and forbiddeth Bishops to humble and submit themselues to Kings and Lordes It commaundeth all Clergie hauing of right and custome voyce in the prouincial Counsaile to receiue this preteÌ„ded Counsaile to sweare obedience to the Pope and thereof to make publicke profession It enioyneth Vniuersities not to teach any thing but what shalbe conformable to the decrees of the sayde Counsaile and to take solemne and yeerely oathes to his holinesse It commaundeth all Lordes Princes to keepe the sayd Canons renewing the auncient vsurpatorie Decretals of Boniface the eight and others heretofore abrogated in Fraunce as well by Edicts and ordenances Royall as by the arrestes of the Courtes of Parliament and great Counsaile By the sayd Counsaile the causes of our French Bishops are drawne to the Court of Rome and Popes Consistorie contrary to the dignitie of the royall Maiestie and the auncient Canons of the vniuersall Church whereby the criminall causes of Bishops yea in cace the same concerned their depriuation or discharging did belong to the Bishops of the Countrey or Synodes prouinciall and not to the Pope as by many the arrestes of the Court concurring with the generall Counsailes of Constantinople and Carthage it doth appeare besides that herein the sayd Counsaile greatly derogateth froÌ„ the Kings soueraigntie and Iurisdiction that euermore he hath had ouer the Bishops of his Realm witnesse the examples of Giles Bishop of Rheims of Pretextatus Bishop of RoaÌ„ of Didier Archbishop of Vienna and many others of whom Gregory of Tours Aimoinus Ado Vincent the Historiall doe make mention In brief to vse few words this pretended Counsaile taketh away the most auncient liberties of our Church so to make a Proppe to the Popes abuâ—ions It also dissolueth reuoketh and maketh voyde Mariages not contracted in the face of the Romish Church wherein consisteth the Seede of a million of troubles Ouarels Processes and strifes in infinite families of this realme which vnder the authoritie of the King with his good liking and vnder the protection of his Edicts of pacification haue contracted Matrimony and begotten Children who thereby should be declared illegitimate depriued of their Parents Successions and their â—Wues denounced Concubines Harlots to their true Housbands contrarie to all equitie which in summe is as much as to bend themselues against God to erect in other mens Realmes assemblies of people not subiect to the same to bring into the Church a greater deformation and to make the King of Fraunce his Serieant or executioner of his commaundements yea such a one as should haue no authoritie to order his Realme So that those which now so earnestly doe prosecute that publication of the sayd Counsaile shall neuer perswade mee that they are French men but rather that they shewe them selues Solliciters of the Popes affayres and dignitie rather his Seruants theÌ„ their Kings and soueraigne lords Thus doe you seee howe by the aduice and iudgement of the honestest greatest French Catholikes liuing vnder the traditions of the Romish Church this Counsaile of Trent may not be accompted other then a notorious conspiracie and coniuration against the authoritie and dignitie of this Crowne aud of the Subiectes thereof of whatsoeuer calling that shall find them selues offended and therfore we should greatly iniury any one of ours of whatsoeuer estate in calling him Heretick for not obeying submitting him selfe or consenting against his Countrey to the malicious conspiracies of the Pope and straungers that doe enuie the greatnesse of this Estate Especially the King of Nauarre whome the matter chiefliest doth concerne should haue greatest cause to be agrieued in respect that at this day he hath the Honor to be the principall branch of the Royall tree of France and so consequently more neerely bound then any other to preserue and mainteyne the rightes liberties and dignities of this glorious and redoubtable Monarchie 56 Moreouer the sayd Lord King of Nauarre demaundeth of you by vertue of what doe you esteeme hym an Heretick and obstinat parson For it is certaine that he onely may be tearmed an Heretick who vpholdeth a false doctrine contrary to the holy Scriptures of the ould and newe Testament beleeuing amisse in any one of the Articles of our faith as did y e Manicheans Nestorians Sabellians Arrians and their like Now to say trueth they would perswade vs that the opinion houlden by the saide Lorde King of Nauarre was monstrous we haue bene hallowed after them like Dogges wee haue bene forbidden their company as of infidels and miscreants I beseech you therefore let vs carefully looke into the confession of their faith and we shall find them Christians such as agree with vs in the articles of our belief doe worship the same God seeking saluation in the same Iesus Christ Chrildren of the same father beleeuing the same Bible assuring them selues in the same Gospell as in the same Buckler of their faith requiring part in the same inheritance and in vertue of
auncient or mightie soeuer as beeing aboue 1200. yeeres since vnder one forme and with one kind of lawes it was gouerned vnder the maiestie and authoritie of Kings of whom this last race hath continewed 600. yeres But among the chiefest and most perfect ordinances of this Crowne that is most commendable whereby the realme doth by succession belong by vertue of the Salick law to the next Male of the deceased King discending of the Masculine ligne For in trueth our Kings knowing that those of their owne blood are to succeede them haue the greater cause to keepe housband and preserue the estate and demains of their Realme as their owne and certaine Patrimonie besides that the successors of the Crowne that are nourished and brought vp in this greatnesse doe neuer become tyrants because euen from their mothers wombes they are vsed to command and ordinarily doe become the better more iust valeant hardy and couragious by representing to their owne view the greatnesse commendation and maiestie of their predecessors On the otherside the subiects of the Realme that haue sâ—â—e the birth nourishing and bringing vp of their Princes do the better know their humors and willes and doe more freely obey such as are borne to rule their estate theÌ„ others that are newly elected whom they remember to haue knowen in the like calling as them selues without either preeminence authoritie or gouernment so as there is nothing so perfect as that which neerest doth imitate nature and which seemeth to be altogether immortall aud infinite by Succession from the Father to the Sonne Besides that thereby the Kings subiects howe wealthy or mightie so euer doe conteine themselues in duetie humilitie and obedience to their soueraigne Prince when they remember that so long as any of the royall blood doe suruiue the same be capaple to attaine to that marke and that purposing to attempt any bad matter against the Estate and person of the King there remaine as many reuengers of the iniurie offered to his Maiestie as there be Princes of his bloud Herevpon doe I presume y t in our France wherein this royall succession hath time out of minde bene strictly obserued it was neuer found neither doe we reade that the French men did at any time enterprize or practize aught against the person of their King whether in respect of that naturall affection that alwaies they haue borne him and whereof they beare the bell among all other Nations in Europe or els because God neuer permitted the royall bloud of Fraunce to rest onely in one whereby the presumpteous conspirators might after the trespasse committed escape without punishment This royall succession therefore resting without doubt or coÌ„tradiction in this Realme the subiects thereof doe well knowe euen naturally and presumptiuely who is most likely to become their King so as now to call in question this succession is the only direct way to cause the King y t holdeth the Scepter ouer vs to think and with himselfe to imagine that in his Realme there are some who for the satisfying of their ambitioÌ„ could willingly wish to haue his place and for the same purpose do harken after his ende But sith the bolde impudencie of men is so great that they blush not neither are ashamed to disclose themselues to giue all men to vnderstande of their bad entents besides that necessarily the Commune must bee satisfied who otherwise might sooner beleeue the false then the true before wee proceede any further in aunswering the chiefe poynts of the Lybelles that they scatter abroade to the end to say that after the decease of the most Christian King without issue male it is not the nowe King of Nauarre but his Vnckle the Lord Cardinall of Bourbon that lawfully should be King or the better to expresse their entents that it is neither the one ne the other but that they must proceede to a newe election and nomination of a Prince I will here protest that I neuer desire to see the aduenture of that substitution which they pretende but hartely doe wish to the King my soueraigne Lorde a most long and happie life with as great number of issue capable of this Crowne as there be Starres in the Firmament 9 After which protestation to come to the purpose and succession of the house of FraÌ„ce I will first speake to those y t are not brought vp in the state of this Realme but onely haue learned of their Fathers that the Famely of Bourvon hath the honor to be issued from our Kinges therefore that the Princes thereof may succeede when God shall permit to the Crowne by the Lawe of succession of the realme Turning my selfe then to these commons I say that it is well knowen that King Lawes the ninth canonized and called saint Lewes had two sonnes the elder Phillip the bould of whome are come our Kings yet raigning who also had two sonnes the eldest Phillip the fayer who succeeded him and after him his three sonnes Lewes Phil. the long Charles the fayer the yoÌ„ger Charles County of Valois who begat Phillip of Valois who succeeded in the Realme after his Cousen Charles the fayer After Phillip succeeded his soune Iohn after him Charles the fifth called the wise sonne to Iohn This Charles had two sonnes the eldest Charles the sixth King of Fraunce vnto whome succeeded Charles the seuenth Lewes the eleuenth and Charles the eight his sonne petie sonne and petie Neuew The yonger Lewes Duke of Orleance who by Lady Valentine of Millan had two sonnes Charles the elder father to Lewes the twelfth King of France after his Cousen Charles the eight was deceased without issue and Iohn Earle of Angoulesme who was Father of Charles also Earle of the same lande and Grandfather to king Francis the first who succeeded his cossen Lewes the twelfth of which King Francis came Henrie his second sonne and father to Henry now raigning Hetherto therefore the branch of Phillip the bould eldest Sonne to Saint Lewes neuer failed so must that fable needes be false which the enimies of the house of BourboÌ„ haue sought to root in mens mindes namely that the discontentation of the late King FraÌ„cis the first against Charles of Bourbon that dyed at Rome was for his pretence to the Crowne of France which since haue continued in al the Princes of this house and from whence should be deriued the troubles and Ciuill Warres of this realme during the minoritie of the Kings Francis the second and Charles the ninth brothers to the King nowe raigning A matter vtterly false and falsely inueÌ„ted to the ende more and more to bring into the hatred of the people the Princes of Bourbon who neuer accompted more deerely of any thing or had greater delight in ought then to acknowledge obey and faithfully serue the Maiesties of our Kings as their true and souereigne Lordes hauing the honor so neerely to be to them allyed that they are of the same House and Armes without
infected with the error of Eutiches Heraclius was a Monothelite The stories are ful of many Popes of Rome heretickes adulterers Magicians Scismatickes and men confect in a filthie quagmire of vice who all neuerthelesse did peaceably by Gods will sit in Moses chaire to the ende to punish and afflict his flock as he hath thought good by such Tirants whom with his owne hand he chose to be the executioners of his iustice and against whom the people neither ought nor might conspire for saith Panormitan sith they are not free but subiect they haue no power to transferre the iurisdiction or conferre the title neither is he accoumpted to haue giuen that hath no right to giue In an other place the same Canon Doctor writeth that the vassall cannot consent in the person of any other then his Lorde no not by prorogation of power to that purpose alleadging many other skilfull persons opinions Howbeit all good Catholickes doe to their great griefe knowe that most of the Ecclesiasticall persons and Clergie of Fraunce doe seeme to bee parties in the Conspiracie that long since haue bene deuised against the state of this Crowne which neuerthelesse I can hardly beleeue notwithstanding I heare our ordinary Preachers openly in the chaire of trueth and humilitie preach warre bloud weapons rebellion and contempt of y e King and the Princes of his bloud a matter detestable and abhominable before God 9 My Maisters ye Bishops Priestes and Doctors what weene ye to doe Is this the commaundemeÌ„t of God Is this the doctrine that ye are bounde to plant in the Christian Church Is this the light that you shewe to the flocke which God hath committed vnto you Is this y â— peace that you ought to teach and for the which the Church poureth foorth her daylie supplications What correction may the people look for at your haÌ„ds whiles your selues are the authors of euill Wil you doe or say as Lucifer I wil ascend into heauen and become like vnto the most high God Will you iustly haue the name to be the very enemies of God who commaundeth obedience onely to the Kings and powers that he hath established and who taketh no delight in any thing more then in peace hating all shedding of bloud Doth the way to cure the rage of poore mortall creatures consist in vnclothing them of all humanitie in thrusting into their fist the sword wherewith to make away them selues by the authorising of their furie with your decrees nay which is more by stirring them thereto through your Sermons May wee not reproach vnto you that which Ieremie prophesied in his tyme The Prophetes haue prophesied lyes the Priests haue approued theÌ„ and the people haue embraced them Must we needes say of you as Ezechiel writeth of your like I will stretch foorth my arme ouer their Prophetes that see lyes and those that tell fables or do not serue for discipline to my people whom they haue seduced saying The peace of God bee with you and yet it is not peace that they seeke My Maisters this is not the fruit of the spirituall doctrine that you haue in custodie beware it be not sayd of you that an euill tree cannot bring foorth good fruite you preach warre rebellion disobedieÌ„ce you contribute to Conspirators against your King and the Princes of his bloud you deliuer the Townes to them and doe put your flockes into their hands you seeke out straungers to rule ouer you and doe set them against your King where will you become Is this the Catholicke and Apostolick doctrine that you doe sowe Knowe you not that Iesus Christ is the foundation of the Church so that whosoeuer will lay any other shall destroye himselfe and whatsoeuer he dare vndertake Is not the doctrine of Iesus Christ peace humilitie obedience and clemeÌ„cie Is it not written of you Bee yee wise as Serpents and simple as Doues Are not you termed the sault of the earth which beeing shed abroade where may wee gather it againe I wote what you will say There be say you a number of heretickes which must bee rooted out with the sword because their life is repugnaÌ„t to Gods honor No no my Maisters you are yet deceiued for you must first shewe how they bee heretickes and for such cause then to be lawfully condemned which as yet you haue not done because in â—rueth your pretended CouÌ„saile of Trent whereby you haue condemned them was not lawful as the King of France confessed euen while it was assembled and therefore did not onely forbid the Bishops of his Realme your predecessors to go thereto but also by his Embassadour did protest that he could not accept it for a lawfull and generall Counsaile but onely for a particuler assembly gathered together for the profite and authoritie of the Pope and King of Spayne vnto whom they went about to giue the presedence aboue the most Christian Maiestie furthermore declaring that he ment not that he or his subiects should any way be bound to the decrees thereof but that contrariwise he was determined if neede were to employ all remedies necessarie which his predecessors had in like cace vsed to procure the disanulling of the same Besides I saye vnto you that weapoÌ„s are not the meanes to cure this mischiefe Know you not that the doctrine of Religion either the error thereof is a disease of the Soule and minde seeke therefore for your partes the spirituall Medicines wherewith to heale the same as admonitions prayer fasting amendment of your liues which are the true and onely Weapons of Gods Church But what are you not content with the extreeme diligence and care of our most Christian and Catholike Kings for the revnion of their people into one only Apostolick Romish Religion what haue wee gotten by so many fyers so much blood such battailes and destructions within this Realme for the same Those that nowe would rule you are they not the same persons that led the armies and practized y â— occasions of the passed wars haue they not sufficiently proued that neither ster nor sword are meete remedies for this euill that in one day of such troubles Gods Church is more hurt and offended through the disorder of one lewde Souldier then in a whole yeere of pacient tolleration whereby God may be deuoutly serued the King honored the Clergie assured the Lawe feared the gentry cherished and the people eased to bee briefe euery one by little and litle reduced into the waye of good life which to bee briefe are the effectes and glorie of the militant Church and of the good Shepherdes of the the same Wee haue burned them quick they haue quenched the fiers with their blood wee haue drowned them they haue Spawned in the concauities of the water we haue murdered them al in their sleepes within few daies they haue reuiued againe We haue fought with them and beaten them but haue not cast them downe To be brief if we consider how we haue
an example to all other to the ende no straunger doe presume to violate and taint the Maiestie of the Realme of France 12 To all the premisses to the discourse of the duetie and respect that subiects owe in our cace to their Kings and Princes the disturbers of the peace lawes of this Realme doe aunswer perticulerly against the King of Nauarre y ◠he shal neuer be King of France before he bee after the auncient maner obserued as they weene euer since Clouis the first Christian King consecrated annoynted and crowned and that nature onely cannot make him King without the ordinary Ceremonies obserued at the comming in of a new Prince And so cōsequently they dare inferre that notwithstanding al our former discourse be true yet can it not bee applyed to the sayd Lord King of Nauarre to whom the French men cannot be boūd without his annointing and coronation which the Catholickes will neuer permit vnlesse he abiure the pretended reformed Religion Also that in cace they shoulde withstande him yet should they not thereby withstand their King but a pretender to the Realm But in trueth herein lyeth the difficultie of the matter wherwith they seeke to deceiue the ignoraunt For this they must know that in Realmes successiue as is ours the King liueth perpetually and leaueth the Realme to his neerest by vertue of the law successiue By reason whereof he is true and perfect Lord before he bee crowned neither doth his coronation serue but for a declaratiō and publication of the honor of the marke of his calling which was obteyned to him before both by nature and by the lawe of succession which needeth no further declaration of the successor in that it is not simply hereditarie to the deceased but custumary and legitimate at the very instant of the former Kings decease which seazeth not the natural successor of the Lordship and royall power onely but also of the possession and effectuall enioying of the same Wherevpon all our Interpretors doe maintaine that in feudall causes and matters the successor is in a maner seazed in his predecessors life tyme vnder whom he is halfe possessioner without any further inuestiture especially in our France where it is obserued without contradiction For that concerning the Realme the coronation ensuing is but the habite and royall ensigne and therefore al good men will graunt that the King is annoynted and crowned because he is King but contrariwise that he is not king because he is crowned for so theeues and Tyrants beeing the stronger might become lawfull Kings and with ouer much facilitie alter the cause of their possession through that ceremonie So was the Emperour of the Romaines lawfull after he had beene elected and saluted in testimonie and for a proofe of which election only he set a Crowne vpon his head a Scepter of Iuorie in his hand and beeing apparelled in a Purple robe did alwaies walke forth with fower and twentie Huissiers euery one bearing a Torch and an Axe It was was moreouer a custome to carie fire before the Emperour after the auncient maner of the Kings of Persia who went to Pasargades that the Priestes might there consecrate them in a Temple dedicated to one of the Goddesses of warres where the Prince putting of his own Robes did put on the same that the auncient Cirus vsed to weare before he was King he also did eate of a Cake made with Figges and Turpentine and drancke a potion made of Vineger and Milke The auncient Kings of Greece in liewe of a Diadem were wont to cary a Speare or a Staffe which the Grecians termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Romaines sent to him to whom they gaue the royal dignitie a Crowne of Golde a Cuppe and an Iuorie staffe and afterward added the seate or chaire fashioned like a Chariot Afterwarde when Christianitie was planted in the hearts of the people hauing proceeded to the election of the Emperour and being agreed of his person the maner was to cause him to sweare yea sometymes by his handwriting to subscribe that he would stay himselfe vpon the doctrine confirmed by the Catholick Church and the oecumenical Counsailes of the same and that he should not raise any trouble in the Church of God after which protestation the Patriarke of Constantinople in the peoples sight set a Crowne vpō his head girt a sword about him presented him a Scepter and put a gold Ring vpon his finger The tokens of the Germaine Emperours are by the decree of Charles the Great a Scepter a Sword a Speare a Cloake a Chaine a Crowne a Crosse like a Spheare a Buckler an Eagle with 2. heads a purple Ensigne all which are deliuered to him by the Archbishoppes of Cologne Mentz and Treues Like as the Archbishop of Toledo doth the office at the coronation of the King of Spayne the Archbishop of Canterbury at the King of Englands the Archbishop of Mentz at the Bohemians the Archbishop of Strigon at the Hūgarians the Archbishop of Guesne at the Polonians the Archbishop of Vpsale at the Danes the Archbishop of Tours at the auncient Kings of Armorica which we cal Brittaine the Bishop of Pampelune at the King of Nauarres euen as in our France it is the Archbishop of Rheimes that crowneth and annoynteth our King although sometymes it is done in other places As we reade of S. Lewes who was sacred at Soissons others at Orleance whom before the tyme of Christianitie they vsed to proclaime by lifting thē vp and shewing them vpon a buckler But it hath since beene thought more expedient to minister these ceremonies in the assembly of the Church there to call God to witnesse of that faith which the subiects vowed to their Prince and of that duetie wherein the King bound himselfe to his Estate to the ende also that afterward the people might knowe that from a priuat and perticuler man that he was wont to be he was now promoted to the Empire to the end to commaund Thus did Atatolius first deale with the Emperor Leo the first in the yere of Iesus Christ 461. and Euphemius with the Emperour Anastaze in the yeere 494. of whom hee exacted a perticuler promesse in writing because both before and at the tyme that he was proclaimed Emperour he had bene and still was an Eutichean hereticke whose errors had bene condemned by the decrees of the Counsaile of Chalcedō holden in the presence of the Emperor Martian in the yeere of Iesus Christ 455. Of later daies immediatly vpon the decease of Iustinian the first they added that the Patriark of Constantinople should after the example and imitation of the Kings of Iuda consecrate annoynt and crowne the Emperours with a Crowne of Golde in the assembly of the Church which was first obserued in the Emperour Iustin the second and afterward by Pope Leo the 3. translated into the West to the behalfe of Charles the Great before whom or
not long before we doe not finde in any Historie that the Kings of France were euer annointed or consecrated but onely simply crowned as Gregorie of Tours maketh mention in his historie whereby it appeareth that none of our Kings of the first famely did euer obserue this ceremonie The first then that vsed it was Pepin father to Charlemaigne whome Boniface Archbishoppe of Mentz did consecrate annoint and crowne by the commaundement of Pope Zachary of Rome that in my opinion because he was the first of his race who of a priuate and perticuler person was established King against the Merouingiens After his decease Pope Stephen the second did the like to Charles sonne to the sayd Pepin when he was King of France whom also Pope Adrian againe consecrated annoynted and crowned when he was declared King of the Lombards and finally Pope Leo the third did the like to him with the Imperiall Diadem And this ceremonie haue euer since bene obserued by our Kings of France not that thereby they bee Kings but to the ende it may seeme as a testimonie that they are Christians and Catholickes and of priuate persons are become Kings to commaund the people So that in consideration hereof the first French Emperours Lewes the Meeke Lothaire Lewes the second and the rest who being by natural succession Kings were promoted to the Empire did not vse to take the title of Emperor at the day of their consecration or coronation but at such time as their father or former predecessor thought good to nominate them for their successors from which they began to number the yeeres of their Empire nothing respecting the ceremonie or solēnitie of their Coronation as appeareth by many the auncient Charters and documents of their daies Yea the Histories doe note that Charles the Fat yongest sonne to Lewes the Meek was the first that in his yeeres made mention of the day of his Coronation and tooke not vpō him the title of Augustus vntill the 8. Calendes of Ianuary ensuing in the yere 866. on which day Pope Iohn the 8. anointed and crowned him which in subteltie he thought good to note as one that obteyned not the Empire by succession for Lewes the second his neuewe last deceased had not named nor instituted hym his heire much lesse had any chosen him but the histories doe affirme that hee for a great summe of money bought the Imperial dignitie of the Pope because there were other more fitter for it then he that layd clayme thereto as his elder brother Lewes and his children Kings of Germany so that Charles fearing least as reason and iustice required they should be preferred before him thought good to aduance himselfe and to get the Pope to consecrate him To conclude therfore it is most certaine that this ceremonie doth make nothing to the right of the Kings lawful succession neither is any more then a simple token of honor in his behalfe whom nature and vsuall order hath caused to be borne or suffered to bee elected to rule and gouerne the Estate so that to weene to perswade that he that is borne to be your lawful King by the Lawes of the Realme hath no authoritie ouer you before he be consecrated annointed and crowned is a meere fallation 13 It followeth sith I haue proued vnto you that in this cace the sayde King of Nauarre whom the deepe dissemblers dare not openly in their Libelles denye to be the nearest of the bloud should be your natural true and lawfull King let vs agree together that it were meere wrong for you to withstand or resist him I say further that in this Realme there is neither lawe nor order that debarreth him from lawfull raigne and the Crowne notwithstāding he would remaine in his now professed Religion But contrariwise that such as are of and doe professe the same are declared meete and capable of all kindes of succession by infinite the Edicts Decrees and declarations of our Kings published enrouled and dayly put in execution by the Arrestes of the soueraigne Courtes and other Magistrates who vnder his Maiesties authoritie doe minister Iustice in this Estate whose common crye tendeth to obliuion and perpetuall forgetting of the passed miseries and troubles As also in trueth it is more then a Catholicke passion to compare the Huguenot with a Iewe or Turke For besides that our Kings doe auctorize and permit the one and not the other in trueth and without affection for my selfe am a Catholick and in the same faith doe wish to dye we all doe agree in our faith so as there remaineth no more but to decide for the most part of controuersie the institution of outwarde ceremonies which either the tyme or the necessitie of the peoples instruction haue procured to bee brought into y e Church be not conteined or authorized in the holy Scripture Sith therfore wee doe agree that in the first times the Christians did liue and serue GOD without them we can not now lesse doe then heare the reasons of those that craue abolition before we condemne or pronounce them Heretikes least the condemnation goe before the proofe and so they haue greater cause to complaine as already they doe that wee haue iudged them vnheard and haue ended their Proces vpon defaultes and contumacie Wherefore the◠protest they are ready to pourge themselues if we would graunt them free accesse into the assembly of the church and not stand vpon the pointes of not receiuing them groūded vpon the long time that wee haue bene in possession of the obseruing of these traditiōs from hand to hand receiued by the cōsent and common agreement of the Church because if we had no other argument wee should not be able to deny but that our fathers whē they brought them in were men and therefore subiect to humaine frailtie as in many other things experience may teach vs. I will content my selfe with one onely example to our purpose Virgill Bishop of Saltzbourg in a Sermon about the yeere of our Lorde 755. saying that there were Antipodes in y e world was for the same by Boniface Archbishop of Ments accused of Heresie because by inducing the Antipodes it seemed he would also bring in an other Christ This matter was debated before Vtilo King of Bauiere who at the commaundement of Zachary denounced the sayd Virgilius to bee one of the most abhominable Heretikes that euer was So great was the obstinacie of the knowledge conceaued in this age of the Antipodes or Arteques and yet since it hath bene verefied for trueth This neuerthelesse I doe not alledge to the ende to reproue the institution of the ceremonies of the Church with which I doe dayly serue GOD especially knowing that in alteration of Lawes aud Orders necessity must be very apparent in the correction of matters long before allowed but onely to admonish all men that in as much as they are men it is no meruaile though some will be inquisitiue whether the authors
their owne and if they may to seaze vpon this Crowne which they haue leueled at euer since the decease of the late Henry the second without employing themselues in any other affaires then seeking the meanes to atteyne thereto yea euen partly they giue out that it were better to conquer the Realme of France then to goe to Hierusalem to seeke for the succession of Godfrey of Buillon I doe therefore most humbly beseech the Queene the Kings mother whom our Espaniolized Frenchmen doe call vpon for their succour to be ware of being deceiued in the faire pretences of these conspirators but to assure her selfe that notwithstanding whatsoeuer their flattering sweete tongue they will neuer bee satisfied but with the life and Scepter of her sonne her selfe Moreouer I beseech God to graunt the King the wisedome of SalomoÌ„ wheÌ„ his mother Bethsabe came to desire him to like of the mariage of Adonias with Abisag the Sunamite who had bene King Dauids Concubine in his latter daies vnder the pretence whereof he had vndertaken with the helpe of Abiathar the Priest Ioab and Semei to haue depriued the King of life and kingdome which this fountaine of wisedome speedely perceiuing after he had heard the petition of the Queene his mother in liew of graunting it and considering how this traytor vnder a false proposition had abused her commaunded to put him to death together with Ioab and Semei and depriued Abiathar of his Priestly office and function 28 Know we not the occasions of Dauid the Aduocates one of the wickedest men that euer liued iourney to the Pope and Court of Rome whose instructions these good Schollers doe from point to point ensue and those men that haue sene the same can tell whether their beginning and the course that still they take be not at large therein conteyned Who is he that perceiueth not the importaÌ„ce of the disputation holden at Sorbonne about three or foure yere since by a poore bachelâ—r draweÌ„ in who had dedicated his Theses to the Abbot of Cluny the late Card. of Lorrains Bastard Wherein hee did what in hym laye to prooue that it was lawfull for the people to depose driue out kill and murder tyrannous wicked euill liuing and Hereticall Kinges whereat the King beeing moued as at a most daungerous and detestable proposition this poore instrument of Satan was at the barre of the sayde Colledge of Sorbonne slaine by one who of late dayes haue withdrawen hym selfe loaden with Spanish Pistolets and Iewels and then cloked this goodly deede least the author of this so vnchristian learning and knowledge should by his mouth haue bene disclosed Might not we haue noted what seruants were procured to be placed abont Monsier the Kings brother and to what end amoÌ„g whom the forwardest had bene trayned vp in the Schole of these perturbers of our peace as being their creature witnesse that nowe he is with them and then vsed all his endeuour to plonge that yong Prince in all voluptuousnesse lechery and heate of youth yea hee did better his businesse for hee betrayed him to the King of Spaine sould the Spaniard to the States and the Huguenotes to all others Whereby hee made money of all with the price of the honor reputation and life of his Maiestie or rather of all France The like did also three or foure other bad parsons who all had bene brought vp and were giuen to his highnesse by one selfe hand to the ende to habandon hym for a praye to the first mischaunce that might happen among a greate number that night and day they deuised for the atteining to their entents yea they went so farre as to set him at debate with the King his brother and by meanes of some of theirs that were neere to either of them to cause nature and bloud to liue in mistrust of it selfe so to procure the ruine and losse of one or the other or of both togither and with them of this miserable Realme During which their sleightes they did neuerthelesse perticulerly thinck vpon the king whom when they found to be merueylous zealous in Catholike religion they began to practise some Spanish workemen to drawe vnto him and vnder the vaile of Religion to bewitch him and so wholy endeuoured themselues if they could to haue cast him headlong into some mishap as great as the same wherein they ê“longed poore King Sebastian of Portugall who by such meanes serued for a warme breakefast to the Spanish King and got hym a faire corner of lande through the subtelties of the Spanish Iesuites concurring with the Portingal Iesuites or peraduenture both coÌ„spired against the estate of that poore yong King so to cause hym desperatly to venture hym selfe whether he dyed with him the Scepter of Portugall which vndoubtedly God had long vsed to the great benefite blesse of all Christiandome These were the driftes of the good seruants of our Kings who thanked bee God was more circumspect and wary to put from about him such wicked spirites Certainly it is most necessary and expedient for a King to be Christian deuout zealous of Catholicke faith and to feare God but withall it is most daungerous for his person and Estate if hee become supersticious and an hypocrite First he thereby loseth all iudgement to discerne the enuious friends or enemies to his Scepter then he forgetteth the principall cause for the which he is a King which is the care and gouernement of his people for the exercize whereof onely he is bound chosen and bound to serue God in that ministerie lastly in the world that we liue in amoÌ„g the most corrupt soules that euer were the whole worlde doth mistrust and wonderfully suspect him whom they see make so great a shewe whether for enuy that euery one beareth to his more then common zeale either els for that in trueth it often falleth out that things of greatest apparance conteyne least trueth Now then these malicious persons haue but one onely subtile entent left which also it is meete for the people to knowe For yet they goe reasonably gently about their matters and doe giue out that they require onely abolition of the Edicts of pacification and to procure the exercize of one onely Religion in France to the ende vnder that pretence to embarke the King and almost to force him as aforetyme fearing least the ouer long peace of this Realme should close vp the passed vlcers they had done to breake off that amitie and good wil which it pleased him to shewe to the King of Nauarre and those of the pretended reformed Religion so that by such meanes they will cause him with the sworde that he should holde in one of his hands to cut off the other wherof must ensue the losse and sworne death of the sayde Lorde King of Nauarre against whose person perticulerly as beeing their principall mark they are determined to arme themselues After whose end also if the King of whom they shall then