yet against your hope the prayers of Christs Church are neuer wanting for the frustrating of your fairest hopes Our Church in particular publiquely prayeth That it may please God to bring into the way of truth all such as haue erred and are deceiued And in another prayer for the whole estate of Christs Church in the end of our Communion booke Wee beseech thee ô Lord to reduce all such as bee yet ignorant from the miserable captiuitie of blindnesse and errours to the pure vnderstanding and knowledge of thy truth that wee all with one consent and vnity of mind may worship thee our onely God and Sauiour And for our King blessed bee God his heart is established vpon firmer grounds then to be remoued from that true faith wherein hee was bred and brought vp so easily as you hoped yea that pietie which with your solemne Crosse you haue so crowned our hope is that his Maiesty may in time by Gods grace so purifie and persit as that royall Queene shall account it the most rich dowry of her wedlocke to be made partaker of the liberty of that faith which her Royall husband professeth that so they may long enioy a sweet sociall conjunction as in their affections so in their Religion If that noble Lady Anne Sister sometime to Wenceslaus King of Behemia being married heere to Richard the 2. King of England and that in a deplored time when the Kinges of England were ouer-awed by the Popes vsurped power being tyrannized ouer also with that spirituall Egyptian seruitude if shee I say by the meanes of this marriage comming and liuing in England became so happy as to be made acquainted with the Gospell of Christ which shee had written in the English tongue namely the foure Euangelists with the Doctours vpon them in the reading thereof shee was dayly exercised and so by this meanes also many Bohemians comming hither into England comming to the sight and knowledge of Wickliffes workes conveyed the same into Bohemia whereby a good foundation was laid of planting and so establishing the true religion there what hopes then may wee perceiue of this our noble Queene who beeing married to such a royall husband who is not onely in title but in realty Defender of the faith yea a Prince who is excellently able to worke vpon such a noble disposition by infusing into her the seedes of the true Christian faith that so not onely her selfe may become a sound Protestant but by the blessing of God this religion may from so noble a roote multiply and branch it selfe into those her fathers Countries also so that when they shall taste of the clusters of Chanaan growing by the meanes of this blessed vine hir fathers house may then blesse the time that euer she was transplauted into so happy asoyle The Lord bring these faire blossomes of our hope to a timely maturity as your Pontifician hope is heerein already blessed be God blasted in the bud And the same God that preuented that intended massacre of Religion in Bohemia by the death of the King Ladislaus at whose intended marriage with Magdalene the French Kings Daughter of Prague where and when the confluence of so many Pontifician States should haue beene the massacre should the more easily haue beene effected that God hath and will wee trust euer preserue this his true religion professed in England and that by preseruing the life of our gracious Soueraigne long amongst vs to his glory and his Churches good maugre all Pontifician hopes of the contrary But it should seeme the Popes hopes are turned into feares but now saith he the vowes and councells of your enemies are feared Whom doth he meane here by enemies Surely by coherence with the premisses he must needes meane the most Potent King of whom he spake in the former part of the sentence And certainely in nothing shall our noble King show himselfe more Posent then by rooting out of his Dominions all Popish Priests and Iesuites and by establishing in vnity of doctrine that Religion which for these many yeares hath beene so happily mayntained therein Herein herein stands the potency and securitie of our Most Potent King The establishing of true religion is the establishing of the Kinges Throne It were happy if other Kinges in Christendome had their eyes opened to see their miserable thraldome vnder the Popes yoake and vpon what a tottering foundation their Kindomesstand where Papall authoritie and Iesuiticall doctrines take place But here we may not passe ouer that he faith Your Enemies Who or whose enemies what the King an enemy to whom to the Popes Sonnes here in England what to the Priests and Iesuites in England There were some reason why the King should showe himselfe an enemy to these for who are more mortall enemies to the King and his Crowne then they But it is playne by the sequell that hee meaneth chiefely heere such Catholique sonnes of his as are or at least ought to bee true subiects to the King Loe here then Pontifician malice The Pope doth here most subtilly insinuate that the King is an enemy to all those his subiects who are Roman Catholikes Enough with such a brand to kindle the flames of hatred and rebellion in such subiects against their King while the Pope thus blowes the bellowes But wherein is the King an enemy to their persons no but to their religion which is enmity against God and the King But the Pope feareth the Kings Councells Now the good Lord so direct the King and blesse him in all his Councells that they may more and more be matter as of feare to the Pope so of ioy and comfort to himself and all his People But hee feares also his enemies vowes What vowes For tolleration forsooth of the Popes Orthodox religion Yf Orthodox then ought it not onely to bee tollerated but publikely imbraced professed avowed But if it bee as it is the Antichristian Babylonian Apostaticall idolatrous religion of Rome that Where of Babylon then no vowes ought either to bee made or much lesse kept for the tollerating of such a religion It is against our vowe in baptisme wherein we disavow the Deuill and all his works and therefore all doctrines of Devills A precontract with our spouse Christ disanulleth all after contracts with Antichrist with a harlot Yea vowes made against God and his word are ipso facto voyd and become a meere nullity And if the Pope at his pleasure can dissolue all lawfull vowes which being duely made obliege men inviolably to keepe them hath not God himselfe power to disanull all impious vowes which are made to maintaine the religion of Antichrist Therefore the Pope must giue vs leaue herein not to giue credit to his Holinesse complaint which howsoeuer wee knowe to bee most vniust And whereas the Pope calls his Religion orthodox let the contents of this Bull witnesse Wee need goe no further for proofe Ipse dixit Yet you complaine that notwithstanding your orthodox Religion a
and abound with that price wherewith they purchase the Diademe of Eternity Indeed we had rather being mindfull of humane frailty that glory and riches were in the tabernacles of the righteous but when we contemplate your miseries Beloued Sonnes wee put so much confidence in your vertue and Christs defence that we dare congratulate vnto you plenty of triumphs The Church well hoped indeed that the minde of the most potent King who of a Catholique wife wished to beget heires that might rule his Countrey Kingdomes being mollified by the fighes of his Wiues ✚ piety would permit the dowry of royall wedlocke to bee the liberty of faith but now the vowes and counsels of your enemies are feared and whereas the Orthodox religion is crowned with a royall Diadome in that most excellent Queene yet there are not wanting those which dare threaten imprisonments and punishments to our sonnes We belieue there are among you those who desire to carry about in your owne body the mortification of Iesu Christ and would contemne the blandishments of pleasure and titles of ambition in comparison of the butcherie of hangmen and ignominy of bonds yet if any be there who are possessed with a desire of the prosperity of the present Church we desire they should take notice that the Pontifician charity is wonderously sollicitous of their safety No one duty is of vs omitted which may conuert the menacing cloud of the growing tempest into a wished calme of consolation yet if Hell inlarge her mouth and mortall cruelty thirst after the blood of Martyrs yee ought to bee armed with the inuincible buckler of a good resolution and meditate of Heauen in the prison of a Crowne in the Racke of immortality in death Among the British Rockes of their shipwracke religion Christs Crosse hath beene a Planke and hath brought you into the hauen of your desire This Crosse you must imbrace by the vertue whereof the bitternesse of punishments is sweetned Consider beloued Sonnes in what station ye stand and to whose eyes you are made a spectacle the Angelicall Legions do flutter about you which receiue in their golden violls the desires of the faithfull and present them at the sanctnarie of the mercy of the Omnipotent heauen gates being set open Christ not only a beholder but a Rewarder sheweth you the sacred triumphs of your Citizens whom purpled in their owne blood England hath brought into the heauenly assemblies The anxious prayers of the mournefull Church desire of God for you the spirit of charity and fortitude The Counsels of the Apostolique Senate and the prayers of Christendome take care of your safety in so large a theater of heauen and earth what rigour of your constancy what sublimity of a triumphant minde becomes it you to haue in you The Counsels of your Predecessers haue beene in the like ieopardy the lights of the holy Ghost and the Armor of light be your wise Oracles and your actions the examples of fortitude And if violence preceed so farre as it compell you to that permitions and vnlawfull oath of Alleagiance of England remember that your prayer is heard of the whole assembly of the Angels beholding you and let your tongue cleane to your gummes before you cause the authority of blessed Peter to bee diminished with that forme of Oath For that is not all that fidelity be kept vnto the King but that the sacred scepter of the Catholique Church be wrung from the Vicars of God Almighty that which our Predecessor Paul 5. of blessed memory in so graue a deliberation decreed that ought ye altogether to obserue as the Decree of truth Beloued sonnes this Tribute due to the Prince of the Apostles no threates of men or flatteries ought at any time to extort from you they that perswade you otherwise those prophesie vnto you a lying vision and a fraudulent Diuination For sooner ought the sword of the mighty to take away from a Christian man his life tken his faith Yea if an Angell from heauen teach you otherwise then the Apostolique truth let him be accursed We in the meane time will intreate the Father of lights that he suffer not the heart of the English King to bee blinded who shall certainly learne how great credit is to be giuen to the Catholique subiects in those things which you may promise who least they should make themselues liable to periury they had rather breath out their spirit then their voice But that your vertue may be found more precious then gold which is tried in the fire teach that kingdome that there is not such force in the cruelty of enemies that it is able to extinguish the eternall fire of charity in your hearts Pray for them that persecute you humilitie patience concord fasting praier are your weapons which in the cruell conflict ye ought to draw forth that the Palmes of eclestiall triumphs may flourish in your hands For seeing Blessed Peter was forbidden to smite with the sword the cruell assailants of Christ we exhort you hauing the prejent good of the Church before our eies that in the meane time you thinke the thoughts of peace and that yee praie for eternall life euen for the King while he takes away your mortall life So must the soldiers of Christ make warre vnder the banner of the Crosse the mouth of them that speake wicked things shall be confounded seeing yee know not to hate those who torment you But the Lord who is able to turne your sorrow into ioy shall bee at your right hand that ye be not moued and may not forget his Testament wherein he hath be queathed the inheritance of the Kingdome of heauen to his imitatours Let vs imbrace you in the Armes of Apostolique Charitie Beloued sonnes to whom we promise the Fathers patrocinie and most louingly bestow our benediction Giuen at Gome St. Peters vnder the signes of the Fisher May 30. 1626. the third yeare of our Popedome THE BAITING OF THE POPES BVLL ✚ EVer blesse your selfe when you see the Popes Crosse This is the beasts Marke Reuel 13. 17. It vsually stands in the forefront of mischiefe like Mysterie in the Whores forehead Vnder this standard the Beast warreth against the Lambe Without this Marke none may buy or sell as by the Bull of Pope Martine 5. prohibiting Wickliffe and Husse and others of the same faith this liberty of common commerce or trade The like prohibition was in the Bull of Paul the third against K. Henry 8. for shaking off the Popes yoake And Innocent 3. in the Lateran Councill grants a speciall Indulgence to all his Catholiques thus signed with the signe of the Crosse as the speciall badge of difference betweene Romes Catholiques and Heretiques as if no Catholiques that want and doe not avow this marke Also Pope Clement the 6. in his Bull willed that all thus signed should haue power to deliuer two or three friends out of Purgatorie Wonderous feates doth the Pope with this marke no lesse then
rebillion and speakes he of peace Or what peace can all popish doctrine put together giue vnto a poore sinner None at all For either they puffe a man vp with pride or possesse his heart and conscience with fearfull perplexities Peace it giueth none neither in life nor death But passe we by that too The Pope here making mention of Martyrs chaines cannot but put vs in minde of Father Garnet that damned crew Romes Martyrs and so may giue vs not without iust cause strongly to suspect there is some exploit towards which his Holinesse by subtile insinuation animates and armes his sonnes vnto whereby though they should at the worst miscary yet they should merit no lesse then the honour of Martyrs such as father Garnet for abetting the Powder Treason hath attained to in Romes Catologue of holy Martyrs Againe speaking of those that trample the lawes vnder their proude foote heere hee subtilly glanceth at Christian Magistrates to aggrauate their subiects hatred against them as proud violators of the Lawes But what Lawes Gods Lawes or mans Lawes God forbid But it sufficeth if they trample vpon the Popes lawes to expose them to the iust hatred of their people But if the Kingdome of heauen and the Principalities thereof bee promised not to the violaters of all lawes what part then hath the Pope therein who is the arch contemner of all lawes can breake them at his pleasure without checke can dispence euen against the Apostle In a word who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that exlex or lawlesse one Let him make much of his earthly principality for part of those heauenly according to his owne speech according to his owne practice he hath none Which no doubt is the reason that he so labours tooth and naile to haue his heauen here vpon earth turning his Church militant into Triumphant as in that irrefragable decree of Pope Nicholis the 3. verifying to an haire that of the Reuel 18. verse 17. I fit a Queene c. onely militant against Christ and his word against Kings and Princes This is that which he addes But to those that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake And who are they I pray you namely such as suffer for treason and rebillion against their Prince such as seduce the people of the land Noble and base to acknowledge and admit a forraine power aboue their owne Prince as wee shall see further anone To suffer for these nefarious impieties is with his Holinesse of Rome to suffer for righteousnesse sake ô blasphemous mouth ô whores forehead that dares so diabolically and shamefully prophane Christs sacred words Woe be to him that thus calleth euill good and good euill that putteth bitter for sweet and sweete for bitter that turneth the truth of God into a lye putting rebellion for righteousnesse that dare thus make a mocke of sacred Scriptures Call you this Christs Vicar Nay tell me is not this that scarlet coloured Beast full of the names of blasphemy Reuel 17. 3. for to fill vp the measure of this shamelesse blasphemy he goeth on This truth deriued out of the treasures of antiquity into the earth the Apostle considering did not only not cast away his hope but was super abundantly ioyfull in all the tribulations of the faithfull for they which are accompted worthy to suffer reproaches for the name of Iesu those seeme to possesse the bill of exchange of Gods loue and abound with that price wherewith they purchase the diadem of eternity Answer STill the Beast full of names of blasphemie all along He addeth the example of the blessed Apostle in reioycing in his sufferings This truth What truth that to suffer for Treason for rebellion is to suffer for righteousnesse sake surely your Holinesse must either egregiously equivocate meaning by for righteousnesse sake to suffer righteously or iustly for Treason and the like as the penitent Theife confessed on the Crosse or else you goe on most shamelessely to blaspheme But out of what Treasures of antiquitie I pray you it this truth of yours deriued into the earth or when when Terras Astraea reliquit in that age when truth forsooke the earth Rome and went into heauen then succeeded this truth of yours in stead thereof Or when that greate Starre called Wormewoode a true type of your Luciferian Apostacie fell from heauen which so imbittered the waters of the sanctuary that many thousands haue died thereof after which followed a great ecclipse of the heauenly bodies euen to a third part of their light which by degrees at last as in the next chapter for so in that booke is described the graduall growth of the Mysterie of Iniquitie through the smoake of hellish doctrine ascending out of the bottomelesse pit were wholly darkned through your Egiptian Church as we see this day the Sun shining onely in Goshen by the beames of the Gospell then then I say began this Romane Catholique truth to be deriued into the earth from no other treasues of Antiquitie can you deriue it We know what a treasure you haue of Antiquities but wee haue vpon better search espied your Gibeonitish iuggling pretending vnto vs you come from farre with your old shooes torne bottles and mouldie bread Or tell vs out of what Antiquities or Monuments euen among the heathen Grecians or Romans with whose old superstitions notwithstanding idolatries you fully symbolize onely you are more grosse and mad vpon your Idoles then euer were they yea fetch vs if you can some Antiquities out of the Turkish Alcaron that hold this Romane truth that a subiect playing the Rebell and Traytor against his Leige and lawfull King and suffering death for the same did as an holy Martyr suffer for righteousnesse sake No Heathen but abhorreth this cursed truth of Rome Or if ye will needs plead antiquitie for it take it then we yeelde you this truth came from the old serpent who was the first that moued mankinde to rebell against his King in disobeying Gods commandement Here is antiquitie for you But will you hereupon inferre that the punishment of the serpent is for righteousnesse sake yet this antiquity was but in fact the old serpent durst neuer avouch it for a truth but it lay antiquated and buried in the ashes of hell vntill the Pope and his societie of Iesuites of latter times raked it vp againe and with the force of Apostolique power armed with fiery arguments haue perswaded their first blind folded vulgar that this is a truth deriued from the treasures of antiquitie that to suffer as Romane Martyrs do for treason and rebellion is with the Apostles of Christ to suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake But what is their reward for all this suffering yes saith the Pope for they which are accounted worthy to suffer reproches for the name of Iesu Stay A man by this phrase Accounted worthie might take the Pope for a piece of a good Gospeller in the point of Iustification vnto eternall life for
your Romane Law-giuer found and father his Lawes vpon his familiar conference with his fained goddesse Egeria Such is your Holy Ghost I quake to repeat the words of your blasphemies And for your Armour of light what is it but Pistols Stellettoes Poysons your vsuall weapons whereby you perpetrate those hellish workes of darknesse which who so putteth not off can neuer put on the Armour of Light Yet notwithstanding all these blasphemies which shall certainly hasten confusion to Babels pride notwithstanding their vaine confidence in many prayers which for all their number want weight yet forasmuch as at this present they set all their Counsels a worke for the bringing to passe of some damnable plot against this Church and State which by all apparant signes so farre as wee may gather from the language of Babell in this Papall Bull wherein his Holinesse is still vp with Constancy and Fortitude animating his sonnes to a sublimitie of a triumphant mind and to be ready to vndergoe imprisonment the racke death whereof for ought that wee can see there is no such occasion giuen to speake but rather the contrary in regard of the great mildnesse vsed towards them and the large libertie they enioy cannot bee any other designe but some strong and sudden Inuasion whereby to subiugate this poore Church and State to Papall thraldome and to the Iberian in plaine English Spanish crueltie this may bee a sufficient warning to awaken vs out of our sweet slumber and to buckle on out Armour to defend our Religion Countrey Liues Libertie the noble England against this proud Antichrist and all his Confederates It followeth ANd if violence proceed so farre as it compell you to that pernicious and vnlawfull Oath of Alleagiance of England remember that your prayer is heard of the whole assemblies of the Angels beholding you and let your tongues cleaue to your gummes before you cause the authoritie of blessed Peter to bee diminished with that forme of Oath For that is not all that fidelitie be kept to the King but that the sacred Scepter of the Catholique Church be wrung from the Vicars of God Almightie that which our predecessor Paul the fifth of blessed memorie in so graue a deliberation decreed that ought yee altogether to obserue as the decree of truth Beloved sonnes this tribute due to the Prince of the Apostles no threats of men or flatteries ought at any time to extort from you they that perswade you otherwise those prophecie to you a lying vision and a fraudulent divination For sooner ought the sword of the mightie to take away from a Christian man his life then his faith Yea if an Angell from Heaven teach you otherwise then the Apostolique truth let him bee accursed Answer Aâ—ter the skirmish all this while at length his Holinesse comes to the maine battell wherein the sinewes of Pontifician strength consists and wherein Antichrist shewes himselfe in his Colours displayed Here he valiantly cuts in sunder the Gordian knot of all ciuill societie not as Peter cutting off onely the eare but the whole head from the body For the summe of this clause is to charge his sonnes by no meanes to suffer the Oath of Allegiance to bee imposed vpon them eyther by flatterie or by force But why should his Holinesse bee so streight laced for the taking of the Oath seeing hee can with a wet finger absolue or dissolue it at his pleasure Henry the third King of England knew this too well when trusting still to the purchase of Papall absolutions hee would not sticke to sweare and seale to solemne couenants made with his Nobles in Parliament which to breake at his pleasure it was but sending to Rome But the case it seemeth standeth now vpon more tickle termes Something is to bee done out of hand which eyther will not admit of the Oath as being a clogge to resolution or admitted cannot tarie for an absolution from Rome as being an impediment to speedy execution But come wee to the words as they lye If violence proceeded so farre as to compell you to that pernitious and vnlawfull Oath of Allegiance of England c. Surely such oathes of fidelitie as must bee extorted from subiects to their lawfull Prince are scarce worthy to bee trusted Slaues and not subiects require such violence Yet indeed if an Oath be pernitious and vnlawfull not violence it selfe should extor it But the Oath of Allegiance of England saith his Holinesse of Rome is pernitious and vnlawfull Pernitious to whom To his Holines vnlawfull By what law by none But his Holinesse owne law When till the Pope broached it was an Oath of fidelitie betweene Subiects and Prince vnlawfull let the Pope show this I say not in the sacred but in any prophane storie yea or in the Turkes Alcoran But it is enough if the Pope saith it But if violence c. Remember that your prayer is heard of the whole assembly of the Angels beholding you Remember Since when Or whence know they this The Pope tels them so But why the Angels Were it not more comfort to bee heard of God then of the whole assembly of the Angels But what if the Angels bee otherwise other where imployed as in remotest parts of heauen or earth farre from the sight of England What if the Popes sonnes doe not pray lowd enough as to be heard of the whole assembly of Angels They had need cry a loud as Elias told the Priests of Baal But least as Elias wee prouoke their Zeale too much to launch their flesh we will passe ouer this only noting againe being occasioned a fresh that this Angell seruice so much esteemed and commended by the Pope to his sonnes is a most infallible marke of that Antichrist and great Apostate from Christ the Head as Col. 2. 18. 19. And let your tongue cleaue to your gummes before c. It was a part of Israels song in Babilon If I remember not thee O Ierusalem let my tongue cleaue to my gummes c. And loe here the King of the spirituall Babilon vsurpes this Scripture and would haue his sonnes conversing in Iury rather to suffer their tongues to cleaue to their gummes then suffer the honour of Babylon of Rome to be impeached Yea but the Pope saith not so but Rather then you cause the authoritie of blessed Peter to bee diminished with that forme of Oath What is this to Babylon Yes For Peter from Babylon writ his Epistles What is this to Rome Yes saith the Pope Peter was now at Rome which he calleth Babylon A sound proofe that Peter was at Rome Rather shall Rome be Babylon then the Pope will want Proofe that Peter was at Rome For else how shall the Pope be Peters successour But admit Peter was at Rome must therefore the Pope bee Peters Successour But Peter was Byshop of Rome To omitt invinsible arguments against it suppose that too Yet the Pope can neuer prooue that Peter was Pope of Rome Great difference
betweene the Byshops of Rome and the Popes of Rome yea the Pope of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Byshops of Rome till Constantine the Great were all or most of them Martyrs all of them were of equall jurisdiction with other Patriarches onely preceding them in order of place not of power till Boniface the 3. vsurped his Supremacie over all Byshops with his Papall Motto Volumus Jubemus we will and command after this also all were subiect to the Emperour till Gregory the 7. None of them wore any such thing as a single Diadem till Syluester none the triple crowne till Boniface the 8. Yet now forsooth all Papall power and Pompe must be deriued from blessed Peter which alas good man he never had But to incist in the present purpose where or when or whence had blessed Peter any such Souerainety and authority over Kinges and their Kingdomes you haue pregnant proofes for it as Christ said to Peter Feede my sheepe that is saith your Bellarmine Regiâ— more Impera Raigne as Kings But Peter was of another minde as where he teacheth Byshops not to be as Lords ouer Gods heritage but as examples to the flocks And submit your selues to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreme What saith your Holinesse to this we know you want not shiftes as here to accept and exempt Peter himselfe What can yee not say while yee can abuse the Scriptures themselues as you list Peters feeding of Christs flocks you can turne to Kingly raigne and convert Peters sheepehooke into a papall Scepter Christ bid Peter launch out into the deepe here say you the Pope hath power giuen him to fish all the world Thus yee neede never want Scripture to proue your Papall Paradoxes But what say you to Peters paying of Tribute to the Emperor for Christ and himselfe at Christs appointment Is not Tribute a token of subiection But from this very place your Bellarmine can learnedly proue Peters Supremacie over all But over Princes too Yes by the bye in directly at least in ordine ad spirituali yea the Pope Vrban himselfe no lesse learnedly then Papally interprets that place of the Tribute in the fishes mouth saying that by the piece of money in the fishes mouth is meant onely the exteriour things of the Church which she giueth to Kings to defend Her in peace but not the Pontificall Apex or Supremacie which is supereminent in the mouth of the head of the Church So the Pope Though Christ said Pay that for Me and Thee speaking expressely of their persons implying the subiection of Ecclesiasticall persons to Emperours and Kings And as the Glosse confesseth Tributum est signum subiectionis Tribute as a signe of subiection And yet more rather then faile Cardinall Baronius hath taken in hand to proue the Popâ—s Supremacie as well Papall as Sacerdocall from the very shadow of Peter Act. 5. 15. which shadow the Pope retaining in himselfe makes him a complete Lord Paramount Thus by hooke or by crooke you will haue it though all proue to bee but a shadow But will you nill you both Peters practise and Peters doctrine are flatte contrary to yours and crosseth all your Glosses nor haue you so much as a shadow for it Yet if your plea from Peter as his Successor will not hold water yee adde ad corroborandum titulum your plea from Christs Vicarship You say that is not all that fidelitie be kept vnto the King but that the sacred Scepter of the Catholike Church bee wrung from the Vicars of God Almightie That you here againe sleight our gracious King not vouchsafing him the title of King of England or your sonnes King wee maruell not we smell your secret reseruation either that he is no King that holds not his crowne of your holinesse or that the Kingdome of England in speciall is none otherwise to bee holden but as in King Iohns time in see of the Pope But great reason you should haue regard to your Catholike or rather your Romane Catholike Church For sure the Catholike Church of Christ neuer had any such sacred Septer as you speake of to which the disposall of Kings and Kingdomes is subiect But your Romane hath and therefore not Catholike Whence then haue you this sacred Septer by vertue of your Vicarship of God Almightie Doe not now equiuocate with vs or goe not about to found a new Vicarship yet this is not the first time you and your Predecessours of late dayes haue entituled your selues Gods Vicars As in that inscription or Dedication to Paul 5. whom by and by yee name Paulo V. Vice Deo to Paul V. vice God whereof the numerall letters as well in the Latine as in the English make vp the number of the beast 666. you were wont formerly to content your selues with the title of Christs Vicar but now must yee be the Vicars of God of God Almightie that from thence you may deriue an omnipotencie to your selues as it was added to that former inscription Paulo V. vice Deo totius orbis Christiani Monarchae Pontificiae omnipotentiae defensori acerrimo To Paul 5. vice God the Monarch of the whole Christian world and the most stout defender of the Papall omnipotencie No maruell then if you entitle your selues the Vicars of God Almightie rather then of Christ But you will say all comes to one reckoning sith Christ is God Almightie and therefore it is all one to be the Vicar of Christ of God almightie By your fauour no for although Christ be God almightie yet in this case of your pretended Vicarship it is one thing to say Christs Vicar another God Almighties Vicar Christs Vicar here on earth wee acknowledge none but his owne and the Fathers holy Spirit him Christ sent to supply his stead at his ascension This Spirit gouernes and directs his Church into all truth This is that other Comforter the spirit of truth By this spirit Christ is present with his Church to the end of the world But for any one visible and singular Vicar Christ hath appointed none the Church acknowledgeth none As for any Vicar generall visible of God almightie simply considered as God and gouernour and iudge of all here on earth wee acknowledge not any Onely all lawfull Magistrates as Kings and Princes are as so many Vicegerents of God almightie to gouerne and moderate their peculiar Dominions in for and according to God and his word these be Gods Lieutenants here on earth and therefore called Gods Now giue me leaue to tell you that the iurisdiction of God almighty here on earth is distinct from that of Christ Gods iurisdiction is also in things temporall Christs iurisdiction as Mediator is in things spirituall These two iurisdictions are not compatible not coincident or concurrent in their totall extent in any one man Onely the outward politie of the Church both as touching persons and causes
Reliques or peeces of Christs Crosse the rest But neither is Apostlicke Tradition enough to make vp the other moity of the partiall rule parallell to Scripture by Pontifician confession for neither will those serue the Popes turne What then How shall the rule of Faith bee eeked out to the intire perfection to please the Pope in case his Holinesse would come within the compasse of any rule Yes there is forsooth the liuely Oracle or voyce of the Church which being of an vnlimited latitude doth consummate the rule of Faith and the Popes brest is the fountaine whence these waters of Romes sanctuary flow But the truth is if there were any truth in it this rule is such as will not indure copartnership with Scriptures and Traditions for all they be Apostolicke but is the sole and supreme Rule whereby those must be squared whereto they must be conformed Nor is this Rule of the Popes brest certaine but sometimes it giues one sence of Scripture sometimes another according as the changeable various condition of the Church requiteth This is a Mystery which perhaps many of you the Popes Catholicke sonnes will hardly belieue specially such as are indued with any iudgement enjoy the priuiledge to haue the free vse of your reason without papall restraint but if any doubt of it we haue sufficient authentick records for it the best that Rome can afford But come doe but straine courtesie a little with your Ghostly Father and let vs enter in a little priuate sad conference and let right reason be the Moderatour Tell me as Paul asked Agrippa Belieuest thou the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles I know you belieue Surely if yee doe you may answere with Agrippa Almost thou perswadest mee to become an Orthodoxe Christian and true Catholicke And rest but vpon the Scriptures and I will say Thou art not farre from the Kingdome of God But to rest vpon the voyce of the Pope and not vpon the expresse words of Scripture what is it but to suffer him to plucke out both your eyes that so he may the more easily lead you blindfold into hell Or what were this but to make the Pope your God aboue God and Christ and so to adore him who thus aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God Fye for shame as God hath giuen you reason vnderstanding and iudgement so in the name of God vse it to his glory that gaue it and suffer no man to cheate you of it least you proue more sottish then those heathen who worshipped the creature in stead of the Creator who is blessed for euer But you are perswaded of the Popes inerrability as being Christs Vicar Peters successor as hauing continued in the See of Rome euer since the Apostles times so as not any Bishops See in the world hath done the like What then all Bishops and Ministers of the Word may be said to be Christs Vicars and Successors of the Apostles while they execute their Ministry as Christ and the Apostles did But neuer any man was Christs sole Vicar ouer his Church This prerogatiue is peculiar to the Holy Ghost that Other Comforter who onely cannot erre leading Gods people into all truth As for Peters Vicarship he had it but in common with his fellowe Disciples Wee passe by those places of Scripture which Pontificians haue miserably peruerted to this purpose Doe but looke in my answer to this Bull or Brieue And for lineall vniterrupted succession of the Bp. of Rome from the Apostles times what is this to the purpose to proue the Popes Vicarship or his Successors-ship Certainely it makes wondrous much to fulfill all those Prophecies in Scripture concerning Antichrst whose Seat is Rome For may not the same Church of Rome specially if we measure it by the place where it is fixed in so long a tract of time come exceedingly to differ from that it was once in the more pure and primitue age of it Doth not experience teach you that the soundest and solidest Oake in time growes rotten hollow a nest for Owles and such like night-birds vnusefull for building and at last good for nothing but the fire And yet the while it is called by the name of such an Oake still The Church of Rome at first was sound and Apostolicall while it kept the Apostolicke Faith but might not time make it rotten and yet be called Apostolicke still Bethel as much as the house of God so called at first by Iacob who erected there an Altar for Gods pure worship yet retained that name still in Ieroboams time euen when it was wholly polluted with the Idolatry of one of his golden Calues erected there Ancient goodly Chanels haue beene in time so choaked vp with mud and grauell that the maine streame hath beene diuerted and driuen another way and yet haue retained the name of the old chanell still Yea that goodly Cittie Ierusalem in Christs time when it crucified Christ was called the Holy Cittie and for all that God hath made that now a cursed heap and the Country about it a desolation neuer to be repaired yet your Pontificians especially call it the Holy Land still which notwithstanding is neuer a whit the holyer though by the Popes subtile instigation so many thousands of soules haue perished about the pretended quarrell out of a blind zeale of recoucring it againe which whither regained or no the Pope was sure not to loose by the bargain for if he had regained it it might haue brought the greater income to his coffers by the trade of superstitious Pilgrims at least althoug hee hath some footing there with the Turke but he was sure during the quarrell to inlarge his Papall Dominions at home in Christendome which he did but this by the way You see then that continuance of antiquity in name and title may notwithstanding stand with altering the propertie and true nature of the thing Did not the Prophet say of Ierusalem How is the faithfull Cittie become an harlot It was full of iudgement righteousnesse lodged in it but now murtherers c. And may it not proue so with Rome for all you still call it the Apostolicall See And what will you say then What if Apostolicall in title bee turned into Apostaticall in truth What if Tues Petrus c. and tibi dabo claues c. and Orani pro te Petre c. and Omnis mihi potestas data c. Ecce duo gladij hîc satest all proue by the Popes peruertings to make vp the Mystery of iniquity and by fastening all to Rome proue her the Mistres and Mother of whooredomes For let me tell you you cannot finde me out the exact and true naturall Mystery of iniquity indeed but vnder the vaile of such titles borrowed from Scripture None can be Antichrist but he must call himselfe the Vicar of Christ the Successor of Peter the onely one vpon earth that cannot erre and the like translating the whole power of
of heauen for his rebillious pride and shall his sonnes thinke to gaine heauen by the merit of their proud rebellions Suffice it Cain when his very conscience gaue him to be a vagabond and exile from that city aboue and justly for his bloody fratricide he was the first that founded and built a city on earth for his habitation Cain was a figure of the Pope and his city of Rome the Popes eternall habitation And for the Popes diadems of eternitie we reade of a certaine kind of Locusts arising out of the bottomlesse pit hauing a scorpion-like power to sting yet whose power was limitted not to hurt but onely those which haue not the seale of God in their foreheades which Locusts like horses prepared to battell had on their heads as it were crownes of gold Such Diadem may the Pontifician priests merit to weare who not onely resemble these Locusts but are those very froggs spoken of Reu. 16 13 14. which are vncleane spirits comming out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet being the spirits of Deuils working miracles and go forth vnto the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battaile of that great daie of God Almightie But passe we to the next Indeed we had rather being mindfull of humane frailty that glory and riches were in the Tabernacles of the righteous but when we contemplate your miseries Beloued Sonnes we put so much confidence in your vertue and Christs defence that we dare gratulate vnto you plenty of triumphs Answer INdeede wee cannot blame your father-hood â—o wish all prosperity to your Beloued Sonnes and for your selfe and your triumphall chaire wee are not ignorant how prouident you haue beene in your Pontificall Decrees to estblish a triumphant state in that your palace at Rome to be free from all incursions and inuasions and that by your Apostolicke irrefragable constitution Onely wee cannot but admire to see how in the midst of all your Pontificiall pleasures and pompe you can reflect the bcames of your contemplation vpon the miseries of your afflicted Sonnes in England But herein yee show the bowells of a father But you are sensible thereof onely in your contemplation If you contemplate this out of some propheticall vision foreseeing the calamities which your sonnes impieties through your fatherly instigation may further pull vpon them if they shall attempt some speciall service for your father-hood wherein they shall faile of their purpose herein wee desire and hartily pray you may bee as true a Prophet as Balaam was who though you would neuer so faine to obtaine an housefull of gold and siluer which you haue formerly had out of England yet the curse in the end shall fall vpon your own Moabites But if you contemplate and such great present calamitie vpon your sonnes among vs wee are giuen hereby to perceiue that your holinesse may erre vnlesse you will excuse it that you speake it by the figure Iroma you are able to contemplate more herein then all wee can discerne with open eyes Yea on the contrary whereof your holinesse cannot bee ignorant your sonnes are so kindly intreated among vs as though wee might thinke thereby to winne them the more to loue vs and our religion yet forasmuch as they are your holinesse owne sones wee meane the Jesuites and Preists especially the truth is we haue the more cause to feare them We know of old what recompence to expect of the snake if wee foster him in our bosomes Thus doe your sonnes recollect their strength among vs and such vertue wherein to repose your confidence Herevpon it is in plaine truth that your holinesse dare congratulate to your sonnes such plenty of triumphs you may bee confident of it so long as your frogs are suffered to friske and range vp and downe among vs at pleasure without controwle in defiance of Lawes and Proclamations to seduce the Kings Liege people to increase their number daily to strengthen their partie to weaken vs by sowing their seeds of faction that no lesse then a rich plenty of triumphs must needes insue But herein wee comfort our selues that your Papall confidence in your sonnes vertue is preferred before Christs defence you set that in the first place and surely if you had not more confidence in your sonnes vertue then in Christs defence it were very small for wee know that in Christs defence you haue no confidence at all your owne apostatized heart can tell you so much Except yee trust at all in Christs defence because our sinnes haue so much prouoked God against vs and none more then that your sonnes haue beene too indulgently intreated among vs not onely to the damage and murther of many soules if the Lord bee not the more mercifull to giue them repentance to returne to the truth but to the endangering of this noble State if the same our God no lesse mightily then mercifully preuent it not You know too well the Kings of Israeil are mercifull Kings but wee know againe that many times pitie though it is pitie yet being shewed to Amileck and Aramites may redound to the Authors hurt witnesse these * Kings of Israell On the other side wee know what Elias did and afterward what Jehu did to the Prophets of Baal and what a blessing came vpon them from the Lord Iehues Sonnes sate vpon the throne to the fourth generation and had done longer if hee had not cleaued to the sinnes of Ieroboam And Jezabell for all her vengeable malice and impotent fury yet could not wreck it vpon Elias though one single poore Prophet no more then the Pope with all his pontificall and imperiall power could preuent poore Luther of dying peaceablely in his bed so miraculously mightie is the Lord in preseruing his poorest seruants that are zealous for his cause Yf we shew the like zeale now in this frozen age wee may with comfort hope for the like blessing and protection Then put you neuer so much confidence in your sonnes vertue our confidence shall bee in the defence of Christ whose cause wee defend and so wee doubt not but through Gods neuer failing goodnesse to his people all you confidence and daring promises of plentifull tryumphs will vanish into the ayre whereof they were ingendred It followeth The Church well hoped indeed that the minde of the most potent King who of a Catholique wife wished to beget heires that might rule his Countrey kingdomes being mollified by the sighes of his wiues ✚ pietie would permit the dowry of royall wedlocke to bee the libertie of faith but now the vowes and counsels of your enemies are feared and whereas the oxthodox Religion is crowned with a royall diadem in that most Excellent Queene yet there are not wanting those which dare threaten imprisonment and punishments to our sonnes Answer YOu meane the Church of Rome what may it not hope