change longer then we are well able to deduce the whole life and reigne of Solomon We haue not the Daughter of Pharao an Idolatrous King nor feare we strange women to steale away his heart from the Seruice of GOD But a Queene as of a Royall so of a Religious Stocke professing the Gospell of Christ with him A Mirrour of trew Modestie a Queene of Bounty both beloued and admired of all his People A Posterity that we need not feare for folly in the one Sexe nor for leuitie in the other Both which made Solomon speake so much as the Iewes say in his Prouerbes of a foolish sonne because his owne was not wise and of wanton Women because he feared the vanity of his owne Daughters But GOD hath left his Maiestie a Sonne a Prince as in outward Liniaments so in inward Abiliments I need say no more an Alter-Idem a second-Selfe A Daughter a Princesse of that Piety singular vertue and Modestie as makes her both beloued at home and admired abroad J haue done Only I desire the Readers of these Workes to pray to GOD that as he hath so farre aduanced vs as to bestowe vpon vs with the Heauenly Treasures of his trewth the riches of his earthly Iewels in so Sacred a King so admired a Queene so hopefull a Prince so vertuous a Princes He would for his Mercies sake for his Sonnes sake continue this the Light of his Countenance vpon vs in them and their Posterity till the comming of that Kingdome which neuer shall haue end AMEN Thine in the Lord IA. WINTON THE SEVERALL TREATISES ACCORDING TO THE TIME WHEREIN THEY WERE WRITTEN AND THEIR PLACE IN THIS Collection c. A PARAPHRASE vpon the Reuelation Pag. 7. Two Meditations The First vpon the 7. 8. 9. and 10. Verses of the 20. Chap. of the Reuelation Pag. 73 Second vpon the 25. 26. 27. 28. and 29. Verses of the 15. Chapter of the first Booke of the Chronicles Pag. 81 Daemonologie First Booke Pag. 94 Second Booke Pag. 108 Third Booke Pag. 123. Basilicon-Doron First Booke Pag. 148 Second Booke Pag. 155 Third Booke Pag. 180. The trew Law of Free Monarchies AnonymΩs Pag. 193 A Counter-blast to Tobacco AnonymΩs Pag. 214 A Discourse of the Powder Treason AnonymΩs Pag. 223. An Apologie for the Oath of Allegiance first set out AnonymΩs and afterwards published with the Praemonition vnder His Maiesties owne name Pag. 247 A Praemonition to all Christian Monarches Free Princes and States written both in English and Latine by his Maiestie Pag. 289 A Declaration against Vorstius written by His Maiestie first in French after translated into English by His Maiesties leaue Pag. 349 A Defence of the Right of KINGS against Cardinall Perron written by His Maiestie in French and thereafter translated into English by His Maiesties leaue Pag. 392 Fiue Speaches THE First in Parliament ANNO 1603. Pag. 485. Second in Parliament ANNO 1605. Pag. 499. Third at White-hall ANNO 1607. Pag. 509. Fourth at White-hall ANNO 1609. Pag. 527. Fift in the Starre-Chamber ANNO 1616. Pag. 549. THE EPISTLE TO THE WHOLE CHVRCH MILITANT in whatsoeuer part of the Earth TO whom could I haue so fitly directed Christian Readers this Paraphrase of mine vpon the Reuelation as vnto you who are the very and true posteritie of those Churches to whom the Booke it selfe was dedicated and for whose instruction and comfort the said Epistle was endited by the Holy Spirit and written by that great Theologue IOHN the Apostle whom our Master beloued deerely J doubt not but it will seeme strange to many that any of my aage calling and literature should haue medled with so obscure Theologicall and high a subiect But let my earnest desire by manifesting the Trueth as well to teach my selfe as others serue for excuse considering also that where diuers others in our aage haue medled with the interpretation of this Booke pressing with preoccupied opinions onely to wrest and conforme the meaning thereof to their particular and priuate passions J by the contrary protest that all my trauailes tend to square and conforme my opinions to the trew and sincere meaning thereof Which causes mooued me to vndertake this worke not thereby to despise infinite others who to the glory of God and great comfort of his Church hath giuen it a great light already but rather that by oft perusing and dew considering therof whereto this worke hath led mee J might be the better acquainted with the meaning of this Booke which J esteeme a speciall cannon against the Hereticall wall of our common aduersaries the Papists whom I would wish to know that in this my Paraphrase vpon it J haue vsed nothing of my owne coniecture or of the authoritie of others but onely haue interpreted it in that sense which may best agree with the methode of the Epistle and not bee contradictorie to it selfe The meaning whereof I expound partly by it selfe and partly by other parts of the Scriptures as the worke it selfe will beare witnesse And therefore this one thing J must craue of our Aduersaries that they will not refute any part of my Interpretation till they finde out a more probable themselues agreeing with the whole context cum serie temporum and where their consciences beare them witnesse that J speake the Trueth that they will yeeld vnto it and glorifie God therein and this is all the reward I craue for my paines But of one thing I must forewarne you Christian Readers to wit that yee may vnderstand that it is for the making of the Discourse more short and facile that I haue made IOHN to be the Speaker in all this Paraphrase and not that I am so presumptuously foolish as to haue meant thereby that my Paraphrase is the onely trew and certaine exposition of this Epistle reiecting all others For although through speaking in his person I am onely bounded and limitted to vse one and not diuers interpretations of euery seuerall place yet I condemne not others but rather allow them to interpret it diuersly so being it agree with the analogie of faith with the methode of the Text cum serie temporum as I said before for those three being obserued it may fall out that diuers diuersly expound one place and yet all be according to the trueth and very meaning of the Spirit of God as may easily be proued by the Text it selfe For in the 17. Chapter the Angel expounding to Iohn the seuen heads of the beastes that came out of the Sea hee saith the seuen heads which thou sawest vpon the beast are the seuen Hills and they are also seuen Kings Here ye see one thing is expounded in two very farre different fashions and yet both true And therefore let wise men take their choice in these things obseruing alwayes these rules I haue spoken of as specially for example This Hebrew word Arma geddon in the 16. Chapter and sixt Phiale although I expound it to signifie destruction by
enemie shall be abolished from holy Ierusalem for euer 15 And whosoeuers name is not found written in the booke of Life is casten into the Lake of fire for not onely the publike euill doers but euen whosoeuer is not predestinate for saluation shall at that time be casten into hell for there is no midway but whosoeuer gathereth not with Christ he scattereth as I shew before CHAP. XXI ARGVMENT A large and glorious description of the Church Triumphant in Heauen and of all the members of that holy and Eternall Ierusalem NOw the Spirit of God hauing by this last vision made a summe and recapitulation of all the former as yee haue heard he by this following and last vision declareth and gloriously describeth the reward of all them who constantly perseuere vnto the end in the trew seruice of God notwithstanding all the assaults of Sathan which ye haue heard dilated the reward was then to be eternall inheritours of holy Ierusalem as yee shall presently heare 1 For I saw a new heauen and a new earth it is ouer this new heauen and new earth that the faithfull should reigne kings and priests for euer as yee heard before And the first heauen and the first earth went away neither was the sea any more for all shall be burnt with fire at the consummation which fire shall renew them and take away their corruption and mutablitie releeuing them from the seruitude of death to the liberty of the glory of the sonnes of God who notwithstanding shall not dwel there but in heauen 2 And euen I Iohn saw the holy new City Ierusalem comming downe from heauen made ready of God like a bride that is decked for her bridegroome For this holy Church triumphant shal come downe in all shining glorie to meete Christ her husband when hee shall haue iudged the world as ye haue heard before to bee incorporated and ioyned with him for euer 3 And I heard a mighty voyce from heauen saying for confirmation of this happy coniunction Loe the Tabernacle of God and his dwelling place is with men and hee will now dwell with them for euer and they shall be his people and he shall be a God with them and their God 4 And God shall wipe all teares from their eyes for they shall feele no more any sorow as ye haue often heard before and death shall be no more neither shal any sorow crying or dolour euer be in that Church triumphant for the first are gone away and all these things then shall haue an end 5 And then hee that sate vpon the Throne to wit God the Father said Loe I make new or renew all things and he said vnto me Write and leaue in record what thou hast seene for surely these words are faithfull and trew and shall come certainely to passe 6 And he also said vnto me It is done for when these things shall come to passe then is the full accomplishment of all things I am A and Ω to wit the beginning and the ending of all things For as I made the Creation so shall I cause the Consummation And I shall giue to him that thirsteth of the fountaine of water of life freely or for nothing to wit he will grant saluation to all them who cal vpon him for it and that for nothing for it cōmeth of his free mercie and not of any merit in vs How foolish then are they to be accompted who contemning that saluation which they may obtaine for the crauing buie with their siluer a counterfeit saluation from Babylon as ye heard before 7 And he that ouercommeth Satan and his owne flesh shall possesse all to wit he shall be a full inheritour of Gods kingdome and I shall be a God to him and he shall be a sonne to me 8 But for all them who are fearefull and vnbeleeuing not hauing a sure confidence and trust in my promises and for execrable men and murtherers and fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyers for all these sorts of men I say there is place appointed in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 9 Then there came vnto me one of these seuen Angels which had the seuen phials ful of the seuen last plagues and he sayd vnto me Come and I will shew vnto thee the Bride which is the Wife of the Lambe for this Angel was directed to shewe mee the glorie of this holy Hierusalem the Church triumphant not to satisfie my curiosity therewith but that I might leaue in record to all posterities to come not as a hearer onely but as an Oculatus testis what glorious and eternall reward did abide all the faithfull 10 And so he tooke me vp in the Spirit to a high and great Mountaine for it became well that so glorious a sight should be shewen vpon so eminent a place and there hee did shew mee a great Citie to wit that holy Ierusalem comming downe from heauen and from God as ye heard before 11 And it had the glory of God in it and the light or brightnesse of it was like vnto the glittering of a most pretious stone yea euen like the greene Iasper in flourishing eternitie and like the cleare Cristall in shining brightnesse 12 And this Citie had a great and high wall to hold out all them who had not the marke of the Lambe as ye shall heare after and to protect the Citizens from all blastes of troubles for all teares will then bee wipte from their eyes as ye heard before And this Citie had also twelue gates and in them twelue Angels and their names were written vpon them which were the names of the twelue Tribes of the sonnes of Israel 13 And there were three gates towards the East three towards the West three towards the South and three towards the North to signifie that out of all parts and places of the world and whatsoeuer thy vocation be if thou call to God with an vpright heart thou shalt find that the entrance into the Citie is equally distributed about the same 14 And the wall of the Citie had twelue foundations whereupon were written the twelue names of the Apostles of the Lambe These twelue Angels of the twelue gates and twelue foundations of the wall are the foure and twentie Elders of whom ye heard in the beginning of this my Epistle the twelue Angels of the twelue gates are the twelue Patriarkes who were the first teachers of the way and so the guides to this holy Ierusalem for by the Law which they represent we must first beginne to know the trewth and to know our selues and the twelue foundations are we the twelue Apostles for vpon our doctrine is that wall founded which hedgeth in the Saints in an eternall securitie and debarreth all others 15 And the Angel who spake with me had a golden reed in his hand to measure therewith the Citie and the gates and the walles of the same thereby to signifie the
follow him by promising vnto them great riches and worldly commoditie Such as though rich yet burne in a desperate desire of reuenge he allures them by promises to get their turne satisfied to their hearts contentment It is to be noted now that that olde and craftie enemie of ours assailes none though touched with any of these two extremities except he first finde an entresse ready for him either by the great ignorance of the person he deales with ioyned with an euill life or else by their carelesnesse and contempt of God And finding them in an vtter despaire for one of these two former causes that I haue spoken of he prepares the way by feeding them craftely in their humour and filling them further and further with despaire while hee finde the time proper to discouer himselfe vnto them At which time either vpon their walking solitarie in the fieldes or else lying pansing in their bed but alwaies without the company of any other hee either by a voyce or in likenesse of a man inquires of them what troubles them and promiseth them a suddaine and certaine way of remedie vpon condition on the other part that they follow his aduise and doe such things as he will require of them Their mindes being prepared before-hand as I haue alreadie spoken they easily agreed vnto that demand of his and syne sets an other tryist where they may meete againe At which time before hee proceede any further with them hee first perswades them to addict themselues to his seruice which being easily obtained he then discouers what he is vnto them makes them to renounce their God and Baptisme directly and giues them his marke vpon some secret place of their bodie which remaines soare vnhealed while his next meeting with them and thereafter euer insensible howsoeuer it be nipped or pricked by any as is daily prooued to giue them a proofe thereby that as in that doing he could hurt and heale them so all their ill and well doing thereafter must depend vpon him And besides that the intolerable dolour that they feele in that place where he hath marked them serues to waken them and not to let them rest while their next meeting againe fearing lest otherwaies they might either forget him being as new Prentises and not well enough founded yet in that fiendly follie or else remembring of that horrible promise they made him at their last meeting they might skunner at the same and preasse to call it backe At their third meeting he makes a shew to be carefull to performe his promises either by teaching them waies how to get themselues reuenged if they be of that sort or else by teaching them lessons how by most vile and vnlawfull meanes they may obtaine gaine and wordly commoditie if they be of the other sort CHAP. III. ARGV The Witches actions diuided into two parts The actions proper to their owne persons Their actions toward others The forme of their conuentions and adoring of their Master PHILOMATHES YEe haue said now enough of their initiating in that order It rests then that yee discourse vpon their practises fra they be passed Prentises for I would faine heare what is possible to them to performe in very deed Although they serue a common Master with the Necromancers as I haue before said yet serue they him in another forme For as the meanes are diuers which allure them to these vnlawful Arts of seruing the deuill so by diuers waies vse they their practises answering to these meanes which first the deuill vsed as instruments in them though all tending to one end to wit the enlarging of Satans tyrannie and crossing of the propagation of the Kingdome of CHRIST so farre as lyeth in the possibilitie either of the one or other sort or of the deuill their master For where the Magicians as allured by curiositie in the most part of their practises seeke principally the satisfying of the same and to winne to themselues a popular honour and estimation these Witches on the other part being inticed either for the desire of reuenge or of worldly riches their whole practises are either to hurt men and their goods or what they possesse for satisfying of their cruell mindes in the former or else by the wracke in whatsoeuer sort of any whom God will permit them to haue power of to satisfie their greedie desire in the last point EPI In two parts their actions may be diuided the actions of their owne persons and the actions proceeding from them towards any other And this diuision being well vnderstood will easily resolue you what is possible to them to doe For although all that they confesse is no lie vpon their part yet doubtlesly in my opinion a part of it is not indeede according as they take it to be And in this I meane by the actions of their owne persons For as I said before speaking of Magie that the diuell illudes the senses of these schollers of his in many things so say I the like of these Witches PHI. Then I pray you first to speake of that part of their owne persons and syne ye may come next to their actions towards others EPI To the effect that they may performe such seruices of their false Master as he employes them in the deuill as Gods Ape counterfeits in his seruants this seruice and forme of adoration that God prescribed and made his seruants to practise For as the seruants of God publikely vse to conveene for seruing of him so makes he them in great numbers to conveene though publikely they dare not for his seruice As none conveenes to the adoration and worshipping of God except they be marked with his Seale the Sacrament of Baptisme So none serues Satan and conveenes to the adoring of him that are not marked with that marke whereof I alreadie spake As the Minister sent by God teacheth plainely at the time of their publike conuentions how to serue him in spirit and trewth so that vnclean spirit in his owne person teacheth his disciples at the time of their conueening how to worke all kind of mischiefe and craues coumpt of all their horrible and detestable proceedings passed for aduancement of his seruice Yea that hee may the more vinely counterfeit and scorne God he oft times makes his slaues to conueene in these very places which are destinate and ordained for the conveening of the seruants of God I meane by Churches But this farre which I haue yet said I not onely take it to be trew in their opinions but euen so to be indeed For the forme that he vsed in counterfaiting God amongst the Gentiles makes me so to thinke As God spake by his Oracles spake he not so by his As God had aswell bloodie Sacrifices as others without blood had not he the like As God had Churches sanctified to his seruice with Altars Priests Sacrifices Ceremonies and Prayers had he not the like polluted to his seruice As God gaue responses by Vrim and
great Citie Queene of the World and as themselues confesse 1 Eusebius Oecumenius and Leo hold that by Babylon in 1. Pet. 5.13 Rome is meant as the Rhemists themselues confesse mystically Babylon cannot but be so full of all sorts of Intelligencies Besides all complainers as the Catholikes here are be naturally giuen to exaggerate their owne griefes and multiply thereupon So that it is no wonder that euen a iust Iudge sitting there should vpon wrong information giue an vnrighteous sentence as some of their owne partie doe not sticke to confesse That Pius Quintus was too rashly caried vpon wrong information to pronounce his thunder of Excommunication vpon the late Queene And it may be the like excuse shall hereafter be made for the two Breues which 2 See the Relation of the whole proceedings against the Traitours Garnet and his confederates Clemens Octauus sent to ENGLAND immediatly before her death for debarring me of the Crowne or any other that either would professe or any wayes tolerate the professours of our Religion contrary to his manifold vowes and protestations simul eodem tempore and as it were deliuered vno eodem spiritu to diuers of my ministers abroad professing such kindnesse and shewing such forwardnesse to aduance me to this Crowne The Catholikes opinion of the Brene Nay the most part of Catholikes here finding this Breue when it came to their handes to bee so farre against Diuinitie Policie or naturall sense were firmely perswaded that it was but a counterfeit Libell deuised in hatred of the Pope or at the farthest a thing hastily done vpon wrong information as was before said Of which opinion were not onely the simpler sort of Papists but euen some amongst them of best account both for learning and experience whereof the Archpriest himselfe was one But for soluing of this obiection the Pope himselfe hath taken new paines by sending foorth a second Breue onely for giuing faith and confirmation to the former That whereas before his sinne might haue beene thought to haue proceeded from rashnesse and mis-information he will now wilfully and willingly double the same whereof the Copy followeth The second Breue TO OVR BELOVED SONNES the English Catholikes Paulus P. P.V tus BEloued sonnes Salutation and Apostolicall Benediction It is reported vnto vs that there are found certaine amongst you who when as we haue sufficiently declared by our Letters dated the last yeere on the tenth of the Calends of October in the forme of a Breue that yee cannot with safe Conscience take the Oath which was then required of you and when as wee haue further straitly commanded you that by no meanes yee should take it yet there are some I say among you which dare now affirme that such Letters concerning the forbidding of the Oath were not written of our owne accord or of our owne proper will but rather for the respect and at the instigation of other men And for that cause the same men doe goe about to perswade you that our commands in the said Letters are not to be regarded Surely this newes did trouble vs and that so much the more because hauing had experience of your obedience most dearely beloued sonnes who to the end ye might obey this holy Sea haue godlily and valiantly contemned your riches wealth honour libertie yea and life it selfe wee should neuer haue suspected that the trewth of our Apostolike Letters could once be called into question among you that by this pretence ye might exempt your selues from our Commandements But we doe herein perceiue the subtiltie and craft of the enemie of mans saluation and we doe attribute this your backwardnesse rather to him then to your owne will And for this cause wee haue thought good to write the second time vnto you and to signifie vnto you againe That our Apostolike Letters dated the last yeere on the tenth of the Calends of October concerning the prohibition of the Oath were written not only vpon our proper motion and of our certaine knowledge but also after long and weightie deliberation vsed concerning all those things which are contained in them and that for that cause ye are bound fully to obserue them reiecting all interpretation perswading to the contrary And this is our meere pure and perfect will being alwayes carefull of your saluation and alwayes minding those things which are most profitable vnto you And we doe pray without ceasing that hee that hath appointed our lowlinesse to the keeping of the flocke of Christ would inlighten our thoughts and our counsels whom we doe also continually desire that he would increase in you our beloued Sonnes faith constancie and mutuall charitie and peace one to another All whom we doe most louingly blesse with all charitable affection Dated at Rome at Saint Markes vnder the Signet of the Fisherman the x. of the Calends of September 1607. the third yeere of our Popedome THE ANSWERE TO THE second BREVE NOw for this Breue I may iustly reflect his owne phrase vpon him in tearming it to be The craft of the Deuill For if the Deuill had studied a thousand yeeres for to finde out a mischiefe for our Catholikes heere hee hath found it in this that now when many Catholikes haue taken their Oath and some Priests also yea the Arch-priest himselfe without compunction or sticking they shall not now onely be bound to refuse the profession of their naturall Allegiance to their Soueraigne which might yet haue beene some way coloured vpon diuers scruples conceiued vpon the words of the Oath but they must now renounce and forsweare their profession of obedience alreadie sworne and so must as it were at the third instance forsweare their former two Oathes first closely sworne by their birth in their naturall Allegiance and next clearely confirmed by this Oath which doeth nothing but expresse the same so as no man can now holde the faith or procure the saluation of his soule in ENGLAND that must not abiure and renounce his borne and sworne Allegiance to his naturall Soueraigne And yet it is not sufficient to ratifie the last yeeres Breue by a new one come forth this yeere but that not onely euery yeere but euery moneth may produce a new monster the great and famous Writer of the Controuersies the late vn-Iesuited Cardinall Bellarmine must adde his talent to this good worke by blowing the bellowes of sedition and sharpening the spurre to rebellion by sending such a Letter of his to the Archpriest here as it is a wonder how passion and an ambitious desire of maintaining that Monarchie should charme the wits of so famously learned a man The Copy whereof here followeth TO THE VERY REVEREND Mr. GEORGE BLACKWELL ARCH-PRIEST of the ENGLISH ROBERT BELLARMINE Cardinall of the holy Church of Rome Greeting REuerend Sir and brother in CHRIST It is almost fourtie yeeres since we did see one the other but yet I haue neuer bene vnmindfull of our ancient acquaintance neither haue I
ceased seeing I could doe you no other good to commend your labouring most painfully in the Lords Vineyard in my prayers to God And I doubt not but that I haue liued all this while in your memory and haue had some place in your prayers at the Lords Altar So therfore euen vnto this time we haue abidden as S. Iohn speaketh in the mutuall loue one of the other not by word or letter but in deed and trewth But alate message which was brought vnto vs within these few dayes of your bonds and imprisonment hath inforced mee to breake off this silence which message although it seemed heauie in regard of the losse which that Church hath receiued by their being thus depriued of the comfort of your pastorall function amongst them yet withall it seemed ioyous because you drew neere vnto the glory of Martyrdome then the which gift of God there is none more happy That you who haue fedde your flocke so many yeeres with the word and doctrine should now feed it more gloriously by the example of your patience But another heauie tidings did not a little disquiet and almost take away this ioy which immediatly followed of the aduersaries assault and peraduenture of the slip and fall of your constancie in refusing an vnlawfull Oath Neither trewly most deare brother could that Oath therefore bee lawfull because it was offered in sort tempered and modified for you know that those kinde of modifications are nothing else but sleights and subtilties of Satan that the Catholique faith touching the Primacie of the Sea Apostolike might either secretly or openly be shot at for the which faith so many worthy Martyrs euen in that very England it selfe haue resisted vnto blood For most certaine it is that in whatsoeuer words the Oath is conceiued by the aduersaries of the faith in that Kingdome it tends to this end that the Authoritie of the head of the Church in England may bee transferred from the successour of S. Peter to the successour of King Henry the eight For that which is pretended of the danger of the Kings life if the high Priest should haue the same power in England which hee hath in all other Christian Kingdomes it is altogether idle as all that haue any vnderstanding may easily perceiue For it was neuer heard of from the Churches infancie vntill this day that euer any Pope did command that any Prince though an Heretike though an Ethnike though a persecutour should be murdered or did approue of the fact when it was done by any other And why I pray you doeth onely the King of England seare that which none of all other the Princes in Christendome either doeth feare or euer did feare But as I said these vaine pretexts are but the traps and stratagemes of Satan Of which kinde I could produce not a fewe out of ancient Stories if I went about to write a Booke and not an Epistle One onely for example sake I will call to your memory S. Gregorius Nazianzenus in his first Oration against Iulian the Emperour reporteth That hee the more easily to beguile the simple Christians did insert the Images of the false gods into the pictures of the Emperour which the Romanes did vse to bow downe vnto with a ciuill kinde of reuerence so that no man could doe reuerence to the Emperours picture but withall hee must adore the Images of the false gods whereupon it came to passe that many were deceiued And if there were any that found out the Emperours craft and refused to worship his picture those were most grieuously punished as men that had contemned the Emperour in his Image Some such like thing me thinkes I see in the Oath that is offered to you which is so craftily composed that no man can detest Treason against the King and make profession of his Ciuill subiection but he must bee constramed perfidiously to denie the Primacie of the Apostolicke Sea But the seruants of Christ and especially the chiefe Priests of the Lord ought to bee so farre from taking an vnlawfull Oath where they may indamage the Faith that they ought to beware that they giue not the least suspicion of dissimulation that they haue taken it least they might seeme to haue left any example of preuarication to faithfull people Which thing that worthy Eleazar did most notably performe who would neither eate swines flesh nor so much as faine to haue eaten it although hee sawe the great torments that did hang ouer his head least as himselfe speaketh in the second Booke of the Machabees many young men might bee brought through that simulation to preuaricate with the Lawe Neither did Basil the Great by his example which is more fit for our purpose cary himselfe lesse worthily toward Valens the Emperour For as Theodoret writeth in his Historie when the Deputy of that hereticall Emperour did perswade Saint Basil that hee would not resist the Emperour for a little subtiltie of a few points of doctrine that most holy and prudent man made answere That it was not to be indured that the least syllable of Gods word should bee corrupted but rather all kind of torment was to be embraced for the maintenance of the Trewth thereof Now I suppose that there wants not amongst you who say that they are but subtilties of Opinions that are contained in the Oath that is offered to the Catholikes and that you are not to strius against the Kings Authoritie for such a little matter But there are not wanting also amongst you holy men like vnto Basil the Great which will openly auow that the very least syllable of Gods diuine Trewth is not to bee corrupted though many torments were to bee endured and death it selfe set before you Amongst whom it is meete that you should bee one or rather the Standard bearer and Generall to the rest And whatsoeuer hath beene the cause that your Constancie hath quailed whether it bee the suddainenesse of your apprehension or the bitternesse of your persecution or the imbecilitie of your old aage yet wee trust in the goodnesse of God and in your owne long continued vertue that it will come to passe that as you seeme in some part to haue imitated the fall of Peter and Marcellinus so you shall happily imitate their valour in recouering your strength and maintaining the Trewth For if you will diligently weigh the whole matter with your selfe trewly you shall see it is no small matter that is called in question by this Oath but one of the principall heads of our Faith and foundations of Catholique Religion For heare what your Apostle Saint Gregorie the Great hath written in his 24. Epistle of his 11. Booke Let not the reuerence due to the Apostolique Sea be troubled by any mans presumption for then the state of the members doeth remaine entire when the Head of the Faith is not bruised by any iniurie Therefore by Saint Gregories testimonie when they are busie about disturbing or diminishing or taking
Papal power whatsoeuer and yet saith withall the Pope winketh at the French by his toleration to hold this dogmaticall point for problematicall And by this meanes the Martyrdome that hee affecteth in this cause will prooue but a problematicall Martyrdome whereof question might grow very well whether it were to be mustered with grieuous crimes or with phreneticall passions of the braine or with deserued punishments Fiftly he denounceth Anathema dischargeth maledictions like haile-shot against parricides of Kings and yet elsewhere hee layes himselfe open to speake of Kings onely so long as they stand Kings But who doeth not know that a King deposed is no longer King And so that limme of Satan which murthered Henry the III. then vn-king'd by the Pope did not stabbe a King to death Sixtly he doeth not allow a King to be made away by murder and yet he thinks it not much out of the way to take away al meanes whereby he might be able to stand in defence of his life Seuenthly Pag. 95.97 hee abhorreth killing of Kings by apposted throat-cutting for feare lest body and soule should perish in the same instant and yet he doth not mislike their killing in a pitcht field and to haue them slaughtered in a set battaile For he presupposeth no doubt out of his charitable mind that by this meanes the soule of a poore King so dispatched out of the way shall instantly flie vp to heauen Eightly he saith a King deposed retaineth stil a certaine internal habitude and politike impression by vertue and efficacie whereof he may being once reformed and become a new man be restored to the lawfull vse and practise of Regalitie Whereby hee would beare vs in hand that when a forraine Prince hath inuaded and rauenously seised the kingdome into his hands he will not onely take pittie of his predecessour to saue his life but will also proue so kind-hearted vpon fight of his repentance to restore his kingdome without fraud or guile Ninthly he saith euery where in his Discourse that he dealeth not in the cause otherwise then as a problematicall discourser and without any resolution one way or other and yet with might and maine hee contends for the opinion that leaues the States and Crownes of Kings controulable by the Pope refutes obiections propounds the authoritie of Popes and Councils by name the Lateran Councill vnder Innocent III. as also the consent of the Church And to crosse the Churches iudgement is in his opinion to bring in schisme and to leaue the world without a Church for many hundred yeeres together which to my vnderstanding is to speake with resolution and without all hesitation Tenthly he acknowledgeth none other cause of sufficient validitie for the deposing of a King besides herefie apostasie and infidelitie neuerthelesse that Popes haue power to displace Kings for herefie and apostasie hee proueth by examples of Kings whom the Pope hath curbed with deposition not for heresie but for matrimoniall causes for ciuill pretences and for lacke of capacitie Eleuenthly hee alledgeth euery where passages as well of holy Scripture as of the Fathers and moderne histories but so impertinent and with so little trewth as hereafter wee shall cause to appeare that for a man of his deepe learning and knowledge it seemeth not possible so to speake out of his iudgement Lastly whereas all this hath bene hudled and heaped together into one masse to currie with the Pope yet hee suffereth diuers points to fall from his lips which may well distast his Holinesse in the highest degree As by name where he prefers the authoritie of the Councill before that of the Pope and makes his iudgement inferiour to the iudgement of the French as in fit place hereafter shal be shewed Againe where he representeth to his hearers the decrees of Popes and Councils already passed concerning this noble subiect and yet affirmes that he doth not debate the question but as a Questionist and without resolution As if a Cardinal should be afraid to be positiue and to speake in peremptory straines after Popes and Councils haue once decided the Question Or as if a man should perorate vpon hazard in a cause for the honour whereof he would make no difficultie to suffer Martyrdome Adde hereunto that his Lordship hath alwayes taken the contrary part heretofore and this totall must needs arise that before the third Estate his lips looked one way and his conscience another All these points by the discourse which is to follow and by the ripping vp of his Oration which by Gods assistance J will vndertake tending to the reproch of Kings and the subuersion of kingdomes J confidently speake it shal be made manifest Yet doe J not conceiue it can any way make for my honour to enter the lists against a Cardinall For J am not ignorant how farre a Cardinals Hat commeth vnder the Crowne and Scepter of a King For well J wot vnto what sublimitie the Scripture hath exalted Kings when it styles them Gods Whereas the dignitie of a Cardinall is but a late vpstart inuention of man In the Preface to my Apologie as J haue elsewhere prooued But J haue imbarqued my selfe in this action mooued thereunto First by the common interest of Kings in the cause it selfe Then by the L. Cardinall who speaketh not in this Oration as a priuate person but as one representing the body of the Clergie and Nobilitie by whom the cause hath bene wonne and the garland borne away from the third Estate Againe by mine owne particular because he is pleased to take me vp for a sower of dissention and a persecutour vnder whom the Church is hardly able to fetch her breath yea for one by whom the Catholikes of my Kingdome are compelled to endure all sorts of punishments and withal he tearmes this Article of the third Estate a monster with a fishes taile that came swimming out of England Last of all by the present state of France because France being now reduced to so miserable tearmes that it is now become a crime for a Frenchman to stand for his King it is a necessary duetie of her neighbours to speake in her cause and to make triall whether they can put life into the trewth now dying and ready to be buried by the power of violence that it may resound and ring againe from remote regions J haue no purpose once to touch many prettie toyes which the ridges of his whole booke are sowen withall Such are his allegations of Pericles Agesilaus Aristotle Minos the Druides the French Ladies Hannibal Pindarus and Poeticall fables All resembling the red and blew flowers that pester the corne when it standeth in the fields where they are more noy some to the growing crop then beautifull to the beholding eye Such pettie matters nothing at all beseemed the dignitie of the Assembly and of the maine subiect or of the Orator himselfe For it was no Decorum to enter the Stage with a Pericles in his mouth but with the
to display the colours and ensignes of their censures against Princes who violating their publike and solemne oath doe raise and make open warre against Iesus Christ I grant yet againe that in this case they need not admit Laics to be of their counsell nor allow them any scope or libertie of iudgement Yet all this makes no barre to Clerics for extending the power of their keyes many times a whole degree further then they ought and when they are pleased to make vse of their said power to depriue the people of their goods or the Prince of his Crowne all this doeth not hinder Prince or people from taking care for the preseruation of their owne rights and estates nor from requiring Clerics to shew their cards and produce their Charts and to make demonstration by Scripture that such power as they assume and challenge is giuen them from God For to leaue the Pope absolute Iudge in the same cause wherein hee is a partie and which is the strongest rampier and bulwarke yea the most glorious and eminent point of his domination to arme him with power to vnhorse Kings out of their seates what is it else but euen to draw them into a state of despaire for euer winning the day or preuailing in their honourable and rightful cause It is moreouer granted if a King shall command any thing directly contrary to Gods word and tending to the subuerting of the Church that Clerics in this case ought not onely to dispense with subiects for their obedience but also expresly to forbid their obedience For it is alwayes better to obey God then man Howbeit in all other matters whereby the glory and maiestie of God is not impeached or impaired it is the duety of Clerics to plie the people with wholesome exhortation to constant obedience and to auert by earnest disswasions the said people from tumultuous reuolt and seditious insurrection This practise vnder the Pagan Emperours was held and followed by the ancient Christians by whose godly zeale and patience in bearing the yoke the Church in times past grew and flourished in her happy and plentifull increase farre greater then Poperie shall euer purchase and attaine vnto by all her cunning deuices and sleights as namely by degrading of Kings by interdicting of Kingdoms by apposted murders and by Diabolicall traines of Gunne-powder-mines The places of Scripture alleadged in order by the Cardinal Pag 66. in fauour of those that stand for the Popes claime of power and authoritie to depose Kings are cited with no more sincerity then the former They alledge these are his words that Samuel deposed King Saul or declared him to bee deposed because hee had violated the Lawes of the Iewes Religion His Lordship auoucheth elsewere that Saul was deposed because he had sought prophanely to vsurpe the holy Priesthood Both false and contrary to the tenour of trewth in the sacred history For Saul was neuer deposed according to the sense of the word I meane depose in the present question to wit as deposing is taken for despoiling the King of his royall dignitie and reducing the King to the condition of a priuate person But Saul held the title of King and continued in possession of his Kingdome euen to his dying day 1. Sam. 23.20 24.15 2. Sam. 2.5 Yea the Scripture styles him King euen to the periodicall and last day of his life by the testimony of Dauid himselfe who both by Gods promise and by precedent vnction was then heire apparant as it were to the Crown in a maner then ready to gird and adorne the temples of his head For if Samuel by Gods commandement had then actually remooued Saul from his Throne doubtlesse the whole Church of Israel had committed a grosse errour in taking and honouring Saul for their King after such deposition doubtlesse the Prophet Samuel himselfe making knowen the Lords Ordinance vnto the people would haue enioyned them by strict prohibition to call him no longer the King of Israel Doubtlesse Dauid would neuer haue held his hand from the throat of Saul 1. Sam. 26.11 for this respect and consideration because he was the Lords Anointed For if Saul had lost his Kingly authority from that instant when Samuel gaue him knowledge of his reiection then Dauid lest otherwise the Body of the Kingdome should want a Royall Head was to beginne his Reigne and to beare the Royall scepter in the very same instant which were to charge the holy Scriptures with vntrewth in as much as the sacred historie begins the computation of the yeeres of Dauids Reigne from the day of Sauls death Trew it is that in the 1. Sam. cap. 15. Saul was denounced by Gods owne sentence a man reiected and as it were excommunicated out of the Kingdome that hee should not rule and reigne any longer as King ouer Israel neuerthelesse the said sentence was not put in execution before the day when God executing vpon Saul an exemplarie iudgement did strike him with death From whence it is manifest and cleare 1. Sam. 16.23 that when Dauid was annointed King by Samuel that action was onely a promise and a testimony of the choice which God had made of Dauid for succession immediately after Saul and not a present establishment inuestment or installment of Dauid in the Kingdome Wee reade the like in 1. King cap. 19. where God commandeth Elias the Prophet to annoint Hasael King of Syria For can any man bee so blinde and ignorant in the sacred historie to beleeue the Prophets of Israel established or sacred the Kings of Syria For this cause 2. Sam. 2.4 when Dauid was actually established in the Kingdome hee was annointed the second time In the next place he brings in the Popes champions vsing these words Rehoboam was deposed by Ahiah the Prophet 1 King 12. from his Royall right ouer the tenne Tribes of Israel because his father Salomon had played the Apostata in falling from the Law of God This I say also is more then the trewth of the sacred history doeth afoard For Ahiah neuer spake to Rehoboam for ought we reade nor brought vnto him any message from the Lord As for the passage quoted by the L. Cardinal out of 3. Reg. chap. 11. it hath not reference to the time of Rehoboams raigne but rather indeed to Salomons time nor doeth it carry the face of a iudicatorie sentence for the Kings deposing but rather of a Propheticall prediction For how could Rehoboam before hee was made King be depriued of the Kingdome Last of all but worst of all to alleadge this passage for an example of a iust sentence in matter of deposing a King is to approoue the disloyall treacherie of a seruant against his master and the rebellion of Ieroboam branded in Scripture with a marke of perpetuall infamie for his wickednesse and impietie He goes on with an other example of no more trewth 1. King 19. King Achab was deposed by Elias the Prophet
contrary to his oath of subiection to Iesus Christ or that he hath wilfully cast himselfe into Apostaticall defection And certes to any man that weighs the matter with due consideration it wil be found apparantly false that Kings of France haue bene receiued of their subiects at any time with condition to serue IESVS CHRIST They were actually Kings before they came forth to the solemnitie of their sacring before they vsed any stipulation or promise to their subiects For in hereditary kingdoms nothing more certaine nothing more vncontrouleable the Kings death instantly maketh liuery and seisin of the Royaltie to his next successour Nor is it materiall to replie that a King succeeding by right of inheritance takes an oath in the person of his predecessor For euery oath is personall proper to the person by whom it is taken and to God no liuing creature can sweare that his owne sonne or his heire shall proue an honest man Well may the father and with great solemnitie promise that he will exhort his heire apparant with all his power and the best of his endeauours to feare God and to practise piety If the fathers oath be agreeable to the dueties of godlinesse the sonne is bound thereby whether he take an oath or take none On the other side if the fathers oath come from the puddles of impietie the sonne is bound thereby to goe the contrary way If the fathers oath concerne things of indifferent nature and such as by the variety or change of times become either pernicious or impossible then it is free for the Kings next successor and heire prudently to fit and proportion his Lawes vnto the times present and to the best benefit of the Common-wealth When I call these things to mind with some attention I am out of all doubt his Lordship is very much to seeke in the right sense and nature of his Kings oath taken at his Coronation to defend the Church and to perseuere in the Catholike faith For what is more vnlike and lesse credible then this conceit that after Clouis had reigned 15. yeeres in the state of Paganisme and then receiued holy Baptisme he should become Christian vpon this condition That in case hee should afterward reuolt from the Faith it should then bee in the power of the Church to turne him out of his Kingdome But had any such conditionall stipulation beene made by Clouis in very good earnest and trewth yet would hee neuer haue intended that his deposing should bee the acte of the Romane Bishop but rather of those whether Peeres or people or whole body of the State by whom he had bene aduanced to the Kingdome Let vs heare the trewth and this is the trewth It is farre from the customary vse in France for their Kings to take any such oath or to vse any such stipulation with their subiects If any King or Prince wheresoeuer doth vse an oath or solemne promise in these expresse termes Let me lose my Kingdome or my life be that day my last both for life and reigne when I shall first reuolt from the Christian Religion By these words he calleth vpon God for vengeance hee vseth imprecation against his owne head but hee makes not his Crowne to stoupe by this meanes to any power in the Pope or in the Church or in the people And touching inscriptions vpon coynes of which point his Lordship speaketh by the way verely the nature of the money or coine the stamping and minting whereof is one of the marks of the Prince his dignity and Soueraignty is not changed by bearing the letters of Christs Name on the reuerse or on the front Such characters of Christs Name are aduertisements and instructions to the people that in shewing and yeelding obedience vnto the King they are obedient vnto Christ those Princes likewise who are so wel aduised to haue the most sacred Names inscribed and printed in their coines doe take and acknowledge Iesus Christ for supreme King of Kings The said holy characters are no representation or profession that any Kings Crowne dependeth vpon the Church or can be taken away by the Pope The L. Cardinal indeed so beareth vs in hand But he inuerts the words of Iesus Christ and wrings them out of the right ioynt For Christ without all ambiguitie and circumlocution by the image and inscription of the money doeth directly and expressely prooue Caesar to bee free from subiection and entirely Soueraigne Now if such a supreme and Soueraigne Prince at any time shall bandie and combine against God and thereby shall become a rebellious and perfidious Prince doubtlesse for such disloyaltie he shall deserue that God would take from him all hope of life eternall and yet hereby neither Pope nor people hath reason to bee puft vp in their power to depriue him of his temporall Kingdome The L. Page 76. Cardinall saith besides The champions of the Popes power to depose Kings doe expound that commandement of S. Paul whereby euery soule is made subiect vnto the superiour powers to bee a prouisionall precept or caution accommodated to the times and to stand in force onely vntll the Church were growen in strength vnto such a scantling that it might be in the power of the faithfull without shaking the pillars of Christian state to stand in the breach and cautelously to prouide that none but Christian Princes might be receiued according to the Law in Deut Thou shalt make thee a King from among thy brethren The reason whereupon they ground is this Because Paul saith It is a shame for Christians to be iudged vnder vniust Infidels in mattrs or businesse which they had one against another For which inconuenience Iustinian after prouided by Law when hee ordeined that no Infidel nor Heretike might be admitted to the administration of iustice in the Common-wealth In which words of the Cardinall the word Receiued is to bee obserued especially and aboue the rest For by chopping in that word hee doeth nimbly and with a tricke of Legier-demain transforme or change the very state of the question For the question or issue of the cause is not about receiuing establishing or choosing a Prince as in those Nations where the Kingdome goes by election but about doing homage to the Prince when God hath setled him in the Kingdome and hath cast it vpon a Prince by hereditary succession For that which is writtten Thou shalt make thee a King doeth no way concerne and touch the people of France in these dayes because the making of their King hath not of long time been tyed to their election The passage therefore in Deuter. makes nothing to the purpose no more then doth Iustinians law For it is our free and voluntary confession that a Christian Prince is to haue speciall care of the Lawes and to prouide that no vnbeleeuer be made Lord Chiefe-Iustice of the Land that no Infidel be put in trust with administration of Iustice to the people But here the issue doeth not
violent and bloody death or some other mischiefe more intolerable then death it selfe What are we the better that parricides of Kings are neither set on nor approued by the Church in their abominable actions when shee layeth such plots and taketh such courses as necessarily doe inferre the cutting of their throates In the next place be it noted that his Lordship against all reason reckons the absoluing of subiects from the oath of alleagiance in the ranke of penalties awarded and enioyned before the Ecclesiasticall tribunall seate For this penaltie is not Ecclesiasticall but Ciuill and consequently not triable in Ecclesiasticall Courts without vsurping vpon the Ciuill Magistrate But I wonder with what face the L. Cardinall can say The Church neuer consenteth to any practise against his life whom she hath once chastised with seuere censures For can his Lordship be ignorant what is written by Pope Vrbanus Can. Excommunicatorum Can. excoâ— Caus 23. Quaest 6. Wee take them not in any wise to bee man-slayers who in a certaine heat of zeale towards the Catholike Church their Mother shall happen to kill an excommunicate person More if the Pope doth not approoue and like the practise of King-killing wherefore hath not his Holinesse imposed some seuere censure vpon the booke of Mariana the Iesuite by whom parricides are commended nay highly extolled when his Holinesse hath beene pleased to take the paines to censure and call in some other of Mariana's bookes Againe wherefore did his Holinesse aduise himselfe to censure the Decree of the Court of Parliament in Paris against Iohn Chastell Wherefore did hee suffer Garnet and Oldcorne my powder-miners both by bookes and pictures vendible vnder his nose in Rome to be inrowled in the Canon of holy Martyrs And when hee saw two great Kings murdered one after another wherefore by some publike declaration did not his Holinesse testifie to all Christendome his inward sense and trew apprehension of so great misfortune as all Europe had iust cause to lament on the behalfe of France Wherefore did not his Holinesse publish some Law or Pontificiall Decree to prouide for the securitie of Kings in time to come Trew it is that he censured Becanus his booke But wherefore That by a captious and sleight censure he might preuent a more exact and rigorous Decree of the Sorbone Schoole For the Popes checke to Becanus was onely agenerall censure and touch without any particular specification of matter touching the life of Kings About some two moneths after the said booke was printed againe with a dedication to the Popes Nuntio in Germany yet without any alteration saue onely of two articles conteining the absolute power of the people ouer Kings In recompence and for a counterchecke whereof three or foure articles were inserted into the said booke touching the Popes power ouer Kings articles no lesse wicked iniurious to Regall rights nay more iniurious then any of the other clauses whereof iust cause of exception and complaint had bene giuen before If I would collect and heape vp examples of ancient Emperours as of Henrie IV. whos 's dead corps felt the rage and furie of the Pope or of Frederic II. against whom the Pope was not ashamed to whet and kindle the Sultane or of Queene Elizabeth our Predecessour of glorious memorie whose life was diuers times assaulted by priuie murderers expresly dispatched from Rome for that holy seruice if I would gather vp other examples of the same stampe which I haue layd forth in my Apologie for the oath of alleagiance I could make it more cleare then day-light how farre the L. Cardinals words are discrepant from the trewth where his Lordship out of most rare considence is bold to auow Page 97. That neuer any Pope went so farre as to giue consent or counsell for the desperate murdering of Princes That which already hath bene alleadged may suffice to conuince his Lordship I meane that his Holinesse by deposing of Kings doeth lead them directly to their graues and tombes The Cardinall himselfe seemeth to take some notice hereof The Church as he speaketh abhorreth sudden and vnprepensed murders aboue therest Pag. 95. Doth not his Lordship in this phrase of speech acknowledge that murders committed by open force are not so much disauowed or disclaimed by the Church A little after he speakes not in the teeth as before but with full and open mouth that hee doeth not dislike a King once deposed by the Pope should be pursued with open warre Whereupon it followes that in warre the King may be lawfully slaine No doubt a remarkeable degree of his Lordships clemencie A King shall bee better entreated and more mildly dealt withal if he be slaine by the shot of an harquebuse or caleeuer in the field then if hee bee stabd by the stroke or thrust of a knife in his chamber or if at a siege of some city hee be blowne vp with a myne then by a myne made and a traine of gunpowder laid vnder his Palace or Parliament house in time of peace His reason Forsooth because in sudden murders oftentimes the soule and the body perish both together O singular bountie and rare clemencie prouokers instigators strong puffers and blowers of parricides in mercifull compassion of the soule become vnmercifull and shamefull murderers of the body This deuice may well claime and challenge kinred of Mariana the Iesuites inuention For he liketh not at any hand the poisoning of a Tyrant by his meat or drinke for feare lest he taking the poison with his owne hand and swallowing or gulping it downe in his meate or drinke so taken should be found felo de se as the common Lawyer speaketh or culpable of his owne death But Mariana likes better to haue a Tyrant poysoned by his chaire or by his apparell and robes after the example of the Mauritanian Kings that being so poysoned onely by sent or by contact he may not be found guiltie of selfe-fellonie and the soule of the poore Tyrant in her flight out of the body may be innocent O hel-hounds O diabolical wretches O infernall monsters Did they onely suspect and imagine that either in Kings there is any remainder of Kingly courage or in their subiects any sparke left of ancient libertie they durst as soone eat their nailes or teare their owne flesh from the bones as once broach the vessell of this diabolicall deuice How long then how long shall Kings whom the Lord hath called his Anointed Kings the breathing Images of God vpon earth Kings that with a wry or frowning looke are able to crush these earth-wormes in pieces how long shall they suffer this viperous brood scotfree and without punishment to spit in their faces how long the Maiestie of GOD in their person and Royall Maiestie to be so notoriously vilified so dishonourably trampled vnder foot The L. Cardinall borads vs with a like manifest ieast and notably trifles first distinguishing betweene Tyrants by administration and Tyrants by vsurpation then
trāsgressors of diuine humane lawes If the French king in the heart of his kingdom should nourish and foster such a nest of stinging hornets and busie wasps I meane such a pack of subiects denying his absolute Soueraignty as many Romane Catholiks of my Kingdome do mine It may wel be doubted whether the L. Cardinal would aduise his king stil to feather the nest of the said Catholiks stil to keep them warme stil to beare them with an easie and gentle hand It may wel be doubted whether his Lordship would extol their constancie that would haue the courage to sheath vp their swords in his Kings bowels or blow vp his King with gun-powder into the neather station of the lowest regiō It may wel be doubted whether he would indure that Orator who like as himselfe hath done should stir vp others to suffer Martyrdome after such examples and to imitate parricides traitors in their constancy The scope then of the L. Cardinall in striking the sweet strings and sounding the pleasant notes of praises which faine he would fil mine eares withal is only by his excellent skil in the musick of Oratory to bewitch the harts of my subiects to infatuate their minds to settle them in a resolution to depriue me of my life The reason Because the plotters and practisers against my life are honoured and rewarded with a glorious name of Martyrs their constancie what els is admired when they suffer death for treason Wheras hitherto during the time of my whole raigne to this day I speake it in the word of a King and trewth it selfe shall make good the Kings word no man hath lost his life no man hath indured the Racke no man hath suffered corporall punishment in other kinds meerely or simply or in any degree of respect for his conscience in matter of religion but for wicked conspiring against my life or Estate or Royall dignitie or els for some notorious crime or some obstinate and wilfull disobedience Of which traiterous and viperous brood I commanded one to be hanged by the necke of late in Scotland a Iesuite of intolerable impudencie who at his arraignment and publike triall stiffely maintained that I haue robbed the Pope of his right and haue no manner of right in the possession of my Kingdome His Lordship therefore in offering himselfe to Martyrdome after the rare example of Catholiks as he saith suffering all sort of punishment in my Kingdome doeth plainely professe himselfe a follower of traytors and parricides These be the Worthies these the heroicall spirits these the honourable Captaines and Coronels whose vertuous parts neuer sufficiently magnified and praysed his Lordshippe propoundeth for imitation to the French Bishops O the name of Martyrs in olde times a sacred name how is it now derided and scoffed how is it in these daies filthily prophaned O you the whole quire and holy company of Apostles who haue sealed the trewth with your dearest blood how much are you disparaged how vnfitly are you paragoned and matched when traytors bloody butchers and King-killers are made your assistants and of the same Quorum or to speake in milder tearmes when you are coupled with Martyrs that suffer for maintaining the Temporall rites of the Popes Empire with Bishops that offer themselues to a Problematicall Martyrdome for a point decided neither by the authorities of your Spirit-inspired pens nor by the auncient and venerable testimonie of the Primitiue Church for a point which they dare not vndertake to teach otherwise then by a doubtfull cold fearefull way of discourse and altogether without resolution In good sooth I take the Cardinall for a personage of a quicker spirit and clearer sight let his Lordship hold mee excused then to perswade my selfe that in these matters his tongue and his heart his pen and his inward iudgement haue any concord or correspondence one with another For beeing very much against his minde as hee doeth confesse thrust into the office of an Aduocate to pleade this cause he suffered himselfe to bee carried after his engagement with some heat to vtter some things against his conscience murmuring and grumbling the contrary within and to affirme some other things with confidence whereof hee had not beene otherwise informed then onely by vaine and lying report Of which ranke is that bold assertion of his Lordship That many Catholiks in England rather then they would subscribe to the oath of allegiance in the forme thereof haue vndergone all sorts of punishment For in England as we haue trewly giuen the whole Christian world to vnderstand in our Preface to the Apologie there is but one forme or kind of punishment ordained for all sorts of traytors Hath not his Lordship now graced me with goodly testimonialls of prayse and commendation Am I not by his prayses proclaimed a Tyrant as it were inebriated with blood of the Saints and a famous Enginer of torments for my Catholikes To this exhortation for the suffering of Martyrdome in imitation of my English traytors and parricides if wee shall adde how craftily and subtilly hee makes the Kings of England to hold of the Pope by fealty and their kingdome in bondage to the Pope by Temporall recognizance it shall easily appeare that his holy-water of prayses wherewith I am so reuerently besprinkled is a composition extracted out of a dram of hony and a pound of gall first steeped in a strong decoction of bitter wormewood or of the wild gourd called Coloquintida For after he hath in the beginning of his Oration Page 10. spoken of Kings that owe fealtie to the Pope and are not Soueraignes in the highest degree of Temporall supremacie within their Kingdomes to explaine his mind and meaning the better he marshals the Kings of England a little after in the same ranke His words be these When King Iohn of England not yet bound in any temporall recognizance to the Pope had expelled his Bishops c. His Lordship means that King Iohn became so bound to the Pope not long after And what may this meaning be but in plaine tearmes and broad speach to call me vsurper and vnlawfull King For the feudatarie or he that holdeth a Mannor by fealty when he doeth not his homage with all suit and seruice that he owes to the Lord Paramount doeth fall from the propertie of his fee. This reproach of the L. Cardinals is seconded with an other of Bellarmines his brother Cardinall That Ireland was giuen to the Kings of England by the Pope The best is that his most reuerend Lordship hath not shewed who it was that gaue Ireland to the Pope And touching Iohn King of England thus in briefe stands the whole matter Betweene Henry 2. and the Pope had passed sundry bickerments about collating of Ecclesiasticall dignities Iohn the sonne after his fathers death reneweth vndertaketh and pursueth the same quarrell Driueth certaine English Bishops out of the Kingdome for defending the Popes insolent vsurpation vpon his Royall prerogatiue and Regall rights
minds the reformation whereof must onely come of God and the trew Spirit But the other ranke of Layicks who either through Curiositie affectation of Noueltie or discontentment in their priuat humours haue changed their coates onely to be factious stirrers of Sedition and Perturbers of the common wealth their backwardnesse in their Religion giueth a ground to me the Magistrate to take the better heed to their proceeding and to correct their obstinacie But for the part of the Clerickes I must directly say and affirme that as long as they maintaine one speciall point of their doctrine and another point of their practise they are no way sufferable to remaine in this Kingdome Their point of doctrine is that arrogant and ambitious Supremacie of their Head the Pope whereby he not onely claimes to bee Spirituall head of all Christians but also to haue an Imperiall ciuill power ouer all Kings and Emperors dethroning and decrowning Princes with his foot as pleaseth him and dispensing and disposing of all Kingdomes and Empires at his appetite The other point which they obserue in continuall practise is the assassinates and murthers of Kings thinking it no sinne but rather a matter of saluation to doe all actions of rebellion and hostilitie against their naturall Soueraigne Lord if he be once cursed his subiects discharged of their fidelitie and his Kingdome giuen a prey by that three crowned Monarch or rather Monster their Head And in this point I haue no occasion to speake further here sauing that I could wish from my heart that it would please God to make me one of the members of such a generall Christian vnion in Religion as laying wilfulnesse aside on both hands wee might meete in the middest which is the Center and perfection of all things For if they would leaue and be ashamed of such new and grosse Corruptions of theirs as themselues cannot maintaine nor denie to bee worthy of reformation I would for mine owne part be content to meete them in the mid-way so that all nouelties might be renounced on either side For as my faith is the Trew Ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith grounded vpon the Scriptures and expresse word of God so will I euer yeeld all reuerence to antiquitie in the points of Ecclesiasticall pollicy and by that meanes shall I euer with Gods grace keepe my selfe from either being an hereticke in Faith or schismatick in matters of Pollicie But of one thing would I haue the Papists of this Land to bee admonished That they presume not so much vpon my Lenitie because I would be loath to be thought a Persecuter as thereupon to thinke it lawfull for them dayly to encrease their number and strength in this Kingdome whereby if not in my time at least in the time of my posteritie they might be in hope to erect their Religion againe No let them assure themselues that as I am a friend to their persons if they be good subiects so am I a vowed enemie and doe denounce mortall warre to their errors And that as I would be sory to bee driuen by their ill behauiour from the protection and conseruation of their bodies and liues So will I neuer cease as farre as I can to tread downe their errors and wrong opinions For I could not permit the encrease and growing of their Religion without first betraying of my selfe and mine owne conscience Secondly this whole Isle aswell the part I am come from as the part I remaine in in betraying their Liberties and reducing them to the former slauish yoke which both had casten off before I came amongst them And thirdly the libertie of the Crowne in my posteritie which I should leaue againe vnder a new slauery hauing found iâ— left free to me by my Predecessors And therefore would I wish all good Subiects that are deceiued with that corruption first if they find any beginning of instinction in themselues of knowledge and loue to the Trewth to foster the same by all lawfull meanes and to beware of quenching the spirit that worketh within them And if they can find as yet no motion tending that way to be studious to reade and conferre with learned men and to vse all such meanes as may further their Resolution assuring themselues that as long as they are disconformable in Religion from vs they cannot bee but halfe my Subiects bee able to doe but halfe seruice and I to want the best halfe of them which is their soules And here haue I occasion to speake to you my Lords the Bishops For as you my Lord of Durham said very learnedly to day in your Sermon Correction without instruction is but a Tyrannie So ought you and all the Clergie vnder you to be more carefull vigilant and diligent then you haue bene to winne Soules to God aswell by your exemplary life as doctrine And since you see how carefull they are sparing neither labour paines nor extreme perill of their persons to diuert the Deuill is so busie a Bishop yee should bee the more carefull and wakefull in your charges Follow the rule prescribed you by S. Paul Bee carefull to exhort and to instruct in season and out of season and where you haue beene any way sluggish before now waken your selues vp againe with a new diligence in this point remitting the successe to God who calling them either at the second third tenth or twelfth houre as they are alike welcome to him so shall they bee to mee his Lieutenant here The third reason of my conuening of you at this time The third reason of assembling the Parliament which conteineth such actions of my thankefulnesse toward you as I may either doe or leaue vndone yet shall with Gods grace euer presse to performe all the dayes of my life It consists in these two points In making of Lawes at certaine times which is onely at such times as this in Parliament or in the carefull execution thereof at all other times As for the making of them I will thus farre faithfully promise vnto you That I will euer preferre the weale of the body and of the whole Common-wealth in making of good Lawes and constitutions to any particular or priuate ends of mine thinking euer the wealth and weale of the Common-wealth to bee my greatest weale and worldly felicitie A point wherein a lawfull King doeth directly differ from a Tyrant But at this time I am onely thus farre to forewarne you in that point That you beware to seeke the making of too many Lawes for two especiall reasons First because In corruptissima Republica plurimae leges and the execution of good Lawes is farre more profitable in a Common-wealth then to burden mens memories with the making of too many of them And next because the making of too many Lawes in one Parliament will bring in confusion for lacke of leisure wisely to deliberate before you conclude For the Bishop said well to day That to Deliberation would a large time be giuen but to