of Heauen and Earth No doubt they are to play some notable prize Or rather hee brings them forth into the open field where the maine battle is to be fought Hee is now growne to that confidence in his Pontifician forces as hee scorneth any more to goe to worke by digging and delving and close vndermining hee will try it out by dint of sword To this end hee calls mightily vpon his sonnes for fortitude for rigid constancy for sublimitie of a triumphant mind for such bright armour for such braue actions as may be the examples of fortitude This whole clause breathes nothing but Arme Arme. Now is Antichrist come to his full height hee will now aduenture his Kingdome in one maine battle now is the time in all appearance for the fulfilling of that Prophecie Reu. 17. it would be set downe in Capitall letters THE TEN HORNES TEN KINGS HAVE ONE MIND GIVE THEIR POVVER AND STRENGTH VNTO THE BEAST THESE SHALL MAKE WARRE WITH THE LAMBE AND THE LAMB SHALL OVERCOME THEM FOR HE IS LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS AND THEY THAT ARE WITH HIM ARE CALLED AND CHOSEN AND FAITHFVLL The preparation vnto this warre marke it and marke it well all yee on the Lambes side is set downe in the former chap. vpon the powring out of the vyoll of the 6. Angell which noteth this very last time immediately foregoing the seuenth Angell at the powring forth of whose vyoll is the finall and fatall consummation all these earthly states three vncleane spirits like froggs came out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and of the mouth of the false Prophet for they are the spirits of Diuells working miracles which go forth to the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battail of that great day of God Almighty Loe here this fulfilled before our eyes this day when were there more swarmes of Iesuites those vncleane spirits those frogs those spirits of Diuells that seduce with lyes that teach doctrines of Diuells and that as is to bee doubted in England where this battaile is mainely intended to be fought then at this day how doth the Pope here animate and incite them and how vigilant and diligent are these froggs to arme states and kingdomes here and else where yea like those froggs of Egipt crawling into Kings Chambers by their Croking and crowching to gather them to this great battaile of the great day of God Almighty Now euen now I say is this a doing and for their better successe and good speede in this battaile they haue the anxious prayers of the mournefull Church But blessed be God our comfort is they be but the anxious prayers of the malignant Church not of the truly Militant For the Pope speakes of his owne Roman Catholique Church that Antichristian Apostatized Church that whore of Babilon that enemy of Christ and his word That Church whose prayers are abomination to the Lord for as much as they not onely proceede of infidelitie and want of true faith in God which they haue altogether abandoned and accurssed as in their councell of Trent but because also they are powred out for obtaining of their most wicked ends and purposes as the dishonour of God treasons and rebellions murthers and massacres and all mischiefes God forbid such prayers for all their anxiety should prevaile with God Nay God hath forbid it as he hath forbid such abominable prayers What successe had the Popes anxious prayers against poore Luther wherin he solicited Christ Peter Paul all the Gods and Goddesses the whole Roman Catholique Church militant and triumphant Or what successe had all his solemne processions his new letanies to the Blessed Virgin in Spaine and else where in behalfe of the invincible Armado So little feare is there of any such prayers though neuer so anxious But alas would to God our sinnes were not more prevalent to pull vpon vs the plague of your spirit of Charitie and fortitude then your prayers which your prayers if they proue to haue any force at all against vs it is from the impotent strength of our iniquities not of any your pietie Wee feare not that awfull name of the Church though neuer so mournefull which you arrogate to your selues and appropriate to Rome Although wee know that the prayers of the true Church when shee is most mournefull are most powerfull with God Wee feare not the bead-rolles of your Babelling prayers your Aue-Maries your Masses your solemne Processions and infinit such trumperies Wee know that your God is not as our God euen your owne consciences being witnesses and so manifold externall euidences of his diuine dealing in mercy for vs in judgement against you in all those former attempts of yours against vs. And know O Romish sinagogue that in vaine doe yee machinate and meditate the ruine of this faire Church and state if wee bee true but to this our God who hath euer been so true to vs your warre against vs shall not preuaile if wee labour to bee at peace with him Your prayers shall bee of no force where our faithfull and mournefull prayers interpose themselues If God as euer hitherto bee on our side how shall you bee against vs Doe you not remember how many times how mightily how miraculously our God hath defended vs and defeated you how he frustrated your proud confidence in that your invinsible Nauy in 88. as he did the Aegiptians in the Red Sea doe yee not remember how in your Gunpowder plott wherein you digged as deepe as hell presuming no eye saw you yet his all-seeing eye espied you and descried all your councells to cause the heads of those principall powers to bee mounted as high aboue the Parliament house as they mined vnderneath it Vpon what confidence then dare you now renew your old attempts doe you take our God for a changeling But yee presume we are become changelings to make God our enemie God forbid Wee haue not yet forsaken our God as yee haue done Yet we must needes confesse to our owne shame that we haue not walked worthy of nor answerably vnto all those precious mercies and blessings of God which from his good hand vpon vs wee haue enjoyed for these many yeeres euen to the astonishment and swelling enuy of all our enemies Wee haue too much declined from our first loue wee haue not rendred to the Lord in thankefulnesse according to all his goodnesse towards vs wee haue not been so zealous of his glory in maintaining his truth in the purity of it and in suppressing ouer audacious heresie and Idolatrie among vs affronting vs to our face The Lord be mercifull to vs herein And know O yee Pontificians that one publique fast of our Church solemnly and sincerely kept in humiliation for our manifold and great sinnes shall quash and quell all your Dirges and Masses all your solemne prayers and Processions all your hypocriticall fasts and crossings and whatsoeuer
had once committed any businesse of trust though of the highest nature to a seruant he would neuer conceiue the least suspicion of his fidelity adding hee had rather run the hazard of his loyalty then imbitter his generous trust with mixture of feare A strong obligation sure to a seruant so intrusted But some of his seruants trembling replyed what if he proue treacherous hath hee not the more free and secure opportunity to worke his wicked ends But quoth his Highnesse my care shall be such in the Choyce as my trust shall bee built vpon a sure ground Pray God it bee so said his seruants Now this wee see verefied on the Kings part towards your Grace What a liberall trust hath he reposed in you such as not all the gold of Iudai should euer ouer ballance But we all beseech the Lord that his Maiesty may not bee deceiued And haue we not cawse Doth not the safty of the Kings Person Crowne of this Church State of three goodly Kingdoms yea of the Gospell of Christ and of true religion at home and abroad euen ouer Christendome throughout the world depend in a maner vpon this trust committed to your Grace King Achish would haue made Dauid keper of his Head for euer But his Nobles thought it not safe least all their own heads should haue payd for it But the trust committed to your Grace is not only of the Kings head but of all our heads of many millions more that neuer saw your face Haue you not neede then not only of Davids true heart toward his King but of Argus his 100 eyes in watching over Io committed to his trust Yet Argus for all his eyes was so inchaunted with Mercuries pipe whom Iupiter had sent to steale her away that falling all a sleep Io was taken away and Argus had all his eyes puld out and put into the peacocks traine But where are any such Mercuries to inchaunt your Grace Where Alas where are they not specially where reatnes dwelleth at ourt Haue we any need of madd men said the King of Gath And may not the Court say haue we any need of flatterers These be the inchanting Mercuries And of all other none more to be feared then the Iesuites whom the Iupiter of Rome sends into England to inchaunt and impose vpon our most prudent and vigilant Arguses as the learned Bishop hath well obserued in his Tortura Torti Iesuites a generation who as they are the most exquisite Artists in the science of flattery so none hath more cause to beware abhor them then your Grace But you know no Iesuites The greater is your danger and ours For they cōe in sheeps clothing in disguised habits so bold as they can no more blush then their visards lowly lowting charming thechiefest with a counterfet adoration admiration of their I wot not what excellency And were it not miraculous if the Court it selfe especially your Graces house should be free even from many of such flyes which fliblowe the purest flesh with their flatteries The croaking Froggs of Aegypt crawled up into the very Kings chambers and are not these cōpared by the Holy Ghost to Froggs which goe vnto the Kings of the earth and by their crouching and croaking and their Sardonian smiles would allure them to warre against Christ and his gospell It is good therefore your Grace should make a speedy diligent search in the Court in your owne howse and in all the skirts of it round about and so also throught the whole land what Iesuites are lurking any where and to giue them the reward of Traitors Shall wee dally with such shall wee thinke to winne them with complements Wee know the fable of the snake fostered in the mans bosome it is but the Morall of a Iesuite intertained with a Court-like Curtesy Jesuites are nettles if gently handled they sting but if hard grasped they hurt not Contrary to the Basil the Embleme of the Throne established by mercy which being gently stroked on the hand yeelds a pleasant smell but crushed hard vpon it vnsauory Your Grace takeing this course Parcere subjectis et debellare superbos therein you truly discharge the trust committed vnto you Whereas if the execution of good lawes should bee suspended if treason traitors suffered Yf in this perillous season our potent profest enemies should thus be armed against vs what can wee expect but confusion of all And how shall your Grace in the ruine of this goodly state escape scot-free shall your house stand notwithstanding Nay assure your selfe if at this time you doe not bestirre your selfe to reforme things amisse but that they bee suffered to runne on headlong to destruction I may apply that speech of Mordecai to Hester vpon the like occasion Thinke not with thy selfe that thou shalt escape in the Kings howse for yf thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall inlargement and deliuerance arise to Gods people from another place but thou and thy fathers howse shall be destroyed Nor let this my boldnesse seeme strange to your Grace though perhaps you bee not much acquainted with such as will speake the downe right truth Of all Iobs friends hee found but one Elihu who sayd Let me not I pray you accept any mans person neyther let me giue flattering titles vnto men For I know not to giue flattering titles in so doing my Maker would soone take me away If Iob in his Misery found but one such no maruaile if your Grace find scarce one As for mee I am an English-man a free borne subiect a true louer of my King Countrey yea I am also an vnworthy Minister of Christ a poore watch-man of Israell and when I see my soueraine King my Mother Country the Glory of God the Gospell of Christ the Church of England yea the Church of Christ ouer the world in danger to bee destroyed and all brought vnder the tyranny of Antichrist and the Spanish yoake shall I bee silent shall I not speake shall I not lift vp my voice like a trumpet shall I not thus free my soule whatsoever shall become of my body Yea for Sions sake I will not hold my tongue and for Ierusalems sake I cannot rest vntill the righteousnesse thereof goe forth as brightnesse and the salvation thereof as a Burning Lampe I feare neither prison nor death it selfe that I may discharge a good conscience both towards my God my King Countrey Nor feare I to be censured as a Polypragmaticke What haue Ministers to doe to meddle in State-mysteries Sir let mee speake boldly it were happy if as in the apostatized Kingdomes of Christendome the Priests of Baals counsels I mene Iesuites Priests which must needs bring ruine to them are followed So in this Kingdome of Iuda onely the truth-telling Micaia's were heard Good King Dauid could say I am wiser then my teachers then the aged then mine Enemies for thy testimonies are my delight and my
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
tels vs plainly he will keepe no faith with heretickes neither will he make any faith with them Onely herein he is most vniust that not onely those who are the onely true and orthodox Catholikes he cals heretickes and those that are his sonnes and consequently the limmes of Antichrist Apostates from the faith of Christ he calleth Catholikes but more especially that hee goeth about to perswade subiects not to enter into couenant of fidelitie by oath to their rightfull and onely Soueraigne King ouer them vpon earth next vnder God which couenant they ought not onely to make being demanded but betweene God and their owne heart religiously to vow and before all the world faithfully auow He that shall perswade men from this naturall bond of dutie is a traitour and vsurper ouer God and man euen the great Antichrist Howsoeuer I am perswaded the Pope hath no one Catholike Sonne in England so impious if he haue but a true English heart in him vn-Iesuited that he will refuse but rather most willingly take the oath and be ready whensoeuer there shall be occasion to hazzard his person and all his power against any Romish Spanish Inuasion They cannot be so farre blinded and besotted with Popish spels and Iesuiticall charmes but that they will euer put an infinite difference betweene their English and a Spanish King But if any be otherwise minded hauing exchanged his English for a Spanish heart if he may not trust himselfe to take the oath for feare of periurie neither I trust will his bare promise be taken lest whensoeuer the great flye should hisse out of Babylon he should forget his promise turn hornet or waspe to set against the Master Bee of this hony-flowing hiue of England But I trust for all the Popes charge here to the contrary that no English Papist will so far preferre his breath before his life that rather then spend the one in taking the oath he will expire the other It followeth But that your vertue may be found more precious then gold which is tried in the fire teach that Kingdome that there is no such force in the crueltie of enemies that it is able to extinguish the eternall fire of charitie in your hearts Pray for them that persecute you humilitie patience concord fasting prayer are your weapons which in the cruell conflict ye ought to draw forth that the palmes of coelestiall triumph may flourish in your hands for seeing blessed Peter was forbidden to smite with the sword the cruell assailants of Christ wee exhort you hauing the present good of the Church before our eyes that in the meane time you thinke the thoughts of peace and that yee pray for eternall life euen for the King while he takes away your mortall life So must the souldiers of Christ make warre vnder the banner of the Crosse the mouth of them that speake wicked things shall be confounded seeing ye know not to hate those who torment you But the Lord who is able to turne your sorrow into ioy shall be at your right hand that yee be not moued and may not forget his testament wherein he had bequeathed the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen to his Imitatours Answer Wee may say of this whole clause in generall as the learned Bishop in his Tortura vpon the very like purpose where bringing in Tortâ— his obiection that the holy Fathers the Iesuites as Father Garnet c. sent a good exhortation from the Citie to the Catholikes in the Countrie here in England he speakes it about the powder treason that they should containe themselues from all tumults saith Vetus ea techna est saepe quidem detecta proin semper suspecta vt non alio magis tempore scribant inde Pontifices in eum finem quam cum maleficium maximè meditantur Mulcere hîs volunt Argos nostros vt sibi ipsis dicant Pax tuta omnia qua sic repentina clades irruat in eos nil tale suspicantes Nan erat certè cur monitionem illam nominares que nobis nuncia est procellae certò tum semper imminentis Quin alia tum erat monitionis huius ratio Tam enim placuit tam certe spes erat Negotium hoc de puluere vt nollent illud interturbari tumultâ—â— vllo iuberent verò quiescere alios omnes vt huic vni locus esset in quo reposita illis spes omnis That is an old peece of craft often detected and therefore alwayes suspected that at no time more the Popes doe write to such a purpose then when most of all they intend mischiefe Here they would sweetly impose vpon our sharpest wits that they may say to themselues Peace and all safe that so sudden destruction may take them tardy while they suspect no such thing There was no cause why yee should mention that admonition which to vs is the messenger of a storme certainely then alwaies imminent But there was also another reason of this admonition for this businesse of the powder-plot was so pleasing so certainely hopefull that they would not haue it interrupted with any tumult but should command all others to bee quiet that this one businesse might take place wherein all their hope was lapped vp Thus by the iudgement of our graue and experienced Fathers wee may learne what interpretation to make what to expect when Romes holy Fathers in their Buls exhort their Sonnes to be quiet and to containe themselues from tumult as here the Pope doth If thus they did vpon the Gunpowder-plot all husht till the sudden blast doth not this extraordinary sun-gleame foretoken some such hideous storme ready to fall vpon vs Is not this a sprinkling of water vpon lime or with oyle to suppresse the flame The token which Iudas gaue to the apprehenders of Christ was a traiterous kisse and Romes signall to her treacherous attempts is Peace peace But as the French say in their Prouerbe When the Spaniard comes to parle of peace then double-bolt the doores so I hope England will be so wise as when they obserue the Popes morning sun-shine of peace from vnder a cloud they will prouide for a rainie day But to the words in more particular In the forefront of this clause here is twice mention of fire And how great matter a little fire kindleth This very word in the Lord Mounteagles letter of fire was that which through Gods prouidence kindled in King Iames his conceit a suspition of such a like plot as indeede it proued Vpon whose iudgements wee may the more boldly suspect by the Popes twice mention of fire that without doubt some fiery triall is now in hand euen fire and sword Here againe the Pope puts his Sonnes in minde of their vertue and prowesse as also of their enemies the King and State enough to blow the coales of their hatred and so to exercise the eternall fire of their vnquenchable charitie A fiery charitie indeede of the nature of wilde-fire or