Defense of the Watch-Word Against the Ward-Word, Part 6
Resistance to the sixt Encounter about Recusants.
TRue is the saying of Tully, Qui semel modestiae limites transilijt, &c. He that hath once broken the bounds of modestie, must be lustily and outragiously impudent: so fareth it with this masked and disguised companion (who being vizoured cannot blush) he hath runne a strange veine of immodest and impudent rayling in the whole course of his processe,Te rayling of N.D. in which praise he passeth all that euer I hauehave read; but in this Encounter he is outragious, and doth here ouercome himselfe: He hath left no corner of his wit vnsought, how he might calumniate and slander me, he termeth me an Herodian, without conscience, and readie to pawne my soule for pleasing the Prince and State. He chargeth me with a diuellish and detestable disposition against Catholikes, that either I hauehave plaied the part of Iudas to betray and take them, or of Caiphas to condemne and afflict them. And not content herewith (because happely he knoweth no step of anie bloudy action can be shewed in me, that I euer whipped, stocked, fettered, or sought to bring any to death, yea when one Hanse a Priest was by authoritie committed to me, it is well knowne, I vsed him withall humanitie, and courtesie, letting him fare no worse then my selfe, and lodge as might hauehave seemed a better man then himselfe) he chargeth not onelyonly my selfe, but also my honourable brother that dead is, with a supposall of wishes against her Maiesties safetie, hauing perfectlie learned the olde lesson of the schoolemaster of rayling, Calumniare audacter, &c. Rayle and slaunder boldlie; for though the wound may be cured, yet a blemish or scarre will remain. But it is well written of Plinie, that the nature of the Loadstone is to draw Iron to it, but an Adamant set against it doth withstand it that it cannot draw: so though this intemperate & vnbridled tongue, would draw vponupon me ignominie, reproach, and hatred; yet against all his calumniations I will oppose the cleerenes and freedome of a good conscience, and that shal be as a fenced Tower and wall of Brasse, to breake and blunt the forces of all the sharpe arrowes, that this vnrulie tongue hath or shall shoote against me. And so bequeathing all his rayling in his whole libell to the diuell from whence it proceeded, (as Saint Iames teacheth vsus, speaking of such a tongue as his,Iames. 3. that it setteth on fire the whole course of nature, and is set on fire of hell) and commending his person to the Lords merciemercy, if it may please him at anie time to indue him with a better spirit: to the substance and matter of his exceptions against mee, I will shape a short, yet (I hope) a sufficient answere.
The first exception or rather meere cauill is against these my words that I direct to the common sort.An outward ciuill conuersation. That though some Papistes doe shew a good outward ciuill carriage in ciuill matters; yet let not that possesse you with too great a regard of them, tearming it afterward a deceitfull bayte. Whence you gather, or rather wring out two things, first that I make little account of good life in Catholikes: secondly, that I leaue good-workes to Catholikes, and reserue onelyonly threed-bare faith to our selues. But (good Sir) there is no such matter, you misse your ayme verie much: as I know & grant that not the hearers of the law but the doers shal be iustified, and that if we be not doers of the word, but hearers onelyonly, we deceiue our owne selues, hauing no interest in those three benefits specified in our Creed by Christ purchased to the faithfull, Forgiuenes of sinnes, Glorious resurrection of our bodies, Eternall life: so I did neuer so much as by dreame imagine any the least forwardnes to good workes in Papistes aboue vsus, to whom (God forbid) that herein we should be inferiour. It seemeth you are possessed with Narcissus folly, to fall in louelove with your owne shadowe, take heede of his end.
But I pray you are not the vulgar and common sort easilie deceiued by and outward ciuill carriage of men? Who when they see a man keepe good hospitalitie, giuegive almes to the poore, performe his word, and such like; (which are all commendable vertues) they pronounce such a man, without further enquirie to be a good Christian, and a religious man: whereas many times they that doe such things, not onelie are not true Christians,Ciuill honesty to be found amongst Infidels & Turkes. but professe no Religion at all: may not these then be truly said to be deceitfull baites in such a man? It is written of Iulian the Apostata, that he caused almes-houses to be erected, in sundrie places of his Empyre, appointing that poore Christians aswell as others, should be there relieued: yeelding this reason, that sith the Christians taught to doe good not onelyonly to friends, but to our enemies, it were ashame for them to be inferiour to Christians in doing good. Amongst Turkes, Iewes, Pagans, many things are done wisely, valiantly, iustly, and according to ciuill honestie; yet are but deceitfull arguments to perswade to be of their Religion, and (as Chrysostome I trow tearmeth such mens outward good works) as gaye apparrell put vponupon a dead carcase. I hauehave ascribed no more to the Papists in this point, then may trulie be yeelded to the heathen: and yet the Papistes especiallie of the wealthier sort, when now the streame and course of the law goeth against them, vsing for policie much kindnes, courtesie, affabilitie,True faith not without good workes. to the inferiour and common sort; may by this meanes winde themselues into their bosomes; and as a Mirmaiden with her sugred song, and the Scorpion with his fawning and smiling, meane destruction in the ende: fo by this plausible courtesie they seeke to drawe and induce to their religion, by which sugred baite many are ensnared, with the wordes of our Sauiour, Beware of false Prophets, by their fruites ye shall know them, &c. I gladly agree and subscribe to them, as also to the testimony of Saint Iames: Thou hast faith, and I hauehave workes, shew me thy faith without workes, and I will shew thee my faith by my workes. For as wee see not the soule of man (it being a spirituall substance) yet whom we see to walk, to speake, to hauehave sense and feeling, wee know the soule to be in that man: so faith being an inward qualitie of the soule, cannot be seene of anie but by effectes, namely good workes. And as a painted fire is no fire, because it wanteth heate, and an Image is not a man, because it wanteth sense: so no more is that faith indeed (but onelyonly in name) which doth not fructifie by good workes; as the Church of Sardi had a name that it liued, but indeed it was dead, it was called spirituall, but was carnall. The true iustifying faith must be accompanied with an holy conuersation: Iustification, and sanctification cannot be seuered. But being my selfe in the ranke of learners, I confesse it becommeth me to referre you, for a full answere to your blasphemy against our true doctrine of iustifycation to those that hauehave both learnedlie and diuinelie handled it, to the true comfort of all Gods children.
Now to bring you out of your wonder, for my speaking so much of deceipt and dissimulation in your Catholikes,Dissimulation taught by Papistes. seeing of all other people in the Realme, these men (say you) dissemble least, &c. I must pray you with patience to peruse some of your Iesuiticall instructions, discouered by one of their owne crew, some few yeeres past, in the Northparts, to a godlie learned man, who by authoritie was imployed in the examination of them, and tell me how you can cleare your Recusants, I meane such of them as hauehave been taught these holy lessons, and apprehended them for fit to be followed, and follow them (as too manie doe) from deceipt and deepe dissimulation? A seducer being sent ouer to play his part amongst vsus, when he was taken, did reueale (amongst many other things) to his assigned examiner these three positions following. First, that the Recusants1 should reserue themselues both in bodie and goods in plenitudinē temporis: secondly, that they should not2 make doubt to present themselues to our Churches; for it should not only not be imputed to them for sin, but takē to be as meritorious, as if they did sit so long in the stockes for Christ his cause: Thirdly, that in all3 their answeres and other behauiours, they should shew themselues as dutifull Subiects, till such time as there were certa spes victoriae: these be brought with speciall direction to be taught and perswaded, and how farre these lead wide from deepe dissimulation I appeale to the indifferent Reader, but this is no noueltie in Poperie, though your dimme sight cannot discerne it.Dissimulation of some Papists manifested. And I pray you (Sir) what meant sundry of your Recusants the last sommer (when all the land was in armes) to sell away their goods, and to slide out of the way themselues, when order was giuen to dsarme them? did not this arguea reseruing of themselues in plenitudinem temporis, and that, they had some hope, that their certa spes victoriae was not farre off?
The threefold accusation examined.You proceed further to my triple accusation (as you terme it) against them, which yet is rather an admonition for due prouidence, then an accusation to draw on anie heauie punishment. I note three things. First, the harme they continually doe; secondly, the hurt they would doe; thirdly, their deep dissimulation:2The hurt Recusants do. for the first, I onelyonly insist in this one hurt, that when the Gentleman recuseth, and is borne withall, the meaner sort receiue infection and draw backe also: Likewise though the husband come to the Church, if the wife refufe, the danger redoundeth to the whole household, and wiues of the meaner sort are by them likewise infected. Of which you make light, but it ought to be of more moment to vsus; and therefore more heedfully to be seene vntounto, then you desire to hauehave it. For how shall the child, the seruant, the tenant, be forward to know the truth, when the Parent, the Master, the Land-lord refuse knowledge? The wifes recusancie was not so common, till men infected with popery were perswaded, that they could not be drawne by law to pay the penaltie for the wiues: and the Popes holines had a dispensation readie for the husband to goe to Church. Now that the meaner and poorer sort of women are infected by these of the wealthier, and that they when they come home, labour also to peruert their husbndes, it neither need seeme strange to you, and we that liue to serue in the countrie, finde too lamentable experience of it. For commonlie and for the most part, men proue to be such, as are they whose companie they frequent: and daily experiēce doth teach vsus the tiuth of the old saying: Cum boni, cum malis conuer santur, &c. When the good conuerse and keepe companie with the euill, sooner are the good by the euill corrupted, then the euill by the good conuerted. Heresie is by sundrie writers compared to the plague, as for sundry other respectes; so for this, that as the plague doth spread it infection to manie, oftentimes infecting the whole house, and reaching the venome thereof to neighbour-houses, so that it sometimes filleth the whole Towne or Citie with dead corpses: so heresie feeketh to infect manie, and to spread the poyson of it from one to another. Now those that are sicke of the plague, by a laudable policie, we seclude from companie, that so they may not infect others: greater care ought (in my opinion) to be taken of heretikes, that they may not raunge whither they wil, and keepe companie with whom they please, for that the danger is greater of heresie, then of the plague: for the plague killeth but the bodie, heresie killeth the soule; the plague threatneth temporall death, heresie eternall.
But you aske from what these wiues, children, seruants, tenants, and husbands doe fall? and I answere, as manie of them as become Papists, fall from true Religion, and manie of them also from loyaltie and sound louelove to their countrie. But you say conscience is cause of this fall, and not euill will or rebellion? and I answere, it is fancie that leadeth them rather then conscience; for conscientia must be cum scientia, conscience must be grounded vponupon knowledge, and knowledge is to be fetched not from your traditionall doctrine of Rome, and vnwritten verities, but from the written word of God, which is able to make a man wise to saluation, through faith which is in Iesus Christ.
Forcing to do against Conscience.The long idle discourse that you runne, about forcing men to doe an act contrarie to their conscience, maketh nothing against vsus, but much against your selues: for we neuer taught it, we doe not practise it, we subscribe to the whole discourse of Saint Paule, concerning the meates sacrificed to Idols, as also to the generall proposition; whereupon he groundeth that particular argument, that what soeuer is not of faith is sinne. Therefore we first tender instruction to informe the conscience, and if that be obstinately refused and reiected (as the fashion of the most Recusants is to answere:Moderate punishment for Religion lawfull. They will not conferre with anie, they are setled:) then moderate punishment we hold fit to be inflicted, by the Christian Magistrate, thereby to reclaime them from their Idolatrie, by which God is dishonoured, and to bring them to the true honour and worship of God. Moderate correction of heretikes, accompanied with due instruction, was neuer accounted consciencelesse, and vnmercifull dealing, but alwaies practised in the Church. Augustine commendeth it by experience, Cùm doctrinae vtili, disciplina salutaris adiungitur, &c. When wholesome discipline, is ioyned to godlie doctrine, that not onelyonly the light of truth, may expell the darkenes of errour, but the force of feare may breake the bands of euill custome, we reioyce at the conuersion of manie. This point the same father in sundrie places teacheth. But what punishment is laid vponupon Recusants, by the rare clemencie of her Maiestie, any way comparable to those that Christian Emperours hauehave made against Recusants, or such as refused to communicate with the Church of Christ? They were discommoned from buying and selling, from bequeathing their goods or lands to others, or receiuing anie Legacies from others, yea they might not inioy their fathers inheritaunce, &c. What like thing is done to English Recusants?Comparison tweene our punishment of Recusants, & those of former times. or rather what not vnlike? they buy, they sell, they bequeath their goods at their pleasure, they receiue legacies, and inioy inheritances. The most that for many yeers was done to them for their recusancie, was some restraint of their persons, but with free vse of their goods, and open resort of their wiues, and friends: and after the daungerous attempts of manie, yet the greatest increase of penaltie is a Multe of monie, which also is easilie passed ouer; for scant the tenth Recusant doth either pay the whole penaltie of money, or suffereth the restraint of his person, but liueth at home,The Papistes hands deepe in this transgression. and at libertie. But (Sir) you that make such a pitifull complaint, or rather outragious outcrie, against the gentle and motherlie chasticement wherewith her Maiestie correcteth Recusants: what say you to your whipping, and scourging, to your torturing, and tormenting, to your holy house in Spayne, (because I perceiue you are so addicted to Spayne?) what to the infinite fires you kindled in Queene Maries time, wherein so manie hundreds of Gods Saints, young and olde, learned and vnlearned, men and women, without respect of age, or sex were burnt to ashes? what to your sundrie massacres? namely of the Albigenses, Calabrians, Merindolians, &c. May your Prelates whip and scourge those that refuse to come to your Idolatrie, as Boner did diuers with his owne hand? May you torture, and torment men, because they will not beleeue your vnwritten verities, as Boner burnt Tomkins hand, and Tirrell a Iustice of peace did Rose Allens hand? May you put men to death for refusing to acknowledg a peece of bread to be their maker? contrarie to the iudgement of the ancient fathers, as Augustine testifieth: It neuer pleased anie good man in the Catholike Church, that heretikes should be put to death: nay may you kill both young and olde without difference, (as in the former Massacres) without euer perswading them, or giuing them respite to aduise vponupon your doctrine? and may not your selues be punished? may not moderate corrections be inflicted vponupon you? shall it be sacriledge to touch the hemme of your garments? but God giuegive you grace to repent your owne bloudie murthers, and to take benefit by her Maiesties gentle correction, who sucketh not your bloud, but seeketh your benefite and endlesse saluation.
Touching the hurt Recusants would do,2The hurt Recusants would doe. I say, who doubteth but they would hauehave vp their Masse againe &c. And here he fareth like a mad man, saying: That the Turke, nor any Prince in the world, vrgeth men vponupon vaine points of inward wishes, & secret cogitations, & that I, contrary to al reason & humanity, would hauehave it vrged vpō Catholikes in England; what they wish, & what they desire. But I pray you of what secret wishes speake I? Do I presume to sit in the consistory of mens harts, & to iudge their inward thoughts? or rather folowing the rule of our sauiour, by their fruits shal ye know thē, do I only speak of such as are by outward actiōs opēly discouered? or what vrging would I hauehave of these wishes? of punishment for their smart? or of prouidence for our own safetie? when he hath answered me this, then let him tell me, whether not only Turkes, but all christian Princes in the world, wil hauehave an eie to such subiects, as are by their masters abroad, & by new Inmates & intruding Iesuits at home, taught yt it is not only lawful, but honorable to rebel against the prince, vponupon ye Popes command; and from whō the forraine enemy & inuador, doth opēly professe that he expecteth aide. This needeth no further answer because he hath no further mattter to build his calumnious inuectiue vponupon. This is a point of rare & most insolent barbarity, that cōdemning my few words of the hurt Recusants would doe (though by open effectes bewraied) as more then Turkish, he doth himselfe (and I am perswaded contrary to his own cōscience, onelyonly vponupon an innate and naturall engrafted inclination he hath to be mouthed like the diuell) burst forth into such a malignant presumption of inward thoughts, against my honourable dead brother and my selfe, as no barbarous Scythian would euer offer the like. We will examine it in a word. He is not onelyonly contented to hold on his rayling fit at me,Barbarous railing against Henrie Earle of Huntingdō. but he must steppe into the graue of a dead man, my honourable dead brother, and such a dead man, as thousandes yet liuing did know, and will witnesse him to hauehave been a most religious man, both in knowledge, and practise, and a most loyall and dutifull subiect and seruant to his Soueraigne, which he expressed by his care, diligence, and paines, in all her seruices, and in sifting out all perils that might impeach her safetie: He was precise and straite in his gouernment for his Soueraignes good, and in the execution of Iustice in his place, in all causes betweene partie & party, he was of a most vpright and indifferent carriage, and that will manie Recusants yet liuing, witnesse for him against this calumniatour: He continued President of Yorke for many yeeres by her Maiesties commission, who hath giuen manie a most gracious testimonie in his life time of his approued fidelitie, and her well-liking of his seruice to his great comfort and commendation, and since his death in her princely affection to him, hath often bewailed the losse of him; and yet this base railing companion blusheth not to strike, at this religious honourable Gentleman, with his malicious penne, by imputing vntounto him vndutifull and disloyall wishes against her highnes; for whom all our English world knoweth, he neuer held his patrimonie, nor his life too deare to be spent: As for so much as expecting what person should succeed her, so delightfull a thing it was to him, to see the end of her daies, as he would often verie heartily pray, that he might not liue to see her daies ended; which his praier the Lord heard, in whom he died assuredlie, and therefore is blessed for euer. Therefore thou blasphemous mouth against God and man, cease anie more to barke at this blessed dead mans graue. As for my selfe, I liue to set my foote against anie that dare accuse him or me, of the least disloyall thought; and if thou darest not shew thy face, I neither will offer nor desire anie better clearing, then the course of my dutifull carriage hath done, and shall doe to my dying daie: I will onelie adde this one sentence, written heretofore by a true hearted Englishman, wherein I ioyne with him from my heart. I like better the honest wisedome of those that studie how the Queene may stand and not fall, then the reaching pollicie of those, that deuise how themselues may stand, when the Queene is fallen: And from such reaching Polititians, God deliuer and disburthen her Maiesty, and her kingdome, and increase the number of such religious honest hearts to her, as will pray daily to God for the prolōging of her daies, employ their wits wholy to preserue her person, and put backe all perils that may come towards her, and will not thinke their liues too deere to stand in the gappe to withholde daunger from her.
The third imputation against the Papistes is their dissimulation,3Dissimulation in sundrie Papists. of which somewhat hath been alreadie shewed: but here you proceed againe to raile, cauill, and misconstrue my words: your railing I still passe ouer, in which kind I list not to contend with you: your cauilling and misconstruing shall briefely be laid open. My words you set downe; These ciuill honest men that vnderunder pretence of Conscience rebell against God in religion, and refuse to yeeld a loyall obedience to their Liege-Ladie, seeme to carrie a most lamentable resolution lurking in their bosomes against Queene, Countrie, and vsus all, &c. And if this be conscience, I know not what conscience meaneth, and yet this conscience they fetch from Rome, &c. You beginne with the last wordes, from which you pike out this conclusion against me, that I know not what conscience meaneth, either in nature and definition, or in practise and feeling; the first you say is past my vnderstanding, by reason my bringing vp hath hnot been in schooles; the other you take vponupon you to make plaine I am voide of, by my manner of writing against Catholikes, &c. Surely I willingly confesse my wants in learning to be verie great, and doe bewaile my losse of time in that behalfe, yet this I hope I may say without suspition of vanitie or ostentation, that I laid the grounds of learning in one of the best schooles in this land, namely Winchester, and added some further building in one of the best Vniuersities in Christendome, namelie Oxford, studying there in Magdaleine Colledge vnderunder that worthy Doctor Humfrey, where besides my priuate study, I wanted not such furtherance, as the cōference with sundrie of the best learned in the Vniuersitie could afford me; and since I left the Vniuersitie, I hauehave not spent so much time in hunting & hawking, as you presume, although I hold them for lawfull recreations moderatelie vsed in the feare of God. And therefore I did long since know (I praise God) that Conscience is a part of our vnderstanding, determining of our particular actions, either with them or against them: I knowe also that of this Conscience God onelie is Lorde, and his words and lawes, doe onelyonly binde the same properlie; and from hence must we fetch the direction and warrant of our practise of Conscience which will not admit vsus to depose, and set vp, and to obey & disobey Soueraignes at our pleasures, yea and to kill Princes (as your Pope giueth warrant to doe) and then to say we doe it of Conscience, but will giuegive me a sufficient warrantise, to condemne all such Schoolemasters and Schollers; and so Sir (not as a teacher in our Israel, but as a Scholler) I hauehave tolde you what Conscience is, and by that touch I hauehave giuen of the practise and feeling of Conscience (which must bee warranted by the word of God, and not by mens dreames, and traditions) I hauehave cancelled the warrant you would take to your selues, to disobey and resist the authoritie, giuen to her Maiestie from God.
The rest that you snarle at in these words, or in those that follow, concerning my speeches against Recusants, or any thing materiall thereto belonging, I will briefelie answere: First my tearmes of falsehoode; disloyaltie, wicked treasons, and lurking resolutions against Queene and Countrie, calling them the Catilines of our time, &c. This doth moue your patience much, and for this I must vndergoe the bitter biting of your venemous and slaunderous tongue, and bee called a monstrous lyer, and calumniatour, which by a bricke wall will hazard to light vponupon your selfe. For why should I be blamed to charge them with falsehoode, disloyaltie, treason, and lurking resolutions against Queene and Countrie, and to bee the very Catilines of our age, when your Popes doctrine teacheth nothing else, and they frame themselues in all things to obey him? When Rebellions hauehave been raised within our owne bowels? When her Maiesties life hath so many times been shot at, and her Kingdome attempted to be inuaded? And in the first two, sundrie of your Recusants false fingers hauehave been set on worke, and in the third the Inuaders hauehave promised to themselues (and so published) great assistance from them, and both for Inuasion, Rebellion, and taking away of her Highnes life; who hauehave been the very Catilines of our Countrie, but they? Doth not your Captaine and Cardinall Allen, Cardinall Allen inciteth to Rebellion.openlie blow the trumpet of sedition against her Maiestie, teaching all English Papists this Catholike doctrine, that, since her excommunication, and deposition by the Pope, she hath no iust title or interest to her Crowne and Kingdome; and that no Acte done by her authoritie, since the publishing of that excommunication and deposition, hath been or can be lawfull, by the lawe of God, or man? and therefore that no man may lawfullie serue her in any action, bee it otherwise neuer so iust? If Catiline himselfe were aliue, could hee more pestilentlie perswade to sedition then doth this Cardinall? And are not they Catilines mates, so many as yeelde to the perswasion of this Catilinarian Cardinall? And what doth the dispensation graunted to Parsons and Campion teach our Papists? Doth it not teach them to dissemble? Consider the wordes of the dispensation:Dispensation of Gregorie 13 to Parsons and Campion. where in the Bull of Pius Quintus all her Subiects are commaunded not to obey her, and she being excommunicate and deposed, all that doe obey her, are likewise innodate and accursed (which point is perilous to the Catholikes, for if they obey her, they are in the Popes curse, and if they disobey, they are in the Queenes danger) therefore the present Pope to relieue them hath altered that part of the Bull, and dispensed with them to obey and serue her, without perill of excommunication, which dispensation is to endure, but till that it please the Pope otherwise to determine. First, they teach generallie that all which obey the Prince, by the Pope deposed; are accursed, which if it be not a seditious and Catilinarian Doctrine, let the Reader iudge. Secondlie, Papists are dispensed with, that with…out daunger of the Popes curse, they may obey th… Queene; but is it, that the Queene may be safe? N… care of their owne safetie procured this dispensatio… or are they taught to obey of Conscience, and fro… the heart? Nay, flatlie for feare, because (saith the …pensation) if they disobey they are in the Queen… daunger: and this is contrarie to S. Paules Doctrin… who teacheth to obey the Magistrate not onelie for wrath, that is feare of punishment, but also for Conscience sake. Lastlie, how long are they permitted to obey in this sort? No longer then the Pope please otherwise3 to appoint: if the Pope send in secretlie some Iesuites, to whispher in their eares, that hee hath cancelled this dispensation, or otherwise publikelie signifie it; then by your doctrine, they must disobey, and rebell, or else they are accursed.
All Recusants not charged with dissimulatiō or rebellious mindes.And yet your corrupt construction cannot hereby hold against me, that I accuse all Papists to be guilt, of these crimes, I neuer said it, I neuer thought it: for though it be euidēt, yt your Popes doctrine doth teach it generallie to all men, yet I assure my selfe we hauehave many of that professiō in recusancy, who are in simplicity led by the line of their superstiiton very far, which yet will not shake hands with them in their treasons, either against her Maiestie, or their countrie, to please Pope, or anie forraine Potentate whatsoeuer. For that some Papists are not so perswaded of the Popes power, that he hath authoritie to depose Princes we hauehave examples:…e Papists … …at the … de… Hart plainelie writeth (as before was touched) that the opinion of them who hold the Pope to be a temporall Lord ouer Kings and Princes …s vnreasonable and vnprobable altogether, and that …e hath not to meddle with them and theirs ciuillie, …ch lesse to depose them, or giuegive away their king…mes, that is no part of his commission. Yea fur…r he confesseth that we giuegive no more to the …eene, by the title of Supremacie, then Augustine …th giuegive to all kings, and to this Supremacie of her …aiestie he subscribed. Besides this, there is a booke written by one Iohn Bishop a Recusant Papist, prouing that the Pope cannot depose her Maiestie, or release her subiectes of their alleageance to her: In which 1he handleth these sixe propositions. 1. That the Pope and all the Bishops and Priestes are subiect by the law of God to the temporall Magistrate, in whose 2Realme and Dominion they do dwell. 2. That they cānot depriue christian princes of their principalities. 33. That the Pope cannot loose subiectes of their naturall faith and obedience to their Prince. 4. That it4 is no determinatiō of faith, that the Pope may depose Princes. 5. That the Canon made at the Councell5 of Lateran, touching the deposing of Princes (the which hath bred the greatest scruple in our English Romane Catholikes) neither is, nor euer was of force within this land. 6. That the sentence pronounced6 against her Maiestie, was neither lawfully, nor orderlie done, according to the Laterane Canon. Therefore I am farre from imputing the crime of sedition to all Recusantes, and as I doe not accuse all, so can no man trulie excuse all; for it cannot be denied, but that verie manie hauehave been ouertaken with this humour, by the perswasions of Iesuites and Seminaries, as hath been proued before; and from hence you may pike out your hard and heathenish hearts, wherof you make mention: As for the bare sense of an English heart, which you snatch out of my words, it is such an heart, as hauing onelyonly the light of nature (without anie knowledge of the true God at all) would not so brutishly seeke the life of their lawfull Soueraigne, to the betraying of their countrie into the handes of straungers, and such an honest heart, I wish you at the least.
After this iangling railer hath vngorged his malicious stomacke against me,The truth of my position iustified. for this my triple accusation (as he will hauehave it) he proceedeth, and that with the gal of bitternes (for the Ethiopian cannot change his blacknes) to inuey against me, for setting downe a position, which both religion and nature it selfe doth teach vsus; the position is this, That euerie Christian man ought to striue to keepe these three things sound within his breast, his conscience before God, his loyaltie to his Prince, and his louelove to his countrie: Which after he hath frowardly and peruersely wrested to his owne fantasticall sense, he breaketh forth into this exclamation, what Atheist would euer say so? and I say, who but a wretched wrangler would euer cauill so? for may not men be loyall to their Princes, except they obey all their commaundements? Or can they not be louing to their countrie, except they obey all the lawes therof? Inward loyaltie differeth from outward obedience, the first we owe alwaies, the second in all things we may not yeeld. I hope (Sir) you will not accuse the Apostles of disloyaltie, who yet obeied not all the commaundements of their Princes? nor of want of louelove to their countrie, though they yeelded not to all the lawes thereof?Rebellion cunningly broached. But you will proue by sundrie examples, and that of the Scripture, that we are not bound alwaies to louelove our countrie, as by the examples of Abraham and Lot, Abraham and Lot.yea that we may rebell against Prince and Countrie by the example of Ieremie, Ieremie.Ieroboam and Iehu. Did Abraham or Lot cease to louelove their countrie, because at Gods speciall commaundement they left it? or did not the Prophet Ieremie louelove his countrie,Iere 9. because by speciall Reuelation, and appointment from God, he perswaded the people to deliuer vp Ierusalem into their enemies hands? for whose destruction foreseene, and by God reuealed vntounto him, he breaketh forth into that patheticall exclamatiō: Oh that my head were full of water, and mine eies a fountaine of teares, that I might weepe daie and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! For who…e deliuerance he so often & so heartily praied, and was forbidden by the Lord to praie any more for them: whose destruction, after it happened, he bitterlie bewailed in his mournful lamentations? do these things proue he loued not his country? Or because the Lord himselfe did rent the kingdome out of the hands of Salomon, & gaue ten Tribes to Ieroboam from Rheboam Salomons sonne?Ieroboam. And because he also expreslie commanded Iehu, Iehu.to destroy the whole house of Ahab his master, doth it hence follow that subiects may be disloiall, and rebell against their Princes? who but a Popish Parasite would make such conclusions? The generall proposition (I trow) holdeth true, that no man may commit murther, though Abraham, by Gods commaundement, speciall and extraordinarie, might lawfullie hauehave slaine his owne sonne: and that no priuate man may vsurpe the sword, though Phinehes extraordinarilie moued, did execution vponupon Zimri and Cozbie. A priuiledge is no law. In summe, God might commaund Ieremie to will the Iewes to yeeld to the Chaldeans, and Ieroboam to take tenne tribes from Rehoboam, and Iehu the kingdome from Ioram, because he alone beareth rule in the kingdomes of the earth, and he may giuegive them to whom he will, he may set vp one, and pull downe another; but this proueth not, that at the Popes bidding, anie may play the lustie swash buckler, and pull the Princes by force from the Throne, which your defender of Catholikes laboureth stronglie to proue. Therfore this position is not (for ought this wrangler can alleadge) to be controlled, that eueryevery Christian ought to striue to keepe these three sound within his brest, his conscience before God, his loyaltie to his Prince, and his louelove to his countrie. And that his owne example of Athanasius will verifie, who was farre from disloyaltie to his Prince, or want of louelove to his countrie, for to shew his loyaltie to his Prince, he departed at his Princes commaundement, from his countrie, which he ceased not to louelove, though for a time he did leaue it:Athanasius. I neuer resisted the commaundements of your highnesse (saith he) no, no, God forbid I should.
Obedience in temporall Princes.But will you yet further see the liuely picture of an impudent cauiller? because I say, that all obedience is due to the Soueraigne Magistrate, alleadging the wordes of the Apostle; That we must subiect our selues to all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake, whether it be vntounto the King, as to the superiour, &c. And first he exclaimeth, all obedience is due to Princes, yea all obedience, &c. crying out of the conscience of an Atheist, or of a seruile minde, &c. If I had said we must obey our Princes in all things, I had vsed the Apostles phrase, concerning the obedience of children towardes their parents, Children obey your parentes in all things: shall anie Atheist then crie out against the Apostle; Children must obey their parentes in all things, yea in all things; a conscience of an Atheist, a seruile mind? &c. But as the Apostle by all things, meaneth all such things as are not contrarie to Gods commaundement, as he elsewhere expoundeth himselfe: Children obey your parents in the Lord: so is my meaning as cleare as the light, that we must obey Princes in all things, that imply not disobedience to God: generall and vnlimited obedience, we teach not to vow and performe to anie man, it being due onelyonly to God, who cannot erre in the things he commaundeth. Wee neuer held our selues in that sort bound to any King or Emperour, though your Iesuites vow such obedience to their Superiours. The very Poet may teach, that
Omne sub Regno grauiore Regnum est,
Each kingdome here, a greater hath aboue.
Therefore sith earthlie King, are vnderunder the King of Kings, wee must so obey the inferiour, as wee disobey not the Superiour. The highest King hath set downe his law to earthlie Kings, as well as others, in the two tables: if they presume to make a law, contrarie to this lawe, therein we are not to obey. It was not disloyaltie in the AEgyptian Midwiues, in forbearing to murther the male-children of the Israelites at Pharaohs commaundement; nor in Obadiah in hiding the Lordes Prophets, contrarie to Achabs will; neither in the Apostles in not forbearing to preach in the name of Iesus, at the Rulers commaundement; they did (as they ought) preferre obedience to God, before obedience to man, when they cannot both stand together. By all obedience then, it is plaine that I meant, true and sincere obedience from the heart, not dissembling obedience onlie for feare; as the Apostle when he perswadeth the Philippians to walke worthie of the vocation whereunto they are called, with all humblenes of minde, meaneth by all humblenes, true, sincere, inward humilitie, not counterfeite, and hypocriticall. And if mallice had not here lost both her eyes, and her wits, this scoulding cauiller might hauehave seene that in the very entrie to this point of obedience, I doe manifestlie affirme it; for I say these three things eueryevery man ought to keepe sound within his breast, first, his Conscience before God; secondly, his Loyaltie to his Prince; thirdly, his LoueLove to his Countrie: Now how is it possible a man should keepe sound his Conscience before God, which I set in the first place, if hee obey his Prince in things against God? nay, that I place first, because it must be the director of vsus in our LoueLove and Loyaltie both to Prince and Countrie. If the Lawes of the Prince or Countrie commaunde any thing contrarie to it, wee ought in such things not to obey our Prince, and for such things we may flie our Countrie; but yet not rebell or fight against them, as you seeke to perswade, saying that Christ alloweth greatlie of them that despise Father, Mother, Countrie and Kinred, yea they are willed to hate them and make warre against them, for his sake; and consequentlie also the like is willed against Princes in the same cause,This is N.D. his spirituall conceite as you may reade in his booke pag. 83. and this out of your conscienceles hart, made fit for Rebellion, you falselie and impudentlie affirme: but we say, we must hate Father and Mother as we must our life for Christ, not to doe violence to our selues, or to make warre vponupon them, nor to doe any thing against either, but in comparison of Christ, and for his sake, not to regarde the losse of either; and therefore that which you adde of warring against our Countrie and Prince for Religion, as it is not in any text of holie Writ, so doe you plainelie discouer your traiterous minde, against Queene and Countrie, and what was the marke you aime at, in all this wrangling against the point of obedience.
The translation of S. Peters words freed frō corruptionHis friuolous exception against my translating Saint Peters words, which I alleage to proue, That all obedience is due to Ciuill Magistrates for the Lords sake, is not worth the answering: he cauilleth first because I translate to euerie ordinance of man, where hee would hauehave it, to euerie humane creature, which I thinke would affoorde but a colde sense: But he saith I translate it to eueryevery ordinance of man, because it serued more to my purpose: what purpose? forsooth a purpose that I detest more then himselfe, and those of his sect, that we should obey euerie decree of man. Master Beza translateth it Ordinationi, that is, ordinance, shewing that by humane ordinance is ment that forme of policie and gouernment which is in euerie Common-wealth: and that this policie or forme of a Common-wealth is called an humane ordinance, not because it was inuented by men (for it is the gift of God) but because it is proper and peculiar vntounto men, to liue vnderunder Magistrates and Lawes. The next exception hath lesse colour, that I transtate to the King as to the superiour, and leaue out, or vntounto gouernours, as vntounto them that are sent of him, &c. by calling the King the Superiour, he dreameth that I meane the King to be absolute, and all obedience due to Superiours, which I hauehave alreadie answered. But (Sir) if Saint Peter doe adde (in the leauing out of which words you suppose a mysterie) or vntounto Captaines, and vnderunder Magistrates sent from him (as you translate) is not the King rightlie termed Superiour, in regard of the Inferiour, and vnderunder Magistrates sent by him? I suppose that Saint Peter doth first set downe a generall proposition, to liue obedientlie to that pollicie vnderunder which wee are, whether in Monarchie, Aristocracy, &c. and then commeth to the speciall forme vnderunder which the Iewes did then liue, vnderunder the Romane Emperours, and their deputies. Therefore I referre to the indifferent reader to iudge either of the falsehoode and treacherie (he saith) I hauehave vsed in corrupting and translating this little peece of Scripture, or else of his vntemperate humour of rayling and cauilling; his long digression about Spirituall Magistrates, and formall speeches to Catholike Recusants, I let passe. But if you please to resolue all Recusants, that they are bound in conscience to yeelde all ciuill obedience to her Maiestie as to their lawfull Soueraigne, though the Pope send forth neuer so many Buls to depose her; you shall deserue thankes of them, in teaching them so godlie a lesson, and free your selfe from no small suspition giuen, that you are of a flat contrarie minde, which will sticke neerer your conscience (if you continue that mind) then any prophane flatterie (wrongfullie vrged by you against me) shall euer doe to mine; for God be blessed the truth of his Gospell hath taught me a farre better lesson, then to flatter with any.