A Looking Glass for Princes and Peoples Delivered, Book 2 · Part 4 · Conclusion
A CONCLVSION Exhortatorie to Princes.
I Turne now that speach (which they abuse) to you, most sacred Princes. Bee wise O Kings, bee learned yee Iudges of the earth: Christ Iesus whom yee hauehave longPsal. 2. Princes are Gods instruments to punish Antichrist. pursued by Antichirsts direction, when hee might destroy you, calleth you to repentance, to change both your mindes and course: Your Mindes; to know that poperie is that foretold Apostasie, and that the Religion which yee persecute is the trueth of God. And your course that since blind zeale (the companion of false Religion) hath made you thinke it good service to God to destroy his Saincts, you would turne your power for the service of the Lambe,Apoc. 17. of whom yee hauehave it, and both revenge Gods quarrell, and your owne vponupon the Beast.
Consider how GOD setteth downe his Dittay andRomes dittay Apoc. 17. Apoc. 18. D…ome: His Dittay in Idolatrie, Filthinesse, and aboue all the blood of the Saincts. Rome was ever bloodie & the Mathematicians observed, that when her ground-stone was layed the Moone was in cauda Draconis, to tell that all her changes in rysing, growing, standing, would bee in the c…u…ltie of the Dragon: And soone after, Romulus wet her wals with his Brothers blood: Shee turned the earth in a Butcherie by warres abroad: And her Gan…es at home in the Theater, were bloodie: Shee shed the blood of the Saints in her persecuting Pagan Emperours: And lastlie, sheddeth the bloodie of the Protestants by her Antichristian head: Ierusalem was guiltie of the blood of all the Prophets, because they succeeded the Murtherers in malice and crueltie: And Rome succeeds Ierusalem, and exceedeth her in persecuting Christ: aAut Romae, aut. Roma, Spalat.All blood of the Saints is shedde either in Rome or by Romes authoritie: Shee hath shedde more blood than Ninivie, Babylon, Shusan, and Ierusalem it selfe.
Her Doome is, doe to her as she hath done to you: And whatRomes doome, and destruction. she hath done to you, your Soules & Thrones may feele. For beside your soules killing, the Pope hath overthrowen Matestatem & dignit … perit evert…t. Onuph V…. Greg. 7.the Maiestie and dignitie of Impyres. Shee denuded you of Kinglie Authoritie when shee exposed your Sacred Persons to the contempt and violence of the basest Villanes: Shee ate vp your flesh, not so much in catching the riches of your Kingdomes, as by nesting in your bosome, like a Viper to destroy you: Shee burnt your with the fire of excommunication, raising such combustions that your Countrie and Courts were divyded. The Sonne set against the Father, aEpist. Si▪ gibert ad Pas…hal 2.as Henrie the fifth against Henrie the fourth, to pursue him to death, and after death to deny him Buriall.Apoc. 17. 16. Therefore this is her recompence, that you make the Whoore naked, eate vp her flesh and burne her with fire
God hath sentenced her, and there remaineth no more but execution: Though wee rest on none but Scripturall The prophecies of it.Prophecies, yet their owne Prophets foretold their ruine: For Hildegardis▪ and Catharina Senensis, (whose contraire visions Delrio bDisquis. Magic.laboureth to reconceale) Brigitta, telleth them of their destruction: cRevel. L. 1 cap 41.What ever bee the force of her writ it must be Canonick to them, d…ardin. de TUr Cremat. pr…fat. Revel. Brigit.since Boniface the nynth hath cannoized her, and Martine the fifth confirmed that canonization, and their later writers as Chemensis, eOnus Ecclesie.Capistranus, Aytinger, &c. hauehave spoken broadlie, That Rome shall bee ruined by the Almaines and the French.
As God calleth and commandeth you to doe it, so you are bound to it by these two bonds wherey they pressePrinces are bound to performe it. you most, your Baptismall initiation and sacred oath: In Baptisme yee were initiate in Christian faith, and not in Antichristian perfidie; And the substance of your oath is to defend Apostolicke and primitiue trueth and not the yesterday novelties of Rome: Their own aBaron, Genebrard, Stapleton▪Patrons grāt that in the middle ages they were Apostaticke and Apotactick, but since, we never find their reformation or amendement: The errour of time confirmed by badde custome hath made men mistake these Notions of Christ and Antichrist, trueth and vntrueth, and so to misplace their affections and actions about them, but open your eyes to the light God offereth in his word, and your better informed mindes shall reforme your affections, and rectifie your actions, bNe oro luce tenebras, pro die noctem mortem pro salut… sumatis Cypr Epist. 40least you take darknesse for light, night for day, and death for life, that you may forsake Antichrist and heresies, and ioyne your selues to the Lambe, and his trueth in the reformed Churches.
Or if you will not take Gods cause to heart, nor beeTheir iniuries requite it. moved with these bonds, let your Life and Crownes moue you: Though hee vnderunder a Iudiciall hardnesse bee senselesse of the guiltinesse of his vsurpation, yet be not you senselesse of these indignities: He maketh you to fight against your selfe in his quarrell, while hee abuseth your power for the maintenance of his greatnesse to the overthrow of your authoritie: Remember hee is head of that Court, whose Ambassadours boasted in England, that they served at that Court, which commanded both other Kings and their Matt. Paris.Courteours.
It hath ever beene your fault to neglect the commoun They neglect others in their iniuries.cause of Princely authoritie: There is nothing more s…oothed than that that is pleaded by many: When any one Prince was thunder-beaten by Iupiter Capitolinus, hee exhorted other Princes, that they should not betray theBarel. pietas fol, ult. common cause, but all in vaine: For the ruine of one made a prey to many: Therefore they suffered the present storme to passe over, and that because by a wicked purchas some accession came to their state. This was specially when a great Prince was broken, whose greatnesse was fearefull to them all: The Emperour was most left in the sturre, while smaller Princes thought it their securitie, if he were redacted to that state, that hee might not rise to the greatnesse of his Ancestors.
It is tyme for you to awake, when their flatterers pittie Papists lament the faintnesse of Princes.your injuries, and the Iesuits admire your patience. Petrus Ferrariensis aPractic Iuris sed heu miseri imp & Principes se culares, &c.marking how the Pope insnared you to inlarge his owne iurisdiction, cryeth out. But alace miserable Emperours, and secular Princes, who suffer these things and make your selues slaues to the Pope; and see the world by infinite cousanages abused, and yet you thinke not of a remeede: And where the Iesuits please to bee free, they wonder fatuos bGoldast Replic pr…fat.fuisse veteres Imperatores, & imperij nostri ordines qui sibi tanto cum dedecore, ora sublinia Papis sustinuerint, that Emperours and the States were so foolish, as to bee gulled with Popes.
Wee hauehave better cause than Athanasius to say, I am Our time craveth doing Princes, Athanas. Ep. ad solit.Ecclesiae tempora oculatos▪ & operosos Principes requirunt, that the tymes of the Church require seeing and doing Princes. He had to doe with the Arrians, but now the Antichristiā Mysterie rages. God hath given you power; open but your eyes to leade you in the vse of it. How long will it be ere yee awake to see how hee hath first led you from God in superstition, and now leadeth you against God in persecuting of his Saints. Consider how Maximinus cCent. 3. Lucit. col. 28.the Emperour was stirred vp to persecute the Church by Pagane Priests vnderunder hope of great successe: But when hee saw himselfe overthrowne by Licinius, hee destroyed his instigators as deceavers. The Pope and his Cleargie hauehave set you on this last bloody persecution: God vvill disappoint you, and turne it to your shame: It were your wisedome to avenge you of your seducers.
Looke on other Princes, who hauehave shaken off his yoake, Protestant Princes are free Princes.as England, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, &c. Their Kings know none aboue them vnderunder GOD: They are honoured, and obeyed of their Subiects, without reflecting vponupon any other power on earth You reigne but precario, as Titulars, and they count you but as Kings of the Chesse. Neither aMarta. …urisd. lib. 1.dare you rule your Subiects as free Princes: Neither dare your people obey you as such. The terrour, at least the credulitie of the Popes Transcendencie, limiteth your p…er, and looseth your people to rebell. Receaue Christ in his Gospell, and set vp his Throne in your lands as they hauehave done, and then you shall finde both the sweetnesse of the Grace of the Gospell, and of a free and vndependent governement. Gods Trueth amongst vsus (Protestants) maketh vsus not onelyonly to congratulate our happinesse in our free Kings and Churches, but also to commis…rate your estate, when wee see Gods image in you great Princes, so shamefully abused by a deceaver. You cannot be both Popish and free Princes: The verie Notion of Poperie subiecteth you necessarly to Hildebrands vsurpation, Renounce Antichristian tyrannie, and come to Christian libertie, and you shall finde both grace for your persons▪ and glorie to your government. Angment the Popesplunges, and while that Iuglar knoweth not which of you to keepe, let him feele the revenging power of you all.
You gote m…y exhortations of this kinde from Preachers King Iames a warner of Princes.and Theologues, but you hauehave heard them with close eares: Therefore God hath sent you latelie a royall premonition from the Pen of the King of great Britaine. The suggestions of Subiects found little accesse, and as little regard at your hands: But the Counsell of a King to Kings, and that in the matter of a Kinglie authoritie, is more weightie. Trueth is trueth and powerfull, who ever speake it: But Trueth in the quarrell of Kings proponed by a great and wise King, will find more accesse, than private suggestions The royall Genius which is one in Kings, maketh them to hauehave a sympathie, speciallie where their common cause threateneth a common danger.
Let none bee so simple as to thinke they will eitherTheir hardnesse wil not repent. repent their whole course, or relent its extreamitie: Though they hauehave found, and (ere it bee long) may find a great dash, yet they will but temporize, and suting peace, turne to more deepe and deadlie plotting. They thought allPaul Vindek de exstirpand. h…res. their own at the Smalcaldicke warre, and when God brak their forces, they simulat a pacification, yet they w…e ever plotting a new persecution. If GOD shall disappoint them of their cruell intentions (as in mer… hee hath begunne to doe) yet ere it bee long, they would fire Europe with a new and greater combustion. Antichrist may bee destroyed; but mollified or tamed can hee not bee: Their Romish temper is vncapable either of the changeThe Popes curbing is faceable. of repentance, or the mollifying of moderation.
The curbing of the Popes insolencie is no more iust and necessar in it selfe than faceable to you: Romes natiue crueltie caried ever the cause of her ruine in her bosome. It was noted as ominous in olde Rome, that when they beganne first to execute that Romane censure interdicere Platin Vit. Bonisac 8.igni & aqua, their Atrium or great Court was burnt with thunder, and so since Popes began to play vponupon Princes with their ordinance of excommunication, their state hath beene broken: When Boniface the …ght would take on him the Habite, Sword, and Ensignes of the Impyre Philip of France comp…sced that insolencie shortlie, and made him die in exile and greiefe: And how much their power is broken, since Luthers time, the world seeth: King Henrie of England devorced his Kingdome from the Pope▪ because Clement the seventh impiouslie denyed to devorce him from his incestuous Queene, to whom Iulius the second dispensation tyed him. Scotland in the minoritie of her Princesse, proved both Maior and masculous in shaking off the Popes yoake: Denmarke, Sweden, and manie Princes of Germanie Philip the second his threatning in killing Six tus the ….hauehave cut his wings in their Dominions.
What an angrie King can doe to him, was latelie seene betwixt Philip the second, and Sixtus the fifth, CardinallPhilip the second his threatning, killing Sixtus the fifth is ominous. Estensis the ruler of the Consistorie, promised to make him Pope if hee would never promoue Hieronymus Mattheus, but beeing chosen Pope, hee made Hieronymus a Cardinall, and so Estensis sent his hand-writ to Philip the second, to proue his periurie and Symonie: herevponNovus homo pag. 4. Bulla …ul. 2. B…rclai… Epist. ad Lector. Philip minded to call a Councell to processe him for these two crymes, and declare the nullitie of his Election according to their Lawes: But while Sixtus is grieved for the intended processe, and devising a revengfull excommunication against Philip hee contracted a fever, and dyed. If that sturre had gone on, possiblie the Pope had beene curbed, or Spaine reformed, to bee as eminent in true zeale, as now pertinax in supperstition: But Gods time is comming: And seeing the republick of Venice gaue him a wound which hee can not cure; What may not you great Princes doe, whose glaining is greater than the vintage The Romans hauehave curbed the Pope.of Abiezer?
As Princes and Republickes, so his owne Romans hauehave curbed his pride: And God set vp barres to it so soone as it began to overflow, for Cincius aPlatin. vit Gregor. 7.a Romane, compesced Hildebrand in Rome, while he was abusing the Emperor in Germanie, and when Alexander the third, by his Legate was disciplining Henrie the second for Beckets cause, the Romans had expelled him out of Rome. And Onuphrius bPerpetua per annos quin quaginta inter Populum Pontificesq. discordia civis lis fuit. Onuph annot ad vit. …l…m 3.marketh, that for the space of fiftie yeares from Celestine the second to Clement the third, the Romans did so intreate the Popes, that some of them died for displeasure, others were almost killed in tumults, and a third sort were banished; and that in their heate of vsurpation over Kings. God hereby was both taxing the feeblenesse of Princes, and teaching Posteritie, the possibilitie of the Popes curbing. His Brieves, Bulls, and Legats, did more in Kingdomes, farre distant than his owne presence could doe in Rome. Hee domnineered absolutelie abroad, while hee fought at home for the governement of the Citie, and safetie of his owne life.
Gerson hath made his curbing problematicke, and it is your part to turne his probleme in effect. The ApostleHee shall be finallie curbed. descryving Antichrist, taketh some part of that Description from Nero, whose tyrannie hee saw, and Uespasian Gerson, de auferib. Papae.(the reformer of Neroes wickednesse) pulled downe the golden Head hee had set on the Collosse, and in stead thereof placed the image of the Sunne. It were good service to God, to pull downe that head, that hath lift it selfe aboue the Church, and is the life of heresie and schisme, the impediment of reformation and of peace in Europe; and in his place to make the Gospel, the image of the Sunne of Righteousnesse to shine cleerelie.
Saint Austine aTractat. 6 in Iohan, Ibid Tract. 11telleth you from your owne Lawes, that they who will not in peace worship the God of peace, nihil The best way of his curbing.nomine Ecclesiae audeant possidere. And thereafter, If Princes doe not so, Quo modo possunt Deo rationem reddere? How shall they giuegive a count to God? But Baronius is more legall, Eijciendus vt Latro, hee is to bee cast out as a thiefe, who in an evill conscience possesseth that which is not his owne. (b) Baron. An 886 n▪ 28Io. de Rupe scissa telleth you the way in his Parable, that when a naked bird was busked by other birds, shee became proude, and beate them: Therefore they tooke back their lent feathers, and left her naked. Take backe againe your profuse donations, wherewith you hauehave busked the Pope, and…ossard. vol. 2. then, moveat coruicula risum, furtivis nudata coloribus.
If hee bee redacted to an Apostolicke Preacher, his Cardinals wil return to their primitiue charge in sepeliendis mortuis in celebrating the Funerals of the defunct popish Synagogue: Rome hath beene twentie times taken since Christs dayes aAtalar. Eg…nolph.And Charles the fifth, tooke it last, in show for a Revenge, but indeede to found his Monarchie. Why may not ye in the zeale of God destroy the whoore to vindicate your owne Monarchies? God hath foretold Babels destruction, and it will certainlie come to passe: The time thereof is both fixed and knowne of God alone. And…o… finall …. R…l. 17. at that time hee will not want instruments; for hee will put it in the hearts of Kings to fulfill his will. For they will make bright arrowes, and gather the shields: because the Lord hath raised vp the Spirit of the King of the Medes: For …. … ▪ …1.his device is against Babylon to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance of his Temple.Exhortation to Papists. … igi… … & vita … licet provid…te—Ad v…ra Religionis candidam …uce… d… profund… & te…ebrosa, &c. … Ad▪ De…ian▪ in … ▪
To the Pope and his willfull adhaerents, I speak as Cyprian did to Demetrian, Provide for your securitie and life, while you may: Wee offer to you the whole some gift of our counsell—And wee exhort you, while yee hauehave occasion, and are aliue, to satisfie God, and come to the pure light of the trueth, out of the deepe and darke night of Superstition. VVe… envy not your prosperitie, wee render you louelove for hatred▪ and shew you the path of life, in recompence of these torments, yee inflict vponupon vsus. Belieue, and liue, that yee who persecute vsus for a time, may reioyce with vsus for ever.
I close with Gods command to the elect people who for a time are captivat in Babylon: Come out of her my people, … to the …ct to for… Babel. …l. 18. 4. 5 6. …. 21.that ye be not partakers of her sins, & that ye receiue not of her plagues: And his command to you Kings, Reward her even as shee hath rewarded you, and double vntounto her according to her workes, in the cup which shee hath filled, fill to her the double. Therefore, let her plagues come in one day, that as the Angel speakes, Great Babylon may bee throwne down, and found no more, as a milstone cast into the Sea. That all the Saints may hauehave matter to sing. Halel…iah, Salvation, …. 19. 1. …and glorie, and Power vntounto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his Iudgements for hee hath iudged the great whe…re which did corrupt the Earth with her fornication, and av…ged the blood of his Servants at her hand.
AMEN.
Do illis eruditionem: Do doctrinam: Sed fidem & religionem …quam coluerunt, Cicer. de Graec.
End of the text · William Struther, A Looking Glass for Princes and Peoples Delivered (1632)