An Antilogy, Section 7

An Antilogy · Section 7

p. 137THE SEVENTH SECTION: OF THE Authors particular defence to her Maiestie.

I Do not purpose to examine all the Libellers idle speeches, vaine repetitions, and vnsauerie words: if I should make answere to euerie thing, and spend time to note eueryevery foolish pranke he playeth, I should (as the wise man sayth) be like him:Prouerb. 26.4. I will therefore make choice of his principall stuffe and leaue the rest: Not, as Hierome sayth, Quia difficile sit eum vincere, Aduers. Heluid.sed ne respondendo, dignus fieret, qui vinceretur, as though it were an hard matter for him eueryevery where to be vanquished, but least he should be thought worthie to be answered.

The first Apologie or defence.

1 BEginning with my Catholike, Christened, annoynted, and crowned Queene Elizabeth,Pag. 54. lin. 1.2. vntounto 105. these are but glozing speeches. Pag. 54. to whom I wish as much spirituall benediction, and terrene honor, as any subiect may to his temporall Soueraigne &c.

2 Whereof she hath vowed defence, by the vow of a Christian in baptisme &c. by the oath and fidelitie of a Christian Catholike annointed at her coronation &c. for defence whereof the glorie of the stile of her title was first graunted &c.Vntruth 106.

3 Whereof she reteyneth in princely person some reuerent notes, as the vsing of the signe of the crosse vponupon sodaine and strange accidents,Vntruth 107. &c. not preuaricating in the maine point of the reall presence &c.

4 I will teach nothing contrarie to her princely dignitie, and prerogatiues,Vntruth 108. nothing repugnant to her owne trulie interpreted proceedings.

The Antilogie.

1 HE that should reade Cardinall Wolseys stile thus writing, Ego & Rex meus, I and my King, would p. 138thinke that this vaine craker trode in his steps, saying here and in other places, My Catholike Queene &c. And whether for this or other of their proud tricks, the secular Masse-priests hauehave well matched them together, these are their words,Manifest. f. 19. b. Neuer shall the Catholike Church or commonwealth of England find so wicked a member, as a Wolsey, a Parsons, a Creswell, a Garnet, a Blackwell.

But if this suger-toonged fellow would hauehave had her Highnes then and his Maiestie now thinke, that he wisheth so well vntounto them,The Apologist detected not to wish well to his Maiestie. let him tell vsus, whether he were not brought vp in the Ignatian schoole of treacherie, and if he be not of Parsons mind, that it is treason if the Pope should inuade England, to beare armes against him, or agreeth he not with the Ignatian brood of Salamanca, that resolued it was no rebellion for the Queenes subiects to fight against her in Ireland: or what thinketh he of Parsons, Walpooles, Giffords, Allens attempts against their countrie, and their suborning and exciting of trayterous Parry, Lopez, Squire, Sauage, Yorke, with the rest of those detected parricides: for all these wicked conspiracies were forged in the Ignatian ignited and fierie shops: These were the actors, but they the inuentors: as it was sayd of Laelius, that he was the deuiser, and Scipio the performer of diuers actions. foreign.And yet for all this, we must beleeue this (dissembling Frier, that is by all likelihood consorted and confederate with the rest of that crue) that he wisheth her Highnes then, and his Maiestie now, as well as if they were of his religion.

2 Concerning the vow made in baptisme, I hauehave answered before,Remooue to 4. motiue artic. 1. that the vow is made to Christ, not to the Pope; and therefore baptisme receiued in poperie, doth not bind the partie baptised to maintaine and receiue poperie. It was the heresie of Petilian the Donatist, whom Augustine confuteth,Lib. 3. contr. Petilian. ca. 19. that Conscientia dantis attenditur, quae abluat accipientis ▪ That the conscience of him that giueth baptisme, doth cleanse him that receiueth it: Against whom Augustine sheweth, that it is the baptisme of Christ, if it be giuen in his name, whosoeuer is the minister p. 139thereof: Baptismum Christi nemo Apostolorum ita ministrauit, vt auderet dicere suum, Ibid. ca. 56.The baptisme of Christ none of the Apostles so ministred, that he durst call it his: much lesse may the Pope or popish Priest challenge the baptisme which he giueth in the name of the Trinitie to be his. It was Cyprians error confuted by Augustine, Baptisme and the Church may be separated.that Baptisme and the Church could not be separated. Si baptisma (saith he) in baptizato inseparabiliter manet, Lib. 5. de baptis. ca. 16.quomodo baptizatus separari ab ecclesia potest, & baptisma non potest? If baptisme remaine inseparable in the baptized, how can he that is baptized be separated from the Church, and not baptisme with him?

Concerning the Princes stile to be called Defender of the faith, I hauehave likewise said enough before.Remooue to motiue 4. artic. 4.

Now because he doth so often inculcate the Princes oath, that all men may see his false dealing, I will set downe the same before omitted, as it is in Magna charta expressed: This oath then is prescribed to be taken by the Prince at the Coronation, and to be ministred by the Metropolitane or other Bishop. Seruabis ecclesiae dei, Clero & populo pacem ex integro & concordiam in deo &c. The oath of the Prince at the Coronation.You shall keepe peace and concord in God to the Church of God, the Clergie and people according to your power, he shall answere, I will. You shall cause to be done in all your iudgements right and equall iustice, and discretion in merciemercy and truth according to your strength: he shall answere, I will. You shall graunt iust lawes and customes to be held, and promise them to be protected by you, and confirmed to the honor of God, which the people shall choose, according to your strength: he shall answere, I do graunt and promise: All these things pronounced, let him confirme, that he will keepe them all, Sacramento super altare protinus praestito, &c. By an oth presentlie taken vponupon the altare, &c.

What is there now in this oath, that bindeth the Prince to the defence of the Popish religion? there is not so much as one word tending to any such thing conteyned in the oath it selfe: only mention is made of the altare, which was so called in time past, though it were made of p. 140wood, because it represented the true altar which was Christs bodie:Lib. 6 c. 21. in Leuitic. for so Hesychius interpreteth the Altar. And Augustine speaking of the violent outrages of the Donatists, saith, Effractis altaris lignis, Hauing broken the boords of the Altar.Epist. 50. ad Bonifac. The Communion Table called an Altar. Jn epist. praefac. liturg. Chrysost. Their Altars which were no other but Communion Tables, were then of wood: the making them of stone is but a late deuice, as Beatus Rhenanus testifieth: Araerum superaddititia structura nouitatem prae se fert: This building of Altars added to the rest, doth shew noueltie. And it is most euident, that when the name of altar was first vsed, as in Augustines time, there was no opinion in the Church of the carnall presence, or of the sacrificing of Christs bodie, but onelyonly spiritually: as it is euident by these sayings of Augustine. Octogint. trium quaest. q. 61.Christ is our priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech, which offered himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes, and hath commended the similitude of that sacrifice to be celebrated in remembrance of his passion, that the same thing, which Melchisedech offered to God, now wee see to be offered in the Church of Christ through the whole world: But Melchisedech offered not Christs flesh, but onelyonly bread and wine. Againe he saith, The flesh and bloud of this sacrifice before the comming of Christ, Cont. Faustum Manich. lib. 20. c. 21. How Christ is sacrificed now. August. cum citation. Gratian. pag. 3. distinct. 2. c. 48.was promised by sacrifices of similitudes in the passion of Christ; it was giuen by the truth it self, after the ascension of Christ; it is celebrated by the sacrament of remembrance: therefore now Christs bodie is not sacrificed verily and truly, but only sacramentally, non rei veritate, sed significante mysterio, not in veritie, but in mysterie.

And I pray you, what kinde of argument is this, the Prince at the Coronation, taking his oath, laieth his hand vponupon the Altar: Ergo, she sweareth to maintaine the Popish sacrifice of the Altar: as though hee that prayeth or taketh his oath in the Churches, which hauehave been consecrate to idolatrie, thereby giueth consent to maintaine idolatrie?2. King. 5.18.2 Kgs 5:18 Naaman though hee kneeled with his master the King leaning vponupon his hand in the house of Rimmon, yet gaue not consent to that idolatrous worship: yet this example is very vnlike and not to be imitated, onelyonly I alleadge p. 141it to shew the weaknes of this argument.

3. As for the signe of the crosse, wherewith, you say, her Maiestie vsed to signe her selfe, or women with child▪ &c. as you speake here but vponupon hearesay: so if it should be true, as you say, you hauehave not gained much by it. For neither our Prince then, nor Church did ascribe any vertue to the signe it selfe, or adore and worship it, as Papists do:The signe of the Crosse ciuilly vsed. The signe of the crosse may be vsed in banners and streamers, and set into the Diademe of Princes, as a ciuill signe of honour: as Ambrose, if that oration be his,Oration. de obit. Theodos. writeth of Helena; Sapienter Helena egit, quae crucem in capite regum leuauit: Helena did wisely, in rearing vp the crosse in the head of Kings. And though this signe is not any waies to be adored,Not to be contemned. neither yet doe we thinke it ought to be contemned: As that law of Honorius was commendable, wherein the Iewes are prohibited,Cod. lib. 1. tit. 12. l. 1. speciem crucis incendere, to burne the fashion of the crosse: And that of Theodosius, which decreeth a great punishment to him, qui in solo vel scilice crucem depinxerit, Cod. lib. 1. tit. 11. l. 1.which painteth the crosse in the ground or pauement to trample and tread vponupon it: Or if any should vse the signe of the crosse (which notwithstanding wee allow not) as in Basils time, not with a superstitious opinion of it, or confidence in it, but as an outward testimonie of their inward faith: as Basile saith, foreign:Lib. de spirit. sanct. c. 27. That they which trusted in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ, were marked with the signe of the crosse: Whosoeuer shall vse the signe of the crosse in any of these manners, is yet farre off from Popish superstition.

And I am verily perswaded, that if his Maiestie, or the Church of England did thinke, that the ciuill, reuerent, significant vsing of the crosse, without a superstitious opinion of it, were in deede, or could iustly be taken, as a badge or cognisance of Poperie, as it hath bin an offence to many good Christians, it should bee more sparingly vsed, and may in time, if it seeme so good to his Maiestie without preiudice of the tru…h or religion, be wholy remoued, that there might not be the least exception taken p. 142against our Church. But this (quarrell picker) according to the saying, will play at small game before he will sit out, and so doth he here by fastning his hold of so small an occasion. Her Highnes then, and his Maiestie now, and the Church of England holdeth a reall and true presence of Christs bodie to the faith of the worthy receiuer in the Sacrament: but her Highnes was not perswaded of any grosse carnall presence, as is euident by her royall assent to the articles of religion, therefore herein her Maiestie was much abused and slaundered.

4. Lastly, whereas the Romane profession is altogether repugnant to Princes▪ prerogatiues: as in that it alloweth the Pope to excommunicate Princes, to depose them, to transferre their Crownes, appeales to bee made to the Pope from the Prince, that the Pope may absolue subiects from their oath of fealtie; that the Pope, not the Prince in his owne kingdome, is supreame in all Ecclesiasticall causes: that the Pope inuading a kingdome by force, vnderunder pretence to reforme religion, is to be assisted against the Prince: all which positions the Iesuites the Popes parasites doe hold,Popish religion repugnant to the prerogatiue of the Crowne. as it may appeare in their seditious bookes and answeres to the Secular Masse-priests. And these all being directly repugnant to the prerogatiue royall of the Crowne: as it hath been adiudged by by publike acts of Parliament, not of late onelyonly, since the reuiuing of the Gospell,Anno 1. Eliza. c. 1. Anno Richar. 2.16. c. 5. but euen while Poperie raigned, and that by the expresse consent of the Popish Clergie: How is not this man to be thought to be past all shame, that perswading to Poperie, saith hee will teach nothing contrarie to the Princely dignitie? &c. Wee may say truly to him, which Petilian the Donatist vntruly obiected to Augustine, that he had, ingenium Carneadis Academici, Carneades the Academikes wit,August. lib. 3. cont. Petilian. c. 16. who disputed, Nigras niues esse cum albae sint, nigrum argentum, &c. That snow was blacke, and siluer blacke, whereas they are both white: so he goeth about to perswade things that are quite contrarie. We need not here follow the counsell of Seneca: Quaedam falsa veri speciem ferunt, dandum semper est tempus, veritatem p. 143dies aperit: Some false things make a shew of true, wee must giuegive some space, for time trieth the truth. But the falsenes of these improbable speeches appeareth at the first, we neede no time to descrie them.

The second Apologie.

FRom pag. 55. to pag. 66. the Apologist runneth as it were in a maze, now in, and now out, as though he had lost himselfe in a wood: I will doe my best to trace him, and finde him out: I shall not neede to follow him in all his wandrings and turnings, nor to answere all his tautologies and vaine repetitions, but I will gainecope him, and crosse him the next way, and reduce his idle and superfluous speeches into some order and forme. All these leaues containe but one argument, which may be collected thus:

Her Maiestie and the state are bound to maintaine the religion of her famous noble Christian progenitors Kings and Queenes of this land:

But they were all knowne to be of the Romane religion, and as he himselfe saith, Papists, pag. 59. lin. 7. Ergo.

First let vsus see how he proueth the proposition or first part of this argument, and then how the second.

1. Many of them were holy Saints, and miraculously witnessed of God to be in heauen, euen by Protestants testimonie, Pag. 55. l. 24. &c. Pag. 55. lin. 4, 5. &c.&c. whom the Protestant Ministers must needes condemne to hell and damnation, if they will leaue any little hope for themselues to be saued, Vntruth 109.for one heauen cannot possesse them both.We doe not condemne them to hell.

The Antilogie.

1. IF this were a good argument, then Christians borne at their first conuersion of idolatrous parents in many ages succeeding together, should neuer hauehave changed their religion, but continued in Pagane idolatrie still, for feare of condemning all their progenitors to hell: neither Constantine the great in the Romane Empire, nor Lucius p. 144in England should hauehave become Christened Kings.Parents corrupt religion not to be followed. If Idolatrous parents be in state of damnation, shall the children tread in their steps to goe the same way? The scripture teacheth otherwise, that though the father dye in his iniquitie, yet if he beget a sonne, that seeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done, &c. he hath not lift vp his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Ezech. 18.14.Ezek 18:14nor defiled his neighbors wife, &c. he shall not dye in the iniquitie of his father, but shall surely liue.

2 If the sonne be bound to his fathers false religion, as idolatrie, superstition, wherein he erred, least he should thinke him to be condemned, he were likewise obliged to imitate his auncesters vices and corruptions of life, as adulterie, oppression, violence, whereby they were polluted: should a man certainely condemne himselfe, to belieue that his predecessors are vncertainely saued? Their sinnes being of ignorance might be pardoned, whereas the sonnes seeing his fathers sinnes, and not amending, are more surely sealed.

3 That many therefore of the renowned Kings and Queenes of this land are Saints in heauen, is not by any Protestants denyed, as he sayth by some it is confessed: for they might be caryed away with some errors of the time, then not reuealed, yet holding the foundation, thorough Gods merciemercy they might be saued. It is a diuers case,Errors of simplicitie in times of ignorance by Gods merciemercy pardoned. when a man sinneth of infirmitie or simplicitie, and when he offendeth willinglie & of obstinacie: to stumble, in the darke, craueth pitie; to grope at noone dayes, is great follie: I say therefore in this case, as our Sauiour to the Pharisees, If ye were blind, ye should not hauehave sinne, but now ye say we see, Iohn. 9.41.John 9:41therefore your sinne remayneth. And as S. Paule sayth, The time of ignorance God regarded not, Act. 17.30. God therefore might shew merciemercy to them that erred of simplicitie, which is no warrant for them, that should now be seduced willinglie. Cypriane to this purpose thus sayth, as he is rehearsed by Augustine, Ignosci potest simpliciter erranti, Lib. 4. de baptism. ca 5.&c. He that erreth simplie may be pardoned, as the Apostle Paule sayth of himselfe, I was a p. 145blasphemer and a persecutor, but I was receiued to merciemercy, because I did it ignorantlie. Then it followeth, Post inspirationem verò & reuelationem factam, qui in eo quod errauerat perseuerat, prudens & sciens sine venia ignorantiae peccat: But he which after the inspiration and reuelation of the truth should perseuere in error, doth sinne wittinglie, not ignorantlie; and therefore must looke for no pardon or pitie. This is then the different case betweene the parents erring in time of darknes, and the sonnes stumbling in the day light: Their saluation doth magnifie Gods merciemercy in pardoning their imperfections; it doth not iustifie their religion, in commending their superstitions.foreign. Our parents errings are our learnings, their wants are not our warrants: We must not imitate and follow them, as Plato his schollers his crookednes, Aristoteles his stammering, Alexanders courtiers his stouping.

The Apologie.

1 THe 2. proofe. Pag. 56.Because all states that liue in England are indebted to those Princes, Clergie men for learning, the Noble for nobilitie, men of armes for heroicall acts, &c. her Maiestie hath receiued life, being, Crowne,Pag. 57. Kingdome and Diademe, won and conuerted &c. augmented and enlarged by so many Henries, Edwards, &c.

They builded Churches, Monasteries, common Schooles,Pag. 58. &c. What donations and free gifts were graunted to the English Clergie, &c.

2 For the defence of this religion all those princely prerogatiues were graunted by the free subiects of England to their Kings her Catholike predecessors,Pag. 61. which she still enioyeth by that title, as alienations, aduousions, citations, corporations, escheates, fooles, forfeitures, franchises, deodands, &c.

3 The nobilitie possesse their lands, castles,Pag. 62. &c. titles of honor by their ordinance: And that miserable people of England that vntrulie challengeth the name of the Clergie among Protestants, Bishoprickes, Deaneries, degrees and titles of Schooles, Vniuersities, Colledges, &c. was deriued from our Catholike Kings, &c.

p. 146The Antilogie.

1 IS not here now great adoe about nothing? and is not this a goodlie argument? The auncient Kings and Princes hauehave been great benefactors to all degrees and states in England, Ergo, we are bound to receiue their faith and religion. Who denieth, but that all sorts of men, and degrees of callings amongst vsus,How farre we are bound to our predecessors for benefites receiued by and from them. are to giuegive great thanks vntounto God for such worthie instruments of our outward peace and prosperitie? and yet who taketh himselfe in religion to be tied by this bond to the same conformitie: thankfulnes for benefites temporall, ought not to abridge vsus of things spirituall, neither ought our dutie to men, make vsus forget our seruice to God. If this perswasion were sound, Constantine and other Christian Emperors must not hauehave forsaken the idolatrie of their predecessors, by whom the Empire had been much enlarged, and the Citie of Rome, with many costlie Temples and buildings, & other goodlie foundations beautified, many excellent lawes also for administration of iustice published, and to whom for the outward state of the commonwealth, the Empire was as much bound, as any Christian Kingdome at this day to their auncient Catholike Kings and founders.foreign. That saying of Pericles, that whē his friend would hauehave had him take a false oath for him, said, he was a friend only so farre as the altare, might easily hauehave dissolued this doubt: our worthie founders hauehave an interest in vsus for our houses, Colledges, lands, &c. but not for Gods altare, or matters of religion.

2 First, all those priuiledges and immunities were granted to the King, as belonging to his princely prerogatiue, not for the defence of the Popish religion, as it may appeare by those seuerall statutes, which the Apologist citeth in the margin, which shalbe examined in their order.

1 Forfeyture. 4.5. ann. Edward. 2.17. c. 16. the escheates of felons lands are giuen to the King.Vntruth 110.

Vntruth 111.2 Franchise. 20. The auncient prerogatiues and authorities p. 147of iustice,Acts of Parliament examined, fal…ely alleaged by the Apologist. which had been seuered by the gifts of sundrie Kings, are restored, as the pardoning of treasons, murders, man-slaughters, making and appointing of Iustices &c. ann. Henr. 8.27. c. 24.

3 Intrusion. 1. The heire of him that holdeth of the King in chiefe, if he enter, before he hauehave receiued seisin of the King, Vntruth 112.shall gaine no freehold thereby, Edward. 2. ann. 17. c. 13. here is no mention made of any such regard, for maintenance of Poperie.

4 Mortdauncester. 1. The King shall hauehave the seisin of their lands, that hold of him in chiefe, ann. 52. Hen. 3. c. 16.Vntruth 113.

5 Partition. 1. If lands holden of the King in chiefe, descend to many partners,Vntruth 114. all the heires shall do homage to the King, Prerogatiu. regis 5 Ed. 2.

6 Patents. 1. Aduowsions of Churches and dowers do not passe in the Kings graunts,Vntruth 115. vnlesse expresse mention be made, Ed. 2. ann. 17. prerogatiu. regis c. 15.

7 Primer seyson. 1.Vntruth 116. The King shall hauehave primer seisin after the death of them that held of him in chiefe, Ed. 2. an. 17. prerogatiu. reg▪ c. 3. here, as in all the rest, there is no consideration pretended for defence of religion.

8 Prouision. 21.Vntruth 117. All the Statutes made against prouisions purchased from Rome in the time of Ed. 3. Ric. 2. are confirmed. And it is further enacted, that elections of Archbishops, Bishops, Priors, Deanes, be not in any wise interrupted by the Pope, Hen. 4. an. 9. c. 8. This acte ouerthroweth the iurisdiction of the Pope, so farre is it from graunting any thing to the King for the defence thereof. Thus like an vnskilfull Apothecarie, taking quid pro quo, he hath tempered a contrarie drugge, which as a dramme of coll… quintida marreth the whole potion, though it had bene otherwise medecinable.

9 Tenure. 2. They that hold of lands escheated to the King, shall do the same seruice to the King,Vntruth 118. which they did before, Mag. chart. c. 31.

10 Ward. 3. The King shall not hauehave the custodie of the heire that holdeth of the king by free soccage, Vntruth 119.& of another by Knights seruice, Hen. 3. an. 9. Mag. chart. c. 27. Ward 13.14. p. 14815. The King shall hauehave the ward and mariage of all that hold of him in chiefe, Ed. 2. ann. 17. praerogatiu. reg. c. 1.2.6.

Vntruth 120.11 Women. 2. That widowes of them, that hold of the King in chiefe shall not marrie without the Kings licence: praerogat. reg. c. 4. ann. 17. Ed. 2.

Vntruth 121.12 Wreck 2. The King shall hauehave the wrecke of the sea throughout the realme, praerogat. reg. c. 11. ann. 17. Edward. 2. Thus it is euident, that these lawes by this pettifogger alleaged, do not serue his turne at all: neither is there to be found so much as one syllable sounding that way, that these priuileges and graunts, were for that reason and intent giuen vntounto the Kings of England, as he saith, for the defence of the Popish faith: so that he is euidētlie conuinced of so many vntruths, as he hath here quoted lawes. And beside let it be considered, that all these prerogatiues were graunted in the raignes of Hen. 3. and Edw. 2. who impugned the iurisdiction of the Romane Bishop, and therefore are reckned vp in the number of Kings of vnhappie successe, by this Popes Register, p. 77. How then is it like, that these priuiledges were graunted them for defence of the papall seignorie, to the which they so much opposed themselues?

3 But concerning the dignities of the Church of England, founded, as he saith, by their Catholike Kings, we do possesse them with better right, then the Popish Clergie did. For 1. whereas they erected them to the honor of God, which was the principall end of their deuotion, though they fayled in the meanes, we doubt not, but that these erections are now better employed to Gods glorie then euer they were in time of Poperie: and that they, not we,Westm…n. 2. ca. 41. Edw. 1. ann. 13. vsed those franke gifts, contra formam collationis, against the forme of collation, and mind of the founder, employing them to superstitious and idolatrous and riotous vses,Aedificia corū …cclesiis vendicentur. Cod. lib. 1. tit. 12. l. 11. Honor. ☞ Theodos. not pious and religious; and therefore did forfeit their state according to the equitie of the lawe.

2 Beside, this is consonant to the lawes Imperiall, that edificies abused to heresie and superstition, should be added vntounto the true Church: and the reason of the lawe is p. 149yeelded, Certum est, quicquid à fide Christianorū discrepat legi Christianae esse contrarium, It is certaine, what soeuer differeth from the Christian faith, is contrarie to the Christian lawe. Such things then as were abused against true religion, were out of the lawes protection.

3 These ecclesiasticall dignities were first erected for the preaching of the word: as the Apostle saith,Popish hierarchie vsurpeth places of the Church. 1. Cor. 9.11.1 Cor 9:11 If wee hauehave sowen vntounto you spirituall things, is it a great thing if we reape your carnall things? Therefore an vnpreaching Clergie, such as the Popish Hierarchie is, hath no right vntounto them: they were but vsurpers, no true owners.

Therefore ye Popish Masse-priests, and Baals shauelings are the miserable people spoken of, worthie with Elie his posteritie to beg a morsell of bread, and a piece of siluer, rather then to beare the Priests office:1. Sam. 2.35.1 Sam 2:35 To whom that saying of Ambrose may fitlie be applied, Nomen inane, crimen immane, honor sublimis, vita deformis, ne sit religiosus amictus, irreligiosus profectus, Let not your name be vaine, your crimes certaine; your honor hie, your life awrie, your habit holie;foreign. but your hearts and works vnholie. Such as Alexander said Antipater was, He did weare white garments without, and was all purple within: Such is the Popish Clergie, outwardlie clothed with sanctitie, inwardlie full of hypocrisie.

The Apologie.

1 NO place of error was left for those Kings, pa. 66. li. 7. The third proofe.Ergo their religion is to be receiued: that it is not likely that those auncient Catholike Kings could erre, he would proue 1. by the confession of the Protestants, That it doth appertaine to the title and iurisdiction of Christian Kings to determine matters and questions of religion, pag. 64. lin. 10.

2 Because of the zeale and deuotion of those Kings &c. there is no comparison, but rather Protestant Princes should erre then they, pag. 64. lin. 32.

3 Because of the number, learning and pietie of them by whom they were counsayled, pag▪ 64. lin. 30. as Cedde, Anselme, p. 150Dunstane, Thomas Becket, Lanfranke, pa. 65. li. 30.

4 There was no place of error left for those Kings &c. because no decree of faith without generall consent of the whole Christian word, generall Councels, &c. except God would permit the whole world to be deluded, &c. pag. 66. lin. 6.10. &c.

The Antilogie.

1 TO proue the former Catholike Kings not to hauehave erred, he beginneth himselfe with an error and fiction of his owne, that Protestants referre the deciding and determination of questions of religion vntounto Princes, as though the resolution of all such doubts were layd vp and locked in the Princes breast.What power Protestants yeeld to Princes in causes ecclesiasticall. We do attribute vntounto our Christian Princes no absolute power to determine what they will, nor priuiledge them from error, as they do their Pope.

The allegations in the margent affixed are friuolous: for neither did the Conuocation ann. 1562. referre the deciding the questions of religion to her Maiestie:Vntruth 122. but they were first agreed vponupon by the Archbishops, Bishops, and the rest of the Clergie by the word of God, whereunto her Maiestie afterward gaue her royall assent.

Neither can any such thing be shewed out of any acte of Parliament,Vntruth 123. ann. 1. ann. 5. ann. 13. Elizab. as he cunninglie, according to his fraudulent manner foisteth into the margent, only the chiefe gouernment of all estates and▪ in all causes, is giuen to her Maiestie, and that they ought not to be subiect to any forraine iurisdiction: artic. 37.

Vntruth 124.The author of Synopsis is also in this behalfe sclaundered:Synops. contr. 7. qu. 1. par. 3. for he speaketh not, where that question is handled, of deciding of questions of religion, but of the constituting of Ecclesiasticall lawes, the authoritie whereof is shewed to belong to the Prince with three limitations. 1. The Prince is not to prescribe any lawes, but such as require the true worship of God. 2. He is to consult in these cases with the learned and godlie of his realme. 3. Such canons and ordinances, the execution whereof p. 151properlie belong vntounto the Ministers of the Church, are excepted: and so it is concluded, that no lawes ought to be made without the authoritie of the Prince, which the Prince is bound to execute.

Now, sir, doth it follow hereupon, that Christian Princes are absolutely to be obeyed in all ecclesiasticall lawes whatsoeuer? vnlesse you could shew this by the confession of Protestants, which you shall neuer do, your reason is not worth a rush.

2 Neither doth it follow, because some of them were men of great sanctimonie, as instance is giuen in King Alured, of his deuout prayers, godlie exercises, charitable works, pa. 64. whose singular vertues are as much magnified by Protestant Historiographers, as by any: or because they were disposed to iustice,Fox pag. 143. personallie sate in iudgement &c. pa. 56. li. 26. made good lawes: that therefore in matters of religion they might not erre, and be deceiued.

The merciemercy of Antoninus Pius, that said,Princes ciuill and morall vertues do not iustifie their religion. he had rather saue one Citizen, then destroy a thousand of his aduersaries: the charitie of Adrianus, that neuer saw poore man, whom he did not relieue: the gentlenes and clemencie of Titus, who neuer dismissed any man from him without hope to obtaine his suite: the iustice of Alexander Seuerus, who, when he met any corrupt iudge, was readie to thrust his fingers in his eyes: Iulians liberalitie, which built Hospitals for strangers,Sozomen. lib. 4.15. gaue great store of wheate and wine for reliefe of the poore people. These noble vertues much to be commended in Princes, do not therefore iustifie Pagane idolatrie, to the which they were addicted.

And to exemplifie this matter in Christian Emperours, Constantius was a iust and temperate Emperour, yet an Arriane. Anastasius otherwise a good Emperour, yet erred about the Trinitie, who published, that men should worship not three but foure persons in the God-head. Iustinian, a wise and iust Emperour, yet infected with the heresie of Eutyches, who held, that Christ had two persons, and so in effect made two Christs: In like manner p. 152might diuers auncient Kings of England be men of noble and excellent vertues, and yet carried away with the errors of those times in matters of religion.

3 Neither were they the freer from error, because they were assisted with Dunstones, Anselmes, Lanfranks, Beckets: they were so much the more like to be deceiued, because they were ruled by such superstitious deceiuers: for if the blind leade the blinde, Math. 15.14.Matt 15:14they are both like to fall into the ditch. As for Cedde, who is numbred with the rest, as he was some hundred yeares before them, so in iudgement he was vnlike them, as shall euen now be shewed: Neither was vertuous King Alured wholie for them, or of that faith which the Church of Rome now holdeth, as followeth presently to be declared.

The whole Christian world not deceiued.4 We do not thinke that the whole Christian world can be, or was euer deceiued: but God alwayes therein in some part or other, had his Church, which held the truth, though the same not alwayes glorious and visible to the world: and so we doubt not, but that in all ages and times since our Sauiours ascension, there hauehave beene, that professed the Gospell: Neither can it be shewed, that euer Poperie possessed the whole Christian world.

But concerning Generall Councels, we know they hauehave erred,Generall Councels may erre. and may erre againe: As the generall Councell of Antioch, where Athanasius was condemned: Another at Antioch, wherein the heresie of the Macedonians was confirmed: the Synode Arriminens. concluding for Arrius: the second Ephesine that fauoured Eutyches; and diuers other generall Councels hauehave erred, as is confessed by our aduersaries. And not only those assemblies of heretikes and their fauorites, but euen of Catholikes, by the confession of the Papists themselues hauehave erred, as the generall Councels of Constance and Basile, Bellar. lib. 1. de concil. ca. 7.which decreed that Generall Councels had authoritie aboue the Pope, which the Ignatian Diuines hold to be an error. For ought then, that hath yet been alleaged, the auncient Catholike Kings of this land, were not priuileged from error, and therefore in matters of religion they might be deceiued: p. 153So then, though Abimelech sayd to the people, What ye hauehave seene me, do the like: Iud. 9.48.Judg 9:48yet in religious affaires it is no sufficient warrant to do, as others hauehave done afore: But like as (sayth Ambrose) in militarie affaires, the sentence of men therein exercised and experienced must be expected: Quando de religione tractatus est, cogita Deum: Epistol. 30.So when religion is treated of, thinke vponupon God. God in his word must be consulted with: Mens errors in faith are no more to be imitated, then their faults of life: for herein should we be like Dionysius followers,foreign. who because he was dimmesighted, they fayned themselues to be so, stumbling one vponupon another.

The Apologie.

THe supernaturall signes and miracles,The fourth proofe. written as is confessed by the Protestants themselues in the liues of Saint Oswald, S. Edmunds, S. Edwards, Lucius, Kingylsus, Offa, Sigebertus, &c. testifie the truth of their religion, whereof some for the sanctitie of those Princes are hereditarie to their posteritie, not by any desert of Protestants, as the miraculous curing of the naturallie vncurable disease called the Kings or Queenes euill, obtained by the holines of S. Edward, pag. 66. lin. 12. & deinceps.

The Antilogie.

1 TO this argument of miracles I hauehave answered before,Answ. to sect. 6. that they are no certaine demonstration of a true religion, because the Paganes also boasted of miracles done amongst them. And whereas the heathen are supposed to hauehave forged many things, so it is not to be doubted, but that many of these miracles giuen in instance, were the dreames and fictions of idle and fabulous Monks: as Berinus walking vponupon the sea,Fox pag. 122. ca. 1. Popish legend miracles. Fox pag. 125. col. 2. hauing not one threed of his garment wet: and how Aldelmus caused an infant of nine dayes old at Rome to speake, to cleare Pope Sergius, suspected to be the father of that child: and how he drew a length a piece of timber, that went to the building p. 154of the Church in Malmesburie. The like tale goeth of Egwine, who hauing fettered both his feet in yrons fast locked, and cast the key into the Sea, to do penance vponupon himselfe,Fox ibid. for certaine sinnes committed in his youth, a fish brought the key to the Ship, as he was sayling homeward from Rome. Of like truth is that fable of Bristanus Bishop of Winchester, who as he prayed walking in the Churchyard for the soules of men departed, whē he came to these words, requiescant in pace, a multitude of soules answered againe, Amen. I report me now to the indifferent reader, whether we hauehave not iust cause to suspect the credit of these legend miracles.

2 But these miracles, which he sayth, were wrought by those Christian Kings being admitted, he shall neuer be able to proue that these were of the Popish Church or beliefe, Lucius, Oswald, Iua, Ceolulfus, with others, as in the next defense, in the answere to the probation of the assumption, shall God willing be made plaine.

3 Whereas he nameth Offa and Sigebert among the miracle-makers, he hath committed a great ouersight, or vsed a cunning sleight, to face out the matter with bare names: for Offa by the entisement of his wife, was accessorie to the cruell death of King Ethelbert, Ex histor. Iornalens.who came peaceablie to sue for the mariage of his daughter: and therefore it is not like that God would endue a murderer with such a miraculous gift. But the cause is soone coniectured, why the Popes Clergie doth so much honor the memorie of Offa, for in part of penance and satisfaction for that wicked acte, he gaue the tenth of his goods to the Church, builded the Monasterie of S. Albons, gaue the Peter-pence to Rome, and was a great benefactor to that See.

Sigebert King of West Saxons, was a most cruell tyrant, who caused the Earle Combranus to be most cruellie put to death, because he admonished him to change his manners,Fox p. 129. Stow an. 757. Sigebert a cruell tyrant. and was himselfe by the iust iudgement of God slaine by the Swineheard of the same Earle: and yet this man is numbred among the Catholike Kings, that p. 155wrought miracles. Another Sigebert there was King of East Saxons, who became a Christian: but it is not like that this (Legender) meaneth him, who was welnie 150. yeares before this Sigebert, who is named after Offa, in whose time he liued, ann. 748. he then putting these two together, Offa, Sigebertus, Stow an. …16.may be thought rather to insinuate that Sigebert, which liued in the time of Offa, then the other, who was almost 150. yeares before. Thus verie skilfullie, as we see, he hath martialed and mustred his Mirabilists together.

4 Concerning the cure of the Kings euill first obtained by King Edward 1. it is not to be imputed to the holines of his person, but the efficacie of his prayers,Of the cure of the Queenes euill. to the which that vertuous Prince was much giuen: as Dauid by his godlie songs rather then his musicall instrument allayed Saules maladie. 2. King Edward did not cure the woman brought vntounto him so much by miracle,Stow in Edward Confessor. as by ordinarie meanes, as suppling and cleansing of the soare, pressing out the corruption, and bathing the flesh. 3. He did not onelyonly cure the woman of her disease, but she became fruitfull, being barren before. He also healed a man that had been blind 19. yeares, and caused him to see as the storie reporteth, the credit whereof I referre to the Reader: how commeth it to passe, that these cures also are not hereditarie as well as the other? 4. If this miraculous cure of this disease is to be ascribed to the Popish religion, how cōmeth it to passe that a Protestant Prince our late Soueraigne Qu. Elizabeth therein was comparable to any of her predecessors, who yet did not ascribe it to any desert in her self, or holines of her person, or vertue of her crown, but to Gods mercy inuocated by her prayers? 5. It is not yet proued, that the beginning of this strange cure was founded vponupon any point of Popish profession, but vpō the confidence which that good Prince had in God, whom the Protestants more trulie worship then Papists. 6. Whatsoeuer is here alleaged for countenancing of the religion of these Christian Kings, the Paganes also can produce the like for theirs. Traianus the Emperour made p. 156a blind man see,Ex Suetonio. Cure of strāge diseases amōg Paganes. foreign. Plutarch. quaest. Graec. 50. and a lame man go. Among the Argiues the posteritie of Alexida Amphiraus daughter, are thought to cure the falling sicknes, and are called Elasiae, from driuing away of that disease: Therefore this is no sound argument to grace that religion, though all the rest were euident, which yet wanteth proofe, that this gift was first bestowed for the merit and desert of the popish beliefe, which is thought rather to remayne as a grace from God of that sacred calling, and a signe of his speciall assistance and protection of Princes: though in his strange cure the conceit and opinion of the diseased may somewhat help, some other meanes medicine and diet more, but godlie prayers most of all, that we neede not altogether pretend a miraculous worke. Ambrose sayth, Moses non imperabat, sed impetrabat, Moses precabatur, Christus operabatur: Serm. 18. in Psal. 119.Ps 119Moses intreated, not commanded, he was the prayer, Christ the worker. Another sayth, Elizeus cum spiritu magistri haereditario, Hieron. de vir. perfect.scindere tamen aquas, nisi sub Dei inuocatione non potuit: Helizaeus, though heyring his maisters spirit could not deuide the water without calling vponupon God: so this gift howsoeuer to Princes hereditarie pretended, can not be without prayer and works of pietie effectuallie practised.

The Apologie.

THe proposition of the argument proposed, that Princes are bound to the religion of their predecessors, hath been thus handsomely proued, as we see: now it followeth that I examine his proofes of the assumption, that all these Catholike Kings were Papists.

1 They builded Monasteries, and graunted diuers priuiledges for praying to God and Saints, for the soules of them, and their posteritie, pag. 58. lin. penultim.

2 They voluntarily forsooke their Kingdomes, and professed Monasticall life, Kingylsus, Iue, C…lulsus, &c. pag. 59. lin. 17.

3 Thirdly, Christian Kings of the Britons from Lucius to p. 157Cadwallader, ann. 150. Kings of the English or Saxon, Danish,Vntruth 125. and Norman nation, embraced it with all zeale themselues, and promulged the same by all lawes &c. to their posteritie, pag. 60. lin. 12. &c.

4 Her Maiesties father obserued it all his life, and of denying the Romane iurisdiction repented at his death,Vntruth 126. pag. 60. lin. 24. &c.

5 My Soueraigne that is, in the time of her Sister Queene Mary, professed it with much deuotion, pag. 6. lin. 29.Vntruth 127.

6 The King ought to take his oath vponupon the Euangelists, and blessed relicks of Saints &c. to maintaine holie Church with all integritie and libertie,Falsificat. or vntruth 117. according to the constitution of his auncestors, pag. 64. lin. 30.

VponUpon these euidences he inferreth thus: So that no man can doubt of what faith they were, except it be a question whether he that prayeth to Saints prayeth for the dead, offereth sacrifice of the Masse, graunteth Church liberties, honoreth the Sea of Rome, buildeth Altars, Monasteries, Nunries, &c. be a Papist or Protestant, pag. 59. lin. 1.2.

The Antilogie.

ALthough I might safely insist in the proposition, that a Christian Prince ought not absolutely to be addicted to the religion of his forefathers, yet that the weakenes of the Apologists defense may appeare, I will discouer his nakednes in this behalfe, that he hath not gayned by his slender reasons, that those Christian auncient Kings were of the now Romaine religion.

1 Though some Monasteries were built by the founders for the remedie of their soule, yet all were not, speciallie those which were erected at the beginning, betweene ann. 600. and ann. 700. when as yet superstition had not got such deepe footing: afterward they which had committed any murther or grieuous sinne that troubled their conscience, they were perswaded to found some Monasterie for the remission of their sinnes: as Offa builded S. Albones for the murther of King Ethelbert: p. 158Ex histor. Iornalens.Ethelstane the Abbey of Midleton for consenting to his brother Edwines death: Queene Alfrith the Nunrie of Amesburie because of the death of King Edward the Martyr,Fox pa. 159. Monasteries built for redemption of soules. Fox pa. 279. which she had procured. Yea in processe of time as religion decayed, they had a conceit by such works to redeeme their soules: as King Henry 3. built the Monasterie of Conuerts, pro redemptione animae suae, & Iohannis patris sui &c. for the redemption of his soule, and the soule of Iohn his father. Is not this good geare (thinke you) and sound Catholike doctrine, that men should play Christs part, and by their owne works redeeme their soules?

2 Though diuers of those auncient Kings became Monks, yet neither was the Monasticall life so farre out of square as now it is: they made it not a cloake of idlenes, and filthie liuing, a nurserie of idolatrie, and grosse superstitions; but they desired that life, as fittest for contemplation, and free frō the encumbrances of the world. Diuers of the heathen Emperors left the Imperiall administration, and betooke thēselues to priuate contemplation, as Dioclesian, Maximinian; Lanquet, ann. Christ. 307. Neither doth this one opinion of the excellencie of Monasticall life shew them to be resolute Papists: for it followeth not, because they were Monks, that consequentlie they held transubstantiation, worship of images, and the more grosse points of the Romish Catechisme.

3 He shall not be able to proue the tenth part of that great number of 180. Kings either to hauehave themselues professed the now Romane religion, or by lawes to hauehave prescribed the same to others: some instances I will produce.

Stow ann. 179. Auncient Kings of England dissenting from the Church of Rome. ann. 664. Fox pa. 123.In King Lucius dayes not the Pope, but the King was Gods vicar in his kingdome: and it was his part to gather the people together to the law of Christ, as Eleutherius Bishop of Rome testifieth in his epistle.

Cedde and Colman dissented from the Church of Rome about the celebration of Easter. Wilfride about the same time confesseth, that Images were inuented of the Deuill, p. 159which all men that beleeue in Christ (sayth he) ought of necessitie to forsake and detest.Fox ibid. col. 2▪ lin. 8.9.

King Alfred or Alured translated the Psalter into English: and he was instructed by Ioannes Scotus, Ann. 880.who writ a booke de corpore & sanguine Christi, Pag. 144.which was condemned by the Pope in the Synod Vercellens. being of Bertrams opinion against the corporall presence, which fansie was not as yet receiued in the Church,Ann. 996. Fox pa. 1142. Fox pa. 147. to pag. 151. as is apparant by the sermon of Elfricus against transubstantiation.

In King Edward, Athelstane, and King Edmunds time, the Prince had power to constitute ecclesiasticall lawes, and to prescribe rules and orders for ecclesiasticall persons, as may appeare by diuers of their lawes.

In King Edgars time Priests mariage was lawfull,Histor. Iornalens. in vit. Edgar. which began then to be restrayned.

Many lawes and acts hauehave passed since in open Parliament, to restraine the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, to inhibite the purchasing of prouisoes frō thence, arrests,Ann. Edw. 3.38. c. 1, 2. Rich. 2. ann. 13. stat. 2. c. 2. Henr. 4. ann. 9. c. 8. processes, excommunications vnderunder paine of exile, imprisonment, forfeiture of goods, and that not without expresse consent of the Clergie. See Richard. 2. ann. 16. cap. 5.

These then which allowed not the worship of images, beleeued not transubstantiation, gaue the Prince authoritie in spirituall causes, approued the mariage of Ministers, and the translation of the scriptures into the vulgar tongue, restrayned the authoritie of the Romane Bishop, may worthilie doubted of, whether they were Papists.

4 King Henry was so farre from repenting his proceedings against the vsurped Romane iurisdiction,King Henries purpose to reforme religion. that if God had spared him life, he intended a thorough reformation of Religion, as was easilie to be seene both by his resolution for religion vttered not long before his death to Monsieur de Annebault the French Embassador, and his answere made nearer to his death to Bruno Embassador to the Duke of Saxonie, Fox pag. 1291.that he would take his part against the Emperour, if the quarell were for religion.

5 More vntrue it is, that our late Soueraigne in the late dayes of persecution, professed that religion with p. 160such deuotion. The cruell and vnnaturall dealing toward her highnes then, is a sufficient argument to conuince this large reporter of a great vntruth: how she was sent for by commission,Fox pag. 2091. in great extremitie of sicknes, to be brought aliue or dead:Pag. 2092. committed without cause to the Tower: her seruants remoued from her: straitlie examined:Pag. 2093. her owne seruants restrayned to bring her diet: denied the libertie of the Tower:Pag. 2095. a strait watch kept round about her: in danger to be murdered: in continuall feare of her life:Queene Elizabeths troubles and dangers in her sisters time. her death by Winchesters platforme intended, which by Gods prouidence she escaped: Adde hereunto Stories desperate speech vttered in the Parliament house, that he was not a little grieued with his (fellow Papists) for that they laboured onelyonly about the young and little sprigs and twigs, while they should hauehave striken at the roote, &c. All this euidentlie bewrayeth what opinion they had of her Maiesties resolution in religion, and what she had of theirs. In the meane time their cruell proceedings are laid open, who (if it were as this Coniecturer sayth) would so persecute an innocent Ladie, whom they commend for her deuotion.

6.1. That euidence which he alleadgeth from M. Fox his mouth out of the Register booke of the Guildhall in London, Fox p. 166. c. 1.conteineth not the precise forme of the Princes oath to be taken at the Coronation (which before I hauehave recited out of Magna charta) but certaine monitions and instructions concerning the dutie of the King. 2. He vseth great fraud in setting downe the words both inuerting the order, and leauing out what he thinketh good: as that the King ought to louelove and obserue Gods commaundements, then must he be an enemie to idolatrie, and to the doctrines and commaundements of men, such as many be obserued in the Romane Church: Beside he sayth, to maintaine holie Church, whereas the words are to maintaine and gouerne the holie Church &c. but they can not endure that Kings should rule and gouerne the Church. 3. For the King to take his oath vponupon the Euangelists and blessed reliques of Saints, it sheweth not, that the King did p. 161worship those reliques, or sweare by them,The King sweareth not by relickes at the Coronation. Genes. 24.2. Genes. 31.53. Ambros. contr. Symmach.Gen 24:2Gen 31:53 though he lay his hand vponupon them: no more, then he doth sweare by the booke, that putteth his hand vponupon it; or Abrahams seruant by his maisters thigh when he sware vntounto him; or Iacob by the heape of stones ouer the which he tooke his oath: But as Ambrose well sayth, Christianus imperator aram solius Christi didicit honorare, A Christian Emperour hath onelyonly learned to honor Christs altare: And so Christian Princes hauehave learned to giuegive all religious honor to Christ, and not to impart it to his seruants, to make them sharers with their Maister.

Thus hath this (sophisticall dialogist) fayled as well in the probation of the assumption, as in his enlarging of the proposition: But whatsoeuer her Maiesties predecessors were, she was not bound, where they wandred out of the way to erre in their steps. Iosias of idolatrous parents both father and grandfather, was himselfe a religious Prince, and a true worshipper of God. Heathen stories will tell vsus, that noble Pericles came of an euill race: Pompeius the great of despised Strabo, Vlysses, Aesculapius, famous men, of lewd parents. The graue Poet also doth insinuate as much:

foreign:Homer. Iliad. ….

The sonne excels in vertues fame, the parent euill of whome he came.

As of euill parents vertuous children may descend, so out of superstitious antiquitie religious posteritie may issue and florish: And as Ambrose well answered the obiection of Symmachus the Pagane, Maiorum ritus seruandus est, The rites of the elders must be kept: Omnia postea in melius profecerunt, All things, sayth he, hauehave bene made more perfect in time, &c. Wil they find fault with haruest because it is late, or with the vintage in the end of the yeare? Euen so the vintage of the Gospell is not to be cōdemned, because it falleth out in the end of the world: Dicant igitur in suis omnia debere manere principijs: They may as well say, that eueryevery thing should keepe the beginning, and not grow vntounto perfection.

p. 162Now followeth the second part, wherein the Apologist goeth about to approue the now Romane religion, by setting forth the vnhappie successe of those Princes which any way hauehave opposed themselues to the Sea of Rome, I will examine all his demonstrations in order.

The 1. Demonstration.

Vntruth 128.1 THe gates of hell hauehave been set open against it, and yet neuer preuailed, as Christ hath promised, pag. 67.

2 The Pagane Emperours could neuer conquer, nor commaund it, although they had put the greatest parts of the Popes to death, pag. 67.

Vntruth 129.3 Rome was spoiled and sacked by Alaricus, Hunnes, Gothes, Vandals, Visigothes, but that holie Sea preuailed.

Vntruth 130.4 Alaricus caused miraculouslie to retire at the voyce of Leo then Pope, pag. 67.

Vntruth 131.5 The very countenance of Pope Zachary forced Limprandus that had besieged it to desist, pag. 68.

Vntruth 132.6 The Saracens burned the suburbs of Rome▪ and yet Pope Gregory the 4. without force repelled them, pag. 68.

7 The Duke of Burbon miserablie slaine at the assault, when he had besieged Rome, pag. 68.

8 That inuincible Sea hath bene impugned by the might and endeuours of the supreme Regents of Germany, Bauaria, Persia,Vntruth 133. and Armenia, Indias, Iapponia, yet that little Sea of Rome, and the faith thereof hath subdued them all, pag. 68.

9 It was assaulted of Iulian, Valens, the Arrians, but they were confounded:Vntruth 134. Vntruth 135. Vntruth 136. the Grecians, Armenians, Iacobines, denied their obedience vntounto it, and became the Turks vassals.

The Remonstration.

1 THat promise, that the gates of hell should not preuaile, was made to Peters faith, which the Church of Rome hath lost, not to Peters person: as Ambrose saith, Fides ergo est ecclesiae fundamentum, De incarnat. ca. 5.non enim de carne Petri, sed de fide dictum est, quia portae mortis non praeualebunt e…: p. 163Faith then is the foundation of the Church: for it was spoken not of Peters flesh, but Peters faith, that the gates of hell should not preuaile against it. Neither can the citie of Rome shewe such assurance of Gods protection, as Hierusalem could,Psal. 132.14.Ps 132:14 where the Lord had promised to dwell for euer: yet was that holie citie forsaken. And whether by the gates of hell, we vnderstand the externall assaults of Infidels and barbarous people, or the spirituall corruption of doctrine, both the one way and other the Sea and Citie of Rome hath beene subdued: For neuer any citie hath been so often besieged, and sacked, as that hath bin, euē since it was Christian, by the Hunnes, Gothes, Vandales, Heruli, Lombards, Saracens: neyther any place professing Christianitie, hath been so infected with error and heresie, that in both respects it is euident, that the gates of hell hauehave preuailed against it.

2 The auncient Bishops of Rome (for as yet they were not called by any peculiar title Popes) died for the true faith of Christ, from the which the Popes hauehave a long time swarued: wherefore they succeeding in place only, not in faith and doctrine, can not challenge any dignitie or prerogatiue by those holie Martyrs, whose steps they do not follow. As for Sibyls prophesie, that the fishers hooke should subdue the Romane Empire (though we relie not vppon such blind prophesies) it was then fulfilled, when the Apostles faith (whom our Sauiour made fishers of men, and not only Peter) was embraced of Christian Constantine, and the whole Romane Empire made subiect vntounto it.Math. 4.19.Matt 4:19 And Augustine rehearsing certain verses of Sibyll concerning Christ, which begin with letters, which layed together make these words, foreign: Iesus Christ the sonne of God the Sauiour: And the first letters of these fiue words put together bring forth this word foreign,De ciuitat. Dei. lib. 18. ca. 23. which signifieth a Fish, he interpreteth the same of Christ, shewing in what sense he is compared to a Fish, because as a fish in the sea, so he in the sea of this world, viuus mansit. i. sine peccato, continued aliue, that is, without sin: then as well by the fishers hooke may we vnderstand the p. 164doctrine of Christ. But if ye will needes appropriate the fishers hooke to the Sea of Rome, then the sense may wel be this, that the Pope, claiming vnderunder Peters title, and pretending the fishers hooke for religion, should fish for aduantage, and subdue the Imperiall dignitie, arrogating the same to himselfe, leauing nothing but the image, that is, the bare name and title of the Empire, as is prophesied Apocal. 13.14. as we see it come to passe this day.

3. He maketh mention but of foure sackings of Rome, and yet that Sea preuailed: But in truth, it was twice foure times and oftner besieged, spoyled and sacked, since they began to decline from the true Christian faith: As by Alaricus, ann. 407. Ataulphus King of the VVisigothes, anno 414. By Attila King of the Hunnes anno 454. Gensericus 357. By Odoacer King of the Heruli 478. By Totilus King of the Gothes,L…quet. anno 550. who spoyled Rome with fire, ouerthrowing the walles and towers, leauing it almost desert: and it was taken againe and spoyled by the same Totilus anno 554. Rome besieged by Agilulphus King of the Lumbards by the space of an whole yeere,Rome often taken and sacked, since it was Christian. anno 605. Besieged by Luitprandus anno 738. By Aistulphus of Lumbardie anno 755. Subdued by Desyderius King of Lumbards anno 769. Rome besieged and the suburbes subdued by the Saracens anno 837. And againe, anno 923. And anno 915. the Saracens of Africke entred Italie, and most cruelly entreated man, woman and child.

We shall not finde that old Rome vnderunder the Paganes was halfe so often assaulted, and sacked in twice so many yeeres by Brennus, Hannibal, Pyrrhus, and the rest that surprised it: neither can any citie in the world be named, that hath endured greater miseries and calamities then Rome since it first receiued the Christian faith.The great miseries and calimities of Rome. Hieron ad Principium. Hierome in his time described y^e miserable state of Rome being taken of the Gothes: Capitur vrbs, quae totum cepit orbem: The citie is taken, that hath conquered the world, it perisheth by famine before the sword, the bodies lie slaine in the high waies, the mother eateth her owne children, &c. Thus this indefectible Sea, as this bragger …aith, preuailed p. 165and vanquished: when as neuer any citie was more often subdued and brought to greater miserie.

But he meaneth, perhaps, that Rome for all this continueth still: what then?Secūdum computationem. Lanquet & Cooperi. yet it neuer flourished so long together as the Empire of the Assyrians, which continued well nie 15. hundred yeeres, from Ninus anno mundi 1788 vntounto Sardanapalus anno 3132. The nation of the forlorne Iewes is not yet extinguished: what gaine they thereby, but ignominie and shame? And Rome the seate of Antichrist may hauehave some remainder till the comming of Christ, but to their greater iudgement and euerlasting confusion:2. Thessal. 2.8.2 Thess 2:8 whom the Lord (as the Apostle saith) shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and abolish with the brightnes of his comming. The spirit of God in his word shall wound him, Christ at his comming shal vtterly confound him: the first we see alreadie effected, the second we shal see in due time perfited.

4. Attilus was not miraculously caused to retire at the voyce of Leo: but as Blondus saith, Facundus pontifex orando molliuit: De…ad. 1. lib. 2.The eloquent Bishop did by his oration mollifie him, and cause him to leaue Italie: It was not then the miracle of his voyce, but the subtiltie of his speech that moued him. Some other affirme, that Leo obtained peace of this condition,Co…peri chr…ni. anno 455. that Rome should become to him tributarie: if money and tribute can worke miracles, then this was a miracle. As for that fable, that Attilus should say that hee was not moued at Leo his perswasion, but at the sight of two holding naked swords and threatning him, which were supposed to be Peter and Paul; if it were of any credit, it is not like it should here hauehave been omitted: for many things are here vnlikely: First, the Apostles were preachers, not fighters. Secondly, what neede Paul threaten, could not Peter suffice. Thirdly, visions are not shewed to Pagans and Infidels, but to the faithfull. Fourthly, if any such matter were, it was not Leo his miraculous voice, but this imagined meancing visiō.

5. Neither was it the countenance of Pope Zachari… that caused Luitprandus ▪ not Limprandus, &c. as he writeth, p. 166to desist. For Blondus by him cited, saith, that Zacharie at Narnia, inter missaria solennia orationem habuit: molliuit sanctus vir barbari regis animum, Blondus dec. 1. lib. 10.made a solemne oration in the time of solemne Masse, and the holie man did mollifie the minde of the barbarous King. But other stories report, that when Luitprandus had fiercely besieged the citie, the Bishop desired aide of Charles of France, who by his friendly perswasion withdrew Luitprand his Godfather from the siege: If then it were either the Bishops eloquent oration that mollified him,Cooperi Chronic. ann. 738. or Charles perswasion that moued him, it was not the contemplation onelyonly of the Popes countenance, that turned him.

Thus he would beare vsus in hand, that where the enemie was mitigated sometime by intreatie, sometime by policie, sometime by confederacie with other, that the vertue of the Popes person, and the very becke of his countenance did it. Ataulphus desisted from his enterprise,Lanquet anno 414. who had purposed vtterly to destroy Rome, and to build another citie in place thereof, by the intercession of his wife Plac…dia. Gen…ericus hauing inuaded Rome, by the intercession of Leo abstained from slaughter,Anno 460. hauing first robbed Italie, and taken away all the riches thereof. So the Lumbards that had inuaded Campaine and tooke certaine cities, by the rich gifts and intercession of Iohn the 6. Bishop of Rome were quieted.Cooperi anno 701. When Aistulphus had besieged Rome, he was constrained by King Pipinus to giuegive ouer and yeeld to his merciemercy:Anno 755. to whom Stephen then Bishop went into France to craue aide of him against the Lumbards: It was not then Pope Stephanus face, but King Pipinus force that repelled Aistulphus. So Stephen the 3. sent to Charles of France to quiet Desyderius, Lanquet anno 769. Ann. 773.that kept great reuell in Rome. Adrian likewise perceiuing that his threatning excommunication could not stay the rage of Desyderius, desired helpe of Charles.

And if the Popes countenance and manly lookes can doe such feates: how came it to passe, that Theodorick, not fearing Pope Iohns face, caused him to be banished, being afterward famished to death?Anno 525. Martin Bishop of p. 167Rome was banished by Constantine the Greeke Emperour. Iohn the 11. was deposed by Otho the Emperour,Ann. 6…6. Ann. 963. and afterward being restored to his Bishopricke was taken and slaine in adulterie. Iohn 12. was cast into prison. Iohn the 17. had his eyes put out.Anno 966. Anno 995. Anno 1053. Leo the 9. was vanquished of Gysulphus and taken prisoner. Benedict 6. was taken of Cynthius, and cast into the tower of S. Angel, where he was famished. Many of the Italian Popes had such miserable ends. I doe much marueile, that the Popes maiesticall countenance could not deliuer him from the sword, from putting out of his eyes, from imprisonment, from banishment, from captiuitie.

6. And why could not Iohn the 10. as well without force expell the Saracens that spoyled Italie, but was faine thereto to vse the helpe of Romanus the Emperour of Greece, as Luithbertus; or of Albericus Earle of Hetruria, as Blondus saith:Cooperi Chronic. ann. 1009. Or why might not Gregorie the 5. as well as this Gregorie the 4. without force driue the Saracens out of Italie, which tooke Capua, and besieged Barum? But they were ouercome in battell of Vrceolus Duke of Venice and Gregorie a Captaine of Constantinople.

And why could not Gregorie the 4. as well hauehave kept them from burning the suburbes of Rome, if he had such a facilitie in chasing the enemie, as from entring the Citie? And as Ambrose well answereth Symmachus, who boasted of the deliuerance of Rome from Hannibal: Cur se obsideri passi sunt▪ &c. If your gods draue Hannibal from the walles, why did they suffer him to come so neere as to besiege them? But if Rome vnderunder Popes had been so strangely deliuered, as it was before from the French by the cackling of Geese: how would then this Frier hauehave cackled, and craked of this exploite, as Symmachus by this act pleadeth for idolatrie? whom Ambrose thus wittily taunteth: Senones capitolij secreta penetrassent, nisi eos p…uido anser strepitu prodidisset: en qual…s templa Romana praesules habent: vbi tum erat Iuppiter, num in ansere … quebatur? The secrets of the Capitoll had been to the French betrayed, if the fearefull geese had nor them b… wrayed: p. 168such Priests the Romane Temples hauehave: whore was Iuppiter then, did he speake in the geese?

7. He might hauehave spared for shame to make mention of the Duke of Burbones besieging of Rome: for neuer was any enterprise more dishonourable to the Pope and his Cardinals: for the souldiers brake in vponupon the Pope being at Masse, and hee was constrained to flee to the Castle of S. Angel, where hee was besieged, and notwithstanding his curses, forced to yeeld himselfe, and to grant his Buls: in the meane time they spoyled the citie, made iests of the Pope: they had one riding like the Pope, with an whore behind him, sometime he blessed, sometime he cursed,Fox. pag. 988. sometime they called him Antichrist. And all this was done by the Emperours souldiers, not Protestants, but Papists.

What if the Duke died in the last assault, of a stroake with an handgunne, and (as he saith) censured? first, this is the condition of warre, it spareth none. Secondly, this notwithstanding the Citie after his death was taken. Thirdly, the Pope was forced afterward to absolue and release, whom before he had cursed.

8. The reason why so many Kings and Regents of the world preuailed not in their attempts and endeuours against the Sea of Rome,Why the Pope in times past so much preuailed. is euident, because they had before giuen their power and authoritie vntounto the beast, with one consent, Reuel. 17.13. and therefore Gods iustice required that they should be beaten with their owne rod, and suffer vnderunder that power, which another by their authoritie first vsurped. But the time shall come, that the same Kings and Nations, which before gaue their kingdome to the beast, shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked, Reuel. 17.17.

But concerning the Indians, if the Spanish tyranny had not preuailed more then Popish subtiltie, and cruell violence obtained more then Monkish conscience: they were like to hauehave had a cold suite of it and a simple haruest.

9. Iulian was punished for Apostasie from the faith, p. 169not for denying fealtie to the Pope, and Valens iudged for his Arrian heresie, not for gainsaying the Papall hierarchie. The Grecians and Armenians were subdued to the Turkes, not for resisting the iurisdiction of the Pope, but for other graue and waightie causes, which may be alleaged: first, because the Empire being diuided anno 101. when Leo the 3. proclaimed Charles the great Emperour of Rome, was thereby weakened, and so by little and little decayed, till at the last it became a pray to the Turke. The Pope then himselfe was the first occasion of this iudgement, which befell them. Secondly, in that the Greekes began to hauehave small respect to the Romane Bishop, the Pope himself was the cause, for that he first forsooke the Greek Empire, erecting another in the West: as the author of the tripartite worke saith: Schisma hoc fecit partitio imperij, &c. The partition of the Empire made this schisme: because the Empire, that was but one, was made two: Et hinc probabile est, Op…scul. tripartit. lib. 2. cap. 11.quod Graeci cum suo domino coeperunt rebellare ecclesiae Romanae: And hence it was that the Greekes with their Lord began to rebell against the Romane Church: The Pope therefore may for this thanke himselfe. Thirdly,The causes of the ouerthrow of the Greeke Empire. but the greatest cause of all this diuision of the Empire, and so consequently the confusion thereof, was the idolatrie of the Greekes, who in a generall Councel held at Nice confirmed and allowed the adoration of images about the time of Adrian the 1. by whose counsell Irene the Empresse tooke vp the bodie of Constantine her husband, and burned it,Cooperi anno 778. and cast the ashes into the sea, because they disanulled images. Immediatly vponupon this inhumane fact of Irene, and for their idolatrie, followed the diuision of the Empire, by Leo the 3. the next successor of this Adrian. And for the same cause, namely their idolatrie, was the Citie of Constantinople surprized and sacked of the Turkes: for after the Citie was taken, the great Turke caused the image of the Crucifixe, which was set vp in the great Church of Sophia, to be taken downe, and writing this superscription ouer the head: Hic est Christianorum Deus, This is the God of the p. 170Christians, made it with sound of Trumpet to bee caried round about the Campe, and eueryevery man to spit at it: ex Ioann. Ram. lib. 2. rerum Turcicar. This is more like to be the cause of the destruction of that citie. Fourthly▪ and as God hath punished the East Churches for their backsliding; so must idolatrous Rome looke to hauehave her part, which both in manners and doctrine is as corrupt, as euer was the Greeke Church. Many yeeres since it was said: Latini licet ad ea, Opuscul. tripartit. lib. 1. cap. 2.quae sunt fidei verius adhaereant deo, quam Graeci; tamen quoad mores multo pluribus sceleribus implicati sunt: The Latines although in matters of faith they cleaue more truly to God, yet are in manners more corrupt. But now the church of Rome is notoriously knowne both in faith and manners to bee much worse: If the Greekes were iudged of God for failing in one, the Latines cannot escape, that come short in both.

10. Lastly, he telleth vsus, that in the Primitiue Church before Constantine, almost an hundred Pagane Emperours, either truly elected, or reputed, persecuted it, and all them, excepting tenne or eleuen, died miserably, when the persecuted Popes put to death by them, came not to the third part of that number, pag. 69. lin. 3, 4. &c.

Vntruth 137.1. Vntrue it is, that there were before Constantine almost 100. Pagane Emperours: there were not many aboue halfe that number. 2. Neither were then the Bishops of Rome called Popes by a peculiar stile, as now they are. 3. This maketh nothing for the present Papall Hierarchie: for the Bishops of Rome are declined and fallen away from the faith & doctrine of those first persecuted Bishops & Martyrs. 4. Whereas, I confesse, there was then great difference between the imperiall & ecclesiasticall state, both in the short raigne, & miserable end of the one, & the long continuance & glorious death of the other: the case is now altered, for since the time of Gregorie the 1. when the Bishops of Rome began to fall away from the true faith, the Popes both for their wretched end and short raigne may cōpare with either the Imperiall, or any Episcopall seate, and farre exceed them. For the first, p. 171Anastasius voided his entrals into the draught.The miserable end of Popes. Siluerius died in banishment. Vigilius drawne vp and downe by the neck in the streetes at Constantinople. Sabinianus died being frighted in the night.Ex Platinae Functio, Balaeo, de act. Roman. pontificum. Agathon that condemned Ministers mariage died of the plague. Constantin. 2. condemned to prison, and his eyes put out. Leo. 3. cast from his horse, and beaten to death. Stephanus. 8. wounded in a tumult, and so battered, that he neuer would shew himselfe afterward abroade. Iohn. 13. slaine in adulterie. Bonifacius 7. died of an apoplexie, his bodie was drawne through the streetes with ropes, and striken through with speares. Siluester 2. slaine of the Deuill, being a Necromancer. Benedictus 9. suffocated by the Deuill. Lucius 2. beaten with stones to death. Adrianus 4. choaked with a flie. Innocentius 4 sodainely died in his bed. Nicholaus 3. died sodainely and speechlesse. Clement. 6. died sodainely of an aposteme. Iohn 15. had his eyes put out and died of the stinch of the prison. Now sir, what hauehave you gained by obiecting the miserable end of the Pagane Emperours: I thinke your Popes may therein compare with them; more wretched and desperate ends shall we not finde of any Princes or Prelates▪ then of prophane Popes.

For shortnes of raigne, Popes goe beyond all regents either temporall or ecclesiasticall, that euer were in the world, not to speake of the regiment of two or three yeares and not aboue, of which sort many Popes may be numbred: how many of them attayned not to a yeare,Ex Bal…o Platina Functio &c. The short raigne of Popes. how many not to many moneths, yea not to many dayes? Leo 2. Benedict 2. did not pope it aboue tenne moneths: Benedict 10. nine moneths, as many Benedict 11. Alexander 5. eight moneths: Christophor. 1. Lando. 1. seauen moneths: Leo 6. as many: Celestinus 2. sixe moneths: Ioannes 19. fiue moneths: Romanus 1. three moneths: Benedict. 5. Gregor. 8.2. moneths.

Some of their Popedomes are reckoned by dayes: as Siluester 3▪ was Pope but 49. dayes: Adrianus 5. fortie dayes: Pius▪ 3.27. dayes: Bonifacius 6.25. dayes: Damasus 2.23. dayes: likewise Marcellus 2. Sosimus 2. twentie p. 172dayes: Celestinus 4. eighteene dayes: Stephanus the successor of Zacharias three daies: And is not now this bragger ashamed to obiect the breuitie of the Imperiall dominion?

Concerning the number of Popes, since the declining time of that Sea, from Gregory 1. you shall finde for one Emperour two or three Popes. There hauehave beene vnderunder Queene Elizabeths raigne not fewer then 8. or 9. Popes. And because it may be answered, that Princes do raigne by succession, and so many come very young to the Crowne; Popes enter by election, and are aged when they are chosen: let comparison be made betweene the Papacie and other Episcopal seas, to the which also men of grauitie and yeares are elected, you shall finde three Popes to one Bishop. As to giuegive one instance for many, in the Archiepiscopall Sea of Canterburie:Fox pag. 134.170.394.675.778. edition 1583. There hauehave been since Augustines time, who was sent into England by Gregory 1. about ann. 600. and odd, onelyonly 73. Archbishops: But Popes since Gregory 1. there are numbred almost 200. for he was the 64. Bishop of Rome:Caranza Concilior. sum. and there hauehave beene in the whole number 240▪ Bishops of that Sea or thereabout. Wherefore as Ambrose well answered Symmachus who thus obiected, Vnde rectius, quam documentis rerum secundarum cognitio venit numinis? Whence better may the presence of the Gods be knowne, then by prosperitie? saith Ambrose, Odi bimestres Imperatores, & terminos regum cum exordijs coniunctos, I like not two-monethmonth Emperours, and raignes ending and beginning together: Many such two-monethmonth Popes may be produced, and popping aside, as soone as they are pooping. Such infelicitie of the head, doth giuegive no great cause to those Popes-creatures to brag of their prosperitie. So that as Leosthenes said of Alexanders armie,foreign. their Captaine being dead, that it was like to blind Cyclops, that groped with his hands, hauing lost his ere: so may the papall Hierarchie be resembled, so often changing their head▪ and as one said to Dionysius, that a tyrannie was a faire sepulcher; such is the Popedome, as a pompous and p. 173garnished sepulcher, wherein the Popes take their ease, tyrannizing ouer the Church for their owne aduantage, but in respect of any profitable worke in Christs Church, they are as mued and closed vp in a sepulcher.

The third Demonstration.

THis Popes Chronicler goeth forward and telleth vsus of diuers Kings and Emperours that hauehave been punished, and some of them deposed from their Kingdomes, for resisting the Sea of Rome ▪ as the two Frecards of Scotland: Sanetius King of Portugall, Bolislaus King of Polonia: King Phillip of Fraunce, the Empire translated for disobedience from the French to Otho the 3. Henry the 4. Frederike the 2. Otho the 4. Lodouike the 4. deposed. The East Empire taken of the Turke. Alibrettus King of Nauarre; the two Henries of Burbon deposed and depriued, pag. 69.70. I will examine these examples in order.

The Remonstration.

1 FRequard the younger was striken of God with a painefull disease whereof he dyed,Vntruth 138. not for his disobedience to the Pope, but for his wicked life: for he killed his wife and defloured his daughters, and was therefore excluded from the communion of Christians: his nobles were purposed to hauehave taken punishment of him, but were stayed by Colmannus, who told them, that Gods vengeance was at hand:Bucanan. lib. 5. reg. 54. Cooper. an. 646. and not long after he was wounded by a Wolfe in hunting, and thereby fell into a strange disease, and so died. Thus Bucanane reporteth, who is falsified to say, that all this fell vponupon him for his disobedience to Rome▪ which beside that there is no such mention in the historie, was not like, seeing Colman himselfe dissented from the Church of Rome about the celebration of Easter, as hath been before shewed, and so might be touched himselfe for his disobedience to that Sea.Vntruth 139▪

2 Frequard the fi…st was indeede disgraded of his Lords p. 174and cast into prison, and for sorrow slew himselfe: yet this hapned not for any attempts against the Pope, but as Bucanane sayth,Bucanane vntruly reported lib. 5. reg. 52. because he maintained factions amongst the nobilitie, and the Pelagian heresie and the contempt of baptisme were obiected against him: and as others write,Cooper. an. 630. this iudgement befell him for his crueltie and negligence in the affaires of the common-wealth.

Vntruth 140.3 If it be Sanctius the first whom he meaneth (for diuers Kings of Portugall were of that name) he was with the consent of Honorius the third deposed,Conestaggius lib. 3. de reb. Portugall. and the gouernment committed to one Alphonsus, not for disobedience to the Pope, sed propter ignauiam, for his slothfulnes in the administration of the kingdome.

Munster lib. 4. c. 5.4 Bolislaus being rebuked for adulterie of Stanislaus Bishop of Graccouia, slue him, and was depriued therefore of the Crowne by the Pope,Vntruth 141. and fell into madnes: Munster sheweth this to be the cause, not his resisting of the Pope. He might as well say that Pompilius a King also of Polonia, who was deuoured of Mice with his wife and children,Munster lib. 4. c. 3. which came from the bodies of those whom he had commaunded vniustlie to be slaine, was iudged thus of God for his resistance to the Pope.

Vntruth 142.5 Whatsoeuer befell Phillip of France, is not to be imputed to any offence committed against the Pope, but to his adulterous life,Lanquet chron. ann. 1060. who repudiating his first wife Bertha, by whom he had children, coupled to him Bertradam the wife of Iulio: but howsoeuer it fared with him, in the meane time Vrbane for his disloyaltie to Princes escaped not vnpunished,Ann. 1098. who for feare of his enemies hid himselfe two yeares in the house of Peter Leo, and so dyed.

But why omitted he to make mention of an other Phillip of France in the time of Boniface the 8. who more resisted the Popes authoritie then euer any King of France did:Fox pag. 341. he defeated the Pope of bestowing ecclesiastical dignities, forbad any gold or siluer to be exported out of the land to the Pope, who also thus wrote vntounto the Pope: To Boniface, bearing himselfe for chiefe pastor, little health or none. Fox pag. 343.Let thy foolishnes know, that in no temporall things p. 175we are subiect to no man. Was Phillip punished for being thus bold with the Pope? No, but Boniface himselfe smarted for his contempt of Kings, for he was taken prisoner by King Phillips souldiers, robbed of all his treasure, forced to ride vponupon an vnbroken colt, with his face to the horse taile, almost famished for meate, if he had not been relieued by the almes of the towne of Anragum where he was, and returning to Rome for sorrow he dyed.Fox pag. 348.

6 Neither was the Empire translated from the French to the Saxons for disobedience to the Sea of Rome,Vntruth 142. Vntruth 143. but the line of Charles ending in Chunrade the Emperour, he appointed Henry the first Duke of Saxonie to succeede him in the Empire,Chron. Cooper ann. 920. who yet was neuer crowned of the Romane Bishop: his sonne Otho the first, not Otho the third (as this blind historian shuffleth at it) was after his father admitted to the Empire, which Otho, to whom he supposeth the Empire to be translated, did curb the Romane Bishops as much as any before him: for he reproued Iohn the 11. for his adulterous life, condemned him in a Councell, and deposed him. This instance then which he hath produced, sheweth rather the euill successe of the Romane Bishops, then of the Christian Emperours.

7 This Otho the third, to whom he saith the Empire was transferred,Vntruth 144. was not such an obedient child as he thinketh to the Sea of Rome: for he caused one Crescentius, that had set vp Iohn the 17. to be Bishop of Rome,Cooper an. 995. to be put to death, and the Bishop to be deposed and bereft of his sight, and elected in his place Gregory the 5.

8 Henry the fourth was a most couragious Prince and of happie successe, he raigned 50. yeares,Vntruth 145. and in 62. battailes encountred his enemies. Gregory the 7. assoyled most treacherouslie his subiects of their oath, and set vp Rodolphus against Henry the fourth, whom he ouercame in foure battailes, and in the last Rodolphus was slaine. Paschalis the 2. incited Henry the 5. against his owne father, and mooued him most vnnaturallie to make warre against him:Lanquet ann. 1106. during which warre the aged Emperour for sorrow died. He might then hauehave spared this example, p. 176which sheweth more the Popes pride and tyrannie, then the Emperours miserie: for about this time when the Popes thus ruffled with the Emperour,Ann. 1108. a certaine Bishop of Fluentine taught that Antichrist was come.

9 True it is, that Frederike the 2. was strangled to death by his bastard sonne Manfredus, set a worke, as is supposed,Hieronym▪ M…ius: Petr. de vineis. Platin. in Innocent. 4. Lanquet ann. 1254 by Innocentius 4. who also poisoned Conradus, the next Emperour Frederikes sonne, being vnderunder the Popes curse: and this treacherous parricide Manfredus was afterward for his good seruice rewarded by Alexander the 4. with the Kingdome of Sicily: this example bewrayeth the Popes treacherie more then the Emperours infelicitie.

Vntruth 146.10 Concerning the excommunicating and deposing of Otho the 4. Lewes the 4. King Alibret, the Henries of Burbon, &c. the Pope was an agent in all these affaires, and a iudge in his owne cause, shewing himselfe the right Antichrist,The ruffling of Popes against Emperours. Caus. 15. qu. 6. c. alius. taking vponupon him to depose Emperours and Kings at his pleasure. Thus did Pope Zacharie depose Childerick King of France, and set vp Pipinus in his stead. Thus Innocentius the 3. serued King Iohn, interdicting his whole realme, causing him to surrender his Crowne. Vrbanus 2. put downe Hugo Earle of Italy, discharging his subiects of their oath.Caus. 15. qu. 6. c. 5. Naucler. Innocentius the 2. tooke the Dukedome of Sicily from the Emperour, and made Roger King thereof. Adrianus the 4. did excommunicate William King of Sicily,Vitae pontific. and would hauehave deposed him of his kingdome, if he had not been superior in battaile.Bull. Adrian. The same Adrian did excommunicate Frederike the first for setting his name before the Popes in writing. This insolencie of the Popes and their tyrannizing against Kings and Emperours, was iustlie suffered of God, because they had giuen their power to the beast, and helped to aduance his proud throne, and are iustlie recompenced not for their disobedience to that Sea, but for their disobedience to God, in submitting their princely estate, which is Gods ordinance to Antichrists cōmaund.Vntruth 147. These calamities then not brought vpō these Emperors by Gods handie worke, but wrought by the Popes malice in his owne cause, do conuince him p. 177of Antichristian tyrannie, not them of disloyal obstinacie. They may as well condemne Gedeons sonnes,Iudg. 9.Judg 9 that were wickedly murdered, and iustifie Abimelech that cruellie put them to death: and magnifie Zimri, 1. King. 16.9.1 Kgs 16:9that preuailed against the King his master and slue him. And as well may the theefe, that robbeth by the high way & killeth, boast of his good successe, as these treacherous Popes, that rebelled against the Emperours and Kings their Lords and Masters.

11. In that Constantinople was taken in the festiuitie of Pentecost, and of the holie Ghost, Vntruth 148.concerning whose proceeding the Greekes are in error, as he saith: this sheweth that not for denying of the Romane iurisdiction, but their corruptions in the Christian religion,Demonst. 2. artic. 9. and for their idolatrous superstition, as hath been before shewed, that famous citie, new Rome, was surprised. Let old Rome in time take heede, least being partaker of new Romes corruption, it taste not eare long also of their destruction: for the Scripture saith, Be not partaker in her sinnes, that ye receiue not of her plagues ▪ Reuelat. 18.4. And I say vntounto them with Hierome: Maledictionem▪ Lib. 2. aduers. Iouinian.quam vrbi saluator in Apocalypsi comminatus est, potes effugere per poenitentiam, habens exemplum Niniuitarum: Thou maist escape (O Rome) the curse threatned in the Apocalypse by repentance, hauing the example of the Niniuites. Seneca said well: Fulmina paucorum periculo cadunt, omnium metu: Thunderbolts fall to the hurt of few, to the feare of all. So it were good for old Rome to feare that punishment, which is fallen vponupon new Rome for the same sinnes.

The fourth Demonstration.

HE telleth vsus further of the miserable ends of Luther, Oecolampadius, Zuinglius, Caluine, Cranmer: of the Duke of Saxonie and the Lantgraue taken prisoners: of the pitifull deaths of the Prince of Condie and the Admirall, like …ezabel cast downe at a window: of the Prince of Orange miserably slaine in Flaunders: of Iames p. 178the bastard in Scotland dishonourably put to death: of Christierne King of Denmarke deposed from his kingdome, &c. pag. 71.

The Remonstration.

Vntruth 149.1. LVther, Oecolampadius, Caluine, as they were men of vertuous life; so was their end not miserable, but comfortable: what railing Cocleus saith, it skilleth not. Sleidane, Beza, with others, that had better cause to know them, doe report no otherwise of them. This blind Censor had forgotten the pitifull ends of some Popish champions of that time, as of aaEx Jllyric. de vocabul. fidei.Hofmeister, bbCarion. fol. 250.Eckius, Iacobus ccFox. p. 2106.Latomus, which all three died roaring and raging in desperation.

2. Zuinglius was slaine in the field dying in defence of the truth:Vntruth 150. so was good Iosias wounded in battaile and thereof died. Cranmer was put to death for the Gospell, as Stephen was stoned for the faith of Christ: you may as well vrge the examples of the one, as iudged and punished of God, as of the other.

3. Much better was the Duke of Saxonies and the Lantgraues case, that were persecuted of the Emperour and taken prisoners, then he, whose captiues they were: for they would rather die, then forsake their faith: but the Emperour,Fox pag. 2112. col. 1. that great Charles the 5. the Popes stout champion died in contempt and ignominie, being in his old age become ridiculous vntounto children.

3. The P. of Condie & Oranges death are monuments of Popish treacherie, not argumēts of Gods seueritie: he might be ashamed, thus to blaze and boast of the perfidious conspiracies of Papists against Protestant Princes: and it is not farre from blasphemie to make that Gods act, which the diuell wrought by his wicked ministers: As though Iudas also betrayed not his master, and brought him to his end: note this also I pray you as a iudgement of God vponupon Christ.

4. As for that godly Admirall of France, he was as innocent p. 179Naboth, suspecting nothing, cruelly murdered: but as Naboths blood was reuenged in Ahab and Iezabels blood; so all the wicked instruments of this horrible and almost inexpiable massacre, were iudged of God: the bloodie end of Charles the 9. then King; of Henrie the 3. then Duke of Aniow, and of the Guises, great doers in that bloodie enterprise, are well knowne to the world, I neede make no rehearsall of them. Who seeth not how this blind fencer, is beaten with his owne weapon, and confounded with his owne examples?

5. Whatsoeuer happened to Iames the bastard,Vntruth 151. was not for any resistance against Rome, but his owne misdemeanour was his ruine. This Iames Hamelton the bastard (if it be he whō he meaneth) was condemned, and beheaded, and his bodie quartered for treason: Quod certo die cubiculo effracto regem trucidare constituisset: Because he had appointed vponupon a certaine day to breake into the Kings chamber, and kill him: This was his offence. But otherwise he was no enemie but a friend to the Church of Rome: for in the same storie it followeth, that few grieued at his death, but his kinred and the Popish priests,Bucanan lib. 13. Qui in eius incolumitate omnium suarum prope fortunarum spem collocarunt: Who in his safetie placed the hope of all their happie state. But I marueile that this great trauailer, making mention of the affaires of Scotland, could forget the notable example of Gods iudgement shewed vponupon Dauid Beaton Cardinall of S. Andrewes,Fox pa. 127…. col. 1. a cruell persecutor, who was slaine in his bed, and lay vnburied 7. moneths, being at last raked vp in a dunghill: this happened not (I thinke) for any disloyaltie to the triple crowned beast.

6. Christierne King of Denmarke was deposed,Vntruth 152. not for his gainesaying of the Papall iurisdiction, but for his crueltie and misgouernment: and in open Parliament was for his tyrannie depriued of his kingdome, and his vncle Fredericke Duke of Holsatia chosen in his place.

7. Penda, Redwaldus, Osricus, Eaufridus were not punished for resisting the iurisdiction of Rome,Vntruth 153. but for impugning p. 180the faith of Christ being Pagane Idolaters: of the two latter Beda thus writeth: Vterque sacramenta regni coelestis, Beda lib. 3. histor. gent. Anglor. c. 1.quibus initiatus erat anathematizando perdidit, &c. Both of them standing accursed lost the sacraments of the heauenly kingdome, which they had receiued, and yeelded themselues againe to be defiled, idololatriae sordibus, with the filth of Idols: and they were both slaine of Cedualla King of Britons. First then they were punished for their apostasie from the faith of Christ, not from the fealtie of Rome. Secondly, they were rather iudged for holding the faith of the now Church of Rome, in worshipping of Idols. Thirdly, yet if it were directly proued, which he intendeth, these arguments drawne from outward calamities,Beda lib. 2. c. 20 which are cōmon both to good & bad, are but vncertaine: for the same Beda also maketh mention of Edwine Oswaldus, Sigebertus▪ Egericus all Christian Kings:Lib. 3. c. 9. Lib. 3. c. 18. the first slaine of Carduella King of Britons, the other three by Penda a Pagan Prince.

8. He saith further, that eleuen thousand Monkes of Bangor were slaine of the Pagane souldiers, for their disobedience in dissenting from the Sea of Rome, only in the paschall obseruation and manner of shauing, pag. 72.

1. Who seeth not this Popelings vncharitable iudgement,Vntruth 153. who would hauehave them slaine as rebels, which were in trueth put to death as Martyrs, for preaching and praying for good successe against Ethelbertus a Pagane King of Northumberland? 2. And is he not ashamed to sit in Gods place of iudgement to award so heauie a punishmēt for so smal a matter, as dissenting about shauing of crownes, &c? 3. But God suffered not this pitifull slaughter to go vnreuenged: for cruel Ethelbert was slaine in the field by Christian Edwine, … succeeded him. 4. And because he talketh of shauing of crownes,Fox pa. 119. we reade also, that Suanus the Dane tooke the citie of Canterburie and put to death 900. Monkes, by tithing of them, that is, sauing eueryevery tenth man aliue: and 8000. of other persons were put to the sword likewise.Fox. pag. 161. We may as well say that these religious persons had their crownes thus pared, because p. 181they were shauen after the Romane fashion, as that the other were slaine for not being so shaued.

9. King Edwine was not deposed from his kingdome,Vntruth 154. and Edgar substituted in his place for banishing of Dunstane, as this Dunstanist supposeth,Fox. pag. 152. col. 1. but for his licentious life: who in the same day of his coronation vsed the vnlawfull companie of a certaine woman whose husband he had slaine before.

Thus this trifler maketh eueryevery thing serue his turne: and would make vsus beleeue, that all iudgements and calamities, which befell those Princes, were inflicted for the Popes cause. He is herein much like Colotes the Epicure, who in a certaine booke taketh vponupon him to proue,foreign. that a man could not liue according to other Philosophers rules, that there was no life but among the Epicures: and so this Romane Epicure thinketh, that there is no life nor safetie without the Epicurean fellowship of Rome. But the law telleth vsus, In re propria nemo idoneus iudex: Cod. lib. 4. tit. 20. leg. 9. Gratian.No man is a fit iudge in his owne cause: no more is he in this. And so I proceede.

The fift Demonstration.

WIlliam the Conquerour, William Rufus, Henrie the 2. King Iohn, Henrie the 3. Edward the 2. Richard the 2. are brought in as impugners of the Papall iurisdiction, and for the same strangely punished of God, from pag. 73. to pag. 79. These examples shall be examined in order.

The Remonstration.

1. IT appeareth not in storie,Vntruth 155. that William Conquerour did oppose himselfe to the Popes seignorie: for hee caused Stigandus Archbishop of Canturburie to be depriued, and Lanfranke a great champion for the Pope to be set in his place. Indeede at his first conquest he dealt hardly with some Monasteries, spoyling them of their p. 182gold and siluer: but for that hee made amends: For hee founded Battaile Abbey in Sussex, and Selbie Abbey in Yorkshire,Stow anno VVillel. 20. the Priorie of S. Nicholas at Excester, the Abbey of S. Stephen at Cane in Normandie.

He caused the Ladie Church at Meux in France to be burnt, and two Anachoretes: but the first was repayred againe at his charge:Stow. the other were wilfully burnt, because they perswaded themselues, they ought not to leaue their Cell and caue in that extremitie.

This victorious Prince greatly repented with teares at his death of all his outragious deedes: commaunding all his treasure to be distributed vntounto Churches, poore folks and Ministers of God: and made a large confession of his sinnes before his death, with an eloquent exhortation to his sonnes and Nobles, forgiuing all men, and opening all prison doores to them which were there detained: what reason then had this Popish pickthanke, so ill to requite this Prince, so great a benefactor to the Papall professors?

Concerning the punishments noted to hauehave befallen this Prince: as the great famine in his daies, and of the breaking of his entrailes, and the deniall of buriall: the first was a iudgement rather vponupon the whole land, being by conquest made desolate, then vponupon him that did conquer it: the second is no rare thing, for a man by the leaping of his horse ouer a ditch to breake the rimme of his bellie, as this Prince did: for the third, true it is, that a gentleman forbad his buriall, because it was taken by violence from his father, where the Duke had founded the house of S. Stephen: This wrong was done, not for any priuate gaine, but for the erection of that Church, which the Papists count a meritorious work: and yet the gentleman was compounded with, and the bodie peaceably interred. These were neither such extraordinarie iudgements, and whatsoeuer they were, might be laid vponupon him for his transgressions, not for his disobedience to the Sea of Rome.

But hath not this Popes hireling shewed great thankfulnes p. 183to such a liberall benefactor and principall founder, who augmented & enlarged nine Abbeys of Monks and one of Nunnes in Normandie:A notable benefactor euill requi…ed▪ Stowe. and in whose time 17. Monasteries, and 6. Nunries were builded, as he himselfe confessed vponupon his death-bed, whom the Bishop of Ebroike commended, in his funerall sermon, for his magnificence, valour, peace and iustice. Among many other, this brabler had least cause to take exception against this valiant Duke.

2. Concerning William Rufus, 1. his resisting against the Pope was iust, and vponupon good ground, because of his vnsatiable exactions, alleaging this reason, Quod Petri non inhaerent vestigijs, praemijs inhiantes, &c. Ex Math. Parisiens.That the Popes follow not Peters steps, gaping for bribes, neither hauehave they his authoritie, not imitating his sanctitie.

2. Whereas he would not suffer Anselme without his licence to goe or appeale to Rome, but for his stubborne behauiour banished him, the King therein alleageth the custome of the land from his fathers time, and all the Bishops tooke part with the King against Anselme. Fox pag. 185.3. The death of William Rufus being slaine by the glaunsing of an arrow shot by one Tyrell, as the King was hunting in the new forrest, is noted by historians as a iudgement of God vponupon him for his oppression: As Richard an other sonne of William the father was slaine in the same forrest which he had made,Fox pag. 189. Stowe. plucking downe Churches and dis-peopling towneships 30. miles about:Vntruth 156. It was not then the Kings restrayning of the Popes vsurping, but his own vsurping vponupon other mens possessions, that might be thought to incense the diuine wrath against him.

3. It is also vntrue, as this dreamer surmiseth, that Henry the first could not be quiet in conscience, till he had restored the Ecclesiasticall (he meaneth Papall) libertie: for he reformed the too great libertie and licentiousnes of the Clergie,Fox pag. 191. col. 1. Cooper. and seemed little to fauour the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome: neither would suffer any Legate to come from the Pope vnlesse by himselfe required. Beside, he obtained of Calixtus the 2. that he might p. 184vse all the customes vsed before of his forefathers in England.Fox pag. 199. col. 1.

Vntruth 157.4. Whereas this fabler affirmeth, That neuer any Gouernor before King Henry the 8. challenged any such prerogatiue of supremacie, except in the inuestiture of Bishops, pag. 74. lin. 20. This is a notable fiction, as may appeare by the words of William Rufus to Anselme, The custome (sayth he) from my fathers time, hath been in England, that no person should appeale to the Pope without the Kings licence: Fox pag. 185. col. 1.He that breaketh the customes of the realme, violateth the Crowne and power of the Kingdome.

Vntruth 158.5. Neither is it true, that such troubles befell Henry the 2. for his disobedience to the Bishop of Rome, as forreine warres and busines abroad, and the rebellion of his owne children at home: But these troubles are by the best historians imputed to other causes, as some make the originall thereof to be his refusall to take the protection of Hierusalem against the infidels,Fox pag. 228. col. 2. being humblie sued vntounto by Heraclius the Patriarke, who in his Oration to the King, foretold of the plagues like to ensue. Others affirme, that the King was punished for his licentious life:Histor. de regib. Angl. for he was a great wedlocke breaker, keeping a famous concubine called Rosamond, after whose death he deteyned the daughter of Lewes King of France married to his sonne Richard, Stowe.and kept Ellanor the Queene in prison twelue yeares.

Neither is it true, that after … reconciled to the Church of Rome,Vntruth 159. that …, but they rather then began: for the … vponupon his oath of the death of Thomas … certaine conditions from the Pope … ▪ of his raigne,Fox pag. 227. col. 1. and immediately after followed … with his sonne Henry, ann. 1173. and with the Flemings and Scots ann. 1174. of his raigne ann. 20. or after others ann. 22.Stowe. Cooper. Ann. 1174. It is therefore vntrue, that the same day of his reconciliation the Earle of F…anders retyred, and the next day after the King of Scots was taken prisoner.

Vntruth 160.Neither immediatly vponupon this reconciliation of the p. 185King were his sonnes reconciled, and he himselfe restored to his pristine tranquillitie of mind and bodie: for his sonnes Henry and Geffrey raised warre against their father againe ann. 30. of his raigne, and shot at him, pearcing his vppermost armour, though some semblance there had been before of their submission to the King: And afterward in the 35. yeare of Henries raigne, his sonnes Richard and Iohn leuied an armie against their father, who for sorrow thereof dyed: whose dead corps at the comming of Richard bled abundantlie at the nose, thereby strangely accusing his vnnaturall proceedings against his father.

6. Neither was King Iohn punished because he had controuersie with the Sea of Rome as is pretended for after he was released of his excommunication, and absolued,Vntruth 161. which was in the 15. yeare of his raigne,Stow in King Iohn. and the land released of the interdiction, which had continued 6. yeares, then began his cruell warres with the Barons; and Lewes the French kings sonne, ann. 17. & 18. notwithstanding that the Pope tooke part with the King, and excommunicated the Nobles:Caxton lib. 7. & Gisbur…e. and last of all he was poisoned by a Monke of Swinsted. The cause of this strife betweene the King and the Barons, is alleadged,Cooper in King Iohn. for that he would not vse the lawes of S. Edward. And some part of his trouble may well be imputed to his stubborne behauiour against King Henry his father, who finding his sonne Iohn to be numbred amongst his enemies in a certaine schedule exhibited to him, thereupon sickned with griefe,Stow in Henry the second. and gaue his sonnes Gods curse and his, which he would neuer release till his dying day.

7. King Henry the third was not punished with ciuill warres for opposing himselfe against the Pope,Vntruth 162. but rather for being too much ruled by him: for after that in a Parliament held at Oxford in the 42. yeare of his raigne he had condescended to certaine auncient lawes and ordinances, whereunto he had before refused to yeeld,Stow in Henry the third. Lanquet in Henry the 3. and for conseruation whereof, those douzen peeres, which hee speaketh of were ordained, the King Ann. 44. procured an absolution of his oath from Rome, whereby he had before p. 186obliged himselfe to maintaine the said auncient lawes, whereupon followed those intestine warres betweene the King and his Nobles, in the which the King and his sonnes were taken. This contention then was caused, not for the Kings disobedience to the Pope, but his too great confidence in the Popes authoritie to absolue him from his oath, to abrogate the lawes enacted.

8. True it is, that many miseries and calamities, as ciuill warre, famine strange diseases happened vnderunder the raigne of Edward the second, and he himselfe at the last lost first his Crowne,Vntruth 163. and then his life: but as vntrue it is, that these troubles fell vponupon him, for medling too farre against the See of Rome: It is most euident in histories, that he was deposed for misgouernment, following the counsell of couetous,Stowe in Edward the 2. Lanquet anno 1320. cruell and wicked persons, Pierce Gaueston, and the two Spencers, in whose quarell he in a short space put to death 22. of the greatest men in the realme.

9. The like cause is shewed in histories of the great troubles that happened betweene Richard the second and his Nobles, and of the great miserie he fell into, namely, his negligent administration of the commonwealth, the intolerable exactions of his officers,Stowe. Lanquet anno …387. & 1397. his crueltie in causing his owne Vncle Thomas of Woodstock and other Nobles to be cruellie put to death: for these and the like causes he was deposed and depriued of his Crowne and regall dignitie. It was not then his medling in ecclesiasticall iurisdiction (as this wisard calculateth) but his loose,Vntruth 164. vniust, and carelesse gouernment that wrought him this wo. And if it were enacted in this Kings time, that Vrbane the Pope should be acknowledged for head of the Church, as is here affirmed; small reason there was in this discourser to exemplifie this King for his disobedience to the See of Rome, which is the scope of all this senselesse section.

10. King Henry prospered well in all his affaires after he tooke vponupon him to be the supreme gouernor in Ecclesiasticall matters; so did his sonne vertuous King Edward the 6. so did not Queene Mary: nothing had good successe almost that she enterprised: whose raigne was shortest p. 187of all her predecessors, vnlesse it were vsurping Richard. He therefore speaketh vntrulie and vncharitablie, that King Edward was not vniustlie punished in his fathers fault: Vntruth 165.for neither had his father of famous memorie faulted herein, nor himselfe punished for the same, but blessed of God with a godlie raigne, and an happie end. And thus hath this fabulous chronicler held vsus with a long tale, feeding the reader with his owne fansies: for among all these examples by him produced, he hath not verified his coniecture in any one of them, that they were punished of God for resisting the papall iurisdiction.

But the contrarie may easily be shewed,The vnhappie end of Princes deuoted to the Pope. that no Kings had worse successe, then they which were deuoted to the papall vsurped authoritie, and none better then they which impugned the same: and for the proofe hereof, I will not go farre from home. And first concerning the euill hap of Princes made slaues to the Pope, other countries yeeld plentifull choice of examples: as of Ladislaus King of Bohemia,Ex Aenea Siluio in histor. Bohem. a great enemie to the doctrine of Iohn Husse, who died sodainely of the Pestilence. Another Ladislaus much about that time King of Polonia, at the incitement of Eugenius the 4,Fox pag. 741. col. 1. brake truce made with Amurathes the great Turke, & was miserablie slaine. Rodolphus rebelled against the Emperour Henry the 4,Fox pag. 180. Lanquet anno▪ 1080. being set vp against him by Gregory the seauenth, and was slaine in battaile. The strange ends and bloudie deaths of Henry the second, Charles the ninth, Henry the third, Kings of Fraunce, great patrones of popish religion, are very well known, the first slaine with a shiuer of a speare as he iusted against Montgomery;Fox pag. 2112. the second dyed of bleeding at the eares and nose and diuers other parts; the third was murdered by a Frier.

But leauing to make mention of forraine stories, this one Island of Britannie doth afford sufficient supplie: who was more deuoted vntounto the Pope and Popes religion before the Conquest, then Offa and Edgar? and yet none were more punished in their posteritie.Ex histor. Iornalens. Stowe. King Offa first gaue the Peter-pence to Rome, he founded the Abbey of p. 188Bath and of S. Albons, and was himselfe at the length shorne a Monke: he most vniustly caused Ethelbert King of East-Angles, who gentlie came vntounto him mistrusting nothing, to be beheaded. But what befell the posteritie of this Offa? not one of them prospered: Eg fredus raigned but foure moneths, the rest that succeeded were either slaine or expulsed: Kenulphus, Kenelmus, Ceolwulphus, Bernulphus, Ludecanus, Withlacus, of the which Ceolwolfus was banished, all the rest were slaine: the last two Kings of Offa his race were Berthulfus, Fox pag. 111. Stowe.and Burdredus, which were expulsed of the Danes, and so the Kingdome of Mercia was extinguished. This Offa had a daughter called Ethelburga, which was maried to Brithicus King of West-Saxons, which first poisoned her husband: then she fled into France,Fox pag. 132. Stowe ex Asserio. and became Abbesse of a certaine Monasterie; from whence, for committing adulterie with a Monke she was expelled, and ended her dayes in pouertie and miserie. And such successe had Offa his posteritie. Edgar was a great friend to the Pope, and one of the greatest Patrones of Monkerie, he restored and new founded 47. Monasteries: but it fared full euill with his posteritie, his base sonne Edward was slaine by the counsaile of his step-mother Queene Alfrede: his other sonne Ethelred was expelled his Kingdome by Swanus the Dane,Stowe. and constrained to liue in exile in Normandie: his sonne Edmund surnamed Ironside, was forced to deuide his Kingdome with Canutus the Dane.

Since the Conquest, Richard the first was much addicted to the Church of Rome, and the Ministers thereof: he tooke his scrip and staffe at Canturburie to go in pilgrimage to Ierusalem to recouer the holie land (as they called it) from the Infidels: and he betooke the regiment of his Kingdome to William Longshamp Bishop of Ely the Popes Legate. In Palestina he fought many battailes prosperouslie, yet returning home, he was taken captiue by the Duke of Austria, and sent to the Emperour, paying for his raunsome an hundred thousand pound: at the last, after he had raigned not many yeares, nine and nine p. 189moneths,Stovv. Lanquet. he died of the stroke of a poysoned quarrell shot at him at the besieging of the Castle of Chalne.

Richard the 2. was a great factor for Pope Vrban, whom he decreed by act of Parliament to be obeyed as head of the Church:Rich. 2. ann. 2. c. 7. Stovv. Lanquet. yet was he an vnhappie Prince in all his proceedings, and at length was deposed and cruelly murdered in Pumfret Castle.

Henrie the 4. was a great agent for the Pope in persecuting of Christs members:Fox. pag. 523. col. 1. in the second yeere of whose raigne was made the statute ex officio, wherein they are adiudged to be burned, that should hold any thing contrarie to the determination of the Church: by vertue of which statute many good men were put to death vnderunder the raigne of the three Henries, one succeeding another. But what followed?Stovv. Lanquet. the father and the sonne raigned not long, not making much aboue 23. yeeres betweene them, and Henrie the 6. holding on the same course against Christs members, was deposed from his Crowne.

Richard the 3. much affecting and affected of the Popes ministers▪ for whose sake the Archbishop of Yorke being Cardinall vndertooke to perswade the Queene to deliuer Richard Duke of Yorke to his vncle,Stovv ex Thom. Mor. as a lambe into the lions mouth, and preuailed therein: his butcherly end is well knowne, how his dead carcasse was caried naked behind a Pursiuant of Armes, all be sprinkled with blood and mire, and homely buried.

Queene Mary had both a short and an vnprosperous raigne: she lost Calice, deceiued in her childbirth,Fox. pag. 29…. left desolate and forsaken of King Phillip her husband before she died, and ended her daies in griefe and sorrow.

But contrariwise, as these Princes, which yeelded themselues to be directed by the Pope, were of all other most infortunate: so those magnanimous Kings which maintained the libertie of the Crowne against the vsurped authoritie of the Bishop of Rome, were prosperous in all their affaires.

Edward the 1. first made the statute of Mortmaine,Ed. 1. anno 7. that no lands and possessions should be giuen to any religious p. 190house without the Kings licence:Kings of England prosperous that bent themselues against the Pope. Ed. 1. ann. 25. Ed. …. ann. 25. the statute also of Premunire made against prouisions of Bishoprickes and other Benefices to bee purchased from Rome was then ordained. King Edward the 3. also abridged and cut short the Popes iurisdiction, prohibiting vnderunder great penalties, that none should procure any such prouisions at Rome, or prosecute any suites in the Popes Court, the cognisance whereof appertained to the Kings Courts. King Henrie the 7. would admit of no more Cardinals in England,Fox. pag. 1071. col. 1. ex orat. Dom. Radulp. Sa…ler. after he was rid of one. King Henry the 8. abolished the Popes authoritie. King Edward the 6. expelled the Masse and other Popish trumperie▪ yet were all these victorious Kings. Edward the 1. against the Welsh: Edward the 3. against the French: Henrie the 7. against that tyrant and vsurper Richard the 3. Henrie the 8. for his valiant battailes famous: Edward the 6. in suppressing of Rebels and other enemies prosperous.

And concerning the raigne of our late noble Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth, whom God in his merciemercy appointed to be a reformer of religion and a nourisher of his Church, what Prince in the world (I speake not of this age onelyonly, but of many hundred yeeres before) can compare with her Maiesties time, in any kind of outward blessing?The prosperitie of Queene Elizabeths raigne. first, in the yeeres of her life she went beyond al her progenitors. Secondly, in the length of her raigne she exceeded all, but onelyonly two, Henrie the 3. and Edward the 3. Thirdly, in peaceable gouernment for so many euen 44. yeeres, none came neere her. Fourthly, in louelove of the subiects at home. Fiftly, in honour and reputation among forraine Princes. Sixtly, in prosperous successe abroad, in deliuerance from more then twentie conspiracies at home: Queene Elizabeth had no peere. Seuenthly, adde hereunto the wealth of the kingdome. Eightly, the purenes of the coyne. Ninthly, but most of all the purenes of religion. Tenthly, the abundance of learned men, such as no nation vnderunder heauen hath the like, of graue Counsellers, and Martiall Commaunders: who can but confesse, that in all these kindes the Gospell hath brought a rich p. 191blessing to this land. And as Queene Elizabeth loued and liued in peace, so she ended her daies in a good old age, full of yeeres: and, which of all other may worthily be accounted the greatest blessing, hath left the kingdom to a most worthie and noble successor, a professor and protector of the same faith and religion, our renowned King that now is; by whose hands, we doubt not, but that the Lord will accomplish, whatsoeuer he seeth needfull for his Church.

But because this Romish southsayer taketh vponupon him to play the blind prophet: What is like (saith he) to be the euent thereof hereafter, I had rather others should write and shew their coniecture, which I for reuerence to my Soueraigne will here omit: And hereupon he hopeth that his prudent Princesse, will imitate the examples of her noble predecessors ▪ Henrie the 1. and Henrie the 2. in recalling that, which they did in their inconsiderate times, &c. pag. 79. Hereunto I briefly answere, that his prognostication and exhortation are both alike, they both shew a dreaming and phantasticall spirit. His foolish hope (we see) is vaine and frustrate: for her Maiestie left her happie raigne in the same faith wherein she began it: and as she did nothing inconsiderately at her entrance, but with great aduice; so had she no cause to repent her in the end. If her Maiesties predecessors were inconstant, in pulling downe what before they had set vp, she being appointed of God to be a wise builder, was not therein to follow so simple a plot.

As is his hope and expectation, such is his lying spirit of prophecying. Indeed the Papists did promise themselues a great day at the next chaunge:The vaine hope and expectations of Papists made frustrate. they did not mutter it in corners, but clatter it in their vaine pāphlets: Parsons made a booke of reformation against that time: but blessed be God, which hath disappointed their hope. I nothing doubt but that righteous Abel shall offer still acceptable sacrifices vntounto God in the Church of England, when all hypocrites and Popish sacrificers shall hang downe their heads with Caine. Yea and I hold this to be no small miracle, that God, where such trouble was feared, p. 192hath with such peace, consent of harts and minds, approbation of all good subiects, acclamation and reioycing of the whole Church of God, set the imperiall diademe vponupon so godlie, christian, and vertuous a Prince his head: such grace from God few expected, all good men desired, England I am sure hath not deserued, yet God in his merciemercy hath granted: So that we hauehave iust cause to say with the Prophet Dauid, This is the Lords doing, and it is maruailous in our eyes. Psal. 118 23.Ps 118:23It is written of Sylla, that after Italy was deliuered from the ciuill warres comming to Rome, the first night hee could not sleepe for ioy: foreign.But wee the Church and people of England hauehave greater cause, not one but many both nights and dayes to awake to giuegive thanks vntounto God, for our deliuerance from troubles not so much felt, as feared. And thus also I hauehave at length dispatched that tedious and friuolous section.