The Ancient Faith of the Romans and the Romish Religion, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
AS for obedience to princes, without ſinne it cannot be denyed vntounto them,Obedience to magiſtrates. becauſe Chriſt commaundeth to GiueGive to Caeſar that which is Caeſars. So that it is a debt that we owe vntounto them,Math. 22: 21. and is due to be paid,Marke. 12. 17. a duety that they may claime of vsus, yea that God inioyneth vsus to doe, and therefore it muſt be performed.Rom. 13. 1. For this cauſe the Apoſtle S. Paul commandeth eueryevery ſoule to be ſubiect to the higher powers. Noting thereby not onelyonly the outward ſhew of ſubiection, which many times may be, where is a trayterous heart: but euen that hartie & true ſubmittnig of our ſelues with duetiful affection,What ſubiection is required. which he calleth the ſubiection of the ſoule. The ſame leſſon S. Peter did teach, who they ſay was Biſhop of Rome, and wrote this Epiſtle at Rome, Submit your ſelues to al maner of ordinance of man for the Lordes ſake. And againe, Honor the king. And this ſubiection as not onelyonly lay men are bound to performe, but euen prieſtes and monkes, yea Apoſtles, Euangeliſts,1. Pet. 2. 13. Prophets, if we … beléeue Chriſoſtome vponupon this place:17. ſo the biſhops of Rome for ſome hundreds of yers, dutifully obſerued the ſame,Chriſoſt. ſer. 23. reuerencing as their Lords the mighty potentates, as by ſome of their owne writings, and in the hiſtories it may appeare, and alſo patiently ſuffering vnderunder them reproches and death.
But the Church of Rome that now is, doth many waies ſeeke to raſe out this Law, and to diſanull this commandement. Firſt in that the Biſhops of Rome hauehave ſo exalted themſelues aboue the Emperours who are the greateſt Monarches,Popes aboue Emperours. that they hauehave made them to cary their meate to them, to giuegive them water to waſh, and bowe and kneele to them, to leade their horſe, cary their canapy, hold their ſtirrop, waite at their gates barefooted and bare legged, to lie proſtrate at their feete, with ſuch other moſt reprochfull diſgraces as they hauehave offered vntounto them. And who knoweth not the conſtitution of Boniface the eight? That if a man wilbe ſaued, he muſt beleeue that eueryevery creature is ſubiect to the biſhop of Rome. God commaundeth eueryevery ſoule to be ſubiect to princes: Not ſo ſaith the Pope: all princes, yea the Emperour himſelfe ſhalbe ſubiect to me, nay his glorie is nothing in compariſon of mine. And this is not onelyonly, by the pride of the Popes themſelues:Rebellion againſt princes but wheras ſtories teach that the godly Chriſtians prayed for infidell Emperours▪ now their diuines doe affirme it to be lawfull to diſobey, to rebell againſt, and to depoſe ſuch kings or princes as they will call heritickes, yea to kill ſuch is with them an action godly and honourable,1. Pet. 5. 1. 2. 3. yea meritorious too. Would any man hauehave thought, that S. Peter who ſo humbly, as a fellowe elder intreateth the elders to feed the flocke which God hath committed to them, not as Lords ouer Gods heritage, could euer hauehave had ſo degenerate a ſucceſſour, to hauehave ſit in his chaire (as they ſay the Pope doth) and yet in pride of heart doth not onelyonly aduance himſelfe aboue al biſhops, but alſo ouer all creaturs? Or would a man hauehave imagined theſe holy fathers would euer hauehave hatched ſo barbarous treaſons? Let this then be recorded of a memoriall to all poſteritie, and for a perpetuall ſtaine to that bloudy Church of Rome, the mother of all treaſons and tretcheries, of al vnnaturall and villainous practiſes, that ſhee doth not onelyonly directly oppoſe herſelfe to the worde of God, the doctrine of the Apoſtles and the very Law of nature and nations, but alſo ſhee and her deere darlinges by their moſt vile practiſes, doe crie it out vntounto the world, more ſhrill then the ſound of any trumpet, that they quite hauehave abandoned the affections of men. HaueHave not we in England good cauſe to deteſt ſuch doctrine and doctours, who hauehave wrought ſo effectually in the heartes of many of our Engliſh fugitiues, that their treaſons hauehave no ende, their crueltie hath no meaſure, but that they deſire and attempt to lay violent handes vponupon the Lordes annoynted, which the Godly of all times hauehave feared to purpoſe, or thinke againſt the moſt wicked? Yea doth not the Catholicke Tyrant,The ſpaniſh tyrant. that calleth himſelfe by the name of a king, but is in deede a reproch and ſhame to the verie name, that he ſo hath diſhonoured, doth he not corrupt with gold, and intice by all fayre promiſes, ſubiectes to kill their princes, and to murther them whome they ought to defende, obey and reuerence? It is too true, it is too playne. What kingdomes hath he not tempted? what princes hath he not indaungered? Howe many hath he gotten deſtroyed? So that I am often times driuen to wonder and maruell,A warning to princes. what ſluggiſhneſſe or ſecurity poſſeſſeth the heartes of Chriſtian kings and princes, that they ioyne not their powers together, againſt that common enemie, not to princes onelyonly, but euen to mankinde. His ambition increaſeth, as doe his daies, & his cruel purpoſes cannot be numbred. He incrocheth cōtinually as he can vponupon other mens right, and vniuſtly if his might will ſerue, diſpoſſeſſeth the iuſt heires of their kingdomes and dominions. His doings declare that he enuieth all your glory (O you potentates) and aſpireth to eueryevery of your inheritances and principalities. And will you thus ſtand gazing on, as men amazed at his ſtrange attemptes, whileſt hauing preuailed againſt your neighbors, he alſo take you in hand, when his power ſhall be increaſed, and yours diminiſhed? Doe you not know that it is high time for you to looke about you, when your neighbours howſe it ſet on fire? Bande therefore and combine your ſelues together, to reforme or reſtrayne his vnbrideled affections. I doe not wiſhe his ſubiectes to rebell againſt him, for that we ſee is vnlawfull: but I pray God to put ſuch a hearte and courage into his neighbours and equals, that they woulde teach him to knowe, that his omnipotente minde, made proude with his might and wealth ſhall not alwaies be ſatisfyed with the ſpoyle of other. But to leaue this Romiſh Catholicke, to his Catholicke practiſes, vntill God ſhall eyther conuert his heart, or confound his power, what cauſe hath the Pope ſo to magnifie himſelfe, and to claime ſuch ſoueraigntie ouer them whom he ought to obey? we ſee the Apoſtles would hauehave all without exception ſubiect to princes.The old Romiſh fath doth not once mention the popes ſupremacie. The Popes ſupremacy is not once mentioned, although S. Paule writing to the Romans might hauehave had good occaſion to hauehave commended the glory of that ſeate, if any ſuch thing had beene: and S. Peter, if he had any ſuch ſoueraignty, had iuſt cauſe to hauehave required ſubmiſſion to himſelfe as wel as to kings, and ſhould hauehave made more accompt of himſelfe, then to be but a fellow elder with others. But the Apoſtles hauehave bin taught to ſpeake by the ſpirit of God.1 Pet. 2. 13. The Popes hauehave done according to the pride of their owne heart.1. Pet. 5. 1. And it is a verie ſtrong preſumption againſt the ſuppoſed ſoueraigntie, which they ſay S. Peter had ouer all, that S. Marke his fauorit and follower, who alſo (if ſtories be true) wrote his goſpell at Rome, at the requeſt of Peters wel-willers: yet the ſame his goſpell, neyther maketh any mention of the great miracles, which they woulde hauehave vsus to Imagine that he wrought againſt Simon Magus (which is one of their principall argumentes to proue Peters being at Rome) neyther hath one worde more then the reſt whereby we may gather any ſuch ſuperioritie in him. And if he make any mention of Peter, it is without any ſignification of his iuriſdiction ouer others. Yea when he ſpeaketh of his calling he thus barely deliuereth it vntounto vsus.Mak. 1. 16. And (Ieſus) paſſing by the ſea of Galile, hee ſawe Simon and Andrew his brother, &c. And reporting the contention that was among the Apoſtles which of them ſhould be chiefe,Mark. 9. 35 he taketh no occaſion to commend to them,Mark 10. 37. or to vsus that ſoueraignty,Mark. 8. 33 although the later time Iames and Iohn deſired the ſame from him and the reſt, reporting how Chriſt reproued him, he vſeth no excuſe, no mitigation of the offence. Now ſeeing neither when he ſetteth forth his calling, neither in pointing to his infirmity, neyther in noting theſe contentions, he hath ſo much as any way ſignifyed his ſuperioritie: it followeth that eyther S. Marke was iniurious to his maſter in not giuing to him his due place, or vnmindefull of his duetie to Gods Church, in concealing from it, ſo neceſſary an Article of religion, as nowe they holde it, or elſe that there was rather no ſuch matter, and therefore he coulde not write of it. For after Chriſt was once aſcended,Act: 2 and the holy Ghoſt ſent in viſible forme, then was it time to knowe all the Articles of religion: ſo that our abuerſaries cannot tell vsus, that S. Marke for modeſties cauſe did not write of theſe thinges. For not to write of that which is neceſſary to be beleeued if hee knewe it, had beene greate wickedneſſe. Subiection therefore to Princes was of the auncient faith of the firſt faithfull Romans. But this ſoueraignty and Supremacy of the biſhoppes of Rome, is but a poynte of the newe learning or elſe the dregges of Simon Magus his pride.