The Accomplishment of the Prophecies, Conclusion
THE CONCLVSION OF THE King of Great Brittaines Preface, containing an exhortation to all Christian Kings and Princes.
My harty desire is that you would deeply consider, & weigh your cōmon interest in this Cause. For neither in all my Apologie, nor in the pretended Refutatiō thereof, is there any question made anent the Popes power ouer me in particular, for the excommunicating or deposing of me. For in my particular; the Cardinall doth me that grace, that hee saith, The Pope thought it not expedient at this time to excommunicate me by name; our questiō being only generall, Whether the Pope may lawfully pretend any temporal power ouer Kings, or no?
That no Church men can by his rule be subiect to any temporall Prince, I hauehave already shewed you; And what Obedience any of you may looke for of any of them de facto, he plainly forewarneth you of, by the example of Gregory the Great his obedience to the Emperor Mauritius: not being ashamed to slaūder that great Personages Christian humilitie & obedience to the Emperour, with the title of a constrained and forced obedience, because he might, or durst do no otherwise. Whereby hee not only wrongs the saide Gregory in particular, but euen doth by that meanes lay on an heauy slaunder & reproach vpō the Christian humility & patience of the whole Primitiue Church, especially in the time of Persecution: if the whole glorie of their Martyrdome and Christian patience shall be thus blotted with that vile glosse of their coacted & constrained suffering, because they could or durst doe no otherwise; like the patience and obedience of the Iewes or Turkish slaues in our time, cleane contrary to S. Paul and S. Peters doctrine of obedience for cōscience sake;Rom. 13.6. 1. Pet. 2, 13. and as contrary to Tertullians Apologie for Christians, and all the protestations of the ancient Fathers in that case. But it was good lucke for the ancient Christians in the daies of Ethnicke Emperors, that this profane and newe conceit was then vnknowne among them: otherwise they would hauehave beene vtterly destroyed and rooted out in that time, & no man to hauehave pitied them, as most dangerous members in a Common-wealth; who would no lō ger be obedient, then till they were furnished with sufficient ability and power to resist and rebell.
Thus may ye see, howe vponupon the one part our Cardinall will hauehave all Kings and Monarchs to be the Popes Vassals; and yet will not on the other side, allow the meanest of the Pope his vassals, to be subiect to any Christian Prince. But he no… thinking it enough to make the Pope our Superior, hath in a late Treatise of his (called the Recognition of his bookes of Controversies) made the people and Subiectes of euerie one of vsus, our Superiors. For hauing taken occasion to revisite againe his bookes of Controuersies and to correct or explaine what hee findeth amisse or mistaketh in them; in imitation of S. Augustine his retractions (for so he saith in his Preface) he doth in place of retracting any of his former errours, or any matter of substance; not retract, but recant indeede, I meane sing ouer againe, and obstinatly confirme a number of the grossest of them. Among the which, the exempting of all Churchmen from subiection to any Temporall Prince, and the setting vp not only of the Pope, but euen of the People aboue their natural King; are two of his maine points.
As for the exemption of the Clerickes; hee is so greedy there to proue that point, as hee denieth Caesar to hauehave beene Pauls lawfull Iudge:Act. 25.10. contrary to the expresse Text, and Pauls plaine Appellation, and acknowledging him his Iudge; besides his many times claiming to the Roman priviledges,Act. 22.2… ▪ and avowing himselfe a Roman by freedome; & therefore of necessitie a Subiect to the Roman Emperour…. But it is a wōder that these Roman Catholickes, who vaunt themselues of the ancienty both of their doctrine and Church, and reproach vsus so bitterly of our Nouelties, should not bee ashamed to make such a newe inept glosse as this vponupon S. Pauls Text; which as it is directly contrary to the Apostles words, so is it without any warrant, either of any ancient Councell, or of so much as any one particular Father that euer interprets that place in this sort: Neither was it euer doubted by any Christian in the Primitiue Church, that the Apostles, or any other degree of Christians, were subiect to the Emperour.
And as for the setting vp of the People aboue their owne naturall King, he bringeth in that principle of Sedition, that he may thereby proue, that Kings hauehave not their power and authoritie immediatlie from God, as the Pope hath his: For eueryevery King (saith he) is made and chosen by his people; nay, they do but so trāsferre their power in the Kings person, as they do not withstanding retaine their habitual power in their owne hands, which vponupon certaine occasions they may actually take to themselues againe. This, I am sure, is an excellent ground in Diuinitie for all Rebels and rebellious people, who are hereby allowed to rebel against their Princes; and assume liberty vntounto themselues, when in their discretions they shal thinke it cō venient.
And amongst his other Testimonies for probation, that all Kings are made & created by the People; he alleadgeth the Creation of three Kings in Scripture, Saul David and Ieroboam; and though hee bee compelled by the expresse wordes of the Text, to cōfesse, that God by his Prophet Samuel annointed both a1. Sam. 10 1.Saul and b1. Sam 16.12, 13.David; yet will he, by the post-consent of the people, proue that those Kings were not immediatly made by God, but mediatlie by the people; though he repeate thrise that word of Lott, by the casting whereof he confesseth that Saul was chosen. And if the Election by Lott be not an immediate Election from God;Actes 1. thē was not Matthias, who was so chosen and made an Apostle, immediatly chosen by God: & consequently, he that sitteth in the Apostolike Sea cānot for shame claime to be immediatly chosen by God, if Matthias (that was one of the twelue Apostles, supplying Iudas his place) was not so chosen. But as it were a blasphemous impietie, to doubt that Matthias was immediatlie chosen by God, and yet was he chosen by the casting of Lots, as Saul was: so is it well enough knowne to some of you (my louing Brethren) by what holy Spirit or casting of Lots the Popes vse to be elected; the Colledge of Cardinals, his Electors, having been divided into two mightie factions euer since long before my time; & in place of casting of Lotts, great fat pensions being cast into some of their greedy mouthes for the Election of the Pope, according to the partiall homours of Princes. But I doe most of all wonder at the weaknesse of his memory: for in this place he maketh the post-consent of the people to bee the thing that made both these Kings, notwithstanding of their preceding inauguration & anointment by the Prophet at Gods commandement; forgetting that in the beginning of this same little booke of his, answering one that alledgeth a sentence of S. Cyprian, to proue that the Bishops were iudged by the people in Cyprians time, he there confesseth, that by these words, the consent of the people to the Bishops Election must be onlie vnderstood. Nor will he there any waies be moued to graunt, that the peoples power, in consenting to or refusing the Electiō of a Bishop, should be so vnderstood, as that therby they hauehave power to elect Bishops: And yet do these words of Cyprian seeme to bee farre stronger, for granting the peoples power to elect Church-men, then any wordes that hee alleageth out of Scripture are for the peoples power in electing a King. For the very words of Cyprian by himselfe there cited are,Cyp. lib. 1. Epist. 4. That th… very people hauehave principally the power, either to choose such Priests as are worthy, or to refuse such as are vnworthy: And, I hope, he can neuer proue by the Scripture, that it had beene lawfull to the people of Israel, or that it was left in their choise, to hauehave admitted or refused Saul or David at their pleasure, after that the Prophet had anointed them, and presented them vntounto them.
Thus ye see how little he careth (euen in so little a volume) to contradict himselfe, so it may make for his purpose; making the consent of the people to signifie their power of Election in the making of Kings: though in the making of Bishops, by the peoples consent, their approbation of a deed done by others must only be vnderstood. And as for his example of Ieroboams election to be King; hee knoweth well enough▪ 1. King. 12.20.that Ieroboam was made King in a popular mutinous tumult & rebellion▪ onelyonly permitted by God, & that in his wrath, both against these two Kings and their people. But if he wil needs helpe himselfe, against al rules of Divinity, with such an extraordinary example for proofe of a generall Rule; why is it not as lawfull for vsus Kings to oppose herevnto the example of Iehu his Inauguratiō to the kingdome;2 King. 9▪ 2, 3. who vponupon the Prophets private anointment of him, and that in most secret manner, tooke presently the Kings office vponupon him, without ever craving any sorte of approbation from the people?
And thus may yee nowe cleerely see, how deepe the claime of the Babylonian Monarch toucheth vsus in all our common interest: for (as I hauehave already told) the Pope, nor any of his Vassals, I meane Church-men, must be subiect to no Kings nor Princes: and yet all Kings and their Vassals must not onelyonly bee subiect to the Pope, but even to their owne people. And now, what a large libertie is by this doctrine lefte to Church-men, to hatch or foster any treasonable attempts against Princes; I leaue it to your considerations, since do what they will, they are accountable to none of vsus: nay, all their treasonable practises must be accounted works of pietie, and they (being iustly punished for the same) must be presently inrolled in the list of Martyrs and Saints; like as our new printed Martyrologie hath put Garnet and Ouldcorne in the Register of English Martyrs abroad, that were hanged at home for Treason against the Crowne and whole State of England: so as I may iustly with Isaiah, pronounce a Woe to thē that speake good of evill, and evill of good; Isai 5.20.which put light for darknesse, and darknesse for light; Vers. 23.which iustifie the wicked for a reward, and take away the righteousnes of the righteous frō him. For evē as in the time of the greatest blindnesse in Popery, though a man should finde his wife or his daughter lying a bed in her Confessors armes; yet was it not lawfull for him so much as to suspect that the Frier had any errande there, but to Confesse and instruct her: Even so, though Iesuits practising in Treason be sufficiently verified, & that themselues cannot but cōfesse it; yet must they be accoūted to suffer Martyrdome for the Faith, and their blood worke miracles, & frame a stramineum argumentum vponupon strawes▪ when their heads are standing aloft, withered by the Sunne and the wind, a publike spectacle for the eternall commemoration of their treacherie. Yea, one of the reasons, that is give in the Printers Epistle of the Colonian edition of the Cardinall or his Chaplaines pamphlet, why he doth the more willingly print it, is; because that the innocency of that most holie and constant man Henry Garnet, is declared and set forth in that booke; against whom, some (he knew not who) had scattered a false rumour of his guiltinesse of the English treason.
But, Lord, what an impudencie or wilfull ignorance is this, that he, who was so publikely and solemnely convicted & executed, vponupon his owne so cleare, vnforced & often repeated confession, of his knowledge & cōcealing of that horrible Treason; should now be said to hauehave a certaine rumour spred vponupon him of his guiltinesse, by I know not who? with so many attributes of godlinesse, constancie and innocencie bestowed vponupon him, as if publike Sentences & Executions of Iustice, were rumors of I know not who. Indeed, I must confesse, the book it selfe sheweth a great affection to performe, what is thus promised in the Preface thereof: for in two or three places therin, is there most honorable lying mention made of that strawe-Saint; wherein, though hee confesse that Garnet was vponupon the foreknowledge of the Powder-Treason, yet in regard it was (as he saith) only vnderunder the Seale of Confession, hee sticketh not to praise him for his concealing thereof, and would gladly giuegive him the crown of glory for the same: not being ashamed to proclaime it as a principall head of Catholique doctrine▪ That the secret of Sacramentall confession ought not to be revealed, not for the eschewing of whatsoever evill. But how damnable this doctrine is, & how dangerously preiudiciall to all Princes and States; I leaue it to you to iudge, whom all it most highly concerneth. For although it be true, that when the Schoole-men came to bee Doctors in the Church, and to marre the old grounds in Diuinity by sowing in amongst them their Philosophicall distinctions; though they (I say) do mainetaine, That whatsoeuer thing it told a Cōfessor vnderunder the vaile of confession, how dangerous soever the matter be, yet he is bound to conceale the parties name: yet doe none of them, I meane of the old Schoolmen, deny that if a matter be revealed vntounto thē, the concealing wherof may breed a great or publike danger; but that in that case the Confessor may disclose the matter, though not the person, and by some indirect meanes make it come to light▪ that the daunger thereof may be prevented. But that no treason nor devilish plot, though it should tende to the rvi…e or exterminion of a whole Kingdome, must be reuealed, if it bee tolde vnderunder Confession, no not the matter so farre indirectly, disclosed, as may giuegive occasion for preventing the danger thereof: though it agree with the conceit of some three or fowre new Iesuited Doctors, it is such a new and dangerous head of doctrine, as no King nor State can liue in securitie where that Position is maintained.
And now, that I may as well proue him a lyar in facto, in his narration of this particular History; as I hauehave shewed him to be in iure, by this his damnable and false ground in Divinity: I will truely informe you of Garnets case, which is far otherwise then this Answerer alleadgeth. For first, it can never bee accounted a thing vnderunder Confession, which he that reveales it doth not discover with a remorse, accounting it a sinne whereof he repenteth him; but by the contrary, discouer… it as a good motion, and is therein not disswaded by hi… Confessor, nor any penance inioyned him for the same: and in this forme was this Treason revealed to Garnet, as himselfe confessed. And next, though he stood long vponupon it, that it was revealed vntounto him vnderunder the vaile of Confession, in respect it was done in that time, while as the partie was making his Confession vntounto him; Yet at the last he did freely confesse▪ that the partie reuealed it vntounto him as they were walking, and not in the time of Confession▪ But (he said) hee delivered i… vntounto him vnderunder the greatest S…ale that might be, and so hee tooke that he mean… by the Seale of Confession; And it had (as he thought) a relation to Confession; in regard that he was that partie▪ Confessor… and had taken his Confession sometimes before, and was to take it againe within few daies thereafter. Hee also said that hee pretended to the partie, that he would not conceale it from his Superior. And further it is to be noted, that hee confessed, that two diuers persons conferred with him anent this Treason; and that when the one of them, which was Catesby ▪ conferred with him thereupon, it was in the other parties presence and hearing & what a Confession can this be in the hearing of a third person? And how farre his last words (whereof our Answerer so much vaunts him) did disproue it to hauehave beene vnderunder Confession, the Earle of Northhamptons booke doth beare witnesse.
Now as to the other parties name, that reuealed the Powder-Treason vntounto him, it was Greenwell the Iesuite; and so a Iesuite reuealed to a Iesuite this treasonable Plot, the Iesuite reuealer not shewing any remorse, and the Iesuite whom to it was revealed not so much as inioyning him any penance for the same. And that ye may knowe that more Iesuits were also vponupon the partie, Owldcorne the other Powder-Martyr, after the misgiving and discouerie of that Treason, preached consolatory doctrine to his Catholike auditory; exhorting them not to faint for the misgiuing of this enterprise, nor to thinke the worse thereof that it succeeded not; alleadging divers Presidents of such godly enterprises that misgaue in like manner: especially, one of S. Lewis King of France, who in his second iourney to the Holy-land died by the way, the greatest part of his army being destroyed by the plague; his first iourney hauing likewise misgiuen him by the Soldans taking of him: exhorting them thereupon not to giuegive over, but still to hope that God would blesse their enterprise at some other time, though this did faile.
Thus see yee now, with what boldnes and impudencie hee hath belied the publikely knowen veritie in this errand; both in auowing generally that no Iesuite was any waies guiltie of that Treason, for so he affirmeth in his booke; and also that Garnet knewe nothing thereof, but vnderunder the Seale of Confession. But if this were the first lie of the affaires of this State, which my fugitiue Priests & Iesuits hauehave coined and spread abroad; I could charme them of it, as the prouerbe is. But as well the walles of divers Monasteries and Iesuites Colleges abroad, are filled with the painting of such lying histories, as also the bookes of our said Fugitiues are farced with such sort of shamelesse stuffe; such are the innumerable sorts of torments & cruell deaths, that they record their Martyrs to hauehave suffered here; some torne at foure Horses; some sowed in Beares skins and then killed with Dogges; nay, women hauehave not beene spared (they say) & a thousand other strange fictions; the vanities of all which I will in two wordes discouer vntounto you.
First, as for the cause of their punishment, I doe constantly maintaine that which I hauehave said in my Apologie: That no man, either in my time or in the late Queens, euer died here for his conscience. For let him bee neuer so devout a Papist, nay, though he professe the same neuer so constantly, his life is in no danger by the Law, if hee breake not out into some outward acte expresly against the wordes of the Law; or plot not some vnlawfull or dangerous practise or attempt; Priests & Popish Churchmen only excepted, that receaue Orders beyond the seas; who for the manifold treasonable practises that they hauehave kindled & plotted in this countrey are discharged to come home againe vnderunder paine of Treason, after their receauing of the said Orders abroad, and yet, without some other guilt in them then their bare home-comming, hauehave none of them bin ever put to death. And next, for the cruell torments and strange sorts of death that they say so many of them hauehave bin put vntounto; if there were no more but the Law & continually obserued custome of England, these many hundreth yeares, in all criminall matters, it will sufficiently serue to refute all these monstrous lies: for no tortures are ever vsed here, but the Manicles or the Racke, and these never but in cases of high Treason; and all sorts of Traitours die but one manner of death here, whether they be Papist or Protestant Traitors; Queene Maries time only excepted. For then indeed no sorts of cruell deaths were spared vnexecuted vponupon men women and children professing our Religion: yea, even against the Laws of God and Nature, women with child were put to cruell death for their profession; and a liuing child falling out of the mothers belly, was throwne in the same fire againe that consumed the mother. But these tyrannous persecutions were done by the Bishops of that time, vnderunder the warrant of the Popes authoritie; & therefore were not subiect to that constant order and formes of execution, which as they are here established by our Laws & customes, so are they accordingly obserued in the punishment of all criminals. For all Priests and Popish Traitours here receiue their Iudgements in the temporall Courts, and so doe neuer exceed those formes of execution which are prescribed by the Law, or approued by continuall custome. One thing is also to be marked in this case; that strangers are never called in question here for their religion, which is farre otherwise (I hope) in any place where the Inquisition domines.
But hauing now too much wearied you with this long discourse, whereby I hauehave made you plainly see, that the wrong done vntounto mee in particular, first by the Popes Breues, and then by these Libellers, doth as deepely interest you all in generall, that are Kings, free Princes, or States, as it doth me in particular: I will now conclude, with my humble prayers to God, that hee will waken vsus vp all out of that Lethargike slumber of Securitie, wherein our Predecessors and we hauehave lien so long; and that we may first grauely consider, what wee are bound in conscience to doe for the planting and spreading of the true worship of God, according to his revealed will, in all our Dominions; therein hearing the voice of our onelyonly Pastor (for his sheepe will knowe his voice, as himselfe saith) & not following the vaine,Ioh. 10.27. corrupt and changeable traditions of men. And next, that we may providently look to the securitie of our owne States, and not suffer this encroching Babylonian Monarch to winne stil ground vponupon vsus. And if GOD hath so mercifully dealt with vsus, that are his Lieutenants vponupon earth, as that hee hath ioined his cause with our interest, the spirituall libertie of the Gospell with our temporall freedome: with what zeale and courage may we then imbrace this work: for our labours herein being assured, to receiue at the last the eternall and inestimable reward of felicitie in the kingdome of Heaven; & in the meane time to procure vntounto our selues a temporall securitie, in our temporal Kingdomes in this world.
As for so many of you as are already perswaded of that Truth which I professe, though differing among your selues in some particular points; I thinke little perswasion should moue you to this holy and wise Resolution: Our Greatnes, nor our number, praised bee GOD, being not so cōtemptible, but that we may shew good example to our neighbours; since almost the halfe of all Christian people and of all sorts and degrees, are of our profession; I meane, all gone out of Babylon, even from Kings and free Princes, to the meanest sort of people. But aboue all (my loving Brethren and Cosins) keepe fast the vnity of Faith amongst your selues; Reiect a1. Tim. 1.4questions of Genealogies and bIbid c. 4.7Aniles fabulas, as Paul saith; Let not the foolish heate of your Preachers for idle Controuersies or indifferent things, teare asunder that Mysticall Body, whereof yee are a part, since the very coat of him whose members we are was without a seam…; and let not our diuision breed a slander of our faith, and bee a word of reproach in the mouths of our aduersaries, who make Vnitie to be one of the speciall notes of the true Church.
And as for you (my loving Brethren & Cosins) whom it hath not yet pleased GOD to illuminate with the light of his Truth; I can but humbly pray with Elizeus, that it would please GOD to open your eies, that yee might see what innumerable and invincible armies of Angels are euer prepared and ready to defend the truth of GOD; & with S. Paul I wish, that ye were as I am in this case; especially that ye would search the Scriptures,Act. 26.29. & ground your Faith vponupon your own certaine knowledge, & not vpō the report of others; since eueryevery Man must be safe by his … faith. But, leauing this to GOD his mercifull providence in his due time,Abac. 2.4. I hauehave good reason to remember you, to maintaine the ancient liberties of your Crownes and Commonwealths, not suffering any vnderunder GOD to set himselfe vp aboue you; and therein to imitate your owne noble Preaecessors, who (even in the daies of greatest blindnesse) did divers times couragiously oppose themselues to the incroaching ambition of Popes. Yea, some of your Kingdomes hauehave in all ages maintained, and without any interruption enioyed your liberty, against the most ambitious Popes. And some hauehave of very late had an evident proofe of the Popes ambitious aspiring ouer your temporall power; wherein yee hauehave constantly maintained and defended your lawfull freedome, to your immortall honour. And therefore I hartily wish you all, to doe in this case the office of godly and iust Kings and earthly Iudges: which consisteth not onelyonly in not wronging or invading the liberties of any other person (for to that wil I neuer presse to perswade you) but also in defending & mantaining these lawfull liberties where with GOD hath indued you. For ye, whom GOD hath ordained to protect your people from iniuries, should bee ashamed to suffer your selues to be wronged by any. And thus, assuring myselfe, that yee will with a setled iudgement free of preiudice, weigh the reasons of this my Discourse, and accept my plainenesse in good part, gracing this my Apologie with your fauours, and yet no longer then till it shall bee iustly & worthily refuted▪ I end, with my earnest prayers to the Almightie for your prosperities, and that after your happy temporall Raignes in earth, yee may liue & raigne in Heaven with him for ever.
End of the text · Pierre du Moulin Sr, The Accomplishment of the Prophecies (1613)