The Primitive Practice for Preserving Truth, Section 14
SECT. XIV.
IN this fifteenth age also (within the compasse of which wee shall confine our discovery of Gods Judgements upon persecuting Princes) the truth began to spread forth its beames in this other world of Great Britain, in a more resplendent lustre then formerly: not but that I dare undertake to prove by some select, and perhaps, fearce known monuments of Antiquity, that the Gospel was planted here in the Primitive time, that the Protestants Religion flourished here neer upon four hundred yeers, before Austine the Monk, the first Popish Archbishop of Canterbury, poysoned the purity of Gods worship with his burthensome Trinkets and Ceremonies. Finally, that it was from the first plantation preserved amongst the Welsh and Scots, to the dayes of John Wickleffe, without any interruption, and was secretly practised also in England from Henry the seconds time, at the least, to the begun Reformation of King Edward the sixth. But this requiring a reasonable Volume of it self to be at large deduced, I must passe over, as improper for this place. We may begin in England with Henry the eighth, in whose raign no Papist can deny, but that divers Protestants were not only hunted after, fined, imprisoned, compelled to abjure, and otherwise disciplined; but were likewise consumed in the merciless flames, as Heretiques. And therefore when the Papall side take so much pains to recount either the ill successes of his own raign; or the dying issulesse of all his posterity, as the signes and characters of Gods indignation against him, they do but furnish the Orthodox party with weapons against themselves. For the truth is, he did only abolish the usurped power of the Bishop of Rome, not the Pontifician or Papall Church, which to this day, as also in the former ages in France, hath been so hedged up and incircled under certain restrictions and limits, as it is of small consequence to help the Prelates, and of little power to hurt the King; So that Cuffetellus the Dominican proved it at large in an elaborate Work, published in the yeer 1609. and the Sorbonists determined it in the yeer 1611. that the Pope had no power or Jurisdiction in that Kingdome in matter of Temporalities. Neither did Henry the eighth in England proceed any further in this particular of abolishing the Popes power, then those his two coaetaneous Princes, Francis the first, and Charles the fifth, did at sundry times in their severall Dominions, upon lesse provocations: So the same Charles the fifth, writing to the Councell assembled at Bononie, superscribed his Letters only, Conventui Bononiae, as did afterwards Henry the second of France, writing to the Tridentine Conspirators, fule it only the Convention of Trent; who also in the former and better part of his raign fairly cut shorter a great-part of the Popes Ecclesiasticall authority in France. And how little Philip the second himself of Spain, the sworn enemy of the godly, regarded the Pope further then he did ancillate to his ambitious ends, appeares plainly in this one particular, that when upon the unfortunate death of Sebastian, King of Portugall there were divers competitors for that kingdome, and that Don Antonio had already assumed the title thereof, he would not admit the Popes intercession to have the matter composed by Treaty, or referre the cause to his decision: Nay, that bloody Charles of France, of whose fatall end we have but a while before discoursed, when Pius the fourth, in the yeer 1563. had cited Odetus de Coligny, Cardinall of Chastillion, John de Monluce, Bishop of Valence, and others of his Subjects, to appeare at Rome before his Inquisitors, he sent him a stout Message by Henry Clutinius his Ambassador then at Rome, That if hee did not speedily withdraw that citation, hee would no longer acknowledge him for Pope. At which bold Declaration, the Pope and his Conclave being affrighted, the prosecution of that businesse ceased by the very withdrawing of the Citation it self, and by the Popes future silence. All which open affronts, the Popes in this fifteenth age after our bleffed Saviours incarnation, endured from these Kings; not because they were more deare to their Subjects then their Predecessors, or the Popes lesse potent then in former times, (for their strength in Italy was more encreased in that age, then in ten fore-going) but indeed it was the light of the Gospel that began about these times to dawn every where, that made way for dispelling those chains of darknesse, with which both Prince and people had in those former ages been enfettered; So as the Pope fearing, lest all should fall from him, as some Germane Princes, Republiques, and Cities had already done, was fain to comply with the French King, to submit to the Emperor, and to Court the King of England, by the intercession of foraine Princes for a reconcilement. But to proceed from Henry the eighth of England, the Father to Mary Queen of the same Realm, his daughter, of whom, and her wisdome, the Pontificians so much boast. It is certain that she entred her raign with the breach of her publique faith; For whereas the Crown was set on her head by the German and Commons of Suffolk, although they knew her to be a Papist, (which shewes that the godly Protestant usually nicknamed by those that are prophane, lustfull, and Popishly affected, is the best Subject any Soveraign can be happy in) yet she in one of her first acts of Councell, took order for their restraint, long before the Masse and Latine Service were generally received in London it self, and caused that Diocesse to taste the sharpest Inquisition and persecution that raged during her raign, which was happily shortened by her husbands contemning her person, and her enemies conquering her Dominions; neither of which she ever had power to revenge, or recover; so as though the cause of her death proceeded from no outward violence, yet was her end as inglorious and miserable, as her raign had been turbulent and bloody. She might have taken warning by the sudden and immature death of James the fifth King of Scotland, her cousin Germane, who raising persecution in Scotland against his loyall and innocent Protestant Subjects, in the yeere 1539. burning some, exiling and imprisoning others, and forcing many to blaspheme, in abjuring the known Truth, by the advice and procurement of James Beton, Archbishop of St Andrews, and David Beton, Abbot of Arbroth his brother, never saw good day after: two brave young Princes his sons were the yeer following cut off by abortive ends in their cradles. Wars to his great losse and disadvantage were raised between himself and his Uncle Henry the eighth King of England, and all things fell out so crosse to his haughty and vast minde, as it hastened his death, which fell out in the yeere 1542.