The Baiting of the Pope_s Bull, Poem – Dedication 1
THe Triple crowned Vicar, horn'd Lamb-like,
Pretends Chriſts ſoveraine pow'r ov'r Kings and States.
Theſe hornes, but borrow'd, proue Rammes hornes to ſtrik…
Even Chriſt himſelfe ruling in Potentates.
Strong ſpells, that come in Ieſus name, and finde
Blind credulous zeale, to captivate the minde.
Who might this Monſter bee? his ſpeech bewrayes:
Tis like the Dragon's, who to Chriſt durſt ſay,
All worldly power is myne, I rule, I rayſe
Whom pleaſeth mee, and my beheſts obey.
Such the Popes voyce, ſuch is his practiſe too,
Kings he vnkings that will not kiſſe his ſhooe.
How comes it then, that ſith the Papall power
Is from the Dragon, all men doe not ſee
The Pope is Antichriſt, to over…ower
All that is called God? By reaſon, hee
Makes ſhowes, by Lambes hornes ſeeming innocence,
His power is from divine Omnipotence.
His Triple-crowne three Kingdomes notes; what three?
Pope reckons fower; three are controverſorie:
Heaven hee deſpaires, for ſurety Earth muſt be
His heaven the while, vſurpt tho; Purgatorie
He holds by blind beleife; but never any
Queſtion'd the fowrth due to him and his Meiny.
Loe vnderneath a Romiſh Prelate placed
With teh Popes Bull Romes Catholicks abſolving
From th'Oath of their Allegiance; but not imbraced
By th'wiſer, truer Engliſh; moſt, reſolving
Cloſſely to cleaue vntounto their ſoveraine head,
Leaſt forraine tyranny might on them tread.
The noble Charles, with ſword and ſcepter armed,
Ready to'ffend his foes, defend his friends,
Victorious proues, and Papall charmes vncharmed,
While royall throne juſtice and truth defends.
How can that ſtate but, vndivided, ſtand,
In ſpite of foes, where louelove and lawes command?
THE BAITING OF THE POPES BVLL. Or An vnmasking of the Myſtery of iniquity, folded vp in a moſt pernitious Breeue or Bull, ſent from the Pope lately into England, to cawſe a Rent therein, for his Reentry. With an advertiſement to the Kings ſeduced ſubiects.
By H. B.
My Son, feare the Lord, & the King, & meddle not with them that are giuen to chang.
Pro. 24. 21.
Bernard ſer. 3. in dedicatione Eccleſiae.
…avendum, ne quis puſillanimitate deiectus, fugias a munitione, vbi trepidaus timore, vbi non eſt …imor: vbi vero ſummum periculum, inſana temeritate ſecurus.
Imprinted at LONDON by W. I. for MICHAELL SPARKE. 1627.
TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE, CHARLES, BY THE GRACE of God, King of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.
Dread Soveraigne.
I ACCOVNT it my greateſt miſery, that being to preſent Your Maieſtie with a buſines of ſuch conſequence, ſo neerelie concerning the ſafety of Your ſacred Perſon and Crowne: I am inforced to adventure ſo rich a fraight in ſo brittle a barke, ſo tickliſh to be overturned with the leaſt disguſt, or blaſt of diſpleaſure; wherein yet I ſhould bee happy▪ if miſcarying herein, I might but periſh alone. Mine owne experience might be ſufficient to teach me to feare. For if the noble Queene Heſter, ſo gracious in the Kings eyes, yet feared to hazard her perſon into the Preſence vncalled: how much more a poore Outcaſt? yet betweene feare of the yron law, and hope of the golden ſcepter ſhee preſſed in with this reſolution, And if I periſh, I periſh; chuſing death rather, then not to diſcharge the duty ſhe owed to Gods people, now deſtinated, and doomed to deſtruction. Only this is my comfort, looke what advantage that excellent Queene had of my deſpicable perſon, as a Petitioner: no leſſe hauehave I of her, in regard of the royall Perſon petitioned. Shee had to deale with a heathen King, the Captiuer of Gods people, and who had already conſigned their Maſſacre, and that by a Decree irrevocable, according to the Law of the Medes and Perſians, (though, a it appeared, without his ſpeciall knowledge, Haman hauing abuſed the Kings hand and ſeale, to his owne wicked purpoſes, as chap. 5. 7.) beſides (which might be, not the leaſt diſcouragement) ſhe was to paſſe the Pikes of a moſt tyranni all and vnkingly law, forbidding any, vponupon paine of death, to enter into the Kings preſence, vncalled, as Heſter now had beene for 30. dayes, Haman in the meane time hauing the onelyonly Monopoly of the Kings care, who like the vaſt lunary body, eclipſed the beames of his favour, eſpecially from Gods owne people, whoſe cauſe the while lay a bleeding, and became the more deſperate, through the inacceſsibleneſſe of interceſſors to moue Kingly compaſsion vponupon their iuſt complaints; ſuch were the difficulties, which the noble Heſter was to incounter with: yet poore I, liue vnderunder a more benigne Climate, vnderunder a Chriſtian Prince, a Protector of Gods people, Defender of the faith, one, whoſe royall preſence is not by any ſeuere law locked vp from the free acceſſe of the pooreſt ſutors, whoſe naturall diſpoſition alſo, like the Sunne vneclipſed, is freely to impart light and heate to the inferiour Creatures; yea whoſe owne deare Perſon and crowne is imbarked in the ſame adventure of Gods people and His, to reioyce or ſuffer together: all theſe giuing mee incouragement, and as it were reaching forth the goldē ſcepter, while I humbly preſent to Your ſacred Maieſty, the dangerous condition, wherin the royal ſcepter it ſelfe (by all the prognoſticating ſignes of a Papall Bull or Breeue, lately come into England) is like, without ſpeedy preuētiues, to be involved. Dauid, now deſolate and diſconſolate about Ziglag, was willing to harken to a poore ſtarueling Amalekite lad, giuing him intelligence where his enemies were. I acknowledge my ſelfe vnworthy to doe Your Maieſty the leaſt ſeruiſe, and I could hauehave wiſhed this Task rather to any other: yet the indeleble character of my fidelity, ſo often reimprinted in my heart by ſacred Oath in Your Highneſſe ſervice (beſides the habituall affection of a loyall ſubiect) deeply ingaged me (rather then it ſhould be vndone) in this addreſſement. And God forbid, that by ouercautelous, or rather cowardly ſilence, I ſhould contract the guilt of Miſpriſon, of no leſſe then high treaſon againſt Your Maieſties Crowne and Scepter. Yea otherwiſe, I ſhould be alſo vngratefull to God, who of late hath mercifully if not miraculouſlie preſerued my life from a Ieſuited Aſſaſſin. The cauſes, with the Circumſtances, I here omit to trouble Your Maieſtie withall OnelyOnly I take occaſion to mention it, as not altogether vnworthy of Your Maieſties knowledge. For what aſſured confidence may not Your Maieſtie hauehave in the protection of that God, whoſe eyes runne to and fro throughout the whole earth, to ſhew himſelfe ſtrong in the behalfe of them, Chron. 16. 9.whoſe heart is perfect toward him? If his diuine vigilant eye watcheth ouer the life of the pooreſt, yet faithfull Miniſters, to deliuer them euen in the midſt of danger: how much more ouer the more precious perſons of Kings and Princes, while, as Gods Vicegerents, they faithfully and diligently execute his will by iuſtice and iudgement? It is for the Infidell Virginians, for feare of the Devil, to adore and pleaſe him with their gifts, neglecting God, becauſe he is good: but faithfull Chriſtians, doe by the true feare and worſhip of God, ſecure themſelues from all Devills, and Devills incarnate, as the bloudy Ieſuites. His Promiſe is, which is ſpecially made to Chriſtian Princes, Hee hath giuen his Angells charge ouer thee, and they ſhall keepe thee in all thy wayes; which (In all thy wayes) teacheth vsus, how neceſſary it is, to hauehave the wiſdome of the Serpent combined with the Doues ſimplicity, in the vſe of due meanes to prevent dangers. For if Ieſuiticall malice will not ſpare the lowly ſhrubb: how much leſſe the lofty Cedar? If a poore ſubiect may bee the obiect of Popiſh revenge, for ſtanding for the truth: much more a noble King, the Defender of the Faith. Which hath poſſeſſed me with the greater iealouſie, and feare for your Maieſties ſafety. Nor is it a Panicke, or cauſeleſſe feare. If I did but dreame of any danger towards Your Maieſty, how ſhould I feare it waking? But here is neither Dreame, nor Diuination, but plaine demonſtration of imminent, if not rather preſent danger; ſuch as is worthy to poſſeſſe Your Naieſtie with a moſt prudent, and vigilant feare; ſuch as the learned Biſhop in his Tortura, wiſhed to abound in your royall Father of famous memory, and wee no leſſe in Your Maieſtie. The cauſe (I ſay) of all is, the Popes Bull or Breeue, even now perſwading and ſtraightly charging his Catholique Sonnes in Enland, (as hee calls them) vponupon no termes to take the Oath of Allegiance to Your Maieſtie, as being not their King, but their enemie. Such Breeues never come, but they betoken ſome notable miſchiefe not farre off. Like the Coote, which flying to the ſhore crying, prognoſticates a ſharpe ſtorme at hand: or as the Owle, which being ſeene in the City, portends deſtruction to it: or as a prodigious Comete; preſaging the fatall periods of Princes or States, ſpecially where they exerciſe theyr maliguant influence. Yet howſoeuer theſe may proue vncertaine, as being Signes only, but no cauſes of future euents: yet the Popes Bull, being not only a Signe, but a cawſe conducing to, and producing miſchiefe, and that even exprofeſſo; ought not ſlightly to be regarded. Omne malum à Breuibus, Breuia a Pontifice ſayde the foreſayd Biſhop vponupon the ſame occaſion. A Breeue was ſent from the Pope, to prepare the way for the Spaniſh Inuaſion in 88. Another, for the Gunpowder Treaſon. Remarkable inſtances, ſufficeent, if any, to admoniſh England euer to looke for a terrible thunderclap, vponupon ſuch a flaſh of Lightning Nor euer came Bull from Rome, more cunningly couched, and fuller of ſubtill inſinuations, then this, as being the expreſſe Image and Modell of the Miſtery of iniquity. Formerly in the darker night of ignorāce, the Owle of Rome durſt fly and flutter about, ſeaſing plūme vponupon the prey: but here, where the Goſpell ſhineth, ſhe is faine to winke with her eyes and to retire her ſelfe in the reſerued corners of her ambiguous and twi-light Equiuocations. Such is the curious frame of this Breeue being ſuch, as Paul 5 ſaid of his, written poſt l…ngam et grauem deliberaſionem de omnibus, quae in illis continentur, adhibitam. No doubt but this Beere was a long time a licking into this forme it hath. But the ſumme is, the Breeue containeth nothing, but matter of high Treaſon againſt Your Maieſty, inciting Your Subiectes to defection from You, and erecting their hopes for Trophees and triumphs, which the Pope plentifully promiſeth to them. I hauehave adventured (the weakeſt of ten thouſand) to vnty this Gordian knot, vnmasking the myſtery thereof in a convenient brevety: but all is of no force, without Your Maieſties ſword, like that of Alexanders, to hew it in ſunder. The leſuits at this preſent, like Sampſons foxes with their firebrands, are buſy kindling combuſtion every where in your Kingdom, vſing this Breeue as Bellowes to blow to the fier. A man would thinke, that ſeeing the foxes & woules are ſo rife, the dogges ſhould be muzzled and tied vp. Or when theeues are ſo briefe and bold, the ſword of Iuſtice ſhouldly ruſting in the ſheath. But howſoeuer, wee are ſure Your Maieſty hath not beene wanting in publiſhing Proclamation vponupon Proclamation, to baniſh them the Land. Only they learne thereby, to walke the more inviſible, hoping by Gyges his Ring, to obtaine their deſire. And when they are taken, no ligatures of lawes can long hold them, but Proteus like they hauehave their evaſions. Something is the reaſon, that our Lawes hauehave loſt their ſting, and become Drones: and the Ieſuites proue the waſpes to robb vsus of our honey. It was wittily ſayd of Polydor Virgil, Regnum Angliae Regnum Dei: his meaning was, becauſe none ſeemed to take care of England, but God. And true it is, his diuine Prouidence hath from time to time, beene a miraculous preſeruer of it. Yet ſome meanes muſt be vſed. In 88 that Maſculine Queene ſlept not. At the Powderplot, Your royall Father, by commanding dililigent ſearch, prevented the blow. God gaue a happy ſucceſſe to both. And no doubt, but he will be the ſame God to defend Your Majeſty, bleſſing Your pious zeale, in the rooting out of his and Your enemies, whoſe prime Article of their faith is, treaſon to Kingdomes and States.Prov. 6. Salomon ſayth, How ſhall a man carry fire in his boſome, and not bee burned? What ſhould I need to propouud to Your Majeſty, the examples of thoſe noble and religious Kings of Iuda, who, ſetting themſelues reſolutely to reforme the decayed and diſordered ſtate of Gods worſhippe, proued through Gods ſpeciall bleſſing, miraculouſly victorious ouer all their enemies. Your Majeſtie knowes them of a childe; which imitating now being a Man, and a King, God ſhall bee with You, as hee was with them, and You with him. King Ahaſhuerus, ſetting apart but one night to more ſad contemplations, and reading ouer the Chronicles (a worthy Precedent, for a prince ſometimes ſo to breake his ſleepe) how was it a meanes to cawſe the light of Gods people, to breake forth from obſcure darkneſſe? Wee poore ſwaines eſpying the ſtorme comming, to whom ſhould we runne, but to our Pilot? Or being ſicke, but to the Phiſitian? VnderUnder God, Your Maieſty is the great Pilot of this Iland, which like a goodly ſhipperides at Anchor in the midſt of the Sea, now in danger to be toſſed with terrible ſtormes; which the leakes will hardly brooke, yf they bee not the ſooner ſtopt. You, are vnderunder God, the great Phiſitian, who onelyonly can cure (as the Kings euill, ſo) the inveterate Gangrene of this body, whereof Your Maieſty is the head. GiueGive vsus leaue, dread Soveraigne, in our extremity of danger, to cry out to Your Maieſty for helpe. We know, as God hath dignified You with a Diademe: ſo he hath qualified Your Maieſty with moſt excellent Princely indowments. For inſtance, vouſchſafe leaue to Your poore old ſervant, to remember a moſt Princely ſpeach vſed often by Your Highneſſe, HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY. A Motto for a King, and worthy to be ingraven in the laſting Monuments of Your Kingly Actes, even with Your owne royall hands. I may not preſume, leaſt I ſhould offer both violence and wrong, with my vnskilfull penſil to limme out more largely this moſt beautifull, and well proportioned Image of a Princes vertuous mynd. But I dare ſay (which I referre to the beſt judgement of Your Majeſtie, ableſt to judge of Your owne noble ſayings) it is an exquiſite Aphoriſme, or Abſtract of that divine Rule preſcribed to Kings by the Lord and Iudge of Kings: It ſhall be, when the King ſitteth vponupon the throne of his Kingdome, that he ſhall write him h copy of this Law in a Booke, out of that which is before the Prieſts and Leuites: and it ſhall bee with him, and he ſhall read therein all the dayes of his life, that hee may learne to ſerue the Lord his God, to keepe all the words of this Law, and theſe Statutes to doe them; that his heart be not lift vp aboue his brethren, and that hee turne not aſide, from the Commandement, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his dayes in his Kingdome, hee and his children in the midſt of Iſraell. Now what is the ſumme of all this, but, Honeſty is the beſt Pollicy? From this Root, to wit, Honeſty, the heathen deriued all the branches of vertue. As, thoſe foure Cardinall vertues, Prudence, Juſtice, Fortitude, and Temperance, the ſubiect of thoſe three bookes of Offices, Tully draweth from the force and nature of Honeſtie, as himſelfe expreſſeth. And thoſe foure alſo, Iethro, Moſes father in law, in his direction to his Sonne, requireth to bee in all Magiſtrates, ſaying, Thou ſhalt prouide out of all the people, men of Courage, ſuch as feare God, men of truth, and hating Couetouſneſſe. Still the ſumme totall is, Honeſtie is the beſt Policy. Thus neede wee goe no further, then Your Maieſty, to learne the rule of all good policy, whereof Honeſtie is the ground, as containing all duties both to God and man, in Prince, or people.
Thus hauehave I, though ſlenderly (for the which I moſt humbly craue Your Maieſties generall pardon) diſcharged my faithfull dutie, in diſcovering ſo great a danger towards Your Maieſtie. It pertaines to the wiſdome of Your Maieſtie, to provide ſpeedy meanes for the prevention; that Your Kingdomes may not become a prey to the enemie, nor Your ſacred Perſon expoſed to the perill of beeing forſaken by Your owne Subiects, whom the Pope inſtigateth, by the authority of his Bull, and by the inceſſant induſtrie of his Ieſuites, to ſtand cloſſe to his Holineſſe, againſt Your Maieſtie, when occaſion ſerveth. His Breeue alſo mentioneth what*As a little before the Powder-plott, the Ieſuites publiſhed a booke intituled, The ſeuen ſpark…, and it inciting the Romiſh Catholicks to pray for the good ſucces of the Catholicke enterpriſe. anxious prayers the Church of Rome now maketh for hir Catholicke Sonnes in England. There is ſome waighty cauſe in hand ſure. Wee poore Miniſters hope, that Your Maieſtie will bee pleaſed to call a generall Faſt, to fruſtrate all Romes prayers. Wee hauehave all fared the better for the laſt publicke Faſt, which Your Maieſtie proclaimed for the averting of vnſeaſonable weather, againſt the laſt harveſt. And it is memorable, that on the ſame day wherein the Faſt was kept generally over all England, began the heavens to cleare vp their clowdy countenance, and ſo continued, till they had brought vsus in a plentifull harveſt, in ſtead of a feared famine: Not that wee place any vertue in a Faſt: but becauſe a Faſt with humble prayer preuaileth much with God,Iames 5. not onelyonly as being commanded by him, and hauing a promiſe annexed: but for the neceſſity of it to bee joyned with true repentance, and reformation, not onelyonly of mens manners, and all raigning ſinnes, publicke and private, but alſo of the worſhip of God, being purged from all the pollutions of Idolatry and ſuperſtition, which are an abomination in Gods ſight, and eſpecially a clearing the Coaſt of all Romiſh Ieſuites and Idolatrous Prieſts, whoſe religion is treaſon againſt Your Majeſty, and God himſelfe. When the good King Hezechiah had received the blaſphemous letter of Senacherib King of Aſsyria, 2 Kings 19.he went into the Temple of the Lord, humbled himſelfe, and prayed, ſpreading the Letter for the Lord to read and revenge all the blaſphemies contained in it, both againſt God, and the King, perſwading his ſubjects to defection from him. But loe here a letter ſent into England from the King of the ſpirituall Babylon, full of moſt impious blaſphemies againſt Your Maieſty, moſt Antichriſtianly vſurping a power over Your ſubiects, charging them to diſavowe their fidelity vntounto Your Maieſty: ſhall not this iuſtly provoke Your Maieſty with Hezechiah, to go into the Lords Temple, and there publickly intreat the Lord to take revenge on ſuch blaſphemies, and to turne the miſchiefe, which Rome and her confederates now intend and machinate againſt Your Perſon and Crowne, vponupon their owne head, as Ezechias obtained of the Lord? yea, Your Maieſtie thus doing, all Gods faithfull Miniſters,2 Chron. 15. as ſo many Eſayes to King Ezechiah, as ſo many Azariahs to King Aſa, dare promiſe Your Maieſtie, both certaine victory ouer Your enemies, and a conſtant peace with proſperity, while You conſtantly follow the worthy examples of thoſe religious Kings of Juda: which grace the Lord giuegive vntounto Your Maieſtie in abundance. Amen.
Your Maieſties moſt loyall ſubiect, though vnworthy ſervant: HENRY BVRTON.