A Defence of the Right of Kings (5)

THE Lord Cardinall before he looketh into the last Inconuenience, vseth a cer- taine preamble of his owne life past, and seruices done to the Kings, Henry the III. and IIII. Touching the latter of which two Kings, his Lordship saith in a straine of boasting, after this manner: I, by the grace of God, or the grace of God by mee rather, reduced him to the Catholike religion. I obtained at Rome his absolution of Pope Clement 8. I reconciled him to the holy See. Touching the first of these points; I say the time, the occasions, and the foresaid Kings necessary affaires doe sufficiently testifie, that he was induced to change his mind, and to alter his religion, vpon the strength of other manner of arguments then Theological schooles, or the perswasions of the L. Cardinals fluent Rhetoricke, doe vsually afford, or could possibly suggest. Moreouer, who doeth not know, that in affaires of so high nature and consequence, resolutions once taken, Princes are to pro- ceede with instructions by a formal course ? As for the Kings absolution, pre- tended to bee purchased of Clement 8. by the L. Cardinals good seruice; it had beene the part of so great a Cardinall, for the honour of his King, of the Realme, and of his owne place, to haue buried that piece of his notable seruice in perpetuall silence, and in the darke night of eternall obliuion: For in this matter of reconcile- ment, it is not vnknowne to the world, how shamefully and basely hee prostituted the inuiolable dignity of his King, when his Lordship representing the person of his King, and couching on the ground by way of sufficient penance, was glad (as I haue noted in the Preface to my Apologie) to haue his venerable shoulders grace- fully saluted with stripes, and reuerently worshipped with bastonados of a Ponti- ficiall cudgell. Which gracefull, or disgracefull blemish rather, it pleased Pope Clement of his rare clemencie, to grace yet with a higher degree of spirituall graces; in giuing the L. Cardinall then Bishop of Eureux, a certaine quantity of holy graines, crosses, and medals, or little plates of siluer, or some other mettall, to hang about the necke, or to bee borne about against some euill: Which treasures of the Popes grace, whosoeuer should graciously and reuerently kisse, they should with- out faile purchase vnto themselues a pardon for one hundred yeeres. These feate and prety gugawes for children, were nor doubt a speciall comfort vnto the good Kings heart, after his Maiestie had beene handsomely basted vpon the L. Bishops backe. But with what face can his Lordship brag, that he preuailed with Pope Clement for the Kings absolution ? The late Duke of Neuers, not long before had solicited his Holines, with all earnest and humble instance to the same purpose;

howsoeuer, the Kings affaires then seeming desperate in the Popes eye, he was licensed to depart for France, without any due and gracious respect vnto his errand. But so soone as the Pope receiued intelligence, of the Kings fortunes growing to the full, and the affaires of the League to be in the wane, and the prin- cipall cities, the strongest places of garrison through all France to strike tops and tops gallant, and to hale the King; then the holy Ghost in good time inspired the holy Father with a holy desire and tender affection, to receiue this poore wandring sheep againe into the flocke of Christ, and bosome of holy Church. His Holinesse had reason: For he feared by his obstinate seuerity to prouoke the patience of the French, and to driue that Nation (as they had many times threatned before) then to put in execution their auncient designe; which was, to shake off the Pope, and to set vp some of their owne tribes or kinreds for Patriarch ouer the French Church. But let his Lordshippe vouchsafe to search the secret of his owne bosome, and no doubt he wil not sticke to acknowledge, that before he stirred one foote out of France, he had good assurance of the good successe and issue of his honourable embassage.

Now the hearers thus prepared by his Preface, the L. Cardinall proceedeth in his purpose; namely to make proofe, how this Article of the third Estate, wherein doubtfull and questionable matters are mingled and confounded with certaine and indubitable principles, doth so debilitate and weaken the sinewes and vertue of any remedy intended for the danger of Kings, as it maketh all remedies and receipts prescribed for that purpose, to become altogether vnprofitable, and with- out effect. He yeelds this reason, (take it forsooth vpon my warrant) a reason full of pith and substance: The onely remedie against parricides, is to thunder the solemne curses of the Church, and the punishments to be inflicted after death: which points, if they be not grounded vpon infallible authoritie, will neuer be setled in mens perswasions with any certaine assurance. Now in the solemne curses of the Church, no man can attaine to the said assurance, if things not denied be mingled with points not graunted, and not consented vnto by the Vniuersall Church. By a thing not denied and not contested, the L. Cardinall meanes prohibiting and condemning of King-killing: and by points contested, he meanes denying of the Popes power to depose Kings.

In this whole discourse, I find neither pith of argument, nor course of proofe; but onely a cast of the L. Cardinalls office by way of counsell: whereunto I make this answere. If there be in this Article of the third Estate any point, wherein all are not of one mind and the same iudgement; in whom lieth all the blame, from whence rises the doubt, but from the Popes and Popish parasites, by whom the certaintie of the said point hath bin cunningly remooued and conueied away, and must be restored againe by publike authority ? Now the way to restore certainty vnto a point, which against reason is called into doubt and question, is to make it vp in one masse, or to tie it vp in the same bundle, with other certaine points of the same nature.

Here I am forced to summon the consciences of men, to make some stand or stay vpon this point, and with me to enter into deepe consideration, how great and vnuanquishable force is euer found in the trewth: For these two questions, Whether Kings may lawfully be made away by assassins waged and hired for the act; and Whether the Pope hath lawfull power to chase Kings out of their Thrones, are by the L. Cardinals owne confession, in so full aspect of coniunction, that if either bee brought vnder any degree of doubt, the other also is fetcht within the same compasse. In which words he directly pointeth as with a finger to the very trew source of the maine mischiefe, and to the basilique and liuer veine, infected with pestilential blood, inflamed to the destruction of Basilicall Princes by detestable parricide: For whosoeuer shall confidently beleeue that Popes are not armed with power to depose Kings; will beleeue with no lesse con- fidence and assurance, it is not lawful by sudden assaults to flie at their throats. For are not all desperate villaines perswaded, when they are hired to murder Kings, that in doing so damnable a feate, they doe it for a piece of notable and extraordinary seruice to the Pope ? This maxime therefore is to be held for a principle vnmooueable and indubitable; that, If subiects desire the life of their Kings to bee secured; they must not yeeld the Pope one inch of power, to depriue their Kings of their Thrones and Crownes, by deposing their Kings.

The Lord Cardinall testifieth no lesse himselfe in these words: If those monsters of men, and furies of hell, by whom the life-blood of our two last Kings was let out had euer beene acquainted with Lawes Ecclesiasticall, they might haue read them- selues adiudged by the Councill of Constance to expresse damnation. For in these words, the L. Cardinall preferreth a bill of inditement to cast his Holinesse; who, vpon the commencing of the Leaguers warres, in stead of giuing order for the publishing of the said Ecclesiasticall Lawes for the restraining of all parricidicall practises and attempts, fell to the terrour of his fulminations, which not long after were seconded and ratified by the most audatious and bloody murder of King Henry III. In like manner, the whole Clergy of France are wrapped vp by the L. Cardinals words, and inuolued in the perill of the said inditement: For in stead of preaching the said Ecclesiasticall Lawes, by which all King-killing is inhibited; the Priests taught, vented, and published nothing but rebellion; and when the people in great deuotion came to powre their confessions into the Priests eares; then the Priests, with a kind of counterbuffe in the second place when their turne was come, and with great deuotion, powred blood into the eares of the people; out of which roote grewe the terrour of those cruell warres, and the horrible parricide of that good King.

But let vs here take some neere sight of these Ecclesiasticall Lawes, whereby subiects are inhibited to kill, or desperately to dispatch their Kings out of the way. The Lord Cardinall, for full payment of all scores vpon this reckoning, layeth downe the credit of the Councill at Constance, which neuerthelesse affoardeth not one myte of trew and currant payment. The trewth of the history may bee

taken from this briefe relation. Iohn Duke of Burgundy, procured Lewis Duke of Orleans to be murthered in Paris: To iustifie and make good this bloody acte, he produced a certaine petimaster, one called by the name of Iohn Petit. This little Iohn caused nine propositions to be giuen foorth or set vp, to bee discussed in the famous Vniuersitie of Paris: The summe of all to this purpose; It is lawfull, iust, and honourable, for euery subiect or priuate person either by open force and violence, or by deceit and secret lying in waite, or by some wittie stratagem, or by any other way of fact, to kil a Tyrant practising against his King, and other higher powers; yea the King ought in reason, to giue him a pension or stipend, that hath killed any person disloyal to his Prince. The words of Petits first pro- position be these:[*] It is lawfull for euery subiect, without any command or com- mission from the higher powers by all the Lawes of nature, of man, and of God him- selfe, to kill or cause to be killed any Tyrant, who either by a couetous and greedie desire, or by fraud, by diuination vpon casting of Lots, by double and treacherous dealing, doeth plot or practise against his Kings corporall health, or the health of his higher powers. In the third proposition: It is lawfull for euery subiect honourable and meritorious, to kill the said Tyrant, or cause him to be killed as a Traitor, dis- loyall and trecherous to his King. In the sixt proposition: The King is to appoint a salarie and recompence for him that hath kilted such a Tyrant, or hath caused him to bee killed. These propositions of Iohannes Paruus, were condemned by the Councill of Constance, as impious, and tending to the scandall of the Church. Now then, whereas the said Councill no doubt vnderstood the name or word Tyrant in the same sense, wherein it was taken by Iohannes Paruus; certaine it is, the Councill was not of any such iudgement or mind, to condemne one that should kill a King or Soueraigne Prince; but one that by treason, and without commandement should kill a subiect, rebelling and practising against his King. For Iohn Petit had vndertaken to iustifie the making away of the Duke of Orleans to be a lawfull acte, and calls that Duke a Tyrant, albeit hee was no Soueraigne Prince; as all the aboue recited words of Iohn Petit doe testifie, that he speaketh of such a Tyrant, as being in state of subiection, rebelleth against his free and absolute Prince: So that whosoeuer shall narrowly search and looke into the mind and meaning of the said Council, shal easily perceiue, that by their decrees the safetie of Kings was not confirmed but weakened, not augmented but dimin- ished; for as much as they inhibited priuate persons to kill a Subiect, attempting by wicked counsels and practises to make away his King.

But be it granted, the Councill of Constance is flat and altogether direct against King-killers; For I am not vnwilling to be perswaded, that had the ques- tion then touched the murdering of Soueraigne Princes, the said Councill would haue passed a sound and holy decree: But, I say, this granted, what shield of defence is hereby reached to Kings, to ward or beat off the thrust of a murderers weapon, and to saue or secure their life ? seeing the L. Cardinall, building vpon

the subtile deuise and shift of the Iesuites, hath taught vs out of their Schooles, that by Kings are vnderstood Kings in esse, not yet fallen from the supreame de- gree of Soueraigne Royaltie: For being once deposed by the Pope, (say the Iesuites) they are no longer Kings, but are fallen from the rights of Soueraigne dignitie; and consequently to make strip and wast of their blood, is not forsooth to make strip and wast of Royall blood. The Iesuiticall masters, in the file of thire words are so supple and so limber, that by leauing still in their speech some starting hole or other, they are able by the same, as by a posterne or backdoore, to make an escape.

Meane while the Readers are here to note (for well they may) a tricke of monstrous and most wicked cunning. The L. Cardinall contends for the bridling and hampering of King-killers by the Lawes Ecclesiasticall. Now it might be presumed, that so reuerend and learned a Cardinal intending to make vse of Ecclesiasticall Lawes, by vertue whereof the life of Kings may be secured, would fill his mouth and garnish the point with diuine Oracles, that wee might the more gladly and willingly giue him the hearing, when hee speakes as one furnished with sufficient weight and authoritie of sacred Scripture. But behold, in stead of the authenticall and most ancient word, hee propounds the decree of a lateborne Councill at Constance, neither for the Popes tooth, nor any way comming neere the point in controuersie. And suppose it were pertinent vnto the purpose, the L. Cardinall beareth in his hand a forke of distinction, with two tines or teeth to beare off, nay to shift off and to auoid the matter with meere dalliance. The shortest and neerest way (in some sort of respects) to establish a false opinion, is to charge or set vpon it with false and with ridiculous reasons. The like way to worke the ouerthrow of trew doctrine, is to rest or ground it vpon friuolous rea- sons or authorities of stubble-weight. For example; if we should thus argue for the immortalitie of the soule with Plato:[*] The swan singeth before her death; ergo, the soule is immortall. Or thus with certaine seduced Christians: The Pope hath ordained the word of God to be authenticall: ergo, all credit must be giuen to diuine Scripture. Vpon the spurkies or hookes of such ridiculous argu- ments and friuolous reasons, the L. Cardinall hangs the life and safetie of Kings.

With like artificiall deuises hee pretendeth to haue the infamous murders, and apposted cutting of Kings throats in extreame detestation; and yet by deposing them from their Princely dignities, by degrading them from their supreame and Soueraigne authorities, hee brings their sacred heads to the butchers blocke: For a King deposed by the Pope, (let no man doubt) will not leaue any stone vnre- mooued, nor any meanes and wayes vnattempted, nor any forces or powers of men vnleuied or vnhired, to defend himselfe and his Regall dignitie, to represse and bring vnder his rebellious people, by the Pope discharged of their alleagiance. In this perplexitie of the publike affaires, in these tempestuous perturbations of the State, with what perils is the King not besieged and assaulted ? His head is

exposed to the chances of warre; his life a faire marke to the insidious practises of a thousand traitours; his Royall person obuious to the dreadfull storme of angry fortune, to the deadly malice, to the fatall and mortall weapons of his enemies. The reason: He is presupposed to be lawfully and orderly stripped of his Kingdome. Wil he yet hold the sterne of his Royall estate ? Then is he necessarily taken for a Tyrant, reputed an vsurper, and his life is exposed to the spoile: For the publike lawes make it lawful and free, for any priuate person to enterprise against an vsurper of the Kingdome: Euery man, saith Tertullian,[*] is a souldier, to beare armes against all traitors and publike enemies. Take from a King the title of lawfull King, you take from him the warrant of his life, and the weap- ons whereby he is maintained in greater securitie, then by his Royall Guard armed with swords and halberds, through whose wards and ranks, a desperate villaine will make himselfe an easie passage, being master of another mans life, because he is prodigall and carelesse of his owne. Such therefore as pretend so much pity towards Kings, to abhorre the bloody opening of their liuer-veine, and yet withall, to approoue their hoysting out of the Royall dignity, are iust in the veine and humour of those that say, Let vs not kill the King, but let vs disarme the King that he may die a violent death: let vs not depriue him of life, but of the meanes to defend his life: let vs not strangle the King and stop his vitall breath, so long as he remaineth King; 0 that were impious, 0 that were horrible and abominable; but let him be deposed, and then whosoeuer shall runne him through the body with a weapon vp to the very hilts, shall not beare the guilt of a King-killer. All this must be vnderstood to be spoken of Kings, who after they are despoiled of Regalitie, by sentence of deposition giuen by the Pope, are able to arme them- selues, and by valiant armes doe defend their Soueraigne rights. But in case the King, blasted with Romane lightning, and stricken with Papall thunder, shall actually and speedily bee smitten downe from his high Throne of Regality, with present losse of his Kingdome; I beleeue it is almost impossible for him to war- rant his owne life, who was not able to warrant his owne Kingdome. Let a cat be throwen from a high roofe to the bottom of a cellour or vault, she lighteth on her feet, and runneth away without taking any harme. A King is not like a cat, how- soeuer a cat may looke vpon a King: he cannot fall from the loftie pinacle of Royalty, to light on his feet vpon the hard pauement of a priuate state, without crushing all his bones in pieces. It hath bene the lot of very few Emperors and Kings, to outliue their Empire: For men ascend to the loftie Throne of Kings, with a soft and easie pace, by certaine steps and degrees; there be no stately staires to come downe, they tumble head and heeles together when they fall. He that hath once griped anothers Kingdome, thinks himselfe in little safetie, so long as he shall of his courtesie suffer his disseised predecessour to draw his breath. And say that some Princes, after their fall from their Thrones, haue escaped both point and edge of the Tyrants weapon; yet haue they wandred like miserable fugitiues in forreine countreys, or else haue bene condemned like captiues to perpetuall imprisonment at home, a thousand-fold worse and more lamentable then death it selfe. Dionysius the Tyrant of Syracusa, from a great King in Sicilie tur'nd Schoolemaster in Corinth. It was the onely calling and kind of life, that as he thought bearing some resemblance of rule and gouernment, might recreate his mind, as an image or picture of his former Soueraigntie ouer men. This Dionysius was the onely man (to my knowledge) that had a humour to laugh after the losse of a Kingdome, and in the state of a Pedant or gouernour of children, merily to ieast and to scorne his former state and condition of a King. In this my Kingdome of England, sundry Kings haue seene the walls as it were of their Princely fortresse dismantled, razed, and beaten downe. By name, Edward and Richard, both II. and Henrie the VI. all which Kings were most cruelly murdered in prison. In the reigne of Edward III. by Acte of Parliament, Who- soeuer shall imagine, (that is the very word of the Statute) or machinate the Kings death, are declared guiltie of Rebellion and high Treason. The learned Iudges of the Land, grounding vpon this Law of Edward the third, haue euer since reputed and iudged them traitors according to Law, that haue dared only to whisper or talke softly betweene the teeth, of deposing the King: For they count it a cleare case, that no Crowne can be taken from a Kings head, without losse of Head and Crowne together, sooner or later.

The L. Cardinal[*] therefore in this most weightie and serious point doth meerely dally and flowt after a sort, when hee tells vs, The Church doeth not inter- meddle with releasing of subiects, and knocking of their yrons of obedience, but onely before the Ecclesiasticall tribunall seat; and that besides this double censure, of absolu- tion to subiects, and excommunication to the Prince, the Church imposeth none other penaltie. Vnder pretence of which two censures, so farre is the Church (as the L. Car- dinall pretendeth) from consenting that any man so censured should bee touchedfor his life, that she vtterly abhorreth all murder whatsoeuer; but especially all sudden and vnpre- penced murders for feare of casting away both body and soule; which often in sudden murders goe both one way. It hath bene made manifest before, that all such pro- scription and setting forth of Kings to port-sale, hath alwaies for the traine thereof, either some violent and bloody death, or some other mischiefe more intolerable then death it selfe. What are we the better, that parricides of Kings are neither set on, nor approued by the Church in their abominable actions; when shee layeth such plots, and taketh such courses, as necessarily doe inferre the cutting of their throates ? In the next place be it noted, that his Lordship against all reason, reckons the absoluing of subiects from the oath of alleagiance, in the ranke of penalties awarded and enioyned before the Ecclesiasticall tri- bunall seate: For this penaltie is not Ecclesiasticall, but Ciuill, and consequently not triable in Ecclesiasticall Courts, without vsurping vpon the Ciuill Magistrate. But I wonder with what face the L. Cardinall can say, The Church neuer con-

senteth to any practise against his life, whom she hath once chastised with seuere censures: For can his Lordship be ignorant, what is written by Pope Vrbanus,[*] Can. Excommunicatorum. Wee take them not in any wise to bee man-slayers, who in a certaine heat of zeale towards the Catholike Church their Mother, shall happen to kill an excommunicate person. More, if the Pope doth not approoue and like the practice of King-killing, wherefore hath not his Holinesse imposed some seuere censure vpon the booke of Mariana the Iesuite (by whom parricides are com- mended, nay highly extolled) when his Holinesse hath beene pleased to take the paines to censure and call in some other of Mariana's bookes ? Againe, wherefore did his Holinesse aduise himselfe to censure the Decree of the Court of Parlia- ment in Paris against Iohn Chastell ? Wherefore did hee suffer Garnet and Old- corne my powder-miners, both by bookes and pictures vendible vnder his nose in Rome, to be inrowled in the Canon of holy Martyrs ? And when hee saw two great Kings murdered one after another, wherefore by some publike declaration did not his Holinesse testifie to all Christendome, his inward sense and trew ap- prehension of so great misfortune, as all Europe had iust cause to lament on the behalfe of France ? Wherefore did not his Holinesse publish some Law or Pon- tificiall Decree, to prouide for the securitie of Kings in time to come ? Trew it is, that he censured Becanus his booke: But wherefore ? That by a captious and sleight censure, he might preuent a more exact and rigorous Decree of the Sorbone Schoole: For the Popes checke to Becanus, was onely a generall censure and touch, without any particular specification of matter touching the life of Kings. About some two moneths after, the said booke was printed againe, with a dedica- tion to the Popes Nuntio in Germany; yet without any alteration, saue onely of two articles conteining the absolute power of the people ouer Kings. In recom- pence and for a counterchecke whereof, three or foure articles were inserted into the said booke, touching the Popes power ouer Kings; articles no lesse wicked & iniurious to Regall rights; nay more iniurious then any of the other clauses, whereof iust cause of exception and complaint had bene giuen before. If I would collect and heape vp examples of ancient Emperours, (as of Henrie IV. whose dead corps felt the rage and furie of the Pope; or of Frederic II. against whom the Pope was not ashamed to whet and kindle the Sultane; or of Queene Elizabeth our Predecessour, of glorious memorie, whose life was diuers times assaulted by priuie murderers, expresly dispatched from Rome for that holy seruice) if I would gather vp other examples of the same stampe, which I haue layd forth in my Apologie for the oath of alleagiance; I could make it more cleare then day-light, how farre the L. Cardinals words are discrepant from the trewth, where his Lord- ship [*] out of most rare confidence is bold to auow, That neuer any Pope went so farre, as to giue consent or counsell for the desperate murdering of Princes. That which already hath bene alleadged may suffice to conuince his Lordship: I meane, that his Holinesse by deposing of Kings, doeth lead them directly to their graues and tombes.

The Cardinall[*] himselfe seemeth to take some notice hereof. The Church (as he speaketh) abborreth sudden and vnprepensed murders aboue the rest. Doth not his Lordship in this phrase of speech acknowledge, that murders committed by open force, are not so much disauowed or disclaimed by the Church ? A little after he speakes not in the teeth, as before, but with full and open mouth; that hee doeth not dislike a King once deposed by the Pope, should be pursued with open warre: Whereupon it followes, that in warre the King may be lawfully slaine. No doubt a remarkable degree of his Lordships clemencie. A King shall bee better entreated and more mildly dealt withal, if he be slaine by the shot of an harquebuse or caleeuer in the field, then if hee bee stabd by the stroke or thrust of a knife in his chamber: or if at a siege of some city hee be blowne vp with a myne, then by a myne made, and a traine of gunpowder laid vnder his Palace or Parliament house in time of peace. His reason: Forsooth, because in sudden murders, oftentimes the soule and the body perish both together. O singular bountie, and rare clemencie! prouokers, instigators, strong puffers and blowers of parricides, in mercifull compassion of the soule, become vnmercifull and shamefull murderers of the body. This deuice may well claime and challenge kinred of Mariana the Iesuites inuention: For he liketh not at any hand the poisoning of a Tyrant by his meat or drinke; for feare lest he taking the poison with his owne hand, and swallowing or gulping it downe in his meate or drinke so taken, should be found felo de se, (as the common Lawyer speaketh) or culpable of his owne death. But Mariana likes better, to haue a Tyrant poysoned by his chaire, or by his apparell and robes, after the example of the Mauritanian Kings; that being so poysoned onely by sent, or by contact, he may not be found guiltie of selfe- fellonie, and the soule of the poore Tyrant in her flight out of the body may be innocent. 0 hel-hounds, 0 diabolical wretches, 0 infernall monsters! Did they onely suspect and imagine, that either in Kings there is any remainder of Kingly courage, or in their subiects any sparke left of ancient libertie; they durst as soone eat their nailes, or teare their owne flesh from the bones, as once broach the vessell of this diabolicall deuice. How long then, how long shall Kings whom the Lord hath called his Anointed, Kings the breathing Images of God vpon earth; Kings that with a wry or frowning looke, are able to crush these earth-wormes in pieces; how long shall they suffer this viperous brood, scotfree and without punishment, to spit in their faces ? how long, the Maiestie of GOD in their person and Royall Maiestie, to be so notoriously vilified, so dishonourably trampled vnder foot ?

The L. Cardinall boards vs with a like manifest ieast, and notably trifles; first, distinguishing betweene Tyrants by administration, and Tyrants by vsurpation; then shewing that he by no means doeth approue those prophane and heathenish Lawes, whereby secret practises and conspiracies against a Tyrant by administra- tion are permitted. His reason; Because after deposition there is a certaine habitude

to Royall dignitie, and as it were a kinde of politicke Character inherent in Kings, by which they are discerned from persons meerely private, or the common sort of people; and the obstacle, crosse-barre, or sparre once remooued and taken out of the way, the said Kings deposed are at length reinuested and endowed againe with lawfull vse of Royall dignitie, and with lawfull administration of the Kingdome. Is it possible that his Lordship can speake and vtter these words according to the inward per- swasion of his heart? I beleeue it not. For admit a King cast out of his King- dome were sure to escape with life; yet being once reduced to a priuate state of life, after hee hath wound or wrought himselfe out of deadly danger, so farre he is from holding or retayning any remainder of dignity or politike impression, that on the contrary he falleth into greater contempt and misery, then if he had bene a very peasant by birth, and had neuer held or gouerned the sterne of Royall estate. What fowle is more beautifull then the peacocke? Let her be plumed and bereft of her feathers; what owle, what iacke-daw more ridiculous, more without all pleasant fashion ? The homely sowter, the infamous catchpol, the base tincker, the rude artificer, the pack-horse porter, then liuing in Rome with libertie, when Valentinian was detain'd captiue by Saporas the Persian King, was more happie then that Romane Emperour. And in case the L. Cardinall himselfe should bee so happie (I should say so vnfortunate) to be stript of all his dignities and Ecclesiasticall promotions; would it not redound to his Lordships wonderfull consolation, that in his greatest extremity, in the lowest of his barenesse and nakednesse, he still retaineth a certaine habituall right and character of a Car- dinall, whereby to recouer the losse of his former dignities and honours ? when hee beholds these prints and impressions of his foresaid honours; would it not make him the more willing and glad, to forsake the backe of his venerable mule, to vse his Cardinals foot-cloath no longer, but euer after like a Cardinall in print and character, to walke on foot ?

But let vs examine his Lordships consolation of Kings, thrust out of their kingdomes by the Pope for heresie. The obstacle (as the L. Cardinall speaketh) being taken away; that is to say, when the King shall be reformed; this habituall right and character yet inherent in the person of a King, restores him to the Lawfull administration of his Kingdome. I take this to be but a cold comfort: For here his Lordship doeth onely presuppose, and not prooue, that after a King is thrust out of his Throne, when hee shall repent and turne trew Romane Catholike, the other by whom he hath bene cast out, and by force disseised, will recall him to the Royall seat, and faithfully settle him againe in his ancient right, as one that reioyceth for the recouery of such a lost sheepe. But I should rather feare, the new King would presse and stand vpon other termes; as a terme of yeeres for a triall, whether the repentance of the King displaced be trew & sound to the coare, or counterfeit, dissembled, and painted holines; for the words, the sorrowfull and heauie lookes, the sad and formall gestures, of men pretending repentance, are not alwayes to bee taken, to be respected, to be credited. Againe, I should feare

the afflicted King might be charged and borne downe too, that albeit hee hath renounced his former heresie, hee hath stumbled since at an other stone, and runne the ship of his faith against some other rocke of new hereticall prauitie. Or I should yet feare, he might be made to beleeue that heresie maketh a deeper im- pression, and a character more indeleble in the person, then is the other politike character of Regal Maiestie. Alas, good Kings! in how hard, in how miserable a state doe they stand ? Once deposed, and euer barred of repentance: As if the scapes and errors of Kings, were all sinnes against the Holy Ghost, or sinnes vnto death, for which it is not lawfull to pray. Falls a priuate person ? he may be set vp, and new established. Falls a King ? is a King deposed ? his repentance is euer fruitlesse, euer vnprofitable. Hath a priuate person a traine of seruants ? He can not be depriued of any one without his priuitie and consent. Hath a King millions of subiects ? He may be depriued by the Pope of a third part, when his Holinesse will haue them turne Clerics or enter Cloisters, without asking the King leaue: and so of subiects they may be made non-subiects.

But I question yet further. A King falling into heresie, is deposed by the Pope, his sonne stands pure Catholike: The Regal seat is empty. Who shall suc- ceed in the deposed Kings place ? Shall a stranger be preferred by the Pope ? That were to doe the innocent sonne egregious and notorious wrong. Shall the sonne himselfe ? That were a more iniurious part in the sonne against his father: For if the sonne bee touched with any feare of God, or mooued with any reuerence towards his father, hee will diligently and seriously take heed, that hee put not his father by the Kingdome by whose meanes he nimselfe is borne to a Kingdome. Nor will hee tread in the steps of Henry the V. Emperour, who by the Popes instigation, expelled and chased his aaged father out of the Imperiall dignitie. Much lesse wil he hearken to the voice and aduise of Doctor Suares [*] the Iesuite; who, in his booke written against my selfe, a booke applauded and approoued of many Doctours, after hee hath like a Doctour of the chaire, pronounced, That a King deposed by the Pope, cannot bee lawfully expelled or killed, but onely by such as the Pope hath charged with such execution: falleth to adde a little after: If the Pope shall declare a King to bee an heretike, and fallen from the Kingdome, without making further declaration touching execution; that is to say, without giuing expresse charge vnto any to make away the King: then the lawfull successour being a Catholike, hath power to doe the feate; and if he shall refuse, or if there shall be none such, then it appertaineth to the comminaltie or body of the Kingdome. A most detestable sentence: For in hereditarie Kingdomes, who is the Kings lawfull suc- cessour, but his sonne ? The sonne then by this doctrine, shall imbrew his hands inhis owne fathers blood, so soone as he shall be deposed by the Pope. A matter so much the neerer and more deepely to bee apprehended, because the said most outragious booke flyeth like a furious mastiffe directly at my throat, and withall

instilleth such precepts into the tender disposition of my sonne, as if hereafter hee shall become a Romane Catholike, so soone as the Pope shall giue me the lift out of my Throne, shall bind him forthwith to make effusion of his owne fathers blood. Such is the religion of these reuerend Fathers, the pillars of the Pontificiall Monarchie: In comparison of whose religion and holinesse, all the impietie that euer was among the Infidels, and all the barbarous crueltie that euer was among the Canibals, may passe hencefoorth in the Christian world for pure clemencie and humanitie. These things ought his Lordship to haue pondered, rather then to babble of habitudes and politike characters, which to the common people are like the Bergamasque or the wilde-Irish forme of speach, and passe their vnderstanding.

All these things are nothing in a maner, if we compare them with the last clause, which is the closer, and as it were the vpshot of his Lordships discourse: For therein he laboureth to perswade concerning this Article, framed to bridle the Popes tyrannicall power ouer Kings, if it should receiue gracious entertainement, and generall approbation; That it would breed great danger, and worke effects of pernicious consequence vnto Kings. The reason: because it would prooue an in- troduction to schisme; and schisme would stirre vp ciuil warres, contempt of Kings, distempered inclinations and motions to intrap their life; and which is worst of all, the fierce wrath of God, inflicting all sorts of calamities. An admirable paradoxe, and able to strike men stone-blind: that his Holinesse must haue power to de- pose Kings, for the better security and safegard of their life; that when their Crownes are made subiect vnto anothers will and pleasure, then they are come to the highest altitude and eleuation of honour; that for the onely-warrant of their life, their supreme and absolute greatnesse must be depressed; that for the longer keeping of their Crownes, another must plucke the Crowne from their heads. As if it should be said, Would they not be stript naked by another ? the best way is, for themselues to vntrusse, for themselues to put off all, and to goe naked of their owne accord. Wil they keepe their Souereigntie in safetie for euer ? The best way is to let another haue their Soueraigne authoritie and supreme Estate in his power. But I haue bene euer of this mind, that when my goods are at no mans command or disposing but mine own, then they are trewly and certainly mine owne. It may be this error is growen vpon me and other Princes for lacke of braines: whereupon it may be feared, or at least coniectured, the Pope meanes to shaue our crownes, and thrust vs into some cloister, there to hold ranke in the brotherhood of good King Childeric. Forasmuch then as my dull capacitie doeth not serue mee to reach or comprehend the pith of this admirable reason, I haue thought good to seeke and to vse the instruction of old and learned experience, which teacheth no such matter: by name, that ciuill warres and fearefull per- turbations of State in any nation of the world, haue at any time growen from this faithful credulity of subiects, that Popes in right haue no power to wrest and lift Kings out of their dignities and possessions. On the other side, by establishing

the contrary maximes, to yoke and hamper the people with Pontificiall tyrannie, what rebellious troubles and stirres, what extreme desolations hath England bene forced to feare and feele, in the Reigne of my Predecessours Henrie II. Iohn and Henrie III ? These be the maximes and principles, which vnder the Emperour Henrie IV. and Frederic the I. made all Europe flowe with channels and streames of blood, like a riuer with water, while the Saracens by their incursions and victo- ries ouerflowed, and in a manner drowned the honour of the Christian name in the East. These be the maximes and principles, which made way for the warres of the last League into France; by which the very bowels of that most famous and flourishing Kingdome were set on such a combustion, that France her selfe was brought within two fingers breadth of bondage to another Nation, and the death of her two last Kings most villenously and traiterously accomplished. The L. Cardinall then giuing these diabolicall maximes for meanes to secure the life and Estate of Kings, speaketh as if he would giue men counsell to dry themselues in the riuer, when they come as wet as a water spaniell out of a pond; or to warme themselues by the light of the Moone, when they are stark-naked, and well neere frozen to death.