An ansvvere to a treatise vvritten by Dr. Carier, by way of a letter to his Maiestie vvherein he layeth downe sundry politike considerations; by which hee pretendeth himselfe was moued, and endeuoureth to moue others to be reconciled to the Church of Rome, and imbrace that religion, which he calleth catholike. By George Hakewil, Doctour of Diuinity, and chapleine to the Prince his Highnesse.

G. H.

22

Howbeit Henry the VIII. actually indeed made that breach with Rome, which continues at this day (and is like to doe till Rome by her reformation endeuour to make it vp) yet they certainely erre, who seeke the cause of it, onely in him and in his times, or fixing their eyes vpon his person & quarrel, looke not vp to the state and course of former ages: for as no wise man would assigne the cause of death to some accident falling out in the last point and period of life, but to some former dis∣temper or intemperancie: so the reasons of vnhorsing the Pope, and reiecting his authoritie with the generall applause of all the estates of the Realme, hauing beene so long an•• so deepely rooted in mens minds, are not to be searched for in the personall and particular proceedings of Henry the VIII. but in the ancient Records and euidences of our Histo••ians, who all complaine of the spurring, and gauling, and whipping of our land by those Italian riders, vntill like Balaams asse, shee

turned againe, opened her mouth to complaine, and being out of all hope of reliefe by complaint, cast her rider. As many witnesses we haue hereof well neere, as Writers since the last 600. yeres: as many cleere testimonies as there be leaues in Mat. Paris, the most learned and sufficient Writer (vnlesse you will except William of Malmesburie) that those times afforded. It was a memorable speech of Robert Grosteed Bishop of Lincolne, who liued 358. yeres since, in the time of Gregory the IX. Caelestine the IIII. Innocent the IIII. and Alexander the VI. who lying vpon his death-bed, the very night of his departure, making a lamentable and bitter complaint to the Priests and Monkes that stood about him, of the miserable estate of the Church, and laying the burthen of so great a mischiefe vpon the Popes shoulders (whom therefore he called Heretike and Antichrist) at length hee yeelded vp his soule vnto God with these words in his mouth, [Non liberabitur Eccles••a ab Egiptiaca serui∣tute, nisi in ore gladij cruentandi. The Church will neuer bee freed from this Egyptian slauery, but by the point of a bloodie sword.] Thus did this holy man foresee and foretel, as it were by a Pro∣phetical Spirit, that which we see accōplished: So that Henrie the VIII. serued onely as a midwife to bring to the world that birth, wherewith our countrey had bene in trauell many yeres before; and had not he bene borne, some other meanes would haue beene found out for the doing of that which he did; and what we see already done in England, will also vndoubtedly be brought to passe in other Nations, when their measure is full, and God will. In the meane time that the trueth of this asser∣tion may the better appeare, I will adde to those examples, and instances brought to this purpose by his Maiestie in his Premonition, two others (in my iudgment very obser••able) the one of William surnamed the Conquerour, the other of Henrie (for his learning) surnamed Beauclerke his third sonne, and se∣cond Successor in the Kingdome, both out of the Manuscripts of that noble Antiquarie, S^r Robert Cotton knight Barronnet. The father thus writes to Gregory the VII. commonly knowen by the name of Hildebrand, vpon notice giuen him from his

Legate Hubert, that he was to doe him fealtie, and ••o pay him money as his ancestors had done.

[Hubertus Legatus tuus (Religiose Pater) ad me veniens, ex tua parte me admonuit, quatenus tibi & successoribus tuis fidelitatem facerem, & de pe∣cunia quam antecessores mei ad Romanam Eccle∣siam mittere solebant melius cogitarem; vnum ad∣misi, alterum non admisi; fidelitatem facere nolui, nec volo; quia nec ego promisi, nec antecessores meos antecessoribus tuis id fecisse comperio.]

Hubert your Legate (Religious Father) com∣ming vnto me, aduertised me as from you, that I was to doe fealtie to you, and your Successors, and that I should bethinke my selfe better of the money which my Prede∣cessors were wont to send to the Church of Rome; the one I admitted, the other I ad∣mitted not. The fealtie I would not per∣forme, neither will I, because neither my selfe promised it, nor doe I find that my Pre∣decessors performed it to yours.

Vpon which occasion as it may well be supposed, the Pope returned this answer to his Legate Hubert, after signification; how little he esteemed money without honour giuen him; hee comes to the person of the King in these termes.

[Multa sunt vnde Sancta Romana Ecclesia aduer∣sus

eum queri potest, nemo enim omnium Regum etiam Paganorum, contra Apostolicam sedem hoc praesumpsit tentare, quod is non erubuit facere.]

There are many things whereof the holy Ro∣man Church may complaine of against him, in as much as none of the Pagan kings haue attempted that against the Sea Apo∣stolike, which hee hath not blushed to put in execution.

Now for Henry the sonne, who in this regarde swarued not from his fathers steppes, part of Pope Paschals letter vnto him, runnes thus.

[Paschalis seruus seruorum Dei, dilecto filio Henrico, illustri Anglorum Regi, Salutem & Apostolicam benedictionem. Cum de manu Domini largiùs ho∣norem, diuitias, pacem{que} susceperis, mir amur ve∣hementius, & grauamur quod in Regno potesta∣te{que} tua beatus Petrus, & in beato Petro, Domi∣nus honorem suum iustitiam{que} perdiderit. Sedis enim Apostolicae nuncij, vel literae praeter iussum Regiae Maiestatis, nullam in potestate tua suscep∣tionē vel aditum promerentur, nullus inde clamor, nullum inde iudicium ad sedem Apostolicam de∣stinatur.]

Paschal the seruant of the seruants of God, to

our beloued sonne Henry, the most renow∣ned King of England, health and Apostoli∣call benediction. Sythence you haue plen∣tifully receiued honour, riches and peace, from the hand of the Lord, We exceedingly woonder, and take it in ill part, that in your Kingdome, and vnder your Gouernment S. Peter, and in S. Peter, the Lord hath lost his honour and right, in as much as the Nun∣tioes and Breues of the Sea Apostolike, are not thought worthy entertainement or ad∣mittance in any part of your Dominions, without your Maiesties warrant, No com∣plaint now, no appeale comes from thence to the Sea Apostolike.

To which the King (after termes of complement,) replies in in this manner.

[Eos honores, & eam obedientiam, quam tempore Patris mei antecessores vestri in Regno Angliae habuerunt, tempore meo vt habeatis volo; eo videlicet tenore, vt dignitates, vsus, & consue∣tudines, quas pater meus tempore antecessorum vestrorum in regno Angliae habuit▪ ego tempore vestro in eodem regno meo integrè obtineam. No∣tum{que} habeat Sanctitas vestra, quod me viuente, Deo auxiliante, dignitates & vsus regni An∣gliae

non minuentur: Et si ego (quod absit) in tan∣ta me deiectione ponerem, Optimates mei, imo to∣tius Angliae populus id nullo modo pateretur. Ha∣bita igitur (Charissime Pater) vtiliori delibe∣ratione, ita se erga nos moderetur benignitas ve∣stra, ne (quod inuitùs faciam) à vestra me coga∣tis recedere obedientia.]

That honour and obedience which your pre∣decessors had in the Kingdome of England during the Reigne of my father, my will is you should haue in my time, with this con∣dition, that my selfe fully and wholly enioy all the Dignities, Prerogatiues and Cu∣stomes, which my father enioyed in the sayd Kingdome, in the time of your prede∣cessors; and I would your Holinesse should vnderstand, that during my life the digni∣nities and prerogatiues of the Crowne of England, by Gods grace, shall not bee mini∣shed▪ and if I should so farre abase my selfe (which God forbid) my Lords and Com∣mons would by no meanes endure it: wher∣fore (most deare Father) vpon better ad∣uice, let your gentlenesse be so tempered to∣ward vs, that I bee not enforced (which I shall vnwillingly doe) to withdraw my selfe from your obedience.

Whereby it appeares, that Henry the first began to hammer and beate vpon that which Henry the last, by Gods appoint∣ment, in the fulnesse of time brought to perfection: and though these two Kings, the Father and the Sonne, gaue way to some part of the Popes iurisdiction, as I shewed before; Yet hereby it appeares it was a burthen vnto them.

Notes

• Gregory 7 Re•••• lib. 7. ••pist. 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 3. concil. pa. 1244, edit. B••••ij.