A counterblast to M. Hornes vayne blaste against M. Fekenham Wherein is set forthe: a ful reply to M. Hornes Answer, and to euery part therof made, against the declaration of my L. Abbat of Westminster, M. Fekenham, touching, the Othe of the Supremacy. By perusing vvhereof shall appeare, besides the holy Scriptures, as it vvere a chronicle of the continual practise of Christes Churche in al ages and countries, fro[m] the time of Constantin the Great, vntil our daies: prouing the popes and bishops supremacy in ecclesiastical causes: and disprouing the princes supremacy in the same causes. By Thomas Stapleton student in diuinitie.

M. Horne. The .154. Diuision. pag. 9 b.

That our Sauiour Christe hath committed, the Supreame gouernmēt in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall causes, to the Magistrates and Princes,

is alreadie proued, by perfect vvordes add vvhole (.513.)* 1.1 sentences of Chri∣stes Ghospell, and last Testament: and therfore if your staie hitherto, hathe bene of conscience vnpersuaded through vvante of knovvledge, and not of peruerse opinion, mainteined vvith the vaine desire of glorie and reputati∣on, you must nedes yelde, and be vvell satisfied in conscience. You auouche this (.514.)* 1.2 Argument as inuincible. The Emperours and Empresses, Kings, and Queenes, vvere for the vvhole time of Christes aboade here vppon the earth, idolatours, and infidels, and so continued by the space of .300. yeares af∣ter the Assention of Christe: Constantinus the Emperour being the very first Christian King that vve reade of: Ergo, our Sauiour Christe did not committe the Supreme gouernemente in Spirituall or Ecclesiastical causes to Emperours, Kings, and Princes. This Argument holdeth good, neither in matter, nor yet in fourme. There vvas in the time of Christes abode here vppon earth, if vve may beleue Eusebius, and Nicephorus the Eccle∣siastical historians, a King in Edessa, vvhose name vvas Agbarus. This King beleued in Christ, as Eusebius reporteth, although as yet vveakelie. In his Epistle vvhich he vvrote vnto Christe, he saluteth Christ, to be Iesus the good Sauiour: he thinketh by the miraculouse vvorkes vvhich he hath heard done by Christ, that he is either God him self, or els Gods sonne: and he offereth vnto Christ such fruits of thankefulnes, as so yong and tender a faith might for the time, bring forth. And Christ in his rescript vnto Agbarus, affir∣meth that he vvas no infidel, or idolatour, saying: Beatus es quòd in me credidisti, cùm nō videris me: Agbare thou art blessed, because thou hast beleued in me, whē thou hast not sene me. Besides this your ovvn self, haue affirmed oftētimes, ād so doth your* 1.3 Popissh tales declare, that the .iij. vvise mē, that came forth of the East, to vvorsship the nevv borne King of the Ievves, vvere Kings, and lie beried in the great doom at Collain, as the Colonists make mē to beleue, called yet amōgst the vulgar Papists, the three Kings of Collain. If there be any creditte to be geuen to the narration of Eusebius and Nicephorus touching Agbarus King of Edessa, and to the cōmonly receiued opiniō of your Popissh church, cōcerning the three Kings of Colain, these foure, vvere Kings in the time of Christes abode here in earth, and yet not Idolatours nor infidels, all the vvhole time of Christes aboade here, but faithfull vvoorsshippers of Christe: VVhereby the former parte of the matter in the Antecedent of your Argument is disproued. Neither is that true, vvhiche you put in the seconde parte, that the Emperours and Kings

continued Idolatours for the space of .300. yeares after Christes Assentiō: For although for the most parte, during that space, they vvere such, yet vvas there in that time some Godly Princes that vvere othervvise geuē.* 1.4 Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall History, maketh mention of one Philippus, a moste Christian Emperour, of vvhom, and his sonne also, being Emperour vvith him, Abbas Vrspurgensis vvitnesseth, that they vvere the first of al the Romaine Emperours, that became Christians, vvho also declared by theyr (.515.)* 1.5 deedes and vvorkes (as Abbas saieth) that they had in them the feare of God, and the most perfect Christian faith. Constantinus also the Em∣perour, Father to Constantine the greate, did moste diligently of all others, seeke after Gods fauour, as Eusebius vvriteth of him. He did prouide by his gouernment, that his subiectes did not only enioye greate peace and quietnes, but also a pleasant conuersation in holines and deuotion towardes God: Idolatours and dissemblers in Religion, he ba∣nished out of his Courte: and such as confessed Gods truth, he reteined and iugded most worthy to be about an Emperour, commaunding such to haue the guarde, both of his person and dominion. He serued and worshipped the only true God. He condemned the multitude of Gods that the wicked had. He fortified his house with the praiers of holy and faithful men, and he did so consecrat his Court and Palaice, vnto the seruice of God, that his housholde companie, was a congregation or Church of God within his palaice, hauing Gods mynisters, and what soeuer is requisit for a Christian congregation. Poli∣dorus in his Historie of Englande,* 1.6 affirmeth also of this Emperour, that he studied aboue al other thinges to encrease the Christian Religion, vvho after his death vvas rekened in the nūber of saincts. To these fevve adde Lu∣cius a king of our ovvn country, vvho although he vvas not in might cōpa∣rable to Cōstantine the mighty Emperor, yet in zeale tovvardes God, in ab∣olishing idolatry and false religion, in vvinning and dravving his subiects by al meanes to the Christiā faith, in mainteining ād defending the sincere Chri∣stianity to the vttermost of his povver, he vvas equall vvith Constātine, and in this pointe did excel him, that he longe before Constantine brake the Ise, gaue the onsette, and shapt a patern for Constantine to follovv, vvhereby to vvorke that in other parts, vvhich he had achieued vvithin his ovvn dominiō.

This noble king, of very loue to true Religion (.516.)* 1.7 as Polido∣re testified of him, Procured him selfe and his subiectes to be ba∣ptised, caused his natiō to be the first of al other prouinces, that receiued the Gospell publiquely, did drawe his people to the knowledge of the true God, banished at ones al maner of pro∣phane worshipping of Goddes, and cōmaunded it to be leaft. Cōuerted the tēples of the Idolatours, to be Churches for the Christiās. And to be short, he emploied and did bestowe al his seruice and power moste willingly to the furtheraūce and en∣crease of the Christiā Religiō, whiche he plāted most sincere∣ly throughout his countrey: and so lefte it at his death, almoste an hūdreth yeres before Constantine vvas Emperour: and therefore vntruely sayed of you, that Constantine vvas the very first Christian king, that ioyned his svvorde to the maintenaunce of Gods vvorde. Sithe this king Lucius, so longe before Constantine, did not only these thinges, that Polidore ascribeth vnto him, but also did thē of his ovvn authority, vvithout any (.517)* 1.8 knovv∣ledge or consent of the Pope. Nor Eleutherius then Bishop of Rome, to vvhome aftervvardes king Lucius did vvrite, to see some of Caesars and the Romaine Lawes, vvas any thing offended vvith the kinges doinges, but greatly (.518.)* 1.9 commending him therein, councelled him not to stand vppon the Romain lavves, vvhiche, saith the Pope, might be reprehen∣ded: but as he began vvithout them, so to go on, and dravv Lavves (.519.)* 1.10 alonely out of the Scripture, vvhich aftervvardes more at large, the Saxon kinges, as, (520.)* 1.11 Iune and Aluredus did.

The epistle of Pope Eleutherius to king Luci{us} is as follovveth, Petistis à nobis &c. You haue desired of vs, that the Romayne Lawes, ād the Lawes of Caesar, might be sent ouer to you, the which ye would haue vsed in (your) kingdome of Brytanny. VVe may at al times reproue the Romaine Lawes, and the Lawes of Caesar, the lawe of God we can not. For ye haue receyued of late (by the diuine mercy) in your kingdome of Brytany, the Lawe and faithe of Christ. Ye haue with you in (your) king∣dome, both the old and newe testament: take out of them the Lawe (by the grace of God) through the councell of your kingdome, and by it (through Gods sufferaunce) shall ye rule

(your) kingdome of Britanie, for you are the Vicar of God in (your) kingdom, according to the Prophet King: The earth is the Lordes, and all that therein is, the compasse of the world, and they that dwell therein. And againe, according to the Prophet king: Thou hast loued righteosnes, and hated iniqui∣tie, wherefore God, euen thy God, hath anointed thee with the oile of gladnes aboue thy fellowes. And againe accor∣ding to the Prophet Kinge: geue the Kinge thy iudgement O God, and thy righteousnes vnto the Kinges Sonne. For it is not: geue the iugement and righteousnes of Caesar, for the Christian nations and people of (your) kingdome, are the kin∣ges sonnes, which dwel and consiste in your kingdome, vnder your protection and peace, according to the Gospel, euen as the henne gathereth together her chickēs vnder her winges. The nations indede of the kingdom of Britany, and people are yours, ād whom being diuided, you ought to gather together, to concorde and peace, and to the faith, and to the Lawe of Christ, and to the holy Church, to reuoke, cherishe, mainteine protect, rule, and alwaies defende them, both from the iniuri∣ous persons and malicious, and from his enemies. VVoe be to the kingdome whose King is a child, and whose Princes ban∣quet early, a King I name not for his smal and tender age, but for follie and wickednes, and madnes, according to the Pro∣phet King: bloud thirsty and deceitfull men, shall not liue out halfe theyr daies. By banqueting, we vnderstand glotonie, through glotonie riotousnes, through riotousnes al filthie and euil thinges, according to Kinge Salomon: wisdome shal not enter into a frowarde soule, nor dwell in the body, that is subdued vnto sinne. A kinge is named of ruling, and not of a kingedome, so longe as thou rulest well, thou shalt be king, which vnlesse thou doe, the name of a Kinge shall not con∣sist in thee, and thou shalt lese the name of a King, which God forbid. Almighty God geue vnto you, so to rule your kingdom of Britanie, that ye may reigne with him for euer, whose Vicar ye are in the kingdom aforesaid. VVho with the Father &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The .513. Vntruth. Not one sentence hath ben broughte to proue that.
• * 1.2

  The .514. Vntruth. M. Fekā∣hā auou∣cheth it not for suche, as it shal ap∣peare.
• * 1.3

  A Pro∣testāticall slaunder.
• * 1.4

  Li. 6. c. 34
• * 1.5

  The 515. vntruth. In dissem¦bling vvhat de¦des and vvorkes those vvere. Li. 1. de vit. Const.
• * 1.6

  Lib. 2.
• * 1.7

  The 516: vntruth. Polidor{us} text vily mangled, as shall appeare.
• * 1.8

  The 517. vntruth. of al other most no∣torious, and cōtra¦ry to al hi¦storians vvhatso∣euer.
• * 1.9

  The .518. vntruth. The epi∣stle folo∣wing re∣porteth no suche thinge.
• * 1.10

  The .519. vntruth. No such thinge in the pop••s pretensed letters.
• * 1.11

  The .520. vntruth. Kinge Iune, ne∣uer drew out suche lavves.