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.

Stapleton.

KING Iosias trauailed ful godly in suppressing Idolatrie by his Kingly authority. What then? So doe good Catholike Princes also, to plucke doune the Idols that ye and your brethrē haue of late sette vppe: and yet none of them, take them selues

for supreme heads in all causes Spirituall. And ye haue hi∣therto brought nothing effectuall to proue that the Kings of Israell did so: wherefore your conclusion, that they did rule, gouerne, and direct the Ecclesiasticall persons in all their functions, and in all maner causes of religion, is an open and a notorious lye: and the contrarye is by vs auouched and sufficiently proued by the authority of the old Testament, wherevppon ye haue hitherto rested and setled your selfe.

But now that ye in all your exāples drawe nothing nigh the marke, but runne at rādon, and shoot al at rouers, is most euident to him that hath before his eye, the verye state of the question: whiche must be especially euer regarded of such as minde not to loosly and altogether vnfruitfully im∣ploye their laboure, and loose both their owne and their Readers labour. I pray you then good M. Horne bring [ 1] foorth that King that did not agnise one supreme head and chiefe iudge in all causes Ecclesiasticall among the Iewes, I meane the high Priest, wherein lieth all our chiefe que∣stion. Ye haue not yet done it, nor neuer shal doe it. And if ye could shew any, it were not worth the shewing. For ye should not shewe it in any good King, as being an open breache of Gods lawe geauen to him by Moyses: as these your doings are an open breach of Christ and his churches lawe, geuen to vs in the new Testament.

[ 2] Againe what president haue ye shewed of anye good King among the Iewes, that with his laitie, altered and a∣bandoned, the vsuall religion a thousande yeares and vp∣ward customablie from age to age receiued and embraced: and that, the High Priest and the whole Clergie resisting and gainsaiyng all such alterations? If ye haue not shewed this, ye haue straied farre from the marke.

What euidence haue ye brought forth to shewe that in [ 3] the olde Law, any King exacted of the Clergie in verbo sa∣cerdotij, that they shuld make none Ecclesiastical law with∣out his consent, as King Henrie did of the Clergie of Eng∣land? And so to make the Ciuil Magistrate the Supreame iudge for the finall determination of causes Ecclesiasti∣call?

What can ye bring forth out of the olde Testamente to [ 4] aide and relieue your doinges, who haue abandoned not onely the Pope, but Generall Councels also: and that by plaine acte of Parliament? I saye this partlye for a certaine clause of the Acte of Parliament, that for the determina∣tion of anye thinge to be adiudged to be heresie, reasteth only in the authoritie of the Canonicall Scriptures, and in the first foure General Councels, and other Councels general, wher∣in any thing is declared heresie by expresse wordes of scripture. By whiche rule it will be hard to conuince many froward obstinate heretikes to be heretikes: yea of such as euen by the saied fower first, and many other Councels general are condemned for heretikes. Partly, and most of al, I saye it, for an other clause in the acte of Parliament, enacting that no forraigne Prince Spirituall or temporal shall haue any au∣thoritie or Superioritie in this realme, in any Spirituall cause. And then I pray you, if any Generall Councell be made to reforme our misbelief, if we wil not receiue it, who shall force vs? And so ye see we be at libertie, to receiue or not receiue any general Councel. And yet might the Pope re∣forme vs wel inough for any thing before rehersed (for the Popes authority ecclesiastical is no more forraigne to this realme, then the Catholike faith is forraigne) sauing that he is by expresse wordes of the statute otherwise excluded.

[ 5] Now what can ye shewe that mere laie men should en∣ioye ecclesiastical liuings, as vsually they doe among you? [ 6] What good inductiō can ye bring from the doinges of the Kinges of the olde Lawe to iustifie, that Princes nowe may make Bishoppes by letters patents, and that for suche and so long time as should please them, as either for terme of yeares, moneths, weekes, or daies? What good motiue cā [ 7] ye gather by their regiment, that they did visit Bishops and Priestes, and by their lawes restrained them to exercise a∣ny iurisdiction ouer their flockes, to visite their flocks, to refourme them, to order or correcte them without their especiall authoritie and commission therevnto? Yea to restraine them by an inhibition from preaching, whiche ye confesse to be the peculiar function of the Clergie, exem∣pted [ 8] from all superioritie of the Prince? What? Thinke ye that yee can perswade vs also, that Bishops and Priestes paied their first fruits and tenthes to their Princes, yea and that both in one yeare, as they did for a while in Kinge Henrie his dayes? Verelye Ioseph would not suffer the very heathen Priestes (which onely had the bare names of Priests) to paye either tithes or fines to Pharao their Prince. Yea rather he found them in time of famine vpon the com∣mon store.

[ 9] Are ye able (suppose ye) to name vs any one King, that wrote him selfe Supreame head of the Iewish Church, and that in all causes as well Spirituall as Temporall: and that caused an Othe to the Priestes and people (the Nobilitie onelye exempted) to be tendred, that they in conscience did so beleue? and that in a woman Prince too, yea and that vnder paine of premunire and plaine treason too?

O M. Horne, your manifolde vntruthes are disciphired

and vnbuckled, ye are espied, ye are espied, I say, well e∣nough, that ye come not by a thousande yardes and more nigh the marke. Your bowe is to weake, your armes to feable, to shoot with any your cōmendation at this marke: yea if ye were as good an archer, as were that famous Ro∣bin Hood, or Litle Iohn. Wel shift your bowe, or at the least wise your string. Let the olde Testament goe, and pro∣cede to your other proufes, wherein we will nowe see if ye can shoote any streighter. For hitherto ye haue shotten al awrye, and as a man may saye, like a blinde man. See now to your selfe from henseforth that ye open your eies, and that ye haue a good eye and a good aime to the marke we haue set before you. If not, be ye assured we wil make no curtesie eftsones to put you in remembrance. For hi∣therto ye haue nothing proued that Princes ought, which ye promised to proue, or that they may take vppon them such gouernment, as I haue laid before you, and such as ye must in euery parte iustifie, if either ye will M. Fekenham shal take the Othe, or that ye entende to proue your selfe a true man of your worde.

Notes

• Iosias
• It is here declared, that M. Horne cōmeth nothing nigh the principal question.
• Generall Coūcels abando∣ned out of Eng∣land by acte of Parlia∣ment.
• Note.
• Gen. 47.