A looking glasse for princes and people Delivered in a sermon of thankesgiving for the birth of the hopefull Prince Charles. And since augmented with allegations and historicall remarkes. Together with a vindication of princes from Popish tyranny. By M. William Struther preacher at Edinburgh.

CHAP. XXVIII. Of their cruell attempts against VENICE.

THeir two attempts were against Venice and great* 1.1 Britaine: They minded the overthrow of the li∣berties of Venice, but States are not so soone killed as per∣sons.* 1.2 Pope Paul the fith his quarrell with the Vene∣tians was vile and flagitious, hee sought occasion to mani∣fest his omnipotencie against them, & waited not on an honest cause of contest, but tooke the first that offered, and commanded them absolutelie, to set at libertie two Church-men, whom they had justlie imprisoned: The one was Scipio Sarraceno, a Chanon of Vincenza, for purse wing a womans Chastitie even in the Church, and other villanies: The other was Brandolino Valde-marino, Abbot of Nerues, who was a Magitian, and studied the Arte of composing ex∣quite* 1.3 poyson, and had thereby cutte off his Brother his Servant, and indangered his Father. It was not vnlike to the quar∣rell of the Thessalonicians against Theodosius Officers, for imprisoning a Coatch-man deprehended in adulterie, whom the people would haue inlarged. Hildebrand coloured his treason and disloyaltie with the cover of the Cleargies Chastitie: But Paul the fifth comming on the stage acted that same part of vsurpation, by defending the villanies of the Cleargie. Hee commanded the Venetians also to re∣peale some Lawes which they had made to restraine the profuse dotations of their subiects, wherevnto the cunning avarice of Iesuits had induced them: And because they stood to their liberties, hee put them rashlie vnder an interdict, which when their Cleargie, and other Orders would not ac∣knowledge, the Iesuits (whose Avarice occasioned the

Law) by vertue of their fourth vow of blind obedience to* 1.4 the Pope, maintained the Interdict, least they should incurre irregularitie.

But the Venetians opposed so worthilie, that the Pope repented his attempt, they managed the matter wiselie everie way by the Edicts of their Senate and Writtes of their loyall Divines: a 1.5 The storme brake vp vpon the faultie members of their Republicke, and the Iesuits were found in their treason, refusing their alledgeance, for to de∣fend her in their iust cause: Therefore they were cast out as a pest of the Republicke, and the Pope forced to put a faire face on a foule retreate: Hee was glad in end to packe vp the quarrell, and dissemble the blow, which as yet is not cured. The Venetians would neither repeale their lawes, nei∣ther admit the Iesuits to this day, neither would enter in* 1.6 capitulation for agreement, but vpon this condition expresselie, that the receiving of the Iesuits should not bee mentioned at all. And inacted a Law that they should not* 1.7 bee admitted for an hundreth yeares: The which Law they renew everie yeare to keep that centurie of their proscripti∣on whole. I thinke heerein they repayed the Pope the old indignitie hee did to their Oratour Franciscus Dandalus whom hee caused lye vnder his Table as a Dogge at Avenion. This was another proofe of the Venetians wit and valour against the Pope, the former was against Paul the third, who approved an order institute by Baptista Cremensis, but they by a publicke Edict scoffed and condemned it.

This was the end of the Popes brawle: Blind Pride devised it, Temeritie began it, Pertinacie held it on foote, and Necessitie forced him to retire with shame, a few Car∣dinals with him raised this storme, but they could not lay it againe; that was a worke of great Kings by their Ambassadours: His former temeritie was turned in timo∣rousnesse, hee durst neither hold out against the Venetians to the end, neither propone the Treatise of peace to the

Consistorie fearing opposition, but to the Cardinals apart, and then told them in publicke audience when all was ended, The Venetians stucke to their liberties, and in* 1.8 the closure, would not admitte of any Ceremonie that smel∣led of Absolution or Benediction, least it should import guil∣tinesse on their part: Neither would they suffer in all their Dominions anie signe of ioy to be made by Bone-fire or reigning of Bells, least it should bee thought a formall reconcilia∣tion after a just censure; but suffered a rash and vniust In∣terdict to bee revoked by a verball declaration: The Car∣dinall Ioyeous sent by the Pope, declared that the Pope re∣voked his interdict, and they gaue him an Act of the revoca∣tion of their Protestation: Hee keeped no order in giving out an Interdict, and as little in revoking of it, the pro∣nouncing* 1.9 was in splene and passion and the retreate was in shame and confusion.

This was against their owne Lawes, for the interdicted persons should not bee received, vnlesse first they satisfie for their fault, or that they giue their oath for fulfilling of the commandements of the Church, a 1.10 But the late ••a∣suists b 1.11 helpe the Pope in this straite, Avila sayeth, that that the Pope may relaxe an Interdict by his inward Act al∣one, Papa potest solo actu interiori relaxare Interdictum And Fernandes c 1.12 affirmeth, that the Pope may absolue, al∣beit the cause cease not, and (a) Rodrikez sayth, That one who is absent or vnwilling may bee absolved. All these cases serue to cure the Popes folie: His intention is good enough to vndoe that whereby he had plondered the world two* 1.13 yeares: And while the Venetians held at the point of their innocencie, and would not bee absolved by him, he was forced abruptlie to declare them free.

But Becanus telleth vs, That they are ashamed of the matter, for when it is obiected, hee frets and fumes,* 1.14 saying, That since the matter is setled, it ought not to bee wakened againe, because such doing is the worke of seditious

men: Ais venetos—sed bis peccas. 1. quia cum lis illa sopita sit tu illam tuo flabello resuscitare non debes. Hoc sedi∣tiosorum hominum est. But I will serue him with his owne dilemmes. Either the Pope had a good cause in hand or a badde: If a good cause, why did hee quyte it so shamefullie? Where was his omnipotencie that hee could not double out the defence of the great and maine Article of his faith: If hee had an evill cause, where was his omniscience and infallibitie, that they suffered him to enter in such a quarrell? But the trueth is, it was the witlesse impotencie of his proude spirit. By their fretting they testifie they are ashamed of the cause, contest, and event. But if they had prevailed in this contest, they would haue put it in the Catalogue of the Popes victories over Princes, and gloried in it, as they did of Dandalus subiection to Clemens the fifth. a 1.15

Thus was the Question & cariage of it vulgarlie takē vp, but God had a secreit in it to giue the Pope a foile* 1.16 at his owne doores, and that not so much in the opposition and event as in the cause which was not onely avarice and pride, but most of all, the defence of sorcerie and villante. Heere in GOD would haue the world looking on the Whoore in her owne colours: Sathan also blinded the Pope, that hee saw no more, but to pouse his power, and smyled in his sleeue when hee brought Sanctissimus on the Stage to patronize Villanie. It is their custome to act and maintaine villanies, and though they confesse Iohn the tweluth to haue beene a monstruous adulterer, yet they* 1.17 damne the Councell that condemned him. Lastlie, God was heerein teaching the possibilitie of the Popes curbing, when a petite state (in comparison of great Kings) at his Elbow gaue him an irrecoverable blow for his folie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Venetian question.
• * 1.2

  Padre Pauli lib. 1. Of the quarrels of Pauli. 5. in∣terdictum contr. Vene∣••os.
• * 1.3

  The Pope patronizes villanie.
• * 1.4

  Navar▪ Ma nual. cap. 27 ••. 244. Lancel•••• In∣stit▪ lib. 4▪ ••4 The Venetians wisedome and courage Edict. Vene••∣contr. Inter∣dict. Paul. 5
• a 1.5

  Padre Paulo. Spalat. Vendrame▪ Marsil. Crassus. &c.
• * 1.6

  They reiect the ••esuits simplie.
• * 1.7

  (b) Veueti—semper decla∣rarunt causá Iesuitatum▪ esse peculiare &c. Thuan. Conti••▪ 16 12 Paulus▪ 3 or∣dinem proba∣vis. At n•••• per Ordo ille à Venetis edict•• publico explosus. Can. lib. 5. cap. 5. The Popes shamefull retreat. Quarrells Paul. 5▪ lib 5.
• * 1.8

  An vnlaw∣full Proce∣dor hath an abrupt clo∣sure.
• * 1.9

  Hee broke his Lawes.
• a 1.10

  Desent. excom cap. Alma mater.
• b 1.11

  Remitten∣da erit caut•••• turatoria. Seyrus. The saur▪ lib. 5. c. 15 n. 26. Vivald, Can∣del. p. 495.
• c 1.12

  Fernand. part 2. c. 12, n. 22
• * 1.13

  (c) Potest ab∣sens vel invi∣tus absolvi. Rodrik part. 1 cap. 8. n 83 n▪ 13.
• * 1.14

  The Papists are ashamed of that quar∣rell.
• a 1.15

  Becan ex am con. 53. Recitemus pa∣ctum memo∣rabile Danda∣li magna pa∣nitentia mag∣num argumē∣tum Gretzer myst. Sal. 57. p. 462.
• * 1.16

  The secrets of that quar∣rell.
• * 1.17

  Baron. 983.