[...]Vncle. But, doubtlesse, they will say, that this was with the Dispensation, as they terme it, of the Pope Gods Vicar vpon Earth, and therefore in no wise to be counted an incestuous Marriage. We know it was permitted and that by the Pope, but by what right or authoritie wee see not. For suppose hee bee neuer so the Vicar of God, (although they shall neuer bee able to proue it, neither from the holy Scriptures, nor authoritie of the Fathers;) yet were it not lawfull for him to doe all things as hee list at his pleasure. For who so doth is nothing lesse then a Vicar, whose du­tie it is, to frame himselfe after the mind of his Lord, and to see his commands to bee put in execution, and not at his pleasue, either to change them, or to de­uise new.

God, Leuit. 18. 12. 13. doth expresly and simply forbid Marriage within the third Degree: but the Pope permits this to whom he listeth. Now if he can doe it lawfully, then he hath right either of himselfe, or from God: but not of himselfe, because hee is a Vicar, all whose authority depends vpon some other not from God, from whose nature it is most free not to contradict himself: now he should contradict him­selfe, if hee should permit that which hee hath most straightly forbidden, yea, and that with threatning of death; we speake of morall Precepts, and those which of themselues are necessary to obtayning of eternall Life. Wherefore, sith the Pope hath this power nei­ther of himselfe nor from God, it is cleerer then the noone day, that he doth it by no right at all. This [Page] many of the Papist them selues haue seene, they saw it, I say, & haue professed the same: neither need wee to seeke any further examples: we haue them at hand. Iohn Fox in his Booke of Martyrs, or English Eccle­siasticall Historie, pag. 957, col. 2. doth tell vs that the Mariage of Henry the Eight with Catharina his bro­ther Arthurs Widow, though permitted by the Pope, was proued to bee simply vnlawfull, and not to bee dispensed with, by the Theologicall faculties at the least of tenne Vniuersities; to wit, of Orleans, Paris, Tholous, Erford, Angiew, Bononie, Padua, Oxford, Cambridge. And that the determinations of all these faculties, together with the iudgements of other most learned, both Diuines and Doctors, not onely of the Ciuill, but of the Canon Law, also contayned in one Volume were published in the yeare 1532. or there­about. And that thereupon presently followed the Diuorce and new Mariage of the King. The same is auouched by Nicholas Sanders a most bitter Papist, in his first Book of the English Schisme, p. 58. where he saith thus: The King partly sent certaine men to Pope Clement, to vndertake at Rome the cause of his Di­uorce, (amongst whom was Thomas Cranmer, who after was made Archbishop of Canterbury) partly he sought out through all the Kingdome of France, Diuines and Lawyers, which vnder their hands and Seales, affirme that his Mariage with the said Cathari­na, could not possible stand. And pag. 61. This infec­tion (for so that foule-mouthed Fellow tearmes it) o­uerspred) not onely the Vniuersitie of Paris, Orleans, [Page] Angiew, Tholous, and Erford, but also Padua and Bononie: And p. 62. he complaines that Oxford and Cambridge adioyned themselues to the foresaid Vni­uersities. Lo heere we haue the Papists themselues, as it were the guiltie persons confessing: wee haue a­mong the Popes Vassals, and his stout Champions, the iudgements of so many worthy men, & of whole Vniuersities; Amongst which is euen Bononia it selfe vnder the Popes Iurisdiction, which together with vs doe take this power from the Pope.

Whereupon it is plaine enough, what wee are to thinke of this Marriage of Archduke Charles with Mary, though iudged to bee lawfull by the Popes Dispensation; as also concerning their Sonne Ferdi­nand the Second, now Emperour: to wit, that hee is more then a Bastard, borne of more then an Illegitti­mate, yea of an execrable Mariage: and that there­fore neither by the Law of God or man he may pos­sesse by Inheritance, so much as one foote of Land, See ye Princes of Germany (the honour and orna­ment of Mankinde) that you haue committed the Christian World which is to be gouerned by Lawes, to him, to whom God hath not vouchsafed a beeing in this World, but contrary to all Lawes.

Behold ye noble, yea, and meane persons too, that ye are oppressed with his tyranny, whō his very Birth hath excluded out of the society of honest men. Wey well, ye Souldiers, yee valiant hearts, that you spend your liues for the honour and dignity of him whom Nature hath not granted to bee borne, but with the [Page] greatest disgrace. Goe to them: rather deliuer your Country the most flourishing Empire of the World, from this ignominie. Onely bee yee couragious, and the Diuine fauour shall be with you. For the Lord is a iealous God which punisheth the sinnes of Parents vpon their Children, vnto the third and fourth Ge­neration: And he doth so accurse incestuous lusts, that for them, he hath subuerted and vtterly defaced the greatest Cities, whole Countries and Nations: as him­selfe doth witnesse, Leuit. 18. of the Cananites: say­ing, withall these things (now he speaks of Incests) are these Nations polluted, which I cast out before your face. For because the Land is polluted, I will punish the iniquitie of it therein, the Earth doth vomit out the Inhabitants. The same God (no doubt) in his due time will powre out the Cup of his Wrath vpon this man: and the rather, because to the detestable wicked­nesse of his Parents, he doth adde most horrible cru­eltie, and the very Gouernment of Phalaris indeed, which the miserable people of Austria haue felt, and still (alas for wo) do feele, and ha [...]e by their iust com­plaints, made knowne to the whole World. Vpon whom the Lord doth now seeme to take pitie, and to haue raised vp Captaines to tumble downe this Ty­rant from his Throne, and together with that whole Family infamous for their monstrous crueltie, vtter­ly to root out, which we craue and beseech the same. One God in three Persons, speedily to performe: from whom euen to you Readers also wee wish all good successe. Fare ye well.