THat the Pope of Rome hath for some Ages last past pretended [...]a Soveraign Right over Christian Kings and Princes, cannot be un­known to any, who are acquainted with the writings of their most ap­proved Authors, the Decrees of their councils, or the Instances of such u­ [...]ped authority recorded in Histo­ [...] for these Five Hundred years. The judgment of their Licenced Au­ [...]ors, their Councils, and their Laws [...] this Case, is excellently published by the Learned Pen of the Right Re­ [...]rend Bishop of Lincoln; and that the [...] me Doctrine hath been by them ge­nerally received, I can bring no great­er proofs, than their common practise recorded in History. How many Em­ [...]rours, Kings, and Soveraign Prin­ [...] have been de Facto deposed by them, [...]w many great Maslacres and pri­vate Murders have been Encourag­ed and Defended, how many Tor­tures, and unheard of Cruelties, how [...]ny Treasons, and Damnable Con­ [...]acies to the subversion of whole kingdoms, have been contrived, and [...]me executed by Jesuits, and other [...]issaries of Rome, would require a large Volumn to relate; I shall refer the Reader to a few Authors, for his abundant satisfaction here­in. Thuanus, a [...] Bodinus, and the Exact Collections of b [...] Mr. Fowlis. Nor was there any place felt the weight of [...] Popes Iron Rod more grievous [...]n the Kingdom of England; hence [...] he wont to exact vast summes of [...]ney, which were as readily paid: [...] of what esteem it was with him, [...] may gather from the Character he gives, when he calls it [...] Inno­ [...] Anne Puteus inexhaustus. And from the time it hath pleased God to set us at liberty from their yoak and burden which nei­ther we nor our Fathers were able to bear, what Damning Censures and Violent Excommunications have been sent out against us, what Secret and Horrible Plots have been contrived to destroy our Kings and Kingdoms, I hope will never be forgot: and all this not so much to reestab­lish here the Religion, as the Authority which the Pope hath lost: and the right of that Title which he claims to this Kingdom, he thinks e­qual to that pretended from Constantin's Donation. And to this purpose his Sub-Collector c [...] Polidore Virgil tels us, that Ina was the first King who made this Kingdom of England Tributary to the Pope: But he forgets himself pag. 740. where he saith Peter. pence was given Pietatis & Religi­onis Causa, for Gods sake, and therefore not by way of Homage and Subjection. This Gift was continued by Offa, Atulphus, Canutus, and Ed­ward the Confessor, who calls it the [...] Kings Almes. William the Conqueror alloweth this gift, but renounceth all Obedience to the Pope, as ap­pears by Lanfranks Epist. d [...] Pope Pascal 2. in a Letter to Hen. 1. calls this Donation Beati Petri Eleemosyna, and c [...] Bishop Andrews tells us, that it was an Alms given to a Hospital at Rome, where they used to entertain Pilgrims out of England.

The Second pretended Title is from King John's Resignation of the Crown to Pandulphus the Popes Legate, and receiving it again under Fe­alty, and Homage, and at the yearly Tribute of a Thousand Marks. Which Title upon several accounts will appear invalid. First as to mat­ter of Fact; Sir Thomas Moor, who could not want all advantages of informing himself in affairs of this nature, denies it, his words are these; ‘Some Writers say, that King John made England and Ireland Tributary to the Pope, by the grant of a thousand Marks; we dare surely say again, that this is untrue, and that all Rome neither can shew such a grant, nor ever could, and if they could, it were right nought worth: For never could any King of England give away the Realm to the Pope, or make the Land Tributary if he would, nor no such money is there paid, nor never was.’ These are the words of that great States-man, who was no enemy to the Popes Authority. But granting there was something done to this purpose, in the presence of a few Peers, and without the Consent of A­ny, as Mat. Paris a Monk of Saint Al­bans, who lived at that time, acquaints us; I shall take my Second Argument to invallidate this Title, from the words of Sir Thomas Moor before cit­ed: for if they could at Rome shew a­ny such grant, yet it were right nought worth: for never any King of England could give away the Realm to the Pope, nor make the Land Tri­butary if he would. And herein a­gree the Learned Grotius, Bodinus, and other Lawyers: and the Barons of this Realm were obliged by their Oaths, (g) Lam­bers Apx. p. 170. lib. 50: de obsequis [...] Regem lege 59. p. 171. Terras & honores Regis omni fidelitate ubique servare cum eo, & contra ini­micos & alienigenas defende­re, To preserve together with the King the Territo­ries and Honor of the King, and to de­fend them against their Enemies and Forraigners. And here with agrees the Command which the Conqueror laid upon all the Commons; Firmiter pra­cipimus ut omnes liberi homines totius Regni praedicti sint fratres jurati ad Mo­narchiam nostram pro viribus suis & fa­cultatibus, contra inimicos pro posse sue defendendum, & viriliter servandum. i. e. We strictly Charge and Command, that all Free-holders in all parts of our Kingdom shall be sworn Brethren, Sworn to defend our Monarchy with their Persons and Estates, to the ut­most of their ability, and manfully to preserve it: by which it appears that the Commons were as well as the Lords bound to defend their Coun­try against Usurpations and Invasi­ons; and we doubt not but the same English courage is to be found a­mongst their posterity, which we find (h) Co [...]. Postbum. pag. 348. which [...] quoteth è lib. Sancti Albani fol. 207. Recorded about the 44. year of Henry the third. For when Pope Alexander the Fourth demanded a re­vocation of Adomar Bishop of Winchester, because he was a Church-man, as was urged, and not subject to lay Censures, who had been Banished by the joynt consent of the King, Lords, and Commons, for his intolerable Insolence, the Commons gave this resolute answer to the Popes demand, Peter de Monford being Prolocutor; Si Dominus Rex & Regni Majores hoc vellent, (meaning Adomar's revocation from Banishment,) COMMƲNITAS tamen ipstus ingressum in Angliam jam nul­latenus sustineret. Though the King, and Peers of the Realm should declare for his return, yet the Commons would by no meanes endure it. Lastly no man can confer a greater Right upon another, than what is in himself; and that King John was an Usurper, is evident from all Hi­stories of that Age; for Arthur of Brittain, his Elder Brothers Son, was Thirteen years of Age, when John invaded the Throne, but fearing that he might not be long quiet in his Possession, whilst the Right Heir was alive, he Murder'd his Nephew, and imprison'd his Neice Elianor, who survived him; and this doth utterly make void his Right to dispose of what he had not right to keep. And of what small account was this pretended Title, not only the Resolution; of the Commons afore mentioned, but also this Letter Subscribed by all the Peers of England will abundantly manifest.

THe Reader may please to take notice, that the Exemplar whence this was taken is in Corpus Christi Col­ledge Library in Oxon, and Recorded by Mat. Westminster, and Walsingham, and mentioned by Parsons in his answer to the Lord Chief Justice Coks Reports, but without any Reply, pag. 266. cap. 11. and whereas in that the Names round the Armes are in an antient English letter, the Graver being unacquainted with the Character, for his own ease, and more convenient Reading, hath put them in the Modern.