A PLAIN DEMONSTRATION OF THE UNLAWFUL SUCCESSION OF THE NOW EMPEROR Ferdinand the Second, because of the incestuous Marriage of his Parents. Translated out of the Latin printed Copy.  
Printed at the Hage. M. D. C. XX.   

uncle. But, doubtless, they will say, that this was with the Dispensation, as they term it, of the Pope God's Vicar upon 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 authority we see not. For suppose he be never so the Vicar of God,( although they shall never be able to prove it, neither from the holy Scriptures, nor authority of the Fathers;) yet were it not lawful for him to do all things as he list at his pleasure. For who so doth is nothing less than a Vicar, whose duty it is, to frame himself after the mind of his Lord, and to see his commands to be put in execution, and not at his pleasue, either to change them, or to devose new.  
God, Levit. 18. 12. 13. doth expressly and simply forbid Marriage within the third Degree: but the Pope permits this to whom he listeth. Now if he can do it lawfully, than he hath right either of himself, or from God: but not of himself, because he is a Vicar, all whose authority depends upon some other not from God, from whose nature it is most free not to contradict himself: now he should contradict himself, if he should permit that which he hath most straightly forbidden, yea, and that with threatening of death; we speak of moral Precepts, and those which of themselves are necessary to obtaining of eternal Life. Wherefore, sith the Pope hath this power neither of himself nor from God, it is clearer than the noon day, that he doth it by no right at all. This many of the Papist themselves have seen, they saw it, I say, & have professed the same: neither need we to seek any further examples: we have them at hand. john Fox in his Book of Martyrs, or English Ecclesiastical History, pag. 957, col. 2. doth tell us that the Marriage of Henry the Eight with Catharina his brother Arthur's Widow, though permitted by the Pope, was proved to be simply unlawful, and not to be dispensed with, by the Theological faculties at the least of ten Universities; to wit, of Orleans, Paris, Tholous, Erford, Angiew, Bononie, Milan, Oxford, Cambridge. And that the determinations of all these faculties, together with the judgements of other most learned, both Divines and Doctors, not only of the Civil, but of the Canon Law, also contained in one Volume were published in the year 1532. or thereabout. And that thereupon presently followed the Divorce and new Marriage of the King. The same is avouched by Nicholas Sanders a most bitter Papist, in his first Book of the English Schism, p. 58. where he saith thus: The King partly sent certain men to Pope Clement, to undertake at Rome the cause of his Divorce,( amongst whom was Thomas Cranmer, who after was made Archbishop of Canterbury) partly he sought out through all the Kingdom of France, Divines and Lawyers, which under their hands and Seals, affirm that his Marriage with the said Catharina, could not possible stand. And pag. 61. This infection( for so that foul-mouthed Fellow terms it) endeavoured) not only the University of Paris, Orleans, Angiew, toulouse, and Erford, but also Milan and Bononie: And p. 62. he complains that Oxford and Cambridge adjoined themselves to the foresaid Universities. Lo here we have the Papists themselves, as it were the guilty persons confessing: we have among the Pope's Vassals, and his stout Champions, the judgements of so many worthy men, & of whole Universities; Amongst which is even Bononia itself under the Pope's jurisdiction, which together with us do take this power from the Pope.  
Whereupon it is plain enough, what we are to think of this Marriage of Archduke Charles with Mary, though judged to be lawful by the Pope's Dispensation; as also concerning their Son Ferdinand the Second, now Emperor: to wit, that he is more than a Bastard, borne of more than an Illegitimate, yea of an execrable Marriage: and that therefore neither by the Law of God or man he may possess by Inheritance, so much as one foot of Land, See ye Princes of Germany( the honour and ornament of Mankind) that you have committed the Christian World which is to be governed by Laws, to him, to whom God hath not vouchsafed a being in this World, but contrary to all Laws.  
Behold ye noble, yea, and mean persons too, that ye are oppressed with his tyranny, whom his very Birth hath excluded out of the society of honest men. Wey well, ye Soldiers, ye valiant hearts, that you spend your lives for the honour and dignity of him whom Nature hath not granted to be borne, but with the greatest disgrace. Go to them: rather deliver your Country the most flourishing Empire of the World, from this ignominy. Only be ye courageous, and the Divine favour shall be with you. For the Lord is a jealous God which punisheth the sins of Parents upon their Children, unto the third and fourth Generation: And he doth so accurse incestuous lusts, that for them, he hath subverted and utterly defaced the greatest Cities, whole Countries and Nations: as himself doth witness, Levit. 18. of the Canaanites: saying, withal 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 iniquity of it therein, the Earth doth vomit out the Inhabitants. The same God( no doubt) in his due time will pour out the Cup of his Wrath upon this man: and the rather, because to the detestable wickedness of his Parents, he doth add most horrible cruelty, and the very Government of Phalaris indeed, which the miserable people of Austria have felt, and still( alas for woe) do feel, and ha●e by their just complaints, made known to the whole World. Upon whom the Lord doth now seem to take pity, and to have raised up Captains to tumble down this Tyrant from his Throne, and together with that whole Family infamous for their monstrous cruelty, utterly to root out, which we crave and beseech the same. One God in three Persons, speedily to perform: from whom even to you Readers also we wish all good success. Fare ye well.  
FINIS.