of will where our good workes are necessitate where the predestination of God taketh away all election and indifferencie By which and such like positions as Protestants teach it followeth that no Article of Religion can be certaine no Religion can be nothing is to be accounted sinne nothing reckoned for vertue For who can certainely beleeue that which most certainely is vncertaine or false or who can either praise or discommend that which is doone whether the doer wil or no How can such actions be rewarded or punished How can that soule be immortall and performe religion which should want free and reasonable operations the arguments and pledges of immortality But I defend a religion so measured as before that by no possibilitie any Decree can be vntrue a Religion that so concordeth the eternall praescience and predestination of God with the temporall cooperation of man that it both leaueth the first infallible and yet prooueth the temporall action appetite delight or consent to any things to be voluntary free and in the power of man to be effected or omitted praised or discommended rewarded or punished as the nature thereof deserueth Not that Religion which hath raised such dissentions that it hath taken all vnitie and communion of Saints away diuided the millitant and triumphant Church and dishonored both depriuing Angells and glorified soules of that honor their excellencie and dignitie with God requireth men in earth the militant church of that helpe and assistance it needeth and alwayes had from them as inferiour causes from superiour all pitty and compassion of those that liue and be in state of merite from the patient Church of the faithfull departed and spoyled them of that reliefe they euer receiued of those that liue and made such hauoke and confusion euen among the liuing that no man regardeth other euery one almost of a different and diuided minde from the rest in these things and neuer at concord with himselfe but vppon euery new conceipt differing from his former assertion in continuall combate and controuersie with his owne will and vnderstanding and so no communion and participation one with an other no care of offence and iniuries no minde of satisfaction for wrongs and iniustices no cōbination of comembers no penance no restraint from sinne where the passion of Christ hath bin so long vaunted and triumphed of that except in most sacrilegious and blasphemous swearing by the instruments of our redemption no memorie at all thereof is left no signe or token to put vs in minde no image or representation no commemoratiue sacrifice or signification of so many paines miseries and mysteries as our Sauiour indured and wrought for our redemption where no order or hierarchicall subordination no consecration or distinction of callings and vocations is except the letters patents of a temporall Prince can giue that to others which is not cannot be in the giuer But that Religion which as it is vnited and one in it selfe in earth consisteth of a most perfect hierarchicall regiment of Pope Patriarkes Archbishops Bishops Priests Deacons Subdeacons Acolathists Exorcists Lectors and other Vnder-officers euery one in his roome and dignitie and the meanest of all by calling and consecration of greater honour than any ministeriall preferment among Protestants being no reall thing but an ens rationis an Idoll of the minde as the making of Pursuvants Apparators and such Officers appoynted by others where our POPE which is so odious in England is so ample in iurisdiction in all the worlde that no temporall Prince christian or infidell no ruler or professor of regiment in ecclesiasticall and spirituall causes at this time or any heeretofore either is or was ' by many degrees possessed of so large a regimēt· And our priuate Priests namely the most reuerend and learned Fathers of the Societie of IESVS so contemptible in our country are honoured of the greatest Princes of the world by their preachings paines haue added so many kingdomes both to the spirituall regiment of Christ and temporall gouernement of Catholike kings Our Catholike kings be most mightie and they which regarde vs most the most rich puissant and greatest Princes of the worlde Our religion religeth and bindeth together as the name importeth not onely kingdomes and menne in earth but God and his Catholike seruants the triumphant militant and patient Church no duety is omitted no compassion or pitty wanting where the mysterie of our redeeming is so esteemed and remembred that no festiuitie no office or parte of diuine seruice is celebrated in the yeere but representeth vnto vs one benefite or other no ceremony is vsed in the holy sacrifice of Masse no action of the Priest no ornament or attire hee weareth no benediction hee giueth no signe of the Crosse hee maketh but hath his religious signification and preacheth vnto vs his introite to the Altare his actions there his returne from thence the very vestments wherewith he is adorned the putting of them on the wearing of them in that celebration his putting them off his Amice Albe Girdle Manciple Stoale Vestiment and all hee vseth speak nothing but Christ crucified the maner of his oblation the cloth wherewith he was blindfolded the white garment putte on by Herode the cordes and whippe wherewith hee was bound and scourged the purple vestment wherwith he was deluded and that mysticall and most holy sacrifice his bloody and cruental oblation vppon the Crosse no action gesture prayer or the least ceremony either in word or deede silence or otherwise but bringeth a religious lesson and meaning and tendeth to instruction no benefite that Christ bestowed vppon man from the first instant of his conception left vnremembred but one time or other celebrated Not that Religion which denieth al things and properties of Religion as their opinions all negatiue doe witnes that hath taken away and conuerted from common and spirituall religious vses to priuate and temporall pleasures and preferments all monuments and foundations of deuotion and places of religious exercise leauing and vsing nothing necessary to mans saluation But that Religion whose opinions against these men are all affirmatiue professing deuotion and one acte of pietie or other that hath founded Churches Schooles Colledges Monasteries and places where Christian learning euer was or is exercised at this day that obserueth all things and wanteth or omitteth nothing belonging or that can be required to true Religion I defend that most holy and religious worship which I will prooue by aboue an hundred arguments and all kinde of inuincible reasons diuine and humane naturall and supernaturall to be the onely true and lawfull reuerence which we owe to God by which we were labij vnius spake one language and one Religion vntill that confused Babel was begunne in Germany from whence so many different tongs and confusions in Religion haue proceeded SECT VI. What mooued the Authour to dedicate his Worke to the Councell WHerefore right Honorable although the endes and offices
of a religious spirituall common wealth be distinct and diuerse from those of a temporall and ciuil gouernment wherein you are supreame Lieutenants vnder our gratious Princesse and in that respect matters handled in the one doe not so properly appertaine to the iudgement and redres of those which rule in the other but are to bee decided and reformed by the gouernours of that profession to which they are belonging yet as the glory of the first cannot commonly bee maintained without the fauour of the second so this cannot rightly bee ruled without direction from the former for where there is no greater or more forcible motiue to keepe in order but feare of temporall correction for no temporall magistrate can punish eternally or after death which is onely a bridle against publike and notorious offences which may be denounced and proued by witnes as euery ciuill magistrate must proceed secundum allegata probata as matters are and can be alledged and proued and that which cannot so be determined can neither be punished or condemned but in secret men may practise all impietie without controlement if no Religion and dread of a diuine maiestie by his infinit wisedome knowing by his immutable iustice punishing secret sinnes were to keepe in awe Therefore as this cause I haue in hand is the most honorable of all that can be entreated so I am bolde to offer this introductory Epistle and defence thereof to your honours the most honourable and noble consistory of our nation and as it is most necessary to be considered in regard of duty to God and man which it teacheth so I tender it to you the supreame Deputies of our gratious Soueraigne whose chiefe care and solicitude must be in taking order for such causes because you are Christian magistrates and take vpon you the defence of the lawe of Christ which I here maintaine because you are sworne Councellers to assist our Princesse whose chiefe stile and title is granted to hir father King Henry the eight by Pope Leo the tenth defendor of the faith for defending the Catholike Romane Religion against Luther that Archprotestant which I here defend and to preuent all suspitious censures and conceipts of such as will imagine I goe about to present a worke vnlawfull by those lawes whereof you pretend defence in that respect you are the highest wisest and most honourable patrons of the lawes of our Country I humbly pray pardon vnder your protection to publish this worke because it is confirmed and demonstrated not only by al auncient lawes of England al lawes Papall imperial princely nationall of forren countries and former times but the present forcible lawes of England established by our Qu◠Eliz. to which I wil proue onely that Religion I defend to be conformable others repugnant therby condemned Wherfore most Hh patrons for I must challenge this title at your hands be my protectors the piety of my cause and complaint enclines to mercy our vniust persecution vnder your predecessors requireth amends and I hope at least shal receiue toleration by you hereafter the lawe of nature the lawes of all nations of all Princes of England it selfe in that state it is The lawe of God calleth vpon you and bringeth euidēce of this obligation to which you are bound when you were new borne and ruled by others you vowed it in Baptisme now you are rulers of others both them which so iustly demaund it as those which should and many would so willingly yeeld it your promise to God to his Church to your Country is to bee performed many or most of you being of age and discretion in the time of Queene Marie haue practised and professed it so many of your noble company as are admitted to the honorable order of the Garter haue sworne it you are all sworne councellors to our Queene which by title of inheritance and at here coronation by the oath and fidelitie of a Christian Prince hath obliged her selfe to maintaine it of that which is her office your place professeth performance your vow to God obedience and voluntary submission to his church fidelity to Prince promise and duty to Country compassion to vniustly oppressed calleth vpon you to see it done I demaund but iustice by those lawes which my Prince her nobles and other subiects your predecessors and you haue enacted For your wisedome you were chosen to gouerne your mercy exalted you where you may and ought to exercise most compassion iustice and equitie haue aduaunced you to that high seate of equal iudgement as you are wise as you are mercifull and must be iust take pitty vppon iust complaints And by the same titles I humblie craue you condemne me not before I haue shewed worthy cause of reproofe Neuer any Catholike subiect of England hitherto hath so much abused your Honors dishonoured the cause of his religion for which wee daily vndertake so many troubles and disgraces or disgraced and discredited himselfe to make so bolde a challenge except hee were able to performe it and my confident assurance is I shall not be the first vnhappy and vnaduised man to doe it Pardon noble Patrons peremptorily without al exception I vndertake to proue directly not only by al other arguments but by the Parliament laws proceedings of Qu. Elizab. that the Religion those men profes as confirmed by thē is false euen by them that we defend to be true euen by those groundes and decrees I will prooue thereby That Christ is really present in the blessed sacrament of the Aultare that Saints and Angels are to be reuerenced and praied vnto that there is a Purgatory that prayer almes and other good deeds are auaileable for the faithful soules departed which had not perfected penance and satisfaction in this life that onely faith iustifieth not that good workes are meritorious before God that there is an externall Priesthoode and sacrifice in the church of Christ that wee are not iustified by an imputatiue iustice but grace and iustice are inherent and internal things that the Sacraments of Christ giue grace that there be seauen Sacraments in number Baptisme Confirmation Eucharist Penance Extreame vnction Orders and Matrimonie and all other matters of moment in controuersie betweene them and vs. Which when I haue performed no obiection can be made against the allowance of my petition And because I was sometimes demaunded of your predecessours in that place beeing conuented before them for professing this Religion I still defend what reason should mooue me then very yong in yeares borne of parents conformable to the time in and vnder the Protestant regiment of Queene Elizabeth brought vp in that Vniuersitie and other places which were alwayes least fauouring of that beliefe all which things were either knowne before or acknowledged by me to that assembly to be of a different and contrary opinion when if I would haue beene of the same profession I might haue beene regarded as others of my
those parents of whom you are discended and haue receiued being had not bin matched together for so great disparitie betweene them and so you had neither enioyed honour dignitie life or any being at all So that howe much or whatsoeuer you can chalenge to haue you are indebted vnto them And the rest of the nobilitie of England though not chosen to that high credite and fauour of our Princesse yet whatsoeuer it is they haue landes castles mannors titles of dignitie they possesse it by their ordinance as euery Cittizen his priuiledge and immunitie euery countrey vplandish man his quiet and orderly gouernement and protection And that miserable people of England that vntruely challengeth the name of Cleargie among Protestants whatsoeuer honour Archbishop Bishop Deane or inferior order or degrees and titles in Schooles as Doctors Bachilors and Maisters and places of learning Vniuersities Colledges or Learning it selfe or their Bishoppricks Benefices Churches Houses Donations Priuiledges or any other thing they can name was deriued from our Catholike Kings Princes and those that were of that Religion Sigebertus Kingylsus Ethelbert Ofricus Wiferus Etheldredus Oswye Wbykred Oswalde Cissa Edgar Ethelbalde Iua Kenulfus Offa Aluredus Ethelwulfe Edwarde and others before the conquest and such as raigned after to the Protestant regiment no Protestant Prince enriched many spoyled churches Wherefore seeing all estates in England Soueraigne and subiects of euery condition and calling haue receiued and doe enioy so many and irrecompensible fauours from those Catholike Kings and by as many obligations are bound and endebted to so honourable and immortall benefactors no person can be so vnmindfull of duty or irregardfull of gratitude to be displeased with my defence of them which euery English-man is so much obliged to defend And if it appertaine to the title and iurisdiction of christian Kings such as no man can denie them to haue beene to determine matters and questions of Religion as the English Protestants maintaine then if I should bring no other argument but the decrees and constitutions of those holy and learned Kings to proue my entent it ought to be admitted especially ioyning therewith the authority and consent of the still forcible lawes of my euer honored Princesse for in so dooing I shall prooue my Religion by that ground whereby onely it is impugned by the Protestants of England assigning the temporall prince for the time being to haue supreame authoritie in that cause and of what credite soeuer the Statutes of the Protestants are in this question touching her Maiesties catholike predecessors it was in all vpright iudgement vnpossible they should be deceiued For if God giueth ordinary or extraordinary assistaunce to Kings and Princes either for their owne vertuous endeuours and sanctity or for the pietie learning and number of them by whome they are counsailed and aduised there is no comparison but rather Protestant princes should erre then they the zeale and deuotion of those Kings catholike I haue cited before and Protestant writers Pantaleon Foxe and others acknowledge many of them to be glorious Saints in heauen whither false Religion could not bring theÌ„ And to giue example it is written not onely by English both Catholike and Protestant but forraine Historians that king Aelfred builded the monastery of monkes in Ethelingsey and that of nunnes in Shaftesbury he founded the vniuersitie of Oxford hee translated the lawes into our English tongue and diuerse other profitable Bookes for the instruction of his subiects hee diuided the foure and twenty houres of the day and night into three equall partes eight houres he spent in writing reading and praying eight houres in sleepe and other bodily prouision and the other eight houres in hearing and dispatching the causes and complaintes of his subiectes Such was the exercise of Kings in those catholike times as all Historians and Registers are witnesse and their constitutions themselues contained among the Lawes of Saint Edwarde reported by Foxe and yet to be seene in Guilde Hall giue euidence wherein is contained that King which dooth not such things in his owne person is not woorthy the name of a King and that hee ought to take his solemne oathe vppon the Euangelists and blessed Relickes of Saints before the whole state of his realme to execute such things and maintaine the holy Church with all integrity and libertie according to the Constitutions of his Auncestors and Predecessors before he be crowned of the Archbishops and Bishoppes and that he ought to haue vnder him three seruants as vassails fleshly lust auarice and greedy desire This was the integritie exercise and profession of those Princes so that if these â—ters must bee referred to Princes iudgements in regarde of themselues it is not likely they were permitted by God to bee in errour which performed all things both for the aduauncing his honour and the publike peace which was the rigorous execution of their duetie If wee considder what counsaile and aduise they vsed as in matters of warre they consulted with such expert and valiant captaines as were both a securitie at home and a terrour to forraine Nations and in causes of peace and publike gouernement with the most prudent wise and sage men iudges and others of our nation as the wordes of the auntient donations of our Kings Cum consilio Episcoporum Principum by the counsaile of Bishops and Princes and as all Monuments and the teste of euery Writ in law to this day wil declare so concerning matters of practicall conscience the greatest offices as Chancellor priuie Seale and Treasurer which be the chiefest places of confidence and conscience were alwayes executed in those dayes as Maister Fox reporteth by the Claergie and Bishoppes of England And touching matters of Faith and Religion they had alwayes of their priuy Councel the most holy vertuous and learned Bishops of their time such were Saint Cedde Saint Anselme Saint Dunstane Saint Thomas of Canterbury Saint Thomas of Hereford Lanfrancus and others to their Kings and whatsoeuer any publike decree of religious causes was to be enacted or receiued in parliament the whole Cleargie of England in their Cardinals Archbishops Bishops Suffragans Abbots Priors and other chiefe ecclesiasticall persons ten to one in number to the parliament ministery of this time was alwayes present and no decree of faith euer concluded but by the generall consent of the whole christian worlde generall councells and the vniuersall Church of God which can neuer be seduced so that no possible place of errour was left for those kings except God would which he could not permitte the whole world to be deluded To which if wee adde so many supernaturall signes and miracles as are written confessed by Protestants themselues in the liues of Saint Oswable Saint Edmunds Saint Edwards Lucius Kingylsus Iua Ceoluisus Offa Sigebertus and other knowne catholike kings of England shewed by God to testifie the trueth of their Religion in earth and