together for their gaines more then for deuotion which Bishop Gardener seeing and not able to resist he spake his minde plainly touching religion in a sermon before the yong king and councell vpon Saint Peters day which was but fiue moneths after king Edwards raign for which sermon he was sent to the tower the morning after and lay there prisoner all king Edwards time and came not out vntill Queen Marie at her first entrance into the tower of london wheÌ„ she was Queen deliuered him and other catholique prisoners together and how then doth our steel-brow-knight write that Bishop Gardener Hattered both father and sonne and neuer shewed himself in religion vntil both of them were called to their last home and Queen Marie entred the crown let some frend blush for him if he haue not shame to do it himself Againe it is as great an vntruth and as grosse ignorance besydes to say as this man doth that Bishop Gardener and his complices brought in the Spaniard and mached him in mariage with Queen Marie For that euery childe acquaynted with that state knoweth or may learne that Bishop Gardener was of the contrarie part or faction that fauored yong Edward Courtney the Earle of deuonshire and would haue had him to Marie the Queen whome Bishop Gardener had held for his spiritual childe in the tower all king Edwardes tyme. And now the matter was so far forward as the mariage was held for certayne but that the contrarie syde and especially the Lord Paget partly by the acquaintance and credit he had gotten with Charles the Emperor in Flanders during king Edwards tyme and partely for the ielosie he had perhappes of B. Gardeners great affection to the Duke of Northumberland his greatest enemie who in king Edwards reigne had indeuored vtterly to disgrace him they procured I say the said Emperors most earnest and effectual letters to the Queen about her mariage with the Prince of Spayne which they did so vrge to the sayd Queen and with so many argumentes against Courtney espetially that he was neither sound in body nor religion as they got her consent and subscription to the sayd letters of the Emperor And then there was no further dealing to the contrary for that Queen Mary bore such exceeding loue and reuerence to the Emperor Charles her Cosin as she would not fayl in her word geuen to him for all the world VVherby we may imagin what a mortification Bishop Gardener and all the rest of his side that fauored Courtney did receaue by this change of the Queens will and purpose and therby also perceyue the folly and temerite of this rashe accuser who layeth to there charge the bringing in the Spaniard which yet if they had donne or had byn cause of that greatest and most honorable mariage that for many ages hath byn in Christendom and of greatest consequence if issue had followed therof if this I saie bad byn so as it was not why did they betray therin both God the Queen and there countrie as this wise Censurer affirmeth what grownds what reason may there be aleaged of this triple treason God receiued by this mariage the strengthening of his true religon the Queen got the greatest noblest and richest husband that was extant in Europe our countrie got many a thowsaud of Spanish treasure without losse of any as heerafter shal be shewed And wherin then stood this great offence But let vs passe ouer these follies of our knight in matters of state for that perhaps his prayse and skyll is only in armes yet one point more must I examine wherin he condemneth B. Gardener and this is for his sermon made at S. Paules crosse vpoÌ„ the wordes of the Apostle to the Romanes hâ—ra est iam nos de somno surgere It is now high tyme for vs to ryse out of sleep the night hath gone before the day is come c. and the rest that followeth there All which sacred scripture this learned religious knight sayth very peremptorily that it was most prophanely and blasphemously peruerted by the said Bishop and that to bloody purposes which we shal now à litle discusse This famous sermon was preached as I sayd before at Paules crosse after the mariage was celebrated between the King and the Queen who both were present at this speech of the Bishop nowe also hygh Chancelor and there prsent in like maner both Cardinal Poole legate of the sea Apostolique as also the Embassadors of the Emperor french King and other Princes and a marueylous great learned and noble auditorie besydes as euer perhaps was at any sermon in England before or after The Chancelors discourse was how long they had runne astray and byn in darknes of diuision and stryfe among themselues since first king Henry lefte the old troden path of his ancestors kinges and Queenes of England in matters of religion and brake from the vnion of the church of Rome and of other catholique kingdomes round about him and that now it was time to arise out of this sleep and to looke about them And in this discours and sermon the Chancellor vttered two principal thinges among other that greatly moued the whole auditory The first was the hartie and humble accusation of himself for his â—all and consenting to King Henryes will in that booke de vera obedienâ—tia which he did vtter with so great vehemencie of spirit and abundance of teà res as he could not goe forward and was forced diuers tymes to make some pawses which in such an audience especially of strangers also he being the cheefest person of the realme after the prince we may imagin what a temporal shame and confusion it was vnto him and how greatly it would moue the hearers and lookers on to see him make such an accusation of himself willingly of his owne accord without compulsion and with such earnestnes as he did And that there was no fiction or dissimulation in this act of his the end declared for when he fell sick afterward and drew neer vnto his death he desired that the passion of our Sauiour might be redde vnto him and when they came to the denial of Saynt Peter and how after Christe had looked back vpon him he went out and wepte bitterly the Bishop cried out and bid them stay there and see whether his sweet Sauiour wold vouchsafe also to looke back vpon him and geue him some part of Saynt Peters teares for sayth he negaui cum Petro extui cum Petro sed nondum fleui amare cum Petro I haue denied Christe with Peter meaning that subscription to the supremacie of king Henrie I haue gone out with Peter meaning the participatioÌ„ of that schisme but yet I haue not wepte bitterly with Peter so bitterly as I should do and by often repetition of those woordes and asking God sorgeuenes with cryes and syghes he intertayned himself vntill great floodes of teares came downe vpon him and so gaue vp the
together for that some of the sayd Councell had opposed themselues against him about the apprehension of a certain gentleman heretique which he took very vnkindly and then indeed heâ— foretold them freely what would insew of this their partial manneâ— of proceeding Wherby also it is much more probable that his complaint of the root of heresie remaining and not touched was meant rather of the infected nobility and gentry within the land in which number perhaps your brother the Earle and your self also â—id enter then of lady Elizabeth at that day for that in deed she was not the root then nor did the change of religion spring of her principally afterwards but of those other inferior roots which I haue menâ—ioned But yet let vs graunt further for arguments sake that he did speak those woords as a Counseller in those dayes and that they might be wrested by probability also against the lady Elizabeth in Queen Maries time yet do I aske why should they be made treason or punished for such in this Queens raign was not her Maiestie as subiect then and the D. as a Counseller and therby bound to speak freely that which â—he thought surest for his prince and realme at that day it might argue perhaps some lack of tender affection to the lady and yet perhaps not that neither seing the father in such a case doth speak often times against his only sonne or daughter but treason in no rigor right or reason can it make no more then for a Counsellor in this Gouerment of her Maiestie that now is to speak what he thinketh freely about any person that may pretent to the crowne heerafter Wherefore though all this were true which this man aleadgeth as many arguments proue them to be fals yet D. Storie leauing afterward his counâ—rie going ouer the seas either with licence or without when there was no statute to the contrary and being brought home again by force â—nd trechery of a shipman that alured him into his ship and so caried him away all this I say maketh neither treason nor any other trespas of moment in the sight of indiferent men and consequently neither his hasty araignment condemnation and execution vpon his return â—wherof this cruel harted knight triumpheth doth so much proue that he was guilty of great crymes as that he had potent passionate enemies as Christe had before Pilate that by shoots clamors sought his blood by any means whatsoeuer for that he had bin a more zelous catholique then some other of his coat and degree in Queen Maries â—aign foâ— which catholique men think that he is to receiue a great â—rown of glory and fame also eternall vpon earth And so the trial of this matter lyeth stil in the darke to be examined by that great iudge when he cometh to look ouer the iudgments of mortall men and reâ—eal that which is amiss And so much for this matter Next after D. stories affair commeth in the roaring Bull of Pius Quintus with the excomunication of her Maiesty which serueth for a â—ommon bugg against all catholiques euery where as well at barres benches and places of iustice where other particuler and personal accusations do want as also in pulpits schooles sermons books and declamations for making vp the complet furniture of those places still it is so vrged as though all english catholiques must needs be guilty of this fact of the Pope and so be participant also of the offence giuen therby against her Maiestie if any way they beleeue or admit his Ecclesiastical Iurisdiction and authoritie which consequence notwithstaÌ„ding is so apparently fals and cauillous in it self for that all catholiques were not priuie to Pius Quintus his reasons and informations in that behalf and it hath bin so euidently refuted heretofore by diuers most cleer and manifest reasons and treatises that I mean not to stand at this present vpon that point especially with so silly a concurrent as this gentleman is in matter of dispute whose ridiculous proposition in this place that no mortall child of man hath power to dispose of kingdoms or to depose princes or to dispence with subiects for not obeying c. semeth to proceed not only of deep ignorance both in reason and storie but of so base a brest also and seruile a cogitation as if temporal kingdoms were matters of Godhead and immortality And no doubt but if such a knight had liued in Nero or Caligula his time that would needs be Gods he had bin a fit fellow to fal down and adore them and tell the people most religiously with both handâ— held vp to heauen as he doth heer that no mortal childe of man had power to iudge of their doings being great and high princes or to deny them obedience in any matter hauing once sworne obedience in temporal affairs for this is our case heer whether a prince once admitted and established may be towched afterwards or disobeied in any matter or for any cause either of religion or otherwise and that by any mortall childe of man and our tender conscienced knight resolueth the case that he cannot and consequently that the romanes did euill in disobeying such Emperors as would be Gods and other mortal children of men for displacing of their princes once receiued for what cause soeuer for all this enseweth of his fond and heathenish position But let this Prince-idolater that professth to be a great Bible-clark read ouer the four books of kinges and he shal see how many kingdoms were disposed of and princes deposed by mortal children of men and the same alowed also by God himself And in our kingdom of England since it was a monarchie both before and since the conquest he 〈◊〉 haâ— finde very many examples of mutations in like manner made by mortal children of men seing they are now dead that made them which yet he must approue for good and lawful except he will impugne the succession of her Maiestie that now is which is not likely seeing the poore man flattreth so seriously with all the arte and power he can And therfore leauing this matter as ouer long an argument for me to â—andle in this place I shall only consider briefly of three points vpon this his speach that may yeeld sufficient light to the matter in haÌ„d The first is that wheras this accuser affirmeth the Catholiques of England to haue begun to fret and chafe against her Maiestie as soon as she was in full possession of her crown and consequently to practis treasons by the Pope of Rome let it be noted out of our own chronicles what year this Bull of Pius Qinutus came foorth and therby they shall see how many years which were a dozen at the least passed after her Maâ—esties coronation befoâ—e any such thing was attempted by any of the Popes of Rome so as this was not like to proceed of their maligning her Maiesties state and diadem as this
England during the raigne of fourtie yeares notwithstanding â—ll the pressures vexations dishonours rapines slaughters impriâ—onments and deaths which they haue suffered in this space at the hands of Protestantes Puritans and Atheists for their religion VVhich afflictions layd together haue byn more then euer subiecteâ— since England was a monarchie suffered at home in this kynde Now then mark that which followeth If we looke one our own chronicles we shall scars finde any one Princes raigne though oâ— far fewer yeares then this euen when the people were all of one reliâ—gion and none of these afflictions and pressures layd vpon them buâ— that many more commotions troobles and rebellions happened then in this long tyme and among so infinite exasperations haue insued And if we looke vpon the short raignes of king Edward Queen Mary and the parte of king Henryes tyme after alteration in religion there is no comparison And whence cometh all this trowâ— you but of the singuler vertue and vnspeakeable patience of the Catholique subiectes of our tyme vnder her Maiestie that haue liued and suffered all this with gronning only and secret teares without further breach to defend themselues or reuenge ther iniuries And truly when forayn nations do both see and read the bloody list of lawes made against Catholiques and Catholique religion in England within these forrtie yeares and do heare of the rigorous execution of thesame together with the incredible molestations that therby are layed vpon so great and potent numbers of people that lack noâ—â—corage also to aduenture euen to death it self in fauor of their said religion they rest astonished and do wonder how either the countriâ—â— can remayn voyd of continual tumults or the prince free from infinitâ— dayly perils seing that desperation in such matters is the next dore to all extremities especially the persecution beinge so rigorous and violent so vniuersal and exorbitant as infinite people are interessed and touched therby either inmediatly by themselues or in their children seruantes kinsfolkes or frendes whereupon fynallie they do greatly admire as I haue said the modestie patience and longanimitie of the English Catholiques And so much the more for that the Protestant when he is vnder and disâ—auored hath no patience at all but breaketh out continually to most violent tumultes and rebellions If we do consider the deportement of the protestantes in Queen Maries tyme and how euery moneth almost they had either rebellious or new turbuleÌ„t practises against the state and Queen not being ashamed at length also by publique bookes to make all weomen incapable of royal gouernement a man would think this fellow very shameles not to blush to make this discourse agaynst Catholiques so soon after those broiles of his owne people And yet these differeÌ„ces are to be noted in the cause first that Q. Maryes gouernement dured but â—tle more then foure yeares and this of her Maiestie hath donne fourty â—en were the principal protestantes not touched nor pressed but now â—o Catholiques at all is spared they were restreyned only from brining in of nouelties these are forced to renounce their old religioÌ„ that â—om the first coÌ„uersion of the land they and their fathers haue profesâ—ed and vowed to keep they had few or no forrayn princes of their â—eligion round about to geue them courage or assistâ—nce these haue â—e most and strongest in Christendome and yet are quiet and this for England But if we passe our eye beyonde this litle Iland also and consider â—hat reuel these frends of Sir Francis though not of Saynt Francis â—aue made in other countries since the beginning of their innouaâ—ions to witt in Germanie France Flandres Poland Swethland Demnarke and Scotland agaynst their true and lawful princes what â—rmies campes battayles and insurrections what desolation of counâ—ries cities townes and linages they haue caused and what slaughter â—nd hauok of Christian blood they haue procured more impudent and â—idiculous will this clamor and exaggeratioÌ„ of our crowching knight â—eem to be about two earles only that vpon feare of force gathered â—heir seruants neighbours and tenants together and presently fled â—nd of two or three other gentlemen wherof the one was put to death â—or hauing a description of certaynes portes and hauens only found in â—is chamber and for that he had some intelligence with the Queene of Scottes and with Don Bernardin de Mendoza Embassador for the King of Spayne resident in England though nothings els could be â—roued against him the other went beyond the feas for that he could â—ot lyue with his conscience at home and neuer hurted them since And of two earles more committed the one vpon suspition and nothing proued against him that was known before his piteous death which God only knoweth how he came vnto the other for flying first for his conscience out of the realme he beeing taken on the sea and brought back again and after diuers yeares of imprisonment without any further matter layd to his charge was after condemned principally if not onely for a Masse heard or caused to be said in the tower of LoÌ„don which was such a treason as all his noble ancestors would haue byn glad to haue ben coÌ„deÌ„ned for his posteritie may glori that he was for that neuer Earle in England synce it was Christian was euer brought to the bar for such and so glorious and so holy a treason And to conclude all these accusations in deed layd together against English Catholiques are but very tryfles and triuial things that dayly happen in moste quiet peaceable commonwealthes where no man is afflicted by the state at all But that infinite greater and more haynous stirres and breaches haue not bin raysed within the space of fourtie yeares where so deadly differences in religion and so continual persecution against so great a body haue bin in vre this I say as I sayd before that to men of iudgement and indifferencie and of experience in gouernment is a maruelous wonder and a moste famous canonization of the patience magnanimitie and fidelity of English Catholiques and her Maiestie and the realme are happy that they haue such subiects And if they will not beleue me let them but turn the leaf a litle against protestants puritans and other new sectaries and restrain them from their desires and pinch them with persecution but a quarter of that they haue donn to Catholiques and they shall se and feele by experience which kynde of people is more apte to obey or to woork turmoiles and perils to their weal-publique and gouernours And therby also will appear the vanitie and malice of this impertinent and spitefull slanderer who endeth his inuectiue with these woords There is no end saith he with this people their practises are pestilent their perswasions perilous their platforms traiterous and to serue their turn they want not cunning to execute all so violent they are in their vilanies and treasons and so shameles
they are in their falshoods and dissimulations And again by this taste you shal see the brutish vilanyes of our bastard countrimen and vnderstand what iust cause there is to detest both the traitors and their treasons c. To all which I answere that a railing tongue vntied is a wilde beast without a bridle and to ruun after him with a cudgell though at certain turnings many blowes and bastinadoes may be giuen him as in parte there hath bin I suppose to this man by conuincing his falshoods raylings and calnmniations yet is it a wearisom exercise euen to the giuer himself and therefore I will let him runn vntil wearied by his own furye he become more calme and enter into som more temperate cogitations if not of truth and charity yet of christiaÌ„ honor and honestie and with this I end our third incounter HASTINGES VVACH-VVORDE THE FOVRTH INCOVNTER ABOVT BISHOP GARDENER AND Cardinall Allen by name and of their vnvvortâ—ie and slanderous vsage by this vvachvvoord-geuer THough against all Catholique people that come in his way the toÌ„gue of this knight be very lauish approbrious which neither proceedeth of chiualry nor yet of nobility yet two principal persons aboue others he seeketh chiefly to disgrace and wound in his discours which are D. Gardener Bishop of winchester and high Chauncellor of England in Queen Maries dayes and Doctor Allen late Cardenall of Rome Two such eminent subiects for Ecclesiasticall men as setting a side the onlie difference of religion which made theÌ„ vngrateful to the present state our land hath not had lightly â—heir equales in many ages before Both of them of high wits exquiâ—ite learning and singuler good natures both of rare vertues the one â— chief Counseller to two great princes of our realme the father and â—aughter and the other fit to be Counsellor to any prince liuing and was of councel to the highest consistorie in Christendom Bishop Gardener was caried through great varietie of prosperous and aduerse â—ortune and euer shewed himself superiour to them both except once â—nly in his youth prosperitie when he went a litle astray by feare â—ut sore repented it soon after Cardinal Allen that neuer was in properitie at home but trayned vp for the most parte of his dayes in baâ—ishment and in the disgrace and frowning countenance of his counâ—rie for religions sake bare the same with incredible constancy and â—lacritie and towards the end of his life was highly aduanced to hoâ—or for his vertue by forain potentates as the world knoweth B. Gardener was a maister and common tutor to English yong nobility â—n his dayes and his hows a famous schoole of great mennes children â—n England C. Allen was a publique father to all sortes of that ageâ—nd to all degrees that left their country for religion and he procured â—hem both howses and schooles in forain nations The Bishop was â—beral and had much to giue of his owne while he was suffered to â—ossesse it the Cardinall though meaner in temporal wealth yet muâ—ificent of mynd and so much respected and credited by others that were richer then himself that he gaue more perhaps in his dayes then the other was able of his own according to that of the Apostle quaâ— egentes multos autem locupletantes as poore and yet inriching many others And to be short a peerlesse payre of prelates they were whylâ— they liued and full vnworthie to be thus bayted by the wyld tonguâ— of this slanderous backbyter but let vs hear in particular what heâ— sayth of them Of Bishop Gardener you haue heard before his encomion or commendation where he saied Gardener that most prowd and bloody monster left no corner of his witt vnsought to shorten her Maiesties dayes and preuent heâ— by the bloody slaughter of her sacred person from being our Queen And afterward agayn making his inuectiue against the Catholiques that foâ— conscience refuse to go to Church he sayth thus The recusants of our age cannot professe nor make greater shew of loyalty and loue to our dread Souereign neither can serue her outwardly with greater apparence of faithfulnes nor can protest more deeply by woords and othes their true and good meaning to her then did Gardener Bonner and Tonstal to her noble father and brother which they did confirm by printed bookes For Gardener did writâ— his booke de vera obedientia and Bonner added his epistle to it And Tonstâ— published a flat treatise against the Pope But when these two noble Princes werâ— called to their last and euerlasting home and kingdom in heauen and Queen Marie possessed the gouernment of this kingdom vpon earth then Gardener did tear oâ— his glorious visour and shewed himself in his right colours and shape for he anâ— his complices neuer rested till they had brought in the Spainard and had matcheâ— him in mariage with the Queen by which they betrayed God her and the wholâ— realm This bloody intention by this linck thus strengthened then cometh Gardener ouâ— publiquely in pulpit with this sentence hora est iam nos de somno surgere peruerting the sacred scripture most prophanely and blasphemously to his blâ—ody purpose c. this far goeth the accusation And first here you see there is nothing but blood and bloodines when he talketh of Bishop Gardener wherof I could greatly marueyl if this poor man followed either ryme or reason in any discourse that he maketh for verely I beleeue that if a maÌ„ should aske any good natured Protestant that liued in Queen Maries tyme and hath both wit to iudge and indifferency to speake the truth without passion he wil confesse that no one great man in that gouernment was further of from blood and bloodines or from crueltie and reuenge then Bishop Gardener who was known to be a most â—eÌ„der-harted and myld man in that behalf in so much that it was some tymes and by some great personages obiected to him for no smale fault to be euerfull oâ— â—â—â—â—â—â—on in the office and charge that he then bare yea to him especially it â—as imputed that none of the greatest and most knowen Protestanâ—s in Queen Maries raigne and some of their names I haue menâ—â—oned before were euer called to accompt or put to trooble for â—ligion which also was noted in diuers criminal great causes and â—amely that of the lady Smith burned for killing her husband the â—rd Sturton executed about Harguile and the Duke of Norâ—umberland beheaded for publique rebellion All which three to â—aue others it is knowen that Bishop Gardener laboured earnestly â—r to saue their lyues and this only vpon compassion and he passed â— far in this behalf as he wauted not some rebuke for the same espeâ—ally about the last to wit the Duke for whome he sued importunâ— notwithstanding he had byn extremely misused and iniured by â—he sayd Duke in K. Edwards tyme or at least permitted by him to be â—iured by others as namely to be depriued of
Elizabeth then those which you presume catholiques to haue for that the thinges which you imagin catholiques do wish as restoring of masse and catholique gouernment and the like may stand with her Maiesties life raigne securitie and prosperitie if it would please almightie God to inspire her to admit them euen as they haue stood with the honor and prosperitie of all her noble ancestors Kings and Queenes of our realme before her but your wishes cannot preuaile but with her ruine if they be such as may be presumed But as I sayd I wil not vrge you in this behalf what you would wish nor is there any well gouerned common wealth in the world in my opinion that vrgeth men vpoÌ„ suche vayne poyntes of inward wishes and secret cogitations or desyres The Turke doth it not vpon the Christians that are vnder him nor Christian Princes vpon Iewes that dwell in their states nor the king of Spayne vpon the Moriscos that liue in his kingdomes nor the Emperour king of France king of Polonia or other Catholique monarches vpon the Lutherans Swinglians Caluinistes or other sectes that are tolerated in their states Only this barbarous knight of ours contrarie to all reason and humanitie would haue it vrged vpon catholiques in England what they wish and what they desire where notwitstanding if the same should be inforced against all persons that any way be discontented in court or countrie in their hartes would wish perhaps some alteration who seeth not but that as in other common-wealthes so especially and aboue others in ours where so many diuisions and dissentions do raigne as wel by reason of religion as otherwise many thowsand â—nward sores and vlcers would be discouered that now lye hidden and is expedient that so they should remayn notwithstanding the ridiculous folly or rather furie of this frantik man in persuading contrarie Let vs see now his third chardge against recusantes touching their dissimulation as he calleth it his woords are these in most odious manner set down These ciuil honest men sayth he that vnder pretence of conscience rebel agaynst God in religion and refuse to yeeld a loyal obedience to their liege Lady and Soueraigne seem to carry a most lamentable resolution lurking in their bosomes against Queen countrie and vs all when they wil seek the life of their and our Queen the thraldom of their and our countrie and the ruine of vs all that professe the ghospell to haue their popish Priesthood and Massing sacrifice vp again And if this be conscience I know not what conscience meaneth and yet this conscience they fetch from Rome c. To answere first to that which is heer last if we should graunt this great absurditie that Sir Francis Hastinges knoweth not what conscience meaneth either in nature and definiton or in practise and feeling what great inconuenience would follow therof trow you for as for the definition of conscience it were easie I suppose to pose Sir Francis seeing that his bringing vp hath bin rather in court and hawking then in schooles and studying And for practise or feeling of conscience how little sence he hath there needeth no other argument but onely this slanderous libel stuffed with such monstrous lyes and calumniations as no man of any conscience would euer haue set downe were he neuer so different in matters of religion Nay truly it may be doubted whether easily there might haue bin found any so careles or conscienceles an atheist about London that so resolutely for any bribe would haue accused so many worshipfull honest ciuil men as himself confesseth the recusant catholiques of England to be which is so much as any ciuill common-wealth can requier of their citizens as this man doth and that of most hainous crimes of trecherous falshood disloyal dealing and wicked treasons to their prince of lameÌ„table lurking resolutioÌ„s in their bosomes agaynst Queen and countrie and of seeking the life of the one and thraldom of the other and all this vpon so vayn and light suppositions as you haue hearde before which yet he would haue so constantly to be beleeued of all men as that the said recusantes notwithstanding his owne former testimonie of their ciuil good life must be condemned for the catalines of the land and out castes of the comon-wealth for to Cataline and his compagnions he compareth them in the end of his inuectiue in these wordes VVe maie well say of them as Tullie sayd of Cataline the conspiratour in one of his orations that in all or most of these happie yeares of her Maiesties most prosperous and peacable gouernment there hath byn no trayterous practise agaynst her person or our countrie but it came alwaies from them and by them whome neither shame of their villanies nor feare of punishement nor any sound reason out of Gods booke nor yet the rule of true Christian policie could withold from pursuing their trayterous purposes and practâ—ses And to see or heare that the royal person of our Souerayne lady was in danger was pleasing to them As contrarywise the newes of her happie escape was irk some So that where there is only the bare sense of a true English haâ—t these popish recusantes cannot bewitche or deceyue with their hypocritical holinesse or ciuil honestie and so I leaue them Though you wil leaue them Sir hoatespur in this your choler yet mean I not to leaue either them or you vntil this matter be better examined And first in this inuectiue if we take away railing speach without proof there is nothing added to that you haue scolded before against the recusantes And if in the rest we consider how you stammer stil at the good opinion of Catholiques fained holinesse and ciuil honest lyf a hard bone as it seemeth for you to disgest there is much to their praise and commendation in this your accusation But yet to shift off this matter and to bring in contempt the persuasion of their good life and to induce men not to make account thereof and much lesse to be bewitched as your phrase is by the same you require the sense only of a true bare English hart to resist this witchcraft of perswading by good woorkes and what you mean by a bare english hart to serue you in this conflict I know not except it be som hard heathenish hart as strong as flint to resist the knockes of all Gods motions and as bare of all piety remorse and conscience as yours seemeth to be to which also if you do adde the English cutte as hartes go there for the most parte among protestantes at this day and furthermore if it be so truely and barely English as it hath seen no other countries nor knowen other paradice then English earth nor thought of other blisse then with you is comonly treated and that it be as seruilly tyed to oxen and steeres and other temporal base comodities as your soule sheweth it self to be And that
before he auowch it outwardly For if he iudge only by the external shew and outward honor of his estate he may as wel condemn of pride all other princes and great men in the world for admitting honor according to their degrees and among others our present Bishops of England may be called in question as they are by the puritanes for being termed lords and for the lord-lyk honor donn vnto them in outward demeanure To the Lords also of her Maiesties counsel may be obiected the like for causing men to kneel vnto them at the counsel table and such other like external honor admitted As for bloody monster it is a monstrous slander and a great monstruositie of inciuilitie in a gentlemans mouth so to speake for it is wel knowen that the Bishop of Rome that now is and many of his predecessors in our dayes and eyes haue vsed and do vse dayly great curtesies to infinite protestantes that passe through their states And as for blood I think verely that there hath bin more shed in onely London for religion in one year within these last twenty that haue passed then in all the whole twentie within all the townes citties and states of the Bishop of Rome and this is easie to be verefied VVell then Sir knight you rayl at randon and litle do you seem to think or consider what peril of Godes iustice may hang ouer you for the same You may remember it is written principi populi tui non maledices and agayne qui patri suo maledixerit morte moriatur The Bishop of Rome hath euer byn held for our spiritual prince and parent in England vntill with in these few yeares and so is he still holden by all Catholique kingdomes round about vs and in ours also by such as follow the old vniuersal fayth which if it be true then are you in danger of damnation by this your fury And you remember that Saynt Paule was so respectiue of this danger that hauing spoken a hastie worde agaynst Ananias calling him whyted walle for an open iniurie donn vnto him in publique iudgement agaynst the law yet when he vnderstood he was high priest notwithstanding S Paule wel knew thar his priesthood now was nothing worth the old law being abrogated by the death of Christe he did openly recall his word agayne and shewed to be sorowfull for hauing spoken it agaynst one that bore that tytle But Sir Francis hath no such feeling or remorse of conscience in him for that he is not gouerned by the same spirit of humilitie and pietie that Saynt Paule was wherunto notwithstanding I would gladly persuade him if I might and for that respect do mean to alleage vnto him the considerations insuing about the Bishop of Rome First himself in the 31. page of this his libel hath these wordes The Lord from heauen commandeth to all men vpon earth that euery soule should be subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God and euerie power is ordayned of God VVhich wordes if they be true then must the Popes power also be of God seing it hath byn an acknowledged power by all Christendome for so many yeares and ages not only for a lawful power but also for a holy and supreme spiritual power and then let men iudge in what cause Sir Francis standeth that not only resisteth but reuileth also this sacred power notwithstanding that the illation which Saynt Paule inferreth immediatly after the former wordes is this wherfore he that resisteth power resisteth Gods ordination those that resist Gods ordinatiō do purchase damnation vnto themselues More ouer that saying of Christ vnto the Apostles he that heareth you heareth me was not spoken only for them selues but for all their successors also that by succession should gouern the churche vnto the worlds end as all men wil cōfesse And cōseqētly the other parte also of the same sentence he that contemneth you contemneth me must needes in like manner belong vnto the same man And that the Bishops of Rome be successors in the Apostle Saint Peeters seat is no lesse manifest to all men of vnderstanding and learning And albeit Sir Francis will say presently that they follow not Saint Peeters steps and wil proue it at leisure yet if that were true the princes authority is not taken away hy his euil life or deportement for then should we haue few true princes in the world But aboue all others it pleased Christe himself to take away this obiection touching Popes and Ecclesiasticall princes when he sayd that vpon the chaire of Moyses should sit both Scribes and Pharisees and that we should notwithstanding obserue and do whatsoeuer they sayd but not according to their woorkes So as stil there remaineth the obligation to obey them though their liues and hehaueour were not correspondent but much more the obligation not to slander contemn and reuile them as our harebrain and headlong knight doth I say it is harebrain and headlong dealing to runne so furiously in so dāgerous a path as this is For besides that maledicus a railing tongued man is placed by Saint Paule among them that shall neuer attaine the kingdome of heauē it is much more grieuous sinne to vse this vice agaynst Magistrates that represent the power of almightie God and far yet greater agaynst spiritual magistrates that haue this authoritie in a far higher degree then temporal magistrates but most of all agaynst him that representeth immediately the person of Christe Iesus vpon earth which is the Bishop of Rome as presently more particulerly shalbe shewed Furthermore if all the holy and learned men of Christēdom haue not bin deceiued for so many ages together as they haue confessed this general doctrine of the Pope of Rome his prerogatiue without doubt or contradiction then is Sir Francis out of his way then is he in the open path of perdition then is he furious frantik and besides himself in rayling as he doth And that this only vniform consent of such and so many holy learned men gon before vs were a sufficient argument to make any man that were discreet and fearing God to enter into doubt at least of his doing in this behalf cannot in reason be denied and so without doubt would Sir Francis also do if his temporal life lay on the bargain as his eternal doth For let me aske Sir Francis if an herb should be presented to him to eat that all learned phisitians for a thowsand yeares together haue held for strong poyson and onely som one or two of later yeares haue begonne to teache the contrarie without actual experience whether it be so or no but only by discourse and new argumentes of their owne would he abstayne to eat it think you or no Or if an action should be offered him in England which by all old lawyers iudgment of former tymes hath byn taken for high treason ipso facto and losse of