yet against your hope the prayers of Christs Church are neuer wanting for the frustrating of your fairest hopes Our Church in particular publiquely prayeth That it may please God to bring into the way of truth all such as haue erred and are deceiued And in another prayer for the whole estate of Christs Church in the end of our Communion booke Wee beseech thee ô Lord to reduce all such as bee yet ignorant from the miserable captiuitie of blindnesse and errours to the pure vnderstanding and knowledge of thy truth that wee all with one consent and vnity of mind may worship thee our onely God and Sauiour And for our King blessed bee God his heart is established vpon firmer grounds then to be remoued from that true faith wherein hee was bred and brought vp so easily as you hoped yea that pietie which with your solemne Crosse you haue so crowned our hope is that his Maiesty may in time by Gods grace so purifie and persit as that royall Queene shall account it the most rich dowry of her wedlocke to be made partaker of the liberty of that faith which her Royall husband professeth that so they may long enioy a sweet sociall conjunction as in their affections so in their Religion If that noble Lady Anne Sister sometime to Wenceslaus King of Behemia being married heere to Richard the 2. King of England and that in a deplored time when the Kinges of England were ouer-awed by the Popes vsurped power being tyrannized ouer also with that spirituall Egyptian seruitude if shee I say by the meanes of this marriage comming and liuing in England became so happy as to be made acquainted with the Gospell of Christ which shee had written in the English tongue namely the foure Euangelists with the Doctours vpon them in the reading thereof shee was dayly exercised and so by this meanes also many Bohemians comming hither into England comming to the sight and knowledge of Wickliffes workes conveyed the same into Bohemia whereby a good foundation was laid of planting and so establishing the true religion there what hopes then may wee perceiue of this our noble Queene who beeing married to such a royall husband who is not onely in title but in realty Defender of the faith yea a Prince who is excellently able to worke vpon such a noble disposition by infusing into her the seedes of the true Christian faith that so not onely her selfe may become a sound Protestant but by the blessing of God this religion may from so noble a roote multiply and branch it selfe into those her fathers Countries also so that when they shall taste of the clusters of Chanaan growing by the meanes of this blessed vine hir fathers house may then blesse the time that euer she was transplauted into so happy asoyle The Lord bring these faire blossomes of our hope to a timely maturity as your Pontifician hope is heerein already blessed be God blasted in the bud And the same God that preuented that intended massacre of Religion in Bohemia by the death of the King Ladislaus at whose intended marriage with Magdalene the French Kings Daughter of Prague where and when the confluence of so many Pontifician States should haue beene the massacre should the more easily haue beene effected that God hath and will wee trust euer preserue this his true religion professed in England and that by preseruing the life of our gracious Soueraigne long amongst vs to his glory and his Churches good maugre all Pontifician hopes of the contrary But it should seeme the Popes hopes are turned into feares but now saith he the vowes and councells of your enemies are feared Whom doth he meane here by enemies Surely by coherence with the premisses he must needes meane the most Potent King of whom he spake in the former part of the sentence And certainely in nothing shall our noble King show himselfe more Posent then by rooting out of his Dominions all Popish Priests and Iesuites and by establishing in vnity of doctrine that Religion which for these many yeares hath beene so happily mayntained therein Herein herein stands the potency and securitie of our Most Potent King The establishing of true religion is the establishing of the Kinges Throne It were happy if other Kinges in Christendome had their eyes opened to see their miserable thraldome vnder the Popes yoake and vpon what a tottering foundation their Kindomesstand where Papall authoritie and Iesuiticall doctrines take place But here we may not passe ouer that he faith Your Enemies Who or whose enemies what the King an enemy to whom to the Popes Sonnes here in England what to the Priests and Iesuites in England There were some reason why the King should showe himselfe an enemy to these for who are more mortall enemies to the King and his Crowne then they But it is playne by the sequell that hee meaneth chiefely heere such Catholique sonnes of his as are or at least ought to bee true subiects to the King Loe here then Pontifician malice The Pope doth here most subtilly insinuate that the King is an enemy to all those his subiects who are Roman Catholikes Enough with such a brand to kindle the flames of hatred and rebellion in such subiects against their King while the Pope thus blowes the bellowes But wherein is the King an enemy to their persons no but to their religion which is enmity against God and the King But the Pope feareth the Kings Councells Now the good Lord so direct the King and blesse him in all his Councells that they may more and more be matter as of feare to the Pope so of ioy and comfort to himself and all his People But hee feares also his enemies vowes What vowes For tolleration forsooth of the Popes Orthodox religion Yf Orthodox then ought it not onely to bee tollerated but publikely imbraced professed avowed But if it bee as it is the Antichristian Babylonian Apostaticall idolatrous religion of Rome that Where of Babylon then no vowes ought either to bee made or much lesse kept for the tollerating of such a religion It is against our vowe in baptisme wherein we disavow the Deuill and all his works and therefore all doctrines of Devills A precontract with our spouse Christ disanulleth all after contracts with Antichrist with a harlot Yea vowes made against God and his word are ipso facto voyd and become a meere nullity And if the Pope at his pleasure can dissolue all lawfull vowes which being duely made obliege men inviolably to keepe them hath not God himselfe power to disanull all impious vowes which are made to maintaine the religion of Antichrist Therefore the Pope must giue vs leaue herein not to giue credit to his Holinesse complaint which howsoeuer wee knowe to bee most vniust And whereas the Pope calls his Religion orthodox let the contents of this Bull witnesse Wee need goe no further for proofe Ipse dixit Yet you complaine that notwithstanding your orthodox Religion a
least I should offer both violence and wrong with my vnskilfull pensil to limme out more largely this most beautifull and well proportioned Image of a Princes vertuous mynd But I dare say which I referre to the best judgement of Your Majestie ablest to judge of Your owne noble sayings it is an exquisite Aphorisme or Abstract of that divine Rule prescribed to Kings by the Lord and Iudge of Kings It shall be when the King sitteth vpon the throne of his Kingdome that he shall write him h copy of this Law in a Booke out of that which is before the Priests and Leuites and it shall bee with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that hee may learne to serue the Lord his God to keepe all the words of this Law and these Statutes to doe them that his heart be not lift vp aboue his brethren and that hee turne not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end that he may prolong his dayes in his Kingdome hee and his children in the midst of Israell Now what is the summe of all this but Honesty is the best Pollicy From this Root to wit Honesty the heathen deriued all the branches of vertue As those foure Cardinall vertues Prudence Justice Fortitude and Temperance the subiect of those three bookes of Offices Tully draweth from the force and nature of Honestie as himselfe expresseth And those foure also Iethro Moses father in law in his direction to his Sonne requireth to bee in all Magistrates saying Thou shalt prouide out of all the people men of Courage such as feare God men of truth and hating Couetousnesse Still the summe totall is Honestie is the best Policy Thus neede wee goe no further then Your Maiesty to learne the rule of all good policy whereof Honestie is the ground as containing all duties both to God and man in Prince or people Thus haue I though slenderly for the which I most humbly craue Your Maiesties generall pardon discharged my faithfull dutie in discovering so great a danger towards Your Maiestie It pertaines to the wisdome of Your Maiestie to provide speedy meanes for the prevention that Your Kingdomes may not become a prey to the enemie nor Your sacred Person exposed to the perill of beeing forsaken by Your owne Subiects whom the Pope instigateth by the authority of his Bull and by the incessant industrie of his Iesuites to stand closse to his Holinesse against Your Maiestie when occasion serveth His Breeue also mentioneth what anxious prayers the Church of Rome now maketh for hir Catholicke Sonnes in England There is some waighty cause in hand sure Wee poore Ministers hope that Your Maiestie will bee pleased to call a generall Fast to frustrate all Romes prayers Wee haue all fared the better for the last publicke Fast which Your Maiestie proclaimed for the averting of vnseasonable weather against the last harvest And it is memorable that on the same day wherein the Fast was kept generally over all England began the heavens to cleare vp their clowdy countenance and so continued till they had brought vs in a plentifull harvest in stead of a feared famine Not that wee place any vertue in a Fast but because a Fast with humble prayer preuaileth much with God not onely as being commanded by him and hauing a promise annexed but for the necessity of it to bee joyned with true repentance and reformation not onely of mens manners and all raigning sinnes publicke and private but also of the worship of God being purged from all the pollutions of Idolatry and superstition which are an abomination in Gods sight and especially a clearing the Coast of all Romish Iesuites and Idolatrous Priests whose religion is treason against Your Majesty and God himselfe When the good King Hezechiah had received the blasphemous letter of Senacherib King of Assyria he went into the Temple of the Lord humbled himselfe and prayed spreading the Letter for the Lord to read and revenge all the blasphemies contained in it both against God and the King perswading his subjects to defection from him But loe here a letter sent into England from the King of the spirituall Babylon full of most impious blasphemies against Your Maiesty most Antichristianly vsurping a power over Your subiects charging them to disavowe their fidelity vnto Your Maiesty shall not this iustly provoke Your Maiesty with Hezechiah to go into the Lords Temple and there publickly intreat the Lord to take revenge on such blasphemies and to turne the mischiefe which Rome and her confederates now intend and machinate against Your Person and Crowne vpon their owne head as Ezechias obtained of the Lord yea Your Maiestie thus doing all Gods faithfull Ministers as so many Esayes to King Ezechiah as so many Azariahs to King Asa dare promise Your Maiestie both certaine victory ouer Your enemies and a constant peace with prosperity while You constantly follow the worthy examples of those religious Kings of Juda which grace the Lord giue vnto Your Maiestie in abundance Amen Your Maiesties most loyall subiect though vnworthy servant HENRY BVRTON TO THE LORD DVKE OF BVCKINGHAM his Grace Right Honorable THE Dutifull zeale I beare to the safety of my dread Soueraigne and deare Country inforceth mee otherwise loth to put my finger into the fire in the second place to sollicite Your Grace to bee the more carefull to preuent the danger When King Saul and Abner with the whole guard were in a dead sleepe so that Dauid had the opportunity to take away the Kings speare and Pot of water by him onely to testifie his fidelity to the King hee called alowd to Abner and awakening him said Art not thou a valiant man and who is like to thee in Israell wherefore hast thou not kept thy Lord the King surely yee are worthy to dye c. But neither can I say so altogether nor neede I cry so loud to your Grace vnlesse these many businesses which will scarce suffer you to sleepe so soundly as did Abner will neither suffer such a dwarfe as my selfe easily to bee heard But speaking for the King I hope I shall not be denied Audience Nor are they good subiects persecuted as Dauid of whom the King is in danger but such as though they haue small cause to complaine of persecution yet are instigated to deny vnto their Soueraigne that loyalty and Allegiance which all true subiects owe vnto their lawfull Prince Doth not your Grace erect your most earnest attention to this But who dare thus instigate the Kings subiects against him No lesse then the Pope and that by a Breeue or Bull lately sent ouer into England wherein he straitly chargeth his Catholique Sonnes as hee termes them vpon no termes to take the Oath of fidelity to the King inciting and animating them as against their Enemy as the Breeue can testify Nor had I I confesse beene thus bold to meddle in such a matter if
had once committed any businesse of trust though of the highest nature to a seruant he would neuer conceiue the least suspicion of his fidelity adding hee had rather run the hazard of his loyalty then imbitter his generous trust with mixture of feare A strong obligation sure to a seruant so intrusted But some of his seruants trembling replyed what if he proue treacherous hath hee not the more free and secure opportunity to worke his wicked ends But quoth his Highnesse my care shall be such in the Choyce as my trust shall bee built vpon a sure ground Pray God it bee so said his seruants Now this wee see verefied on the Kings part towards your Grace What a liberall trust hath he reposed in you such as not all the gold of Iudai should euer ouer ballance But we all beseech the Lord that his Maiesty may not bee deceiued And haue we not cawse Doth not the safty of the Kings Person Crowne of this Church State of three goodly Kingdoms yea of the Gospell of Christ and of true religion at home and abroad euen ouer Christendome throughout the world depend in a maner vpon this trust committed to your Grace King Achish would haue made Dauid keper of his Head for euer But his Nobles thought it not safe least all their own heads should haue payd for it But the trust committed to your Grace is not only of the Kings head but of all our heads of many millions more that neuer saw your face Haue you not neede then not only of Davids true heart toward his King but of Argus his 100 eyes in watching over Io committed to his trust Yet Argus for all his eyes was so inchaunted with Mercuries pipe whom Iupiter had sent to steale her away that falling all a sleep Io was taken away and Argus had all his eyes puld out and put into the peacocks traine But where are any such Mercuries to inchaunt your Grace Where Alas where are they not specially where reatnes dwelleth at ourt Haue we any need of madd men said the King of Gath And may not the Court say haue we any need of flatterers These be the inchanting Mercuries And of all other none more to be feared then the Iesuites whom the Iupiter of Rome sends into England to inchaunt and impose vpon our most prudent and vigilant Arguses as the learned Bishop hath well obserued in his Tortura Torti Iesuites a generation who as they are the most exquisite Artists in the science of flattery so none hath more cause to beware abhor them then your Grace But you know no Iesuites The greater is your danger and ours For they cōe in sheeps clothing in disguised habits so bold as they can no more blush then their visards lowly lowting charming thechiefest with a counterfet adoration admiration of their I wot not what excellency And were it not miraculous if the Court it selfe especially your Graces house should be free even from many of such flyes which fliblowe the purest flesh with their flatteries The croaking Froggs of Aegypt crawled up into the very Kings chambers and are not these cōpared by the Holy Ghost to Froggs which goe vnto the Kings of the earth and by their crouching and croaking and their Sardonian smiles would allure them to warre against Christ and his gospell It is good therefore your Grace should make a speedy diligent search in the Court in your owne howse and in all the skirts of it round about and so also throught the whole land what Iesuites are lurking any where and to giue them the reward of Traitors Shall wee dally with such shall wee thinke to winne them with complements Wee know the fable of the snake fostered in the mans bosome it is but the Morall of a Iesuite intertained with a Court-like Curtesy Jesuites are nettles if gently handled they sting but if hard grasped they hurt not Contrary to the Basil the Embleme of the Throne established by mercy which being gently stroked on the hand yeelds a pleasant smell but crushed hard vpon it vnsauory Your Grace takeing this course Parcere subjectis et debellare superbos therein you truly discharge the trust committed vnto you Whereas if the execution of good lawes should bee suspended if treason traitors suffered Yf in this perillous season our potent profest enemies should thus be armed against vs what can wee expect but confusion of all And how shall your Grace in the ruine of this goodly state escape scot-free shall your house stand notwithstanding Nay assure your selfe if at this time you doe not bestirre your selfe to reforme things amisse but that they bee suffered to runne on headlong to destruction I may apply that speech of Mordecai to Hester vpon the like occasion Thinke not with thy selfe that thou shalt escape in the Kings howse for yf thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall inlargement and deliuerance arise to Gods people from another place but thou and thy fathers howse shall be destroyed Nor let this my boldnesse seeme strange to your Grace though perhaps you bee not much acquainted with such as will speake the downe right truth Of all Iobs friends hee found but one Elihu who sayd Let me not I pray you accept any mans person neyther let me giue flattering titles vnto men For I know not to giue flattering titles in so doing my Maker would soone take me away If Iob in his Misery found but one such no maruaile if your Grace find scarce one As for mee I am an English-man a free borne subiect a true louer of my King Countrey yea I am also an vnworthy Minister of Christ a poore watch-man of Israell and when I see my soueraine King my Mother Country the Glory of God the Gospell of Christ the Church of England yea the Church of Christ ouer the world in danger to bee destroyed and all brought vnder the tyranny of Antichrist and the Spanish yoake shall I bee silent shall I not speake shall I not lift vp my voice like a trumpet shall I not thus free my soule whatsoever shall become of my body Yea for Sions sake I will not hold my tongue and for Ierusalems sake I cannot rest vntill the righteousnesse thereof goe forth as brightnesse and the salvation thereof as a Burning Lampe I feare neither prison nor death it selfe that I may discharge a good conscience both towards my God my King Countrey Nor feare I to be censured as a Polypragmaticke What haue Ministers to doe to meddle in State-mysteries Sir let mee speake boldly it were happy if as in the apostatized Kingdomes of Christendome the Priests of Baals counsels I mene Iesuites Priests which must needs bring ruine to them are followed So in this Kingdome of Iuda onely the truth-telling Micaia's were heard Good King Dauid could say I am wiser then my teachers then the aged then mine Enemies for thy testimonies are my delight and my
superstitious trumperies yee can deuise against vs. Did yee not heare did not the fame thereof eccho vpon Romes gates what a wonderfull mercy the Lord shewed to this Land the last yeare when vpon the very day of our publike fast throughout the Land being the second of August a day worthy to be put in the Rubrick of our perpetuall thankesgiuing vpon that very day I say God began euen miraculously to stoppe that sad and vnseasonable influence of heauen wherewith our fields now waxing white to the haruest were so pittifully drenched that almost all hope of harvest was drowned in our feare of a deluge in stead thereof yet even then began the heauens to cleare and cheare vp their clowdy and angry countenance when wee began to weepe they began to smile and from that day forward continued so extraordinarily and constantly faire without one dayes intermission vntill by Gods fauour they brought vs in not onely an harvest in season but in an extraordinary aboundance hath the Lord done thus to vs for temporall things vpon such our humiliation and will not be also for spirituall much more when wee truly sett our selues to seeke his face and fauour in the pardon of our sinnes Assuredly he will And as you may remember our deliverance from your Gunpowder plott vpon the fifth of Nouember so yee may bee pleased to recognize how the same God sent a fearefull vengance in bringing the same House downe vpon your heads when there yee being solemnely assembled began to erect your Dagon cheeke by joule by Gods Arke and to aduance the Throne of your Antichrist euen in the face of Christs Tribunall and all this remember and marke it well vpon your very fifth of Nouember Remember I say and forget it not that it may teach you to tremble before that God of Ours and euer may we also remember it for thankefullnesse to our God for vindicating his owne cause and glory against such proud and insolent affronts Well consult I say lay your heads ioyne you forces together arme your selues with as much might as yee haue malice against vs we feare you not so long as we shall oppose our religious to your anxious prayers Wee praying and humbling our selues as behoues vs yee shall no more prevaile against vs then Amaleck did against Israell while Moses bands were held vp The Lord giue all his people grace to put on the true Armour of Light euen the whole Armour of God whereby wee may stand fast in the euill day Then shall wee be sure that not all your spirit of charitie which is nothing else but the spirit of malignitie and confederacie against Christ now your spirit of fortitude which is the spirit of all lawlesse daring against God and his Gospell shall any whit auaile you In the meane time yee mightily triumph in your hopes as if already yee had the victorie So yee did in 88 so at the Gunpowder plot Yee may now as well as then reckon before your Host Yet it is good for vs to take notice of this your confidence of triumph It may teach vs though not to feare your brags yet not to bee secure but to prouide betimes to preuent your triumphs and to turne the examples of your fortitude into the examples and spectacles of confusion iustly falling vpon such Giant-like fighters against God and his Word But beside your anxious prayers you haue your councels yea councels of your onely Apostolicke inerrabilitie of your Apostolicke Senate your Conclaue of Cardinals drawing all their councells from your Holinesse breast For that is the proper seate of all your Senatorian power and councells Your predecessor Pope Nicholas the third assumed to himselfe the whole Senatorian power he by decree shut out all other temporall regiment in Rome and about and subiected it all to his Apostolick Soueraintie This now is your Apostolicke Senate Thus you proue your selfe that Beast bearing the Image of the former to wit of the ancient secular Roman power Reuel 13. Thus you exercise the whole power thereof being perpetuall Dictator hauing Consular and Senatorian power which ioyn'd with Apostolicke showeth you to bee both the seauenth and the eighth Head of that great Beast and so insumme that Antichrist Your Apostolicke Senate is of no lesse power then that ancienter Roman Senate to whom it belonged to admit into or to reiect from the number of their Gods whom they pleased So that Tiberius the Emperour could not preuaile to haue Christ sainted for a God because the Senate forsooth had not first allowed of it And doth not your Apostolicke Senate the same You saint and defie whom you please And Christ himselfe is no farther God with you but as you limit him by diuiding his Prerogatiues among your other pettie Gods Saints yea his mother you set aboue him your own Apostolicke Senats aboue all in Heauen earth You told vs before you feared our Counsels What need you You haue all counsell in your Apostolike Conclaue You can say to vs as once your predecessor Innocent the fourth to Henry the third King of England when hee went about to restraine Papall vsurpation in this Kingdome Rex Anglorum in quis qui jam recalcitrat Frederiz at suum habet consilium ego vero meum habeo quod sequur The English King saith he who now kicketh with the heele and playeth the Fredericke hath his Counsell and I also haue my Counsell which I will follow Of the two we feare more your counsels then your prayers But forasmuch as you spare not here to blaspheme also the Holy Ghost our trust is he will befoole all your Counsels Dare your father your impious Counsels and confederacies vpon the Holy Ghost that his Lights should be your Oracles Dare you ascribe your Counsels of darknesse to the illuminations of the Holy Ghost Surely your Holinesse is deceiued Is it not that spirit which as some of the Cardinals with their Pope Iohn the twentie two sitting in a Counsell at Rome praying for the presence of the Holy Ghost said appeared in the likenesse of an oughly Owle out staring the Pope in his face This indeed is a liuely embleme of that Spirit by whose Oracle your Apostolicke counsels are directed But neuer for shame goe about to perswade the world that your counsels for treasons and rebellions for absoluing subiects from their fidelitie and allegiance are the illuminations of the Holy Ghost So was Mahomets Doue his Holy Ghost So his epilepsian or comitiall fit but a trance wherein he talked with his Angell Gabriell So might Eugenius the third your predecessor haue two holy Ghosts at once attending vpon him while as he was saying Masse two Doues miraculously ascended and descended vpon him So Zedechiah the false Prophet might perswade he had the Spirit intail'd to him as you to Peters chaire when he said to Michaiah When went the spirit from me to speake vnto thee So did Numa Pompilius
your Romane Law-giuer found and father his Lawes vpon his familiar conference with his fained goddesse Egeria Such is your Holy Ghost I quake to repeat the words of your blasphemies And for your Armour of light what is it but Pistols Stellettoes Poysons your vsuall weapons whereby you perpetrate those hellish workes of darknesse which who so putteth not off can neuer put on the Armour of Light Yet notwithstanding all these blasphemies which shall certainly hasten confusion to Babels pride notwithstanding their vaine confidence in many prayers which for all their number want weight yet forasmuch as at this present they set all their Counsels a worke for the bringing to passe of some damnable plot against this Church and State which by all apparant signes so farre as wee may gather from the language of Babell in this Papall Bull wherein his Holinesse is still vp with Constancy and Fortitude animating his sonnes to a sublimitie of a triumphant mind and to be ready to vndergoe imprisonment the racke death whereof for ought that wee can see there is no such occasion giuen to speake but rather the contrary in regard of the great mildnesse vsed towards them and the large libertie they enioy cannot bee any other designe but some strong and sudden Inuasion whereby to subiugate this poore Church and State to Papall thraldome and to the Iberian in plaine English Spanish crueltie this may bee a sufficient warning to awaken vs out of our sweet slumber and to buckle on out Armour to defend our Religion Countrey Liues Libertie the noble England against this proud Antichrist and all his Confederates It followeth ANd if violence proceed so farre as it compell you to that pernicious and vnlawfull Oath of Alleagiance of England remember that your prayer is heard of the whole assemblies of the Angels beholding you and let your tongues cleaue to your gummes before you cause the authoritie of blessed Peter to bee diminished with that forme of Oath For that is not all that fidelitie be kept to the King but that the sacred Scepter of the Catholique Church be wrung from the Vicars of God Almightie that which our predecessor Paul the fifth of blessed memorie in so graue a deliberation decreed that ought yee altogether to obserue as the decree of truth Beloved sonnes this tribute due to the Prince of the Apostles no threats of men or flatteries ought at any time to extort from you they that perswade you otherwise those prophecie to you a lying vision and a fraudulent divination For sooner ought the sword of the mightie to take away from a Christian man his life then his faith Yea if an Angell from Heaven teach you otherwise then the Apostolique truth let him bee accursed Answer Aâ—ter the skirmish all this while at length his Holinesse comes to the maine battell wherein the sinewes of Pontifician strength consists and wherein Antichrist shewes himselfe in his Colours displayed Here he valiantly cuts in sunder the Gordian knot of all ciuill societie not as Peter cutting off onely the eare but the whole head from the body For the summe of this clause is to charge his sonnes by no meanes to suffer the Oath of Allegiance to bee imposed vpon them eyther by flatterie or by force But why should his Holinesse bee so streight laced for the taking of the Oath seeing hee can with a wet finger absolue or dissolue it at his pleasure Henry the third King of England knew this too well when trusting still to the purchase of Papall absolutions hee would not sticke to sweare and seale to solemne couenants made with his Nobles in Parliament which to breake at his pleasure it was but sending to Rome But the case it seemeth standeth now vpon more tickle termes Something is to bee done out of hand which eyther will not admit of the Oath as being a clogge to resolution or admitted cannot tarie for an absolution from Rome as being an impediment to speedy execution But come wee to the words as they lye If violence proceeded so farre as to compell you to that pernitious and vnlawfull Oath of Allegiance of England c. Surely such oathes of fidelitie as must bee extorted from subiects to their lawfull Prince are scarce worthy to bee trusted Slaues and not subiects require such violence Yet indeed if an Oath be pernitious and vnlawfull not violence it selfe should extor it But the Oath of Allegiance of England saith his Holinesse of Rome is pernitious and vnlawfull Pernitious to whom To his Holines vnlawfull By what law by none But his Holinesse owne law When till the Pope broached it was an Oath of fidelitie betweene Subiects and Prince vnlawfull let the Pope show this I say not in the sacred but in any prophane storie yea or in the Turkes Alcoran But it is enough if the Pope saith it But if violence c. Remember that your prayer is heard of the whole assembly of the Angels beholding you Remember Since when Or whence know they this The Pope tels them so But why the Angels Were it not more comfort to bee heard of God then of the whole assembly of the Angels But what if the Angels bee otherwise other where imployed as in remotest parts of heauen or earth farre from the sight of England What if the Popes sonnes doe not pray lowd enough as to be heard of the whole assembly of Angels They had need cry a loud as Elias told the Priests of Baal But least as Elias wee prouoke their Zeale too much to launch their flesh we will passe ouer this only noting againe being occasioned a fresh that this Angell seruice so much esteemed and commended by the Pope to his sonnes is a most infallible marke of that Antichrist and great Apostate from Christ the Head as Col. 2. 18. 19. And let your tongue cleaue to your gummes before c. It was a part of Israels song in Babilon If I remember not thee O Ierusalem let my tongue cleaue to my gummes c. And loe here the King of the spirituall Babilon vsurpes this Scripture and would haue his sonnes conversing in Iury rather to suffer their tongues to cleaue to their gummes then suffer the honour of Babylon of Rome to be impeached Yea but the Pope saith not so but Rather then you cause the authoritie of blessed Peter to bee diminished with that forme of Oath What is this to Babylon Yes For Peter from Babylon writ his Epistles What is this to Rome Yes saith the Pope Peter was now at Rome which he calleth Babylon A sound proofe that Peter was at Rome Rather shall Rome be Babylon then the Pope will want Proofe that Peter was at Rome For else how shall the Pope be Peters successour But admit Peter was at Rome must therefore the Pope bee Peters Successour But Peter was Byshop of Rome To omitt invinsible arguments against it suppose that too Yet the Pope can neuer prooue that Peter was Pope of Rome Great difference
betweene the Byshops of Rome and the Popes of Rome yea the Pope of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Byshops of Rome till Constantine the Great were all or most of them Martyrs all of them were of equall jurisdiction with other Patriarches onely preceding them in order of place not of power till Boniface the 3. vsurped his Supremacie over all Byshops with his Papall Motto Volumus Jubemus we will and command after this also all were subiect to the Emperour till Gregory the 7. None of them wore any such thing as a single Diadem till Syluester none the triple crowne till Boniface the 8. Yet now forsooth all Papall power and Pompe must be deriued from blessed Peter which alas good man he never had But to incist in the present purpose where or when or whence had blessed Peter any such Souerainety and authority over Kinges and their Kingdomes you haue pregnant proofes for it as Christ said to Peter Feede my sheepe that is saith your Bellarmine Regiâ— more Impera Raigne as Kings But Peter was of another minde as where he teacheth Byshops not to be as Lords ouer Gods heritage but as examples to the flocks And submit your selues to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreme What saith your Holinesse to this we know you want not shiftes as here to accept and exempt Peter himselfe What can yee not say while yee can abuse the Scriptures themselues as you list Peters feeding of Christs flocks you can turne to Kingly raigne and convert Peters sheepehooke into a papall Scepter Christ bid Peter launch out into the deepe here say you the Pope hath power giuen him to fish all the world Thus yee neede never want Scripture to proue your Papall Paradoxes But what say you to Peters paying of Tribute to the Emperor for Christ and himselfe at Christs appointment Is not Tribute a token of subiection But from this very place your Bellarmine can learnedly proue Peters Supremacie over all But over Princes too Yes by the bye in directly at least in ordine ad spirituali yea the Pope Vrban himselfe no lesse learnedly then Papally interprets that place of the Tribute in the fishes mouth saying that by the piece of money in the fishes mouth is meant onely the exteriour things of the Church which she giueth to Kings to defend Her in peace but not the Pontificall Apex or Supremacie which is supereminent in the mouth of the head of the Church So the Pope Though Christ said Pay that for Me and Thee speaking expressely of their persons implying the subiection of Ecclesiasticall persons to Emperours and Kings And as the Glosse confesseth Tributum est signum subiectionis Tribute as a signe of subiection And yet more rather then faile Cardinall Baronius hath taken in hand to proue the Popâ—s Supremacie as well Papall as Sacerdocall from the very shadow of Peter Act. 5. 15. which shadow the Pope retaining in himselfe makes him a complete Lord Paramount Thus by hooke or by crooke you will haue it though all proue to bee but a shadow But will you nill you both Peters practise and Peters doctrine are flatte contrary to yours and crosseth all your Glosses nor haue you so much as a shadow for it Yet if your plea from Peter as his Successor will not hold water yee adde ad corroborandum titulum your plea from Christs Vicarship You say that is not all that fidelitie be kept vnto the King but that the sacred Scepter of the Catholike Church bee wrung from the Vicars of God Almightie That you here againe sleight our gracious King not vouchsafing him the title of King of England or your sonnes King wee maruell not we smell your secret reseruation either that he is no King that holds not his crowne of your holinesse or that the Kingdome of England in speciall is none otherwise to bee holden but as in King Iohns time in see of the Pope But great reason you should haue regard to your Catholike or rather your Romane Catholike Church For sure the Catholike Church of Christ neuer had any such sacred Septer as you speake of to which the disposall of Kings and Kingdomes is subiect But your Romane hath and therefore not Catholike Whence then haue you this sacred Septer by vertue of your Vicarship of God Almightie Doe not now equiuocate with vs or goe not about to found a new Vicarship yet this is not the first time you and your Predecessours of late dayes haue entituled your selues Gods Vicars As in that inscription or Dedication to Paul 5. whom by and by yee name Paulo V. Vice Deo to Paul V. vice God whereof the numerall letters as well in the Latine as in the English make vp the number of the beast 666. you were wont formerly to content your selues with the title of Christs Vicar but now must yee be the Vicars of God of God Almightie that from thence you may deriue an omnipotencie to your selues as it was added to that former inscription Paulo V. vice Deo totius orbis Christiani Monarchae Pontificiae omnipotentiae defensori acerrimo To Paul 5. vice God the Monarch of the whole Christian world and the most stout defender of the Papall omnipotencie No maruell then if you entitle your selues the Vicars of God Almightie rather then of Christ But you will say all comes to one reckoning sith Christ is God Almightie and therefore it is all one to be the Vicar of Christ of God almightie By your fauour no for although Christ be God almightie yet in this case of your pretended Vicarship it is one thing to say Christs Vicar another God Almighties Vicar Christs Vicar here on earth wee acknowledge none but his owne and the Fathers holy Spirit him Christ sent to supply his stead at his ascension This Spirit gouernes and directs his Church into all truth This is that other Comforter the spirit of truth By this spirit Christ is present with his Church to the end of the world But for any one visible and singular Vicar Christ hath appointed none the Church acknowledgeth none As for any Vicar generall visible of God almightie simply considered as God and gouernour and iudge of all here on earth wee acknowledge not any Onely all lawfull Magistrates as Kings and Princes are as so many Vicegerents of God almightie to gouerne and moderate their peculiar Dominions in for and according to God and his word these be Gods Lieutenants here on earth and therefore called Gods Now giue me leaue to tell you that the iurisdiction of God almighty here on earth is distinct from that of Christ Gods iurisdiction is also in things temporall Christs iurisdiction as Mediator is in things spirituall These two iurisdictions are not compatible not coincident or concurrent in their totall extent in any one man Onely the outward politie of the Church both as touching persons and causes
purgatorie and those subterrestiall or infernall kingdomes according to that Phil. 2. v. 10. Psal 8. 7. v. 8. which places they familiarly apply to the Popes vnlimited power in these places vnderstanding by the Beasts men on earth by the Fishes soules in hell and purgatorie and by the Fowles the winged Angels ouer all which the Pope saith he hath dominion Thus all power is giuen him in heauen and earth Thus hee runnes away with Christs power but leaues the charge of Christ to his Disciples to preach the word and administer the Sacraments But in the meane time all this arrogant and blasphemous vsurpation of the Pope what doth it but most clearely conclude him to be that Great Antichrist described in the Scripture This is hee that exalis himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped This is hee that sits in or vpon the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God to wit inuested in all the power of God and of Christ in heauen and earth as the Vicar of God almightie Herein hee is not Christs Vicar who would not meddle in matters of the world but indeede his Vicar that said to Christ All this power will I giue thee and the glory of them for that is deliuered vnto me and to whomsoeuer I will I giue it The Dragon spake this and of Antichrist it is said that he hath two hornes like a Lambe but speakes like the Dragon The Pope speakes iust like the Dragon here See this verified in the Pope to an haire to a very letter Pope Hadrian saith Vnde habet Imperator Imperium nisi à nobis c. From whence hath the Emperour his Empire but from vs that which the Emperour hath he hath it all of vs c. Loe it is in our power to giue it to whomsoeuer we will Therefore wee are appointed of God ouer Nations and Kingdomes that wee should destroy and plucke vp See how like the Sonnes voice is to the Syres Hee speakes iust like the Dragon onely in a more loftie stile wee for I. Also Pius 5. in his Bull against Queene Elizabeth of happy memorie vsed the like speech in Ier. 1. v. 10. So that the Pope and his clients conclude that all Emperours and Kings hold their Empires and Kingdomes but in fee of the Pope Thus Henry 1. King of England was glad with much paying and praying to obtaine of Pope Alexander the 3. that he and his successours should haue the title of the King of England This held till King Iohns time when the Pâ—pe againe resumed the kingdome of England into his own power but was content at length to let King Iohn haue it to farme So Pope Celestine 3. crowned Henry 6. Emperour and his Empresse with his holinesse feet and when he had done so strucke it off againe with his foot to signifie it was in the power of the fame foot to take away his crowne that had put it on Thus we see Antichrist exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God and that in the highest degree So that it may be admired that any man hauing but his eyes open to compare the Pope with his owne picture can doubt that he is that Antichrist vnlesse such men be giuen vp to a strong delusion because they receiued not the loue of the truth But it is lamentable to see learned men so blind-folded as not to see this Mysterie of iniquitie But more pernicious that not seeing it themselues they would perswade the world also that the Pope is not Antichrist Is it time now to make Apologies for the Pope not to be Antichrist when he so egregiously plaies the Antichrist euen vnder our noses when hee goes about to seduce and withdraw the hearts of subiects from the King from our gracious Soueraigne It was Tortus his speech noted by the learned Bishop in his Tortura to be Romes Doctrine that at the hissing of a slye which is in Babylon namely at Rome the subiects would reuolt from the obedience of their Prince and so by the window treason immediately entreth The Pope is the flye of Babylon who can make of the Prince no Prince of the subiect no subiect and the no subiect against the no Prince what may he not attempt But this is in case the Prince bee an Hereticke or Schismaticke And what is it for the Prince to be an Herticke forsooth if hee doe not yeeld himselfe the Popes Vassall which saith the Bishop is else to deny one of the prime Articles of the Christian faith It was the case of Philip le Bell. Thus the Bishop To proceede the Pope mentioneth a graue Decree of his Predecessor Paul 5. no doubt he meaneth that Bull sent hither into England inhibiting his sonnes the oath of allegiance The Pope calleth it a Decree of truth which must be diligently obserued For a taste I will insert one sentence of it cited by the learned Bishop Vobis ex verbis ipsis Iuramenti perspicuum esse debet quod huiusmodi iuramentum saluâ fide Catholica salute animarum vestrarum prestari non potest From the very words of the oath it ought to bee cleare vnto you that saith an oath cannot be vndertaken with the safetie of the Catholike faith and the saluation of your soules If so good reason their tongues should rather cleaue to their gums then they take it great reason that neither threats nor flatteries extort it from them rather part with life then faith yea this they must bee so vndoubtedly resolued of that If an Angell from heauen teach otherwise then this Apostolike truth let him be accursed Here at last breakes forth the thunderbolt it selfe which were enough to blast the very Angels of heauen if for subiects to denie due obedience to their lawfull Princes were an Apostolike truth But can a Christian eare heare such blasphemie without horror with any patience This an Apostolike doctrine an Apostolike truth Papall it is Diabolicall it is raked out of the pit of hell Apostolike it is not neither from Paul nor Peter from Paul 5. but not from Paul the Apostle Paul teacheth the contrary Rom. 13. Peter the contrary 1. Pet. 2. 13. how durst you you blessed Apostles preach such a doctrine as is contrary to the Apostolike truth of Rome either you must recant your doctrine or loe a smoaking Anathema is breathed out against you But lest those holy Apostles lest God himselfe lest Iesus Christ lest the holy Ghost lest the whole sacred word of God should come within the danger of the Popes curse and all for the mistaking of one word Apostolike for Apostaticke We are rather to thinke that as Manicheus writing himselfe Apostle hence hee would conclude his damnable doctrines to be Apostolike so the Pope calling himselfe that Apostolike one therefore all his lying Oracles must be taken for Apostolike truths And see here also how impiously the Pope goes on to peruert and prophane
Mistresse Lady Queene of the world She saies I sit a Queene and am no widow and shall see no sorrow As Saint Ierome saith luxta Apocalypsin Iohannis in fronte purpuratae Meretricis scriptum est nomen blasphomiae 1. Romae eternae According to the Reuelation of Saint Iohn in the forehead of the purple whore is written the name of blasphemie to wit of Rome eternall Take Romes own words prouing her to be that Citie reigning ouer all and therefore the present seat of Antichrist now tyrannizing When Henry the 7. was crowned at Rome Romes words are recorded in Capitall letters saying Ego Coronarum Corona confirmo Principi potestatem sibiqúe subijcio Ciuitates Gentium nationes tueantur Aquilae gloriam meam Haec Roma I the Crowne of Crownes doe establish power to the Prince and subiect vnto him Cities Countries Nations let the Eagles defend my glory These things saith Rome or this is Rome This is that Rome here Yea this Rome is so the feat of Antichrist as this title could neuer finde rest til it nestled it selfe in Rome As nothing resteth out of the proper place Iohn of Constantinople for all his ambition could not carrie it How did Gregory cry it downe Nor Constantinople though then the Imperiall Citie though she had borrowed the name of Rome being called Noua Roma and Greece about Romania though it could show her seauen hil-tops as Rome yet it was no place for Antichrist to roost in Antichrist there was but tanquam piscis in arido a fish out of his Element on the dry land where it is so putrified that Romes Saint Gregory could not indure the smell of it Pregnant to this purpose is the obseruation of the learned Bishop in his Tortura His words are In Constantinopolitano cum fuit stultum superbum scelestum peruersum profanum blasphemum fuit idem autem intra bionnij vnius spatium in Romano nihil horum est c. When the title of Antichrist was in the Bishop of Constantinople it was foolish proud impious peruerse prophane blasphemous but within two yeares space the same being in the Bishop of Rome it was none of all these And strange was the iudgement of Phocas who iudged if wee beleeue Gregorie that that impious blasphemous name was not fit for the Bishop of Constantinople for it was proper to the Bishops of Rome Strange also was the minde of Boniface who accepted it hee would not haue the Constantinopolitan to bee supreme ouer all for this was due to him and the Bishop of Rome Although he that should doe this by Gregories testimonie was therein the imitator of Lucifer the forerunner of Antichrist And Gregorie was a true Prophet both waies For he told the Emperour concerning that word that hee who should carrie it away did thereby aduance himselfe aboue the honour of the Empire and came it not so to passe He said to Anianus that to consent in this wicked title was no other then to loose the faith And hath faith suffered no losse since Phocas consented to that wicked Title so that Gregories Prophesie is true both wayes Et Imperio Ecclesiae perniciosa vox ista successor eius Bonifacius quoad Imperium Lucifer quoad Ecclesiam Autichristus that word was pernicious both to the Empire and to the Church and his successour Boniface as touching the Empire was Lucifer as touching the Church Antichrist Thus farre the Bishop in his Tortura Rome then not Constantinople is the proper seat of Antichrist As Pope Adrian 4. said Romae nostra sedes est At Rome is our seat This Adrian Breake-speare an English man was he that said To couet the Popedome is not to succeede Saint Peter in feeding the Sheepe but Romulus in committing Parricides because a man cannot attaine thereunto without shedding the bloud of his brethren that hee may reigne alone Thus by the Popes owne voice Rome and Antichrist are well met But saith Onuphrius though the Bishop of Rome be the sole vniuersall head yet hee doth not as other Patriarkes vse any proud titles as to call himselfe Occumenicus as hee of Constantinople doth but stileth himselfe Seruus seruorum Dei Seruant of the seruants of God onely the people in their solemne acclamations giue him high titles Seruus seruorum What is this but the very title of Chams curse Gen. 9. 25. yea what is it but the mysterie of Antichrist concerning all this superarrogant pride vnder this vale of hypocrisie For instance The foresaid Adrian writing to that noble Fredericke the Emperour in the forefront Seruus seruorum c. yet how is the whole body of the letter stuft out with nothing but Antichristian insolencie And how did this lowly title suit with this his holinesse extreame indignation when this Emperour comming to him to be crowned did out of ignorance as vnacquainted with such kinde of seruice before hold the Popes left stirrop instead of the right For which one mortall error this seruant of seruants could not be appeased but thereupon refused to giue the Emperor the kisse of peace Thus at Rome onely Antichrist domineereth vnder the title of seruant of seruants as here it followeth of Saint Peters vnder the signe◠of the fisher Poore Peter the fisher what a successour hath he gotten who vnder the name of Peter fisheth all the world as they expound that of Luke 5. 4. Launch out into the deepe that is Peter and the Pope fish all the world So that not vnfitly is that spirituall Babylon or Rome said to sit vpon many waters Reuel 17. 1. very commodious for Romes Peter-man No fishing to this See And all is fish that cometh to Romes net Onely all his fish must be of the same kinde with that which Peter tooke with his Angle hauing in his mouth a peece of 20.d. at least Peters tribute money not for the Emperor but for the Pope himselfe This fishers Signet or Ring is that where with the Pope marrieth to himselfe the Sea of the whole world for himselfe and his Peter-men to fish as the Duke of Venice on euery Ascension day marrieth the Adriaticke Sea to Venice with casting in a Ring into it which priuiledge Pope Alexander 3. first gaue to the Prince of that state This Breeue was dated May 30. 1626. And as the Prophet told the King of Israel Strengthen thy selfe and marke and see what thou doest for when the yeare is gone about the King of Syria will come vp against thee so let mee say to our King of Israel in the name of the Lord Goe strengthen thy selfe and marke and see what thou doest for when the yeare is gone about by that time the 30. of May 1627. commeth about the King of Babylon will giue some strange attempt vpon England as by all the prognosticating signes in this Breeue wee are giuen more then to coniecture The yeare wherein it was dated 1626. hauing two sixes in it are two figures of
the Beasts number very ominous But Deus omen auertat Also in the third yeare of his Popedome Popes yeares are as precious as that day which Medea begged of King Creon before her banishment wherein her womanish malice so bestirred her selfe that by 〈…〉 shee consumed the Kings house with fire and made a cruell massacre of sundry Noble personages yea most vnnaturally euen of her owne Sonnes And what massacres may not this present Pope the head of that Antichristian Beast yea of that Babylonish woman drunke with the blood of the Saints atchieue in three yeeres and a halfe the time which the Antichristian Church though most absurdly limiteth for Antichrists Tyrannie for whose blood-thirstie crueltie neyther the Kings owne house no nor yet the Popes owne though most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can secure themselues Let vs conclude then with that prayer as it was once intire in our English Liturgie in King Edwards dayes of blessed memorie 〈◊〉 seditions and priuie Conspiracie from the Tyrannie of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities from false and 〈◊〉 opinions from hardnessse of heart 〈…〉 and Commandements Good Lord deliuer vs. And let all England say Amen An Aduertisement to those my Countrymen whom the Pope calleth his Catholicke sonnes MY natiue brethren Countrymen or if you will Romane Catholickes 〈◊〉 wherein you so much glory and and which not onely distinguisheth but euen deuideth you from all true Catholickes such as Rome accounts Heretickes although my desire to speake vnto you bee greater then my hope to be heard such is the vaile of 〈…〉 obedience wherein they have shut vp your eares and closed your eyes that you should not heare or 〈…〉 more grieuous Babylonian or Egyptian Captivity spirituall than those temporall typicall were to Gods people yet 〈◊〉 this present necesssity inforced to assay at least what coÌ„mon humaine prudence or English spirit is left in you as not altogether eaten out with that spirit of lethargy and benumbednesse wherewith the Mystery of iniquity hath so wholy possessed many And if at the worst my purpose herein shall proue frustrate yet it shall 〈◊〉 that we would have cured Babylon but she would not be cured and hereby I shall howsoeuer discharge the duty of one that hath obtained mercy to be faithfull deliuering mine owne soule whither ye will heare or whether ye wil forbeare Yet I will hope the best praying God to giue a blessing Yea why should I not rather be most confident herein that all of you will be ready to harken to such a businesse as this which I am to propound vnto you Only as I have premised in the Inscription I except and exclude the Iesuites from my least hope of perswading them because the Arguments and Motiues which may and ought strongly to preuaile with you are directly contrary to the very principles and Grounds of their Iesuiticall Order They haue altogether cast off all hope of heauen all faith in Christ and in steed thereof haue made choice of that offer which Christ refused namely the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them men they are of pragmaticall and worse then 〈◊〉 spirits plotting either to 〈◊〉 all Kingdomes and States or which is as good to subiugate them to the Tyranny of Rome and Spaine Rome's fishers they are who euer find it best fishing in troubled waters by stirring vp coÌ„motions factions rebellions treasons arming and animating Subiects against their lawfull Prince this is their doctrine this their practise who so ignorant as knowes it not so that to goe about to perswade them to imbrace peace loyaltie fidelitie to leave off all their treasonable practises in vndermyning 〈◊〉 were as much as to inferre a new Article of faith to belieue a possibility that a true Iesuite should euer be conuerted to become a true Christian such and vnreconsileable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue they put betweene the order of Iesus and the 〈◊〉 of Christ and they that are once of the societie of Iesus should neuer come to bee of the blessed Communion of Christ so that such is the renoâ—e of their factious society that no maruaile if they set the Sonne against the father the subiect against the Prince when they haue made Iesus to be at vtter defiance and enmitie with Christ Iesuiticall doctrine is such a Dye as will not easily giue place to any other colour otherwise then as Sathan who can change himselfe into an Angell of light in appearance onely The reason why so few or rather neuer any specially English Iesuites renounce their diabolicall professions to imbrace the Truth is beecause they cannot enter into that Profession but with a kind of reluctancy at the first before they be hardned and their consciences seared not onely against the light of their conscience but euen against the light of reason and nature it selfe ceasing to be reasonable men to enter into a new order of Incarnate Deuills whose order is to put out of order the whole course of Nature ouerturning the very foundations of all humaine societies and all under the name of Iesus as if Iesus were no more a name to signify the 〈◊〉 of his people but were as much as Abaddon or Apollion in the Iesuites sense so that a Iesuite being one whose faith and profession is an habituall and vowed wilfull Rebellion against God and Christ against the very light of Nature and of his owne conscience becomes thereby so inuincibly obiurate that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were to iudge whether Satan or he were likelier to renounce their religion sauing onely that the one is a Deuill the other a Man or in mans shape at least For we know Christ hath said that t he sinne against the Holy Ghost shall neuer be pardoned And the reason is giuen by Diuines because it can neuer be repented of no more then that of the Deuill whose sinne was that against the Holy Ghost when he first forsooke the truth to betake himselfe to that order wherein for his Antiquity and pregnancie hee merited long before the 〈◊〉 and last Saint Ignatius to be the Grand-Father and Founder of this new society Leaue we these therefore as Christ did the wilfull blind Pharises to perish together of whom he said Let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind and if the blind leade the blinde they shall both fall into the Pit and let me speake vnto men to English men to wise men such as haue not so farre vowed themselues captiues for Babylon in their blind obedience as to disauow their common sence and reason Tell me if there be euer be among you all so farre besotted and infatuated with Iesuiticall Illusions that treason or rebellion against your Soueraine Prince should be so meritorious as to merit some better Kingdome then this of England yet can your common sense reason be so farre transported as to think you shall be in happier case vnder the Spanish yoake then vnder the gouernmnet of your owne natiue King What nations
or kingdomes so miserable as those vnder the Spaniards insolent intollerable tiranny To say nothing of the West-Indies whose wretched slauery hath been the subiect of large volumes setting out the matchlesse examples of spanish cruelties enough to cause euen those barbarous heathen to abhorre heauen it selfe if it were as the iugling Friers Iesuits falsly informed them the reward of Spaniards with whom they would be loath to goe thither vpon any tearmes to speake as little of our neighbour Netherlands once vnder the Spaniard but whose saluage and treacherous crueltie grew so intollerable that theu shooke him quite besides the saddle enough to proue him vnexpert in the Art of good Horse-manship which consists rather 〈…〉 and moderating of the 〈◊〉 then in the rough and ouer imperious vsage of the Rod and Spurre to passe by also those goodly Countries in Italy as of Naples Millain and the rest how groane they vnder that Iberian yoake how the people once conquerours of the world now made slaues their Nobility debased their ancient Gentrie defaced and all trampled vnder the Spaniards proud foote Go no farther then Spaine it selfe Aske that company that came lately out of Spaine and tooke a full view of the Spanish Regiment they can tell you how vnworthy it is to become so much as a Paterne for the Noble State of England to follow How base and wretched is the whole Commonaltie of that Nation though Natiues What slaues vnder a Tyrant rather then Subiects vnder a King There no lawes are in force but such as establish an absolute tyranny There euery monyed man may not bee permitted to purchase lands no nor to buy himselfe good 〈◊〉 but according to his stinted pittance a pound of Beefe or so There the common 〈◊〉 for all their great Masters 〈…〉 of so many mynes are glad of copper coyne instead of siluer for who goes worse shod then the shoomakers wife and if he chance to get any siluer purchased with his double commodities he must be sure to pay the King and the Priest in the purest coyne for if he offer them the base the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Priest can finde no hands to recieue it turning away his face as though he cared not for money and such an offence is not absolued nor expiated without â—â—ere siluer As for his base coyne that he may lay out to haue as base commodities for it not halfe so good penny-woorths as our poore haue at the Chandeler for their farthings For as neere as they can the seller shapes his price according to the stuffe or mettall which the buyer bringeth Their taxes are intollerable Take but one instance the common meritorious Curtisans that trade for three pence a turne must pay one penny of it to the King and another to the Pope and haue but the third penny to herselfe though it be too much vnlesse she deserued it better To say nothing of the miserable captiuity of the Spaniards who sitting at dinner or so if the Priests bell doe but tinkle at the doore his Dame be she neuer so buxome or debonaire louely or dainty away she must to priuate shrifte while the good-man must be glad to bite vpon the sower hearbes of cholericke jealousie leauing his dainty Kates perforce alas to the Priest to feede upon O poore Spaniards yea some of them informed by our English then their Guests how free we were in England from such bondage deepely sighed as far as they durst saying England was happy and enjoyed Heauen while themselues were tormented in Hell and Purgatory And tell me now O yee English Romain Catholickes do yee enuy the happinesse of the Spanish yoake Is it so sweete trow you to exchange for it your English liberty Yet though you affect it neuer so much though Iesuiticall eloquence neuer so fairely guilt ouer with a brainsick ambition of becomming great Magnificoes yet soft a while you must not looke 〈◊〉 to goe cheeke by iowle with senior Spaniole to bee vsed â—â—â—â—gether so favourably as your Don is For he is a Natiue of Spaine you Aliens he is for all his Masters yoake poore and true to his King so poore that he cannot chuse but bee true for yee seldome or neuer heare of rebellion or treason in Spaine by a Spaniard Why because the poore shakes are kept so cold that they want courage strength to sting but in England it is otherwise As king Henry 4 of England a wise Prince who full well knew the humour of the English they are a graue authors words in his admonition to his Sonne at his death said of English men so long as the haue wealth and riches so long shalt thou hâ—ue obeysance but when they be poore then are they ready to make insurrections at euery motion For as Alfred of Beuerly sang of England in his Poem Libera gens cui libera mens libera lingua Sed lingua melior libera 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Nation free whose minde whose tongue if free But hand then tongue will better freer be And what liberty doe not euen you yourselues here inioy wherein are you restrained vnlesse a little in that wherein it were happy for you that ye had not the least communion at all I meane your Romish Religion But of that Anon. But say any should renounce the best natiue properties of English men which is fidelitie and loyaltie to their Prince and Country and retaine the worst to wit an itching affection after noueltie and change Say that the Iesuits with their Circean Cup should so transforme our English as Vlisses his men into Hoggs as when the hungry Wolfe or Fox should see me to present to their smell some gratefull coÌ„modity they should inconsiderately with the snowt of sensuality cast open the doore of their owne sty and so let in the rauenous Beasts to prey both vpon themselues the whole litter turning their habitations into Dennes of such wild Beastes In plaine tearmes say that if the subtile and cruell Spaniard were now with a great Nauy vpon our narrow Seas seeking to arriue on our Coast but could not 〈◊〉 we kept our Sinque-Ports and Forts well guarded yea specially so long as we were all fast knit in vnity among our selues like true English-men but that the Popes Catholick sons should be perswaded for the obtaining 〈◊〉 least of the liberty of their consciences if not to plunge themselues into a further thraldome to rise vp for the Catholick King by which meanes he might haply 〈◊〉 footing in England what thinke you then should become of you Grandees all of you would be Yea Grand deuills and such as your new master of Spaine would neuer account worthy to be trusted so much as to digge in his siluer Mynes in the West-Indies who so vnnaturally would not stick to betray your deare natiue Country Nay would he not spare that labour and cost to carry you so farre to bee his slaues though as Mendoza answered Henry 3 of France that