pittifull complaints of the poore forsaken What dilatory plees non-suites vnnecessary essoines wagers of lawe false pleadings vnlawfull arrests wicked impannelling suborning and corrupting Iurors delayed false and corrupt iudgements and executions vnconscionable Writtes of errour against right such remooueings of sutes appeales and I know not how many shifts to defraude auoyde and with-holde true titles haue beene and are practised and vncontrolled by these Protestant doctrines which catholike Religion condemneth binding the wicked practisers of such iniustices to an equall amends and restitution to the parties grieued These and such abuses the lawe of Nature the lawe of Nations Canon Imperiall Prouinciall in all christian Nations doe condemne not onely in countries and kingdoms professing Christ they are disabled but exploded in al heathenish regiments of Iewes Turks Tartares Persians Indians and all antient law makers among the Romans Graecians Lacedemonians and others onely practised and not disallowed in Protestant regiments That portion of wealth which the religious Cleargy of England enioyed in Catholike times if Foxe may be beleeued amounted to the third part of the substance of our nation and was then employed concerning them to the necessaries of their poore chaste and single life the remnant was bestowed some for maintainance and defence of our Kings and country the Catholike Cleargy was then able and often did furnish maine armies to that end more then all the ministers of England and Abbey gentlemen are able or will performe the rest was in Religious vses the poore were relieued so many statutes against them and to burden the country were not knowne strangers were lodged pilgrimes entertained the sicke and maimed prouided for orphanes kept widdowes defended Was not this so offensiue parte of religious goods in Protestants iudgement better bestowed then in hunting hawking cardings courtings and such like almes to which the Protestant possessours haue disposed it Let vs speake of friends at home and abroade Catholike Religion kept and left England in friendship and amitie with the Popedome Empire Spaine and all countries in the world protestancy hath either set vs at open variance or suspitious peace withall Quarrels among countries and kings are euer grounded from behauiour of Princes publike magistrates and persons of regard in those states Protestants of England euer since their entraunce haue supplied those places priuate persecuted and reiected men such as Catholikes of England haue beene and are there esteemed cannot bee the origin of such contentions What should I speake of honours or other publike profits wherwith England was adorned by our Religion and whereof Protestancy hath dispoyled it Was it not an honourable quiet and secure preeminence to be at league with so many and mighty christian Princes Were not all communions with them and their countries as ordinary to England and al estates thereof as to themselues had not our kings their legarde and continuing ambassadors in those dominions whereby peace was preserued quarrels preuented perrils auoyded the country in security warres but seldome and neuer of such continuance What historie doth make relation of so chargeable and prolonged wars of this kingdome with other nations as our late and present Spanish Flemish and Irish be What Nobleman ot Gentleman of accompt did not then and would not now desire both for his owne and countries honour and reputation to know other nations to bee present in the Courts of forraine potent Princes to learne language to see diuersities of people and manners to know their order of Regiment to winne experience What learning nurtriture and knowledge haue our gentry and nobility lost by that seperation What a blemish it is euen in some of highest order and in the greatest affaires of common wealth England findeth and forrainers are not ignorant and the great aduantage and highly esteemed preeminence of him or them in that place which hath enioyed it will witnesse Would not a souldier for his skill and honour in armes affect to know the order and discipline of their warres especially against Infidels and misbeleeuing Princes What scholler for his instruction in learning might not couet those vniuersities wherein for an Englishman to haue beene student or consecrated Priest now so odious was euer had for high honour and reputation Would not the marchants of England esteeme it both a priuate helpe to themselues and a publike profit to our nation to haue free trade and trafficke in their dominions Should not all England Nobles gentlemen meaner people and all estates of men Catholikes Protestants and whatsoeuer be desirous that we might alwayes bee free both from forraine and domesticall warres or if by any necessitie not in time preuented we shuld by probabilitie bee infested with the one coulde or would he wish to be afflicted with both Peace is to be desired strife to be auoyded friendes esteemed many and potent enimies to be feared If any man of indifferent sentence entereth into iudgement to consider the time of Protestancie which is past the present estate wherein England is and what wee are like to taste heereafter by such proceedings I doubt not but he will be of my opinion that it were better to be in such condition as it was in the two and twentieth yeere of King Henry the eight when this reformation or soone after beganne then euer it was by Protestancie since nowe is or by probability will grow to be in time to come For auoyding offence I will voluntarily omitte particulars of comparisons as also the conformitie of our catholike Religion to the true and equall interpretation of our present lawes both in the same regarde as that it demaundeth a larger treatie then this place alloweth These may now suffice for excuse not onely to your most Honorable Company but to all inferior and subdepending Magistrates principally such as persecute vs vnder the false pretence of our repugnancie to a lawfull and ciuill regiment for whose cause I haue both beene longer in this question and must be enforced heereafter to vse more speech of our obediēce to the English laws of this time than I otherwise had intended SECT IX The Authors defence to all honourable Ladies and Gentlewomen AND as I must not bee vngratefully vnduetifull to so many Catholicke Ladies and noble Gentlewomen of England our nurses and foundresses in former times so I desire pardon of that present sexe and condition not to be offended with my writing for I defend the faith and religion of all honorable holy and vertuous English Queenes Princesses Ladies and Gentlewomen I may not permit the Foundresses of so many Churches Chappelles Aultares Monasteries Nunneries Colledges and Religious places to bee reprooued for that pietie I cannot in conscience suffer such a triumphant and victorious company of that calling so famous for miracles and renowned for sanctitie as our greatest ennemies Fox Pantaleon and others acknowledge in them an euident argument of true Religion to be condemned nor the immortall fame of the soules of such to
the muster bookes haue amounted vnto thirtie hundred thousands of able men to which if wee adde so many women making the number of threescore hundred thousands the summe will be fiue times so much that is thirty hundred thousand poundes by the yeere and to make a better esteeme of the Ministers progeny in expences lette vs suppose that in so many yeeres they haue only amounted vnto one hundred thousand of people and that euery person of that increased tribe spendeth but three pence in the day peny halfepeny a meale and to help this reckoning let vs forgiue their apparell and all other costs for nothing which is no vnequal dealing yet their expences in the yeare do make 547500. fiue hundred thousands seuen and forty thousands and fiue hundreds of poundes which is more than any victorious king of England spent in the continuall maintenaunce of a royall army and wil discharge more and greater wars than euer her Maiestie had and spare so many taxes raised vppon better subiects thus I could exemplifie in other Protestant excesses But to vrge many of these doctrines woulde bee too tedious therefore I will passe them ouer How their other actuall proceedings haue beene conformable to their words and teachings hath beene somewhat declared before and I may remit the Reader to the second parte of my Resolution in many chapters where I haue prooued euen by the Protestants owne confessions and testimonies that their behauiour and disobedience in commonwealths is worse then amoÌ„g Iewes Turkes Pagans or any Infidelles and whosoeuer at this time entereth into view of the manners of all conditions of Protestants both of this and other nations can not call it in question neither can it be imagined how amendment can be had eâ—cept a reformation of the originall of these abuses Protestant disobedient doctrine be made for like causes must haue like effects Now let vs examine whether such disobedience in doctrine or disloyaltie of behauiour to commonwealths can be noted in Catholike religion doe we not teach all duety vnto Princes and superiours what office either of Prince or inferiour Magistrate what estate or condition of men clergy or laytie what time peace or warres or any thing that can be said belonging vnto gouernement is not most sincerely deliuered by the Casnysts and Canonists of our religion and that consenting to the regiment of the most famous and honourable Kingdomes of the worlde gouerned by such constitutions Or is there any thing wee teach different or not agreeing to the auntient and most polliticke regiment of all christian Nations To beginne with that most reuerend function of Priesthood now treason by the proceedings of England as some Protestants alleadge what is there in that most sacred Religious dignitie that can bee guiltie of so great a crime Treason is the greatest offence that can be committed in England and is called with vs Crimen laesae maiestatis an offence that hurteth the Kings or Queenes Maiestie and Proditio a betraying because as appeareth by our auntient Lawes of King Edward the third where it is set downe what shal be treason nothing is remembred but that which tendeth either to the betraying of the King or countrey and so it is prouided by other lawes Alas what is in Priesthoode now that was not in former times that it must be so accounted in the dayes of one Queene which in the regiments of almost two hundred Christian Kings within this kingdome hath euer beene reputed both in parliament and elsewhere the most honorable calling next to the prince as the places of our great Priests or Archbishops are euidence Nothing is or can be changed in that sacrament howsoeuer the mindes and proceedings of Protestants doe change The same priesthoode which was giuen to Saint Peter and the Apostles the same which saint Augustine and his associates hadde that conuerted England the same which hath beene so honored of al English Kings since then is the same which this people is not ashamed thus to terme The same Sacrament vnchangeable the same power of order the same iurisdiction then except the state of England bee not the same it was Priesthoode must be honorarable not trecherous There is not any poynt of ciuill regiment in that sacrament being wholie spirituall and supernaturall nothing concerning a temporall common wealth no renouncing or deniall of any authority in England no conspiracie to Prince no betraying of a kingdome of whome no one worde or mention is made or can bee intended no matter giuen in charge no authoritie communicated but to offer sacrifice to pray to preach minister Sacraments and such priestly functions as the Pontificall will witnesse which are not preiudiciall to a commonwealth but such as the Ministers of England immitate the like as I haue prooued in other places That Priests doe absolue from sinnes and excommunications which they pretend the cause is no temporall thing and yet it cannot be the cause of this treason for Deacons which haue no such authoritie be traitours by the same statute That our Priests be consecrated in forraine countries neither can be or is the cause that this dignitie is now so vnwoorthily reputed for in former times it hath beene the greatest honour to our Cleargie to be consecrated in those famous Countries and all our Primitiue archbishops of Canterbury were so sacred at this time Priesthoode giuen in France to which we be friends and in England it selfe to which England must not be enemies is equally treason with these men as to bee ordered in Rome Spaine or any place most offensiue to our state of England And yet I woulde desire all States men to consider that the Graecians Germanes and other people hauing their doctrine diuers to the Church of Rome haue their Seminaries in the same City and their Priests maintained by the same Popes and ordered by their authoritie and yet the Princes of those Nations being Infidell Turkes for the greater part condemne not their Priests for Traitours but suffer them to be quiet without incumber admitting the exercise of their function as agreeable to common wealth And as it were a great absurditie to say that the Pope in releeuing the Catholike Students of Palestina Graecia Armenia and such nations shoulde doe it in hope to be temporall Lord of those Countries but only for loue to true religion so it is as improbable he should haue any such intent to England as vnprobable as the others to bee vnder his temporall regiment or howe can those religious schooles be such aduersaries to our English gouernement where neither Reader Professor or Student of Policie is or by the foundations and statutes of those places may be maintained No law order rule exercise lecture or disputation in any of those Seminaries that hath affinitie with such affaires where no one point or opinion in doctrine against our English or any other well gouerned commonwealth as is proued is practized But
will tell and many remember to their little glorie What the latter in the Tower was no man is ignorant howe much it did disgrace them No lawe of God of Nature of any Nation doth or can iudge conuict and condemne the vilest Subiect in the meanest matter if hee bee absent but where by contempt hee refuseth triall The Question whereof wee contend is the greatest the meanes wee haue made for audience bee all that can be deuiâ— those that haue sought it are not to be contemned the iudgements that haue beene pronounced for vs bee innumerable and of highest authoritie if euer any was giuen against vs you see howe vnequall and vniust it was and yet I offer to prooue that no Lawe or Parliament of England hath or can condemne vs euen by her Maiesties proceedings Then my Lordes and Patrones as you are wise you knowe what to doe as you are gracious with our Queene in whose handes the redresse of this matter lieth as you are maisters of your selues potent and beloued with the Nobles and powerable with all her people you are able to performe what is to bee doone as you are mercifull you must take compassion as iustice belongeth to your place you can not make deniall The matter it selfe all circumstaunces of persons places and time bidde mee bee secure you will heare my petition The matter is the cause of God and his highest reuerence your Honourable persons may not be vnmercifull the persons of our greatest persecutours bee impious the persons of vs your poore suppliants are your most duetifull religious and vniustly afflicted Countreymen of your flesh and blood for place of that nation whereof you bee chiefe members and wee little limmes to deny influence vnto vs is to bereaue your selues of life being of the same body If I will pleade by time as Daniell did wee haue suffered a long persecution as hee disputed with God concerning his promise of Redemption of the captiues of Israel Septuagesimus iam annus est it is or almost is the seauentieth yeere of our desolation since King Henry the eight beganne to impose this heauie burden vppon vs. The time biddeth mee goe forward for the yeere of Iubile centesimus annus is begunne when all exiles were to returne olde priuiledges to bee enioyed all fauours and graces to bee graunted This is the time when all christian Countries in the world but we and such as depend of vs are at peace among themselues Your Honours knowe better than I can enforme what a generall amitie and friendshippe Clement the eight POPE that nowe is hath concluded among them wherein are comprehended the POPE himselfe the Emperour Electors all Kings Princes Dukes Common-weales States Rulers and Regiments of the Popedome Empire Bohemia Spaine Fraunce Germany Polland Sweede Scotland Denmarke Venice Lorraine Thuscane Genoa Luca Parma Playsance Austria Mantua Vrbine Salamoneta Monaco Fynall Massa Plombin Sola Carolino Pallatine Brandenburge Wittenbergh Hessen Hamsbach East Freesland Cantons of Switzerland and many others Noble Patrones your office is to seeke for peace and maintaine it the estate of our Princes and all hir people is to wish it that fauour I intreate is the way to perfect peace to peace with heauen to peace with earth with all others with our selues All things desire peace and seeke for rest and your wisedomes are not will not cannot be against it And to knowe the way of peace there is a ground in Artes vppon which all knowledge is grounded Quae conueniunt vnitertio conueniunt inter se c. Those thinges that agree in a third thing agree among themselues and such as disagree in a third disagree among themselues For if things agree they must needes agree in something if they agree not in that wherein they shoulde agree of necessity they must be at variance and at greater difference by howe much their difference is greater in that wherein they shoulde consent this is euident in all communities and agreements That which maketh peace and vnitie with God and man is true Religion that bindeth them together That which vniteth Christians is the one certaine rule and promulgation of that faith that which concordeth man with himselfe and the inferiour appetites to reason is the grace which that Religion giueth and by howe much wee differ most in these things by so much our disagreement with God with men with our selues is greater The Kingdomes and Countries Kings and Rulers of Spaine Fraunce Italie Polonia Sueuia Transiluania Bohemia Austria Bauaria Sauoy Lorraine Brittanie Burgundy and other Countries agree in these things and they are at perfect vnitie and peace and vntill they did agree therein they were not And all other Countries and Kingdomes agree more or lesse as they agree herein there is no Religion wherein England can agree with any because the Religion thereof is different from all neither can any twoo Protestant Nations haue this peace together because no twoo of them bee of one Religion If wee will agree in this poynt with Catholicke Nations wee shall agree with God because true Religion is our vnion with him wee shall agree with Angelles for the same is approoued with them wee shall agree with all glorious soules in Heauen for this is necessarie to the communion and communication of Saints wee shall be at concorde with the happy patient Christians in Purgatorie wee shall haue peace with our selues with all Catholicke Christians in the worlde that be that euer were before vs or shall be after Wee shall agree with all with whome atonement must and ought to bee made and disagree with none but with Diuelles damned spirites and such as doe will and can agree with none and with whom no good man in conscience can agree in such things And our agreement shall be perfect indssoluble generall and for euer because the eâ—fect and vnion of Religion is not for one familiâ— countrie cittie time and place as the combinations and carnall vnions of kinred country and such temporall coniunctions are but foreuer and all and so is the greatest that can be If it bee in your powers to procure this attonement if you performe it you shall effect the most honourable and renowned thing our age hath seene and they which so much desire it and iustly deserue it will not can not bee vngratefull in their liues and words and in their writings will make you honourable to all posterities If you can performe it and neglect it although you be no formall persecutours yet because you suffer others to doe it and leaue it in their power when you may amend it you wil be in the degree of dishonor both with God and man as those enemies which I remembred before and except you recall your mindes like to taste of the same vengeance they haue done it is the cause of God which is powerable to punish that is iust and will take reuengement What is best to be done your Honors knowe and no man can be ignorant
An Apologicall Epistle Directed to the right honorable Lords and others of her Maiesties priuie Counsell Seruing aswell for a Praeface to a Booke entituled A Resolution of Religion as also containing the Authors most lawfull Defence to all estates for publishing the same The Argument of that Worke is set downe in the page following Printed at Antwerp with licence the fiue and twenty day of March 1601. Stilo novo The Argument of the booke intituled A Resolution of Religion promised and defended in this Epistle THe Resolution of Religion being deuided into two parts entreateth in the first of the absolute Necessitie of a Diuine worship against all Atheists Epicures Doubters or Deniers thereof proouing aswell the most infallible certainty and preeminences of this supernaturall Reuerence as the manifold grosse absurdities of that vnnaturall and prophane People Secondly it demonstrateth against Iewes Pagans Mahumetanes and all externall Enemies of Christ that onely the Religion which he taught is true and all others blasphemous and ouerwhelmed with manifest and intollerable errours In the second part it sheweth by aboue an hundred vnanswerable Arguments against all Heretikes and internall Aduersaries that among so many professions of Christ onely Catholike Romane Religion is true and deliuered by him and all others especially the Protestancie of England not onely by all those Reasons but by their owne grounds and proceedings false and damnable IHS MAR To the right honourable Lordes and others of her Maiesties priuie Counsell RIght Honorable and renowmed Regents If the first created Ruler in earth had not broken the Rule of his Creator and supreame Ruler in Heauen vnrulinesse had not entred Superiours had not found so many disorders to reforme Inferiors had wanted so greeuous causes of complaint For when by that infinite and inerrable power of God all creatures were framed in perfection man as he was made according to his similitude and to be his Viceroy ouer this inferior world so he was constituted far more perfect than the rest replenished with all kinds both of spirituall and corporall fauors and had an especiall Charter of priuiledged habilitie had hee not wilfully lost it to be enfranchized from all defects of soule or body defended from the first by the armour of originall Iustice and exempted from the second by refuge and sanctuary to the tree of life In that happy condition and estate no infirmitie had beene bewailed no errour in the vnderstanding no froward affection in the will no King Senate Councell or Ruler had beene entroubled with rules of Reformation no subiect had complained no man had beene iniured For where no offence either against God or man no disobedience of the inferiour appetite to Reason or of Reason against her Ruler had raigned nothing could be amisse to be complained of by the one or corrected by the other SECT I. The frailetie and pronenesse of man to sinne after the fall of Adam BVt after our protoparent made forfeiture of that tenure broke conditions with God our Writte of Priuiledge was reuoked and Citty of refuge taken away and humane nature left to it selfe naked and disabled among so many enemies and allurements of iniquitie came to that impotent and poore degree wherein we are insomuch that Philosophers and such as were onely conuersant in naturall affaires prouing by pittifull experience the still continuing and vncured scarres of that combat ignorance errour concupiscence sinne sickenes death and other afflictions which they found in themselues and vnacquainted what they had lost in their first ancestor deplored the state of man so much that they affirmed Nature onely in the production of him behaued her selfe like a stepmother and not as a naturall mother such were the complaints of Cicero Homer Empedocles Heraclitus Plinius and others and it was the primordiall stumbling blocke to the blockish and beastly Epicures as Lactantius witnesseth to deny the prouidence of God and all religion of man vnto him And although this complaint was vniust and proceeded of ignorance yet the wound which was then inflicted hath so festered in the whole posteritie of Adam that vntill this corruptible hath put on incorruption and this mortall immortalitie and death whose companions they are is swallowed vppe in victorie in the triumph of our glorious resurrection there is no hope of cure And touching sinne and iniquitie which as it was the most deadly and deepest sore so most to be bewailed the transgression of the first law-breaker was so venomous a seede to bring foorth wickednesse and disobedience in the race of man that neuer any law-maker magistrate or superior spirituall or temporall either by example in themselues as a president to subiects or any law ordinance reward or preferment for vertue penalty and punishment for vice or any other engine or instrument could roote it out no Bohemas among the Bohemians no Tuball among the Spaniardes no Belus among the Assyrians no Ceres or Rhadamanthus no Draco or Solon among the Athenians Mercurius among the Egyptians no Minos Lycurgus Charandes Phoroneus Romulus Pithagoras or Apollo among the Cretensians Lacedemonians Tyrians Grecians Romans Italians Arcadians no Mulmutius Dunwallo Alfrede Edward or any other politicke or vertuous king ruler or law-maker in England or any other Nation could weede it vp neither any spirituall law promulged and deliuered either by Adam the first which knew best the difference of the estates of innocencie and sinne hauing prooued both and preached it first to the primitiue world or Noe to those that were drowned in the deluge or Abraham Lot Iob Moses to the Cananites Sodomites posteritie of Esau or others And Christ Iesus the sonne of God wisedome of his Father and God himselfe the most prudent law-maker perfect exemplar and president without all sinne and exception although he became our Priest sacrifice and redeemer and offered so rigorous a ransome that the least drop of his immaculate and vnvaluable blood or the meanest of his so many infinitely meritorious operations had beene both able and woorthy to haue washed away and cleansed not onely the malice and venome of sinne but the whole poyson and infection of all other infirmities and defects yet it pleased that diuine wisedome to leaue them as a perpetual penitential memoriall of our former demerite to continue in this state of pilgrimage and as they were contracted in our first fall from innocencie in Paradise so perfectly to be remooued in our last resurrection to endlesse glory and happines so that all times and places more or lesse haue beene infected with infirmities all sexes and ages men women and children except some one or few excepted by a speciall writing of diuine exemption little or much originally and actually haue beene defiled The law deliuered to Angells was transgressed in heauen If we follow the common opinion that Angelles were created in that imperiall Pallace the Law giuen in the state of innocencie was broken in Paradise the vnwritten Lawe vnder the
condition to whome as I hope my answere then was sufficient for my owne priuate so dooing So nowe lastly for that cause I humbly intreate licence to direct these reasons which I haue gathered in that question both for the excuse of my selfe and others to your Honours their successours in that court of iudgement although farre more mercifull moderators in such causes And that I may giue full assurance I doe it not to vpbraid any of your Honourable societie but onely to make my accompt and complaint to them in whom I haue reposed most hope of reliefe Ther is not now one left aliue to my knowledge that was then of the priuie Counsell or present there except your poore suppliant such is the variable course of earthly things Wherefore my humble sute to your Honours is that you will not onely accept of this my poore present which for those reasons I haue alledged your wisedome pietie mercy and iustice will not may not cannot refuse to doe but as you are in the highest degree of credit with my Soueraign so to be a meanes to her and as you can rule the rest to giue but indifferent and deserued defence against those which vniustly shall dislike it SECT VII The Authors particular defence of his writing to all estates and first to her Maiestie THen noble Patrons be my defenders in this my so iust and godly cause excuse my attempt to my Princesse and Queene let not my doings be offensiue vnto you the rest of the Nobilitie and protect me against the inferior controllers I would be loath my endeuours should be misexpounded of any Therefore I humbly craue fauour by you to tender a particular excuse to all And beginning with my Catholikely christned anoynted and crowned Queene Elizabeth to whom I wish both as much spirituall benediction and terrene honor as any subiect may to his temporall Soueraigne or as I would if she were of my owne Religion I desire her gratious leaue in this enterprise I defend that Religion which the lawe of God whereof she and all christian Princes professe defence defendeth the Lawes of the Church of Christ defend whereto she hath vowed defence by the vowe of a christian in baptisme by the promise and trueth of a Catholike in profession and life by the promise oath and fidelitie of a christian Catholike annointed consecrated and elected Queene at her coronation for defence whereof that most renowned and princely title the glorie of her stile was first granted to her father and still vsed of her Maiestie for that intent and by the POPES donation I defend that Religion whereof shee yet retaineth in her Princely person some reuerent notes which the pietie of her Catholike education gaue her as the vsing vpon sodaine and strange accidents to signe her selfe or women with childe with the sacred signe of the Crosse the great character of our glory and as it is reported in her owne priuate opinion not preuaricating in the maine poynt of the reall presence and others of chiefest moment euident hopes and tokens of no irrecouerable laps I will teach nothing contrary to her princely dignitie and prerogatiues nothing repugnant to her owne truely interpreted proceedings I will defend the liues religion fame and memory of all her famous and noble christian progenitours Kings and Queenes of England many of them while they liued honourable in earth and now glorious in Heauen whome her wicked Protestant ministers must needes condemne all to hell and damnation if they will leaue any little hope for themselues to be saued for one heauen can not possesse them both The lawe of God commaundeth me the lawe of nature enforceth me humanitie compelleth gratitude obligeth duety and reuerence to my Queene Elizabeth their heire and successor dooth necessitate me in this extremitie and desperate danger of their eternall noble fame memory to releeue them that bee dead and without reliefe of those by whome they should be both relieued and reuerenced in that behalf and not permit them for want of iust defence to be condemned of men in earth that are so happily translated from corruptible to euer-during kingdomes They were such as the condition of honorable Kings requireth Historians write it their yet liuing lawes and other monuments doe prooue it it cannot be imputed folly to him that shall defend them Many of them were holie Saints and miraculously witnessed of God to be in heauen euen by Protestants testimony and confession Therefore it cannot be impiety in a subiect to the heire of their Scepter to defend their Religion but wickednes and heresie in those which shall deny it for false Religion can neither be approued by miracle from God neither bring the professors thereof to their felicitie Of what degree soeuer wee are all that liue in England are indebted to those Princes If we be Cleargy men for learning schooles and educations if noble for nobilitie if souldiers and men of armes for fortitude and heroicall actes if peaceable and ciuill gouernors for matters and presidents of regiment if of the comminalty for common peace and tranquillitie they were prudent potent religious magnificēt and triumphant Princes by their wisedome they ruled vs by their victorious gests in armes they subdued and conquered vnto vs mighty strange and forreine Nations Scotland wil witnesse Ireland can make report Ierusalem Iewrie Fraunce Britanny Normandy and other Countries made tributory and subiect vnto vs will beare me record the Princely stile of my Soueraigne Queene of England Fraunce and Ireland to this day auoucheth it to be true if wee bee men of armes the order of Martiall discipline munitions ordonance artilery victuals towns walls gates castles fortresses garrisons musters tributes seruices lieutenants generals captains souldiers their rewardes honors maintenance and pensions were prouided by them If we affect the quiet and peaceable life all possible meanes of procuring and preseruing thereof hath beene their study and inuention they spared no cost omitted no labour to performe it they personally sate in iudgement and heard the complaints and causes of their subiects comprimitted matters without expences diuided counties and prouinces priuiledged citties townes and borroughs to that purpose constituted courtes assigned Iudges ordained pensions prouided Magistrates gaue directions freed frō taxes so established a kingdome that neither any community or priuate person can iustlie make complaint against them touching the spirituall and religious they gaue vs schooles colledges and vniuersities for learning and instruction founded churches monasteries altares for professing Religion and deuotion There is no grace priuiledge or prerogatiue needefull or belonging to an honourable and absolute christian kingdome which either Prince or subiect from the greatest to the least enioyeth but wee receiued it by them if it be temporall and by their help and meanes or allowaunce and consent if it be spirituall as from the first conuersion of the British Saxon and Danish Nation to the faith of Christ all antiquities will witnesse
her royall Maiestie hath receiued life being hir crowne kingdome and diademe won and conuerted vnder Kings Ethelbertus Adelwaldus Kingylsus Edwine Peda or Wiferus Sygebertus and Redwalde her most noble and renowned christian catholike Predecessors Kings of England vnited by king Egbertus augmented and enlarged by so many Henries Edwards and others known Catholike Kings by whome so many immunities fauours and priuiledges were graunted to our religion So many altares churches chappels monasteries and places of professing Papistry as Protestants name it were founded and prouided in the first time of our conuersion from Idolatry and the very Primitiue dayes of christianitie in England The Churches of saint Paul in London of Canterbury Winchester Lincolne Westminster and others the common Schooles of Cambridge by king Sigebert the vniuersity of Oxford by king Alfrede the monastery of Gloucester by king Ofricus the monastery of Hetesey by king Oswye who assigned possssions for twelue more monasteries in Northumberland the monastery of Saint Martine in Douer by king Whitred the abbey of Lestingey by king Oswalde sonne to Saint Oswalde the abbey of Abington by king Cyssa the monastery of Ely by Queene Etheldred wife to king Elfride the monastery of Chertsey by king Edgar the abbey of Peterborow by king Ethelwalde the abby of Bardney by king Etheldredus Glastenbury by king Iâ—a the monastery of Winchcombe by king Kenulfus the abbey of Saint Albons by king Offa the abbey of Ethelingsey and nunnery of Shaftersbury by king Alfrede and fortie monasteries by king Edgar all which were edified and founded in the time of our Primitiue Church and within two hundred yeeres of our first conuersion as Fox himselfe acknowledgeth What donations and free giftes were graunted to the English Clergy by those first christian kings the donations of king Ethelwulfe Ethelbalde and others were to be free in their lands and territories from secular seruices and payments tributes and taxations to Kings c. that all churches and monasteries should be absolued from al publike vectigales works and burdens that they might therby more diligently serue God by how much they were more alleuiated of those seruices Such likewise were the graunts of Kings Sigebertus Cissa Edgar Etheldredus Offa Aluredus for the praying to God and Saints for the soules of them and their posteritie So that no man can doubt of what faith they were except it bee a question whether hee that prayeth to Saints prayeth for the dead offereth sacrifice of Masse graunteth church liberties honoreth the See of Rome buildeth altares monasteries and nunneries for Monks and Nunnes and foundeth these things be a Papist or a Protestant And it is so manifest that these holy and sanctified kings were popish and moonkish men as they tearme them and of our religion that presently vpon their beleeuing in Christ the greatest care and study they had was to prouide ornaments and necessary furniture for that profession And among the Saxon Kings within the space of two hundred yeeres as Foxe himselfe with others reporteth in the English Primitiue church nine Kings at the least King Kingylsus Iue Colulfus Eadbertus Ethelredus Kenredus Offa Sebbi and Sigebertus voluntarily forsooke their kingdoms professed monasticall life and liued monkes in vow of pouertie chastity and obedience and for that most religious action as our ennemies themselues acknowledge were most highly honoured and commended of all historians and still to this day for that cause are more glorious both to themselues and our nation then the other of our Kings how honorable soeuer The wordes of that history which Foxe in his Monuments citeth to that end are these Religion did most clearely shine insomuch that Kings Queenes Princes and Dukes Consuls and Barons and rulers of Churches incensed with desire of the kingdome of Heauen labouring and striuing among themselues to enter into monasticall life into voluntary exile and solitary liuing forsooke all and followed God And no man can deny it to bee true all Historians report it all Monuments Antiquities auouch it Wherefore my assurance is that my gratious Soueraigne and prudent Princesse clayming all things by their title cannot be offended for defence of the faith of all her noble christian progenitors and ancestors vntill now Besides so many christian kings of the Brittons about thirty in number from Lucius the first to Cadwall ader and of the English or Saxon Danish and Norman nation a hundred and fiftie kings from the conuersion of Ethelbertus Adelwaldus or Ethelwaldus Kingilsus Edwine Peda or Weda or Wiferus Sigebertus and Redwalde the first christian Kings of rhe Saxonish Septarchie most wise prudent vertuous and triumphant Princes which both they themselues embraced and maintained with all zeale and deuotion and promulged and deliuered by al lawes and constitutions to their posteritie Kings and subiects to be beleeued Which her Maiesties father K. Henry the eight although denying the Romane iurisdiction obserued in all his life and of denying that iurisdiction at his death repented of king Edward the sixt an infant more needing to be taught than to teach I say nothing and my Soueraigne that is in the time of her sister Qu. Mary professed with much deuotion and after her death at and after her owne coronation in the fidelitie oth and promise of a Prince according to our antient lawes and titles of Kings of England hath obliged and indebted her selfe to protect and defend And for defence whereof as appeareth by the statute of Westminster the first and other authenticall Recordes all those regall and princely prerogatiues which were graunted by the free subiects of England to their Kings her Catholike predecessours and which she still enioyeth by that title were granted and confirmed as euery one may reade in the kings prerogatiues and statutes in the titles of such principalities as were then and for that reason and intent giuen vnto them as the priuiledges of alienations auowsons citations corporations escheats fooles forfeitures franchises deodands intrusions mort dauncestries partitions pateÌ„ts primer seisins prouisions tenures wards seruices releefes wrecks and other preeminences Therefore this defence of those holy and euer most honorable kings can not be offensiue to my wise and prudent Princesse hauing clayming and pretending all tide and interest shee hath either to temporall or spirituall dignitie as heire and successor to their regall right and authoritie And to descend lower to those which haue bin benefited by those Princes you first my noble Patrons that possesse those honourable offices and dignities you enioy them by their institution they the first donors and founders of those preferments that life and beeing which you haue I meane not onely your honorable orderly and peaÌ„ceable life and liuing in gouernement of their prouision but that very naturall life it selfe wherein you communicate with all other reasonable men in some sort you possesse by them for if those Princes had not aduaunced your auncestors to honours and nobility
those parents of whom you are discended and haue receiued being had not bin matched together for so great disparitie betweene them and so you had neither enioyed honour dignitie life or any being at all So that howe much or whatsoeuer you can chalenge to haue you are indebted vnto them And the rest of the nobilitie of England though not chosen to that high credite and fauour of our Princesse yet whatsoeuer it is they haue landes castles mannors titles of dignitie they possesse it by their ordinance as euery Cittizen his priuiledge and immunitie euery countrey vplandish man his quiet and orderly gouernement and protection And that miserable people of England that vntruely challengeth the name of Cleargie among Protestants whatsoeuer honour Archbishop Bishop Deane or inferior order or degrees and titles in Schooles as Doctors Bachilors and Maisters and places of learning Vniuersities Colledges or Learning it selfe or their Bishoppricks Benefices Churches Houses Donations Priuiledges or any other thing they can name was deriued from our Catholike Kings Princes and those that were of that Religion Sigebertus Kingylsus Ethelbert Ofricus Wiferus Etheldredus Oswye Wbykred Oswalde Cissa Edgar Ethelbalde Iua Kenulfus Offa Aluredus Ethelwulfe Edwarde and others before the conquest and such as raigned after to the Protestant regiment no Protestant Prince enriched many spoyled churches Wherefore seeing all estates in England Soueraigne and subiects of euery condition and calling haue receiued and doe enioy so many and irrecompensible fauours from those Catholike Kings and by as many obligations are bound and endebted to so honourable and immortall benefactors no person can be so vnmindfull of duty or irregardfull of gratitude to be displeased with my defence of them which euery English-man is so much obliged to defend And if it appertaine to the title and iurisdiction of christian Kings such as no man can denie them to haue beene to determine matters and questions of Religion as the English Protestants maintaine then if I should bring no other argument but the decrees and constitutions of those holy and learned Kings to proue my entent it ought to be admitted especially ioyning therewith the authority and consent of the still forcible lawes of my euer honored Princesse for in so dooing I shall prooue my Religion by that ground whereby onely it is impugned by the Protestants of England assigning the temporall prince for the time being to haue supreame authoritie in that cause and of what credite soeuer the Statutes of the Protestants are in this question touching her Maiesties catholike predecessors it was in all vpright iudgement vnpossible they should be deceiued For if God giueth ordinary or extraordinary assistaunce to Kings and Princes either for their owne vertuous endeuours and sanctity or for the pietie learning and number of them by whome they are counsailed and aduised there is no comparison but rather Protestant princes should erre then they the zeale and deuotion of those Kings catholike I haue cited before and Protestant writers Pantaleon Foxe and others acknowledge many of them to be glorious Saints in heauen whither false Religion could not bring theÌ„ And to giue example it is written not onely by English both Catholike and Protestant but forraine Historians that king Aelfred builded the monastery of monkes in Ethelingsey and that of nunnes in Shaftesbury he founded the vniuersitie of Oxford hee translated the lawes into our English tongue and diuerse other profitable Bookes for the instruction of his subiects hee diuided the foure and twenty houres of the day and night into three equall partes eight houres he spent in writing reading and praying eight houres in sleepe and other bodily prouision and the other eight houres in hearing and dispatching the causes and complaintes of his subiectes Such was the exercise of Kings in those catholike times as all Historians and Registers are witnesse and their constitutions themselues contained among the Lawes of Saint Edwarde reported by Foxe and yet to be seene in Guilde Hall giue euidence wherein is contained that King which dooth not such things in his owne person is not woorthy the name of a King and that hee ought to take his solemne oathe vppon the Euangelists and blessed Relickes of Saints before the whole state of his realme to execute such things and maintaine the holy Church with all integrity and libertie according to the Constitutions of his Auncestors and Predecessors before he be crowned of the Archbishops and Bishoppes and that he ought to haue vnder him three seruants as vassails fleshly lust auarice and greedy desire This was the integritie exercise and profession of those Princes so that if these â—ters must bee referred to Princes iudgements in regarde of themselues it is not likely they were permitted by God to bee in errour which performed all things both for the aduauncing his honour and the publike peace which was the rigorous execution of their duetie If wee considder what counsaile and aduise they vsed as in matters of warre they consulted with such expert and valiant captaines as were both a securitie at home and a terrour to forraine Nations and in causes of peace and publike gouernement with the most prudent wise and sage men iudges and others of our nation as the wordes of the auntient donations of our Kings Cum consilio Episcoporum Principum by the counsaile of Bishops and Princes and as all Monuments and the teste of euery Writ in law to this day wil declare so concerning matters of practicall conscience the greatest offices as Chancellor priuie Seale and Treasurer which be the chiefest places of confidence and conscience were alwayes executed in those dayes as Maister Fox reporteth by the Claergie and Bishoppes of England And touching matters of Faith and Religion they had alwayes of their priuy Councel the most holy vertuous and learned Bishops of their time such were Saint Cedde Saint Anselme Saint Dunstane Saint Thomas of Canterbury Saint Thomas of Hereford Lanfrancus and others to their Kings and whatsoeuer any publike decree of religious causes was to be enacted or receiued in parliament the whole Cleargie of England in their Cardinals Archbishops Bishops Suffragans Abbots Priors and other chiefe ecclesiasticall persons ten to one in number to the parliament ministery of this time was alwayes present and no decree of faith euer concluded but by the generall consent of the whole christian worlde generall councells and the vniuersall Church of God which can neuer be seduced so that no possible place of errour was left for those kings except God would which he could not permitte the whole world to be deluded To which if wee adde so many supernaturall signes and miracles as are written confessed by Protestants themselues in the liues of Saint Oswable Saint Edmunds Saint Edwards Lucius Kingylsus Iua Ceoluisus Offa Sigebertus and other knowne catholike kings of England shewed by God to testifie the trueth of their Religion in earth and
the greatnes of their glory in heauen and whereof some for the sanctitie of those Princes are hereditary to their posteritie not by any desert of Protestants as the miraculous curing of that naturally vncurable disease thereby called the Kings or Queenes euill obtained by the holines of Saint Edward euery man must say that eyther God immutable and vndeceiuable hath giuen testimony to falshoode which is vnpossible or else that their Religion was true which is most certaine And if it shoulde not bee tedious to your Honors I would craue to enlarge this Argument by the vnhappy successe of those Princes which in any sort haue opposed themselues to that holy See of Rome where the Vicar of Christ and his viceregent in religious causes liueth and as we haue seene before all those kings of England that haue beene the greatest fauourers of that faith and most obedient to that See to be most happy and glorious so contrariwise wee shall perceiue all Kings that haue shewed repugnancie to him for that religion no christian King of England before this time denied to haue had the most vnfortunate and dishonorable life and end and that Apostolike gouernour to haue alwayes beene conquerour That holy See from the first Bishop thereof Saint Peter to Clement the eight that now raigneth hath had two hundred thirty and sixe Popes and hath beene assaulted by al forraine and domesticall enemies the gates of Hell haue beene set open against it and yet neuer any preuailed and because Christ hath spoken and promised it they shall neuer preuaile In the Primitiue age of Christianitie it was assaulted by the Pagan Emperours such as were Conquerours of the world and commanded all things and yet they could neither conquer nor commaunde it although they had put the greatest part of the first Popes to death but it subdued them in the end and their endes were miserable and the prophecie of Sybilla that the Fishers Hooke should subdue the Romane Empire and conquer the world was fulfild in the successors of S. Peter Rome was sacked spoiled by Halaricus Huns Gothes Vysegothes but that holy and indefectible See preuailed and vanquished Attila that surnamed scourge of God and vnconquerable captaine was miraculously caused to retire at the voyce of Saint Leo then Pope Rome was besieged by Limprandus but the very countenance of Pope Zachary enforced him to desist as Pantaleon himselfe confesseth The Saracens twice subdued Theophilus Emperour of the East and made Nicephorus his predecessour tributorie vnto them conquered Candy persecuted Affrike a great parte of Europe and Asia destroyed Italie burned the suburbes of Rome and yet Pope Gregory the fourth without force repelled them In the time of Luther the Duke of Burbon besieged Rome but beeing excommunicate the satterday before his desperate attempt hee was miserably slaine at the assault and died censured as Foxe reporteth and since such time many Protestants affirme Papistrie entred in that inuincible See hath beene oppugned and resisted with all the might and endeuours of the Kings Princes and supreame Regents of Germania Bauaria Persia Caesarea Saxonia Frisia Bulgaria Dalmatia Slauonia Morauia Normandia Dania Vandalia Polonia Prussia Hollandia Zelandia Hungaria Pomerania Noruegia Liflandia Lithuania Maiorica Granata Graecia Armenia the east and weast Indies Iapponia and so many vaste Nations in those partes of the world yet that little See of Rome and the faith thereof hath subdued them all and the poore Moonkes Freers and religious Priests sent from thence and that authority haue miraculously ouerthrown them That See was assaulted by Iulian the Apostata Emperour but how miserable was his end Valens and other Arrian and hereticall Emperours persecuted it but they were confounded The Graecians Armenians and Iacobines denied their obedience vnto it but were both in disputation condemned and after made vassalles to the infidell Turkish Empire In the primitiue Church before Constantine almost a hundred Pagan Emperours either truly elected or reputed persecuted it and al of them except ten or eleuen died miserably when the persecuted Popes put to death by them came not to the third part of that number Aboue foure hundred Archheretikes and their associates with all craft and subtiltie before Luther and the Protestant rebellion rebelled against it but they are so blotted out of memory that no mention is made of them but by Catholike writers impious politike and ambitious christian Kings and Emperors althogh not in matters of doctrine and faith yet in cases of iurisdiction haue wrastled with it but they all were maugre all their might and power put to foyle Frecardus king of Scotland warred against it but he had beene deposed of his nobilitie if Colmanus their Bishop had not forbidcen them wishing they should expect the vengeance of God vpon him for his disobedience which soone after came to passe for hee died morbo pediculari eaten with lice and his grandfather before him for the like disobedience was apprehended and imprisoned by his nobles and desperately killed himselfe Such was the end of Sanctius king of Portugall for his contempt to Pope Innocentius the fourth Bolislaus King of Polonia striued with Pope Gregory the seauenth but his body was cutte in peeces by his owne souldiers and cast to the dogges and no successour of his for the space of two hundred yeares could euer obtaine to be called a King except Vladislaus his next successor which could neuer procure his coronation Like was the successe of King Philip of France with Pope Vrbanus the second such was the end of the Emperours with their empire for disobedience to that See it was translated frō the French to Otho the third and the case of the Emperour Henry the fourth Fredericke the second with Pope Gregory the seuenth Honorius the third and Gregorie the ninth was not vnlike the first being lamentably depriued of his imperial dignitie and the second both spoyled thereof and pitifully strangled to death by Manifredus the bastard and left the Empire voyde by the space of eight and twenty yeeres Such was the recompence of Otho the fourth or fift and Lodowicke the fourth for their contention with Pope Innocentius the third and Clement the sixt how long the East Empire fauouring the Graecian Schisme against the Church of Rome hath beene drowned in the Turkish regiment euery one knoweth as howe their Emperour was miserably put to death and their emperiall citty Constantinople sacked and taken in the very festiuitie of Pentecost and the holy ghost concerning whose procession they are in error Iohn Alibrettus king of Nauarre contended with Pope Iulius the second and the twoo Henries of Burbon with Sixtus the fourth but the kingdome of the first was taken away and giuen to Ferdinando of Arragon and the two others were also deposed and depriued Thus I might write of other Kings and inferiour Princes that haue encountred with that See And concerning Protestants to omitte
the more than miserable liues and deathes of Luther Oecolampadius Caluine Swinglius Cranmer and others of their Cleargy and speake only of Princes The first Protestant Duke of Saxony and Lantgraue of Hesse were dispossessed of their regiments and committed to prison The Prince of Condie in Fraunce and the Admirall there the one pittifully put to death the other like Iesabel cast downe headlong his legges broken his body cutte in peeces drawne like a dog through the streetes and hanged vppe for a spectacle at the place of common execution For Flaunders the Prince of Orange miserably slaine by a priuate man and in the time of his greatest triumph and ioyes For Scotland Iames the bastard dishonorably put to death In Denmarke Christine their king deposed of his kingdome enclosed in a caue with yron barres and consumed to death And least any manne may fondly perswade himselfe that the Kings and Rulers of England haue a Charter of immunitie from such vectigalles and impositions as God hath layed vpon those Princes I will recite all the Kings of our Nation that presently occurre to my memory that haue opposed themselues against it and what effect their opposition had In the beginning these Kings Ethelbertus Adelwaldus Kingilsus Edwine Peda Sigebertus and Redwalde opposed themselues against the faith and iurisdiction of that See and the doctrine of religious Monkes sent from thence but they were all conquered and subdued without any force of armes so submitted themselues that Kingilsus and Sigebertus became religious monasticall men king Ofricus and Eanfridus were apostataes from the Roman faith but they were miserably put to death And those three Kings whereof Saint Bede writeth for their apostacie besides other manifold temporall punishments were blotted out of the Genealogie and Catalogue of the Kings of England neuer remembred or numbred among them Such was the wonderful desolation of the disobedient Brittish Kings and their nation for their disobedience to the Roman See onely in the paschall obseruance and manner of shauing the crownes of Priests as Saint Bede doth witnesse prophecied against them by Saint Augustine and recorded by the same Saint Bede Galfridus Guilielmus Malmesburiensis Foxe and others that at one time eleuen thousand of their Monks defending that repugnance were slaine by the Pagan souldiers their whole nation distressed and depriued of all regiment in their owne countrey by their owne hired souldiers their kings dispoyled of principality to this day and made subiects to them whose Soueraignes they were King Edwine before the conquest opposed him selfe to som iuridical proceedings of the Popes of Rome and banished Saint Dunstane his Archbishop of Canterbury but he was deposed died miserablie with infamy and in his life his brother Edgar was chosen and crowned King William surnamed the Conqueror spoyled all the monasteries of England of their golde and siluer neither sparing Chalice nor Shrine and in his last voiage in Fraunce burned our Ladies Church in Meux two Anachorets which were enclosed therein but he encouraging his men to maintaine the fire was sodainely stricken with sicknesse his entralls were strangely broken and he died with misery and to him that had beene so great a conquerour in his life after his death a priuate gentleman drawing his sworde denied buriall in his owne Country and Towne Cane of Normandy and in the very house himselfe had founded and in his life there was such famine and dearth in England that men were enforced to eate horses cats dogs and that which nature abhorreth the flesh of men such outragious floudes and inundations destroyed the country that not onely townes were ouerflowne but the very high hills themselues were surrounded made soft and consumed And after him his next successor and sonne William called Rufus afflicted the Churches and Monasteries of England with grieuous oppression maketh a decree against some iurisdiction of Pope Vrbane in England and exiled Saint Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury for his defence thereof but hee was not left vnpunished his naturall brother Robert duke of Normandy and others his neerest kinsmen and Nohility raised and maintained wars against him the Welchmen inuaded and spoiled Glocester Shrewsbury and other parts of England and tooke the I le of Anglesey and the very insensible creatures rebelled against him and called for vengeance the earth at Fynchamsteed in Barkshire flowed forth with blood the winde in one tempest ouerthrewe sixe hundred and sixe houses in his chiefe Citty of London the sea surrounded and ouerwhelmed al the lands that belonged to his friend the earle of Goodwine and is called Goodwine sands to this day and that the death of such a Prince might be aunswerable to his life and deserts the morrow after the feast of Saint Peter in August whose successour Pope Vrbanus hee had so persecuted before hee was slaine by his seruant and friend sir Walter Tyrrell shooting at a Deere and being wounded in the breast fell downe dead neuer spake worde and his owne men and retinew presently forsooke him scarcely any remaining to take care of his body but it was layd vpon a Colliers cart and so drawne with one seely leane beast from that place of the forrest where he was slaine to Winchester Mention is made in the statutes of the supremacie of king Henry the eight King Edward the sixt and Queene Elizabeth that title to be the auntient right of the Kings of England and yet neuer any king or gouernor before king Henry the eight chalenged any such prerogatiue except in the inuesture of Bishoppes as Edmerus seemeth to insinuate of this king William Rufus and his next successor was enforced to reuoke as the same Authour dooth witnes Then that which was so strangely punished of God in the first challenger and refused by his whole posteritie let others Iudge whether it was a right or a wrong And his next successour and brother K. Henry the first so long as he perseuered in his brothers steps let those decrees of his to be in force was tossed and turmoyled with manifolde afflictions both of vnnaturall warres seditions and vnwonted punishments so that hee was conquered with the very prick of his owne conscience to make his submission and reuoke those former constitutions of his brother King William enacted and brought in against the Ecclesiasticall libertie and was neuer quiet either in body or minde vntill he had effected it Like was the case of king Henry the second challenging to himselfe iurisdiction in the criminal causes of the Cleargie contrary to the prerogatiue of the Constitutions of the Apostolicke See of Rome vnder whose time Saint Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury their earnest patrone was put to death and after the excommunication promulged against the king for those proceedings hee was most pittifully scourged and afflicted both with externall and vnnaturall domesticall warres and other miseries his owne naturall sonne taking Armes against him the father against the sonne and sonne
against his father that as Edwardus liuing at that time dooth write all England did quake and tremble looking for nothing but extreame confusion and desolation for preuenting whereof no humane help either of wit or force could preuaile vntill the king admonished in a vision that no helpe was to be expected or had but to be reconciled to the Catholike Church which also his proued experience that had tasted all to no purpose taught him to bee true was enforced to humble himselfe reuoke his decrees seeke reconciliation vndergoe that penance which the See of Rome enioyned which euery man may reade in the history of Grafton a Protestant writer and such as such a Prince as Henry the second was would haue scorned to doe if any other remedy could haue preuailed And to giue euidence to all posteritie that these afflictions were layde vppon him of God for his disobedience to the Bishop of Rome vpon his submission reconcilement all his miseries had their end and ceased the very same day he was reconciled to the Church of Rome the earle of Flaunders which with an huge Army cum immenso exercitu had appoynted to inuade England presently strangely changed his minde and retired and the next day after the king of Scots that had made inuasion was taken prisoner in the field and put to raunsome King Henry his sonne for he had crowned him king before and his brethren were reconciled vnto him his subiects became obedient and he was restored to his pristine tranquilitie both of minde and body Like controuersie had K. Iohn with the See Apostolike but how he was punished of God euery man may know the Welch men tooke his castles destroyed his townes beheaded his souldiers his own barons made war against him his tresure was drownd the French men inuaded both Normandy and England hee was deposed and depriued of his crowne as Peter the Heremite had prophesied before he died miserably as all Historians write and was so odious after his death that his owne seruauntes spoyled him of his very clothes leaning his body starke naked and vnburied had not the Abbot of Croxton of charitie giuen it buriall His sonne king Henry the third opposed him selfe against Pope Innocentius the fourth but what plagues penuries and strange punishments hee and his country were oppressed with what prodigious and portenteous apparitions both by sea and land were seene what inundations of waters tempests of windes other torments were inflicted vpon him and his nation all Historians can witnes what rebellious warres and inuasions was he infested with how subdued by his owne Barons hee and his sonnes taken prisoners and brought in subiection to their owne subiects and hee that by his kingly office was to gouerne others enforced to bee a pupill to those he should haue ruled for twelue Rulers were assigned which were caled the douze peres to correct rule and gouerne and the king with his brethren were sworne to be obedient to that lawe It seemeth by some that king Edward the second medled too far against that See of Rome restraining the executing and exercise of the iurisdiction thereof in England but hee wanted not his punishments his people were afflicted with strange and extraordinary plagues his countries inuaded his barons subiects arose in armes against him such spoilers and theeues infested his nation that noble men with their force could not trauaile with securitie such famine and hunger raigned that horse flesh was accounted for delicates dogges were stollen to be eaten and the parents did eate their owne children the theeues that were in prisons pulled in peeces such malefactours as were newly committed and deuoured them to vse Stowes wordes halfe aliue Such diseases and death ensued that the liuing were not able to bury the dead his owne wife Queene Isabell and his owne sonne after king Edward the third and his naturall brother Edmund of Woodstocke made warre against him putte him to flight subdued him and by common consent of parliament deposed him and elected Edward his eldest sonne to gouerne Like was the case of King Richard the second enterposing himselfe too far in those causes although hee neuer challenged any title of supremacie as the statute of king Henry the eight and Queene Elizabeth seeme to insinuate For by expresse statute as is yet to be seene among our Lawes he decreed that Pope Vrbane was the supreame head of the Church and so to be obeyed in England yet because hee medled too much in Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction what a troublesome and vnquiet regiment did he finde What ciuill insurrections of base persons as Wat Tiler Iacke Strawe and others in diuerse Countries at sundry times what extraordinary and strange quakings tremblings of the earth Was he not so odious that his owne vncle Thomas duke of Gloucester and the Earles of Arundell Warwicke Darby and Nottingham raised an army of forty thousand men and brought him to some conformity and after was resisted vanquished taken prisoner and imprisoned in the Tower by Henry duke of Hereford afterwarde king Henry the fourth depriued of al kingly dignitie and miserably putte to death What hath bin the historie of these things which our Protestant Princes since the new title of supremacie brought in by K. Hen. the 8 what crosses the said king suffered after in his life at his death after his death what befell to king Edward the sixt though an infant yet not vniustly punished in his fathers fault and what is like to be the euent therof hereafter I had rather others should write and shew their coniecture which I for reuerence to my Soueraigne will here omit thogh our owne Protestant Historians haue already committed much to writing which many may remember and euery man know to be true And my hope is my prudent Princesse will rather in her latter dayes immitate the examples of her noble predecessors king Henry the first and king Henry the second in recalling that which they did in their inconsiderate times and liued and died with honor then any or all of them that still persisting in their former course were punished both in themselues and their countrey which they should haue tēdred equally or more then themselues in such order as I haue recounted All the title she claimeth in religious causes her statute of Supremacie pretendeth to be deriued from her former auncestors neither can any man imagine how she can challenge by any other what interest was in them what successe they had that euer aduaunced any wee haue heard it to be such that no Prince either in prudence or pollicie can follow their example being all that persisted therein both strangely punished of God and accursed of men in this life and by all arguments of reprobation perseuerance in sinne finall impenitencie obstinacie and the like after death damned in hell for euer SECT VIII His defence to the honourable Councell and all other men of
Nobilitie COncerning you my honorable Patrons that wisedome and prudence which hath exalted you to that tipe of dignitie dooth tell you that you are not wiser in these causes than thousands of so wise learned vertuous and honourable predecessors in that place councellors to those holy kings suppose you might contend in politike gouernment with many or most that went before you let it be some might be admitted fellowes in armes with so many martiall and victorious men because in such cases you haue beene experienced yet to that which is most or onely materiall in this question and controuersie of learning religion and diuinitie you are too wise to make so vnequall a comparison to ballance your selues vntrained and vnskilfull in such faculties with so many Saints most holy learned and professed Diuines Bishoppes and others famous in the whole christian world such as great numbers of the councellors of those Princes were Therefore seeing it is the same vertue of prudence which teacheth and directeth what to doe and admonisheth what we are not able to performe it must needs put you in minde of the place you possesse the charge you haue vndertaken promise and fidelitie you haue giuen and I remaine assured the pietie mercie iustice and heroical munificence which be the vndiuided companions of that virtue the naturall gratitude you owe to so many descents of your noble predecessors benefactors and most zealous professours of the religion I defend will both conquer your wittes and mooue your willes As I haue prooued of the Kings of England in all former times those that were our greatest friends still enioy the greatest honor both in heauen and earth those that frinded vs least haue the least interest therein and those which were our enemies heauen earth are still at enmitie and variance with them so it was with your predecessours in that place and the auncestors of our whole nobilitie the examples are too many to be cited if any man desireth the view he may haue it in the catalogue of our vnfortunate Nobles and for Protestant councellors let him call to minde what an Agent Thomas Lord Cromwell was in these affaires how he was aduaunced thereby what spirituall lands yea offices hee hadde what fauour with Prince howe potent ouer subiects yet by that law which he had prouided for others himselfe was first that was thereby condemned not admitted to the presence of his Prince What was the tragicall and mournfull enterlude of the two Protestant Protectors of king Edward the sixt the chiefe pillers and first originalles of English Protestancie the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland so basely disgraced put to death Who in the time of her Maiestie that is so violent an enemy against vs as Robert earle of Leicester yet the professors of that faith doe liue and he at the very time when hee hadde designed the most bloudy persecution against vs miserably died terrified with monstrous visions of diuels and now his name is not aliue Sir Francis Walsingham his deere friend was the mast cruel aduersarie for his degree which this time hath maintained against vs yet his miserable death his despairing wordes Lay me aside and let me be forgotten the illusions hee had at the same time and the filthy stinke and corruption of his body wanting all funerall pompe basely buried in the night will be an eternall infamy against him I coulde easily exemplifie in others both of the peaceable and martiall condition but I will not be offensiue to any of their families these which I haue recounted haue left few heires either of honour or their names behinde them Wherefore most honourable Patrons and you the rest of the wise and noble gentry of England Honor is the crest of your endowments Glorie is that you desire true honor and glory are onely or chiefly belonging to that honorable state which I defend this glory is truely in him that is religious hee is honoured heere of God by grace and in heauen by glory other honors be rather in men that honour than in them that be honoured And yet if your immortall appetites must needes possesse these mortall honors there is none you now enioy none you can desire which euer any of our Nation had but was deriued from the gifts donations and bounties of our Catholike Popes and Princes to your auncestors and predecessors and so to you by inheritance from the one and succession from the other It was neuer hitherto accompted dishonourable to any to be professor of that religion which made him glorious There haue beene many renowned families in England which haue brought foorth many glorious men and yet they which were most religious in our profession alwayes were and euer will be the chiefest honour of their houses Saint Guthlach the poore Eremite of Crowland was sonne to the noble Penwalde of the linage of king Ethelred and yet farre more honourable for his religion than natiuitie and nowe chiefly honoured for that cause So S. Suitbert sonne of the Earle of Nottingham and his Lady Berta whome Saxonie honoureth for the Apostle of that nation So S. Thomas Bishop of Hereford Chauncellour to King Henry the third sonne of the noble Cantilupus and Millicent Countesse of Yorke and Saint Ceadda councellor to King Alchfride Saint Dunstane and other religious councellors to our catholike Princes before named are nowe in all Histories and memories more honorable than any of that place that were not of their profession The only order of S. Benedict so renowned in our Nation hath had about twenty Kings and Emperours aboue an hundred great Princes many Popes sixteene hundred archbishops foure thousand bishops fifteen thousand famous men and fifteene thousand and sixe hundred most honourable canonized Saintes And such was the continuing and neuer fading honour that our religion gaue that our Kings Queens and greatest Princes thought it more honorable to bee religious than to seeke honour in temporall regiments It will be no easie thing for any Protestant to single foorth one auntient family of England of which there haue not beene many Bishops Abbots or religious rulers in our Countrey and yet those by all Recordes and Monuments are and euer will be more renowned than the others of their descent And to exemplifie these names and houses following either still now are or heretofore haue bene great in England Baldwine Hubert Kylwarby Peccam Stratford Offord Braidwarden Islepe Langhton Witlesey Sudbery Courtney Arundell Chichelsey Burchier Morton and yet those Archbishoppes of Canterbury which were of these names and families when they liued were the most honorable of their linage their place of dignitie highest among subiects and next vnto our Kings and now so long after their deaths they are more honoured and remembred with glory than any of their lines Thus I might alleadge of other persons and places And it is written in the life of that noble Saint Suitbert that the children of the greatest Princes and
Nobles of England were Priestes and Bishops But most Honourable as by name place office and calling you are chiefe Councellors to our Prince Comites euen companions to Kings Barones Milites the bulwarke and patrons of our countrey whose principall pillers and members vnder our Queene you are so your honor and glory consisteth much in defence thereof And it might seeme more then a blemish in you to be defenders of that which is offensiue to that kingdome and common state wherein you are aduanced to Regiment Then seeing this matter must bee disputed betweene Protestants and vs so many hundred yeares of the flourishing estate of this Nation vnder our Religion in the dayes almost of two hundreed Kings when no other Religion was knowne among vs will pleade for our preeminence or if we must needes discend to particulars although my condition is not to entrouble my selfe with politicke affaires further then they are subordinate and belonging to that high faculty of diuinitie whereof I may be supposed a student yet if it may bee lawfull for me to take notice of that which the law of God the law of nature and the lawes of al nations and the word Respublica it selfe teacheth to euery man that it signifieth a publike and not a priuate wealth being a congregation of many and not one particular person to be ruled maintained defended and preserued and not be destroyed and if either the testimony of Catholikes or Protestants in their owne cause may be admitted and triall may be made by the opiniōs which be defended on either part or by the effect which haue proceeded from thence this question will be soone at end and your honours will be double honoured to be Patrons of that Religion whereof I professe defence And to beginne with him that was the first beginner of this innouation the holy polliticke and peaceable propositions of Martine Luther are these Their Protestants hands must bee embrued in blood it is the nature of the gospell to raise warres and seditions among Christians there is no magistrate no superiour it is to be entreated by many prayers that the countrymen obey not their Princes that they goe not on warrefare against the Turke no contribution must be giuen to Princes for their warres against him no law neither any sillable of a law can be imposed vpon Christians more then themselues will either of men or Angels there no hope of remedy vntill all humane lawes be taken away Which positions vtterly destroy all gouernments and common wealths yet such was not only the doctrine of Luther which exercised in act to his power what he taught in word as not onely all histories but the ruines of Germany are witnesse to this day but it was both the word and worke of Caluine Beza Othomanus Spiphanius and others in Switzerland and Fraunce which taking all authoritie from Kings and magistrates decreed in their conuenticles not only that all ancient and noble families but ciuill gouernment lawfull pollicie and iurisdiction must be taken away and kept a councell to destroy the King of Fraunce his wife the Queene his children Queene mother and all good magistrates in that Kingdome and not content with this the basest people as a Taylor and Cobler at Franckeforde instituted new Courts new Senators and other officers of the meanest conditioned men expelling and putting to death all ancient rulers Wherevpon ensued so many outrages and desolations in those countries the intollerable seditions rebellions disobediences and violence in deposing and expelling lawfull Princes abrogating lawes spoyling Innocents and other enormous crimes against a common wealth which haue bin practized by the Protestants of Denmarke Sweueland Scotland Flaunders are so famous they neede no recitall And lest English Protestāts which so much in words and little in deedes contend for a Common wealth should be exempted from this generall proposition who in England was so famous a Protestant in the beginning as Tindal their great apostle and who in the time of our Q. Elizabeth so great a writer and monumenter as Foxe and whose workes more generally applauded then his acts and monuments and yet Tindall taught and Foxe defendeth in his publikely allowed and approued bookes these propositions following It is vnpossible for vs to consent to the will of God the law requireth vnpossible things the law maketh to hate God euery man is Lord of other mens goods the children of faith are vnder noe law What common wealth can be where these doctrines are published and proposed to be true Did not their Protestants write a booke against the temporall regiment of women intituled Contra monstrosum regimen mulierum against the monstrous regiment of women What monstrous doctrine and pestiferous were this now in our nation What Common wealth men were those which were the greatest and chiefest promulgers of this Protestancy in England The Lord Thomas Cromwell so exalted by King Henry the eight Iohn duke of Northumberland father to the late Earle of Lecester Cranmer and others I referre to their deaths for treason against their Princes Who are chiefest actors in affaires of a Common wealth in England but the priuy councell of our Soueraignes and yet howe farre vnlike Common-wealth men did the councell of King Henry the eight onely the Lord Chauncellor Wriothesly excepted behaue themselues presently violating their King and masters last will in which they were also constituted executors Would not the Protestant councell of King Edward the sixt haue disinherited her Maiestie that is and Queene Mary The Protestants of England testifie that the Puritanes platforme tendeth to the ouerthrow of the whole state and gouernment of the common wealth the Puritanes affirme as much of their doctrine I will passe ouer so many Protestant positions which as they be al negatiue denying Religion and duty to God so in things concerning temporall gouernment subiect to Religion they must needs be repugnant to ciuill regiment I will onely craue leaue to exemplifie in three or foure questions it is a common opinion with this people that the lawes of magistrates do not binde in conscience and secret but onely in publike and open shew for auoyding scandall What treason and treacherie may not priuately be plotted practised and put in execution by this doctrine What Realme can be secure what Kingdome is not in hazarde to bee ouerthrowne where euery rebellious vassall shall bee made a iudge of his Princes lawes What other thing doth their approued doctrine of sole faith portend to the world but a desolation of all order obedience and regiment If a man is onely iustified by faith he cannot be vniustified and condemned but for wanting faith and so treason felony murther rapine periurie and all offences against a common wealth euen to take away the crowne and scepter of a prince may securely be put in action as not destroying the vertue of faith and so not able to condemne
all those Schooles by institution offer weekely or daily sacrifice for our nation where prayer is continually made by deputed persons for her Maiestie where so many publike prayers processions fasting disciplines and austerities are vsed to that end The rules and gouernement there consent with the auntient foundations of our Cambridge and Oxford the Religion there vsed the doctrine there taught the Priesthoode and other Orders there taken sacrifice offered prayers that bee made Sacraments that be frequented Lawes that bee obserued all things there practized be the same which so many renowned Kings of England euer professed and defended as conformable to their temporal regiments and to which our Qu. Elizabeth by the fidelitie of a Prince by solemne oath and all greatest security an absolute Ruler can giue hath indebted her selfe to obserue at her Coronation And what disobedience or want of duety can it be to deny to her or any temporall Prince Supremacy in ecclesiasticall causes a preeminence so distinct and independing of the ciuil gouernement And it euer was so far fro treason to deny it to any of our Kings or Queenes that not onely all English subiects but our Kings themselues euer approoued it in the Roman See And neuer any temporall Turke Tartare Goth Vandall or impious ennemy of Christ heretike or infidell challenged it as belonging to their temporall stile and no Protestant Prince at this day except in England eyther claimeth to him selfe or maketh it treason to giue it to the Pope of Rome Neyther dooth or euer did any or these professed ennemies to that See condemne for a temporall disobedience to appeale thither in spirituall causes or maketh it a matter of state to goe on pilgrimage to Rome or bring a Crucifix Picture or any halowed thing from thence which can be no busines of a commonwealth But all other Christians of the worlde euen such as bee vnder the Turkish regiment or any other whether they be Iacobites in aboue forty kingdomes Nestorians Maronites in Libia and Phoenitia Armenians Georgians Suryans Mozarabes Indians vnder Peter Iohannes in seauentie and twoo kingdomes or any others besides all Catholike and Christian kingdomes in this or other partes of the world haue free accesse without prohibition of their Princes either to Rome Ierusalem or any place where Christ is or hath beene reuerenced And in the dayes of the greatest temporall honour and renowne of England vnder the most glorious English Princes it hath beene so farre from disturbance or indignitie to our temporall state to goe that iourney and fetch or receiue such things from thence that our most puissant and triumphant Kings themselues haue performed those offices in their own princely and royall persons as our Protestant Writers be witnesses Howe honourable those Princes were for those and such offices as also how dishonourable with men and strangely punished of God not only al Kings of England but of other nations which practized any thing offensiue to that Roman iurisdiction I haue declared before If wee should enter into comparison of this kingdome now Protestant eyther with it selfe vnder Catholike regiment or with forraine Catholike kingdomes my sentence is true whether wee consider the glory of king Henry the eight and this kingdome before his fall or their infamie and dishonours after or the short or turbulent season of king Edward the sixt or for this present time what it is and what like to be which duety to her Maiestie chargeth me to leaue to the lamentable consideration of all men now and the pittifull experience of those which shall prooue it heereafter When contrariwise if wee enter into conceipt of Catholicke kingdomes ruled by that Religion and law which we defend they will be named the flowers of the worlde our neighbouring countries Fraunce Spaine Italie and others may be giuen for instance And to particularize in them that be most hated of English Protestants the Pope of Rome for a spiritual person and the Spanish King for a temporall Prince Is not the power and iurisdiction of the first extended by many degrees and whole kingdomes further and more glorious than euer was the Regencie of any spirituall superiour high Priest in Iewrie Caliphe of the Turkes Archflamine of the Pagans Archbishoppe of the Protestants or any their supreame head or gouernor in Ecclesiasticall causes in this or any other Nation neuer allowed further than one countrey and no man can question but the kingdomes riches and reuenews of the king Catholike are the greatest of any Monarch or Emperour in the worlde How the glory of all kingdomes was euer most when they most religiously embraced and maintained our doctrine I haue demonstrated at large in my Resolution no Article we defend prayer and adoration to Saints prayer for the dead restitution for wrongs and iniuries to those that liue obedience to Princes their iust and equall regiment the validitie of their lawes the force of good woorkes and their working the number grace and reuerence of Sacraments other holy things penance and punishment for sinne both in life and after with the rest being all affirmatiue positions teaching duety to God honour to Magistrates equalitie to all iniury and oppression to none the chiefest points of true regiment cannot be offensiue to a well ordered kingdome What quarrelles and contentions betweene Princes Kings and Subiects Nobles and Nobles and all estates haue beene comprimitted in England by the spirituall Romane authoritie now so hateful amōg vs which could by no other meanes be appeased the turbulent dealings in the time of King Henry the second so pacified the Barons warres quieted rigorous onerations imposed by Princes eased contentions and vnappeaseable warres of this kingdome with France and other Nations the like appeased and brought to end will witnesse What peace concord amitie and agreement in all estates the Protestants deniall of Restitution and Confession hath taken away what wrongs enmities and abuses it hath wrought the auntient loue neighbourly friendship christian charitie and peaceable agreement generally since then exploded among Protestant people are euidence for those bridles beeing broken what so conuenient meanes is either left or inuented by this generation to tame the inordinate passions of vnruly people How can the beginning of sinnes first inwardly hatched in the mind before they proceede to outwarde action to bee controlled by ciuill Lawes be stayed and preuented How can secret offences the mother and nurse of publike disorders be punished and destroyed Who can keepe Subiects from deuising against Soueraignes these from plotting against Subiects Subiects against themselues Who can now vmpire so many quarrelles euen with extraordinary and intolerable charges and abuses which the Consistory of Confession in euery parish so freely without bribe trouble or contention decided and rooted out For want whereof so many suites and actions in lawe such multitudes of Lawyers and their lately obtained riches haue ensued What abuses in their proceedings what vniust causes defended What iust and
bee defiled by false accusers whose bodies many yeeres after their death to witnesse the innocencie of their Religion and life remained vncorrupted nor those whome so many testimonies from heauen and earth haue confirmed to be most happy Saints to be reiected as impious I am out of doubt no Protestant Lady of England will or dareth to compare her selfe with the meanest of many which for the loue and honour of our Religion forsooke all temporall pleasures and princelie honours and preferring the poore chaste and obedient religious life before all dignities became sacred and consecrated Nunnes such as Foxe is enforced to consecrated were Queene Edelburge wife and Queene to King Edwine and daughter of King Anna. Saint Etheldrede wife to King Elfride and married before and yet a perpetuall Virgine as Saint Bede Fox and others do witnesse Sexburga daughter of King Anna and wife to King Ercombert Kineburga wife to King Alfride daughter to King Penda sister to king Ofricus Elfloda daughter to King Oswy and wife to King Peda and Alfritha wife to King Edgar Hylda daughter to the nephew of King Edwine Erchengoda and Ermenilda daughters of King Ercombert Werburga daughter to King Vlferus Kinreda Kinswida his sisters Elfrida daughter to King Oswy Mildreda Milburga and Milginda daughters of King Mirwaldus Saint Editha daughter to King Edgar and others most holie religious and miraculous Princesses the glorie of our English Ladies Or if the glorie and happinesse of Catholicke Princes will not mooue yet let the fearefull examples of the principall Protestant Ladies of England chiefe Agents in this quarrell greeuously afflicted of God and made dishonourable to the worlde putte vs in minde what wee ought to doe which though Stowe and Grafton haue too bluntly sette downe my selfe for some reuerent respects will heere omit Thinke it you Protestant Dames of England no disparagement in honor to be followers of those renowned Princesses which in all Antiquities are recorded to be the glory of your kinde and the supreame womanly honour of our Kingdome That RELIGION the greatest honour which hath giuen to them such eternitie of honour in Heauen can not make you dishonourable in Earth It is the nature of your sexe to immitate and in some things you will sometimes immitate too much If you that liue in Courte didde but knowe the guise of attires which those holy Queenes and Ladies vsed before they were Religious you would follow it in the highest degree although therein you should consent with the Dames of Italy France Spaine and Rome it selfe or any other place or person to which you professe your selues most distasted And in such things though neuer vsed of Queene Sexburga Etheldreda Edelburga or any of those or other Saintes your daily and new deuises are euidence against you that you esteeme it not dishonourable to learne of the Ladies of those Nations These agreements are not so worthie praise and yet therein you will not be at variaunce Then seeing the Religion of those Countries whose Ladies you allowe in matters so little deseruing immitation is that which maketh so honorable with God and man and not for a short courting but an euer-continuing time feare not to bee French Spanish Italian and Roman in that wherein the tipe and diademe of true honour consisteth or if you haue chosen to bee wedded onelie to terrene and debased honour yet you may not thinke so basely of that Religion I defend to disallowe it For all your earthly honours titles names and ensignes of dignitie were eyther first founded or after allowed and confirmed to your auncestors and in them to you by the Popes Emperours Kings and Regents in Catholike reuerence England Protestant wanteth many degrees of chiefest place which England Catholicke enioyed England Protestant hath diminished and added none to those which were before And those Countries I named and whose Religion I commend vnto you haue many of that condition which neuer any England hadde Catholicke Religion neuer denied any thing vnto you which was truely honourable it gaue you your dignities honourable places and priuiledges it gaue you credite with our Princes and for their and your honour ordayned you estates it defendeth your marriages to be honorable and a sacrament by that Religion your matrimonie was not in the pleasure of your Lordes repudiations and deuorcements at their willes were not knowen remarrying to a second wife the former liuing was euer most vnlawfull Concubines could not possesse the maintenaunce of your honours their bastardes might not enioy the inheritaunce of your legittimate for feare of offence I will be silent in most honourable fauours which your Catholike ancestors had and you might haue by that Religion and Protestancie cannot giue and referre that cause to your more serious examination and fauourable construction which for my promise of writing nothing offensiue to our English state I must willingly in this and other places leaue naked and vnfurnished of many and greatest arguments of defence SECT X. The Authors defence to all inferiour subiects IF I shoulde entreate what benefites and preferrements so many diuerse orders and conditions of inferiour subiects enioyed by enioying our Religion and what they lost by losse thereof as I should make my cause too popular and pleasing vnto them so I feare I might be offensiue to some to whome I haue promised to giue no occasion of offence Therefore I will onely put them in minde that as all their auncestors and predecessors were of the same RELIGION with vs so an innumerable company of their kinsfolks were religious men and women and in them the care of their parents ended and they became Fathers and mothers to their parents and families others were attendant instructed and maintained by pensions corrodies farmes annuities leases and tenements of our religious houses the poore were releeued in our Hospitalles and by our almes others liuing vppon our landes without fines or enhaunced rents euery temporall man and woman enioying more for them and theirs by howe much so many hundred thousandes of religious persons claimed and needed lesse by their poore and single life No wife to prouide for ioynture no daughter to endowe and giue in marriage no elder sonne to enrich with new inheritance and spared purchases no yonger sonne to be aduaunced by emprooued rents toyles or turnings out of Farmes no tenaunt chaunged no fines no forfeitures taken no woodes destroyed no priuiledge or freedome withdrawne many new and greater graunted by Kings and Noble men to religious persons their tenaunts and tenures not so many iarres and quarrelles in lawe contentions and debates of the poore subiects comprimitted by ghostly confessors religious persons and kings themselues SECT X. His defence to the Ministerie of England LAstly to come to the Protestant Ministery of England whose anger and displeasure as I esteeme it least so I name them last I appeale to all those estates I haue recounted for iudgement whether in accusing them of ignoraunce or
reason haue alwayes and by all meanes propugned I knowe your Honours are wise and I trust no man will so much condemne himselfe in obstinacie to be of Luthers minde and if hee bee not he cannot be a Protestant which although hee euidently perceiued in his owne iudgement and manifestly confessed in his owne writings the whole christian worlde all times places persons and Authorities to bee against him yet hee obstinately proceeded in his singularitie The woordes of that gracelesse Luther are these How often hath my heart panted and reprehended me and obiected against mee What arte thou onely wise can it bee credible that all others doe erre and haue erred so long a time Haue all Generations so often euer been deceiued What if thou doost erre and bring so many into errour that shall bee damned for euer Arte thou onelie hee which hath the true pure worde of God Hath no man in the worlde the same but thou That which the Church of Christ hath hitherto defined and so many yeeres obserued as good doost thou ouerthrowe it as though it were euill and so doost dissipate by thy doctrine both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill Common-weales Thus in those and other places his owne conscience and iudgement did accuse and condemne him of singular obstinate rebellion and disobedience to the Church of God as appeareth and he further declareth in these wordes I neuer put those thoughts and cogitations foorth of my minde that is that this worke and businesse hee meaneth his Apostacie had neuer beene begunne by mee For what a greate multitude of men haue I seduced by my Doctrine I neuer had a greater and more greeuous temptation than for my preaching because I thought with my selfe thou hast stirred vp all this tumult in which temptation oftentimes I haue beene drowned euen to Hell it selfe Thus his conscience so long as hee had any condemned him thus hee repented his disobedience and saide that hee hoped the Bookes which hee had written woulde bee burnt and infect no more But when the bridle of Obedience was altogether broken his Conscience extinguished and plumes of pride and sensualitie had mounted him so high and carried him so farre hee behaued himselfe in his spirituall apostacie as by the testimonie of Suetonius Iulius Caesar did in his temporall rebellion against the Romane state which in the beginning doubted whether hee should go forwarde or no but when hee hadde cast off shame brake out into this speach Iacta est alea My chaunce is throwne the matter is gone so farre that I can not retire therefore I must goe forwarde howsoeuer it falleth out Euen so Luther as you haue heard did in the beginning but when shipwracke was made of all shamefastnesse hee vttered his desperate and vnreasonable resolution of obstinate perseueraunce in these termes Because I haue entered into this cause nowe I must looke vnto it and of necessitie say It is iust If you aske a reason Doctour Martine Luther will haue it so Sic volo sic iubeo sit pro ratione voluntas So I will so I commaunde let my pleasure stand for a reason for wee will not be Schollers but Maisters and Iudges of Papists yea wee will once Proteruire insultare bee malaparte and insulte ouer them I Doctour Martine Luther an vnwoorthie Euangelist of our Lorde Iesus Christ do say and affirme this Article faith alone without woorkes dooth iustifie before God the Romane Emperour shall suffer it to stand and remayne the Emperour of the Turkes the Emperour of the Tartares the Emperour of the Persians the Pope of Rome the Cardinalles Bishoppes Priestes Moonkes Nunnes Princes Lordes the whole world with all Diuelles and they shall further haue hell fire ouer their heads and I will giue them no thanks for their paines let this be my instinct from the holy ghost of Doctour Luther and my true and holie Gospell This right Honourable was the spirite and ground wherevppon you see Protestancie was first founded by this it was builded by this it was and is continued As the Scripture witnesseth Pride Wine and Women are the originalles of Apostacie and so it was in Luther so it was in all these Authors of this innouation If Pride had not beene they had kept their vowe of obedience If wine delicacies and riches had not borne a sway they had continued their vowe of pouertie if women wantonnesse and carnall pleasures had not carried them away their vowe of chastity had not beene broken Protestancie founded vppon those three pillers had not bin knowne true Religion had not beene forsaken And yet experience hath prooued that all the pride and glorie of the worlde all the riches pomps pleasures and sensible delights that haue moued carnall men to oppose themselues against it cannot ouerthrowe it but Trueth is stronger than all and the Probleme which the nobles of Darius putte vnder the pillowe of their Prince to be disputed and argued when hee shoulde awake is performed Wine is strong the King is stronger Women are stronger aboue all things Trueth dooth ouercome For whatsoeuer pleasures riotous and banquetting delights honour ambition preferrement or the power potencie of King or Potentate coulde euer doe or wantonnesse and carnall solace or any thing else King or Queene man or woman coulde hitherto effect or bring to passe the verity of this Religion and onelie of this hath still preuailed My Honourable Patrons let this Schedule and Conclusion of the Persian Nobles bee putte vnder the pillowe of our Princesse if she sleepe and slumber too long shee is the oldest Prince since the Conquest awake her foorth of dreame and let this question of Religion bee nowe at last disputed in her time let equall audience bee had the whole Christian worlde twenty times in Gennerall Councelles hath giuen sentence for vs many thousands of Prouinciall Councelles haue pronounced iudgement that our cause is right al Christian Kings of England and other Nations in their Lawes and Parliaments haue ratified it to be iust all Popes Fathers Schooles Vniuersities Colledges of all ages haue pronounced their opinion on our side all Arguments humane and diuine miraculous and ordinarie yea all former Heretikes foure hundred in number all differing from Protestants in all or most matters wherein they disagree from vs haue approoued it and all these condemned Protestants Religion We haue offered them all trialles giuen them as great securitie and safe conduct as Popes Emperours and Kings coulde giue to come to disputation their owne Schooles condemned them and if clapping handes hissings and exclamations in place of disputation bee arguments of condemnation Foxe himselfe beareth mee witnes that their prime Protestantes Archebishoppe Cranmer and Bishoppe Latimer their principall Disputants were thus exploded and condemned in Oxford Wee neuer had so much as a peece of promise of our Princesse for any equalitie of Disputation what that in the time of her first Parliament was our Protestant Chronicles