perswasions caused Stanley and his regiment most shamefully to betray Deuenter nay to betray the honour of his country and his prince and to turne to the enemy And that it might appeare to be his act he was not ashamed publikely in a booke written to defend this treason and dishonour For which cause king Philip gaue him liuing and pension and the pope at length gaue him the title of a Cardinall and called he was Cardinall of Saint Martin in Montibus to shewe that he sought no low matters but would flye to the top of the hilles He was also called Cardinall of England for that he meant to be legate of England and to betray it to the pope For these base seruices he was estéemed both of the Spanish king and pope but alwaies as a traytor and perfidious enemy to the prince and state Which as it appeared alwaies so especially in anno 1588. For then was he appointed to come into England with the Spanish army for the subuersion and vtter desolation of that which should haue béene his most déere country Nay it is apparent that this war was especially stirred vp by him and his consortes at home and abroade Sixtus Quintus a The declaration of the sentence of Sixtus Quintus saith he Solicited by the zealous and importunate instance of sundry the most principall persons of English catholikes hath dealt earnestly with diuers princes and specially with the potent king catholike of Spaine that he will emploie his forces to the deposition of the Queene and correction of her complices Hee b In his letters to the nobles and people of England sheweth that diuers English Did come also in the Spanish armie and nauie and that hée himselfe woulde be present to mediate that the English might bée well entreated of the conquerors at the least that they might haue their throtes cut gently Hée c Ibidem curseth all those That shoulde fight for their prince and countrey and not take part with forreine enimies He exhorteth all to rise and fight against the Quéene If you should d Ibidem saith hée sit still or refuse to helpe the Spaniard or seeke to vphold the vsurper so he calleth the Quéene or her complices you shall encurre the angels curse and malediction vpon the land of Meros and be as deepely excommunicated as shee is He discourageth and fraieth all those that woulde fight for their countrey and e Ibidem saith Fight not for Gods loue least you be damned And to the entent to make her Maiestie and this gouernment most odious hée hath published against her the most execrable and malicious libell that either by malice coulde be deuised or by wordes vttred Naie he raileth against all honest men that were likely to take her part And of these libels hée had caused whole barrels to bée embarqued for England But God ouerthrowing the Spanish nauie hée thought it wisedome to conceale the malice of the popish faction and to trusse vp his fardels and sende his libels backe to Rome least the libell might worke a contrarie effect then that for which it was deuised This expedition dissolued this hungrie cardinall returned to Rome loden with shame and reproch for that his wicked counsels tooke no better effect In the end the pope perceiuing he could do no more mischéefe to his countrey and that he was rather a burthen then otherwise made small account of him Whereupon ensued his death either vpon gréefe or percase some other secret occasion So hatefull was his life and his death miserable and shamefull In all his life he sought the ruine of his natiue countrey and therefore Gods will was that he shoulde die inglorious in a strange countrey Séeing then these were the qualities and proceedings of Gardiner and Allen who doth not detest the memory of two such wicked monsters The Noddie in this encounter saith what he can both in their excuse and praise but if he had thought that any woulde haue come against him I beléeue he woulde haue kept silence Hée saith first That none was further from blood and crueltie then Gardiner to prooue it alleageth That it proceeded onely from his gentle nature that some of the greatest protestants in Queene Maries time were not called to accompt and that he laboured to saue the Lord Sturton condemned for murdring of Harguill the Lady Smith burned for killing her husband and the duke of Northumberland condemned for rebellion Further he telleth vs How a certaine bracelet came to his handes containing the secret of Wyats action and yet that he neuer vrged the knowledge gotten thereof to the Lady Elizabeths perill she beeing then an obiect of loue and compassion rather then of enuy and hatred And much idle talke he spendeth about these matters but his pleading is of that nature that his owne friends must néedes acknowledge that he wanteth shame in auowing notorious vntruthes and common reason in alleadging such matters as either make against him or at the least nothing for him For wherein could he shew himselfe more shamelesse then in praysing Gardiner for his mildenesse and gentle nature when so many particulars as we haue before set downe do declare him to be most cruell and sauage not sparing any that stood well affected to that religion which he hated Beside that did he not séeke the death of the Lady Parre last wife of king Henry the eight and the Lady Tyrwhit the Lady Lane and Lady Harbert her thrée wayting women Did he not procure the king to set his hand to the articles against the Quéene and meant to haue procéeded further had not she by her modest cariage and answers pacyfied the kings anger It is also euident that he pursued doctor Barnes and diuers other good men euen to the very death Neither was Anne Askew tormented first and then burned without his priuity Wherefore if diuers principall protestantes as they are called or rather Christians were not called to accompt it was rather want of ability then will that was neuer wanting in Gardiner to shed innocent bloud For he that caused one Quéene to be slaughtered vpon false criminations and sought the death of an other especially ayming at the greatest while Bonner and his companions were butchering of the lambes and lesser shéepe of Christes fold we may not thinke that he meant to forbeare any No either it was the kings pleasure that would not haue his seruants butchered or else the strength or the wise cariage of the parties that kept them out of Gardiners hand that delited in nothing more then bloud Likewise it is a notorious vntruth that eyther by a bracelet or by any other signe Gardiner was able to prooue the Lady Elizabeth consenting to Wiats attempt But if he had but had the least argument of disloyalty against her she could not haue escaped his hands For albeit there was no colour yet did he seeke to suborne witnesses against her promise life to Wiat if he
the king and stirreth vp both his subiects and forreine enimies against him but also curseth and banneth all his friends subiectes and partakers Their goods hée giueth away for a spoile their persons hée will haue solde for slaues and the waste of the whole lande hée woulde haue remaine as a monument of his holinesses great displeasure Neither did it content him to prosecute the liuing onely vnlesse the dead also were throwne out into the fieldes as vnwoorthy of christian buriall Such is the charitie of his holinesse towards christians and his louing affection toward the English nation Neither was Paule the thirdes fact singular For in our times Pius quintus and Sixtus quintus haue published no lesse odious and scandalous excommunications against her most gracious Maiestie most bitterly cursing her and all her louing subiects then their predecessor did against Henry the eight and his people Further they haue not onely gone about to trouble this state by rebellions but also to subuert it by forreine b The plots were taken vpon Criton a Iesuite Throgmorton and others inuasions Haue wee not then great cause to honor and loue the popes holinesse that hath shewed himselfe so friendly to our princes and nation Wée may do well also to entertaine such priestes and friers as come from him séeing they wish vs no more harme then the destruction of the prince the ouerthrow of religion and the state the slaughter of our people Neither haue they any thing in their vowes but that all our throtes were cut by the Spaniard Nay when neither by open hostilitie nor secret treasons and practise they could preuaile against vs they haue encouraged certaine railing and scurrilous companions by infamous libels to defame her Maiestie to raile on her chéefe Counsellors and to dishonor all our nation and those especially that haue shewed themselues most forward in dooing God and their countrey seruice This prating companion sheweth himselfe verie spitefull albeit hée woulde dissemble it Sanders Rishton Allen Ribadineira and others haue published cart-lodes of slanders and lies against the Prince the Nobilitie and diuers other honest men Finally beside these wrongs and disgraces which concerne matters temporall the popes of Rome haue gone about to wrong vs in matters spirituall which concerne the saluation of our soules For they haue not onely sought to depriue vs of the worde of God in our mothers language of true faith and doctrine of the sincere administration of the Sacraments and of a true ministerie according to Christ his institution but also in lieu thereof to establish the idolatrous worship to stocke and stones of angels of saints departed and to bring into the church the abomination of the masse togither with manifold superstitions impieties and heresies And for this cause they haue secretly sent into this lande diuers a It is thought that aboue 400. of them are dispersed in diuers corners in England troopes of massing priestes and friers all marked with antichristes brand to seduce simple people and to draw them to superstition idolatrie and heresie Wherefore let all true christians and true harted Englishmen open their eies and beware that they be not oppressed both with spirituall and temporall bondage and slauerie This is it which the popes of Rome entend and haue by so many practises laboured this is also the drift of this glauering parasites discourse This the merchants of Babylon and slaues of antichrist which secretly lurke in diuers corners of this lande watching their oportunitie do wholie purpose But remember that you haue faire warning CHAP. VIII Of the Spanish nation and king Philip the second and his practises against England wherein also the eight encountre of our aduersarie N. D. is examined LOth I am and very vnwilling where the different betwixt vs and the Spaniard hath béene so long in deciding by blowes to begin any long contention about words termes It is a cōmon saying words are light as winde and men of action in wordes commonly vse least ostentation Beside that I holde it no good course to set out inuectiues against princes and especially such as are now departed this life and haue receiued their guerdon whether they haue done good or euill The popes and their parasites take to themselues libertie in infinite slanderous pamphlets to disgrace all men opposite to their faction neither sparing prince nor priuate person liuing nor dead but all honest men detest this frierlike fashion I thinke it also a vaine thing to recount matters formerly past that concerne vs little or nothing But yet seeing this pratling and busie felow our aduersarie will néedes haue the Spanyards and their late king the subiect of this encounter and like a fugitiue traytor sticketh not to aduance them aboue his owne nation and to pleade their cause against his owne prince and country I am content thus farre to reason of them as that men may learne how farre to trust them and vnderstand that we haue no reason either to feare their force or to yéelde them any superiority or to thinke better of the Spanyard then of our owne nation Lastly least any might suppose our aduersary to haue spoken wisely and learnedly I will briefely runne ouer his discourse and note the leudnesse and vnsufficiency of his pleading His vnnaturall and vnkind dealing against his prince and nation before which he taketh on him to preferre the Spaniard I néede not to note for it is too too apparent and sufficientlie knowne to any that will take paines to read ouer his idle discourse The time hath béene when the English and Spaniardes did well agrée as appeared not onely by mutuall trade and conuersation of both nations one with another but also by diuers publike contractes and leagues made betwixt them Sometime the kinges of England matched with the house of Spaine and sometime the Spanish kings haue had their wiues out of England and both of them estéemed much of the amity eache of other albeit the Spaniard hath béene more happy to receiue more profit of this coniunction with England then our nation by our matches and linking with the house of Spaine For by the aide of our archery the Spaniardes diuers times haue obteined victory against the Mores and Don Pedro king of Castile béeing expulsed by his subiects by the blacke prince and the English forces was restored to his kingdome Neither could Ferdinand king of Spaine so easily haue possessed the kingdome of Nauarre had not the forces of English sent for his aide by king Henry the seuenth distracted the French so that they could not come in time to succor their friends distressed Contrarywise king Edward the first matching with the house of Castile receiued smal aduancement as is declared in the chronicle of a In Henric. 3. Matthew of Paris and king Henry the seuenth matching with Catherine of Spaine presently lost his sonne and heire The same woman also béeing maried afterward to king Henry the eight was like to
a hundred thousand were slaine in one yeere in the rebellion of the countreymen against the lords about religion But the more hée toucheth these matters the more shame hee shall bring vpon himselfe and the synagogue of Rome For not any of our communion but the cruell popes of Rome and their agentes haue caused these tragedies They stirred vp the French King Spaniard to make wars vpon their quiet subiects that desired nothing but peace Nay when a solemne peace was concluded they made that a trappe to catch a number of noble men and others to murder them True christians haue still suffered and yet this sauage companion imputeth vnto them the tragicall murders committed by papistes In Scotland the people neuer stirred before their liues were sought the insurrection of the rusticall people in Germany was for a Sleidan gréeuances offered them by their Lords and not properly for religion They were not of our religion but rose against lords as well of our religion as papists and by our side were both by word and force suppressed But the warres in Bohemia and Germanie and Swizzerland were indéede raised by the popes and their agents and all the worlde séeth that all their studie is to raise warres and tumults to trouble all Christendome And yet Christian princes will not sée neither will Christian people beware of such vnchristian courses As for the people of England they are to shewe themselues thankfull not onely for the restoring of true religion but also for the fruite that hath thereof ensued in all true religious Christians After his talke of spirituall blessings hée passeth to speake of temporall benefits and saith that If her Maiestie as she entred by generall consent and was promoted by the forces of papists especially and shewed herselfe in all points of religion and behauiour a papist and was crowned at a masse so had continued then had shee and her realme beene most happy and first shoulde haue had a most florishing kingdome vnited both to her and among themselues in religion iudgement affection fidelitie and friendship But his tale consisteth of diuers foule leasinges and his coniecture is vaine and improbable For albeit shée entred with consent of all good men yet it gréeued the papists excéedingly insomuch that shée could not get any one popish prelate to execute the ceremonie of consecration but onely one and hée one of the meanest The rest like traitors refused Secondly it is false that shée was promoted by force of papists For what néeded force if all were willing shée shoulde bée crowned and if the papists were vnwilling it is not likely they would vse force vnlesse it was to force their owne wils Thirdly it is most false that shée shewed herselfe in all points of religion and behauiour both in her sisters daies and at her coronation a papist For if shée had so done why should the popish prelats feare any alteration seeing shée gaue no signe of any as this babling companion prateth And why should they refuse to sacre her if shée ment to obserue all popish ceremonies vnlesse they doubted of her title Lastly it is most false that shée was crowned at a masse For shée declared plainly shee woulde no masse which was a great occasion why the popish bishops refused to consecrate her But were this true yet his coniecture of happinesse that would haue ensued of continuance of the masse is most vaine and foolish For albeit the French kinges Francis the second Charles the ninth and Henry the third continued the masse and all popish ceremonies yet neither did the kingdome of France flourish in their times nor were their subiectes eyther vnited to their princes or at vnity among themselues Likewise they of the Low countries haue long continued in great troubles and dissensions and béene forced to defend their liues and liberties against the violence both of the king of Spaine himselfe and of his agentes albeit the king alwaies séemed a sworne seruant and vassall of the pope of Rome and a firme papist The Portugals also neither greatly affect the Spanish king nor do well sort with the Castilians or those that fauor them and haue now lost their ancient glorie and libertie albeit their princes haue still continued vassals to the pope Why then notwithstanding the continuance of popish religion might not dissension as well haue hapned in England betwixt the prince and people and among the people themselues do we thinke that our nation could still haue endured the vnsatiable crueltie of popish prelates or is it likely that a frée people could haue endured the slauish yoke of the pope of Rome But bée it that our countrey-men could haue swallowed all yet must wée vnderstand that the pope of Rome woulde neuer haue suffred her Maiestie to reigne whom both Clement the seuenth had declared illegitimate a Sanders de schism Paul the third pronounced vncapable of the crowne This coniecture therefore of a flourishing kingdom in case poperie had continued is nothing but a vaine flourish of a foolish discourser And so much the rather may we thinke so because no kingdome can florish without true religion nor can they long agrée among themselues that haue no attonement with God nor consent in true faith Secondly he imagineth that great securitie woulde haue ensued of the cōtinuance of popish religion For saith he Then none of these feares and terrors of inuasions conquests treasons and conspiracies had euer come in consideration But hée much mistaketh the knights meaning if he do suppose that hée either feareth the force of forreine enimies or the secret practises of traitors For hée feareth them not but exhorteth his countrymen to prepare themselues to repulse the forreine enimie that is so busie and to watch that they bee not intrapped by secret practises of pretended friends True it is that the rinegued and Hispaniolized English do by all meanes séeke to draw forreine enimies into the countrey and to practise mischiefe at home but hée is very blinde that séeth not that we are as well able to resist such attempts as euer our ancestors were and he is a bastardly and dastardly Englishman that feareth to encounter the Spaniard in so good a cause or is afraid of the Spanish brags In the meane while it is woorth the marking that this Noddy doth signify that either by force or practise the papists meane to haue their will And yet some men there bée that will not sée their malice and thinke it needlesse to take any course to resist and encounter their practises But suppose poperie had héere continued how coulde this Noddy haue giuen vs warrant that we shoulde haue béene neither oppugned by enimies abroad nor by traitors at home was not Henrie the third of France excommunicated by the pope oppugned by his subiects murdred by a Dominican frier notwithstanding his zeale in poperie and all his seruice done to the pope Did not the Spaniard inuade Portugall albeit the
people were all of one religion Nay he that casteth away gods true seruice can neither be secured abroad nor at home Nor may we thinke that the pope woulde haue liked her Maiestie with any condition vnlesse shée woulde haue receiued her crowne from him which is a matter most dishonorable to imagine and abominable to vtter a P. 8. Thirdly he telleth vs that if her Maiestie had embraced poperie Shee had been by all likelyhood maried mother of many faire and prince like children As though if shée had pleased shée might not as well haue maried continuing in true religion as in any other religion or as if none coulde haue faire and princely children but women of their faction He imagineth that difference of religion hath hindred her mariage but if he were as well acquainted with matters of state as he doth pretend he might haue knowne that diuers great princes of a diuers religion haue sought her yea that the great monarke whom he so highly extolleth would gladly haue matched with her and promised to procure a dispensation to that purpose Neither was religion any hinderance to the mariage of the present French kings sister But suppose no papisticall prince woulde haue maried with her yet might shee haue matched with kings and princes of true catholike religion if so shée had thought conuenient Againe suppose shee had maried was not Quéene Marie also maried yet was shee not mother of many faire and princely children And the thrée last French kings died al not onely without faire children but also without issue This is then a méere toie and vaine fancie to talke of children before mariage séeing God doth often denie this blessing to diuers maried folkes and often taketh awaie children that are otherwise likely to liue Fourthly he supposeth if her Maiestie had bene pleased to haue vpholden the masse and to continue popish religion and married that then the succession of the crowne should haue beene established in her issue But he should haue remembred that God saith by his b 1. Sam. 2. prophet that he will honor them that honour him and despise them that despise him As for idolaters and maintainers of strange religions they shall not prosper Beside this who knoweth not that the fruite of the womb is the blessing of the Lord and that god doth often dispose of kingdomes according to his diuine will and pleasure Finally the pope that taketh on him to be Christes vicegerent would haue had a great stroke in this matter especially if shée had acknowledged his vsurped authoritie Neither is it likely he would haue allowed her and her issue whom diuers of his ancesters by their definitiue sentences had both shamefullie dishonoured and iniuriously disabled And to bring so great a prince to submit her selfe to so base a slaue and of him to receiue her right to the crowne were a matter dishonorable to her Maiestie and intollerable to the state and a frierlike fancy not to be imagined of any but of Parsons the Iesuite and such like trayterous rinegued fugitiues But let vs suppose that her Maiestie should leaue no issue behind her is she the first that hath béene in that case and is there no remedy eyther by lawes already prouided or by wise men to be deuised but that we must needes fall by the eares together about this matter This is the supposition of the noddy our aduersarie and this garboyle percase he desireth to gratifie the Infanta and the Spaniard whose slaue hée is but our trust is in God and in the resolution of honest men that I hope will prouide for the safetie of the state and looke to preuent the malice of those that are so desirous of our trouble Fiftly hée telleth vs of the popes excommunication denounced against her Maiestie and maketh a great matter of it And saith That if religion had not beene changed we shoulde haue had no breach with Rome nor needed to haue feared this terrible thunderbolt of excommunication But what more absurd then to obiect the breach with Rome and the popes excōmunication when we estéeme that to be one of the greatest blessings that euer hapned to this lande being thereby fréed from the slauerie of Antichrist and the darknesse of Egypt and do no more feare the popes thunderbolt of excommunication then a flash of light out of a lantern Wee know what the pope is and how little power he hath to excommunicate any Christian being himselfe excommunicate and vnwoorthy the name of a bishop But to let passe all this which the Noddie our aduersarie passeth by and shall neuer prooue I say that princes that continue in popish religion haue notwithstanding felt the sharpenesse or bluntnesse of the popes boltes I would say buls and continued long in the popes displeasure The ancient Germaine emperors Henry the fourth and fift the two Fridericks diuers other that succéeded them knew no religion but that which the pope taught which no doubt was a goodly religion yet hée thundred out his excommunications against them persecuted diuers of them to the death yea and after death Betwixt Lewis the 12. of France which for his bountie was called The father of his countrey and Iulius the second there hapned a great breach and out came excommunications against him and against his followers albeit about matters of religion there was no different betwixt them No man was more superstitious in popish religion then Henrie the third of France yet was he slaine by a Dominican and excommunicated by the pope The same may be confirmed by the late excommunication of D. Caesare da Este duke of Ferrara and infinite examples Suppose then the Quéenes Maistie coulde haue liked of the sect of Antichrist and his abominable religion yet woulde he haue disliked and looked to haue had some finger in disposing of the crowne so that all these supposals rest vpon weake groundes which by no reason can well stand Sixtly hée saith That if this breach with Rome had not hapned then England had continued in her old ancient amitie with Spaine and Burgundie As if it were not more hurtfull to the Spaniard to breake with vs then for vs to breake with the Spaniard Surely if her Maiestie woulde haue taken her aduantage either in the Low Countries or in the Indies and if the pensioners of Spaine had not béene more happie in breaking all enterprises against king Philip then men of seruice incouraged to attempt them hée shoulde well haue perceiued this to bée true long ere this And therefore among diuers instructions which the emperour Charles the fift left his sonne this was one principall That by no meanes hee should breake with England But admit this were a matter dangerous to fall out with Spaine howe coulde wée haue auoided it by continuing in popish religion séeing the Portugals that are perfect papists coulde not by any mediation kéepe their countrey from his vsurpation and tyrannie Naie pope Paulus the fourth
and therefore most woorthie to bée abolished and anathematized It is false also That the pope was by vs made a matter of scorne or that this proposition viz. That the pope is antichrist and such like are matters ridiculous For such propositions we take to be most true and dare alwaies maintaine them against more valiant disputers then this Noddy euer will be And therefore we do not thinke the pope a man to bée scorned but a tyrant to bée seriously shunned and abhorred of all christians Let this then make the eight lie This is also a lie most palpable and grosse That other princes fearing harme that might ensue of the alteration of religion in England complained heereof to the pope and that hee proceeded against the Queene vpon their complaints and instance Let him if hée can shew these pretended complaints If hée cannot shewe them let him at the least prooue them by some witnesse or record If not then do I not doubt but hée will prooue himselfe a vaine iangler Which appéereth also by this that Sanders a Lib. 3. de schism saith The pope proceeded at the instance of English prelates that referred the matter to him Beside that the pope is not so dull in working mischiefe that hée néedeth the solicitation of others to stirre him Nay it is cléere that pope Pius b Vita di Pio quinto stirred vp both Philip of Spaine and the French men against vs. And the like industrie did Paul the third vse in stirring vp warres and rebellions against Henrie the eight king of England and drawing troubles vpon the princes of Germanie No man therefore hencefoorth can iustly doubt but that all those practises which haue béene lately made against her Maiestie haue procéeded principally from the popes malice and rancor against true religion and the professors thereof and next from the malcontentment and trecherie of papists and their agents These are the two fountaines from whence all our warres rebellions treasons attempts to murder and poison princes and other great persons and other such like vilanous practises against the state haue flowed Now least any scruple might remaine in mens mindes hée endeuoureth to shewe how farre the excommunication of Pius quintus toucheth the papists in England and saith that They are not to discusse the question betwixt the Queene and the pope but to loue the one and the other But this resolutiō is so vnsufficient that it doth rather encrease then diminish our doubt For how can any good subiect loue him that seeketh the destruction of his prince How can a man serue not two masters but two masters so contrarie and adhere to a religious Quéene if hée bée a vassall to antichrist Beside this séeing papists make the pope the souereigne iudge of these matters what a ridiculous conceit is it to thinke that a papist can iudge otherwise then the pope iudgeth or sentenceth His reasons also are such as can satisfie none of any meane vnderstanding First saith hée This excommunication is an act of iurisdiction betwixt two superiors As if it were not méere foolerie to say that iurisdiction can bée exercised betwixt superiors or betwéene equals And if papists grant that the pope is superior to the Quéene then must they adhere to him and forsake her Which no doubt they will do and must doe if order bée not taken with them Besides wée deny that this excommunication is an act of iurisdiction or iustice Nay the worlde séeth it is a méere act of vilany and presumptuous tyrannie for a ribald like companion and a lousie frier to attempt to depose a prince and a most notorious foolerie to imagine that the popes of Rome who haue no right in that which they iniuriously possesse haue power to take away the right which belongeth to others Secondly hée saith That vpon the popes excommunication against a prince the subiects consent was neuer asked nor admitted Why then doth the pope excommunicate all those that after his excommunication adhere to her Maiestie Are not his a In bulla Pij ◠aduers Eliz. wordes plaine Howbeit I confesse that if rightly we will estéeme of matters the popes excommunication is no excommunication he being an vsurper and no iudge in this case And therefore all true subiects are to account of his excommunication as of a denuntiation of his malice and an argument of his shamefull dealing against Christian princes contrarie to all precedents of antiquitie and to estéeme them all not onely slaues of Antichrist but enimies of the estate that shall not plainly condemne it as wicked and vnlawfull But if the excommunication shoulde bée lawfull yet are Christians to know it and allow it for that it bindeth not before it bée published and allowed Thirdly he saith It is no new thing for popes to excommunicate princes And that the subiect is not to be troubled for his old receiued beleefe about the popes authoritie But hée is much deceiued in things new or old In faith and beléefe all is new that is not taught by Christ and his apostles Wherefore vnlesse hée can shewe this authoritie to be giuen from Christ hée must néedes confesse the Romish faith therein to be new Nay hée cannot shew that the popes either claimed or practised any such power as to excommunicate and depose princes before Gregory the seuenth that was therefore rightly called Hell-brand or the firebrand of the diuell to set discord betwixt Christian princes to the weakening and vtter ouerthrow of Christendome and enlarging of the Turkish empire Otho Frisingensis and Trithemius and hée that wrote the life of Henry the fourth emperour do all testifie that hee was the first that attempted to excommunicate princes and that at the first his excommunications were little regarded Fourthly hée telleth vs that The subiect is not to discusse whether the pope had iust cause to excommunicate the prince which altogither ouerthroweth his clients the papists cause declareth them to be vtter enimies to the prince excommunicate For if they may not discusse the popes procéeding but to beléeue that in his iudicial sentences hée cannot erre especially in matters of faith then must they of force beléeue that the pope hath done well to excommunicate their Queene and must aide him to execute it without further enquirie which teacheth vs without further enquirie also that all papists that allow the popes authoritie in excommunicating the Quéene are enimies if they bée forreiners and traitors if they be subiects Lastly he referreth his clients the papists of England to consider what the papists of France did of late when their kings were excommunicate and to English that liued in king Iohns time Which plainly argueth that though hée woulde haue them looke smoothly for the time yet when occasion serueth hée closely signifieth that they ought to rebell against their princes For so did they of the league in France and so did the subiects héere in England against king Iohn And generally all papists are bound
pity but he made him a sacrifice for the good of the Romish clergie and pope Pius did highly extoll this fact comparing king Philip most impiously and blasphemously to God almighty that gaue his sonne to be sacrificed for the redemption of mankind But to forbeare now to speake of the popes blasphemy and to speake of the Spanyards malice it is very apparent that king Philip while he liued professed himselfe an enimie vnto all that professed true and catholicke religion and especially to her Maiestie that hath alwaies according to her stile declared her selfe to be a defender of the faith and a principall maintainer of the professors of true religion and all true catholickes He hath also shewed himselfe an enimy to our whole nation entending with force to subdue vs and by all meanes to trouble vs. He hath taken many a In the embarguo anno 1586. honest men of our nation prisoners and confiscated their ships and goods without anie lawfull proclamation of warres Hée hath suffred diuers of Her Maiesties subiectes to bée murdred by the bloody Inquisitors contrary to all iustice Neither haue the rebels attempted any thing against the state either in England or b Iacobo Geraldino Cantabrorum ac Gallecorum manum concessit Andreas Philopater p. 134. Ireland but by his knowledge abettement and procurement The whole Spanish nation also hath drunke very déepe of that cup of hatred which the pope hath filled to their king Don Iuan de Austria while he was gouernor of the low countries did neuer cease to c This was a part of Escouedoes negotiation at his going into Spaine perswade his brother to transport an army into England here to make wars The duke of Alua before that was likewise desirous that his sonne might passe with forces into England for the aide of the northren rebells And that of long time hath béene a common argument for priests and friers to handle in their sermons They haue also d These pardons were found vpon diuers Spaniards ann 1588. preached indulgences and remission of sinnes and offred the same to all that would fight against vs accompting it percase meritorious to kill any of our nation If their iourney 1588. had succéeded either they had killed our people or made slaues of them to worke in their Indian mines or to rowe in their gallies or else to do other base and seruile worke our goods they had already swallowed in their hope and meant to haue deuided the land amongst them and to haue raigned here like great conquerors And albeit at that time they had no good successe yet haue they not giuen ouer their hope nor ceased to take all opportunities to worke vs either dishonor or domage I omit to speak of the wrongs they haue done to particulers albeit many gréeuous for that our dispute is about the disposition of the Spaniardes to our whole nation And yet many particular wrongs and actes of iniustice crueltie doe argue a great hatred to the English in generall But to forbeare to speake of particular actions and of generall attempts formerly passed it appéereth they meane not thus to giue vs ouer For out of Spaine there come priestes and others daily to practise treason against her Maiestie and the state It is not long since Squire was executed for a most horrible treason plotted in Seuile Neither can the shamelesse impudent denials and cauils of Iesuites and priests which they make at the processe against him either make that vndoone which is done or qualifie so foule a fact Nay admit the poore fellow shoulde erre in some circumstance yet no reason can be alleaged why hée shoulde accuse and charge himselfe in a matter that concerned his life wrongfully And to the entent there may bée a succession of traytors and conspirators which may make the way more readie for their intended inuasions and conquestes at common costes they maintaine two Seminaries of English fugitiues and traytors I know they pretend planting of popish religion but if that were their onelie marke they aime at why doth a Testified against him by priests in their memorials Parsons cause euerie one of them that come for England to take an oath that they shall to their vttermost power prefer the Infantaes of Spaines title to the crowne of England Is this no point of treason And doth not this flowe from some purpose of the Spaniard against our countrey and nation To make our nation hatefull Ribadineira a certaine ribaldly frier hath published a most odious discourse of schisme in Spanish wherein hée omitteth nothing that may procure vs dishonor or hinderance And yet these are the men whom our aduersarie commendeth and defendeth and vnto whom Cardinall Allen Robert Parsons and other Iesuites and priests that lurke among vs haue vowed their seruice Great reason therefore hath our nation where so violent enimies séeke to hurt vs and so malicious traytors endeuour to ensnare vs to watch and looke about Our aduersary crieth peace peace but war is in his hart hée may tell vs as long as hée listeth that the Spaniards are our good friends and meane vs no hurt at all But if wée list to arme our selues and preuent their malice wée may assure our selues if God be pleased that they neither dare fight with vs nor can bée able to hurt vs. These double toonged traytors pretend good dealing and vse many kinde wordes as if they loued their countrey but who can trust them that are so néere linked by oath friendship and opinion to publike enimies Finally now the Spaniardes and other publike enimies séeme to haue laide aside their armes but yet it is not safe to trust them After great calmes oft-times arise great stormes We must remember that king Philip the second was alwaies ready to execute the popes command and was still set on by the Iesuites Acosta in his booke of the new world calleth it Praeclarum Zelum in expugnandis debellandis fidei Romanae hostibus in praefa ad Philip. and commended for his zeale in oppugning the enimies of the Romish faith The whole Spanish nation is also much deuoted to popish religion and very ready to execute the popes commandements Wée must also consider that it is no argument of a disposition to peace that such great forces of men are continually leuied throughout most of the parts of Spaine and Portugall and that such numbers of ships of warre are either made of late or in making as wée haue not heard of manie yéeres before and that such care is had of prouisions of corne wine munitions and other things necessary for the wars as is not vsual I confesse that by reason of the kings large dominions and great occasions and affaires these prouisions are necessarie yet vnlesse hée had some extraordinarie purpose neither woulde his prouisions be so great nor should his men march toward Lisbone and Coronna nor his Magazins bée dressed in those parts that looke hitherward
then the king taking vpon him to be the Popes champion persecuted poore Christians with great iniustice and cruelty And vsing the pretence of popish religion sought both by force of armes and fraudulent practise to vsurpe the dominions of other princes and to establish a tyranny among such people as by armes he had oppressed Hereupon let the world iudge whether Sir Francis had not reason to exhort all true English to oppose themselues against such ambition pride vsurpation treacherous practise iniustice cruelty and tyranny and whether any man in such a case could haue said lesse But if he had said more yet the kinges strange procéedinges against his sonne Charles testyfied by pope a Vita Pij 5. Girol Cat. Pius himselfe against his wiues complained of by the French against the prince of Orenge and the people of the low countries recorded in the actes of the Duke of Alua and testyfied by diuers apologies of the prince of Orenge and the states and knowne to many yet liuing against his subiectes of Naples and Milan reported in Natalis Comes and diuers histories against the Portingals witnessed by the historie of the conquest of Portugal by Don Antonio the king wrongfully dispossessed of his country and best knowne to the Portingals against the Quéene of England knowne to the world and recorded in the processe against Lopez the physicion and partly testyfied by Gierome Catena in the life of Pius Quintus against the secretarie Escouedo and Antonio Perez and the state of Arragon published to the world in a treatise for that purpose these procéedings I say and his whole life recorded in histories would sufficiently iustifie the same Against which recordes and testifications the idle talke of this addleheaded Noddy Concerning his catholike maiesties opposite vertues of his sweete nature and cōdition of his princely behauiour pious gouernement deserueth neither credite nor consideration He was of so swéete a nature that for certaine monthes before his death neither his physitions nor surgeōs nor others without good preseruatiues could endure to come néere him albeit his clothes and lodging were neuer so swéetely perfumed So excellent a thing it is to bée swéete natured Hée saith also That by the witnesse of enuy king Philip is cleered Percase hée himselfe in this frierlike declamation degorged in the kings praise taketh on him the person of enuie and so cléereth him Otherwise all the water in the baie of Alcasson woulde neither wash him nor cléere him Where sir Francis doth obiect to king Philip certaine dangerous practises héere in England during his mariage with Quéene Marie this idle discourser not remembring his title of Warde-word leaueth his garde and runneth into a néedlesse discourse Of the state of things in Queene Maries time while the Spaniards were in England As if it were in questiō what was then done in England and not how king Philip caried himselfe in Spaine and all other places or else as if the state of thinges in England concerned king Philips humors and qualities any thing at all Well let vs notwithstanding see what this idle iangler hath to say for the state of matters in England Hée saith first That king Philip paide the expences and for the furniture of the mariage with Queene Marie and how the two Spanish and English nauies that accompanied the king when hee came into England were at his cost vntill they came to Portesmouth and the whole traine from thence to Winchester and that the mariage was celebrated at his charges But what is this to the discharge of his promise concerning the relation of the state of England Besides that this narration is full of vanitie and falshoode For what is more vaine then to bragge that the king defraid the charges of his seruants and attendants or that hée paid the charges of his owne mariage What more consonant then that the husband and goodman of the house shoulde bee at the charge of his wife and houshold What a ridiculous thing is it to vaunt that the king paide all charges betwéene Portesmouth and Winchester when either little or nothing was spent in the iourney The falshood of his narration may be controlled by the accounts that are yet to bée seene in the auditor generals office and in the Eschequer For thereby it is apparent that the Queene not onely defraied the charge of her owne fléete but also spent infinitlie about the furniture and preparations for her mariage Money certes euill bestowed For neuer was mariage more vnhappie either to the prince her selfe or her state Secondly hée telleth That the Spanish nobles and gentlemen came furnished with necessities and money It is maruell he setteth not downe also how they came furnished with Moriscoes and Negroes and horseboies and such Canalliary All which pertaine as much to the purpose as that which hée setteth downe of the nobles and gentlemen But bée it they came well furnished yet that deserueth no great commendation As for their expences they could not be great séeing most did eate vpon the Quéenes charge and the rest ate bread by the ounce and drunke water by the quart and yet all of them coulde not auoide to come in merchants bookes Thirdly hée saith That the priuie councell was not altered by the king As if that were not a point following vpon the conditions of the mariage Beside that albeit he altered nothing yet through the subtiltie of Winchester the Councell was at his deuotion and shoulde no doubt haue béene altered but that he was preuented by the Quéenes death Fourthly he vaunteth much That he honored the English Nobilitie and gaue many of them great pensions But hée shoulde do well to name those that were so honored and enriched by king Philip. For it is more then I can learne Howbeit it is no strange matter if for to effect his purposes he was at some expence For fishers when they angle for fish must bée at the charge of the baite and fowlers that séeke to catch birdes must draw them to their nets by casting them meate Like vanitie he vseth where hée sheweth That the king honored highly English captaines and soldiers and made them equall in all points of seruice with the Spaniard As if it were a high point of honor for English to bée made equall with Spaniards Beside that all the honor the king did them was to suffer their throtes to bée cut in the sacke of Saint Quintin and the seruice ended to send them home poore bare and naked Hée affirmeth also That the king made our merchants free to enioy all priuiledges throughout all his kingdome Which is a plaine and most notorious vntruth For neither were they suffered to trade into the Indies nor had any more priuiledge in Spaine the Low countries then méere strangers as is euident by the merchants bookes now to be shewed if néede bée It is also a méere fable That the king in all quarrels betwixt English and Spaniards shoulde fauor the English
by the popes demandes to the king that could not be effected without greater authority by the propositions made by king Philip to the counsell to enlarge his power and release the rigour of the conditions whereto he was tyed by the kings secret working to draw ouer Spanish soldiers and his practises to possesse himselfe of the nauy and the principall portes and fortresses of this kingdome by wordes commonly giuen out by the testimony of Sir Francis Englefeld if he were aliue and would say truth and also of diuers others of the nobility by the ambitious humors of the Spaniard and finally for that otherwise his aduancement by this mariage would haue amounted to nothing And if in the low countries where he is but duke or earle he hath sought to be an absolute king we may not doubt of his purpose in England where he had the title of king and possessed the Quéene Where the letter saith That king Philip meant to haue altered the counsell to possesse the hauens to make new fortes to furnish them with his owne men to change the common lawes to bring in the Spanish inquisition and Spanish lawes and to impose strange taxes vpon vs after the fashion of Spaine he thinketh it sufficient to answere first That no such thing was attempted by him and secondly That all this was prouided for in the conditions of his mariage with the Queene But his slender surmises are all too weake to crosse such violent purposes For albeit béeing preuented by the hand of God that tooke away the Quéene he could not put matters in execution yet doth it not follow that he neuer had any such purpose or intention Againe it is a fond thing to imagine that the king could be tyed with wordes and conditions when experience teacheth vs that neither promises nor othes nor lawes of God nor lawes of nations could bridle his ambition He was a Guicciardin de paesi bassi precisely sworne to obserue the priuiledges and lawes of the low countries Yet did he obserue none but contrary to all order change the councell of estate bring in the inquisition and enlarge the authority of the ecclesiasticall state erect citadelles place garrisons and impose strange taxes vpon the people And if the Duke of Alua did this by his direction in the low countries no doubt but he would haue doone the same himselfe in England if he had atteined his purpose and had not béene crossed by the Quéenes death And that this was his full intention we haue already shewed by diuers argumentes beside the testimony of the letter These therefore are no bugges nor imaginations but true collections grounded vpon principles of state and the kings actions Héereby also we may gather that we were happily deliuered from the thraldome of the Spaniard more grieuous then the thraldome of Egypt as their rigorous dealing with them of the low countries may plainely enforme vs. Where among strange taxes imposed by the Spaniards one is mentioned most strange That the subiect payeth for euery chimney and others are noted as not common that some pay by the poll and all pay for their victuals so that a man cannot eat but the king must be paid as if he were a common host as indéede he kéepeth a common tauerne in his court after a base fashion that a man cannot drinke but the king will gaine somewhat our aduersarie wondreth That any should publish such childish toyes But the Spaniardes and the kings subiects in other places do find that the burthens are so heauy that neither children nor yet men are able to beare them And albeit there is percase some error in the particulars yet the sum is not much mistaken For throughout the kings dominions a tribute or taxe is paid for all things bought and sould in the market Neither is any marchandise exported or brought into the country or passed from place to place but there is a custome paid Of late there is a tribute exacted not onely for euery Hanega of corne ground at the mill but also for salt Neither are the countries of Biscay Arragon Nauarre Catalonia or Valentia so frée as our aduersary pretendeth In Flanders according to the Spanish stile the duke of Alua imposed a tenth and twentieth part vpon all the kings subiectes a tribute neuer exacted in the Turkish dominions Now then if the king exact such payments vpon his owne frée subiectes in what case are they like to be that he shall vanquish with his sword Where it is declared in the letter That the king purposed to roote out the nobility of England and to bring the commons to beggery and to sell all not aboue twentie yeeres ould for slaues our aduersary doth terme this narration sottish and impudent and asketh How this beeing contriued in England could be discouered by one in Spaine But whatsoeuer termes the relation doth deserue certaine it is that this manner of procéeding is most inhumane and barbarous and not so improbable as the warder would make it For first we may not thinke that the haughty minde of the Spaniard could either be content with a simple reuenge of wrongs or conteined within the boundes of common lawes and customes Secondly we know that the popes malice is so great against such as spurne at his authority that he stirreth vp all the world against them and Giueth them for slaues to those that canne take them as a Sander de schism lib. 1. Paule the third did giue the English in Henry the eight his daies Thirdly it is most notorious that in the Indiaes they haue practised all these barbarous cruelties so that they haue almost dispeopled diuers countries that were very ful of people at their first comming thither Fourthly the example of our neighbours of the low countries that liue vnder the Spanish yoke and haue their nobility eyther extinct or debased and their liberties abolished and liue in great slauery may shew vs some part of their purposes and as it were the plot of their gouernement Lastly in their fléete that came against vs anno 1588. beside store of halters and fetters prouided to bind our poore countrymen that should be taken prisoners and were already taken in conceit there were found in Don Pedro de valdez his ship diuers engines and irons to marke such as should be taken for slaues Adde héereunto the testimony of him that wrote the letter out of Spaine mentioned by Sir Francis and did vnderstand by good intelligence the resolution of the Spaniards in this point and wée shall not néede to make question but that this was indéed intended and resolued against our nation Neither coulde hée reueale this secret vnlesse it had come to his notice which might by diuers meanes come to passe For albeit the king hatched this purpose first within his owne brest yet was the same communicated to others and so made knowne in Spain to those that shoulde concurre in the execution of it Such abominable treasons God would
Dei cum idolis God was much offended with the bishop of Pergamus for winking at false teachers and their leud doctrine Habeo saith g Apocalyps 2. hée aduersus te pauca quia habes illic tenentes doctrinam Balaam qui docebat Balac mittere scandalum coram filijs Israel edere fornicari Ita habes tu tenentes doctrinam Nicolaitarum And shall wée endure the Balamiticall priestes of antichristes synagogue and more damnable heretikes then the Nicoloitans The h Apolalyps 2. bishop also of the church of Thyatira was sharpely reprooued for permitting one that pretended to bée a prophet to teach and seduce gods seruants Habeo saith hée aduersus te pauca quia permittis mulierem Iezabel quae se dicit prophetem docere seducere seruos meos fornicari manducare de idolothytis The prophet Dauid woulde not suffer any strange worship of God within his kingdome neither coulde hée endure so much as once to mention the names of idolaters Their offrings of blood saith he z Psal 16. I wil not offer nor make mētiō of their names within my lips That was likewise the zeale of godly emperors Omnes vetitae legibus diuinis imperialibus constitutionibus haereses perpetuò quiescant say the a L. omnes Cod. de haereticis Emperors Gratianus Valentinianus and Theodosius Nowe to suffer contrarie religions was euer condemned Salomon greatlie offended in suffring his wiues to erect idolatrie yet were they his wiues And when the Israelites serued God and Baal Elias greatly reprooued them How long b 1. Reg. 18. saith hée halt you on both sides If God be God follow him if Baal bee god follow him Nay it is punishable in matters of religion to winke at idolaters as appéereth by the example of Salomon before rehearsed and of those kings that did not cut downe groues and destroy hill altars He that serueth God saith c Lib. 5. ep 30. Ambrose must bring no dissimulation no conniuence but faithfull zeale and deuotion he must giue no consent to the worship of idols and other prophane ceremonies for God will not be deceiued which searcheth all things euen the secrets of mens harts Now besides these reasons that make against all false worshippers and abused Christians there are speciall lawes against teachers of heresies such as the Iesuites and other friers and priests are d Deut. 13. God cōmandeth False prophets that would turne vs away to worship other gods to be slaine God e Apocal. 16. he powreth out his wrath against those That haue receiued antichristes marke or worship his image Helias caused Baals priestes to be slaine f L. Cuncti Cod. de haeret Manich. Arcadius and Honorius tooke away all churches from heretikes least they shoulde teach or do the exercises of their false religion in them Such as haue béene zealous in remoouing all monuments of idolatrie and aduancing Gods true worship haue receiued manifold blessings at gods hands and are well reported of in holy Scriptures and their memoriall and name is blessed Such were Hezekiah Iosiah Iosaphat and others mentioned in holy Scriptures Constantine Theodosius Martian and other famous princes in the church of God mentioned in Ecclesiasticall histories Contrariwise not onely open idolaters but such as shewed themselues colde in promoting Gods seruice haue béene punished by God and accounted infamous among godly men The g 4. Reg. 17. Samaritanes were content to serue God but they woulde worship idols too Fuerunt gentes timentes dominum sed nihilominus idolis suis seruientes Therefore were they hatefull to gods Church a Nicet Choniat lib. hist 7. Manuel Comnenus remooued out of the church certaine tables conteining both the articles of Christian faith and certaine anathematismes of Turkish impieties and Mahomets false gods and substituted in their places other tables and articles of doctrine not so directly contrarie to Turcisme and this he did for feare to offend the Saracens But his fact neither pleased God nor men Neither did he satisfie those whom hée sought to please Let all those therefore that séeke to mingle contrary religions or feare to maintaine true faith diligently looke to the examples of the b 4. Reg. 17. Samaritanes and of c Nicet Choniat lib. 7. Manuel Comnenus This course would be dangerous to her Maiesty and the state Now the pope béeing publikely hence excluded hath not those meanes to worke her Maiestie displeasure as he hath to worke against princes in countries of his obedience and should haue héere if popery might be tolerated And this to be true Sixtus Quintus in his bull published against her Maiesty anno 1588. and translated by Cardinall Allen doth himselfe in plaine wordes testify Not hauing saith he in these parts the ordinary meanes which by the assistance of Christian princes we haue in other countries to remedy disorders and keepe the people in obedience for that Henry the eight late king of England did of late yeeres reuolt from the sea apostolike Likewise it appeareth by the d Vita di Pio 5. Girol Catena example of the pope Pius the fiftes Nuntio Vincentio Lauro who not daring to passe into Scotland to practise but staying at Paris was depriued of meanes to effect his wicked purpose Likewise the Iesuites and priests not daring now publikely to shew themselues nor to deale with all persons publikely and without danger loose many opportunities to set forward the popes cause The recusantes also though they come not to the church yet hauing no liberty to conuerse with Iesuites nor to learne their seditious doctrine kéepe themselues in better termes then otherwise they would do if it were lawfull for them to professe their religion openly But admit once Iesuites and seminary priestes to reenter into the land or to liue among vs the pope first will haue more opportunitie and meanes to worke his purposes Neither is it likely that he will euer desist from prosequuting her Maiesty hauing by so many sentences disabled her excommunicated her and deposed her Secondly the Iesuites and priests would haue better meanes both to peruert the simple and to worke their treasons against the prince and her most loyall subiects And if they do much hurt now when they are restreined because they are suffered to liue in prisons what would they do if such woolues were let loose amongst Christes lambes That they will alwaies be ready to execute the popes commaundements against her Maiestie there is no question séeing they holde it damnation not to obey him Thirdly the Recusants hauing such teachers what woulde they not do when Hall coulde perswade Somerfield and Ballard Babington and so many gentlemen desperately to aduenture to kill the Quéene How dangerous this may bée to good subiects we may consider if wée do but looke into their wooluish practises in France and Flanders and other where Did not the papists of Orleans being admitted thither according to the edict after the
the subiects from their oath of obedience and forbiddeth his adherents any longer to obey her And I thinke no papists dare refuse to obey him if he vrge them and commaund them vnder paine of his curse Secondly Campians and Parsons faculties do shew that whensoeuer the popes Bull can be put in execution then all papists are bound to concurre in the execution of it Thirdly Morton was sent to stirre a rebellion in England and effected his purpose The like was done in Ireland first by Nicholas Saunders and lately by Archer and other Priests Which sheweth that they will do the like in England whensoeuer occasion and meanes shall be offered Nay they apparantly professe in a treatise called aduertisment des catholiques Anglois that they committed a great fault in submitting themselues to her Maiestie pour s'estre soubsâ—â—is à vne princesse heretike and in that they did not take armes against her Fourthly Cardinall Allen as the Spaniards came by force so went about with his wicked letters and perswasions to worke a rebellioÌ„ in which act Parsons Holt other priests also coÌ„curred Fiftly Parson by setting forth first the Scottish title then entitling the Earle of Darbie last deceased and lastly in his Treatise set out in Dolâ—â—ans name for the Infantaes right endeuoureth nothing els but to worke sedition and rebellion as a a A discouerie of a counterfeit conference priest of his own side doth charge him calling his worke a bloody deuise and as his dealing with the yoong priests that come ouer into England doth plainly declare And albeit they be not acquainted with the particulars yet can they not be ignorant that some generall mischiefe is intended against the state being commanded so ofteÌ„ in their deuotions to say pater noster and aue Maria for the furthering of some good intention or rather treason of the recâ—or of the Romish colledge Nay b The discouery of Campian his fellowes Monday doth directly charge Parsons for preaching openly in the colledge seditiously against the Quéen and saith that their coÌ„mon argument is how mischief may be wrought against the state Sixtly the doctrine of Iesuites is notoriously knowne viz that it is lawfull for the Pope to depose princes and for subiects to rebell against them Lastly the rebellion of Leaguers in Fraunce much sharpened and furthered by English papists doth sufficiently teach vs c AduertismeÌ„t des catholiques Anglois A treatise tending to perswade the French to embrace the league what Iesuites and priests will do here if order be not taken Cardinall â—olet that well knew their purposes and was sometime a Iesuite said that Iesuites would set all Christendome in coÌ„bustion if they were not preuented But his libertie of spéech cost him his life as some popish priests sticke not to d In their discourses against the Iesuits affirme 9 It is also most notorious that they haue stirred vp forraine enemies against the prince and state Sixtus quintus in his declaration published against her Maiestie doth openly professe that at the earnest solicitation of certaine principall cacolike Englishmen he proceeded against her maiestie and had enioyned the Spanish king to execute his Bull and to come with great forces against England Allen also in his most traiterous letters to the Nobility and people of England and Ireland doth confesse so much Neither did the Spanish king any thing but at the motion of Englefeld Allen and Parsons and vpon the exclamations of their consorts To draw him on the rather a Testified by his owne consorts Parsons put him in mind that he was called Philip Norwey and how that according to a prophecie Betwixt Bostons bay and the pile of Foudray the blacke nauie of Norwey should come and doe wonders He confesseth also in a letter of his to a Nobleman in Scotland that he had beene with most princes in Europe to stirre them against vs. The Emperour likewise vpon their informations and solicitations hath shewed himselfe enemy to her Maiestie and our nation Anno 1586. and the yeare following Cardinall Allen and his consorts were verie busie with the Duke of Guise and other Frenchmen to induce them to concurre with the Pope and Spaniards in the warre against England And so seditiously did Morgan behaue himselfe that the king commanded him to be coÌ„mitted to the Bastil of Paris The English b Aduertissement des catholiques Anglois aux François catholiques papists that then were in Fraunce doe plainly tell the French that they were iustly plagued because they did not oppose themselues against the Quéene Le crime d'endurer Iezabel ta voysine say they Plonger au sang Chrestien te destruit peu à peu And of themselues they giue out that they are scorned of all nations for that they c Ibidem p. 89. suffered an hereticall Quéene to reigne Nous sommes c See heere a plain testimony of the loyalty of papists say they esclaues sous vne Izabel pire cent fois que Iezabel bref pour auoir souffert vne royne heretique nous sommes auiourdhuy le mespris la fable le iouet des heretiques Ad hereunto D. Stories practise with the D. of Alua the oration of Allen not yet Cardinall to Gregorie the 13. Saunders his perswasions to the same pope Parsons his negotiation with certaine princes néere adioyning to vs William Critons plots for inuasion and their clamorous and lying discourses dispersed throughout the Christian world and consider the summe of their practises with forraine nations and then thou néedest not doubt but that their principall deseignment was to stirre vp forraine nations to make warre vpon vs 10. Finally the whole scope of Seminarie priestes and their consorts is First to make a number in England to put the popes Bull in execution next to bring in the pope and Spaniardes which cannot bee done without the vtter desolation of the lande The first is prooued by experience For that their consortes began to attempt in England and haue in part effected in Ireland and for this purpose haue they erected Seminaries and sent into England Ireland whole troupes of priestes and deale both with forreine princes and domesticall malcontents Neither may wee doubt but that al these seditious fellows come with one purpose and resolution not daring to attempt any thing beyond their commission Secondly the facultie graunted to Parsons and Campian doth plainly shew that when the Bull can bée executed then all the Romanistes are bounde to do it Thirdly the popes wordes are plaine Hee l Bulla Pij 5. Sixti 5. commandeth all his adherents To execute his sentence vnder paine of excommunication Fourthly the doctrine of Iesuites doth plainly allow the popes power to depose princes and all that faction holdeth that his sentences are to bée obeied vnder paine of excommunication Fiftly neither woulde the pope nor Spaniard bestowe such charge in maintaining these fugitiues but that they hope againe to bée requited Finally the
A BRIEFE REPLIE TO A certaine odious and slanderous libel lately published by a seditious Jesuite calling himselfe N. D. in defence both of publike enemies and disloyall subiects and entitled A temperate wardword to Sir Francis Hastings turbulent watchword Wherein not only the honest and religious intention and zeale of that good Knight is defended but also the cause of true catholike religion and the iustice of her Maiesties proceedings against Popish malcontents and traitors from diuers malitious imputations and slanders cleered and our aduersaries glorious declamation answered and refuted by O.E. defendant in the Challenge and encounters of N. D. Hereunto is also added a certaine new Challenge made to N. D. in fiue encounters concerning the fundamentall pointes of his former whole discourse Together with a briefe refutation of a certaine calumnious relation of the conference of Monsieur Plessis and Monsieur d'Eureux before the French king lately sent from Rome into England and an answer to the fond collections and demands of the relator Deut. 13. That prophet or dreamer of dreames shall be slaine because he hath spoken to turne you away from the Lord your God Matth. 7. Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly are rauening wolues Zenodotus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Halter me these wolues Theocrit in Bucoliastis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as if he should say If you nourish vp wolues and dogs they will in the ende deuoure or bite you Imprinted at London by Arn. Hatfield 1600. To N. D. aliâs Noddie that lately tooke vpon him to pleade for P.P. and for all the Popish faction and heresie O. E. wisheth the knowledge of truth and more loue and loyall affection to his Prince and countrie SIr N.D. or Noddy or howsoeuer it shall please you to stile your selfe being a man but of two or a Homo trium literarum three letters it should seeme you were in a fitte of a cholericke feauer when you wrote your late Wardword For euery where you fret fume and chafe and all the dishes of your feast are chafing-dishes and hot words both against your aduersary and others No doubt you were distempered or else I thinke you would not haue raued or rather raged after such a mad fashion You seeme also to be full of galles scabbes and sores For what else should make you to crie and exclaime so passionately when you are but lightly and tenderly touched I can compare you to none more fitter then to that vlcerous fellow in b In Niptris Cicer. Tusc 2. Sophocles that could not abide the hands of surgeons Abscedite saith he dimittite Nam attrectatu quassu saeuum amplificatis dolorem Your selfe and your cause is so ful of botches that you can abide no shaking nor handling and therefore with c Ibidem Philoctetes may say Iam iam absumor conficit animam Vis vulneris vlceris aestus Like you are to dame d In the Italian legend in the life of Saint Catharine Bonauenture sister to Catharine of Siena that noble Romish saint that was like to die as oft as she heard but one foule word so tender harted was shee And you are so tender eared that you cannot abide to heare any euill word of the pope or of his agents He may proceed against vs as an enimie and his agents may broch rebellions and treasons and else what mischiefe they can and yet we may neither touch your holy father nor lay open the lewd practises of enemies and traitors And because Sir Francis doth touch the hostile actions of the Pope and Spanyard and treacherous practises of Romish priestes and Iesuits you e In the preface to the Warde-word leape suddenly into your raging and impatient fits and complaine of railing and calumniation saying that his discourse is an iniurious pamphlet and a biting libell and that he is enraged with a furious veine of inuectiue spirit neither sparing God nor man And as if this had not been sufficient you tell vs further that the f This applied to Andreas Philopater or Parsons is true flowers or rather furies of his discourse are lying forging falsifying ignorant vaunting odious scoffing malitious calumniations seditious interpretations bloodie exaggerations barbarous insultations and that he rusheth further to the open assault of forreine monarkes their honors fame and reputation But rage and reuell as long as you list I doubt not but all honest men will commend vs and all moderate men will allow vs to speake in defence of our Prince and countrey Our countrey is deare vnto vs and if all valiant men ought to venture their liues for it litle should we deserue if we would not open our mouthes to speake for it Heathen men by no pretence of religion could be drawen from defence of their countrey Fabius Maximus was woont to say that those attempts were done according to religion that were done for the safetie of the state Dicere ausus est saith g De senectute Tully optimis auspicijs ea geri quae pro salute reipub fierent And h Iliad 〈◊〉 Hector said that whatsoeuer the chanting of birdes foretold it was best to defend valiantly a mans countrey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And shall we vnder a pretence of false religion abandon true religion for which we are to forsake father mother wife and children and all we haue and for pretence of I know not what danger forsake our most deere countrey for which euerie honest man ought to giue his life and all he hath If you talke with Parsons the Iesuite he will tell you that it is no such discommendable matter to speake what we can in defence of our countrey and of religion especially against the publike enimies of religion and of our countrey and against disloyall traytors that are with their entisements drawne to rayle against their Prince and to betray the cause of religion and their countrey Be they monarkes or be they fryer frapartes popes or cardinals terrestriall gods or carnall men if they be our enimies and seeke our destruction and the destruction of our religion Prince and countrey I esteeme him but a base fellow that feareth to encounter them in any sort That priuilege doth the law of warre giue vnto vs to strike any that will come against vs in the field Certes if it be free for you to defend the cause of publike enimies that with fire and sword seeke to destroy vs of wicked and traitorous priestes Iesuites and their consorts that by secret practise would vndermine the state and bring forreine enimies vpon vs of impious and idolatrous heretikes that goe about to erect idolatry and popish impieties you must giue vs leaue to speake for our religion that is most catholike and apostolike for our Prince that is so gratious and mercifull and offendeth in nothing more then shewing such grace and mercie to so mercilesse and wicked traytors
was in the end excommunicated vexed with rebellions most shamefully murdred by a Dominican frier Don Caesare d'este duke of Ferrara was not I trow of our religion yet did the pope excommunicate him and most wrongfully take his state from him Lastly if religion now professed were the immediate cause and originall of any trouble like to ensue then should not the papistes haue béene the principall meanes to mooue warres and rebellions against the state nor the onely practisers against her Maiesties person and safetie as we haue found them to haue béene Wherefore if we will rightly estéeme we shall finde that as true religion is the cause of all those blessings we enioy so poperie and the faction that maintaineth it is the cause of all practises against her Maiestie and the state and of all rebellions and warres and mischiefes entended against vs. Againe as we were without danger as long as God was truely worshipped and idolatrie repressed and Iesuites and priests and their abettors diligently sought out and punished according to lawes and all concurred resolutely to maintaine true religion and the state so since Recusants began of some to finde fauour and masse-priests and Iesuites haue béene suffered to practise without punishment and idolatrie is begun to be priuily erected and some mens mindes grow colde in maintaining true religion and the present gouernment it is no maruell if some inconuenience be feared But remooue this there is no cause why any shoulde either doubt or feare For the pope hath businesse inough to maintaine his owne state no meanes to worke vs trouble but by English traitors In times past he was Stupor mundi the woonderment of the world now he is Fabula mundi that is a matter for idle priests and friers to prate of but not to be feared vnlesse wée liste The Spaniard hath more reason to feare vs and our associates of the low Countries that may be lordes of the sea if we please and may take what part of the Indies we list then we to feare him Sure if his force had béene such as is pretended neuer would he haue suffred such scorne nor descended to such dishonorable courses as he hath done Both the pope and Spaniard depend vpon the aide of English fugitiues and malcontents Draw from them this hope then haue you the end of these supposed feares and a full answere to this traitors painted tales and fables Thus you see this noddy hath neither reason nor truth in his discourse And yet that is not all the fault it hath For it is also impertinēt to the purpose For what if there were some cause of feare or doubt doth it therefore follow that we haue receiued no benefits nor blessings by her Maiesties most happie gouernment the abolishment of idolatrie and restoring of true and catholike religion If then there be no iust cause of feare and onely certaine pusillanimous companions quake at the popes thundring and Spanish bragging or else pretend to do it bicause they looke backe to the fleshpots of Egypt and glory of Babylon then are we to acknowledge Gods fauour that hath not onely giuen vs many graces by her Maiesties meanes but also meanes to maintaine them and to secure our selues And for such cowards as feare forreine enimies we are to put them into the next ranke to English traitors alreadie conspired with the enimie Hée telleth vs further That by alteration of religion in England Scotland Ireland Flanders and France haue tasted of many miseries tumults calamities and desolations Hée should haue said of many blessings and friendly fauors For kindnesses and fauours all our neighbors haue receiued from vs but those calamities and desolations that he speaketh of haue procéeded from the popes furie and malice and from his adherents persecuting quiet people for the profession of true Christian religion But let vs heare the rest of his wise tale Beside battels murders destructions of countries prouinces townes cities houses and particular men saith hée three Princes two Queenes and one King haue beene all brought to their bane by this occasion He saith further That the noble houses and linages of Hamiltons Douglasses Stuardes in Scotland of Desmondes and other peeres in Ireland haue been thereby ruinated and finally That in France and Flanders there is no end of the accompt of those that haue beene destroied by this change of religion as if we had procured all these battels murders destructions or as if wée or our religion were the occasion of the destruction of princes or kings or as if the massacres of France and those bloodie executions had béene committed by vs. What a shamelesse fellow is this to impute the cause of warres and troubles to vs that euer auoided warres as much as we could and offered force to no man nor euer stirred but as defendants for sauegard of our liues Are lambes the causes of the crueltie of wolues or were Christians the authors of the bloodie persecutions of heathen Emperors all these bigge wordes therefore are nothing else but arguments of the Noddies distracted mind and furious hatred against truth that exclameth and crieth out vpon religion and imputeth al calamities vnto it whereas in truth all the cause of this wracke and destruction both of states and priuate families proceeded wholy from want of conscience and hatred of true religion For if wee will looke backe and search the histories of our times wée shall finde that all those tragicall stirres and hurly-burlies that haue brought not onely millions of christians but also a great part of Christendome to destruction haue taken their beginning from the implacable hatred of popes and papists against Christian religion Paule the third enflamed the warres against the princes of Germanie which consumed a great part of that countrey himselfe sent thither great forces both of horse and foote fearing not a little least Charles the fift should make any composition with the Germans In the low Countries the people liued in peace and obedience to their gouernours vntill such time as the popish faction fearing the ruine of their Babylon beganne not onely to make cruell edicts and decrées against the professors of true religion but also by force of armes sought to establish both the Spanish inquisition and an absolute tyrannie a Vita de Pio. quinto Pius the fift when the kings of France and Spaine grew wery of troubles sent his messengers to negotiate with king Philip and the Cardinall of Alexandria to set forward the French king against his subiects He sent also money and soldiers to aide the king to destroy his subiects In king Henrie the eightes daies Paul the third in this Quéenes daies Pius the fift and Gregorie the thirtéenth and other popes a Sanders de Schism stirred vp diuers rebellions in England and Ireland against lawfull princes By the solicitation of the popes agents many thousands of innocent people were massacred in France contrarie to faith and promise These therefore are
statute of Edward the third it is adiudged high treason To imagine the death of the prince or to stirre vp warre against her or to be adhaerent to her enimies But there is no one of these but is adherent to the pope the publike enimie of her Maiestie and this state all receiue authoritie and instructions from him and sticke not to defend his authoritie Most of them are his salaried schollers or agents Manie of them haue receiued stipends of the Spanish king and some were emploied in his nauie anno 1588. and sent against England All of them desired warres to be raised against England and some of them were agents to enduce the Spaniard to make warre vpon vs. That the pope is enimie to her Maiestie and this lande I thinke no man will make question séeing he séeketh to depriue her of the crowne raised the rebellion of the north and in Ireland and stirred vp the Spaniard to take armes against vs and himselfe armed ships and soldiers to fight against vs and sought in plaine termes to depose the prince and as they a In vita Pij 5. terme it L' abbattimento di quella reina That this is treason and a capitall crime by rules of state and lawes of all nations it is apparant by diuers arguments Maiestatis crimen est saith b l. Proximam ad l. Iul. Maiestatis Vlpian quod aduersus populum Rom. aut eius securitatem committitur And hee pronounceth them guiltie by whose procurement Either forreine enimies are stirred to take armes or seditious persons caused to rise or by whom any attempt is made against the prince or that shall c l. Lex vbi supra runne to the enimies or that shall sweare men to attempt against the prince or state or that shall d L. quisquis Cod. ad l. Iul. Maiest take on him a note of faction The same lawes are also practised both in France and Spaine other countries Alfonso the 9. king of Spaine in his first booke Del fuero real tit 2. by strict lawes prouideth for the safetie of the prince And most strāge it were séeing lawes prouide for the securitie of particulars that the law shoulde not take holde of those that practise against the whole state If then these yoong men had béene of such wit and learning and other good parts as this fellow pretendeth they woulde neuer haue suffred themselues to be drawne into a faction against their prince and countrie and others héereafter if they be wise wil take héed how they abuse the princes clemencie In Ireland sufferance and impunitie of such fellowes hath wrought euill effects He that is not blinde may also sée what they entend in England and if he be wise will not suffer such vipers to gnaw their mothers bowels So then it appéereth that no great incommoditie but rather great blessings haue hapned to this lande by the abolishing of poperie and superstition But suppose some temporall discommodities had ensued of this abolition of the masse and of restoring of christian religion yet most absurd it were for temporall commodities to forsake our christian profession He that taketh not vp his crosse and followeth me saith our sauiour e Matt. 10. Christ is not woorthy to be my disciple and not onely externall temporall commodities but our kindred and néerest bloud is to be forsaken for Christes sake He that loueth father or mother more then me is not woorthy of me a Ibidem saith our sauiour b Daniel 3. Sidrac Misach and Abednago chose rather to be throwne into the fierie furnace then to worship an idoll And shall we for any presupposed feares forsake our God and his truth and fall downe before idoles and yéelde our selues slaues to Antichrist a glorious thing it is to attaine wealth and honour in this world and to be made generals and heads of societies of friers and monkes and to be made cardinals but what shall it auaile a man to winne the whole world if he loose his soule Whatsoeuer therefore may happen let vs cleaue to the truth of Christ Iesus and hold on our profession vnto the end No man is crowned but that striueth vntill he haue obtained victorie If wée loose goods landes wife children father or mother or friend God can restore them to vs againe Nay if wée die in this quarrell God can giue vnto vs a farre better life Wherefore then should we doubt or feare Suppose I say the woorst yet haue we no cause to doubt But if we will rightly consider the present state of things we shall finde that wée haue great cause to reioice and hope the best Our cause is iust and honest For we stande for our religion our prince our countrey our reputation our wiues our children friends and whatsoeuer else is deere to vs. Neuer had this countrey more men nor better meanes either to defend or offend The cause is not ours alone but of manie others The enimie neuer was weaker then at this instant Onely this wanteth that we deale boldly and resolutely in so honest and godly a cause and neither feare the vaine brags of forreine enimies nor trust the smooth gloses of trecherous friers popish priests and rinegued English Now her Maiestie is surely possessed of the crowne and so well beloued of her subiects as shée can desire Take away the practising priests and malcontent traitors and at home shée hath no cause of feare In time past the popes of Rome had a strong faction within the land and diuided halfe of the regall authoritie with the prince The clergie and people for the most part were his vassals The countrey paide a great tribute to him The treasure of the lande was caried out at his pleasure Many ranne to him both for preferments and iustice now all this vsurped power is abolished and the people wholy dependeth next vnder God on the prince so that her authoritie and force now is farre greater then in time past Shée wanteth neither men nor ships nor ordinance nor munitions of warre If then her Maiestie would be pleased to make an establishment for the warres and seriously to consider how to resist these that now séeke her hurt and the destruction of her people we shoulde soone cause such rinegued enimies of the countrey to change the note of their song concerning dangers and feares and force forreine enimies to thinke more howe to defende themselues then to offende and offer violence to others Such is the state of our countrey and such are our meanes Great cause therefore haue we to giue God thanks that hath bestowed vpon vs so many spirituall and temporall graces And if we do not vse them to his glorie in exterminating the wicked reliques of Antichristianitie and defending that truth which we professe we shall shew our selues vnwoorthie of both and hazard that which now we quietly possesse CHAP. II. That the papists as they are charged by sir Francis Hastings do hold diuers
in Léeth Not long after followed the excommunication of pope Pius the fift and the rebellion in the north parts of England After that Nicholas Sanders stirred vp a rebellion in Ireland And this N. D. their proctor albeit hée woulde excuse and cléere the papists of all euill meaning yet coulde hée not forbeare to praise the rebels and lament their death which sheweth how well rebellion and treason doth please this faction and howe little hée loueth her Maiestie with whose capitall enimies hée is so néere consorted When by sedition and rebellion they could not preuaile hey stirred vp Philip king of Spaine to make open warres vpon her Maiestie to depriue her of her kingdome Neither did either respect of alliance or shame or danger drawe him backe from this enterprise The duke of Alua had giuen the first attempt had not the vnexpected troubles of the low countries hindred him And Don Iuan D'Austria had not failed to make warres vpon vs but that God cut him off in the midst of his deliberations The yéere 1588. the Spaniard brought a great fléete vpon this coast and to correspond with it there were great lande forces prouided by the duke of Parma in the Low countries Cardinall Allen was then readie also to vtter and throw abroad his excommunications and slaundrous a His letters to the nobility and people of England and Ireland libels against her Maiestie and the state Neither could the euill successe of that iourney make the Spaniard giue ouer his determination Beside rebellion and warre they haue attempted poyson and secret practises to destroy her Iohn Someruile was perswaded to kill her by a seditious priest The same execution did William Parry take vpon him perswaded by Benedict Palmio and Aniball Codret two Iesuits Ballard a priest by his lewd perswasion drew Babington Sauadge Tichborne and their companions to conspire her death By the meanes of Holt a Iesuite Gifford Worthington and of certaine priests Yorke Williams Patrick Collen and others were sent ouer vpon the same errand And when with the sworde nothing coulde bée done Lopez by certaine traitors was hired and Squire by Walpoole was perswaded to poison her And no question but many other attempts haue béene made against her although they are not come to light hitherto Neuer I thinke was one poore Ladies life more sought nor by more meanes They haue left neither force nor fraud nor any course vnattempted Nay not content héerewith They haue a In Bulla Pi◠v. Sixti v. cursed all her subiects and friends seased the persons and goods of such as they coulde come by and by all meanes sought to ouerthrow the state anno 1588. diuers rinegued English and among the rest the traiterous Cardinall Allen came with the Spaniards to fight against their countrey From time to time they runne to the enemie bewray their countries secrets and diuers of them euen now intertaine intelligence with the Spaniard And little it is God wot that our aduersarie notwithstanding all his great shewes can allege in his clients the papists defence First hée is offended that sir Francis Hastings should say That by Gods goodnesse onely her Maiestie was preserued her life being maliciously and with great cunning shot at by the Romish clergie and Spaine against her And thereupon alledgeth thrée reasons of her Maiesties deliuerāce First saith he King Phillip and the Spaniards specially fauoured her for her yoong yeeres beautie felicitie and other her good graces and talents Secondly hée saith Shee bore her selfe for a papist and heard two masses a day one for the quicke and another for the dead and receiued no seruant into her seruice lightly but with expresse condition and many signes that he enclined that way Thirdly he imagineth That shee was kept aliue to barre the next praetender that then was wife of the Dolphine of France which for some reasons neither Spanish nor English could endure And these reasons hée estéemeth to bée Very potent and pregnant for so hée calleth them But if wée will rightly estéeme them wée shall finde them to be built on false grounds and to bée very impotent barren of reason and ridiculous For first most false it is that the Spaniards so fauored her that they would either hazard their state or loose a kingdom for her sake All which was like to come to passe if the ladie Elizabeth should atteine to the crowne And very vnlikely it was that the Spanish king That spared not his a Vita di Pio quinto owne onely sonne nor bloud nor those that were far néerer to him then the Lady Elizabeth woulde encurre the popes displeasure and loose his footing in England to spare her But what néede wée dispute of the Spaniards care and affection to her when they suffred her to be imprisoned euill intreated and called in question for her life As for the Count of Feria hée came to her indéede but not for any good intended to her but either for a complement of curtesie or to aske such a question of her as her manly and stout answer maketh this Noddie albeit hée knew it ashamed to report Secondly her comming to masse if I may so call it when masse was saide before her that vnwillingly heard it was rather of constraint then otherwise As for seruants good Lady she had no power to entertaine any but her ould seruants were remooued and certaine were forced vpon her and commaunded to attend her that she liked not But be it she had for sauing of her life giuen some hope of inclining to popish religion as the aduersary falsely and dishonorably imagineth yet papists are not so simple as to trust such as are newly conuerted Againe séeing the pope had pronounced diuers sentences against her to frustrate and make void her right it could not auaile her any thing to turne to the papists vnlesse either the pope would reuoke his sentences or she take the crowne at his hands which I doubt whether he would haue giuen to her if it had béene in his power to dispose King Henry the third of France though superstitiously popish yet might he not liue for that he was not for the humour of the pope Antonie likewise king of Portugall was put beside his crowne notwithstanding his religion to gratifie the king of Spaine Thirdly séeing Quéene Mary was like to haue children at the first it is more likely that the papists sought to establishe the kingdome in Quéene Mary and her succession by the innocent Ladies destruction then to barre another pretender which could claime no interest before Quéene Maries death not then looked for so soone Besides it is not likely séeing the papists sought onely to establish their owne kingdome that they should exclude one that was wholy deuoted to their religion for one either contrary or much suspected And if the Spaniardes did respect the Lady Elizabeth in regard of matter of state then did they it not for loue as is pretended in the first
to beléeue that the popes excommunications are to bée executed and this is their common doctrine But suppose our aduersarie shoulde teach papists to contemne the popes authoritie which hée is not like to do yet would not his exhortation worke any effect For alwaies vpon the popes excommunication haue wars and rebellions ensued where the pope hath had any authoritie This was the beginning and motiue of the bloody warres of the popes against Henry the fourth and fift and the two Fridericks and against Otho Philip and Lewis of Bauier emperours of Germanie And no other cause can be assigned of the insurrections against king Henry the eight other excommunicate princes In vaine therfore doth this Noddy go about to reconcile the subiects obedience with the excoÌ„munications of the pope They neuer did nor euer coulde agrée hitherto Fire and water may percase bée reconciled but these two cannot Neither do I thinke that hée meaneth to reconcile them Onely hée desireth some respite vntill by our negligence either the papists may get a head or forreine enimies haue made their prouisions ready For how little affection hée beareth to the prince and state it appéereth throughout all his defence In this place hée goeth about to smooth and as farre as hée dare with the safetie of the cause in hand to defende the insurrection in the north of England anno 1569. the rebellions in Ireland the practises of Charles Paget and Francis Throgmorton and diuers other attempts against her Maiestie and the state Whereas the earles of Northumberland and Westmerland rose in armes in the north and spoiled all that quarter and purposed not onely the destruction of the prince but also the subuersion of the state and the bringing in of strangers as appéereth by the negotiation of Ridolpho as it is set downe in pope Pius the fift his life hée saith They onely gathered â—heir tenants togither and without battaile or bloudshed retired As if they had ment nothing but to méete at an ale-stake or May-game Doctor Sanders raised a rebellion in Ireland Francis Throgmorton not onely reuealed the secrets of the state to Bernardin Mendoça and practised with him how to draw in forreine enimies but also had his finger in other treasons Charles Paget began a practise about the coast of Sussex was the ouerthrow of Henry earle of Northumberland and afterward continued practising what mischéefe he could against his countrey The late earle of Northumberlandes actions were openly declared in the Starre-chamber to be dangerous The last earle of Arundell was taken as hée was passing ouer to the enimies And yet all these treasonable and dangerous practises are by him either lightly passed or else coloured Hée saith that Francis Throgmorton died for hauing a description of some portes in his chamber But his owne confession testifieth that hée was touched for far greater matters and I haue partly pointed at the same Hée saith The earle of Arundell was condemned onely for hearing of a masse and that he had cause to reioice that he was condemned for such a treason As if it were so spirituall and glorious a matter to heare a masse Assuredly in times past masses were no such glorious matters when they were solde to all commers for thrée-halfe-pence a péece and vnder As for the earle hée had great cause to commend the clemencie of this gouernment or else hée had well vnderstoode that hee had committed greater faultes then hearing of a masse all which I forbeare to relate for the respect I beare to his house The iustice that hath béene doone vpon papists that haue béene conuicted eyther of rebellion or secrete practises with forraine enemies or other kindes of treason and felony he calleth Pressures vexations dishonors rapines slaughters and afflictions Dishonoring her Maiestie and the state and calumniating the iudges And yet were more true catholickes and religious christians executed within one yéere in Queene Maries time then trayterous papists since her Maiestie came to the crowne a Histor Genuens lib. 23. Bizarus and other strangers do greatly commend her Maiesties clemency her very enemies could neuer appeach her of cruelty The papists most cruelly murder those that are of a diuers religion albeit they yéelde obedience to their prince and desire to liue quietly Her Maiestie executeth none to death for popish religion nay least she should séeme to touch any for religion she doth oftentimes spare offendors guiltie of dangerous practises and treasons Likewise in drawing the obstinate to the church there is great moderation vsed Many offend few are punished and that very gently The papistes haue the greatest part of the wealth of the land in their handes Diuers rayling companions are still publishing libels to the dishonor of her Maiestie and the whole gouernment neither can this Noddy represse his malitious affection but he must néedes allow their dooings And yet the papistes are spared although neuer the more for his wise pleading Finally he commendeth the papistes for their patience But I thinke he meaneth the patience rather of Lombardes then of christians For they neuer had yet patience but when they were vnable to resist In king Henry the eightes dayes they made diuers insurrections in England The trumpets of sedition were monkes and friers In king Edward the sixt his daies they stirred in Deuonshire and Cornewall and all for want of their masse and holywater and such like trinckets The chéefe moouers thereof were likewise priests in Quéene Elizabeths time they made head first in the north parts and afterward in Ireland by the seditious practises of priestes and Iesuites either most or a great part of that country is in combustion Neither haue they omitted any opportunity to mooue new rebellions in England In Fraunce they conspired together against their lawfull kings Henry the third and fourth and neuer gaue ouer vntill they were ouercome by famine sword and other calamities and this is the patience of papists nay they say that if the first christians had had power they would haue deposed Nero Dioclesian and other persecutors a Lib. 5. de pontif Rom. c. 7. Quod si Christiani olim saith Bellarm. non deposuerunt Neronem Dioclesianum Iulianum apostatam ac Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia decrant vires temporales Christianis So when papistes are too weake to resist then they are content to obey but giue them head and then beware Compare now the dooings and procéedings of our side with our aduersaries I hope there shal be no such wickednes found in our hands Diligently doth this fellow search matter against vs but findeth none To iustifie his consorts he telleth vs of Goodman but we do not allow his priuate opinion Beside that he doth not like rebellion but misliketh womens gouernment which opinion since himselfe hath retracted Secondly he obiecteth against vs Wyats rebellion But that was not for religion but for matter of state not against Quéene Marie but against strangers whose tyrannie hée
woulde accuse her What likelyhood is there then if he sought witnesses against the lady and that most gréedily that he should conceale an euidence béeing happily found especially such a one as might reueale hidden mysteries Thus our aduersary groundeth his defence vpon vntruthes Besides that he rayseth his building vpon thinges very impertinent and which make little for Gardiners credite He saith He entreated for the life of the Lord Sturton the Lady Smith and the Duke of Northumberland As if Phalaris and Dionysius and the most bloudy and cruell tyrantes that euer yet liued did not spare some offenders to whome they bore affection euen wolues agrée with wolues and serpents do not sting one another If then Gardiner fauoured malefactors whoores and rebels and such like and without remission prosecuted true Christians it is apparent that he was extreamely cruell and that his cruelty was extended against the best men Sure if this discourser had béene wise he would not haue mentioned the Lord Sturton or the Lady Smith séeing no man béeing such as Gardiner was could with any honour speake for them the one hauing committed a most execrable murder vpon Harguil the other hauing killed her owne husband No doubt she was an honest woman that Winchester would speake for He saith that The Lady Elizabeth was then an obiect of loue and compashion rather then of enuy and hatred The which doth argue Gardiners extreame cruelty that had no remorse of conscience to shed so innocent a Ladies bloud forgetting all naturall pitty and compassion that was due to a woman of her yeeres and quality and in that case Where sir Francis saith That recusants cānot professe more loyaltie and loue to Queene Elizabeth and to the state then Gardiner did to king Henry and his sonne king Edward to the state then and yet in the daies of Queene Marie betraied the Queene and realme into the popes and Spaniards hands pulling off his vizor of loue and loyaltie and shewing himselfe in his naturall likenesse and qualities The wise N. D. taketh exceptions to his sayings and telleth him that either hée is ignorant of matters then passed or else willingly telleth vntruthes and so hée entreth into a long discourse concerning Gardiners fall as he calleth it and the matching of Quéene Mary with king Philip the comming in of the Spaniards excusing Gardiner for writing against the pope and flatly denying that hée consented to match the Quéene with the prince of Spaine but first this talke of Recusants is impertinent in this place and argueth nothing else but that this point charged vpon Recusants is a bone too hard for him to gnaw and a matter which had bin better concealed then mentioned in this place declaring plainly what we are to expect at their hands if time serue Secondly it is most false that either Gardiner did then fal or commit a fault when hée stoode for the princes supremacie against the pope or else that hée condemned his dooing therein during king Henries daies Nay when his Secretary Germaine Gardiner was executed he had like himselfe to haue passed the same way had he not confessed his fault to the king and desired pardon with promise of amendement Likewise in king Edwards daies being examined first Whether hee did not beleeue that the king was iustly and ought to bee the head of the church of England and of the synode or conuocation and secondly Whether hee had not authority to make ecclesiasticall lawes for church gouernment hée answered to both affirmatiuely Which sheweth that this Noddy was ignorant of matters of those times and not his aduersarie But if i◠writing against the pope he did euill sure in nothing did he well For this was the onely act for which he deserued commendation To write for the pope or to acknowledge the popes authoritie is nothing else but vnnaturally to subiect this countrey to a stranger and to acknowledge the vsurped power of a tyrant that is vndoubtedlie Antichrist In this place also the Noddy heapeth vp other lyes vpon the backe of the first adding lies to lies Hée saith That Gardiner was one of the chiefe of sixteene Counsellers that were appointed by king Henries testament and earnest charge of mouth at his last howre to gouerne his sonne and realme and that the king earnestly gaue charge that no alteration of religion shoulde be made during his sonnes minoritie But neither was hée one of the chiefe nor any gouernour at all For the king long before his death had dashed him out of his will as a turbulent fellow and not woorthy to haue such a charge committed vnto him Neither would he be induced at sir Anthony Brownes request to admit him againe to that place Secondly this Gardener was neither present when the king died nor many daies before being commanded out of his sight Thirdly it is most notorious that the king dealt most earnestly with Annibault the French kings ambassadour a little before his death to perswade his king to establish a reformation of religion in France And therefore this tale of forbidding alteration is a méere fiction Whatsoeuer the king commanded that certes was to Gardener vnknowne being forbidden the kings presence Fourthly how absurd is it to thinke that Gardiner durst plead the popes right to the king when for this onely suspition that he enclined to the pope hée had no doubt béene called in question had hée not submitted himselfe to the kings mercy That hée did so is a most shamelesse lie as also that hée denied the Kings supremacie in his sermon preached before king Edward which this Noddy affirmeth contrary to all truth And therefore doth farre better deserue the title of Steelebrow then his aduersary sure if he had not béene both stéelebrowed and béetilbrowed yea and béetilheaded hée woulde neuer haue béene so bolde in affirming so many vntruthes without grounde or witnesse nay contrarie to all record of storie and testification of witnesses Thirdly it is most true That Gardiner was a principall actor in matching Queene Mary with Philip of Spaine which our aduersarie denieth and most false that the Counsell was deuided about this matter some fauoring the earle of Deuonshire others the prince of Spaine which he affirmeth That is prooued for that hée wrote and receiued letters from Charles the emperour to this purpose and also in that he was a chiefe dealer about the articles agréed vpon at the time of the mariage and last of all for that the prince of Spaine came first to Winchester and was maried by the bishop as a man specially fauoring that match The second point is prooued first by the testimonie of a Lib. 2. de schism Sanders that saith that all the counsel liked this match in regard of bringing back the church of England to the church of Rome And secondly for that the Quéene made choice of the earle of Deuonshire herselfe and such was her affection that shée had maried him but that all her Counsell resisted it
a carnall fellow and a méere politicke Hée kept certaine women and his bastardes in his time bore no small swaie in Rome One of them made loue to a mans wife of the house of Glorieri Of whom receiuing some indignitie he brought the Glorieri into hatred with his father Who picking a quarrell to them fined Caesar Glorieri him that set his hand to the sentence of excommunication against the Quéene 100000. ducates and another Glorieri that was clarke of the popes checker chamber he put out of his office and solde it for diuers thousands of duckats So you sée much money made of a baudie matter and you woulde woonder whether all this money went and I beléeue hardly coulde you gesse it I will therefore assure you that all this money went to the Iesuites and was most of it imploied in the building of their colledge at Rome O holie societie and thrise holy colledge erected for the most part by baudrie and maintained as pope Sixtus said by vsurie This may serue for a taste to shew that the best founders that Iesuites haue are carnall and sensuall men that rather then they will frie in purgatorie will giue the Iesuites most of that they haue The second fault of this enumeration is this that it is defectiue For not so many atheistes carnall worldlings and heretickes as christian and catholicke princes zelous and godly bishops and pastors and honest and religious Christians do detest and abhor this wicked generation Princes for the hazard that they haue incurred of their liues and states haue eyther expulsed them and banished them their countries as the French king the Transyluanian and those that professe true religion or had them in iealousie as the king of Poland and diuers papisticall princes Godly Christians haue reason to suspect them and detest them for their abominable doctrine and treacherous and murderous practises Fathers feare them in regard of their children whom they inueigle and steale away The Venetians dissolued a colledge in Padua where gentlemens sonnes were wont to be brought vp for that the Iesuites taking vpon them to teach there corrupted their youth with their vnnaturall lasciuiousnes and restrained them from teaching others then such as were of their own society Husbandes haue them in iealousie for their wiues wiues for their husbands For it is no rare matter for these subuerters of all humanity to draw wiues from husbandes and husbandes from wiues yea sometimes through too much familiarity with women they spoile the men A certaine Magnifico in Venice perceiuing his wiues iewels to be wanting in the end learned that the Iesuites had gotten them To conclude this point I thinke the Iesuites will not deny but that the Carmelites and Franciscanes and Dominicans and othe orders of fryers are as honest men as themselues yet all these do inwardly hate them At Vienna they thrust out the Carmelites at Mentz the Dominicans at Trier and Bransberg the Franciscās out of their houses which maketh these orders to hate them In Bauier the priests béeing brought to pouerty and shame by the Iesuites haue no reason to loue them And thus we sée that many honest men do eyther suspect or hate the Iesuites and some also which they themselues cannot take iust exception against Let vs therefore now consider whether the causes that haue mooued and occasioned this hatred against the Iesuites be iust or no. The discourser saith They are had in hatred and emulation eyther for their rule and profession or for their learning and doctrine or for their life and conuersation But first the parts of this diuision are imperfect next the same conteineth diuers vntruthes and more are added in the declaration of it Lastly the whole defence parted in this diuision is not sufficient to iustifie the course and actions of the Iesuites the imperfection may be prooued by diuers particulars For they are not onely hated for these thrée causes but for diuers others As namely for that they do many things both contrary to their owne rule and contrary to the rule of Gods law and Christian religion They professe obedience but they practise sedition and rebellion Claudius Matthew a Iesuite and king Henry the third of France his confessor was the most principall author and agent in the league of papists against him and the peace established a litle before Parsons and Campian were sent into England to make a faction for the papistes which appeared in this that they procured a faculty to suspend the bull of Pius as farre as it concerned papists no further then Rebus sic stantibus These fellowes are the principall agents and stirrers of the rebellion in Ireland Iames Gordon Creichton and Hayes Iesuites laide a plot not onely for a rebellion in Scotland but for an inuasion in England Neither hath any warre or tumult béene raysed of late in any part of Christendome wherein the Iesuites haue not borne a principall part They professe chastitie and the law of God forbiddeth all vncleannes but how these obserue this profession and law I report me to their owne consciences to the Iesuites of Rome and Padua and to their practise in allowing and now and then frequenting bordelles They talke much of voluntary pouerty and Christ saith all should be left for his sake But these good fellowes leaue Christ for the wealth and ease they find in the order of Iesuites They dwell in costly pallaces their dyet apparrell is more dainty and braue then ordinary The furniture of their houses and churches is gorgious and princely Their armes are placed aboue the armes of princes most couetously they scratch and scrape from the orphane widow and poore and put out their mony to interest their rule and outward profession is to gaine soules but their practise is to kill soules They promise to teach without reward but if a great man will giue them a million they take all Nay they pretend to begge for banished English but take most themselues and by all practises séeke to enrich themselues by bribes and rewardes They professe religion and the name of Iesus but they are the slaues of the pope and oppugne the faith of Iesus preferring the decretals before scriptures in certainty and make a scoffe at religion In Venice they painted the virgine Mary like a Lady in the city whome they loued as a Vita Pij Quinti Pius Quintus cast an Agnus dei into the riuer so these vse the same practise in their coniurations Nay they administer the sacrament to those that go about to murder princes as Walpoole did to Squire First then they are hated for dooing against Gods law and their owne written rules Secondly for their ignorance in true religion Thirdly for that they peruert others by their leud perswasions and euill example Fourthly for that they peruert youth and teach them euill manners Fiftly for that they are not ashamed to defend any old condemned heresie or grosse new error holden by the pope Lastly
ensuing not for the testimonie of truth Euill therfore are those words of Iustine apolog 1. concerning the patient suffering of Christians applied to Iesuites that are neither martyrs nor good Christians nor suffer for other cause but their offences and that most vnwillingly and vnpatiently as by Campian and by diuers examples may bée prooued The comparison likewise betwixt the first Christians that were charged to be Syluestres and Syluicolae and the Iesuites is most improper For Iesuites neither liue in woodes nor holes as did the first Christians but in princely pallaces and kinges courts and in the presse of people Neither are they retired for meditation but runne disguised ouer the worlde and thrust themselues into all companies to practise them wicked treasons and to execute their holie fathers desseignements Hee braggeth very much of the Iesuites teaching and of their reading artes toongs and sciences As if artes toongs and sciences were not as well taught before the name of this sect was heard of and shall not bee so againe when the whole order of them shall be extinguished As for their teaching it should bée much more commendable if with truth and knowledge they did not mingle falshoode heresie and poison and their toongs were more to bée estéemed if they did not teach them to spread lies and slanders But whatsoeuer their teaching is they enter vpon the pastors office and intrude themselues into it without commission and authoritie Nay they enter by other waies then the dore and in the folde make hauocke of Christes lambes Hée compareth them also to saint b 1. Cor. 15. Paule that saith Abundantius omnibus laboraui and to the rest of the most holy apostles Nay in the end hée doubteth not to iustifie the turbulent procéedings of the Iesuites by the example of Christ Iesus who was charged with troubling the people and forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar as hée saith but the difference and oddes is so great as may make a man woonder why hée compared things so vnlike togither The apostles were makers of peace most humble and méeke men true disciples of Christ and most painfull laborers in planting true religion drawing men to Christ But these false apostles are sowers of sedition trumpets of warre proud braggers and boasters of their angelicall holinesse painfull labours and profound learning conterfect Christians and true disciples of Satan Painefull labourers but to ouerthrow rather then to build to drawe men to antichrist and not to Christ not séeking to win soules by teaching the meanes of saluation but to destroy soules by teaching false doctrine vaine traditions and by bringing men into the thraldome of antichrist Christ and his apostles were accused most vniustly These most iustly as hath béene verified Christ made a diuision in the world making good of bad and separating the good from the bad But the Iesuites make of good bad and set diuision where there was peace before as appéereth by their whole procéeding Yea and our aduersarie confesseth that of colde cacolikes they make hot recusants Therefore may they bée iustly called Rerump incendiarij that is burners of common-wealthes and fire-brands of Satan that of good subiects by their reconcilements make seditious leaguers desperate murtherers busie practisers and perturbers of states But a P. 69. saith he It appeareth not that the Iesuites haue sought her Maiesties bloud especially not Parsons that was neuer accused by Parry Sauage Ballard Babington Hesket Daniel Polwhele or others As if any thing could appeare more cleare then the murderous minde of Iesuites both against al princes excommunicate by the pope and namely against her Maiestie Do they not teach that the subiectes are to rise against their princes when the pope commaundeth Did not Ghineard resolue that it was lawfull to kill princes excommunicate by the pope And was not he therefore executed at Paris anno 1594. And haue not diuers Iesuites sent men ouer into England and perswaded them to murder her Maiestie And haue not diuers witnesses testified so much as before hath béene declared And hath not Ribadineira or rather a ribaldy lying frier a Portingale Iesuite by all meanes b This Ribald hath set out Sanders booke of schisme in Spanish with many additions and falsification◠sought to dishonour her Maiestie to stirre her subiectes to séeke her ouerthrow in his most slaunderous booke of schisme Finally we must not thinke that the Iesuites haue had eyther other purpose or desire this many yéeres then to stirre vp sedition and warres against her and to bring the realme vnder the pope and Spanyard whome they serue which cannot be done without the destruction of her person and the desolation of this realme Neither may we thinke that Parsons the Iesuite albeit for some purpose percase he hath kept himselfe from open managing of treasons is better disposed towardes her Maiestie and the state then the rest of his companions For all Iesuites allow the popes power in deposing princes which cannot be without their destruction Yea and Parsons himselfe hath not dealt so closely but that there are many great and euident proofes of his disloyalty and trechery For not onely the booke set out vnder the name of Dolman concerning the succession to the crowne of England is his but also diuers other a Andreas Philopater Leycesters common wealth a confutation of causes c. treasonable bookes and pamphlets whereby he goeth about not onely to stirre vp troubles in England but also to conuey the title of the crowne to the infant of Spaine and to bring in strangers for which he is reprooued by a certaine popish priest not altogether so leud as himselfe in a b Pag. 12. passim treatise printed at Collen anno 1600. and intituled A discouery of a counterfait conference c. Published by one Parson that dare not auow his name Yea and so farre hath he intricated himselfe in these matters that the generall of the Iesuites is ashamed of him and hath therefore called him out of Spaine and made him rector of boy-priests in the English colledge at Rome as being a person blotted with notorious treasons Secondly in this treatise which is either Parsons his deuise or at least allowed by Parsons not onely the cause of rebels and traitors that haue sought to destroy her Maiestie is pleaded but also the fact of Ghineard the Iesuite that expresty c His notes appeere in the registre of the court of parliament of Paris and in the sixt recueil of matters of the league determined That Henrie the third of France was iustly slaine and that tyrants in which degrée hée putteth all princes excommunicate by the pope may lawfully by any be slaine Thirdly he is a factor for the pope and Spaniard nowe professed enimies of her Maiestie and this kingdome And all the worlde knoweth that they haue nothing more in their vowes then her Maiesties ruine Fourthly hée is a Iesuite whose oath and profession is to do
whatsoeuer his superior commandeth If then the pope commaund as no doubt but hée hath and will there is no question but he must also come togither with his consorts with fire sword oppugne this lande and destroy the prince Fiftly it is ridiculous to dispute of his intention when wée may sée his hostile traytorous minde by his actions He hath abandoned his prince and country he adhereth to her Maiesties professed enemies In times past he and Campian came into this country with instructions and authority from publike enemies with a resolution to sée the popes pleasure executed and to make a side for his holy father Let him deny any part of this if he canne Nay let him but answere first whether he brought not a faculty from the pope giuing leaue to papists to obey her Maiestie so long as the state stood in tearmes as then it did and vntill the popes bull could be executed and next whether the popes sentence béeing declared and published he and all papistes were not purposed and bound to do their worst against her Sixtly he was among the Spanyardes that in the yéere 1588 came in hostile aray to cut her Maiesties throte and to destroy her people if they had could Lastly he alloweth the dooings of Cardinall Allen that the same time stirred vp all papistes to lay hands on her Maiesty and perswaded them to take armes against her and to assist the Spaniards Hée also knew a certaine Englishman that came into England with full resolution to murder her Maiestie and neuer reuealed so much If then hée take the Queene for his mother and the mother of her countrey as this discourser signifieth then must Parsons confesse that he is a parricide that séeketh to lay violent handes vpon his mother And if hée call this an odious and heinous crime as indeed it is then is hée guiltie of a most odious crime and is a most odious rebell This being his charge let vs sée his defence Let the examinations saith hée of Parry Sauage and such others be viewed ouer and see whether any of them do accuse father Parsons As if none were guiltie of these treasons but such as were named by their consorts Beside that suppose Parsons were no open stickler in these actions yet it is sufficiently knowne that such subtile practisers do deale by second and third persons Furthermore albeit hée coulde cleere himselfe of Parries Sauages and Ballards treasons yet can hée not so easily auoide the suspicion of Heskets practise For hée is charged by a A discouery of a counterfeit conference c. one of his owne religion to bée a practiser to set a foote the late Earle of Darbies title in which Hesket and others were agents Neither can hée answere his treasonable purpose in b Ibidem Dolmans booke Where he endeuoreth to conuey the crowne to strangers and his practises with priestes come into England to aduance the Infantaes title Nor can hée cléere his handes of the most execrable treasons contained in Andreas Philopaters discourse either written or published by him and Creswell his factor in the court of Spaine Secondly hée telleth vs How Parsons protesteth that hee was neuer giltie nor priuy to any attempt made against her Maiestie But his owne friendes as himselfe confesseth in a letter to bée shewed trust him not saying hée is a Machiuilian and a In the discouerie of a counterfâ—ct conference p. 34. one chargeth him That hee vseth dissimulation doubling and redoubling And the faction of priestes opposite to Iesuites now in England doth vtterly condemne the trickes equiuocations and coloured dissimulation of Iesuites as is noted in seueral notes and letters to be shewed against them If then his owne fréendes trust not his promises and othes how shall we beléeue his protestations Certes hée that will most wickedly practise such wicked actions he will also boldly denie them Yea and this foolish Noddy where he woulde cléere him doth cléerely conuict him For he denieth not but that Parsons was acquainted with a gentlemans purpose that resolutely ment either to take away the Queenes life or to loose his owne So it appéereth that such matters are consulted vpon which is the thing we say and that Parsons was acquainted withall which is by our aduersarie denied Indéede I confesse that wée are tolde that Parsons disswaded the foresaide murdrer But that are not wée bounde to beléeue Nay albeit hée had so done yet that is not sufficient to excuse him For such treasons are to bée detected and not onely hindred by all honest men Againe it may bée that Parsons either in regard of the gentleman that shoulde haue executed this murder or because such executions woulde bring domage to their cause not for loue to her Maiesty did disswade this shameful murder and assassinate For it appéereth both by his dealing with Hesket about the Earle of Darby and also by his practises with the yoong priests that come ouer out of Spaine for the preferment of the Infant of Spaine to the crowne of England and by his most scandalous writings vnder the false names of Dolman and Philopater which shall bée prooued to his face by witnesse to bée his dooings that hée séeketh nothing more then her Maiesties dishonor and destruction And that in treason hée is not inferior to Allen the Cardinall or any traytor these many yéeres executed at Tyborne Finally he a P. 71. compareth her Maiestie to Saul whom God declared vnwoorthy to reigne and from whom hée gaue the kingdome to Dauid Which sheweth plainly what a leude conceite this generation hath of her Maiesties title and gouernment But that they woulde spare her as Dauid spared Saule is a matter most vnlikely For it appéereth that the pope and the Iesuites and priests his agents and al their consorts haue by secret assasinors and empoisoners and also by open murdrers and cutthrotes sought her death and destruction And shall such agents of the pope and Spaniard as these bée still suffred to liue and bée still maintained in diuers principall places of this lande to practise Shall not wée take a course with Iesuites and priestes and their consorts that are thus bloodily minded against the prince and all that loue her or stande well affected to true religion Shall wée suffer them through our remissenesse or rather stupiditie to make a head as they haue done in Ireland where they are the onely originall causes of the reuolt albeit other matters are pretended and so to bring all in combustion héere as they haue done there alreadie Consider the sequele of these matters my déere countrymen and looke well to your owne safetie and if you respect not your selues nor your owne particular yet haue regard to the church of God and his true religion which you professe and shoulde defende if you bée truelie religious Respect the honour of your prince your nation your countrey Will you abandone your selues to the spoile of proud enimies that séeke
and all that professe the same And Secondly by their affection toward forreine enimies and cold deuotion to her Maiestie and the present gouernment Their hatred against religion is so extreme that they will not suffer any to liue that professe the same Their affection to the pope is excéeding when for his sake they forget their loue to their countrie and duty to their prince as appéereth euidently by many examples and as they hate true religion the present gouernment so they séeke the establishment of idolatrie and other points of poperie and the whole alteration of the present state Of which the first cannot bée done without the subuersion of the church nor the later without the desolation of this countrey Two points so materiall that no true Christian can endure the first nor true Englishman the latter Our aduersarie supposeth that the masse and the popes gouernment may well stande with her Maiesties securitie But popish religion hath many tricks beside the masse and the popes gouernment if it were receiued as the Iesuites teach it admitteth no other soueraigntie either in ecclesiasticall or politicall affaires beside the popes Neither masse nor pope can come into England either with the safetie of her Maiestie or the state And this wée do not speake by guesses at the wishes of papists as our aduersarie supposeth but by experience of former practises and reasons deduced out of the grounds of Romish religion and the practise of Romish procéedings Of which wée haue spoken héeretofore and shall also haue occasion to speake more at large héereafter The thirde point to be considered is Whether the Recusants do not dissemble deepely and in hart stand euill affected to her Maiestie their countrey and all that professe the Gospell In handling whereof our aduersarie passeth a little the limits of patience and giueth sir Francis euill language and P. 80. chargeth him That he hath no care nor conscience in accusing so many cacolike men of England and that of such heinous crimes But high treasons are not answered with high wordes Neither can heinous crimes bée dashed out with flat and bold denials We find by experience that all the troubles that since the beginning of her Maiesties reigne vnto this time haue happened to this state haue procéeded wholie from the malice of papists The rebellion in the north parts of this realme was raised by Nicholas Morton and other priests when as yet there was almost neither act nor lawe made against papists When they coulde not preuaile in England they raised great broiles in Ireland Beside domesticall rebellions they haue stirred vp forreine enimies and warres against this state Philip of Spaine at the instance of English traitors determined both by sea and land to make warre vpon vs. By procurement and practise of this faction the Duke of Alua the Duke of Guise and Don Iuan d'Austria became our enimies Likewise if wée looke into secret practises either against her Maiesties life or against the state wée shall finde that all the plots were contriued and determined to bée executed by papists William Parry Somerfield Arden Babington Ballard Patrick Ocollen and all those murderers and empoisoners that of late time haue practised against her Maiestie were papists and set on by papists Onely Lopez as is said was a Iew. So papists and Iewes conspire iointly against this state Of their hatred against religion and the true professors thereof there is no question to be made Darkenesse cannot stand with light nor canne the sonnes of Beliall abide Christs true disciples No papist will endure to be excommunicate by the pope but if hée shoulde not persecute Christians vpon his commandement he shoulde bée excommunicate and accursed Nay albeit they woulde be content to liue in peace yet will not the Iesuites and seditious priestes suffer them to rest These raised the league or rather the rebellion against the French king and warres against the professors of true religion These are the agents of antichrist to mooue princes to warre against the lambe and those that follow him Neither is it to bée presupposed that they can continue in their allegiance to her Maiestie when they acknowledge the popes authoritie Praecipimus saith a In bulla Pij 5. aduers Elizabeth Pius Quintus interdicimus vniuersis singulis proceribus subditis populis alijs ne illi eiusue monitis mandatis legibus audeant obedire How then dare they obey her Maiestie when hée commandeth them not to obey The traytor b In his letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland Allen hée doth not onely exhort her subiects to forsake her but to take armes against her If you should either sit stil saith he or refuse to help the Spaniard c. or any of you seeke to vphold which God forbid the vsurper or her complices being thus cursed you shall first encurre the angels curse c. and bee as deepely excommunicated as shee is Séeing then that papists of our times bée like to their predecessors and séeing they cannot choose but obey the popes command what is to bée looked for at their handes but sedition rebellion and cruell execution of the popes commands They may now temporize So do also all rebels vntill their matters grow ripe They may likewise professe and protest déepely For so did Parry Lopez and the earles of Westmerland and Northumberland But why shoulde any thinke our papists to be of other nature then the papists of France and other countries that neuer cared for promise nor oath so they might attaine their purpose Shall not wée while wee haue meanes prouide for our safety and the safetie of the state Our aduersarie a P. 78. 80. talketh much of the Conscience of papists and setteth them foorth as Examples of good life and modest behauiour and diuers other vertues and no maruell seeing apes séeme faire to apes and serpents to serpents and affection maketh foule thinges séeme faire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Eclog. 6. Theocritus But hée that nourisheth vp woolues must looke well to his shéepe Wee are well acquainted with their conscience and knowe they make no conscience to obey the popes commands though neuer so cruell Their behauior is such that wée finde no men more backewarde in publike seruice Wherefore as one saide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So wée may say the Spaniards are dangerous enimies the pope and his agents more the Recusant and domesticall malcontent is most dangerous Neither are they hard harted men and without piety and conscience that so thinke of them but these rather that oppugne true pietie and religion maintaine idolatrie and superstition and preferre strangers before their owne countreymen hazarding the destruction of their owne nation and countrey that is like to ensue if the popes purposes which they do fauour and vnder paine of his curse must fauour take effect And that they are not so honest men as is pretended appéereth
Fourthly after the decay of the Romaine empire for a while Christian religion began to flourish in Rome and that citie of a wicked citie became the church of God But after the desolation of Babylon or new Rome it shall be made The habitation of diuels and the hold of all foule spirits and a cage of vncleane and hatefull birdes Which must néedes be vnderstoode of the destruction of Rome vnder the pope Diuers other reasons also are alleaged in a late treatise a Lib. 5. de pontif Rom. siue eius apost c. 11. De apostasia Pontificis Rom. that most apparently shewe that Rome as it is the seate of the pope is that Babylon and that beast with seauen heades of which Saint Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation Hauing talked his pleasure of Rome and Babylon b P. 94. the Warder with many idle wordes returneth backe to talke of his déere father the pope which sheweth that Babylon and antichrist are of néere affinitie and cannot well bée sundred But what hath hée to say of the pope Forsooth it gréeueth him much that hée shoulde bée called The proud priest and arch-prelate of Rome And yet sir Francis hath therein done him great fauour For if wée will rightly estéeme hée neither deserueth the name of priest nor arch-prelate nor bishop hauing giuen ouer all priestly and bishoplike function and occupying himselfe about worldly affaires and his terrestriall kingdome which to erect hée ouerthrew the empire the whole strength of Christendome and gaue leisure to the Turke to rauage so many christian prouinces and to maintaine it hée hath caused the destruction of infinite Christian people And calling him Proud and Ambitious yet he doth him no wrong For hee taketh to himselfe diuine power and authoritie in his commandements and iudgements and aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God Hée taketh on him also power to canonize saints and to giue diuine honors to others and beareth himselfe as lord of the Calendar of saints Hée is borne high on mens shoulders and maketh great princes to attende on him like squires or pages giuing his toe to kisse for a speciall fauour Neither doth hee content himselfe to bée called lord of lordes and Christes Vicar but will néedes bée called c C. satis dist 96. God at the least honored as God on the earth Hée aduanceth himselfe high aboue all earthly princes and presumeth to depose them and take away their kingdomes at his pleasure Oh that Christian princes woulde open their eies and consider how by his pride he hath abused the honor of kinges and troden the maiestie of the emperor and other christian magistrates vnder féete Hée is also greatly offended that the pope is called Bloody monster and in great sadnesse telleth vs That wee must not speake euill of the prince of the people and alleageth the law that condemneth him to death that spoke euill of his father But the â—eely fellow shoulde haue remembred that wée haue shewed him to bee neither the prince of Gods people nor a friend of Gods people And hee himselfe hath declared howe vnwoorthie hée is of the name of father that seeketh to murder and ruinate his children Nay hée is the father of lies heresies wicked practises and of all that either by wicked doctrine or trecherous practise seeke the destruction either of the church or of this state When William the conquerour came against England the pope a Matth. Paris in Wâ—llelm conquest blessed his banners Another pope sent his blessing to the French that in king Iohns time inuaded this countrey Paule the third by all meanes hée could sought the ouerthrow of our nation in king Henrie the eights daies stirring vp forreine enimies abroad and wicked rebels at home to hurt vs and to destroy our countrey Of late time Pius Quintus Gregorie the thirtéenth and Sixtus Quintus haue not onely brought the Spaniards vpon vs but also wrought diuers rebellions in England séeking if they could vtterly to ruinate this state And as they haue done in England so haue they procéeded in France and in the Lowe countries and by their rebellions and practises haue brought to destruction diuers millions of Christians In summe if wée please to read histories we shall finde that the popes are the onely firebrands and enflamers of all the warres of Christendome which Machiauel in his b Lib. 1. Florentine historie doth in plaine termes confesse And haue not wée then reason to call the pope bloodie monster c In Gregorio 6. Platina calleth thrée popes for their cruelties shewed one to another and for their wickednesse Tria teterrima monstra And shall not wée that haue farre greater cause to doe so call them by their names But saith hée More bloud hath beene shedde in London for religion in one yeere then in all the popes territories this twentie It is also maruell that hée saith not that lambes are more cruell then woolues For hée is ashamed of nothing This which hée héere writeth is a most shamelesse and impudent slander For hée cannot shew that for popish religion any at all hath béene executed to death Papists I confesse to the number of some fiftie or thréescore haue béene executed but they were such as either practised treasons at home or came from forreine enimies abroad to the entent to worke mischiefe against the state Who albeit they were woorthily put to death for their offences yet the pope that sent them and set them on is to answere for their blood Compare then the number of those that haue béene massacred in France and executed in Flaunders and that haue by the crueltie of Inquisitors béene done to death in diuers places of Christendome and you shall sée that the pope and papacie is that bloodie purple whoore whose vestures are redde with the blood of saints and whose cruelties haue farre surmounted all other tyrants Now least he should séeme to speake without booke he layeth on his aduersary with textes of scriptures and saith That euery soule should be subiect to higher powers and that there is no power but of God and how he that resisteth power resisteth Gods ordinance And of this he would inferre that those stand in bad tearmes That resist and reuile the pope But all this maketh much against the pope that hath shaken off his princes yoke and stirreth vp rebelles to resist lawfull princes promising them his blessing for their wicked and cursed treasons For the pope this allegation is most fond and sencelesse For it canne neuer be prooued that the popes tyrannicall gouernement both in church and common wealth is of God Let any learned papist for our aduersary is but a séely Noddy shew that the popes gouernement and fulnesse of power which he claimeth ouer all churches is of God Let him also prooue that God hath giuen him an earthly kingdome and authority to depose princes to translate kingdoms to raise warres and rebellions and to cut the throte of Christians
and murder Christes lambes Our aduersary he passeth this ouer without touch and onely telleth vs That the popes power hath beene acknowledged in all Christendome for many yeeres and ages But he lyeth and forgeth in this also For the easterne churches neuer acknowledged this power nor could the pope euer sell his commodities in those countries for any mony The churches of Africke likewise resisted the popes vsurpations and forbad their people to runne to Rome eyther for fauour or iustice The Frenchmen neuer would receiue the sixt booke of decretalles His prouisions the kinges of England would neuer admitte his pilling legates were odious generally to all Christendome Finally albeit his tyranny preuailed much in latter times yet haue a Petr. de Alliac de refor eccl Conciâ— Basil grauam Gâ—â—man honest men declared the discontentement which they haue receiued by his burdensome lawes iniurious excommunications and most shameful exactions and pillages He telleth vs moreouer How Christ said to his Apostles Luk. 10. He that heareth you heareth me and he that contemneth you contemneth me But first he is mistaken in the persons to whome these wordes were spoken For these wordes were deliuered to the seuentie disciples and not to the twelue Beside were these wordes to be vnderstood of the apostles and their successors yet they concerne the pope nothing For he is no apostle béeing neither called immediately of God nor sent into al the world nor ledde into all truth nor being able to make his decretals of authenticall credite Hée is not the apostles successor for hée féedeth not nor preacheth nor doth anie part of apostolicall function Nay hee doth contrary to the apostles fashion murder Gods saints trouble Christian people and resist Christes doctrine The apostles taught such things as Christ gaue theÌ„ in instructions The popes publish nothing but fond decretals and strange doctrine not onely diuers but also in manie points contrarie to Christes Gospell and holy Scriptures But saith N. D. The bishops of Rome be successors in the apostle Saint Peters seat Which I do not altogether deny if he meane the first bishops of Rome which were indéede true bishops and succéeded Peter and other apostles teaching apostolicall doctrine So all other true and godly bishops also were successors of Peter albeit they claymed not this vniuersality and fulnesse of power which the pope pretendeth to belong to him But whatsoeuer the first bishops of Rome were yet this concerneth the pope nothing for he is no bishop nor teacher nor successor in Peters chaire but rather Simon Magus his successor buing and selling not onely sacraments and benefices but also mens soules He succéedeth also the Angelicks in worshipping angels the Carpocratians in dissolutenesse and worshipping images the Collyridians in worshipping the virgin Mary the Manichées in his halfe communions and forbidding of mariage to priests the Pelagians in extolling the force of nature and merit of works and infinite other heretickes in seuerall points of leud doctrine He succéedeth also Nero in the Empire of Rome rather then Peter that was subiect to Neroes gouernement He alleadgeth also the example of the scribes and pharisées and saith That Christ commaunded his disciples to obserue and do whatsoeuer the scribes and pharisees that sate in Moses chayre said to them And to speake truth he hath more reason to compare the pope to scribes and pharisers corrupters of the law then to the successors of Christes Apostles But yet will not this serue his purpose for our Sauiors meaning was to shew that such as sate in Moses seat and taught his law were to be heard albeit otherwise bad men But the popes do not sit in Peters seat nor in Moses chaire nor teach apostolicall or true doctrine Hée telleth vs further That railers shall not inherite Christes kingdome especially such as raile against Magistrates All which wee admitte For it is a sentence condemnatorie against the pope of Rome and his faction that of late time haue taken to themselues infinite libertie in all their writings to raile against christiaÌ„ princes and others not sparing any that is contrarie to their procéedings For witnesse proofe héereof I referre my selfe to the railing buls of Paule the third against Henrie the 8. of Pius quintus and Sixtus 5. against Elizabeth his daughter of Sixtus 5. and Gregorie the 14. against Henrie the third and fourth of France and of Sixtus 5. against the prince of Condey To Sanders Ribadineiraes Rishtons Anniball Scotus the author of the commentarie of the popes late constitutions and other most slanderous and railing libels against Quéene Elizabeth The wise fellow doth also condemne his owne scurrilous railing against sir Francis Hastings Against vs it maketh nothing that onely in plaine termes declare our aduersaries leud dealings sparing all euill termes as much as we can Neither doth this concerne the pope that is neither Magistrate nor good Christian For that which this Noddy writeth How the pope is a spirituall Magistrate and hath a higher degree of authoritie then temporall magistrates and that he doth represent immediately the person of Christ Iesus is nothing but a péece of his frierlike folly and ignorance in spirituall and temporall matters For if such high authoritie had béene giuen him no doubt but wée shoulde long ere this haue séene authenticall writings of this donation and haue heard of the particulars Now wée must take these words as procéeding from a writer of antichristes marke that for Christ woulde commend vnto vs antichrist He telleth vs That all ancient diuines and doctors for aboue a thousand yeeres togither haue taught that it is blasphemie to raile at the bishop of Rome appointed by Christ to gouerne in his place and damnation not to acknowledge his authoritie And yet he is not able to shew either one sound diuine or doctor that hath so taught Nay he is not able to name many canonistes no nor schoolemen that haue so written or spoken Thomas Aquinas a 2.2 q. 13. teacheth him That blasphemie is against God Syluester Prierius b Summa in verb. blasphemia saith Blasphemy is a sinne against God properly which he prooueth by the authoritie of Saint Ambrose and improperly against saints But the pope is neither God nor saint Nay if it bée blasphemy to attribute to man that which is proper to God as the foresaide schoolemen teach then do the papists blaspheme that giue to the pope Christs power to remit sins sticke not to call him a god on earth All ancient fathers of the church had the bishop of Rome in no other estéeme then they had other godlie bishops neither did euer any one suppose that it was damnation not to acknowledge his authoritie Nay his vniuersall authoritie ouer all the church and infinite power in deposing princes not Caluin and Luther but all ancient writers doe gainsay and denie So that vnlesse the Reader haue great patience in this place hée will hardly endure to read so shamelesse and
Peter descended to the pope of Rome Fourthly the aduersaries themselues cannot prooue this succession by any such infallible and certaine deduction as is pretended Wherefore vnlesse this Noddy can shew first that the pope hath succéeded Peter in the generall charge of apostolicall gouernment and teaching throughout the worlde and secondly that the pope is a true bishop pastor and successor of Peter and thirdly that neither the bishops of Antioch nor Caesarea nor Ioppe nor Lydda where Peter taught nor any saue the bishops of Rome succéeded in Peters seate and fourthly that the popes authoritie in giuing lawes in censures exactions dispensations iudgements was generally allowed and neuer contradicted and finally that he still holdeth the apostolike doctrine and faith intirely and admitteth no heresies nor false opinions in religion vnlesse I say he prooue all this he is at the end of his reckoning for the popes authoritie and sheweth himselfe to bée but a vaine babler and a foolish challenger that euen in the midst of danger conueieth himselfe out of the steccato And I do much woonder that all true Christians do not suspect this manner of procéeding and detest the pride and vanitie of this discourser that leaueth his miserable disciples more perplexed then before For he teacheth that vpon paine of damnation they must subiect themselues to the popes authoritie and yet when it commeth to the iumpe he is neither able to iustifie the popes authoritie in making and dissoluing lawes nor in ordering bishops throughout the worlde nor in iudging of controuersies nor authorizing the scriptures nor in dispensing in cases reserued nor in deposing princes nor in raising warres and handling both the swords and such like matters Nay he is not able to prooue that he is Peters true successour or a lawfull bishop He teacheth subiects to rebell and setteth princes to murder Christians and blinde papists blindely obey and yet no warrant can the popes proctor bring to iustifie the popes strange desseines and dooings Onely he endeuoureth in the last end of his pleading for the pope to shew That this land ought especially to respect the sea of Rome for beeing twise conuerted from paganisme to Christian religion and that first by Eleutherius then by Gregory the first which were both bishops of Rome And here he triumpeth and thinking that he hath satisfied his reader with an exquisite and delicate dish at the ending of his papall banquet he taketh away the table and biddeth all his guests Proface and à dieu But if his readers be not more wary while they thinke to be fed with holesome meat they are like to be gulled which googeons This gull certes in this his catastrophe séemeth to haue no other purpose For first it is a méere fable to say that this land was conuerted from paganisme either by the one or by the other of these two For Christianity was in England long before Eleutherius time and stories say he did onely and that by his deputies christen king Lucius And when Augustine the monke came to the Saxons the Britons long before that were Christians Secondly neither did Eleutherius nor Gregory preach the faith here nor giue much aide to the conuersion of the people of this land Onely Eleutherius sent Eluanus and Meduinus two Britons otherwise called Fugatius and Damianus to king Lucius and Gregory sent Austin the monke hither But the Saxons were conuerted by certaine Britons and French that could speake the Saxon language and not by Austin that could do nothing but hould the crosse like a crosier-clerke whiles others preached Thirdly albeit this land had béene conuerted by Eleutherius and Gregory yet this is but a personall fauour rather making vs beholding to those two then to those that succéeded them To prooue that we owe any obedience to the sea of Rome for that cause this argument is all too weake For the church of Rome was first conuerted by those that came from Ierusalem yet doth not Rome yéelde any obedience to the bishops of Ierusalem Nay they haue forgotten Saint Paul whome we are assured preached at Rome and do all depend of Peter Likewise the Phrysons and Germanes were conuerted by Saxons out of England yet do they not subiect themselues to the church of England Fourthly the late popes of Rome haue béene alwayes beholding to the kings and people of this country One king gaue the tribute of peter pence others gaue them great priuiledges and authority by which meanes they drew out infinite treasure out of England Bonner a In praefat in lib. de ver obed saith that the reuenues of the pope out of England were equall to the kings reuenues In requitall whereof the popes haue b Matth. Paris sent to our princes either glasses or feathers or rotten bones or paper lead and such like toies Adrian the fourth gaue to our princes a title to Ireland which he had no power to giue Innocent the fourth to king Henry the thirdes sonne gaue a bare title to the kingdome of Naples which cost infinite treasure in the end prooued a méere mockerie Other popes haue shewed theÌ„selues alwaies opposite to the English nation to the kings of this realme No sooner had the pope intelligence that William of Normandie was purposed to come with a puissant armie to conquer this lande which coulde not be done without great waste wracke and slaughter but hée c Matth. Paris caused his standard and ensignes to bée halowed and blessed So much did it please him to heare of an inuasion of our countrey and so holy a thing did warre and waste of this kingdome séeme vnto him Another pope did vpholde Thomas Becket and his rebellious consorts against king Henry the second fauored his professed enimies and in the end forced him to a most shamefull penance d Matth. Paris in Ioanne Innocent the thirde thundred out his excommunications against king Iohn and stirred vp forreine enimies against him Neither did he euer cease to pursue him vntill such time as he had made both the king himselfe and as much as in him lay all his people tributarie to forreiners At which when the Nobilitie and people of England repined the furious pope in great choler e Ibidem sent out his interdictions excommunications and curses against them and neuer ceased to pursue them as long as he had meanes to hurt them In the warres which the kings of England made in France for the obteining of their right in that kingdome the popes crossed them by all meanes possible and declared themselues vtter enimies to our nation being glad of any calamitie that hapned to vs and sorrowfull for our good successe But neuer did anie declare more malice against any of our kinges then Paule the third against king Henry the eight the Quéenes most noble father as appéereth by his most execrable a D. Sanders de schâ—sm lib. 1. bull which he published against him For therein hée doth not onely curse
haue caused great trouble both to the king and this realme vpon the dissolution of that vnlawfull contract if the kings vigilancie and magnanimitie had not surmounted the same Great friendship likewise hath béene betwéene our kings and the dukes of Burgundy of whome the late kings of Spaine are lineally descended betwixt the English nation the people of the low countries depending on the house of Burgundie The nations by mutuall trade reaped great profit each of other The princes by the aide and countenance each of other were much strengthened against their common enemies Charles the fift in his time much estéemed for his wisedome did make so great accompt of our nation that he chose Mary Quéene of England as a fit match for his sonne Philip to whome he left all his dominions and dying gaue his sonne this speciall charge that he should neuer breake with England nor loose the fauour of our nation He did wisely consider our strength by sea and what aide we were able to afford him béeing friend and what hurt we might do vnto him if we conioyned our forces with his enimies Much it were to be wished that the frendship of the Spaniard had béene as profitable to the English nation as the friendship of the English was to the Spanyard But then we should not haue lost Guines and Caleis by this coniunction nor béene spoiled of the remainder of the ancient conquest of our ancestors in France by his meanes neither then should the English for his pleasure haue béene intricated with the warres with France Howsoeuer the same ought to haue béene profitable vnto vs yet for our goodwill a man would neuer haue thought that we should haue reaped displeasure and wrong Yet we sée what is come to passe This league of friendship is broken and all ancient good offices doone by our nation to the Spaniard quite forgotten King Philip when her Maiestie came first to the crowne forgot not onely the bond of allyance with her sister but also his fathers charge In the treaty of peace betwéene France and Spaine he a Guicciardin de paesi bassi forsooke his sister and left her to shift for her selfe and that also in a war which himselfe had begun Not long after at the solicitation of pope Pius the fift he became our professed enimie and sought the destruction of her Maiestie b Girol Catenae in vita Pij Quinti one saith that to secure his dominions in the low countries he determined to aide the rebelles in the north and to ouerthrow the Quéene c This record of Pius his negotiation with king Philip doth ouerthrow all Philopaters calumniation Non potendo assicurare i suoi stati di Fiandra con miglior mezzo che con l'abbatimento de quella reina Both Pius the fift and he conioyned their forces and counsels together to do vs hurt determining vnder the conduct of Chiapin Vitelli to send ouer aid to the rebells in England Hauendo commandato saith d Ibidem Catena Il re catholico che dalla parte di Fiandra si mandasse in Inghilterra vna quantita di gente armata sotto la scorta di Chiapin Vitelli Pio quinto rimessa grossa prouisione di denari c. When the Duke of Alua made some stay of the execution of the kinges commaundement the king againe sent him expresse word that notwithstanding any difficulties or considerations whatsoeuer he should e Ibidem aide the rebelles of England which he termed His friends Nuouamente il rè gli comandò che non ostante qual si volesse difficultà ò consideratione seguisse l'impresa d'aiutar gli amici d'Inghilterra gli mandò appresso la persona di Ridolphi denari per l'esse quutione Yea and with such affection did he prosequute this matter that when he saw his purpose tooke no effect he wept for sorrow E'lre Catholico saith f Ibidem Catena ne pianse alla presenza del Cardinal Alessandrino By this therefore it appeareth that all loue of that king to her Maiestie which this philippicall parasite so much pretendeth was altogether extinguished and al bondes of alliance and friendship vtterly broken and that by king Philips g Andreas Philopater his slanderous report to the contrarie is refuted by Pius Quintus his letters default first When secret practises of rebelles preuailed not the king prouided a nauy which his flatterers called inuincible and a great force and army of land souldiors determining with fire and sword to inuade this realme by fine force to dispossesse her Maiestie of her crowne What successe his enterprise had the world knoweth and therefore we néede not here report His inuincible nauy was well beaten and scattered his souldiors and mariners for the most part either were slaine or taken or dyed of want and misery and the mightie monarke of whose Potent force our aduersary maketh such crakes was ouercome by a woman But whatsoeuer the succsse was it appeareth that this was no brotherly part thus to inuade her Maiesty nor any point of a catholicke and Christian king to oppugne peacible Christians for the profession of true catholicke religion Nay albeit this great losse and shame might haue forced him to acknowledge Gods iustice and powerfull working against him and caused him to surcease his cruell persecution against Christians yet did the same worke nothing in his hard hart nor coulde hée be induced to giue ouer his former desseignements so long as breath lasted anno 1594. being verie weake and for some daies spéechlesse the a This was written out of Spaine first wordes which he vttered after he came to himselfe were these Is the adelantado gone for England So much was his head troubled about that voyage His friends also report that he should say that hée woulde sell his siluer candlestickes and the rest of the furniture of his chappell before hée woulde giue ouer the warres against England And I beléeue it to bée true séeing notwithstanding diuers repulses and infinite losses anno 1588. 1594. 1595. and 1599. hée neuer gaue ouer vntill such time as hée gaue vp his spirite and yéelded to nature The papistes do excéedingly commend his zeale in popish religion or rather his great hatred against the professors of true religion So earnest he was in this cause that he spared not his owne onely déere sonne for that he was thought to fauor that truth which we professe E cosa molto notabile saith b In vita Pij 5. Gierome Catena Ch' el re facesse sacrificio della sua carne del suo sangue à dio Et Pio publicamente commendò la Christiana catholica mente religione di lui dicendo quia proprio filio non pepercit Albeit his sonne Charles was a prince for his yéeres of great excellency and then the onely sonne of his father and the hope of his succession yet did not that mooue the fathers hard hart to
Further it woulde not be forgotten how much it gréeueth the Spanish nation that they haue béene disturbed by vs in their trade to the Indies and pursued by our shippes euen to their owne doores The enterprises also of Portugall and Caliz are no small corrosiue to their hautie harts And no doubt they sée how that to secure their Indies and their owne countries both of Spaine and Flaunders and the partes adioining they haue no meanes but by making warres vpon vs. But suppose the Spaniards shoulde neither respect their profite honor nor safetie or that they woulde by conclusions of peace prouide for themselues and their owne indemnitie yet what assurance can wée haue either that any peace will bée concluded or that it will certainly bée performed when the Spaniards a Pope Pius 5. and Sixtus 5. excommunications take hold of them if they should dare not once treate of peace with vs being excommunicated by the pope without expresse licence nor may performe their grants further then shall please the b The canonists giue him power to dispence with oathes and dissolue contracts and he chalengeth that power as may appeere by Paulus 3. his bull against k. Henry the eight pope Is it likely that the pope will suffer the very foundations of his authoritie to bée shaken to gratifie vs Or will he reuoke so many sentences of excommunication and decretals as haue béene made against her Maiesty and her subiects that we may now enioy a firme peace When was euer any such thing done Nay the popes authoritie standing in many places how can any such matter bée done If then the pope cause his Iubiley and indulgences to bée preached and published in Spaine against vs and if hée offer full remission of sinnes to all that will take armes or send foorth soldiers against England do wée not thinke that there will bée a great stirre in Spaine Do wée not know how much the Spaniardes are addicted to these opinions and how they beleeue that the pope hath Saint Peters keies and power either to send men to heauen or to hell Great reason therefore had our good knight hearing of great preparations made in Spaine and combinations of c There are troupes of them sent ouer into England daily popish priestes dispersed euery where in England and considering the state of both nations to giue the alarme to his countreymen and to exhort them to prepare themselues to resist so great and violent an enimie as ment the vtter subuersion of the state and the destruction of our most déere countrey Neither had our aduersarie any reason to take this in dudgeon or to mislike their forwardnesse that armed themselues vpon their princes cōmandement resolued thēselues to fight for their prince their countrey their religion their liberty their lawes their wife their childrē their friends their goods and whatsoeuer they now enioie by this gouernment but that hée declareth himselfe a traytor to his prince and countrey and an vtter enimie to true religion and that hée hath renounced all affection toward his nation to ioine himselfe to Spaniardes Italians Mores and barbarous people culled out of diuers countries and thought fit to be emploied in this seruice against vs. Neither woulde hée haue declared so much to the worlde had hée not well answered his name and shewed himselfe a Noddy not knowing how euill it beséemeth him that ioineth with publike enimies to pretende loue and friendship to his owne nation And therefore albeit peace bée a gladsome matter and much to bée desired yet wee haue no reason either to harken to this trecherous friers tale or ouer farre to trust to parlies or offers of peace made by the Spaniardes Oftentimes swordes may bée couered vnder branches of laurell But this our superiors will looke vnto whom it specially concerneth vnto whose care I report me This is sufficient to shew how little wée are to trust the Spaniard whom our aduersarie so much aduanceth Now it followeth that I shew briefly that we haue lesse cause to feare him then to trust him which may euidently appéere by these particulars First our soldiers giue no place to the Spaniards if they may méete them vpon equal termes as experience triall in diuers encounters doth plainly declare It is not long since our troops encountring them hand to hand betwixt Ostend and Newport gaue them a greater foile then they haue receiued within our memorie The effects do plainly shew it séeing they haue béene quiet euer since Our mariners are without comparison better men at the sea then theirs and more able and skilfull in managing of their ships and better do they vnderstand the nature of these seas and the situation of Ilandes portes and harbors in these partes then the Spaniards Our ships are better of saile and better accommodated for shot and great ordonance then those of the Spaniards And being assisted with the fléete of our associates of the Low countries farre superior to any fléete in the world If the Spaniards come into these seas we haue both the seas the harbors and portes fauorable and may haue present supply of any thing wée want which they being farre from home cannot looke nor hope for If the Spaniard come into these seas hée cannot long continue héere without encounter nor depart at pleasure the windes being commonly southerly and westerly But if our fléete should go into the Indies with any strength they might either take any Iland or porte or saile along the coast and returne with more commoditie They can winne little by vs but blowes for that our riches are not great nor easie to bée come by But if in the Indies or in Spaine we ouercome them our spoile cannot choose but be great their trade being for golde and siluer and things of great value If any suppose the Spaniard to be inuincible considering our want and his aboundāce of treasure he must thinke first that as his reuenues are great so his imployments are many and that he wanteth oftentimes mony to pay his souldiors and set his ships to sea Nay he wanteth mony to pay his debts and defray necessary charges insomuch as king Philip the second was cōstreined to play a Anno Dom. 1575. 1597. as appeereth by the record of his proclamations bankeroupt twise or thrise in his time and his souldiers for want of pay haue beene forced to rauage the country and to mutine against their commaunders Secondly albeit we want the Indian mines yet we want not meanes both to pay our souldiers and mariners nor to furnish them both by sea and land nor canne want sufficient prouisions of all sorts if we list to establish a certaine course of procéeding for the continuance and maintenance of the warres Thirdly it is not mony that fighteth nor hath principall vse in warres but men iron munition and necessary prouisions Neither do monyed men spoile the poore but the poore armed souldier maketh a spoile of him that
that this should cost the Queene many a bitter teare Let the quarels be specified witnesses produced to prooue the Quéenes tendernesse more to Spaniards then her owne people Fiftly hée telleth a very pitifull case viz. That no Spaniard coulde walke in the night without danger of his life nor at other times without iniurious wordes and that they paide deere for all things especially if they were taken talking with a mans wife daughter or seruant and as a certaine Viceroy tolde him that some English would send their wiues daughters of purpose into the fieldes where Spaniards walked to allure them to talke with them and thereby to entrappe them and get money from them and that diuers of the Spaniardes had their purses taken from them that the Count Fuensalida was robbed as he was at supper with diuers of his countrymen All which long discourse is as farre from the purpose as Spaine from England For what doth this concerne king Philips vertues or the state of England which are the points which héere he taketh on him to handle Must the state of England consist now in the brabbles betwixt the scum of the kings traine and a fewe bandes and base fellowes about their Sen̄oras Further the same doth rather shewe the insolency of the Spaniards then deserue any commiseration for the losses or knockes they priuily receiued For why shoulde they be suffred to abuse honest women or to attempt maidens chastitie Will N. D. our Warder play the baud to make matches betwixt knaues and whoores and mislike that there was not a guard set while such lend fellowes went about their base affaires Againe it may be that it was not a Viceroy for what hath such a Noddy or vice as this to do with Viceroies or viceroies to do with such petite matters but some vice that purposed to delude him that tolde him the tale of these walking womē or walking knaues For how could he know that they were mens wiues or daughters if he were a stranger or else that they were sent for that purpose that he speaketh into the fields how knew he but that it was a quarrell betwixt knaues bauds how knew he that the Spaniards did not willingly bestow their mony vpon baggages being men that frequent the bordell as oft as the church As for the robbery of the Count Fuensalida if any such thing were it no more concerneth the honor of our nation then the robberies by Fuorusciti in Italy Naples the honor of the king of Spaine Robberies disorders wil euery where be committed but we praise them not we allow thē not Neither did Quéene Marie then allow this foresaid robberie And rather then the old Count should wéepe for his plate he shall haue a collection in part of recōpence for his losses All this great matter therefore being well considered is nothing neither hath our aduersarie any reason to exclaime and say That these were the fine fruites of our new Gospell then freshly planted among vs. For those that did these feates were papists and not men of our religion and these disorders were committed in Quéene Maries time when popery was publikely professed in England and not in the time of the Gospell Againe the Spaniards and not any of our profession vsed to haunt bordels and to make these baudy matches And if in states that professe the Gospell there be diuers outrages committed they cannot bée imputed to our profession but to the leudnesse of those that will not bée reformed and that liue among vs and are not of vs. Which kinde of people are both reprooued by their teachers and punished by the magistrates Hauing thus for his pleasure ranged farre from the matter in an idle discourse cōcerning certaine brabbles betwixt the English and Spanish in Quéene Maries daies he commeth to his purpose concerning king Philip and gladly would he purge him from all suspicion of euill meaning towards our nation contrary to a letter mentioned by Sir Francis and written out of Spaine when king Philip was yet in England The letter purported that notwithstanding the kings faire pretenses his purpose was to winne the fauour of the nobility and so to make himselfe absolute king and possessing the principall places with his owne souldiers to alter the lawes and to impose taxes and rule the country at his pleasure And this the warder by all meanes séeketh to shift off and to discredite and that first Because these plots and practises were neuer heard of before as he saith But he must néedes be deafe that liued in Quéene Maries daies in any eminent place in the state that heard not often of these practises and very dull and sencelesse if he suspected them not Neither is it likely that such a prince would desire to come hither if he should still be tied with conditions Secondly he saith That the name of the writer and receiuer of the letter would haue beene set downe But that might haue bred daunger the letter béeing written against Spaniardes that then ruled in England Neither is it the fashion for intelligencers to declare either their owne names or the names of such as they write vnto Thirdly he would auoide it by this shift That it was some flying report without ground and taken vp in some port-towne or tauerne by some factor or other wandring companion But the probability of the plot and procéeding of the Spanyard and the euent of thinges did shewe the contrarie Fourthly he would beare vs in hand That it was some deuise to make the Spaniards odious and perhaps to vphould the faction of the earle of Deuonshire that missing the mariage of Queene Mary began to practise But the ambition and malicious purpose of the Spaniardes against all that professed the truth and his procéedings in the gouernement did plainely declare that it was a truth and no fiction As for the earle of Deuonshire he neuer desired to marry the Quéene For if he had he might Such was her affection towards him Neither did he euer take any gréefe for not marrying her for his affection was no way enclined that way Neither could he poore gentleman entertaine any practise béeing destitute of friends and meanes watched by his enemies of no subtill reache to compasse any such matter I wonder the Noddy was not ashamed once to name this yong earle who albeit innocent and harmelesse yet was poysoned at Padua to content some mens humors But our aduersarie as if he were a smith and of Vulcans generation as his supposed father was canne forge twentie such deuises and shift off wicked practises with a number of loose wordes He saith It is a grieuous and heinous slander against a mightie munificent and bountifull monarke to say that he meant to make himselfe king As if mighty and munificent monarkes do not in their ambitious humors séeke to enlarge their dominions That this was no fiction it may appeare by the drift of Charles the fift entending this mariage
not haue kept secret Lastly where it is saide That the king had laide a plot for the destruction of the Ladie Elizabeth now Queene of England hée answereth That the worlde knoweth that the king at that day was her chiefe stay and defence and that for the reasons before alleaged and that finding her when he came into England in prison and hardly pressed about Wyats insurrection hee deliuered her and brought her to the court and yeelded her most carefull protection In the end hée concludeth That it is barbarous ingratitude not to acknowledge his fauour towards her But if this were a matter knowne to the worlde it were a great woonder if it shoulde neuer bée knowne in England where men haue greatest reason to know the same No no hée abuseth his Reader very much that imputeth the cause of her safetie to king Philip. For albeit for some causes hée had reason to respect her then when he hoped to haue issue by Quéene Mary yet afterward no doubt hée consulted and that for many and potent considerations to bée ridde of her Yea albeit her innocencie in Wyats cause was sufficiently knowne yet if God almightie had not béene her chéefe protector and stirred vp meanes for her safetie neuer thought of by man it was not the kings fauour that coulde haue defended or deliuered her But suppose God shoulde vse the king likewise for an instrument of her deliuerance yet did hée neuer any thing in regard of the Ladies innocencie but rather in regard of his owne profite as the Noddy vnawares confesseth in his third encounter and as is very apparent by the procéedinges of the king in that action But what if the king shoulde do a fauour to any person is it barbarousnesse for all others not to acknowledge the same In ancient time those that receiued a benefite were déemed vnthankefull if they did not acknowledge the same and endeuor to requite it but our barbarous Warder will haue all condemned for barbarous and vngratefull that either know not or acknowledge not the kings fauour extended to others Other points of his answere I haue before touched and refuted The premisses considered he doth woonder How sir Francis his booke which hée termeth a libell could bee suffred to passe to the print especially conteining so reprochfull calumniations against so great and potent a prince as the king of Spaine is But rather it is to bée woondred that Parsons or any Iesuite shoulde once open their mouth to speake of calumniations and libels when their common course is by libels and slandrous writings to denigrate all such as oppose themselues to their factious courses Parsons is not onely a practitioner but also hath passed master in this facultie Against my Lord of Leycester hée a Leycesters common-welth began to play his masters prises yet was not that his first libell as his friends of Oxford know The booke which hée published vnder the name of Andreas Philopater toucheth her Maiestie and all her cheefe Counsellors very rudely beside that hée set out a booke against the old Lord Treasurer and his whole house After that followed Dolmans booke which hée will not denie to bee both calumnious and iniurious and to haue béene written by him Hée is also charged by a friend of his to bee a principall actor in the infamous libell set out anno 1588. by Allen against the Quéene at the least hée ouersawe the presses and diuulged certaine copies thereof Nowe hée hath set out this fencing Ward-word comparable to the rest of his satyricall writings for the bitternesse thereof A certaine a A discouerie of a counterfeit conference p. 6. priest of his owne religion doth call his booke of succession set out by Dolman An infamous babling cartell or libell Iohn b Discouerie of the errors of William Criton Iesuite Cecil a popish priest doth not onely taxe Criton a Scottish Iesuite for setting out a Satyr pasquinado and libell against himselfe and others but condemneth all these pestilent courses of libelling and killing practised by the Iesuites Neither do I thinke that any can allow Ribadineiraes booke of schisme As for sir Francis Hastings Watch-word it is a discourse of another nature conteining neither satyricall inuectiue nor iniurious calumniation but a iust accusation and declaration of our enimies most wicked and malicious purposes against vs which none can mislike but such as professe themselues either enimies to our nation or traitors to their prince In the end of this discourse hée goeth about to cléere king Philip the second Of all supicion of hiring Lopez to poison her Maiestie yea of being priuie and consenting to that execrable fact But hée doth his client no pleasure in mentioning that wherewith hée is not charged and refuting the charge so loosely as if hée were hired to betray the kings cause as hée hath héeretofore long gone about to betray his prince countrey Wée I say do not charge the king with any such matter but onely referre our selues to Lopez his confession and to Manoel Lois and Stephen Ferreiraes depositions and to the bil of exchange for fifty thousand crownes to be paid to Lopez The witnesses and parties do all blot the king and his principall agents in the Low countries the Count of Fuentes and Ibarra Such a great summe coulde not bée paide without the kinges notice héereto may bée added a certaine token or iewell sent from Christopher Moro the kings counsellor and a message from the king brought to Lopez by one Andrada But nothing doth bréede more suspicion then this Noddies defence for the king Hée saith That this matter coulde neuer probably be knowne to the king And why not Coulde neither Lopez himselfe by letters nor Andrada by message nor secretarie Ibarra tell him of the purpose It is no question Nay it is confessed and deposed that they did Secondly hée saith That Lopez neuer gaue any signification of any such matter But his confession in writing testifieth the contrary And many heard him say more then his confession importeth Thirdly hée alleageth That the king was not to haue correspondence with Lopez being a Iew. As if the Spaniards vse not to haue correspondence both with Iewes and Turkes to serue their owne turnes or if any coulde bée more fit to execute such horrible factes then Iewes and Infidels Lastly hée asketh If the king had no agents neere to plot such matters but he must be made priuy himselfe But it may bée answered that no warrant coulde bée graunted for so great a summe but by the king that would not let fiftie thousand crownes go for nothing and that Lopez woulde do nothing vnlesse hée had the kings warrant both for the money and his further preferment It is therefore no Turkish impietie to talke of such matters but a course Turkish and heathenish or woorse to do or consent to such execrable empoisonments Neither would Parsons haue taken vpon him the defence of the king in this foule fact if he
of saint Iohn His whoorish allurements to idolatrie and heresie wée value not And if this bée meanes of peace and no other then welcome warres nay welcome rather death For who had not rather endure ten thousand deathes then die the second death and kill his owne soule Our aduersarie saith that her Maiestie hath béene inuited curteously to come to the pope But we thinke it strange curtesie to stirre vp rebels against her to curse her to hire desperate cutthrotes to murder her and empoison her But were shée inuited curteously yet simple are the birdes that suffer themselues to be taken at the foulers call Vlysses heard the Sirenes songs but hée would not come néere them As for the French kinges example it is not to purpose Hée to winne a kingdome might do as it pleased him but if her Maiestie shoulde so do shée shoulde hazard that kingdome which shée possesseth already quietly rather then winne one poore towne or hamlet Nay shée shoulde hazard her soule Beside that her Maiestie is rather to follow the examples of godly kinges that abolished idolatrie of godly emperours that woulde not admit heresies in their states of her noble father that ouerthrew the popes vsurped tyrannie in this land her owne former noble actions then others Of the French kings act wée dispute not Onely wée desire God to open his eies that hée may sée how he standeth Secondly hée telleth vs of the qualities of Clement the eight and the king of Spaine reporteth him to be A meeke milde sweete and holy man and calleth king Philip Salomon the peacible And certes euill shoulde hée deserue his hire if he did not set out these his two old masters with extrauagant praises But as in the fairest monuments and most glorious sepulchres there is ofttimes nothing but rotten bones so I thinke while men thinke in these two to finde treasure they shall finde nothing but rotten bones and corruption Clement the eight is a seuere persecutor of Christians and not very gentle to cacolykes as appéereth by the excommunication of Don Cesare Duke of Ferrara against whom hée thundred with fire and sworde and manie foule words Outwardly hée pretendeth to bée a shéepe but inwardly hée is a rauening woolfe a saint in shewe but indéede of a filthie and a When he was in Minoribus he was knowne to be a great hanter of bordels vncleane life A bishop in name but indéed antichrist King Philip is now dead and loth I am to rake into his ashes further then I néedes must especially hauing saide much of him alreadie But the name of Salomon no man can deserue woorse then hée being neither extraordinarily wise nor very studious of peace of which two his best friendes do testifie the first and the latter is prooued by his troublesome reigne that neuer was without warres either with French Dutch Italians Portugals or English But were the first neuer so milde yet his office is wicked his doctrine heretical his practises detestable and were hée not so yet what peace can bée honorable that bringeth with it slauerie or composition firme with him that kéepeth no faith nor promise Neither can wée looke either for honorable or sound dealing with the Spaniard so long as hée dependeth on the pope Hée may percase desire fauour for his faction but will yéelde no exemption from inquisitors to true Christians Hée will desire to trade with vs wée shall not I thinke trade into the Indies Finally hée will not yéelde vs and our associates either reasonable and equall conditions or firme assurance If hée please to doe it and can do it I knowe none but is most desirous of peace Thirdly hée saith There is no cause of doubt of dutifull behauiour of English cacolykes at home and abroad But his saying sheweth that he hath neither shame nor honestie in auouching thinges so false What Is there no cause for vs to doubt when wée sée how they are linked to the greatest enimies this kingdome hath and take themselues neither bounde by oath nor affection further then the pope giueth them leaue Do wée looke for more loialtie at their handes then wée haue already founde at the handes of their predecessors and consorts Do wée thinke that sodainly these serpents will cast off their skins or loose their stinges Do we not sée how vndutifully the papists haue behaued themselues in Ireland and how they haue reuolted from their liege soueraigne and that these warres were stirred by priestes and Iesuites Haue we not heard what massacres they haue committed in France and how they haue leagued and confederated themselues against their kinges Do wee not knowe howe in England they haue rebelled against their Souereigne Ladie and sought to murder her and empoison her and betray her and her countrey into the handes of Spaniards and forreine enimies What impudencie then or rather furie doth possesse this Noddy that he shoulde say that There is no feare of their dutifull behauiour He answereth that Their first and highest desire is that her Maiestie woulde returne to the sea of Rome and that by this act all difficulties and iealousies woulde be ended and taken away But hée may as well say that by yéelding to the Spaniards all controuersies woulde be ended Certes as well may the one be done as the other and yet neither without manifest impietie against religion without perpetuall dishonour to our nation and vtter destruction of the countrey This is the woorst that can happen to a nation shamed spoiled beaten vanquished and yet with these execrable rinegates it is the first and highest point that they desire as themselues confesse seeking nothing more then our hurt dishonor and destruction They studie to ruinate religion to bring her Maiestie their countrey into slauerie Nay and when they haue their desire they are nothing néerer For they may not thinke that all English men are so base that euer they will endure either the idolatrous masse or the tyrannie of the pope or the cōmand of strangers Neither can any true English endure to receiue conditions either from pope or Spaniard much lesse that they shall haue power to dispose of this crowne and gouernment If then this be their desire we are come to a full stoppe this as long as wée liue neither will nor can with honor or safetie or conscience be yéelded Their second desire is as their proctor telleth vs That they may haue the same libertie for their consciences in England that our brethren haue in France and Germany But wee haue answered alreadie that it were impious dishonorable dangerous and vnprofitable to grant any such matter Neither is the case of France and Germanie like to this countrey There religion was alwaies openly professed and that by grant of princes and consent of the people Héere poperie since her Maiesties gouernment was neuer permitted But if our aduersarie coulde assure vs that our brethren in Spaine and Italy might without danger professe the Gospell and that
by the answeres of Campian Sherwin Briant Kirby Filby and diuers other priestes But a Lib. 7. de visib Monarch Sanders saith that the purpose of the rebels was to bee praised albeit they had no successe Nobilium iliorum laudanda consilia erant c. and he b Ibidem calleth the rebellion Pium institutum fidei confessionem a pious or deuout resolution and a confession of their faith Hee c Ibidem accounteth those that died in that rebellion no woorse then martyrs d Motiue 15. Bristow likewise putteth the earle of Northumberland the two Nortons Woodhouse Plomptree and others that died for rebellion in the catalogue of martyrs Both hée and the rest allow pope Pius his bull and make Felton a martyr that was executed for setting the same vpon the bishop of Londons gates Cardinall Allen not without the helpe of Parsons and consent of other priestes published the declaration of Sixtus quintus his bull and exhorteth all her subiects To take armes against her Maiesty and to lay holde vpon her person and to deliuer her into the handes of her enimies And with Allen and Paâ—sons all the Seminarie priestes and friers that come ouer are consorted So then it appéereth that the papists generally and especially those that come from beyond the seas and are by the pope his agents emploied in England are a traiterous faction opposite to the state and her Maiesties gouernment Fourthly it appeereth that they adhere to forrain enimies and namely to the Spaniard and pope That they are our enimies it cannot be denied The law is cleare Hoâ—â—es ij sunt saith e ff de Verbor signific l. hostes Pomponius qui nobis aut quibus nos publiâ—è bellum decreuimus They are enimies with whom we haue wars That is also declared by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sheweth them to be properly enimies that make wars vpon vs. They are also enimies that either by force or practise séeke the ouerthrow of a Prince or state if they be forreyners as subiects intending the same are rebels and traytors But the Spaniard hath made diuers hostile attempts against her maiestie and the state As namely first in comforting and abetting the northren rebels and promising them aide anno 1569. as appéereth plainely by testimonie of Gierome Catena in Pius Quintus his life and by the negotiation of Ridolphi with the Duke of Alua. Girol Catena in vita Pij Quinti Nay at the r solicitation of Pius Quintus about the yéere of our Lord 1567. he resolued to become our enimie and to employ all his forces against vs. Parsons also testifieth that at the popes agents request he sent succour to the rebels in Ireland Alexandro Sega Nuntio apostolico supplicante Cantabrorum Gallecorum manum subsidio Hibernis Desmondano misit saith Å¿ Andreas Philopater p. 134. he or at least his secretarie and agent Creswell In the yéere 1588. he prepared great forces both by sea and land to execute the popes Bull and to conquer England forsooth as both the t Sixti 5. sent declarat pope himselfe in his declaratorie sentence against her maistie and Cardinall Allen and Parsons that wicked traytor in their letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland doe plainely confesse Neither did king Philip the second euer cease to prosecute his purpose against vs as appéereth by diuers attempts and by the Aâ—elantadoes proclamation published at his last setting out from the Groyne wherein he plainely telleth vs that he came to conquer England and to kill vs all if he could And yet some will not beléeue either his owne words or other proofes Likewise no question is to be made but that the pope is a publike and professed enimie of this state and so hath béene euer since her maiestie came first to the crowne Pope Pius anno 1569. at the first chop published a most execrable Bull against her declaring her to be depriued of her crowne and her right before to haue beene pretended assoyling her subiects from their obedience and forbidding them vnder paine of excommunication to obey her any more Declaramus saith he de apostolicae plenitudinis potestate praedictam Elizabetham haereticam haereticorum fautricem eÃque adhaerentes anathematis sententiam incurrisse c. Quinetiam ipsam praetenso regni praedicti iure neâ—non omni quocunque dominio dignitate priuilegióque priuatam Item proceres subditos populos dicti regni ac caeteros omnes qui ei quomodocunque iurauerunt à iuramento huiusmodi omni prorsus dominij fidelitatis obsequij debito perpetuò absolutos c. Praecipimúsque interdicimus vniuersis singulis proceribus subditis populis alijs praedictis ne illi eiúsue monitis mandatis legibus audeaÌ„t obedire Qui secus egerint eos simili anathematis sententia innodamus With his hostile sentence he ioyned also hostile actions For he sent u Sanders de visib monarch lib. 7. Nicholas Morton into the north to stirre vp a rebellion in those parts Nicholaum Mor tonum saith Sanders in Angliam misit vt certis illustribus catholicis viris authoritate apostolica denuntiaret c. The same is also testified in forrein x Comes Natalis hist lib. 20. Histories When the rebels in the north were suppressed he encouraged the Duke of Norfolke to rebell promising him ayde of souldiours and money Pontifex saith y In historiae Manolessae Aemilius Manolessa post quam Ducis Norfolâ—iensis animum ad rebellionem incitatum intellexisset promisit se decem millia nulitum in Angliam missurum atque interim duodecim millia aureorum ad eum transmissurum He confesseth also that the rebellion in the north was stirred by Pius or rather the impious pope Robertum Ridolphum saith he misit Pius Quintus vt animos nobilium tentaret subditosque aduersus reginam Elizabetham armaret Hée z Girol Caten in vita Pij Quinti dealth also both with the old Quéene mother of France and with king Philip of Spaine most earnestly to ayde and comfort the rebels as appéereth by his letters and the negotiation of the Cardinall of Alexandria in Spaine Hée sent also Vincent Lauro into Scotland to worke trouble that way Gregorie the 13. stirred vp the rebellion in Ireland as appéered by the authoritie giuen to Sanders and other priestes and to make the businesse the hotter sent them some little reliefe of men and money Further as if this had not béene sufficent a In declarat Sixti 5. contra Elizabeth Sixtus Quintus did againe declare her maiestie excommunicate and as himselfe confesseth persuaded and enioyned the king of Spaine to execute his sentence and by force to expell her out of her kingdome To this ende also he sent both souldiours and money and by all meanes possible concurred with the Spanish forces and this deseignement also the popes succeeding haue to their
vttermost power prosecuted If then any English borne doe concur with them and adhere vnto them I thinke Parsons cannot well denie that they are traytors But that is notorious and by infinite proofes may be demonstrated Sanders speaking of the erection of the English seminary at Doway b De schis lib. 3. saith they were sustained protected and maintayned by king Philip. Exilium vitam studia eorum protegente fouente Philippo Hispaniarum rege nonnulli Duaci c Ibidem coierunt He had said better if he had said coniurarunt Likewise he saith that another Colledge was erected at Rome by pope Gregorie the thirtéenth and that the English schollers were there maintayned at his charges In Spaine also of late king Philip the second erected two or three Seminaries of English schollers but to say right I should say English traytors For so they are taking an oath to the king as they doe also to the pope and their superiours as appéereth by the testimonie of d Consil lib. 3. de regular consil 1. Nauarrus and e De schism part 3. c. 21. Ribadineira two popish writers and diuers witnesses Neither would the Spanish king euer haue béene at the charge of finding so many fugitiue rascalles but that he hopeth to receiue profit by them Parsons persuaded the king that these should set on foote his daughters the Infantaes title and to doe the same they take an expresse oath as a certaine priest doth directly charge them writing against Parsons his tyrannicall and Machiauelian practises as he calleth them Further the Iesuites are all linked in affection to the Spaniard and for that among other causes were expulsed out of France Especially our English Iesuites and priestes do fauor him And all of them doe thinke it a matter necessarie to saluation to be subiect to the pope From him also they receiue their faculties and directions and doubt not to execute whatsoeuer he commandeth Neither do they onely obey him as hauing I know not what power ouer their soules but also runne into rebellion and other trecherous practises against their prince and countrie as hauing temporall superioritie ouer princes Diuers priests were actors in the rebellion of England and Ireland Cardinall Allen and not so little as an hundred priests came with the Spanish armie And to giue way to this inuasion both Campian and all his consorts came into England as appeareth plainely by Campians and Parsons his facultie Petatur say they à a Note I pray you how they call the pope their soueraigne Lord and denie our Queene to be Queene summo Domino nostro explicatio Bullae declaratoriae contra Elizabetham ei adhaerentes quam catholici cupiunt intelligi hoc modo vt obliget semper illam haereticos catholicos verò nullo modo obliget rebus sic stantibus sed tum demùm quando publica eiusdem bullae executio fieri poterit So it appeareth they accounted the pope for their Lord and the Queene as no Quéene and intended the execution of the Bull as soone as it might be effected Finally there is no popish priest in England that will absolutely acknowledge the Quéene or renounce the pope or king of Spaine of them they receiue directions and to them they addresse themselues in all their affaires Most notorious it is therefore that all these popish priests and their adherents adhere also to forreigne enemies and renounce their allegeance to the Quéene Fiftly there is no question but they haue imagined and to their vttermost power compassed her Maiesties death and destruction and that both by publike force and secrete practise For first diuers of them haue taken armes against her as cardinall Allen that wicked enemie of his countrey and those English that ioyned themselues to the Spanish forces Anno 1588. or to rebels either in England or Ireland Secondly it cannot be shewed that any popish priest hath either condemned the popes Bull which cannot be executed without her destruction or the taking of armes to depose her Thirdly all attempts against her Maiesties safetie and person haue béene made by these companions their consorts by diuers confessions it is apparant that Holt Gifford Worthington Walpoole and other friers and priests haue persuaded diuers to kill the Quéene Of Parsons his treasons in this kind we haue heretofore spoken This also I haue learned further that in a letter of his written 1598. he confesseth he was acquainted with Parrâ—es treason and that he kept backe one that was determined to reueile it to the Quéene Neither doe I find anie among them al that dislike these courses when the pope listeth to command them Finally if the pope commaund any to kill the Quéene or promise reward to any that shall doe that wicked fact as Gregorie the thirtéenth did to William Parrie as appeareth by cardinall Como his letters to Parry beginning thus Monsignor la santità di N. S. ha vedute le lettere di vostra signoria I would know what one of this antichristian rabble dare either contradict him or discommend his purpose Nay is it not apparant that they all refuse her and followe him 6. Neither can it bée well denied that most of those that haue beene executed for the popes cause haue contrary to her Maiesties expresse commandment fled to her enemies and refused to returne when they were called backe and finally haue exchanged the loue of their countrey into loue of their countries enemies Nay being interrogated of their country they are taught to denie their owne countrey and by a pretie equiuocation to account that to be their contrarie where they haue long liued a Resolut casuum nation Anglic c. 1. casus 1. cap. 3. casus 5. or els to say they are de patria coelesti that is of the heauenly country The rest are consorted with these fugitiues and traitors How then can this country suffer such to be protected which deny their countrey or at the least preferre enemies before their liege soueraigne 7. It is also manifest that the priests that come from Rome and Spaine intertaine intelligence with forraine enemies and if they should denie it the same will be prooued by letters both sent to them and from them to forraine enemies The 20. of December last Blackwell the archpresbyter of cacolikes in England answered an appeale made to Rome by diuers priests opposite to the Iesuits faction Neither doth any wéeke almost passe but they either receiue or send letters to Rome Spaine Whereby it commeth to passe that all our deseins and purposes are descried to our enemies and nothing passeth in court or country but they giue present notice thereof vnto them 8. Further they haue by all means sought to stir her Maiesties subiects to rebell and take armes against her and her friends Which albeit they doe denie in words yet is euidently to be prooued by their actions and secret designements and other circumstances First the pope he dischargeth
coÌ„mandemeÌ„t But Campian his consorts did disclaime her Maiesties authority all priestes that come from Rome in their cases of conscience which they cannot denie d Resolutio casuum nationis Anglicanae hold her not for lawfull Queene They also themselues haue set out scandalous libels against men in authoritie and doe well like the sclandrous writings of Sanders Harpesfield Ribadineira Rishton Parsons Bristow and others When the armie of the king of Spaine was readie to come for England then was Parsons verie busie in printing pope Sixtus his scandalous declaration against the Quéene and Allens letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland A e In an answere to a libel set out by Parsons friend of his doth also charge him that his finger was in the making and dispersing of it And yet diuers traytors that haue béene executed allowed this libell and other his scurrilous writings Nay I doe not finde that any of them misliked any thing that might disgrace her Maiestie or their countrey Finally the Earle of Northumberland and the two Nortons and diuers priests whom they f Bristowes motiues celebrate for Martyres tooke vp armes against their Prince and countrey and I thinke none of them either heretofore did or hereafter will mislike their doing therein Wherefore albeit the pope put them in his calendar for Martyres yet he must not be offended albeit the hangman put them in his bookes for rebels and traytors No Martyre of Christ Iesus did euer thinke it lawfull to breake his oath of allegeance to his Prince vpon any bishops warrant g In Chronic. Auentin annal 7. Sigisbertus Gemblacensis saith It is a pernitious heresie to beleeue that the pope can discharge subiects froÌ„ the bond of their oath and from their allegeance But these Martyres or rather churlish mastiues did not onely take themselues â—o be discharged from their allegeance and ioyned with forrein enimies but also persuaded as many as they could to ioyne with them No true Martyr of Christ Iesus did euer denie his name qualitie country kindred and prince altogether nor did martyrs dissemble their religion goe apparelled like Spadacins ruffians but these popish martyrs do al this together nay they are resolued by their a Resolutiones quorundam casuum nationis Anglicanae superiours that it is very lawful for theÌ„ so to do A.P. that is Allen and Parsons as I take it the case being put vtrum sacerdos possit habitum mutare comaÌ„ nutrire nomen patriam parentes negare do b Cap. 1. casus 1. answere thus potest nec videtur in ea re dubium Potest enim quis veritatem tacere c Ibidem in resolutione casus 1. c. 1. vel dissimulare c. The same good fellows a Resolutiones quorundam casuum nationis Anglicanae determine quòd simulatio est licita and that it is pious to vse simulation and proue it for that it is lawfull to lay ambuscadoes for enemies whereby it appeareth they take vs for enemies and would if they could entrap vs by their ambuscadoes and this if we looke not to it they haue fully purposed and resolued Concerning the Quéene they d Ibidem say shee is no lawfull Quéene Regina haeretica say they non est legitimè regina and againe non gerit se vt reginam sed exercet tyrannidem Finally they are commanded to account their country for no countrey and not to respect their parents if they be not of the Romish religion It was not the fashion of the martyrs of Christ his Church to vse equiuocations and to forsweare themselues both in iudgement and elsewhere but the Schoolemaisters of our popish priests and pretended martyrs teach them to do both Sciant say e Ibidem c. 3. cas 3. they se vti posse aequiuocationibus iurare sine peccato Now by equiuocations they meane promises and othes made not according to the meaning of the iudge but according to a hidden meaning of the partie that taketh the oath They f Ididem teach also that a priest is no more to regard an oath to the Queenes officers then if he should sweare to pyrates or robbers for safegard of his life Finally no heretikes nor miscreants can iustly be reputed martyrs as diuers examples and testimonies of fathers teach vs. The Donatists suffered death couragiously and so likewise did the heretikes called Euphemitae which for the multitude of their supposed martyrs g Epiphan haeres 80. would néeds be called Martyriani Yet did not the church otherwise account of them then leud heretikes and not martyrs as appeareth by the testimonie of Eusebius Augustine and other fathers before alleaged We reade also in histories that Turkes Tartars and Mores both fight and die most resolutely for the blasphemous opinions of Mahomet and how the Assassins that were a sect of desperate cutthrotes like the Iebusites that desperately would aduenture to dispatch whomsoeuer their Generall would command them to murther died oftentimes most constantly and this they accounted a speciall point of religion Yet in truth no man can estéeme them martyrs Why then should the rebels traitors and Assassins which haue béene employed in the Popes businesse and for his cause haue béene drawne into treason be accounted martyrs If because they are put in the popes kalendar it may be answered that it is Christ and not the pope the cause of religion and not of faction that maketh martyrs Neither is it materiall that grace hath béene offered to some that haue béene executed for treason if they would haue renounced the pope and his treacherous doctrine and faction For we do not desire the death of all that through simplicitie haue béene drawne into treason Nor may the aduersaries thinke that these fellowes were therefore onely punished for religion but rather that they were obstinate traitors that like the Assassins made it a point of religion vpon the popes warrant to take armes and to practise against lawfull Magistrats and to murther them which indéede is treason To offer them life therefore if they would renounce the popes faction was thought a meanes fit to trie them whether they were setled in their trecherous resolutions or els would become honest men as diuers of them renouncing the pope haue done and not to examine them or punish them for religion which was neuer called in question in all the proceeding against them The Conclusion of the former Treatise IF then papists hold singular opinions and not the true catholike faith then are they deceiuers and cacolykes and woluish teachers and no true Catholikes or Christians and thou art carefully to beware of them to embrace that faith which is truly Catholike which vnlesse thou beleeue firmely thou canst not be saued as saith a In symbolo Athanasius It is impossible for Christians saith b In Numer homil 26. Origen to be saued without faith whether they seeme perfect or weak
cacolike religion This a Ad persequut Anglos Allen told vs in a long discourse to that purpose This Campian and the priestes that came from Rome protested And this is the ground of all their declarations supplications and petitions made for moderation in executing the lawes against priestes and recusants And so credulous simple were some of vs poore soules that we beléeued their faire words and glosses and determined to shew them all possible fauour But now we sée they séeke the destruction of her Maiesty the bringing in of strangers the trouble of the kingdome by rebellion and the vtter desolation of their natiue countrey as we haue prooued by many particulars Parsons in his Ward-word taketh vpon him the defence of publike enimies and traytors séeking by all meanes to disgrace his owne nation and this state Being acquainted with Parries intention for the murthring of her Maiestie he reuealed it not nay he dissuaded one that went about to reueale it as he confesseth in a letter of his which will be prooued and I hope shewed if he will denie it By him and his consorts Holt Worthington Gifford Allen Walpoole and others diuers other assassinors haue béene persuaded hired and suborned to kil or empoyson the Quéene as wil be proued not only by the confessions of the parties that were employed but also by the depositions and writings of certaine popish priests that charge the Iesuiticall faction with this intended assassinat It is playne that they haue by all meanes sought to stirre vp rebellion at home and to bring vpon vs forrein enimies from abroad The rebellions in England and Ireland the practises of D. Storie Throkmorton Charles Paget Babington and Ballard and diuers doe prooue the first The second is prooued by the testimonie of Pius Quintus and Sixtus Quintus by Cardinall Allens and Parsons negotiation with the king of Spaine the pope the Duke of Guise the Prince of Parma and diuers others testified in their owne actions writings and to be prooued by infinit letters and writings of their own consorts which as occasiō shal serue shal be produced against thē in part hath béene alreadie touched in the former discourse And I do not thinke that any priest will either directly condemne the popes hostile actiōs against vs or acknowledge the Quéenes right to her kingdome notwithstanding the popes declaratorie sentence or any thing hée can doe against her Most apparant it is therefore that they seeke the destruction and desolation of this state and are all combined with those that professe themselues our enimies Anno 1571. there was a plot layde by them to bring in the Duke of Guise with the French to surprise London and no doubt but they haue layde many other plots which are not come to our notice Neither were they euer more busie or in better hope then at this instant albeit we take our selues for the most part to be in a state most assured For first they make no question but they shall bring with them all the force that the pope Spaniard can make who are also interessed in this cause in regard of their seuerall pretenses Secondly the faction of the Iesuites haue attempted to cause all their adherents in England to make seuerall associations in euerie shire and mooued them to chuse a head in euerie diuision as shall be prooued by their letters Now what is this but the beginning of a rebellion Thirdly they haue gone about to fortifie themselues by diuers pretended titles which Parsons would haue presently to be set on foote Fourthly euerie seuerall priest hath his seuerall flocke and charge Let it then be estéemed what numbers 3. or 400. pastorall charges may affoord Fiftly of late they haue made a Prouinciall of Iesuites called Walley aliâs Garnet which sheweth that there are some numbers and colledges of Iesuits in England Neither do such gulles come vpon the shore but when gerat stormes are toward Sixtly the pope hath lately made one Blackwell archpresbyter or gouernor of all the papists in England to whom he hath adioyned 12. counsellors assistants It is no small faction therefore that néedeth such an authority so many assistants Seuenthly these fellowes do at the least monthly and sometimes oftener receiue from Rome letters and directions and accordingly make collections of money giue rules and orders distribute faculties graines and medalles and such like notes of faction Of one man I haue shewed that they receiued two thousand pounds that scarce euer bestowed 20. pounds in the Quéenes seruice Here also they lay their plots and set men on work not only to corrupt her Maiesties subiects with false religion but also with disloyall affection Eightly they do monethly if not oftener aduertise into Spaine and Rome what is done in England and disclose all the secrets both of court and countrey and from thence vpon any occasion they hope to draw ayd of men and money Ninthly as if there were in England no magistrates nor lawes but such as the pope and Spaniard doth giue them they are wholly ruled by their officers directions and lawes Nay they contemne her Maiesties lawes and authoritie as if there were no Quéene nor law in England From sorrainers they doe I say receiue law and to them they appeale when they haue wrong as appeareth by appellations letters instructions and orders of theirs which we haue to shew Tenthly in their cases of conscience they forbid their consorts to giue any thing to our vniuersities or to pay their due to the ministers further then law enforceth them which argueth that they worke closely against the ministery and the vniuersities And yet you my masters of the clergie and the vniuersities oppose not your selues against this vermine that séeketh to ouerthrow both the Church and vniuersitie and is dayly intending and working your ruine Eleuenthly they sticke not to declare how nothing standeth in their way but the Quéenes life It is not therefore to be doubted but that they are stil working against her as the treasons of Parsons other Iesuites do manifestly declare and some of their letters do testifie Finally they do perceiue so litle opposition made against them and make all matters so sure on their owne side that now the dispute is betwixt the Iesuites and priests who shall haue the glory of the conuersion of England and how they shall dispose of our liuings and landes and in what sort our throats must be cut and what forme of gouernement shall bée established in England No doubt it will be a braue countrey and gouernement where the Spaniards shall enter by conquest and the Iesuites be lawgiuers and chiefe gouernours Wherfore let vs my deare countrimen awake out of that dead sléepe of securitie into which the pleasant songs of peace and flattering tales of false traitors haue cast vs. Let vs open our eyes and looke into the depth of these dangerous deuises plotted by a faction plainly professed to be opposite to