factious mates Abishai yealdeth reasons that he may dee it The authority of God the opportunity of the time the possibility and easines of the fact for he saith God hath deliuered thine enimy into thyne hand this day and he saw both Saul and Abner and the people in a deadly sleepe and promiseth at one blow to destroy him but the others doe far differ from Abishai especially in the maner howe they doe it and in the causes why they doe it The manner is The manner of Traitors not only fiercely and forcibly to rise against man but most communelie and cunningly with sweete and faire words to commit this foule and filthy Act. The first murderer that euer was vsed this pleasant speach speaking to Abel as it is in the greeke text Brother let vs goe walke into the field but a good beginning in shewe brought an il ende according to that which is written by this our Dauid against his false familiar friend The woords of his mouth were softer theÌ„ butter Psa 55. yet war was in his hart his woordes were more gentle then oyle yet they were swordes And also by his Sonne Salomon A man that flattereth his neighbour Proue 29. spreadeth à net for his steppes This Cainicall course followed Absalom 2. Sam. 13. who inuiting his brother Amnon to a sheepe-shearing feast killed him When I read the Commission giuen by Absalom to his seruantes it seemeth to me that the Romish Absalom Pius Quintus speaketh against a Prince Smite kill feare not for haue not I commaunded you Be bould therefore Is not this a strange father of Peace an Absalom Likewise Ioab laid his net against Amasa 2. Sam. â—â— whom he tooke by the beard with the right hand to kisse and with his sworde priuily and traiterously smote him to death I omit Iudas the disciple and traitour of Christ and that with a kisse and with fair words Aue Rabbi Haile Master Luc. 22. This Iudas had two Schoole-masters Scribes and Pharisies but the chiefe was Satan who entred into him euen as these Papistical Traitors are not successours of Peter in this point but of Iudas and are schoole-fellowes with him It is not only Iudas his treasoÌ„ but a Turkish-trick against Christian PrÃnces and gouernours One Sarracene vsed this against Edward king of Britane or England It maie beè the Author meaneth Rich. To him ayding the Christians against the enemies of Christ came this fleeting fellow secretum colloquium ab eo petens requesting secret conference with him and striketh but after two woundes receiued the King laid handes vpon him and siue him Another Sarracens was suborned by the Sultan to kil Iames Lusignane king of Cyprus vnder the pretense of caryeng letters but he missed and was tormented for it These flattering traitours that with this courtly or rather crafty curtesie and Popish holy-water work this cruelty eyther by woords and insinuations or by presents and gifts or by deliuery of letters or messages or other waies vnder colour of friendshippe the more close they be the more crafty are they the more priny the more perilous for flattery is more hurtful then the most cruell poyson according to the verse Blanditi a plusquam dira venena nocent Wherefore it were to be wished that Princes and great personages would purge and clense their Courtes and houses of such that haue beene taught in the Schoole of Gnato to denye to double dissemble and by the lesson of Cato Saluta libenter seeke not to salute nor to saue but to slaie them Take the drosse from the siluer Prou. 25. and there shall bee made a precious vessell for the finer Take awie the wicked from the King and his throne shal be stablished in righteousnesse Out Dauid had his eies vpon the faithfull of the land that they might dwell with him and vpon them that malk in a perfect may that they might serue him There shall saith hee no deceitefull person dwell in my house Psal 101. Hee that telleth lies shall not remaine in my sight This faithfulnes is first towardes God and then towardes the Princes and neighbours this deceitfulnes flattering glosing temporizing must needes offend God and man and therefore ought not to be regarded The example of Constantius as it is noted by Eusebius found out these vnconstaunt men-pleasers Lib. 1. de vita Conâ—â— tanquam Proditores Dei as traitours to God esteemed them vnworthy to be with an Emperour and determined they should be banished out of the Court for that they will neuer be true to Emperour who are found vnfaithfull towardes God Quomodo enim Imperatori fidem seruarent his qui erga Deum deprehensi sunt perfidie Because these fleering counterfaites are hardly found out therefore there needeth great circumspection in discerning and tryeng them and also earnest praier to God that he would giue vs the spirit of discretion by his prouidence to preserue vs from them Such discretioÌ„ this ConstaÌ„tius seemed to haue A Philosopher the nephew of Plato discreetly espied it who said vnto a flateterer Desine adulari nihil prosicis cùm te intelligaÌ„ Leaue off this flattering fauning for thou preuailst not I perceiue thee Praier also is needful as an old prouerb importeth Cui fidem adhibeo ab â—o me deus custodiat God keep me froÌ„ him in whoÌ„ I put my trust for the other I wil see to my self The effect of this is that the maner of dealing in these meÌ„ is worse theÌ„ the doing of Abishai You may see by this that al is not goulde that shineth like gould that euen Bees though they carry hony in their mouth yet may sting that Sirenes or Myrmaidens sing sweetly and haue their amiable entertainementes and allurements but otherwise bring Shipwracke to Mariners and therefore Vlysses gaue counsail to his Shipmen to stop their eares I wish al men to take heede of Scorpions though flattering in face yet pernicious in the taile the beginning may bee plausible the end clean coutrary The Crocodile whyneth and plaieth the Hypocrite but it is to catch and to kil The flattering Dragon the Diuel as Augustine termeth him is woorse than the roaring Lyon and this is the maner fashion of this new or rather ould rotten naughty world Now we are to consider the motiues causes perswading these men to enter into these high pointes of treacherous actions 2. Part. Causes of a reason passing the compasse of this Abishai There are many but I reduce them to these following Some men are led or rather missed by couetousnesse 1. Cause â—â—centiousâ—esse that is either desirous of liberty and impunity which is loosenes or else of gaine which is aiâ—arice or else of henour and dignity which is ambition In the time of the Emperour Henry the fourth certaine gentlemen not liking the bridle of discipline nor the restraint of their dissolutenes laid their heads together how they might rid that
treachery of her owne children as by their default Euen so our king Egilred or as others terme him Ethelred complaineth in an Oration in this sort Wee are ouercome of the Danes not with weapon or force of armes but with treason wrought by our owne people The cause is opened by Matthaeus Westmonasteriensis Pag. 396. that when the King and his Sonne Edmond were like to haue the vpper haÌ„d against Cneuto or Canutus the King of the Danes Edrike Traitour Eadricus plaied the traytour went about by sleight and subtilty and allured of the Kinges Nauy forty shippes and he slipped to Canutus and subiected himselfe to his dominion whereby west-Saxonie and the Mercians with their horses and artillery offered themselues to him Intimatum est Regi quod nisi cautius sibi prouideret ipse à Gente propria hostibus traderetur It was priuily told the King that if hee did not prouide for himselfe more warily hee should bee berraied into the handes of his enemies by his owne nation I signified before how King Edmond surnamed Ferreum Latus Iron-side at Oxford being at the Priuy on Saint Andrewes night was slaine by the Sonne of Eadrik through the fathers instigation the father after the fact coÌ„meth to Canutus with this salutatioÌ„ Aue Rex solus Matth. Westmona pag. 402. Polyd. Vir. Ang. Hist lib. 7. Hail O King alone but he heard this his rewarde by Canutus Ego te hodie ob tanti obsequij meritum cunctis regni proceribus reddam celsiorem For this your great seruice I wil exalt you set you higher than al the Peers of the realm Periury and perdition or treason had in this realme euermore according to their desert When King Edward the Confessour kept his solemnity of Easter at Winchester at dinner Earle Goodwine being burthened at the table with the treacherous murder of his brother Aelfredus Earle Goodwin added to the murther periury and desired of God as hee was true and iust that the morsell of bread which hee held in his hand might neuer passe his throate if his brother by himselfe or by his counsail at any time were neerer to death A terrible example against forswearing and any way further from life so putting the bread into his mouth with an il conscience was choked by it When the King sawe him pale and without breath Carry out saith he this dog Jn vita Edwardi Confessor this traytour bury him in the quadrangle for he is vnwoorthy to enioy Christian burial Another traytor in the time of Egilred or Ethelred was Elfrik who being made Lieutenant of the Kings army left his Master Elfrick and took part with the Danes vpon the suddain when he should haue discharged vpon the enemies of the King and the country Polyd. Vir. lib. 7. but afterward being Admiral of the Kinges Nauy and destitute of all hope of preferment with the enemy because he returned to the King craued pardon his punishment was mitigated for he saued his life with the losse only of his eies In the time of King Edwarde the first the Scots breaking peace which they had made to their liege Lorde King of England and conspiring nowe with the king of Fraunce partly because Iohn Beliol by the king of England was made their King one Thomas Turbeuile more acquainted with chiualry than honesty Th. Turbeuile plaid on both sides promising to the French-men that by treason they should possesse the Kingdome of England vppon condition to receiue a large summe of mony land leauing for assurance his two children as Hostages And so that deceiuer returning from beyond the Sea tolde the King of England another Parasiticall tale howe hee escaped hardly out of prison how he had learned the weaknesse of Fraunce But here a crooked Snake lurked hee caried poyson mingled with hony wherewith they that touched it might be infected creeping into fauour into the secret counsels of the Realm set down al in writing directed theÌ„ to the Prouost of Paris This fraude fact being opened by the prouidence of God who is wel called of the autor Exterminator impioruÌ„ The destroier of the wicked declared to the king he was immediatly by sergeants apprehended bound with cordes carried to iudgement accused and by his owne confession condemned First laid vpon an Ox hide drawen at horse tailes thorough London guarded with disguised tormentours baited at railed on by the way mocked was hanged his body vnburied the people passing by scornfully asking Mat. West in Edou 1. Is this Thomas Turbeuile Whose Epitaph a versifier wrote in this sort That Turbeuile was a troubler of the tranquillity quietnes of the Realme therefore hee that would bee an hoate burning sparkle was become a dead spark himselfe as in those rythmes may appeere at large whereof this is the beginning Turbat tranquilla clam Thomas turbida villa Qui quasi scintilla fuit accidit esse fauilla In the time of Edward the second Andrew Earle of Carlile Andreas Hartlee created Earle of Carlile at York sent by the King into Scotland to King Robert to intreat of Peace made another matter turned it into a message for war priuily fraudulently to compasse the destruction of his owne King This though contriued secretly yet it was certified to the King hee immediatly at his returne vpon the commandement of the King Polyd. Vir. Hist Ang. lib. 18. was attached taken by the guard so by by coÌ„uicted put to death Ita Andreas crucem sibi construxit ex qua penderet So Andrewe prepared for himselfe a Gallose to hang vpon made a rodde for his owne tasle In the time of Edwarde the third like conspiracies against the Prince had the like measure Polyd. l. 19. when Edmond Earle of Kent Roger Mortimer others were beheadded Thus you see exemplified by these traitors that which was by Lawes enacted as also by another example of an Italian indeuouring to betray Calice to the French An Itaâ—â—â— trick against Calice For when an English man had committed it vnto the Italian the French-man knowing the nature of that Nation to be most couetous of golde secretly dealt with him that he would sel the castle to him for twenty thousand crownes The Englishman being made priuy of this dissembleth all thinges driueth out the French and taketh them with them the principall cause of that treachery In the time of Richard the second there was a conspiracy of some Jn Epit. Frosardi lib. 1. Eccle. 10. Ansley and Carton that had in their mouth the Prouerbe of the Hebrues Woe be to the Land whose King is a Childe And of others euen in the court as of Iohn Ansley knight and of Hugh Carton minding with their complices to set vpon the King and to murder him although they two were enemies before yet in this made one agreeing too
well but God turned all to the best and mery it was for the Lande and the King when theeues fel out for Ansley detecting Carton and Carton Ansley it was determined by the priuy counsel that it should be tried in a Combate in the which at the length Carton was wounded and throwen downe euen now at point of death coÌ„fessing his fault was drawen to the place of Execution as Polydor testifieth I haue entred into a long and large fielde and mind to goe out of it â—â—pish â—â—actises aâ—â—inst Reliâ—â—on in England and onely now to declare howe our Countrymen in former time haue been bewitched by Popery and haue attempted to erect and prop it vp by treachery and yet al ended in vanity The Pope hath stil practised by many but not preuailed though they came in his name and sometime with his consecrated ware and armed with his consecrated Crosses his Agnus Dei and other holy blessed stuffe Trebellius Pollio no wiser indeede then those heathen men who beleeued that those that caried about theÌ„ the image of great Alexander expressed in siluer or gold shuld haue al things fortunately fal out vnto them as they would wherein Erasmus toucheth the Bishoppes of Rome In Chiliad 1. Cen. 10. Nechodie desunt qui gladios in bello fortunatos huinsmodi nugas pollicentur Principibus Ther be some now a daies which promise to Princes swords other trifles happy fortunate in war which haue notwithstaÌ„ding an vnhappy end and there he much more marueileth that any maÌ„ can beleeue such subtile merchauntes There was such a flattering Papistical Preacher William Fitzosbert otherwise called Long-beard W. Long-bearde who in his Sermons entised the people to rebel against their King Richard the first whose Theme was takeÌ„ out of Esay Cap. 12. You shal draw with ioy waters out of the wels of saluation A faire allurement whereby hee got after him many thousand followers as fond people wil hearken to the whistle and daunce after the pipe of such Popish Libertines But this liberty was seruitude for though hee fledde into Bowe-Church with his concubine and others yet it was not long a Sanctuary for him he was plucked out and by Hubert Lorde chiefe Iustice of England was adiudged to be drawen thorough the streetes R. Holinsh Et in vitâ— Huberti and tied to the horse tailes to bee hanged to bee let downe halfe quicke his heade cut off and his body cut in foure quarters See heere I beseech you the superstition of the people they tooke this Concubinary Priest and Traytour to be a Saint forsooth A Traytor in Popery a Martyr because his chaines wherewith he was bound wrought miracles and the woman visited the place where he was laide In sana plebs vt Martyrem diu colebat The mad people did long honor him as a Martyr worshipping his members and bones as Reliques In Wales what Superstition hath there not been Welch prophecies They were so deceiued with false prophecies that they perswaded out of Merline Leoline the Prince that hee should wear the crown of Brutus therfore took armour against King Edward In vita Iohannis Peccam They were willed by Iohn Peccam Arch-Bishop of Caunterbury to cary in their handes bookes of the Gospel as reliques All these fantasies could not saue the heads of Leoline Dauid Leoline Dauid which were set vpon long poles and erected on high vpon London bridge What a Saint was the Traitour Thomas Becket Th. Becket Traitour a Sainct of the Pope In what fauour with the Pope Alexander And yet was he in a councel at Northhampton accused conuicted of extortion robbery forgery falshood treason periury in the presence of the King of the Peeres and Prelats for some matters in his Chancelarship whereupon although he lifted on high his crosse staffe and ran out of the court councell in hast and in an heat ouer the sea to Rome yet neither the Pope nor the crosse could saue him froÌ„ the crosse of death And here obserue the vniust dealing of the Pope Alexander who canonized among the Saints Thomas the Traitour the Kings deadly enimy and persecuted King Henry the second who was not accessary nor priuy at that time to it as it fel out in proofe for when the doers thereof slipping aside to Duresme looked for great thankes of the King for that they gaue out that they had most faithfully defended him rid his enemy out of the way it is written by Polydore that Henry did take this hainous act as no benefite Angl. Hist lib. 13. but vtterly misliked it insomuch as they hearing this and hoping for no pardon ran one one way another another way by reasoÌ„ of the kings displeasure died al within three yeares yet the Pope an heauy master of the King not beleeuing his Embassadours purposely sent to Rome sent into England his Cardinals for the trial of it and though the cause did not appeare yet was he compelled by oath to purge himselfe and by inforcemeÌ„t of their order to send to Ierusalem two hundred souldiours himselfe to lead an army into Syria within three years after which was perfourmed by his sonne Richard and to promise to be good afterward to the cleargy and that by an oath as some write that none after his and his Sons death should cary the name of a King but such a one as the Bishop of Rome did nominate and appoint albeit by our Chronicles Ibidem and by the practise in the tract of time no such bondage doth appear Thomas Walsingham in Richardo 2. The seditious sermon of J. Ball Priest Another seditious Preacher named Iohn Bal Priest prooueth the equality of States without any difference of callinges which made the simple people to be giddy headed His text was not taken out of scripture but borrowed out of a common prouerb When Adam delued and Eue span Who was then a Gentleman But the Epilog and conclusion of this Sermon was sorowful for himselfe being drawn hanged and beheaded at Saint Albans and his quarters sent to foure cities of the Realm There was another zealous Monk in coÌ„spiracy with the Barons of EnglaÌ„d against king Iohn against his son Henry the third Jbidem who beeing no great friend to the Pope was therefore the woorse liked of the Monk Eustachius in that point more destable theÌ„ a dog Eustachius a Trayteâ—ous Monk for the prouerb is true Canis caninaÌ„ non est nec lupus lupinam A dog is no deuourer of a dog nor the wolfe of a wolfe And yet in the war betwixt our King Lewes the French King he plaid the Apostata a rebel renegate reuoulting froÌ„ his King to another vncoÌ„stantly and perfidiously worthily called of Matthew Paris In Hypod. Neustriae per Thom. Walsing Proditor Regis Angliae Piratanequissimus being turned out of his coule into
enemies and of his countrymen declaring to the worlde the auncient iustice of the Romanes not to win by fraude but by vertue and manhoode virtute opere Decad. 1. l. â— armis vincere as Liuie alleadgeth his words The same Liuie telleth how Papirius Cursor handled certaine traitours or reuoulters Lib. 9. first beating them with rods then beheading them with an axe These be some examples of Romanes In the wars betwixt Alexander and Darius the like seuerity against like offenders is to be found Ariobarzanes promised to kill his father Darius but Darius vnderstanding of it strook off his head Barsanetes a Prince perceiuing Darius to be ouercome by Alexander killed him but he for his pains or rather perfidiousnesse by Alexander was requited by death so writeth Brusonius Paulus Orosius saith Orosius l. 3. that Alexander found Darius bound with golden fetters and afterward in his iourney left all alone stricken with many wounds and ready to yeeld vp the ghost and Alexander pitieng him when hee was dead honourably buried him Carion writeth of another traitour Bessus captaine of Darius who seeing his master fly wounded him and Alexander comming and finding him halfe dead promised him that that notorious treachery of Bessus against his owne Lord should not be vnpunished and so tooke him and commaunded him to be hound between two trees and pluckt in peeces Lib. 2. and rent O worthy execution of a trayterous subiect and that by an enimy for an enemy I passe ouer many others that attempting the death of tyrauntes escaped not the iudgement of God Zeno Eleates was diuers waies tormented by Nearchus Mysius Dion by Dionysius Raph. Volat in philol lib. 30. Apollonius Tyaneus a great learned Philosopher was imprisoned by DomitiaÌ„ What then deserue such as commit this heynous act against their milde and mercifull Prince Surely no mercy being mercilesse themselues yea more cruel than Tygres I will adde in the number of these heathen one Turk There was in Constantinople a great rich citizen who taking snuffe against his Emperour came priuily to Mahomet then intending to besiege the city made this bargaine with him that if hee would let him haue one of his Daughters to bee his wife with a large dowry one of the gates of the city should be at his commaundement The Turkish tyrant agreeth the gate is opened and after the cruell massacre hee demaundeth his reward Meruisti quoth the tyrant you haue wel deserued it and commaundeth a great masse of gould to be brought to giue him but because thou doost aske my Daughter with a dowry being thy selfe a Christian thou must first put off this skin and leaue this life and forthwith commaundeth the officer to flea him from top to toe and casteth on hote ashes with salt Cuspinia in Constant 8. and laieth him and couereth him in a bed that a new skin might grow vpon him that he might be the more apt to receiue the new spouse of a new sect Here we may see as in a glasse the working of nature in brute beasts in naturall men and others before the Law of Moses and in very Pagans and Turkes howe they reuerenced their masters and superiours how they hated and plagued this horrible sinne of treachery against them I should proceede in the rest but I must differre it God grant that we Christians may not be found more vngrateful more vnthankful and more brutish than the beastes and beastly men God open our eies to see that old saieng to be true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traison is euil euil to the Prince euil to the country euil to the woorkers themselues GOD preserue her Maiesty the whole Realme vs all from these practises in these daungerous and doubtfull daies To him be praise c. 1. SAM 26. And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not c. THE THIRD SERMON against trayterous practises ATHENAEVS alledgeth out of Berosus an auncient author L. Deipnosâ— 14 â—th 17. that about the sixteenth of the Calends of September there was a feast called Sacea solemnised in Babylon for the space of fiue daies in the which this custome was that seruants should haue rule ouer their masters that one of theÌ„ shuld be brought out of the house in Robes like a King whom they termed Zoganes If dearely beloued such a feast should endure not for the space of fiue daies but for mo daies mo years would you not think this to be a right Babylon A disorder and a confusion in a common weal There is in our time already in the sight of al men of any iudgement a new Babylon Rome where a Seruant nay a Seruant of Seruauntes by name is indeede a Master of Masters a Lord of Lords Zoganes of Rome a Zoganes not in sport but in earnest not for a fewe daies or yeares but such an one as without good warrant claimeth a Perpetuity not only ruling himselfe but setting vp other seruauntes against and aboue their Lordes Princes and Monarches vsurping authority ouer the anuointed of god O double pride that celebrateth such a double feast all the daies of his life not onely chalenging a dominion for himself but also placing seruants and subiects displacing the right inheritours and possessors of the Crown with the vtter desolation of common weales This Babylonicall Priest reuiueth raiseth out of the earth again The Pope a Babylonical priest those old Giants Terrae filios priuate men to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to striue and fight against the gods of the earth and against God himselfe He hath bred a new brood of vipers that cannot be content to come into the world A serpentine off-spring bred spred froÌ„ Rome in England and liue but by the death of the mother He is and hath beene the cause of a Serpentine generation not grateful but graceles requiting euil for good gaping for the destruction of those who haue by al means ' endeuoured to preserue relieue and promote theÌ„ Now you knowe the fable of AEsope of the snake found in the snow cold by the hus baÌ„dman brought to the fire and warmed and refreshed but afterward recouering heat and health hissed against his benefactour and poysoned the house Ore serit virus coluber sic toxicat aedem And afterwards Amplectensque virum sibila dira mouet O beastly broode and viperous children when as Epiphanius describeth them Epiplâ— To 2. Her 2. latus matris sauciant sic gignuntur vt pater mater ipsorumpereant They goare wound the side of the Morther they are so begotten and so borne that by them Father and Mother perish The moral and meaning is this Reddere gaudet homo nequam pro melle venenuÌ„ Pro fructu paenam pro pietate dolum To apply this to our purpose these oulde Giants vipers and Serpents are newly born againe in these daies vnthankfull men set vp by this romish Zoganes vnnaturally vngodly moÌ„strously attempting
recyting certaine lawes of India Jn moral 5. setteth downe against traytours Lawes of Jndia that they should bee banished The reason of the law is that the King might be without fear the kingdome in peace and if a traytour were taken all the siue counsailers should giue sentence against him and that iudgement once pronounced should not be reuoked O that England had the Law of India or rather that happy effect of the law that Prince and people freed from them might liue in quietnes and security Hierons in Mac. c. 10. We al naturally defend our head as the Serpent doth his and naturally the head is either reuerenced or feared most as the Panthera Plin. lib. 8. cap. 16. though for the variety of her coloures of other beasts she is most gazed vpon and for her sauor is marueilously comfortable yet with her head she is most terrible And though shee bee wild and cruell towardes others yet feeling a remedy euen by the excrementes of man against poyson dooth so loue man and couet them that if they be hanged vp in a basket or a vessel by sheepheards higher than she can touch them yet by reaching and leaping after them she faileth and fainteth and at last dieth Cap. 27. Princes are the heads of our common-weals they ought therefore to bee had in reuerence and to be defended feared and loued except we wil be worse than heathnish miscreantes than beasts as dogges serpentes horses and sauage Panthers Now we must passe from the law of nature vnto the law of God The lawe of God to the Jewes although indeed the law of Nature is the law of God but I mean the written law of the Iewes in the which wee find Eccl. c. 10. That the birdes of the aire shal carry the voice of him that speaketh euil or curseth the King euen in his thought or in his bed-chamber and the foul of the heauen shal declare the matter abroadt Examples of Gods plagues against disobedience Numb 16. Numb 12. Exod. 14. And that Mary the sister of Moses himselfe murmuring against her brother a Magistrate was striken with a leaper that the Israelites for mumling and making mutiny against him their Captain were punished that Corah DathaÌ„ Abiram rebelling against him the one with fier the other with earthquake perished with their wiues childreÌ„ and goods And that the common people for saying to Moses and Aaron That they had murdered the people of the Lord were plagued with death by God himself to the nuÌ„ber of fourteene thousand and seuen hundred besides them that died in the conspiracy of Corah If for thinking or speaking and murmuring against the Magistrats such punishment was inflicted how much more for conspiring the death of a Prince Let theÌ„ also take heed who iustifie traytours Against accessaries and Iustifiers of Trainours aad aske with these Israelites Why haue you put to death these good men Corah Dathan Abiram Why haue you shed the bloud of Campian and other Catholickes Such reason as serued against Corahits in the iudgement of God may serue in the opinion of al good men against Campianistes and such spirituall nay such spitefull Catholickes The end you see grieuous by the iudgement of the law by the displeasure of God What murder is by the priuate man committed against a priuate man The terrible example of Cain the first nuâ—derer let cursed Cain teach al men Hee is first cursed and the earth also made barraine and fruitlesse who opened her mouth to receiue the blood of Abel Hee is pronounced a vagrant man banished from the face of God hee falleth to desperation crying out that his sin is greater than that it can be pardoned Gen. 4. He hath a marke of trembling quaking fearing euery shadow of man and the shaking of the leaues of the trees This seuerity was exercised in the law of Nature I meane before the sentence of the Lawe Mosaical and before any example of punishment shewed against any murtherer beyng himselfe the first that euer suffered that way for that offense Afterward we find too many examples and punishmentes a few may suffice The Daughter of Amry Athaliah rose vp and destroied al the Kings seede 2. King 11. onely Ioas excepted and she cried Treason treason but she her selfe as a traytor was slaine with a sworde whereat the people of the lande reioyced and the city was in quiet I pray God we may haue the like sequel for the like iustice extended vpon our trayterous persons in these daies When King Assuerus found out by Hester his Queene vpon the information of Mardocheus Lib. Hest cap. 1.2 that there was treason in his priuy chamber against him by Bighthan and Teresh either by poison as some write either by the sword as Caietanus the Cardinal gathereth by the phrase and maner of speaking to ridde him out of his life the conspiratours were hanged the discloser Mardocheus honored and the Act for memory sake registred The life and raigne of Dauid may bee once againe a myrror to behold al this Tragedy The example of Dauid in himselfe in the which we haue partly seen before now also may see his vprighteous dealing obedient behauior towards Saul who would not suffer Abishai to touch him nether he himself would at any time hauing iust opportunity to aduenture it whose discreet moderation is by Chrysostom wondred at also noted in the Popes decrees out of Ambrose Hom. de Dauid Saul De paenit distinct 2.1 Sam. 31. Dauids seueritie against other murderers Saul in battle pursued to death by the Philistines requested his armorbearer to draw out his sword thrust him thorow but he would not being affraid to offend of better nature thaÌ„ to shew any kind of vnthaÌ„kfulnes to his King so that the desperat wretched King was driuen to that extreme Exigent to dy vpon his owne sword But the Amalekite that brought tydinges to Dauid of the death of Saul confessed that he made an end of him was for his paines rewarded with the like death by Dauid 2. Sam. 1. Thy bloud be vpon thine own head for thine own mouth hath testified against thee In this gouernement of Dauid Absalom the Kinges Sonne did slay his Brother for his Sisters sake 2. Sam. 3. but knowing and fearing his fathers iustice fled awaie for the space of three yeares and after that vpon great intreaty was made a prisoner in his owne house and did not see the Kings face Afterward when the same Absalom was a rebel against his owne father Cap. 14. though Dauid perhappes in a fatherly pitty would haue spared him yet God himselfe did execute his iudgement vpon him 2. Sam. 18. and was without the hand of man hanged vpon a great oke by the long locks of his head A straunge execution of a Rebell as was that also of Achitophel that had his hand in
a Traytor of the King of England a most wicked Pirat as it is in another history taÌ„quam de Monacho factus Daemoniachus as it were of a Monk made a Demoniacal man and possessed of a Diuel But this diuelish man was drawn out of the pump of the ship where he hid himselfe and his ende was the chopping off of his head by the hande of the Earle of Cornwal Richard the Kings brother carried to the King Maâ— Daâ—â—â— in Heâ—â—â—â— and so to diuerse places of the Realme which the Moucke woulde haue redeemed with an mestimate masse of money but coulde not Adam Adam the Byshop of Hereford was accused of treason and yet was protected by the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury of Yorke and of Dublin Th. Walsing in 〈◊〉 wardoâ— and of ten other Bishops and with violence and with the Arch-bishops crosses was pluckt out from the place of iudgement but afterwards being found guilty by the sworne Iurie of all the crimes obiected was so pronounced his goods confiscated the traiterous and horned Priests blancked for so these verses signifie Nostri cornuti sunt consilio quasi muti Sunt quasi consusi decreto legis abusi This Adam as this history reporteth was arrested openly in the Parlament at London to the great reproch of the cleargy and preiudice of the whole church of England Against Henry the fourth Conspiratours against Heâ— the 4. what conspiracies were there not by Earls and specially by Cleargy men whose meaning was sodenly at the castle of Winsor in the time of Christmasse plaies to rush in to kill him his children but their Christmas py was a deadly pie to them some ran away to London and so ment to passe beyond the sea but the wind being against them they were taken and beheadded The cleargy men Maude Ferby Maudlin Maude and William Ferbie were hanged drawen and beheaded at London others at Oxford The Priest of Ware that had matriculated in a roole the names of the conspirators whereof some were innoceÌ„t had the same iudgement The Prior of Laune once Canon of Dunstable Walter Baldock a Prior. Walter Baldocke confessing himselfe to be priuy to it for conceiling it was hanged so were the Minorit Friers euen in the habit of their religion Friers An Abbat of Westm As for the Abbat of Westminster a chiefe stickler in this matter in whose house after the feast this conspiracy was deuised was by God himselfe stricken with a palsey and by by was dum and so died At the same time Thomas Walsingham writeth of Owen Glendar a Welch man Owen de Glendour In Henr. 4. a rebel against the same King intending by his Magicall coniuration to kill the King the Diuel so working by raine winde snowe haile stones and al tempests against the King and his camp Jbidem Fuerunt plures si fas sit credere qui dicerent haec aduersa arte fratrum Minorum contra Regem fuisse commentata It was a common rumour then that Friers hauing familiarity with Diuels wrought brought al these miseries against the King as friendes to the Welch but you heard how the Diuell was ouertaken by God The Minorites executed by the King in their best and most holy weedes and so Owen Glendar in the absence of the King following his prophecy wandred miserably vp and downe in the desert and in solitary places by penury and hunger pined away The like iudgement fel vpon Falcasius a rebel against Henry the third of a great rich man so miserably poore that he in banishment begged his bread in Fraunce and had not a bolster to lay his head vpon I might haue reckoned vp many Iackes as Iacke Strawe Th. Walsingham n. Hypod. Neusiriâ— or Wat Tiler Iack Miller Iacke Carter against King Richard the second and also Iack Cade of Kent who was in a cart brought to London taken before in a garden in Sussex and his head set on London bridge his quarters sent into Kent in the time of Henry the sixt but these are matters of rebellion indeede but not so much for Religion which is my purpose and chiefe scope And yet all these drink of one cup bitter enough here for such and most bitter in the life to come Now to come nearer vnto our time memory Late Popish traytours for their Religion R. Holinsh in Henr. 8. Rebellions for religion vndeâ— Henr 8 our Popish Traitours haue had no better successe In the raigne of Henry the eight by Parliament the Lords praier and the ten commandements were decreed to be learned in English for this good seruice to God and to the common weal the blind people seduced by blind guides Monks Priests made a commotion in Lincolne shier In Lincolne shiere God fought for his cause for his King and gaue to him the victory The multitude by proclamation was pardoned a new oath of fealty to the King receiued Captaine Cobler Doctor Mackarel a Monke named Doctor Mackarel and others put to death How fel it out in the North by their religious rebellion In the North an holy pilgrimage It was forsooth for the Cacholicke Church It was called a holy blessed pilgrimage In their banners was painted Christ hanging on the Crosse a Chalice with a painted cake in the sleeues of the souldiours were embrodered the fiue wounds of our Sauior But God ouerturned al their purposes and they were supplaunted and by a floud on Simon Iudes Euen their heat was cooled A butcher a Priest executed and a butcher at Winsor wishing that these good fellowes of the North had some carkases of his sheepe with a Priest procured to preach in fauour of Rebels were adiudged to dy by Law Martial Good king Edward the sixt proceeded in zeale as his father began Rebellions for religion in the time of Edwa. 6. Jn Cornewall and more sincerely reformed religion but alas in Cornewall and Deuonshire it was not brooked nor digested the king his Commissioner in Cornwall was slaine but God did not suffer it is remaine vnreuenged a Priest was taken and executed in Smithfield by Law In Deuonshiere they did rise for the six Articles In Deuonshiere they would haue Masse holy water holy bread but they wilfull men lacked all they famished for want of bread The Lorde Russel the Lorde Grey the kings army ouercame them Sir Peter Carewe and Gawine and other faithfull subiects with the city of Exceter perseuering true and loyall were rewarded highly commended but Welch vicar of Saint Thomas in Exceter a newe reformer of religion was hanged vp in chains vpon the top of the church with his sacring Bel holy water bucket and sprinkle beeds and other Popish trash the chiefe captaines most disloial carried to London to be executed In Northfolke was another rebellion of such as partly were deceiued In Northfolke or not throughly persuaded in religion they had an
old Oak a tree not of life to them but of death called by them the tree of Reformation The tree of Reformation but it was the tree of Absalom vppon the which Miles their Gunner and two of their false Prophets were executed for they trusted in vaine Prophecies which were partly vttered in these verses The country gnuffes Hob Dick Hick With clubs and clouted shoone Shal fil vp Dussin dale with bloode Of slaughtered bodies soone This prophecy was a dreame their captaine Ket crept into a corner but was openly put to death his other brethren were hanged in chaines the rest of meaner sort hearing the pardon proclaimed by an herauld of Armes cast downe their weapons and lifted vp their voices praying to God to preserue King Edward There brake out a new stur in Yorkshier In Yorkeshiere False Prophecies cause of rebellion by false prophecies by a fond misliking of the Kings proceeding But here also the captains that thought to raise a great flame and to set al on fier made but a smoke wherewith they were choked themselues namely a poore man William Ombler and a simple parish clerke Thomas Dale and such like All these ment vnhappily by extraordinary means to turn al the Lawes of God and ordinaunces of Princes topsie-turuie About that time of these rebellions wee had set foorth by the authority of the King to these rebels an Eloquent oration by a great learned man Sir Iohn Cheeke Schoolemaster to the King Sir I. Cheek grauely and pithily dehorting them from such vprores as contrary to Gods word the honour of a King and the safety of the comon-weale which in mine opinion would make any hard heart to melt These former and foolish attemptes in the beginning pernitious and tragicall in the end might haue persuaded our countrymen to haue learned by their fore-fathers to keepe themselues within their tedder compasse of obedience The Raign of Q. Elizabeth But alas our Soueraign Queen Elizabeth hath felt too much of their wilfull disobedience and they tasted somewhat of hir prouoked seuerity Wherefore did Thomas Pearcie Earle of NorthuÌ„berland Charles Earle of Westmerlande against the Lawes of God and man by forcible meanes set vp Masses burne Bibles and bookes of Communion Why did they rise themselues when they might haue been quiet And raise the people which should haue been taught obedience Let the death of the one and the miserable flight of the other the execution of Parson Plumtree at Duresme and of others hanged and beheaded at Knaues Mire not farre from Yorke be instructions and examples for subiects These and many mo cannot warne vs neither the history of Iohn Story prouidently caught beyond the Seas and trimly shipped into this lande and afterward iustly executed vpon a newe paire of Gallowes euen at this day commonly bearing his name Saunders li. 7. de visibili Monarchia Ann. 1566. neither the terrible end of Iohn Felton who vpon Corpus Christi day at London at the Bishoppes gate published the Declaratory sentence of Pius Quintus Pope making this Realme of England and the Queenes Maiesty a pray and a spoil to our neighbours and to al nations neither the beggerly and lamentable state of Iames Desmond neither of Iohn Desmond bearing himselfe too bould vpon an Agnus Dei and a ring sent from the Pope neither of Nicolas Saunders himself the rebellous preacher to the Irish-men Saunders and the rest in the end taken with a frensie these al while they bend the vttermost of their wittes and of their forces against the Maiesty of our Prince whom the Maiesty of God hath enthronized they al I say haue but knocked their heels against the prick spurned to their owne destruction and to the confusion of that Popish sect By these and manie others neither Campion nor the rest of the Iesuites new Incommers Campion other Iesuites and Inmates in this Realme coulde beware neither yet by them other new cutters and practisers could be warned neither yet to this day the people coulde bee taught or perswaded but that their holy fathers Buls and Decrees Declarations must be obeyed and that his waxe and his lead and his Pontifical presentes consecrated by his execrable authority may preserue exempt them from al daungers touch of our law hereafter from al perill punishment either in hel or in purgatory I am to passe ouer at this time other examples and ordinaunces of other countries adioyning to vs as of Flaunders and Fraunce which wee must differre till another time if God will In the meane time let vs aliena frui insania by the madnes of these men learne to bee wise as many of our predecessors both Princes and learned men of this Vniuersity haue doone and know that the Queenes Maiestie hath waded no farther in these causes than other Kinges of this Land who haue broken the yee before King Stephen perceiuing that Theobald Arch-Bishoppe of Caunterburie brought Popish laws from Rome into Englande by decree of Parliament condemneth them burned them as hurtful to a common weale Iohn Bale cent 2. in apeâ—â—lice as Iohn Sarisbury beareth witnes in his eight book and two twentith chapter of Polycrat King Richard the second also molested with Romish affaires and tyranny of the Pope in Parliament holden at Westminster decreed and enacted that it shoulde bee lawfull for no man for any cause to pleade before the Byshoppe of Rome Polyd. Vir. lib. 20. for excommunication of any English-man by his authoritie and if anie such commaundement came from him it shoulde not bee executed vpon paine of losse of all their gooddes and perpetuall imprisonment and therefore great marueile that any such sentence of excommunication from such a forreiner and vsurper against our gracious Prince shuld in these daies of more knowledge by our countrimen be either receiued or harkned to or feared You dearly beloued I hope wil not and that you may not take an example by old Oxford Studentes who could ne would like of a Bull of Gregory directed against Iohn Wicliffe and therefore are chidden of the Pope that would suffer cockle and darnel of his heresie to grow among pure wheat in the beutifull fieldes of their Vniuersity You may also cal to minde that are ancients the daies of Henry the eight and Edward the sixt and iustifie the thinges to be true which I haue alleadged and much more which might bee said to this purpose to the proofe of this argument of Dauid that whosoeuer laieth hand of the lords annointed shal not be accounted innocent but shal be plagued for it The Lord giue vs grace to haue this doctrine fixed and setled in our heartes and expressed in our liues To whom bee all honour c. 1. SAM 26. 9 And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not for who can laie his hande on the Lords annointed and bee guitlesse 10 Moreouer Dauid said As the
that was giuen to Ionas for a shadowe to sport himselfe for a time Ionae 4. but in the morning God sendeth a woorme and striketh the Gourd and it withereth away The death of persecutours Are not al these persecutors teÌ„poral or ecclesiastical vnder the sentence of this mortality you haue hard before of some and in Orosius you may see the death and destruction both of traitors and of persecutors Lib. 7. namely of MagneÌ„sius Constantius Decentius Gallus Syluanus Iulian. We haue in Egesyppus a marueilous History of Aristobulus King of the Iewes not only for his persecution of the good but also for the murder of his brother in body and in conscience fore afflicted his blood gushing out Lib. 1. c. 8. which when his boy had poured out by chaunce vpon the blood of his slaine brother an horrible fearefulnesse increased his paine and tooke away his life O that these worldely men persecuting and seeking after blood would coÌ„sider that which is written in Herodotus Tomyris to K. Cyrus Thou hast thirsted after bloode and now thou shalt drinke thy belly ful of blood What brags are giuen out in euery cornet against poor Protestants in England in France Flanders and Geneua as though al were on their side as though they were Gods vpon the earth They haue their fore-fathers whome they imitate very braue and glorious in threats Bragges against the godly but miscarieng in the ende Pharaoh and his souldiours say I wil pursue I wil ouertake them I will diuide the spoile my lust shal be satisfied But the Lord blew with his wind Exod. 15. the fea couered theÌ„ they sanck as lead in the mighty waters In the booke of Iudges there is the like triumph of the Heathen against Israel where the Ladies flatter the mother of Sisera that hee had gotten the victory and had a great spoil Iudic. 5. when Sisera was by a woman Iael knocked in the head Ben-hadad threatned the King of Israel but Ahab aunswereth Let not him that girdeth his harneise bost himself as he that putteth it off 1. Reg 20. It is an easie matter for God to crush these Kings conspiring against his annointed and against his church Psal 2. with a rod of Iron and breake them in peeces like a potters vessel Psal 3. To smite al his enemies vpon the cheek bone and to strike out the teeth of the wicked to pull downe the great heart of Pharaoh by al kind of scourges Exod. c. 9. with botches and sores with murreine of beasts with hail thunder and lightening with the death of the first borne of AEgypt with grasse-hoppers Exod. 12. with frogges flies lice to strike persecuting Herod with vermine Cap. 10. Cap. 8. Act. 12. We haue heard a long time against our Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth and against our country the smoke of threats but God bee praised no flame that could annoy vs. Wee haue had among vs the brags of the Pompcian souldidurs that haue made a reckoning of the spoile of vs at diuision of our liuings among theÌ„selues but they were but only brags for why the lot is cast into the lap Prouer. 16 but the whole disposition thereof is of the Lord. Therfore let al men take heed how they vvast of a day whether it bee in the sommer or winter whether it be in the yeare eighty seuen or eighty eight whether they be forreiners abroad or cuntrymen at home Let theÌ„ harkeÌ„ to wise SalomoÌ„ Prouer. 27 Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a daie may bring forth Al the wicked persecutours traitours rebels knowe not when they beginne what shal bee their end Looke in the booke of the Kinges home many died losing Kingdome and life in the space of three and thirty yeares 2. Reg. 15. Looke in the Histories howe sodenly the Emperours went Otho Galba Vitellius To be short I say to them Plutarchus desera numinis vindicta as Bias said once to an vngracious fellow That hee was affraid not that he should not be punished but that he himselfe should not see it But yet perhaps Eloquent men may scape this death Nay Cicero Val. Maâ— The death of Oratora as it is declared before was traiterously murdered leesing his toung and his head Demosthenes drank poison and died But I trow the Popes holinesse cannot be touched with any dart of death The death of Popes for hee that is able to deliuer out of Purgatory and hel may also saue himselfe from death No he hath no freedom no immunity aboue other men being one of Adams brood for so euen his own Ceremonial booke giueth him warning hereof Sacr. Cer. lib. 1. cap â— The Bishop of Rome although hee passe al mortall men in dignity and authority and can bind and lose al things in earth yet can he not loose himself out of the bonds of fatal necessity The scholer is not aboue his Master and therefore he willeth him to think that although he be the greatest man yet hee is a mortal man and biddeth him remember the forme of his consecration which is after this sort When the newe Pope is chosen and Te Deum song and he newly Cap. de Consecrat and Pontifically reuestred and his hands and feete kissed euen then in all this solemnity and glory a Clerk or Master of the Ceremonies setteth tow on fier after the Pope is come out of the Chappell of Gregory and kneeling downe singeth with a loud voice C. Deegrâ—â— exeq Papâ—â— Pater sancte sic transit gloria mundi Omnis carofaenum omnis gloria eius tanquam flos agri O holy father as this hemp or tow burneth so passeth away the glory of the world al flesh is hay and the glory thereof is as it were the flower of the field This Ceremony notwithstaÌ„ding the Pope forgetting all this lesson rideth through the Citty with a great troupe of Mitred Bishops Abbots his horse trapped trimmed with red scarlet the Emperor himselfe holding the horse bridel and when all the lewes met him in the market place and reached vnto him as the manner is their Ceremonies and their law he flingeth them behind his backe saying proudly Recedant vetera noua sunt omnia Away with these oulde things al are now new As Thomas Walsingham declareth at large in the Coronation of Pope Martine Jn Henr. 5. I haue told of Boniface the eight of whose end Celestine his predecessor gaue this prophecy Tho. Walsing in Hypodig Neustriae Ascendisti vt vulpes regnabis vt Leo morieris vt Canis Thou didst clime vp like a Fox thou shalt raigne like a lion thou shalt dy like a dog As he so others like flax set on fier haue passed away most of them sodenly and shamefully specially such as haue been cruel in excommunicating and persecuting Emperours Carion lib. â— Abb. Vrso You heard