the muster bookes haue amounted vnto thirtie hundred thousands of able men to which if wee adde so many women making the number of threescore hundred thousands the summe will be fiue times so much that is thirty hundred thousand poundes by the yeere and to make a better esteeme of the Ministers progeny in expences lette vs suppose that in so many yeeres they haue only amounted vnto one hundred thousand of people and that euery person of that increased tribe spendeth but three pence in the day peny halfepeny a meale and to help this reckoning let vs forgiue their apparell and all other costs for nothing which is no vnequal dealing yet their expences in the yeare do make 547500. fiue hundred thousands seuen and forty thousands and fiue hundreds of poundes which is more than any victorious king of England spent in the continuall maintenaunce of a royall army and wil discharge more and greater wars than euer her Maiestie had and spare so many taxes raised vppon better subiects thus I could exemplifie in other Protestant excesses But to vrge many of these doctrines woulde bee too tedious therefore I will passe them ouer How their other actuall proceedings haue beene conformable to their words and teachings hath beene somewhat declared before and I may remit the Reader to the second parte of my Resolution in many chapters where I haue prooued euen by the Protestants owne confessions and testimonies that their behauiour and disobedience in commonwealths is worse then amoÌ„g Iewes Turkes Pagans or any Infidelles and whosoeuer at this time entereth into view of the manners of all conditions of Protestants both of this and other nations can not call it in question neither can it be imagined how amendment can be had eâ—cept a reformation of the originall of these abuses Protestant disobedient doctrine be made for like causes must haue like effects Now let vs examine whether such disobedience in doctrine or disloyaltie of behauiour to commonwealths can be noted in Catholike religion doe we not teach all duety vnto Princes and superiours what office either of Prince or inferiour Magistrate what estate or condition of men clergy or laytie what time peace or warres or any thing that can be said belonging vnto gouernement is not most sincerely deliuered by the Casnysts and Canonists of our religion and that consenting to the regiment of the most famous and honourable Kingdomes of the worlde gouerned by such constitutions Or is there any thing wee teach different or not agreeing to the auntient and most polliticke regiment of all christian Nations To beginne with that most reuerend function of Priesthood now treason by the proceedings of England as some Protestants alleadge what is there in that most sacred Religious dignitie that can bee guiltie of so great a crime Treason is the greatest offence that can be committed in England and is called with vs Crimen laesae maiestatis an offence that hurteth the Kings or Queenes Maiestie and Proditio a betraying because as appeareth by our auntient Lawes of King Edward the third where it is set downe what shal be treason nothing is remembred but that which tendeth either to the betraying of the King or countrey and so it is prouided by other lawes Alas what is in Priesthoode now that was not in former times that it must be so accounted in the dayes of one Queene which in the regiments of almost two hundred Christian Kings within this kingdome hath euer beene reputed both in parliament and elsewhere the most honorable calling next to the prince as the places of our great Priests or Archbishops are euidence Nothing is or can be changed in that sacrament howsoeuer the mindes and proceedings of Protestants doe change The same priesthoode which was giuen to Saint Peter and the Apostles the same which saint Augustine and his associates hadde that conuerted England the same which hath beene so honored of al English Kings since then is the same which this people is not ashamed thus to terme The same Sacrament vnchangeable the same power of order the same iurisdiction then except the state of England bee not the same it was Priesthoode must be honorarable not trecherous There is not any poynt of ciuill regiment in that sacrament being wholie spirituall and supernaturall nothing concerning a temporall common wealth no renouncing or deniall of any authority in England no conspiracie to Prince no betraying of a kingdome of whome no one worde or mention is made or can bee intended no matter giuen in charge no authoritie communicated but to offer sacrifice to pray to preach minister Sacraments and such priestly functions as the Pontificall will witnesse which are not preiudiciall to a commonwealth but such as the Ministers of England immitate the like as I haue prooued in other places That Priests doe absolue from sinnes and excommunications which they pretend the cause is no temporall thing and yet it cannot be the cause of this treason for Deacons which haue no such authoritie be traitours by the same statute That our Priests be consecrated in forraine countries neither can be or is the cause that this dignitie is now so vnwoorthily reputed for in former times it hath beene the greatest honour to our Cleargie to be consecrated in those famous Countries and all our Primitiue archbishops of Canterbury were so sacred at this time Priesthoode giuen in France to which we be friends and in England it selfe to which England must not be enemies is equally treason with these men as to bee ordered in Rome Spaine or any place most offensiue to our state of England And yet I woulde desire all States men to consider that the Graecians Germanes and other people hauing their doctrine diuers to the Church of Rome haue their Seminaries in the same City and their Priests maintained by the same Popes and ordered by their authoritie and yet the Princes of those Nations being Infidell Turkes for the greater part condemne not their Priests for Traitours but suffer them to be quiet without incumber admitting the exercise of their function as agreeable to common wealth And as it were a great absurditie to say that the Pope in releeuing the Catholike Students of Palestina Graecia Armenia and such nations shoulde doe it in hope to be temporall Lord of those Countries but only for loue to true religion so it is as improbable he should haue any such intent to England as vnprobable as the others to bee vnder his temporall regiment or howe can those religious schooles be such aduersaries to our English gouernement where neither Reader Professor or Student of Policie is or by the foundations and statutes of those places may be maintained No law order rule exercise lecture or disputation in any of those Seminaries that hath affinitie with such affaires where no one point or opinion in doctrine against our English or any other well gouerned commonwealth as is proued is practized But
all those Schooles by institution offer weekely or daily sacrifice for our nation where prayer is continually made by deputed persons for her Maiestie where so many publike prayers processions fasting disciplines and austerities are vsed to that end The rules and gouernement there consent with the auntient foundations of our Cambridge and Oxford the Religion there vsed the doctrine there taught the Priesthoode and other Orders there taken sacrifice offered prayers that bee made Sacraments that be frequented Lawes that bee obserued all things there practized be the same which so many renowned Kings of England euer professed and defended as conformable to their temporal regiments and to which our Qu. Elizabeth by the fidelitie of a Prince by solemne oath and all greatest security an absolute Ruler can giue hath indebted her selfe to obserue at her Coronation And what disobedience or want of duety can it be to deny to her or any temporall Prince Supremacy in ecclesiasticall causes a preeminence so distinct and independing of the ciuil gouernement And it euer was so far fro treason to deny it to any of our Kings or Queenes that not onely all English subiects but our Kings themselues euer approoued it in the Roman See And neuer any temporall Turke Tartare Goth Vandall or impious ennemy of Christ heretike or infidell challenged it as belonging to their temporall stile and no Protestant Prince at this day except in England eyther claimeth to him selfe or maketh it treason to giue it to the Pope of Rome Neyther dooth or euer did any or these professed ennemies to that See condemne for a temporall disobedience to appeale thither in spirituall causes or maketh it a matter of state to goe on pilgrimage to Rome or bring a Crucifix Picture or any halowed thing from thence which can be no busines of a commonwealth But all other Christians of the worlde euen such as bee vnder the Turkish regiment or any other whether they be Iacobites in aboue forty kingdomes Nestorians Maronites in Libia and Phoenitia Armenians Georgians Suryans Mozarabes Indians vnder Peter Iohannes in seauentie and twoo kingdomes or any others besides all Catholike and Christian kingdomes in this or other partes of the world haue free accesse without prohibition of their Princes either to Rome Ierusalem or any place where Christ is or hath beene reuerenced And in the dayes of the greatest temporall honour and renowne of England vnder the most glorious English Princes it hath beene so farre from disturbance or indignitie to our temporall state to goe that iourney and fetch or receiue such things from thence that our most puissant and triumphant Kings themselues haue performed those offices in their own princely and royall persons as our Protestant Writers be witnesses Howe honourable those Princes were for those and such offices as also how dishonourable with men and strangely punished of God not only al Kings of England but of other nations which practized any thing offensiue to that Roman iurisdiction I haue declared before If wee should enter into comparison of this kingdome now Protestant eyther with it selfe vnder Catholike regiment or with forraine Catholike kingdomes my sentence is true whether wee consider the glory of king Henry the eight and this kingdome before his fall or their infamie and dishonours after or the short or turbulent season of king Edward the sixt or for this present time what it is and what like to be which duety to her Maiestie chargeth me to leaue to the lamentable consideration of all men now and the pittifull experience of those which shall prooue it heereafter When contrariwise if wee enter into conceipt of Catholicke kingdomes ruled by that Religion and law which we defend they will be named the flowers of the worlde our neighbouring countries Fraunce Spaine Italie and others may be giuen for instance And to particularize in them that be most hated of English Protestants the Pope of Rome for a spiritual person and the Spanish King for a temporall Prince Is not the power and iurisdiction of the first extended by many degrees and whole kingdomes further and more glorious than euer was the Regencie of any spirituall superiour high Priest in Iewrie Caliphe of the Turkes Archflamine of the Pagans Archbishoppe of the Protestants or any their supreame head or gouernor in Ecclesiasticall causes in this or any other Nation neuer allowed further than one countrey and no man can question but the kingdomes riches and reuenews of the king Catholike are the greatest of any Monarch or Emperour in the worlde How the glory of all kingdomes was euer most when they most religiously embraced and maintained our doctrine I haue demonstrated at large in my Resolution no Article we defend prayer and adoration to Saints prayer for the dead restitution for wrongs and iniuries to those that liue obedience to Princes their iust and equall regiment the validitie of their lawes the force of good woorkes and their working the number grace and reuerence of Sacraments other holy things penance and punishment for sinne both in life and after with the rest being all affirmatiue positions teaching duety to God honour to Magistrates equalitie to all iniury and oppression to none the chiefest points of true regiment cannot be offensiue to a well ordered kingdome What quarrelles and contentions betweene Princes Kings and Subiects Nobles and Nobles and all estates haue beene comprimitted in England by the spirituall Romane authoritie now so hateful amōg vs which could by no other meanes be appeased the turbulent dealings in the time of King Henry the second so pacified the Barons warres quieted rigorous onerations imposed by Princes eased contentions and vnappeaseable warres of this kingdome with France and other Nations the like appeased and brought to end will witnesse What peace concord amitie and agreement in all estates the Protestants deniall of Restitution and Confession hath taken away what wrongs enmities and abuses it hath wrought the auntient loue neighbourly friendship christian charitie and peaceable agreement generally since then exploded among Protestant people are euidence for those bridles beeing broken what so conuenient meanes is either left or inuented by this generation to tame the inordinate passions of vnruly people How can the beginning of sinnes first inwardly hatched in the mind before they proceede to outwarde action to bee controlled by ciuill Lawes be stayed and preuented How can secret offences the mother and nurse of publike disorders be punished and destroyed Who can keepe Subiects from deuising against Soueraignes these from plotting against Subiects Subiects against themselues Who can now vmpire so many quarrelles euen with extraordinary and intolerable charges and abuses which the Consistory of Confession in euery parish so freely without bribe trouble or contention decided and rooted out For want whereof so many suites and actions in lawe such multitudes of Lawyers and their lately obtained riches haue ensued What abuses in their proceedings what vniust causes defended What iust and
the workers of such impieties Let vs speake a little of marriadge it was enacted by parliament of K. Henry the eight that all contracts of marriage whatsoeuer were voyde by a second marriage consummate hereupon ensued not only such shame and dishonour to that law against the light of nature and ciuill contracts but to vse the words of King Edward the sixt his Protestants in open parliament such incontinences intollerable to Christian eares men and women breaking their promises and faith made by the one to the other taking new husbands and wiues at their pleasure euen as it pleased them that it was reuoked by King Edward the sixt yet by the first parliament of our Queene it is reuiued and now in force from which opinion and the doctrine of remarrying for the incontinency of the first husband or wife what deuorcements dissentions remarryings breaches of wedlocks false accusations translations and lamentable decayes of ancient and honourable houses by adulteries and most wicked suppositions of vnlawfully begotten children haue ensued And because I haue spoken of marriage I with the indifferent Reader to consider whether the marriages of Priests and ministers consist with a common wealth or no let him but looke into this one article and he shall perceiue that euen by the nature of the thing it selfe so many wants miseries distresses and hungers as haue beene since in this kingdome and other flouds of daungers to a ciuill regiment haue flowed from that fountaine The ancient number of parishes in England euery one hauing at the least one Priest or Minister haue beene accompted forty thousand though Camden and later Writers muster a meaner reckning besides Bishoprikes Deaneries Archdeaneries Prebendaries pety Canonries and almost as many Chappels more many of them hauing their particular ministers and diuerse richer Protestant parsons their subcurates and among all these it is a dishonour at this day for a man to be vnmarried Then to make some coniecture in this case because a certainety can not be surueyed lette vs compare this new married broode so giuen to generation to the first inhabitants of countries which of a farre fewer number in processe of time haue growen to so great and populous Nations and because the encrease of the people of Israel in Aegypt is most exactly aboue all others remembred and registred in holy Scriptures which these men receiue I will take an example from them and yet to the Protestant aduantage for the Israelites in Aegypt were persecuted and their children put to death when contrariwise the generation of Ministers in England hath flourished and beene defended The number of the Israelites men women and children entring into Aegypt were onely 70. as is written in Genesis or 75. as it is expounded of saint Stephen if the first suruey of English parishes and ministers is admitted although we alow many of them to haue liued and vnmarried yet numbring their wiues which by chastitie in catholike times also were vnmarried it is probable that for euery maried Israelite there were more than two thousand married ministers for the grand-children of Iacob were not married at that time and if wee admit the least suruey of thirteene thousand fifteene thousand or sixteene thousand parishes yet for euery married Israelite there was a thousand married ministers Within the space of foure hundred yeeres the number of Israelites from the age of one and twenty yeeres vpward besides many more thousands of women children and young people and the whole tribe of Leui one of the twelue which was not nūbred in this account the number of such men amounted vnto six hundred thousands three thousands fiue hundred and fiftie Now let my Protestant Arithmetitians make a calculation of the Ministers ofspring if wee take my least account if their religion should last foure hundred yeeres which is but so long as the true Church of Israelites liued almost pilgrims or captiues yet a true Religion must be such that it carry no destruction to commonwealths though it last for euer as the worship of Christ was instituted to doe then by my meanest reckoning the number of men encreased in that time wil be 603550000 six hundred thousands of thousands three thousand thousands fiue hundred thousands and fiftie thousands which is a greater number to bee added in our nation then many Englands are able to maintaine though we neither reckon woman nor childe What then will the apparell and other expences of this generation be to a little country yet I haue not coūted how many since Protestant Religion haue multiplied in this order which before liued in monasteries and religious houses in chaste and single life by common iudgement little or not inferiour to the former multitude which as it doubleth the number of people encreased so it doubleth the miseries and perplexities of this kingdome Such chargeable bloody and continued warres as England in this time hath had in Fraunce Flaunders and other places both at sea and land are neither easie nor secure to be maintained And to ordaine or permitte multiplication of men to such endes to vtter them by slaughter is wholy Turkish and more like to Canaballs than to Christians And yet if they had not beene to preuent so many marriages and kill so many thousands of men how could this nation haue prouided for so many or how wil it deale hereafter when the present inhabitants haue tasted so many wants Lette vs make an other triall what domage the taking away or neglect of fasting and abstinence in this religion hath broght to our common wealth In Catholicke times besides so many dayes of abstinence whereby many thousands of fishers were maintained and much cattell and flesh preserued there were obserued aboue an hundred fasting dayes with onely one meale in the day if wee account the seuerall dayes of Lent Fridayes Ember dayes Vigils and euens of Saints that were fasted the number of the eaters then were fewer by much as is reckoned by ministers marriages the diet was not so delitious as Protestancie teacheth then let vs giue all aduantage to Protestants in this commission of enquirie and suppose contrary to all iudgements that there be but twelue thousand parishes in England let vs allowe that there be onely in euery parish one with another but an hundred persons menne and women which were wont to fast though this number is much too little let vs further imagine that the expences of euery ones supper would onelie be the value of one penny which is no deare ordinarie yet by this fauourable reckoning euery person in these hundred dayes spareth one hundred pence which is tenne shillings and the hūdred persons of euery parish one hundred times ten shillings which is fiftie pounds which together amounteth yeerely to sixe hundred thousands of poundes besides the consumption of so much victualles originall of so many wants and yet it hath beene credibly reported that of late yeeres vppon generall musters in England
pittifull complaints of the poore forsaken What dilatory plees non-suites vnnecessary essoines wagers of lawe false pleadings vnlawfull arrests wicked impannelling suborning and corrupting Iurors delayed false and corrupt iudgements and executions vnconscionable Writtes of errour against right such remooueings of sutes appeales and I know not how many shifts to defraude auoyde and with-holde true titles haue beene and are practised and vncontrolled by these Protestant doctrines which catholike Religion condemneth binding the wicked practisers of such iniustices to an equall amends and restitution to the parties grieued These and such abuses the lawe of Nature the lawe of Nations Canon Imperiall Prouinciall in all christian Nations doe condemne not onely in countries and kingdoms professing Christ they are disabled but exploded in al heathenish regiments of Iewes Turks Tartares Persians Indians and all antient law makers among the Romans Graecians Lacedemonians and others onely practised and not disallowed in Protestant regiments That portion of wealth which the religious Cleargy of England enioyed in Catholike times if Foxe may be beleeued amounted to the third part of the substance of our nation and was then employed concerning them to the necessaries of their poore chaste and single life the remnant was bestowed some for maintainance and defence of our Kings and country the Catholike Cleargy was then able and often did furnish maine armies to that end more then all the ministers of England and Abbey gentlemen are able or will performe the rest was in Religious vses the poore were relieued so many statutes against them and to burden the country were not knowne strangers were lodged pilgrimes entertained the sicke and maimed prouided for orphanes kept widdowes defended Was not this so offensiue parte of religious goods in Protestants iudgement better bestowed then in hunting hawking cardings courtings and such like almes to which the Protestant possessours haue disposed it Let vs speake of friends at home and abroade Catholike Religion kept and left England in friendship and amitie with the Popedome Empire Spaine and all countries in the world protestancy hath either set vs at open variance or suspitious peace withall Quarrels among countries and kings are euer grounded from behauiour of Princes publike magistrates and persons of regard in those states Protestants of England euer since their entraunce haue supplied those places priuate persecuted and reiected men such as Catholikes of England haue beene and are there esteemed cannot bee the origin of such contentions What should I speake of honours or other publike profits wherwith England was adorned by our Religion and whereof Protestancy hath dispoyled it Was it not an honourable quiet and secure preeminence to be at league with so many and mighty christian Princes Were not all communions with them and their countries as ordinary to England and al estates thereof as to themselues had not our kings their legarde and continuing ambassadors in those dominions whereby peace was preserued quarrels preuented perrils auoyded the country in security warres but seldome and neuer of such continuance What historie doth make relation of so chargeable and prolonged wars of this kingdome with other nations as our late and present Spanish Flemish and Irish be What Nobleman ot Gentleman of accompt did not then and would not now desire both for his owne and countries honour and reputation to know other nations to bee present in the Courts of forraine potent Princes to learne language to see diuersities of people and manners to know their order of Regiment to winne experience What learning nurtriture and knowledge haue our gentry and nobility lost by that seperation What a blemish it is euen in some of highest order and in the greatest affaires of common wealth England findeth and forrainers are not ignorant and the great aduantage and highly esteemed preeminence of him or them in that place which hath enioyed it will witnesse Would not a souldier for his skill and honour in armes affect to know the order and discipline of their warres especially against Infidels and misbeleeuing Princes What scholler for his instruction in learning might not couet those vniuersities wherein for an Englishman to haue beene student or consecrated Priest now so odious was euer had for high honour and reputation Would not the marchants of England esteeme it both a priuate helpe to themselues and a publike profit to our nation to haue free trade and trafficke in their dominions Should not all England Nobles gentlemen meaner people and all estates of men Catholikes Protestants and whatsoeuer be desirous that we might alwayes bee free both from forraine and domesticall warres or if by any necessitie not in time preuented we shuld by probabilitie bee infested with the one coulde or would he wish to be afflicted with both Peace is to be desired strife to be auoyded friendes esteemed many and potent enimies to be feared If any man of indifferent sentence entereth into iudgement to consider the time of Protestancie which is past the present estate wherein England is and what wee are like to taste heereafter by such proceedings I doubt not but he will be of my opinion that it were better to be in such condition as it was in the two and twentieth yeere of King Henry the eight when this reformation or soone after beganne then euer it was by Protestancie since nowe is or by probability will grow to be in time to come For auoyding offence I will voluntarily omitte particulars of comparisons as also the conformitie of our catholike Religion to the true and equall interpretation of our present lawes both in the same regarde as that it demaundeth a larger treatie then this place alloweth These may now suffice for excuse not onely to your most Honorable Company but to all inferior and subdepending Magistrates principally such as persecute vs vnder the false pretence of our repugnancie to a lawfull and ciuill regiment for whose cause I haue both beene longer in this question and must be enforced heereafter to vse more speech of our obediēce to the English laws of this time than I otherwise had intended SECT IX The Authors defence to all honourable Ladies and Gentlewomen AND as I must not bee vngratefully vnduetifull to so many Catholicke Ladies and noble Gentlewomen of England our nurses and foundresses in former times so I desire pardon of that present sexe and condition not to be offended with my writing for I defend the faith and religion of all honorable holy and vertuous English Queenes Princesses Ladies and Gentlewomen I may not permit the Foundresses of so many Churches Chappelles Aultares Monasteries Nunneries Colledges and Religious places to bee reprooued for that pietie I cannot in conscience suffer such a triumphant and victorious company of that calling so famous for miracles and renowned for sanctitie as our greatest ennemies Fox Pantaleon and others acknowledge in them an euident argument of true Religion to be condemned nor the immortall fame of the soules of such to