occasioned a strange alteration in the state of things for these differences did reach beyond particular quarrells euen to the subuersion of whole states whereby it came to passe that one kingdome deuoured another and one people did subiugate many As the Assyrians first who erected the first Monarchie vnder Ninus and Simeramis the Parsians vnder Cyrus the Macedonians vnder Alexander and the Romans vnder the gouernement Conquests of Iulius Caesâ—r yet all these haue had their alterations and haue indured the misery of Conquest euen by such whom they reputed for barbarous and base people Ninthly The generall care that was had of these worldly occasions was the cause that Religion was scarce knowne not regarded therfore the Church then exceeded not the number of some few families being translated from one holy Man to anotther such as were Abraham Lot and Iob vnto the time of the twelue Patriakes when it began to spread into a holy generation and after the afflictions of Egypt and the wildernesse it came to a flourishing and princely state especially in the times of Dauid and Salomon Kings of Israell but not long after in Reobohams time tenne parts of twelue fell backe from Religion and became Apostates yea and many times that little Iuda that handfull of Gods people being drunke with ease and prosperity would forget God their mighty deliuerer forget his Sabbath and his Sanctuary and giue themselues to Idolatrous pleasures with such generall appetite as if God had giuen them licence for wickednesse no apparance or marke of Religion in Iuda Tenthly The mercifull God willing to cure the infirmity of those times commeth with his Iudgements Famine Sword and Pestilence not as in the old world to destroy but to correct the disobedience of his people who no sooner relish the sweetnesse of his mercy but wantonly returne to their former remisnesse and sinne with greater appetite then before yet for all this doth not God forget to be mercifull but continueth himselfe in his owne nature a God most mercifull and most compassionate who to demonstrate the infinite degree of his loue to his seruant Man taketh from him the burthen some condition of the Law which hee could not keepe and giueth him a new couenant the couenant of Grace the Gospell of Peace And thus mercifully he altereth the tenor of our obligation and to giue this worke of Gracefull authority hee sendeth his onely begotten the Lord Christ to satisfie the old and to ratâ—fiâ— the new Couenant both by his actiue and passiue righteousnesse Eleuenthly Heere was the greatest alteration that euer was in the witnesse of time for before this we were commanded to doe and liue else to die but now to beleeue onely and liue Neuer was there a more large demonstration of Gods fauour nor a like time wherein Grace was so freely offered or the gates of heauen so wide set open as if God should reach his hand of mercy to earth to inuite vs to his eternal inheritance and with the fayrest promises of Loue to allure vs to a state of most absolute blessednesse yet notwithstanding all this Grace and all these faire inuitements so constant were the men of those times in their euills that they refuse to indent with God be the condition neuer so easie or his promise neuer so absolute but they combine themselues with all indeauour to resist the Grace of God they will not haue Grace though God giue it freely they are all Moses no Christ all Law no Gospell so powerfull were they in their owne opinions as if the Law had beene an easie performance And therfore did they despise the work of Grace crucifying the Lord of Life that brought it and that bought it with the value of his life a price inestimable killing also the Apostles his faithfull witnesses and persecuting the Saints to whom God gaue Grace to apprehend this Mistery Twelfthly Heere may a Christian man spend his holy meditations in considering the deprauednesse of Man the grosse dulnes of his Nature and how inclinable hee is to all euill Contrariwise the infinite measure of Gods mercie who notwithstanding our disobedience will not vtterly destroy vs his creatures but in a wonderfull degree of fauour yeelds himselfe to the weakenesse of our flesh knowing that our nature hath a pronenesse to euill onely And therefore hath he giuen free passage to the Gospell making it fruitfully prosper in the blood of holy Martyrs shed in the persecuting times of Tyrants and wicked-Emperors 13. And in this passage of blood did Religion march vntill the time of Constantine the Great who intertaining the Christian Faith with good affection gaue it warrant for publike exercise whereby it spred ouer all the knowne world with such admirable increase as God onely could giue to a cause so heauenly And yet in the height of this prosperity according to the Nature of our flesh the state of Christendome grew proud with good successe and wanting the opposition of heathen enemies deuided themselues into heresies and factions wherof insewed the greatest calamitie that could be in a Christian state euery faction receiuing authority and greatnesse according as they were fauoured or not by the Emperours 14. And this diuersity of fortune continued in Christendome for many yeares yet so as Christianity might be well said to flourish vntil the time that the Popes did arrogate to their seate supremacy and vniuersall power or as the History of Florence reporteth it vntill the time of Charles and Pippin Kings of France who in pollicie to secure to them and theirs the possession of the west Empire bound the Bishop of Rome whose authority might helpe that practise by fauours and friendly entertainements to their faction And therefore did the French pronounce this sentence That the Pope being the Vicar of Christ ought not to bee iudged by men but to Iudge all men and to determine euery difference This sentence whether by the Popes themselues or by their fauourites the French Kings was assuredly the Ladder for the Popes ambition and the cause whereof hath ensued so much euill to the state of the Catholike Church as that Christendome yet is full of the markes of that misery 15. Now the power of God that seeth the most secret practice on Earth whose prouidence cannot bee preuented with pollicie suffers the measure of this euill time to fill and ouerrunne with iniquity so that a true Christian might haue thought of himselfe as Elias when he thought he was onely left of Gods people yet in that height of iniquity there wanted not many Obediahs who hid the faithfull from the stroake of persecution neither wanted there some euen in this darkenesse of Time who willingly offered their faith to the tryall of fire and sealed the testimonie of their Religion with the witnes of their blood Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST from this extremitie of euill time doth this following History take beginning
regarded the dignity of her temporall life more than the honour and dignity of her Christian Name But she that could not be ouercome with euill ouercame this euill temptation and resisted the power thereof by her vertue and godly constancie Eighthly Againe the Q in thus altering the State of Religion did attempt a matter very difficult and of no easie performance and this she might vnderstand by her iudgemēt in Philosophie by obseruing the course of all naturall things For we see that those things which moue themselues in their naturall motiō are carried with lesse vehemēce then those that are moued by violent forced meanes And the body of this kingdome at that time of the Q. entering the state mouing in the fauour of romish religion wherin it had formerly moued for many yeares could not without much violence and great difficultie be moued against that customary motion nor be forced to retire backe in the same steps wherein it had formerly proceeded and therfore this difficulty in finishing was a consideration of state which in respect of state might haue diswaded the Q. holy care from the reforming of religion which would haue preuailed with any prince in the world who had regarded the felicity of their temporal life more than the honour of God or the prosperity of the Catholike Church Ninthly the discontentment of her neighbour nations the displeasure of the greatest part of Christian princes was a speciall consideration and such as that nothing but grace could be able to withstand for it is necessarie natural in the Natures of Princes in the spirits of great persons to desire generall reputation and that their names may liue in the fauour of good estimation hating to be held hatefull or not to haue place in the loue of their neighbour nations For this forreigne regard as it exceedingly cotenteth the noble spirits of such as desire it so also it is most behoofull for the security of their persons states kingdomes and great states being in this respect like particular men not able to liue in prosperity and flourishing wealth without cōmunicating to each other their seueral profits neither is there any part in the world where the regard of cōfederacy forraigne cōbination is so behoofull as in the states of christendome because of the equall partage of christendome to many seuerall princes whereby they liue in iealousie of one another cōmonly confederate with such forreigne power as in the discretion of state is thought to be of most conueniency both to aduance the glory of their nation to aduantage them against their most feared enemies wheras it is otherwise in the spatious gouernement of mighty Empires such as at this day the Turke the Persian and the Russian Emperours be and such as heretofore the Romane Emperours were who by reason of their huge bodies of State moue almost without resistance neither care these mighty Emperours so much to confederate with their Neighbours because they know that of necessity those lesser states must like Riuers discharge their seruice into their Ocean But this Kingdome of England being in the middest of many disagreeing Nations This consideration of state did therfore neerely concerne the Queene to consider of and these importances would doubtlesse haue diswaded her holy cares had her cares bene any other than holy Tenthly But this Noble Defendresse of the Faith howsoeuer shee vnderstood as much in the wisdome of State as anie other Prince than liuing Yet would she not be ruled by that wisdome but like her selfe a most Christian Princesse shee contradicts Pollicie with Pietie And she whose Religious Iudgement might and could teach her that God was able to support her Princely State against all opposition and to supply to al her necessities would not for any State consideration distrust the mighty power of his prouidence or forsake the safetie of his protection for any cause whatsoeuer For shee knew well that God was altogether as able to preuaile with the lesse as with the greater number and that he was not like man to worke onely by the aduantage of meanes for without meanes can he effect whatsoeuer shall please him were the whole power of earth and hel to withstand him And therfore as Sampson strong in God could with his weake weapon destroy a Thousand of his enemies so this most resolute Defendresse of the Faith refusing the power of earth hath with the truth of Religion onely vanquished not a thousand onely but many thousands of Gods enemies whereby she hath most nobly garded the safe passage of the Catholike Faith Eleuenthly And this I report in honour of this most excellent Queene whom no respect of danger or State consideration could remoue from her holy constancie whom all the power of the earth was not able to bereaue of her noble spirit whereby shee was most excellent fit for the defence of Faith and wherewith she hath defended it with as much honourable merit as euer any Christian Prince in the world did Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST God doth then trie the faith and loue of his seruants when they are presented with strong and able temptations for these tryalls though they cannot confirme in God any opinion of Truth in whom there is all knowledge yet they serue for the imitation of other and for their iudgement that will not imitate Secondly He that shall fall from the seruice of God for any respect whatsoeuer doth iudge himselfe an Apostate and vnworthy of Gods fauour because euen those that loue God if they loue him for respect they loue the respect and not God Thirdly In state reason it may seeme hazardous for the Queene to alter the State of Religion because it might haue occasioned such discords in the State as might much distresse her peaceable beginnings being yet vnsetled yet considering in what termes the State then stood the Faction being almost indifferent in number and strength she might very well thinke that the authority of her opinion would carrie many thousands with it because the grosse multitude doth euer moue in the current of the common opinion Fourthly In the proceedings of State affaires the prosecutions must be ordered by a discreet and setled iudgement and not with desperate vndertakings which some call Man-hood and heroicall spirit For if there be difference betweene a priuate man and an ordinarie officer in the State there must also be difference betweene the particular cause and the generall State Fifthly It is the strength of a Pollitique State to haue assured confederacie combination with neighbour Nations but the wisedome of that state is in nothing more iustified than in the profitable vse of such confederacie for therein doth appeare the excellence of wit when with the onely charge of wit we can imploy another mans power to our owne purposes Sixthly To resist and vanquish the
multiplicity of Religions For it is al one to deny God and to denie his seruice and Idolatrie is aswell in false worship as in no worship For as God is one but one so there is one Religion and but one whereto all creatures owe their obedience And that men might not preuaricate or alter the forme of Gods seruice hath God himselfe prescribed vs a precise forme how and in what forme wee should serue him damning all diuersity to this his owne order wherewith he is onely pleased and wherewith he is alway pleased Thirdly the reason then why Religion is thus deuided in the Christian world is the many seueral constructions of Gods Word whereby it is both diuersly and doubtfully vnderstood euery man adhering to that sence of Scripture as to his iudgement doth seeme most resonable And from hence it is that these two maine diuisions of Religion the Protestant and the Papist subdeuide themselues againe into many differences especially the Religion of Poperie For proofe whereof we may remember that the Church of Rome hath deuided itselfe into so many quarrel some disputations that searce two Colledges conspire one truth after one manner Nay and the best learned among them contradict and haue damned the opinions of one another this hath bene well declared by many arguments of sufficient proofe in the Learned writings of a Reuerend Doctor of this Church and which is now very lately declared by their own disagreements concerning the lawfulnesse of taking the Oath of Allegiance in which Controuersie the Pope and his great Cardinall Bellarmine oppose against their Arch-Priest Master Blackwell Fourthly It is also worthie of memorie that diuers of them in Queene Elizabeths time being prisoners at Wisbitch were deuided with so much hatred as might seme implacable the quarrell being for superiority betweene the Iesuites and Secular Priests began at Wisbitch but sithence spread ouer all Christendome neither doe I thinke will euer peaceably be compounded a matter rare that men professing one Religion and one Faith prisoners in one place and being by the Law dead men and onely continued there by the mercie of a gratious Prince should thus bitterly contend about priority and greatnesse of place And therefore it is most euident that in that Religion of Poperie wherein they so much boast of vniformity and generall consent there are many Sects and many bitter disagreements Fifthly and for the Protestant Religion whereof I esteeme most reuerently that also is full of much diuersity the vaine glorious spirits of men disturbing the peace of that Church which hath flourished with much prosperity And these diuersities like a ciuill warre and therefore a dangerous warre haue more indammaged the cause of Religion then all the other enemies in the world euer could doe which by reason of singularity and strange doctrine with which the grosse numbers of people are wonderfully contented they haue got a false reputation in the world of holinesse and thereby draw from the vnity of the Church numbers of the basest sort of people Sixthly It were needlesse to reckon vp the seuerall names of these Scismes they are to well knowne in this Nation whose peeuish obstinacie hath bene such as that neither Law nor mercy neuer yet could reclaime And whereas it is obiected by the enemies of our Faith that because of these diuersities therefore our Religion is not good I answer the argument is sencelesse because as I haue proued this diuersity is in all Religions and in theirs most who most obiect against vs. Againe wee all know that the Church of the Iewes was the true Church of God yet in that Church also was there much diuersity for the Sadduces did denie the resurrection which is a fundamentall point of Religion whereas our greatest differences are onely for circumstance and order And therefore this their argument of diuersity doth not conclude against the truth of Religion for the corne may bee good which lyeth mingled with Chaffe and so must the Church of GOD lie vntill the day of Iudgement when as Christ shall come with his Fanne and Seauer the good bad which in the meane time must lie in one heape in one Church and in one profession or name of Religion Seuenthly in this respect of vnity did the King most noblely defende the Catholike Faith disclaiming the enemies on both hands the proud Papist and the peeuish Puritan and like a most Christian Catholike King he directed himself to Iesus Christ placed as hee was crucified betweene these two Thieues who like two extremities Neighbour this most vertuous meane And let it be the prayers of euery true Christian that his Maiesties posterity for euer may thus direct themselues to the Lord Iesus only who only is the way the truth and life itself And let neuer any Caesar of this Empire incline their fauour to either of these crucified thieues for though they hang with Truth yet are they not true And that Religion which is but neere the Truth of the Catholike Faith is not that Truth for as God is so is Truth and so is the faith of holy Religion one and but one with out all duplicity or difference The Conclusion THVS I haue briefly and but sparingly reported the honourable deeds of the Defendors of the Catholike Faith wherein if I had bene iust and had related at full the number of their Princely deseruings in this kinde I should haue vndertaken a businesse of infinite paines and haue made this volume larger then the patience of these times allow to profitable writings I haue therefore extract from the number of their deeds such particulars onely as may abundantly serue to honour the memorie of their names And this trauell most Noble Prince I present to your Highnesse consideration not because I presume of any worth in my part of this businesse but because the knowledge thereof doth principally concerne the dignity of your High place wherein will appeare to your Gratious presence the view of your most Princely Predecessors and how farre they trauelled themselues for the aduancement of holy Religion defending it with resolutions constant and prosperous And wherein your Highnesse may behold what care this Christian Kingdome hath had for the Christian Faith and what care it doth expect in the hope of your Maiesty and in your posterity for euer Amen FINIS What Time is The Iudgement of Philosophy Gen. 1. 1. The Creation of Man All things giuen to Man The world diuided by Religion One God one Truth The reason of Multiplicitie of Religions The first schisme Gen. 4. 3. Gen. 4. 8. Caine the Father of Scisme The first alteration of Time Time the worse for time Gen. 6. 13. The first desire of Empire The foure Monarchies The state of the Church in the old world Gods Iudgements doe correct and not destroy God altereth the tâ—nâ—r of our Obligation The happie
whom we liue moue and haue our being is infinite in time and infinite in all his attributes Secondly This diuine Truth is confirmed by the sentence of the best Phylosophers who with their eyes of Nature could discerne and distinguish this Truth But because I write to a Christian Prince I will not therfore strengthen my selfe with prophane authors but much rather content mee with the testimonie of God whose words hath sufficient Maiesty to answer all opposition By this word I know that God in the beginning created the world of nothing there being no preexistent matter whereof to make it and then of the dust of the Earth made he Man a most noble Creature of a matter most base and breathed into his Nostrills the breath of Life a soule so pure and spiritual as nothing but God could be more being the sacred breath which hee himselfe inspired whereby our soules euen after our fall yet relish of that diuinity and whereby we yet reach our meditation and spirituall exercise to God who did inspire them Thirdly And to this Man thus made did God giue the heauen the earth and all the beauty of them For hee himselfe in whom was the fulnesse of all things needed not ought that was made but gaue them to his seruant Man to whom hee had made all things seruants reseruing Man to his owne seruice onely And for this end hath God giuen Man a Law which limits him with strict obedience and bindes him to the due execution of such seruices as may direct him to his end which is Gods Glory The obseruance of which Law is called Religion the not obseruing it a Rebellion against God because thereby wee oppose against that power that made vs. This obseruance of the Law of God which wee call Religon is that which hath deuided the world into so many disagreements the which like fire that deuideth the metttle and drosse doth cull out the most approued of Mankinde vpon whom Gods decree hath set the distinction of mercie and doth marke such for the inheritance of eternall life Among all which differences the maintainers of euery seuerall call it their Religion to which they chiefly adheare disclayming all diuersitie Fourthly Yet as there is but one God so of necessity there can be but one Truth and but one manner of true seruing that onely God and such for me must that seruice haue as may please the liberty of the Master and not the base condition of seruants to appoint And from hence doth arise the multiplicity of Religions that men interpose betwixt God and his seruice and so denie the most able and absolute God both power and wisedome in the ordering of his owne affaires And therefore doe men forme Religions not only diuers but aduerse to God and to his own prescriptions These wrongs doth God suffer in his creatures not by violence but at pleasure and for the finishing of such determinations as but to himselfe are most secret neither ought these differences to distresse any mans Christian beleefe or make him doubt the certainty of Religion because of many vncertaine Religions For Christ Iesus who is the truth and wisedome of his Father saith that he came not to bring peace though the Gospell of peace but the sword and difference that through the firie trial the Saints might passe to the glory of eternall happinesse Fifthly The first difference in Religion was in the first family in Adams house the first Man and that betweene two Brethren Caine and Habell Habell brought for his offering to God the first fruits of his Sheepe and the fat of them the which Sacrifice God accepted But Caine would not offer a Sacrifice of that value or nature but presents God with fruit and trash which God would not accept And this conceiued in Caine an enuious emulation against his brother Habell which wanting grace to moderate grew to the highest degree of Enuie whose nature is to feede on blood for so did enuious Caine vpon the blood of vertuous Habell This Caine this first man of blood is a Father to all them that loue difference especially in Religion and their Religion of all others is neerest Caines that staine their profession and themselues with blood especially with the blood of righteous Habells For God is the God of mercie and not of misery and his delight is in the good and not in the blood of the righteous Sixthly In this generation of Adam was the first alteration of Time For God created all things good and in purity hee formed them but Man made them euill and by sin deformed them For when sinne enâ—red our Natures then Man and the Creatures God had giuen him indured alteration and lost that name of Goodnesse God gaue them in their Creation So that nothing is now in his owne Nature Good but onely by consequence and Gods act because by sin Man hath spread corruption like Leprosie ouer all the generations of Earth and hath made an alteration of times and a difference in the Natures of things which had not beene but for the curse of sinne which hath altered their propertie and made them subiect to euil change which otherwise should haue had perpetuity of happinesse Seuenthly And as Riuers the longer they runne the larger they spread themselues so sinne and the euill thereof for the times that are are much worse then the times that were as may appeare if we compare times and descend from these beginnings to a larger processe In the beginning among three men two were good and then the greater number were the better but in the time of Noah among a world of people God found not a righteous man but onely one Noah and then the better number was by much the lesse At this time God looked downe from heauen and beheld the earth how it was deformed with sinne therefore he resolues to wash iniquity from the face of the earth and to bring a generall destruction vpon all flesh In which Iudgement his mercy saued Noah onely and his Family After the Flood when God had thus clensed the earth yet found he in Mans nature concupiscence and a pronenesse to euill the which grew vp with time to a maruellous strength for as the generation of men inlarge the generation of sinne doth much more inlarge spreading it selfe ouer all the earth and begetting in this new generation of men new and vnknowne inuentions of euill whereby they exceeded their euill progenitors both in the number and quallity of their euills For at this time popularity and greatnesse began to be affected and the desire of Empire in ambiâ—ious and proud spirits made men so audaciously proud that they durst dare heauen and giue God the challenge And at this time and not before was there vse of Pollicie to contriue this or that euill to steale murther waste vsurpe and depopulate whole Kingdomes Eighthly This alteration of manners
and here may be generally noted from the Obseruations of all times that God doth neuer suffer the light of his truth to be vtterly extinct though many times in that degree of aduersity as that the eye of this world cannot see it This is euident in the sacred Stories of the Bible and also in the condition of these times whereof I write When ignorance and Error like a double vaile did blinde the face of Truth yet God whose eye of prouidence is euer open seeth the enuie of euill men And in the time of his good pleasure he taketh off this double Vaile and presents Truth naked to the view of all men as in the sequell of this History shall appeare most euident Secondly Here hence also we may note the instability of earthly things and how that Soueraignty and Empire the pollitique ends and the extremities of mens indeuours are built vpon vncertainties and most vnconstant turnings the which false foundation hath suddenly cast downe what many yeares much studie and many mens labours had erected Therefore is that principle of Pollicie not altogether without reason that Authority and Greatnesse of State receiueth strength by discords and Faction For it is both the nature of things and the trauell of men to indeauour alterations and to transpose things from the present condition wherein they are for from this cause all Empires haue had their beginning strength and death Thirdly It is a Morall respect that in our constructions we Iudge not properties by externall euidence only for vertue and merit is not giuen by Suffrage because it is often included in the farre inferior number and is often banished to pouerty and contemptible fortune Fourthly For as it is no proofe of truth to produce multiplicitie of witnesses where there is a necessary relation to fauour So vertues and morall deserts are not Iudged by common examples or opinions because both the one and other are not free and voluntary but forced on vs by the grosse and palpable flatteries of our infirmities Fifthly It is also a morall institution that men should somewhat disgrace themselues in their owne dignities not that their actions may indure disgrace but that their owne opinions exceede not in their owne estimations which error doth often make the most fortunate most wretched For if kingdomes Empires and the Catholike Church haue indured bad alterations Let no man dare to secure himselfe in their vncertainties CHAP. II. By whom and what meanes this Title Defendor of the Faith was giuen to the Crowne of England FIRST there is not in this last age of the world any thing more admirable or that better doth merit the memorie of writing then the reformation of Christian Religion reducing it to that purity of Doctrine wherein it was first deliuered And this in a double respect deserueth euerlasting memorie First the worthinesse of the act it selfe being the restoring of Religion to the purity of Doctrine whereby so much good doth redound to the state of Christendome as that greater cannot Religion being the key that doth open the passage to happinesse and the Ladder by which wee ascend the presence of God and holy Angels whereby we are interessed into Gods fauour and without which it is impossible to please God It is admirable also in respect of the manner and meanes whereby this worke was wrought being directed by the speciall power of Gods prouidence to the admiration of al them that truly consider it Secondly For the Act it selfe all the learned in the world are in controuersie whether thereby Religion was deformed or reformed To both which opinions many excellent learned men diuersly adhered whereby they deuide the vnity of Religion into these two diuersities Protestants and Papists either of these subdeuiding it selfe againe into many seueralls whereby the plaine and honest vnderstanding of men lesse learned are distract To see Religion which in truth is but one deuided into so many diuersities now because the handling of this doth rather belong to argument then History to a disputation rather than to a relation of the occurrents of Time I therfore leaue that as impertinent to this businesse and onely tie my selfe to relate the manner how Christian Religion was reformed and in speciall how by the Crowne of England this was done whereby that Nation hath all other Kingdomes of the Earth in the highest degrees of honour and reputation much exceeded it being the first that with victory dared to cast off that awfull and needlesse yoke of obedience to the seate of Rome Thirdly The first occasion hereof was in the time of Martin Luther who by his diligence in preaching and writing had got great estimation in Germany especially with the Duke of Saxonie because in his teaching he opposed the vsurped authority of the Pope and for detesting those grosse heresies which by long continuance in the Church had gotten a generall allowance among almost all men This Luther writ a booke entituled de captiuitate Babylonica so offensiue to the state of Papacie as the Pope and all his speciall fauourites were therewith very much displeased Whereupon King Henery the Eighth whether of his owne accord or by the perswasion of others I know not writ against Luther and in speciall against that booke of his de Capt. Babil in defence of the Popes Supremacie The purpose of the Kings booke beeing specially to conclude the doctrine of Pardons Secondly of the Popes Supremacie Thirdly of the Sacraments of the Church whether this was the Kings owne labour or that he onely Fathered it to giue it authority is not certainely knowne and diuersly beleeued Many thinke it was not and that his Fathering of it was onely a pollicie of state both to gaine himselfe a reputation in learning and that by this speciall demonstration the Pope might be tyed to the Kings fauour and assist him in his Warres against the French King and they haue these reasons of likely-hood that vpon the instant publishing the said Book the Pope did not only fauour the Kings enterprise but also gaue him many other witnesses of thankes and among many this aboue all that to his other titles of honour he added this aboue all that in remembrance of the Kings princely care for the State of the Catholike Religion hee and his Successors for euer should be stiled Defendors of the most Catholike Faith Fourthly And herein appeared the greatnes of the Pope at that time that the greatest Princes of Christendome thought themselues highly rewarded for their greatest trauells if the Pope should but giue them the allowance of his fauour or demonstrate himselfe in any particular kindnesse how small soeuer And this was a matter very considerable in that pollitique Religion to gaine such opinion of holines as made him reuerenced of the greatest Potentates For by this he often made exchange with great aduantage giuing them words for things and receiuing the seruices of men
that State where the authority of the Prince is deuided or rather translated into the person of another as in the case of Popish Supremacie is most euident Sixthly Againe to inherit by succession of blood which is of very speciall consideration is by this forraigne Supremacie much indangered because where this power is granted there is also giuen to the Pope the power to alter and dispose of Kings and Kingdomes at his pleasure and to translate the inheritance of States according as hee shall please to fauour or dis-fauour the true owners whereof many times hath ensued much misery and many calamities So that I verily thinke there is no part of Christendome that hath not had a wofull experience in this great misery That were the Prince or the cause neuer so Iust and holy or the Pope and his wicked life neuer so apparantly euill yet by this vniuersall power hee had power giuen him to alter the State and to translate Succession at his pleasure pretending a Religious good but intending eyther the aduancement of his base kindred or else some other enuious and euill end And how dangerous this may bee to a Kingdome let any Iudgement determine Lastly this inconuenience doth follow of Popish Supremacie the practise of so many Treasons wherewith the name of Christendome is much spotted For he that is resolued the sufficiencie of other mens writings to this purpose This onely Argument that whereas by the testimonie of holy Scripture wee are taught to know that man of sinne whom the spirit of God calleth Antichrist by this speciall sensible signe of pride in that he being but man shall presume to exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God Now that Kings and Princes of the Earth are by the sentence of Scripture called Gods it is most euident in that place where he saith I haue said yee are Gods that is neerest to my selfe in your dignitie of place representing my power and my Maiesty in the highest degree vpon Earth Then whosoeuer shall exalt himselfe aboue these degrees of Maiesty must of necessity be he whom the Spirit of God calleth that man of sinne that Antichrist because his sinne is like the sinne of the Diuels in the Creation for as they did so doth he contend for the highest Supremacie and Nymrod-like he buildeth himselfe aloft aboue the reach of Earth reaching his ambition beyond the limits of mortality euen aboue all that is called God Eighthly And therefore great reason had the King and so haue all the Kings of the Earth to cast off all friendly intertainement with him that would exalt himselfe aboue all flesh nay aboue all that is called God and I am verily perswaded that this one respect of pride is that marke whereby shee is best knowne to bee that Babylon with whose Fornications the whole Earth hath bene poysoned yet in these latter times hath shee got more vgly visors to maske in Blood and Treason two such deformities as would be very apparant in the face of Religion And God no doubt hath set these markes in her fore-head as he marked Cain that all his beloued in the world might know her at the first blush and auoide the filth of her Fornications For where those euills are God is not in the honour of his seruice but in his Iustice and angry Maiesty CHAP. V. Of the suppressing of Abbeyes and Religious Houses in England FIRST the worke of Gods prouidence is most worthy of consideration leading by variable turnings the passage of all transitory things to that end whereto God hath decreed them In which worke howsoeuer God doth neuer change the purpose of his will yet the euents many times seeme very admirable to our vâ—derstandings by reason of their change and varieties For all things in this world are in continuall motion being moued as shall please the hand of prouidence euery thing being like the mouing Sea sometimes flowing sometimes in their ebb againe sometimes vp sometimes downe according as shall please that power that moues them And from this mouing cause is deriued that variety in the state of Earth which men falsly call Fortune the often change whereof to a Christian Iudgement is not strange because he considereth the power that God hath ouer all his creatures and how inclinable they be to alteration Secondly And for particular instances Though Religion before these times had indured an euill change changing the truth for many superstitious Ceremonies yet so venerable was the name of Religion to the people of those times as notwithstanding their misconceiuing the truth thereof they gaue such large demonstrations of loue and zeale to that profession and the Professors as no people at any time did euer exceed them inriching the state of Religion both with honourable regard and with very ample possessions Insomuch as the Church then might rather seeme a Triumphant then a Church Militant So high was it exalted in the degrees of worldly prosperity yet for all this flourish God commeth with his rod of correction and finding euill in the greatnesse thereof he alters their present Condition that as they had forsaken the truth of his seruice So hee would bereaue them their earthly honour wherewith the true name of their false Religion was gorgeously decked Thirdly The first cause then of this alteration was God himselfe who when hee seeth the vessell of mens iniquity full he filleth his violl with wrath to reforme and correct what euill men had before deformed and being most Iealous of his honour hee commeth with more then common corrections to reforme the truth of his seruice For so did God at this time his angry hand reaching destruction beyond the liues of those euill men euen to their lands houses and possessions making King Henry vtterly extirpe these abused Monasteries as the Israelites did the Cananites for their monstrous and heathenish sinnes And therefore no doubt did God make particular choise of King Henry for his instrument fitting him with extraordinary spirit that he might the better mannage this great businesse whereto God had ordained him and wherein God did wonderfully assist him Fourthly But what might moue the King in respect of himselfe many men many waies coniecture Some by the spoyle of these houses that he might inrich himselfe and relieue the occasions of his Warres which then did much distresse him But howsoeuer this hath credit with him that writeth this Storie at large yet in that opinion I doe not beleeue him For it is not likely that any Christian Prince in the world would for any respect of spoyle destroy the estates of so many at that time reputed Religious and Godly men Others thinke the King did this out of Stomacke the Pope being then in full opposition with the King for taking Supremacie from him in the Church of England that had but lately giuen to him his Successors for euer the title of Defendor of
could not better be continued than by vniformity and order Seuenthly And this is that which deseruedly hath made the king worthie of honourable name and most worthie of all others to be stiled Defendor of the most Catholike Faith neuer any Prince before him hauing done more with greater zeale for Religion then this very act king Edward did being in this comparable with Iosias the good king of the Iewes who with all industry did trauell in Gods businesse destroying the groaues and high places where the Idols had that diuine worship which of dutie is onely belonging to God And such were those phantasticall Ceremonies then vsed more like the exercise of Heathen than of Christian Priests and such was the kings care to reforme and rectefie as may well equall that of king Iosias and worthily exceed all his predecessors the kings of England before him To recite the particulars of his honourable merit were a trauell infinite the passage of his kingly life being nothing but in exercise of goodnesse the benefit whereof this Nation doth presently enioy and the renowne thereof spread ouer all Christendome and therefore I will onely remember some particulars of neerest consideration and such whose remembrance may most dignifie the author and contriuer of them Eighthly In the yeare 1547 and the first of King Edwards Reigne the King by act of Parliament did repeale all former Statutes concerning Religion by which Statutes the professors of Truth had bene iudged Heretickes and Heretickes and false Professors approued among the number of euill Statutes then repealed was that of the sixe Articles a Statute guilty of the blood of many the dearest Children of God which like an euill soare spread ouer all the Kingdome culling out such for the day of slaughter whom God had ordained to inherit eternal life the euil furie therof set on fire by the turbulent Spirits of euill men then in authority such as were Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester Bonner Bishop of London and others who by euill Counsell and pollice made the latter time of King Henrie fill our English Chronicles with the stories of blood and persecution Ninthly And therfore be it famous for the honour of King Edward and most worthie of his holy title that his princely care gaue end to this bloodie euill and that he for the honour of his God for the peace of his saints hath put out these destroying fires and blunted that edge of persecution which then did Tiranize the space of sixe yeares by the authority of the sixe euill Articles By this repeale did King Edward cure the wound his Father had made so dangerous in the Church and State of England reconciling himselfe and the authority of his place to the fauour of God which by these bloodie Articles his Father had verie much indangered Tenthly Againe the Kings holy care did not here end but yet respected a further benefit to the Catholike Faith neuer satisfying himselfe to haue done well whilst there was ought left vndone which either the seruice of his place kingly office or the necessity of the present times required And therfore when he had cast out the abhominatiō of his Israell Popish Idolatrie and the many errors of that Ceremonious Seruice hee contenteth not himselfe with this good deede but proceedeth to a higher degree of merit to the true establishment of the truth of Gods seruice thinking it vnworthy the honour of his name to take off from the church the ragges it then wore and so to leaue it naked and therefore did he inuest it with orders and ornaments of decencie fitting the fashion of Christs Spouse the Church Militant whereby shee might be distinguished from all diuersity whatsoeuer Eleuenthly And by this meanes the Liturgie of the Church was brought into a right square and proportionable to the Rule of Gods Word which ought to fashion euerie Christian care but principally the forme of Religion and holy Seruice Twelfthly Moreouer the commiseration he had of the necessities of men doth deserue a worthie remembrance and to bee ranked among those holy cares that haue made him verie famous For clemencie and pitifull regard in a person of such Maiesty is that whereby great men neerest resemble the Nature of God who is most mighty yet most mercifull In which heauenly respect this good King hath so farre exceeded example as that I cannot giue him equall comparison with any earthly creature in those times liuing who notwithstanding his greatnesse of Maiesty and high place would in his prouident care discend to the lowest of his Subiects to the lame the poore and the fatherlesse and with the eyes of Christian compassion would he view their necessities and accordingly prouide for them of his owne accord not led thereto by the perswasion of any saue of Gods Spirit which did continually moue him to holy exercise the witnesse of which his holy care will euer liue in the thankefull prayers of poore people who at this day are relieued in Hospitalls by him erected and giuen And in this respect hath hee well deserued the stile of Defendor of the Catholike Faith defending and prouiding for poore Christians the Children of Faith against the powerfull enemie necessity 13. And these workes of mercie are the best demonstrations we can giue that wee are in the Catholike Faith for he that hath not mercie hath not faith they being as vnseparable as the good Tree and the good fruit And such was this Noble Prince and so rare was he in the worke of holinesse as that worthely and before all others he hath deserued to be stiled Defendor of the most True most Antient and most Catholike Faith Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST A wicked Prince may effect Religious deeds but affect them he cannot because such deeds in such a one are not done for themselues but for the seruice of vnlawfull and wicked ends Secondly In Gods affaires the Prince his seruant may neither exceed his Commission in presuming neither neglect it with coldnesse but so proportion all his Christian proceedings that they may receiue allowance from the testimonie of God for as the body of a pollitique State Subiects are in all ciuill respects obedient to their temporall Lord. So all Potentates Powers and dignities haue their superintendent God who is their Lord paramont and doth command and iudge them as his vassalls Thirdly Such onely are fit to bee reformers of Christian Religion as haue Authority Truth and Zeale Authority to doe Truth to distinguish Zeale to perseuere all which had being and life in the person of King Edward Fourthly It was a Christian Pollicie in the King to establish Religion with vniformity and order and it is that Pollicie that doth still maintaine the State vnited For difference though it be but in ceremonie is a most necessarie cause of most vnnecessarie discords Fifthly Such Senators are
her brother had redeemed it Ninthly And from this act of Q. Maries did proceed another equally euill or worse whereby she hath got a name of blood and crueltie and whereby she hath run her selfe into the highest degree of euill and this was the persecution of holy and faithfull men slaughtering Gods Saints with such fury and heathenish heate as may well declare the Religion and Faith of the persecutors For there is no profession of Christian Religion in all the world except the Papisticall that thinke to merit by murder blood and persecution neither is there any that haue made their names so odious by the effusion of Christian blood as they whereby they haue made themselues the friends or Antichrist but enemies to God and to the truth of his holy Gospell God hauing commanded his seruants to suffer and not to inflict afflictions for a Christians profession is to beare the Crosse and not to make it and in euery euill worke holy men must suffer and wicked men doe for such was the condition of Christ the Lord of Christians bearing the rebukes of all men applying his sacred hands to heale the infirmities of men and not to wound and destroy them and as in the Nature of God his mercie doth reioyce ouer all his workes so all the sonnes of Grace delight in the workes of mercie and abhorre the deeds of miserie and desire to preserue and not to destroy the Images of God nor the Temples of his holy Spirit for such were these holy Martyrs who in this time of Queene Mary witnessed the truth of their Christian profession in the burning flames of persecution and cruell torture Tenthly So great was the persecution in these times as that no Sex no age nor any condition of men were spared the blind the aged and the Infant sleeping in the holy death of Martyrdome And if wee may beleeue the remembrance of those miseries as they are recorded then children new borne at the stake did perish at the stake little but holy Martyrs giuing their liues as soone as they had them for the witnesse of their Lord Christ Iesus and his truth an example of strange and incomparable crueltie yet did the enuie of these times reach further to the Sepultures of holy men deceassed where the persecutions euen there also would triumph raking vp the bones and ashes of good men and after with great Ceremonie and acclamation burne them a reuenge very admirable and such as onely the mallice of the diuel could deuise For the Graue is euery mans Sanctuarie from which no man nor no offence can take him without the breach of the Lawes of Nature and humanitie and to persecute and burne mens bones the life hauing long before left them is a Iudgement most mercilesse for the doome of Nature will haue one man to die but once neither ought reuenge to reach the graues of our greatest enemies it being enough for any that his enemy is dead but more then crueltie to reuiue his death and to make him die againe And therefore as Iob did blame his vncomfortable friend because they did persecute him as God and were not content with his flesh So wee may lawfully condemne this Popish persecution because they reuenge like Diuels and are not content with the Death of them they loue not but will then persecute the body when they cannot the soule God hauing taken that into his bosome of mercie and into the saftie of his protection Eleuenthly And if we truly consider the bloody persecution of Queene Maries time and with what vehemency it was moued it will appeare to be of like crueltie with them of the heathen Emperours in the Primitiue Church not for the number though very many but for the manner and cruell circumstance Twelfthly Againe the Queene in marrying with King Philip of Spaine may bee said to haue offended the Catholike Faith because by that meanes shee tooke away all hope to be reclaimed from the stiffe defence of Popish superstition the King of Spaine being in most neare confederacie with the Pope And this how preiudiciall it was to the profession of the Catholike Faith may be easily considered hee being chosen to assist the Queene in her defence of faith by whom the enemies of faith were principally to be supported and one so nearely bound to the Popes fauour in respect of State practise the Pope and the Spanish King being one anothers Ladder whereby they haue ascended the steps of reputation and worldly greatnesse 13. Againe if wee regard the care of State the Queenes marriage with the Spanish King was not for the prosperitie and honour of the English Nation but rather a meanes to depresse the glory thereof For howsoeuer the Queene and the State did articulate with King Philip thinking thereby they had secured the souereigntie of England by binding him to certaine Limitations yet was that no assurance but onely a false colour to blinde and satisfie the grosse vnderstandings of the vulgar lest by Rebellion and tumult they should oppose themselues against that purpose for it is not to be thought that any obligation can binde such men as aspire soueraigntie neither is it in the practise of great States to binde themselues but onely for aduantage and then to cast off their bonds when their practise is ripe and when they dare discouer their true intentions For bonds to him that hath power to breake them rather offend then profit and in great Spirits the remembrance to bee tyed to any Conditions doth beget in them a desire of Libertie and provokes them to breake that faith whereunto they are obliged And from this marriage of Queene Marie what could be hoped but either ciuill strife in disposing the Succession which by this meanes might haue had many Competitors or else that this Kingdome and the dominions thereof belonging should haue bene vnited to the Soueraigntie of Spaine which already like Hydra is become monstrous in largenesse hauing vnited to that one body many heads many large dominions And if this had succeeded which no doubt was the expectation of Spaine then had the glory of this Isle euen then perished and our condition had bene alike miserable as is now that heretofore famous Kingdome of Portingale and other great States by him obtained And this kingdome which heretofore hath benee the supporter of that should then haue stood at discretion loosing the soueraigatie and fortunate honour which worthily had made it very famous the ambition of that State rising by the fall of ours the misery of this raysing the glory of that and we of Conquerors should haue bene seruants and slaues to that people whom before we had conquered and they by our oppression should haue wanted a power to haue restrained them from the generall Conquest of Christendome the which by vs hath principally
depend vpon the prosperity of the Church for in all true Christian Kingdomes the Church and the Common-Wealth are Children of one and the same Parent and though the Church be the older and of better inheritance yet a Christian Common-Wealth is a Childe of the same Father and hath a younger brothers portiō in the partage of Gods blessings the one inheriting felicity eternity the other felicity but not eternall And therefore whatsoeuer doth concerne the Church principally doth concerne the Common-VVealth likewise in a subordinate degree and those things which aduance a Christian State cannot derogate from the honour of the Church And this is true and onely true in holy and Religious Common-VVealths but not in such States where the Church is disinherited of Prioritie and birth-right and where the chiefe respect is had to Pollicie only and not to Piety Secondly The importance of these statutes in respect of the Church may be considered in this that the Popes quarrell with the Q. and the State was for Religion onely because the Church of England had cast off that obedience which formerly it had vnworthily giuen to the Popes wherby the Popes greatnesse and reputation in England was not only weakened but also his other priuate ends of aduantages and reuennewes were taken from him And therefore considering the quarrell was for the Religion profest in England the defence of the quarrell on the Churches behalfe must needs very much concerne it Thirdly Againe many of the particular branches of those statutes had principall respect to the benefit of the Church and to remoue all such euill meanes as might any way corrupt and abuse the consciences of men in the case of Religion the Church hauing found much inconuenience by the continuall intercourse of English Romish passengers passing from England to Rome and from Rome to England whereby the English Church lay open to all the Popes perswasions and whereby the ignorant and baser sort of people were withdrawne from their Christian beliefe from the dutie of their naturall allegiance And therefore to preuent this inconuenience was a care most considerable for the Church and which directly tended to the aduancement of true Religion Fourthly There be also many other respects which in these Statutes directly intend the benefit of the Church all which may appeare most euident to any iudgement that shall with impartiall eyes peruse them Fifthly And in truth there is nothing in a true Christian Common-Wealth that can onely direct it selfe to the benefit of State only but that Religion must withall be respected the care of State being but the bye and Religion the maine of euery Christian intendment And therefore oftentimes euen in those things which seeme most properly to concerne the State is Religion in them most regarded the care of State in respect of Religion being like the care of our bodies or which holy men care but so onely as for the houses of their soules and because of communicating those necessarie seruices which necessarily depend of each other These Statutes then were of most importance for the Church that being the most respected end whereto they were principallie directed Sixthly In respect of the Common-Wealth also were these statutes verie considerable and of speciall importance and namely in these particulars that the enemies of the State hauing made dangerous attempts to innouate and alter the State it behooued them to whose wisedomes the care of State was committed to vse the best preuentions they could to hinder the like occasions and therfore were these statutes deuised both to cut off the euill members already corrupted in the Common-wealth and also to preuent all such future occasions Seuenthly Againe there is no Protestant State in the world which hath not found the dangerous inconuenience of Iesuites and Popish Priests nursed in Seminaries beyond the Seas these men like so many euill spirits conueighing their treasonable temptations to sillie men least able to resist whereby many great and dangerous Rebellions haue bene occasioned and whereby many damned and most dangerous attempts haue bene made against the liues of Christian Princes Eighthly And for this consideration were the Iesuites banished France for thát memorable villanie of theirs attempted on the person of the French King memorable it may be for the horror of the deed and for circumstance of persons a Franciscan Frier acting and a Christian Prince suffering it and memorable for that a Pope in publike Orations did allowe the deede and commēd the doer canonizing him for holy happie whose fact without repentance was most wicked and damnable daring to do more then holy K Dauid to lay his murtherous hands vpon the Lords Anointed Ninthly And as this is a respect considerable in all States so in no place more then in the English Nation this Kingdome hauing had many like attempts and hauing many such attemptors who haue dared to enterprise such treasons as all the world nor all the time in the world is not able to produce the like And therefore to prohibite these Runnagate Traytors to returne more dangerous Traytors then they went and to infect the whole with the Leprosie of their vngodly positions and doctrines was a care which much regarded the peace the prosperous estate of this Kingdome Tenthly By these statutes the Policie of the Romish Church was preuented For it hath euer beene and yet is the Politike wisedome of that state to send out these their Intelligencers their Priests and Iesuites into all nations who by confessions other secret workings vnderstād almost the secrets of all States then like Bees to their Hiue or Spirits to their hell send or bring all the vse of their trauells to the Seate of Rome whereby the Popes haue euer had vnderstanding in the most secret affaires of State almost in all Nations And this is so behouefull for his greatnesse as with this he may be said to moue the bodie of his greatnes neither without this could he support himselfe in such estimation as he is For when the practise of any Prince is working against him he hath timely vnderstanding of it by these his carefull Intelligencers and by that meanes he is the better able to worke his owne safetie and to preuent the intendments of his aduersaries Eleuenthly And therefore was this of speciall consideration for the state to exclude them the Land who are the betrayers of our State Secrets to our greatest enemies There are these and many other respects which make it most behoouefull for the peace and prosperous estate both of the Church and state of England to banish the land of these vngodly practisers to bring them their aydors abettors and receiuers within the compasse of treason because their practise is treason and they themselues most dangerous Traytors dangerous to men dangerous to the soules of men dangerous to mens estates
proceeding both of them apprehending euery little circumstance of hope either in the King himselfe his Nature or fortunes Fiftly But the mercie of God which had wonderfully protected the Kings Maiestie in safetie and prosperous fortune against many dangerous practises did not now leaue him vnassisted but in this businesse of most important consideration lead him to an end full of honourable merit God giuing him so much of the wisdome of his Spirit whereby he was able to iudge and determine this maine Controuersie and whereby hee was able to iudge betweene light and darknes Truth and falsehood Order and disorder Religion and Idolatrie And according to this holy iudgement did the King in his election make particular choice confirming the doctrine of true Religion and the commendable order which in the Church hee found established and confuting by the iudgement of his owne mouth both these all the other enemies of Truth and order whatsoeuer Thus nobly prepared did his Maiestie defend the Catholike Faith against these two great enemies enemies both of them for the Papist hee is enemie to the Faith and the Puritan is enenemie to the peace of the Catholike Church enemies both yet not both alike enemies yet both dangerous and of much conuenience to bee opposed by the Defendor of the Catholike Faith the which his Maiestie did to his great commendation and to the honour of Almighty God For the Puritan first the order of the Kings gratious proceeding in this businesse is well knowne to the world by what lenity and fauourable meanes hee laboured to accord their disagreements and to vnite them to the peace and concord of the Church from which they had deuided themselues For though by the power of his high place he might haue forced their obedience and haue vsed the seueritie of correction and seuere Iustice yet would hee not knowing how stiffe and wilfull they were in their opinion and therefore to gaine them his Maiestie was content to vse any meanes to put off Maiestie and the authority of Greatnesse and in his owne person to giue their cause a fauourable hearing and himselfe to moderate and iudge their disputations and therefore were they allowed to make choice of the best able men among them to defend their opinion against whom were appointed of the Reuerend Bishops of this Land to answer and to satisfie their arguments in the hearing and determining of which Controuersie his Maiestie did declare himselfe to vnderstand as much in Religious Learning as the greatest Doctor in that presence he himselfe confuting and confounding all pretended reason alledged against the conuenient orders of the Church whereby at that time hee declared how well able hee was to defend the quarrell of Faith and Religion against all the Learning in the world And thus did the King discend his Maiestie to satisfie the peeuish obstinacie of the Puritan faction And whereas it is obiected that these proceedings against the Puritans did animate and incourage the Papist an enemie of greater importance and that it was euill order to begin reformation with the Puritans and to let the Papist passe as an enemie not regarded I answer the order was good and most conuenient and answerable to the rule of God himselfe For iudgement beginneth at the house of God and it is most needfull for him that would profitably reforme others first to reforme himselfe Sixthly And the body of this kingdome hauing the disease of disobedience in the chiefe memebers thereof it was orderly and most necessarie first to respect this care at home and then to intend businesse further of neither could the Papist bee incouraged by this for they might well know that if the King fauoured not the lesse he would not fauour the greater enemie and if he corrected the Puritan with rods he would whip them with scourges And for the Papist howsoeuer the Kings Maiesty did vse them with as much fauourable regard as any Prince in the world would his enemies yet was there a watchfull eye had to their proceedings and so strict a hand was held ouer them as to distinguish them from friends the Gouernours of State being most carefull to preuent whatsoeuer might be by them attempted not doing ought against them which might any way prouoke them to any vnlawfull practise Seuenthly and this was vpon good consideration because the Recusants in England had not yet attempted ought against the Kings person and State and therefore was it his Religious wisedome not to punish before they had offended nor with strict seuerity to restraine them before they had made some treasonable attempt whereby the proceedings against them might be the more iustifiable before the whole face of Christendome But they not content with much vnlesse they might haue all conspire the most damnable treason that euer by men or diuels was inuented the report whereof for the rarenesse is spread ouer all the world For at one blow they purposed to smite off the heads of all the honourable in this Nation all the Heads because all the Gouernours both principall and subordinate and all the Honourable because almost all the wise and Reuerend in the Kingdome should at one Blow haue perished Eighthly now how this Treason might haue offended a King disposed to Reuenge let the most patient minded in the world iudge it but how it did moue the Kings impatience or how his Maiestie reuenged it let the most enuious Papist iudge it For presently vpon the discouerie of this neere effected Treason the king by his Proclamations declared that he had no purpose to lay their offence vpon their generall cause of Religion nor that his Iustice should reach further then to the offendors themselues wherein hee gaue assurance of safetie to all such Recusants as in all other respects saue Religion were dutifull Subiects And though for the better security of the king and State there were some Statutes enacted for the better preuenting of the like dangers yet were they verie mercifull and farre from the Nature of Reuenge tending onely to defend and not to offend the quiet of any peaceable Subiect Ninthly And whereas the Oath of Allegiance is by many thought verie grieuous it is strange that any Christian iudgement should so thinke and that any man should dare to condemne that which God so highly commendeth and with some of their best Learned both allow as lawfull and haue aduisedly taken the which because it is by others largely disputed I passe ouer Tenthly Now the king to adde to all these Christian merits and to declare himselfe with most direct testimonies that his Princely care was principally for the Seruice of God and the aduancement of the Catholike Religion hee the Lord annointed vndertakes the quarrell of GODS cause concluding by inuincible arguments that Truth which Antichrist the Arch-enemie of the Catholike Faith had opposed These his
An importaÌ„t aduise to all Princes A Reason Esop in morall Fables The queenes moderation Her defence of Faith before she was Queene An euill practise to disinherit the Queene Note Her trouble in her Sisters time Queene Elizaheths Teares Salomon A good woman Pollitique Morall Her first care for Religion A loue principium The queenes care to cure the diseased State The practise of bad physisitions Her restoring Religion to purity of Doctrine Poperie for euer banished from this Iland King Edward ouermatched by Queene Elizabeth Her desert visible in the face of England The returning of holy men from banishment to England Diuine Pollitique Morall Experience Nothing that is earthly is free from inconstancie God the onely supporter of mens resolution The nature of all men Queene Elizabeth most constant To auoid the miscoÌ„ceiuing The Queene neuer fainted in her resolution Yet much tempted by state considerations Religion Pollicie respect diuers ends Religion ought to order state Religion is peruerted and Scripture wrested to maintaine vnlawfulnes In Popish states Regards of state One of the chiefe of Q. Elizabeths honourable deeds The victorie she had of her selfe The first consideration of State The danger of altering Religion A Reason The Queene made choise of the weaker to assist her against the stronger Her holy trust The second State consideration was the difficulty in finishing An argumeÌ„t from the order of nature The importance of this consideration Third consideration The displeasure of forreigne princes The desires of great persons The vse of forreigne regard In respect of England A Reason The Spanyard hath now larger Dominions than the Duke of Muscouy EnglaÌ„d in the midst of many disagreeing Nations The queenes constancie God is able to worke without as well as with meanes Sampson The honour of Queene Elizabeth Diuine Pollitique Morall Mercie The reward of Mercie Mercie hath prehemineÌ„ce in the nature of God Queene Elizabeth very mercifull An admirable degree of Mercie The mercy of Popish lawes and Papists How much the Queene hath exceeded her Sister in mercie The purpose of the queens Lawes No meanes to reclaime the inueterate enuie of men Proiects deuised by the Pope Interdictions Pope Pius Quintus The euill effect of the Popes Bull. A Parliament The cause of the statutes against Recusants Exmalis moribus nascuntur bona leges The mercy of the queens Lawes The purpose of the Statutes A large demonstration of the queens mercie The slanders of euill and malitious men None haue haue suffered in England for their conscience onely The mercy of the Law The Popes Bull the occasion of more strict Lawes The purpose of the state The difference in the practise of these states Our iustice more mercifull then their mercie The pollitique regard of this seuerity in the Romish State Religion flourisheth vnder â—ppression This Pollicie not answerable to piety nor holy example Act. 5. 34. The mercy of English Lawes concerning Religion Christ the true example of Christians The principall purpose of the statutes The necessity of these Statutes Diuine Pollitique Morall In respect of the Church The prosperity of the state dependeth on the prosperity of the Church The Church and State Children of one Father Respect had to Pollicie and not to piety onely The Popes quarrell The particular branches of these Statutes Inconuenience by English Romish trauellers Nothing can respect the state lawfully that respecteth not Religion also A comparisoÌ„ Of most importance for the Church In respect of the common-Wealth The wisedome of state The dangerous inconuenience of Iesuites and Romish Priests The Iesuites banished France Franciscan Fryer King Dauid A respect most needfull for the English Nation A prouident carâ— The policie of the Romish Church preuented Iesuites Intelligencers A great means of the Popes greatnesse The vse of Seminarie Priests and Iesuites Treason Wherein Iesuits are best learned Diuine Pollitique Morall Euery mans care Charity doth approue vs good men Children of God Loue the fulfilling of Gods Law The dutie of euery Christian The care which ought to be regarded in all States The purity of Christian Religion The difference of Christian and heathenish State Queene Elizabeth most compassionate Distressed Christian Princes In respect of Scotland The wisedome of those times Note These two Kingdomes in one Isle like two wiues in one house King Iames. The Queene hath the glorie of this deede The Queene euer fauorable to Scotland The Queene defended that nation which her predecessors had much offended The French King A princely regard Obiection Answer The Queene neuer altogether ruled by the perswasion of State The queenes reason The Frenchmen owe thankes to the name of Queene Elizabeth The King and kingdome of portingall None can giue victory at his pleasure Gods iudgement The doubt of Anthonies title The queenes double respect in this voyage A reason for the Queenes excuse The States of the Low-Countries A dangerous Obiection The answer The queenes nature A second reason of the Queenes doings Note Euill men readie to traduce the Queene The offence betweene England and Spaine a sufficient reason for these proceedings Vertue the better for opposition The Queene iustifiable in this quarrell The Spaniards the States can both report the Queenes victories The queenes cares euer seruants to the necessities of Christian princes The honour of the English Nation Diuine Pollitique Morall God the best recompencer of deserts God most assured in his promises Gods reward In the queens particular Many practises against the Queene The diuers sorts of practises Gods speciall prouidence for the Queenes safetie Daunted with her Maiesty It is in vaine to resist the power of God Her trouble in her Sisters time Her enemies could not preuaile to her destruction An obiection The answer Note The queenes innocence was a cause but not the onely cause of her safetie After she was Queene The practise of the Pope against her The two Earles WestmerlaÌ„d and NorthuÌ„berland Gods defence for the queen The Spanish King The common attempts on both sides The nature of our English Warres with Spaine The Spanish preparation to inuade England The inuincible Nauie Anno. 1588. Their proud confidence God hateth pride in all Creatures His mighty deliuerance Sir Francis Drake How the Queene behaued her selfe in these weighty affaires No man certainly known before his end The glory of our life is to continue in well doing The queenes godly constaÌ„cie She was answerable to her constant mot Semper eadem Her constancie apparent In the view of her gouernement The name of Queene Elizabeth cannot perish in England A request to the learned of this Land The last defence shee made for the Catholike Faith A most Christian care A worldly care To benefit posterity The care of Christians The queenes persecution King Iames. Obiection Answer Another obiection Reasons The answer None but God can foretell the truth of future euents Gods decree His prouidence Councell When Gods secrets are knowne to men All things are iudged by their euents and not otherwise Astrâ—logie and calculating vncertaine False foreiudging The foolish impudence of men God iudgeth not as man by apparaÌ„ce The Kings Maiesty God hath exceeded our hopes Mens expectations deceiued In respect of likely-hood The practise of forreigne States our enemies A matter very considerable The discretion of State Note Gods fauour to the King The enemies of this Kingdome What the King did inherit with England The Kings forward successe The King at his entring had no vse for weapon but to giue honour The happie issue deceiued the euill ezpectation Gods blessings to our Nation Queene Elizabeth We ought to glory in nothing but in well-doing Gods instrument The Kings care for Religion The Kings reforming the state of Scotland The first Protestant King in this Kingdome Gods assistance to the Kings good cause The King defended the quarrell of Faith before he had the title A gratious beginning ending Diuine Pollitique Morall The alteration of a Prince the alteration of State Nothing but the person of the Prince was altered The euill hopes of bad men The hope of factious people Note That both the Papist the puritane could conspire on hope in one particuler Prince The successe failed Church of Scotland The Kings resolute constancie The reason Their arguments of hope How God assisted the King in this important businesse The Kings choice The Papist and the Puritane both enemies to the Catholike Church The order of the Kings proceeding against the Puritan The Kings most Christistian Care His Maiesties religious Iudgement The different nature of the King and these peeuish people Obiection Answer A most orderly proceeding An argument Papist The care of the State The reason The Papists The Gunpowder treason How this might haue wrought reuenge in the Kings desire The Kings Proclemation His most religious mercie Statutes enacted The Oath of Allegiance Blackwell the Arch-Priest The two great enemies of our Church Diuine Pollitique Morall The many daungers the King passed In Scotland England The conspiracie of the Gowries His deliueuerance At the Queenes death The Pope and Papist No disturbance to let the Kings forward entrance The treason of the blowing vp the Parliament house A destruction lesse mercifull than the Flood God wonderfully protected the King Religion deuideth the world The names of Christian and heathen odious to one another The Christians among themselues and the heathen among themselues deuided Among the Christians Christians now haue as manie Religions as the Pagans had Gods One God one Truth one Religion God hath prescribed an order for his seruice The reason why Religion is so deuided The contradictions among the learned Papists Doctor Morton Bellarmine and Blackwell Wisbitch Iesuites and Secular Priests Note In the Religion of popery much diuersity The Protestant Religion deuided The hurts of diuided Religion No meanes to reclaime these disobedient Christians Obiections of the Papists Answer Diuersity in all Religions Diuersity in the Iewish Church The doctrine of the Sadduces The Kings desert in this respect of vnity The true Religion is like Christ betweene two Thieues Christ the way the truth and the life He that is but neere truth is not true
euen then did the King surcease from that Religious worke which with so much honorable successe he had begun Where it may seeme strange that a Prince of his greatnesse hauing the aduise of an honorable and wise councell should lay vpon his name the imputation of weakenesse not to goe forward with that whereto his honour was so much ingaged Thirdly But if we consider the time and the difference of opinions in those great men to whom the King did shew himselfe most gracious it will then appeare the businesse went forward or not according to the affection of the Kings Fauourites Fourthly As in the time of Cardinall VVolsey a man so great in the fauour of his Prince as that our English Chronicles cannot match him who in the time of his prosperity did so possesse the King as that the King may be said to saile with no winde but the Cardinalls the king being but the body to his soule he mouing it according to the pleasure of his owne appetite and therfore at this time was the king all Cardinall putting himselfe in Print to defend the Supremacie of Popes But this time did end with the Cardinals fortunes who being puft vp and high swolne with the spirit of ambition runne himselfe into strange contempts against the Maiesty of his Prince who finding him so Cardinallike in pride and vaine glory stript him of those honours which before he so lauishly had giuen him translating his fauour vpon Thomas Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterburie whom the king finding Religious honest and learned gaue his opinion good authority Fifthly And at this time the Protestants Religion began to haue the fauour of the Kings protection yet by reason of the peaceable Nature of this Man and because of many other important considerations of inconuenience the cause of Religion went not with that prosperity forward as otherwise it might For howsoeuer we may iustly conceiue of this learned man that he wanted neither spirit nor power to trauell in the most important affaires of State the which hee hath well declared by his resolute and learned proceedings in the Kings diuorse yet considering in what termes the State then stood and the particular condition of his State it will appeare that a necessary prouidence of his own security did inforce him to a violent patience and to silence and suppresse his zealous spirit which otherwise would haue ventured vpon much more hazard Sixthly For at this time Cranmer contrarie to the lawes then inforce was married and did liue with his wife to the great hazard of his life and this was one respect why hee suffered so much the practise of his enemies keeping good correspondence and indifferent fauour least his Mariage should be called in question whereby both his state and life had beene exposed into a danger most eminent Seuenthly And if any man obiect that these regards of Cranmer proceeded from his feare of temporall losse and that he fainted in the maine execution of his Christian Office I answer that no feare but a Christian prouidence was the cause of this warinesse For he might well know that if hee proceeded in the difference of Religion by violent and forcible meanes he should then haue had the whole power of the contrary faction bent against him and being by reason of his marriage within the danger of law it could not be auoided but the seueritie of the law should haue proceeded against him Eighthly Yet notwithstanding when the necessarie care of Religion did require him there was no respect could binde him from his earnest indeauours as may wel appeare by this most resolute opposing against the Statute of the sixe Articles So that Cranmer in true estimation hath well deserued and worthily acquitted himselfe of all imputation yet by reason of these occasions hee could not doe that which the opportunity of the Kings fauour did offer him Ninthly Vpon this aduantage Stephen Gardiner builds his strength who by obseruance and cunning insinuation shifting himselfe into the Kings fauour got great authority in the State and according to the nature of his working spirit troubles the waters of peace of fish for Romish Religion whereto in his heart he was much inclined And this man not like Cranmer but Matchiuellike grounded in the secrets of Pollicie seemes what he is not and is content to proportion himselfe to the fashions of the time with purpose to alter that fashion And this howsoeuer it were a thing very dishonest especially in the office of a Bishop yet was it a very pollitique Regard and that miste whereby he wrought all his inchantments for by his obseruance hee continued in the Kings fauour and by that fauour he erected the whole frame of his Policies Tenthly And from this cause had the sixe Articles beginning Articles so bloodie as the letters in them cannot number the blood which was shed in England for them whereby may appeare the greatnesse of Stephen Gardiners wit that could make the King sayle with a contrary winde and destroy that cause which before he had protected and this was notwithstanding Cranmer his opposite had then great fauour with the king and the highest authority and place in the kingdome Eleuenthly Another of the Kings Fauourites in those times of difference was Sir Thomas More then Lord Chancellor of England A gentleman in respect of his natural ornaments worthy of much honour for besides the beauty of his learning which in great personages is very deseruing he had so good a moderation and temper in all his actions as no aduersity could deiect him neither any prosperity make him lesse in the vse of regard and ciuill humanity And notwithstanding hee was diuers from me in that profession which I hold for truth yet because I write the truth of Historie it were very vnworthy in me to obscure the deseruings of any man into which error many others and especially such as haue recorded the passage of those times haue vnaduisedly falne traducing the persons of men for their opinions sake and making them altogether euill that in many commendable things were excellent And because that all good things are from God who giueth them according to the pleasure of his will it were therefore much iniury to obscure the goodnesse of God wheresoeuer it shall please him to place it and this I write in fauour of truth which may be well said to be the life and true mouing soule of all Historie Twelfthly This Sir Thomas Moore howsoeuer he was an enemy to the truth of the Gospell yet if we compare him with Stephen Gardiner the comparison will make Sir Thomas Moore lesse euill the other being so monstrous in his wicked practises for the one made conscience to equiuocate and dissemble himselfe of which the other made no reckoning Sir Thomas vtterly refusing the oath of Supremacie because in conscience he thought he might not take it Gardiner had the like
witnesse of his conscience yet did take it and therefore Stephen by dissembling saued his life which the other by plaine expressing himselfe lost So that both these though they conspire one end yet in themselues are they very diuerse the one with a manly resolution and with the witnes of his blood profest himselfe and his resolution the other by swearing and for swearing to banne and disclaime that which in his purpose was the marke whereto hee shot himselfe and his euill pollicies the one ending all opposition in his owne voluntary death the other by subtilty continuing his euill life that life being the death of many the deare Children of God 13. Another highly in the Kings fauour and most worthy of high fauour was the Lord Cromwell a man so resolute in the worke he had begunne as neuer any did pursue a holy businesse with better Spirit who notwithstanding the greatnesse of his enemies who after the fashion of all Courts enuie such most vnto whom the Prince is most gratious and then most when the degrees of honour are deriued vpon any of meane beginning yet so could this man rule the prosperity of his fortunes as neither in generall opinion was he thought proudly to delight them nor yet not to vnderstand what those honours were which the Kings fauour had giuen him So aduised was he in the passage of his honourable life as that use which seeth the least aduantage could neuer finde iust occasion though occasions were sought to scandalize his reputation in the generall opinion of good men And howsoeuer God did suffer the euill of his enemies to preuaile ouer his life yet neuer to the death of his honourable remembrance to whose Godly care all the louers of Religion in Christendome are beholding especially the English Nation he being a principall instrument whereby the King was moued to reforme Religion 14. In this mans time the Religious then liuing had great hope of prosperity in their holy cause aswell in respect of his diligence to that end directed as also of the Kings inclinable nature which did seeme to consent with the honourable desires of the Lord Cromwell intertaining him in all fauourable regard giuing him names and places of high honour whereby his godly cares went the better forward hauing the strength of the Kings authority which he applyed to no other end but that God might receiue honour in restoring the truth of his seruice and that the king might not receiue dishonour in abādoning the protection of faith whereof God by the sentence of his enemie had made him defēdor And this good cause did this good man prosecute with the best strēgth of his indeauor not regarding his life more then God that gaue it nor the honours of his life more then the honors of his king from whose boūty his honors were deriued 15. Thus we see the diuersity in the king whereby he grew remisse in following this holy care which was because of the diuersitie of opinions in those men whom the king most trusted in the state he suffering himself to be driuen against the currant of his owne streames by the violence of other mens perswasions 16. And here is offered a large consideration of the Kings Nature who notwithstanding his great spirit and his many other honourable deseruings he had this infirmitie That he would be induced to doe those things which were much disagreeing in themselues and to goe forward and backward in one course and suffer himselfe to be moued whether the violence of other mens affections would carrie him sometime for sometimes against Religion and by this he gaue an open demonstration of the weakenesse of his nature For there is no alteration in a State that is not dangerous and then is the danger most when the greate ones great in authority and neere in the fauour of the Prince deuide themselues For difference if it be not compounded by the awfull Maiesty of the Prince it will growe to faction by consequence to open breach And though the Prince so gouerne that they dare not come to open difference yet will they worke by conspiracie and secret practise the confusion of each other For where faction is there can be no assurance men wil seek to assure themselues though it be by the fall of others And this euill is best preuented by the prouidence of the Prince who when hee seeth deformity in the body of the State and that of necessity there must bee alteration to make such choice of instruments as best loue the cure least otherwise in steade of physicke they administer poyson and so not cure but destroy the body diseased 17. And this was the Kings error who though his purpose to reforme was good yet the course he tooke was not good making ill choice of particulers to whose trust he commended that businesse some of them being Protestants some Papists so that the King may bee said to build with one hand and to cast downe with another to reforme Religion and to deforme it againe And therefore this aduice I dare giue the best Prince in the world Let those you loue best and trust most be one in themselues and one with their Soueraigne and worke not vpon the foundation Truth by contrarie meanes for hee that so buildeth buildeth Babel that is confusion and not the walles of Ierusalem Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST to intertaine and beginne a Religious worke is both an honourable and a holy attempt but to finish it is more because it is possible that vnworthy men may vndertake and retire But Pietie is not Pietie if not constant For no vertue is rewarded but perseuerance Secondly To faint in the prosecution of a Religious cause is of all cowherdice the most shamefull and recreant because in all such quarrells God is our Generall and doth arme his souldiers in compleate security Thirdly A Prince that hath many about his person cannot but must haue much difference in their quallities his pollitique parte is to obserue and iudge the difference and to distinguish them to such seruice in the State as may make them emulous to exceede and not enuious to extirpe the prosperities of one another Fourthly It hath beene thought good Pollicie that in a Senate or Counsell of State it were good to haue men of opposite Iudgement because it doth prouoke both factions from exact declaration of their best indeauours This in a state meerely pollitique may haue pretence but in a Religious State it hath none because it is impossible to goe to one God in one truth by contrarie steppes Fifthly It were dishonourable and dangerous for a Prince that hath his state free and in quiet to dissemble or to deuide himselfe to contrarieties because hee that doth not declare himselfe certaine to one doth remaine suspected of all and doth giue a generall hope to generall varieties Sixthly The errour and vice is greater in
retyring from vertuous proceedings then the vertue is to vndertake them For wee are tempted by all reason to vndertake them but by none to leaue them Seuenthly Hee that composeth himselfe of contrarieties doth weare a monstrous Shape for humanitie and ciuill Societie is bound to the Rules of vertue as Pietie and Religion to the Rules of GOD. CHAP. VII Of the sixe Articles and the euill that thereof insued FIRST the originall cause of this euill was pretended to be a remedy against the many Sects of Religion which then began to multiply when Religion was in restoring the State whereof being vnsetled gaue occasion that many busie Spirits according to their seuerall Iudgements would diuersly determine what was the true forme of Gods Seruice and what was not whereof it came to passe that many idle and grosse opinions had many that would stifly adheare to this or that according as their blinde iudgements did direct them For it hath euer beene and euer will be the nature of the worst vnderstanding people to desire innouation and euer to affect that most which hath most singularity euer opposing the iudgement of the learned and the power of lawfull authority and this is a naturall Antipathy betweene the base and the Noble the foolish and the wise the bad and the better sort of people Secondly To cure this disease in the State of England was very needfull but the care they applyed was both vnlawfull and very preiudiciall laying such salue to the soare as made the wound wider and the griefe much more sensible For if wee remember the whole storie of King Henries Life there is not any other Act that euer passed the consent of a Parliament so dishonourable to the King and of like offence to the Catholike Faith as was this of the sixe Articles especially then when the King had set his Princely hand to the worke of reformation whereby he did in a manner disclaiming his former proceedings pulling downe the holy frame which with so much labour hee had formerly erected Thirdly Yet so strong is the power of perswasion especially in them wee trust as that oftentimes wee suffer our selues to be led to those ends that greatly disaduantage vs. And this is well seene in this Act of the Kings which in truth did altogether tend to the pleasure of euill men about him and not to his honour nor the good of his Kingdomes he being thus perswaded by Stephen Gardiner pretending thereby a prouident good but intending fire blood and persecution to the cause of Religion and to the holy Professors thereof Fourthly For these Articles whereto the King did inioyne his Subiects to confirme them were all of them contrary to the Catholike Faith of the Protestants Religion being no better then the Ladders whereby the Bishops of Rome haue ascended the stepps of reputation and worldly greatnesse some of them being for his gaine others for his regard all of them the limmes of Pollicie and none of them proportionable to the rule of the Catholike Religion And therefore was Stephen Gardiner much deceiued when hee thought to square out Truth by false Rules making these Articles to iudge who was in the Catholike Faith yet these themselues not Catholike but rather worldly inuentions and trickes of Pollicie The first auowing Transubstantiation a doctrine as new as the name and but of late yeares inuented The second denied the Sacrament to be exhibited in both kinds to Lay-men contrarie both to the commandement of Christ at the first institution as also contrary to the practise of the Primitiue Church for many hundreds of yeares The third that Priests ought not to marrie contrary to Saint Paules opinion the practise of the Church and the iudgement of holy Scripture The fourth that vowes ought to be kept and this hath onely a respect to a pollitique end being that foundation whereupon is builded their monasteries and the wicked rabble of lazie Fryers and Nunnes The fifth that priuate Masses were necessarie and agreeable to Gods Word an inuention to get money onely and ridiculous to the iudgement of all learning The sixth of the necessity of auriculer confession A Pollitique deuise whereby the Pope hath vnderstanding in all states making his Priests intelligences and binding the consciences of Christians to that slauerie from which God hath made them free And these were those Articles which were made the Tryers of Christian Religion whereto euery man was to giue his consent or else to haue the iudgement of law as fellons being adiudged by the sentence of the Church Heretickes cast out from the fauour of God and from the society of the Catholike Church Fifthly By this then may appeare the euill that redounds to a state when the Counsell of a Prince is deuided not conspiring one but diuers ends especially then when the Prince puts off the power of his Maiestie and suffers himselfe to be led by the easie perswasions of them neere him by his fauour For if the King had had as much the spirit of Diuinitie as he had of Maiestie he would neuer haue had both a Cranmer and a Garidiner a Cromwell and a Moore to order him in the affaires of his Church and kingdome But according as he had bene resolued in Religion he would only haue made choice of such for his counsell as had conspired one and the same end with him their Soueraigne neither is it good in the wisedome of state to entertaine them neere vs in loue and place whom we finde to farre from vs in the opinion of Truth because there is no obligation can make such men assured that worke to bring vs to a course against our purpose giuing vs the reines onely so farre as may leade vs to their desired ends Sixthly If this man and his euil practise had not preuailed more with the King then the better perswasion of the Lord Cranmer and Cromwell the reformation of Religion had not beene letted in so hopefull a proceeding neither had the King and Parlyament passed any such Act so bloodie as was this of the sixe Articles whereby the King did blurre the honour of that reputation he had formerly gotten and retyred himselfe in the pursuite of that enterprize which worthily had made him very famous And this doth proue the greatnesse of his euill wit that made this alteration in the Kings Nature and doubtlesse if God had giuen this man grace to haue loued honestie and truth he had many other quallities of good commendation which would haue bene most flourishing in a man of holy life as his learning wit and spirit whereby he was well fitted to trauell in State businesse but misapplying those to vngodly ends they were the defects and blemishes in the person that so had them and very pestilent to the State where such men haue authority Seuenthly And if we remember the time of these sixe Articles we shall finde it plentifull in the Records
of Holy Martyrs that shed their blood in opposition of that false doctrine neither wanted they some likewise at that time that suffered death in defence of the Popes Supremacie So that the Religion then profest in England was neither that of the Protestant nor this of the Papist for at that time one and the same Law did denounce Iudgement against the maintainers of both kindes condemning the Protestant for not subscribing to the sixe Articles and the Papist for not allowing the Kings Supremacie And therefore good cause had he of admiration who seeing at this time in England three Protestants and three Papists to die at one time and in one place and by the sentence of one Law for their conscience admireth thus Deus bone quomodo hic viuunt gentes hîc suspenduntur Papistae illic comburuntur Antepapistae Iesus saith hee how doe men liue here for there hangs the Papist and heere burnes the Protestant for Religion Eighthly And this came to passe because the Kings counsell were deuided into parts one halfe Protestants the other Papists The Protestants maintaining the Act for the kings Supremacie The Papists that of the sixe Articles either partie executing the iudgemēt of the Lawe according as in their seuerall opinions they were affected whereof insued the greatest calamitie that could be in a Christian State no man making conscience of Religion in either profession that escaped punishment onely such were free and vnder protection who either did dissemble or conforme them to the fashion of the time And this had not bene if the Prince and his Lords had conspired one end for take vnity away you take Truth with it and disagreements doe most assuredly presage losse if not destruction Ninthly But God who denied to his seruāt Dauid the building of his Temple because his hands had bene in blood and did reserue the honour of that worke for Salomon his Sonne a Prince of peace So in this work of reformation God would not King Henrie to effect it because he had bene in blood and Warre as was Dauid Salomons Father but he reserues it for King Edward a true Salomon in the wisedome and iustice of Salomon And this Prince did God ordaine to restore the truth of his seruice King Henrie his Father as did Salomons Father preparing onely matter for this heauenly worke which his Princely Sonne and not himselfe was to finish Tenthly And howsoeuer King Henry did not go forward to this worke with that constancie as the worthinesse of the cause deserued being letted by the enuie of euill Ministers yet hath he well deserued honourable remembrance hauing done more than any other Prince in Christendome before him euer did And if wee consider the kings Nature being most resolute and stiffe in any businesse he vndertooke there neuer was any of his Predecessors better fitted to enter into such a businesse of stomacke as hee was neither can it be said truely of the king that he failed in this enterprise for he performed all he vndertooke and would haue done more if either his own opinion or the counsell of his friend had further directed him And therefore hath he done honourably in doing more than before was done and in doing all he had vndertaken wherein he exceeded the expectation that all men had of him it being a matter thought impossible to preuaile in this against the Pope at this time a power so absolute as that both kings and Emperours had before failed in the like attempt Eleuenthly And therefore I verily belieue that God by his extraordinary power was with King Henrie making him in this inuincible and powerfull to preuaile in iust opposition he looking downe with his eyes of iudgement vpon the pride and open wickednesse of Papacie and hating that the order of his seruice should be so corrupted incites and assists the king to reforme what the iniquity of others had deformed so grosse and sencelesse was the Liturgie of the Church in those blacke daies of ignorance and blinde superstition as would grieue any true Catholike Christian to consider and shame the better sort of Papists themselues to remember And therefore it is reason we acknowledge our dutifull thankes to God for altering this state of misery into a condition most happie and prosperous and that we honour their remembrance whom God did vse as fit instruments to this holy and most Religious worke Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST It doth not conclude but it doth argue against Pietie and the Truth of Religion where there is seuerity in execution For as God is both most iust and most mercifull So all Ecclesiasticall prosecutions must haue temper and indifferent mixture Secondly Calamities Death and persecutions cannot effect that in the Catholike Church which they commonly effect in Pollitique States to the one they are a cause of decay and ruine to the other of inlargement for there is difference in the forme of Gods generall prouidence and of the particular care of his Church Thirdly To ordaine or decree Articles Canons or Statutes to iudge and binde the conscience it is necessary to be directed by spirituall instruction For though authority be in euery Prince yet iudgement is not Fourthly It is dangerous for a Prince to commit the forming of spirituall constitutions to disagreeing mindes for diuersity of opinions when it goeth by suffrage doth vtterly destroy the sincerity of al cōclusions Fifthly It hath bene and is the Pollitique practise of the Romane State to support the bodie of her greatnesse with most terrible persecutions the effect doth iudge the cause and that pollicie is found wicked in the daily fall and lessening of that antichristian Empire Sixthly Tolleration of Religion is in some States reputed a necessarie pollicie but a Religious Prince that doth loue God more then State can neuer tollerate that pollicie for God doth hate all conniuencie and hee is lame in truth that halteth betweene two opinions Seuenthly It is necessary wisedome for a Prince to make difference betweene obedient and disobedient subiects in the case of Religion yet is there a great difference to be had in punishing disobedient opinions and disobedient facts Eighthly It doth much respect a mans particuler happinesse to auoide singularitie and not easily to bee drawne from the common opinion because naturally we haue a liking of our selues and a dislike of others Ninthly To a ciuill happinesse is required to be able to beare all fortunes and not to contemne them For it is not possible for Fortune with her infinite occasions to subduce the greatnesse of a vertuous minde Tenthly A vertuous disposition cannot be supprest by opposition for there is nothing can strength Patience but exercise CHAP. VIII Obseruations out of the generall view of this latter time of King Henries Reigne FIRST the importance of this difference betweene the King of England and the Pope was such as that all Christendome had earnest
that God willed it the king wrought it and the Pope in despight suffered it to the Glory of God the kings honour and the confusion of Antichrist Eighthly From this ouersight of the Popes this may be obserued that authority and greatnesse in an euill person ruines it selfe with his owne weight neither can the greatnesse of power stand safe where it is not supported by the strength of iustice and honest proceeding And that as Byas saith promotions declare best what a man is So it is true that where authority is so absolute that there is liberty without checke Then doe men giue best demonstrations of their Natures and most apparently discouer their affections and to what ends they are most inclined For by the worke we may iudge the workeman by the fruit of the Tree and by the life the truth and holy faith of euerie man Ninthly Againe vpon this proud and ambitious Bishop may bee obserued how God confounds him in his owne practise he contriueth to make the King of England his fast friend his prop wherupon to support his vnspeakeable pride but God he determines otherwise of that King and leades him to a worke more holy honest and honourable The Pope in pollicie intitles him Defendor of the Catholike Faith because hee writ in defence of his vsurped Supremacie But God maketh him and his in deeds to defend the true faith and to denie that Supremacie So that what the Pope would haue God will not haue hee commandeth God countermandeth he deuiseth God disposeth and maketh the King shoote right whom the Pope made to leuell wrong But before all may bee obserued the Popes false vnderstanding iudgement in this case in respect of Piety and conscience how much he was led from the truth of Religion and from the witnesse of Truth Gods Word to maintaine his vniuersall power which his predecessors had by state practise gotten For it cannot be but in this their iudgements were exceedingly blinded they hauing no example of any Church at any time for their imitation When the Law was giuen God gaue it Moses to giue Aaron the people not Aron to giue Moses the people in euery cause both of state Religion Aron the Priest was obedient to Moses the Prince hee receiuing the dignity of his office from Moses vnto whom God gaue power to giue it Tenthly The like order was in the Iewish Church where the Prince might iudge the Priest and not the Priest the Prince and so in the practise of all times and in all places vntill that CHARLES the Great breathed the spirit of Ambition where it is and where it hath for many yeares disturbed the peace of Christendome yet with such euidence was this error laid open to the vniuersall eye of the world by the diligence of Martin Luther and others as the Pope could not but vnderstand it yet against the witnesse of his owne conscience did he still stifly defend it and this was a pollitique regard least the world vnderstanding him to faile in a matter so important might thereupon call in question the truth of that opinion which in truth is the state and strength of that Religion That in precept and doctrine the Pope cannot erre if then he had yeelded to haue erred in this he denied the truth of his foundation without which his greatnesse cannot stand Eleuenthly And therefore after the fashion of antient heretickes he would not yeeld to the perswasion of truth because he would not haue his iudgement contradicted and shamed by recantation to acknowledge himselfe to haue done amisse And this is onely the pride and Stomacke of the too much authority of these Bishops that respect greatnesse more then goodnes the world more then God falshood than truth desiring darkenesse to obscure the manie deformities wherewith they haue defaced the name of Christian Religion Twelfthly By this wee may learne to distinguish the good and euill the holy and prophane by their end whereto they principally aspire for good men make goodnesse their onely end whereto they reach but euil men make it onely their pretence and like the Lapwing flie most where there Nest is not and such hath bene the care of the Romane Church intituling their Bishops seruants of Gods seruants yet arrogate principallity ouer the highest of Gods Creatures They professe humility and Christian obedience but practise a tyrannie vnsupportable They call Christian Princes their beloued sonnes but make them slaues and seruants to their vngodly wills And from them hath the world learned dissimulation cunning practise for wee see that many men forme themselues very precisely in the habit of all Christian duties outwardly to gaine a reputation and the honour of high place which when they haue obtained they cast off that face of holines and discouer themselues in their true inuentions such was and still is the practise of Popes who by the formes of holinesse haue got a reputation in the world which at length came to the growth that it became like Nabuchadnezzars Tree to couer the whole earth and to spread it ouer all principality then in the height of that prosperity they cast off their vizard and discouer themselues to be but Pope and not Pastors casting from them the Word that they may with more dexterity vse the sword with which like Theeues they Rob Christian Princes of that Regality which God gaue them 13. And therefore King Henries proceedings were very considerable whereof it behoued the Pope to be verie regardfull as did threaten the ruine of that frame which the pride and pollicie of his predecessors had erected the rather because the king began at the top of his dignities to throw downe his Supremacie which had ouertopped the most soueraigne of al Christian power whatsoeuer And herein the King may seeme to vnderstand well what he had to doe for by striking the roote he was sure to perish the branches and the best way to ruine a house is to vndermine the foundation in Warre the victory is sure when the enemie hath lost that power wherein his chiefe strength consisted and so the body of Popery must 17. For these respects the Christian world stood mute at the Kings businesse no man daring to set to his helping hand so much danger their iudgements could see in attempting it as that all could bee content to be spectators but no actor like King Henry euery man hauing earnest expectation what would be the issue of so strange and hazerdous an enterprize 18. It is also very considerable that the French King had at this time aduantage offered him against the King of England The King being now in the heate of so great a businesse deuided from his confederate the Pope vnassisted by any forraigne state and in the danger of domesticke troubles whereby he was vnfurnished of a great part
and greatnes by the act of Supremacie for this as I haue said was the first step to the Popes downefall and therefore by disinabling the enemie of Faith hee did wel defend it Secondly in dissoluing the wicked assemblies of euill men professing religion the Fryers Monkes he therein performed the dutie of his Christian office because these men did not onely by their euill life disgrace the Christian profession but like drones idle themselues yet prodigally spending the fatte of other mens labours a double inconuenience to a Christian state First in maintaining such numbers of vnprofitable men Secondly in the euill wasting of that which might wel haue serued the necessities of many profitable vses Eigthly And therefore though king Henrie went forward in this holy busines but slowly yet laid he the passage open for his son and disarmed the enemie of his greatest strength whereby the next Defendor K. Edward might the better take from this Thiefe the spoyles of Christian Princes wherewith he had made himselfe appeare most glorious And so did that princely Edward to the glory of his God and the perpetuall honor of his princely name Ninthly Now if I should compare these two Defendors the Father K. Henrie and the Son K. Edward together and determine whether of them hath better merited the honour of their new stile I shall rather giue the palme to K. Edward because to finish a good is more more deseruing then to begin it For though king Henrie did deserue well in acting his princely part of great Maiesty yet did king Edward deserue better continuing the Sceane to the last period euer acting one and the same part and not diuers as did king Henrie his Father Tenthly Againe if wee respect greatnesse in their actions the Father hath the greater preheminence but if goodnes the son hath the greater the Father exceeding his Son in respect of Maiesty and bold attempting but the Son his Father in zealous prosecuting a holy cause begun So that betweene these two the Father and the Son was shared both greatnes goodnes both of them hauing both these in reasonable proportion and either exceeding other in his particular King Henry the Father he taketh from the Pope the Idol of false religion authority wealth by denying his Supremacie and by suppressing of Monasteries these being his two legges whereupon he did support the body of his greatnes The Pope wanting these supporters Idol-like falls to the ground where the king there leaueth him But king Edward with better zeale entring Gods House and finding this Idol bodie and idle body in the Church of England casteth out that body from the Church which his Father left wounded in the Church cleansing the holy Sanctuary which by false seruice had bene long prophaned This holy Edward in respect of his youth and great place admirable for his wisedome holy life And therfore did king Henry deserue well and somewhat defended the Catholike Faith But king Edward deserued better and defended it best Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST It is no note of the Catholike Church neither of piety to inflict aduersity disgrace and death but of the contrarie For God doth giue to his owne these little demonstrations to remember them his iudgements and to make them the better relish eternall felicities Secondly God in the worke of his iudgements doth indifferently vse the seruice of good and badd instruments but in his mercies he doth euer imploy his best for Mercie is his most excellent attribute and doth reioyce against Iudgement Thirdly It hath bene the most generall and the most Pollitique practise of our times to disioyne a Prince from his power and by Faction to make a Fraction in his state for a faction doth euer destroy one parte if not both Fourthly It is a Court error and almost common in all States that men with generall acclamation applaude both the loue and hatred of the Prince wheresoeuer hee shall place them but a wise Prince will suspect all such assentations because they intend but to please and not to profit Fifthly He that would continue himselfe in generall estimation must bee both actiue and passiue For he that can suffer well is able to confound Enuie Sixthly The same degrees of vertue are not giuen to all men alike but to all men there is giuen a possibility of hauing vertues in some degree because to euery man is giuen an vnderstanding soule which may apprehend it CHAP. X. A Comparison betweene King Henrie the Eighth of England and Frederick sirnamed Barbarossa Emperour of Germanie FIRST these two mighty Princes King Henry of England and the Emperour Frederick Barbarossa were most notable in these last Ages for the greatnesse of their Spirits and for the boldnesse of their attempting both of them attempting one fortune but with great difference of succesfull fortune and both of them attempting with such resolute stoutnesse as that in themselues they are of neere comparison though in their fortunes they were not comparable The Emperour hee attempts against Pope Alexander The King against Pope Clement in this they conspire but the Emperour failed in his enterprize wherein the King got the garland and triumphed and in this they agree not The Emperour he quarrells the Pope for Soueraignety and because he thought it indignity and dishonour to this imperiall place to be crowned and confirmed by the Popes allowance King Henry his quarrel was for Supremacie thinking it dishonour to his kingly dignity to be second to any man in his own dominions and in this they very neerely consent Secondly Againe the King he intends a further care then this businesse of State the reformation of Christian Religion the which he found to be much corrupted The Emperour had not this good intention but trauells principally to reobtaine the Soueraigne liberty of his place which by the power of the Popes was taken from him and in this they agree not Againe the Emperour neuer fainted in himselfe but continued his princely courage to the last though the disaduantage aduantage of fortune made him faile in his great attempting and though most basely he did humble himselfe at the Pope his enemies feete yet was he forced to this by extremities not by any deiection or weakenesse of his former haughty spirit But the King though he had the Conquest and preuailed against the Pope in all hee vndertooke yet fainted he in the hope of his greatest businesse not reforming Religion but in parte which he might haue done at his own pleasure being prouoked thereto by the perswasion of prosperous fortune But this failing in the King was not caused by the weakenesse of his courage but by the weakenesse of his Nature being easily ruled by the perswasion of his neere fauourites and therfore in this they were vnequall Thirdly In respect of the Popes their enemies they were both alike handled both of
so diuine was the heauenly composition of his Nature and so well ordered was his education as if both heauen and earth had desire to make him excellent and to make his Character an exact demonstration able to instruct the most excellent Christian Prince how to moderate betweene the power of Maiesty and the dutie of conscience For if State would iudge his Zeale and Religion his State he shall be found to deserue this high praise I giue him and both Religion and State would iudge him to be worthie and fit to gouerne a Religious State Fifthly This happie Prince in the little time of his gouernement gaue a large testimonie of his worth and did both exceed the expectation was had of him and inlarge their expectations that did hope well who though he was but young when hee entred his gouernement yet at his very entrance did he better the State labouring with admirable care and constance in the better reforming of Religion and for the safe protection of the Catholike Faith which Truth God willing in the processe of this Historie shall appeare most euident Sixthly And most Gratious Prince to whom I write and dedicate these labours let me with reuerence and exception of your Grace report my opinion that this Nation neuer had such a Salomon who in so poore a number of yeares had a like measure of those his rich treasures of Zeale VVisedome Loue and State Of the benefit that redounds to a State by a lawfull succession of blood CHAP. XII FIRST the benefit that redounds to a State by a lawfull succession of blood may appeare by the misery of many kingdomes and great states the which for want of succession haue indured the greatest extremities that could bee the examples whereof are very common in the stories both of Christian heathen kings Therefore I will onely produce one of the old world the mighty Alexander whose fortunes in the conquest of warre made the world tremble at his awfull name hauing subdued the greatest and best part of the earth yet leauing the conquest of his sword to his friends diuided and not to his owne succeeding blood entire wholy the Empire hee had got and thus left could not stand being not vnited in one soueraigne successor but deuided into parts whereof insued emulation and enuie and at the last vtter desolation which happily had not bene if Alexander had had a Sonne Alexander to haue succeeded in his Empire Secondly An example neerer vs both in respect of time and place is the Kingdome of France our Neighbour Nation A kingdome that hath indured the greatest extremities the misery of Warre could lay vpon it and this was onely occasioned by want of succession in blood the French King then not hauing Issue Male to succeed him in his Empire gaue occasion that the king of England Edward the Third made claime to the kingdome of France in the right of his Mother being suruiuing heire to Phillip sirnamed the Fayre to whom by the most allowable Law the Right must needs discend which the French vtterly withstand by reason of the salique Law which dis-inableth women in such inheritance yet hence hath proceeded the greatest alteration in that state that euer was the kings of England by many notable attempts and victories defacing the beautie of that famous kingdome which for largenesse of Empire and all other earthly blessings may bee said to bee the most soueraigne of all Christendome And therefore the spoyle of such a kingdome is very lamentable and the cause of that spoyle much to be condemned yea so great is the misery of that euill cause to that kingdome as that they still stand in the hazard of good or euill fortune expecting a dangerous warre whensoeuer the Maiesty of any English King shall please to make claime to that kingdome which both by succession and conquest is his owne Thirdly Within our selues also we haue notable examples of the misery of state when lawfull succession doth either faile or is by intrusion interrupted For vpon this foundation was builded that most famous quarrell betweene the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster a difference that made England to bleede in euery vaine neither could it euer be compounded vntill the succession of both those lines met in one particular whereby the Canons did know one vndoubted successor without competitor to whose seruice they might addresse themselues whereas before they were diuided into parts some adhering to this others to that as authority and loue could moue them whereby they broake their vnity to make a fraction and the truth of succession being doubtfully vnderstood was the cause that men were more easily drawne by perswasion to the bloody enterprize of Warre which happily had not bene or at the least not so violent if the right of inheritance had not bene interrupted by intrusion Fourthly But that most Worthie of note is the late time of Queene Elizabeths Reigne a Ladie worthy of best memorie who being vnmarried made her Subiects haue doubtfull expectation who should succeed her the which then was most dangerous when the Queene was past the hope of hauing naturall issue And this did not onely breede a Ielousie in the heads of her owne people but also gaue occasion that forraigne Princes had regardfull eye to the vncertaine conditions of those times and among them such especially as did most enuie the prosperity of our Nation For they might then hopefully beleeue that the Queene leauing the State in these vncertainties and as they thought to many Competitors it could not be but needs the glorie thereof would ruine by ciuill discord and part-taking and that then would a time bee offered them to reuenge and in rich themselues And how soeuer God hath preuented the euill which was worthily feared yet certainely euen then was the danger great and the euill hopes of our enemies vpon likely-hood conceiued neither is there any that hath vnderstanding in the affaires of State but will acknowledge the euēt of these times did exceed the expectation that all men had of them and that the Kings Maiesties comming in that last was was a worke of Gods speciall prouidence whereby he did direct those iudgements the which at this time did very much threaten our Nation Fifthly By those examples may bee vnderstood the danger that redounds to a state when succession doth either faile or is by intrusion interrupted the euill experience whereof is not onely to be found in the alteration of states but also in the subuersion of priuate houses For a Son is neerer in disposition and consent of Nature then one further off in the degrees of blood and for state such are most fit to succeed in gouernement that are the seede of Gouernours Nature traducing to them the Maiesty and iudgements of their Progenitors and for the fauour of the people that Prince or heire apparant hath
it most assured whose interest is beleeued before he inherit because that breeds a generall regard in the hearts of all men and preuenteth the mischiefe which otherwise might happen by conspirators And in this was our English Nation most happie in hauing this Princely Sonne King Edward not onely to succeed his Father in the rule of his kingdome but also to exceed him much in Religion and holy life Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST Procreation and to deriue posterity is one cause in the ordinance of Marriage for therefore hath God placed that desire in our Flesh so pronely because the generations of our kinde should not faile but he continued both in number and quallitie to maintaine the Truths of Gods Decree Secondly None can deriue any thing from their Parent but what their Parents haue Naturally Therefore is there often much difference in the quallities of Father and Sonne because our Parents giue vs our Nature as it is but God as hee will please to haue it Thirdly It was euer hazardous and will be to the prosperity and saftie of the State when the Prince is childlesse or doth want one certaine knowne vndoubted heyre because when there is not a certainty of lawful Succession there is iust occasion to feare vnlawfull intrusion Fourthly Men generally are better content to giue the respects due to soueraigntie to a Prince deriued and home borne than to one that doth attaine soueraignty either by suffrage or conquest because though there be a necessity of duty in both yet the one is voluntary the other violent Fifthly Some Philosophers haue thought it better to adopt children than beget them because it is in our power to chuse the vertuous but not to forget them Sixthly It hath bene thought a shame to die childlesse because he that hath one leaueth a part of himself or at least the Image of all CHAP. XIII Of King Edwards defending the Catholike Faith and wherein hee chiefly defended it FIRST it is not possible I should relate at full the worthinesse of this Sonne of Grace and princely Defendor King Edward he deseruing by much a more honorable rememberance then the tract of this Historie can giue So large is he in his goodnesse as therin he hath done more then many his predecessors and hath best deserued euerlasting memorie and to haue his name liue in the Ranke of the best Christian Princes that euer were so rare were the gifts of God in him that hee seemed to aspire no other end but holinesse and so modest in his zeale as no marke of violence could euer bee discerned in him abhorring the effusion of all blood euen of that of his enemies insomuch that I may report with confidence that in his royall person mercie truth were met and that righteousnesse and peace did kisse each other and to conclude his praise I belieue him to haue deserued a greater commendation then this I giue him Secondly And to consider the particulars whereby the King hath principally deserued his new Stile of Defendor of the Faith First he no sooner had authority but he applied it to this holy end beginning this care with his Empire and with the inheritance of his kingdome tooke vpon him the protection of Faith and holy worship as if he regarded not his kingly office but onely to bee the better able to serue these heauenly occasions whereto in his resolution he was onely deuoted Thirdly And therfore at his first entrance into his soueraignty did he publish himselfe to the world and declared what men should expect from him and how he was in the case of Religion affected whereupon hee made protestation to defend what the King his Father had done in degrading the Pope from his Supremacie and in scattering the wicked fraternities of Fryers and Religious men women falsly professing Religion in which two particulars onely K. Henrie may seeme to haue defended the Catholike Faith And therefore in giuing allowance to his Fathers act he hath well merited to share in the honour of the deede and this his approuing what was wel done may be said to be his first good deed and therefore doe I ranke it for the first holy act of King Edward whereby he hath deserued to bee stiled Defendor of the most Catholike Faith Fourthly This honourable beginning of King Edward was not interrupted by euill meanes as was that of King Henrie his Father neither did he retire himselfe from the pursuite of an enterprize so honourable but with a holy resolution went on in the trauell of so needfull a businesse resoluing with a Christian purpose to finish what his Father had so hopefully begunne so strong was he in his desire to reforme Religion as that all his other indeauours were but seruants to that only end directed wherein he vsed such endeauour as was very admirable in his yeares and might well witnesse how much he was in the fauour of God who gaue him such rare induments in so plentifull a manner whereby hee was extraordinarily fitted for the office of his great place and for the defence of the Catholike Faith whereof he was made a patron Fifthly And this defence the king vndertooke not as a practise of state whereby to inlarge his particular in any earthly regard but hee was led thereto onely by his zeale and the perswasion of his conscience who finding by that iudgement God had giuen him how much the face of Religion was become deformed by superstition and grosse seruice and being moued by the Spirit of God to vndertake a reformation would not by disobedience resist that power that both made him and did mooue him to that purpose And therefore with the best spirit of a Christian Prince he did not onely second his Fathers honourable attempting but far outstript him in that most honourable course of Reformation his whole life being no other then the practise of his holy care regarding nothing that did not regard the aduancement thereof and gladly giuing his assent to whatsoeuer might further it Sixthly But that wherein he hath principally defended the Catholike Faith and exceeded all other Princes in his holy care was the vtter extirping of Papacie from his dominions denying the warrant of his authority for the publike exercise thereof exchanging falshood for Truth and confusion for Order reformed Religion which by long custome and euill practise was deformed And this he did with such orderly assent in Parliament they establishing what the kings Prerogatiue had commanded the King and the State ioyntly agreeing vpon an vniforme order of common prayer inioyning al obedient Subiects to the exercise thereof and denouncing such for disobedient and rebellious as should dare to vse the forbidden Ceremonies of Poperie or any other forme diuers from that which had authority from the King and Parliament the king and the State well vnderstanding that the verity of Religion
honourable that present themselues to causes of generall profit but such are both wise and honourable that can either frame their Prince for such intentions or doe apprehend and forward his good determinations Sixthly To preuent disgrace and euill euen in a morall life it is necessarie to destroy all cause not onely of euill doing but of euill suspition For common reputation is nothing but Opinion which is got and lost aswell with Ceremonies as with Truth CHAP. XIIII The trouble of the State at this time of King Edward how they were occasioned and how compounded FIRST it hath euer bene the nature of euill men then to shew themselues most when goodnes and good men are most eminent and glorious and the reason is in nature which maketh all contraries then most powerfull when they are in opposition for vice is iudged by vertue falshood by truth and euerie euill is best made manifest by the opposition of goodnesse So of the contrarie euerie good thing is made apparāt by the enuie of euill which like fire that wasteth his owne substance to trie the golden mettall so doth euill Ruine in selfe in enuie and euill practise not wasting the good but making it much more glorious to the view of the world Examples of this are in euery testimonie of time and in euerie condition and state in the world it being onely possible for him to alter this naturall discord to whom it is possible to destroy the worke of Nature Neither it is euer to bee hoped that all men shall conspire one end without opposition and strife till God purge this earth and alter the condition of his creatures Neither ought we for this to condemne the diuine prouidence as if God could not otherwise dispose Nature or that he will not preuent this euill but suffer the cause hee best loueth oftentimes to indure most For howsoeuer in the wisedome of God are many vnsearchable reasons of his will to vs vnknowne yet for the reason of this opposition of good euill humane reason and wisedome may suffice to iudge it because as I haue said gold is not the worse but the better for his firie tryall and a good cause is not confounded but confirmed by the opposition of euill And therefore doth God many times suffer euill to preuaile but neuer to the destruction of good and to whomsoeuer it shall please God to giue the inheritance of heauen it is reason he direct vs the way bee it by danger or by death For if God leade vs to Heauen by the gates of Hell the way is good because the end is happie for most happie are they who reach life be the passage neuer so dangerous and for euer blessed be Truth be the opposition of enuie and euill men neuer so malignant Secondly The stories of these times is sufficient witnesse to proue the enuious Nature of euill men For now that God had giuen our Nation a Salomon for Wisedome and a Iosias for his Deuotion and Zeale changing our miserie into mirth our teares into laughter whose holy care did free holy Martyrs from torture and cruell persecutions giuing to all his Subiects liberty in the true seruing of God which for many yeares they had wanted and with much blood had bene witnessed yet notwithstanding this good King and the goodnesse hee wrought were there many seditious and euill men who like the conspiracie of Corath combine themselues in Rebellion and wicked practise against the Lords annointed and their soueraigne some pretending Religion which they called their conscience others other grieuances in the state according as they could deuise them Neither wanted there occasions in Scotland to trouble the peace of those times the Scots denying to performe that whereunto by oath they were obliged for they had bound themselues by oath to King Henrie the Eighth to performe the marriage betweene King Edward his Sonne and the Ladie Mary of Scotland whereby the inheritance of both kingdomes had discended to one interested heyre without competitor the importance whereof how important it was to the English State may to any iudgement appeare the not performing begetting a discontent in both States and a Ielosie of both their proceedings and such as could not bee otherwise then with the sword determined God reseruing the marriage of those two warlike Nations to honour the memorie of King Iames our Soueraigne now in whose royall person these two disagreeing kingdomes are for euer vnited yet not withstanding all these hard occasions and the Kings minoritie whereby he was lesse able to trauell in those weighty affaires of State did God still support him and the prosperity of his kingdomes giuing him victorie ouer all that did contriue against him and power to chastice the reuolt and disobedience of such his Subiects as wickedly did bandie themselues against him their Soueraigne Neither is it otherwise to be thought but this body of the common people was not moued to Rebellion by any proper motion of it owne but rather led by the instigation of others For the vulgar is like a body sencelesse which cannot moue it selfe yet subiect to bee carried with euery breath of winde being altogether moued by perswasion and general opinion and then such as did distaste the gouernement of the State as those of the Popes faction being the parties onely discontent with reforming Religion stirres this rebellious bodie with the violence of perswasion wherein by reason of their common experience they are cunningly fitted wherewith in truth they conueigh the spirit of enmitie and ciuill strife into the states of all Christian Princes whereby that Religion hath got a name of pollicie but vtterly lost the renowne of pietie the greatest Professors thereof being found the greatest practisers in State that be And by these instigators were the troubles in the English Nation at that time and euer sithence occasioned to the glorie and strength of the cause which God hath protected and to their confusion that thus wickedly conspire Thirdly But these troubles as they were occasioned by the turbulent spirits of men desiring innouation and change so were they happily determined by the prouidence of the State the Lord Protector the Duke of Somerset approuing himselfe forward and fortunate in discharge of his high place to whose trust both the person of the King and the gouernment of his kingdome were commended And doubtlesse euen in this hath the Duke deserued speciall commendation and to be thought worthy the honour of his high place considering the danger of the time and the number of discontented persons in the state the reforming of Religion diuiding the strength of the kingdome into an enuious faction whereby the dispossessed the Papists vsed all meanes both of power and pollicie to reobtaine what by reformation of Religion they had lost and the Protestants endeauoring to secure and continue what by the fauour of
but it doth argue and conclude the vnworthinesse of the times for in such a case the Prince doth inherit happines but his people suffer miserie Thirdly It was both foolish and wicked in the two Dukes Northumberland and Suffolke to labour to erect and secure a state to their posterity with iniuries so apparant and palpable For though God many times suffer intrusions into titles he doth neuer establish them Fourthly In the discretion of State it cannot be thought otherwise but where there is vsurpation and false intrusion there is a miserable affliction with feare and Iealosie which neither the power or pollicie of any such State can auoid so long as God shall not suffer their violence to preuaile against the liues of the true inheritors Fifthly It is a Pollitique wisedome in a Prince to suspect the sincerity of al such state aduise that hath principall reference to the aduancement of such Counsellors For in this case it is often true that men will not speake their iudgements but their affections Sixthly To be ordered by lawfulnesse in all our actions is not onely the iudgement of conscience but of humanity and Morall discipline For Morall learning doth determine that there is nothing profitable that is not lawfull CHAP. XVII A Comparison betweene King Iosias of Iuda and King Edward of England FIRST to compare King Iosias of Iuda with King Edward of England is the most equall comparison of any two in the Storie of holy Kings both of them hauing with equall diligence and victory fought Gods quarrell to the glory of their God the reformation of his seruice the abolishing of Idolatrie and the confusion of the euill Ministers thereof First for their age when they began their Reignes King Iosias began his gouernement the eighth yeare of his age and King Edward the ninth of his wherein they very neerely consent and whereby God hath giuen proofe to the world that the power of his Spirit can as well preuaile in them of youth as in those of better yeares and experience he being able to make the Childe and the strong man alike victorious in a cause which hee shall please to protect as was this of these two holy Kings both of them equally conspiring one end the truth of Religion and holy worship Againe Amon Iosias his Father left the kingdome of Iuda in the exercise of Idolatry and so did King Henrie Edwards Father leaue the State of England in the practise of Popish Idolatrie hauing onely by suppressing of Abbeyes taken from those Idols their ornaments and wealth not vtterly destroying them as did Iosias and King Edward Againe Iosias when he vnderstood the will of God by hearing his Chancellor Shaphem reade the booke of the Law did accordingly frame himselfe in all obedience So King Edward when he vnderstood by the Learned men of his Realme such as Cranmer Latymer Ridley and others followed the Lords businesse with like zeale and constancie as did Iosias not onely abolishing the false but establishing the true forme of Gods seruice Againe as Iosias left the kingdome of Iuda to an euill Successor his Son Iehoahaz who againe prouoked the people to Idolatrie So likewise King Edward left the inheritance of the Church and kingdome of England to his Sister Mary who like Iehoahaz Iosias his Sonne did againe restore the euill practise of Idolatrie and superstitious Poperie vtterly defacing the godly building which her holy Brother had so carefully erected Againe as God did keepe his promise with Iosias which was to preserue Israell the time of his life in prosperity and rest So did God likewise preserue England in plenty and victory all the time of King Edward And therefore these two holy kings seeme to conspire in all saue their deaths Iosias dying in the field king Edward in his bed the one reigning thirty and one yeares the other but sixe yeares and odd moneths and yet in this hath king Edward the greater honour that he in sixe yeares did happily finish that which the other was thirty one yeares in compassing but aboue all hath he exceeded him in leauing to posterity that most famous Defendresse the Ladie Elizabeth his Sister who afterwards did proue the glory of her Sex and the admiration of all the world OF QVEENE MARIE AND of the alteration of the State in the beginning of her Time CHAP. XVIII FIRST I am now to change my Argument and to write not of mercy but of misery of the aduersity not of the prosperity of the Gospell and how the Catholike Faith was offended and not defended by the Successor Queene Marie who made the most miserable change in the state of England that euer that Nation indured she defacing the glorious worke of her Predecessor of K. Edward her princely brother extinguishing the lights of Truth whereby men were directed in the way of life obscuring al knowledge in the mist of Ignorāce and blacke error in which blindnesse the Christian world had for many yeares wandered This Eclipse being now againe by the interpositiō of her darke time brought vpon this Nation So that no light of Truth was in her time to be seene saue onely at the burning Stakes of Martyrs which holy fire did kindle a Religious zeale in many Spectators that beheld the mercilesse crueltie of the tormentors and the Christian patience of holy Saints tormented Secondly And therefore I am not as before to declare wherein Queene Marie hath defended the Catholike Faith because shee neuer defended it in the least particular but of the contrarie how shee did bend the powers of her endeauour both against the profession and the professors of true Christian Faith seeking by all violent and bloodie meanes to depresse the prosperity of Religion whereof by the dignity of her place she was made defendresse And in Truth it doth grieue me that I am to write the dishonor of this Queene which willingly I would auoide were the cause any other but Religion but that the declaration of these times do tie me to a necessity of Truth from which I dare not aberre for it were an euill presumption in any one to presume to write History then to obscure the truth thereof vpon what cause soeuer For thereof would issue a double inconuenience First he should wrong the vnderstandings of men in misreporting the Truth also lay an euil imputation on his name in suppressing the knowledge of Truth which is the life and true mouing soule of all Historie Thirdly And this I write in fauour of Q. Marie because of her extraordinary induments of Nature God hauing giuen her so much Maiesty and princely spirit as might serue to rule the greatest command in the world if to her other gifts God had giuen her the knowledge of his Truth she had well deserued to haue bene named most excellēt to haue exceeded all the famous Queenes
euery particular man not rashly to be moued to any fact or opinion by the loue or reuerence we haue to the persons of them that would perswade vs because in this case we doe not satisfie reason but affection CHAP. XIX In what particulars Queene Marie did most offend the Catholike Faith FIRST to remember euery particular grieuāce in this Queenes time were a labour infinite neither is it my purpose to trauell so largely therein as others before mee haue done And therefore I will onely reduce to memory some particulars of most consequēce referring him that shal require further satisfaction to the ecclesiasticall writings of those times wherein they are largely discoursed neither among these the euill fortunes of the Duke of Northumberland nor of his Sonne and daughter the Lord Gilford Dudley and the Ladie Iane his Wife because the Duke hath worthily deserued his fortunes and therefore did not receiue wrong from the Queene and State And though the Ladie Iane and the Lord Gilford her Husbād were forced to take the enterprize they themselues being meerely passiue in that businesse yet hauing proceeded therein so far as they did I see not how Queene Marie could giue them life and secure her selfe especially considering the present condition of the State how inclineable it was then to imbrace any occasion of quarrell Secondly That wherein the Queene did first offend the Christian Faith was in taking into her protection such who had before declared themselues enemies to truth and Religion and this was at her first comming to the Crowne giuing liberty and honour to such men whom her princely brother had before imprisoned degraded for by this she opened hell let loose those euill spirits which King Edward had shut vp who breathing Reuenge set the Kingdome in combustion burning and bloodying the holiest and best members thereof to the dishonour of the Prince and Nation the discomfort of holy Christians and to the discountenance of the Catholike Faith and this in a double respect was euill in Queene Marie First hereby shee gaue an assured demonstration how in the case of Religion shee was affected Secondly shee armed reuenge in in these men giuing it authority and the countenance of great place wherewith they became most terrible Thirdly And with this prologue did Queene Marie begin the Tragedie of her life fitting her with actors who had well learned their parts of blood persecution outtruding them of much better merit whom shee found in honourable and Reuerend places established as Doctor Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterburie the Arch-Bishop of Yorke the Bishop of VVinchester and many others giuing their dignities and places to their greatest enemies men not comparable to them in learning and holy life exceeding them onely in cruelty and blood who hauing gotten the sword of authority once into their hands would not sheath it before it had bene made drunke with the blood of Saints nor before the measure of their sins were full whom God for the pleasure of his will and for the glory of his Saints did suffer and for a time forbeare Fourthly in restoring the Nurseries of all abominations the Abbeyes and Monasteries she had in giuing she did much offend the Catholike Faith because those assemblies were found to abuse the name of holinesse making it a cloake to couer the bodie of their wickednesse who like horse-leeches sucke the blood and best maintenance of the Kingdome to support their lazie and most licentious trade of liuing and in this did the Queene not onely offend the truth of Religion but also the prosperity of her State in being so euill a president and in giuing so much wealth to idle and altogether vnprofitable people and not onely idle but euill vsers of their riches large possessions to the high offending of God the wrong to Christian Religion and the impouerishing of the Common-Wealth all which respects the Queene ought carefully to haue regarded Fifthly Againe the Queene restoring them did condemne the gouernement of her Father by whom they were dissolued her making them of such necessity in a Christian Kingdome made him an euill doer to suppresse them whereby she did dishonour her Father in that wherein he was most honourable he deseruing the honour of his new stile in this and in his act of Supremacie onely both which she vtterly disclaimeth damning the deed and the honourable merit of her Father building againe that euill foundation which he to his honour had cast downe And therefore if he by suppressing them hath deserued to bee stiled Defendor of the Faith shee then by supporting them may be iudged to haue offended that Catholike Faith whereof she was made Defendresse Sixthly But that which is most worthy of sad remembrance in this Queenes time was the alteration of Religion she reducing the Church of England to their former condition of Popish Idolatry which in the happie time of King Edward had bene discontinued she inhibiting al her subiects vpon grieuous paines to acknowledge that profession of Religion which she found in the State established binding them to seuere lawes to that Romish obedience which formerly they had abiured Seuenthly And in this she did oppose her selfe with al violence against the Catholike Faith as if she meant at one blow to bee the death of faith true religiō she disclaiming the good proclaiming the bad destroying Gods holy Temple to build the groaues altars of Idols this she did with such appetite that her gouernement was scarce begun before this was finished So easily is mās nature carried by violēce forcible pursuit to execute the most wicked and vngodly ends Eighthly And as this alteration of Religion was greatly to the offence of Catholike Faith so was it also very preiudiciall to the State the Kingdome hereby loosing the Lordship of it selfe which King Henrie with much hazard great trauel had recouered And assuredly if the Q. consciēce could haue bene perswaded she would neuer for any cause haue giuen the Pope or any other Potentate the supremacie of her own state and among all other least of all to the Pope who hath no principality proper but onely a gouernement compounded of many thefts he hauing taken from euery christiā Prince somwhat of reuenew or dignity to make vp the measure of his greatnes And it was great ouersight in the Q. to commend the trust of her state to the Pope whose ambition auarice hath made him euer inclineable to deceiue for when the couetous hath the treasure in keeping it is hard to make him honest he that hath nothing but by theft wil be glad to imbrace oportunity fit occasiō And therefore by thus altering religion she did not only offend the Catholike faith but dishonor the English nation binding it againe in the bonds of forraigne power from which
bene letted and by them most desirously pursued And therefore in respect of Pollicie and the practise of State this marriage of Spaine was very hurtfull for our Nation ayming directly at the vtter ouerthrow of the English Monarchie wherein Queene Marie was neither Poilitique nor Holy not holy in not defending the Catholike Faith combining her selfe so neerely with the Popes Confederate and not pollitique in hazerding the honour of her Kingdomes in the hands of one so dangerous as the King of Spaine then was who already was so great as made him iustly feared and his proceedings suspected God of his goodnesse disposing otherwise of this businesse deriuing still a Succession of Kingly power within our selues of our owne nation and of our owne Kingly line to the better defence of the Catholike Faith and to the perpetuall honour of this our English Monarchie 14. Lastly Queene Marie in her vehement and vniust persecuting her most vertuous Sister the Ladie Elizabeth afterwards Queene did hereby very much offend the Catholike Faith because among all the Religions at that time in England this Ladie was chiefe not onely for holinesse of life but also for her eminence of place and dignity being heyre apparant to the Crowne and in whom the hope of King Henries issue onely remained And therefore the right of Succession remaining in her Royal person made her more than a priuate one and made the euill of her Sisters persecution more monstrous being directed against the life of one both holy and a Princesse and to whom God had purposed to giue the inheritance of these kingdomes and the office to defend the profession of faith and holy worship And if wee but remember the most gratious gouernement of this Ladie the time shee was Queene and how nobly shee hath defended the profession of Faith and Religion wee shall thereby iudge how much euill Queene Marie had done if the euill practise against her Sister Elizabeth had preuailed Neuer any Defendresse nor euer any Queene in the world hauing finished Gods quarrell with more honour or with better resolution than shee did And therefore if this holy life had perished the glory of her honourable actions had bene preuented neither had the world euer seene the admirations of her time nor the seuerall states of christendome euer had so noble a Patronesse to support them in their iust quarrells against the aspiring insolencie of the ambitious nor had the holy Saints on earth liued secure vnder the late protection of her mercifull wings whose holy faith shee hath victoriously defended against all oppositions cutting off not by Pollicie onely as did Iudith but by her power the head of Holophernes Idolatrie And thus triumphing in the spoyle of Gods enemies shee hath purchased an euerliuing name of honour and an euerlasting inheritance in heauen with God and with the Children of Faith whose quarrell shee hath most honourably defended 15. And Queene Marie in seeking to destroy so holy a life did not the office of her Christian place nor defend the quarrell of Faith whereunto her title bound her 16. In respect of State likewise was this very euill in the Queene because by this iniurie to her neerest blood shee sought to hinder the lawfull succession For the Ladie Elizabeth being dead it might proue quarrelsome who should next inherit Queene Marie hauing no issue to succeed her was like to leaue the State to much trouble and to many Competitors And if Queene Elizabeth had not succeeded happily our Nation had not bene so famous in the honour and reputation of warlike exercise as now it is neither had it flourished in the glorie of Learning nor in the trauell of industrious artes as it hath nor had there bene that peace that plentie and that security which presently we enioy nor happily had the State bene thus left as by her it is to a Prince of peace full of hopefull issue by whom and by whose posterity England may hope neuer to want a noble Defendor of it and of the Catholike Faith And therefore God onely bee praised who did preuent the euill that euill men intended against that Ladie against this Nation and against the Catholike Faith In all these respects may appeare the euill gouernement of these times and how the Queene was led by dishonourable meanes to an end most dangerous the cause as I haue said was onely the too much trust the Queene gaue to euill Counsell whereby shee was violently carried against her owne Nature to most vnchristian designes for her conscience did perswade her that those things were of absolute necessity which in truth were altogether vnlawfull And this was the Bishop of VVinchester Stephen Gardiners care to set an edge on the Queenes offence and to fit her for the stroake of persecution whereto in her Nature she was not fit And this hee did by the authority of his Religious place whereto the Queene had speciall reuerence framing her selfe to doe that onely which in her abused conscience shee thought was necessarie For there is nothing can perswade like conscience which in men of all Religions will desire satisfaction and ease And though our conscience iudge falsly of Truth yet cannot that Iudgement bee vnsatisfied whithout Torment and much affliction neither is there any so powerfull to perswade vs as them of whom we conceiue a reuerend opinion and thinke Religious and holy because the opinion of holinesse taketh away all suspition And therefore many times men seeming deuoute and verie precise are best able to deceiue because they are best credited the greatest pollititians working their most damned proiects by men professing sanctimonious life this being euer a foundation in that vile Art that pretence and false couller are the hands of Pollicie whereby shee effecteth that which otherwise were impossible And if wee remember the number of Conspiracies and Treasonous designes attempted in this last age of the world we shall scarce finde any one wherein men professing Religion were not principalls either plotters or practisers The experience of the time finding such men most fit instruments for such desperate attempts because they dare doe any thing and can keepe counsell and as it is ieastingly said of playes they are not pleasant without a Foole so it may bee seriously said of Treasons they are not bloodie without a Priest these men hauing got them a name of admiration for acting the most horrible parts of blood and treason wherein they haue approued themselues forward but most vnfortunane And by these men was the better nature of Queene Marie much abused making her by their euill counsell become odious to posterity in shedding without mercy the blood of many holy Martyrs treading vpon the face of truth dignifying Idolatrous euill seruice Vnfortunate Queene to be deceiued by these euill Ministers but woe vnto them by whom
the offence came happie had shee bene if they had neuer bene and happie were we if with vs they were not for where they are there is Faction Conspiracie and Treason and it is they and their house onely that is the house of Poperie that troubleth Israell Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST There is nothing in this world that can continue prosperity without all interruption For the Spouse of Christ the Church had neuer any such immunity but like all other things and for the worke of Gods glorie she doth often vary her State and like the Sunne often in clouds and sometimes in Eclipse The reason is the will of God who hath determined to leade vs through this wildernesse our pilgrimage to new Ierusalem Secondly It is the Popish Religion but no Religion to destroy and not correct to iudge without mercy and to bee terrible in the prosecuting their persecutions But our most diuine and sacred Lord Christ hath said Blessed are yee when ye suffer these things Surely then cursed are they that doe them Thirdly The iudgements of God haue relation to mens offence being the effect of that cause and therefore who knoweth but that God in iudgement to K. Henrie gaue him this contrariety in his Children to condradict and countermand one another in the forme of their gouernements because the King himselfe was so full of contrarietie and vnsetled constancie at one time persecuting both professions Fourthly To reinduce the Pâ—pall authority into the English State was a maruellous improuidence in the Queene and so direct against all rule of State as that questionlesse the Queene in this made her iudgement yeeld to conscience as she deemed it which if she had not bene a woman she would neuer haue done or at the least neuer so done without all limitation Fifthly The Marriage of Queene Marie with Spaine was an oportunity for Spaine to depresse the glory of this Nation for if the Queene had had issue by him the principality had bene translated to such a Prince as may yet iustly bee feared to what extremities his growing Empire intendeth Sixthly The Queenes error in these proceedings was to receiue her State instructions from such Counsellors as did labour onely to frame her to their owne designes not regarding the publike benefit of the State For doubtlesse had the Queene bene ordered by her Pollitique State or by any one Counsellor in the State of honourable quallity she had not giuen so much of her title and Maiestie to Rome and Spaine as by the perswasion of her Clergie Counsell she did Seuenthly So full of labour strife and error is their life that vndertake the charge of much businesse and great place that the Morall Philosophers doe pronounce them most happie and rich that can bee content with blessed pouerty CHAP. XX. Of certaine Discontents whereat Queene Marie tooke great offence FIRST there is no man in this life especially if he be of great place or great spirit that can free himselfe from occasions of discontent wherein euery man may make triall of his owne vertue and exercise his Christian patience in his moderate bearing them For there is no victory equall to that a man hath of himself neither any seruitude so base as to be ouercome of Discontâ—nt And therefore the most worthy men haue euer triumphed ouer Fortune thinking it a debasing of their Noble spirits to be vanquished by so meane an enemie And howsoeuer such men in common Construction are reputed most miserable that haue most cause of griefe yet in true vnderstanding it is otherwise and then especially when the grieued hath patience that true part of Man-hood whereby he is able to make the greatest burden of griefe easie For so did the famous men in old time by manly Constancie and so doe Christians now by patience support a liuing courage in the middest of greatest extremities Yet euer must this moderation be regarded that as our griefe may not vtterly deiect vs so wee must haue sense to feele and apprehend it least in the one extreame wee proue cowherds in the other Fooles For griefe is the true physicke of the minde which being well applied doth correct and heale vs but otherwise it doth destroy and make desperate and in this case doe men reuenge themselues on themselues and double the measure of griefe wherewith they are afflicted Secondly And this was Q Maries punishment who doubtlesse did verie much afflict her selfe in the remembrance of her euill fortunes some whereof I will relate not obseruing the order of the time wherein they were occasioned but ranke them according to their degrees in greatnesse and as the Queene found them most offensiue And as the greatest I remember first the trouble of her Conscience whereby she became enemie to her selfe and hatefull to her former proceedings iudging them much more violeÌ„t then the cause required or then might stand with the honour of her name and with the discharge of Christian Conscience and this shee vnderstood by a generall sense of mercy whereto in her Nature shee was inclinable and from which shee was violently moued by the breath of bad perswasion For though the Queene was made to beleeue that her vehement persecuting the Protestants Religion was necessarie for both states of Church and kingdome yet when Christian blood was shed in that abundance it much repented her that shee by that meanes had giuen her name so bloody a remembrance And in this case might she say of Gardiner and Bonner as Iacob did of his two Sonns Simion and Leui that they had made her name odious to euery mans eares and that therefore they were Children of Blood And surely the remorse of conscience for her bloody gouernment did very much afflict the Queenes minde whereof shee would oftentimes giue demonstration and by words of dislike witnesse how much she did distaste the furie of persecution and the generall waste those fires had made in her Kingdomes Thirdly Neither need this seeme strange to any that Q. Marie should dislike her selfe in her owne practise because wee know that Princes though they haue soueraigne power ouer their Subiects yet hath it such limitation as that Princes themselues somtimes are not free nor can compasse those ends which most desirously they would sometimes are they forced to that they would not The reason is because no prince in the world can support himselfe without the assurance of his Subiects and when the State is in Faction as then it was for Religion it is most dangerous for the Prince to Discontent them by whom he is principally supported And Queene Mary taking vpon her the protection of the Romish Religion did then binde her selfe to the heads of that faction lest by discontenting them she should haue runne her selfe into a generall offence and so haue hazzerded the fortunes of her State
Discontent CHAP. XXI OF REBELLION FIRST It is not in my purpose to reckon vp the seuerall opinions of men in this argument neither to discourse at large herein but onely to report my owne Iudgement and that which I think is answerable in this question to Religion and holy reason For if this controuersie were disputed according to the Pollitique practise of time and not by the rules of Religion and reformed iudgement it would be then verie controuersall and require large circumstance because the Matchiuells of these times diuersly disagree in their seuerall iudgements but if men desire onely to satisfie conscience to such men the testimonie of God is sufficient which ought to square the practises of all degrees of Christian men and to determine all controuersies be they neuer so important But this tryall hath not alwaies authority in gouernement meerely pollitique for Religion and Pollicie are two diuers or rather in full opposition and that many times in the practise of State is commendable which in the iudgement of Religion is most damnable because they conspire not one but disagreeing ends neither can the quarrell of these two be euer reconciled but onely by these conditions that Piety may command Pollicie and that such Pollicie may bee onely in Christian States allowable as may be seruant to the worke of holinesse and iudged lawfull by the sentence of true Religion And if these respects had regard in Christian States then should not Christendome haue had that dishonourable imputation to bee reputed of the barbarous Nations vnfaithfull and full of dishonourable practise wherein the Popes haue especially abused the Christian Faith who vnder the outward face of holinesse haue contriued and effected Conspiracies and Treasons of most horrible report and such as neuer were the like by men or diuells inuented Secondly And these euill Ministers doe arrogate to themselues authority which they would deriue from God not onely to license Rebellion in a Christian State but also to command it vpon paine of damnation a power which neuer any Christian Prince durst challenge and a pollicie whereby they haue principally inriched themselues with wealth and dignities taken at the spoyle of Christian Princes and wherewith he doth yet vnderprop the falling state of his Empire And this how vnequall it is with Gods Word may appeare to any iudgement there being no example in the Storie of the Bible for his imitation where any Priest did euer challenge any such soueraigne authority Thirdly And in respect of State practise there was neuer any thing more dishonourable then for Princes and free States to enter voluntary into a seruitude so base slauish taking their honours from their owne heads to dignifie their mortall enemy and to feed his ambition which like Hell cannot be satisfied who hath euer fed vpon the bowels of their wealth and on the blood of Saints and doth glorifie himself in the spoile of Christian Princes and thus will doe vntill God shall please to destroy him with the breath of his displeasure Fourthly The example of K. Dauid may suffice to conclude against this doctrine who notwithstanding he had Gods promise to inherit the kingdome of Israel being by the Prophet anointed by which God did crown him King and knowing moreouer that God had forsaken his master Saul hauing taken his good Spirit from him whereby he was Anathemate and interdict by the sentence of God himselfe yet did not Dauid for all this conspire against his master Saul but onely sought to secure his life by withdrawing him from the kings presence who hee assuredly knew did seeke after his life And when opportunity was offered him so fit as that he at one stroake might both haue reuenged the iniuries of his greatest Enemy and vpon such an Enemy as stood betweene him and a Kingdome yet would he not destroy him being vrged thereto by the earnest perswasion of his follower but withstood both them and opportunity induring the trouble of his Conscience for presuming to cut off not his Masters head but the lap of his garment only Fiftly Another time Saul pursuing after Dauid to destroy him was found by Dauid and Abishai sleeping with his speare at his head as if occasion should haue led Dauid to an opportunity most fit and thus haue perswaded him See here is thy enemy sleeping and here is a weapon to destroy him which aduantage when Abishai would most gladly haue imbraced he was disswaded by Dauid with this answere Destroy him not for who can lay his hand vpon the Lords Anointed and be guiltlesse whereby hee concludeth it to be impossible for any man whosoeuer to conspire the death or dammage of his soueraigne with the testimonie of good conscience And this opinion of King Dauids is aduerse to the practise of the Romane State which hath often laid their hands of blood and death vpon the Lords annointed neither haue they euer done as Dauid did denie the offer of fit occasion to reuenge wherein they are answerable to their Italian prouerbe If thy enemie be vp to his knees in water reach him thy hand to helpe him But if hee stand vp to the Chinne set thy foot vpon him to destroy him Sixthly Now if King Dauids example and authority will not serue because he was but Man I will then produce his witnesse who was both God and Man the Lord Iesus who commanded the Iewes to giue obedience to Caesar in all those duties which respect Soueraignty though Caesar did not acknowledge the Iewish Religion but rather did persecute that profession Neither did he perswade rebellion against the Romane state though in his diuine wisedome he did foresee that the Kingdome of the Iewes which he so much loued should be vtterly wasted by the power of the Romanes whereby hee would teach vs that as by God onely Kings do Reigne so by him onely are they both supported and as he shall onely please are they displanted and deposed from their dignities Seuenthly It is euident then by the testimonie of them who are most holy and absolute that no earthly man by the authority of his place hath or can giue license to conspire against any Soueraigne power whatsoeuer and the reason is because there is no power but from God and the powers that be are ordained of God and therefore to resist that power is to withstand God and his ordinance and to condemne the forme of Gods gouernement And such are all they who goe about to translate authority where God hath not giuen it and to throw downe and depose them whom God hath established and such are all they who either plot or practise Rebellion Conspiracie or Treason or that can giue allowance thereto Traitors they be to God Traitors to their Prince Traitors to their Countrie and to themselues Traitors whom God will withstand as Traitors and iudge as
Enemies Eighthly And though the Pope challenge to be able to giue that dispensation which Iehu had giuen him of God yet is that onely presumption in the Pope for neither is he God to giue any such warrant neither is he Gods Prophet whose authority we may trust neither doth God reueale his will immediately to the Pope as he did to his Prophet Elisha neither haue his Iehues euer had that fortune and prosperous successe as had this God confounding many thousands of their damned and Rebellious practises to the honour of his name and to the shame of all such euill Ministers for this is an vnanswerable argument that the Popes power to dispence in this kinde is not from God because many of their practises succeed not which if they were from God they must of necessity prosper And therefore neither Prince Priest or Pope can giue dispensation in this kinde God onely being able to make that lawfull which without his speciall direction is most damnable CHAP. XXII A Comparison betweene Queene Mary of England and the Queene-Mother of France Katherine de Medices THESE two Ladies of all whom the Histories of our times record are nearest sutable to a paralell hauing beene both of them honourable in place of dignity both of them admirable in endowments of Nature and both of them transported by ill counsell too much effusion of Christian blood by persecution of the Protestant Religion in the seuerall precincts of their gouernement I desire not to disparrage the memorie of noble personages Historie will speake vnpartially and the Christian hearts which reade or heare of their persecutions will compassionate the troubles which holy men haue endured and though the sense of sorrowes bee past and not sensible to them who indured them yet will the knowledge of them beget a kinde of sense of those sorrowes which other men haue formerly sustained and according to our affections as wee loue or hate the cause it selfe so shall wee giue our censure of the Authors of the persecutions I forbeare therefore to prosecute the comparison in particulars the more because I pittie the frailty of their Sexe which hauing but weake iudgement is the lesse able to make resistance against stronge temptations I onely deplore their ill hap to sucke the milke of so venimous a breast as the Church of Rome which is indeed the Circe of the world transforming men by her enchanted potions into beasts and metamorphosing euen the innocent disposition of gentle Ladies and Princesses into a Leonine and Tiger like sauagenesse that Lupa Romana which as shee first fostered Romulus with the teats of a shee-Woolfe so nurseth now all others with the like milke and propoundeth the highest rewards of heauen to them that will most play the hell-hounds vpon earth shee which puts Princes vpon persecution of the Church vnder colour of zeale for the Church and stirres vp Subiects to rebellion by pretense of piety and giues the lawrell of Martyrdome vnto Treason to her we are to impute the miscarriages of these and many other worthyes whose better nature was empoysoned by bad principles instilled into them especially we may commiserate her of France because her persecution there feasted Saint Bartholmew with more Christian soules at one Supper then perished by Queene Mary the whole time of her life pray we almighty God that the bloud sucking tyranny of that Romish strumpet may haue an end that shee may bee no longer drunken with the bloud of the Saints nor the Princes of the earth no more intoxicated with her cups of abominations and so passe we from this sorrowfull and sad theme to the ioyfull times of blessed Queene ELIZABETH OF THE NEXT DEFENDRES OF THE Faith Queene ELIZABETH and by what difficulties she attained the Kingdome CHAP. XXIII FIRST I am now againe to change my Argument the gouernement being thus happily changed and to report a time of mercie and not misery of preseruation and not persecution and how the Catholike Faith was defended not offended of Queene Elizabeth and not Queene Marie Sisters indeed by the bond of Nature but most disagreeing in the gifts of Grace and holy ornaments The one defacing the other restoring the one wounding the other saluing the one offending the other defending the most Catholike Faith Queene Marie in blood Queene Elizabeth in peace in peace with God in peace with his Saints in peace with all men saue the enemie of God and Man the Idolatrous and false worship of Antichrist the which with most zealous resolution shee hath most victoriously opposed to the eternall honour of her name on earth and to her euerlasting happinesse in heauen where now shee hath most honourable place among the fellowship of those holy ones who haue best fought the Lords quarrell and best defended the profession of Faith and as it is said the daie and night diuide the yeare like indifferent partners so we may say that these two Sisters Queene Elizabeth and Queene Marie haue diuided the Renowne of the world Queene Elizabeth like the day hauing got the better part of fame honourable and holy remembrance and Queene Marie her Sister like the night the worse part a name of blood which being vttered reduceth to memorie the stories of blood and how the Saints of God were slaughtered whereby shee her selfe is made more blacke than night in giuing her name so blacke and so bad a remembrance Secondly This difference of good and bad is indeed very common in the generations of mankinde and not common to any other kinde of creature saue Man For inuegitable things we see that from one roote doe proceede many branches yet all of them of one and the same Nature and all bearing one and the same fruit but in the generations of Man it is otherwise for from on Father commonly proceedeth children of disagreeing quallities as from one Adam was deriued both righteous Habel and a wicked Caine and from one Isaac a Iacob and an Esau and so from one Henrie an Elizabeth and a Marie a day and a night a mercie and a miserie a blessed protector and a most bloodie persecutor of the Christian Faith And therefore was King Henrie much in Gods sauour and to vs was hee fauourable in making the greater part of the Kings Children the better part which seldome to any one man liuing happeneth God in his anger gaue our Nation but one Marie but in his loue he gaue vs both an Edward and an Elizabeth for so is God double as much in mercie as in iudgement neither will he that hath care ouer all his creatures suffer the cause hee so deerely loueth to want protection but if he giue his Church a Marie to trie it in the fire of persecution he will also giue it an Elizabeth to restore and refresh it Such was our noble Defendresse whose care did medicine the bodie of Religion and State which her Sister had grieuously
case is doubtfull and preuent the forward hopes of the contrary faction which in all such alterations is ouer-daring Thirdly There is this benefit in afflictions that their vse and acquaintance make men valiant and able to vndergoe all fortunes for it is possible to make pleasure of sorrowes and to vse them for recreations Fourthly It is a commendable pride modestly to esteeme ourselues in our aduersities but hee that can moderate his pride in his prosperities is thought the more rare example and deserues imitation CHAP. XXV Of certaine considerations which in respect of Pollicie might haue diswaded the Queene from reforming the State of Religion FIRST It may seeme strange to many that their should bee any consideration able to diswade from doing well or that any by-respect should be so respected as to withdraw the purpose of one resolued to holy cares And this in truth were strange if common experience did not teach vs otherwise For it is often times seene that such men who haue gained fauour in generall opinion and are assuredly thought to be constant and most resolute in that wherein they are so reputed doe notwithstanding fall off from this their reputed Constancie and yeeld themselues ouercome by the perswasion of dishonest and by considerations Secondly And therfore is their iudgement much deceiued who belieue that any thing in this world is of that assurednes vnuariable cōstācie as that no time nor any perswasion can altar For the most excellent men the most excellent vertues of men are not supported by their owne power or by any earthly assistance but by the hand of God only in so much that when this most absolute power shall not supply to any particular the strength of such a one is but weakenes his constancie but faintnes because without this heauenly prop he cannot support the body of his vertues and so of necessity both he and they must incline to bad alteration if then the question were demanded what should be the condition of all men I would answer to bee constant in their holy purposes but if it be demanded what is the Nature of all men I answer that all of all manner of conditions are inclineable to euil onely and that such who ascend the degrees of best reputation doe it not by their own◠power neither haue they power to continue that state but naturally cast themselues from those deseruings whereunto God hath raised them Be it therefore the euerlasting honour of their names who haue valiantly resisted the power of those earthen temptations and haue had their regardfull eyes to holy and Religious ends onely And such was Queene Elizabeth who in respect of her dangerous fortunes was assuredly much tempted to these earthly regards the which she nothing regarded in comparison of her heauenly cares whereto she was wholly and assuredly deuoted Thirdly And therefore I report not what could but what would haue diswaded the Queene in respect of Policie from reforming Religion and I will plainly expresse my selfe in this particular because I would most gladly auoid the euil of misconceiuing which commonly ariseth from doubtful vnderstanding Fourthly And for the Queene though she neuer fainted in the care shee had vndertaken for Religion but euer continued her course in one resolute passage and euer trauelled therein with much prosperity and honour yet there wanted not many regards of Policie and state considerations which might haue allured her from her holy constancie and haue made her more remisse and colde in the pursuit of her holy businesse such as heretofore haue altered the strongest purposes of other Christian Princes and such as would haue altered the Queene her selfe had not God by the power of his Grace giuen her extraordinarie supportations For as I haue said Religion and Pollicie respect not alwaies one end neither doe they worke by one and the same meanes And though in Christian Common-Wealths it is most needfull that Religion order state and that Christian Princes suffer themselues to be directed by the Law of God and by the dutie of Conscience yet in the practise of many states it is otherwise where the truth of Religion is peruerted and the sense of Scripture wrested to maintaine the vnlawfull vse of such state practises as in the truth of holy iudgement are most damnable Fifthly This truth is euident in the gouernement of such Christan States whereby license dispensation and pardons men may adulterate lye and Murther and by the fauour of their lawes commit such outrage as in the iudgement of Gods Law is death and these are regards of State which for aduantage and profit tollerate and protect those things which in the stricktnesse of Conscience are altogether vnlawfull It is euident then both by generall obseruation and by speciall instance that Christian Princes haue many earthly prouocations to withdraw them from the zealous pursuite of holy Religious purposes and that God onely is able to support the best and most worthie from dishonourable recusancie and from retyring from those diuine seruices whereunto they haue with great hope and much acclamation entred Sixthly And in this noble deseruing hath Queene Elizabeth exceeded many of her princely predecessors and therefore I report this as one the chiefe of all her honourable deeds whereby she hath well declared her selfe beloued of God constant in her holy purpose and best able to defend the holy quarrell of the Catholike Faith For by this victorie she had of her selfe she hath done that which all the world could not doe God hauing made her inuincible and not to be conquered but by her selfe Seuenthly To relate the seuerall considerations of state were much trauell impertinent to this busines because the number of them is great for the much diuersity they altering according to the variable gouernement of state and as the alterations of time would make them vseful I wil therfore only report some few which at this time and in this state were very considerable And first the alteration the State indured by the Q. altering Religion for she could not but vnderstand that her new forming the order of Religion in her Kingdomes was in the wisedome of State very hazerdous because thereby she must needs discontent the greater number of her subiects whereby shee became subiect to the displeasure of her owne people and lesse able to suppresse the disobedience of such as should dare to attempt against her For at this time the Protestant Religion to which the Queene was zealously deuoted had not equall greatnes in this Kingdome with that of the Romish the Papist exceeding the Protestant in Number and power And therefore the Queene in her election made choise of the weaker and lesse able part to support her against her better prouided enemies And this shee would not haue done if shee had yeelded to this perswasion of State or had
and dangerous to the States of Kingdomes and great States in the politike practise wherof they are much more learned then in the iudgement of Diuinitie and Christian Religion Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST Religion doth not deny her speciall Ministers the Clergy the knowledge of the very secrets of Policie or rather the Church in these times hath a necessity that doth require such knowledge because there are many enemies that present themselues against the peace and prosperitie of the Church which could not be resisted with victorie but by more then common discretion yet it is one thing to know and preuent and another to trauell in vnlawfull Politique designes Secondly The Romane State doth support the body of her greatnes vpon this particular Policie that by her Priests and Iesuites she can discouer all States This in the discretion of State is such a strength as that she might be thought inuincible but that God doth fight against her Thirdly hee that intrudes himselfe into such businesse wherein both his profession and his particular cause would make him a stranger is iniurious to himselfe and others to himselfe because hee must neglect his owne particular to others because he doth vndertake that cause wherein he is or should be ignorant CHAP. XXVIII Of the Christian care Queene ELIZABETH had to defend certaine Christian Princes and their STATES FIRST it is euerie ones care to prouide for themselues and to labour the aduancement of their own prosperous fortunes but few there be who care for other men or that labour in the trauell of other mens affaires And among all the sorts of men these few are the best for by this demonstration of Charitie they approue themselues to bee good men and Christians good men by the Law of Nature and good Christians by the Law of grace This Charitable communicating of giftes and benefits being commanded and commended before all earthly regards And therefore he that with true Christian respect loueth his neighbour keepeth halfe the Law and he that loueth God keepeth it all yet he that made this Lawe could thus expound it that no man can obserue all the Lawe vnlesse he first obserue the halfe neither can any man giue God his dutie who first will not giue his Loue to his Neighbour which is not giuen vnlesse wee declare it in our exercise of such charitable offices as we haue power to doe and as the necessities of our Christian brethren may require them Secondly and this is the dutie of euerie Christian man of what estate soeuer it is also the dutie of euerie Christian kingdome to support one another in their iust quarrels and to communicate to each other their generall commodities And howsoeuer in many states of Christian name this strictnesse of conscience is not regarded yet in the best it is and in all it ought to be for the puritie of Christian Religion is of that excellent purenesse that no staine can be in the vse thereof without dishonourable imputation And we all know that in the practise of heathenish and barbarous Common-Wealths are many things very commendable which in a Christian State would appeare most odious because in those States they respect greatnesse only and there any thing is allowable that may helpe them forward But where goodnesse and vertuous name is desired there men neglect the offer of all euill occasions and embrace that onely for lawfull and good which in the iudgement of good conscience is approued lawfull and good Thirdly And in these heauenly respects of Christian commiseration we haue good cause and so haue many Princes in Christendome to remember Queene Elizabeth most mercifull and compassionate who did euer entertaine the extremities of distressed Christian Princes and whose hands were euer armed with valour and victory to support them in their kingly reputations to defend them from the iniuries of their ambitious powerful enemies But because the number of her princely deseruings in this kinde were many and to report them would require large circumstance I will therefore make choise onely of some particulars of best memorie and of most importance such as being knowne may reduce to memorie the glory and greatnesse of the Queenes actions And the honour which the name of England hath got in being gouerned by a Ladie of so matchlesse a reputation Fourthly And as that neerest to vs in respect of weighty consequence I remember Scotland first a kingdome which before her time neuer stood assured to the fauour of England but what by reason of their naturall discord and because of the combination betweene the kingdome of France and it that nation hath euer bene suspected of ours and we of them and therefore both of vs haue euer commonly stood in the tearmes of lealousie and both our Nations haue had regardful eye to the proceeding of each other yet with such wisedome could those times order their affaires of State as that these their disagreements were not hazerdous to the fortunes of either kingdomes but continued for respects of Pollicie insomuch as the Warres of Scotland with vs were rather emulations than VVarres and ours with them were rather for manly exercise than any desire to subuert or vtterly ouerthrow the bodie of that State And in truth it cannot be imagined two Nations so neere as they are how euer made friends by allyance or other friendly entertainements could liue without giuing of offence to one another nor without many spitefull and hot contentions these two Kingdomes in one Isle being like two wiues in one house vnder one and the same husband euer being in ciuill displeasure for superiority neither could these displeasures be euer ended but as God hath done it making of these two Nations one Monarch the which like one wife without competitor he hath wedded to one husband the Kings Maiestie that last was and to his posterity for euer by whom the emulation strife of these euer disagreeing natiōs is for euer compounded Fifthly In the glory of which deed Queene Elizabeth hath a greater part than any Prince in the world because in her life time she did so much in that Kingdome for the safetie of the King and that State as might well declare both her power and her princely care for that Christian Prince and his Kingdome defending her Kingly Sonne our Kings Maiestie in the right of his Kingdome and in the truth of his Christian Religion against all the enemies of his life and State and therefore hath shee the greater glory in defending a Christian King and his Nation in their best quarrell and against their greatest enemies and yet hath shee better deserued in leauing a Kingdome better then that to the King and to his posterity for euer Thus did the power of the Queene defend that Nation which the power of her predecessors had many times offended she recompensing at once the
iniuries and harmes which they the former Kings and Queenes of England had many times inflicted on that Kingdome And thâ—refore haue they good cause to honour her remembrance and to giue her name the best merit of all the rase of her princely predecessors Sixthly But she who was large in the vse of her Christian mercy could not thus bound her vertues in the limits of an Iland neither could she content her selfe that she had done well but delighteth to continue her well-doing And therefore being inuited by the necessitie of the French Kings occasion Henrie the Fourth she reacheth him her hand of fauour to France and there she witnesseth the greatnesse of her power and the greatnesse of her mercifull regard that notwithstanding that Nation had bene the corriuall of this and had euer enuied the prosperity of our many victories And though the Queene her selfe was lawfully interested into the title of that Crowne yet would she not take aduantage of these opportunities but so powerfully she assisted the King as that by her meanes he might well say to haue gained the garland which without the Queenes assistance had either not bene got or not so gainfully obtained Seuenthly And if any one obiect the Queene was improuident to conferre her fauours to a nation which had euer more enuied opposed the prosperity of her owne kingdome whereof she had no assurance let them remember that the Queene was neuer altogether ruled by the perswasion of State reason and that in this particular shee deuiseth not how to inlarge her owne kingdome but how the kingdome of God might by her be any way aduanced And because that then the French King did declare himselfe to professe the Protestant Religion she therfore thought it the office of her high place to defend him in the cause of ReligioÌ„ to defend that christian faith whereof she was made Defendresse the which she did so fortunately that he obtained his kingdome she a name of honour that wil liue for euer in al those places of the world where the vertues honourable deeds of noble personages are recorded And let the French-men for euer remember her name thankefully as their noble Defendresse let them remeÌ„ber also that as our english Kings haue euer bene a terror to their natioÌ„ so this Q. of EnglaÌ„d was their coÌ„fort she by whose fauour they obtained that benefit which preseÌ„tly they enioy in their King and in their peaceable State Eighthly Another instance of the Queenes fauorable commiseration was the King and kingdome of Portingall the poore King Anthonie being executed by Philip King of Spaine a power that by much did ouermatch Anthonie and therefore this Portingall made his resort to implore the fauour of Queene Elizabeth who after the Nature of her gratious spirit compassionates his great miserie and furnisht him very princely towards the reobtaining of his kingdome Ninthly And though this businesse had not successe answerable to hopefull expectation God otherwise disposing it yet doth not that diminish the Queenes gratious merit for it is not in any earthly power to giue victory at pleasure but to attempt onely and to leaue the successe to the will of God Againe we see that the greatest earthly powers haue often failed in the like attempts because as I haue said no Prince can giue victory at his pleasure but must abide the fortune of the day which is alway vncertaine And who can tell but that God in iudgement to that people would not suffer the Queenes good purpose to preuaile neither doe all men agree on the lawfulnesse of Anthonies title many approuing the right of the King of Spaine to the Crowne of Portingall to be more iust than that of Anthonies yet the Queene is not to be blamed for taking part with Anthonie against her profest enemie the King of Spaine then hauing declared himselfe such an enemie to the Queene and her State as made it behoofull for the Queene to apprehend all occasions to weaken him Tenthly The Queene therefore had a double respect in this Portingall voyage first to repossesse the wronged king for so she beleeued him secondly to disaduantage the great enemie of her State whereby to make him the lesse able to offend her And therefore though she failed in finishing yet was her purpose good and doth merit to bee ranked among her other honourable deeds because it was done principally in fauour of a distressed Christian Prince to relieue him in the extremities of his hard fortune it deserueth so much the more of honourable remembrance and to bee reputed as an effect caused by the Queenes most gratious disposition Eleuenthly A fourth instance of the Queenes gratious fauour to forraigne Princes is Belgica the States of the Low-Countries where the Queene hath done so much as hath made her famous in all the world receiuing those little pettie States into her protection against the King of Spaine at that time the greatest Prince in Christendome the which quarrell shee did maintaine with such aduantage as made the king feare her and the world admire her Twelfthly And howsoeuer there be that obiect the Queene did iniurie to the Spanish King to assist his rebellious subiects against him for so they repute the States of the Low-Countries yet doe I verily beleeue otherwise For though I will not dispute the title of the king of Spaine to these Countries being impertinent both to me and to this Historie yet may it assuredly be concluded that the Queene a godly and religious Ladie at that time ordered by as wise and honourable a Counsell as was in Christendome would not rashly haue entred into any dishonourable quarrell or haue done ought in the generall view of the world that stood not with the reputation of her princely name And this doe they well vnderstand who best vnderstood the Queenes nature who respected the honour of her princely name as much as any other Prince euer did 13. And though it be iudged that the states were Rebells to the King of Spaine yet considering the full opposition of that time betweene England and Spaine it may seeme reasonable in the Queene to take this aduantage offered by the Low-Countries and to protect them for the security of her owne peace aswell because of their conformity in Religion as also for the better disinabling of her mortall enemie who by all contriuement sought the detriment of her state And besides there is a great difference in them who moue Rebellion and them who imploy Rebells being moued to opportune purposes especially considering the enmity of him against whom they Rebell 14. And this I write to answer the euill rumors of such men who are most ready to traduce the Queenes most honourable deseruings For neither do I condemne the States for Rebells neither do I acquite them of that imputation but onely answere for
most Christian and most Princely labours are diuulged and laid open before the generall face of the world whereby that man of sin is with euidence discouered and all his painted Pollitique Religion laid nakedly open in the true formes of his false worship and whereby Christian Emperours Kings and Potentates are induced by the authorities of reason and particuler example to combine with God and Gods Lieftenants Christian Princes against all forreigne confederacie whatsoeuer These workes of Religious Learning in the King as they were of maruellous import and strength to the Catholike Cause so also they made much for the Kings sacred honour and will vndoubtedly remaine to all posterity as ornaments of his princely worth and inducements to inflame with sacred zeale the affections of his princely Progenie to honour and inlarge the reputation of Religion and Learning And howsoeuer his malitious lying enemie Tortus or the Cardinall his Master Bellarmine would disgrace the Kings sufficiencie in this kinde of learning and would therefore father his Maiesties worke vpon his Subiect of lesse authority yet are these iniuries both knowne and iudged by many thousands both of this and of other Nations that haue had experience of his extraordinary indouments the truth whereof it is not possible his owne Subiects can report without suspition of flatterie Eleuenthly I conclude then that the Kings Maiesty most noblely defended the Catholike Faith against all the enemies and principally against these two great ones the Papist and the Puritan Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST there was neuer any time wherein God had not some Patron to giue the cause of his Church Sanctuarie for though it be often in distresse it is neuer in destruction Secondly the Kings proceeding against the Papists and the Puritans did well distinguish the quallities of their offence and declare his owne integrity for though he proceeded against both yet with some distinction of fauour For the Puritan was the lesse enemie being enemie to the peace onely but the Papist both to the peace and truth of the Catholike Faith Thirdly Men measure the dgrees of loue and hate according to the quallity of the cause that moues the passion But in particular relations the personall respect doth often preuaile aboue the cause For passion is much more strong when it is vnited in one particuler Subiect rather than when it is deuided vnto a multitude CHAP. XXXV A remembrance of some particulers wherein God wonderfully defended King IAMES FIRST there was neuer any Prince in the world who had more cause to acknowledge Gods fauour then King Iames who trauelled his Princely life from his Cradle to his age thorow many dangerous fortunes whom God still supported against the most able and the most subtill practises of his enemies For if we reduce to memorie the many dangers of his life in Scotland and how in that kingdome his enemies did conspire against his life and State there is in that time and place matter enough of admiration But if that were not and that wee remembred his fortunes in England onely in those few yeares of his gouernement here wee shall finde matter of more than admiration and such conspiracie and damned practises as would amaze and with horror affright the hearts of tyrants and bloody practisers Secondly and for Scotland first to omit many of lesse note I remember that very dangerous conspiracie of the Gowries onely a practise brought to that ripenesse as that the King might seeme to be fast in the snare his enemies had laid to betray him yet did God in a trice breake their snare free the King and destroy the Diuellish deuisers of that proiect This story is well knowne and therefore it need not my report being alreadie related by such who haue had better cause to know the truth of euery circumcumstance and yet in this place doth it merit to bee named both for the rarenesse of the practise and for the greatnesse of Gods deliuerance Thirdly at the Queenes death also did God wonderfully assist the King and fauour the prosperity of his fortunes for at that time when the enemies of our State and the enemies of our Faith did hopefully beleeue that the enmity of these two kingdomes England and Scotland would vpon this occasion haue renued their antient quarrells and thereby haue interrupted the Kings peaceable entrance into this kingdome yet was the euent otherwise no little disturbance letting his Maiesties forward entring whereby God did mocke the expectation of his enemies and assuredly exceed the expectation of all men Fourthly that neuer to be forgotten treason of blowing vp with powder a destruction ment to the King the Queene the Prince the State the house of State the Church the Monuments of the Church the bones and Sepultures of Princes a destruction lesse mercifull then the generall Flood because more sudden and yet all most generall too the very naming whereof may serue for euer to prouoke the people of this kingdom to acknowledge their dutifull thankes to God by whose hand onely this mighty deliuerance was wrought Fifthly By these particulers out of many may appeare how God did wonderfully protect the person of that King suffering him to enter so farre into danger as that he might haue bene said to haue stood in the verie gates of death the match being readily prepared to fire that powder which if it had bene fired had committed the greatest Slaughter that euer at one instant of time happened May God therefore for euer be praised who preuented so great a destruction and let his prouidence be for euer admired who hath thus defended the Defendors of the Catholike Faith CHAP. XXXVI Of the diuersity of Religions FIRST the diuersity of Religions is one maine cause that deuideth the world into so many disagreements the maintainers of euery seuerall Sect disclaiming and persecuting al diuersity iudging such for prophāe out of Gods protection that conspire not with them in their opinion of Religion And heerehēce it is that the name of Iew or Turke is odious to a Christian the name of Christian odious to them they iudging vs and we iudging thē Anathemates cursed people Secondly neither is this contention onely in these opposites of Christian and heathen but the heathen among themselues and the Christians among themselues are deuided into many bitter differences the Turke against the Persian both against the Iew and so in many other particulars of the barbarous people Among the Christians also the Papist against the Protestāt the Protestāt against the Papist the Puritan against them both besides many other subdiuisions So that the Christians in these times haue as many seuerall Religiōs as the old heathen Pagans had Gods and that Idolatrie which the people of the old world committed by hauing multiplicity of Gods did the people of these times cōmit by their
alteration of time How God doth inuite men to their Saluation Religion did liue in death The cause of scisme in Christian Religion The Practises of the French Diuine Pollitique Morall The reformation of Religion Christian Religion deuided into Protestants and Papists How Religion was reformed England the first that with victory did oppose the Pope The first occasion of the alteration of Religion Luthers Booke de Captiuitate Babyl K. Henery the Eighth against Luther The purpose of the Kings Booke The greatnes of the Pope at those times The Popes pollicie The Popes secret purpose in stiling the K. Defendour of the Faith The Popes purpose disappointed by prouidence God moueth the King against his naturall disposition Luthers bitter writing Luthers misconceiuing Luthers zeale without discretioÌ„ Diuine Politique Morall The first Act of the Kings Defence Frederick Barbarossa Henry the Second The first occasion of difference betweene King Henry and the Pope The King first made supreame Head Anno regni 26. An Argument of the Kings greatnesse The benefit of Maiestie The inconuenience of Papall authoritie Diuine Pollitique Goodness and greatnes the two ends whereto all men intend Richard the Third of England The gouernment Monarchiall the best An inconuenience of Popish Supremacie Pretend and intend The practise of many Treasâ—ns Pride the most sensible signe of Antichrist Psalme The sinne of the Diuels in the Creation Nymrods sinne Supremacie God neuer altereth his purpose Vicessitudo rerum The variety of Fortunes The regard that was giuen to the Pop Church The first cause of alteration of Religion God most iealous of his honour The King well fitted for this businesse What might moue the K. in respect of himselfe Master Fox in the Act and Monâ— The Popes strength The cause mouing the King to the subersion of the Abbeyeâ— The outrruding of Fryers c. The suppressing of Abbeyes good to the Church and Common-Wealth A doubt Answer 1. 2. Cardinall Wolsey an euill president Pollitique Morall The weakenesse of the Kings resolution The King ruled by perswasion and not by Iudgement Cardinall Wolsey Thomas Cranmer D. Cranmer Stephen Gardiner Gardiner a great Polititian The sixe Articles Sir Thomas Moore The excelleÌ„t ornaments in Nature in Sir Thomas Moore The error of such as write Historie Truth the life of all History Moore an euemie to the Protestant Religion The vnequal comparison betweene Moore and Gardiner Lord Cromwell In moderation England beholding to the labours of the Lord Cromwell In this time Religion did proceed well His constancie in one course Diuersity of opinions cause of the Kings vnconstancie The Kings infirmitie Euery alteration in a state is dangerous The Kings error Diuine Pollitique Morall The cause pretended of the sixe Articles The cause of manie grosse and sencelesse opinions The nature of the Vulgar An euil cure Sixe Articles The power of perswasion The sixe Articles what they were The euil that redounds to a State when the Counsell are diuided The care of State Gardiner the meanes to hinder the King from reformation Gardiners wit Gardiners gifts The ReligioÌ„ at this time in England was neither the ProtestaÌ„t nor the Papist Three Protestants and three Papists die at one time and in one place for their Conscience Acts and Mon pag. 1375. The Kings Counsell the one halfe Protestants the other Papists The miserie of these times Tolle vnum tolle verum 2 Sam. 7. 5. God would not that K. Henry but that King Edward should finish this reformation King Henry deserued well in doing more then was done before him by any other The King exceeded expectation God assisted the King The Kings desert Diuine Pollitique Morall The difficultie in the Kings attempt This opposition was ordered by the power of God The wisedome of pollicie is foolishnesse with God The King gaue aduantage to his enemies The Popes Curses vpon King Henry The power of the Popes censure Faction the first part of Conquest A second Reason The equall partage of Christendome to many Princes The care of those times England and France in continuall faction A pollitique regard England with Spaine France with Scotland coÌ„federates The aduantage the French had of the English by reason of this popish quarrell God and not pollicie ordered the king Considerations in respect of the Pope The Pope degraded of authority The Kings example daÌ„gerous for the Pope The Pope enuied of Christian Princes The Popes diligence The respect the Pope had to the dishonorable yealding How it did import the Pope to continue friendly intertainement with the King The Pope lost the King by his too much neglect pride Authority in an euill person ruines it selfe A saying of Byas How to iudge men God confoundeth the Popes pollicie God and the Pope vtterly disagree Papall suprepremacie gotten by state practise Charles the Great father of the Popes ambition Luther Areason of the Popes obstinacie A principall of Papistrie The fashion of antient Heretickes The pride of the Pope To know how to distinguish good and euil by their ends The Pope intituleth himselfe the seruant of Gods seruants but insulteth ouer Emperors Dissimulation commonly in The Popes greatnesse like Nebuchadnezzars Tree couered the whole Earth When great dissemblers dare discouer themselues The Kings proceedings very important The Kings orderly proceeding The bodie of Popery must needs fall when Supremacie the head was cut off The Christian Princes stood mute at the Kings businesse The French had at this time aduantage of the English by reason of the Pope England and France enuious of one anothers gloriâ— The King fortunate The Kings care to satisfie the Princes of Christendome The reason thereof A pollitique discretion Religion at this time but in reforming The Pope had his head broken Diuers law-makers diuers lawes The euill gouernement of the state at this time The King himselfe otherwise inclined D. of Saxony Master Fox Act. and Mon. pag. 1478. The Kings dislike of Gardiner The repentance sorrow the King made for the Lord Cromwell The Kings affection How the K. left the state Whether the King defended the faith or not Obiection The King the first Christian King Defendor of the Faith The King defended the Faith in two particulars A double inconuenience to a Christian state The King made way for his Sonne King Edward finished what his Father had attempted A comparison betweene King Henry and King Edward To finish a good is more then to begin it In respect of greatnes K. Henry was more excellent in respect of goodnesse King Edward King Henry did wound Idolatry but King Edward destroyed it Diuine Pollitique Morall The King the Emperor famous for their bold Attempts The Emperour against Pope Alexander the King against Pope â—lemeÌ„t They both quarrell the Pope for Soueraigntie The King intended reformation the Emperour did not The Emperour more forward least fortunate The Kings weakenesse was the weakenesse of Nature not of Courage The two Popes their enemies neerely agree They both curse but with vnequall successe
wounded And for my owne particular though there was neuer any Princesse in the world whose name I would more gladly honour than Queene Elizabeth yet dare I not take vpon me to report her worth not for that I feare the face of any man in that honest performance but because I am farre vnable to giue so much of honourable remembrance as her most princely life hath well deserued and by fayling in reporting lesse than truth I shall wrong the reputation of her name which most tenderly I loue and whereto I will euer be a seruant And therefore let such as desire to know her worth reade the large storie thereof in the most honourable deeds of late times there being almost no memorable Act in Christendome for the space of fortie yeares of her time wherein she had not some part of princely deseruing Let him view the prosperous face of this Nation and therein behold her merit let him remember her fortunate victorious in her most famous victories wise in the gouernement of her state iust in the liberty of Lawes mercifull in iudgement and iust in determining Let him remember England France Scotland Ireland Spaine Portingale Italy and Belgica and all the quarters of Christendome in euery part whereof is spread the remembrance of her merit let him aske the Turke the Tartare and those Emperours of most distance and they can report the honour and name of Queene Elizabeth Let him inquire at the enuie of the greatest Potentates in Christendome and that will declare her worthie of most worthie praise if there be any one a stranger in this Israell and doth not or will not know her merit let him consult with these or with any of these and he may receiue satisfaction better knowledge or if this suffice not to make her enough honourable let him remember how her holy hands put out the fires of trouble and grieuous persecutions loosing the holy Martyrs from the stakes of of death and like Gods Angell binding the mouth of death and tribulation which had wasted a great part of Gods inheritance And then how shee restored the Truth of Gods seruice vtterly abolishing Idolatrie grosse superstition And this is that which best merited honourable remembrance insomuch as if I had enuie and coueted to obscure her princely deseruing this her most godly act would in despight of enuie and me declare her most worthie and condemne the enuious breach of all them that dare traduce her And therefore I dare boldly say of Queene Elizabeth that in respect both of greatnesse and goodnesse she was such an Empresse as the world neuer had another to match her and for her Sex shee was such a woman as worthily may be said to haue exceeded all other but that most sacred Virgin with whom I neither will nor dare make comparison Thirdly Now that wherein Queene Elizabeth was most absolute was principally in those heauenly respects of mercie Maiestie wherein I thinke she was most excellent and without comparison the which like two hands she applied to euerie good worke of Church and Common-Wealth for by her mercie she approued her self most Christian and by her Maiestie a most Princely Soueraigne In both which respects was this Ladie so singular as if Grace and Nature had giuen them for ornaments to make her most excellent and as if God would by her demonstrate to the world surpassing he can make that Creature vpon whom he shall cast his heauenly ornaments Neither doe I thinke it disparagement to any Prince in the world that I report Queene Elizabeth most excellent both because shee was so in true estimation and also for that it may suffice for the honour of any prince to come neere Queene Elizabeth in these honourable deseruings she being matchlesse for mercie vnlesse in the comparison of K. Iames our Soueraigne and her successor which with her Kingdomes hath inherited that most gratious indument But for Maiestie she was neuer exceeded neither can I giue that comparison without wrong to Queene Elizabeth and flatterie to them whom I should compare her Fourthly And were I worthie to aduise in a matter so serious there is no Prince in the world whom I loue to whom I doe not wish this regard of Maiestie for there is nothing more necessarie in the person of a Prince then Maiestie which when it hath the moderation of mercie and aduised iudgement to order it it is then of most excellent beauty and of most speciall vse Because where it is thus ordered it begetteth in mens hearts an admiration and a Reuerence to the person of such Maiesty for commonly that which men admire they loue and too much familiarity doth oftentimes beget presumption and neglect of dutie neither is there any thing that doth more incourrage disobedience in Subiects than remissenesse and want of Maiestie in the souereigne And this is pretily alluded in the fable of the frogges to whom demāding a King Iupiter cast into a poole where they were assēbled a block which falling with much noise stroake a terror and a Reuerend feare in the Frogges but when they perceiued it blockish and to want Maiestie leape and insult ouer it in derision and scorne hating to giue their obedience to that which wanted the Maiestie to command them And this Morall did Queene Elizabeth well vnderstand who most Princelike did euer maintaine the Maiestie of her high place yet euer with the wisedome of such moderation as that her Maiestie was mercifull and her mercie maiesticke of these two principalls compounding a gouernement most honourable and vertuous Fifthly Such was this noble Queene and much more noble than I can report her who before she was Queene did worthily defend the profession of the Catholike Faith euen to the hazard of her princely life God giuing her that relish of aduersity the better to taste the pleasures of her most happie time which was to follow And if the particulars of her troubles were indifferently considered she would be found very constant and faithfull to God-ward and to haue indured much for the testimonie of Faith and to haue had a glorious Conquest ouer all the enemies of her religious life First their practise who thought to dis-inherit her and her Sister by intruding into the seate of this Empire the Ladie Iane whereby it was likely the inheritance should haue bene conueyed another way and translated into another Succession which could not haue bene without apparant danger of her life and her Sisters because authority that is vsurped cannot bee otherwise secured but by their death that can make lawfull claime yet God who doth euer protect truth did otherwise dispose of this great businesse but if we compare this with her trouble in the time of her Sisters gouernement the comparison will make this little and that monstrous she hauing indured so much for the tryall of her Faith as may well