Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	great_a	rome_n	5,301	5	6.4962	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05269	The copie of a letter sent out of England to Don Bernardin Mendoza ambassadour in France for the King of Spaine declaring the state of England, contrary to the opinion of Don Bernardin, and of all his partizans Spaniardes and others. This letter, although it was sent to Don Bernardin Mendoza, yet, by good hap, the copies therof aswell in English as in French, were found in the chamber of one Richard Leigh a seminarie priest, who was lately executed for high treason committed in the time that the Spanish Armada was on the seas. Whereunto are adioyned certaine late aduertisements, concerning the losses and distresses happened to the Spanish nauie, aswell in fight with the English nauie in the narrow seas of England, as also by tempests, and contrarie winds, vpon the west, and north coasts of Ireland, in their returne from the northerne isles beyond Scotland.	Burghley, William Cecil, Baron, 1520-1598.; Leigh, Richard, 1561?-1588, attributed name.; Mendoza, Bernardino de, 1540 or 41-1604.	1588 (1588)	STC 15413; ESTC S108408	47,041	60

of the Iesuites that more care and choice be had of such English men as are hereafter to be sent into England and not to send euery yong man that hath more boldnesse then learning and temperance for such a function In the former part of this my declaration to you of the vniuersall concurrence of all men of value wealth and strength in the body of the Realme to serue and defend the Quéene the Realme I forgot to report vnto you the great numbers of Ships of the subiectes of the Realme as of London and other port townes and cities that voluntarily this yeare were armed able to make a full Nauie of themselues for an armie all at the proper costes of the Burgesses for certain moneths with men victuall and munition which did ioyne with the Quéenes owne Nauie all this Sommer a thing neuer in any former age heard of otherwise then that such ships were alwayes hired waged victualled by the Kings of the Realme which argued to the griefe of me and some others a most vehement and vnaccustomed affection deuotion in the Cities and port townes such as they shewed them selues therein ready to fight as it had bene pro aris focis Of the number and strength of the Quéenes owne ships of warre I thinke you haue bene sufficiently enfourmed many times heretofore But yet I will make you a true report of the state of them this present Sommer what I haue credibly heard thereof because I haue bene very sory to heare how you others haue bene therein abused and that not onely in this matter of the Quéenes ships but in some other things also of late whereof some part hath bene here by very many maliciously and in common spéeches imputed to your owne inuention and publication whereof in a few wordes I will make some digression before I shall shewe the estate of the Quéenes Nauie In this Sommer past there was Printed in Paris by your direction as it was reported a notable vntruth which I did sée reade that the King of Scots had besieged Barwicke and had won it by assault and possessed it quietly whereof no part was true nor any cause to imagine the same though I wish it had so bene but not for any good will that I now beare to that King but for the trouble to this Quéene For in truth there is no good for vs to be hoped for from the King of Scots howsoeuer the Scottish Bishops in France haue sought to make you beléeue otherwise who is so rooted in the Caluinists Religion as there is neuer hope that he can be recouered to the church of Rome and so I thinke you are of late duely enfourmed and by his violent actions against diuers Catholiques against all that fauour the Spaniards may certainly appeare And likewise another great vntruth was lately Printed as your enemies say by your direction also in Paris that now in Iuly last when the Spanish Fléete and English had met and fought betwixt France and England the Spaniards had then a great victorie wherein they had sonke the Lord Admirall of England with sixtéene of the Quéenes great ships into the bottome of the Seas and that all the rest were driuen to flie with the Uice admirall Frances Drake Upon these two so notable vntruthes which the Aduersaries spitefully called Don Bernardin Mendozas mendacia many who honour you were right sory that you should giue so hastie credite to publish the same as your enemies say you did though I haue to my power for cléering of you honour giuen it out that these and such like haue procéeded of the lightnes of the Frēch who cōmonly Print more lies then truths in such doubtfull times and not of you whose honour and wisedome I thought would not be iustly touched with so great vntruthes and lies considering alwayes a small time will discouer things that are in facts reported vntruly and bringeth the Authours to discredit and infamy There hath béene a spéech also reported here to haue procéeded from you in France that hath caused a great misliking of you in Scotland which is that you should in open assembly and in a brauery say that the young King of Scots whom you called in your language a boy had deceiued the King your master but if the Kings Nauy might prosper against England the King of Scots should loose his Crowne and of this the King of Scots hath bene aduertised out of France and vseth very euill language of you which I will not report But now to leaue this digression and to returne to let you know the truth of the state of the Quéens Nauy this Sommer The same was in the beginning of the yeare when the brute was brought of the readines of the Kings Armada in Lisbone and of the Army by land vpon the Sea coasts in Flanders with their shipping deuided into thrée companies the greatest vnder the charge of Charles L. Haward high Admirall of England whose father grandfather vncles great vncles and others of his house being of the noble house of the Dukes of Norfolke had also bene high Admirals afore him wherof both France and Scotland haue had proofe An other company were appointed to remaine with the L. Henry Seymour second son to the Duke of Somerset that was Protector in King Edwards time brother to the now Earle of Hartfort and these companies for a time continued in the Narrow seas betwixt England and Flanders vnder the charge of the said high Admirall to attend on the Duke of Parmas Actions A third company were armed in the West part of England towards Spaine vnder the conduct of Sir Francis Drake a man by name and fame knowne too too well to all Spaine and to the Kings Indias and of great reputation in England and this was compounded partly of some of the Quéenes owne ships and partly of the ships of the West parts But after that it was certainely vnderstood that the great Nauy of Spaine was ready to come out from Lisbone and that the fame therof was blowne abroad in Christendome to be inuincible and so published by bookes in print the Quéene and all her Counsel I am sure whatsoeuer good countenance they made were not a little perplexed as looking certainely for a daungerous fight vpon the Seas and after that for a landing and Inuasion Whereupon the Lord Admirall was commaunded to saile with the greatest ships to the West of England towardes Spaine to ioyne with Drake whom he made Viceadmiral to continue in the seas betwixt France and England to stop the landing of the Nauy of Spaine And with the Lord Admirall went in certaine of the Quéens ships the Lord Thomas Haward second sonne to the last Duke of Norfolke and the Lord Sheffeld sonne to the Admirals sister who is wife to the Quéenes Ambassadour in France with a great number of Knights of great liuelode And at that time

constant to the obedience of the Church of Rome for the which neuerthelesse they are not impeached to any danger of their liues but only charged with a penalty of money because they will not come to the Churches whereby by the law a portion of their Reuenue is alotted to the Quéene and the rest left to the maintenance of them their wiues and children By which kind of procéedings our Aduersaries here do pretend that both these Gentlemen and all other of their qualities are fauourably vsed that they are not pursued to death for their religion as they say it was vsed in Quéene Maries time and as it is daily vsed as they say most rigorously and barbarously in Spaine against the Englishmen that come thither onely in trade of marchandise And yet I and others sometimes priuately speaking with such our Aduersaries as wée thinke are not maliciously bent to haue men prosecuted to death only for their Religion for to say the truth and as the prouerbe is not to belie the Diuel very many of our Contraries are in that point not vncharitable we doe obiect to them the executions by cruell torments deaths of very many both here about London and other parts of the Realme whom we accompt as Martirs in that they do witnes by their death their obedience to the Pope and the Catholique Church of Rome To which these our Aduersaries pretēding some small drops of charity do answere vs that no execution hath bene of any to their knowledge for their religiō or for profession thereof but for that they which haue bene executed haue bene found to haue wandred in the Realme secretly in a disguised maner which the Aduersaries scornfully terme as Ruffians with fethers and all ornaments of light coloured apparell like to the fashion of Courtiers and doe vse many meanes to entice all people with whom they dare aduenture to speake not onely to be reconciled to the Pope and Church of Rome but to induce them by vowes and othes to renounce their obedience to the Quéene to deny her to be their soueraigne and themselues to be discharged of their Alleageance and to repute all Magistrates vnder her to be vnlawfull and in conscience not to be obeyed with many moe such matters which I neuerthelesse count to be very vaine calumniations tending to make the facts of all such holy Priests as are sent with Commission to winne mens soules to be direct treasons against the Quéene and the state of the Realme These Defenders of these iudgements and executions contend and do most earnestly maintaine that all such Priests Iesuites Seminaries and others so perswading the people against the Quéene the Lawes the Gouernment and state of the Realme and all others that are so perswaded by them are manifest traitors and so they say that their enditements and all proces of law extended and pursued against them doe manifestly declare the same Wherein these our Aduersaries do sometimes for maintenance of their arguments shew the very copies of their enditements and iugdements wherin there is no mention made of charging them with their religion but that they haue attempted to perswade the Quéenes subiects to forsake their Allegeance and consequently to be Rebels to their Quéene and Soueraigne In this sort these men for their aduantage doe at all times with these and many like earnest arguments maintaine their procéedings against the holy Priests Iesuites that haue suffred death for their conscience as iust necessary And though where I and others may reply without perill to our selues as surely in some small companies we may vsing modest words we obiect the confession of the Catholique faith by the parties at their death and that with great constancie which our Aduersaries cannot denie so as it may seeme they die for their religion yet is it on the other part against vs alleaged maintained that they are neither indited condemned nor executed for their religion or for offering of them selues to die for their religion but onely for their former treasons in conspiring against the Quéene and state of the Realme no otherwise then of late time Babington and all his Complices who were condemned for their attempt to haue raised warre in the Realme and to haue murdered the Quéene and to haue set vp the Quéene of Scots all which the said Babington and all his complices voluntarily confessed and were codemned and executed onely for those their great treasons and yet diuers of them at the place of their execution did in like maner as these Priests and Iesuites vse to doe make confession of their Catholique faith with offer to die for the same and yet say our Aduersaries it ought not to be affirmed that Babington and his complices were put to death for religion but for their treasons And for further maintenance of the coloured arguments wherewith I and others my good faithfull and Catholique brethren are often troubled how to answere them it is alleaged that the great number of gentlemen gentlewomen yea some of honourable calling and of other meaner degrées are knowne manifestly to be of a contrary religion to the lawes of the Realme both néere the Court and farre of and yet they are neuer pursued by any fourme of law to put their liues in danger or questioned or imprisoned for their opinions in religion whereby to bring them in any danger Onely such as are presented or complained of by the parishioners where they dwell for neuer comming to any Church by the space of certaine moneths in a whole yeare are therof endited and afterward being called to answere thereto if they can shew no such lawfull excuse as the law hath prouided they are then condemned to pay a penaltie out of their goods and lands if they haue any and not otherwise punished nor yet by inquisition any of them examined of their faith But yet say these defenders if they shew them selues by their open déeds and facts to be reconciled from their Alleageance and obedience to the Quéene and that they will therein persist then they are therewith charged and punished according to the lawes therefore prouided These arguments in their defence I doe not repeate as allowing of thē but yet surely they do moue me some others that are wise to thinke that indéed the rashnes of diuers comming secretely into the Realme professing themselues to be Priestes many of them being both very young vnlearned and of light behauiour hath done great harme to the goodnesse of our common cause and if they and such others could haue temperately and secretly instructed the people and vsed more circumspection in their owne liuing behauiour there would haue bene a greater increase of numbers perswaded in conscience to haue ioyned with vs in our profession Whereof I am the bolder to write to you my Lord that you may conferre with our countrimen that haue accesse vnto you and that they also may deale with the Fathers

London whereby they haue obserued the countrie and the people doe speake marueilously thereof counting the same inuincible otherwise then by treason of some great partie within the Realme But whether all these spéeches which are commonly reported of them procéede from their hartes or that they speake thus to please the English because they are well vsed by them who also are easily deceiued with flattery I know not but sure I am they do thus speake dayly with outward shewe of great passions against such as haue bene perswaders to the King for this iourney Diuers of them also which are of good iudgemēt haue heard of such of the English banished men as haue bene in Spaine haue knowen some of them there as of long time Sir Francis Englefield of late the Lord Paget his brother haue curiously inquired of what power they were credit here to haue a partie They also inquired of the Earle of Westmerland although of him they confesse he is a man but of small gouernement But our Aduersaries here haue so abased these all the rest to haue bene of no credit to cary any numbers of men but by the Quéenes authoritie when they were at their best as the prisoners wonder how the king could be so deceiued to giue them pentions otherwise then for charitie because of their religion But they confesse they haue often heard in Spaine how the King was once notably deceiued when one Thomas Stukeley a priuat Englishman who fled out of Ireland for debt other lewd Actions into Spaine not being worth one peny his debts being paied but the second sonne of a meane Gentleman pretended and was beléeued in Spaine by so intitling of him selfe to be a Duke a Marquis and an Earle of Ireland and so was a long time enterteined as a man that could do great seruice against the Quéene of England vntill at length the King vnderstood his falshood and banished him out of Spaine And after repairing to Rome was by the Pope also mainteined for a time vntill he was discouered euen by some good Catholiques that could not endure the Popes holines to be so grossely mocked of whom some of the prisoners vsing mery spéeches how both the Emperour Charles and afterward this King and the Pope were so notably deceiued by this Stukeley do conclude merely that they thinke some of these English that haue thus abused the King haue followed Stukeleys steppes And in very truth I and many others haue bene very often ashamed to heare so brode spéeches of the King and of the Pope yea of the Emperour Charles whom such a companion as Stukeley was could so notably deceiue and it was the more to be marueiled how he could deceiue the King Catholique considering he was knowen to many of his Counsell at the Kings being in England to haue bene but a vaunting beggar and a Ruffian and afterwards a Pirat against the Spaniards Now my Lord Ambassadour by these my large relations of the things euil past and of the opinions of such as I haue lately dealt withall with mine owne conceit also which I doe not vainely imagine your Lordship may sée in the first part our present calamitie and miserable estate in the second part the state of this Quéene her Realme her people their mindes their strength so far contrary to the expectation of the Popes holines the King Catholique and specially of you my Lord and all others that haue bene in hand these many yeares with this Actiō as I know not what course shal or may be thought méete to take séeing it is séene by experience that by force our cause cannot be reléeued Neither will any change amend the matter when this Quéene shall end her daies as all Princes are mortall For both the vniuersalitie of the people through the Realme are so firmely and desperately bent against our religion as nothing can preuaile against their vnited forces and whosoeuer shall by right sucéede to this Crowne after the Quéene who is likely to liue as long as any King in Christendome if the Crowne should come to the King of Scots or to any other of the blood Royall as there are very many within this Realme descended both of the Royall houses of York and Lancaster there is no accompt to be made but euery one of them that now liue at this day are knowen to be as vehemently disposed to withstand the authoritie of the Pope as any of the most earnest Protestant or Heretique in the world So as to conclude after all circumstances well considered for the present I know no other way but to commit the cause to Almightie God and to all the Saints in heauen without continuall prayers and in earth to the holy Counsels of the Pope and his Cardinals with our supplications to reléeue the afflicted number of our exiled brethren and to send into the Realme discrete holy and learned men that may only in secrete maner without intermedling in matters of estate by teaching vs confirme vs in our faith and gaine with charitable instruction others that are not rooted in heresie And for reliefe of such as are forced to pay yearely great sommes of money out of their reuenue because they forbeare to come to the Church it were to be charitably considered whether there might not be some dispensation from the Popes holines for some fewe yeares to tollerate their comming to the Church without changing of their faith considering a great number do stand therein not for any thing as they say vsed in this Church that is directly contrary to Gods law but for that the Rites and praiers though they are collected out of the body of the Scripture are not allowed by the Catholique Church and the head thereof which is the Popes holines and for that cause iustly al true Catholiques accompt this Church to be schismaticall By which remedie of tolleration a great number of such as will be perpetually Catholiques might enioy their liuings and libertie and in proces of time the Catholique religion by Gods goodnesse might with more suretie be increased to the honour of God then euer it can be by any force whatsoeuer For so did all Christian religion at the first begin and spread it selfe ouer the world not by force but only by teaching and example of holines in the teachers against all humane forces And so I will end my long Letters with the sentence which King Dauid vsed foure times in one of his Psalmes Et clamauerunt ad Dominum in tribulatione eorum de angustia eorum liberauit eos And so must we make that for our foundation to lay our hope vpon for all other hopes are vaine and false At London the of August 1588. AFter that I had made an end of this my letter which I found by perusall thereof to haue bene at more length then I looked for although the matters therein conteined did draw

mine owne knowledge but I haue heard it reported when I was gréeued to thinke the same to be so true that there was through England no quarter East West North and South but all concurred in one mynde to be in readines to serue for the Realme and that some one countrie was able to make a sufficient Armie of twentie thousand men fit to fight and fiftéene thousand of them well armed weaponed and in some countries the number of fortie thousand able men The maritime Countries from Cornewall all along the Southside of England to Kent and from Kent Eastward by Essex Suffolk and Norfolk to Lincolnshire which Countries with their Hauens were well described vnto you in perfect Plots when Francis Throgmorton first did treat with your Lordship about the same were so furnished of men of warre both of themselues with resort of aide from their next shires as there was no place to be doubted for landing of any forrein forces but there were within eight and fortie houres to come to the place aboue twentie thousand fighting mē on horsebacke and on foote with field ordinance victuals pioners and cariages and all those gouerned by the principal Noble men of the Countries and reduced vnder Captaines of knowledge And one thing I heard of that was very politikely ordered and executed at this time as of many late yeares was not vsed that as the Leaders officers of the particuler Bāds were men of experience in the warres so to make the Bands strong and constant choise was made of the principall Knights of all Countries to bring their renantes to the field being men of strength landed of wealth whereby all the forces of compounded were of a resolute disposition to sticke to their Lords and Chieftaines the Chieftaines to trust to their owne tenants And to remember one strāge spéech that I heard spoken may be marueiled at but it was auowed to me for a truth that one Gentlemā in Kent had a Band of one hundred fiftie footmen which were worth in goods aboue one hundred fiftie thousand pounds sterling besides their lands such men would fight stoutely before they would haue lost their goods and by likelihood at this time many other Bands were made of such principall men both of wealth and strength Of these thinges I am sory to haue cause to write in this sort because you may see how heretofore you haue bene deceiued with aduertisemēts of many which had no proofe to know the truth thereof and so I confesse my selfe in some thinges to haue erred namely in imagining that whēsoeuer any forreine power should be séene ready to land in any part of this Realme there would haue bene found but a small number resolute to withstand the same or to defend the Quéene but that the same would haue bene very vnable for the warres vntrained raw and ignorant in all warlike actions without sufficient armour and weapons and that also the Noble men and Gentlemē that were in this Realme of our Religion whereof you know we made accōpt when you were here in England of very many although many of thē be dead since that time but at this time there are not so many tens as we accompted hundreds whom we thought would haue shewed them selues like men of courage for our common cause and would haue sodenly surprised the houses families and strength of the heretiques and aduersaries But now such is our calamitie that it hath pleased God as I thinke for our sinnes or els for confounding of our bold opinions and presumptions of our owne strength to put in the hearts of all persons here one like mynde courage to withstand the intended Inuasion as well in such as we accompted Catholiques as also in the Heretiques so as it hath appeared manifestly that for all earnest procéeding for arming and for contributions of money and for all other warlike actions there was no difference to be séene betwixt the Catholique and the heretique But in this case to withstand the threatned conquest yea to defend the person of the Quéene there appeared such a sympathie concourse and consent of all sortes of persons without respect of Religion as they all appeared to be ready to fight against all strangers as it were with one heart and one body And though some few principall Gentlemen of whom heretofore you haue had the names in such Catalogues of Catholiques as you haue bene acquainted withall werelately vpon the report of the comming out of the Armie to the seas sent to the Isle of Ely there to remaine restrained of their former libertie during the expectation of this intended Inuasion yet it hath appeared that they were not so restrained for any doubt that they would with their powers haue assisted our Army but onely thereby to make it knowen to all our friends and countrimen in Spaine and Flaunders yea euen to your selfe for so I heard it spoken as accompting you to haue bene the most principall Author and perswader of this action that there should be no hope to haue any of them or of their fréends to assist these great Armies And in very truth I see now whosoeuer of our fréends in Spaine or in Flaunders or els where made any such accompt of any aide against the Quéene or against her partie here they should haue bene deceaued if the Army had offered to haue landed For I my selfe haue heard that the best of those that were sent to Elie did make offers yea by their letters to the Counsell here signed with their hands that they would aduenture their liues in defence of the Quéene whom they named their vndoubted Soueraigne Lady and Queene against all forrein forces though the same were sent from the Pope or by his commandement Yea diuers of them did offer that in this quarell of inuading of the Realme with strangers they would present their owne bodies in the formost rankes with their countrie men against all strangers Whereupon I heard also by a secrete friende of mine in the Court that it was once in some towardnes of resolution amongst the Counsellers that they should haue bene returned and put to their former libertie But the heate of the warre being kindled with the knowledge of the Kings Armada being at that time come to the Groigne and the Duke of Parmas readines with so great an Armie and shipping in Flaunders daily looked for to land in England yea to come to London and a generall murmur of the people against all such Recusants of reputation was the cause of the staying of these Gentlemen at Elie notwithstanding their offers of their seruice to the Quéene and so they doe remaine in the Bishops pallace there with fruition of large walkes about the same altogether without any imprisonment other then that they are not suffred to depart into the towne or countrey and yet for their religion I thinke surely they doe and will remaine