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
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
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
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
of his former strength And considering also the honour the Kings of England had got by the conquest of France the strong emulation of those two Neighbour Nations being both of them enuious of one anothers reputation and greatnesse the English being euer fortunate in those French quarrells and the French most desirous to suppresse the growing reputation of the English And therefore it may seeme at this time was offered an occasion to the French to recouer their reputation in Armes and to repossesse those places which the English then held in France yet for all these occasions so fortunate was the King and his people as no mis-fortune at that time did disaduantage our Nation God protecting it against the euill and beyond the expectation of all men 19. And lastly the King sending his Embassadours to all Christian Princes to giue them satisfaction for that he had done was a care very Princely and Christian for by this he preuented the many slanderous constructions that otherwise would haue censured him he himselfe by his Embassadours declaring the true purpose of his enterprize And this was a demonstration that the king reputed such whom he desired to satisfie as his kingly Brethren and that all of them being powers immediately vnder God in their owne Christian Kingdomes it was reason he should giue them a Christian satisfaction that he proceeded not in these diffrences without the perswasion of Learned and Religious iudgement neither was it euill order in the King to haue first effected what he ment and then to satisfie opinion For if hee had sent for their aduise before hee had attempted it he had then lost the honour of the enterprise and had either tied himselfe to the pleasures of other men or else haue opposed against them all the first had bene dishonorable the other very dangerous CHAP. IX In what State King Henrie left his Kingdomes to the next Defendor of the Faith King Edward the Sixth FIRST it may seeme strange to him that shall reade this Historie to consider the state of Religion in this last time of King Henries Reigne Religion lying then as it were in equall ballance inclinable to be sweighed according as shall please the next succeding Prince to fauour it For as yet Religion was not reformed but onely a preparation made for reformation the King hauing taken from the Pope his Supremacie and his vniuersall authority but not the number of his idle ceremonies insomuch as the Pope may be said to haue his head then broken in loosing his authority but his taile yet vnperisht reteining still the number of his fabulous obseruances And if I were demanded what was the Religion then profest in England I could not giue it name being no better then a Farrago or a Religion compounded of many diuers the State being yet vnsetled and but mouing to a reformation for both that of the Papist and this of the Protestant indured like extremities Secondly And the reason was because the lawes then in force were occasioned by men diuers in opinion yet neere in the greatnesse of place either part persecuting or prosecuting according to their seuerall affections So that men zealous in any profession of Religion were in danger of Law and such onely secure that made their conscience yeeld to generall practise and opinion whereby the best and most conscionable had least fauour in the iudgement of those lawes whereby the Common-Wealth did often lose her most vsefull members to the detriment of State and against all aduice both of pollicie and pietie Thirdly For that the King was of himselfe otherwise inclined may appeare both by the testimonie of them neere his person as also by the witnesse of his owne words as in particuler to Bruno Embassadour from Iohn Fredericke Duke of Saxonie to whom imploring his aide against the Emperour hee answered that if the quarrell betweene him and the Emperor were onely for Religion he should then stand to it stoutly and hee would in that quarrell take his part Fourthly It may appeare also by the kings dislike of such men as had withheld his forwardnesse to reforme as in speciall Stephen Gardiner whom the king now found to contriue against him and to haue haled him on to those ends he most disliked And therfore the King before his death did withdraw his fauour from him And howsoeuer he forgaue him the forfeit of his life yet did hee for euer after discountenance him causing his name to bee rased out of the number of Executors to whose trust hee had commend the execution of his last will Besides the repentance and sorrow the King made for the Lord Cromwells death whom he had found so faithfull and fit for this businesse as neuer any Prince was better furnished the King finding the want of so choice an instrument would often in griefe of words say hee wanted his Cromwell in so needfull a businesse as he had vndertaken Fifthly And therefore assuredly the king had good affection to reforme the enormious abuses of the Church and to haue purged it from all Idolatrous seruice But God reseruing that for the honour of Prince Edward the next Defendor accepted of the Kings good purpose And that God who gaue him will to desire well and his sonne the honour to finish well gaue them both we trust his grace to die well to breath their soules into his hands of mercie And in these tearmes did the king leaue the state to the next Defendor his Princely Sonne a state full of storme and great businesse hauing entred so farre into an honourable passage as that the Prince who was to inherit his Fathers cares could not in the termes of honour but second the most honourable attempt of his Father Sixthly It may bee demanded now whether King Henrie according to his new stile did defend the Catholike Faith or not and in what particulars he best defended it For it may be obiected that the King not hauing reformed Religion but only in some few particulars hath not merited the honour of his stile because the Catholike Faith was not so defended in his time and in his kingdome but it indured much affliction To this I answer that howsoeuer the king did faile in the maine execution of his office yet cōsidering the greatnes of his attempt he hath wel deserued euerlasting memorie to be recorded the first Christian king Defendor of the Faith the first that with honour victory dated to oppose himself against the spiritual power of the Popes if we consider the danger of his attempt we shall finde it an act of great spirit consequence and such as may worthily compare with the deeds of antient Romanes which were of most admiration and wonder Seuenthly And in these two particulars hath he principally defended the Catholike Faith First in taking from the enemie of Faith authority
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
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
who so soone as euer he could moue was moued by the Spirit of grace to holy and good purposes The best proofe of this was his Princely care for Religion wherin at all times he approued himselfe both industrious and resolute and wherein he fortunately trauelled with much prosperity and honour The demonstration whereof is now visible in the face of Scotland that kingdome being by his Maiesties happy gouernment reduced to the first Christian Faith and to a better forme of Common-wealth than formerly it had The Church there being reformed and purged from popish Idolatrie which had profaned both that and all other Christian Kingdomes Secondly and in this the King deserued euerlasting memory and praise that he was the first Christian King in that Kingdome whose care gaue end to that miserie and by whom that Church had the truth of the Catholike Faith practised publikely and with the warrant of lawfull authority professed In which holy businesse the King was verie fortunate and for which God did make him fortunate in the passage of his Princely life assisting him in his lawfull attempts and confounding the wicked practises of bad men who banded against his Maiestie to destroy him And therefore before his Maiestie had the title of Defendor of the Catholike Faith did he faithfully defend it and aduised and enioyned his Princely Sonne Prince Henrie to defend it And thus did God prepare the Kings Maiestie and the Prince for the purpose of this holy businesse and by exercising them for the defence of Faith in the kingdome of Scotland to fit them for the like care in England wherein the King most gratiously begunne his gouernment and ended it and wherein we trust that his Sonne our gratious Souereigne that now is and his royall seed for euer shall in these kingdomes defend the most true most antient and most Catholike Faith Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST it is in vaine to indeauour things wherein God is opposite for no power can alter the purpose of his prouidence This hath instance in the Fortunes of these two kingdomes England and Scotland who haue euer laboured their seueral extremities to be vnited the which when Pollitie and the wisedome of State could not doe God without these meanes gaue it successe and in an instant bound these disagreeing nations in the bonds of vnseparable concord Secondly the King by publishing in print his opinion of Religion and his directions for Christian gouernement did thereby much confirme the hopes and hearts of the better part of our English people For it must needs be that if the contrarie faction the Papist did not withstanding this declaration of his Maiesties presume much vpon fauour at his entrance this presumption would in all likely-hood haue proued a practise and therefore was this Publike satisfaction a Religious pollicie that did both arme his friends and disarme his enemies Thirdly It is necessary many times to a mans Morrall reputation to maintaine his integrity by Apollogies and publike protestations For if the person be eminent and of publike Note his good or euill name will be likewise generall CHAP. XXXIIII In what particulers King IAMES our Souereigne that was principally defended the Faith FIRST It is often true that the alteration of the Prince is a cause that the State is likewise altered and that those things which formerly in the gouernement had great authority become not only neglected but also punishable and in great contempt And this though it bee not true in generall instance yet in euery change of a Prince it is either hoped of the bad or feared of the better sort of people Wee had particuler witnesse of that in our happie alteration happie because nothing but the very person of the Prince was altered the gouernement remained in like degrees of happines wherein Queene Elizabeth to her honourable renowne nowne left it yet then were there many euill and discontented persons who could hopefully perswade themselues that the opportunity was then offered which they expected and that the time serued to reintegrate them into fauour and to bring their cause vnder the safetie of the kings protection And though in respect of the Kings particuler there was little or no ground for any such hope his Maiestie hauing before hand declared himselfe in print how in the case of Religion he was resolued yet was there a generall hope in that contrarie faction whereby they imagined somewhat would be done if not to their absolute content yet to their great ease and to the lightning the burthen of their afflictions which in the Queenes time they worthily indured Secondly But that which is more strange and worthie of note that not onely the Papists had this hopefull imagination but their opposites also whom men commonly call Puritans had the like conceiuing they hoping their cause should finde such large allowance of fauour with the King that they and their opinion onely should haue the countenance and warrant of the Kings protection And that both the Papist and the regular Protestant should be iudged vnusefull and of necessity to bee excluded from the Catholike Church Thirdly And howsoeuer the successe of this came short of common expectation yet was this of much more likelihood then the other both because their controuersie was not for the matter of Religion but for order and for the manner of Ceremonie and circumstance onely and also because the gouernment of the Church of Scotland had neere resemblance with that which they desired whereby the King might the better or rather be induced to giue them and their request friendly intertainment Yet notwithstanding al these likelihoods and the hopes of either partie did the King incline to neither his Maiestie finding the Church of England as it was established to be the meane and vertue betweene these two extremities and that their desires were not for the peace and aduancement of the Catholike Faith according as both of them pretended and that these oppositions were either to be reconciled and so made friends or else opposed as enemies Fourthly And this may worthily seeme strange that these two irreconcileable opinions that of the Papist and this of the Puritane should both of them at one time expect supportation from one and the same Prince and from such a Prince as had before declared himselfe not to fauour them that these who neuer consent in any little resemblance should thus conspire and hope in one particular person And the reason was the seuerall perswations they had of the truth of their cause wherein the maintainers of both opinions could receiue speciall satisfaction in themselues and hopefully belieue to worke the King to that acknowledgement of truth wherein they themselues were resolued and wherein they thought was sufficient reason to satisfie or perswade any man Besides they might peraduenture frame speciall arguments of hope to giue them incouragement in hopefull
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
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
the Faith the King imagining he could not secure to his posterity the continuance of his Supremacie where his enemy the Pope was so strong both by the number and by the worth of these Religious houses and therefore it is thought the King did suppresse them in Pollicy making that his owne strength which he found to strength his enemy And this howsoeuer hath a likely-hood being neere the Kings disposition yet I verily thinke the King would not for any pollitique regard haue brought a generall destruction vpon that State which then was held Religious But rather vnderstanding by his Visitors the great disorder and vngodlinesse of men and women in those places professing Religion did in the care of conscience scatter their assemblies ruine their houses and iustly seaze that to his vse which they with so much impietie had abused Fifthly Vpon this consideration did the King outtrude the Rabble of Monkes Nunnes and Fryers and seaze their possessions finding that their large allowance of wealth and easie life was cause of their wanton and wicked trade of liuing and that prayer and the exercise of true Deuotion whereto they were dedicate was not that whereunto they imployed the large beneuolence of their Benefactors They vsing onely the formes of some superstitious prayers and a formality in their attire wherein they obserued a precise order being in the maine carriage of their liues of all people most disorderly To reforme which was not onely necessary for the truth of holy Religion but very conuenient for the better gouernement of the Common-Wealth the State receiuing great detriment by allowing so largely to those lazie and vnprofitable members and the Church great scandalls by their vngodly and heathenish liues To reforme this then was an Act in the King very gratious tending directly for the good of both states whereby he gaue proofe that God and not the Pope made speciall choice of him and his Successors to defend the most True Ancient and Apostolike Faith Sixthly Yet here it may be doubted whether the King did better in the vtter extirpation of these men their order and houses or if he had reformed onely the abuse and left their places and possessions to others of better life and professing the truth of holy Religion whereby the euil might haue bene taken away onely leauing their maintenance to be imployed in holy and Religious vses especially considering that the want in the Protestants Religion is the want of maintenance whereby many well deseruing Schollers liue in the penurie of life vnsupported which by this meanes might abundantly haue bene supplied Seuenthly To this doubt many in their seuerall opinions diuersly answer some that the standing still of their houses in the former condition of a corporation was dangerous least vpon euery alteration of the Prince the dispossessed might againe reenter whereby the latter condition might proue worse then the former And this reason were good if there might not haue bene assurance to haue secured them from all danger of repossessing the which no doubt might haue bene done if the prouidence of the State had regarded it Eighthly Others thinke the King too seuere in this his manner of correction supposing it had beene enough for him to correct but not to destroy to reforme the abuse not vtterly to haue subuerted both the abusers and the places abused and that his conuerting their wealth to his owne priuate benefit was an argument that he did this not in zeale to reforme their abuses but rather to interest himselfe into that abundance of wealth they then possessed following herein the example of Cardinall VVolsey who in the yeare 1525 obtained license to suppresse certaine Religious houses to furnish him towards the building of his two Colledges at Oxford and Ipswich the which Colledges beeing founded vpon this false ground neuer had the good fortune to bee finished but perished in their Birth Ninthly And I verily beleeue that howsoeuer the King had a further respect then to inherit their wealth yet was there both that and many other by occasions strong inducements to moue him to this seuerity in punishing And herein the King may be was and is in the person of the Pope an ambitious desire of vniuersality of Empire with vniuersall neglect and hatred Thirdly Vngodly practise hath not alwaies euill successe if we respect the present but if wee respect euents further of they are euer euill and certaine in their destruction Fourthly to dissemble our intents with faire pretence is a principle in pollicie which I commend not but remember onely For though no man bee bound at all times and in euery cause to declare himselfe in direct euidence yet doth it much aduance the honour of a Prince to be square in all without difference or disproportion Fifthly In a generall cause it is necessary to be generally respectiue and not to conferre that vpon one which with satisfaction may be giuen to manie Therefore was it good Pollicie in the King to distribute the possessions of the Abbeyes he supprest to many of principall authority in the State For it is wisedome to satisfie their offence that haue authority rather then such as want it Sixthly It was the wisedome of the best morall Philosophers not to place felicity in Fortune because of vncertainties for hee is onely happie that cannot be miserable CHAP. VI. Of King Henries remisse and colde proceeding in the worke of reformation FIRST there is nothing in the Earth more certaine then the vncertainty of al earthly things For Man one of the best of Gods Creatures in respect of the excellencie of his reasonable soule doth so often times change the condition of his life as if he were not of that excellencie nor had not that power of Iudgement and vnderstanding which he hath And this is Gods worke in the depth of his wisedome to whom onely all things are certaine and with whom there is no shadow of change God reseruing to himselfe the secrets of those things whereof his will is we shall be ignorant imparting onely so much to vs his creatures as may serue for the worke of his seruice he himselfe still guiding vs by his hand of prouidence to those ends whereto his decree hath ordained vs. And by this doth God giue vs a demonstration of his power and our weakenesse of his power in being most certaine in all those things which to vs are casuall and of our weakenesse because we are like the ayre we breath carryed whithersoeuer it shall please the winde to moue vs. Secondly The truth of this may appeare in the Kings particular who notwithstanding the greatnes of his spirit and the honorable attempt he had made in the cause of Religion whereby he had runne himselfe so farre in the trauells of that businesse as that he could not well retyre without dishonorable shame the expectation of Christendome seeming to depend much vpon the Kings continuance in that course yet
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
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
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
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
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
dutifull obedience not reaching to the life of any of the Queenes Subiects for their opinion of Religion onely insomuch as the most resolute Papist were he assured in the dutie of his allegiance and not guiltie of any treasonable practise was not vrged by torture or extremities to abiure his opinion and Faith of Religion but might continue himselfe in safety vnder the assured protection of the Q. her mercifull lawes it being the purpose of the Q. and state to reclaime the disobedience of her subiects in respect of Religion by faire and not by forcible meanes and to effect that by the gratious meanes of mercy which the Pope others lesse merciful haue attempted by the violent meanes of Blood fire and Persecution Ninthly It is therefore mallice a verie slander to the Q. princely name that Gods enemies hers doe report her a persecutor of Gods Saints that her lawes were bloody tyrannous that many of that Religiō whom they call Saints haue in this kingdome suffered Martyrdome for the witnes of their conscience onely their being no one particular person I think in all the Q time that can truly be said thus to suffer death but either as actors or abettors of Treason the lawes hauing no authority to iudge them otherwise For though by the law they were rebellious and disobedient Subiects that would not cōforme themselues to the reformed Religion then established though by the Law they indured some easie punishment to make a difference betweene the dutifull vndutifull Subiects yet there was no Law so strict as to giue the sentence of death to any offending onely in Recusancie neither was there any law before this occasion of the Popes Bull to make any the professors of that Religion traytors vnlesse they were actors or abettors of conspiracie or treason in which cases the Protestants themselues were iudged with like seuerity Tenthly And vnles the prouidence of the state would haue slept and bene regardlesse of the Q. the state and state of Religion there could not haue bene lesse done thē was done for the security of al the purpose of the state being onely to preuent and not to reuenge the iniuries of the Pope and his adherents Eleuenthly It is wonder then the Papist should condemne that in our state for seuerity which in their own states is a mercie neuer practised for with them the least suspition to fauour or affect the Protestant Religion is persecuted with much seuerity let a man in other respects be neuer so deseruing or his place birth neuer so eminent if once he be conuict to be a Protestant it is assured death it is strange then they iudge vs persecutors when our iustice hath lesse seueritie then their mercy we but easily correcting that offence which they punish with death and they seuerely punishing that which we most easily pardon Twelfthly For how many with vs dare and doe fauour those dangerous instruments of state and how commonly dare men discouer their superstitious affections in common conference and often with earnest reasonings defending and damning according to their appetites whereas with them euery little circumstance is quarrelsome and presumptions many times are most seuerely punished 13. And this seuerity in them is assuredly verie considerable for their Pollitique State of Religion being one maine prop whereupon they repose their greatnesse for it is verie necessarie for them to vse all their forceable violence to suppresse that truth which in despight of violence like the palme will sprout and prosper vnder their grieuous oppressions And considering how the Protestant Religion notwithstanding their oppressing it hath spread it selfe into verie spatious limits they may well vnderstand how much more it should haue flourished if by their violent hinderances it had not bene letted in his prosperous growth But this bloody pollicie of theirs was not answerable to piety and holy reason for so could the wise Gamaliell teach them who withstood the bloody counsell of the Iewes who would haue persecuted the holy Apostles withall seueritie with this perswasion that if their cause were not good that then GOD would be enemie vnto it and so of it selfe it would fall and if it were good it would bee in vaine to resist it because GOD would support it against all resistance 14. The mercie of our English Lawes then in matters concerning Religion onely is an assured demonstration that our Prince our State and our Religion is mercifull and these demonstrations of mercie are no weake proofes that our Religion is most Catholike and Christian most Catholike because of conformity to the Primitiue Church and most Christian because the exercise of mercie is the best imitation of Christ himselfe the Lord and true patterne of the Catholike and true Christian beleeuer And therefore the Queene and the Parliament were both mercifull and prouident in concluding these statutes the which by no other cause but by the Papists themselues were occasioned 15. The purpose of the Statutes was this principally first to prohibit the bringing ouer of Bulls or interdictions from the Pope Secondly to restraine the Runnawaies and Trauellers beyond the Seas without license and to prohibit Iesuits and reconsiled Papists from returning into the Queenes Dominions vnlesse vpon their returne they would submit to such as by the State were authorized to that purpose Now how needfull it was for the Church and State of England to haue this prouidence for their security and peace I purpose in the next Chapter verie briefly to discouer Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST Such are onely and alwaies to be opposed as enemies to a Christian State as are so iudged by the sentence of Gods Word For seeing Christ who is the Word of his Father is our Generall in all spirituall conflicts we must onely and alwaies fight his battailes by his direction Secondly To restraine disorder and disobedience in subiects the State doth vsually resort to the wisedome of a Parliament for though the King by his Proclemations may command or restraine his Subiects he being that one particular in whose person the whole authority of the State consisteth yet doe Parliament Statutes the rather satisfie because they proceed both from the Kings authority and from the generall wisedome of the Kingdome Thirdly There is no man can liue in that indifferencie of fauour withall but that hee shall haue cause to make distinction of friend and enemie or if he be free from all enmity yet he shall finde difference in his friends and therefore he must distinguish them CHAP. XXVII Of what importance the Statutes in the 13. of the Queene were in respect of the Church and State FIRST In respect of the Church were they most important for the which they were principally enacted they did also much import the State because the prosperity of the Common-Wealth doth by a necessarie consequence
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