it most assured whose interest is beleeued before he inherit because that breeds a generall regard in the hearts of all men and preuenteth the mischiefe which otherwise might happen by conspirators And in this was our English Nation most happie in hauing this Princely Sonne King Edward not onely to succeed his Father in the rule of his kingdome but also to exceed him much in Religion and holy life Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST Procreation and to deriue posterity is one cause in the ordinance of Marriage for therefore hath God placed that desire in our Flesh so pronely because the generations of our kinde should not faile but he continued both in number and quallitie to maintaine the Truths of Gods Decree Secondly None can deriue any thing from their Parent but what their Parents haue Naturally Therefore is there often much difference in the quallities of Father and Sonne because our Parents giue vs our Nature as it is but God as hee will please to haue it Thirdly It was euer hazardous and will be to the prosperity and saftie of the State when the Prince is childlesse or doth want one certaine knowne vndoubted heyre because when there is not a certainty of lawful Succession there is iust occasion to feare vnlawfull intrusion Fourthly Men generally are better content to giue the respects due to soueraigntie to a Prince deriued and home borne than to one that doth attaine soueraignty either by suffrage or conquest because though there be a necessity of duty in both yet the one is voluntary the other violent Fifthly Some Philosophers haue thought it better to adopt children than beget them because it is in our power to chuse the vertuous but not to forget them Sixthly It hath bene thought a shame to die childlesse because he that hath one leaueth a part of himself or at least the Image of all CHAP. XIII Of King Edwards defending the Catholike Faith and wherein hee chiefly defended it FIRST it is not possible I should relate at full the worthinesse of this Sonne of Grace and princely Defendor King Edward he deseruing by much a more honorable rememberance then the tract of this Historie can giue So large is he in his goodnesse as therin he hath done more then many his predecessors and hath best deserued euerlasting memorie and to haue his name liue in the Ranke of the best Christian Princes that euer were so rare were the gifts of God in him that hee seemed to aspire no other end but holinesse and so modest in his zeale as no marke of violence could euer bee discerned in him abhorring the effusion of all blood euen of that of his enemies insomuch that I may report with confidence that in his royall person mercie truth were met and that righteousnesse and peace did kisse each other and to conclude his praise I belieue him to haue deserued a greater commendation then this I giue him Secondly And to consider the particulars whereby the King hath principally deserued his new Stile of Defendor of the Faith First he no sooner had authority but he applied it to this holy end beginning this care with his Empire and with the inheritance of his kingdome tooke vpon him the protection of Faith and holy worship as if he regarded not his kingly office but onely to bee the better able to serue these heauenly occasions whereto in his resolution he was onely deuoted Thirdly And therfore at his first entrance into his soueraignty did he publish himselfe to the world and declared what men should expect from him and how he was in the case of Religion affected whereupon hee made protestation to defend what the King his Father had done in degrading the Pope from his Supremacie and in scattering the wicked fraternities of Fryers and Religious men women falsly professing Religion in which two particulars onely K. Henrie may seeme to haue defended the Catholike Faith And therefore in giuing allowance to his Fathers act he hath well merited to share in the honour of the deede and this his approuing what was wel done may be said to be his first good deed and therefore doe I ranke it for the first holy act of King Edward whereby he hath deserued to bee stiled Defendor of the most Catholike Faith Fourthly This honourable beginning of King Edward was not interrupted by euill meanes as was that of King Henrie his Father neither did he retire himselfe from the pursuite of an enterprize so honourable but with a holy resolution went on in the trauell of so needfull a businesse resoluing with a Christian purpose to finish what his Father had so hopefully begunne so strong was he in his desire to reforme Religion as that all his other indeauours were but seruants to that only end directed wherein he vsed such endeauour as was very admirable in his yeares and might well witnesse how much he was in the fauour of God who gaue him such rare induments in so plentifull a manner whereby hee was extraordinarily fitted for the office of his great place and for the defence of the Catholike Faith whereof he was made a patron Fifthly And this defence the king vndertooke not as a practise of state whereby to inlarge his particular in any earthly regard but hee was led thereto onely by his zeale and the perswasion of his conscience who finding by that iudgement God had giuen him how much the face of Religion was become deformed by superstition and grosse seruice and being moued by the Spirit of God to vndertake a reformation would not by disobedience resist that power that both made him and did mooue him to that purpose And therefore with the best spirit of a Christian Prince he did not onely second his Fathers honourable attempting but far outstript him in that most honourable course of Reformation his whole life being no other then the practise of his holy care regarding nothing that did not regard the aduancement thereof and gladly giuing his assent to whatsoeuer might further it Sixthly But that wherein he hath principally defended the Catholike Faith and exceeded all other Princes in his holy care was the vtter extirping of Papacie from his dominions denying the warrant of his authority for the publike exercise thereof exchanging falshood for Truth and confusion for Order reformed Religion which by long custome and euill practise was deformed And this he did with such orderly assent in Parliament they establishing what the kings Prerogatiue had commanded the King and the State ioyntly agreeing vpon an vniforme order of common prayer inioyning al obedient Subiects to the exercise thereof and denouncing such for disobedient and rebellious as should dare to vse the forbidden Ceremonies of Poperie or any other forme diuers from that which had authority from the King and Parliament the king and the State well vnderstanding that the verity of Religion
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 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
affecting them more then the Lord of them nor applying them to any other end then holines for which all things were created most happie are they who for the honour of their God and for the testimonie of his truth haue forsaken the pleasures of this transitory life and haue giuen themselues a sacrifice to God for so to die is to enioy immortality and perpetuall rest CHAP. XVI Of King Edwards Death and how hee left the State to the next Successor FIRST it were foolish and vaine for any man to desire to know the secrets of Gods will because no man can vnderstand more of Gods secret than he himselfe shall please to reueale and therefore is mans knowledge limited being able onely to iudgâ— by reason and consequence whereas Gods diuine workes exceed the iudgement of sence being not contrary but aboue the reach of reason And from this cause is it that men commonly offend in their false constructions iudging of Gods worke grosly according to humane vnderstanding and not considering his wisedome and power by whose prouidence all things are directed For in Gods matters Christians must beleeue when they cannot iudge and it is sufficient argument to conclude the goodnesse of any worke when wee know that God is the Author for those things which to a naturall man seeme strange to a reformed iudgement appeare much otherwise and there is nothing be it neuer so euill in mans iudgement but God can make it serue for the worke of his glory he being able to make the euills of men respect an end beyond their expectations and in that wherein we iudge our selues most miserable can he make vs most happie Secondly And for particular instance we may consider K. Edward whom God elected from among many thousands for the work of his glory hauing defended the Catholike Faith with a resolution most zealous constant yet notwithstanding in the growth of his prosperity did God take him from the world and depriue the Children of faith of their Patron and princely Defendor whereby in common iudgement God may seeme to be offended with his owne and to leaue his Saints vndefended to the stroake of persecution from which this holy King had defended them But thus to iudge of God were wicked and false because we see the Gospell by that interruption did spread it self with much more generall acceptation the blood of holy Martyrs being a holy seed whereby the Church spread into a large generation and who knoweth but God to manifest to all the world the faith and obedience of his holy Saints in the Church of England suffered this persecution for the glory of their memorie for a demonstration to all men what numbers of true Catholike Christians had flourished vnder the protection of King Edward their Patrone and princely Defendor The Saints hereby exchanging their mortall variable life for eternity perpetuall rest their deaths begetting the liues of many holy men like them whereby the number of Gods seruants was much augmented to the glory of God and prosperity of his Church And therefore let no man condemne the worke of Gods prouidence but yeeld his obedience to the good pleasure of God and let him know that God is mercifull euen in his iudgements and that hee can make that which doth seeme to threaten vs most to be the Ladder whereby we may ascend the highest of all preferments the fauour of God and the fellowship of his holy Saints Thirdly King Edward being dead the state grew verie stormie and full of greate businesse the cause being who should succeed the King in which controuersie the kingdome was deuided the greatest part of the Counsell and the Nobility proclaiming Lady Iane Daughter to the Duke of Suffolke whose Mother was Daughter to Mary King Henries Sister first married to the French King and after to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke But the greatest part of the Commons and some of the Nobility adhering to Lady Mary eldest Daughter to King Henrie the Eighth by his first wife Queene Katherine of Spaine and this occasion was the trouble and death of many honourable and worthy personages For whether King Edward of his owne election or wrought by the perswasion of others I know not had by his last Will and Testament interested the Ladie Iane to the inheritance of his kingdomes for this cause as was pretended that the State might still continue the profession of the Protestant Religion which could not be hoped in the gouernement of Queene Mary But howsoeuer the King did thus bequeath his kingdomes it is very likely hee was drawne thereto by perswasion of his nobles especially of the two Dukes Northumberland and Suffolke because hereby the inheritance was conueyghed to their issue to whom in right it did not belong neither is it likely the King of his owne motion would haue disinherited his owne Legitimate sisters to interest one further off And if Religion was the cause why was not choise rather made of Queene Elizabeâ—h then Lady Iane Shee being by much neerer in the degrees of blood and altogether as assured in the Protestant Religion And therefore certainely the King was moued by others to offer this iniurie to his neerest blood Fourthly And if the question be demanded whether in this case it was lawfull for the King to translate the inheritance of his kingdomes I answer that howsoeuer the pretence is faire and good yet was the practise euill because wrong was offered and those ends are neuer good the which are compassed by euill meanes and to translate inheritance where it ought not is to contradict Gods prouidence by whose wisedome all things are ordered And therfore no doubt this offence of those Dukes and their confederates conspiring with them this vnlawfull end was the cause that God did suffer the power of their enemies to preuaile to their destruction For God is the Father of Truth and the God of Iustice neither would he that men should attempt to alter the course of his prouidence or by any violent and euill meanes pursue an end be it neuer so Religious and holy For good men must vse onely good meanes to reach good ends And therefore this practise of these Dukes in the iudgement of Religion was not good notwithstanding in state practise it hath example and may seeme allowable Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST there is no pretence how faire soeuer can giue authority and strength to vnlawfull actions For God who is all-sufficient and who hath decreed all good things hath likewise deuised all good meanes to compasse them therefore euery good worke doth consist of lawfull matter and forme for no euill thing can bee well done neither can any good thing bee done euilly Secondly When God by death doth preuent the hopes that are had of a vertuous Prince it doth not argue against the worthinesse of the Prince
and dangerous to the States of Kingdomes and great States in the politike practise wherof they are much more learned then in the iudgement of Diuinitie and Christian Religion Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST Religion doth not deny her speciall Ministers the Clergy the knowledge of the very secrets of Policie or rather the Church in these times hath a necessity that doth require such knowledge because there are many enemies that present themselues against the peace and prosperitie of the Church which could not be resisted with victorie but by more then common discretion yet it is one thing to know and preuent and another to trauell in vnlawfull Politique designes Secondly The Romane State doth support the body of her greatnes vpon this particular Policie that by her Priests and Iesuites she can discouer all States This in the discretion of State is such a strength as that she might be thought inuincible but that God doth fight against her Thirdly hee that intrudes himselfe into such businesse wherein both his profession and his particular cause would make him a stranger is iniurious to himselfe and others to himselfe because hee must neglect his owne particular to others because he doth vndertake that cause wherein he is or should be ignorant CHAP. XXVIII Of the Christian care Queene ELIZABETH had to defend certaine Christian Princes and their STATES FIRST it is euerie ones care to prouide for themselues and to labour the aduancement of their own prosperous fortunes but few there be who care for other men or that labour in the trauell of other mens affaires And among all the sorts of men these few are the best for by this demonstration of Charitie they approue themselues to bee good men and Christians good men by the Law of Nature and good Christians by the Law of grace This Charitable communicating of giftes and benefits being commanded and commended before all earthly regards And therefore he that with true Christian respect loueth his neighbour keepeth halfe the Law and he that loueth God keepeth it all yet he that made this Lawe could thus expound it that no man can obserue all the Lawe vnlesse he first obserue the halfe neither can any man giue God his dutie who first will not giue his Loue to his Neighbour which is not giuen vnlesse wee declare it in our exercise of such charitable offices as we haue power to doe and as the necessities of our Christian brethren may require them Secondly and this is the dutie of euerie Christian man of what estate soeuer it is also the dutie of euerie Christian kingdome to support one another in their iust quarrels and to communicate to each other their generall commodities And howsoeuer in many states of Christian name this strictnesse of conscience is not regarded yet in the best it is and in all it ought to be for the puritie of Christian Religion is of that excellent purenesse that no staine can be in the vse thereof without dishonourable imputation And we all know that in the practise of heathenish and barbarous Common-Wealths are many things very commendable which in a Christian State would appeare most odious because in those States they respect greatnesse only and there any thing is allowable that may helpe them forward But where goodnesse and vertuous name is desired there men neglect the offer of all euill occasions and embrace that onely for lawfull and good which in the iudgement of good conscience is approued lawfull and good Thirdly And in these heauenly respects of Christian commiseration we haue good cause and so haue many Princes in Christendome to remember Queene Elizabeth most mercifull and compassionate who did euer entertaine the extremities of distressed Christian Princes and whose hands were euer armed with valour and victory to support them in their kingly reputations to defend them from the iniuries of their ambitious powerful enemies But because the number of her princely deseruings in this kinde were many and to report them would require large circumstance I will therefore make choise onely of some particulars of best memorie and of most importance such as being knowne may reduce to memorie the glory and greatnesse of the Queenes actions And the honour which the name of England hath got in being gouerned by a Ladie of so matchlesse a reputation Fourthly And as that neerest to vs in respect of weighty consequence I remember Scotland first a kingdome which before her time neuer stood assured to the fauour of England but what by reason of their naturall discord and because of the combination betweene the kingdome of France and it that nation hath euer bene suspected of ours and we of them and therefore both of vs haue euer commonly stood in the tearmes of lealousie and both our Nations haue had regardful eye to the proceeding of each other yet with such wisedome could those times order their affaires of State as that these their disagreements were not hazerdous to the fortunes of either kingdomes but continued for respects of Pollicie insomuch as the Warres of Scotland with vs were rather emulations than VVarres and ours with them were rather for manly exercise than any desire to subuert or vtterly ouerthrow the bodie of that State And in truth it cannot be imagined two Nations so neere as they are how euer made friends by allyance or other friendly entertainements could liue without giuing of offence to one another nor without many spitefull and hot contentions these two Kingdomes in one Isle being like two wiues in one house vnder one and the same husband euer being in ciuill displeasure for superiority neither could these displeasures be euer ended but as God hath done it making of these two Nations one Monarch the which like one wife without competitor he hath wedded to one husband the Kings Maiestie that last was and to his posterity for euer by whom the emulation strife of these euer disagreeing natiōs is for euer compounded Fifthly In the glory of which deed Queene Elizabeth hath a greater part than any Prince in the world because in her life time she did so much in that Kingdome for the safetie of the King and that State as might well declare both her power and her princely care for that Christian Prince and his Kingdome defending her Kingly Sonne our Kings Maiestie in the right of his Kingdome and in the truth of his Christian Religion against all the enemies of his life and State and therefore hath shee the greater glory in defending a Christian King and his Nation in their best quarrell and against their greatest enemies and yet hath shee better deserued in leauing a Kingdome better then that to the King and to his posterity for euer Thus did the power of the Queene defend that Nation which the power of her predecessors had many times offended she recompensing at once the
iniuries and harmes which they the former Kings and Queenes of England had many times inflicted on that Kingdome And thâ—refore haue they good cause to honour her remembrance and to giue her name the best merit of all the rase of her princely predecessors Sixthly But she who was large in the vse of her Christian mercy could not thus bound her vertues in the limits of an Iland neither could she content her selfe that she had done well but delighteth to continue her well-doing And therefore being inuited by the necessitie of the French Kings occasion Henrie the Fourth she reacheth him her hand of fauour to France and there she witnesseth the greatnesse of her power and the greatnesse of her mercifull regard that notwithstanding that Nation had bene the corriuall of this and had euer enuied the prosperity of our many victories And though the Queene her selfe was lawfully interested into the title of that Crowne yet would she not take aduantage of these opportunities but so powerfully she assisted the King as that by her meanes he might well say to haue gained the garland which without the Queenes assistance had either not bene got or not so gainfully obtained Seuenthly And if any one obiect the Queene was improuident to conferre her fauours to a nation which had euer more enuied opposed the prosperity of her owne kingdome whereof she had no assurance let them remember that the Queene was neuer altogether ruled by the perswasion of State reason and that in this particular shee deuiseth not how to inlarge her owne kingdome but how the kingdome of God might by her be any way aduanced And because that then the French King did declare himselfe to professe the Protestant Religion she therfore thought it the office of her high place to defend him in the cause of ReligioÌ„ to defend that christian faith whereof she was made Defendresse the which she did so fortunately that he obtained his kingdome she a name of honour that wil liue for euer in al those places of the world where the vertues honourable deeds of noble personages are recorded And let the French-men for euer remember her name thankefully as their noble Defendresse let them remeÌ„ber also that as our english Kings haue euer bene a terror to their natioÌ„ so this Q. of EnglaÌ„d was their coÌ„fort she by whose fauour they obtained that benefit which preseÌ„tly they enioy in their King and in their peaceable State Eighthly Another instance of the Queenes fauorable commiseration was the King and kingdome of Portingall the poore King Anthonie being executed by Philip King of Spaine a power that by much did ouermatch Anthonie and therefore this Portingall made his resort to implore the fauour of Queene Elizabeth who after the Nature of her gratious spirit compassionates his great miserie and furnisht him very princely towards the reobtaining of his kingdome Ninthly And though this businesse had not successe answerable to hopefull expectation God otherwise disposing it yet doth not that diminish the Queenes gratious merit for it is not in any earthly power to giue victory at pleasure but to attempt onely and to leaue the successe to the will of God Againe we see that the greatest earthly powers haue often failed in the like attempts because as I haue said no Prince can giue victory at his pleasure but must abide the fortune of the day which is alway vncertaine And who can tell but that God in iudgement to that people would not suffer the Queenes good purpose to preuaile neither doe all men agree on the lawfulnesse of Anthonies title many approuing the right of the King of Spaine to the Crowne of Portingall to be more iust than that of Anthonies yet the Queene is not to be blamed for taking part with Anthonie against her profest enemie the King of Spaine then hauing declared himselfe such an enemie to the Queene and her State as made it behoofull for the Queene to apprehend all occasions to weaken him Tenthly The Queene therefore had a double respect in this Portingall voyage first to repossesse the wronged king for so she beleeued him secondly to disaduantage the great enemie of her State whereby to make him the lesse able to offend her And therefore though she failed in finishing yet was her purpose good and doth merit to bee ranked among her other honourable deeds because it was done principally in fauour of a distressed Christian Prince to relieue him in the extremities of his hard fortune it deserueth so much the more of honourable remembrance and to bee reputed as an effect caused by the Queenes most gratious disposition Eleuenthly A fourth instance of the Queenes gratious fauour to forraigne Princes is Belgica the States of the Low-Countries where the Queene hath done so much as hath made her famous in all the world receiuing those little pettie States into her protection against the King of Spaine at that time the greatest Prince in Christendome the which quarrell shee did maintaine with such aduantage as made the king feare her and the world admire her Twelfthly And howsoeuer there be that obiect the Queene did iniurie to the Spanish King to assist his rebellious subiects against him for so they repute the States of the Low-Countries yet doe I verily beleeue otherwise For though I will not dispute the title of the king of Spaine to these Countries being impertinent both to me and to this Historie yet may it assuredly be concluded that the Queene a godly and religious Ladie at that time ordered by as wise and honourable a Counsell as was in Christendome would not rashly haue entred into any dishonourable quarrell or haue done ought in the generall view of the world that stood not with the reputation of her princely name And this doe they well vnderstand who best vnderstood the Queenes nature who respected the honour of her princely name as much as any other Prince euer did 13. And though it be iudged that the states were Rebells to the King of Spaine yet considering the full opposition of that time betweene England and Spaine it may seeme reasonable in the Queene to take this aduantage offered by the Low-Countries and to protect them for the security of her owne peace aswell because of their conformity in Religion as also for the better disinabling of her mortall enemie who by all contriuement sought the detriment of her state And besides there is a great difference in them who moue Rebellion and them who imploy Rebells being moued to opportune purposes especially considering the enmity of him against whom they Rebell 14. And this I write to answer the euill rumors of such men who are most ready to traduce the Queenes most honourable deseruings For neither do I condemne the States for Rebells neither do I acquite them of that imputation but onely answere for
These banning Popeâ— like Shemei and Balam The Princes agree not in their ends The Emperors bad fortunes The indignities wherewith the Pope did vse the Emperor The Popes insulting pride The Emperors end vnfortunate The King very fortunate In respect of themselues the two Princes were equalls in respect of their fortunes they disagree The Emperours praise God the fouÌ„taine of goodnesse All men naturally euill Grace the gift of God God decreeth the good and deuiseth the meanes K. Edward K. Edward fit to finish the worke of Reformation God had the greatest part in this businesse The King beloued of God The King the best of all Christian Princes then liuing The Nation happie in K. Edward to defend the Faith The praise of King Edward The miserie of manie kingdomes Alexander of Macedon Alexander leauing his Empire to his friend diuided did sooner perish The kingdomes of France Edward the Third The title of England to the crowne of France FraÌ„ce much vexed with English warres France still in the hazard of English warres English examples Yorke and Lancaster The cause of the Eâ—glish ciuill warres was the interrupting of lawfull Succession Queene Elizabeth The danger that was feared by her want of Issue The danger of the State Gods preuention The euent did exceed expectation The subuersion of great houses The Sonnes of gouernors are best fitted for gouernement King Edward did exceed and succeed his Father Diuine Pollitique Morall The Kings praise His mercy to his enemies The particular of his deserts The King did inherit his kingdome and hâ—â— care for Religion together His first care He secondeth his Fathers attempt His first act of defence to the Faith King Edward was not tempted as was King Henry by euill counsell His holy zeale for reformation The King well fitted for this businesse The King not moued by any respect Wherein K. Edward principally defended the Faith Popery vtterly extirped by the King The consent of Parliament An vniforme order of common prayer appointed by the King Verity could not stand without vnitie Iosias of Iuda The ceremonies of Poperie like the rites of the Heathen Priests Anno 1547. The repeale of statutes concerning Religion Sixe Articles Gardiner Bonner The Kings renowne The King put out the fires of persecution The King did cure the wound his Father made The Kings furtherance The orders of the Church â—stablishâ—d by the King The King most mercifull and compassionate In mercie men resemble God His care for poore Hospitalls by him erected The workes of mercie the best witnesses of holy Faith The King deserued his Stile Diuine Pollitique Morall Contraries iudge one another Note There must be faction Prouidence The reason of this opposition of good and euill Goodnesse not confounded but confirmed by the opposition of euill The way is good if the end be happy Truth Euill men and euill practise against the King Scotland The Marriage with Q. Mary of Scotland The importance of that Marriage King Iames our Soueraigne The King euer victor RebellioÌ„ moued by perswasion and not by any proper motioÌ„ The Papists The practise of rebâ—lâ—ious Iesuits and Priests The Duke of Somerset Protector His deserts The reforming of Religion diuided the kingdome into a faction The Dukes care to compound these differences The Duke slandered The variance between the Lord Protector the Barrons Honour and desert beget dangerous enuie The Dukes error in pollicie Post est occasio Calua Note This ouersight was his death The cause of this discord The Dukes improuideÌ„ce His euill gouernement of the State Ambition This opinion is all malice no truth The true cause was a practise of enuie A double enemie The nature of great and enuious spirits Vertue most subiect to enuie The tryall of law onâ—ly a colour to satisfie reports The Dukes extremitie of hard fortune The greatest are most subiect to the fall of Fortune Diuine Pollitique Morall Life is a sicknesse The contempt of life Holy men neuer feared the Image of death Holy death setteth open the gates of life The ChildreÌ„ of Grace The sonnes of nature The iudgement of sense can iudge miserie of mans life The antient Romanes and GreciaÌ„s Against the rule of Religion A notable demonstratioÌ„ Man hath more to afflict him than all other Creatures Because of sinne The cause of the many grieuances of mans life Sickenesse Sickenesse ordained to subdue the pride of our nature A double respect First the number of sicknesses Secondly the generality All men being subiect at all times to all infirmities Rich men The poore the rich are both alike â—fflicted with sicknesse Pouertie of life Pouertie hatefull to men The false opinion of the world The honourable and the vile man do oâ—cupiâ— on the others place Want dâ—iecteth the spirits of well deseruing men The griefe of noble spirits Pouertie to a good man is like the foyle to the Diamond The desperate effects of pouertie Mutability and change The continuall trouble of mans life The graue the resting place 〈…〉 Custome is another nature Men by their naturall motions moue to euill but to goodnesse by the mouing of Grace That Roman Conquerour The Duke of Somerset A custome among the antient Romanes Variable fortune maketh men miserable Discontent Minde Discontent a dangerous disease The danger in discontenting great spirits All men haue at some times their discontents Holy men haue bene discontented Griefe is a greater torment then sickenesse The greatnesse of Discontent Death Death an enemie against whom there is no resistance Death doth controule the prosperities of our life Death is not a misery to all men Death maketh holy men immortall Good men hope for death and bad men feare it Death and the graue make all things equall No man hath pleasures but with limitation To good men there is no miserie How to vse the pleasures of this life Who are happie No man can know any part of Gods secrets vnles God reueals them God not contrarie but aboue reason The cause of false constructions In diuine matters Christians must belieue when they cannot iudge The vse that God can make of all our actions K. Edward The wonderfull effects of Gods prouidence The blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Gospell The deaths of a few was the life of many God is mercifull in his iudgements The Kings death Great occasions of trouble in the kingdome The nobility commâ—ns disagree in the choice of their Prince King Edward euill counselled Northumberland Suffolke the cause of this great iniurie Reasons why the King did it not of his owne motion but by perswasion A doubtfull question resolued Good ends cannot be compassed by euill meanes God is the Father of truth What good men must do Diuine Pollitique Morall Iosias of Iuda and Edward of England Their age when they began their Reigne Both of these Kings conspiring one holy end Both their Kingdomes were corrupted with idolatrie Both of them yeeld their obedâ—ence to holy perswasion effect their purpose Both these
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
EXURGAT DEUS DISSIPENTUR INIMICI * THE HISTORY OF THE DEfendors of the Catholique Faith Whearevnto are added Observations Divine Politique Morrall By Christopher Lever Nostrum in Coelo Negotium LONDON Printed for Nicholas Fussell and Humphrey Moseley at the signe of the Ball in Pauls Church yard 1627. POSUI DEUM ADIUTOREM MEUM NON NATVRA SED PON TIFICIORVM ARTE FEROX SEMPER EADEM BEATI PACIFICI DONEC PAX REDDITA TERRIS F. Hulsuis sculp THE HISTORIE OF THE DEFENDORS OF THE CATHOLIQVE FAITH Discoursing the state of RELIGION in England and the care of the politique state for Religion during the reignes of King HENRRY 8. King EDWARD 6. Queene MARIE Queene ELIZABETH And our late Souereigne King IAMES Kings and Queenes of England France and Ireland Defendors of the most True most Ancient and most CATHOLIQVE FAITH c.. With all Declaring by what means these Kings Queenes haue obtained this Title Defendor of the Faith and wherein they haue deserued it whereunto are added Obseruations DIVINE POLITIQVE MORALL BY CHRISTOPHER LEVER Nostrum in Coelo Negotium Printed at London by G. M. for Nicolas Fussell and Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Ball. 1627. TO THE MOST HIGH MIGHTY And most Gratious PRINCE CHARLES By the grace of God King of Great Brittaine France and Jreland Defender of the CATHOLIKE FAITH YOVR MAIESTIES MOst humble and vnworthie Seruant CHRISTOPHER LEVER with all humilitie dedicateth this Historie of the Defendors of the Catholike Faith vnto your Majestie beseeching Almightie God to deriue vpon your sacred name and house a perpetuall succession of able and resolute Defendors of the Faith to the honour of God the peace of the Church the prosperitie of the State the blessed memorie of your Royall Name and the Confusion of Antichrist AMEN A CATALOGVE OF the Chapters contained in this HISTORIE King HENRIE 8. 1. AN induction to this Historie briefly declaring the variable change of Times from the beginning to the time of this Historie page 1. 2. By whom and what meanes this Title Defendor of the Faith was giuen to the Crowne of England pag. 19. 3. King HENRIES first Act of Defence for the Catholike Faith pag. 31 4. Of what importance this Act for the Kings Supremacie was to the state of England in respect of Pietie and Policie pag. 38. 5. Of the suppressing of Abbeys and Religious houses in England pag. 48. 6. Of the Kings remisse and cold proceeding in the worke of Reformation pag. 60. 7. Of the sixe Articles and the euill which thereof ensewed pag. 77. 8. Obseruations out of the generall view of this latter time of King HENRIE 8. pag. 91. 9. In what state King Henrie left the kingdome to the next Defendor of the Faith King Edward 6. p. 109 10. A comparison betweene King Henry 8. of England and Fredericke Barbarossa the Emperour of Germanie pag. 119. King EDVVARD the 6. 11. OF the next Defendor of the Faith King Edward 6. pag. 125. 12. Of the benefit that redounds to a state by a lawfull succession of bloud pag. 131. 13. Of King Edwards defending the Catholike Faith and wherein he chiefely defended it p. 139. 14. The trouble of the State at this time of King Edward how they were occasioned and how compounded p. 152. 15. A discourse of the miserie of mans life vpon occasion of the Duke of Summersets death p. 165. 16. Of king Edwards death and how he left the state to the next succession 179. 17. A Comparison betweene king Iosias of Iuda and king Edward of England p. 187. Queene MARIE 18. OF Queene Marie and of the alteration of the State in the beginning of her gouernment pag. 191. 19. In what particulars Queene Marie did most offend the Catholike Faith p. 201. 20. Of certaine discontents whereat Queene Marie tooke great offence pag. 225. 21. Of rebellion a discourse p. 237. 22. A Comparison betweene Queene Marie of England and Katherine de Medicies Queene-mother of France p. 245. Queene ELIZABETH 23. OF the next Defendresse of the FAITH Queene Elizabeth and thorow what difficulties she attained the kingdome p. 249. 24. The first act of the Queenes defence for the Catholike Faith after she was Queene p. 262. 25. Of certaine state considerations which in respect of Policie might haue disswaded the Queene from reforming the state of Religion p. 268. 26. Of the care the Queene and State had to suppresse the enemies of the Catholike Faith p. 282. 27. Of what importance these statutes were in the 13. yeare of the Queene in respect of the Church and state p. 296. 28. Of the Christian care Queen Elizabeth had to defend certaine Christian Princes and their States p. 306. 29. A remembrance of some particulars wherein God hath defended this Defendresse of the Faith Queen Elizabeth p. 321. 30. Of Q. Elizabeth her resolute continuing in defence of the Catholike Faith p. 329. 31. Of the last Act of the Queenes defence for the Catholike Faith p. 333. King IAMES 32. OF the next Defendor of the Faith King Iames the Kings Maiesty that last was p. 335. 33. Of the Kings defending the Catholike Faith in Scotland before hee was King of England p. 343. 34. In what particulars King Iames our Souereigne hath principally defended the Catholike Faith p. 347. 35. A remembrance of some particulars whereby God hath wonderfully defended the Kings Maiesty p. 361. 36. Of the diuersity of Religions p. 364. THE HISTORIE of the Defendors of the CATHOLIKE FAITH AN INDVCTION to this History briefly declaring the variable change of times from the first beginning to the time of this present Historie CHAP. I. THE first time was in the first Creation for before God made things there could be no time time being a deriuing of things to such ends whereto in Gods decree they are directed For whatsoeuer is earthly euen man and the number of his trauells with their circumstances are bound by God to a necessity of time beyound which all the power of earth cannot reach Their opinion then is both foolish and wicked who imagine all things to happen by fortune and that there is a speciall power in the Orbs and Elements which they call Nature by which both heauen and earth and euery worke thereof is directed And this opinion of Atheisme is grounded vpon this doubt that whereas wee define God to bee the beginner of all things It is by them demanded where that God had his beginning and from what hee discended By which forme of reasoning they conclude against their owne vnbeleefe their doubting what should begin acknowledgeth a beginning the which beginning is God not that God himselfe had beginning but that all things had their essence and deriuation from him hee himselfe being infinite and without time For as in the figure of a Circle is not to bee found any limit or terme of beginning or ending So God within whose Circle all things bee that are in
occasioned a strange alteration in the state of things for these differences did reach beyond particular quarrells euen to the subuersion of whole states whereby it came to passe that one kingdome deuoured another and one people did subiugate many As the Assyrians first who erected the first Monarchie vnder Ninus and Simeramis the Parsians vnder Cyrus the Macedonians vnder Alexander and the Romans vnder the gouernement Conquests of Iulius Caesâ—r yet all these haue had their alterations and haue indured the misery of Conquest euen by such whom they reputed for barbarous and base people Ninthly The generall care that was had of these worldly occasions was the cause that Religion was scarce knowne not regarded therfore the Church then exceeded not the number of some few families being translated from one holy Man to anotther such as were Abraham Lot and Iob vnto the time of the twelue Patriakes when it began to spread into a holy generation and after the afflictions of Egypt and the wildernesse it came to a flourishing and princely state especially in the times of Dauid and Salomon Kings of Israell but not long after in Reobohams time tenne parts of twelue fell backe from Religion and became Apostates yea and many times that little Iuda that handfull of Gods people being drunke with ease and prosperity would forget God their mighty deliuerer forget his Sabbath and his Sanctuary and giue themselues to Idolatrous pleasures with such generall appetite as if God had giuen them licence for wickednesse no apparance or marke of Religion in Iuda Tenthly The mercifull God willing to cure the infirmity of those times commeth with his Iudgements Famine Sword and Pestilence not as in the old world to destroy but to correct the disobedience of his people who no sooner relish the sweetnesse of his mercy but wantonly returne to their former remisnesse and sinne with greater appetite then before yet for all this doth not God forget to be mercifull but continueth himselfe in his owne nature a God most mercifull and most compassionate who to demonstrate the infinite degree of his loue to his seruant Man taketh from him the burthen some condition of the Law which hee could not keepe and giueth him a new couenant the couenant of Grace the Gospell of Peace And thus mercifully he altereth the tenor of our obligation and to giue this worke of Gracefull authority hee sendeth his onely begotten the Lord Christ to satisfie the old and to ratâ—fiâ— the new Couenant both by his actiue and passiue righteousnesse Eleuenthly Heere was the greatest alteration that euer was in the witnesse of time for before this we were commanded to doe and liue else to die but now to beleeue onely and liue Neuer was there a more large demonstration of Gods fauour nor a like time wherein Grace was so freely offered or the gates of heauen so wide set open as if God should reach his hand of mercy to earth to inuite vs to his eternal inheritance and with the fayrest promises of Loue to allure vs to a state of most absolute blessednesse yet notwithstanding all this Grace and all these faire inuitements so constant were the men of those times in their euills that they refuse to indent with God be the condition neuer so easie or his promise neuer so absolute but they combine themselues with all indeauour to resist the Grace of God they will not haue Grace though God giue it freely they are all Moses no Christ all Law no Gospell so powerfull were they in their owne opinions as if the Law had beene an easie performance And therfore did they despise the work of Grace crucifying the Lord of Life that brought it and that bought it with the value of his life a price inestimable killing also the Apostles his faithfull witnesses and persecuting the Saints to whom God gaue Grace to apprehend this Mistery Twelfthly Heere may a Christian man spend his holy meditations in considering the deprauednesse of Man the grosse dulnes of his Nature and how inclinable hee is to all euill Contrariwise the infinite measure of Gods mercie who notwithstanding our disobedience will not vtterly destroy vs his creatures but in a wonderfull degree of fauour yeelds himselfe to the weakenesse of our flesh knowing that our nature hath a pronenesse to euill onely And therefore hath he giuen free passage to the Gospell making it fruitfully prosper in the blood of holy Martyrs shed in the persecuting times of Tyrants and wicked-Emperors 13. And in this passage of blood did Religion march vntill the time of Constantine the Great who intertaining the Christian Faith with good affection gaue it warrant for publike exercise whereby it spred ouer all the knowne world with such admirable increase as God onely could giue to a cause so heauenly And yet in the height of this prosperity according to the Nature of our flesh the state of Christendome grew proud with good successe and wanting the opposition of heathen enemies deuided themselues into heresies and factions wherof insewed the greatest calamitie that could be in a Christian state euery faction receiuing authority and greatnesse according as they were fauoured or not by the Emperours 14. And this diuersity of fortune continued in Christendome for many yeares yet so as Christianity might be well said to flourish vntil the time that the Popes did arrogate to their seate supremacy and vniuersall power or as the History of Florence reporteth it vntill the time of Charles and Pippin Kings of France who in pollicie to secure to them and theirs the possession of the west Empire bound the Bishop of Rome whose authority might helpe that practise by fauours and friendly entertainements to their faction And therefore did the French pronounce this sentence That the Pope being the Vicar of Christ ought not to bee iudged by men but to Iudge all men and to determine euery difference This sentence whether by the Popes themselues or by their fauourites the French Kings was assuredly the Ladder for the Popes ambition and the cause whereof hath ensued so much euill to the state of the Catholike Church as that Christendome yet is full of the markes of that misery 15. Now the power of God that seeth the most secret practice on Earth whose prouidence cannot bee preuented with pollicie suffers the measure of this euill time to fill and ouerrunne with iniquity so that a true Christian might haue thought of himselfe as Elias when he thought he was onely left of Gods people yet in that height of iniquity there wanted not many Obediahs who hid the faithfull from the stroake of persecution neither wanted there some euen in this darkenesse of Time who willingly offered their faith to the tryall of fire and sealed the testimonie of their Religion with the witnes of their blood Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST from this extremitie of euill time doth this following History take beginning
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
for thankes indulgences and pardons which nothing benefited the Receiuers but much inlarged his own priuate ends Such reward had King Henery for writing against Luther in which may be vnderstood the Popes secret practise for in giuing this honour to King Henry to be stiled Defendor of the Faith hee thereby had a farther end then to honour the King which was to binde him to his perpetuall seruice which he thought he could not better doe then by this obligation of honour which indeed is the greatest that can be to a princely minde The Pope knoweth that the King by accepting of this stile Defendor of the Faith was bound in the tearmes of honour to defend that whereof hee had taken the protection and so by consequence was hee bound to all the Popes occasions he being in the cōmon opiniō of the world the vniuersal head of that faith which the Kings Title did binde him to defend And this howsoeuer the successe did not answer to the purpose yet was it great pollicie in the Pope especially considering the danger of the times and that many eyes began with dislike to prie into the deformities of the Church Fifthly But who can contriue against God with successe for the Pope in this case shot his euill arrow against heauen which in a perpendiculer line fell vpon his owne pate God retorting the euil against him that sent it making him fast in his own snare to fall in that pit which he had digged for another This is Gods doing it is wonderfull in our eyes For this K. whom the Pope had thought to haue made the instrumēt of his greatnes did God make the instrument of his fall the Pope gaue him the name of Defendor But God made the King to defend the Faith against the Pope the enemie of Faith For pollicie cannot preuent piety and God confounds the wisedome of men and can make their subtill practises many times hitt that marke they neuer aymed at as in this particular the Pope making particular choice of the King for his Champion whom God the contrary party would imploy for the Popes destruction giuing him inuincible spirit to be the first Christian K that durst put to his Princely hand to Ruine the walls of Babylon Sixthly And if the Kings nature and the circumstance of time were rightly considered it will appeare so admirable as God only could worke that alteration in the Kings minde the King himselfe being so stiffe and resolute as none of his predecessors I think in this did equall him especially in the tearme of honour and reputation and then considering the King had written and published his protestation to defend the Supremacy of the Pope and the Religion then profest it may seeme the greatest obligation that could be to binde his princely Nature to continue his defence of that which before he had defended especially in a matter of that consequence the rather hauing declared himselfe to the witnesse of all men Seuenthly Againe if wee consider that Reply of Luthers to the Kings Booke so full of heate and bitternesse as that euery page almost hath prouocations rather to obdurate the Kings heart and to incense him to a more resolute obstinacie then any waies to quallifie or reforme him Luther scoffingly answering the Kings arguments with words of such disgrace as ill fitted the grauity of Luther to giue or the Maiesty of so great a Prince with any patience to indure And doubtlesse this in Luther was a great ouersight and a misconceiuing to thinke to helpe his cause by traducing the Kings person For the resolutions of great men are not moued by power but by the perswasions of inferiours And Luther in writing this booke against King Henery doth rather expresse his zeale then his discretion For in all Controuerfies the heate of words especially in the grauer is a want of that moderation and Iudgement which onely giueth seemelinesse and good forme to all our actions yet notwithstanding all these backe occasions which in mans Iudgement might seeme to hinder this gracious worke did God effect it and that by his instrument King Henery whom both the Pope and Luther had rather fitted for the contrary Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST God doth often interrupt and destroy the violence of wicked men and their practise by a contemptible and vnthought of meanes for so was Luther thought in respect of the great and generall authority which then Antichrist had the reason is this that where God doth place his omnipotent Spirit that strength is then inuincible but able to conuince all resistance For God onely can contract in the person of one man Valour and victory to order and reforme the world Secondly The Politique practise here is obserued in the Pope who with demonstrations of Loue without charge could binde the seruice of Princes and great States vnto him For as it is most needfull that the bodies of great Authorities should haue strong and able supporters So it is necessary in the wisedome of state to gaine and continue that correspondencie and indifferencie which may support our estimation In which care this politique forme is very necessary that in disposing our gifts of fauour we giue least gifts to greatest men but with most large circumstance because that where there is any neerenesse of equality of state it is not possible to make gifts valuable but with Ceremonies Thirdly In Luther may bee noted a maruellous defect of pollicie to labour a spirituall cause with such vntempered heate For if Luthers spirit had had moderation and that pollitique wisedome which was but necessary in his Religion and high attempts he would haue made a difference betweene a principall and a second the Pope and the King and not haue prosecuted against them both with like seuerity For Luther could not bee ignorant that the onely meanes to finish the reformation he intended was by the fauour and assistance of Christian Princes which care in the cause and person of King Henry Luther did not obserue Fourthly It is a precept worthy of generall practise that in all societies men should be Communicable and translate their offices of loue from one to another For gifts and retributions howsoeuer they are lesse worthy then our affections yet are they our best witnesses and doe the better and more often remember vs because they are more open and euident to sense Fifthly Againe moderation of spirit which is our indifferent esteeming of our selues with others doth comprehend the very excellence of all humanity being the most noble degree in our nature and the very next to the dignity of Grace Neither is there any morall vertue which doth more commend men to generall estimation because it giueth desert to euery man that hath it and doth often giue from it selfe dignities to such as want them CHAP. III. King Henries first Act of Defence for the Catholike Faith THE first Act of the Kings Defence was
in retyring himselfe from the Popes seruice for at that time were all Christian Princes his seruants This Act of the kings was that which many Emperors and great Potentates desired might be done yet neuer durst attempt to doe or succesfully attempted it Such as was the Emperour Frederick Barbarossa who notwithstanding his greatnesse both of power and spirit yet failed he in his attempt though he neuer pursued any thing with greater stomack Also King Henry the Second of England who fayling in the fortunes of this businesse yeelded himselfe though valiant and princely to such base conditions of pennance as well may declare the greatnesse of the Pope that imposed them but with this King Henry the Eight it may seeme that God himselfe did conspire to make the worke prosperous and the king for being Gods instrument perpetually famous Secondly The first occasion of difference betweene King Henry and the Pope was the proceedings in the diuorse of Queene Katherine the kings first wife who before had bene wife to Prince Arthur his Brother wherein the Pope vsed such small regard to quiet the trouble of the kings Conscience as thereby the king and the State were very much offended and then such as did not fauour the faction of the Pope for so I may call it tooke the aduantage of time and grew bold to lay open to the king the deformities of the present time and the glory hee might purchase in restoring Religion to that purity which now in that holy profession was altogether defaced Thirdly Those occasions so moue the kings offence that hee sommons his High Court of Parlyament at Westminster laying before them his griefe which was the ouermuch power the Pope had in his kingdome and the small respect that hee and his State had from the Pope whereupon a Statute past by consent of the three estates whereby the king was made supreme Head ouer the Church of England aswell in ecclesiasticall as temporal matters cutting off al manner of Papal authority from the crowne of England And herein may appeare the greatnes of the king and the reuerence of his Subiects who framed themselues to the pleasure of the king in a matter of much difficultie and beyond all expectation And this was the benefit of Maiesty which begot in them such duty and awfull regard which to a remisse and familiar Prince had not beene granted Fourthly This grant of the kings Supremacie was the first mortall wound the Church of Rome receiued loosing at that time the best Crowne shee had in keeping whereby a president was giuen to all other Christian Princes to free themselues from the Captiuity of that Babylon with whose Fornications the whole Earth was made drunke And this Act of the State of England was so well approued in the Iudgement of Christendome as that many the best parts thereof in immitation of King Henry haue cast from them the bond of Papall authority yea doubtlesse so desired it is of all States as might it bee done with security their is no Prince or State either Religious or politique but doth so enuie the greatnesse of forraigne Supremacie as gladly they would bee cleered thereof finding many times to the great detriment of state the iniury of this power in interdictions and Papall curses as if wee reade the diuisions of Italy we may in them most cleerely iudge the inconuenience of the Popes vniuersall power the abuse whereof is so common in those states as that they are neuer obeyed but when there wanteth temporall power to withstand them And therefore did King Henry nobly performe his kingly Office and well defend the Catholike Faith in depriuing the Pope of that power wherewith the Christian Faith was offended Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST God doth what he list by what meanes he list so doth hee produce his miracles by causes naturally vnfitting and so this miraculous alteration in the state of Christendome was effected by the king his instrument who both in Nature and opinion was thought vnlike for such Religious effects being rather armed both by the Pope and Luther to oppose the enterprize So doth God snare the engine maker For the Wisedome of this World is but folly with God Secondly To obserue a iust proportion of state is good in all degrees but in a Soueraigne necessary yet hee that exceeds his state doth impaire his state and by taking more then his owne he doth loose his own CHAP. IV. Of what importance this Act for the Kings Supremacy was to the state of England in respect of Piety and Pollicy FIRST If we consider the trauells of men on earth and the continuall passage of all their actions we shall finde that euery particular man of Spirit or that hath but more then common vnderstanding directeth himselfe and his whole trauell to one of these two ends eyther to be Good or to be Great and according to his choice of these hee doth frame the practise of his life as if to goodnesse then is his care good and hee doth exercise those good meanes that may leade him to his good end For there is no way to attaine good end but by good meanes But he that aymeth at greatnesse the care of his life is much different for to him there is no direct way of lawfulnesse or honestie to runne in for he breaketh these limits and trauells in euery by passage how vnlawfullsoeuer and therefore they of this nature allow onely of this one principall that whatsoeuer may direct them to their end be it sinne or shame they giue it allowance Such was the resolution of that Tyrant who making Empire his desired end cared not to trauell thither in the steppes of his neerest blood so deepe as perhaps to damne himselfe And like vnto him are all such whose desires leade them to vnlawfull ends who resoluing to obtaine their desires resolue likewise vpon the practise of all vngodlinesse Secondly And this practise of euill men is in common construction called Pollicie whereby the name of Pollicie doth receiue much wrong by their grosse and sencelesse vnderstanding it for Pollicie may bee either good or bad according to the end whereto out of these considerations First the liberty that was recouered in the person of the Prince he resuming that absolute authority to himselfe which before was giuen to a stranger his enemy whereby the King did adde to his owne greatnesse and diminish the power of him that loued him not And how important this is to the prosperity of a State let the Iudgement of any sence iudge it Againe there is no State or Kingdome vnder the awe of Popish Supremacie that can be said truly to be a free State or the King thereof an absolute Prince because that Kingdome is subiugate and that King Subordinate to the power of another whereby the gouernement Monarchiall which of all others is most excellent cannot bee said to bee in
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
euen then did the King surcease from that Religious worke which with so much honorable successe he had begun Where it may seeme strange that a Prince of his greatnesse hauing the aduise of an honorable and wise councell should lay vpon his name the imputation of weakenesse not to goe forward with that whereto his honour was so much ingaged Thirdly But if we consider the time and the difference of opinions in those great men to whom the King did shew himselfe most gracious it will then appeare the businesse went forward or not according to the affection of the Kings Fauourites Fourthly As in the time of Cardinall VVolsey a man so great in the fauour of his Prince as that our English Chronicles cannot match him who in the time of his prosperity did so possesse the King as that the King may be said to saile with no winde but the Cardinalls the king being but the body to his soule he mouing it according to the pleasure of his owne appetite and therfore at this time was the king all Cardinall putting himselfe in Print to defend the Supremacie of Popes But this time did end with the Cardinals fortunes who being puft vp and high swolne with the spirit of ambition runne himselfe into strange contempts against the Maiesty of his Prince who finding him so Cardinallike in pride and vaine glory stript him of those honours which before he so lauishly had giuen him translating his fauour vpon Thomas Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterburie whom the king finding Religious honest and learned gaue his opinion good authority Fifthly And at this time the Protestants Religion began to haue the fauour of the Kings protection yet by reason of the peaceable Nature of this Man and because of many other important considerations of inconuenience the cause of Religion went not with that prosperity forward as otherwise it might For howsoeuer we may iustly conceiue of this learned man that he wanted neither spirit nor power to trauell in the most important affaires of State the which hee hath well declared by his resolute and learned proceedings in the Kings diuorse yet considering in what termes the State then stood and the particular condition of his State it will appeare that a necessary prouidence of his own security did inforce him to a violent patience and to silence and suppresse his zealous spirit which otherwise would haue ventured vpon much more hazard Sixthly For at this time Cranmer contrarie to the lawes then inforce was married and did liue with his wife to the great hazard of his life and this was one respect why hee suffered so much the practise of his enemies keeping good correspondence and indifferent fauour least his Mariage should be called in question whereby both his state and life had beene exposed into a danger most eminent Seuenthly And if any man obiect that these regards of Cranmer proceeded from his feare of temporall losse and that he fainted in the maine execution of his Christian Office I answer that no feare but a Christian prouidence was the cause of this warinesse For he might well know that if hee proceeded in the difference of Religion by violent and forcible meanes he should then haue had the whole power of the contrary faction bent against him and being by reason of his marriage within the danger of law it could not be auoided but the seueritie of the law should haue proceeded against him Eighthly Yet notwithstanding when the necessarie care of Religion did require him there was no respect could binde him from his earnest indeauours as may wel appeare by this most resolute opposing against the Statute of the sixe Articles So that Cranmer in true estimation hath well deserued and worthily acquitted himselfe of all imputation yet by reason of these occasions hee could not doe that which the opportunity of the Kings fauour did offer him Ninthly Vpon this aduantage Stephen Gardiner builds his strength who by obseruance and cunning insinuation shifting himselfe into the Kings fauour got great authority in the State and according to the nature of his working spirit troubles the waters of peace of fish for Romish Religion whereto in his heart he was much inclined And this man not like Cranmer but Matchiuellike grounded in the secrets of Pollicie seemes what he is not and is content to proportion himselfe to the fashions of the time with purpose to alter that fashion And this howsoeuer it were a thing very dishonest especially in the office of a Bishop yet was it a very pollitique Regard and that miste whereby he wrought all his inchantments for by his obseruance hee continued in the Kings fauour and by that fauour he erected the whole frame of his Policies Tenthly And from this cause had the sixe Articles beginning Articles so bloodie as the letters in them cannot number the blood which was shed in England for them whereby may appeare the greatnesse of Stephen Gardiners wit that could make the King sayle with a contrary winde and destroy that cause which before he had protected and this was notwithstanding Cranmer his opposite had then great fauour with the king and the highest authority and place in the kingdome Eleuenthly Another of the Kings Fauourites in those times of difference was Sir Thomas More then Lord Chancellor of England A gentleman in respect of his natural ornaments worthy of much honour for besides the beauty of his learning which in great personages is very deseruing he had so good a moderation and temper in all his actions as no aduersity could deiect him neither any prosperity make him lesse in the vse of regard and ciuill humanity And notwithstanding hee was diuers from me in that profession which I hold for truth yet because I write the truth of Historie it were very vnworthy in me to obscure the deseruings of any man into which error many others and especially such as haue recorded the passage of those times haue vnaduisedly falne traducing the persons of men for their opinions sake and making them altogether euill that in many commendable things were excellent And because that all good things are from God who giueth them according to the pleasure of his will it were therefore much iniury to obscure the goodnesse of God wheresoeuer it shall please him to place it and this I write in fauour of truth which may be well said to be the life and true mouing soule of all Historie Twelfthly This Sir Thomas Moore howsoeuer he was an enemy to the truth of the Gospell yet if we compare him with Stephen Gardiner the comparison will make Sir Thomas Moore lesse euill the other being so monstrous in his wicked practises for the one made conscience to equiuocate and dissemble himselfe of which the other made no reckoning Sir Thomas vtterly refusing the oath of Supremacie because in conscience he thought he might not take it Gardiner had the like
witnesse of his conscience yet did take it and therefore Stephen by dissembling saued his life which the other by plaine expressing himselfe lost So that both these though they conspire one end yet in themselues are they very diuerse the one with a manly resolution and with the witnes of his blood profest himselfe and his resolution the other by swearing and for swearing to banne and disclaime that which in his purpose was the marke whereto hee shot himselfe and his euill pollicies the one ending all opposition in his owne voluntary death the other by subtilty continuing his euill life that life being the death of many the deare Children of God 13. Another highly in the Kings fauour and most worthy of high fauour was the Lord Cromwell a man so resolute in the worke he had begunne as neuer any did pursue a holy businesse with better Spirit who notwithstanding the greatnesse of his enemies who after the fashion of all Courts enuie such most vnto whom the Prince is most gratious and then most when the degrees of honour are deriued vpon any of meane beginning yet so could this man rule the prosperity of his fortunes as neither in generall opinion was he thought proudly to delight them nor yet not to vnderstand what those honours were which the Kings fauour had giuen him So aduised was he in the passage of his honourable life as that use which seeth the least aduantage could neuer finde iust occasion though occasions were sought to scandalize his reputation in the generall opinion of good men And howsoeuer God did suffer the euill of his enemies to preuaile ouer his life yet neuer to the death of his honourable remembrance to whose Godly care all the louers of Religion in Christendome are beholding especially the English Nation he being a principall instrument whereby the King was moued to reforme Religion 14. In this mans time the Religious then liuing had great hope of prosperity in their holy cause aswell in respect of his diligence to that end directed as also of the Kings inclinable nature which did seeme to consent with the honourable desires of the Lord Cromwell intertaining him in all fauourable regard giuing him names and places of high honour whereby his godly cares went the better forward hauing the strength of the Kings authority which he applyed to no other end but that God might receiue honour in restoring the truth of his seruice and that the king might not receiue dishonour in abādoning the protection of faith whereof God by the sentence of his enemie had made him defēdor And this good cause did this good man prosecute with the best strēgth of his indeauor not regarding his life more then God that gaue it nor the honours of his life more then the honors of his king from whose boūty his honors were deriued 15. Thus we see the diuersity in the king whereby he grew remisse in following this holy care which was because of the diuersitie of opinions in those men whom the king most trusted in the state he suffering himself to be driuen against the currant of his owne streames by the violence of other mens perswasions 16. And here is offered a large consideration of the Kings Nature who notwithstanding his great spirit and his many other honourable deseruings he had this infirmitie That he would be induced to doe those things which were much disagreeing in themselues and to goe forward and backward in one course and suffer himselfe to be moued whether the violence of other mens affections would carrie him sometime for sometimes against Religion and by this he gaue an open demonstration of the weakenesse of his nature For there is no alteration in a State that is not dangerous and then is the danger most when the greate ones great in authority and neere in the fauour of the Prince deuide themselues For difference if it be not compounded by the awfull Maiesty of the Prince it will growe to faction by consequence to open breach And though the Prince so gouerne that they dare not come to open difference yet will they worke by conspiracie and secret practise the confusion of each other For where faction is there can be no assurance men wil seek to assure themselues though it be by the fall of others And this euill is best preuented by the prouidence of the Prince who when hee seeth deformity in the body of the State and that of necessity there must bee alteration to make such choice of instruments as best loue the cure least otherwise in steade of physicke they administer poyson and so not cure but destroy the body diseased 17. And this was the Kings error who though his purpose to reforme was good yet the course he tooke was not good making ill choice of particulers to whose trust he commended that businesse some of them being Protestants some Papists so that the King may bee said to build with one hand and to cast downe with another to reforme Religion and to deforme it againe And therefore this aduice I dare giue the best Prince in the world Let those you loue best and trust most be one in themselues and one with their Soueraigne and worke not vpon the foundation Truth by contrarie meanes for hee that so buildeth buildeth Babel that is confusion and not the walles of Ierusalem Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST to intertaine and beginne a Religious worke is both an honourable and a holy attempt but to finish it is more because it is possible that vnworthy men may vndertake and retire But Pietie is not Pietie if not constant For no vertue is rewarded but perseuerance Secondly To faint in the prosecution of a Religious cause is of all cowherdice the most shamefull and recreant because in all such quarrells God is our Generall and doth arme his souldiers in compleate security Thirdly A Prince that hath many about his person cannot but must haue much difference in their quallities his pollitique parte is to obserue and iudge the difference and to distinguish them to such seruice in the State as may make them emulous to exceede and not enuious to extirpe the prosperities of one another Fourthly It hath beene thought good Pollicie that in a Senate or Counsell of State it were good to haue men of opposite Iudgement because it doth prouoke both factions from exact declaration of their best indeauours This in a state meerely pollitique may haue pretence but in a Religious State it hath none because it is impossible to goe to one God in one truth by contrarie steppes Fifthly It were dishonourable and dangerous for a Prince that hath his state free and in quiet to dissemble or to deuide himselfe to contrarieties because hee that doth not declare himselfe certaine to one doth remaine suspected of all and doth giue a generall hope to generall varieties Sixthly The errour and vice is greater in
of Holy Martyrs that shed their blood in opposition of that false doctrine neither wanted they some likewise at that time that suffered death in defence of the Popes Supremacie So that the Religion then profest in England was neither that of the Protestant nor this of the Papist for at that time one and the same Law did denounce Iudgement against the maintainers of both kindes condemning the Protestant for not subscribing to the sixe Articles and the Papist for not allowing the Kings Supremacie And therefore good cause had he of admiration who seeing at this time in England three Protestants and three Papists to die at one time and in one place and by the sentence of one Law for their conscience admireth thus Deus bone quomodo hic viuunt gentes hîc suspenduntur Papistae illic comburuntur Antepapistae Iesus saith hee how doe men liue here for there hangs the Papist and heere burnes the Protestant for Religion Eighthly And this came to passe because the Kings counsell were deuided into parts one halfe Protestants the other Papists The Protestants maintaining the Act for the kings Supremacie The Papists that of the sixe Articles either partie executing the iudgemēt of the Lawe according as in their seuerall opinions they were affected whereof insued the greatest calamitie that could be in a Christian State no man making conscience of Religion in either profession that escaped punishment onely such were free and vnder protection who either did dissemble or conforme them to the fashion of the time And this had not bene if the Prince and his Lords had conspired one end for take vnity away you take Truth with it and disagreements doe most assuredly presage losse if not destruction Ninthly But God who denied to his seruāt Dauid the building of his Temple because his hands had bene in blood and did reserue the honour of that worke for Salomon his Sonne a Prince of peace So in this work of reformation God would not King Henrie to effect it because he had bene in blood and Warre as was Dauid Salomons Father but he reserues it for King Edward a true Salomon in the wisedome and iustice of Salomon And this Prince did God ordaine to restore the truth of his seruice King Henrie his Father as did Salomons Father preparing onely matter for this heauenly worke which his Princely Sonne and not himselfe was to finish Tenthly And howsoeuer King Henry did not go forward to this worke with that constancie as the worthinesse of the cause deserued being letted by the enuie of euill Ministers yet hath he well deserued honourable remembrance hauing done more than any other Prince in Christendome before him euer did And if wee consider the kings Nature being most resolute and stiffe in any businesse he vndertooke there neuer was any of his Predecessors better fitted to enter into such a businesse of stomacke as hee was neither can it be said truely of the king that he failed in this enterprise for he performed all he vndertooke and would haue done more if either his own opinion or the counsell of his friend had further directed him And therefore hath he done honourably in doing more than before was done and in doing all he had vndertaken wherein he exceeded the expectation that all men had of him it being a matter thought impossible to preuaile in this against the Pope at this time a power so absolute as that both kings and Emperours had before failed in the like attempt Eleuenthly And therefore I verily belieue that God by his extraordinary power was with King Henrie making him in this inuincible and powerfull to preuaile in iust opposition he looking downe with his eyes of iudgement vpon the pride and open wickednesse of Papacie and hating that the order of his seruice should be so corrupted incites and assists the king to reforme what the iniquity of others had deformed so grosse and sencelesse was the Liturgie of the Church in those blacke daies of ignorance and blinde superstition as would grieue any true Catholike Christian to consider and shame the better sort of Papists themselues to remember And therefore it is reason we acknowledge our dutifull thankes to God for altering this state of misery into a condition most happie and prosperous and that we honour their remembrance whom God did vse as fit instruments to this holy and most Religious worke Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST It doth not conclude but it doth argue against Pietie and the Truth of Religion where there is seuerity in execution For as God is both most iust and most mercifull So all Ecclesiasticall prosecutions must haue temper and indifferent mixture Secondly Calamities Death and persecutions cannot effect that in the Catholike Church which they commonly effect in Pollitique States to the one they are a cause of decay and ruine to the other of inlargement for there is difference in the forme of Gods generall prouidence and of the particular care of his Church Thirdly To ordaine or decree Articles Canons or Statutes to iudge and binde the conscience it is necessary to be directed by spirituall instruction For though authority be in euery Prince yet iudgement is not Fourthly It is dangerous for a Prince to commit the forming of spirituall constitutions to disagreeing mindes for diuersity of opinions when it goeth by suffrage doth vtterly destroy the sincerity of al cōclusions Fifthly It hath bene and is the Pollitique practise of the Romane State to support the bodie of her greatnesse with most terrible persecutions the effect doth iudge the cause and that pollicie is found wicked in the daily fall and lessening of that antichristian Empire Sixthly Tolleration of Religion is in some States reputed a necessarie pollicie but a Religious Prince that doth loue God more then State can neuer tollerate that pollicie for God doth hate all conniuencie and hee is lame in truth that halteth betweene two opinions Seuenthly It is necessary wisedome for a Prince to make difference betweene obedient and disobedient subiects in the case of Religion yet is there a great difference to be had in punishing disobedient opinions and disobedient facts Eighthly It doth much respect a mans particuler happinesse to auoide singularitie and not easily to bee drawne from the common opinion because naturally we haue a liking of our selues and a dislike of others Ninthly To a ciuill happinesse is required to be able to beare all fortunes and not to contemne them For it is not possible for Fortune with her infinite occasions to subduce the greatnesse of a vertuous minde Tenthly A vertuous disposition cannot be supprest by opposition for there is nothing can strength Patience but exercise CHAP. VIII Obseruations out of the generall view of this latter time of King Henries Reigne FIRST the importance of this difference betweene the King of England and the Pope was such as that all Christendome had earnest
that God willed it the king wrought it and the Pope in despight suffered it to the Glory of God the kings honour and the confusion of Antichrist Eighthly From this ouersight of the Popes this may be obserued that authority and greatnesse in an euill person ruines it selfe with his owne weight neither can the greatnesse of power stand safe where it is not supported by the strength of iustice and honest proceeding And that as Byas saith promotions declare best what a man is So it is true that where authority is so absolute that there is liberty without checke Then doe men giue best demonstrations of their Natures and most apparently discouer their affections and to what ends they are most inclined For by the worke we may iudge the workeman by the fruit of the Tree and by the life the truth and holy faith of euerie man Ninthly Againe vpon this proud and ambitious Bishop may bee obserued how God confounds him in his owne practise he contriueth to make the King of England his fast friend his prop wherupon to support his vnspeakeable pride but God he determines otherwise of that King and leades him to a worke more holy honest and honourable The Pope in pollicie intitles him Defendor of the Catholike Faith because hee writ in defence of his vsurped Supremacie But God maketh him and his in deeds to defend the true faith and to denie that Supremacie So that what the Pope would haue God will not haue hee commandeth God countermandeth he deuiseth God disposeth and maketh the King shoote right whom the Pope made to leuell wrong But before all may bee obserued the Popes false vnderstanding iudgement in this case in respect of Piety and conscience how much he was led from the truth of Religion and from the witnesse of Truth Gods Word to maintaine his vniuersall power which his predecessors had by state practise gotten For it cannot be but in this their iudgements were exceedingly blinded they hauing no example of any Church at any time for their imitation When the Law was giuen God gaue it Moses to giue Aaron the people not Aron to giue Moses the people in euery cause both of state Religion Aron the Priest was obedient to Moses the Prince hee receiuing the dignity of his office from Moses vnto whom God gaue power to giue it Tenthly The like order was in the Iewish Church where the Prince might iudge the Priest and not the Priest the Prince and so in the practise of all times and in all places vntill that CHARLES the Great breathed the spirit of Ambition where it is and where it hath for many yeares disturbed the peace of Christendome yet with such euidence was this error laid open to the vniuersall eye of the world by the diligence of Martin Luther and others as the Pope could not but vnderstand it yet against the witnesse of his owne conscience did he still stifly defend it and this was a pollitique regard least the world vnderstanding him to faile in a matter so important might thereupon call in question the truth of that opinion which in truth is the state and strength of that Religion That in precept and doctrine the Pope cannot erre if then he had yeelded to haue erred in this he denied the truth of his foundation without which his greatnesse cannot stand Eleuenthly And therefore after the fashion of antient heretickes he would not yeeld to the perswasion of truth because he would not haue his iudgement contradicted and shamed by recantation to acknowledge himselfe to haue done amisse And this is onely the pride and Stomacke of the too much authority of these Bishops that respect greatnesse more then goodnes the world more then God falshood than truth desiring darkenesse to obscure the manie deformities wherewith they haue defaced the name of Christian Religion Twelfthly By this wee may learne to distinguish the good and euill the holy and prophane by their end whereto they principally aspire for good men make goodnesse their onely end whereto they reach but euil men make it onely their pretence and like the Lapwing flie most where there Nest is not and such hath bene the care of the Romane Church intituling their Bishops seruants of Gods seruants yet arrogate principallity ouer the highest of Gods Creatures They professe humility and Christian obedience but practise a tyrannie vnsupportable They call Christian Princes their beloued sonnes but make them slaues and seruants to their vngodly wills And from them hath the world learned dissimulation cunning practise for wee see that many men forme themselues very precisely in the habit of all Christian duties outwardly to gaine a reputation and the honour of high place which when they haue obtained they cast off that face of holines and discouer themselues in their true inuentions such was and still is the practise of Popes who by the formes of holinesse haue got a reputation in the world which at length came to the growth that it became like Nabuchadnezzars Tree to couer the whole earth and to spread it ouer all principality then in the height of that prosperity they cast off their vizard and discouer themselues to be but Pope and not Pastors casting from them the Word that they may with more dexterity vse the sword with which like Theeues they Rob Christian Princes of that Regality which God gaue them 13. And therefore King Henries proceedings were very considerable whereof it behoued the Pope to be verie regardfull as did threaten the ruine of that frame which the pride and pollicie of his predecessors had erected the rather because the king began at the top of his dignities to throw downe his Supremacie which had ouertopped the most soueraigne of al Christian power whatsoeuer And herein the King may seeme to vnderstand well what he had to doe for by striking the roote he was sure to perish the branches and the best way to ruine a house is to vndermine the foundation in Warre the victory is sure when the enemie hath lost that power wherein his chiefe strength consisted and so the body of Popery must 17. For these respects the Christian world stood mute at the Kings businesse no man daring to set to his helping hand so much danger their iudgements could see in attempting it as that all could bee content to be spectators but no actor like King Henry euery man hauing earnest expectation what would be the issue of so strange and hazerdous an enterprize 18. It is also very considerable that the French King had at this time aduantage offered him against the King of England The King being now in the heate of so great a businesse deuided from his confederate the Pope vnassisted by any forraigne state and in the danger of domesticke troubles whereby he was vnfurnished of a great part
and greatnes by the act of Supremacie for this as I haue said was the first step to the Popes downefall and therefore by disinabling the enemie of Faith hee did wel defend it Secondly in dissoluing the wicked assemblies of euill men professing religion the Fryers Monkes he therein performed the dutie of his Christian office because these men did not onely by their euill life disgrace the Christian profession but like drones idle themselues yet prodigally spending the fatte of other mens labours a double inconuenience to a Christian state First in maintaining such numbers of vnprofitable men Secondly in the euill wasting of that which might wel haue serued the necessities of many profitable vses Eigthly And therefore though king Henrie went forward in this holy busines but slowly yet laid he the passage open for his son and disarmed the enemie of his greatest strength whereby the next Defendor K. Edward might the better take from this Thiefe the spoyles of Christian Princes wherewith he had made himselfe appeare most glorious And so did that princely Edward to the glory of his God and the perpetuall honor of his princely name Ninthly Now if I should compare these two Defendors the Father K. Henrie and the Son K. Edward together and determine whether of them hath better merited the honour of their new stile I shall rather giue the palme to K. Edward because to finish a good is more more deseruing then to begin it For though king Henrie did deserue well in acting his princely part of great Maiesty yet did king Edward deserue better continuing the Sceane to the last period euer acting one and the same part and not diuers as did king Henrie his Father Tenthly Againe if wee respect greatnesse in their actions the Father hath the greater preheminence but if goodnes the son hath the greater the Father exceeding his Son in respect of Maiesty and bold attempting but the Son his Father in zealous prosecuting a holy cause begun So that betweene these two the Father and the Son was shared both greatnes goodnes both of them hauing both these in reasonable proportion and either exceeding other in his particular King Henry the Father he taketh from the Pope the Idol of false religion authority wealth by denying his Supremacie and by suppressing of Monasteries these being his two legges whereupon he did support the body of his greatnes The Pope wanting these supporters Idol-like falls to the ground where the king there leaueth him But king Edward with better zeale entring Gods House and finding this Idol bodie and idle body in the Church of England casteth out that body from the Church which his Father left wounded in the Church cleansing the holy Sanctuary which by false seruice had bene long prophaned This holy Edward in respect of his youth and great place admirable for his wisedome holy life And therfore did king Henry deserue well and somewhat defended the Catholike Faith But king Edward deserued better and defended it best Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST It is no note of the Catholike Church neither of piety to inflict aduersity disgrace and death but of the contrarie For God doth giue to his owne these little demonstrations to remember them his iudgements and to make them the better relish eternall felicities Secondly God in the worke of his iudgements doth indifferently vse the seruice of good and badd instruments but in his mercies he doth euer imploy his best for Mercie is his most excellent attribute and doth reioyce against Iudgement Thirdly It hath bene the most generall and the most Pollitique practise of our times to disioyne a Prince from his power and by Faction to make a Fraction in his state for a faction doth euer destroy one parte if not both Fourthly It is a Court error and almost common in all States that men with generall acclamation applaude both the loue and hatred of the Prince wheresoeuer hee shall place them but a wise Prince will suspect all such assentations because they intend but to please and not to profit Fifthly He that would continue himselfe in generall estimation must bee both actiue and passiue For he that can suffer well is able to confound Enuie Sixthly The same degrees of vertue are not giuen to all men alike but to all men there is giuen a possibility of hauing vertues in some degree because to euery man is giuen an vnderstanding soule which may apprehend it CHAP. X. A Comparison betweene King Henrie the Eighth of England and Frederick sirnamed Barbarossa Emperour of Germanie FIRST these two mighty Princes King Henry of England and the Emperour Frederick Barbarossa were most notable in these last Ages for the greatnesse of their Spirits and for the boldnesse of their attempting both of them attempting one fortune but with great difference of succesfull fortune and both of them attempting with such resolute stoutnesse as that in themselues they are of neere comparison though in their fortunes they were not comparable The Emperour hee attempts against Pope Alexander The King against Pope Clement in this they conspire but the Emperour failed in his enterprize wherein the King got the garland and triumphed and in this they agree not The Emperour he quarrells the Pope for Soueraignety and because he thought it indignity and dishonour to this imperiall place to be crowned and confirmed by the Popes allowance King Henry his quarrel was for Supremacie thinking it dishonour to his kingly dignity to be second to any man in his own dominions and in this they very neerely consent Secondly Againe the King he intends a further care then this businesse of State the reformation of Christian Religion the which he found to be much corrupted The Emperour had not this good intention but trauells principally to reobtaine the Soueraigne liberty of his place which by the power of the Popes was taken from him and in this they agree not Againe the Emperour neuer fainted in himselfe but continued his princely courage to the last though the disaduantage aduantage of fortune made him faile in his great attempting and though most basely he did humble himselfe at the Pope his enemies feete yet was he forced to this by extremities not by any deiection or weakenesse of his former haughty spirit But the King though he had the Conquest and preuailed against the Pope in all hee vndertooke yet fainted he in the hope of his greatest businesse not reforming Religion but in parte which he might haue done at his own pleasure being prouoked thereto by the perswasion of prosperous fortune But this failing in the King was not caused by the weakenesse of his courage but by the weakenesse of his Nature being easily ruled by the perswasion of his neere fauourites and therfore in this they were vnequall Thirdly In respect of the Popes their enemies they were both alike handled both of
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
but it doth argue and conclude the vnworthinesse of the times for in such a case the Prince doth inherit happines but his people suffer miserie Thirdly It was both foolish and wicked in the two Dukes Northumberland and Suffolke to labour to erect and secure a state to their posterity with iniuries so apparant and palpable For though God many times suffer intrusions into titles he doth neuer establish them Fourthly In the discretion of State it cannot be thought otherwise but where there is vsurpation and false intrusion there is a miserable affliction with feare and Iealosie which neither the power or pollicie of any such State can auoid so long as God shall not suffer their violence to preuaile against the liues of the true inheritors Fifthly It is a Pollitique wisedome in a Prince to suspect the sincerity of al such state aduise that hath principall reference to the aduancement of such Counsellors For in this case it is often true that men will not speake their iudgements but their affections Sixthly To be ordered by lawfulnesse in all our actions is not onely the iudgement of conscience but of humanity and Morall discipline For Morall learning doth determine that there is nothing profitable that is not lawfull CHAP. XVII A Comparison betweene King Iosias of Iuda and King Edward of England FIRST to compare King Iosias of Iuda with King Edward of England is the most equall comparison of any two in the Storie of holy Kings both of them hauing with equall diligence and victory fought Gods quarrell to the glory of their God the reformation of his seruice the abolishing of Idolatrie and the confusion of the euill Ministers thereof First for their age when they began their Reignes King Iosias began his gouernement the eighth yeare of his age and King Edward the ninth of his wherein they very neerely consent and whereby God hath giuen proofe to the world that the power of his Spirit can as well preuaile in them of youth as in those of better yeares and experience he being able to make the Childe and the strong man alike victorious in a cause which hee shall please to protect as was this of these two holy Kings both of them equally conspiring one end the truth of Religion and holy worship Againe Amon Iosias his Father left the kingdome of Iuda in the exercise of Idolatry and so did King Henrie Edwards Father leaue the State of England in the practise of Popish Idolatrie hauing onely by suppressing of Abbeyes taken from those Idols their ornaments and wealth not vtterly destroying them as did Iosias and King Edward Againe Iosias when he vnderstood the will of God by hearing his Chancellor Shaphem reade the booke of the Law did accordingly frame himselfe in all obedience So King Edward when he vnderstood by the Learned men of his Realme such as Cranmer Latymer Ridley and others followed the Lords businesse with like zeale and constancie as did Iosias not onely abolishing the false but establishing the true forme of Gods seruice Againe as Iosias left the kingdome of Iuda to an euill Successor his Son Iehoahaz who againe prouoked the people to Idolatrie So likewise King Edward left the inheritance of the Church and kingdome of England to his Sister Mary who like Iehoahaz Iosias his Sonne did againe restore the euill practise of Idolatrie and superstitious Poperie vtterly defacing the godly building which her holy Brother had so carefully erected Againe as God did keepe his promise with Iosias which was to preserue Israell the time of his life in prosperity and rest So did God likewise preserue England in plenty and victory all the time of King Edward And therefore these two holy kings seeme to conspire in all saue their deaths Iosias dying in the field king Edward in his bed the one reigning thirty and one yeares the other but sixe yeares and odd moneths and yet in this hath king Edward the greater honour that he in sixe yeares did happily finish that which the other was thirty one yeares in compassing but aboue all hath he exceeded him in leauing to posterity that most famous Defendresse the Ladie Elizabeth his Sister who afterwards did proue the glory of her Sex and the admiration of all the world OF QVEENE MARIE AND of the alteration of the State in the beginning of her Time CHAP. XVIII FIRST I am now to change my Argument and to write not of mercy but of misery of the aduersity not of the prosperity of the Gospell and how the Catholike Faith was offended and not defended by the Successor Queene Marie who made the most miserable change in the state of England that euer that Nation indured she defacing the glorious worke of her Predecessor of K. Edward her princely brother extinguishing the lights of Truth whereby men were directed in the way of life obscuring al knowledge in the mist of Ignorāce and blacke error in which blindnesse the Christian world had for many yeares wandered This Eclipse being now againe by the interpositiō of her darke time brought vpon this Nation So that no light of Truth was in her time to be seene saue onely at the burning Stakes of Martyrs which holy fire did kindle a Religious zeale in many Spectators that beheld the mercilesse crueltie of the tormentors and the Christian patience of holy Saints tormented Secondly And therefore I am not as before to declare wherein Queene Marie hath defended the Catholike Faith because shee neuer defended it in the least particular but of the contrarie how shee did bend the powers of her endeauour both against the profession and the professors of true Christian Faith seeking by all violent and bloodie meanes to depresse the prosperity of Religion whereof by the dignity of her place she was made defendresse And in Truth it doth grieue me that I am to write the dishonor of this Queene which willingly I would auoide were the cause any other but Religion but that the declaration of these times do tie me to a necessity of Truth from which I dare not aberre for it were an euill presumption in any one to presume to write History then to obscure the truth thereof vpon what cause soeuer For thereof would issue a double inconuenience First he should wrong the vnderstandings of men in misreporting the Truth also lay an euil imputation on his name in suppressing the knowledge of Truth which is the life and true mouing soule of all Historie Thirdly And this I write in fauour of Q. Marie because of her extraordinary induments of Nature God hauing giuen her so much Maiesty and princely spirit as might serue to rule the greatest command in the world if to her other gifts God had giuen her the knowledge of his Truth she had well deserued to haue bene named most excellēt to haue exceeded all the famous Queenes
euery particular man not rashly to be moued to any fact or opinion by the loue or reuerence we haue to the persons of them that would perswade vs because in this case we doe not satisfie reason but affection CHAP. XIX In what particulars Queene Marie did most offend the Catholike Faith FIRST to remember euery particular grieuāce in this Queenes time were a labour infinite neither is it my purpose to trauell so largely therein as others before mee haue done And therefore I will onely reduce to memory some particulars of most consequēce referring him that shal require further satisfaction to the ecclesiasticall writings of those times wherein they are largely discoursed neither among these the euill fortunes of the Duke of Northumberland nor of his Sonne and daughter the Lord Gilford Dudley and the Ladie Iane his Wife because the Duke hath worthily deserued his fortunes and therefore did not receiue wrong from the Queene and State And though the Ladie Iane and the Lord Gilford her Husbād were forced to take the enterprize they themselues being meerely passiue in that businesse yet hauing proceeded therein so far as they did I see not how Queene Marie could giue them life and secure her selfe especially considering the present condition of the State how inclineable it was then to imbrace any occasion of quarrell Secondly That wherein the Queene did first offend the Christian Faith was in taking into her protection such who had before declared themselues enemies to truth and Religion and this was at her first comming to the Crowne giuing liberty and honour to such men whom her princely brother had before imprisoned degraded for by this she opened hell let loose those euill spirits which King Edward had shut vp who breathing Reuenge set the Kingdome in combustion burning and bloodying the holiest and best members thereof to the dishonour of the Prince and Nation the discomfort of holy Christians and to the discountenance of the Catholike Faith and this in a double respect was euill in Queene Marie First hereby shee gaue an assured demonstration how in the case of Religion shee was affected Secondly shee armed reuenge in in these men giuing it authority and the countenance of great place wherewith they became most terrible Thirdly And with this prologue did Queene Marie begin the Tragedie of her life fitting her with actors who had well learned their parts of blood persecution outtruding them of much better merit whom shee found in honourable and Reuerend places established as Doctor Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterburie the Arch-Bishop of Yorke the Bishop of VVinchester and many others giuing their dignities and places to their greatest enemies men not comparable to them in learning and holy life exceeding them onely in cruelty and blood who hauing gotten the sword of authority once into their hands would not sheath it before it had bene made drunke with the blood of Saints nor before the measure of their sins were full whom God for the pleasure of his will and for the glory of his Saints did suffer and for a time forbeare Fourthly in restoring the Nurseries of all abominations the Abbeyes and Monasteries she had in giuing she did much offend the Catholike Faith because those assemblies were found to abuse the name of holinesse making it a cloake to couer the bodie of their wickednesse who like horse-leeches sucke the blood and best maintenance of the Kingdome to support their lazie and most licentious trade of liuing and in this did the Queene not onely offend the truth of Religion but also the prosperity of her State in being so euill a president and in giuing so much wealth to idle and altogether vnprofitable people and not onely idle but euill vsers of their riches large possessions to the high offending of God the wrong to Christian Religion and the impouerishing of the Common-Wealth all which respects the Queene ought carefully to haue regarded Fifthly Againe the Queene restoring them did condemne the gouernement of her Father by whom they were dissolued her making them of such necessity in a Christian Kingdome made him an euill doer to suppresse them whereby she did dishonour her Father in that wherein he was most honourable he deseruing the honour of his new stile in this and in his act of Supremacie onely both which she vtterly disclaimeth damning the deed and the honourable merit of her Father building againe that euill foundation which he to his honour had cast downe And therefore if he by suppressing them hath deserued to bee stiled Defendor of the Faith shee then by supporting them may be iudged to haue offended that Catholike Faith whereof she was made Defendresse Sixthly But that which is most worthy of sad remembrance in this Queenes time was the alteration of Religion she reducing the Church of England to their former condition of Popish Idolatry which in the happie time of King Edward had bene discontinued she inhibiting al her subiects vpon grieuous paines to acknowledge that profession of Religion which she found in the State established binding them to seuere lawes to that Romish obedience which formerly they had abiured Seuenthly And in this she did oppose her selfe with al violence against the Catholike Faith as if she meant at one blow to bee the death of faith true religiō she disclaiming the good proclaiming the bad destroying Gods holy Temple to build the groaues altars of Idols this she did with such appetite that her gouernement was scarce begun before this was finished So easily is mās nature carried by violēce forcible pursuit to execute the most wicked and vngodly ends Eighthly And as this alteration of Religion was greatly to the offence of Catholike Faith so was it also very preiudiciall to the State the Kingdome hereby loosing the Lordship of it selfe which King Henrie with much hazard great trauel had recouered And assuredly if the Q. consciēce could haue bene perswaded she would neuer for any cause haue giuen the Pope or any other Potentate the supremacie of her own state and among all other least of all to the Pope who hath no principality proper but onely a gouernement compounded of many thefts he hauing taken from euery christiā Prince somwhat of reuenew or dignity to make vp the measure of his greatnes And it was great ouersight in the Q. to commend the trust of her state to the Pope whose ambition auarice hath made him euer inclineable to deceiue for when the couetous hath the treasure in keeping it is hard to make him honest he that hath nothing but by theft wil be glad to imbrace oportunity fit occasiō And therefore by thus altering religion she did not only offend the Catholike faith but dishonor the English nation binding it againe in the bonds of forraigne power from which
approue her to bee most valiant in Christian patience and to haue worthily defended the profession of the Catholike Faith before shee was made Defendresse the storie of which her most vertuous suffering I haue heretofore written in verse and therefore in this place I forbeare to make particular Narration of that which formerly I haue declared And in this I receiue speciall contentment that in my knowledge of this Souereigne Ladie Queene Elizabeth I dare confidently report to haue found more in the trauell of my time than King Salomon withall his experience and wisedome could euer finde A good Woman 〈…〉 FIRST 〈◊〉 common with God then to helpe when the disease is highest and the expectation of good is furthest off for in this doth God shew his omnipotencie and the difference betweene the actions of himselfe and his creatures for man to produce his effects doth couet the aduantage of naturall fitting causes but it is sufficient cause in God that he is willing Secondly There is this difference in the punishments of good and euill men temporall and eternall the good mans temporall punishment must of necessity end the euill mans spirituall punishment hath an euerlasting necessity of being For God hath determined all men to taste of both cups but with different measure Thirdly It was a wisedome both Religious and Pollitique in the Queene to enter her State with generall peace for though shee had the sword of authority in her hand and found in the power of her command such as had bene very grieuous vnto her yet did she like a wise Princesse take no further reuenge then onely name them for her enemies and so distinguish them from better friends For it is most needfull for a Prince at the entring his State to gaine the opinion of mercie because there is nothing can better secure him then the hearts and faithfull seruice of his people Fourthly There is this greatnesse euen in men of inferior fortune that they either dispise the dignities they haue not or can with a modest patience hope them For seeing that all worldly things are moued with variable motions what man can haue reason to dispaire the fortune of some prosperitie CHAP. XXIV Of the first Act of Queene Elizabeths defence for the Catholike Faith after she was Queene FIRST Queene Elizabeth in her gratious disposition was like the sune which no sooner is vp but it riseth to the comfort of all Creatures so the Queene no sooner in the seate of Maiestie but she applyeth her cares to the vse of mercie and vertuous deeds casting vpon the generall face of this Nation her heauenly aspect and influence which in the blacke time of her Sisters gouernement lay in the shadow of darkenesse and blacke obscurity And as the neerest to her Religious heart she beginneth being of important consideration first with Gods cause Religion laying that for her foundation whereupon she determined to erect the whole frame of her holy life For shee well vnderstood there was nothing could support her in the true estimation of honour and vertuous liuing but Religion without the exercise whereof all other things are vitious and of euill merit And therefore did she pursue this end with a most stedfast resolution daring to doe any thing were it neuer so hazerdous that might aduantage it and remouing euery impediment which any way might hinder the prosperity of that proceeding And because she found the bodie of her State dangerously wounded by disorder and euill gouernement she therefore very carefully and skilfully applieth present remedie least otherwise the disease might proue incureable and the cause of Religion might then bee like the common cause of Patients who haue their patience tryed by deferments and lingring cures which in the trade and practise of many bad Physitions is very frequent And this disgrace hath the Queene well auoided in determining first the generall cause of the Common-Wealth before any particular end that might respect her owne priuate Secondly The euidence of this her holy and princely care is most apparant in the restoring of Religion to that Truth and Authoritie wherein in King Edwards time it was worthily established abolishing superstitious Poperie which in the time of Queene Marie her Sister had vsurped the place and dignitie of true Religion And this false worship hath Queene Elizabeth like a most victorious Empresse for euer vanquished bringing it downe to that pouertie of strength as the fauourers thereof haue little reason euer to hope a restauration of that which she and her Successor our Soueraigne King Iames haue for euer banished from the bonds of great Brittaine Thirdly And in this hath Queene Elizabeth very fortunately defended the Catholike Faith and finished that holy quarrell with as much honour as euer did any Christian Prince before her being in this worthily able to match if not to ouer match her most princely brother K. Edward who but for her may be thought for his holy care singular and without comparison Fourthly To reckon vp the particulars of Queene Elizabeths merit were a needlesse trauell both because I cannot so report them as they are worthly and also because they are yet visible in the view of the gouernement of the Church and State of England as now it standeth our Church being still in the flourish of that prosperity wherein shee left it established to the next Defendor of the Faith and wherein K. Iames her successor our Souereigne doth yet continue it and wherein we hope it will be euer continued in his hopefull posterity Fifthly This noble beginning of Queene Elizabeth was so much to the aduancement of the Catholike Faith that being by report made knowne to the world was a cause that the Children of faith who in Queene Maries time did willingly banish themselues into places of farre distance now hearing of this alteration resort againe to their Countrie and to the protection of this Noble Defendresse who did free them from the miserie of persecution and vnder whose defence they peaceably enioyed their liues and the libertie of Reformed Conscience And with this holy exordium did Queene Elizabeth begin the Storie of her vertuous life Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST It is a precept giuen vs by our best Master First seeke the Kingdome of God This lesson had the Queene learned from that Doctor who therefore did applie her first cares to this principall end for which God did succeed her in others for it is vnquestionable true that he that seeketh God shall finde all his necessarie things though he seeke them not Secondly The Queene by her direct manifesting her resolute purpose how in the case of Religion she was resolued was both in her selfe Religious and had this Pollitique respect that thereby shee tooke feare from her friends and hope from her enemies making hope and feare shift places for that did satisfie the expectation of her friends which in such
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
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
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
most Christian and most Princely labours are diuulged and laid open before the generall face of the world whereby that man of sin is with euidence discouered and all his painted Pollitique Religion laid nakedly open in the true formes of his false worship and whereby Christian Emperours Kings and Potentates are induced by the authorities of reason and particuler example to combine with God and Gods Lieftenants Christian Princes against all forreigne confederacie whatsoeuer These workes of Religious Learning in the King as they were of maruellous import and strength to the Catholike Cause so also they made much for the Kings sacred honour and will vndoubtedly remaine to all posterity as ornaments of his princely worth and inducements to inflame with sacred zeale the affections of his princely Progenie to honour and inlarge the reputation of Religion and Learning And howsoeuer his malitious lying enemie Tortus or the Cardinall his Master Bellarmine would disgrace the Kings sufficiencie in this kinde of learning and would therefore father his Maiesties worke vpon his Subiect of lesse authority yet are these iniuries both knowne and iudged by many thousands both of this and of other Nations that haue had experience of his extraordinary indouments the truth whereof it is not possible his owne Subiects can report without suspition of flatterie Eleuenthly I conclude then that the Kings Maiesty most noblely defended the Catholike Faith against all the enemies and principally against these two great ones the Papist and the Puritan Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST there was neuer any time wherein God had not some Patron to giue the cause of his Church Sanctuarie for though it be often in distresse it is neuer in destruction Secondly the Kings proceeding against the Papists and the Puritans did well distinguish the quallities of their offence and declare his owne integrity for though he proceeded against both yet with some distinction of fauour For the Puritan was the lesse enemie being enemie to the peace onely but the Papist both to the peace and truth of the Catholike Faith Thirdly Men measure the dgrees of loue and hate according to the quallity of the cause that moues the passion But in particular relations the personall respect doth often preuaile aboue the cause For passion is much more strong when it is vnited in one particuler Subiect rather than when it is deuided vnto a multitude CHAP. XXXV A remembrance of some particulers wherein God wonderfully defended King IAMES FIRST there was neuer any Prince in the world who had more cause to acknowledge Gods fauour then King Iames who trauelled his Princely life from his Cradle to his age thorow many dangerous fortunes whom God still supported against the most able and the most subtill practises of his enemies For if we reduce to memorie the many dangers of his life in Scotland and how in that kingdome his enemies did conspire against his life and State there is in that time and place matter enough of admiration But if that were not and that wee remembred his fortunes in England onely in those few yeares of his gouernement here wee shall finde matter of more than admiration and such conspiracie and damned practises as would amaze and with horror affright the hearts of tyrants and bloody practisers Secondly and for Scotland first to omit many of lesse note I remember that very dangerous conspiracie of the Gowries onely a practise brought to that ripenesse as that the King might seeme to be fast in the snare his enemies had laid to betray him yet did God in a trice breake their snare free the King and destroy the Diuellish deuisers of that proiect This story is well knowne and therefore it need not my report being alreadie related by such who haue had better cause to know the truth of euery circumcumstance and yet in this place doth it merit to bee named both for the rarenesse of the practise and for the greatnesse of Gods deliuerance Thirdly at the Queenes death also did God wonderfully assist the King and fauour the prosperity of his fortunes for at that time when the enemies of our State and the enemies of our Faith did hopefully beleeue that the enmity of these two kingdomes England and Scotland would vpon this occasion haue renued their antient quarrells and thereby haue interrupted the Kings peaceable entrance into this kingdome yet was the euent otherwise no little disturbance letting his Maiesties forward entring whereby God did mocke the expectation of his enemies and assuredly exceed the expectation of all men Fourthly that neuer to be forgotten treason of blowing vp with powder a destruction ment to the King the Queene the Prince the State the house of State the Church the Monuments of the Church the bones and Sepultures of Princes a destruction lesse mercifull then the generall Flood because more sudden and yet all most generall too the very naming whereof may serue for euer to prouoke the people of this kingdom to acknowledge their dutifull thankes to God by whose hand onely this mighty deliuerance was wrought Fifthly By these particulers out of many may appeare how God did wonderfully protect the person of that King suffering him to enter so farre into danger as that he might haue bene said to haue stood in the verie gates of death the match being readily prepared to fire that powder which if it had bene fired had committed the greatest Slaughter that euer at one instant of time happened May God therefore for euer be praised who preuented so great a destruction and let his prouidence be for euer admired who hath thus defended the Defendors of the Catholike Faith CHAP. XXXVI Of the diuersity of Religions FIRST the diuersity of Religions is one maine cause that deuideth the world into so many disagreements the maintainers of euery seuerall Sect disclaiming and persecuting al diuersity iudging such for prophāe out of Gods protection that conspire not with them in their opinion of Religion And heerehēce it is that the name of Iew or Turke is odious to a Christian the name of Christian odious to them they iudging vs and we iudging thē Anathemates cursed people Secondly neither is this contention onely in these opposites of Christian and heathen but the heathen among themselues and the Christians among themselues are deuided into many bitter differences the Turke against the Persian both against the Iew and so in many other particulars of the barbarous people Among the Christians also the Papist against the Protestāt the Protestāt against the Papist the Puritan against them both besides many other subdiuisions So that the Christians in these times haue as many seuerall Religiōs as the old heathen Pagans had Gods and that Idolatrie which the people of the old world committed by hauing multiplicity of Gods did the people of these times cōmit by their
alteration of time How God doth inuite men to their Saluation Religion did liue in death The cause of scisme in Christian Religion The Practises of the French Diuine Pollitique Morall The reformation of Religion Christian Religion deuided into Protestants and Papists How Religion was reformed England the first that with victory did oppose the Pope The first occasion of the alteration of Religion Luthers Booke de Captiuitate Babyl K. Henery the Eighth against Luther The purpose of the Kings Booke The greatnes of the Pope at those times The Popes pollicie The Popes secret purpose in stiling the K. Defendour of the Faith The Popes purpose disappointed by prouidence God moueth the King against his naturall disposition Luthers bitter writing Luthers misconceiuing Luthers zeale without discretioÌ„ Diuine Politique Morall The first Act of the Kings Defence Frederick Barbarossa Henry the Second The first occasion of difference betweene King Henry and the Pope The King first made supreame Head Anno regni 26. An Argument of the Kings greatnesse The benefit of Maiestie The inconuenience of Papall authoritie Diuine Pollitique Goodness and greatnes the two ends whereto all men intend Richard the Third of England The gouernment Monarchiall the best An inconuenience of Popish Supremacie Pretend and intend The practise of many Treasâ—ns Pride the most sensible signe of Antichrist Psalme The sinne of the Diuels in the Creation Nymrods sinne Supremacie God neuer altereth his purpose Vicessitudo rerum The variety of Fortunes The regard that was giuen to the Pop Church The first cause of alteration of Religion God most iealous of his honour The King well fitted for this businesse What might moue the K. in respect of himselfe Master Fox in the Act and Monâ— The Popes strength The cause mouing the King to the subersion of the Abbeyeâ— The outrruding of Fryers c. The suppressing of Abbeyes good to the Church and Common-Wealth A doubt Answer 1. 2. Cardinall Wolsey an euill president Pollitique Morall The weakenesse of the Kings resolution The King ruled by perswasion and not by Iudgement Cardinall Wolsey Thomas Cranmer D. Cranmer Stephen Gardiner Gardiner a great Polititian The sixe Articles Sir Thomas Moore The excelleÌ„t ornaments in Nature in Sir Thomas Moore The error of such as write Historie Truth the life of all History Moore an euemie to the Protestant Religion The vnequal comparison betweene Moore and Gardiner Lord Cromwell In moderation England beholding to the labours of the Lord Cromwell In this time Religion did proceed well His constancie in one course Diuersity of opinions cause of the Kings vnconstancie The Kings infirmitie Euery alteration in a state is dangerous The Kings error Diuine Pollitique Morall The cause pretended of the sixe Articles The cause of manie grosse and sencelesse opinions The nature of the Vulgar An euil cure Sixe Articles The power of perswasion The sixe Articles what they were The euil that redounds to a State when the Counsell are diuided The care of State Gardiner the meanes to hinder the King from reformation Gardiners wit Gardiners gifts The ReligioÌ„ at this time in England was neither the ProtestaÌ„t nor the Papist Three Protestants and three Papists die at one time and in one place for their Conscience Acts and Mon pag. 1375. The Kings Counsell the one halfe Protestants the other Papists The miserie of these times Tolle vnum tolle verum 2 Sam. 7. 5. God would not that K. Henry but that King Edward should finish this reformation King Henry deserued well in doing more then was done before him by any other The King exceeded expectation God assisted the King The Kings desert Diuine Pollitique Morall The difficultie in the Kings attempt This opposition was ordered by the power of God The wisedome of pollicie is foolishnesse with God The King gaue aduantage to his enemies The Popes Curses vpon King Henry The power of the Popes censure Faction the first part of Conquest A second Reason The equall partage of Christendome to many Princes The care of those times England and France in continuall faction A pollitique regard England with Spaine France with Scotland coÌ„federates The aduantage the French had of the English by reason of this popish quarrell God and not pollicie ordered the king Considerations in respect of the Pope The Pope degraded of authority The Kings example daÌ„gerous for the Pope The Pope enuied of Christian Princes The Popes diligence The respect the Pope had to the dishonorable yealding How it did import the Pope to continue friendly intertainement with the King The Pope lost the King by his too much neglect pride Authority in an euill person ruines it selfe A saying of Byas How to iudge men God confoundeth the Popes pollicie God and the Pope vtterly disagree Papall suprepremacie gotten by state practise Charles the Great father of the Popes ambition Luther Areason of the Popes obstinacie A principall of Papistrie The fashion of antient Heretickes The pride of the Pope To know how to distinguish good and euil by their ends The Pope intituleth himselfe the seruant of Gods seruants but insulteth ouer Emperors Dissimulation commonly in The Popes greatnesse like Nebuchadnezzars Tree couered the whole Earth When great dissemblers dare discouer themselues The Kings proceedings very important The Kings orderly proceeding The bodie of Popery must needs fall when Supremacie the head was cut off The Christian Princes stood mute at the Kings businesse The French had at this time aduantage of the English by reason of the Pope England and France enuious of one anothers gloriâ— The King fortunate The Kings care to satisfie the Princes of Christendome The reason thereof A pollitique discretion Religion at this time but in reforming The Pope had his head broken Diuers law-makers diuers lawes The euill gouernement of the state at this time The King himselfe otherwise inclined D. of Saxony Master Fox Act. and Mon. pag. 1478. The Kings dislike of Gardiner The repentance sorrow the King made for the Lord Cromwell The Kings affection How the K. left the state Whether the King defended the faith or not Obiection The King the first Christian King Defendor of the Faith The King defended the Faith in two particulars A double inconuenience to a Christian state The King made way for his Sonne King Edward finished what his Father had attempted A comparison betweene King Henry and King Edward To finish a good is more then to begin it In respect of greatnes K. Henry was more excellent in respect of goodnesse King Edward King Henry did wound Idolatry but King Edward destroyed it Diuine Pollitique Morall The King the Emperor famous for their bold Attempts The Emperour against Pope Alexander the King against Pope â—lemeÌ„t They both quarrell the Pope for Soueraigntie The King intended reformation the Emperour did not The Emperour more forward least fortunate The Kings weakenesse was the weakenesse of Nature not of Courage The two Popes their enemies neerely agree They both curse but with vnequall successe
worke no creature is able certainely to determine what will be before it be all things in respect of humane indgement being iudged by their euents and not otherwise Secondly and therefore is calculating and the iudgement of Astrologie vncertaine and a very mockery hauing neither lawfulnesse nor Truth to giue it authority And though the Diuiner sometime hit the truth hee doth it not by any certaine direction but by hap and at peraduenture and so the blinde may hit the Butt and the reporter of many lies may fortune to tell a truth Thirdly and this false fore-iudging is of ordinary custome in the vse of all worldly affaires euery man almost aduenturing to Iudge before hand of euery accident and to determine how God shall determine of such and such occasions whereby they would tie God to a necessity and that needs hee must doe that which in their weake iudgement they imagine will bee done But God who is most absolute and able to doe whatsoeuer shall please himselfe deludeth the vaine imaginations of men and out of the greatest vnlikelihoods can hee frame that which is most desired and least hoped neither is hee as man to iudge by apparance or by the consequence of humane reason but out of death can he raise life out of miserie mercie and in the greatest expectation of warre blood and persecution can he giue peace safetie and preseruation Fourthly Wee haue happie instance of this in the fortunes of the Kings Maiestie that last was King Iames our Souereigne whom God most gratiously and beyond all expectation did protect making him fortunate to the honour of his owne name and for the happinesse of these Nations combining by him two euer disagreeing nations in the neerest bonds of Loue and Brotherhood And this did God make prosperous beyond our hopes and beyound the euill desires of them who loued vs not For if we remember the latter time of Queene Elizabeths reigne and the hard condition of those times we shall then finde how much the mercie of God hath exceeded our hopes and how much the generall opinion was deceiued in the construction of that euent men generally expecting the miserie of warre and ciuill strife when God did reach vs his mercie and the large demonstration of his loue Fifthly And in truth in respect of likely hood both Nations England and Scotland had reason to haue feared more and hoped lesse then happened it being not likely to succeed as it did and that a people inueterate in quarrell and warlike contention should in such peaceable manner shake hands and conspire mutually one thing which for many hundreds of yeares before did euer disagree which is more in a matter so important as was the vniting of both kingdomes in the gouernement of one absolute Souereigne Neither was it likely there wanted then the practise of forreigne States especially of such as enuied our prosperity and loued vs not which might trauell to hinder this happie coniunction whereby our strength became double so much as before and therefore our enemies would couet rather to suppresse than to inlarge vs least we hauing the kingdome of Scotland to assist vs which before was commonly either enemie or newter might proue vnresistable in the fortune of warre who before we had it were so often Conquerours Sixthly And this assuredly was a matter very considerable for them to preuent and such as the Pollitique wisedome of States men would carefully apprehend For in the disoretion of State affaires it is better and of lesse difficultie to preuent the augmentation of our enemies power then when it is augmented to scatter it And those things in the opportunity of their times are of easie reach which afterwards in a time vnfit proue vnaccessable not within our compas and this Iudgement could not want in them who most carefully search the secrets of all pollicie and trauell their wits to apprehend and contriue all aduantages yet notwithstanding all these occasions which in common iudgement might haue letted the Kings peaceable entrance into this Kingdome did God bring him vnder the protection of his fauour in security and peace and with generall acclamation binding the enuie of all opposition and making his enemies shew themselues his friendly entertainers the antiēt enemies of this kingdom to congratulate his Kingly inheritance And this did God with such admirable demonstration of his fauour as that his Maiestie and his Subiects of both kingdomes haue good cause to remember it for euer most thankefully whose life God did wonderfully preserue and whose fortunes hee did highly aduance leading him thorow many difficulties and dangers to a faire inheritance to inherit the obedience and faithfull seruice of a people faithfull fortunate and assured whom his predecessors the Kings of Scotland did euer most feare as their most able enemie whom his Maiesty euer found his most trusty and assured Subiects and this was done with such prosperity and forward successe that the report of the Q. death was scarce named in our neighbour kingdomes but this report of the kings peaceable entrance was farre off generally knowne the good newes of the kings entring outstripping the euill newes of the Queenes death to the comfort of all good men and to the admiration of all men Seuenthly neither was there need as it was thought that the King and his Subiects of Scotland should for this cause haue put themselues into the hazard of vncertaine warre whereby the Kings right might haue indured wrong and Truth haue stood at the discretion of warre which had bene very dangerous and that which our enemies most hoped but the happie issue was otherwise for neither was there any to lift vp his daring hand to resist his Maiestie neither had the King any vse for weapons but onely wore them for ornament and to giue names of honour to such men whom hee thought did or might deserue them Eighthly And thus did God giue vs life when we feared death peace when we feared warre a king when we had none a Prince a Patron and a most noble Defendor of the Catholike Faith vnder whose protection we enioyed peace plenty security And therfore happie were we in his gratious gouernment and happie was his Maiesty whom God found worthie to succeed in the royall seate and in the holy cares of that most famous Defendress of the Faith Queen Elizabeth CHAP. XXXIII Of the Kings defending the Catholike Faith in Scotland before he was King of England FIRST there is nothing of our owne wherein wee may iustly glory but in well-doing because when we doe any work of Grace the Spirit of God moueth in vs and prouoketh vs to holy exercise And therein onely we may worthily esteeme of our selues because we are accepted of God and vsed as his holy-instruments And in this had the Kings Maiestie much to glory