saue them harmelesse and for that reason I may and for other regardes I must be silent And you may rest secure that the Monkes of S. Bencdicts order are not yet multiplied to posses your Abbies Ten or such like number of them are not likely in haste to challenge and enjoy so many hundreds of Monasteries with their reuenewes as were their dowrie in England And so small an handfull of other Priests are not likely to make present entry to so many thousands of Bishoprickes Deaneries and Ecclesiasticali liuings as the Protestant Clergy is setled in Many or most of vs haue willingly disinherited our selues and embraced wantes we which haue beene voluntaries in pouerty so long cannot by probability be so sodainely changed to desire riches with so greate encombers If England were Catholicke to morrowe no Pretendor of perfection euer heard that in any age such a generallity of Dualities or Pluralities was grannted which coulde endowe so litte a number with so many thousand spirituall maintenances Then Sr if you coulde bee but so equally affected to them which were so many hundred yeares togither true Titlers and owners both of Religion and religious possessions in this Nation to let them now in some poore disgraced and penitentiall manner professe the first with such deuotion as they affect they should easely ioyne to leaue the second to them which more desire and lesse deserue it And I trust no Puritane should complaine of perill to Prince iniury to himselfe or dammage to other subiect Such seruing of God which is all wee seeke is not so dangerous eiher to Religion established or the temporall state of our most beloued countrey that any banding in Associations be needefull against it Being neither more or so much as the Pope himselfe alloweth to the Iewes in all his Terrytories euen in the City of Rome where he is Resiant And which the protestant Prines of Germany the Turkish Emperour Persian and other absolute Monarches which cannot be condemned regardlesse of their temporall Regiments allowe vnto Iesuites Priestes and others both religious and Catholickes of the Lay condition in vvhich so small a kindnesse any man of reason woulde rather presume vpon your fauour then feare your disfriendshippe And the rather because Sr giue mee leaue in this very Pamphlet so inuectiue against so little curtesie your selfe doe seeme to free vs of all vnworthines For if you remember there be but two bars which you put against it Ielousie to concur with forreigne forces And Popes Supremacy with reconciliation and your selfe haue broken both and seeme to set vs at liberty from such suspects Of the former thus you doe discharge vs when you take away all hope of aduancements by such conspirings vpon which you ground your wicked and vntrue conceits your acquittance in this case is set downe in these wordes Pag. 27. The Admirant of Arragon spared the Papists no more then the other in the Borders of Germany And the Duke of Medina said that if he had preuailed against England with his inuincible Armado he would haue spared Papists no more then Protestants but make way for his Master Concerning the second our Supercedias from you Pag. 35. may bee this sentence Priestes are executed indeede for affirming the Popes Supremacy and reconciling to the Church of Rome which are partes of their Priestly function Then Sr if Supremacy in the Pope of Rome and to receconcile to that Church be partes of Priestly function which is wholly spirituall and distinct from a ciuill state and temporall affaires by no lawe or learning that which appertayneth to that function is parte thereof can bee preiudiciall or dangerous to the second And your simple distinction following which you say was made before the late Earle of Huntington you are well acquainted with that family watch-wordes ward-words and their appendices that Priestes are not executed for these partes as they are religious but as they bee dangerous to the State in ciuill consideration is both ridiculous for my reason before and derogareth to the lawes of England because you cannot doubt but those articles were maintayned known and honured euen in this kingdome by almost 200. Kinges and their lawes many hundreds of yeares togither vntill these daies at this present are so reuerenced in the most florishing Kingdomes of the worlde And if contention be betweene Religions and ciuill lawes except God be inferiour to man it is no question who muste haue dominion Temporall thinges be subordinat to spirituall Religion is the highest rule But to giue you all contentment Pag. 6. 7. if you only must bee vvise and your plots approoued Then to satissie you in your owne devises of security which be by oath and pecuniary punishments Concerning the laste I haue made you a reckoning before how the Catholickes of England which defend their Religion answer yearely truly farre greater summes to her Maiesties vse for that cause then you demande If they come not to her purse you knowe they be not such Recusants which be Receauers and hinder it And for other Subiects how no gaine at all but generall discontent would grow by tender of such oathes your owne opinion so often repeated of Parlament and disguised Papists ouerthroweth your first position and woulde prooue the practise to be ridiculous Touching an oath for the security of our most honoured Queene and the temporall estate of this kingdome a man of such reading as you affect to bee reputed doth knowe that a spirituall oath was neuer vsed in any Nation to secure a ciuill Regiment Neither by any wit can you nowe make it a politicke inuention for that purpose Where the endes be diuers the meanes must needes be different But seeing it pleaseth you thus farre to giue confidence to the consciences of Catholickes which is more then we dare assume for you Then if you remember vvhat is written Pag. 6. 7. both in domesticall and forreigne histories commended and commanded in lawes of Princes to such sntents Temporall Regiments are and euer were secured both in this and other Nations by oathes of temporall and ciuill duty and obedience To this our ancient Statutes and the particular oathes of priuate offices as of generall and common allegeance be testimony Then Sr to secure our Prince and trie our assections if you mooue our gratious Soueraigne to receaue all Catholihkes into her protection which will take such oath which is so much as we euer gaue to former Prince or our lawes require or her Maiesty will as I hope needeth to demande let all which refuse so louing and gratious dealings be as in all former ages forth of her fauour and defence And whereas your newe engin is that oathes shoulde bee chieflie ministred to Gentlemen Magistrates and Possessionors Pag. 6. by which particular you knowe how many be exempted yet to take all danger of your perilous Priests and Iesuites away procure that vpon their acceptance of this and rheir allegeance
are become dennes of theeues and serpents The names of Arch-bishops Bishops Arch-deanes Deanes and such be Dyabolicall No signe of the Crosse or memory of mans Redemption may be vsed Assoc pag. 39. and whatsoeuer religeth a man to God must not be remembred vnder their curse for superstition If we put these people into ballance with the idolatrous Gentiles Turkes Iewes and Brachmans it is euident by al writers that although those Infidels doe erre in true Religion yet they maintayne forged Priesthoods Sacrifices and other tokens of Reuerence to keepe in seare of a diuine Maiesty all which thinges be wanting in this Puritane hauing no one positiue or affirmatiue opinion concerning worshippe And so for Religion and binding of men to God haue brought in a plaine priuation of those duties irreligion and a freedome to all liberty and vndutifulnesse both to God and man THE VI. VNTRVTH IN THE sixt worde established IT is euident by the whole discourse of this Religious Associator and so hee rearmeth himselfe in diuers places that he is a Puritane and laboureth to settle that same profession as he bewrayeth in plaine tearmes Pag. 19 And yet who knoweth not but Puritanes be condemned at the least as before in 32. questions by that Religion which is setled in England Admonit Purit Com. B Parl. 5. et 13. Elizab. as their owne Admonition the Communion booke and Parlaments themselues are witnesse against them Therefore this Innouator seeketh not to associate to maintayne any Religion setled but to settle his own vnsetled sect THE VII VNTRVTH THE seauenth foule and flattering Vntruth is two leaues longe as though Puritanes were the most loyall louing and obedient subiects which her Majestie hath and in respect of them neither Councell Nobility Bishops or any other were dutifully carefull of her preseruation But Sr because you pretend you selfe so dutifull a Subiect to our Soueraigue and regardfull of reuerence to the English Protestant Clergy and that Religion which they professe you will giue me licence to vtter in a fewe wordes the true allegeance and loue which your reformed Seignorie and eldership beareth vnto them For except this affection be knowne to bee excellent in your Society you will not bee worthy to be admitted to such exempted fauour with our Queene and her Bishops to whome you write Then I will condemne you by your owne sentences to be vndutifull to her Maiesty our Queeene moste malitious to her Clergy and deuoted Aduersaries to their Religion for whose maintenance you counterfeite desire of Assoctations And to exemplifie what forreigne Religion is so gratious in your eies as that of Geneua Admonit parl in fin Repl. Admon Parl. tract 20. and other Churches there abouts which you call for that reason resormed your Admonition to the Parlament approoueth the Presbitery of Scotland and the French Puritanes so farre that you propose them for example of imitation to England your owne writings I hope you will not deny And if you forsake Caluin and Beza your Fathers and dearest friends you are discredited for euer Then to begin with them first which I named last let the Reader iudge vvhether our Soueraigne her Arch-bishops Bishops with the rest of the Parlament Ministery and their Religion so contrary vnto Puritanes liue in security be honoured by this people Concerning Princes which be not of Caluins purity he vseth these wordes Caluin in Da. c. 6. v. 22.25 c. They spoile themselues of all authority yea they are vnworthy to bee accounted in the number of men and therefore we must rather spit vpon their heades then obey them And touching the English Communion booke which is the rule of Parlament Religion hee calleth it fooleries Stat. 1. Eliz Surn of hol disc Beza epist ded nou test an 1564. et epist ad Episcop Ebor Beza euen in his Epistle to her Maiestie of England defendeth Rebellion against Princes of a different Religion and honoureth such as bee slaine in such quarrels with the glory of Martyrs And in his Epistle to a Protestant Bishop of England condemneth the exercise of their Religion The reformed Churches of France holde the same sentence both concerning King and worship in their 39. Article Congreg artic 39. Articul Puri Scon Two of the chiefest Articles of the Scottish Puritanes be these 1. Bishops and Archbishops haue no authority their very names and titles be Antichristian and Diabolicall 2. It is heresie for any Prince to call himselfe heade of the Church But he may be excommunicate and deposed of his ministers And to come to English Puritanes and the Consistory of your Eldership and reformed Scignorie the chiefest Patron thereof T. C. is knowne to be an ancient and mortall enemy to the present Arch-bishoppe of Canterbury and is farre from allowing the Titles names dignities and authority of him or any Bishop Deane high Commissionor or other by her Maiesties proceedings that as the same Arch-bishoppe hath gathered to my handes T. C. in repl to the ans of the Admonit I. whitgift prefat to the ans to the Reply of T. C. T. C. in Repl. in fin Confes c. 18. T. C. repl pag. 5. T. C. pag. 144. he wil not allowe him the dignity of a Doctor but Ironice and scoffingly after your manner calleth him M. Doctor 370. times at the least in one litle book And telleth vs that the equality of Ministers is consirmed by the sentence of the Puritanes of Heluctia Tygurine Berne Geneua Polmia Hungary and Scotland with others And although you to slatter the Protestant Arch-bishops and Bishops of England woulde bring your disagreement from thē toceremonies yet he desendeth that the doctrine of the English Protestants is such that Puritanes are bound to deny it with losse of as many liues as they haue haires on their heades And for reuerence and duty to our Soueraigne denounceth by his Euangelicall preeminence against all Protestant Princes which will not be Puritanes and embrace their Presbitery that to vse his own wordes They must submit their Scepters and throwe downe their Crownes before the Church of their Eldership and licke the dust of their feete The highest cathedrated sentence of your Admonition written in all your names rayleth at the Protestants affirming your contentions to be but Ceremonies But I will alleadge the wordes of that holy worke both for your confusion in this and all other your wicked practises in this Association These they be Lordy Lordes Arch-bishops Bishoppes Prefat Admon Parl. Admonit tra 2.3 c Suffraganes Deanes Doctors Arch-deacons Chauncellors and the rest of that prowde generation whose Kingdome must downe Titles liuings and offices of Metrapolitane Arch-bishop Lordes grace Lordshippe Suffrragane Deane Arch-deacon were denised by Antichrist and are plainely in Christs worde forbidden and are vtterly with speede to be remooued Prefat Admonit supp But in a few wordes to say what we meane either must wee haue a right ministerte of God and a right
the Queene How ridiculous is this man Is it not Premumre to deny that oath by lawe already enacted how many Catholickes knoweth this man to be in office in our Nation are not Catholickes bounde both to the good behauiour and depriued of their Armour and weapons And concerning the last punishment to pay the fourth part of their lands they only possesse a third part and her Maiesty or rather wicked persecutors enioy the rest and no rent at all is answered vnto her by such Tenants for those landes Therfore this Puritane abused her and his prophesie is false THE XI VNTRVTH FOR Reuerence to her Maiestie I passe ouer the holy blessings which he bestoweth vpon the Romane See sacred Priests grana Benedicta Agnus Dei hallowed thinges from thence And because this man is so methodicall in his diuisions for he which teacheth so wise a Princesse and Councell both in diuine ciuill and martiall affaires must needes be an Absolute Then I will giue him due in all his excellencies These be the wordes of his first diuision The power strength of any people or multitude is to bee augmented by one of these foure waies 1. By addition or number 2. By supplie of Necessaries 3. By aduantage of place 4. By order of gouernement Sr as I am no computing writer so I haue bestowed little labour in them which handle such employments And I thinke your selfe to bee as wise as the Orotor of Greece which so peremptorilie entreated such things before Hannibal that greatest Captaine in the worlde But I thinke if you had well committed to memory the warres and battailes of Abraham Gedeon Sampson Iosue Dauid and others recorded in Seriptures wherein you and yours bee so inspired or with ordinarily qualited Gentlemen of England taken but a superficiall Muster of the warres of Alexander with Darius Of the Christians against the Moores in Spayne The Spanyards against the Infidels in the Indies Or Henry the fifte and other English Kinges in France Or beene a little acquainted with Plato and Aristotle which you cite in the beginning of the first page of your Motyues you would haue beene mooued to adde other members to your diuision gyuing it as an instruction to so greate a Princesse But Souldiers shall giue you this Reprehension And I will in this point onely call to your remembrance that you displayed your Banner to farre for a Souldier of small experience and which neuer kept Centinell before may easelie discouer that according to your skill you labour to possesse your parte of all those meanes by which you thinke the power and strength of any people or multitude I vse your owne tearmes is to be augmented Your first fortification is by addition or number of this you would easely bee owners if you might teach Queene and Councell and haue such stratagems in vse which none but your holy fraternity doth allowe Your second embatailement is raysed by supplic of Necessaries of which you woulde also be Masters if all Armour and weapons were brought into your Armouries Of the third which is aduantage of place you would haue aduantage enough if none but of your allowance lowance might be admitted to place of Magistracie or be placed in any office or place of defence As for the fourth and last order of gouerument Pag. 41. insr you triumph al ready that most men of action and resolution be for you as also that in diuers respects for number you are ten to one And say in plaine tearmes Pag. 41. that it is not good in policy to prouoke the Puritanes in the declyning of her Maiesties age and raigne THE XII VNTRVTH THE next diuision he preferreth to no meaner personage thē our gratious Soueraigne her selfe in these teames Let me present vnto your Maiestie Pag. 11. the whol number of your Subiects diuided into 4. bands 1. Protestants of Religion 2. Protestants of State 3. Papists of State 4. Papists of Religion What Logicke followeth after this diuision is not to be sounde in Aristotle but so many Vntruthes bee manisestlie sounde in it that I might make vp more then my account in this place but I may not wholy neglect so many and learned lessons in the rest of this Association But cōcerning this hacking and cutting the Subiects of England into those 4. quarters I muste needes put this Isocrates in minde that he hath abused King Nicocles in this point For Religion especially with those which attribute so much to saith is principally subiected in the vnderstāding then according to Plato and Aristotle his own Authors it taketh specisication from such things as be taught and beleeued in Religion and diuersities of Religions must be named and diuided according to the diuersitie and multiplicity of thinges beleeued for as faculties are distinguished by their actes so these are diuided and singled by their obiects and not by the endes to which they be referred or for which they bee practized for this is the operation of the will and not any action of vnderstanding Then according to that which is prooned before if there be almost 300. kindes of Protestants in other cuntreis it is meruaile if only two had traficke into Englād Conuoc Lon. 1562. Parl. 5. Eliz. et 13. EliZ. Stow hist Sinod Lond. Artic. 1.2.3.4.5.7.26 And to put him out of doubt the approoued booke of Articles and two Parlaments and our Protestant histories do tell him that in England among English Protestants there bee Vigilantians Nestorians Eutichians Arrians Eunomians Grecians Henricians Iouinians Donatists Wicklefists Berengarians Anabaptists Iulians Aerians Manichees Brownists Barrowists damned Crue and I knowe not how many Crues of most wiched Heresies himself remembreth some more Pag. 40. Therefore his by-membred diuision of necessitie is lame by many lims And if such a Tutor of Princes might haue a saculty by himselfe to renounce all other artes as his spirit condemneth all other Religions yet he shall finde many more endes then two of these which bee professors of Reuerence in this Nation And euery man which professeth not Religion for the loue of God is not of such dexterity of wit as this Puritane and his Associates be to make it a cloake to practise in State affaires Pag. 23. Thirdlye this princely pedagoge teacheth that her Marestie her selfe her Councell Lords Bishops Knights and Burgesses of Parlament be Papists then the seconde member of his chiefe diuision Protestants of State is taken away and he hath giuen himselfe the contradiction THE XIII VNTRVTH TO shew his cunning in conuersiōs Pag. 11. 12. he teacheth that Protestants of Religion which be Puritanes be first by order of generation as his wordes import and Papists of Religion last whose contrary is euident to al the world Yet let vs allow greater measure to this vntruth Next from Protestants of Religion proceed Protestants of state From these Papists of estate bee rngendered Lastlye from these is the discent of Papists of Religion And