A WATCH-WORD TO ALL religious and true hearted English-men By Sir Francis Hastings Knight Deuter. 31. vers 6. Plucke vp your hearts therefore and be strong Dread not nor bee afraide of them for the Lord thy God himselfe doth goe with thee he will not faile nor forsake thee AT LONDON Printed by Felix Kingston for Ralph Iackson 1598. To the Christian Reader THE raging hearts of Rome and Spaine being set on fire with all force and furie to set vpon England I hold it the part and dutie of euery true English-man to be prepared inwardly with loyaltie and courage and outwardly with all necessarie prouision and furniture as his bounden dutie is in the one and his abilitie purse will reach in the other And to this end J haue been caried in the true loyaltie of my heart to set my thoughts on worke not onely how to prepare my particular selfe in all readines to doe all seruices enioyned and commanded to me and to adde anything of my selfe that the strength of one poore man can affoord but also how I might incite and prouoke others to carrie the same minde To my selfe I haue set downe this law that shall neuer be repealed that for the libertie of my conscience the safetie of my deare Soueraigne and the peaceable prosperitie of my countrie if my wealth were millions if I could bring thousands of fighting hands to the field and if my life were ten thousand liues wealth strength life and all shall goe to be spent hazarded and ended for my God my Queene and my Countrie against that Antichrist of Rome the ambitious tyrant of Spayne and all forren forces and home-borne traytors whatsoeuer else should I thinke my selfe vnworthie to liue To stirre vp others I haue presumed to giue an attempt in these few leaues following wherein if I haue erred in any part of the matter let my want of experience excuse me if I haue erred in the forme let my ignorance excuse me and if I haue erred both in matter and forme yet let my faults in all be excused because my zeale to religion my loyaltie to my deare Soueraigne and my loue to my natiue Countrie hath enforced me to make this aduenture rather choosing to bewray my simplicitie wants than that I would defraude my countrymen from being put in minde of matter so needfull for them in my conceit not onely to thinke of but to be throughly resolued in that with confidence boldnes assurance of the goodnes of our cause we might with heart and hand be prest and readie to take our places and to march on to the field when our Soueraignes authoritie commaundeth and there to set forward with a swift foote against these enemies of God our Queene Elizabeth and our Countrie whensoeuer they shall dare to shew their faces against vs. F. H. A VVatch-word to all religious and true hearted English-men IF I should take vpon me to enter into the enumeratiō of all the benefits and blessings that from the almightie haue been powred vpon this little Island of England by and vnder the gouernment of our most gratious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth I might both forgetfully lessen the number too farre and ignorantly passe ouer many things notable and worthie to be obserued and remembred And if I should aduenture to aime at the particular iniuries her Highnesse hath receiued from forraine malice and home disloyaltie and the particular daungers that haue followed her thereby to the hazard of her safetie in person and the good estate of her whole kingdome I might gesse at very many and come short of the number I might point at very great wrongs and dangers and yet misse those that bee farre greater And therefore for the benefits we haue receiued by her most happie entrance to sit in this regall seate as the annoynted of God to bee the soueraigne cōmander vnder him ouer vs his people of England I wil onely tye my selfe to one as the fountaine and well-spring whence all the rest being an infinite number doe issue and flow And for the iniuries and daungers depending thereupon to her person and kingdome I will tye my selfe to no number but aime at them as I can and they shall be such all as from which also doe spring whatsoeuer hath been offered or intended against her sacred person and this peaceable and flourishing Common-wealth It is not vnknowne to many yet liuing neither can it be altogether hidden from the yonger sort that liue with them what a darke mistie clowde of ignorance which brought in Popish idolatrie and al maner of superstition did ouer-shadow the whole land whereunto was added and wherewith was mixed all bloodie and sauage crueltie against those that desired knowledge and were any way inlightened by Gods grace with a glimmering or small insight into true religion For though it were but only a desire to reade vpon the holy booke of God either the old or new Testament then Heretike was his title heresie was his fault and for this was he called before the Romish Cleargie to receiue their censure and such neuer departed from their clutches till they had branded them to the slaughter But because the Romish synagogue persecuting Christ in his members may maske vnder the Iewish vaile persecuting Christ himselfe who thirsting after Christs blood yet would seeme to spill no blood crying It is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death therefore the ciuill Magistrate must be their butcher to execute their bloodie decree and to the stake they must goe to be consumed with fire Of this their blood-thirstie humour how many hundreds haue tasted stories doe record and many yet liuing can in parte remember In these dark and clowdy daies least the Sunne-shine of knowledge should disperse the mists of ignorance and giue light to the dimme of sight whereby they might be able to discouer the iugling and falshood which in that time of darknes they vsed this position was set down for their Maxime or rule infallible that Ignorance is the mother of deuotion And that sacred worde of God which was giuen from God to be a lanterne to all our feete and a light vnto all our steps was forbidden to the lay sort for so they called them as matter vnfit for them to looke into By which meanes they kept them blind-fold admitting them none other guides but themselues being as starke blinde as beetles in all Christian and true religion and when the blind doe leade the blind both are in hazard to fall into the ditch When they thus had setled this blinde course to keepe the people from knowledge and had deuised to fill their eyes with dumme showes to gaze vpon and their cares with bare sounds of wordes farre from their capacitie to reach vnto or profitably vnderstande much like to Caligula who bidding many guests caused to be set before them golden dishes and golden cups and bad them eate Then they offer another position that it was
in the busines Therefore notwithstanding the fine smoothing of this discourser who would beare the worlde in hand that after this Bul published the peaceable gouernment of our gracious Queene was not by any disturbed you shall finde it most false and vntrue For if I should stand to reckon vp all the stirres that troublesome and trayterous spirits as the vipers brood would haue raised in the bowels of their natiue countrie I should ouerloade you with too many odious and loathsome examples For what mooued Frauncis Throckmorton to enter into a new practise What was the cause of Charles Pagets going out of England of the two vnhappie Earles commitment the one being arraigned and tried by his Peeres and being condemned spared to liue by the wonderfull mercie of her most milde Maiestie the other preuenting his trial by laying violent bloody hands vpon his owne person was not all this and much more than this to depose or some way or other to dispatch our most gracious and lawfull Queene And yet after the publishing of this Bull of Pius Quintus sayth our discourser our Catholikes committing nothing against her Maiestie or her lawes remained quiet and did all acts of homage and honor vnto her But to proue this his owne cleering of them not to be so cleere he sayth presently after that the most part of all sorts of Catholikes both in England and Ireland haue done this onely a very few Nobles of both countries taking armes for their defence so as to an excuse of all he addeth an accusatiō of some and if the matter of this excuse were liked of by himselfe and allowed he must needes condemne these some that were so rash headed to take armes against their Queene and country and if he allowed these same in thus dooing then his great paines taken to excuse all Catholikes to be free from stirring disloyallie was but a Popish florish of dissimulation He proceedeth to excuse all the preests and students beyond the seas and all such as came ouer and faith that al of them since that censure of his holines to vse his owne words did vse all reuerence and respect to her Maiestie vttering in no preaching speech or booke no not at the houre of their death and martyrdome as he calleth it though hee shall neuer proue a traytor to be a martyr nor euer before in any their confessions to the Magistrate any disloyall word against her Maiestie But for many proofes against this take one for all to disproue him and this one proofe being from such a one as the whole packe of them did highly reuerence and regarde being a Cardinall and Cardinall Allen it was This English traytor though he were a Cardinal at Rome hath sent vs from thence many slaunderous and seditious pamphlets Amongst the rest he vndertaketh the defending of that false faithles Gentleman Syr William Stanley in his treasonable parte played against her Maiestie in deliuering vp the towne of Deuenter contrarie to the trust reposed in him and in that booke he blusheth not to set downe these words that since her excommunication and deposition by the Pope she hath no iust title or interest to her crowne and kingdome and that no act done by her authoritie since the publishing of that excommunication and deposition hath been or can be lawfull by the law of God or man And therefore that no man may lawfully serue her in any action be it otherwise neuer so iust From which he rusheth into an earnest perswasion to reuolte to withdraw her subiects from her seruice and to exhort them to the seruice of the Romish catholike party and her enemies Now let Master Discourser tell me whether this be to vtter in no preaching speech or booke any disloyall word against her Maiestie And if he will be silent because he dare not speake the truth to contrary and controule his former lye yet let all true hearted English-men tell me whether this iugling companion the discourser I meane bee not an impudent and shameles dissembling lyar in perswading vs by a printed pamphlet that all Catholikes were sory that Saunders and Bristow did write in allowance and defence of the Bull and wished that such an offensiue matter had neuer been touched they are his owne words and that all Catholikes both Preests students and others did conteyne themselues from all disloyall speeches or actions when as Cardinall Allen their Arch-prelate on whose iudgement all the English Papists liuing did rely as resolutely as the Heathen could possibly vpō the Oracles sent from their Gods durst like an Arch-traytor thus villanously stuffe his booke with blasphemous slanders diuelish perswasions and impudent lyes against her Maiestie There is no ende of this humor in them their practises are pestilent their perswasions perilous and their platformes trayterous and to serue their turne they want not cunning to execute all so violent they are in their villanies and treasons and so shameles they are in their falsehood dissimulation I haue dwelt long in this vnsauery and vnpleasant argument of treacheries and treasons and in the enumeration of our godlesse and vnnaturall traytors wherein I haue touched many matters and poynted out many persons yet could I very easilie adde many more but I holde it needelesse because the purpose of my labour is onely to giue a taste to my deare countrymen in this stirring world wherein Rome and Spaine and Hell it selfe are set on fire against our rightfull Queene and her kingdome that by this taste they might see the brutish villanies of our bastard countreymen and might vnderstand what iust cause there is for them to detest both the traytors and treasons And surely the traytors themselues if God iustly had not blinded them by many stories and examples might knowe that proditio placet non proditor though it light vpon forreyners against a nation We reade of Mahomet who intending to besiege Constantinople a rich but seditious Citizen goeth to him and promiseth to procure the gates to bee set open for him if hee would promise to giue him his daughter in mariage with a rich dowry Mahomet agreeing the other performed his deuised treason And comming after to demaund his wages It is but thy due saith Mahomet and so commaunded a great masse of treasure to bee layed before him But because thou requirest my daughter saith hee thou being a Christian thou must put off thy olde skinne that thou maist be fit to company with a wife of a new and strange religion to thee and withall commaunded him to bee flayed and hot imbers and salte to be cast vpon the raw flesh and so to be layed in a bed till a new skin might growe where he ended his miserable life with a iust and righteous punishment for his treason At home and amongst our selues Earle Edrick to settle this kingdome in the handes of the Danes setteth on his sonne by some trayterous plot or other to dispatch king Edmunde surnamed Iron syde out of
from remouing if he had gotten it hee layed his plotte to destroye out deare soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth hauing decreed with himselfe that neither shee nor any of that cursed nation so hee tearmed it and yet the Popes holynes had absolued it should gouerne England any more But blessed be God who hath blessed vs with the life and raigne of our blessed Queene who I trust shall liue to giue him such a deadly blowe as neither his cursed selfe nor any of his cursed nation iustly so to bee called because the Pope that cursed man of sinne hath blessed them shall euer see the day to rule in England Whiles this plot was layde and the practise was in hand to set the crowne vpon the Spaniards head the Spaniards them selues did in my authors hearing as he reporteth often curse the time that euer their kinge maryed Queene Marie vnlesse they might get the crowne but if that might bee brought to passe which was ment by making of the marriage they should then do well enough Thus you see y t vnder the colour of this marriage saluation of soules seemed to be sought for but in deede destruction both of our bodies and soules was pursued Loue to the nobles and our whole nation was manifested in shewe but in substance the ruine both of nobles and nation was intended Strength was saide to be added by this match to our kingdome but it is apparant they sought to strengthen them selues by weakening vs and our kingdome For without regarde of sexe age or degree all were destined to slauerie and bondage at the least howsoeuer they escaped with life To knitt vp this If marriage the strongest bonde of amitie to a true religious christian heart could not drawe the least sparke of true loue from him to this noble Queene who so louingly made choice of him to be her husband nor the honorable acceptation of him by the nobles could worke any sound loue in him towardes them nor his comming in tearmes of loue to our countrie coulde yeeld better fruites but to seeke the ruine and destruction thereof what shall our deare soueraigne Queene Elizabeth her nobles and all her people looke for now at his handes cōming in open hostilitie with banner displayed shippes manned swordes drawne ordinance charged myndes fully bent to roote out Queene nobles and people and to make this flourishing kingdome a praie to his ambitious bloudie desire I looke for little soundnes from those that are fugitiues of our nation but I could wish all English home dwellers should be so farre from all sencelesse feeling of their countries miserie wherein their owne share is of what profession so euer they be as to be not onely free from treacherous combining with the enemye but also forward to stretch forth their handes to resist his force I would haue none of Metius Suffetius his mynde amongst vs who beeing required by Tullus Hostilius to ayde him in his warre against his enemies he promised to come because he durst not deny him but he stood a loofe off and beheld the fight forbearing to ioyne to either partie till he might see what waye the victorie would go But Hostilius perceiuing his cunning and falsehood caused him to be drawne in peeces with wylde horses You maie reade also in the booke of Iudges that Meroz was cursed for not helping in the warre against Sisera and Jael for her forwardnes therein was blessed And surely the curse of the Almightie must needs light vpon al such English-men as will either by falsehood betraye their Queene countrie for loue to Rome and Spayne or bee colde in prayer to God or faint in courage against the enemie or pinching in purse to make all requisite prouision for the defence of their Soueraigne and countrie against Rome and Spayne Neutralitie in matters concerning christianitie or loyaltie sauoureth neither of a true hearted christian nor subiect And Solon made a lawe that in any stirre or tumult all the Citizens should stand on one side or other he would haue no neuters amongst them Our Soueraigne and Countrey hath been assaulted many wayes and they both through Gods great goodnes haue escaped many dangers And surely it behoueth vs to know and vnderstand that a danger past requireth hearty and continuall thankes to be giuen to the author thereof and a perill depending exacteth both prayer and prouidence It is true that wee all euery mothers childe of vs are very slacke both in prayer and thankesgiuing Yet we are more ready to beg of God those things we want than to giue him thankes for that we haue already receaued Notwithstanding as Augustine saith Non est dignus dandis qui non est gratus de datis Wee are easilie intreated in sicknes to praye for health in danger to pray for deliuerance and in any aduersitie to cry for helpe but how soone sicknes is forgotten when health is restored How easily dangers fall out of memorie when deliuerance is obtained How little aduersitie is thought of when helpe is once graunted many examples doe proue It is recorded for our learning and warning that tenne Lepars were clensed by our Sauiour Christ but onely one came backe to giue thankes Againe wee reade that the Israelites were in miserable bondage vnder cruel Pharaoh and whilest the crosse was vpon them they cryed hard for help and deliuerance but being released of their miserie and deliuered from the intolerable burdens of Egypt they are so farre from being thankfull to God that they fall to murmur against God and in steede of seruing him that had saued them they fall to Idolatrie and false worship Let this warne vs to beware we be not slacke in thankfulnes to our God who hath bestowed so many blessings and benefits vpon vs and hath freed vs from many perils by so many strange deliuerances For thankefulnes for a benefite receiued draweth on a new blessing And if euer this thankfulnes were needfull to appeare in vs it is now when beyond the policie and wit of man the life of our gracious Queene hath been sundrie times preserued and in her Gods true religion our owne liues and our countries liberty both in soule and bodie prolonged Let vs know for truth that our God hath not boūd himselfe to continue a God of fauour and defence to vs vnles wee continue thankfull to him Therefore with the holy Prophet Dauid let vs say Benedictus Dominus qui non dedit nos in captionem dentibus eorum But is this enough surely no. For if our thankfulnes come from a feeling heart as it ought it will not onely sound in words but will also shew it self in action and that in our continuall care and endeuour both by practise paines to seeke the glorie of God and the good of his Church The prosperitie and welfare thereof ought to be more deare vnto vs than our own liues For no Common-wealth hath promise from God of peace and tranquilitie but in the flourishing of religion and