retracted his opinion Thirdly I say we suspend our opinion and giue no approbation to Luthers opinion concerning the carnall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament for that we sée that doctrine to be new not taught by the apostolike church Nay we finde it to be repugnant to the apostles doctrine deliuered in Scriptures to the doctrine of the ancient catholike church and to the analogie of faith Lastly I say that in external gouernment it is not necessarie that all churches should concur and agrée séeing not onely the east churches differed from the west but the western churches also from themselues The churches of Afrike had diuers customes differing froÌ„ the churches of Italy a I ibâ—d sa 〈◊〉 Ambrose in his church at Milan thought it not necessary in al things to follow the church of Rome Further I say that it is not to be doubted but that it is better in matter of externall gouernment to folow the consent of antiquitie and succéeding ages rather then any mans priuate humour and opinion and therefore I doubt not but our cause is better and our grounde more certaine which in searching out the doctrine of Christian faith do build our selues vpon Christ and his apostles and vpon holy Scriptures approoued by consent of times descent of holy fathers bishops testimony of the most ancient church which all appéereth in ancient symboles of faith then that of the papists which in doubts and controuersies runne to this pope or that pope which for the most part is but a blocke or a sot and a man ignorant not onely in the controuersies but often in the grounds principles of Christian religion Now what assurance the papists can haue of their faith that haue no ground but in the determination of the pope I report me euen to the papists themselues that condemne priuate opinions and singuler mens fancies and in externall termes yéeld all not to this man or that man but to the iudgement of Christ his vniuersall church Another spirituall blessing a P. 6. and 7. saith our aduersarie is when good works follow faith as meeknes penance mortification of the flesh continencie virginitie fasting praying almes voluntarie pouertie renouncing of the world And that mens sauage natures should be altered by Christs doctrine he prooueth out of Isay the 11. where it is saide That the woolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the Pard lie with the goate And the calfe lyon and sheepe abide togither Lastly hée asketh Whether our doctrine hath wrought these effects of peace and meekenesse of penance and mortification and the rest I answer that the doctrine of the Gospell hath wrought good effects in all true Christians And that all such do good workes and liue according to their profession And albeit euerie one do not so square their liues according to Gods law as they should do yet compare our people with the papists nay with the priests and popes themselues whom they call most holy and I make no question but they do farre excell them In Quéene Maries time this land flowed with bloud of innocents Vpon her Maiesties entrance these cruell executions ceased Such was her clemencie that shée would not shed the blood of those woolues that had shed the most innocent blood of many others Nay albeit during the time of her sisters reigne shée had receiued many wrongs yet did shée forget al. So rare was her clemencie that euen strangers commend it Tanta eius animi extitit moderatio saith b Histor Gâ—nuens lib. 23. Peter Bizarus atque inuata clementia vt non immeritò de illa dici possit quod veteres de Seuero Alexandro Mammea matre genito posteris tradidere nempe anaematon hoc est citra sanguinem gessisse imperium cum suapte natura semper à caedibus crudelitate abhorrens nunquam adduci potuerit vt aliquem nisi publico iudicio damnatum ad supplicium rapi pateretur Her people likewise did folow her steps and neuer sought the blood of papists though the world knoweth they séeke ours In France and Flanders our side neuer tooke armes but in defence of their liues against those that sought to murder them In our victories likewise great clemencie hath béene vsed The king of Nauarre now king of France was euer admired for his great clemencie The English entring perforce into Caliz and other places shewed great moderation in their victorie In diuers places where religion is professed adulterie is punished with death fornication with corporall punishments other vnnaturall filthinesse is not named No where are stewes accompted lawfull Neither do we accompt any man a true professor that doth not moderate his affections and absteine from swearing drunkennesse pride and deale mercifully with the poore and conscionably with all If any man do otherwise he may liue among vs but he is not of vs. But the whoorish synagogue of Rome she is redde with the blood of saintes No tigre was euer more fierce or cruell This farre surpasseth the bloody city whereof the prophet a Nahum 3. speaketh the gouernours of this synagogue like wolues haue deuoured the lambes of Christ and not spared his flocke they imprison the true professors they spoile them torment them and kill them Innocent the third caused many thousands to be slaine in France Iohn the two and twentieth did b Io. Villan hist. fiorent 11. persecute the poore Christians of Armenia and hired the Saracens to war vpon them and all because they would not acknowledge his authoritie Martin the fift and his successors with fire and sword sought to ruinate the Bohemians onely for séeking reformation of abuses and redresse for the cruell execution of Iohn Husse murdred at Constance contrarie to the emperors safe conduct To forbeare to speake of former times the world knoweth that the warres of Germanie against the protestants as they are called were stirred vp by Paul the third and prosecuted with great rigour By the instigation of bloody priestes of the Romish synagogue the innocent christians of Cabriers Merindole and the villages néere adioyning were most cruellie slaine without respect of age sexe or qualitie These be the wolues that in the time of Quéene Mary made such hauock of Christs flocke in England that haue caused millions of christians in France Flanders and other places to be slaughtered Lib. hist 24. Natalis a popish writer saith that thréescore thousand were murdred in the massacre of France anno 1572. Cum amirante saith he Lutetiae Parisiorum in omnibus propè Gallicis ciuitatibus caesa fuisse dicuntur plura sexaginta millibus hominum factionis Vgonoticae nouae religionis And therefore he doubteth not to cal this execution Cruell and bitter The numbers of those that haue béene secretly murdred by the bloodie Inquisitors in Rome Italie Spaine is excéeding great the crueltie of the persecutors strange the patience of saints admirable Neither doe they onely practise crueltie against such as they accompt
pleade vnsufficiently But wée charge them with leud opinions held by all the papists and most wicked and abominable actions allowed by publike authoritie Further the papistes alleage the testimonies of Lindanus Staphylus Cochleus Rescius Reynoldes and their owne consorts fellowes to bée receiued as witnesses before no indifferent iudge for their basenesse leudnesse and partialitie But wée are able to conuince them by their owne recordes and by witnesses authenticall to be such as they woulde haue vs to bée and farre woorse too And if Parsons maintaine the contrary hée shall soone receiue his answere and perceiue his owne inabilitie and the weakenesse of his owne cause Further he obserueth in Luther That at the first hee contemned the fathers and that afterward when wee began to shew how the fathers did witnesse for our cause that we alleaged them falsly But neither did euer Luther contemne all the fathers but where they spoke contrary to the prophets and apostles nor shall this counterfeit relator shew that wée haue alleaged the fathers vntruly as I will bée alwaies readie to iustifie against him Hée noteth also That we make plaine demonstrations of distrust in maintaining our cause And that hée prooueth first For that diuers bookes written in English by papists were forbidden by proclamation Secondly For that by a statute it was made death to reconcile men or perswade them to the Romish faith Thirdly for that Streite orders were set downe to restraine the resort of people to the papistes that are prisoners in Wisbich But if these be arguments of distrust then are the papists most distrustfull and fearefull to haue their matters come in scanning For they forbid all our bookes to be solde among them And if any disswade from poperie or talk against it it is present death Neither may any talke with prisoners in the inquisition As for our selues we are but too confident in these causes For there is no bald lousie friers book commeth forth but it is commonly sold in Paules church yard and any learned man may buy any of their bookes publikely Yea diuers simple soules not being able to iudge are often times deceiued by them So that it were fitting more care were had in this point But the true reason why our superiours haue forbidden English bookes popish perswasions and common repaire to popish prisoners is for that diuers simple soules not being so well able to iudge haue by such meanes béene drawne not only into leud opinions but also dangerous practises of which we should not offend if we did take more care then we do Finally he noteth that we cannot abide confession satisfaction restitution or the like which is true if by confession he meane auricular coÌ„fession made in a priests eare and by satisfaction scourging a mans selfe or walking in pilgrimage with hope thereby to satisfie God for his sinnes and such like satisfactions and by restitution such summes of money as papists are enioyned in lieu of true restitution to parties offended to bestow vpon priests Iebusites and notorious traitors It is not long since these companions drew from a drie fellow a little before his death two thousand pounds with the which the Iebusites their consorts now make merrie But if order be not taken for such deuises to draw mony out of the subiects purses and to take away these means from traitorous practisers the same in the end will make this state very sorrowfull And therefore I doubt not but the magistrates and iudges will looke to that verie diligently In the meane while I hope I haue taken order with this Relators lying obseruations CHAP. VII An answere to our aduersaries two petitions annexed to his former relation WHat successe our aduersarie is to hope for in his petition annexed to the Ward-word I hope may in part appeere by our answere And yet not expecting an answere he hath presumed to come to her maiestie with a new petition and to vs with another So copious and fluent he is in his libels and petitions a Homer Iliad ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is like a flye or rather because he speaketh so much for Spaniards a Spanish mosqueta that albeit she be beaten off from a mans bodie yet is bold to come againe and bite And b Non missura cutem nisi plena cruoris hirudo Horat. leaue as it séemeth he will not vntill like the horseleach he hath filled himselfe with some mans blood First he desireth that her Maiestie would be pleased to admit such a tryall heere as passed in Fraunce of late assuring vs that the same would be pleasant to her Maiestie and all other assistants and verie briefe and easie As if Parsons the Iebusite and rector of the English seminarie of traytors were now verie carefull to yéeld satisfaction and contentment to her Maiestie and subiects that not long c Anno. 1588. since ioyned himselfe to the Spanish armie that came against vs and in the interim that the Spanish fléete was expected and while our commissioners were treating of peace holpe to make print and diuulge the most infamous d Aâ—lens letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland libell against her Maiestie and her faithfull subiects that could be deuised or euer was set out in this kinde Furthermore euer since he hath béene busie either in stirring vp forrein enimies against vs or broching some treasonable practise against the state or writing seditious libels against one or other as appéereth by former proofes Nay when a certaine gentleman and one of the Spanish agents séeming more moderate then the rest disliked all practises for the murther of the Prince by the direction of Parsons others of his faction he had a cuchillada and dangerous blow with a falchion ouer the face as he was going to the church to heare masse An vnhappie masse might he call it if the blow had hit right He doth also much abuse his reader where he saith that the tryall will be briefe and easie and maketh a vaine brag offering himselfe to be the champion that must performe the challenge The first is euident for that they pretend so many falsificatious against vs and we haue so many false allegations and forgeries to charge our aduersaries withall and that most iustly that the examination cannot chuse but prooue long and difficult especially if they yéeld to vs that which they demaund themselues The second I thinke we shall finde true by experience For it is not Parsons I thinke that can performe all that is offered Nay little doth he vnderstand the galles of his owne cause that once dare obiect forgerie or falsification to others Beside that he is fitter to make a clerke to make libels and exhibit petitions then to make a good disputer to iustifie the popes broken cause In that he hath some prettie facultie in this we doubt of his abilitie His other petition is that some one or other would come forth against him and defend bishop Iewel Peter Martyr and M. Foxe whom hee purposeth as he pretendeth to loade with many and grieuous falsifications the points whereof we haue already e Chap. 4 noted and this I thinke is but a copie of his grimme countenance also and a Thrasonicall bragge For I do not thinke that he wil or dare put his cause vpon this trial Neither do I thinke that his consortes will come to an equall examination of all falsifications and coruptions passed on both sides for the causes that I haue f Chap. 1. alleaged Vnto both his petitions vntill further order be taken let him receiue this answere from me First that we very well like of such a triall here as passed lately in France For as the papists found themselues wronged or at least pretended to be wronged in M. Plessis his bookes so we doe say and offer to prooue that we are wronged nay that the whole world is wronged and abused by millions of forgeries and falsifications committed by Bellarmine Caesar Baronius Greg. de Valentia Suarez and their consorts yea by the popes of Rome whose sentences they hold to be infallible If then this pratling or rather scribling relator or any of his consorts do find himselfe agrieued with this assertion and offer as M. Plessis did in France being charged publikely with falsifying and corrupting authours by him alleaged I shall God willing either in publike schooles or els which is farre better in publike writing iustifie as much as I haue sayd and I take this to be the case of papists in England if they will obtaine that which M. Plessis desired in France Secondly I do offer my selfe partie do accept of Parsons his challenge do offer my self to proue that those men whom he challengeth haue dealt more iustly theÌ„ Bellarmine and Caesar Baronius and the rest of that side Nay I dare simply defend them against any crimination which this frapling frier hath to lay to their charge Let him begin when he dare In the meane while he may do well to answere the points deduced in the first chapter of this treatise wherein I haue charged not only priuate men but the whole synagogue of Rome with plaine forging and falsification and laid downe the particulars and not as the relator doth who hauing made a great bragge of falsifications shutteth vp his relation and iustifieth nothing Somewhat I had more to say to Parsons and to his associates the whole combination of them But I reserue it to some other time By this which alreadie is sayd I hope it will appeare that neither Iames Peron hath gained any thing against the Lord of Plessis nor Parsons hath reason to hope that he shall haue better successe against the Church of England God which is light truth grant all christians the light of his grace that they may not only sée the truth but also truly iudge what is truth and falshood And then I doubt not but it will appeare to them all that we are cleare of that crime which the aduersary imputeth vnto vs and that our aduersaries through the operation of errours beleeue lies and haue by all fraud and false dealing sought to oppresse the truth Laus Deo
obey the magistrate commanding them to go to church And so gladly woulde hée finde a knot in a rush and as if hée had founde out great matters hée despiseth his aduersarie and calleth him Seely man and simple soule and bible-clerke knight and guilt-spurre doctor rayling at his pleasure and according to his fashion yea and without iust cause For first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is better translated Humane ordinance then Humane creature For properly men neither create nor are created by men Moreouer if wee shoulde translate humane creature then shoulde this subiection be not to magistrates ordeined by man but generally to all men And therefore the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying both creature and ordinance or election wée are to choose the fittest signification Secondly it is no part of sir Francis his meaning to teach an absolute obedience to bée due to temporall princes Nay hée thinketh it neither due to temporall nor ecclesiastical magistrates saue onely in things lawfull But this the papists denie to princes in ecclesiasticall externall gouernment simplie and in temporall causes too if the pope do excommunicate them or depose them Thirdly sir Francis did not alleage this place to prooue that papists were to go to church vpon the princes commandement but rather to shewe that they ought not to rebell against princes vpon the popes warrant as they do very often And thus all this matter about which the Noddy maketh so great exclamations is easily cléered and all his calumniations and cauillations at his aduersaries person and writings answered It resteth therefore nowe that we consider a little of his braue speake made in the latter end of this chapter to the Recusants Perhaps he is better able to teach them what they are to do héereafter then to defend that is done already First hée telleth vs That hee can say no more to cacolike Recusants then that which followeth Which sheweth that hée hath little to say in their defence and lesse for their instruction Then hée pronounceth in his graue voice That the course which they haue taken is most honorable and pious before God and man and that forsooth in three points first in shewing their dutie towards God by standing constantly and suffering for their conscience Secondly in offring all loyal obedience in temporall causes to their liege prince and lastly in edifying their neighbors by their good life and behauiour But what if they haue neither shewed their dutie to God nor suffered for their conscience nor offered loyall obedience to their prince nor haue so taken her nor haue either by their beléefe or life edified their neighbors May we not then conclude that their course is neither pious nor honorable and that albeit they escape the censures of men yet assuredly they shall answere before God Nay what if for religion they maintaine superstition for loyaltie nourish in their bosomes trecherie and disloialtie and ruinate their neighbours by their euill example doth it not hence follow that their course is impious and disloiall and odious both in the sight of God and of man and that not in thrée points but in many points resulting partly of their impieties and errors in religion and partly of their malcontent humours in ciuill actions It is most apparent For this Warder their good friend hath laide those grounds whereof this conclusion ariseth First then I say that no papist since her Maiesties raigne hath suffred death or losse of landes or liberty méerely for his conscience vnlesse he make it conscience not to commit treason Let the recordes be sought and their causes be examined and this will easily appeare And albeit some haue béene imprisoned yet was the same not directly for not comming to church but for refusing to pay the mulct Secondly compare their penalties and sufferinges with the sufferings of true Christians whome they imprison spoile torture and murder and that onely for matters of faith and then they will appeare nothing in comparison But were they much greater then they are yet it is the cause and not the suffering that maketh their patience commendable Haue they a See the conclusion of the 4. encountres following thâ—â— treatise suffered for their impieties idolatries treasons and felonies and for adhering to Antichrist Then is their shame great and their reward nothing Thirdly I deny that they haue shewed their duty towards God Nay in refusing to heare his word and to receiue the sacraments ordeined and instituted by Christ Iesus and administred according to his holy institution and embracing a fond and false religion standing partly on traditions and popish decretalles and partly vpon leud customes and lying legendes and partly vpon wicked heresies and false positions they haue declared themselues impious towardes God and aliens from Christ his church And that they shall well perceiue by a speciall encounter concerning that point Fourthly it is méere impudence to affirme that the recusantes haue offered to her Maiestie all loyall obedience in temporall causes or that they haue acknowledged her to be their liege prince For who knoweth not that the rebellions both in the north parts of England and also in Ireland were raysed by recusants and papists The same men haue diuers times attempted the destruction of her Maiestie and the alteration of gouernment as appeareth by the practises of Parry Somerfield Throgmorton Ch. Paget and others These are the men that Cardinall Allen hoped would ioyne with the Spanyard and helpe to depose her Maiestie And although now they stir not yet it appeareth that their a Those be the words of Campians facultie obedience must onely continue Rebus sic stantibus And call you this yéelding of loyall obedience Beside that the b Bulla Pij Quinti pope curseth all that will obey her or repute her as lawfull Quéene Whether is it then more likely that they will obey the popes sentences whom they take to be their soueraigne iudge in these cases or her Maiesties commaund which they respect not But suppose they would yéelde loyall obedience in temporall causes yet that is not sufficient to make the recusantes seeme loyall subiectes For the princes authority in commaunding for true faith and abolishing errors and abuses for establishing externall orders remoouing disorders both in the time of the law and in the auncient Christian church hath alwayes béene estéemed great Lastly I would aduise these cacolike malecontentes or recusantes or what you will haue them called not to bragge too much of their good works least they giue others iust occasion to make their vncharitable dealing and dishonest liuing knowne Now I will onely say this that he that fauoureth forraine enemies and entertaineth eyther practise or intelligence with them or receiueth markes of faction from them whatsoeuer his pretenses are cannot séeme much to edifie his neighbors Surely he leaueth for himselfe no place in the state that loueth not the state Let them therefore if they will néedes boast of their workes giue
Parsons the Iebusite their trumpet to blow out their victory throughout England as they haue alreadie done it at Rome and in other places For what victory can be pretended when as yet not one corruption or falsification coulde bée iustified against Monsieur Plessis and when wée are able to charge not onely Bellarmine Caesar Baronius Gregorie de Valentia Sanders Harding Stapleton and their consorts whose forgeries and falsifications are innumerable but also their holy fathers whose determinations they hold to bée infallible with infinite wilfull falsifications And least anie thinke wée fable of many wée haue begun to note some fewe The vanitie of their triumph may also appéere by diuers other arguments First our cause dependeth not vpon the testimonie of Scotus nor Durand nor Petrus Crinitus No nor vpon two or thrée testimonies of this or that father But vpon the euidence of Canonicall Scriptures testimony of the catholike church of all times which wée doubt not to prooue both by the scriptures themselues and also by the interpretation consent of the most ancient and sounde fathers As for the writings of other fathers wée examine them by the rule of Gods worde and receiue them as farre as they agrée with the rule and foundation of faith The testimonie of later writers and schoolemen wée produce as a confession of our aduersaries against themselues and not as a foundation or necessarie defence of the truth which they in so many pointes oppugne They are therefore put in to fill vp the rankes of our squadrons rather then to do vs any great seruice and rather because our aduersaries estéeme them then because we thinke them woorthie to bée estéemed If then these authorities had béene ouerthrowne which is not granted yet all our other squadrons standing firme the aduersaries cannot think they haue woonne the field Secondly admit one learned man of our societie and communion had mistaken some fewe places yet is not euery mistaking a falsification vnlesse it be wilfull and fraudulent nor is euery particular mans errour to be ascribed to the whole church Nay albeit Bellarmine and Baronius be now Cardinals and men of note among the papistes yet will not Parsons I trow take on him to defende whatsoeuer they haue written And albeit such a shamelesse mate shoulde not doubt to vndertake any impossibilitie yet the popes of Rome will not abide by all they haue written Why then shoulde they vrge vs to that which thēselues mislike in their owne cause Thirdly the place and forme of triall and procéeding was all in fauour of the aduersarie and disfauour of the Lorde of Plessis For neither had hée sufficient time to consider of matters obiected and to prouide himselfe of bookes to iustifie his assertions nor so indifferent iudges as was to be desired the king stil interrupting him and disputing against him and leading the iudges which way it pleased himselfe Nor was the auditorie indifferent being for the most part of contrary opinion Nor coulde he by any humble request obtaine that either his aduersarie might precisely be tied to his challenge or that his booke might be examined orderly or any thing else that is requisite in an indifferent triall Fourthly if a gentleman and no professed diuine vpon such vnequall termes was able to make head against his aduersaries much better I hope shoulde we be able to resist if professed Diuines might procure an indifferent triall allowed by both sides and more hardly woulde the aduersaries bée able to make good their challenges against vs. Certes if Eureux coulde not so well acquite himselfe before iudges determined to iudge for him he woulde neuer be able to appéere in a frée generall councell or before equall iudges Fiftly it is most ridiculous to thinke that this Thrasonicall challenger was able to make good that cause which neither with lying forging facing nor any wit or policie the greatest clerkes of that faction are able to maintaine Finally the very wordes of Eureux his challenge do plainly conuict him to haue performed nothing I do binde my selfe a In his answere and offer made to Monsieur Plessis saith hée to shewe that neither in this booke of his against the masse nor in his treatise of the church nor in his common wealth of traditions is there to be founde so much as one place among them all which is not either falsely cited or impertinent to the matter or vnprofitably alleaged Againe He protesteth and bindeth himselfe to shewe fiue hundred enormous and open falsifications without any amplification or exaggeration and all these conteined in M. Plessis his onely late booke against the masse And this hée saide hée woulde prooue by Gréeke and Latine copies But hée spoke these wordes as it shoulde seeme more of brauerie then out of iudgement for in the first part hee hath vtterly failed and I thinke meaneth neuer to performe it If hée would bée pleased we would be glad to sée his Latine and Gréeke allegations and all that performed which he promised in writing But many doubt of his abilitie and himselfe too no lesse then others For being desired To examine M. Plessis his booke leafe by leafe and in order he vtterly refused that course The second part he began to handle but hath no way accomplished his promise For promising to shew 500. enormous falsifications he onely quoted 60. places whereof onely nine were examined and yet no falsification prooued but onely in Eureux his challenge If then the defendant is to bée acquited where the plaintife prooueth nothing or not so much as hée affirmeth then is Eureux to bée condemned that in his challenge braggeth much alleageth little and prooueth nothing In the meane while our relator may do well to cease his vaine facing and vanting For vnlesse hée triumph to couer his owne shame and losse there will bée no cause of triumph for him founde in this triall It is not the vaine boasting nor the false report of this relator that can turne truth into falsehood and falshood into truth When Eureux or any other of his consorts shall go about to performe his challenge in writing which wel cannot be denied nor altered he shall finde that the Lord of Plessis will bee both able and most readie to defende himselfe against all the calumniations of his aduersaries and for the truth of his cause hée shall neuer want assistance as long as God shall enable vs to speake or write The Kinges pleasure in censuring M. Plessis we will not examine Neither do I thinke the aduersaries will allow him to be iudge in their cause The papistes therefore must deuise some better matter to grace their Romish cause then this For neither the triall of matters at Fontainebleau nor this relation can helpe them any thing CHAP. IIII. That Peter Martyr bishop Ridley bishop Iewell master Iohn Foxe master D. Fulke and other famous men of our communion are vniustly charged with falsifications and wilfull corruptions by the relator WE will not
quod causa dispositiua schismatis Graecorum inter alias vna fuit propter grauamina Romanae ecclesiae in exactionibus excommunicationibus statutis saith Peter de Alliaco who doth shew many particulars of these gréeuances The Princes of Germany in a certaine diet at Nuremberg e 100. grauan Germ. in Fascic rer expet fugiend did complaine that the popes did offer thē A hundred greeuances and wrongs not sufferable which they declared by the particulars And yet none of those concerned corruptions of doctrine By her Maiestie we became frée from all the popes pillages exactions from the iniustice of his censures from the bondage of his decretals farre more gréeuous then the ceremoniall lawes of Moses whose yoke notwithstanding as the a Act. 15. apostle testifieth was so heauy that neither the people then nor their fathers were able to beare it Secondly where in Quéene Maries time the people had the Scriptures taken from them in their mother toong and liued in great ignorance of matters of saluation as seldome being instructed in matters of religion not onely the word of God began againe to be publikely read in Churches but also more sincerely expounded then before neither were any excluded from the knowledge of the same Thirdly the true administration of Christs Sacraments which by the abominable masse had beene abolished was restored and Gods people made partakers both of the Sacrament of his body and of the cup also and withall the true doctrine of Sacraments was publikely deliuered vnto the people of God Fourthly Gods true worship was againe restored according to his most holy worde and the practise of the Catholike church of Christ which before that had beene most shamefully corrupted with popish traditions and humane inuentions Fiftly the rodde of the oppressor by her peaceable gouernment was broken and the fires quenched that had burned so many innocents and true martyrs and the tortures remooued wherewith many honest men had beene greeuously afflicted and peace was giuen to the church so that all true Christians might without feare make profession of their faith and publikely meete to celebrate the name of God Those that were exiled returned and such true Christians as kept themselues secret did manifestly shew themselues Finally shée did not onely restore true religion and the right administration of Sacraments and Gods true worship but also abolished the manifold heresies and corruptions of popish doctrine Shee shut the mouthes of priests and friers preachers not of peace nor sent from God but sent by the pope and his adherents to maintaine heresie and faction whose preaching notwithstanding as saith Stapleton c In praefat ante relict princip doctrin Is the foundation of b Viz. according to the pope◠definition Christian religion Is it not a braue religion thinke you that is built vpon impious popes frier fraparts and massing priests mouthes Quomodo Christus saith hee ciúsque doctrina Christianae religionis fundamentum est sic alij nunc à Christo missi eorúmque doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locum habebunt And a Ibidem againe In hac docentis hominis authoritate in qua Deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni cernimus Note I pray you how he saith most blasphemously that God speaketh by the popes mouth and by the mouthes of such friers and priests as he sendeth for of them he speaketh and how vpon their preaching he buildeth his Romish religion Well this abusiue foundation is nowe discouered and we are taught to builde not on pope nor on friers nor on legends nor lies nor vncertaine traditions but vpon the word of God Now also by her Maiesties authoritie the most blasphemous and idolatrous sacrifice and seruice of the masse and the priests of Baal with their Balaamiticall friers are remooued out of the church The same is also purged of idols and idolatrie and men from worshipping of stockes and stones and rotten ragges and bones and from adoration of angels and men departed this life are brought to worship the true and euerliuing God Finally where héeretofore men were taught to séeke remission of sinnes by masses indulgences iubileies holy water and other humane deuises and beléeued that if they had not remission héere they shoulde at the least finde it in purgatorie nowe these abuses were quite remooued and men taught that Christ Iesus without these ceremonies was the onely way to heauen and that Christians obteined remission of sinnes by faith in him and that no workes pleased God but such as he commanded This then is the first and principall blessing which by her Maiesties most happie gouernment this land enioieth a blessing I saie farre excelling all others as farre as spirituall and eternall happinesse excelleth temporall commodities And yet as appéereth by the confession of strangers that woondred at the happinesse and tranquillitie of this state in the troubles and turmoiles of all our neighbors round about vs God hath accumulated vpon this people of England by the meanes of her gouernment diuers temporall blessings also Wée are therefore secondly to consider what temporall graces we haue obteined by meanes of her happy attaining to the crowne and by her gouernment albeit I make no doubt but that all these latter graces do flow from the first as from a fountaine For God saith a 1. Sam. 2. expresly That he will honor those that honour him and experience teacheth vs that God blesseth those nations which giue harbor to his church and with a true hart receiue his worde and serue him duly according to the same First then we may remember that by her meanes we were deliuered from the thraldome of the Spaniard and the feare of forraine lords into which dangerous state Quéene Marie with her poperie had brought this lande Now how great a blessing this is we may easily vnderstand if we do but looke either into the miserable bondage of our neighbours of the low Countries or else of the Spaniards themselues And better then these we coulde not hope for but many reasons might mooue vs to feare woorse of which we shall haue occasion to speake héereafter In the low Countries during the time of Charles the fift it is b Hist Belgi◠Meterani lib. 2. reported and prooued by record That aboue fiftie thousand were done to death about the cause of religion onely and yet then neither was there any inquisition established nor did the Spaniard command so absolutely as sithence he hath Since that time all the priuileges of the countrey haue béene broken and such intollerable wrongs offered and impositions and taxes laide vpon them that the most aboundant countrey in Europe is now consumed and brought to nothing In Spaine the people liueth in excéeding feare of the Inquisition and paieth the tenth of all things bought and sold in the market and beside that diuers customes and whatsoeuer burthens or impositions else the Princes can with any
was in the end excommunicated vexed with rebellions most shamefully murdred by a Dominican frier Don Caesare d'este duke of Ferrara was not I trow of our religion yet did the pope excommunicate him and most wrongfully take his state from him Lastly if religion now professed were the immediate cause and originall of any trouble like to ensue then should not the papistes haue béene the principall meanes to mooue warres and rebellions against the state nor the onely practisers against her Maiesties person and safetie as we haue found them to haue béene Wherefore if we will rightly estéeme we shall finde that as true religion is the cause of all those blessings we enioy so poperie and the faction that maintaineth it is the cause of all practises against her Maiestie and the state and of all rebellions and warres and mischiefes entended against vs. Againe as we were without danger as long as God was truely worshipped and idolatrie repressed and Iesuites and priests and their abettors diligently sought out and punished according to lawes and all concurred resolutely to maintaine true religion and the state so since Recusants began of some to finde fauour and masse-priests and Iesuites haue béene suffered to practise without punishment and idolatrie is begun to be priuily erected and some mens mindes grow colde in maintaining true religion and the present gouernment it is no maruell if some inconuenience be feared But remooue this there is no cause why any shoulde either doubt or feare For the pope hath businesse inough to maintaine his owne state no meanes to worke vs trouble but by English traitors In times past he was Stupor mundi the woonderment of the world now he is Fabula mundi that is a matter for idle priests and friers to prate of but not to be feared vnlesse wée liste The Spaniard hath more reason to feare vs and our associates of the low Countries that may be lordes of the sea if we please and may take what part of the Indies we list then we to feare him Sure if his force had béene such as is pretended neuer would he haue suffred such scorne nor descended to such dishonorable courses as he hath done Both the pope and Spaniard depend vpon the aide of English fugitiues and malcontents Draw from them this hope then haue you the end of these supposed feares and a full answere to this traitors painted tales and fables Thus you see this noddy hath neither reason nor truth in his discourse And yet that is not all the fault it hath For it is also impertinēt to the purpose For what if there were some cause of feare or doubt doth it therefore follow that we haue receiued no benefits nor blessings by her Maiesties most happie gouernment the abolishment of idolatrie and restoring of true and catholike religion If then there be no iust cause of feare and onely certaine pusillanimous companions quake at the popes thundring and Spanish bragging or else pretend to do it bicause they looke backe to the fleshpots of Egypt and glory of Babylon then are we to acknowledge Gods fauour that hath not onely giuen vs many graces by her Maiesties meanes but also meanes to maintaine them and to secure our selues And for such cowards as feare forreine enimies we are to put them into the next ranke to English traitors alreadie conspired with the enimie Hée telleth vs further That by alteration of religion in England Scotland Ireland Flanders and France haue tasted of many miseries tumults calamities and desolations Hée should haue said of many blessings and friendly fauors For kindnesses and fauours all our neighbors haue receiued from vs but those calamities and desolations that he speaketh of haue procéeded from the popes furie and malice and from his adherents persecuting quiet people for the profession of true Christian religion But let vs heare the rest of his wise tale Beside battels murders destructions of countries prouinces townes cities houses and particular men saith hée three Princes two Queenes and one King haue beene all brought to their bane by this occasion He saith further That the noble houses and linages of Hamiltons Douglasses Stuardes in Scotland of Desmondes and other peeres in Ireland haue been thereby ruinated and finally That in France and Flanders there is no end of the accompt of those that haue beene destroied by this change of religion as if we had procured all these battels murders destructions or as if wée or our religion were the occasion of the destruction of princes or kings or as if the massacres of France and those bloodie executions had béene committed by vs. What a shamelesse fellow is this to impute the cause of warres and troubles to vs that euer auoided warres as much as we could and offered force to no man nor euer stirred but as defendants for sauegard of our liues Are lambes the causes of the crueltie of wolues or were Christians the authors of the bloodie persecutions of heathen Emperors all these bigge wordes therefore are nothing else but arguments of the Noddies distracted mind and furious hatred against truth that exclameth and crieth out vpon religion and imputeth al calamities vnto it whereas in truth all the cause of this wracke and destruction both of states and priuate families proceeded wholy from want of conscience and hatred of true religion For if wee will looke backe and search the histories of our times wée shall finde that all those tragicall stirres and hurly-burlies that haue brought not onely millions of christians but also a great part of Christendome to destruction haue taken their beginning from the implacable hatred of popes and papists against Christian religion Paule the third enflamed the warres against the princes of Germanie which consumed a great part of that countrey himselfe sent thither great forces both of horse and foote fearing not a little least Charles the fift should make any composition with the Germans In the low Countries the people liued in peace and obedience to their gouernours vntill such time as the popish faction fearing the ruine of their Babylon beganne not onely to make cruell edicts and decrées against the professors of true religion but also by force of armes sought to establish both the Spanish inquisition and an absolute tyrannie a Vita de Pio. quinto Pius the fift when the kings of France and Spaine grew wery of troubles sent his messengers to negotiate with king Philip and the Cardinall of Alexandria to set forward the French king against his subiects He sent also money and soldiers to aide the king to destroy his subiects In king Henrie the eightes daies Paul the third in this Quéenes daies Pius the fift and Gregorie the thirtéenth and other popes a Sanders de Schism stirred vp diuers rebellions in England and Ireland against lawfull princes By the solicitation of the popes agents many thousands of innocent people were massacred in France contrarie to faith and promise These therefore are
statute of Edward the third it is adiudged high treason To imagine the death of the prince or to stirre vp warre against her or to be adhaerent to her enimies But there is no one of these but is adherent to the pope the publike enimie of her Maiestie and this state all receiue authoritie and instructions from him and sticke not to defend his authoritie Most of them are his salaried schollers or agents Manie of them haue receiued stipends of the Spanish king and some were emploied in his nauie anno 1588. and sent against England All of them desired warres to be raised against England and some of them were agents to enduce the Spaniard to make warre vpon vs. That the pope is enimie to her Maiestie and this lande I thinke no man will make question séeing he séeketh to depriue her of the crowne raised the rebellion of the north and in Ireland and stirred vp the Spaniard to take armes against vs and himselfe armed ships and soldiers to fight against vs and sought in plaine termes to depose the prince and as they a In vita Pij 5. terme it L' abbattimento di quella reina That this is treason and a capitall crime by rules of state and lawes of all nations it is apparant by diuers arguments Maiestatis crimen est saith b l. Proximam ad l. Iul. Maiestatis Vlpian quod aduersus populum Rom. aut eius securitatem committitur And hee pronounceth them guiltie by whose procurement Either forreine enimies are stirred to take armes or seditious persons caused to rise or by whom any attempt is made against the prince or that shall c l. Lex vbi supra runne to the enimies or that shall sweare men to attempt against the prince or state or that shall d L. quisquis Cod. ad l. Iul. Maiest take on him a note of faction The same lawes are also practised both in France and Spaine other countries Alfonso the 9. king of Spaine in his first booke Del fuero real tit 2. by strict lawes prouideth for the safetie of the prince And most strāge it were séeing lawes prouide for the securitie of particulars that the law shoulde not take holde of those that practise against the whole state If then these yoong men had béene of such wit and learning and other good parts as this fellow pretendeth they woulde neuer haue suffred themselues to be drawne into a faction against their prince and countrie and others héereafter if they be wise wil take héed how they abuse the princes clemencie In Ireland sufferance and impunitie of such fellowes hath wrought euill effects He that is not blinde may also sée what they entend in England and if he be wise will not suffer such vipers to gnaw their mothers bowels So then it appéereth that no great incommoditie but rather great blessings haue hapned to this lande by the abolishing of poperie and superstition But suppose some temporall discommodities had ensued of this abolition of the masse and of restoring of christian religion yet most absurd it were for temporall commodities to forsake our christian profession He that taketh not vp his crosse and followeth me saith our sauiour e Matt. 10. Christ is not woorthy to be my disciple and not onely externall temporall commodities but our kindred and néerest bloud is to be forsaken for Christes sake He that loueth father or mother more then me is not woorthy of me a Ibidem saith our sauiour b Daniel 3. Sidrac Misach and Abednago chose rather to be throwne into the fierie furnace then to worship an idoll And shall we for any presupposed feares forsake our God and his truth and fall downe before idoles and yéelde our selues slaues to Antichrist a glorious thing it is to attaine wealth and honour in this world and to be made generals and heads of societies of friers and monkes and to be made cardinals but what shall it auaile a man to winne the whole world if he loose his soule Whatsoeuer therefore may happen let vs cleaue to the truth of Christ Iesus and hold on our profession vnto the end No man is crowned but that striueth vntill he haue obtained victorie If wée loose goods landes wife children father or mother or friend God can restore them to vs againe Nay if wée die in this quarrell God can giue vnto vs a farre better life Wherefore then should we doubt or feare Suppose I say the woorst yet haue we no cause to doubt But if we will rightly consider the present state of things we shall finde that wée haue great cause to reioice and hope the best Our cause is iust and honest For we stande for our religion our prince our countrey our reputation our wiues our children friends and whatsoeuer else is deere to vs. Neuer had this countrey more men nor better meanes either to defend or offend The cause is not ours alone but of manie others The enimie neuer was weaker then at this instant Onely this wanteth that we deale boldly and resolutely in so honest and godly a cause and neither feare the vaine brags of forreine enimies nor trust the smooth gloses of trecherous friers popish priests and rinegued English Now her Maiestie is surely possessed of the crowne and so well beloued of her subiects as shée can desire Take away the practising priests and malcontent traitors and at home shée hath no cause of feare In time past the popes of Rome had a strong faction within the land and diuided halfe of the regall authoritie with the prince The clergie and people for the most part were his vassals The countrey paide a great tribute to him The treasure of the lande was caried out at his pleasure Many ranne to him both for preferments and iustice now all this vsurped power is abolished and the people wholy dependeth next vnder God on the prince so that her authoritie and force now is farre greater then in time past Shée wanteth neither men nor ships nor ordinance nor munitions of warre If then her Maiestie would be pleased to make an establishment for the warres and seriously to consider how to resist these that now séeke her hurt and the destruction of her people we shoulde soone cause such rinegued enimies of the countrey to change the note of their song concerning dangers and feares and force forreine enimies to thinke more howe to defende themselues then to offende and offer violence to others Such is the state of our countrey and such are our meanes Great cause therefore haue we to giue God thanks that hath bestowed vpon vs so many spirituall and temporall graces And if we do not vse them to his glorie in exterminating the wicked reliques of Antichristianitie and defending that truth which we professe we shall shew our selues vnwoorthie of both and hazard that which now we quietly possesse CHAP. II. That the papists as they are charged by sir Francis Hastings do hold diuers
the churches interpretation then by séeing the same confirmed by scriptures For which cause the Bereans red the Scriptures and are therefore commended Secondly if the men that went to a Luc. 24. Emaus and the Ethiopian b Act. 8. red the Scriptures albeit they vnderstood them not at the first why shoulde Christians bée barred from reading such scriptures as they vnderstand What more simple argument can be deuised then this because an interpreter is necessarie that we may not read what hée interpreteth in a toong which we vnderstand Thirdly Philip that taught the eunuch was not the apostle Philip as the Noddy our aduersary supposeth shewing by example of himselfe that scriptures are not much to be red but Philip the deacon Lastly it is a matter most ridiculous because some places are hard to be vnderstood to debarre the people from the whole body of scriptures especially séeing many thinges are plaine and easie Nay this reason may better be retorted vpon our aduersary because diuers places are hard to be vnderstood that wée should diligently read them and heare them expounded that we may both by these and other places reape profit And thus it may appéere that euen simple women whome this scoffing mate calleth proud protestant people and scorneth at them for reading holy scriptures would be much ashamed if they could not reason better of these matters then this great popish Rabbin that taketh on him so boldly to determine matters Hauing thus fondly reasoned of reading of scriptures he cōcludeth forsooth very wisely that falsehood heresie is engendred of reading of scriptures And goeth about to prooue it first by the example of William Hacket William Ieffrey and Ioan Burcher thē by experience for that as he beléeueth more heresies are sprung vp within these 50. or 60. yeeres since scriptures began to be red in vulgar toongs thē in many ages before But his conclusion is nothing but a wicked calumniation of gods holy scriptures and his proofes consiste of a packe of lies both declare him to be a sclanderous lying enymy of Gods truth For it is not reading of scriptures which he stileth rash reading béeing vsed by lay people but neglect of scriptures that bringeth foorth error and heresie Philosophers therefore that contemned scriptures were called patriarkes of heretikes and heretikes by a De resur carn Tertullian are called Lucifugae scripturarum for that they fly from the light of scriptures And that is proued euen by the examples produced by the aduersary For those blasphemous heretikes did not fall into their impieties and heresies by reading scriptures but by gyuing héede to fond reuelations and renouncing scriptures experience also teacheth the same for while the light of Gods word was couered and scriptures neglected and héede giuen to popish decretalles and Mahomets reuelations all the heresies of papists and impieties of Mahomet and many other errors haue béene receiued by people ignorant of scriptures And that reading of scriptures is not cause of heresies it appeareth first for that not simple people reading scriptures but great clerkes reading philosophie and popish Decretalles and schoole Doctors haue béene authors of heresies Secondly in the Apostles times when all might reade scriptures then fewest heresies sprung vp That Ioan Burcher conueied bibles into the court or had any acquaintance with Anne Askeugh which this fellow reporteth is a lie deuised by himselfe Let him shew his author if he can that which he talketh of Anne Askeugh is impertinent But such is his blindenesse hée will needes haue all the world sée the cruelty of papists that burnt that innocent woman for denying their transubstantiation which if hée were wise he would haue either denyed or dissembled albeit some other should haue spoken of it And so it appeareth that Sir Francis Hastings had reason to charge the papists with hiding the scriptures from the peoples eyes and kéeping them as it were couered in toonges vnknowne contrary to Christs doctrine precedentes of antiquitie And no lesse reason haue christians to detest the boldnesse of this frapling frier that calleth preaching reading and reasoning of scriptures clouting of scriptures And thus much may serue to shew that the papists deale iniuriously in taking away translations of scriptures out of the hands of the multitude It is also most apparent that they rather perswade ignorance as fit for their blind deuotion then knowledge neither is this Rabbin able to shew the cōtrary He alledgeth Thomas of Aquine for his warrant and saith that he disputing of deuotion maketh ignorance neither to be mother nor daughter nor sister of deuotion But what if Thomas of Aquine doth not so teach doth it therefore follow that no other teacheth ignorance to be mother of deuotion who would reason so simply and ignorantly but he beside this albeit his master Thomas doth not directly teach it yet in effect he teacheth as much For first he sheweth a 2.2 q. 82. art 3. that deuotion doth most abound in simple people and in women And secondly he b 2. 2. q. 2. aut 6. teacheth that it is inough for the simpler sort to haue fidem implicitam and to beléeue as the church or as their superiors beléeue which is a meanes to bring in ignorance Finally I haue shewed that diuers others haue gone further in commending ignorance He saith further that all hold what Thomas holdeth and so beginneth to make a long speake of the nature cause and effectes of deuotion But first albeit we graunted that all held that which Thomas holdeth yet it doth not hereof follow that the papists hold no more nor otherwise then he holdeth For then what néeded so many later bookes and therefore this answere is not to purpose Beside that it is false For the Scotistes in most points dissent from him and in many points of schoole Diuinitie later doctors do contradict him as namely in his opinions of the procéeding of the holy Ghost principally from the father of the conception in originall sinne of the virgine Marie of the tormenting of soules in purgatorie by diuels of Christs locall being in the sacrament and infinite other matters Hée alleageth also a saying of Saint Augustine concerning deuotion and To make the wilfull malice of these good fellowes appeere saith hée Thomas of Aquine maketh this obiection to himselfe As if either Thomas of Aquines obiections to himselfe or else saint Augustines wordes could ascertaine vs what these fellowes hold or hold not séeing they dissent from Saint Augustine in many things and in all things doe not iumpe with Thomas and haue infinite nouelties more then either of these Wherefore vnlesse this fellow can shew that doctors Cole neuer vttered any such saying and that the practise of papists is not to nouzell their people in blindenesse and ignorance hée doth but trifle and sheweth himselfe fitter to sit in the alehouse among the goodfellowes he speaketh of then to dispute in schooles Lastly hée braggeth much of the learning
doth but lightly touch the continued malice of the popish faction against her Maiestie euer since her first comming to the crowne and that rather to warne the carelesse subiect to take héede of such an enimie and to point at such pernicious traytors then to hurt such as haue béene and yet are abused by the craft and practise of others and are not themselues actors nor factious nor malicious to their countrey To hurt quiet men albeit abused by false colour of old religion it was no part of his purpose But séeing this simple Noddie hath no more reason but to bare and touch that wounde which béeing séene and touched must néedes gréeue many and shame all the faction of papists that haue shame to heare their owne and their consorts most abominable practises discouered I am content to méete him in this encounter and examine whether it bée true or no that is commonly reported concerning the practises of papists against her Maiestie and this state If any mislike this course let him deale with the Noddie that drew mée into it For mine owne part I was vnwilling to quarrell with them but séeing they will néedes stande vpon termes and challenge others I coulde not choose but answere Neuer any thing in this Realme did more displease the papistes then the match betwixt king Henry the eight and her Maiesties mother the Lady Anne Bollenne for thereby not onely the popes authority to dispence in causes of Matrimony but also to iudge in causes of princes was called in question Further they beganne to feare least the king that was a prince of heroicall courage would haue taken occasion vpon this abuse offered him to haue looked into the whole cause of religion Here began the hatred against her Maiestie which this faction hath borne her euer since and which by many attempts against her parents and her selfe they haue declared Clement the seuenth albeit he had receiued many fauours from king Henry and had promised otherwise yet whether wonne by perswasions of Charles the fift then béeing emperor or else mooued with the interest that himselfe had in it declared the kinges mariage to be voide and the issue of that mariage vnlawfull The which sentence was giuen Anno 1533. some little tyme before she came into the world So that it is no maruell if now they hate her which not onely in her parents but also in her lawful right was persecuted before she came into the world Not long after Paul the third did furiously thunder out a sentence of excommunication against Henry the eight depriuing him of his kingdome and againe declaring the mariage with the Lady Anne Bollen to be void and her children to be illegitimate With that fury did he prosecute that innocent lady and her children sparing nothing which might serue to worke both their destructions And when he could do nothing of himselfe he neuer ceased by Winchester and other his agents to pursue the cause vntill such time as they had caused an act of Parliament to bée made against both the mother and the daughter and brought the innocent Ladie her mother to her end and which is more gréeuous they loaded her with many slanders and reproches not onely in her triall but also in an act of parliament How vniustly God best knoweth and the king himselfe acknowledged with great griefe at his death as a Cosmograph lib. 16. Theuet a writer no way partiall hath testified Plusieurs gentils-hommes anglois saith hée speaking of king Henry the eightes death m'ont asseurè qu'il eut belle repentance des offenses par luy commises estant a l'article de la mort et entre lez autres choses de l'iniure et crime commise contre la dicte roine Anne de Boulan faulsement vaincue et accusee de ce qu'on luy imposoit It suffised not the enimie to take away an innocent ladies life but they tooke away also her honour and good name by diuers imputations which God the most iust iudge knoweth and I trust one day will more plainly declare Afterward it pleased God to put in the kings minde to reuerse the act that debarred her Maiestie of her right which hée did by his last will This so néerely touched the papists that as it shoulde séeme they haue abolished it thereby endeuoring to take away all monuments and records whereby her right might bée prooued This rancor of theirs did especially shew it selfe against her during the raigne of Quéene Mary For although her beautie vertue good carriage and many excellent parts wherewith God had endued her might haue mooued any to loue her yet in these men these excellencies and especially her religion wrought contrary effects For doubting least Quéene Mary hauing no issue should leaue the kingdome to her and fearing that shée woulde asswage their pride and tyrannie against Gods saints and abolish their superstitious abuses and hereticall doctrine they sought by all meanes to cut her off from the crowne The pope hée coulde not suffer his sentences and decretals to bée reuersed his adherents coulde endure no reformation of religion to bée established Gardiner charged her as an abbettor to Wyat and said shée had intelligence with him And this our aduersarie doth also signifie by his Mysticall bracelet and other darke surmises As if it were likely that a poore yoong maiden destitute of friends and meanes and in the handes of her enimies could helpe them any thing or that Wyat would communicate a counsell of such danger to her that percase might vtter it and no way coulde helpe him Howsoeuer it was he practised with diuers to accuse the innocent Lady and percase if God had not holpen her had effected his purpose That she held Quéene Mary and the state in suspence and care our aduersary denyeth not What then more probable then that they should séeke to disburthen themselues of that care and iealousie There are diuers that testifie that they had diuers consultations against her Doctor Storie shewed plainly That the papists committed a great error in that cutting of the boughs they had not strooken at the roote When either for shame or else because they could finde no probable cause against her they could not spill the innocent Ladies bloud it is certaine that they fayned Quéene Mary to be with childe to the intent that some supposed childe might be found to succéede Quéene Mary and to preuent the Ladie Elizabethes right All this notwithstanding it pleased God many of her enimies being taken away that shée shoulde possesse the crowne at what time a man woulde haue thought they woulde haue ceased to pursue her against whom they coulde not preuaile Yet euen then did they also shew their malice and first they caused the Quéene of Scots to claime the crowne to beare the armes of England Then by the way of Scotland the French began to threaten and to inuade her countrey and had procéeded further but that her Maiesties forces did shut them vp
to beléeue that the popes excommunications are to bée executed and this is their common doctrine But suppose our aduersarie shoulde teach papists to contemne the popes authoritie which hée is not like to do yet would not his exhortation worke any effect For alwaies vpon the popes excommunication haue wars and rebellions ensued where the pope hath had any authoritie This was the beginning and motiue of the bloody warres of the popes against Henry the fourth and fift and the two Fridericks and against Otho Philip and Lewis of Bauier emperours of Germanie And no other cause can be assigned of the insurrections against king Henry the eight other excommunicate princes In vaine therfore doth this Noddy go about to reconcile the subiects obedience with the excoÌ„munications of the pope They neuer did nor euer coulde agrée hitherto Fire and water may percase bée reconciled but these two cannot Neither do I thinke that hée meaneth to reconcile them Onely hée desireth some respite vntill by our negligence either the papists may get a head or forreine enimies haue made their prouisions ready For how little affection hée beareth to the prince and state it appéereth throughout all his defence In this place hée goeth about to smooth and as farre as hée dare with the safetie of the cause in hand to defende the insurrection in the north of England anno 1569. the rebellions in Ireland the practises of Charles Paget and Francis Throgmorton and diuers other attempts against her Maiestie and the state Whereas the earles of Northumberland and Westmerland rose in armes in the north and spoiled all that quarter and purposed not onely the destruction of the prince but also the subuersion of the state and the bringing in of strangers as appéereth by the negotiation of Ridolpho as it is set downe in pope Pius the fift his life hée saith They onely gathered â—heir tenants togither and without battaile or bloudshed retired As if they had ment nothing but to méete at an ale-stake or May-game Doctor Sanders raised a rebellion in Ireland Francis Throgmorton not onely reuealed the secrets of the state to Bernardin Mendoça and practised with him how to draw in forreine enimies but also had his finger in other treasons Charles Paget began a practise about the coast of Sussex was the ouerthrow of Henry earle of Northumberland and afterward continued practising what mischéefe he could against his countrey The late earle of Northumberlandes actions were openly declared in the Starre-chamber to be dangerous The last earle of Arundell was taken as hée was passing ouer to the enimies And yet all these treasonable and dangerous practises are by him either lightly passed or else coloured Hée saith that Francis Throgmorton died for hauing a description of some portes in his chamber But his owne confession testifieth that hée was touched for far greater matters and I haue partly pointed at the same Hée saith The earle of Arundell was condemned onely for hearing of a masse and that he had cause to reioice that he was condemned for such a treason As if it were so spirituall and glorious a matter to heare a masse Assuredly in times past masses were no such glorious matters when they were solde to all commers for thrée-halfe-pence a péece and vnder As for the earle hée had great cause to commend the clemencie of this gouernment or else hée had well vnderstoode that hee had committed greater faultes then hearing of a masse all which I forbeare to relate for the respect I beare to his house The iustice that hath béene doone vpon papists that haue béene conuicted eyther of rebellion or secrete practises with forraine enemies or other kindes of treason and felony he calleth Pressures vexations dishonors rapines slaughters and afflictions Dishonoring her Maiestie and the state and calumniating the iudges And yet were more true catholickes and religious christians executed within one yéere in Queene Maries time then trayterous papists since her Maiestie came to the crowne a Histor Genuens lib. 23. Bizarus and other strangers do greatly commend her Maiesties clemency her very enemies could neuer appeach her of cruelty The papists most cruelly murder those that are of a diuers religion albeit they yéelde obedience to their prince and desire to liue quietly Her Maiestie executeth none to death for popish religion nay least she should séeme to touch any for religion she doth oftentimes spare offendors guiltie of dangerous practises and treasons Likewise in drawing the obstinate to the church there is great moderation vsed Many offend few are punished and that very gently The papistes haue the greatest part of the wealth of the land in their handes Diuers rayling companions are still publishing libels to the dishonor of her Maiestie and the whole gouernment neither can this Noddy represse his malitious affection but he must néedes allow their dooings And yet the papistes are spared although neuer the more for his wise pleading Finally he commendeth the papistes for their patience But I thinke he meaneth the patience rather of Lombardes then of christians For they neuer had yet patience but when they were vnable to resist In king Henry the eightes dayes they made diuers insurrections in England The trumpets of sedition were monkes and friers In king Edward the sixt his daies they stirred in Deuonshire and Cornewall and all for want of their masse and holywater and such like trinckets The chéefe moouers thereof were likewise priests in Quéene Elizabeths time they made head first in the north parts and afterward in Ireland by the seditious practises of priestes and Iesuites either most or a great part of that country is in combustion Neither haue they omitted any opportunity to mooue new rebellions in England In Fraunce they conspired together against their lawfull kings Henry the third and fourth and neuer gaue ouer vntill they were ouercome by famine sword and other calamities and this is the patience of papists nay they say that if the first christians had had power they would haue deposed Nero Dioclesian and other persecutors a Lib. 5. de pontif Rom. c. 7. Quod si Christiani olim saith Bellarm. non deposuerunt Neronem Dioclesianum Iulianum apostatam ac Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia decrant vires temporales Christianis So when papistes are too weake to resist then they are content to obey but giue them head and then beware Compare now the dooings and procéedings of our side with our aduersaries I hope there shal be no such wickednes found in our hands Diligently doth this fellow search matter against vs but findeth none To iustifie his consorts he telleth vs of Goodman but we do not allow his priuate opinion Beside that he doth not like rebellion but misliketh womens gouernment which opinion since himselfe hath retracted Secondly he obiecteth against vs Wyats rebellion But that was not for religion but for matter of state not against Quéene Marie but against strangers whose tyrannie hée
we might heare the king of Spaine and princes of Italy secure vs as much then shoulde hée receiue an other answere In the meane while both he and others must haue patience if we bridle those that woulde runne a course to the hazard of this kingdome Neither because we stande against this proposition Do we therefore crie fire and sword blood against the papists nor do we crie out Crucifige crucifige as this desperate Iewe and fugitiue frier chargeth vs. For we vtterlie renounce all such bloodie massacres and fierie executions as the papistes practise against our brethren but onely we tie vp these popish woolues that woulde deuoure Christes flocke and stoppe their furious rage against their countreymen We may not suffer them to come with fire and sworde to the destruction and desolation of their countrey Wée know that in Quéene Maries times they persecuted Christ in his members and made vs beare his crosse but we are not so simple to put sworde and fire into their handes againe Now if they will néedes rebell against lawes they shall finde vs readie in the field to defend our religion prince and countrey and not burne vs at a stake as most cruelly they haue done diuers of our brethren If the papistes yet will quietly liue amongst vs we neither meane to endanger their liues nor take away their landes goods and liberties If they beginne to stirre whatsoeuer shall happen they must impute it to their owne deseruings He telleth vs further That there hath beene bloud inough spent in this realme and that aboue a hundred and thirty priests haue lost their liues within these twentie yeeres for religion men of peace learned vertuous well descended and martyrs But if he had named the men it would easily haue appeared that they were no martyrs of Christ but traytorous agentes of the pope and Spaniard sent hither out of Italy Spaine and other countries by forreine enimies It would likewise haue appeared that most of them were simple and ignorant youthes that for néede were driuen to séeke aduentures blindly led furiously bent fautors raysers of faction and such as no common wealth could endure And yet too many of this sort haue béene spared to the great hazard of the country I pray God that they do not first feele the harme that are cause of fostering such yoong woolues The last lord Treasurer knowing their natures kept them short And time I hope will make vs sée hidden truth It is knowne what Ballard practised with Babington and his confederates Bisley otherwise called The greene priest professed and set it downe vnder his hand that it was lawfull to kill the Quéene and that himselfe would haue doone it if he had could The rest were all linked in intelligence with forreine enemies He therefore that desireth liberty for such men doth not onely professe himselfe an open enemy of his prince and country but also impudently desireth that such may come amongst vs as may sow sedition bring in strangers and cut our throtes If this be a reasonable request let him be heard If we be weary of our liues then let vs entertaine this butcherly race They haue skill to cut mens throtes artificiallie and closely And finally if we be cōtent to heare her Maiestie closely charged to be an extreme persequutor and her iudges and iustice calumniated as if they had doone to death peacible quiet men then let vs open our eares to such impudent petitions as this is I thinke no honest man can reade it without indignation and therefore few words serue to refute it After he hath tould vs his pleasure of popish traytors and called them martyrs he ioyneth recusantes with them who no doubt he estéemeth as confessors Such confessors such martyrs as neuer Christes church knew all either dying for treasons or suffering for heresies and disorders and set on by Antichrist Of these recusants he prophesieth That they must winne in the end That all shall be paid vs that feare is an euill meanes to make things continue that her Maiesty will not liue alwaies that if exasperated mindes come to wreake their wrathes great extremities will ensue that we haue many enimies abrode All which discourse doth shew that the recusants whatsoeuer they pretend do nothing else but grind their téeth and whet their swordes to take reuenge vpon vs that they desire her Maiesties death whome God long preserue that they meane to ioyne with strangers and to worke the destruction of their aduersaries by all meanes whatsoeuer Our wise aduersary doth plainely confesse it and threaten it and by that meanes would strike a terror into vs. Which as it may make himselfe and his consortes odious so it may teach vs first to serue God as béeing threatned with this danger next to take a course to strangle such vipers blood as séeke the destruction of their prince and country As for the feares he obiecteth they may rather stirre vs vp to watch then to feare For the onely way to be without feare is to remooue the causes of feare He that hath madde dogges must tye them sure vp if he will not feare their biting He that will not feare théeues must ride well armed If we arme resolutely I sée no cause as I haue said alredy but that the Spaniardes should rather feare vs then we them To yéelde to conditions vnequall with papists were not as this sencelesse sophister surmiseth a way to cleare vs of feare but to redouble both feare and danger For it is an easie matter to thrust him downe to the bottome of the staires that is content to go downe one steppe But he that standeth vpon equall termes and yéeldeth not to any dishonorable conditions nor feareth to méete his enemy vpon the way may with more probabilitie defend himselfe against him He alledgeth also the examples of Augustus Henry the fourth Edward the fourth and Henry the seuenth which disposed themselues to clemency toward their latter daies and would perswade her Maiesty To vse the same clemency and sweetnesse to the exhilerating of all her people But first the case is so vnlike as nothing can be more For those princes contended not about religion but matters of state Now matters of state may be compounded by remitting of a mans right But religion may not be abandoned for that it is the cause of God Her Maiesty she did not possesse her kingdome by violence as those princes did And therefore if papists were true and loyall men they should not séeke to depriue her of her right She neuer offered violence to papistes but onely sought to liue in peace and put to death none but such as rebelled and practised against her sparing but too many of this sort those princes vsed clemency towards their subiectes that were not linked with forreine enemies nor were factious and punished those rigorously that practised against their states How then if the case were like canne her Maiesty not defend her right against such traytors
concerneth the popish faction that pretendeth thereby to be greatly wronged Our a In his first encounter aduersarie saith That manie honorable and worshipfull gentlemen haue endured continuall and intolerable affliction for perseuering in their fathers faith and that aboue a 100. priests haue bin tortured hanged and quartered for the same cause These men he cléereth b In the conclusion of his encounters from treason celebrateth their martyrdome Likewise Cardinall c Ad persequutores Anglos Allen in his treatise against the execution done vpon popish priests and their consorts doth greatly complaine of Persecution iniustice tyrannie and extreme crueltie and beareth the worlde in hande That they were very innocents and without iust cause died for matters of their conscience onely and not as the sentence of their condemnation ran for their treasons and wicked practises against the state and finally That they are to be esteemed as holy martyrs and not as leude traytors And because few of late time haue opposed themselues against these fellowes exclamations and accusations not onely diuers abroad haue had a heard conceite of our dooings but also some euen among vs haue doubted of the matter and of late time either staied or moderated the execution of lawes against them I haue therefore thought it a very necessary point to resolue you that the popes agents and adherents that haue within this realme béene executed about his quarrels haue died for treason and not religion and are to bée estéemed as traytors and not as martyrs and that the rest of their consorts are to praise God for her Maiesties great clemencie and moderation that suffereth them to enioy their ease and pleasures whom neither religion nor lawes nor rules of state nor reason will suffer to liue among vs beléeuing speaking and practising as they do First the law of God is very direct against false prophets and teachers that shall go about to drawe vs to serue other gods Propheta ille saith a Deut. 13. Moyses aut fictor somniorum interficietur Afterward hée saith That if our brother or sonne or friend yea or wife that lieth in our bosome shall go about to induce vs to idolatrie our eie must not spare them nor haue mercie on them to hide them Neque parcat ei oculus tuus vt miserearis occultes eum sed statim interficies Neither is it to bée doubted but that popish priestes are within the compasse of false prophets and teachers that woulde drawe vs to worship the idole of the masse angels and saints departed the images of the Trinitie and crosse and stocks and stones and ashes and bones we know not of whom nay to worship our owne fancies and opinions which is a grosse point of idolatrie The b Apocal. 2. Bishop of Pergamus is sharpely reprooued for that he suffered certaine false teachers that spred and held the doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitans The prophet Helias caused Baals priests to be slaine The c Tit. 2. apostle commaundeth vs To reiect and auoide heretikes And saint Iohn d Iohn 2. forbiddeth vs either to receiue them into our houses or to salute them You that are the children of light saith e Epist ad Philadelph Ignatius fly the diuision of vnity and the euill doctrine of heretikes f Homil. 2. in genes Chrysostome exhorteth Christians To flie from an heretike as from a madde man The emperors Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius g Cod. de haeret Manich. l. omnes haereses decréed That all heresies forbidden either by Gods lawes or imperiall constitutions should for euer be silenced Omnes vetitae legibus diuinis imperialibus constitutionibus haereses say they perpetuò quiescant They forbid also hereticall prelates to teach or to ordeine inferior ministers The emperors h Ibidem l. cuncti haeretici Arcadius and Honorius tooke from heretikes all places of méeting and forbad the exercise of their religion vnder a gréeuous penalty They also confiscated all their goods and depriued them of ability to buy or sell or to make a testament or last will Finally g Ariani Theodosius and Valentinian adiudged certeine heretikes woorthy of death To conclude this point saint Augustine albeit sometime he taught that heretikes were not to be forced with penalties and punishments to embrace religion yet retracted his opinion and highly commended these imperiall lawes against heretikes In hoc saith h Epist 48. he seruiunt reges Christo ferendo leges pro Christo And againe Quis meÌ„tis sobrius regibus dicat nolite curare in regno vestro à quo defendatur aut oppugnetur ecclesia domini vestri Non ad vos pertineat in regno vestro quis velit esse religiosus quis sacrilegus Neither néede we vse many wordes in this case séeing our aduersaries not onely yéelde but also contend that all extremity is to be vsed against false prophets and false heretikes and their practise is not onely to confiscate their goods and to banish such but also to kill them and torture them with all rigour But no man can doubt whether papists be heretikes and their teachers false prophets and seducers but such as either are not resolued in religion or are vtter enimies of true religion First then we are to vnderstand that religion cannot bée maintained vnlesse heresies be suppressed Secondly religion doth require at the handes of magistrates that they defende themselues their state and people against all rebâ—ls and traytors and practisers against the state For the magistrate i Rom. 13. Carieth not the sword in vaine is gods minister for our good a reuenger of wickednes The principall end scope of princes is to protect their subiects against all violence and seditious practises k 1. Tim. 2. Obsecro saith the apostle primum omnium fieri obsecrationes orationes postulationes gratiarum actiones pro omnibus hominibus pro regibus omnibus qui in sublimitate sunt vt quietam tranquillam vitam agamus in omni pietate castitate l Isai 49. Kinges they are foster fathers and Quéenes foster mothers of the church and therefore may not such suffer the church either by force or practise of Iebusites and Cananites to bee oppressed How do Kinges better serue the Lord saith Saint m Epist 50. Augustine then by forbidding thinges contrary to Gods commandements and punishing seuerely such as offend Quomodo reges domino seruimus in timore nisi ea quae contra iussa Domini fiunt religiosa seueritate prohibendo atque plectendo And the n Rom. 13. apostle signifieth That we pay tribute for that they are gods ministers and do him in this point seruice And subiectes as the p Tit. 3. apostle teacheth are to Yeeld obedience to princes viz. that all may concurre to this end that the state may bée preserued in tranquillitie If then our Iebusites and priestes and their consorts the recusants and Cananites
same appéereth by their owne confessions actions and procéedings Campian and his consorts béeing demanded Whether they tooke the Queene to be lawfull Queene notwithstanding the popes sentence of excommunication and per consequent whether Sanders and Bristow and such as teach otherwise taught soundly they refused to answere directly and woulde neither acknowledge her to bée their lawfull Quéene the popes sentence being in force nor condemne that traitorous doctrine Nor woulde they directly say That they woulde take the Queenes part if any by the popes commandement and authoritie should come to fight against her Nay contrariwise they séemed to like and allow the popes proceeding and condemne her Maiesties title If then such as by lawe refuse contumaciously to answere are to bee condemned as confessing the article and that both by the a Laetate §. qui tacent ff de interrog actio l. 2. §. quod obseruari Cod. de Iuram Calum ibidd ciuill law and by the b C. si post praestitū de confess in 6. gloss ibid. canons then are these fellowes to bée reputed as traitors and enimies to her Maiestie Beside that they haue brought with them certaine c Resolut casuum nationis Anglicanae cases of conscience in which all priestes are instructed and which they generally holde And therein first it is resolued d Cap. 1. cas 1. That she is an heretike and no lawfull Queene and that her Iudges and officers are not lawfull Iudges to interrogate them Further being e Cap. 3. cas vlt. demanded Whether they take her to bee their lawfull Queene and whether the pope hath authoritie to depose her and whether she be a schismatike or heretike they are taught to answere That shee is lawfull Queene for that the Bull of Pius the fift might percase not bee pronounced with all formalities requisite and to elude the other questions but not to speake directly Further in a certaine search of a house where Dauid Engleby a priest was taken these f They are recorded in the memorials of the councell of Yorke resolutions were founde first That the Queene before the popes Bull was not lawfull Queene That cacolikes are not to defend her or fight for her if any come to execute the popes bul That It is lawful to take armes against her yea to do what they please with her if they be sure to obtaine victorie And shall such vipers be suffered in a state that thus treasonably talke of the prince Assuredly if all do not speake so grossely yet all these conclusions flowe of the popes doctrine in this case of deposing of princes In the foresaide resolutions it is flatly resolued that it is lawfull to kill the Quéene but say the priestes Rebus vt nunc constitutis multo satius esset ne loqui quidem ea de re The second is prooued by their earnest solicitations from time to time to bring in the Spaniard and themselues I thinke will not denie but that they séeke that the pope may haue soueraigne gouernment in all ecclesiasticall causes at the least The erection of the English Seminaries in Spaine and other places was made for no other ende Neither hath Parsons and the Iesuites busied themselues of long time about any other purpose more then to preferre the Spanish title His commendation also of Spaniardes and his mediation for peace with them in his former treatise doth flowe from no other cause This is the cause also why the Seminary men that come out of Spaine into England do distribute certaine graines and tokens of faction as a certaine g In his allegations against Iesuites priest chargeth them Now then if wée will but consider the premisses which not onely by histories experience and our owne knowledge but also by the aduersaries confessions to bée shewed vnder their handes for the most part may bée verified wée may well woonder how it commeth to passe that such traytors are suffered but we cannot by any meanes doubt but that they are traytors and that in the highest degrée Neither can any excuse himselfe and say That it is no treason to bring in graines or medals or to bee a priest made by the popes faction or to reconcile men to the church and to commit such like matters as later lawes haue made treason For albeit these thinges howsoeuer they are to bée censured simply of themselues are not treason yet if graines and beads and such like toyes bée notes of a faction opposite to the state then is it treason by all lawes to haue them that condemne notes of faction That they are notes of faction it is apparant by those that are brought out of Spaine to distribute to such as like the Infantaes title It is also apparent by the wordes of a h Cap. 1. cas 2. resolut cas nation Anglic. resolution in a case of conscience among them Haec grana metalla benedicta multum conferre possunt ad afficiendo◠populos erga apostolicam sedem say the resoluers that is Allen and Parsons Againe to be a priest or false prophet simply in it selfe is not treason but by priesthood to vnite himselfe to a publike enimie and to make himselfe thereby of a faction against the state is and alwaies was to bée condemned as treason Thirdly to bée reconciled to the church is no treason but to be reconciled to the pope to take his side that by armes and practises seeketh to ouerthrow the state cannot be estéemed otherwise then as treason as may also appéere by the arrest giuen by the Court of Parliament of Paris against the Iesuites For albeit the same misliked not the order simplie yet because it was iudged a faction opposite against the prince and state the whole order of Iesuites was expulsed out of France Some also may pretend that it is a point of religion to obey the pope which notwithstanding is a matter vtterly false For in ancient time neither did Bishops attempt to depose Princes nor did Christians beleeue they had any such power Nay as Sigebertus Gemblacensis testifieth it was holden flat heresie which now the Iesuites hold and teach as a point of their religion But were it religion to obey the pope yet can it not be religion to rebell against Princes to depose them to murther them to adhere to forrein enimies that séeke the trouble of the state as doth the popish faction For p Breuiar Liberatij Syluerius a pope of Rome was condemned himselfe for packing with the Gothes against the Emperor and Abiathar and his consorts that q 3. Reg. c. 1. would haue made Adoniah king contrarie to Dauids intention were therefore r 3. Reg. 2. punished and hee deposed from his priesthood Finally to say Pater noster and to make crosses is not simply euill but to say Pater noster to worke a coniuration or to make a crosse to that purpose is an act of superstition So to obey a good Bishop in it selfe is