were he willyngly absolued vppon his owne sute or wittingly dyd but suffer hym selfe to be absolued thoughe he neuer desired it yet yf he any waye succoure or conceale hym or do not geue notice of hym as is aforesayde he shall haue the same punishement VVho so euer knoweth anie to haue dissuaded an other frō the religiō nowe publiklie vsed in Englād of intēt to draw hym to the obedience of the bysopp and religion of Rome or knoweth any to haue bene a procurer mouer or counseler to such dissuadyng of any other and doeth by any way or meane helpe conceale or not discouer hym to a magistrate withein the space of twentie dayes as is a foresayd he shall endure the same penalties punishements and paynes so often now remembred vvhiche is asmuche to saye in effect as he shall lose all the ioyes comforthes commodities which this mortall life can velde to mā And thus muche for so farras I now doe remēber towching the penall lawes By these onelye though ther were no capitall lawes a man may easilye coniecture in how hard termes the Catholiques now in Englande doe stande against whome so many dredefull and moste perilous lawes are layed lyke snares for their destructiō who can haue a quiet mynde whan he is withoute securitie to enioye but one houre the verye necessaries wher with he showld lyue beinge on euerie syde hedged and listed yn with so many menasing lawes the dawngers whereof he is not able to eschewe except he wold be come impiouse how great a swaye doe cauills beare among these Lawes how great force hath malice here how muche oportunitie is geuen to iniquitye Behold I praye you Yf any persone do eyther ayd or cōceale the reconciler or the reconciled the absoluer or the absolued the procurer counceler dissuader or suche like he is guiltie saith the law of an haynouse crime worthie to be punished with losse of al his goods yea and of his libertie allso Let the matter it selfe passe consider but onelye how wyde open to all iniustice the Catholiques do lye by meanes of thes lawes yf one by chaunce or vnwittingly should receaue in to his house some of the a foresayd persones and a quareling felow wold accuse hym that he dyd yt wittinglie how cowld he be hable in this case to defend him selfe or what supportatiō might he finde for his owne innocēcye If one wold dissuade a man from the heresie of Caluin and neuer speake word at all of the byshopp of Rome howe shall it appeare that he is not guiltie of treason I meane how shall he be able to bring in euidence that he dyd not dissuade with this intent that the other should reiect the phātasies of Caluin and submitt hym selfe to the bisshopp churche of Rome Yes yow will say the perill may be easilie auoyded if this felow showlde plain lye moue one to the religion of puritanes Anabaptists Arians or yet of Atheists In verie trueth I beleue it well And surelie yt is not vnproblable that this same clause was so smothelye couched to the rest by the penner of the lawe in fauoure and maintenance of these and suche like heresies Oh how miserable is the condicion of these owre dayes And thus muche touching cauillation and surmise Novv as to the vnequalitie of these lavves what should a man say thereof syth therbye at this daye in England the father is bownde to accuse hys sonne the husband hys wyfe the brother his brother the penitent his ghostlie father the seruant hys master as yf it were for a myschoeuouse crime And wherfore I praye yow forsoothe for the Catholique religion vnder which we were borne with which we were brought vpp and instructed and the verie same whiche all other princes doe embrace and defende The like to this withoute doubt no age past hath tasted no memorie of oure forefathers hathe heard no antiquitie of former worldes hathe sene These are the braynsick phantasies onlie of oure dayes the variable innouacions of particular places the flexible willfullnesse of mans mynde the moste vaine cogitatiōs of fleshe and bloode whereby men doe attempt to exchaunge the vnmutable truthe of Christ for their owne phantasies to serue their owne turnes in respect of their owne commodities But let vs yet see mo of these seuere lawes that ys the capitall lawes whiche before I haue called bloodye lawes in this respect for that they lye in wayte of bloode and doe assaile the verie lyfe of man And in these lawes first of all there is one thing not vnmete to be noted that all thes lawes doe concern religiō onlye and yet neuer the lesse they doe inferr not only the payne of deathe but suche a payne as ys prouided for offenses committed against her maiesties persone whiche of all other is a most greuouse moste odiouse payne as due for the most flagitiouse crime and that ys treason or rebellion And this course oure aduersaries doe take of speciall purpose that the deathe of Catholiques snoulde not seeme to be a martyrdome but rather might be conueyed throughe the eares of the ignorāt people vnder the infamouse blott of an haynouse crime and to the intent allso that the prince might more easilie be persuaded the Catholique religion to stand styfflie bent against her roiall scepter and daungerous to the securitie ofher regiment Now when this foundacion was ones laied yt was no hard matter for thē to procure what lawes they lusted against Catholiques Albeit in verye dede she of her owne disposition abhorreth suche violence and effusion of mans bloode But nowe I come to the lawes thus the first beginneth VVho so euer shall saye write affirme or by any maner of ciphar shall vtter or yet being demaunded shall confesse that the byshopp of Rome is heade of the churche of England or hathe there anie Iurisdiction in causes ecclesiasticall shall be reputed and taken for a traitor and shall endure such pains of deathe for faitures penalties as are prouided in cases of high treasō cōmitted against the state He which for any cause doth hereafter appeale to the Byssopp of Rome and obtein from hym bulls or other instrumēts and bring the same in to England shall endure the punishement of highe treason Yf any persone do hereafter bringe in to Englande any Agnus Dei as they call thē rosaries hallowed grains medalles crucifixes or any other thinge halowed of the Byshopp of Rome shall be reputed demed and taken for a traitor VVhat persone so euer beinge vnder the degree of a baron to whome the othe or abiuration against the popes authoritie and in the behalfe of the Quenes supreme powre ī causes ecclesisticall shall be thryse tendred doe at the third tyme refuse to sweare shall suffer the pains ordeined for highe treason VVo so euer by anie waie or meane doethe from hensefourthe say write signifie or beinge demaunded doeth cōfesse that the quene is
onelye a sacramentall signe vvithe Luther in one place and in an other a verye trevv sacramēt hauinge annexed vnto it the promise of grace If they vvere asked of holy orders one vvoulde deny it to be a sacrament vvith Luther and Melancthon in one place and an other vvoulde holde it a trevv sacrament vvithe Melancthon in an other place Some other vvoulde holde it an vnordinarie sacrament vvithe Caluine and thus as sheepe brought ovvt of their folde and left amazed in the brode filde not knovvinge vvhat vvaye or pathe to take they stood giddie in their ovvne opinions and yet vvith obstinacye euerie man to dye in the same but vve stand all in one faithe consonant to it selfe in euerie point not deuised by our selues but left vnto vs by the generall consent of all antiquitie in Christian dome and yet are vve more afflicted for the same then if vve vvere heretiques or deuisers of anie nevv religion The persons punished by your honours are of your ovvne bloud and nation borne subiectes of the lande and commonlye of suche lyfe and conuersation as are not vvorst lyked in the places vvhere they dvvell of quiet and ciuill behauyour most readie bothe vvithe lyfe goods to serue their Princesse and your honours vvith all devvtifull and faithfull good vvill They neither deale nor practise agaynst the state abrode nor offer iniuries to their neighbours at home But are most readye and vvillinge to concurre vvithe your Lordships for the preseruinge theyr Countrye in peace and quiet eche man accordinge to his povver callinge The onlie cause of their molestation is their conscience in religion vvhiche beinge setled vppon inuincible grounds as it semethe to them is not in their povver to alter at their pleasure neither is any persecution in the vvorde able to change the same but rather confirmethe it more more bringinge alvvaies an argument vvithe it of lacke of truthe in the persecutor vvhiche seekethe to supply by externall terror the thynge he is not able to proue by argument The ende therfore vvhiche your Lordships pretende by this rigourouse course of austeritie to vvitt to bringe men to conformitie in matters of religion can neuer doubtles take effect by this meanes but must nedes make greater disiunction for the reasons by me declared before And if your honoure shoulde vppon terrour bringe any fraile man to conforme him selfe against his conscience in suche externall actes as you require yet your vvisdomes can not but consider that he is neuer the nearer gotten for this but rather in his harte muche farther of then before hauinge vvounded his sovvle and conscience vppon compulsion vvhiche lyinge greuouse and festeringe vvith in his breast must needes often put him in mynde of the iniurye receaued and so more detest the thynge done then before VVherfore seinge there is nothinge gotten to your Lordships entent by this mans dissimulation but muche lost often tymes vnto him selfe euen as muche as the price of his soule for doinge against his conscience and iudgemēt vvherby he must be tried at the latter daye there is no cause ether in respect of pollicie or religion vvhich maie persvvade vs that your honours vvill alvvayes holde this heauie and extreame rase tvvardes vs. And because I fall into the mention here of polycie vvherunto I knovve your honours as very vvise to haue a speciall eye and particuler regarde albeit I presume not to pretende any part of that profounde iudgement vvhiche your honorable vvisedomes by nature and longe practise haue attained in the same yet to say that vvhich common reason layethe oppen to euerye meane vnderstandinge it appearethe no vvaie to impeache polycie if respect of conscience vvere laide a side to proceede some vvhat mylder vvithe the Catholique parte in Englande I vvill not talke of intrinsecall and speciall pointes mentioned heretofore by some other easie to be considered of by your Lordships as the counterpesinge of other sectes and daungerous factions grovvinge and confirminge by the quiet they enioye through our onlie molestations I vvill speake onlie of the nature of our Catholique religion vvhiche as it vvas first plotted ovvt by the most highe vvisedome of God him selfe that is by his Sonne our Sauiour and founded by them vvhiche immediatlye receaued their spirite from him that is by his Apostles and disciples so standeth it substantiallie vvith all right vvisedome and polycie beinge giftes of God and litle sparkles of his infinite vvisedome and establisheth the kingdomes vvherein it is receaued and executed accordinglie in all honour peace tranquilitie and vvealthe as may appeare by the longe continuance of other Realmes Catholique abrode and especiallie by our ovvne vvhiche hathe continued from the beginninge of her conuersion for the space of more then a Thovvsande yeres in greate prosperitie riches and renovvne by the same Vvhereas in the meane space diuers greate kyngdomes states and principalities haue ben ouerthrovven by the occasion of heresie and alteringe this religion as Asia Greece Egypt Affrica Hungarie and the like and vvhat vvill finallie become of diuers other countryes neere vnto vs and as yet lyinge vnder the tryall of Gods hande though alreadie greately rased spoyled and impouerished vve can not tell And the reason of these different effectes in heresye and in the Catholique religion besydes the particuler prouidence of God standethe principallie in this one pointe that vve haue a certayne and sure meane to kepe vnitie and consent thorovvgh ovvt the vvhole by vnderstandinge scriptures accordinge to the expositions of our forefathers from tyme to tyme and by obeyinge the determination of one Supreme pastor vvith the generall Councells of Christian prelates in all matter of stryfe that may fall ovvt VVheras the heretique in the cōtrarye parte obevinge no pastor but at his pleasure nor receauinge anie mans exposition of scripture but his ovvne must nedes rayse and maintayne much contrarietie of opinions and consequentlye muche deuision of people by the same and then hauinge no place to rest nor vvaye to end for generall Councell or pastor he vvil not heare also makinge the temporall prince hed of all vvhiche often tymes is a childe and may easelie be impelled to varietie of humours must needes make greate innouations vvhiche alvvaies are greate hazardes to kingedomes and states And this in generall is betvvixt our religion and others tovvchinge the matter of Commonvvealthe But novv if vve looke into certayne particuler commodities and helpes vvhich our religion bringeth vnto a common vvealthe and vvhiche the religiō of our aduersaries impugnethe and ouerthrovveth vve shall easelie see that permission of the Catholique can not any vvay preiudicate the vvealepublique of any state And for examples sake vve vvill make our comparison in Englande it selfe vvhere the practise and effect of bothe religiōs haue byn novv experienced and dyuers men yet alyue that haue seene and proued the consequence of bothe and can the easyer geeue iudgement of the comparison
Catholiques are subiect vnto in respect of the power malice iniquitie of priuate aduersaries when they list seinge that publique lawes do yelde so muche authoritie to euerye mā almoste that woold seeke a cauill or sclaunder against them To beginne therfore with thes lawes it is first to be knowen that there are two kinde of lawes at dyuers times set furth in dissauoure and punishemēt of the Catholique religion The one which concerneth monye possessions and other goodes bothe of fortune bodye which I thinke maie be called penall or monye lawes The other which maie rather be called bloodie or capitall lawes for that thei inflicte deathe vnto the offenders And to this diuision of lawes will I applye my speeche folowinge Amongest the penall lawes I will put that as first which was made amongest the last for the punishement of those whiche for conscience sake refuse to come to the protestants churches For this poynt the aduersarie vrgeth greatlie that all beyt the Catholiques be of an other religion thoughe they detest Caluinisme in their harts thoughe they abhorr all prayers and cōuenticles of the ministers and accompt their seruice for most wicked blasphemouse yet must they come to yt they must assist and shewe them selues present albeyt with a repynyng and resistinge conscience And because some do refuse to synn in such horrible wyse against god and their owne consciēces therfore this lawe was made against these scrupulouse men for soothe that who so euer should refuse to come to the protestants churche to heare diuine seruice as they call yt yf he be aboue the age of sixtene yeres shall forfeyte twētye powndes Englishe euerye monethe and he which can not paye to lye in prysō vntill he be of better habilitie to paye The rest of those lawes folowe here in order VVho so euer shall be conuicted to haue hearde masse though it were secretlye shall fuffer imprisonement the space of one whole yere and so longe after vntil he paye a hundrede marke But as for the priest which celebrateth masse he shall neuer be lett owte of prison till he haue payde two hundred marks And that somme of money must be payd so oft as any offendeth herein VVhat soeuer Ecclesiasticall persone shall not make publike detestation of the romane Religion and openlie abiure the authoritie and iurisdiction of the byshopp of Rome shall forfaite all his benefices and all his dignities ecclesiasticall what soeuer No Scholer or student maye haue any place with in the Colleiges of the vniuersities or be preferred to any degree of Learning excecpt such as at his fyrst entry in to the Colleige and at the taking of euerye degree doth by solemne othe denie the byshopp of Romes authoritie in all causes Ecclesiasticall None may haue any publique Office or other ministerie in the common welthe except he fyrst solemlye publishe the self same abiuration of the byshopp of Rome No warde comyngeto full age may enter in to his inheritaunce or enioye any cōmodities there of except he fyrst take the same othe VVho so euer vnder degree of a Baron shall be called as ostentimes it hapneth to be one of the parliamēt in which courte voices were wont to be most free must neuer the lesse haue no voice there yf he will not take the sayde common othe against the Pope VVhat persone so euer vnder degree of a baron to whome this othe hath bene twyse ministered doeth the second time refuse the same shall for fait all his goods and possessions be condemned to perpetuall pryson VVho so euer denieth the quene to be supreme heade of the Churche of England in causes Ecclesiasticall shall sustein the same Penaltie of losse of all his goodes and of perpetuall imprysonment VVho so euer receiueth or kepeth any Agnus dei Rosaries halowed graines medalls or anie other thnig which is halowed by the Pope and broght in to England shall endure the same punishement of losse of all his goods and of perpetuall imprysonment Yf any kepe a Scholemaster in hys howse to teache hys owne childeren or others which dothe not haunt the churche of protestants or is not by one of their by shopps alowed he shall for that cause forfeit ten pounds for euerie month vntill he haue remoued him Yf anie do knowe one whiche hathe reconciled another to the vnitie and cōmunion of the churche of Rome and yf he doe by any waye or meane ayde eyther the reconciler or the reconciled or do conceale th one or thother in suche wise as he doe not discouer them bothe to some publique magistrate with in the space of twentye dayes then next folowenige he shall forfait all his good as well mouable as vnmouable and all his possessions whiles he lyueth and his bodie shall remaine to be disposed as pleaseth the queene VVho so euer dothe know any persone to haue procured an other to be reconciled to the faith and religion of Rome thowghe he hymselfe be no reconciler nor is reconciled yet yf suche a one doe by any way or meane releue or succoure the sayd procurer or yf he doe conceall or not discouer the same procurer to some magistrate as is aboue sayde shall incurr the same punyshement VVho so euer dothe know any persone to haue counseled an other to be recōciled to the Romaine Religion thowgh he hym self dyd not procure it at all yet yf he any way ayde such a counsayler or cōceale or not discouer hym as is before sayd he shall haue the same punishmét Yf one know any to haue persuaded procured or counseled an other to obeye the byshopp of Rome in causes Ecclesiasticall and yet dothe ayde hym cōceale or not bewraye hym as is aboue say de shall endure the fame payne and punishement VVho so euer knoweth any which hathe suffered hym self to be perfuaded to obey the byshopp of Rome in causes Ecclesiasticall or which hathe promised ani obediēce to him for the time to come and yet dothe any way ayde or conceale suche a one or doeth not discouer hym within twentie dayes as is aforesayde he shall suffer the same penaltie of losse of all his goods and possessions and of imprisonment He which knoweth anye priest to haue absolued an other and yet doeth ayde or conceale hym or doeth not geue knowleige of hym in sufficient tyme as is aforesayd shall be condemned in the same penaltye Yf any know a priest to haue authoritie to absolue albeit the priest exercyse not the same nor absolue any yf he eyther helpe or conceale hym or do not discouer hym as is aforesayd he shall abyde the same payne VVho so euer knoweth any to pretēd to haue authoritie to absoluet hough in dede he haue none and yet doeth ayde or conceale hym or not discouer hym as is aforesayd he shall suffer the same punishement Yf any knowe one to be absolued
to geue a coniecture of the rest Ther was a yonge man of honest parentage well entred in learninge for he had bene Scholar seruant to Doctor harpesfeild a verie lerned man that dyed in pryson for christs cause This yonge man for religion and learning sake had appointed a Iourney in to these parts And being redie for it made his repare to the hauen with the wealthe that he had got together in money or other things of purpose to passe ouer the sea But by some chaunce the matter was discouered the yonge man was apprehended by an officer and sent backe to London where first he was spoiled of all his goods and caste in to the Tower of London there he was verie straitelie kept in that part of the prison whiche ys called Becheams Tower destitute of all comforte and consolation nedefull for man sauing one sorie bedd that his frindes sent and yet hardlie coulde he be allowed to haue yt VVithin a while after this yonge man beinge but of a weake complection and accustomed to open and cleare ayre partlie throughe Hungar and colde partlie through the filthie sauoure and lothesomenesse of the place and corruption of the aire dyd fall in to a sicknesse and semed to be vexed with an ache or giddinesse of his heade The lieutenant hearinge hereof deuised a meruelouse straunge medicine for this disease For he commaunded the bedd to be takē awaye that for the better recouerie of his healthe he might lie vpon the bare floore To be short within fewe dayes the poore mā dyeth sterued wasted pined awaie by extremitie of colde and Hungar and thereof remained this euident testimonie and proofe that when his clothes were to be taken of that he might be buried his flesh being putrified and rotten by cold dyd sticke fast to his hose and was with the hose pulled of from the bare bones fell in gobbetts vppō the grownd a pitifull sight of a churlishe barbarousnesse and of an odd kynde of crueltie Neuer thelesse there be men yet lyuinge whiche dyd see this with their eyes And were it not for their perill I coulde name thē And because I am entred in to this kinde of talke I will be some what more liberall than my promisse And one other example I will laie downe to let you see what good store I haue yf I lyst to set it forthe to the showe An other yong man not vnlike the former the sonne of a Catholique cōfessor dyd frequent the house of a right woorshipfull ladie who had a sonne cleare opposite and contrarie to the mother and one full gorged with Caluine This man dyd fume and freate in his mynde verie much for that he demed his mother had masse oftē times in her house by this yong mans helpe and procurement On a time therfore as he by chaunce dyd mete the yong man in a strete in London he crieth verie outragiouslie O rebell and traiter take holde on the traiter for by this terme they name vs to make vs more odious and with this kynde of moste vniust ignominie they vexe vs. The they of the citie hearing these woordes traiter and rebell leape forthe of their shoppes laye hands on the man and hale hym to the Iustices or commissioners And at their next session when he came before them the exclamer had nothing whereof to accuse the yong man nothing where with to charge hym saue onlie à bare suspition of the Catholique religion for he was not hable to conuince hym of the facte The commissioners not withstandinge wolde not geue hym leaue to departe For a presentment of religion is of all other moste adiouse And yf the presenter want sufficient matter the presentment is helped and set forwarde by interrogatories and questions to be ministered by the commissioners them selues The Iustices therfore examine the yong man what he dothe beleeue or thinke touching the chefe points of faithe And at last by way of argument they wreste oute that he supposeth the byshopp of Rome ought to haue chefe authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall yea and in England allso Vpon the hearing hereof there folowed a like sentence as was geuen in an other session of Iustices VVhy require vve any further proofe yovv haue bearde blasphemie vvhat thinke you all they cōdemned hym to be giltie of deathe Then was he remoued ouer to the tower of London there Layde vp in a priuye chamber neare to the place where the Ingines for torments do lie In the meane season his chamber which he had in the citie was ryfled and ransacked and all his goods snatched vp therewithall aboute thirtie pounds english more whiche he had taken vp of other men for debtes oweing to his moste miserablie afflicted father were allso stolen caried away VVell the poore man in prisō was sore afflicted with torments to enforce hym to discouer the places where he had heard masse for being but a laye man he coulde not hym selfe say masse Then after verie greuouse torments which he endured with greate courage for so much an aduersarie that had bene there presēt dyd cōfesse he was throwen in to a verie obscure doungeon that was bothe darke dredefull withoute light withoute bedding withoute nedefull apparell And of his dyet you may easilie coniecture when he coulde not be allowed to haue anie peece or paringe of his owne goods no not for the necessarie sustentation of his owne lyfe Nay there is an other thing that doeth looth me to tell For when a certein deuoute and charitable man being vppon the common brute of this yong mans extreme calamitie moued to compassion had sent a Sum of money to be conueyed vnto this poore man for his releefe and by the mean of an other prisoner had deliuered the same to his vnder keper for here eche prisoner hathe his vnder keper the vnder keper receiued the money and brought it againe the next day to hym of whome he had yt and tolde hym that the lieutenant of the tower wolde not suffer the poore man to enioy the benefit of that almes And when the keper was verie earnestlie requested to take parte thereof bestowe it in some thinge for the poore mans releefe he denyed to take yt and sayd that he might not in anie wise take apenny except it vvere six pence to bye hym stravve to lye vppon So malitiouselie bent vvas that lieutenant against the selie poore man In the ende after six moneths as I thinke vvere ouer passed in this moste greuouse kinde of Martirdome they draw hym forth along throughe the stretes on a hurdle and hang hym vp a litle let hym dovvne againe and then as he is in reuiuing they afflict hym vvith the other kinde of tortures vvhiche they vse to practise vppon suche as are traiters to the state but in farre more terrible maner than they handle those traiters For oure aduersaries are more rigourouse and more mercylesse against vs than they are