King of a great part of his Subiects and in the Realme doth gleane out another Realme to himselfe yea challengeth to haue power to depose the Prince Againe the auncient Lawes of the Realme were hereby made to stand for cyphers the Lawes of the Realme will haue a Priest for debt to bee sued before a temporall Iudge but the Popes Lawe commeth and crieth the contrarie Patrones by the Lawes of the Realme should giue Benefices but the Popes Lawe setteth them besides All the dangerous consequences threatned to this Realme by that match it is not my purpose to set downe I will onelie adde a fewe verses made long since concerning that marriage by which the Reader may partlie see what is to be iudged of it Regi non Regi nupsit non nupserat Angla est Non Angla est grauida est non grauida est grauius est Parturit atque parit sic vos voluistis ouantes Nil tamen illa parit sic voluit dominus Duxerat ad paucos menses mox deserit idem Sponsa est mox vidua est sic voluit Dominus Irrita frustrentur semper sic vota malorum Perniciem patriae qui voluere suae A King she matcht yet not a King scant doe her married call English she is not English yet great not with childe at all She breedes and beareth in her wombe as ye triumph and braue Yet brings no childe into the world euen so the Lord would haue Philip a few moneths married her then leaues her with great speede A wife she is a widow straight the Lord had so decreed Euen so confounded be th' attempts of wicked Papists all Which of their natiue Countrie seele the ruine and the fall Now I come to the great fume and chafe of this hot Encounterer for that I say the Recusants cannot professe more loue and loyaltie to the Queene that now is then did Gardiner Boner and Tunstal to her noble Father and Brother which they did confirme by Printed bookes for Gardiner in his booke de vera obedientia c. where like a graue States-man and another Nestor hee takes vpon him to taxe mee either with ignorance in the matters of our owne Realme or with forwardnes to tell vntruthes His allegations are two the first that Gardiners booke de vera obedientia was written for feare of the Kings violent proceeding or not being well instructed perhaps in the controuersie of the Supremacie and that shaken with the frailtie of humane infirmitie hee shrunke with Saint Peter But he may remember that first Gardiner with sundrie others did take a voluntarie and solemne oath against the Pope as by the copie thereof yet extant may appeare wherein he sweareth purely of his owne voluntarie accord and absolutelie in the word of a Bishop c. Then he stayeth not heare but writeth his booke de vera obedientia for the Kings and against the Popes Supremacie which hee professeth to doe with long and mature deliberation and Boner in his preface before that booke perswadeth the reader to esteeme Gardiners censure and authoritie to be of more weightie credence in as much as the matter was not rashlie and at all aduentures but with iudgement and wisedome examined and discussed saying that a man may rightly call him Fabius that with his aduised taking of leasure restored the matter The second allegation is that for King Edwards Raigne it is a flat fable and fiction that I tell of Bishop Gardiners following the sway also of that time Gentle Sir Encounterer did not Gardiner againe in the Raigne of King Edward take a solemne oath against the Popes vsurped authoritie and subscribed to the Kings lawfull Supremacie 〈◊〉 in causes Ecclesiasticall within his owne Realme Yea did he not before King Edward flatlie preach against the Popes Supremacie as also against Images Ceremonies Munkeries Chauntries c. Therefore doe no more blasphemouslie compare Saint Peterâ— fall to Gardiners dissimillationâ— Saint Peter denied vpon the suddenâ— and within few houres 〈◊〉 Gardiner sware solemnly preached publikelie and wrote vpon long and aduised 〈◊〉 and so continued many yeares till 〈…〉 authoritie 〈◊〉 another course Concerning his sermon made at Paules Crosse vpon this text surgereâ— It is time for vs now to arise from 〈◊〉 I shall neede little to answere because it 〈◊〉 concerneth my former booke but how firâ—â—e soeuer your wisdomâ— thinketh that the time since King Henrie shaking of the Popes tirannie might be compared to a sleepe and the resuming of the Pope withall his wares to be an awaking yet what more like might then Poperie and the liuing 〈◊〉 vnto a sleepeâ—â— For as darkenes coâ—ereth all things in the night and men cannot walke safelie for want of light so Ignorance preuaileth in Popâ—â—â—e and the people are misled therein so that they cannot see which way they ought to walke because they are not permitted to exercise themselues in the Word which is a lanterne to our feete and a light vnto our steps and as in sleepe the hungrie man dreameth that he careth but when he awaketh his soule is emptie so in Poperâ—e the people being fed with mens traditions thinke themselues in good plight but when they are truelie wakened as Ionah by Gods spirite they perceiue that they were hunger-starued for want of the true foode of their soule the word of God In stead of all which large comparison of those times of King Henrie and King Edward to a sleepe and commending the Bishops wisdome for the choice of so fit a text I will set by way of opposition another euigilate or caueat to awake made to the Pope and his Clergie long before the profounde Sermon of this youâ—â— Bishop euen in the time of Henrie the fourth called the A.B.C. AWake ye ghostlie persons awake awake Both Priest Pope Bishop and Cardinall Consider wiselie what waies that ye take Daungerouslie being like to haue a fall Euery where the mischiefe of you all Farre and neere breaketh out very fast God will needes be reuenged at the last How long haue ye the world captiued In sore bondage of mens traditions Kings and Emperours you haue depriued Lewdly vsurping their chiefe possessions Much miserie you make in all Regions Now your fraudes be almost at the last cast Of God sure to be reuenged at last Poore people to oppresse you haue no shame Quaking for feare of your bloudie tyrannie Rightfull Iustice you haue put out of frame Seeking the lust of your God the Bellie Therefore â—â—dâ—re you holdlie ceâ—tifie Very little though you be thereof agast Yet God will be reuenged at the last But to looke backe a little vpon this famous Sermon in the long narratioÌ„ that you set down by occasion of this Sermon I must examine some few points wherin either this Proctor belieth the Bishop or the Bishop the King And first if it be true that he affirmeth that King Henrie the eight appointed Gardiner to be one of the sixteene Counsellors in his
wise they became fooles Arnobius sometimes an heathen afterwards a Christian saith of his former state Venerabar O caecitas nuper simulachra modò ex fornacibus prompta in incudibus Deos malleis fabricatos c. I worshipped of late O blindnes Images newly taken out of the fornace Gods forged on the Anuiles and framed with hammers so truly may it be said of the Papists they worshippe O blindnes Images newly taken out of the fornace crucifixes forged on the Anuiles and framed with hammers and to blocks and stocks without sense as if there were some power present in them they kneele they pray they craue grace of them Your vaunt of the peerles and vnmatchable learning on your side doth neither ouerthrow mine assertion if it were true and yet all men know it to be vaine and childish boasting Our ministers as you say dare not open their mouthes if they should appeare with you in schooles or matters of learning yea they scarce vnderstand the verie ordinarie termes of the learned sciences which you professe not onely our students and young men but our Doctors of Diuinitie yea our publike readers as some of you boast and crake as you can stoutly do no men better doe scarce vnderstand your course of Diuinitie what it meaneth Is it not thinke you a clowdie and Owle-like Diuinitie that is couered with such mistes of subtilties and sophistications as that professed deuines men richly furnished with deepe knowledge of tongues and artes are scarce able to vnderstand the ordinarie termes I will say more for you which in my conscience I am perswaded is true that if Peter and Paule those blessed Apostles were now aliue and should come into your schooles to heare your Lectures of scholasticall Diuinitie and the rest together with your other exercises and disputations they would maruel and be astonished at your strange Diuinity which they vnderstand not say as the Apostle speaketh of those which heare praiers preaching in an vnknown tongue that you are out of your wits surely they would neuer acknowledge it to be consonant to that diuinity which they in their diuine Epistles commend to the Church of Christ. For it is true that a learned man hath written that of two distinct good things Diuinitie and Philosophie your schoolemen haue made a third bad compound being neither sound Diuinitie nor pure Philosophie But Sir I haue granted onely by way of supposition that which in truth is not to be granted that your men are so superiour to ours in learning that a few of yours are able to hold at schoole all our sun-shine Clergie at this day as you please to terme them for terme of life and after A proud assertion without any shadow of proofe at all for reproofe whereof I will take a short view eyther of the depth of your learning or goodnes of your cause Iohn Hus commeth voluntarily to the Councell of Constance there to tender a reason of his Doctrine and to defend publikely his assertions How learnedly doe these graue Fathers refute him they clap him fast in prison load him with chaines and fetters not onely not being conuicted but not so much as heard yea though he came vnder the Emperors protection and had his safe conduct the Pope himselfe hauing likewise consented vnto it Martin Luther goeth to Wormes by disputation to defend his Doctrine aud though his friends perswaded that he should not expose himselfe to so manifest perill because the Papists had oftentimes broken their promise yet so assured he was of the goodnesse of his cause that he neither feared the learning nor might of his aduersaries though neuer so many but he answered his friends that he would enter that Citie in the name of the Lord Iesus though he knew there were as many diuels set against him as there were tiles vpon al the houses of the Citie Afterwards before the Emperor himselfe and the whole states of the Empyre he maintaineth his doctrine answereth the aduersaries and with the Emperors fauour departeth in safetie though full sore against the minds and wils of sundrie Papists Againe vnder safe conduct he goeth to Augusta there to render a reason of his assertions to Cardinall Caietan who on the Popes behalfe and at his commaundement proposeth three things to Luther First that he should be better aduised reuoke his errors secondly he should promise hereafter not to publish or repeate them thirdly he should abstaine from all things which might trouble the Church Luther standeth to iustifie his assertions offereth there and else where to defend them sendeth in writing a defence to the Cardinall iustifying his opinions by the Scriptures In a word the Cardinal would not heare Scripture but willeth him to come no more in his presence vnlesse he would recant yet staied he there fiue daies after expecting whether the Cardinall would call him to any further disputation whereof when he heard nothing in all that space he departed At the assemblie at Spire when Simon Grinaeus heard Faber Bishop of Vienna vtter sundrie absurd errors in his Sermon he goeth friendly to him and telleth him he was sory that a man of such learning and authoritie should openly maintaine such errours as were both contumelious against God and might be refuted by the manifest testimonies of the Scriptures and as he would further haue proceeded to the refuting of his errors Faber breaketh off his talke faineth as though he had been sent for by the King and had now no leasure to reason with him in the matter but maketh shew that he was desirous of acquaintance and longer talke with Grinaeus and to that end prayeth him the next morning to come to his Chamber Now what was the sequele of the disputation or conference appointed by this learned Bishop The Bishop complaineth to the King the Serieants were sent to apprehend Grinaeus and carrie him to prison whereof he being warned a little before by a reuerent aged man was by his friends immediatly conueyed ouer the Rhene and so escaped who if he had been taken as the Serieants were to search the house for him almost assoone as he was out of doores what would further haue ensued of this pretended conference is not hard to gesse To be short you may not forget in what a pittifull taking your Cardinall of Lorrayne was in the Colloquie of Poissy when he wished that either our side had been dumbe that day or all they deafe and these few examples either proue your vaunt of your learning to be so farre greater then our side to be but friuolous and vaine which you can hardly yeeld vnto or at the least our cause to be better then yours which we rather challenge The truth of the generall proposition concerning the darkenes of those times being thus opened I shall the lesse need to insist vpon the particular absurdities wherewith this fellow faith they are vniustly charged For
his preface he pleaseth to see and examine how I goe forward in my tale as he tearmeth it which I hope to the equall reader shall appeare no fable 〈◊〉 a iust charge my words which he setteth downâ— aâ—â— theâ—e Vnto which clouds mists and darknes was added and wherewith was mixed all bloodie and sauage crueltie against those that desired knowledge and were any may 〈◊〉 by Gods grace with a glimmering at small insight into true Religion for though it were but onely a desireth reade vpon the booke of God either olde or new Testament then Hereticke was his title heresie was his â—ault and for this was he called before the Romish Cleargie to receiue their censure and such neuer departed from their cloathes till they had branded them to the slaughter To which after many scoffes he saith That he is sorrie the writer of that booke calleth himselfe Knight to whom in law of Chiualrie a man should not giue the lye but with obligation to defend it in the fielde Whereunto I brieflie reply for this time that if this masked companion will put off his vizzard and shew his face that I may know who speaketh to me I will through the assistance of my God not onely lay before him his shameles reprochfull slaunders against my Soueraigne and her gouernment and words of disgrace to my selfe but also make him such further answere as fitteth his demerits and my place in the meane time I list not to fight with a shadow nor to howte at the Owle that flieth by night To come to the matter out of this one period this artificiall Vulcan forgeth two vntruths properly called lyes as he saith which he imputeth to me the first that I say To reade on the booke of God was held to be part of an heretike The second That for this cause onely men were called before the Romish Cleargie in England and branded to the slaughter But soft Sir you shall finde it harder to conuince me of one lye then to charge me with many for both in making and giuing lyes you haue a singular gift and rare dexteritie For concerning the first the people were not only forbid to reade or heare read the Scriptures translated by such as the Romanists call Heretikes but the Papists are witnesses against themselues that they forbid the reading of the Scriptures translated by their owne Catholikes vnles the Bishop or Inquisitour with aduise of their parish Priest or confessour giue them speciall licence thereunto in writing and was it not obiected to Iohn Lambert as an hereticall opinion that heads and rulers are bound by necessitie of saluation to giue the holy Scriptures to the people in the mother language Doe not your Rhemists in the preface of their translation of the new Testament say they doe not publish it vpon erronious opinion of necessitie that the Scriptures should bee alwaies in our mother tongue or that they ought or were ordeined by God to bee read indifferently of all Now if to thinke the Scriptures may be read indifferently of all be in your iudgement an hereticall opinion then for men so to read them is in your iudgement an hereticall action whereof I would wee had not so many proofes But in any of the three learned tongues Hebrew Greeke and Latine saith the Encounterer none was euer debaâ—red to reade them this Sir is but a flourish to face out the matter and a coppie of your countenance to make as though you were willing Scripture should be read of all onely that you feared hereticall translations Where as first of laymen and women not one of a thousand vnderstand either of those three tongues secondly yourselues in those times sent not abroad any vulgar translations of your owne refining which the people without danger of hereticall corruption might reade and thirdly what your iudgement is concerning the vsing of such as you doe send forth is partly shewed alreadie you should deale plainely and confesse that whatsoeuer you say for a glosse your opinion is that not onely those few laye men which vnderstand any of those three learned tongues should forbeare reading the Scriptures but euen many men of your Cleargie profession An Italian Bishop tolde Espencaeus a great Diuine of Paris that his Countrimen were terrified from reading the Scriptures least so they should become hereticks Espencaeus then demaunded What studie then doe your Countrimen professe The Bishop answered The studie of both the lawes Ciuill and Canon but principally of the Canon law Doe some Bishops amongst you iudge the reading of the Scriptures so dangerous that they abstaine from it for feare to be made heretickes and yet will you face vs out with permitting laye men to reade them in Hebrew Greeke or Latine Let Sorbon it selfe be witnes how your Cleargie men were wont to be exercised in the reading of the Scriptures For amongst the many conflicts which Robertus Stephanus had with diuers of these learned Sorbonists about the newe Testament printed by Collinaeus when he asked some of them in what place of the new Testament it was written they would answere they had read in Ierome or in the decrees but what the new Testament was they could not tell and againe another great Clerke of that Colledge was wont about that time verie often to say I wonder that these young men alleage to vs the new Testament by this day I had spent more then fiftie yeeres ere I could tell what the new Testament was What should I stand further eyther to prooue that ye account it heresie for lay men indifferently to read the Scriptures which all men know ye doe or to disproue the grossenes of your opinion in so forbidding the reading of the Scriptures which out of the Scriptures themselues and sundrie testimonies of godly Fathers as also examples of ancient times translating the Scriptures into vulgar tongues is by sundrie euidently proued ye ought not to doe To passe therefore to the second supposed vntruth which you set downe to be this that for this cause onely men were called before the Romish Clergie in England and branded to the slaughter To iustifying whereof before I proceed giue me leaue to tell you that this word onely by you thrust into my words is one lye of your coyning though not the onely one lye for what though to some of their charges were laid other like articles Doth that make that this was not accounted a point of an heretike to read the scriptures in English and that for this men were called before your Clergie As for example Thomas Moore a poore and simple man of the age of 24. yeeres was at Leicester in the yeare 1566. accnsed coudemned and burned onely because he said his maker was in Heauen and not in the Pix no other thing being laid to his charge If at his iudgement some other articles had been obiected to him would it not haue been true for all that that to say his maker was in
before and since the beginning of her Raigne Or was it because in setting downe the iust iudgement of God and the punishment of Iustice iustly inflicted vpon Doctor Storie I doe in the ende thereof desire that al they which wish to Queene Elizabeth as he did for those be my words pagina 27. may speed as he did Other matter I am sure you can find none from the 18. page vnto the 49. of my booke which all in this Encounter you take vpon you to answere And I pray you Sir are these such matters as may iustlie prouoke anie to such furie outcrying opprobrious names and grieuous accusations as in this your Encounter you haue vsed against me the matters are all iustifiable as shall after more fully God willing appeare and as well might Cushi who bringing newes to Dauid of the ende of Absolon said the enemies of the Lord the King and all that rise to doe thee hurt be as that young man is be charged with a bloudie mouth the worme of heresie woodnes and furie as I for desiring as I did against her Maiesties enemies My heart I thanke God is free from thirsting after the bloud of anie and the true conuersion reformation of my countriemen who are deuoted to the Bishop of Rome and the Romish newe faith should be more ioy and comfort to me then anie worldlie thing which both doe argue that I loue their persons though I detest their Popish Religion and traiterous practices I wish that Papistes may liue and that Poperie may dye and I ioyne with Saint Augustine concerning Papists in generall who are not particularly tainted with actuall treason Non oramus vt moriantur inimici sed vt corrigantur sie mortui erunt inimici iam enim correcti non amplius erunt inimici Wee pray not for the death of our enemies but for their correction and amendment so our enemies shall bee dead for being amended they shall bee no more our enemies But now to the seuerall parts of your Encounter as they follow in order with as much breuitie as I may It offendeth you greatly that I impute her Maiesties deliuerance from great daunger in the time of Queene Mary to bee wholly and onely wrought to her from Gods goodnes and this out of the madnes of your idle braine you blasphemously call a miracle of Milne-wheeles but with all the craftie wit you haue how greatly soeuer you vaunt thereof imagining that I cannot vnderstand plaine humane reason you shall not be able either to make her deliuerance lesse strange and admirable then I haue said it was or to cleere any of those that I haue accused to hunt after her life at that time But I pray you Sir N.D. why should this matter so much displease you as to vrge you to write so many lines in seeking to disproue my saying Is it because you would flatter her Maiestie and perswade her that she was better beloued then she thought she was Or is it because you are vnwilling to heare that God should so honour the Gospell as to bring in the free publishing and profession thereof into this our Land by one that was marueilously preserued to be a Prince and nourse vnto vs Or is it because you would free those daies from such malice and crueltie as her Maiestie did sensiblie perceiue Or for that you would shew your skill in carping at my sayings Whatsoeuer occasion you did take for iust cause had you none you might haue done better to haue spared your labourâ— and to haue said as we doe with the Church in Dauids time vpon the like occasion in preseruing Dauid to be King of Israel This is the Lords doing and it is marueilous in our eyes If any Israelite then discontented with Dauids gouernment should haue said you are miracle-makers and framers of miracles of Milne-wheeles because in humane reason there may bee imagined diuers pregnant and potent causes which did concur to the preseruation of Dauids life and his admission to the kingdome as namely that Ionathan was his friend he was beautifull and valiant he had married the Kings daughter and the people did honour him should not such a one haue shewed himselfe a blasphemous deprauer of Gods worke and an enuious repiner at Dauid his safetie and honour Yes out of question Looke then to your selfe Sir Encounterer and learne to speake more reuerently of Gods marueilous workes and in charitie reioyce with them that reioyce Iubemur saith Bernard colligere fragmenta ne pereant id est ne minima beneficia obliuisci We are bidden to gather vp the very fragments and crums that is not to forget the least benefits How much more then should wee magnifie the power of God in his wonderfull workes But how doth hee disproue my sayings First hee laboureth to proue that her Maiesties life and blood was not sought after neither was shee in such danger as I haue affirmed next hee sheweth certaine humaine causes of her Maiesties preseruation That she was subiect to suspitions and that she was had in ielousie and did hold the Queene and state in suspence and care this Encounterer denieth not alleaging cunningly some such reasons thereof as namely her inclination to true Religion the attempts of Wyat Courtney Carow c. and the condition of the Queene of Scots thereby endeuouring after his cunning manner both to leaue her Maiestie to be suspected at the least of some disloyaltie to her Sister as also to cleare the chiefe pillers then of Poperie from doing her wrong and the Queene of Scots from working of treason against her since that time But let him write neuer so cunningly seeking to leaue the matter doubtfull by way of presumption as he shall neuer be able to tainte her Maiestie with the least shew of disloyaltie in those dayes who witnessed with her Diamond the soundnes of her heart and innocent behauiour in these words Much suspected by me nothing proued can be So shall he neuer bee able to free either the State then from troubling and wronging of her Maiestie vniustly neither to cleare the Queene of Scots of such treasons as she was iustly condemned for But how proueth he that she was in no danger of life euen because shee was preserued For saith he there being power in them to put her to death and no power at home or abroad to hinder them if there had been such a seeking after her death as I haue affirmed then by forme of argument iustified by Cicero in his Rhetorickeâ—◠〈◊〉 have been effected Alas poore fiâ—â—ie Encounterer must my speech which onely accuseth the Romish Cleargie then in place of credite to seeke her life include the King and Queene Or must it needs follow where there is a soueraigntie and outward strength for that I â—â—ke you meane by power ioyned with will there the matter must needs be effected If this reason were good how was Moses preserued there being power and will
in Pharaoh to kill him How was Dauid preserued from Saule or the Prophets from Ierobâ—â—â— or the Israelites from Hamâ—â—s malice Peter from Herods crueltie or our Sauiour Christ for a time from the conspiracie of the chiefe Iewes For in all these there was will ioyned with outward power for a time and yet the things desired not effected Cicero his argument holdeth where there is nothing supposed to hinder and where the will is fully bent to doe a thing but in all Soueraigntie and inclination of the will it holdeth not because there may want strength and continuance of the partie and the will may not be throughly setled as that of the Iewes they would faine haue put Christ to death but they feared the people God no doubt did strangely keepe Queene Marie from consenting to the bloodie practise of the Romish Cleargie against her Sister and though some of the Cleargie did seeke her death yet it might bee hindered by others and their desires by some considerations so crossed that though they did desire her death yet they could not effect it for which the Lord of Heauen onely is to be praised But what a shameles forehead hath this Encounterer who against so manifest a truth so plainely and sensiblie to bee proued doth not blush to denie that her Maiesties life was at that day earnestlie and maliciouslie sought after Why was shâ—e so hastelie sent for when shee was sicke to bee brought vp to the Court either aliue or dead presently vpon Wyats rising why was she falsly accused and burdened with Wyats insurrection yea so far that he was brought against truth and conscience to accuse her Why was she committed to the Tower to be a close prisoner Why did she say Tanquam ouis when she remoued from the Tower to Woodstocke Why was she in many feares and so often enforced to bewaile her estate and to pray to the mightie God to preserue her Was there not a report that there was a warrant out for her execution and did not M. Bridges Lieutenant of the Tower go in haste to Queene Marie and so by certifying her preuent the bloodie execution When the sword of iustice could not by any meanes be drawne forth against her what extreame dealings were vsed and what secret conspiracies plotted for the bringing of her to an vntimely death and the shedding of her innocent bloud I spare to write more in so plaine a matter that reuerent learned man Master Foxe hath at large in his Monuments of the Church set downe the miraculous preseruation of her Maiestie at that time from extreame calamitie and danger of life which who so readeth shall with inward compassion and watrie eyes rather lament her pitifull estate then with a hard heart and shameles face deny so manifest a truth as this Encounterer doth As for the causes which he alleageth did concurre to the preseruation of her Highnes it is not denied but that some of those by him alleaged and many others which in probable reason might be imagined might well concurre for the working of her Maiesties securitie at that time but that any of thofe was so potent and mightie as of necessitie to make her safe from daunger or that they or any other can bee certainely alleaged to be necessarie causes and procurers of her deliuerance with all his wit and insight into matters of State of which he seemeth much to brag he will neuer be able to shew Certaine it is that her Maiestie when she was in that trouble and daunger vsed these words when shee protested her innocencie at her landing at the Tower Before thee O God I speake it hauing none other friends but thee alone and as certaine it is that neither wise States-man nor any other can definitelie say of these or any other supposed causes in these respects or for these causes chiefly shee was preserued what though shee were gracious amiable and vertuous and much fauoured of the Spanish King who in policie it may be did by that meanes seeke to win the peoples hearts vnto him must it needs follow hereupon that therefore her innocent behauiour could not bee called into question nor her bloud shed by any wicked conspiracie The King of Spaine was farre from her in her greatest trouble and neither you nor any other can say that hee pleaded her cause or stoode openly for her freedome at any time If hee sent the Duke of Feria to visite her or secretly did speake for her to Queene Marie as Master Foxe seemeth to confesse he did that which was seemely and honorable in a King and that which her place and innocencie iustly deserued As for the generall hope which you say most men had of her Maiesties being a Catholike if it had been either so vniuersally conceiued as you imagine or by such outward tokens had appeared as you haue set downe how can it be true that she was presumed by many to be inclined to a different Religion from yours as you a little before in this Encounter doe confesse If shee had been deuoted so earnestly to Popish Religion why needed commaundement to be giuen that shee should haue Masse within her house within two daies after her committing to the Tower and how happened it that her men were so vnskilfull to helpe the Priest that the first day there could be no Masse for want of a Clerke and the next day one of her yeomen at Kyrieleson made a stop and set the Priest being not able or not willing to proceede any further Her sound affection to true Religion was the cause of all her trouble and danger in her Sisters daies and her willing and ioyfull embracing of the true Christian faith and of God his true worship and seruice hath so sufficiently been witnessed euer since the beginning of her Raigne that no man of common sense or Christian charitie hath the least cause to suspect that her heart should bee vnsound in the present profession of God his true Religion and Gospell The last cause which you alleage to concurre to the preseruation of her Maiestie is but a thing imagined by you seeing the matter of depriuing her Maiestie of life neuer came to any such stately consultation as you your selfe in handling this point doe plainelie graunt and seeing also that in such a case they could haue found out other meanes for preuenting such a potent pretender whatsoeuer you say of the Spaniards affection to the Queene of Scots at that time I am sure all England had like to haue tasted by so lamentable an experience that this Lady of Scotland was so affected by Spaine and sundrie of our English Espagniolized traitours as if through Gods goodnes shee had not been cut-off in time hardly could our Soueraigne haue escaped with life long being almost daily in daunger whilest that Scottish Queene liued through the practise of Rome Spaine and our home Traytors Thus notwithstanding all your flourishes and deuises your potent causes are too
performe his word and such like which are all commendable vertues they pronounce such a man without further enquirie to be a good Christian and a religious man whereas many times they that doe such things not onelie are not true Christians but professe no Religion at all may not these then be truly said to be deceitfull baites in such a man It is written of Iulian the Apostata that he caused almes-houses to be erected in sundrie places of his Empyre appointing that poore Christians aswell as others should be there relieued yeelding this reason that sith the Christians taught to doe good not onely to friends but to our enemies it were ashame for them to be inferiour to Christians in doing good Amongst Turkes Iewes Pagans many things are done wisely valiantly iustly and according to ciuill honestie yet are but deceitfull arguments to perswade to be of their Religion and as Chrysostome I trow tearmeth such mens outward good works as gaye apparrell put vpon a dead carcase I haue ascribed no more to the Papists in this point then may trulie be yeelded to the heathen and yet the Papistes especiallie of the wealthier sort when now the streame and course of the law goeth against them vsing for policie much kindnes courtesie affabilitie to the inferiour and common sort may by this meanes winde themselues into their bosomes and as a Mirmaiden with her sugred song and the Scorpion with his fawning and smiling meane destruction in the ende fo by this plausible courtesie they seeke to drawe and induce to their religion by which sugred baite many are ensnared with the wordes of our Sauiour Beware of false Prophets by their fruites ye shall know them c. I gladly agree and subscribe to them as also to the testimony of Saint Iames Thou hast faith and I haue workes shew me thy faith without workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes For as wee see not the soule of man it being a spirituall substance yet whom we see to walk to speake to haue sense and feeling wee know the soule to be in that man so faith being an inward qualitie of the soule cannot be seene of anie but by effectes namely good workes And as a painted fire is no fire because it wanteth heate and an Image is not a man because it wanteth sense so no more is that faith indeed but onely in name which doth not fructifie by good workes as the Church of Sardi had a name that it liued but indeed it was dead it was called spirituall but was carnall The true iustifying faith must be accompanied with an holy conuersation Iustification and sanctification cannot be seuered But being my selfe in the ranke of learners I confesse it becommeth me to referre you for a full answere to your blasphemy against our true doctrine of iustifycation to those that haue both learnedlie and diuinelie handled it to the true comfort of all Gods children Now to bring you out of your wonder for my speaking so much of deceipt and dissimulation in your Catholikes seeing of all other people in the Realme these men say you dissemble least c. I must pray you with patience to peruse some of your Iesuiticall instructions discouered by one of their owne crew some few yeeres past in the Northparts to a godlie learned man who by authoritie was imployed in the examination of them and tell me how you can cleare your Recusants I meane such of them as haue been taught these holy lessons and apprehended them for fit to be followed and follow them as too manie doe from deceipt and deepe dissimulation A seducer being sent ouer to play his part amongst vs when he was taken did reueale amongst many other things to his assigned examiner these three positions following First that the Recusants should reserue themselues both in bodie and goods in plenitudinē temporis secondly that they should not make doubt to present themselues to our Churches for it should not only not be imputed to them for sin but takē to be as meritorious as if they did sit so long in the stockes for Christ his cause Thirdly that in all their answeres and other behauiours they should shew themselues as dutifull Subiects till such time as there were certa spes victoriae these be brought with speciall direction to be taught and perswaded and how farre these lead wide from deepe dissimulation I appeale to the indifferent Reader but this is no noueltie in Poperie though your dimme sight cannot discerne it And I pray you Sir what meant sundry of your Recusants the last sommer when all the land was in armes to sell away their goods and to slide out of the way themselues when order was giuen to dsarme them did not this arguea reseruing of themselues in plenitudinem temporis and that they had some hope that their certa spes victoriae was not farre off You proceed further to my triple accusation as you terme it against them which yet is rather an admonition for due prouidence then an accusation to draw on anie heauie punishment I note three things First the harme they continually doe secondly the hurt they would doe thirdly their deep dissimulation for the first I onely insist in this one hurt that when the Gentleman recuseth and is borne withall the meaner sort receiue infection and draw backe also Likewise though the husband come to the Church if the wife refufe the danger redoundeth to the whole household and wiues of the meaner sort are by them likewise infected Of which you make light but it ought to be of more moment to vs and therefore more heedfully to be seene vnto then you desire to haue it For how shall the child the seruant the tenant be forward to know the truth when the Parent the Master the Land-lord refuse knowledge The wifes recusancie was not so common till men infected with popery were perswaded that they could not be drawne by law to pay the penaltie for the wiues and the Popes holines had a dispensation readie for the husband to goe to Church Now that the meaner and poorer sort of women are infected by these of the wealthier and that they when they come home labour also to peruert their husbndes it neither need seeme strange to you and we that liue to serue in the countrie finde too lamentable experience of it For commonlie and for the most part men proue to be such as are they whose companie they frequent and daily experiēce doth teach vs the tiuth of the old saying Cum boni cum malis conuer santur c. When the good conuerse and keepe companie with the euill sooner are the good by the euill corrupted then the euill by the good conuerted Heresie is by sundrie writers compared to the plague as for sundry other respectes so for this that as the plague doth spread it infection to manie oftentimes infecting the whole house and reaching the venome
doth himselfe and I am perswaded contrary to his own cōscience onely vpon an innate and naturall engrafted inclination he hath to be mouthed like the diuell burst forth into such a malignant presumption of inward thoughts against my honourable dead brother and my selfe as no barbarous Scythian would euer offer the like We will examine it in a word He is not onely contented to hold on his rayling fit at me but he must steppe into the graue of a dead man my honourable dead brother and such a dead man as thousandes yet liuing did know and will witnesse him to haue been a most religious man both in knowledge and practise and a most loyall and dutifull subiect and seruant to his Soueraigne which he expressed by his care diligence and paines in all her seruices and in sifting out all perils that might impeach her safetie He was precise and straite in his gouernment for his Soueraignes good and in the execution of Iustice in his place in all causes betweene partie party he was of a most vpright and indifferent carriage and that will manie Recusants yet liuing witnesse for him against this calumniatour He continued President of Yorke for many yeeres by her Maiesties commission who hath giuen manie a most gracious testimonie in his life time of his approued fidelitie and her well-liking of his seruice to his great comfort and commendation and since his death in her princely affection to him hath often bewailed the losse of him and yet this base railing companion blusheth not to strike at this religious honourable Gentleman with his malicious penne by imputing vnto him vndutifull and disloyall wishes against her highnes for whom all our English world knoweth he neuer held his patrimonie nor his life too deare to be spent As for so much as expecting what person should succeed her so delightfull a thing it was to him to see the end of her daies as he would often verie heartily pray that he might not liue to see her daies ended which his praier the Lord heard in whom he died assuredlie and therefore is blessed for euer Therefore thou blasphemous mouth against God and man cease anie more to barke at this blessed dead mans graue As for my selfe I liue to set my foote against anie that dare accuse him or me of the least disloyall thought and if thou darest not shew thy face I neither will offer nor desire anie better clearing then the course of my dutifull carriage hath done and shall doe to my dying daie I will onelie adde this one sentence written heretofore by a true hearted Englishman wherein I ioyne with him from my heart I like better the honest wisedome of those that studie how the Queene may stand and not fall then the reaching pollicie of those that deuise how themselues may stand when the Queene is fallen And from such reaching Polititians God deliuer and disburthen her Maiesty and her kingdome and increase the number of such religious honest hearts to her as will pray daily to God for the prolōging of her daies employ their wits wholy to preserue her person and put backe all perils that may come towards her and will not thinke their liues too deere to stand in the gappe to withholde daunger from her The third imputation against the Papistes is their dissimulation of which somewhat hath been alreadie shewed but here you proceed againe to raile cauill and misconstrue my words your railing I still passe ouer in which kind I list not to contend with you your cauilling and misconstruing shall briefely be laid open My words you set downe These ciuill honest men that vnder pretence of Conscience rebell against God in religion and refuse to yeeld a loyall obedience to their Liege-Ladie seeme to carrie a most lamentable resolution lurking in their bosomes against Queene Countrie and vs all c. And if this be conscience I know not what conscience meaneth and yet this conscience they fetch from Rome c. You beginne with the last wordes from which you pike out this conclusion against me that I know not what conscience meaneth either in nature and definition or in practise and feeling the first you say is past my vnderstanding by reason my bringing vp hath hnot been in schooles the other you take vpon you to make plaine I am voide of by my manner of writing against Catholikes c. Surely I willingly confesse my wants in learning to be verie great and doe bewaile my losse of time in that behalfe yet this I hope I may say without suspition of vanitie or ostentation that I laid the grounds of learning in one of the best schooles in this land namely Winchester and added some further building in one of the best Vniuersities in Christendome namelie Oxford studying there in Magdaleine Colledge vnder that worthy Doctor Humfrey where besides my priuate study I wanted not such furtherance as the cōference with sundrie of the best learned in the Vniuersitie could afford me and since I left the Vniuersitie I haue not spent so much time in hunting hawking as you presume although I hold them for lawfull recreations moderatelie vsed in the feare of God And therefore I did long since know I praise God that Conscience is a part of our vnderstanding determining of our particular actions either with them or against them I knowe also that of this Conscience God onelie is Lorde and his words and lawes doe onely binde the same properlie and from hence must we fetch the direction and warrant of our practise of Conscience which will not admit vs to depose and set vp and to obey disobey Soueraignes at our pleasures yea and to kill Princes as your Pope giueth warrant to doe and then to say we doe it of Conscience but will giue me a sufficient warrantise to condemne all such Schoolemasters and Schollers and so Sir not as a teacher in our Israel but as a Scholler I haue tolde you what Conscience is and by that touch I haue giuen of the practise and feeling of Conscience which must bee warranted by the word of God and not by mens dreames and traditions I haue cancelled the warrant you would take to your selues to disobey and resist the authoritie giuen to her Maiestie from God The rest that you snarle at in these words or in those that follow concerning my speeches against Recusants or any thing materiall thereto belonging I will briefelie answere First my tearmes of falsehoode disloyaltie wicked treasons and lurking resolutions against Queene and Countrie calling them the Catilines of our time c. This doth moue your patience much and for this I must vndergoe the bitter biting of your venemous and slaunderous tongue and bee called a monstrous lyer and calumniatour which by a bricke wall will hazard to light vpon your selfe For why should I be blamed to charge them with falsehoode disloyaltie treason and lurking resolutions against Queene and Countrie and to bee the very
weake to weaken my speech the gracious worke of God in preseruing her Maiestie at that time appearing to euery Christian and indifferent iudgement no lesse miraculous and strange then I haue affirmed God is the onely proper maker of miracles I onely acknowledge his worke in deliuering this my Soueraigne from daunger with thankfulnes without either flatterie of any person or ambitions seeking after honour though you very maliciously and scornefullie do charge me with both but by that time that veine of your carriage in this your rayling Pamphlet be throughly scanned and conceiued neither your tongue nor pen will proue any great slaunder I will shut vp this point with a speech of Master Iohn Hales vsed in his oration to her Maiestie at her first entrance to her raigne which seemeth 〈…〉 fying of my sayings his words are these He that sitteth on high and laugheth at their madnes would not suffer that the malicious purposes and most cruell deuised Iniustice should haue successe He did take vpon him the protection of you he onely hath been your Iehosheba that preserued you from this wicked Athalia he onely was the Iehoiada that destroyed this cruell Athalia he onely hath made you Queene of this realme in stead this mischieuous Marana No earthly creature can claime any peece of thanks therefore no mans face no mans counsaile no mans aide hath been the cause thereof The second thing you finde fault with in this your Encounter is my affirming that when our Soueraigne was fullie possessed of her royall seat then Sathan began to rage and his ministers to fret and chafe these my words you terme to be wicked calumniations and tales of a tubbe to entertaine fooles and ignorant people but with how little truth and honestie and with what abundance of malice and folly that which followeth shall I doubt not make apparant to the indifferent reader You aske how it could be that the Papists did freat and chafe seeing they as the greatest number and chiefest persons did freelie and willingly place her crowne her annoint her take her oath for preseruing the lawes of the Realme and sweare fidelitie to her againe To which question I returne the like for answere how could it be that Haman commaunded to honour Mardocheus in the sight of the people should fret and chafe at his aduancement when as he was the man that arrayed Mardocheus with royall apparrell brought him on horsebacke through the streete and proclaimed before him Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King will honour This is no tale of a tubbe as this carping companion would perswade but a truth out of Gods booke whereby we may see that some do yeeld vnto that outwardlie in shew which in their hearts they yeeld not vnto and at which afterwards they fret chafe And could it otherwise be but that they must fret and chafe when as before her raigne in her sisters time one Ferrar that was defended by Storie and Bonner said that he hoped that she and they that hoped she should haue the Crowne should hop headlesse or be fired with faggots before she should come to the Crowne and also after her aduancement to the Crowne the Bishops and Clergie maisters as they shewed themselues in the conference at Westminster and in the Parliament assembled verie disobedient stubborne and malicious wherupon some of them were committed to prison so they had a consultation to haue excommunicated her as your worshipfull Cardinall Allen affirmeth in his 52. page of his answere to English Iustice and as your Rishton saith the Archbishop of Yorke whose dutie it was to haue crowned her Cardinall Poole being dead refused to doe it and so did all the Bishops except one and he almost the lowest But I will proceed to peruse the examination of some particulars of the hostilitie by me alleadged willing the Reader by the way to consider deeply of your graue aduise which vpon my vsing the words Sacred and Annoynted as honourable and rightly appertaining to her Maiestie you offer to be aduisedly thought of as tending to the commendation of annointing Priestes and Princes and concluding stronglie the great honour that her Maiestie had by Catholikes at her first entrance What must it needs follow that annointed must be taken for annointing with oile or must her Maiestie needs be beholding to the Clergie for that she is called the Lords annointed I had well hoped that your quoting in the margent diuers places of Scripture for confirmation of the ceremony of annointing Priests and Princes had been a better Bible-clerke then so foulie to be mistaken in the 105. Psalme which place hath been alleadged for Priuiledge of the Popish Clergie from the sword of Iustice notwithstanding their filthie life The Patriarches Abraham Isaac and Iacob are called annointed and yet were neuer annointed with oile In Esay 45. Cyrus is called the Lords annointed and yet a heathen Prince our Sauiour Iesus is called annointed and yet it is not read that euer he was annointed with outward oile Princes are called the Lords annointed chieflie because God hath put them apart and consecrated them to serue him in place of gouernment because they are indued with wisedome courage strength and feare of the Lord and because they should be profitable to the people gentle and mercifull the truth is more respected then the outward ceremonie in the word annointed Priestes Kings and Prophets before Christes time were annointed with visible oile I confesse not for such cause as you imagine that Princes are but to shew that they were appoynted of God consecrated and furnished with gifts from him as also to be types and figures of Christ who vnder the law was represented by these three offices estates or orders of men The ceremonie is not now of necessitie to continue Christ without outward annointing was called by Simeon the annointed of the Lord. So that hir Maiestie may be tearmed honorablie and deseruedlie the Lords annointed and yet neither your superstitious and Iewish ceremony of greazing your popish Priests commended thereby nor her Maiestie made much beholding to your Clergie for that honour The first particular of hostilities which you take vpon you to disprooue is my speech of your darling Doctor Storie whom because I call a bloudsucker as Dauid calleth his persecutors Saul Doeg and others bloudie men you charge me to be light-witted and foule mouthed you may take your pleasure Sir N.D. at me stil as you haue done but you know the reward of such as contemptuouslie reproach others with follie or maliciouslie doe raile and speake euil of them vndeseruedly You tell vs there are three things in my speech of Doctor Story to be considered the words I charge him with my interpretation of them and the iudgement he receiued in all which if you can either conuince me of vntruth or iustlie condemn me for vncharitably censuring the speech and his person we will beleeue you another