old Oak a tree not of life to them but of death called by them the tree of Reformation The tree of Reformation but it was the tree of Absalom vppon the which Miles their Gunner and two of their false Prophets were executed for they trusted in vaine Prophecies which were partly vttered in these verses The country gnuffes Hob Dick Hick With clubs and clouted shoone Shal fil vp Dussin dale with bloode Of slaughtered bodies soone This prophecy was a dreame their captaine Ket crept into a corner but was openly put to death his other brethren were hanged in chaines the rest of meaner sort hearing the pardon proclaimed by an herauld of Armes cast downe their weapons and lifted vp their voices praying to God to preserue King Edward There brake out a new stur in Yorkshier In Yorkeshiere False Prophecies cause of rebellion by false prophecies by a fond misliking of the Kings proceeding But here also the captains that thought to raise a great flame and to set al on fier made but a smoke wherewith they were choked themselues namely a poore man William Ombler and a simple parish clerke Thomas Dale and such like All these ment vnhappily by extraordinary means to turn al the Lawes of God and ordinaunces of Princes topsie-turuie About that time of these rebellions wee had set foorth by the authority of the King to these rebels an Eloquent oration by a great learned man Sir Iohn Cheeke Schoolemaster to the King Sir I. Cheek grauely and pithily dehorting them from such vprores as contrary to Gods word the honour of a King and the safety of the comon-weale which in mine opinion would make any hard heart to melt These former and foolish attemptes in the beginning pernitious and tragicall in the end might haue persuaded our countrymen to haue learned by their fore-fathers to keepe themselues within their tedder compasse of obedience The Raign of Q. Elizabeth But alas our Soueraign Queen Elizabeth hath felt too much of their wilfull disobedience and they tasted somewhat of hir prouoked seuerity Wherefore did Thomas Pearcie Earle of NorthuÌ„berland Charles Earle of Westmerlande against the Lawes of God and man by forcible meanes set vp Masses burne Bibles and bookes of Communion Why did they rise themselues when they might haue been quiet And raise the people which should haue been taught obedience Let the death of the one and the miserable flight of the other the execution of Parson Plumtree at Duresme and of others hanged and beheaded at Knaues Mire not farre from Yorke be instructions and examples for subiects These and many mo cannot warne vs neither the history of Iohn Story prouidently caught beyond the Seas and trimly shipped into this lande and afterward iustly executed vpon a newe paire of Gallowes euen at this day commonly bearing his name Saunders li. 7. de visibili Monarchia Ann. 1566. neither the terrible end of Iohn Felton who vpon Corpus Christi day at London at the Bishoppes gate published the Declaratory sentence of Pius Quintus Pope making this Realme of England and the Queenes Maiesty a pray and a spoil to our neighbours and to al nations neither the beggerly and lamentable state of Iames Desmond neither of Iohn Desmond bearing himselfe too bould vpon an Agnus Dei and a ring sent from the Pope neither of Nicolas Saunders himself the rebellous preacher to the Irish-men Saunders and the rest in the end taken with a frensie these al while they bend the vttermost of their wittes and of their forces against the Maiesty of our Prince whom the Maiesty of God hath enthronized they al I say haue but knocked their heels against the prick spurned to their owne destruction and to the confusion of that Popish sect By these and manie others neither Campion nor the rest of the Iesuites new Incommers Campion other Iesuites and Inmates in this Realme coulde beware neither yet by them other new cutters and practisers could be warned neither yet to this day the people coulde bee taught or perswaded but that their holy fathers Buls and Decrees Declarations must be obeyed and that his waxe and his lead and his Pontifical presentes consecrated by his execrable authority may preserue exempt them from al daungers touch of our law hereafter from al perill punishment either in hel or in purgatory I am to passe ouer at this time other examples and ordinaunces of other countries adioyning to vs as of Flaunders and Fraunce which wee must differre till another time if God will In the meane time let vs aliena frui insania by the madnes of these men learne to bee wise as many of our predecessors both Princes and learned men of this Vniuersity haue doone and know that the Queenes Maiestie hath waded no farther in these causes than other Kinges of this Land who haue broken the yee before King Stephen perceiuing that Theobald Arch-Bishoppe of Caunterburie brought Popish laws from Rome into Englande by decree of Parliament condemneth them burned them as hurtful to a common weale Iohn Bale cent 2. in apeâ—â—lice as Iohn Sarisbury beareth witnes in his eight book and two twentith chapter of Polycrat King Richard the second also molested with Romish affaires and tyranny of the Pope in Parliament holden at Westminster decreed and enacted that it shoulde bee lawfull for no man for any cause to pleade before the Byshoppe of Rome Polyd. Vir. lib. 20. for excommunication of any English-man by his authoritie and if anie such commaundement came from him it shoulde not bee executed vpon paine of losse of all their gooddes and perpetuall imprisonment and therefore great marueile that any such sentence of excommunication from such a forreiner and vsurper against our gracious Prince shuld in these daies of more knowledge by our countrimen be either receiued or harkned to or feared You dearly beloued I hope wil not and that you may not take an example by old Oxford Studentes who could ne would like of a Bull of Gregory directed against Iohn Wicliffe and therefore are chidden of the Pope that would suffer cockle and darnel of his heresie to grow among pure wheat in the beutifull fieldes of their Vniuersity You may also cal to minde that are ancients the daies of Henry the eight and Edward the sixt and iustifie the thinges to be true which I haue alleadged and much more which might bee said to this purpose to the proofe of this argument of Dauid that whosoeuer laieth hand of the lords annointed shal not be accounted innocent but shal be plagued for it The Lord giue vs grace to haue this doctrine fixed and setled in our heartes and expressed in our liues To whom bee all honour c. 1. SAM 26. 9 And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not for who can laie his hande on the Lords annointed and bee guitlesse 10 Moreouer Dauid said As the
Emperour out of this life or bring him into the low order and base and bare condition of a priuate man In viâ—a Henâ— 4. not remembring that they did owe a peace vnto their country-men iustice to the Realme and fidelity to the Ring So far were these from the rule of obedience that desirous of their licentiousnes woulde hazard the seruitude of the country The desier of lucre is another motiue to treason 2. Couâ—â—â—â—nesse It was the couetous question of Iudas Quid vultis mihidare What will ye giue me Which maketh a number of malecontentes seditious troublers of a common-weale for apriuate commodity So that now the case is as in the time of Dauid When the Prince studieth peace Psal 110. and speaketh peaceablie they are ready to fight Their feete are swifte to shed bloode nay they knowe not the waie of peace Rom. 3. They will neither knowe nor haue peace They seem to be kinned to that mad souldiour that passing by the Church hearing them pray for peace Donanobis pacem was angry with them Phy quoth he Peace Manliue how shuld we liue Such a Prince Cor. Agrippa telleth of in Italy who being moued by the said Agrippa to take awaie that famous or rather infamous faction of Gibellines and Guelphians in his Territory Naie not so quoth hee confessing plainly it was not for his profit for that ther was brought into his coffers yearely about twelue thousand ducats by occasion of this faction De vanâ—scienti This greedines is the cause that many being now become bankerupts vnthrifty born to consume to spend the fruits of the earth think by mutations and chaunges to recouer and to licke themselues whole This is the cause that mooueth some to fly from their countrie and captaines to serue straungers contrarie to the Law of GOD and man Nemo miles ab imperatore extraneo stipendium accipit saith Chrysoftome No man taketh wages of a forraine king or Emperor How much more wicked is it for Christians professing the gospel to be in seruice vnder the coÌ„duct banner of a stranger both in nation and in religion that for mony bloud-gilt the reward of Iudas Quidagis Christiane sidomini hosteÌ„ amicum habueris what dost thou o christian what auaileth thee if thou hast the enemy of the Lord to be thy friend The same Chrysostome hath these words in an homily De proditione Iuda There is a third kind of couetousnes not of these meane things but an insatiable desire of honor principality soueraignty Iulius Caesar imagining or rather dreaming of such a thing â—â—â—ic offi 1. for a kingdom a Monarchy brake the laws of God man This is pride and presuÌ„ption when men wil not be content with Dauid to tary their time but wil adueÌ„ture by hook or crook by right by wrong to surmount 〈◊〉 lib. Dorâ—â—i securè â—â—rm 6 I reade of the Romans that they painted pride with a triple crowne Pope-like because as R. Holcot testifieth Holcot fol. 23â— the proud man wil ouerrule al his equals his inferiours his superiours The first crowne hath this title Transcendo I surmount the second Non obedio I disobey the third Perturbo I trouble all which in verse is expressed somewhat otherwise in Holcot Effluo transcendo quo quis priuatur babendo TraÌ„smigrat genus exceditque homo qui nec obedit Turbor affligor perturbor vndiquelaedor Meaning therby that those that wil be climing transcendent and disobedient and troublesome must finde trouble and affliction themselues Another motiue of these rebellious interprises is Enuie Ingratitude 3. Enuie Enuie is a smoke that caÌ„ not abide the brightnes of good proceedings of her Maiesty that goeth about to smother obscure the blessings of God shining among vs in al prosperity felicity in the time of her gouernment Liuor tabificâ—m malis venenum Virgil. It is a poisoÌ„ that gnaweth coÌ„sumeth the vugodly that caÌ„not abide the happy estate by which we enioy the gospel al spiriual consolation by which we haue the fruitioÌ„ of peace plenly if our sinfulnes vnthankfulnes do not abbridge vs. Promeritis male tractarunt Agamemnona Graeci The vnkind dogges monstrously rent Acteon their master Plutâ—â—â— Inuidia The ougly toad cannot abide the good sent of florishing vines Cantharides green worms though they haue their being succor in the tops of ashes in oliues sweet roses yet they wil shew their nature their iuice is poison and they wil make blisters tumbling and trouble in the common weat It is to be feared least by their vnthankefulnes and grudging this our prosperous and good estate which we haue many years by Gods goodnes seene felt wil be turned by his heauy displeasure into dearth and scarsity as since these newe traiterous enterprises we may if we be not blind see some experience Our too much plenty heretofore hath made vs wanton new fangled busie bodies not contented with our blessings of Manna as murmuring Israelites preferring before this heauenly felicity the garlick and flesh-pots of AEgypt or rather the burdens of intolerable taske-masters vnder Romish Pharao These benefites and this repining cannot long continue togither by the iustice of God and by the course of naturall thinges Too much rancknes beateth downe the corne and bowes are broken with the burden ouermuch aboundaunce of fruite commeth not to anie ripenesse as wise Seneca writeth euen so our prosperity I feare hath corrupted some of vs. and made vs forgetful of our duty towards God and our Prince Gregory the great when Popes were not so great but did acknowledge the soueraignty of Princes ouer them did wel confesse writing to one Theodore â—pish 103. a Physition in this maner Howe great benefites I haue receiued froÌ„ Almighty God from my most soueraign lord the Emperour my toung is not able to expresse Would to god our GregoriaÌ„s folowers fautors of the Pope wold haue such meditatioÌ„s Another motiue and cause of these stirs 4 Religiâ—â—â— and tumultes is forsooth Religion A straunge Religion doubtlesse that teacheth men to murther Princes and Monarches of the world It was a pretence of Religion in Herod who told the wise men of the East Mat. 2. that hee was desirous to knowe where Christ was that he might worshippe him but his Religion was a ful entent to kill Christ True Religion is euer assaulted and unpugned by a false Religion Haman could not abide good Mardocheus nor the Iewes for their Religion calling their lawes new straunge Hest ca. 3. and differing from all people and so procured from Assuerus the King a bloody decree to destroy al the nation When the Christians in Persia Soz. lâ— c. 7. by reason of acquaintance and conuersation with the Osroens and Armenians had gathered a church and congregation to serue Christ that thing offended the Magicians or wise Diuines of Persia who
that cutte off the head And if the seruant may not bee striken by Peter howe can they escape that strike the Master the Lord or Lady of the land And if Christ found fault with his seruaunt fighting in his owne quarel how much more wil he be angry with them that take weapon against his Annointed Prince his lieuetenaunt in the earth nay against himselfe in defense of his aduersary and Antichrist For nowe consider with mee the reason of Dauid 2 Person No man ought to be slain of priuate men Ergo much les a Prince of a subiect and the second qualification of Saul that he is not only created a man but also annointed King For what doe these Nephilim Giantes and tyrantes of the world think Or what do they esteem of the blood of a Prince Or what doe they imagine of the ordinaunce or institution of Princes Are they vpstartes by themselues or able to rise and stand of theÌ„selues No that was the phrenesie of madde Aiax That Cowardes did get the victorie by God he would winne whether GOD would or no. Or is it a matter of force or fortune No that was the desperate saying of Antiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him take the kingdome to whome fortune or the sword shal giue it Or dooth policy and gouernement of the world or the worlde it selfe consist of the Sunne beames That might be the fantasie of Democritus that scoffed at all things Or is it the ordinaunce of Iupiter or any heathen God No for so dreamed Homer Illud 〈◊〉 that termed Kings Nursed vp and fostered by Iupiter and Hesiod that wrote In opeâ—â— Dier lib. 〈◊〉 some to be noble and some to be base by the wil of great Iupiter So Iulian the Apostata thought who caused in al his publique and popular images So◠〈◊〉 5. cap. 17. Iupiter to be painted as appearing from heauen and reaching to him the crowne and the purple ensignes of the Empire No it is only the ordinaunce of our liuing God the gift of Christ who hath that written in his garment and in his thigh the King of Kings Apoc. 1â— the Lord of Lordes So is the Prince desined of Saint Paul to the Romanes and by Iohn Salisberg lib. 4. Polycrat A Prince is a publike power Roâ— 13. in earth a certain image of the diuine power Therefore as before I proued him to bee a double person so is he now a double Image of God for hee was made after the Image of God and by office representeth God may further he is a God himselfe God is God by nature the Prince by name God by propriety the Prince by grace So God himselfe saith Yee are Gods Psal 82. and the children of the highest And the same Dauid in the same place God standeth in the congregatioÌ„ of Gods he iudgeth among Gods quia ipse est solus qui Deos faciat It is he alone that maketh Gods as Tertullian expoundeth aduersus Hermogenem Euen Saul himselfe is named here the annointed of the Lorde and so are all other Potentates that are by their vices euil men yet by office the ordinance of God Prou. 8. Iob. 34. Cap. 13. By me Rulers raigne The hypocrits rule not without him And God himselfe saith in Osc I gaue thee a King in myne anger and tooke him awaie in my wrath Iohn 19. Christ told Pilate that he could haue no power at all except it had bin giuen him froÌ„ aboue Rom. 13. There is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordeined of God The Fathers if need were might be brought for the same Lib. 3. as Optatus Paul teacheth saith he not without cause that we must pray for Kings and powers although the Emperour were such a one as liued heathenishly And Augustine Wee call them happy Princes Lib. 5. de cimitate Dei cap. 24. if they commaund iust thinges c. And if they make their power as a seruaunt and hand-maid to his maiesty especially in setting forth his honour And in another Chapiter Cap. 21. Let vs not giue the power of bestowing kingdomes and Empires to any but onely to the true God He that gaue authority to Marius gaue it to Caius Caesar He that gaue it to Augustus gaue it to Nero He that gaue it to the Vespasians either the Father or the Sonne most sweete and milde Emperours hee gaue it also to Domitian à most cruell man And least I should passe through al he that gaue it to Constantine the Christian gaue it vnto Iulian the Renigate And why are the bad as wel as the good aduanced The fame Austine against the Manichees giueth two reasons hereof De Naâ—â—â—t Bonâ— câ—â— 3â— It is not vniust that wicked men receaue power to hurt both that the patience of the good may be tried and the wickednes of the euil punished Heereby the Prince and the people may learne these notes In that the Princes are called Gods they must serue God Psal 〈◊〉 2. Ch. c 19. and not exercise their owne iudgement Againe they must gather a good hart vnto them A notefoâ—â— Princes and conceiue a coÌ„fort of this doctrin because they are set vp by God they cannot fall but by God and if they serue their lord Lib. Nat. histor 16. cap. 39. the Lord wil serue and saue them Pliny saith that the Cedar tree and the Iuniper if they bee annointed with oyle they feele neither moth nor rotting euen so the Prince gouernor being annointed not only outwardly but also inwardely with oyle of the holy Ghost for the holy Ghost is called an oile or annointing they neede not fear the moths of the common-weal 2 Iohn 2. that seek by fretting and eating to consume both Kingdome and King And so may I woorthily cal them as Licinius did Tineas soricesque palatij the moothes and rats of the court In vita Constant as Sextus Aurelius Victor testifieth in his Epitome This comfort gaue Bernard both to King and to Pope to Lewes the King of Fraunce thus The Kingdoms of the earth Epist 255. the Laws of Kingdomes do then indeed stand sound stable to their Lordes if they doe not withstand the ordinaunces and decrees of God To the Pope Eugenius thus I haue read in à wise man Epist 256. that hee is not a valiaunt man whose courage spirit doth not encrease when his case is most hard but I say a faithful man must more trust when the scourges hang ouer him Therefore the Gods of the earth if they wil be preserued by God with al trembling and feare must serue God Psal 2. if not they must hear be they Popes be they Princes what the same Bernard saith to them in the same Epistle Quale est hoc principatum tenere ministerium declinare What maner of thing is this to hold the principality and to shunne the seruice But
treachery of her owne children as by their default Euen so our king Egilred or as others terme him Ethelred complaineth in an Oration in this sort Wee are ouercome of the Danes not with weapon or force of armes but with treason wrought by our owne people The cause is opened by Matthaeus Westmonasteriensis Pag. 396. that when the King and his Sonne Edmond were like to haue the vpper haÌ„d against Cneuto or Canutus the King of the Danes Edrike Traitour Eadricus plaied the traytour went about by sleight and subtilty and allured of the Kinges Nauy forty shippes and he slipped to Canutus and subiected himselfe to his dominion whereby west-Saxonie and the Mercians with their horses and artillery offered themselues to him Intimatum est Regi quod nisi cautius sibi prouideret ipse à Gente propria hostibus traderetur It was priuily told the King that if hee did not prouide for himselfe more warily hee should bee berraied into the handes of his enemies by his owne nation I signified before how King Edmond surnamed Ferreum Latus Iron-side at Oxford being at the Priuy on Saint Andrewes night was slaine by the Sonne of Eadrik through the fathers instigation the father after the fact coÌ„meth to Canutus with this salutatioÌ„ Aue Rex solus Matth. Westmona pag. 402. Polyd. Vir. Ang. Hist lib. 7. Hail O King alone but he heard this his rewarde by Canutus Ego te hodie ob tanti obsequij meritum cunctis regni proceribus reddam celsiorem For this your great seruice I wil exalt you set you higher than al the Peers of the realm Periury and perdition or treason had in this realme euermore according to their desert When King Edward the Confessour kept his solemnity of Easter at Winchester at dinner Earle Goodwine being burthened at the table with the treacherous murder of his brother Aelfredus Earle Goodwin added to the murther periury and desired of God as hee was true and iust that the morsell of bread which hee held in his hand might neuer passe his throate if his brother by himselfe or by his counsail at any time were neerer to death A terrible example against forswearing and any way further from life so putting the bread into his mouth with an il conscience was choked by it When the King sawe him pale and without breath Carry out saith he this dog Jn vita Edwardi Confessor this traytour bury him in the quadrangle for he is vnwoorthy to enioy Christian burial Another traytor in the time of Egilred or Ethelred was Elfrik who being made Lieutenant of the Kings army left his Master Elfrick and took part with the Danes vpon the suddain when he should haue discharged vpon the enemies of the King and the country Polyd. Vir. lib. 7. but afterward being Admiral of the Kinges Nauy and destitute of all hope of preferment with the enemy because he returned to the King craued pardon his punishment was mitigated for he saued his life with the losse only of his eies In the time of King Edwarde the first the Scots breaking peace which they had made to their liege Lorde King of England and conspiring nowe with the king of Fraunce partly because Iohn Beliol by the king of England was made their King one Thomas Turbeuile more acquainted with chiualry than honesty Th. Turbeuile plaid on both sides promising to the French-men that by treason they should possesse the Kingdome of England vppon condition to receiue a large summe of mony land leauing for assurance his two children as Hostages And so that deceiuer returning from beyond the Sea tolde the King of England another Parasiticall tale howe hee escaped hardly out of prison how he had learned the weaknesse of Fraunce But here a crooked Snake lurked hee caried poyson mingled with hony wherewith they that touched it might be infected creeping into fauour into the secret counsels of the Realm set down al in writing directed theÌ„ to the Prouost of Paris This fraude fact being opened by the prouidence of God who is wel called of the autor Exterminator impioruÌ„ The destroier of the wicked declared to the king he was immediatly by sergeants apprehended bound with cordes carried to iudgement accused and by his owne confession condemned First laid vpon an Ox hide drawen at horse tailes thorough London guarded with disguised tormentours baited at railed on by the way mocked was hanged his body vnburied the people passing by scornfully asking Mat. West in Edou 1. Is this Thomas Turbeuile Whose Epitaph a versifier wrote in this sort That Turbeuile was a troubler of the tranquillity quietnes of the Realme therefore hee that would bee an hoate burning sparkle was become a dead spark himselfe as in those rythmes may appeere at large whereof this is the beginning Turbat tranquilla clam Thomas turbida villa Qui quasi scintilla fuit accidit esse fauilla In the time of Edward the second Andrew Earle of Carlile Andreas Hartlee created Earle of Carlile at York sent by the King into Scotland to King Robert to intreat of Peace made another matter turned it into a message for war priuily fraudulently to compasse the destruction of his owne King This though contriued secretly yet it was certified to the King hee immediatly at his returne vpon the commandement of the King Polyd. Vir. Hist Ang. lib. 18. was attached taken by the guard so by by coÌ„uicted put to death Ita Andreas crucem sibi construxit ex qua penderet So Andrewe prepared for himselfe a Gallose to hang vpon made a rodde for his owne tasle In the time of Edwarde the third like conspiracies against the Prince had the like measure Polyd. l. 19. when Edmond Earle of Kent Roger Mortimer others were beheadded Thus you see exemplified by these traitors that which was by Lawes enacted as also by another example of an Italian indeuouring to betray Calice to the French An Itaâ—â—â— trick against Calice For when an English man had committed it vnto the Italian the French-man knowing the nature of that Nation to be most couetous of golde secretly dealt with him that he would sel the castle to him for twenty thousand crownes The Englishman being made priuy of this dissembleth all thinges driueth out the French and taketh them with them the principall cause of that treachery In the time of Richard the second there was a conspiracy of some Jn Epit. Frosardi lib. 1. Eccle. 10. Ansley and Carton that had in their mouth the Prouerbe of the Hebrues Woe be to the Land whose King is a Childe And of others euen in the court as of Iohn Ansley knight and of Hugh Carton minding with their complices to set vpon the King and to murder him although they two were enemies before yet in this made one agreeing too
a Traytor of the King of England a most wicked Pirat as it is in another history taÌ„quam de Monacho factus Daemoniachus as it were of a Monk made a Demoniacal man and possessed of a Diuel But this diuelish man was drawn out of the pump of the ship where he hid himselfe and his ende was the chopping off of his head by the hande of the Earle of Cornwal Richard the Kings brother carried to the King Maâ— Daâ—â—â— in Heâ—â—â—â— and so to diuerse places of the Realme which the Moucke woulde haue redeemed with an mestimate masse of money but coulde not Adam Adam the Byshop of Hereford was accused of treason and yet was protected by the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury of Yorke and of Dublin Th. Walsing in 〈◊〉 wardoâ— and of ten other Bishops and with violence and with the Arch-bishops crosses was pluckt out from the place of iudgement but afterwards being found guilty by the sworne Iurie of all the crimes obiected was so pronounced his goods confiscated the traiterous and horned Priests blancked for so these verses signifie Nostri cornuti sunt consilio quasi muti Sunt quasi consusi decreto legis abusi This Adam as this history reporteth was arrested openly in the Parlament at London to the great reproch of the cleargy and preiudice of the whole church of England Against Henry the fourth Conspiratours against Heâ— the 4. what conspiracies were there not by Earls and specially by Cleargy men whose meaning was sodenly at the castle of Winsor in the time of Christmasse plaies to rush in to kill him his children but their Christmas py was a deadly pie to them some ran away to London and so ment to passe beyond the sea but the wind being against them they were taken and beheadded The cleargy men Maude Ferby Maudlin Maude and William Ferbie were hanged drawen and beheaded at London others at Oxford The Priest of Ware that had matriculated in a roole the names of the conspirators whereof some were innoceÌ„t had the same iudgement The Prior of Laune once Canon of Dunstable Walter Baldock a Prior. Walter Baldocke confessing himselfe to be priuy to it for conceiling it was hanged so were the Minorit Friers euen in the habit of their religion Friers An Abbat of Westm As for the Abbat of Westminster a chiefe stickler in this matter in whose house after the feast this conspiracy was deuised was by God himselfe stricken with a palsey and by by was dum and so died At the same time Thomas Walsingham writeth of Owen Glendar a Welch man Owen de Glendour In Henr. 4. a rebel against the same King intending by his Magicall coniuration to kill the King the Diuel so working by raine winde snowe haile stones and al tempests against the King and his camp Jbidem Fuerunt plures si fas sit credere qui dicerent haec aduersa arte fratrum Minorum contra Regem fuisse commentata It was a common rumour then that Friers hauing familiarity with Diuels wrought brought al these miseries against the King as friendes to the Welch but you heard how the Diuell was ouertaken by God The Minorites executed by the King in their best and most holy weedes and so Owen Glendar in the absence of the King following his prophecy wandred miserably vp and downe in the desert and in solitary places by penury and hunger pined away The like iudgement fel vpon Falcasius a rebel against Henry the third of a great rich man so miserably poore that he in banishment begged his bread in Fraunce and had not a bolster to lay his head vpon I might haue reckoned vp many Iackes as Iacke Strawe Th. Walsingham n. Hypod. Neusiriâ— or Wat Tiler Iack Miller Iacke Carter against King Richard the second and also Iack Cade of Kent who was in a cart brought to London taken before in a garden in Sussex and his head set on London bridge his quarters sent into Kent in the time of Henry the sixt but these are matters of rebellion indeede but not so much for Religion which is my purpose and chiefe scope And yet all these drink of one cup bitter enough here for such and most bitter in the life to come Now to come nearer vnto our time memory Late Popish traytours for their Religion R. Holinsh in Henr. 8. Rebellions for religion vndeâ— Henr 8 our Popish Traitours haue had no better successe In the raigne of Henry the eight by Parliament the Lords praier and the ten commandements were decreed to be learned in English for this good seruice to God and to the common weal the blind people seduced by blind guides Monks Priests made a commotion in Lincolne shier In Lincolne shiere God fought for his cause for his King and gaue to him the victory The multitude by proclamation was pardoned a new oath of fealty to the King receiued Captaine Cobler Doctor Mackarel a Monke named Doctor Mackarel and others put to death How fel it out in the North by their religious rebellion In the North an holy pilgrimage It was forsooth for the Cacholicke Church It was called a holy blessed pilgrimage In their banners was painted Christ hanging on the Crosse a Chalice with a painted cake in the sleeues of the souldiours were embrodered the fiue wounds of our Sauior But God ouerturned al their purposes and they were supplaunted and by a floud on Simon Iudes Euen their heat was cooled A butcher a Priest executed and a butcher at Winsor wishing that these good fellowes of the North had some carkases of his sheepe with a Priest procured to preach in fauour of Rebels were adiudged to dy by Law Martial Good king Edward the sixt proceeded in zeale as his father began Rebellions for religion in the time of Edwa. 6. Jn Cornewall and more sincerely reformed religion but alas in Cornewall and Deuonshire it was not brooked nor digested the king his Commissioner in Cornwall was slaine but God did not suffer it is remaine vnreuenged a Priest was taken and executed in Smithfield by Law In Deuonshiere they did rise for the six Articles In Deuonshiere they would haue Masse holy water holy bread but they wilfull men lacked all they famished for want of bread The Lorde Russel the Lorde Grey the kings army ouercame them Sir Peter Carewe and Gawine and other faithfull subiects with the city of Exceter perseuering true and loyall were rewarded highly commended but Welch vicar of Saint Thomas in Exceter a newe reformer of religion was hanged vp in chains vpon the top of the church with his sacring Bel holy water bucket and sprinkle beeds and other Popish trash the chiefe captaines most disloial carried to London to be executed In Northfolke was another rebellion of such as partly were deceiued In Northfolke or not throughly persuaded in religion they had an
of Lucius and others before And as wee read of Fabius the senatour choked with an hair in his milk so Adrian died with a fly when he had excommunicated Friderik the first Vrban the third was striken nutu Dei Abbas Vâ— in an 118â— attempting the same against the Emperour A Pope of one yeare little more And haue not of late Pius Quintus and Gregory the thirteenth prooued to be quenched tow notwithstanding all their glory and their Buls against our Soueraign Prince Elizabeth Were they not indeede Bullae Bubbles of water The great whore of BabyloÌ„ whose cup is ful of abhominations fornications who hath her selfe been dronke with the blood of Saints Apocalyp 17.18 and with the blood of Martyrs of Iesus shall drinke of the same cup double then shall it come to passe which happened vnto Cerylus which of a seruaunt was waxen rich and so insolent that he changed his name into Laches to whom Vespasian gaue this lesson of humility in greeke words in this sense O Laches Laches Sutton Iâ— Vespasianâ— when thou art dead thou shalt bee called againe Cerylus as before So I say of Pope Iohn The Pope is Ceryluâ— that so shamefully died in trauel going on precession shal in the end againe be harlot Ioan Sergius shal be Os Porci hogs-mouth Iulius the second shal be Iulian agiane Leo the tenth shal be Iohn againe Iulius the third shall bee Iohn Marie Paul the fourth shal be Iohn Peter Gregory the thirteenth shall bee Bone-Companion Sixtus Quintus a poore mans sonne borne in a little village though an high name Alto-monte though now lifted vp to the Popedome Act. c. 9. like Saul breathing out threates and slaughters against the Church shal be as he was a Franciscane and Faelix Perenettus againe They al shal be of Lordes seruants of Popes poore Priests nay of men earth and wormes meat They shal be successors of this Saul as in persecuting Dauid and in murdering Abimelech and the Priestes of the lord I meane the Princes and the Preachers whom the Lorde hath annointed and called Euen so of his death either smiten of God or when their day commeth to dy or when they shal desceÌ„d into bloody battles as many Martial Popes haue done Although the enemies glorye against the Godly The good delight not in the ouerthrow of the euil but in their conuersion yet the Godly haue no delight in the death of these before rehearsed persecutours Emperors Popes We are sory that they had no more grace As alwaies mercifull Princes haue vsed moderation and compassion so the Sexe the good nature the piety of our Prince hath alwaies desired rather the good behauior and conuersion of the offenders then the subuersion of destruction of any one Dauid neuer sought nor desired the death of Saul but contrariwise lamented for it and punished the Amalekite that brought him the newes We are not more vnnatural then men onely endewed with natural affection Iulius Caesar a natural an heathen man when Pompey fled into AEgypt and was beheaded at the commaundement of Prolomei for his sake Christiâ—â—â— Masseus lib. 7. Châ—â— yet wheÌ„ his head was brought to him he wept Vespasian the Emperor seemed to be a tender-harted Prince in whose time no man was lightly punished without cause except he himselfe were absent or ignorant of it or in deed vnwilling or deceiued A notable report Suetonius maketh of him that he neuer at any time reioyced in the slaughter of any maÌ„ but iustis supplicy sillacrymauit ingemuit Sueton. in vita eins he wept sighed when any maÌ„ suffred though for a iust cause Theodosius was a most gracious Prince of whoÌ„ it is said Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 22. Sozom. lib. 7. cap. 24. that he neuer punished any maÌ„ of whom he was hurt He made a law by the aduise of Ambrose that the officers which should execute his commissions or commandementes should differre the punishmentes of those that were condemned to dy for the space of thirty daies to the intent that in the meane time the Kings wrath might be asswaged When the people of Antioch had raised a sedition and yet afterward repented he hearing at his table a Ballad or song in a mourneful Melody was so mooued that his anger straightway ceased he was reconciled to the citty Cap. 23. with tears trickling downe hee filled a cup that he held in his hand Alexander the great lamented when he saw the body of Darius Antoninus desired that no Senatour or counsailour in the time of his Empire should be slaine that his Empire might not be stained Hee was not much offended with the defection or reuoulting of Cassius neither did hee exercise tyranny against his children but although the Councel did punish him as before it was touched yet the author saith Iulius Capitolin Vulcatius Gallicanus that it was most certaine that he would haue spared him if it had been in his hand and when the head of Cassius was brought to him he did not reioice at it but it grieued him that the occasion of mercy was taken from him What should I speak of our Christian Princes and rulers Constantine as it is written by Eusebius was very carefull for the commonweal Lib. 2. Nec magis pro salute suoruÌ„ quà m hostiuÌ„ orabat Hee did not pray more for the safegard of his owne then of others his enemies It is reported of William Conquerour that euen in his death bed hee repented him of many things Polydor. Virgil. in Histo Ang. lib. 3. but specially he was sory that hee had beene some-what seuere against the Englishmen When certain had conspired with the French-men against Henry the fift and were by the iudgement of their peeres condemned as some were executed so some were pardoned for the King pitied their case The Wâ—â— sing in Hypon Nâ—â—â— so that English-men turned that praise which was spoken to Augustus Caesar by Ouid vnto him Sit piger adpaenas Princeps adpraemia velox Quique doler quoties cogiture esse ferox The same verses may be more iustly applied vnto our Augusta who to punish hath been most slow to pleasure to do good most ready and when she must needs be seuere it grieueth her I neede not exemplifie it they are fresh in memory How vnwilling was shee to consent to the beheading of the Duke of Northfolke The de na neâ—e of Q. 〈◊〉 beth in pardoning or punishing How often did she stay the execution How gratiously did she then wineke at the Queene of Scots who was as guilty euen then as he was How many haue beene in her time pardoned How many yet remain vnpunished though not vncondemned and I doubt not but that she thinketh as Theodosius said Vtinam mortuos ad vitam reducere possem Socrat. tâ—â— 7. cap. 22. I would to God I might call to life againe some of those