the blessing of God be sufficiently prouided to attende their studies for the seruice of the people in the ministerie of the gospel it is a most necessarie dutie which the people owe to them againe to see that they suche as depēd vpon them may sufficiently honestly liue in theyr seruice as may be seemly for the good credit of the worthie calling which God hath called them vnto The contrary whereof as I haue said wee haue from thē who by impropriating the liuings of the Ministers from the places where vnto they appertein haue left the ministery so marueylously vnprouided as that in some places there are to be found many parishes together whereof all the liuings that now remaine to thē for such vse are not sufficiēt for the compitent maintenance of one man his family which lamentable estate of our ministery must needs be an infinite hinderance to the Gospel both in the iustice of GOD who will punishe so great a contempt of his worde and so carelesse a negligence of the saluation of the people and also in the nature of the thing it selfe For by this occasion such as are in some acceptable measure able to doe good seruice in the ministery withdrawe themselues from it For perceyuyng it to bee suche a calling as besides the manifolde burdens lying vpon all faithfull ministers dooing their duties is subiect to beggerie also and the discredit and other inconueniences that followe it they bestowe them selues in some other lawefull calling wherein doeing their dueties they may be able to liue both in wealth and credite by which meanes this insufficient and vnlearned ministerie whiche nowe so pestereth the land is entred into the possession of the Churche to the infinite hinderance of the Gospel and the losse of thousandes of the soules whiche Christ Iesu hath redeemed with his precious blood Which spoyle of the Church notwithstanding it to be so sore a wound as yet since the beginning of the restoring of the gospel amongest vs could not bee healed yet our hope and most humble prayer to God is that her maiestie by your HH mediation vnto her highnesse may so relieue it with her precious balme so binde it vp with her gracious handes as in time it may bee cured healed againe I am bolde to speake of your H H. mediation in this cause as in other places of such like because the dutie I owe to Almightie God and to the Lorde Iesu his only begotten sonne whom I am called to serue doth necessarily inforce me to it But it doth greatly comfort incourage mee in the performance of so necessary a duetye that I doubt not but your godly wisedomes doe consider the seruice of GOD to bee the right ende and vse of the high and honourable seates wherein hys owne right hande hath placed you Which the Lord ingrauing in your noble and Christian mindes surely hauing of God this honorable fauour to be so neere her highnesse your HH will godly and faithfully aduise her grace both of the necessary cause of the redresse of suche other matters and namely of this that all the people vnder her H. Dominions may haue the meanes by a godly sufficient learned ministerie planted amongest them to come to the knowledge and faith whereby they may the better obey God and her Ma. and saue their soules for euer to euerlasting life Whiche so necessarie seruice of Almightie GOD of her Excellente Maiestie and of the Churche of Christe amongest vs as it is nowe attended and looked for of your HH into whose handes not next vnder her Highnes God hath committed the managing guiding of this noble state and kingdome so no doubt but in that day it will be required when the Lord shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead Wherefore my good LL. as before in the behalfe of the whole Church professing the Gospel so now agayne for the Churche within her Ma. moste noble dominions of Eng. and Irel. I moste humbly vpon my knees beseech your HH to take so to hart this estate of the Church and ministery amongest vs that all abuses beyng remoued good order established all duetifull subiects may besides all other blessinges whiche nowe they enioy by your LL. meanes haue this so woorthy a cause also to prayse GOD for hauing sette so Godlye and H. Gouernours ouer them It hath a promyse to breake the Bread vnto the hungrye and to make the thrysty drinke and not to turne away the eare from him that cryeth for reliefe in his necessity Nowe so it is that this Churche in manye of her children cryeth for bread euen for the bread of life and there is no man that breaketh it vnto thē the tongues of many cleaue to their roofe for thirst whiche they are in daunger to perish in and no man giueth them the pure water of life to quicken their soules And as our Churche heretofore by other meanes hath cryed oftentimes euen till shee haue almost lost her voyce so now agayne she cryeth by this most humble supplication to your Honours to regarde her necessitie if wealth peace wisdome authoritie or any other thing be needeful for this worke the Lorde hath bountifully furnished the lād with al that needeth Some reasonable way without the iniurie of any might by your wisdomes be found whereby euery parishe might recouer againe their own to the maintenaunce of a worthy ministerie amongste them Alas that for anye cause so manye soules of the people committed to your charge should perishe Wherfore my good Lords turne your eares I beseech you to heare the humble suite of this Church that the Lord your redeemer may turn his eares vnto you in the day when you shall call vppon him So shall the saued soules of thousandes prayse God for you so shall the Lord blesse you and your noble posteritie and so both all this and suche other slaunderous mouthes shall be stopped which are now so wide open against vs. To the aunswering to whome I returne againe for my moste humble request relying vpō the godly zeale and wisdomes of your Honours 6. of raysing of rents The sixt Article is of raysing rentes which hee saieth their religion prohibiteth except vpon some great cause and with great moderation euen to the solemne cursing of them and woulde insinuate that ours alloweth it The cōmoditie of which not raysing of rentes aboue measure and to the extreame vsing of the Tenauntes he saieth is manifest to bee great in a common wealth For the commoditie that commeth of it I graunt but for the doctrine I affirm that ours doeth in no sorte more fauour any extreame raysing of rents then theirs A moderate rysing of them in the raysing of the pryces of all other thinges wee allowe as they doe when it is necessarye and moderate for otherwise it shoulde bee better with the Tenante then with the Lord. And them selues when they let their farmes of the old rent were wont to binde
honour of a large dominion then euer the Kinge of Iuda did The Assirians the firste Monarchie of the world ruled in a manner all Nacions for many yeares many Kinges succéedinge one an other in the royall seate of Assiria After them arose the Persians who subduing the Assirians obtained the Monarchie and raigned likewise a space succéeding one an other Then came the Grecians who preuayling against the Persians made themselues maisters of thē and almost of the world Last of all the Romaine Empire abolishing the former succéeded in the souerantie possessed it first in Roome and after in Constantinople againe in the West to that decayed estate which now remaineth of it whē the great Turke had seased vpon Constantinople and all the East part of the Empire So Tamerlan the Tartarian had a time as also many other horrible Tirantes wherein they prospered That these prospered for a season he cannot deny as he accounteth prosperitie but I think hee wyll not say that the detestable profession of Mahomet or the Pagan Heathen abhominations of the Monarches vnto Constantine in the Roman Empyre were the cause of their prosperitie It is manyfest they were not but rather the cause of their finall ruyne and ouerthrow as not ceasing to call for vengeance to God vntil he with his Thunderbolt from Heauen had striken thē What was the cause then Surelye this the goodnesse of God who dooth good euen to the vnthankfull and vngodly who letteth his Rayne to fall-vppon the Féeld of the iust and vniust and causeth his Sonne to shine vpon the Christian and vpon the Heathē An other may be that the Lorde purposing to execute his iust Iudgements vppon the Kinges of the earth for their Idolatries oppressions violences murders adulteries and all such lyke their impieties raysed vp from time to time as hee dooth also euen vnto this daye some to serue him in the execution of his high Iustice vpon thē For which cause the Lorde doth make some Nation to growe stronge and mightie as the Okes of the Forest that hee may vse it for a Staffe in his hande to chastice the Nations Whiche when it hath perfourmed hee casteth it into the fire and rayseth vp another for the consuming of them These are the true reasons the Lordes mercy and Iustice which caused them for a time to florish as the Ceder in Libanus which after he cut downe and so grubbed by the Rootes that the place of many of them is no more to be knowne and not their wicked Idolatries which the Lorde alwayes abhorred euen so doo I say of all the Kinges that haue receiued Poperie and haue prospered for a season that not their Idolatrie and Heresie but that the goodnesse of God dooing well vnto his enemies that his Iustice to punish those that loue not the trueth was the cause of any prosperitie that euer they enioyed Againe I saye that if the Bookes bee well looked it wyll easily bée founde that their pretended Catholike Faith and Roman Religion hath beene pernicious to most noble states and in the verye nature of the doctrine and the practise of it is contrarye to the wealth liberty honour and authoritye of any state or kingdome The Romaine Empyre may sufficiently beare witnes of it For the Empyre hauinge pitty to see that Church créepinge as it did in the begynning vpon the ground suffered it to growe vp by it and to embrace it as the Yuie doth vpon the Oake as some haue well compared it whereof the Empyre being amighty trée indede felt not at first any annoyance but now hath declared that it hath sucked it in such sorte as it hath drawne out all the iuyce and vygure of it and broughte it nowe to a withered stocke scarce able to beare the barren braunches that are vpon it For by meanes of excōmunicating and cursing the Emporors by gyuing the Empyre to whome it pleased them by forcing warres betweene the house of Fraunce and the Empire and other the noble houses of Europe the Pope hath broughte to passe that nowe there is no Emperor at all at Roome but him selfe As for other kingdomes in Europe that haue prospered nowe séeme most to florish I say thereto it rose and ryseth from other causes for it is manifest by all storyes that the Popes haue bene the very firebrands to set them afyre sowing causes of warres betwene thē They haue bene the very insatiable leaches of theyr treasure which could neuer be satisfyed Tyrants that haue oppressed not onely the lawfull libertye of the people but also the royall power and aucthority of their Princes yea of Kinges and Emperors Wherefore neither Asia Greece Egypt Africk Hungarie nor anye other haue bene ouerthrowne for abandoning that superstition neither is it to be feared of any Country that in these dayes haue altered and reformed themselues herein but the admitting and receiuing of this superstition with other wicked Heresies or the chaunging it not for better but for the worse the contempt of the worde of God and of his holye doctrine of the Gospell which euery where impugneth this as it appeareth by S. Iohn hath indeede remoued the Candlesticke and the true light from amongst them and wyll doe likewise from euerye nation that shall not bringe forth the worthy fruits thereof And thus as many other Nations héertofore so it may well bee that both the Countries néere vnto vs for refusing to haue Christ to raigne ouer them yea and al the worlde for the lyke contempt may be plagued with horrible calamyties These may iustlye bringe wrath vppon any Nations not the reforming of Popish superstitions accordynge to the trueth and sinceritie of the Gospell And thus muche for his experiences of this imagyned prosperitie of Popishe States his fyrste proofe in this Question Nowe let vs examine his seconde reason This Argument is from the cause which may make any State to florishe whiche hee aleadgeth to bee vnitie and affirmeth the Churche of Rome to haue the meanes to kéepe it and the professors of the Gospell to want both it and the meanes therof Whereunto I answer as to the same Argument alleadged before that not euery agréement and consent is pleasing to God or profitable to men For there are agréements in Idolatrie in adulterie in robberie in conspiracie in murders and in all iniquitie which are all odious to God and hatefull to men and of this sort is the vnitie that is amongst them which is no better then a conspyracie against GOD and his Poeple to mayntaine Heresie and all iniquitie but let him shew vs a vnitie amongst them of Brethren not of Freres so falselye called but of Brethren that are the Sonnes of one heauenlye Father the heyres annexed with Christ yea and by him alone of that same fayth and church pertakers of the same Holy worde doctrine and Sacraments and then I will confesse that vnytie to bée both pleasant and profitable as it is in 133. Psalme And that the Lorde
effecte whiche followed it of not esteeming of the commaundementes of GOD in comparyson of this moste vile and beggarlye tradition whereby it was againe fulfilled in that yee transgresse the commandements of God to keepe your own traditions Last of all for the damnable opinion of meryting by it the forgiuenesse of their sinne I conclude it to be neither godlinesse pollycye nor good reason to allowe it As for the true and right fasting commaunded by precepte and cōmended by examples in the sciptures vnto vs it were to be wished that as at somtimes namely in the great plague in London and at the earthquake there was a godlye entrance made by authoritie to the restoring of it vnto vs so it might bee fullye reestablished amōgst vs. The vse wherof in the auncient primitiue Chur. was eyther for supplication to turne away some present or imminent danger of war pestilence famine or any other great calamitie or for suite to obteine some great perticular blessing as gratious direction in the calling of such as should serue the church specially in the ministery preaching of the word or any such waightie extraordinarye requestes greatly concerning the good estate of the Churche Which occasions to seeke to GOD in this most humble earnest maner we see by experiēce do remain stil shal continue to the end of the world For both other great graces may vpon sundry occasions fal out to be so necessarye for the state of the Churche that this way were to bee taken to obtayne them oftentimes in respect of the ministery this would be requisite And for the other cause seeing we oftentimes so multiply our prouocations against God that in iustice he threatneth to poure out his plagues euen vpon his owne people so offending against him it were most necessary that the church had the right vse of this holie order restored to it againe that hereby the hot wrath and high displeasure of GOD against vs might be pacified Wherefore it were to be wished by all good meanes of all men to bee sought for that by the authoritie of the magistrate and aduise of the preachers of Gods worde vpon any such reasons eyther generally in the whole Lande if the cause be generall or particularly in the place where the occasion may bee that the people were aduised and commaunded vppon some day fitte for the purpose to surcease their worldly affayres as they doe vppon a Sabbaoth or holie day to fast vnto the euening to the ende that they may assemble them selues at the houres accustomed vppon suche daies to the Churche to heare the worde of God fitly for the time zealously preached and also to make their earnest prayers to God for the fauour they would obtayne and their most humble supplication with rent and contrite heartes in teares strong crying in the spirit to turne away such his heauy indignatiō from vs as we may lye vnder or feare to fall vppon vs. To take one example of many in the scriptures Io. 2. we reade in the prophecy of Ioel that the L. threatning a famine exhorteth the people hereunto vpon hope that if they sought him earnestly they shoulde finde him gracious and mercifull long suffering and of greate goodnes In the same place declaring that he beyng angry no flesh could be able to beare it he giueth thē cōmandemēt therof in these words Wherefore euē now saith the L. be ye turned vnto me with al your hart in fasting weaping lamentatiō a litle after soūd the trūpet in Sion appoint a fast proclaim a holiday gather the people ordaine an assēbly call together the aged the litle ones euen those which such the brests let the bridegrome come out of his chamber the bride out of her chāber Let the pristes the ministers of the Lord weepe betweene the altar the porch say O Lorde spare thy people and geue not ouer thy possession to reproche that the Gentiles should rule ouer thē why shold they say amongest the nations where is their God Thus farre the prophet in the name of God whiche I haue thought good to set down here that in cōsideratiō therof it may be vnderstood to be a cōmādemēt of God giuē to the magistrates preachers of Gods word that both of thē according to the duties of their seueral calling should vpō like occasion aduise appoint such a day of fast wherein the people shold humble themselues in true repētance seeke with mighty prayers deliuerance frō the punishment threatned or lying vpon them Which is so much the more necessary at this time to be knowē for that we see that the wrath of God hath broken out vpon vs of late as a flaming fire in visiting vs with the grieuous visitatiō of that pestilēce both in this citie of London and sundry other places of this land Which visitation since the great plague hath cōtinued in this Citie wasting the Inhabitants as a small fire now the space of 15. yeares cōtinually and sometimes raging more fiercely as it did of late And surely there are many iuste causes to feare least the L. may commaunde this furnace to be heated yet seuen tymes more and that the Angell of GOD which hath stoode ouer this Citie with his drawen swoorde to strike it not onely a fewe daies as hee did in the time of Dauid ouer Ierusalem but so manye yeares may stil pursue his execution if all holie and lawfull meanes bee not vsed to mittigate the Lords displeasure towards vs. wherefore most humbly I beseech your Honours as one who by your LL. Honourable fauour haue a parte and lotte in the ministerie within this Citie that by your Godly meanes suche order may bee taken that both at all tymes heereafter vppon like occasion signified before vnto your HH and namely at this present vpon so vrgent necessary cause as we are now pressed withall suche dayes of faste and holy assemblies may be appointed Wherein the people thorowe the blessing of God vppon the woorde zealously preached vnto them humbling their soules in true repentance as in sackloth ashes before the Lord and the Lords seruants in the midst of them praying for thē as it is in Ioel O Lord spare thy people c. It is to be hoped that such repentance prayers may stand as Aaron with his holy censors did in like case of plague in the gap and in the breach betweene the liuing and the dead that the Angell of the Lorde strike no more of vs downe with this fearefull hande and sword wherewith wee haue seene alreadie so manie slaine and fall downe on euery side round aboute vs. A wise K. sayth our Sauiour in the gospell seeing a mightier King then himselfe comming against him with so many thousands as he is not able in any sort to meete him in the filde while hee is yet a farre off sendeth an ambassage vnto him for peace Therefore seeing the Lorde of
publike causes I sawe there were also many contrarye presidents and that of many worthy men who in like times had stoode in the gap and in the breach against the enemie Moreouer Neh. 4.16.17 I considered this our time to be like that wherof we read in the booke of Neemie wherein because of the often and hot charges of these Samaritanes enuying the raysing vp againe of the new Ierusalem out of the ruines wherin they had ioy to see it we are constrayned so to buylde it as we may stand also redy armed to make head against the enemie and to beate him backe when he shal assayle vs. Which because the learned will see to be no matter of game and striuing for the golden pen but a necessarye seruice of God and his church I hope they will be satisfied better with that which may bee sure for defence then faire for shewe But chieflye this is my hope of all your H. both for the graue wisdome God hath endued you with and for the accustomed fauour you are wont to shewe to all such as to their power doe endeuour faithfully to serue the Lord. As for the enemie I know in deede his malice is bitter and his pen foule and shameful For so both others of them and especially the defendant of the late censure hath notoriously testified in his wicked slaunders of as worthie men as the sunne hath seene anye in this age of their profession But seing it lieth not in vs to make them modest and that we are called in good and il report yea in life and death to serue God his church I willingly commit any iniurie that may be done me by them for his cause to him to whome the punishment thereof appertaineth Iude Epist and who as Enoch prophecied long agoe commeth with thousands of his Saintes to doe iustice vpon them all and to reprooue those which are wicked amongst them of all the deedes which they haue wickedly committed and all the hard speaches which wicked sinners haue spoken against him Wherefore being satisfied for these doubtes and knowing no other sufficient cause to the contrary I haue thought this defence to be my most bounden duetie to almightie God to her most excellent M. to your H. and to this whole state and church Therefore I haue resolued by your LL. good fauour seeing no man els so long time had vndertaken to deale with this Plaintife to maintaine against him to my small power the glory of God in the iust defence of his trueth the honor of the authority I haue named in their most lawfull proceedings against such as vntruely are called Catholiques Thus hauing before your H. most humbly rendred some reson of this my doing I come now to ioyne with mine aduersarie The effecte of this Authours purpose is as he himselfe declareth in the beginning of his booke The answere and hath béene touched before in presenting your LL. with the Epistle intituled of the persecution in Englande with this treatise of his own is to complaine of intollerable extremities vsed agaynst the pretended Catholiques for their only conscience sake as he affirmeth and also to become suter to your Honors in behalfe of their cause that if for the time it may not be receyued as he thinketh it worthy yet at the least it may not be so hardly intreated as hee woulde make the world beleue it hath beene hetherto Which their cause being not of the thinges of this life wherin reason and discourse may trie and discerne but of religion he ought to haue taken his reasons to perswade the religion he would maintaine to bee good out of the holy and sacred bookes of the canonicall scriptures 2. Tim. 3.17 For of these we reade that they are able to make vs wise vnto saluation thorow the faith that is in Christ Iesus as the Apostle addeth in the same place they are giuen by inspiration from God to furnish vs and to make vs fully able to instruct in that which is truth and to conuict whatsoeuer agreeth not with it Therefore as in question of mettall the touch stone is called for to shew the good and to discouer the badde so should he haue touched with this true onely touch both our mettall and his that that which is base or fine in eyther religion might haue bene discerned In doubtful controuersies in the law they were commanded to repaire vnto the hie priest into whose brest the Lorde had put Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28.30 whereby he was able to giue aunswere in all causes Christ is our hie Priest and the holy scriptures as being that wisedome of God to be reuealed to vs the Vrim and Thummim whereby we are answered as by Oracle from God in al our controuersies Therefore in this most weightie cause counsell ought to haue bene sought for there where the brest of Christ is open vnto vs and where a perfecter light then that of Vrim Thummim shineth to our most safe direction Esay 8.9.10 But this Author that we may know by the testimony of the Prophet Esay that there is no sparke of true light in him leaueth the lawe the testimony and seeketh to humane reason as to a cunning enchantres and as Saul to seeke answere hee goeth from the liuing vnto the deade Heb. 4.12 Ephe. 2.1 for the worde of God is liuing and the sonnes of men are borne deade in their sins But let vs see his reasons such as they are and howsoeuer he would flie the saymasters furnace the subtile weight yet bycause we know there is no other certain way to try what goodnes it may be of that hee bringeth we must make a say of it by the fire of the Lords altar and weigh euery thing by the weightes of his sanctuarie The reasons he bringeth are principally two Reasons vsed to perswade fauor towardes the Romane catholiques whereof the one is of the punishment laide vpon them and the other of the cause wherin they stand He toucheth briefly two other reasons which are of lesse moment rather of complemēt circumstance thē of any great weighte or substance in this question which are of the person of the ende For if it fall out as by Gods grace I vndertake to show that the punishment and the cause is such as that these falsly named Catholiques are dealt with in iustice and that mitigated with great moderation and clemencie then do these with all receaue their answere Yet something I will answere perticularly to these reasons and first to that which is taken of the persons of those who are punished In this he alleadgeth that they are of our owne bloude and Nation The first reason answered and borne subiects of the lande Wherein what doth hee pleade for them that may not be with as good reason brought for all malefactors which the lawe doth punish And to whom els doth the lawe extende but to the borne
conuicted so to withdraw the subiectes from our natural Prince to any forren subiection should be held giltie of hye treason against her Ma. state and dignitie executed accordingly Whereupon you HH keeping a vigilant and a carefull eye ouer those men and finding some of them giltie of treason both by that and other auncient lawes of this lande haue in deede caused iustice notwithstanding their pretence of holy conscience and religion according to all law and equitie to be done vpon them For as other malefactors escape not the seueritie of the lawe whatsoeuer they may be or pretended to be whether Catholikes or of our owne profession if they be iustly conuicted to bee fellons or murderers so likewise who soeuer by due tryall of the law hath beene found to be guiltie of treason notwithstāding they haue bene pretended Catholikes and some of them annoynted Priestes and father Iesuites which they haue boasted could not be touched yet haue they béene condemned and executed according to their demerites This then being the estate of the pretended Catholikes this day amongst vs what hoat persecution is this that he complaineth of what numbers are these that are persecuted except all the Catholike Rebels and Traytors as Saunders doth make his reakoning and other malefactors be comprehended in this number And so in deede I graunt some of these Catholikes after the qualitie and condition of their offence haue beene dealt with according to the auncient lawes and customes of this lande But this is an accounte voyde of all reason to esteeme that which is the punishment of treason of murder of felony and other such like offences to bée laide vpon them for their religion and conscience only Which hath béene hetherto so spared as some of them being founde guiltie of treason and condemned for it vpō declaring thē selues to stande so affected towardes her highnes touching their obeeience as they would neyther with the Pope nor any other take armes against her notwithstanding they remaine stil such as they were for their conscience and religion yet thorow her Maiesties exceeding clemency haue obtayned pardon after their conuiction of high treason Wherefore seing for conscience of popery onely no man hath beene touched in life nor member but onely punished by fine and imprisonment and that the iust execution of Traytors Rebels Murderers Fellons be they pretended Catholiques or whatsoeuer they be can in no reason be termed persecution I worthily conclude that the complaint of this accuser is without all cause and reason and his charge and accusation of the state most vndutifull slaunderous and vniust Now because hee will needes call to the remembrance of God and men the bloudy sinnes of their fathers sinnes as redde as crimsin and scarlet that is the fearefull and horrible persecution of the professors of the Gospell and compare the proceeding of their Catholiques against vs with ours against them both generally in other places and at other times and perticularly in England in Q. Maries daies and taketh vpon him to iustifie that our dealinges against them doe farre surmount their persecuting of vs and is incomperable more grieuous I must needes here stand a litle to compare them though it bee in deede a thing in it selfe as shall appeare voyde of all reason once to enter into the comparison of them togither What hath bene done in England against them since the time of her Maiesties raigne I haue already declared namely that no one hath yet beene touched in his body for matter of his conscience onely being neyther Rebell nor Traytor nor Murderer nor otherwise giltie of crymes capitall and worthie of death by all good Lawes The same is iustly to be affirmed of the dayes of that most noble Prince of famous memory for his rare pietie in so tender yeares King Edwarde the sixt her Maiesties worthie Brother that in the fewe yeares of his happie raigne there was not one of these Romaine Catholiques for onely matter of religion put to death or any torment of body Nor before him in the dayes of their renoumed Father King Henry the eight were any of their Catholiques put to death except a fewe which were executed for the supremacie being a matter of State and not of religion as hauing no maner of grounde for it in the worde of God and giuing a dangerous interest for the Kinges Quéenes of this Land to a forreine power As for other Kingdomes and States professing the Gospell this Authour him selfe doth acknowledge their proceedinges against them not to haue béene vnto bloude Now then let vs in the other part consider the generall and perticuler proceeding of these pretended Catholikes against our brethren not for any crime of iust desert of death but onely for their most holy faith Which though I can not here lay out at large being the argument of so many great bookes and volumes as are written of them yet I may giue the gentle Reader a generall viewe of their bloudy actes of perpetuall infamie to their pretended Catholike profession The townes of Merindall and Cabrieres with 22. other Townes and Villages were most tiranously destroyed without respect of men women or children In Cabrieres a thousand persons were slaine whereby some estimat may be made of the number which might be murdered in the rest Of which so horrible waste and so much innocent bloud most cruelly shedde there was vtterly no other cause but that the godly people of that Countrie had seperated themselues from the abhominations of the Church of Roome and sought to serue the Lorde according to his worde Likewise the people of the valleyes of Lucerne Angrogne S. Mart. Perous others were pursued with hoat persecution and cruell warres by the instigation of the Pope for many yeares Both these being faithfull and duetifull to their Princes onely for the godly faith which they professed were in most sauage and vnnaturall manner persecuted and destroyed by them Besides those who were slaine in the bloudie warres which they made for the maintenance of theire Romane superstitions in Germanie and in Scotland the Stories of those countries report sundrie cruell executions to haue beene done vpon many faithfull seruantes of God onely for the testimonie of the truth In our owne countrie since the beginning of the restoring of the knowledg of the Gospel amongst vs especially in Q. M. daies what hath bene the state of our Church what hath the enimy laid to our charge surely we were neuer charged with any treason but the only cause of our persecutiō was the refusing al cōfidēce in our selues or any other creature we belieued to be saued only by the pretious death of our Sauiour Christ and that we refused to bowe downe before their Idols and to worship them These and such like matters merely concerning religion and the true faith of the Gospell were the thinges which were laide to our charge and no other And for these causes how cruelly they haue vsed vs all the
fruite of them selues of the earth and of their cattell and that they should enlarge their dominion from sea to sea and from one floud to an other Of the other parte Deu. 28. if they did not kéepe the law of the Lorde their God his iudgements and his statutes which he had commaunded them then the Lord threatned to bring vpon them the plagues of Egipt to cursse them in all that they should deale withall to cast them out of the land which he had caused their Fathers to possesse and making wast their citties yea their sanctuaries and their countrye to bring vppon them famine and hunger nakednesse and pouertie dissolution and captiuitie These and such like sayinges of the lawe so vehemently vttered vnto al Israell with taking heauen and earth to witnesse Deu. 30.19 that thus they shoulde finde it in the ende doe plainely testifie that such religion must néedes be good for the establishing and prospering a common weale which the Lorde him selfe hath left vnto vs with promise of blessinge to those that kéepe it and contrarywise that no false seruice of him can bée good for any state but that it continually prouoketh the curse indignation of God against it Therefore was the K. commaunded to take a copye of the lawe to haue it by him and to reade in it all the dayes of hys lyfe that he might learne to feare the Lord his God to obserue all his wordes and statutes by dooing of theÌ„ that his mind might not be lift vp aboue his brethren nor he departe froÌ„ it to the right hande or to the left that he might prolonge his dayes in his kingdome and hys Sonnes in the middest of Israell Deu. 17.18 19.20 Iosua 1.8 To lyke effecte was it sayde vnto Iosua lette not the booke of thys Lawe departe out of thy mouthe but meditate in it night day that thou mayest diligentlye obserue as it is written in it For then thou shalte prosper in thy wayes and haue successe in thy affayres Whereby lykewise it is euident that the blessyng of Kynges and Princes dependeth hereupon so that they onely which worshyppe the Lorde aryght accordynge to hys woorde Psal 2.10 11.12 haue promise of blessynge for it bothe of thys lyfe and of the life to come For this cause the Prophet exhorteth Kynges to bée wyse and Counsellers to bée well aduysed that they worshyppe GOD and hys annointed denouncyng vnto the Ennemies the almightye power of Christe to the confusion of all that sette themselues agaynste hym whereby hée shoulde bee able as easelye to breake them as a Manne wyth a barre of Yron dooth dashe in peeces a Potte of earth To thys purpose notable is the speeche of Asaria the Prophet 2. Chro. 15 vnto Kynge Asa and to all Iuda and Beniamin when the Lorde hadde miraculouslye foyled the innumerable multitude of theyr ennemyes The LORDE sayeth hée hath beene wyth you while yee haue béene wyth hym 1 Sam 2 30 and yf yee wyll yett seeke hym hée wyll bée readye for you but yf yée forsake him hée will forsake you Accordynge to that whych the Manne of God had sayde hereof before 1. Sam. 15 23 26.28 Psal â—8 2. Sam. 22 I wyll honour those which honour mée and dispise those which dispise me Thys was sealed in the castinge away of Saule and the choosing and prosperous successe of Dauid as he often acknowledgeth Lykewise in Salomon the moste wise and Politique Prynce that euer sat in the seate of Dauid 1. Reg. 10 or ruled anye people in the woorlde who because hée fullye established the seruice of GOD accordynge to all that hadde bene commaunded by the Prophets The Lorde also established his seate increased his glory aboue all the kinges of the earth till hee beganne to decline from the Lord his God and broughte the abhominable Idoles of the straunge women whom hée looued into his owne kingdome houses and worshipped theÌ„ for then the Lorde raysed vppe hys seruaunte against him who also in the dayes of hys Sonne so rente awaye tenne Tribes of Israell from the house of Dauid 2. Chr. 12 5 that they neuer returned vnto it agayne Thys was the spéeche of the Prophet Shemaiah to Roboam hys counsellers and the people of Iudah thus sayeth the Lorde you haue forsaken mée therefore wyll I also abandon you and giue you into the hande of Senacherib which was perfourmed but in mercye vppon their repentaunce 2 Chr. 13 Abiah obiected againste Jeroboam that he coulde not prosper because hée hadde erected Idoles in hys kingdome and had made hym Priestes contrarye to the lawe and assureth hym selfe of Gods assistaunce agaynste hym for thys reason because they had the Lorde for theyr God who was theyr Captayne and his lawfull Priestes the sonnes of Aaron sounding the Lordes Trumpettes in the fielde before them Therefore sayeth hée yée chyldren of Israell fighte not agaynst the Lorde the God of your Fathers for ye can not prosper And accordinglye it is added that the Isralites were ouerthrowne hauinge 50000. chosen men of warre slayne and the Iewes were strengthned because as sayth the storye they rested vpon the Lorde God of their Fathers Diuerse was the estate of the affayres of Asa accordinge as hee walked with God prosperinge when hee trusted in God and decayinge when hee followed the vayne dyscourse of fleshe and bloode and soughte to the Asserians for helpe The same is alwayes dylygentlye noted in the lyues of the reste of the Kinges Amazia Azaria Ioas Ezechia Iehosophat Manasses and the reste euen to the deportation and caryinge awaye into captiuitie of bothe the houses of Israell and Iuda wyth theyr Kynges for false worshyppe 2. Reg. 17 2. Chr. 36 and dysobedyence vnto the woorde of the Lorde theyr GOD as it is notablye declared in manye places of the holye storye and of the Prophets These and infinite suche lyke examples which are in the Bookes of Kynges For which woulde to God all Chrystian Princes and they re Counsellers dyd dyligentlye reade them and cause them to bee reade and expounded vnto them do declare true pyetye to bée the verye base and foundatyon of all sounde Wysedome and Pollicye and Impyetye what shewe soeuer it haue of outwarde profitte and commoditye for a season yett indeede and in the ende to bée the verye cause of ruine and ouerthrowe to all estates and kingdomes The reason whereof is manifeste because all Kynges and Princes hold theyr Crownes and Scepters at the wyll and pleasure of GOD who is Kynge of Kynges and Lorde of Lords as it is wrytten by mée Kynges doo raigne Pro. 8 15. Dan. 4.32 and as Nebuchadnezer by proofe and the iuste chastisement of hys pryde in beeinge caste oute seauen yeares from hys kyngdome to lyue wyth the Beastes of the fielde confesseth that GOD dysposeth of the Crownes and Kyngdomes of the world gyuynge and takynge them to and from when it pleaseth him As therefore the
Tennaunte at wyll hath no better pollicye then to please hys Lorde of whome hee holdeth so the greateste pollicye and soundest wysedome that maye bée vsed by Kynges and Prynces is to please the Lorde oure GOD in all obedience and namelye in the zealous aduauncemente of hys true religyon and seruice Therefore wycked and deuilyshe is thys rule and not to bee patyentlye hearde of Christyan Prynces that false Relygyon or anye dysobedyence vnto GOD Idolatry Hipocrisie Tyrannye or anye such lyke canne establyshe the seate of any Kinge or bring securitie wealth and honoure to anye state or people or that true religion and godlines that iustice and equitie shoulde diminishe any of these and make the state weaker or lesse assured To longe hath this moste false and wicked doctrine abused Princes of weake iudgement to the turninge of theire golde into drosse and their honor into dishonor for what can be more vnwise vnhonorable and vnprofitable in the ende then Idolatry dissimulation Iniustice and tyrannye Or what can be more vnwise and vnhonorable then a state whose wisedome is nothinge but déepe hipocrisie periury and licence of all impietie On the other parte what canne bee more wyse or honourable then a P and state by whome true relygion is zealouslye and sincerelye aduaunced iustyce vprightlye admynistred the royall othe woorde and promise of a P inviolablye obserued vertue rewarded vice punished good lawes wiselye made ryghtly construed and duelye executed and so good a course of gouernment with all christian and noble magnanimitie maintayned and auoued For surelye these two which conteyne all the rest religion and iustice pietie and equitie are the moste precious Pearles that may annorne the crownes of Princes they are Pillers stronge as Iacin and Boos which were erected in the Temple and are named of theyr stabilitye and strengthe wherby theyr state is vpholden Salomon the royall Patron of all true state and honoure by wysedome and vnderstandynge by counsell and magnanimitye by knowledge and the feare of the Lorde as by the sixe steppes of hys regall throne which were made for that purpose ascended into that glorious seate as it was noted by the Lyons at hys féete on eyther side aboue all Kynges of the earthe and satte hym downe as a Kyng of Kyngs and Lorde of Lordes Whose glorye so sittynge was suche as he séemed to bée a newe Adam reentred into the Paradyse of God or as the sonne of God whose glorye in a sorte was represented in him In which example the Lorde hath sealed vnto vs the assuraunce of the promise hée hath made to honor Princes which honoure him and to cause the states to prosper and to flourishe which builde vpp the Temple of the Lorde and neglecte not anye thynge which hee hath commaunded for the furtheraunce and aduauncement of it And as in olde tyme these promises were confirmed in the glorious and happy kyngdome of Salomon So may wée truely acknowledge to the greate glorye of GOD a notable testimonie of the fulfillynge of them in the blessed kyngedome of our moost noble Queene whome the Lorde hath so wonderfully blest to haue as it séemeth some notable example also in these dayes to seale agayne vnto all the worlde the certayne trueth of thys doctrine That happie is the King Prince vvhose God is the Lord For howe richlye hath the Lorde blessed her highnes and her people in comparison of all the Kinges and nations rounde aboute vs wyth peace and aboundaunce accordinge to the prayer of the Psalme for Ierusalem are in all the walles and Palaces of Englande Psal 122 Such a peace and such a plentye as our Fathers neuer knewe nor our Chronicles reporte to haue beene in the dayes of anye of her Maiesties moste noble Auncestors before her Our owne Countrye yéeldeth vs aboundance of all thinges that growe at home and forreine Nations serue vs wyth plentye of all commodities abroade So that what soeuer is in the Easte or West what soeuer in a manner is vnder the Poles or betweene them wée haue it brought vnto vs. Which continuinge so manye yeares in so calme a peace must néedes haue excéedingly enriched the land with wealth and treasure The peace of it is miraculous in so greate and longe troubles of all our neighbours about vs and in so manye Plots and practises layd and vndertakē by the Church of Roome and the rebellious Children thereof for the disturbaunce of our peace Further also the Lorde hath gyuen her highnes that honoure and glorye that neuer anye of her noble progenitours attayned vnto whych is in her owne so happye estate to sitte as iudge and honourable arbitratoure of the causes and controuersies of the greatest Kynges of Europe and of all her neyghbours weyinge the Ballaunce as it pleaseth her And what is the cause of all these so calme a peace so rich a treasure and so exceedinge greate honoure Surely the cause is the same for which the noble Kynge Ezechias was blessed likewise with ritches and honor Ezechias opened the doore of the temple of the Lorde which Ahaz his Father hadde shutte vppe Hée caste out the Sirian Aulters and sette vppe agayne the Aulter of the Lorde in hys place hee purged the Temple from the Idoles and abhominations wherewith it hadde bene polluted hee caused the presence Breade to be sette vppon the presence Table before the Lorde the Lampes of the golden Candlesticke to shyne and gyue lyghte in the Temple of the Lorde hee called home againe the Priestes and Leuites whiche were scattered abroade and appointed liberall prouision and mayntenance for them 2. Chr. 31 21 Finallye in all the worke which hée beganne for the seruice of the house of GOD in séeking his God bothe in the Lawe and in the cōmaundements hée exercised him selfe with all his soule and was prospered In lyke manner it hath pleased God that her highnes shoulde caste out of hys Temple amongste vs theyr Roomishe Aulters they re Idoles of Golde and Siluer of Woode and of Stone Legendes and lyinge Fables the abhominations of the Masse and all the wycked and heriticall doctrine of the Churche of Roome seruice in straunge and vnknowne tongue wyth a thousande superstitions vsed in it In steede whereof her Maiestie hath broughte in prayers in our owne tongue the holye woorde of God to be reade and truelye expounded vnto vs. The Sacramentes which are the seales of the Gospell duely administred the pure cleane and vndefiled Water of Baptisme the Lordes Table furnished as the royall Table of a Kynge at the marryage of hys Sonne wyth the swéete breade of the finest of the Wheate and wyth Wyne of a Grape of mooste noble kynde that is wyth the precious bodye and bloode of our Sauioure Christ Iesu Her highnes hath calde backe agayne the Ministers of the Gospell sled as Elias sometime dyd into the Wildernesse so to sundrye places where they mighte finde the Lorde as hee sawe hym in the Rocke in Mounte Horeb. Further also her
Maiestie which is her speciall Honoure hath as the true daughter of Sara receyued vnder her protection such as were forced to trauaile from place to place and that for the true profession of the Gospell and gyuen succoure and comforte to the persecuted members of Christe Iesu And for these it hath pleased GOD to prosper her Maiestie and to gyue her a people hollye by profession in Religion peaceable in trāquilitie riche in Treasure stronge in forces faithfull and louyng to her Highnesse and her friendes but fearefull and terrible to her enemies And now to exalte her Throne euen as high as Salomons was exalted what remayneth to be done but that as Salomon furnished the Lordes Temple and established all the order of the house of GOD in euery point as the Lord had commaunded by the Law of Moses and by the Prophets So likewise that her Ma. woulde finish this far aduanced most holy honorable worke of the seruice of God amōgst vs. for the furtherāce wherof hir highnes renowmed father of famous memory made a statute wherby it was enacted that the Canon law being the Law of the Popes the auncient enemyes of this Land and the corrupt spring of infinit enormyties in the Churche shoulde be reuisited by a number of chosen men for the purpose and such an order set downe for the good direction and regiment of the Churche as might be most agréeable to the Commaundementes of almyghtie God and our Sauiour Christ Iesu This godly and honourable purpose was continued by hys noble Sonne the Iosiah of our tyme and no doubt but had bin perfourmed to the great seruice of God and edification of the Church yf the Lord had contynued hys happy raigne amongste vs. Thys so necessary act for the honor of God and comfort of hys people béeing after repealed hath bin reuiued agayne by her highnes Which being don so longe agoo and nothing remayninge but to appoynt fit men for the purpose the moste humble sute of all Israell of God in the land is that a seruice so holy so profitable and so necessarye may no longer be delayed For incourragemēt wherof I would to God the spéeche of Azariah worthy to be written in tables of Gold were ingrauen in the hartes of all that oughte and myght further thys holy cause that he spake vnto Kynge Asa vnto all Iuda Beniamin that is whyle ye haue bene wyth the Lord the Lorde hath bene wyth you and if ye will yet séeke hym he wyll be ready for you but if ye forsake him hee wyll forsake you as hee hath done the Isralites who of longe tyme haue bene without the true God without a teaching Priest and without the Law and the Lorde hath vexed them with al calamities accompaniyng ciuill warres and dissentions be yee therefore of good courage to procure the further aduauncement of GODS seruice and let not your handes bee feeble for there is a rewarde for your worke So Lykewise it may be truly and fytlye sayde to our moste noble Quéene Elizabeth which was sayde to Asa and to all her highnes nobilitye as to the royall seede of Iuda and to all the people as to Beniamin that surely the Lorde hath bene with you while you haue ben wyth him And no doubt but if ye shall yet goe forwardes to doe euery thing which the Lord hath commanded and seeke him wyth all your heart no doubt I say but he will yet more more enlarge him selfe towards you and encrease all your good estate excéedinglye so that al the world shal say what an honoarble and happy Nation is this whiche the Lorde tendereth so dearlye and aduaunceth aboue all the Kingdoms of the World So shall this Doctrine that I am now debating with the enemye bée made cleare and manyfest that true relygion can neuer bée daungerous to a Common Wealth but dooth alwayes cause it to prosper and to florish which the Lord our gracious God graunt may be confirmed more and more by our happye experience But the other part the Lorde turne from hir Maiestie from all the Nobles and People of the Land and teach it them by the wofull experience of their enimies which is that if you forsake the Lord you shal also be abandoned of him If Isarell bee suffered to bee without a teachinge Ministerie as it is yet in a great part of the dominiō without the ordinary preaching of the Gospell then the Lord will punish with lyke or greater punishment then Israel was punished withall Therfore the Lorde strengthen your hands that they be not féeble but that they may be strong to build vp that which remayneth for vndoubtedlye there is a rewarde for the woorke Thus returnyng to myne Aduersaryes most wicked and vngodly Paradoxe agayne I conclude that this Azaria and Shemaiah this Moses and Samuel this Dauid and Salomon with the rest of the Kinges of Israel and Iuda this also all the Prophets and Apostles teache vs that godlynesse and true Religion establisheth the seates of Princes prospereth the estate of all people whiche receiue it with that obedience they ought to doo and contrarywise impietie and false worship is the certayne ruyne and curse of the Nation which dooth imbrace it And except it were in Rome the Schoole of errour as one of their owne Poets dooth truly witnes against them and the Temple of heresie of suche as haue bene nufled and brought vp in her Seminaries of tares I think it was neuer hard of which our pretended Catho héere would presume that Catholicisme and Poperie tho it be false religion yet should be fit to make a common wealth to florishe or that the Gospell tho it bée true as it is yet should be cause of infinite hurts discommodities to the state where it is receiued But because this is so boldly auouched let vs examine the reasons of this his confident and erronious spéech His proofes are first generall and of this sort he hath two argumentes Whereof the first is the experience bothe of other Kingdomes and of our owne which haue beléeued and receiued this his Romaine Catholike Faith and haue florished by it whereunto I aunswer if it were true that he affirmeth that they had so prospered yet he faulteth much in affirming that to be the cause of their prosperitie which was no cause For that being true which I haue alreadie sufficiently confirmed that a false worship and heresie can neuer be profitable to any commō wealth and people it being no lesse true Moses and Christ himself being witnesses that this Romain faith is a false worship full of superstition and Idolatrie and full of errour and heresy thē notwithstanding it were so that Kingdomes entertaning this heresie had prospered for a time yet should it neuer follow thereof that their Idolatrie had béene the cause of their prosperitie No more then the wicked abhominations of the heathen were cause why some of them haue prospered for a season and that more for
exhorting herevnto gathering to this end al the chief reasons which ought to ioyne vnite the faithful one with an other as one God one Lorde Iesu Eph. 4 4.5.6 one faith one baptisme one body one spirite one hope of their calling wold neuer haue forgotten this whervpon it seemeth by theÌ„ that al this vnity should depend of one supreme pastor whom all ought to obey As this reason of vnity is alleaged for the pope so is it for all the rest of his hierarchie the very image of the beast that is of the RomaÌ„e empire some shadow of the glory wherof this Antichrist would haue expressed in his Prelates after him to whom it hath as much reason as in himself Pity it is that in so faire and cleare a lighte of the day and in this fulnesse of the brightnesse of the sunne any state shoulde not sée that as not beeing appointed of God to be any meanes of the intertaining of good agreement in the Church so contrarywise thorow his wrath and iust iudgment for the peruerting of his lawfull and holy ordinances which onely should rule the church in these cases that it hath been and yet is the most effectuall instrument of Satan to hinder the prosperous and flourishing estate of the gospel For hereby in his supreame Vicar vppon earth he sitteth as the strong man of whome we reade in the Gospel harnesed and armed in the middest of his hall and Pallaice possessing al his house in peace till his weapons wherin he trusteth most whereof this is chiefe be taken from him by our sauiour Christe who is stronger then he and so cast out of his possession The ambition of P. and of the people hath béen one cause to vphold it so long who as the prophet coÌ„plaineth delight in it and take pleasure to haue it so that their priestes should exercise authoritie by their pomp increase the state honor of theÌ„ both An other the weakenes of iudgement euen in those which were wise who seeing worldly states thus gouerned and not knowing the ordinaunces of our sauiour Christe in this case thought it a thing conuenâ—ent And it is to be feared that the allowaunce of this popishe hierarchie springeth in some pretending to be Catholicke from a most bitter roote as seeing hereby that thorow the giftes they receiue of them they shall alwayes haue them at commaundement to apply religion as may be fittest to serue their turn But wheÌ„ the Lorde shall of his goodnes vouchsafe to weâ—de out this roote of wormewood out of their harts and to lighten their eies with true knowledge they shall see both that to be true which hath been in this matter declared and further that this supremacy and whole hierarchy as it is no meanes of vnity in trueth so is it the very cause of keeping out the truth in so many places and detaining the knowledge of God vniustly and in captiuitie For whereas the fathers in their couÌ„cels bind themselues by a solemne oth to do nothing against the present state of the Pope and his Church and that the greatest parte of the abuses which are to be reformed in the Church of Rome are such as their supreme pastor his Hierarchy are guilty of if they call neuer so manye counsels for the purpose Vrspergensis yet if they be sworne vowed one to another to maintaine al their abhominatioÌ„s stil and yet all men be to follow the determination of the pope his prelats what hope is ther that euer they shold condemne them selues their gainful errors what losse soeuer it be to the world For as if things were reformed according to the truth of the Gospel his fatherhood shold part with his triple crown and leaue his riding vpoÌ„ mens shoulders so euery member of his body for his place in it must make lesse of more theÌ„ they would be willing to parte withall Wherefore their couÌ„cels are but for the establishing of their own kingdoÌ„ in the world And as are their general councels such are their national lesser synodes of like men for like purposes To consult of the best way for the reformation of abuses of furthering the seruice of God and of his people not a worde is amongst them For the chiefe abuses are in themselues It were to be wished therfore that all Christian P. or if suche as pretend to bee catholique wil not yet at the least they which make holy profession of the trueth of the Gospell as farre as this aduise may be necessary for them regarded the reformation of so great abuses and established the onely lawfull discipline in the Church which is the meane that Christ hath appointed for the kéeping of the vnity of the spirite in the bonde of peace Further where he blameth vs to receiue no mans exposition but our owne and to despise councelles he is to vnderstande that wee receiue the exposition of anye man bee he neuer so simple whiche is agreeable to the word of God We allow desire we hold expedient and necessarye lawfull holy méetings of conferences of synodes councels would most willingly that our cause might be debated in a free lawful and generall Councell Which woulde to God we might see if it be the Lordes good pleasure so assembled and ordered by the meane of Christian Princes as the worde of God preuailing and all our controuersies taken awaye there might be but one flocke and one solde as there is but one shepheard Christe Iesu And if this cannot be obtained wtout most vnequal conditions of appointing him to be iudg of our cause whoÌ„ we are to charge before God his whol parliment of saints and the reuerend assembly of such a generall and frée counsel as we according to Gods word do desire to be the very same Antichrist whom the scriptures foretold shold come for iust punishmeÌ„t of the wicked by hauing power to seduce into errors apostasie suche as had not the loue of the truth and the very head of that harlot whom S. Iohn painteth out in her colours in the reuelatioÌ„ which hath made al kingdoms drunk with the cup of her fornicatioÌ„s we must for that remit ourselues to the gret day of trial wheÌ„ Christ shal come with thousands of his mighty angels to iudg the quick the dead and before men angels before heaueÌ„ earth al creatures bearing witnes of his iustice giue sentence with vs against our aduersaries But if this so greatly to be desired throw their vnreasonable demaÌ„ds to be iudges in their own cause being to stand arraigned endited of high treason against God al the states of christendom theÌ„ wold to God yet it might be obteined of such christian P. as profes the gospel that there might be a general free councel of al the churches wtin their dominions The benefit wherof thorow the blessing of god must néeds be inestimable both to the preseÌ„t state of the church
in redressing whatsoeuer may be amis in the churches of the gospel by such reformatiō recouering thousands of our pore brethren who now sitting in the darknes of that spiritual Egipt as in the vale shadow of death by such occasiō might haue their eies opened to discern where the body is whervnto as Egles they might resort also to all posteritie who hauing the holy faith of Christ according to the truth of the gospel as an enestimable treasure left cōmitted to their trust to be deliuered ouer frō age to age to the end of the world shold haue infinite cause to glorify praise God for so vnspeakable a benefite reuerently to kéep with al honor the famous names of their so christian noble P. predecessors in euerlasting memory Which so honourable an enterprise for the seruice of God the infinit cōmodity of the church tho I be not worthy vpō my knées to make any such motion vnto your H. yet apprehēding the seruice to be as I haue declared with your Ll fauors as knéeling before your most noble court in al humility reuerēce I most hūbly beseech your H. for the zeal you beare to God to his only Son Christ Iesu for the loue to the faith of the Gospel wherby in a blessed hope you wait attēd for the saluation of your soules for the pity you must néeds haue to see the renting of Christendom into so many sundry sects and partial opinions to the certen perill of the euerlasting destruction of many finally for the happy direction not onely of your owne noble children childrens childrē of your own country but of al the posterity of Christendom yea of al the world to whom the knowledge hereof may come that it may please your good Lordships to become the honourable means mediators to her moste excellent maiesty to vndertake this so christian and famous an enterprise to see it performed to the great glory of almightye God the saluation of all such as he hath appointed to euerlasting life It hath pleased God to giue her maiestye a royall K. with the treasure peace that neuer anye of her noble progenitors in such sort enioied before her wherby of all the princes professing the gospell her maiesty is most able to vndertake and perfourm so worthy an enterprise Besides her highnes honor for her moste worthye desertes is suche with them all as no doubt but the rather if her Maiestie enter into this action thei will also most gladly and willingly imbarke them selues into it and sende the chiefe of the ministerie within their dominiōs for excellent giftes of God requisite for so greate a businesse into her noble Realme to further that holie fruitfull and famous worke with all the meanes whiche God hath giuen thē This shall make her grace of all Princes next vnto Solomō in honor for the buildyng of the Lordes house and vnto Constantine surnamed the Great not onely for the glory of his great victories but also for his great zeale to aduaunce the Gospell When the Church was greeuously molested with the moste wicked Secte of Arrians this Constātine the great one of her Maiesties most noble Auncestors called a Generall Counsell of all Christian Kynges and Prouinces euen that most auncient famous and reuerende Counsell of Nice whereby the detestable heresie of Arrius was condemned that most true holy doctrine of our sauior Christ to bee God was notably confirmed and the daungerous troubles of the churche were in tyme happely appeased This holie and memorable example of so mightie a prince and one of her Maiesties most noble Progenitors maie bee a worthie president for her Highnesse to followe beyng a thing whiche GOD hath implanted in all noble Natures if a House Nation or Kingdome haue been honourable for any special vertue whiche hath shined in them to bee carefull to maintaine that honour wonne vnto it But there was neuer any more noble acte vertue nor honour neither in this nor in any other Kingdome or Prince whatsoeuer that maie be more glorious to the posteritie that shall maintaine it And no waie so fitly can it be maintained as it maie if it would please her Maiestie to vse her treasure her honour and creditt with all good Princes professyng the Gospell whiche GOD no doubt hath giuen her for suche vse as he did to Salomon for the buildyng of his spirituall house whiche is his Churche to so hie a seruice of immortall fame with all posteritie Wherefore beyng a matter so full of true honour to performe and so worthie for your HH to procure I hope and wish with all my harte euen for your HH sake that it may please GOD to moue and dispose your noble myndes to take in hande the sollicitation of so greate a seruice to God and his Churche and that the Lorde would vouchsafe your HH so greate fauour as to be his Speakers in suche a cause I would gladly dwell still in this my moste humble sute or the sute rather of the whole Church of Christ offered to your Lorshippes by my vnworthie hande and particulerly callyng vppon you by the names of the honourable places which vnder her highnesse you most worthely occupie moste humbly beseeche suche of you my good Lordes whiche haue fauour with her Maiestis in suites to imploye that fauour which GOD hath giuen you with her highnesse in this as worthie a suite as euer was vndertaken and suche as diffray her roiall charges for the Common seruice of the publicke state of the Churche and Kyngdome or write and seale her highnesse royall Letters and Pattentes cheerefully to incourage her Maiestie to the imploiyng of some parte of her riche treasure in so holy and noble an acte to offer cherefully your owne seruice to the furtheraunce of it Whiche maie be accoumpted to you of GOD as the noble giftes bestowed by the Princes of the Tribes at the settyng vp of the Tabernacle and againe at the buildyng of the Temple in the tyme of Dauid But because I rather wishe your Lordshippes giftes should be free cheerefull and voluntarie as beyng giuen to the Tabernacle and Temple of God then strained by importunacie of suite Therefore most humblie and earnestly praiyng God to direct your HH I leaue and conclude this cause wherevnto by occasion I haue a little disgressed with this onely woorde that if you shall become the lordes spokesmen in this the Lorde Iesu shall aboundantly reward you for it by being your Mediator for the forgiuenesse of your sinnes and the saluatiō of your soules with God his Father Thus leauyng this moste humble suite not of one nor of a fewe but of the whole Churche of Christe vnto your Lordshipps godly wisedomes I now returne againe to make aunswere to myne aduersarie To his former reasons without any sufficient reason that there must needes be infinite varieties of sondrie Sectes and opinions amongest vs He addeth this that wee
was not Ieroboams Religion therefore the true Religion and the other false no nor more profitable for theim For whether was it more profite to enioye onely for a shorte tyme the ease in tariyng at home and to saue the trauaile and coste of goyng to Ierusalem then by obeiyng the Commaundement of God in yeeldyng to hym the seruice whiche he required to depende vpon hym and thereby to bee assured to haue safely kepte that whiche for the present thei enioyed and to dwell in the lande accordyng to the promise bothe thei and their posteritie for euer Or whether brought theim greater hurte in the ende true Religion whiche required their trauell and coste to worship at Ierusalem or Ieroboās Idoll whiche in the ende did caste them out of the lande and their children for euer leadyng them captiues into Assiria and makyng theim subiecte to the iuste punishement of euerlastyng death To haue tarried still in Egipt seemed to some to stande better with the wealthe and prosperitie of the people of Israell to enioye that thei had gotten there the space of fower hundred yeres thei had dwelte in it then with so many troubles carriages of their housholde stuffe and cattell into so huge a deserte to worship there But the seruice of GOD required it and in the ende it was farre more proffitable for them For in steede of beeyng slaues to the Egyptians who putt them into their Bricke houses of Claie and into their Furnace of Iron thei obtained a goodlie lande of their owne where thei dwelte as a free people euery one sitting vnder his owne Vine and drinkyng the water of his owne Well Abraham might haue thought it better to haue tarried still in Vr of the Chaldeans then to go thence he knewe not whether Yet the obedience of GOD required hym to leaue his owne Countrey whiche the Idolatrie of his Countrey did not exact of hym And in the ende not onely in regard of the life to come but euen of this life it fell out to his farre greater benefite then if he had not borne that harde condition as it seemed at the firste and tarried still For after and by this meanes GOD made Abraham a Father of many Nations his Seede as the Sande of the Sea and the Starres of heauen in multitude naie he gaue hym a sonne in whom bothe he and all Nations should bee blessed So the Apostles were cōmaunded to leaue all and followe Christ as in some sorte many other oftentymes are likewise to doe A hard Religion would this man saie and standeth nether with any reason or pollicie but is against their commoditie and best estate yet is not Christes Religion therefore to bee impugned For whatsoeuer it requireth yet is it the onely true Religion and therefore that whiche onely hath the promise of the blessyng of God annexed vnto it as the Apostles finally proued and all shall likewise proue whiche followe hym It semed good policie to some of the kinges of Iuda to be in league with the mightie kyng of Assiria and to confederate them selues with the people of the natiōs whiche true Religion did not suffer nor allowe yet was it not the lesse the onely true Religion no nor had not been in the ende lesse profitable for their state For if thei had obeyed God and depended vpon hym then had thei continewed the Kyngdome in their lande whereas euen by their pollicie thei were caste out of it and despersed abroade Thei had been better to haue contented them selues Esa 8. with the softe runnyng and shallowe water of Silo whiche thei so muche despised for then thei had not been carried awaie to Babell But Euphrates was a goodlie deepe water a swifte flood a noble streame therefore thei desired to drinke of it and to washe theim selues in it but to their owne destruction For this strong streame tooke their feete from them carried them awaie into captiuitie There are many whiche by suche wicked pollicies forslow yea neglect the reformation of Superstition of Idolatrie of Popishe abuses and enormities of the Churche within their Dominion Thei are afraied innouations should breede daunger to their estate and therefore thei choose rather with the indignation of God to let al alone and suffer a state once established so to continue then to alter abuses and disorders though GOD and true Religion require it Yet shall suche pollicies in the ende be founde to haue no sound wisedome in theim when GOD accordyng to his woorde shall visite suche a Nation and bee auenged of them for all their impieties By like reason a man that liketh not of christianitie because thei muste suffer persecution whiche will liue godlie in Christ Iesu and because the waie is straight and narrowe maie with as good colour pretende to haue iuste matter to refuse it But christian faithe and the narrowe waie in all holie and sound wisedome are notwithstandyng to bee chosen and the broade waie wherein a man seemeth to walke at his ease for a season to be refused For in the ende he shall proue it true whiche Salomon saieth that there is a waie whiche seemeth good vnto a man the ende whereof is destruction as there are lippes that still Honie but the feete of the same bodie leade into hell It is therefore meere profaunesse Atheisme to measure religiō by euery commoditie and so farre to receiue it and so ofte to chaunge it as in the vaine discourse of fleshe and blood it seemeth to stande or not to stand with our profite For this is the profane spirite of Esau to make but a pollicie of Religion and a seruaunt to our selues But true Religiō is to be receiued for it self because God hath cōmaunded it and so farre and in suche sorte as he hath prescribed what daungers or discommodities soeuer profane infidelitie and the foolishe discourse of the naturall man whiche as the Apostle Peter saieth is poore blinde and can not se farre of in these matters shall fancie and imagine Naie though in deede for triall of our faithe more precious then gold and for the honour of his name in our patience the Lorde should see it good to excercise his people with sundrie afflictions for how soeuer for suche secrete and yet alwaies iuste causes the Lorde shall see good to deale with any Nation yet in the ende if thei serue the Lorde thei shall finde it to bee moste for their comforte bothe in this life and in the life to come And therefore this remaineth alwaies firme that whatsoeuer the naturall man and carnall pollicie shall iudge yet true Religion in the groundes of the doctrine and in the exercise and practise of it is not contrary to the florishyng estate of a commonwealth but bothe in the nature of it and by meanes of the promise of blessyng annexed vnto it is the Religion by whiche alone Kyngdomes and Common-wealthes maie truely prosper and florishe Thus wishyng to bee vnderstoode of all men that Religion is to
holy Priestes or Prophets before them did comaund The Nazarites in deede for the time of their vowe abstayned from wine and strong drinke by the expresse commaundement of God But yet their profession beeing to serue God more exactlye at such tymes were not commanded to abstain from flesh Neyther was this generally commanded at any time to al the Iewes but a rule for such particulars as should take this vow of the Narite vppon them these contrariwise when they will giue them selues the more to punishe their bodyes and to serue God abstain from fleshe and leaue free the vse of wyne and of all fishe wherof many are more deintie then anye fleshe for which cause the Grecians called their dayntiest and finest feeding men eaters of fishe and all other iunkettes of infinite varietie And as they left them free so they forgate not for the most part to vse their lybertie no not their obseruaunces whereas a temperate and sober dyet of Beefe and Mutton breade at home would neuer haue coste halfe so much as the forreine commodities of wines and delicates of al sorte nor pamper the bodye or make it so vnfitte for any good seruice Which abstinence how it punished their bodyes appeared well in them for their Abbotes and Monkes and other such like were commonlye not the worst fead nor in worst lyking By which kinde of punishing the bodye and abstayning from flesh many times they grew so proude as that they coulde not abstaine from other flesh which God in deed had forbidden them This was but a meere hypocrisie vnder coulour of a straite lyfe to vse a diet that the Epicure and Philoxenus culd not haue wshied a better nor daintier for their own mouth The excesse and daintinesse of which diet being taken out of that hee reckoneth the sauing of flesh woulde come to I suppose that whiche woulde remayne ouer and aboue that woulde proue but a small matter of benefit to a common Wealth As for their obseruing of this and other pollitike and Ecclesiasticall lawes for conscience sake is after in the eight article vpon more expresse and full occasion to be answered His vnreuerent speeches of the Nobles and Iudges of the Lande and of Ecclesiasticall personnes is not anye theirs but his owne iust reproche to touch all degrees and States of the Lande without anye cause For in the myddenyght of Poperye and the verye deepest blindenesse it was lawefull to haue a lycense vppon such dayes to eate fleshe whiche beeing had it was no offence What reason then why they that haue lycense and take heede of offence shoulde nowe bee thought for to transgresse for to God in it selfe and without contempte of the authoritie of the Magistrate it is no sinne as after is more fully to be declared Concerning fasting which is the 4. article it is to bed vnderstood that the Church of God alwayes kept it by abstaining from all manner of meate and drinke vnto the euening which was in deed a fast when as theirs is onely the forbearing of their Supper when they haue well dined or rather the eating at one glutton meale the sober diet of 2. ordinary meales By which account nothing is gayned to the common Wealth but sinne and the punyshment due vnto it But if it were not so yet for so little a gaine nay for no gaine the right order of true fasting were to bee altered into a superstitious faste of certeine dayes and tymes which of necessitie and vppon payne of euerlasting death shoulde be obserued And of this there is vtterlye no neede in the common Wealth GOD hauing so abundauntlye blessed the Lande with all store of all victuall necessary for the vse of our life This were an necessarye pollycie in tyme of famyne good counsell for a shipp that had spent her victualles or a besieged Citie to wey euery man his meat to share him at his pittaunce for one meale a daye But to lay this vpon a free people whom GOD hath blessed with a land of Ryuers of Mylke and Honny to eate but one meale a daye for almoste halfe the yeare is no necessarye pollicye for this lande and people Naye neyther necessarye nor fitte but in cause of distresse as I sayde before neyther for this nor for anye other For with what reason or conscience shoulde the labouring man that hath helde the plough by the end all the daye or traueiled faithfullye in anye other good calling for the seruice of the Common Wealth and to prouide for his owne necessities and those which depende vppon him comming weary and trauayled home at nyght so great a parte of the yeare bee sent fainte and feeble to his reste and not according to the blessing of GOD eate the fruit of his labour Whye shoulde hee not strengthen his hearte with a sober relyefe and gyue the due portion to his houshold to his wife the moste precious parte of his possession as the vine of his house his children stāding like Oliue planttes rounde aboute his Table and his seruauntes after they haue wayted on him and after he haue eaten and dronk that they also eate for the refreshing of their faynt weary bodyes so cōfort him self after his wearie trauail with his houshold This sauing is no husbandry at al where there is meate enough to withdrawe from the people that which in al lawe of God of nature and of nations is due vnto them and necessary for the intertainment of their bodyes in health and strength to be able for the seruice of such calling as they are called to in the Common Wealth This was neuer thought anye needefull pollycie in Israel as populous as it should seeme by the Stories and more then Englande and hauing infinite more cause without comparison of spendinge the prouision of the Lande by so manye Sacrifices and oblations as they were bounde to offer then we haue which are bounde to none of those things whereof if an estimate were made I think it wold fal out that such sacrifices offrings spēt more of their victual thē their 160. dais of abstinence saued al the yeare And besides this that there is no necessarye nor lawefull pollycie in it expereince hath taught vs that it hath beene cause of damnable superstition houldinge men in that captiuitie that they thought it a greater offence to eate flesh in any of those dayes or to eate any thinge at night then eyther to commit adultery or murder or to break any of Gods commaundements Wherefore the superstitious fast which this good husbande for a Common W. woulde perswade is vtterly needelesse in regarde of the great store of the Land thorowe the blessing of GOD and vnlawefull as beeing contrarye to al law and example of anye well pollycied state and gouernement that euer was in the worlde to take from him that laboureth without anye cause so ordinarylye his necessarye foode It is also vngodlye for the snare it casteth vppon mennes consciences and for the
vnlawfull to tollerate their abhominable prophanation of the seruice of God as appeareth by the commaundement of the Sabboth forbidding the breaking of the Sabboth day in euery Sonne and Daughter in euery Seruaunt and Mayde in Israell with out exception of any yea in euery stranger within their gates it can not in any sound reason or iudgement be borne with all euen for the very annoyaunces and hurts which it bringeth to the states which doe admit it Neither is his marginal note of the example of the great Turke and of the Byshop of Bungo sufficient to perswade the contrary For first they esteeme not the manifold dishonour where with their Romish faith dishonoreth god and our Sauioure Christe Then also I deny that eyther of both suffer that doctrine and practise of theire Religion as they teach and exercise it in these partes For is it likely that they are suffered to teach that it is of the necessity of Saluation for euerye humaine creature to bee Subiect to the Pope or that it shoulde bee in the Popes power to depose them at his pleasure Doe they suffer the Pope to challenge appeales to his Courte from them to deminishe suche multitudes of their people and to draw out the Treasure of theire Countryes No none of all this nor manye other suche like poyntes which they easily see to bee preiudiciall to theire states But beeing Heathen and prophane Princes not regarding wherein they prophane the Honour of God by theire 〈◊〉 worship It may be they permit such exercise of their superstitions to some fewe of these pretended Catholickes as are scattered amongst them as doth not in any sort indāger or hurt their kingdom But our cause beeing so farre diuerse as hath been declared there is no reason why the Turke or the Pagane king of Bungoes doing should be any president to a christian Princes making profession of the holy faith of Christ and the truth of the Gospell or why their tollerating with a few in some pointes nothing preiudiciall to their estates shoulde perswade a bearing of such pointes and practises as in the nature of thē ouerthrow the state peace authoritie strength and wealth of the kingdom that shal receiue it Therfore I conclude this point that the doctrine and practise of the Romish religion such as it is at this daie and hath beene some hundreth yeares past beeing against the Lorde God and his annoynted Sonne Christ Iesu againste his holy worde the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes beeing againste the good state of any nation Kingdome and P. that shall receiue it hauing infinite occasions of all wicked life taking from them their cheefest royalties and dignities oppressing the consciences soules and bodies of their people hearkning out by thousandes of intelligencers and spyes the greatest secretes of their K. diminishing by cunning practises the number of theire people and drawing oute the Treasure of the lande to theire intollerable hindraunce weakning and impouerishing of them and their Subiectes ought by the worde of God and in all sounde Wisedome reason or pollicye to bee esteemed and iudged contrarye to the honour glory of almightye God the holye and honest conuersation of Christian men contrary to the safetie assuraunce establishment honour peace strengthe and riches of euerye K. and common weale The second part of the whol epistle Thus farre this instrument of the pretended Catholikes hath mainteined their cause to bee worthye more fauoure then it findeth by the profite he would perswade vs that the K. faith woulde bring to this K. Now drawing neere to a conclusion His full heart breaketh out into scornefull patheticall speeches Wherein first he requireth a disputation and after seeketh to mooue some compassion with a pitifull complainte of imagyned tormentes suffered by his companions for theire Religion The reason of this request is pretended to be the want of the proceedinges that haue beene hitherto vsed towardes them which is noted both in the ministers and in the state To the ministers he obiecteth that they are alwayes solliciting your honors againste them and that they dare admit no lawfull tryall of the cause they moue question of vnto vs. For whom to aunswere as I am bound in the Lorde I take it to be a very surmise of his owne head that there shoulde be any neere your Honors continuallye stirring you vp to drawe out the swoord vpon them But if any eyther publiquely by preaching or priuatly beeing vouchsafed that fauour to haue speech with any of your honours do vpon iust cause put your Lordships in mynde of the greate and high calling you are called vnto that you beare the swoord of God a swoord of protection for the godly and of vengeaunce for all the wicked if they declare by the word of God that hereticks which séek to seduce the Ll. people to a false worship and to carry them from the seruice of the liuyng God to the adoration of Idolles that traitours whiche practise a withdrawyng of her Maiesties Subiectes from her obedience and reconcilyng of them to a forraine power are suche wicked Malefactors against whom this sword of iust execution is to be drawne Thei doe herein nothing vnlawfull but discharge the duetie of good and faithfull seruauntes to God and loyall subiectes to her Maiestie For thus we reade it to be written if a false Prophet arise vp amongest you saiyng let vs goe and seeke other Gods that Prophet shall bee slaine because he hath spoken to turne you awaie from the Lorde your God to thrust thee out of the waie wherein the Lord thy God commaunded thee to walke so shall you take the euill awaie forth of the middest of you Of whiche sorte thei are conuicted to bee who leade men to the worship of Images whiche is all one with other Gods and Idolles how soeuer thei labour in vaine to distinguishe them For if it were allowed them that Idolles were the Images of Heathen men and Images the conterfaites onely of Christian men whiche is nothing so for the wordes are indifferent to bothe yet is the matter one and the same in effect For whether a man giue the honour of God to the counterfect and resemblaunce of a Heathen or Christian or to the creatures them selues what soeuer it is all one The rule is generall that he is gealous and will not giue his honor vnto an other Therfore the exhortation to the iust execution of suche false Prophetes is a duetie well becomming a seruaunt of God The other the Apostle also teacheth affirmyng that those which resist the higher powers procure condemnation to them selues And doe these men thincke that thei maie compasse Sea and Lande to seduce mens soules into destruction and Subiectes from their lawfull obedience and no man should take héede to their doyng and oppose hym self to their wicked proceedynges Yes the same God who is the watchman of Israell and sleepeth not no nor slumbereth I hope will stirre vp the care of all men accordyng
disobedience Some of them haue beene executed according to the auncient lawes of this land without any extraordinary extremitie nay rather with fauor in case of high treasō And yet of this sort the epistle of the persecution in England Whervnto he referreth him selfe For proofe wherof he mentioneth only pretended Catholiques that haue been so executed In deed since some more vpon like reason their cause being first iudicially heard at the K. bench and orderly proceeded in according to the course of law and iustice in such case beeing found guilty of hie treason receiued like execution And this is the greatest extremety which they can complaine of to this day But he denieth that any one act word or thought was founde in them of treason wherin he is conuicted of manifest truth both by so many as were officers of her maiesties iustice vpon them and by their owne confessions as well of other matter as also of reconciling of diuers her highnesse subiects to the pope as it appeareth by that hath bin published hereof by authoritie Whereby they acknowledge the Popes most vniust sentēce against her H. as lawfull draw her Ma. subiects from her obedience which the law of this land hath declared to bee high treason againste her Highnes royall crowne and dignitie Nether is it heere inough to say that they do it in conscience of their religion for in many good consciences they can not do it the B. of Rome by the worde of God hauing no more to do in England then any minister in Englād hath to do in Rome And if without the word of God they will be caried in such a course as cannot stand in any truth of religion or sound pollicie with the safetie of the state and securitie of oure moste lawfull Soueraigne oure whole common Wealth and Countrie should they cry out as if extreame cruelty were executed vpon them if their excuse of a pretensed conscience be not taken for a sufficient aunswer These cries complaints might worthely haue bene made by the poore faithful people of Merindall of the valley of Anagrogne the rest when the Popes executioners wasted destroied 7. townes of theirs Also by our brethren in Q. Maries daies which were burnt by dosens together in a fire Likewise by our brethren cruelly without any forme or processe of iustice murdred and slain in the late butcheries and massacres of France Then was it time to haue shewed compassion but the bowels of Christ were not in them Then was a time to haue shewd pitty but their merciles harts were void of grace mercye They were filled with gal and bitternes no fire was hot inough for them no sworde was sharp ynough The honourable and the common was all one to them the learned and vnlearned the reuerēd age and the comly youth the man and the woman the father and the sonne the mother and the babe borne out of time and murdered as soone as hee was born by their sauage and barbarous crueltie These cry yet behinde the altar against them O Lord when wilt thou reuenge our bloud and the Lord will not refuse to hear them and reuenge their cause vpon their bloudy enemies in the day of his wrath Another reason is alleaged of the fauour they find in the Indies and vnder the Turke which I haue aunswered before and answere here again that neither do they suffer that doctrine and practise of their religion which they holde in these parts neither if they did are Christian P. to rule their Subiectes by the examples of Turks and heathen but by the law of God Who hath giuen to them this commandement to be obserued in all their dominion that neither anye man nor his children nor seruaunts that neyther home borne or strangers be suffered to prophane his Sabboth and to pollute his holy seruice leest the rest of the people of the lande learne of them and so the wrath of God come suddenly vpon vs for being accessaries to Idolatrie As for the tolleration of the Iews whosoeuer they be that suffer the exercise of their religion with the blasphemies they commonly vse against Christ make themselues giltie of al their wickednes which the Lord keepe this lande from as well as from the abhomination of the masse But they maye remember that their Holye Father can tollerate the Blasphemye of the Iews and the filthinesse of all the Curtesains and Stewes and take a yeerely rent of them for it and for no respect will allowe the exercise of our most holy religion eyther in his own dominions or wheresoeuer he may preuaile againste vs but by all meanes seeke to burne all the professors of it to ashes and to shed their bloude as water to runne downe the Streetes Further if no protestāt Prince elswhere haue executed any of these Catholiks for religiō as he cōfesseth no more hath any for the cause bin put to death with vs as I haue shewed alredy which being so that neuer any professyng the Gospell put any of them to death for meere matter of their conscience let the Lorde iudge the wicked seruaunt by his own mouth Now for the barbarous crueltie and most sauage immanitie vsed by them against vs we haue shewed againe that pacience towardes thē hitherto as we haue not touched the life of any one of them But if the Catholiques had practised Rebellions and Treasons in the Dominions of other Princes professyng the Gospel as thei haue doen here with vs no doubt but thei should haue found the same reward of their wickednesse that thei haue doen here For our doctrine it is vtterly vntrue that any of the churches professyng the Gospell or this of England vnder persecution did euer thinke it vnlawfull to put to deathe a Rebell and a Traytour Naie it hath beene alwaies taught in all the reformed Churches that bothe thei and also obstinate Heretickes amongest whom thei haue alwaies accounted and doe still account all obstinate and wilfull spreadors of the Romishe faithe sett doune by the Councell of Trent are moste worthie of death that as it is in the Lawe the false Prophett and the seducyng Idolater maie bee taken from amongest vs that all Israell maie heere and feare and not dare to committ the like Wee acknowledge in deede faithe to be the gift of God whiche commeth by the preachyng of the Gospell by Ministers sent by the commaundement of God but we do not therefore think it vnlawfull for the Magistrate to execute the Lordes iust vengeaunce vppon the obstinate Heretickes and seducyng Idolaters Repentaunce and holinesse of life is also the gift of GOD and commeth by the same meanes and yet the Magistrate not onely in a good conscience maie but in duetie to God ought as he will answere it to him that shal iudge the quicke and the dead drawe out the Lordes sworde of execution of iustice and of vengeaunce against all ill doers to wounde and to kill accordyng to the qualities of the