of Holy Martyrs that shed their blood in opposition of that false doctrine neither wanted they some likewise at that time that suffered death in defence of the Popes Supremacie So that the Religion then profest in England was neither that of the Protestant nor this of the Papist for at that time one and the same Law did denounce Iudgement against the maintainers of both kindes condemning the Protestant for not subscribing to the sixe Articles and the Papist for not allowing the Kings Supremacie And therefore good cause had he of admiration who seeing at this time in England three Protestants and three Papists to die at one time and in one place and by the sentence of one Law for their conscience admireth thus Deus bone quomodo hic viuunt gentes hîc suspenduntur Papistae illic comburuntur Antepapistae Iesus saith hee how doe men liue here for there hangs the Papist and heere burnes the Protestant for Religion Eighthly And this came to passe because the Kings counsell were deuided into parts one halfe Protestants the other Papists The Protestants maintaining the Act for the kings Supremacie The Papists that of the sixe Articles either partie executing the iudgemēt of the Lawe according as in their seuerall opinions they were affected whereof insued the greatest calamitie that could be in a Christian State no man making conscience of Religion in either profession that escaped punishment onely such were free and vnder protection who either did dissemble or conforme them to the fashion of the time And this had not bene if the Prince and his Lords had conspired one end for take vnity away you take Truth with it and disagreements doe most assuredly presage losse if not destruction Ninthly But God who denied to his seruāt Dauid the building of his Temple because his hands had bene in blood and did reserue the honour of that worke for Salomon his Sonne a Prince of peace So in this work of reformation God would not King Henrie to effect it because he had bene in blood and Warre as was Dauid Salomons Father but he reserues it for King Edward a true Salomon in the wisedome and iustice of Salomon And this Prince did God ordaine to restore the truth of his seruice King Henrie his Father as did Salomons Father preparing onely matter for this heauenly worke which his Princely Sonne and not himselfe was to finish Tenthly And howsoeuer King Henry did not go forward to this worke with that constancie as the worthinesse of the cause deserued being letted by the enuie of euill Ministers yet hath he well deserued honourable remembrance hauing done more than any other Prince in Christendome before him euer did And if wee consider the kings Nature being most resolute and stiffe in any businesse he vndertooke there neuer was any of his Predecessors better fitted to enter into such a businesse of stomacke as hee was neither can it be said truely of the king that he failed in this enterprise for he performed all he vndertooke and would haue done more if either his own opinion or the counsell of his friend had further directed him And therefore hath he done honourably in doing more than before was done and in doing all he had vndertaken wherein he exceeded the expectation that all men had of him it being a matter thought impossible to preuaile in this against the Pope at this time a power so absolute as that both kings and Emperours had before failed in the like attempt Eleuenthly And therefore I verily belieue that God by his extraordinary power was with King Henrie making him in this inuincible and powerfull to preuaile in iust opposition he looking downe with his eyes of iudgement vpon the pride and open wickednesse of Papacie and hating that the order of his seruice should be so corrupted incites and assists the king to reforme what the iniquity of others had deformed so grosse and sencelesse was the Liturgie of the Church in those blacke daies of ignorance and blinde superstition as would grieue any true Catholike Christian to consider and shame the better sort of Papists themselues to remember And therefore it is reason we acknowledge our dutifull thankes to God for altering this state of misery into a condition most happie and prosperous and that we honour their remembrance whom God did vse as fit instruments to this holy and most Religious worke Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST It doth not conclude but it doth argue against Pietie and the Truth of Religion where there is seuerity in execution For as God is both most iust and most mercifull So all Ecclesiasticall prosecutions must haue temper and indifferent mixture Secondly Calamities Death and persecutions cannot effect that in the Catholike Church which they commonly effect in Pollitique States to the one they are a cause of decay and ruine to the other of inlargement for there is difference in the forme of Gods generall prouidence and of the particular care of his Church Thirdly To ordaine or decree Articles Canons or Statutes to iudge and binde the conscience it is necessary to be directed by spirituall instruction For though authority be in euery Prince yet iudgement is not Fourthly It is dangerous for a Prince to commit the forming of spirituall constitutions to disagreeing mindes for diuersity of opinions when it goeth by suffrage doth vtterly destroy the sincerity of al cōclusions Fifthly It hath bene and is the Pollitique practise of the Romane State to support the bodie of her greatnesse with most terrible persecutions the effect doth iudge the cause and that pollicie is found wicked in the daily fall and lessening of that antichristian Empire Sixthly Tolleration of Religion is in some States reputed a necessarie pollicie but a Religious Prince that doth loue God more then State can neuer tollerate that pollicie for God doth hate all conniuencie and hee is lame in truth that halteth betweene two opinions Seuenthly It is necessary wisedome for a Prince to make difference betweene obedient and disobedient subiects in the case of Religion yet is there a great difference to be had in punishing disobedient opinions and disobedient facts Eighthly It doth much respect a mans particuler happinesse to auoide singularitie and not easily to bee drawne from the common opinion because naturally we haue a liking of our selues and a dislike of others Ninthly To a ciuill happinesse is required to be able to beare all fortunes and not to contemne them For it is not possible for Fortune with her infinite occasions to subduce the greatnesse of a vertuous minde Tenthly A vertuous disposition cannot be supprest by opposition for there is nothing can strength Patience but exercise CHAP. VIII Obseruations out of the generall view of this latter time of King Henries Reigne FIRST the importance of this difference betweene the King of England and the Pope was such as that all Christendome had earnest
affecting them more then the Lord of them nor applying them to any other end then holines for which all things were created most happie are they who for the honour of their God and for the testimonie of his truth haue forsaken the pleasures of this transitory life and haue giuen themselues a sacrifice to God for so to die is to enioy immortality and perpetuall rest CHAP. XVI Of King Edwards Death and how hee left the State to the next Successor FIRST it were foolish and vaine for any man to desire to know the secrets of Gods will because no man can vnderstand more of Gods secret than he himselfe shall please to reueale and therefore is mans knowledge limited being able onely to iudgâ— by reason and consequence whereas Gods diuine workes exceed the iudgement of sence being not contrary but aboue the reach of reason And from this cause is it that men commonly offend in their false constructions iudging of Gods worke grosly according to humane vnderstanding and not considering his wisedome and power by whose prouidence all things are directed For in Gods matters Christians must beleeue when they cannot iudge and it is sufficient argument to conclude the goodnesse of any worke when wee know that God is the Author for those things which to a naturall man seeme strange to a reformed iudgement appeare much otherwise and there is nothing be it neuer so euill in mans iudgement but God can make it serue for the worke of his glory he being able to make the euills of men respect an end beyond their expectations and in that wherein we iudge our selues most miserable can he make vs most happie Secondly And for particular instance we may consider K. Edward whom God elected from among many thousands for the work of his glory hauing defended the Catholike Faith with a resolution most zealous constant yet notwithstanding in the growth of his prosperity did God take him from the world and depriue the Children of faith of their Patron and princely Defendor whereby in common iudgement God may seeme to be offended with his owne and to leaue his Saints vndefended to the stroake of persecution from which this holy King had defended them But thus to iudge of God were wicked and false because we see the Gospell by that interruption did spread it self with much more generall acceptation the blood of holy Martyrs being a holy seed whereby the Church spread into a large generation and who knoweth but God to manifest to all the world the faith and obedience of his holy Saints in the Church of England suffered this persecution for the glory of their memorie for a demonstration to all men what numbers of true Catholike Christians had flourished vnder the protection of King Edward their Patrone and princely Defendor The Saints hereby exchanging their mortall variable life for eternity perpetuall rest their deaths begetting the liues of many holy men like them whereby the number of Gods seruants was much augmented to the glory of God and prosperity of his Church And therefore let no man condemne the worke of Gods prouidence but yeeld his obedience to the good pleasure of God and let him know that God is mercifull euen in his iudgements and that hee can make that which doth seeme to threaten vs most to be the Ladder whereby we may ascend the highest of all preferments the fauour of God and the fellowship of his holy Saints Thirdly King Edward being dead the state grew verie stormie and full of greate businesse the cause being who should succeed the King in which controuersie the kingdome was deuided the greatest part of the Counsell and the Nobility proclaiming Lady Iane Daughter to the Duke of Suffolke whose Mother was Daughter to Mary King Henries Sister first married to the French King and after to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke But the greatest part of the Commons and some of the Nobility adhering to Lady Mary eldest Daughter to King Henrie the Eighth by his first wife Queene Katherine of Spaine and this occasion was the trouble and death of many honourable and worthy personages For whether King Edward of his owne election or wrought by the perswasion of others I know not had by his last Will and Testament interested the Ladie Iane to the inheritance of his kingdomes for this cause as was pretended that the State might still continue the profession of the Protestant Religion which could not be hoped in the gouernement of Queene Mary But howsoeuer the King did thus bequeath his kingdomes it is very likely hee was drawne thereto by perswasion of his nobles especially of the two Dukes Northumberland and Suffolke because hereby the inheritance was conueyghed to their issue to whom in right it did not belong neither is it likely the King of his owne motion would haue disinherited his owne Legitimate sisters to interest one further off And if Religion was the cause why was not choise rather made of Queene Elizabeâ—h then Lady Iane Shee being by much neerer in the degrees of blood and altogether as assured in the Protestant Religion And therefore certainely the King was moued by others to offer this iniurie to his neerest blood Fourthly And if the question be demanded whether in this case it was lawfull for the King to translate the inheritance of his kingdomes I answer that howsoeuer the pretence is faire and good yet was the practise euill because wrong was offered and those ends are neuer good the which are compassed by euill meanes and to translate inheritance where it ought not is to contradict Gods prouidence by whose wisedome all things are ordered And therfore no doubt this offence of those Dukes and their confederates conspiring with them this vnlawfull end was the cause that God did suffer the power of their enemies to preuaile to their destruction For God is the Father of Truth and the God of Iustice neither would he that men should attempt to alter the course of his prouidence or by any violent and euill meanes pursue an end be it neuer so Religious and holy For good men must vse onely good meanes to reach good ends And therefore this practise of these Dukes in the iudgement of Religion was not good notwithstanding in state practise it hath example and may seeme allowable Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST there is no pretence how faire soeuer can giue authority and strength to vnlawfull actions For God who is all-sufficient and who hath decreed all good things hath likewise deuised all good meanes to compasse them therefore euery good worke doth consist of lawfull matter and forme for no euill thing can bee well done neither can any good thing bee done euilly Secondly When God by death doth preuent the hopes that are had of a vertuous Prince it doth not argue against the worthinesse of the Prince
dutifull obedience not reaching to the life of any of the Queenes Subiects for their opinion of Religion onely insomuch as the most resolute Papist were he assured in the dutie of his allegiance and not guiltie of any treasonable practise was not vrged by torture or extremities to abiure his opinion and Faith of Religion but might continue himselfe in safety vnder the assured protection of the Q. her mercifull lawes it being the purpose of the Q. and state to reclaime the disobedience of her subiects in respect of Religion by faire and not by forcible meanes and to effect that by the gratious meanes of mercy which the Pope others lesse merciful haue attempted by the violent meanes of Blood fire and Persecution Ninthly It is therefore mallice a verie slander to the Q. princely name that Gods enemies hers doe report her a persecutor of Gods Saints that her lawes were bloody tyrannous that many of that Religiō whom they call Saints haue in this kingdome suffered Martyrdome for the witnes of their conscience onely their being no one particular person I think in all the Q time that can truly be said thus to suffer death but either as actors or abettors of Treason the lawes hauing no authority to iudge them otherwise For though by the law they were rebellious and disobedient Subiects that would not cōforme themselues to the reformed Religion then established though by the Law they indured some easie punishment to make a difference betweene the dutifull vndutifull Subiects yet there was no Law so strict as to giue the sentence of death to any offending onely in Recusancie neither was there any law before this occasion of the Popes Bull to make any the professors of that Religion traytors vnlesse they were actors or abettors of conspiracie or treason in which cases the Protestants themselues were iudged with like seuerity Tenthly And vnles the prouidence of the state would haue slept and bene regardlesse of the Q. the state and state of Religion there could not haue bene lesse done thē was done for the security of al the purpose of the state being onely to preuent and not to reuenge the iniuries of the Pope and his adherents Eleuenthly It is wonder then the Papist should condemne that in our state for seuerity which in their own states is a mercie neuer practised for with them the least suspition to fauour or affect the Protestant Religion is persecuted with much seuerity let a man in other respects be neuer so deseruing or his place birth neuer so eminent if once he be conuict to be a Protestant it is assured death it is strange then they iudge vs persecutors when our iustice hath lesse seueritie then their mercy we but easily correcting that offence which they punish with death and they seuerely punishing that which we most easily pardon Twelfthly For how many with vs dare and doe fauour those dangerous instruments of state and how commonly dare men discouer their superstitious affections in common conference and often with earnest reasonings defending and damning according to their appetites whereas with them euery little circumstance is quarrelsome and presumptions many times are most seuerely punished 13. And this seuerity in them is assuredly verie considerable for their Pollitique State of Religion being one maine prop whereupon they repose their greatnesse for it is verie necessarie for them to vse all their forceable violence to suppresse that truth which in despight of violence like the palme will sprout and prosper vnder their grieuous oppressions And considering how the Protestant Religion notwithstanding their oppressing it hath spread it selfe into verie spatious limits they may well vnderstand how much more it should haue flourished if by their violent hinderances it had not bene letted in his prosperous growth But this bloody pollicie of theirs was not answerable to piety and holy reason for so could the wise Gamaliell teach them who withstood the bloody counsell of the Iewes who would haue persecuted the holy Apostles withall seueritie with this perswasion that if their cause were not good that then GOD would be enemie vnto it and so of it selfe it would fall and if it were good it would bee in vaine to resist it because GOD would support it against all resistance 14. The mercie of our English Lawes then in matters concerning Religion onely is an assured demonstration that our Prince our State and our Religion is mercifull and these demonstrations of mercie are no weake proofes that our Religion is most Catholike and Christian most Catholike because of conformity to the Primitiue Church and most Christian because the exercise of mercie is the best imitation of Christ himselfe the Lord and true patterne of the Catholike and true Christian beleeuer And therefore the Queene and the Parliament were both mercifull and prouident in concluding these statutes the which by no other cause but by the Papists themselues were occasioned 15. The purpose of the Statutes was this principally first to prohibit the bringing ouer of Bulls or interdictions from the Pope Secondly to restraine the Runnawaies and Trauellers beyond the Seas without license and to prohibit Iesuits and reconsiled Papists from returning into the Queenes Dominions vnlesse vpon their returne they would submit to such as by the State were authorized to that purpose Now how needfull it was for the Church and State of England to haue this prouidence for their security and peace I purpose in the next Chapter verie briefly to discouer Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST Such are onely and alwaies to be opposed as enemies to a Christian State as are so iudged by the sentence of Gods Word For seeing Christ who is the Word of his Father is our Generall in all spirituall conflicts we must onely and alwaies fight his battailes by his direction Secondly To restraine disorder and disobedience in subiects the State doth vsually resort to the wisedome of a Parliament for though the King by his Proclemations may command or restraine his Subiects he being that one particular in whose person the whole authority of the State consisteth yet doe Parliament Statutes the rather satisfie because they proceed both from the Kings authority and from the generall wisedome of the Kingdome Thirdly There is no man can liue in that indifferencie of fauour withall but that hee shall haue cause to make distinction of friend and enemie or if he be free from all enmity yet he shall finde difference in his friends and therefore he must distinguish them CHAP. XXVII Of what importance the Statutes in the 13. of the Queene were in respect of the Church and State FIRST In respect of the Church were they most important for the which they were principally enacted they did also much import the State because the prosperity of the Common-Wealth doth by a necessarie consequence
I haue that my studies are and haue beene imployed in these honourable arguments For howsoeuer in all other things I am little in the fauour of Fortune Yet in this I acknowledge her liberalitie that this great Princesse by Fortune doth liue in the memorie of my writings CHAP. XXXI Of the last act of the Queenes defence for the Catholike Faith FIRST the last act of the Queens defence for the Catholike Faith was the care shee had at her death to surrender the charge of her high place to a Prince faithfull and assured and to such a one whom in her Princely iudgement shee had found fit to mannage a matter of that consequence And this was a care very Christian in the Queene and which declared the truth of her Religious affection For they that loue and desire the world onely and that haue no hope in the fauour of God or in the happinesse of heauen neuer trouble themselues to care for that which may outliue their life imagining that when they die the care of the world doth perish with them neither haue such any care to benefit posterity but content themselues with the prosperitie of their owne life But the holy care of Christians is otherwise and doth reach further than life euen to the length of all posteritie Secondly for the Queene in respect of ciuill life might haue thought it sufficient for her honour and for the discharge of her high place that she her selfe had finished her holy course with so great a commendation but in respect of Religious life she hath a further care to care to preuent all euil meanes which might any way ruine that frame which she with so much painefulnesse had erected And to this end the Queene hath a most Christian care commending the cause of the Christian Catholike Faith to the Faith and truth of the Kings Maiestie our souereigne that was whom by her last wil she interested to the title of her Crowne and to whom she made surrender of her office to defend the quarrell of the Catholike Faith Thirdly and if any man obiect that the Queenes nominating the Kings Maiestie at her death to inherit her kingdomes was of small merit in the Queene and of no furtherance to the Kings cause because of necessity the inheritance must haue discended to the King it being his Maiesties in Iustice and by the right of Law I answer that howsoeuer it is most true of the Kings inheritance and that it could not rightfully discend to any other yet considering the reuerence was had to the person of the Queene and the interest she had in the hearts of all her subiects it had bene dangerous if she had nominated any other to succeed her and it was her speciall prouidence that at that time she named the King to this inheritāce Fourthly againe there are others who haue blamed the Queene for not publishing this her good purpose to the King in her life time and haue thought that the open acknowledgement thereof was necessarie both to further the Kings peaceable entrance and to giue satisfaction to the doubtfull mindes of the Queenes subiects the ignorant vnlearned people being the greater part of the body of this Land and seeing they could not themselues satisfie this doubt it was needfull they should be instructed in the Kings lawfull title to the Crowne and that publike Proclamation should haue bene made in the Queenes life time to that end lest the simplicity of the common people when occasion might need them should be abused by false vnderstanding and drawne from their dutifull seruice which could not haue bene if the Queene before hand had declared the King her Successor and lawfull heyre Fifthly I answer these reasons are weake and of little consideration and that the Queene and her Counsell had many weighty reasons to diswade this publique proclaiming of the Kings right in the Queenes time And these reasons haue respect to the safetie of the Queene and her state and to the King and his title For by this meanes the King himselfe had care not to discontent the Queene but to continue his Grace in her fauourable estimation Againe it preuented enuie and the danger of conspiracies of such who haue bene named for competitors Lastly it was a meanes to preserue the Queenes reputation among her subiects a great part whereof would haue bene giuen the King before it was due if he had bene proclaimed heyre apparant to the Queene and Crowne which might haue proued dangerous to his person and dangerous to the state of these kingdomes For great men and the great spirits of men being intitled to much wealth and great dignities haue not many times the patience to attend their lawfull times but preuent time and take it before hand the which though it was most false in the kings particular yet was it needfull the wisedome of State should then regard it And therefore did Queene Elizabeth that which was most reasonable in it selfe most considerable for the king and the State of England and most conscionable for the discharge of her princely place whose honourable deeds I shall euer most willingly report to whose name I liue a seruant and whose praise I would not thus niggardly scant but that I vnderstand a man of much better ability in respect of all learned sufficiencie hath vndertaken that taske THis Phaenix Queene ELIZABETH is without Comparison OF THE NEXT DEFENDOR OF THE Faith King IAMES the Kings most excellent Majestie that last was CHAP. XXXII FIRST There is no wisedome in the world either of men or Angells that can certainly foresee the truth of future euents or determine what shall be the issue of those things which are held doubtfull For God hath not giuen to the nature of any Creature to know things before they be that being proper to himselfe onely who at one instant of time is able to comprehend the knowledge of all things both past present and to come For before things were did God ordeine what should be determine euery circumstāce of euery worke of Nature which in their appointed times were to follow And these infinite nūber of varieties doth he direct by his hand of prouidēce to those ends he hath determined shutting them vp in the meane time in the closet of his secret counsel whereinto the vnderstanding of any creature had neuer liberty to enter and when God shall please to bring them into act they are thē no more his secrets but common to the vnderstandings of al men that desire to know them So that they come not to mans knowledge before they passe from the secret of Gods counsell into act where before they are not knowne but onely to such choise particulers to whom God shall please to make them manifest For as no man is able to declare the fortunes of to morrow before the day be ended so in euery other
who so soone as euer he could moue was moued by the Spirit of grace to holy and good purposes The best proofe of this was his Princely care for Religion wherin at all times he approued himselfe both industrious and resolute and wherein he fortunately trauelled with much prosperity and honour The demonstration whereof is now visible in the face of Scotland that kingdome being by his Maiesties happy gouernment reduced to the first Christian Faith and to a better forme of Common-wealth than formerly it had The Church there being reformed and purged from popish Idolatrie which had profaned both that and all other Christian Kingdomes Secondly and in this the King deserued euerlasting memory and praise that he was the first Christian King in that Kingdome whose care gaue end to that miserie and by whom that Church had the truth of the Catholike Faith practised publikely and with the warrant of lawfull authority professed In which holy businesse the King was verie fortunate and for which God did make him fortunate in the passage of his Princely life assisting him in his lawfull attempts and confounding the wicked practises of bad men who banded against his Maiestie to destroy him And therefore before his Maiestie had the title of Defendor of the Catholike Faith did he faithfully defend it and aduised and enioyned his Princely Sonne Prince Henrie to defend it And thus did God prepare the Kings Maiestie and the Prince for the purpose of this holy businesse and by exercising them for the defence of Faith in the kingdome of Scotland to fit them for the like care in England wherein the King most gratiously begunne his gouernment and ended it and wherein we trust that his Sonne our gratious Souereigne that now is and his royall seed for euer shall in these kingdomes defend the most true most antient and most Catholike Faith Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST it is in vaine to indeauour things wherein God is opposite for no power can alter the purpose of his prouidence This hath instance in the Fortunes of these two kingdomes England and Scotland who haue euer laboured their seueral extremities to be vnited the which when Pollitie and the wisedome of State could not doe God without these meanes gaue it successe and in an instant bound these disagreeing nations in the bonds of vnseparable concord Secondly the King by publishing in print his opinion of Religion and his directions for Christian gouernement did thereby much confirme the hopes and hearts of the better part of our English people For it must needs be that if the contrarie faction the Papist did not withstanding this declaration of his Maiesties presume much vpon fauour at his entrance this presumption would in all likely-hood haue proued a practise and therefore was this Publike satisfaction a Religious pollicie that did both arme his friends and disarme his enemies Thirdly It is necessary many times to a mans Morrall reputation to maintaine his integrity by Apollogies and publike protestations For if the person be eminent and of publike Note his good or euill name will be likewise generall CHAP. XXXIIII In what particulers King IAMES our Souereigne that was principally defended the Faith FIRST It is often true that the alteration of the Prince is a cause that the State is likewise altered and that those things which formerly in the gouernement had great authority become not only neglected but also punishable and in great contempt And this though it bee not true in generall instance yet in euery change of a Prince it is either hoped of the bad or feared of the better sort of people Wee had particuler witnesse of that in our happie alteration happie because nothing but the very person of the Prince was altered the gouernement remained in like degrees of happines wherein Queene Elizabeth to her honourable renowne nowne left it yet then were there many euill and discontented persons who could hopefully perswade themselues that the opportunity was then offered which they expected and that the time serued to reintegrate them into fauour and to bring their cause vnder the safetie of the kings protection And though in respect of the Kings particuler there was little or no ground for any such hope his Maiestie hauing before hand declared himselfe in print how in the case of Religion he was resolued yet was there a generall hope in that contrarie faction whereby they imagined somewhat would be done if not to their absolute content yet to their great ease and to the lightning the burthen of their afflictions which in the Queenes time they worthily indured Secondly But that which is more strange and worthie of note that not onely the Papists had this hopefull imagination but their opposites also whom men commonly call Puritans had the like conceiuing they hoping their cause should finde such large allowance of fauour with the King that they and their opinion onely should haue the countenance and warrant of the Kings protection And that both the Papist and the regular Protestant should be iudged vnusefull and of necessity to bee excluded from the Catholike Church Thirdly And howsoeuer the successe of this came short of common expectation yet was this of much more likelihood then the other both because their controuersie was not for the matter of Religion but for order and for the manner of Ceremonie and circumstance onely and also because the gouernment of the Church of Scotland had neere resemblance with that which they desired whereby the King might the better or rather be induced to giue them and their request friendly intertainment Yet notwithstanding al these likelihoods and the hopes of either partie did the King incline to neither his Maiestie finding the Church of England as it was established to be the meane and vertue betweene these two extremities and that their desires were not for the peace and aduancement of the Catholike Faith according as both of them pretended and that these oppositions were either to be reconciled and so made friends or else opposed as enemies Fourthly And this may worthily seeme strange that these two irreconcileable opinions that of the Papist and this of the Puritane should both of them at one time expect supportation from one and the same Prince and from such a Prince as had before declared himselfe not to fauour them that these who neuer consent in any little resemblance should thus conspire and hope in one particular person And the reason was the seuerall perswations they had of the truth of their cause wherein the maintainers of both opinions could receiue speciall satisfaction in themselues and hopefully belieue to worke the King to that acknowledgement of truth wherein they themselues were resolued and wherein they thought was sufficient reason to satisfie or perswade any man Besides they might peraduenture frame speciall arguments of hope to giue them incouragement in hopefull
most Christian and most Princely labours are diuulged and laid open before the generall face of the world whereby that man of sin is with euidence discouered and all his painted Pollitique Religion laid nakedly open in the true formes of his false worship and whereby Christian Emperours Kings and Potentates are induced by the authorities of reason and particuler example to combine with God and Gods Lieftenants Christian Princes against all forreigne confederacie whatsoeuer These workes of Religious Learning in the King as they were of maruellous import and strength to the Catholike Cause so also they made much for the Kings sacred honour and will vndoubtedly remaine to all posterity as ornaments of his princely worth and inducements to inflame with sacred zeale the affections of his princely Progenie to honour and inlarge the reputation of Religion and Learning And howsoeuer his malitious lying enemie Tortus or the Cardinall his Master Bellarmine would disgrace the Kings sufficiencie in this kinde of learning and would therefore father his Maiesties worke vpon his Subiect of lesse authority yet are these iniuries both knowne and iudged by many thousands both of this and of other Nations that haue had experience of his extraordinary indouments the truth whereof it is not possible his owne Subiects can report without suspition of flatterie Eleuenthly I conclude then that the Kings Maiesty most noblely defended the Catholike Faith against all the enemies and principally against these two great ones the Papist and the Puritan Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST there was neuer any time wherein God had not some Patron to giue the cause of his Church Sanctuarie for though it be often in distresse it is neuer in destruction Secondly the Kings proceeding against the Papists and the Puritans did well distinguish the quallities of their offence and declare his owne integrity for though he proceeded against both yet with some distinction of fauour For the Puritan was the lesse enemie being enemie to the peace onely but the Papist both to the peace and truth of the Catholike Faith Thirdly Men measure the dgrees of loue and hate according to the quallity of the cause that moues the passion But in particular relations the personall respect doth often preuaile aboue the cause For passion is much more strong when it is vnited in one particuler Subiect rather than when it is deuided vnto a multitude CHAP. XXXV A remembrance of some particulers wherein God wonderfully defended King IAMES FIRST there was neuer any Prince in the world who had more cause to acknowledge Gods fauour then King Iames who trauelled his Princely life from his Cradle to his age thorow many dangerous fortunes whom God still supported against the most able and the most subtill practises of his enemies For if we reduce to memorie the many dangers of his life in Scotland and how in that kingdome his enemies did conspire against his life and State there is in that time and place matter enough of admiration But if that were not and that wee remembred his fortunes in England onely in those few yeares of his gouernement here wee shall finde matter of more than admiration and such conspiracie and damned practises as would amaze and with horror affright the hearts of tyrants and bloody practisers Secondly and for Scotland first to omit many of lesse note I remember that very dangerous conspiracie of the Gowries onely a practise brought to that ripenesse as that the King might seeme to be fast in the snare his enemies had laid to betray him yet did God in a trice breake their snare free the King and destroy the Diuellish deuisers of that proiect This story is well knowne and therefore it need not my report being alreadie related by such who haue had better cause to know the truth of euery circumcumstance and yet in this place doth it merit to bee named both for the rarenesse of the practise and for the greatnesse of Gods deliuerance Thirdly at the Queenes death also did God wonderfully assist the King and fauour the prosperity of his fortunes for at that time when the enemies of our State and the enemies of our Faith did hopefully beleeue that the enmity of these two kingdomes England and Scotland would vpon this occasion haue renued their antient quarrells and thereby haue interrupted the Kings peaceable entrance into this kingdome yet was the euent otherwise no little disturbance letting his Maiesties forward entring whereby God did mocke the expectation of his enemies and assuredly exceed the expectation of all men Fourthly that neuer to be forgotten treason of blowing vp with powder a destruction ment to the King the Queene the Prince the State the house of State the Church the Monuments of the Church the bones and Sepultures of Princes a destruction lesse mercifull then the generall Flood because more sudden and yet all most generall too the very naming whereof may serue for euer to prouoke the people of this kingdom to acknowledge their dutifull thankes to God by whose hand onely this mighty deliuerance was wrought Fifthly By these particulers out of many may appeare how God did wonderfully protect the person of that King suffering him to enter so farre into danger as that he might haue bene said to haue stood in the verie gates of death the match being readily prepared to fire that powder which if it had bene fired had committed the greatest Slaughter that euer at one instant of time happened May God therefore for euer be praised who preuented so great a destruction and let his prouidence be for euer admired who hath thus defended the Defendors of the Catholike Faith CHAP. XXXVI Of the diuersity of Religions FIRST the diuersity of Religions is one maine cause that deuideth the world into so many disagreements the maintainers of euery seuerall Sect disclaiming and persecuting al diuersity iudging such for prophāe out of Gods protection that conspire not with them in their opinion of Religion And heerehēce it is that the name of Iew or Turke is odious to a Christian the name of Christian odious to them they iudging vs and we iudging thē Anathemates cursed people Secondly neither is this contention onely in these opposites of Christian and heathen but the heathen among themselues and the Christians among themselues are deuided into many bitter differences the Turke against the Persian both against the Iew and so in many other particulars of the barbarous people Among the Christians also the Papist against the Protestāt the Protestāt against the Papist the Puritan against them both besides many other subdiuisions So that the Christians in these times haue as many seuerall Religiōs as the old heathen Pagans had Gods and that Idolatrie which the people of the old world committed by hauing multiplicity of Gods did the people of these times cōmit by their
alteration of time How God doth inuite men to their Saluation Religion did liue in death The cause of scisme in Christian Religion The Practises of the French Diuine Pollitique Morall The reformation of Religion Christian Religion deuided into Protestants and Papists How Religion was reformed England the first that with victory did oppose the Pope The first occasion of the alteration of Religion Luthers Booke de Captiuitate Babyl K. Henery the Eighth against Luther The purpose of the Kings Booke The greatnes of the Pope at those times The Popes pollicie The Popes secret purpose in stiling the K. Defendour of the Faith The Popes purpose disappointed by prouidence God moueth the King against his naturall disposition Luthers bitter writing Luthers misconceiuing Luthers zeale without discretioÌ„ Diuine Politique Morall The first Act of the Kings Defence Frederick Barbarossa Henry the Second The first occasion of difference betweene King Henry and the Pope The King first made supreame Head Anno regni 26. An Argument of the Kings greatnesse The benefit of Maiestie The inconuenience of Papall authoritie Diuine Pollitique Goodness and greatnes the two ends whereto all men intend Richard the Third of England The gouernment Monarchiall the best An inconuenience of Popish Supremacie Pretend and intend The practise of many Treasâ—ns Pride the most sensible signe of Antichrist Psalme The sinne of the Diuels in the Creation Nymrods sinne Supremacie God neuer altereth his purpose Vicessitudo rerum The variety of Fortunes The regard that was giuen to the Pop Church The first cause of alteration of Religion God most iealous of his honour The King well fitted for this businesse What might moue the K. in respect of himselfe Master Fox in the Act and Monâ— The Popes strength The cause mouing the King to the subersion of the Abbeyeâ— The outrruding of Fryers c. The suppressing of Abbeyes good to the Church and Common-Wealth A doubt Answer 1. 2. Cardinall Wolsey an euill president Pollitique Morall The weakenesse of the Kings resolution The King ruled by perswasion and not by Iudgement Cardinall Wolsey Thomas Cranmer D. Cranmer Stephen Gardiner Gardiner a great Polititian The sixe Articles Sir Thomas Moore The excelleÌ„t ornaments in Nature in Sir Thomas Moore The error of such as write Historie Truth the life of all History Moore an euemie to the Protestant Religion The vnequal comparison betweene Moore and Gardiner Lord Cromwell In moderation England beholding to the labours of the Lord Cromwell In this time Religion did proceed well His constancie in one course Diuersity of opinions cause of the Kings vnconstancie The Kings infirmitie Euery alteration in a state is dangerous The Kings error Diuine Pollitique Morall The cause pretended of the sixe Articles The cause of manie grosse and sencelesse opinions The nature of the Vulgar An euil cure Sixe Articles The power of perswasion The sixe Articles what they were The euil that redounds to a State when the Counsell are diuided The care of State Gardiner the meanes to hinder the King from reformation Gardiners wit Gardiners gifts The ReligioÌ„ at this time in England was neither the ProtestaÌ„t nor the Papist Three Protestants and three Papists die at one time and in one place for their Conscience Acts and Mon pag. 1375. The Kings Counsell the one halfe Protestants the other Papists The miserie of these times Tolle vnum tolle verum 2 Sam. 7. 5. God would not that K. Henry but that King Edward should finish this reformation King Henry deserued well in doing more then was done before him by any other The King exceeded expectation God assisted the King The Kings desert Diuine Pollitique Morall The difficultie in the Kings attempt This opposition was ordered by the power of God The wisedome of pollicie is foolishnesse with God The King gaue aduantage to his enemies The Popes Curses vpon King Henry The power of the Popes censure Faction the first part of Conquest A second Reason The equall partage of Christendome to many Princes The care of those times England and France in continuall faction A pollitique regard England with Spaine France with Scotland coÌ„federates The aduantage the French had of the English by reason of this popish quarrell God and not pollicie ordered the king Considerations in respect of the Pope The Pope degraded of authority The Kings example daÌ„gerous for the Pope The Pope enuied of Christian Princes The Popes diligence The respect the Pope had to the dishonorable yealding How it did import the Pope to continue friendly intertainement with the King The Pope lost the King by his too much neglect pride Authority in an euill person ruines it selfe A saying of Byas How to iudge men God confoundeth the Popes pollicie God and the Pope vtterly disagree Papall suprepremacie gotten by state practise Charles the Great father of the Popes ambition Luther Areason of the Popes obstinacie A principall of Papistrie The fashion of antient Heretickes The pride of the Pope To know how to distinguish good and euil by their ends The Pope intituleth himselfe the seruant of Gods seruants but insulteth ouer Emperors Dissimulation commonly in The Popes greatnesse like Nebuchadnezzars Tree couered the whole Earth When great dissemblers dare discouer themselues The Kings proceedings very important The Kings orderly proceeding The bodie of Popery must needs fall when Supremacie the head was cut off The Christian Princes stood mute at the Kings businesse The French had at this time aduantage of the English by reason of the Pope England and France enuious of one anothers gloriâ— The King fortunate The Kings care to satisfie the Princes of Christendome The reason thereof A pollitique discretion Religion at this time but in reforming The Pope had his head broken Diuers law-makers diuers lawes The euill gouernement of the state at this time The King himselfe otherwise inclined D. of Saxony Master Fox Act. and Mon. pag. 1478. The Kings dislike of Gardiner The repentance sorrow the King made for the Lord Cromwell The Kings affection How the K. left the state Whether the King defended the faith or not Obiection The King the first Christian King Defendor of the Faith The King defended the Faith in two particulars A double inconuenience to a Christian state The King made way for his Sonne King Edward finished what his Father had attempted A comparison betweene King Henry and King Edward To finish a good is more then to begin it In respect of greatnes K. Henry was more excellent in respect of goodnesse King Edward King Henry did wound Idolatry but King Edward destroyed it Diuine Pollitique Morall The King the Emperor famous for their bold Attempts The Emperour against Pope Alexander the King against Pope â—lemeÌ„t They both quarrell the Pope for Soueraigntie The King intended reformation the Emperour did not The Emperour more forward least fortunate The Kings weakenesse was the weakenesse of Nature not of Courage The two Popes their enemies neerely agree They both curse but with vnequall successe
euen then did the King surcease from that Religious worke which with so much honorable successe he had begun Where it may seeme strange that a Prince of his greatnesse hauing the aduise of an honorable and wise councell should lay vpon his name the imputation of weakenesse not to goe forward with that whereto his honour was so much ingaged Thirdly But if we consider the time and the difference of opinions in those great men to whom the King did shew himselfe most gracious it will then appeare the businesse went forward or not according to the affection of the Kings Fauourites Fourthly As in the time of Cardinall VVolsey a man so great in the fauour of his Prince as that our English Chronicles cannot match him who in the time of his prosperity did so possesse the King as that the King may be said to saile with no winde but the Cardinalls the king being but the body to his soule he mouing it according to the pleasure of his owne appetite and therfore at this time was the king all Cardinall putting himselfe in Print to defend the Supremacie of Popes But this time did end with the Cardinals fortunes who being puft vp and high swolne with the spirit of ambition runne himselfe into strange contempts against the Maiesty of his Prince who finding him so Cardinallike in pride and vaine glory stript him of those honours which before he so lauishly had giuen him translating his fauour vpon Thomas Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterburie whom the king finding Religious honest and learned gaue his opinion good authority Fifthly And at this time the Protestants Religion began to haue the fauour of the Kings protection yet by reason of the peaceable Nature of this Man and because of many other important considerations of inconuenience the cause of Religion went not with that prosperity forward as otherwise it might For howsoeuer we may iustly conceiue of this learned man that he wanted neither spirit nor power to trauell in the most important affaires of State the which hee hath well declared by his resolute and learned proceedings in the Kings diuorse yet considering in what termes the State then stood and the particular condition of his State it will appeare that a necessary prouidence of his own security did inforce him to a violent patience and to silence and suppresse his zealous spirit which otherwise would haue ventured vpon much more hazard Sixthly For at this time Cranmer contrarie to the lawes then inforce was married and did liue with his wife to the great hazard of his life and this was one respect why hee suffered so much the practise of his enemies keeping good correspondence and indifferent fauour least his Mariage should be called in question whereby both his state and life had beene exposed into a danger most eminent Seuenthly And if any man obiect that these regards of Cranmer proceeded from his feare of temporall losse and that he fainted in the maine execution of his Christian Office I answer that no feare but a Christian prouidence was the cause of this warinesse For he might well know that if hee proceeded in the difference of Religion by violent and forcible meanes he should then haue had the whole power of the contrary faction bent against him and being by reason of his marriage within the danger of law it could not be auoided but the seueritie of the law should haue proceeded against him Eighthly Yet notwithstanding when the necessarie care of Religion did require him there was no respect could binde him from his earnest indeauours as may wel appeare by this most resolute opposing against the Statute of the sixe Articles So that Cranmer in true estimation hath well deserued and worthily acquitted himselfe of all imputation yet by reason of these occasions hee could not doe that which the opportunity of the Kings fauour did offer him Ninthly Vpon this aduantage Stephen Gardiner builds his strength who by obseruance and cunning insinuation shifting himselfe into the Kings fauour got great authority in the State and according to the nature of his working spirit troubles the waters of peace of fish for Romish Religion whereto in his heart he was much inclined And this man not like Cranmer but Matchiuellike grounded in the secrets of Pollicie seemes what he is not and is content to proportion himselfe to the fashions of the time with purpose to alter that fashion And this howsoeuer it were a thing very dishonest especially in the office of a Bishop yet was it a very pollitique Regard and that miste whereby he wrought all his inchantments for by his obseruance hee continued in the Kings fauour and by that fauour he erected the whole frame of his Policies Tenthly And from this cause had the sixe Articles beginning Articles so bloodie as the letters in them cannot number the blood which was shed in England for them whereby may appeare the greatnesse of Stephen Gardiners wit that could make the King sayle with a contrary winde and destroy that cause which before he had protected and this was notwithstanding Cranmer his opposite had then great fauour with the king and the highest authority and place in the kingdome Eleuenthly Another of the Kings Fauourites in those times of difference was Sir Thomas More then Lord Chancellor of England A gentleman in respect of his natural ornaments worthy of much honour for besides the beauty of his learning which in great personages is very deseruing he had so good a moderation and temper in all his actions as no aduersity could deiect him neither any prosperity make him lesse in the vse of regard and ciuill humanity And notwithstanding hee was diuers from me in that profession which I hold for truth yet because I write the truth of Historie it were very vnworthy in me to obscure the deseruings of any man into which error many others and especially such as haue recorded the passage of those times haue vnaduisedly falne traducing the persons of men for their opinions sake and making them altogether euill that in many commendable things were excellent And because that all good things are from God who giueth them according to the pleasure of his will it were therefore much iniury to obscure the goodnesse of God wheresoeuer it shall please him to place it and this I write in fauour of truth which may be well said to be the life and true mouing soule of all Historie Twelfthly This Sir Thomas Moore howsoeuer he was an enemy to the truth of the Gospell yet if we compare him with Stephen Gardiner the comparison will make Sir Thomas Moore lesse euill the other being so monstrous in his wicked practises for the one made conscience to equiuocate and dissemble himselfe of which the other made no reckoning Sir Thomas vtterly refusing the oath of Supremacie because in conscience he thought he might not take it Gardiner had the like
that God willed it the king wrought it and the Pope in despight suffered it to the Glory of God the kings honour and the confusion of Antichrist Eighthly From this ouersight of the Popes this may be obserued that authority and greatnesse in an euill person ruines it selfe with his owne weight neither can the greatnesse of power stand safe where it is not supported by the strength of iustice and honest proceeding And that as Byas saith promotions declare best what a man is So it is true that where authority is so absolute that there is liberty without checke Then doe men giue best demonstrations of their Natures and most apparently discouer their affections and to what ends they are most inclined For by the worke we may iudge the workeman by the fruit of the Tree and by the life the truth and holy faith of euerie man Ninthly Againe vpon this proud and ambitious Bishop may bee obserued how God confounds him in his owne practise he contriueth to make the King of England his fast friend his prop wherupon to support his vnspeakeable pride but God he determines otherwise of that King and leades him to a worke more holy honest and honourable The Pope in pollicie intitles him Defendor of the Catholike Faith because hee writ in defence of his vsurped Supremacie But God maketh him and his in deeds to defend the true faith and to denie that Supremacie So that what the Pope would haue God will not haue hee commandeth God countermandeth he deuiseth God disposeth and maketh the King shoote right whom the Pope made to leuell wrong But before all may bee obserued the Popes false vnderstanding iudgement in this case in respect of Piety and conscience how much he was led from the truth of Religion and from the witnesse of Truth Gods Word to maintaine his vniuersall power which his predecessors had by state practise gotten For it cannot be but in this their iudgements were exceedingly blinded they hauing no example of any Church at any time for their imitation When the Law was giuen God gaue it Moses to giue Aaron the people not Aron to giue Moses the people in euery cause both of state Religion Aron the Priest was obedient to Moses the Prince hee receiuing the dignity of his office from Moses vnto whom God gaue power to giue it Tenthly The like order was in the Iewish Church where the Prince might iudge the Priest and not the Priest the Prince and so in the practise of all times and in all places vntill that CHARLES the Great breathed the spirit of Ambition where it is and where it hath for many yeares disturbed the peace of Christendome yet with such euidence was this error laid open to the vniuersall eye of the world by the diligence of Martin Luther and others as the Pope could not but vnderstand it yet against the witnesse of his owne conscience did he still stifly defend it and this was a pollitique regard least the world vnderstanding him to faile in a matter so important might thereupon call in question the truth of that opinion which in truth is the state and strength of that Religion That in precept and doctrine the Pope cannot erre if then he had yeelded to haue erred in this he denied the truth of his foundation without which his greatnesse cannot stand Eleuenthly And therefore after the fashion of antient heretickes he would not yeeld to the perswasion of truth because he would not haue his iudgement contradicted and shamed by recantation to acknowledge himselfe to haue done amisse And this is onely the pride and Stomacke of the too much authority of these Bishops that respect greatnesse more then goodnes the world more then God falshood than truth desiring darkenesse to obscure the manie deformities wherewith they haue defaced the name of Christian Religion Twelfthly By this wee may learne to distinguish the good and euill the holy and prophane by their end whereto they principally aspire for good men make goodnesse their onely end whereto they reach but euil men make it onely their pretence and like the Lapwing flie most where there Nest is not and such hath bene the care of the Romane Church intituling their Bishops seruants of Gods seruants yet arrogate principallity ouer the highest of Gods Creatures They professe humility and Christian obedience but practise a tyrannie vnsupportable They call Christian Princes their beloued sonnes but make them slaues and seruants to their vngodly wills And from them hath the world learned dissimulation cunning practise for wee see that many men forme themselues very precisely in the habit of all Christian duties outwardly to gaine a reputation and the honour of high place which when they haue obtained they cast off that face of holines and discouer themselues in their true inuentions such was and still is the practise of Popes who by the formes of holinesse haue got a reputation in the world which at length came to the growth that it became like Nabuchadnezzars Tree to couer the whole earth and to spread it ouer all principality then in the height of that prosperity they cast off their vizard and discouer themselues to be but Pope and not Pastors casting from them the Word that they may with more dexterity vse the sword with which like Theeues they Rob Christian Princes of that Regality which God gaue them 13. And therefore King Henries proceedings were very considerable whereof it behoued the Pope to be verie regardfull as did threaten the ruine of that frame which the pride and pollicie of his predecessors had erected the rather because the king began at the top of his dignities to throw downe his Supremacie which had ouertopped the most soueraigne of al Christian power whatsoeuer And herein the King may seeme to vnderstand well what he had to doe for by striking the roote he was sure to perish the branches and the best way to ruine a house is to vndermine the foundation in Warre the victory is sure when the enemie hath lost that power wherein his chiefe strength consisted and so the body of Popery must 17. For these respects the Christian world stood mute at the Kings businesse no man daring to set to his helping hand so much danger their iudgements could see in attempting it as that all could bee content to be spectators but no actor like King Henry euery man hauing earnest expectation what would be the issue of so strange and hazerdous an enterprize 18. It is also very considerable that the French King had at this time aduantage offered him against the King of England The King being now in the heate of so great a businesse deuided from his confederate the Pope vnassisted by any forraigne state and in the danger of domesticke troubles whereby he was vnfurnished of a great part
God they had lawfully gotten And therefore the honourable compounding of these differences doth conclude the wisedome and faithfull seruice of such as then did gouerne the state For if the Duke had bene ambitious and had aspired the soueraigntie he would neuer haue lost the aduantage of this occasion the time then seruing best to haue attempted it the body of the Rebellious wanting onely such a head to haue led them to any desperate attempt whatsoeuer And therefore howsoeuer his enemies did brand his name with dishonourable imputations it is very vnlikely the Duke should haue any such disloyall affections neglecting as I haue said these opportune occasions and being so strong in the fauour of the people Fourthly But that which did most discontent the King and threaten the state was the variance betweene the Lord Protector and the Barrons whose high place and honourable deseruing had got him much dangerous enuie in the State which hee by too much sufferance gaue aduantage to preuaile so farre as to his owne destruction For if the Duke by his authority had cut off the first beginnings of this euill he had preuented the mischiefe which thereof insued and so he might haue done that in the opportunity of time with ease which afterwards hee would most gladly haue done but could not with all the authority he had compasse because the opportunity was past and then he could not recall occasions which then flie from vs when they are not intertained For it be hooueth him of great place that would preuent the danger of enuie not to forbeare the cause of enuie which is goodnes but to destroy the first beginnings of enuie not to giue that euill weed sufferance which in short time will grow to a strength vncontroleable and then who so offers to strike shall but wound himselfe and like a bird in a trap locke himselfe more strongly in by striuing to escape And this assuredly was the Dukes error to suffer his enemies to grow to a strength he could not command and then being in their danger he sought by strong hand to rid himselfe wherein he found he was much deceiued to the losse of his life and to the glory of his enemies now from what cause this discord had beginning is diuersly imagined neither doth our English Chronicles determine it so that many seuerall coniectures diuersly interpret it some blame the Dukes improuidence and that he did not regard his owne security so much as the danger of his place required and therefore suffered his enemies to practise against him with all aduantage Others that his euill gouerning the State did so offend the Lords as in their honourable care of the State they sought redresse and that the Duke might either surrender his authority or else reforme the disordered course of his former proceedings to the more honour of the King and the better gouernement of the Common-Wealth others thinke that hee aspired the principality and thereby runne himselfe into the highest degree of treason which opinion is all malice and no Truth For questionlesse if the Duke had bene guilty of Treason his enemies would neuer haue condemned him of Felonie Lastly it is thought the cause was nothing but a practise of enuie which his honourable life and zealous care for Religion had procured him who aduancing his indeauour with all constancie for the reforming of Religion and trauelling in the state with much prosperity and honour hee by these meanes got a double enemie his religious care procured him the hatred of the discontented persons in the State which then were many and his honourable life got him enuie in the great ones who then couet to suppresse the growing reputation of any whose merit may challenge the highest degrees of honour for men enuie not the euill but the good of others and he alwaies is most subiect to be enuied whose vertuous life shall least deserue it Sixthly And from this cause was the vnfortunate end of the good Duke the Lord Protector whom his enemies did not destroy for his euill but for his honourable and vertuous life And this howsoeuer it had the course of orderly proceeding according to the tryall of law yet was that onely a colour to giue it some reasonable pretence whereby the common mouth of the vulgar might be stopped which in such cases is most daring and prodigall and surely it is very remarkeable that a Prince of his authority and greatnesse Vnkle to the King and protector of his person and state should bee thus forced to these hard extremities and that in a Kingdome which himselfe did protect to be arrested condemned and executed for Felonie and example so rare as no time can produce the like and such as may remember the greatest how subiect they be to the fall of Fortune who foyleth them most that fall from the highest dignities Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST God doth often suffer his owne cause Religion euen in the hope and prosperity thereof to indure contrary fortunes sometimes by intrusion of Errors often by the interruption of peace For without these tryalls of opposition and aduersity there can be no distinction of good and bad neither could it merit extraordinarie praise to be a Christian. Secondly In the Iudgement of Diuinity it doth not destroy the Truth of any cause to suffer iniurie and violence because the most sacred Sonne of God did indure them in their extremities Therefore are they deceiued that make temporall prosperity a note of spirituall Truth because Truth in this life may liue in banishment Thirdly It was a wicked policie in the kings enemies but powerfull to sow Discord in his neerest blood for by that meanes it was easie for them to gaine that which otherwise had bene difficult because such disagreements are most implacable that haue had power to destroy naturall affections for there is no hate like that which is translated out of loue Fourthly It is one of the most principall respects that should be in a Prince to be able to conteine his owne secrets and in all his important affaires to vnderstand more than he shall discouer for by this meanes hee shall both delude the purpose of him that would deceiue him and by Pollitique obseruations discouer designes farre off Fifthly Particular disquiets in a Morall life are ciuill warres that would destroy a blessed peace for as euery man is a little world So the order or disorder of that world hath resemblance and fit comparison with the state of this world CHAP. XV. A Discourse of the miseries of mans life vpon occasion of the Duke of Somersets death FIRST It is true that at our birth wee begin to die our life being no better then a continuall sicknesse which by many extremities leade vs to our graue the sanctuarie and house of Rest and therefore the best men haue least desired
common knowne enemies of a vertuous life is a victorie which morall men haue obtained and doth assuredly iustifie for good the happie composition of such a Nature Seuenthly To maintaine correspondence and indifferent fauour in mutuall societie is most necessarie to a mans happie condition because he that hath the fauour of generall opinion hath interest in euerie mans estate CHAP. XXVI Of the care the Queene and State had to depresse the enemies of the Catholike Faith FIRST the best witnesse of a Christian life is Mercie and the best demonstration of mercie is that fauour that men shew to their enemies for such kindnesse is against the perswasion of flesh and onely caused by the mouing of Grace And therefore mercie euen in an euill man doth merit admiration at the least and to be reputed as a beautious ornament in a base subiect But mercy in the good is a most worthie commendation and a worthinesse for which God will exchange his best benefits For there is nothing wherein God is more delighted then the workes of Mercie in the heauenly exercise whereof hee himselfe is wonderfully contented gladding his most sacred diuinity that in Mercie hee doth triumph and that his mercie hath the greatest part in all his workings Secondly And as this respect of mercie hath preheminence in the Nature of God so hath it also in the reformed natures of good men who desire principally to square themselues to this most holy proportion And in this gratious respect of mercie hath Queene Elizabeth equalled the best Princes that euer were so rarely was this Queene composed of Mercie and Maiestie as that in Maiestie she may iustly be reputed most excellent yet in Mercie more excellent than in Maiestie the which she would often declare euen to the enemies of her life and soule For often would she reach her hands of fauour to them whose hands were euer readie to her destruction This truth is most euident in the view of her gratious gouernement who abhorred their death who most traiterously sought hers and suffered such peacefully to enioy their euill consciences who practised to destroy her for her zeale and constancie in the Catholike Faith Thirdly For if the Papists in the time of Queene Marie or if now in such places where that Religion is profest were or had bene so mercifull in the iudgement of their Lawes as Queene Elizabeth was the time of her gouernement then had not those times bene stayned with the crying sinnes of Blood and Persecution neither had the bodies of Saints perished in that abundance at the holy fires of Martyrdome May it therefore be for euer recorded for the honour of Queene Elizabeths name that her mercie was more to the bad then theirs to the better sort of people and that in this most gratious indument she is most worthie to bee compared with the most mercifull Prince that euer was Fourthly The first yeares of her gouernment may sufficiently proue this her mercifull disposition in which time the fauour of her hardest Lawes were such as that her greatest enemies the enemies of her life and Religion could not but acknowledge them very mercifull seeking onely to reforme not to destroy the estate or life of any one Fifthly Vpon this aduantage the euill spirits of men practise against her life and dignitie For it is not possible that the inueterate enuie of men can be satisfied by any manner of faire perswasion or suppressed by any violent meanes vnlesse seuerity reach to the verie life of one so enuious for mercie to an euill man maketh him presumptuous and seuerity maketh him desperate So that this disease of enuie is not curable vnlesse God please to doe it For in this peacefull time of the Q when mercy was so generally conferd did the Pope the enemie of Faith the great Polititian of the world deuise dangerous proiects against the Q. and the state of Religion in England the which he prosecuted with much instance and withall the forcible meanes he could deuise The course he tooke was answerable to the practise of former Popes anathemating banning the Queene from the hope of saluatiō interdicting her Kingdomes and absoluing her subiects from the dutie of their naturall obedience commanding vpon paine of damnation to doe that which in the Iudgement of Gods Law is damnation to doe This instrument Pius Quintus the Pope sent ouer into England and according to his vngodly command was it diuulged and spread before the generall face of this Kingdome whereby many of the Queenes people in the North and in places of least knowledge and ciuility reconcile themselues to the Popes fauour and like Calues ran wilde after the lowing of this curst and cursing Bull sent forth by the impious Pope Pius Sixthly The Queene and State apprehending the danger of these proceedings and knowing how hazzardous it might be to her life and state to suffer this violence to passe without resistance Call a Parliament and there agree vpon such Statutes as in their wisedomes were thought most conuenient to preuent the mischiefe intended against the Queenes life her State and the Catholike Faith Seuenthly The cause then mouing the Queene and State to enact those lawes which they call seuerity was themselues by reason of their turbulent and euill spirits desiring innouation yea and inuasion who if they could haue bene content with the benefit of peace which they thē enioyed wherewith the holy men of all ages haue bene most gladly contented they had then preuented those lawes which they so much condemne neither had they runne their names nor their cause of Religion into that suspition of the State as by these their treasonable designes they haue most iustly merited But it is antient and true that from euill manners are deriued good and wholsome lawes and they by desire to harme the state they did arme it with wholsome and prouident lawes whereby it was made the better able to preuent and resist their harmefull intentions And from their euill is this Good occasioned that by attempting euill and by fayling in that attempt they haue curbed their owne power and shortned their owne hornes wherewith they and their Bulls had thought to haue pusht the glory of this Nation And therefore was their Iudgement an effect of their owne cause and most iustly inflicted on them For God doth retort the euill purposes of men against the contriuers of them and they that make snares and traps to catch men are oftentimes snared in their owne deuises Eighthly But yet those lawes which they call seuerity were milde and mercifull and not proportionable to the greatnesse of their offence neither like in crueltie to the bloodie lawes in the time of Queene Maries gouernement against the constant professors of the Protestāt Religion the purpose of these Statutes being to secure the Queene and to continue her subiects in their
multiplicity of Religions For it is al one to deny God and to denie his seruice and Idolatrie is aswell in false worship as in no worship For as God is one but one so there is one Religion and but one whereto all creatures owe their obedience And that men might not preuaricate or alter the forme of Gods seruice hath God himselfe prescribed vs a precise forme how and in what forme wee should serue him damning all diuersity to this his owne order wherewith he is onely pleased and wherewith he is alway pleased Thirdly the reason then why Religion is thus deuided in the Christian world is the many seueral constructions of Gods Word whereby it is both diuersly and doubtfully vnderstood euery man adhering to that sence of Scripture as to his iudgement doth seeme most resonable And from hence it is that these two maine diuisions of Religion the Protestant and the Papist subdeuide themselues againe into many differences especially the Religion of Poperie For proofe whereof we may remember that the Church of Rome hath deuided itselfe into so many quarrel some disputations that searce two Colledges conspire one truth after one manner Nay and the best learned among them contradict and haue damned the opinions of one another this hath bene well declared by many arguments of sufficient proofe in the Learned writings of a Reuerend Doctor of this Church and which is now very lately declared by their own disagreements concerning the lawfulnesse of taking the Oath of Allegiance in which Controuersie the Pope and his great Cardinall Bellarmine oppose against their Arch-Priest Master Blackwell Fourthly It is also worthie of memorie that diuers of them in Queene Elizabeths time being prisoners at Wisbitch were deuided with so much hatred as might seme implacable the quarrell being for superiority betweene the Iesuites and Secular Priests began at Wisbitch but sithence spread ouer all Christendome neither doe I thinke will euer peaceably be compounded a matter rare that men professing one Religion and one Faith prisoners in one place and being by the Law dead men and onely continued there by the mercie of a gratious Prince should thus bitterly contend about priority and greatnesse of place And therefore it is most euident that in that Religion of Poperie wherein they so much boast of vniformity and generall consent there are many Sects and many bitter disagreements Fifthly and for the Protestant Religion whereof I esteeme most reuerently that also is full of much diuersity the vaine glorious spirits of men disturbing the peace of that Church which hath flourished with much prosperity And these diuersities like a ciuill warre and therefore a dangerous warre haue more indammaged the cause of Religion then all the other enemies in the world euer could doe which by reason of singularity and strange doctrine with which the grosse numbers of people are wonderfully contented they haue got a false reputation in the world of holinesse and thereby draw from the vnity of the Church numbers of the basest sort of people Sixthly It were needlesse to reckon vp the seuerall names of these Scismes they are to well knowne in this Nation whose peeuish obstinacie hath bene such as that neither Law nor mercy neuer yet could reclaime And whereas it is obiected by the enemies of our Faith that because of these diuersities therefore our Religion is not good I answer the argument is sencelesse because as I haue proued this diuersity is in all Religions and in theirs most who most obiect against vs. Againe wee all know that the Church of the Iewes was the true Church of God yet in that Church also was there much diuersity for the Sadduces did denie the resurrection which is a fundamentall point of Religion whereas our greatest differences are onely for circumstance and order And therefore this their argument of diuersity doth not conclude against the truth of Religion for the corne may bee good which lyeth mingled with Chaffe and so must the Church of GOD lie vntill the day of Iudgement when as Christ shall come with his Fanne and Seauer the good bad which in the meane time must lie in one heape in one Church and in one profession or name of Religion Seuenthly in this respect of vnity did the King most noblely defende the Catholike Faith disclaiming the enemies on both hands the proud Papist and the peeuish Puritan and like a most Christian Catholike King he directed himself to Iesus Christ placed as hee was crucified betweene these two Thieues who like two extremities Neighbour this most vertuous meane And let it be the prayers of euery true Christian that his Maiesties posterity for euer may thus direct themselues to the Lord Iesus only who only is the way the truth and life itself And let neuer any Caesar of this Empire incline their fauour to either of these crucified thieues for though they hang with Truth yet are they not true And that Religion which is but neere the Truth of the Catholike Faith is not that Truth for as God is so is Truth and so is the faith of holy Religion one and but one with out all duplicity or difference The Conclusion THVS I haue briefly and but sparingly reported the honourable deeds of the Defendors of the Catholike Faith wherein if I had bene iust and had related at full the number of their Princely deseruings in this kinde I should haue vndertaken a businesse of infinite paines and haue made this volume larger then the patience of these times allow to profitable writings I haue therefore extract from the number of their deeds such particulars onely as may abundantly serue to honour the memorie of their names And this trauell most Noble Prince I present to your Highnesse consideration not because I presume of any worth in my part of this businesse but because the knowledge thereof doth principally concerne the dignity of your High place wherein will appeare to your Gratious presence the view of your most Princely Predecessors and how farre they trauelled themselues for the aduancement of holy Religion defending it with resolutions constant and prosperous And wherein your Highnesse may behold what care this Christian Kingdome hath had for the Christian Faith and what care it doth expect in the hope of your Maiesty and in your posterity for euer Amen FINIS What Time is The Iudgement of Philosophy Gen. 1. 1. The Creation of Man All things giuen to Man The world diuided by Religion One God one Truth The reason of Multiplicitie of Religions The first schisme Gen. 4. 3. Gen. 4. 8. Caine the Father of Scisme The first alteration of Time Time the worse for time Gen. 6. 13. The first desire of Empire The foure Monarchies The state of the Church in the old world Gods Iudgements doe correct and not destroy God altereth the tâ—nâ—r of our Obligation The happie
These banning Popeâ— like Shemei and Balam The Princes agree not in their ends The Emperors bad fortunes The indignities wherewith the Pope did vse the Emperor The Popes insulting pride The Emperors end vnfortunate The King very fortunate In respect of themselues the two Princes were equalls in respect of their fortunes they disagree The Emperours praise God the fouÌ„taine of goodnesse All men naturally euill Grace the gift of God God decreeth the good and deuiseth the meanes K. Edward K. Edward fit to finish the worke of Reformation God had the greatest part in this businesse The King beloued of God The King the best of all Christian Princes then liuing The Nation happie in K. Edward to defend the Faith The praise of King Edward The miserie of manie kingdomes Alexander of Macedon Alexander leauing his Empire to his friend diuided did sooner perish The kingdomes of France Edward the Third The title of England to the crowne of France FraÌ„ce much vexed with English warres France still in the hazard of English warres English examples Yorke and Lancaster The cause of the Eâ—glish ciuill warres was the interrupting of lawfull Succession Queene Elizabeth The danger that was feared by her want of Issue The danger of the State Gods preuention The euent did exceed expectation The subuersion of great houses The Sonnes of gouernors are best fitted for gouernement King Edward did exceed and succeed his Father Diuine Pollitique Morall The Kings praise His mercy to his enemies The particular of his deserts The King did inherit his kingdome and hâ—â— care for Religion together His first care He secondeth his Fathers attempt His first act of defence to the Faith King Edward was not tempted as was King Henry by euill counsell His holy zeale for reformation The King well fitted for this businesse The King not moued by any respect Wherein K. Edward principally defended the Faith Popery vtterly extirped by the King The consent of Parliament An vniforme order of common prayer appointed by the King Verity could not stand without vnitie Iosias of Iuda The ceremonies of Poperie like the rites of the Heathen Priests Anno 1547. The repeale of statutes concerning Religion Sixe Articles Gardiner Bonner The Kings renowne The King put out the fires of persecution The King did cure the wound his Father made The Kings furtherance The orders of the Church â—stablishâ—d by the King The King most mercifull and compassionate In mercie men resemble God His care for poore Hospitalls by him erected The workes of mercie the best witnesses of holy Faith The King deserued his Stile Diuine Pollitique Morall Contraries iudge one another Note There must be faction Prouidence The reason of this opposition of good and euill Goodnesse not confounded but confirmed by the opposition of euill The way is good if the end be happy Truth Euill men and euill practise against the King Scotland The Marriage with Q. Mary of Scotland The importance of that Marriage King Iames our Soueraigne The King euer victor RebellioÌ„ moued by perswasion and not by any proper motioÌ„ The Papists The practise of rebâ—lâ—ious Iesuits and Priests The Duke of Somerset Protector His deserts The reforming of Religion diuided the kingdome into a faction The Dukes care to compound these differences The Duke slandered The variance between the Lord Protector the Barrons Honour and desert beget dangerous enuie The Dukes error in pollicie Post est occasio Calua Note This ouersight was his death The cause of this discord The Dukes improuideÌ„ce His euill gouernement of the State Ambition This opinion is all malice no truth The true cause was a practise of enuie A double enemie The nature of great and enuious spirits Vertue most subiect to enuie The tryall of law onâ—ly a colour to satisfie reports The Dukes extremitie of hard fortune The greatest are most subiect to the fall of Fortune Diuine Pollitique Morall Life is a sicknesse The contempt of life Holy men neuer feared the Image of death Holy death setteth open the gates of life The ChildreÌ„ of Grace The sonnes of nature The iudgement of sense can iudge miserie of mans life The antient Romanes and GreciaÌ„s Against the rule of Religion A notable demonstratioÌ„ Man hath more to afflict him than all other Creatures Because of sinne The cause of the many grieuances of mans life Sickenesse Sickenesse ordained to subdue the pride of our nature A double respect First the number of sicknesses Secondly the generality All men being subiect at all times to all infirmities Rich men The poore the rich are both alike â—fflicted with sicknesse Pouertie of life Pouertie hatefull to men The false opinion of the world The honourable and the vile man do oâ—cupiâ— on the others place Want dâ—iecteth the spirits of well deseruing men The griefe of noble spirits Pouertie to a good man is like the foyle to the Diamond The desperate effects of pouertie Mutability and change The continuall trouble of mans life The graue the resting place 〈…〉 Custome is another nature Men by their naturall motions moue to euill but to goodnesse by the mouing of Grace That Roman Conquerour The Duke of Somerset A custome among the antient Romanes Variable fortune maketh men miserable Discontent Minde Discontent a dangerous disease The danger in discontenting great spirits All men haue at some times their discontents Holy men haue bene discontented Griefe is a greater torment then sickenesse The greatnesse of Discontent Death Death an enemie against whom there is no resistance Death doth controule the prosperities of our life Death is not a misery to all men Death maketh holy men immortall Good men hope for death and bad men feare it Death and the graue make all things equall No man hath pleasures but with limitation To good men there is no miserie How to vse the pleasures of this life Who are happie No man can know any part of Gods secrets vnles God reueals them God not contrarie but aboue reason The cause of false constructions In diuine matters Christians must belieue when they cannot iudge The vse that God can make of all our actions K. Edward The wonderfull effects of Gods prouidence The blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Gospell The deaths of a few was the life of many God is mercifull in his iudgements The Kings death Great occasions of trouble in the kingdome The nobility commâ—ns disagree in the choice of their Prince King Edward euill counselled Northumberland Suffolke the cause of this great iniurie Reasons why the King did it not of his owne motion but by perswasion A doubtfull question resolued Good ends cannot be compassed by euill meanes God is the Father of truth What good men must do Diuine Pollitique Morall Iosias of Iuda and Edward of England Their age when they began their Reigne Both of these Kings conspiring one holy end Both their Kingdomes were corrupted with idolatrie Both of them yeeld their obedâ—ence to holy perswasion effect their purpose Both these
An importaÌ„t aduise to all Princes A Reason Esop in morall Fables The queenes moderation Her defence of Faith before she was Queene An euill practise to disinherit the Queene Note Her trouble in her Sisters time Queene Elizaheths Teares Salomon A good woman Pollitique Morall Her first care for Religion A loue principium The queenes care to cure the diseased State The practise of bad physisitions Her restoring Religion to purity of Doctrine Poperie for euer banished from this Iland King Edward ouermatched by Queene Elizabeth Her desert visible in the face of England The returning of holy men from banishment to England Diuine Pollitique Morall Experience Nothing that is earthly is free from inconstancie God the onely supporter of mens resolution The nature of all men Queene Elizabeth most constant To auoid the miscoÌ„ceiuing The Queene neuer fainted in her resolution Yet much tempted by state considerations Religion Pollicie respect diuers ends Religion ought to order state Religion is peruerted and Scripture wrested to maintaine vnlawfulnes In Popish states Regards of state One of the chiefe of Q. Elizabeths honourable deeds The victorie she had of her selfe The first consideration of State The danger of altering Religion A Reason The Queene made choise of the weaker to assist her against the stronger Her holy trust The second State consideration was the difficulty in finishing An argumeÌ„t from the order of nature The importance of this consideration Third consideration The displeasure of forreigne princes The desires of great persons The vse of forreigne regard In respect of England A Reason The Spanyard hath now larger Dominions than the Duke of Muscouy EnglaÌ„d in the midst of many disagreeing Nations The queenes constancie God is able to worke without as well as with meanes Sampson The honour of Queene Elizabeth Diuine Pollitique Morall Mercie The reward of Mercie Mercie hath prehemineÌ„ce in the nature of God Queene Elizabeth very mercifull An admirable degree of Mercie The mercy of Popish lawes and Papists How much the Queene hath exceeded her Sister in mercie The purpose of the queens Lawes No meanes to reclaime the inueterate enuie of men Proiects deuised by the Pope Interdictions Pope Pius Quintus The euill effect of the Popes Bull. A Parliament The cause of the statutes against Recusants Exmalis moribus nascuntur bona leges The mercy of the queens Lawes The purpose of the Statutes A large demonstration of the queens mercie The slanders of euill and malitious men None haue haue suffered in England for their conscience onely The mercy of the Law The Popes Bull the occasion of more strict Lawes The purpose of the state The difference in the practise of these states Our iustice more mercifull then their mercie The pollitique regard of this seuerity in the Romish State Religion flourisheth vnder â—ppression This Pollicie not answerable to piety nor holy example Act. 5. 34. The mercy of English Lawes concerning Religion Christ the true example of Christians The principall purpose of the statutes The necessity of these Statutes Diuine Pollitique Morall In respect of the Church The prosperity of the state dependeth on the prosperity of the Church The Church and State Children of one Father Respect had to Pollicie and not to piety onely The Popes quarrell The particular branches of these Statutes Inconuenience by English Romish trauellers Nothing can respect the state lawfully that respecteth not Religion also A comparisoÌ„ Of most importance for the Church In respect of the common-Wealth The wisedome of state The dangerous inconuenience of Iesuites and Romish Priests The Iesuites banished France Franciscan Fryer King Dauid A respect most needfull for the English Nation A prouident carâ— The policie of the Romish Church preuented Iesuites Intelligencers A great means of the Popes greatnesse The vse of Seminarie Priests and Iesuites Treason Wherein Iesuits are best learned Diuine Pollitique Morall Euery mans care Charity doth approue vs good men Children of God Loue the fulfilling of Gods Law The dutie of euery Christian The care which ought to be regarded in all States The purity of Christian Religion The difference of Christian and heathenish State Queene Elizabeth most compassionate Distressed Christian Princes In respect of Scotland The wisedome of those times Note These two Kingdomes in one Isle like two wiues in one house King Iames. The Queene hath the glorie of this deede The Queene euer fauorable to Scotland The Queene defended that nation which her predecessors had much offended The French King A princely regard Obiection Answer The Queene neuer altogether ruled by the perswasion of State The queenes reason The Frenchmen owe thankes to the name of Queene Elizabeth The King and kingdome of portingall None can giue victory at his pleasure Gods iudgement The doubt of Anthonies title The queenes double respect in this voyage A reason for the Queenes excuse The States of the Low-Countries A dangerous Obiection The answer The queenes nature A second reason of the Queenes doings Note Euill men readie to traduce the Queene The offence betweene England and Spaine a sufficient reason for these proceedings Vertue the better for opposition The Queene iustifiable in this quarrell The Spaniards the States can both report the Queenes victories The queenes cares euer seruants to the necessities of Christian princes The honour of the English Nation Diuine Pollitique Morall God the best recompencer of deserts God most assured in his promises Gods reward In the queens particular Many practises against the Queene The diuers sorts of practises Gods speciall prouidence for the Queenes safetie Daunted with her Maiesty It is in vaine to resist the power of God Her trouble in her Sisters time Her enemies could not preuaile to her destruction An obiection The answer Note The queenes innocence was a cause but not the onely cause of her safetie After she was Queene The practise of the Pope against her The two Earles WestmerlaÌ„d and NorthuÌ„berland Gods defence for the queen The Spanish King The common attempts on both sides The nature of our English Warres with Spaine The Spanish preparation to inuade England The inuincible Nauie Anno. 1588. Their proud confidence God hateth pride in all Creatures His mighty deliuerance Sir Francis Drake How the Queene behaued her selfe in these weighty affaires No man certainly known before his end The glory of our life is to continue in well doing The queenes godly constaÌ„cie She was answerable to her constant mot Semper eadem Her constancie apparent In the view of her gouernement The name of Queene Elizabeth cannot perish in England A request to the learned of this Land The last defence shee made for the Catholike Faith A most Christian care A worldly care To benefit posterity The care of Christians The queenes persecution King Iames. Obiection Answer Another obiection Reasons The answer None but God can foretell the truth of future euents Gods decree His prouidence Councell When Gods secrets are knowne to men All things are iudged by their euents and not otherwise Astrâ—logie and calculating vncertaine False foreiudging The foolish impudence of men God iudgeth not as man by apparaÌ„ce The Kings Maiesty God hath exceeded our hopes Mens expectations deceiued In respect of likely-hood The practise of forreigne States our enemies A matter very considerable The discretion of State Note Gods fauour to the King The enemies of this Kingdome What the King did inherit with England The Kings forward successe The King at his entring had no vse for weapon but to giue honour The happie issue deceiued the euill ezpectation Gods blessings to our Nation Queene Elizabeth We ought to glory in nothing but in well-doing Gods instrument The Kings care for Religion The Kings reforming the state of Scotland The first Protestant King in this Kingdome Gods assistance to the Kings good cause The King defended the quarrell of Faith before he had the title A gratious beginning ending Diuine Pollitique Morall The alteration of a Prince the alteration of State Nothing but the person of the Prince was altered The euill hopes of bad men The hope of factious people Note That both the Papist the puritane could conspire on hope in one particuler Prince The successe failed Church of Scotland The Kings resolute constancie The reason Their arguments of hope How God assisted the King in this important businesse The Kings choice The Papist and the Puritane both enemies to the Catholike Church The order of the Kings proceeding against the Puritan The Kings most Christistian Care His Maiesties religious Iudgement The different nature of the King and these peeuish people Obiection Answer A most orderly proceeding An argument Papist The care of the State The reason The Papists The Gunpowder treason How this might haue wrought reuenge in the Kings desire The Kings Proclemation His most religious mercie Statutes enacted The Oath of Allegiance Blackwell the Arch-Priest The two great enemies of our Church Diuine Pollitique Morall The many daungers the King passed In Scotland England The conspiracie of the Gowries His deliueuerance At the Queenes death The Pope and Papist No disturbance to let the Kings forward entrance The treason of the blowing vp the Parliament house A destruction lesse mercifull than the Flood God wonderfully protected the King Religion deuideth the world The names of Christian and heathen odious to one another The Christians among themselues and the heathen among themselues deuided Among the Christians Christians now haue as manie Religions as the Pagans had Gods One God one Truth one Religion God hath prescribed an order for his seruice The reason why Religion is so deuided The contradictions among the learned Papists Doctor Morton Bellarmine and Blackwell Wisbitch Iesuites and Secular Priests Note In the Religion of popery much diuersity The Protestant Religion deuided The hurts of diuided Religion No meanes to reclaime these disobedient Christians Obiections of the Papists Answer Diuersity in all Religions Diuersity in the Iewish Church The doctrine of the Sadduces The Kings desert in this respect of vnity The true Religion is like Christ betweene two Thieues Christ the way the truth and the life He that is but neere truth is not true