blowen vp in Christendome that can not yet be quieted and all because the Pope hath instilled an opinion into his Papistes that Princes if he dispense with them are not bound to kéepe fayth and promise no not the word of a king wherby no peace can yet be assured Whereof yet riseth one good admonition to trust them no more and to be well ware of them and specially to thinke of this one particular that wicked persons which haue geuen occasion of dangerous rebellions against the Quéenes maiestie their chiefe and onely succour and refuge will neuer be witholden by any respecte from attempting or procuring to be attempted any most hie and hainous treason and mischiefes against our soueraigne Ladies safetie if auantageable opportunitie may serue them so long as such persons are infected with Papistrie and can thinke the Pope hable to pardon or rather willing to reward them yea so farre as they shall suppose them selues not onely to winne the kingdome of England therby but also the kingdome of heauen It is perilous to thinke what traitorous rage may do being armed with dronken superstition It is a sore thing to consider the impotentie of ambition specially when it is ioyned with the furie of reasonlesse loue The common experience is how dangerous those knottes of théeues be where there is a woman in the companie Thus is it plaine that for as much as the Pope claimeth such wrongfull vsurpation and tyrannie ouer kinges and realmes and sith Papistes holde that he saith true and claimeth but his right and can not erre in discerning it all such Papistes are traitors to all kinges and kingdomes As for the second conclusion which accuseth English Papistes of treason to the Quéenes maiestie it is sufficiently proued for that it is as a particular within a generall included in the former Yet for the speciall confirmation of it it hath certaine priuate and seuerall reasons It is well knowen how they sought her graces death in her sisters time what practises what fetches were vsed for it what examinations what searchinges were to finde color of her destruction yea if it be true which is credibly sayd how farre without color they proceded if God had not miraculously kept her to the preseruation of this Realme and the comfort of whole Christendome But to make some demonstration of their hatred to her maiestie by reason and after to descend to the examples and practises let vs examine the causes Whereas the Papistes holde that the Pope is head of Gods vniuersall Church and that such authoritie as the Quéene claimeth in England ouer ecclesiasticall persons and in ecclesiasticall causes as due to her highnesse in right of her crowne is not due to her but belonging to the Pope in so saying they must say that her maiestie claimeth an vniust tyrannicall power And whosoeuer shall so say though not in the same sillables is an vniust and an errant traitor and can not loue her that hath pulled downe him whom they call head of their Church Also where Papistes affirme the Chirch of Rome to be the true Catholicke Chirch of God and that as out of Noes Arke there was no safetie from drowning so out of the Romane Church there is no escape of damnation is there any hope that they so thinking can or do loue her highnesse that hath dismembred them from the body of that Chirch and plucked them out of that Cocklorelles boate Where Papistes holde the heresie of transubstantiation and the bread to be Christes naturall bodie the blasphemie of Popishe Masse to be an auailing sacrifice for quicke and dead the Popes pardons to be hable to deliuer them from hell and damnation is it likely that they loue her whom they thinke to depriue them of so great treasures Where the Papistes holde our whole forme of seruing of God which forme the Quéenes maiestie hath prescribed and deliuered to her subiectes to be schismaticall our lawes in spirituall thynges no lawes our sacramentes no sacramentes our Bishops no Bishops our Clergie no Clergie surely they thinke our Coronations no Coronations our Quéene no Quéene or at least they are sory she is so Where Papistes beleue a Purgatorie and that Masses Diriges and such other gainfull marchandise of the Popish Clergie be beneficiall for their frendes soules and their owne and do in the meane time imagine that theyr fathers grandsires grandames wiues and other frendes soules lie frying in vnexplicable tormentes and the Quéenes maiestie holdeth from them the onely meane to release them thinke you such persons grudge not at her excéedingly Where the Pope hath accursed the Quenes maiestie as an heretike and schismatike all those Papistes which suppose that the Pope hauing the disposition of Gods sentence and the thunderbolt of excommunication in his hand can not erre do also suppose that the Quenes highnesse our Quene Elizabeth I meane is not lawfull Quene of England for so must all Papistes hold that hold the Pope to say true for the Pope doth not so accept her And true it is that the refusall of the othe for the acknowledging her Maiesties supremacie ouer ecclesiasticall persones and in ecclesiasticall causes is for very good reasons to be suspected that for the most part it is but coloured with pretense of conscience for ecclesiasticall causes and to be thought that in very deede it dependeth chefely vpon this poynt that sith her Maiestie hath bene suspended excommunicated and declared out of the church by the Pope they thinke her Maiestie not lawfull Quene of England For the like example or preiudice haue the like Papistes geuen heretofore at many times and namely when Elizabeth Barton that hipocriticall harlot sometime called the holy mayde of Kent with whose false traitorous practises were fowly spotted and entangled More and Fisher the new Romishe Saintes published as a reuelation from God a traytorous article suggested vnto her by popishe Priestes and Monkes with whom she carnally and filthily liued that the Queenes Maiesties most noble father after a time by them limited was not King of England one houre in the sight of God The like interpretation did Papistes make of king Iohn And Papistes haue published that Gospellers whom they call heretikes ought not to haue any office among Gods people much lesse a kingdome And this poynt is well to be considered that they which take from the Quéenes maiestie the supremacie ouer ecclesiastical persones and causes do transferre the same iurisdiction to the Pope for they neuer yet bouch saued to geue it to any other ▪ and I am sure that after so many parables and examples of bées and beastes and other thynges they will not now haue any particular church hedlesse and destitute of a supreme gouernor either vniuersall like a monarch as they wold haue it or speciall vnder God of eche kingdome or dominion as Gods good disposition hath sorted it If then the Pope haue in theyr opinion any ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in
gouernance we know to be true and haue felt to be good I wish it destroyed and put out of hope least it hope to sone to fast to much to hye and ioyne with to many Record I pray you the anathemaes of the conspiracie of Trent theyr cruell and dangerous practises agaynst this realme and agaynst all other of Christian profession the Popes sentences agaynst our Quéene and Countrey and all this well liked of and holden for holy by our owne vnhappy Papistes Remember the deuises to put the same sentences and conspiracies in execution in Fraunce and Flanders all at one tyme. Consider the concurrence and euennesse of tyme of this rebellious enterprise in England and that late murderous and haynous attempt in Scotlande But to pyke a litle more good out of the late ill déede of horrible murder What say the Quéenes good subiectes to be the cause why after our rebelles vanquished the Regent was slayne that should haue bene done before to serue our rebelles and their conspiraters turne For sooth their traitors there and some conspiraters here Englishe or Scottish saw full well the sincere frendship of the Regent to the Quéene that notwithstandyng all the practises from hense to the contrarie he mynded to deliuer our rebelles whereby the counselles and complices both here and there must haue bene disclosed they politikely prouided by assent to murder that noble gentleman betimes whose bloud added to other bloudes so crye to God as it is perilous to draw to much into societie and partnershyp of those agaynst whom such bloud so crieth This is the common feare of good subiectes and to feare to much rather then to little may be more folly but it is lesse fault It may haue lesse cause but it hath more truth honestie and fayth Wey well if these be the meanes that my lordes of Northumberland and Westmerland and their company haue sought to bryng the vnityng of realmes and crownes and to worke the effect of theyr proclamations both for state and religion which doyng such men brag to be so beneficiall sith the same and the titles thereof reach not so farre as by any these meanes to make such vnityng in the person of our most noble Quene nor such attemptes for religion and other effectes can be atcheued with her likyng then what successe is to be looked for of theyr deuises and what marke is it to be feared they shoote at They and such other Papistes and ambitious practisers may perhaps iustly and truly say protest sweare that they entended not the effect of such purposes while her Maiestie liueth for it may be that they meane peraduenture that her hyghnesse should not lyue so long God preserue her to outlyue all them that haue lyued to long This example is terrible and would be profitably vsed You can not forget how the Pope claimeth and our Papistes do graunt him the superioritie ouer Ecclesiasticall persons Theyr obedience is thereby withdrawen from theyr Prince and from the seruice of theyr Countrey they exempted from theyr duties to the Prince and realme Like is the referryng of all ecclesiasticall causes to the Pope as to the supreme iudge and ruler Great wrong therby is done to the Realme great withdrawyng of the bodyes of subiectes from presence to serue and defende the Realme and great transportation of the treasure the foule examples whereof in pilfring and scrapyng within the Realme to serue the vnsatiable couetise of Rome appeareth by the many lamentable complaints in theyr owne histories with which enormities and oppressions as most burdenous and perilous to the Realme our Parlamentes and specially Conuocations haue before tyme found them selues meruelously agreued And yet this heuie ouerchargeable yoke must be reduced agayne by our Papistes yea and our new angeles of Louaine with whom the euil sprites at home do accord can terme these intollerable exactions but a small pitance or trifle to acknowledge our good will to our mother church and can call the reasonable mislyking or iust gronyng thereat as a niggardly grudgyng Liberall men I assure you and no maruell for they be of hys faction that sometyme bragged that the aduauncyng of hym selfe to the throne of Rome should cost hym all England So small a thyng these Papistes accompt it to venture all England at a cast And good reason haue they for they venture it at the perill of other mens losses for whosoeuer reigne here by their treason they are lyke to kéepe or increase theyr wealthes and dignities Let it be thought vpon how much these fellowes esteme the common knot of fidelitie to the Prince whereby the peace of the land is holden together and eche mans due propertie is preserued which beleue that the same faith is dissoluble at the will of a foreine priest Let also this descendyng gradation be considered concernyng Papistes and their hope how true they will be to their Countrey that are not true to God how true they will be to their good Prince that are not true to their Countrey how true they will be to any subiect that are not true to their Prince and thereby let theyr confedrates beware that they be not made bottels first filled then emptied afterward hanged vp by the walles Let the Duke of Buckingham in king Richardes tyme and infinite other beate this wisdome into theyr head to know how ill a tyrant or one that atteyneth a crowne by mischiefe and wrong can beare to liue detbounden to those that aduaunced hym or subiect to their reproche being once fleshed in mischiefes by theyr helpe how litle conscience he maketh to procede further and specially vpon them whom he knoweth in hys conscience in ioynyng with hym to haue well deserued it Let them well digest the vicont of Melunes admonition on hys death bed to the English barons in the beginning of the reigne of king Iohns heire And let them neuer say that they the late rebels and theyr complices had no such intētion to ouerthrow her Maiesties estate sith the thinges expressed in their first proclamation can not be done while her Maiesties estate continueth who hath so honorably oft protested to preferre Gods truth aboue her crowne and lyfe which God long preserue Let all Englishmen thinke of this and beleue it as experience hath taught it that where Monkes and religious persons changed their surnames and had many other solemne ceremonies at their professions which they sayd dyd signifie their vertuous renouncing of worldly and carnall fansies the same pretense of signifiyng was vtterly false like the pretense of refusing the othe to the Quéene and the very true meaning such as is proued by the consequence of their déedes was no other but that euery perfect Papist doth take vpon him a zeale for defense of their God the Pope and his heresie to throwe away all due and naturall beneuolence and fayth to Prince Countrey parentes frendes and all those iust and
England he must haue Ius excommunicandi lawfull power and authoritie to excommunicate in England without which the ecclesiasticall power can not stand Which power if he iustly haue and hath excommunicate and accursed the Quéene either by speciall name or generally vnder title of heretikes of which sort he estemeth her then hath he therin done pro suo iure as he lawfully myght do And this beyng so supposed true then is it good to consider what is taken for Gods law and the law ecclesiasticall De vitandis excommunicatis for shonnyng of excommunicate and accursed persones which yeld not to any repentance submission or reconciliation to that church forsothe that euery Christian in peyne of excommunication de iure wherein to dye is thought to dye in state of damnation is bound to withdrawe from such accursed persons not repentyng all frendly or louyng company and countenance all ayde and relefe all seruice and obedience Which doyng for these good subiectes of England to put in execution toward the Quéene were a very meritorious act But what doth it merite the iust peynes of treason for breakyng theyr due allegeance and eternall damnation if they repent not for resistyng Gods lawfull ordinance This géere goeth sore it is very euident and playne that by necessary consequence to this confession of traitorousnesse they must be driuen if they will continue Papistes that is will affirme the Popes sentences not to erre or will geue the Pope any spirituall iurisdiction in England Wherfore these refusalles to acknowledge her maiesties lawfull power by othe would be well looked vnto and the pretenses colors and causes of such refusalles would be well examined namely in such as shall haue to do with iustice and gouernyng the contrye but specially with those that shall haue accesse into her hyghnesse houshold and presence And well it would be sought what defense of dispensation or toleration they haue for theyr dissemblyng theyr purposes in not yet executyng the Popes sentence agaynst her and what deuises they haue for warrantyng of theyr consciences in suspendyng such treasons till stronger opportunities what absolutions or instructions Popishe Apostles haue brought at theyr secret steppyng into England agayne For such salues are not vnlikely to come out of hys shoppe that dispenseth with breach of fayth yea that openly proclaymeth that there is no fayth to be kept with Christes frendes hys aduersaries hys shop I say that can geue grace to haue consecrated altarstones or superaltares for hys traitorous frendes in enterdited landes to haue masse without peril his shop that can send out badges with leaue to sweare and vnsweare with so liberal permissioÌ„ as to say Geue me thy hart and it suffiseth And well may it suffice for the hart will cary the hand too when opportunitie serueth when theyr Golden day approcheth of which they make so great accompt Such good fellowes would be well looked vpon And for as much as Papistes accompt theyr Popes decrées the voyce of Gods spirite frée from error it is to be weyed how farre we must nedes thinke they suppose the Popes curse to haue extended agaynst our most noble Quéene realme with whoes publike seruice and prayer yea where nothyng is vsed but the vndouted word of God and agreable with it they can not finde in theyr hartes to communicate but abhorre it as schismaticall They would be opposed with a few interrogatories It would be enquired whether they thynke our Quéene lawfully Quéene of thys realme before God notwithstandyng the Popes sentence And whether they thinke the Popes sentence to reache any nerer vnto her hyghnesse then if it had béen the sentence of the Byshop of Toledo or the Byshop of Paris and not geuen by the Byshop of Rome or vnder hys authoritie And if it reach nearer then how farre it reacheth And if it extend to cases touchyng her hyghnesses crowne and dignitie or the seruice and obedience of her subiectes or so farre as it were treason for any English subiect to put it in execution in England then whether the Pope in so presumyng and publishyng that he doth but as he lawfully may do haue iudicially erred in matter both of fact doctrine passed hys boundes or no But to come somewhat nerer to Papistes alway supposing such Papistes as I haue before specially described I shall in one thyng moue myne owne conceite for a question in law referring it yet to the correction iudgement of such as be learned in law of which sort I trust there be none that haue not already by theyr othes acknowledged the Quéenes maiesties full authoritie and so haue declared that them selues be not giltie The statute made in the first yeare of the Quéenes maiesties reigne the vj. Chap. sayth thus And be it c. that if any person or persones at anie tyme after the sayd first day of May next to come by any writing printyng ouert dede or act maliciously aduisedly and directly do affirme that the Quenes maiestie that now is ought not to haue and enioy the stile honor and kingly name of this realme c. shalbe demed and adiudged hye traitors I take it by the same Statute that such an affirmation that the Quéenes maiestie ought not to haue and enioy the crowne of Ireland is hye treason for that the kingdome of Ireland is of ryght perteinyng to the crowne of England and the title therof is belongyng to and parcell of the stile honor and kingly name of this realme and is in the Quenes maiesties vsuall stile so plainly expressed And so thynke I so much as is conteyned in the Quéenes maiesties royall stile or as the law doth in anie wise say to be parcell of the stile honor or kingly name of this realme But the Quéenes iurisdiction ouer ecclesiasticall persones in ecclesiasticall causes within this realme is parcell of the ancient right of the crowne and so part of the stile kingly name or honor of this realme and so it is acknowledged in the first statute of the same Parliament where it is sayd May it c. for the restoryng of the rightes iurisdictions and preeminences apperteinyng to the imperiall crowne of this your realme c. Item for the restoryng and vnityng to the imperial crowne of this realme the auncient iurisdictions authoritie superiorities and preeminences to the same of right belongyng and apperteinyng Also the authoritie of Rome is in sundry places of the same first statute recognised to be vsurped which can not be if the Quenes supremacie do not of right perteine to her croune Which act is also intitled An act for restoryng to the croune the auncient iurisdiction ouer the state eccâ—esiasticall c. Moreouer the same her maiesties right is playnty expressed to be parcell of the stile honor and kingly name of this realme in the vsuall stile as it is set out at large in her maiesties Iniunctions and also conteyned in the commonly written stile