Gētlemen citizens and some artificers preuaile a monstruous case and that in cause of religion not onely against al the Bishops of the Vniuersal Church besides vvhich haue as S. Ireneus saith receiued vvith their Episcopal succesiō the grace and gift of vnderstanding the truth but euen against their ovvne Prelates and Pastors vvho to say the least must needes both by their great vvisdom learning godly life and by their vocation be more like to knovv the truth and giue true sentence in matters belonging to their ovvne profession and vvere vvith more reason to be heard then those vvho neither for age learning nor diuinitie vvere comparable to them and to vvhom al the said persons by Gods lavv and mans did ovve specially in these cases of religion al subiection and obedience as to the proper Pastors of their soules Aboue al this they moreouer at the same time caused a forme of othe to be conceiued concerning the Queenes spiritual Souerainty vvhich should be offered to al Archbishops Bishops and other Ecclesiastical persons specially vvhom they knevv by their former declaration and Protestation against it could not in conscience take it nor vvould against their conscience receiue it that vpon refusal therof they might be deposed to vvitte the Pastors and parents euen by their sheepe and children Certaine hungrie companions from Geneua shaped into sheepeskinnes vvayting in the meane time to enter vpon their flockes as aftervvard they did the said Prelates honorably and gladly sustaining depriuation and euer since emprisonment for confession of their faith vvhereby and by tracte of time most of them be happily and gloriously deceased These strange and vnnatural dealings these procedings dishonorable to her Ma. tie and the Realme these lavves against Gods expresse cōmaundements vvhich prescribe obedience and subiection to our Prelates these decrees that limite Gods constant and permanent truth to the mutabilitie of temporal statutes to mortal mens vvilles and fansies these are the lavves of the Realme and not the Ciuil ordinances of our Prince that vve refuse to obey and vvhich not onely in our life and doctrine but vnto death and yelding our bloud vve trust to vvithstand vvishing that so at the least God vvil haue mercie on our Countrie and vvipe avvay the ignominie of such violent disorders vvhich to all our posteritie must needes breede shame and rebuke and to vs Gods indignation Vve liue not then here in this our absence from our Coūtrie any vvhit contrarie to Gods lavves as vve be charged but against mans lavves so far as it is euident that they be repugnant to the lavves of God the Church and nature as by the premisses is plaine and as vve are able further to proue against any Protestant Diuine in the vvorld Yea vve auouch further that as no Protestant Diuine in Christendom can proue vve liue against Gods lavves so no Protestant Lavvyer of the Realme for the Catholikes of neither science vvil stand against vs in this poynt can conuince vs that vve liue contrarie to the lavves of our Counrrie Vvhich vve affirme not for that onely that such lavves be vniust and therfore lightly bind not in cōscience nor for that that pertaining to religiō they passed vvith out the consent of any of the Clergie nor for that that being repugnāt to the dignitie and priuileges of the Church they are against the othe of the makers and of al Christian Princes in due order consecrated but for that they be not in deede any lavves at al the makers lacking competent povver authoritie and iurisdiction to procede iudicially and authentically to heare determine define or giue sentence in any such things as be mere Ecclesiastical The Parliament is a mere temporal Court the Bishops them selues hauing voice there no othervvise but as Barons of the Realme nor hauing authoritie thereby or in that respect to treat or define of any matters other then pertaine to the ciuil regiment of the state al the povver that they or others there haue being deriued from the Prince and Commonvvealth ciuil vnto vvhom neither by the lavv of God nor of nature the defining of such matters do belong And it is an euident errour reproueable by al humane and diuine learning that the souerainty or supremacie in causes Ecclesiastical is by nature or by Christian lavves implied in the right or title of a temporal King or that it euer vvas due or can be due to any temporal gouernour Heathen or Christian in the vvorld Not to the crovvne of a Heathen Prince can it belong vvhose Emperial Kingly or Princely povver ouer their peoples vvas notvvithstanding lavvful and true soueraintie and agreable to the lavv of nature and Gods ordinance of vvhich States the Apostles spake vvhen they charged the Christians to pray for them and to be subiect and obedient to them generally through their Epistles as our Sauiour also did in the Gospel concerning the paiment of tribute forasmuch as for some hundred yeres after there vvere not many Princes conuerted to Christ and yet al that vvhile the Church had her seueral regiment Not to Pagan Emperours then did it belong though they vvere no lesse Emperial and Kingly then novv neither vvas it chalenged of them for the principal Apostles ruled the Church in Rome vvhē Nero reigned likevvise vvhere the Kingdoms are reuolted againe as in al the Turkes dominion needes must the Church there haue a spiritual regimēt vvithout any dependance of the Heathen Kings vvhom yet in temporal matters they obey and serue And therfore al that the Protestants alleage out of Scriptures make no more for the claime of a Christian Prince then for the right of the Heathen Againe not to the crovvne of Kings or kingdoms in that they be Christian for then the Church vvhich is Christes mystical body or Commonvvealth matching and meeting vvith a terrene or earthly state should forsake her proper regiment iurisdiction and forme of gouernement receiued immediatly of Christ and yeld the same and it self to the earthly povver vvhich the Apostle calleth humanam creaturam By vvhich meanes vvhen so euer a king or Countrie is conuerted the Church should come and submit to them and not they to Christ and his Church vvhich must needes be most absurd Princes and peoples conuerted alvvaies submitting them selues to Christ and his lavves not dravving the Gouernours of the Church or any person therof to more subiection then they vvere before their Christianitie yea often rather rem◅ting some of that for Christes honour And therfore the holy Scriptures informe vs by euident speaches that conuerted Kingdōs must serue the Church The Kingdom and Nation saith the Prophete that serueth not thee meaning the Church shal perish And S. Augustine Our Lord saith he wil not sail to defend his Church who hath made al earthly kingdoms subiect to his yoke within her lappe spred through out the whole world Kings by receiuing Christes religion are not become Christes Maisters or Lordes ouer the
Maiestas or the Commonvvealths disturbāce is but to seeke meanes to haue the bloud of innocēt men that neuer committed treasons nor trespasses against any Prince or Common-vvealth it is to make our liues and deaths odious and the true causes therof vnknovven to the vvorld baptizing that by the name of treason and sedition vvhich is mere matter of religion soul and conscience Vvhat hath Masse Matins Confession Absolution beades Agnusdeies and other consecrated tokens of our communion vvith al the Churches of Christ through al ages vvhat affinitie haue they in nature vvith treason Stād they not in al Nations round about you vvith the high duety and loyaltie that belongeth to Princes is there any definition or description of that trespasse vvhich can of reason include the premisses or proue them treasons And though the lavves may make things treason vvhich before vvere not yet in making them so consideration is alvvaies had of the qualitie and cōdition of the faultes and offenses For as to make the saying of Diuine seruice after the rites of the Catholike Church to be Simonie vsurie felony or aduoutrie vvere ridiculous and impossible so it is impossible to make these matters of mere religion in true and proper fense the offense of treason or disloyaltie to the Prince or Commonvvealth Neither doth euery commaundemēt of the Soueraine though in things lavvful not fulfilled make the offense treasonable much lesse either vvhen it concerneth matters merely repugnāt to Gods vvord and our dueties to the Diuine Maiestie as it did in Daniels and the Three childrens case or in causes not truely subiect to any temporal King or his lavves For if such a Prince should make the like lavv that Darius did That no man should pray to any God other then him self for certaine daies al the lavves in the vvorld can not make the refusant a traitour nor bound to obey more then Daniel vvas then not onely because lavves euidently vniust and against God may not be obeied but for that the prayer to the true God and seruing him is not repugnant to any duety that the subiect ovveth to his Soueraine by Gods lavv or nature and therfore can not be made treason in true and proper speach The Churches holy Sacrifice Seruice and Sacraments and consecration or blessing of creatures by the vvord of God and prayer haue no qualitie or condition of treason or crime against the maiestie of the Prince or the repose of the people But if in making such factes treason the meaning be nothing els but to make them punishable by death and othervvise as treasons by the statutes of the Realme are and ought to be then haue vve the pitifullest iniurie in the vvorld that beīg no traitours in deede yet vve must suffer the ignominie and paines of treason and so much the greater that it is done by pretense of lavves and publike authoritie then if it vvere done as it hath been in Holland Zeland and some part of France by barbarous crueltie of Heretikes the Prince and Commonvvealth not agreing therevnto For it is a greuous sinne and dishonorable vvhen a vvhole State agreeth vpon any iniquitie And vve think verily God vvould haue taken vengeance vpon our poore Countrie if her Ma. tie of great clemencie had not staied the execution of so vniust and intolerable disorders though diuers mo then her Highnes knovveth of haue fealt the extreme smart therof in most cruel sort God turne his iust ire from vs for the same But seeing a staffe is easily found to beat a dogge and vvith lions eares be often hornes and such cases of religion and cōscience must needes be so extremely punished Vvhy do they reduce our offense rather to Treason then to Heresie If our doctrine be vvicked our actions superstitious our vvorship of God sacrilegious idololatrical or anyvvise vntrue or vnlavvful vvhy are vve not condemned of such crimes rather then of treason or vnduetifulnes to our Prince for if they be faultes they are directly against Gods honour and but indirectly and consequently against the Prince But for the better enterance into Caluinisme and entertaining the same the old lavves peraduenture for punishing Heretikes vvere repelled or because they can not so easily determine vvhether vve be Heretikes or our Aduersaries vvho haue been dubbed vvith that name so long by the lavves both spiritual and temporal of al Christian countries vvhich also yeld vs the Protestāts making no great claime therevnto both the name of Catholike vvhich vvith S. Augustine vveighed so much and al the properties and prescriptions of truth therevnto belonging therfore they thought it a neerer vvay to make vs traitours then Heretikes and to punish vs for pretensed fedition and conspiracie then for errour in doctrine or heresie Vvherein though they haue giuen authoritie to the Court of Parliament to determine together vvith their Conuocation of the Clergie vvhat is an errour or an heresie yet it is not like they vvil agree of any such thing shortly This also being a common thing in times of errour and disorder to make the fault committed or said to be cōmitted against the Prince greater and more punishable then the offense done directly against God against the Common vvealth thē against the Church against the body thē against the soul more a do about Caesars tribute then Gods due as both in al other things and in the very title of Supremacie is plaine Vvhere the superiority Tēporal hath the first place and preeminēce and the Spiritual is but accessorie vvholy vpholden and directed by the other as vvel for the right of the thing as for the exercise of iurisdiction agreable therevnto And in that case it must needes so be the crovvne being not a spiritual dignitie but a temporal the person of a Prince not spiritual but temporal the Realme not a spiritual Commōvvealth but a temporal the Parliament not a spiritual Court but a temporal the statutes not spiritual lavves but temporal Or if not al these vvholy and soly temporal yet al these more tēporal then spiritual vvhich our Aduersaries them selues can not vvith any reason deny So that in such Countries and lavves vve can expect no other but that al our spiritual endeuours misliked of the State must needes against Gods lavves and mans be violently dravven to treasons and trespasses temporal vvhich be they lavvful or vnlavvful be euidently mere spiritual first to be condemned by their Clergie of errour or heresie and then to be punished by the temporal lavves if they had any standing in force against such offenses Therefore in al these cases pretended treasonable vve for our selues and our brethren by S. Paules example vvho being charged before the ciuil Magistrate of conspiracie and il demeanour tovvardes his Countrie protested that he vvas iudged concerning the Resurrection a question in religion and not for sedition or concourse in tumultes do crie to God and al Christian people vvhich behold our afflictions and sufferings that it is for
them vvere Gospel as many of them be more false then Esops fables these things and the great vvearines that the vvorld and specially vvise men that easily forsee the euent of their pretended spiritual gouernement haue of that religion did giue great successe to the former good endeuours Yea euen the very seueritie of the lavves made against the Catholikes and these attempts and the popular pulpit-mens perpetual balling and railing against the Pope caused many one that othervvise should neuer haue heard or thought of him to enquire further vvhat that Pope is in vvhom they perceiued by the vehement contradiction and choler of their preachers that there lay some great moment in these causes of religion and so happily admonished and looking backe to the antiquitie they find that it vvas the propertie of all Sectes and that it is as sure a signe of rebellion against Christ and his Church as to raile vpon the Soueraine temporal is to rebel against the Common-vvealth These things novv vve haue thus openly particularly and plainely set dovvne of the end and actions of our Seminaries perhaps more folovving equitie and sinceritie then policie in discouering our doings to some disaduantage of the cause vvhich vve seeke so much to preferre though vve trust in Christ Iesus vvho hath hitherto turned al humane impediments to the aduantage of his name and truth that our plaine dealing shal neither offend our Aduersaries not hurt our frendes nor hinder our good meanings As for the Popes Holinesse vvho of his great benignitie hath instituted and endevved the sayd Seminaries no man can by reason reprehēd his doings being most agreable to his Apostolike careful solicitude of al Churches and Christian Nations to the desire he hath to seeke and reduce vvith vvhat cost or paine so euer the lost sheepe of his fold to his special loue of our Countrie vvhich notvvithstāding their vnkind reuolt from the felovvship of his faith and authoritie vvhich they entered into at their first conuersion notvvithstāding the vnciuil lavves made against him in more exquisite termes then against any enimie or Turke vvhose messengers they vvould not generally repel as they do his novvithstanding their perpetual prayers speaches preachings and proclamations against the vvhole order he tenderly affecteth and pitieth stil and for the honour and saluation of our people and for no other vvorldly respect or cōmoditie he hath of his ovvne charges besides other munificēce bestovved on sundrie persons erected these tvvo Colleges that by them in most svveete peaceable and Apostolike maner he might reuoke our Prince and Countrie to the honorable societie of al Christian Catholike kings and Countries These be his cogitations touching the Seminaries vvhat so euer other speculatiue and suspicious men do surmise othervvise They might see that it is Gregorie the Thirtenths proper glorie and gift of God to institute such Nourceries for the help of al Nations and our special blessing that he doubleth his grace and fauour tovvards vs in that kind He hath made a Seminarie for the Hebrues that vvil conuert from their Iudaisme he hath made for the Greekes and Hungarians infected vvith Turcisme ād other errors and heresies he hath endevved the College of Germans so largely that it receiueth Polonians Suetians and other neere Nations trauailed specially vvith Lutheranisme he hath made one for the Dalmatians he giueth great succourse to the Seminarie of the Romane Clergie and other Colleges of the most famous Societie of the name of Iesus vvhose labours it pleaseth him to vse in the gouernement of most of these Colleges to the eternal good of al people He contributeth to the Seminaries of Prage and Vienna and hath relieued the famous Vniuersitie of Louan distressed by the rebelliō of Orenge vvith many other in far partes vvherof vve haue not knovvledge finally he helpeth in this kind Scotland our next neighbour that hath lately be gonne in Paris a Seminarie for the same end that ours and others vvere begonne Vvhich Nation hath been these many yeres most pitifully plunged in many calamities by the Sectes of this time but novv beginneth to haue hope as al Christendom hath of their noble yong Prince Vvhose graces giftes and tovvardlines in al kingly qualities are said to be exceding rare in that age and therfore no doubt he vvil shortly see the late calamities that his Realme hath sustained by the Caluinists their horrible infamous murdering of his Highnes father and more then barbarous vilany and misuse of his deerest mother vvhiles she vvas among them and the sundry detestable treasons contriued against his Royal person vvhen he vvas yet in his mothers vvōbe and often since as vvel othervvise by vnvvonted treacheries as by infecting as much as in them lay his tender age both vvith that damnable heresie and vvith ill affection tovvards his deerest parents Vvhose infelicitie procured onely by the fine practises of Heretikes the bane of al Kings and Commonvveales may giue his Highnes and his vvise Counselers vvarning to take heede betimes and to adioyne him self and the Realme to the noble and secure societie of Christes Catholike Church and the most high and mightie Princes of the same agreably to al his honorable Progenitors both of England and Scotlād and to vse the seruice of sundrie his Catholike and excellent learned subiectes abrode in diuers partes of Christendom and at home in his ovvne Realme for the reducing of his state to the old ancient glorie and prosperitie againe and to enforme his Ma. tie as far as his age can beare hovv necessarie the fatherly care counsel and affection of the Popes Holines the father and Pastor of al Princes shal be for his Countrie and people engraffing these graue vvordes of holy S. Hierom in his hart yet innocent for a preseruatiue against the poison of these daies This one thing I thinke good of charitable pietie and affection to forwarne thee that thou hold fast the faith of holy Innocentius who is successor and sonne of the Apostolike chaire and of the forenamed Anastasius and that thou receiue not a strange doctrine though thou seeme vnto thy self neuer so wise and subtill Vvhich notable lesson is novv in like maner to be inculcated and often commended concerning the faith of Gregorie the xiij their successor and sonne in Seat and beleefe Vvho hath as is shevved and as it is cleere by the institution of the said Seminaries an vnspeakable affection to al Christes flocke and the vveale of euery Kingdom For vvhich his affection and Pastoral offices not to thanke him most humbly is great vnkindnes but to blame him or misconstrue his beneficial and benigne actions that is intolerable He doth the like things for almost euery other Nation in distresse and none is so il so suspicious or so vngrateful as to mistrust his benefites to be their destructiō not the Germās not the Hūgarians not the Greekes not any other Prouinces for al vvhich his Holines hath erected Colleges euen as for our
requested and inuited thē to the same Vvhen a realme or Prince is in errour it taketh avvay al meanes of reducing them to the truth againe no subiection being acknovvledged to Councels or Tribunals abrode al other Bishops Patriarches Apostles Christ and al because they vvere and be forrainers not hauing iurisdiction or sufficient authoritie to define against English Sectaries and errours Finally if this iurisdiction spiritual be alvvaies of right a sequele of the crovvne and scepter of al Kings assuredly Christ nor none of his Apostles could othervvise enter to conuert Countries preach and exercise iurisdiction spiritual vvithout Caesars and others the kings of the Countries licence and delegation To conclude then these are the lavves of the Realme if vve may so call such violences to vvhich vve cannot conforme our selues in conscience except vve like to perish euerlastingly Vvherein though vve may seeme to haue said ynough for our defense yet vve vvil lay before al our deerest Countrie-men some breefe speaches of the principal persons of Gods Church to giue them a tast of their iudgemēt concerning such vsurpation of spiritual Soueraintie by some Emperours of old time that they may see this case to be already ruled vnto al that haue faith and the feare of God S. Athanasius the Great one vsed to such stormes as this saith of Constantius the Arian Emperour What hath he left for Antichrist for yet againe in place of Ecclesiastical cognition he hath appointed his palace the iudicial seat of such causes and made him self the cheefe iudge and arbiter of our controuersies And who seing him to make him self the ruler of Bishops and president of spiritual iudgements would not iustly deeme him to be that very abominatiō of desolation foretold by Daniel And in an other place of the same vvorke When was it euer heard of since the beginning that the Churches iudgement did depend of the Emperours authoritie or who euer accepted that for lawful iudgement The renovvmed Osius vvriteth to the same Emperour Meddle not o Emperour in causes Ecclesiastical nor do thou commaund vs in this kind but leaue such things to vs rather God hath giuen thee the Empire but to vs the Church At the same time and to the same Emperour thus saith Leontius the Martyr I maruel that thy vocation being for other things thou meddlest with these matters Thy charge is of Ciuil and Martial affaires onely and yet thou wilt needes be President of Ecclesiastical causes Sainct Hilarie also to the same Emperour vvriteth thus we besech thy Clemencie to prouide that charge be giuen to al iudges of Prouinces that hereafter they presume not nor vsurpe the hearing of Ecclesiastical causes S. Ambrose to the yonger Valentinian the Emperour thus ausvvereth Vexe not thy self so far o Emperour to thinke that thy Emperial right pertaineth to Diuine things exalt not thy self aboue thy measure For it is written Giue to Caesar that which is Caesars and to God that vvhich belongeth to God the Palace for the Emperour but the Churches are for the Priest Againe the same holy Doctor When didst thou euer heare most clement Prince that laie men haue iudged Bishops shal vve bend by flatterie so far that forgetting the right of our Priesthod vve should yeld vp to others that vvhich God hath commended to vs And recounting the vvhole course of holy Scriptures and al times past vvho can deny but that in the cause of faith in the cause of faith I say Bishops haue iudged of Emperours and not Emperours of Bishops S. Gregorie Nazianzene also vvriting to his citizens thus turneth his speach to the Emperour his Prince You also hath Christes law subiected to my Tribunal for we haue a Soueraintie and that more excellent and perfect vnles the spirit should submit it self to the flesh and the heauenly things yeld to earthly Which my libertie of speach I feare not but thou wilt allow seeing thou art an holy sheepe of my sacred fold and a pupil of the great Pastor and wel instructed by the holy Ghost from thine infancie And to this purpose S. Chrysostom most expresly giueth vvarning that spiritual gouernement and vvoman sexe are not cōpatible for thus he vvriteth Why did our Lord shead his bloud truely to redeeme those sheepe the cure of which he committed both to Peter and also to his successors And a litle after when it cometh to the gouernement of the Church and committing the charge of so many soules al womākind must needes vvholy giue place to the burden and greatnes therof and a great number of men also Thus al these highly vertuous and learned fathers vvrite thus they beleued thus they behaued them selues tovvard their Princes and yet they vvere not traitours they liued not contrarie to Gods lavves nor any iust lavves of man Vve beleue no othervvise vve teach no othervvise vve behaue our selues no othervvise vve liue against Gods and our Countries lavves no othervvise then these noble Clerkes did novv so glorious in heauen and earth And it cometh here to our cogitations as often els in our prayers to almightie God that it vvould please him to touch our Princes hart before he call her to his dreadful iudgement to admit into her graue consideration our former reasons so assuredly grounded on the Scriptures and lavv of Nature of the indecencie incongruitie impossibilitie that temporal Princes specially vvomen should rule and commaund the Church Bishops and Pastors of their ovvne soules and that in things merely concerning the soul But vvhat should vve desire that her Ma. tie may vouchsafe to heare vs poore vvormes and vvretches At least alas that she vvould not contemne the vvhole consent of al the learned Bishops and Priests of her Realme testifying this truth once in Parliament and aftervvard by their continual emprisonment and death in the same that she vvould conceiue deliberatly of so much holy bloud meekely yelded for the testimonie of this truth specially of that noble paire famous Fisher B. of Rochester the best learned of al the Clergie of that Realme for many ages and renovvmed More the greatest Clerke of al the Laity such a coople as any other Christian Nation vvould haue bought vvith millions but thought vnvvorthy to liue by the lavves of ours that she vvould vouchsafe to looke backe to al holy Bishops learned Diuines vvise Lavvyers and the faithful Princes her Highnes noble predecessors of al ages past none of them euer knovving or admitting any such title of Supremacie reigning vvithout it in al glorie securitie and felicitie No Crovvne or Kingdom euer lesse mighty sure and honorable for ioyning vvith or liuing vnder the Churches compasse and regiment but many one perishing by forsaking the same Or if domestical testimonies be in this kind suspicious yet that the sayings of these ancient fathers void of affectiō feare flattery partiality may find place in so generous a mind They also so many
Scotland Flanders and France against their natural Princes to the ruine and desolation of the greatest partes of those noble Countries Yea if you list not go from home call at the least to your remembrances into vvhat hazards the scepter and crovvne of Queene Marie and consequently of her Ma. tie that novve is came by the Protestants both in the said Queenes reigne and specially vpon the death of King Edvvard the sixt vvhen they attempted by armes vnnaturally to haue thrust out of the Regal throne both the one and the other their Zuinglian Bishops and Clergie not onely subscribing to the treasons but preaching diuers traiterous and seditious sermons at London and in the Vniuersities and other famous places of the Realme against both their royal persons and contributing and setting out souldiars to the maintenance of the same rebellion for vvhich some of the cheefe of them vvere conuicted by the high Court of Parliament of treason and the principal of that conspiracie othervvise a right vvorthie and noble Gentleman being aftervvard executed for the same confessed at the houre of his death that al that and other late mischeefes and miseries of the Real me proceded of heresie and forsaking the vnitie of the Catholike Church this they did then And aftervvard their felovves being fled to Geneua and other places ceased not to moue hostilitie both abrode and at home against the Realme as short a vvhile as they vvere absent sundrie vvaies and caused by the allovving and consent of Caluin and Knokes the tvvo fannes of sedition and calamitie of France and Scotland an abominable treatise to be published against the regiment of vvemen at once to defeat the Queene that then vvas her sister that novv is the Q. of Scotland and cōsequently the vvhole rase of renovvmed Henry the seuenth And vvhat shal I speake of the Puritans late malapert and seditious booke against her Ma. ties honorable intētions and against her next neighbour ād fre-end a principal Peere of Christendom Or of the diuers pestilent bookes set out these late yeres in french and other languages against the persons of sundrie Princes and Potētates of Christendom vttering and amplifying in particular most barbarously their opē or secrete faultes and feyning many crimes neuer committed to alter their subiects affection from them and so to prepare their hartes to rebellion against them a popular practise most common novv in the vvorld among Protestants as it alvvaies hath been a meane to aduance sedition none euer intending commotion or alteration either in the Church or Commonvvealth not vsing the same Vvhich kind of inhumane irreligious and vnciuil dealing vsed by Heretikes first against Popes and other principal persons of the Clergie to induce the people to their contempt being not duely punished by the temporal Magistrate but either vvinked at liked or of hatred to the order and of pollicy procured is novv vsed for like purposes tovvards Kings and Queenes also that be subiect to sinnes and the sight of the vvorld and yeld matter to slaunderous tonges and pennes as vvel as Popes and Prelates do and vvil hazard al the Commonvvealths that suffer it It is no good graue nor Christian gouernement to suffer a ribald to open in booke or pulpit to the people vvhose eares itch for such sport against Superiors of al states the particular faultes either feyned as they be commonly or taken vp by hearesy or in deede committed of Prelates Princes or peoples of other Nations If there vvere some Italian or English fugitiue that vvould take vpon him in Rome to make a preach before the Prelates or citizens there of al the sinnes donne in the Court or in London or by the Noblemen them selues or in their houses or through the Realme and not onely vvhat is in deede cōmitted but vvhat malice and impudencie may forge to be done should such a monster trovv ye be heard of honorable or honest men there or escape the coarde or galleies No doubtles none could be suffered so to do against any Prince famous citie or Nation Catholike or Protestant in the vvorld vvithout iust correction And yet alas in our Countrie men make sport or rather a solemne act of it and that is thought not vnvvorthy to be spoken in pulpits and aftervvard published and printed vvhich neither the Old Comedie nor Pasquino nor any ruffian or Carneuall-youth in Rome vvould speake vvithout a visard So are the māners and grauity of our forefathers altered by this nevv preach into Chās conditiōs detraction and malediction euen of Gods Priests and the Princes of the people vvhich the Apostle taught vs by his ovvne most humble example ought not to be vsed no not tovvards such as haue but the name and resemblance of true Priests and vvhich S. Iude by the fact of S. Michael proueth should not be vsed to the Diuel himself Oh vvhat a dis honour is it to our noble Countrie that can heare and beare such vvicked slaunderers returning home from honorable States Cities and Cōmonvveales and vttering nothing but onely filthy false and reprochful matter against them And hovv great a shame and iniquity is it that men borne in a civil Countrie can trauail so far and into such renovvmed places Churches and states and find nothing nor bring home to their freendes any thing but filth and ribauldry Vvhich kind of mē are like vnto one that should go to take the sight and vevve of some Princely palace or citie and vvhen he cometh there neuer looketh on the ma. tie magnificence beauty cōmodity order gouernement iustice or other such things neuer asketh for the vvise the godly the learned and the like for vvhich the places be notorious but onely rūneth to the chānels sinkes gutters iakes dunghils and other stinking offices of mans infirmities and acquainteth him self onely vvith the blacke guard ād other of abiect seruices and returneth vvith outcry that nothing is found there but stinke and lothsomnes Euen such in good sooth are these vnhonest Pilgrimes that as soon as they arriue in any famous citie seeke not after any things of excellent fame for vertue learning regiment religion deuotion but according to their ovvne tast hunt after nothing aske for nothing but vvhere the Stevves be vvho frequent them vvhat crimes iniquities or disorders haue beē done in thē vvhat vices the Princes or Priests are giuen to and so partly of that they find partly of that they feyne partly of that they borovv of vvanton Poetes and partly of that vvhich holy men haue of zeale and charitie reprehended they make vp a fardel of malicious slaunders and detractions of Popes and Princes and vtter such seemly vvares in their seditious sermons Vvherein for al that hovv spitefully so'euer they speake agaīst such persons in effect cōmōly they say nothing of importāce against thē that hath any shevv of truth or iust cause of blame in the sight of any vvise indifferent man But these be the
disordered and shameful meanes of Protestants in these daies to preferre their rebellions against both the spiritual and temporal Gouernours besides the horrible designements of their Caluinistical Consistories pretented Synodes and Prophecyings in diuers Countries al tending directly to pernicious innouations Compare novve these factes and other the perilous treacheries done against the repose of al Realmes round about and you shal vvel perceiue the attēpts of the other side to be sport and pastime in any vvise mans iudgement of vvhat religion so euer he be to the implacable fiercenes and furie of the other a people by this nevv no religion made most brutish conscienceles restles and that vvil hazard al the Kingdoms of the vvorld before it be filled vvith bloud and spoile except God preuent the matter vvith his mercie and reduce al men to the obedience of his Catholike Church and their Princes againe And for the present troubles in Ireland vvhich novv namely seeme to giue some cause of doubt that our brethrens intentions may be against the state no lesse then for the preferment of the Catholike faith most sure it is and of certaine knovvledge the vvriter hereof protesteth that they neither vvere nor could be acquainted othervvise thervvith then by the common brute of the vvorld If the Pope haue any part in those affaires assure your selues their elders vvhich of reason should rather knovv it neither by his Holines mouth nor any of his ministers in the time of those Students being in Rome heard so much And therfore to racke those poore innocent persons and to vvreast out of them Princes secrets vvherof there can be no reason that they should be partakers is a lamentable and rare case in our Countrie specially in the clement reigne of her Maiestie Imagine ye the Italian gouernement and specially the Papacie to be so discretely menaged that euery poore Priest or scholer in the citie knovveth the Popes secrets No no Christ doth knovv it and he shall one day open their innocencie and iudge their cause and ours vvho as vve shal then ansvver before him neither knevv then nor novv knovv any intentions of Pope or Princes concerning such things as are conteined in the Articles of the pretended confederacie mentioned in the Proclamation of the 15 of Iulie as more largely vve haue declared before As that also vvhich the late relapsed Minister levvdly reported in open pulpit and printed booke that the Excommunication of the Queene should be published here in our College of Rhemes and set on the postes and publike places of this citie vve protest to be an impudent vntruth and slaunder vvherof the vvhole tovvne vvill beare vs vvitnes and euery vvise man might easily discouer that caluminious fiction because in the dominions of his Ma. tie most Christian vve neither could nor durst do any such thing So that by this one thing so maliciously feyned al sincere and indifferent men may deeme of the rest of his hearesaies and sightes at Rome as of impudent lies and slaunders Humbly therefore vve desire for the honour of God her Ma. ties vvise and graue Counselers not to conceiue vpon such base felovves contriued calumniations othervvise of our doings and our brethrens either at home or abrode then as of men most obediently duetifully and naturally affectioned to her Ma. tie to their Honours and our deerest Countrie so far euer as shal stand vvith our subiection to Gods lavves and the Churches to vvhich vve are as much bound by our Baptisme and religion as to the former by nature and birth Being in the behalfe of God bold this much further in like loyaltie to tell them that the causes of vvhat perils and dangers so euer may be tovvard that Realme vvherof so God saue our soules vve haue no knovvledge can not be iustly attributed but to the first alteration of religion and forsaking the society of the Catholike Church and kingdoms Hereof proceedeth the multitude of nevv Sectes directly tending to the disturbance of publike repose vvhich for the special attentiō giuen to the doings of Catholikes are vvittingly ouerseen Vvhich Sectes in this case must needes proue more pernicious because by the propertie of many of them teaching their likers by contrarie actes othes and asseuerations to couer their conscience til time require their intentions can hardly be discouered and by the common condition of al heresies bringing noueltie chaunge and libertie vvhich yeld them many folovvers shal hardly be resisted Catholikes abhorred these mutations from the beginning because it is their grace to loue antiquitie grauitie and constancie Vvhom also it is our principal endeuour to induce to the open confession of their faith vvhen by the lavv of God it is required and neuer by contrarie othes or actions to pretend an other religion then they beare in their breastes Vvhich plaine discouerie of our selues can not be disagreable or dangerous to the Politie And maruel it is in our eies that such extreme diligence should be vsed by al penal lavves othes punishments and persuasions to driue the Catholikes to professe that outvvardly vvhich is knovven they hate in their hartes invvardly as though there vvere imminent danger of open professed Catholikes and none of the close dissemblers in the same kind For I thinke their vvisedoms do not imagine that their othes and statutes do chaunge their meanings though they alter their countenances nor that feare can long or surely keepe his maister Hovv so euer it be alteration of religion is the cause of al inconueniences though a fevv yeres vvordly prosperitie couer from the simple that very first surge of our miserie and perplexitie and to returne to Gods Church againe is the onely right remedie out of vvhich al Kingdoms are sure to perish assuredly Vvhich not acknovvledged maketh many a plaister and preseruatiue to be vvrongly applied Against our Lord no force nor counsel can preuaile vvho hath vsed as their vvisdoms must needes knovv the rod of his ire against al those great Kingdoms once most florishing in Christian faith and libertie novv vnder the tyrannie of the Turke and other Heathens specially for sinne schisme and heresie Let not their Honours contemne the voice and admonition of a poore creature vvhose speach may be the instrument of Gods prouident care ouer that poore afflicted people vnder her Ma. ties and their gouernement But if the restitution of the Realme to the Catholike Church can not stand vvith their consciences as being persuaded their ovvne religion to be true or at least not vvith their vvisedoms for that being thus far gone the retiring backe might be dangerous to the state yet for Christes loue vve aske it let their Honours haue some care and consideration of our consciences also and of other innumerable in the Realme no lesse timorous and as vvel informed as theirs or any mens can be in this case that for our satisfactiō before God and for the peril that may fall through his offense and indignation to them