retyring from vertuous proceedings then the vertue is to vndertake them For wee are tempted by all reason to vndertake them but by none to leaue them Seuenthly Hee that composeth himselfe of contrarieties doth weare a monstrous Shape for humanitie and ciuill Societie is bound to the Rules of vertue as Pietie and Religion to the Rules of GOD. CHAP. VII Of the sixe Articles and the euill that thereof insued FIRST the originall cause of this euill was pretended to be a remedy against the many Sects of Religion which then began to multiply when Religion was in restoring the State whereof being vnsetled gaue occasion that many busie Spirits according to their seuerall Iudgements would diuersly determine what was the true forme of Gods Seruice and what was not whereof it came to passe that many idle and grosse opinions had many that would stifly adheare to this or that according as their blinde iudgements did direct them For it hath euer beene and euer will be the nature of the worst vnderstanding people to desire innouation and euer to affect that most which hath most singularity euer opposing the iudgement of the learned and the power of lawfull authority and this is a naturall Antipathy betweene the base and the Noble the foolish and the wise the bad and the better sort of people Secondly To cure this disease in the State of England was very needfull but the care they applyed was both vnlawfull and very preiudiciall laying such salue to the soare as made the wound wider and the griefe much more sensible For if wee remember the whole storie of King Henries Life there is not any other Act that euer passed the consent of a Parliament so dishonourable to the King and of like offence to the Catholike Faith as was this of the sixe Articles especially then when the King had set his Princely hand to the worke of reformation whereby he did in a manner disclaiming his former proceedings pulling downe the holy frame which with so much labour hee had formerly erected Thirdly Yet so strong is the power of perswasion especially in them wee trust as that oftentimes wee suffer our selues to be led to those ends that greatly disaduantage vs. And this is well seene in this Act of the Kings which in truth did altogether tend to the pleasure of euill men about him and not to his honour nor the good of his Kingdomes he being thus perswaded by Stephen Gardiner pretending thereby a prouident good but intending fire blood and persecution to the cause of Religion and to the holy Professors thereof Fourthly For these Articles whereto the King did inioyne his Subiects to confirme them were all of them contrary to the Catholike Faith of the Protestants Religion being no better then the Ladders whereby the Bishops of Rome haue ascended the stepps of reputation and worldly greatnesse some of them being for his gaine others for his regard all of them the limmes of Pollicie and none of them proportionable to the rule of the Catholike Religion And therefore was Stephen Gardiner much deceiued when hee thought to square out Truth by false Rules making these Articles to iudge who was in the Catholike Faith yet these themselues not Catholike but rather worldly inuentions and trickes of Pollicie The first auowing Transubstantiation a doctrine as new as the name and but of late yeares inuented The second denied the Sacrament to be exhibited in both kinds to Lay-men contrarie both to the commandement of Christ at the first institution as also contrary to the practise of the Primitiue Church for many hundreds of yeares The third that Priests ought not to marrie contrary to Saint Paules opinion the practise of the Church and the iudgement of holy Scripture The fourth that vowes ought to be kept and this hath onely a respect to a pollitique end being that foundation whereupon is builded their monasteries and the wicked rabble of lazie Fryers and Nunnes The fifth that priuate Masses were necessarie and agreeable to Gods Word an inuention to get money onely and ridiculous to the iudgement of all learning The sixth of the necessity of auriculer confession A Pollitique deuise whereby the Pope hath vnderstanding in all states making his Priests intelligences and binding the consciences of Christians to that slauerie from which God hath made them free And these were those Articles which were made the Tryers of Christian Religion whereto euery man was to giue his consent or else to haue the iudgement of law as fellons being adiudged by the sentence of the Church Heretickes cast out from the fauour of God and from the society of the Catholike Church Fifthly By this then may appeare the euill that redounds to a state when the Counsell of a Prince is deuided not conspiring one but diuers ends especially then when the Prince puts off the power of his Maiestie and suffers himselfe to be led by the easie perswasions of them neere him by his fauour For if the King had had as much the spirit of Diuinitie as he had of Maiestie he would neuer haue had both a Cranmer and a Garidiner a Cromwell and a Moore to order him in the affaires of his Church and kingdome But according as he had bene resolued in Religion he would only haue made choice of such for his counsell as had conspired one and the same end with him their Soueraigne neither is it good in the wisedome of state to entertaine them neere vs in loue and place whom we finde to farre from vs in the opinion of Truth because there is no obligation can make such men assured that worke to bring vs to a course against our purpose giuing vs the reines onely so farre as may leade vs to their desired ends Sixthly If this man and his euil practise had not preuailed more with the King then the better perswasion of the Lord Cranmer and Cromwell the reformation of Religion had not beene letted in so hopefull a proceeding neither had the King and Parlyament passed any such Act so bloodie as was this of the sixe Articles whereby the King did blurre the honour of that reputation he had formerly gotten and retyred himselfe in the pursuite of that enterprize which worthily had made him very famous And this doth proue the greatnesse of his euill wit that made this alteration in the Kings Nature and doubtlesse if God had giuen this man grace to haue loued honestie and truth he had many other quallities of good commendation which would haue bene most flourishing in a man of holy life as his learning wit and spirit whereby he was well fitted to trauell in State businesse but misapplying those to vngodly ends they were the defects and blemishes in the person that so had them and very pestilent to the State where such men haue authority Seuenthly And if we remember the time of these sixe Articles we shall finde it plentifull in the Records
honourable that present themselues to causes of generall profit but such are both wise and honourable that can either frame their Prince for such intentions or doe apprehend and forward his good determinations Sixthly To preuent disgrace and euill euen in a morall life it is necessarie to destroy all cause not onely of euill doing but of euill suspition For common reputation is nothing but Opinion which is got and lost aswell with Ceremonies as with Truth CHAP. XIIII The trouble of the State at this time of King Edward how they were occasioned and how compounded FIRST it hath euer bene the nature of euill men then to shew themselues most when goodnes and good men are most eminent and glorious and the reason is in nature which maketh all contraries then most powerfull when they are in opposition for vice is iudged by vertue falshood by truth and euerie euill is best made manifest by the opposition of goodnesse So of the contrarie euerie good thing is made apparāt by the enuie of euill which like fire that wasteth his owne substance to trie the golden mettall so doth euill Ruine in selfe in enuie and euill practise not wasting the good but making it much more glorious to the view of the world Examples of this are in euery testimonie of time and in euerie condition and state in the world it being onely possible for him to alter this naturall discord to whom it is possible to destroy the worke of Nature Neither it is euer to bee hoped that all men shall conspire one end without opposition and strife till God purge this earth and alter the condition of his creatures Neither ought we for this to condemne the diuine prouidence as if God could not otherwise dispose Nature or that he will not preuent this euill but suffer the cause hee best loueth oftentimes to indure most For howsoeuer in the wisedome of God are many vnsearchable reasons of his will to vs vnknowne yet for the reason of this opposition of good euill humane reason and wisedome may suffice to iudge it because as I haue said gold is not the worse but the better for his firie tryall and a good cause is not confounded but confirmed by the opposition of euill And therefore doth God many times suffer euill to preuaile but neuer to the destruction of good and to whomsoeuer it shall please God to giue the inheritance of heauen it is reason he direct vs the way bee it by danger or by death For if God leade vs to Heauen by the gates of Hell the way is good because the end is happie for most happie are they who reach life be the passage neuer so dangerous and for euer blessed be Truth be the opposition of enuie and euill men neuer so malignant Secondly The stories of these times is sufficient witnesse to proue the enuious Nature of euill men For now that God had giuen our Nation a Salomon for Wisedome and a Iosias for his Deuotion and Zeale changing our miserie into mirth our teares into laughter whose holy care did free holy Martyrs from torture and cruell persecutions giuing to all his Subiects liberty in the true seruing of God which for many yeares they had wanted and with much blood had bene witnessed yet notwithstanding this good King and the goodnesse hee wrought were there many seditious and euill men who like the conspiracie of Corath combine themselues in Rebellion and wicked practise against the Lords annointed and their soueraigne some pretending Religion which they called their conscience others other grieuances in the state according as they could deuise them Neither wanted there occasions in Scotland to trouble the peace of those times the Scots denying to performe that whereunto by oath they were obliged for they had bound themselues by oath to King Henrie the Eighth to performe the marriage betweene King Edward his Sonne and the Ladie Mary of Scotland whereby the inheritance of both kingdomes had discended to one interested heyre without competitor the importance whereof how important it was to the English State may to any iudgement appeare the not performing begetting a discontent in both States and a Ielosie of both their proceedings and such as could not bee otherwise then with the sword determined God reseruing the marriage of those two warlike Nations to honour the memorie of King Iames our Soueraigne now in whose royall person these two disagreeing kingdomes are for euer vnited yet not withstanding all these hard occasions and the Kings minoritie whereby he was lesse able to trauell in those weighty affaires of State did God still support him and the prosperity of his kingdomes giuing him victorie ouer all that did contriue against him and power to chastice the reuolt and disobedience of such his Subiects as wickedly did bandie themselues against him their Soueraigne Neither is it otherwise to be thought but this body of the common people was not moued to Rebellion by any proper motion of it owne but rather led by the instigation of others For the vulgar is like a body sencelesse which cannot moue it selfe yet subiect to bee carried with euery breath of winde being altogether moued by perswasion and general opinion and then such as did distaste the gouernement of the State as those of the Popes faction being the parties onely discontent with reforming Religion stirres this rebellious bodie with the violence of perswasion wherein by reason of their common experience they are cunningly fitted wherewith in truth they conueigh the spirit of enmitie and ciuill strife into the states of all Christian Princes whereby that Religion hath got a name of pollicie but vtterly lost the renowne of pietie the greatest Professors thereof being found the greatest practisers in State that be And by these instigators were the troubles in the English Nation at that time and euer sithence occasioned to the glorie and strength of the cause which God hath protected and to their confusion that thus wickedly conspire Thirdly But these troubles as they were occasioned by the turbulent spirits of men desiring innouation and change so were they happily determined by the prouidence of the State the Lord Protector the Duke of Somerset approuing himselfe forward and fortunate in discharge of his high place to whose trust both the person of the King and the gouernment of his kingdome were commended And doubtlesse euen in this hath the Duke deserued speciall commendation and to be thought worthy the honour of his high place considering the danger of the time and the number of discontented persons in the state the reforming of Religion diuiding the strength of the kingdome into an enuious faction whereby the dispossessed the Papists vsed all meanes both of power and pollicie to reobtaine what by reformation of Religion they had lost and the Protestants endeauoring to secure and continue what by the fauour of
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
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
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
and dangerous to the States of Kingdomes and great States in the politike practise wherof they are much more learned then in the iudgement of Diuinitie and Christian Religion Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST Religion doth not deny her speciall Ministers the Clergy the knowledge of the very secrets of Policie or rather the Church in these times hath a necessity that doth require such knowledge because there are many enemies that present themselues against the peace and prosperitie of the Church which could not be resisted with victorie but by more then common discretion yet it is one thing to know and preuent and another to trauell in vnlawfull Politique designes Secondly The Romane State doth support the body of her greatnes vpon this particular Policie that by her Priests and Iesuites she can discouer all States This in the discretion of State is such a strength as that she might be thought inuincible but that God doth fight against her Thirdly hee that intrudes himselfe into such businesse wherein both his profession and his particular cause would make him a stranger is iniurious to himselfe and others to himselfe because hee must neglect his owne particular to others because he doth vndertake that cause wherein he is or should be ignorant CHAP. XXVIII Of the Christian care Queene ELIZABETH had to defend certaine Christian Princes and their STATES FIRST it is euerie ones care to prouide for themselues and to labour the aduancement of their own prosperous fortunes but few there be who care for other men or that labour in the trauell of other mens affaires And among all the sorts of men these few are the best for by this demonstration of Charitie they approue themselues to bee good men and Christians good men by the Law of Nature and good Christians by the Law of grace This Charitable communicating of giftes and benefits being commanded and commended before all earthly regards And therefore he that with true Christian respect loueth his neighbour keepeth halfe the Law and he that loueth God keepeth it all yet he that made this Lawe could thus expound it that no man can obserue all the Lawe vnlesse he first obserue the halfe neither can any man giue God his dutie who first will not giue his Loue to his Neighbour which is not giuen vnlesse wee declare it in our exercise of such charitable offices as we haue power to doe and as the necessities of our Christian brethren may require them Secondly and this is the dutie of euerie Christian man of what estate soeuer it is also the dutie of euerie Christian kingdome to support one another in their iust quarrels and to communicate to each other their generall commodities And howsoeuer in many states of Christian name this strictnesse of conscience is not regarded yet in the best it is and in all it ought to be for the puritie of Christian Religion is of that excellent purenesse that no staine can be in the vse thereof without dishonourable imputation And we all know that in the practise of heathenish and barbarous Common-Wealths are many things very commendable which in a Christian State would appeare most odious because in those States they respect greatnesse only and there any thing is allowable that may helpe them forward But where goodnesse and vertuous name is desired there men neglect the offer of all euill occasions and embrace that onely for lawfull and good which in the iudgement of good conscience is approued lawfull and good Thirdly And in these heauenly respects of Christian commiseration we haue good cause and so haue many Princes in Christendome to remember Queene Elizabeth most mercifull and compassionate who did euer entertaine the extremities of distressed Christian Princes and whose hands were euer armed with valour and victory to support them in their kingly reputations to defend them from the iniuries of their ambitious powerful enemies But because the number of her princely deseruings in this kinde were many and to report them would require large circumstance I will therefore make choise onely of some particulars of best memorie and of most importance such as being knowne may reduce to memorie the glory and greatnesse of the Queenes actions And the honour which the name of England hath got in being gouerned by a Ladie of so matchlesse a reputation Fourthly And as that neerest to vs in respect of weighty consequence I remember Scotland first a kingdome which before her time neuer stood assured to the fauour of England but what by reason of their naturall discord and because of the combination betweene the kingdome of France and it that nation hath euer bene suspected of ours and we of them and therefore both of vs haue euer commonly stood in the tearmes of lealousie and both our Nations haue had regardful eye to the proceeding of each other yet with such wisedome could those times order their affaires of State as that these their disagreements were not hazerdous to the fortunes of either kingdomes but continued for respects of Pollicie insomuch as the Warres of Scotland with vs were rather emulations than VVarres and ours with them were rather for manly exercise than any desire to subuert or vtterly ouerthrow the bodie of that State And in truth it cannot be imagined two Nations so neere as they are how euer made friends by allyance or other friendly entertainements could liue without giuing of offence to one another nor without many spitefull and hot contentions these two Kingdomes in one Isle being like two wiues in one house vnder one and the same husband euer being in ciuill displeasure for superiority neither could these displeasures be euer ended but as God hath done it making of these two Nations one Monarch the which like one wife without competitor he hath wedded to one husband the Kings Maiestie that last was and to his posterity for euer by whom the emulation strife of these euer disagreeing natiōs is for euer compounded Fifthly In the glory of which deed Queene Elizabeth hath a greater part than any Prince in the world because in her life time she did so much in that Kingdome for the safetie of the King and that State as might well declare both her power and her princely care for that Christian Prince and his Kingdome defending her Kingly Sonne our Kings Maiestie in the right of his Kingdome and in the truth of his Christian Religion against all the enemies of his life and State and therefore hath shee the greater glory in defending a Christian King and his Nation in their best quarrell and against their greatest enemies and yet hath shee better deserued in leauing a Kingdome better then that to the King and to his posterity for euer Thus did the power of the Queene defend that Nation which the power of her predecessors had many times offended she recompensing at once the
worke no creature is able certainely to determine what will be before it be all things in respect of humane indgement being iudged by their euents and not otherwise Secondly and therefore is calculating and the iudgement of Astrologie vncertaine and a very mockery hauing neither lawfulnesse nor Truth to giue it authority And though the Diuiner sometime hit the truth hee doth it not by any certaine direction but by hap and at peraduenture and so the blinde may hit the Butt and the reporter of many lies may fortune to tell a truth Thirdly and this false fore-iudging is of ordinary custome in the vse of all worldly affaires euery man almost aduenturing to Iudge before hand of euery accident and to determine how God shall determine of such and such occasions whereby they would tie God to a necessity and that needs hee must doe that which in their weake iudgement they imagine will bee done But God who is most absolute and able to doe whatsoeuer shall please himselfe deludeth the vaine imaginations of men and out of the greatest vnlikelihoods can hee frame that which is most desired and least hoped neither is hee as man to iudge by apparance or by the consequence of humane reason but out of death can he raise life out of miserie mercie and in the greatest expectation of warre blood and persecution can he giue peace safetie and preseruation Fourthly Wee haue happie instance of this in the fortunes of the Kings Maiestie that last was King Iames our Souereigne whom God most gratiously and beyond all expectation did protect making him fortunate to the honour of his owne name and for the happinesse of these Nations combining by him two euer disagreeing nations in the neerest bonds of Loue and Brotherhood And this did God make prosperous beyond our hopes and beyound the euill desires of them who loued vs not For if we remember the latter time of Queene Elizabeths reigne and the hard condition of those times we shall then finde how much the mercie of God hath exceeded our hopes and how much the generall opinion was deceiued in the construction of that euent men generally expecting the miserie of warre and ciuill strife when God did reach vs his mercie and the large demonstration of his loue Fifthly And in truth in respect of likely hood both Nations England and Scotland had reason to haue feared more and hoped lesse then happened it being not likely to succeed as it did and that a people inueterate in quarrell and warlike contention should in such peaceable manner shake hands and conspire mutually one thing which for many hundreds of yeares before did euer disagree which is more in a matter so important as was the vniting of both kingdomes in the gouernement of one absolute Souereigne Neither was it likely there wanted then the practise of forreigne States especially of such as enuied our prosperity and loued vs not which might trauell to hinder this happie coniunction whereby our strength became double so much as before and therefore our enemies would couet rather to suppresse than to inlarge vs least we hauing the kingdome of Scotland to assist vs which before was commonly either enemie or newter might proue vnresistable in the fortune of warre who before we had it were so often Conquerours Sixthly And this assuredly was a matter very considerable for them to preuent and such as the Pollitique wisedome of States men would carefully apprehend For in the disoretion of State affaires it is better and of lesse difficultie to preuent the augmentation of our enemies power then when it is augmented to scatter it And those things in the opportunity of their times are of easie reach which afterwards in a time vnfit proue vnaccessable not within our compas and this Iudgement could not want in them who most carefully search the secrets of all pollicie and trauell their wits to apprehend and contriue all aduantages yet notwithstanding all these occasions which in common iudgement might haue letted the Kings peaceable entrance into this Kingdome did God bring him vnder the protection of his fauour in security and peace and with generall acclamation binding the enuie of all opposition and making his enemies shew themselues his friendly entertainers the antiēt enemies of this kingdom to congratulate his Kingly inheritance And this did God with such admirable demonstration of his fauour as that his Maiestie and his Subiects of both kingdomes haue good cause to remember it for euer most thankefully whose life God did wonderfully preserue and whose fortunes hee did highly aduance leading him thorow many difficulties and dangers to a faire inheritance to inherit the obedience and faithfull seruice of a people faithfull fortunate and assured whom his predecessors the Kings of Scotland did euer most feare as their most able enemie whom his Maiesty euer found his most trusty and assured Subiects and this was done with such prosperity and forward successe that the report of the Q. death was scarce named in our neighbour kingdomes but this report of the kings peaceable entrance was farre off generally knowne the good newes of the kings entring outstripping the euill newes of the Queenes death to the comfort of all good men and to the admiration of all men Seuenthly neither was there need as it was thought that the King and his Subiects of Scotland should for this cause haue put themselues into the hazard of vncertaine warre whereby the Kings right might haue indured wrong and Truth haue stood at the discretion of warre which had bene very dangerous and that which our enemies most hoped but the happie issue was otherwise for neither was there any to lift vp his daring hand to resist his Maiestie neither had the King any vse for weapons but onely wore them for ornament and to giue names of honour to such men whom hee thought did or might deserue them Eighthly And thus did God giue vs life when we feared death peace when we feared warre a king when we had none a Prince a Patron and a most noble Defendor of the Catholike Faith vnder whose protection we enioyed peace plenty security And therfore happie were we in his gratious gouernment and happie was his Maiesty whom God found worthie to succeed in the royall seate and in the holy cares of that most famous Defendress of the Faith Queen Elizabeth CHAP. XXXIII Of the Kings defending the Catholike Faith in Scotland before he was King of England FIRST there is nothing of our owne wherein wee may iustly glory but in well-doing because when we doe any work of Grace the Spirit of God moueth in vs and prouoketh vs to holy exercise And therein onely we may worthily esteeme of our selues because we are accepted of God and vsed as his holy-instruments And in this had the Kings Maiestie much to glory
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
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
that State where the authority of the Prince is deuided or rather translated into the person of another as in the case of Popish Supremacie is most euident Sixthly Againe to inherit by succession of blood which is of very speciall consideration is by this forraigne Supremacie much indangered because where this power is granted there is also giuen to the Pope the power to alter and dispose of Kings and Kingdomes at his pleasure and to translate the inheritance of States according as hee shall please to fauour or dis-fauour the true owners whereof many times hath ensued much misery and many calamities So that I verily thinke there is no part of Christendome that hath not had a wofull experience in this great misery That were the Prince or the cause neuer so Iust and holy or the Pope and his wicked life neuer so apparantly euill yet by this vniuersall power hee had power giuen him to alter the State and to translate Succession at his pleasure pretending a Religious good but intending eyther the aduancement of his base kindred or else some other enuious and euill end And how dangerous this may bee to a Kingdome let any Iudgement determine Lastly this inconuenience doth follow of Popish Supremacie the practise of so many Treasons wherewith the name of Christendome is much spotted For he that is resolued the sufficiencie of other mens writings to this purpose This onely Argument that whereas by the testimonie of holy Scripture wee are taught to know that man of sinne whom the spirit of God calleth Antichrist by this speciall sensible signe of pride in that he being but man shall presume to exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God Now that Kings and Princes of the Earth are by the sentence of Scripture called Gods it is most euident in that place where he saith I haue said yee are Gods that is neerest to my selfe in your dignitie of place representing my power and my Maiesty in the highest degree vpon Earth Then whosoeuer shall exalt himselfe aboue these degrees of Maiesty must of necessity be he whom the Spirit of God calleth that man of sinne that Antichrist because his sinne is like the sinne of the Diuels in the Creation for as they did so doth he contend for the highest Supremacie and Nymrod-like he buildeth himselfe aloft aboue the reach of Earth reaching his ambition beyond the limits of mortality euen aboue all that is called God Eighthly And therefore great reason had the King and so haue all the Kings of the Earth to cast off all friendly intertainement with him that would exalt himselfe aboue all flesh nay aboue all that is called God and I am verily perswaded that this one respect of pride is that marke whereby shee is best knowne to bee that Babylon with whose Fornications the whole Earth hath bene poysoned yet in these latter times hath shee got more vgly visors to maske in Blood and Treason two such deformities as would be very apparant in the face of Religion And God no doubt hath set these markes in her fore-head as he marked Cain that all his beloued in the world might know her at the first blush and auoide the filth of her Fornications For where those euills are God is not in the honour of his seruice but in his Iustice and angry Maiesty CHAP. V. Of the suppressing of Abbeyes and Religious Houses in England FIRST the worke of Gods prouidence is most worthy of consideration leading by variable turnings the passage of all transitory things to that end whereto God hath decreed them In which worke howsoeuer God doth neuer change the purpose of his will yet the euents many times seeme very admirable to our vâ—derstandings by reason of their change and varieties For all things in this world are in continuall motion being moued as shall please the hand of prouidence euery thing being like the mouing Sea sometimes flowing sometimes in their ebb againe sometimes vp sometimes downe according as shall please that power that moues them And from this mouing cause is deriued that variety in the state of Earth which men falsly call Fortune the often change whereof to a Christian Iudgement is not strange because he considereth the power that God hath ouer all his creatures and how inclinable they be to alteration Secondly And for particular instances Though Religion before these times had indured an euill change changing the truth for many superstitious Ceremonies yet so venerable was the name of Religion to the people of those times as notwithstanding their misconceiuing the truth thereof they gaue such large demonstrations of loue and zeale to that profession and the Professors as no people at any time did euer exceed them inriching the state of Religion both with honourable regard and with very ample possessions Insomuch as the Church then might rather seeme a Triumphant then a Church Militant So high was it exalted in the degrees of worldly prosperity yet for all this flourish God commeth with his rod of correction and finding euill in the greatnesse thereof he alters their present Condition that as they had forsaken the truth of his seruice So hee would bereaue them their earthly honour wherewith the true name of their false Religion was gorgeously decked Thirdly The first cause then of this alteration was God himselfe who when hee seeth the vessell of mens iniquity full he filleth his violl with wrath to reforme and correct what euill men had before deformed and being most Iealous of his honour hee commeth with more then common corrections to reforme the truth of his seruice For so did God at this time his angry hand reaching destruction beyond the liues of those euill men euen to their lands houses and possessions making King Henry vtterly extirpe these abused Monasteries as the Israelites did the Cananites for their monstrous and heathenish sinnes And therefore no doubt did God make particular choise of King Henry for his instrument fitting him with extraordinary spirit that he might the better mannage this great businesse whereto God had ordained him and wherein God did wonderfully assist him Fourthly But what might moue the King in respect of himselfe many men many waies coniecture Some by the spoyle of these houses that he might inrich himselfe and relieue the occasions of his Warres which then did much distresse him But howsoeuer this hath credit with him that writeth this Storie at large yet in that opinion I doe not beleeue him For it is not likely that any Christian Prince in the world would for any respect of spoyle destroy the estates of so many at that time reputed Religious and Godly men Others thinke the King did this out of Stomacke the Pope being then in full opposition with the King for taking Supremacie from him in the Church of England that had but lately giuen to him his Successors for euer the title of Defendor of
the Faith the King imagining he could not secure to his posterity the continuance of his Supremacie where his enemy the Pope was so strong both by the number and by the worth of these Religious houses and therefore it is thought the King did suppresse them in Pollicy making that his owne strength which he found to strength his enemy And this howsoeuer hath a likely-hood being neere the Kings disposition yet I verily thinke the King would not for any pollitique regard haue brought a generall destruction vpon that State which then was held Religious But rather vnderstanding by his Visitors the great disorder and vngodlinesse of men and women in those places professing Religion did in the care of conscience scatter their assemblies ruine their houses and iustly seaze that to his vse which they with so much impietie had abused Fifthly Vpon this consideration did the King outtrude the Rabble of Monkes Nunnes and Fryers and seaze their possessions finding that their large allowance of wealth and easie life was cause of their wanton and wicked trade of liuing and that prayer and the exercise of true Deuotion whereto they were dedicate was not that whereunto they imployed the large beneuolence of their Benefactors They vsing onely the formes of some superstitious prayers and a formality in their attire wherein they obserued a precise order being in the maine carriage of their liues of all people most disorderly To reforme which was not onely necessary for the truth of holy Religion but very conuenient for the better gouernement of the Common-Wealth the State receiuing great detriment by allowing so largely to those lazie and vnprofitable members and the Church great scandalls by their vngodly and heathenish liues To reforme this then was an Act in the King very gratious tending directly for the good of both states whereby he gaue proofe that God and not the Pope made speciall choice of him and his Successors to defend the most True Ancient and Apostolike Faith Sixthly Yet here it may be doubted whether the King did better in the vtter extirpation of these men their order and houses or if he had reformed onely the abuse and left their places and possessions to others of better life and professing the truth of holy Religion whereby the euil might haue bene taken away onely leauing their maintenance to be imployed in holy and Religious vses especially considering that the want in the Protestants Religion is the want of maintenance whereby many well deseruing Schollers liue in the penurie of life vnsupported which by this meanes might abundantly haue bene supplied Seuenthly To this doubt many in their seuerall opinions diuersly answer some that the standing still of their houses in the former condition of a corporation was dangerous least vpon euery alteration of the Prince the dispossessed might againe reenter whereby the latter condition might proue worse then the former And this reason were good if there might not haue bene assurance to haue secured them from all danger of repossessing the which no doubt might haue bene done if the prouidence of the State had regarded it Eighthly Others thinke the King too seuere in this his manner of correction supposing it had beene enough for him to correct but not to destroy to reforme the abuse not vtterly to haue subuerted both the abusers and the places abused and that his conuerting their wealth to his owne priuate benefit was an argument that he did this not in zeale to reforme their abuses but rather to interest himselfe into that abundance of wealth they then possessed following herein the example of Cardinall VVolsey who in the yeare 1525 obtained license to suppresse certaine Religious houses to furnish him towards the building of his two Colledges at Oxford and Ipswich the which Colledges beeing founded vpon this false ground neuer had the good fortune to bee finished but perished in their Birth Ninthly And I verily beleeue that howsoeuer the King had a further respect then to inherit their wealth yet was there both that and many other by occasions strong inducements to moue him to this seuerity in punishing And herein the King may be was and is in the person of the Pope an ambitious desire of vniuersality of Empire with vniuersall neglect and hatred Thirdly Vngodly practise hath not alwaies euill successe if we respect the present but if wee respect euents further of they are euer euill and certaine in their destruction Fourthly to dissemble our intents with faire pretence is a principle in pollicie which I commend not but remember onely For though no man bee bound at all times and in euery cause to declare himselfe in direct euidence yet doth it much aduance the honour of a Prince to be square in all without difference or disproportion Fifthly In a generall cause it is necessary to be generally respectiue and not to conferre that vpon one which with satisfaction may be giuen to manie Therefore was it good Pollicie in the King to distribute the possessions of the Abbeyes he supprest to many of principall authority in the State For it is wisedome to satisfie their offence that haue authority rather then such as want it Sixthly It was the wisedome of the best morall Philosophers not to place felicity in Fortune because of vncertainties for hee is onely happie that cannot be miserable CHAP. VI. Of King Henries remisse and colde proceeding in the worke of reformation FIRST there is nothing in the Earth more certaine then the vncertainty of al earthly things For Man one of the best of Gods Creatures in respect of the excellencie of his reasonable soule doth so often times change the condition of his life as if he were not of that excellencie nor had not that power of Iudgement and vnderstanding which he hath And this is Gods worke in the depth of his wisedome to whom onely all things are certaine and with whom there is no shadow of change God reseruing to himselfe the secrets of those things whereof his will is we shall be ignorant imparting onely so much to vs his creatures as may serue for the worke of his seruice he himselfe still guiding vs by his hand of prouidence to those ends whereto his decree hath ordained vs. And by this doth God giue vs a demonstration of his power and our weakenesse of his power in being most certaine in all those things which to vs are casuall and of our weakenesse because we are like the ayre we breath carryed whithersoeuer it shall please the winde to moue vs. Secondly The truth of this may appeare in the Kings particular who notwithstanding the greatnes of his spirit and the honorable attempt he had made in the cause of Religion whereby he had runne himselfe so farre in the trauells of that businesse as that he could not well retyre without dishonorable shame the expectation of Christendome seeming to depend much vpon the Kings continuance in that course yet
so diuine was the heauenly composition of his Nature and so well ordered was his education as if both heauen and earth had desire to make him excellent and to make his Character an exact demonstration able to instruct the most excellent Christian Prince how to moderate betweene the power of Maiesty and the dutie of conscience For if State would iudge his Zeale and Religion his State he shall be found to deserue this high praise I giue him and both Religion and State would iudge him to be worthie and fit to gouerne a Religious State Fifthly This happie Prince in the little time of his gouernement gaue a large testimonie of his worth and did both exceed the expectation was had of him and inlarge their expectations that did hope well who though he was but young when hee entred his gouernement yet at his very entrance did he better the State labouring with admirable care and constance in the better reforming of Religion and for the safe protection of the Catholike Faith which Truth God willing in the processe of this Historie shall appeare most euident Sixthly And most Gratious Prince to whom I write and dedicate these labours let me with reuerence and exception of your Grace report my opinion that this Nation neuer had such a Salomon who in so poore a number of yeares had a like measure of those his rich treasures of Zeale VVisedome Loue and State Of the benefit that redounds to a State by a lawfull succession of blood CHAP. XII FIRST the benefit that redounds to a State by a lawfull succession of blood may appeare by the misery of many kingdomes and great states the which for want of succession haue indured the greatest extremities that could bee the examples whereof are very common in the stories both of Christian heathen kings Therefore I will onely produce one of the old world the mighty Alexander whose fortunes in the conquest of warre made the world tremble at his awfull name hauing subdued the greatest and best part of the earth yet leauing the conquest of his sword to his friends diuided and not to his owne succeeding blood entire wholy the Empire hee had got and thus left could not stand being not vnited in one soueraigne successor but deuided into parts whereof insued emulation and enuie and at the last vtter desolation which happily had not bene if Alexander had had a Sonne Alexander to haue succeeded in his Empire Secondly An example neerer vs both in respect of time and place is the Kingdome of France our Neighbour Nation A kingdome that hath indured the greatest extremities the misery of Warre could lay vpon it and this was onely occasioned by want of succession in blood the French King then not hauing Issue Male to succeed him in his Empire gaue occasion that the king of England Edward the Third made claime to the kingdome of France in the right of his Mother being suruiuing heire to Phillip sirnamed the Fayre to whom by the most allowable Law the Right must needs discend which the French vtterly withstand by reason of the salique Law which dis-inableth women in such inheritance yet hence hath proceeded the greatest alteration in that state that euer was the kings of England by many notable attempts and victories defacing the beautie of that famous kingdome which for largenesse of Empire and all other earthly blessings may bee said to bee the most soueraigne of all Christendome And therefore the spoyle of such a kingdome is very lamentable and the cause of that spoyle much to be condemned yea so great is the misery of that euill cause to that kingdome as that they still stand in the hazard of good or euill fortune expecting a dangerous warre whensoeuer the Maiesty of any English King shall please to make claime to that kingdome which both by succession and conquest is his owne Thirdly Within our selues also we haue notable examples of the misery of state when lawfull succession doth either faile or is by intrusion interrupted For vpon this foundation was builded that most famous quarrell betweene the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster a difference that made England to bleede in euery vaine neither could it euer be compounded vntill the succession of both those lines met in one particular whereby the Canons did know one vndoubted successor without competitor to whose seruice they might addresse themselues whereas before they were diuided into parts some adhering to this others to that as authority and loue could moue them whereby they broake their vnity to make a fraction and the truth of succession being doubtfully vnderstood was the cause that men were more easily drawne by perswasion to the bloody enterprize of Warre which happily had not bene or at the least not so violent if the right of inheritance had not bene interrupted by intrusion Fourthly But that most Worthie of note is the late time of Queene Elizabeths Reigne a Ladie worthy of best memorie who being vnmarried made her Subiects haue doubtfull expectation who should succeed her the which then was most dangerous when the Queene was past the hope of hauing naturall issue And this did not onely breede a Ielousie in the heads of her owne people but also gaue occasion that forraigne Princes had regardfull eye to the vncertaine conditions of those times and among them such especially as did most enuie the prosperity of our Nation For they might then hopefully beleeue that the Queene leauing the State in these vncertainties and as they thought to many Competitors it could not be but needs the glorie thereof would ruine by ciuill discord and part-taking and that then would a time bee offered them to reuenge and in rich themselues And how soeuer God hath preuented the euill which was worthily feared yet certainely euen then was the danger great and the euill hopes of our enemies vpon likely-hood conceiued neither is there any that hath vnderstanding in the affaires of State but will acknowledge the euēt of these times did exceed the expectation that all men had of them and that the Kings Maiesties comming in that last was was a worke of Gods speciall prouidence whereby he did direct those iudgements the which at this time did very much threaten our Nation Fifthly By those examples may bee vnderstood the danger that redounds to a state when succession doth either faile or is by intrusion interrupted the euill experience whereof is not onely to be found in the alteration of states but also in the subuersion of priuate houses For a Son is neerer in disposition and consent of Nature then one further off in the degrees of blood and for state such are most fit to succeed in gouernement that are the seede of Gouernours Nature traducing to them the Maiesty and iudgements of their Progenitors and for the fauour of the people that Prince or heire apparant hath
but it doth argue and conclude the vnworthinesse of the times for in such a case the Prince doth inherit happines but his people suffer miserie Thirdly It was both foolish and wicked in the two Dukes Northumberland and Suffolke to labour to erect and secure a state to their posterity with iniuries so apparant and palpable For though God many times suffer intrusions into titles he doth neuer establish them Fourthly In the discretion of State it cannot be thought otherwise but where there is vsurpation and false intrusion there is a miserable affliction with feare and Iealosie which neither the power or pollicie of any such State can auoid so long as God shall not suffer their violence to preuaile against the liues of the true inheritors Fifthly It is a Pollitique wisedome in a Prince to suspect the sincerity of al such state aduise that hath principall reference to the aduancement of such Counsellors For in this case it is often true that men will not speake their iudgements but their affections Sixthly To be ordered by lawfulnesse in all our actions is not onely the iudgement of conscience but of humanity and Morall discipline For Morall learning doth determine that there is nothing profitable that is not lawfull CHAP. XVII A Comparison betweene King Iosias of Iuda and King Edward of England FIRST to compare King Iosias of Iuda with King Edward of England is the most equall comparison of any two in the Storie of holy Kings both of them hauing with equall diligence and victory fought Gods quarrell to the glory of their God the reformation of his seruice the abolishing of Idolatrie and the confusion of the euill Ministers thereof First for their age when they began their Reignes King Iosias began his gouernement the eighth yeare of his age and King Edward the ninth of his wherein they very neerely consent and whereby God hath giuen proofe to the world that the power of his Spirit can as well preuaile in them of youth as in those of better yeares and experience he being able to make the Childe and the strong man alike victorious in a cause which hee shall please to protect as was this of these two holy Kings both of them equally conspiring one end the truth of Religion and holy worship Againe Amon Iosias his Father left the kingdome of Iuda in the exercise of Idolatry and so did King Henrie Edwards Father leaue the State of England in the practise of Popish Idolatrie hauing onely by suppressing of Abbeyes taken from those Idols their ornaments and wealth not vtterly destroying them as did Iosias and King Edward Againe Iosias when he vnderstood the will of God by hearing his Chancellor Shaphem reade the booke of the Law did accordingly frame himselfe in all obedience So King Edward when he vnderstood by the Learned men of his Realme such as Cranmer Latymer Ridley and others followed the Lords businesse with like zeale and constancie as did Iosias not onely abolishing the false but establishing the true forme of Gods seruice Againe as Iosias left the kingdome of Iuda to an euill Successor his Son Iehoahaz who againe prouoked the people to Idolatrie So likewise King Edward left the inheritance of the Church and kingdome of England to his Sister Mary who like Iehoahaz Iosias his Sonne did againe restore the euill practise of Idolatrie and superstitious Poperie vtterly defacing the godly building which her holy Brother had so carefully erected Againe as God did keepe his promise with Iosias which was to preserue Israell the time of his life in prosperity and rest So did God likewise preserue England in plenty and victory all the time of King Edward And therefore these two holy kings seeme to conspire in all saue their deaths Iosias dying in the field king Edward in his bed the one reigning thirty and one yeares the other but sixe yeares and odd moneths and yet in this hath king Edward the greater honour that he in sixe yeares did happily finish that which the other was thirty one yeares in compassing but aboue all hath he exceeded him in leauing to posterity that most famous Defendresse the Ladie Elizabeth his Sister who afterwards did proue the glory of her Sex and the admiration of all the world OF QVEENE MARIE AND of the alteration of the State in the beginning of her Time CHAP. XVIII FIRST I am now to change my Argument and to write not of mercy but of misery of the aduersity not of the prosperity of the Gospell and how the Catholike Faith was offended and not defended by the Successor Queene Marie who made the most miserable change in the state of England that euer that Nation indured she defacing the glorious worke of her Predecessor of K. Edward her princely brother extinguishing the lights of Truth whereby men were directed in the way of life obscuring al knowledge in the mist of Ignorāce and blacke error in which blindnesse the Christian world had for many yeares wandered This Eclipse being now againe by the interpositiō of her darke time brought vpon this Nation So that no light of Truth was in her time to be seene saue onely at the burning Stakes of Martyrs which holy fire did kindle a Religious zeale in many Spectators that beheld the mercilesse crueltie of the tormentors and the Christian patience of holy Saints tormented Secondly And therefore I am not as before to declare wherein Queene Marie hath defended the Catholike Faith because shee neuer defended it in the least particular but of the contrarie how shee did bend the powers of her endeauour both against the profession and the professors of true Christian Faith seeking by all violent and bloodie meanes to depresse the prosperity of Religion whereof by the dignity of her place she was made defendresse And in Truth it doth grieue me that I am to write the dishonor of this Queene which willingly I would auoide were the cause any other but Religion but that the declaration of these times do tie me to a necessity of Truth from which I dare not aberre for it were an euill presumption in any one to presume to write History then to obscure the truth thereof vpon what cause soeuer For thereof would issue a double inconuenience First he should wrong the vnderstandings of men in misreporting the Truth also lay an euil imputation on his name in suppressing the knowledge of Truth which is the life and true mouing soule of all Historie Thirdly And this I write in fauour of Q. Marie because of her extraordinary induments of Nature God hauing giuen her so much Maiesty and princely spirit as might serue to rule the greatest command in the world if to her other gifts God had giuen her the knowledge of his Truth she had well deserued to haue bene named most excellēt to haue exceeded all the famous Queenes
in the world saue her sister the most famous Elizabeth who hath exceeded her and al the world in the honour of true deseruing Fourthly Yet notwithstanding all these rare excellencies of nature merit little but only pittie for if the best beauty of nature haue not the benefit of grace the greatest ornaments therof are then but punishment to them that so enioy them And therefore they that haue not the gifts of grace haue nothing of worth though they haue all that nature can giue them and happie had Q. Marie bene if nature had giuen her lesse and grace more because any little breath of Gods Spirit is more worth than all other blessings whatsoeuer For nature adornes the body grace the soule of euery one that hath it commonly where the power of wit great spirit is in any one Subiect not moderated by grace they are then meanes to make the enioyers of them most dangerous instruments because nature cannot moue it self to good but naturally to euill and as the naturall motion is more easie to the mouer than the violent So the gifts of nature are more inclinable to euill than to good ends being moued to euill by their owne proper motion but to goodnesse by the motion of grace which in all naturall things is violent against nature And therfore was the Q. more dangerous hauing so much of nature because she was therby armed for euill the want of grace making her runne her natural course her great spirit other naturall induments spurring her forward in her euill passage whereby she became enemie to her self mouing her self to her own destruction Fifthly But that which made Q. Marie monstrous in her euill was the two much credit she gaue to euill counsell suffering her selfe to be transported by the violent spirits of euill and reuengefull men who conceiuing a grounded displeasure for some hard vsage they indured in K. Edwards time now take aduantage to reuenge the cause for which they had indured displeasure these men like euill spirits breathed the spirits of indignation into the Queenes heart moued her to effect most bloodie horrible deeds to the great displeasure of God and dishonour of her princely place Sixthly for it cannot be imagined that a Ladie of her spirit being in humane respects mercifull compassionate would haue entred her gouernement with such tyrannie terror bearing in both hands destruction like Reuenge her self entring the stage of her gouernement with fire blood had she not bene moued thereto by euil perswasion Neither can it be but the Q. conscience would condemne the course of her violent proceeding that she would iudge the large effusioÌ„ of christiaÌ„ blood stood not with the honour of her name nor with the Truth of Religion yet so powerfull is the authority of them we trust especially in the case of Religion and conscieÌ„ce as that many times we suffer our selus to be led against our own perswasioÌ„s by a reuerence we beare to other mens opinioÌ„s Seuenthly And this no doubt was the cause why the Queene was so resolued in in her bloodie persecutions shee giuing credit to their perswasion whom shee reputed most Reuerend and Learned and they perswading her she could not discharge the office of her Soueraigne place nor defend the Catholike Faith but by the extirping the Protestant Religion which in their opinion was Heresie in the highest degree neither could shee as they thought suppresse the generall fauour that profession had got in generall estimation but by seuerity rigorous laws wherein they were farre deceiued For it is impossible that any Pollicie of man should be able to supplant Gods Husbandrie which he hath made prosperous the Truth whereof is manifest in the experience of these persecuting times when as the death of one holy man was the life of many God raising a holy generation out of the ashes of his holy Martyrs the Church not decresing but increasing by the stroake of persecution And in this case was the Queene counselled as Rehoboams was by his young states men to make the yoake of persecution heauie whereas her Father did chastise with rodds she should correct with scourges and this was the euill counsell wherewith the Queene was ordered for shee made her yoake heauier than all her Predecessors had done and in truth insupportable for any true Christian Professor Eightly And therefore this Counsell of theirs may haue Pollicie but no Piety for if the State in King Edwards time had vsed Gardiner and Bonner with like seuerity and had taken from them their euill liues which they had iustly forfeited then had not these euill Ministers bene the cause of so much blood shed neither happily should the Queene haue had any such as they to haue prouoked her to such dishonour and vngodly practise for it is needfull Pollicie that the haughty spirits of men that haue authority and greatnesse must either not be offended or being moued to offence must bee then made sure from taking Reuenge And it had bene good for the Christian State that the ambitious spirit of Winchester had either not bene discontented by his disgrace and imprisonment or being so offended to haue made him sure from reuengefull practise and if this had thus come to passe no doubt much Christian blood had bene saued which by his meanes perished Neither had the Queene come into that ignominy of blood and cruelty shee being in her own Nature rather inclined to pittie and mercifull respect then otherwise And therefore though the time of Queene Maries gouernement was the most bloodie persecution that euer was in this Land I thinke euer since it had a Christian Prince yet was this Ladie otherwise disposed in her owne Nature neither would shee haue made her name so monstrous in blood had not her conscience perswaded a necessity shee being so resolued by their perswasion who shee thought had authority to iudge her Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST Diuinity doth admit no distinction of men but the difference of good and bad for Gods fauour doth not look as mans doth men iudge by externall but God by internall euidence God is no accepter of persons but men accept nothing but the persons of men and therfore it is often seene that thus God and the world diuide their seueralls God markes his with Grace the world hers with Nature and Fortune Secondly It is a pollicie of long practise and large proofe that Priests Iesuites and men of spirituall function are appointed for State designes as the most pregnant and conuenient mâ—n for they haue this odds that besides their helps of learning and much experience they haue alwaies the reuerence of their profession which vndoubtedly with people of their owne faith doth gaine them and their perswasions extraordinary credit Thirdly It is a prouidence worthy of
bene letted and by them most desirously pursued And therefore in respect of Pollicie and the practise of State this marriage of Spaine was very hurtfull for our Nation ayming directly at the vtter ouerthrow of the English Monarchie wherein Queene Marie was neither Poilitique nor Holy not holy in not defending the Catholike Faith combining her selfe so neerely with the Popes Confederate and not pollitique in hazerding the honour of her Kingdomes in the hands of one so dangerous as the King of Spaine then was who already was so great as made him iustly feared and his proceedings suspected God of his goodnesse disposing otherwise of this businesse deriuing still a Succession of Kingly power within our selues of our owne nation and of our owne Kingly line to the better defence of the Catholike Faith and to the perpetuall honour of this our English Monarchie 14. Lastly Queene Marie in her vehement and vniust persecuting her most vertuous Sister the Ladie Elizabeth afterwards Queene did hereby very much offend the Catholike Faith because among all the Religions at that time in England this Ladie was chiefe not onely for holinesse of life but also for her eminence of place and dignity being heyre apparant to the Crowne and in whom the hope of King Henries issue onely remained And therefore the right of Succession remaining in her Royal person made her more than a priuate one and made the euill of her Sisters persecution more monstrous being directed against the life of one both holy and a Princesse and to whom God had purposed to giue the inheritance of these kingdomes and the office to defend the profession of faith and holy worship And if wee but remember the most gratious gouernement of this Ladie the time shee was Queene and how nobly shee hath defended the profession of Faith and Religion wee shall thereby iudge how much euill Queene Marie had done if the euill practise against her Sister Elizabeth had preuailed Neuer any Defendresse nor euer any Queene in the world hauing finished Gods quarrell with more honour or with better resolution than shee did And therefore if this holy life had perished the glory of her honourable actions had bene preuented neither had the world euer seene the admirations of her time nor the seuerall states of christendome euer had so noble a Patronesse to support them in their iust quarrells against the aspiring insolencie of the ambitious nor had the holy Saints on earth liued secure vnder the late protection of her mercifull wings whose holy faith shee hath victoriously defended against all oppositions cutting off not by Pollicie onely as did Iudith but by her power the head of Holophernes Idolatrie And thus triumphing in the spoyle of Gods enemies shee hath purchased an euerliuing name of honour and an euerlasting inheritance in heauen with God and with the Children of Faith whose quarrell shee hath most honourably defended 15. And Queene Marie in seeking to destroy so holy a life did not the office of her Christian place nor defend the quarrell of Faith whereunto her title bound her 16. In respect of State likewise was this very euill in the Queene because by this iniurie to her neerest blood shee sought to hinder the lawfull succession For the Ladie Elizabeth being dead it might proue quarrelsome who should next inherit Queene Marie hauing no issue to succeed her was like to leaue the State to much trouble and to many Competitors And if Queene Elizabeth had not succeeded happily our Nation had not bene so famous in the honour and reputation of warlike exercise as now it is neither had it flourished in the glorie of Learning nor in the trauell of industrious artes as it hath nor had there bene that peace that plentie and that security which presently we enioy nor happily had the State bene thus left as by her it is to a Prince of peace full of hopefull issue by whom and by whose posterity England may hope neuer to want a noble Defendor of it and of the Catholike Faith And therefore God onely bee praised who did preuent the euill that euill men intended against that Ladie against this Nation and against the Catholike Faith In all these respects may appeare the euill gouernement of these times and how the Queene was led by dishonourable meanes to an end most dangerous the cause as I haue said was onely the too much trust the Queene gaue to euill Counsell whereby shee was violently carried against her owne Nature to most vnchristian designes for her conscience did perswade her that those things were of absolute necessity which in truth were altogether vnlawfull And this was the Bishop of VVinchester Stephen Gardiners care to set an edge on the Queenes offence and to fit her for the stroake of persecution whereto in her Nature she was not fit And this hee did by the authority of his Religious place whereto the Queene had speciall reuerence framing her selfe to doe that onely which in her abused conscience shee thought was necessarie For there is nothing can perswade like conscience which in men of all Religions will desire satisfaction and ease And though our conscience iudge falsly of Truth yet cannot that Iudgement bee vnsatisfied whithout Torment and much affliction neither is there any so powerfull to perswade vs as them of whom we conceiue a reuerend opinion and thinke Religious and holy because the opinion of holinesse taketh away all suspition And therefore many times men seeming deuoute and verie precise are best able to deceiue because they are best credited the greatest pollititians working their most damned proiects by men professing sanctimonious life this being euer a foundation in that vile Art that pretence and false couller are the hands of Pollicie whereby shee effecteth that which otherwise were impossible And if wee remember the number of Conspiracies and Treasonous designes attempted in this last age of the world we shall scarce finde any one wherein men professing Religion were not principalls either plotters or practisers The experience of the time finding such men most fit instruments for such desperate attempts because they dare doe any thing and can keepe counsell and as it is ieastingly said of playes they are not pleasant without a Foole so it may bee seriously said of Treasons they are not bloodie without a Priest these men hauing got them a name of admiration for acting the most horrible parts of blood and treason wherein they haue approued themselues forward but most vnfortunane And by these men was the better nature of Queene Marie much abused making her by their euill counsell become odious to posterity in shedding without mercy the blood of many holy Martyrs treading vpon the face of truth dignifying Idolatrous euill seruice Vnfortunate Queene to be deceiued by these euill Ministers but woe vnto them by whom
approue her to bee most valiant in Christian patience and to haue worthily defended the profession of the Catholike Faith before shee was made Defendresse the storie of which her most vertuous suffering I haue heretofore written in verse and therefore in this place I forbeare to make particular Narration of that which formerly I haue declared And in this I receiue speciall contentment that in my knowledge of this Souereigne Ladie Queene Elizabeth I dare confidently report to haue found more in the trauell of my time than King Salomon withall his experience and wisedome could euer finde A good Woman 〈…〉 FIRST 〈◊〉 common with God then to helpe when the disease is highest and the expectation of good is furthest off for in this doth God shew his omnipotencie and the difference betweene the actions of himselfe and his creatures for man to produce his effects doth couet the aduantage of naturall fitting causes but it is sufficient cause in God that he is willing Secondly There is this difference in the punishments of good and euill men temporall and eternall the good mans temporall punishment must of necessity end the euill mans spirituall punishment hath an euerlasting necessity of being For God hath determined all men to taste of both cups but with different measure Thirdly It was a wisedome both Religious and Pollitique in the Queene to enter her State with generall peace for though shee had the sword of authority in her hand and found in the power of her command such as had bene very grieuous vnto her yet did she like a wise Princesse take no further reuenge then onely name them for her enemies and so distinguish them from better friends For it is most needfull for a Prince at the entring his State to gaine the opinion of mercie because there is nothing can better secure him then the hearts and faithfull seruice of his people Fourthly There is this greatnesse euen in men of inferior fortune that they either dispise the dignities they haue not or can with a modest patience hope them For seeing that all worldly things are moued with variable motions what man can haue reason to dispaire the fortune of some prosperitie CHAP. XXIV Of the first Act of Queene Elizabeths defence for the Catholike Faith after she was Queene FIRST Queene Elizabeth in her gratious disposition was like the sune which no sooner is vp but it riseth to the comfort of all Creatures so the Queene no sooner in the seate of Maiestie but she applyeth her cares to the vse of mercie and vertuous deeds casting vpon the generall face of this Nation her heauenly aspect and influence which in the blacke time of her Sisters gouernement lay in the shadow of darkenesse and blacke obscurity And as the neerest to her Religious heart she beginneth being of important consideration first with Gods cause Religion laying that for her foundation whereupon she determined to erect the whole frame of her holy life For shee well vnderstood there was nothing could support her in the true estimation of honour and vertuous liuing but Religion without the exercise whereof all other things are vitious and of euill merit And therefore did she pursue this end with a most stedfast resolution daring to doe any thing were it neuer so hazerdous that might aduantage it and remouing euery impediment which any way might hinder the prosperity of that proceeding And because she found the bodie of her State dangerously wounded by disorder and euill gouernement she therefore very carefully and skilfully applieth present remedie least otherwise the disease might proue incureable and the cause of Religion might then bee like the common cause of Patients who haue their patience tryed by deferments and lingring cures which in the trade and practise of many bad Physitions is very frequent And this disgrace hath the Queene well auoided in determining first the generall cause of the Common-Wealth before any particular end that might respect her owne priuate Secondly The euidence of this her holy and princely care is most apparant in the restoring of Religion to that Truth and Authoritie wherein in King Edwards time it was worthily established abolishing superstitious Poperie which in the time of Queene Marie her Sister had vsurped the place and dignitie of true Religion And this false worship hath Queene Elizabeth like a most victorious Empresse for euer vanquished bringing it downe to that pouertie of strength as the fauourers thereof haue little reason euer to hope a restauration of that which she and her Successor our Soueraigne King Iames haue for euer banished from the bonds of great Brittaine Thirdly And in this hath Queene Elizabeth very fortunately defended the Catholike Faith and finished that holy quarrell with as much honour as euer did any Christian Prince before her being in this worthily able to match if not to ouer match her most princely brother K. Edward who but for her may be thought for his holy care singular and without comparison Fourthly To reckon vp the particulars of Queene Elizabeths merit were a needlesse trauell both because I cannot so report them as they are worthly and also because they are yet visible in the view of the gouernement of the Church and State of England as now it standeth our Church being still in the flourish of that prosperity wherein shee left it established to the next Defendor of the Faith and wherein K. Iames her successor our Souereigne doth yet continue it and wherein we hope it will be euer continued in his hopefull posterity Fifthly This noble beginning of Queene Elizabeth was so much to the aduancement of the Catholike Faith that being by report made knowne to the world was a cause that the Children of faith who in Queene Maries time did willingly banish themselues into places of farre distance now hearing of this alteration resort againe to their Countrie and to the protection of this Noble Defendresse who did free them from the miserie of persecution and vnder whose defence they peaceably enioyed their liues and the libertie of Reformed Conscience And with this holy exordium did Queene Elizabeth begin the Storie of her vertuous life Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST It is a precept giuen vs by our best Master First seeke the Kingdome of God This lesson had the Queene learned from that Doctor who therefore did applie her first cares to this principall end for which God did succeed her in others for it is vnquestionable true that he that seeketh God shall finde all his necessarie things though he seeke them not Secondly The Queene by her direct manifesting her resolute purpose how in the case of Religion she was resolued was both in her selfe Religious and had this Pollitique respect that thereby shee tooke feare from her friends and hope from her enemies making hope and feare shift places for that did satisfie the expectation of her friends which in such
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
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
Kings left their States to holy ends but euill successors Both of them fortunate to their Kingdomes The honour of King Edward Q. Elizabeth Q. Marie The change shee made in the Church of England The light of Truth put out The Queene obscured the glory of this Nation The purpose of the Historie of this Queenes time The truth of History must not for any consideration be concealed The inconuenience of misreporting the truth of Historie Queene Marie her extraordinarie induments of Nature Q. Elizabeth incomparable Nature without grace doth merit nothing The least gift of grace is more worth then the whole riches of Nature The gifts of Grace The gifts of nature without grace are dangerous in him that hath them The motion of Grace is 〈◊〉 against Nature The Queene an enemie to her selfe The Q. great ouersight Gardiner Bonner the Queenes euill instruments The Q good nature much abused She entred her gouernment with great Tyranniâ— Those wee trust most may best deceiue vs. A bad perswasion These euill Counsellors much deceiued God raiseth a new generation of holy men from the ashes of Martyrdome 1 King 12. 10 Their Counsell was wicked pollicie but no pietie A respect of pollicie Gardiner the euill spirit which most tempted the Queene to her seueritie The power of conscience Diuine Pollitique Morall The Duke of Northumberland The Duke guilty of his fortunes In respect of State The Q. first offence Gardiner Bonner and others The cruelties of these times A double respect How the Q. began her gouernement D. Cranmer and others The Papists In restoring the Abbeyes The euill of a bloody life In respect of State Idle and euil vsers of wealth The Queene in her iudgement condemned her Father The Queene erecteth that Idolatrie which her Father had defaced E contrario The worst of the Queenes euills Her establishing of Poperie Her full opposition against the Catholike Faith Her forwardnes in punishing Mans nature The alteration of Religion is preiudiciall to the CommoÌ„-Wealth The Q conscience abused The Pope hath not principality proper The Q. ouersight The English nation dishonoured by the Queene The Q. persecutions of holy men No profession of Religion but the Popes that thinke to merit by blood persecution Christians must beare the Crosse not make it The example â—f Christ. Mercy the 〈…〉 gift of grace The Martyrs The vehemencie of this persecution For his booke of Acts and Monuments Strange examples of enuie The graue is euery mans Sanctuary The doome of Nature Note A reuenge like the reuenge of Diuels This persecution equall with them of the Primitiue Church King Philip of Spaine The confederacie of the Spaniâ—h King and the Pope The Iesuites supported by the Spanish King Rome and Spaine the ladders of one anothers rising 〈◊〉 respect of State The Spanish King bound to certaine conditions No obligatioÌ„ can binde the desire of the ambitious Note The inconuenience of the Queenes Marriage The greatnes of Spaine The expectation of Spaine Portingale England the supporter of Spaine The inconuenience In respect of pollicie The Queene neither pollitique nor holy The prouidence of God in this businesse Queene Elizabeth The hope of King Henrie his issue The gouernment when she was Q. Queene Elizabeth incomparable What hurt the Q. death had bene to ChristeÌ„dome Iudith and Holophernes The glorie of Queene Elizabeths deeds In respect of State The inconuenience The glory of the English Natiâ—◠〈…〉 of Q. Elizabeth King Iames our Soueraigne God onely preuented the euill purpose of euill men Queene Marie led to dishonourable ends The cause the perswasion of her conscience Winchester Gardiner Nothing can perswade like conscience Who are most powerfull to perswadevs Men seeming deuout are best able to deceiue The ground of euill pollicie Who are the chiefe plotters and actors of treasons Why Priests are most fit for treasons The office of Iesuits By whom the Queenes nature was most abused Who they be that trouble the peace of Israel Diuine Pollitique Morall No man can free himselfe from Discontent The greatest 〈…〉 seruitude The error of common iudgement The power of patience A moderation in griefe For griefe is the true physicke of the minde The euill of discontentment Queene Maries punishment The trouble of her conscience Her owne iudgement of her owne proceedings Her Nature Protestants The queenes griefe Gardiner Bonner Gen. 34. 30. The Queene veri much in her selfe offended How the power of Princes is limited The reason Faction Faction The torment of an offended conscience King Philip of Spaine Her want of issue The natures of women The Kings not regarding her Her iealousie of her own merit The queenes deseruing of King Philip. The queenes offence in respect of King Philip very causefull The third cause of her Discontent was the losse of Callis Note Prouocations to French warres Callis the key of France The reason of the Queenes griefe for the losse of Callis The rebellion of her subiects Rebellion a cause that the gouernement is suspected What is required in the person of a Prince The forward successe of the Rebells One chiefe cause why they failed in their proiect Sir Thomas Wyat of Kent God the enemie of all Conspirators Gods mercie in thus punishing the Queene The mercie of God to this Nation in the Queenes death Diuine Pollitique Morall The diuers opinions of men in this Argument This controuersie must be iudged by Religion and not by pollicie The Testimonie of God the best authority Religion and Pollicie two diuers The differeÌ„ce of their ends and practise How to reconcile piety and pollicie The Popes haue abused the Christian Faith The Pope doth challenge authority to licence Rebellion How the Pope doth inrich himselfe The Pope no follower of any holy example In respect of State practise The example of King Dauid Dauid would not conspire the death of Saul though he were a Reprobate Dauid refuseth the offer of opportunitie to reueÌ„ge 1 Sam. 24. v. 5 6 7. Arare example of a holy King Note 1 Sam. 2. 6. 9 Dauid and the Pope disagree in their opinions An Italian prouerbe Count Baltezer The example of Christ. God who only maketh Kings can onely depose them No earthly power can giue licensce for Rebellion All traytors oppose against Gods prouidence The Pope his Dispensation Queene Mary Queene Katherine Commiseration and Christian pittie The woman a weake Sexe The venemous nature of the Romish doctrine Saint Bartholmewes supper of Sâ—ulâ—â— The differeÌ„t nature of two Sisters The day and night diuide the yeare The differeÌ„ce of good and bad The differeÌ„ce of Natures Of King Henries happinesse God is double as much in mercie as in Iudgement Queene Elizabeth is helper to cure the wounds her Sister had made in the State Wherein we may behold the deserts of Queene Elizabeth The highest of her deserts In respect of greatnesse goodnesse Virgin Marie Queene Elizabeth most excellent in the respects of mercie and Maiesty Disparagement King Iames. The Queene matchlesse for Maiestie
proceeding both of them apprehending euery little circumstance of hope either in the King himselfe his Nature or fortunes Fiftly But the mercie of God which had wonderfully protected the Kings Maiestie in safetie and prosperous fortune against many dangerous practises did not now leaue him vnassisted but in this businesse of most important consideration lead him to an end full of honourable merit God giuing him so much of the wisdome of his Spirit whereby he was able to iudge and determine this maine Controuersie and whereby hee was able to iudge betweene light and darknes Truth and falsehood Order and disorder Religion and Idolatrie And according to this holy iudgement did the King in his election make particular choice confirming the doctrine of true Religion and the commendable order which in the Church hee found established and confuting by the iudgement of his owne mouth both these all the other enemies of Truth and order whatsoeuer Thus nobly prepared did his Maiestie defend the Catholike Faith against these two great enemies enemies both of them for the Papist hee is enemie to the Faith and the Puritan is enenemie to the peace of the Catholike Church enemies both yet not both alike enemies yet both dangerous and of much conuenience to bee opposed by the Defendor of the Catholike Faith the which his Maiestie did to his great commendation and to the honour of Almighty God For the Puritan first the order of the Kings gratious proceeding in this businesse is well knowne to the world by what lenity and fauourable meanes hee laboured to accord their disagreements and to vnite them to the peace and concord of the Church from which they had deuided themselues For though by the power of his high place he might haue forced their obedience and haue vsed the seueritie of correction and seuere Iustice yet would hee not knowing how stiffe and wilfull they were in their opinion and therefore to gaine them his Maiestie was content to vse any meanes to put off Maiestie and the authority of Greatnesse and in his owne person to giue their cause a fauourable hearing and himselfe to moderate and iudge their disputations and therefore were they allowed to make choice of the best able men among them to defend their opinion against whom were appointed of the Reuerend Bishops of this Land to answer and to satisfie their arguments in the hearing and determining of which Controuersie his Maiestie did declare himselfe to vnderstand as much in Religious Learning as the greatest Doctor in that presence he himselfe confuting and confounding all pretended reason alledged against the conuenient orders of the Church whereby at that time hee declared how well able hee was to defend the quarrell of Faith and Religion against all the Learning in the world And thus did the King discend his Maiestie to satisfie the peeuish obstinacie of the Puritan faction And whereas it is obiected that these proceedings against the Puritans did animate and incourage the Papist an enemie of greater importance and that it was euill order to begin reformation with the Puritans and to let the Papist passe as an enemie not regarded I answer the order was good and most conuenient and answerable to the rule of God himselfe For iudgement beginneth at the house of God and it is most needfull for him that would profitably reforme others first to reforme himselfe Sixthly And the body of this kingdome hauing the disease of disobedience in the chiefe memebers thereof it was orderly and most necessarie first to respect this care at home and then to intend businesse further of neither could the Papist bee incouraged by this for they might well know that if the King fauoured not the lesse he would not fauour the greater enemie and if he corrected the Puritan with rods he would whip them with scourges And for the Papist howsoeuer the Kings Maiesty did vse them with as much fauourable regard as any Prince in the world would his enemies yet was there a watchfull eye had to their proceedings and so strict a hand was held ouer them as to distinguish them from friends the Gouernours of State being most carefull to preuent whatsoeuer might be by them attempted not doing ought against them which might any way prouoke them to any vnlawfull practise Seuenthly and this was vpon good consideration because the Recusants in England had not yet attempted ought against the Kings person and State and therefore was it his Religious wisedome not to punish before they had offended nor with strict seuerity to restraine them before they had made some treasonable attempt whereby the proceedings against them might be the more iustifiable before the whole face of Christendome But they not content with much vnlesse they might haue all conspire the most damnable treason that euer by men or diuels was inuented the report whereof for the rarenesse is spread ouer all the world For at one blow they purposed to smite off the heads of all the honourable in this Nation all the Heads because all the Gouernours both principall and subordinate and all the Honourable because almost all the wise and Reuerend in the Kingdome should at one Blow haue perished Eighthly now how this Treason might haue offended a King disposed to Reuenge let the most patient minded in the world iudge it but how it did moue the Kings impatience or how his Maiestie reuenged it let the most enuious Papist iudge it For presently vpon the discouerie of this neere effected Treason the king by his Proclamations declared that he had no purpose to lay their offence vpon their generall cause of Religion nor that his Iustice should reach further then to the offendors themselues wherein hee gaue assurance of safetie to all such Recusants as in all other respects saue Religion were dutifull Subiects And though for the better security of the king and State there were some Statutes enacted for the better preuenting of the like dangers yet were they verie mercifull and farre from the Nature of Reuenge tending onely to defend and not to offend the quiet of any peaceable Subiect Ninthly And whereas the Oath of Allegiance is by many thought verie grieuous it is strange that any Christian iudgement should so thinke and that any man should dare to condemne that which God so highly commendeth and with some of their best Learned both allow as lawfull and haue aduisedly taken the which because it is by others largely disputed I passe ouer Tenthly Now the king to adde to all these Christian merits and to declare himselfe with most direct testimonies that his Princely care was principally for the Seruice of God and the aduancement of the Catholike Religion hee the Lord annointed vndertakes the quarrell of GODS cause concluding by inuincible arguments that Truth which Antichrist the Arch-enemie of the Catholike Faith had opposed These his
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