with suche like vsurpers and oppressers of Gods Churche how spedely they passed to eternall ignominie Cūforts and helps of the Catholike parte On the otherside you most noble valiaunt Champions of Gods Churche the honor of Englishe kinghtehood the deffenders of the glorie and liberties therof you and all the blessed people to whom God hath giuen so happie a lote zeale and coorage to feight for your fathers faithe for your cuntries libertie for Christe for religion and for the dread soueraigne sacramēts of our saluation the honorablest quarrell the likeliest and most cōmendable cause in the sight of the present world and the posteritie that possibly can be If you winne you saue your whole realme from subuersion innumerable soules present and to cum from damnation If you die you be sure to be saued the blessinge of Christe his Churche the pardon of his Holines giuē to all in most ample sorte that either take armes die or any waie duely indeuor in this quarrell The praiers of all Christian people which be publikly promulgated for your safetie good succes The blud of all the blessed Bishops religious preistes and laymen shed in that lande crie to God at this hower for your victorie and vengaunce to your enemies their perseoutors All the Saintes in heauen whose holy Churches bodies and memories your enemies haue spoiled and prophaned make now instant sute for your happy successe All the vertuous preistes of your cuntrie who by the longe Tyrānic of this time haue suffred manifold miseries martirdomes bothe at home abrode to saue their owne soules and winne their decrest cuntrimen to saluation they also streche foorthe their consecrated handes night and day for your victorie and be present diuers of them to serue euery mans spirituall necessitie by Confessiō Counsell and all Consolation in Christe Iesus giuinge you testimony by their redines to liue and die with you how iuste the cause of this holie feight is and how happy and glorious is the bludd that shall be shed therin VVith these blessed patrons both in heauen earthe with the guarde of all Gods holy Angels with our blessed Sauiour himself in the soueraigne Sacrament present amonge you to your protection comunicatinge cōforte coorage and with the daily most holy oblation of Christes owne dere body and bludd makinge more forcible intercession frō the earthe for you then the blud of Abel with so many diuine vnspeakeable helpes if you were neuer so fewe you could not lose without these against these holies our enemies be they neuer so fierce neuer so proude neuer so manie neuer so well appointed then cā not preuail fear you not thei cā not Though neuer so great shewe be made neuer so many raised against you bicause moste of thē be Catholiltes or notoriously iniured by heretikes they be armed for vs they cā not strike they will not fighte against their owne consciēces be bolde of it they will not Many others of thē be indifferente of neither or no religion whose witt and warynesse will be suche in this extremitie and in so iust cause to desire a Chāge that where by ouerthrow of the heretikes many shal be aduaunsed and by theire good successe no man bettred in so great hassard of thinges they will neuer adore the sun setting nor folow the declininge fortune of so filthie wicked and illiberall a Creature or her so base and dishonorable leaders who also haue bene at deadly variaunce amonge themselues these many yeares and sum of them mortally hatinge their misters will neuer omitt this opportunitie to be deliuered of her and reuenged one of an other The reste of them that be pure zelous heretikes which be very fewe in comparison not very well contented neither with the former regiment of all mē in the world most effeminate delicate and least experte in the wars the Angel of God will persecute them and they shall flie in feare and torment of their owne wicked mindes though none pursue them You may all remember how the late great traitor the Duke of Northumberland was in the height of his pride and power forsakē of all his men and forced to yeilde to a poore desolate Catholike ladie All the world knowethe how the like vsurper Richard the third beinge moste worthely in the verie feild and feighte abandoned of the nobility and people was made an example of Gods ire towards all tirantes and vsurpers But how so euer it fall out throughe the sinnes of the people at home the Catholike forces are stronge enough their prouisiō sufficiēt their appointmēt passinge moe expert Captains thē the enemy hath good souldiers all resolute to die not auailable for any to flie awaye all excedingly incoraged by the equitie of the cause wonderfully confirmed by Gods mercies so oft in our dayes shewed in all quarrels of the Catholike religion These fiftie yeares there was neuer Catholike army which stoode to it but had the victorie by mistrustinge God by ouermuche trusting man by flying or auoidinge the battell by yeildinge or cōpoundinge sundry great Godly attēpts haue bene frustrated but in manly and cōfident combating for God and the Church none at all Call to minde the miraculous victories of Charles the fifte subduinge al the powrable Lutheran princes in Germanie to his the Catholike Churches obeisance with passinge small forces and in a fewe yeares or rather moneths space the enemies being almost innumerable Remember the three famous battaills that the Catholike Cantons and people of the Swisers beinge in number power prouision muche inferior to the other obteined by Gods speciall grace iustice of the cause against the Swinglians their Neighbours in one of which Swinglius himself was slaine and in euery one a maruelous nūber of heretikes and of Catholikes so fewe that in suche inequalitie of humane helpes God must nedes be the extraordinary worker of the same Reade the Histories of France and see whether the Catholikes haue not had in manner alwaies miraculous victories against the Caluinists amonge many the fights at Druse at larnabe at Saint Denis at Mountcounter and specially the mercifull worke of God this last yeare wherby we sawe the huge forces aswell of Germans as Swisers by Gods mighty arme and very small aide of man wonderfully defeated Recounte furthermore all the famous and for tunate rēcounters of a very fewe Catholikes against the heretikes and rebelles in Flanders as at Grooning at Mock at Mounts at Antwerp at Iemblous and many other conflictes wher without losse almost at all many thousandes of Gods and the Kinges enemies haue bene cutt in peices our lord God no doubte cōbatinge with his people against his enemies as he did against Senacharib Nicanor and other mentioned in holie writ VVhich thinge most noble and valiant gentle men of England may giue you courage and cōfort from God himself euen the lord God of Hostes to aduenture your selues in a quarrell most honorable in a cause that the diuine Maiestie hathe shewed himself not onely in other ages but euen in all our eyes memories to haue singular care of In a case of the extrea mest necessitie of our Iuste defence and armes that euer any Christian people had or can haue Thus much my good lordes and most deere frendes I haue thought good to forwarne you of the whole cause of these present sacred wars and of his Holines and Catholike Maiesties sincere intention therin and bothe their incomparable affections towardes our Nation wherof I could giue you farr more comfortable intelligence yf I were personally presente with you as I trust I shal be verie shortly for that is fully meant by our Holy father and his maiestie and of me so much desired that euery shorte daye semeth a longe yeare till I enioye you in our lorde though in the meane time I stand here wholy for your seruice wherin as I haue spente these many yeares of my banishemēt so wold I now as God shall appointe and nede require bestowe my bludd the remnaunt of my lyfe amonge you in my deerest cuntrie for the better accomplishment of that which all true Christians and Godly Englishe hartes doe desire Our lorde God blesse and directe you all to followe that in this action and in all your lyfe that shall be moste agreable to his glory our cuntries good your owne honor and saluation From my lodginge in the Palace of S. Peter in Rome this 28. of Aprill 1588. The Cardinall
nation and people to whom the matter so nearly apperteineth may throughly iudge aswell of this womans and her parentes deâ—ertes as of his Holines and his mightie and godly confederates moste happie intention and howe iustelie and nedefullie for our only benefiâ—e and succour they procede at this present to her chastisement and deposition Yt may please all my most deere cuntrymen and specialy our peeres and Nobilitie on whom the auncyent honor and libertie of our churche and cuntrie cheifely dependethe and by whose sworde and kinghtehood specially giuen to them and theire noble progenitors for defence of the Catholike religion our cuntrie hathe often bene deliuered from the tyranny and vexation of diuers disordered insupportable kinges and cruell vsurpers May it please them I saie to consider but alitle with me the condition of the person pursued and censured by Gods Churche together with the weight qualety number of her offences and horrible crimes which beinge open almoste to all the worlde before and now brefely recorded by this writinge no man I truste shall maruell why Christes vicar here in earthe with other highe ministers of Gods iustice wolde or could depriue this tirante of her vsurped state and dominion when no commonwealthe by lawe of nature nether wolde nor mighte iustelie suffer any suche to rule or raigne ouer any humane societie thoughe neither Christe Pope fayth nor religion were knowne The chee se poinctes of this admonitioÌ„ To procede therfore brefely and plainely we will sett downe what manner of womaÌ„ she ys against whom this holie enterprise ys made of whom and in what maÌ„ner dissended Howe intruded into that dignity wherin she standeth Howe she hath behaued herself both at home and abrode By what lawes of God and man her punishement ys pursued Howe iuste honest and necessarie causes all true Englishmen haue to embrace sett forward the same seing yt procedeth from so lawfull authorite so iust groundes so holie intentions and tendeth to so happie an ende and is to be executed by so suer and sweete meanes and chosen persons as now shall be declared And first of all it is notorious to the whole worlde that Henrie the supposed father to this pretensed Queene besides the infinite quantety and enormeous qualety of his most execrable wickednes for the which by all lawe of religioÌ„ reason nature he deserued often times to be depriued was in fine for his horrible sacriledges murtheringe of Saintes and rebellioÌ„ against Gods Churche lawfully excommunicated and depriued by Paulus tertius in the yeare 1535 and there withall by name and in particuler all the issue that should procede of his incestuous copulation with Anne Bullen was moste iustly declared illegitimate and vncapable of succession to the croune of England and that aswell by the sentence of the said Paule and of his predecessor Clement the VII in the yeare of our lorde 1533. bothe which stande in theire full force still as by sundry actes of parliament made by Henry him self and neuer repealed legitimating her sister and declaringe her to be base she must nedes be adiudged by lawe nature vnable to inherite the croune Neyther may she here alege that by consent of the states and Commonwelthe she ys lawfully possessed for that by force she intruded and constreyned many men to giue theire consentes deposinge vniustly the Lordes of the Clergy without whome no lawfull Parlament can be holden in that Realme nor Statute made which hath force to authorise Prince or binde Subiectes Ouer and besides that she neuer had consente nor any approbation of the See Apostolike without which she nor any other can be lawfull Kinge or Quene of Englande by reason of the auncyent Acorde made betwene AlexaÌ„der the. III. the yere 1171. and HeÌ„ry the II. then kinge when he was absolued for the deathe of sainte Thomas of CaÌ„terburie that no maÌ„ might lawfully take that Crowne nor be accoÌ„pted as Kinge till he were confirmed by the soueraigne Pastor of our soules which for the time shoulde be This accorde afterwardes beinge renewed aboute the yere 1210. by Kinge Iohn who confirmed the same by othe to Pandulphus the Pope his legate at the speciall requeste and procurement of the Lordes and Comons as a thinge most necessary for preseruatioÌ„ of the Realme from vniust vsurpation of Tyrantes and auoydinge other incoÌ„ueniences which they had proued and mighte easely fall againe by the disorder of some wicked Kinge But howsoeuer she be dissended or possessed of the croune her manifolde wickednes hath ben so heinous and intollerable that for the same she hathe bene in person iustly deposed by the sentences of thre sundrie Popes wherunto yf we adde the two former censures condemninge her incestuous natiuity and generatioÌ„ we shall finde that she hathe ben condeÌ„ned by fiue declaratorie iuditiall senteÌ„ces of Gods Churche Personable crimes of Elizabeth and first of Heresie And to beginne with the highest and most heinouse crime of all against God and his Churche she ys conuicted of many damnable heresies and open rebellion against Gods Churche and See Apostolike for which she ys so notoriously knowne termed and taken for an heretike aswell at home as abrode that she was glad to prouide by a special acte of parliament that none should call her heritike Schismatike Tyrante vsurper or infidell vnder paine of highe treason She arrogateth spirtiuall dignite She vsurpeth by Luciferian pride the title of supreme Ecclesiasticall gouernment a thinge in a woman in all mens memory vnheard of nor tollerable to the mastres of her owne secte and to Catholikes in the world most ridiculous absurde monstrous detestable and a verie fable to the posterite Bastardie She vnlawfully intruded herself as before I haue said in to possession of the croune of England and the annexed dominions not by any dissent of inheritannce or other lawfull title but only by enforced vniust partly made by her supposed father beinge then an excommunicated person and partely coacted by herself and her coplices in the beginninge of her pretended raigne beinge indede taken and knowen for an incestuons bastard begotten and borne in sinne of an infamous curtesan Anne Bullen after warde executed for aduoutery treason heresie and inceste amoÌ„gest others with her owne naturall brother which Anne her said supposed father kepte by pretensed mariage in the life of his law full wife the most renonmed and blessed ladie Queene Katherine daughter of Castill and Ara gon as he did before vnnaturally knovve and ke pe bothe the said Annes mother and sister Periury and impiety She ys guilty of periury and highe impietie for that she did breake violate and deride the sollemne othe and promise made in her coronation for defence of the Ecclesiasticall liberties and priuileges graunted by the auncieÌ„t Christian kinges of our realme and for the contempte of the holy ceremony vsed in the annointinge and inuestinge of all faithfull princes wher in her wickednes was so notorious that the
batail to the inhabitantes of the realme Poâ—â—nge the peaple She hathe not spared to oppresse her subiects neuer hauinge iust vvarres vvith any kinge or cuntrie in the vvorld vvith manifolde exactioÌ„s not only by ordinatie meanes of more frequent and large subsedies for vvhich only ende she hathe had more parliaments and more often prorogations therof then euer any lavvful prince had in so many yeares but also by sundrie shameful guiles of lotaries lavves decrees falles of money and suche like deceites and hathe imploied the riches of the realme to sett vp and susteine Rebells and Heretikes against their naturall princes to the great dishonor of our nation damage and daunger asvvell of our marchauntes as of all other trauaylers a publike piracie and robberie bothe by sea and land thervvith authorisinge by her letters of marte and othervvise permittinge diuers vvicked persons to spoile vvhom they liste vvithout sparinge sum peece of the gaine retorninge to sum of her ovvne cheif councellers and officers Sellinge of lavves She dothe for monye and bribes to the enrichinge of herself and seruantes by licenses dispensations pardons and permissions abolishe or frustrate many proffitable lavves as she dothe to the same ende multeplie sundry friuolous actes vvith great sorfets to the transgressors vvittingly forbearing as yt may be thought the execution of the same that after obliuion of the obseruation therof her courtiers and other loste Cosines and compagnions vvhom her excessiue auarice vvill not suffer to revvarde of her ovvne may make pray by promotinge the poore people so liue and fede on the carcas of the commonvvealthe yea euen sucke out the verie bludd of poore aflicted Catholike mens consciences vvho besides those sacrilegious mas mulctes and the nevv made spoiles and intollerable extorsions for not coÌ„minge to their dam nable Idolatry of the communion vvhich for the loue of Gods lavve they often incurr and susteine to the vtter lamentable ruine of them their posterity be faine by great importable giftes to procure at her officers handes sum little ease and release of the intollerable feares and miseries that they liue in By vvhich vvicked trafique and other pittifull pillage of the people sum of her creatures are grovvne so great insoleÌ„t that all states degrees vvithin the Realme stand in avve and daunger of them Dâ—ytester In vvhich sorte besides others whoÌ„ vve nede not note she hath exalted one speciall extorsioner vvhom she tooke vp first of a Traitor vvoorse theÌ„ naughte only to serue her filthy luste vvherof to haue the more fredoÌ„ and intrest he as may be presumed by her consent caused his ovvne vvife cruelly to be murthered as after vvarde for the accomplishement of his like brutis The Erle of Essex he pleasures vvith an other noble dame it is openly knovvne he made avvaie her husband who novv of an amorous minion aduaunsed to highe office degree excessiue vvelthe is becum her cheife leader in all her vvicked and vnvvonted course of regimeÌ„t her instrument of the destructioÌ„ of the nobilitie by many indirect meanes of the ruining abacinge disgracinge disauthorisinge diuers auncyent hovvses names and persons of renoume besides innumerable of the coÌ„munalty perished most pittifulie in sundry prouinces for the feeding of his infinite auarice and other his vnsatiable companions reteinors liuinge only of briberie spoile and roberie wherby and throughe the fauoure of the pretended he hathe this n any a yeare ouerruled the chamber courte counsell parliameÌ„t portes fortes Seas Shipps borders men munition and all the cuntrie hathe had still at commaundment all officers iustices Benches Barres Sessions hath had the sale and monopolie of all lawes offices licenses â—orâ—ettes Byshoprickes benefices and Colleges hathe made suche traffique hoppinge chaunginge with his mistris aboute the treasures prerogatiues landes and commodeties of the croune that so by diuerse vnspeakable trecheries he hathe enabled and fortefied himselfe farr aboue the measure of any English subjecte and hathe bene the principall disturber and destroyer of the prouinces rounde about vs to the impouerishment of the people at home and decay of all trafique abrode with extreme perill of the lande Her dishonest lyfe VVith the forsaid person and diuers others she hathe abused her bodie against Gods lawes to the disgrace of princely maiestie the whole nations reproche by vnspeakable and incredible variety of luste which modesty suffereth not to be remembred neyther were it to chaste eares to be vttered how shamefully she hath defiled and infamed her person and cuntry and made her Courte as a trappe by this damnable and detestable arte to intaÌ„gle in sinne and ouerthro we the yonger sorte of the nobilitye and gentlemen of the lande whereby she is become notorious to the worlde in other cuntryes a comoÌ„ fable for this her turpitude which in so highe degre namely in a woman and a Queene deseruethe not onelie deposition but all vengeaunce bothe of God and man and cannot be tollerated with out the eternal infamie of our whole cun rie the whole world deriding our effeminate dastar die that haue suffred suche a creature almost thir tie yeares together to raigne bothe ouer our bodies and soules and to haue the chief regiment of all our affaires aswel spirituall as temporal to the extinguishinge not onely of religion but of all chaste liuinge and honesty Refusinge 〈…〉 She coulde neuer be restrained from this incontinence thoughe the principall peers of the realme and others of high authority as deputies from the whole parliament and estates made humble sute and supplicacion to her that for pittie and compassion of their desolate case and of the daunger that the whole realme and specially the nobility should be in yfshe deceased without lawful issue in suche a number of competitors of the croune she wold therfore marrie and procure yf yt were Gods pleasure lawfull heires of her bodie to inherite her dominions after her to whom sumtimes she merely and mockingly answered that she wold die a maideÌ„ Queene but afterwards in conteÌ„pte and rebuke of all the states of the realme and to the coÌ„demnation of chaste and lawfull mariage wher unto as to a bridle of her licentiousnes she ys enemie she forced the verie parliament it self to giue consent and to prouide by a preteÌ„ded lawe not tollerable nor euer I trowe hearde of before in a Christian free people that none should so muche as be named for her successor duringe her life sauinge the naturall that ys to saie bastard borne childe of her owne bodie A wonderfull thraldoÌ„e a lameÌ„table case that this highe courte of olde so renoumed for fredome and iustice should now be at the deuotion of one woman so farr as to authorise both her shamefull incontinency pernitious obstinacy against the honor and good of the whole realme hauinge no cause in the worlde why the next laufull heire may not better beare the naminge then her vnlawfull longe concealded
Edward and other his forfathers for destroing all holie houses of Religion and sacrilegiously inuading all their goodes and possessions for marrienge remarringe changinge deuorcinge and killinge of his wiues when where and whome he liste Honuf in vita Pau li tertij for these and suche like vnspeakeable outrages he was excomunicated by Paulus tertius as hath before bene declared Elizabethe excomunicated and depriued anno 1570. And novv lastly not onely for iniust intrusioÌ„ and vsurpation but also for the forsaid crimes and followinge her said supposed fathers waies who was radix peccati of our daies and offended the more greuously bicause he first compelled the people of God to Schisme and sinne as Ieoroboam did the Israelites this woman was by good Pius Quintus excomunicated and depriued and all her subiects discharged of othe and obedience towardes her with charge efteâ—ones to all the subiectes of the realme of EnglaÌ„de or other her dominions that from thence forthe vnder like paine of excomunicatio and Gods holie Churches curse they shuold not acknowledge her for their Princesle or superior nor obey defend and manteine her but according to euery ones power and habillite to cocurr to her deposition and condigne punishment ExecutiÅ of the enâ—enâ—e deferred VVhich sentence most holie iuste and dread full though hitherto it haue not bene openly pursued partely by reason of the decease of Pius Quintus the publisher which ensued not longe after and partely for that the vsurpers forces rage and crueltie wer so great that they could hardly be resisted by the onely inhabitans of the realme without euident daunger destructioÌ„ of very many noble godlie persons in which case the churches censures so farr as they concerne onely temporall matters by the meaninge of him that gaue the sentence dothe not binde lastlie for that his holines that now is as his predecessors before him hauinge exceding tender care not onely of our soules but of our bodies goodes also haue hitherto tollerated in vs our enforced subiectioÌ„ and obedience to her in ciuill affaires specially vpon expectation and hope that she wold after so longe and fatherly sweete patience of the supreme pastors of our soules at the request of so many princes Christian at the pittifull sutes cries clamors complaints of so many of her owne people for the bludd of so many men meekely yeilded and the inconsolable complaintes of so many afflicted coÌ„sciences either aknowledge her faulte incline to mercie towardes the Catholikes and seeke as her supposed father desired to doe in the end of his life to reconcyle herself to the Churche or to cum to sum good order at leaste with the see Apostolike and graunt her Catholike nobibility and people leaue to serue God after their conscience and manner of all their forfathers Though I saie for all these causes and other more the former iuditiall senteÌ„ce hath not bene all this while executed yet now our holy father Sixtus the fifte seinge this vsurper and excomunicate person to be nothinge moued eitherwith pittie of the people or Apostolike authoritie but still obstinately and obdurately to persiste and procede in all her former mischeefes wickednes could not conteine or sorbeare any longer not onely himself to imploie against so monstrous and pernitious an heretike rebell vsurper and fierbrand of all mischeefe the treasures spirituall and temporall that the Omnipotent God hath giuen him for maintenannce of iustice innocencie and religion but also by the forsaid examples of his predecessors other holie Bishopes and by a speciall canon of the great De â—eret cap. 3. generall Counsell of Laterane touchinge the chastisement of princes that will not purge their do minions of heresie and heretikes hath seriously dealte with the chefe and greatest princes of his Christian Catholike coÌ„munion that they wold giue succurse to their afflicted brethreÌ„ coÌ„fede rates ioine together with him their supreme pastor for chastisemeÌ„t of that wicked womaÌ„ the bane of ChristeÌ„dome and all their kingdoÌ„s the scoorge of God and rebuke of womaÌ„kinde as in this case euery one wold haue bene most redy had they not beneforced at this time to im ploie all their forces against the heretikes rebels of ther owne dominions therfore hathe specially intreated Philip the highe and mightie Kinge Catholike of Spaine that for the greatnes of power giuen him by the almighty for his singular loue towardes that nation wherof by mariage of Holie Queene Marie of blessed memorie he once was kinge for the olde loue and league betwixt the said cuntrie and the house of Burgogne for the infinite iniuries and dishonors done to his maiestie and people by Elizabethe and to conclude for his speciall pietie and zeale towardes Gods house and the See Apostolike together with the consideration of the fresh barbarous murther of his consine the Queene of Scotland by which the sacred honor and name of Kingly dignety is dishonored and all lawfull princes highely intressed that for these and many other causes his maiestie wold take vpon him in the name of God almightie this sacred and glorious enterprise VVho at lenghte aswell by this his Holines auctority and exhortation as by his owne vnspeakeable zeale and pietie moued also not a litle by my humble and continuall sute together with the afflicted and banished Catholikes of our nation of all and euery degree who haue bene by his speciall coÌ„passion and Regall munificence principally supported in this their longe exile hath consented atlast taken vpon him this so holie and glorious an acte to the onely honor of God the benefite of the Christian worlde and your deliuerie my good brethren from the yoke of heresie and thraldom of your enemies and for restitutioÌ„ of those realmes and the subiects of the same to their auncient liberty of lawes and conscience For which causes his maiesty hath in the name of the lord God of Hostes commaunded sufficient royall and mayn forces bothe by sea lande to be gathered and to be conducted in to our cuntrie if nede be and if the pretensed and principall offender will not otherwise cum to order by the most Godly valerous Generall and Capitaines that be of his maiesties seruice in all Christendom Of whose procedinge in this action aswell of his holines as his maiesties intention meaninge therin we are to aduertife you all by these presents and to forwarne you against all false sclaunderous and seditious speaches of the enemies and heretikes by which they haue many yeres and in wonderful maner deluded some straÌ„gers to their vndoinge the ruine of their cuntreyes And to comfort yow against all other popular feares of the simple sorte that neither the CoÌ„queste of the lande dispossessinge of the Englishe distruction of Catholikes ruine of auncyeÌ„t howses abolishinge of our olde lawes liberties or customes is purposed nor any other annoiaunce or alteration in the world to be made sauinge so