if our bodies be in bondage And what pleasure can we take of our liues if wee see our wiues and daughters rauished and defloured and our sonnes tyed to perpetuall slauerie For although the ground in shewe of the Spaniards comming to inuade vs is his care to obay the Popes commaundement to reduce this land to his obedience in taking holde of and receauing his Romish religion and gouernment and our simple Recusants rae so sottish and so bewitched with the inchauntments of Popish superstition as they beleeue this to be true and the rather because one of our Arch-runnagate traytors sworn to the Popes pantable published a seditious pamphlet before the last inuasion to perswade it yet if you will giue me leaue to call to your rememberance the maner and meaning of his comming into England when hee came not as an inuader to conquer but as a freind to fasten a strong league of amitie by a marriage I doubt not to discouer the treacherous crueltie of his hearte For this marriage was sought for and intended also in shewe onely to strengthen the hand of the Queene of England to bring in the Romish religion and gouernement into this land and to establish it with continuance with purpose and meaning to adde strength to all the corners of christendome to continue poperie where it was and to bring it in where it was not that so the Arch-prelate of Rome might holde the scepters and power of all princes and potentates of christendome in his hand to dispose at his pleasure But the plots and practises layed and pursued by the Spanish King had made a wofull proofe to England of a further marke shotte at which was discouered in a letter to some of our nobles from a true harted Englishman in Spaine had not God almightie in his riche mercie preuented their purposes and defeated them in their determinations as it shall appeare hereafter if I first remember to you that it is recorded of the Spaniard that in diffimulation he surpasseth all nations till he haue attained to his purpose and when he can once preuaile he goeth beyonde them all in oppression and tyrannie also that he disdayneth all other nations and that in pride and carnall voluptuousnes no nation commeth neere him and these bee his qualities Now to proceede to laye open the right marke that in deede hee shotte at though when hee made waye to ioyne in marriage with Queene Marie hee made semblance of greate conscience to Catholike religion and greate care to bring the whole land into the obedience thereof and seemed to glorie much when it was brought to passe as his letter to his holy father at Rome written out of England doth make shewe wherein he expresseth what a worthie worke he had done when he had drawen the nobles and commons of the lande to submitte them selues to his holynes as their cheefe those are the very wordes yet little did the nobles and commons knowe what was intended towardes them by this Catholike child of Rome For vnder this colourable name of Catholike religion was hidden the ambitious humor of a most proud vsurping tyrant whose resolution was vppon mature deliberation and consultation with his Machiauellian counsellers to seeke by all the possible kind meanes he could to winne the principall of our nobles to affect him and in their affection to possesse him of the crowne and so to establish him in an absolute power ouer poore England to bring this to passe hee decreed to spare neither cost nor kindnesse If once hee had obtained the crowne and regall power into his clutches then as in y t letter of discouerie is layed open The Councell table must bee filled with his counsellers The hauen townes must be possessed with gouernours of his appointing Fortifications must be made by his direction Souldiers of his owne must bee placed in garrison at places most apt for strength to himselfe and annoyance to this poore nation Then must the common law of this land bee altered by which Iustice is truely taught to al sorts the Prince to gouerne the people to obay the nobles to liue of their owne with out wronging the inferiours the inferiours to liue vnder the nobles with al loue reuerence and dutie the riche to dwell amongst y e poore without oppression the poore to dwell with the rich without disorder the offenders to bee punished without partialitie and the well disposed to be defended without respect of persons This the law of the land doth offer vnto vs to our comfort and from this he purposed to make an exchange to his Spanish lawes which beeing no better than his Spanish Inquisition as in deede they are not we could not out of question receiue great comforte by the exchange For the Inquisition conuenteth without knowen cause compelleth to accuse without reason condemneth without proofe committeth to the torture without colour and finally neuer ceasseth till harte bloud bee sucked out of such as make their wofull appearance Which vnholy Inquisition he did most sauagely settle in most partes of his dominions and this bloudie Inquisition would he not haue failed to bring into our land with all other his lawes and ordinances sutable to the same Their intolerable taxes also we must haue been pestered with being such as my author reporteth who knew them well as England thankes bee to God was neuer yet acquainted with neither I trust euer shalbe A tast whereof I will giue you as that for euerie chimnie and other places to make fyre in as ouens fornaces smithes forges and such others a french crowne was yerely payed to him Hee had also powling pence for all manner of corne bread beefe mutton capon pigges goose hennes ducke chickin butter cheese egges apples peares nuttes beere wine and all other thinges whatsoeuer the people feedeth vpon Yea no farmer yeoman or husbandman durst eat a capon in his house if his friende came to him For if he did it must cost him sixe shillings eight pence though the capon was not worth twelue pence and so ioties quoties These bee the benefites and blessinges that this Catholike kinge sought to bring in hither by this absolute authoritie sought for My author doth further vnfolde his treacherous purpose towardes this land by discouering vpon his own knowledge and hearing this kings intention to be by little and little to roote out the nobilitie to keepe the commons in beggerie and not to suffer one to liue heere that was borne in twentie yeares before but either to destroy them or to make them slaues amongst the Moores The colour whereof was because they were borne out of the faith of the Catholike church of Rome wherein he shewed a very conscionable regarde of their soules health and saluation by killing them before he sought to conuert them or by sending them where no instruction was to be had for them And to make vp the full measure of al impietie the faster to settle his crowne vpon his head
true beautie of the Church and in deede herevpon the saluation of our soules and the safetie of our Queene doth depende and it is most certaine that if the Queene bee in daunger we cannot looke to sit safe I finde amongst the learned that sinceritie of religion and loue of the people are two especiall props and pillers of the state of a Prince For sincere religion teacheth to loue soundly and sound loue quencheth all sparkes of disloyaltie Therfore I hold it for certaine that religion and the Queenes safetie cannot bee seuered For if religion flourish the Queene must needes be safe and if the Queene bee safe religion must needs flourish and as I thinke them to deale vnsoundly that seeke to settle her safetie without care of religion so must I deeme them to deale hypocritically that speake much of religion without care of her safetie For he that shall carrie a right and sound care for Queene Elizabeths safetie must first loue religion and feare GOD according to that which Constantius the Emperour sayd who grieuing at his peoples reuolt from true religion vpon triall that he made of them plainly protested They that will not be true to God can neuer bee true to man And therefore such of them as had any office he putteth them out such of them as were neere about him he displaced and freed himselfe from the daunger of such hollow-hearted subiects and seruants Religion then is the true guide to euery mans conscience and holdeth euery mans conscience within the compasse of true obedience and this obedience containeth euery good subiect within the limits of true loue and feare and where these two meete together they make a sweete harmonie in the heart of euery true subiect For loue nourisheth all care to please and obey and such feare expelleth all disposition to offend and both ioyne together with a feeling consent to yeeld continuall thanks to the almightie for deliuering our Soueraigne from daunger and to pray daily and hourely to his maiestie that hee will in mercie protect vs still This perill depending it behoueth vs to bee prouident For as warre is denounced and threatned from forraine parts so conspiracies lye and lurk closely at home in our owne bosomes Foris they prepare intus they conspire and all to giue a deadly blowe to the state we liue in and to the person whom next vnder God wee liue by For I say it againe and I cannot say it too often these preparers abroade and these conspirers at home shoote al at one marke our religion they would alter thereby bring our consciences into thraldome our gouernment they would change and thereby bring our bodies into slauerie and to effect these the more easily the life of our sacred Soueraigne they would shorten and thereby bring all miserie and mischiefe vpon vs. These bee high poynts and of great cōsequence For who would not rather dye than lose the libertie of his conscience Who would not depart with any thing that hee hath to preuent the bondage of his bodie and who would spare the best blood in his bodie much lesse his purse to redeeme all danger from his religious louing and lawfull Soueraigne I doubt not deare countrimen but that you are men of wisedome and can easily conceiue what daunger wee stand in by that hath bin set down before You are men of iudgemēt and therefore can easily consider what furniture is fit for the strengthening of vs to preuent such a danger knowing treasure to bee the finewes of warre and you are men religious louing and loyall and therefore will not refuse to straine your purses farre rather than the religion of our God the libertie of our Countrie and the person of our Soueraigne shall be exposed to the desire of Popish Idolaters Spanish tyrannies and bloody traytors It is no time for vs now to plead pouertie the cause requireth liberalitie and we must bee liberall the life of religion of Queene and countrie is at the stake He that is sicke of a dangerous disease looketh not into his abilitie what hee can spare but looketh into the necessitie of his case what hee must spare to worke himselfe recouery And in this case hee that would spare any cost al men would hold him a very sauage and vnnaturall miser I hope therfore being faithfull Christians loyall subiects and true hearted Englishmen the religion and trueth of God the libertie of our countrie and the safetie of our Soueraigne is of greater price with vs than ten thousande liues and none of vs will make dainty to spend the last drop of blood in our bodies to ransome any of these much lesse therefore will he spare to ransacke the bottome of our purses to adde strēgth to preuent the danger Peny thirst in this case may bring pound perill and to speake plainly with what cōfort can a religious Englishman liue I saye a religious man for I speake not of the superstitious Papist the godlesse Atheist nor the schismatical Brownist when he shall lose the libertie of his conscience with what ioy shall a man enioy his substance when he is brought into bondage and slauerie and what safetie can there bee to a right Englishman when Queene Elizabeth is in danger Seeing then they seeke to bring their Popish Idolatrie to vs againe from Rome wee must seeke to entertaine and holde fast the religion of Christ Iesus sent to vs from heauen and seeing they seeke to tye vs againe in the chaines of superstitious Romish bondage we must seeke to holde fast and increase the libertie we enioy in the sinceritie of Christ his gospell seeing Rome and Romanists seeke enuiously and trayterously the ruine and ouerthrow of our Queene and countrey wee must seeke religiously by obedience and assistance to vpholde maintaine the right quiet and prosperitie of both It is not in vs or our power to effect this but it becommeth vs to shew our forwardnes and willingnes to effect it our lands goods and liuings must not be respected in regarde of this all prayer all prouidence and all endeuour that can be is little enough to follow and finish so holy and heauenly a worke and this is our speciall comfort the Lorde himselfe is on our side for it is his owne cause who is of power sufficiently able to defend vs who in his mercy is forward and willing to defend vs and if wee can call vpon him in faith and will walke before him in feare and trembling he will neuer fayle vs. For The Lord is nigh vnto all those that call vpon him in faith and veritie The same that Azariah saide vnto Asah and al Iudah the same may be saide vnto our Soueraigne and vnto all England that the Lord is with her and with vs whilest wee bee with him and if wee seeke him he will be found of vs and if we forsake him he will forsake vs. Which being vttered by this Prophet to them they make speede to turne from
their euill waies they haste hartely to call vpon the Lord both king and people turne both king and people pray and they all ioyne in offering the sacrifices allowed and looked for in those times and make a couenant to seeke the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soule and a law is set that whosoeuer will not seeke the Lord of Israel shal be slaine whether he were small or great man or woman and they take a solemne oth to performe this to the Lord with a lowd voyce with showting with trumpets and with cornets and it is sayd in the text following that all Iudah reioyced at the oth For they had sworne to the Lord with all their heart and sought him with a whole desire The blessing also that followed this harkening to the Prophet bringing foorth so religious an obedience to his words is set downe For it is sayd The Lorde was found of them and gaue them rest round about Here is a blessed watch-word word from the Prophet a blessed obedience both from king people a blessed comfort sent from God this happie issue followed namely the ouerthrow giuen by Asah to the Ethiopians who was set vpon by Zerah of Ethiopia with an hoast of ten hundred thousand three hundred chariots as it is recorded in the former chapter and it is there said that Asah did goe out before him and set his battaile and Asah lift vp his voyce vnto the Lord his God and sayd O Lord it is nothing with thee to helpe with many or with no power helpe vs ô Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy name are we come against this multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee And the text sayth that The Lord smote the Egyptians before Asah and before Iudah and the Ethiopians fled Here is a liuely paterne of our state and cause Asah destroyeth Idolatrie and banisheth false worship he is maligned by the Idolatrous Ethiopians who send out forces against him he prepareth and setteth out against them he putteth his whole and onely trust in the Lord he prayeth vnto him the Lord heareth him the Lord scattereth his enemies and giueth him the victorie Is not this the very cause of our liege and Soueraigne who hath banished Popish Idolatrie and hath established the true and sincere worship of God and for this is maligned by the Anti-christian Pope by the ambitious King of Spayne and by al the popish confederates of Christendome And did not Spayne man out a huge Nauie by sea vpon England as the Ethiopian did send out an armie by land to set vpon Iudah They prayed and we prayed the Lord heard them and the Lord heard vs the Ethiopian armie the Lord of hoasts discomforted and the Spanish Nauie the Lord of hoasts did disperse and ouerthrow Vpon this victorie the Prophet Azariah warned Asah and all Judah and both king and people hearkened and obeyed and since our victorie the Prophets and preachers of our time haue often warned vs and it becommeth vs to hearken and obey which if we do then must we make the like couenant with our God that they did ioyne in the like oth that they did and ioy when wee haue done it as they did Then shall the same blessing bee promised and performed vnto vs that was vnto them The Lord will be found of vs and will giue vs rest round about vs. And if the Lord for his owne glorie and our triall giue a way to Rome and Spayne to set vpon vs againe as they bragge and threaten that they will let vs beleeue with Asah that the Lord is of power sufficient to ouerthrowe great and huge armies with a smal number and let vs pray to him with Asah that he will stand with vs and for vs in the day of battaile and then no doubt neither Spayne Pope nor Diuell shall haue power to preuaile against vs. I finde it recorded that King Henrie the 8. her Maiesties most noble father in the 19. yeare of his raigne before the Lorde had touched the eyes of his heart and pulled away the scales that darkened his spirituall sight shewed such zeale to that superstitious religion of Rome which in the time of his blindnes he professed that vpon warre threatned and pursued by the Emperour against Rome for the sacking thereof he suffered the Cardinall to inioyne his whole land and kingdome that solemne Processions and fasts should bee solemnelie helde after their blind maner for the deliuerance of Rome from his ruine intended towards it in so much as this one Article specially is added to their Letanie Sancta Maria c. ora pro Clemente Papa Verily I could wish that not onely commandements and examples Canonicall out of the book of God whereof we haue plentie should of conscience moue vs to such holy exercises in these times because our sins haue prouoked the iudgement of God but also that this zeale without knowledge in a false religion should euen for shame incite and stir vs vp with seruent zeale to seeke the glorie of our God and by such godly religious necessarie exercises to humble our selues before y e throne of his maiestie to beg either release of these troubles threatned against vs and hastening vpon vs or his arme of assistance to defend vs from the furie and deliuer vs from the danger For if they could be drawne in a superstitious blinde zeale to fall to their superstitious praiers for a priest I see not how with a good conscience we can be slacke to fall to religious and harty prayers to our God for our Christian religious Prince If they could be so forward in England to fall to prayers for an Italian stranger much more ought wee in England for our naturally borne Soueraigne If they were so readie to pray to God for him to whom they could not subiect themselues and continue in a true and holie obedience to their God much more should wee haste to runne to powre forth our prayers to the Almightie for her to whom wee ought to performe all obedience vnlesse we will shew our selues to rebell and wage warre against God himselfe I will enlarge this no further but leaue it to y e religious care of such as carrie the chief place in our Church who I doubt not will play Azarias part in warning our Asah and I assure my selfe our Asah will hearken to it and her whole people will follow with willing and most ioyfull hearts which God grant that so this extraordinarie attempt threatned may haue such extraordinarie exercises of fasting and prayer as were with the fruite of a blessed successe vsed in the yeare 1588. when the Spanyards last attempted inuasion and those not formall but zealous euen such as may instruct the conscience to humble the heart to acknowledge the sinnes committed to meete the Lord by repentance and then no doubt the Lorde will heare vs and our victorie will follow God giue vs repentant hearts for our sinnes carefull and sincere hearts to our Soueraigne louing hearts to our country and charitable harts one towardes an other No doubt then out religion shal flourish our Soueraigne shall liue long and our countrie shall euer prosper maugre the malice and practises of all Tyrants and Traytors For this ought wee all to pray and for this all that truly feare the Lorde and sincerely affect his truth and gospell will daylie and hartely pray But for this the superstitious papist hath no will to pray and the scorning Atheist knoweth not how to pray From the malice and madnes of both these God almightie deliuer her Maiestie and this flourishing kingdome that God and his truth may be wholly and only reuerenced and regarded and such as oppose them selues against him either by corrupting his religion or flatly denying him and al religion may either by seueritie of lawe be corrected and reformed or else by christian iustice be remoued from amōgst Gods people that our English soyle may not be stayned with blasphemous Papists or prophane Atheists Thus hauing aduentured to make this rude collection of a matter most necessarie to be vnderstoode and thought of by al true christian harted English-men I will knit it vp with this earnest request to al my countrimen that my endeuour may be accepted beause I haue vndertaken it of loue that my defects may be borne withall because my heart carrieth a good meaning and that the truth of the matters herein cōteyned may receaue no discredit through my particular rudenes in the collecting nor the cause it selfe requiring a speciall and great regarde stand subiect to any disgrace by want of good methode in mee to dispose it This obtayned I desire no more but wish the growing of Gods truth and religion amongst vs by mightie increases the prolonging of our deare Soueraignes dayes with bodily health and home quiet and the preseruation of this little Iland of England from Popish ignorance forraine inuasion and home treason God onely can worke this and to God onely I pray for this and vnto God alone I commend his owne cause which is religion the safetie of his annoynted by whome as the meane Religion standeah with vs and the defence of our Countrie which without religion and her Maiesties safetie cannot long prosper August in Serm. 210. de tempore Non quisquam tibi potest nocere si damnato scelere diuinus in te germinauerit cultus FINIS 2. Chro. 15. 1. Chro. 14.11