as one that beeing in an errour should hate to bee reformed but came first to the reading and consideration of those thinges which it behooued a Christian to know euen with a bare and naked minde voide of all foredeeming and apt to receiue anie impression onelie humble and desirous to bee instructed in the trueth and whatsoeuer I read or heard expounded out of the holie Scriptures neither did I esteeme it by the credit of the person that taught it but by the authoritie of the doctrine it selfe neither was I led vnto anie opinion by the voice or opinion of multitude but by the testimonie of mine owne conscience consenting thereunto neither did I attribute the more credit to it for that it was first taught mee but for that dailie instruction and reason confirmed it vnto mee neuer variable yet euer willing to yeeld vnto reason and the trueth For I am not of their minde that make Religion as a matter of inheritance to bee taken of their ancestors or their parentes or that thinke it sufficient to saie I beleeue as the Queene beleeues But I thinke it the duetie of a Christian still to endeuour to informe himselfe how hee ought to serue God and not to pinne his soule on another mans sleeue Such a reuerend regard haue I alwaies had and euer will haue of Religion as a matter of saluation not as euerie common action of mans life as a thing to bee measured not by opinion but by trueth to bee chosen not by example but by iudgement to bee holden not for companie but for conscience If you also haue the same measure choice and grounde of your Religion as in reason you ought to haue it maie happlie fall out that the discouerie of the weakenes of D. Allens arguments and of his deceitfull and malicious dealing in this his Pamphlet as it hath confirmed in mee the Religion I hold so it maie alter in you the opinion you haue hitherto persisted in and not without great cause knowing that the naked trueth seeketh neither cloake nor corner nor a simple and good cause anie subtill or bad conueyance Let not then anie preiudicate opinion of my Religion differing from yours withdraw you from the patient reading and considering of my simple discourse no more then the like opinion of D. Allens Religion hath withdrawen me from the diligent perusing and perpending of his subtill pamphlet a greater learned and farre more cunning allurer then myselfe especially seeing that it is no part of my meaning herein either to impugne your Religion which is nothing at all fortified by this pamphlet or to strengthen mine owne which is as little weakened thereby for those pointes I leaue to Diuines if there be any that thinke it worth the reading or answering For mine own part I find nothing in it for which I would haue cast away so much paper and inck sauing onely a cunning conueiance of pernicious driftes tending to the practise of sedition mischiefe which I thought fit to be displayed and laied open to the world that the simple and such as giue too much credit to his doctrine might not be therewith deceiued and thereby drawne to their owne vtter destruction and on the other side that such as are of more capacity and iudgement either better affected in religiō or men indifferent seeing the monstrous shiftes vsed by such a principall Romaine Catholike as D. Allen is might thereby take a Caueat to be the more wary how they yeeld themselues to be seduced by such Catholiks perswasions But let vs now come to the examination of this pamphlet and see what it is that maister Doctor vndertaketh therein and how well he perfourmeth his taske He pretendeth vpon occasion of the former counterfeit letter which I mentioned to you before to resolue the consciences of those English men which were the yeelders vp of Deuenter and Zutphen fortes to the Duke of Parma touching the lawfulnes of their actiō Wherof though he had alreadie by his letters to Sir William Stanley giuen his opinion as he saith yet he will for better clearing of the cause set here downe his mind more largely and distinctly BEfore I runne into the particulars I must note vnto you a thing in generall which is not to be omitted I assure you though I be farre from the profession of Diuinity yet can I not but blush to see a thing written by way of a Resolution for the satisfying of mens consciences being a matter of Diuinity a treatise of 60. pages and not so much in all as halfe 6. textes of Scripture cited for confirmation of the matter proposed either directly or indirectly especially being done by an ancient D. of Diuinity by estimation singularly well read and learned and the onely man of name among all the English Catholikes What is there to bee presumed of it that so learned a man so great a Diuine now a Cardinall and chiefe piller of the Church of Rome should vndertake to resolue mens consciences in a matter of Christian duty yea whereon he pretendeth saluation or damnation to depend only with a Chaos of wordes a confusion of arguments drawne from morall philosophie the law of Nature and heathen constitutions and with definitions distinctions and authorities fet from Plato Aristotle Cicero c leauing vtterly all proofes arguments and authorities of holy Scripture yea skarce so much as alleadging one text by way of exhortation In mine opinion men are in common sense to iudge that either the matter is very bad and not iustifiable by Gods word which yeeldeth not sufficient argument or authority nay none at all for the defense of it or that such Diuines shew themselues to haue very litle zeale or religion in them when they measure matters of conscience saluation or damnation by the line of prophane Doctrine and not of the holy Scriptures Whereupon must necessarily be inferred that they are either impostors and deceiuers in seeking to perswade men by a shew of naturall reason vernished ouer with a glosse of gay wordes and superficiall colours of philosophie that which they are not able to proue by Diuinity or els plaine Atheists Hypocrits in carying onely the bare name of Religion on their backes for a cloake to their disguised practises and neglecting wholly the ground and substance thereof in their cogitations doctrine and perswasions But the lesse M. D. hath vsed the proofes of Scripture and Diuinity in this argument though it be nothing the more for his owne commendation or for the credit of his Doctrine yet haue I the lesse cause to be displeased with it considering that he hath thereby made it the fitter for so meane a scholler as my selfe no Diuine at all to deale with and the easier for any man to ouerthrow Albeit my purpose is not in truth so much to enter into the particular confutation of his arguments which are indeede none at all or not worth the standing vpon as to
seuerall pointes ought D. Allen to proue or els he proueth not his argument yet of the two latter hath he not spoken a word more then a bare affirmation of the first he hath spoken much and proued iust nothing But because his manner of reasoning is not close and well knit togither but in a declamatorie kind which is fitter for his purpose to perswade though not so forcible in reason to proue I will endeuour to seuer his Logike from his Rhetorike and gather his arguments aparte that we may see what and how directly he proueth Whatsoeuer saith he is obteined by vnlawfull warres and so deteined is both wrongfully obteined and vniustly deteined But the Queene of Englands warres in the low countries whereby she obteined Deuenter and Zutphen fortes and so deteined them are altogither vnlawfull Ergo The towne of Deuenter Zutphen fortes were both wrongfully obteined and vniustly deteined by the Q. of England from the true owner the k. of Spaine For this must also be added to his conclusion otherwise doth he not fully proue the Minor of his former argument which he is to proue Wherein if a man would stand with him vpon euery strict point he might iustly say this argument is euen as good as the former for there is more in the Conclusion then is conteined in both the Praemisses But let that go and let vs graunt him also his Maior and come directly to his Minor viz. That the Queene of Englands warres in the low countries whereby she obteined Deuenter and Zutphen fortes and so deteined them are altogither vnlawfull What if we should deny first that the Queenes Maiestie helde any warres at all in the low countries Secondly and if she did yet that she obteined not Deuenter by warres D. Allen is able to proue neither of them and we might iustly deny both For no man can saye and say truely that euer her Maiestie tooke the warre vpon her selfe but onely sent some forces for gods cause to relieue the poore distressed couÌ„tries crauing her assistance And for Deuenter neither did her Maiestie obteine it by warres for the towne did voluntarily of itselfe receiue nay they earnestly desired our garrison neither did her Maiestie obteine it at al for it was neuer hers neither did she euer claime it or accept it as her owne but onely was content at the request of the better sort of the towne for their safety to put her soldiours into it to defend it So is M. Doctors argument cleane auoyded But I know he will say these are but cauils for tryall whereof I referre them to the iudgement of any man of reason and indifferencie which hath bene rightly informed therein howbeit because if I will stand vpon them he is able to go no further I am therefore content to ouerpasse them and suffer him to proceede I pray you let vs see how hee proueth The English warres in the low countries seeing so it pleaseth him to terme them warres to be altogither vnlawfull His rule whereby he measureth the lawfulnes of warres is fet from Cicero who saith in his books De Republica as Isidorus citeth it The warre is iust which is denounced for recompence or reuenge of iniuries and annoyance or for defence against enimies This position being laied because the Queens Marshall not iustifie her doings vpon anye title she hath to the low countries which is without the compasse of his diuisioÌ„ he presupposeth that all the world knoweth that shee can make no iust claime to Holland ZelaÌ„d or any other of those parts which she hath as he saith by armes seised on all those prouinces being confessed to 〈◊〉 his Catholike Maiesties ancient and vndoubtfull inheritance These matters coÌ„cerning Princes titles are fitter for other meÌ„ then M. D. me to decide therfore I wil not take vpon me to say any thing touching her Maiesties right to the low countries or any part of them howsoeuer D. Allen dares affirme them all to be the king of Spaines ancient and vndoubtfull inheritance by what authority I know not but how ancient and vndoubted soeuer hee maketh it I am sure men better acquainted with those causes then he do not onely doubt of the kings title to sundry of the prouinces but are flatly resolued the contrary But it is beside my purpose and therefore I leaue it Now let vs see how he proueth the English warres as he termeth them in the low countries to be neither for recompence or reuenge of iniuries and annoyance nor for defence against enimies therefore not iust according to this former position out of Cicero The defence saith he of the kings rebels against their most iust Lord Souereigne is no lawful nor honorable quarrell of war neither haue the said Traytors and rebels any authority to yeelde vp their Souereignes townes and portes into his enimies handes or themselues to the English protection or subiection All this is but a bare affirmation which being denyed his argument is at an end for he prooueth no one parte of it Besides it is a plaine petitio principij which is a grosse error in Logike wheâ—…e groundeth his argumeÌ„t vpon that which is itselfe in question For he presumeth the people of all the low countries to be the k. of Spaines rebels him their most iust Lord and Souereigne which is the whole matter in coÌ„trouersie So you see this argument is cleane cut off by the roote And since he hath nothing disproued her Maiesties dealings in this point by the reason hee hath brought giue me leaue now to iustifie theÌ„ by an argument or two drawne from himselfe In the latter part of this pamphlet where he goeth about to perswade her Maiesties subiects to reuolt from her he doubteth not to affirme that it is lawfull for the subiects for religions sake not only to reuolt from their souereigne and to deliuer vp his cities countries into other mens hands but also to beare armes against him being in such case clerely discharged from all bond of othe and fidelitie to him Whereupon I inferre first that those of the low countries though they were as he supposeth the lawfull subiects of the k. of Spaine yet might they for Religion if there were no other cause lawfully reuolte from the k. and yeeld vp his cities and countries to the Queenes Maiesty or any other Secondly that if it be lawfull for the subiect for religioÌ„ to beare armes against his souereigne then is it much more lawfull for an absolute Prince for ReligioÌ„ also to yeeld succours to her distressed neighbors against a Stranger The argument followeth verie well à fortiori I am content M. Doctor to vse your owne arguments against yourselfe albeit I doe neither allow of them nor thinke them in truth to be sound yet since you thought it no iniurie to vs to make vnlawfull weapons for your owne aduantage against vs you must thinke
it no iniurie to yourselfe to be beaten with your owne rodde Yet must I be so bold as to borrow another argument from you for the iustifying of her Maiesties dealings in the low Countreys to bee lawfull by your owne rule as being for defence against enemies In your Inuectiue against our vniust dealings you saie that wee thinke it cause of warre good inough to hinder our neighbours greatnes and to disturbe other mens quietnes to procure our owne peace and safetie Let vs see what English is to be picked out of this Why should we seeke to hinder our neighbours greatnes are we anie thing the lesse by his being greater no vnlesse he make himself greater by making vs lesse what need we then to feare his greatnes Belike it is to bee feared that if he be greater he will make vs lesse What neede I nodum in in scirpo quaerere what neede I so to hunt out the cause why wee should seeke to hinder his greatnes when D. Allen himselfe hath set it downe in plaine termes to procure our owne peace and safety Whereby he giueth vs a good caueat to prouide for both giuing vs to vnderstand that if the King of Spaine should once grow great as D. Allen thinketh he should in deede if he were once quietly possessed of the Low Countries then should not we long enioy either peace or safety Which in trueth hath bene vpon good cause long suspected by vs but may now better be beleeued when D. Allen though I thinke in trueth vnaduisedly and against his will doth so plainely assure vs of it Now where he saith that We thinke it cause of warre good inough to hinder our neighbours greatnes and to disturbe other mens quietnes to procure our owne peace safety Let vs see whether no man els thinketh so besides our selues VVhat saie you if his owne Author Cicero thinke so as well as we Suscipienda quidem bella sunt saith hee ob eam causam vt sine iniuria in pace viuatur Warres are to be taken in hand that is may must be taken in hād for that cause to that intent that men may liue in peace without iniurie that is all one as if hee should say in peace and safetie VVhereupon I frame my argument thus Those warres which are taken in hand to the end that the vndertakers thereof may liue in peace and safetie are taken in hand vpon iust cause consequently lawfull But our warres against the K. of Spaine if wee hold any warres against him are taken in hand to the end that we may liue in peace and safetie Ergo Our warres against the King of Spaine are taken in hand vpon iust cause cōsequently lawfull The Maior I take out of Cicero the Minor out of D. Allens own words the Argument cannot be denied for it is a good and true Syllogisme and the consequence necessarie VVherby you may euidētly perceiue that not only our wars in the low countries but those also by Sea which D. Allen so defameth if we did mainteine any such warres or anie other warres which wee should vndertake against the K. of Spaine are both iust and lawfull euen by his owne allowance beeing for our owne defense and the procurement of our own peace and safetie Further because D. Allen shall haue no shew of reason left him whereby hee may cauill vpon the word saying that we cannot iustifie our wars to be for defense against enemies the K. of Spaine beeing as he termeth him our neighbour allie and confederate albeit it is a thing not needfull to bee prooued nor doeth anie way concerne my argument which is most strong infallible without it neither will I take vpon me of my selfe to affirme the K. of Spaine to be our enemie or touch him in anie wise with breach of his league confederacie with vs yet to stoppe M. Allens mouth with his owne words that he may I saie haue nothing to cauill vpon I will onlie set himselfe to answere himselfe in this behalfe The defēse saith he of the kings rebels against their most iust Lord Souereigne is no lawfull nor honorable quarrel of warres neither haue the said traitors and rebels any authority to yeeld vp their Souereigns Townes and Ports into his enemies hands or themselues to the English protection or subiection Here D. Allen termeth vs the K. of Spaines enemies and if wee bee his enemies as D. Allen affirmeth then must he necessarily bee our enemie in like sort for it is a word of Relation which beeing rightly pronounced of the one must also necessarily bee pronounced of the other For a Prince can not bee said to bee the confederate of him that is his enemie but they must bee both as the one is either both Socij or both hostes both Confederates or both enemies This a very meane scholler nay euerie man of anie reason or common sense may perceiue to be true And I doe not doubt but D. Allen himselfe when he termed vs the K. of Spaines enemies knew him well inough to bee our enemie Thus you see not only that D. Allen hath failed in the proofe of the one part of his diuision that is That our warres are not for defence against enemies and therfore vnlawfull but also that we haue prooued the contrarie against him both according to his owne diuision that is That our warres are for defence against enemies therefore lawfull also by other reasons of our owne that is That our warres are for the procurement of our owne peace and safetie and therefore most iust and lawfull Wherein our proofes arguments though they be strong inough of themselues against anie man yet are they strongest against him of all men beeing drawen euen from his owne Allegations reasons and assertions and therefore the more to be credited Now come we to the other part and let vs see how hee prooueth The English warres in the low Countreys not to be mooued for reuenge of iniuries or annoyance The Kings Maiestie saith he hath done to the Queene or her Realme no such iniuries for redresse or reuenge whereof shee should by hostilitie enter into his Dominions and surprise his Townes and Castles and bring his people into her subiection This is a point wherein I am loth to meddle in vttering what I thinke or haue heard yea scarcely would I touch that which is commonly bruted abroad in the mouthes of all men considering that the matter concerneth Princes is not fit for priuate men to deale in therfore would I rather refer the iudgement therof to euery mans own particular knowledge opinion conscience Yet bicause it is a part of D. Allens argument which hee must not so clearly carry away least it should seeme to be yeelded vnto him as true I will craue pardon and leaue only to remember some particulars either knowen or commonly beleeued and reported And first I know men of iudgement
ouerhardened their mindes so maliciously bent against her Maiestie their Countrey and vs all What shall I then say further to them Alas in so desperate a case I can say no more then Doctor Allen in his Pamphlet saieth to his Countrey but with a better minde and meaning towards them then he doth towards vs Alas for them and thrice Alas for them for I doe euen from the bottome of my hart pitie their errour I enuie not their Religion I doe euen from the bottome of my heart bewaile their obstinacie I hate not their persons I doe euen from the bottome of my heart lament their their miserable estate I malice not the men I wish better to them then they doe vnto vs I desire neither the spilling of their blood nor the spoiling of their substance but I pray pray hartily for them God amend them God lighten their eies if they be blinde and doe not see open their eares if they bee deafe and cannot heare turne their hearts if they bee obstinate and will neither see nor heare God if it bee his will giue them grace to know his will to acknowledge his will and to conforme themselues to his will that they may be heires of his euerlasting Will. And to you my brethren countreymen fellow-subiects what shall I say more then hath bene said Shall I endeuour to exhorte you to obedience and to the loue of your prince and defense of your countrey Why should I seeme so much to suspect your obedience your loue to your Prince or your zeale and care of your countrey Because D. Allen hath attempted by his perswasiōs to corrupt you withdraw you frō thē Why you see his perswasions are of litle force grounded vpon falshood and contrarye to the word of God But were they neuer so forcible why should you be corrupted by them An honest faithfull mind may well be assaulted but will reuer be ouercome with the corruption of wicked perswasions Nay thêre is vertue most shewed where against the hottest assault is made the strongest resistance But why should you disobey and reuolte from your princes seruice and take armes against her and your countrey as D. Allen exhorteth you to do Whether vpon iust cause or vpon discontentment If vpon discontentment you shewe yourselues rebels not to your Souereigne onely but to God himselfe in that you are not contented with his ordinaunce but will striue to put it downe and set vp a new ordinance of your own This motion cannot proceede but of the deuill himselfe the rebellious spirite and mouer of all sedition If you saie vpon iust cause you deceiue your selues for there can be no iust cause to committe an vniust fact If there might anie cause bee iust who shall be iudge of the iustice thereof Your selues that were not fit you are parties and therefore partiall and no competent iudges Againe you are priuate men and subiects and therefore can haue no lawfull authoritie in this case to iudge Who then shal be iudge to determine this cause There is no lawfull power in this Realme but your Souereigne and her ministers then if there be anie cause you must open it vnto her and submit both your selues and the cause to her iudgement and reformation and in the meane time continue in your due obedience till the cause be decided But you will say your Souereigne is a partie also aswell as you in the cause So may she be yet a iudge But to whose iudgement then will you appeale there is none to be iudge ouer her but God Will you then be iudged by him Indeed he is the highest iudge and by him the whole world is to be iudged And will ye be content to stand to his iudgement I know you will not call him out of heauen in person to iudge betwixt you for you neede not because he hath left his lawes and iudgements amongst you here on earth recorded in his owne bookes of the old new testament which may be sufficient to determine this cause without any further assistance seeing that by them the whole world is to be iuged Looke then into his booke for his iudgemēt in this case and you shal finde that he forbiddeth you absolutely without exception of any cause to laye your handes vpon the Lordes annointed and commaundeth you as absolutely without all manner exception to submit your selues aswell to your Prince as to her ministers and inferiour gouernours to obey her and not to resist her for if yee resist her he telleth you that yee resist his ordinaunce and shall thereby receiue to your selues iudgement You heare now how God in his holy Scriptures determineth this case directly against you that you may not for any cause offer to lay your hands vpon your Souereigne but that you must submit your selues vnto her obey and not resist her vpon paine of iudgement How then will you dare to lift vp your hands and to take armes against her But if it were lawfull for you as it is not for any cause to rise in armes against the Queens Maiestie your liege drad Souereigne what cause I pray you would you pretend for your so doing will you say Religion Indeed Religion is the cause for which D. Allen teacheth you that it is lawful honorable for you to take armes against your prince laboureth earnestly to perswade you therunto such as are of his religion But what kind of Religion call you that that stirreth you vp to Rebellion You haue receiued no such religion from Christ nor from his Apostles for they teach you the contrary both by their doctrine and examples They tell you that you must submit your selues to your Souereigne obey and not resist her They when they were imprisoned tossed and turmoyled from place to place reuiled striken yet neuer offered resistance against the Magistrates neither moued or attempted any sedition nor entred into any conspiracy against thē but endured all with patience as constant witnesses of the Truth which is cleane contrarie to this Religion which you professe From whom then receiue you your Religion from your holy father the Bishop of Rome It may very well be for it sheweth it selfe from whence it cometh And is this the Religion for which you will take armes against your Prince Why you see it is a Religion taken from man and not from God and therefore cannot stand You see it is a Religion contrarie to the doctrine and Religion of Christ and the Apostles and therefore not the true Religion Will you then take armes against your Prince in the quarrell and defense of a false Religion you know not what you do and that is also the fault of your Religion For if you had giuen your selues to the reading of the Scriptures and studie of knowledge whereby you might haue bene able to giue an account of your faith and knowne the ground of your Religion and not leaned
what they by their demands first vrged him vnto hauing both occasion and encouragement giuen him to speake yet the more cunningly to disguise his principall drift not without a preamble of manie solemne Protestations he still deferred that to the verie last end of his discourse which was indeed the first and only purposed ende of his comming Whose president Doctor Allen seeming verie rightly to haue imitated as well in the matter as in the methode of this his politike Pamphlet first because he will haue it seeme to proceede of an occasion offered and not of his owne voluntarie motion least his intent therin might be suspected and his worke thereby discredited frameth a letter to himselfe in the name of two letters of the Alphabet his supposed honourable friend whom hee faineth thereby verie instantly to demand his opinion touching the lawfulnes of S. W. Stanleys and Captaine Yorkes action in rendring vp the Towne of Deuenter and Fortes of Zutphen vnto the Duke of Parma and thereupon taketh occasion in his answere thereunto to fall as it were by the way into a further matter whereto in truth the whole purpose of his treatie was from the beginning intended A sorie shift of so cunning a Clerke in an Apes skin to couer a Foxe whom euen his verie taile may bewraie As though men were so simple or of so slender iudgement as that they could not discerne by the stile the letter and answere to bee both of one stampe And for the chiefe purpose of this Pamphlet that it tendeth to a farre further end then to the satisfying of the consciences of S. William Stanley and Capt. Yorke and other like Romain Catholikes touching the lawfulnes of the yeelding vp of Deuenter and Zutphen Fortes if this were not a sufficient argument thereof that the parties themselues neuer made conscience or question of the matter either before the yeelding of them or since and therefore needed no such resolution as D. Allen will needs intreat himselfe to offer them which were and are still as resolute as himselfe in disobedience the verie plaine dealing of D. Allen himselfe generally throughout the whole Pamphlet but particularly in the latter and greater halfe of it maketh the thing more then manifest as shalbe laide open vnto you more at large when wee come to the particular handeling of that point I am sorie that I should haue such occasion giuen mee euen in the verie first entrance to vse a comparison so odious and vnbeseeming the name profession and calling of such a man as D. Allen is or should be as to liken him to one in whom the verie Prince of Poets emploied his best witte and skill in liueliest colours to expresse the true shape and substance of a most subtil and malicious dissembler for in truth I doe naturally and inwardly hate all immodestie bitternes and violence of speech generally in all actions of life and conuersation and especially in these of controuersie and confutation where the trueth is to bee defended not our owne passions displaied the aduersarie with reason conuinced not with railing defaced his sinister and lewde dealings orderly reprooued not his person in any wise vndecētly outraged But if D. Allen haue in this Pamphlet both in manner and matter so rightlie resembled Sinon as that hee hath not left mee the choice of anie man to whom I may so rightly resemble him as to Sinon it is hee himselfe and not I that hath made himselfe comparable to Sinon Nay if it appeare further by this Pamphlet that he hath the verie minde meaning intent and counsell of Sinon by like solemne protestations and subtill persuasions vnder colour of Religion to intice you I meane such as are wholie deuoted to his Religion or haue been affected to his doctrine or can be allured by his enchantments to prostrate and laie open your Countrey by your armes and assistance to bring in the Spanish and other forreine forces to the certaine ruine destruction and ouerthrow both of your selues and your Countrey I thinke I may lawfully without iust touch of malice or immodestie bee bold to shew you his shadow in a glasse that hideth his bodie from you vnder a glosse and by the example of his doings whom this man so liuely resembleth laie before your eies the verie marke which hee so cunninglie aimeth at to the ende that beeing once warned you may bee euer armed against his pernicious practises But I know it will bee a matter of great labour and difficultie for mee to persuade you that are of D. Allens religion to see or acknowledge anie errour falshood or malicious intent in him because you are alreadie setled in persuasion of his learning sinceritie and goodnes of his cause and carrie the contrarie opinion of mee because you esteeme mee to bee of a contrarie Religion both to him and your selues Albeit my purpose is not particularly either to drawe him into discredit with you or to withdraw you from the Religion you professe though I could bee content nay most willing and desirous to hazarde mine owne life in trauelling to winne you to the true waie of eternall life but onelie to laie open his errours and abuses to the worlde indifferentlie that such as haue eares to heart maie heare and such as are not wilfullie blinde maie see and satisfie themselues accordinglie yet if either by example or persuasions I maie stirre you vp to the straighter examination of your consciences and better consideration of the groundes of your religion togither with more aduised deliberation how you giue credit to mens counsailes or enter into their confederacies and consequentlie into your owne destructions I shall thinke my selfe of all thinges that euer happened or can happen to mee most happie in this that it hath pleased God to make me the meanes of so happie an effect to you Of whom I will therefore thinke it no skorne to craue euen vpon the knees of my heart onely that which you ought your selues to yeelde mee of your owne accord beeing a thing no waie possiblie hurtfull but likelie manie waies beneficiall vnto you that is that you will onelie bee content for a time to laie aside all affection partialitie and preiudicate opinion and to reade with indifferencie weigh with aduisement and with vprightnes to iudge of that litle which shall be most faithfullie deliuered vnto you I will not in truth neither can I if I would denie my selfe to bee of that religion wherein I haue been bred and brought vp euen from mine infancie that is the true ancient Catholike and Apostolike religion professed in the Church of England which the Romanists do so much impugne and so earnestlie endeuour to supplant But as I doe confesse my selfe most stedfastlie to holde that Religion and therein to stand fullie resolued so do I vnfainedlie protest that since I came to the yeares of reason and discretion to conceiue what Religion was I neuer held anie opinion obstinatelie
power a warrant for her will though she might haue many aduantages and priuiledges therby to take leaue what where when how she liketh to confound all lawes both of God and man and to make all lawfull that she lusteth but she hath care of her ownesoule and conscience and of the charge committed vnto her by him to whom onely she is to giue account thereof she respecteth not her own profit or pleasure but the puritie and syncerity of religion and the true worship of God therefore she reiecteth all frendship fauour and countenance of the Pope She thinketh not kingdomes to be rightly theirs that can catch them nor practiseth by Machiauelian shiftes as you terme them to dispossesse Princes of their liues to the intent to possesse her selfe of their kingdomes She thrusteth not her neighbours out of their rightfull inheritance to enlarge her owne dominions but diminisheth her owne forces to succour and relieue her distressed neighbours And shall these her most vertuous godly and religious actions be defamed by a most vitious vngodly and malicious detractor But the Palme tree which resembleth vertue the more it is burthened the more it riseth againe and the pure gold the more it is rubbed the more it glistereth and her vertuous pure and golden deedes the more they are blasphemed by such an one whose tongue as they say is no slaunder but his reproch rather a credit the brighter shall they shine in glorie to the euerlasting memorie of her vnspotted renowne And since I am in hand with D. Allens malicious and slanderous inueighing against her Maiestie and her ministers I may not by the way omit this proper quippe giuen my L of Leicester wherein he seemeth wonderfully to haue pleased his owne queint conceit by offering a comparison betweene the D. of Parmaes glorious exploits and his Lordships famous factes as it pleaseth him skornefully to terme them with a scilicet O le pidum caput O lusty Cardinall so well it becometh a man of your coate and calling to play Dauus to take vpon you the part and person of a scoffer And I pray you what great dishonor haue you done the noble Earle therin As though his vertues were so farre inferiour to the others I speake not any way to the derogatiō of the Dukes honor for I know him to be a worthy a Prince and a famous soldiour neither by way of comparison for I am not so il nurtured as to make cōparisons betwene Princes But I hope your Catholike soldiours Sir W. Stanley and Rowland Yorke the rest will confesse that for the small time he was in those countries the little meanes he had there considering also the great crosses he had both there and elsewhere he was neither idle nor spent his time trauell in vaine he shewed sufficiencie inough both in his temperate prudent and politike gouernment of the State and managing of the militarie affaires neither was he backward for his owne person if he were not too forward at any seruice in the field where either his counsell presence or help of hand was required They all know this to bee true And howsoeuer Graue was cowardly and by euident proofe also trayterously deliuered by Hemert the Gouernor Venlo sold by the Burghers before th'enimie euer prepared to march towards it Nuys after the wounding of the Gouernor with little force obteined but not without some trechery lastly Berke two monethes besieged in the end abādoned for fe◅e of the Earle of Leicester with his army being at Eltē onward in his march thither to leauy the siege yet my L. of Leicester with a very smal power not aboue 5000. men of al sorts encāped before Duisburgh on tuesday entrēched it on wednesday plāted his ordinance on Thursday battered it on Friday and had it yeelded to his mercy the same day by noone and within a fortnight after remoued with the same power to Zutphen abode the Duke of Parmaes coming who was reported to come with almost foure times so many encountred his vantgard one to sixe at the least besieged the fort and within three weekes wan it euen in the Duke of Parmaes sight which had before that time endured ten monethes siege of more thē twice so great an army yet held good Neither did the Earle of Leicester raise his siege from either of these pieces till he had gottē thē neither bought he either of them but with the price of his owne labour industrie being present in person and giuing both direction assistance in all these seruices and with the bloud of his soldiours and those very few All this your Catholike soldiours also know to bee most true And are these exploits none at all or to be contemned and derided But in truth M. Doctor you know not what they be and therefore you make light of them I would you had bene present your selfe either in the towne of Duisburgh or in one of the fortes of Zutphen to haue seene them then might you better haue iudged of them at the least I am perswaded you would not so haue skorned them And if you thinke the infortunate successe of Sluys the yeare following an impeachment to the credit gotten by these exploits you do greatly abuse your selfe For it is very well knowne to all men especially of those countries where and in whom the fault of that default lay For if those preparations which my L. of Leicester commanded and made sure account of had bin duely accomplished as they were certainely promised and assured by them that had the charge thereof the towne had with Gods helpe vndoubtedly bene relieued But howsoeuer the matter fel out either by the negligent or treacherous dealings of other men that were put in trust therein I say with Ouid careat successibus opto Quisquis ab euentu facta notanda put at Ill may he chieue that measureth the fact by the euent and little reason hath he that will impute another mans fault as a dishonour to my L. of Leicester But herein may you plainely see the intemperancie of D. Allen and how he dealeth by affection that when he hath nothing that he can iustly obiect in particular to so honorable and worthy a noble man yet he will in a general sort glaunce at him only to bring his name in question with the multitude But all the worlde may easily know the cause why the Earle of Leicester is aboue al mē the most odious to D. Allē that is onely because he is one of the greatest principall patrons of true religion which D. Allen so much hateth And for this cause also haue there bene sundry other infamous libels heretofore secretly cast out and spred abroad against this most noble gentlemā likely inough by Allen himselfe or by Persons or atleast some one of that viperous backbiting generation Wherein the authors as
professors of your religion but wil be no partakers of your rebellion They like to be of your fraternity but not of your conspiracie They can be content to heare your doctrine but you must be content to let thē prefer their own safety They see Religion is not the quarrell that can stir vp forrein forces to an inuasion with such terrible threatnings of vtter rasing and depopulation of themselues and their countrey but meere malice and reuenge of priuate grudges with a greedy thirst after the spoile and sacking of a rich and plentifull countrey They could wish with all their hartes that the Catholike Religion might preuayle and florish in their countrey but they will striue with hart and hand both to defend their owne liues and liberties and the weale freedome of their countrey which they see are al assaulted all in perill all likely to be lost if forreine powers should get the conquest of their countrey Is this then so easie a matter thinke you M. Doctor to perswade your Catholike countreymen vnto For mine own part I am of another mind so shal you find thē also I doubt not if euer the matter come to triall For admit they bare so malicious minds towards her Maiestie as you giue good cause to suspect yet they are English men and if they beare English hearts in their bodies they wil neuer endure a stranger much lesse an enimy especially so insolent cruell and intollerable an enimy to tyrānise ouer their coūtrey And if they were so void of al duety piety humanity good nature manhood as to betray their liege Souereigne abandon the defense of their deere countrey to abiect their minds honor reputation subiect their names to euerlasting infamie yet that inward working of naturall loue affection care of themselues their wiues their children their parents and kinred yea of their own liues liberties which lye al vpō the stake wil be continually knocking at their bosomes at their heads at their harts to stir them vp to the withstanding of their own calamities But as we haue considered somewhat of the persons whom D. Allen chiefely goeth about to perswade by this pamphlet so let vs now examin a litle the force and weight of his persuasions After a long dehortation of the Q. Maiesties liege subiectes from her seruice in these warres which it pleaseth him to terme vniust and persuasion to them to reuolt vnto the other side for Religiōs sake with diuers circumstances tending wholy to that purpose wherein he vseth onlie his owne authoritie for reason amongst the rest to mooue them thereunto the rather by examples he citeth out of Eusebius How for refusing to commit Idolatry by sacrificing vnto Idols and in particular for disobeying the Emperour Maximinus his commandement therein the famous Colonell S. Maurice with the whole legion of Thebes susteined most glorious martyrdome As diuers others did vnder Iulian the Apostata and the like And many noble soldiers for that they could not exercise their Christian vsages partly were driuen to abandon their profession in displeasure of their Princes and partly were licenced to depart c. Marke I praie you the force of these examples and how well they serue the purpose for which D. Allen citeth them We see not by them that anie of all these valiant Christian Soldiers whom he mencioneth did euer reuolt from the Princes whom they serued or take armes against them which is the purpose whereunto they are cited but rather that to auoide superstition and the abhominable seruice of Idols they forsooke their profession their Countries yea and their liues also before they woulde offer to reuolt to their Princes enemies Yet see the oddes betweene the persons cases They were Soldiers and were vrged to forsake the true God to commit Idolatry yet rather endured death then they would offer to reuolt from a Heathen Prince notwithstanding hee would haue enforced them to renounce Christ And yet M. Allen goeth about by these examples to persuade subiects to Rebell against their naturall Prince beeing a Christian neither compelling nor commanding them to forsake God but endeuouring by all good godly means to draw them to the true knowledge and worship of God from the blindnes of superstition and Idolatrie Is not this a straunge thing to see a man so learned as hee is esteemed to be so much to ouershoote himselfe in offering such euident abuses to seduce those with whom his credit may preuaile Yet hath he another argument as fit for his purpose as this whererein hee encourageth the English Catholikes and such as are pliable to his persuasions to reuolt from her Maiesties seruice vnto the pretended Catholike partie by mention of the great victories and happie successe which God giueth vnto those that with their armes vphold and mainteine the true Religion declaring also that God fighteth himselfe for the defense of his owne cause and of the right which in mine opinion can bee no encouragement but ought rather to be a great terror to the English Romanists for enterprising to take armes against their gracious Souereigne For first looking into home examples of the like sort within their owne memorie they know what befell vnto the two late Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland and the rest of that rebellious faction who hauing entred into the like conspiracie and for the like cause that D. Allen now so much recommendeth vnto his Catholike Countreymen and hauing made a verie strong partie in seuerall partes of the Realme and sodeinly raised a great power of the greatest strength of the North of England were notwithstanding by the prouidence and assistance of God for it is hee onelie that giueth victorie not the strength of man or of Horse within verie short time ouerthrowen dispersed and scattered the most and principallest of the Ring-leaders taken and executed according to their desert and the rest driuen to abandon their Countrey and to liue abroad like outcasts and vagabonds They remember likewise since that time what became of the Romish Catholike Forces whom I before mencioned which landed in Ireland in the yeere 1580 who as they came in defense of the same cause and of the same Religion so found they euen the same encounter in so much as few of them I thinke returned home to boast or make report of their victorie If then this position of D. Allens persuasion bee true as it is most true that God fighteth for the defense of true Religion and of the right the English Catholikes and all men els may see by these examples that the cause was naught and vniust and the Religion corrupt and false in the defense whereof these armies were so discomfited may likewise bee warned by their successe to take heed how for the like cause they enter into the like action Secondly the examples which D. Allen reciteth of the ouerthrows which