publike causes I sawe there were also many contrarye presidents and that of many worthy men who in like times had stoode in the gap and in the breach against the enemie Moreouer Neh. 4.16.17 I considered this our time to be like that wherof we read in the booke of Neemie wherein because of the often and hot charges of these Samaritanes enuying the raysing vp againe of the new Ierusalem out of the ruines wherin they had ioy to see it we are constrayned so to buylde it as we may stand also redy armed to make head against the enemie and to beate him backe when he shal assayle vs. Which because the learned will see to be no matter of game and striuing for the golden pen but a necessarye seruice of God and his church I hope they will be satisfied better with that which may bee sure for defence then faire for shewe But chieflye this is my hope of all your H. both for the graue wisdome God hath endued you with and for the accustomed fauour you are wont to shewe to all such as to their power doe endeuour faithfully to serue the Lord. As for the enemie I know in deede his malice is bitter and his pen foule and shameful For so both others of them and especially the defendant of the late censure hath notoriously testified in his wicked slaunders of as worthie men as the sunne hath seene anye in this age of their profession But seing it lieth not in vs to make them modest and that we are called in good and il report yea in life and death to serue God his church I willingly commit any iniurie that may be done me by them for his cause to him to whome the punishment thereof appertaineth Iude Epist and who as Enoch prophecied long agoe commeth with thousands of his Saintes to doe iustice vpon them all and to reprooue those which are wicked amongst them of all the deedes which they haue wickedly committed and all the hard speaches which wicked sinners haue spoken against him Wherefore being satisfied for these doubtes and knowing no other sufficient cause to the contrary I haue thought this defence to be my most bounden duetie to almightie God to her most excellent M. to your H. and to this whole state and church Therefore I haue resolued by your LL. good fauour seeing no man els so long time had vndertaken to deale with this Plaintife to maintaine against him to my small power the glory of God in the iust defence of his trueth the honor of the authority I haue named in their most lawfull proceedings against such as vntruely are called Catholiques Thus hauing before your H. most humbly rendred some reson of this my doing I come now to ioyne with mine aduersarie The effecte of this Authours purpose is as he himselfe declareth in the beginning of his booke The answere and hath béene touched before in presenting your LL. with the Epistle intituled of the persecution in Englande with this treatise of his own is to complaine of intollerable extremities vsed agaynst the pretended Catholiques for their only conscience sake as he affirmeth and also to become suter to your Honors in behalfe of their cause that if for the time it may not be receyued as he thinketh it worthy yet at the least it may not be so hardly intreated as hee woulde make the world beleue it hath beene hetherto Which their cause being not of the thinges of this life wherin reason and discourse may trie and discerne but of religion he ought to haue taken his reasons to perswade the religion he would maintaine to bee good out of the holy and sacred bookes of the canonicall scriptures 2. Tim. 3.17 For of these we reade that they are able to make vs wise vnto saluation thorow the faith that is in Christ Iesus as the Apostle addeth in the same place they are giuen by inspiration from God to furnish vs and to make vs fully able to instruct in that which is truth and to conuict whatsoeuer agreeth not with it Therefore as in question of mettall the touch stone is called for to shew the good and to discouer the badde so should he haue touched with this true onely touch both our mettall and his that that which is base or fine in eyther religion might haue bene discerned In doubtful controuersies in the law they were commanded to repaire vnto the hie priest into whose brest the Lorde had put Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28.30 whereby he was able to giue aunswere in all causes Christ is our hie Priest and the holy scriptures as being that wisedome of God to be reuealed to vs the Vrim and Thummim whereby we are answered as by Oracle from God in al our controuersies Therefore in this most weightie cause counsell ought to haue bene sought for there where the brest of Christ is open vnto vs and where a perfecter light then that of Vrim Thummim shineth to our most safe direction Esay 8.9.10 But this Author that we may know by the testimony of the Prophet Esay that there is no sparke of true light in him leaueth the lawe the testimony and seeketh to humane reason as to a cunning enchantres and as Saul to seeke answere hee goeth from the liuing vnto the deade Heb. 4.12 Ephe. 2.1 for the worde of God is liuing and the sonnes of men are borne deade in their sins But let vs see his reasons such as they are and howsoeuer he would flie the saymasters furnace the subtile weight yet bycause we know there is no other certain way to try what goodnes it may be of that hee bringeth we must make a say of it by the fire of the Lords altar and weigh euery thing by the weightes of his sanctuarie The reasons he bringeth are principally two Reasons vsed to perswade fauor towardes the Romane catholiques whereof the one is of the punishment laide vpon them and the other of the cause wherin they stand He toucheth briefly two other reasons which are of lesse moment rather of complemēt circumstance thē of any great weighte or substance in this question which are of the person of the ende For if it fall out as by Gods grace I vndertake to show that the punishment and the cause is such as that these falsly named Catholiques are dealt with in iustice and that mitigated with great moderation and clemencie then do these with all receaue their answere Yet something I will answere perticularly to these reasons and first to that which is taken of the persons of those who are punished In this he alleadgeth that they are of our owne bloude and Nation The first reason answered and borne subiects of the lande Wherein what doth hee pleade for them that may not be with as good reason brought for all malefactors which the lawe doth punish And to whom els doth the lawe extende but to the borne
¶ AN ANSWERE TO A SVPPLICAtorie Epistle of G. T. for the pretended Catholiques written to the right Honorable Lords of her Maiesties priuy Councell By VVATER TRAVERS Minister of the worde of God Rom. 13.4 If thou do euill feare for he beareth not the sworde for nought for he is the Minister of God to take vengeaunce on him that doth euill Apoc. 19.20.21 But the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that wrought myracles before him VVhereby he deceiued them that receiued the Beasts marke and them that worshipped his image These were aliue cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone And the remnant were slaine with the sword of him that sitteth vppon the horse which commeth out of his mouth and all the foules were filled full with their fleshe AT LONDON Printed for Tobie Smith dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Crane ¶ An Answere to a Popish Treatise touching the persecution of Catholikes in England written to the R. H. LL. of her Maiesties priuie Councell The Preface to the R. H. LL. of the Counsell WHeras Right Honorable the reformation of those which refuse to serue God with vs in such holy exercises of religion as for this purpose are established amongest vs hath bene carefully sought by some punishment of their obstinacie according to the good lawes prouided in this behalfe there are which complaine of this moderate seueritie and both vnfitly vnduetifully terme it by the hatefull and odious name of persecution Of which sort one hath written a whole treatise of this matter by way of an Epistle to his friende which he intitleth of the persecution of Catholiques in England In which discourse the Authour is not afraide to offer most shamefull wrong to many faithfull officers of her Maiesties iustice charging them with rigorous and cruell dealing who haue soberly and temperatly caried themselues in the execution of such lawes vpon them as their ill merit had worthily made them subiect vnto By which bold slaunders he giueth himselfe occasion so to complaine and cry out of the persecution of Catholiques in England as if God had not set ouer vs and them a gratious Ladie of famous renoume for mildenes and clemencie who seeketh onely by a reasonable correction to winne them to obedience first to almightie God and then to her lawfull authoritie but rather some cruell Nero or persecuting Diocletian that desired nothing but their destruction and their bloud Which notwithstanding it can not be vnknowne to any that liue in this state to be a complaint most vniust and vntrue yet hath there stept vp an other as he would seeme to be an abetter a voucher of that most slaunderous libel yea a translator a printer a publisher of it vnto others who herein hath worse prouided for the credit of their vntruth then his authour had done before him For he first had cunningly put his large speach into the bosome of his fellow as ready as it séemeth to be abused as he was willing to deceiue him hauing the credulity of his friend the secrecy of his writing to conceale some part of his offence But this translator by printing and publishing of it and namely in our English tongue hath laide them both open to the iust reproofe and condemnation of all the lande For what English man will not now condemne them both for false witnesses against the church of God and their own countrie when they shall reade or heare them in so many things to be so fowly defamed contrary to the knowledge of all the lande but especially I maruell with what face hee coulde once offer to present it to the reuerend senate of your most honourable chamber For howsoeuer he might flatter himselfe to bee able to make some of the people affected to his cause and dwelling farre from these parts to beleue some peece of his slanders yet coulde hee neuer be in anye hope so to abuse your H. who of your owne knoledge vnderstanding are able to conuict him of so many vntruthes Which notwithstanding this Author fearing no rebuke nor shame for it as speking out of a vaut or frō vnder a maske by concealing of his name hath imboldned him selfe to offer it euen vnto your Honors with an other discourse of his owne which he entituleth an Epistle to the Councell The substance of which his treatise is that the cause of our pretended Catholiques is such as it deserueth not the extremities which vpon the credit by like of his Author hee complaineth to be vsed against thē but rather is worthy to be well intreated if for the tyme it may not haue all the honour hee esteemeth to belong vnto it Of which two epistles the one being written in latine to a friend concerning this pretended persecution of Catholiques in Englande hath beene alreadie sufficiently answered by that reuerend Father Maister Doctor Humfrey in his late booke of Iesuitisme or of the practises of the church of Roome The other remaining yet vnanswered I was moued by some of my Friendes to the cause to take paines to make answere to it Which at the first I confesse I was loath to take vpon me notwithstanding I sawe the great aduantage I should haue of mine aduersary in the maintenance of a most holy and honourable quarrell For considering so many excellent wittes and so well able to deale in these causes to sit quyetly at their bookes or peaceably to edifie the Church by preaching of the gospel whether it be that they feare the diuers euents of writing by reason of the exquisite iudgements of the learned and the bitter malice of the enimy or that they esteeme it vnprofitable for the Church to leaue or slack their other worthy labours to striue with a contentious aduersary that will neuer be satisfied me thought their exāple was a good president for him to follow that commeth so farre behinde so many of them in al sufficiency for this purpose But especially I was willing to haue wtdrawen my selfe for the reuerence I most worthily haue of the graue sentences of your H. which I saw I could not escape dealing in a matter wherewith your H. table is seazed alreadie For knowing mine owne weakenes I iustly feared to beginne my simple practise of this kinde of pleadinge in so high and honourable a Court and before such Iudges whose wisedomes can so easily discouer any want of those which come before them But when on the other side I set before me the price of the cause which we striue for the qualitie of my vocation calling the most vnworthy slaunders wherew t the enimy chargeth the sacred truth of God and the lawful authoritie of this land I could not see that any of the former reasons ought so farre to preuaile with me as to withdrawe me from a seruice so holy so duetifull and so necessarie as I iudged this to be For as for the examples of such as like not to deale in these
subiectes of this lande and such as are naturalized and enfranchised amongst vs. Therefore if this proofe were good why they ought not to be dealt with according to law thē may al the prysons be discharged and euery malefactor hath by his birth a sealed pardon for all crimes that he may commit But he addeth they are not only Subiectes but also duetifull and honest This dependeth vpon the tryall of their cause which the law according to all righteous iustice hauing condemned as worthie such punishment as it layeth vpon them His priuate and vniust clearinge of them for good and obedient yea readie to die at her Maiesties feete and for your H. can not be sufficient Which testimonie would to God it might be truely geuen to them all Then surely there would be more hope to reclaim them to obedience vnto God and to her Highnesse But notwithstanding it be true that there are a number of those which are mis led in their ignorance to the lyking of superstition otherwise duetifull at the least in outward shew hetherto yet the vnsound and trayterous hearts of a number also haue bene discouered in the rebellions in the North and in Ireland yea further also by manifold practises both against the whole state and the Royall person of her M. and of sundry of your H. Whereof certaine profe hath bene made both heretofore and of late aswell in the K. Bench by the iust conuiction and condemnation of the traytors there arraigned al pretended Catholickes Iesuites and Priestes as also at Chensforde in Essex by like sentence against the priest Who should haue bene as Iudas was to the Romane bandes a Captaine a leader to a Company of Romanes altogether both in superstitious Faith and Infidel like disloyalty to so horrible an acte as any true Subiects hart cannot but abhorre euen to remember Whereunto adding the doubtful answeres and obstinate silence that commonly are made and vsed by such as haue had this interrogatory ministred vnto them Whether in case of the Popes commandement and the threatning of his excommunication to the contrary they woulde take armes with him or any sent by him against hir M. or with her H. agaynst the Pope we may worthely feare what affection of loyal duetie obedience may be in many of the rest which haue not yet beene demaunded that question And in deeede it can not be that such of them as haue the Roman faith not in ignorance but in some knowledge of the treasonnable grounds it resteth vpon without denial of the Pope to be Gods vicar and of all their holies should be faithful Subiectes to her H. and this state abyding as it doth by the grace of God in the true profession of the Gospel Therfore it is not inough to say it is onely their cōscience in religion they stand in to prooue them good and loyall subiects For though euery profession of religion doe not ouerthrowe the state they are vnder maintayning another Religion yet there are also some professions which can in no sort bee permitted by authoritie without the certaine ouerthrowe and ruine of the state where it is allowed The profession of the gospell may be tollerated by any prince or state in the world without any daunger to them For our doctrine holdeth nothing that may impugne their lawfull right and authoritie but contrariwise teacheth all due honour and obedience to be giuen to them and that for conscience sake Wherfore both they maye suffer the excercyse of it without daunger yea to the greate establishing of their states and thrones in assurance and consequently also such professors maye be faythfull and loyall subiectes yea euen to heathen princes as the Apostles and the fathers of the Primitiue Church were But an Anabaptist that holdeth there ought to bee no magistrate though he allege a thousād times he standeth but for his conscience religion yet bycause his conscience and religion is such as the principles and grounds of it are contrarie to all States and authority the magistrate cannot endure such a conscience and religion without the certaine daunger of hauing the mace and scepter wroong out of his hands Much like to this is the cause of our pretended catholickes For notwitstanding they allowe of Magistrates of authoritie in generall yet I say they hold a faith and doctrine the maximaes and rules whereof are as opposite to the present state of this lande in particuler as are the principles of the Anabaptists against all estate and dignitie The proofe whereof is manifest in these two pointes The first is that the state nowe established within this realme professeth by the gracious goodnes of almighty God the seruice of him according to the truth of the gospell and agreeably hereunto that the lawfull heyres of the crowne of this noble land are souerayne in their estate and dignitie to see all causes and persons within their kingdome and dominion both ecclesiasticall and ciuil ordred and gouerned according to the commandementes of God without subiection to any forren power of prince or priest whatsoeuer The second is that euerie one of the pretended catholique and Romaine faith vpon paine of damnation is to beleeue the B. of Roome who is a forreyne prince and Prelate to vs to haue supreame authoritie ouer all the church of Christ as his generall vicar vpon earth and consequentlie to beleeue that the K. and Q. of this noble land are to bee subiect vnto him to receiue that religion which he wil deliuer them to obey his censures that so far as that in case of his excommunicating depriuing of them they are to leaue their crowne to an other Yea further that as absolued from their othe and allegeance at his commaundement the naturall and sworne subiects ought to put such his sentence of depriuation in execution against their liege and naturall prince Which two points being so contrarie the one to the other how is it possible that any of these Romaine Catholickes knowing and beleeuing particularlye this point of their doctrine can be a true and a faithfull Subiect to our Soueraigne Ladye ELIZABETH against whom such most vnlawfull and wicked sentence hath bene already by two of their Popes pronounced and sought by all meanes to be put in execution Which things well considered I doubt not but your LL. see it to be great wisedome not to proue their fidelitie in a kingdome and so rare a iewell as hir maiesties person is for all their flattering speches of being ready to spend their life and their goods in hir quarrell but rather to keepe a vigilant and ielous eye open ouer them night and day that they may not bee able how willing soeuer they would be to do any thing to the annoyance of her royal person and of this noble state kingdome Wherfore as touching their persōs though they be the naturall subiectes of this state yet if they offend the godlie lawes thereof in refusing to serue God with vs
God as it is now established amongst vs is a wicked a sinful act yet notwithstanding for feare of punishment they conforme themselues they offend and are guilty though not of sin against the holy ghost Howlet as some late Puritan Seminarist doth affirme yet of sinne great and grieuous not in doing the thing which is lawfull and good but because they do it not well and Christianly that is in faith and true perswasion that such their doing is pleasing to God but contrariwise condemning it in their heart as vnlawfull them selues of hipocrisie so that while they dwell in that perswasion they can do nothing that may be acceptable vnto God Therefore such as are desirous to please him are with prayer to examine this their perswasion by the holy scriptures whereby finding as vndoubtedly they shall in due time whom the Lord will saue that it is not according to god they ought to chaunge their mindes by true repentance and then doing the dueties requyred of them in faith and certaine knowledge of pleasing God in them their doings shal be godly and acceptable in Christ Iesus But if they cōtinew obstinat still yet is not authority to be blamed for compelling them as the noble Kings Asa and Iosia did commaund and compel the people by seueritie of their lawes and punishments to serue the Lord what ignorant and vngodly perswasion so euer they haue to the contrary For this duety God requireth at the Magistrates hand to whom hee hath not committed his sword in vaine and in it selfe it is so necessarie that if this pretence were sufficient cause why men should be respected not onely the Magistrate should become gilty of not doing the duetie which God requireth of them but also no Christian estate or pollicie coulde stand For this would soone bee euery mans answere in case of being enioyned any thing concerning God or men howe holy or iust so euer it were that did dislike him that his cōscience is against it Therefore it can be no cause by the word of God after the procuring of such meanes for their instruction by the Gospell sincerely duely preached vnto thē as our Sauiour Christ hath appointed for the calling of men from their errors to the knowledge of the truth why your H. should forbeare eyther to require so godly a duety of them or to punish the disobediēt as their offence may deserue At their own peril be it if thorow ignorāce or wilfulnes they take darkenes for light and light for darkenes Such commandement punishment for disobedience is not of it selfe hurtfull vnto them but rather greatly profitable both by telling them what they ought to do and by threatning and punishing the obstinat whereby some may be wakened more seriously to examine their conscience so come to yeald obedience vnto God and to the law And thus far haue I dealt with his circumstances Now remayn his two other reasōs which are of substance and weight in deede in this matter if he were able to make them good For the one is a iustification of their cause the other a chalenge of the punishment layd vpon them But first hee blameth her M. iustice as extreeme and keeping no proportiō with the offence wherewith they are charged and secondarily mayntayneth their cause not onely to deserue no such punishment but to be worthy of all fauor First therefore I am to examine what he sayeth agaynst her M. iustice You persecute heauely saith hee vnto your H. and that in such measure as the like hath scarce been mentioned in Christianitie before albeit in some poynts more couertly then some other did This persecution he setteth out after by comparyson of the discipline as hee wryteth of the Catholicke church namely in the time of Queene Mary affirming this persecutiō in all respects far to surmount ouerreach that to be both greater incōparably more greeuous To the same effect he addeth many other like speeches in the end of his epistle which there shal receiue their answere By which complaint a man would thinke that might worthely be thought so if it exceede so far as he affyrmeth that most cruell and bloudie persecution of the true Catholicks and constant Martirs of God in Queen Maries time But of this he geueth occasion to speake more fully hereafter Now to answere his most vniust and slaunderous accusatiō of the iustice done vpon them I deny this to be tru wherw t he would charge the present State which I deny not only because they are no Catholiques and therfore no punishment of them can be properly called persecution but a iust execution of obstinate heretickes but also because that for meere conscience and matter of Religion no such thing is done or hath been done to any man since her M. most peaceable and happy Raigne Hee complayneth of the rackinges and stretching of their ioyntes the renting and dispersing of their bowels the dismembring of the partes of their bodies and maketh many such like greeuous complaints What may be done to such of them as are wilfull and obstinate seducers I leaue to your wisdomes to consider This being true that such are Heretickes seducing and deceiuing in as dangerous matters for men to be abused in as euer did any Heretickes before them which both hath beene often heretofore and may at any time b◠sufficient argumentes and vnanswerable of their part be prooued against thē But yet I say further that notwithstanding that it is so far of that these tragicall complaints should be true that no one of all their Catholickes for cause of his conscience and religion onely being no otherwise an offēder against the lawes hath lost either life or limme since the happie day of her M. coronation vntill this time All which gracious time there hath not beene for recusance nor for being at masse nor yet for saying masse how often soeuer they so offend neither by former Statutes nor those of the last Parliamēt which they most complaine off any further punishment appointed then of los of libertie and goods True it is that her Maiestye by the Sage aduise of youre Honours and of her whole Nobility and Commons hath prouyded by lawe for the punishmēt of such pretended Catholiques as shal be found gilty of any treasonnable practise against her H. estate and person being forced by most vrgent causes and many dangerous attempts of theirs dayly pressing her thereunto For considering first the bloudy resolution of the Councell of Trent the dayly attempts to put it in execution there was great and most worthy cause why your H. should seeke by all godly prouision to preuent their intended mischiefe The secret and detestable decrée of that Tridentine conspiracy against God and against his annointed was to make a League amongst all the Princes whom they had made drunck with the golden cup of their fornicatiō Buch. rerum Scot. lib. 17. to confer their meanes and ioyne all their forces
together to roote out the true profession of the Gospell if it were possible out of the earth The execution whereof hath not beene forgotten from time to time in all places professing the trueth nor is not neglected euen to this day as meanes and occasions may serue them to bring their most vngodly bloudy purpose to passe To which their ende they haue hetherto run with so vyolent a course as it appeareth neither the feare of God nor any respect of men which worthely holdeth others from such extremities could restrayne them from most desperate actes and full of all tragicall immanitie Christian and Catholique Kinges and States in Stile and Title haue byn stirred vp against their naturall Subiectes to persecute them with fire and sworde to the hazarde of their owne Estates Such hath beene the furye and vyolence wherewith this cause hath been carryed Ciuill warres haue beene kindled in all partes where the Gospell hath beene by any number professed thorowe their false accusations of most duetifull Subiectes as enemies to the State of their Rulers to alienate their fauor from them so as there is none of these parts of Europe which are next about vs which hath not beene afire and some are yet wasting and consuming in this flame By meanes wherof haue been infinite confusions and moste barbarous crueltyes committed the Brother not sparinge his naturall Brother nor the Father the bloud of his owne Sonne Calamitie and destruction haue beene in their wayes as it is in the Prophet Esay 59.7 and the way of peace they haue not knowen The base by their occasion hath despysed the Noble and the vyle him that was honorable yea the refuse and swéep of the worlde haue been set vp by their practyses to procure in most trayterous manner the death of the worthies of the earth Many a noble Prince by these Catholique practisers Executioners of the Counsell of Trent haue beene shot with dagges pistoles and other shot and most cruelly slaine Thus they dealt with the religious and courteous Earle of Morray Buch. rerum Scot. lib. 19. Regent of Scotland whose death was perswaded and counselled by the Pope and the Cardinall of Lorrayne and who after was trayterously slayne by the Archbishop of S. Andrewes Neuew by whom he was shot out of a windowe as he tooke his horse ouer against the place where he lodged Thus also dealt they with the godly wise Admyrall of Fraunce who in like manner ryding in the streete was shot out of a windowe and after in tyme of peace nay of a Royall mariage of a K. most cruelly slaine and so shamefully outraged after hee was murthered as seldome or neuer was any enemy in time of most deadly warre I might adde here the destroying of a noble Prince of great hope by consent of his own father poysoning of the vertuous Q. of Nauarra with many practises against the K. her son other Princes Here also I might worthely mention the most horrible and barbarous slaughters which they haue committed in the pursuing of their wicked and diuelish resolution against the gospel But to leaue at this time the tragedies which they haue played in other partes by the treasonnable assaultes and deathes of many famous Princes and the cruell massacrees and butcheries of many thousandes of the people I will remember the reader chiefly of such things as haue beene done by them here at home and are best knowen vnto vs. Wherin to let passe the imprisonment and hard vsage which sometime they vsed her most excellent M. with in the time of her sister and now repent them of nothing more then that it was no worse and the fires they made in those dayes with the flesh and bones of their owne Countreymen for the truethes sake whereof I shall speake by occasion more fully hereafter and sundry other matters not so commonly knowen of plats and attempts against the Royall person of her M. and also of some of your H I will onely mention certaine euydent and notorious actes whereby the deposition of her H. from her estate and dignitie which from God by her iust right and title and to the great ioy of al her good Subiects her Grace doth most lawfully enioy hath beene attempted to be put in execution against her Whereof was a solemne instrumēt writing called the Popes Bul which was first certified by his messenger being an English priest and after set vp here in London by an English Catholick traytor By which Bull her M. is declared excommunicated Sand. l. 7. de ris Mo. deposed by him from her Royall state Crowne and dignitie her Subiectes are absolued from their oth and allegiance vnto her the land interdited and left to him that could put this sentence in execution and seaze vpon it Which whē the neighbour Princes either occupyed at home or cōsidering the consequence of making war with so mighty a Princes haue not aduaunced thēselues to put in execution the Pope hath from time to time laboured to stir vp some of her M. own Subiects against her to execute this wicked sentence vpon her Hereof arose the rebellion in the North which by the grace of God and by the meanes of your H. wisdome was disappoynted and iust execution done vpon some of the Rebels After this another Pope succéeding in impiety his predecessor raysed of late a new rebellion in Ireland bearing name of his falsly named Holynes hauing leaders and companies at the Popes wages and Peters keyes for their ensigne and vpon their forte against which also the sword of the Lord and of Gedeon preuailed For a third to be raised euen in the bowels and hart of this noble land sundry English fugitues haue bene entertained of the pope Wherof some haue iustified these insurections Sand. L. 7. de v. sib Monar Bristow and accounted all the Rebels executed for Martires in their printed bookes yea themselues as it is saide haue beene in Campe against her Maiestie with them as trumpets of sedition Others are bestowed in Seminaries some to teach and some to learne to serue the Pope against God against our Souerraigne and against their owne Countrie For which purpose so soone as they are readie they are sent ouer hither to withdraw her Maiesties subiectes from the duety they owe to their naturall Prince and to confesse and reconcile them as they terme it to the obedience of a forraine power Which practise of confessing and reconciling to the Pope in secret your HH for the excellent wisedome God hath endued you with for the preseruation of her highnes our whole Church from the mouth of the Lyon that would deuour vs do euidently see to be as dangerous a practise for the laying of a newe plat of rebellion as may be deuysed Therefore lately vpon these and such like greate and necessarie causes enforcing it was enacted that such Priestes and Catholikes or any other pretending whatsoeuer they may pretend as shall be
world can testify For what part of the world hath not hard of our Sufferings and the furious and fiery wrath wherewith the enimie persecuted vs for no other cause then for the Gospels sake Some in deed fled as Iacob from the wrath of his brother Esau and thorow the goodnes of God escaped their bloudy handes But they which remayned were slaine for Gods sake as saith the Prophet all the day long and counted as sheepe appointed for the slaughter Psal 44.22 In Spaine and Italie the chéefe seates of the bloudy inquisition besides many which were openly murdered poysons strangling in prisons drowning in riuers and sondrie other secret executions which came not to so open knowledge of the world according to the depth most suttle practises of Satan are reasonably thought to haue destroyed many more then haue beene consumed by the light fires of England Fraunce and Flaunders haue had also as hot a Furnace amongst them as that of Nebucad-nezers was whereinto they haue cast a great multitude of those which would not fall downe before their golden Image But besides those which they haue burned who can number the thousands and ten thousands which their bloudy sword in their so long and cruell warres haue deuoured The slaughters of Fraunce especially their cruell masacrees for of whome we haue so strang a thing we must haue also the name wherby they terme it haue beene so barbarous so many that I know not how to expresse the sauage cruelties and tragicall immanities committed in them except I should here leaue my paper all in bloud as the Paynters workers of tapestry do their table and their Tapistry when they come to paynte and worke so strange and horrible cruelties as no arte nor Instrumēt no pencill nor néedle is able to expres Thus being prouoked by mine aduersary I haue briefly touched and in generall the tyrannous and bloudy actes of this cruell generation For the more full declaration whereof I must referre the gentle Reader to the stories of the seuerall Countreys where these horrible persecutions haue beene exercised and especially to the worthy worke of the Actes and Monumentes of Martyrs written by the reuerend and learned M. Fox in our own language for the purpose I haue now in hand it may suffice thus generally to haue poynted as it were to the opening of the fift Seale and to haue shewed some view of the infinite number of the soules which lye behind the Altar and cry night and day vnto God with the voice of the bloud of Abel that the Lorde woulde require all this bloud which they haue so cruelly and vnnaturally shed at the handes of this posterity of Cain Wherby seeing it appeareth that for the onely cause of Religion they haue murthered so many that they haue made all Europe to runne with the bloud of the Prophets as Manasses did the streetes of Ierusalem and that of the other part there hath beene hetherto no proceeding against them for like cause to the shedding of one drop of their bloud all indifferent Iudges may see the bold vanity of this Plaintife in affirming our dealings towards them to ouerreach any their persecution of vs and to be incomparably more grieuous And yet this notwithstanding the aduersary hauing receaued all good for all euill done to vs cannot be ignorant off yet their Aduocate is bold to make comparison not only generally but also perticulerly concerning the persons in the number and quallitie of such as haue suffered and the maner of their vsage both in their imprisonment and in the execution Wherein first he alledgeth that manye were tollerated by them This was not any charitie in them but it was the gracious goodnes of God our most merciful father who would not suffer thē so to shake our Oliue tree but that there shoulde remaine some still vpon the tree nor so to vintage and gather the grapes of his vineyeard but that there should still be hidden here a cluster and there an other some few grapes vnder the leaues that shoulde not be gathered But what tolleration vpon hope of their repentance hath bene extended and is dayly towards them I report me to the conscience of euerie one who vnderstandeth how many there are that need this fauour and hath compared the number of thē with the number of such as haue bene called to question for these matters The second point of his comparyson of the persons is of men with men whereby he meaneth the condition and estate of such as haue suffered wherin he may remember the imprisonment of her Ma. vnder whose shadowe thorowe the goodnesse of God we are now refreshed from the burning heates wherw t they consumed vs. In which estate her highnes had so many lyōs mouthes opened against her as except the Lord had shut them in time we had neuer seene these happy dayes He may remember also the departure out of the land both of some other of the Nobilitie and of the Duches Grace of Suffolke Likewise the right reuerend Cranmer and his companions which were not so vsed in pryson that they coulde boast as some of theirs haue done that they neuer fared better nor liued more at their ease but after a hard imprysonment were burned in the fire for the testimony of the Gospell We boast not of any but of the Lord ◠Cor. 1. as knowing what our calling is yet doe we reioyce glorifie God with speciall thankesgeuing when he geueth so rare a blessing to those which are of great power and authority that they not onely do beleeue but also suffer for his names sake In which respect I haue thought good to answere thus much to this second point of his comparyson Further touching the vsage of such as came in troble for religiō in their time he affirmeth it to haue beene ciuil for the prisons they were committed vnto the conferēces vsed with thē the relieuing and not tormenting of them in tyme of their imprisonment and last of all in their execution with all fauor But if such vsage as we haue had at their handes in all these respects be their ciuilitie how great neede had we to pray and to prouyde that we haue not experience of their cruelty The prysons whereinto they cast those whom they had bond as Paul with chaines for the Gospell Lollordes Tower Colehouse c. were the cōmon Gaoyles and prysons of all malefactors nay some of them such as for the horror and annoyance of them they were not wont to sende the most guilty offenders into But now they I speake of such as are called to question for religion haue conuenient holesome roomes yea large houses and faire gardens for their pleasure as they vse it for their pastyme Their conferences were either threatenings or snares of death whereby they sought to extort a denyall of the trueth by terror or by deceitfull wordes to drawe out some free speach against some of their
abhominations for which after they might condemne them to the fire But we confer with them as desirous to delyuer their soules from the wrath to come and their present estate from such punishment as the law doth lay vpon them Releeuing of the prisoners of Christ was thorowe their extreme dealing an occasion to sundrie of great troubles But who hath heard of any Act. and Mo. who for this onely cause hath fallen into any trouble amongst vs. They killed fiue prisoners for the Gospell at Canterbury with famine and miserably relieued the rest for any torment As in time of imprysonment not one of theirs hath bene offered any for religions sake In deed if vnder color of conscience they haue intermedled so far in matters of State as that they haue bene to be tainted of treason it may be such haue beene examined vpon the Rack according to the auncient order both of this and other States in like cases that therby they might be constrayned to confesse that to the safety of many which otherwise they would obstinately conceale to the ouerthrowe of their Countrey Whereof not hauing vs in suspicion at any time but persecuting vs only for the Gospels sake yet some with Ioseph haue had the yron enter into their soule and other with Paul and Silas haue beene layd in the dungeons and there also had their feete put into the stockes Act. 16.25 singing to God as if they had byn in heauen Act. 5. I might name also a great nūber who with Peter and Iohn were whipped and scourged and reioyced that they were vouchsafed to suffer for the word of the Lord Iesu whereof as there were many so a young child amongst the rest was so sore beaten that he dyed of it who before his death was sent to his father whom they had put in the stockes in Lollards Tower Actes and Mo. setting a dish of water by him with a stone in it not much vnlike that of the Iewes which as they read said of Ieremie let vs put wood into his bread to torment the poore man with the pittiful sight of his child so shamefully beaten and many other such foule extremities I could remember them off How they dealt with Hun as it is like with some other which dyed in pryson is partly vnderstoode to their iust reproch and will be plainly discouered in the day when all secretes shal be reuealed It were to long to examine their like dealings in other countreys therfore I referre the Reader to their stories and namely to the 6. and 9. Chapters of the Spanish Inquisition where he shall see what close prysons what spare and lothsome dyet what strange and barbarous extremities are vsed by them The last poynt of the comparyson of vsage is in the execution of death which hee sayth hath beene done of their part in all fauor for iust reproofe wherof let the gentle Reader looke ouer the Storie of D. Tayler who being cruelly vsed all the way he went to execution there being ready for it was stroken a great stroke vpon the head with a waster and hurt againe with a fagot cast at him which light vpon his head brake his face that the bloud ran downe after stricken vpon the lips and last of all so smitten with a Halbard that hys braynes fell out But of all other horrible was the execution of the Garnesey woman Perotine both in her own person in that she was executed being great with child also in her child which being taken vp out of the fire viewed by the offycers was to the perpetual reproach of their most barbarous cruelty cast againe to his mother into the fire In elder time also terible was the executiō death of Sir Iohn Oldcastle the worthie L. Cobham is a witnesse to all ages of their barbarous executions It were to long to rehearse the stories of their most cruell executions in other Countries in all ages Therefore I referre the reader to the bookes themselues namely to the 12. chap. of the Spanish Inquisition Only two examples I will set down for a shewe one of more auncient time and the other of verie late In the low Countries at Tourney Bertram a zealous professor of the Gospell found such fauour as this man speaketh in his execution that after many rackings and tormentes before he had his right hande and foot pressed and mishapen with hot irons his tongue cut of his mouth stopt with a ball of iron his body let vp and downe to the fire till it was burned to ashes which were cast into the riuer Of late in the yeare 1581. at Roome Atkines an English man a zealous professor of the Gospell for a like matter as Bertrames was before which was the taking of their masse Idol from their altar and throwing it vpon the ground had this fauour shewed him in his execution that al the way he went to it as it is reported by such as saw it there were foure did nothing but thrust at his naked body with burning Torches and by a deuise for the purpose was burned so as his legges were burned first that the Tyrantes might feede their eyes with a horrible spectacle of so strange tormentes of the constant Martyr witnesse of Christ this hath bene their execution with al fauour Thus we see the chastisement layd vpon them is the rod of a tender most louing mother correcting her obstinate sonnes to bring thē to her obediēce duety but they haue beaten the true church of God with Scorpions as the Sirians did to the Israelites in Galaad they haue threshed it with flayles of yron Their greatest restraint is such I speak of those which are restrained for matter of religiō that they haue cōuenient roomes houses with gardēs to walke in but they thrust our poore brethren into their darkest dungeōs into the caues holes of the earth as into the dens of Dragons Their dyet is liberall and such as pleaseth them selues to haue but they so fedde the true Church of God in their time and yet doe where their authoritie may serue that she might and yet may in such places renewe the complaint of the olde church of Israell and of her cheefe heade and captaine Christ Iesus I haue eaten ashes as breade and mingled my drinke with weeping They gaue me gall and wormewoode to eate Psal 22. and vineger for to drinke they opened their mouthes vpon me as roaring Lyons they made me so spare that I might tell my bones my heart melted in me like waxe my tongue did cleaue to the roofe of my mouth for drought and I sate me downe vpon the earth Psal 2◠and in the dust But the Lorde whose right hand worketh such changes and alterations hath had compassion of our estate in this land his name be praysed for it and hath opened the prison doores he hath deliuered those which were vowed to death when his appoynted time was come
exhorting herevnto gathering to this end al the chief reasons which ought to ioyne vnite the faithful one with an other as one God one Lorde Iesu Eph. 4 4.5.6 one faith one baptisme one body one spirite one hope of their calling wold neuer haue forgotten this whervpon it seemeth by theÌ„ that al this vnity should depend of one supreme pastor whom all ought to obey As this reason of vnity is alleaged for the pope so is it for all the rest of his hierarchie the very image of the beast that is of the RomaÌ„e empire some shadow of the glory wherof this Antichrist would haue expressed in his Prelates after him to whom it hath as much reason as in himself Pity it is that in so faire and cleare a lighte of the day and in this fulnesse of the brightnesse of the sunne any state shoulde not sée that as not beeing appointed of God to be any meanes of the intertaining of good agreement in the Church so contrarywise thorow his wrath and iust iudgment for the peruerting of his lawfull and holy ordinances which onely should rule the church in these cases that it hath been and yet is the most effectuall instrument of Satan to hinder the prosperous and flourishing estate of the gospel For hereby in his supreame Vicar vppon earth he sitteth as the strong man of whome we reade in the Gospel harnesed and armed in the middest of his hall and Pallaice possessing al his house in peace till his weapons wherin he trusteth most whereof this is chiefe be taken from him by our sauiour Christe who is stronger then he and so cast out of his possession The ambition of P. and of the people hath béen one cause to vphold it so long who as the prophet coÌ„plaineth delight in it and take pleasure to haue it so that their priestes should exercise authoritie by their pomp increase the state honor of theÌ„ both An other the weakenes of iudgement euen in those which were wise who seeing worldly states thus gouerned and not knowing the ordinaunces of our sauiour Christe in this case thought it a thing conuenâ—ent And it is to be feared that the allowaunce of this popishe hierarchie springeth in some pretending to be Catholicke from a most bitter roote as seeing hereby that thorow the giftes they receiue of them they shall alwayes haue them at commaundement to apply religion as may be fittest to serue their turn But wheÌ„ the Lorde shall of his goodnes vouchsafe to weâ—de out this roote of wormewood out of their harts and to lighten their eies with true knowledge they shall see both that to be true which hath been in this matter declared and further that this supremacy and whole hierarchy as it is no meanes of vnity in trueth so is it the very cause of keeping out the truth in so many places and detaining the knowledge of God vniustly and in captiuitie For whereas the fathers in their couÌ„cels bind themselues by a solemne oth to do nothing against the present state of the Pope and his Church and that the greatest parte of the abuses which are to be reformed in the Church of Rome are such as their supreme pastor his Hierarchy are guilty of if they call neuer so manye counsels for the purpose Vrspergensis yet if they be sworne vowed one to another to maintaine al their abhominatioÌ„s stil and yet all men be to follow the determination of the pope his prelats what hope is ther that euer they shold condemne them selues their gainful errors what losse soeuer it be to the world For as if things were reformed according to the truth of the Gospel his fatherhood shold part with his triple crown and leaue his riding vpoÌ„ mens shoulders so euery member of his body for his place in it must make lesse of more theÌ„ they would be willing to parte withall Wherefore their couÌ„cels are but for the establishing of their own kingdoÌ„ in the world And as are their general councels such are their national lesser synodes of like men for like purposes To consult of the best way for the reformation of abuses of furthering the seruice of God and of his people not a worde is amongst them For the chiefe abuses are in themselues It were to be wished therfore that all Christian P. or if suche as pretend to bee catholique wil not yet at the least they which make holy profession of the trueth of the Gospell as farre as this aduise may be necessary for them regarded the reformation of so great abuses and established the onely lawfull discipline in the Church which is the meane that Christ hath appointed for the kéeping of the vnity of the spirite in the bonde of peace Further where he blameth vs to receiue no mans exposition but our owne and to despise councelles he is to vnderstande that wee receiue the exposition of anye man bee he neuer so simple whiche is agreeable to the word of God We allow desire we hold expedient and necessarye lawfull holy méetings of conferences of synodes councels would most willingly that our cause might be debated in a free lawful and generall Councell Which woulde to God we might see if it be the Lordes good pleasure so assembled and ordered by the meane of Christian Princes as the worde of God preuailing and all our controuersies taken awaye there might be but one flocke and one solde as there is but one shepheard Christe Iesu And if this cannot be obtained wtout most vnequal conditions of appointing him to be iudg of our cause whoÌ„ we are to charge before God his whol parliment of saints and the reuerend assembly of such a generall and frée counsel as we according to Gods word do desire to be the very same Antichrist whom the scriptures foretold shold come for iust punishmeÌ„t of the wicked by hauing power to seduce into errors apostasie suche as had not the loue of the truth and the very head of that harlot whom S. Iohn painteth out in her colours in the reuelatioÌ„ which hath made al kingdoms drunk with the cup of her fornicatioÌ„s we must for that remit ourselues to the gret day of trial wheÌ„ Christ shal come with thousands of his mighty angels to iudg the quick the dead and before men angels before heaueÌ„ earth al creatures bearing witnes of his iustice giue sentence with vs against our aduersaries But if this so greatly to be desired throw their vnreasonable demaÌ„ds to be iudges in their own cause being to stand arraigned endited of high treason against God al the states of christendom theÌ„ wold to God yet it might be obteined of such christian P. as profes the gospel that there might be a general free councel of al the churches wtin their dominions The benefit wherof thorow the blessing of god must néeds be inestimable both to the preseÌ„t state of the church
was not Ieroboams Religion therefore the true Religion and the other false no nor more profitable for theim For whether was it more profite to enioye onely for a shorte tyme the ease in tariyng at home and to saue the trauaile and coste of goyng to Ierusalem then by obeiyng the Commaundement of God in yeeldyng to hym the seruice whiche he required to depende vpon hym and thereby to bee assured to haue safely kepte that whiche for the present thei enioyed and to dwell in the lande accordyng to the promise bothe thei and their posteritie for euer Or whether brought theim greater hurte in the ende true Religion whiche required their trauell and coste to worship at Ierusalem or Ieroboās Idoll whiche in the ende did caste them out of the lande and their children for euer leadyng them captiues into Assiria and makyng theim subiecte to the iuste punishement of euerlastyng death To haue tarried still in Egipt seemed to some to stande better with the wealthe and prosperitie of the people of Israell to enioye that thei had gotten there the space of fower hundred yeres thei had dwelte in it then with so many troubles carriages of their housholde stuffe and cattell into so huge a deserte to worship there But the seruice of GOD required it and in the ende it was farre more proffitable for them For in steede of beeyng slaues to the Egyptians who putt them into their Bricke houses of Claie and into their Furnace of Iron thei obtained a goodlie lande of their owne where thei dwelte as a free people euery one sitting vnder his owne Vine and drinkyng the water of his owne Well Abraham might haue thought it better to haue tarried still in Vr of the Chaldeans then to go thence he knewe not whether Yet the obedience of GOD required hym to leaue his owne Countrey whiche the Idolatrie of his Countrey did not exact of hym And in the ende not onely in regard of the life to come but euen of this life it fell out to his farre greater benefite then if he had not borne that harde condition as it seemed at the firste and tarried still For after and by this meanes GOD made Abraham a Father of many Nations his Seede as the Sande of the Sea and the Starres of heauen in multitude naie he gaue hym a sonne in whom bothe he and all Nations should bee blessed So the Apostles were cōmaunded to leaue all and followe Christ as in some sorte many other oftentymes are likewise to doe A hard Religion would this man saie and standeth nether with any reason or pollicie but is against their commoditie and best estate yet is not Christes Religion therefore to bee impugned For whatsoeuer it requireth yet is it the onely true Religion and therefore that whiche onely hath the promise of the blessyng of God annexed vnto it as the Apostles finally proued and all shall likewise proue whiche followe hym It semed good policie to some of the kinges of Iuda to be in league with the mightie kyng of Assiria and to confederate them selues with the people of the natiōs whiche true Religion did not suffer nor allowe yet was it not the lesse the onely true Religion no nor had not been in the ende lesse profitable for their state For if thei had obeyed God and depended vpon hym then had thei continewed the Kyngdome in their lande whereas euen by their pollicie thei were caste out of it and despersed abroade Thei had been better to haue contented them selues Esa 8. with the softe runnyng and shallowe water of Silo whiche thei so muche despised for then thei had not been carried awaie to Babell But Euphrates was a goodlie deepe water a swifte flood a noble streame therefore thei desired to drinke of it and to washe theim selues in it but to their owne destruction For this strong streame tooke their feete from them carried them awaie into captiuitie There are many whiche by suche wicked pollicies forslow yea neglect the reformation of Superstition of Idolatrie of Popishe abuses and enormities of the Churche within their Dominion Thei are afraied innouations should breede daunger to their estate and therefore thei choose rather with the indignation of God to let al alone and suffer a state once established so to continue then to alter abuses and disorders though GOD and true Religion require it Yet shall suche pollicies in the ende be founde to haue no sound wisedome in theim when GOD accordyng to his woorde shall visite suche a Nation and bee auenged of them for all their impieties By like reason a man that liketh not of christianitie because thei muste suffer persecution whiche will liue godlie in Christ Iesu and because the waie is straight and narrowe maie with as good colour pretende to haue iuste matter to refuse it But christian faithe and the narrowe waie in all holie and sound wisedome are notwithstandyng to bee chosen and the broade waie wherein a man seemeth to walke at his ease for a season to be refused For in the ende he shall proue it true whiche Salomon saieth that there is a waie whiche seemeth good vnto a man the ende whereof is destruction as there are lippes that still Honie but the feete of the same bodie leade into hell It is therefore meere profaunesse Atheisme to measure religiō by euery commoditie and so farre to receiue it and so ofte to chaunge it as in the vaine discourse of fleshe and blood it seemeth to stande or not to stand with our profite For this is the profane spirite of Esau to make but a pollicie of Religion and a seruaunt to our selues But true Religiō is to be receiued for it self because God hath cōmaunded it and so farre and in suche sorte as he hath prescribed what daungers or discommodities soeuer profane infidelitie and the foolishe discourse of the naturall man whiche as the Apostle Peter saieth is poore blinde and can not se farre of in these matters shall fancie and imagine Naie though in deede for triall of our faithe more precious then gold and for the honour of his name in our patience the Lorde should see it good to excercise his people with sundrie afflictions for how soeuer for suche secrete and yet alwaies iuste causes the Lorde shall see good to deale with any Nation yet in the ende if thei serue the Lorde thei shall finde it to bee moste for their comforte bothe in this life and in the life to come And therefore this remaineth alwaies firme that whatsoeuer the naturall man and carnall pollicie shall iudge yet true Religion in the groundes of the doctrine and in the exercise and practise of it is not contrary to the florishyng estate of a commonwealth but bothe in the nature of it and by meanes of the promise of blessyng annexed vnto it is the Religion by whiche alone Kyngdomes and Common-wealthes maie truely prosper and florishe Thus wishyng to bee vnderstoode of all men that Religion is to
effecte whiche followed it of not esteeming of the commaundementes of GOD in comparyson of this moste vile and beggarlye tradition whereby it was againe fulfilled in that yee transgresse the commandements of God to keepe your own traditions Last of all for the damnable opinion of meryting by it the forgiuenesse of their sinne I conclude it to be neither godlinesse pollycye nor good reason to allowe it As for the true and right fasting commaunded by precepte and cōmended by examples in the sciptures vnto vs it were to be wished that as at somtimes namely in the great plague in London and at the earthquake there was a godlye entrance made by authoritie to the restoring of it vnto vs so it might bee fullye reestablished amōgst vs. The vse wherof in the auncient primitiue Chur. was eyther for supplication to turne away some present or imminent danger of war pestilence famine or any other great calamitie or for suite to obteine some great perticular blessing as gratious direction in the calling of such as should serue the church specially in the ministery preaching of the word or any such waightie extraordinarye requestes greatly concerning the good estate of the Churche Which occasions to seeke to GOD in this most humble earnest maner we see by experiēce do remain stil shal continue to the end of the world For both other great graces may vpon sundry occasions fal out to be so necessarye for the state of the Churche that this way were to bee taken to obtayne them oftentimes in respect of the ministery this would be requisite And for the other cause seeing we oftentimes so multiply our prouocations against God that in iustice he threatneth to poure out his plagues euen vpon his owne people so offending against him it were most necessary that the church had the right vse of this holie order restored to it againe that hereby the hot wrath and high displeasure of GOD against vs might be pacified Wherefore it were to be wished by all good meanes of all men to bee sought for that by the authoritie of the magistrate and aduise of the preachers of Gods worde vpon any such reasons eyther generally in the whole Lande if the cause be generall or particularly in the place where the occasion may bee that the people were aduised and commaunded vppon some day fitte for the purpose to surcease their worldly affayres as they doe vppon a Sabbaoth or holie day to fast vnto the euening to the ende that they may assemble them selues at the houres accustomed vppon suche daies to the Churche to heare the worde of God fitly for the time zealously preached and also to make their earnest prayers to God for the fauour they would obtayne and their most humble supplication with rent and contrite heartes in teares strong crying in the spirit to turne away such his heauy indignatiō from vs as we may lye vnder or feare to fall vppon vs. To take one example of many in the scriptures Io. 2. we reade in the prophecy of Ioel that the L. threatning a famine exhorteth the people hereunto vpon hope that if they sought him earnestly they shoulde finde him gracious and mercifull long suffering and of greate goodnes In the same place declaring that he beyng angry no flesh could be able to beare it he giueth thē cōmandemēt therof in these words Wherefore euē now saith the L. be ye turned vnto me with al your hart in fasting weaping lamentatiō a litle after soūd the trūpet in Sion appoint a fast proclaim a holiday gather the people ordaine an assēbly call together the aged the litle ones euen those which such the brests let the bridegrome come out of his chamber the bride out of her chāber Let the pristes the ministers of the Lord weepe betweene the altar the porch say O Lorde spare thy people and geue not ouer thy possession to reproche that the Gentiles should rule ouer thē why shold they say amongest the nations where is their God Thus farre the prophet in the name of God whiche I haue thought good to set down here that in cōsideratiō therof it may be vnderstood to be a cōmādemēt of God giuē to the magistrates preachers of Gods word that both of thē according to the duties of their seueral calling should vpō like occasion aduise appoint such a day of fast wherein the people shold humble themselues in true repētance seeke with mighty prayers deliuerance frō the punishment threatned or lying vpon them Which is so much the more necessary at this time to be knowē for that we see that the wrath of God hath broken out vpon vs of late as a flaming fire in visiting vs with the grieuous visitatiō of that pestilēce both in this citie of London and sundry other places of this land Which visitation since the great plague hath cōtinued in this Citie wasting the Inhabitants as a small fire now the space of 15. yeares cōtinually and sometimes raging more fiercely as it did of late And surely there are many iuste causes to feare least the L. may commaunde this furnace to be heated yet seuen tymes more and that the Angell of GOD which hath stoode ouer this Citie with his drawen swoorde to strike it not onely a fewe daies as hee did in the time of Dauid ouer Ierusalem but so manye yeares may stil pursue his execution if all holie and lawfull meanes bee not vsed to mittigate the Lords displeasure towards vs. wherefore most humbly I beseech your Honours as one who by your LL. Honourable fauour haue a parte and lotte in the ministerie within this Citie that by your Godly meanes suche order may bee taken that both at all tymes heereafter vppon like occasion signified before vnto your HH and namely at this present vpon so vrgent necessary cause as we are now pressed withall suche dayes of faste and holy assemblies may be appointed Wherein the people thorowe the blessing of God vppon the woorde zealously preached vnto them humbling their soules in true repentance as in sackloth ashes before the Lord and the Lords seruants in the midst of them praying for thē as it is in Ioel O Lord spare thy people c. It is to be hoped that such repentance prayers may stand as Aaron with his holy censors did in like case of plague in the gap and in the breach betweene the liuing and the dead that the Angell of the Lorde strike no more of vs downe with this fearefull hande and sword wherewith wee haue seene alreadie so manie slaine and fall downe on euery side round aboute vs. A wise K. sayth our Sauiour in the gospell seeing a mightier King then himselfe comming against him with so many thousands as he is not able in any sort to meete him in the filde while hee is yet a farre off sendeth an ambassage vnto him for peace Therefore seeing the Lorde of
haue enough to do to prouide for themselues and their children as many times for all their care they are so little able to do as they leaue a nūber of poore orphanes behynd thē at the charge of the parish Touching thē I graunt it in part to be true that he saith of their hospitality offals buyldings but I deny their single life to haue bin the only cause or any greate cause of it For if they had contented themselues with such conuenient maintenance as had beene fit for their calling notwithstanding their single life they should neuer haue bin able to haue kept the houses he speaketh of haue builded churches with the surplussage of their liuings But this it was that made thē rich they woorshipped him that promised our sauiour Christ vpō like conditiō to giue him al the K. glory of the worlde They were neuer satisfied like the graue but heaped liuing vpon liuing office vppon office and that with the iniury and wrong of all the worlde They impropriated benefices and annexed them to their Abbeyes monasteries other places to their prelacies dignities a thing vtterly vnlawfull For how should it be lawful when the poore parish as he saith giueth the tithe of al they haue to the end they may haue a mā of God amongest them who may teache them the right way to serue and honour God and to saue their soules that this tithe should be taken from them and giuen to an idle cloyster of Friers or other that doe no duetie for it and leaue the poore people spoyled of their goodes and vnfurnished of one that should be their guide to euerlasting life By which prophane couetousnesse they made them selues guiltie not onely of their robbery of the goodes of the people which they enioyed without any iust title but also of the destruction of their soules in taking from them the meanes wherby they might be taught vnto saluation And shall wee then esteeme it a great liberalitie that if anie of the poore parishe had occasion to trauell by them that way to make him drinke or to giue him a meales meate Euen as one that had robbed a man shoulde giue him a pennie when hee mette him in the high way These are the cuppes and dishes for whiche our Sauiour Christ thundereth in the Gospell Yee Scribes Pharisies and Hypocrites you make cleane the outside of the cups and dishes but within they are full of robbery and wrong for indeede those theyr cuppes and dishes so filled were full of spoyle nay of bloud and that of the soules of menne whiche is one of the commodities they occupie as it is in the Reuelation Apoc. 18.3 with like impietie they annexed benefices vnto their Abbeyes and other houses and dignities by Popish dispensations of commendamus non residences Pluralities tot quots other more the like abhominations And not content herewith they had a thousande other cunning shiftes howe to drawe the riches of the people yea the wealth of all the lande into their handes as it well appeared at the putting of them downe in the late raigne of the renowmed K. Henry the eight It was signified to the King in a supplication how those iolly idle beggers as they are called there had robbed all the poore of the lande al the hospitalles and other almes houses and that they had drawn more then the third part of the whole lande into their possession With this manie times the common Wealth founde it selfe agreeued and prouided diuers and sundrie good lawes as of mortmayne mortuaries and sundry others against their couetousnesse because they gathered all to them as if they woulde haue dwelt alone in the lande and yet exempted themselues from the burdēs charges of the Common W. Therefore in this excesse couetousnesse and insatiable spoyle if for pollicy to keepe the more quietly the possession of so greate riches in their handes they spared some meales and offalles to the poore people or buylded Colledges and Abbayes they cannot bee esteemed to haue increased the wealth and riches of the people whom so diuersly they spoyled and impouerished It had beene as it is nowe without comparison more profitable for the common wealth that euery man had enioyed his propriety in suche a portion as the Lord by any good title shall blesse him with by tylling and manuring whereof hee might haue beene able to maynteyne the estate GOD hath called him vnto and not to stande wayting for offalles But this was indeede a politike poynt for theyr owne gayne For heereby they assured theyr estate by such benefits and pleasures and bound men the more to depende vpon them and to fauour their wicked superstition for the gayne sake Nowe if married ministers doe not the like what hinderance is this to the common wealth which hath in a great parte recouered agayne into her owne handes the landes and liuinges whereby that Hospitality was kept and these houses buylded whiche in all good reason must needes bee both more profitable and more honourable for the common wealth For that euery man sitteth at home in his owne house and eateth the fruite of his owne ground and drinketh his owne water is it not a thousand tymes more profitable and more to his iust contentation yea and more honourable then to seeke it els where and to haue it at an other mās doore Further if of that liuing they lawfully inioy the ministers prouide competently for their house childrē Doth not the lawe of God and of all nations allowe them so to doe Yea bynde them to it For he that prouideth not for his house sayeth the Apostle hath denyed the fayth and is woorse then an Infidell As for the pouertie of our ministery whereby hee obiecteth that many times they leaue a number of poore orphanes at the Parishes charges notwithstanding in the ministery a number be sufficiētly prouided Yet is it indeed to be acknowledge that our ministerie in many places is greatly vnprouided contrary to the cōmandemēt of God to the iust cause of feare of his indignation against vs for it if it bee not some way in tyme relieued But this especially ariseth of the spoile which they made by impropriating the liuing of so many particular churches to the maintenance of their cloisters nests of their superstitious corruptions for remedie wherof we are most hūmble cōtinuall suters to god the authority he hath set ouer vs as indeed it must be acknowledged that in all christiā dutie the minister ought to be mainteined For the Lord hath expresly cōmāded both in the law in the gospel that the Preachers of the Gospell should to liue of their holy labours To which duetie oftentimes the people are exhorted encouraged with promise of increase of blessing if they bee carefull that the Leuite which is amōgst thē be not forsaken And surely seeing they leaue as they ought all other trades wherein occupying thēselues they might thorow
Harmonie of our confessions is this That subiectes are bounde to be subiect vnto all lawfull Magistrates hye or lowe good or euill and that not onely for angre that is for feare of the punishement whiche the Magistrate maie punishe the Rebellious with but also for conscience sake Whiche woordes of the Apostle for conscience sake we thus vnderstande Magistrates are ministers of God appoincted and ordeined by hym for defence and praise of the good and for iuste punishement and execution of the wicked Therefore he that shall resiste the Magistrate shal bee giltie in conscience of makyng resistance againste God Further also God in his moste holy Lawe of the ten Commaundementes vnder the precept of honoryng our Parentes doeth commaūde vs as to do to other all suche duties whiche for any perticuler respect we owe vnto thē as the Apostle expoundeth it in the same place so chiefly to yeeld vnto Magistrates all dueties belōgyng vnto them emongest whiche subiection and obedience is the principall By whiche commaundment as by all the preceptes of the Morall Lawe of God our conscience standeth bound before hym to giue to Magistrates whiche are the Ministers of his Iustice in punishmentes or rewarders properly cōcernyng this life suche duetie as by the right of their place ministerie and seruice vnder hym doeth appertaine vnto theim Of whiche sorte are subiection obedience loue honor paimentes seruice praiers and suche like declared by the worde of God to belong to their hye and honourable callyng And all suche we affirme Subiectes ought not against their willes and for feare but hartely and chearfully to giue vnto them for conscience sake as knowyng theim to bee appoincted of GOD and for conscience of Gods Commaundement whiche bindeth vs vnto it For God because he is our creatour and reedemer bothe of our soules and bodies hath iuste aucthoritie to giue lawes whiche should binde them bothe and as he hath right to commaund our soules and bodies so is he able to punishe bothe for the breache and transgression of his lawe Therefore worthely Saincte Iames saieth that there is one Lawgiuer who cā saue and destroye that is euerlastyngly and that but one onely For this conscience of the Commaundement of God all the Prophetes and Apostles yea our Sauior hym self was subiecte vnto Magistrates and so taught al men to giue to Cesar that which is his By whose doctrine and example we must willyngly euen for conscience of the ordinaunce and commaundement of God of what callyng soeuer we be that professe the Gospell submit our selues in all humilitie and reuerence vnto them and their lawes whatsoeuer not repugnaunte to the Commaundementes of almightie GOD. We seke not by any maner of pretēce to exēpt our selues from their Courtes and aucthoritie nor from bearing the burden and charges whiche thei lawfully laye vpō all their Subiectes for the necessarie seruice of the Commonwealthe We hold Princes notwithstandyng any censure of the Churche to remaine our lawfull Princes still in the possession and right of their Croune state and dignities as before and the subiectes bounde in conscience of the ordenance and commaundement of God to obeie them as their lawfull Princes yea though thei bee Heathen men and to performe al the good dueties of Subiectes vnto them bothe in their goodes and bodies And this by the grace of GOD is bothe our doctrine and practise well and soundly grounded vpon the holie worde of God contrary to which no churche professing the Gospell no good writer neither Caluine whom he noteth nor any other haue taught or mainteined any doctrine Now let vs compare the doctrine and practise of the pretended Catholikes with ours Their Cleargie howsoeuer as this man goeth about thei would binde heauie burdens like the Pharisies vpon other mennes shoulders yet would thei not touche theim with one of their fingers Thei would in deede haue other men beleue thei ought to haue a conscience not onely of the Lawe of God but of humaine Lawes whiche muste holde onely till the Pope doe discharge theim for then thei teache thei maie depose euen the highest from their places and that by force of Armes But their Cleargie that binde other men thus exempte theim selues from the Courtes of ciuill Magistrates from paiementes and other seruices due vnto them and giue all suche dueties to a forrain Ecclesiastical Court and to the Popes chamber Thei content not theim selues with suche Priuiledges as their lawfull Prince and Countrie shall see cause to bestowe vpon theim but challenge of right and dutie freedome from all Ciuill burdens by vertue of their Cleargie Thei compound with the Popes Chamber for suche thynges as thei paie and in all respectes carrie theim selues as subiectes to the Pope and to none other And thus thei vse the Ciuill Magistrate euen whē thei deale best with them and whiles thei are ministers of their superstition and crueltie But if thei once displease theim a little and that the Pope begin to Thunder and Excommunicate then thei depose kynges and Emperours from their Regall seates and Imperiall thrones thei holde theim no more for lawfull Princes thei absolue and sette free all their Subiectes from their othe and obedience due vnto them thei Excomunicate and curse all suche as shall obeye any their lawes or by any acte yeelde the duetie of a subiect vnto them Finally thei cōmaunde the subiectes to take Armes against suche their Princes and by force and violence to take their Crounes from their heddes and sette them vpon some other And thus as other heretofore haue dealte with the twoo Henries and Frederickes Emperours with Philip le Bell and other the Frenche kynges and with sondrie kinges of this noble lande So also he that of late did sitt and he that now sitteth in the chaire of Pestilence haue dealte with our Soueraigne Ladie and Queene Elizabeth This then being their doctrine and practise and ours so contrarie to it whereby according to the right due vnto Princes from God wee honour and obeye them and thei to the hye offence of God and men dishonor and depose euen at their pleasure How can any man touche vs in any respecte as wantyng duetie in this behalfe or excuse these Catholique Traitors and Heritickes from beeyng giltie of hye Treason against the Croune and dignitie of all lawful Princes as thei are also against the honour of God and his sonne Christ Iesus But this Author chargeth vs that Caluin saieth No law of man can binde the conscience Whereof saith he it must needes followe that the obedience wee yeeld is onely for pollicie and feare For aunswere whereunto I denie the consequent and affirme the first not to proue or inferre the second For the first if bothe Caluin and we saie that there is but one Lawgiuer Saint Iames hath taught it before vs and giueth an euident reason of it whiche is that there is but one who euerlastyngly is able to saue and to destroye For his law onely can binde the soule
and honourable Parentes it is no harde matter to poinct out bothe the Parentes and tyme of the natiuitie of it But as of a base sonne of a common Harlott no man can tell the father So their Romishe Superstition beyng the base issue of the whore of Bablilon no maruell though wee can not tell who it was that begot it That Harlot hath had so many louers as it is not easie for her selfe to tell who was father of her sondrie Bastards But though neither their father nor tyme of birthe be knowne is it therefore to bee concluded that thei are right and noble borne nothyng lesse But any other Parentes and Authours of our faithe then our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles neither he nor all the sonnes of Romulus at Roome nor of Remus at Rhemes shall euer bee able to shewe Thei maie easily shewe by whose blessed ministerie the Lorde of late hath restored vnto vs this Gospell again as it was easie in Iosias tyme to saie that the booke of the lawe was founde in Iosias tyme the 13. yeare of his reigne by Hilcia the Priest whiche was no preiudice to the lawe For if it had not been founde till of late when the Gospell accordyng to the truthe of it was found yet had it been neuerthelesse the law of God and that most holy and auncient law whiche had been giuen sometymes by the ministerie of Moses So likewise thei may name in what Kynges daies what yeare of his reigne Luther began to discouer the abhomination of the Popes indulgences after both he and others restored to vs againe after a lōg apostasie time of darknesse the knowledge of the truth yet were thei no Authors of it no more then Helcia of the law but Moses of the law and Christ of the Gospell whiche thei preached and other Authors shall thei neuer be able to shewe But for their Romishe faithe we will ioyne this issue with them to shewe it is not of Christ nor of his Apostles Further also notwithstandyng that thei and others who haue ruled the worlde haue wasted all the recordes of many auncient Writers that we can not haue the writynges of all that did controlle them and that in some fewe 100. yeares in the beginnyng their faithe crept in by little and little by soft and flowe paces and that with greate hypocrisie that it could not bee well discouered and therfore not easily controlled for suche tyme yet will wee shewe that when the buildyng and seede appeared aboue the grounde the seruauntes of God discouered Antichristes Sinagoge and his Tares and haue freely complained to the Lorde against it The reason why it is hard to discouer the Authors and tymes of the seuerall pointes of this Popishe heresie are these First it entered not into the Churche all at once but in sondry ages declined from the truthe of the Gospell till it came to this full apostasie wherein it hath beene now some hundred yeres The degrees of which declination were so small at the beginnyng that thei were not easily to be spied Reasons why this issue is not to be ioyned For as the grasse and wheate growe as wee reade in the Gospell yet no man can discerne the growyng of it or see how muche of it shooteth vp in a daie So likewise doe the Tares A man maie well discerne them when thei are growne but while thei are growing it is not easie to discerne Secondly the hypocriticall shewe that these beginnynges of declination caried with them was a greate meanes to deceiue the worlde For if it bee not easie to know the Wolfe in a Sheepes skinne nor the Beast in his shewe of two hornes like a Lambe nor the Angell of darknesse when he transformeth hymself like to an Aungell of light so most of all this hath place in little and small beginninges of Superstition couered and clothed with a shewe of good deuotion For these and suche like causes the auncient Fathers within the first 4. or 500. yeares tooke no greate heede to the little and small beginnynges that were then laied of this misterie of iniquitie Further also those tymes were exercised greatly in striuing with maine Heretickes seekyng to ouerturne openly the groundes and foundations of our faithe concernyng the twoo natures and vnitie of the persone of Christ Iesu Thei had to striue with Ebion Cerinthus Arius Eutiches Eunomius Nestorius and after with the Donasties Pelagians and many other who euidently and manifestly sought the subuersion of the chiefe groundes of Christianitie Wherfore hauyng to deale with many open enemies and of those some of greate abilitie to hurt the churche for speciall giftes of knoledge and eloquēce thei set them selues as there was great cause thei should to resist the forcible violence of those mightie enemies whereby it was scarse possible for those worthie learned fathers to take heede to those degrees of superstition that by little and little so suttely and hypocritically crept into the church Besides this if any of them did discerne the soft slidyng awaie from true religion and deuotion into superstition yet sure thei neuer feared the issue would haue been suche as experience hath taught vs. And if thei gaue any token of their dislike hereof the wastes and confusions of the world since that time haue been suche as it maie be well enough that some of them reproued more thē can now be shewed by any workes that are extant There were many worthie and famous mē which wrote infinite volumes of whō now little remaineth and some nothyng but their names Origen wrote exceedyng muche yet there remaineth now little in comparison of that he wrote and that which remaineth is so corrupted that it nothing aunswereth the famous reporte of learnyng which Origen had in the church in his tyme. To this maie be added that the B. of R. by meanes of the R. Emperors whiche were Monarches of the worlde with whom thei were in credit had the meanes to deface abolishe all writynges rolles and recordes whiche might hinder the growyng of their superstitions And that this is no vaine surmise of a thyng that might bee it appeareth that thei were so diligent to doe it as ther was nothyng so authentike and reuerende that for their purpose thei were not ready to corrupt and falsifie What was more reuerēd in Austens tyme then the famous councell of Nice and the Cannons agreed of by the Fathers assembled together in that reuerend Consistory Senate yet the B. of R. corrupted falsified the 9. Cannon of that Councell to lay the foūdations of the Primacy whiche thei pretended vnto ouer all Churches For so the Story reporteth that Faustine the B. of R. Legate or Deputie alledged that Cannon for the Supremacy which being after diligently sought for by Austen the rest of the Fathers was found to bee corrupted and so thei wrote vnto the B. whiche foule act to corrupt the Cannōs of so reuerende a Councell and to seeke to abuse