where controuersie and multiplicity of opinions is Then how much more true is it in things so eleuated aboue naturall vnderstanding as the mysteries of religion be What a palpable prouocation and allurement of delightfull atheisme epicurisme and infidelitie is it to carnall mindes to see so many diuisions and no agreement For can any one particular voluptuous man or other in iudgement thinke himselfe wiser than so many great companies and congregations as hee is most sure are all deceiued And if hee shoulde aduenture to beleeue and be religious as others doe there is oddes three hundred to one he shall be brought into errour because he seeth so many religions erected defended against whatsoeuer he shall chuse to followe the pleasures he should forsake are certaine sensible and forcible to mooue affection that which hee should beleeue is most vncertaine ineuident and without motiue to be followed as it is proposed in these mens proceedings Or if that man bee of reading and iudgement to consider former times he shal finde foure hundred more religions contrary to any that is now professed in the Schoole of Protestants so that it will more than double the former danger and the same man shall vnderstand that the Catholike Church for whose election calling preseruing from errour and consummation the whole mysterie of Christ was wrought hath condemned and vtterly extirped all those foure hundred and by the same infallible authority and censure in diuers generall Councelles where the whole christian worlde was assembled reprooued and anathematized those that raigne in Protestants So that if a man in case of religion will deny the voyce of that spouse of Christ that piller of trueth and societie assisted by the promise of Christ from falling into error it is euident that a thousand to one he shall shal be seduced damned Who then wil wonder if many infidels atheists are entred among these men when at the worst their atheisme and that only in the end can bring but to damnatiō in the meane time brings al pleasures and delights and their professing of religion in such vncertaine maner first most certainly depriueth of those plesures 1000. to one brings to the same damnation Or who wil maruel if those that be not come to this perfection of policie nullifidianitie as I trust ther be but few one being too much in a christian nation be far more careles negligent vnduetifull in liuing well then such as doe liue in the vnitie of the whole Catholike worlde wherein there neuer was or is any disagreement or contradiction in matters of belieuing For if as I shewed before a man might would or should in reason doubt to giue assent to any religion where there was so manifest and apparant daunger of a false election if it be true in a speculatiue consent of faith onelie exacting an agreement of the vnderstanding howe much more doubt and difficultie will bee made for men of reason to aduenture so great paines and labours as holy Scriptures prescribe to be vsed for obtaining heauen when by reason it is euident before they begin that a thousand to one al their labors will be lost and their indeuours rewarded with euer-during damnation in hell Will any man now muse if the song of Epicures is so often tuned and so much impietie put in practise If it were in the execution of daily and ordinary affaires no man woulde labour much for that which so many affirme he could not get but contrariwise euery one in reason should and would contend for principall preferrement and commodity which all men graunt he might obtaine hee that by consent of all hath vndeniable title to a kingdome or meaner dignitie will refuse no aduenture to winne it he whome all or most deny to haue such interest either will not at all or faintly take it in hand hauing little or no hope to bring his attempt to passe euen so in these spirituall affaires For although the Crowne and inheritaunce of heauen proposed to Christians is incomparably more excellent than such terrene preferments yet being a spirituall and supernaturall reward and not so proportionate to the manner of humane knowledge and affection in this life depending of sence and imagination as temporall aduauncements and pleasures are and being so vncertain vnprobable or rather vnpossible to be obtained as these men make it it can be no matter of admiration that so much wickednesse doth rule and so few aduenture so certaine and painefull a worke for so vncertaine and doubtfull recompence Thus it alwayes chaunced in temporall things so it euer did and will come to passe in questions of religion whether it be true or false The Idolatrous state of the Gentiles when they were most diuided for their diuersities and placalities of gods rites and sacrifices were farre more wicked then when fewer pretended title to be worshipped The Mahumetans though euer lewd and impious yet after the Persian schisme and diuisions among them they daily fell to be more wicked than before and the Iewish people sometimes the true seruants of God and religious so long as they remained in vnitie among themselues after they were diuided into Sectes became more carelesse of seruing God as is manifest not onely in the schisme betweene the houses of Roboam and Ieroboam recorded in holy Scriptures but most euident in their last desolation For at the comming of Christ the time of the Messias being expleated they were diuided into many Sects and Religions who should be hee and what they shoulde beleeue So that besides Christians the true worshippers there were at that time in that nation Samaritanes Pharises Sadduces Essenes Baptists Herodians Galileans Ezechians Atongists Theudists Egiptists Barrownosbonists Vespasianians and other sects whereby that nation so vertuous and religious when it was vnited in true worship was come to that carelesnesse of religion and liuing well that they were drowned and ouerwhelmed in such monstrous and erroneous iniquities that their owne Historian Iosephus affirmeth their sinnes to haue beene so great that if the Romanes had not come to take such extraordinary reuengement vpon them he did thinke Authiatu terrae deuorandam fuisse ciuitatem That their Cittie Hierusalem would either haue beene swallowed vppe of the earth or drowned with some deluge and inundation or be consumed with fire and lightnings as the Sodomites were In like manner it alwaies happened in all times places and persons polluted with hereticall Sects and diuisions as all Antiquities and Historians witnesse SECT IIII. The scope and intent of the Authour to teach a most vndoubted certaintie and vnitie in religion WHerefore right Honourable as it is so euident that it can not be denied but such troupes of errours and impieties haue embatteled themselues in the camp of Protestants and by ample reasons may bee had in iust suspition that many doubters or rather deniers at least in affection of all Worship as euer in like times
wilfulnesse in errour I offer them wrong or no It is more agreeing to the lawe of God of nature nations reason humane ciuilitie conscience or whatsoeuer may bee termed and taken for a lawe when it dooth so chaunce that either all learned and holy men in the christian worlde that euer were in so many hundred yeeres in all times and places should bee condemned or else a few neyther learned nor vertuous but ignorant and wicked should be reprooued and disallowed that the most and first must be freeed and the least and last condemned Then lette the Ministeriall Cleargie of England yeelde mee patience for I defend the doctrine and opinion of all godly and famous professors of Diuinitie all Popes Fathers and Doctours that euer were in the Church all Councelles particular and generall all forren domesticall Vniuersities Schooles Colledges and places of christian learning since the time of Christ to Martine Luther where so many thousandes or millions of miraculously approoued holy Saintes haue liued and died in this profession and onely impugne a new poore lewde licentious and vnlearned company of Ministers of one Kingdome or age and such as in particular reasons I will demonstrate to be euident wilfull and ignorant mis-expounders false translators and alleadgers of holy Scriptures liars deceitfull hereticall maintainers of olde condemned heresies actually erring and reerring in greatest questions and matters of Faith ensigned and marked with all tokens and badges which holy Scripture purtraiture Heretickes Seducers and Reprobate persons by that they learned their religion of the diuel himselfe that it was first deuised and after maintained for carnall libertie and wicked endes that they teach they know not what themselues contrary to holy Scriptures although we expound them by their owne rules of exposition contrary to their owne proceedings contrary to all authoritie humane and diuine contrary to all Lawes of God of nature nations particular Countries of all ciuill and politicke gouernement hauing nothing conducing to mans saluation or that can bring to heauen that by all iudgement of Christianitie those that died in that state without repentaunce except inuincible ignoraunce coulde excuse some simple Soules are condemned in hell yet seeing in this I shall dispute chiefly against the priuate Religion of one Nation in one onely time if I should leaue out the rest of the christian worlde in all ages and because England nowe hath a particular Religion to it selfe compare the sanctitie learning and authoritie of former Catholicke English Bishoppes and Diuines with our present Ministers I shall iustifie my cause to their great confusion As to giue example in our chiefest Metropolitane See Whether is it more equall and consonant to reason to giue credite for either the one or the other must be vtterly discredited to Thomas Cranmer the first Protestant Regent there Parkar and Grindal notoriously knowne not onely to haue beene of three diuerse Religions in substantiall poynts one against an other but euery one of them at diuerse times to please their Princes often in the greatest questions to haue differed from him selfe and they to haue beene of seauen or eight diuerse Religions for none of them was eyther burned for Protestancie or quartered for denying Supremacie or a Saint for life to speake the best renowned for learning for any monument or argument I coulde euer finde And to exemplifie in Cranmer their first and principle that was to condemne so many learned and holy Saints that had beene in that Archiepiscopall See and be a patterne to all his successors hee was condemned of high treason against his Prince prooued publikely periured and to haue counterfaite the handes and consents of fifty Cleargy men for the aduantage of his cause hee recanted his errour was in case of relapse and for ignoraunce was hissed and exploded in the common Schooles of Oxforde in publike disputations all which Foxe himselfe is enforced to graunt and can not deny Then whether is it more equall to giue credit to these than to Saint Augustine the Monke first archbishoppe there Saint Laurence Mellitus Iustus Honorius Deusdedit Theodorus Berctualdus Tacuinus and others three score and eight in number almost twenty to one many or most holy and learned men miraculously approoued of God and for pietie and learning admired of the whole worlde If they pretende the decrees of any Protestant Prince for exposition of holy Scriptures and proposition of Religion I haue cited almost twoo hundred to one before and in the lawes of that Prince which soeuer any Protestant will assigne eyther King Henry the eight King Edward the sixt or our Queene Elizabeth I will ouerthrowe them and prooue how euery one of them hath defined false and contradictory things to themselues which in some parte already appeareth in my last citations of Statutes If they alleadge their Vniuersities they are ouermatched in Catholike times at once Oxford hath had thirtie thousand Students all euer of the same minde with vs. For other Clergie men England Catholike had at the least if wee will coniecture by Fox his computation aboue a hundred thousand more than England Protestant is able to shew If they speak of sinods our sinods were greater in number of men tenne to one in number of assemblies two hundred to one If they speake of Parliaments and Lawes decreed there the excesse is more in both respectes If they vrge Scriptures and true sence of them by deduction by resorting to the originall tongues the Hebrew in the olde and Greeke in the new Testament comparing of places and examining circumstances which be their owne rules of exposition and the ground of their profession or howsoeuer the comparison is made the victory is ours Wee vse more Scriptures for numbers of Bookes more for diuersities of tongues than they and yet refuse none which they admit All our expositours of Scriptures haue beene continuall professed Students in diuinitie expert and acquainted with all Rules and meanes of true exposition diuerse of them most excellent Linguists and many naturall borne Greekes and Hebrewes and wee neuer receiued or beleeued any thing as a matter of Faith but that which the whole Catholicke Church which cannot erre had defined and receiued Their expositors of Scriptures were neuer to bee compared vnto these and at that time when their Religion was decreede and established out of Scriptures they must say there was not one person present which eyther vnderstoode Greeke or Hebrew or coulde vse any other of their Rules For their religion was first approoued in the first Parliament of our Queene Elizabeth where not one man learned in Diuinitie was present and had parlamentall voyce That wee Catholikes would wilfully erre is too wilfull impudencie to affirme it the profession of that Religion we defend is seuere and strict in regarde of that wee doe deny the punishmentes and penalties we vndergoe for our profession are many and greatest the temporall preferrement is none at all The contrary
of will where our good workes are necessitate where the predestination of God taketh away all election and indifferencie By which and such like positions as Protestants teach it followeth that no Article of Religion can be certaine no Religion can be nothing is to be accounted sinne nothing reckoned for vertue For who can certainely beleeue that which most certainely is vncertaine or false or who can either praise or discommend that which is doone whether the doer wil or no How can such actions be rewarded or punished How can that soule be immortall and performe religion which should want free and reasonable operations the arguments and pledges of immortality But I defend a religion so measured as before that by no possibilitie any Decree can be vntrue a Religion that so concordeth the eternall praescience and predestination of God with the temporall cooperation of man that it both leaueth the first infallible and yet prooueth the temporall action appetite delight or consent to any things to be voluntary free and in the power of man to be effected or omitted praised or discommended rewarded or punished as the nature thereof deserueth Not that Religion which hath raised such dissentions that it hath taken all vnitie and communion of Saints away diuided the millitant and triumphant Church and dishonored both depriuing Angells and glorified soules of that honor their excellencie and dignitie with God requireth men in earth the militant church of that helpe and assistance it needeth and alwayes had from them as inferiour causes from superiour all pitty and compassion of those that liue and be in state of merite from the patient Church of the faithfull departed and spoyled them of that reliefe they euer receiued of those that liue and made such hauoke and confusion euen among the liuing that no man regardeth other euery one almost of a different and diuided minde from the rest in these things and neuer at concord with himselfe but vppon euery new conceipt differing from his former assertion in continuall combate and controuersie with his owne will and vnderstanding and so no communion and participation one with an other no care of offence and iniuries no minde of satisfaction for wrongs and iniustices no cōbination of comembers no penance no restraint from sinne where the passion of Christ hath bin so long vaunted and triumphed of that except in most sacrilegious and blasphemous swearing by the instruments of our redemption no memorie at all thereof is left no signe or token to put vs in minde no image or representation no commemoratiue sacrifice or signification of so many paines miseries and mysteries as our Sauiour indured and wrought for our redemption where no order or hierarchicall subordination no consecration or distinction of callings and vocations is except the letters patents of a temporall Prince can giue that to others which is not cannot be in the giuer But that Religion which as it is vnited and one in it selfe in earth consisteth of a most perfect hierarchicall regiment of Pope Patriarkes Archbishops Bishops Priests Deacons Subdeacons Acolathists Exorcists Lectors and other Vnder-officers euery one in his roome and dignitie and the meanest of all by calling and consecration of greater honour than any ministeriall preferment among Protestants being no reall thing but an ens rationis an Idoll of the minde as the making of Pursuvants Apparators and such Officers appoynted by others where our POPE which is so odious in England is so ample in iurisdiction in all the worlde that no temporall Prince christian or infidell no ruler or professor of regiment in ecclesiasticall and spirituall causes at this time or any heeretofore either is or was ' by many degrees possessed of so large a regimēt· And our priuate Priests namely the most reuerend and learned Fathers of the Societie of IESVS so contemptible in our country are honoured of the greatest Princes of the world by their preachings paines haue added so many kingdomes both to the spirituall regiment of Christ and temporall gouernement of Catholike kings Our Catholike kings be most mightie and they which regarde vs most the most rich puissant and greatest Princes of the worlde Our religion religeth and bindeth together as the name importeth not onely kingdomes and menne in earth but God and his Catholike seruants the triumphant militant and patient Church no duety is omitted no compassion or pitty wanting where the mysterie of our redeeming is so esteemed and remembred that no festiuitie no office or parte of diuine seruice is celebrated in the yeere but representeth vnto vs one benefite or other no ceremony is vsed in the holy sacrifice of Masse no action of the Priest no ornament or attire hee weareth no benediction hee giueth no signe of the Crosse hee maketh but hath his religious signification and preacheth vnto vs his introite to the Altare his actions there his returne from thence the very vestments wherewith he is adorned the putting of them on the wearing of them in that celebration his putting them off his Amice Albe Girdle Manciple Stoale Vestiment and all hee vseth speak nothing but Christ crucified the maner of his oblation the cloth wherewith he was blindfolded the white garment putte on by Herode the cordes and whippe wherewith hee was bound and scourged the purple vestment wherwith he was deluded and that mysticall and most holy sacrifice his bloody and cruental oblation vppon the Crosse no action gesture prayer or the least ceremony either in word or deede silence or otherwise but bringeth a religious lesson and meaning and tendeth to instruction no benefite that Christ bestowed vppon man from the first instant of his conception left vnremembred but one time or other celebrated Not that Religion which denieth al things and properties of Religion as their opinions all negatiue doe witnes that hath taken away and conuerted from common and spirituall religious vses to priuate and temporall pleasures and preferments all monuments and foundations of deuotion and places of religious exercise leauing and vsing nothing necessary to mans saluation But that Religion whose opinions against these men are all affirmatiue professing deuotion and one acte of pietie or other that hath founded Churches Schooles Colledges Monasteries and places where Christian learning euer was or is exercised at this day that obserueth all things and wanteth or omitteth nothing belonging or that can be required to true Religion I defend that most holy and religious worship which I will prooue by aboue an hundred arguments and all kinde of inuincible reasons diuine and humane naturall and supernaturall to be the onely true and lawfull reuerence which we owe to God by which we were labij vnius spake one language and one Religion vntill that confused Babel was begunne in Germany from whence so many different tongs and confusions in Religion haue proceeded SECT VI. What mooued the Authour to dedicate his Worke to the Councell WHerefore right Honorable although the endes and offices
condition to whome as I hope my answere then was sufficient for my owne priuate so dooing So nowe lastly for that cause I humbly intreate licence to direct these reasons which I haue gathered in that question both for the excuse of my selfe and others to your Honours their successours in that court of iudgement although farre more mercifull moderators in such causes And that I may giue full assurance I doe it not to vpbraid any of your Honourable societie but onely to make my accompt and complaint to them in whom I haue reposed most hope of reliefe Ther is not now one left aliue to my knowledge that was then of the priuie Counsell or present there except your poore suppliant such is the variable course of earthly things Wherefore my humble sute to your Honours is that you will not onely accept of this my poore present which for those reasons I haue alledged your wisedome pietie mercy and iustice will not may not cannot refuse to doe but as you are in the highest degree of credit with my Soueraign so to be a meanes to her and as you can rule the rest to giue but indifferent and deserued defence against those which vniustly shall dislike it SECT VII The Authors particular defence of his writing to all estates and first to her Maiestie THen noble Patrons be my defenders in this my so iust and godly cause excuse my attempt to my Princesse and Queene let not my doings be offensiue vnto you the rest of the Nobilitie and protect me against the inferior controllers I would be loath my endeuours should be misexpounded of any Therefore I humbly craue fauour by you to tender a particular excuse to all And beginning with my Catholikely christned anoynted and crowned Queene Elizabeth to whom I wish both as much spirituall benediction and terrene honor as any subiect may to his temporall Soueraigne or as I would if she were of my owne Religion I desire her gratious leaue in this enterprise I defend that Religion which the lawe of God whereof she and all christian Princes professe defence defendeth the Lawes of the Church of Christ defend whereto she hath vowed defence by the vowe of a christian in baptisme by the promise and trueth of a Catholike in profession and life by the promise oath and fidelitie of a christian Catholike annointed consecrated and elected Queene at her coronation for defence whereof that most renowned and princely title the glorie of her stile was first granted to her father and still vsed of her Maiestie for that intent and by the POPES donation I defend that Religion whereof shee yet retaineth in her Princely person some reuerent notes which the pietie of her Catholike education gaue her as the vsing vpon sodaine and strange accidents to signe her selfe or women with childe with the sacred signe of the Crosse the great character of our glory and as it is reported in her owne priuate opinion not preuaricating in the maine poynt of the reall presence and others of chiefest moment euident hopes and tokens of no irrecouerable laps I will teach nothing contrary to her princely dignitie and prerogatiues nothing repugnant to her owne truely interpreted proceedings I will defend the liues religion fame and memory of all her famous and noble christian progenitours Kings and Queenes of England many of them while they liued honourable in earth and now glorious in Heauen whome her wicked Protestant ministers must needes condemne all to hell and damnation if they will leaue any little hope for themselues to be saued for one heauen can not possesse them both The lawe of God commaundeth me the lawe of nature enforceth me humanitie compelleth gratitude obligeth duety and reuerence to my Queene Elizabeth their heire and successor dooth necessitate me in this extremitie and desperate danger of their eternall noble fame memory to releeue them that bee dead and without reliefe of those by whome they should be both relieued and reuerenced in that behalf and not permit them for want of iust defence to be condemned of men in earth that are so happily translated from corruptible to euer-during kingdomes They were such as the condition of honorable Kings requireth Historians write it their yet liuing lawes and other monuments doe prooue it it cannot be imputed folly to him that shall defend them Many of them were holie Saints and miraculously witnessed of God to be in heauen euen by Protestants testimony and confession Therefore it cannot be impiety in a subiect to the heire of their Scepter to defend their Religion but wickednes and heresie in those which shall deny it for false Religion can neither be approued by miracle from God neither bring the professors thereof to their felicitie Of what degree soeuer wee are all that liue in England are indebted to those Princes If we be Cleargy men for learning schooles and educations if noble for nobilitie if souldiers and men of armes for fortitude and heroicall actes if peaceable and ciuill gouernors for matters and presidents of regiment if of the comminalty for common peace and tranquillitie they were prudent potent religious magnificēt and triumphant Princes by their wisedome they ruled vs by their victorious gests in armes they subdued and conquered vnto vs mighty strange and forreine Nations Scotland wil witnesse Ireland can make report Ierusalem Iewrie Fraunce Britanny Normandy and other Countries made tributory and subiect vnto vs will beare me record the Princely stile of my Soueraigne Queene of England Fraunce and Ireland to this day auoucheth it to be true if wee bee men of armes the order of Martiall discipline munitions ordonance artilery victuals towns walls gates castles fortresses garrisons musters tributes seruices lieutenants generals captains souldiers their rewardes honors maintenance and pensions were prouided by them If we affect the quiet and peaceable life all possible meanes of procuring and preseruing thereof hath beene their study and inuention they spared no cost omitted no labour to performe it they personally sate in iudgement and heard the complaints and causes of their subiects comprimitted matters without expences diuided counties and prouinces priuiledged citties townes and borroughs to that purpose constituted courtes assigned Iudges ordained pensions prouided Magistrates gaue directions freed frō taxes so established a kingdome that neither any community or priuate person can iustlie make complaint against them touching the spirituall and religious they gaue vs schooles colledges and vniuersities for learning and instruction founded churches monasteries altares for professing Religion and deuotion There is no grace priuiledge or prerogatiue needefull or belonging to an honourable and absolute christian kingdome which either Prince or subiect from the greatest to the least enioyeth but wee receiued it by them if it be temporall and by their help and meanes or allowaunce and consent if it be spirituall as from the first conuersion of the British Saxon and Danish Nation to the faith of Christ all antiquities will witnesse
her royall Maiestie hath receiued life being hir crowne kingdome and diademe won and conuerted vnder Kings Ethelbertus Adelwaldus Kingylsus Edwine Peda or Wiferus Sygebertus and Redwalde her most noble and renowned christian catholike Predecessors Kings of England vnited by king Egbertus augmented and enlarged by so many Henries Edwards and others known Catholike Kings by whome so many immunities fauours and priuiledges were graunted to our religion So many altares churches chappels monasteries and places of professing Papistry as Protestants name it were founded and prouided in the first time of our conuersion from Idolatry and the very Primitiue dayes of christianitie in England The Churches of saint Paul in London of Canterbury Winchester Lincolne Westminster and others the common Schooles of Cambridge by king Sigebert the vniuersity of Oxford by king Alfrede the monastery of Gloucester by king Ofricus the monastery of Hetesey by king Oswye who assigned possssions for twelue more monasteries in Northumberland the monastery of Saint Martine in Douer by king Whitred the abbey of Lestingey by king Oswalde sonne to Saint Oswalde the abbey of Abington by king Cyssa the monastery of Ely by Queene Etheldred wife to king Elfride the monastery of Chertsey by king Edgar the abbey of Peterborow by king Ethelwalde the abby of Bardney by king Etheldredus Glastenbury by king Iâ—a the monastery of Winchcombe by king Kenulfus the abbey of Saint Albons by king Offa the abbey of Ethelingsey and nunnery of Shaftersbury by king Alfrede and fortie monasteries by king Edgar all which were edified and founded in the time of our Primitiue Church and within two hundred yeeres of our first conuersion as Fox himselfe acknowledgeth What donations and free giftes were graunted to the English Clergy by those first christian kings the donations of king Ethelwulfe Ethelbalde and others were to be free in their lands and territories from secular seruices and payments tributes and taxations to Kings c. that all churches and monasteries should be absolued from al publike vectigales works and burdens that they might therby more diligently serue God by how much they were more alleuiated of those seruices Such likewise were the graunts of Kings Sigebertus Cissa Edgar Etheldredus Offa Aluredus for the praying to God and Saints for the soules of them and their posteritie So that no man can doubt of what faith they were except it bee a question whether hee that prayeth to Saints prayeth for the dead offereth sacrifice of Masse graunteth church liberties honoreth the See of Rome buildeth altares monasteries and nunneries for Monks and Nunnes and foundeth these things be a Papist or a Protestant And it is so manifest that these holy and sanctified kings were popish and moonkish men as they tearme them and of our religion that presently vpon their beleeuing in Christ the greatest care and study they had was to prouide ornaments and necessary furniture for that profession And among the Saxon Kings within the space of two hundred yeeres as Foxe himselfe with others reporteth in the English Primitiue church nine Kings at the least King Kingylsus Iue Colulfus Eadbertus Ethelredus Kenredus Offa Sebbi and Sigebertus voluntarily forsooke their kingdoms professed monasticall life and liued monkes in vow of pouertie chastity and obedience and for that most religious action as our ennemies themselues acknowledge were most highly honoured and commended of all historians and still to this day for that cause are more glorious both to themselues and our nation then the other of our Kings how honorable soeuer The wordes of that history which Foxe in his Monuments citeth to that end are these Religion did most clearely shine insomuch that Kings Queenes Princes and Dukes Consuls and Barons and rulers of Churches incensed with desire of the kingdome of Heauen labouring and striuing among themselues to enter into monasticall life into voluntary exile and solitary liuing forsooke all and followed God And no man can deny it to bee true all Historians report it all Monuments Antiquities auouch it Wherefore my assurance is that my gratious Soueraigne and prudent Princesse clayming all things by their title cannot be offended for defence of the faith of all her noble christian progenitors and ancestors vntill now Besides so many christian kings of the Brittons about thirty in number from Lucius the first to Cadwall ader and of the English or Saxon Danish and Norman nation a hundred and fiftie kings from the conuersion of Ethelbertus Adelwaldus or Ethelwaldus Kingilsus Edwine Peda or Weda or Wiferus Sigebertus and Redwalde the first christian Kings of rhe Saxonish Septarchie most wise prudent vertuous and triumphant Princes which both they themselues embraced and maintained with all zeale and deuotion and promulged and deliuered by al lawes and constitutions to their posteritie Kings and subiects to be beleeued Which her Maiesties father K. Henry the eight although denying the Romane iurisdiction obserued in all his life and of denying that iurisdiction at his death repented of king Edward the sixt an infant more needing to be taught than to teach I say nothing and my Soueraigne that is in the time of her sister Qu. Mary professed with much deuotion and after her death at and after her owne coronation in the fidelitie oth and promise of a Prince according to our antient lawes and titles of Kings of England hath obliged and indebted her selfe to protect and defend And for defence whereof as appeareth by the statute of Westminster the first and other authenticall Recordes all those regall and princely prerogatiues which were graunted by the free subiects of England to their Kings her Catholike predecessours and which she still enioyeth by that title were granted and confirmed as euery one may reade in the kings prerogatiues and statutes in the titles of such principalities as were then and for that reason and intent giuen vnto them as the priuiledges of alienations auowsons citations corporations escheats fooles forfeitures franchises deodands intrusions mort dauncestries partitions pateÌ„ts primer seisins prouisions tenures wards seruices releefes wrecks and other preeminences Therefore this defence of those holy and euer most honorable kings can not be offensiue to my wise and prudent Princesse hauing clayming and pretending all tide and interest shee hath either to temporall or spirituall dignitie as heire and successor to their regall right and authoritie And to descend lower to those which haue bin benefited by those Princes you first my noble Patrons that possesse those honourable offices and dignities you enioy them by their institution they the first donors and founders of those preferments that life and beeing which you haue I meane not onely your honorable orderly and peaÌ„ceable life and liuing in gouernement of their prouision but that very naturall life it selfe wherein you communicate with all other reasonable men in some sort you possesse by them for if those Princes had not aduaunced your auncestors to honours and nobility