also leuie tenths and first fruites and by procurations licences and dispensations drew great summes of money out of the realme In some cases he tooke vpon him to iudge the king and to dispose of the crown of England Hereof it follo weth first that the Kings of this land for some ages before King Henry the eight were but halfe Kings neither medling with the externall gouernement of the Church nor being authorized to rule their Cleargie or to dispose of their liuings Secondly that they held that poore halfe of their kingdome which remained at the Popes pleasure and no further as appeared by the insolent dealing of the Pope with King Henry the second and King Iohn out of whose hands the Pope had almost wrested the scepter of their royall authoritie But her Maiestie abolishing the vsurped power of the Pope fréed her selfe and her successors from his fyrannie and restored that power and iurisdiction to the Crown that was by his craft and fraudulent dealing long vsurped She found that it belonged to godly kings to make lawes for religion to rule their subiects to dispose of the affaires and goods of the Church according to right So did Constantine the great and other godly Emperors So did Charles the great and Lewes kings of France So did Alfred and S. Edward Kings of England as the lawes of the Code and Nouell constitutions the constitutions of Charles and Lewes and of the auncient Kings of England declare Neither before Pope Heldebrand or rather that firebrand of hell did any Pope take vpon him to giue out lawes or decretals for the gouernement either of the whole Church or the Churches of other kingdoms For this matter therfore Quéene Elizabeths name deserueth to be had in perpetuall remembrance for that she freed her selfe and her subiects from the Popes wicked lawes and vsurpations and restored the auncient priuiledges and dignities to the Crowne The which had bene much in a man but in a woman was much more glorious With her also peace which by the practises of the Spaniards had bene exiled to our losse and shame returned again into this land For finding this land at variance with France and forsaken of Spaine she found meanes to compound with France and begā to settle matters at home According to the Prophets admonition she sought peace and followed it And such successe hath it pleased God to giue her that although the Pope by diuers practises hath sought to raise discord and rebellion within England yet maugre his head we haue enioyed peace this fiue and fortie yeares to the great contentment of her subiects and the wonderment of the world For who wondreth not that France and Flanders and other our neighbor countries being in a flame and the Pope desiring nothing more then to set our country on fire that the moderation of a woman should maintaine her State in peace when great Kings could not keepe their state from being consumed with warres How great this benefite is both the commodities of peace and the miseries of warres may teach vs. Et nomen pacis dulce est saith Tully ipsa res salutaris The name of peace is sweete and the thing it selfe safe and commodious Neither doth a people more desire any thing then peace as he saith in another place and in peace not onely those to whom nature hath giuen sence but also houses and fields seeme to reioyce Quid est tam populare ac pax qua non modo ij quibus natura sensum dedit sed etsam tecta atque agrilaetari videntur Contrariwise warres worke destruction of men cities countries and as Tully saith haue vncertaine euents and nothing is more execrable then ciuill warres Tully estéemeth him vnworthy to liue among men that delighteth in ciuill discord and warre By meanes of long peace this land is also growne to great wealth The country is better cultiuated trade is much increased all arts and occupations growne to greater perfection then in time past Noblemen and Gentlemen haue doubled their reuenues Yeomen and Merchants aspire to the degrée of Gentlemen and diuers men of occupation do exceed men of their sort in former times Whosoeuer compareth the common people of England with men of their qualitie in Spaine Portugal and Italy must néedes confesse that in wealth and meanes our country men do farre excéed them Finally neuer was England so populous and strong in men as in our late Queenes dayes Spaine and most places of Italy seeme desolate in comparison That these are great blessings it cannot be denied For God promiseth increase of substance and men to his people as a blessing Deut. 28. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body saith Moyses to the people of God and the fruite of thy land the fruite of thy cattell the flockes of kine and sheepe And the multiplication of Abrahams posteritie Gen. 17. and in diuers other places was accounted to him as a great blessing Wherefore as oft as we looke backe to former times we cannot choose but call to mind those graces which we haue long enioyed by Quéene Elizabeths meanes and be thankfull vnto God for them If any be either vnmindfull or vnthankfull if he be English I doubt not but he will proue a traitor to his Prince and country if a stranger then he will shew himselfe an enemie In the the first ranke I place Robert Parsons in the second certaine malicious Italian and Spanish Friers But their discourses wherein they would denigrate her glorie are so fond and frinclous that they do rather illustrate the same To shew that her Maiestie had no power in forreine countries Parsons alleageth that since Calice was lost we had not one foot of our owne beyond the seas As if none could haue power or credite in forreine parts but such as haue cities and dominions of their owne beyond the seas or as if it were not a signe of great power that her forces by sea and land haue alwayes bene able to bridle the ambitious aspires of the Spaniard and the cruel rage of Antichrist and that her authoritie hath swayed much in forreine parts both with friends and enemies Againe that the English haue lost their footing beyond the seas and were shamefully driuen out of Calice which was reputed the key of the kingdome of France and a doore whereby the Kings of England were wont to enter into that kingdome it was not our fault but of that vnfortunate woman Quéene Mary that lost all and had no good successe in any thing and of her butcherly Clergy that were murthering of Christs lauibes at home while forreine enemies oppugned the state abroad and would suffer no succor to be sent ouer in time He talketh also very idly of large Prouinces pessessed by the English liuing vnder popish religion and of the losse we haue sustained by chaunge of our old mightie and honorable allies as he calleth them For the relikes of those large Prouinces were lost not
Mediator betwixt vs and our Ladie Bonauenture transforming the Psalmes which are made to be sung in praise of God to our Ladie saith Cantate Dominae canticum nouum and laudate dominaem in sanctis eius that is Sing to our Ladie a new song and praise our Ladie in her Saints Thirdly they worship and call vpon other Saints beside the holy Virgin and attribute diuers Saints to diuers cities and countries as thrée kings to Colleine S. Ambrose to Millane George to Germanie and England Andrew to Scotland Iames to Spaine They do suppose also that Nicholas doth helpe Mariners Luke painters Crispine shoomakers that S. Anthonie cureth pigges S. Gal géese and S. Sebastian the plague In the Romane Missall blasphemously they translate the honour of our Sauiour to Leo bishop of Rome saying to Leo Thou art a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Fourthly they pray to things that cannot heare nor helpe saying O holy crosse helpe me and to the holy napkin Sancte Sudari ora pro nobis O holy napkin pray for vs. And againe Sudarium Christi liberet nos a peste morte tristi So the Papists of Cahors in France pray and saluting the picture of Christs face called Veronica they say Haile holy face printed in a cloth as if a good part of their religion were printed in linnen cloth Fiftly they worship diuers men departed of whose saluation or percase being they haue no certaintie as for example S. Catherine S. Christopher S. George that fought with the dragon S. Dominicke S. Francis and a multitude of other Monkes and Friars liker to be in hell then in heauen Whereof the common prouerbe ariseth That many are called vpon as Saints in heauen whose soules are farre more likely to be tormented in hell Finally they giue diuine worship to the crosse and to the images of the holy Trinitie worshipping creatures for their Creator They do also worship rotten bones not knowing whether they be the relickes of Saints or wicked men They kisse them bow and burne incense vnto them They worship swords whippes nailes the asses taile whereon Christ rode as they say the breeches of Ioseph and diuers ragges which God knoweth from whence they came They practise also diuers false formes of worship of which we may say who hath required these things at their hands The Ladies psalter is a forme that God neuer commaunded Many of their prayers are most blasphemous In hortulo animae printed anno 1565. at Paris by one Merlin they pray thus O veneranda Trinitas Iesus Ioseph Maria quam coniunxit diuinitas charitatis concordia that is O venerable Trinitie Iesus Ioseph and Marie which God hath conioyned with the concord of charitie Neuer certes did the Prophets and Apostles teach vs so to pray as is contained in the Breuiaries Secondly they say Masses in honor of Saints and of our Ladie and make vowes vnto them But our Sauiour Christ neuer taught vs to celebrate the Cucharist in honor of Saints or to offer his bodie in honor of S. Francis Saint Cuthbert S. Andrew and other he and she Saints Thirdly the holy Prophets and Apostles neuer taught vs that men are saued by eating saltfish and cockles and for swearing mariage and such like obseruances in which the Romanists put great holinesse Fourthly God neuer commaunded any to whip themselues and to weare rings of iron or woollen next our skinne nor signified that these things pleased him Nay the Apostle Colos. 2. condemneth such obseruations albeit hauing a shew of wisedome in superstition humilitie and not sparing the bodie Finally our Sauiour neuer taught his disciples to exorcise salt and water to driue away diuels nor to consecrate pasch all Lambes and candles and such like as the Papistes do prescribing certaine formes thereof in their Missals and saying ouer salt Exorcizo te creatur a salis per Deum viuum per Deum verum That is I exorcise thee thou creature of salt by the liuing God by the true God and afterward Vt efficiaris sal exorcizatum in salutem credentium that thou maist be made coniured salt for the saluation of the faithfull Ouer the water they say Exorcizo te creatura aquae c. vt fias aqua exorcizata ad effugandam omnem potestatem inimici That is I exorcise thee thou creature of water c. that thou maist be made exorcised water to driue away all the power of the enemie In blessing of the pasch all lambe they pray that God would blesse and sanctifie the creature of flesh which they desire to receiue to the praise of God Al which be tricks of notorious superstition I forbeare so speake of the superstitious toyes of the Masse in crossing turning knocking washing formes of habits and such like ceremonies for that they require a whole discourse by themselues It resteth onely now that I declare the Papists to offend in idolatrie because notwithstanding their manifold abuses in Gods worship they obstinately deny themselues to be guiltie therein But whatsouer pretences they bring they shall neuer be able to excuse themselues For first it is notorious and the aduersaries will not denie but that all those are superstitious Idolaters that giue the honour which is properly due vnto God vnto creatures Superstitiosum est saith S. Augustine lib. 2. de doctr Christ. cap. 20. quicquid institutum est ab hominibus ad facienda colenda idola pertinens vel ad colendum sicut Deum creaturam partémue vllam crcaturae vel ad consultationes pacta quaedam significationum cum daemonibus placita foederata He saith it is superstitious whatsoeuer is ordained of men for making and worshipping idols pertaining either to the worship of creatures or any part of a creature as God or else to magicall consultations or couenants agreed vpon with diuels for reuealing of matters Thomas Aquinas 2. 2. q. 94. art 1. confesseth that idolatrie is nothing else but the worshipping of creatures either in visible formes or otherwise with diuine honour And this is partly prooued out of the law of God against Idolatrie which not only prohibiteth the hauing of strange Gods but also the making of grauen images with an intent to bow vnto them and to worship them But the superstitious Papists do worship the Sacrament as God and call it their Lord and God They do also giue Gods honour to the images of the Trinitie of the Crucifixe and crosse and teach that what worship is due to the originall is due to the image or picture as Alexander Hales p. 3. q. 3. art vlt. Aquinas part 3. q. 25. art 3. and Caietan in his Commentaries vpon him do testifie They do also make vowes to our Ladie and to Saints and trust very much in them They do further call vpon Angels and Saints in all places and offer sacrifices in their honour Finally they bow vnto the images of Angels and Saints pray before them kisse them and burne
words without swearing and blaspheming The Popes and their faction haue caused all the warres and troubles in Christendome as histories do recount If a man do but look in the life of Sixtus the fourth Iulius the 2. he may easily sée what seditious and turbulent spirits they cary But what néed we looke so high seeing the flames of ciuil discension in Germanie France Flanders England and Ireland burning so bright by the solicitation of Paul the third Pius the fifth Gregorie thirtéenth and fourteenth and this Clement that now possesseth the throne of Antichrist do so plainely declare them to be firebrands of warre and trouble Well therefore said Petrarke that in Rome all those mischiefes were hatched that are now spread through the world and neuer shall Christian Princes haue loyall subiects as long as seditious Masse-priests are suffered to lurk within their kingdomes In countries subiect to y e Pope they count it a little fault to murder mē now frō thence are come certaine assassins which for hire and by perswasions are induced to kill men There also impoysonments are most common The Popes themselues vse to drinke of poysoned cups and that by the iust iudgement of God seeing by the cup of their poysoned doctrine according to the prophecy Apoc. 17. they haue empoysoned many Christian nations To conclude this large discourse there is no state of men vnder the Popes iurisdiction but it is growne to great dissolution and corruption of manners and may be conuinced of diuers sinnes and abominations by infinite witnesses and confessions if we would stand vpon it but I will content my selfe with two or three Breidenbach in the historie of his peregrination speaketh generally and sayth Recessit lex à sacerdotibus c. that is the law is departed from priests iustice from princes counsell from elders good dealing from the people loue from parents reuerence from subiects charitie from prelates religion from Monkes honestie from yong men discipline from clerkes learning from masters study from schollers equitie from Iudges concord from citizens feare from seruants good fellowship from husbandmen truth from merchants valor from Noblemen chastitie from virgins humility from widowes loue from maried folks patience from poore men O time ô manners And Walter Mapes that liued in the time of Henry the second King of England Virtutes cunctae saith he en iacent defunctae All vertues lie now dead Charitie is no where to be found And againe In truth I find that the whole Cleargy doth studie wickednesse and impietie enuie raigneth truth is exiled The prelates are Lucifers heires They being now aduaunced tread downe others blinde guides they are and blinded with idolatrie of earthly things Robert Bishop of Aquila in his Sermons of which Sixtus Senensis maketh mention in the third booke of his Biblioth sanct speaketh thus to his countrie of Italie O Italia plange ô Italia time ô Italia caue ne propter obstinationem tuam in te desaeuiat ira Dei c. Tu in dies durior efficeris in peccatis malitia perseuerando Fiunt iam vbique vsurae publicae omnia foedata sunt spurcissimis vitijs carnis ignominiosae Sodomiae superbia pomparumiam occupauit omnes ciuitates terras blasphemiae Dei periuria mendacia iniustitiae violentiae oppressiones pauperum similia superabundant O Italie saith he lament ô Italie feare ô Italie beware lest for thy obstinacie the wrath of God waxe not cruell against thee c. Thou euery day art more and more hardened perseuering in thy sinnes and maliciousnesse Euery where men set vp bankes of vsurie all things are defiled with most foule vices of the flesh and most shamefull sodomie Pride in pompous shewes haue now filled cities and countries blasphemies against God periuries lies iniustice violence orpression of the poore and such like vices do superabound I would further insist vpon this argument but that I referre diuers matters ouer to the second booke where I shall haue occasion more particularly to examine the good workes of Papists But the Church of England neither alloweth publike shewes nor bankes of vsurie nor dispenseth with oathes of subiects to Princes or alloweth periurie nor shall Robert Parsons find such filthines and abhominations among the professors of our religion as are commonly practised by the Popes Cardinals Masse-priests Monkes Friars and Nuns and their followers All corruptions in doctrine concerning good workes are reformed and diuers abuses concerning manners among the Papists taken away The which séeing it procéeded wholly of that reformation of religion which Quéen Elizabeth of pious memorie wrought by her regall authoritie among vs we are most gratefully to accept that worke and by exercises of pietie and charity to indeuour to shew our selues not vnworthie either of our profession or of so great a blessing Against this discourse Robert Parsons talketh very scornfully and saith first that the experience of the whole world will deny that good workes are fruites of our religion But if he had bene well aduised he would haue forborne to talke of experience For whosoeuer hath liued among those that are of our religion and among Papists also must néedes say that the liues of Romanists are abhominable offending in whoredome Sodomie periurie vsurie and all impieties and discharge vs deterring and abhorring those vices and punishing them seuerely Beside that if he meant to winne credit he would not talke of the whole world being not able to name one honest man that will iustifie that which he talketh Secondly he saith our best friends renounce our workes And then alleageth an Epistle of Erasmus mentioned by Surius a Postil of Luther and a testimonie out of Aurifaber But first Erasmus is none of our best friends being in most points an aduersarie and a professed Masse-priest And if he were our friend yet haue we no reason to beléeue Surius a malicious enemie and a base Monke hired to speake lyes Secondly it is a ridiculous foolerie where we dispute of the fruites of the Gospell in England in Queene Elizabeths dayes to bring testimonies of Luther and Aurifaber that were dead before her time and speake of some of their countrie people Thirdly they speake not of the whole reformed Church in Germanie but rather of some that albeit they disliked Poperie yet did not sincerely embrace the truth Finally neither Luther nor Aurifaber doth charge his countrie people with such faults as raigne among Papists He must therfore seek some witnesses that speake more to purpose and leaue his owne treasons filthinesse periurie lying gluttonie and drunkennesse before he talke of good workes Finally he pratleth much concerning the merit of workes But if he had bene vsed according to his merits then had the crowes long ere this eaten his carion flesh He misliketh also that we should giue a caueat to auoide hypocriticall ostentation albeit any man shold do good works But this caueat concerneth him but a litle whose workes are most wicked and odious his
Pope also that then was did highly commend the mans zeale in a solemne oration made in the consistorie of Cardinals vpon the first intelligence of this fact Neither do I thinke that any of the popish faction will condemne the man although his déed was most execrable Iohn Iauregui a desperate Spaniard anno 1582. discharged a pistole vpon the prince of Orenge with a full purpose to kill him His master perswaded him vnto it but nothing did worke more with him then his confessors incouragement who vnderstanding his resolution did not only confirme him in his purpose but also giue him absolution and minister the Sacrament vnto him For that is the fashion of these helhounds to giue the Sacrament to such wicked assassins to confirme them in their wicked purposes That which Iauregui attempted Balthasar Gerard did afterward performe most trecherously and villanously And so by the hand of a base rascall a noble prince was murthered and a lyon trecherously slaine by a curre The attempt was grounded partly vpon the old king of Spains promises and partly vpon the encouragements giuen him by one D. Geryon a Minorite of Tornay and a Iebusite of Trier to whom he confessed himselfe and which promised that he should be a martyr if he died in the execution of that enterprise Diuers desperate assassins likewise haue attempted to murther that valiant and noble prince Maurice which hath so long maintained his countries libertie against the tyrannie of the Spaniards Michael Reiniehon a Masse-priest and curate of a village called Bossier was executed for that attempt He was apprehended first vpon suspition but afterward he went about to hang himselfe his owne conscience accusing him But being stopped of his course he did afterward confesse his malicious purpose his abettors Peter du Four confessed that he was set on to kill prince Maurice by the promises of Duke Ernest who speaking to him in Italian vttered these words Facete quel che mauete promesso amassate quel tyranno that is performe your promise made to me and kill that tyrant He confessed also that by vertue of a Masse which he heard in a certaine chappell at Brussels he was made beléeue that he should go inuisible Peter Panne voluntarily confessed that certaine Iebusites perswaded him to kill the Count Maurice and that by their meanes he was furnished with a knife for the purpose He persisted in his confession at his execution and so was done to death A matter so plaine and manifest that Coster and Parsons denying it do rather confound themselues then conuince the mans confession For suppose the poore man was mistaken in some names which might well be considering that the Iebusites do vse to change their names yet it is absurd to thinke that any would confesse a matter against himselfe and set it downe with so many circumstances if there neuer had bene any such matter Peter Barriere was executed not many yeares since at Melun for that he was conuinced by diuers witnesses and afterward confessed that he came to the court of France with a full resolution to kill the French King Henry the 4. He confessed also that he was animated thereto by a Carmelite a Iacobin a Capuchin and a Iebusite at Lyon and that he had conferred with the Curate of S. Andrew at Paris who told him that he should for this fact be translated into paradise and obtaine great glorie He talked also with the Rector of the colledge of Iebusites where he receiued the sacrament and with another preaching Iebusite who as he sayd assured him that his resolution viz. for killing the king was most holy and meritorious Wherefore being conuinced by diuers witnesses and presumptions and by his owne confession wherein he persisted vnto the death he was by an ordinary course of iustice condemned and executed The Iebusites and their followers I confesse say that he was a light headed fellow But his answers and the whole proceeding against him which is particularly set downe by a Papist in the Iebusites Catechisme lib. 3. cap. 6. doth declare the quite contrary and proue manifestly that he came to the place with a ful resolution to do that wicked act being encouraged thereunto by the Iebusites and other pillers of the Romish Church that without such execrable murthers cannot stand The same also proueth that he answered in all that cause like a man well aduised Iohn Chastel wounded the French king Henry the fourth with a knife and purposed to haue cut his throte After the act being examined he confessed that he had learned by philosophy which he had studied in the colledge of Iebusites at Paris that it was lawful for to kil the King and that he hath often heard the Iebusites say that it was lawfull to kill the King being out of the Church In the end persisting in his confessiō he was put to death His master alsowhich taught him this philosophie was banished the Realme of France Finally the parliament of Paris considering the sequele of this damnable doctrine pronounced the Iebusites to be enemies of the king and kingdome and banished them out of France and caused a piller to be erected in the place where Chastels fathers house did stand testifying that the Iebusites are a peruicious sect and enemies to kings Gladly would the Iebusits put away this disgrace but it is engrauē in stone and their instances and answers are such as rather further blot them then reléeue them Crighton accused one Robert Bruis before the Count de Fuentes for that he had not murdred a certaine Noble man of Scotland nor would disburse fiftéene hundred crownes to thrée that at his solicitation had vndertaken that murder Such is the violent humor of the Iebusites and so are they transported in their passions and rage to kill princes But nothing I suppose doth better discouer the execrable intentions of the wicked Iebusites and Masse-priests against Kings then their trecherous practises at diuers times attempted against Quéene Elizabeth Pius Quintus dealt with the King of Spaine by force to ouerthrow her and stirred vp her subiects secretly to rebell against her Sixtus Quintus an 1588. left not off to solicite the Spanish king against her vntill the Spaniards were ouerthrowne at the sea and had their land forces scattered But when warres and open force wrought no good effect they and their fellowes and adherents set murderers and empoysoners on worke Anno 1584. William Parry vndertooke to kill her the which resolution so well pleased Pope Gregorie the 13. that Cardinall Como in the Popes name promised him pardon of all his sins and a great reward besides for his endeuour Monsignor saith he his Holinesse hath seene your letters with the credentiall note included and cannot but commend the good disposition which as you write you hold for the seruice and benefite of the publike weale wherein he exhorteth you to continue vntill you haue brought it to effect And that you may be