not any Religion builded vppon the deceitfull and vaine coniecture or blowne abroade to be beleeued with the whirling spirite of priuate men Quot capita tot religiones so many heades so many religions as Luther saide vnlearned deniers of Scriptures and their sense at their pleasure liers deceitfull false translators corrupters and forgers of holy euidence deuisers of new Doctrines for temporall pleasures and respects to be exempted from obligation and vowe of obedience chastity pouertie to be obeyed liue in lasciuiousnesse and pompe of wealth without any other argument at all as those innouators did But a Religion founded vpon the most certaine and infallible worde and reuelation of God expounded by those vndeceiuable Rules before remembred and that holy and euer-during society and Church of Christ for which he gaue himselfe and ordained Religion where so much virtue is practised such obedience chastitie pouertie and contempt of all impediments of heauen is vowed and professed which societie if it might erre no preseruance of true Religion is to be hoped for where none shoulde truely beleeue all should be in errour I defend that religion which in all times and places hath beene witnessed and approued with such Arguments as are disabled to be vntrue by infallible and vndeceiuable signes by thousandes of supernaturall miracles and wonders which by no meanes could be counterfaite or falsely reported So many naturally vncurable blinde restored to sight deafe to hearing lame to going sicke to health dead to life by most famous and notorious knowne Catholikes or Papists as it pleaseth Protestants which all Philosophers agree no naturall cause or arte of Diuells themselues could bring to passe neither God graunt vnto man for confirming falshoode Not that Religion which as it was taught of the Diuell father of lies as the Authours themselues shall witnesse and certainely by all arguments of reprobation condemned them their fellows and followers to hell But that which by all testimonies and vndeceitfull arguments brought the professors thereof to heauen and the most earnest and zealous therein as religious Heremites Monkes Freers Nunnes Priests Bishops Popes as all Calenders Histories and approued Recordes giue euidence to the greatest happines Not that Religion which made those that before were good chaste obedient and contem ners of the world to be wicked and giuen to al impietie as their owne writings witnesse but that Religion which those it reclaymed from false worships made them so holy and such Saints that all creatures haue done homage and duety vnto them the sea and waters against nature supported them the wilde sauage and deuouring beasts adored them the rauening foules in desarts nourished them the windes tempests ayre fire earth all elements simple compounded sensible and vnsensible things the Diuelles themselues those triumphing and tyrannicall enemies against humane nature commaunded and ouer-ruled by authoritie with trembling obeyed them Not a Religion tossed and tennised vp and downe with so many boundes and reboundes choppes and changes vniuersally both in head members containing so many falsities by their owne proceedings so many contradictions in essentiall things as there bee essentiall questions Neither doe what it could hauing the temporall sword and all iurisdiction in it selfe hath hitherto condemned vs such as I will proue the Religion of English Protestants and others to be but a Religion which in this space of almost 1600. yeeres neuer chaunged one poynt of Doctrine neuer admitted errour in faith or the least contradiction therein eyther in Decree of Pope or confirmed Councell but clearely condemned and confuted all misbeleeuers Not a Religion that contrarie to the name nature and office of true Religion separateth man from his God and Creator by so many sinnes and iniquities and yet hath no grace no Sacrament for men of reason and actuall offences no meanes or preseruatiue to preuent them no helpe or remedy to redeeme them but suffereth man to lie loaden vnder so mighty a masse of impieties and to be drowned in hell for that instrument of their iustifying faith can be no benefit to them which as before by their owne grounds haue no faith at all and as I will demonstrate heereafter haue not one property or condition of true beleeuing or matter tending to mans saluation But that Religion which as it teacheth and counselleth the way of perfection vnto all by renouncing Honours and wealth the Temptations and snares of the Diuell as the Apostle calleth them by professing Chastitie more perfect and better then the matrimoniall state as the same saint Paul witnesseth and by abnegation of a mans owne will and forsaking terrene and temporall dignities which might hinder his heauenly iourney such as our Sauiour his Apostles the Primitiue Church all reason and experience teacheth to be the path of perfection and readiest way to Heauen when and where nothing is left to hinder it That Religion which taking compassion of the frailetie of man to sin in euery state hath a stay to keepe from falling and a remedy for those that haue offended For the state of all vntil they came to such discretion and iudgement as may be cause of sinne the Sacrament of Baptisme both taking originall offence away and arming the soule against new and actual infection To confirme the former grace of that tender age and enable vs against so many temptations and persecutions as Christians haue the Sacrament of Confirmation To feede and foster all estates in the whole course and circuite of this life the foode of diuine Eucharist and Sacrament of the most holy body and blood of Christ and seeing all are subiect vnto sinne the Sacrament of Penaunce for the cure and comfort of all offenders And because the agonies and temptations at the time of death be vrgent most against vs the Sacrament of Annointing or extreame vnction to remooue the relickes of sinne and giue strength in that extremitie And for the particular helpes and assistance of particular states particular Sacraments the Sacrament of Orders to dignifie the calling of Clergy men and make them worthie and fit instruments to performe so many holy supernaturall functions as are belonging to that preeminence And lastly for the consolation and defence of married people such as encomber themselues with the cares of the world and practical life the Sacrament of Matrimony giuing grace and strength against the difficulties and cares of that condition No state no sexe no age no time no place order or degree among men is left vnprouided of spirituall comforte and protection Not a Religion whose grounds and principles ouerthrowe all christian and true Religion where God is made author of all sinnes and thereby worthy no Religion where the decision of spirituall doubtes appertaine to temporall and vnlearned Princes men women or children where such sentences although neuer so much disagreeing euen to them selues and apparantly false must be obeyed for the infallible woord of God where man hath not libertie and freedome
Nobilitie COncerning you my honorable Patrons that wisedome and prudence which hath exalted you to that tipe of dignitie dooth tell you that you are not wiser in these causes than thousands of so wise learned vertuous and honourable predecessors in that place councellors to those holy kings suppose you might contend in politike gouernment with many or most that went before you let it be some might be admitted fellowes in armes with so many martiall and victorious men because in such cases you haue beene experienced yet to that which is most or onely materiall in this question and controuersie of learning religion and diuinitie you are too wise to make so vnequall a comparison to ballance your selues vntrained and vnskilfull in such faculties with so many Saints most holy learned and professed Diuines Bishoppes and others famous in the whole christian world such as great numbers of the councellors of those Princes were Therefore seeing it is the same vertue of prudence which teacheth and directeth what to doe and admonisheth what we are not able to performe it must needs put you in minde of the place you possesse the charge you haue vndertaken promise and fidelitie you haue giuen and I remaine assured the pietie mercie iustice and heroical munificence which be the vndiuided companions of that virtue the naturall gratitude you owe to so many descents of your noble predecessors benefactors and most zealous professours of the religion I defend will both conquer your wittes and mooue your willes As I haue prooued of the Kings of England in all former times those that were our greatest friends still enioy the greatest honor both in heauen and earth those that frinded vs least haue the least interest therein and those which were our enemies heauen earth are still at enmitie and variance with them so it was with your predecessours in that place and the auncestors of our whole nobilitie the examples are too many to be cited if any man desireth the view he may haue it in the catalogue of our vnfortunate Nobles and for Protestant councellors let him call to minde what an Agent Thomas Lord Cromwell was in these affaires how he was aduaunced thereby what spirituall lands yea offices hee hadde what fauour with Prince howe potent ouer subiects yet by that law which he had prouided for others himselfe was first that was thereby condemned not admitted to the presence of his Prince What was the tragicall and mournfull enterlude of the two Protestant Protectors of king Edward the sixt the chiefe pillers and first originalles of English Protestancie the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland so basely disgraced put to death Who in the time of her Maiestie that is so violent an enemy against vs as Robert earle of Leicester yet the professors of that faith doe liue and he at the very time when hee hadde designed the most bloudy persecution against vs miserably died terrified with monstrous visions of diuels and now his name is not aliue Sir Francis Walsingham his deere friend was the mast cruel aduersarie for his degree which this time hath maintained against vs yet his miserable death his despairing wordes Lay me aside and let me be forgotten the illusions hee had at the same time and the filthy stinke and corruption of his body wanting all funerall pompe basely buried in the night will be an eternall infamy against him I coulde easily exemplifie in others both of the peaceable and martiall condition but I will not be offensiue to any of their families these which I haue recounted haue left few heires either of honour or their names behinde them Wherefore most honourable Patrons and you the rest of the wise and noble gentry of England Honor is the crest of your endowments Glorie is that you desire true honor and glory are onely or chiefly belonging to that honorable state which I defend this glory is truely in him that is religious hee is honoured heere of God by grace and in heauen by glory other honors be rather in men that honour than in them that be honoured And yet if your immortall appetites must needes possesse these mortall honors there is none you now enioy none you can desire which euer any of our Nation had but was deriued from the gifts donations and bounties of our Catholike Popes and Princes to your auncestors and predecessors and so to you by inheritance from the one and succession from the other It was neuer hitherto accompted dishonourable to any to be professor of that religion which made him glorious There haue beene many renowned families in England which haue brought foorth many glorious men and yet they which were most religious in our profession alwayes were and euer will be the chiefest honour of their houses Saint Guthlach the poore Eremite of Crowland was sonne to the noble Penwalde of the linage of king Ethelred and yet farre more honourable for his religion than natiuitie and nowe chiefly honoured for that cause So S. Suitbert sonne of the Earle of Nottingham and his Lady Berta whome Saxonie honoureth for the Apostle of that nation So S. Thomas Bishop of Hereford Chauncellour to King Henry the third sonne of the noble Cantilupus and Millicent Countesse of Yorke and Saint Ceadda councellor to King Alchfride Saint Dunstane and other religious councellors to our catholike Princes before named are nowe in all Histories and memories more honorable than any of that place that were not of their profession The only order of S. Benedict so renowned in our Nation hath had about twenty Kings and Emperours aboue an hundred great Princes many Popes sixteene hundred archbishops foure thousand bishops fifteen thousand famous men and fifteene thousand and sixe hundred most honourable canonized Saintes And such was the continuing and neuer fading honour that our religion gaue that our Kings Queens and greatest Princes thought it more honorable to bee religious than to seeke honour in temporall regiments It will be no easie thing for any Protestant to single foorth one auntient family of England of which there haue not beene many Bishops Abbots or religious rulers in our Countrey and yet those by all Recordes and Monuments are and euer will be more renowned than the others of their descent And to exemplifie these names and houses following either still now are or heretofore haue bene great in England Baldwine Hubert Kylwarby Peccam Stratford Offord Braidwarden Islepe Langhton Witlesey Sudbery Courtney Arundell Chichelsey Burchier Morton and yet those Archbishoppes of Canterbury which were of these names and families when they liued were the most honorable of their linage their place of dignitie highest among subiects and next vnto our Kings and now so long after their deaths they are more honoured and remembred with glory than any of their lines Thus I might alleadge of other persons and places And it is written in the life of that noble Saint Suitbert that the children of the greatest Princes and
bee defiled by false accusers whose bodies many yeeres after their death to witnesse the innocencie of their Religion and life remained vncorrupted nor those whome so many testimonies from heauen and earth haue confirmed to be most happy Saints to be reiected as impious I am out of doubt no Protestant Lady of England will or dareth to compare her selfe with the meanest of many which for the loue and honour of our Religion forsooke all temporall pleasures and princelie honours and preferring the poore chaste and obedient religious life before all dignities became sacred and consecrated Nunnes such as Foxe is enforced to consecrated were Queene Edelburge wife and Queene to King Edwine and daughter of King Anna. Saint Etheldrede wife to King Elfride and married before and yet a perpetuall Virgine as Saint Bede Fox and others do witnesse Sexburga daughter of King Anna and wife to King Ercombert Kineburga wife to King Alfride daughter to King Penda sister to king Ofricus Elfloda daughter to King Oswy and wife to King Peda and Alfritha wife to King Edgar Hylda daughter to the nephew of King Edwine Erchengoda and Ermenilda daughters of King Ercombert Werburga daughter to King Vlferus Kinreda Kinswida his sisters Elfrida daughter to King Oswy Mildreda Milburga and Milginda daughters of King Mirwaldus Saint Editha daughter to King Edgar and others most holie religious and miraculous Princesses the glorie of our English Ladies Or if the glorie and happinesse of Catholicke Princes will not mooue yet let the fearefull examples of the principall Protestant Ladies of England chiefe Agents in this quarrell greeuously afflicted of God and made dishonourable to the worlde putte vs in minde what wee ought to doe which though Stowe and Grafton haue too bluntly sette downe my selfe for some reuerent respects will heere omit Thinke it you Protestant Dames of England no disparagement in honor to be followers of those renowned Princesses which in all Antiquities are recorded to be the glory of your kinde and the supreame womanly honour of our Kingdome That RELIGION the greatest honour which hath giuen to them such eternitie of honour in Heauen can not make you dishonourable in Earth It is the nature of your sexe to immitate and in some things you will sometimes immitate too much If you that liue in Courte didde but knowe the guise of attires which those holy Queenes and Ladies vsed before they were Religious you would follow it in the highest degree although therein you should consent with the Dames of Italy France Spaine and Rome it selfe or any other place or person to which you professe your selues most distasted And in such things though neuer vsed of Queene Sexburga Etheldreda Edelburga or any of those or other Saintes your daily and new deuises are euidence against you that you esteeme it not dishonourable to learne of the Ladies of those Nations These agreements are not so worthie praise and yet therein you will not be at variaunce Then seeing the Religion of those Countries whose Ladies you allowe in matters so little deseruing immitation is that which maketh so honorable with God and man and not for a short courting but an euer-continuing time feare not to bee French Spanish Italian and Roman in that wherein the tipe and diademe of true honour consisteth or if you haue chosen to bee wedded onelie to terrene and debased honour yet you may not thinke so basely of that Religion I defend to disallowe it For all your earthly honours titles names and ensignes of dignitie were eyther first founded or after allowed and confirmed to your auncestors and in them to you by the Popes Emperours Kings and Regents in Catholike reuerence England Protestant wanteth many degrees of chiefest place which England Catholicke enioyed England Protestant hath diminished and added none to those which were before And those Countries I named and whose Religion I commend vnto you haue many of that condition which neuer any England hadde Catholicke Religion neuer denied any thing vnto you which was truely honourable it gaue you your dignities honourable places and priuiledges it gaue you credite with our Princes and for their and your honour ordayned you estates it defendeth your marriages to be honorable and a sacrament by that Religion your matrimonie was not in the pleasure of your Lordes repudiations and deuorcements at their willes were not knowen remarrying to a second wife the former liuing was euer most vnlawfull Concubines could not possesse the maintenaunce of your honours their bastardes might not enioy the inheritaunce of your legittimate for feare of offence I will be silent in most honourable fauours which your Catholike ancestors had and you might haue by that Religion and Protestancie cannot giue and referre that cause to your more serious examination and fauourable construction which for my promise of writing nothing offensiue to our English state I must willingly in this and other places leaue naked and vnfurnished of many and greatest arguments of defence SECT X. The Authors defence to all inferiour subiects IF I shoulde entreate what benefites and preferrements so many diuerse orders and conditions of inferiour subiects enioyed by enioying our Religion and what they lost by losse thereof as I should make my cause too popular and pleasing vnto them so I feare I might be offensiue to some to whome I haue promised to giue no occasion of offence Therefore I will onely put them in minde that as all their auncestors and predecessors were of the same RELIGION with vs so an innumerable company of their kinsfolks were religious men and women and in them the care of their parents ended and they became Fathers and mothers to their parents and families others were attendant instructed and maintained by pensions corrodies farmes annuities leases and tenements of our religious houses the poore were releeued in our Hospitalles and by our almes others liuing vppon our landes without fines or enhaunced rents euery temporall man and woman enioying more for them and theirs by howe much so many hundred thousandes of religious persons claimed and needed lesse by their poore and single life No wife to prouide for ioynture no daughter to endowe and giue in marriage no elder sonne to enrich with new inheritance and spared purchases no yonger sonne to be aduaunced by emprooued rents toyles or turnings out of Farmes no tenaunt chaunged no fines no forfeitures taken no woodes destroyed no priuiledge or freedome withdrawne many new and greater graunted by Kings and Noble men to religious persons their tenaunts and tenures not so many iarres and quarrelles in lawe contentions and debates of the poore subiects comprimitted by ghostly confessors religious persons and kings themselues SECT X. His defence to the Ministerie of England LAstly to come to the Protestant Ministery of England whose anger and displeasure as I esteeme it least so I name them last I appeale to all those estates I haue recounted for iudgement whether in accusing them of ignoraunce or