affecting them more then the Lord of them nor applying them to any other end then holines for which all things were created most happie are they who for the honour of their God and for the testimonie of his truth haue forsaken the pleasures of this transitory life and haue giuen themselues a sacrifice to God for so to die is to enioy immortality and perpetuall rest CHAP. XVI Of King Edwards Death and how hee left the State to the next Successor FIRST it were foolish and vaine for any man to desire to know the secrets of Gods will because no man can vnderstand more of Gods secret than he himselfe shall please to reueale and therefore is mans knowledge limited being able onely to iudgâ— by reason and consequence whereas Gods diuine workes exceed the iudgement of sence being not contrary but aboue the reach of reason And from this cause is it that men commonly offend in their false constructions iudging of Gods worke grosly according to humane vnderstanding and not considering his wisedome and power by whose prouidence all things are directed For in Gods matters Christians must beleeue when they cannot iudge and it is sufficient argument to conclude the goodnesse of any worke when wee know that God is the Author for those things which to a naturall man seeme strange to a reformed iudgement appeare much otherwise and there is nothing be it neuer so euill in mans iudgement but God can make it serue for the worke of his glory he being able to make the euills of men respect an end beyond their expectations and in that wherein we iudge our selues most miserable can he make vs most happie Secondly And for particular instance we may consider K. Edward whom God elected from among many thousands for the work of his glory hauing defended the Catholike Faith with a resolution most zealous constant yet notwithstanding in the growth of his prosperity did God take him from the world and depriue the Children of faith of their Patron and princely Defendor whereby in common iudgement God may seeme to be offended with his owne and to leaue his Saints vndefended to the stroake of persecution from which this holy King had defended them But thus to iudge of God were wicked and false because we see the Gospell by that interruption did spread it self with much more generall acceptation the blood of holy Martyrs being a holy seed whereby the Church spread into a large generation and who knoweth but God to manifest to all the world the faith and obedience of his holy Saints in the Church of England suffered this persecution for the glory of their memorie for a demonstration to all men what numbers of true Catholike Christians had flourished vnder the protection of King Edward their Patrone and princely Defendor The Saints hereby exchanging their mortall variable life for eternity perpetuall rest their deaths begetting the liues of many holy men like them whereby the number of Gods seruants was much augmented to the glory of God and prosperity of his Church And therefore let no man condemne the worke of Gods prouidence but yeeld his obedience to the good pleasure of God and let him know that God is mercifull euen in his iudgements and that hee can make that which doth seeme to threaten vs most to be the Ladder whereby we may ascend the highest of all preferments the fauour of God and the fellowship of his holy Saints Thirdly King Edward being dead the state grew verie stormie and full of greate businesse the cause being who should succeed the King in which controuersie the kingdome was deuided the greatest part of the Counsell and the Nobility proclaiming Lady Iane Daughter to the Duke of Suffolke whose Mother was Daughter to Mary King Henries Sister first married to the French King and after to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke But the greatest part of the Commons and some of the Nobility adhering to Lady Mary eldest Daughter to King Henrie the Eighth by his first wife Queene Katherine of Spaine and this occasion was the trouble and death of many honourable and worthy personages For whether King Edward of his owne election or wrought by the perswasion of others I know not had by his last Will and Testament interested the Ladie Iane to the inheritance of his kingdomes for this cause as was pretended that the State might still continue the profession of the Protestant Religion which could not be hoped in the gouernement of Queene Mary But howsoeuer the King did thus bequeath his kingdomes it is very likely hee was drawne thereto by perswasion of his nobles especially of the two Dukes Northumberland and Suffolke because hereby the inheritance was conueyghed to their issue to whom in right it did not belong neither is it likely the King of his owne motion would haue disinherited his owne Legitimate sisters to interest one further off And if Religion was the cause why was not choise rather made of Queene Elizabeâ—h then Lady Iane Shee being by much neerer in the degrees of blood and altogether as assured in the Protestant Religion And therefore certainely the King was moued by others to offer this iniurie to his neerest blood Fourthly And if the question be demanded whether in this case it was lawfull for the King to translate the inheritance of his kingdomes I answer that howsoeuer the pretence is faire and good yet was the practise euill because wrong was offered and those ends are neuer good the which are compassed by euill meanes and to translate inheritance where it ought not is to contradict Gods prouidence by whose wisedome all things are ordered And therfore no doubt this offence of those Dukes and their confederates conspiring with them this vnlawfull end was the cause that God did suffer the power of their enemies to preuaile to their destruction For God is the Father of Truth and the God of Iustice neither would he that men should attempt to alter the course of his prouidence or by any violent and euill meanes pursue an end be it neuer so Religious and holy For good men must vse onely good meanes to reach good ends And therefore this practise of these Dukes in the iudgement of Religion was not good notwithstanding in state practise it hath example and may seeme allowable Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST there is no pretence how faire soeuer can giue authority and strength to vnlawfull actions For God who is all-sufficient and who hath decreed all good things hath likewise deuised all good meanes to compasse them therefore euery good worke doth consist of lawfull matter and forme for no euill thing can bee well done neither can any good thing bee done euilly Secondly When God by death doth preuent the hopes that are had of a vertuous Prince it doth not argue against the worthinesse of the Prince
EXURGAT DEUS DISSIPENTUR INIMICI * THE HISTORY OF THE DEfendors of the Catholique Faith Whearevnto are added Observations Divine Politique Morrall By Christopher Lever Nostrum in Coelo Negotium LONDON Printed for Nicholas Fussell and Humphrey Moseley at the signe of the Ball in Pauls Church yard 1627. POSUI DEUM ADIUTOREM MEUM NON NATVRA SED PON TIFICIORVM ARTE FEROX SEMPER EADEM BEATI PACIFICI DONEC PAX REDDITA TERRIS F. Hulsuis sculp THE HISTORIE OF THE DEFENDORS OF THE CATHOLIQVE FAITH Discoursing the state of RELIGION in England and the care of the politique state for Religion during the reignes of King HENRRY 8. King EDWARD 6. Queene MARIE Queene ELIZABETH And our late Souereigne King IAMES Kings and Queenes of England France and Ireland Defendors of the most True most Ancient and most CATHOLIQVE FAITH c.. With all Declaring by what means these Kings Queenes haue obtained this Title Defendor of the Faith and wherein they haue deserued it whereunto are added Obseruations DIVINE POLITIQVE MORALL BY CHRISTOPHER LEVER Nostrum in Coelo Negotium Printed at London by G. M. for Nicolas Fussell and Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Ball. 1627. TO THE MOST HIGH MIGHTY And most Gratious PRINCE CHARLES By the grace of God King of Great Brittaine France and Jreland Defender of the CATHOLIKE FAITH YOVR MAIESTIES MOst humble and vnworthie Seruant CHRISTOPHER LEVER with all humilitie dedicateth this Historie of the Defendors of the Catholike Faith vnto your Majestie beseeching Almightie God to deriue vpon your sacred name and house a perpetuall succession of able and resolute Defendors of the Faith to the honour of God the peace of the Church the prosperitie of the State the blessed memorie of your Royall Name and the Confusion of Antichrist AMEN A CATALOGVE OF the Chapters contained in this HISTORIE King HENRIE 8. 1. AN induction to this Historie briefly declaring the variable change of Times from the beginning to the time of this Historie page 1. 2. By whom and what meanes this Title Defendor of the Faith was giuen to the Crowne of England pag. 19. 3. King HENRIES first Act of Defence for the Catholike Faith pag. 31 4. Of what importance this Act for the Kings Supremacie was to the state of England in respect of Pietie and Policie pag. 38. 5. Of the suppressing of Abbeys and Religious houses in England pag. 48. 6. Of the Kings remisse and cold proceeding in the worke of Reformation pag. 60. 7. Of the sixe Articles and the euill which thereof ensewed pag. 77. 8. Obseruations out of the generall view of this latter time of King HENRIE 8. pag. 91. 9. In what state King Henrie left the kingdome to the next Defendor of the Faith King Edward 6. p. 109 10. A comparison betweene King Henry 8. of England and Fredericke Barbarossa the Emperour of Germanie pag. 119. King EDVVARD the 6. 11. OF the next Defendor of the Faith King Edward 6. pag. 125. 12. Of the benefit that redounds to a state by a lawfull succession of bloud pag. 131. 13. Of King Edwards defending the Catholike Faith and wherein he chiefely defended it p. 139. 14. The trouble of the State at this time of King Edward how they were occasioned and how compounded p. 152. 15. A discourse of the miserie of mans life vpon occasion of the Duke of Summersets death p. 165. 16. Of king Edwards death and how he left the state to the next succession 179. 17. A Comparison betweene king Iosias of Iuda and king Edward of England p. 187. Queene MARIE 18. OF Queene Marie and of the alteration of the State in the beginning of her gouernment pag. 191. 19. In what particulars Queene Marie did most offend the Catholike Faith p. 201. 20. Of certaine discontents whereat Queene Marie tooke great offence pag. 225. 21. Of rebellion a discourse p. 237. 22. A Comparison betweene Queene Marie of England and Katherine de Medicies Queene-mother of France p. 245. Queene ELIZABETH 23. OF the next Defendresse of the FAITH Queene Elizabeth and thorow what difficulties she attained the kingdome p. 249. 24. The first act of the Queenes defence for the Catholike Faith after she was Queene p. 262. 25. Of certaine state considerations which in respect of Policie might haue disswaded the Queene from reforming the state of Religion p. 268. 26. Of the care the Queene and State had to suppresse the enemies of the Catholike Faith p. 282. 27. Of what importance these statutes were in the 13. yeare of the Queene in respect of the Church and state p. 296. 28. Of the Christian care Queen Elizabeth had to defend certaine Christian Princes and their States p. 306. 29. A remembrance of some particulars wherein God hath defended this Defendresse of the Faith Queen Elizabeth p. 321. 30. Of Q. Elizabeth her resolute continuing in defence of the Catholike Faith p. 329. 31. Of the last Act of the Queenes defence for the Catholike Faith p. 333. King IAMES 32. OF the next Defendor of the Faith King Iames the Kings Maiesty that last was p. 335. 33. Of the Kings defending the Catholike Faith in Scotland before hee was King of England p. 343. 34. In what particulars King Iames our Souereigne hath principally defended the Catholike Faith p. 347. 35. A remembrance of some particulars whereby God hath wonderfully defended the Kings Maiesty p. 361. 36. Of the diuersity of Religions p. 364. THE HISTORIE of the Defendors of the CATHOLIKE FAITH AN INDVCTION to this History briefly declaring the variable change of times from the first beginning to the time of this present Historie CHAP. I. THE first time was in the first Creation for before God made things there could be no time time being a deriuing of things to such ends whereto in Gods decree they are directed For whatsoeuer is earthly euen man and the number of his trauells with their circumstances are bound by God to a necessity of time beyound which all the power of earth cannot reach Their opinion then is both foolish and wicked who imagine all things to happen by fortune and that there is a speciall power in the Orbs and Elements which they call Nature by which both heauen and earth and euery worke thereof is directed And this opinion of Atheisme is grounded vpon this doubt that whereas wee define God to bee the beginner of all things It is by them demanded where that God had his beginning and from what hee discended By which forme of reasoning they conclude against their owne vnbeleefe their doubting what should begin acknowledgeth a beginning the which beginning is God not that God himselfe had beginning but that all things had their essence and deriuation from him hee himselfe being infinite and without time For as in the figure of a Circle is not to bee found any limit or terme of beginning or ending So God within whose Circle all things bee that are in
witnesse of his conscience yet did take it and therefore Stephen by dissembling saued his life which the other by plaine expressing himselfe lost So that both these though they conspire one end yet in themselues are they very diuerse the one with a manly resolution and with the witnes of his blood profest himselfe and his resolution the other by swearing and for swearing to banne and disclaime that which in his purpose was the marke whereto hee shot himselfe and his euill pollicies the one ending all opposition in his owne voluntary death the other by subtilty continuing his euill life that life being the death of many the deare Children of God 13. Another highly in the Kings fauour and most worthy of high fauour was the Lord Cromwell a man so resolute in the worke he had begunne as neuer any did pursue a holy businesse with better Spirit who notwithstanding the greatnesse of his enemies who after the fashion of all Courts enuie such most vnto whom the Prince is most gratious and then most when the degrees of honour are deriued vpon any of meane beginning yet so could this man rule the prosperity of his fortunes as neither in generall opinion was he thought proudly to delight them nor yet not to vnderstand what those honours were which the Kings fauour had giuen him So aduised was he in the passage of his honourable life as that use which seeth the least aduantage could neuer finde iust occasion though occasions were sought to scandalize his reputation in the generall opinion of good men And howsoeuer God did suffer the euill of his enemies to preuaile ouer his life yet neuer to the death of his honourable remembrance to whose Godly care all the louers of Religion in Christendome are beholding especially the English Nation he being a principall instrument whereby the King was moued to reforme Religion 14. In this mans time the Religious then liuing had great hope of prosperity in their holy cause aswell in respect of his diligence to that end directed as also of the Kings inclinable nature which did seeme to consent with the honourable desires of the Lord Cromwell intertaining him in all fauourable regard giuing him names and places of high honour whereby his godly cares went the better forward hauing the strength of the Kings authority which he applyed to no other end but that God might receiue honour in restoring the truth of his seruice and that the king might not receiue dishonour in abādoning the protection of faith whereof God by the sentence of his enemie had made him defēdor And this good cause did this good man prosecute with the best strēgth of his indeauor not regarding his life more then God that gaue it nor the honours of his life more then the honors of his king from whose boūty his honors were deriued 15. Thus we see the diuersity in the king whereby he grew remisse in following this holy care which was because of the diuersitie of opinions in those men whom the king most trusted in the state he suffering himself to be driuen against the currant of his owne streames by the violence of other mens perswasions 16. And here is offered a large consideration of the Kings Nature who notwithstanding his great spirit and his many other honourable deseruings he had this infirmitie That he would be induced to doe those things which were much disagreeing in themselues and to goe forward and backward in one course and suffer himselfe to be moued whether the violence of other mens affections would carrie him sometime for sometimes against Religion and by this he gaue an open demonstration of the weakenesse of his nature For there is no alteration in a State that is not dangerous and then is the danger most when the greate ones great in authority and neere in the fauour of the Prince deuide themselues For difference if it be not compounded by the awfull Maiesty of the Prince it will growe to faction by consequence to open breach And though the Prince so gouerne that they dare not come to open difference yet will they worke by conspiracie and secret practise the confusion of each other For where faction is there can be no assurance men wil seek to assure themselues though it be by the fall of others And this euill is best preuented by the prouidence of the Prince who when hee seeth deformity in the body of the State and that of necessity there must bee alteration to make such choice of instruments as best loue the cure least otherwise in steade of physicke they administer poyson and so not cure but destroy the body diseased 17. And this was the Kings error who though his purpose to reforme was good yet the course he tooke was not good making ill choice of particulers to whose trust he commended that businesse some of them being Protestants some Papists so that the King may bee said to build with one hand and to cast downe with another to reforme Religion and to deforme it againe And therefore this aduice I dare giue the best Prince in the world Let those you loue best and trust most be one in themselues and one with their Soueraigne and worke not vpon the foundation Truth by contrarie meanes for hee that so buildeth buildeth Babel that is confusion and not the walles of Ierusalem Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST to intertaine and beginne a Religious worke is both an honourable and a holy attempt but to finish it is more because it is possible that vnworthy men may vndertake and retire But Pietie is not Pietie if not constant For no vertue is rewarded but perseuerance Secondly To faint in the prosecution of a Religious cause is of all cowherdice the most shamefull and recreant because in all such quarrells God is our Generall and doth arme his souldiers in compleate security Thirdly A Prince that hath many about his person cannot but must haue much difference in their quallities his pollitique parte is to obserue and iudge the difference and to distinguish them to such seruice in the State as may make them emulous to exceede and not enuious to extirpe the prosperities of one another Fourthly It hath beene thought good Pollicie that in a Senate or Counsell of State it were good to haue men of opposite Iudgement because it doth prouoke both factions from exact declaration of their best indeauours This in a state meerely pollitique may haue pretence but in a Religious State it hath none because it is impossible to goe to one God in one truth by contrarie steppes Fifthly It were dishonourable and dangerous for a Prince that hath his state free and in quiet to dissemble or to deuide himselfe to contrarieties because hee that doth not declare himselfe certaine to one doth remaine suspected of all and doth giue a generall hope to generall varieties Sixthly The errour and vice is greater in
of his former strength And considering also the honour the Kings of England had got by the conquest of France the strong emulation of those two Neighbour Nations being both of them enuious of one anothers reputation and greatnesse the English being euer fortunate in those French quarrells and the French most desirous to suppresse the growing reputation of the English And therefore it may seeme at this time was offered an occasion to the French to recouer their reputation in Armes and to repossesse those places which the English then held in France yet for all these occasions so fortunate was the King and his people as no mis-fortune at that time did disaduantage our Nation God protecting it against the euill and beyond the expectation of all men 19. And lastly the King sending his Embassadours to all Christian Princes to giue them satisfaction for that he had done was a care very Princely and Christian for by this he preuented the many slanderous constructions that otherwise would haue censured him he himselfe by his Embassadours declaring the true purpose of his enterprize And this was a demonstration that the king reputed such whom he desired to satisfie as his kingly Brethren and that all of them being powers immediately vnder God in their owne Christian Kingdomes it was reason he should giue them a Christian satisfaction that he proceeded not in these diffrences without the perswasion of Learned and Religious iudgement neither was it euill order in the King to haue first effected what he ment and then to satisfie opinion For if hee had sent for their aduise before hee had attempted it he had then lost the honour of the enterprise and had either tied himselfe to the pleasures of other men or else haue opposed against them all the first had bene dishonorable the other very dangerous CHAP. IX In what State King Henrie left his Kingdomes to the next Defendor of the Faith King Edward the Sixth FIRST it may seeme strange to him that shall reade this Historie to consider the state of Religion in this last time of King Henries Reigne Religion lying then as it were in equall ballance inclinable to be sweighed according as shall please the next succeding Prince to fauour it For as yet Religion was not reformed but onely a preparation made for reformation the King hauing taken from the Pope his Supremacie and his vniuersall authority but not the number of his idle ceremonies insomuch as the Pope may be said to haue his head then broken in loosing his authority but his taile yet vnperisht reteining still the number of his fabulous obseruances And if I were demanded what was the Religion then profest in England I could not giue it name being no better then a Farrago or a Religion compounded of many diuers the State being yet vnsetled and but mouing to a reformation for both that of the Papist and this of the Protestant indured like extremities Secondly And the reason was because the lawes then in force were occasioned by men diuers in opinion yet neere in the greatnesse of place either part persecuting or prosecuting according to their seuerall affections So that men zealous in any profession of Religion were in danger of Law and such onely secure that made their conscience yeeld to generall practise and opinion whereby the best and most conscionable had least fauour in the iudgement of those lawes whereby the Common-Wealth did often lose her most vsefull members to the detriment of State and against all aduice both of pollicie and pietie Thirdly For that the King was of himselfe otherwise inclined may appeare both by the testimonie of them neere his person as also by the witnesse of his owne words as in particuler to Bruno Embassadour from Iohn Fredericke Duke of Saxonie to whom imploring his aide against the Emperour hee answered that if the quarrell betweene him and the Emperor were onely for Religion he should then stand to it stoutly and hee would in that quarrell take his part Fourthly It may appeare also by the kings dislike of such men as had withheld his forwardnesse to reforme as in speciall Stephen Gardiner whom the king now found to contriue against him and to haue haled him on to those ends he most disliked And therfore the King before his death did withdraw his fauour from him And howsoeuer he forgaue him the forfeit of his life yet did hee for euer after discountenance him causing his name to bee rased out of the number of Executors to whose trust hee had commend the execution of his last will Besides the repentance and sorrow the King made for the Lord Cromwells death whom he had found so faithfull and fit for this businesse as neuer any Prince was better furnished the King finding the want of so choice an instrument would often in griefe of words say hee wanted his Cromwell in so needfull a businesse as he had vndertaken Fifthly And therefore assuredly the king had good affection to reforme the enormious abuses of the Church and to haue purged it from all Idolatrous seruice But God reseruing that for the honour of Prince Edward the next Defendor accepted of the Kings good purpose And that God who gaue him will to desire well and his sonne the honour to finish well gaue them both we trust his grace to die well to breath their soules into his hands of mercie And in these tearmes did the king leaue the state to the next Defendor his Princely Sonne a state full of storme and great businesse hauing entred so farre into an honourable passage as that the Prince who was to inherit his Fathers cares could not in the termes of honour but second the most honourable attempt of his Father Sixthly It may bee demanded now whether King Henrie according to his new stile did defend the Catholike Faith or not and in what particulars he best defended it For it may be obiected that the King not hauing reformed Religion but only in some few particulars hath not merited the honour of his stile because the Catholike Faith was not so defended in his time and in his kingdome but it indured much affliction To this I answer that howsoeuer the king did faile in the maine execution of his office yet cōsidering the greatnes of his attempt he hath wel deserued euerlasting memorie to be recorded the first Christian king Defendor of the Faith the first that with honour victory dated to oppose himself against the spiritual power of the Popes if we consider the danger of his attempt we shall finde it an act of great spirit consequence and such as may worthily compare with the deeds of antient Romanes which were of most admiration and wonder Seuenthly And in these two particulars hath he principally defended the Catholike Faith First in taking from the enemie of Faith authority
them being by both their enemies interdict and deposed from their gouernements but yet with vnequall successe For Pope Alexander did curse more effectually and to better purpose then Pope Clement The Emperour being constrained by his interdictions and bannings to surcease his forward Armes and with great humility to reconcile and submit himselfe But King Henries Pope was not so happie in his curses For hee did banne and curse the King as much as any other Pope in the world could doe yet was it fruitlesse and to no purpose the King not thriuing worse but the better for this bitter banning Shemei who like Balam the banning Prophet offer sacrifice to curse with holy pretence and for good prosperity Fourthly Lastly in their ends were they most vnlike for the Emperour was continually followed with euil fortune being forced many times to many great extremities and many dishonourable fallings First was hee disarmed by the power of the Popes Censure his owne people forsaking him in his best hope and in a time of most importance then was hee constrained by ineuitable necessity to submit himselfe to the Pope and to implore his fauour and either to receiue the Crowne and the dignity of his place at the curtesie of his enemie or else to bee depriued of all soueraigne State Againe the indignities wherewith the Pope did vse the Emperor to whom when the Emperour made his humble submission the Pope in scorne of his debased Maiesty set his foot on the Emperours neck with his misapplyed phrase of Scripture Super Aspidem c. the which how grieuous it must needs bee to a person of such Maiesty and spirit let any man that hath spirit iudge it Lastly his end was vnfortunate the naturall course of his life being preuented by violent and sudden death But the Kings fortunes were for the most part prosperous and much vnequall to the Emperor for he did not only shunne these dangerous fortunes but most brauely acquitted himself of all dishonourable retiring finishing whatsoeuer hee attempted with such ease and prosperity as if no resistance had bene made against him In respect then of themselues and of their noble and haughty spirits were these Princes of most equall and fit comparison in respect also of their attempts they did both conspire one But in their fortunes they were much disagreeing The King finishing that with victory and successe wherein the Emperour euer failed And yet this praise may be giuen the Emperour that if the Kings fortunes had bene giuen him it is most certaine hee would haue vsed them to greater aduantage the king being satisfied with that title which could not haue satisfied the great ambition of the Emperour OF THE NEXT DEFENDOR OF THE Faith King EDVVARD the Sixth CHAP. XI FIRST there is nothing good that is not deriued from God the fountaine of all goodnesse for man and all the passage of his life from his birth to his buriall is altogether euill so generally is deprauednesse spread ouer all the sonnes of Nature that there was neuer any Iesus Christ excepted from the first man Adam to him that shall be the last borne free from the infection of sinne so generally is that leprosie spread ouer all mankinde as that no part of the body or any faculty of the soule is altogether free from the euil thereof euery man being by nature inclinable to euery sinne no man hauing power to doe well for grace is the gift of God neither can any man attaine it but he to whom it shall please God to giue it And therefore when God hath a work of grace to be wrought by men he giueth to such whom he shall choose for instruments so much of his good spirit as to inable them for his holy purpose So that God both decreeth the good and deuiseth the meanes to compasse it Man being passiue and moued to goodnesse as shall please the spirit of God to leade him And therefore the glorie of euery good action belongeth to God onely by whose spirit it is onely wrought and not otherwise Secondly And for particular instance of this wee haue King Edward to consider a Prince composed all of goodnesse hauing extraordinarie induments of holinesse so abundant was Gods grace in this Prince as thereby he was well fitted to finish the worke of Reformation yet wee may not giue the honour of the businesse to the King but to God who inspired him with this abundance of grace And thus farre onely wee honor the King as Gods instrument whereby it did please him to worke and that we admire the gifts of Gods spirit in him whereby hee was made to exceede all other Princes then liuing hauing receiued from God the sword of the spirit and the Shield of Faith whereby hee was well able to defend the Catholike Faith and to retorte all the fierie darts of the Diuell And therefore the greatest glory be to God who hath the greatest part in this businesse and let the King haue honour too whom God did please to honour as his choice instrument Thirdly Such was this most noble Prince and princely Defendor King Edward as the King his Father may be said to haue defended the Catholike Faith in nothing more then in leauing the succession of his cares to such a sonne such a Prince and such a Defendor who notwithstanding his youth and the many combrances of State at that time went forward in reforming with such spirit and successe as was admirable his zeale effecting that his Fathers coldnesse had left vndone So that God may seeme to haue loued him as he did Moses giuing so much of his spirit as sufficiently would suffice many others For let him be compared with all other Princes in the world then liuing and he shall bee found in true iudgement to exceed them all hauing dedicate himselfe wholly to the faithfull executing of Gods will manifesting his holy affections by his continuall cares to that end directed And therefore happie was K. Henrie and happie was this Nation in hauing this Sonne of Grace to second him and to perfect his religious cares whom God had found like holy Dauid answerable to his owne heart whose honourable name liueth with those names of most honour whose faithfull seruice to God and Religion doth now flourish in many parts of Christēdome and whose soule liues in the fauour of God and in the happie fellowship of holy Angels and Saints Fourthly This most gratious and excellent Prince as he was deriued the Defendor of the Faith and did by naturall discent inherit his fathers titles so as his neerest and principall care did he entertaine the cause and like as he was Gods Lieftenant hee did maintaine those spirituall warres his Father had vndertaken and did proceed with such spirit and successe as all those quarrells haue that haue Christ Iesus for their generall and Antichrist for an enemie
would appeare most glorious Sixthly Againe the variable change of mans life whereby he is violently carried to many disagreeing ends sometime to the better sometime to the worse according to the seuerall power of occasions insomuch as in this respect a man is like a vessell at Sea driuen with many contrarie windes too and fro alwaies in the extremities of storme and wearie passage neither can any man ariue his peacefull port before death bring him to his graue his life being nothing but a breath of contrarie windes bearing him to indure the misery of many hard and variable fortunes And this euill is most sensible to those vnto whom Fortune hath bene most gratious who enioying the pleasures of life with full appetite and by the change of fortune forced to change that state wherin they thought themselues most happie For then is aduersity in full strength being in him whose former life hath bene most prosperous for the common induring of bitternes and misery dulleth the edge thereof and maketh it by much lesse sensible to him whome Custome hath made familiar with griefe neither are mens natures so inclineable to the good as to the bad alteration it being generall in all men to moue themselues to their owne destruction the motion to perfection not being our owne but the worke of Grace which onely hath the glorie of euery good worke Seuenthly It were needlesse to giue particular instance of this mutability of fortune euery particular man hauing instance in himselfe to witnesse it and for those of extraordinary glory and greatnesse we may remember that Romane Conquerour who passing the streets of Rome in the glorie of his Triumph had his braines beaten forth with a Tyle which by casualty fell vpon him or that of better memorie the Duke of Somerset the occasion of this discourse who from the highest degree of a Subiect fell into the ignominie of Treason and vntimely timely death And therefore the antient Romanes vnderstanding â—he miserie of variable fortune ordained that when any of their worthy Captaines should ride in triumph a slaue should ride with him in his triumphall Chariot holding fast with his slauish hand the lawrell Crowne vpon the Conquerours head who then did triumph both to moderate the vaine glory of the Conquerour and also to remember him to what condition he himselfe was subiect and therefore in respect of mutability of fortune is mans life most miserable no man being able to secure himselfe in any reasonable condition of life Eighthly But that which of all other is most burdensome is Discontent the disease of the soule and that which of all other infirmities is most dangerous and hard to cure especially in spirits of best apprehension and in them who haue aspired the reputation of high place For the spirits of great men are not moued to impatience without dangerous euents because their anger maketh them willing and their greatnes maketh them able to reuenge And therfore such men are neuer discoÌ„ntent but it prouoketh either their owne or other mens destruction neither is this euill tied to particular men onely but like a generall Plague it spreads it selfe ouer all degrees of men though not in like vehemencie For the best and the worst the basest and the most noble haue at some time their discontents whereby they are offended in themselues and wish to die and that which is more admirable those men renowned for holinesse of life haue had this loathing to liue and desired to die as Iob Elias and many other holy men which may well conclude the misery of a discontented minde and how insupportable it is in his extremity for as the soule exceedeth the body in the excellencie of their Natures So the grieuances of the soule are much more sensible to our faculties then those of our bodies because griefe is properly belonging to the soule and to the body onely by consequence or participation And if I were to define the greatest miserie on earth next to that of hell sin and damnation I should call it discontent in his extremitie because next the sorrow of sinne the liuing part of man his soule hath not any thing of like torment and affliction and as all other miseries are the seed from whence doth proceed this Monster Discontent So from discontent can be expected no better then destruction and death Ninthly The last misery of our life is Death the which at one stroake doth reuenge all the euill of mans life and this howsoeuer in it selfe it be not euill yet in mens generall vnderstanding it is thought the worst of all euills and the most fearefull of all other miseries And therefore the very name of death hath oftentimes stroake astonishment and terror in the hearts of tyrants and euill men knowing that death was an enemy against whom there was no resistaÌ„ce hauing preuailed against them of the first age though they liued many hundreds of yeares For if the honours and pleasures of this life were infinite and the enioyers of them eternall then were not the life of man so miserable a condition but hauing death to controule the most glorious among men and to depriue them of their prosperity and honours in this respect the best of mans life is no better then misery and griefe because he foreseeth the end of all his prosperity the remembrance of death sowring the greatest part of the pleasures of life euerie man hauing griefe to loose that wherein he so much delighteth Tenthly Yet Death though his power be geuerall ouer all flesh is not therefore a misery to all men but to many an end most happie and desired For though it be a curse for sin to be mortall die yet is Death most happie to them that die well God by the death of his Sonne hauing reconsiled himselfe to his seruant Man which by no other meanes could be made immortall But this condition of happinesse is not in the Nature of Man but in the fauour and grace of God And therfore is death that which good men hope and bad men feare the poore mans comfort and the rich mans terror and that which maketh the King and the Subiect the rich and the poore equall making of euery mans flesh but earth and putrifaction And therefore the life of man euen from the wombe to the Graue is nothing but misery and vexation of Sipirit no naturall man hauing the pleasures thereof but with such limitation as maketh pleasure it selfe burdensome Eleuenthly The holy and good men of the world not otherwise regarding life then as a time wherein to exercise their Christian offices and to such there is no miserie neither in life nor death happie are such to whom God shall giue Grace to dispise the vaine glorie of earth and that vse the creatures of God with christian moderation not
but it doth argue and conclude the vnworthinesse of the times for in such a case the Prince doth inherit happines but his people suffer miserie Thirdly It was both foolish and wicked in the two Dukes Northumberland and Suffolke to labour to erect and secure a state to their posterity with iniuries so apparant and palpable For though God many times suffer intrusions into titles he doth neuer establish them Fourthly In the discretion of State it cannot be thought otherwise but where there is vsurpation and false intrusion there is a miserable affliction with feare and Iealosie which neither the power or pollicie of any such State can auoid so long as God shall not suffer their violence to preuaile against the liues of the true inheritors Fifthly It is a Pollitique wisedome in a Prince to suspect the sincerity of al such state aduise that hath principall reference to the aduancement of such Counsellors For in this case it is often true that men will not speake their iudgements but their affections Sixthly To be ordered by lawfulnesse in all our actions is not onely the iudgement of conscience but of humanity and Morall discipline For Morall learning doth determine that there is nothing profitable that is not lawfull CHAP. XVII A Comparison betweene King Iosias of Iuda and King Edward of England FIRST to compare King Iosias of Iuda with King Edward of England is the most equall comparison of any two in the Storie of holy Kings both of them hauing with equall diligence and victory fought Gods quarrell to the glory of their God the reformation of his seruice the abolishing of Idolatrie and the confusion of the euill Ministers thereof First for their age when they began their Reignes King Iosias began his gouernement the eighth yeare of his age and King Edward the ninth of his wherein they very neerely consent and whereby God hath giuen proofe to the world that the power of his Spirit can as well preuaile in them of youth as in those of better yeares and experience he being able to make the Childe and the strong man alike victorious in a cause which hee shall please to protect as was this of these two holy Kings both of them equally conspiring one end the truth of Religion and holy worship Againe Amon Iosias his Father left the kingdome of Iuda in the exercise of Idolatry and so did King Henrie Edwards Father leaue the State of England in the practise of Popish Idolatrie hauing onely by suppressing of Abbeyes taken from those Idols their ornaments and wealth not vtterly destroying them as did Iosias and King Edward Againe Iosias when he vnderstood the will of God by hearing his Chancellor Shaphem reade the booke of the Law did accordingly frame himselfe in all obedience So King Edward when he vnderstood by the Learned men of his Realme such as Cranmer Latymer Ridley and others followed the Lords businesse with like zeale and constancie as did Iosias not onely abolishing the false but establishing the true forme of Gods seruice Againe as Iosias left the kingdome of Iuda to an euill Successor his Son Iehoahaz who againe prouoked the people to Idolatrie So likewise King Edward left the inheritance of the Church and kingdome of England to his Sister Mary who like Iehoahaz Iosias his Sonne did againe restore the euill practise of Idolatrie and superstitious Poperie vtterly defacing the godly building which her holy Brother had so carefully erected Againe as God did keepe his promise with Iosias which was to preserue Israell the time of his life in prosperity and rest So did God likewise preserue England in plenty and victory all the time of King Edward And therefore these two holy kings seeme to conspire in all saue their deaths Iosias dying in the field king Edward in his bed the one reigning thirty and one yeares the other but sixe yeares and odd moneths and yet in this hath king Edward the greater honour that he in sixe yeares did happily finish that which the other was thirty one yeares in compassing but aboue all hath he exceeded him in leauing to posterity that most famous Defendresse the Ladie Elizabeth his Sister who afterwards did proue the glory of her Sex and the admiration of all the world OF QVEENE MARIE AND of the alteration of the State in the beginning of her Time CHAP. XVIII FIRST I am now to change my Argument and to write not of mercy but of misery of the aduersity not of the prosperity of the Gospell and how the Catholike Faith was offended and not defended by the Successor Queene Marie who made the most miserable change in the state of England that euer that Nation indured she defacing the glorious worke of her Predecessor of K. Edward her princely brother extinguishing the lights of Truth whereby men were directed in the way of life obscuring al knowledge in the mist of Ignorāce and blacke error in which blindnesse the Christian world had for many yeares wandered This Eclipse being now againe by the interpositiō of her darke time brought vpon this Nation So that no light of Truth was in her time to be seene saue onely at the burning Stakes of Martyrs which holy fire did kindle a Religious zeale in many Spectators that beheld the mercilesse crueltie of the tormentors and the Christian patience of holy Saints tormented Secondly And therefore I am not as before to declare wherein Queene Marie hath defended the Catholike Faith because shee neuer defended it in the least particular but of the contrarie how shee did bend the powers of her endeauour both against the profession and the professors of true Christian Faith seeking by all violent and bloodie meanes to depresse the prosperity of Religion whereof by the dignity of her place she was made defendresse And in Truth it doth grieue me that I am to write the dishonor of this Queene which willingly I would auoide were the cause any other but Religion but that the declaration of these times do tie me to a necessity of Truth from which I dare not aberre for it were an euill presumption in any one to presume to write History then to obscure the truth thereof vpon what cause soeuer For thereof would issue a double inconuenience First he should wrong the vnderstandings of men in misreporting the Truth also lay an euil imputation on his name in suppressing the knowledge of Truth which is the life and true mouing soule of all Historie Thirdly And this I write in fauour of Q. Marie because of her extraordinary induments of Nature God hauing giuen her so much Maiesty and princely spirit as might serue to rule the greatest command in the world if to her other gifts God had giuen her the knowledge of his Truth she had well deserued to haue bene named most excellēt to haue exceeded all the famous Queenes
Discontent CHAP. XXI OF REBELLION FIRST It is not in my purpose to reckon vp the seuerall opinions of men in this argument neither to discourse at large herein but onely to report my owne Iudgement and that which I think is answerable in this question to Religion and holy reason For if this controuersie were disputed according to the Pollitique practise of time and not by the rules of Religion and reformed iudgement it would be then verie controuersall and require large circumstance because the Matchiuells of these times diuersly disagree in their seuerall iudgements but if men desire onely to satisfie conscience to such men the testimonie of God is sufficient which ought to square the practises of all degrees of Christian men and to determine all controuersies be they neuer so important But this tryall hath not alwaies authority in gouernement meerely pollitique for Religion and Pollicie are two diuers or rather in full opposition and that many times in the practise of State is commendable which in the iudgement of Religion is most damnable because they conspire not one but disagreeing ends neither can the quarrell of these two be euer reconciled but onely by these conditions that Piety may command Pollicie and that such Pollicie may bee onely in Christian States allowable as may be seruant to the worke of holinesse and iudged lawfull by the sentence of true Religion And if these respects had regard in Christian States then should not Christendome haue had that dishonourable imputation to bee reputed of the barbarous Nations vnfaithfull and full of dishonourable practise wherein the Popes haue especially abused the Christian Faith who vnder the outward face of holinesse haue contriued and effected Conspiracies and Treasons of most horrible report and such as neuer were the like by men or diuells inuented Secondly And these euill Ministers doe arrogate to themselues authority which they would deriue from God not onely to license Rebellion in a Christian State but also to command it vpon paine of damnation a power which neuer any Christian Prince durst challenge and a pollicie whereby they haue principally inriched themselues with wealth and dignities taken at the spoyle of Christian Princes and wherewith he doth yet vnderprop the falling state of his Empire And this how vnequall it is with Gods Word may appeare to any iudgement there being no example in the Storie of the Bible for his imitation where any Priest did euer challenge any such soueraigne authority Thirdly And in respect of State practise there was neuer any thing more dishonourable then for Princes and free States to enter voluntary into a seruitude so base slauish taking their honours from their owne heads to dignifie their mortall enemy and to feed his ambition which like Hell cannot be satisfied who hath euer fed vpon the bowels of their wealth and on the blood of Saints and doth glorifie himself in the spoile of Christian Princes and thus will doe vntill God shall please to destroy him with the breath of his displeasure Fourthly The example of K. Dauid may suffice to conclude against this doctrine who notwithstanding he had Gods promise to inherit the kingdome of Israel being by the Prophet anointed by which God did crown him King and knowing moreouer that God had forsaken his master Saul hauing taken his good Spirit from him whereby he was Anathemate and interdict by the sentence of God himselfe yet did not Dauid for all this conspire against his master Saul but onely sought to secure his life by withdrawing him from the kings presence who hee assuredly knew did seeke after his life And when opportunity was offered him so fit as that he at one stroake might both haue reuenged the iniuries of his greatest Enemy and vpon such an Enemy as stood betweene him and a Kingdome yet would he not destroy him being vrged thereto by the earnest perswasion of his follower but withstood both them and opportunity induring the trouble of his Conscience for presuming to cut off not his Masters head but the lap of his garment only Fiftly Another time Saul pursuing after Dauid to destroy him was found by Dauid and Abishai sleeping with his speare at his head as if occasion should haue led Dauid to an opportunity most fit and thus haue perswaded him See here is thy enemy sleeping and here is a weapon to destroy him which aduantage when Abishai would most gladly haue imbraced he was disswaded by Dauid with this answere Destroy him not for who can lay his hand vpon the Lords Anointed and be guiltlesse whereby hee concludeth it to be impossible for any man whosoeuer to conspire the death or dammage of his soueraigne with the testimonie of good conscience And this opinion of King Dauids is aduerse to the practise of the Romane State which hath often laid their hands of blood and death vpon the Lords annointed neither haue they euer done as Dauid did denie the offer of fit occasion to reuenge wherein they are answerable to their Italian prouerbe If thy enemie be vp to his knees in water reach him thy hand to helpe him But if hee stand vp to the Chinne set thy foot vpon him to destroy him Sixthly Now if King Dauids example and authority will not serue because he was but Man I will then produce his witnesse who was both God and Man the Lord Iesus who commanded the Iewes to giue obedience to Caesar in all those duties which respect Soueraignty though Caesar did not acknowledge the Iewish Religion but rather did persecute that profession Neither did he perswade rebellion against the Romane state though in his diuine wisedome he did foresee that the Kingdome of the Iewes which he so much loued should be vtterly wasted by the power of the Romanes whereby hee would teach vs that as by God onely Kings do Reigne so by him onely are they both supported and as he shall onely please are they displanted and deposed from their dignities Seuenthly It is euident then by the testimonie of them who are most holy and absolute that no earthly man by the authority of his place hath or can giue license to conspire against any Soueraigne power whatsoeuer and the reason is because there is no power but from God and the powers that be are ordained of God and therefore to resist that power is to withstand God and his ordinance and to condemne the forme of Gods gouernement And such are all they who goe about to translate authority where God hath not giuen it and to throw downe and depose them whom God hath established and such are all they who either plot or practise Rebellion Conspiracie or Treason or that can giue allowance thereto Traitors they be to God Traitors to their Prince Traitors to their Countrie and to themselues Traitors whom God will withstand as Traitors and iudge as
I haue that my studies are and haue beene imployed in these honourable arguments For howsoeuer in all other things I am little in the fauour of Fortune Yet in this I acknowledge her liberalitie that this great Princesse by Fortune doth liue in the memorie of my writings CHAP. XXXI Of the last act of the Queenes defence for the Catholike Faith FIRST the last act of the Queens defence for the Catholike Faith was the care shee had at her death to surrender the charge of her high place to a Prince faithfull and assured and to such a one whom in her Princely iudgement shee had found fit to mannage a matter of that consequence And this was a care very Christian in the Queene and which declared the truth of her Religious affection For they that loue and desire the world onely and that haue no hope in the fauour of God or in the happinesse of heauen neuer trouble themselues to care for that which may outliue their life imagining that when they die the care of the world doth perish with them neither haue such any care to benefit posterity but content themselues with the prosperitie of their owne life But the holy care of Christians is otherwise and doth reach further than life euen to the length of all posteritie Secondly for the Queene in respect of ciuill life might haue thought it sufficient for her honour and for the discharge of her high place that she her selfe had finished her holy course with so great a commendation but in respect of Religious life she hath a further care to care to preuent all euil meanes which might any way ruine that frame which she with so much painefulnesse had erected And to this end the Queene hath a most Christian care commending the cause of the Christian Catholike Faith to the Faith and truth of the Kings Maiestie our souereigne that was whom by her last wil she interested to the title of her Crowne and to whom she made surrender of her office to defend the quarrell of the Catholike Faith Thirdly and if any man obiect that the Queenes nominating the Kings Maiestie at her death to inherit her kingdomes was of small merit in the Queene and of no furtherance to the Kings cause because of necessity the inheritance must haue discended to the King it being his Maiesties in Iustice and by the right of Law I answer that howsoeuer it is most true of the Kings inheritance and that it could not rightfully discend to any other yet considering the reuerence was had to the person of the Queene and the interest she had in the hearts of all her subiects it had bene dangerous if she had nominated any other to succeed her and it was her speciall prouidence that at that time she named the King to this inheritāce Fourthly againe there are others who haue blamed the Queene for not publishing this her good purpose to the King in her life time and haue thought that the open acknowledgement thereof was necessarie both to further the Kings peaceable entrance and to giue satisfaction to the doubtfull mindes of the Queenes subiects the ignorant vnlearned people being the greater part of the body of this Land and seeing they could not themselues satisfie this doubt it was needfull they should be instructed in the Kings lawfull title to the Crowne and that publike Proclamation should haue bene made in the Queenes life time to that end lest the simplicity of the common people when occasion might need them should be abused by false vnderstanding and drawne from their dutifull seruice which could not haue bene if the Queene before hand had declared the King her Successor and lawfull heyre Fifthly I answer these reasons are weake and of little consideration and that the Queene and her Counsell had many weighty reasons to diswade this publique proclaiming of the Kings right in the Queenes time And these reasons haue respect to the safetie of the Queene and her state and to the King and his title For by this meanes the King himselfe had care not to discontent the Queene but to continue his Grace in her fauourable estimation Againe it preuented enuie and the danger of conspiracies of such who haue bene named for competitors Lastly it was a meanes to preserue the Queenes reputation among her subiects a great part whereof would haue bene giuen the King before it was due if he had bene proclaimed heyre apparant to the Queene and Crowne which might haue proued dangerous to his person and dangerous to the state of these kingdomes For great men and the great spirits of men being intitled to much wealth and great dignities haue not many times the patience to attend their lawfull times but preuent time and take it before hand the which though it was most false in the kings particular yet was it needfull the wisedome of State should then regard it And therefore did Queene Elizabeth that which was most reasonable in it selfe most considerable for the king and the State of England and most conscionable for the discharge of her princely place whose honourable deeds I shall euer most willingly report to whose name I liue a seruant and whose praise I would not thus niggardly scant but that I vnderstand a man of much better ability in respect of all learned sufficiencie hath vndertaken that taske THis Phaenix Queene ELIZABETH is without Comparison OF THE NEXT DEFENDOR OF THE Faith King IAMES the Kings most excellent Majestie that last was CHAP. XXXII FIRST There is no wisedome in the world either of men or Angells that can certainly foresee the truth of future euents or determine what shall be the issue of those things which are held doubtfull For God hath not giuen to the nature of any Creature to know things before they be that being proper to himselfe onely who at one instant of time is able to comprehend the knowledge of all things both past present and to come For before things were did God ordeine what should be determine euery circumstāce of euery worke of Nature which in their appointed times were to follow And these infinite nūber of varieties doth he direct by his hand of prouidēce to those ends he hath determined shutting them vp in the meane time in the closet of his secret counsel whereinto the vnderstanding of any creature had neuer liberty to enter and when God shall please to bring them into act they are thē no more his secrets but common to the vnderstandings of al men that desire to know them So that they come not to mans knowledge before they passe from the secret of Gods counsell into act where before they are not knowne but onely to such choise particulers to whom God shall please to make them manifest For as no man is able to declare the fortunes of to morrow before the day be ended so in euery other
worke no creature is able certainely to determine what will be before it be all things in respect of humane indgement being iudged by their euents and not otherwise Secondly and therefore is calculating and the iudgement of Astrologie vncertaine and a very mockery hauing neither lawfulnesse nor Truth to giue it authority And though the Diuiner sometime hit the truth hee doth it not by any certaine direction but by hap and at peraduenture and so the blinde may hit the Butt and the reporter of many lies may fortune to tell a truth Thirdly and this false fore-iudging is of ordinary custome in the vse of all worldly affaires euery man almost aduenturing to Iudge before hand of euery accident and to determine how God shall determine of such and such occasions whereby they would tie God to a necessity and that needs hee must doe that which in their weake iudgement they imagine will bee done But God who is most absolute and able to doe whatsoeuer shall please himselfe deludeth the vaine imaginations of men and out of the greatest vnlikelihoods can hee frame that which is most desired and least hoped neither is hee as man to iudge by apparance or by the consequence of humane reason but out of death can he raise life out of miserie mercie and in the greatest expectation of warre blood and persecution can he giue peace safetie and preseruation Fourthly Wee haue happie instance of this in the fortunes of the Kings Maiestie that last was King Iames our Souereigne whom God most gratiously and beyond all expectation did protect making him fortunate to the honour of his owne name and for the happinesse of these Nations combining by him two euer disagreeing nations in the neerest bonds of Loue and Brotherhood And this did God make prosperous beyond our hopes and beyound the euill desires of them who loued vs not For if we remember the latter time of Queene Elizabeths reigne and the hard condition of those times we shall then finde how much the mercie of God hath exceeded our hopes and how much the generall opinion was deceiued in the construction of that euent men generally expecting the miserie of warre and ciuill strife when God did reach vs his mercie and the large demonstration of his loue Fifthly And in truth in respect of likely hood both Nations England and Scotland had reason to haue feared more and hoped lesse then happened it being not likely to succeed as it did and that a people inueterate in quarrell and warlike contention should in such peaceable manner shake hands and conspire mutually one thing which for many hundreds of yeares before did euer disagree which is more in a matter so important as was the vniting of both kingdomes in the gouernement of one absolute Souereigne Neither was it likely there wanted then the practise of forreigne States especially of such as enuied our prosperity and loued vs not which might trauell to hinder this happie coniunction whereby our strength became double so much as before and therefore our enemies would couet rather to suppresse than to inlarge vs least we hauing the kingdome of Scotland to assist vs which before was commonly either enemie or newter might proue vnresistable in the fortune of warre who before we had it were so often Conquerours Sixthly And this assuredly was a matter very considerable for them to preuent and such as the Pollitique wisedome of States men would carefully apprehend For in the disoretion of State affaires it is better and of lesse difficultie to preuent the augmentation of our enemies power then when it is augmented to scatter it And those things in the opportunity of their times are of easie reach which afterwards in a time vnfit proue vnaccessable not within our compas and this Iudgement could not want in them who most carefully search the secrets of all pollicie and trauell their wits to apprehend and contriue all aduantages yet notwithstanding all these occasions which in common iudgement might haue letted the Kings peaceable entrance into this Kingdome did God bring him vnder the protection of his fauour in security and peace and with generall acclamation binding the enuie of all opposition and making his enemies shew themselues his friendly entertainers the antiēt enemies of this kingdom to congratulate his Kingly inheritance And this did God with such admirable demonstration of his fauour as that his Maiestie and his Subiects of both kingdomes haue good cause to remember it for euer most thankefully whose life God did wonderfully preserue and whose fortunes hee did highly aduance leading him thorow many difficulties and dangers to a faire inheritance to inherit the obedience and faithfull seruice of a people faithfull fortunate and assured whom his predecessors the Kings of Scotland did euer most feare as their most able enemie whom his Maiesty euer found his most trusty and assured Subiects and this was done with such prosperity and forward successe that the report of the Q. death was scarce named in our neighbour kingdomes but this report of the kings peaceable entrance was farre off generally knowne the good newes of the kings entring outstripping the euill newes of the Queenes death to the comfort of all good men and to the admiration of all men Seuenthly neither was there need as it was thought that the King and his Subiects of Scotland should for this cause haue put themselues into the hazard of vncertaine warre whereby the Kings right might haue indured wrong and Truth haue stood at the discretion of warre which had bene very dangerous and that which our enemies most hoped but the happie issue was otherwise for neither was there any to lift vp his daring hand to resist his Maiestie neither had the King any vse for weapons but onely wore them for ornament and to giue names of honour to such men whom hee thought did or might deserue them Eighthly And thus did God giue vs life when we feared death peace when we feared warre a king when we had none a Prince a Patron and a most noble Defendor of the Catholike Faith vnder whose protection we enioyed peace plenty security And therfore happie were we in his gratious gouernment and happie was his Maiesty whom God found worthie to succeed in the royall seate and in the holy cares of that most famous Defendress of the Faith Queen Elizabeth CHAP. XXXIII Of the Kings defending the Catholike Faith in Scotland before he was King of England FIRST there is nothing of our owne wherein wee may iustly glory but in well-doing because when we doe any work of Grace the Spirit of God moueth in vs and prouoketh vs to holy exercise And therein onely we may worthily esteeme of our selues because we are accepted of God and vsed as his holy-instruments And in this had the Kings Maiestie much to glory
most Christian and most Princely labours are diuulged and laid open before the generall face of the world whereby that man of sin is with euidence discouered and all his painted Pollitique Religion laid nakedly open in the true formes of his false worship and whereby Christian Emperours Kings and Potentates are induced by the authorities of reason and particuler example to combine with God and Gods Lieftenants Christian Princes against all forreigne confederacie whatsoeuer These workes of Religious Learning in the King as they were of maruellous import and strength to the Catholike Cause so also they made much for the Kings sacred honour and will vndoubtedly remaine to all posterity as ornaments of his princely worth and inducements to inflame with sacred zeale the affections of his princely Progenie to honour and inlarge the reputation of Religion and Learning And howsoeuer his malitious lying enemie Tortus or the Cardinall his Master Bellarmine would disgrace the Kings sufficiencie in this kinde of learning and would therefore father his Maiesties worke vpon his Subiect of lesse authority yet are these iniuries both knowne and iudged by many thousands both of this and of other Nations that haue had experience of his extraordinary indouments the truth whereof it is not possible his owne Subiects can report without suspition of flatterie Eleuenthly I conclude then that the Kings Maiesty most noblely defended the Catholike Faith against all the enemies and principally against these two great ones the Papist and the Puritan Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST there was neuer any time wherein God had not some Patron to giue the cause of his Church Sanctuarie for though it be often in distresse it is neuer in destruction Secondly the Kings proceeding against the Papists and the Puritans did well distinguish the quallities of their offence and declare his owne integrity for though he proceeded against both yet with some distinction of fauour For the Puritan was the lesse enemie being enemie to the peace onely but the Papist both to the peace and truth of the Catholike Faith Thirdly Men measure the dgrees of loue and hate according to the quallity of the cause that moues the passion But in particular relations the personall respect doth often preuaile aboue the cause For passion is much more strong when it is vnited in one particuler Subiect rather than when it is deuided vnto a multitude CHAP. XXXV A remembrance of some particulers wherein God wonderfully defended King IAMES FIRST there was neuer any Prince in the world who had more cause to acknowledge Gods fauour then King Iames who trauelled his Princely life from his Cradle to his age thorow many dangerous fortunes whom God still supported against the most able and the most subtill practises of his enemies For if we reduce to memorie the many dangers of his life in Scotland and how in that kingdome his enemies did conspire against his life and State there is in that time and place matter enough of admiration But if that were not and that wee remembred his fortunes in England onely in those few yeares of his gouernement here wee shall finde matter of more than admiration and such conspiracie and damned practises as would amaze and with horror affright the hearts of tyrants and bloody practisers Secondly and for Scotland first to omit many of lesse note I remember that very dangerous conspiracie of the Gowries onely a practise brought to that ripenesse as that the King might seeme to be fast in the snare his enemies had laid to betray him yet did God in a trice breake their snare free the King and destroy the Diuellish deuisers of that proiect This story is well knowne and therefore it need not my report being alreadie related by such who haue had better cause to know the truth of euery circumcumstance and yet in this place doth it merit to bee named both for the rarenesse of the practise and for the greatnesse of Gods deliuerance Thirdly at the Queenes death also did God wonderfully assist the King and fauour the prosperity of his fortunes for at that time when the enemies of our State and the enemies of our Faith did hopefully beleeue that the enmity of these two kingdomes England and Scotland would vpon this occasion haue renued their antient quarrells and thereby haue interrupted the Kings peaceable entrance into this kingdome yet was the euent otherwise no little disturbance letting his Maiesties forward entring whereby God did mocke the expectation of his enemies and assuredly exceed the expectation of all men Fourthly that neuer to be forgotten treason of blowing vp with powder a destruction ment to the King the Queene the Prince the State the house of State the Church the Monuments of the Church the bones and Sepultures of Princes a destruction lesse mercifull then the generall Flood because more sudden and yet all most generall too the very naming whereof may serue for euer to prouoke the people of this kingdom to acknowledge their dutifull thankes to God by whose hand onely this mighty deliuerance was wrought Fifthly By these particulers out of many may appeare how God did wonderfully protect the person of that King suffering him to enter so farre into danger as that he might haue bene said to haue stood in the verie gates of death the match being readily prepared to fire that powder which if it had bene fired had committed the greatest Slaughter that euer at one instant of time happened May God therefore for euer be praised who preuented so great a destruction and let his prouidence be for euer admired who hath thus defended the Defendors of the Catholike Faith CHAP. XXXVI Of the diuersity of Religions FIRST the diuersity of Religions is one maine cause that deuideth the world into so many disagreements the maintainers of euery seuerall Sect disclaiming and persecuting al diuersity iudging such for prophāe out of Gods protection that conspire not with them in their opinion of Religion And heerehēce it is that the name of Iew or Turke is odious to a Christian the name of Christian odious to them they iudging vs and we iudging thē Anathemates cursed people Secondly neither is this contention onely in these opposites of Christian and heathen but the heathen among themselues and the Christians among themselues are deuided into many bitter differences the Turke against the Persian both against the Iew and so in many other particulars of the barbarous people Among the Christians also the Papist against the Protestāt the Protestāt against the Papist the Puritan against them both besides many other subdiuisions So that the Christians in these times haue as many seuerall Religiōs as the old heathen Pagans had Gods and that Idolatrie which the people of the old world committed by hauing multiplicity of Gods did the people of these times cōmit by their
These banning Popeâ— like Shemei and Balam The Princes agree not in their ends The Emperors bad fortunes The indignities wherewith the Pope did vse the Emperor The Popes insulting pride The Emperors end vnfortunate The King very fortunate In respect of themselues the two Princes were equalls in respect of their fortunes they disagree The Emperours praise God the fouÌ„taine of goodnesse All men naturally euill Grace the gift of God God decreeth the good and deuiseth the meanes K. Edward K. Edward fit to finish the worke of Reformation God had the greatest part in this businesse The King beloued of God The King the best of all Christian Princes then liuing The Nation happie in K. Edward to defend the Faith The praise of King Edward The miserie of manie kingdomes Alexander of Macedon Alexander leauing his Empire to his friend diuided did sooner perish The kingdomes of France Edward the Third The title of England to the crowne of France FraÌ„ce much vexed with English warres France still in the hazard of English warres English examples Yorke and Lancaster The cause of the Eâ—glish ciuill warres was the interrupting of lawfull Succession Queene Elizabeth The danger that was feared by her want of Issue The danger of the State Gods preuention The euent did exceed expectation The subuersion of great houses The Sonnes of gouernors are best fitted for gouernement King Edward did exceed and succeed his Father Diuine Pollitique Morall The Kings praise His mercy to his enemies The particular of his deserts The King did inherit his kingdome and hâ—â— care for Religion together His first care He secondeth his Fathers attempt His first act of defence to the Faith King Edward was not tempted as was King Henry by euill counsell His holy zeale for reformation The King well fitted for this businesse The King not moued by any respect Wherein K. Edward principally defended the Faith Popery vtterly extirped by the King The consent of Parliament An vniforme order of common prayer appointed by the King Verity could not stand without vnitie Iosias of Iuda The ceremonies of Poperie like the rites of the Heathen Priests Anno 1547. The repeale of statutes concerning Religion Sixe Articles Gardiner Bonner The Kings renowne The King put out the fires of persecution The King did cure the wound his Father made The Kings furtherance The orders of the Church â—stablishâ—d by the King The King most mercifull and compassionate In mercie men resemble God His care for poore Hospitalls by him erected The workes of mercie the best witnesses of holy Faith The King deserued his Stile Diuine Pollitique Morall Contraries iudge one another Note There must be faction Prouidence The reason of this opposition of good and euill Goodnesse not confounded but confirmed by the opposition of euill The way is good if the end be happy Truth Euill men and euill practise against the King Scotland The Marriage with Q. Mary of Scotland The importance of that Marriage King Iames our Soueraigne The King euer victor RebellioÌ„ moued by perswasion and not by any proper motioÌ„ The Papists The practise of rebâ—lâ—ious Iesuits and Priests The Duke of Somerset Protector His deserts The reforming of Religion diuided the kingdome into a faction The Dukes care to compound these differences The Duke slandered The variance between the Lord Protector the Barrons Honour and desert beget dangerous enuie The Dukes error in pollicie Post est occasio Calua Note This ouersight was his death The cause of this discord The Dukes improuideÌ„ce His euill gouernement of the State Ambition This opinion is all malice no truth The true cause was a practise of enuie A double enemie The nature of great and enuious spirits Vertue most subiect to enuie The tryall of law onâ—ly a colour to satisfie reports The Dukes extremitie of hard fortune The greatest are most subiect to the fall of Fortune Diuine Pollitique Morall Life is a sicknesse The contempt of life Holy men neuer feared the Image of death Holy death setteth open the gates of life The ChildreÌ„ of Grace The sonnes of nature The iudgement of sense can iudge miserie of mans life The antient Romanes and GreciaÌ„s Against the rule of Religion A notable demonstratioÌ„ Man hath more to afflict him than all other Creatures Because of sinne The cause of the many grieuances of mans life Sickenesse Sickenesse ordained to subdue the pride of our nature A double respect First the number of sicknesses Secondly the generality All men being subiect at all times to all infirmities Rich men The poore the rich are both alike â—fflicted with sicknesse Pouertie of life Pouertie hatefull to men The false opinion of the world The honourable and the vile man do oâ—cupiâ— on the others place Want dâ—iecteth the spirits of well deseruing men The griefe of noble spirits Pouertie to a good man is like the foyle to the Diamond The desperate effects of pouertie Mutability and change The continuall trouble of mans life The graue the resting place 〈…〉 Custome is another nature Men by their naturall motions moue to euill but to goodnesse by the mouing of Grace That Roman Conquerour The Duke of Somerset A custome among the antient Romanes Variable fortune maketh men miserable Discontent Minde Discontent a dangerous disease The danger in discontenting great spirits All men haue at some times their discontents Holy men haue bene discontented Griefe is a greater torment then sickenesse The greatnesse of Discontent Death Death an enemie against whom there is no resistance Death doth controule the prosperities of our life Death is not a misery to all men Death maketh holy men immortall Good men hope for death and bad men feare it Death and the graue make all things equall No man hath pleasures but with limitation To good men there is no miserie How to vse the pleasures of this life Who are happie No man can know any part of Gods secrets vnles God reueals them God not contrarie but aboue reason The cause of false constructions In diuine matters Christians must belieue when they cannot iudge The vse that God can make of all our actions K. Edward The wonderfull effects of Gods prouidence The blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Gospell The deaths of a few was the life of many God is mercifull in his iudgements The Kings death Great occasions of trouble in the kingdome The nobility commâ—ns disagree in the choice of their Prince King Edward euill counselled Northumberland Suffolke the cause of this great iniurie Reasons why the King did it not of his owne motion but by perswasion A doubtfull question resolued Good ends cannot be compassed by euill meanes God is the Father of truth What good men must do Diuine Pollitique Morall Iosias of Iuda and Edward of England Their age when they began their Reigne Both of these Kings conspiring one holy end Both their Kingdomes were corrupted with idolatrie Both of them yeeld their obedâ—ence to holy perswasion effect their purpose Both these
Kings left their States to holy ends but euill successors Both of them fortunate to their Kingdomes The honour of King Edward Q. Elizabeth Q. Marie The change shee made in the Church of England The light of Truth put out The Queene obscured the glory of this Nation The purpose of the Historie of this Queenes time The truth of History must not for any consideration be concealed The inconuenience of misreporting the truth of Historie Queene Marie her extraordinarie induments of Nature Q. Elizabeth incomparable Nature without grace doth merit nothing The least gift of grace is more worth then the whole riches of Nature The gifts of Grace The gifts of nature without grace are dangerous in him that hath them The motion of Grace is 〈◊〉 against Nature The Queene an enemie to her selfe The Q. great ouersight Gardiner Bonner the Queenes euill instruments The Q good nature much abused She entred her gouernment with great Tyranniâ— Those wee trust most may best deceiue vs. A bad perswasion These euill Counsellors much deceiued God raiseth a new generation of holy men from the ashes of Martyrdome 1 King 12. 10 Their Counsell was wicked pollicie but no pietie A respect of pollicie Gardiner the euill spirit which most tempted the Queene to her seueritie The power of conscience Diuine Pollitique Morall The Duke of Northumberland The Duke guilty of his fortunes In respect of State The Q. first offence Gardiner Bonner and others The cruelties of these times A double respect How the Q. began her gouernement D. Cranmer and others The Papists In restoring the Abbeyes The euill of a bloody life In respect of State Idle and euil vsers of wealth The Queene in her iudgement condemned her Father The Queene erecteth that Idolatrie which her Father had defaced E contrario The worst of the Queenes euills Her establishing of Poperie Her full opposition against the Catholike Faith Her forwardnes in punishing Mans nature The alteration of Religion is preiudiciall to the CommoÌ„-Wealth The Q conscience abused The Pope hath not principality proper The Q. ouersight The English nation dishonoured by the Queene The Q. persecutions of holy men No profession of Religion but the Popes that thinke to merit by blood persecution Christians must beare the Crosse not make it The example â—f Christ. Mercy the 〈…〉 gift of grace The Martyrs The vehemencie of this persecution For his booke of Acts and Monuments Strange examples of enuie The graue is euery mans Sanctuary The doome of Nature Note A reuenge like the reuenge of Diuels This persecution equall with them of the Primitiue Church King Philip of Spaine The confederacie of the Spaniâ—h King and the Pope The Iesuites supported by the Spanish King Rome and Spaine the ladders of one anothers rising 〈◊〉 respect of State The Spanish King bound to certaine conditions No obligatioÌ„ can binde the desire of the ambitious Note The inconuenience of the Queenes Marriage The greatnes of Spaine The expectation of Spaine Portingale England the supporter of Spaine The inconuenience In respect of pollicie The Queene neither pollitique nor holy The prouidence of God in this businesse Queene Elizabeth The hope of King Henrie his issue The gouernment when she was Q. Queene Elizabeth incomparable What hurt the Q. death had bene to ChristeÌ„dome Iudith and Holophernes The glorie of Queene Elizabeths deeds In respect of State The inconuenience The glory of the English Natiâ—◠〈…〉 of Q. Elizabeth King Iames our Soueraigne God onely preuented the euill purpose of euill men Queene Marie led to dishonourable ends The cause the perswasion of her conscience Winchester Gardiner Nothing can perswade like conscience Who are most powerfull to perswadevs Men seeming deuout are best able to deceiue The ground of euill pollicie Who are the chiefe plotters and actors of treasons Why Priests are most fit for treasons The office of Iesuits By whom the Queenes nature was most abused Who they be that trouble the peace of Israel Diuine Pollitique Morall No man can free himselfe from Discontent The greatest 〈…〉 seruitude The error of common iudgement The power of patience A moderation in griefe For griefe is the true physicke of the minde The euill of discontentment Queene Maries punishment The trouble of her conscience Her owne iudgement of her owne proceedings Her Nature Protestants The queenes griefe Gardiner Bonner Gen. 34. 30. The Queene veri much in her selfe offended How the power of Princes is limited The reason Faction Faction The torment of an offended conscience King Philip of Spaine Her want of issue The natures of women The Kings not regarding her Her iealousie of her own merit The queenes deseruing of King Philip. The queenes offence in respect of King Philip very causefull The third cause of her Discontent was the losse of Callis Note Prouocations to French warres Callis the key of France The reason of the Queenes griefe for the losse of Callis The rebellion of her subiects Rebellion a cause that the gouernement is suspected What is required in the person of a Prince The forward successe of the Rebells One chiefe cause why they failed in their proiect Sir Thomas Wyat of Kent God the enemie of all Conspirators Gods mercie in thus punishing the Queene The mercie of God to this Nation in the Queenes death Diuine Pollitique Morall The diuers opinions of men in this Argument This controuersie must be iudged by Religion and not by pollicie The Testimonie of God the best authority Religion and Pollicie two diuers The differeÌ„ce of their ends and practise How to reconcile piety and pollicie The Popes haue abused the Christian Faith The Pope doth challenge authority to licence Rebellion How the Pope doth inrich himselfe The Pope no follower of any holy example In respect of State practise The example of King Dauid Dauid would not conspire the death of Saul though he were a Reprobate Dauid refuseth the offer of opportunitie to reueÌ„ge 1 Sam. 24. v. 5 6 7. Arare example of a holy King Note 1 Sam. 2. 6. 9 Dauid and the Pope disagree in their opinions An Italian prouerbe Count Baltezer The example of Christ. God who only maketh Kings can onely depose them No earthly power can giue licensce for Rebellion All traytors oppose against Gods prouidence The Pope his Dispensation Queene Mary Queene Katherine Commiseration and Christian pittie The woman a weake Sexe The venemous nature of the Romish doctrine Saint Bartholmewes supper of Sâ—ulâ—â— The differeÌ„t nature of two Sisters The day and night diuide the yeare The differeÌ„ce of good and bad The differeÌ„ce of Natures Of King Henries happinesse God is double as much in mercie as in Iudgement Queene Elizabeth is helper to cure the wounds her Sister had made in the State Wherein we may behold the deserts of Queene Elizabeth The highest of her deserts In respect of greatnesse goodnesse Virgin Marie Queene Elizabeth most excellent in the respects of mercie and Maiesty Disparagement King Iames. The Queene matchlesse for Maiestie
An importaÌ„t aduise to all Princes A Reason Esop in morall Fables The queenes moderation Her defence of Faith before she was Queene An euill practise to disinherit the Queene Note Her trouble in her Sisters time Queene Elizaheths Teares Salomon A good woman Pollitique Morall Her first care for Religion A loue principium The queenes care to cure the diseased State The practise of bad physisitions Her restoring Religion to purity of Doctrine Poperie for euer banished from this Iland King Edward ouermatched by Queene Elizabeth Her desert visible in the face of England The returning of holy men from banishment to England Diuine Pollitique Morall Experience Nothing that is earthly is free from inconstancie God the onely supporter of mens resolution The nature of all men Queene Elizabeth most constant To auoid the miscoÌ„ceiuing The Queene neuer fainted in her resolution Yet much tempted by state considerations Religion Pollicie respect diuers ends Religion ought to order state Religion is peruerted and Scripture wrested to maintaine vnlawfulnes In Popish states Regards of state One of the chiefe of Q. Elizabeths honourable deeds The victorie she had of her selfe The first consideration of State The danger of altering Religion A Reason The Queene made choise of the weaker to assist her against the stronger Her holy trust The second State consideration was the difficulty in finishing An argumeÌ„t from the order of nature The importance of this consideration Third consideration The displeasure of forreigne princes The desires of great persons The vse of forreigne regard In respect of England A Reason The Spanyard hath now larger Dominions than the Duke of Muscouy EnglaÌ„d in the midst of many disagreeing Nations The queenes constancie God is able to worke without as well as with meanes Sampson The honour of Queene Elizabeth Diuine Pollitique Morall Mercie The reward of Mercie Mercie hath prehemineÌ„ce in the nature of God Queene Elizabeth very mercifull An admirable degree of Mercie The mercy of Popish lawes and Papists How much the Queene hath exceeded her Sister in mercie The purpose of the queens Lawes No meanes to reclaime the inueterate enuie of men Proiects deuised by the Pope Interdictions Pope Pius Quintus The euill effect of the Popes Bull. A Parliament The cause of the statutes against Recusants Exmalis moribus nascuntur bona leges The mercy of the queens Lawes The purpose of the Statutes A large demonstration of the queens mercie The slanders of euill and malitious men None haue haue suffered in England for their conscience onely The mercy of the Law The Popes Bull the occasion of more strict Lawes The purpose of the state The difference in the practise of these states Our iustice more mercifull then their mercie The pollitique regard of this seuerity in the Romish State Religion flourisheth vnder â—ppression This Pollicie not answerable to piety nor holy example Act. 5. 34. The mercy of English Lawes concerning Religion Christ the true example of Christians The principall purpose of the statutes The necessity of these Statutes Diuine Pollitique Morall In respect of the Church The prosperity of the state dependeth on the prosperity of the Church The Church and State Children of one Father Respect had to Pollicie and not to piety onely The Popes quarrell The particular branches of these Statutes Inconuenience by English Romish trauellers Nothing can respect the state lawfully that respecteth not Religion also A comparisoÌ„ Of most importance for the Church In respect of the common-Wealth The wisedome of state The dangerous inconuenience of Iesuites and Romish Priests The Iesuites banished France Franciscan Fryer King Dauid A respect most needfull for the English Nation A prouident carâ— The policie of the Romish Church preuented Iesuites Intelligencers A great means of the Popes greatnesse The vse of Seminarie Priests and Iesuites Treason Wherein Iesuits are best learned Diuine Pollitique Morall Euery mans care Charity doth approue vs good men Children of God Loue the fulfilling of Gods Law The dutie of euery Christian The care which ought to be regarded in all States The purity of Christian Religion The difference of Christian and heathenish State Queene Elizabeth most compassionate Distressed Christian Princes In respect of Scotland The wisedome of those times Note These two Kingdomes in one Isle like two wiues in one house King Iames. The Queene hath the glorie of this deede The Queene euer fauorable to Scotland The Queene defended that nation which her predecessors had much offended The French King A princely regard Obiection Answer The Queene neuer altogether ruled by the perswasion of State The queenes reason The Frenchmen owe thankes to the name of Queene Elizabeth The King and kingdome of portingall None can giue victory at his pleasure Gods iudgement The doubt of Anthonies title The queenes double respect in this voyage A reason for the Queenes excuse The States of the Low-Countries A dangerous Obiection The answer The queenes nature A second reason of the Queenes doings Note Euill men readie to traduce the Queene The offence betweene England and Spaine a sufficient reason for these proceedings Vertue the better for opposition The Queene iustifiable in this quarrell The Spaniards the States can both report the Queenes victories The queenes cares euer seruants to the necessities of Christian princes The honour of the English Nation Diuine Pollitique Morall God the best recompencer of deserts God most assured in his promises Gods reward In the queens particular Many practises against the Queene The diuers sorts of practises Gods speciall prouidence for the Queenes safetie Daunted with her Maiesty It is in vaine to resist the power of God Her trouble in her Sisters time Her enemies could not preuaile to her destruction An obiection The answer Note The queenes innocence was a cause but not the onely cause of her safetie After she was Queene The practise of the Pope against her The two Earles WestmerlaÌ„d and NorthuÌ„berland Gods defence for the queen The Spanish King The common attempts on both sides The nature of our English Warres with Spaine The Spanish preparation to inuade England The inuincible Nauie Anno. 1588. Their proud confidence God hateth pride in all Creatures His mighty deliuerance Sir Francis Drake How the Queene behaued her selfe in these weighty affaires No man certainly known before his end The glory of our life is to continue in well doing The queenes godly constaÌ„cie She was answerable to her constant mot Semper eadem Her constancie apparent In the view of her gouernement The name of Queene Elizabeth cannot perish in England A request to the learned of this Land The last defence shee made for the Catholike Faith A most Christian care A worldly care To benefit posterity The care of Christians The queenes persecution King Iames. Obiection Answer Another obiection Reasons The answer None but God can foretell the truth of future euents Gods decree His prouidence Councell When Gods secrets are knowne to men All things are iudged by their euents and not otherwise Astrâ—logie and calculating vncertaine False foreiudging The foolish impudence of men God iudgeth not as man by apparaÌ„ce The Kings Maiesty God hath exceeded our hopes Mens expectations deceiued In respect of likely-hood The practise of forreigne States our enemies A matter very considerable The discretion of State Note Gods fauour to the King The enemies of this Kingdome What the King did inherit with England The Kings forward successe The King at his entring had no vse for weapon but to giue honour The happie issue deceiued the euill ezpectation Gods blessings to our Nation Queene Elizabeth We ought to glory in nothing but in well-doing Gods instrument The Kings care for Religion The Kings reforming the state of Scotland The first Protestant King in this Kingdome Gods assistance to the Kings good cause The King defended the quarrell of Faith before he had the title A gratious beginning ending Diuine Pollitique Morall The alteration of a Prince the alteration of State Nothing but the person of the Prince was altered The euill hopes of bad men The hope of factious people Note That both the Papist the puritane could conspire on hope in one particuler Prince The successe failed Church of Scotland The Kings resolute constancie The reason Their arguments of hope How God assisted the King in this important businesse The Kings choice The Papist and the Puritane both enemies to the Catholike Church The order of the Kings proceeding against the Puritan The Kings most Christistian Care His Maiesties religious Iudgement The different nature of the King and these peeuish people Obiection Answer A most orderly proceeding An argument Papist The care of the State The reason The Papists The Gunpowder treason How this might haue wrought reuenge in the Kings desire The Kings Proclemation His most religious mercie Statutes enacted The Oath of Allegiance Blackwell the Arch-Priest The two great enemies of our Church Diuine Pollitique Morall The many daungers the King passed In Scotland England The conspiracie of the Gowries His deliueuerance At the Queenes death The Pope and Papist No disturbance to let the Kings forward entrance The treason of the blowing vp the Parliament house A destruction lesse mercifull than the Flood God wonderfully protected the King Religion deuideth the world The names of Christian and heathen odious to one another The Christians among themselues and the heathen among themselues deuided Among the Christians Christians now haue as manie Religions as the Pagans had Gods One God one Truth one Religion God hath prescribed an order for his seruice The reason why Religion is so deuided The contradictions among the learned Papists Doctor Morton Bellarmine and Blackwell Wisbitch Iesuites and Secular Priests Note In the Religion of popery much diuersity The Protestant Religion deuided The hurts of diuided Religion No meanes to reclaime these disobedient Christians Obiections of the Papists Answer Diuersity in all Religions Diuersity in the Iewish Church The doctrine of the Sadduces The Kings desert in this respect of vnity The true Religion is like Christ betweene two Thieues Christ the way the truth and the life He that is but neere truth is not true