recouered the Arke of God from contēpt receiued in the time of Iudges of Saul placed it more comely he appointed Priests Leuites singers and doore-keepers to minister in the tabernacle of the lord He aduised kings to looke vnto their duties Psal 2 And now ye kings vnderstād be learned which iudge the land serue the Lord in feare c. Salomon did beare the highest charge in religion Salomon Asa and Iehosaphat tooke charge of religion not onely in building the Lords Temple but also in consecrating hallowing of the same What should I speak of Asa who hauing the charge of religion did rid away the Idols out of all the land of Iuda Beniamin 2. Chro. 6 2. Chro. 15 2. Chro. 29.30.81 c. And of Iehosophat who tooke away the hil-altars and groues out of Iuda Of Ezechias who following the footsteps of his father Dauid in the beginning of his raign the first yeare and first moneth opened and refurnished the gates of Gods house commaunded the priestes to heare him to become holy to cleanse the Lords house and to rid all filthines out of his sanctuarie appointed Leuits with cymbals Psalters harps according to the ordinance of the king his father The like is written of Iosias who vsed the same power authority in the like case Now then since it is so cleare Iohn 12.18 Rom. 13.1 that kings princes are the seruants of God established in authority girded by him with a bawdrier to the end that not only honesty of life should be maintained opposed to violence dissolution but that the true seruice of God should be aduanced contrary to idolatry superstitiō Therfore they ought with all the power which God hath giuen thē to vphold the holy ministery worship of God as wel in vprightnes of discipline as purity of doctrine that both may be cōformable to the word of the Lord testified by Christ his Apostles without adding or clipping or altering consequently bridle as much as they can punish according to the exigence of the case the perturbers of the peace of the Church For religiō belongs not to the left but to the right hād of a prince neither is there any crown so curiously wrought or cunningly set with precious pearles that can half so beautifie a princes person as to seek to promote the glory of the lord and to take these Foxes which seeke to vndermine his vineyard The seruants of Benhadad king of Syria 1. King 20 Traitors make mercy the groundworke of mischiefe what wrong soeuer they had offered to Israel yet fallen into the lapse would reuiue and recomfort themselues with these words Behold we haue heard say that the kings of Israell are mercifull kings let vs therefore put sackcloth about our loins and ropes about our neckes and go to the king of Israell it may be that he will saue our liues Thus standing vpon what may be and not what ought to be what peraduenture he would and not what they deserued they make mercie the ground plot of mischiefe But the king is reproued and it is told him thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people No lesse are those runnagate ruffians to be regarded with thē which welcome and intertaine them For as the practise of the one is to steale away the hearts of subiects so the mark that the other aime at is to lend them their hands against their countrie if time should serue their turne The Almightie God preserue her Maiestie and euermore increase all zeale in her for the punishment of his her enemies that as Asa commaunded all such to be slaine as would not serue the God of Israell as Darius deliuered Daniel 1. King 15 Daniel 6 Daniel 4 2. King 19 2. King 23 and cast his enemies into the den of the Lions as Nabuchadnezzar serued him who by proclamation forbad any in his Dominion to blaspheme the true and very God as Ezechias and Iosias serued him by ouerthrowing the groues and the places that were set vp contrarie to Gods commaundement So she with Dauid hating Gods enemies with a perfect hatred may seeke to root them out more and more and as alreadie she hath broken downe the lofts that were builded to idolatrie ouerthrowne polluted and defiled the altars defaced the vessels that were made for Baal and for the host of heauen so she may cut vp the verie roots of iniquitie and expell the Cananites that the Common-wealth of Israell be not troubled O let not the glozing speech of any ambitious parasite dazle her highnesse eies nor boulster vp poperie by a false perswasion to further clemencie but let him be dishonoured in a day that is not truly zealous for the honour of his God and let him die the death that wisheth not her Maiesties throne to stand steadie as the seat of Salomon and you that feare the Lord and loue his truth say Amen Furthermore as the foresight of her Highnes most honourable counsell hath appeared in shielding vs from forraine foes so ought their chiefe circumspection to be seen in shielding vs from domesticall feare Then shall we being free in our bowels from sedition at home be stronger to withstand forraine power abroad It is not a safe thing to lay the bridle vpon the necke of such dangerous practitioners by whom both prince your selues our liues our countrie our fortunes may be hazarded in an instant execution of discipline is a perfit mithridate against al dangerous conspiracies insurrections seditions rebellions and all popish pollicies Correct saith Bensyra a wise man with a nod and a foole with a club there hath been mildnesse and lenitie shewed long enough there hath been becking and nodding and notting long enough but the froward will not receiue information What remaineth then but an hammer or an hatchet or a club execution I meane of Iustice against these household enemies Your H. shall rightly propose to your selues the example of Moses who for the like cause hanged vp the princes of the people teaching thereby all good rulers to make them examples in suffering who haue been the ringleaders in offending Here also to you the graue sages of this land may rightly a lesson be read I meane the Iudges placed ouer Gods people to iudge soundly substantially betwixt brethren and brethren vnto whom God hath after a sort lent his name and his seat The dutie of Iudges in hunting the Foxe to teach you chiefly to regard and maintaine his owne honour If it be your duties to punish theeues murtherers and such like perturbers of the peace of the Common-wealth then much more the vnderminers of the Lords vineyard grosse Idolaters hollow hearted votaries disloyal persons whose liberties prosperities in a Christian Church what can it elfe argue but that iustice is turned into iugling and true religion either into heathenish prophanenes or Romish superstition You may not forget that
should follow the scepter and peace should follow plentie there should be no distrust of secret treason nor feare of forraine inuasion But aboue all see that you nourish in them a strong perswasion of Spanish loue and an earnest desire of Indian gold that euen as Philip made the Athenians beleeue that he pretended enmitie against the Plotenses and Olynthians when he meant to ride vpon the backe of all Grecia so must you make them beleeue that the purpose of the Spaniard Beleeue them that list is onely to reforme religion and to passe no further And thus there being a coniunction of English plots with Spanish practise how should we but preuaile except sonnes with my elder brother Baalam we haue laboured to curse where the Lord neuer cursed and detested where the Lord neuer detested and I your olde father be constrained in the end to roare with Iulian the Apostata saying vicisti Galilaee vicisti I say no more vnto you but walke closely and keepe your selues in tenebris for your predecessors I know not whether to ascribe it to angrie stars the influence of the heauens neglect of oportunitie want of secrecie by too great securitie haue had so sinister successe that in stead of supplanting a kingdome they haue broken their neckes at Tyburne and in stead of reconciling sowles to our Romish faction Not so but iust reward of treason their heads haue been vnited to an halter This crueltie haue they sustained for my sake whom therfore I haue crowned with martyrdom as your elder brother Campion the rest the remembrance of whom in whose endeuours I haue heretofore placed my hope of effecting that whereunto I now imploy your selues doth but increase my sorrow and griefe CHAPTER 5. Certaine semblances betwixt the Foxe and the Lyon Antichrist and Mahomet in broaching their damnable doctrines and leuying nations to their lawes FOr as much as the couert enemies against the Church do most of all deceiue simple people by shrowding their deformities vnder the mantle of deuotion I haue thought it pertinent to set downe these semblances following betwixt the Pope Mahomet the which throughly pondered of euerie Christian man are sufficient to bring him to a full detestation of the Romish religion This Mahomet was an Arabian souldiour and tooke wages of the Emperour Heraclius to serue him in his wars In a mutinie he was chosen to be a commaunder of a rebellious host so base a vassall was he that the people of Mecha who worship him at this day condemned him to death for his murders and robberies Mahomets coÌ„fession of himselfe Yea he confesseth himselfe what he was namely an Idolater an adulterer giuen to leacherie subiect to women in such manner as it is a shame to report This is that prophet without prophesying The first semblance in their manners that lawmaker without miracles that irreligious former of religion that man without God which hath by his ignorance choked the truth and by his violence inforced falshood That many of the Popes haue bin as desperate and damnable varlets as euer was Mahomet Some Popes as verie varlets as euer was Mahomet the legends written by their owne secretaries doe beare witnesse Amongst whom that monster Boniface the eight carieth the bell of whom themselues giue testimonie that he entered like a Foxe ruled like a Lion and died like a dog Whosoeuer listeth to rake in the dounghil of Popes shall finde some of them to be starke Atheistes as Paul the third some blasphemers and sodomitical knaues as Iulius the third some whoremasters as Iohn the 12. who abused his fathers concubines some necromancers as Syluester who was made Pope auxilio diaboli by the aide of the diuell Yea so holy are these vnerring fathers that one being demaunded why in their suffrages they praied not for Cardinals and Bishops that saith he is to be vnderstood vbi oramus pro schismaticis haereticis where we pray for schismatickes and heretikes The meanes whereby Mahomet deceiued the world were as followeth This new Captaine many could not abide his manners were so monstrous besides he was vexed with the falling sicknes therefore to redeeme himselfe from this contempt pretended a diuinitie in his doings faining himselfe to conferre with God and so to be rauished out of himselfe and that he was no more a prince elected through fauour of souldiers but a messenger of the Almightie Hauing laid this foundation politickely he beginneth to make a mingle-mangle of all religions For to allure the Iewes he exalted Moses and retained circumcision not to estraunge the Christians he confessed Christ to be the spirit word and power of God to please the Nestorians he said that Christ was not verie God nor the sonne of God but that he had indeed the soule of God The Foxe laieth a foundation for his absurdities and blasphemies The second semblance in the ground plot of enlarging theit kingdomes much like that of the Lion for as Mahomet coosened the world in making it beleeue that he entered communication with God when he fell into his fit of the falling sickenes so the Pope whilest he maketh thousands beleeue that he is Gods vicar as the other made his beleeue that he was and is Gods messenger and that he cannot erre in giuing sentence though he may slip as a priuate person poisoneth the Church with pestilent opinions and draweth whole cart-lodes of soules after him into hell fire The groundworke once laid that the Pope cannot erre then like to Mahomet beginneth hee to make an hotch-potch of heresies as to worship Christ and other saints with the Carpocratians to worship the virgine Marie with the Collyridians to paint God like an old man with the Anthropomorphits to hold freewil and a possibilitie to fulfill the commandements with the Pelagians to restraine meats to daies and times with the Montanistes and Manichees to condemne mariage with the Tatians and Cataphrygians and in many pilgrimages praier to the dead Iustification by workes to shew himselfe a right Mahometane The third semblance is in the likelihood of their blasphemies against Christ The third semblance in broaching their blasphâ—mies for Mahomet fearing I say least that he should alienate the Christians confessed Christ to be the spirit word and power of God but not verie God nor the sonne of God and himselfe to be the seruant of Christ but yet so that in the end he preferreth himselfe before him and maketh himselfe the last refuge for mankind to flie vnto The Pope denieth not the person of the great sonne of God for then should he not be Antichrist but yet if you marke well how he degradeth him of his dignities you shall see that Christ is much alike beholden to them both and that euerie one may vnderstand what his flatterers giue him and what he chalengeth Let vs heare what is written Christopher Marcellus said to the Pope and it pleased him well Tues alter Deus in terris
of these dayes and times wish the death of her Maiestie and alteration of state and gouernment there needes no further proofe then their conspiracies Beleeue them without further proofe their treasons and secret attempts their platformes and practises for forraine inuasion whereby it is euident that these are the dayes of their griefe and sorow and that they regarde the saftie neither of prince nor countrie so they may returne to the flesh pots of Egypt and eate their fill with peaceable freedome The eight reason THey that regarde not into what subiection slauerie shame and dishonour her highenes Papists regard no state so that poperie may preuaile her kingdome and subiects be brought vnto so that â—heir blinde worship and pageant of papistrie may bee erected can bee no good subiects But perfect papists neither regard Maiestie of the prince nor dignitie of the nobles nor grauitie of age nor difference of sexe nor excellencie of learning so that poperie may be set vp in stead of the Gospell Therefore such can be no good subiects The desperate dealings and damnable practises of papists heretofore prooue plainly Wofull experience that allegiance to their prince cannot keepe them from treason the dutie of loue to their naturall countrie cannot withdraw them from fauouring rebellion at home nor lincking with straungers abroade that the dutie of obedience of children to parents or of parents affection to children cannot keepe them from vnnaturall crueltie that the dutie of mutuall loue and societie betwixt the husband and wife cannot remoue them from monstrous immanitie that the dutie of kinde and naturall pittie cannot stay a papists hands from murdering feeble sexe tender babes or reuerent age lastlie that the duty of familiaritie in youth of frendship in grauer yeares of continuall societie during all the life passed cannot stay a papists hands from sacrificing his dearest frendes Nay which is more not onely are they contented to yeeld their bracelets and earerings to the framing of the golden calfe as did Israell nor to offer their frends in sacrifice as did that vnnaturall King of Moab in offering his sonnes to asswage the ire of his angrie Gods but to make their owne liues a pray to their enemies as did the Athenians when they accorded by casting of lots to giue themselues to bee deuoured of that gastly monster Minotaurus Wherefore since it is so cleare a case that the consciences of these catholikes are altogether Romish that they hold the Popes excoÌ„munication against our dread soueraigne the Queenes Maiestie to be lawfull that they yeeld their obedience no longer then durante beneplacito of the Pope that they receiue and recommend such libels as deface our Church abuse her highnes person and all her louing subiects that they receiue pardons to exempt themselues from dutifull obedience that they receiue and entertaine the enemies of this realme Iesuits seminarie priests that they looke for a golden day and long for an alteration that they care not to conspire at home with traitours and to plot abroad with straungers whereby to conuey the crowne to a forrayner sithens I say this is so then two conclusions do follow first that euery perfect papist is a secret traitour to his prince and countrie And secondarily that it is a safer way to trusse then to trust a two-legged Fox Our gracious God that hath hitherto protected vs blesse her Maiestie and her honorable priuie counsel that through their wisdomes zeale and courage Gods glorie may be promoted the vndermining of these Foxes which destroy our vines soundly sifted and secret traitours sharply punished Then shal EnglaÌ„d lesse feare her ruine which God forbid by strangers force when vengeance deserued shal strongly sease on household foes nay els may EnglaÌ„d more suspect the weakning of her present state by nourishing a viper in her owne bowels then Spanish power or any els who gnash their teeth at her peace and welfare CHAPTER 10. Twelue reasons prouing by diuinitie and true Christian pollicie that Foxes must be taken THe thing that our Catholickes chiefly doe aime at is that her highnes and her counsell may be deceiued by erronius pretence of pollicie and colour of clemencie that they may lurke vnder the shadow and be nourished as a Serpent in the bosome It is therefore heedfully to be respected that the Church of the diuell be not maintained with indulgence multiplied with foolish mercie but that it be kept vnder with sharpnes of discipline and correction that it grow not to such rankenesse as to choake the true Church Foolish mercy may marre all and clemencie may be great crueltie when it ouerfloweth to the hazard of Gods Children Where seueritie saith one goeth into loosnes their edifying goeth into destruction custom goeth into corruptioÌ„ law into conteÌ„pt mercy is laughed and godlinesse goeth into hypocrisie execution of lawes against Gods enemies and the enemies of this Church and Commonwealth is the marke that is leuelled at and why should it not be hit since diuinitie and godly pollicie wil haue it so Wherfore although this point hath been no doubt handled religiously and zealously of the learned both in preaching and in writing yet since it fitteth this place so well I purpose to speake of it briefely and distinctly and proue that both diuinitie and Christian pollicie require that sharpe execution be vsed in punishing the enemies of the Church The first reason prouing by diuinitie that lawes ought sharpely to be executed vpon papistes and all idolatrous heretikes God commaundeth Foxes to be 〈◊〉 THat which the Lord commandeth must be don without mammering staggering doubting or delay But he commaundeth Foxes to be taken and execution of lawes to be done against them Therefore Christian Princes and Magistrates doe but their duties in rooting out such noysome vermine as destroy the vines If there arise among you c. Deut. 13.1.2 Cantic 2.16 Deut. 7.1.2 Galat. 5.12 Take vs the Foxes the little Foxes which destroy the vines when the Lord shall haue brought into the land whither thou goest to possesse it c. I woulde saith the Apostle they were cut off which trouble you The second Reason THat which the godly magistrates haue done in defacing the Lords enemies and defilers of his worship Presidents for Christian rulers that ought stil to be performed of Christian rulers in the like cause But they haue remoued destroied the enemies of his truth and peruerters of his seruice as their examples may be remembred Therfore Christian magistrates in the same cause ought to shew the same zeale When the golden Calfe was erected to Idolatrie Moses Moses willed them to arme their hands and to sheath their swords in the intrals of their nearest kinsmen to make hauocke of their liues and he calleth it a sanctifying of their hands to the Lord. And how What manner of holines was that Truly euen to kill the Idolaters and to put the corrupters of religion to death And whom commaunded
he to doe it Euen the Leuites euen those which ought to haue been the mirrours of all pitie and compassion euen the priestes which God had dedicated to himselfe must be the executors of his rigor And vpō whom Euen vpon their owne kinsmen Thus the mildest man that euer was behaued himselfe against Gods enemies for he was zealous in the cause of the highest This was much but Asa Asa did as much as he For he put away the Sodomites and banished the Idolaters out of the land he remoued Maacha his mother and tooke the crowne from her head because she offered sacrifice to Priapus and gaue commandement that whosoeuer would not worship the Lord God of Israel should be slaine from the greatest to the smallest This was much but Iehu did as much as Asa For he killed all the Prophets of Baal and suffered not one of them to liue he defaced the Temple of their Gods and made a draught house of it for euer What wonderfull things did those good Kings Ezekias and Iosias in their daies The one spared not an Idolater in the land the other being but a young prince was so zealous in the behalfe of his God that he put the idolatrous priestes to death burnt their bones and sacrificed them vpon their owne Altars as the bookes of the Chronicles and Kings of Iuda do declare These are good presidents for Christian princes to follow neither was there more need at any time to draw the sword against prophaners of the Lords seruice For there is sprung vp a mightie generation of wicked and disloyall men to disturbe vs of disobedient and vntoward children to prouoke vs of deceitfull and halting hypocrites to disquiet vs of Romish Baalims stragling extrauagants to withdraw vs from the worship of our God The third Reason Papistes conuicted of high treason HIgh treasons are in their true natures offences against the highest Maiesty for treason is called crimen laesae maiestatis that is tending either to the destruction of their persons or defacement of their dignities But the papistes although they denie not the person yet debase they the authoritie of the sonne of God Therefore papistes are guiltie of highest treason How many and how horrible treasons they commit against Iesus Christ it will be too long to rehearse yet because euerie one to whose vew these my labours shal be offered may see how iustly they are conuicted I will but glance at some of the chiefest First of all therefore vnderstand you I speake to the vulgar sort which doe not so thoroughly cōceiue of these matters that the Apostolicall Church of Rome hath degraded our Lord Iesus of all his degrees Christ degraded of all his dignities by the Catholiks his dignitie royall his state propheticall and his priesthood In respect of his dignitie royall wee say that vnto him alone it appertaineth to commaund and forbid Iohn 13.13 1. Cor. 5.4 Apoc. 3.7 to iudge and absolue hauing the keyes to open to shut so that it is not lawfull for any no not for the Angels themselues to make a law to bind the conscience nor to establish in any point cōcerning the substance of it the gouernment of the Church The reason is euident because we are forbidden to ad or diminish any thing from the commaundementes of the lawgiuer as also to make new ordinances Deu. 4.2.12.32 Esay 29.13 Coloss 2.8 1. Cor. 7.23 and all the commandements of man in the matter of this spirituall kingdome are once for all declared to be nullities Now these traitours incroch vpon his prerogatiues Papistes traitours against Christ his roiall dignitie Christ more be holden to Pilate then to the Papistes Math. 26. by ordering the estate of the house of this king contrarie to his owne expresse will in eclipsing some of his lawes in establishing others altogether new So that Christ may seeme to be much and more beholden to Pilate then to these kind of teachers for he writ him king of the Iewes though he knew not what he did for which cause the Pharisees were angrie with him but these write him king of the Church yet they crown him with thornes and giue him a reed in steed of a scepter As for his propheticall soueraigne authoritie by the spirit of whom all the auncient Prophets spak who afterwards plenarily in his owne person declared the will of his father hath since his ascending into heauen vntill he returne not to teach but to iudge continued to declare the same vnto the world by his faithfull Apostles how is it possible more in this point to betray him whom we are bound to heare in paine of extermination Papists traitors to Christ his Propheticall state and how then first by falsifying that which he preached both by adding to and clipping from and secondly by forbidding his word to be read vnto all nations kindreds in a knowne language fearing say they least men should become heretikes that is least light ingender darkenes and truth lying and what is this but neither to enter themselues Math. 5. The priesthood of Christ according to the scriptures nor yet to let others and to hide the light vnder a bushell The third office which is his priesthood consisteth in two principal points In our redemption in his intercession our redemption hath two parts expiation and sanctification In expiation behold foure speciall points first that the word betokeneth a full and entire paiment of all that is due vnto God Secondly that which is due is death according to the sentence giuen by God himselfe Gen. 2.17 Rom. 5.12.6 23 vnderstanding by death not onely the separation of the soule from the bodie which is called the first death Genesis 3.19 whence followeth putrefaction of the bodie in the graue but the second death also which is the frightfull yre and malediction of God reuenging with all perpetuitie sinne in the bodie and soule of the sinner which horrible state is eternall in the diuell and the damned Thirdly this expiation betokeneth not the payment for one sinner but for all sinners I meane the elect which haue been are or shall be to the ende of the world not of one sinne but of all sinnes except that against the holy ghost which is vnpardonable Fourthly this paiment was to be offered by him who in respect of himselfe should be no way bound to this malediction but a pledge suretie for others Now of sinnes or debts to be paied there be two kindes Hebr 7.22 some originall some actuall originall sinne must be considered in two diuers respectes first touching the corruption of the whole man which is as it were the essence of this sinne Secondly touching that which followeth it namely that which makes vs children of wrath worthie of the curse of God from our conception This is it we teach and build out of the word of God In this behold how many waies the papistes play the traitors
haue laboured to poyson the synceritie of our faith Worthie Whitakers Whitakers of neuer dying fame small cause hath Rome to vaunt her Bellarmine or Louan to admire her Stapleton ours had he not been enchanted by thee both wounded Profound Fulke Fulke whose truth and great trauaile the Church of God hath tried many a Foxe hast thou had in chase not able to abide thy hot pursuite Who euer gaue the dare and thou diddest not receiue the challenge Humfrey Humfrey of much reading in thy time wast thou a chiefe hunter of the Romish Foxe How oft from chaire of truth hast thou confuted their lying falsehoods Reynolds Reynolds as thou hast Rainard the olde Foxe and his cubs in chase so God according to his good will giue thee long life still to hunt and pursue them that by the fire of Gods word the chaffe of their lies may be cōsumed I might take occasion in this place to vrge soundnes and synceritie in setting this toyle of the word For it is not decrees of Popes nor determinations of Councels not Cicero his eloquence nor Aristotle his philosophy Gods word purely preached transformeth Foxes into sheepe that can cōuert a sinner or transforme a Foxe into a sheepe but it is the law of God truly taught and opened that reduceth men from their errours and deformities and bringeth them into the perfit path of health and saluation I say the preaching of the word accompanied with the assistance of the spirit For it is not in man neither in whole nor in part to draw men vnto God to open their eies to bore their eares to illumine their minds or open their hearts No no to fit the ground to receiue the seed to make it bud and blossome and bring forth fruit is the worke of the onely sonne of righteousnesse who giueth repentance and remission of sinnes vnto his Israel If the wicked and vngodly will needs be so wilfull Good lawes a needfull toile whereby to take Foxes as to refuse the ministerie of the word then the Magistrates must pitch the toiles of Gods lawes which are the verie life and soule of the Commonwealth as Tully saith in his Oration for Cluentius Neither is any commonwealth more able to vse her owne parts without the helpe of good lawes then the bodie of a man can exercise the due operations without vnderstanding And therefore is it said of Aristotle that the sunne is not more needfull to the world then good and wholesome lawes are to the preseruation of the Commonwealth For as the sunne by his heate and influence doth nourish plantes trees and hearbes comfort also and giue strength vnto them to exercise their seuerall properties so good lawes nourish and maintaine the flourishing state of kingdomes as on the other side without these there can be nothing else but disorder and vtter confusion But yet it may not be forgotten Execution the life of the law that as good lawes are the liues of Commonwealths so execution is the life of the lawe for lawes are better vnmade then vnkept and our lawes seeme like to Spiders webbes where-through the buzzing Bees Hornets or horse-flies doe breake but the poore feeble flies hang fast If this were not so you should haue fewer Gentlemen theeues fewer Gentlemen adulterers fewer Gentlemen idolaters And who knoweth not that although a Citie were defended with walles of Brasse yet if there want men and munition in time they will be beaten downe euen so though lawes were neuer so wisely made yet if they want such as shall vrge their obedience and defend them they will soone prooue nothing worth Therefore the saying of Solon is worthie remembraunce who being asked when the Commonwealth did most flourish aunswered when the people obey the Magistrate and the Magistrate obeyeth the lawe Againe for the right proceeding in iudgement against hereticall persons Two things to be reproued in an heretike you must consider that there be two things worthie to bee reprooued in an hereticke-seducer for a difference is to be made betwixt the seducer the grand Captaine or Ringleader and the poore seelie wretch seduced Now in the seducer there is first his heresie and secondly the scatteringe of his heresie whereby he goeth about to infect and poyson others These seed-men of superstition and hereticall scatterers must be better looked vnto that the multitude may be saued from seduction Seducing heretikes or else great danger will growe not onely to Christ his Church by poisoning and peruerting the puritie of religion but to the state of the land by daily addition of strength to the Romish faction It is too well knowne how fast our Papists doe encrease in many parts of this land and how daily one draweth another into the pit of perdition surely the fault is either in the minister or magistrate or else in both But this is a sure thing that as Poperie getteth ground so the Gospell looseth ground and where superstitiō swimmeth there religion sincketh Lastly whether they wish the life or the death of her Maiesties person by whose most gracious gouernment true religion is continued who are so hotly deuoted to superstition let the former reasons against all perfect papists determine Seduced people As for the seduced and poore deceiued wretches all meanes are to be practised for their conuersions but when as once it is proued that they are not onely ignorant but obstinately and wilfully ignorant and that the more they be forborne the lesse they are reformed like vnto the vine that prospereth with no pruning or the hearb that withereth with watering what can remaine else but that where milde and temperate medicines can take no effect there be vsed violent meanes as sharpe corosiues and why not cauterie incision least that greater inconuenience grow either by example which giueth encouragement or by corruption which comes by their companie Therefore the wholesome counsell of the Poet is to be hearkened vnto where he saith Cuncta prius tentanda sed immedicabile vulnus When incision is to be vsed Ense recidendum ne pars sincera trahaetur To salue the sore first trie each way If curelesse thou it see Then cauterize least sounder parts Therewith attainted be For experience plainely teacheth that the Cancer consumes the Rose the Caterpiller eates the fruite the sore eye infects the sound that pitch defileth that leauen sowreth that scabde sheepe infecte the flocke I will end this point affirming thus much that since all may in freedome doe well without feare it were lamentable that any should haue libertie to doe wickedly with fauour I will speake a little of the miserable end of traitors and so conclude The miserable end of traytors in reading either the booke of God or other histories we shall hardly find that traytors haue closed vp their eyes with honour Sellam conspired against Zacharias the King of Israel and slew him but within one moneth after he himselfe was slaine of Manahem 4. King 15 Peka conspired against Pekaiam but after was slaine of Oseas But what should I light a candle at noone day We our selues are eye-witnesses that very seldome traitors go down to the graue in peace Ambitious Richard the vsurper because he was notorious Richard the Vsurper shall here be remembred who to make the way to his hautie desire of Soueraigntie spared neither age affinitie nor degree vntill he had got the regall diademe and then thought he himselfe so surely grounded that he might bid defiance to heauen and earth but see his end he was slaine in the field and being disarmed and stripped was throwne ouerthwart an horse backe with his face downeward and daubed with dirt brought from Bosworth to Leicester and there in stead of a princely funerall had for his Herauld infamie shame for his shrouding sheete and neuer dying obloquie for his sepulcher Sir Iames Tyrrel mounted aloft Sir Iames Tyrrell Myles Forrest Iesabel sentenceth Traitours for murthering the young King was himselfe beheaded by Henry the seuenth Miles Forrest a cursed catife did rot away peece meale Iesabel although an abominable wretch yet truelie thought that a traiterous life could seldome end with an happie death Had Zimri peace that slew his master Which speech although it were grounded vpon a false coniecture because that burthen by Gods appointment was laide vpon the house of Achab and Iehu particularlie deputed to that charge whereas Zimri had no commission to goe so far yet implieth it this much that shee thought treason an odious crime and that vengeance must needes follow it at the heeles and haue we not had most manifest experience of it in this land within these few yeares How many Iesuites in profession Iscariots in practise haue visited Tyburne How many Foxe-priests haue taken their farewell at the gallowes And although Rome hath lately beautified them with the title of Martyrs whom either male-contentednes or malice caused to be treacherous to their Prince yet is it a thing euident that rebellion not religion treason not truth hath brought them to the halter The almighty God that gouerneth heauen earth stil dissipate their deuices and confound their counsels that all such as seeke by treason to supplant Englands state by sedition to sell her honour or by rebellion to scatter her peace may still receiue such iust reward for their demerits as heretofore they haue done Amen FINIS
a whore in the companie There is none so arrant a whore in the world as the strumpet of Babilon Perfit papists the woorst knot of theeues and why who is an actuall dealer in wicked and vngodly practises against all Kings and kingdomes Then whether hearts hating Gods truth which should rightly enforme them and carousing of this whorish cup which doth strangly enchaunt them be faithfull to her princely person or peace of this realme I commend it to the iudgment of all them that loue our prosperitie The second reason THey that beleeue the Pope to haue the disposition of Gods sentence Papists beleeue the Popes sentence of excōmunication against the Queene doe also suppose that Queene Elizabeth is not lawfull Queene of England because the Pope doth not accept her so But our Romish catholikes beleeue that the Pope hath power to anathematize and to dispose the sentence of excommunication and consequently hold that her Maiestie is not lawfull Queene of England because the Pope doth not so accept her Therefore perfect papists are traiterously minded to the happie state of England This reason would be deeplie pondered for since the old Foxe hath excommunicated and cursed her royall person and the yong Foxes beleeue also according to his distilled opinion into their mindes that hee doth this pro suo iure then this is the consequent that all their kindnesse and courtesies all friendly countenances and conformities all loyaltie and allegiance all seruice and obedience is but from hollow hearts extorted and not in any true loue performed either to the saftie of the Queenes Maiestie or to the fortifying of this land against foraine danger because they carrie no other opinion of her and her louing people than the Pope himselfe hath published In good sooth this geare would make worke for the hangeman if it were thoroughly sifted for of necessitie to this confession of traitorousnes must all be driuen that meane to continew perfect papists The third reason THey that carie a countenance conformable to her Maiesties lawes no longer then it stands with the Popes pleasure Papisty obedience but at the Popes pleasure can bee no true harted subiects But perfit Papists obey her Maiesties lawes no longer then it stands with the liking of the Pope as the Iesuit Hart sometimes confessed Therefore perfect Papists can bee no good subiects Here let the true subiects vnderstand that the Pope hath powred an opinion into his papists Greater cause to feare then to trust them that Kings and princes if he dispence with them may breake their faith and promise that nulla fides est seruanda cum haereticis no faith is to be kept with Gods friends and his foes that Papists with liberall permission may sweare and vnsweare if aduantageable oportunitie doe occurre which since that they do beleeue to stād in his power to dispence withall and that he is both able to pardō them and willing to reward them yea that it is within his reach not onely to giue them the kingdome of England but the kingdome of heauen also then let them sweare their protestations are not worth the paring of a rotten apple their obedience is but at the Popes ad placitum Whereupon ariseth a good caueat that we rather tie short then trust a two-legged Foxe The fourth reason THey that receiue entertaine read and recommend such lying libels and hart-stealing pamphlets Papists reade and recommend popish libels as wherby her Maiesties right is impeached her regiment reuiled her title of supremacie defaced her faith defamed christian religion nourished by her called hereticall deuilish and damnable and the professours thereof worse then nullifidians and infidelious Atheists can be no good subiects But this is the dealing of our perfect Papists Therefore the conclusion followeth that such can be no good subiects Manie wicked and traitrous pamphlets haue beene scattered in this realme to darken the glorie of the Lords annoynted to weaken the good willes of her highnes louing subiects to winne worthlesse male-contented malicious wretches treacherously to conspire with our sworne enemies whereby to fortifie the Romish faction These haue and doe want no fauourers to scatter them in corners to send them to their louers to commend their substantialnes as matters vnaunswerable both such merchants as send them and such brokers as vtter such Babilonish wares are right worthie to pay their heart bloud for custome The fift reason THey that receiue pardons Papists receiue pardons to free them from loyaltie absolutions and such like stuffe to exempt and free themselues from loyall obedience are but subiects in show watching their times to worke their owne willes But our absolute Romaine catholikes receiue pardons and absolutions to acquite them from dutifull allegiance Therefore shake a perfit papist out of the masking weede of his pretended conformitie and then shall you finde that an heart deuoutly affected to the Romish religion is as deeply infected with the venome of treason Gregorie 13. Pius 5. Sixtus 5. The dealings of the Popes is not vnknowne of Gregorie the 13. Pius 5. and Sixtus 5. who labouring our subuersion by Englands vnnaturall children haue sent their pardons and absolutions to free them from subiection a thing abhorring from all religion hated of the heathen the age present loathes it and succeeding posteritie shall be astonished to heare of such cruelties The sixt reason The Pope erecteth seminaries for the hatching of Foxe-priests and catholikes receiue them to nursing THey for whose catholike good the Pope pretends the erecting of his seminaries and therefore receiue from thence such subtill treacherous and disloyall wretches as infect them with poyson and perswade them to treason cannot bee faithfull and true hearted subiects But the Pope maketh his catholikes beleeue that he erecteth seminaries for their good and they also receiue and entertaine his Iesuits and Foxe-preists issuing out of those dennes of Idolatrie Therefore the conclusion followeth that such can be no good subiects Parsons Campion and Hart Parsons Campion with the rest cast in the Popes mould and fitted for the seruice of the beast that sits vpon the seuen hilles haue wanted no entertainment in this land in their times although there were nothing more intended of them then this namely to set the subiects against their prince Englishmen against their owne countrie as leaue was giuen to Parsons and Campion by Gregorie 13. 1580. Aprill 14. to interpret the Bull of Pius quintus The seuenth reason THey that are wearie of these dayes Papists gape for a golden day and liue inhope of another world which in their ordinarie by-word they call their golden day or yeare of Iubilee can be no faithfull subiects to her by whose gracious gouernment these dayes are continued But the papists are wearie of these daies and languish in looking for their golden day which almightie God send them in leaden haste Therefore papists can bee no good subiects That the papists are wearie