did vnto them procure The name of iudifferenttolleration could not be endured in the dayes of Qu. Elizabeth The papists in the time of our late Qu. were alwayes ouerthrowne in the least occation of their hope The hope of the papists the effects therof The God of heauen our godly king on earth doe despise the secret imaginations of the Papists 1. Sam. chap. 15. ver 32. 33. The sword of iustice cannot take to strike a course againgst the enemie of God Parsons and Sanders on the behalfe of the Papists haue in their printed books affirmed that ourlate Queen was a cruell tyrant they affirm that Q Mary was more merciful to the protestants then E. vnto their named Catholikes The Papistes haue intituled the infant of Spaine vnto the crown of England The secret intention of the Papistes is meerely trecherous both vnto the king and publike state All well affected people do reioyce in the establishing of our now renowned king The well ordering of diuine things is chiefely to be respected in a kingdomes gouernment Aaronthough he were the high Priest vn to God yet was he subiect vnto Moses vnto whom was reserued the supremacy of kingly honou for he was vnto Aaron in the stead of God Exod. 4. ver 6. Kings princes in cause diuine should not command vnto their subiects thinges contrary vnto the word of God Disobedience vnto the word of God bringeth confusion vpon prince and people The peace of Englands happinnesse hath beene continued by the ministrie of the Gospel Kings princes in their seuerall kingdomes haue authoritie to reforme those things that are amisse in the Church of God Salomons song ca. 6. ver 10. 11. Improptiatiōs are the hinderance of a learned ministery Faith doth onely iustifie before God but good works doth iustifie our faith before men Iude. v. 12. 13. Isa. 56. v. 10. 11 Eze. cap. 13. 4. Ier. c. 23. v. 1. 2 A description of vngodly ministers The author doth professe himselfe to be no Brownest 1. Pet. ca. 5. v. 3 Oecumenius in t. a. Tim. cap. 1. 2. idem in 4. * 5. Pri matii praefatio in 1. ad Tit. 1. Tim. 6. 14 S. Ambrose in 1. ad Tim. c. 3. That the members of the church should not contend about the titles of bishops The maner how and cause why the Pope refused to bee ruled by the word of God Eusebeus lib. 7 cap 3 he deriueth the successiōs of Bishops in the 4. principall churches of the world Ierusalem Antioch Rome Alexandria from the Apostles age vnto the counsell of Nice A. 320 The reason why the author hopeth that the defects in the Church wil be amended 1. Con Carth. 3. cap. 22. S. Ambrose in 1. ad Tim. ca. 6 A description of godly ministers Esay cap. 62 v 6. 7. A godly reuerent wise and learned ministry is the beauty of the church A well minded Souldier neuer wisheth warre vnto his countries preiudice nor peace vnto his kinges dishonor A discription of our Englands peace An admonision vnto England generaly The happy estate of Eng. if her people shall obey the lawes of God English men haue beene admired and feared for their deeds in warre Warre is the shield of iustice ought not to be vsed but when iustice puts it on Peace ought to be the mother and the nurse vnto the child of warre and so bring vp wars children vnderh as that they might be able to defend their mothers right when iust occasion cals for them Tac liber 6. The state of Holland from Rome and Spaine deliuered God hath iustified their proceedinees with coutinuall blessings The Romanes taught their children how to fight and did euery 101. yeares with great solemnity record the actions by their people done in haughty deedes of armes Horace Certus vndenos decies per Annos Orbis vt cantus referat quaeludos
meanes of heauens Elizabeth And when this glorious England seemed to feare if selfe being mourner-mourner-like wrapde vp in sable blackenesse and timerous mindes speaking to themselues that their best dayes were past and dangerous times were neare at hand the sillie Lambes that feared the tyrannie of the Romane Woolfe wept in their thoughts and did this question aske Where shall we sing our songs of Sionnow The Woolfes they met in flockes togither hoping that their long wishde for time was come when they againe should glut themselues with bloud the rich did feare to loose their wealth the poor did feare to loose their liues the vilder sort did hope to liue vp on their countries spoile And when this cloude of danger had brought it selfe euen vnto the strength of his supposde combustion then as a vapor into ayre dissolued were all the meateors that did seeme prodegious for the liuing mistres of our happines did in her life time bequeath her crowne to him whose right it was and when her soule was vnto heauen ascended forth with heauens God into the mouth of Englandes nobles put the name of him who by their Queene was named to be their soueraigne and they togither with vnited loue did vnto Englands commons straight praclaim that great King Iames was made their lawful king Then Englande did vnto her selfe retaine the vigor of her former strength and the beautie of her glorie was presently sequestred from all occasions that might diminish extinguish or in the least sorte eclipse the Sunne-shine of her precedent dignitie neuer was a land to God more bounde then England is for this aboundant mercie who hath vnto vs raysde a King not onely heyre vnto Elizaes Crowne but also an inheritor of all those gracious vertues wherwith her righteous soule is crowned And now my soueraigne Lord from saint Elisa to your godly selfe discended is her kingdoms gouernment and all the Saints on earth within the limits of your large and spacious confines doe humbly wayte vpon the assurance of your blessed hope And for your royall hand hath manifested that your princely heart obeyeth the precepts of heauens written worde what should I say but certainly resolue your royall selfe descending from a race of Kings and from that mightie King whose euerconquering arme at first did breake the heade of Romes vsurpde authoritie that now the mightie God of heauen whose wrath hath alwayes threatned the destruction of that Babilonian Whoore hath raysed vp your regall Maiestie to breake the necke and backe of that soule deuouring beast so as the Dragon and his Angels shall no longer rule in Christendome nor shall the nations of the earth continue to be deceiued with the infectious Locusts of their lyes and heresies but his kingdome shall bee razed to the earth and the worlde shall wonder at his destructions ouerthrow sure I am this truth must come to passe before the second comming of the king Christ Iesus since whose being vpon the earth vntill this present time there neuer was a true beleeuing king remooued from the Popes authoritie and yeelding to the gouernment of Christ that was of so absolute a power to bring to passe the prophecies against the Citie of Rome as is your maiestie vndoubtedly my soueraigne Lord this relying age is leaning to the latter ende of time and all the signes forerunniug the day of iudgement haue put themselues into a perfect view the reuolution of the heauens being so shaken as that the planets are remoued from their wonted stations one hauing stept into an others place and this massy globe of earth hath oft with fearefull earthquakes trembled the seuenth and last Angell in the Reuelation specified hath as it well was calculated by a reuerend and learned minister in your Scotlands kingdome beene sounding the last generall summons for this already fiftie fiue yeares past and time it selfe hath almost brought his course vnto a whole vnited period whereby is threatned more then ordinarie change And at this present your kingly selfe hauing as it were by miracle been vntil this time preserued and now being created Gods great Lieutenant vpon earth and the onely warriour and chiefe Champion for his Iesus Christ why should not euery Christian souldier then resolue that your magnanimious spirit and glorious race from you proceeding shall be the guard vnto the Church of God bring confusion vpon all her enemies For as from the roote of righteous Iesse did proceede the liniall race whence Christ himselfe descended so vnto me it seemeth that heauens eternall King in his secrete wisdome knowing the worlde is measured with a little length hath raysde you vppe most mightie Prince that from your righteous selfe might spring a glorious ranke of godly and religious Kinges and Queenes that might vnto the Nations of the earth maintaine the glorie of his heauenly name vntill himselfe shall in the Cloudes appeare and summon all the world vnto a generall iudgement Worlds peerelesse Prince and my renowned Soueraigne the consideration of these things before discribed haue compasde me within a heauen of ioy And though I am the vnwoorthiest of manie thousandes that in your Englande liues and farre vnfitte to vndertake this waightie businesse hauing beene alwayes trayned vp in the exercise of Armes yet for I know there is nothing dignifieth a Souldiers sword so much as well to vnderstand the iustice of the cause for which hee fights I haue in the hope of your Maiesties acceptance aduentured to make this little worke the armour of a Christian Souldiers Resolution and doe resolue for God and for his truth in life and death to vow my selfe a faithfull seruant to you my soueraigne Lord the earths most godly and chiefe Christian king And so much the more haue I tasked my weake and shallow vnderstanding muse to this performance because I must confesse vnto your Maiestie that in a zealous loues affection to your highnesse I haue before this time aduentured to let a little Pamphlet passe vnto a publike view which hath drawne vnto it selfe a partial iudgement from some opinions as I thinke not worthy any great respect for by the idlenes of their inuectiue wordes they seeme to proue that I deserued blame because I dealt so roundly with the sea of Rome which vaine imagination found some shewe of cause to ground it self vpon the present times incertaintie feeming as if they desired to make a doubt whether Religion should stand in that same forme which now it doth or whither it should be brought vnto a more neare affinitie with Gehenna the Antichristian church of Rome When this I heard I could not choose my soueraign Lord but secōd that my foregoing work with this my named Resolution For when I with my self considered how Rome was figured by your owne disoription and sawe with what feruencie of spirite your diuine and sanctified heart did oppose it selfe against that worldes disceiuing irreligious pernicious blasphemous monstrous Pope I could not but in my soule
they turnd loose vnto a daungerous liberty when in the time of our late Queene the smoath coynd name of indifferent tolleration was alwayes counted in it selfe to hold a threatned desolation to the publik state And frō time to time the Lords and Peeres of England assembled in high court of Parliament did with one consent ioyne with our Soueraigne to enact those lawes and Statutes which alwayes did suppresse the least raisde vppe shewe of an Antichristian head And when they were thus confronted by a Mayden Queene and such course taken during the happy time of a womans gouernment vpon whose Sexe a smal perswation is sayd to worke with an accounted greatest force and yet in all those times they could neuer bring to passe the effecting of the leaste materiall substance vpon the gound whereof their weakest hopes were flattered and yet now a swarme of droanes which desires to liue vpon the spoile of the labouring bees sweete hiue flyes bussing vp and downe and sends a whispering noise vnto the eares of men and tels that now they hope the time of their deliuerance draweth neere and that forsooth they shall be smilde vpon with gracious fauour and their long as they say continued hard restraint shal now be pitied and that their supposed holy but vnhallowed patcht together seamerent sacraments shall be quietly amongst themselues administred for either an alteration which desires freely to feed vpon the foode of blaspemie and fat it selfe with this landes confusion or a tolleration secretly bending it selfe to such like purposes shall now say they assuredly be accomplished But as the mightie God of heauen doth in derision laugh their hopes to scorne so doth the great King Iames Englands God on earth in the priuacie of his meditation smile to see a rablement of trayterous mindes and soule deuouring murtherers expect to reape kinde fauours from his kingly hande but so fare they all as did Agag at the handes of Samuel who came smyling forth in the expectation of his supposed libertie So shall it bee vnto them all my Soueraigne Lorde for my Christian Resolution telles my soule that your Highnes is in the zeale of your faithfull thoughts resolued neuer in the least sort to leane vnto their vilde profession And against the aduersaries of God and of his Christ the sword of iustice cannot take too strict a course that valiant Ioshua the first worthiest Worthy stood alwayes cleared from a tyrants name although his powerfull arme did euer execute a strong austere seuerity vpon the heads harts of them that were the foes to God and to his truth the sword of Ioshua in a glorious battell offered vp a pleasing sacrifice vnto the eye of heauen the sight whereof so pleasd the heauens Creator that he gaue power vnto Ioshuas tonge that by his word he did command the Sunne against the nature of her fiery swiftest course to stand and giue him light till he had slaine his enemies fiue mighty kings he trāpled vnder foot was loath to leaue the smalest remnant of their seed Your Maiestie may still bee mercifull as late our Queene Eliza was and for your labour reape her recompence from those your enemies vnto whome your mercy chiefly doth extend it selfe Her Maiestie was by the Papistes in printed bookes accounted farre more tyrannous then was Dioclesian or that murthering Nero Parsons and Sanders in their trayterous libels did liberally affirme so much And I know a Papist ye aliue in England that did verifie vnto my face that Queen Mary was farre more mercifull vnto the Protestants during her raigne then was Elizabeth vnto the Catholikes what thanks your gratious lenity shall reape from such like minded men Your Maiestie can with best commended wisedom iudge how they affect the right of your succession their Dolmans Booke doth plainly specifie in which with cunning shews strange deriued pedegrees vprearde mountaine-lyes they haue intituled the Infant of Spaine to your inheritance and striued with a diuels inuented policie to dispossesse your Maiestie of your lawfull right this course they tooke before you were their king and since that time as by a truth which my selfe reueald vnto the Lords of your most Honourable Priuie Councell it seemeth that your Englands Papists haue amongst themselues aduentured to calculate the number of your dayes on earth if your Highnes shall deny to graunt one of the two before deseribed dangerous extreams which are either alteration or tolleration in religion so as what loyalty is to be expected frō their hands more then by constraint your Maiesty may directlie iudge And therefore because I know the remnant of these Roman Moabites will be the cōtinuall sowers of seditious seed and dangerous dissturbers of your Englands publike weale I could be contēt to wish for Gods glory my countries good the safty of your royall selfe and security of all your princely progeny that the whole packe of Papists were sent vnto their Holy father the Pope that they euen in his Citty Rome might stand together vnder the safe protection of the Popes abhominable blessing meane while during their stay if so they dare but once beginne to stirre I doubt not but al the argumentes wherewith they finely vse to pleade will bring themselues to bee deuided into fiue seuerall partes which deuision will in England worke Romes dissolution and in time I hope the gates of Rome will all bee ramparde vp so as we shall no more be troubled with his stragling runnagates but that the Pope shall bee enforced to liue within himselfe and onely take the profite that his town allowes his contributary whores can pay him 30. thousand pounds a yeare and no doubt he hath many other such like honest helpes Assuredly the times will shortly come when all the true religious kinges in Christendome will ioyne together and fire his sinke of sin about his eares And thus my soueraigne Lord with further ioyfull hope then is as yet reuealde by mee vnto the vnstaynde beauty of your princely Maiestie my resolution humbly bringes it selfe and though perhaps the Diuell will shortly roare and send abroad his instrumentes to holde his kingdome vppe Yet most puisant and valuorous minded Prince I know your kingly heart being indued as it is with true prowes and perfect fortitude can not endure the operation of timerous effectes but your kingly wisedome will prudently preuent all the occasions whence those monsters are begoten stand fast therefore God frō heauen wil giue vnto your maiestie a powerfull vncontrouled strēgth And by the best cōmended ordinary meanes the better to protect your safety I make no doubt but your highnes shal be continually attended with honorable valiant wise faithfull gentlemen whose loyall harts will carefully defend the safety of your royal person sure I am the subiects of your kingdom generally vnles some few scattered cōpanies of Romā straglers do in their soules reioice that God hath raysde
VNTO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE Prince his Soueraigne Lord King IAMES A poore Subiect sendeth A Souldiors Resolution humbly to waite vpon his Maiestie IN THIS LITTLE Booke the godly Vertues of our Mighty King are specified with disscription of our late Queene and still renowned ELIZAS Gouernement The Pope and Papists are in their colours set forth their purposes laid open and their hopes dissolued the happie peace of England is well described and the long continuance thereof humbly prayed for LONDON Printed by Iohn Windet for Walter Burre dwelling in Paules Churchyeard at the Signe of the Crane 1603. TO THE MOST High and Mighty Prince IAMES by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland defender of the Faith c. MAY it please your Maiestie when I consider my owne vnworthines I checke my selfe for my presumption in that I haue aduentured to write vnto a Prince of so great power and wisedom as is your kingly selfe but when I do remember that your Highnes desireth to be approued a good poore mans King then in the hope of your gratious acceptance I not repent the little labour that I haue bestowed in which the clearenes of my conscience beares me vp and makes me hope that in my vpright course I shall not in the least sort displease the mightines of your great maiestie I haue like a Soldier hent my selfe against your publike enemies and the foes of Christ in the iustice of which course my resolution hath resolued in life and death to doe your Highnes faithfull and obedient seruice your poorest subict my renowned Soueraign humbly entreateth that you would be pleased gratiousely for to accept this his trifeling gift and with your mercies eye to view the lines vnto your princelie selfe directed and if they shall procure your content your seruant then receiues the fulnes of his ioy and gaines vnto himselfe his most desired recompence with all submission he referreth himselfe and this his worke to be censured by your Maiestie vnto whome he wisheth Salomons wisedome Dauids heart and Ioshuas courage with al the best cōmended vertues which did attend on them that Englands king may be a mirror to the world and that the nations of the earth may wonder at the long continuance of your most happy and princely gouernment Your Maiesties poorest Subiect ROBERT PRICKET A SOVLDIERS Resolution MOst mightie Prince the Angelicall graces wherewith your kingly spirit is indued the diuine excellencie of whose vertues worthinesse your royal hand hath in heauenly lines vnto the worlde commended as an apparant testimonie of your sound belief arightly grounded vpon the corner stone Christ Iesus by the grace of whose asistance your sacred Maiestie is made to be the worlds chiefe Christian king so that in all the kingdomes of the earth that doth homage to the name of Christ there is not any Prince of so absolute a power being arightly incorporated in the proper strength of his owne inheritance that can cōpare with the greatnes of your Magnificence nor is their any king vnder the heauens great Canopie that standeth like your royall selfe so clearly sequestred from the Romane Antichristian leprosie the demonstration of which apparant truth doeth vndoubtedly prognosticate that God hath raisde your highnesse vp vnto the throne of royall dignitie that by the happines of your godly gouernment you may encrease beautifie the glorious kindgom of his blessed Son And that your Maiestie like a most valiant victorious and triumphant captaine vnder the banner of the worlds Redeemer Christ should with maiesticke power confront and vnderneath your princely foote treade downe all oppositions that by secret plots of diuelish treacherie or publike force of hostile armes dares but presume by their tirannicall aspiring menaces to threaten the ruine of the house of God And as the Church in Englande hath for these last precedent foure and fortie yeares beene ruled by a godly religious maiden Queene renownde Elizabeth of famous memorie vnto the glorie of whose vertuous gouernment may with a Christian consideration be ascribed the long-agoe prophetical wonder seene in heauen Of a woman cloathed with the Sunne in whome the Church was figured compassed about with the illustrate and shining beames of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. And vnderneath her feet the wauering and vnconstant Moone was put For by her meanes from forth the Church was cast the vaine inconstant mutabilities of Romes inuented straunge traditions And vppon her head a crowne of twelue starres stoode which did foreshew as was by her made manifest that from the doctrine of the twelue Apostles should deriued be the forme and order of her gouernment the brightnesse of whose illuminating light shoulde with an vncontrolled power from forth her kingdome driue the loathsome darknesse of that soules poysoning contagious smoke which flies from forth that hell-borne pit the gulfe of Antichrist And in despite of that great red Dragon hauing seuen heades and ten hornes seuen crownes vpon his heades By which is mentioned the diuel the Pope Spaine Monkes Friers Iesuites and Seminaries with the rabblement of that Antichristian power burning with furie agaynst the Spouse of Christ hauing made themselues red with the effusion of those streames of bloud which their cruelties caused to gush forth from the innocent bodies of thousād martired Saints yet maugre the force of al their hellish tyrannising rage diuine Eliza during all the time of her most happy blessed peaceful and victorious raigne trauelled in the desire of her religious care to be a gratious mother and a tender nurse vnto the children of the Church of God and in the continuance of her now out dated and yet datelesse time her subiects being fed with the Nectar and Ambrosia of a heauenly diet by the ministry of that euer-enduring truth contained in the canonicall Scriptures of the olde and new testament many thousandes were begoten vnto Christ and taught arightly how to ground their faith vpō the al and onely sufficient sure foundation of their redeemers loue That plain and simple people in her land could with diuine and godly wisedome maintaine the argument of their faithes beliefe against the cunning coosening sophistry of a pernicious Popish Priest But now that our late mayden Queene whose sanctified soule vnto her God brought forth so many Saints hath left this earth to bee a Saint in heauen whither should my eyes returne themselues with ioy vnlesse to looke vpon your Maiestie And in this thought my soule is rauished with a priuate meditation my Countrey England hath stoode as a glorious Cittie built vppon a Mountaines toppe whose beautie wealth strength and gouernment hath lifted vp it selfe with admiration to the world the temple of the house of God was from mount Sion brought and placed in the midst of Englandes territories And since this Island first conuerted was from Pagan Athisme it neuer stoode so dignified by the true profession of a sound religion as now it did by the instrumentall