meanes of heauens Elizabeth And when this glorious England seemed to feare if selfe being 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
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
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
your royall vertuous selfe to bee their righteous king millions of thousands in your England liues whose spirites by the instinct of nature giues themselues to loue the lawfull exercise of Armes they with ioyfull willingnes will waite vpon the summons of their kinges commaund and spend their liues their lands their goods in the performance of faithfull and obedient seruice your England hath for these many yeares obserued the maner of your neighbor bordering kingdoms gouernment with what prudēt wisedom your maiesty did protect the safety of your land the continued true report of your renowned vertues fed your Englands people with delightfull ioy and to their hearts it did a comfort giue when as they thought vpon that blessed hope which built it selfe vpon the well known right of your succession though in christian policie A publike note was taken from the vulgar view yet all the world may witnes that our late Queenerenownde Elizabeth did with her Lordes and honoured Councellers long ago decree to yeeld vnto your Maiestie the proper right of your inheritance and that the people of your kingdom did expect no lesse was certainely approued by that ioyful general applause whichal your Englands subiects gaue when as they heard king Iames proclaimde to be their Soueraigne And now most mightie Prince sith that in despite of Rome the God of heauen hath established your name on earth and made you greater then euer yet was any Christian king and hath in peace confirmed the regall seate of your imperiall throne I make no doubt but your Maiestie with a Christian constancie and religious care will confirme the strength thereof by the inuisible force of a prudent wise godly gouernment which doth vnto two speciall poynts direct it selfe which is vnto the well ordering of diuine and humane things wherein the obedience vnto God belonging doth challenge to it selfe a title Capital the celestiall dignitie whereof is first before all other things in the chiefest place to be preferred Diuine regiment doeth therefore take vnto it selfe the matter of Religion onely and the ordināces to be vsed in the church which in the time of the Law were commanded by God himselfe vnto his seruant Moses and hee by the appointment of God committed the principall charge thereof vnto Aaron and his sonnes and the tribe of Leui but now in the time of the Gospell they were taught and commaunded by Iesus Christ himselfe and by him left vnto his Apostles and from them the principall charge thereof is committed vnto the Bishops and Pastors of the Church And as in the time of the Law Aaron though he were the high priest vnto God and had chiefe authoritie in diuine things yet was not he the king Prince or supreme Magistrate ouer the people of God but that supremacie of kingly honour was giuen vnto Moses who was vnto Aaron in the stead of God and therefore next vnder God Aaron and his sonnes were accounted subiects vnto Moses So in the time of the Gospell though Bishops and Pastors haue the chiefe authoritie to deale with the administration of diuine and holy things yet they nor any of them are the kings princes or supreme Magistrates ouer the people of God and Church of Iesus Christ. But that supremacie of kingly honour is giuen vnto Kings and Princes in their seuarall kingdomes who are vnto Bishops and Pastors in the stead of God And therefore all Bishops and Pastors are to be accounted subiects vnto their seuerall Kings and Princes And as Moses in the diuine ordinances concerning the law of God did commaund nothing vnto Aaron and the tribe of Leui but that he had expresly receyued from the mouth of God So Kings and Princes in the diuine ordinance of the Gospel of Iesus Christ are not to commaund vnto their Bishops and Pastors any other thing then can bee expressely warranted by the doctrine of Christ himselfe or his Apostles Lastly as in the time of the Law the Kings and Princes of Israel and their Priests and Leuits did bring on them and their posterity the eternall curse of God when they fled from the obedience of the Law written by Moses in the old testament of God Euen so in the time of Gospel shall Kings Princes with their Bishops Pastors bring vpō themselues their posteritie the eternall curse of God when they shall flie from the obedience of the Gospel written by the Apostles and Euangelifts and left vnto vs in the new Testament of Iesus Christ in which is contained the freedome libertie and iustification of our best esteemed and most blessed peace And from the obedience therevnto hath proceeded the long continuance of Englands peacefull quietnes and by the meanes thereof most mightie soueraigne your royall person and your Scotlands kingdome from euery threatned danger haue vntill this time most safely beene preserued And for from hence must spring the firme continuance of your royall state and kingdomes blessednesse your righteous soule no doubt will most desire that things diuine be chiefly lookde vnto and because there neuer was a church so rightly ordered but that some errors were therein remaining the reformation whereof did belong vnto the kings vnto whose charge the gouernment thereof in their seuerall kingdoms was principally committed it now therefore remaineth euident that your religious vnderstanding wise diuine and sanctifyed heart will in the beginning of your most happie raigne looke first amiddest your Englandes kingdome with godly care to beautifie the Spouses of Iesus Christ. My Soueraigne Lorde I doubt not but your highnesse will be pleased to obserue the order giuen vnto your princely son the happie comfort of your Englands hope and account it for your greatest honour to see the Church of God well gouerned I am a souldier my most mighty king and my dutie is when iust cause requires to fight for God and for his Church and for you my soueraigne next vnder God within the compasse of your kingdomes confines the onely supreme heade and gouernour Be then most mightie Prince vnder your captaine Christ a glorious instrument as to that ende you were ordained and aboue all things chiefly see his Church to be well ordered O then let your Maiestie vouchsafe with Salomon To walke downe into the Garden of Nuts The Sinagogues congregations in England and see the fruit of the valley see if the Vine buddeth and looke if the Pomegranets flourish Beholde what profite hath proceeded from the doctrine of the Law the Prophets and in many Congregations see nothing that your highnesse can take knowledge of but onely ignorance disobedience and rebellion The fearefull daunger of whose desperate estate is principally occasioned by the want of Pastors able to teach them to vnderstand that peace in whome the lawe and the Prophets is fulfilled and then from the loue of those vngodly guides which taketh vp the place bequeathed to better men let your diuine and heauenly soule as