God against Kinges and their Kingdomes Against God I call them treasons though our Lawe the iudge of ciuill treasons in England haue no such name because the nature of the offence so properlie receiueth that tytle and also the vsuall name of high treason in Iure gentium in the common lawe of Nations and in other languages dooth so plainelie expresse it High treasons are in their true nature offences against high Maiestie that is either to the destruction of the persons or deniall and defacement of the iust dignities and authorities of those that beare the name of Maiestie and to whome the highest duetie of obedience faith and alleageaunce extendeth And therfore is treason called Crimen lesae Maiestatis the crime of violating or abating Maiestie Greater Maiestie then the Maiestie of God cannot be therefore higher and verier treasons then against God cannot be His person cannot be destroyed or touched but his dignitie honour glorie and authoritie may be slaundered and blasphemed and his Subiects who are mortall men may be withdrawne from their due obedience and drawne into rebellion against him And this I say is high treason to God to violate or abate the Maiestie of God and this doo Papists For though God be King of the whole world and so is rightlie called the Lord by vniuersall name yea euen of deuilles yet is his Church his more proper and certaine kingdome whereby he is more restrainedlie and aplie called our King and our Father and so more fitlie called our head in respect of the body which is his Church and not the rest of the world In this Kingdome his highest dignitie is to be the onelie head therof which the Papistes take from him and deriue it to their Pope And though with gloses they excuse it that their Popes take it not from God but vse it vnder God as his Uicares yet must they be admonished that without sufficient deputation and warrant from the King him selfe which the Pope hath not the Subiect to thrust him selfe into the gouernance of the kingdome is high treason where he that being a straunger would séeke to conquere it were but an enimie And so is it rightlie to be saide that the Turke is to God an enimie and the Pope is to God a traitour and all his adherents are principall traitours for treason admitteth no accessaries But now let vs come to that part which toucheth men more néerelie then any loue of God Let vs now sée how they be traytours to Kinges and Kingdomes If we haue minde to sée that Papistes which holde all the Popes doctrine to be true are traytours in déede to Kings and Kingdomes it behooueth vs to call to minde what are the Popes doctrines dooinges and practises concerning the Crownes of Kinges and states of Kingdomes Popes haue challenged and Papistes that affirme the Popes to be frée from error their doctrine to be true and their authoritie to be lawfull doo also holde that it is their due which they challenge that is To haue authority of both Swords Spirituall and Temporall the one in exercise the other in power To haue the disposition of all the Crownes of Christian Princes To haue the iudgement of deciding to whome the right of any kingdome belongeth To haue power for disobedience to him or by his discretiō to transferre the Crownes of Kinges to whome he will To haue lawfull power to giue Kingdomes to prey spoyle and conquest to such as can inuade and possesse them To haue power to assoyle and discharge Christian subiectes from faith and alleageaunce to theyr lawful and naturall Soueraigne Lordes Kinges and Princes To haue power to giue leaue yea commaundement blessing reward forgiuenesse of sinnes and Heauen it selfe to Subiects to rebell against theyr Prince to depose the Prince disherite and destroy him That there is of common right and by the méere lawe of God reserued to the Pope a speciall subiection resorte appellation and obedience of one great part of all Princes Subiectes yea and of all Subiectes of all Princes in one great part of theyr causes Be not these heinous treasons And these cannot be denied to be the naturall and verie treasons of all Papists that is to say of all that depend vpon credite of the Pope that holde him for Gods Uicar for Peters successor for whome Christ prayed that his faith should not fayle that applie to him this title Ad quem perfidia non potest accedere to whome falsehood cannot reach that holde him for a constant Rocke an assured Preacher of trueth an Apostolicall man if he be not some other thing then a man to whome our beléefe is bounden with such other false tytles wherewith Popes themselues haue garnished themselues and theyr Parasites haue ouerloden them Consider the ordinarie practise of Popes and Papistes according to these doctrines and then you shall sée that from the most high treason which the Pope committed against his Soueraigne Lord the Emperour the renting and destructiō of the Empire all the victories and successes of the Saracens and Turkes against Christendome all the tearing away of most noble and large Kingdomes and prouinces from the body of Christianitie all the subduing and thralling of infinite Christian soules to Mahomet and the Deuill all the deposinges murderinges turmoylings ciuill warres debates betwéene Christian Princes shedding of Christian blood indignities and oppressions of Christian Kinges and Emperours conquestes rebellions and mischéefes for these fiue hundred yéeres and aboue are wholly and chéefely to be imputed to the treasons of Popes and Papistes All Grecia sometime most noble and learned yet lamentably rueth it All Affrica the mother of most constaunt Martyres féeleth it The Germane Emperours with most heinous reproches and fowle treading on theyr neckes may not forget it The Kinges of Fraunce and Spaine both at home in their natiue Kingdomes and abroad as well in Naples Sicilie Lombardie as in other territories of Italie and of the Empire haue sharply felt it The Lordes and States of Italie haue béene daylie and long shaken with it The Kinges of England haue béene poysoned whipped beaten with rods murdered deposed the Land giuen in conquest interdited made tributarie robbed pylled and scraped of theyr treasure brought into slauishe subiection depriued of honour and estimation euerie way most villainously abused To let passe the elder times and further Realmes let vs speake of deposing of olde Emperours erecting of newe setting the Sonne against the Father the Subiect against his Lord making them come bare footed themselues with theyr wiues and children long waighting with submission in colde frostes treading on theyr neckes spurning of their Crownes a thousand such abhominable prides of Popes and slaueries of Princes Let vs deale but with our selues and with our owne féeling knowledge and memorie The accursing of King Iohn the receyuing him vassaill the making his Realme subiect and feudatorie to the Pope the arming his Subiects against him
are mur derers of Gods flocke The seuenth conclusion of the causes of supplan ting assured safetie The eight conclusion how tymerous policie is wurst in a good cause The ninth conclusiō of zealous boldnesse in seruing the Queen The tenth conclusion that boldnesse dooth encourage the freendes The eleuenth conclusion of the daunger in medling with a naughty man The twelfth conclusion of tyme. The thirteenth conclusion as good the killing a true mā as sparing a traitour The foureteenth conclusion that the life of a king is the lyfe of his kingdome The fifteenth conclusion the most perillous traytour The sixteenth conclusion of such as stand against the Princes defence The seuenteenth conclusion when God is lesse serued then the deuill The eighteenth conclusiō that no attempt against her Maiestie ought to be accounted a priuate cause The meaning and proofe of the first conclusion Not all Papistes are traitours Note this England Which Papistes are traytours Learned Papists wilfull traitours Treason offence against Maiesty Treason against God Papists violate the Maiestie of God which is high treason against him The Pope an high Traitour against God and the Turke but an enimie Papists Traitours to Kinges and Kingdomes Traiterous doctrines of Popes for Kinges and Kingdomes The Pope will giue heauen to Subiectes to rebell against their Prince Traiterous dooinges of Papistes against Kinges Kingdomes speciall matter for England to marke Behold the horrible pride and villainous dealing of Popes Papistes and slauerie of Princes Example of the Popes Papistes dealing with King Iohn The great deuision between the two noble houses of Lancaster and Yorke caused by the Popish Clergy and Papistes Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury practised the deposing of King Richard the second King Henry the eight assaulted by the Pope and Papistes King Edward the sixt vexed by the Papistes The conspiracie of the late Coūcell of Trent The Pope teacheth to keepe no faith The whoore of Rome an actuall dealer in all wicked practises against Kinges Kingdomes The second conclusion prouing Englishe Papistes traytours to the Queene Papists that hold the Pope head of the Church in England are traytours to her Maiestie Papistes that hold the Popes excommunication against the Queene lawfull are traytours The Pope cannot excommunicate in England vnlesse he had iust authoritie so to doo Papistes drawe obedience from the Queene Papistes meritorious treason Seditious writers that send theyr trayterous Lybelles into England The circūstances of those trayterous Bookes These trayterous Bookes want no fauourers to spread them abroad and to credit them with what cōmendations they may The euyll dealing of Papistes a good lesson for England The third conclusion proouing English papistes traytours to the Realme of England The Papistes reuerence to theyr Pope hath made them carelesse of theyr Prince and Countrie Such an one as alloweth of all these wicked causes must needes be a traytour to his Countrie Clemencie cannot win a Papist whyle he continueth a Papist speciall examples for England to remember All dueties of loue kindred and nature broken by Papistes Example of the Papistes thankefulnes to Bishop Cranmer Example of the Papistes kindnes toward her Maiestie for the great lyberalitie of her most noble Father Papistrie increaseth and flourisheth by lenitie Christian trueth respecteth Heauen and Papistry the world Too much clemencie may be great crueltie A Booke called the Court of Conscience which I entend God aiding me to publish verie shortly God graunt that such Papistes as be enimies to her Maiestie and the Realme may be quickly cutte off
A VVatch-vvoord to Englande To beware of traytours and tretcherous practises which haue beene the ouerthrowe of many famous Kingdomes and common weales ⧠Written by a faithfull affected freend to his Country who desireth God long to blesse it from Traytours and their secret conspiracyes Séene and allowed according to the order appointed in the Quéenes Iniunctions Iosua 1. verse 5. ¶ Take a good hart and be strong feare not I say feare not because that I which am the Lord thy God will be with thee in all thine affayres LONDON Printed for Thomas Hacket and are to be solde at his shop in Lumberd streete vnder the signe of the Popes head 1584. ANglia quae gestatregni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faelix Est pagina hac oculis forma notata tuis Anglorum clypeos Insignia Martia cernis Aptatur meritis digna corona bonis E R In laudem Elyzabethae Reginae TVrba maligna papae tibiterra Britanna minatur Non minus illa ferox Elyzabetha tibi Insidijs vnaes saeuis elapsa tyranni Te magijs ferro sortibus atque tetris Tollere conatus serpens sed quid furor ardens Profuit es Christi qui tuus vnus erat Ingenium pietas virtus te ex omnibus vnam Esse docent in quam nil potuere mali Exemplis varijs opere hoc est res manifesta In quo â—udantur facta nefanda virûm Elyzabetha Deo fidas vt coeperis vni Hostes contundet teque tuosque teget R. W. ⧠To the high mightie and right excellent Princesse Elyzabeth by the grace of God of England Fraunce and Ireland Queene defendresse of the true auncient Catholique and Apostolique Faith c. A. M. her Maiesties most humble Subiect and Seruaunt wisheth continuall felicitie in this world and in the world to come THe consideration of your rare and incomparable Vertues which are such Iewelles of estimation in the eyes and eares of your faithfull Subiectes and the care how to continue and enioye them long which is the study and practise of all them that truely honour you hath constrayned me at this tyme right excellent and famous Queene to exceede the boundes of ordinarie loue which is onelie but to please the eye and to wade into the depth of intire affection wherewith the heart may be oftentimes quieted but hardly throughlie satisfied by reason the conceite taketh so deepe an impression and euery cause concerneth it so neerely as what with hazard of perill and feare to forgoe affection is so vehement as nothing can goe beyond it Let then most noble Queene this my poore affection carie that credite in your Princely minde as your nature affoordeth to euerie louing Subiect and let such account be helde of my earnest intent as both the waightinesse of the cause and circumstaunces of the whole considered shall delyuer reason I in the meane time shall continue in prayer that long this Land may be partaker of your gratious presence and the good will of euery true Subiect may be thankefully entertayned Your Highnesse obedient Subiect and Seruaunt A. M. To the right Honourable Master Thomas Pullison Lord Mayor elected of the famous Cittie of London and to the worshipfull Maister Stephen Slanie and Maister Henrie Billingsley Sheriffes of the same Cittie with all the rest of their vvorshipfull Brethren WE finde it by common experience right Honorable and Worshipfull and the effectes are too much seene and proued amongst vs that as there are many dangerous diseases which happen to a mans body wherof some are so hurtfull to the same and worke by such outragious meanes as they not onely threaten great hazard of death to the body but at length after many calme showers doo vtterly waste and depriue it of lyfe So in a kingdome or common wealth which maye by comparison very well be resembled to a mans body there often chaunceth very sore and doubtfull sicknesses which growe in tyme to such forcible and extreame occasions as they not onely daunger the perishing of the most part but in conclusion worke the vtter ruine and destruction of the whole Yet when the body is offended by sicknesse the freendes of the diseased party do dilligently enquire after Phisitions then what medicines his Arte can deuise or what wholsome potions good councell can minister are presently prepared for ease of his vexation In like manner in any common wealth that is thus touched with any disease that foresheweth peryll euery one that is faithfully affected to the same or imploy theyr liues as they ought for the benefite thereof are bound with heedfull care to seeke remedy for such malladies yea it is a principall article of theyr duety to let slip no occasion that may be iudged helpfull in such a case For if freendshippe cause men for theyr priuate familiars sake to trauayle in knowledge of the cause of his infirmity and then to prouide such apt necessaries as may yeelde hope to qualifie his agony and restore him to his former health much more ought duety to be effectuall in such men as make estimation of theyr Country and common wealth at what tyme any troublesome annoyaunce dooth mollest it or any daunger whatsoeuer may be thought towards it to shew themselues earnest and forward in search of the greefe and then to apply such due and necessary medicines as may expell the very thought of threatned daunger The excellent Historiographer Herodotus sheweth vs a notable example how the Babilonians made this lawe amongst them that when so euer any man fell sicke within their dominions he should presently be brought into the market place there be laid on his bed to the intent that he might demauÌ„d of euery one that came to him whether they had beene troubled with the lyke disease or no and by what means they recouered theyr health that he might by knowledge thereofattayne to the same And by the same lawe lykewise euery man that came to him was bound both to aske the man what sicknesse he had and also to shew him if it lay in him to doo it what might soonest delyuer him from that state By which example euery one that beareth a true faithful zeale to his Countrie and earnestly tendereth the health and wealth thereof when so euer he seeth the body thereof which lyeth open before all mens eyes to be infected or touched with any infirmitie and can eyther by experience or otherwise delyuer what in his conceit may be imagined auayleable he is bouÌ„d in conscience to expresse it and great is the penaltie if he conceale it For in helping the whole body he hath benefite therof himselfe in that he is a member thereof for let the body be sicke the members must needes be partakers of the greefe and at what tyme it findeth health againe the members lykewise haue comfort by the releefe The consideration of these precedentes right Honourable and Worshipfull with the earnest care zeale and loue I beare to my Countrie which
the poysoning of him at length the giuing the Land to the French Kinges sonne the inuading thereof by the Dolphin of Fraunce his so long possessing a great part of it the rebellion of the Barons to take the French mens part all the mischéefes that fell in all this whyle were they not the good workes of Popes and Papistes The great deuision of the two noble houses of Lancaster and Yorke which cost so much Englishe blood that there remayneth no house of high or meane Nobilitie that hath not smarted for it So many foughten fieldes within the Realme so long and so great vncertaintie which side were true men and which were Traitours and for how many dayes or howres they should be so estéemed such desolation and miseries to whome are they to be imputed but to the Popishe Clergie and Papists and among other to Thomas Arundell Archbishoppe of Canterburie that trayterouslie practised the deposing of his lawfull Soueraigne Lord King Richard the second But come yet to later times Howe was the Quéenes Maiesties most noble Father assaulted by the Pope and Papistes His Realme was interdited and giuen away to him that could catch it Legates and one notable English traitour were sent about to perswade Christian Princes to inuade England to destroye and depose King Henrie and to take the Realme in reward for their labour When Charles the late Emperour was setting forward against the Turke Cardinall Poole being sent by the Pope made a solemne Oration to him which is yet extant in print to perswade the Emperour to turne his prepared power from inuading the Turke and to bend it against King Henrie the eight as one wurse then any Turke What turmoile was then raised by the Northren Rebelles against him whereof some by his clemencie a good example haue liued to this day to raise a new rebellion How troubled they her Maiesties most excellent Brother with vnhappy seditions How vexed they and how endaungered they the Realme and the Quéenes own person in her Sisters time as in the Storie before rehearsed you may reade at large What might Charles the Emperour haue doone for recouery and enlarging of Christendome if his force that way intended had not by the Popes practise béene peruerted sundrie wayes and times to â—â—â—in shedding of christian blood and wasting of Christendome and to the ouerthrowe of his victorious course What tempests hath the late conspiracie of Trent blowne vp in Christendome that cannot yet be quieted and all because the Pope hath instilled an opinion into his Papistes that Princes if he dispence with them are not bounde to kéepe faith and promise no not the word of a King wherby no peace can be assured Whereof yet ryseth one good admonition to trust them no more and to be well ware of them and speciallie to thinke of this one particular that wicked persons who haue giuen occasion of daungerous rebellions against the Quéenes Maiestie their chéefe and onelie succour and refuge will neuer be withholden by any respect from attempting or procuring to be attempted any most high and heinous treason and mischéefe against our Soueraigne Ladies safetie if an auauntageable oportunitie may serue them so long as such persons are infected with Papistrie and can thinke the Pope able to pardon or rather willing to reward them yea so farre as they shall suppose themselues not onely to winne the Kingdome of England therby but also the kingdome of Heauen It is perillous to thinke what traiterous rage may doo being armed with drunken superstition It is a sore thing to consider the impotencie of ambition specially when it is ioyned with the furie of reasonlesse loue The common experience is how daungerous those knottes of théeues be where there is a woman in the company Thus is it plaine that for as much as the Pope claymeth such wrongful vsurpation and tiranny ouer Kings Realmes and sith Papists holde that he sayth true and claymeth but his right and cannot erre in discerning it all such Papists are Traitours to all Kinges and Kingdomes As for the second Conclusion which accuseth Englishe Papistes of treason to the Quéenes Maiestie it is sufficientlie prooued for that it is a perticular within a generall included in the former Yet for the speciall confirmation of it it hath certaine priuate and seuerall reasons It is well knowne and you haue read the whole discourse before how they sought her Graces death in her Sisters time what practises what fetches were vsed for it what examinations what searchinges were to finde couller of her destruction yea how farre without couller they procéeded if God had not miraculouslie kept her to the preseruation of this Realme and the comfort of all Christendome But to make some demonstration of their hatred to her Maiestie by reason after to discend to the examples and practises let vs examine the causes Whereas the Papistes holde that the Pope is head of Gods vniuersall Church and that such authoritie as the Quéene claimeth in England ouer Ecclesiasticall persons and in Ecclesiasticall causes as due to her Highnesse in right of her Crowne is not due to her but belonging to the Pope in so saying they must saye that her Maiestie claymeth an vniust tyrannicall power And who so euer shall so saye though not in the same sillables is an vniust and an errant traitour and cannot loue her that hath pul led him downe whome they call head of their Church Where the Pope hath accurssed the Quéenes Maiestie as an Heretique and Scismatique all those Papists which suppose that the Pope hauing the disposition of Gods sentence and the thunderbolte of excoÌ„munication in his hand cannot erre doo also suppose that the Quéenes Highnesse our Quéene Elizabeth I meane is not lawfull Quéene of England as many of them haue not spared to saye for so must all Papistes holde that holde the Pope to say true for the Pope dooth not so accept her And Papistes haue published that Gospellers whome they call Heretiques ought not to haue any office among Gods people much lesse a Kingdome And this point is well to be considered that they which take from the Quéenes Maiestie the Supremacie ouer Ecclesiastical persons and causes doo transferre the same iurisdiction to the Pope for they neuer yet vouchsafed to giue it to any other And yet I am sure that after so many examples of Bées and Beastes and other thinges they will not nowe haue any perticular Church headlesse and destitute of a supreme Gouernour either vniuersal like a Monarch as they would haue it or speciall vnder God of eche Kingdome or Dominion as Gods good disposition hath forced it If then the Pope haue in their opinion any Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in England he must haue I us excommunicandi lawfull power and authority to excoÌ„municate in England without which the Ecclesiasticall power cannot stand Which power if he iustlie haue hath excommunicated and accurssed her Maiestie