be forthwith accouÌ„ted false prophettes worthy to be slayne There be many thousand men and weomen which make many promises now theÌ„ nor doe alwayes accomplish theyr promises but do swarue ofteÌ„ fro their words break promise shall they be all accounted false Prophettes forthwith There was sometyme a Pope of Rome Iohn the xxij of that name who by his acquayntaunce with the Starres made great brags of a promised loÌ„g life who neuerthelesse dyed in the viij moneth of his Popedome Yet will you not reckon him for a false Prophette I suppose What shall we say to Pope Gregory the seuenth who hauing secretly suborned some persones to murder the Emperour himselfe in the meane time pearchyng in some pulpitte the morrow vpon Easter day did in his sermoÌ„ boldly protest before the people that if Henry the Emperour did not dye before the Feast of S. Peter next ensuing for that day had he appoynted for his Prophecy and for his treason also the people should neuer geue any more creditt vnto him nor acknowledge him for theyr Byshoppe but should driue him and banish him froÌ„ massing yea froÌ„ the Church also as a sacrilegious person But what chaunced afterwardes when as the Emperour by good fortune had escaped hys treason the Pope with a pretty shift hudled vppe the matter on this wise saying that when he spake of the death of the Emperor he did meane the death of his soule and not of his body There are diuers histories extaunt wherein may be founde that many Popes of Rome haue promised many and great matters to Emperours and Kynges very largelye and lowdely to witâ—e of the power of election of creating Byshoppes of the title of submission and many other thinges who did neuerthelesse so not accomplish that which they had ratified by publique promises and autenticke decreés as that through their treachery treason they brought all things to vtter confusion almost Pope Boniface 8. did promise to the Emperour Albert the kingdome of Fraunce by deposing of Phillippe yet did he not hold promise herein Gregory the 7. did with many large promises putt Rodolph in hope to attayne the Empyre agaynst Henry the 4. but his hope being frustrated he was not so good as his worde Pope Innocent 3. did promise to Ludowicke the French king the kyngdome of England vnder this condition that he shoulde driue King Iohn out of his kindome which notwithstanding was neyther the FreÌ„ch king able to do nor the Pope able to performe In matter so infinite what should I speake more What your selfe promised in your Baptisme Osorius what you promised also when you tooke orders of priesthoode and aâ—terwardes likewise vpon solemne protestation when you were enstalled a Byshoppe I thinke you remember What haue you performed all those promises what if some secret coÌ„tract be made betwixt you your Porting all spye here in EnglaÌ„d that whatsoeuer he may smell out either of our courtlye affayres what the Prince doth what her counsellers and courtyers do what is done in the coÌ„mon weale how English traytours with couert dissimulatioÌ„ doe persist firme in theyr oath to the Pope how the Lutheranes liue and bestow theyr tyme in what estimation the Masse is amongest Englishemen That of all these and such like he shall certify you faythfully by some true transcript and he in the meane space either huÌ„dred about some more profitable affayres do breake promise with you or do certify you vntruethes and abuse your worshippe with lyes and false reportes will you account him forthwith for a false Prophette worthy to be stoaned to death I do not thinke it And why so Because you will say that herein is great difference and oddes when as men we promise any matter to men in the person and fidelitie of men and when as we promise or foreprophecy in the name and person of God thinges to come to passe for in that one the breach of promise is deceit and lying in the other impiety and vngodlinesse in that first men onely are hurt in the other iniury is committed agaynst God And therefore if all these your accusations be bent agaynst these persons as agaynst false Prophettes Make it manifest then if you can where either Luther or any other of the abouenamed vndertaking at any tyme the person of a Prophette did prophecy of thinges that should come to passe by the appoyntment and purpose of God wherof the Lord neuer spake word If you can not Then doth not your argumeÌ„t which you haue strayned out of Moyses cleane agaynst Moyses will and altogether besides the Cusshian make any thing at all agaynst them Besides this commeth yet an other argument of the same stampe skrapte out of Ieremy agaynst those false Prophettes before contriued with no lesse subtlety then blazed abroad with vanity And the place which himselfe dayneth not to note is in the 23. chapter Marke therefore diligently with what wordes God hath taught to discerne betwixt false prophettes and true Prophets If they had persisted stedfast in my councell sayth he and had declared my wordes to my people they had surely turned my people away from their euill way and froÌ„ their wicked thoughts Out of these wordes of Ieremye Osorius writinge to the Queénes Maiesty doth frame an argument on this wise If after the arriuall of this new Gospell sayth he and this doctrine of new religion had also arriued together with the same shamefastesse integrity innocency and grauitye of lyfe and vprightnesse of manners if seuerity of life if graue behauiour and ciuility of manners and honesty had bene raysed vppe out of that darckenesse wherein it was long drowned c. I should waste much tyme to rehearse euery particuler sentence wherewith this trifling Rhetorician like an huckester of eloquence doth make a huge heape of wordes in a neédelesse long and tedious rehearsall of vertues and vyces wherein he might haue done much better in my iudgement if leauing this Childish copye of countenaunce and glorious mulplying of variety he had entred vpon the matter more brieflye playnly and more effectually The purport of his discourse was that he should haue coÌ„uinced Luther Melancthon and the professours of the same doctrine for false prophettes And to make this manifest he would vse an argument framed out of Ieremy by the signes notes and markes wh the prophet doth sette down in speciall wordes as I sayd before out of which wordes if he would haue argued he must neédes haue concluded after thys manner The Prophets which in the time of Ieremy did prophecye glad tidinges to the people if they had followed therein the councell of God they had called theÌ„ back to a Reformation of lyfe Luther doth preach to the people in the name of the Lord and yet reduceth them not to a better life Ergo Luther is a false Prophet If Osorius doe conclude his argument after this maner as he neédes must by the wordes of the Prophet
With like outrage did Queéne Alfrithe kyng Edgar his wife most cruelly murther Edward the Martyr her sonne in law by meanes wherof she might place into the kyngdome her owne sonne Egelrede At the last repeÌ„tyng her of her former wickednes did erect two Abbayes in satisfactioÌ„ of her murther to witt Amesbury and Werwell about the yeare of our Lord. 979. Kyng Athelstane hauyng slayne his brother Egwyne whoÌ„ he drowned tyraÌ„nously in the Sea after the slaughter of his brother did builde two Abbayes namely Mydleton and Michelney enriched them with great reuenewes for the Redemption of his brothers soule and forgeuenes of the murther Upon the same occasioÌ„ or not much vnlike was Battell Abbay first founded which kyng William the Conquerour after he hadd wooâ—ne the fielde and slayne a great multitude of notable Souldiours did cause to be builded in the same place for the release of the soules and Sinnes of all such as were slayne in that battell I haue thought good to sett downe a brief note of these the like whereof I could haue rehearsed many more All which albeit I had rypped abroad would haue bene sufficient Presidentes that they all had one maner of begynning and one cause of foundation namely none other then which might vtterly deface the glory of Christ the assuraunce and trust of our Redemption and withall the whole Grace and comfort of Christes Gospell O holy foundation of Monckish Religion O wonderfull monumentes of maruelous holynesse O sweéte and smoathe Deuine that can so amyably persuade vs to retourne to these principles and foundations wherein he seémeth in my Iudgement to endeuour nothyng els then to bryng vs Christians in belief that forsakyng Christ and renouncyng the doctrine of the Gospell we should repose the saluation and redemption of our soules and the forgeuenes of our Sinnes not in the Sonne of God but in Monckes and Monckeries But lett vs pursue Osorius by the tracke of his foote whiles he hasteneth to the end of his booke who glauncyng away from the MouÌ„ckes at the last doth begyn to proyne his feathers and to make a shew of his proper witt to Kinges and Princes And here he rusheth vpon the poore Lutheranes with an horrible accusation of high Treason And why so I pray you whether because the life of Princes hath bene preserued by them or deâ—owred by theyr practise No. But treason hath bene conspired agaynst theyr lyues and theyr Crownes and vproares raysed As in Germany agaynst Charles the Emperour In Fraunce agaynst Henrye the Kyng in England against Edward who he doth affirme was poysoned by the Lutherans Agaynst Queene Mary In Scotland agaynst the King whom he affirmeth to be horribly murthered Yea Syr in this last you speake true indeéd but to name the Author of this murther you play mumme budgett Yea and not agaynst these Princes onely but agaynst many more prynces besides Osorius doth boldly say conspyracies to haue bene attempted by the Lutheranes And why doth he not emongest the Kynges and Princes of Germany Fraunce England and Scotland before named reckon vpp also Prynces of Turky of Scithia of Persia of India of Aethiopia with their Emperors Kinges and Potentates The great Sophye Emperour of Persia and Moskouia Prester Iohn And sithence he taketh so great a delight in lying why doth he not with as shamelesse a face exclayme that the Lutheranes haue conspired Treasons and procured poysons agaynst those persons forasmuch as hys lying therein cann beare no better countenaunce then it doth in the rest But forasmuch as these slaunders are wisely and sufficiently aunswered before by mayster Haddon in the first book it were labor lost to abuse the Readers time in refuting those vntruthes which be alreadye confounded before especiallye sithence this cause doth neither concerne the doctrine which we do professe and sithence Osorius will be proued a lyar herein by no person more easily then by the Scottish Queéne her selfe to speake nothing in the meane space of the publique and generall testimonies of Germany Fraunce and England Therefore passing ouer those Princes I will frame my selfe to the other part of his complaynt which concerneth our most gracious Queéne Elizabeth aboue all the rest And here I beseéch theé geÌ„tle Reader lett it not seéme tedious vnto theé to pawse a whyles that thou mayst perceiue how like a Deuine Osorius doth behaue himselfe For framing himselfe to discourse vpon Ecclesiasticall gouernement which he doth constantly denye is not meéte shoulde be committed to the creditte of a Temporall King much lesse to a Queéne in any respect which because the Queénes Maiesty shall not take in ill part as though he defaced any part of her honor he doth very humbly craue pardon of her grace with an honorable preface For he is not the man that will presume to extenuate any part of her honour but rather doth wishe with all hys hart that she may of all partes so abound in vertue that she may be shrined for a Saynct We do ioyfully embrace the godly modesty of this sweéte Byshopp and loe because we will not be found vnthankefull vnto him for the vertues that he doth hartely wish to our gratious Queéne we in requitall of his curtesy doe pray to GOD to endue him with as much of his heauenly grace as may conuert him from a vayneglorious papisticall Babler into a frendly follower and embracer of the infallible truth of the Gospell But lett vs returne agayne to the Ecclesiasticall supremacy of Osorius which he doth yoake so fast to the Byshopp onely that he doth vtterly exclude all other kinges and Queénes especially from all charge ecclesiasticall So that he verilye adiudgeth that there cann come no greater infamy to Religion theÌ„ that all Churches ceremonyes and all ordinaunces of the Church all priestly dignityes and holynesse should be subiect to the gouernement of a woman For these be his owne words wherein what he meaneth himselfe either he doth not sufficiently expresse in telling his tale or els my blockishnesse surely can not compreheÌ„d his deépenesse He doth so swell in hawtynesse of speéch that whiles he endeuoureth with waxed winges to fleé beyond the view of common sence aboue the bright cloudes of playne Grammer that through the heat of his skalding braynes he hath drowned himselfe in the deépe and by reaching beyond his reach he reacheth nothing at all Wherefore renouncing once at the length this curious cripsing and blazing brauery of hawtye speéch begyn once at the last to declare vnto vs in playne tearmes distinctly and playnely what your Rhetoryck meaneth by these wordes that all holynesse should be subiect to the gouernement of a woman If you meane of thinges that are of theÌ„selues holy and deuine your quarrell is altogether vntrue wherewith you charge the Queénes maiesty For where did the Queéne euer desire to gouerne or where did she euer desire to beare rule ouer all holy and sacred thinges and this holynesse whereof you make mention
doctrine were of such authoritie with you why did you shut vppe your eares from your Masters lessones If you betooke your selues to Armes through occasion of one sentence wrongfully vnderstoode or misconstrued why dyd ye not forsake the field for so many my exhortatiōs and notable exclamations to the contrary But go to Osorius bycause vnder the person of the Boores complaynte you do so vehemently wrest all this false suggestion of mischief agaynst me What if I deny your Assumpsit how will you be able to proue it perhappes by heare say amongest the clownes what of any that be liuyng or that be dead But when the poore clownes lyued and were drawen to execution tormented and stretched out vpon the rackes in which extremitie men are wont for the more part to vtter more thē they know If there were one so much of that whole rable muttered euer halfe a sillable of me such as your Carterlyke and senselesse Imagination hath deuised agaynst me I will willyngly yeld to this accusation of suspitiō But by your occasion say you this tumult might haue bene raysed easily So might the Blacke Moore chaūge his skinne And Osor. also might leaue his lyeng But all thynges are not by and by done that may be done But onward how proue you that it might haue bene so Bycause say you that God worketh all in all in vs accordyng to Luthers Assertion and we be instrumentes onely applyed and wrest with his handes hereupon followeth it therefore sithe God onely raysed vppe these tumultes and was the onely procurour deuisour and accomplisher of this sturre that the Boores of necessitie must be guiltlesse and innocēt hereof Go to And do ye suppose Osorius that these wordes were the whole seédeplotte of all this Rebellion what shall we say thē to that which we read in Paul That it is God that worketh all in all And agayne That worketh all according to the purpose of his will And in the Prophet Amos. There is no euill in the Citie that the Lord hath not done And agayne whē we heare on euery side aswell amongest the Prophetes as the Apostle That men are made blinde of God are deliuered ouer into a Reprobate mynde Why might not the Boores haue taken occasion of these wordes aswell as of myne Go to And what and if I had writtē these wordes also namely That it is in the power of our Freewill to dispose our selues whereunto we lyst either to make our selues earthen vessels or golden vessels in the house of the Lord would the Boores haue the sooner bene quieted for this cause And yet this is the generall proclamation of that notorious Seé of Rome dispersed throughout all Catholicke Nations the same doe all their Recordes and Canons noyse abroad wheresoeuer they crawle yea many yeares before Luther was borne and the very same also doth Osorius write at this day in Portingall and many other of the lyke fraternitie elles where what was there neuer any cōmotions therfore of the rude multitude before Luther was borne in Portingall none in Italy Germany Fraunce England Cycill other Nations Could this or any other portiō of Scripture or doctrine euē so bridle the affections of the vnruly but that they would at one tyme or other burst out into outragious extremities I adde moreouer Admit that my wordes beyng either misconceaued or misconstrued might suggest some matter of euill occasiō shall it be lesse lawfull therfore to beare testimony of the truth bycause there be some that are so beastly brutish that will mishandle the wordes and deédes of others be they neuer so well spoken By this reason away with the Bible bycause out of the same the most parte of heretiques haue sucked their poyson what dyd not Paule therfore not commende the Iustice of God aright by our vnrighteousnesse bycause there wanted not that would abuse his saying to occasion of euill Let vs doe euill say they that good may come thereby The auncient godly Christians were wont to assemble together and sing Psalmes before day light and to receaue the Sacrament of bread wyne Hereupon began rumours to be scattered abroad that the Christiās dyd worshyp the rysing of the Sunne dyd sacrifice to Ceres Bacohus And what hath bene so well spoken or established at any tyme that the peéuishenesse of peruerse and froward persons will not depraue◠if they lyst to pyke a quarell or slaunder the good wordes and well doynges of men The same came to passe with Augustine him selfe through the Pelagians who after had once brought in the name and commendation of grace hereupon forthwith they began to quarell with him as though he should affirme that men are made good by fatall Necessitie And agayne where he denyed that Grace was distributed accordyng to mēs deseruyngs this saying they gnawed at as though he should say That no endeuour ought to be looked for from the will of man contrary that saying in the Gospell where the Lord spake Aske and it shal be geuen you seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shal be opened vnto you for euery one that doth aske shall receaue c. And all this haue I debated with you euen as it were truth that your counterfaite imagination hath deuised to witte that I should be the originall of all that rebellious insolencie I come now to that pynche of my true defence Namely to deny that there is or euer was any Boore in all Germany that did euer Iustifie this slaunder agaynst me This was neuer the speéche of any Boore but the rude vnshamefastnesse of Osorius voyde of all matter of probabilitie to make me authour of all this mischief The very authour wherof if as yet you do not know and would fayne know him in deéde I will tell him you but briefly yet truly Osorius When Sathan perceaued that the kyngdome of your pride was ready to haue a fall and that the Romishe Prelate could now no longer mainteyne his erroneous sacriledges agaynst the glorious excellency of the gladsome Gospell he entred by a notable pollicie into this deuise vnder the pretence of the Gospell to tickle vppe madd braynes thereby to bryng the Gospell in obloquy and infamy the ouerthrow whereof he perceaued now past his compasse as the which he was now no longer able to withstand Then also vnlesse this lying Osorius had sett him selfe forth as an especiall Instrument of this wyly Serpent vpon whose shauen sconse not so much as a herebreadth may be founde growing of an honest or sober man ye would neuer haue so filthyly infamed the good reporte and credite of honest personages standyng in the defence of the Gospell with so many slaunderous lyes and cursed reproches If Luther should vse this or the lyke counterbuffe accordyng to the frankenes of his speéche agaynst your rusty clownish and illfauored false Diuinitie I do not aske what you could answere him agayne Osorius But I feare this rather least as he should not
determine vpoÌ„ an other Emperour to be chosen And when Themperour sent Embassadours to the Pope to be receaued into fauour The Pope drew him out an InstrumeÌ„t with these coÌ„ditions annexed to witte that he should confesse the errors and heresies of his Princes and Cytties which were none at all that he should depart froÌ„ his Empyre and should committe hymselfe his Children and all his goodes and possessions to hys mercy and from thenceforth should neuer meddle with any of them without hys permissioÌ„ and sufferaÌ„ce Which articles albeit TheÌ„perour was not vnwilling to yealde vnto yet because the Pope perceaued that the States of the Empyre woulde not accepte it hys owne sacred holynes vpon Easter day appoynteth an other Emperour Charles 4. At the last Ludouick beyng poysoned not without the procurement and practize of this most mercifull Clement departed thys lyfe as Ierome Marius doth record within a yeare after the Election of this Charles in the yeare 1347. At the length the same Charles whom the Pope annoynted Emperour contrary the ordinaunce of all the States to th end to confirme the dignitie Imperiall to hys sonne and hys Successors so ioyneth in league with the Electors what with fayre promises bribes that he passeth ouer the reuenewes of Th empyre to the Electors this did he to establishe the Succession in hym and hys posteritie as Aeneas Siluius doth report Agayne the Electors bound the sayd Charles by oathe that he shoulde neuer require restitution of those reuenewes agayne which the Electors do enioy euen to this day By meanes whereof it came to passe that the Romayne Empyre beyng thus embased and the Reuenewes of the same empayred The Turkishe outrage hath long sithence freely possessed a great part of Christendome without resistaunce and is like to preuayle further yet for as much as the power and force of the Christianes beyng rent asunder and skattered abroad there is now none other power or PoteÌ„tate that is eyther able or dare adueÌ„ture to withstand the mighty puyssaunce of that outragious furye And the verye cause of all these mischiefes haue for the more part issued out froÌ„ that pestilent sincke of Rome who building hys rauenous neast with none other furniture more then with the scrappes that heé skrapeth together through violent seditious partaking of factions and dissentions of Princes hath brought Christendome to so small a handful now at the last that the Christian Princes iarring alwaies emoÌ„gest theÌ„selues do seeme that they will neuer be williÌ„g to be at one and agreé togethers for prouisioÌ„ to be made against the Turckes nor will be able at any tyme to make their partyes good agaynst the coÌ„tinuall inuasuones and Roades whiche this Tyraunt doth dayly make into Christendome But we haue shewed Recordes and examples sufficient whiche if be not true Let Osorius himselfe confute them by hys Antiquitie whereof he vauÌ„teth so singuler a skill But if they be most true as they be in deéde if he shall neuer be able to disproue theÌ„ where is now become that wonderfull obedience to the lawfull Magistrate where is that consideration of the Maiestie which as he sayth refuseth no ordinaunce of the higher power but doth yelde that vnto Cesar that belongeth to Cesar that vnto God that is due vnto God he addeth moreouer For we beleeue according to the testimony of Paule that lawfull Magistrates are so established by the ordinaunce of God that he that resisteth the lawfull aucthoritie outh to be adiudged not so much to resiste man as to resiste God himselfe If these wordes were as hartyly and vnfaynedly vttered as you professe honorably in wordes I meruayle theÌ„ froÌ„ wheÌ„ce came that so cruell rebellion of that Ecclesiasticall Seignorie agaynst the Superiour powers and from whence those moÌ„struous turmoyles of Empires and so execrable alterations of States these many hundred yeares came at the first The principall causes of all whiche tumultes commotioÌ„s and alterations â—prang from no where els then fromout that boyling fornace of the Popes canckered contumacye agaynst their liege Lordes and Emperoures From hence came the warres of the Emperour Henry the 4. 5. then of Fridericke 1. and 2. from hence the battell of Ludowicke of Bauiere and Ludowicke of Austriche In which vproares the Maiestie of the kyngdomes was not onely violated the power of the same weakened Princes combatyng against ech other like the brethren of Cadmus destroyed but Churches also were miserably torne and many godly consciences driuen into greéuous anguish of minde and most perillous staggering vncerteintie through these outragies of the Byshops who to extoll and enlarge their false forged dominion conceaued by as false forged opinioÌ„ were in effect the very cankers and botches of the Church and of all Europe besides What stroake then shall the authority of Paule who forbiddeth all resistauÌ„ce beare amongest these ruffling Prelates who delightyng and sporting them selues priuely to seé Princes and their Subiectes together by the eares and to rende and teare a sunder common weales and the publique peace and tranquilitie of the Church with Ciuill discentioÌ„s seditious Bulles and pestilent Libelles who through their priuiledges and immunities exemptyng them selues from publique Iustice and Ciuill Lawes do vse abuse Monarches and Tetrarches lyke bondeslaues after their owne lust and pleasure do blesse them curse them commaunde them intreate them rewarde them punish them allow disallow set vp set downe treade vpon with the heéles yea with their Papane power and Maiesticall prerogatiue cast downe into hell betray theÌ„ poyson theÌ„ how true this report is the Grecian FreÌ„ch and Germany Emperours playne patternes of their fury doe euidently and aboundauntly declare the smart therof felt Chilpericke the French kyng whom the Pope deposed from his kingdome and thrust into a Monckery Henry the 2. kyng of EnglaÌ„d whose Princely crowne takeÌ„ froÌ„ his head you reteigned by the space of foure dayes Iohn kyng of England who was first driuen out of his kyngdome by Pope Innocent 3. at the length poysoned by a Monke Henry 7. Emperour of Germany whom ye destroyed by poyson as ye did Victor likewise whose lyfe also a certeine Relligious lozell of your owne order cut short of a white or a blacke Moncke for he was a Dominicane Friar by ministryng vnto him the Sacrament dypped before in deadly poyson What shall I say of Phillippe the French kyng agaynst whom Pope Boniface 8. did procure Edward kyng of England to mainteyne mortall warres what shall I speake of Henry 6. Emperour of Rome agaynst whom as rebelles reuolted the Byshop of Collen and Leodicensis in which tumult Leodicensis was slayne And for breuities sake to passe ouer infinite other Dukes and Princes of Sycile Arragon Tuscane Calaber Naples Venice Germany Fraunce England Boheme Italy Rome Emperours Kynges Princes Marquestes Dukes Counsellours Senatours Consuls whom I dare auow were neuer more horribly molested in all their whole lyues then
through the malice trechery of your holy Fathers and their fraternitie So that this whole Seé of yours may seéme to haue attayned that loftyness of absolute power and sole superioritie to none other end then to teare rende abroad and dissipate lawfull authorities Potentates and Magistrates established by the ordinaunce of almighty God What happened but of late dayes by the attēpt of Pius the 2. I thinke is not yet slipt out of your remēbraunce who would not graūt to the cōfirmation of the Bishop of Iseberg vnlesse he would promise that the Bishop of Mentz should neuer assemble the Electours before the Pope were made acquainted yea gaue his cōsent thereto Which if the pope might haue cōpassed once doughtlesse he had wonne the spurres for the suppressing of the authoritie of the Electours for euer This insolēcy the Byshop of Iseberg did stiffely oppugne whom beyng for the same scorched with the horrible lightening of the popes curses deposed from his Byshoppricke the Palatine Fridericke vndertooke to defend in this righteous and lawfull cause apperteinyng to the state of the Electours and sauety of Germany By meanes wherof when the matter came once to handy stroakes the iust and righteous cause preuailed Now I beseéche you Osorius Such as challenge vnto them selues a Lieutenauntshyp not of one Citie onely but of the whole world such as teach that Emperours do not reigne of them selues but vnder the Pope such as affirme that all right to create Kynges and Princes doth belong vnto them selues were these persons euer of the mynde to geue due honor to the high powers whenas they acknowledge no power on earth aboue them selues whenas of late yeares Pope Clement the 7. bent his thunderboltes of excommunication agaynst Henry the 8. Kyng of England whenas also of late Pope Pius 5. waxed very wroch agaynst our most Souereigne Lady Queéne Elizabeth and threw out agaynst her his truell curse and seditious Bull whenas he cutteth her of frō her Regall dignitie and the congregation of Christians assaulteth her with slaunders and reproches nameth her pretensed Queéne proclaimeth her refuge for runneagates whenas he procureth her subiectes to become traytours and teazeth them to armes agaynst their naturall Princesse yea whenas he releaseth them in this behalfe of their Oathe of allegeaunce do these Prelates obey the counsell of Paule◠Wherein euery soule is commaunded to submitte it selfe to the highe powers Which place of Paule Chrisostome interpretyng Doth say that not onely Byshoppes Prophetes and Euangelistes but also the Apostles them selues are subiect to the same law Let vs briefly runne ouer the remnaunt of Osorius Fable So that hereof it cōmeth passe that we doe Decree that nor onely the Cannons of the Byshops but also the ordinaunces of Princes beyng not directly contrary to the Lawes of God ought to be obeyed most duetyfully To this end tendeth his talke to witte◠That these holy Fathers may not seéme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to warre against God For whosoeuer resisteth the lawfull Magistrate resisteth God And therfore you do decreé that the ordinaunces and lawes of Princes beyng not contrary to the lawes of God ought to be as duely obserued as the Popes Decrees But you may pype vppe this kynde of caterbrawle Osorius to such as are not yet well acquainted with your Catholick maskings in some other world if it please you in Noua Hispania or els in Calecute For with vs thinke not to finde any so foolish to follow you fantasticall all deuise and to credite your affirmatiōs who being ouermuch enured to your ingglyngs are sufficiently instructed in those your wyly beguilye are to well acquainted with your ambitious hawtynes your continuall cruell combattes with Princes your suppressing of Kynges your exemptions from politique and Ciuill lawes so many hundred yeares Now that you haue brought to passe by your vnmeasurable and vnsatiable Tyranny that the Monarches and chief Potentates of this world are become subiectes vassalles vnder your authoritie daryng not to mutter no nor so much as to hisse once agaynst your cōmaundementes vnlesse your fatherhoodes gape vpon thē Osor. like a fine man steppeth forth endeuouryng to persuade with his sweéte eloquēce that all the Packe of their Popish priesthoode is already trussed vpp offereth it selfe alwayes most humbly applyable to all the ordinaūces Commaūdemētes of Princes and higher powers which are not repugnaunt agaynst the lawes and ordinaūces of God But come of now let vs take a tast of this your Seraphicall obedience and let vs set down for example that which may come to passe hereafter or at least that which is hartely wished for to come to passe in deéde Put the case that this your noble Sebastian Kyng of Portingall whom for the reuerence I beare him I name a puissaunt Prince should geue you an expresse commaundement that all Idolles Pictures and Images should be pluckt out of your Churches Surely this commaundement were nothyng disagreable to the ordinaunce of God I beseéch you tell me what would Osorius do here would he obey the commaundemētes I dare scarsely beleéue him But there is no such matter commaunded by your kyng nor shall euer be commaunded What your Prince shall do hereafter neither doe you know your selfe Osorius neither am I inquisitiue to knowe whereabout your Noble Kyng of Portingall doth bestew his tyme at this presēt but I speake what he ought to do And what if the Lord in whose handes are the hartes of Princes do by secret inspiration of the holy Ghost enduce him to cōmaunde it at one tyme or other The Pope say you would not permit it yea Syr I do beleéue this in deéde And therfore the king should not aduēture to geue any such attempt though he were wholy bent thereunto Neither would Osor. obey though he did it Yet surely the word of God would permit it though the Pope and all his Cardinalles do spurne and kicke agaynst it In the meane tyme O wonderfull authoritie of Kynges in those Nations and O miraculous obedience of Catholickes whereas neither Princes are at libertie to enact and establish that in their owne common weales that they ought to do nor is lawfull for the Subiectes to obey their Princes lawes in matters approued by the word of God vnlesse the Popes authoritie beyng farre higher then either the authoritie of man or power of God be obteyned first By whose crafty deuises after that the Lordes and Princes be forced to that issue that it may not be lawfull for them to institute any ordinaunce but such as shall please the Byshops and Priestes then are all those shauelynges at elbow by and by to execute whatsoeuer their Princes commaunde them whenas the Princes may not commaunde any thyng in deéde but as they shal be guided and lead as it were by the lippe of their owne Subiectes O singuler superexcellent obedience of such Subiectes towardes their Magistrates Departyng a whiles frō Portingall let
to dispoyle the Chaste of their continencye to raze out all endeuour of godlynes and humanitye to robb and ransack holy Churches to murther holy Fathers to spoyle some and to oppresse others with infinite afflictions to throw others out into miserable exile to expresse vngodly malice and deadly hate agaynst the Reliques of Saintes to be outragiously insolent in this vnmeasurable destruction and ouerthrow of all holy Religion is this a poynt of honesty of Modesty or worthy to be aduaunced with immortall commendation and prayse Truely I doe not suppose so But whereunto tend all these at the last forsooth to make you know what he meaneth hereby And therfore marke now gentle Reader the other part of his collation But to be subiect to lawfull Authoritye established by the commaundement and ordinaunce of Christ to preserue the bandes of Vnitye and concord to esteeme highly of the vniting together of Gods Iustice and mercye to reuerence the monuments of notable holynes to make that most Sacred and most heauenly Sacrifice for the quick for the dead finally for the preseruation of all Christian Common weales the Maiesty and vertue whereof we are neither able to expresse with tongue nor comprehend in thought and imagination shall this be accompted shamefull infamy and an intollerable haynousnesse And yet you blush nothing at all to call these disgracements of Religion c. To aunswere these great speéches at a word First as touching those slaunderous crymes which you throw out agaynst vs as being Rebellious to the lawfull Magistrate what els shall I aunswere to this your Insolency then the same which Augustine did Aunswere sometime to Petilianus If I should speake as much of such as you are sayth Augustine I am sure you would require me to make profe of the wordes that I should speake The selfe same doe I now require looke for at your hāds Osorius which so lustely rayle agaynst vs at this present Whereas you exclayme that we doe renounce dutifull obedience doe disquiet auncient orders doe betray Chastitye ouerthrow all mindefulnes and endeuour of vertue and godlynes doe raze downe Temples of Religion doe kill and doe spoyle godly personages If I should now demaund of you in the voyce of Augustine how you be able to proue that all the foresayd crymes innumerable such lyke which your raūging penne hath raged agaynst vs may be duely fathered vpon vs how would you proue it Agayne how will you deny that your selues are not duely to be charged therewith what aunswere will you make for hitherto as you haue spoken much so haue you proued nothing Unlesse you be of this opinion that your bare speéches must be taken for sufficient proofes If you thinke so what resteth els but that we requite you with the same that you reproch vs withall or els we desire you to rehearse so much agayne in our behalues and then is our profe sufficient enough as Augustine sayth if such kindes of proues be allowable If I should deale with you on this wise Osori What would remayne of your accusatiō But I do not handle you so now For I frame myne aūswere otherwise and in flatt denyall make our purgation frō all that you haue raked together agaynst vs. You say that we refuse lawfull Aucthoritie But I on the contrary part do affirme that this Aucthoritie which you name to be lawfull is neither any Aucthoritie at all neither lawfull by any meanes Nay rather what if this Aucthoritie whereof you bragge so much be so farre from beyng lawfull that it is most manifestly proued by the expresse wordes of the Scriptures to be the kyngdome of Antichrist What then Osorius will you in despight of our beardes make vs subiect to such a Tiranny frō whence the manifest word of the holy Ghost doth commaunde to cutt of our selues vpon perill of the losse of our soules not onely in the old Testament but in the new also as is declared before You adde further that we do disturbe the auncient order of the Churche and dispoyle the continent of their Chastitie But I do deny that this order of yours is auncient which I haue Iustified to be true before aboundaūtly enough with many and sounde Testimonies Moreouer as touchyng your chast Uirgines I know not what to say Surely if Cloisters Dorters could as well haue made Uirgines as they could couer their incontinency it were not all amisse that you say And yet it may be that in Portingall be many holy Nunnes such as you preache of who did neuer treade their shoes awry But without all question to speake of our litle Englād whenas the neastes of these prety sparowes were scattered abroad how these neastes were founde then not altogether so cleanly as was supposed I had rather were notified by publick Recordes Registers therof wherein they be decyphred at large thē to be proclaymed by any my writyngs Many Recordes wherof be at this present in my custody which if I would vtter would easily bewray that in these close Cloysters of coacted chastitie were more open bellied Nunnes thē chast and continent Uirgines besides many other matters that the common people euery where doth report of their owne knowledge whereof I will now say no more vnder payne of Confession This one thyng will I speake such as haue persuaded vnuoluntary Uirgines from this coacted single lyfe to enter into honorable wedlocke without all compulsion doe not defile Uirgines as I suppose nor dispoyle the chast of their cōtinency but rather prouide more circumspectly for their honestie And to say the truth this complainte of defilyng Uirgines can be applyable so iustly to none as to some of your owne Catholickes not all of the best Geldynges perhappes Now that which followeth touchyng the memory of vertue and Iustice abolished and endeuour of godlynes banished by these Lutheranes I cā not well conceaue what Osori doth meane hereby For in as much as the consideration of all righteousnes and godlynes is comprehended in the law of God chiefly I do Appeale here to the secrett Iudgementes of all the godly how farre the Lutheranes be estraūged from all thought of ouerthrowyng this law of the Lord. You say that they haue razed and ransackt Churches But what Churches they were you do not tell vs for consideratiō is not alwayes to be had of all Churches alike Some Churches do serue for godly and necessary vses Some are erected to mainteyne Idolatry and superstition God hath his peculiar Churches So hath the Deuill also his Chappelles The Gentiles had sometymes their Temples for their dumme Goddes There be Selles also Monckeries at this day for their mumblyng Goddes Neither be the Turkes destitute of their Tabernacles And therefore to raze downe any particular Church whatsoeuer for any speciall cause is not altogether so haynous Marke a most valiaunt Martyr of God did on a tyme throwe downe the Temple of Diana in Arethusiū in place thereof did