be a very beneficiall and mercyfull sharpnesse But now let vs come to that part that toucheth men more nerely than any loue of God Let vs sée how they be traitors to kinges and kingdomes If we haue minde to sée that Papistes which holde all the Popes doctrine to be true are traitors in déede to kinges and kingdomes it behoueth to call to minde what be the Popes doctrines doinges practises concerning the crownes of kinges and states of kingdomes Popes haue chalenged and Papistes that affirme the Popes to be frée from errour their doctrine to be true and their authoritie to be lawfull do also holde that it is their due which they chalenge that is to haue the authoritie of both swordes 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 whom the right of any kingdome belongeth to haue power for disobedience to him or by hys discretion to transferre the crownes of kings to whom he will to haue lawfull power to geue kingdomes to prey spoyle and conquest to such as can inuade and possesse them to haue power to assoile and discharge Christian subiectes from fayth and allegeance to their lawfull and naturall soueraigne Lordes Kinges and Princes to haue power to geue leaue yea commaundement blessing reward forgeuenesse of sinnes and heauen it selfe to subiectes to rebell against the Prince to depose the Prince disherite and destroy him that there is of common right and by the mere lawe of God reserued to the Pope a speciall subiection resort appellation and obedience of one great part of all Princes subiectes yea and of all subiectes of all Princes in one great part of their causes Be not these hainous treasons And these can not be denied to be the naturall and very treasons of all Papistes that is to say of all that depend vpon credit of the Pope that holde hym for Gods vicar for Peters successor for whom Christ prayed that hys fayth should not faile that applie to him this title ad quem persidia non potest accedere to whom falshode can not reach that holde hym for a constant rocke an assured preacher of truth an apostolicall man if he be not some other thing than a man to whom our belefe is bounden with such other false titles wherewith Popes them selues haue garnished them selues and their parasites haue ouerloden them Consider the ordinarie practise of Popes and Papistes accordyng to these doctrines and than shall you sée that from the most hye treason which the Pope committed against hys soueraigne Lorde the Emperour the renting and destruction of the Empire all the victories and successes of the Saracens Turkes against Christendome all the tearyng away of most noble and large kingdomes and prouinces from the body of Christianitie all the subduing and thrallyng of infinite Christian soules to Mahomete and the deuill all the deposinges murderinges turmoyllinges ciuile warres debates betwene Christian Princes shedinges of Christian bloud indignities and oppressions of Christian kinges and Emperours conquestes rebellions and mischiefes for these v. C. yeares and aboue are wholly or chiefly to be imputed to the treasons of Popes and Papistes All sometime most learned and noble Grecia yet lamentably rueth it All Africa the mother of most constant Martyrs féeleth it The Germane Emperours with most hainous reproches and foule treading in their neckes may not forget it The kinges of Fraunce and Spaine bothe at home in their natiue kingdomes and abrode as well in Naples Sicile Lombardie as in other territories of Italie and of the Empire haue sharply felt it The Lordes and states of Italie haue bene daily and long shaken with it The kinges of England haue bene poisoned whipped beaten with roddes murdered deposed the land geuen in conquest enterdited made tributarie robbed pilled scraped of their treasure brought into slauishe subiection depriued of honour and estimation euery way most villanously abused To let passe the elder times and further realmes let vs speake nothing of deposing of olde Emperours erecting of new setting the sonne against the father the subiect against his Lord making them come barefooted them selues with theyr wiues and children long wayting with submission in colde frostes treading in their neckes spurning of their crownes and 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 receauing him vassall the making his Realme subiecte and feudatarie to the Pope the arming his subiectes against him the poysoning of him at length the geuing the land to the French Kinges sonne the inuading thereof by the Dolphine of Fraunce his so long possessing a great part of it the rebellion of the Barons to take the Frenchmens part all the mischiefes that fell in all this while were they not the good workes of Popes and Papistes The great diuision of the two noble houses of Yorke and Lancaster which cost so much English bloud that there remaineth no house of hie 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 traitors and for how many daies or houres they should be so estéemed such desolation and miseries to whom are they to be imputed but to the Popish Clergie and Papistes and among other to Thomas Arundell Archebishop of Canterburie that traitorously practised the deposing of his lawfull soueraigne Lord king Richard the second But come yet to later times How was the Quéenes maiesties most noble father assalted by the Pope and Papistes His Realme was interdited and geuen away to him that could catch it Legates and one notable Englishe traitor were sent about to persuade Christian Princes to inuade England to destroy 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 Pole being sent by the Pope made a solemne Oration to him which is yet extant in Print to persuade the Emperour to turne his prepared power from inuading the Turke and to bend it against King Henrie the viij as one worse then any Turke What turmoile was raised then by the Northren rebells against him whereof some by his elemencie a good example haue liued to this day to raise a new rebellion How troubled they her maiesties most excellent brother with vnhappie seditions How vexed they and how endangered they the Realme and the Quéenes owne person in her sisters time What might Charles the Emperour haue done for recouerie and enlarging of Christendome if his force that way entended had not by Popish practise bene peruerted sundry waies and times to the sheding of Christian bloud and wasting of Christendome and to the ouerthrow of his victorious course What tempestes hath the late conspiracie of Trent
take vpon him to extend hys curse to the prince of our countrey and all the people thereof and that he hath power to discharge the subiectes of the realme from their fayth and allegeance and hath authoritie to binde theyr obedience to whome he will and is able to geue heauen to rebelles that shall venture theyr liues in wasting and destroying our countrey he I say that can yelde hys consent to these doinges thinkinges must néedes be a traitor to hys countrey And such a one is euery such English Papist as I haue described and can be none other if he hold the Pope for a true teacher and haue good opinion of of the Popes doctrine and examples And to defend that we ought to yelde our saythes or submission to the Pope is in generalitie to affirme all these mischiefes and treasons And such as be of that minde as all such Papistes bée can not in true iudgement be seuered from traitorous watchers to put the same in execution when so euer they may haue times and meanes to beare them harmelesse Let be called to minde the treasons of the clergie agaynst Henrie the second and specially the vile practises of the two traitorous byshops of Lincolne and Heresord agaynst Edward the second But principally how as I haue aforesayd the Dolphin of Fraunce by color of title geuen him from the Pope for King Iohns disobedience to that apostaticall seate inuaded and long possessed a great part of England how the deceaued barons of England both at that time specially at some other times seuerally at the Popes will and vpon pronouncing of his curse against the king forsooke their allegeance looke part with the frenchmen spoyled their owne countrey and like most vnnaturall children at an adulterous stop fathers bidding did thrust theyr swordes into their mothers bellie Remember Cardinall Poles message to the Emperor the rebellions raysed in that time and since the late practises in Queene Maries dayes to bring the realme in thraldome to the most insolent and intolerable nation and to transfer the inheritance of the crowne with not onely disheriting but also destroying the true and naturall heire their great sorrow that it was not performed the great trust that our Papistes in all their countenances and speches shewed them selues to haue of the good successe of Henrie the french king whome God tooke away before his accomplishment of thretened enterprises against this realme Let not be forgotten their glorienges in their champion of Guise It is yet fresh and raw in remembrance how openly they vttered their as it were applaudinges gratulations and cherefull significations of fauor to that side euen then when as it is well knowen the same familie of Guise sought vnder color of his kinswomans title and by that foren title which was made the title and fundation of this last rebellion to inuade this land to ouerthrow the Quéenes maiesties estate and to transport the crowne of our countrey to strangers Let it be considered what good practises these late Rebels haue had with strangers to the hazard of their countrie euen so far forth as they feared not in their proclamations with a litle colorable forme of pennyng to brag and put their confederates in hope of strangers coming to inuade and destroy the realme which by a prety gentle false terme they call reforming the realme Let it be well weyed what they meane to the realme that vnder colour of succeding do so far vndermine the head of our country that by raysing some to a hope of the next succeding they conuey the countenance fauour and supportation of a great corrupt nomber of suche as may frame them selues any hope of gaine that way to other persones that by such kindled ambition may be the more hastely enboldned Such mad hopes made lewd bokes to be published in print to entitle strangers to our crowne and to geue aduise to cherishe the amitie of Fraunce to this ende that the rebellious nation of England as they terme vs may by that meanes be tamed if we wyll not contentedly yeld to such subiection It is not nothing that the same bookes were ambiciously published in Paris and set vp vpon euery post and piller and by men of great place and charge most earnestly defended when on our Quéenes Maiesties behalfe they were required to be suppressed I speake not yet of the worst bookes well knowen to the best persons This to doo is to shew vs a Sunne rysing to whose worship they would faine draw vs from our Sunne declinyng as they suppose No no our Quéene is our true Sunne and what soeuer shinyng thyng they wold set vp in her tyme it is no right Sunne but an vnlucky Comete And it is not yet noone I trust with our Sunne or if it be I hope yet God will lengthen the day to our Sunne for his honors sake as he dyd to Iosua and the rather shall all good subiectes haue cause so to hope it if the residue of the day may be so spent as Iosua spent it and for which purpose God dyd prolong it to rid the world of Gods enemies Let it be suspected what hopes of preuention anticipation most dreadfull mischief which I feare and abhorre to name the encouragement of such succedyng which is the worke of Papistes may minister where the onely person of our most deare and precious soueraigne Ladie standeth without any moe meane stayes of her most honorable and ioyfull issue betwene them and their desired effect the vtter vndoing of vs all and specially where the power of reuenge may by possibilitie fall into their handes for whose sake it should be attempted It is no small mischiefe danger and apallyng of fayth and courage when our prince must be defended agaynst those that by possibilitie may aspire to hope to haue colour to be our Princes them selues and to wreke it vpon good subiectes that serue our Quéene truely What kindnesse or naturalnesse will doo hath béen abundantly shewed already diuerse wayes And in the late murderous mischief a most foule president but a most perfect lesson this one thyng is much to be noted that it was here by rumor reported as done before it were done there which argueth that the conspiracie extended hither and how farre further or rather nerer is good to be quickly and earnestly searched and by the same example to be remembred what harme the losse of vsyng occasion hath bredde when it might haue so béen preuented that neither he had bene murdered nor the Quéene encombred I dispute no titles I haue no reache beyond our Quéene I can sée nothyng beyond our Quéene but a Chaos of miserie therfore I am lothe to looke so farr My onely care is as my prayer is all good subiectes ought to be for our Q. Maiesties preseruation What other title so euer be pretended be it good or bad if it shall once threaten danger to the Q. Maiestie whose title and
Flaunders with the soonest God knoweth what they send thether and with what reciprocation they requite suche newes againe how they had newes of the late horrible murder ere it were done as if they had ben accessaries before the fact how they write letters at home directed to them selues how with these prety letters while they be fresh bléeding that is so scarcely drie that the ink blotteth with their great countenaunces with their taking vpon them wonderous intelligence and great insightes in secretes of Princes as if they were Kinges cousines and with their offringes of wagers and such other braggeries they deface as men say all that can be brought or reported neuer so truly of any good successe to the Queene or her frendes And other sort there is like kestrelles or troutes they euer flye agaynst the wynde or swimme agaynst the streame in quéene Maryes time great Gospellers now great Papistes men that would euer séeme wyser than the present world and wold faine be noted to sée some singular thing when for the most part themselues are the most vayne and singular fooles that liue No gouernement pleaseth them as they be content with no world so are they mete to liue in none But let them beware the sinne against the holy ghost it is a perilous thing God graunt them to see the horror of it so farre as it may auayle to their tymely repentance before that mere apostasie bring them into it There is feared to be an other suttle sort that are in déede of no religion and yet at sundry tymes and places to some secretly to some openly to some one where to some an other much like the deuided counselles in Edwarde the fifthes tyme would séeme of all religions These be most enclined to papistry eyther because God will not vouchsafe that such dissemblers féele true religion or that they be rancke papistes in déede howsoeuer they abuse men wyth other shew for purposes or which I rathest thinke for that they are persuaded that the Popish faction eyther for multitude for welth for foreine alliances or for hatred to the Quéene and her gouernement which they perhaps would wishe to be ouerthrowen as all perfect papistes would or for other respectes is more commodious for their desire and ambition or for the toyes in their heades to rise to vātage in an other world Such belike haue a good mynde to the aduise that Lentulus wrote to Catiline Auxilium petas ab omnibus etiam ab infimis séeke helpe of all sortes yea euen of the meanest they make much of al sides Such can I compare to notable pyrates that wil euer haue within boorde men of all nations and flagges of all Princes and countryes If he méete with Englishmen stronger than himselfe out goeth a flagge of England and Englishmen aboue hatches that he may passe in peace likewise he doth with the Frenchman Scot Flemming Spanyarde or other and many tymes he doth this not to much to passe peaceably himselfe as that he may the more vnprouidedly set vpon hym whom he desireth to spoyle So happeneth it sometymes that such a counterfait papist as my Lorde of Westmerland and other finding the plain shew of papistry not so commodious profitable or safe for hym by reason of many occurrentes that may happe to haue ouertaken hym till he were ready for his purpose hangeth out a flagge of Christianitie dealeth with the Bible other good bookes as the decayed knight did to whom Bishop Cranmer vpō a good hope gaue fifty pound yearely pension to cherishe his towardnesse he setteth hys men of that nation aboue hatches he deceaueth good men that be not filij huius seculi no children of this world those he abuseth with protestations and God wote with the same fayth that teacheth to kéepe no faith while in the meane tyme for all this of their certayne purpose of pyracie of their prouision preparation and furniture of their former deuises nothing is chaunged their other company though vnder hatches yet still be ready till the opportunitie of mischiefe biddes them start vp sodenly like the children of the earth that rose by miracle of the serpentes téeth that Cadmus had sowen These be watchers and reach euer to an other world they prouide for succeding of tymes to come imagining what day shall follow the dreadfull night They woulde be looked vnto by the present day light before the night come These to speake plainly be they if any such be as of such mind al perfect papistes be that are weary of her maiesties gouernment fal to deuising by planting a hope of strange titels to vndermyne her maiesties estate such as hang vpon the hope of Rome after her decesse which hope they know can not haue effect while her highnesse lyueth and reigneth to whome almighty God graunt to lyue reigne while the world lasteth in person or in succession of her owne most royall body Of this sort was Gardiner that abused K. Henry with a false flagge of religion when he made hys booke of true obedience Of this sort was Boner when he fauned vpon the L. Cromwell made a notable preface to Gardiners booke Of this sort was Tonstall and the rest that wrote against the Pope Pole and all papistry Of this sort are all those Catilines companions Papistes that beare a glosing shew of obedience and waite for a tyme to vtter their malice till they droppe away into Manlius campe or tary with Lentulus Cethegus Ceparius and the rest to murder the Consul Cicero or set the Citie I meane the Realme on fire An other leud sort eyther depraue whatsoeuer the Quéenes Maiestie and her most honorable Counsell doth for the safegarde and commoditie of the realme or of things which they can not deface they transferre the praise to other being desirous as it were by false flattery to créepe into ambitions bosome to raise vp a faction against her highnesse as if her Maiestie do any popular or beneficiall act to the commonaltie by and by they imagine some one or other whom they would make an Absolon whether he will or no to embesell the peoples loue seyng full well but not caring at all how they burden with great suspicious those whom they lode with false praises perhaps draw into vniust harmes those whom they claw with vntrue flatterie Howbeit I trust all men of credit and greatnesse haue taken héede and will beware that wrongfull praises and imputations raise not their mynde to a wrong way of climing for surely such popularities and hanginges by the vayne ayre are not auancementes but precipitations But such is the corne pouder of treason wherewith these popish rumor spreaders hartes be double charged that it must nedes breake forth and commonly to his destruction or great danger of singeing that ministreth the fire An other sort exercise their rayling tonges which by great vse at tables and other places they haue made very slippery voluble
gouernance we know to be true and haue felt to be good I wish it destroyed and put out of hope least it hope to sone to fast to much to hye and ioyne with to many Record I pray you the anathemaes of the conspiracie of Trent theyr cruell and dangerous practises agaynst this realme and agaynst all other of Christian profession the Popes sentences agaynst our Quéene and Countrey and all this well liked of and holden for holy by our owne vnhappy Papistes Remember the deuises to put the same sentences and conspiracies in execution in Fraunce and Flanders all at one tyme. Consider the concurrence and euennesse of tyme of this rebellious enterprise in England and that late murderous and haynous attempt in Scotlande But to pyke a litle more good out of the late ill déede of horrible murder What say the Quéenes good subiectes to be the cause why after our rebelles vanquished the Regent was slayne that should haue bene done before to serue our rebelles and their conspiraters turne For sooth their traitors there and some conspiraters here Englishe or Scottish saw full well the sincere frendship of the Regent to the Quéene that notwithstandyng all the practises from hense to the contrarie he mynded to deliuer our rebelles whereby the counselles and complices both here and there must haue bene disclosed they politikely prouided by assent to murder that noble gentleman betimes whose bloud added to other bloudes so crye to God as it is perilous to draw to much into societie and partnershyp of those agaynst whom such bloud so crieth This is the common feare of good subiectes and to feare to much rather then to little may be more folly but it is lesse fault It may haue lesse cause but it hath more truth honestie and fayth Wey well if these be the meanes that my lordes of Northumberland and Westmerland and their company haue sought to bryng the vnityng of realmes and crownes and to worke the effect of theyr proclamations both for state and religion which doyng such men brag to be so beneficiall sith the same and the titles thereof reach not so farre as by any these meanes to make such vnityng in the person of our most noble Quene nor such attemptes for religion and other effectes can be atcheued with her likyng then what successe is to be looked for of theyr deuises and what marke is it to be feared they shoote at They and such other Papistes and ambitious practisers may perhaps iustly and truly say protest sweare that they entended not the effect of such purposes while her Maiestie liueth for it may be that they meane peraduenture that her hyghnesse should not lyue so long God preserue her to outlyue all them that haue lyued to long This example is terrible and would be profitably vsed You can not forget how the Pope claimeth and our Papistes do graunt him the superioritie ouer Ecclesiasticall persons Theyr obedience is thereby withdrawen from theyr Prince and from the seruice of theyr Countrey they exempted from theyr duties to the Prince and realme Like is the referryng of all ecclesiasticall causes to the Pope as to the supreme iudge and ruler Great wrong therby is done to the Realme great withdrawyng of the bodyes of subiectes from presence to serue and defende the Realme and great transportation of the treasure the foule examples whereof in pilfring and scrapyng within the Realme to serue the vnsatiable couetise of Rome appeareth by the many lamentable complaints in theyr owne histories with which enormities and oppressions as most burdenous and perilous to the Realme our Parlamentes and specially Conuocations haue before tyme found them selues meruelously agreued And yet this heuie ouerchargeable yoke must be reduced agayne by our Papistes yea and our new angeles of Louaine with whom the euil sprites at home do accord can terme these intollerable exactions but a small pitance or trifle to acknowledge our good will to our mother church and can call the reasonable mislyking or iust gronyng thereat as a niggardly grudgyng Liberall men I assure you and no maruell for they be of hys faction that sometyme bragged that the aduauncyng of hym selfe to the throne of Rome should cost hym all England So small a thyng these Papistes accompt it to venture all England at a cast And good reason haue they for they venture it at the perill of other mens losses for whosoeuer reigne here by their treason they are lyke to kéepe or increase theyr wealthes and dignities Let it be thought vpon how much these fellowes esteme the common knot of fidelitie to the Prince whereby the peace of the land is holden together and eche mans due propertie is preserued which beleue that the same faith is dissoluble at the will of a foreine priest Let also this descendyng gradation be considered concernyng Papistes and their hope how true they will be to their Countrey that are not true to God how true they will be to their good Prince that are not true to their Countrey how true they will be to any subiect that are not true to their Prince and thereby let theyr confedrates beware that they be not made bottels first filled then emptied afterward hanged vp by the walles Let the Duke of Buckingham in king Richardes tyme and infinite other beate this wisdome into theyr head to know how ill a tyrant or one that atteyneth a crowne by mischiefe and wrong can beare to liue detbounden to those that aduaunced hym or subiect to their reproche being once fleshed in mischiefes by theyr helpe how litle conscience he maketh to procede further and specially vpon them whom he knoweth in hys conscience in ioynyng with hym to haue well deserued it Let them well digest the vicont of Melunes admonition on hys death bed to the English barons in the beginning of the reigne of king Iohns heire And let them neuer say that they the late rebels and theyr complices had no such intētion to ouerthrow her Maiesties estate sith the thinges expressed in their first proclamation can not be done while her Maiesties estate continueth who hath so honorably oft protested to preferre Gods truth aboue her crowne and lyfe which God long preserue Let all Englishmen thinke of this and beleue it as experience hath taught it that where Monkes and religious persons changed their surnames and had many other solemne ceremonies at their professions which they sayd dyd signifie their vertuous renouncing of worldly and carnall fansies the same pretense of signifiyng was vtterly false like the pretense of refusing the othe to the Quéene and the very true meaning such as is proued by the consequence of their déedes was no other but that euery perfect Papist doth take vpon him a zeale for defense of their God the Pope and his heresie to throwe away all due and naturall beneuolence and fayth to Prince Countrey parentes frendes and all those iust and