durst protect felons and murtherers against the King and Iustice of the land neither reuerencing King nor obeying his lawes passed ouer without licence to the King of France Further being adiudged to prison by the King for refusing to giue accounts of great summes of money receiued by him and Reignold Earle of Cornewall and Robert Earle of Leicester being sent to him to tell him of the iudgement set downe against him this meeke Martyr and holy Saint was so farre from the obedience of a subiect that he told the earle of Leicester in these words That how much more precious the soule is then the bodie so much more ought he to obey Becket then his terreine King So notorious and euident was the rebellious opposition of this Popish Prelate against his lawfull Prince that he was openly by the king and his Nobles called Traitor in that he refused to giue earthly honour to his King as he had sworne to do and therefore they generally agreed that he was wel worthy to be handled as a periured Traitor and rebell and therefore most impudent is this Ward-worders assertion that neyther the King nor his Officers did charge him with treason If you please to adde hereunto the arbitrement of this controuersie put into the French kings handes with king Henries large offer and Beckets proud refusall there is no man I hope that knoweth what it is to be an obedient subiect but will condemne him for a rebellious Traitour The kings offer in that arbitrement was this There haue been saith he Kings of England before me both of greater and lesse puissance then I am likewise there haue been many Bishoppes of Canturburie both great and holy men what the greatest and most holy of all his predecessours before him hath done to the least of my predecessors before me let him doe the same to me and I am content Which offer though it were in it selfe and so deemed by all that stood by not onely reasonable but more then reasonable so that they all cried with one voice the king hath debased himselfe enough to the Bishop yet the rebellious spirit of this Archbishop would not yeelde vnto it nor accept peace with his King vpon so fauourable a condition What a Giant-like pride traiterous presumption is this to refuse to yeelde so much obedience to his Prince and Soueraigne as the greatest and holiest of his place haue alwaies yeelded to the meanest kinges of this land what needeth any further proofe of Beckets treason Yet if you will you may remember the letter of Maud the Empresse to him Wherin she chargeth him that in as much as in him lay he went about to disinherit the king to depriue him of his crown and if the Empresse might be thought to speake partially on the King her sonnes behalfe yet the two Cardinals sent by the Pope to heare all this controuersie out of question will not condemne him without iust cause And yet in a letter sent from them to the Pope they do condemne him of exciting stirring vp forraine Potentates to make warre against his naturall liege Lord the words of which letter were these William and Otho Cardinals of the Church of Rome to Alexander the Pope c. comming to the land of the king of England we found the controuersie betwixt him and the Archbishop of Canterburie more sharpe and vehement then we would for the King and the greater part about him said that the Archbishop had stirred vp the French King grieuouslie against him as also the Earle of Flaunders his kinsman who was verie louing and kind to him before he made his open aduersarie readie to wage warre against him as is by diuers euidences most certain c. Now for a subiect to stirre vp forraine States to make warre vpon his Soueraigne and countrie was at all times high treason but that Becket did so by the Cardinals confession was by diuers euidences most certaine therefore Becket not now his enemies but his breâ—hren the sonnes of his owne mother being Iudges was a traitor Who then but such a one as hath sold himselfe to all impudencie and shamelesse gainsaying the truth would seeke to couer Beckets rebellions by the facts of Iohn Baptist Ambrose Hillarie of Athanasius Chrysostome which haue as much agreement with the cause of Becket as hath light with darkenes good with euill sweet with sower concerning whose Saint-being I will say nothing sith my purpose is not to search what he is with God after his death but what he was towards his Prince in his life neither am I priuie to his repentance which might be secret at the last gaspe or to Gods iudgements into which I presume not to presse Yet you may remember that long since it was a generall Prouerbe of your Pope-made Saints That many are worshipped for Saints in heauen whose soules are burning in Hell and that in particular concerning Becket great doubt was moued as is by writers alleadged out of Caesarius the Monke whose words are these Quaestio Parisijs inter magistros ventilata fuit vtrum damnatus an saluatus esset ille Thomas c. There was a question debated amongst the masters at Paris whether Thomas Becket was saued or damned To this question answereth Roger a Norman that he was worthie death and damnation because he was so obstinate against Gods minister the king Peter Cantar a Parisien disputed on the contrarie that his miracles were great signes and tokens of saluation and of great holines in him c. Which argument this Encounterer likewise vrgeth But behold what strength is in it For one of these we shall find to be true that either they seemed only and were no miracles indeed such as many by the craft and conueiance of idle Monks haue been shewed to the people as namely those miracles of the Dominicke Friers in their hot contentions with the Franciscans about the conception of our Ladie who thinking by sleight to worke in the peoples heads that which by open preaching they durst not now attempt deuised a certaine Image of the Virgin so artificially wrought that the Friers by priuie gynnes made it to stirre to make gestures to lament to complaine to weepe to grone and to giue answeres to them that asked c. vntill the Franciscans seeing by this meanes their credits to decay and all the almes to be conueyed to the Dominickes boxe and not being vnacquainted with such cousening practises espied their iugling and discouered their feined fraudulent miracles For which cause foure of the chiefest actors in this iugling miracle were burned at Bernâ— Or secondly if they were not counterfeite but done in deed they were not wrought by God but by the power of Sathan to draw men from Christ to Antichrist Of these the Apostle foretelleth vs that whensoeuer it commeth to passe it might not trouble vs That the comming
Spaniardes for whiles some Spaniardes committed wickednes with those strumpets others with dags and other weapons kept the entrie of the cloistures some of the Deanes men came in the meane space into the cloyster at whom the Spaniardes discharged their dagges and hurt some of them whereof great busines was like to follow But you shew your selfe worse then one of the broode of Cham who was cursed for vncouering his fathers shame for you seeke to lay shame vpon your mother England before she deserue it to please a forreiner and a sworne enemie to her Now let all men of conscience yea of common reason iudge whether of vs two hath the malignant spirit by you named I in discouering the daungerous humours of the Spaniardes for my countries good or you in not onely concealing them but seeking to cleare them for your countries harme and hazard of ruine yea in labouring in your censure to lay so odious a blot of disgrace vpon your natiue countrie Concerning their late King and that before alleaged and proued by me in my former booke against him out of the letter of discouery which I cited this Encounterer promiseth himselfe great aduantage against me the vanitie of whose conceite shall appeare by that which followeth for all his great paines taken and his leauing no stone vnmoued whereby he might discredite either me in cyting such a letter or the discouerer in writing it or both Sometimes hee seemeth to doubt whether there were any such letter of discouerie sent or whether the tale bee not wholy forged by my selfe nay he perswadeth himselfe to discouer both treacherous cogging and shameles forgery in my heart and hand Concerning which obiection of forgerie I doubt not but to all men indifferent it might bee sufficient for me to answere as one AEmilius Scaurus did who being by one Varius accused of treason made this short and plaine answer Varius dicit Scaurus negat vtri creditis Varius saith it Scaurus denieth it whether doe you beleeue In like sorte if I should answere concerning this odious crime of forging and inuenting this letter N.D. a Iesuiticall scholler and sworne Spanish obiecteth it Francis Hostings a Christian and true hearted Englishman denieth it whether doe you credite The iudgements of as many as were not more then halfe Spanish would acquite mee But yet for further euidence I adde that this discouerie was written in nature of a letter from a true hearted Englishman dwelling at that time with a great man in Spaine the name of the writer was one Iohn Bradford not Bradford whom Boner put to death but Bradford a Papist the Nobles to whom this letter was directed were the Earles of Arundel Shrewsbury Pembroke with other Nobles and these named I trust you will cleare them from being infected with the humour you imagine to be fed by him Hauing little hope to perswade the indifferent reader that I forged this letter of mine owne head hee proceedeth to seeke to discredite the certificate in it selfe For short answere whereto there be two things materiall of which I must say somewhat the marriage it selfe of this King to Queene Marie with the conditions thereof insisted vpon by this English Spaniard and made a speciall colour to crush the credite of Bradfords aduertisement and the secret intent of the King by this letter discouered By the first viz. the conditions of the marriage together with the Kings vsage towards the English for a space hee would ouerthrow the second namely the certificate of the Kings secret meaning But Sir your inference hereupon is very feeble and weake in taking vpon you hereby to controule the aduertisement of Iohn Bradford to be false The world hath not found it strange for some politike men to make semblance of loue when they meane nothing lesse I will not hunt far for proofe touching the argument in hand or for disproofe of this Encounterers wrongfull exception against me Let the Anti-Spaniard and Mercurius Gallo-Belgicus both Papists and Emanuel Lewis a Portugal in his open confession at the Guild-hall and sundrie others suffice for my clearing not to haue written that I did without ground of proofe in my former booke It were not amisse to remember and consider what moued your Popish Prelates and others to bee so busie in hand to haue Ladie Elizabeth now our most worthie and happie Queene married to some Spaniard and to bee posted ouer with her portion much about the time that it was said Queen Marie was with childe and when your Catholike King was concluded to bee Protector and gouernour to the issue hoped for I dare not say for offending your Worship that I feare it should haue been the best of our sweet Queenes fortune if that match had gone forward to haue liued with her husband in Spaine whilest your King Catholike enioyed by vsurpation the possession and gouernment of her Kingdome in England to the killing of all true English hearts but I dare boldlie say that many thousands in England doe praise God from their hearts that she so happelie escaped so daungerous and base a match and that we so happelie enioy so worthie and blessed a Queene The conditions of the Marriage and vsage of the King for a space being too weake an inference to disproue the certificate concerning his secret meaning let vs in few words consider somewhat both of the person of the Discouerer and the substance of the discouerie I pray you Sir what should moue Bradford to write this but that an honest true Englishmans heart incited him thereunto he was by profession a Papist by habitation a Spaniard for his Master on whom he attended was one and being amongst them his perill was great in writing this for if he had been discouered his life must haue paide for it he did it not then for hatred to Poperie as you would surmise nor for malice to his Master with whom it appeared he was in good account nor for any hope of rewarde being farre enough off from receiuing any but neere vnto daunger it is plaine he was only when he heard of such a perilous plot to the vtter rooting out of his Countrey men and ouerthrow of his flourishing Countrey hee was forced out of the remorse of a true English mans heart to expose himselfe to the hazard of his life by his setting downe and sending this aduertisement to these Lords But to fill vp the discredite you desire to lay vpon Bradford for this his aduertisement so honestlie giuen to the Nobles of England you aske How he could in Spaine discouer so great a secret that lay in the Kings breast in England For answere I must tell you that I hope it is not vnknowne that there was some intermission of time betweene the Kings marrying of Queene Mary and her death besides that when the King was in England I trust he had not all his Nobles and Counsellors with him if this were consulted on and concluded before the marriage he might then get
notice of it if it were concluded on after the marriage why might not this be brought to his Master and others into Spaine by letters from some of the Nobles that were with the King here So that this is but a poore shift to discredite Bradfords aduertisement and the circumstances considered that I did set downe before of his being a Papist in profession in dwelling a Spaniard and in place not to write this without perill I doubt not but to euery one in whom reason ruleth and not passion it will proue probable enough that there might bee a iust cause of such an aduertisement When Lewis the French King his sonne was by our nobles called into England and set vp for their King against King Iohn the Vicount Melun falling deadly sicke vpon remorse of conscience secretly confessed to diuers of the Barons what was the purpose of Lewis to doe when he had once obtained the Crowne namely that Lewis with sixteene of his Counsellors whereof this Vicount was one had compacted after possession of the Crowne obtained to depriue our chiefe Nobles of their lands and possessions and driue them into perpetuall exile And so farther proceeding and with many teares pittying the extreame miserie this land was like to come vnto he brake out into these words My friendes I counsaile you earnestly to looke to your selues and to prouide the remedie in time least it come vpon you vnwares your King for a season hath kept you vnder but if Lodowicke preuaile he will put you from all c. Had Lodowicke so treacherous an intent when our Nobles so highly fauoured him and shal it seeme strange that King Philip should haue such a secret meaning did a Frenchman and an enemie vpon very remorse of conscience bewray this secret and might not Bradford an Englishman though a Papist hazzard his life to discouer King Philips daungerous plot against his countrie Or may our Chronicles recorde this purpose of Lodowicke and publish it to posteritie and may it not be lawfull for me to set downe the discouerie of your Catholike Kings secret determination to admonish my countrie men to take heed how they lend aide to bring in a forraine ruler into the Realme least perhaps it follow that they be displaced themselues and be made straungers in their owne land But the taxes set downe by me as intended to be brought vpon this land you call childish toyes such as one would not imagine that a man of Sir Francis name house and calling would euer publish But such childish toies they are as euerie sound true Englishmā hearing of the seruile gonernment of Spaine and feeling the freedome we liue withall in England will from his heart praise God for the blessed freedome we liue vnder and pray to God for euer to deliuer vs from Spaines bondage and this doe many other Nations besides vs wherof some haue been so miserably taxed that they haue been forced as one doth crediblie report to sell their beds they lie vpon to pay taxations imposed vpon them In the cloze of this when I set downe what you say of your kings determination concerning the Ladie Elizabeth as well as the rest after you haue referred vs to that you haue set downe before of his kindnes to her when she was prisoner to which I haue made you alreadie a full answere you runne into your common place of railing againe and adde That no modest man can cease to wonder how so infamous a libell could be suffered to passe to the print especially containing diuers personall reprochful contēptuous calumniations against so great potent a Prince c. I like you wel sir you are fast to your friends I wish I could find you as faithfull to your Soueraigne then should I find you as hot if not more hot in raging against those of your side that haue most wretchedlie railed against her Maiestie your rightful Soueraigne if you proue worthie to be her Subiect wherin they haue sought to impugne her right to defame her faith to discredit her gouernment to touch her honour to violate and abate the Maiestie of her place c. But as Athalia fled into the Temple and cried out treason treason whereas her selfe indeed was the traitour and Hercules furens in the tragedie raged and threatned to be reuenged of those that had slaine his children himselfe indeed hauing slaine them in his mad moode so these good fellowes crie out against those that vtter opprobrious speeches against Princes whereas themselues are the peerles and matchles men of all Christendome in whom the saying of Saint Iude is verified Which despise gouernment and speake euill of them which are in authoritie I protest I am abashed and my pen trembleth to set down those intolerable calumniations that not onely forreiners but home-borne Papistes haue vttered against her Maiestie I know not how to compare them herein but to the diuell the father of all slaunder and calumniation for as it is written in the Reuelation That the Serpent did cast out of his mouth water against the women like a floud that he might cause her to be carried away of the floud so haue these hell hounds spued forth whole flouds of reprochfull and calumnious slaunders thereby to darken and drown the honour of her Maiestie if they could possiblie Remember Sir in what sort Bartholomaeus de miranda master of the Popes Pallace behaueth himselfe towards your Soueraigne and with how villanous reproches he doth load her in his admonition set before the Epistle of Osorius directed to her Remember how he raileth at her that wrote the cononization of Didacus who being a Spaniard was of speciall purpose sainted by the Pope to further the King of Spaine in his intended conquest of England And though the wiser sorte of our Nation haue learned euen by the lawes of morall ciuilitie as your selfe confesse that a man must speake moderately also of his enemie yet the learned'st of our English Papistes haue not learned to speake moderatelie of their Soueraign whom they ought not to reckon their enemy you know how immoderatly immodestly Station Saunders and Rishton to omit others doe raile against her as against the Turke himselfe they could not doe worse Now Sir how should that which vpon vrgent occasion if to inuade and seeke to conquer the land and to make way thereunto by seeking the shortning of my Soueraignes life through treasons may be reckoned an vrgent occasion I say how should that I haue set downe against your Catholike King anger you if so manie opprobrious and contumelious reproaches as you know vttered against your Soueraigne and that not alone by forrainers but by such as should be subiects doe not moue you I write against a straunger truly these against their Soueraign falsely I to confirme subiects hearts in loyaltie and obedience to their lawfull Soueraigne they to corrupt Subiectes heartes and to make them disloyall and disobedient to their Soueraigne I
nothing can be said sufficiently but as a paineful compiler of the ecclesiasticall Historie thinketh all places considered where the Romish Phalaris hath intermedled France Flanders Italy Spayne and whersoeuer the gripes of this greedie griffin as Chaucer compareth him could râ—ach it would be hard to say whether the Romane heathen Emperors in the prime-daies of the Church or the Romish Bishops in the latter had caused more Christian bloud to be spilt And whereas this Encounterer wringeth out a malediction from hence pretending by this chaunge of Religion the torturing hanging and racking of so many learned Priests c. he shall neuer be able to proue so farre as euer I could learne that any one either Priest or Lay-man learned or vnlearned hath in this land these fortie yeares beene put to death onely for being a Recusant and of a contrarie Religion as the libertie and home-dwelling of so many Recufants without dread of any such daunger may proue sufficiently The Wolfe persecuteth the Lamb not the Lambe the Wolfe As for those fewe which haue suffered in these fortie yeares not comparable to the number of those which were martyred in Queene Maries fiue yeares I am so farre off from reioycing at their death that with all my heart I wish they had neuer sucked the poyson of treason from your Iesuites breastes that so they might haue preuented the due and iust shedding of their owne bloods To these may be added other corporall blessings in a short view among which this is not the least that the establishment of true Religion hath quite remoued from our neckes the yoke of popish bondageâ— How miserablie this poore land was oppressed and impouerished by the Popes dispensations exactions contributions besides his continuall subsidie of Peter-pence nothing being able to satisfie his greedie appetite and insatiable auarice our stories in sundry places make lamentable mention Now he must haue the tenth of all the moueables in England Wales and Ireland then foure markes of euerie able Church and where one was not able to reach there the other poore Churches must ioyne to make vp the money shortly by a new Mandat all beneficed men must pay the first part of their reuenues then prouision of English benefices for boyes of Rome 300. at a clappe and what not Poore England was continually pilled and polled and almost suckt drie whereof to vse one example for many the Nobles ioyntly with the Commons complain in the Raigne of Henrie the third in which their complaint hauing made mention of the continuall subsidie of Peter-pence and other contributions they adde these words And now see wee beseech you which is lamentable to behold what iniuries we sustaine by you and your predecessors who not considering those our subsidies and contributions before remembred doe suffer also your Italians and forrayners which be out of number to be possessed of our Churches and benefices in England c. And immediatly which forrayners neither defending the said religious persons neither hauing the language whereby they might instruct the flocke take no regard of their soules but vtterly leaue them of wilde beastes to be deuoured Wherefore it may truly be said of them that they are no good shepheards for that neither they doe know their sheepe nor the sheepe doe know the voice of their shepheards neither doe they keepe any hospitalitie but onely take vp the rents of those benefices carrying them out of the Realme wherewith our brethren our nephewes and our kinsfolkes might be sustained who could and would dwell vpon them and employ such exercises of mercy and hospitality as their dutie required whereof a number for meere necessitie now are lay-men and faine to flie out of the Realme And now to the intent more fully to certifie you of the truth you shall vnderstand that the said Italians and strangers receiuing of yeerely rents out of England not so little as threescore thousand markes by yeare besides other auailes and exises deducted do reape in the said our kingdome of England more emoluments of meere Rents then doth the King himselfe being both Tutour of the Church and Gouernour of the land c. they further proceeded in their complaint which for breuity sake I omit The conclusion is miserably was this land oppressed vnder the Romish Pharaoh not onely the skinne flayed from the flesh but the flesh in a manner rent from the bones from which by this happy chaunge of Religion wee are deliuered the Lords name be praised therefore The name of peace is sweete and the thing it selfe both pleasant and profitable with which blessing the Lord hath also greatly blessed this land these fortie yeeres that in this respect her Maiesties raigne hath beene as the raigne of Asa of whom it is written that he had no warre in those daies for the Lord his God had sent him peace round about For as for the late tumults and stirres of Ireland it is euident to whom they are to be ascribed by the sending thither of Saunders and of Italian bandes by the Pope who is the common Trumpeter of Sedition in all Christian Common-weales which seeke to shake off the yoke of his tyrannie There kindled vpon the like occasion the flame of Rebellion in the North but bessed be God it vanished quickly like a smoke Spayne likewise attempted an inuasion but with such successe as neither hath he cause to boast of his winnings nor wee to complaine of our losses for as the starres fought in their course for Israel against Sisera so did the windes for England against Spayne other warres to speake of we haue had none but such as we haue voluntarily vnder-taken for the reliefe and support of those that were oppressed And this it selfe is no small blessing that England in the raigne of a Woman hath beene the common refuge to all Christian nations eyther rent asunder with ciuill warres or oppressed with forraine forces so that a Queene hath sit as Arbitrer of peace and warre amongst Christian Kings France is witnesse hereof What should I speake of Suethland c. what of Flaunders being receiued into our tuition and societie yea the Turke himselfe who happily before the renowmed raigne of her Maiestie had neuer heard the name of this little Island moued with the Maiestie of her name hath laid armes aside and through her intercession hath granted peace to the Polonians being almost brought to extremitie To these I might adde the blessing of riches plentie and aboundance such as hath not lightly beene knowne in this land before which God hath aboundantly sent vnto vs. Whereby we haue beene enabled to minister to the necessities of so many oppressed and to sustaine such voluntarie warres as honourable respects haue moued her Maiesty to vndertake for the needfull succour of others which who so seeth not is blind and who so acknowledgeth not is verie ingrate I may also adde the multitude of people increased mightily since her Maiesties first enterance
and storme at her enioying of the Crowne as at her Christian and Religious gouernment Buls are not hastelie procured your Pope must be sued vnto and false informations must be giuen and it might be as they had vaine hopes for a time to feede themselues with so those hopes fayling the fittest season for publishing of the Bull was thought to be when others were prepared to raise rebellion The second point is a matter of as deepe consideration as the former wherein hee telleth vs by enumeration of diuers hard vsages offered by her Maiestie and the Protestants against the Pope and Popish Catholicks that it must needs be that not malignitie of the Pope and his adherents against her but diuers iniuries and cruelties offered inforced the publication of the Bull. I will not vouchsafe to make an Apologie for defence of those things which you Sir Encounterer recken vp as wrongs and iniuries offered to your Pope and Pope-worshippers this onely I say for answere that as her Maiestie hath done nothing in the reformation of Religion in requiring an oath of her people for acknowledgement of her authoritie in inforcing her Subiects to the true seruice of God in punishing offenders and obstinate persons and such like proceedings but that which God commaunded her and the godlie zealous Princes haue done before her so it doth not necessarilie follow that notwithstanding all those things haue been done in godlie zeale and louing care for the saluation of the soules of her people therefore you are free from malignitie your faultines wherein I haue euidentlie proued before though in your deepe and cunning flatterie you would gladlie denie it you fawne vpon her Maiestie and yet accuse her most falselie of breach of promise in altering Religion you seeme to free her from a desire to publish Gods Gospell and yet affirme that your Pope had great cause to proceede against her Other Princes as Edward the first Richard the second Henrie the fourth haue made lawes against the Bishop of Rome his authoritie and vsurped iurisdiction and yet haue not tasted so much of his malice which sheweth the malignitie of your Pope and his adherents against her Maiestie As for your Poperie and superstition rooted out of this land it was not of so long continuance as you boast for but little before William the Conqueror Kings were Gods Vicars for gouerning his Church Ecclesiasticall liuings were bestowed by the Princes they made Ecclesiasticall lawes Priests were married and your Transubstantiation was not then knowne You blasphemouslie scoffe at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and ye glorie in the dissention betweene vs and the Lutherans but as the Lord is of will and power to mocke mockers so can hee make the infirmitie of his seruants worke to his glorie and their good I passe ouer many things willinglie in this your Rhetoricall flourishing contenting my selfe to haue shewed the non sequitur of your allegation The third point which you would haue considered is that it was an acte of iurisdiction from an Ecclesiasticall superiour as also an auncient kinde of proceeding against Princes in our land as well as in other places without any trouble to the people for the same and therefore you would not haue your Catholikes to be charged with it or troubled for it For answere thereunto this I affirme that as wee acknowledge not your Popes superioritie or Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction ouer vs he playing the vsurping Tirant in censuring our Prince so we neither yeelde that this his proude and malicious cursing and excommunication of Princes hath been of long continuance or that those his adherents who iustifie his proceedings are to bee freed from blame We acknowledge that Princes the annointed of the Lord are the higher powers ordained to execute Iustice and Iudgement ouer the good and euill We knowe no other Superiour in nations and kingdomes next and immediatelie vnder God but such as the Apostle Peter willeth vs to be subiect vnto when he saith Submit your selues vnto all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as to the Superiour c. he speaketh of one not of many superiours where a Monarchie is established The time was when your Bishop of Rome was far from hauing a superioritie euen in Rome and his dominions for both Charles the great and Otho the great had right soueraigntie and royaltie of the Countries giuen to your Popes with acknowledgement to bee their Soueraigne Lordes in regarde of which they yeelded tributes and other seruices vnto them as also in former times the Emperours had their Lieutenants and deputies in Rome euen to Gregorie the seuenths time and your Popes obtained not the Soueraigntie which now they challenge till it was almost 1200. yeares after Christ in the daies of Alexander the third and Innocentius the third both Bishops of Rome Your vsuall engine of excommunication and depriuing of Princes of their Crownes is likewise far short of that antiquitie by which you would seeme to mitigate the rigour and crueltie thereof For as there was neuer any Romane King or Emperor excommunicated and depriued of his kingdom by any Bishop of Rome before Henry the fourth Emperour of Rome who was excommunicated cursed by Gregory the seuenth the brand of hel who being a Necromancer a periured person and a most wicked man confessed at his death to a Cardinall that he was set on by the Diuell to raise vp discord and warres in Christendome so in England from the conquest vnto King Henrie the eight there was no Prince of this land deposed by your pope but onely King Iohn It is a noueltie Sir N.D. and not a matter of antiquitie as Sigebert telleth you to teach that people owe no subiection to euill kings c. As for that you say that Subiects heretofore in our land haue not beene troubled or forced to alter their beliefe concerning the Popes power notwithstanding his cursing and depriuing of Princes is more then you know and it maketh no great matter whether it were so or no seeing that your vse of excommunication hath not been so frequent in our land and your dealings were neuer so treacherous and desperate as they haue been of late Our English Nation did neuer at any time since the first receiuing of the faith vnto this day acknowledge the vsurped power of your Pope to depose Princes much lesse hath it been anie matter of our faith your Pope Nicholas and Boniface the eight may put in transubstantiation to be an Article of our beliefe and make your popes supremacie of the necessitie of saluation but wee haue learned to ground our faith vpon the Scriptures of God which teacheth no such absurd and diuellish points The lawes of our land haue heretofore in King Richard the seconds time and Edward the thirds time made it treason to bring in any excommunication from Rome to impugne the lawes of the Realme for benefices and patronages to compasse or imagine the
which in that letter of Boners to the Lord Cromwell are to be found And this I hope is sufficient to cleare me from malignitie and sycophancie for calling so vnworthie a man a bloudie monster After this flourish to make shew in generall of the Bishops milde mature whereof by these fewe particulars the reader may more soundly iudge this his Proctor proceedeth to cleere him of seeking her Maiesties life in the raigne of her sister but it seemeth his conscience gaue him a secret checke when he set pen to paper about this defence For how weake an Apologie doth make for so haynous an accusation the lines are few in which he wrappeth vp the handling of this weightie case and the reasons as weake as water that he alleadgeth for the Bishops clearing It was so farre off from Gardiners condition and nature saith this forward Proctor that he dareth say I doe him apparent and wilfull wrong What Sir if for malice he might be compared to the diuell as Boner witnesseth what could be more agreeable to his nature then to seeke the bloud of so gracious and innocent a Ladie And seemeth not trow ye his case to be verie good which so wooddie yea so hot and fierie a Patrone seekes to maintaine with so slender and cold a defence as I dare say he doth him apparunt and wilfull wrong But he addeth she was an obiect rather of loue and compassion then of enuie and hatred But what loue could proceede from him that was of an hard heart and cancred malicious stomacke what compassion could he shewe whose verie bowels were cruell As for the misterious bracelet of which this brabler talketh in which all the secrecie of Wyats conspiracie was said to lie hidden which Gardiner farther pierced then any other but neuer vsed or vrged the knowledge gotten thereof to the Ladies perill I answere that the misterie of this Shemeis treacherie against that innocent Ladie his now Soueraigne may hereby appeare to all men who to grace his client with the commendation of a deepe politike to pearse further into the misterie of that conspiracie then anie other and of a tender harted man in not vsing nor vrging his knowledge gotten thereof to the Ladies perill layeth the highest disgrace vpon his Soueraigne that can be imagined as if she had been secretly confederate with Wyat in his rebellion against her sister and that this Eagle-eyed Bishop had spied so much in a misterious bracelet but of pure good will did neuer vrge it to her perill Whereas for euer finding any suspition against her through so manie hard and earnest siftings his owne mouth is a witnesse against him who kneeling downe to her Grace after long triall had of her loyaltie and integritie said Then hath your Grace the aduantage of me and other of the Lords for your long and wrong Imprisonment As for his concealing of any thing that hee might finde against her or desire to free her from daunger who knoweth not how farre both hee and the rest of the Clergie were from any such inclination For when Wyat at his death cleered the Ladie Elizabeth Doctor Weston cried Beleeue him not good People c. Which being related to Sir Thomas White then Lord Maior he was moued at the bloudie humour of this Popish Doctor and said of him with indignation In sooth I neuer tooke him but for a knaue But was your Bishop more mildlie affected then the Doctor Nay hee was so vnwilling to haue her cleered as hee chafed exceedinglie at a poore Apprentise in London for saying that Wyat had cleered her and the Lord Courtney and caused the Lord Maior to bring this poore youth to the Starre Chamber where hee vttered a speech vpon that occasion and pronounced the innocent Ladie guiltie and commaunded the Apprentise should be punished And if Master Bridges then Lieutenant of the Tower had not as is reported most honestly aduentured to Queene Marie to informe her of a warrant that was out for the execution of this her worthie Sister the innocent Ladie had lost her life poore England had been depriued of so gracious a Soueraigne and the light of our Candlesticke had been put out But blessed bee the Lorde who gaue not the Soule of his Turtle Doue to the beasts nor his darling to the power of the dogges With this for good fellowship may walke hand in hand his plea for the Bishops freedome concerning the bringing in of the Spaniard of which I affirme that Gardiner and his complices neuer rested vntill they had brought in the Spaniard and matched him with Queene Marie by which they betraied God her and the whole Realme from which this Proctor first would cleare him by imagining in him a partiall affection to the Earle of Deuonshire whom he would haue married to the Queene But it were strange that in a man of Gardiners place there should bee so great ficklenes and mutabilitie that in so short a space so great loue should bee turned into such extreame hatred a little before in his loue he would haue made him as you say as a King by matching him to Queene Marie within a while after he would haue made him worse then a caitife and to suffer as a Traitour accusing him earnestlie in the Starre Chamber when as Wyat had cleered him Secondlie hee demaundeth if this had been so as hee saith it was not why did they betraie therein both God their Queene and their Countrie To which his demaunde I briefelie answere God was betraied because his true Religion was exiled which Queene Marie before her obtaining the Crowne promised to the Suffolke men to maintaine and in steede thereof Idolatrie was established The Queene they betraied because they matched her to an vnhusband-like husband who estranged both his affection and companie from her which was thought to be a great cause of the shortning of her daies for when the cause of her often sighing a little before her death was asked of her selfe she confessed this to bee one though not the onelie cause that she could not enioie the companie of her husband The Realme they betraied because they sought to make it subiect to a stranger though yet blessed bee God doe all they what they could or the Queene herselfe they could neuer set the Crowne of England vpon King Phillips head And that the temporall inconueniences by that match were not more fullie felt God is to bee praised who gaue him here so short an aboade Further by this match they bringing in the Pope and resigning the Supremacie to him did wrong to the Crowne for by the Lawe of God the King in his owne Realme is chiefe gouernour both in causes Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill the Pope contrariwise will not onelie be aboue the King in all causes Ecclesiasticall but also in some Ciuill challenging all Bishops and Cleargie men for his subiects exempting them in things Ciuill from the Kings authoritie whereby he robbeth the
spirituall and temporall Supremacie as it may seeme with small reuerence Philip by the grace of God c. To Boniface bearing himselfe for chiefe Bishop little health or none at all Let thy foolishnes know that in temporall things we are subiect to no man and that the giftes of Prebends and Benefices made and to be made by vs were and shal be good both in time past and to come And that we will defend manfully the possessours of the said Benefices and we thinke them that beleeue or thinke otherwise to be fooles or madmen Charles the 5. Father to King Philip of Spayne for a lesse matter then withdrawing his subiectes from loyaltie or attempting to depose him and make him no King rang an hot Alarum at Rome gates by his Souldiours and did take the Pope himselfe prisoner And for all his claime of Monarchie let him offer to thrust the King of Spaine from his throane and see if as Catholike as he is he will acknowledge this his Supremacie or rather will not seeke by all meanes to bridle his furie Therefore gentle Sir I must make bold to returne your imputation of lunacy vpon your selfe and your colleagues Thrasilaus a frenticke person who poore man was not in anie proportion worth one ship yet thought all the ships that arriued in the hauen of Athens to be his he would tell them suruey them and set downe accounts of them In like sort a melancholike impression hath so deepely setled it selfe in these mens braines that though indeed they be destitute of the testimonie of Antiquitie yet they boast that the fathers make with them and that all antiquitie is on their side forsooth euen as all the ships of Athens belonged to poore Thrasilaus From his Archprelacie let vs briefely come to his pride which we shall not need to seeke in his inward disposition as this Popeling imagineth it sheweth it selfe apparantlie in outward actions Neither in iudging by the external shew may I as wel cōdemne all other Princes and great men in the world for admitting honour according to their degrees as hee would perswade there being great difference betwixt the outward honour due to Priestes and that which appertaineth to Princes and this Luciferian Priest challenging such honour as no prince or monarch the like The Pope will haue the Emperour to holde his stirrope whilest he mounteth on horsebacke and Pope Adrian was angrie with the Emperour Frederike for holding his stirrope on the wrong side when he is mounted the Emperour must lead his horse by the bridle and Kings walke along before yea when he is carried on mens shoulders the Emperour they say must helpe to carrie him for a space Pope Caelestine the 4. Crowned Henrie the 6. Emperour lying prostrate before him with his feet Gregorie the 7. made Henrie the 4. Emperor with his wife and young child to waite at his gate three diaes bare foot barelegd to sue for absolution and at the length made him to surrender his Crowne into his hands Franciscus Dandalùs the Embassadour of the Noble State of Venice was faine with a chaine about his necke to lie vnder the Popes table like a Dog to pacifie his indignation conceiued against the Venetians What should I speake of his blessed feete which hee maketh Kings and Emperours to kisse What speake I of kissing his feete which barbarous pride yet scarce any heathen Emperour is read to haue shewed towards inferiour persons but towards Kings I thinke none Alexander the third did treade on the necke of Fredericke Barbarossa the Emperour and caused that verse of the Psalme to be song Thou shalt walke vpon the Adder and Cockatrice and shalt tread the Lyon and Dragon vnder thy feete These I take it are sufficient euidences of Pride intolerable and more then heathenish Leauing to set downe further proofes of his pride we will now shew how iustlie hee is tearmed a bloudie Monster Cyrus whose head Queene Tomyris cut off and cast into a bole of bloud with this reproach Satia te sanguine quem sitijsti i. Glut thy selfe with bloud after which thou hast thirsted was but a milke soppe to the bloud sucker of Rome Valla professeth of the Popes in his time that they were called Fathers in name but in deede were murtherers that the Pope maketh warre vpon people that liued in peace and soweth discord amongst Christian Princes Iulius the second plaied the gallant warriour in his owne person and casting aside Peters keyes did betake himselfe to Paules sworde Sundrie Popes haue sent their Cardinals to be generall of their Armies and to shed Christian bloud Pope Adrian set Pipine and Charles Kings of France against them of Lombardie Boniface setteth the King of England against the French King and another time they haue set the French against the English The examples of this bloudie humour in sowing dissention betwixt Kingdomes are so many that the Popes owne Secretarie Platina confesseth Pontifices Romanos inimicitias non secus ac saeuissimos Tirannos exercuisse i. That the Popes of Rome did exercise hostilitie and hatred no lesse then the most cruell Tirants What should I speake of his bloudie trecheries The Emperour Fredericke being in warre against the Turke the Pope did take from him his lands in Apulia and Lombardie perswadeth the Turke by letters not to yeelde vp the holy land to him but to kill him gaue a pardon to whosoeuer would fight against him The Hospitalers and Templaries by letters shewed the Turke how Fredericke might be betrayed which treason the naturall honest Turke detested in this point honester then the Pope sent the letters to the Emperour and said in contempt of Christ and Religion Eccefidelitas Christianorum i. Beholde the fidelitie of Christians Gregorie the seuenth how many waies sought hee to destroy Henrie the fourth Emperour and namelie once when the Emperour was at his Prayers at Saint Maries Church in Rome hee appoynted by a Nouice hired to that purpose to haue the Emperour murthered by throwing downe a great stone vpon him Henrie the sixt Emperour was by a Frier hyred thereto poysoned in the Sacrament how barbarouslie Stephanus dealt with his predecessor Formosus after his death how many Popes Gregorie the seuenth poysoned to get the Popedome how Vrban the sixt sowed diuers Cardinals in sackes and drowned them in the Sea generallie of how many massacres the Popes haue been authors and how they haue reioyced at the effussion of Christian bloud these things to set downe were either to write Iliades after Homer or at the least chiliades after Erasmus In a word Alexander the sixt the Papists themselues condemne for a bloudie monster of whome after his death these verses were publikely scattered Mirum cur vomuit nigrum post fata cruorem Borgia quem biberat concoquere haud poterat Borgia dead much bloud did vomit from his brest What maruaile that the store he dranke could not digest But these happilie were the faultes of olde times
learning is not verie great or their cause is bad Iohn Hus. Martin Luthers offer to dispute at Wormes He goeth to the same end to Augusta Simon Grinaeus at Spire Colloquie of Poissy Particular absurdities of Poperie Heresie with the Papists to reade the Scriptures in vulgar tongueâ— An obiection answered D. Rayn de Idol eccl Ro. lib. 1. cap. 1. The Sorbonists oth For reading of the Scriptures in vulgar tongues men were called before the Biâ—shops Act. Mon. ex Regist. Lin. Act. mon. aeâ— testim D. Outredi Ibidem pa. 863. A godly Booke seller in France 1. Mach. 1. Ignorance with Papists the mother of Deuotion Doctor Fulke Scripture forbidden to be read Iohn 5. Coloss. 3. Chrisost. in epist. ad Coloss. â—om 9. Fides implicita Ignorance a fruitfull Mother for the Papists Act. Monu pag. 139. Deuotion separated from knowledge in many of the Popish Cleargie 1. Tim. 4. D. Rayn de Eccl. Rom. lib. 2. cap. 5. 1 Conscientia 2 Scientia 3 Entia Publike praier or deuotion in an vnknowne tongue Hossius de sacro vernacule legendo Art 3. pa. 75. See the 27. article betwixt B. Iewel and Harding How the Papists allow lay men to meddle with matters of Religion To meddle with Scriptures is to examine by Scriptures the doctrine taught Act. 17. 1. Iohn 4. Chrysost. in 2. Cor. hom 13. Papists forbid Lay men thus to meddle with Scriptures and why Paraleip Abb. vrsperg pa. 448 In lex Expurg cuâ— vt si Ber. c About Thomas Becket The ground of Beckets quarrels with his King Becket goeth inta France against the kings will Beckets words to the Earle of Leicester The King and Nobles adiudge Beckets a traitor The controuersie between Becket and the King put into the French Kings hands The Kings officer Proud Beckets refusall The letter of the Empresse Two Cardinals censures of Becket About Beckets sainting Ex. Auentino Disputation about Becket at Paris Argument of miracles Popish miracles threefold 1 Onely in shew Act. Mon. pag. 733. Ex Pencero Munst. Caâ—ione aliis 2 Wrought by Sathan 2. Thess. 2. Math. 24. Deut. 13. 3 Falsely deuised Beckets miracles Act. Mon. pa. 204. Miracles not rare amongst the Papists D. Rain ex breuiario Rom. ex vita Thâ— â—ius operi Romae editis prefixa D. Rain ex seuerinâ— Large talke betweene Hiacinthus and an image of Alablaster The Pope will be obeyed commanding either disloyaltie or blasphemie Blasphemy by the Pope commanded Portiforium ad vsum Sarum in festo S. Tho. Caenâ—uar Disloyaltie by the Pope commaunded About Pardons and Indulgences Indulgences grounded neither vpon Scripture nor vpon ancient Fathers Councels condemne the abuses of the Popes pardons Ex Chemnicio de Indulgentijs The complainâ— of the Germaine Princes Tecelius Pardous for sinnes to be committed Parry Caines spirit Absolution Simon a Monke Iacobus Clemens The conclusion Iustification by faith Esay 30. Iob. 1. This bloudie mate falsely chargeth me with bloud-thirstines â— Sam. 18. Aug. in Psal. 37 Her Maiesties marueilous deliuerance in Queene Maries time Her Maiesties deliuerance and Dauids compared Her Maiestie vniustly troubled in Queen Maries daies A ridiculous argument Causes concurring to her Maiesties preseruation M. Hales Oration The fretting of the Papists against her Maiestie now being Queene Hester 6. About annointing Psal. 150. Luke 2. About D. Storie Psal. 5. 59. Stories words The interpretatioÌ„ of them Stories iudgement Martyrium Ioan Stor Angl. pro ecc Rom. primat The Bull of Pius Quintus Master Iuel Bullenger Whether any man may depose Kings Dan. 2. and 4. Luke 1. 1. King 14. 1. King 19. Prou. 8. August in Psalm 47. 1 2 Rom. 13. Valentinian Theodosius Sigebert in Anno 1088. Aug. contraliterai Petil. lib. â— ca. 92. Psal 140. Iere. 10. Iudges 5. Traterous practises of some Papists Fond amplifications of punishments inflicted on papists A vaine colour Protestants not to be compared with Papists in rebellion 2 King 11. Lib. conform in initio About the two Earles insurrection Francis Throgmorton and Charles Paget About the late Earle of Northumberland and the Earle of Arundel The substance of the Encounterers conclusion Bishop Gardiner and Cardinall Allen compared Bishop Gardiner A short view of Gardiners milde nature Gardiners hard dealing with Marbeck Heresie for lay men to meddle with the Scripture Gardiners argument to proue an heretike Doctor Tailor Gardiners milde Rhetorike Master Philpot Boner vnwilling to meddle with Master Philpot Boners speech concerning Gardiners being dead Gardiners ioy for Bishop Ridley master Latimers death with God his suddaine stroke vpon him Gardiners desire of reuenge against the Duches of Suffolke Boners description of Gardiner About Gardiners seeking Queene Elizabeths life A weake Apologie The misterie of his tale of a misterious bracelet Gardiner confesseth the wrong imprisonment of Ladie Elizabeth D. Weston Gardiner vnwilling to haue the Ladie Elizabeth cleered The bringing in of the Spaniard Gardiners booke de vera obedientia with Boners proface Gardiners Sermon in Queene Maries time vpon Rom. 13. The A.B.C. to the Pope and his Clergie in Hen. 4. time Gardiner put out of King Henries Will. King Henrie the eyght not minded to reconcile himselfe to the Pope as Gardiner saith but quite contrarie About King Henries diuorce from his first wife with Gard. iudgement of it Cardinall Allen. Allens iudgement of Pius Quintus Bull. Parsons and Campions faculties Saunders Rebellion in Ireland A similitude alleadged for Allens defence examined 1 The Pope no way our father 2 Your elder brethren yeeld not due reuerence to the Queene their mother 3 Your yonger brethren are the elders agents against the Queene Paines practise against her Maiestie Heskets treason Treason against the Queene made a point of the popish faith and religion Allen perswadeth it to be honorable to kill the Queene Parrey resolued by Allens booke to kill the Queene The grouud of this Encounter The Pope will not disclaime his title of vsurped Supremacie The Pope will be no Protestant but may be an heretike Marcellinus Honorius Liberius Stephanus Iohan. 22. The Iesuites The Sorbonists iudgement of the Iesuites Iesuites practises Parrie hartened by Iulio Palmio a Iesuite Yorke and Williams set on by Holte a Iesuite Patricke Cullen Sauage perswaded by D. Guifford Posseuine Wal-poole France iudged the Iesuites The chiefe vow of Iesuits Sacriledge to vow simple obedience to man The scope of their vow The conclusion Te rayling of N.D. Iames. 3. An outward ciuill conuersation Ciuill honesty to be found amongst Infidels Turkes True faith not without good workes Dissimulation taught by Papistes 1 2 3 Dissimulation of some Papists manifested The threefold accusation examined 2 The hurt Recusants do Forcing to do against Conscience Moderate punishment for Religion lawfull Comparison tweene our punishment of Recusants those of former times The Papistes hands deepe in this transgression 2 The hurt Recusants would doe Barbarous railing against Henrie Earle of HuntingdoÌ„ 3 Dissimulation in sundrie Papists Cardinall Allen inciteth to Rebellion Dispensation of Gregorie 13 to Parsons and Campion 3 All Recusants not charged with dissimulatioÌ„ or rebellious mindes â—â—e Papists 〈◊〉 â—at the 〈◊〉 de 〈…〉 1 2 3 4 5 6 The truth of my position iustified Rebellion cunningly broached Abraham and Lot Ieremie Iere 9. Ieroboam Iehu Athanasius Obedience in temporall Princes This is N.D. his spirituall conceite as you may reade in his booke pag. 83. The translation of S. Peters words freed froÌ„ corruption The Popes Crowne may not be touched Archprelate How Christ and his Apostles were Priests and Archprelates 1 Christ gaue no Superiority to Peter Luke 22. 2 Peter neuer challenged anie such Act. 15. 3 The Apostles acknowledge no superioritie in Peter The Popes spirituall supremacie without good warrant The Popes temporall Supremacie His temporall Supremacie neuer acknowledged The Popes intollerable pride The Pope a bloudie monster The Popes bloudie humour against the Queene What iudgement is to be had of this Encounterer Whether the Pope be Antichrist How farre England standeth beholding to Rome 1 2 Elutherius acknowledge the Kings Gods Vicar in his owne kingdome 3 1. Thes. 1. The cause of libertie of speech vsed against Spaine The Encounterers iniurious rayling Of the Spanish Nation Not all Spaniards charged Experiments of the Spaniards pride crueltie c. N.D. maliciously slaundereth his natiue countrie No cause to except against our free speech of Spaniards The person of the discouerer considered The Taxes Papists the only contemners of princes Reuel 52. About Lopus His sute to the Lords The conclusion