THE COPIES OF CERTAINE LETTERS WHICH HAVE passed betweene SPAINE and ENGLAND in matter of RELIGION Concerning the generall Motiues to the Romane obedience Betweene Master IAMES WADESWORTH a late Pensioner of the Holy Inquisition in Siuill and W. BEDELL a Minister of the Gospell of Iesus Christ in SVFFOLKE LONDON Printed by William Stansby for William Barret and Robert Milbourne 1624. TO THE MOST HIGH AND EXCELLENT PRINCE PRINCE CHARLES I Should labour much in my excuse euen to mine owne iudgement of the highest boldnesse in daring to present these Papers to your Highnes if there were not some releeuing circumstances that giue mee hope it shall not be disagreeable to your higher goodnesse There is nothing can see the light which hath the name of Spaine in it which seemes not now properly yours euer since it pleased you to honor that Countrie with your presence And those very Motiues to the Romane obedience which had beene represented vnto you there in case you had giuen way to the propounding them are in these Letters charitably and calmly examined Betweene a couple of friends bred in the same Colledge that of the foundation of Sir WALTER MILDMAY of blessed memorie whom with honor and thankfulnesse I name chosen his Schollers at the same election lodged in the same Chamber after Ministers in the same Diocesse And that they might bee matchable abroad as well as at home attendants in the same ranke as Chaplaines on two Honorable Ambassadors of the Majestie of the King your Father in forraine parts the one in Italie the other in Spaine Where one of them hauing changed his profession and receiued a pension out of the holy Inquisition house and drawne his wife and children thither was lately often in the eyes of your Highnesse very ioyfull I suppose to see you there not more I am sure then the other was solicitous to misse you here These passages betweene vs I haue hitherto forborn to divulge out of the hope of further answer from Master Wadesworth according to his promise though since the receipt of my last being silent to my selfe he excused him in sundrie his Letters to others by his lack of health Nor should I haue changed my resolution but that I vnderstand that presently after your Highnesse departure from Spaine hee departed this life Which newes though it grieue me as it ought in respect of the losse of my friend yet it somewhat contenteth me not to haue beene lacking in my endeauour to the vndeceiuing a well-meaning man touching the state of our differences in Religion nor as I hope to haue scandalized him in the manner of handling them And conceiuing these Copies may be of some publike vse the more being liâ—ted vp aboue their owne meannesse by so high patronage I haue aduentured to prefixe your Highnesse name before them Humbly beseeching the same that if these reasons be too weake to beare vp the presumption of this Dedication it may bee charged vpon the strong desire some way to expresse the vnspeakeable joy for your Highnesse happy returne into England of one amongst many thousands Of your Highnesse most humble and deuoted seruants W. BEDELL THE CONTENTS 1. A Letter of Master Wadesworth contayning his Motiues to the Romane obedience Dated at Seuill in Spaine April 1. 1615. printed as all the rest out of his owne hand-writing pag. 1. 2. Another Letter from him requiring answere to the former from Madrid in Spaine April 14. 1619. pag. 16. 3. The answere to the last Letter Dated Aug. 5. 1619. pag. 17. 4. A Letter from Master Wadesworth vpon the receipt of the former From Madrid Dated Oct. 28. 1619. receiued May 23. 1620. pag. 23. 5. The answere to the last Letter Iune 15. 1620. pag. 25. 6. A Letter from Master Wadesworth from Madrid Iune 8. 1620. pag. 29. 7. A Letter of Master Doctor Halls sent to Master Wadesworth and returned into England with his marginall notes pag. 30. 8. A Letter returning it inclosed to Master Doctor Hall pag. 36. 9. A Letter sent to Master Wadesworth together with the Examination of his Motiues Octob. 22. 1620. pag. 36. 10. The Examination of the Motiues in the first Letter pag. 39. The heads of the Motiues reduced vnto twelue Chapters answering vnto the like figures in the Margint of the first of Master WADESWORTHS Letters Chap. I. OF the Preamble The Titles Catholike Papist Traytor Idolater The vniformitie of Faith in Protestant Religion pag. 39. Chap. II. Of the contrarietie of Sects pretended to be amongst Reformers Their differences how matters â—f Faith Of each pretending Scripture and the holy Ghost pag. 44. Chap. III. Of the want of a humane externall infallible Iudge and Interpreter The obiections answered First that Scriptures are oft matter of controuersie Secondly that they are the Law and Rule Thirdly that Princes are no Iudges Fourthly nor a whole Councell of Reformers The Popes being the Iudge and Interpreter ouerthrown by reasons And by his palpable misse-interpreting the Scriptures in his Decretals The style of his Court His Breues about the Oath of allegeance p. 50. Chap. IIII. Of the state of the Church of England and whether it may be reconciled with Rome Whether the Pope be Antichrist PAVLO V. VICE-DEO OVR LORD GOD THE POPE the Relation de moderandis titulis with the issue of it pag. 72. Chap. V. Of the safenesse to ioyne to the Romane being confessed a true Church by her Opposites Master P. Wottons peruersion printed at Venice The badge of Christs sheepe pag. 82. Chap. VI. Of fraud and corruption in alledging Councels Fathers and Doctors The falsifications imputed to Morney Bishop Iewell Master Fox Tyndals Testament Parsons foure falshoods in seuen lines A taste of the forâ—eries of the Papacy In the ancient Popes Epistles Constantines Donation Gratian The Schoolemen and Breuiaries by the complaint of the Venettan Diuines The Father 's not vntoucht Nor the Hebrew Text. pag. 91. Chap. VII Of the Armies of euident witnesses for the Romanists Whence it seemes so to the vnexpert Souldier The censure of the Centurists touching the Doctrine of the Ancients Danaeus of Saint Augustines opinion touching Purgatorie An instance or two of Imposture in wresting Tertullian Cyprian Augustine p. 108. Chap. VIII Of the inuisibilitie of the Church said to bee an eâ—asion of Protestants The promises made to the Church and her glorious Titles how they are verified out of Saint Augustine falsly applied to the whole visible Church or representatiue or the Pope pag. 118. Chap. IX Of lack of vniformitie in matters of Faith in all ages and places What matters of Faith the Church holds vniformely and so the 〈◊〉 Of Wicliffe and Hus c. whether they were martyrs p. 12â— Chap. X. Of the originall of Reformation in Luther Câ—luin Scotland England Whether King Henrie the eight were a good head of the Church Of the Reformers in France and Holland The originall growth and supporting of the Popes Monarchie considered pag. 122. Chap. XI Of
they would not forethinke that possible this good old man would not drinke so freely as to bee drunken and if hee were yet would not be in the humour to doe as they would haue him for who can make any foundation vpon what another would doe in his cups What a scorne would this bee to them Men are not alwaies so prouident in their actions True but such men are not to bee imagined so soâ—tish as to attempt so solemne an action and ioyned commonly with some great feast and as you obserued well out of the Acts with the Queens mandate for the action to be done and hang all vpon a drunken fit of an old man Besides how comes it to passe that wee could neuer vnderstand the names of the old Bishop or of those whom hee should haue consecrated or which consecrated themselues when hee refused to doe it For so doe your men giue it out howsoeuer you say it was not there effected And in all the space of Queene Elizabeths reigne wherein so many set themselues against the reformation by her established is it possible wee should neuer haue heard word of it of all the English on that side the Seas if it had beene any other then a flying tale After fortie fiue yeeres there is found at last an Irish Iesuite that dares put it in print to proue by it as now you doe that the Parliamentary Pastors lacke holy orders But he relates sundry particulars and brings his proofes For the purpose this ordainer or consecrater hee saith was Laudasensis Episcopus home senex simplex His name Nay that yee must pardon him But of what Citie or Diocesse was hee Bishop for wee haue none of that title Here I thought once that by errour it had beene put for Landaffensis of Landaffe in Wales saue that three times in that Narration it is written Laâ—dasensis which notwithstanding I continued to bee of the same minde because I found Bishop Boners name twice alike false written Bomerus But loe in the Margent a direction to the Booke De Schismate fol. 166. where hee saith this matter is touched and it is directly affirmed that they performed the Office of Bishops without any Episcopall consecration Againe that great labour was vsed without an Irish Arch-bishop in prison at London to ordaine them but hee could by no meanes be brought thereto So it seemes we must passe out of Wales into Ireland to finde the See of this Bishop or Archbishop But I beleeue we may saile from thence to Virginia to seeke him for in Ireland we shal not find him Let vs come to those that he should haue ordained what were there names Candidati if that wil content you more yee get not Why they might haue been remembred as well as the Nags-head as well as Boners name and his See and that hee was Deanâ— of the Bishops hee meanes of the Archbishopricke sede vacante and that he sent his Chaplaine his name also is vnknowne to forbid the Ordination At least their Sees To cut the matter short Quid plura Scoraeus Monachus post Herefordensis pseudo-episcopus coeteris ex coeteris quidam Scor aeo manus imponunt fiuntque sine patre filiâ— pater à filiâ—s procreatur res seculis omnibus inauditae Here is at length some certaintie some truth mingled among to giue the better grace and to be as it were the Vehiculum of a lie For Iohn Scory in King Edward his times Bishop of Chichester and after of Hereford was one of those that ordained Doctor Parker and preached at his ordination But that was the ordination effected as you call it wee are now in that which was not effected but attempted onely And here wee seeke againe who were these quidams that laid hands on Sâ—ory Wee may goe looke them with Laâ—dasensis the Archbishop of Ireland Well heare the proofes Master Thomas Neale Hebrew Reader of Oxford which was present told thus much to the ancient Confessors they to F. Hâ—lywood This proofe by Tradition as you know is of little credit with Protestants and no maruell for experience shewes that reports suffer strange alterations in the carriage euen when the reporters are not interessed Iremeus relates from the ancient Confessors which had seene Iohn the Disciple and the other Apostles of the Lord and heard it from them that Christ our Sauiour was betweene fortie and fiftie yeeres of age before his passion I doe not thinke you are sure it was so For my part I had rather beleeue Irenaeus and those ancients hee mentions and the Apostles then F. Haliwood and his Confessors and Master Neale But possible it is M. Neale said hee was present at Matthew Parkers ordination by Iohn Scory These Confessors being before impressed as you are with the buzze of the ordination at the Nags-head made vp that tale and put it vpon him for their Author Perhaps Master Neale did esteeme Iohn Scory tâ— bee no Bishop and so was scandalized though causelesly at that action Perhaps Master Neale neuer said any such word at all To helpe to make good this matter hee saith It was after inacted in Parliament that these Parliamentary Bishops should be holden for lawfull I looked for some thing of the Nags-head Bishops and the Legend of their ordination But the lawfulnesse that the Parliament prouides for is according to the authoritie the Parliament hath â—iuill that is according to the Lawes of the Land The Parliament neuer intended to iustifie any thing as lawfull iure diuino which was not so as by the Preamble it selfe of the Statute may appeare In which it is said That diuers questions had growne vpon the making and consecrating of Arch-bishops and Bishops within this Realme whether the same were and bee duely and orderly done according to the Law or not c. And shortly to cut off F. Halywoods surmises the case was this as may bee gathered by the bodie of the Statute Whereas in the fiue and twentieth of Henry the Eight an Act was made for the electing and consecrating of Arch-bishops and Bishops within this Realme And another in the third of Edward the Sixth for the ordering and consecrating of them and all other Ecclesiasticall Ministers according to such forme as by sixe Prelates and sixe other learned men in Gods Law to bee appointed by the King should bee deuised and set forth vnder the great Seale of England Which forme in the fifth of the same Kings reigne was annexed to the Booke of Common Prayer then explained and perfected and both confirmed by the authoritie of Parliament All these Acts were 1. Mariae 1. 2. Philippi Mariae repealed together with another Statute of 35. Henr. 8. touching the stile of supreame Head to bee vsed in all Letters Patents and Commissions c. These Acts of repeale in the 1. Elizabeth were againe repealed and the Act of 25. Hen. 8. reuiued specially That of 3. Edwar. 6. onely concerning the Booke of
most Protestants they migâ—t in such a Councell erre and it were possible in their Decrees to be deceiued But if they may erre how should I know and be sure when and wherein they did or did not erre for though on the one side â— posse ad esse non valet semper consequentia yet 〈◊〉 valet and on the other side 〈…〉 potentia quae nunquam ducitur in actuâ— So that 〈◊〉 neither in generall nor in particular in puoâ—â—que 〈◊〉 priuate in head nor members ioynely nor â—euerally you haue no visible externall humane infallible Iudge who cannot erre and to whom I might haue recourse for decision of doubts in matters of faith â— pray let Master Hall tell me where should I haue fixed my foot for God is my witnesse my soule was like Noah Douâ— a long time houering desirous to discouer land but seeing nothing but moueable and troublesome deceiueable water I could find no quiet center for my conscience nor any firme foundation for your faith in Protestant Religion Wherfore hearing a sound of harmonâ—e and consent that the Catholique Church could not erre and that onely in the Catholique Church as in Noahs Arke was infallabilitte and possibilitie of saluation I was so occasioned and I thinke had important reason like Noahs Doue to seeke out and to enter into this Arke of Noah Hereupon I was occasioned to doubt whether the Church of England were the true Church or not For by consent of all the true Church cannot erre but the Church of England head and members King Clergie and People as before is said yea a whole Councell of Protestants by their owne grant may erre ergo no true Church If no true Church no saluation in it therefore come out of it but that I was loath to doe Rather I laboured mightily to defend it both against the Puritanes and against the Catholiques But the best arguments I could vse against tâ—e Puritanes from the Authoritie of the Church and of the ancient Doctors interpreting Scriptures against them when they could not answere them they would reiect them for Popish and fâ—ye to their owne arrogant spirit by which forsooth they must controll others This I found on the one side most absâ—rd and â—o bâ—eede an Anarchy of confusion and yet when I come to answere the Catholique Arguments on â—he other side against Protestants â—rging the like Authority and vniformity of the Church I perceiued the most Protestants did frame euasions in effect like those of the Puritanes inclining to â—heir priuate spirit and other vncertainties Next therefore I applied my selfe to follow their opinion who would make the Church of England and the Church of Rome still to be all one â—n essentiall points and the diffâ—rences to be accidentall confessing the Church of Rome to be a true Church though sicke or corrupted and the Protestants to be deriued from it and reformed and to this end I laboured much to reconcile most of our particular controuersies But in truth I found such contrarâ—eties not onely betweene Catholiques and Protestants but euen among Protestants themselues that I could neuer settle my selfe fully in this opinion of some reconciliation which I know many great Schollers in England did fauour For considering so many opposite great points for which they did excommunicate and put to death each other and making the Pope to be Antichrist proper or improper it could neuer sinke into my braine how these two could be descendent or members â—ound nor vnfound participant each of other Rather I concluded that â—eeing many of the best learned Protestants did grant the Church or Rome 〈…〉 true Church though 〈…〉 And contrarily not onely the Catholiques but also the Puritanes Anabaptists Brownists c. did all denie the Church of England to be a true Church therefore it would be more safe and secure to become a Romane Catholique who haue a true Church by consent of both parties then to remaine a Protestant who doe alone plead their owne cause hauing all the other against them For the testimony of our selues and our contraries also is much more sufficient and more certaine then to iustifie our selues alone Yet I resisted and stood out still and betooke my selfe againe to reade ouer and examine the chiefest controuersies especially those about the Church which is cardo negotij and herein because the Bearer â—taies now a day or two longer I will inlarge my selfe more then I purposed and so I would needes peruse the Originall quotations and Texts of the Councels Fathers and Doctors in the Authors themselues which were alleadged on both parts to see if they were truely cited and according to the meaning of the Authors a labour of much labor and of trauell sometime to finde the Books wherein I found much fraud committed by the Protestants and that the Catholiques had farre greater and better armies of euident witnesses on their sides much more then the Protestants in so much that the Centurists are faine often to censure and reiect the plaine testimonies of those Ancients as if their new censure were sufficient to disaucthorize the others auncient sentences And so I remember Danaeus in Commentarijs super D. Augustin Enchirid ad Laurentium Where Saint Augustin plainely auoucheth Purgatory he reiects Saints Augustines opinion saying hic est naeuus Augustini but I had rather follow Saint Augustins opinion then his ceâ—sure for who are they to controll the Fathers There are indeede some few places in Authors which prima facie seeme to fauour Protestants as many Heretiques alleadge some texts of Scriptures whose sound of words seeme to make for their opinions but being well examined and interpreted according to the analogie of faith and according to many other places of the same Authours where they doe more fully explaine their opinions so they appeare to be wrested and from the purpose In fine I found my selfe euidently conuinced both by many Authorities and by many Arguments which now I doe not remember all nor can here repeate those which I doe remember but onely some few arguments I will relate vnto you which preuailed most with me besides those afore mentioned First therefore I could neuer approue the Protestants euasion by Inuisibility of their Church For though sometime it may be diminished and obscured yet the Catholique Church must euer be visible set on a hill and not as light hid vnder a Bushell for how should it enlighteâ—â—nd teach her children if inuisible or how should Strangers and Pagans and others be conuerted vnto her or where should any finde the Sacraments if inuisible Also the true Church in all places and all ages euer holds one vniformitie and concord in all matters of Faith though not in all matters of ceremony or gouernment But the Protestants Church hath not in all ages nor in all places such vniforme concord no not in one age as is manifest to all the world and as Father Parsons proued against Foxes martirs Wickliffe Husse and the resâ— ergo the
modestie neuer vsurped this Title full of arrogancy neuer heard it with patient eares To this let it first bee considered that the Censors of such things as come to the Presse are not to bee imagined such Babes as not to know what will please or displease his Holinesse Especially in writings dedicated to himselfe a man may be sure they will allow nothing the second time and after some exception and scandal taken at it but what shall bee iustified How much more in the Popes owne Towne of Bologna and when his Chaplaine could not bee allowed to print it at home But to let all these goe wee may haue a more sensible proofe how the Pope tastes these Titles That which hee rewards hee approues Benedictus was shortly after made for his paines Bishop of Caorli How worthily hee deserued it you shall iudge by his booke which at my request vouchsafe to reade ouer and if there be any merit you shall sure get great meede of patience in so doing That you may not doubt of the Popes iudgement concerning these Titlâ—s you shall further know that the matter being come to the knowledge of the Protestants in France and England made them talke and write of it broadly namely the Lord of Plessis in his Mysterium iniquitatis and the Bishop of Chichester in his Tortura Torti This gaue occasion to the Cardinall Gieurè to relate in the Officio Santo at Rome of the scandall taken hereat and to make a motion De moderandis titulis It was on foot sundrie moneths At last the Pope reuoking it to himselfe blamed those that had spoken against these Titles and said they were no whit greater then the authoritie of S. Peters Successor did beare To returne thither whence I haue a litle digressâ—d In the question whether the Pope bee the Antichrist or no for my part I despaire of all reconciliation For neither doth there appeare any inclination at all in the Pope to reforme any thing in Doctrine or Gouernment nay he encroacheth daily more and more vpon all degrees euen among his owne subiects and resolues to carry all before him at the brest with his Monarchy and infallibilitie On the other side the Reformers partly emboldned with successe partly enforced by necessitie chiefly tyed with band of conscience and perswasion of truth are not like to retract what they haue affirmed in this behalfe and whatsoeuer their differences be in other things in this point they haue a maruellous vnâ—tie amongst them These in France hauing beene molested for calling the Pope Antichrist haue beene occasioned as I haue heard some few yeares since to take it into their Confession thereby to iustifie themselues accorâ—ing to th' Edicts of Pacification giuing them libertie to proâ—esse their Religion In England as you know it is no part of the doctrine of our Church yet a commonly receiued opinion Howbeit this is so farre from hindering that the reformed Chuâ—ches and those which heretofore were or at this present are vnder the Popes obedience be one Church that is all members of the Catholike that the Protestants without this cannot make good the other For Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God and that is in the Church as Chrysostome and Theophylact interpret it and Gods people could not be commanded to goe out of Babell if he had none there CHAP. V. Of the safenesse to ioyne to the Roman being confessed a true Church by her opposites BVt you concluded hence that seeing many of the best learned Protestants did grant the Church of Rome to be a true Church though faultie in some things and contrarily not onely the Romanists but Puritanes Anabaptists and Brownist denie the Church of England to be so therefore it would be more safe and secure to become a Roman Catholike c. This discourse hath a pretâ—e shew at the first blush and perhaps was vsed to you since your comming to Spaine as it was to some there before At my comming to Venice I fell vpon certaine letters and reports set forth as it was told me by F. Posseuine and not vnlike by his mindefulnesse to all occasions to aduance the credit of his societie Amongst them there is one said to be a true Relation of the manner how M. Pickering Wotton was conuerted to the Catholike Roman faith indited as it is said and subscribed by himselfe before his death In which by a certaine Father of the companie of Iesus an Englishman by nation the like discourse was vsed as it is said to him That hee should consider well that he and other Protestants did not denie that the Catholikes might be saued in their faith whereas all the Catholikes that either liued at the present or euer were hold it as a most certaine Article of Faith that the Protestants and other heretickes cannot be saued out of the Catholicke Church therefore if he should become a Catholike he should enter into that way which was safe by the consent of both parts This consideration be saith moued him not much then But after praying to God as he was also aduised by that Father to direct him into the right way if hee were out of it suddenly hee saw a certaine light very clearely before his eyes in forme of a crosse Whereupon incontinently there was offered vnto him such a heape of reasons and arguments by which was shewed that the Catholike faith is the onely way of saluation and that of the Protestants on the contrarie most absurd and abominable that most euidently he was conuinced without any the least doubt And these reasons which then offered themselues to him were for the most part such as hee did not remember that he had euer heard them in all his life Thereupon with vnspeakeable ioy he called backe the Father told him what had hapned praied him to heare his confession and he examining him vpon all the heads of the Catholike religion which he most firmely and entirely beleeued heard his confession c. But this narration deserues little credit First creating Master Wâ—tton for the greater glorie of their triumph a Baron vnlesse the Fathers in Spaine or Posseuine in Italie haue a â—acultie to create Barons Next it is a very improbable thing that Master Wotton dying of a Calenture should haue so good a memorie as to indite so exact and artificiall a Narration with such formalitie and enforcements in fit places as any Reader of vnderstanding must needes perceiue came out of a diligent forge and needed more hammering and fyling then so But that of all other is most Legendlike that howsoeuer this motiue of yours is vsed yet it is not made the effectuall inducement but a heape of reasons in the twinkling of an eye and causing him not onely to beleeue in the grosse but to be able to giue acâ—ount of all the heads of the Catholike religion that is all the points of controuersie at this day betweene the Romists and the reformed Churches in a fit of an Agâ—e in
question which I will neuer take vpon mee to answere whether King Henry were such or no vnlesse you will before hand interpret this word as fauourably as Guicciardine doth tell vs men are wont to doe in the censuring your heads of the Church For Popes he saith now adayes are praised for their goodnesse when they exceed not the wickednesse of other men After this description of a good head of the Church or if yee will that of Cominaeus which saith hee is to bee counted a good King whose vertues exceeds his vices I wil not doubt to say King Henry may be enrolled among the number of good Kings In speciall for his executing that highest dutie of a good King the imploying his authoritie in his Kingdome to command good things and forbid euill not onely concerning the ciuill estate of men but the religion also of God Witnesse his authorizing the Scriptures â—o be had and read in Churches in our Vulgar tongue enioyning the Lords Prayer the Creed and ten Commandements to bee taught the people in English abolishing superfluous Holy-dayes pulling downe those iugling Idols whereby the people were seduced namely the Rood of Grace whose eyes and lips were moued with wires openly shewed at Pauls Crosse and pulled asunder by the people Aboue all the abolishing of the Popes tyranny and merchandise of Indulgences such like chafer out of England Which Acts of his whosoeuer shall vnpartially consider of may well esteeme him a better head to the Churâ—h of England then any Pope these thousand yeeres In the last place you come to the Hugenots and Geuses of France and Holland You lay to their charge the raising of ciuill warres shedding of bloud occasioning rebellion rapine desolations principally for their new religion In the latter part you write I confesse somewhat reseruedly when you say occasioning not causing and principally not onely and wholly for religion But the words going before and the exigence of your argument require that your meaning should be they were the causers of these disorders You bring to my minde a story whether of the same Fimbria that I mentioned before or another which hauing caused Quintus Scaeuola to bee stab'd as F. Paulo was while I was at Venice after he vnderstood that he escaped with his life brought his action against him for not hauing receiued the weapon wholly into his body These poore people hauing endured such barbarous cruelties massacres and martyrdomes as scarce the like can be shewed in all stories are now accused by you as the Authors of all they suffered No no Master Wadesworth they bee the Lawes of the Romane religion that are written in bloud It is the bloudy Inquisition and the perfidious violating of the Edicts of Pacification that haue set France and Flanders in combustion An euident argument whereof may bâ—e for Flanders that those Geuses that you mention were not all Caluinists as you are mis-informed the chiefe of them were Romane Catholikes as namely Count Egmond and Horne who lost their heads for standing and yet onely by petition against the new impositions and the Inquisition which was sought to bee brought in vpon those Countries The which when the Vice-roy of Naples D. Petro de Toledo would haue once brought in there also the people would by no meanes abide but rose vp in Armes to the number of 50000. which sedition could not bee appeased but by deliuering them of that feare The like resistance though more quietly carried was made when the same Inquisition should haue beene put vpon Millaine sixteene yeeres after Yet these people were neither Geuses nor Caluinists Another great meanes to alienate the mindes of the people of the Low-countries from the obedience of the Catholike Maiestie hath beene the seueritie of his Deputies there one of which leauing the gouernment after hee had in a few yeeres put to death 8000. persons it is reported to haue been said the Countrie was lost with too much lenitie This speech Meursius concludes his Belgick history with all And as for France the first broiles there were not for religion but for the preferring the house of Guisâ— and disgracing the Princes of the bloud True it is that each side aduantaged themselues by the colour of religion and vnder pretence of zeale to the Romane the Guisians murthered the Protestants being in the exercise of their religion assembled together against the Kings Edict against all Lawes and common humanitie And tell â—ee in good sooth Master Wadesworth doe you approue such barbarous crueltie Doe you allow the butchery at Paris Doe you thinke subiects are bound to giue their throates to bee cut by their fellow subiects or to their Princes at their meere wills against their owne Lawes and Edicts You would know quo iure the Protestants warres in France and Holland are iustified First the Law of Nature which not onely alloweth but inclineth and inforceth euery liuing thing to defend it selfe from violence Secondly that of Nations which permitteth those that are in the protection of others to whom they owe no more but an honourable acknowledgement in case they goe about to make themselues absolute Souereignes and vsurpe their libertie to resist and stand for the same And if a lawfull Prince which is not yet Lord of his Subiects liues and goods shall attempt to despoile them of the same vnder colour of redâ—cing them to his owne religion after all humble remonstrances they may stand vpon their owne guard and being assailed repell force with force as did the Macchabees vnder Antiochus In which case notwithanding the person of the Prince himselfe ought alwaies to be sacred and inuiolable as was Sauls to Dauid Lastly if the inraged Minister of a lawfull Prince will abuse his authoritie against the fundamentall Lawes of the Countrie it is no rebellion to defend themselues against force reseruing still their obedience to their Souereigne inuiolate These are the Rules of which the Protestants that haue borne Armes in France and Flanders and the Papists also both there and elsewhere as in Naples that haue stood for the defence of their liberties haue serued themselues How truely I esteeme it hard for you and mee to determine vnlesse we were more throughly acquainted with the Lawes and Customes of those Countries then I for my part am Once for the Low-Countries the world knowes that the Dukes of Burgundy were not Kings or absolute Lords of them which are holden partly of the Crowne of France and partly of the Empire And of Holland in particular they were but Earles And whether that title carries with it such a Souereigntie as to bee able to giue new Lawes without their consents to impose tributes to bring in garisons of strangers to build Forts to assubjects their honors and liues to the dangerous triall of a new Court proceeding without forme or figure of iustice any reasonable man may well doubt themselues doe vtterly denie it Yet you say boldly they are Rebels and aske