the more than miserable liues and deathes of Luther Oecolampadius Caluine Swinglius Cranmer and others of their Cleargy and speake only of Princes The first Protestant Duke of Saxony and Lantgraue of Hesse were dispossessed of their regiments and committed to prison The Prince of Condie in Fraunce and the Admirall there the one pittifully put to death the other like Iesabel cast downe headlong his legges broken his body cutte in peeces drawne like a dog through the streetes and hanged vppe for a spectacle at the place of common execution For Flaunders the Prince of Orange miserably slaine by a priuate man and in the time of his greatest triumph and ioyes For Scotland Iames the bastard dishonorably put to death In Denmarke Christine their king deposed of his kingdome enclosed in a caue with yron barres and consumed to death And least any manne may fondly perswade himselfe that the Kings and Rulers of England haue a Charter of immunitie from such vectigalles and impositions as God hath layed vpon those Princes I will recite all the Kings of our Nation that presently occurre to my memory that haue opposed themselues against it and what effect their opposition had In the beginning these Kings Ethelbertus Adelwaldus Kingilsus Edwine Peda Sigebertus and Redwalde opposed themselues against the faith and iurisdiction of that See and the doctrine of religious Monkes sent from thence but they were all conquered and subdued without any force of armes so submitted themselues that Kingilsus and Sigebertus became religious monasticall men king Ofricus and Eanfridus were apostataes from the Roman faith but they were miserably put to death And those three Kings whereof Saint Bede writeth for their apostacie besides other manifold temporall punishments were blotted out of the Genealogie and Catalogue of the Kings of England neuer remembred or numbred among them Such was the wonderful desolation of the disobedient Brittish Kings and their nation for their disobedience to the Roman See onely in the paschall obseruance and manner of shauing the crownes of Priests as Saint Bede doth witnesse prophecied against them by Saint Augustine and recorded by the same Saint Bede Galfridus Guilielmus Malmesburiensis Foxe and others that at one time eleuen thousand of their Monks defending that repugnance were slaine by the Pagan souldiers their whole nation distressed and depriued of all regiment in their owne countrey by their owne hired souldiers their kings dispoyled of principality to this day and made subiects to them whose Soueraignes they were King Edwine before the conquest opposed him selfe to som iuridical proceedings of the Popes of Rome and banished Saint Dunstane his Archbishop of Canterbury but he was deposed died miserablie with infamy and in his life his brother Edgar was chosen and crowned King William surnamed the Conqueror spoyled all the monasteries of England of their golde and siluer neither sparing Chalice nor Shrine and in his last voiage in Fraunce burned our Ladies Church in Meux two Anachorets which were enclosed therein but he encouraging his men to maintaine the fire was sodainely stricken with sicknesse his entralls were strangely broken and he died with misery and to him that had beene so great a conquerour in his life after his death a priuate gentleman drawing his sworde denied buriall in his owne Country and Towne Cane of Normandy and in the very house himselfe had founded and in his life there was such famine and dearth in England that men were enforced to eate horses cats dogs and that which nature abhorreth the flesh of men such outragious floudes and inundations destroyed the country that not onely townes were ouerflowne but the very high hills themselues were surrounded made soft and consumed And after him his next successor and sonne William called Rufus afflicted the Churches and Monasteries of England with grieuous oppression maketh a decree against some iurisdiction of Pope Vrbane in England and exiled Saint Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury for his defence thereof but hee was not left vnpunished his naturall brother Robert duke of Normandy and others his neerest kinsmen and Nohility raised and maintained wars against him the Welchmen inuaded and spoiled Glocester Shrewsbury and other parts of England and tooke the I le of Anglesey and the very insensible creatures rebelled against him and called for vengeance the earth at Fynchamsteed in Barkshire flowed forth with blood the winde in one tempest ouerthrewe sixe hundred and sixe houses in his chiefe Citty of London the sea surrounded and ouerwhelmed al the lands that belonged to his friend the earle of Goodwine and is called Goodwine sands to this day and that the death of such a Prince might be aunswerable to his life and deserts the morrow after the feast of Saint Peter in August whose successour Pope Vrbanus hee had so persecuted before hee was slaine by his seruant and friend sir Walter Tyrrell shooting at a Deere and being wounded in the breast fell downe dead neuer spake worde and his owne men and retinew presently forsooke him scarcely any remaining to take care of his body but it was layd vpon a Colliers cart and so drawne with one seely leane beast from that place of the forrest where he was slaine to Winchester Mention is made in the statutes of the supremacie of king Henry the eight King Edward the sixt and Queene Elizabeth that title to be the auntient right of the Kings of England and yet neuer any king or gouernor before king Henry the eight chalenged any such prerogatiue except in the inuesture of Bishoppes as Edmerus seemeth to insinuate of this king William Rufus and his next successor was enforced to reuoke as the same Authour dooth witnes Then that which was so strangely punished of God in the first challenger and refused by his whole posteritie let others Iudge whether it was a right or a wrong And his next successour and brother K. Henry the first so long as he perseuered in his brothers steps let those decrees of his to be in force was tossed and turmoyled with manifolde afflictions both of vnnaturall warres seditions and vnwonted punishments so that hee was conquered with the very prick of his owne conscience to make his submission and reuoke those former constitutions of his brother King William enacted and brought in against the Ecclesiasticall libertie and was neuer quiet either in body or minde vntill he had effected it Like was the case of king Henry the second challenging to himselfe iurisdiction in the criminal causes of the Cleargie contrary to the prerogatiue of the Constitutions of the Apostolicke See of Rome vnder whose time Saint Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury their earnest patrone was put to death and after the excommunication promulged against the king for those proceedings hee was most pittifully scourged and afflicted both with externall and vnnaturall domesticall warres and other miseries his owne naturall sonne taking Armes against him the father against the sonne and sonne
against his father that as Edwardus liuing at that time dooth write all England did quake and tremble looking for nothing but extreame confusion and desolation for preuenting whereof no humane help either of wit or force could preuaile vntill the king admonished in a vision that no helpe was to be expected or had but to be reconciled to the Catholike Church which also his proued experience that had tasted all to no purpose taught him to bee true was enforced to humble himselfe reuoke his decrees seeke reconciliation vndergoe that penance which the See of Rome enioyned which euery man may reade in the history of Grafton a Protestant writer and such as such a Prince as Henry the second was would haue scorned to doe if any other remedy could haue preuailed And to giue euidence to all posteritie that these afflictions were layde vppon him of God for his disobedience to the Bishop of Rome vpon his submission reconcilement all his miseries had their end and ceased the very same day he was reconciled to the Church of Rome the earle of Flaunders which with an huge Army cum immenso exercitu had appoynted to inuade England presently strangely changed his minde and retired and the next day after the king of Scots that had made inuasion was taken prisoner in the field and put to raunsome King Henry his sonne for he had crowned him king before and his brethren were reconciled vnto him his subiects became obedient and he was restored to his pristine tranquilitie both of minde and body Like controuersie had K. Iohn with the See Apostolike but how he was punished of God euery man may know the Welch men tooke his castles destroyed his townes beheaded his souldiers his own barons made war against him his tresure was drownd the French men inuaded both Normandy and England hee was deposed and depriued of his crowne as Peter the Heremite had prophesied before he died miserably as all Historians write and was so odious after his death that his owne seruauntes spoyled him of his very clothes leaning his body starke naked and vnburied had not the Abbot of Croxton of charitie giuen it buriall His sonne king Henry the third opposed him selfe against Pope Innocentius the fourth but what plagues penuries and strange punishments hee and his country were oppressed with what prodigious and portenteous apparitions both by sea and land were seene what inundations of waters tempests of windes other torments were inflicted vpon him and his nation all Historians can witnes what rebellious warres and inuasions was he infested with how subdued by his owne Barons hee and his sonnes taken prisoners and brought in subiection to their owne subiects and hee that by his kingly office was to gouerne others enforced to bee a pupill to those he should haue ruled for twelue Rulers were assigned which were caled the douze peres to correct rule and gouerne and the king with his brethren were sworne to be obedient to that lawe It seemeth by some that king Edward the second medled too far against that See of Rome restraining the executing and exercise of the iurisdiction thereof in England but hee wanted not his punishments his people were afflicted with strange and extraordinary plagues his countries inuaded his barons subiects arose in armes against him such spoilers and theeues infested his nation that noble men with their force could not trauaile with securitie such famine and hunger raigned that horse flesh was accounted for delicates dogges were stollen to be eaten and the parents did eate their owne children the theeues that were in prisons pulled in peeces such malefactours as were newly committed and deuoured them to vse Stowes wordes halfe aliue Such diseases and death ensued that the liuing were not able to bury the dead his owne wife Queene Isabell and his owne sonne after king Edward the third and his naturall brother Edmund of Woodstocke made warre against him putte him to flight subdued him and by common consent of parliament deposed him and elected Edward his eldest sonne to gouerne Like was the case of King Richard the second enterposing himselfe too far in those causes although hee neuer challenged any title of supremacie as the statute of king Henry the eight and Queene Elizabeth seeme to insinuate For by expresse statute as is yet to be seene among our Lawes he decreed that Pope Vrbane was the supreame head of the Church and so to be obeyed in England yet because hee medled too much in Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction what a troublesome and vnquiet regiment did he finde What ciuill insurrections of base persons as Wat Tiler Iacke Strawe and others in diuerse Countries at sundry times what extraordinary and strange quakings tremblings of the earth Was he not so odious that his owne vncle Thomas duke of Gloucester and the Earles of Arundell Warwicke Darby and Nottingham raised an army of forty thousand men and brought him to some conformity and after was resisted vanquished taken prisoner and imprisoned in the Tower by Henry duke of Hereford afterwarde king Henry the fourth depriued of al kingly dignitie and miserably putte to death What hath bin the historie of these things which our Protestant Princes since the new title of supremacie brought in by K. Hen. the 8 what crosses the said king suffered after in his life at his death after his death what befell to king Edward the sixt though an infant yet not vniustly punished in his fathers fault and what is like to be the euent therof hereafter I had rather others should write and shew their coniecture which I for reuerence to my Soueraigne will here omit thogh our owne Protestant Historians haue already committed much to writing which many may remember and euery man know to be true And my hope is my prudent Princesse will rather in her latter dayes immitate the examples of her noble predecessors king Henry the first and king Henry the second in recalling that which they did in their inconsiderate times and liued and died with honor then any or all of them that still persisting in their former course were punished both in themselues and their countrey which they should haue tēdred equally or more then themselues in such order as I haue recounted All the title she claimeth in religious causes her statute of Supremacie pretendeth to be deriued from her former auncestors neither can any man imagine how she can challenge by any other what interest was in them what successe they had that euer aduaunced any wee haue heard it to be such that no Prince either in prudence or pollicie can follow their example being all that persisted therein both strangely punished of God and accursed of men in this life and by all arguments of reprobation perseuerance in sinne finall impenitencie obstinacie and the like after death damned in hell for euer SECT VIII His defence to the honourable Councell and all other men of
her royall Maiestie hath receiued life being hir crowne kingdome and diademe won and conuerted vnder Kings Ethelbertus Adelwaldus Kingylsus Edwine Peda or Wiferus Sygebertus and Redwalde her most noble and renowned christian catholike Predecessors Kings of England vnited by king Egbertus augmented and enlarged by so many Henries Edwards and others known Catholike Kings by whome so many immunities fauours and priuiledges were graunted to our religion So many altares churches chappels monasteries and places of professing Papistry as Protestants name it were founded and prouided in the first time of our conuersion from Idolatry and the very Primitiue dayes of christianitie in England The Churches of saint Paul in London of Canterbury Winchester Lincolne Westminster and others the common Schooles of Cambridge by king Sigebert the vniuersity of Oxford by king Alfrede the monastery of Gloucester by king Ofricus the monastery of Hetesey by king Oswye who assigned possssions for twelue more monasteries in Northumberland the monastery of Saint Martine in Douer by king Whitred the abbey of Lestingey by king Oswalde sonne to Saint Oswalde the abbey of Abington by king Cyssa the monastery of Ely by Queene Etheldred wife to king Elfride the monastery of Chertsey by king Edgar the abbey of Peterborow by king Ethelwalde the abby of Bardney by king Etheldredus Glastenbury by king Iâ—a the monastery of Winchcombe by king Kenulfus the abbey of Saint Albons by king Offa the abbey of Ethelingsey and nunnery of Shaftersbury by king Alfrede and fortie monasteries by king Edgar all which were edified and founded in the time of our Primitiue Church and within two hundred yeeres of our first conuersion as Fox himselfe acknowledgeth What donations and free giftes were graunted to the English Clergy by those first christian kings the donations of king Ethelwulfe Ethelbalde and others were to be free in their lands and territories from secular seruices and payments tributes and taxations to Kings c. that all churches and monasteries should be absolued from al publike vectigales works and burdens that they might therby more diligently serue God by how much they were more alleuiated of those seruices Such likewise were the graunts of Kings Sigebertus Cissa Edgar Etheldredus Offa Aluredus for the praying to God and Saints for the soules of them and their posteritie So that no man can doubt of what faith they were except it bee a question whether hee that prayeth to Saints prayeth for the dead offereth sacrifice of Masse graunteth church liberties honoreth the See of Rome buildeth altares monasteries and nunneries for Monks and Nunnes and foundeth these things be a Papist or a Protestant And it is so manifest that these holy and sanctified kings were popish and moonkish men as they tearme them and of our religion that presently vpon their beleeuing in Christ the greatest care and study they had was to prouide ornaments and necessary furniture for that profession And among the Saxon Kings within the space of two hundred yeeres as Foxe himselfe with others reporteth in the English Primitiue church nine Kings at the least King Kingylsus Iue Colulfus Eadbertus Ethelredus Kenredus Offa Sebbi and Sigebertus voluntarily forsooke their kingdoms professed monasticall life and liued monkes in vow of pouertie chastity and obedience and for that most religious action as our ennemies themselues acknowledge were most highly honoured and commended of all historians and still to this day for that cause are more glorious both to themselues and our nation then the other of our Kings how honorable soeuer The wordes of that history which Foxe in his Monuments citeth to that end are these Religion did most clearely shine insomuch that Kings Queenes Princes and Dukes Consuls and Barons and rulers of Churches incensed with desire of the kingdome of Heauen labouring and striuing among themselues to enter into monasticall life into voluntary exile and solitary liuing forsooke all and followed God And no man can deny it to bee true all Historians report it all Monuments Antiquities auouch it Wherefore my assurance is that my gratious Soueraigne and prudent Princesse clayming all things by their title cannot be offended for defence of the faith of all her noble christian progenitors and ancestors vntill now Besides so many christian kings of the Brittons about thirty in number from Lucius the first to Cadwall ader and of the English or Saxon Danish and Norman nation a hundred and fiftie kings from the conuersion of Ethelbertus Adelwaldus or Ethelwaldus Kingilsus Edwine Peda or Weda or Wiferus Sigebertus and Redwalde the first christian Kings of rhe Saxonish Septarchie most wise prudent vertuous and triumphant Princes which both they themselues embraced and maintained with all zeale and deuotion and promulged and deliuered by al lawes and constitutions to their posteritie Kings and subiects to be beleeued Which her Maiesties father K. Henry the eight although denying the Romane iurisdiction obserued in all his life and of denying that iurisdiction at his death repented of king Edward the sixt an infant more needing to be taught than to teach I say nothing and my Soueraigne that is in the time of her sister Qu. Mary professed with much deuotion and after her death at and after her owne coronation in the fidelitie oth and promise of a Prince according to our antient lawes and titles of Kings of England hath obliged and indebted her selfe to protect and defend And for defence whereof as appeareth by the statute of Westminster the first and other authenticall Recordes all those regall and princely prerogatiues which were graunted by the free subiects of England to their Kings her Catholike predecessours and which she still enioyeth by that title were granted and confirmed as euery one may reade in the kings prerogatiues and statutes in the titles of such principalities as were then and for that reason and intent giuen vnto them as the priuiledges of alienations auowsons citations corporations escheats fooles forfeitures franchises deodands intrusions mort dauncestries partitions pateÌ„ts primer seisins prouisions tenures wards seruices releefes wrecks and other preeminences Therefore this defence of those holy and euer most honorable kings can not be offensiue to my wise and prudent Princesse hauing clayming and pretending all tide and interest shee hath either to temporall or spirituall dignitie as heire and successor to their regall right and authoritie And to descend lower to those which haue bin benefited by those Princes you first my noble Patrons that possesse those honourable offices and dignities you enioy them by their institution they the first donors and founders of those preferments that life and beeing which you haue I meane not onely your honorable orderly and peaÌ„ceable life and liuing in gouernement of their prouision but that very naturall life it selfe wherein you communicate with all other reasonable men in some sort you possesse by them for if those Princes had not aduaunced your auncestors to honours and nobility
Nobles of England were Priestes and Bishops But most Honourable as by name place office and calling you are chiefe Councellors to our Prince Comites euen companions to Kings Barones Milites the bulwarke and patrons of our countrey whose principall pillers and members vnder our Queene you are so your honor and glory consisteth much in defence thereof And it might seeme more then a blemish in you to be defenders of that which is offensiue to that kingdome and common state wherein you are aduanced to Regiment Then seeing this matter must bee disputed betweene Protestants and vs so many hundred yeares of the flourishing estate of this Nation vnder our Religion in the dayes almost of two hundreed Kings when no other Religion was knowne among vs will pleade for our preeminence or if we must needes discend to particulars although my condition is not to entrouble my selfe with politicke affaires further then they are subordinate and belonging to that high faculty of diuinitie whereof I may be supposed a student yet if it may bee lawfull for me to take notice of that which the law of God the law of nature and the lawes of al nations and the word Respublica it selfe teacheth to euery man that it signifieth a publike and not a priuate wealth being a congregation of many and not one particular person to be ruled maintained defended and preserued and not be destroyed and if either the testimony of Catholikes or Protestants in their owne cause may be admitted and triall may be made by the opiniōs which be defended on either part or by the effect which haue proceeded from thence this question will be soone at end and your honours will be double honoured to be Patrons of that Religion whereof I professe defence And to beginne with him that was the first beginner of this innouation the holy polliticke and peaceable propositions of Martine Luther are these Their Protestants hands must bee embrued in blood it is the nature of the gospell to raise warres and seditions among Christians there is no magistrate no superiour it is to be entreated by many prayers that the countrymen obey not their Princes that they goe not on warrefare against the Turke no contribution must be giuen to Princes for their warres against him no law neither any sillable of a law can be imposed vpon Christians more then themselues will either of men or Angels there no hope of remedy vntill all humane lawes be taken away Which positions vtterly destroy all gouernments and common wealths yet such was not only the doctrine of Luther which exercised in act to his power what he taught in word as not onely all histories but the ruines of Germany are witnesse to this day but it was both the word and worke of Caluine Beza Othomanus Spiphanius and others in Switzerland and Fraunce which taking all authoritie from Kings and magistrates decreed in their conuenticles not only that all ancient and noble families but ciuill gouernment lawfull pollicie and iurisdiction must be taken away and kept a councell to destroy the King of Fraunce his wife the Queene his children Queene mother and all good magistrates in that Kingdome and not content with this the basest people as a Taylor and Cobler at Franckeforde instituted new Courts new Senators and other officers of the meanest conditioned men expelling and putting to death all ancient rulers Wherevpon ensued so many outrages and desolations in those countries the intollerable seditions rebellions disobediences and violence in deposing and expelling lawfull Princes abrogating lawes spoyling Innocents and other enormous crimes against a common wealth which haue bin practized by the Protestants of Denmarke Sweueland Scotland Flaunders are so famous they neede no recitall And lest English Protestāts which so much in words and little in deedes contend for a Common wealth should be exempted from this generall proposition who in England was so famous a Protestant in the beginning as Tindal their great apostle and who in the time of our Q. Elizabeth so great a writer and monumenter as Foxe and whose workes more generally applauded then his acts and monuments and yet Tindall taught and Foxe defendeth in his publikely allowed and approued bookes these propositions following It is vnpossible for vs to consent to the will of God the law requireth vnpossible things the law maketh to hate God euery man is Lord of other mens goods the children of faith are vnder noe law What common wealth can be where these doctrines are published and proposed to be true Did not their Protestants write a booke against the temporall regiment of women intituled Contra monstrosum regimen mulierum against the monstrous regiment of women What monstrous doctrine and pestiferous were this now in our nation What Common wealth men were those which were the greatest and chiefest promulgers of this Protestancy in England The Lord Thomas Cromwell so exalted by King Henry the eight Iohn duke of Northumberland father to the late Earle of Lecester Cranmer and others I referre to their deaths for treason against their Princes Who are chiefest actors in affaires of a Common wealth in England but the priuy councell of our Soueraignes and yet howe farre vnlike Common-wealth men did the councell of King Henry the eight onely the Lord Chauncellor Wriothesly excepted behaue themselues presently violating their King and masters last will in which they were also constituted executors Would not the Protestant councell of King Edward the sixt haue disinherited her Maiestie that is and Queene Mary The Protestants of England testifie that the Puritanes platforme tendeth to the ouerthrow of the whole state and gouernment of the common wealth the Puritanes affirme as much of their doctrine I will passe ouer so many Protestant positions which as they be al negatiue denying Religion and duty to God so in things concerning temporall gouernment subiect to Religion they must needs be repugnant to ciuill regiment I will onely craue leaue to exemplifie in three or foure questions it is a common opinion with this people that the lawes of magistrates do not binde in conscience and secret but onely in publike and open shew for auoyding scandall What treason and treacherie may not priuately be plotted practised and put in execution by this doctrine What Realme can be secure what Kingdome is not in hazarde to bee ouerthrowne where euery rebellious vassall shall bee made a iudge of his Princes lawes What other thing doth their approued doctrine of sole faith portend to the world but a desolation of all order obedience and regiment If a man is onely iustified by faith he cannot be vniustified and condemned but for wanting faith and so treason felony murther rapine periurie and all offences against a common wealth euen to take away the crowne and scepter of a prince may securely be put in action as not destroying the vertue of faith and so not able to condemne
the greatnes of their glory in heauen and whereof some for the sanctitie of those Princes are hereditary to their posteritie not by any desert of Protestants as the miraculous curing of that naturally vncurable disease thereby called the Kings or Queenes euill obtained by the holines of Saint Edward euery man must say that eyther God immutable and vndeceiuable hath giuen testimony to falshoode which is vnpossible or else that their Religion was true which is most certaine And if it shoulde not bee tedious to your Honors I would craue to enlarge this Argument by the vnhappy successe of those Princes which in any sort haue opposed themselues to that holy See of Rome where the Vicar of Christ and his viceregent in religious causes liueth and as we haue seene before all those kings of England that haue beene the greatest fauourers of that faith and most obedient to that See to be most happy and glorious so contrariwise wee shall perceiue all Kings that haue shewed repugnancie to him for that religion no christian King of England before this time denied to haue had the most vnfortunate and dishonorable life and end and that Apostolike gouernour to haue alwayes beene conquerour That holy See from the first Bishop thereof Saint Peter to Clement the eight that now raigneth hath had two hundred thirty and sixe Popes and hath beene assaulted by al forraine and domesticall enemies the gates of Hell haue beene set open against it and yet neuer any preuailed and because Christ hath spoken and promised it they shall neuer preuaile In the Primitiue age of Christianitie it was assaulted by the Pagan Emperours such as were Conquerours of the world and commanded all things and yet they could neither conquer nor commaunde it although they had put the greatest part of the first Popes to death but it subdued them in the end and their endes were miserable and the prophecie of Sybilla that the Fishers Hooke should subdue the Romane Empire and conquer the world was fulfild in the successors of S. Peter Rome was sacked spoiled by Halaricus Huns Gothes Vysegothes but that holy and indefectible See preuailed and vanquished Attila that surnamed scourge of God and vnconquerable captaine was miraculously caused to retire at the voyce of Saint Leo then Pope Rome was besieged by Limprandus but the very countenance of Pope Zachary enforced him to desist as Pantaleon himselfe confesseth The Saracens twice subdued Theophilus Emperour of the East and made Nicephorus his predecessour tributorie vnto them conquered Candy persecuted Affrike a great parte of Europe and Asia destroyed Italie burned the suburbes of Rome and yet Pope Gregory the fourth without force repelled them In the time of Luther the Duke of Burbon besieged Rome but beeing excommunicate the satterday before his desperate attempt hee was miserably slaine at the assault and died censured as Foxe reporteth and since such time many Protestants affirme Papistrie entred in that inuincible See hath beene oppugned and resisted with all the might and endeuours of the Kings Princes and supreame Regents of Germania Bauaria Persia Caesarea Saxonia Frisia Bulgaria Dalmatia Slauonia Morauia Normandia Dania Vandalia Polonia Prussia Hollandia Zelandia Hungaria Pomerania Noruegia Liflandia Lithuania Maiorica Granata Graecia Armenia the east and weast Indies Iapponia and so many vaste Nations in those partes of the world yet that little See of Rome and the faith thereof hath subdued them all and the poore Moonkes Freers and religious Priests sent from thence and that authority haue miraculously ouerthrown them That See was assaulted by Iulian the Apostata Emperour but how miserable was his end Valens and other Arrian and hereticall Emperours persecuted it but they were confounded The Graecians Armenians and Iacobines denied their obedience vnto it but were both in disputation condemned and after made vassalles to the infidell Turkish Empire In the primitiue Church before Constantine almost a hundred Pagan Emperours either truly elected or reputed persecuted it and al of them except ten or eleuen died miserably when the persecuted Popes put to death by them came not to the third part of that number Aboue foure hundred Archheretikes and their associates with all craft and subtiltie before Luther and the Protestant rebellion rebelled against it but they are so blotted out of memory that no mention is made of them but by Catholike writers impious politike and ambitious christian Kings and Emperors althogh not in matters of doctrine and faith yet in cases of iurisdiction haue wrastled with it but they all were maugre all their might and power put to foyle Frecardus king of Scotland warred against it but he had beene deposed of his nobilitie if Colmanus their Bishop had not forbidcen them wishing they should expect the vengeance of God vpon him for his disobedience which soone after came to passe for hee died morbo pediculari eaten with lice and his grandfather before him for the like disobedience was apprehended and imprisoned by his nobles and desperately killed himselfe Such was the end of Sanctius king of Portugall for his contempt to Pope Innocentius the fourth Bolislaus King of Polonia striued with Pope Gregory the seauenth but his body was cutte in peeces by his owne souldiers and cast to the dogges and no successour of his for the space of two hundred yeares could euer obtaine to be called a King except Vladislaus his next successor which could neuer procure his coronation Like was the successe of King Philip of France with Pope Vrbanus the second such was the end of the Emperours with their empire for disobedience to that See it was translated frō the French to Otho the third and the case of the Emperour Henry the fourth Fredericke the second with Pope Gregory the seuenth Honorius the third and Gregorie the ninth was not vnlike the first being lamentably depriued of his imperial dignitie and the second both spoyled thereof and pitifully strangled to death by Manifredus the bastard and left the Empire voyde by the space of eight and twenty yeeres Such was the recompence of Otho the fourth or fift and Lodowicke the fourth for their contention with Pope Innocentius the third and Clement the sixt how long the East Empire fauouring the Graecian Schisme against the Church of Rome hath beene drowned in the Turkish regiment euery one knoweth as howe their Emperour was miserably put to death and their emperiall citty Constantinople sacked and taken in the very festiuitie of Pentecost and the holy ghost concerning whose procession they are in error Iohn Alibrettus king of Nauarre contended with Pope Iulius the second and the twoo Henries of Burbon with Sixtus the fourth but the kingdome of the first was taken away and giuen to Ferdinando of Arragon and the two others were also deposed and depriued Thus I might write of other Kings and inferiour Princes that haue encountred with that See And concerning Protestants to omitte
the muster bookes haue amounted vnto thirtie hundred thousands of able men to which if wee adde so many women making the number of threescore hundred thousands the summe will be fiue times so much that is thirty hundred thousand poundes by the yeere and to make a better esteeme of the Ministers progeny in expences lette vs suppose that in so many yeeres they haue only amounted vnto one hundred thousand of people and that euery person of that increased tribe spendeth but three pence in the day peny halfepeny a meale and to help this reckoning let vs forgiue their apparell and all other costs for nothing which is no vnequal dealing yet their expences in the yeare do make 547500. fiue hundred thousands seuen and forty thousands and fiue hundreds of poundes which is more than any victorious king of England spent in the continuall maintenaunce of a royall army and wil discharge more and greater wars than euer her Maiestie had and spare so many taxes raised vppon better subiects thus I could exemplifie in other Protestant excesses But to vrge many of these doctrines woulde bee too tedious therefore I will passe them ouer How their other actuall proceedings haue beene conformable to their words and teachings hath beene somewhat declared before and I may remit the Reader to the second parte of my Resolution in many chapters where I haue prooued euen by the Protestants owne confessions and testimonies that their behauiour and disobedience in commonwealths is worse then amoÌ„g Iewes Turkes Pagans or any Infidelles and whosoeuer at this time entereth into view of the manners of all conditions of Protestants both of this and other nations can not call it in question neither can it be imagined how amendment can be had eâ—cept a reformation of the originall of these abuses Protestant disobedient doctrine be made for like causes must haue like effects Now let vs examine whether such disobedience in doctrine or disloyaltie of behauiour to commonwealths can be noted in Catholike religion doe we not teach all duety vnto Princes and superiours what office either of Prince or inferiour Magistrate what estate or condition of men clergy or laytie what time peace or warres or any thing that can be said belonging vnto gouernement is not most sincerely deliuered by the Casnysts and Canonists of our religion and that consenting to the regiment of the most famous and honourable Kingdomes of the worlde gouerned by such constitutions Or is there any thing wee teach different or not agreeing to the auntient and most polliticke regiment of all christian Nations To beginne with that most reuerend function of Priesthood now treason by the proceedings of England as some Protestants alleadge what is there in that most sacred Religious dignitie that can bee guiltie of so great a crime Treason is the greatest offence that can be committed in England and is called with vs Crimen laesae maiestatis an offence that hurteth the Kings or Queenes Maiestie and Proditio a betraying because as appeareth by our auntient Lawes of King Edward the third where it is set downe what shal be treason nothing is remembred but that which tendeth either to the betraying of the King or countrey and so it is prouided by other lawes Alas what is in Priesthoode now that was not in former times that it must be so accounted in the dayes of one Queene which in the regiments of almost two hundred Christian Kings within this kingdome hath euer beene reputed both in parliament and elsewhere the most honorable calling next to the prince as the places of our great Priests or Archbishops are euidence Nothing is or can be changed in that sacrament howsoeuer the mindes and proceedings of Protestants doe change The same priesthoode which was giuen to Saint Peter and the Apostles the same which saint Augustine and his associates hadde that conuerted England the same which hath beene so honored of al English Kings since then is the same which this people is not ashamed thus to terme The same Sacrament vnchangeable the same power of order the same iurisdiction then except the state of England bee not the same it was Priesthoode must be honorarable not trecherous There is not any poynt of ciuill regiment in that sacrament being wholie spirituall and supernaturall nothing concerning a temporall common wealth no renouncing or deniall of any authority in England no conspiracie to Prince no betraying of a kingdome of whome no one worde or mention is made or can bee intended no matter giuen in charge no authoritie communicated but to offer sacrifice to pray to preach minister Sacraments and such priestly functions as the Pontificall will witnesse which are not preiudiciall to a commonwealth but such as the Ministers of England immitate the like as I haue prooued in other places That Priests doe absolue from sinnes and excommunications which they pretend the cause is no temporall thing and yet it cannot be the cause of this treason for Deacons which haue no such authoritie be traitours by the same statute That our Priests be consecrated in forraine countries neither can be or is the cause that this dignitie is now so vnwoorthily reputed for in former times it hath beene the greatest honour to our Cleargie to be consecrated in those famous Countries and all our Primitiue archbishops of Canterbury were so sacred at this time Priesthoode giuen in France to which we be friends and in England it selfe to which England must not be enemies is equally treason with these men as to bee ordered in Rome Spaine or any place most offensiue to our state of England And yet I woulde desire all States men to consider that the Graecians Germanes and other people hauing their doctrine diuers to the Church of Rome haue their Seminaries in the same City and their Priests maintained by the same Popes and ordered by their authoritie and yet the Princes of those Nations being Infidell Turkes for the greater part condemne not their Priests for Traitours but suffer them to be quiet without incumber admitting the exercise of their function as agreeable to common wealth And as it were a great absurditie to say that the Pope in releeuing the Catholike Students of Palestina Graecia Armenia and such nations shoulde doe it in hope to be temporall Lord of those Countries but only for loue to true religion so it is as improbable he should haue any such intent to England as vnprobable as the others to bee vnder his temporall regiment or howe can those religious schooles be such aduersaries to our English gouernement where neither Reader Professor or Student of Policie is or by the foundations and statutes of those places may be maintained No law order rule exercise lecture or disputation in any of those Seminaries that hath affinitie with such affaires where no one point or opinion in doctrine against our English or any other well gouerned commonwealth as is proued is practized But
all those Schooles by institution offer weekely or daily sacrifice for our nation where prayer is continually made by deputed persons for her Maiestie where so many publike prayers processions fasting disciplines and austerities are vsed to that end The rules and gouernement there consent with the auntient foundations of our Cambridge and Oxford the Religion there vsed the doctrine there taught the Priesthoode and other Orders there taken sacrifice offered prayers that bee made Sacraments that be frequented Lawes that bee obserued all things there practized be the same which so many renowned Kings of England euer professed and defended as conformable to their temporal regiments and to which our Qu. Elizabeth by the fidelitie of a Prince by solemne oath and all greatest security an absolute Ruler can giue hath indebted her selfe to obserue at her Coronation And what disobedience or want of duety can it be to deny to her or any temporall Prince Supremacy in ecclesiasticall causes a preeminence so distinct and independing of the ciuil gouernement And it euer was so far fro treason to deny it to any of our Kings or Queenes that not onely all English subiects but our Kings themselues euer approoued it in the Roman See And neuer any temporall Turke Tartare Goth Vandall or impious ennemy of Christ heretike or infidell challenged it as belonging to their temporall stile and no Protestant Prince at this day except in England eyther claimeth to him selfe or maketh it treason to giue it to the Pope of Rome Neyther dooth or euer did any or these professed ennemies to that See condemne for a temporall disobedience to appeale thither in spirituall causes or maketh it a matter of state to goe on pilgrimage to Rome or bring a Crucifix Picture or any halowed thing from thence which can be no busines of a commonwealth But all other Christians of the worlde euen such as bee vnder the Turkish regiment or any other whether they be Iacobites in aboue forty kingdomes Nestorians Maronites in Libia and Phoenitia Armenians Georgians Suryans Mozarabes Indians vnder Peter Iohannes in seauentie and twoo kingdomes or any others besides all Catholike and Christian kingdomes in this or other partes of the world haue free accesse without prohibition of their Princes either to Rome Ierusalem or any place where Christ is or hath beene reuerenced And in the dayes of the greatest temporall honour and renowne of England vnder the most glorious English Princes it hath beene so farre from disturbance or indignitie to our temporall state to goe that iourney and fetch or receiue such things from thence that our most puissant and triumphant Kings themselues haue performed those offices in their own princely and royall persons as our Protestant Writers be witnesses Howe honourable those Princes were for those and such offices as also how dishonourable with men and strangely punished of God not only al Kings of England but of other nations which practized any thing offensiue to that Roman iurisdiction I haue declared before If wee should enter into comparison of this kingdome now Protestant eyther with it selfe vnder Catholike regiment or with forraine Catholike kingdomes my sentence is true whether wee consider the glory of king Henry the eight and this kingdome before his fall or their infamie and dishonours after or the short or turbulent season of king Edward the sixt or for this present time what it is and what like to be which duety to her Maiestie chargeth me to leaue to the lamentable consideration of all men now and the pittifull experience of those which shall prooue it heereafter When contrariwise if wee enter into conceipt of Catholicke kingdomes ruled by that Religion and law which we defend they will be named the flowers of the worlde our neighbouring countries Fraunce Spaine Italie and others may be giuen for instance And to particularize in them that be most hated of English Protestants the Pope of Rome for a spiritual person and the Spanish King for a temporall Prince Is not the power and iurisdiction of the first extended by many degrees and whole kingdomes further and more glorious than euer was the Regencie of any spirituall superiour high Priest in Iewrie Caliphe of the Turkes Archflamine of the Pagans Archbishoppe of the Protestants or any their supreame head or gouernor in Ecclesiasticall causes in this or any other Nation neuer allowed further than one countrey and no man can question but the kingdomes riches and reuenews of the king Catholike are the greatest of any Monarch or Emperour in the worlde How the glory of all kingdomes was euer most when they most religiously embraced and maintained our doctrine I haue demonstrated at large in my Resolution no Article we defend prayer and adoration to Saints prayer for the dead restitution for wrongs and iniuries to those that liue obedience to Princes their iust and equall regiment the validitie of their lawes the force of good woorkes and their working the number grace and reuerence of Sacraments other holy things penance and punishment for sinne both in life and after with the rest being all affirmatiue positions teaching duety to God honour to Magistrates equalitie to all iniury and oppression to none the chiefest points of true regiment cannot be offensiue to a well ordered kingdome What quarrelles and contentions betweene Princes Kings and Subiects Nobles and Nobles and all estates haue beene comprimitted in England by the spirituall Romane authoritie now so hateful amōg vs which could by no other meanes be appeased the turbulent dealings in the time of King Henry the second so pacified the Barons warres quieted rigorous onerations imposed by Princes eased contentions and vnappeaseable warres of this kingdome with France and other Nations the like appeased and brought to end will witnesse What peace concord amitie and agreement in all estates the Protestants deniall of Restitution and Confession hath taken away what wrongs enmities and abuses it hath wrought the auntient loue neighbourly friendship christian charitie and peaceable agreement generally since then exploded among Protestant people are euidence for those bridles beeing broken what so conuenient meanes is either left or inuented by this generation to tame the inordinate passions of vnruly people How can the beginning of sinnes first inwardly hatched in the mind before they proceede to outwarde action to bee controlled by ciuill Lawes be stayed and preuented How can secret offences the mother and nurse of publike disorders be punished and destroyed Who can keepe Subiects from deuising against Soueraignes these from plotting against Subiects Subiects against themselues Who can now vmpire so many quarrelles euen with extraordinary and intolerable charges and abuses which the Consistory of Confession in euery parish so freely without bribe trouble or contention decided and rooted out For want whereof so many suites and actions in lawe such multitudes of Lawyers and their lately obtained riches haue ensued What abuses in their proceedings what vniust causes defended What iust and
wilfulnesse in errour I offer them wrong or no It is more agreeing to the lawe of God of nature nations reason humane ciuilitie conscience or whatsoeuer may bee termed and taken for a lawe when it dooth so chaunce that either all learned and holy men in the christian worlde that euer were in so many hundred yeeres in all times and places should bee condemned or else a few neyther learned nor vertuous but ignorant and wicked should be reprooued and disallowed that the most and first must be freeed and the least and last condemned Then lette the Ministeriall Cleargie of England yeelde mee patience for I defend the doctrine and opinion of all godly and famous professors of Diuinitie all Popes Fathers and Doctours that euer were in the Church all Councelles particular and generall all forren domesticall Vniuersities Schooles Colledges and places of christian learning since the time of Christ to Martine Luther where so many thousandes or millions of miraculously approoued holy Saintes haue liued and died in this profession and onely impugne a new poore lewde licentious and vnlearned company of Ministers of one Kingdome or age and such as in particular reasons I will demonstrate to be euident wilfull and ignorant mis-expounders false translators and alleadgers of holy Scriptures liars deceitfull hereticall maintainers of olde condemned heresies actually erring and reerring in greatest questions and matters of Faith ensigned and marked with all tokens and badges which holy Scripture purtraiture Heretickes Seducers and Reprobate persons by that they learned their religion of the diuel himselfe that it was first deuised and after maintained for carnall libertie and wicked endes that they teach they know not what themselues contrary to holy Scriptures although we expound them by their owne rules of exposition contrary to their owne proceedings contrary to all authoritie humane and diuine contrary to all Lawes of God of nature nations particular Countries of all ciuill and politicke gouernement hauing nothing conducing to mans saluation or that can bring to heauen that by all iudgement of Christianitie those that died in that state without repentaunce except inuincible ignoraunce coulde excuse some simple Soules are condemned in hell yet seeing in this I shall dispute chiefly against the priuate Religion of one Nation in one onely time if I should leaue out the rest of the christian worlde in all ages and because England nowe hath a particular Religion to it selfe compare the sanctitie learning and authoritie of former Catholicke English Bishoppes and Diuines with our present Ministers I shall iustifie my cause to their great confusion As to giue example in our chiefest Metropolitane See Whether is it more equall and consonant to reason to giue credite for either the one or the other must be vtterly discredited to Thomas Cranmer the first Protestant Regent there Parkar and Grindal notoriously knowne not onely to haue beene of three diuerse Religions in substantiall poynts one against an other but euery one of them at diuerse times to please their Princes often in the greatest questions to haue differed from him selfe and they to haue beene of seauen or eight diuerse Religions for none of them was eyther burned for Protestancie or quartered for denying Supremacie or a Saint for life to speake the best renowned for learning for any monument or argument I coulde euer finde And to exemplifie in Cranmer their first and principle that was to condemne so many learned and holy Saints that had beene in that Archiepiscopall See and be a patterne to all his successors hee was condemned of high treason against his Prince prooued publikely periured and to haue counterfaite the handes and consents of fifty Cleargy men for the aduantage of his cause hee recanted his errour was in case of relapse and for ignoraunce was hissed and exploded in the common Schooles of Oxforde in publike disputations all which Foxe himselfe is enforced to graunt and can not deny Then whether is it more equall to giue credit to these than to Saint Augustine the Monke first archbishoppe there Saint Laurence Mellitus Iustus Honorius Deusdedit Theodorus Berctualdus Tacuinus and others three score and eight in number almost twenty to one many or most holy and learned men miraculously approoued of God and for pietie and learning admired of the whole worlde If they pretende the decrees of any Protestant Prince for exposition of holy Scriptures and proposition of Religion I haue cited almost twoo hundred to one before and in the lawes of that Prince which soeuer any Protestant will assigne eyther King Henry the eight King Edward the sixt or our Queene Elizabeth I will ouerthrowe them and prooue how euery one of them hath defined false and contradictory things to themselues which in some parte already appeareth in my last citations of Statutes If they alleadge their Vniuersities they are ouermatched in Catholike times at once Oxford hath had thirtie thousand Students all euer of the same minde with vs. For other Clergie men England Catholike had at the least if wee will coniecture by Fox his computation aboue a hundred thousand more than England Protestant is able to shew If they speak of sinods our sinods were greater in number of men tenne to one in number of assemblies two hundred to one If they speake of Parliaments and Lawes decreed there the excesse is more in both respectes If they vrge Scriptures and true sence of them by deduction by resorting to the originall tongues the Hebrew in the olde and Greeke in the new Testament comparing of places and examining circumstances which be their owne rules of exposition and the ground of their profession or howsoeuer the comparison is made the victory is ours Wee vse more Scriptures for numbers of Bookes more for diuersities of tongues than they and yet refuse none which they admit All our expositours of Scriptures haue beene continuall professed Students in diuinitie expert and acquainted with all Rules and meanes of true exposition diuerse of them most excellent Linguists and many naturall borne Greekes and Hebrewes and wee neuer receiued or beleeued any thing as a matter of Faith but that which the whole Catholicke Church which cannot erre had defined and receiued Their expositors of Scriptures were neuer to bee compared vnto these and at that time when their Religion was decreede and established out of Scriptures they must say there was not one person present which eyther vnderstoode Greeke or Hebrew or coulde vse any other of their Rules For their religion was first approoued in the first Parliament of our Queene Elizabeth where not one man learned in Diuinitie was present and had parlamentall voyce That wee Catholikes would wilfully erre is too wilfull impudencie to affirme it the profession of that Religion we defend is seuere and strict in regarde of that wee doe deny the punishmentes and penalties we vndergoe for our profession are many and greatest the temporall preferrement is none at all The contrary
reason haue alwayes and by all meanes propugned I knowe your Honours are wise and I trust no man will so much condemne himselfe in obstinacie to be of Luthers minde and if hee bee not he cannot be a Protestant which although hee euidently perceiued in his owne iudgement and manifestly confessed in his owne writings the whole christian worlde all times places persons and Authorities to bee against him yet hee obstinately proceeded in his singularitie The woordes of that gracelesse Luther are these How often hath my heart panted and reprehended me and obiected against mee What arte thou onely wise can it bee credible that all others doe erre and haue erred so long a time Haue all Generations so often euer been deceiued What if thou doost erre and bring so many into errour that shall bee damned for euer Arte thou onelie hee which hath the true pure worde of God Hath no man in the worlde the same but thou That which the Church of Christ hath hitherto defined and so many yeeres obserued as good doost thou ouerthrowe it as though it were euill and so doost dissipate by thy doctrine both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill Common-weales Thus in those and other places his owne conscience and iudgement did accuse and condemne him of singular obstinate rebellion and disobedience to the Church of God as appeareth and he further declareth in these wordes I neuer put those thoughts and cogitations foorth of my minde that is that this worke and businesse hee meaneth his Apostacie had neuer beene begunne by mee For what a greate multitude of men haue I seduced by my Doctrine I neuer had a greater and more greeuous temptation than for my preaching because I thought with my selfe thou hast stirred vp all this tumult in which temptation oftentimes I haue beene drowned euen to Hell it selfe Thus his conscience so long as hee had any condemned him thus hee repented his disobedience and saide that hee hoped the Bookes which hee had written woulde bee burnt and infect no more But when the bridle of Obedience was altogether broken his Conscience extinguished and plumes of pride and sensualitie had mounted him so high and carried him so farre hee behaued himselfe in his spirituall apostacie as by the testimonie of Suetonius Iulius Caesar did in his temporall rebellion against the Romane state which in the beginning doubted whether hee should go forwarde or no but when hee hadde cast off shame brake out into this speach Iacta est alea My chaunce is throwne the matter is gone so farre that I can not retire therefore I must goe forwarde howsoeuer it falleth out Euen so Luther as you haue heard did in the beginning but when shipwracke was made of all shamefastnesse hee vttered his desperate and vnreasonable resolution of obstinate perseueraunce in these termes Because I haue entered into this cause nowe I must looke vnto it and of necessitie say It is iust If you aske a reason Doctour Martine Luther will haue it so Sic volo sic iubeo sit pro ratione voluntas So I will so I commaunde let my pleasure stand for a reason for wee will not be Schollers but Maisters and Iudges of Papists yea wee will once Proteruire insultare bee malaparte and insulte ouer them I Doctour Martine Luther an vnwoorthie Euangelist of our Lorde Iesus Christ do say and affirme this Article faith alone without woorkes dooth iustifie before God the Romane Emperour shall suffer it to stand and remayne the Emperour of the Turkes the Emperour of the Tartares the Emperour of the Persians the Pope of Rome the Cardinalles Bishoppes Priestes Moonkes Nunnes Princes Lordes the whole world with all Diuelles and they shall further haue hell fire ouer their heads and I will giue them no thanks for their paines let this be my instinct from the holy ghost of Doctour Luther and my true and holie Gospell This right Honourable was the spirite and ground wherevppon you see Protestancie was first founded by this it was builded by this it was and is continued As the Scripture witnesseth Pride Wine and Women are the originalles of Apostacie and so it was in Luther so it was in all these Authors of this innouation If Pride had not beene they had kept their vowe of obedience If wine delicacies and riches had not borne a sway they had continued their vowe of pouertie if women wantonnesse and carnall pleasures had not carried them away their vowe of chastity had not beene broken Protestancie founded vppon those three pillers had not bin knowne true Religion had not beene forsaken And yet experience hath prooued that all the pride and glorie of the worlde all the riches pomps pleasures and sensible delights that haue moued carnall men to oppose themselues against it cannot ouerthrowe it but Trueth is stronger than all and the Probleme which the nobles of Darius putte vnder the pillowe of their Prince to be disputed and argued when hee shoulde awake is performed Wine is strong the King is stronger Women are stronger aboue all things Trueth dooth ouercome For whatsoeuer pleasures riotous and banquetting delights honour ambition preferrement or the power potencie of King or Potentate coulde euer doe or wantonnesse and carnall solace or any thing else King or Queene man or woman coulde hitherto effect or bring to passe the verity of this Religion and onelie of this hath still preuailed My Honourable Patrons let this Schedule and Conclusion of the Persian Nobles bee putte vnder the pillowe of our Princesse if she sleepe and slumber too long shee is the oldest Prince since the Conquest awake her foorth of dreame and let this question of Religion bee nowe at last disputed in her time let equall audience bee had the whole Christian worlde twenty times in Gennerall Councelles hath giuen sentence for vs many thousands of Prouinciall Councelles haue pronounced iudgement that our cause is right al Christian Kings of England and other Nations in their Lawes and Parliaments haue ratified it to be iust all Popes Fathers Schooles Vniuersities Colledges of all ages haue pronounced their opinion on our side all Arguments humane and diuine miraculous and ordinarie yea all former Heretikes foure hundred in number all differing from Protestants in all or most matters wherein they disagree from vs haue approoued it and all these condemned Protestants Religion We haue offered them all trialles giuen them as great securitie and safe conduct as Popes Emperours and Kings coulde giue to come to disputation their owne Schooles condemned them and if clapping handes hissings and exclamations in place of disputation bee arguments of condemnation Foxe himselfe beareth mee witnes that their prime Protestantes Archebishoppe Cranmer and Bishoppe Latimer their principall Disputants were thus exploded and condemned in Oxford Wee neuer had so much as a peece of promise of our Princesse for any equalitie of Disputation what that in the time of her first Parliament was our Protestant Chronicles