he performed and broke not And is not our Princesse Quéene of England as wel as Asa was King of Iuda And hath not she as great power in hir kingdome as he had in his And if God was well pleased wyth King Asa for making and performing that couenant as hée was indéede woulde he then be angrye thinke you with Quéene Elizabeth if she made the like and performed it I thinke not But our merciful Quéene though she hathe set forth the very true law of God as spéedily as earnestly and as zealously as eyther king Asa or anye other Ruler hathe done to be followed and obserued throughoute hir whole Realme hath not made any such couenaunt or lawe to slea or kil them that do not followe and obey the same But consider this well if the Pope not appointed by Gods law to raigne and rule as he hath done and doth may murther and kill as many of you thinke he may the professors and folowers of Gods word being not his subiects for disobeying his law deuised inuented by man on earth and procured by the Diuel Then may not we thinke that our Quéene appoyâ—ted by God and allowed by his word to raigne ouer vs may lawfully kil and put to death the Idolatrous Papistes hir subiectes for wilfully disobeying and withstanding the law of God that came from heauen béeing long sinâ—e taught vs by the Prophets by Iesus Christ the sonne of God and by his Apostles moued and procured thereto by God the holy ghost Therfore I beséeche you weigh the milde nature of our gratious Quéene the mother of Mercie that doth not vse the iustice she may and marke your holy father the Pope the Captain of Crueltie that vseth â—he iniusticie he ought not I pray you is not our Elizabeth Quéene of England aswel as Quéen Mary was what power what iurisdiction what auctoritie what superioritie what excellencie and what else hadde Quéene Mary that this our Quéene Elizabeth hath not Quéen Mary was King Henry the eights daughter so was our Quéen Elizabeth Quéene Mary was King Edw. sister so is Quéene Elizabeth Q. Mary succéeded hir brother King Edward so dydde Quéene Elizabeth succéede hir sister Quéene Mary Quéene Mary was lawful Quéene of England Quéene Elizabeth is as lawful Quéene of England I wil not say more Quéene Mary put downe Gods worde planted by hir brother and set vp Papistrie and Idolatrie and obeyed the Pope Quéene Elizabeth putte downe Papistrie and Idolatrie planted by hir sister and obeys God Quéene Mary vsed hir harmlesse and obedient Subiectes cruelly and putte them to death that professed Gods word Quéene Elizabeth vseth hir wicked and disobedient Subiectes mercifullye and suffereth them to liue that professe and stiffely defende Papistrie and Idolatrie the doctrine of the Diuel These comparisons duly considered your Quéene Mary did not muche excell oure Quéene Elizabeth vnlesse in crueltie and burning hir harmlesse subiects Nowe if Quéene Mary might put to death hir humble and harmelesse subiects for professing of Gods worde then I can not sée but that our Quéene Elizabeth maye as wel execute hir stubborne and disobedient subiectes whiche she as yet neuer did that withstande Gods worde and wil néedes followe Papistrie and Idolatrie And further if Quéene Mary hadde a lawe to burne the seruauntes of God that were obedient to hir concernyng their worldly duty and neuer meant hir harm Then why may not our Quéene Elizabeth make a law to execute the Popes seruants that are bound to be hir louing subiects which are disobedient vnto hir and that séeke procure desire and wish hir death and destruction Therfore be thankfull to God that hath giuen you and vs such a merciful Prince to raigne ouer vs loue obâ—y hir that gyueth you for Iustice mercy and for extremitie lenitie And now as hir Grace doth refraine fcom that she may do so prouoke not hir highnesse to that she can doe And as I saide thinke not that hir Grace can not vse the sworde againste you bycause she hathe not vsed it for if you thinke so you do not only deceiue youre selues but also do much abuse hir Maiestie in that you séeme thereby to make hir a Prince without power whereby you are vnworthy of the great mercy she shewes vnto you What seruant is so foolishe to thinke much more to say that bycause his Maister doth not beate him for his faulte therefore he can not beate him Bycause the mercifull father doth not beate his sonne for his offence that maketh not that he can not beate him for the same Shall hir clemencie and mercie make you thinke in hir disabilitie Therefore if anye of you thinke so as I beléeue some of you haue said so you are not worthy of suche a mercifull Maistresse that vseth you so And I am sure that it is the spirite of vnthankfulnesse the spirite of blindnesse the spirite of errour or rather the spirite of the diuel that makes you say so Thinke not I beséech you that I haue written this for that I woulde haue the Quéenes Maiestie to withdrawe hir mercie from you and to vse you with crueltie whiche is contrary to hir milde and merciful nature if anye other way would serue for I do it as the Lord knows my hart to make you to sée and vnderstand hir great mercy lenitie and gentlenesse towards you thereby to win and allure you froÌ„ obstinacie to obediencie from ingratitude to thaÌ„kfulnesse from ignorance to knowlege froÌ„ error to truth It may be that some of you wil saye that you loue the Quéene as wel as we and wishe the commoditie of youre country as wel as we If you do so then you wil not procure nor wishe anye forraine foes to come into anye of hir Graces dominions to help aide or succor any rebelles or traytors against our Quéen neither wil you be glad when you heare that any such are aryued or come into anye of hir highnesse dominions to fight against hir neither will you reioice if they and the rebels shoulde prosper againste oure Quéene and country But if you hearken for their comming in to fight against hir Maiesty and hir louing subiects or to aide rebelles againste hir or if you reioyce that they aide or helpe traitors against our Quéene or if you desire that they the rebels may get the victorie of hir and hir louing subiects as I feare many of you haue done and yet doe then whatsoeuer you say you are I am sure you are not true subiects but traitors to your prince no friendes but enimies to England Did none of you reioice that the forraine foes ariued in Ireland of late were none of you glad that they aided the rebels there against our Quéene and hir louing subiects And were none of you sory for their euil successe and ouerthrow you in your consciences know whether you do thus or not whether you are such or not whether you reioyced that the forraine foes ayded the
A Persuasion from Papistrie VVrytten chiefely to the obstinate determined and dysobedient English Papists who are herein named proued English enimies and extreme Enimies to Englande ¶ Which persuasion all the Queenes Maiesties Subiectes fauoring the Pope or his religion will reade or heare aduisedlye and throughly especially such as woulde be counted friendes to ENGLANDE that wishe oure Princes prosperitie the safegarde of the Nobilitie the concorde of our Comunalty and the continuance of this our happy state and tranquillitie AT LONDON Imprinted by Henrie Bynneman dwelling in Thamis Streete neare Baynards Castel ANNO. 1581. Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis To the most merciful and prudent Princesse Elyzabeth by the grace of God of Englande Fraunce and Ireland Queene Defender of the faith c. AS heretofore my moste gratious Soueraigne I troubled your Highnesse not without some trauell to my selfe in a thing that was necessarie reasonable and commodious to many and hurte to none Euen so I haue now not troublingly but louingly framed an earnest persuasion to suche of your subiects as feare not God as they ought regarde not hys worde as they shoulde nor obey your Highnesse as they are bounde naming them Englishe enimies as I maye verye well for Englishe friendes I am sure they are not whych persuasion is necessarie reasonable and very profitable for thē not hurtfull to any And as that which beefore I made to your Maiestie was by your Grace onely to be aucthorized for the greate releefe and succour of youre subiectes So this that I haue nowe written to your subiectes is to bee allowed and practised by them to the great comfort and ioy I hope of your Highnesse And though I haue penned it for them to performe yet I haue dedicated it to your Grace to peruse Beseeching youre Maiestie therein to pardon my boldenesse or rather presumption for thoughe it bee not so learnedly so cunningly and so finely framed as is requisite for your excellēcie yet it is so plainly so truly and so zealously done as is meete for your subiects Not doubting but stedfastlye trusting though al thereby be not allured from their errour that many will be wonne to the truth though it make not thē see that wincke for the nonce it wil cause thē to see that wil open their eyes And though it procure not the obstinate and determined Papistes from being Englishe Enimies yet it will enforce thousandes I hope of the simple seduced sorte to become Englishe friendes or rather friendes to England And thoughe there might seeme in mee too muche boldenesse to craue of your Maiestie to reade this presently yet I beseech your Highnesse to view and peruse it at your leysure conueniently For as the reading thereof I truste wil much profite them to whom I haue written it so your Graces reading of it woulde not a little reioyce mee to whome I dedicate it And whereas I firmely beleeue that God thereby wil be better honoured the Gospel more embraced Papistrie more contemned your Maiestie better obeyed your Highnesse of manye more loued your power more augmented treason lesse practised forraine foes more discouraged your louing subiects more comforted Englishe enimies more diminished Englishe friendes more encreased and this youre Realme of England the better strengthned yet the onely thing that I craue therefore of your Grace is well to accept it and in good parte to take it Beseeching your Maiestie not to respect the meane estate of the person but the meaning of the partie not the cunning of the contriuer but the intent of the writer neither howe it is couched but to what ende it is framed And if there be any thing therein that shall mislike your Maiestie I most humbly beseech you therefore to pardon me protesting to God and your Grace that I wrote the same not purposely but negligently and not willingly but ignorantly Hoping besides that the godly and wise will construe all things therein to the beste and not wreast them to the worst And as for other that haue an ouerweening in their owne wittes and that are rather curious carpers than profitable doers whereof there are not a few I doe not muche weigh for it is impossible to write so circumspectly to satisfie or please euery precise head And therefore I haue chosen rather to write truth and goodnesse for fooles to mislike than toyes and tryfles for the wise to deride not ignoraunte that there are moe finde-faultes than mende-faultes and moe that are ready to detract other mens doings than able to make the like of their owne whereof some thinke they deserue more to be commended so much they fancie their follie for discommending of that in a minute of an houre whyche the Writer with great study and paine for their greate profite and the continuall commoditie of many thousandes hath beene a framing and finishing twoo or three yeares And as a greate sorte for this will fauour me and not hate mee Euen so I am sure that some therefore will hate me moste spitefully that rather oughte to loue me earnestly Whose malice the better to withstande I haue chosen your Maiestie as one that is beste able vnder God to defende me Vnder whose protection this may the more safely passe abroade and thereby be the better accepted the more desired the gladlyer receyued the more willingly perused the more aduisedly scanned the lesse detracted and the better credited And thus omitting any further to trouble your Highnesse I as one of your most true and faithful subiects vnfainedly and from the bottome of my heart do beseeche God to preserue you from perils to shielde you from sorrow to confound al your foes to defend you from Traytours to reueale their conspyracies to frustrate theyr attemptes and to protecte you in peace Your Graces moste dutifull and obedient subiecte THOMAS LVPTON A persuasion from Papistrie IF this our famous realme of Englād hath manye Englishe enimies if it bréede and nourish such as lokes and hopes for y e subuersion of the good peaceable estate therof And if many that are carefully defēded therin by our most gracious merciful Princes are apparaunte enimies to hir grace and to this our countrey Then no maruel though it should haue a great sort of forraine foes Then it is vnlike that strangers borne and bredde out of it do wishe that it should prosper and thē how may it be thought that strangers not defēded by hir maiestie shold be faithful friends to hir to hir realme for if one hate his natural mother y t nourished brought him vp Thē it is not like y t one shold loue his stepmother that neuer did any thing for him And now for that it is wel known by tryal not surmised by heare say that ther are such mētioned english enimies as wel dwelling among vs as also rainging abrode in other Countreys which is no lesse griefe to hir grace than sorrow to hir louing subiects I for the zeale I owe to my prince
sides and thornes in your eyes vntill you perish out of this good land which the Lorde your God hath giuen you c. Therefore as all good things are come vppon you whiche the Lorde your God promised you so shall the Lorde bring vpon you euery euil thing vntil he hath destroyed you out of this good lande which the Lorde your God hath giuen you when ye shall trangresse the couuenant of the Lord your God which he commauÌ„ded you and shall go and serue other Gods and bow your selues to them then shall the wrath of the Lorde wax hot against you and ye shall quickly perishe out of the good land which he hath giuen you This was the lesson that Iosua a little before his death gaue vnto the Israelites his people And thus may you sée that al the charge that God and the godly giueth is to harken to the voyce of the Lord and obey his law which is his word and he wyl defend prosper and fight for vs no longer than we abide in the same So that the prosperous successe victories and other great blessings of Kings and Rulers that knowe Gods worde and professe the same is a manifest Argument that they walke rightly in his wayes and that he is wel pleased with them And such Kings Princes and Rulers as haue troubles warres euill successe and are ouercome in battell of their enemies thoughe they say they haue the true doctrine of God and that they follow it and obserue it most truely of all other yet it is an infallible token that they do offend their Lord God that they doe not walke rightly nor obserue his lawes and word as they ought and that he is not wel pleased with them And thus as God did blesse prosper Iosua and all other before him that hearkned to his voyce obeyed his worde euen so he did to other that did likewise after him For God gaue such wonderfull successe to Iudah the Captaine of the Israelites who feared God obeyed his worde against Adoni-Bezek the Cananites as he gaue to Iosua And Iudah did cut off the thumbes off his handes and off his féete according to the iust iudgement of God for his great tyrannie vsed to other for the sayde tyrant Adoni-Bezek confessed that he had vsed seauentie Kings before in like manner and they gathered bread vnder his table And then hée was compelled to say thus As I haue done God hath rewarded me God also blessed the sayde Iudah and the Israelites and gaue them many wonderfull victories after that againste their enimies the Cananites and heathen Idolators But when the Israelites hearkened not to the voyce of the Lorde and disobeyed his worde and worshipped the Gods of the Cananites and did wickedly in the sight of the Lorde then the Lordes furie and wrath kindled and waxed hote against them so that he suffered them to be ouercome and he deliuered them into their enemies handes that spoyled them and he solde them into their enemies handes so that they coulde stande no longer before their enemies and whether soeuer they went out the Lord was against them according as before he had promised And God suffered the king of Aram to preuaile against them and to carry them away wiâ—â— him And so serued him were captiues vnder him eight yéeres Consider also howe wonderfully Gedeon the Capitaine of the Israelites that hearkened to the voyce of the Lorde with thrée hundreth men through Gods power and might did ouercome the huge armie of the Madianites that were as Grassehoppers in number What a victorie did God giue to little Dauid his seruant against the mightie Giant Goliah his enemie howe did he prosper him blesse him and fight for him against the Philistines whose Images he burnt which pleased God And as God hath and doeth daylye giue victorie to such Princes Kings and Rulers that hearkened to his voyce and obeyed his worde so he hath giuen and doth giue maruellous quietnesse and peace to such Kings Princes and Rulers as do the same For God did prosper and blesse king Asa King of Iudah which hearkned to his voice and obserued his law making him raigne in a maruelous quietnesse and peace the space of fiue and thirtie yéeres bicause he tooke away the Sodomites out of the lande and put away all the Idols that his father had made and tooke away the Aultars of strange Gods and the high places and brake downe the Images cut down the Groues and commaunded Iuda to séeke the Lorde God of their fathers and to doe according to the lawe and the commaundement And he tooke awaye out of all the Cities of Iudah the high places the Images therfore the kingdome was quiet before him and the Lord gaue him rest on euery side And as the Lorde did prosper and blesse King Asa wyth suche a quietnesse and peace for breaking downe the Aultars of the straunge Gods and destroying the Images set vp by Abija his father euen so he hath blessed and prospered our most gratious Quéene with a most plentifull peace al the time of hir raigne which is thrée and twentie yéeres beséeching God to triple it with the quiet raigne of King Asa for plucking downe the Aultars for breaking and destroying the Images for abolishing the most Idolatrous Masse the Popes inuented sacrifice committed and done on these Aultars for the extirping and rooting vp the abhominable law religion of the Pope erected planted by hir sister Quéene Marie to the great dishonor of God the derogation of the passion of our sauior Iesus Christ setting forth in steade thereof not onely in euery Citie but also in euerie towne and village throughout hir whole Realme of England the pure and perfect word and lawe of God And thus it is plaine that the cause of the quiet raigne of King Asa and the peaceable and quiet raigne of our Quéene Elizabeth is all one Which is for the putting away of Idolatrie which God doth most abhorre for the setting forth of his law word which he doth chiefly desire But thoughe King Asa had peace al this while bicause he abolished Idolatrie and hearkned vnto the voice of God yet after wheÌ„ he did slide froÌ„ God put not his whole trust in him the case was then cleane altred for the Lorde tooke his peace awaye and God sent to him the Prophet Hanani who spake vnto King Asa as followeth Bycause thou hast rested vpon the King of Aram and not rested in the Lorde thy God therefore is the hoste of the King of Aram escaped out of thine hande The Aethiopians and Lybyanes were they not a great host with Chariots and horsmen exceeding many yet bycause thou didst rest vppon the Lorde he deliuered them into thine hande For the eyes of the Lorde beheld al the earth to shewe himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart toward him Thou hast then done foolishly in
this therefore from henceforth thou shalt haue warres Thus we may sée that King Asas peace and quietnesse was turned into warres and trouble bicause he slidde from the Lorde and hearkned not to his voyce euen so if your Idolatrous Masse shoulde be planted and vsed here as you desire then our prosperitie and peace would be turned into aduersitie and warres And then King Asa to mend the matter withall did imprison the Prophet for telling him so and did not repent and turne to the Lorde as King Dauid did when the Prophet Nathan reproued him which encreased the Lordes displeasure the more against him Here it is manifest as before and as it is throughe the whole Scriptures that God doth blesse his people with victorie quietnesse and peace so long as they stay vpon him and obey his worde and no longer Marke how God did blesse that good and vertuous King Iehosaphat the sonne of King Asa with victories peace and great riches bycause he walked rightly in the sight of God and abolished Idolatry which godly vertuous King in the third yéere of his raigne sent his Princes and Rulers and learned men with them to set forth Gods lawe and to teach it in the Cities of Iudah And they did teache it in Iudah and had the Booke of the lawe of the Lord with them and went about throughout al the cities of Iudah his kingdome and taught the people And the feare of the Lorde fell vpon all the kingdomes of the landes that were rounde about Iudah And they fought not against Iehosaphat Nowe weigh the comparison and consider the like or more Hath not the Lorde likewyse blessed our gratious Quéene Elizabeth with an vnfoughten victorie without any bloudshed against hir rebellious subiects the Papists and hath not he besides blessed hir with such a plenty quietnesse and peace al the rest of hir raigne as before was neuer séene in England bicause she hath hearkned to the voice of y e Lord as Iehoshaphat did who staid not vntill the third yéere of hir raigne but in the first yéere and in the beginning therof abolished Idolatrie and did set forth the worde of God the holy Bible in the Englishe tongue throughout all England not onely in Cities but also in all townes villages and other places and commaunded and gaue commission to all hir Bishops Doctours Preachers Curates and Ministers to preache teache and vse the same purelye and rightly and all other hir Magistrates to defende it And accordingly al the time of hir worthy raigne it hath béene and is dayly preached and taught throughout all England And as the feare of the Lord fell vpon al the kingdomes of the landes that were round about Iudah and they fought not against King Iehoshaphat euen so the Lorde our God hath feared all the Countries and Kingdomes round about Englande and therefore they haue not fought against our Quéene Elizabeth Thus you cannot choose but graūt that if Iehoshaphat was blessed and prospered of God then our Quéene Elizabeth is blessed and prospered of God if Iehoshaphat was a good King and did please God then our Elizabeth is a good Quéene and pleaseth God and if that were Idolatrie that Iehoshaphat did abolish out of Iudah then papistrie was Idolatrous that our Quéene hath abolished out of England and if that were y e law of God that Iehoshaphat proclaymed published and caused to be taught throughout Iudah then this is the very lawe and word of God that our Quéene Elizabeth hath set forth throughout al hir Realme of Englande If this and all the rest that I haue written can not persuade you that this our religion is the verye true religion and that God doth both like and allowe it then I thinke you are determined not to be persuaded But yet to winne you if it wil be marke what followed of wicked Iehoram thoughe he was the sonne of godlye King Iehoshaphat This king Iehoram when he was placed in the kingdome of Iudah after his father slew and killed his brethren and y e princes of Israel he walked not according as Iehoshaphat his father did but wrought euil in gods sight And he caused the inhabitaunts of Ierusalem to commit spiritual fornication that is Idolatry and compelled his people of Iudah thereto whervpon the Prophet Eliah spake to him by writing saying Thus sayth the Lord God of Dauid thy father bycause thou haste not walked in the wayes of Iehoshaphat thy father nor in the ways of Asa king of Iudah but haste walked in the wayes of the Kings of Israel and haste made Iudah and the inhabitaunts of Ierusalem to go a whoring as the house of Ahab wente a whoring and haste also slaine thy brethren of thy fathers house which were better than thou Beholde with a great plague wil the Lord smite thy people and thy children and thy wyues and all thy substaunce And thou shalt be in great diseases in the disease of thy bowels vntil thy bowels fall out for the disease daye by day Then the Lord stirred vp against Iehoram the Philistines and the Arabians and they came vp into Iudah and brake into it and carryed away al the substance that was in the Kings house and his sons also and his wiues so that there was not a son left him saue Iehoahaz the yōgest of his sons And after al this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an vncurable disease and in processe of time euen after the end of two yeares his guts fel out with his disease so he died of sore diseases c. And againe you may sée vnlesse you do wilfully winke that the abolishing of Idolatrie setting forth of the lawe of God was the cause that God did blesse and prosper good King Iehoshaphat and contrary the committing of Idolatrie and the compelling of the people of Iudah to sin therein and the forsaking of the law of God was the cause that God did thus plague and punish wicked Iehoram his son with wars with the taking awaye of his sons and wiues and spoyling his house and with y e falling out of his guts wherof he dyed Here you may easily perceiue that God spared not wicked Iehoram though he were the sonne of godlye Kyng Iehoshaphat whom God loued so wel for it is not the person or place but the truth and the godlinesse of the person whatsoeuer he be and whersoeuer he be that God doeth respect Therfore as God doeth nowe blesse vs and thys realme with prosperitie quietnesse plentie and peace aboue all other kingdomes that are rounde aboute vs as he did Iehoshaphat for abolishing Idolatrous Papistrie for setting forth obeying and preaching his holy worde Euen so assure your selues and loke for none other but that God wil cursse vs and plague this Realm of England with troubles warres with comming in of straungers spoyling of vs and our goods with the losse of wiues and childrē and with vncurable diseases or such like as he did Iehoram and
for the loue of my Countrey and for the â—are I haue of the the carelesse case of many and as one more willing than méete haue writteÌ„ vnto al you that are such English enimies as wel in England as elsewhere this earnest perswasioÌ„ which if you wil as aduisedly read as I haue willingly written I doubt not but that you will or manye of you at the least y t God hath not cleane giuen ouer or whoÌ„ the diuel hath not vtterly blinded or bewitched of english enimies become English friends and of disobedient people true and obedient subiectes Besides y t you shal plainly anâ— perfectly sée the wrong way you walke in how you wishe your owne woe séeke your owne sorrowe and desire your destruction Al which if you auoide therby I hope you wil not be vnkinde and vnthankeful to him that is so zealous and careful for you Yet for al that I loke for none other but that some of you more wilful than wise more churlish than curteous wil hate me spitefully for that you ought to loue me faithfully But suche shal haue no more cause to do so than the théefe to hate him y t perswades him from stealing If any be angry bycause I name English emies it is a great presumption such are not of them whoÌ„ we count to be English friends As I haue written to many of you and yet doe not know you so I wish you maye know your selues when I touch or iustly reproue you They that are English friends friends to England wyl not be angry bycause I name English enimies for that I do not touch them but they y t are Englishe enimies are such enimies to England wil stur bicause I do pinch them But be not angry for if we haue such English enimies as I am sure we haue then I must néedes cal them Englishe enimies if I cal them by their right name for if I shoulde cal a théefe a true maÌ„ or a harlot an honest womaÌ„ I shold misname theÌ„ Therfore I know no fitter name for a traytour than a traytour for a drunkarde than a drunkard for a Pyrate than a Pyrate and so for an English enimie thaÌ„ an English enimie But if it grieue you to be called thus then let it grieue you to deserue to be called thus And wheÌ„ you do chaunge your conditions we wil then change your name For if you wil obey louingly and willingly your merciful and peaceable prince then you shal be called true and louing subiects And if you wil vnfaynedly wish procure the quietnesse and commoditie of England we wil then cal you English friends But being now cleane contrarie we caÌ„not choose y t with grief of hart but cal you English enimies English for y t you were born nourished in England enimies for y t you enuy the peaceable and quiet gouernment therof wishing séeking an alteratioÌ„ of y e same How proue you y t may some of you say as some haue sayd alredy y t we do so howsoâ—uer I proue it your own words proues y t do say so that you take your selues to be of y e same nuÌ„ber for as your stinging doth cause you to kicke so doth your kicking make you be known And that there are such English enimies y t do enuy this our peaceable quiet gouernmeÌ„t of EnglaÌ„d wish an alteration of y e same it is not hard to proue vnlesse it be hard to proue y t the sun is vp at noone Therfore mark me wel for I wil now proue it We haue thanks be to God a most wise merciful Princes vnder whose gouernmeÌ„t through Gods goodnesse we haue had such a plentie peace as neuer hath bin y e like in this realme And yet there are a great sort I feare within this Realme that loue not hyr maiestie as they oughte feare hir not as they should nor obey hir according to their duty For how can they loue hir that despise hir godly procéedings how can they fear hir that contemne hir decrées how can they obey hir y t obstinately break hir good orders Now it is wel known y t there are many born bred within England y t despise obstinately refuse to follow hir godly procéedings set forth according to gods worde they y t despise refuse these hir procéedings are sory they coÌ„tinue so long they y t are sory therfore would gladly haue other orders much worse in their place and they y t would haue other wish y t hyr graces procéedings were displast they y t wold haue theÌ„ taken away which they know wil not be so loÌ„g as hir grace doth raign do wish hir being our head to be cut off or els hopes of hir short life But al their heads y t wold haue it so how many soeuer they be I wish stood on one necke y t they al might be cut of at one stroke Now you may sée y t I haue proued y t there are such English enimies w tin this realm for if these be not English enimies y t loue not their princesse y t ar sory she liues so loÌ„g y t wish hir deth or short raign y t wold haue an alteratioÌ„ or rather subuertioÌ„ of this our most happy quiet state if these I say be not English Enimies yea and great enimies to England then I know not what to name them vnlesse I should call theÌ„ English Rebels for English friends or good subiects I am sure they are not Therefore to you Englishe enimies that are wilful obstinate and determined Papists I chiefelye do write for no other English enimies haue al these aforesayde markes or conditions but only you I doubt not but that some of you wil be offeÌ„ded with me for calling you English enimies for y t you would séeme to be as good English friends as y e best bicause you are great enimies to England therfore I caÌ„not wel cal you Englishe friends or friends to Eng. Which I am most sure to proue hereafter if that be not sufficient y t I haue proued before It is wel known y t the Pope is enimie to our Quéene his lawes are repugnant to hir lawes and his religion is contrarie to hir religion which is the Gospell and Gods word now if any that is borne within England doeth earnestly loue the Pope then they cannot faithfully loue the Quéene if anye of them obey the Popes laws and decrées they must néedes disobey the Quéenes lawes and orders And if they imbrace and loue the Popes religion then they must néedes forsake and deâ—pise Gods worde the Quéenes religioÌ„ Now for that you y t are Papists are such then you are rather the Popes louing seruaunts than the Quéenes true subiects And if you be not true and louing subiects to our Quéene who vnder God is the chief staffe stay of the peaceable prosperous state of England then you cannot be friendes but enimies
to England And thus I trow I haue proued that you are English enimies Mark again Christ sayth who is to be beléeued No maÌ„ can serue two masters for either he shal hate the one loue the other or else leane to the one and despise the other By these words of Christ who caÌ„not ly though the Pope may erre al English persons that loue the Pope and his religion must néeds hate the Quéen hir religioÌ„ or if they leane to the Pope and his religion then they despise the Quéene and hir religion Therfore if it be construed to the best all you that are Papists for that you do leane to the Pope and his religion do dispise the Quéene and hir religion And I thinke you owe no great loue where yée dispise And so if you hate or despise the Quéen whose life as I saide is the prosperitie of England then you caÌ„ not be friends to EnglaÌ„d but enimies to England And thus by Christs own words you must néeds whether you wil or no be english enimies I grant there are many other English enimies yet al that may properly be called English enimies are not enimies to England for al they that are born in England that hate the diuell wickednes sin that are enimies to them that are enimies to England may in a right sense be called English enimies of whom I neither mean neither haue I any iust cause to write for though they may be called English Enimies yet they are friends to England But I meane y t they are English enimies y t are hurtful to England wherof there are many besides you but not such as you Our théeues are English Enimies whereof many steale for necessitie Unthrifts are english enimies both to themselues to other for that they spend wastefully on theÌ„selues that other haue néede of Drunkards are english enimies but are most of al their owne foes vnlesse they kil or hurte anye in theyr drunkennesse besides many other such like enimies yet al these with many other are not suche english enimies vnlesse they be Papists withall but y t they loue their Prince obey and followe hir godly procéedings wish hir a prosperous raigne and would fight if néede were for hir grace and helpe to defend this their countrey from hir foes which may be counted as friendes in comparison of you that are such papisticall enimies For though there are many Englishe enimies as théeues murtherers pyrates coyners clyppers of mony and counterfayters of the Quéens seale with diuers other yet you that are obstinate disobedient and determined Papists are the most earnest enimies to England of al other for if the Quéenes Maiestie shoulde enrich set in authoritie or promote the said théeues murtherers pyrats coyners clippers of mony counterfaiters of hir highnesse seale vnlesse they be Papistes withall they would thanke hir loue hir obey hir obserue hir lawes so of English enimies become English friends whiche you that are peruerse and determined Papistes woulde neuer do though hir Grace should do so to you For as Harlots that loue other better thaÌ„ they loue their husbaÌ„ds though their husbands loue them neuer so well set al their whole mind deuises and studies how to be rid of their husbaÌ„ds Euen so you that are obstinate and determined Papistes that are spirituall fornicators though the Quéenes Maiestie should giue you great liuings set you in aucthoritie or highly promote you yet for all that youre chiefe minde and studie would be how to be rid of hir Grace howe to displace hir and how to haue a Papist to rule in hir roome whereby you might at your owne libertie commit spiritual whordom with Idols Images the Masse which you loue better than youre owne louing husbande Christe the sonne of God And thus let the Quéenes Maiestie doe for you neuer so much yet you wil not be Englishe friendes but vtter enimies to hir Grace and to England youre â—wne natiue country vntil of peruerse Papists you become perfect Protestants whiche is altogither my drifte Yet I beséeche you marke this and consider it well thoughe verye néed compel the aforesaid for the most part to be théeues murtherers pyrats coyners of money and such like to bée English enimies which may and do dayly become english friends yet there are such lawes for them as therfore they are put to death But for you that are obstinate disobedieÌ„t papists that are so great enimies to England without néed and that nothing can reclame to be friends to England our most milde and merciful Quéene as yet hath made no such law to put you to deth nor gréeuosly to punish you though you deserue deth a gret deale more al things wel weighed considered than any of the other english enimies do For if one that clippeth or diminisheth y e Quéenes coyne wheron hir Image or picture is but printed or stampte is worthily called a Traytor by law therfore is hanged drawn quartred Then are not you worthy to be called Traytors deserue death which procure wish or desire by any meane the displacing of your Prince the destruction of hir person the alteration of our most quiet happy state the calamitie of your countrey men the confusion of the common wealth and the ruine of this oure worthy reaime of England If he that counterfeteth the Quéenes Maiesties seale for some priuate profit breaking thereby but one parte of hir laws is a traytor is therefore put to death then are not you that are obstinate and disobedient Papists traytors deserue death that hate your Prince without any cause that withstand disobey al hir godâ—y laws procéedings in the louing and obeying of whom the kéeping obseruing of whose laws orders hir Graces safetie the preseruation of hir person the conseruation of the common wealth and the prosperous state of this realme doth chiefly depend If hereby you wil not willingly sée what you are I feare againste youre willes you will féele hereafter what you are Open youre eyes therefore and sée what a mercifull Quéene you haue that euer since she began to raigne hath rather mercifully without law sought to winne you than cruellie by law to enforce or wound you Thinke not bycause she suffereth you that therfore she cannot punish nor execute you which if some of you sticke not to say openly many of you I beléeue thinke the same priuily Thinke not bycause she hath made no lawe for you that therefore she can make no law for you for the Quéens Maiestie hath as great power to punishe the Idolatrous Papistes in hir Realme as King Iosia had to burne the Priests of Baal in his realme King Asa and his people made a couenant and swore not onely to séeke the Lorde to cleaue vnto hym and to hearken vnto his voice but also that who soeuer didde not so shoulde be slaine whether he were small or great man or woman which couenant
rebels in Ireland or not And whether you were sorie that the Quéenes Maiestie and hir subiects did vanquishe them or not And if you be suche English enimies then why shoulde England harbour hir enimies why should Englande foster hir foes why should England maintain them that mean hir mischiefe And why should our Quéene defend them that desire hir destruction Nay rather why doth she not cutte them off that woulde be a confusion to hir and to hir countrey The fewer such were in England the happyer were Englande the sooner they were rid out of Englande the better it would be for England And if there were none suche in England then God would be wel pleased with England Therefore they that wil not be true to the Quéenes Maiestie and to England God send them short life or soone out of England for England were better haue their roume than their throÌ„g their absence than their presence their death thaÌ„ their life Therfore to you I chiefly write that the diuel hath bewitched with Papistry that fond and ridiculous Romish religion whose blindnes I bewaile and whose follie I lament Consider I beséeche you if you be suche as before I haue described are you not then English Enimies your practises haue proued it your murmurings do manifest it youre disobediencie declares it youre obstinacie doth open it and some of your treasons haue tryed it Therfore how can you thinke wel of your selues that enuy the prosperous raigne of so peaceable a Prince that wishe the sorrowe of youre Soueraigne your selues and of al hir subiects that to haue your péeuish pleasure performed would haue the quiet state of your couÌ„try subuerted and that would prefer plant papistrie and displace the pure worde of God But if you be so wilful which is incideÌ„t to your religion y t you wil not yéeld y t you are English enimies yet I trust you will not deny y t you are English Romanists which is y t you haue English bodies and Romish harts wishing rather you had Romish bodies English harts so that it appéers though youre bodies be in EnglaÌ„d your harts are at Rome Therfore we shold be in good case to trust to such fellows to fight againste oure foes if néed were that haue their harts bodies so far asunder for if a souldior be in the field his hart at home he wil fight but faintly so I thinke we should find but faint-harted souldiors of such of you if it came to fighting nay I pray God you change not then your cowardly harts into couragious stomacks become furious fighters on our enimies sides against thys your owne country Wel thoughe oure Quéenes quiet gouerning of you hir merciful vsing of you hir longsuffring of you can not allure you to loue hir yet I thinke you would like hir a great deale the better vppon condition that she woulde giue you leaue to vse the Romish religion and to haue your Masses Trentalles Dyrges and Pylgrimages and suche trumperie without controllment Yea but that were as though Pyrates and théeues should say vnto their King or Prince if your grace wil giue vs leaue to spoyle whome we wyl to xoaue where we list and to steale what we can we wyll loue you and obey you or else we wil not or as thoughe schollers shoulde say to their scholemaister sir if you wyll giue vs leaue to play when we liste then we wil take you for our scholemaister or else we wil not do you not thinke that these are reasonable conditions for Pyrats and Théeues to make to their Prince or for schollers to make to their scholemaister of trueth as reasonable and more reasonable than yours that you would in this case require of thée Quéene and more méete to be graunted For if men did know that Pyrates and théeues had such a plackard of their prince then merchauntes would purposely prepare themselues to withstand them with strong ships wel furnished with men and munition and woulde goe in greate fléetes togither And also true men would make theÌ„ strong houses hauing guns and crossebowes to withstande the théeues whereby the Pyrates and théeues might come to there cost and be killed and the most harme that Pyrates and théeues could do were but to take their worldly goods and perhaps their liues from them hauing no power to hurt their soules And the schollers that should haue suche a license of their scholemaster should themselues haue the worst which when they were men woulde bewayle that for vain vnprofitable play that lasted but a while they had lost most profitable learning which they mighte haue had all their liues But if the Quéenes maiestie should graunt your condition that is to vse Papistâ—ie and Idolatrie at your pleasure that were such a commission for the Diuell against you hir subiectes that thereby he woulde destroy you both body and soule for euer Whose guns Ingins and dartes you were neuer able to resist and all for wante of Gods word which is our chiefest armor and defence against him And so of hir grace you woâ—lde demaunde your owne destruction If hir maiestie had graunted that condition in the first beginning of hir raigne to all that would haue required it I am sure that thousandes at this day had bin blind and ignorant Papists that ar now perfit protestaÌ„ts profâ—ssors of the Gospell and hir most faithfull and louing subiects for though hir godly orders and restraint hath not brought all from Papistry yet I am certaine that of them it hath diminished a great sort For as some of you are altogither wilful and obstinate and wil not heare the word of God so some againe are more tractable and come to the Church wher they hearing the word of God are brought from their blindnesse And further if the Quéene shoulde grant you this libertie and suffer you not to haue or heare the word of God according to your desires then hir grant would be the cause that you should be vnhappy for Christe sayeth Blessed are they that heare the worde of God and keepe it nowe if all they that heare the worde of God are not happye but they that kéepe it then all they that heare not the word of God must néedes be vnhappy and so your desire of your Prince is to be vnhappye and they that are vnhappy are not the children of God then they must néeds be the children of the Diuel and thus you woulde loue or like wel of your Quéene so that she would giue you leaue to be the children of the Diuel But perhaps you wil saye that you doe not despise the word of God nor disdaine to heare it but you would heare it of such as you like of and not of our Prechers is that al you can saye verye well I am sure that our Preachers appointed by the Quéens maiestie do preach saluation only by the death of Iesus Christ to such as do beleue in him they teach that good workes are
to the left hand to goe after other Gods or to serue them which blessings most plentifully he hath poured on this Realme of England euer since our gracious Quéene put downe Idolatrie and Papistrie and set forth the Gospell and word of God And also here you may plainely perceiue and vnderstand the maruellous curses and plagues promised and threatned to them that will not obey the voyce of the Lord our God and kéepe his commaundementes and ordinaunces which plagues and cursses haue aboundantlye lyghted on those Countreys and Kingdomes that embrace and maintayne Idolatrous Papistrie reiecting the Gospell and persecuting the Professours thereof Which is a manifest argument that this Religion that we haue is the true Religion wherewith God is well pleased and your Papisticall doctrine is a false and wicked religion wherewith God is highlye displeased For as God did prosper and blesse the Iewes his people to whome Moyses pronounced the sayde blessings so long as they hearkened to his voyce and obeyed and followed his word and commaundements and as hys sayde plagues and cursses fell vpon them when they harkened not to the voyce of the Lord but committed Idotrie euen so euer since he hath and doeth blesse and prosper the professors and followers of his worde and poures his sayde plagues and cursses on them that despise his worde that are enimies to the Gospell and persecute the professors of the same Marke well and you shall sée that in all ages God guided protected and blessed the Kings and Rulers that clensed their Countreys of Idolatrie and that did set forth and obeyed his law What famous victories did he giue to Iosua the Duke and Captaine of the Israelites which obeyed God and harkened to his voyce to whom God spake as followeth Moyses my seruant is deade nowe therefore arise goe ouer this Iorden thou and all thy people vnto the lande whiche I giue them that is to the children of Israell euerye place that the sole of your foote shall treade vppon haue I giuen you as I sayd vnto Moyses from the Wildernesse this Libanon vnto the greate riuer Perath all the lande of the Hettites euen vnto the great Sea towarde the going downe of the Sunne shal be your coaste There shall not a man bee able to withstand thee all the dayes of thy life As I was with Moyses so will I be with thee I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Be strong of a good courage for vnto this people shalt thou deuide the land for an inheritaunce which I sware vnto their Fathers to giue them onely be thou strong and of a most valiant courage that thou mayest obserue doe according to all the law which Moyses my seruant hath cōmaunded thee Thou shalt not turne awaye from it to the right hand nor to the lefte that thou mayest prosper whersoeuer thou goest let not this booke of the law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day night that thou mayest obserue and do according to all that is written therin for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe These were the wordes that God spake to Iosua Therfore marke y e promises of God to him if he follow do according to the law of God then his way shold be prosperous he should haue good successe none should withstand him al the dayes of his life God would be with him which in déede God performed wonderfully and kept promise with him for that he hearkned to y e voyce of the Lord and directed al his wayes according to the law of God For was not God with Iosua when miraculously he departed the water of Iorden and the children of Israel went drie ouer the same straight towardes Iericho did not God wonderfully deliuer Iericho to Iosua and his people when after the sounding of the Trumpettes the walles thereof fell downe through his power and so Iosua and all his people went into it and tooke the Citie and so they destroyed all the Idolatrous people the enimies of God that were in the same But sée howe sodainely the Lorde went from them and suffered the men of Ai to kill .xxxvj. of the Israelites and made the rest of thrée thousande of them fearefully to flée away bicause Achan in the spoyle of Iericho tooke that for a praye which the Lorde directly commaunded to the contrarie Thus you may easily perceiue that the harkening to the voyce of God following of his worde is the cause of good successe and victorie and the disobeying of his worde and following of their owne fansies was the cause of euil successe and ouerthrowe But God blessed Iosua still bicause he was not cōsenting to Achans fact who stoned him therfore to death for after y t the Lord made Iosua to vanquish and ouercome the fiue Kings of the Amorits in which conflict the Lord threw stones from heauen vpon his enimies and at Iosuas bydding the Sunne and Moone did stand still a whole day togither that he might haue time to ouercome his enimies These wonders did the Lord for his seruant Iosua and his people that harkened to his voyce and obeyed his worde Many other kings did Iosua ouercome through the strength of the Lord that fought for him and his people And when Iosua waxed olde then he called all Israel their elders their heades their Iudges and their officers before him giuing them then the same warning that Moyses and God gaue him to hearken to the voyce of the Lorde saying I am old and stricken in age also you haue séene all that the Lorde you God hath done vnto all these nations before you howe the Lorde hath fought for you Behold I haue diuided vnto you by lot these nations that remaine that as yet were not ouercome to bée an inheritaunce accordyng to your Tribes from Iorden with all the nations that I haue destroyed euen vnto the great sea Westward And the Lord your God shal expell them before you and cast them out of your sight And ye shall possesse their lande as the Lorde your God hath sayde vnto you Bée ye therefore of a valiant courage to obserue and doe all that is written in the Booke of the lawe of Moyses that ye turne not ther from to the right hande nor to the lefte c. But sticke faste vnto the Lorde your God as yée haue done vnto this daye for the Lorde hath cast out before you great nations and mightie and no man hath stande before your face hitherto One man of you shall chase a thousande for your Lorde your God hée fyghteth for you as he hath promysed you Take good héede therefore vnto your selues that yée loue the Lorde your GOD Else if yée goe backe c knowe yée for certayne that the Lorde your God will cast out no more of these nations from before you but they shall bée a snare and destruction to you and a whippe on your
you and suffer you vnplagued and vndestroyed that are but Bastards and as wilde Oliues whiche cruellye murther Christes members or reioice in the same whiche is as much as though you had killed Christ himselfe or reioyced in his death And if God spared not the Aungels in Heauen whyche serued hym day and night not for hurting of hym and hys members but for their Pride in that they would haue bin higher not content wyth their estate that God called them vnto doe you thinke then that he wil spare you that are vile earthly wretches whyche regarde not his lawes and burne spoile and murther the innocent members of Christ for the professing of Christs Gospell no no I warrant you Yet Lucifer and his fellowe Aungelles looked and hoped for as fayre a day as you hope for for they thought to be equall with God whyche you looke not to be thoughe you had your fayre hoped day but their hope was aslope and for their faire â—ndlesse daye they gote an euerlasting fowle darke and stormy night for the glorious and ioyful kingdome of Heauen they haue got the moste dolefull sorrowfull and paineful kingdome of Hell where the moste furious flames of fire shall neuer go out and where shal be wayling wéeping howling and gnashing of téeth for euer worlde without ende Thus you may sée what a faire day the tyrannicall Emperours that persecuted tormented and killed Christs innocent members the true Christians and the Iewes that put Christ to death and also the Aungels of Heauen haue got which they hoped and looked for Therefore if you hadde vppe your Masse and the Papisticall religion againe and thereby burnte youre brethren killed your countreymen and embrewed your armes vp to the shoulders in their bloud and drunke so much therof vntil your bellies burste what other daye could you looke for but onely for suche a day as the Iewes that killed Christe the tyrants that murthered Christes members and as the prowde Aungels of Heauen had that resisted God whyche in stead of a fayre day is turned into a darke terrible and stormy night Wherefore I beséeche you abhorre and forsake the Masse and the Popes doctrine which will not bring you a faire warme calme and bright daye as you thinke but a moste darke stormie and tempestuous night as we know and not a ioyfull day as you beléeue but a moste sorrowfull and doleful night as we are moste certaine I woulde you should not thinke that eyther the Quéens Maiestie doth feare you or that we dread you bycause so vehemently I do persuade you neyther lette this my exhorting you cause you to be more hawtie that oughte to make you more humble to encourage you to be more obstinate that teacheth you to be more obedient and procure you to rebellion that persuadeth you froÌ„ treason for the Quéenes Highnesse and hir louing and obedient Subiectes are most assured that as God hitherto hathe blessed and defended hir Grace for the setting forth and maintayning of his holy gospel so he wil hereafter blesse and defend hir against you and al hir enimies that shal goe aboute to resist or fight againste hir to suppresse the Gospel If you that are hir subiects do hope that the Pope wyll blesse you for disobeying your Prince Then hir Grace being your Quéene may be wel assured that God wil blesse hir Highnesse which is as good as the Popes blessing for obeying of him in setting forth maintayning and defeÌ„ding the doctrine of Christ the lawe of God You may perceiue if you wil perceiue by the reasons arguments examples and proofes before mentioned that if the Popes souldiours that you procure or wishe to come fight against our Prince to aide and helpe you vp with your Masse and y e rest of the Popes paltry should get the victorie whyche the Lord forbidde yet they would spoile you kil you murther you as they woulde vs though you be of their religion and woulde neyther trust you nor suffer you to beare any rule or be in aucthority for they would thinke as they might wel ynough that you that are false and rebellious to your lawfull naturall and most mercifull Princesse and Quéene that suffreth you to enioy quietly all that you haue and that dothe preserue you in suche prosperitie quietnesse peace as neuer any Subiectes enioyd before in England would not be true and obedient to them being forrain vnlawful and more straighter rulers that woulde dayly exact on you poll and pill you and your liuings to bring you vnder and in thraldome to them Whiche when you shoulde féele then their crueltie would teach you what our Quéene Elizabeth was whome nowe hir mildnesse and mercie cannot learne what our Quéene Elizabeth is And on the other side if the Quéenes Maiestie shoulde vanquishe you and them then manye of you shoulde be knowne for open Traytors that nowe are not surmysed to be hir priuie enimies and so therfore to be executed as you were well worthy This were but a verye foolishe and an vnwise matche made of you for whiche side soeuer should win you should be sure to loose and which side soeuer got the victorie you should be sure to haue the ouerthrow Therefore giue ouer your wilfulnesse and be persuaded by reason cease from your diuelish deuises your wicked attemptes and priuie conspyracies against our most milde and merciful Quéen and forsake your doctrine of the Pope and embrace the gospell which wil teach you to feare GOD to beléeue and hope in Christ to obey your Prince to loue your brethren and to be true to your countrey Thus I haue sufficiently prooued you specially you that are wilfull obstinate and determined Papistes to be not onely English enimies but also the worst enimies to England that can be and how the Pope is moste wicked and his doctrine false that you so muche loue and followe and that our religioÌ„ is most true which you abhorre and withstande that you hate your Prince enuy hir happy estate contemne our concorde desire our destrustion and therefore séeke your owne sorrow for that thereby you shal procure God to powre his plagues and cursses on you before mentioned Al which I haue done by sensible similitudes by tryed testimonies by infallible arguments by euident examples by ineuitable reasons and by the sacred Scriptures whyche if you be wise you wil wegh if you be Christians you wil consider and if you be of God you wil regarde But some of you are so addict to your holy Father the Pope that be a thing neuer so plainelye proued by arguments reasons proofes similitudes examples learning by learned Doctors and Writers yea and by the moste holy Scriptures yet you wil not beléeue it vnlesse it bée allowed or confirmed by the Pope who you think can not erre nor lye and therefore of all other to be trusted and al other besides him and his Chaplains to be mistrusted Wherfore to satisfie you withal I wil bring a Pope that