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 workers of such impieties Let vs speake a little of marriadge it was enacted by parliament of K. Henry the eight that all contracts of marriage whatsoeuer were voyde by a second marriage consummate hereupon ensued not only such shame and dishonour to that law against the light of nature and ciuill contracts but to vse the words of King Edward the sixt his Protestants in open parliament such incontinences intollerable to Christian eares men and women breaking their promises and faith made by the one to the other taking new husbands and wiues at their pleasure euen as it pleased them that it was reuoked by King Edward the sixt yet by the first parliament of our Queene it is reuiued and now in force from which opinion and the doctrine of remarrying for the incontinency of the first husband or wife what deuorcements dissentions remarryings breaches of wedlocks false accusations translations and lamentable decayes of ancient and honourable houses by adulteries and most wicked suppositions of vnlawfully begotten children haue ensued And because I haue spoken of marriage I with the indifferent Reader to consider whether the marriages of Priests and ministers consist with a common wealth or no let him but looke into this one article and he shall perceiue that euen by the nature of the thing it selfe so many wants miseries distresses and hungers as haue beene since in this kingdome and other flouds of daungers to a ciuill regiment haue flowed from that fountaine The ancient number of parishes in England euery one hauing at the least one Priest or Minister haue beene accompted forty thousand though Camden and later Writers muster a meaner reckning besides Bishoprikes Deaneries Archdeaneries Prebendaries pety Canonries and almost as many Chappels more many of them hauing their particular ministers and diuerse richer Protestant parsons their subcurates and among all these it is a dishonour at this day for a man to be vnmarried Then to make some coniecture in this case because a certainety can not be surueyed lette vs compare this new married broode so giuen to generation to the first inhabitants of countries which of a farre fewer number in processe of time haue growen to so great and populous Nations and because the encrease of the people of Israel in Aegypt is most exactly aboue all others remembred and registred in holy Scriptures which these men receiue I will take an example from them and yet to the Protestant aduantage for the Israelites in Aegypt were persecuted and their children put to death when contrariwise the generation of Ministers in England hath flourished and beene defended The number of the Israelites men women and children entring into Aegypt were onely 70. as is written in Genesis or 75. as it is expounded of saint Stephen if the first suruey of English parishes and ministers is admitted although we alow many of them to haue liued and vnmarried yet numbring their wiues which by chastitie in catholike times also were vnmarried it is probable that for euery maried Israelite there were more than two thousand married ministers for the grand-children of Iacob were not married at that time and if wee admit the least suruey of thirteene thousand fifteene thousand or sixteene thousand parishes yet for euery married Israelite there was a thousand married ministers Within the space of foure hundred yeeres the number of Israelites from the age of one and twenty yeeres vpward besides many more thousands of women children and young people and the whole tribe of Leui one of the twelue which was not nūbred in this account the number of such men amounted vnto six hundred thousands three thousands fiue hundred and fiftie Now let my Protestant Arithmetitians make a calculation of the Ministers ofspring if wee take my least account if their religion should last foure hundred yeeres which is but so long as the true Church of Israelites liued almost pilgrims or captiues yet a true Religion must be such that it carry no destruction to commonwealths though it last for euer as the worship of Christ was instituted to doe then by my meanest reckoning the number of men encreased in that time wil be 603550000 six hundred thousands of thousands three thousand thousands fiue hundred thousands and fiftie thousands which is a greater number to bee added in our nation then many Englands are able to maintaine though we neither reckon woman nor childe What then will the apparell and other expences of this generation be to a little country yet I haue not coūted how many since Protestant Religion haue multiplied in this order which before liued in monasteries and religious houses in chaste and single life by common iudgement little or not inferiour to the former multitude which as it doubleth the number of people encreased so it doubleth the miseries and perplexities of this kingdome Such chargeable bloody and continued warres as England in this time hath had in Fraunce Flaunders and other places both at sea and land are neither easie nor secure to be maintained And to ordaine or permitte multiplication of men to such endes to vtter them by slaughter is wholy Turkish and more like to Canaballs than to Christians And yet if they had not beene to preuent so many marriages and kill so many thousands of men how could this nation haue prouided for so many or how wil it deale hereafter when the present inhabitants haue tasted so many wants Lette vs make an other triall what domage the taking away or neglect of fasting and abstinence in this religion hath broght to our common wealth In Catholicke times besides so many dayes of abstinence whereby many thousands of fishers were maintained and much cattell and flesh preserued there were obserued aboue an hundred fasting dayes with onely one meale in the day if wee account the seuerall dayes of Lent Fridayes Ember dayes Vigils and euens of Saints that were fasted the number of the eaters then were fewer by much as is reckoned by ministers marriages the diet was not so delitious as Protestancie teacheth then let vs giue all aduantage to Protestants in this commission of enquirie and suppose contrary to all iudgements that there be but twelue thousand parishes in England let vs allowe that there be onely in euery parish one with another but an hundred persons menne and women which were wont to fast though this number is much too little let vs further imagine that the expences of euery ones supper would onelie be the value of one penny which is no deare ordinarie yet by this fauourable reckoning euery person in these hundred dayes spareth one hundred pence which is tenne shillings and the hūdred persons of euery parish one hundred times ten shillings which is fiftie pounds which together amounteth yeerely to sixe hundred thousands of poundes besides the consumption of so much victualles originall of so many wants and yet it hath beene credibly reported that of late yeeres vppon generall musters in England
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