with suche like vsurpers and oppressers of Gods Churche how spedely they passed to eternall ignominie Cūforts and helps of the Catholike parte On the otherside you most noble valiaunt Champions of Gods Churche the honor of Englishe kinghtehood the deffenders of the glorie and liberties therof you and all the blessed people to whom God hath giuen so happie a lote zeale and coorage to feight for your fathers faithe for your cuntries libertie for Christe for religion and for the dread soueraigne sacramēts of our saluation the honorablest quarrell the likeliest and most cōmendable cause in the sight of the present world and the posteritie that possibly can be If you winne you saue your whole realme from subuersion innumerable soules present and to cum from damnation If you die you be sure to be saued the blessinge of Christe his Churche the pardon of his Holines giuē to all in most ample sorte that either take armes die or any waie duely indeuor in this quarrell The praiers of all Christian people which be publikly promulgated for your safetie good succes The blud of all the blessed Bishops religious preistes and laymen shed in that lande crie to God at this hower for your victorie and vengaunce to your enemies their perseoutors All the Saintes in heauen whose holy Churches bodies and memories your enemies haue spoiled and prophaned make now instant sute for your happy successe All the vertuous preistes of your cuntrie who by the longe Tyrānic of this time haue suffred manifold miseries martirdomes bothe at home abrode to saue their owne soules and winne their decrest cuntrimen to saluation they also streche foorthe their consecrated handes night and day for your victorie and be present diuers of them to serue euery mans spirituall necessitie by Confessiō Counsell and all Consolation in Christe Iesus giuinge you testimony by their redines to liue and die with you how iuste the cause of this holie feight is and how happy and glorious is the bludd that shall be shed therin VVith these blessed patrons both in heauen earthe with the guarde of all Gods holy Angels with our blessed Sauiour himself in the soueraigne Sacrament present amonge you to your protection comunicatinge cōforte coorage and with the daily most holy oblation of Christes owne dere body and bludd makinge more forcible intercession frō the earthe for you then the blud of Abel with so many diuine vnspeakeable helpes if you were neuer so fewe you could not lose without these against these holies our enemies be they neuer so fierce neuer so proude neuer so manie neuer so well appointed then cā not preuail fear you not thei cā not Though neuer so great shewe be made neuer so many raised against you bicause moste of thē be Catholiltes or notoriously iniured by heretikes they be armed for vs they cā not strike they will not fighte against their owne consciēces be bolde of it they will not Many others of thē be indifferente of neither or no religion whose witt and warynesse will be suche in this extremitie and in so iust cause to desire a Chāge that where by ouerthrow of the heretikes many shal be aduaunsed and by theire good successe no man bettred in so great hassard of thinges they will neuer adore the sun setting nor folow the declininge fortune of so filthie wicked and illiberall a Creature or her so base and dishonorable leaders who also haue bene at deadly variaunce amonge themselues these many yeares and sum of them mortally hatinge their misters will neuer omitt this opportunitie to be deliuered of her and reuenged one of an other The reste of them that be pure zelous heretikes which be very fewe in comparison not very well contented neither with the former regiment of all mē in the world most effeminate delicate and least experte in the wars the Angel of God will persecute them and they shall flie in feare and torment of their owne wicked mindes though none pursue them You may all remember how the late great traitor the Duke of Northumberland was in the height of his pride and power forsakē of all his men and forced to yeilde to a poore desolate Catholike ladie All the world knowethe how the like vsurper Richard the third beinge moste worthely in the verie feild and feighte abandoned of the nobility and people was made an example of Gods ire towards all tirantes and vsurpers But how so euer it fall out throughe the sinnes of the people at home the Catholike forces are stronge enough their prouisiō sufficiēt their appointmēt passinge moe expert Captains thē the enemy hath good souldiers all resolute to die not auailable for any to flie awaye all excedingly incoraged by the equitie of the cause wonderfully confirmed by Gods mercies so oft in our dayes shewed in all quarrels of the Catholike religion These fiftie yeares there was neuer Catholike army which stoode to it but had the victorie by mistrustinge God by ouermuche trusting man by flying or auoidinge the battell by yeildinge or cōpoundinge sundry great Godly attēpts haue bene frustrated but in manly and cōfident combating for God and the Church none at all Call to minde the miraculous victories of Charles the fifte subduinge al the powrable Lutheran princes in Germanie to his the Catholike Churches obeisance with passinge small forces and in a fewe yeares or rather moneths space the enemies being almost innumerable Remember the three famous battaills that the Catholike Cantons and people of the Swisers beinge in number power prouision muche inferior to the other obteined by Gods speciall grace iustice of the cause against the Swinglians their Neighbours in one of which Swinglius himself was slaine and in euery one a maruelous nūber of heretikes and of Catholikes so fewe that in suche inequalitie of humane helpes God must nedes be the extraordinary worker of the same Reade the Histories of France and see whether the Catholikes haue not had in manner alwaies miraculous victories against the Caluinists amonge many the fights at Druse at larnabe at Saint Denis at Mountcounter and specially the mercifull worke of God this last yeare wherby we sawe the huge forces aswell of Germans as Swisers by Gods mighty arme and very small aide of man wonderfully defeated Recounte furthermore all the famous and for tunate rēcounters of a very fewe Catholikes against the heretikes and rebelles in Flanders as at Grooning at Mock at Mounts at Antwerp at Iemblous and many other conflictes wher without losse almost at all many thousandes of Gods and the Kinges enemies haue bene cutt in peices our lord God no doubte cōbatinge with his people against his enemies as he did against Senacharib Nicanor and other mentioned in holie writ VVhich thinge most noble and valiant gentle men of England may giue you courage and cōfort from God himself euen the lord God of Hostes to aduenture your selues in a quarrell most honorable in a cause that the diuine Maiestie hathe shewed himself not onely in other ages but euen in all our eyes memories to haue singular care of In a case of the extrea mest necessitie of our Iuste defence and armes that euer any Christian people had or can haue Thus much my good lordes and most deere frendes I haue thought good to forwarne you of the whole cause of these present sacred wars and of his Holines and Catholike Maiesties sincere intention therin and bothe their incomparable affections towardes our Nation wherof I could giue you farr more comfortable intelligence yf I were personally presente with you as I trust I shal be verie shortly for that is fully meant by our Holy father and his maiestie and of me so much desired that euery shorte daye semeth a longe yeare till I enioye you in our lorde though in the meane time I stand here wholy for your seruice wherin as I haue spente these many yeares of my banishemēt so wold I now as God shall appointe and nede require bestowe my bludd the remnaunt of my lyfe amonge you in my deerest cuntrie for the better accomplishment of that which all true Christians and Godly Englishe hartes doe desire Our lorde God blesse and directe you all to followe that in this action and in all your lyfe that shall be moste agreable to his glory our cuntries good your owne honor and saluation From my lodginge in the Palace of S. Peter in Rome this 28. of Aprill 1588. The Cardinall
or fained yssue sauing that yt might be preiudiciall to her priuate pre sent peace which she euer prefferreth before the publike as she presumeth vpon the experience and late remembrance of her owne wicked practises against her soueraine when the time Her treae sons against queene Maria was measuring all other by her owne impatient ambition but indede yt procedeth specially vpon the agnisinge of her vnrightfull po s session vsurpers alwaies standing in more awe of the next heire and successor then lawfull princes commonly doe The pretense of mariage The Earle of AruÌ„dell others The Erle of ArraÌ„ the K. of SvvetheÌ„ Archeduke Charles the Duke of Holst HeÌ„ri novv kinge of France Monseur Alanson She all this notwithstandinge in the meane season as often before and afterward promised mariage to sum of the nobillity at home makinge many of them in single lyfe to the danger of their soules and decay of their famelies to attend her pleasure no lesse depelie dallied abused by dissembly almost all the great personages of Europe to whom aswel by letters as by sollemne Embasses she proffered herself to the mockery finall delulioÌ„ of theÌ„ all to her owne infamy and the daunger of her people and specially of late yeares she hathe most pittifuly and deuilishly abused the late noble brother of FraÌ„ce by manifold hope and promise of her mariage and croune by which baite and her deceitefull suggestion the poore yonge gentleman was driuen in to those dangerous actions and dishonorable affaires of Heretikes and rebells to his great dishonor and likelie shorteninge of his daies Her vnnaturall affection to vvardes the cuntrie By all which dishonorable vnworthy dea linge the whole worlde may see that in Atheisme Epicurisme she would yf yt were possible and might be suffred as she hathe begun turne the lyfe and whole weale of our cuntrye once most florishinge to the feedinge of her owne desordered delites being lothe no doubte that any thinge should be lefte after her lyfe that her rage and riot had not ouerrun or that her realme should be extant any loÌ„ger then she might make pleasure of it most gladd as may seeme that so florishing and auncyent a commoÌ„wealth which she hathe in manner brought to destructioÌ„ in her lyfe might be buried in her ignominious ashes when she ys dead VVherin her affectioÌ„ is so passinge vnÌ„atural that she hath bene heard to wishe that the day after her death she might stand in sum high place betwene hea uen and earthe to behold the scamblinge that she conceyued wold be for the croune sportinge herself in the conceyte and foresight of our future miseries by her onlie vnhappines procured not vnlike to Nero who intending for his recreation to set Rome on fier deuised an eminent pillar wheron himself might stand to behold it but so God may prouide for her and vs that she may see and feele sum parte of this pastime in her daies or rather she only and a fewe ofher Complices feele the paine who alone or principallie haue deserued it if we be so wise as to follow Gods ordinances Consede ration vvith rebelles Besides all these outrages in her person and regiment and besides sundrie wicked attemptes and treasons before she came to the croune against her prince cuntrie at home she hathe shewed such faithles dealinge towardes all neere neighboures most iuste mightie and Catholike kinges abrode that it is almost incredible Sum she hathe ignominiouslie spoiled of great treasures One that fledd to her for promised succor and safety yea euen her that was our true lawful and worthie soueraine she hathe against all lawe of God nature and nations after longe imprisonment at lengthe also murthered of â—um she hathe surprised tounes and teritories with sum she hathe in great simulation offreindship in effecte broken most auncieÌ„t lea gues and amitie against them all she hathe not only notoriously coÌ„federated herself with their rebelles Hugonotes Geuses publicanes Male contents giuinge them great succourse bothe of men munition and monye with muche continuall incoragement and counsell in all their wicked attempts but was and yet is knowne to be the first principall fountaine of all these furious rebellions in Scotland France Flanders to the fall almost ofall their whole states the great calamitye of the Churcheof God wher by it is euident to all the world that herself raigneth vnlawfuly as an vsurper and rebell who onely standeth and holdeth herself vp all this while by ioyning with Traitors and rebelles and succoringe them against their lawfull princes and soueraines Her lea gue vvith the Turks In this kinde she hathe by the execrable practises of sum of her cheese ministers as by their owne handes letters and instructions and by the parties confessions it may be proued sent abrode excedinge greate numbers of intelligensers spies and practisers in to moste princes courtes citties and commun wealthes in Christendom not onely to take and giue secret notice of princes intentions but to deale with the discontented of euerie state for the attemptinge of sum what against their lordes and superiors namely againste his holines and the Kinge of In fanes instructions Spaine his maiestie whose sacred persons they haue soughte many waies wickedly to destroie as furthermore it is euident how she hathe by messingers and letters dealte with the cruel and dreadfull Tirante and enemie of our faithe the Great Turke himself againste whom our noble kinges haue in olde time so valiantly foughteÌ„ and vowed themselues to all perriles and peregrinations for the inuasioÌ„ of sum partes of Christendom and interceptioÌ„ of sum defensible portes and places of the same as for the disturbance of Christianity and annoiance of the principall defenders of the Catholike religion she hathe at this day a ledgar in his courte By which Machiuelian godlesse and consciencelesse course iniuste vsurped regimentes be alwaies conducted aduaunced not by counsell or courage but by plaine trumperie treason cosinage workinge their owne peace welthe and felicity by their neighbours warrs woe and miserie which neuer endeth well nor dureth loÌ„ge nor is in fine vnreuenged thoughe the present prosperity vpholden by others calamity hathe auerted the sence the simple worldlie from the beholdinge of that extreme plague which alwaies bothe by Gods iustice and mans reuenge insueth of the same â—â—er'extreme priâ—â— VVhich longe felicitie not withstaÌ„dinge hath so puffed vp this vsurper in presumption pride of harte that besides all other insolences and glorious vanetyes and vauntes in her wordes crakes countenances and iestures in all her lyfe and behauiour in which kinde she exceadeth all creatures liuinge she hathe caused the annuall daie of her coronatioÌ„ in all partes of the realme to be sacredly kepte and sollemnised with ringinge singinge shewes cerimonies farr more vacation from all seruile labors then any day either of our blessed lorde or ladie which ys more abhominable
hauinge abolished the solemne feaste of our blessed ladies natiuity she hathe caused her owne impure birthe day to be solemnlie celebrated and put in to the kalender the verie eue of the said holie feaste and put out the name of an other sainte the 17. of Nouember to place the memory of her Coronation God graunte she may repente leaste in steade of her `excessiue praises that her fauorers and flaterers now giue vnto her she heare yet in her owne daies the saienge of the prophet against the proud prince Nabuchodrnosor how didest Esa 14 thow fall Lucifer from heauen that wast so orient in the moringe how wast thow brought doune to the grounde that woundedst nations that subuertedst kingdoms and saidst in thy hart I will be like the highest or feele the plague of one of the Herodes that for to to muche delytinge in the peoples praises acclamatioÌ„s and for not giuinge glorie to God was suddenly stricken by Gods angel eaten of wormes and died Obstinas in maliâ—â— Now of all these heynous horrible facts not credible almost to be acheiued by one woman and her coÌ„plices not so many she hathe in fine shewed herself incorrigible and altogether impatiet of admonitioÌ„ wherof she neuer had waÌ„te aswell by the writinges of sundrie her lerned subiectes as sumtimes by the Imperiall Maiestie and other temporall Princes and namely by diuers holie Popes whose Nuntioes she wold neuer admitt to tell her as of deutie they thought themselues boÌ„ude Gods threatninges for all her forsaid and many other intollerable Her excomunication and conteÌ„pte therof disorders of beleife lyfe gouernment But to accomplishe all other impiety and to shew herself wholly solde to sinne she hathe now eightene yeres stoode stubbernly contemptuously and obduratly as in the sight of God by her owne willfull separatioÌ„ through schisme and he resie iudged condemned before so now by name notoriously excommunicated and deposed in the word of Christe and omnipotent power of God by sentence giuen against her by holie Pius the fyfte the highest courte of religioÌ„ vnder the heauens The which state of excomunication thoughe presently of the faithelesse where ther is no Sense of religion it be not felt nor feared is moste miserable most horrible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most neare to damnation of all thinges that may happen to a man in this lyfe farr more greauous Aug. lib. 1. contra Faust cap. 17. sayeth a certen glorious Doctor then to be hewen in peeces with a sword consuned by fier or deuoured of wilde beastes and it is expressed in the scriptures by the state of kinge Pharao his obduration and excecation in wilfull wickednes She murthered the executors of the Popes sentence And she hathe not onely continued in this daÌ„nable contempte of the holie Churches Censures so loÌ„ge as we haue said but also coÌ„maunded and caused the publishers defenders approuers and all others that attempted most honorably godly the execution therof aswell of the nobility as the Cleargie and commons sum beinge apprehended at home and others traiterously bought and soulde abrode and sent home all in cruell manner murthered yea and for theire partes verie willinglie martyred to their eternall estimation rather then they wold liue serue or see any suche hereticke Atheiste and vsurper from whose preteÌ„sed kingly authority they wete in consideration of all these her heinous crimes clearly by Christes owne vicar the warrante of all the faithefull world that neuer tooke it self bounde to obey a condemned heretike or an Apostata before God and man discharged The murther of Bishopes and Preistes In which her obstinacie and Sathanicall obduration dailie increasing she hathe these late yeares imbrued her handes and cuntrie with the sacred blud of a number of most innocent lerned and famous religious men yea holie Bishopes The Archebishop of Casseles and the Bishop of Mayon also aswel in England as Ireland caused theÌ„ pittifully to be racked rent chained famished beaten buffeted derided abused and by false accusation of crimes neuer intended vnder preteÌ„ce of treason against her vsurped state and person to be finally with all crueltie executed to the regret and shame of our nation and wonder of all the worlde And finally to accomplishe the measure of all her inhumaine crueltie she hathe this last yeare barberouslie vnnaturally against the lawe of nations by a statute of riot and conspiracie murthered the ladie Marie of famous me morie Queene of Scotland douager of France The slaughter of the queene of Scotlande Gods Annointed her next kinswoman and by lawe and righte the true owner of the croune of England The iustice of the sentence against Elizabeth All which her open enormities and other her secret wickednes hiddeÌ„ from vs which must nedes be great and not numerable in a Caytif so longe vnder Gods and holie Churches curse giuen vp into a reprobate sense and hardnes of harte may put all faithefull and reasonable men out of doubte of the iustice of the Apostolike sentence and censure against her beinge well assured that if any case may fall in which a Prince may iustly be forsakeÌ„ or resisted by his subiects or yf any crime in the worlde eyther in lyfe regimeÌ„t or religioÌ„ can deserue depositioÌ„ of a kinge that here all causes together do concur in the person of the pretensed in the highest degre None euer not amongest the heathen so vnprofitable so euill so faithles so pernitious no realme euer so farr falne from religion publike honesty order and sincerity as ours hathe done in her vnhappie vsurped gouernement A necessati consideration And here we may beholde the pittifull race of an vnbridled powrable sinner woe be to our offences that haue deserued the experience of solamentable a case this vnworthie womans supposed father frist as now her self afterward by reason of theire height of erthly power free froÌ„ ciuil chastisemeÌ„t could not be coÌ„tent therwith till they had also discharged themselues of all remorse of conscience of all awe of religion of all spirituall discipline put themselues in full fredome from Pope Prelate Prophet Priest and ghostlye father an example for all coÌ„mon weal thes in the world to beware of by vs for euer therfore not onely in their hartes said against God his annointed Let vs shake of theire yoke and breake theire bondes a sunder But opeÌ„ly and boldly both said and made theÌ„selues heades of the Churche spirtualtie aswel now of the soules as they were before of the bodies That all lyfe faithe religion Churche counsell conscience scripture Sacrament ceremonie what soeuer was i heaueÌ„ or earthe might wholli haÌ„ge at their haÌ„des lustes lykinges At which licentious irreligiosity Antechristian pride thoughe the highest in heaueÌ„ doe in the meane time laugh by loÌ„ge patieÌ„ce not onely forbeare the present reuenge therof but also by secret iudgmeÌ„t for the parties increase of damnatioÌ„ or