purgatory And although this monstrous euil be against al laws of God and godly men yet doth the braseÌ„ impudeÌ„t shameles pope with al the multitude of his masse-monging shauelings striue to maintain the lawfulnes therof against the writeÌ„ word of the eternal law of God affirming that on earth al power is giuen vnto him that his seat is established by general counsels which as he sayth cannot erre And therefore what the Pope decreâ—th must stand of force against all authorities for saith his law What the Sea of Rome doth decrce must needes be allowed And what she reproueth must be of no strength For so must the decrees of the Sea of Rome be accepted as if they were spoken by the godly mouth of Peter himselfe And the more to approue his presumptuious blasphemy the Pope hath prouided that himselfe may be avillaine both to God and men and yet himselfe not to be found falt with For sayth his law Distinction the 40. Who doubteth but the Pope is holy the which is exalted vnto so great a dignity in whome though good workes of his owne merits bee wanting yet were those good works sufficient which were done by his predecessors And therefore hath his lawe in the place before recited thus decreed that though the Pope sinne neuer so grieuously and draw with him to hell by his example thousandes innumerable yet let no man be so hardy to rebuke him For he is head ouer al and none ouer him And by this vsurped authoritie is that 7. headed beast approued the very open and reuealed Antichrist of our time who by the trecherous and diuellish authoritie of his Antichristian lawe hath giuen vnto hsmselfe a power to set vp and at his pleasure to cast downe kings and with his fowle vngodly hel-path treading feete to set the Crowne vpon an Emperors head and vpon an Emperours necke to tread when he displeaseth him And vnto such a base subiection hath he brought the mighty Princes of the earth as that they thinke it no small honour to kisse the stinking feete of that inhumane monster This is the rich and wealthie whore bedeckt with Iewels and ornaments of gola Whose Scarlet robes are dyed in Christians bloud Whose variable garments betokens diuers liueries of religious orders Holding in her hand a cup full of abhominations the Popes decrees Bulles dispensations suspensations and cursings And the beast she sitteth vpon is the papall sea of Rome And with this whore the nations of the earth hane committed filthinesse But now sith that the the light from darkenes is distinguished by the glorious ministrie of saluations Gospell and that Romes Idolatrous whore dome is made knowne vnto the world Oh that any Prince should desire to contaminate his soule with her vncleannesse or endure to rest himselfe in the serpentike bosome of such daungerous wickednes But Rome thy pacht vp Iron legs are broken and like a haulting cripple thou standest reeling in thy weakned strength Thy nakednesse is made a publicke scorne and but a verie few to what had wont to be are left to stand on thy pernicious part Thou maist perceiue how God doth by degrees râ—â—e downe the kingdome of thy Sathans Sinagogue I wil not labor to aduertise thee Fury wrath and indignatioÌ„ is thy portion thou art throwne out vnto a fierce strong destruction And in thy day till which it is not long thou shalt not finde any meanes for to preuent the fearefull stroke of thy all confounding iudgement vnto which I leaue thee bee thou an heire vnto thy prepared inheritance This truth discribed I know my Lord and king is rightly knowne vnto your Maiestie your selfe haue drawne the portrature of Romes Antichristian beast and layd him open in his full discription And in your Scotlands kingdome all the time of your most blessed gouernment hauing once growne past the yeares of your minoritie your highnesse did religiously maintaine a reuerent learned wise and godly ministrie whose labour was to cast Romes Kingdome downe and in true forme for to erect and gouerne the house of God and Church of Iesus Christ. And should I bee so vilde to thinke that now your Maiestie would let a Tyrant loose or lend an eare to helles inchaunting charmes or please to loue or in weighty cause to trust the daungerous Imps by oath ingrafte into the Romaine stocke whose heartes hath vowed alleageance to the Sea of Rome by whose vilde lawes a seeming iust authoritie is giuen to execute the deedes of villainie and vnder pretext whereof so many haue beene made approued villaynes thrusting themselues into the speedy execution of bloudy trecherous strange inhumane stratagems accounting as if in them they had performed honest ChristiaÌ„ like meritorious deeds Or that your Maiestie would suffer a popish tolleration to bring forth thornes whose poyntes will turne themselues against your life and strine to worke your kingdomes ouerthrow No no my soueraigne my Resolution shall in life and death resolue that your Kingly Maiestie hath not a thought that bendes it selfe to such little purposes Your highnesse hath already ioynd vnto your Maiestie a company of honourable valiant graue prudent wise godly and religious Councellers whose foreseeing prouidence in the time of our late Queene and euer renowned Elizabeth did at all times worthily preuent the euill effecting policies of Rome And when of late the house of Dagon was in it selfe diuided Secular Priestes and Iesuites beeing each to other in apparent opposition the Priestes by printed Pamphlets proued that the Iesuites were the Arch Traytours of the worlde and that by them were complotted all the treasons against the Maiestie of our late Queene The Priestes thinking by this their accusation to gayne vnto themselues a fauourable opinion and by that meanes in time to win the minds of men vnto their loue then presentlie the wisedom of our Queene with those your now honoured Councellors perceiuing both sortes to bee no lesse then dangerous Traytours to the publike state did forthwith requite their cunning with proclaymed banishment annexing thereunto the penalty of death to bee inflicted vpon all those that by their wilfull staying should exceede the time limitted in the Proclamation And should I thinke your Maiestie would not now commaund the performance of the selfe-same course against those who by their continuall practises haue alwayes sought the vtter ruing of the house of God the murdering of Gods annointed and the subuersion of all your kingdomes In this for to resolue the doubts of men too timerous thus much assuredly my Resolution knowes that the obseruatioÌ„ your kingly self haue made of Romes performed trecherous tyranous and tragicke massikers will giue warning to your Maiestie with prudent wisedome to preuent their mischiefes and were they not altogether in their vaine expectatioÌ„s meerly reasonlesse I wonder what shewe of hope could giue occasion to suspect that nowe the reine of iustice which did gouerne them should bee let slip and
meanes of heauens Elizabeth And when this glorious England seemed to feare if selfe being mourner-like wrapde vp in sable blackenesse and timerous mindes speaking to themselues that their best dayes were past and dangerous times were neare at hand the sillie Lambes that feared the tyrannie of the Romane Woolfe wept in their thoughts and did this question aske Where shall we sing our songs of Sionnow The Woolfes they met in flockes togither hoping that their long wishde for time was come when they againe should glut themselues with bloud the rich did feare to loose their wealth the poor did feare to loose their liues the vilder sort did hope to liue vp on their countries spoile And when this cloude of danger had brought it selfe euen vnto the strength of his supposde combustion then as a vapor into ayre dissolued were all the meateors that did seeme prodegious for the liuing mistres of our happines did in her life time bequeath her crowne to him whose right it was and when her soule was vnto heauen ascended forth with heauens God into the mouth of Englandes nobles put the name of him who by their Queene was named to be their soueraigne and they togither with vnited loue did vnto Englands commons straight praclaim that great King Iames was made their lawful king Then Englande did vnto her selfe retaine the vigor of her former strength and the beautie of her glorie was presently sequestred from all occasions that might diminish extinguish or in the least sorte eclipse the Sunne-shine of her precedent dignitie neuer was a land to God more bounde then England is for this aboundant mercie who hath vnto vs raysde a King not onely heyre vnto Elizaes Crowne but also an inheritor of all those gracious vertues wherwith her righteous soule is crowned And now my soueraigne Lord from saint Elisa to your godly selfe discended is her kingdoms gouernment and all the Saints on earth within the limits of your large and spacious confines doe humbly wayte vpon the assurance of your blessed hope And for your royall hand hath manifested that your princely heart obeyeth the precepts of heauens written worde what should I say but certainly resolue your royall selfe descending from a race of Kings and from that mightie King whose euerconquering arme at first did breake the heade of Romes vsurpde authoritie that now the mightie God of heauen whose wrath hath alwayes threatned the destruction of that Babilonian Whoore hath raysed vp your regall Maiestie to breake the necke and backe of that soule deuouring beast so as the Dragon and his Angels shall no longer rule in Christendome nor shall the nations of the earth continue to be deceiued with the infectious Locusts of their lyes and heresies but his kingdome shall bee razed to the earth and the worlde shall wonder at his destructions ouerthrow sure I am this truth must come to passe before the second comming of the king Christ Iesus since whose being vpon the earth vntill this present time there neuer was a true beleeuing king remooued from the Popes authoritie and yeelding to the gouernment of Christ that was of so absolute a power to bring to passe the prophecies against the Citie of Rome as is your maiestie vndoubtedly my soueraigne Lord this relying age is leaning to the latter ende of time and all the signes forerunniug the day of iudgement haue put themselues into a perfect view the reuolution of the heauens being so shaken as that the planets are remoued from their wonted stations one hauing stept into an others place and this massy globe of earth hath oft with fearefull earthquakes trembled the seuenth and last Angell in the Reuelation specified hath as it well was calculated by a reuerend and learned minister in your Scotlands kingdome beene sounding the last generall summons for this already fiftie fiue yeares past and time it selfe hath almost brought his course vnto a whole vnited period whereby is threatned more then ordinarie change And at this present your kingly selfe hauing as it were by miracle been vntil this time preserued and now being created Gods great Lieutenant vpon earth and the onely warriour and chiefe Champion for his Iesus Christ why should not euery Christian souldier then resolue that your magnanimious spirit and glorious race from you proceeding shall be the guard vnto the Church of God bring confusion vpon all her enemies For as from the roote of righteous Iesse did proceede the liniall race whence Christ himselfe descended so vnto me it seemeth that heauens eternall King in his secrete wisdome knowing the worlde is measured with a little length hath raysde you vppe most mightie Prince that from your righteous selfe might spring a glorious ranke of godly and religious Kinges and Queenes that might vnto the Nations of the earth maintaine the glorie of his heauenly name vntill himselfe shall in the Cloudes appeare and summon all the world vnto a generall iudgement Worlds peerelesse Prince and my renowned Soueraigne the consideration of these things before discribed haue compasde me within a heauen of ioy And though I am the vnwoorthiest of manie thousandes that in your Englande liues and farre vnfitte to vndertake this waightie businesse hauing beene alwayes trayned vp in the exercise of Armes yet for I know there is nothing dignifieth a Souldiers sword so much as well to vnderstand the iustice of the cause for which hee fights I haue in the hope of your Maiesties acceptance aduentured to make this little worke the armour of a Christian Souldiers Resolution and doe resolue for God and for his truth in life and death to vow my selfe a faithfull seruant to you my soueraigne Lord the earths most godly and chiefe Christian king And so much the more haue I tasked my weake and shallow vnderstanding muse to this performance because I must confesse vnto your Maiestie that in a zealous loues affection to your highnesse I haue before this time aduentured to let a little Pamphlet passe vnto a publike view which hath drawne vnto it selfe a partial iudgement from some opinions as I thinke not worthy any great respect for by the idlenes of their inuectiue wordes they seeme to proue that I deserued blame because I dealt so roundly with the sea of Rome which vaine imagination found some shewe of cause to ground it self vpon the present times incertaintie feeming as if they desired to make a doubt whether Religion should stand in that same forme which now it doth or whither it should be brought vnto a more neare affinitie with Gehenna the Antichristian church of Rome When this I heard I could not choose my soueraign Lord but secōd that my foregoing work with this my named Resolution For when I with my self considered how Rome was figured by your owne disoription and sawe with what feruencie of spirite your diuine and sanctified heart did oppose it selfe against that worldes disceiuing irreligious pernicious blasphemous monstrous Pope I could not but in my soule
resolue with a Souldiers Resolution to follow your kingly Maiestie in your vertues steppes and not to suffer a little Monkish Mowle hill heape of tongues that rides vpon the skirt of Peeuish Popery to derogate from your kingly name the glory due vnto the honour of your faithes profession nor suffer that the godlie people in your land whose heartes prepareth as befitteth loyall faithfull and obedient Subiectes to bid your Highnes welcome to your Kingdomes Crowne that the ioy which they conceiue in the excellencie of your great Maiestie should be eclipsed by the inftigation of any secret Papisticall obiected doubt what should let my resolution to speake plainely to my King whole Highnes knoweth what drudges are sent from Rome and therefore will not take Phisicke for his soule from their impoysoned proiected potions The Chronicles with innumerable Tragike scenes haue made discription of the Roman regement shewing to the world that not any king nor Queene nor Prince in Christendome that euer did displease that proud vsurping Bishop since he rulde alone and gainde vnto himselfe the name of Papa but they were all of them eyther poysoned murdered or otherwise betrayed or their lands inuaded or their Subiects moued to rebellion or many times nearly brought in danger of those euils eyther by Monkes Fryers Iesuites Seminaries or some other villanous minded slaues sent from the Popes diuelishnes but mis named Holines to put in execution those three damned purposes Bohemia Lombardy Germany France bleeding Belgia haue bought their to true experience with a deare and bloudy prise And though that Spaine be Romes chiefe Champion yet king Philips eldest sonne euen in his Fathers sight must bleed to death when he displeasde the Pope England hath had a hard experience of his Tyranny and in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth the multiplisity of trayterous plottes laide against her life all wrought by Romes confederates were to long to specifie and for your Scotlandes Kingdome Mighty Soueraigne neyther your royall person nor your publike state haue stoode exempt from their most vilde attemptes and assuredly my Soueraigne Lorde no other then such like strategems are to be expected from their hands who by their oathes haue sworne and vowed allegiance to the Sea of Rome yet among them but not of them is there some that giues themselues vnto the vse of ceremoniall customes first brought in by Rome and yet no doubt they see the hellish euils that springes from thence but what they do is done for fashion for custom sake and peraduenture with some religious obseruation yet in their heartes I verily belieue they hate the proudnes of the Popes supremacie and grieues to see the Villanies wrought by his Workemanshippe and such as these I thinke are nothing dangerous for I haue obserued in them a due obedience to your Englandes lawes but for the former sort your Maiestie knoweth the daunger of their euill effects for be they but once reconciled to the Pope so as they dare not like louing and obedient Subiectes take their oath to your supremacie it cannot be but their intentions must be dangerous they cannot in their harts endure to be your subiects but as they lately were her Maiesties in cōtinuall hope of change nor doe I wonder at their minds in this for their subiection hath vowed it self an other way and vpon the pain of deadly sin their consciences are tied vnto the lawes of Antichrist they are taught by the doctrine of Rome Romane dispensations to suppose that vnto you belongeth no obedience then vnto them I am sure there belonges no trust And for the schollers that the scholes of Rome Spaine brings vp your kingly self and al your kingdoms haue by an often taught experience learnd the true vnderstāding of their traiterous documents Iesuites Seminaries and Popish Priests I do resolue will neuer be thought to loue your Maiestie nor cā they at any time deceiue your Highnes when they are at no time trusted surely no trust to them belongeth that are the empoysoned branches sprong from the venomous heade of earthes corruption And because I would not haue the Papists thinke I speake by gesse but want authority whereon to ground my selfe I haue to that end set downe some of the dangerous decrees made by the lawes of their misbeleeuing church for the Pope to establish his diuelish authority hath thus decreed First that no man may iudge the Pope nor giue sentence about his iudgement for he is to iudge al men vpon earth 2 That the seat of Rome giueth strength might vnto all lawes but it is subiect to none 3 That hee hath authority to breake all oathes bondes and obligations made betwixt any man of high or low degree 4 That he hath power to interprete declare and lay forth the holy scriptures according to his own will and to suffer no man to expound it contrary to his owne pleasure 5 That he is a God vpon earth ouer all heauenly earthly ghostly and worldly and no man may say vnto him what doest thou 6 That he hath authority to dissolue subiectes from their obedience to their Lordes and Princes and that he hath power to depose kings 7 That he may giue cleane remission vnto whom he will both a pena a culpa he whom he forgiueth must needs be the child of saluation for he hath absolute power to bind to loose vpon earth and saith he the holy Church hath so determined and the force thereof as faith his lying blasphemy is greater then the canonicall scriptures From the authority of these lawes doth this effect proceed that so soone as any Prince displeafeth Rome he is presently by the pope cursed excōmunicated proclaimed no right inheritor that it is not lawfull for to hold of him his subiects are absolued frō their true alegāce blessings with clean remissiō of sins sent to all those that wil inuade spoile or conquer the land of any kingdom or Prince with whom the Pope shall be displeased And the beter to effect these his often performed deeds of charitie he sendeth his leaden Bulles vnto whome hee listeth thereby giuing authoritie vnto subiects to resist their kings and lustely to take vp armes against them when by the Pope they shall be commaunded Their oathes for their allegiance are dispensed with so as although a subiect betray murder or by any meanes kill his lawfull Prince and Gods annoynted king yet shall not their accounted very honest executioner bee adiudged a traytor but rather a holy man for that hee hath done it on the Popes behalfe and in that respect his acte shall bee registred for a heauen purchasing meritorious deede and after the death of such a one there shall be diuers misnamed holy but vnhallowed Masses sung by a company of blacke white gray and pibal asses for the redeeming of his soule out of their fooles inuented
desirous not to lose a sheepe without hauing any chiefe respect vnto the fleece carefully and conscionably in the aboundancie of humilitie loue zeale do wholy betake themselues to feede the flocke in the sweete and pleasant pastures of Gods eternall grace warily keeping and protecting them that they might not eate nor taste of any rotten or infectious foode These are indeede the Stewardes of the house of God greatly dignified with the fauour of the Bridegroomes loue and these can inuite the soule vnto a most delicious and spirituall banquet and feede it with the bread of euerlasting life and can open vnto it the rich treasury of the heauenly paradise shew vnto it the celestial glories which are prepared for all those that serue and feare the liuing God And these are those that should be exercised in the ministrie and to the number of them now in England I doubt not but by the assistance of your Maiestie there shall bee added a glorious companie that then your highnesse may speake as the Prophet Esay did I haue set watch-men vpon thy walles O Ierusalem which all the day and all the night shall not cease yee that are mindfull of the Lord and keep not silence and giue him no rest till he repayre and vntill he set vp Ierusalem the prayse of the world Then shall the beauty of the Church appeare in the sanctitie of her perfection and all Gods people shall reioyce to see their godly and religious king to dignifie honour and adorne the sanctuary of Iesus Christ and then no doubt many that are now fallen off will with ioyfull and obedient loue yeeld themselues vnto your blessed gouernment and then your people being taught to vnderstand the word will proue themselues to be a chosen flocke of heauenly Lambes by yeelding true obedience to the truth-teaching shepheardes voyce by meanes whereof they shal be brought with christian fruits to shew the glory of that faith which they haue built vpon that once for all for euer sacrificed spotlesse Lambe Christ Iesus And thus when by your Maiestie the Ministerie shall bee refined and corruption taken from forth the Church of God Your Highnes then shal see that for you first did seeke the thinges to heauen belonging all things else shall be administred and the house of your royall kingdome shall be built vpon a rocke immoueable and the strength thereof shall bee of force impregnable on your throne there shall for euer sit a godly King or Queene lineally discending in the glorious issue of your royall bloud And in your dayes and to your posterity your kingdome England shall retaine a long continued happy peace Although I am a Souldier yet peace is it I wish vnto your Maiestie for safe and calme contented smiling peace is the gratious Mistresse of a glorious and golden gouernment the glory of a kingdome is to rule her state in peace and plenty doth attend her regiment when peace is with a conscionable and religious vertue ioynde reason vnderstanding and wisedome being made her Councellers then with a heauenly Souerainety she beares her selfe and dignifies the land in which she rules with a most celestial happines For where such a peace commandes iustice beares the sword good lawes are made and duely executed within the compas of her sway each doth possesse his own and wealth so rulde as that the rich relieues the poore mans want where she protecteth riots are supprest and robberies doe not goe vnpunished complaints are duely heard the poore mans cause not wantes to be considered right is done where wrong hath iniured from such a peace oppression is exilde and quietly not being hurt by warre peace moweth soweth and reapes her fruit in ioy this was the happie state of England in the time of our late and now most blessed Queene and by your Maiestie shall increased be the vndoubted hope of Englands further happinesse and what by chance had stolne without the compas of sufficient care in the time of righteous Asa now deceased shall in the dayes of our Iehosaphat bee brought to light and Church and common welth shall be purged from corruptions blemish that after ages shal in their worldes induring Chronicles report how happie England was by the gouernement of a maiden Queen and how much more happy by a godly king that vertuous Queene succeeding Oh England let all thy well disposed people with one consent together clap their hands with ioy laude the mighty God of heauen whose mercies prouidence hath in Ioue prouided for thy publike weale so farre beyond the compas of thy own vnworthynes God chosen people the tribes of Israell did not receiue more mercie from his hand then thou hast done Iudea did endure a stronger scourge for her iniquitie then thou as yet hast felte of for thy worse impieties no longer now prouoke thy louing God but turne thy selfe vnto his statutes with obedient thoughts redeeme the time by thy repentant care and scape the iudgement of thy sins desert behold thy king whose godly Presedent shal leade thee on in pathes of godlines ioyne with his righteous selfe and let the world behold thy righteousnes so shall Romes mouth bee damde vp that speakes inuectiue wordes against the manner of thy carelesse liuing and for thou dost professe the Son of God to be thy king and gouernour ioyn with thy Soueraigne Lord Gods great Lieutenant vpon earth and giue thy selfe with an vnfained heart to yeeld a true obedience to his gouernement then shall the beautie of thy state like a lofty Cedar florish and thou shalt stand a glorious spectacle vnto the world make the nations of the earth to wonder at the fame of thy admired Worthines thy land shal be enuironde with a Wall of brasse no foe mans foote shall once inuade the same but it shall be a peaceful habitation to thee and to thy children whilest the world endureth in all which time the glorious gospell shall adorne thy peace and with power and triumphant victorie on earth thy happiest gouernment shall deriued bee from the lineal race gloriously proceeding from thy now vpraisde most mighty and religious King this blessing God vnto our England grant and let the brightnes of Englands Maiestie confirme in vs the full assurance of this happines that king and people may together liue and walke before their God in righteousnesse and holines of life then shall our Church bee the spouse of Christ and he will come and lodge and dwell with vs and all the blessinges that can make a kingdome happie shall vnto vs be giuen vnto the fulnesse of our ioyes content and when this humaine course shall haue his ende the vncomprehēded glory of eternall life shall be our recompence Thus England with a reioysing faithfull arme in all aboundant loue embrace thy mighty king for next vnto Christ only by his meanes vnto thee is brought the full confirmation of thy happiest happines And because most mighty