the wind lay at Rome and ther sate he which made the fire At what time he wrote this Bul she had displaced none neither Lord Baron nor Earle nor touched thē in their liues bodies goodes or landes Indéede Pope Paulus 4. cast Moronus into prison and there kept him al the time of his papacie Pius 4. tooke Caraffa a chief Cardinal he caste him into prison and in the midnight sent a slaughterman to put him to death Pope Vrbanus tooke sixe Cardinals and knit them in bags threw thē into the sea Hir milde gratious merciful nature hath neuer béen distained by any the like crueltie neyther haue any of hir Noble men béene so by hir dishonored Againe Hominibus obscuris compleuit Shee hath made hir Councell of poore darke beggarly fellowes and hath placed them ouer the people What hathe Pope Pius to doe with the Councell of Princes Maye not a King choose a Councellour vnlesse he allow of hym Men take their owne eyes to choose ther wiues and Princes take their owne heartes to choose their Councellours As wel he might say No King shal haue any Secretarie any Iudge or Iustice or Sergeant or Attorney or Solicitour or man at Law any Captain for wars any Garde to his person any Phisition to his body any Sewer or Taster but by his appointment Oh what a charge this man taketh He calleth hir honourable Councellours darke and obscure and beggarly What if they had bene such Maye not Princes haue any other Councelloures than Dukes and Earles Cardinall Woolsey was able to doe something in this realm in the late time of King Henrie Of what noble house came he Of what noble house came B. Heth Stephen Gardner Iohn Bourne and M. Boxall Of what honorable Parentage of what noble bloud came they They were of the Councel yet who was their Father Grandfather what Duke Earle Lord Barō or Knight I speak not this in dispite of their persōs let no mā so mistake me som of thē ar yet aliue I pray for thē for my selfe God direct them to do those things which may be for his glorie Hée is noble whiche is the childe of God which is borne from aboue he is honourable he is noble But what are they who are nowe in auctoritie whome Pius calleth so poore and beggarly I will not name them I cannot flatter it were vnséemly I shold You knowe them and are thankefull to God for them There is none of them which hath not bin at the least a Knight or worthy of that degrée aboue these xx yeares so wise learned vertuous and godly so carefull of the Commune weale as euer were bredde vppe in thys Realme They haue euer béene in credite in the countenance and knowledge of the worlde As Pope Pius complaineth now of the Councellors of England so did the Wolf sometimes make complaint to the shéepheard against his Dogges Thou haste two vile ill fauored Curres they iette vp and downe they barke and howle and trouble thy flocke which can not bée quiet nor féede for them Remoue them away tie them vppe braine them hang them what do they here the Shéepehearde aunsweareth would you so nay I may not spare my dogges they do me good seruice Spaniels and Greyhounds are faire and daintie yet they neuer do me so much good these watche when I sléepe they ease me muche paine and saue my flocke If I should tie them vp thou wouldest be bold with me and take thy pleasure I shall not néede to applye this The Queenes Maiestie is oure Shéepehearde we are left by God to hir safe kéeping The faithfull Councellors are like the watchful Mastiffs they take paines they ease our Shéepeheard they saue the flocke Nowe you maye soone iudge who is the Woolfe If Pope Pius coulde place his Pilot in our Ship he would make vs arriue at what Porte he listed Séeing Pius hath vpon ghesses or vain reports after this maner vnséemely delt with the Péeres and honorable estate of our Countrie let vs looke somewhat abroad and sée what worthie wightes the Pope hathe placed in the Councelles of Kings And so lette vs be aduised by the harmes of our neighbors Didde he not place one Dauid Retchio so high in Scotlande that he tooke vppon him to rule the Queene there and sought al meanes to disgrace and disquiet the Nobles and to vndoe that Country and therefore was slaine in the Queenes presence Was not the Cardinal of Lorraine the highest Councellour in Fraunce Did not Cardinall Granvele beare the whole swaye in Flaunders they were appointed by Pope Pius they were endewed with his spirite they wente from his side they knewe what he would haue done Haue not they spoiled and wasted those two noble Countries and brought them to suche vilanie and miserie as they neuer felt before the King of Spaine suffereth Monkes and Friers to gouerne him and his Countrie It is well known what good they haue done him By these fewe you may sée what Councellors the Pope alloweth and for what purpose Yet that we maye the better marke the order of their gouernment and what good Cardinalles worke in Princes Councels one telleth vs Legati Romanorum Pontificum sic bacchantur in prouincijs acsi ad flagellandam Ecclesiam Satan egressus sit à facie Domini The Popes Legates keepe such reuels in Kingdomes and Countries as if Satan were sent abroade from the face of the Lord to scourge the Church He was wise and did sée what was done If wée open our eyes and beholde the storie and present course of their doings wée maye finde the like What Prince soeuer receiueth them receiueth traitors and enimies to his estate They alwayes bréed suspition stir vp dissention encrease hatred betwéene Prince and Prince and set the one against another they séeke to aduance their maister y e Pope they spoile al Churches to furnish one they be y e very plagues and decay of Countries Let not Pope Pius complaine of the Councellors of England no Prince in Christēdome this day hath better God graunte them the spirite of vnderstanding and of counsel God continue them in his feare and direct them in his glorie If Pope Pius had but one so wise a Councellour hée neuer woulde haue sente suche Bulles and Bables about the worlde Againe hominibus haereticis compleuit The Counsailours are not onely pore and beggarly but also Heretiques The accusation of Heresie is heauie shoulde not be laid vpō any but after due proofe Paule the Apostle was accused for Heresie but he aunswered After that waye which they call heresie worshippe I the God of my Fathers beleeuing al things which are written in the Lawe and the Prophets The high Priestes and Phariseis called our Sauiour a Deceiuer All the Christians of the Primitiue Church were called Heretiques Misistis per omnē terram qui circumirent dicerent impiam haeresim surrexisse Christianorum You haue chosen saith Iustine the
spake Elias to Achab I haue not troubled Israel but thou and thy Fathers house in that you haue forsaken the commaundements of the Lorde and thou hast followed Baalim In like auctoritie spake Iohn the Baptist vnto Herode It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy brothers wife And the like auctoritie did God giue vnto Moses Behold I haue made thee Pharaos God Thou shalt speake all that I commaunde thee And thou shalt say vnto him the Lorde God of the Hebrewes hath sent me vnto thee As Moses was sette ouer Pharao King of Aegypt and Elias ouer Achab king of Israel and Iohn ouer King Herode so was this Prophet set ouer the nations not to remoue or pull them downe but to rebuke their errors and to direct their liues to plante the trueth to ouerthrowe the vanitie of men and to builde the feare of the Lorde In all this wée finde nothing for the Popes purpose But if it were so and that had bene the meaning of this place what had that made for him Was Hieremie his predecessour in the Bishopricke of Rome or is he the successour of Hieremie in Israel was the Prophet called the heade of the Church had he and did he exercise such iurisdiction ouer Kings and Princes as the Pope hereby chalengeth if he neuer attempted any such thinges howe doth Pope Pius maintaine his procéedings by the example of Hier. or if the wordes wil car yno such meaning why doth he so vainely alleage them one of their owne Doctours saith Hee speaketh not of the ouerthrowing of the kingdomes of the world but of the ouerthrowing of vices and of the planting of Faith and manners And so Hierome writing vpon the same place Omnis plantatio quam non plantauerit pater caelestis eradicabitur aedificatio quae super petram non habet fundamentum sed extructa est in arena sermone dei suffoditur atque destruitur Euerie plante which our Heauenly Father hath not planted is rooted vp and that building which is not founded on a Rocke but is built vpon the Sande is vndermined and ouerthrowne with the word of God Such poore Hieremies hath God giuen vnto the worlde who haue ouerthrowen and pulled vp the vanities and folies which were growne to a great heigth in the Church of God They haue planted faith and manners They haue opened and preached the trueth The Lorde hath prospered their labours as wée sée this day Hée hath rooted out those strange plantes and throwen downe the weake foundations with the breath of his mouth This is the plucking vp the rooting out the destroying and throwing downe this is the building planting whereof the Prophet speaketh as wée haue hearde it prooued by the Prophet him selfe by the interpretation of Hierome a learned Father who maketh good this saying with two seuerall places written in the newe Testament and by the confession of their owne Doctour Iohan. de Parasâ—â—s and might be further proued by sundrie others Yet all this notwithstanding it must be taken in the sense wherein Pius vseth it or else some of his predecessors Popes of Rome might likewise be worthily blamed for their doings Pope Adrian wrote somewhat roundly to the Emperour Fredericke Imperator quod habeâ— totum habet à nobis Sicut Zacharias transtulit imperium à Graecis ad Teutonicos it a not possumus illud transferre ab Alemannis ad Graecos Ecce in potestate nostra est vt demus illud cui volumus Propterea constituti sumus à Deo super gentes regna vt destruamus euellamus aedificemus plantemus What soeuer the Emperour hath he hath it of vs. As Pope Zacharie translated the Empire from the Greeks vnto the Germaines so may wee againe translate the same from the Germaines to the Greekes Behold it is in our power to bestowe the Empire vpon whome we list Therefore are we appointed by God ouer nations and kingdomes to pul downe to roote vp to build and to plant againe No mouth woulde vtter these blasphemies but the mouth of Antichrist Thus haue we tryed the Pope to bée a corrupter and a falsifier of the Scriptures He putteth in thrée words Me Alone Prince Hee applieth the place to himselfe and among all other to himselfe alone and so setteth him selfe aboue Princes Hée chaungeth the rooting out of errour to the ouerthrowing of Princes and the prea-ching of the trueth to the deposing of Kings He forgeth a sense which the spirit of God and the Prophet Hieremie neuer ment He saith Thus saieth the Lorde when the Lord neuer spake it He knew them well which said They wrest the Scriptures to maintaine their power This thou séest ô God and sufferest Hee calleth himself the Uicar of thy Christ he abuseth thy most holy word he deceiueth thy people hee maketh thée to bee a false witnesse to his folie and all this doth he to countenance his ambition and pride Nowe vpon warrant of these wordes so fondly applyed he addresseth himselfe solemnly to pronounce sentence Declaramus praedictam Elizabeth eique adherentes in praedictis anathematis sententiam incurrisse We make it knowen that Elizabeth aforesaid and as manie as stande on hir side in the matters aboue named haue runne into the daunger of our curse This is a terrible thunderbolt shot in among vs from Rome in Paper These cloudes are without raine These Gunnes will doe no harme Euen so did the Phariseis cast Christ Iesus out of theri Sinagogues and excommunicate him and accurse him So did Diothrephes excommunicate Iohn the Euangelist and did neither him selfe receiue the brethren but forbadde them that woulde and did thrust them out of the Church So was Hilarie accursed and excommunicated by the Arians Hée layeth his curse not onely vppon the Lordes annointed our blessed Queene but vppon all that followe hir godlye procéedings that is vpon euery one of you and vpon al other hir Magisties true subiects Hée knoweth you not and yet accurseth you You are children of God yet he maketh you the children of the diuel The Lorde hath shewed the light of his countenance vppon you and hath giuen you his heauenly worde whereby you haue gotten vnderstanding and are made wiser than your enemies and are taught to refraine your féete from euerie euill way and therefore the Pope cryeth out against you and doth recken you accursed But his owne wordes tell vs Nemâ—em ligare debet iniqua sententia A wrongfull sentence bindeth no man The curs shall come into his owne bosome For the Lorde our God turneth the curse vnto a blessing to vs bycause the Lorde our God loueth vs. And He will sende a curse vppon them and will curse their blessings yea he hath cursed them alreadie because they doe not consider in their harts nor giue glorie vnto his name He hath also made them to be despised vile before all the people because they haue not kepte 〈◊〉 wayes In
O monster in the likenesse of man He imagineth that hir Maiestie preacheth in the Pulpittes that she administreth the Sacraments that she sitteth in the Consistories and heareth all spirituall causes Whiche if she doe she dothe more than the Pope doth It were monstrous to sée the Pope in a Pulpit And it is monstrous to sée Antichriste sitte in the Temple of God to sée a Bishoppe girded with both swords to sée a Priest take vppon him the rule of Heauen and Earth the seruant of seruants aduanced aboue all the Princes of the worlde and to sette his foote vppon their neckes a wretched man to claime auctoritie ouer the Angels of God and a sinfull creature to suffer himselfe to be called by y â— name of God This is a mishapen wonder a monster in nature Let the Pope therefore looke vpon him self and know what supreme authoritie and iurisdiction and ouer whome he taketh it vpon him monstrously Queene Elizabeth doth not any thing monstrously She preacheth not she ministreth not y e Sacraments she doth neither excoÌ„municate nor absolue froÌ„ excoÌ„munication shee sitteth not to giue sentence in spirituall causes she chalengeth not the dispensation of the Keyes of the kingdome of Heauen She doth nothing but which she may lawfully do nothing but wherevnto the Lord God hath giuen hir especiall warrant Hir Maiestie is supreame Gouernour ouer hir Subiectes The Bishoppes within hir Realme are subiects to hir Shée gouerneth they yéeld obedience When occasion is offered to dispose of any thing specially appertaining to the seruice of God or to iudge of any controuersie arising in Spirituall causes She commendeth and giueth to hir learned Diuines the due consideration thereof All other pleas suites shée causeth to be ended at home suffereth no appeales to flie to Rome Which is done for the ease and quietnesse and wealth of hir good subiectes For wherein grew more extremitie against plaine dealing simple and honest pore menne Whereby were they oftener shifted off and put from the right of their suite thaÌ„ by such appeales when after they had bene haled thorough all the Courtes in theyr owne Countrey they were driuen to followe the matter 1500. miles at the Popes Courtes in Rome To be short Queene Elizabeth doth as did Moses Iosua Dauid Salomon Iosias Iehosaphat as Constantine Valentinian Gratian Theodosius Arcadius Honorius and other godly Emperors haue done God hath giueÌ„ charge to hir of both Tables In the firste she hath charge of Religion in the other of Ciuill causes By the Prophet Esay God promiseth to his Church Kings shall be thy noursing Fathers and Queenes thy Nursses And Dauid saith Be wise therfore ye Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth serue the Lord in feare Upon which place the learned father Augustine saith Quomodo ergo Reges seruiunt Domino in timore nisi â—a quae contra iussa Domini fiunt religiosa seueritate prohibendo atque plectendo aliter enim seruit quia homo est aliter quia rex est Quia homo est ei seruit viuendo fideliter quia verò etiam rex est seruit ei leges iusta praecipientes contraria prohibentes conuenienti rigore sanciendo sicut seruiuit Ezechias c. Howe then doe Kings serue the Lord in feare but in that they doe forbidde and in a religious seueritie punish suche things as are done againste the Lordes commaundementes for hee serueth after one maner as a man and after another as a Prince as a man he serueth the Lord in liuing faithfully but in that he is also a King he serueth hym by making Lawes which commaunde the thinges that are right and whiche with conuenient rigour forbid the contrarie as Ezechias serued the Lord when he destroyed the Woodes and Temples of Idolles and those highe places whiche were builte againste the commaundements of God as IOSIAS serued doing also the like as the King of Niniute serued gathering togither al his Citie to appease the wrath of the Lord as DARIVS serued giuing auctoritie to DANIEL to breake the Idol and casting his enimies into the Lions as NABVCHODONOSOR serued of whome we spake before who by a terrible Lawe forbad al within his kingdome to blaspheme God In hoâ— ergò saith he seruiunt domino Reges quando ea faciunt ad seruiendum illi quae non possunt facere nisi Reges Herein therefore do Kings serue the Lord wheÌ„ they do those things to serue him which none may do but Kings The Pope therefore writeth vnaduisedly We know not anye so moÌ„strous vnlawful doing It is hir office it is hir dutie I trust God will giue hir grace to discharge the same to his glorie Regium concilium eâ— Anglica Nobilitate conflatum diremit Shee hath remoued the Noble men of Englande from the Kings Councel The Poets had a fonde deuise of their great God IVPITER that he helde a golden Chain in his haÌ„d and tied to the ende of it both the Lande and Sea and coasts of the whole world and so might tosse and turne and sette them higher and lower at his pleasure Pope Pius bestirreth himselfe as though he were in Iupiters place and mighte by his Bulles and cursses set higher and lower place and displace appoint who shall againe who shall not be in Princes Councels Nothing may be done but by his sufferance Such a practise he hath to make himselfe King of Kings and the God of this worlde For when hée may rule the Councell he maye rule the King and being able to rule the King he maye rule the people throughout the worlde Hée saieth Queene Elizabeths Conncell is not to my liking She hathe put those from the Councel which were of the Nobilitie of Englande Thus he goeth on and increaseth hys follie He singeth by reportes and speaketh he wotteth not what Hath hir Maiestie remoued all the Nobilitie Who would thinke the Uicar of Christ wold be so vaine You which haue liued in countenaunce and haue béene at the Court and haue these many yeares knowne the state of our Countrey you knowe well that this is false The Nobilitie are all in England and in Courte and in Councel as before I doe not speake of suche as became Traitours You knowe what vnnaturall attempts were lately made Their guiltie conscience did make some to flie I speake not of one in duraunce I dispute not his case A Prince oughte to be verye carefull and iealous for hys preseruation It toucheth not himselfe onely but the welfare of his people Of these I speake nothing Yet when thys Bull was stamped at Rome all were at libertie Marke the date the fifth of the Calends of March in the yeare paste at which time they were al at libertie and of the Councell or at leaste in good fauor Since which time what hath bin wroughte by this Bull I praye you consider Remember what ensued the Sommer following The coales were kindled here but the bellowes whiche gaue
this case Christe saith Neâ—oice and be glad For so persecuted they the Prophets whiche were beefore you Origen sheweth howe all that be like minded vnto Pharao crie out that men are seduced and led out of theri way if Moses and Aaron that is if the spéeche of the Preachers call vpon them to be diligent in the Lawe of God and to followe hys worde And Chrysostome telleth vs this is no newe thing Ne admiremur quod spiritualibus instantes multa patiamur aduersa c. Let vs not maruell if we abide many aduersities because we follow after and desire those thinges whiche are spirituall For as the théefe diggeth not nor layeth his waite at the place where straw and chaffe and feathers are layd but there where is golde and siluer so is the Diuell moste out of quiet with those whiche take in hande spirituall businesse These things saith our Sauior haue I saide vnto you that ye should not bee offended They shall excommunicate you yea the time shall come that whosoeuer â—â—â—leth you wil think that he doth God 〈◊〉 And these things will they doe vnto you bicause they haue not knowne he Father nor me But what are the effectes and force what successe take the Popes blessings his cursses he stirred vp the K. of France to plague his subiectes to that purpose he blessed him and his folowers they their Countrie were brought to greate miserie He blessed Philip King of Spaine he hath bin wonderfully troubled by the Moeres at home and liueth in continuall turmoyle with his subiectes in other his dominions abroade He blessed the states of Venice they are still disquieted by the Turke On the other side he hath accurssed England thankes be to God it was neuer better in worldly peace in health of bodie in abundance of corne and victuals He hath accursed the Princes and states of Germanie they were neuer stronger He blesseth his own side but it decayeth and withereth He cursseth the Gospel but it preuaileth prospereth The more he cursseth the more it prospereth This is the Lordes doing it is maruellous in our eyes So doeth God turne the Popes cursse into a blessing vnto vs. And so we maye well saye with Seneca Caelestis ir a quos premit miseros facit humana nullos The anger of God maketh those meÌ„ miserable vpon whom it lighteth but so doth not the wrath of man Quin etâ—iaÌ„ ipsam pret enso regni praedicti iure necnon omni quocunque dominio dignitate priuilegioque priuatam We also make it knowen that wee haue depriued hir from that right she pretended to haue in the Kingdome aforesaid and also from al and euerie hir auctoritie dignitie and priuiledge This is the other part of the Popes sentence In this his vaine fantasie and by this childish mockerie hée thinketh to depose Queene Elizabeth from hir kingdome O vaine man as though the coastes and ends of the world were in his hands or as if no prince in y â— world might rule without his sufferaÌ„ce So haue the proude Prelates of that Sée these manye yeares troubled the states of al Christendome therby béen cause of much slaughter sheding innocent bloude And so at this present he seeketh to disquiet Elizabeth Elizabeth I say our soueraigne and moste gratious Lady a Uirgin ful of wisedome vertue grace and compassion she is vnto vs as a comfortable water in a drie place as a refuge for the teÌ„pest and as the shadowe of a greate rocke in a wearie land The greatest blessing whiche God gyueth to any people is a godly Prince to rule ouer them The greatest miserie that can fall vppon a people is to haue a godly Prince taken from them For by a godly Prince he doth so rule the people as if God himselfe were with them in visible appearaunce The Prince walketh in the wayes of the Lorde the Nobles folowe the steppes of the Prince the people fashion them selues to the example of the Nobles The face of a godly Prince shineth as the Sunne beams and bringeth ioy and comfort to his subiectes When the Lord was displeased with the people of Israell he tooke Samuell from them gaue them Saul to be theyr King Saul did wickedly without Iustice without Mercie He deuoured the people like a Lion he ouerthrew the tabernacle and slewe the Priests Then was there no Reuelation None that did Prophecie or care for the name of the Lord. But when God tooke mercie vpon the people he gaue vnto them Dauid a man after his owne heart He deliuered hym from daunger and tooke him out of the Lions mouth He crowned him and did set a crowne of pure golde vpon hys head Dauid loued the people he taught them the wayes of God he put downe Idolatrie and destroyed the Groues he set vp a Tabernacle to the God of Iacob Under him the people had great prosperitie in their houses and abroad in their Uines in their Corne and in their Cattell in time of Peace and in tyme of Warre When it pleased God to send a blessing vpou vs he gaue vs his seruant Elizabeth to be our Queene and to be the instrument of his glory in the sight of all the worlde Who is so blind which séeth not who is so vnthankful that remembreth not what things God hath wroughte by hir who séeth not the glorious beames of the trueth who séeth not the wonderfull peace in which wee haue liued who séeth not the wise and safe guiding of the people one of those alone were a great blessing but al togither are such a blessing as our Fathers before vs neuer enioied so happily As touching religion let vs thinke of that time of ignoraunce wherein wée were before How miserable a case was it to sée suche deadlye dumbenesse in the Church of God to sée the people ledde away in the darke they knew not whether to sée the word of life taken away to sée the people fedde with fables to sée an Idol sette vppe in the place of God to sée Iesus Christe our Sauiour putte to silence In this case were we This we did sée we did féele this Out of this deadly dungeon GOD deliuered vs by the hand of our Queene By hir hée restored the trueth by hir he sente vs the light of his holy worde by hir he hathe reléeued the heartes of the people God himselfe hathe bene the worker hereof Elizabeth hath bene his instrument and the meane by whome he hath done thys worke And marke the tyme when shée attempted this Euen at the firste entrie into hir kingdome at whiche time the King of Spaine the King of Fraunce the Quéene of Scottes and many of the Nobles and the Bishoppes of thys Realme were against it She had larned First to seeke the kingdome of God she hadde learned to séeke hys glorie and not hir dwne shée had learned to saye as Dauid saide I wil not suffer mine eyes
and goodes to our priuate vse and so maintaining the good estate of our neighbours For paying our rents to Landlordes and custome and tribute where tribute and custome are due Let not any obey these lawes saieth the Pope Lette no man dare obey hir or hir will or commaundements or lawes Estéeme not hir law as a law take not hir to be your Quéene Is not this fatherly Counsel Are they not happy which follow it What godly creature euer gaue the like What Patriarke or Prophet or Euangelist or Apostle euer sent the like commissions into the worlde Pius wil be called the Uicar of Christ. Did Christe euer sette vp himselfe against the Prince did hée so teach his Disciples was it any parte of that doctrine he hath left vs Pius telleth vs he is Successour to Peter and Paule that he is inuested in their auctoritie and enthronized in their chaire Let vs conferre the doctrine of Peter Paule with that whiche is written vy their Successour Pius sayeth of our Soueraigne Let no man be subiect to hir or obey hir But Peter saith Submitte your selues to all maner ordinance of man for the Lordes sake whether it be vnto the King as vnto the Superiour or vnto Gouernours as vnto them whiche are sente of him for the punishment of euil doers and for the praise of them that doe well for o iâ— the will of God And againe he saith Feare God honour the King Peter sayeth it is the will of God that you obey your Prince Pius gainesayth Obey not your Prince my wil is that you obey not Paule hath left words for our obedieÌ„cs Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers for ther is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God Whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of God and they that resiste receiue vnto them selues iudgement For hee is the Minister of God for thy wealth But if thou doe euill feare for he beareth not the sworde in vaine Wherefore yée must be subiect not bicause of wrath onelye but also for conscience sake Giue therefore tribute to whome you owe tribute custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whome you owe honour Nowe sayeth Pius Let no soule be subiect to the higher powers resiste power resiste the ordinaunce of God bee not Subiecte neyther for wrath nor for conscience Yeelde youre Prince no tribute no custome no feare and no honour Howe agréeth this with the Apostle Whether it be right in the sight of God that you be lead by Peter Paul the Apostles of Christ or by Pope Pius iudge yée And for what Prince doth Paul require this of the Romanes for Nero an enemie vnto God and godlinesse and al that liued godly who destroied and burned their citie who slewe his mother ripped that bellie which brought him to life a Monster in nature and the most wicked ruler that euer raigned And yet doeth Paule require them to obey him bicause he is the Minister of God c. Who was like to Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon he was the rod of the Lords wrath he oppressed the people of God fired and razed their Citie sacked their Sanctuary and spoyled their TeÌ„ple yet are the people commaunded to praye for the life of Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon and for the life of Baltazar his sonne that their daies may bee vpon earth as the dayes of heauen And againe God speaketh by the Prophet Hieremie I haue caused you to be caried away Captiues from Ierusalem vnto Babylon Seeke the prosperitie of the citie whether I haue sent you away Captiues and pray vnto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall you haue peace If the Apostle withdrewe not the Romanes from the subiection of Nero if the Prophets willed the children of Israel to praye for Nabuchodonosor who were wicked Princes will Pope Pius tell the Subiectes vnto a godly and vertuous Ladie that they muste not obeye hir Into what case doth he lead miserable simple men that giue him some credite Howe doth he amaze them God telleth vs we receiue to our selues iudgment if we resist his ordinance Pius saith we are accursed vnlesse we doe resist it What shal a simple maÌ„ do Which way shall hée folowe If he obey God he must forsake Pope Or if heé obey the Pope he must forsake God If hée obey the Prince as God willeth him then the Pope cursseth him Or if hée disobey the Prince as the Pope willeth him then doth God condemne him The commaundement of the one is as contrarie to the commaundement of the other as light is contrarie vnto darkenesse But thankes be to God who hath filled vs with the knowledge of his will We know Pope Pius is no God We pray for him that he may be the seruant of God Paul hath warned vs if an Angel from heauen or if any man preach vnto you otherwise than that you haue receiued let him be accursed We haue receiued of Paul and of Peter and of God him selfe that we shoulde obey yet dareth Pope Pius no Angel but a man commaund vs that no man obey no not vnder paine of his cursse Accursed is he for so commaunding we haue good warrant to say he is accursed â—mnes qui illt quomodocunque iurauerunt à 〈◊〉 amento huiusmodâ— ac omni prorsus dominâ—â—â— fidelitatis obsequij debito perpetuò absolutos declaramus We pronounce that all whosoeuer by any occasion haue taken their oathe vnto hir are for euer discharged of such their oath and also from all fealtie and seruice which was due to hir by reason of hir gouernement Doth Pope Pius knowe what an oath meaneth Doth hee knowe what it is to sweare by the name of God An oathe is a solemne promise made betwéene men wherein God who knoweth the secrets of the heart is called to witnesse of the doing As for example wée haue taken this oath I will be a true and liege Subiect to our Soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth I will neither in worde nor deede procure hir euill I will not conceale any treason or conspiracie against hir and this doe I promise as I hope to be saued by the bloude of Iesus Christ and I take witnesse to this of God who seeth the singlenesse of my heart beseeching him to auenge it vpon me to put my name out of the booke of the liuing and to giue mee no portion in the kingdome of Christ of God if I willingly or wittingly breake this my promise Such is the oath which we haue taken to hir highnesse This is nothing saith Pope Pius I can dispense with it I am able to dispense against the lawe of nature against the Canons of the Apostles against the newe Testament I can dispense for all thinges done contrary to the commaundements of the old and new Testament I can dispense against the lawe of God I am aboue all generall Councels my wil must be kept
Scriptures In them yée shall learne to know me and howe you should worship me in them you shal finde euerlasting life the wordes of the Lord are pure words as the siluer tryed in the fornace ther is no filth nor drosse remaining in them They are the store-house of wisdome and of the knowledge of God In respect whereof all the wisedome of this world is but vaine foolish Numa Pompilius King of the Romanes Lycurgus King of Lacedemon and Minos King of Creta were wise men of great gouernment they deuised lawes to rule the people and bare them in hande that they were taught by reuelatioÌ„ that so their ordinances might win the more credite and be established for euer But where are they nowe Where is Numa Minos or Lycurgus where bée their Books What is become of their Laws They were vnwise and had no knowledge nor vnderstanding of God they and their Laws are dead their names forgotten But the lawe of God came from Heauen indéede GOD wrote it with his finger it is the fountaine of al wisedome and therefore shal it continue for euer and neuer haue an ende Here let vs beholde the great power and worke of God When Moses receyued the Law God hymselfe came down in person wyth thousande thousande of Aungels the Aire was darkened at hys presence the MouÌ„t stoode al couered with fire the earth shooke the heauens thundered the people stood a farre off and fled for feare and said vnto Moses talke thou with vs we wil heare but let not God talk with vs least we die This was the first proclayming publishing of y e law such force and credite God gaue to his word warraÌ„ted himselfe to be y â— Lord. Since that time so manye thousande yeares are already passed In the meane time y e people of Israel were oppressed by Tyrantes were spoiled and chased out of their Countrie Firste by Nabuchodonosor into Babilon after that by Antiochus into Syria and lastly were as vagabondes driuen from countrie to countrie Thyir Citie Ierusalem was sackte their houses ouerthrowne their Temple razed and not a stone lefte vppon a stone theyr Librarie destroyed theyr Bookes burnte the tabernacle loste the couenaunt broken No vision no reuelation no comforte for the people left nor prophet nor priest nor any to speake in the name of the Lorde In all those times of decayes of sackings of darkenesse of miserie what was done with the word of God It was wickedly burnt by Ioachim King of Iuda and Antiochus burnt the Bookes of the Lawe and cutte them in peecesâ— No man durste be knowen to haue them and auouche the hauing So thought they vtterly to deface the glorie of God and abolish al remembraunce of his Lawes Then came the Phariseis they drowned the worde of God with their traditions they tooke away the key of Knowledge and entred not in them selues but forbade them that came in After them came Heretiques they denyed some one parte and some an other parte of Scriptures They razed blotted corrupted and altered the word of God of the word of God they made it their own word or which is worse they made it the word of the Diuel By the space of so many thousaÌ„d yers the word of God passed by so many dangers of Tyrants of Phariseis of Heretiques of fire and of sworde and yet continueth and standeth vntill this day without altering or chaunging one letter This was a woÌ„derful work of God that hauing so many so greate enimes and passing thorough so many so greate daungers it yet continueth stil without adding or altering of any one sentence or worde or letter No creature was able to doe this it was Gods worke He preserued it that no Tyrant should consume it no Tradition choake it no Heretike malitiously should corrupt it For For his names sake and for the elects sake he would not suffer it to perish For in it God hathe ordained a blessing for his people and by it he maketh couenant with them for life euerlasting Tirants and Phariseis and Heretiques and the enimies of the Crosse of Christe haue an end but the worde of God hath no ende No force shall be able to decay it The gates of Hel shal not preuaile againstâ— it Cities shal fal Kingdoms shall come to nothing Empires shal fade away as the smoake but the trueth of the Lord shall continue for euer Burne it it will rise againe kill it it wil liue againe cut it downe by the roote it wil spring againe There is no wisedome neither vnderstaÌ„ding nor Counsel against the Lord. Let vs behold the nations kingdoms which somtimes professed Christ are now heathnish Iâ—â—yricum Epyrus Peloponnesus Macedonia others Againe let vs behold such kingdomes countries whiche wer in times past heathnish knew not God As England Ireland Rome Scotland diuers other They were al without y â— Gospel without Christe without God without hope of life They worshipped Idols euen y e work of their own hands To them they appointed Priests for their seruice dayes and places for the people to resort togither to worship theÌ„ Here in EnglaÌ„d Paules Church in LondoÌ„ was the Temple of Diana Peters Churche in Westminst was the Temple of Apollo In Rome they had y e Temple of the great God Iuppiter in Florence y e Temple of Mars and in other places they had Temples dedicated to other Idols Iupiter Mars Apollo Diana wer vncleane spirites filthie Diuels yet gaue they thanks to them for their peace and prosperitie prayed to them in war in miserie commended vnto them their wiues their children themselues y e safe keping and custody of their soules They built gorgeous Churches Chappels set vp images of siluer gold to theÌ„ prayed lifted vp their haÌ„ds did sacrifice offred vp their children to theÌ„ A horrible thing to say yet true it is y e darkenesse of those times were such that meÌ„ slew their own offered them vp to Idolles They saide greate is Iupiter greate is Apollo and greate is Diana of the Ephesians These are the Gods of our Fathers our Fathers trusted in them they made vs and haue defended vs and haue giuen vs victorie againste our enimies Whosoeuer denyed theÌ„ were thought worthy to die Thus were the Kings and the Princes and the people persuaded And so coÌ„tinued they by the space of some thousand yeares without controllment or contradiction They had greate proppes of Antiquitie Vniuersality and Consent Antiquitie of all times Uniuersalitie of al places consent of al the people So strongly and so mightily were they fouÌ„ded Who woulde thinke suche a religion so auntient so vniuersall and so defended by common consent should euer possibly be remoued But when the fulnesse of time came God sente forth his worde and al was changed Errour fell down truth stode vp meÌ„ forsooke their Idols and went to God The Kings and Priestes and
exercise himselfe daye and night The Lawe of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule the testimonie of the Lorde is sure and giueth wisedome vnto the simple This is the rule of our faith without this our faith is but a fantasie and no faith for faith is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God Therefore Christe saith Search the Scriptures they are they that testifie of me There shall ye finde testimonie of my doctrine there shal ye know what is the wil of my heauenlye Father and there shall you receiue the comforte for euerlasting life Againe He that followeth mee shall not walke in darkenesse but shall haue the light of life If a man keepe my word he shal know the truth hee shall neuer see death Therefore Baruch saith O Israel wee are blessed for the things that are acceptable vnto God are declared vnto vs. This is thy blessednesse herein hath God shewed his fauour vnto thée he hathe reuealed the secreats of hys will vnto thée and hath put his worde in thy mouth He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israell hee hathe not dealte so with euerie nation neyther haue they knowen hys Iudgementes Therefore the Prophet Dauid teacheth vs to pray vnto God for the knowledge of his worde Shewe mee thy wayes O Lord and teache me thy pathes Take not thy holie spirite from mee and incline my hearte vnto thy testimonies Giue mee vnderstanding that I maye learne thy commaundementes open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Lawe And Lighten mine eies that I sleepe not in death that I maye discerne betwéene safetie and daunger that I may knowe truth to be the truth and error to be error Thus I haue declared parte of that profite which groweth to vs by the word of God but it doeth not onelye directe our iudgement in the triall of truth but dothe also graffe in vs a boldenesse and constancie in the defence of the truth Salomon saieth A foole chaungeth as the Moone He is alwayes vnstable and inconstant he knoweth not neither what to do nor what to beleue he is somtimes ful sometimes emptie turneth and changeth as the Moone He buildeth and layeth his foundation vppon the sande therfore his house falleth to the ground He halteth on both sides somtimes worshippeth God and sometimes worshippeth Baal he is neither hotte nor colde he ebbeth and floweth like the waues of the sea he doubteth and staggereth resteth in nothing He knoweth not the truth he knoweth not that the scripturs are the word of God so he wandereth in the darke and knoweth not the way in which he walketh He hath no féeling no hart no vnderstāding He is vnfaithful towards God and kepeth no faith towards man he is wauering in all hys wayes And why because he knoweth not the wil of God nor hath the light of his word to guide his féete But a wise man is one and stedfast as the sunne He buildeth his house vppon a rocke and that rocke is Iesus Christe the sonne of God Therefore his house is neuer shaken downe Be the storme or tempest neuer so rough yet it shall stand faste like Mount Sion because his truste is in the name of the Lord. He knoweth that his name is written in the Booke of Life he knoweth that he belongeth to the Lords Shéepefolde and that no man can take him away out of the Lordes hand In this boldenesse Dauid sayeth Thoughe I shoulde walke thorough the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill for thou arte wyth mee thy rodde and thy staffe they comforte mee And againe the Lord is my light and my saluation whome shall I feare And againe Except thy lawes had bene my delight I should now haue perished in mine affliction when Ezechias heard y ◠proud message of Sennacherib sent to him his people by Rahshaketh that they should not obey Ezech. nor trust to him when he said The Lord wil deliuer you and let not thy GOD deceiue thee in whom thou trustest hee wente vp into the house of the Lord and prayed vnto the Lorde to saue hym and hys people out of their handes that al the kingdomes of the earth might know that hee is GOD alone Euen so the Apostle Whether wee liue or die wee are the Lordes And in this boldenesse our sauiour Christe setled himselfe to beare their reproches and to carry his Crosse Father if thou wilte take away this cup frō me neuerthelesse not my wil but thine bee done Thus they that are taught by the word of God to put their trust in the Lorde and are thereby rooted and setled in him can not be remoued by any practise of Sathan but stand fast and continue for euer Which shal more plainely appeare if we looke backe into the times of persecution and beholde the boldenesse of constancie of the Sainctes of God They were brought before Magistrates caste into prisōs spoiled of their goods cruelly murthered Some were hanged vppon gibbets some run through with swords some torn with wild horses some drowned in the water and some burnt in the fire They were hated of all men for the name of Christ. They were despised as the filth of the worlde and dung of the earth Yet continued they faithfull and constant They armed their heartes with the comforte of Gods worde therby wer they able to resist in the euil day They were faithfull vntil death therefore GOD gaue them a Crowne of glorie When they were called before Kings and Princes and others of auctoritie and commaunded to forsake the trueth they had learned and the comfort which they tooke in the truth they aunswered in this manner O my gratious Lorde I would faine do your commandement I am your subiect I haue done faithfull seruice with my body with my goods but I cannot serue you against God He is King of Kings Lord of Lords He is my Lord before whom I stande I haue put my life in his handes He hathe forbidden me to doe this thing whiche you commaunde I cannot therefore doe it Iudge vprightly whether it be méete to obey you rather than God My liuing my wife my children and my life are deare vnto me I am a man like others and haue mine affections Yet neither liuing nor wife nor children nor my life is so deare vnto me as the glorie of God I am but a pore worme yet am I the worke of his handes God hathe putte his worde in my mouth I may not deny it I may not beare false witnesse against the Lord. My life is not deare vnto me in respect of the trueth I knowe if I shoulde deny him to saue my life I shoulde lose it and if I lose my life for his sake I shall finde it That which your auctoritie shal lay vpon me is not done without his will All the haires of my head are
down from heauen to consume hys sacrifice Here may you sée an Asse open his mouth and speak reproue his Maister thrée seruants of God walk in a hot burning fornace without hurte Daniel in the den among Lions and not deuoured Peter in the raging Sea and not drowned Leapres clensed the lame to goe the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare the blinde to sée the dead to rise out of theyr graues and liue simple and vnlearned men to speake in strange tongues the diuell to go out of the possessed and to saye I knowe thou arte Christe the sonne of God Here may you sée twelue pore séelie men without speare or sworde or force make conqueste and winne the whole worlde No power coulde represse them no might coulde withstande them It is reckoned a great matter for a King or a nation to yéeld submission vnto an other King or nation It must therefore bée a matter of greate wonder to sée al Kings throwe downe their Maces and all people to yéelde before so fewe so simple so vnarmed And to acknowledge they embraced lies and liued in ignorance and that these twelue are the seruants of the highest and to sée how God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to ouerthrow the wise and the weake things of this worlde to confounde the mightie things Such force did God giue to their wordes He made them the sonnes of thunder they shooke the foundations of the worlde they threw downe whatsoeuer stoode againste them Here may you see the fight of Gods electe children How they patiently suffered afflictions in their bodies rather than they woulde deny the truth of God they gaue their backes to the scourge theyr neckes to the sworde their bodies to the fire No tyrant no menacings no racke no torment no sworde no death could remoue them from the loue of the Gospell which they had receiued The more of them were cut downe the more did spring vp the more were killed the more wer left aliue Augustine saith Ligabantur includebantur torquebantur vrebantur multiplicabantur They were bounde and shutte vp and racked and burnt and yet were encreased This is the victorie that hath ouercome y e world For the Lord answered S. Paule My power is made perfect through weaknesse It liueth in death it is made whole and sound by woundes and stripes it is increased by those meanes whereby men destroy it Iacob sawe a ladder stand vpon the Earth and the toppe of it reache vppe into heauen and the Aungelles of God goe vp and downe by it This was but a dream and vision in his sleepe yet when he awoke he tooke pleasure comfort of this Vision We haue not onely the delight of this with Iacob but wée haue other farre greater visions We sée Esay beholding the Lord as he sate vpon an high throne we sée Paule taken vp into the third heauens we sée the glorie of God appeare and heare the voice whiche came out of the cloude saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased here him We sée Iesus Christe the sonne of God borne of a Uirgin and how he made himselfe of no reputation and toke on him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man That he humbled himself and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the Crosse We heare him crye with a loude voice My God my God why haste thou forsaken mee We heare him say Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they doe And Father into thine hands I commende my spirite Here we may sée the Sun to be darkened that the Moone giueth no light the Earth to shake the rockes cleaue asunder the vaile rent the Graues to open and Christe rise from the dead and goe vp into heauen and sit at the right hand of this father Here maye we sée the ouerthrowe of Babilon which made al nations to drinke of the Wine of the wrath of hir fornication Howe shée is destroyed with the breath of Gods mouth Here we behold the resurrection of the dead and foure and twentie Elders sitte before God on their seates and the antient of dayes sit vppon his throne and the iudgemente seate and the Bookes opened and all flesh appeare before him and how some are taken into euerlasting life and some are sent into euerlasting death What tongue is able to expresse these pleasures and delightes which are laid open to vs in the word of God We buy Images and Pictures and Mappes of men and of diuers things Countries But what Mappe or Picture can shewe vs the like varietie and chaunge of thinges Wée purchase Landes and haue a liking so to doe Here we are taught how we may come to that lande which shall stand with vs and in which wee shall continue for euer To sée any one of these it were great pleasure either the creation of heauen and earth or the Angels Archangels and blessed spirites or the battailes of the God of Sabaoth or Amalech dasht in péeces like a Potters vessell or the wals of Iericho blowne downe with the sound of a trumpet or Pharao drowned in the sea or Nabuchodonosor eating grasse among the beastes or Antiochus smitten from heauen or Sodome and Gomorrha burnt with fire and brimstone or the earth to open and swallow vp the wicked or the sea to stand like a wall or water to come out of a stone or breade to come from heauen or the Sunne to stande still or to chaunge his course or an Asse to speake and teache his Maister or fire to be extreame hot yet not burning or Lyons hungrie yet not eating their meate or the Sea tempestous yet not drowning or blind to sée deafe to heare dumbe to speake dead to rise or ignorant men to speake in languages they neuer learned or the Diuel to roare and confesse Christ or God sitting in his Maiestie and Christ at his right hande or Babylon throwne downe and become a Tabernacle of fowle spirites a denne for the Diuel or Christ to sit in iudgement and giue sentence vpon the quick and the dead to sée any one of all these wōderous works of God it were great pleasure Howe can it be then but that we reioice and take delight to sée so many so great so marueilous so heauenly and so glorious wonders in one heape altogither Howe farre would we ride or go to sée the triumph of a mortall King Here is to be séene the triumph of God the Lorde of Lordes and the King of Kinges howe he hath made the name of his Sonne triumph ouer principalities and powers and ouer the whole worlde Here is a Paradise full of delightes no tongue is able to speak them they are so many No heart is able to conceiue them they be sogreat Here is a shoppe wherein is set out the wisedome and knowledge the power the iudgements and