as children nourisheth vs with the knowledge of the Rudiments and principles of Religion the foode of the soule which doth farther strengthen vs with increase of deeper knowledge is no longer as of late times like a sealed booke which being deliuered to one that can reade and he willed to reade it he answereth he cannot because it is sealed but we haue it in our owne mother language permitted vnto vs that euery one may priuately exercise himselfe in the reading thereof and for the confirmation of his faith in the points that he is taught publikely by the mouth of the Preacher may with the men of Berrhea daily search the Scriptures to see whether those things be so or not which triall the doctrine of Rome will hardly submit it selfe to And this dutie of searching the Scriptures at home priuatly Chrisostome requireth at the hands of his Auditors Idque semper hortor c. and this I alwaies exhort and will not cease to exhort that you be not onely attentiue here to those things which are taught but that when you are at home you daily intend the reading of the holy Scriptures and so I take it that Saint Iohn setteth down three steps or degrees whereby we are to climbe vp to blessednes first priuat reading secondly publike hearing thirdly fruitfull practising of those things which by reading and hearing we learne Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this prophesie and keepeth those things that are written therein Thirdly this is also a great blessing that we haue our publike prayers in the Church in our owne tongue that the people may vnderstand what the Minister prayeth and keeping silence while he is speaking may still haue their minds and vnderstandings accompanie the voice of the Minister and in the end may ioyntly answere Amen Euen as not a Clerke alone for the people as New Rome hath taught but the whole people for themselues were accustomed in Saint Ieromes time as he witnesseth Tota Ecclesia instar tonitrui reboat Amen The whole Church like a mightie thunder doth sound out Amen This also Augustine acknowledged to be a great blessing Beatus populus qui intelligit Iubilationem c. Blessed is the people that vnderstandeth the ioyfull song let vs runne to this blessednes let vs vnderstand the song let vs not sing it without vnderstanding Of this the Apostle most diuinely treateth in the 1. Cor. 14. which though the Rhemists doe miserablie striue to shake off as Master Whitakers learnedly sheweth yet Cardinall Caietan ouercome with the euidence of truth plainely confesseth as in the end of that Controuersie Doctor Whitakers alleageth him Exhac Pauli doctrina c. By this doctrine of the Apostle we haue to vnderstand that it is better for the edification of the Church that the publike praiers which are made in the hearing of the people should be vttered in a tongue common both to the Clerkes and people then to be vttered in Latine Hence it followeth that we learne to exercise our selues in workes of true pietie such as by the word of God we are assured are acceptable with him not putting holines in workes of mens deuising as superstitious obseruation of daies with like difference of meates in gadding on pilgrimage and such like of which may be said that which the Lord spake in Esay Who hath required these things at your hands Whence it hath come to passe that many liuely members of Christ Iesus being colde naked and hungrie haue been neglected while it was thought an holier worke to shrine in gold and siluer the bones of dead men as Erasmus in his Colloquie or dialogue of peregrination for Religion sake doth note That the golden shrine of Thomas Becket was beset with Diamonds Carbuncles with pearles and rare precious stones Vilissima pars erat aurum the basest part was gold But we blessed be God haue learned to make the will of God reuealed in his word the Rule and Squire of our obedience studying to walke in his waies and to keepe his commaundements both of the first and second table according to that of our Sauiour If you know these things happie are ye if you doe them wherein we are taught to striue against two extremities First proud presumption before God that we put no opinion of merit in our workes but referre them partly to the glorifying of our good God according to that Let your light so shine before men c. partly to the assuring our selues of our election by the fruits thereof as Peter exhorteth Make your election sure by good works acknowledging that of Bernard Bona opera sunt via regni non causa regnandi Good workes are the way wherein we must walke to the kingdom of Heauen but not the cause wherefore we shall obtaine the kingdome Secondly before men we must auoide hypocriticall ostentation that we vaunt not of our vertues as the Pharisee O God I thanke thee I am not as other men extortioners vniust or euen as this Publican c. But according to the rule of the Apostle in meekenes of minde euery man to esteeme other better then himselfe we must turne our eyes inward looking vpon and censuring our owne imperfections and indeuoring to practise that good lesson Nosceteipsum For very true it is that Chrisostome hath speaking of Christian humility Esto multum adifices habeas elecmosynas preces ieiunia c. Be it you build much you vse almes fasting and prayer and all other vertues without this foundation of humilitie they are all in vaine yea adde continence virginitie contempt of riches Omnia prophana sunt impura abominabilia absque humilitate They are all prophane impure and abominable without humilitie Father the entrance of our peaceable Salome to the Crowne what Halcyon daies hath it brought to the poore afflicted Church of Christ â— The little barke of Christ Iesus before tossed with the waues and stormes of furious and bloodie persecution hath now found some repose and rest vnder her gracious and benigne protection so mercifully hath Christ rebuked the stormes and windes when the shippe was in danger of drowning and there is followed a great calme Not onely they that were openly knowne to abhor the Romish Idolatrie refusing to bowe the knee to their blocke-almightie as some then called them and to honor a peece of a Cake as their Creator were by heapes brought to the fire but so violent was the furie of that Wooluish Sinagogue against the poore Lambes of Christs fold that through inforcement and by vertue of their oath were compelled to accuse against the law of nature the wife the husband one brother another c. as in a table of persecution vnder Bishop Longland of Lincolne doth appeare the bloody rage of this persecution sparing neither man woman nor child wife nor maide lame blinde nor creeple But of this what should I say more of which
sagelie compareth their qualities together as Plutarch doth the most famous worthies of Rome and Greece which his comparison I passe ouer as nothing concerning any thing said by me in my former booke against them Onely I yeelde they were birdes of a feather and therefore fit to slie together and according to our English prouerbe like will to like you know what followeth and in deede milke is not liker milke nor one egge another then were these two statelie Prelates each of them being brides of the Popes owne hatching and as it is in the Prouerbe Mali corui malum ouum and both of them for the Popes sake being false and treacherous against their Soueraignes Cardinall Allen against her Maiestie as hereafter shall bee shewed Bishop Gardiner against her renowmed Father when he was Ambassadour for the King to the Emperour hauing secret intelligence with the Pope then the Kings open and professed enemie in so much that the King in euery generall pardon that he graunted by Parliament after this practise he did still except all treasons committed beyond the Seas meaning thereby as it was supposed that the Bishop should not take any benefite by any generall pardon if his Maiestie would at any time call him to account and further minded as it seemeth to haue vsed extremitie of lawe against him if the Lord had lent his Highnes longer life vpon iust matter not taken away by any pardon commaunding thereupon often the Lorde Paget being then his Secretarie to keepe safe certain writings which he had against him But the parities or disparities of your two Prelates by you compared together I passe ouer as matter impertinent and come to your exceptions against my speeches vttered of them in particular And first concerning Bishop Gardiner he setteth downe these my speeches Gardiner that most proude and bloodie monster left no corner of his wit vnsought to shorten her Maiesties daies and preuent her by the bloodie slaughter of her sacred person from being our Queene And againe The Recusants of our age cannot professe nor make greater shew of loyaltie and loue to our dread Soueraigne neither c. This my charge against Gardiner this sturdie Encounterer seeketh to beate backe first by commending him for a most tender hearted and milde man that no one great man in Queene Maries time was farther from bloud and bloudines then he and that any good natured Protestant that liued in that time and had wit to iudge and indifferencie to speake the trueth without passion would confesse as much Which because himselfe cannot but know to bee a shameles vntrueth and therefore doubting how the generall commendation of his milde nature would be intertained he for a particular instance telleth vs a long tale of like authoritie concerning his tender affection towards the Duke of Northumberland after hee was condemned c. which as it nothing concerneth our matter in hand so hauing onely his bare worde to warrant it the indifferent reader may credite and regard as he seeth cause And for the better direction of thy iudgement gentle Reader and fuller iustifying of my accusation against him it shall not be amisse to take a short view of a few particulars by which the gentlenes of this Bishops nature may appeare to all men I will not here stand vpon the secret intestine and deadlie hatred which he alwaies bare to the fauourers of the Gospell and how through his wilie craft he so farre preuailed with the king to proceed in such sort against the worthy Martir of Christ Iohn Lambert as he did the only example of Marbecke for that kings time shall suffice Who being conuented before Gardiner for the concordance in English now extant which he then had begunne was by all meanes by men sent from the B. sifted to detect whom he knew to be fauourers of the Gospell with which importunities the man of God being wearied he burst forth into these words O Lord what will my Lord doe will his Lordship compell me to accuse men and wote not wherof After this the Bishop himself talketh with him asketh him whether he wil cast away himself To whom he answering no my Lord I trust yes quoth the Bishop thou goest about it for thou wilt vtter nothing What a diuell made thee meddle with the Scriptures thy vocation was another way c. and why the diuell diddest thou not hold thee there And after hard pressing him to detect and accuse some and his deniall to accuse anie for heretikes because he could not iustly the milde Bishop told him Sith thou art so wilfull and stubborne thou shalt goe to the diuell for me And so whereas Sir Anthonie Wingfield Captaine of the Guard had before sent word to the keeper of the Marshalsey that it was the Counsels pleasure he should intreat Marbecke gently this charitable tender hearted Gardiner sent word to the keeper to lay yrons vpon him to keepe him fast shut in a chamber alone that when he came to meat he should speake to no man nor no man to him and further that he should suffer no manner of person no not his own wife to come to him or minister anie thing to him and in this streight and hard sort continued he about three weekes His wife made often sute to the Bishop to be permitted to visite her husband but his bowels wanted compassion till at length she meeting him at the Court was bold to pul him by the Rochet and said to him O my Lord these eighteene daies I haue troubled your Lordship now for the loue of God and as euer you came of a woman put me off no longer but let me goe to my husband One of the kings seruants and her next neighbour standing by besought him to be good Lord to her which had her owne mother lying bedredde vpon her hands besides fiue or six children I promise you quoth the Bishop her husband is a great heretike and hath read more Scripture then any man in the Realme hath done and he knoweth a great sort of harlots and will not vtter them but at length gaue her leaue to go to her husband willing her to aduise him to vtter such naughtie fellowes as hee knew c. In Queene Maries time when he was now Lord Chancellor ruled the rost how far not onely from tender pittie but euen from ciuill humanitie hee shewed himselfe to bee the examples are too many and experiments too plaine and therefore needlesse here to be inserted But a taste must be giuen to the Reader for which this may suffice when that reuerent learned man and afterwards a most constant Martyr of Iesus Christ D. Rowland Taylor a Doctor professed in both the lawes and withall a right perfect diuine appeared before Gardiner vpon his summons how vngently did he intreat him nay how furiously did he at the very first sight rage against him not reasoning with him mildly as he came a Bishop
though I will not burst out into any impatience as considering more what is fit for me to speake then for him to heare yet I hold that in the grieuous accusation of flatterie I ought not to be silent Therefore I allow it not onely for wittie but worthie to be imbraced for truth that which you alleadge concerning flatterers I hold the answere to the question no lesse true in the whole then in part The question was What beasts were most perilous And the answere is Of all wilde-beastes a Tyrant of tame-beastes a flatterer and if you can as easily free such as you seeke with might and maine to defend from the iust imputation of tyranny as I shall be able to cleare my selfe from any the least intention to flatter you shall doe more then euer any could doe for them before Antisthenes is reported to be wont to say he had rather haue rauens resort to his house then flatterers yeelding this reason that rauens do but pray vpon the carcasse being dead but flatterers deuoure both bodie and soule aliue To enterprise the enumeration of great States and Princes through flatterers vtterly ruinated were to vndertake an endles labour but as the verse hath Blanditiae plusquam dira venena nocent Sugred and sweet flatterâ—â—â—â—â—teth more Then deadly poyson thâ—â—gh thou drink great store So were it not hard to â—hew more seigniories and kingdomes subuerted by secret flatterie then by open hostilitie by how much the more earnestly I beseech the Lord that if her Maiesties Court cannot be altogether free from flatterers who as burres doe commonly hang vpon the sleeues of Princes yet by her princely wisedome she may alwaies espie them and finde them out saying as the Philosopher is reported that was Nephew to Plato Define adulari nihil enim proficis cum te intelligam leaue thy flearing and fawning thou preuailest nothing for I perceiue thee well enough But I pray you Sir N. D. where learned you that skill to take vpon you to affirme and proue that to publish the commendation of Princes vpon iust desert is flatterie I doubt me for all your desire to be thought a great Clerke it will trouble you and all your colleagues to fortifie this position But not to dwell long vpon this point disdaine not to heare what Democritus will tell you Rectè quidem facta laudare honestum est mala verò laudibus vehere adulterini est animi impostoris To giue due praise to good deserts is honest but to praise and extoll euill deeds argueth a corrupt and a couzening mind and therefore I doubt not with farre more ease to free my selfe from flatterie wherewith you falsely charge me for commending the good things of our land then you shal be able to auoid the iust imputation of an adulterous and deceiuing mind in deprauing Gods blessings with your Macheuilian wit and false interpretations And if I had leasure to stand vpon iust retortion of vniust accusations I could send you to the Popes Pallace where a man may finde more shamelesse flatterers then I thinke were euer to be found in any Christian Princes Court Panormitan as is by sundrie learned men alleadged shameth not to flatter your Pope so farre as to make him almost equall with God Excepto peccato Papa potest quasi omnia facere quae Deus potest Sinne excepted the Pope can in a manner do all things that God can doe Againe another clawbacke Non minor honor debetur Papae quam Angelis c. No lesse honour is due to the Pope then to the Angels for which cause he receiueth of Christian people adorations prostrating themselues on the ground and the kissing of his feete which the Angell would not permit by Iohn the Euangelist to be done to him Another Imperatoria Maiestas tantò est inferior Papa quantò creatura Deo The imperiall Maiestie is so much inferiour to the Pope as the creature is to God Others that he is Ens secundae intentionis compositum ex Deo homine And in a word the Canonists roundly in the Glosse Dominus Deus noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope Which blasphemous flattering speech Doctor Raynolds noteth that the Cardinals and others deputed by Gregorie 13 to reuise correct and purge out such things as by errour had crept into the Glosses annotations in the booke of decrees and decretals c. yet haue not only not remoued this blasphemie but not so much as giuen the least castigation vpon it belike because they thought that could not fit the Pope which the Apostle writeth of Antichrist that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God vnlesse they should suffer a place to be extant wherein he is plainely called Lord God in a popish worke by the Papists themselues corrected printed at Rome and that at the Popes own speciall commandement and so much concerning your accusation of flatterie The which yet you labour to enforce because I take vpon me to speake of infinite blessings from Almightie God by her Maiesties gracious gouernment powred vpon this land and yet my selfe you say confesse a thousand feares and frights and imminent perils which hang ouer vs in these words I doubt not but you are men of wisedome and can easily conceiue what dangers we stand in by that which hath beene said before And againe The life of Religion Queene and Countrie is at the stake Verely if I should speake of the great blessings bestowed vpon this land in the happie establishing of true Christian Religion amongs vs and should think the contrarie I should iudge my selfe worthie to be taxed with so odious a crime as flatterie is For I will say as he in the Poet Odi etenim ceu claustra Erebi quicunque loquuntur Ore aliud tacitoque aliud sub pectore claudunt I hate as gates of hell who euer thou art That one thing say'st another think'st in hart But good Sir what contrarietie is there in my words May not a land be truly blessed from God in hauing a gracious Prince by whom Idolatrie is remoued and true Religion planted and yet for want of due acknowledgement of the Lords goodnes and true fruits of thankfulnes be by forraine enemies maligned or by home-traitors hazarded The remembrance of Iosiah saith Iesus Syrach is like the composition of perfume that is made by the Art of the Apothecary it is sweet as hony in all mouthes and as Musicke at a banquet of wine He behaued himselfe vprightly in the reformation of the people and tooke away all abomination of iniquitie he directed his heart vnto the Lord and in the time of the vngodly he established Religion Highly was Ierusalem blessed by the raigne of good Iosiah rooting out Idolatrie and restoring to the people the booke of the Law as is this land likewise by the like blessed Raigne of our gracious Iosiah and yet euen in his time for the Idolatrie committed
vnder his Father and Grand-father and for their affections declining to Idolatrie and not truly esteeming the blessings in Iosiah their king powred vpon them the Lord threatneth to bring euill vpon that place and the Inhabitants thereof Which he did by suffering Iosiah to be slaine by the souldiours of the king of Egypt and within few yeares after his death selling his owne people into the hands of the idolatrous Babilonians For as darknesse naturally followeth light and night the day so do great punishments accompanie rare blessings when they are not duely esteemed as they ought Blessed was Ierusalem by the testimonie of the Lords owne mouth when he said My beloued had a Vineyard in a very fruitfull hill and he hedged it gathered out the stones of it and he planted it with the best plants and built a Tower in the middest thereof and made a wine-presse therein But when he looked for grapes and it brought forth wild-grapes the Lord threatned from the height of this blessed estate to cast them into the gulfe of miserie to take away the hedge from his Vineyard that it might be eaten vp and breake downe the wall thereof that it might be troden downe c. The Lord hath not therefore been lesse beneficiall to vs in placing so gracious an head vpon the bodie of this Realme because you and some such as your selfe are doe yet remaine to God ingrate and to your Prince and Countrey vnnaturall Onely I beseech God that whereas by his appointment the Oliue is yet ouer vs with her fatnes and the Figge with her sweetnes and the Vine with her fruitfulries that amongst many other sinnes of our land for our vngratefull contempt of so great a blessing a Bramble be not set ouer vs which is good for nothing but to burne and consume vs and so much concerning my supposed contradiction Now Sir N. D. it is your pleasure to heare my manner of speech in these words If I should take vpon me to enter into the enumeration of all the benefits and blessings that from the Almightie haue beene powred vpon this little Iland of England c. And hauing thus vnperfectly repeated them you passe the ouer with this sleight exception saying That in mentioning our little Iland I must take Scotland with me else I erre in Cosmographie as though England were not deuided in gouernment from Scotland though both rest vpon one continent and as though your selfe did not tearme this Realme an Iland euen where you do distinguish it from Scotland Therefore Nodum in scirpo quaeris and to this shift you are put very often for want of matter But if seemeth that Scotland was named here by you chiefly to make way for your purpose to giue a glaunce at battels murders destruction of Countries Prouinces Townes Cities Houses and particular men that haue beene in Scotland within these fortie yeares as though Scotland had neuer tasted these or any of these before and then you come in with Ireland wherein you seeme to bewaile the death of the noble Desmons whose treasons yet liue by succession in one of the same name who it is said wrote â— treason full letter stuffed with most intolerable opprobries and slaunders against her Maiestie and the state to the King of Spaine And this I hope is no great proofe of your sonâ—dnes to Queen or State France and Flaunders follow to fill vp the number But had you any respect of truth or care of modestie you would neuer haue made the true Religion wee professe the cause of murders tumults and garboyles which teacheth dutifull obedience and condemneth all mutinies seditions and rebellions You should do well to haue told vs who murdered the King the Lord Iames the Lord Russell in Scotland In France who murdered the Prince of Conde after he was taken prisoner which I thinke the law of Armes will not well beare Likewise who they were that laidâ— bloudy hands vpon the Admiral Chattilion being first shot in with a Pistoll with three bullets in the streetes and afterwards slaine in his chamber And so of Marlâ—ret slaine in his garden and of the famous learned man Ramus who hauing paid monie to ransome his life was beyond all humanitâ—e most cruelly quelled And generally who were the Authors not onely of the bloudie massacre in Paris but also of the like vprores in other Cities and quarters of the Realme principally at Lyons Orleans Roan Tolouse in which Cities within the space of one moneth there are numbred at the least thirtie thousand godly Protestants to be slaine your holy father at Rome to shew with what spirit he is led and with what meanes he sticketh to maintaine his Religion which otherwise would fall to the ground so soone as he heard of this bloudie tragedie maketh great ioy with his Cardinals with their procession with their gunshot and singing Te Deum Yea in honour of that Act proclayming a Iubile with great indulgence and solemnitie For Flaunders tell vs who murdered the noble Prince of Orange against whom it was proclaimed that who soeuer could bring him aliue or dead or slaie him should haue fiue and twentie thousand crownes You shall finde that such a Catholike-faith as yours is hath still sought to maintaine it selfe by such Catholike means as these are treasons tumults seditions secret murders and such like As for our true Christian Religion it is so cause of tumults garboyles and murders as Christes birth was of the murther of the poore infants in which neither Christ nor the infants ought offended the madnes was in Herod and all Ierusalem to be for this cause in an vprore In a word it is Herods Religion which seeketh to murther Christ and the Christes and annoynted of the Lord. I proceed to your aduertisement for a better direction to mens iudgements that all blessings of a Common-wealth may be reduced to two heades the one spirituall belonging to the soule and conscience the other temporall concerning the bodie and weale publike and that the Lord hath richly blessed this land since her Maiesties Raigne I doubt not to proue to all that haue iudgement and indifferency following your owne methode And first there hath beene in England since this happie alteration change from popish superstition to Christian veritie One God worshipped in spirit and truth one faith one belief one forme of seruice in praier and praises to God one number of Sacraments which are onely two by the word of God one head of the Church which is Christ the Lord as the holy Ghost testifieth by the Apostle Him hath God appointed to be the head of the Church And his substitute annointed appointed ouer vs is our Soueraigne and Queene who is to commaund and be obeyed in Christ and for Christ in all causes aswell ecclesiasticall as ciuill and not your proud vsurping Priest at Rome and if you can like to looke vpon the harmonie of confessions you shall find all the
them out by the name of slanders yea impudent and shameles slanders that by such mightie words he might blinde the eyes and steale away the affections of the simple readers therefore a word or two of each of them The next fained position wherewith he chargeth me is that I holde The Pope and his Cleargie are to bee obeyed though they commaund blasphemies against God and disloyalties against Princes which though you Sir Encounterer without all shame and contrarie to your owne knowledge if you haue knowledge in any thing but in rayling do tearme a shamelesse slander yet to as many as know Rome in any measure it is well knowne and will be found a true accusation and iust charge For proofe whereof that which your owne men haue written of the infinite power of the Pope may aboundantly suffice namely Though all the world would iudge in any matter against the Pope yet wee ought to stand to the iudgement of him for he seemeth to haue all lawes in the chest of his bosome therefore whatsoeuer the Pope either alloweth or disalloweth wee are bound likewise to allow or disallow the same And whosoeuer is not obedient to the lawes of the Church of Rome must be deemed an Heretike and againe it was as great a sinne as sacriledge to reason of any of the Popes doings and further that the Pope is said to haue an heauenly iudgement therefore in such things as hee willeth his will standeth for a reason and though he draw infinite soules with him to hel yet no man may presume to say to him Why doe you thus to whom whosoeuer denieth obedience it is all one as if hee did denie the Almightie power of God These are all alleadged out of your owne decrees and out of your owne doctors and your holy M. Harding shameth not to tell vs in his Inuectiue against Bishop Iewell of blessed memorie that Christ now requireth of vs not to obay Peter and Paul but him that sitteth in their chaire so that by this diuinitie we must obay the Pope whatsoeuer Peter and Paul teach to the contrary This I hope is a sufficient iustifying of my accusation But if you will answere me as Blasius did Laelius demaunding whether if Gracchus did bid him he would set the Capitol on fire Nunquam voluisset id quidem Surely he would neuer bid me so to do that the Pope likewise would neuer command blasphemies against God or disloyalties against Princes For proofe against the first I need go no further then our example of Thomas Becket for whom the Pope not only commanded a solemne festiuall day to be kept but in honour of him this blasphemous prayer to be vsed in that day Tuper Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit Facnos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit By the blood of Thomas which he for thee did spend Make vs O Christ to climbe whither Thomas did ascend Then which what greater blasphemie can be vttered to make any other Mediatour betwixt God and man then the man Christ Iesus and that by the blood and wounds which is the proper prerogatiue of him who was wounded for our sinnes and done to death for our transgressions But as if this were not blasphemie enough behold yet a greater euen Gods honour giuen to this Pope-holy Saint in this prayer made vnto him Opem nobis ô Thoma porrige Rege stantes iacentes erige Mores actus vitam corrige Et in pacis nos viam dirige Thy helpe ô Thomas vnto vs extend Rule such as stand raise them that fall Our manners deeds and sinfull life amend Into the way of peace eeke guide vs all Shall I adde hereunto another like example which in part I haue alreadie touched Sixtus the fourth taketh vp the controuersie betwixt the â—ranciscans and Dominicks about the conception of the blessed Virgin and against manifest Scripture plaine testimonies of fathers and the streame of his owne Doctors decreeth her conception without Originall sinne so taking from Christ his prerogatiue commaundeth the solemnizing of the feast of her conception excommunicating and condemning them for heretikes that did gainesay it and granting to as many as would heare Masse deuoutly from the first euensong of that feast to the Octaues of the same as many daies of pardon as Pope Vrbane the fourth and Pope Martin the fifth did grant for hearing the seruice of Corpus Christi day Yet here he staieth not but not only abusing that as a praier to the Virgine which was onely the Angels salutation and rather the Angels praier for her then to her for the better establishment of his new blasphemie addeth to the expresse words of Scripture commaunding the Aue Maria to be said with this addition and giuing release of sinnes to as many as would inuocate the blessed Virgin with the same addition Hayle Marie full of grace the Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongest women blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Iesus Christ and blessed is Anna thy mother of whom thy virgins flesh hath proceeded without blot of Originall sin Amen From hence did spring these such like points of doctrine offered to the people that she was not obliged to any punishment due for sinne no more then Christ that she had no need of remission of sinnes that if a Sauiour be taken for him which saueth such as haue merited condemnation then was not Christ her Sauiour but onely in this respect might be counted her Sauiour for preseruing her from all sinne and so sustaining her from falling into condemnation these and such like new found blasphemies al meÌ„ must receiue and hold her immaculate conception vnder paine of excommunication Touching their commaunding of disloyaltie against Princes I wish wee had not had too many proofes thereof then should not our gracious Soueraigne haue been so often endangered to the extreame griefe and feare of all true English hearts and to the hazzard of vtter ouerthrow of true Religion and the bringing in of a Chaos of temperall miseries vpon vs which being sufficiently knowne and conceiued of all but such as carrie in their bosomes the like false and flintie hearts that you doe I will spare to repeat any the rather because I shall haue occasion to speake of them hereafter But how like a Clerke you apply your three places of Scripture alleadged to prooue simple obedience due to your Prelates the first out of Heb. 13. ver 8. the second out of the Ephes. 6. vers 6. the third out of Rom. 13. vers 5. I referre to the godly learned yet if you will needes straine obedience to your Popish superiours out of these places of Scripture I pray you intreat them for I will spare here to except against their offices and authorities to ground their commaundements vpon Scripture and not to send ouer their Pupils to perswade subiects not onely from obedience due to their Soueraigne and to absolute them from their oath taken to obey
but barking at him like a mad dog calling him knaue traitor heretike villaine varlet beetlebrow-foole c. and afterwards committed him to prison where he lay a yeere and three quarters till the Papists had gotten certaine olde tyranous lawes by King Henrie and King Edward before put downe to be reuiued againe vpon which Gardiner cyted him and others ex officio before himselfe and his colleagues and pronounced against him Master Bradford and Master Saunders three worthie learned and painefull preachers the sentence of death His dealing with Master Philpot Archdeacon of Winchester a Gentleman of a good house being a Knights sonne though rayling Storie cried out against him he is a vile heretike knaue for an heretike is no Gentleman I aske not of what compassion and mercie but of what equitie and iustice did it sauour when he committed this valiant Souldier of Iesus Christ prison and kept him there a yeere and a halfe taking all his liuing from him without all lawe onely because he spake his mind freely of the questions proposed to be disputed of in the Conuocation house whereunto besides the libertie of the house they had the Queenes warrant for their securitie But it booted not to pleade priuiledge of the house or warrant from the Queene tender hearted Gardiner of his dissolute I would say absolute power kept him so long in prison and afterwards sent him to his slaughterman Boner to be branded to the fire In whom this is worthie the noting that he seemed as if he had been vnwilling to haue medled with Master Philpot saying I maruaile why other men will trouble me with their matters but I must be obedient to my betters and I wis men speake otherwise of me then I deserue as if he should haue said that the bloudie affection of Gardiners heart must be executed by Boners hands And when in that time of Master Philpots captiuitie with Boner Gardiner died Boner perceiuing that Master Philpot would by no meanes recant burst forth into these words Now ye thinke because my Lord Chancellour is dead we will â—â—â—â—e no moe Which wordes what doe they argue else but that howsoeuer some Bishops and other Clergie Masters were the inferiour executioners yet Gardiner the Lord Chancellour was the Arch-Dedalus and chiefe master of the worke and he that did blow the bellowes to kindle all the fires wherein the bodies of so many Martyrs were consumed to ashes The which will appeare more plainly if we consider a memorable storie set downe by Master Foxe of him reported by two credible persons of worship in the house of a worshipfull Citizen bearing then office in the Citie of London from Master Mundaie secretarie sometime to the old Lord Thomas Duke of Norffolke namely that the same day Master Ridley and Master Latimer were burnt at Oxford the olde Duke of Norffolke with this reporter his secretarie attending on him came to Bishop Gardiners house the olde aged Duke wayting there for his dinner the Bishop was not disposed to dine till at length about foure of the clocke commeth in his seruant in all post haste from Oxford assuring the Bishop most certainly that he saw fire put to them Then commeth out Gardiner reioycing to the Duke and calleth for dinner and began merely to eate but the bloudie Tyrant had not eaten a fewe bits but the suddaine stroke of God his terrible hand fell vpon him in such sort as to vse mine Authors own words immediately he was taken from the table and so brought to his bed where he continued the space of fifteene daies during which time he could not auoid by vrine or otherwise any thing that he receiued whereby his bodie being miserablie inflamed within who had inflamed so many godly Martyrs before was brought to a wretched end And thereof no doubt as most like it is came the thrusting out of his tongue from his mouth so swolne and blacke with the inflammation of his bodie A spectacle worthie to be noted and beholden of all such bloudie burning persecutors But not to stand vpon the deuotion of this your milde Bishop who would not eate till he were sure of the death of these two worthies a deuotion matchable with that of the Tyrant Richard the third then but Protector who sware by Saint Paule that he would not dine till the Lord Hastings head were off and would needs stay so long for his oathes sake nor vpon the great ioy this Bishop conceiued at the certaine report of their deaths as if the shedding of Christian bloud had been to him as the obteyning of great treasures nor yet vpon the fearfull iudgement of God so vpon the present and on the suddaine inflicted vpon him I will remember this one thing how that the Dutches of Suffolke espying him in the Tower being the prisoner inking Edwards raigne said it was merrie with the Lambes now the Wolfe was shut vp which speech this your gentle natured Bishop and nothing vindicatiue as you terme him well remembred in Queene Maries time and therfore in the first lent of her raigne studied an holie practise of reuenge first by touching this Dutches in the person of her husband Master Bertye for whom he sent an attachment to the Sherife of Lincolneshire with a speciall letter commaunding him most strictly to attach him and without Bale to bring him vp to him to London whereas he had no cause at all to send for him Afterwards examineth him of the Dutches his wiues Religion whether she was now as readie to set vp the Masse as before to pull it downe with further obiections to the same purpose by which Master Berty fully perceiued the cruell minde of the Bishop set vpon bloudie reuenge and therefore obtained leaue of the Queene for his vrgent and important affaires to passe the Seas secretly appointed how the Dutchesse should come after who with her daughter of a yeere olde with a fewe of her meanest seruants in great danger tooke barge at Lion Key in the mistie morning chusing rather to commit her selfe to the winde and waues then to your Gardiners gentle and nothing vindicatiue disposition What should I stand vpon any further matter to lay open the nature disposition of this your milde Prelate Boner who knew him better then you Sir Encounterer doth more then iustifie me in that large description of Gardiners nature disposition which he wrote to the Lord Cromwell wherein he tearmeth him to be of an hard heart and cankred malicious stomacke that he spake with a Pilates voice and chargeth him that in talke had with him he bad turde in Boners teeth againe and againe that the flesh of his cheekes beganne to swell and tremble and that hee looked as if he would haue runne through him that he behaued himselfe bedlemly that in malice and disdaine he might be compared to the diuell of hell not yeelding to him in pride at all with sundrie other notes of such speciall commendation
they obey all the lawes therof Inward loyaltie differeth from outward obedience the first we owe alwaies the second in all things we may not yeeld I hope Sir you will not accuse the Apostles of disloyaltie who yet obeied not all the commaundements of their Princes nor of want of loue to their countrie though they yeelded not to all the lawes thereof But you will proue by sundrie examples and that of the Scripture that we are not bound alwaies to loue our countrie as by the examples of Abraham and Lot yea that we may rebell against Prince and Countrie by the example of Ieremie Ieroboam and Iehu Did Abraham or Lot cease to loue their countrie because at Gods speciall commaundement they left it or did not the Prophet Ieremie loue his countrie because by speciall Reuelation and appointment from God he perswaded the people to deliuer vp Ierusalem into their enemies hands for whose destruction foreseene and by God reuealed vnto him he breaketh forth into that patheticall exclamatioÌ„ Oh that my head were full of water and mine eies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe daie and night for the slain of the daughter of my people For whoâ—e deliuerance he so often so heartily praied and was forbidden by the Lord to praie any more for them whose destruction after it happened he bitterlie bewailed in his mournful lamentations do these things proue he loued not his country Or because the Lord himselfe did rent the kingdome out of the hands of Salomon gaue ten Tribes to Ieroboam from Rheboam Salomons sonne And because he also expreslie commanded Iehu to destroy the whole house of Ahab his master doth it hence follow that subiects may be disloiall and rebell against their Princes who but a Popish Parasite would make such conclusions The generall proposition I trow holdeth true that no man may commit murther though Abraham by Gods commaundement speciall and extraordinarie might lawfullie haue slaine his owne sonne and that no priuate man may vsurpe the sword though Phinehes extraordinarilie moued did execution vpon Zimri and Cozbie A priuiledge is no law In summe God might commaund Ieremie to will the Iewes to yeeld to the Chaldeans and Ieroboam to take tenne tribes from Rehoboam and Iehu the kingdome from Ioram because he alone beareth rule in the kingdomes of the earth and he may giue them to whom he will he may set vp one and pull downe another but this proueth not that at the Popes bidding anie may play the lustie swash buckler and pull the Princes by force from the Throne which your defender of Catholikes laboureth stronglie to proue Therfore this position is not for ought this wrangler can alleadge to be controlled that euery Christian ought to striue to keepe these three sound within his brest his conscience before God his loyaltie to his Prince and his loue to his countrie And that his owne example of Athanasius will verifie who was farre from disloyaltie to his Prince or want of loue to his countrie for to shew his loyaltie to his Prince he departed at his Princes commaundement from his countrie which he ceased not to loue though for a time he did leaue it I neuer resisted the commaundements of your highnesse saith he no no God forbid I should But will you yet further see the liuely picture of an impudent cauiller because I say that all obedience is due to the Soueraigne Magistrate alleadging the wordes of the Apostle That we must subiect our selues to all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as to the superiour c. And first he exclaimeth all obedience is due to Princes yea all obedience c. crying out of the conscience of an Atheist or of a seruile minde c. If I had said we must obey our Princes in all things I had vsed the Apostles phrase concerning the obedience of children towardes their parents Children obey your parentes in all things shall anie Atheist then crie out against the Apostle Children must obey their parentes in all things yea in all things a conscience of an Atheist a seruile mind c. But as the Apostle by all things meaneth all such things as are not contrarie to Gods commaundement as he elsewhere expoundeth himselfe Children obey your parents in the Lord so is my meaning as cleare as the light that we must obey Princes in all things that imply not disobedience to God generall and vnlimited obedience we teach not to vow and performe to anie man it being due onely to God who cannot erre in the things he commaundeth Wee neuer held our selues in that sort bound to any King or Emperour though your Iesuites vow such obedience to their Superiours The very Poet may teach that Omne sub Regno grauiore Regnum est Each kingdome here a greater hath aboue Therefore sith earthlie King are vnder the King of Kings wee must so obey the inferiour as wee disobey not the Superiour The highest King hath set downe his law to earthlie Kings as well as others in the two tables if they presume to make a law contrarie to this lawe therein we are not to obey It was not disloyaltie in the AEgyptian Midwiues in forbearing to murther the male-children of the Israelites at Pharaohs commaundement nor in Obadiah in hiding the Lordes Prophets contrarie to Achabs will neither in the Apostles in not forbearing to preach in the name of Iesus at the Rulers commaundement they did as they ought preferre obedience to God before obedience to man when they cannot both stand together By all obedience then it is plaine that I meant true and sincere obedience from the heart not dissembling obedience onlie for feare as the Apostle when he perswadeth the Philippians to walke worthie of the vocation whereunto they are called with all humblenes of minde meaneth by all humblenes true sincere inward humilitie not counterfeite and hypocriticall And if mallice had not here lost both her eyes and her wits this scoulding cauiller might haue seene that in the very entrie to this point of obedience I doe manifestlie affirme it for I say these three things euery man ought to keepe sound within his breast first his Conscience before God secondly his Loyaltie to his Prince thirdly his Loue to his Countrie Now how is it possible a man should keepe sound his Conscience before God which I set in the first place if hee obey his Prince in things against God nay that I place first because it must be the director of vs in our Loue and Loyaltie both to Prince and Countrie If the Lawes of the Prince or Countrie commaunde any thing contrarie to it wee ought in such things not to obey our Prince and for such things we may flie our Countrie but yet not rebell or fight against them as you seeke to perswade saying that Christ alloweth greatlie of them that despise Father Mother Countrie and Kinred yea
they are willed to hate them and make warre against them for his sake and consequentlie also the like is willed against Princes in the same cause and this out of your conscienceles hart made fit for Rebellion you falselie and impudentlie affirme but we say we must hate Father and Mother as we must our life for Christ not to doe violence to our selues or to make warre vpon them nor to doe any thing against either but in comparison of Christ and for his sake not to regarde the losse of either and therefore that which you adde of warring against our Countrie and Prince for Religion as it is not in any text of holie Writ so doe you plainelie discouer your traiterous minde against Queene and Countrie and what was the marke you aime at in all this wrangling against the point of obedience His friuolous exception against my translating Saint Peters words which I alleage to proue That all obedience is due to Ciuill Magistrates for the Lords sake is not worth the answering he cauilleth first because I translate to euerie ordinance of man where hee would haue it to euerie humane creature which I thinke would affoorde but a colde sense But he saith I translate it to euery ordinance of man because it serued more to my purpose what purpose forsooth a purpose that I detest more then himselfe and those of his sect that we should obey euerie decree of man Master Beza translateth it Ordinationi that is ordinance shewing that by humane ordinance is ment that forme of policie and gouernment which is in euerie Common-wealth and that this policie or forme of a Common-wealth is called an humane ordinance not because it was inuented by men for it is the gift of God but because it is proper and peculiar vnto men to liue vnder Magistrates and Lawes The next exception hath lesse colour that I transtate to the King as to the superiour and leaue out or vnto gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him c. by calling the King the Superiour he dreameth that I meane the King to be absolute and all obedience due to Superiours which I haue alreadie answered But Sir if Saint Peter doe adde in the leauing out of which words you suppose a mysterie or vnto Captaines and vnder Magistrates sent from him as you translate is not the King rightlie termed Superiour in regard of the Inferiour and vnder Magistrates sent by him I suppose that Saint Peter doth first set downe a generall proposition to liue obedientlie to that pollicie vnder which wee are whether in Monarchie Aristocracy c. and then commeth to the speciall forme vnder which the Iewes did then liue vnder the Romane Emperours and their deputies Therefore I referre to the indifferent reader to iudge either of the falsehoode and treacherie he saith I haue vsed in corrupting and translating this little peece of Scripture or else of his vntemperate humour of rayling and cauilling his long digression about Spirituall Magistrates and formall speeches to Catholike Recusants I let passe But if you please to resolue all Recusants that they are bound in conscience to yeelde all ciuill obedience to her Maiestie as to their lawfull Soueraigne though the Pope send forth neuer so many Buls to depose her you shall deserue thankes of them in teaching them so godlie a lesson and free your selfe from no small suspition giuen that you are of a flat contrarie minde which will sticke neerer your conscience if you continue that mind then any prophane flatterie wrongfullie vrged by you against me shall euer doe to mine for God be blessed the truth of his Gospell hath taught me a farre better lesson then to flatter with any Resistance to the seuenth Encounter about the Pope FRedericke the good Duke of Saxonie requested earnestly that great learned Clarke Erasmus that hee would plainelie and truelie tell him what he thought of Luther and his writings to whose request Erasmus answering and that sincerelie and with great iudgement yet began his answere merilie saying that in Luther were two great faultes the one that he spake against the Monkes fat panches the other that he presumed to touch the Popes triple Crown But though each of these is a sore that may not be touched and an euill against which no man may presume to speak amongst the Papistes yet the least word vttered against the Popes extrauagant and vsurped authoritie is deemed an offence almost inexpiable for father Bellarmine himselfe doth teach vs that to call the Popes Crowne in question is to take the foundation from the building the shepheard from the flocke the Generall from the armie the Sunne from the firmament and the head from the bodie This conceit hath so farre preuailed with this libeller that he reuelleth and raileth against me for a few words vpon most iust occasion spoken against the Pope namelie that I call him the proud Priest and Archprelate of Rome bloudie monster Antichrist the man of sinne c. that thereupon he outrageth crying that these are but rauings of a lunaticke braine and belchings of a burthened stomacke with the surfet of heresie and charging me with audacitie or impudency rather that I presume to vse opprobrious speeches against the sacred honours of annointed Princes and the greatest Monarches of Christendome c. And here he imagineth as imagination is strong that he hath gotten a marueilous aduantage against me and therfore proclaimeth that I haue herein done contrarie to the law both of nature and nations and am to be checked and restrained euen for the verie honour of England it selfe and our Nation Yet all this winde shaketh no corne I doubt not but the wise and discreete reader will follow the counsell of Pythagoras who â—â—ght that the Muses were to be preferred before the Syrens or Mirmaids comparing falshood varnished to the shew with a gay flourish of words to the Syrenes and the plaine and naked narration of truth to the Muses which bare narration I will in verie few words here set downe and oppose it against all his Rhetoricall amplifications furious exclamations and railing calumniations which is the Iuâ—e bush he hangeth forth to make his wine seeme worthie the vttering To come then to a briefe declaration of these points I call the Pope proud Priest and Archprelate of Rome whereto he answereth that the words Priest and Prelate are names of his dignitie as they were in Christ and the Apostles themselues who were both Priestes and Prelates and Archprelates also in that they were more principall then others That Christ was and is an high Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech is by vs confessed and by you his priesthood by a consequent disanulled in that you haue ordained another Priesthood to offer propitiatorie sacrifices to God that the Apostles were massing or sacrificing Priestes all the Priestes in Rome and Rhemes shall neuer be able to proue that they might be called Archprelates in that they