are altered religion mournes because her best seruants want their wages For they neuer gaue so fast as now they take away Sublatis studiorum praemijs ipsa studiae pereunt saith Cornelius Tacitus and substraction is become a great part of patrons study The conclusiō like to follow such polling premisses is the decay of learning piety religiō the bringing in of al Atheisme error Barbarisme For they which would study diuinitie aboue all when they see that the Church hath scarce the fauour of an ordinarie ward yea when they behold the contempt the beggerlines vexatiō and miserable want of the ministery are glad to fall to phisicke or law or some other trade Gen. 48 7 What shall I say of you You are worse thē Pharao for he had a care of his priests howsoeuer the world went with the rest You are not so kind to ministers of the gospel as Iesabel that painted harlot 1. King 18.19 These shall rise in iudgement against you Iud. 17. was to the prophets of the groues for she fed foure hundred at her table you are not half so religious as Micha was superstitious for he maintained his priests You shew that you haue lesse loue to religion then they papists haue to superstition The kite is your cognisance who being greedy and rauenous yet mounteth aloft as though he would touch the gliding clouds but yet when he flieth a matchlesse pitch he hath his eies fixed below on the earth spying and prying for a carrion carcasse euen so you soare aloft in your contemplation and in a certain counterfeit sanctimony seeme to be raised and carried aboue the clouds yet so long as you can find in your harts to play the part-stake patrons to spoile the Church to seeke to enrich your selues by such robberies they are no better it is an infallible signe that you are worldlings and earthly minded seeking your owne gaine and priuate profit For Gods loue let this be reformed that we may know you by another cognisance The last and best sort of patrons are such as account them worthie of double honour which rule well The best sort of patrones 1. Tim. 5.17 that hold the labourer worthie of his hire that no man goeth to warfare on his owne charges 1. Cor 1 from the 5 verse to the 15 that husbandmen should eate of the fruit of such vineyardes as they themselues planted that sheppeheards should eat of the milke of their owne flockes that sowers of spirituall things which are the greater are well worthy to reape carnal things which are the lesser that they which serue at the altar are worthie to liue by the altar These for their cognisance may fitly giue some rare bird I had almost said the blacke Swan but it shall be the Eagle for she mounteth on hie and falleth not on the ground but to seeke her necessarie food and being satisfied straightway soareth aloft euē so the minds of these are occupied in heauen all superfluous cares being cast apart they indeed wish the prosperity of Ierusalem the happy florishing state of the Church O Lord almightie encrease the number of these and in thy mercy conuert or in iustice confound such Church-robbers as sauor nothing but their own gain as daily indeuour to take away the reward of knowledge are the death of thousand thousands of souls stir vp O Lord thy faithful seruant our dread soueraigne that with Nehemiah she may thrust out all such Eliashibs as abuse the Church in this manner Nehem. 13.14 and euerie Tobiah linked in affinity with them that thy seruants may haue their own portions and that thou maist not be mocked so we thy workmanship and sheep of thy pasture for so great a mercy shal praise thee fer euer Amen CHAPTER 12. The dutie of Christian Magistrates as well Soueraigne as others in hunting and taking the two-legged Foxes THere be two sorts of men which say that the charge of Religion belongeth not to the office of the magistrate First they which vnder pretence of their annointed cleargie and priuiledged priesthood cannot abide to haue their abuses reformed Secondly they which eyther are infected with some heresie or else are willing to dally with heretikes The first sort doe onely require of the magistrate to maintaine and defend their degrees The second sort holdeth that the magistrate ought onely to meddle with the maintenance of publike peace and not to regard what others beleeue or not beleeue But the true Church teacheth that the charge of publike religion doth not in part Charge of religion belongeth to the Magistrate but principally and most of all belong vnto the magistrate which thing the holy scripture approueth Moses the first generall magistrate of the Israelites God gaue the order of religion to Moses not to Aaron who did not represent the person of a priest which was put vnto Aaron but of the superiour power like vnto the authoritie of a king did giue the order of al religion vnto the people appointed vnto Aaron the order of the priests what they should do what they should not do Wherby it appeareth that the care of the order of religiō doth rather belong vnto the superior magistrat then vnto the degree of priesthood I know they will say that Moses did dispose all these things at Gods commaundement It is true but I will be answered againe why God gaue not the commaundement for order of religion vnto Aaron whom he had consecrated to be a priest rather then vnto Moses So then this rather sheweth that the charge of the institution and gouernance belonges vnto the magistrate but the institution charge and ministration belongs vnto the priests Againe after the death of Moses the charge of religion belonged not to Eleasar the Priest but to Iehosua the magistrate who was of the tribe of Ephraim Iosua 5 and not of Leui by whose commaundement the children of Israell were the second time circumcised the Ark of God carried by the priests the altars builded the people sanctified and the rest of the lawes fulfilled which Moses prescribed Againe Iehosua charged them to feare the Lord Iosua 8 and to serue him with an vpright and faithfull heart Iehosua charged them to rid out of the way all straunge gods Iehosua renewed the couenant betweene God and his people and compiled the words of the couenant into the booke of Gods law True it is that the office of magistracie and priesthood both were ioyned together in the person of Samuel 1. Sam. 1. but yet he being at that time the chiefe man in Israell iudged and determined as a magistrate taught and sacrificed as a priest Dauid a patterne for good magistrats The ordering of religion by Dauid and vnto whom Christian rulers ought to haue an eie for godlinesse 2. Sam. 6 had the authority of disposing setting forth true religion 1. Chro. 16 1. Cho. 22.23.24.25 he
pestilent perswasions of craftie companions as creepe â—nto mens houses and captiuate their consciences whom I beseech by the care of their owne saluation to beware of these Foxes and woorkemen so deceiptfull Although the aduersaries would beare vs in hand that the naile they do driue at is to bring men to their Caâ—holike religion yet experience hath â—aught vs that the principal marke that â—hey aime at The leuell of popish deuices is to moue them to treason or rebellion crimes so capitall in â—hemselues and execrable as barbarous â—eeds must they be that liue to do them them kingdome prince and people lamentably miserable that liue to suffer them And hereupon it comes to passe that in stead of disputatioÌ„ to proue their faith they bring vs dispeÌ„sations to withdraw from loyaltie and in lieu of reasons to confirme their religion they bring vs treasons to entrap the Realme Prince and Nobles whereof they haue been alreadie iustly conuicted though faine they would be canonized in the popish Kalendar as martyrs in the aray of Euangelick Apostolicke reformers But howsoeuer they would faine couer disobedience vnder the cloake of freedome of conscience treason vnder the colour of religion and rebellion vnder the shadow of a Catholicke profession yet magnified be thy name O God our king and protectour who hast allotted them successe answerable to their sinister meaning taken them in the pit that they had digged for others and hanged them as Haman vpon the gallowes whereupon they thought to haue hanged Mordecay The Foxe is rauenous and greedie Another propertie of the Foxe is that he is rauenous and greedie on his prey euen so these vnsatiable sea-gulfs vnder pretence of long praier haue deuoured widowes houses The Pope like The Philistians Dagon and gotten to themselues the goods of this world through counterfeit merchandice The Philistians Dagon was said to be like a man in the vpper parts but from the â—auell downeward like a fish That Dagon of Rome is neither flesh nor fish but as he flesheth himselfe in bathing â—n the blood of innocent martyrs so â—he maketh all fish that comes to net by fashioning religion as may best serue for the inriching of his coffers And â—herefore it was wittily answered of an Abbot who being asked Papa cuius parâ—is orationis said that he was participij parâ—is and why thinke you What part of speech the Pope is quia partem caâ—it à clero partem à seculari partem ab vtroâ—ue that is this word Pope is a particiâ—le that is of the qualitie of those that â—ut forth their hands on both sides the â—ish for he pils the spiritualty and polâ—eth the temporalty without meane â—nd measure part-stakes on both sides â—o the great woe of the world The exâ—erience of this is sufficiently tried by â—he taxes and valuing of benefices whereout the old Foxe must haue his share To let slip many of the scraps which he so carefully gathereth vnder the table of the beneficed like a dog onely the first fruits which the Prelats Bishops Abbots other benefice buiers haue allowed the Pope haue amounted in Fraunce yeare by yeare as it is reported but to tenne times an hundred thousand crownes and then ponder what a monstrous masse of money all other countries vnder his vsurped tyrannie doe bring in for you must thinke they are serued with the like sauce It is well knowne how the treasure of this Realme was traÌ„sported when the ambitious Prelate Cardinall Woolsey conueied two hundred and fortie thousand pounds sterling out of the kings Exchequer at one time for the relieuing of Pope Clement whom the Duke of Bourbon after the sacking of Rome drew forth of the Castle of Saint Angelo detained him prisoner in the Emperours armie What should 〈◊〉 speake of the reuenewes that are paid him euerie yeare of the strumpets of Rome amouÌ„ting for ech paid a ducate aboue fortie thousand ducates What should I speake of that which is brought him in the chamber of penance where â—emission of sinnes is rated at reasonable reckoning What should I speake of his daily dispensations granted for â—he grossest sinnes such mercandize is daily thrist to the Romish Pilates and ghostly fathers But especially the polluters of the name of Iesus And hereby it is come â—o passe that the olde gray Foxe is beâ—ome the Lord of the whole earth and â—et not contented daily coyneth new â—eates out of Sathans forge whereby to â—ncrease his pompe and pride His Carâ—inals Bishops Abbots are become Princes and Lords of whole countries â—is Munkes Friers and Massing priests â—hat with begging what with singing â—aue raked no small heapes together What call you this Peters successor O â—uantum mutatus ab illo I will neuer beâ—eeue that Peters chaire can conteine so â—onstrous a monster Peter forsooke â—he world and followed Christ the Pope â—ath renounced Christ and followed â—he world Peter had neither gold nor siluer but he had gifts and graces the Pope hath neither gifts nor graces but he hath so much siluer as he can find in his heart to shooe his concubines palf-freies therewith Peter would not suffer captaine Cornelius to crouch vnto him the Pope is in his ruffe rides on cockhorse is caried on mens shoulders treads on Emperors neckes keeps a quoile like the Diuell in euerie kingdome of the world so that now the Diuell and the Pope are both one and agree as well as two heads in one hood The diuell promised Christ all the world if he would fal downe and worship him the Pope promiseth heauen and earth to those that will fall downe and adore him Crueltie another propertie of the Foxe Another propertie of the Foxe is crueltie wherein the two-legged Foxes doe farre exceed the other and of that Christendome once hath had most lamentable experience for this is vndeniable that as poperie and subtiltie goe hand in hand whilest poperie is kept vnder so poperie and crueltie are mates vnseparable if once poperie get the vpper hand Here my louing countrimen though former triall hath giuen you good cause not to trust an old Fox yet by gleaning a few eares out of a full sheaffe it shall not be bootlesse to giue you a warning by others Amongst the rest as not the least notorious Boniface the eight may be remembred who raigned in the time of the Emperours Adolphus and Albertus Boniface 8. beares the bel for barbarous crueltie this prouerb in those dayes passing of him intrauit vt vulpes regnauit vt leo mortuus est vt canis that is he entered as a Foxe raigned as a Lion and dyed like a dogge It came to passe on a time in the citie of Genoa that he had in hand the Archbishop Procherus vpon the day commonly called ashwednesdaie who being enflamed against him maliciously because he tooke part with the Gibellines which assisting the iust title of the emperiall maiestie withstood the swelling insolencie of the popedome did
to display them sometimes raging amongst themselues who with one thrust of a sword should braueliest paunch an Indian sometimes rosting them aliue with soft fires sometimes murthering them with mankind mastiues sometimes a shambles of Indian mans flesh and causing them to eate one another Amongst the rest there is a strange storie of an Indian Lord flying from the I le Hispaniola into the I le Cuba who was by the Spanyards so hotly pursued An holie hypocrite that at the last hee was apprehended and tyed to a stake to be burned where a deuout fransciscan Frier began to enforme him in his catholike religion telling the Indian noble man that if he did beleeue those things he taught him he should goe to heauen presently and enioy euerlasting happines else no way but to hell to endure perpetuall torments The Indian Lord making a pawse at the matter asked him whether the Spanyards went when they died to heauen quoth the Fryer because they die in the catholike faith The noble man hearing him say so answered forthwith that he would not go to heauen nor haue any fellowship with sâ— bloudie a nation Mournfull Mexico for the desolation of thy nobles in whom thy ioy and glorie did cheifly consist thou hast warned succeeding posteritie to beeware of trusting Spanish courtesie Moâ—enzuma King of Mexico his thousand presents were not able to keepe him from Giues and wrongfull imprisonment These examples teach you that â—f you let this cruell Tirant but to tread â—pon the shoore his desire will not be satisfied vntill he haue footing withâ—n your walles and if once hee tread within your walles he will harbour in â—our houses and haue his hands in your â—reasuries nay though you would giue â—im as many presents as Motenzuma â—hey should not bee able to redeeme â—our feete from the Giues or necks from â—â—e Rope A vaine reply But some man will answere â—â—e that these were heathenish creatures â—ithout God in this world but they â—re catholikes of the Spanish faith and â—rofession I confesse indeede that the â—panyards greatly pretend the vpâ—olding of the catholike faith but their â—eeds declare that they wholy entend â—e encrease of their priuat commoditie Their large proffers are but Sodoms fruite Spanish proffers like Sodoms fruit for they although goodly in show yet being handled they fall to ashes these beautifull in outward appearance touched turne to poison to the ouerthrow of them that credit them For looke a little into the Low countries hath their catholicke religion freed them from Spanish inuasion Are not many of them willing to entertaine any religion and to forsake al to please the King of Spaine and are they for all this at better peace Their long and multiplied grieuances may teach you vnlesse vtterly vndocible that the catholike religion is but a Spanish masking weede to obtaine his purpose and that howsoeuer he promiseth you to set the crowne vpon a Popish head yet his captaines souldiers shal cast lots for your liues his gentry and nobles for your liuings and you as many as should liue should be slaues drudges euermore suspected and distrusted from which seruitude neuer to bee deliuered vnlesse your wiues should conspire Lastly if other nations haue so felt these furies though scarce thought to haue done him any wrong what treacheries what cruelties Spanish hearts most bitter against English men what villanies must we needes looke for to be performed vnto vs of him whose malice is multiplied according to the number of so many supposed receiued harmes and foule dishonours Then countrimen Italionated or Englishmen Spanyardized let me thus much perswade you that the benefit of your treason if vnhappilie successe should answer your sinister meanings which God forbid is that your countrie should be desolate your selues feared or suspected and the garland of your peace shall adorne the heads of your deadlie foes your stately houses shall harbour stinging serpents a thing lamentable but yet a iust reward of traitors CHAPTER 4. An oration from olde Rainard to his Iesuiticall cubbes and extrauagant Foxe-priests wherein his experienced wilines directeth them from curious contemplation to treacherous practises DEare sonnes before I take my leaue and last farewell I cannot choose but reuiue the remembrance of my auncient loue not that by recounting my abundant fauours which from time to time you haue tasted I meane vpbrayd but rather to recomfort my selfe whose loue towards you by nature or forwardnesse to fit you to further seruice is so well recompenced with diligence to execute what I shall giue you in charge You know sonnes how I haue erected seminaries and to what end which mine enemies doe call bad conuenticles no better then cockatrices to hatch treason in these I neuer thought any cost too dear Not causelesly whereby either to make your bodies fit for trauaile or to helpe your natures inclination with fallacious art for the accomplishment of our purpose And now my sonnes it is hie time that you fall from contemplation to practise which is to transforme religious superstition into policie Popish practike diuinitie and policie into treason wherein let none of you scorne your old fathers direction for though your yonger yeares be riper in art yet my experience may teach you in treasons to bee acted English you are and to England must I send you whose Albion clifts seeme to me a farre off like rockes of pure Diamond where some right dearely loue me your olde father Too many and from the depth of their entire affection shall embrace you my deerest children And more shal the more thou art discouered But the greatest part pursue me with deadly hate tearming me no better then a bloudsucking Canniball a robber of Churches Fit titles for thy Foxe-ship a patrone of heresies a father of falshood the brocher of quarrells the head master of mutinies the seede-man of sedition the infringer of liberties the controller of Princes the enemie of Christ the monster and astonishment of nature enchayning Christian soules in miserable thraldome and more then Aegyptian seruitude But the time may come when all this may be repaid the hope whereof is vnto me as it were a restoratiue to reuiue my faint and languishing spirits which hope doth depend chiefly vpon your cunning Two reuiuing cordials for the old Foxe his heart in compassing and cunning consisteth in this which followeth first that you worke vpon such as are fit to be added to our catholike faction and secondly in the manner of the performance Those that are the likeliest to be fitted to this frame that is to lend an hand when oportunitie strikes alarme I speake not sonnes of those who alreadie are deuout catholikes earnestly expect and hartily pray for successe of our cause Who are likeliest to be framed to popish practises either are male contents whom enuy or inconstancy may make desirous of a change or loose professours proculstants who haue lent
recouered the Arke of God from contēpt receiued in the time of Iudges of Saul placed it more comely he appointed Priests Leuites singers and doore-keepers to minister in the tabernacle of the lord He aduised kings to looke vnto their duties Psal 2 And now ye kings vnderstād be learned which iudge the land serue the Lord in feare c. Salomon did beare the highest charge in religion Salomon Asa and Iehosaphat tooke charge of religion not onely in building the Lords Temple but also in consecrating hallowing of the same What should I speak of Asa who hauing the charge of religion did rid away the Idols out of all the land of Iuda Beniamin 2. Chro. 6 2. Chro. 15 2. Chro. 29.30.81 c. And of Iehosophat who tooke away the hil-altars and groues out of Iuda Of Ezechias who following the footsteps of his father Dauid in the beginning of his raign the first yeare and first moneth opened and refurnished the gates of Gods house commaunded the priestes to heare him to become holy to cleanse the Lords house and to rid all filthines out of his sanctuarie appointed Leuits with cymbals Psalters harps according to the ordinance of the king his father The like is written of Iosias who vsed the same power authority in the like case Now then since it is so cleare Iohn 12.18 Rom. 13.1 that kings princes are the seruants of God established in authority girded by him with a bawdrier to the end that not only honesty of life should be maintained opposed to violence dissolution but that the true seruice of God should be aduanced contrary to idolatry superstitiō Therfore they ought with all the power which God hath giuen thē to vphold the holy ministery worship of God as wel in vprightnes of discipline as purity of doctrine that both may be cōformable to the word of the Lord testified by Christ his Apostles without adding or clipping or altering consequently bridle as much as they can punish according to the exigence of the case the perturbers of the peace of the Church For religiō belongs not to the left but to the right hād of a prince neither is there any crown so curiously wrought or cunningly set with precious pearles that can half so beautifie a princes person as to seek to promote the glory of the lord and to take these Foxes which seeke to vndermine his vineyard The seruants of Benhadad king of Syria 1. King 20 Traitors make mercy the groundworke of mischiefe what wrong soeuer they had offered to Israel yet fallen into the lapse would reuiue and recomfort themselues with these words Behold we haue heard say that the kings of Israell are mercifull kings let vs therefore put sackcloth about our loins and ropes about our neckes and go to the king of Israell it may be that he will saue our liues Thus standing vpon what may be and not what ought to be what peraduenture he would and not what they deserued they make mercie the ground plot of mischiefe But the king is reproued and it is told him thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people No lesse are those runnagate ruffians to be regarded with thē which welcome and intertaine them For as the practise of the one is to steale away the hearts of subiects so the mark that the other aime at is to lend them their hands against their countrie if time should serue their turne The Almightie God preserue her Maiestie and euermore increase all zeale in her for the punishment of his her enemies that as Asa commaunded all such to be slaine as would not serue the God of Israell as Darius deliuered Daniel 1. King 15 Daniel 6 Daniel 4 2. King 19 2. King 23 and cast his enemies into the den of the Lions as Nabuchadnezzar serued him who by proclamation forbad any in his Dominion to blaspheme the true and very God as Ezechias and Iosias serued him by ouerthrowing the groues and the places that were set vp contrarie to Gods commaundement So she with Dauid hating Gods enemies with a perfect hatred may seeke to root them out more and more and as alreadie she hath broken downe the lofts that were builded to idolatrie ouerthrowne polluted and defiled the altars defaced the vessels that were made for Baal and for the host of heauen so she may cut vp the verie roots of iniquitie and expell the Cananites that the Common-wealth of Israell be not troubled O let not the glozing speech of any ambitious parasite dazle her highnesse eies nor boulster vp poperie by a false perswasion to further clemencie but let him be dishonoured in a day that is not truly zealous for the honour of his God and let him die the death that wisheth not her Maiesties throne to stand steadie as the seat of Salomon and you that feare the Lord and loue his truth say Amen Furthermore as the foresight of her Highnes most honourable counsell hath appeared in shielding vs from forraine foes so ought their chiefe circumspection to be seen in shielding vs from domesticall feare Then shall we being free in our bowels from sedition at home be stronger to withstand forraine power abroad It is not a safe thing to lay the bridle vpon the necke of such dangerous practitioners by whom both prince your selues our liues our countrie our fortunes may be hazarded in an instant execution of discipline is a perfit mithridate against al dangerous conspiracies insurrections seditions rebellions and all popish pollicies Correct saith Bensyra a wise man with a nod and a foole with a club there hath been mildnesse and lenitie shewed long enough there hath been becking and nodding and notting long enough but the froward will not receiue information What remaineth then but an hammer or an hatchet or a club execution I meane of Iustice against these household enemies Your H. shall rightly propose to your selues the example of Moses who for the like cause hanged vp the princes of the people teaching thereby all good rulers to make them examples in suffering who haue been the ringleaders in offending Here also to you the graue sages of this land may rightly a lesson be read I meane the Iudges placed ouer Gods people to iudge soundly substantially betwixt brethren and brethren vnto whom God hath after a sort lent his name and his seat The dutie of Iudges in hunting the Foxe to teach you chiefly to regard and maintaine his owne honour If it be your duties to punish theeues murtherers and such like perturbers of the peace of the Common-wealth then much more the vnderminers of the Lords vineyard grosse Idolaters hollow hearted votaries disloyal persons whose liberties prosperities in a Christian Church what can it elfe argue but that iustice is turned into iugling and true religion either into heathenish prophanenes or Romish superstition You may not forget that