The seditious and blasphemous Orati­on of Cardinal Pole both against god & his Coūtry which he directid to themperour in his booke intytuled the defence of the eclesiastical vnitye, mouing the­emperour therin to seke the destruction of England and all those whiche had professid the gospele ☞

Translated into englysh by Fabyane Wythers.

Reede all and than Iudge.

Fabyan wythers to the gentle reader.

IF in tymes past the auncient historiogra­phers D ye euene the prophane auctors haue thought yt mete eyther to extolle or abasse to praise or dispraise suche as in their days and ty­mes haue bene eyther grate or in grate benefyciall or noysome to ther comō walth how much mor in these our days in thee whiche the trew lyght of the gospell shyneth amongest vs and christian loue & chariti shold florish ought we to derect and disclose al such vnto our posterities the which haue not only gone about to seke the vter destruction and ruyne of their owne natife Countrey and comon wealth by inflaming [Page] and incensinge prince againste prince but also that which more (yea worse) is hath not fear id cō trary to his owne forimer pro­fessions and confessiōs most shā ­fuly & abominably to backbyte and stander Christ him self his gospel and his trew folowers, as thauctours of all myschiefes seditious and tumultes, Such B a man was Renold Pole an english Cardinal but not as thē of england who in the yeare of our Lord. M. D. xxxvi. being sent ambassadour from the po­pe to y e french king for to intreat apeace was thought in this his embassade to go about nothing els (then as by this his oration aperyth) to styr vp and sow dissencion malice & discord Such [Page] was his Good wyll that he bare to his natyfe contrey and comon wealth that for his owne aduantage and preferment he desirid (yea & procurid) as much as in hī lay y e vter subuersiō & ruyne of y e same, & to procede wheras you shal rede after in Athana­sius glose that at what tyme he was in Germani at Augusta and there was lodgid in the pa­stors house hee said that he dyd very well allow and agree vnto all their doctrine & that he wold declare no lesse yf there were Any couocations or comon coū cells holden. Now be hold the great and double dissimulation of this holy ypocrite who al beit that before in his ambassade vnder the pretence of intreati for peace had gone about nothing [Page] ells then to moue and stirr vp discord and warres, euen now again at his retorn vnto Rome fearid not to dissemble and cloke euen with God him self, for al­though as before you haue hard he semid not to be ignorant of the truth yet when he was come to Rome (whether he wer suspe­ctid of Lutheranysme and to auoid the suspicion ther of or no, or ells that he did yt to gratifie the pope with all) he wrote a boke against kyng Henry theyght king of Englād intituled the de­fence of the vnity of the church in the which boke he conuerting his style vnto themperour he includid this most detestable pestiferous yea and seditious ora­tion against the king of Englād vnto whome he was not only [Page] most neare ioined in affiniti and kindred but also as he him self confessith most greatly bounden for his education and literature But now mark I pray you how the prick of his owne consciens causid him to display his owne hypocrisie when he had wrytten this boke hee cansid yt to bee imprintid at Rome at his own propet costes and charges and whē they wer thus printed he fearing least yf they shold be caried a brod and come vnto the han­des of such vnto whome he had before professid the contrari that then yt wold torne to his great ignominie and reproche toke all y e bokes into his owne handes & sett none of them abrode sauing a few whiche he gaue vnto the pope & certain cardinales whō me [Page] he knew very well wold al­low his doinges, Sed nihil occultum quod non reuelabitur. For God wold not suffer his church to be so much abused or deceauid by his hypocrisy but that at the length he wold bring yt to lyght for although these his doinges werby a long ceason kept close & secret yet at the length they cam vnto the handes of one or to in Germanye who hath set theme forth to the eys of al men, And bycause all trew english hartes shuld not be ignorant what a venemous viper they haue of late noryshed euen in there own bo­somes whiche sought nothing els then to knaw a sunder y e bo­wels and to destory his mother and coūtrei, I haue for the vse & comodyty of all men translatid [Page] this his oration into english the which my labours & trauailles in this behalf bestowid and ta­ken yf they mai reapethonly frutes of thākfulnes in accepting y e same, It shall cause me w t more spede & greter diligence seke to gratifie y e again w t most pleasāt and godly histories to thy great delectatiō & confort. now gentle reader y t I haue sō what declarid vnto you thoriginall & cause w t the time & plase of this his oratiō w t also his maner & forme in setting forth of y e same I will cease to be any lōger tedious vnto you referrīg yt to your owne discreation to iudge vpon the oratiō as you shall think y e matter doth re­quire thus wyshing vnto the all vertuous successe in godlines I comytt the to the tuition of all­myghty God.

F. W.

VErelye I doe wytnes bothe the loue of my cō ­trye the whiche nature A hath wrought in me & also the zeale of the churche y e whi­che y e sonne of god hath kindelid in my harte, and cāne by no meanes be expulsed or layd awaye. That yf I vnderstode or knew that Ce­sare with all his nauye had alredy entred and taken the seas & had directid his course to wards constantinople the chiefest palais & force of the great turke. Yea albe yt, all the perylls & daungers of the world wer present & sett before me, I wold neuer rest nor stay vntyl y t I myght comme vnto his presence although he had already entred y e straightes of helle spontus to thēd I myght haue conuenient oppor­tunity [Page] to talke withe him before whome I wold burst out and speake in this maner Cesar what doest thou go about, or what doest thou intende whether wylt thou go or saill with this thy greate nauye & furniture if y e loue of y e Christiā Comō wealth do so muche moue thee, that thou woldest assaill and inuade the kyng of turkes being an ancyent ennemy vnto the name of Christ, wer it not muche more mete & better for thee to conuert & turne thy hole force and power, that wais from whence a greater daunger is imynēt vnto our comō wealth from whence also a presēt B myschief and a newe enemy much more greuous and worse then the turk, doth vexe and greue vs, You for so muche as you se so many [Page] thousands of christians, opressed with y e most vile & hard seruitu­de & bondage of the turkes you do thinke yt a worthy & notable act to deliuer them and to restore theim vnto liberti the whiche in dede is no lesse thē prayse worthy but yf you coūt this so laudable a thyng how much more glorioꝰ & praise worthy wer yt to redeme & releas so many thousāds of soules beyng euen in present perill and danger beyng also violētly rapt and taken away out of the lappe or bosome of the church and euē now brought into great doubt & danger of saluation and to re­store y e same again vnto y e church & fayth of Chryst. such is y e perill whiche is iminent and hangyng ouer our heades & y e enemy also [Page] whiche goethe about and hath brought a great part of the same to passe, is suche a one as thou canst not excuse thy selfe o Cesar but to vnderstand and know the same. The which thyng as it is most laudable so dothe it also apere most necessari fyrst to pro­uide and seke remedy for this myschief D whiche is now spronge & growyng vpon vs before thou prouyde or seke for the lyberty of the body, & verely yt is so much the more necessary that except, you imediatly resiste and with stand this myschief all that you now go about is but in vayn al­though you shuld subdew all a­sai & expulsing the turkes frome thence you shuld retourne a con­querer. I pray you what shal you [Page] then haue profited whē in place E of them whome you haue expul­sid out of asia new turkes be ry­sen and sprong vp amongst vs at home for what other thing ar the turkes then a certain secte of christians, New Turkes. which in tyme paste haue shrounk and gone a way from the catholyke church. Ne­ther do thee turkes, hate or ab­horre the name of Christ or reiect his gospell but as the arrianes dyd in times past thei take awai that dignity from Christ that he shulde bee thee sonne of God, The ariā with many other thinges which they haue taken of the arrianes how beit thy affirme christ to be a great prophet, and also owe no small reuerence vnto his mother mary. The orygynall and be­gynyng [Page] of the turkes relygion is all one withe all other here­syes. [...]ho­ [...]igiyal of the turks religion. They wer the first which wēt away frō y e church forsaking and denienge him to be the hed whiche was ordeined and left by Christ and so by lytle & lytle F they vterly declined & swarued from the doctrine of Christ. what shuld I say more, do you you not see how largley & aboūdantly this turkish sede is spred and so­wen amōgest vs. I wold to god yt wer so small that you could not perceaue yt. But you haue G sene that which is greatly to be sorouid euen in your owen cōtry of germany, but as yet ther is not y e playn turkish sede, The Tur­kish sede in [...]ermany. because it is not yet sowen or sprede ne­ther by publyque auctority ne­ther [Page] yet by commaundement of any one which hath rule or po­wer ouer others to compell them vnto yt, and ther fore it is not vterly to be despaired but that y e trewe germā church of the ger­manes hauīg oppressid this adulterous & noughty sede may flo­rish and spring again and bring forthe y e trew & aboūdant fruits of the catholike fayth.

So likewise in Englād wher as in tyme past trew religiō did also florish now is this sede so sowen and strengthened by thā ­ctorytuy of one man that it can starsly be discernid frō the tur­kish sede and to thin tēt that that which is alredi sowē shuld haue the better encrese it is defended withe the sword, and with the [Page] sword they answer all that is obiectid against yt and this is the very turkyshe maner & thꝰ their sect doth in crese and grow But in this point it doth differ from the turkes for so much as the turks sect doth compell no man vnto ther opiniō for he that doth I not impugne there religion al­though he be of a clene cōtrary opinion he maye liue in safety amongst them and they do also much reuerence and honor good men although thei be of cōtrary religion. The which thing the greke monkes which inhabyte K the mont Athusdo wytnes to be trew whom the turkysh em­perour him self doth much sette by, in so much that he doth often send such as haue offendyd vnto [Page] them that they shulde praye for them and comend them in ther prayers vnto almyghty God vnto whome he beleuyth y e ar most dearlye beloued and in Fauour, No man truly vnder all his hole emprye or dominiō and of what secte soeuer he bee yf he kepe his tonge is in any maner of peril or daunger, But wher as this new and pestiferous sede is now ther is no lesse punyshement or dā ger for them that kepe sylence thē for suche as moste in pugne and striue against them, behold. Thomas Moore who alone in ve­rtue & Learnyng dyd chieflye. L excel he was put to death for his silence, monkes in lykwyse the­more M holy & relygeous thei seim me to be the more thei ar in daunger [Page] so that fynally all mens ton­ges ar stoppid by feare of the swear. N what wold you desire more o Cesar whan thes goodly begynyngs this violence and cruelti whiche is exercised against holy men doth sufficntly shew what peryll and danger is rysen to the church by denieng and refu­sing the heade of the church.

Ye the turkes them selues a­gainst whome thou doest prepa­re warres may be an exāple for the, the which hauing this path or way opened vnto them haue attemptid to oppresse and ouer­thorw the church of christ when as they reiectid and cast of thau­ctoryty of the superme head & in stede ther of haue brought in the force and rigour of the.

[Page]Swerd thorow the which they haue so long a tyme defendid thē selues y t it is to late for the church to seke for, or call home hir chil­dren again whiche haue alredy forgotten ther mother. Yf the turkysh sect, do not sufficientlye declare vnto you the greatnes & hougenes of the perill which I haue spoken of before. Germany it felfe doth shew it aboundantly if thou doest consider wyth thy selfe how quiet, how peaceable, and religious a prounce it hath bene in tymes paste, and finallye howe plentifull and aboundant it was in all thinges, so long as it contynwed in the vnytye of y e church. Contrarywyse yf you do marke these late dais or times in y e which it is vexed and troubled [Page] with intestine and cyuyle warres after y t it had refused & reiectid y e head of y e church it is so tossed & troubled that all hope of recouery or end of there myschiefs is vtterly past except (as god graūt they may) they do retorne again to thee vnity of ther head and church. Verely this acknowleging of one hed or Gouernour hath alwais benethe moste sure and strong fort and defence of y e church. This y e herytikes aboue all thinges do chyefly assaille & inuade this same the catholykes do alwais defend, yea and Cesar him self. like wise of late was it also defendid in England euen, of the nobles being the children of y e chuch in so murch y t thei thought it better to offer ther maked [Page] bodyes vnto y e weapons of their enemyes rather then they wold forsake that only fort and strong hold the which being once sub­dewed & ouercome thenemyes of christ myghty haue easy passage to assail & ouerthrow the church Notwithstanding they haue vaanquissed and slayne diuerse myghty men children of the church which sought to with stād them. The which thing it is no▪ mar­uaill though it com so to passe for so much as tehnemys haue a king to bether gwyde and Ca­pytaine. As yet in all the great O myseries and calamyties which haue happened vnto the church ther was neuer no kinge which had conceiuid anny peruerse or cōtagious opiniō against the sa­me, [Page] but now it hath so inuadid y e hart of our kinge that he doth defende and mayntaine this his P secte euen by thee very same meanes as the turk doth mahu­met shewyng & shaking his na­kid and drawenswerd vnto al such as dare once dissent or disa­gre from hym. Nether doth he so muche desyre any thyng as y t he myght haue tyme and space to confyrme and establyshe hym self that he myght bring a grea­ter myschief and plague vpō the church then hath at any tyme be­fore bene wrought by any turke and suerley he wyll do nolesse yf he obtayne that which he doth desire and goo about.

Wylt thow then o Cesar: which sayest y t thou bereste such [Page] a zeale and loue vnto the christiā comon welth that thou wylt do althinges for thee louee therof, graunt or gyue hym this time & space, Seing this parte of the Comō wealthe thus vexed criēg and calling for thy helpe ayd & socour seing their ruyne so nere that remedi can not be any more prolonged yf yt shulde any thing at all profit.

But you couert your hole force and poure another wais so that what thorow your far dystance & absence and your doub­tfull warres against so myghty an enemye all hope is vtter­ly takē away that you can by a­ny meanes help or succour vs in sesō as them whome you go now to deliuer out of bondage, wylt thou [Page] then o Cesar frustrate thexpe­ctacion of all thy frindes espe­cially seing that the truste and confidēce which thy haue in you is thonly cause whye the haue not as yett tryed ther owen force and pouer at home nether haue attēptid to defend them selues by their owne strēgth. do not hinke R Cesar that all the noble spirytes and Courages ar gone out of the english mens harts nether Iudge that al the loue of sincere & pure religiō is vtterlye extinct in them. A sure coniectour & tryall you maye haue her of by the death of thē which wil nigly haue yeldyd them selues to their enemyeis to be offred vp for relygiōs sake. If god in the tyme of helias the prophete preseruide [Page] seuē thousād men which had not bowed their knes vnto baal from thee wycked Achab when they shuld haue bene slayn thorough y e perswasiō of his wicked wyfe Iezabel, do not think that in this tyme in the which y e grace of the holye gost is muche more spred S abrode that this wycked Iezabel though she be neuer so swyft vnto slaughter coulde haue put to death all the trew worshipers of religion. Beleue me ther remayn yet hole legions in England of those which haue not bowed their knees vnto Baall whome, T whollye and altogether yf thou do come God hym self whiche hath preseruid them will bring them vnto you. The Englyshmē o Cesar ar euen the very same [Page] which for a muche lighter cause euen them selues wihout any external help or ayd haue taken vengeance on their owen kinges for the euil administration of the comon wealth. They which also haue called ther kinges to ac­compt for the wastfull spending of ther mony to thee domage of the comon wealth and whē they could not approue & iustify the same they compellid them to resigne both croune and strepter w­hose coragions and stout sto­macks for so much as they do yet remain nothing doth stay nether B hath stayd them a great while frō reuenging thinium of their king but only the hope & expectation which they had in you. vnto w­home they thought this matter so muche to pertayn, that except [Page] you wold defraud your, owne nature, which by many your wor­thi actes thei wer persuadid to be most noble or els that you wolde set a syde all loue of religion the which it hath aperid you to be moste studiōs & desirous of: that they wer assured y t you could not but you must neds take this ma­ter or cause vpon you. For they suppose vereley y t throughe you their euell mai much more easili withe lesse trouble and danger, vnto the kingdome be remedyed and withstand, then yf they them selues shuld haue attemptid it with their owen pouer & ther in suerly they Iudge well and wor­thely do loke for you. But whe­ther now o Cesar doest thou fley so fare frō thē, what thing doth [Page] draw the away so farr from thy frindes leuing so great an ocasiō ministred y e at home and to go wher ther is lesse dāger. do thy souldiars draw the that way? Or is their willes more bent towar­de thee affaires of theast parte wher their aunciēt enemyes are then to ward the west wher new enemys are Rysen?

What Souldyars bee they o Cesar? If thei be the Spaniards to whome of Ryght thou doest much trust whose glory also in dyuerse battaills hath largely apearid: Truly yf they hard or sawe that noble progeny or of­springe of Isabel oppressed with mysery and calamytye in a most Iust cause desyring or requiring their help and ayd I know Cesar [Page] that the memory of that most worthy woman is not yet so fare out of their mind that they wold vtterly frustrate the desyres and requestes of her most worthy doughter. I know ther is nothing so acceptable vnto them which they wold not wyllingly refuse and Leue of to healp this noble woman whome thonly honor of the knygdome of spayne▪ which herin is chyefly sought wold sufficyently moue ther vnto yf they dyd but only heare or vnderstand, that y e king of spain his doughter being by the space of .xx. yeres coupled in mariage to be thrust out of the kinges pa­laice for a harlottes cause as though she had bene y e doughter of some light person or of some [Page] boure or els had come bi stealth frō the futher parts of barbarye vnto the kinges chamber & not to haue had so noble a kinge to her parent Or that she had ryghfully bene geuen him to wyfe out of so noble a kingdome, wolde they with a quiet mind suffer so great a iniury which scarsly mā of the basest sort wold beare or suffer. And wher as ther cane scarsly any man be found of so couerdly a stomack which wold not by all means possible euen with the perill of his lyfe seke to reuenge suche an opprobri done vnto his doughter: wold not the Spanyards, whose valiant courages hath bene experimētid the semani yeres in sondri victoryes reuenge the iniurye of their kin­ges [Page] doughter, how I say can the noble nation of the spainyardes neglect or think any thing to bee preferrid before this so great an iniurye which doth both deface ther victories and most manyfe­stly assault your honour and the glory & renowne of spain. what thing can be more ignominious or slaūderous vnto you then so muche to esteme other nations that spain ether wyll not or can not reuēge such a contumelious iniuri done, vnto them. But truly yt can not so bee thought. The whiche that thou maist euydently know suffer me (o Cesar) only to speak vnto thy souldiars and thou shalt see them all with one accorde as sone as they shall here the doughter of quene Iza­bell [Page] and thy neuew once named desiringe ther ayd and healpe redy yf thou wilt suffer them to alter their, course and iourney. But I (Cesar) require or desire nothīg of the nor of thi souldiars for thy cosynne katherines sake. Nether will she anye thing to be spoken in her behalfe complain­yng nothing at al of her vnfortunate estate but willingli bearith y e vnstability of fortune y t which hathe so shewid her cruelty v­pon her y t euen in the tyme in the which thou dydest most florysh & she ought to hau floryshed & she was cast downe into a most myserable state & cōdiciō, iea & by how much thy affaires dyd most suc­cede and go forward with the: so much the more iniuriously and [Page] greuuosly she was handled and oppressid. But of her self priuat­ly she doth nothing complain or say nether of her one cause, it is for england o Cesar that she cō ­playnyth to whome it is geuen into the which as a noble plāt or graft she is trāslatid & grafted y t whiche contrey also she ought to loue as her owne & truli doeth it. For this Cōtrey she doth entreate for so much as her cause is so knit bi al meanes possible with y t cause of this most noble & her derly be loued prouince, and coūtrey, that her cause beyng neglectid it must nedes folow thee contrey also to be in most euil estate. More ouer what a peasable and quiet pro­uince she found at her commyng thyther, and now how yt is vexid [Page] with seditious and inward war­res, thee whiche can not happen without her great hurt and de­triment, for so muche as her cau­se is so vnited and knyte with re­ligion: So that yf she be forsakē, it must nedes folow religion to be destitute, thee ancyēt fayth of the churche to be abolished and new sectes to spring and rise, not only B in the Iland which she foūd most religious and holy: but also tho­rough the contagion of the same to infect and spred ouer all other countreys & prouinces, and therby finalli al the hole church to be perturbed and troubled. If this myschief be such that none can be more greuous, in the which alone all other myschiefs ar conteynid and is sene, not by coniecture or [Page] gesse as a tēpest hāging our our heads, but perseaued to be euen at hand and to bee growē vnto this point that no mans estate or condition is more dangerous in england thē such as be most relyons and holy the which do retain and kepe the auncyent costume & faith of the church (who can be in safegard there where as such examples A of cruelty hath bene she­ued vppon those most holy men Rochester and More) yf fynally all these thinges (o Cesar) be such that yt wold moue and styr the hartes of all princes and no­ble men to redresse and amēd the same she therefore dooth requir y e help and socour be not longer delay or kept backe from the comō wealth

[Page]For so much as that comon cause doth also priuatly touch her the which being y e dougthter of ferdinando begottem of her mother Isabell and thy cosynne (o Cesar) especially yf she haue comytted nothing vnworthy her noble parents, her stocke or kin­dred, or to the noble realme from whence she is comme forth of, ne­ther at any tyme in all her troble was their any of her most cruell B enemyes so bold to obiecte or lay any such thing against her wher­fore (o Cesar) she doth desire and require thee for so muche as God hath grauntyd the suche pouer & and riches that thou art able not only to receaue & withstand thy myghty ennemy the turke, who raigneth ouer so many kingdo­mes [Page] when he dothe inuade the but also dareste prouoke hī vnto warre when he is at quyet: that thou woldest fyrst help in y t parte from whence a greater myschyef then the turkes is rysen toward the Crystian comō wealth wher as also easy wictory with out a-any peril or danger is offred vn­to you. This she doth make in­tercessione for, euen for thaffinity that is betwene her and you, for the honour of the kindome of spain, vnto thee whiche chyfe respect is had in this mater, and for the health of the cristian common wealth, she doth most humbly desire you that you will not think any thing, to be preferrid before this most holy and publyque vti­lyti and oportuniti & vnto your [Page] self priuatly most glorious and praise worthy when as you may euen at one tyme augment both the honour of your oune house or family the glori of the kingdome which hath made the renouned in so mani and sondry, victoryes and also torne away y e great ruy­ne which is towards the cristiā. Comon wealth Such as in many yeares before the Like was neuer seene And especially for so much as what so euer thou shalt do in this parte or behalf shal be as an instrument or helpe for the more better and easy perfor­mans of those thinges whiche nowe altogether as vnre dye and out of season thoue doste attempt and take in hand for these thinges being ons brought [Page] to passe and set in order thou shalte muche more better and with lesse labour (thy pouer and strength being hereby rather in cresid then dymynished) attempt yea and bring to effect thy other afaires & entrepryses, but what do I now mean as beinge rapt & caryed away with aboundans of matter I seme to haue forgotē withe whoome I do talke, thus I haue knytt vp my oratiō vnto Cesar as though I talked with Cesar and not with the o prince. Therfore that I may retorne from w­hence I haue dygres­sid. &c.

The end of the cardinals oratiō.

The glose of Athanasius vpō the oracion of Cardi­nall Poole made vnto themper­our.

Thou doest transfygnre thy self into an angel of lyght be cause thou goest about to low most deadly poison.

This is the general & natural sense of all the popysh secte to count all them which haue professed the gospell for turkes and worse then turkes for ther Paule. 3. is a bryeff (as they call it carted) about of paulus the .iii. vnto themperour and king of the Romains in the which the very same thing is affirmed so that who soeuer doeth consider this [Page] oratiō shall easily presaeue that that also was made bi the same cardinall

The Soules which ar taken out of the lappe and tyranye of the popysh church and restoryd vnto the trew church of Cryst such as ar all they whome thou falsly callest Turkes can be in no maner of perill and danger of Saluation but all such ar in great danger the whiche agre and consent with the popysh sect in so much that all hope of rheir saluation is past except thei be drawen a way frō thence by the myghty power of god

D Thou callest the preching of the gospell a great myschief by cause you feare that the power [Page] and existimation of your popes shuld be theirby be dymynyshed for as touching the Saluation or perdytion of Soules what doth that partain vnto you.

Art thou not ashamid to call the most noble kinges of england dē marke E and gothia and so manye famous princes of germani both for their byrth auctoryty & god lynes so many consulles and rulers of the free cytyes and fynali so many good and learnyd men seruantes of Iesus Chryst and mynisters of the gospel new tur­kes only vpon this occasion by­cause they hauīg reseauid y t pure knowledg and vnderstandinge of the word of God haue forsakē all your superstitions and ido­latrys, doth the truthe and cha­rytye The king which haue em­brosis. the gos­pell. [Page] of the Sōne of god which thou faygnest to be so abundant in thy hart that thou canste not lay it awa? teach or persuade the herunto.

Christ lefte none to be the head F of the churche but only hym self vnto whome onely we most stic­ke and cleaue & vtterli reiecte & refuse this your fained hed thee pope.

Albeit thou haddest nat ex­pressid it thy selfe who dyd not plainly se that all those oppro­bryes G and tauntes which in thy rage and madnes thou hast ob­iectid and cast against the king of england to redounde also to the great ignomyny and shame of the most noble princes of ger­many the whiche also with him [Page] haue withe drawen them selues from the yoke and obedience of thee popes, The tur­kish sede is pesti­ferous & fals. notwithe standinge thou like a most modest and so­ber Cardinall euen of thaboun­dance of thy hart woldest also by name taunt and teare this cō trey of germany, darest thou be so bold to afirme the holy gos­pell of Iesu Chryst the which we preach & teach in our churches to be the adulterous and pestife­rous turkish sede? do you thinke that we haue so much for sakē & cast awai the catholike veriti, yf these thīges be treue which thou doest falsli affirme then truli the apostles & al y e primitiue church had not the catholyke fayth but that pestiferous and adulterous sede. Art thou not ashamed to [Page] affirme and fett these thinges in thy bokes, and wheras thou­saist thou doest hope that this nation wyll abiect and cast of the pure and syncere doctrine of thee gospell and retorne again vnto your coruption and ydola­try thou art muche deceauid or that I think rather trew, you do but fain your self so to beleue or thinke.

I do verely graunt that it is H the turkysh maner to answer with the swerd against all such as speke in y e name of chryst & I do verely graūt & acknowledge that their secte and relygyonis therby agmentyd and incresid but I pray you see how prudent an orator you ar to propoun this mater in your oration seing [Page] thee pope hym self doth dayly answer the children of God and such as do professe christ with y e sword galows & fyer & you your self in your oration go about nothinge els then to moue or styre themperour to warts and to shede the blode of good and holy men haue you not wisely decla­red herin y e pope to play a ryght turkes parte and you yourself to haue a turkish mynd or stomak? The pope pla [...]h the turkes part. The lyk wordes and to the same veri effect we haue Red in the I bryeff which I spake of before So that now we do nott dowbt but that you did also sett forth that most cruell sentence the which we once suposid to haue bene done by Cardinall Ceruimus when he was embassador with Card cer. [Page] themperour & as tutor of Card­inall farnesius but in the maene tyme thou doest pretend and shew forth such a modesty in those thy foure bokes in thee whiche thou doest bost thye selfe to ab­horre all contentions neuer to haue bene at controuersy withe any man and to haue the loue & Charity of God abondantly in thy mynd the which thing in de­de many haue often supposid & thought to be in you but ther is nothinge hiden whiche shall not be opened, for thou hast betraied thy self & hast vttrid that which thow hast long kept secrct in thy mynd.

Do you not thus reason that bycause thee turkish emperour K doth much regarde the monkes [Page] therfore they do truly worshipp God and Christ? It is most co­mely and mete for you to iudge & vse thauctority of that tyrant as most holye, whose example of cruelty against the Children of God you do not only folow but far surmount.

Noman doth beleue the that Moore was put to death for his silence for so much as it is eue­dent L that he was punished for a seditiō or cōspirasi raysed bi him but thou veryli art ouerslande­rous a person thorough this thy hole boke against the king vnto whom, Moore. thou art not only ioyned by affinyti or kynred but also dydest confesse thy self most boun­den who also was ordeined to be thi prince and hed, by god [Page] but thou saiest thou woldest correct his errours and vices, Admytt that they were vices, which had bene comeli for the to correcte where I praie you haue you learnid that they ough to be correctid with such slanderous fierse wordes as is in your boo­ke printyd at Rome y t which not onley this present age but also y e posterity to come shalrede. wold you haue done this thing yf that you had the charyty and loue of God so aboundantly shut vp & enclosed in your hart or mynd?

M We knowe well ynough that you call the. The charter house [...]uon [...]h. Cartuslans those most holy and religioꝰ monkes the whiche had enbrased a most diuerse and contrary order from the gospel of Christ and most contaminate [Page] and defyled with false kind of worshippings and went about with to the and naill to defend and kepe the same and therfore styrred the people to rebel­lion against their kinge.

Thow now goest about to teach and persuade that the sect of the turkes is sprong and Ry­sen the which wold owerthrow the churche, The Po [...] by the refusall and deniall of your head of Rome, Maho­met. but harken again what our iugment is here in verely that your worthy head was the cause that Mahomet could not only plant that this most fylthy and wile sect but also bring it to such eficasitie and force. Do you demand the cause whye for so muche as N thambytion and couetousnes of [Page] this your head was thonli cause of all those discordes and war­res out of the whiche this great myschief sprange and burst out. Further more we affirme that the popes them selues sitting vnder that shadow and colour in the church of God and exalting them selues as it wer aboue all gods to be more hurtfulle and noysome vnto the trew doctrine and faith of Christ then Maho­homet hym self which is an opē enemy ther vnto. wherfore it is not for y e to go about to driu this dreame into mens heads that y e refusall of this most euill and naughty hed hath bred and brought in somani mischiefs into the cristian religiō. but we rather thinke that thoze mischiefes [Page] which ar alredy roted can by no meanes be taken away excepte that your false head be fyrst abolished as the Rote and spring of all myschief. Germany wheras you do strait annexe that Germani was quiet and peasable and aboun­dant in all thinges So longe as it continwed vnder thobe­diens of your popes and that since thei haue reiectid and cast of that yoke of obediens all thinges to be torned into a wor­se estate thorder of the glose doth not suffer vs to answer in mani wordes (whiche we will do els where) now we wil briefli shew that you popes you cardinalles and you byshoppes which cānot beare nor suffer the lyght of the gospell to be sheuyd or prechid Popes. Cardinal and by­shoppes. [Page] but rather desyre to haue yt vt­terly extincte and hiden, you, I say both haue bene and at this present ar thonly authours and styrrers vp of all sedition dys­corde and mischiefes wherfore lay the faute on your owne nec­kes and not vpon the doctrine of christ. I prai you tel me wher as you rede often in the gospel and actes of apostels y t cytis wer mouid to sedition & that ther was great Vprores & tumultes amongst the people who wer thau­ctors or mouers of y e same was Christ or his apostles or the in­fideles and enemies of the truth. Suerly the misbeleuers and not Chryst nor his apostles. wherfore you maye be ashamid once to make mention or speke of those [Page] warres and myschieffes which you your selues thorough your owne endeuour haue purposeli wrought and causid. Hungary Further more wher as you say that ger­mani is vexid with many inconueniences and euiles bycause yt hath denied your hedwe answer that hungarye is much more tormentid the whiche natwithstandīg neuer denied or refused your pope. but do you not know that thorow the afflictiōs which happen both to the godly and vn­godli we can iudge whether we be in the fauour of God or no.

Do you not know that the wyckid idolatres in Ieremye dyd vtter euen the lyke wordes that you now do whē as they said. Ieremy▪ 44. since that we haue left of to offer incence [Page] and burnt offringes vnto thengine of heauen we haue had nede & scartytie of al thīges & ar consumid with theswerd & hon­ger, all these thinges you know well ynough and yett you stri­ue against the plain and euidēt truthe obiectinge those thinges which you now lai befor the people only to diffame and slander the doctrine of our Lorde Iesu Christ as most pestylent and the Rote of all myschief but beleue me thou shalt receue thy reuard for god him self will not suffer this great offence whiche thou hast ministred vnto all Europe to be vnreuēgid, few men Iud­gid in the that thou haddest such a rancour or madnes in thy mynde as now thow haste [Page] vttrid thy selfe to haue by thy fourebokes whiche thou hast set furth for y e defēce of the pope. do you not remēber that chryst doth call and say that who soeuer doth offend but one of these litle ones it wer good for him to haue a mylstone hanged about his neck and to be throuen into the bottome of the see. Offence. we wyll in no wyse suffer our selues to drawē or plucked awai from Christ but ar most fyrmely contentid with this only doctrine and hym to be our onli head and gouernour entending to cleue and styck vn­to thee same although you shuld styrre vp a thosād tymes great­er warres and myschiefes then you haue hyther to raysed yea although all thee world shulde [Page] swarue and fall away, we wold wyllyngly beare the crosse with O Christ.

Wher as thou deniest any other king then yours to haue refused this hedd thou art de­ceauid for I haue alredy remē ­brid too other which haue done the lyke euen the most holy and vertuous kinges of denmarke & gothia whome thou doest also call turkes I pray you when you dyd write these thinges dyd you not cast in your mynd that there myght happen some man to come forth which might tripe you with a lye wherbi your na­me and estimatiō myght be gre­alty hurt but this is verely the work of God that he might de­stroye the wysdome of the wyse [Page] Again thou reprehēdest the turk for shaking his teriblesword vnto all such as dare ones dissentt from him the which suerly you do very well repete renwing in our memory and also reprehending that which your own pope doth euen with much more cruelty P and oftener then the turk. The po­pe the Turke.

Here thou blowest thy trumpet saing vnto Cesar conuert thy nauy put on thy armor and transuereat into brytayne and destroi that kingdome with fyer and sword shed the bloode of the king and his people yea and be most seuerely reuengid vpon them for thei haue for saken the pope to be their head. Is this acomely saing of so sober, & holy man as you ar, haue you learned this out [Page] of the gospell of y e charitie and loue of god which you say is Q so aboundantly grafted in your mynde, Christ Peter. wher as christ comandid peter when he drew his sword to put it vp into the sheath agaiē Thou contrary wyse callest vp­pō Cesar which hath his sword closed in his sheath, draw thy sword kill and slea? But wotte you what you haue brought to pas by this your oration, wyll you that I shall tell you? verely that almen may iustli think and Iudge in the, that in this embassade whiche thou now art in vnto themperour that vnder the pretence of intreating of peace thow soundest none other thing in his eares then those wordes which I haue before mētioned & [Page] that thou doest study and go a­bout nothing els but only to mo­ue him and styrr him vp against vs.

So that yf it happen warres to be moued at this seasō agaīst vs we will impute all y e calamity and miseri vnto the alone, and this eternall praise and glorye thou shall receaue therby

O Immortall God how da­rest thou bee so bold to call that the pure and sincere religion in the which you haue most horri­bly prophanate and defyled the word of God and the sacramēts whiche wer ordeined by Christ verely you could haue vsid no word which myght worse haue agreed to that your romyshe seat and relygion. Sincere relygion. But contra­ry [Page] R wyse we may truly call that a sincere and pure religion w­hich we professe which is the ve­ry same that the prophetes and Iesus Christe him self and the Apostles haue taught from this we go about with all our pouer and endeuour to purge away the leuen & fylthy dregges with the which it was conntamyants & defyled of your popes & their adherēts. But I pray you tel me ar you that call this, your rely­gion sincere and pure thee same Cardinall Poole whiche made that boke entituled the counsell for the amendemēt of the church the which also didest write that exhortation whiche was had in the counsel of the fathers at tri­dentum? The con­sell for the amēdmēt of the chuch. it is euen so thou art [Page] thauctor of them both. And in them both thou doest wysely af­firme that you haue forsaken the springes of the water of lyfe (which is the true doctrine of Ie­sus Christ) and haue digged vn­to your selfes Cesternes and pit­tes not able to hold any water, that is to sai, you haue broūght in mens fainid traditions, mor­ouer thou saist in the same place that the popes hath gotten vnto themselues masters which do tikle them in theares of who­me truly thei learne how to in­vert and contamynat all good and holy thinges, I demaūd of the then, whether thou canst truly call thys asincere and pure relligion or no, woo be vnto the Cardinall pole woo be vnto the [Page] for that whiche nowght is thou call est good and contrary wyse the good naught.

Thou sayest most truly that the grace of the holy ghost is more aboundant in these days then it hath ben sence the tyme of the apostles euen▪ Caiphas. as Caiphas truly prophesied y t it was meete that one man shuld dy for thee people but as he spake that to his owen destrucion euen so doest thou he vnderstode not that christ shuld dy for him but caused him crueli S to be crucified. Thou like wyse dost not a knowledg the grace of the holy ghost aboundantly po­ured vpon vs but callest thē heritike and new turkes in whome thou doest see it most to florishe and shine, wherfore woo be vn­to [Page] to the Cardinall Poole woo be vnto the.

A fore you called your pa­pisticall hypocrisy sincere and pure and now thow goest stou­tly forward in thy purpose cal­ling the true worshippers of re­ligion ypocrites adding also y t they haue bowed ther kne vnto Baall the whiche do worshippe God and Christ withe the holy ghost in spiryte and truth. Baall. But we truly know that you papists ar the fals worshipers of reli­gion the which do not only pro­phanate T and defile the merites of our Lord Iesus Christ but o­ften times do vterly extinguysh and put them out of syght more ouer we knowe that you euē you I say do bow your knees vnto [Page] Baall when as you worshipp your antycrist your idoles and images most folyshlye callinge them sometyme God him self so­metime saints and the bones & reliques of your owen dead mē and fynally your sweate breads

Concer­ning ta­king of SengeansGeue diligent eare and hear what our Cardinal Pole which will seme so holy a man dothe think as conserning taking of vengeance he affirmyth plainli all such to be of a fylthy cowar­dly mynd and stomack which by V all meanes possible wyll not se­ke to reuenge an iniury or sham done vnto them, wherfore his mind is that all such ought to be reuengid with sword and death the which haue offēdid vs ether by word or deede and that [Page] we ought by no meanes to fa­uour or spare them excepte we wold be thought men of cowar­dly stomacks. But we contrary wyse haue learnid of Christ that all suche ar of a godly mynd or disposiciō in whome Christ doth truly inhabite or dwell, whiche patiently beare and suffer all in iuryes and wronges done vnto them nether do once think vpon taking of vengeance but remytt and forgiue thee same yea and loue their enemyes and persecu­tors T and pray for them. whiche doctrine then semith most trew? The papistes sect which bi their bokes goo about to enflame the harts of men vnto vengeance or wors which do teach all men patiently to beare and suffer in­iuries [Page] done vnto them.

Again hepryckyth forward that iniuries ought by no meās to be suffred cryeng out that the X honour and glory of Spayne to be therby obscurid and hurt and that it shuld be a very great ignomyny and reproch to them for to suffer such acontumelious iniurye vnreuengid what other wordes or intisements then euē the very same doth the dyuell hī self vse when he goeth about to styrre vpp kinges and princes to warrs and sheding of bloode

This most quiet and peasible Cardinal desirid of Ceasar y t he Y myght haue licence to speake vnto his spanishe souldiars the w­hich if he had obtained I sup­pose he wold haue spokē in this [Page] sorte I know well ynough that you which ar soldiars do not forsake your owne countrey of spa­in to go on warfare not only for glorye or renowne but also to gett spoill and ryches wherfore harken vnto me and I will shew you now amean and occasion wherby you may obtain and get great riches together with great renowne and glorye.

The car­dinall ration to othe spa­niards.

Behold the kingdome of my Countrey of England is now offered vnto you the which is very Rich thys now entre and inua­de with me spoyl it yea and destroy it with Fyer and swerd and especially kyll the king my kyns­man and all those heryticques which haue shronk & gone awai from the pope for I my self may [Page] do much there both thorough mi estimation and auctoryty wherfore I will be present with you and betray and deliuer that my contrey into your hands. And as sone as we haue fynyshid those warres and therby encre­se our powers we will in lyke maner sett vpō and destroy the princes of Germany and those Free cyties-This shuld haue be Car­dinal pole his oration vnto the Spanishe souldiars yf he had bene licencid by themperour to speke vnto them.

[...]new [...]ce.Thou folowyng thexample of the old prayseis doest cal the light of the gospel which is now sprong vp, a new secte how beit thow arte worthy greater pu­nyshment Z thē they, for thou kno­west [Page] that this is the treth for y e which we do contend and striue with you they knew yt nott w­herfore I will still vse my acoustomed verse, wo he bee vnto y t Cardinal Pole wo be vnto the.

Here he that before was ignorant mai vnderstand and know what is y e state of this most worthy cause of religion whiche in these our days is in controuersi we vereli teache that we ought to obserue and kepe tholde and ancyent faith of the churche so that it is not lafuull to swarue A from yt not the bredth of a nayll when we speke of old and anciēt faith we vnderstand and euen the very same which the prophets did fore shew vnto vs, The state of the cause of religion. y e same which Iesus Christ brought tou of the [Page] bosonne of his father.

And that which thapostles thorough his Cōaundements haue preched and taught vnto vs.

And the papistes do agre withe vs in wordes saing that the aū ­cyent faith of the church is to be holden and kept but they vnder­stand therby that which by litle and litle hath bene brought in by popes and monkes contrary vn­to the word of God adding also that we ought to kepe the aun­cient customes of thee church for they se in ther church of Rome many thinges to be obserued & M kept whiche ar brought in by a certaine corruption clene diuer­se and contrari to the doctrine of the gospell & those thinges they wold obiecte and force vpon vs ar [Page] astrew and catholike but all is but in vain.

Like wyse he callyth the trew worshippers of the gospel cruel enemyes thē whome nothing cā be more meke or gentle, but Cardinal Poole is not a loue which speking of our bretherē dothe vs this bytter and sharpe kind of phrase, Ther is annother man B both eloquent and learnid tho­rough whose pregnant witt & gentlenes we hopid of better then is come to passe, Cardinall ceruinus. he in a certain preface doth resite that the block heded cardinall Cervinus was on a time sent to oppresse y e tyranny of the Luteranc sect. what thīg could haue ben more cruelly or vncharitablely spo­ken of vs, well we admonishe [Page] him to leaue those rough wor­des least thorough his slanders he lose thee good name and esti­mation which he hath hitherto gotten by his lerning and gen­tlenes. And least that he prouok the wrath and indignation of God against him self.

Thou saiest (Cardinal Pole) that in many ages before ther was neuer such a ruyne and de­cay brought vppon the cristian comonwealth as this is now: Thr cri­stian co­mon we­alth The which thinges vtterly fals for the lyght of the gospel which is now sprōg out and the grace of the holy ghost which is aboū dātli spred abroad doth not brīg ruine and destruction but health and saluation: vnto the cristian comō welth. but you wold haue [Page] said vnto the Romishe church y e which we graunt is dede, hath C not bene so inuadid and assaul­tid in many yeres as it is at this present. The core of Romm Such is the pouer and force of the gospell and truth y e which being opened partly with the pennes and partly withe the tonges of certain of the seruāts of Iesus Christ and coroborate and strengthened with thaucto­rity of many yers and ages and confirmed withe, thee pouer of many kings princes and people that in thee space scarsly of xxx. yers yt could so shake and batter that Romishe fort and court and in short tyme vtterly ouer throw it, for euery plant and thou knowest what fo­lowes.

[Page]Thou wyllest Cesar aboue all thinges to go about to sub­dewe England vnder his owen D power and domynion thorough thobtaining of whiche kindome and the riches ther in his pouer and glory being therby encresid he myght the better atempt and fynysh his other affaires. But I pray you Cardinall Pole shew vs whatt be those other affaires which ar yett to be attēptid and fynyshed.

Thou doest not expresse but only signify that ther ar yet cer­tain thinges to be attēptid and done by warres, what yf that I do gesse what thou didest thīk whē thou wrotest those thinges wylt thou that I shal speke them openly? Truly I will so do [Page] Thou goest about nothing elles in this thine oration then that which thou hast wrytten for many yeares past & now doest accomplish in this tihme ambassade puting Cesar still in mynd to take this occasion now offred and to translate thee kingdome of Englād vnto him and his posteritie and when by the meanes ther of his pouer is agmentyd and incresid he may withe lesse daunger inuade and ouerthrow Germani and also yf he will as­saut A the venetian comon welth & all other princes of Italy the high bishoppe only except.

But we trust themperour will not here the as he thought good not to heare but to reiect and cast of that dominicane frier zotus [Page] of Segobia now a professor in the new scoole of Tilniga whē as he being his confessor did af­firme that he could by no means be saued except that with force and armour he did subdew and bring all Germany vnder the obediens iurisdiction of the po­pes of Rome. zotus the dominicā monk of spaym.

Thou sayest thy selfe to bee rapt to wryte these things with E aboundant of matter but thou shuldest trulier haue said with ambition and couetousnes to obtain and gett the a byshoprick for when Cardinal Theatinus did on a time accuse thee, Cardnall Theati­nus. that thou dydest fauour our doctrine Thou to purge thye selfe from y e great Crime didest set forth a boke against: vs in the which [Page] thou didest also enclose and contam this most vene­mous oratiō but thou shall recaue thy re­ward Cardinall Pole, woobe vnto the wo be vnto the.

¶ Imprinted At London by Owen Rogers dwelling betwene both. S. Bartelme­ws, at the Spread Eagle.

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