A PROCLAMATION PVBLISHED VNDER THE NAME OF IAMES King of Great Britanny.
With a briefe & moderate Answere therunto.
WHERETO Are added the penall Statutes, made in the same Kingdome, against Catholikes.
TOGEATHER With a Letter which sheweth the said Catholikes piety: And diuers Aduertisements also, for better vnderstanding of the whole matter.
Translated out of Latin into English.
Et inimici nostri sint Iudices. Deutr. 32. 31.
And let our enemies themselues be Iudges.
Imprinted with Licence. M. DCXI.
THE PREFACE.
THE Christian and discreet Reader vvill perceaue by this Proclamatiō, into vvhat hāds the Kingdome of England, so renovvned for Religion and piety in ancient times, is novv fallen: And hovv much vve, that in other Coū treys enioy freely the meanes of our saluation, Ex alijs periculū facito tibi quod ex vsu fiet. ex Comico. ovve to Almighty God, and to our Catholike Princes.
Wherfore lighting by chāce vpon this Proclamation, and considering [Page 2] the good vse that might be made of it, I vvould not follovv the example of another faithfull & zealous Christiā, vvho did teare in peeces vvith publik reproach, such another Edict set vp in Euseb. lib. 8. hist. cap 3. Nicomedia by Cōmandement of Dioclesian: but haue caused it to be trāslated vvord for vvord, into Latin and other languages, to the end, that the same vvhich the Aduersaries giue out in their priuate tongue, to terrify the people of England, being published in other languages, may be of generall Omnia ad aedificationē fiant. 1. Cor. 14. 26. edification, vvarning, and example, to all other Countreys.
He canot be trulie said to liue in Christ, nor doth he participate vvith his holy spirit, that hath no feeling of the grieuous vvoundes, vvhich are daily inflicted in the Multi vnum corpus sumus in Christo; singuli autē alter alterius mē bra. Rom 12. 5. body of Christ, nor compassion of [Page 5] the sufferings of his poore brethrē, and of the blindnes and obstinacy of those that persecute them.
Wherfore let vs aske of God Vt conuertātur à tenebris ad lucem, & de potestate Satanae ad Deum. Act. 26. 18. light for the Persecutors, & patience for them that suffer and for our selues, that by this Exāple vve may learne to feare his iudgments, and to knovv & distinguish the Quomodo tunc, is qui secundum carnē natus fuerat, persequebatur eum qui secundum spiritum: ita & nunc. Gal. 4. 29. tvvo differēt spirits, that appeare in this Letter and Proclamation, and take such vvarning by the perditiō of the one side, that vve may be partakers of the others revvard, in that charity, and Totum corpus, per nexus & coniūctiones constructum & subministratum crescit in angmentum Dei. 2. Cor. 19. cōmunion of Saintes, vvhich vve Christians acknovvledge, and Christ our Sauiour intendeth to quicken in our harts by these examples: to the end that by these afflictions, and innocent bloud, vvhich his Fatherly goodnes doth suffer to be shed, his Church may increase in number and [...] [Page 6] Gods glory, and aduancement of his truth, that they testify openly vvhat they belieue.
THE PROCLAMATION. By the King.
(A) Heere is first to be noted, Gētle Reader, the cūning which these men vse in this Title, calling Lawes (to make them passe with more authority) those which in deed, cānot possibly be Lawes. For all politick and ciuill lawes must haue their rule & foundation from the law of God, and the law of nature: and therfore those humane Preceptes which are not groūded vpon reason and iustice, no [...] haue for their end the common good; haue neyther the force of Lawes, nor can truly be so called. D. Thom. 1. 2. q. 19. art. 2. & 91. art. 3. But the Lawes here alleaged, haue neither reason nor iustice, nor respect to the Weale-publicke, but proceed onely frō passion, and for particuler ends. Wherefore they ney ther are, nor can be termed Lawes.
(B) They call Recusants those Catholikes that refuse to participate with them, in the errors, and impious Ceremonies of the Protestant Sect.
(C) It may more truly be called the Oath of disloyalty and disobedience, as herafter shall be seene.
(D) In like manner did the high Priests and chiefe of the Iewes, alleage Law to condemne Christ our Sauiour. Ioan. 19. 7. crying out, VVe haue a Law, and according to that he is guilty of death.
(E) The introduction is good, but not well applyed. And here the Reader may obserue, to what liberty they are come in the vse of words, in which they follow not Priscian, but Machiauels Lawes.
(F) The Religion neyther is, nor possibly can be Catholike, which they would authorize with this strange and new-found mā ner of speaking. For Catholike is as much to say as Vniuersall. But we see that the doctrine of English Protestants, is peculiar to them of England onely: and yet not cōmon to them all, nor to the greater part. For first the most of them, that professe that sect, do it for hope of gayne, or for feare of the penalties inflicted vpon Catholikes. But that which is most to be considered is, that amongst them that follow these fancies, and think they do well, there be as many differences of opinion, as there be different imaginations. For they haue no certaine rule of fayth, nor what to affirme, and therfore nothing is so certaine and infallible amongst them, as that they haue no certainty and constancy in that which they teach in the affirmatiue points of their profession: for in the negatiue, all Sectaries agree to deny the Catholike truth.
(G) Heere they tell vs what the King should do, and not what he doth: O Rex fac hoc, & viues. Luc. 10. 28.
(H) The holy Ghost teacheth vs, that Mercy and Truth vphould the King: It is vnderstood, if he vphould Truth, and Mercy. And that Clemency doth establish his Royall Throne, Prouerb. 20. 28.
(I) It hath bene the fashion of many Persecutors, to help themselues with simulation and sleight, when they found by experience, that open violence did not auayle them: but, Totius iniustitiae nulla est capitalior, quàm eorum qui cùm maximè fallunt, id agunt vt honi videantur. Offic. lib. 1.
(K) Zelum habent, sed non secundum scientiam: they haue zeale but want knowledge. Rom. 10. 2.
(L) It is neyther ancient, nor true, nor Catholicke Religion. And what will not these men affirme, if it may serue their turne, that haue no conscience nor scruple to abuse the world with such impropriety of wordes, in thinges so notorious, and of so great consequence?
(M) These be their faultes and ill desertes: to receaue Priests into their houses, to heare Masse, to frequent the holy Sacraments, not to communicate with Heretickes in their errours and Sacriledges, to be loyall to God, and obedient to his Church, and to the Prince also in whatsoeuer is not against God, and his holy law.
(N) They call the resolution, and constancie of the Catholickes in these their tryalls, Pryde and Arrogancie, with the same truth and liberty of speach that they terme the Nouelties of their Sectes, Ancient, True, and Catholicke Religion. Venite cogitemus &c. Come let vs bethink our selues, to inuent somthing against Hieremy. Come let vs giue him a woūd with our tōgue. This was at that tyme the counsayle of the Iewes against Hieremy, or rather against our Lord and Sauiour: Et hodie Haereticorum contra seruos eius est cogitatio, vt calumnias struant, & sanctos viros accusatione praeueniant. Hieron. in cap. 18. Hieremiae.
and proud carriage, especially of late, did iustly deserue at our handes.
[Page 10]But now that their ill behauiour at home manifested first by the Priests
(O) The Authors of this Conspiracie, were Puritans and Protestants, to wit, the Barons Cobham & Gray, & Syr VValter Rawley:
(P) There are great presumptions, & it is receaued amongst Protestants themselues, that likewise the Authors and inuentors of this Conspiracy, were some of the same persons that haue their hand in these Proclamations, and that it was one of their accustomed policies, and trickes of State, to make a way, with some colour of Iustice, to this new Persecution, long before intended by some of them: not vnlike to another deuise wherwith they intangled, and defamed the pious memory of the Queene of Scotlād, Mother to his Royall Maiesty, & tooke away her life, with the barbarous cruelty, that all men know.
(Q) What fault had the Catholickes of England, or what can they be imagined to haue had in the death of the King of France? But herin is verified that which Salomon saith: Occasiones quaerit qui vult recedere ab amico. He that is minded to leaue his friend, seekes occasions. Prou. 18. 1.
(R) How can this agree with the Kinges speach, made to the Parlament, to incense them against the Catholickes, set out in print vnder his name?
(S) Whether it were by their petition, or no, it importeth little: but it is the ordinary stile of these Statistes. For so the Parlament made petition to King Henry the eyght, to put away his lawfull wyfe, and after to Queene Elizabeth, to change Religion, and to put to death the Queene of Scotland, and all such iniust and ignominious Actions must (forsooth) be proposed by supplication. Antiquum obtinent.
(T) O that they would consider their Courses and Steppes, with intent to imitate their innocency & vertuous liues▪ But alas all this vigilancy is to another end, to wit, to spy what they may lay hould vpon. This is A [...]s artium, & Scientia scientiarum, the Alchimy of our age, and the Purseuāts patrimony.
(V) It shall appeare by and by, how good & wholsome these Lawes be. All the ancient lawes of the Kingdome are in fauour of Catholike Religiō. Such lawes as King Henry the eight, Q. Elizabeth, and now lastly his Maiesty of England, haue made against it, are neither good nor wholsome, but violent, vniust, & pernicious, both to the Common-wealth, & to the King himselfe, if he would consider them with indifferency.
(X) They meane the lawes of Queene Elizabeth, which his Maiesty hath cō firmed, adding to them many other of his owne. Et nouissimus error est peior priore, as shalbe seene.
(Y) What scrupulosity is this? they make no Cōscience to mooue Catholicke Princes to breake the holy Oathes which all their Predecessors haue taken and [...]
(F) Trepidauerunt timore vbinpon erat timor. Danger might be magined but there could be none: they know well inough, & their conscience telleth it them, that there is no feare to be had of the Recusantes. The feare is theirs: for they liue in continuall daunger, subiect to violent lawes, and to the insolency of their Persecutors, because they will not leaue God, nor offend their consciences. Others there be that force thēselues to obey these lawes, with knowne daunger to their soules, who of force must, and do feele inspeakable repugnance, disquietnes, and horror; considering what a styrring spark the conscience is. These are the men that with most reason are to be feared, as the most oppressed. If his Maiesty will needes lyue in feare, without necessity, let him feare these as most wronged by his lawes in that their conscience is restlesse, and doth not suffer them to be quiet, in so euident daunger of eternall damnation. But if as a prudent & discreet Prince he will take away occasions of feare, let him resolue to take away the cause of this disquietnes, and so both he & his subiects shall liue in rest. Doubtles it is bad counsaile, and the resolution is worse, to presse the Consciences of innocent Subiectes without profit or necessity. For as the Prouerbe saith: Habet musea splenem, & formica sua bilis inest: and as the Poet sayth: Furor, ira (que) mentem praecipitat: fury & displeasure cast men into desperate attempts. Enead. lib. 2. It had bene impossible for any others saue onely Catholikes, to haue had so much fortitude, as to beare so long & lingering a Persecution, and endure with patience so many sharp & bitter stormes, as the Catholikes by Gods assistance haue done, and do now in England, and others in former ages did in other Countries for the same cause. The Blessed Martyr S. Cyprian before cyted, may suffice for what passed in his tyme. Innocentes, sayth he, nocentibus cedunt &c. The innocent giue place to wronges, the harmeles soules are quiet in their afflictions and punishments, None of ours do resist the Magistrate, whē he is apprehended, nor studieth to reuenge iniustice & violence, though their number be greater, and haue possibility to doe it. Cyp. ad Demet. And in another place he yieldeth a reason of that which is sayd, wherof I shall haue occasion to speake more at large hereafter. Hec interest &c. This difference sayth he, is betwixt vs, and such as know not God (meaning all Infidels and Heretickes) that they in their aduersities murmure & complaine: but our crosses and afflictions do not separate vs from truth and vertue, but encourage and strengthen vs in our griefes. Cyp. de Mortalitate.
(G) These Prouiso's and lawes, first are needles & in vaine, excluding only such, as of all other are least to be feared, as hath beene sayd: besides that in themselues they are vniust. And how fit the wordes before mentioned, be to this purpose, may be seene by other spoken to another Persecutor, in another like occasion by the same Saint. Ecce quale est &c. What a thing is this, sayth he, of which specially we haue to treate? Why do you thus molest the harmles? Why do you oppugne and oppresse Gods seruātes with reproach & cōtumely of God himselfe? Doe you thinke it a small matter, to lyue spottles with so many other sinnes, and make your lyfe, as it is, a summe or compendium of bloudy rapines? Is it not inough that true Religion be subuerted by your false superstions, that God is neither remembred nor feared amongst you? I say, is not this inough, but you will needs add more, and persecute vniustly good men, that haue dedicated themselues to Gods seruice? May it not suffice thee (Demetrianus) that thou thy selfe doest not worship thy Creatour, but thou wilt needes persecute and afflict (sacrilega infestatione) such as do truly worship him? Thou castest out of their houses, thou spoylest of their goods and Patrimony, thou loadest with irons & chaines, thou houldest in prison &c. the Innocent, Iust, and beloued children of God.
miles of London, without speciall licence had therunto, vnder paine of the seuere execution of our Lawes vpon the contrauenors, and of highest contempt against our Authoritie ioyned therunto.
And we are likewise pleased, vpon the same humble
(H) It were better to speake plainly, and say, Moued by euill counsaile. Cupido & Ira pessimi consultores. Salust. in Iugurth.
(I) God Almighty knoweth, and so do the Authors and Inuentors of these Proclamations, that the Catholike Recusants haue none of this kind of Munition. But this they publish to giue more probability to their false suggestions of perils and dangers, and increase the feare and suspition, wherwith they haue preoccupated the Princes mind, procuring these Proclamations, and lawes by these deuises, with so great hurt both to him, and to the cōmon-wealth. Vita mollis & mala timiditas, neque domum, neque Ciuitatem rectè gubernauerit, Philem. in Enchiridio. Arma militiae nostrae &c. sayth the Apostle, and so may the Catholickes say: The Armes of our warfare are not carnall but power from God, ouerthrowing all wicked counsayles, & all pride and loftines, that would extoll it selfe against the knowledge of God. 2. Cor. 10. [...].
(K) All this caution is also needlesse. And if they haue beene remisse, it proceeded from their experience, seing the little ground and profit of this law. For as I haue touched before, if there were any cause of feare; they, against whome this Law is made, are least to be feared of all other.
hitherto remisse; so if we shall find this our expresse commaundement neglected, or not diligently executed, as is fitt, and as the importance therof doth require, we will make them know by seuere punishmēt, what it is to be carelesse of our Royall Commaundement in cases of this nature.
And [...]
[...] commaund that which is not iust, nor can be lawfully obeyed, vnder so great penalties? The Apostle taught vs in a like case, what to answere: Obedire oportet Deo magis quàm hominibus. Act. 5. 29.
(Q) There is heere no contempt of his Maiesties fauour, in preferring God Almighty his Commandement, which doth not suffer vs to be wanting, to the instruction and conuersion of such, as desire to be saued. And would to God these that haue authority, would send men of other Natiōs also that desire it, or that we knew the language, and were worthy to be imployed in so happy a cause.
(R) This in good termes is a sentence of banishment, without any fault, and therfore vniust & obligeth not. Ouer and besides, the other causes aboue specified hinder, that it cannot be accomplished.
(S) A good liberty indeed, that may be occasion of eternall slauery. It is better for them to liue free frō sinne, though it be onely of omission, then from whatsoeuer imprisonment, or any other annoyance their aduersaries can do them.
(T) Let not his Maiesty deceaue himselfe, and thinke to be cleare with this Protestation. No, out of all doubt the bloud that is shed in this quarrell for those which suffer and send them, is sanguis Propitiationis: but for those which shed it, or cause it to be shed, it is sanguis aeternae damnationis, bloud of eternall guilt & damnation. I could wish they remembred and considered with themselues, what befell to the Iewes for giuing eare to euill counsayle of the Princes, and High Priests of their Sinagogues, that charged themselues with the bloud of the Sonne of God, saying: Sanguis eius super nos, & super filios nostros. And so their owne malediction and curse fell vpon them, with the obduration and blindnes, which vntill this day we see among them. Now whether his Royall Maiesty, and his Noble Posteritie be liable and obnoxious to the same curse (which God of his mercy we beseech, that they may be free from) in regard of the innocent bloud they haue caused to be shed, it behoueth him and them to consider.
(V) These that do send the Priestes into England, and especially the chiefe Pastour of Christes flock by whose commaundment they are sent, had rather goe in person themselues, then send others, if it were conuenient for Godes seruice. Their desire is, if it might be, to participate in the dangers, & spend their liues in the same cause, for which so many of their Predecessours are knowne to haue shed their bloud. Neither is this any contempt of the Temporall Princes Authoritie, but a carefull accomplishing of their owne office and obligation. The which obligation is seene in the wordes of Almighty God to the Prophet Ezechiel. Fili hominis &c. Sonne of man, I haue placed thee as a watchman or Centinell in the house of Israel. When I speake, and say vnto the wicked, thou shalt dy the death, if thou doest not denounce this sentence vnto him, that he may refraine from his wicked way, he shall dy in his wickednes, but his bloud I will require at thy hands. But if thou doest denounce against the wicked, and admonish him to leaue his wicked course, and he will not doe it, he shall die in his wickednes, but thou hast freed thy soule. Ezec. 33. 7. And in this case they are commaunded to cast aside all feare, vnder payne of loosing the fauour of him that giueth the precept: Dico vobis amitis &c. I say to you my friendes, be not afrayd of them that kyll the body, and after haue no more to do. Luc. 12. 4.
(X) They instruct them in true Catholick doctrine, they do not deceaue or peruer [...]ny. Neyther doe they diuert the subiectes hartes from their obedience to God or their King. They come for no such end, as is more then euident. For (alas) Cui bono? what fruit or cōmodity may they pretend therby? I can imagine none. Nay it is certaine, that if in this, they were not (without all comparison) more assured of Almighty God his will and pleasure in sending them, & vndertaking this busines, and of the eternall and infallible reward he hath promised, then his Noble Maiesty is, or possibly can be, of the truth of his Sect: they would neuer put themselues into these daungers. For the rewardes that men can giue them, & which they might be imagined to seeke, are nothing to the purpose, nor can auayle them after their death, which is threatned them in these Proclamations, and executed at his Maiesties pleasure. And this is so strong and irrefragable a proofe of these mens innocencie, & sincere intention, that it cannot be answered, but ouerthroweth all their Pamphlets, Proclamations, Libells, and whatsoeuer sleights of Statizing Sophistrie hell gates can deuise against them. And therefore if I might be thought worthy to giue aduise, I would wish them to deale plainly, and speake clearely the truth, and make a conscience to do that which they are ashamed to confesse in proper speach. Eyther let them cease to persecute Catholikes for their Religion, or let them auouch it, and professe plainly and openly what they doe. It is vvant of magnanimity, and cowardice to vse these couertures and maskes, and great simplicity to imagine that they can make the world belieue them, when they speake so contrary to their doings, and walke in a net, and not be seene.
errand can be no other here, but only for diuerting our good subiectes hartes, from their due obedience both to God and vs.
And lastly because the horror and detestation of the Powder
(Y) The Catholikes haue more horrour, and detestation against such Actes, then those that make all this shew. I haue touched before that which in this & all other treasons, may be obiected, which they do impute vnto them that haue as little hand in them, as themselues; as they know full well, & here in part bewray, imputing to English Catholikes the death of the late King of France, wherein all the world knoweth, they neyther had, nor possibly could haue any hand.
(Z) This is a matter mistaken, and the Statistes are farwyde, that thinke to draw Subiects by violence to their Allegiance, and fidelity by force. For to my vnderstanding, and to any mans else, that vvill iudge indifferētly, there can be no more direct cause of disloyalty to Kings, then to constraine their Subiects to infidelity, and inforce them to be disloyal to God the King of Kings, and Lord of all.
(A) His Maiesties pen had bene ill imployed, and himselfe very ill aduised, as by effect is seen, if the Book had bene his. For it hath bene reproued in all Kingdomes, & confuted almost in all Languages, vvith losse of reputation, and note of small learning, and lesse discretion in the Author. For although the Pamphlet was published in his Maiesties Name: yet it is generally held, that the Name onely was his: & verily they who hould this opinion, doe him more seruice, and honour his Maiesty more, then the others, that father so seely a worke vpon so wise, and learned a Prince, as his Maiesty of Great Britanny, is knowne to be.
(B) Woe be to you, saith the Prophet, that call euill good, and good euill, that make darknes light, and light darknes. Isay 5. 20.
(C) This is a manifest calumniation, and slaunder, wherwith malicious people, haue possessed his Maiesty, & depraued his vnderstanding, to make him more vntractable in his false religion, and more implacable with Catholikes.
(D) A pretty deuise when all other faile, to draw away money from them. But I will foretell you the successe. Non gaudebit tertius heres: Quia pretium sanguinis est. It is the price of bloud, and cannot prosper.
(E) And when all should take it, what profit would redound to the King? verily none at all, but rather great harme, as already hath bene said, and shalbe said more at large hereafter.
to all our subiects, then hath beene heretofore vsed.
And therfore it is our express will and pleasure, & accordingly we doe heerby straitly charge & commaund, all and singular our Bishops, Iustices of Assise, Iustices of Peace, and all other our Officers, whome it may cōcerne, to minister the same, to all such persons, and in all
(F) This Oath cannot in any case be lawfull, for the end which they dō p [...]etend: nor is it a Law that which approueth it. But in this, as in many other things, they abuse euidently the word (Law) to credit their dealings in these lawlesse practises. Neyther can it haue any true conueniency: for a thing so violent and vniust cannot be conuenient, eyther to assure the safety of his Maiesties person, or of his Royall succession: nor to appease the disquietnes & feare, which he may conceaue, eyther vpon iust or vniust cause, but all quite contrary, as hath bene said. The selfe sam [...] comparison houldeth (as the Philosopher saith) betweene the King and his Subiects, the Father and his children, the Sheepheard and his flocke. Similis est comparatio. Arist. 8. Ethic. A good and true Prince indeed, ought to be able to gouerne his people, not onely vprightly, but also with loue, and courtesy. For it is vnfitting that a sheepheard should hate or persecute his flock. Arch. de lege & Iust. But what faith the Poet in this case? Qui Sceptra duro saeuus Imperio regit, Timet timentes: metus in auctorem redit. Oed. ac. 3. Ille tot Regum parens Caret sepulchro Priamus, & flamma indiget ardente Troia. Sen. in Hecub.
such cases, as by the law they are enabled; knowing that the meaning of the law [Page 26] was, not onely to authorize thē to do it, when they would, and to forbeare it at their pleasure, but to require it at their handes, as a necessary dutie committed to them, and imposed vpon thē, as persons of chiefe & principall trust vnder vs, for the good and safety of vs, and our estate.
Giuen at our Pallace of VVhite-hall, the second day of Iune, in the eight yeare of our Raygne of Great Brytaine, France, and Ireland.
A LETTER OF A GENTLE VVOMAN OF QVALITY, residing on this side the seas, written to her Husband in
England, exhorting him to constancie in the persecution.
Translated out of the Latin Copie.
GOOD Sir. I humbly thank you for the care you haue takē in giuing me notice of that which passeth, and am right glad to see you so resolute: our Lord giue you grace to continue constant vnto the end. And seing God hath giuen you light to discerne what doth most import you; I beseech you for his loue remember, that to go back at any tyme herafter, or leaue this holy Resolution, for humane respects, should be for your greater condemnation. And although the loue you beare vnto me, and to your children, with other respectes of flesh and bloud, might cause in you some strife and contradiction: yet (good Husband) do not in any case suffer your feruour to wax cold. As for our children they are so well allyed, that there is no feare they can want, being of the yeares they are, & all well considered they haue inough left them. But if notwithstanding all these hopes should fayle them; yet they liue vnder the protection of their heauenly Father, and vnder his prouidence, which is more to be esteemed then all the treasures of the world.
As for my selfe, or any thing that may concerne me do not afflict your selfe in any case, for by Gods grace and fauour, I shal receaue more comfort in suffering pouerty with you, for so iust a cause, then in enioying all that we haue hitherto possessed. Nay, fetting. aside the obligation I haue to you and my children, I would choose to liue with lesse then the Kings Maiesty must allow vs, supposing the most rigorous execution of his law: yea rather to loose all, then you should admit the least disquietnes, or stayn in your cōscience.
Consider how little this world is to be esteemed for it selfe, how vaine, vncertaine, and troublesome it is, and that the greatest part you haue enioyed of it hitherto, hath beene spent in satisfying your owne desires, and the least in his seruice that gaue you all you haue. You must also remember, that the goodes you possesse are but lent you: for the true Lord and owner is God himselfe, who in a trice can take all from you, & in such sort that they shall not auayle you, eyther for your body, or for your soule. Consider then with your selfe his infinit goodnes in giuing you meanes to enioy an euerlasting inheritance, onely for leauing willingly those temporalities, wherof in very truth you are but a Steward. It is therfore great reason you be thankfull, and hould your selfe most happy to haue this occasion, and to haue found that pretious Iewell, for which the wise Merchant sould all that he had. By this meanes you shalbe partaker of that blessing, which by the supreme Iudge himselfe is promised to such as suffer persecution for Iustice.
And howsoeuer your Father may vrge and presse you, with the ouerthrowing of your house, and vndoing of your posteritie; you must remember allwayes, that the obedience we owe to God, must haue the first place, and that without this all other vertues loose their value, and be vnprofitable. [Page 29] Here also the holy Prophets obseruation maketh much to our purpose, who affirmeth out of his owne experience of many yeares, That he neuer had seene the iust man forsaken, nor his posterity come to want. And our Sauiour sayth. He that for my sake doth not leaue his Father, Mother, Wyfe, Children, and whatsoeuer els he hath, is not worthy of me. Wheras on the other side, he promiseth to such as forsake all for his loue, an hundred for one in this world, and afterwards eternall lyfe.
Let vs therfore settle our selues in this truth, and establish this good purpose in our hartes, not to admit for temporall respectes, any thing against our conscience, which at the dreadfull day of doome must iudge vs. And what would it atravle vs to gaine the whole world, with losse of our soules for euer?
It is not sufficient for our saluation, to beleeue with the hart the truth which is taught vs, if we do not make publick profession of it before all the world, when occasion requireth. Not that we ought to hazard our selues without iust cause, for without it we may not offer our selues to daunger. And therfore if you feare to be vrged with the Oath, I thinke it better that you procure some Protection from the King to preuent your aduersaries, then to be constrained to refuse it in publicke iudgment: and this fauour you may procure by frendship, and so free your self from his Maiesties displeasure. But if in case it should be thought more for Gods glorie, to refuse it publickly in open Sessions, (I speake plainly my mind) I doe wholy submit my self to Gods good pleasure, and my iudgment to yours, and to others that know better what is best to be done.
Neyther doe I thinke it conuenient, that you depart the Realme without licence, least by your absence your enemies [Page 30] take occasion to accuse you of contempt to his Maiesty and his lawes, & therupon proceed to all the rigour, which their malice can deuise against your Religion. For this, as you see, would be of little edification to others, and great losse of reputation to your self, and of that merit, which you might gaine with God, taking the other course.
Wherfore (my deare Husband) I humbly beseech you, dispose your selfe to imbrace the very worst that can befall you in this occasion, and offer it all with a cheerfull hart, to our Sauiour, who loueth the ioyfull giuer. And assure your self, that you haue nothing to feare for me, for I haue set vp my rest, and am readie for all that God shall appoint. And if it proue affliction, I doubt not, but by his assistance it shall turne to ioy and contentment; considering for whome, and for what cause it is suffered.
That which I desire greatly is, that you consider your debtes. For indeed if all we haue were our owne, let it all goe in Gods name for his loue, but we must not leese willingly that which is not ours. And therfore I haue sent you an estimate, so neere as I can remember, of your present estate. And if it be your pleasure, I will find meanes to come and see you: but for this purpose prouide me some house, whither I may retyre my selfe securely. And with this I haue fulfilled your desire, acquainting you with my opinion, peraduenture with more wordes then are necessary, of purpose to assure you, that you need take no care for me, nor for any thing that may concerne me: nor afflict your selfe with any feare of any trouble, losse, or persecution that may befall you for the loue of God. All the rest I commit to his diuine Prouidence, beseeching him to succour and assist vs both with his grace and fauour. Amen.
AN ADVERTISMENT TO THE READER, FOR THE BETTER vnderstanding of the former Proclamation, and Answere.
BY that which hath beene sayd, the discreet & disapassionate Reader will easily discerne, two Non est nobis colluctatio, aduersus carnem & sanguinem: sed aduersus Principes & ot Potestates tenebrarum. Ephes. 6. 12. Quis Regem Saul incitauit, in Dauidem? Quis excitauit Doech Syri nequitiam, vt sanctum virum proderet, &c. Nisi spiritus malus▪ Ambr. in Psalm. 118. 2. different spirits encountred in this action. The one turbulent and vnquiet, disguised by art, and with false colours of Estate, to discredit the truth. The other milde, plaine, peaceable, and quiet, disposing men to suffer for truth, what and whensoeuer shalbe thought necessary. And if any man be desirous to know more in particuler the affections, operations, and effectes that these two opposite spirits worke, where they find entrance, he may easily trace and find them out, by their footesteps in this Proclamation, Lawes, and Letters.
The spirit Nos autem, non spiritum huius mundi accepimus, sed spiritum qui ex Deo est, vt sciamus quae à Deo donata sunt nobis. 1. Cor. 2. 12. of this world causeth in his followers, first an ouer-weening conceipt of themselues, and a secret Omnis qui malè agit, odit lucem: & non venit ad lucem, vt non arguantur opera eius. Ioan. 3. 20. auersion from that soueraygne light that [Page 32] should discouer vnto them, their errours and miseries, filling their hartes with a world Ita grauis culp [...] est conscientiae, vt sine iudice, ipsa se puniat. Ambr. de Poen. l. 2. c. 11. of disquietnes, and their soules with restlesse feares: and in a word making them in their apprehensions, wordes, and workes, like vnto himselfe.
And all this befalleth them: because lyuing (as the Scripture sayth) sine Deo in hoc mundo; they wander vp and downe enuironed with a thick Qui ambulat in tenebris, nescit quò vadit. Ioan. 12. 35. cloude of errour and grosse Ignorance, not onely of supernaturall matters of faith, but consequently also of naturall & morall truth, not hauing eyesight nor vnderstanding to cōsider, that no power hath that force against inuincible O magna vis veritatis: quae, contra hominum ingenia, calliditatem, solertiam, contra (que) fictas omnium insidias, facilè seipsam defendit! Ci. Pro M. Caelio. truth, which truth in all occasiōs hath against lyes & falshood: which naturally of it selfe is so weake Tam imbecille est mendacium, vt fortes deprimat at (que) debilitet. Chrysost. hom. 57. in Ioan. timorous, and subiect to falling, that neyther shaddows of lawes, nor authority of lawmakers are able to support it any longer, then their sinnes endure, for whose punishment it is permitted.
On the other side you may see the cleare iudgment, wherwith the children Non sumus noctis ne (que) tenebrarum filij: sed lucis, & diei. 1. Thes. c. 5. Non accepistis spiritum seruitutis in timore: sed spiritum adoptionis filiorum Dei. Rom. 8. 15. of light, that be guyded by the other spirit doe lyue, their promptitude, disposition, and quietnes of mind; their tranquillity of conscience, and their security in their greatest daungers; their cherfulnes and alacrity in the middest of the fornace of persecution: for they liue wholy [Page 33] Quos non tenet voluntas propria, eos non terret crudelitas aliena. Aug. in serm. 5. S. Vincentij. resigned, their hopes & feares reposed in the determination and good pleasure of Almightie God, whither they are sure that no enemy can enter, to bereaue them of the treasures which already they Eia gaudium quod non datur impijs: sed eis qui te gratis colunt, quorum gaudium tu es ipse, & ipsa est vita beata, gaudere à te, de te, propter te: Ipsa est, & non altera. Bona quippe vita est, gaudium de ve [...]itate. hoc est enim gaudium de te, qui es veritas. Aug. super illud Matth. [...]. Pater nost. &c. possesse: & much lesse of the inexplicable rewardes which they hope to attaine, not by the phantasticall presumption of speciall fayth, with which the Protestants deceaue themselues and their followers; but by the certayne assured, and infallible meanes, which Christ Iesus our Redeemer left to the holy Catholicke Church, his beloued espouse. And with this experience, hope, and liuely fayth, which this Church affoardeth thē, they grow to such indifferency in all indifferēt things, & to such Resolution in the rest, that (as wee see) to saue their soules, they make no reckoning, of whatsoeuer their aduersaries can take from them.
From this same spirit and heauenly light, proceedeth their inclination and readines to captiuate Quicumque ex vobis non renuntiauerit omnibus quae possidet, nō potest meus esse discipulus. Est haec renuntiatio expedita ratio ad acquisitionem, vsum (que) rerum, quae super aurum & lapide [...] pre [...]io [...]ū multum longè sunt pretiosiores: & in summa, cordis humani ad calestem conuersationem translatio, & initium vnde ad Christi similitudinem euadamus: qui cum diues esset, propternos pauper est factus. Perfecta autem renuntiatio in eo consistit, vt id assequamur, ne ad ipsius etiam vitae affectionem propensi simus, & responsum mortis habeamus, vt non simus fidentes in nobis ipsis. Huiusmodi autem renuntiatio initium sumit ab alienatione rerum externarum, veluti à possessionibus, ab inani gloria, à viuendi consuetudine, à rerum inutilium amore, quemadmodum suo exemplo nobis ostenderunt Sancti. Basil. l. Reg. fus. ad inter. 8. their iudgmentes, and surrender their wills, denying and sacrificing themselues, with great facility to the will of God, in so important occasions, and thinges of such weyght, as we see mentioned in the former Letter. And from the same fountayne is deriued the profound humility and inuincible patience, wherwith they suffer the wronges [Page 34] and iniustice of so longe and violent a perfecution. And if this be seene in persons, who eyther in regard of their sex Quod infirmum est Dei, sortius est hominibus 1. Cor. 5. and cenditiō, or for their tender yeares should in all likely hood faint and giue ground with the terrour of these threatning Edictes; what shall we say of those valiant Haec est vera fortitudo, quae naturae vsum & sexus infirmitatem, mentis deuotione transgreditur. Aug. de Vid. and ould beaten souldiers, that haue beene many yeares trayned and exercised in these like conflictes: and of the constancie, comfortes, and feruorous inspirations which they receaue continually from the aboundaunce of this holy sprit?
These men replenished with this spirit, and thus furnished as we haue sayd, find in their humiliation Nihil excelsius humilitate quae tamquam superior nescit extolli: quia nemo affectat quod intra se iudicat Ambr. in Luc. l. 8. c. 17. honour, freedome in their meane estate, in their pouerty Viuitur exiguo melius: natura beatis Omnibus esse dedit, si quis cognouerit vti. Claud. 1. R [...]f. quietnes, in the absence of those things, that Ad omne fortuitum bonum suspiciosi & pauidi. Sen. epist. 28. ad Lucil. others most esteeme and seeke after, security. And in all these wants, yea in the greatest stormes of persecution, they possesse that tranquillity and Pax multa diligē tibus legē tuam: & non est Ilis scandalum. Psal. 118 [...]6. Haec dicit Dominus Redemptor tuus, Sanctus Israel, Ego Dominus Deus tuus docens te vtilia, gubernans te in via qua ambulas. Vtinam attendis [...]es mandata mea: facta fuisset sicut lumen pax tua, & iustitia tua sicut gurgites maris. Isa. 48. 17. peace of mind, that solyd ioy and content, which their Aduersaries (as may be seene in all their proceedings) [Page 35] neyther find in their sensuall pleasures & prosperity, no [...] yet can imagine nor vnderstād. For if they did, or that his Royall Maiesty himselfe had found or tasted in the least degree, that which others enioy in aboundance, eyther amongst his Puritans in Scotland, or with his Protestants since his cōming into England: he would not be so Motus est actu [...] imperfecti. de Nat. lib. 3. cap. 2. restlesse, as to our great grief be seemeth to be, nor spēd so much time as he doth, in seeking that which he findeth not, and pursuing with continuall labour of body & mind, that which he cannot ouertake.
This hydden Quem qui inuenit homo, prae gaudio vadit & vendit vniuersa quae habet, & emit eum. Matth. 13. 44. treasure of contentment, which all men seeke after, but all doe not find, because they seeke it not where it is to be found, is onely to be had in the stedfast and setled faith, hope, charity, and obedience of the Catholicke Church: for which these suffer persecutiō, the others persecute. And the very persecutiō it selfe (though the persecutors do not know it) is the Quoniam quod est honoris, gloriae, & virtutis Dei, & qui est eius spiritus, super vos requiescet▪ 1. Petr. 4. 14. shortest way, that can be to find it. Yea our Sauiour who is the fountaine, and fulnes of all contentment, is so gracious, and so gratefull to these that suffer for his sake, that [Page 36] presently he Audiuit Iesus quia eiecerunt eum foras extra Synagogam: & cùm inuenisset eum, dixit ei, Tu credis in filium Dei? at ille ait, credo Domine: & procidens, adorauit eum. Et dixit Iesus: In iudicium in hunc mundum veni, vt qui non vident videant, & qui vidēt caecifiant. Ioan. 9. 35. seeketh them, and discouereth himselfe vnto them, filling their soules with his heauenly ioyes.
The aboundance of vayne and transitory pleasures of this world, and all excesse of earthly Nouerca virtutis prosperitas. Beatulis suis sic applaudet, vt noceat: sic obsequitur, vt deijciat: dulcia propinat, vt inebriet. Ioan. Sarisoe. lib. 1. c. 1. de Curialium nugis. prosperity inueigleth the hart, not well grounded in the knowledge and feare of Gods iudgments, and draweth the will of man out of it selfe, & from her center, in pursuite of many things, that being affected without measure, and loued out of their order and place, are so farre from satiating the soule with that which it seeketh in them, that they bring new necessities and wants, stirre vp new hunger and thirst, and inflame new desires, & consequently bring forth new Afflictions, Cum (que) me conuertissem ad vniuersa opera quae fecerunt manus meae, & ad labores in quibus frustra sudaueram vidi in omnibus vanitatem & afflictionem animi. Eccl. 2. 11. Perturbations, and Cares, vntil the very wearines of their fruitlesse desires, and experience of their losses and harmes, oblige such as haue the least sparke of true wisdome & light, to retire thēselues home to themselues, and to enter into the secret of their owne soules, where, and in no Tantùm permittitur Diabolus tentare, quantùm tibi prodest, vt exercearis, vt proberis, vt qui te nesciebas, à teipso inueniaris. Aug. in Psal. 61. Ecce Regnum Dei intra vos est. Luc. 17. 21. Iustitia & pax & gaudium in Spiritu sancto. Rom. 14. 17. part else is found that soueraigne good, which all do seeke after, but none findeth, nor enioyeth, but onely such as haue learned to liue in Adest Deo qui illum cogitat, qui eum intuetur, qui in ipso sperat: adest, & iuxta Deum est, qui extra se non fuerit. Ambros. in Isaac. themselues, and in God, the storehouse of all felicity.
And many times it is soe Diues difficilé intrabit in Regnum caelorum. Matth. 19. 23. necessary for eternall saluation, and alwayes so Si vis perfectus esse, vade & vende quae habes, & da pauperibus, & veni & sequere me. Matth. 19. 21. conuenient, for the good gouernment, comfort & perfection of this present life, and for the attayning of the quietnes, & contentment which all men seeke, that such as haue discretion and experience, to know Qui inter ea, quae natura desiderat, desiderium suum clausit, cum ipso Ioue de felicitate contendit. Sen. epist. 23. Est questus magnus pietas cum sufficiētia. Habentes autem alimenta & quibus tegamur, his cō tenti simus: Nam qui volunt diuites sieri, incidunt in tentationem & laqueum Diaboli, & desideria multa inutilia & nociua, quae mergunt homines in interitum & perditionem. Radix enim omnium malorum est cupiditas, quam quidam appetentes errauerunt à side, & inseruerunt se doloribus multis. 1. Tim. 6. 6. the good and euill, that may be in the vse or abuse of Gods Creatures, depriue themselues willingly, and of their owne accord, of the superfluities, which Persecutors Maxima paupertatis propugnatione defenditur, quem nullus Rex, nullus Imperator vincere possit. Auaro homines, tineae, vermes, quin & ipsum tempu [...] officiunt. Ipse seipsum inutilem, vilem, ac timidum ad omnia reddit. Chrysost. hom. 84. in Matth. can take from them, and cast them away as impediments of their felicity, therby to get out of the In circuitu impij ambulant. Psal 11. 9. In temporalium rerum cupiditate, quae septem dierum repetito circuitu, tamquam rota voluitur: & ideo non perueniunt in octauum, idest in aeternum. August. in Psal. 161. Labyrinth of sinne, wherin the Children of this world (like vnto mil-horses) trauaile blind fold in a circle of misery all the day long, and at night find themselues where they were in the morning, and at the houre of their death in the same or worse estate, then when they began to lyue: neuer comming to any end of their desires, nor attayning to the soueraygne knowledge of the charity and loue of Christ, so full of true contentment and heauenly light, that in comparison of it the holy [Page 38] Apostle Saint Paul, esteemed as durt Omina arbitror vt stercora, vt Christum lucrifaciam. Phil. 3. 8. and corruption, all the pleasures and contentmēts that this world can affoard.
And if at any tyme it happen (as many tymes it doth) that the loue and affection to transitorie thinges, breedeth in our hartes any coldnes, or remissnes in Gods seruice, it is an Ideo terrenis felicitatibus amaritudines miscet Deus, vt illa quaeratur felicitas, cuius dulcedo non est fallax. Aug. serm. 29. super Matth. especiall fauour, and an infallible testimony of his loue to vs, to suffer some tribulation or persecution to fall vpon vs, therby to rouse vs vp, and spur vs on, to pursue with Mala quae nos premunt, ad Deum venire compellunt. Greg. hom. 14. in Luc. more diligence and feruour, that which so much importeth vs to attaine. And if any tribulation or affliction whatsoeuer, that serueth to this purpose, is to be esteemed and desired, as a soueraygne medicine that assureth health in a daungerous sicknes: how much more should we imbrace willingly, and with comfort, that which falleth vpon vs, only Quis vobis noceat, si boni aemulatores fueritis; Sed & si quid patimini propter iustitiam beati. 1. Pet. 3. 14. for iustice, and for the profession of our faith, or for the workes of charity, to which we are Sic enim persecuti sunt Prophetas qui fuerunt ante vos. Matth. 5. 14. bound by generall or speciall obligation? For in these occasions of persecution, there can be no doubt (as in other cases there may be) whether they fall on vs for our owne fault, or no.
I am persuaded, that I doe the office of a friend, to such as persecute the Catholicks, and especially to his Royall Maiesty of Great Britanny (who I hope [Page 39] doth it by inducement of others, & not of his owne inclination) in discouering vnto them this Dulcis praesens vita est, & multae plena voluptatis non tamen omnibus, sed ijs tantù [...] qui illi sunt affixi. Quòd si quis aeternam contemplatus fuerit, hanc nullius pretij existimabit. Na [...] & corporū pulchritudo, quoad pulchrius non deprehenditur, in admiratione habetur: vbi verò aliud praestantius apparuerit, illa prior despicitur. Chrys. hom. 66. in Ioan. Mine, and hydden Treasure of riches, which is euident they know not. For if they did, or had any true apprehension of it, they would rather desire Vtinam quinos exercent conuertantur, & nobiscum exerceantur. Tamen quamdiu ita sunt ve exerceant nos, non eos oderimus: quia in eo quòd malus est quis eorum, virum in finem perseueraturus sit, ignoramus. Aug. in Psal. 54. to be persecuted, then persecute others for this cause. And not to oblige them to seeke examples a far off, nor to turne their eyes from their own Countrey, nor from the effectes of this very persecution, I will giue them instance & example in a person of their own Nation, which togeather with the other before mentioned, may suffice to proue, and giue sufficient notice, of that which here we speake of: that is, of the excellency of the inward comfort, and ioy, which God giueth in the middest of their greatest tribulation, to such as serue him in truth, and suffer aduersity for his sake.
In the History of the persecution of England, gathered by the Bishop of Taracona, we haue a notable Martyrum glorias ad hoc diuino consilio à Dei populis frequentari nemo est qui nesciat, vt & illis debitus honor dicetur, & nobis virtutis exempla monstrē tur. Vt enim infirmatur peccator aduersis: ita iustus tentationibus roboratur. Chrysost. serm. 1. de Martyribus. example of a Catholicke Gentle woman, of the same Countrey, who hauing lost her goodes for Sic dimicarunt aduersus peccatum Sancti. Chrysost. vt suprà. Recusancie, and notwithstanding all this inforced often to chang her aboad remouing from one Countrey to another with great trouble and disquietnes of her owne persō & famylie, not to be knowne of those, whome they call their Bishops, [Page 40] that did persecute her for her Religion. In the middest of all these changes and bodily disquietnes, she lyued in so great serenity, Pax Dei exuperās omnem sensum, custodit corda. Phil. 4. 7. peace, and quietnes of mind, that it caused admiration in all that knew her: and her inward Ioy Perfecta virtus habet quietis tranquillitatem & stabilitatem. Iniustus perturbationis plenus est, suis suspitionibus offligitur: maiores vibices vulnerum in eius animo sunt, quàm in eorum corpore qui verberā tur. Amb. de vita bea, cap. 6. and contentmēt was so exceeding great, that they that were about her, heard her often repeate, that nothing troubled her so much, as that she could not repay God Almighty the fauour he had shewed her, in suffering her goods to be taken from her, and therwithall freeing her of many vnprofitable O curas hominū! o quantum est in rebus inane! Pers. 1. cogitations, and cares, which ordinarily accompany that estate, and giuing her Non quasi insipientes, sed vt sapientes: redimentes tempus, quoniam dies mali sunt. Ephes. 5. 15. more leasure, to attend to the seruice of God, and the Sicut nullū est momentum, quo homo non vtatur Dei bonitate & misericordia: Sic nullum debet esse momentum, quo eum praesentem non habeat in memoria. Omne tempus in quo de Deo non cogitas, hoc te computa perdidisse. Hugo de claust. ani. l. 1. saluation of her soule: & for this cause, and for this onely respect, accompted the Necesse est facere sumptum qui quaerit lucrū. Plau. in Asin. Si dederit homo omnem substātiā domus suae, pro dilectione, quasi nihil despiciet eam. Cant. 8. 7. losse of all she had, a gainful bargaine, although she had not left it, as indeed she did, for her fidelity to God Almighty, and her Religion. And the cōfort Contemne diuitias & eris locuples: contemne gloriam & eris gloriosus: contemne supplicia inimicorum, & tunc ea superabis: contemne quietem & tunc eam recipes. Chrys. in Ep. ad Hebr. which she found in these and such like Considerations, was soe exceeding great, euen in the greatest troubles and afflictions, that she prayed daily to Almighty God, not Ineffabilis Dei bonitas hocetiam prouidit, vt in hac breui & exigua vita agones essent & labores, in illa verò quae aeterna est, Corona & praemia meritorum. Beda serm. 18. de sanct. to reward in this [Page 41] world, the small seruice she had done him, but that he would be pleased, to send her some corporall infirmity or sicknes, to temper the exceeding ioy, which inwardly she found, in all the troubles of her persecution, and not Magnarum hic vigor est mentium, & valde fidelium lumen est animarū, incunctanter credere quae corporeo non videntur intuitu: & ibifigere desiderium, vbi nequeas inferre conspe ctum. S. Leo. ser. 2. de Ascens. to be detained frō the sight of her Creatour, whom she soe dearely loued. If she should dye without due pennance and satisfaction, her ordinary Si quotidie nos oporteret tormenta perferre, si ipsam gehennā paruo tempore tolerare, vt Christum videre in gloria venientem digni essemus, & sanctorum eius numero sociari: Nonne dignum erat pati omne quod triste est, vt tanti boni, tantaeue gloriae participes haberemur. Beda. serm. 18. de sanct. prayer was, that she might passe her Purgatorius ignis debet perficere, quicquid tu minùs hic feceris: quia pignus fructus poenitentiae quaerit altissimus. Bern. serm. 3. de S. Andr. Ita Domine in hav vita purges me, vt talem me reddas, cui iam emē datario igne non sit opus. Aug. super. Psal. 37. Purgatory in this life. And it seemeth that God heard her prayer; for he visited her with continuall sicknes & paines, which increased in such manner some yeares before her death, that it was strang how she Si Passio Redemptoris ad memoriam reducitur, nihil tam durum est, quod non aequo animo toleretur. Isid. de summo bo. could lyue, and endure them. And yet in her greatest extremity as the Story sayth, she was so cheerfull Sancti viri, cùm multa se proficere virtutum prosperitate considerant, quodam supernae dispensationis moderamine exerceri se etiam tent [...]i [...] bus exultant: quia, tantò robustiùs acceptam virtutum gloriam custodi [...]t, quantò tentationis impulsu concussi, infirmitatem suam humiliùs agnoscu [...]. Gregor. and merry, that she encouraged al that were about her, especially at the tyme of her death, wherat was present the person [Page 42] that gaue this Relation, with another venerable Priest, afterwardes a Martyr, from whome I receaued as much as here I haue set downe, and diuers other particularityes which be not in the Story.
One about the rest is memorable, and very fit for our purpose in this place, that Catholickes may learne to abhorre all vnlawful communication with Schismatickes and Heretickes, as the Apostles, & disciples of Christ, & their successors in the Primitiue Church haue taught vs by many examples, and is the very case, and the onely cause, why the Catholickes whome they call Recusantes, suffer so grieuous persecution, at this present, in England.
This vertuous and deuout Gentle-woman, perceauing her selfe to draw neare to her end, and happy passage to a better life, amongst many other matters of edification, and comfort to them that were about her, and her friendes then present, recommēded one thing vnto thē, with especiall charge, that her body might in no case be buryed, where any profane seruice or sermons of Heretickes were to be vsed, for she desired to continue after her death as she had lyued, though to her cost, free from all communication with thē. And God almighty was pleased to do her the fauour, & to accōplish her desire. [Page 43] For although it could not be excused, to carry her body to the parish Church, with the solemnity accustomed, yet meās was wrought, that no Minister was present, nor to be found at her buryall. And so hauing performed secretly the rites of the Catholicke Church before the body was brought out, it was buryed without any seruice or Ceremony of Protestantes. And the night following, before there could be any Seruice (as they call it) in the Church where it was buryed, a principall person for his deuotion, found meanes to effect it, and with his owne handes opened the graue, & accompanied with two trustie seruantes, tooke out the Coffin with the body, and put it in holy ground in a more decent place, where no hereticall seruice is vsed, and where it is kept tyll this present day. And in this sort God was pleased to accomplish the pious desire of this holy woman deceased, as he doth many tymes, fulfill the like desires of his friendes, lyuing and dead, for the comfort and instruction of others.
And by the measure of these two Gentlewomen, & of their fidelity, zeale, and constancie in Gods cause & seruice, I frame a conceipt of all the rest, that in England, or elswhere suffer for Catholicke Religion. They be the true and [Page 44] liuing Temples of the holy Ghost, the Haec locutus sum vobis, vt gaudium meum in vobis sit: & gaudium vestrum impleatur. Ioan. 15. 11. Comforter of all true hartes, and theirs no doubt are continually replenished with Patacletus Spiritus veritatis, quem mundus non potest accipere, quia non videt eum, nec scit eum, apud vos manebit, & in vobis erit. Ioan. 14. 16. his holy comfortes, singing alwayes within themselues spirituall & heauenly songes, and recording psalmes Cantantes & psallentes in cordibus vestris Domino: gratias agentes sē per pro omnibus, in nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi, Deo & Patri. Ephes. 5. 20. of Iubily and thankesgiuing: & amidst the troupes of deceaued people that languish in sinne and misery, they haue the priuiledge, not onely to belieue In nullo terreamini ab aduersarijs, quae illis est causa perditionis, vobis autem salutis, & hoc à Deo; quia vobis donatum est, pro Christo, non solùm, vt in eum credatis, sed vt etiam pro illo patiamini. Phil. 1. 29. truly and firmely in Christ; but also to suffer for his sake, which is to be highly esteemed, as a Quem diliget Dominus castigat: flagellat autem omnem filium quem recipit. In disciplina perseuerate, tā quam filijs vobis offert se Deus. Heb. 12. 6. Quia acceptus eras Deo, necesse fuit vt tentatio probaret te. Tob. 12. 13. prerogatiue, proper to Gods particuler friends, & granted to none, but to such as he loueth dearely. So that indeed if there be any happines vpon earth, it is to be thought that they enioy it, and in more aboundance then the rest: yea doubtles they find that eternall happines and that Omnis qui reliquerit domum &c. propter nomen meum, centuplum accipiet, & vitam aeternā possidebit. Math. 1 [...]. 19. Repletus sum consolatione, superabūdo gaudio in omni tribulatione nostra. 2. Cor. 7. 4. hundreth for one, which Christ our sauiour hath promised to such, as forsake all for his loue, and imbrace his Crosse, and follow him; and vndoubtedly performeth it, when on our part there wanteth Qui amat patrem aut matrem &c. plùs quàm me, non est me dignus: & qui non accipit crucem suam & sequitur me, non est me dignus. Matth. 10. 37. not disposition to receaue it.
From hence it commeth, that such as haue experience of this comfort in suffering for Christ, and haue beene trained [Page 45] vp in this Military disciplyne, vnder his Banner, are no whit dismayed with these threatning Proclamations: but keepe Insuperabili loco stat animus qui externa deseruit. Inexpugnabilis, qui vbi aliena disposuit, fecit sibi pacem, nil concupiscendo, nil timendo. Sen. ep. 33. Perfectorum est, non facilè mū danis moueri, non turbari metu, non dolore vexari: sed qua si in littore tutissimo, aduersus insurgentes fluctus saecularium procellarū, mē tem immobilem fida statione placidare. Hoc firmamentum Christianis mentibus Christus inuexit. Ambr. de Iacob. & bea. vi. cap. 6. their standinges, and with great equability and alacrytie of mind, expect the charge and execution of these seuere lawes. Nay when it seemeth conuenient for Gods greater glory, and the sauing of soules, they meete the persecutor in the midway, and offer themselues to all kinde of perills, as we see the vertuous woman, that wrote the Letter before set downe, did to animate her husband; and the Priestes and Religious men, of whome the Author of this Edict complaineth so much, do daily, as we see. And by their owne confession and complaint, & their daily experience, may be inferred as much as we haue sayd, to wyt, that these soueraigne comfortes, that Gods seruants feele in such cases, and the cordiall medicines that giue such life, alacrity, and courage, in so hoat & dangerous assaults, come from aboue, ministred by the heauenly Phisitian, Father of Mercyes, and helper in al necessities, Qui consolatur nos in ommi Tribulatione nostra; for whose loue their suffer. It is euident, I say, that they are supernaturall and from heauen, and therfore out of the persecutors reach so far as they doe not Non videt eum ne [...] scit eum. Ioan. 14. 17. Quia si cognouisses & tu, quae ad pacem tibi, nunc autem abscondita sunt ab oculis tui [...] &c. Luc. 19. 42. apprehend them, and much les are able to hinder them, or [Page 46] take Gaudebit [...]or vestrum: & gaudium vestrum nemo tollet à vobis. Ioan. 16. 22. them from vs, when we suffer as we should for this cause, howsoeuer God permit them temporall power, to bereaue vs of such temporall comfortes, and commodities, as we willinglie leaue without losse, to gaine our selues, and doe our dutie.
I will not detaine my Reader, prouing this experience by example of those valyant and renowned Captaines S. Antony, S. Paul, and others, that ouercame the inuisible enemy hand to hand: nor of those heroycall champions S. Laurence, S. Vincent, S. Sebastian, and others that gained their Crownes in bloudy battaile, and Alij ludibria & verbera experti, vincula & carceres, in occisione gladij mortui sunt, non suscipientes redemptionem: circuierunt egentes, angustiati, afflicti, quibus dignus non erat mundus, in solitudinibus &c. Hiomnes testimonio fidei probati. Heb. 11. 37. triumphed ouer the Tyrants and Persecutors of their time. I passe ouer infinite number of such like, who in former ages being possessed, & replenished with these heauēly comfortes, felt no want of any visible humane creature, of no companie in the wildest deserts, of no light in the darkest dungeons, no feare in the greatest daungers, no want of courage in the cruelest tormentes, nor any terrour of death it selfe, for their hartes were strengthened with inward ioyes; they found within themselues Celestiall company, they were illuminated with an inuisible light, they felt secret contentment and exultation with the assured possession of a soueraigne [Page 47] good, greater Vir insipiens non cognoscit, & stultus non intelliget haec. Psal. 91. 7. Fide Moyses natus, occultatus est mēsibus tribus à parentibus suis: eò quòd vidissent elegantem infantem, & non timuerunt Regis Edictū. Heb. 11. 23. Fide Moyses eligebat magis affligi cum populo Dei, quàm temporalis peccati habere iucunditatē, maiores diuitias aestimans the sauro Egyptiorum, improperium Christi: aspiciebat enim in remunerationem. Heb. 11. 29. Fide reliquit Egyptum non veritus animositatem Regis: inuisibilem enim tamquam videns sustinuit. Heb. 11. 27. without comparision, then all the goodes which their aduersaries could take from them, or the euills they could deuise against them: in so much that the Iudges that condemned them to death, & the bloudy executiōers of their sentences, were amazed and astonished at their Resolution and Constācy, as we see the Authors & Actors of these Tragedies in Englād are at this day.
For wante of vnderstanding the Mistery of this diuine comforte, which these holy men felt inwardly in their soules; their aduersaries attributed their admirable patience and alacritie, some to want of sense, some to Arte Magicke, and inchauntments.
And from the very self same roote of ignorance proceedeth that these present persecutors persuade themselues that they can terrify Gods seruantes with these heauie Edictes and Lawes, or extinguish Haec fides Diabol [...] vicit. Cōtra hanc portae inferi praeualere non possunt. Tanta enim diuinitus soliditate fūdata est, vt eam neque haeretica vmquam corruinpere prauitas, nec Pagana potuerit superare perfidia. S. Leo serm. 2. anniuers. assump. Dominicae. Catholicke Religion with any arte Pretiosa in cōspectu Domini mors Sanctorū eius. Non vllo crudelitatis genere destrui potest Sacramento erueis Christi fundata Religio. S. Leo serm. 1. in nat. Pet. & Paul. or violence of humane persecution. For cōtrary to their expectation, we see that insteed of effecting their designements, they add new fewell to that sacred and Celestiall fire, that burneth in the others brests, & kindle new feruour & zeale to professe & propagate that diuine truth, which with these politicke meanes they would extinguish.
And for their further satisfaction in this point, they may please to consider: if they permit liberty to those who by office are bound to teach the Catholicke fayth, they execute their function: if they put them in In Euangelio laboro vsque ad vincula, quasi malé operans: sed Verbum Dei non est alligatum. 1. Tim. 2. 9. Ille in quauis conditione seruitutis liber est, qui amore non capitur, auaritiae vinculis non tenetur, metu [...]riminis non obligatur. Securus spectat praesentia, quem non terrent futura. Amb. de Ioseph. prison, their doctrine & example doth more good in publicke, then they could possibly haue done before in secret: if they put them to death, for euery one they take away, spring vp Non minuitur persecutiōibus Ecclesia sed auget [...]r: & semper Dominicus ager segete ditiori vestitur, dum grana quae singula cadunt multiplicata nascuntur. S. Leo ser. 1. in nat. Pet. & Paul. Hoc habet proprium Ecclesia, vt dum persecutiōem patitur, floret: dum opprimitur, crescit: dum contemnitur, persistit: dum laditur, vincit: dum arguitur, intelligit: tunc stat, cùm superari videtur. Hilar. l. 7. de Trinit. many yong plāts; for the bloud of Martyrs is, and euer hath beene the true seed of the Catholicke Church. And verily let Statistes plot and practice whatsoeuer they can deuise, seeing, it hath pleased the great seeds-man, to sow so much of this fruitfull seed in England, no man that vnderstandeth any thing of God Almighty his proceeding in such cases can doubt of the conuersion of that Countrey to the Catholicke fayth.
If they imagine that by impouerishing the Catholickes, the Priestes at length shall want competēt maintenance, they are likewise Non est sapientia, non est prudentia, non est consilium cōtra Dominum. Prou. 21. 30. deceaued in this; for first their maintenance dependeth Respicite volatilia caeli, non serunt, neque metunt, & Pater vester caelestis pascit illa: & quāto magis vos modica fidei. Matt. 6. 26. not onely vpon them: and although it did, yet for one that falleth by these practises, many Faciamus viro Dei coenaculum paruum, & ponamus ei in eo lectulū, & mensā ▪ & sellam. & cādelabrum: vt cùm venerit ad nos, maneat ibi. 4. Reg. 4. 10. are cōuerted, & arise from [Page 49] sinne. And the infallible wisdome of God Almighty, hath a thousand wayes Considerato lilia agri, quomodo crescūt, ne (que) laborant, neque nent &c. Nolite ergo solliciti esse dicentes, quid māducabimus, aut quid bibemus, aut quo operiemur? scit enim pater vester quia his omnibus indigetis. Quaerite ergo primùm Regnum Dei & iustitiam eius, & haec omnia adijciētur vobis. Matth. 6. [...]8. to prouide for his Children, that their aduersaries cannot imagine. Not only in so populous & plentifull a Countrey, & amongst people so gratefull, liberall, and pious, as is the English Nation, but euen in the Deserts Traduxit populū suum per d [...]sertum, quoniā in aeternum misericordia eius. Psal. 135. 16. of Egipt, amongst the wild beastes, and in the Dungeons Dixit Angelus Domini ad Habacuc [...], fer prandium quod habes in Babylonem Danieli, qui est in lacu leonū. Dan. 14. [...]4. of Babylon amongst the hungry lyons. And without all doubt the same God, that imployeth Quando [...]isi vos siue sacculo & pera, & calce [...]mentis: num quid aliquid defuit vobis? at illi dixerunt Nihil. Luc. 22. 33. them in his busines, hath Nolite solliciti esse, dicentes, quid manducabimus, aut quid bibemus, aut quo operiemur: haec enim omnia gentes inquirunt: s [...]it enim Pater vester quia his omnibus indigetis. Quaerite ergo primûm Regnum Dei & iustitiam eius, & haec omnia adij [...]ientur vobis. Matth. 6. 31. care to mayntaine them: & rather then they shall want, he will multiply Dixit vidua ad filium suum, affer mihi adhuc vas. Et ille respondit, non habeo: stetitue oleum: 4. Reg. 6. oyle in the vessell, & cause the heauēs to Dixit Dominus ad Moysen: Ecce ego pluam vobis panes de caelo. Egrediatur populus & colligat quae sufficiunt per singulos dies. Exod. 16. 4. rayne bread, and the foules Abscondere in torrente Ca [...]i [...]h. Coruis praecepi, vt pascant te ibi. 3. Reg. 17. 4. Corui deferebant Eliae panem & carnes mane: & similiter panem & carnem vesperi. 3. Reg. 17. 6. of the ayre to feede them, as he did to his seruantes in other tymes. And when all fayleth, rather then they will fayle, or leaue the soules of their Countrey-men vnsuccoured in so great necessity, and perill to be lost, they will applie themselues to learne occupatiōs, as the blessed [Page 50] Apostle Saint Paul Laboramus, operantes manibus nostris maledicimur, & benedicimus 2. Cor. 4. 12. did, and maintaine themselues by their hand-labour, with double glorie & double reward. The Apostle S. Paul because he would neyther be chargeable to others, nor fayle in the diligent execution of his office, laboured Ipsi scitis, quoniam ad ea quae mihi opus erant, & his qui mecum sunt, ministrauerunt manus istae. Act. 20. 34. Gratis Euangelium Dei euāgelizaui vobis nam quod mihi deerat, suppleuerunt qui venerunt à Macedonia. 2. Cor. 11. 7. by day, and spent the night in preaching, and Vna autem fabbathi cùm conuenissemus ad frangendum panem, Paulus protraxit sermonem vsque ad mediam noctem. Act. 20. 7. administration of holy Sacraments; as these other will also doe, rather then leaue their station: so that as long as there is any people in England, so long as his Royall Maiesty, or his successors shall haue subiects to gouerne, there will not want Priestes & Religious men amongst them, to help their soules.
And suppose he could make an end of all his owne Countrey-men, God would raise vp men of other Nations to learne the language, and supply their want; as we see he doth in the Conuersion of the Indians, and of other Gentiles, and hath allwayes done in the Catholick Church, and especially in tyme of Persecution: for he neuer fayleth to succour his friends.
They be also deceaued, which imagine that the impouerishing of Catholickes, is a way to make them Protestantes, and forsake their fayth: for if they consider well, they shall find a contrary effect, & the errour ariseth by mistaking the groundes of the Protestants sect, and Catholicke Religion. True it is, that [Page 51] riches, honour, and temporall cōmodity is the foundation of Statisme, and from whence the Persecutors take their ayme, and measure all their actions and procedinges: as it cannot be denyed, but that Radix omniū malorum est cupiditas: quam quidam appetentes, errauerunt à fide, & inseruerunt se doloribus multis. 1. Timoth. 6. 10. couetousnes, and Quomodo vos potestis credere qui gloriā ab inuicem accipitis: & gloriā quae à solo Deo est non quaeritis? Ioan. 5. 44. O Timothee deuita oppositiones falsi nominis scientiae: quam quidam promittentes, circa fidem exciderūt. 1. Timoth. 6. 11. ambition are the two pillars & suporters of all false sectes. But they must vnderstand, that the Catholicke faith stabilitate sua consistit, standeth fast by it self, it relyeth not vpon any humane foundatiō, but the eminency of it, is setled vpon the infallible truth, and vpon the soliditie and perfection of the doctrine it selfe, founded in true pouerty of heart, and in contempt of temporall honour, wealth, and all the rest which worldlings esteeme. And by this pouerty, and contempt of transitory superfluities, it is not onely preserued in purity, but enlarged, and increased: so as the possession and inordinate desire of riches, is the most effectuall way to weaken & diminish it: and this remoued, it cannot faile. And the reason is euident.
For Loue being the chiefe of all the affections of mans mynd, and as it were the key, the sterne, and rudder of our will, by which all the other passions of the soule are commaunded: he that by the grace of God hath learned to ouer-maister his Loue, doth therby put his whole life in order, and with great facility [Page 52] shaketh of a thousand impertinent desires, which like so many maleparte retayners, eat out their Maister, without doing him any seruice: and once voyding his house of these idle, and vnprofitable hangers on, his soule freed from many vaine hopes, and feares, remaineth in peace, his vnderstanding receaueth light, to see reason, and his will is readie to obey it, and put in execution whatsoeuer God Almighty commandeth, without Cognoscentes se habere meliorem & manē tem substantiā. Heb. 10. 34. desire of any thing, that may hinder this freedome & happines, or difficulty to admit any losse that may increase it, much more when there is perill of sinne, as in this our case.
This is that which our sauiour Christ Iesus taught vs in the examples of the builder, Luc. 14. 30. and of the King that maketh warre: for he saith, it is necessary for these to be aforehand, and haue aboūdance of money to put in execution their worke: but for the spirituall building & warfare it is not necessary. But to the contrary, he which in this kind is to rayse the highest buildinges, and obtayne the greatest victoryes, & follow Christ our Captaine, with perfection, must be the freest Si vis perfectus esse, vade, vende quae habes, & da pauperibus, & habebis thesaurum in caelo, & veni sequere me. Matt. 19. 21. from all superfluities, that may hinder or diuent him: and then he entreth into the power of God Almighty, and taketh possessiō of his riches, when he perfectly Nisi quis renuntiauerit omnibus quae possidet, non potest esse meus discipulus. Luc. 14. 33. Virtus in infirmitate perficitur: libenter igitur gloriabor in infirmitatibus meis, vt inhabitet in me virtus Christi. 2. Cor. 12. 9. Propter quod placeo mihi in infirmitatibus, in contumelijs, in necessitatibus, in persecutiōibus pro Christo. Cùm enim infirmor, tune potens sum. 2. Cor. 12. 10. Infirma mundi elegit Deus, vt confundat fortia. 1. Cor. 1. 27. [Page 53] relinquisheth his owne.
And this was the reason why in the primitiue Church, when the Christians estemed greatly their fayth, & cōtemned their riches, thousandes Exhortatus est eo [...] Petrus, dicens: saluamini à generatione ista praua: & appositae sunt in illa die animae circiter tria millia. Act. 2. 40. Loquentibus autem illis ad populum, superuenerunt Sacerdotes, & Magistratus templi, & Sadducaei, dolentes quòd docerent populum, & annūtiarent in IESV resurrectionē ex mortuis. Et iniecerūt in eos manus, & posuerunt eos in custodiā. Multi autem eorū qui audierunt verbum crediderunt: & factus est numerus virorum quinque millia. Act. 4. 1. were conuerted at euery sermon of the Apostles, and they professed their faith without Et virtute magna reddebant Apostoli testimonium resurrectionis IESV Christi Domini nostri: & gratia magna erat in omnibus illis. Act. 4. 33. feare, notwithstanding all the threatnings and cruelties, that could be deuised against them.
Then they cast Neque quisquam egens erat inter illos, quotquot enim possessores agrorum aut domorum erant, vendentes afferebant pretia eorum quae vendebant, & ponebant ante pedes Apostolorum. Diuidebatur antem singulis prout cuique opus erat. Act. 4. 35. their goodes at the Apostles feete, and willingly of their owne accord, did that which now these other suffer: But this violence teacheth them, to make a vertue Felix necessitas quae ad meliora compellit. of necessity, and profit of their enemyes. And the infinite benefits which they find in pouerty, cause many to loue and esteeme it highly, who otherwise by all liklyhood, had neuer come to know it, if the experience of these Exi in vias & sepes, & compelle intrare, vt impleatur domus mea. Luc. 14. 23. rigorous Proclamations had not beene. And this precious and holsome Scire vti paupertate, maxima felicitas est. Sen. de Mor. Prima fronte rigida ac subtristis paupertas est, minaxue aduentus eius. At cùm in familiaritatem semel admissa fuerit, minimè sumptuosa, secura, ac facilis hospes erit. Redige te ad parua, ex quibus cadere non possis. Inest paupertati (sine qua nihil est [...] lesson they owe to their aduersaries.
I re [...] [Page 56] which his Maiesty of Great Britāny and such as counselled him, seeme to haue intended. For it is a great absurdity in reason, & against cōmon sense, to procure any end by contrary meanes, and to take courses, which of their owne nature and by Gods ordinance, help, increase, and vphould the very same thinges, which they seeke to ouerthrow. And it is little better then madnes once to imagine that one or few, by force In consilium eorū non veniat anima mea. Maledictus furor eorum, quia pertinax: & indignatio eorum, quia dura. Diuidam eos in Iacob, & dispergam eos in Israel. Gen. 46. 6. or deceipt can hynder any long tyme, that which so many with iustice, Nihil in terra sine causa fit. Dissipat Dominus cogitationes malignorū, & apprehendit sapientes in astutia illorum: ne possint implere manus eorum, quod coeperant. Iob. 3. 6. 12. truth, and reason desire to set forward, and especially with so great valour & resolution, as is seene in this case.
But be it, that man against man, vpon these termes may hould out for a tyme: yet certaine it is, that there is no power vpon earth that can resist the omnipotency and prouidence of God, whose Iuxta voluntatem suam faciet Deus, tam in virtutibus caeli, quàm in habitantibus terrae. Et non est qui resistat manui eius, & dicat ei, quare fecisti? Dan. 4. 32. will is a law, and (maugre all policies and practises of such as dare oppose themselues against him) must needes preuayle. And who can make doubt of God his will and pleasure in this case? so that it is easie to coniecture what Haec dicit Dominus. Visitabo contra eum, & contra semen eius, iniquitates suas & adducam super eos omne malum quod loquutus sum ad eos, & non audierunt. Ierem. 36. 31. issue all these hurly-burlies will haue, & what wilbe the end of this bloudy conflict. And that it is onely want of consideration, & of the light of grace, that weake and impotent men take armes of defiance [Page 57] against their Creatour.
Alas how much better were it, that they entred into consideration with themselues, what they doe, and vpon how vncertaine groundes, and by Cùm feriant vnum, non vnum fulmina terrent: Iuncta (que) percusso turba pauere solet. Cùm (que) dedit paries vēturae signa ruinae, Sollicito vacuus fit locus ille metu. Quis non è timidis, aegri contagia vitat, Vicinum metuens, ne trahat inde malum? Ouid. lib. 3. de Ponto. Eleg. 2. others example, learne to preuent Gods iudgmentes, before they fall vpon them. It is the property of creatures without reason, to bite the arrow that hath wounded them, and when they be hurt to reuenge themselues on those that stand nearest to them, neuer considering from Causa illa putanda est prima, vnde motus principium. Meteor. 1. c. [...]. Seruos Dei & Christi laesos vltio diuina defendit, & quantò maior fuerit persecutionis iniuria, tātò iustior fit, & grauior pro persecutione vindicta. Nec vmquā impiorum scelere in nostrum nomen iusurgitur, vt non statim diuinitus vindicta comitetur. Cyp. ad Detrianum. whence it came.
They are fearfull, & suspicious, and carry a watchful eye & heauy hand vpon such as in their opiniō may be the immediate instruments of Gods wrath vpon them, but they neuer reflect vpon their Rex lugebit, & Principes induentur moerore, & manus populi terr [...] conturbabuntur. Secundū viam eorum faciam eis, & secundum iudiciaeorum iudidicabo eos: & scient qui [...] ego Dominus. Ezech. 7. 22. owne sinns, nor remember the innocēt bloud which they haue shed, which crieth vp to heauen cōtinually for punishment; nor the eternall law and iustice of God, for execution wherof all Creatures obey, as instrumentes Armabit creaturam ad vltionem inimicorum. Sap. 5. 18. of reuenge, when the sentence is once denounced.
Oh that they would seriously cōsider the disasterous and miserable Aspice ex alio tormento quod timeas: Respice in alieno exitio quod pauescas: euita foueam in quam alium videris incidisse coram te: pericula aliena in te pertimisce Isid. in Syn. soli. l. 1. c. 10. Istuc est sapere, non quod ante pedes mod [...] est videre: sed etiam illa quae futura sunt prospicere. Terent. in Adelpho. endes of [Page 58] such, as in tymes-past haue attempted the same that now these doe. I meane of Nero, Decius, Iulian, and such like, who in former ages, eyther by bloud and violence, or by flattering and deceipt, or by both togeather afflicted and persecuted Gods Church. His vnspeakable patience and mercy, held his Ne dixeris, pecca [...]i, & quid mihi accidit triste? Altissimus enim est patiens redditor. Eccl. 5. 4. Rarò antecedentem scelestum Deseruit pede poena claudo. Horat. Od. l. 3. od. 2. hand from reuenge for a tyme, and let them run on, whilst it seemed conuenyent to his infinite wisdome; but after wardes he stopped their course in the middest Vidi impium superexaltatum, & eleuatum sicut cedros Libani: & trāsiui, & ecce non erat, & quaesiui eum, & non est inuētus locus eius. Psal. 36. 35. Vltiones pro cultoribus Dei saepe repetitas inuenies: in ruinis Regum, iacturis opum, dispendio militum, diminutione castrorum. Nec hoc casu [...]ccidisse aliquis existimet, cùm iam pridem Scriptura diuina posuerit, Mihi vindictā & ego retribuam. Vnde manifestum est, non per nos, sed pro nobis accidere cū cta ista quae descendunt de Dei indignatione. Cyp. ad Demetrianum. of their puissance, & ouerthrew them in the height of their pride; and from the top of the Castles that they had built in the ayre, he threw them downe headlong into the euerlasting tormentes, prepared from the beginning of the world, for Angels and for such other, as by their examples and suggestiōs rayse themselues against God. I need not stand vpon this, the Stories Non reliquit hominem nocere eis: Corripuir pro eis Reges. Psal. 104. 14. Currus Pharaonis & exercitum eius proie [...]it in mare: abyssi operuerunt eos, descenderunt in profundum quasi lapis. Exod. 15. 4. Si habes intellectū, audi quod dicitur. Non accipit personas Principum, nec cognouit tyrānum: subitò morientur, & in media nocte turbabuntur populi: & pertransibunt, & auferent violentum absque manu. Iob. 34. 20. are full of these examples.
Therfore let no man deceaue himself, be he King or Coūsellour, publicke or priuate person, that hath any hand Vi quod est, praeter naturam est. Phys. c. 3. Qui terret, plus ipse timet: sors ista Tyrannis Conuenit, inuideant claris, fortesue trucident, Muniti gladijs viuant, septiue venenis, Ancipites habeant artes, trepidiue minentur. Caludian. ad Honorium. in [Page 59] these iniuryes: let them know with whom they deale, and persuade themselues, that no humane policie, nor force can preserue thē in Attendite me, & obstupescite & supponite digitū ori vestro, & ego quando recordatus fuero pertimesco, & concutit carnem meam tremor. Quare impij viuunt, subleuati sunt, confortati (que) diuitijs? Domus eorum securae & pacatae, & non est virga Dei super eos &c. Iob. 21. 5. prosperity any long tyme: for neyther heauen can suffer them, nor earth sustayne them, nor any of Gods creatures forbeare them longer, then he withhouldeth their force, eyther expecting their repentance that haue sinned, or because the day Ecce anni tres sunt ex quo venio quaerens fructum in ficulnea hac: & non inuenio. Succide ergo illā, ad quid terrā occupat? Luc. 13. 7. of execution is not yet come, or the offenders not come Generatione quarta reuertentur hâc: nec dum enim completae sunt iniquitates Amorrhaeorum. Gen. 15. 16. to the pitch of their iniquity, or that, the Et dictum est illis vt requiescerent adhuc tempus modicum, donec cō pleantur conserui eorum, & fratres eorum qui interficiendi sunt, sicut & illi. Apoc. 6. 11. number of his elect, and the Omnia in mensura, & numero, & pondere disposuisti. Sap. 11. 21. degree of their Meritts, and the measure of glory, or punishment due to ech part, is not yet fulfilled.
But let vs leaue ould examples of other Countries, and comming nearer home, consider that which fell out in the tyme of King Qui regnare facit hominem hypocritā propter peccata populi. Iob. 34. 30. Henry the Eyght, and what happened to the Subitò defecerunt: perierunt propter iniquitatem suam. Psal. 72. 18. Protectors of King Edward his sōne, and what Queen Elizabeth did, and how she ended, and in her [...] [Page 62] [...] Nempe hoc indoctis, quorum praecordia nullis Interdum, aut leuibus videas flagrantia causis. Quantulacumque adeo est occasio, sufficit, irae. Chrysippus non dicet idem, nec mite Thaletis Ingenium, dulciue senex vicinus Hymetto: Qui partem acceptae saeua inter vincla cicutae Accusatori nollet dare. Et infrà—Quippe minuti Semper, & infirmi est animi, exiguiue voluptas Vltio. Continuò sic collige, quòd vindicta Nemo magis gaudet, quàm femina. Iuuen. Sat. 13. Mens praua semper in laboribus est, quia aut molitur malà quae inferat, vel metuit ne sibi ab alijs inferatur: & quicquid contra proximos cogitabat, hoc contra se cogitari à proximis formidat. Gregor. mor. lib. 11. Subiectes. She as a woman, timorous, and apt by nature to conceaue feares & suspitions, by buzzing such matters into her head, was easily drawn by her Counsellours, and Seruants, which way, and to what they listed. But that his Maiesty so noble a Prince, and of so great experyence, should be led by such womanish passions, were a thing little agreeing, eyther to the conceyued Opinion of his Person, or the Dignity of his Place, or Courage of his Mind.
If the Catholickes had intended to do any harme to Queen Elizabeth, they neyther wanted ability, nor in so long tyme could haue wanted occasions to do it. But they neyther intended, nor imagined any such thing, as is more then euident by the euent. Neyther desire they to his Royall Maiesty any In fide omnes vnanimes, compatientes, fraternitatis amatores, misericordes, modesti, humiles, non reduētes malum pro malo 1. Pet. 3. 8. harme, great or little (God forbid they should:) they desire his vnion to the Catholicke [Page 63] Church, and his eternall saluation, after a long & prosperous raygne vpon earth, and in one word, vt conuertatur Mea est vltio: & ego retribuam. Deut. 32. 35. Nec maledictum pro maledicto, sed è contrar [...]o benedicentes: quia in hoc vocati estis, vt benedictionem hereditate possideatis. 1. Pet. 3. 8. Videte, ne quis malum pro malo alicui reddat: sed semper quod bonum est sectamini inuicem, & in omnes. 1. Thes. 5. 15. & viuat.
But notwithstanding if his Maiesty should still run on (which God forbid) in violent courses, and struggle against Gods i [...]stice, it is reason & necessary, that he should be put in remembrance, that neyther his Proclamatiōs, nor his Oathes, nor his Armies, nor his Guard, nor any other humane prouidence, or preuention, can free him from the diuine Nemesis, whome he hath so often, and so many Ephraim pascit vē tum, & sequitur aestum: tota die mendaciū & vastitatem multiplicat. Iuxta vias eius, & iuxta inuentiones eius reddet ei Dominus. Ose. 12. 2. wayes prouoked. For she Ira in indign atione eius: & vita in voluntate eius. Psal. 29. 6. Auferes spiritum eorum & deficiēt: & in puluerem suum reuertentur. Psal. 103. 29. pierceth the thickest rampiers, she assayleth the strongest Castles, she entreth into the most Anima mea, habes multa bona posita in annos plurimos: requiesce, comede, bibe, epulare. Dixit autem illi Deus, Stulte hac nocte animam tuam repetent à te. Quae autem parasti, cuius erūt? Luc. 12. 20. secret and retyred closetts, wher they whome she pursueth, can neyther run from her, nor make resistance. And in the midst of their ioylity and tryumph, when they thinke In eadem hora apparuerunt digiti quasi manus hominis scribentes in superficie parietis Au [...]ae Regiae, MANE, THECEL, PHARES. Tunc facies Regis commutata est, & cogitationes eius conturbabant eum: & genua eius ad se inuicem collidebantur. Dan. 5. 5. least of their daunger, she intimateth (F) vnto them the dredfull sentence of eternall damnation. Quando eleuatum est cor patris tui, & spiritus illius obfirmatus est ad superbiam: depositus est de solio Regni sui, & gloria eius ablata est. Dan. 5. 20. Tu quoque filius eius non humiliasti cor tuum, cùm scires haec, sed aduersus dominatorē caeli eleuatus es. Dan. 5. 22. &c. Idcirco ab eo missus est articulus [...]
The [...] [Page 66] others. For they are so Scuto circumdabit te veritas eius: non timebis à timore nocturno &c. Psal. 90. 4. compassed, and defended with heauenly truth, that the fire cannot touch them: onely the Nullꝰ est captiuus, qui animo est liber. Epi. in Ench. bandes of their mortality are dissolued, the Tamquam aurum in fornace probauit eos: Deus tentauit eos, & inuenit eos dignos se. Sap. 3. 6. rust of humane infirmities purged, and the brightnes and splendor with which they remayne after they be Iustitia custodit innocentis viam: impietas autem peccatorem supplantat. Prou. 13. 6. clensed, and Fulgebunt iusti, & iudicabunt nationes. Sap. 3. purified with this fire, sheweth to the world the Non reliquit hominem nocere eis: corripuit pro eis Reges. Psal. 114. 14. force and sweetnes of the law of God. His holy Benedictus Deus eorum, qui misit Angelum suum, & eruit seruos suos qui crediderūt in eum. Dan. 3. 95. Et Petrus ad se reuersus dixit: Nūc scio verè, quia misit Dominus Angelū suum, & eripuit me de manu Herodis, & de omni expectatione plebis Iudaeorum. Act. 12. 11. Angel will come downe from heauen, as he did in the other occasion, and make a place of Si coram hominibus tormenta passi sunt, spe [...] illorū immortalitate plena est Sap. 3. 4. Recreation, and pleasure of that, which was prepared for the payne and In paucis vexati, in multis bene disponentur. Non tanget illos tormentū mortis▪ [...]si sunt oculis insipientium mori, illi autem sunt in pace. S [...]p. 3. 2. torment of his seruantes. Nihil obtines, S. Leo. ser. in nat. Sancti Laurentij. nihil proficis, saeua & caeca crudelitas: subtrahitur tormentis tuis materia mortalis, & Laurentio in caelos abeunte, tu deficis. Segnior est flāma quae foris vssit, quàm quae intus accēdit. Saeuis, persecutor, in Martyrem: saeuisti, & auxisti palmam, dum aggeras poenā. Nam quid ad victoris gloriam ingenium tuum non reperit, quando in honorem transierunt triumphi, etiā instrumenta supplicij?
Most truly and liuely doth S. Leo represent vnto vs in these wordes the present case of Catholickes, that lyue in this English persecutiō in the person of Saint Laurence, & of the Emperour Valerianus & his Ministers. Blynd Qui odit fratrem suum, in tenebris est; in tenebris ambulat, & nescit quo vadit: quia tenebrae obcaecauerunt oculos eius. 1. Ioan. 2. 11. and barbarous Cruelty (sayth he) what hast thou gotten? [Page 67] The mortall substāce is withdrawne from thy torments: Saint Laurence is receaued into heauē, & what is become of thee? The fire that appeareth outwardly, and burneth his body, is much more remisse, then that which inwardly inflameth his soule. Thou insultest ouer Saint Laurence but thy Cruelty increaseth his reward. What hath not thy inuention effected, to make famous his victory, seeing the very instrumentes of his tormentes are turned into ensignes of his Tryumph and glorie? Thus S. Leo. And it is most true, that they helpe Ecce prophanus hostis numquam beatis paruulis tantùm prodesse potuisset obsequio, quantùm profecit odio. Aug. serm. 10. de Sanctis. and honour Gods seruants more in procuring their harme, then they could by their fauours. This secret fire which S. Leo speaketh of, doth purify without inflaming, doth illustrate without diminishing, it doth Videbat Moyses quod rubus arderet, & non combureretur. Exod. 3. 3. comfort without consuming. This is that Celestiall fire, which Christ our Sauiour came to kindle vpon Ignem veni mittere in terram: & quid volo, nisi vt accendatur? Luc. 12. 49. the earth, and what doth he desire, but that it burne and increase? This fire is so actiue, that if once Dominus Deus tuus ignis consumens est. Deut. 4 24. it take hould of a loyall hart, it presently Nos reuelata facie gloriam Domini speculantes, in eamdem imaginem transformamur à claritare in claritatem. 2. Cor. 4. 18. changeth and trāsformeth it into it selfe. It replenisheth the vnderstanding with Est lux vera, quae illuminat omnem hominē venientem in hunc mundū. Ioan. 1. 9. heauenly light, and filleth the soule with fortitude and ioy. [...] [Page 70] shall I say, when I contemplate your In omnibus tribulationē patimur, sed non angustiamur: apporiamur, sed non destituimur: persecutionem patimur, sed non derelinquimur: deijcimur, sed non perimus. 2. Cor. 4. 7. manifold afflictions, the Chaynes that you haue honoured, the Prisons that you haue sanctified, the Reproaches that you haue suffered, & amidst all these, the Excipientes verbū in tribulatione multa, cum gaudio Spiritus sancti, ita vt facti sitis forma omnibus credentibus in Macedonia, & in Achaia. 1. Thes. 1. 8. great Alacrity, cherfullnes, and contentment that you haue shewed?
You haue comforted the afflicted with your doctrine and example: you haue encouraged the weake with your fortitude: you haue edified the whole Church of God with your patience and charity: you haue giuen ioy Pretiosa in conspectu Domini mors Sanctorum eius. Psal. 115. 15. to heauen and earth by your pretious death, imitating herin the Sonne of God, both in the substance and manner of suffering, in your Countrey, in the sight of your friends, slaundered, and stroken euen to the death, by those for whose sake you offer your Iuda, osculo filiū hominis tradis? Luc. 22. 48. Coeperunt illum accusare, dicentes: hūc inuenimus seducentem gentem nostram, & prohibentem tributū dare Caesari. Luc. 23. 2. Cōmouet populum, docēs per vniuersam Iudaeam. ibid. 5. Gens tua & Pontifices tradiderunt te mihi. Toan. 18. 35. Et cum iniquis deputatus est. Luc. 22. 37. laboures, and giue your liues. O blessed and most happy Triumphers, that beare vpon your brestes, stigmata Mihi autem absit gloriari, nisi in cruce Domini nostri Iesu Christi: per quem mihi mundus crucifixus est, & ego mundo. Ego enim stigmata Domini Iesu in corpore meo porto. Gal. 6. 14. 17. Iesu Christi! Predestinated of God, ennobled with his grace, to be the liuely representatiō of the Scimus quoniā diligentibus Deum omnia cooperantur in bonum, ijs qui secundum propositum vocati sunt Sancti, quos praedestinauit conformes fieri imagini filij sui. Rom. 8. 28. Image of his Sōne! O that these vnworthy armes of myne, might once imbrace those glorious bodies of yours, mortified with Christ and put to death for his loue! O that I might once se my self on my knees before those holy Reliques, rent and torne in peeces for his loue, and lifted vp into the ayre, [Page 71] in token that the Truth, for which they died, hath gotten the victory.
The Earth wheron you trode, and in which you suffered, is worthy to be honoured for her riches, aboundance, fertility, & other naturall endowmentes, & for the good disposition of the people it bringeth forth; but aboue all, for her auncient faith and piety. But that which it got by possession of quietnes & peace, is much inferiour to that, which it hath gayned in this persecution by the bloud of Gods seruantes shed in it, wherwith being ouerflowed, and made fertile, it bringeth forth fragrant flowers of patience, and fruite of benediction. Your Name is now made famous throughout the A vobis diffamatus est sermo Domini, non solùm in Macedonia & in Achaia, sed in omni loco fides vestra quae est ad Deum profecta est. 1. Thes. 1. 8. whole world, and many remote Nations, and Countries, which before had no notice, nor euer heard of yours, now loue & esteem it, as highly fauoured of God, and desire to heare of your proceedinges, and of your Infirma mundi elegit Deus, vt confundat fortia [...], vt non glorietur omnis caro in cōspectu eius. 1. Cor. 1. 27. Sic dicere videtur: Nolite turbari, si cùm vos inter Lupos mitto, tamquā oues & colūbas esse iubeo. Nam etsi possum contrariū quoque praestare, & non permittere, vt graue aliquid patiamini, nec lupis tamquam oues subiecti sitis, sed efficere, vt leonibus terribiliores euadatis: tamen sic expedit fieri. Hoc & vos illustriores faciet, & meam quoque declarabit virtutem. Chrysost. hom. 34. in Matth. victoryes, and to be partakers of your merits & prayers.
Gaudeas [...] [Page 74] Maiesty, & to the Estate of the Realm gathered togeather in Parlament, in the first place to ratifie and confirme all the Lawes made in the time of Queene Elizabeth against the Papists.
The Lawes of Queene Elizabeth confirmed in this Parlament, are these that follow.
WHOSOEVER shall denie that VVomē are incapable of all spirituall iurisdiction and function. Mulieres in Ecclesia taceant: non enim permittitur ijs loqui. 1. Cor. 14. 35. Turpe est enim Mulierem loqui in Ecclesia. ibid. If it be an vnseemly thing, as the Apostle sayth, that a woman should speake in the Church; how much lesse may she rule & commaund it? all spirituall Authority and Iurisdiction in the Kingdome of England, doth of right belong to the Queene, shalbe held for a Traytor, & incurre the punishment therto belonging. Parlam. An. 1. Eliz. Cap. 1.
Whosoeuer being demaunded and required shall He is a Traytor in their Nomenclator, that will not sweare false. refuse to sweare, that the Pope of Rome neyther hath, nor can haue anie spirituall Iurisdiction in the Kingdome of England, shalbe held for a Traytor, and stand liable, and subiect to the punishment therto belonging. Parl. An. 1. Eliz. Cap. 1.
Whosoeuer shall affirme, and say, that the Queene is an It deserueth punishment to be an Heretike, and not to call an Heretike by his true name. Heretike, or a Schismatike, shall incurre the same penalty. Parl. An. 13. Elizab. Cap. 1.
Whosoeuer shall goe about to dissuade any of her Subiects, from the Religion which is professed in England, and induce him to follow, and beleeue the Such another Law made the Scribes & Pharisies, against Christ. Conspirauerunt Iudai, vt si quis Iesū cōsiteretur esse Christū, extra Synagogam fieret. Ioan. 8. 22. Roman faith, shall incur the same penalty. Parl. 23. Eliz. Cap. 1.
I passe ouer for breuities sake the particuler Lawes, by which they would banish out of that Kingdome, vnder the name of Treason, all the meanes, instruments, & outward signes of Christian Piety. As for example, the Sacrament of Confession, the vse of Agnus Dei, of Rosaries, of Medals, holy Images & other such like thinges are condemned as Actes of Treason: yea a Priest is made Traitor for onlie his function, without anie other crime. The words of the Law are these:
What Iesuit soeuer, Priest, or Deacon hauing taken holy Orders by Authority of the Bishop Without this Authority there is no spirituall Clergy: which is in fauour of Ministers wiues & children; otherwise their marriage were not lawfull. of Rome, that from henceforth presume to enter into this Realme, ipso facto shalbe guilty of high Treason, and subiect to [...]
2. The Church-wardens and Constables of euery Towne and Parish, or the chiefe Constable of the Hundred, shall once euery yeare present the monthly absence from Church of all manner of Popish Recusants, & the names of euery of their Children, being of the age of nine yeares and vpwardes, abiding with their sayd parents, and as neere as they can, the age of euery of their Children: as also the names of the seruants of such New penalty, and reward to accusers of Catholikes. Recusants, at the generall or quarter Sessions of that Shyre or Liberty. And in default of such Presentment to be made, the sayd Constable, Church-warden, or high Constable shall for euery default so made, forfait twenty shillings. And such as are diligent in making this Presentment, shall haue a reward of fortie shillings to be leuyed out of the Recusants goods.
3. All that are, or hereafter shalbe, vpon inditement conuicted of Recusancie, shall for euerie moneth after [Page 79] such conuiction, without any other inditement or conuiction, forefayte twenty pounds, to be payd into the A new addition to the former grieuāce. receipt of the Exchequer yearlie; except in such cases, where the King shall, and may by force of this Act, refuse the same, and take two parts of the Lands, Farmes, and Tenements of the sayd offender, to his owne proper vse.
4. Euery such Recusant indited and conuicted as aforesayd, shall haue left the third part only of his Pater meus caecidit vos virgis, ego caedā scorpionibus. Let his Maiesty consider if this be good counsell. Lands and Leases, to, and for the maintenance, and reliefe of himselfe, of his wife, family and children. And the King, nor his Successors cannot dimise, lease, or put ouer, any part of the said two parts to any Recusant, or for any Recusants vse.
5. The Bishops in their Diocesse, or any two Iustices of the Peace within the limits of their Iurisdictiō (out of Sessions) may require any person of the age of eygteene yeares, or aboue, whether conuicted of Recusancy [...]
That they will do their To this they are bound without this oath: and so it might have byn very well spared. best endeauour, to disclose & make knowne vnto his Maiesty, his heires & Successors, all Treasons & Trayterous conspiracies, which they shall know, or heare of to be against him, or any of them.
That they do abhorre and abiure as How came the English Parliament by authoritie to censure doctrine? who deliuered them this Power? who made them assurāce of Gods infallible spirit? impious and hereticall, that opiniō that sayth, that Princes excommunicate or depriued by the Pope, may be deposed by their Subiects, or other whatsoeuer.
That they If they do not belieue it, nor indeed can belieue it without grosse ignorance, why will they inforce them to sweare false, or what get they by this? do belieue, and are resolued in their Consciences, that neyther the Pope, nor any other person hath power to absolue them of this Oath, or of any part thereof.
That they He that sweareth false had need of absolution from the sinne, but needeth no dispensatiō, because the Oath hath no force to bind, as in this case. And the inuentors of this oath, without doubt, eyther did not vnderstand, or for anger & passion did not cōsider, nor remember, that by such violēce as this, inforcing Gods people against their cōsciences to sweare false, & consequētly sinne, they bring the case to the law of nature, & little imagine what both diuine and humane lawes permit in such occasiōs. For if they had reflected vpon the inconuenience, they would neuer haue made choice of a meane so contrary to al good ends, that eyther King or people in reason ought to pretend. do acknowledge this oath to the ministred vnto thē lawfully, and by good & full Authority: & that [Page 83] that they do renounce all dispensations & pardons to the contrary. And that they do plainly and sincerlie acknowledge all these things, & sweare according the expresse words, and the plaine and common sense, and vnderstanding of them, without any euasion or secret reseruatiō. And that they do make this recognition and acknowledgment hartely, willingly, & truly, vpon the true faith of a Christian.
The rest of the Lawes against Catholikes.
WHOSOEVER shall depart out of the Realme of England, to serue any forraine Prince or Potentate, not hauing first taken the Oath aforsaid, shalbe reputed a felon, and leese goods and life.
Item. If any Gentleman or person A new Law to make vagabounds. of higher Degree, or any that hath borne, or doth beare any office in the Campe, go out of the Realme, to serue any forrayne Prince, before he be [...] [Page 86] intertaine any Iesuite or Seminary Priest, or shall discouer any Masse to haue byn sayd, and the persons that were present at such Masse, and the Priest that sayd the Masse, or any of them within three dayes next after the offence cōmitted, shall not only be free from all penalty, if he be an offender, but also shall haue In humane policy these meanes may seeme effectual, but against God they are litle worth: Only they serue to put iealousie and distrust. A worke of Sathan to destroy charity, and neighbourhood in the Common-wealth. the third part of the forfayture of all that shall be forfayted for such offence, so that all the forfaiture do not exceed the sūme of an hundred & fifty pounds.
Item. That no Popish Recusant shall Degeneres animos timor arguit. Aeneid. 2. come into the Court, or House, where the Kings Maiesty, or the Prince is, vnlesse he be commanded so to do, by the Kings Maiesty, his heires and sucessors, or by Warrant in writing from the Lords, and other of the most honorable priuie Counsaile, vpon paine to forfayte, for euery tyme so offending an hundred pounds, the one moity to the King, the other to him that will discouer, and sue for the same.
Item. That all Popish Recusants, that haue forborne comming to the Church, abiding in the Citty, or within ten miles about (except they be Trades-men, men of occupations, or such as haue their dwelling there, & no where els haue any house) shall depart It is euidēt malice and deceipt to possesse the Kings mind with these needlesse feares. from the Citty of London, and ten miles compasse of the same, within three moneths after the end of this Parlament, vpon paine of an hūdred pounds, the one halfe to the King, the other to him that will sue for the same by Action of debt.
Item. All Recusants are This also argueth needles feare: for the Recusants of all others are least to feared. confined to their houses, & may not depart more then fiue miles frō the place of their aboad, without licence obtayned in scriptis of the Kings Maiesty, or some other that by that Statute is enabled to giue it, and with those limitations and restrictions therin likewise specified. And he that is found faulty herin, shall incurre the penalty and forfayte as a Recusant conuicted.
Item. No Recusāt shall practise the com [...] [Page 90] of his wife. And euery woman that shalbe marryed in other forme, then aforesaid, shalbe disabled, not only to claime any Dowry of the inheritance of her husband, or any Ioyntry of the lands of her husband: but also of her widdowes estate, and frankbāk in any customary lands, wherof her husband died seized: Nor can enioy any part of the goods of her husbād, by vertue of any custome of any Citty, or place where the same shall lye, or be. And if it chance that the woman to whom the Recusāt is married haue no lands or goods, wherto he may be intitled, he shall forfayte an hundred pounds, the one part or moity to the King, and the other to him that shall sue for it.
Item. The Recusāt for euery child that is A Law against Baptisme. not baptized (by their vnlawfull Ministers) according to the Laws of this Realme, shall pay an hundred pounds.
Item. For euerie one that is buryed not according to the Ecclesiasticall [Page 91] Lawes of this Realme, the party that causeth him to be so buried, shall forfaite twenty pounds.
Item. The children of any Subiect within this Realme, not being Souldiars, Marriners, or Merchants, or their Apprentices or Factors, that go beyond the seas, without licence of the Kings Maiesty, or six of the priuie Counsell: that then such as shall go beyond the seas, shall haue no benefit of any goods or chattels, that may any way come or fall vnto him, vntill after his returne, he, before a Iustice of Peace, take Quime negauerit coram hominibus, negabo eum coram Patremeo quiest in caelis. An ill change to loose an euerlasting Kingdome, for a little tē porall inheritance. the Oath: to wit, abiure his faith, and obedience to the Sea of Rome. And who shall send the said children, shall forfaite an hundred pounds.
Item. That all persons beyond the seas that are not Merchants, nor their Factors, nor Marriners shal presently at their returne take the Oath before mētioned, before a Iustice of Peace: & in al other things conforme thēselues &c. Otherwise they shall haue no benefit [...] [Page 94] to draw from them their money by secular Authority, they remaine subiect to the authority, and open to all iniuries of the Bishops, who doe daily Principes cō uenerunt in vnum aduersus Dominū, & aduersus Christū eius. Psal. 2. 2. Qui habitat in caelis irridebit eos. trouble & molest them: And in like sort, to the high Commissioners, who haue from his Maiesty authority to persecute the Catholikes, and punish their fayth, as in other Countries, the Inquisitors haue from the Sea Apostolike to defend Catholike truth and punish heretiks.
Thus Gentle Reader thou hast seene briefly set downe the good and wholesome lawes made by the last Parlament of England, and published vnder the Princes name. How good and wholsome they are, it is needles for me to say. Themselues speake for themselues, and make manifest what they are, and from what motiues they are proceeded. The best is, they haue not power ouer any constant, and resolued mind, nor can take from them any thing that they may not loose by many other wayes, and is not in their owne hands to recompence with manifold interest, euen in the present felicity of this life, besides the reward we hope for in the next: which profiteth also to increase comfort in this, to such as will auaile themselues by the good and wholesome aduises to be found in this booke. And in fine, this is a cause in which a man may loose his head, and haue noe hurt, and being once grounded in the loue and obedience of Christ, these Lawes loose their force, as afterward shalbe seene.
THE EXECVTION OF THE FORMER LAVVES.
IT might haue beene excused to occupy the Reader with this Relation; seing the rigorous execution of these Lawes, is otherwise sufficiently knowne to such, as liue where this language is vnderstood. But because I found it in the latyn copy, it was not to be omitted in the translation, at least it may serue to giue to vnderstand what feeling good men, in other Countryes haue of our afflictions, and perhappes moue the Princes hart to commiseration, if he haue tyme, and patience to read it. Thus then is it set downe in the Authors wordes as followeth.
THE Lawes, as we haue seene, are growne both in number and rigour vnder his MAIESTY of ENGLAND that now is: & for the execution of them is giuen much more scope and authority to inferiour Officers, then in the Raygne of Queene Elizabeth was accustomed: wherby may be easily gathered without any other proofe, the manifold iniuryes that Catholicks suffer in England at this Surrexit interea Rex nouus super Aegyptum: & ait ad populū suum: Ecce populus filiorum Israel multus & fortior nobis est; venite, sapienter opprimamꝰ eum &c. Praeposuit [...] tyme. But how much more their Aduersaries striue to oppresse them, so much more God extendeth his fauour, and Fatherly protection ouer them, as in all ages, and other like occasions hath byn seene. And the same Prouidence that permitteth these troubles to fall vpon them, giueth them strength to endure them, not onely with patience, but with alacrity.
The deuisers of this forme of gouernment, and [...] [Page 98] scum, and refuse of the Common wealth: such as their bad life and misdemeanour hath brought into necessity; such as weary of robbing by the high waies, and other infamous occupations, take it for a more secure and easy kynd of lyfe, and most agreeable to their former courses, and bringing vp, to become Bishops Purseuantes, and so offer themselues to that ministery, before they be called. By all which his Maiestyes most honorable Counsell, and all other men may easily vnderstand, how exorbitant the wronges are, that by vertue of these Lawes are offered to the subiectes, being executed by such Ministers, armed with publicke Authority, and the Kinges Warrant, to commyt, without the feare of punishment (which before did keep them in awe) whatsoeuer insolencie and iniustice they list.
They vse ordinarily to beset the Catholikes houses (especially where they hope to find a booty) and scaling the walles by night, and breaking open the dores in the darke, to the amazement of the familyes, make that spoile and hauocke, which such manner of people are like to do in such occasions.
To the basenes of the persons, and rigour of the Lawes, may be added another thing worth the noting, to wit, the extorsion of the penalties by a new stratageme of Astronomy and computation of tymes of their owne. For example, the law is, That euery Recusant pay twenty poundes a Moneth, for not going to Church. What doe these ingenuous Executours? The ordinary accōpt that the Astronomers gather by the motion of the Planets, doth not content them: by this the yeare, as wese, is deuided into twelue Monethes: but it is not for them; they [Page 99] will haue it by weekes, and so find thirteene Moneths in the yeare: & by this accompt extend the penalty of that Statute vpon the Recusants. Now what reason, equity, and iustice is in this, let any indifferent man consider. The Lawes of themselues are rigorous and odious, and these set them on the tenters, stretch them out beyond their nature, and execute them with more rigour, then the Lawmakers did intend: Viderit vtilitas.
By this example you may gather many others, which for breuity I omit. Heere somebody may doubt, seeing the Indignation of the Persecutors of this time is greater, or at least equall to that of Queene Elizabethes tyme; how commeth it to passe, that now there is not so much bloud shed, & Martyrdome of Priestes, and of their receauers as then? To this I answere; that experience hath taught them, how much they loose by open cruelty. And they find it more for their aduauntage, to consume the Catholikes by hunger, rather then to kyll them by the sword. For making them awaie by little and little, they dy many deathes; the manner of their dying is more painfull, and lesse spoken of; so that by this deuice they double their cruelty, & yet haue a colour to pretend Clemencie and commendation of Mercy. Nay, that which is more, they would make the world belieue, they persecute no man for Religion.
And for this cause, hauing persuaded his Royall Maiesty to follow the footsteps, & renew the persecution of his Predecessour, they deuised this new Oath against the Popes Authority, to reduce (at least in outward appearance) to matter of State & [Page 100] Treason, that which is meerly a point of Catholike doctrine. And with this colour they begin a fresh to martyr Priests, seeing other punishments will not make them afrayd, and spoile Lay-Catholikes more then euer: and yet, forsooth, they persecute no man for Religion. I wot not whence it commeth, (whether from the great opinion that they haue of their witts, or the little of ours) that they persuade themselues, that they shalbe belieued, when their wordes are so contrary to their doinges.
In the fore said Lawes, as they are extended in English, they forbid so often, and so largely the thinges pertayning to Religion, as they repeate two hundreth and seauenty tymes, the Name of Priests, Altars, Masses, Seminaries, Iesuits, Colledges, Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction, Faith, Sea Apostolicke, Bishop of Rome, Head of the Church, Images, Churches, Agnus Dei, Madals, and Graines hallowed, Beades, Breuiaryes, Masse-bookes, Life of Saints, and the like: and for euery one of these Markes and Tokens of Catholicke Religion, they put a penalty, and many of them they forbid vnder paine of death. And notwithstanding, that with these Lawes and Proclamations, they publish openly to the whole world their hatred against Catholicke Religion: yet they blush not on the other side to affirme, & will needes be belieued, that they, forsooth, as I haue said, persecute no man for Religion, but all is for Treason and Practises against the State.
I desire the Reader heere to iudge, whether the things mentioned, or vse of them, be crimes against the State, or that the State be well erected, where these actes of Piety and Religion are punished as [Page 101] Crimes. To be short: All these Treasons and Crimes imputed to Catholickes, are comprized in one, to wit, to be faythfull seruantes of Christ, and obedient children of his Church. This is the Crime of Crimes, and Treason of Treasons: this is the offence vnder so many, and so different names & titles condemned, and punished by these Lawes. This, in fine, is the ground, summe, and substance of this Persecution, prosecuted so many yeares, and now renewed and increased, as here may be seene.
There was some few yeares past a Conspiracie of seauen or eyght yonge gentlemen, who induced (as the report goeth) by a traine of some chiefe Protestantes, intended with one fire to extinguish another, which had endured many yeares, deuouring and consuming the bowells, and best substance of their Countrey. But howsoeuer it was begun and intended, let it be as their greatest Aduersaries will haue it (notwithstanding the publike voyce, and many presumptions prooue, that it was an Inuention of State, and a meere trap to entangle them:) Let vs, I say, graunt, that the same men, that put it in execution, were they, that layd the plot, & were the Authors: Let vs graunt all this, and what else they can desire: yet with what conscience, and with what reason, should any be made partaker of the danger or punishment, that had no part in the Action? that neyther gaue any consent, or had any notice of what was intended? For if we admit this course of Iustice and this manner of proceding: if the fault of one, or of a few may be extended to a whole community, perforce all Comon-wealths must goe to wracke: yea mankind must perish, all [Page 102] the whole world must downe at a blow. For by this Law, & manner of gouernment they cannot stand. The Law of God and his diuine iustice hath a far different proceeding: for it saith expressly that he onely that commytteth the fault shalbe punished, Iustitia iusti super eum erit, & impietas impij erit super eum: Ezech. 18. 2. anima quae peccauerit, ipsa morietur. Why then should that which was vndertaken by indiscreet zeale and want of Consideration in one or two, be imputed to the Religion, or to the rest that doe professe it, without any participation of the Crime?
The Catholicke Church hath most holy and iust lawes, and such as doe swarue from them, do in such sort perish, that she neuerthelesse remayneth blamelesse. For why, she neyther doth, nor permitteth, nor approueth any euill. The faultes be personall and of priuate men; the doctrine is vniuersall which admitteth no faultes; these belonged to some few, and passe with tyme; the other is euerlasting, and the cause common to all that be present and to come. And therfore we publish these Lawes to the sight of the whole world: we answer & print these Proclamations in diuers tongues, because the notice of this case belongeth to all the Catholicke Church, which as one body, though dispersed in diuers Countries, must needs feele the iniustice and violence offered to so principall a part, and pray for the remedy.
A COVNTER-COMMAVND CONTEYNING CERTAIN LAVVES, AND HEAVENLY INSTRVCTIONS, opposite to the former: by which, if they be well vnderstood, the other be disanulled, and loose their force.
I.
THE soueraigne Maiesty of God hath distuiginshed the estates of Superiours and Inferiours, deuiding the obligations of obeying and cōmaunding amongst men, with great equality, iustice, and order: & his diuine Will is, that ech of them should know and maintayne his owne: so that whilst Princes contayne themselues within the limits of their Iurisdiction (be their personall demeanour whatsoeuer) they [Page 104] must be obeyed. And so said S. Polycarpe: Docemur Potestatibus & Magistratibus à Deo constitutis, cum honorem qui nostrorum animorùm Eu [...]eb. l. 4. cap. 14. saluti, nostraeue Religioni nihil afferat detrimenti pro dignitate tribuere. But if at their pleasure, they will vsurpe more then is due vnto them, and inforce men to sin; in this case the law of our Soueraigne entreth and obligeth, and our loialty & fidelity to him is put in proofe.
Whilst we liue in this lyfe, as S. Augustine saith, and haue vse of these Aug. propos. 71. cap. 11. ad Rom. temporall thinges necessary to the same, we must obey Princes, to wit, those men, that doe administer and gouerne humane causes by lawfull Authority, in matters that doe properly appertaine to this lyfe. But in other matters that belong to faith and to our obedience due vnto God, and his spirituall Kingdome, (in which we liue by the title of Christians) we ought not to subiect our selues to any man whatsoeuer, that would take from vs that which God hath giuen vs, for our eternall saluation. Wherfore sayth this holy Doctor: If any man persuade himselfe, that because he is a Christian, he is not bound to pay Tribute, and giue Reuerence and Obedience to such as gouerne him in temporall affayres, he is greatly deceaued: But much more, if he thinke that this obedience byndeth him in such manner, that Secular [Page 105] and Ciuill Magistrates, haue therby power to intermeddle in any thing to the preiudice of Religion; but that the law which Christ our Sauiour left vs, is inuiolably to be kept; to wit, to giue to Cesar, that which belongeth to Cesar, and to God, that which belongeth to God. Thus far S. Augustine. And this is the first law in our fauour. In effect: That to euery one be giuen, that which is his.
II.
IN the high Court of Parlament in heauen, is enacted An Iustitia tua, iustitia in aeternum: & lex tua veritas. Psal. 118. 142. eternall Law, wherby Iustice & Truth are made inuincible, & of necessity one tyme or other, early or late, they must preuayle. And therfore as it is great Omnium legum est inanis censura, nisi diuinae legis imaginem gerat. Aug. lib. 9. de Ciu. Dei. Audite Reges & intelligite: discite Iudices finium terrae, praebete aures, vos qui cōtinetis multitudines, & placetis vobis in turbis nationum: quia data est à Domino potestas vobis, qui interrogabit opera vestra & cogitationes scrutabitur: quoniam cùm essetis ministri regni illius, non rectè iudicastis, nec custodistis legem iustitiae, neque secundum voluntatem eius ambulastis. Sap. 6. 2. imprudency, proceeding from want of superiour light, to make Lawes & Proclamations contrary to this eternall Law: so likewise it is an Audi consilium & suscipe disciplinam, vt sis sapiens in nouissimis tuis. Multae cogitationes in corde viri: volūtas a utē Domini permanebit. Prou. 19. 20. exceeding Comfort to all such as suffer for Righteousnes sake, to know and be sure, that though heauen and earth shall passe, yet no one tittle of this heauenly Law can fayle.
III.
GOD Almighty by his vnsearchable, yet most iust iudgment, doth many tymes giue Hierusalem quae occi [...] leaue to the bad, to afflict and [...]
VII.
POVERTY, Reproach, Banishment, Imprisonment, yea Death it selfe (terribilium terribilissima) are much more terrible in Cōsurgamus aduersus fortunam, & quicquid inciderit, sciamus non esse tam magnum quàm rumore iactatur. Sen. Ep. 93. appearance, and imagination, then they are in reall experience in themselues. The Tormentes wherewith they threaten vs, if they be violent, they cause a speedy dispatch, if they be remisse they are borne with facility. And whatsoeuer we can possibly suffer in this life, is lesse Non sunt condignae passiones huius temporis ad futuram gloriam quae reuelabitur in nobis. Rom. 8. 18. Id quod in praesenti est momētaneum & leue tribulationis nostrae, supra modū in sublimitate aeternum gloriae pondus operatur in nobis. 2. Cor. 4. 17. Quid tam poenale quàm semper velle quod numquam erit: & semper nolle quod numquam non erit? Bern. de Cō sid. then nothing, compared with the good, or euill that followeth Eternity: which good or euill, who so assisted with the spirit of Truth, doth seriously ponder, he will not onely suffer with patience, but with ioy Placeo mihi in infirmitatibus meis, in contumelijs, in necessitatibus, in persecutionibus, in angustijs pro Christo. 2. Cor. 12. 10. In vobis gloriamur in Ecclesia Dei, pro patientia vestra in omnibus persecutionibus, & tribulationibus quas sustinetis, vt digni habeamini in Regno Dei, pro quo & patimini. 2. Thes. 1. 4. and desire, whatsoeuer is layd vpon him, for this cause.
VIII.
ANIMALIS Homo cùm in honore esset, non intellexit: comparatus est iumētis insipientibus, & similis factus est illi [...]. Psal. 48. 13. homo, such as lyue onely by sense, and dark-sight of Imagination, without discourse, not examyning, nor reflecting vpon their wayes, but giuing scope to naturall appetites and inclinations, without setled beliefe of immortality, or certaine hope or feare of the distributiō of punishment, and reward in the lyfe to come, cannot [Page 109] giue a iust value of the felicity or misery of this present life, nor be competent Animalis homo non percipit quae sunt Spiritus Dei 1. Cor. 2. 14. Iudges in this case. All that is present, is of it selfe so Mundus transit & concupiscentia eius: qui autem facit voluntatem Dei manet in aeternum. 1. Ioan. 2. 17. short and momentany, that it admitteth no discourse. For seeing it beginneth to be, and endeth in one, and the self same instance, before it can be measured, it is past; we may, if you please, by way of preuention & memory, compose a duration present, ioyning that which is to come and as yet is not, with that which was and alreadie is past. And to reduce this fiction of the Imagination to accompt, we must of force enter into the Sanctuary Quàm bonus Israel Deus his qui recto sunt corde! Mei autem paené moti sunt pedes, paene effusi sunt gressus mei: quia zelaui super iniquos, pacem peccatorum videns &c. Psal. 73. 1. 2. 3. Existimabam vt cognoscerem hoc, labor est ante me: donec intrem in Sanctuariū Dei, & intelligam in nouissimis eorum. Ibid. 16. 17. of Eternity, where these outward senses, and our foolish Imagination looseth her sight: and therfore she would persuade vs, that there is nothing beyond her reach. And from this Errour of the Imagination and sense ariseth all Heresie, Atheisme, and Infidelity, which like another deluge ouerflow the world.
But reason and fayth goe on further, and passe to contemplate the inuiolable Decrees, and Edictes of the eternall law of God, Originall and Example of all other Lawes, both of Grace and Nature, and by which heauen & earth are gouerned, and all Angeli in aeternis & immutabilibus legibus, praeuident rerum mutationes: & Dei voluntatem, in ipsis legibus immutabilib Dei. Aug. 9. de Ciuit. c. 22. these changes of tymes consist and haue their being: and from hence a faythfull heart, enlightened with illustratiōs [...] [Page 112] and infallibly giue Vbi est mors victoria tua? vbi est mors stimulus tuus? Deo autem gratias, qui dedit Victoriam per Dominum nostrū Iesum Christū. 1. Cor. 15. vs victory, and reward vs with a Et in circuitu sedis sedilia viginti quatuor, & super thropos viginti quatuor seniores sedētes circū amictivestimentis albis, & in capitibus eorum coronae aureae. Apoc. 4. 4. Crowne of immortall glory.
XI.
IS there any man of so little discourse, or so base minded, that will not desire to suffer a moment with Christ, to raigne Qui vicerit non laedetur à morte secunda. Apoc. 2. 11. Qui vicerit Vestietur Vestimentis albis: & non delebo nomen eius de libro vitae & confitebor nomen eius coram Patre meo, & coram Angelis eius. Apoc. 3. 5. Vincenti dabo manna abscōditum, & calculum candidum, & in calculo nomen nouum scriptū, quod nemo scit nisi qui accipit. Apoc. 2. 17. Qui vicerit dabo ei sedere mecum in throno meo: sicut & ego vici, & sedi cum Patre meo in throno eius. Apoc. 5. 21. with him afterwards in glory for euer?
XII.
THE seruant Non est discipulus super Magistrum, nec seruus super Dominum suum: sufficit discipulo, vt sit sicut Magister eius, & seruo sicut Dominus eius. Matth. 20. 24. cannot iustly complayne, if his Maister vse him no worse, then he doth his Deus pròprio Filio non pepercit, sed pro nobis omnibus tradidit illum. Rom. 18. 32. Pater Filium in mundum venire ad passionem voluit sed tamen amauit eum quem ad passionem misit. Sic electos Apostolos Dominus non ad mundi gaudia, sed sicut ipse missus est ad passiones in mundum mittit, & tamen amantur qui ad tollerandas passiones inter scandala peccatorum mittuntur. Greg. hom. 6. in Euang. onely sonne. Neyther is the fault of Christo igitur passo in carue, & vos eadem cogitatione armemini. 1. Pet. 4. 1. iustice in the Campe, where by law it is established, and in practise, that aswell in the labours and dangers of the war, as in deuiding the spoyles, honors, and rewardes, there be equall distribution, and respect had [Page 113] of the Si autem filij, & heredes: heredes quidem Dei, coheredes autem Christi. Si tamen compatimur, vt & conglorificemur. Rom. 8. 17. Ideo fortium diuidit spolia, pro eo quod tradidit in mortem animam suam. Isa. 53. 12. common souldier his desertes, as of his Captayne.
XIII.
ATRVE and Omne quod natū est ex Deo vincit mundum: & haec est victoria quae vincit mundum fides nostra. 1. Ioan. 5. 4. liuely faith in Christ Iesus doth animate vs, and encourage vs in all our difficulties. Hope of Scimus quoniam cùm apparuerit si nilis ei erinius, quoniam videbimus eum sicuti est: & omnis qui habet hanc spem, in eo sanctificat se. 1. Ioan. 3. 3. Et si coram hominibus tormē ta passi sunt: spes illorum immortalitate plena est. Sap. 3. 4. Debet in spe qui arat arare: & qui triturat in spe fructus percipiendi. Cor. 9. 10. reward doth make them easie. Charity Charitas numquā excidit, patiens est, benigna est. 1. Cor. 13. 4. 8. Fructus autem spiritus est charitas, gaudium, pax, patientia, longanimitas &c. Gal. 5. maketh sauoury & sweet whatsoeuer is suffered for Christ. And finally feruent prayer and deuotion obtayneth by law Si manseritis in me, & verba mea in vobis manserint: quodcum (que) volueritis, petetis, & fiet vobis. Ioan. 15. 7. Elias homo erat similis vobis passibilis: & oratione orauit, vt non plueret super terram, & non pluit annos tres & menses sex: & rursum orauit, & caelum dedit pluuiam, & terra dedit fructum suum. Iac. 5. 17. & promise that cannot fayle, all reliefe and succour, that according to diuine Prouidence shalbe necessary.
XIIII.
SVCH as will enioy the Vos estis qui permansistis mecum in tentationibus meis, & ego dispono vobis, sicut disposuit mihi Pater meus regnū, vt edatis & bibatis super mensam meā in regno: & sedeatis super Thronos iudicātes duodecē tribus Israel. Luc. 22. 28. Prerogatiue of fauourits, must be content to endure the examination & proofe. True friends are not Amicos probabis ex calamitate in vita, & communicatione periculorum [...] knowne but by doubtfull occasions. And if Christ would not enter into [...] [Page 116] of the Indifferent bonum latitudinem habet, quae est in salute, decore, diuitijs, gratia, nobilitate & ceteris. Haec pleris (que) nocuerunt, qui ea non cum sapiētia & iustitia possiderūt. Horum vsus optimus, si virtutibus regitur: at sine gubernatione virtutum, fraudi esse incipiunt quae possent esse vtilitati. Ambr. de Noe & Arca. c. 32. vse of these transitory things, and they do not profit vs hoarded vp, or possessed with inordinate affection, but Mensuram bonam & confertam & coagitatam & superfluentem dabunt in sinum vestrum. Luc. 6. 38. contemned, and well imployed. For as the Inne is to the trauayler, so the value of them consisteth in Vsus est optabilior habitu▪ Finis enim vsus. Arist. moral. lib. 1. c. 3. Tūc solùm est pretiosa pecunia, quando vsu largiendi desinit possideri. Boet. de consolat. their vse: and by their imployment in vertuous and good vses, they produce inestimable benefits, and in such as despise them true Quid praecelsius illo viro qui contemptū habet pecuniarum, & velut ex arce quadam despicit hominum cupiditates? Ambr. Of sic. lib. 1. c. 14. Contemne quae saeculi sunt, & Dominicae passionis opprobrium praefer diuitijs: operaberis in Dei nomine, & eris peccatoribus terrori, & Regibus reuerentiae. Ambr. in Psal. 118. Sensit Alexander testa cùm vidit in illa Magnum habitatorem: quantò felicior hic, qui Nil cuperet, quàm qui totum sibi posceret orbem: Passurus gestis aequan dapericula rebus. Iuuen. valour and nobility.
XVIII.
DOVBT lesse he maketh a very good bargaine, that purchaseth the ioyes of heauen with what Considerandum est fratres dilectissimi, & identidem cogitandū, renuntiasse nos mundo, & tamquam hospites & peregrinos hic interim degere. Magnus in patria nos carorum numerus expectat: frequens nos amicorum & copiosa turba desiderat, iam de sua immortalitate secura, & adhuc de nostra salute sollicita. Ad hos auida cupiditate properemus &c. Cyp. lib. de immort. in fine. losse soeuer of earthly things, which wil we, nil we, at one tyme or other must be separated, eyther they from vs, or we from them; onely God knoweth, where Victus & vestitus Christianorum diuitiae sunt: facilè contemnit omnia qui se semper cogitat esse moriturum. Hier. Epist. ad Paulinum. c. 8. and how [Page 117] soone. Therfore thrice happy are they that leaue such incertainties with so gaynfull conditions, and for so glorious a cause.
XIX.
THERE be many wayes Rara si constat forma mundo, Si tantas variat vices, Crede fortunis hominum caducis, Bonis credi sugatibus. Constat, aeterna positū [...] lege est, Vt cōstet genitum nihil. Boetius lib. 2. metro. 3. Stulte hac nocte animā tuam repetent à te. Quae autem parasti, cuius erunt? Luc. 12. 20. to loose the goodes of this world, but who so looseth them for Christ, doth not loose them, but letteth Thesaurizate vobis thesauros in calo, vbi neque erugo, ne (que) tinea demolitur. Matt. 6. 20. Hoc dico fratres. Tempus breue est: reliquū est, vt qui habent vxores, tāquam non habentes sint: & qui flent, tamquam non flentes, & qui gaudēt, tamquam non gaudentes & qui emunt, tamquam non possidentes: & qui v [...]untu [...] hoc mundo, tamquam non vtantur. 1. Cor. 7. [...]. Si vis perfectus esse, vade vende quae habes, & da pauperibus, & habebis thesaurum in caelo: & veni sequere me. Matth. 19. 21. them out for interest, for they yield him an hundieth for one, present payment in this world, and for the world to come immensum gloriae pondus. Excessiue gayne I confesse, yet made lawfull by Super omnia bonasua constituet eum. Matth. 24. Statute of the great King of Kinges
XX.
IF we know this law, and will belieue it, we haue a sufficient Fides est sperandarum substantia rerum, argumentum non apparentium. Hebr. 11. 1. pawne and assurance of the reward promised. If we do not belieue, or wauer and stagger in our faith, let vs Probatio fidei vestrae patientiā operatur. Si quis autem indiget sapiētia, postulet à Deo, qui dat omnibus affluenter, & non improperat. Iac. 1. 5. pray feruently to God Almighty, who is allwayes readie to heare and help vs.
XXI.
[...] [Page 120] [...] inter delicias corporis & cordis, quod illae cùm non habentur, graue sui desiderium accendunt: habitae verò in satietatem & fastidium vertunt. At contrà, spirituales deliciae cùm non habentur, in fastidio sunt: cùm verò habentur, in desiderio. Tantó (que) amplius esuriuntur, quantò ab esuriente ampliùs comeduntur. Greg. hom. 36. in Euang. delightfull Non habet amaritudinem conuersatio illius, nec tadium conuictus eius, sed laetitiam & gaudium. Sap. 8. 16. company of friendes, that be with them in all places, and protect them in all occurrences. In fine, they possesse their lyues in patience, for that which Si quod non videmus speramus, per patientiam expectamus, & spiritus adiuuat infirmitatem nostram. Rom. 8. 25. they hope, and haue death in desire by that which Mihi viuere Christus est, mori autem lucrū. Coarctor autem è duobus, desiderium habens dissolui, & esse cum Christo multò magis meliùs: permanere autem in carne magis necessariū propter vos. Phil. 1. 21. they feele, and the reward Scimus quoniam si terrestris domus nostra huius habitatiōis dissoluatur, quodae dificationem ex Deo habemus, domum non manufactam, aeternam in caelis. 2. Cor. 5. 1. Scio cui credi [...]l, & certus sum, quia potens est depositum meum seruare in illum diem. 2. Tim. 1. 12. Ego enim iam delibor, & tempus resolution is meae instat. In reliquo reposita est mihi corona iustitiae, quam reddet mihi iustus iudex: non solùm autem mihi, sed & ijs qui diligunt aduentum eius. [...]. Tim. 4. 8. of eternity, as it were in their handes, and therwithall walke confidently: and constantly in the middest of this fornace of Persecution, which in all probability cannot endure long, in so great extremity, as it is.
XXVI.
IN this respect, their goodes, their liuinges, their honours, yea lyfe it selfe, if they serue for any thing, or be any thing worth, are doubtlesse this: and this is the seruice they can do vs, to be Quae stultitia est illic relinquere vnde exiturus es & illucnon praemittere quò iturus es? Illic ergo tuam colloca substantiam, vbi habes & patriam. Chrysost. in. c. 6. Matth. Si vis esse mercator optimus foenerator egregius. da quod non potes retinere, vt recipias quod non potes a mittere▪ da modicum, vt recipias centuplum da temporalem possessionem, vt consequaris hereditatem aeternam. Aug. Epist. [Page 121] spent in Gods seruice, and to be Hi qui amicti sunt stolis albis, qui sunt, & vnde venerunt? & dixitmihi: hi sunt qui venerunt de tribulatione magna, & lauerunt stolas suas, & dealbauerūt eas in sanguine agni. Ideo sunt ante Thronum Dei: sedens in Throno reget illos, & deducet eos ad vitae fontes. Apoc. 7. 14. lost for his loue.
XXVII.
THERE is one commodity and merchandize richer then all the rest, to be esteemed without comparison aboue gould or siluer, or the most precious Iewells, the pearle which euery prudent merchant should seeke after, and buy at what price soeuer: that is, the Amico fideli nulla est comparatio: & non est digna ponderatio auri & argenti contra bonitatem fi [...]ei illius. Eccles. 6. 15. Sapictia infinitus thesaurus est hominibus, quo qui vsu sunt, participes facti sunt amicitiae Dei: venerunt mihi omnia bona pariter cum illa, & innumerabilis honestas per manus illius, & laetatus sum in omnibus. Sap. 7. Ecce qui elongant se à te peribunt: perdidisti omnes qui fornicantur abste. Mihi autem adherere Deo bonum est, & ponere in Domino Deo spem meam. Psal. 72. 27. Quid est longe à Deo fieri? quid est abs Deo fornicari? est non amare amore casto. Fortè diuitias & aurum eius amas, & fundos, & pecuniam, & equos, & familiam, & cetera? Absit▪ Amor castus ipsum solum amat, quia in ipso habet omnia, per quem facta sunt omnia. Deo adhaerere nihil est melius quando eum videbimus sicuti est. Adhuc peregrinus es, nondum adhaeres per praesentiam: fluctuas adhuc, praemitte ad terram hanc ancorā & inhaere per spem. Aug. in Psal. 7 [...]. loue & friendship of God. Let vs therfore endeauour to lyue and die in his fauour. Let it Omnis huius saeculi quaestus, animarum dispendium est. Omnium detrimentum libenter passus est, qui volebat Christum lucrari. Quod & si m [...] rabiliter dixerit, minus tamen expressit, quā accepit Ipse suum detrimentū homo sit, quo fiat lucrum Christi. Ambr. epist. 44. Cum vita hominum praeuaricatione damnata coepisset esse miserabilis, debuit dari finis malorum, vt mo [...]s restitueret quod vita amiserat. Malitia hominum mors intrauit in mundum: & quae non fuit in natura, in naturam conuersa est. Sed facta est mors pretiosa, postquam vnius morte mundus redemptus est, & mors eius vita est omnium. Haec more [...] cost what it will, whether riches, honoures, troubles, perilles, life, death, or what else soeuer: for he that hath God for his portion, and entreth into sure possession [...] [Page 124] [...] Per mare pauperiem fugiens, per s [...]xa, per ignes. Epist. lib. 1. Epist. 1. Horat. Vs (que) adeo solùm ferrum mortemue timere, Auri nescit amor? pereunt discrimine nulio Amissae leges, & pars vilissima rerum. Certamen mouistis opes? Lucanus de bello Parsalico lib. 3. the earth: why should not the Loue of God, the Zeale of his Truth, and the hope and desire of eternall felicity be as powerfull in our Christian hartes, as these other base appetites in the children of the world? Why do not we that professe our selues Christians, forsake Si militibus saecularibus gloriosum, vt hoste deuicto redeant in patriam trium phantes: quantò potior & maior est gloria victo diabolo ad paradisum triumphantem redire, & vnde Adam peccator eiectus est, illuc (prostrato eo qui antè deiecerat) trophaea victricia reportare? Offerre Deo acceptissimum munus incorruptam fidem & virtutem mentis incolumē? Comitari eum, cùm venerit vindictā de inimicis recepturus? Lateri eius assistere cùm sederit iudicaturus? Coheredem Christi fieri? Angelis adaequari? cum Patriarchis, cum Prophetis, cum Apostolis, caelestis Regni possessione laetari? Durat fortis & stabilis religiosis hisce meditationibus fundata mens, & aduersus omnes Diaboli terrores & minas mundi, animus immobilis perstat, quem futurorum certa & solida fides corroborat. Cyor. lib. de exhort. ad Mart. c. 11. sub finem. Absque perseuerantia nec qui pugnat victoriam, nec palmam victor consequitur. Nutrix est ad meritum, soror patientiae, constantiae filia, amica pacis, propugnaculum sanctitatis. Tolle perseuerantiam: nec obsequium mercedem habet, nec beneficium gratiam, neclaudem fortitudo. Sola est cui aeternitas redditur: vel potiùs quae aeternitati hominem reddit, dicente Domino: Qui perseuerauerit vsque in finem, hic saluus erit. Bern. Epist. 129. our houses, and leaue our Cittyes vnpeopled, in pursuit of these soueraigne Treasures? Why do we not offer our selues to the infallible aduēture of Beatus qui vbi (que) te ducem habet, Domine Iesu. Nos populus tuus & oues pascuae tuae: sequamur te, per te, ad te. Trabe nos post te in odorem vnguē torum tuorum: quia tu es via, veritas, & vita. Via in exemplo, veritas in promisso, vita in praemio. Verba enim aeternae vitae habes, & nos cognoscimus, & credemus, quia tu es Christus filius Dei viui. Bern. serm. 2. de Ascens. Filii hominum sub tegmine alarum tuarum sperabunt. Inebriabuntur ab vbertate domus tuae: & torrente voluptatis deliciarum tuarum potabis eos, quia apud te est fons vitae. Da amantem, & sentit quod dico: da desiderantem, da in ista solitudine peregrinantem, at (que) sitientem, & fontem aeternae patriae suspirantem: Da talem, & scit quid dicam. Si autem frigido loquor, nescit quod loquor. Si ea quae inter delicias & voluptates terrenas reuelantur amantibus, trahunt; quoniam verum est, trahit sua quē (que) voluptas: quomodo non trahet post se reuelatus à Patre Chrstus? Quid enim anima fortius desider at, quàm veritatem? Aug. Tract. 26. in Ioan. attayning them, as doe these blessed soules, who by God Almighties Fatherly prouidence, liue [Page 125] vnder those most happy Lawes? Happy, I call them, for those whome they put in certaine possession of their euerlasting inheritance; though miserable and vnhappy for those that make them.
XXX.
IF the glorious Angells of God that penetrate the Mysteries of diuine prouidence, and see how great splendor and maiesty the woundes of the blessed Martyrs, and the scarres of persecution giue in the gouernment of the world: If, I say, these blessed Spirites should againe take flesh, and lyue amongst men, they would choose no other habitation or place of aboad, but where they might labour Est pulch [...]itudo vniuersa creaturae per h [...] tria inculpabilis: Damnatione peccatorum, exercitatione iustorum, perfectione bono [...] and suffer most, and liue in most daunger, and end this mortall lyfe, for the loue of our Sauiour Christ Iesus, and for his seruice: to [...]
Mother chose rather to loose her Kingdome, & her Liberty, yea Lyfe and all, then to loose the fayth which her Sonne now persecuteth. And hath there beene seene, or heard a thing more prodigious in our dayes?
Let not his Noble Maiesty forget himselfe and his subiects so much, as to prefer the whispering of some few faygned friends, without any honorable tryall of the Cause, and in a matter that importeth so much the saluation or damnation of his owne, & so many millions of soules. Let him not, I say, without further examination, reiect the pious and memorable example of his holy Mother, and setled iudgment of so many of his Ancestours, and of all other Christian Kinges and Kingdomes, and of all other men renowned for their Wisdome, Experience, and holy life, that haue bettered the Christian world, with Ciuility, Learning, Piety, and good manners: I say ALL, without exception, since Christ his tyme; and so truly, that they cannot name any one wholy of their side, till at length Luther and Caluin, and some such like Apostata's (men of small learning, and much lesse good report for their dissolute behauiour, and in that regard vnfit to be Teachers and Tutors to Princes) raked out of Hell, and out of the sinke and dunghill of their owne sensuality, the poysoned doctrine wherwith they haue infected the sincerity of Christendome, and made this hauocke that we se, especially in the Northern Countries of [Page 129] Germany, France, England, and others.
The ouer-weening of themselues, auarice, interest, sensuality, and desire to lyue at liberty, haue brought them into such dulnesse of spirit, that they vnderstand not, nor consider, that supernaturall fayth, contrary to all that which they looke after, and for which the Catholikes suffer so much, is doctrine reuealed from heauen, and no humane Audite verbum Domini: haec dicit Dominus Deꝰ, vae Prophetis insipientibus, qui sequū tur spiritū suum, & nihil vident. Quasi vulpes in desertis Prophetae tui Israel, errant, vident vana, & diuinant mendacium, dicentes: Ait Dominus, cùm Dominꝰ nō miserit eos. Ezech. 13. 2. 3. 4. 6. inuention or deuise.
The soueraigne Mysteries of this holy fayth must be receaued by Formā habe sanorū verborū quae à me audisti: bonum depositū custodi. 2. Tim. 1. 13. 14. Fratres state, & tenete traditiones quas didicistis, siue per sermonem, siue per epistolam nostram. 2. Thes. 2. 15. lawfull Tradition, and belieued with humility, piety, and deuotion; and not irreuerently Sicut qui mel multū comedit, non est ei bonum: sic qui scrutator est maiestatis opprimetur à gloria. Prou. 25. 27. discussed with malepart pride, nor examined by onely humane reason, which doubtlesse of it selfe, without help from aboue, how much so euer it striue to ascend, can neuer reach vnto them.
It is cleare, and out of doubt to any vnderstanding, not peruerted, that of God and his workes we must belieue many things, which heere we cannot vnderstand. And it is most reasonable and iust, that we subiect our wittes to assent to his Truth, as we subiect our willes to the obedience of his Law. For in very deed he were but a silly God, and of small Maiesty, if we could comprehend all that he doth.
Let vs therfore in this lyfe, belieue that which he commaundeth, and the Catholicke Ecclesia est columna & firmamentum veritatis. 1. Tim. 2. 15. Tenet me in Ecclesia consē sus [...] Church teacheth, which gouerned by his diuine spirit cānot erre: and hauing setled our faith vpon this sure foundation, liue with that purity and sanctity, that he desireth, and the same [...] [Page 132] dinary actions of mans lyfe, & in the discourse and contemplation (what shall I say) of inuisible thinges: yea of the grossest and basest workes of Nature. The contentions of Philosophers teach vs, how little certainty, & lesse euidence they haue in their profession. And many times we cānot conceaue how artificiall things are made, vntill we be taught. Amongst all these occasions to erre, none is so often, or so easily deceaued, as he, that presumeth most of his wyt, according to the old English prouerbe, when he wily beguileth himselfe.
In this incertainty, who wil aduenture his saluation vpon his owne discourse, and much lesse vpon Caluins or Luthers, or any such like? It was a singular Mercy of Christ, to leaue vs our greatest treasure, vnder the custody Miraculis inchoata: spe nutrita: charitate aucta: vetustate firmata &c. of Fayth, not subiect to the varyances of mens humors and opinions.
It may suffice vs, that we belieue the same faith, that our Forefathers held (I wis as wise as wee) for more then a thousand yeares togeather; and before them those which taught them to belieue, by Prescription from the Apostles time. If any man be so incredulous or so malepart, as to contend, si quis contentiosus esse velit, it may suffice for answere to all his obiections, We haue no such custome in the Catholicke Church, as S. Paul answered to the Corinthians.
If the Kinges most Excellent Maiesty would be pleased once to enter into an indifferent [Page 133] consideration of these things, and the like, with earnest desire to saue so many soules, as hange vpon his: If he would seeke the Truth in her fountaine, and reducing the Conclusions on both sides to their Principles, examyne and ponder the waight of the proofes, as in other cases of lesse importance he hath done, with appl [...]use of the world. If, I say, he would once reiect all other respectes, and resolue vpon this one Mayne, Important Point: I doubt not, but that with such heauenly illustrations (as in like cases God of his louing prouidence is wont to affoard,) he would quickely wynd himselfe out of the Labyrinth of Errour, into which his Infancy was brought before he could preuent it, and from whence Custome, humane Policie of Estate, & Company of flatterers, and double-harted Friends neuer suffered him to get out, nor to enter into a true consideration, and suruey of the manifould obligations his Maiesty hath to deliuer himselfe, and his people from the thraldome, and captiuity, in which they liue.
Such as haue risen to that height of Riches, and Estate wherin their now stand, by the ruines of Catholicke Religion, will no doubt hould on the same course, as longe as they can, and seeke still to make their part good; notwithstanding it be with iniury to Gods honour Religion, and Truth. And therfore his Royall Maiesty will prudently se, what counsaile may come from such kynd of interest, vnlesse their for [...] [Page 136] made for a time to be dissolued. This Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit, & quid post se futurum sit: quis ei poterit indicare? Labor stultorum affliget illos, qui nesciūt in vrbem pergere. Eccles. 10. 14. 15. Labyrinth, wherin such as aduenture to trauayle without Emitte lucem tuam, & veritatem tuam: ipsa me deduxerunt, & adduxerunt in montē sanctum tuum, & in tabernacula tua. Ps. 42. 3. a guide, first leese their ayme, and then themselues in errour, is but set for a summer. This mortall lyfe, that we lyue is nothing else, but a Referet vnusquisque propria corporis, prout gessit, siue bonū, siue malum. 2. Cor. 3. 10. representation or Comedie, whose Scenes & Actes passe by daies, houres, and momentes till it be ended; and a Vidi cuncta quae sunt sub sole, & ecce vniuersa vanitas. Eccles. 4. 11, game at Chesse, wherin when the Mate is giuen, as well the King, and the Rooke, as the Pawne, and the rest are shuffeled togeather, & cast Omnia quae de terra sunt, in terram conuertētur, & om [...]es aquae in terram reuertentur. Eccles. 4. 11. into the bagge, out of which they were taken.
Heere though many affect Non accipit personas Principum, nec cognouit Tyranum cùm disceptaret contra pauperem: opus enim manuum eius sunt vniuersi. Iob. 34. 19. Domini est terra & plenitudo eius, orbis terrarum & vniuersi qui habitant in ea. Psal. 33. 1. to be Lordes, it cannot be; they are but Insudore vultus tui comedes panem tuum, donec reuertaris in terram de qua sumptus es, quia puluis es, & in pulerem reuerteris. Genes. 3. 19. Lieftenants, and Redde rationē villicationis tuae: iam enim non potes villicare. Luc. 16. 2. Stewardes, bound to giue an Assimilatum est Regnum caelorum homini Regi [...], qui voluit rationem ponere cum seruis suis &c. Et tradidit eum tortoribus, quoadusque redderet vniuersum debi [...]um. Matth. 18. 23. 24. accompt; how much soeuer they please themselues with the opinion, and borrowed names, preuenting that Vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in Deo: cùm autem Christus apparuerit vita vestra, tunc & vos apparebitis cum ipso in gloria. Colos. 3. 4. Tamquam aurum in fornace probauit illos, & in tempore erit respectus illorū. Fulgebunt iusti, iudicabunt nationes, & dominabuntur populis, & regnabit Dominus illorum in perpetuum. Sap. 3. 6. they shalbe hereafter, though as yet it do not appeare.
Heere all are Non habemꝰ hic Ciuitatem permanentem, sed futuram inquirimꝰ. Heb. 13. 14. Tennants at will, Strangers Obsecro vos tamquam aduenas & peregrinos abstinere vos à carnalibus desiderijs, quae militant aduersus animam. 1. Pet. 2. 11. and Pilgrimes, none hath perpetuity in the pallaces he buildeth, nor in the gardens and groues he planteth for others to enioy: the houres of his aboad are Iuxta fidē defūcti sunt omnes isti cōfitentes, quia peregrini & hospites sūt super terram: qui enim haec dicunt, significant se patriam inquirere. Heb. 11. 23. alreadie cast vp, and his steppes Breues dies hominis: numerus mensium eius apud te est. Iob. 14. 5. numbred: and therfore wise men take heed how they loade Omnis qui in agone contendit, ab omnibus se abstinet. 1. Cor. 9. 25. Ideo nos deponentes omne pondus & circumstans peccatum, per patientiā curramus ad propositum nobis certamē. Heb. 12. 1. themselues with burdens they cannot beare, or intangle themselues in thinges, wherof they cannot giue good In omnibus operibus tuis memorare nouissima, & in aeternum non peccabis. Eccles. 7. 40. Nouissimè verò veniunt & reliquae Virgines, dicentes: Domine, Domine aperi nobis: At ille respondens ait: Amen, Amen dico vobis, nescio vos. Matth. 25. 13. accompt, when it shalbe exacted.
In this Comedy, Game, Pilgrimage, or call it what you please, what can his Royall Maiesty enioy more then other men? He cānot eate, cloath, sleepe, or disporte himselfe but for one. If he be vsed to more pleasures, he feeleth more wantes. And if they be more delicate or more frequent, they cause short lyfe and lesse Propter crapulam multi obierunt. Eccles. 7. Deliciarum assiduu [...] vsus relaxat vires corporum, vnde morborum & lassitudinum copia egregie proficit, & senectae rudimenta in iuuentute praecludunt. Plut. lib. contra volupt. health. And as for his pastimes, they are common, not only to his seruantes, that beare him company, but to the beastes that serue him, or more properly themselues. For as the actions are to them more naturall, & more vehement the instinct, so their pleasure is greater.
Is it then credible, that for these delights [Page 138] and pastimes, that end by moments as they begin: for these riches that rott and perish of themselues, and cannot be kept: for these honours that vanish as smoake, dissolued with euery wynd, his Maiesty will put in hazard his part of Eternall Honours, Riches, and Contentmens with God & his Angels in euerlasting glory, that admitteth no distast, nor can haue end? And that which is sayd of the King, hath much more force and consequence in the rest, who deeply ingage the losse of their soules for far smaller pleasures and delights.
If his Noble Maiesty lift his eyes vp to heauen, and contemplate the Lyfe, the Kingdome, & the Eternal Felicity which his blessed Mother enioyeth, and shall doe whilst God is God, because being put to her tryall, she chose rather to loose her earthly Kingdome, her liberty, and her lyfe, then to leaue her fayth: the same fayth, as I haue said, which now the King her sonne doth persecute:
And if it please his Maiesty to descend with his mature consideration to the Ad vos ergo Reges, sunt hi sermones mei: vt discatis sapientiam, & non excidatis, non subtrahit personam cuiusquam Deus, nec verebitur magnitudinem cuiusquam: quoniam pusillum & magnum ipse fecit, & fortioribus fortior instat cruciatus. Fiet iudicium durum in ijs qui praesunt: exigua concedetur misericordia: potentes autem potenter tormenta patientur. Sap. 6. 10. 8. 2. Quis putas tunc moeror erit? Quae tristitia? cùm separabuntur impij à consortio Sanctorum, & à visione Dei, & traditi in potestate Daemonum? ibunt cum ipsis in ignem aeternum. Ibi (que) semper erunt in luctu & gemitu. Ibi erit dolor intolerabilis, foetor incomparabilis, timor horribilis, mors corporis & animae, sine spe veniae Vbi nec qui torquet aliquando fatigatur, nec qui torquetur aliquando moritur: sed sic morientur vt semper viuant, & sic viuent vt semper moriantur. Hugo lib. de anima. Anima in inferno posita, bene esse perdidit, & esse non perdidit. Vnde semper cogitur, & mortem sine morte, & defectum sine defectu, & finem sine fine pati: quatenus ei & mors immortalis, & defectus deficiens, & finis infinitus est. Greg. lib. 4. Dialog. cap. 45. places of Torments, he shall their behold those which [Page 139] haue wrongfully iniured, & violently persecuted the iust and innocent, especially for their faith and Religion: who now togeather with their complices are there making good, & paying the score of all the Sacriledges, Murders, and other Outrages, done in dishonor and despight of their Maker, and of their and our Mother the Catholicke Church: not onely suffering for their owne personall crimes, but for the sinnes and damnation of all others that haue perished by occasion of their fall: and for all the profanation, spoyle, wast, and dissolution of Christianitie, that by their Authority, Ayde, or Example hath beene caused in any part of the world: for that all these sinnes run vpon their accompt, and for them they must suffer punishment: and not onely for offences past, but as many as begun by them, shalbe continued, multiplyed, or increased vntill the worldes end. For accordingly, and in proportion, their tormentes shall increase, till all iniquity be ended, & all sinners receaue their finall sentence in body and soule, to be endured whilst God is God: for so his iustice requireth, that no good worke be vnrewarded, nor any sinne vnpunished in this present lyfe, or in the lyfe to come.
Betweene these two extremes of glory and payne his Maiesty standeth, and with him all the rest, that be partakers in this Cause: euery mans hour-glasse is turned, and their tyme slippeth away irreuocably, and with great speed: and in all liklyhood they haue past allreadie the greatest and best part of their dayes. O that he would pause a little vpon this consideration, and before he be engaged so far, that he cannot goe backe, retyre himselfe into the Closet of his owne soule, and there in secret, with quietnes and repose, consult with God and his owne Conscience, whether it wilbe better for him to imploy the remnant of his dayes in remedying former errours, and so assure vnto himselfe an euerlasting Kingdome, in companie of his blessed Mother; or following Queene Elizabethes steppes, and sporting himselfe, as she did, the rest of his dayes, with losse of his owne, & so many millions of soules as depend vpon his, beare her company for euer.
Let no man flatter and deceaue himselfe, nor be deceaued with vaine opinions. There is but one God, and one Truth, and one way to heauen, by true fayth, true hope, and true Charitie: for all must be gounded in truth, which can be but one. One heauen will not hould Queene Mary of Scotland, and Queen Elizabeth of England: as their Religions, their Liues, and their Deathes were contrary, so infallibly be the places of their eternall aboad. His Maiesty hath relation to both; and yet it is in his hand and choyce, by Gods grace, which of them he will follow.
And if togeather with the saluation of his soule, [Page 141] he will establish also his Royall Estate vpon earth to himselfe and his Posterity; were it not a thousand tymes better for him, to lay his foundation, and build vpon the setled Religion and rightfull descent from King Henry the 7. & from other his renowned Catholicke Auncestors, then vpon the ruines of Schisme and Heresie, brought in by the dissolution of King Henry the 8. and continued with so many violences and deceiptes, as were vsed with some colour of Iustice in Queene Elizabethes daies, to hold her vp, and her broken Title on foot? If he follow her and her Father, he casteth himselfe and his into a world of ineuitable and endlesse inconueniences: wheras if he prudently reiect the vnchristian deuises, inuented to giue Authority to their errors, and sinnes, wholy impertinent to his right; and repayre for his Title to the roote, and take his Religion from whence his right must come: if he will haue it without controuersy, he may with a wet finger put remedie to all. The End is Excellent, and the Meanes are Easie: he hath Examples in other Kingdomes, and what would he haue more?
The Sect of the Protestantes in England, is a motly of many colours, a masse of many metalls, and iust the Statua of Nabuchodonosor, of gould, siluer, and brasse, borrowed of others, and with earthen feet, which are onely their owne, and continually decay.
He that will make a durable building, must lay a sure foundation, and rayse his worke by leuell, otherwise though it may make a fayre shew for a while: yet certaine it is, the higher that it riseth, the [Page 142] nearer it is to ruine. And hence commeth the fall of Princes, the decay of Common wealthes, and the change of earthly Monarches, from one lynage or people to another, because they were not well founded, or not well continued.
There cannot possibly be deuised any other Religion so fit for Kinges (I meane such as wilbe Kinges, and not Tyrantes) nor so profitable to Common wealths, as is the Christian Catholicke Religion, giuen by Christ Iesus, for the benefit of men; for by inward sweet motions, and force, it restrayneth all excesses in those that gouerne, and in those that are gouerned, it worketh obedience and subiection, for Iustice and Conscience sake, and keepeth them in loue and loyalty by the secret instincts of Reason and Grace, when other inferiour respects should be wanting.
Notwithstāding that God Almighty hath ordained the holy Lawes and Decrees of his Religion for the eternall saluation of Mankynd; yet, for that one good principle alwayes helpeth another: in consequence the same Religion is so commodious and fit, for the preseruation of secular Estates, as if it had beene ordayned for nothing else.
And it is iust as the sinews in a mans body, wherwith the bones and other solid partes are tyed togeather in such sort, that although in the politicke gouernment there may be errours and faultes: yet where this Religion florisheth, and is kept in due reuerence, it supplyeth all other wants, & houldeth togeather the parts of the Cōmon-Wealth, not only in ordinary sicknesses, but in perilous diseases: and [Page 143] keepeth it from death ruyne, and decay, when all other remedies haue lost their force. And for this reason the prosperity of such Kinges & Kingdomes, as haue care to preserue the purity and sincerity of this Religion, are secure and durable, because it reduceth all Estates to the groundes of Truth and Iustice, which only are permanent. And for the same reason such as professe other Sectes, must of force lyue in continuall disquietnes, and stagger with daily feare, and suspition, because the pillars of their Security may faile them, and fall by many accidents.
If with this new Oath, and Obligation to goe to the Protestants Churches, and other outward protestations, wherto his Maiesty intendeth to bynd his Subiectes, they became Protestants indeed, and left to be Catholickes in their harts; it were something to the purpose (though on his part not well done for the thinges in themselues be vnlawfull:) but seeing it falleth out cleane contrary, and neyther this nor any other good is gotten by them, the longer they be vsed, & the further they goe forward, the more his Maiesty looseth by them. For they must needes cause in the parties iniured, and in their friends and well-willers hart-burning, against the Authors of such violent proceeding, and lesse reputation and good will to his Maiesty euery day, contrary, as I suppose, to the security he intendeth, and to all that, in prudence he should procure.
Such as stand at his elbow, and set him ( Sapientes Consiliarij Pharaonis consiliū dederunt insipiens. Isa. 9. 11. forward in these Actions, though his Maiesty play the game: yet it is euident they make good their owne, [Page 144] and not his. Quaerunt quae sua sunt, non quae Regis, aut Christi. They are diligent, vigilant, and effectuall in all, that may bring them profit, but it is not the Kinges, as presently shalbe seene. In other thinges they are prudent, but in this they are short. Heere passion blyndeth, the matter is mistaken, and thenfore they must needes fayle in the meanes. For the cause which they would maintaine being in it selfe vniust, they can bynd no mans conscience by any violence to approue it (how soeuer some may dissemble for flatterie or feare) which auayleth litle to the Kinges purpose. Wherfore till they can finde out some proportionable meanes, to perswade men of iudgment, that they haue Iustice on their side, and that their opinions are true, and the Catholicke Religion false, which (as they well know is impossible) all the rest they can do to make their cause seeme good, is wholy vnprofitable.
And togeather with this, supposing that which is most true (although such as be about his Maiesty endeauour to conceale it) that the number of such as be in their hartes Catholickes, and belieue all that the Recusants professe, is greater without all comparison, then these that be formally hereticks: and that euen amongst those that were furthest out of the way, many come euery day to vnderstand the Truth, and many to professe it: It were much better, and far more proportionable for that which his Maiesty intendeth (if he intend to quiet his Kingdome, and assure his Royall Estate to himself, and his Successors, when he should be pleased to do no more) at least to suffer mens consciences to be free [Page 145] (seing for the reason alleaged, he cannot tye them) and by this meanes content all, and oblige all to loue him, and serue him, and especially those that now he houldeth in greatest iealousy, to be his most loyall Subiectes, and most obedyent and more sure to him, then any of the rest: then contrary wise vsing violence, without necessity, where it can haue no place, whilst he laboureth to content a few, cause iust indignation in multitudes, which can bring no good, and in tyme may be occasion of many ineuitable harmes.
Moreouer, for the intēt which his Maiesty hath to vnite his two Kingdomes of Scotland and England, in one, vnder the Title of Great Bryttaine, what meane can be deuised more effectuall, then that which onely hath vnity in it selfe, and consequently vertue to vnite others, and which only hath meanes to preserue it selfe, and such as imbrace it in vnity? The Catholicke fayth hath this propriety to vnite, and with her secret vertue, and force to reduce such as lyue dispersed like sauage and wilde people, to the estate of men, and perfect vse of reason, in ciuill lyfe, teaching them to brydle their passions, and conquer their ill customes, & amend their manners, and abandone their former vices and sinnes: and in sine, to yield their willes to rule and reason, making them men, and Christian men, faythfull to God and dutyfull to their Commaunders, which before were barbarous, rebellious to God and to their Princes, and litle better then beastes.
This the ancient, Histories that treate of the peopling of many partes of Europe, doe teach most [Page 146] euidently, where men lyued like bruyte beastes vntill they were instructed, and reformed with this holy Religion. And at this day we see, in Brasile, and many partes of the Indies, that Catholicke Religion hath effected with great facility, that which souldyers & Armes could not do, drawing the people out of the caues, mountaynes and woods, which before they inhabited euery one by himselfe, to build townes and Cytties in the playnes, and lyue sociably in Community, frequenting the Churches and holy Sacramentes, and all other actes of Christian profession, with great piety and deuotion. And both the Histories of these Countryes, and such as come from thence testifie, that with this Catholike discipline they haue profited so much in ciuility, morall conuersation, and politike lyfe, that in many places they are nothing inferiour to the ancient Christians, yea in some parts they goe beyond them, in the exercises of Christianity, and in all that is cōmendable in a morall lyfe: in so much as the Gouernours of these Countries laying downe their armes, & giuing ouer attempts of war many tymes vsed with much bloudshed, and little effect, haue thought it a better course, & more proportionable to their end, to send them teachers to instruct them in the Catholicke fayth, because they see by experience, that with this meane they bring to passe easily in few monethes, that which they could not do by force in many yeares.
The same may be sayd of some Nations here in Europe, which haue professed enimity and deadly hatred, tyme out of mynd, one against another, [Page 147] by reason of bloudy warres and hostility, that had passed betweene them, and by meanes of this soueraigne band of vnity, haue beene reconciled, and brought to lyue vnder one Gouerment, with great peace and friendship, which doubtlesse could neuer haue beene done, nor so inueterate and violent humors tempered, but by this sacred and sweete lenitiue of Catholicke Religion. And for this reason it is called Catholicke; because as it is common to all, so it is fit for all, and a common band with peculiar effect, to reunyte and tie togeather such, as the waywardnes of mans miserable nature, hath drawne to auersion and deuided.
Extremes, if they are to be made, one must needs haue some meanes to vnite them, and those which agree in one third, and so principall a meane of vnion, as is the Catholike faith, with hope & charity, and in such a body of Religion, as agreeth in those vertues, may easily preserue themselues in amity and accord, though in some lesser matters there arise differēces. Will you haue a proofe of this neare home, and proper to this purpose? I my selfe in diuers partes haue knowne English-men and Scottes (notwithstanding their old auersion and antipathy, almost turned into nature, yet being Catholikes) to liue togeather in great amity and friendship.
Neither must it seeme strange: for the communication in the same faith, the common vse of the same Sacraments, and common fountaine of grace, piercing and deuiding betwixt the marrow and the bone, doth clense the rust & canker of corrupt natures instinct, and remoue all Nationall quarrels & [Page 148] emulations. And without doubt, neyther can his Maiesty find, nor any other man deuise, any other so proportionable a meane as this, to make his two Kingdomes one, or to preserue any long time the amity begun betweene them: considering the deadly hatred, fastered and inueterated causes of disunion, which they haue carried in their bowels for so many ages past.
Non adhaeret testa ferro▪ Nature cannot do it, nor Art bring it to passe. Onely this heauenly confection, is able to worke this great wonder. And the reason more in particuler may be, because this Religiō, once entring and taking root in mens harts, it is as the Scripture saith, Virtus Dei ad salutem, subduing in man, whatsoeuer is of man, to the obedience of our Sauiour God, and Man Christ Iesus, whereby man ceaseth to be himselfe, and that which before he was to himselfe, and is transformed into a liuely member, and part of the Mysticall body of Christ, & for reuerence and due respect to his Head, yieldeth dutifull obedience to all lawfull Superiours, whether they be spirituall or temporall, to ech of them in that which appertayneth to their charge, as to the Substitutes & Lieftenants of him, to whom all subiection is due. And as this is voluntary proceeding of conscience and loue: so it causeth concord and good will to all others of the same body, without difference, many times to such, as for personall respects deserue little to be obeyed or loued.
This is the true root and reason of estate: this is the true and only policie, to effect vnion: this is the only proper method of curing old inueterate soares [Page 149] of discord; and the only way to heale effectually, those that so long time haue layen festering. And howsoeuer at this present they be couered, and ouer-healed, they be not hoale in the bottome, and therefore must be prudently, and perfectly healed, least with new occasions they breake out againe, with greater violence and extremity then euer before.
And to hasten this breach, I cannot imagine how his Maiesty, or any for him, could deuise a more effectuall or more speedy meanes, then he hath taken in hand, powling and impouerishing the natiue Englishmen Catholikes, to enrich and aduāce strangers and heretikes, to whome he giueth their goods, and dispossesseth them of their Patrimonyes, and Lands, which their Ancestors had lawfully enioyed many hundred yeares, only because they will not sweare that which they thinke to be false, nor goe, against their Consciences, to the Protestants Churches, without any other offence to the King, or Common-wealth. Who can looke on this, be he neuer so great an enemy of Catholike Religiō, that will not loath it, especially considering that those who suffer these wrongs, are the best Subiects, most innocent, and of more vertuous and exemplary life, then any other of the Common-wealth.
Suppose they were deceaued in their beliefe, houlding for true the Religion, which all their Ancestors, euen from the Apostles time haue belieued: for their aduersaries cannot giue instance, where, when, or by whome, any poynt of that which they belieue and professe, was inuented, or brought in, [Page 150] since the Apostles tyme, notwithstanding their cauill of Ceremonyes, and other accidents out of the substance, which may be added, altered, or taken away, as tymes and oceasions require, without preiudice to the fayth or Religion, to which they appertaine. But, as I say, supposing the Catholicks liued in errour and misbeliefe, this same errour authorized by so long Prescription (as I haue sayd) deserueth not punishment, but pardon and toleration; especially it being, as their greatest enemies must needes confesse, without any hurt to the Common wealth: for none can deny, but that the Recusants lyfe and conuersation is of much more edification and good example, in all manner of Christian vertue, then any of the rest.
And this, and no other thing is the cause, that their Aduersaryes finding in them no faults of their owne, are forced to accuse them of other mens offences, and to calumniate and slaunder them, with false imputations (as the old Persecutors did the Christians of the primitiue Church:) and this also is the cause of so vnusuall and improper manner of speaking, as may be obserued in these Proclamations and Lawes. And they are drawne by necessity to this manner of proceeding, & forced to charge them with secret crimes, for indeed all that passeth in publicke, wherof the world may be wytnes, is in their fauour. And therfore they vrge them, what they thinke, and not onely that, but what they would thinke in tyme to come, vpon conditionall cases, which are neuer like to be. A strange manner of proceeding, and not heard of in other places. [Page 151] But to this miserable perplexity and suspition men come, that will gouerne without God, & his Truth.
And if these thinges of themselues cannot but mooue to compassion any true English indifferent hart, of whatsoeuer Religion the party be; what an ey-sore must it needes be, & what hart-burning, thinke you, doth it cause, to see withall the spoyle of these innocent subiects, turned to mayntaine the pride and superfluities of Strangers: some of them making their nestes in the toppes of the Noblest, and fruitfullest trees, that is, planting themselues in the best Houses and Familyes, and occupying the chiefest Offices and Roomes of the Common wealth: & others returning home to their Countrey loaden with the spoile of Catholickes goodes, who doubtlesse least of all others, feele their owne harms, as men best armed with patience, and most comforted with the considerations abouesayd, and the like, to suffer all that cōmeth for Christ.
But for the rest, no doubt, but their hartes are filled with indignation, and bytternes, whatsoeuer Religion they professe, and much more those of other Sectes, and most of all those that be furthest of from Catholicke Recusancie, as men lesse mortified, more styrring, & more ready to be moued to anger, disdayne and reuenge, howsoeuer they may couer it for a tyme. And this generally out of Nationall passions, and affections, which no doubt are more vehement, and more inflamed, where there concurreth also particuler respectes. And at this day you shall hardly find any one famylie of worth in England, that by one way or other, in the roote, or in [Page 152] the branches, hath not allyance, or interest in the cause persecuted.
The experience of fourty yeares, and vpward, wherin they haue persecuted the Catholickes in that Kingdome, supposing by that way to roote out their Religion, is a strong argument amongst many others, to conuince their Aduersaries, that they hould a wrong course: for all the world seeth, that by this persecution Catholicks haue increased, both in number and zeale, & with them, the meanes that God hath ordained for their preseruation, both at home & abroad. For within the Kingdome there be at this day many more Priestes and Religious men, to teach the Truth to such as desire it, then were when Queene Elizabeth made the first Capitall Lawes against them. And generally Catholickes are more constant, and more ready to endure the penalty of the Lawes, and the Colledges for the bringing vp of such, as God selecteth for the mayntenance of this cause, are more in number euery day. And as their afflictions continue, so their friends increase, and the more their vertue is tryed, and their cause more knowne, the more readines they find, and more desire in all good men to help them.
This experience in truth, were there nothing else, doth plainly demonstrate, that his Maiesty in prudence of Estate (though he had no greater Motyues) should bethinke himselfe of some other course, and vse more proportionable meanes, to bring about his Honourable Designments.
And doubtlesse if his Iudgment and other Naturall [Page 153] Giftes be answerable to the report, he will easily see the conuenience, by that which hath beene sayd, setting passion and bad Counsayle aside. For what man is there of any vnderstanding, that hauing bene troubled fourty yeares togeather, with one and the selfe same infirmity, and vsing all that while the same dyet, the same Phisitians, the same method in curing, & the selfe same medicines, and yet with all this tyme, trouble, and cost, findeth himself no whit the better, but euery day worse: Who I say (if he be in his wits) will not take counsaile with other Phisitians, and at the least make tryall of that which they prescribe, for the recouery of his health.
If therfore his Gracious Maiesty desire to attayne to these Honourable ends, to wit, the establishment of his Kingdome, and the security of his Royall Person, and Posterity, togeather with their Aduancement, & increase of Reputation & Estate, he will passe no further in these blind by wayes of his vnfortunate Kinswoman (if I may so call her) and Predecessour. For though there were no other inconuenience in them: yet this one may suffice to a generous Spirit, not to be inforced to seeke frienship with Infidels, nor depend vpon the Rebels of other Princes as she did, and other things very ill beseeming so renowned a Nation, and the Person of a Christian Queene. Wheras contrarywise, if he would fauour them, which most of all men deserue it, and desire all manner of happines to him, & his; he might haue Honourable friendship, and amity with the greatest Princes in the world, and thereby [Page 154] find entrance to match his Children with their equals; and not, as otherwise he must of force, with their inferiours in bloud: and that which is worse, with Heretikes and Infidels, who howsoeuer they respect one another, and vse amongst themselues flattery, the truth is, by all Lawes, Haereticū hominē post vnam, & secūdam correptionem deuita: sciēs quia subuersus est qui huiusmodi est, & delinquit, cùm sit proprio iudicio cōdemnatus. Tit. 3. 10. C. infames 6. q. 1. C. alieni 2. q. 7. Ant. Gazaros C. de haereticis. c. 2. §. haeretici. li. 1. & 6. Glo. Verb. Diuina. c. de sūma Trinitate & fide Catholica, vocat haereticos infames, si [...]ue eos repellit à testimonio. p. 1. l. 3. ff. de testibus. diuine, & humane, & by the generall consent of all the Christian world, they are incapable of honour, and held for ignoble and infamous.
If his Maiesty looke after interest, and desire honour and riches togeather, he shall, without comparison, gayne more (houlding correspondence with the Sea Apostolike, as other Catholike Princes doe) by the quietnes of his Kingdome, by sparing many vnlawfull and impertinent expenses, which then will not be necessary, & by the sincere affectiō and loue of his subiects; then with all the Proclamatiōs, Oathes, Statutes, Praemunires, pilling, powling, and other violent courses: all which might haue some colour of necessity in Queen Elizabeths dayes, but for many iust causes (as hath beene seene) are not onely ill-beseeming and dishonorable to his Noble Maiesty that now is, but very preiudicious and hurtfull to his Estate.
Againe: If he seeke to spend the rest of his dayes in quietnes, and to haue a ioyfull and happy old age, it is a playne case, that the lyfe of a Catholicke, that liueth according to his beliefe, is much more comfortable and pleasant, without all comparison, then the life of an Hereticke, or a wicked liuer; for when bodily pastymes fayle the body, or rather the body fayleth them; then is most necessity of the [Page 155] inward comfort of the mynd, and where these also be wanting, the paynes of hell begin in this life. And so Gods iust iudgmentes require. And it is an Iussisti Domine, & ita factum est, vt sibi ipsi poena sit omnis animus inordinatus. Aug. lib. 1. Confess. inuiolable Law, that a disordered mind is a continuall cause of his owne punishment & torment.
The greatest cause why this counsaile may perhaps be lesse liked of by some, is because the profit therof cannot be knowne, but by experience. And where mens passions are vncontrolled, their imagination peruerted, their vnderstanding preoccupated with false suppositions, and their willes ouergrowne, and as it were festered with contrary customes, they cannot feele the sweetnes of vertue, vnlesse they be strengthened with particuler grace from heauen, and ouercome the repugnance of nature and sense, to make this tryall.
This vale of misery, this place of our habitation and aboad, is a common Educ de custodia animam meā, ad confitendū nomini tuo: me expectant iusti donec retribuas mihi. Psal. 141. 8. Dominꝰ soluit cōpeditos. Ps. 145. Vnde sumus cōpediti? corpus nostrū ornamento nobis fuit: peccauimꝰ, & cōpedes inde accepimꝰ. Quae sunt compedes nostrae? mortalitas ipsa. Aug. in Psal. 161. Prison or Gaile, where all the Inhabitants, aswell the Iudge, as those that be iudged, the King that commaundeth, as the Subiects that obey, are all sentenced to death. Statutum est omnibus hominibus semel mori. The difference of this Prison from other particuler Prisons, is, that in this, the paynes and pleasures, the burdens and benefits are deuided with equality, and to euery one is assigned with great iustice, onely that, which is his owne.
Here the high Iustice of heauen, hath appointed to euery person in particuler, of what degree and condition soeuer, his prison & chaines. Some beare them with ease, others draw them with payne, and many of ignorance and passion charge themselues [Page 156] with other chaynes, which Gods hand hath not layd vpon them, and put themselues in prisons and fetters that be not his.
These be the Peccare non est libertas, nec pars libertatis: peccare est potius non posse, quā posse Quicū que enim facit quod sibi non expedit, quanto magis hoc potest, tantò magis aduersitas & peruersitas possut in illum. Ansel. c. de fort. prisons, fetters, and chaynes, wherwith the world, that is to say, the vanity of worldly men, the flesh, and the Diuel, ech of them hould in captiuity those which yield them homage and subiection: and they be of infinite sortes and fashions, which the prisoners themselues make for thēselues, with diuers occasions, in the forge of their owne imaginations and willes; the fiend of Hell setting their hartes on fire, and blowing the bellowes to inflame the disordinate appetites, that his other two companions, the World, and the Flesh, and He also himselfe many times doth kindle with their suggestions. And from this forge proceed all the sinnes and disorders, the miseries and confusion, that we see in Propterea captiuꝰ ductus est populus meus, quia non habuit scientiā: & nobiles eius interierunt fame, & multitudo eius siti exaruit. Propterea dilatauit infernꝰ animam suam, & aperuit os suū abs (que) vllo termino: & descēdent fortes eius, & populi eiꝰ, & sublimi gloriosi (que) eius ad eum. Isa. 5. 13. the sōnes of men. And from the self same fornace, issue the grosse cloudes of smoake, which darken the vnderstanding of the Hereticke, that he cannot see his errours: and of the sensuall distracted Catholicke, that he considereth not the deformity of his lyfe, when it is contrary to the holy Fayth that he professeth.
These are the prisons and chaines, that properly make men Sedē tes in tenebris, & in vmbra mortis: vinctos mendicitate; & ferro. Psal. 110. 6. slaues, and enthrall them more then the prisons and chaines of wood or iron, as a wise Epictetus. Philosopher said, who being asked why he procured not his liberty (for he was a slaue to one [Page 157] of the Emperour Nero his fauourites) answered, that he was more at liberty then his Maister, for his Maister was subiect to diuers passions and perturbations of mynd, and to many vices, which had no rule ouer him. And his answere was most true; for there are no prisons so strong, nor chaynes so heauy and troublesome, as these that hould both body Omnis qui facit peccatum, seruus est peccati, Io. 8. 34. A quo quis superatus est, huius & seruus est. 2. Pet. 2. 19. Gaudenti homini & carcer latus est, & tristi pratum angustum est. Aug. in Psal. 141. and soule in captiuity.
Other chaynes Leo victus est saeuiendo: agnus vicit patiēdo, conuersa sunt corda hominū ad timorem Christi: coeperūt Reges, coeperunt nobiles miraculis cōmoueri, prophetiae adimpletione turbari, videre in vnum nomen concurrere genus humanum, & quid facerent? Multi ex nobilibus elegerunt ignobilitatem, & dimittentes domos suas, & substantias suas distribuentes pauperibus, elegerunt paupertatem in saeculo, nobilitatem in Christo, & tenent Regias potestates, & sunt tamquam in compedibus. Vnde hoc? Ne progrediantur ad illicita, compedes acceperunt, compedes sapientiae: compedes verbi Dei ferrea sunt, quamdiu timent: ament, & aurea erunt. Aug. in Psal. 149. there are, not of Iron, but of Gould, not for the punishment of slaues as the former, but for the honour and authority of freemen and children; so far from weighing downe those that weare them, that they set them at liberty, and deliuer them from the misery, and captiuity of the other, drawing Felix necessitas, quae and meliora compellit. Aug. epist. 45. Aspera est patientia indoctis hominibus, & non permanebit in illa excors. Audi fili, accipe consilium intellectus. Inijce pedem tuum in compedes illius, & in torques illius collum tuum: subijce humerum tuum, & porta illam, & ne accedieris in vinculis eius. Ecclesiast. 6. 25. In opere enim ipsius exiguum laboris, & citò edes de generatione illius. Ibidem. 20. with sweet violence, and withdrawing them from all that may enthrall, or doe them hurt. In these chaines was tyed the Apostle S. Paul, when passing by Ephesus, he sayd to the Christians, that he went to Hierusalem bound in spyrit, not knowing what should befall him there, but that the holy Ghost in all places by which he [Page 158] passed, did forwarne him, that chaynes and tribulations did expect him in Hierusalem.
Both these kyndes of chaynes bynd the spyrit, because both are spirituall, though comming from different spirits. The one from the vncleane spirit of malice and sinne, the other from Gods holy spirit of Truth. This heauenly spirit byndeth hand and foot, such as be his, and maketh them do, and suffer whatsoeuer he pleaseth, not only without contradiction, but with alacrity, inclosing in such māner their willes in his, that they will not lyue without it a footstep, nor a moment, for all the goodes in the world: for in it they find riches, contentment, and rest, and as in a strong Castle, security and defence; such liberty in these chaynes, and such freedome of hart, as they can suffer no violence, nor any creature doe them harme.
With these goulden chaynes of true Wisdome, and Charity, and Christian zeale of the saluation of soules, God almighty draweth out of England, and transporteth to other Countries, such as he hath chosen for Teachers and Lights of that people, and after that he hath strengthened and adorned them with his heauenly grace, and armed them sufficiently with vertue, & learning, and experience necessary for their charge, he calleth them backe againe, bound in spirit to the self same place, from whence he tooke them first, to rescue such soules, as the enemy hath taken, out of the power of darknes, & to breake the chaynes wherwith he keepeth them prisoners, and to preserue such as be free, that they fall not into the like captiuity.
Which holy enterprize of Iustice and Charity they vndertake with such resolution, that notwithstāding they forsee in these Lawes & Proclamatiōs troubles, imprisonments, and deathes that expect them, where they intend to goe, yet they make no account of them, nor of any other thing that the power of man can inuent against them, so they may do their duty, in testifying and making knowne the Kingdome of God, to such as lyue in darknes and know it not.
Such as are imployed in these affayres, carryed along and comforted with this diuine spirit, the Spirit of Isa. 11. 2. Wisdome and Fortitude, be not dismaid with these thūderclaps, nor can they feare any thing contrary to the feare of God. This excludeth all other feares; and therfore they respect more his pleasure, and commaundment, sweetly and effectually insinuated vnto them by his diuine inspiration, and by the obligation of their duty then any outward thing, that their aduersaries, can deuise against them. And so when they are pressed to it, they confidently answere to these Proclamations and Lawes, the same that S. Paul answered in the very same case: Sed nihil Act. 10. 24. horum veror, neque facio animam meam preciosiorem me; dummodo consummem cursum meum, & ministerium quod accepi a Domino Iesu, testificari Euangelium gratiae Dei. I feare none of these dangers, nor esteem my lyfe more precious then my selfe, so I may fullfill my course and the charge which I haue receaued from our Lord Christ Iesus, to testifie the good tydinges of Gods grace, and mercies.
If God Almighty would be mercifull to this our Most Noble Prince, now deceaued, & to such as by euill counsell keep him prisoner in Adams chaynes: if the Sunne of Iustice would cast his gracious beames vpon them, and illustrate in such manner their vnderstandings, and mollyfie their hartes, that once they might prooue in themselues the glory of a good Conscience, and by that come to know in some part, the inexplicable comforts that such, as suffer for the Religion which they persecute, doe feele and enioy: I doubt not, but that quickly there would be an end of this bloudy Tragedie.
And to awake Dedisti significationē, vt fugiāt à facie arcus. Psal. 59. 6. them out of this dreame of faigned security wherin they liue, & open their eyes to see how much God is displeased with their proceedings, they want not exāples of his seuere Iustice eexcuted now & then vpon their cōpanions, taking them away suddainly, when they were least ready for their accompt, that by these exāples others may take heed, which is a singular fauour: for by chastising some few he inuiteth to his mercy the rest, to whome he giueth tyme and occasion of repentance.
Within these few yeares there haue dyed suddainly at diuers tymes in England, foure of the priuy Counsell, and their deathes are so much the more markable, as they were lesse prouided for. For this is the misery of suddaine death, when it ouertaketh a sinner, and neyther giueth him warning, nor leasure to repent. One of these was the Lord High Treasurer, a worldly wise man, though not wise for himselfe: who hauing spoken vehemently at the [Page 161] Counsell-Table, in a busines touching Syr Iohn Lusons land (as was sayd) and bowing downe his head, as though he would rest, he that sate next him thinking to awake him from sleep, found him dead without the least remembrance of the Eternall Iudgment, to which he was called so at vnawares, as he left astonished all that were present.
The second was the Lord Thomas Popam. Chiefe Iustice of England, a man of cruel, harsh conditiō, & a grieuous persecutour of Catholicks. He tooke one day in the morning (as many times he vsed to do) certaine easy pilles for his health, and after hauing to signe some Writs, or, as others say, Warrants to apprehend Recusants, suddainly found himselfe so ill that he could not go abroad, as he had determined. From his chaire he would haue cast himselfe vpon his bed, but he Cor durum habebit male in nouissimo: & qui amat periculum in eo peribit. Eccles. 3. 27. dropped down dead. He had before cōplayned of conuulsions, and great paines in his body, but he shewed no memory of God, more then in his life time he was accustomed.
The third was also a priuy Counsellour that occupied the Name and Place of the Archbishop of Canterbury, a great Politician, and one of the plotters, as is reported, of the New Oath, and Powderworke, wherin it was founded; as he had bene of many other Stratagems Bene cōsurgit diluculò qui quaerit bona: qui autem inuestigator malorum est, opprimetur ab ijs. Pro. 11. 27. and deuises against the Catholikes. He ended his life, as the former, without tyme to prepare himselfe for the great accompt.
He was of base Parentage, but by his diligence and wit, he scambled vp to the height from whence he fell. First he got into seruice with the L. Chancellour [Page 162] Syr Christopher Hatton, as his Chaplaine and Examiner. His Maister was greatly fauoured of the Prince at that tyme, and a secret fauourer of the Catholikes. And in this poynt M. Bancroft flattered him so cunningly, that he got his good will, and much money vnder him.
After his Maisters death, he was able to do for himselfe, & (as is reported) bought the Bishopricke of London of Syr Ferdinand Gorge, Gentleman of the Queenes Chāber for three thousand pounds. And hauing gotten into that place, with desire to ascend, (though against his conscience) afflicted Gods seruants both at home & abroad, with many sleightes & deuises. In fine by these wayes, walking alwayes with a gouldē staffe in his hand, ascendit fortè Cathedrā (as one merily sayd of his Predecessor) he passed from London to Lambeth, and there played the wolfe in a sheephards weed. At length (as he had allwaies a styrring brayne) it disquieted him so much, that he could not sleepe, and for remedy he tooke of a Paracelsian Phisitian a dormytall medicine, wherwith he slept so profoundly, that he awaked no more, onely they hard him grone pitifully and strugle with death, and in this manner he ended with terrour of his friendes, and seruantes that were present, leauing to them, and to vs, and to all the world an example to feare the iust Virū iniustū mala capient in interitu. Psal. 139. 12. Iudgmentes of God.
His Predecessour in Iohn Whitgift. Canterbury Sea and President of the priuy Counsayle, died in a manner after the same fashion. Vpon (I know not what) occasion, he made a bytter inuectyue at the Counsell-Table [Page 163] against Vae duplici corde & labijs scelestis & manibus malefacietibꝰ, & peccatori terram ingredienti duabꝰ vijs. Eccl. 2. 14. the Catholicke Religion, notwithstanding he knew it in his conscience to be the only Truth, and hauing ended his speach he bowed downe to take vp his spectacles, and being taken suddainly with an Apoplexy, that made him speachlesse, was carryed from the Councell-Table to his House, and a few houres after departed this world, to receaue his Iudgment and Reward.
These foure great States-men, all of the priuy Counsell, dyed one after another suddainly, without any signes of contrition, or memory of God, as hath bene said: and in this consisteth the obseruatiō and example, for otherwise to him that liueth well, no death is vntimely; though it cannot be without mystery, that God sendeth to so many Priuy Counsellours in England this manner of death in these times. But of all the rest the most miserable, and of greatest terrour and example for the Kings Royall Maiesty, is the death of Queene Seminauerunt triticum & spinas messuerūt: hereditatem acceperunt, & non ijs proderit. Ier. 12. 13. Quantū glorificauit se, & in delicijs fuit, tā tùm date ei tormentum & luctū, quia in corde suo dicit, sedeo Regina, & Vidua non sum, & luctū non videbo: ideo in vna die veniēt plagae eius. Mors & luctꝰ, & fames, & igne comburetur, quia fortis est Deus, qui iudicauit eam. Apoc. 18. 7. Elizabeth his Predecessour, which being so notorious, and so well knowne to his Maiesty, for breuities sake, and for respect to her Person I will omit.
Many such like examples, no doubt, happen in England, but are more noted in two sortes of people. The one, of such as in their conscience haue knowledge of the Truth, and outwardly deny it, and oppugne it for temporall respectes, as it is thought the two Archbishops did: the other of such as haue a violent auersion from Catholicke Religion, and vpon hatred and splene, persecute such as professe it, as did the L. Chiefe Iustice, and other such like.
Well the Kings Maiesty, and his Counsellours [Page 164] cannot deny but God Nemo potest dicere Dominus Iesus, nisi in Spiritu sancto. 1. Cor. 1. 2. 3. Considera opera Dei quod nemo possit corrigere quē ille despexerit. Eccles. 7. 14. Qui odit correptionem vestigiū est peccatoris, & qui timet Deum cōuertetur ad cor suū. Eccl. 12. 7. dealeth mercifully with them in giuing them these publicke examples, as watch-wordes and warninges to make them looke about them. It may please him also to giue them grace to lay them to their hartes, and make benefit of them. But this also is mercy, and a speciall fauour of God, who onely knoweth the true causes of all that is done, or neglected; and hath in his hand, aswell the tymes, oportunityes, & occasions, as the harts of Kinges and Princes, to dispose them as he listeth.
I haue many tymes set my selfe to consider, how it cōmeth to passe, or what may be the cause, that God doth suffer the Kingdome of England, where the Standard of Christes Crosse was first publickly aduaunced, and that in former ages did florish so much in all kynd Tempus est vt incipiat iudiciū à domo Dei: si autē primùm à nobis, quis finis eorum qui non credūt Euangelio? Et si iustus vix saluabitur, implꝰ & peccator vbi parebunt? 1. Pet. 4. 17 Si in ligno viridi haec faciunt, in arido quid fiet? Luc. 23. 31. of piety and deuotion, to fall so farre from the ancient Religion, as to persecute it with such vehemency, as we se, and become a deadly enemy to the Sea Apostolike, which (as all confesse) taught them first the fayth of Christ; and to whome in ancient times they were so obedient & deuout, that no people in all the Christian world was more.
To this (me thinks) may be answered the same which Origen writeth in his Commentary vpon Iob, that as the contention then was indeed principally not betweene the euill Spirit and Iob, but betwixt God and the euill Spirit, and the tryall to be made in the person of Iob, whether the Diuels temptation or Gods grace had greater force in his free will: so now also in this Controuersy.
The Diuell auouched stifly that the holy man [Page 165] serued God (as manie bad Christians donow a daies) onely for interest, and that if he would propose him to the battrie of tribulation, he should find him like a peece of glasse, ready to breake in peeces. But (saith Origen) his maker that knew him to be no brickle glasse, but a fine diamond, and his charity vnfayned and inuincible, put him to the tryall, and got the victory, as alwayes he doth in such, as adhere vnto him. For his hand is omnipotent, and maketh them as himselfe, Almighty. Those which at this day are specially assaulted by the Diuell, and tried by Gods permission and licence, are the Catholicks of England, to his Debemus gratias agere Deo semper pro vobis fratres dilecti à Deo, quod elegerit vos Deus primitias in salutem, in sanctificatione spiritus, in fide veritatis, in acquisitionē gloriae Domini nostri Iesu Christi. 2. Thessal. 2. 13. great honour, and the edification of his Church. And they are most happie which he chooseth and maketh worthy of victory in this triall: and a thousand times miserable and vnhappy be they that make themselues Sathans instruments in the triall, and exercise of Gods Saints.
But howsoeuer it be, God Almighty is, & wilbe glorified, whether the persecution cease or endure. For assuredly none shalbe lost but Et tunc reuelabitur ille iniquus &c. cuius aduentꝰ est secundum operationē Satanae in omni seductiōe iniquitatis ijs qui pereunt, eò quòd charitatē veritatis non receperunt, vt salui fierent. Ideo mittet illis Deus operationem erroris, vt credant mendacio, vt iudicentur omnes qui non crediderunt veritati, ed consenserunt iniquitati. 2. Thessal. 2. 8. false harted Christians, and those which Christ calleth the Children of perdition, which would haue deserued damnation for other sinns, though there had beene no persecution for Religion. And the sincere, pure, and fine mettald Catholicks, haue so much greater glory, by how much greater proofes they suffer of their fideliy: and withall they serue for patterns and watch-bels to all other Christians to awake vs from [Page 166] sleep, and teach vs, what Benedictus Deus &c. qui regenerauit nos in spem viuā per resurrectionē Iesu Christi ex mortuis, in hereditatē incorruptibilem conseruatam in caelis in vobis, qui in virtute Dei custodimini per fidem in salutem, paratam reuelari in tē pore nouissimo, in quo exultabitis, modicum nunc si oportet contristari in varijs tentationibus. 1. Pet. 1. 3. account we ought to make of fayth, & obedience to God and his Church, and the equability and indifference of mind wherwith we should beare such troubles, as his diuine Maiesty is pleased to send vs, persuading our selues certainely, that he disposeth all things sweetly for Vt probatio vestraeifidei multò pretiosior auro, (quod per ignem probatur) inueniatur in laudem & gloriam, & honorē in reuelatione Iesu Christi. 1. Pet. 1. 16. our greater good, and as his Maiestyes Mother of happy Memory was wont to say, Neuer sendeth aduersity, but that he giueth a hart to beare it.
Moreouer the same Origen affirmeth, that he had found in auncient records, how Moyses to comfort the people of God in the afflictions which they suffered vnder the Aegyptians, and to strengthen their confidence and trust in Gods promises, composed the history of Iob, and distributed it amongst the Tribes & families, with command that they should read it, and heare it with attention, to the end they might learne to imitate the holy mans patience and magnanimity, and see by experience how God succoureth his seruants in their troubles, and rewardeth their suffering, as he did his faythfull seruant Iob.
And for the same purpose the Holy ghost ordayned, that the foure Euangelists should commit distinctly, and with particularity to writing, all the paces of the poore, humble, and afflicted life of the Quem cùm non videritis, diligitis, in quem nunc quoque non videntes, creditis: credentes autem exultatis laetitia inenarrabili & glorificata, reportantes finem fidei vestrae, salutem animarum vestrarum. 1. Pet. 1. 8. Sonne of God, and his bitter Passion and Death, and how after so many troubles, afflictions, and paines he was raysed to euerlasting glorie, [Page 167] figured in the restoring of Iob to his former prosperity. And so wee see that the Apostle S. Iac. 5. 10. Iames setteth before vs these two patterns and examples of Patience: and because his words are much to our purpose for Confirmation and Conclusion of all that we haue said, with them I will end this Treatise. Ecce Iudex ante ianuam assistit. Exemplum accipite, fratres, laboris ac patientiae, Prophetas, qui locuti sunt in nomine Domini. Ecce beatificamus eos qui sustinuerūt. Sufferentiam Iob audistis, & finem Domini vidistis: quoniam misericors est Dominus & miserator. Lo the euerlasting Iudge standeth at our gate: my brethren, take for example of labour & patience, the Prophets that in times past haue taught vs by Gods appointment, and in his name. Lo we hold for blessed and happy, those that haue suffered for him. You haue heard the patience of Iob, and seene the end of our Sauiour; for he is full of mercy, and inclined to vse it to all that put their trust in his help. To him therefore be all honour & glory for euer & euer. Amen.
MOY [...] [Page 170] those glorious soules, when they were presented before their Creatour, and to heare his voyce, when he gaue them the Crowne of their suffering, and martyrdome, which he had promised. And this is that which giueth vs life, and courage to presse and put our selues forward (by the mercy of our Lord) to come to that degree of happynes which our Brethren haue already obtayned.
Thus wrote those famous Confessours to S. Cyprian: and it commeth fit for this time, place, and purpose therwith to shut vp this matter. No man can pierce into the secret drifts, and dispositions of Gods infinite wisdome, nor define how long this persecution shall endure, or what end, or vpshot it shall haue: but this we are assured, and the very Id vnum cogitate verum esse, Iudices, viro videlicet bono, nihil mali accidere posse, nec viuo, nec mortuo: nec vm quam illiꝰ res à Dijs immortalibꝰ negligi. Socrat. apud Platon. in Crit. Heathens by light of reason came to know it, that no harme can befall to the good man, neyther aliue nor dead: and that Inferre iniuriā maximum malorum esse: & peius iniuriā inferre, quàm pati. Probat. Plato. in Gorgia. it is a greater misery to do, then to suffer iniurie. Filius quidem Matth. 26. 24. hominis (saith our Sauiour) vadit sicut scriptum est de eo: vae autem homini illi per quem filius hominis tradetur: bonum erat ei, si natus non fuisset homo ille. And as it fared with Christ, so it fals out with his seruants. The dayes and houres of their trouble & persecution are limited: and this comfort they haue, that how heauie soeuer they be, they shall haue an end, and their reward is euerlasting: as on the other side the punishment of their aduersaries (if they do not repent) shall be endlesse.
It resteth therfore that all good Christians settle themselues in perfect conformity with Gods holy will, endeauouring to liue vertuously, and glorify [Page 171] him in their sufferings, with certaine hope in his mercy, that (so doing) cannot fayle them. Ita Pet. 4. 19. & hi qui patiuntur secundum voluntatem Dei, fideli Creatori suo cōmendent animas suas in benefactis. This is the counsell of S. Peter, and the summe of all that hath bene sayd, wherwith all such as suffer for this cause, may be certainely assured, that Nee mihi accidit hoc fortuito, sed mihi id cō stat mori iam, & à laboribus liberari, mihi meliꝰ extitisse. At (que) hanc ob causam, ijs à quibus accusatus sum, aut à quibus condē natꝰ sum, non habeo quod succenseā: quā uis non hac mente accusauerint me, at (que) damnauerint: sed quia mihi nocere se crediderunt. Socrat. apud Platon. in Crito. sub finem. nothing can harme them heere, and much lesse in eternity; but that all shall turne to their greater comfort and good. Quia diligentibus Deum omnia cooperantur in bonum. So that we may conclude with S. Chrysostome, specially in this case, Quod nemo laeditur, nisi à seipso. None can do vs harme, if our selues be not to blame. This is the exellencie of man, and his true Freedome, and Nobility of those that suffer for this Cause, that they may loose their heads, and haue no hurt.
THE PRINTER to the Reader.
VVHILST this booke was in printing there came to my hands fresh letters out of England, with Aduertisment of new Lawes enacted against the Catholicks, this last Parlament: as though the former were not inough, to proue the Patience of those which suffer, and the miserable estate of the Lawmakers. They mention likwise a memorable case, wherin is discouered Gods great mercy with sinners, and his care and prouidence ouer his chosen, many times when they least thinke of it, and haue most need. (F) Rom. 8. [...]8.
The Letter sayth thus.
ONE of the Lawes of this Parlament is, that the New Oath be tendred to all of eyghtene yeares and vpward, vnlesse they be Barons. A new incumbrance to no other purpose, but to make more odious those which without necessity make such lawes, & to confirme our experience, that ill Consciences be alwaies accompanied with suspitions and feares; besides the forcing of men to periury. For I do not see, but that when any man sweareth against his conscience, though it be true, he incurreth periury. Neither do I see, what it can auayle the Kings Maiesty, if all his Kingdome sweare what he pleaseth, if first he persuade them not that it is truth which they sweare. For he is neuer a whit the more secure, that all his people commit periury. Besides the very obliging them in this manner to sweare, maketh them lesse true vnto him: for suspition and iealousy is the bane of friendship. And how can they loue him, of whose loue and fidelity he professeth himselfe to doubt? For if he trusted them, he would not in all wisdome and prudence, proceed in this rigorous māner, so to burden their consciences by forcing them to periury. And this is the generall opinion heere with vs. By vertue of this Law they haue put to death a Priest, called Cadwalledour, that in this manner refused the Oath. And for the same cause haue they condemned many others, both men & women, to losse of their goods, and to perpetuall imprisonment; casting them into the common [Page 173] Iailes amongst theeues & malefactors, thinking therby to make breach in their Consciences with this vexation.
They haue likewise made a Law against Women, who, as hath bene said, had the priuiledge of women in Queene Elizabeths dayes. This Law commandeth, that such as will not goe to Church, and cōmunicate (with the Caluinists) be put in prison, till their Husbands redeeme them, by paying ten pounds a moneth, or the third part of their goods. And it cannot be imagined, what confusion this Law maketh in the whole Realme, where many Husbands be Protestāts, & their Wiues Catholicks.
An other Priest they haue also condemned in Oxford for the same Oath; who liuing in the common Iaile, it happened that there were two Caluinists malefactours chayned togeather, and one of them moued by the presence of the Priest, with desire to informe himselfe of the Catholicke Religiō, but hindred by the two Lawes against Recōciliation and Persuasion, and with the chayne, so that he could not speake to the Priest, but that his fellow must know it, nor seeke the others consent without daunger of the Law. After much perplexity, and many conflicts, he resolued to open himselfe to his companion, as he did, and brought him likewise to desire his saluation; and so came both togeather to the Priest, and being instructed, they renounced their heresy, and resolued to die in the Catholicke fayth.
After they were condemned, as they were carried to execution, the Caluinist-Ministers came about [Page 174] them, offering to exhort them after their manner: but the prisoners cast them of with contempt, and being asked the cause, answered, that their doctrine had brought them to the gallowes, and seing it could not help them to heauen, they had resolued to die Catholiks: and if they had liued in the same Religion, wherin they desired to die, they had neuer come to that infamous death: but seing things past could not be vndone, they most willingly accepted the punishment, which God had layd vpon them, with great confidence and assurance, that for the merits of our Sauiours passion and death, he would receaue theirs, and their harty repentance, in some recompence of their former sinnes. And so died with great edification, and example to the people, verifying in England that which Christ sayd to the Princes of the Iewes, Publicani & Meretrices praecedent vos in Regno Dei.
The Caluinists or Protestants (call them as you list, for they be eyther) haue intrenched themselues in this Iland, like so many mutined souldiars, that haue gotten a strong Hold, and there they make Lawes at their pleasure, disguising their vnlawfull proceedings with honorable termes, and honest manner of speach, and (as it seemeth) persuade themselues, that others must vnderstād them accordingly. But it is impossible, that so euident a truth can be hid vnder their bushell. The nature of truth challengeth her place in the view of the world, and for themselues it most importeth, that truth be laied open and discouered, to the end that when all other respects should faile, yet the iust feare of infamie [Page 175] may moderate their excesses, or at least keepe in others by their example; as the Poet sayth:
I haue also heard these dayes reported by persons of credit lately come from Spayne, another case worthy to be knowne; for it confirmeth not a little that which hath beene sayd; to wit, that the Catholicke fayth the Sicut palma florebit more it is trodden downe, the more it riseth: the more it is cropt, the deeper roote it taketh, and the more it is oppressed with persecution, the more it spreadeth it selfe, and euery day gayneth more ground, and more opinion and authority in all good mens minds, and is more loued and esteemed of all.
The report is also, that about the same time that in England they banished by Proclamation all Priests and Religious men from London their Court; God Almighty inspired a Stranger Caesar Bogaçio. to call them, by his last Will and Testament, to the Court of Spayne, leauing them commodious dwelling, both for the situation, and capacity of the houses, and all his goods, to make an English Colledge in Madrid, moued, as they say, by that which he had seene in the Seminarie of Valliadolid, as a neere Neighbour to it, when the Court was there. And two circumstances concurre in this action, worthy to be noted: one that he began this Colledge in the Catholike Court, the very same day, that his Maiesty of England had prefixed for the Priests to depart out [Page 176] of his. The other, that the partie who gaue this gift, did it vnder condition, that no memory should be made with men, of that which he did. But for the very same reason I haue taken this occasion to remember him. For honour of right belongeth only to them that flie it, and God Almighty vseth to reward not onely in heauen, but in this world also works of vertue done purely for his sake.
This Gentleman was an Italian, borne in the Citty of Luca, although for his long continuance in the King of Spayne his seruice, he was accounted as one of that Countrie. And here likewise it is to be considered, that Antonius Bonuiso, the Man that with his charity maintained the Lord Chancellour of England and Martyr Syr Thomas More, patterne of loialty in Kings Counsellours, and seruants, all the time that his Lord King Henry the eyght kept him prisoner in the Tower of London, because he would not consent to his vnlawfull outrages, was of the same Citty of Luca. And the same Bonuiso afterwards with great liberality intertayned in his house at Louayne the Priests and secular Catholikes that left England in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths persecution.
And if any man aske me what correspondence there is, or what occasion of amity betwene England and the State of Luca, that from thence should arise men so eminently well affected to English Catholikes in such occasions as these? There can be giuen no other cause (as I suppose) but the good pleasure of Almighty God, that layd hand vpon Abacuc, and carried him from Iudaea by the haire of his head, to [Page 177] feed his Prophet in the dungeon of Babylon: and chose Zachaeus for his Host in Iericho, and the house of Lazarus, & his sisters in Bethania for his ordinary Inne, and would not do this fauour to any of the Scribes or Pharisies in Ierusalem, nor to any other Inhabitant of that Citty. This is a priuiledge which our Sauiour granteth to whome he pleaseth; and we can giue no other reason, why he doth it, but his holy will. Onely by experience we see, that he will not be serued of euery mans house, nor of euery mans person, or goods, in these like occasions. In fine, he is Lord and Owner of all: Domini est terra & plenitudo eius. And as the Princes of the earth do not serue themselues indifferently of all, but of their best beloued, and most trustie seruants, in things of their particuler liking: so it fareth with this great Lord of Lords. And as it is a fauour when he giueth any man meanes & possibility to do good works: so is it a double, and farre greater fauour, to giue him withall, prudence, good occasion, and desire to do them, and to bestow profitably that which God hath left to his disposition. And amongst all the imployments, that can be in this world of temporall goods, there is none so certayne, and of so great interest, as that which Christians haue, vnder the gouerment of Infidels, that spoyle them, and make hauocke of their goods, because they will not forsake their fayth, nor consent to their errour. For these men (doubtlesse) in lieu of the little which they can leese for God, receaue euen in this world the comforts and pledges of eternall saluation (wherof hath beene spoken [Page 178] aboue) and soone after shall enter into his riches that haue no measure, and enioy the treasure of euerlasting felicity, and be made partakers of his Kingdome for euer.
THE PRINCIPALL HEADS contayned in this Booke.
| 1. THE Preface to the Reader. | Pag. 1. |
| 2. The Proclamation against Catholikes, and Answere therunto. | Pag. 7. |
| 3. A Letter of a Gentlewoman residing on this side the seas, written to her Husband in England, exhorting him to constancy in the persecution. | Pag. 27. |
| 4. An Aduertisment to the Reader, for the better vnderstanding of the former Proclamation, and Answere. | Pag. 31. |
| 5. An Apostrophe to the Martyrs and Confessours that suffer for Christ. | Pag. 69. |
| 6. An Abstract or briefe summe of the Lawes that are termed good and wholsome, made by his Maiesty and the Parlament of England, against Recusants of that Kingdome. | Pag. 73. |
| 7. The execution of the said Lawes made against Catholikes. | Pag. 95. |
| 8. A Counter Commaund of certaine Lawes and heauenly Instructiōs, opposite to the former against Catholikes; [Page] by which, if they be well vnderstood, the other be disanulled, and loose their force. | Pag. 103. |
| 9. Profitable Considerations, for the Kings most Excellent Maiesty, and those of his Counsaile, concerning the affliction of his Catholike Subiects. | Pag. 127. |
| 10. A Letter written to S. Cyprian in the name of the whole Clergy of Rome, declaring the comfort, and consolation of those that then suffered persecution for Christ. | Pag. 168. |
| 11. A Letter written out of Englād, concerning new Lawes enacted in the last Parlament, against Catholikes, and added to the former. | Pag. 171. |