Defense of the Watch-Word Against the Ward-Word, Part 4
Resistance to the fourth Encounter, concerning Bishop Gardiner, and Cardinall Allen.
I HaueHave been the longer in my resistance to the three former Encounters, because they are most materiall, and of greatest importance: the first concerning the blessings of almightie God powred vponupon this land, through the happie raigne of his handmaide and our Soueraigne Elizabeth: the second about the absurd Popish positions which this wrangler saith (but saith onelyonly without iust proofe) are falselie imputed to them: the third touching the person of her Maiestie, and her marueilous deliuerances from many daungers, both before her obtaining the Crowne, and since her establishment in the same. The rest that follow in his other Encounters are of smaller moment, and of all that are indifferent and not partiall amongst vsus, generallie knowne and acknowledged, and therefore shall neede the lesse my labour and paines to laie them open. But for orders sake to take a short view of them, as they are by him headed out: In this Encounter hee bringeth in a yoake of Popish Prelates, Bishop Gardiner and Cardinall Allen, Bishop Gardiner and Cardinall Allen compared.whome he supposeth to be greatlie wronged, and iniured by mee… vponupon whom he looking through the spectacles of a partiall and Popish affection, imagineth greater giftes of learning and vertue in them then were in deede, making them a peereles paire of Prelates, and verie sagelie compareth their qualities together, as Plutarch doth the most famous worthies of Rome and Greece: which his comparison I passe ouer, as nothing concerning any thing said by me in my former booke against them. OnelyOnly I yeelde they were birdes of a feather, and therefore fit to slie together, and according to our English prouerbe, like will to like, (you know what followeth) and in deede milke is not liker milke, nor one egge another, then were these two statelie Prelates, each of them being brides of the Popes owne hatching, and as it is in the Prouerbe, Mali corui, malum ouum, and both of them for the Popes sake being false and treacherous against their Soueraignes. Cardinall Allen against her Maiestie (as hereafter shall bee shewed) Bishop Gardiner against her renowmed Father, when he was Ambassadour for the King to the Emperour, hauing secret intelligence with the Pope, then the Kings open and professed enemie, in so much that the King in eueryevery generall pardon that he graunted by Parliament after this practise, he did still except all treasons committed beyond the Seas: meaning thereby (as it was supposed) that the Bishop should not take any benefite by any generall pardon, if his Maiestie would at any time call him to account: and further minded (as it seemeth) to hauehave vsed extremitie of lawe against him, (if the Lord had lent his Highnes longer life) vponupon iust matter not taken away by any pardon, commaunding thereupon often the Lorde Paget (being then his Secretarie) to keepe safe certain writings which he had against him. But the parities, or disparities of your two Prelates by you compared together, I passe ouer as matter impertinent, and come to your exceptions against my speeches vttered of them in particular. And first concerning Bishop Gardiner he setteth downe these my speeches. Gardiner that most proude and bloodie monster, left no corner of his wit vnsought, to shorten her Maiesties daies, and preuent her by the bloodie slaughter of her sacred person, from being our Queene. And againe, The Recusants of our age cannot professe, nor make greater shew of loyaltie and louelove to our dread Soueraigne, neither, &c.
Bishop Gardiner.This my charge against Gardiner this sturdie Encounterer seeketh to beate backe, first, by commending him for a most tender hearted, and milde man, that no one great man, in Queene Maries time, was farther from bloud and bloudines then he; and that any good natured Protestant that liued in that time, and had wit to iudge, and indifferencie to speake the trueth without passion, would confesse as much. Which because himselfe cannot but know to bee a shameles vntrueth, and therefore doubting how the generall commendation of his milde nature would be intertained, he for a particular instance, telleth vsus a long tale (of like authoritie) concerning his tender affection towards the Duke of Northumberland, after hee was condemned, &c. which as it nothing concerneth our matter in hand, so hauing onelyonly his bare worde to warrant it, the indifferent reader may credite and regard as he seeth cause.
A short view of Gardiners milde nature.And for the better direction of thy iudgement (gentle Reader) and fuller iustifying of my accusation against him, it shall not be amisse to take a short view of a few particulars, by which the gentlenes of this Bishops nature may appeare to all men: I will not here stand vponupon the secret, intestine, and deadlie hatred which he alwaies bare to the fauourers of the Gospell; and how through his wilie craft he so farre preuailed with the king to proceed in such sort against the worthy Martir of Christ Iohn Lambert as he did:Gardiners hard dealing with Marbeck. the only example of Marbecke, for that kings time, shall suffice. Who being conuented before Gardiner, for the concordance in English (now extant,) which he then had begunne, was by all meanes (by men sent from the B.) sifted to detect whom he knew to be fauourers of the Gospell: with which importunities the man of God being wearied, he burst forth into these words; O Lord, what will my Lord doe? will his Lordship compell me to accuse men, and wote not wherof? After this the Bishop himself talketh with him, & asketh him whether he wil cast away himself? To whom he answering, no my Lord, I trust: yes quoth the Bishop, thou goest about it, for thou wilt vtter nothing. What a diuell made thee meddle with the Scriptures, thy vocation was another way; &c. and why the diuell diddest thou not hold thee there? Heresie for lay men to meddle with the Scripture.And after hard pressing him to detect and accuse some, and his deniall to accuse anie for heretikes, because he could not iustly: the milde Bishop told him, Sith thou art so wilfull and stubborne, thou shalt goe to the diuell for me. And so, whereas Sir Anthonie Wingfield Captaine of the Guard, had before sent word to the keeper of the Marshalsey, that it was the Counsels pleasure, he should intreat Marbecke gently: this charitable & tender hearted Gardiner sent word to the keeper, to lay yrons vponupon him, to keepe him fast shut in a chamber, alone that (when he came to meat) he should speake to no man, nor no man to him; and further that he should suffer no manner of person (no not his own wife) to come to him, or minister anie thing to him, and in this streight and hard sort continued he about three weekes. His wife made often sute to the Bishop to be permitted to visite her husband, but his bowels wanted compassion, till at length she meeting him at the Court, was bold to pul him by the Rochet and said to him: O my Lord these eighteene daies I hauehave troubled your Lordship, now for the louelove of God, and as euer you came of a woman, put me off no longer, but let me goe to my husband: One of the kings seruants, and her next neighbour standing by, besought him to be good Lord to her; which had her owne mother lying bedredde vponupon her hands, besides fiue or six children. I promise you (quoth the Bishop) her husband is a great heretike,Gardiners argument to proue an heretike. and hath read more Scripture then any man in the Realme hath done, and he knoweth a great sort of harlots and will not vtter them, but at length gaue her leaue to go to her husband, willing her to aduise him to vtter such naughtie fellowes as hee knew, &c.
In Queene Maries time when he was now Lord Chancellor, & ruled the rost, how far not onelyonly from tender pittie, but euen from ciuill humanitie, hee shewed himselfe to bee, the examples are too many, and experiments too plaine; and therefore needlesse here to be inserted. But a taste must be giuen to the Reader, for which this may suffice: when that reuerent learned man, (and afterwards a most constant Martyr of Iesus Christ) D. Rowland Taylor, Doctor Tailora Doctor professed in both the lawes, and withall a right perfect diuine, appeared before Gardiner vponupon his summons; how vngently did he intreat him? nay how furiously did he at the very first sight rage against him?Gardiners milde Rhetorike. not reasoning with him mildly (as he came a Bishop) but barking at him like a mad dog, calling him knaue, traitor, heretike, villaine, varlet, beetlebrow-foole, &c. and afterwards committed him to prison, where he lay a yeere and three quarters, till the Papists had gotten certaine olde tyranous lawes (by King Henrie and King Edward before put downe) to be reuiued againe; vponupon which Gardiner cyted him and others ex officio before himselfe and his colleagues, and pronounced against him, Master Bradford and Master Saunders, three worthie learned and painefull preachers, the sentence of death.
His dealing with Master Philpot Archdeacon of Winchester, Master Philpot.a Gentleman of a good house, being a Knights sonne (though rayling Storie cried out against him, he is a vile heretike knaue, for an heretike is no Gentleman) I aske not of what compassion and merciemercy, but of what equitie and iustice, did it sauour? when he committed this valiant Souldier of Iesus Christ prison, and kept him there a yeere and a halfe, taking all his liuing from him, without all lawe, onelyonly because he spake his mind freely of the questions proposed to be disputed of in the Conuocation house; whereunto besides the libertie of the house they had the Queenes warrant for their securitie. But it booted not to pleade priuiledge of the house, or warrant from the Queene, tender hearted Gardiner of his dissolute (I would say) absolute power kept him so long in prison, and afterwards sent him to his slaughterman Boner to be branded to the fire:Boner vnwilling to meddle with Master Philpot. In whom this is worthie the noting, that he seemed as if he had been vnwilling to hauehave medled with Master Philpot, saying, I maruaile why other men will trouble me with their matters, but I must be obedient to my betters, and I wis men speake otherwise of me then I deserue, (as if he should hauehave said, that the bloudie affection of Gardiners heart must be executed by Boners hands:) And when in that time of Master Philpots captiuitie with Boner, Gardiner died,Boners speech concerning Gardiners being dead. Boner perceiuing that Master Philpot would by no meanes recant, burst forth into these words, Now ye thinke because my Lord Chancellour is dead, we will …e no moe. Which wordes what doe they argue else? but that howsoeuer some Bishops and other Clergie Masters were the inferiour executioners, yet Gardiner the Lord Chancellour was the Arch-Dedalus and chiefe master of the worke, and he that did blow the bellowes to kindle all the fires wherein the bodies of so many Martyrs were consumed to ashes.
The which will appeare more plainly, if we consider a memorable storie set downe by Master Foxe of him, reported by two credible persons of worship in the house of a worshipfull Citizen bearing then office in the Citie of London, from Master Mundaie secretarie sometime to the old Lord Thomas Duke of Norffolke; namely, that the same day Master Ridley and Master Latimer were burnt at Oxford, the olde Duke of Norffolke with this reporter his secretarie attending on him, came to Bishop Gardiners house; the olde aged Duke wayting there for his dinner, the Bishop was not disposed to dine, till at length about foure of the clocke commeth in his seruant in all post haste from Oxford, assuring the Bishop most certainly that he saw fire put to them. Then commeth out Gardiner reioycing to the Duke,Gardiners ioy for Bishop Ridley & master Latimers death with God his suddaine stroke vponupon him. and calleth for dinner, and began merely to eate; but the bloudie Tyrant had not eaten a fewe bits, but the suddaine stroke of God his terrible hand fell vponupon him, in such sort as (to vse mine Authors own words) immediately he was taken from the table, and so brought to his bed, where he continued the space of fifteene daies, during which time he could not auoid by vrine or otherwise any thing that he receiued, whereby his bodie being miserablie inflamed within (who had inflamed so many godly Martyrs before) was brought to a wretched end. And thereof no doubt (as most like it is) came the thrusting out of his tongue from his mouth, so swolne and blacke with the inflammation of his bodie. A spectacle worthie to be noted and beholden of all such bloudie burning persecutors.
But not to stand vponupon the deuotion of this your milde Bishop, who would not eate till he were sure of the death of these two worthies (a deuotion matchable with that of the Tyrant Richard the third, then but Protector, who sware by Saint Paule that he would not dine till the Lord Hastings head were off, and would needs stay so long for his oathes sake) nor vponupon the great ioy this Bishop conceiued at the certaine report of their deaths, as if the shedding of Christian bloud had been to him as the obteyning of great treasures; nor yet vponupon the fearfull iudgement of God, so vponupon the present, and on the suddaine inflicted vponupon him: I will remember this one thing, how that the Dutches of Suffolke espying him in the Tower, (being the prisoner) inking Edwards raigne: said it was merrie with the Lambes, now the Wolfe was shut vp: which speech, this your gentle natured Bishop, and nothing vindicatiue (as you terme him) well remembred in Queene Maries time, and therfore in the first lent of her raigne, studied an holie practise of reuenge, first by touching this Dutches in the person of her husband Master Bertye, for whom he sent an attachment to the Sherife of Lincolneshire, with a speciall letter, commaunding him most strictly to attach him, and without Bale to bring him vp to him to London, whereas he had no cause at all to send for him. Afterwards examineth him of the Dutches his wiues Religion, whether she was now as readie to set vp the Masse,Gardiners desire of reuenge against the Duches of Suffolke. as before to pull it downe, with further obiections to the same purpose: by which Master Berty fully perceiued the cruell minde of the Bishop set vponupon bloudie reuenge, and therefore obtained leaue of the Queene for his vrgent and important affaires to passe the Seas, secretly appointed how the Dutchesse should come after, who with her daughter of a yeere olde, with a fewe of her meanest seruants, in great danger tooke barge at Lion Key, in the mistie morning, chusing rather to commit her selfe to the winde and waues, then to your Gardiners gentle, and nothing vindicatiue disposition.
What should I stand vponupon any further matter to lay open the nature & disposition of this your milde Prelate? Boner who knew him better then you (Sir Encounterer) doth more then iustifie me in that large description of Gardiners nature, & disposition,Boners description of Gardiner. which he wrote to the Lord Cromwell, wherein he tearmeth him to be of an hard heart, and cankred malicious stomacke, that he spake with a Pilates voice, and chargeth him that in talke had with him, he bad turde in Boners teeth againe and againe, that the flesh of his cheekes beganne to swell and tremble, and that hee looked as if he would hauehave runne through him, that he behaued himselfe bedlemly, that in malice and disdaine he might be compared to the diuell of hell, not yeelding to him in pride at all: with sundrie other notes of such speciall commendation, which in that letter of Boners to the Lord Cromwell are to be found. And this (I hope) is sufficient to cleare me from malignitie, and sycophancie, for calling so vnworthie a man a bloudie monster.
After this flourish to make shew in generall of the Bishops milde mature (whereof by these fewe)About Gardiners seeking Queene Elizabeths life. particulars the reader may more soundly iudge) this his Proctor proceedeth to cleere him of seeking her Maiesties life in the raigne of her sister: but it seemeth his conscience gaue him a secret checke, when he set pen to paper about this defence. For how weake an Apologie doth make for so haynous an accusation?A weake Apologie. the lines are few in which he wrappeth vp the handling of this weightie case, and the reasons as weake as water that he alleadgeth for the Bishops clearing. It was so farre off from Gardiners condition and nature (saith this forward Proctor) that he dareth say I doe him apparent and wilfull wrong. What (Sir) if for malice he might be compared to the diuell, (as Boner witnesseth) what could be more agreeable to his nature, then to seeke the bloud of so gracious and innocent a Ladie? And seemeth not (trow ye) his case to be verie good which so wooddie, yea so hot, and fierie a Patrone seekes to maintaine with so slender and cold a defence, as I dare say he doth him apparunt and wilfull wrong? But he addeth, she was an obiect rather of louelove and compassion, then of enuie, and hatred: But what louelove could proceede from him that was of an hard heart, and cancred malicious stomacke? what compassion could he shewe whose verie bowels were cruell? As for the misterious bracelet of which this brabler talketh, in which all the secrecie of Wyats conspiracie was said to lie hidden, which Gardiner farther pierced then any other, but neuer vsed or vrged the knowledge gotten thereof, to the Ladies perill: I answere, that the misterie of this Shemeis treacherie against that innocent Ladie,The misterie of his tale of a misterious bracelet. & his now Soueraigne, may hereby appeare to all men; who to grace his client with the commendation of a deepe politike, to pearse further into the misterie of that conspiracie, then anie other, and of a tender harted man, in not vsing nor vrging his knowledge gotten thereof to the Ladies perill: layeth the highest disgrace vponupon his Soueraigne that can be imagined; as if she had been secretly confederate with Wyat in his rebellion against her sister; and that this Eagle-eyed Bishop had spied so much in a misterious bracelet, but of pure good will did neuer vrge it to her perill. Whereas for euer finding any suspition against her, through so manie hard and earnest siftings, his owne mouth is a witnesse against him, who (kneeling downe to her Grace, after long triall had of her loyaltie and integritie,) said,Gardiner confesseth the wrong imprisonment of Ladie Elizabeth. Then hath your Grace the aduantage of me, and other of the Lords, for your long and wrong Imprisonment. As for his concealing of any thing that hee might finde against her, or desire to free her from daunger: who knoweth not how farre both hee and the rest of the Clergie were from any such inclination? For when Wyat at his death cleered the Ladie Elizabeth, Doctor Weston cried,D. Weston. Beleeue him not good People, &c. Which being related to Sir Thomas White then Lord Maior, he was moued at the bloudie humour of this Popish Doctor, and said of him with indignation, In sooth I neuer tooke him but for a knaue. But was your Bishop more mildlie affected then the Doctor? Nay hee was so vnwilling to hauehave her cleered, as hee chafed exceedinglie at a poore Apprentise in London, for saying that Wyat had cleered her, and the Lord Courtney, Gardiner vnwilling to hauehave the Ladie Elizabeth cleered.and caused the Lord Maior to bring this poore youth to the Starre Chamber, where hee vttered a speech vponupon that occasion, and pronounced the innocent Ladie guiltie, and commaunded the Apprentise should be punished. And if Master Bridges then Lieutenant of the Tower had not (as is reported) most honestly aduentured to Queene Marie, to informe her of a warrant that was out for the execution of this her worthie Sister, the innocent Ladie had lost her life, poore England had been depriued of so gracious a Soueraigne, and the light of our Candlesticke had been put out. But blessed bee the Lorde who gaue not the Soule of his Turtle Doue to the beasts, nor his darling to the power of the dogges.
The bringing in of the Spaniard.With this, for good fellowship may walke hand in hand, his plea for the Bishops freedome concerning the bringing in of the Spaniard; of which I affirme, that Gardiner and his complices neuer rested, vntill they had brought in the Spaniard, and matched him with Queene Marie: by which they betraied God, her, and the whole Realme: from which this Proctor first would cleare him, by imagining in him a partiall affection to the Earle of Deuonshire, whom he would hauehave married to the Queene. But it were strange that in a man of Gardiners place, there should bee so great ficklenes and mutabilitie, that in so short a space, so great louelove should bee turned into such extreame hatred; a little before in his louelove he would hauehave made him (as you say) as a King, by matching him to Queene Marie: within a while after he would hauehave made him worse then a caitife, and to suffer as a Traitour, accusing him earnestlie in the Starre Chamber, when as Wyat had cleered him. Secondlie, hee demaundeth if this had been so (as hee saith it was not) why did they betraie therein both God, their Queene and their Countrie? To which his demaunde I briefelie answere. God was betraied because his true Religion was exiled, (which Queene Marie, before her obtaining the Crowne, promised to the Suffolke men to maintaine,) and in steede thereof Idolatrie was established. The Queene they betraied, because they matched her to an vnhusband-like husband, who estranged both his affection and companie from her, which was thought to be a great cause of the shortning of her daies: for when the cause of her often sighing a little before her death was asked, of her selfe she confessed this to bee one (though not the onelie) cause, that she could not enioie the companie of her husband. The Realme they betraied, because they sought to make it subiect to a stranger, though yet (blessed bee God) doe all they what they could, or the Queene herselfe, they could neuer set the Crowne of England vponupon King Phillips head: And that the temporall inconueniences by that match were not more fullie felt, God is to bee praised, who gaue him here so short an aboade. Further by this match they bringing in the Pope, and resigning the Supremacie to him, did wrong to the Crowne: for by the Lawe of God, the King in his owne Realme is chiefe gouernour, both in causes Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill; the Pope contrariwise will not onelie be aboue the King in all causes Ecclesiasticall, but also in some Ciuill, challenging all Bishops and Cleargie men for his subiects, exempting them in things Ciuill from the Kings authoritie, whereby he robbeth the King of a great part of his Subiects, and in the Realme doth gleane out another Realme to himselfe: yea challengeth to hauehave power to depose the Prince. Againe, the auncient Lawes of the Realme were hereby made to stand for cyphers; the Lawes of the Realme will hauehave a Priest for debt to bee sued before a temporall Iudge, but the Popes Lawe commeth and crieth the contrarie: Patrones by the Lawes of the Realme should giuegive Benefices; but the Popes Lawe setteth them besides. All the dangerous consequences threatned to this Realme by that match, it is not my purpose to set downe: I will onelie adde a fewe verses made long since concerning that marriage, by which the Reader may partlie see what is to be iudged of it.
Regi, non Regi, nupsit, non nupserat, Angla est,
Non Angla est, grauida est, non grauida est, grauius est.
Parturit atque parit, sic vos voluistis ouantes,
Nil tamen illa parit, sic voluit dominus.
Duxerat ad paucos menses, mox deserit idem,
Sponsa est, mox vidua est, sic voluit Dominus:
Irrita frustrentur semper sic vota malorum,
Perniciem patriae, qui voluere suae.
A King she matcht, yet not a King,
scant doe her married call;
English she is, not English, yet great;
not with childe at all.
She breedes and beareth in her wombe,
as ye triumph and braue,
Yet brings no childe into the world,
euen so the Lord would hauehave.
Philip a few moneths married her,
then leaues her with great speede;
A wife she is, a widow straight,
the Lord had so decreed.
Euen so confounded be th'attempts
of wicked Papists all,
Which of their natiue Countrie seele
the ruine and the fall.
Now I come to the great fume and chafe of this hot Encounterer, for that I say the Recusants cannot professe more louelove and loyaltie to the Queene that now is, then did Gardiner, Boner and Tunstal to her noble Father and Brother, which they did confirme by Printed bookes: for Gardiner in his booke de vera obedientia, &c. where like a graue States-man,Gardiners booke de vera obedientia, with Boners proface. and another Nestor, hee takes vponupon him to taxe mee either with ignorance in the matters of our owne Realme, or with forwardnes to tell vntruthes. His allegations are two, the first that Gardiners booke de vera obedientia was written for feare of the Kings violent proceeding, or not being well instructed perhaps in the controuersie of the Supremacie; and that shaken with the frailtie of humane infirmitie, hee shrunke with Saint Peter: But he may remember that first Gardiner with sundrie others, did take a voluntarie and solemne oath against the Pope, as by the copie thereof yet extant may appeare, wherein he sweareth purely of his owne voluntarie accord, and absolutelie in the word of a Bishop, &c. Then he stayeth not heare but writeth his booke de vera obedientia, for the Kings, and against the Popes Supremacie: which hee professeth to doe with long and mature deliberation, and Boner in his preface before that booke, perswadeth the reader to esteeme Gardiners censure and authoritie, to be of more weightie credence, in as much as the matter was not rashlie, and at all aduentures, but with iudgement and wisedome examined, and discussed, saying, that a man may rightly call him Fabius, that with his aduised taking of leasure restored the matter. The second allegation is, that for King Edwards Raigne it is a flat fable and fiction that I tell of Bishop Gardiners following the sway also of that time. Gentle (Sir Encounterer) did not Gardiner againe in the Raigne of King Edward, take a solemne oath against the Popes vsurped authoritie, and subscribed to the Kings lawfull Supremacie, … in causes Ecclesiasticall within his owne Realme. Yea did he not before King Edward flatlie preach against the Popes Supremacie, as also against Images, Ceremonies, Munkeries, Chauntries, &c. Therefore doe no more blasphemouslie compare Saint Peter… fall to Gardiners dissimillation… Saint Peter denied vponupon the sudden… and within few houres …: Gardiner sware solemnly, preached publikelie, and wrote vponupon long and aduised …, and so continued many yeares, till … authoritie … another course.
Gardiners Sermon in Queene Maries time vponupon Rom. 13.Concerning his sermon made at Paules Crosse vponupon this text, Hora est …amp… de somno surgere … It is time for vsus now to arise from …, I shall neede little to answere, because it … concerneth my former booke: but how fir…e soeuer your wisdom… thinketh, that the time since King Henrie shaking of the Popes tirannie might be compared to a sleepe, and the resuming of the Pope withall his wares to be an awaking; yet what more like might then Poperie, and the liuing … vntounto a sleepe… For as darkenes co…ereth all things in the night, and men cannot walke safelie for want of light: so Ignorance preuaileth in Pop…e, and the people are misled therein, so that they cannot see which way they ought to walke, because they are not permitted to exercise themselues in the Word, which is a lanterne to our feete, and a light vntounto our steps: and as in sleepe the hungrie man dreameth that he careth, but when he awaketh his soule is emptie; so in Poper…e the people being fed with mens traditions, thinke themselues in good plight, but when they are truelie wakened (as Ionah) by Gods spirite, they perceiue that they were hunger-starued, for want of the true foode of their soule, the word of God. In stead of all which large comparison of those times of King Henrie and King Edward to a sleepe, and commending the Bishops wisdome for the choice of so fit a text: I will set by way of opposition, another euigilate (or caueat to awake) made to the Pope and his Clergie, long before the profounde Sermon of this you… Bishop, euen in the time of Henrie the fourth, called the A.B.C.The A.B.C. to the Pope and his Clergie in Hen. 4. time.
AWake ye ghostlie persons, awake, awake,
Both Priest, Pope, Bishop, and Cardinall:
Consider wiselie what waies that ye take,
Daungerouslie being like to hauehave a fall:
EueryEvery where the mischiefe of you all,
Farre and neere breaketh out very fast,
God will needes be reuenged at the last.
How long hauehave ye the world captiued?
In sore bondage of mens traditions,
Kings and Emperours you hauehave depriued,
Lewdly vsurping their chiefe possessions.
Much miserie you make in all Regions,
Now your fraudes be almost at the last cast,
Of God sure to be reuenged at last.
Poore people to oppresse you hauehave no shame,
Quaking for feare of your bloudie tyrannie,
Rightfull Iustice you hauehave put out of frame,
Seeking the lust of your God the Bellie;
Therefore …d…re you holdlie ce…tifie,
Very little though you be thereof agast,
Yet God will be reuenged at the last.
But to looke backe a little vponupon this famous Sermon, in the long narratiō that you set down by occasion of this Sermon, I must examine some few points, wherin either this Proctor belieth the Bishop, or the Bishop the King. And first if it be true that he affirmeth that King Henrie the eight appointed Gardiner to be one of the sixteene Counsellors in his testament to gouerne his Sonne, and the Realme: how happened it that Sir Anthonie Browne was so earnest and importunate a sutor to the King, to hauehave Gardiner put into his Will againe when he was put out?Gardiner put out of King Henries Will. And why did the King bid him holde his peace, and trouble him therewith no more? For if hee were in, he would trouble them all; and if hee moued him any more for Gardiner, he would also put him out. Is not this an argument that the King reposed great trust in Gardiner for the gouernment of his Sonne and the Realme? Another thing you say Gardiner vttered in his Sermon, that King Henrie in his latter time was inclined to reconcile himselfe to the Pope. But I would the Bishop had had more wit to speake truth, and lesse skill in lying:King Henrie the eyght not minded to reconcile himselfe to the Pope as Gardiner saith, but quite contrarie. for it is apparant that not long before the Kings death, hee with his owne mouth answered the Ambassadour of Frederick Duke of Saxonie, that if the quarrell of the Duke his master were nothing else against the Emperour but for Religion, he should stand to it stronglie, and hee would take his part. Nay more then this (as the worthie Archbishop of Canterburie Doctor Cranmer, a man farre more inward with the King then Gardiner was, doth testifie) the King but little before his death resolued, talking with the Archbishop, and French Embassadour, that he and the King of France within one halfe yeere, would not onelyonly change the Masse in both the Realmes to a Communion, as it is now vsed, but vtterly to hauehave banished the Bishop of Rome & his vsurped authority: Yea they were so throughly and firmely resolued in that behalf, that they minded also to exhort the Emperour, to doe the like in Flaunders and other his Countries and Seigniories, or else to breake off from him.
A third thing in this discourse you alleadge, that Bishop Gardiner was wont to say of King Henrie, that after he left to louelove that person which by Gods law, and mans law, he was bound to louelove aboue all others (to wit his first wife and Queene) he neuer loued anie person heartilie, and constantlie after.
Whereunto I shortly answere, that concerning his often changes of his wiues putting som to death,About King Henries diuorce from his first wife with Gard. iudgement of it. and others away, I will not take vponupon me to answere at all. But to Gardiners report I answere, that this his mutabilitie proceeded not hereof, because he ceased to louelove the first, but because he first loued where he should not, namely his owne brothers wife, against the voice of God and nature: as crouching and glosing Gardiner, who flattered with the issue of this vnlawfull match, not in word onelyonly, but in publike writing professed to the whole world, vtterly condemning the former mariage, with his brothers wife, and approuing & iustifying the second with Queene Anne. In his booke De vera obedientia, he writeth of that point to this purpose. And amongst these, Sith there is commaundement that a man shall not marrie his brother's wife, what could the King: excellent Maiestie … otherwise then he did? by the consent of the people and iudgement of his Church, that is, be diuorced from vnlawfull marriage, and vse lawfull and permitted … tion: and obeying (as … it …) conformablie … commaundement, cast off her whom neither law, nor right permitted him to hauehave, and take him to chast and lawfull marriage? Wherein although the sentence of Gods word (whereto all things ought …s…oupe) might suffice: yet his Maiestie was contented, to hauehave the assisting consents of the most notable graue men, and the censures of the most famous Vniuersities of the whole world: and all to the intent, that men should see he did both that he might, & ought to do vprightly, seeing the best learned, & most worthy men hauehave subcribed to it, shewing therein such obediēce, as Gods word requireth of euerie good and godly man; so as it may be said that both he obeyed God, and obeied him truly, &c. Hitherto Gardiners words. Who reading this discourse of Gardiner, concerning the kings first vnlawful, & his second lawful mariage, would euer hauehave suspected such mutability in ye man? so suddainely to turne the Cat (as the Prouerbe is) in the panne, approuing that which before he openlie condemned, and condemning that which before he publikely approued? or who noting this his inconstancie, and not this onelyonly, but the other of condemning and abiuring the Popes Supremacie, and earnest maintaining of it againe; will not thinke him a verie Proteus, which can change himselfe into all shapes, serue all times, sooth all Princes affections, with, …it, aio, negat, nego? And so I leaue, your wauering Bishoppe, and come to your constant Cardinall.
About whom you professe to be verie briefe;Cardinall Allen. but if you had not spoken in his defence at all, you had shewed yet some louelove of truth, and hate of treason: for as wicked Sheba blew the trumpet of sedition against Dauid; so hath this your Cardinall done against her Maiestie. In my former booke, I charge him that though he seemeth to wish that Doctor Saunders, and Doctor Bristow had spared to speake so much in defence of Puis Quintus his Bull against her Maiestie: yet he both affirmeth, that these two learned men, of great zeale, and excellencie, had their speciall reasons to doe so. And in another treatise, Viz. his defence of Sir William Stanlies act in giuing ouer Deuentre to the King of Spaine, he doth as fully approue the Bull, as anie of the other: which though I condemne (as good cause I should, being a point of so high treason, as that the Queene being by the Pope deposed, is no longer Queene no… to bee obeyed) yet you answere for him smoothly, that he must needs be of like iudgement, with Saunders and the rest: and that he might speake his mind plainely, (being in the place and dignitie that he was) when occasion should be offered. Allens iudgement of Pius Quintus Bull.Which in other words is as much to say, as your Cardinall must needs be of the iudgement, that the Queene was no longer Queene after the Bull published, neither might her Subiectes obey her: But yet it was good pollicie to speake sparingly of that point, and for the Papistes to yeeld for a time outward obedience, to auoide the daunger of the law, till a fit time might come, either by open force, or secret treason to put the Bull in execution. And so much doe the faculties granted by Gregorie the thirteenth to Parsons, and Campion import:Parsons and Campions faculties. which is further warranted by Saunders going after into Ireland with Italian and Spanish forces,Saunders Rebellion in Ireland to hauehave depriued her Maiesty of that kingdome: which fact as you cannot deny, so will you not shew to detest in a subiect against his Prince, because it was for your Pope.
For a further defence yet of your Cardinall, you alleadge the example of childrens sorrow,A similitude alleadged for Allens defence examined. to see their parents at iarre, that the yonges sort are fitter to weepe and mourne, then to determine the controuersies, and that the elder sort may speake more freely, and interpose their iudgements also, (but euer with due reuerence to both parents, &c.) All which by way of similitude you apply to our Queene as a mother, and your Pope as a father; and to your Saundrs, Allen, Bristow, Stapleton, &c. as elder brethren, and to the Priestes and lay men in England as yonger brethren, &c. which similitude consisteth of nothing but dissimilitudes. For first the Pope is no way our father, and therfore our obedience, reuerence, & louelove, not to be deuided betwixt the Queene and him,1The Pope no way our father. as the childrens betwixt the father and mother: the Queene is our mother, both nourishing vsus as a tender parent in things temporall, as also in taking care for the Church of Christ in this land, in things spiritual, according to the Lords promise by the Prophet to his Church. Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and Queenes thy nurses: So did Iehosaphat, Ezechias, Iosias, amongest the Iewes; Constantine, Iustinian, Charles the great, with other like Princes amongst the Christians, commaund and make lawes in causes ecclesiasticall, and acknowledged no vniuersal father-hood of your Pope. I wish he did discharge the dutie of a true spirituall father within his owne Diocesse and Bishopricke, but it is an hard testimonie that Laurentius Valla giueth him. Papas dici nomine Patres, re Parricidas, that the Popes are called fathers in name, but in deed they are Parricides.2Your elder brethren yeeld not due reuerence to the Queene their mother. Againe, if the elder brethren interpose their iudgement betwixt their Parents, by your own confession it must euer be with due reuerence to both partes: this reuerence your elder brethren hauehave not shewed towards the Queene, (too good a mother for so vngracious Impes,) whom they not onelyonly call heretike, pretended Queene, vsurper, &c. but hauehave by all meanes sought the murthering of her sacred person. Thirdly, the yonger children (you say) must holde their peace and mourne for the contentions, but not intermeddle: 3Your yonger brethren are the elders agents against the Queene.But (Sir) your elder brethren, (whom you allow to speake) are farre enough from reach, they may safely define what they will against the Queene, and cast abroad their iudgements in railing bookes to yonger brethren, to settle in them a consent therto: Which being done, they must yet make shew not to intermeddle, to the end they may the better auoide perill to their persons, & secretly hearten the people against her Maiestie.
Take an instance hereof, from one of your yonger brethren, one Paine a Priest:Paines practise against her Maiestie. who walked no lesse closely for his safetie, then he was directed; nor lesse cunningly to corrupt the peoples hearts, then he was commanded: who from his owne mouth discouered to one Eliot, a bloudy platforme laid to destroy her iestie, and diuers of her Honorable Councell with armed men: the effecting whereof stayed onelyonly the comming ouer of certaine Priests which were expected, & in the meane time (through Gods goodnes) this horrible treason was discouered, and preuented. And Paine being asked, how they durst practise or attempt any such mischieuous action? his answere was; that to kill the Queene, or to vse anie crueltie against her, or any that would take her part, was no offence to God, and that they might doe it as lawfully as to a brute beast; and to approue himselfe a fit messenger to be sent on such a bloudie errant, he affirmed that himselfe would be one of the first that should execute the same: here is one of your yonger brothers, whom all the world must confesse to be a fit son for such a father as your Pope is.
Besides this, your Cardinall Allen, Doctor Worthington and others (as elder brethren) sent Richard Hesketh a Gentleman of Lancashire and a younger brother,Heskets treason. to induce the Lord Strange late Earle of Derbie to make a suddaine rebellion in England, and to take vponupon him the title of the Crowne; assuring him from them and others, of treasure and forraine forces to maintaine the same: which treason the Honorable Earle dutifully detected, Hesketh himselfe confessed, and bitterly cursed his elder brethren, to make him a yonger brother, to aduenture the danger of the treason, that they as elder brethren doe teach and deuise, farre enough from reach. Is this the weeping of your yonger brethren without intermedling? are these the teares? then are they of a right Crocodiles brood, which seemeth to weeepe, but it is to this end, that they may sooner kill and destroy. Nay further then this, these elder brethren commend to their yongers, treason against her Maiestie, for a point of their faith, namely, that if the Pope say the worde, none of the Papistes ought to obey her Maiestie, nor to account her Queene of England:Treason against the Queene made a point of the popish faith and religion. for in the cases of conscience (as Doctor Bilson now Bishop of Winchester noteth) wherewith the Iesuites that came into England were furnished, to the 55. Article, when they be asked whether the Bull of Pius Quintus, that was giuen out, or any Bul that the Bishop of Rome can hereafter giuegive out, all Catholikes be bound to yeeld obedience, faith, and loyaltie, to Queene Elizabeth, as to their lawfull Prince and Soueraigne? the resolution is, he that demaundeth this question, asketh (in effect) whether the Pope might doe it or no: to which demaund, what a Catholike should answere it is playner then I need here to explicate. If therefore a Catholike be asked, do you beleeue that the Bishop of Rome may depriue Queen Elizabeth of her crown? he must answer (not regarding any danger of death) I beleeue he may; for this questiō is a point of faith, and requireth a confessiō of (our) faith. Do not these elder brethrē (think you) dutifully put in their iudgements between these two imagined Parēts, the Queen & the Pope, when they teach their yonger brethrē treason against the Queen, for an article & point of their faith?
To ende with this Cardinall, who (thanks be to God) ended his life before he could attaine the expected end of his traiterous dessignments: doth he not perswade that it is not onelyonly lawfull, but honorable to murther Princes for Religion? for (saith hee) There is no warre in the world, so iust, or honorable, be it ciuill, or forraine, as that which is waged for Religion: Allen perswadeth it to be honorable to kill the Queene.Now if it be true that ciuill warre (which is the warre of Subiects against the Prince) be iust, and honourable, then is it an honourable act for Subiectes to kill the Prince; for the ende proposed in warre is victorie, and the way to victorie is bloudshed, and slaughter, not so much of the people (who are not impugned, but for partaking with the Prince) as of the Prince himselfe, whom you seeke to depose and place an other in his steed. And this doctrine of your Cardinals, Parrie himselfe confesseth vnderunder his owne hand writing, did throughly resolue, confirme and strengthen him, in his diuellish purpose to kill the Queene. Doctor Allens booke (saith he) was sent me out of France, it redoubled my former conceipts, euerie word in it was a warrant to a prepared mind: Parrey resolued by Allens booke to kill the Queene.It taught that Kings may be excommunicated, depriued, and violently handled: It proueth that all warre ciuill, or forraine, vndertaken for Religion, is honorable. All which things considered, I appeale to any good natured Papist, who hath in him any sparke of loyaltie in his heart to his Prince, & louelove to his natiue countrie, whether this Cardinall not only by secret practises seeking to stir rebellion against her Maiesty, but by publike writing earnestly perswading the same, yea animating, & encouraging her Subiects to lay violent hands vponupon her sacred person, were not indeed a cardinall and arch-traitor: and for this his Proctor I answere him, and conclude almost with the very words wherwith himself shutteth vp this his Encounter, let all men iudge of this mans treacherie.