Defense of the Watch-Word Against the Ward-Word, Part 1

Defense of the Watch-Word Against the Ward-Word · Part 1

p. 3Resistance to the first Encounter about the manifold blessings, from God, through her Maiesties happie Raigne, powred vponupon this Land.

THough my intent is not to make answere eyther to the immodest raylings,The scope of this Apologie. or friuolous exceptions, or vagrant excursions of this Encounterer; but onelyonly to set downe a short defence of my speeches by him impugned (because my state of health, and disposition of my bodie will not beare to write volumes:) yet, because both in the entrance of this Libell, and in other places of his processe, he doth so hainously charge me with the odious crime of flatterie (which I hate naturally as a badge of a base mind, much more through Christian knowledge as most contrarie thereto,) I hauehave thought it not amisse to shape a short answer… vntounto it. In suspition of heresie Ierome (as Bishop Iuell alleadgeth) would hauehave no man to be patient, & though I will not burst p. 4out into any impatience (as considering more what is fit for me to speake then for him to heare) yet I hold that in the grieuous accusation of flatterie I ought not to be silent.

Flatterie falsely charged vponupon me.Therefore I allow it not onelyonly for wittie, but worthie to be imbraced for truth, that which you alleadge concerning flatterers, & I hold the answere to the question no lesse true in the whole, then in part. The question was, What beasts were most perilous? And the answere is, Of all wilde-beastes a Tyrant, & of tame-beastes a flatterer; and if you can as easily free such as you seeke with might and maine to defend, from the iust imputation of tyranny, as I shall be able to cleare my selfe from any the least intention to flatter, you shall doe more then euer any could doe for them before.

Antisthenes is reported to be wont to say, he had rather hauehave rauens resort to his house then flatterers, yeelding this reason, that rauens do but pray vponupon the carcasse being dead, but flatterers deuoure both bodie and soule aliue. To enterprise the enumeration of great States and Princes through flatterers vtterly ruinated, were to vndertake an endles labour but as the verse hath:

Blanditiae plusquam dira venena nocent,

Sugred and sweet flatter… …teth more,

Then deadly poyson th…gh thou drink great store. So were it not hard to …hew more seigniories and kingdomes subuerted by secret flatterie, then by open hostilitie: by how much the more earnestly I beseech the Lord, that if her Maiesties Court cannot be altogether free from flatterers (who as burres p. 5doe commonly hang vponupon the sleeues of Princes,) yet by her princely wisedome she may alwaies espie them, and finde them out, saying as the Philosopher is reported that was Nephew to Plato. Define adulari, nihil enim proficis cum te intelligam, leaue thy flearing and fawning, thou preuailest nothing, for I perceiue thee well enough.

But I pray you (Sir N. D.) where learned you that skill to take vponupon you to affirme and proue, that to publish the commendation of Princes vponupon iust desert is flatterie?What flatterie is. I doubt me for all your desire to be thought a great Clerke, it will trouble you and all your colleagues to fortifie this position But not to dwell long vponupon this point; disdaine not to heare what Democritus will tell you. Rectè quidem facta laudare honestum est, mala verò laudibus vehere adulterini est animi & impostoris. To giuegive due praise to good deserts is honest; but to praise and extoll euill deeds argueth a corrupt and a couzening mind: and therefore I doubt not with farre more ease to free my selfe from flatterie, wherewith you falsely charge me for commending the good things of our land, then you shalbe able to auoid the iust imputation of an adulterous and deceiuing mind in deprauing Gods blessings with your Macheuilian wit, and false interpretations.

And if I had leasure to stand vponupon iust retortion of vniust accusations,Arch flatterers at Rome. I could send you to the Popes Pallace where a man may finde more shamelesse flatterers, then (I thinke) were euer to be found in any Christian Princes Court. Panormitan (as is by p. 6sundrie learned men alleadged) shameth not to flatter your Pope so farre, as to make him almost equall with God. Excepto peccato Papa potest quasi omnia facere quae Deus potest: Sinne excepted the Pope can in a manner do all things that God can doe: Againe another clawbacke: Non minor honor debetur Papae, quam Angelis, &c. No lesse honour is due to the Pope then to the Angels, for which cause he receiueth of Christian people adorations, prostrating themselues on the ground, and the kissing of his feete, which the Angell would not permit by Iohn the Euangelist to be done to him. Another, Imperatoria Maiestas tantò est inferior Papa, quantò creatura Deo: The imperiall Maiestie is so much inferiour to the Pope, as the creature is to God. Others, that he is Ens secundae intentionis compositum ex Deo & homine: And in a word, the Canonists roundly in the Glosse: Dominus Deus noster Papa: Our Lord God the Pope. Which blasphemous flattering speech Doctor Raynolds noteth that the Cardinals, and others deputed by Gregorie 13 to reuise, correct, and purge out, such things as by errour had crept into the Glosses, & annotations in the booke of decrees and decretals, &c. yet hauehave not only not remoued this blasphemie, but not so much as giuen the least castigation vponupon it: belike because they thought that could not fit the Pope, which the Apostle writeth of Antichrist, that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God, shewing himselfe that he is God, vnlesse they should suffer a place to be extant, wherein he is plainely called, Lord God, in a popish worke, by the Papists themselues corrected, printed p. 7at Rome, and that at the Popes own speciall commandement: and so much concerning your accusation of flatterie.

The which yet you labour to enforce, because I take vponupon me to speake of infinite blessings from Almightie God,About the blessings of this land. by her Maiesties gracious gouernment powred vponupon this land, and yet my selfe (you say) confesse a thousand feares and frights, and imminent perils which hang ouer vsus in these words. I doubt not but you are men of wisedome, and can easily conceiue what dangers we stand in, by that which hath beene said before. And againe, The life of Religion, Queene, and Countrie is at the stake.

Verely if I should speake of the great blessings bestowed vponupon this land in the happie establishing of true Christian Religion amongs vsus, and should think the contrarie, I should iudge my selfe worthie to be taxed with so odious a crime as flatterie is. For I will say as he in the Poet:

Odi etenim ceu claustra Erebi, quicun que loquuntur,

Ore aliud, tacito que aliud sub pectore claudunt:

I hate as gates of hell, who euer thou art

That one thing say'st, another think'st in hart.

But (good Sir) what contrarietie is there in my words?No contrarietie betwixt our present daungers and our former blessings. May not a land be truly blessed from God, in hauing a gracious Prince, by whom Idolatrie is remoued, and true Religion planted: and yet (for want of due acknowledgement of the Lords goodnes, and true fruits of thankfulnes) be by forraine enemies maligned, or by home-traitors hazarded?Eccle. 49.Sir 49 The remembrance of Iosiah (saith Iesus Syrach) is like the composition of perfume, that is made by the Art p. 8of the Apothecary, it is sweet as hony in all mouthes, and as Musicke at a banquet of wine. He behaued himselfe vprightly in the reformation of the people, and tooke away all abomination of iniquitie, he directed his heart vntounto the Lord, and in the time of the vngodly, he established Religion. Highly was Ierusalem blessed by the raigne of good Iosiah, rooting out Idolatrie, and restoring to the people the booke of the Law, (as is this land likewise by the like blessed Raigne of our gracious Iosiah,) and yet euen in his time, for the Idolatrie committed vnderunder his Father, and Grand-father, and for their affections declining to Idolatrie, and not truly esteeming the blessings in Iosiah their king powred vponupon them, the Lord threatneth to bring euill vponupon that place, and the Inhabitants thereof. Which he did by suffering Iosiah to be slaine by the souldiours of the king of Egypt, and within few yeares after his death, selling his owne people into the hands of the idolatrous Babilonians. For as darknesse naturally followeth light, and night the day, so do great punishments accompanie rare blessings, when they are not duely esteemed as they ought.

Blessed was Ierusalem by the testimonie of the Lords owne mouth when he said: My beloued had a Vineyard in a very fruitfull hill, and he hedged it, & gathered out the stones of it, and he planted it with the best plants, and built a Tower in the middest thereof, and made a winepresse therein: But when he looked for grapes, and it brought forth wild-grapes, the Lord threatned from the height of this blessed estate, to cast them into the gulfe of miserie, to take away the hedge from his p. 9Vineyard, that it might be eaten vp, and breake downe the wall thereof that it might be troden downe, &c. The Lord hath not therefore been lesse beneficiall to vsus in placing so gracious an head vponupon the bodie of this Realme, because you, and some such as your selfe are, doe yet remaine to God ingrate, and to your Prince, and Countrey vnnaturall. OnelyOnly I beseech God, that whereas by his appointment the Oliue is yet ouer vsus with her fatnes, and the Figge with her sweetnes, and the Vine with her fruitfulries, that (amongst many other sinnes of our land) for our vngratefull contempt of so great a blessing, a Bramble be not set ouer vsus, which is good for nothing, but to burne and consume vsus: and so much concerning my supposed contradiction.

Now (Sir N. D.) it is your pleasure to heare my manner of speech in these words, If I should take vponupon me to enter into the enumeration of all the benefits and blessings that from the Almightie hauehave beene powred vponupon this little Iland of England, &c. And hauing thus vnperfectly repeated them, you passe the ouer with this sleight exception, saying: That in mentioning our little Iland, I must take Scotland with me, else I erre in Cosmographie, as though England were not deuided in gouernment from Scotland, though both rest vponupon one continent, and as though your selfe did not tearme this Realme an Iland,Encounter. 3. pag. 39. euen where you do distinguish it from Scotland. Therefore Nodum in scirpo quaeris, and to this shift you are put very often for want of matter. But if seemeth that Scotland was named here by you, chiefly to make way for your purpose to giuegive a glaunce at battels, murders, destruction p. 10of Countries, Prouinces, Townes, Cities, Houses, and particular men that hauehave beene in Scotland within these fortie yeares; as though Scotland had neuer tasted these or any of these before: and then you come in with Ireland, wherein you seeme to bewaile the death of the noble Desmons; whose treasons yet liue by succession in one of the same name, who (it is said) wrote … treason full letter, stuffed with most intolerable opprobries and slaunders against her Maiestie and the state to the King of Spaine: And this I hope is no great proofe of your son…dnes to Queen or State. France and Flaunders follow to fill vp the number. But had you any respect of truth or care of modestie, you would neuer hauehave made the true Religion wee professe the cause of murders, tumults, and garboyles, which teacheth dutifull obedience, and condemneth all mutinies, seditions, and rebellions.

Our Christan Religion no cause of tumults.You should do well to hauehave told vsus, who murdered the King; the Lord Iames, the Lord Russell in Scotland? In France who murdered the Prince of Conde, after he was taken prisoner, which (I thinke) the law of Armes will not well beare? Likewise who they were that laid… bloudy hands vponupon the Admiral Chattilion, being first shot in with a Pistoll with three bullets in the streetes, and afterwards slaine in his chamber: And so of Marl…ret slaine in his garden, and of the famous learned man Ramus, who hauing paid monie to ransome his life, was beyond all humanit…e most cruelly quelled. And generally who were the Authors, not onelyonly of the bloudie massacre in Paris, but also of the like vprores in other Cities, and quarters p. 11of the Realme, principally at Lyons, Orleans, Roan, Tolouse; in which Cities (within the space of one monethmonth) there are numbred at the least thirtie thousand godly Protestants to be slaine: your holy father at Rome (to shew with what spirit he is led, and with what meanes he sticketh to maintaine his Religion, which otherwise would fall to the ground) so soone as he heard of this bloudie tragedie, maketh great ioy with his Cardinals, with their procession, with their gunshot and singing Te Deum: Yea in honour of that Act proclayming a Iubile with great indulgence and solemnitie. For Flaunders tell vsus who murdered the noble Prince of Orange against whom it was proclaimed, that who soeuer could bring him aliue or dead, or slaie him should hauehave fiue and twentie thousand crownes. You shall finde that such a Catholike-faith as yours is, hath still sought to maintaine it selfe by such Catholike means as these are, treasons, tumults, seditions, secret murders, and such like. As for our true Christian Religion, it is so cause of tumults, garboyles, and murders, as Christes birth was of the murther of the poore infants, in which neither Christ nor the infants ought offended, the madnes was in Herod and all Ierusalem, to be for this cause in an vprore. In a word it is Herods Religion which seeketh to murther Christ, and the Christes, and annoynted of the Lord.

I proceed to your aduertisement,A short view of blessings spirituall, and temporall from God by her Maiestie powred on this land. for a better direction to mens iudgements, that all blessings of a Common-wealth may be reduced to two heades, the one spirituall belonging to the soule and conscience, the other temporall concerning the bodie and p. 12weale publike: and that the Lord hath richly blessed this land since her Maiesties Raigne, I doubt not to proue to all that hauehave iudgement and indifferency following your owne methode.

11Vnitie in veritie.And first there hath beene in England since this happie alteration & change from popish superstition to Christian veritie, One God worshipped in spirit and truth, one faith, one belief, one forme of seruice in praier and praises to God, one number of Sacraments (which are onelyonly two by the word of God) one head of the Church which is Christ the Lord, as the holy Ghost testifieth by the Apostle. Him hath God appointed to be the head of the Church. And his substitute annointed, & appointed ouer vsus is our Soueraigne and Queene, who is to commaund and be obeyed in Christ and for Christ in all causes aswell ecclesiasticall as ciuill, and not your proud vsurping Priest at Rome; and if you can like to looke vponupon the harmonie of confessions you shall find all the Churches of Christendome, where the Gospel and truth of Christ Iesus is embraced, to be of the same iudgement; and in this blessed vnitie grounded vponupon veritie, the Lord for euer keepe vsus.

A scornefull reproach.And how scornefully soeuer you tearme this to be our Parliament Religion, be it knowne to you, that the reuerent assemblie of States, and Commons in Parliament, hauehave cause to praise God for their ioyning to present such lawes, and for her Maiesties consenting to establish such lawes, as tende to so holy a purpose, as to hem in the ignorant, that they may frequent the holy assemblies to learne to professe and obey the truth, and to restraine the headstrong humors p. 13of Papistes and Atheists, who are forward to runne astray from God and all godlines.

As for your tricke of cunning often grated vponupon,The termes of Puritanes and Protestants. with a desire to disioyne our affections, by calling some Puritanes & other Protestants, this malicious purpose of yours, I hope the Lord of might & mercy will turne to the good of his Church, and I trust it will please him by his grace to direct the hearts of our Church-men, to see how needfull it is for them to ioyne heart and hand together to defend the doctrine of faith (which they all hold) against the calumniations and slaunders, wherewith you, and men of your sort, seeke to load the truth of our profession: and to crosse the cunning and most dangerous plots, laid also to mingle (at the least) our blessed, and most holy profession, with a toleration of cursed Poperie, if not to alter all to Poperie, to the rooting out of Gods true Religion wholly from amongst vsus. And howsoeuer some dissent hath appeared, about the toleration or abrogation of some things: yet (I doubt not) it doth, & shall wel appeare, that the dissention is not such (as this turbulēt spirited fellow would faine hauehave it) and that all sides will manifest to the whole world, that howsoeuer they may in these outward things dissentire, yet it shal be concordi discordia: and so much for your cunningly deuised distinction of Puritane and Parliament Religion, not without a setled and grounded malice to both.

But (Sir) your vaunt of a generall vnitie,Vnitie vntruly vaunted of by the Papists. before alteration of Religion amongst vsus, if I had leasure to sift it, would proue more boldly then truly vttered: for how worshipped you one God, when you serued p. 14so many Idols? Or how glorified you the Creator, when you gaue his glorie vntounto creatures? not onelyonly to his true Saints (as to the blessed virgin whom you call the Queene of Heauen, as God is King of Heauen,De Idol. Ecc. Ro. lib. 1. ca. 1. and one of your greatest pillars affirmeth (as Doctor Raynolds alleadgeth him) that the King of kings hath giuen halfe his kingdome to this Queene, and of the chiefest treasures of this kingdome, namely Iustice, and Mercy, hath reserued Iustice to himselfe, but his merciemercy he hath granted to her,) but euen vntounto vile, base, and dumbe creatures, as when they pray for their crosse of mettall, that as by Christ his crosse the world was deliuered from the guilt of sinne, so by the merit of this crosse (of mettall) they that offer it, may be freed from all the sinnes they hauehave committed: and to the crosse they pray, crauing that of a dumbe creature, which the Creator onelyonly can giuegive that is God, blessed for euer.

O Crux aue, spes vnica,

Hoc passionis tempore.

Auge pijs iustitiam,

Reis que dona veniam.

All hayle (O Crosse) our onelyonly hope,

In this time of the passion.

In faithfull people grace increase,

And grant of sinne remission.

Lact. li. 1. ca. 19.If Lactantius should iudge of your Religion he would scarce allow you to worship God at all, who denieth that creatures may be worshipped with him: yeelding this reason, Si honos idem alijs tribuitur, ipse omninò non colitur, cuius Reltgio est, illum esse vnum, ac p. 15solum Deam credere: If the same honour be giuen to others, he is not worshipped at all; whose Religion is to beleeue that he is one, and the onelyonly God. The best that probablie may be made of your worshipping is, that it is like the Religion, that the Gentiles learned, which were brought from Assiria to inhabite the Cities of Samaria;2. King. 17.2 Kgs 17 who worshipped the Lord and Idols together.

Likewise of your owne faith and beliefe might be shewed how vaine a presumption it is, when as you are so miserablie rent in sunder into so innumerable diuersities and sects of Friers, and Munkes, putting holines in diuers institutions of life, some being white, some blacke, some wearing linnen, some wollen, some going shod, some bare-foote, with infinite diuersities more which are by learned men handled: It shall be sufficient for me, onelyonly to remember you of the stirre betwixt the Franciscans and Dominicke Friers, about the conception of the blessed Virgin; the Franciscans or gray Friers affirming that she was neuer Subiect one moment in her conception to originall sinne; the Dominicke or blacke Friers teaching that she was conceiued in sinne, as are all the children of Adam, which controuersie occupied all schooles and vniuersities almost throughout the whole Christian world, which was at the length doughtelie decided by Pope Sixtus the fourth, quite contrarie to that Word which shall iudge all at the last day.

Of your one head your vaunt is the like, which being the Pope, how can you hauehave one head, vnles you reiect Christ? If you meane one visible and ministeriall p. 16head;Matth. 28.Matt 28 how can that be when as Christ hath promised to be with vsus to the end of the world? And in the Reuelation Iohn saw him walking in the middest of the seuen golden Candlesticks:Reuel. 1.Rev 1 if he be thus alwaies present with his Church, by his spirite to guide the whole, and eueryevery member thereof; how shall any presume to take vponupon him to be a ministeriall head of the Church, because Christ is not visiblie present? Againe how hauehave you had one visible head, when there hath been so many Antipopes? So often? Such tumults and schismes about the Papacie? Which though your men would deriue vponupon the Emperours intermedling with the election (though very falsely) yet (as a learned man proueth) of thirtie schismes in the Church of Rome, (so many as no Church can boast of besides) the worst, and the longest hath been since that time, that the election was deuolued onelyonly to the Cardinals, euen the 29. which lasted for the space of 50: yeares, first with two Popes at one time, and then with three, &c. So that to cease any further to examine your assertions (who intend onelyonly a defence of mine owne by you carped at, and traduced) your great brag of vnitie in your Religion, the like whereof you deeme is not amongst vsus to be found, is in deede nothing but meere vanitie. But to returne from whence I digressed.

22Libertie to reade Scriptures.Secondly, by the establishment of true Christian Religion amongst vsus, this great blessing we hauehave obtained, that the Scripture and word of God, which is the incorruptible seede whereby we are begotten to God, the sincere milke that as children nourisheth p. 17vsus with the knowledge of the Rudiments, and principles of Religion, the foode of the soule, which doth farther strengthen vsus with increase of deeper knowledge, is no longer (as of late times) like a sealed booke, which being deliuered to one that can reade, and he willed to reade it, he answereth he cannot because it is sealed: but we hauehave it in our owne mother language permitted vntounto vsus, that eueryevery one may priuately exercise himselfe in the reading thereof, and for the confirmation of his faith, in the points that he is taught publikely by the mouth of the Preacher, may with the men of Berrhea daily search the Scriptures to see whether those things be so or not; which triall the doctrine of Rome will hardly submit it selfe to. And this dutie of searching the Scriptures at home priuatly, Chrisostome requireth at the hands of his Auditors:Hom. 3. de La…. Idque semper hortor, &c. and this I alwaies exhort, and will not cease to exhort that you be not onelyonly attentiue here to those things which are taught, but that when you are at home you daily intend the reading of the holy Scriptures; and so I take it that Saint Iohn setteth down three steps, or degrees, whereby we are to climbe vp to blessednes: first priuat reading; secondly publike hearing; thirdly fruitfull practising of those things which by reading and hearing we learne.Reuel. 1.Rev 1 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that heare the words of this prophesie, and keepeth those things that are written therein.

Thirdly, this is also a great blessing,33Publike prayer with vnderstanding. that we hauehave our publike prayers in the Church in our owne tongue, that the people may vnderstand what the Minister prayeth, and keeping silence while he is p. 18speaking, may still hauehave their minds and vnderstandings accompanie the voice of the Minister, and in the end may ioyntly answere Amen, Euen as not a Clerke alone for the people (as New Rome hath taught) but the whole people for themselues were accustomed in Saint Ieromes time, as he witnesseth,Hier. in prolo. 2. in comment. in Gal. Tota Ecclesia instar tonitrui reboat Amen: The whole Church like a mightie thunder doth sound out Amen. This also Augustine acknowledged to be a great blessing,Aug. in Psa. 99.Ps 99 Beatus populus qui intelligit Iubilationem, &c. Blessed is the people that vnderstandeth the ioyfull song; let vsus runne to this blessednes, let vsus vnderstand the song, let vsus not sing it without vnderstanding: Of this the Apostle most diuinely treateth in the 1. Cor. 14. which though the Rhemists doe miserablie striue to shake off (as Master Whitakers learnedly sheweth) yet Cardinall Caietan, ouercome with the euidence of truth, plainely confesseth; as in the end of that Controuersie Doctor Whitakers alleageth him, Exhac Pauli doctrina, &c. By this doctrine of the Apostle we hauehave to vnderstand, that it is better for the edification of the Church that the publike praiers which are made in the hearing of the people, should be vttered in a tongue common both to the Clerkes and people, then to be vttered in Latine.

44Exercise in true holines.Hence it followeth, that we learne to exercise our selues in workes of true pietie, such as by the word of God we are assured are acceptable with him, not putting holines in workes of mens deuising, as superstitious obseruation of daies, with like difference of meates, in gadding on pilgrimage and such like, of which may be said, that which the Lord spake in Esay: p. 19Who hath required these things at your hands? Esay. 1.Isa 1Whence it hath come to passe, that many liuely members of Christ Iesus, being colde, naked, and hungrie hauehave been neglected, while it was thought an holier worke to shrine in gold and siluer the bones of dead men, as Erasmus in his Colloquie or dialogue of peregrination for Religion sake doth note;Erasmus. That the golden shrine of Thomas Becket, was beset with Diamonds, Carbuncles, with pearles and rare precious stones, Vilissima pars erat aurum, the basest part was gold. But we (blessed be God) hauehave learned to make the will of God reuealed in his word, the Rule and Squire of our obedience, studying to walke in his waies, and to keepe his commaundements both of the first and second table, according to that of our Sauiour,Two extremities in our good works to be auoided. If you know these things happie are ye if you doe them: wherein we are taught to striue against two extremities. First proud presumption before God, that we put no opinion of merit in our workes, but referre1 them partly to the glorifying of our good God, according to that, Let your light so shine before men, &c. partly to the assuring our selues of our election by the fruits thereof, as Peter exhorteth, Make your election sure by good works, acknowledging that of Bernard, Bona opera sunt via regni, non causa regnandi: Good workes are the way wherein we must walke to the kingdom of Heauen, but not the cause wherefore we shall obtaine the kingdome. Secondly, before2 men we must auoide hypocriticall ostentation, that we vaunt not of our vertues as the Pharisee: O God I thanke thee I am not as other men, extortioners, vniust, or euen as this Publican, &c. Luk. 18.Luke 18But according to the p. 20rule of the Apostle in meekenes of minde eueryevery man to esteeme other better then himselfe,Phil. 2.Phil 2 we must turne our eyes inward, looking vponupon and censuring our owne imperfections, and indeuoring to practise that good lesson Nosceteipsum. For very true it is, that Chrisostome hath speaking of Christian humility: Esto, multum adifices, habeas elecmosynas, preces, ieiunia, &c. Be it you build much, you vse almes, fasting, and prayer, and all other vertues: without this foundation of humilitie they are all in vaine; yea adde continence, virginitie, contempt of riches, Omnia prophana sunt, impura, abominabilia absque humilitate: They are all prophane, impure and abominable without humilitie.

55Freedome from persecution.Father, the entrance of our peaceable Salome to the Crowne, what Halcyon daies hath it brought to the poore afflicted Church of Christ … The little barke of Christ Iesus before tossed with the waues and stormes of furious and bloodie persecution, hath now found some repose and rest vnderunder her gracious and benigne protection: so mercifully hath Christ rebuked the stormes and windes, when the shippe was in danger of drowning, and there is followed a great calme. Not onelyonly they that were openly knowne to abhor the Romish Idolatrie, refusing to bowe the knee to their blocke-almightie (as some then called them) and to honor a peece of a Cake as their Creator, were by heapes brought to the fire: but so violent was the furie of that Wooluish Sinagogue, against the poore Lambes of Christs fold, that through inforcement and by vertue of their oath, were compelled to accuse, (against the law of p. 21nature) the wife the husband, one brother another, &c. as in a table of persecution vnderunder Bishop Longland of Lincolne doth appeare, the bloody rage of this persecution sparing neither man, woman, nor child, wife, nor maide, lame, blinde, nor creeple. But of this what should I say more, of which nothing can be said sufficiently? but as a paineful compiler of the ecclesiasticall Historie thinketh, all places considered where the Romish Phalaris hath intermedled, France Flanders, Italy, Spayne, and whersoeuer the gripes of this greedie griffin (as Chaucer compareth him) could r…ach: it would be hard to say, whether the Romane heathen Emperors in the prime-daies of the Church, or the Romish Bishops in the latter, had caused more Christian bloud to be spilt. And whereas this Encounterer wringeth out a malediction from hence, pretending by this chaunge of Religion, the torturing, hanging, and racking of so many learned Priests, &c. he shall neuer be able to proue (so farre as euer I could learne) that any one, either Priest or Lay-man, learned or vnlearned, hath in this land these fortie yeares, beene put to death onelyonly for being a Recusant, and of a contrarie Religion; as the libertie and home-dwelling of so many Recufants, without dread of any such daunger, may proue sufficiently. The Wolfe persecuteth the Lamb, not the Lambe the Wolfe. As for those fewe which hauehave suffered in these fortie yeares, not comparable to the number of those which were martyred in Queene Maries fiue yeares, I am so farre off from reioycing at their death, that with all my heart I wish, they had neuer sucked the poyson of treason p. 22from your Iesuites breastes, that so they might hauehave preuented the due and iust shedding of their owne bloods.

To these may be added other corporall blessings in a short view,66Deliuerāce from intollerable exactions. among which this is not the least, that the establishment of true Religion hath quite remoued from our neckes the yoke of popish bondage… How miserablie this poore land was oppressed and impouerished by the Popes dispensations, exactions, contributions, besides his continuall subsidie of Peter-pence (nothing being able to satisfie his greedie appetite, and insatiable auarice) our stories in sundry places make lamentable mention. Now he must hauehave the tenth of all the moueables in England, Wales and Ireland, then foure markes of euerie able Church; and where one was not able to reach, there the other poore Churches must ioyne to make vp the money: shortly by a new Mandat all beneficed men must pay the first part of their reuenues, then prouision of English benefices for boyes of Rome 300. at a clappe, and what not? Poore England was continually pilled and polled, and almost suckt drie, whereof (to vse one example for many) the Nobles ioyntly with the Commons, complain in the Raigne of Henrie the third; in which their complaint hauing made mention of the continuall subsidie of Peter-pence, To Pope Innocent .4. in the Counsell at Lyons. &c. 1245.and other contributions they adde these words. And now see, wee beseech you, (which is lamentable to behold) what iniuries we sustaine by you and your predecessors, who not considering those our subsidies, and contributions before remembred, doe suffer also your Italians and forrayners (which be out of number) to be possessed of our Churches p. 23and benefices in England, &c. And immediatly, which forrayners neither defending the said religious persons, neither hauing the language, whereby they might instruct the flocke, take no regard of their soules, but vtterly leaue them of wilde beastes to be deuoured: Wherefore it may truly be said of them, that they are no good shepheards, for that neither they doe know their sheepe, nor the sheepe doe know the voice of their shepheards; neither doe they keepe any hospitalitie, but onelyonly take vp the rents of those benefices, carrying them out of the Realme, wherewith our brethren, our nephewes, and our kinsfolkes might be sustained, who could and would dwell vponupon them, and employ such exercises of mercy and hospitality as their dutie required, whereof a number for meere necessitie now are lay-men, and faine to flie out of the Realme. And now to the intent more fully to certifie you of the truth, you shall vnderstand, that the said Italians and strangers receiuing of yeerely rents out of England not so little as threescore thousand markes by yeare, (besides other auailes and exises deducted) do reape in the said our kingdome of England more emoluments of meere Rents then doth the King himselfe, being both Tutour of the Church and Gouernour of the land, &c. they further proceeded in their complaint which for breuity sake I omit. The conclusion is, miserably was this land oppressed vnderunder the Romish Pharaoh, not onelyonly the skinne flayed from the flesh, but the flesh in a manner rent from the bones, from which by this happy chaunge of Religion wee are deliuered, the Lords name be praised therefore.

The name of peace is sweete,77Long peac…. and the thing it selfe both pleasant and profitable, with which blessing the Lord hath also greatly blessed this land these fortie p. 24yeeres, that in this respect her Maiesties raigne hath beene as the raigne of Asa, of whom it is written, that he had no warre in those daies, for the Lord his God had sent him peace round about. For, as for the late tumults and stirres of Ireland, it is euident to whom they are to be ascribed by the sending thither of Saunders and of Italian bandes by the Pope, who is the common Trumpeter of Sedition in all Christian Common-weales, which seeke to shake off the yoke of his tyrannie: There kindled (vponupon the like occasion) the flame of Rebellion in the North, but (bessed be God) it vanished quickly like a smoke, Spayne likewise attempted an inuasion, but with such successe, as neither hath he cause to boast of his winnings, nor wee to complaine of our losses; for as the starres fought in their course for Israel against Sisera, so did the windes for England against Spayne: other warres to speake of, we hauehave had none, but such as we hauehave voluntarily vnderunder-taken, for the reliefe and support of those that were oppressed.

And this it selfe is no small blessing, that England in the raigne of a Woman,88Power in forraine countries. hath beene the common refuge to all Christian nations, eyther rent asunder with ciuill warres, or oppressed with forraine forces: so that a Queene hath sit as Arbitrer of peace and warre amongst Christian Kings, France is witnesse hereof. What should I speake of Suethland &c.? what of Flaunders, being receiued into our tuition, and societie? yea the Turke himselfe (who happily before the renowmed raigne of her Maiestie, had neuer heard the name of this little Island) moued with the Maiestie of her name, hath laid armes aside, and p. 27through her intercession, hath granted peace to the Polonians being almost brought to extremitie.

To these I might adde the blessing of riches,99Wealth of the land, plentie, and aboundance, such as hath not lightly beene knowne in this land before, which God hath aboundantly sent vntounto vsus. Whereby we hauehave beene enabled to minister to the necessities of so many oppressed, and to sustaine such voluntarie warres, as honourable respects hauehave moued her Maiesty to vndertake, for the needfull succour of others, which who so seeth not is blind, and who so acknowledgeth not is verie ingrate.

I may also adde the multitude of people increased mightily since her Maiesties first enterance to the Crowne,1010Multitude of subiects. a great blessing of God powred vponupon this land, which, God at the least hath seuen-fold increased to the number, that at her enterance she found. And if the Encounterer in his affected shew of politicke wisedome, shall scorne this blessing, and say (as he doth) that I descend to very poore ones: yet I will rather subscribe to the wisedome of Gods spirit noting it a great blessing vponupon Ierusalem, and the contrarie a great curse: How doth the Citie remaine solitarie that was full of people? Lamenta. 1.her blessing was fulnesse of people, her plague solitarines; as also to the wisedome of wise Salomon who thus plainly auoucheth, In the multitude of people is the honour of a King, and for the want of people commeth the destruction of a Prince.Prou. 14.Prov 14 I cease (because I desire breuitie) to stand vponupon the enumeration of any more, only I wish we may dulie esteeme the Lords mercies vouchsafed to vsus, and bring forth the fruites of true thankfulnesse as the princely Prophet p. 28teacheth vsus. O… that men would therefore praise the Lord for his louing kindnes… and declare his wonderfull workes amongst the children of men. Psal. 107.Ps 107As for your building of Castles in the ayre, by supposall of blessings that might probably hauehave ensued, if Religion had not beene altered, because I meane not to take the paines to follow you in your extrauagant discourses, and because they are indeed nothing but the imaginations of an idle braine, I leaue them to Master Moores fictio Vtopic….