Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Oration 2
¶An Oration of Iohn Hales, to the Queenes Maiestie, and deliuered to her Maiestye by a certayne Noble man, at her first entrance to her reigne.
¶To the Noble Queene Elizabeth,
ALbeit there be innumerable giftes and benefites of almighty God, whereof eueryevery one would wonderfully comfort any person, on whome it should please his goodnes to bestowe it: yet is none of them either separate by it self,Great benefites and treasures do nothing profit, where the vse of them cannot be inioyed. or ioyned with any other, or yet al mingled together, to be compared to this one: that it hath pleased God of his mercy to deliuer this Realme our Countrey from the tyranny of malicious Mary, & to commit it to the gouernemēt of vertuous Elizabeth. For if a man had all the treasure of Salomon, and might not be suffred to hauehave the vse therof: in what better case were he then miserable Tantalus, ouer whose head the apples continually hung, yet being hunger sterued, could he neuer touch them? If a man had as strong a body as had Sampson, and besides were as whole as a fish, as the prouerbe is, yet if he were kept in bandes, what should it auayle him? Yea rather if it bee well considered, it is a hurte to him, if continuance of tormentes and paynes may be a hurt.
If a man had as manye children as had Gedeon the Iudge, and might not be so suffered to bring them vpp in the feare of God, & good knowledge & maners, had he not bene more happy to be without them, then to hauehave them? If a man had as much knowledge of God as had Saynt Paule, and durst not professe it openly with mouth, as he is commaunded, but for feare of death shoulde declare the contrary in deede, sclaunder the word of God, and deny Christ, which is forbidden, shoulde it not rather be a furtherance to his damnation, then otherwise?
And to be short, if any one man had all these giftes together, or generally all the giftes of Fortune, the body, the minde, and of grace, yet if hee mought not hauehave the vse of them, what should they profite him? Ueryly nothyng at all.Felicitye not in hauing but in vsing. For felicitye is not in hauing, but in vsing, not in possessing, but in occupying: not in knowledge, but in doing.
But alas, our naturall Mother Englande, whiche hath bene counted to be the surest, the richest, and of late also the most godly Nation of the earth, hath bene these whole fiue yeares most violently by Tyrauntes forced to lacke the vse of all the giftes and benefites that GOD and nature had endued her. Her naturall and louynge children could not be suffered to enioy theyr right inheritance, whereby they might relieue and succour her or thē selues: but whatsoeuer they had, was eyther by opē force or by crafty dealing pulled from thē. And surely this had bene tollerable, if none other mischiefe had bene therwith intended.
He is a gentle theefe (if theeues may bee counted gentle) that onelyonly robbeth a man of his goodes, & refrayneth violent hands from his parson. For suche losse with labor and dilligence may be recouered. He may be called a mercifull murtherer, that onelyonly killeth the aged Parentes, & vseth no force on the children.
For nature hath made al men mortall, and that in like space, and to kill the parentes, is as it were but a preuention of a shorte tyme, if it were to the vttermost enioyed. But these Tyrantes were more vngentle then common thieues, more empty of mercy, then common murtherers. For they were not onelyonly not contented to hauehave the goods of the people, but they would hauehave it deliuered to them by the owners own handes, that it might be sayd to ye world they gaue it with the hart:Wicked practises of most cruell Tyrantes. and were not therwith pleased but they would hauehave theyr liues, that they should not bewray them, and yet herewith they were not satisfied, but they meant to root out the whole progenie and nation of English men, that none should be lefte to reuenge or crye out on theyr extremities, and to bring our Countrye into the Spanyardes dominion.
It is an horrible crueltie for one brother to kill an other, muche more horrible for the children to lay violent & murthering handes on theyr parentes, but most horrible of all to murther the children in the sight of the parentes, or the parentes in the sight of their children, as these moste cruell tormenters hauehave done.
But what do I stand in these thinges which hauehave some defence, because the Turkes perchaunce vse so to doe, and Ethnykes kill one an other, to make sacrifice of menne to theyr phantasticall Gods?
It was not enough for these vnnaturall English tormentours, Tyrantes, and false Christians, to be Lordes of the goodes, possessions, and bodyes of theyr brethren & Country men: but being verye Antichristes and enemies of Christes crosse, they would be Gods, and raygne in the consciences and soules of men. EueryEvery man, woman, and childe, must deny Christ in word openly, abhorre Chryste in theyr deedes, sclaunder his Gospell with word & deed, worship and honour false gods as they would hauehave them and themselues did, and so geue body and soule to the deuill theyr maister, or secretly flee, or after inward torments to be burned openly. O crueltie, cruelty,Cruelty of late dayes, farre exceeding al crueltyes committed by the auncyent and famous tyrauntes in tyme past. farre exceeding al cruelties committed by those ancient and famous tyrants and cruell murderers, Pharao, Herode, Caligula, Nero, Domitian, Maximine, Diocletian, Decius, whose names for theyr cruell persecution of the people of God, and their open tyranny practised on the people hauehave bene, be, & euer shalbe in perpetuall hatred, and theyr soules in continuall torment in hell. If any man would take vppon hym to set foorth particularly all the actes that hauehave bene done these full fiue yeares by this vnnaturall womā: No, no womā, but a monster, and the deuill of hel couered with the shape of a woman, as it is most necessary for the glorye of God, and the prophet of his churche, and this realme it shoulde be done, hee shall finde it a matter sufficient for a perfect great History, and not to be cōtayned in an Oration, to be vttered at one tyme by the voyce of man. But to comprehend the summe of all theyr wickednes in few wordes: behold, whatsoeuer malice in mischief, couetousnes in spoyl, crueltie in punishing, tiranny in destruction could do, that all this poore English nation these full fiue yeares eyther suffered already, or should hauehave suffered, had not the great mercy of God preuented it.
And albeit there hauehave ben many that hauehave hazarded & lost theyr liues to shake of this moste rough brake (wherewith this Uiragin rather then Uirgin as she woulde bee called and taken) boasted her selfe to be sent of God, to ride and tame the people of Englande albeit there hauehave bene many that hauehave gone about to lose theyr brethren out of ye yoke of this moste miserable captiuitie: & albeit some hauehave proued to breake the bandes of this most cruell tyranny, yet coulde they neuer bring to passe, that they so earnestly labored, and so manfully attempted.
And it is nothing to be wondered, let ye papistes boast therof what it pleaseth them. For almighty God being a most indifferent gouernour, punishing euill, & rewarding good, could not of his iustice suffer his scourge so soone to be taken from this land, if he meaneth the salutation of the people, as most manifestly it appeareth he did. For hauing once geuen to this realme the greatest Iewell that myght be, that is, the free vse of his liuely worde, whiche if they had imbraced and folowed, would hauehave reformed al disorders & sinnes. Wherefore his wrath is kindled and prouoked, the people nothing regarded it, but eyther vtterly cō temned it, or abused it, and many made it a cloke & colour to couer theyr mischief. So that if he should sodaynly hauehave withdrawne this plague, as tyrants & euill gouernors be the plague of God, they would neyther hauehave passed on his iustice, nor yet should they hauehave felt the sweetenesse of hys mercy. For commonly the people regard but thyngs present,Tyrantes & euill gouernours be the plague of God. and neither remember thynges past, nor yet passe on thyngs to come, vnlesse they be warned by exceedyng extremities.
Besides this, it is most euident, that hee had determined to make this noble conquest alone with his own hand and mighty power, and would not that it should be done by man, least man should impute any part of the glory of this victory to his owne strength,God worketh all thinges to his owne glory. or to his owne pollicie, or that Fortune should seeme to beare any stroke in so glorious conquest, and so be partaker in mens opinions, of the triumph so worthy.
Neither did his almighty power worke this when man would hauehave it dispatched, that is, as soone as the enemy began to gather their force, for it is not so great a victory to discomfit a few dispersed people, as it is to destroy a perfectly vnited army, but he suffred them to make their force as great as was possible to worke whatsoeuer mischiefs by spoyle, banishment, prisonment, hangyng, headyng, burning, or otherwise could be imagined.
Neither would his most prouident wisedome doe it out of season: but as the good husbandman doth not crop his tree, till it hauehave rendered his fruit: so would hee not root out these pestilent tyrannies, til the most profit might be taken thereof.
When he had geuen sufficient laisure to all kynd of mē to declare themselues who were Crocodiles, sometyme lying in water, sometyme on land, that is, both Gospellers and papists.Affliction tryeth men whether they be good or euill. Who were Sponges, suspected whether they had lyfe or no lyfe: whether they were Christians or Epicures: who were Cameleons, that could turn themselues into all colours, with Protestantes, Protestantes: with Papists, Papists: with Spaniards, Spaniards: wt Englishmen, Englishmen: who were Gnatoes yt could apply themselues to eueryevery mans appetite that was in authoritie: who were Marygolds, that followed Maries mad affections: who were Weathercockes that did turne with eueryevery wynd: who were Mastiues that could byte & barke not: who were Curres euer barking: who were Foxes that would promise much, and performe nothyng: who could bynd themselues with many othes, & do cleane contrary: who were Caines that sought the innocent Abels death: who were the Wolfes that wearied ye lambs: and finally, when he had suffered the spirituall shauelings to spue out their venom, and eueryevery man plainly to declare outwardly, what he was inwardly: then doth hee worke this most victorious conquest. And with his workes seemeth plainely to say thus vntounto vsus:God plenteously poureth his benefites vponupon vsus, not for our sakes, but of his infinite mercy, and for his gloryes sake. Ye see (my people) what I hauehave done for you, not for your sakes, which nothing regarded the benefits that I most plenteously poured on you, and hauehave deserued most greuous punishment for your vnthankfulnes: but of myne infinite mercy, and for my glories sake, which I will hauehave opened to all the world in these latter dayes, to the feare of euill doers, & to the cōfort of the well doers. Prouoke no more my wrath, ye see what will follow it, be hereafter more prudent and wyse then ye were before. Ye may, if ye will, be more circumspect in tyme to come, then ye hauehave bene in tyme past: ye may if ye list put me to lesse trouble, and keepe your selues in more safetie. I hauehave not onelyonly discouered myne, yours, and my land of Englands enemies, & all the crafts subtleties, and pollicies that hauehave bene, or may be vsed by them, or any like hereafter, but I hauehave also taken away their head and captaine, and destroyed a great number of them, that ye should not be troubled with them, and some of them hauehave I left, that ye may make them spectacles and examples to the terrour and feare of their posterity. LoueLove me, and I will louelove you, seeke my honour and glory, and I will worke your commoditie and safetie: walke in my wayes and commaundements, and I wil be with you for euer. Surely, if we consider the wonderfull mercy that it hath pleased God to vse towards vsus in the deliueryng of this Kealme and vsus his people,Wonderfull is the mercy of God in deliuering this Realme from the tyranny of the Papistes. out of the handes of these most cruell tyrants, as we cannot but do, vnlesse we wyll declare our selues to be the most vnthankefull people that euer liued, we must needs iudge it not onelyonly worthy to be compared, but also farre to exceed the deliueraunce of the children of Israell out of Egypt from the tiranny of Pharao, and from the powers of Holofernes and Senacherib. For it is not read, that either Pharao or the other two sought any other thing, then to be Lords of the goods and bodies of the Israelites, they forced them not to committe Idolatry, and to serue false Gods, as these English tyrāts did.
But besides, if we will note the wonderfull works of God in handling this matter, we shall well perceiue, that farre much more is wrought to his glory, and to the profite of his church and people, then perchance all men at the first do see. For he hath not onelyonly dispatched the Realme of the chiefe personages and hed of these tyrants: but also as it were, declareth, that he mynded not that eyther they or their doynges, shoulde continue. For albeit that all actes done by tyrantes tyrannouslye, bee by all Lawes, reason and equitie, of no force, yet because no Disputation shoulde follow on this, what is tyrannously done, and what is not tyrannouslye done, hee hath prouided that this question needeth not come in question.The Papistes buildings stand so long onelyonly as they be propt vp with rope, sword, & fagot. For hee vtterly blinded their eyes, and suffred them to builde on false grounds which can no longer stande, then they bee propped vp with rope, sword and fagot. For her first parliament whereon they grounded and wroght a great part of their tyrannie, and wherein they ment to ouerthrowe whatsoeuer king Edward had for the aduauncement of Gods glory brought to passe, was of no force or authoritie. For she perceiuing that her enemies stomacke coulde not be emptied, nor her malice spued on the people by any good order, she committeth a great disorder. She by force and violence, taketh from the Commons their libertie, that according to the auncient lawes and customes of the Realme, they could not hauehave their free election of knights and Burgesses for the Parliament. For shee well knew, that if eyther Christian men, or true English men, should be elected, it was not possible to succeed that she intended. And therfore in many places diuers were chosen by force of her threats, meet to serue her malicious affectiōs. Wherfore ye parliamēt was no parliamēt, but may be iustly called a conspiracy of tyrantes and traytors. For the greater part by whose authority and voyces thinges proceeded in that Court, by their actes most manifestly declared themselues so, the rest being both Christians and true English men, although they had good wills, yet not able to resist or preuayle agaynst the multitude of voyces and suffrages of so many euill false to God,Burgesses vnlawfully disorderly and violently thrust out of the Parliament house in Queene Maryes dayes. and enemyes to their countrey. Also diuers Burgesses being orderly chosen, and lawfully retorned, as in some places the people did what they could to resist her purposes, were disorderly and vnlawfully put out, and others without any order or lawe in their places placed. Doctour Taylour Bishop of Lincolne a Christian Byshop and a true English man, being lawfully and orderly called to the Parliament, and placed in the Lords house in his degree, was in his robes by vyolence thrust out of the house. Alexander Nowell with two other, al three being Burgesses for diuers shyres and Christian men and true Englishe men, and lawfully chosen, retorned, and admitted, were by force putte out of the house of the Commons, for the which cause the same Parliament is also voyde, as by a President of the Parliament holden at Couentry in the 38. yeare of K. Henry the sixt, it most manifestly appeareth. And the third Parliamente called in the name of her husband, and of her euill grace, wherein they would hauehave vndone, that her noble Father and the Realme had brought to passe for the restitution of the libertie of the Realme, and for extinguishment of the vsurped authoritie of the Bish. of Rome, is also voyd, and of none authoritie.The third Parliament in Quueene Maryes dayes, not orderly and formally called and therefore of none effecte. For that the title and stile of supreme head of the church of England, which by a Statute made in the 35. yeare of the raigne of the sayd K. Henry, was ordeined, that it should be vnited and annexed for euer to the imperiall crowne of this Realme, was omitted in ye writs of summonyng. Wherefore as a woman can bryng foorth no chyld without a man, so cannot those writs bring forth good and sure fruit, because this part of the title which was ordeined by the Parliament for the forme to bee alwayes vsed in the kings stile, was left out. For greater errour is in lacke of forme, then in lacke of matter. And where the foundation is naught, there can nothing builded thereon be good. There is no law spirituall nor temporal (as they terme them) nor no good reason, but allow these rules for infallible principles. And if any man will say, that it was in the free choise, libertie, and pleasure of the king of this Realme and the Queene, whether they would expresse the said title in their stile, or not, as that subtile serpent Gardiner beyng Chancellor of the realme, and traiterously sē dyng out the writs of Parliament without the same stile, perceiuing he had ouershot himselfe in calling the Parliament, and hauing committed many horrible murthers, & most mischieuous acts, would hauehave excused it, as appeareth by a piece of the Statute made in the same Parliament, in the 8. chap. and 22. leafe, it may be iustly and truly answered, that they could not so do. For albeit eueryevery person may by law renounce his own priuate right, yet may he not renounce his right in that which toucheth the common wealth or a third person.
And this title and stile more touched the common wealth and realme of England, then the king. For as I said before, it was ordeined for the conseruation of the libertie of the whole realme, and to exclude the vsurped authoritie of the B. of Rome. And therfore no K. or Queene alone could renounce such title: but it ought (if they wold hauehave it taken away) be taken away orderly and formally by acte of Parliament sufficiently called and summoned. For the naturall and right way to loose & vndoe things, is to dissolue them by that meanes they were ordeined. And so it most manifestly appeareth, that all their doings from the beginning to the end, were and be of none effect, force, nor authoritie: but all that they hauehave done, hath ben meere tyrannie. O most maruelous prouidence of almighty god, that alwayes and in all thinges, doth that is best for the welth of his people. O most mighty power, that so sodenly ouerthroweth the counsails of the wicked, and bringeth their deuises to naught. O infinite mercy, that so gently dealeth with his people, that hee saueth them whome hee might most iustly destroy. O most ioyfull, most mery, and neuer to be forgotten Hopwednesday,A ioyfull day. in which it hath pleased thee O God, to deliuer thy church this realm, and thy people from so horrible tyrannie. No tongue can expresse, no penne can endite, no eloquence can worthely set out, much lesse exornate these thy meruailous doings. No no hart is able to render vntounto thy goodnes, sufficiēt thanks for the benefites we hauehave receyued. Who could euer hauehave hoped this most ioyfull tyme? Yea, who dyd not looke rather for thy most sharpe visitation and vtter destruction of this Realme, as of Sodome, Gomorra, and Hierusalem.
But we see and feele good Lord, that thy mercy is greter then all mens sinnes, and farre aboue all thy workes. And albeit there is no Christian and natural Englishmā, woman or child, eyther present, or that shall succeede vsus, which is not or shall bee pertaker of this most exceedyng mercy and wonderfull benefite of almighty God, & therefore is bound continually to prayse and thanke hym: yet there is not one creature that is more bound so to do, then you noble Queene Elizabeth. For in this horrible tiranny and most cruell persecution, your grace hath bene more hunted for, then any other. Diuers tymes they hauehave taken you, sometyme hauehave had you in strong hold, secluded from all liberty: sometime at libertie, but not without most cruell Gaolers custody, and many tymes they determined, that without iustice ye should be murthered priuily. They thought if your grace had bene suppressed, they shoulde hauehave fully preuailed. If ye had bene destroyed, their doyngs for euer should be stablished. If ye had bene taken out of the way, there were none left that would or coulde vndoe that they ordeined. But he that sitteth on high, and laugheth at their madnesse, would not suffer that the malicious purposes,God preserueth the innocent, & maketh frustrate the malicious purposes of the wicked. most cruell deuised iniustice should hauehave successe. He tooke vponupon hym the protection of you. He only hath bene your Ieoseba, that preserued you from this wicked Athalia. He onelyonly was the Ioiada, that destroyed this cruell Athalia. Hee onelyonly hath made you Queene of this Realme, in steade of this mischieuous Marana. No earthly creature can claime any piece of thanke therefore, no mans force, no mans counsail, no mans ayd hath bene the cause thereof. Wherfore the greater his benefites hath bene toward you, the more are you bounde to seeke hys glory, and to set forth his honour. Ye see his power what he is able to do, he can alone saue, and hee can destroy, hee can pull downe, and he can set vp. If ye feare hym & seeke to do his will, then will he fauour you, and preserue you to the end from all enemies, as he did king Dauid. If ye now fall from him or iuggle with hym, looke for no more fauour then Saule had shewed to hym. But I hauehave a good hope, that both his iustice and benefites bee so printed in your hart, that ye will neuer forget them, but seeke by all meanes to hauehave the one, and to feare to fall into the other. I trust also your wisedome will not onelyonly consider the causes of this late most sharpe visitation, but also to your vttermost power endeuour to out roote them.
And forasmuch as besides this infinit mercy poured on your grace, it hath pleased his deuine prouidence to constitute your highnesse to be our Debora, to be the gouernesse and heade of the bodye of this Realme, to hauehave the charge and cure thereof, it is requisite aboue all things, as well for his glory and honour, as for your discharge, quietnesse and safety, to labour that the same body now at the first be cleansed, made whole, and then kept in good order. For as if the body of man be corrupted and diseased, he is not able to manage his thinges at home, much lesse to doe any thing abroad: so if the body of a Realme be corrupt & out of order, it shal neither be able to do any thing abroad: if necessitie should require,An apt similitude. nor yet prosper in it selfe. But this may not be done with piecing & patching, coblyng & botching, as was vsed in tyme past whilest your most noble father and brother raigned. For as if a man cut of one hed of the serpent Hidra, and destroy not the whole body, many will growe in stead of that one, and as in a corrupt body that hath many diseases, if the Phisition should labour to heale one part, and not the whole, it will in short tyme breake out a fresh: so vnlesse the body of a Realme or common wealth be cleane purged from corruption, all the perticular lawes and statutes that can be deuised shall not profite it.
We need no forraine examples to prooue it, looke vponupon this Realme it selfe, it will plainely declare it. And as it is not enough to cleanse the bodye from his corruption, but there must be also preseruatiues ministred to keep it from putrefaction: for naturally of it selfe it is disposed to putrifie: so after the body of a realme is purged, vnles there be godly ordinances for the preseruation thereof ordeined and duely ministred, it will returne to the olde state. For this body which is the people, is vniuersally naturally disposed to euill, and without compulsion will hardly do that is his duety.
This must your grace do if ye mynd the aduancement of Gods glory, your owne quietnesse and safetie, and the wealth of this your politike body. And they be not hard to bring to passe, where goodwill will vouchsafe to take to her a little payne. The Realm will soone be purged, if vice and selfloue be vtterly condemned. It will be in good state preserued if these three things, Gods word truely taught and preached, Youth well brought vp in godly and honest exercises, and Iustice rightly ministred may bee perfectly constituted. And without this foundation,Three thinges which preserue the good estate of a Realme or c…mmon wealth. let men imagine what it pleaseth them, the spiritual house of God shal neuer be well framed or builded, nor the publike state of your Realme well ordered. For in what body gods word lacketh, the vnitie and charitie, that ought to bee among the members thereof, and which knitteth them together, is soone extincted. Where the youth is neglected, there can no good successe bee hoped, no more then the husbandman can look for a good crop where he sowed no good seed. And where iustice is not truely and rightly ministred, there the more laws and statutes together be heaped, the more they be contemned. And surely, if this thing could not without exceeding charges be compassed, as God forbid, that charges should be weyed be they neuer so great, where Gods glory and the wealth of the realme may be furthered: yet ought it not to be neglected.Charges not to be weyed, where Gods glory is to be furthered. What charges did K. Dauid the father, & king Salomon his sonne, employ to build the stony house of God? Howe much more charges should a christian prince employ to build & set vp the liuely house of God? But verily, I am fully perswaded that it shall not be chargeable to do this. No, a great deale of superfluous charges, which otherwise your grace shall be forced to sustaine, shal thus be cleane cut away, and so your reuenues by a meane most profitable, & to no good person hurtfull, encreased.
Wherefore for Gods sake noble Queene, let not the oportunitie now by God offered be by your Grace omitted. A Phisition can in nothing so much declare his good will and cunnyng, nor purchase hymselfe so great estimation, as when he findeth his pacient thoroughly sicke and weakened, and doth restore hym to his perfect health and perfection. Likewyse if a Prince should desire of God a thyng whereby he might declare the zeale that he beareth to GOD, or whereby hee myght winne fame and glory, he could desire nothyng so much, as to come into a state corrupted, as this Realme of England at this present is, not to destroy it as did Caesar, but to make it as did Romulus.
If your grace can bring this to passe, as I am out of all doubt ye may quickly: Ye shall doe more, then any of your progenitours did before you. All men shall confesse that you are not onelyonly for proximitie of bloude preferred, but rather of God specially sent and ordeined. And as the Queene of Saba came from farre of to see the glory of K. Salomon, a woman to a man: Euen so shall the Princes of our tyme, come men to a woman, and Kinges maruell at the vertue of Queene Elizabeth. Thus shall wee your subiects be most bound to prayse God, and to thinke our selues most happy, that beyng so sodainly from the worse, be forthwith preferred to the best: rid from extremest calamitie, and brought to the greatest felicitie: and it shall be besides an example for all euil Princes to leaue their persecution of Christ and his members, to cease from their tiranny, wherewith they continually oppresse theyr poore subiectes. And so all people, not onelye wee of this your Realme, but of all other nations, shall hauehave iust cause to pray for your graces health and ancrease of honour.
This Oration of M. Hales beyng premised, now let vsus prosecute, the Lord willing, that which we promised, concernyng the Disputation or Conference had at Westminster. The copy whereof here followeth.