majesty's actions to be good, reasonable, lawful, and necessary; yet because it may be that such as have, by frequent reading of false artificial libels, and by giving credit to them upon a prejudice or fore-judgment afore grounded, by their rooted opinions in favour of the pope, will rest unsatisfied: therefore as much as may be, to satisfy all persons as far forth as common reason may warrant, that her majesty's late action, in executing of certain seditious traitors, hath not proceeded for the holding of opinions, either for the pope's supremacy, or against her majesty's regality, but for the very crimes of sedition and treason, shall suffice briefly, in a manner of a repetition of the former reasons, to remember these things following. First, It cannot be denied but that her majesty did, for many years, suffer quietly the pope's bulls and excommunications without punishment of the fautors thereof, accounting of them but as of words or wind, or of writings in parchment weighed down with lead, or as of water-bubbles, commonly called in Latin bullæ, and such-like but yet after some proof that courage was taken thereof by some bold and bad subjects, she could not but then esteem them to be very preambles, or as forerunners of greater danger; and therefore, with what reason could any dislike, that her majesty did for a bare defence against them, without other action or force, use the help of reviving of former laws, to prohibit the publication or execution of such kind of bulls within her realm? Secondly, When notwithstanding the prohibition by her laws, the same bulls were plentifully (but in secret sort) brought into the realm, and at length arrogantly set upon the gates of the bishop of London's palace near to the cathedral church of St. Paul's, the principal city of the realm, by a lewd person, using the same like a herald sent from the pope: who can in any common reason dislike, that her majesty finding this kind of denunciation of war, as a defiance to be made in her principal city by one of her subjects, avowing and obstinately maintaining the same, should, according to justice, cause the offender to have the reward due to such an act? And this was the first action of any capital punishment inflicted for matter sent from Rome to move rebellion, which was after her majesty had reigned about the space of twelve years or more. Thirdly, When the pope had risen up out of his chair in his wrath, from words and writings to actions, and had, contrary to the advice given by St. Bernard to his predecessor; that is, when by his messages he left Verbum and took Ferrum, that is, left to feed by the word, and began to strike with the sword, and stirred her noblemen and people directly to disobedience and to open rebellion, and that her subjects, by his commandment, had executed the same with all the forces which they could make or bring into the field: who with common reason can disallow, that her majesty used her principal authority, and by her forces lawful subdued rebels forces unlawful, and punished the authors thereof no otherwise than the pope himself useth to do with his own rebellious subjects in the patrimony of his church? And if any prince of people in the world would otherwise neglect his office, and suffer his rebels to have their wills, none ought to pity him, if, for want of resistance and courage, he lost both his crown, his head, his life, and his kingdom. Fourthly, When her majesty beheld a further increase of the pope's malice, notwithstanding that the first rebellion was in her north parts vanquished, in that he entertained abroad out of this realm, the traitors and rebels that fled for the rebellion, and all the rabble of other the fugitives of the realm, and that he sent a number of the same in sorts disguised into both the realms of England and Ireland, who there secretly allured her people to new rebellions, and at the same time spared not his charges to send also, out of Italy by sea, certain ships with captains of his own, with their bands of soldiers, furnished with treasure, munition, victuals, ensigns, banners, and all other things requisite to the war, into her realm of Ireland; where the same forces, with other auxiliary companies out of Spain, landed, and fortified themselves very strongly in the sea-side, and pro claimed open war, erecting the pope's banner against her majesty: may it be now asked of these persons, favourers of the Romish authority, what in reason should have been done by her majesty otherwise, than first to apprehend all such fugitives so stolen into the realm, and dispersed in disguising habits to sow sedition, as some priests in their secret profession, but all in their apparel as roysters or ruffians, some scholars, like to the basest common people, and them to commit to prisons, and upon their examinations of their trades and haunts, to convince them of their conspiracies abroad, by testimony of their own companions, and of sowing sedition secretly at home in the realm? What may be reasonably thought was meet to be done with such seditious persons, but by the laws of the realm to try, condemn, and execute them? and especially having regard to the dangerous time, when the pope's forces were in the realm of Ireland, and more in preparation to follow as well into England as into Ireland, to the resistance whereof, her majesty and her realm was forced to be at greater charges than ever she had been since she was queen thereof. And so by God's power, which he gave to her on the one part, she did by her laws suppress the seditious stirrers of rebellion in her realm of England, and by her sword vanquished all the pope's forces in her realm of Ireland, excepting certain captains of mark that were saved from the sword, as persons that did renounce their quarrel, and seemed to curse or to blame such as sent them to so unfortunate and desperate a voyage. But though these reasons, grounded upon rules of natural reason, shall satisfy a great number of the adversaries, (who will yield that by good order of civil and christian policy and government, her majesty could nor can do no less than she hath done, first to subdue, with her forces, her rebels and traitors, and next, by order of her laws, to correct the aiders and abettors, and lastly, to put also to the sword such forces as the pope sent into her dominions) yet there are certain other persons, more nicely addicted to the pope, that will yet seem to be unsatisfied, for that, as they will term the matter, a number of silly poor wretches were put to death as traitors, being but in profession scholars or priests, by the names of seminaries, jesuits, or simple schoolmasters, that came not into the realm with any armour or weapon, by force to aid the rebels and traitors, either in England or in Ireland, in their rebellions or wars: of which sort of wretches the commiseration is made, as though for their contrary opinions in religion, or for teaching of the people to disobey the laws of the realm, they might have been otherwise punished and corrected, and yet not with capital punishment. These kind of defences tend only to find fault rather with the severity of their punishments, than to acquit them as innocents or quiet subjects. But for answer to the better satisfaction of these nice and scrupulous favourers of traitors, it must be with reason demanded of them (if at least they will open their ears to reason) whether they think, that when a king being established in his realm, hath a rebellion first secretly practised, and afterward openly raised in his realm by his own seditious subjects, and when by a foreign potentate or enemy the same rebellion is maintained, and the rebels, by messages and promises, comforted to continue, and their treasons against their natural prince avowed, and consequently when the same potentate and enemy, being author of the said rebellion, shall, with his own proper forces, invade the realm and subjects of the prince that is so lawfully and peaceably possessed: in these cases shall no subject, favouring these rebels, and yielding obedience to the enemy the invader, be committed or punished as a traitor, but only such of them as shall be found openly to carry armour and weapon? Shall no subject, that is a spy and an explorer for the rebel or enemy, against his natural prince, be taken and punished as a traitor, because he is not found with armour or weapon, but yet is taken in his disguised apparel, with writings, or other manifest tokens, to prove him a spy for traitors, after he hath wandered secretly in his sovereign's camp, region, court, or city? Shall no subject be counted a traitor, that will secretly give earnest and prest money to persons to be rebels or enemies, or that will attempt to poison the victual, or the fountains, or secretly set on fire the ships or munition, or that will secretly search and sound the havens and creeks for landing, or measure the depth of ditches, or height of towers and walls, because these offenders are not found with armour or weapon? The answer, I think, must needs be yielded, (if reason and experience shall have rule with these adversaries) that all these and such-like are to be punished as traitors; and the principal reason is, because the actions of all these are necessary accessaries, and adherents proper to further and continue all rebellions and wars. But if they will deny, that none are traitors that are not armed, they will make Judas no traitor, that came to Christ without armour, colouring his treason with a kiss. Now therefore it resteth to apply the facts of these late melefactors, that are pretended to have offended but as scholars or bookmen, or, at the most, but as persons that only in words and doctrine and not with armour, did favour and help the rebels and the enemies. For which purpose, let these persons be termed as they list, scholars, schoolmasters, bookmen, seminaries, priests, jesuits, friars, beadmen, Romanists, pardoners, or what else you will, neither their titles nor their apparel doth make them traitors, but their traitorous secret emotions and practices: their persons make not the war, but their direction and counsels have set up the rebellions: the very causes final of these rebellions and wars have been to depose her majesty from her crown: the causes instrumental are these kind of seminaries and seedmen of sedition the fruits and effects thereof are by rebellion to shed the blood of all her faithful subjects: the rewards of the invaders (if they could prevail) should be the disinheriting of all the nobility, the clergy, and the whole commonalty, that would (as they are bound by the laws of God, by their birth and oaths) defend their natural gracious queen, their native country, their wives, their children, their family, and their houses. And now examine these which you call your unarmed scholars and priests, wherefore they lived, and were conversant in company of the principal rebels and traitors at Rome, and in other places, where it is proved that they were partakers of their conspiracies? Let it be answered, why they came thus by stealth into the realm? Why they have wandered up and down in corners in disguised sort, changing their titles, names, and manner of apparel ? Examine further, how these vagrant, disguised, unarmed spies have answered, when they were taken, and demanded what they thought of the bull of pope Pius V., which was published to deprive the queen's majesty, and to warrant her subjects to disobey her? Whether they thought that all subjects ought to obey the same bull, and so to rebel? Secondly, Whether they thought her majesty to be the lawful queen of the realm, notwithstanding the said bull, or any other bull of the pope? Thirdly, Whether the pope might give such licence as he did to the earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland, and other her majesty's subjects, to rebel as they did? Or give power to doctor Sanders, a natural born subject, but an unnatural worn priest, to take arms and move wars, as he did in Ireland? Fourthly, Whether the pope may discharge the subjects of her majesty, or of any other princes christened, of their oaths of obedience? Fifthly, Whether the said traitorous priest doctor Sanders, or one Bristow, a rebellious fugitive, did in their books write truly or falsely, in approving the said bull of Pius V., and the contents thereof? Lastly, What were to be done, if the pope, or any other assigned by him, would invade the realm of England, and what part they would take, or what part any faithful subject of her majesty ought to take? To these questions, very apt to try the truth or falsehood of any such seditious persons, being justly before condemned for their disloyalty, these unarmed traitors, I say, would no wise answer directly hereto, as all other faithful subjects to any prince christian ought to do. And as they, upon refusal to answer directly to these questions only, might have been justly convinced as guilty of treason; so yet were they not thereupon condemned, but upon all their other former actions committed both abroad and in the realm, which were no less traitorous than the actions of all other the spies and traitors, and of Judas himself afore remembered, which had no armour nor weapon, and yet at all times ought to be adjudged traitors. For these disguised per sons (called scholars or priests) having been first conversant of long time with the traitors beyond the sea in all their conspiracies, came hither by stealth, in time of war and rebellion, by commandment of the capital enemy the pope or his legates, to be secret spies and explorers in the realm for the pope, to deliver, by secret Romish tokens, as it were an earnest or prest, to them that should be in readiness to join with the rebels or open enemies, and in like sort with their hallowed baggages from Rome, to poison the senses of the subjects, pouring into their hearts malicious and pestilent opinions against her majesty and the laws of the realm; and also to kindle and set on fire the hearts of discontented subjects with the flames of rebellion, and to search and sound the depths and secrets of all men's inward intentions, either against her majesty, or for her; and, finally, to bring into a bead-roll, or as it were into a muster-roll, the names and powers, with the dwellings of all that should be ready to rebel, and to aid the foreign invasion. These kinds of seditious actions for the service of the pope, and the traitors and rebels abroad, have made them traitors; not their books, nor their beads, no, nor their cakes of wax which they call agnus dei, nor other their relics, nor yet their opinions for the ceremonies or rites of the church of Rome: and therefore it is to be certainly concluded, that these did justly deserve their capital punishments as traitors, though they were not apprehended with open armour or weapon. Now, if this latter repetition, as it were, of all the former causes and reasons before recited, may not serve to stop the boisterous mouths and the pestiferous tongues, and venomous breaths of these that are infected with so gross errors, as to defend seditious subjects, stirrers of rebellion against their natural prince and country; then are they to be left without any further argument, to the judg ment of Almighty God, as persons that have covered their eyes against the sun's light, stopped their ears against the sound of justice, and oppressed their hearts against the force of reason, and, as the Psalmist saith, "They speak lies, they are as venomous as the poison of a serpent, even like as the deaf adder that stoppeth his ears." Wherefore, with charity, to conclude, if these rebels and traitors, and their fautors, would yet take some remorse and compassion of their natural country, and would consider how vain their attempts have been so many years, and how many of their confederates are wasted by miseries and calamities, and would desist from their unnatural practices abroad; and if these seminaries, secret wanderers, and explorators in the dark, would employ their travels in the works of light and doctrine, according to the usage of their schools, and content themselves with their profession and devotion; and that the remnant of the wicked flock of the seedmen of sedition would cease from their rebellious, false, and infamous railings and libellings; there is no doubt, by God's grace, (her majesty being so much given to mercy, and devoted to peace), but all colour and occasion of shedding of blood of any more of her natural subjects of this land, should utterly cease. Against whose malice, if they shall not desist, Almighty God continue her majesty with his spirit and power long to reign and live in his fear, and to be able to vanquish them and all God's enemies, and her rebels and traitors both at home and abroad, and to maintain and preserve all her natural good loving subjects, to the true service of the same Almighty God, according to his holy word GENERAL INDE X. Allen, Rosa, her cruel treatment, 955. Alsatia, persecution there by the pope, 158. this defended by Ridley, 849. Rome different from modern Rome, 7. pope, 174. queen Mary's rescript to the lord mayor Austin's (or Augustine's) arrival in Eng- made archbishop of Canterbury, 78. opposed by the British clergy, ib. his violent and uncliristian conduct, 79. B. Babylas martyred, 47. Baden, conference there on popery, 441. Bagley and Crow, martyred, 345. Barbara martyred, 66. Barbarossa Frederick. See Emperor. Barons of England excommunicated by the complain of the papacy, 163. their supplication to the pope, 173. declaration against the pope, 347. Beast of the Apocalypse is the pope, $91. resigns his see to the pope, 135. Becket's return to England, 141. Bede, some account of, 83. Belgrade, siege of, 378. Bell, book, and candle, form of excommuni- Belwood, Richard, his troubles, 339. form of his excommunication, ib. Beverley, his troubles, 342. Bible translated. (See Scriptures.) 563. Bonaventure's blasphemous psalter, 770. archbishop, exposes the vices of the nuns, 84. Bonner, Edmund, consecrated bishop of his oath against the pope's authority, ib. restored by queen Mary, 676. Books in English, a proclamation issued Borthwick, Sir John, sentenced to be mar- Bosworth, battle, 367. Bourne's preachin, occasions disturbance, 677. Bradford and Sanders, and others in prison, Bradford, John, martyr, his history, 772. his conference with two Spanish friars, his arguments against transubstantia- his letter, 781. his warning against hearing mass, 788. did not receive the faith from Rome, 74. church differed from Roman church, 75. Brown, John, martyred, 412. his able defence of the truth against Bucer, Martin, disputes at Cambridge, 668. his bones dug up and burned, 936. 172. containing the privileges of the ju- of pope Boniface against the Lollards, 252. addressed to Richard II, ib. Bury St. Edmunds, four persons martyred Byfield, Richard, martyred, 519. C. Cajetan, cardinal, confers with Luther, 425. Calais, persecution there, 604. conference about the sacrament there, proposed disputation of Bradford, San- visited by cardinal Pole, 932. Canon of Scripture, by Melito, 48. and York contend for primacy, 110, the contest finally settled, 164. Canute, 105. Cardmaker, John, martyr, 757. articles objected against him, 758. Carthage, (council of), rejects papal as- Carver, Derick, martyr, 797. Castellan, John, martyred, 447. Cathedrals, monks introduced into them, 97. Cecilia, martyred, 45. Changes of some sees in England, 111. Charlemagne's grant to the see of Rome, 85. Charta, Magna, the barons excommunicated for signing it, 157. Chaucer's treatise against friars, 160. Christianity, primitive, departure of the taken prisoner by the Duke of Bour- Clergy of England oppose the pope's de- claim exemption from subsidies, 196. Clonesho synod, 84. Cobham, lord, his history, 282. his martyrdom, 323. Colchester, the confession of the protes- Commission, royal, against heresy, 253. the cup demanded by the Bohemians, the cup withheld from the laity, 332. tables substituted for altars, 656. Concubinage, complained of in the priests, Crusader, William Longspath's valor, 178. 352. Custom and Truth, a dialogue on transub- D. Daly, Alice, troubles of, 502. Damian and Fagan sent to Britain, 73 oppress the English, 104. Decius, his persecution of the church, 38. his confession of faith, 801. on Latin service, id. on idolatry, ib. on transubstantiation, ib. on baptism, ib. Devonshire, rebellion there, 644. Diazius, John, martyred, 448. Diet at Worms, Luther appears at, 428. at Nuremberg, complaint against po- at Spires, 442. Dioclesian's persecution of the church, 34. letter detailing persecution in Alexan- Dispensations, the bishops' 51 reserved cases, 405. his penance, imposed by Dunstan, 101. Edmund, king, 97. Ironside, king, 104. Edward the elder, king, 96. the martyr, king, 102. the Confessor, king, 106. prince, goes against the Turks, 191. denies the pope's claim to Scotland, ib. measures against refractory priests, 196. troubles on account of Peter Gaveston, prohibition of Peter-pence, 201. Edward III., 204. war with Scotland, ib. invades France, 205. letter to the pope, 206. his victories in France, 207. claims the right of bestowing benefi- excludes certain papal bulls from Eng- certain laws against the pope's claims Edward IV., 358. Edward V., 366. Edward, prince, born, 549. Edward VI., 635. his pious character, ib. measures of reformation, 637. for restoring the communion in both kinds, 640. his order of common prayer, 641. letters concerning lady Mary, 657. Edwin, king, 98. Fagan and Damian sent to Britain, 75. Farrar, bishop of St. David's, martyr, 745. Fathers, some caution respecting their Fecknam's conversation with Lady Jane Felix V., pope, elected by council of Ba- Ferdinand at the diet of Spires, 442. Fisher, bishop, executed, 541. Filmer, H., his troubles, 597. Florence, John, his troubles and penance, 339. Flower, William, martyr, 756. massacre on St. Bartholomew's day Franciscan order, origin of, 158. Friars and nuns exposed by archbishop Friars. See Monks, and Orders. origin of the cross-bearers, or crutch- Geoffry Chaucer's treatise against, ib. his examination, 526. Fulco's conversation with Richard I., 152. G. Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, intrigues articles of the council against him, ib. his death, 863. Gaveston, Peter, 199. articles exhibited on the church doors beheads the archbishop of York, 266. letter to arrest White and others, 340. his letter to the bishop of Lincoln, 420. his movements for a divorce, 530. |