from errors in some poynts of religion, as they shal thinke meete; but yet, in very trueth, the whole scope of their secret labours is manifestly proued, to be secretly to winne all people with whom they dare deale, so to allow of the Popes said bulles, and of his authoritie without exception, as, in obeying thereof, they take themselves fully discharged of their alleageance, and obedience to their lawfull prince and country; yea, and to be well warranted to take armes to rebell against her Maiestie when they shall be thereunto called, and to be ready secretly to ioyne with any forreine force that can be procured to inuade the realme, whereof also they have a long time giuen, and yet do for their aduantage, no small comfort of successe; and so consequently the effect of their labours is to bring the realme not onely into a daungerous warre against the forces of strangers (from which it hath bene free aboue twenty-three or twenty-four yeres, a case very memorable and hard to be matched with an example of the like:) But into a warre domesticall and civill, wherein no blood is vsually spared, nor mercy yeelded, and wherein neither the vanqueror nor vanquished can haue iust cause of triumph.

And, forasmuch as these are the most euident perils that necessarily should follow, if these kind of vermin were suffered to creepe by stealth into the realme, and to spreade their poyson within the same; howso euer, when they are taken, like hipocrites, they couloure and counterfeit the same, with profession of deuotion in religion: It is of all persons to be yeelded in reason, that her Maiestie, and all her gouernours and magistrates of iustice, hauing care to maintaine the peace of the realme (which God hath giuen, in her time, to continue longer than euer in any time of her progenitors) ought of duetie to Almightie God, the author of peace, and according to the natural loue and charge due to their countrie, and for auoiding of the floods of blood, which, in ciuill warres, are seene to runne and flowe, by all lawful meanes possible, aswell by the sword as by lawe, in their seuerall seasons, to impeache and repell these so manifest, and daungerous coulourable practises, and workes of sedition and rebellion. And though there are many subiectes knowen in the realme, that differ in some opinions of religion from the church of England, and that doe also not forbeare to professe the same; yet, in that they doe also professe loyaltie and obedience to her Maiestie, and offer readily, in her Maiesties defence, to impugne and resist any forreine force, though it should come, or be procured, from the Pope himself: None of these sort are, for their contrary opinions in religion, prosecuted, or charged with any crymes or paines of treason, nor yet willingly searched in their consciences for their contrarie opinions, that sauour not of treason. And, of these sorts, there haue been, and are, a number of persons, not of such base and vulgare note as those were, which of late haue bene executed, as, in particular, some by name are well knowen, and not vnfit to bee remembered. The first, and chiefest, by office, was D. Heth, that was Archbishop of Yorke, and Lord Chaunceler of England in Queene Marics time, who, at the first comming of her Maiestie to the crowne, shewing himself a faithfull and quiet subiect, continued in both the sayde offices, though in religion then manifestly differing; and yet was he not restrayned of his liberty, por depriued of his proper lands and goods, but, leauing willingly both

his offices, liued in his owne house very discretely, and iníoyed all his purchased lands during all his naturall life, vntill, by verie age, he departed this world, and then left his house and liuing to his friends: An example of gentlenes, neuer matched in Queene Maries time. The like did one D. Poole, that had bene Bishop of Peterborough, an auncient graue person, and a verie quiet subiect. There were also others that had bene Bishoppes, and in great estimation, as D. Tunstall, Bishop of Duresme *, a person of great reputation, and also, whilest he liued, of verie quiet behauiour. There were also others, D. White and D. Oglethorpe, one of Winchester, the other of Carlisle, Bishoppes, persons of a courteous nature; and he of Carlisle, so inclined to dutifulnes to the Queenes Maiestie, as he did the office at the consecration and coronation of hir Maiestie, in the church of Westminster; and D. Thurleby, and D. Watson, yet liuing, one of Ely, the other of Lincolne, Bishoppes, not pressed with any capitall payne, though they maintayned the Popes authoritie against the lawes of the realme: And some abbots, as M. Feckman, yet liuing, a person also of quiet and courteous behauiour for a great time. Some also were deanes, as D. Boxall, Deane of Windsore, a person of great modestie, lerning, and knowledge; D. Cole, Deane of Paules, a person more earnest then discrete; D. Reinolds, Dean of Exceter, and not vnlerned; and many such others, hauing borne office and dignities in the church, and that made profession against the Pope, which they only began in Queen Maries time to change; yet were these never, to this day, burdened with capital peanes, nor yet depriued of any their goods, or proper liueloods, but only remoued from their ecclesiasticall offices, which they would not exercise according to the lawes. And most of them, and many other of their sort, for a great time, were retayned in bishoppes houses in very ciuill and courteous maner, without charge to themselves or their friends, vntill the time that the Pope began, by his bulles and messages, to offer trouble to the realme, by stirring of rebellion: About which time onely, some of these aforenamed, being found busier in matters of state, tending to stirre troubles, then was meete for the common quiet of the realme, were remoued to other more priuate places, where such other wanderers, as were men knowen to moue sedition, might be restrained from common resorting to them, to increase trouble, as the Popes bull gaue manifest occasion to doubt; and yet, without charging them in their consciences, or otherwise, by any inquisition, to bring them into danger of any capital law, so as no one was called to any capital or bloody question, vpon matters of religion, but have all inioyed their life, as the course of nature woulde: And such of them as yet remayne, may, if they will not be authors or instruments of rebellion or sedition, inioye the time that God and nature shall yeelde them, without danger of life or member. And yet it is worthy to be well marked, that the chiefest of all these, and the most of them, had, in the time of King Henrie the Eight, and King Edward the Sixt, either by preaching, writing, reading or arguing, taught all people to condemne, yea, to abhorre the authoritie of the Pope: For which purpose, they had many times giuen their othes pub

• Al. Durbam.

liquely, against the Popes authoritie, and had also yelded to both the said Kinges the title of Supreame Head of the Church of England, next under Christ; which title, the aduersaries doe most falsly write and affirm, that the Queenes Maiestie doeth nowe use: A manifest lie and yntrueth, to be sene by the verie acts of parliament; and, at the beginning of her raigne, omitted in her style. And, for proofe that these foresaide bishoppes and lerned men had so long time disauowed the Pope's authoritie, many of their bookes and sermons, against the Pope's authoritie remayne printed, both in English and Latine, to be seene in these times, to their great shame and reproofe, to change so often, but specially in persecuting such as themselves had taught and stablished to hold the contrary, a sinne nere to the sinne against the Holy Ghost.

There were also, and yet be, a great nomber of others, being laymen of good possessions and lauds, men of good credite in their countries, manifestly of late time, seduced, to hold contrary opinions in religion, for the Popes authoritie; and yet none of them haue bene sought hitherto, to be impeached in any poynt, or quarrel of treason, or of losse of life, member, or inheritance; so as it may plainely appear, that it is not, nor hath bene, for contrarious opinions in religion, or for the Popes-authoritie alone, as the aduersaries doe boldely and falsly publish, that any persons haue suffered death since her Maiesties reigne; and yet some of these sort are well knowen to holde opinion, that the Pope ought, by authoritie of Gods worde, to be supreame and onely head of the Catho lique Church, through the whole world, and onely to rule in al causes ecclesiasticall; and that the Queenes Maiestie ought not to be the gouerniour ouer any of her subiectes in her realme, being persons ecclesiasticall: Which opinions are, neuerthelesse, in some part, by the lawes of the realme, punishable in these degrees; and yet, for none of these poyntes, haue any persons bene prosecuted with the charge of treason, or in danger of life. And if then it be inquired, for what cause these others haue of late suffered death, it is truely to be answered, as afore is often remembred, that none at all were impeached for treason, to the danger of their life, but such as did obstinately maintaine the contents* of the Popes bull, aforementioned, which do import,

1. That her Maiestie is not the law full Queene of England, the first and highest poynt of treason: And,

2. That al her subiectes are discharged of their othes and obedience, another high poynt of treason: And,

3. All warranted to disobey her and her lawes, a third and a very large poynt of treason. And thereto is to be added,

4. A fourth poynt most manifest, in that they would not disalow the Popes hostile proceedings in open warres against her Maicstie in her realme of Ireland; where one of their companie, D. Sanders, a lewde scholler, and subiect of England, a fugitiue, and a principall companion and conspirator with the traitours and rebels at Rome, was, by the Popes speciall commission, a commaunder, as in forme of a legate, and sometime a treasorer or paymaster for those warres; which D. Sanders, in his book of his Church monarchie, did, afore his passing into Ireland,

• Four points of treason.

openly, by writing, gloriously avowe the foresaid bull of Pius Quintus; against her Maiestie, to be lawfull; and affirmeth, that, by vertue thereof, one D. Mooreton, an olde English fugitiue and conspirator, was sent from Rome, into the North Parts of England, to stirre vp the first rebellion there, whereof Charles Neuill, the late Earle of Westmerland, was a head captaine. And thereby it may manifestly appeare to all men, howe this bull was the grounde of the rebellions both in England and Ireland; and howe, for maintenaunce thereof, and for sowing of sedition by warrant, and allowance of the same, these persons were iustly con demned of treason, and lawfully executed by the auncient lawes temporall of the realme, without charging them for any other matter, than for their practizes and conspiracies, both abroad and at home, against the Queen and the realme, and for maintaining of the Popes foresaid authoritie and bull, published to depriue her Maicstie of her crowne, and for withdrawing and reconciling of her subiectes from their natural allegeaunce due to her Maiestic and their countrie, and for mouing them to sedition: And, for no other causes, or questions of religion, were these persons condemned; although true it is, that when they were charged and conuinced of these poynts of conspiracies and treasons, they woulde still, in their answeres, colourably pretend their actions to haue bene for religion: But, in deede and trueth, they were manifested to be for the procurement and maintenaunce of the rebellions and warres against her Maiestie and her realme.

And herein is nowe the manifest diuersitie to be seene, and well considered, betwixt the trueth of her Maiesties actions, and the falshood of the blasphemous aduersaries: That where the factious partie of the Pope, the principall author of the inuasions of her Maiesties dominions, doe falsely alleadge, that a nomber of persons, whome they terme as martyrs, haue dyed for defence of the Catholique Religion, the same in very trueth may manifestly appeare to haue died (if they so wil haue it) as martyrs for the Pope, but yet as traitours to their Soueraigne and Queene, in adhearing to him, being the notable, and onely open, hostile enemie in all actions of warre against her Maiestic, her kingdomes, and people: And that this is the meaning of all these that haue so obstinately mantayned the authoritie and contents of this bull, the very wordes of the bull do declare in this sort, as Dr. Sanders reporteth them.

Pius Quintus Pontifex Maximus, de Apostolicæ potestatis plenitudine, declarauit Elizabetham prætenso regni iure, necnon omni & quocunque dominio, dignitate, priuilegioq, priuatam: Itemq; Proceres, subditos & populos dicti regni, ac cæteros omnes qui illi quomodocunque iurauerunt, a iuramento huiusmodi ac omni fidelitatis debito, perpetuo absolutos. That is to say, Pius Quintus, the greatest Bishop, of the fulnesse of the apostolique power, declareth Elizabeth to be bereued or depriued of her pretended right of her kingdome, and also of all and whatsoeuer dominion, dignitie and priuiledge; and also the nobles, subicctes, and people of the saide kingdome, and all others, which had sworne to her any maner of wayes, to be absolued for euer from such othe, and from all debt or duetie of fealtie, and so forth; with many threatning cursings, x k

VOL. 1.

to all that durst obey her, or her lawes. And for the execution hereof, to proue, that the effect of the Popes bull and message was a flat rebellion, it is not amisse to heare what the same D. Sanders, the Popes firebrand in Ireland, also writeth in his visible Church-Monarchie, which is thus:

Pius Quintus, Pontifex Maximus, Anno Dom. 1569, reuerendum presbyterum Nicolaum Mortonum Anglum in Angliam misit, vt certis illustribus viris authoritate apostolica denunciaret, Elizabetham, quæ tunc rerum potiebatur, hæreticam esse; ob eamq; causam omni dominio & potestate excedisse, impuneq; ab illis velut ethnicam haberi posse, nec eos illius legibus aut mandatis deinceps obedire cogi. That is to say, Pius Quintus, the greatest Bishop, in the yere of our Lord, 1569, sent the reucrend priest Nicholas Morton, an Englishman, into England, that he should denounce or declare by the apostolique authoritie to certaine noblemen, Elizabeth, who then was in possession of the crown, to be an heretike; And for that cause, to haue fallen from all dominion and power, and that she may be had or reputed of them as an ethnike*, and that they are not to be compelled to obey her lawes or commandements, &c.'

Thus you see an ambassade of rebellion from the Popes Holines, the ambassadour, an old doting English priest, a fugitiue and conspirator, sent, as he saieth, to some noblemen, and those were the two Earles of Northumberland, and Westmerland, heads of the rebellion.

And, after this, he followeth to declare the successe thereof, which I dare say he was sory it was so euil, with these words:

Qua denunciatione multi nobiles viri adducti sunt, et de fratribus literandis cogitare auderent, ac sperabant illi quidem Catholicos omnes summ's viribus affuturos esse: verum etsi aliter quam illi expectabant res euenit, quia Catholici omnes nondum probe cognouerunt, Elizabetham hæreticam esse declaratam, tamen laudanda illorum nobilium consilia erant: That is,‘By which denunciation, many noblemen were induced or ledde, that they were boldened to thinke of the freeing of their brethren, and they hoped certainly that all the Catholiques would haue assisted them with all their strength: But although the matter happened otherwise then they hoped for, because all the Catholiques knewe not that Elizabeth was declared to be an Heretike, yet the counsels and intentes of those noblemen were to be praysed.' A rebellion and a vanquishing of rebels very smoothly described.

This noble fact here mentioned was the rebellion in the north: The noblemen were the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland: The Jacke of the euent or success was that the traitours were vanquished, and the Queenes Maiestie and her subiectes had by Gods ordinance the victorie: And the cause, why the rebels preuayled not, was, because all the Catholiques had not bene duely informed that the Queenes Maiestie was declared to be (as they terme it) an Heretike: Which want of in

Or Heathen.