SUch is the state of our tymes (right Ho­norable and beloued) that whiles euery man ordreth himselfe after his particuler occasions, and euery man plotteth out his owne purposes to the pretence of his cal­ling, God the high orderer and wise dis­poser of all things, looketh downe from his holy seate, calleth vnto vs & expostulateth with vs y ^e great cause of our ingratitude towards him, and (in his wonderfull workes as it were) doth thus say vnto vs: O ye men of the earth, why are ye so earthly? Why see you not that euen in these earthly descending bodies there are implanted heauenly ascending myndes, wherewith you might looke vp to your maker and giue glorie to the highest? Why rather drawe you downe the height of the Spirite to the basenesse of the flesh? O ye vnthankfull, why, why haue you so abandoned the sence of your Soules and the feeling of your Spirites, that there­with you may neither contemplate nor consider the wonders that I worke, the wonders I say, which I your Iehoua in whom you liue and haue your being, haue wrought & brought to passe as this daye, in the middest of your land and habita­tions?

Bretheren and friends: This vii. daye of September wit­nesseth vnto vs that there is a Heauen. This day telleth vs there is a God: This day, I meane the Birthday of our Eli­zabeth (whome the highest hath vpholden to see therein the approching daye that chaungeth the yeere of her most hap­pie raigne) this day I say, hath offred to assure our sences that from God not from man, from heauen, not from earth, hath bene our defence.

The power of man hath bene agaynst vs: The strength of [Page] the earth hath attempted to inuade vs: Princes haue conspy­red, Nations haue combyned, Subiects haue become Tray­tors, haue rebelled, but God hath protected. If Princes, if for­rayne Princes haue fretted themselues agaynst vs, he the Ie­houa hath tamed them. If they haue deuised to hurt vs, he hath bridled them. If their deuises haue bene secrete, he hath reuealed them. And what more? If Princes, if forrayne Prin­ces haue bene wise, he hath made vs and our Prince wiser: If rich, our riches haue not bin small, but rather haue abounded.

O good God, what heart can behold these things and won­der not? What eye can looke vpon England and meruaile not? But what English Subiect can partake these so rare bles­sings of our GOD, and still remayne vnthankfull? By what heauie iudgement it is come to passe that men enioying so great and so manifolde benefites, feele them not, or feeling them, are so grossely blind, that they know not at whose hands they receiue them: this surely, to me is so straunge and intry­cate, that following the rule of reason, I conceiue it not: Nay, Reason is therein so reasonlesse, that Rule it yeeldeth none whereby these things should be measured or the misterie ther­of disclosed. If wee looke vpon the Paganes, we shall see how vpon euery particuler benefite they tooke occasion not onely to fill their Temples with Sacrifices, and to adorne their Princes with tytles, but also to promise, nay, in truthe to per­forme all possible obedience to their lawes, and that in such sorte, I meane with such sinceritie of heart and aboundance of affection, as I protest I haue bin mooued oftentymes to think that either there was no such people at all in the worlde (but that they are set foorth as Ideaes vnto vs, what by their pat­terne we should bee) Or if there were any such, that the people of this Age are so degenerate from the vertues and imitation of that Age: nay rather, are so voyde not onely of all godlinesse and good graces, but of common sence and vnderstanding, as to commemorate the present blessings of our GOD, that by meanes of her Maiestie they [...]nioye, they thinke it méere foo­lishnesse: to offer vp thankes for his benefites that thus they [Page] continually receyue, they acompte it superfluous: but to frame their liues to the dutyfull obedience of Gods or mannes good lawes, they detest that as a thraldome and seruitude vnmeete and importable. What shoulde I stande longer to sette forth vnto you the performance of these or the like of the premisses in the worneoute ages, the Storyes thereof being so rife, as that no man almoste of any quality can bee ignorant therein? What in explicable ioye brake there forth throughout all the Romaine Empire vpon the death of cruel Domitian and the succession of mild Nerua? And in the succession; (from good to better) of Traiane that folowed him, how wonderfull was the applause of all the people and the conformitie of all nations to the obedience of his gouernment? As for Antoninus Pius the successor of Adrian, it is almost incredible how the people, not of Rome only, but of the whole Empire, with ioy and ardent affection, continually, during al his life, submytted themselues, as it were with a holy deuotion and cherefull alacritye, to obay in all thinges whatsoeuer that holy Emperour shoulde com­maunde them. I will not speake of these, nor of Alexander Se­uerus the renowmed Emperour. That which may be sayde, is this. That as these Emperours were (no doubte) for theire times, the Lampes of the worlde: So the people and Nations whome they gouerned, were so thankfull, so ioyfull, so deuoute in obeying them, so carefull to please them, so heedefull not to doe any thing that might offende them: as truly it is harde to saye whither the worlde were then more happie in the renowne of those iuste Emperours, or those Emperours more renowned in the obedyence of that good people.

But I will lette passe these examples of Paganes, and will turne myself to that one only example in the tyme of Constan­tine the great, the first Christian Emperour of the worlde, I meane the firste that publiquely established the profession of Christianity in the worlde. The storie by Eusebius is thus re­corded. After the fierie clowdes of persecution raysed by the ty­rannies of Maximianus, Seuerus, Maxentius, Lycinius, and the rest of the persecuting Heathen Emperours were dispersed, and [Page] the horrible Seas of Paganishe Idolatryes were euery where dryed vp, the Churche being then prepared by that holy Emperor Con­stantine for seruice of the true God and of his sonne Iesus Christ: Then (saith the storie) the wished and desired sightes were seene of vs, Euseb. lib. 10. ca. 3. to weete, the celebrating of the dedications throughout the Citie and the Consecrations of oratoryes lately buylded, the mee­ting of Bishoppes, and the cominge togither of them, which being farre seuered a sonder aboade in foreyne Countryes, the loue of Nation towardes Nation, the knitting togither of the members of Christe combyned or vnited into one harmonie, so that according to the foreshewing of the Prophete, bone was ioyned to bone and ioynte to ioynte &c. And after wardes in the same storie: All the feare of them by whome they were aforetime oppressed, was taken away and wyped from of the face of the earth. They celebrated solempne and royall feastes. All was replenished with the brighte beames of ioy and gladnes, and they which aforetime full sadly be­held eache other, now they did it with gladsome countenaunce and cheereful eyes: They honored before all things the supreame King; the God of Heauen. Nexte to him, the godly Emperour with songes and dawnses throughoute Townes and Countreyes. More­ouer, all olde Iniuryes were cleane forgotten, neyther was there mention of any mannes impiety at al, but al that euery man stoade vppon, was the enioyeing of present prosperity and the expectation of goodnes to come.

Which notable example as an Introduction to all Christi­an posterity being layd before vs, the poynte that I now minde to sette forth vnto you is made manyfest: Namely, how for be­nefites receyued, the good people of former ages haue alwaies bene ioyfull and thanckfull to God and their Princes, expres­sing the one, to wete, their ioye, by the solempnity of their as­semblyes and drawing togither for the praysinge of God, and the other, by the obedyence of their liues effectually yeelded, as might more at large be handled if the tyme would permitte. If I should heare drawe you to the consideration of the people of Israell, Gods owne chosen, as there woulde be no ende in the viewe of Gods mercyes towardes them: so it were a long mat­ter [Page] to deliuer you the maner and greate varieties of their ioyes and thankesgiuing for the same. The Storyes of their delyue­rance out of Egipte, out of the redde Sea, and out of the capti­uityes of sondry foreyne Nations, doe sette forthe the one and the other expressely and fully: But aboue all, the Psalmes of the Royall Prophet Dauid are so habundant in this behalfe, that neyther olde nor younge can be ignoraunt thereof.

I haue hitherto but summarily considered how God the Au­thor and disposer of all thinges, for his benefites bestowed, re­quireth thankefulnes at the handes of the receiuers, and is grieued and highly offended when he seeth his graces contem­ned and his bowntie not regarded. It hath also in brief béene touched what thanckfulnes hath proceeded euen from the hea­then, not for spyrituall but for earthly benefites, and what obe­dience of life hath ensewed thereupon. And amongste Christi­ans though not of the firste age, yet of the firste open Counte­naunce and appearing of the Churches enlarging her boundes and setling her self in quiet state, what Ioye, what thankesgi­uing, what reformation of life in all sorts hath folowed the re­ceyuing of the mistery of our faythe and the firste planting of the open profession with peaceable possession of the same?

Now then, if it maie bee sette downe and manyfested to our vnderstandinges, that the blessinges which our Englishe Na­tion, which England, I say, hath receiued at the hands of our God by the ministery of our soueraigne his seruaunt, haue not bine lesse then any, but equiualent with the moste and the greatest here afore: Nay, if we Englishmen in the viewe ther­of shall be able to saye vnto our selues, that not with any Nati­on vnder the Cope of heauen at this daye, God hath so delt as with vs, good Lorde, what should folowe hereupon but that our very soules shoulde breake forth with thankesgiuing and our hartes bee for euer resolued to continewe and resounde his prayses to the ende of our liues, yea if we coulde (as we hope we shall) without ending.

But what shall I beginne with Where there hath kin no stinte nor measure of receiuing, how can there be any entrance [Page] or choyse of begining? If to sette forth the ioye, I should first beginne with the sorowe that ouerwhelmed the face of this Land: If to sette forth the blessing I should beginne (as I may say) with the curse that before did threaten vs. Or if to descipher the good thinges that this our Elizabeth our souueraigne brought with her to the Crowne of England, I should first de­lyuer vnto you what Seas of miseries possessed and wel neere ouerflowed this little but moste noble Ilande: As both these I muste needes saye, in opposition were not vnneedfull to bee spoken of: so yet leaste the dilating of the one might be cause of the abridging of the other, I will for the helpe of a iust propor­tion in the one of these, namely, in the Churches persecution, praye in ayde of the moste famous Historiographer of our tyme, who briefly handling the miseries that imediatly prece­ded the raigne of our souueraigne, after this sorte compendi­ously reporteth them: Now (sayeth he) after these so great afflic­tions falling vppon this Realme from the firste beginninge of Queene Maryes raigne, wherein so many men, women and Chil­dren were burned, so many imprisoned and in prison starued, dy­uers exiled, some spoyled of goodes and possessions, a great number dryuen from howse and home, so many weeping eyes, so many sob­bing hartes, so many Children made fatherlesse, so many fathers bereft of their wiues and Children, so many vexed in Conseyence, and diu [...]rs against Conscience constrayned to recante, and in con­clusion, neuer a good man almoste but suffred something du­ring the tyme of this bloody persecution: After all this (sayeth the Historien) there was reste to the persecuted members of Christe.

Thus you see one waye, what an heape and generall deluge of wofull miseries had pitifully ouertaken, naye rather ouer­whelmed a chief portion of this Realme of England, I meane the Churche of England: Religion defaced, Godlynes hated, Truth oppressed, Trew professors persecuted, Persecutiō blo­dy: To be shorte, none spared, all pursued euen to the death, in whome there was any Conscyence of the Faythe, or regarde of holy profession.

[Page]And as it fared with the Churche of England, so alas it fa­red with the common wealth of Englande. The lande possessed of straungers, those straungers most turbulent, most prowde, moste insolent, most aspyring, and (as Englande and the bor­dering peoples about vs at this daye, haue cause to saye, nay ra­ther by their lamentable experience, to complaine) straungers moste cruell, moste blodie, most vnsufferable: as by whome, the sweete peace of this Realme was so interrupted, so mangled, so defaced, that besides the daylie and continual threatened tu­multes at home, our welth of England, the men of England, the munition and forces of England were wholy imploied, nay constrayned to wait vpon the wars, I say vpon the vnnecessary warres of these so daungerous strangers, yea, to be wasted and consumed euen about the quarelles and ambytions of these so pernytious guests: so that trulie, it was then, and is yet to bee affirmed that Englande whiche at that tyme had no cause of warres or breach of league with other Nations, was enforced or rather violentlie haled to beare armes against them, euen a­gainst Fraunce (if I may speake it) for the ambytious seruice of Spayne.

And whiles these thinges were thus sorted, whiles men, money, munition and Armour were in this wise expended, what was the sequel thereof I pray you? what was the prospe­rity and successe of the same? Caleys was loste, Caleys the Kaye of England: Caleys, the very Doore and passage into France: Caleys, the honour of this Realme and the ouerlooker of the french Nation, with the welth and habundance of Eng­land, which 216. yeares togither had bine in the quiet possessi­on of England: I saye, Caleys, with all this, altogither, all at one instant: at the least with in the compasse of iiij daies, was miserablie lost and vtterly forgone.

To conclude; Caleys being lost, what ensewed thereupon? After the losse of Caleys, the losse of all securitie and freedome, the losse of all prosperity and welfare came russhing vpon this lyttle Iland, euen as it had bine an armed man vpon him that is naked and despoyled of comfort. Such Impositions, suche [Page] loanes, such taxes, newe Inuentions and deuises to drawe a­way the remaynder of the perticuler welth of Englande (the common Treasury thereof being wholly exhausted and con­sumed) to the maintenaunce of the vnprosperous warres of Kinge Philippe, as surely, if you will but looke into the Chro­nicles of that tyme, you shall see and saye that if God of his myraculous and extraordinary power and great mercy had not shortened those dayes, there had wanted verie lyttle of vtter de­solation to this our Countrey, this, I saye, our auntient and florishing Country of England then, euen then at the instant to fall into such miserable seruitude and bondage as all those Countreyes are oppressed with all, that in times past haue bine famous Kingdomes and other florishing estates and are now languishing and spoyled Prouinces subdued to the thraldome of the Spanyards.

But of all that euer happened, or which in those dayes was deuised, suffred, or neglected against the safety of this Realme, there was neuer mischief so desperat, or Treason so vile, or vil­lany so greate or so deepe, as was the platte, purpose and inten­tion to make away and destroye the sacred persone of our Eli­zabeth, now our happie souueraigne, who then and in those dayes, in that moste myserable and perillous tyme, was recke­ned and accompted (as spes alit miseros) the onely creatur of the earth, by whom and through whom God had reserued vs any hope of restauration, or comforte of recouerye to that desolati­on then approching.

This then shalbee sufficient for the former parte of my present purpose, namely, to haue touched vnto you after a plaine and brief manner, what miseries, what troubles and pitifull calamities occupied the whole state of this Realme, both Churche and Comon welth, at such tyme as our moste grati­ous soueraigne her Maistie that now is, tooke vppon her the possession of the Crowne thereof: at such tyme I saie, as God in his great mercy, looked vppon vs as he did vpon the Israe­lites in Egipte and their Captiuities sending vnto vs in highe tyme, this his holy handmayden, as it were another Moses, [Page] (saued from the same waters of affliction that wee were plun­ged in) to be our helper, & aduanced her (and that by iust tytle) to the Scepter and Dyadem of this (then a moste wofull) Realme, whose princely persone before had tasted of so greate daunger, that the verie walles doe yet recorde her dolefull posie, sicut ouis &c. The God of heauen whose only hand was then and yet is her helper and ours bee for euer and euer extol­led and the name of his mercy be neuer forgotten amongste vs.

But now, when I should rest my selfe in the performance of this portion, namely, in the delyueraunce from thraldome, and the proclaiming of peace to the whole lande: outwarde, in the repose of the Lande, inwarde, in the freedome of Conscience: whereas from the woe, I should passe on to the welfare, and from the mournfull face of calamity I should descend or rather ascende to the ioyfull apparaunce of our blessed felicitye: mise­rably, Naye deuilishly, nay dampnably am I interrupted with the oppositions of Traytors, the ouerthwartinges of Rebells, the enchaunting of Witches, the charmings of Sorcerers, the presagings and foretellings of Sooth sayers, the seducings of Iesuites and Seminaries, the conspyrings of domesticall Hy­pocrites and Traitors, the bandings of popish foreyne Princes and the cursings of the Pope himselfe that Antychrist most ac­cursed. What should I say? Swéet peace had no sooner discoue­red the bountye of her glorious face, and the blossomes of godly tranquility were no sooner séen sprouting forth to the gladding of the harts of trew Christians, but presently & anon these Ca­terpillers were ingendred, presently and anone these Cocka­atrices were hatched, presently and anone these Tyrantes were prouoked, yea presently and anone this Antichriste of Rome the father of all mischiefe and sonne of Perdition was furiously enraged: so that now I saye, when as by the order of my deuision, I shoulde speake vnto you of Ioye and of nothing else but ioye, these enemies of our ioye and these enuiers of our happines (as much as in them lyeth) haue so ministred matter to the clogging vp of my passage, that thereby they haue inter­rupted [Page] my proceeding, and not a lyttle hindred my discourse. But thancks be to God, for he againe of his aboundant mer­cies and endlesse fauour hath so leuelled my way by the ruin of their inuentions, and so smoothed my passage by the total con­fusion of their Stratagemmicall platts as on I may goe, and on I will goe (by the goodnes of God and your attention) to deliuer vnto you some taste of the blessed exchaunge that by and through our Elizabeth hath bin wrought and brought to passe within this lande since her Maiesties gouernment.

And to begin withall: what greater obiect of our ioye can I take vnto me, then that which the common enemie hath in­tended to bee the matter and onelye obiect of our confusion? namely and especially, the deuine, but yet expresse and visible deliuerances of our soueraigne frō time to time since her com­ming to the Crowne as before, from all the deuices, all the Treasons and all and euery the plats, practizes and attempts whatsoeuer, murtherously, nay, traiterously intended against her royall person: so as yet in sauety shee liueth, and as yet, (to the eternall prayses of our omnypotent God) she sitteth a Queene, a prepotent Quéene, mighty and preuayling, I saye, preuayling againste all and singuler the attempts and attem­ptates that eyther haue bine or are at this present, within the Realme or without, at home or abroade. And that longe maie shee so sitte the Lorde of his glorious mercie graunte we be­seeche him.

To recken vp vnto you the particulers of the manifolde discouered attempts against her maiestie with the perticuler ouerthrowes of the same since her firste comming to the Crowne, time as now will not suffer me. What open Rebel­lions there haue bine begonne, who were the ringleaders there­of, what were their pretences, what their power, how farre they proceded, and in what sorte they were stopped (and that for the moste parte) without effusion of bloode, and finally howe and in what maner the chiefe attemptaes therof haue bine surpri­sed, namely, and notably, in the Rebellion of the North, where the one of the two Leaders was putte (as I maie saie) into her [Page] Maiesties handes to receaue the due rewarde of his Treason, and the other when as hee thought by his escape out of the Realme, to haue escaped also the punishment of his most vile and trayterous offence, was by the iust hande of God taken holde of, and euen in the place of his hoped security, (as I haue heard) brought to penury and want. Againe, to deliuer vnto you how oft and oft, and euen nowe of late the murthering of her Maiesties person, (my hart trembleth and abhorreth to ex­presse the terme) and the deuesting of her from her royall pos­session, hath not onely bene contriued, but euen in the instant also dessigned to haue bene performed: By whom and in what sorte, when and in what place, and thereuppon also the moste miraculous discoueries therof, somtimes by the parties them­selues, sometimes by the discouerie of others, but alwaies and from time to time by the extraordinary and very expresse hand of God: These thinges I say, to stand vpon them in discourse, & to reckon vp vnto you the particulers therof so far foorth as to vs may be knowne considering the time is well spent & the generall knowledge therof is rife & common to all: I should but lengthen the time therin beyond compasse, and ouer large­ly presume of your borrowed patience. I will nowe therefore briefely procéede to other benefites.

By the blessing of this so blessed and miraculous preserua­tion of her Maiesties royall person, howe great and inestima­ble the blessinges are, which we haue receiued and doe enioye by the same, would now in a worde be considered, First ther­fore and aboue all, we haue and enioy by her Maiesty, the most glorious of all glorious Iewels, the true and sincere worde of God, with the free, open, and vniuersall preaching and profes­sing thereof: By the which, the errors of mans life are disclo­sed, the affections of mankinde relieued, the knowledge of sin procured, the forgiuenes of sinne proclaimed, and againste all sin and errour whatsoeuer, the assurance of faith ingendered & confirmed, as by the which and through the which, come death, come life, come what wil or can come in the world, the pledge and earnest of our saluation in Christe Ihesus is surely setled [Page] and sealed vp in our soules euen vntill the day of Iesus Christ and of our redemption. And let all the Justiciaries of workes in the earth magnifie to the vttermost of their power and skil, the vertue of whatsoeuer they can or doe blasphemously imagine to be propitiatory for sin: I appeale vnto the Consciences of al that haue tasted in any measure of the good word of God and how swéete the lord is, whether one dram of true faith in Christ his death and bloodsheading, rightly grounded vppon the pro­mise of his word (this worde which I speake of) be or haue not bin found vnto them more auaileable to the pacifying of their afflicted soules and consciences, then any thing in Heauen or earth that coulde bee offered vnto them: In which be­halfe I will require no further witnesse then the aduersa­ries themselues, who haue bin often knowne in the instant of their death, to haue left all and to haue flyne onely to the Lord Iesus, estéeming all other propitiations to be helpelesse and vaine. And thus much for the blessing of the woorde of God, which by her Maiesties meanes and propugnation wee en­ioye.

The nexte blessing (as the effecte of Faith and of Gods woorde) that falleth out in order to bee spoken to, is worldly and externall peace. From which well vsed, springeth plentie. And where the abuse of these hath wrought among vs, namely in disordered persons, Pride and dissolution, these things haue notwithstanding by a great blessing of godly gouernment bin so moderated with such mixture of those foure chiefe and car­dinall vertues, Prudence, Fortitude, Iustice & Clemencie, besides all other Heroicall vertues shining in her Maiesty, & vpholding vnto vs the former spirituall and temporall blessinges, that of them all seuerally both I should and would haue spoken: but how I am ouertaken with the short proportion of time, you sée and I perceaue it. And therefore for this instant (drawing to a conclusion,) I will bende my speeche (and that but in fewe) to the domesticall enemies of our peace, I meane the enemies of her Maiestie (by whom God hath powred all those blessings vpon vs) the moste peacefull milde and gentle Soueraigne [Page] that euer raigned in this lande.

Against which enemies me, thinkes I sée how euery of you that loue Gods truth and her Maiesties safety, doe with mee euen rowse your selues, and in the iust indignation of your minds vpbraid and challenge them with this Expostulation: O you vnkinde of all vnkinde Subiectes that euer were, (but why shoulde you bee called Subiectes, who as one truelye saith of you, suppose your selues not to liue vnder her Maiestie as Subiectes, but to be holden as Captiues, and so you yéelde her a seruile and involuntary reuerence) you englishe Aliens therefore I terme you, you Italienated English, Tell mee I praye you, what hath your english Soueraigne, what hath our gracious Elizabeth so much offended you, except your selues be the cause of your offence? Hath she dispossessed you of your goodes? Hath shee disinherited you of your landes? Hath she taken from you your dwellinges? Haue you sowed and she rea­ped? Haue you planted and she gathered the fruite? Doth she denie you the protection of her writtes, or doe you not enioye the benefite of her lawes? Surely surely, her handes, yea I may say her heart (moste gracious of all Princes liuing) are cleane and innocent of all these thinges in the presence of the Lorde and of his people. You sowe and reape the croppe, you plant and eate the fruite: You builde and inhabite the houses: you purchase and enioy the landes. What is it, what is it a­mongst the faithfullest Subiects of the Realme that you par­ticipate not with equall benefit, or do not enioy with the vtmost freedom of a Subiect, vnlesse in wilfull maner and in the ma­lice of your heartes you will depriue your selues of the same.

O good god, and will you yet conspire against the life and helth of so benigne and merciful a Soueraigne? Wil you take from her a Crowne, will you deueste from her a dyadem, who taketh not from you any the least Iot or portion of your posses­sions? O harts, not of men but of Tygres: O handes, not of trewe Subiects to defende, but of rancke Traitors to destroie: O broode of vipers, O inhumane, o pestylent, o viperous gene­ration. Is not euen the Sexe that you so violentlie conspire a­gainste, [Page] atender Sexe? Is not the person whome you woulde so Traiterouslie murther, vnto this your Countrey and ours, a Princely Parent? Is not this Parent a Queene? And is not this Queene your Queene and lawfull Soueraigne? Hath not this your Soueraigne & ours euen to this day, bin roially and really, iustly & fully possessed in this her Kingdome? Hath not her highnes prosperously raigned? Hath not al the Realme (except your selues onely and such as you are) faithfullie ac­knowledged and dutifullie obaied her? And, hath not god him­self confirmed and established, yea and from time to time mightily blessed her? I mighte saie more: Hath not this your Soueraigne and ours the moste rare ornaments, and Prince­ly excellencies that euer had King or Queene within this Realme? And what then will you aunswere me? Lette me rea­son with you a little as heretofore you haue bin reasoned with: Tell me (I praie you) to conspire againste this our moste gra­tious soueraigne, is it as if you conspired againste an vsurper, a Nero, a Commodus, a despoiler of his people and Coun­trie? No no: no such matter, but a Conspiracy against a most lawful and righteous Prince, againste our Queene Elizabeth, a Prince (considering the infirmities of her Sexe) so farre a­boue all praises, as Englande had neuer a more happie gouer­nour among al that haue bine Princes of this lande, nor whole Christendome matcheth her at this daie.

And to auouche these thinges in particuler: looke vpon this Ladie, beholde this your owne deere Soueraigne (whome you woulde destroie) withdrawe your sighte I instantlie intreate you, for a little season, from beholding that glorious Hierar­chie of Rome and from fixing your eyes to deepelie vpon the partialities of foreyne Princes. See if you finde not in this your Princely Soueraigne, a life both knowen and seene to be voide of all enormious abuses? See if there be not in this her gratious Maiesty, a mirror of excelling vertues & (as it were) a lodge of heauenly graces, Constant firmnes, innocent hands from corruption, highe equitie, clement and mercifull behaui­our, faithfulnes of minde, zeale and tender harte, Princelie [Page] Magnanimitie, and in briefe, a nature enritched with all admi­rable ornaments of deuine and heauenly blessinges?

And touching the thing you would most of al beare the world in hande with, to the deceauing of your owne soules, namely, with the note of seuere execution in her Maiestie (I woulde to God your termes were no worse): Take an accompte of the multitudes that haue offended againste her royall person: See if of an hundred, ten haue bin taken holde off: If often that haue beene brought to tryall, three haue receaued the re­warde of their offence? And albeit vppon tenne or moe at anye one time vppon high and daungerous respectes, Execution hath bin done, Yet way therwithall, how manie participants haue escaped, howe fewe familiers haue beene sifted, and how greate and heinous purposes haue beene lefte without prose­cution, and in a manner wholy past ouer. The good Empe­rour Nerua, as pitifull as he was, yet when he felt himself but touched, and that with the onely contempt of his Subiects, he tooke pen in hande and wrote this reuengefull Poesie to Traiane that shoulde succeede him; ‘Phoebe, tuis telis, lachrimas vlciscere nostras.’

And the holie Emperour Constantine, as milde as hee was, & as zealous in Christian profession, yet when he saw the tirannous behauiour of Licinnius likewise a crowned Empe­rour, with him, I say of Licinnius his copartner in the Em­pire and his brother in lawe, as hauing maried his Sister Constantia: Firste vppon the taking of him at Chrisopolis a Cittie of Bithynia, he deposed him from the Crowne enioy­ning him to leade a priuate life in Thessalonica: And after­wardes when as hee saw the same Licinnius to endeuour by fighting to reuenge his former foyle, he commaunded that he should be put to death, and so he was with the good conformi­tie of all his true harted Subiectes and people.

But touching our Elizabeth: the whole Realme of Eng­land séeth, Nay, god himselfe witnesseth that for the very trea­sons that haue bin most traiterously intended against her roial person, Crowne and life, her highnesse hath bin more seene to [Page] sorrow the ruine of the offenders, yea euen of those Capitall of­fenders, for whose cause, and with whose consent the greatest treasons that haue bin, haue bin complotted, then to feare or be dismaide at the daylye and howrely hazardes of her owne life.

The case then standing thus betweene our Prince and you (you cruell and vnkinde Englishe) that as on the one parte, your Treasons haue ouermatched the Treasons of all Trea­sonfull Subiects that euer were: so, on the other parte, her high­nes compassion hath equalled, if not excelled the compassion of all Princes, Chrstian or Heathen: What can there be possibly alledged on your behalfe, that (so much as in colour) may serue to shrowde the deapth of your disloyalty?

If you will nowe saye the freedome of your consciences (whereby I know you meane the free vse of your popish Reli­gion) is the matter you seeke after, and being therof restrained, you are thereuppon thus drawne to the extremity of these so outragious and violent attemptes: Good Lord, and can it bee possible that any profession in the worlde, taking vnto it the name and tytle of religion, should enable the professors therof to arme themselues against their soueraigne, and that, for not permitting vnto them the free vse of a contrary Religion? Tell me (you religious, or rather Irreligious professors) was there euer anye profession of Christianity vnder the Heathen and persecuting Emperours, which by anie other meanes sought to preuaile in their Religion, then by prayers & teares? Was there euer any resistance in the primitiue Church other then by preaching or open professing of the Truth, & thervp­pon, by yéelding vp the body to persecution? True it is that Heretiques (and none but Heretiques) haue sought to pre­uaile by Stratagems and deuises.

But you will say perhappes (for what is it you will not saie to the sclaunder of this blessed gouernment?) that her Maie­sties lawes made for the ponishing of Recusants, are so sharpe and ouer sharpe for the tender case of a Religious and resolued Conscience, that hereupon for your contentment, you are Re­ligiously [Page] and resoluedly drawen to the participation of highe and moste desperate Treasons. Well, leauing to call you here­in to the consideration of these her Maiesties lawes (which you so terme to be sharpe and ouer sharpe) by comparing them with your owne burning & bloody lawes, by which your lawes, not the purse but the persone, not ponishing but destroying, not of olde but of olde and yong, not of men or women, but of men wo­men and Children, yea of Infants newly borne, nay (I might saye) scarsely borne, not for preaching or open professing, but for belieuing only, haue bine so heauily knowen and felte with­in this lande: leauing I saye, to deale with you in the behalf of her Maiesties moste godly and iuste lawes after any suche sort, I only aske of you a question or two and so I will leaue you.

Taking view of her Maiesties dispensation of Iustice from the begnining of her raigne hitherto, what find you therein (al­lowing vnto her highnes her soueraigne power to establish Re­ligion within the lande) what find you I say therein, that any Subiect of any Secte or profession in the world may not tol­lerate and indure without eyther losse or hazard of life or of li­uing? Is the difference of opinion in matters of Religion, or the priuate mistakinges in controuersies of Religion, in any, of what sorte or qualitie so euer, (not participating matter of treason or of flat recusancie) any cause to him or them to feare either losse of life, or impeachement of Honour or credite, be it eyther in office or in dignitie, or in whatsoeuer else within this Realme that may be sayde to be of profite or countenance vnto the same? I suppose no: Naye, you your selues muste needes aunswere me no.

Go to then (you religious Catholiques, or rather you Ca­tholique Conspiratours,) what is it in this our gouernment that makes you so wayward, so treasonfull, so discontented? Would you haue her Maiestie and the state permitte and al­lowe vnto you Churches within this Realme for the free ex­cercise of your Popish Religion, and so maintaine two religi­ons in opposition within the Lande? It is a Prouerbe of greate antiquitie, Multitudo Imperatorum, Cariam perdidit. [Page] And I would aske you this question: admitting you had so farre preuailed in the gracelesse prosecution of some daunge­rous and abortiue Title, that you had alreadie brought to passe to aduaunce within this Realme, a banefull companion with her Maiestie in her Kingdome (whiche the Lorde for euer for­bidde) saie the truth herein, would you thincke it safe that these two thus consorted, should continewe and remaine together in this kinde of partnershippe? Cleerely, you would not, naie, you coulde not. And feeling the mislike thereof, is it not appa­rant to the world, which of these too you would soonest and spée­diliest remoue? Quisquis amat Ranam, Ranam put at esse Dia­nam. And as for loue and Lordshippe (you knowe) they will haue no felowshippe: Bassianus the bloodie Tyrant maie not long endure good Geta the gentle Caesar, no, though Bassianus might enioie more then half the Empire for his share.

And stand these thinges thus (you Catholiques) in the con­sideration of earthly Kingdomes, and are you able to concei­ue that in this kinde of gouernment, your state would become vnsafe by the rule of two Princes atonce, the one altogither different from the other in conditions? And alas, are you so grosely blinde that you cannot consider the like respects to bee in the Empire and Kingdome of Chrsst? Who is it that sayeth that Lighte and darcknes canot dwell together? And whose say­ing is it that there is but one God, one father &c?

To conclude then: As the abhomination & detestation here­of would bee high and heinous in the eyes of the Lorde, so no doubte, the euents that would ensewe therevpon, namely, by displeasing of so highe a Maiestie, could be no lesse in effecte, then the totall confusion both of Prince and of people. And for a meane sequel of permitting the vse of too contrary religions, take the Massacres of Fraunce, looke into them, waye them, and so conclude with your selues that from the like causes, the like effectes would speedily fall out: Nulla namque fides affe­ctus eorum, quorum est diuersa fides. I hasten to an ende with you (you Catholiques) what is there now then I pray you, that may further be thought of, or deuised for the pacification [Page] of your malcontented stomackes? Would you wish that her Maiestie (inasmuche as now perhappes, you are ashamed to re­quire of her in flatte termes, to abandon her owne profession for thr aduauncement of yours, and forasmuch also as you are or maie bee stopped to saie there is sauetie in permitting two contrary Religions within this her lande: would you now wish I saie, that her highnes contenting herself with her owne particuler choyse in Religion, and that, for her owne gratious person onely, should establish a contrary Religion wholy & all-only amongst her Subiects? Most deuilish would that be to be wisshed, but most gracelesse to be thought that euer her Maie­stie would be so vnnaturally enclined towards her so deere and louing people. Hath her most gratious Maiesty so manie yeres in the highest care of her Subiects sauety (and that, chiefly in the regarde of their Soules health) exposed herself to perilles beyond the compasse and proportion of mannes accompt, and hath she for the generall mainteyning of the Gospell of Christ amongst al her whole people throughout her dominions, from yere to yere, nay, almost from moneth to moneth, endured the succession of so many, so horrible, so determined, & so imminent attempts of Treason against her royall persone, her Crowne, her life: and would she now (think you) be so satisfied with the loue of her Subiects, or rather with louing her Subiects (whome her highnes séeith most insatiable in the loue of her and of her life and raigne) that now louing, or rather seeming to loue her self only, shee should so highly neglect (in this princi­pall degree of loue and care) the sauety of the Soules of her so louing and true harted people? The lord forbidde there should be any so wicked as in this sort to think of her Maiestie.

But I wil abruptly turne my selfe from you (you irreligious of the land) for you haue tourned your selues from the Lord, and haue lifted vp your Hornes againste his annoynted your Prince and Soueraigne. Not I therefore, but the Lorde shall further expostulate with you the cause of your Ingratitude: Of which sort of vnnaturall english, I hope there is none here present, & yet this spech to them as present, is not vnnecessarie [Page] that if any light in company of any such, they may the better arme them selues in thus challenging and reprouing them. And now to you my louing brethren, who reioyce to see y ^e daies, euen this present daye of her Maiesties prosperity and Peace: The chiefe exhortation I haue to commend vnto you, is the same of the Apostle. Reioyce in the Lord, and againe I saye re­ioyce: Let your softnes be knowne vnto all men. The Lord is euen at hand, be carefull for nothing, but in all prayers and supplicati­ons, let your petitions be manifest vnto god with giuing of thanks. The time is spent and it is more then time I had ended. And yet if I durst farther presume of your Honourable and wor­shipful patience, I would speake somthing more that should not altogether be vnprofitable for your hearing: and sith your coū ­tenances do promise me attention, I wil go to it as briefly as I can. For as much as it standeth cleere vnto the view of the whole worlde that this long continued peace of ours with all the other blessings whatsoeuer wherewith our English state & gouernment hath for so many yeres now passed, bin established & (as I might say) amply enriched, hath had none other existen­cie but in the great power and hand of our God, openly mani­festing it selfe in the Ministery of her Maiestie and of her pru­dent and most faithfull Counsailers: How great an indignity therefore would it be vnto vs the Subiectes of this Lande, if that whereas her Maiestie with her most honourable priuie Counsaile, euen from the beginning of her raigne to this day, hath gouerned vs by none other rule then by the rule of Gods most holy word, nor by any other lawe then by the lawe of this lande, nor by any other order or manner of administration then as maie best serue to sustayne and beare vp the common with the particuler and the particuler with the common, in a mutu­all regard and reciprocation the one to the other: We againe for our partes, should bee so farre from a dutifull acknowledg­ment hereof, as that in stead of our readines and zeale towards her Maiestie and those her most honorable Counsaylours, wee should yeeld them murmuring and repining, and in steade of our thanckfulnes wee shoulde yeeld them hard speaking, mis­conceiuing, [Page] and (which worse is) bitter detraction. O my bre­thren, howe hard a case would this be?

And least any man being misled eyther by the error of his owne iudgement or by the secrete insinuation of the malicious malecontented, in these troblesome times (and yet hitherto, thankes be to God, more troublesome to our eares then to our eyes) when as they see that by the déepe foresight of our graue and godly gouernours, actions are otherwhiles to be vnderta­ken (whether it be for repelling and resisting of knowne at­tempts, or for the holding far of, or keeping aloofe from vs the troubles abroade which otherwise woulde approche vs,) and that for the performance hereof, some charge more then ordi­nary is betwixt while to be raysed: They either little conside­ring or of purpose not acknowledging, how (in a maner) mira­culous a thing it is that while the whole world (as I mighte say) euen the kingdomes, and Countries rounde about vs (to vs a worlde) stand at this day garboiled and oppressed with troubles and sturres: we, euen we alone here in this our Eng­land (as it were in a little Goshen) neither feeling dint of sword, nor hearing sounde of droomme, nor fearing either slaughter or depilation of the oppressour, sit vs still euery man in his owne home, hauing freedome at the full to praise God in his Sanctuary, and safety at the full to follow our affaires in the common wealth: I say, least any ignoraunt or seduced Sub­iect, not so sufficiently pondering these blessinges as he ought to doe (and as I would to God euery one of vs did) should in the vniust discontentment of his minde, eyther murmure and repine, or otherwise speake euill of such as be in authority, for some charge that may happen vnto him for the continuaunce heereof: I would haue such a one to be taught, that as he is vn­able (with all the Substaunce he hath) to procure peace vnto himselfe, if warre should come vpon him: So to preuent war is not y ^e wroke of a Subiect, it is the onely worke of a Soueraign and that, by the alone deliberation of a prudent and Honoura­ble Counsaile, (which may often fall out to bee with the very purchase of peace) wherein as a Subiect standeth no further [Page] interested but to obey, & to be ready (if neede be) with body & goodes: So how much greater I pray you, shall his safety be in obeying, then if he should repiningly resist (if so to doe were in his power) or grudgingly hinder by the withholding of some vsuall contribution, the good that might be deuised vnto him? Againe, how foolish a thing is it for a Subiect to thinke that when as the very being of a Prince, doth consist in the ha­uing of Subiectes, and the hauing of Subiectes weake and depressed, is in effect not to haue Subiects: It would be safe for a naturall Prince by vnnecessary impositions laid vpon his naturall Subiectes, so to weaken and impouerish them, as howsoeuer haply they might retaine the hearts of true Sub­iects, they should yet in the power and hability of a Subiect, be vnfit for the seruice eyther of Prince or of Countrey? And wheras it may fall out otherwhiles, that for the procuring of Peace, warre must be vndertaken, and warre cannot be vnder­taken (with any hope of successe) without large prouisions of money, how iniurious woulde that Subiect be vnto himselfe, if whiles he would seeme to bee a louer of Peace and a hater of warre, he should by the fast holding of that he hath, from the maintenance of a necessary warre, bring warre therby vnto his doore and spoyle vnto his cofers?

And because herein the name and tytle of Peace (being in­deede a precious thing) is vsed oftentimes by many to the hin­derance of necessary warre, more for the auoiding of charges that warre bringeth with it, then vpon any iust or reasonable respect: Therefore it is meete this lesson be learned: That we ought not to thinke those charges burdenous vnto vs that we spend and imploy for our owne safety, but rather those bur­denous, which we are sure to abide if we shall neglect this, and omit to deuise to keepe our Countrey in peace by assigning of portions out of our substāce in time, for the defēce of the whole.

But admitting againe, that in this point we were faultlesse, what were this yet to the purpose, if together with our monie, we should not also yeeld our good & honorable spéeches of those good & honorable personages, who eyther abroade or at home, [Page] haue any way aduentured themselues for our safety?

It is the saying of Pericles the Athenian Ruler vpon like respect: If when that happeneth hardly (saith he) which you loo­ked not for, you will then speake euill of your Rulers, Thucid. lib. 2. cap 9. it is a greate vnright that you doe them, vnlesse when any prosperity happeneth which you would not haue thought of, you doe likewise attribute the same vnto them. Whereas indeede and in truth, both Pros­perity and aduersity are at the onely disposition of the highest and he sendeth the one and the other as best pleaseth his diuine Maiesty to dispose it. And this (Right Honourable and belo­ued) is that part of my speeche wherewith I haue presumed (after your great wearines) to detaine you.

Now last of all, to you my brethren and neighbors the Inha­bitants of this Towne of Windesor: If it be an vniuersall be­nefite farre passing other temporall b [...]nefites, euen to all the people of her highnes dominions, that her Maiestie in the mid­dest of these euill daies, sitteth prosperously and peceably in the seate of her royall Kingdome, preseruing the same from all an­noyance, to the no lesse admiration then highe commendation thereof in all foreyne Countries: Againe, if not only the par­ticipation of so high a benefite in common with others, but al­so to ourselues ward, an assured hope to stand free from her Maiesties displeasure, and in lieu thereof, a setled perswation of her Princely fauour towards vs be now seene amongst vs by meanes of her gratious presense: O how much haue wee to reioyse, and in the Lorde to boast, we I say, the Inhabitants of this Burrowe, the rather, for that, whiles many thousands of her Maiesties deere Subiects can onely saie and speake by the report of others, of the prosperous health of their most na­turall and louing Prince, we can saie and see the same to our vnspeakable comfort? Whiles others doe heare her Maiestie (I must saie most louingly) speaking vnto them by her lawes only, we haue not only the fruition of her Lawes, but also her most amyable and royal persone at this time, as at sondry other times, gratiously speaking vnto vs.

And therefore my good Brethren and my dere neighbours, [Page] let vs all be thankful to God for this benefit, pray for the conti­nuaunce thereof: And in our prayers forget not, forget not least we proue vnkinde, the good estate of that Noble Lorde the Erle of Leicester nowe in her Maiesties seruice in the Lowe Countreys. To the protection of the highest with praiers and harty well wishing I commēd his good Lordship. And of great duty, to the same protection I commend the good estate of the right Honorable the Lords and others of her Maiesties priuie Counsaile: By name and particuler duty, the righte honorable the Earle of Warwick, with the Noble and right vertuous Lady the Countesse his wife: And especially, for this present Birth day of her Maiestie, which is now the occasion of our as­semblie and ioy, lette vs with the rest that are heare present, craue and importunatly entreat at the hands of our God, that we may often, from yeere to yere, euen for many yeeres, renew and celebrate the Commemoration thereof. That in our cele­bration there may be ioy: in our ioy thanksgiuing, and that from our ioy and from our thankesgiuing, there may folowe the establishment and increase of Gods truth, obedience of life and reformation of maners: Finally, that now, and then, euen so long as we shall liue, there may bee heard sownding in our streates by old and yong, by men women and Children, God saue our Queene Elizabeth, God saue Elizabeth our Queene. Amen. Amen.