The Oration of the kings Ambassadour before the Emperour in defence of his cause.
SIr, the king my maister taking and reputing you as his perfect frende, confederate, and allye, and not doubting but you remembring the mutual kindnes betwene you in times past,* 1.1 wil shew yourself in all ocurrents to be of such minde and disposition, as iustice, truthe and equitie doeth require: hath willed me by his letters, to open and declare vnto you, what he hathe done, and in what wise hee hathe proceeded concerning suche Marriage as by many yeares was supposed to haue bene betwene your Aunte and hys grace.* 1.2 In which matter being two principall poyntes spe∣cially to be regarded & considered: that is to say, the iustice of the cause, and the order of the processe therein, hys high∣nes hath so vsed hym in both, as no man may right wisely complaine of the same.
First, as touching the iustnes of the cause, that is to say, of that Mariage betwene him and your sayde Aunte to be nought,* 1.3 and of no moment ne effect, but against the law of God, nature, and man, and indispensable by the Pope, and in no wise vailable: his highnes hath done therein, asmuch as becommeth him for discharge of hys cōscience, and hath found so certain, so euidēt, so manifest, so open, and appro∣ued truth, as wherunto his maiesty ought of good congru∣ence to geue place, & which by al other ought to be allowed and receiued, not as a matter doutful, disputable, or depen∣ding in question and ambiguitie: but as a plaine determi∣ned and discussed verity of the true vnderstanding of gods word and lawe, which all Christian men must follow and obey, and before all other worldly respects, prefer and exe∣cute. In attaining the knowledge whereof, if hys highnes had vsed only his owne particular iudgement & sentence, or the minde only & opinion of his owne natural subiects, (althoughe the same might in his conscience haue suffised) woulde not muche haue repugned, if some other had made difficulty to assent to him in the same, till further discussion had bene made thereupon. But now, forasmuch as besides hys owne certaine vnderstanding, and the agreement of thys whole Cleargie to the same in both Prouinces of hys realme, his maiestie hath also for him the determinatiōs of the moste famous vniuersities of Christendome,* 1.4 and most indifferent to pronounce and geue iudgement in this case, and among them, the Uniuersitie of Bonony, (all feare of the Pope set apart) concluding against his power: and al∣so Padua (the Uenetians threates not regarded) geuynge their sentence for the truth & euident words of Gods law: there should no man, as seemeth to him, gainsay or wyth∣stand, either in word or dede, the truth thus opened, but for his honor and duetie to the obseruation of Gods law, wil∣lingly embrace and receiue the same.
According whereunto his grace perceiueth also aswell in his Realme, as els where, a notable consent and agree∣ment amongest all Diuines, and suche as haue studied for knowledge of Gods lawe without contradiction of anye number, vnlesse it be such applying their minde to ye main∣tenaunce of worldly affections, do either in defence of such lawes as they haue studied, eyther for satisfaction of theyr priuate appetite, forbeare to agree vnto ye same. The num∣ber of whō is so smal, as in the discerning of truth, it ought not to be regarded in a case so plainly described and deter∣mined by Gods word, as thys is.
And if percase your Maiestie heere not regarding the number, but the matter, shall seme to consider in thys case, not so much who speaketh, as what is spoken, to aunswer thereunto, I say: Syr, the king my maister is of the same mind, for his own satisfactiō, & taketh hymselfe to be in the right,* 1.5 not because so many sayeth it, but because hee being learned, knoweth the matter to be right. Neuertheles, rea∣son would, and enforceth also, that straungers to the cause, and not parties therein, should be induced to beleue that to be truth, that such a number of Clearkes doe so constantly affirme, specially not being otherwise learned to be iudges of theyr sayings, as your maiestie is not. And if you were, then could your highnesse shew such reasons, authorities, and grounds as cannot be taken away, and be so firm and stable, as they ought not of Christen men in any part to be impugned, like as hath bene partly heeretofore shewed by his sondry ambassadours to your Imperiall maiestie, and shuld eftsoones be done, were it not too great an iniury to yt is already passed in the Realme, to dispute the same againe in any other countrey: which being contrarious to the la∣wes and ordinances of his realme, he trusteth your prudē∣cie will not require, but take that is past, for a thing done, and iustly done: and as for Gods part, to leaue hys consci∣ence to himself, qui Domino sua stat aut cadit: and for ye world to passe ouer as a frend, that whych nothing toucheth you, and not to maruell though the said king my master regar∣ding the wealth of his soule principally, with the commo∣dity of his person, and so great benefit & quiet of his realm, haue percase done yt he for his priuate fantasie, woulde not had chaunced: like as his highnesse also would wish it had not happened that such cause had bene geuen vnto hym to compell him so to doe.
But these things in their outward visage be but world∣ly, and inwardly touch and concerne the soule.* 1.6 Quid autem prodest homini si vniuersum mundum lucretur, animae vero suae detrimentum patiatur. Primum quaerite regnum Dei. &c. And yet neither his highnes ignorant what respect is to be had vnto the world: and how much he hath laboured and tra∣uailed therein, hee hath sufficiently declared and shewed to the world in his acts and proceedings. For if he had vtter∣ly contempned the order and processe of the worlde, or the frendshippe and amitie of your Maiestie: he needed not to haue sent so often and sundry Ambassates to the Pope, and to you both, nor continued and spente his time in delayes, as he hath done hetherto, but might many yeres past, haue done that he hath don now, if it had so liked hym, and with as litle difficulty then as nowe, if he would haue wythout such respect, folowed hys pleasure in that behalf. But now I doubt not, your maiestie doth wel remember how often the king my master hath sent vnto your highnes, and that your maiestie hath heard also what sutes hee hath made to the Pope, and how the sayd Pope hath handled him again onely in delay and daliance, wyth open commission geuen to his Legates to determine and geue sentence for hym by a commission decretall, and secretly to geue them instructi∣ons to suspend and put ouer the same.* 1.7 By which meanes and other semblable, hee perceaued playnly himselfe to be brought in such a labirinth as going forward that way, he were like to come to no end, and was therefore compelled to steppe right forth at once to the mazes end, there to quy∣et and repose himselfe at the last.
And is it not tyme to haue end in seuen yeare, or els to seeke for it an other way? The pope hath shewed hymselfe both vnwilling to haue an ende, and also ready and prone to do him iniurie, as well in citing hym to Rome, as also sending forth certayne breues to his grace sclaunderous, and for the iniustice and iniquitie of them, to himself disho∣norable: as he gaue hys highnes good and iust cause to sus∣pect, least any end to be made at hys hand (if any he would make) might be in hys conscience receiued and followed. For the pope doyng iniury in some poynt, why should he be thought conuenient Iudge, not vsing hymselfe indiffe∣rently in this matter, (as many moe particularities may be shewed and declared) considering,* 1.8 there is a generall Councell, willing al matters to be determined where they first began, and that the whole body of our Realm hath for the wealth of the same, by a law established the determina∣tion of such causes? By reason wherof the Bishop of Can∣terbury as metropolitane of our Realme, hath geuen sen∣tence in due iudgement for the kinges partie. It is not to be asked nor questioned, whether that matter hath bene determined after the common fashion, but whether it hath in it common iustice, truth and equitie of Gods lawe. For obseruatiō of the common order, hys grace hath done that lay in hym, and inforced by necessitie hath found the true order mayntainable by Gods worde & generall Councels which he hath in substaunce followed with effect, and hath done as becommeth hym, tendring eyther Gods lawe, or hys person, or the wealth of hys Realme, like as he doub∣teth not but your maiestie (as a wise Prince) remembring his cause from the beginning hetherto, will of your selfe consider and thinke, yt among mortall men, nothing shuld be immortall, & suites must once haue an end: Si possis re∣ctè, si non, quocunque modo. And if he cannot as he would, his hignesse thē to do as he may, & he yt hath a iourny to be perfited, must if he cānot go one way▪ assay an other. What soeuer hath bene herein done, necessitie hath enforced hym