Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

The Counsaile to the Ladie Marie, the 25. of December.

AFter our due commendations to your grace. By your letters to vs, as an answeare to ours, touching certain processe against two of your Chaplaines, for saying Masse against the law and statute of the realme, we perceiue both the offence of your chaplains is otherwise excused then the matter may beare, and also our good willes otherwise mis∣construed then we looked for. And for the first parte, where your greatest reason for to excuse the offence of a lawe, is a promise made to the Emperours Maiestie, whereof you wryte, that first some of vs be witnesses, next that the Am∣bassadour for the Emperour declared the same vnto you, and lastly, that the same promise was affirmed to you be∣fore y^e kings maiestie at your last being with him: We haue thought conuenient to repeate the matter from the begin∣ning, as it hath hitherto proceeded, whereupon it shal ap∣peare howe euidently your Chaplaines hath offended the lawe, and you also mistaken the promise. The promise is but one in it selfe, but by times thrise as you say repealed. Of whiche times, the firste is chiefly to be considered, for vppon that doe the other two depende. It is very true the Emperour made request to the kinges Maiestie, that you might haue libertye to vse the Masse in your house, and to be as it were exempted from the daunger of the statute. To which request diuers good reasons were made, containing the discommodities that shoulde follow the graunt therof, and meanes deuised rather to perswade you, to obey & re∣ceiue the generall and godly reformation of the whole re∣alme, then by a priuate fansie to preiudice a common order. But yet vpon earnest desire and entreatie made in y^e Em∣perours name, thus much was graunted, that for his sake and your owne also, it should be suffered and winked at, if you had the priuate masse vsed in your own closet for a sea∣son, vntil you might be better enformed, wherof was some hope, hauing only with you a few of your owne chamber, so that for all the rest of your housholde, the seruice of the realme shoulde be vsed, and none other: further, then thys the promise exceeded not. And truely suche a matter it then seemed to some of vs, as in dede it was, that wel might the Emperour haue required of the kinges Maiestie a matter of more profit: but of more weight or difficulty to be gran∣ted, his maiestie coulde not. After this graunt in woordes, there was by the ambassadour now dead, oftentimes desi∣red some wryting, as a testimonye of the same. But y^t was euer denyed: not because we meant to breake the promise, as it was made, but because ther was a daily hope of your reformation.

Nowe to the second time, you say the Emperors Am∣bassadours declaration made mention of a promise to you, it might well so be. But we thinke no otherwise then as it appeareth before wrytten. If it were, hys fault it was to declare more then he heard: ours it may not be, that denye not that we haue sayd. As for the last time when you were with the kinges maiestie, the same some of vs (whome by these words your letter noteth) doe wel remember, that no other thing was graūted to you in this matter, but as the first promise was made to the Emperour, at whiche time you had too many arguments made to approoue the proce∣dings of the kings Maiestie, and to condemne the abuse of the masse, to thinke that where the priuate masse was iud∣ged vngodly, there you should haue authority and ground to vse it. About the same time, the Ambassadoure made meanes to haue some testimonie of the promise vnder the great seale, and that not hard to haue it, but by a letter, and that also was not onely denied, but diuers good reasons, y^t he should think it denied with reason, & so to be contented with an aunswer. It was told him in reducing that which was commonly called the Masse, to the order of the prima∣tiue church, and the institution of Christe, the kings maie∣sty & his whole realme had their consciences well quieted, against y^t which, if any thing should be willingly commit∣ted, the same should be taken as an offence to God, & a ve∣ry sinne against truth vnknowne. Wherefore to licence by open acte such a dede in the conscience of the kings maiesty & his realme, were euē a sinne against God. The most that might herein be borne, was that the kings maiestie myght vppon hope of your gracious reconciliation, suspende the execution of his law, so that you would vse the licence as it was first graunted. What soeuer the Ambassador hath sayd to others, he had no other maner graunt from vs, nor ha∣uing it thus graunted, could alledge any reason against it. And where in your letter your grace noteth vs as brea∣kers of the promise made to the Emperour, it shal appeare who hath broken the promise: whether we that haue suffe∣red more then we licenced, or you y^t haue transgressed that was graunted. Nowe therfore we pray your grace confer the doing of your chaplaines with euery poynte of the pre∣misses, and if the same cannot be excused, then thinke also howe long the lawe hath bene spared. If it pricke our con∣sciences somewhat, that so muche shoulde be vsed as by the promise you may claime, how much more should it greeue vs to licence more then you can claime? And yet coulde we be content to beare great burden to satisfy your grace, if the burthen pressed not our consciences, whereof we must say as the Apostle sayd: Gloriatio nostra est haec, testimonium con∣scientiae nostrae. For the other parte of your graces letter, by the which we see you misconstrue our good willes in wry∣ting to you, how soeuer the law had proceded against your Chaplaines, our order in sending to you was to be liked, and therein truely had we speciall regarde of your graces degree and estate. And because the lawe of it selfe respecteth not persons, we thought to geue respect to you, first signi∣fying to you what the law required, before it should be exe∣cuted, that being warned, your grace might either thincke no strangenes in the execution, or for an example of obedi∣ence cause it to be executed your selfe. Others we see per∣plexed w^t sodainnes of matters, your grace we woulde not haue vnwarned to thinke any thing done sodaine. Truely we thought it more commendable for your grace, to helpe the execution of a law, then to helpe the offence of one con∣demned by lawe. And in geuing you knowledge what the kings lawes required, we looked for helpe in the execution by you the kings maiesties sister. The greater personnage your grace is, the nigher to the king, so muche more ought your exāple to further lawes. For which cause it hath bene called a good common wealth, where the people obeyed the higher estates, and they obeied the lawes. As nature hathe ioyned your grace to the kings maiestie to loue him moste entirely, so hath reason and lawe subdued you to obey him willingly. The one and the other we doubt not, but your grace remembreth, and as they both be ioyned together in you, his maiesties sister, so we trust you wil not seuere thē, for in deede your grace cannot loue him as your brother, but you must obey his maiestie as his subiect.

Example of your obedience and reuerence of his maie∣sties lawes is in stead of a good preacher, to a great number of his maiesties subiects, who if they may see in you negli∣gēce of his maiesty or his lawes, wil not faile but folow on hardly, and then their fault is not their own but yours, by exāple. And so may the kings maiesty whē he shal come to further iudgmēt, impute y^t falt of diuers euil people (which thing God forbid) to the sufferance of your graces doings. And therfore we most earnestly frō the depth of our hearts desire it, y^t as nature hath set your grace nigh his Maiestie by bloud, so your loue and zeale to his maiesty, wil further

his estate by obedience. In the end of your letter ij. thyngs be touched, which we cā not pretermit: the one is, you seme to charge vs with permission of mē to breake lawes & sta∣tutes. We thinke in deede it is too true, that laws and pro∣clamations be broken daily, the more pity it is: but that we permit them, we would be so sory to haue it proued. The other is, that we haue suffred brutes to be spoken of you, & that also must be aunswered as the other. It is pity to see men so euill, as whome they may touch with tales & infa∣mies they care not, so they misse not the best. Suche is the boldnes of people, that neither we can fully bridle them, to raise tales of you, nor of oure selues. And yet whēsoeuer a∣ny certaine person may be gottē, to be charged w^t any such, we neuer leaue thē vnpunished. In deede, the best way is, both for your grace, & also vs, y^t when we can not find and punish the offender, let vs say as he said that was euil spo∣ken of: yet will I so liue, as no credite shal be geuen to my backbiters. Certainely, if we had credited any euill tale of your grace, we would frendly haue admonished you ther∣of, & so also proceded, as either the taletellers should haue ben punished, or else haue proued their tales. And therfore we pray your grace to thinke no vnkindnes in vs, y^t anye euil brutes haue bene spred by euill men, but thinke rather wel of vs, y^t howsoeuer they were spred, we beleeued them not. Hitherto your grace seeth we haue writtē somwhat at length, of y^e promise made to you and our meanings, in our former writings. And now for the latter part of our letter, we will as briefly as we can remember to you two speciall matters, wherof the one might suffice to reforme your pro∣cedings, & both together well considered, we trust shall do your grace much good. The one is, the truth of that you be desired to follow: the other is, y^e commodity y^t thereby shall ensue. They both make a iust cōmandement, and because of the first the latter followeth, that first shal be intreated. We heere say your grace refuseth to heare any thing reasoned, cōtrary to your old determinatiō, wherein you make your opinion suspitious, as that you are afeard to be dissuaded. If your faith in things be of God, it may abide any storme or water: if it be but of sand, you do best to eschew the wea∣ther. That which we professe, hath y^e foundation in Scrip∣tures vpon plaine textes and no gloses, the confirmation therof by the vse in the primatiue Church, not in this later corrupted: and in deede our greatest chaunge is not in the substāce of our faith, no not in any one article of our crede. Only the difference is, that we vse the ceremonies, obser∣uations, and Sacraments of our religion as the Apostles, and first fathers in the primatiue Church did. You vse the same that corruption of time brought in, and very barbary and ignorance nourished, and seeme to be bold for custome against truth, & we for truth against custome. Your grace in one or two places of your letter, seemeth to speake ear∣nestly in y^e maintenance of your faith, & therin (so that your faith be according to the Scriptures) we must haue the like opinion. The saying is very good if the faith be sound. But if euery opinion your grace hath (we cannot tell how con∣ceiued) shall be your faith, you may be much better instruc∣ted. S. Paule teacheth you, that faith is by the worde of God. And it was a true saying of him that saide: Non qui cuiuis credit, fidelis est, sed qui Deo. For where hathe youre grace ground for such a faith, to thinke cōmon praier in the English Church should not be in english? that Images of God shuld be set vp in y^e church? or y^t the sacramēt of Chri∣stes body & blood shuld be offred by the priests for the dead? yea, or y^t it should be otherwise vsed, then by y^e scripture it was instituted? Though you haue no scripture to mayne∣teine thē, we haue euident scriptures to forbid thē. And al∣though fault might be found, that of late baptisme hath bin vsed in your graces house, cōtrary to law, & vtterly w^tout licence, yet is it y^e worse, y^t contrary to y^e primatiue Church it hath bin in a tong vnknown, by y^t which the best part of y^e Sacrament is vnused, & as it were a blind bargain made by the Godfathers in a matter of illuminatiō, and thus in the rest of the things in which your grace differeth frō the common order of the realme, where haue you grounde or reason but some custome, which oftentimes is mother of many errours? And although in ciuill things she may bee followed where she causeth quiet, yet not in religions, where she excuseth no errour, as in Leuiticus it is sayd: Ye shall not do after the custome of Egypt, wherein ye dwelled, nor after the custome of Chanaan: no, you shall not walke in theyr lawes, for I am your Lord God, keepe you my lawes and cōman∣dements. The points wherein your grace differeth in your faith as you call it, may be shewed where, when, how, & by whom they begā, since the Gospell was preached, y^e church was planted, & the Apostles martired. At which time your faith depended vpon the Scripture, & otherwise there was no necessitie to beleeue. For as Hierome sayth: Quod de scripturis non habet authoritatem, eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur. And because your grace as we heare say, rea∣deth sometime the Doctors, we may alledge vnto you the 2. or 3. places of other principall Doctors. August. sayth: Cum dominus tacuerit, quis nostrûm dicat, illa vel illa sunt: aut si dicere audeat, vnde probat? And Chrisostomes saying is not vnlike. Multi, inquit, iactant spiritum sanctum, sed qui propria loquuntur, falso illum praetendunt. And if you wi••l haue their meaning plaine, read the 5. Chapter of the first booke of Ecclesiastica historia, and where Constantine had these wordes in the Councell. In disputationibus, inquit, re∣rum diuinarum, habetur praescripta spiritus sancti doctrina, E∣uang••lici & Apostolici libri cum prophetarum oraculis plene nobis ostendunt sensum numinis, proinde discordia posita, su∣mamus ex verbis spiritus questionum explicationes. What playner sayings may be then these to answere your fault? Agayne, to infinite it were to remember your grace the great number of particular erroures (crept into the church whereupon you make your foundation. The fables of false miracles and lewde pilgrimages may somewhat teach you. Onely this we pray your grace to remember w^t your selfe: the two wordes that the father said of his sonne Iesus Christ. Ipsum audite. To the second point of the cō∣moditie that may follow your obedience, we hauing by the kinges authoritie in this behalfe the gouernaunce of thys realme must herein be playne with your grace. And if our speache offende the same, then must your grace thinke it is our charge and office to finde fault where it is, and our du∣tie to amend it as we may. Most sory truely we be, y^t your grace, whom we should otherwise honour, for the kinges maiesties sake, by your owne deedes shoulde prouoke vs to offend you, we do perceaue great discommoditie to the realm by your graces singularitie, (if it may be so named) in opinion, & in one respect, as you are sister to our soue∣raigne Lord & maister, we most hūbly beseeche your grace to shew your affection cōtinually towardes him, as becō∣meth a sister. And as your grace is a subiect, and we coun∣sellors to his Maiesties estate, we let you know, the exāple of your graces opinion hindreth the good weale of thys realm, which thing we think is not vnknowne vnto you: & if it be, we let your grace knowe, it is to true. For Gods sake we beseech your grace, let nature set before your eyes the yong age of the king your brother. Let reason tell you y^e losenes of the people, how then can you without a way∣ling hart▪ thinke that ye should be y^e cause of disturbance? if your grace see the king, being y^e ordinary ruler vnder God not onely of all others in the realme, but of you also▪ call his people by ordinary lawes one way, with what hart can your grace stay your selfe without following: muche worse to stay other y^t would follow their soueraigne Lord? Can it be a loue in you to forsake him, his rule and lawe, & take a priuate way by your selfe? If it be not loue, it is much lesse obedience. If your grace thinke the kings ma∣iestie to be ouer his people as the head in a mans bodye is ouer the rest not onely in place but in dignitie and science▪ how can you being a principall mēber in y^e same body keep y^e nourishment from y^e head, we pray your grace most ear∣nestly think this thing so much greueth vs, as for our pri∣uate affectiō & good willes vnto you (though we shuld dis∣semble) yet for our publicke office, we cannot but plainely enforme your grace, not doubting but that your wisedome can iudge what your office is, & if it were not your owne cause, we know your grace by wisedome could charge vs, if we suffered y^e like in any other. Truely euery one of vs a part honoreth your grace for our maisters sake, but when we ioyn together in publick seruice, as in this writing we do. We iudge it not tollerable, to know disorder, to see the cause, & leaue it vnamēded. For though we would be neg∣ligēt, y^e world would iudge vs. And therfore we do altoge∣ther eftsoones require your grace, in the kinges maiesties name, y^t if any of your 2. chaplains, Mallet, or Barcklet, be returned, or as soone as any of them shall returne to your graces house y^e same may be by your graces commaunde∣ment or order, sent or deliuered to the sheriff of Essex, who hath commandement from the kings maiestie, by order of the law & of his crowne to attache them, or if that conditiō shall not like your grace, yet y^t then he may be warned frō your graces house, & yet not kept there, to be as it were de¦fended frō the power of the law. Which thing we think su∣rely neither your grace will meane, nor any of your coun∣sell assent thereto. And so to make an end of our letter, be∣ing long for the matter, and hitherto differred for our great busines, we trust your grace first seeth how y^e vsage of your Chaplaines differeth from the maner of our licence, and what good entent moued vs to write vnto you in former letters: lastly that the thinges whereunto the king and the whole realme hath consented, be not onely lawful and iust by the pollicie of the Realme, but also iust and godly by the lawes of God. So that if we, which haue charge vnder the

King should willingly consent to the open breach of them, we could neyther discharge our selues to the king for our dueties, neyther to God for our conscience. The conside∣ration of which things we pray almighty God, by his ho∣lye spirit, to lay in the bottome of your hart, and thereupon to build such a profession in you, as both God may haue his true honor: the king his dewe obedience, the Realme con∣cord, and we most comfort. For all the which we do harte∣ly pray, & therwith, for the cōtinuance of your graces helth to your harts desire. Frō Westminster y^e xxv. of December.