The prudentiall ballance of religion wherin the Catholike and protestant religion are weighed together with the weights of prudence, and right reason. The first part, in which the foresaide religions are weighed together with the weights of prudence and right reason accordinge to their first founders in our Englishe nation, S. Austin and Mar. Luther. And the Catholike religion euidently deduced through all our kings and archbishopps of Canterburie from S. Austin to our time, and the valour and vertue of our kings, and the great learninge and sanctitie of our archbishopps, together with diuers saints and miracles which in their times proued the Catholike faith; so sett downe as it may seeme also an abridgement of our ecclesiasticall histories. With a table of the bookes and chapters conteyned in this volume.

King S. Edward Confessor. XXXI.

20. IN the yeare 1042. Edward Con∣fessor & sonne to the forsaid king Egelred began his reign, and reigned 24. yeares. He was (saith Malmsb. lib. 2. cap. 13.) deuout vnto God and therfore directed by him, whilst he reigned, all thing at home and a∣broad were quiet and calme. He slew by his Captaines Machetat king of Scotts, and put another in his place, & brought wales into the forme of a Prouince vnder

England. Illud celeberime fertur &c. That is most famously reported that he neuer toucht any womans chastitie. And Florent. An. 1066. cal∣leth him Decus Anglorum, The honor of English∣men. But who will see more of his ver∣tues may read his life written by a most ancient and graue Author in Surio Tom. 1. This only I will not omit, that to him did God first giue the vertue of curing the kings euil and the crampe, from whome all our Princes since haue receaued it. Fox lib. 3. pag. 164. and Cooper An. 1043. say that he was a man of gentle and soft spirit, neuer delt with his wife fleshlie, guided the Kingdom with much wisdome and iustice, from vvhome issued as out of a fountain, much godlinesse pitty & liberalitie tovvards the poore, gentlenes and iustice tovvards all men, and in all honest life he gaue a a vertuous example to his people. And pag. 16. calleth him vertuous and bless••d King. Cooper pag. 1065. addeth That he purged the ould lavves and piked out of them certain vvhich vvere most profitable for the Commons. To these high praises Stow Chron. 122. adioyneth that God greatly glorifyed him in his life by wonderfull signes, and cured the kings euil. Now let vs see what the religion of this great and holy king was. First he vo∣wed [unspec 1] to God, that if he got the crowne he would go, to Rome on Pilgrimage, West∣mon. An. 1049. Ealred in vita Edwardi.

[unspec 2] Secondly, when his people would not suffer him to leaue the Land for fear of the Danes inuasion, he deman∣ded dispensation, and obtained it of [unspec 3] Pope Nicholas. 2. Nichol. in ep. ad Ed∣wardum. Ealred in vita: Thirdly, sent two Abbots to a Concell held at Rhemes by Pope Leo, Florent. and Houed. Anno. 1050. [unspec 4] Fourthly he built the Monastery of Westminster: principally for the loue (saith Camb. in Brit. pag. 376. of the cheefe Apo∣stle, [unspec 5] whome he honored with a speciall & peculier affection. Fiftly, whiles he was at Masse, God reuealed vnto him the drowning of the K. of Denmarke which [unspec 6] intended to inuade England. Houed. An. 1066. Ealred in vit. Sixtly, Pope Nicol. writing to him, thanketh God that King Edward had loue to S. Peter and with vs he consented in all the Apostolicall Decrees, and therin absolued him from his vow, & Westminster from all Episcopall iurisdi∣ction, and saith that to him and his suc∣cessors we commit the aduousion, and tuition of all the Churches of England that in any place yow may determine by the Counsell of the Bishops and Abbots what things be iust and right. Wher∣vpon Bale l. cit. saith: That sub Nicolao 2. facti sunt Anglorum Reges &c. vnder Pope Nico∣las 2. the Kings of Englād were made the Popes Vi∣cars. [unspec 7] Seuētly, writing to the Pope. He pro∣fesseth

the Popes supremacie, In which (as Protestāts say) the essence of a Papist cōsi∣steth, in these plain words, To the cheefe Fa∣ther of the vniuersall Church Nicolas, Edward by the grace of God K. of England due obediēce. Eal∣red in vit. And in his lawes in Fox pag. 166. appointed that a King shall sweare vpon the Euangelists and blessed reli∣ques of Saints that he will maintain the holy Church with all integrity. And so manifest it is, that this K. & our Country in his time were Roman Catholicks, as Syr Edward Cook the Kings Attorney in F. Garnets Arainment (which since is printed) openlie called, the time of Ed∣ward Confessor. Henrie 1. Edward 1. Richard 2. Henrie 4, and ••. the verie mid∣night of Poperie, which were in truth the most florishing times, that euer England saw. For what King haue we in vertue comparable to King Edward Confessor? in wisdome, to King Henrie the first? in valour and victories to King Edward the first, the Conqueror of Scotland? and Henrie 4. of England, and Henrie the fift Conqueror of France?

Notes

• Vertues of K. Edvvard Cōfessor.
• The like Cambd. in Brit. p. 330. Bal. Cent. 2. cap. 12. Stovv. pag. 121.
• Bal. supra.
• The reli∣gion of K. Edvvard Confes.
• That ti∣mes of England most florishing vvhich Protest: confesse to haue bene Papi∣stical.