MarginaliaAn. 1558.pestilent tyrannies, tyll the moste profite might be taken thereof.

MarginaliaAffliction trieth men whether they be good or euell.When he had geuen sufficient leysure to all kynde of men, to declare them selues who were Crocodyles, sometyme lying in water, sometyme on land, that is, both Gospellers and Papistes. Who were Sponges, suspected whether they had lyfe, or no lyfe: whether they were Christians or Epicures: who were Cameleons that could turne them selues into al colours, with Protestants Protestantes: with Papistes Papistes: with Spaniardes, Spaniardes: with Englishe men, Englishe men: who were Gnatoes that could apply them selues to euery mans appetite that was in authoritie: who were Marygoulds, that folowed Maryes madde affections: who were weather Cockes that dyd turne with euery wynd: who were Mastyues, that could byte, and barke not: who were Curres euer barkyng: who wer Foxes that would promise much, and perfourme nothyng: who could bynde them selues with many othes, and doo cleane contrarye: who were Caynes that sought the innocent Abels death: who were the woulfes that weeryed the Lambes: and finally when he had suffered the spirituall shauelynges to spue out their venome, and euery man playnely to declare outwardly, what he was inwardly: then dooth he woorke this moste victorious conquest. And with his workes seemeth playnely to say thus vnto vs: MarginaliaGod plenteously poureth his benefites vpon vs, not for our sakes, but of his infinite mercy, and for his glories sake.Ye see, (my people, what I haue done for you, not for your sakes, which nothyng regarded the benefites that I most plenteously poured on you, and haue deserued most greeuous punishment for your vnthankfulnes: but of myne infinite mercy, and for my gloryes sake, which I wyll haue opened to all the world in these latter dayes, to the feare of euyl doers, & to the comfort of the wel doers. Prouoke no more my wrath, ye see what wyl folow it, be hereafter more prudēt & wise then ye were before. Ye may, if ye wyll, be more circūspect in tyme to come, then ye haue ben in tyme past: ye may, if ye lyst, put me to lesse trouble, & keepe your selues in more saftie. I haue not only discouered myne, yours, & my lande of Englands enemies, & all the craftes, subtilties, & policies that haue ben, or may be vsed by thē, or any like hereafter, but I haue also taken away their head & captaine, and destroyed a great nūber of thē, that ye should not be troubled with them, and some of thē haue I left, that ye may make them spectacles & examples to the terrour & feare of their posteritie. Loue me, & I wyl loue you, seeke my honor and glory, & I wyl worke your cōmoditie & saftie: walke in my wayes & cōmaundements, & I wyl be with you for euer. MarginaliaWonderfull is the mercy of God in deliuering this Realme from the tyranny of the Papistes.Surely if we consider the wonderfull mercy that it hath pleased God to vse towardes vs, in the deliuering of this realme & vs his people out of the hands of these most cruel tyrants, as we can not but doo, vnlesse we wyl declare our selues to be the most vnthankfull people that euer lyued, we must needes iudge it not onely worthy to be compared, but also farre to exceede the deliueraunce of the chyldren of Israel out of Egypt from the tirannie of Pharao, and frō the powers of Holofernes and Senacharib. For is it not read, that eyther Pharao or þ^e other two sought any other thing, then to be Lords of the goods & bodyes of the Israelites, they forced them not to cōmit Idolatrie, and to serue false Gods, as these English tyrants dyd. But besides, if we wyll note the wonderfull workes of God in handlyng this matter, we shal wel perceyue, that farre much more is wrought to his glory & to þ^e profite of his church & people, then perchance all men at the first doo see. For he hath not onely dispatched the Realme of the chiefe personages and head of these tyrants, but also as it were declareth, that he mynded not, that eyther they or their doinges, should continue. For albeit þ^t al actes done by tyrantes tyrannously, be by al lawes, reason & equitie, of no force, yet because no disputation should folow on this, what is tyrannously don, & what is not tyrannously done, he hath prouided that this question needeth not come in questiō. MarginaliaThe Papistes buildinges stand so long onely as they be propt vp with rope, sword, and fagot.For he vtterly blynded their eyes, & suffred thē to build on false groūds, which can no longer stande, then they be propped vp with rope, sword, & fagot. For her first Parlamēt wherō they groūded & wrought a great part of their tyrānie, & wherin they meant to ouerthrow what soeuer king Edward had for þ^e aduancemēt of gods glory brought to passe, was of no force or authoritie. For shee perceiuyng that her enemies stomake could not be emptyed, nor her malice spued on þ^e people by any good order, she cōmitteth a great disorder. Shee by force & violence taketh frō the Cōmons their libertie, that according to þ^e ancient lawes & customes of the realme they could not haue their free election of Knights & Burgesses for the parlament. For shee wel knew that if either christiā men, or true English men should be elected, it was not possible to succeede that shee intended. And therefore in many places diuers were chosen by force of her threats,

meete to serue her malicious affections. Wherfore þ^t parliament was no parlamēt, but may be iustly called a cōspiracie of tyrantes & traytors. For the greater part by whose authority & voyces things proceded in that Court, by their actes most manifestly declared thē selues so, the rest beyng both christians & true English men, although they had good wils, yet not able to resist or preuaile against the multitude of voyces & suffrages of so many euel false to God, & enemies to their countrey. MarginaliaBurgesses vnlawfully disorderly and violently thrust out of the Parlament house in Queene Maryes dayes.Also diuers Burgesses being orderly chosen, & lawfully retorned, as in some places þ^e people dyd what they could to resist her purposes, were disorderly & vnlawfully put out, and others without any order or law in their places placed. Doctor Taylor bishop of Lincolne a christiā Bishop & a true English man, being lawfully & orderly called to the parlament, and placed in the Lordes house in his degree, was in his robes by violence thrust out of the house. Alexander Nowell wyth two other, all three being Burgesses for diuers shyres and christian men & true English men, and lawfully chosen, retorned, & admitted, were by force put out of the house of the Commons, for the which cause the same Parlamē is also voyd, as by a Presidēt of the parlament holden at Couētry in the 38. yere of king Henr. 6. it most manifestly appereth. MarginaliaThe third Parlament in Q. Maries dayes, not orderly and formally called and therfore of none effect.And the third Parlamēt called in the name of her husband, & of her euyl grace, wherein they would haue vndone, that her noble father & the Realme had brought to passe for þ^e restitution of the libertie of the Realme, & for extinguishment of the vsurped authoritie of the Bishop of Rome, is also voyde & of none authoritie. For that the title & style of supreme head of the church of England, which by a statute made in the. 35. yeare of the raigne of the sayd king Henry, was ordeyned, that it should be vnited & annexed for euer to the imperiall crowne of this Realme, was omitted in the writs of summonyng. Wherefore as a woman can bryng forth no chyld without a man, so can not those writs bryng forth good & sure fruit, because this part of the title whiche was ordeined by the Parlamēt for the forme to be alwayes vsed in the kings style, was leaf out. For greater error is in lacke of forme, then in lacke of matter. And wher þ^e foūdatiō is naught, there can nothing builded theron be good. There is no law spiritual nor tēporal (as they terme thē) nor no good reason, but allow these rules for infallible principles. And if any man wil say, that it was in þ^e free choyse, libertie, and pleasure of the Kyng of this Realme and the Queene, whether they would expresse þ^e said title in their style, or not, as that subtile Serpent Gardyner beyng Chancellor of the Realme, & trayterously sendyng out the wryts of Parlament without the same style, perceyuyng he had ouershot hym selfe in callyng the Parlament, and hauing committed many horrible murthers and most mischieuous actes, would haue excused it, as appeareth by a peece of the Statute made in the same Parlamēt, in the 8. chap. and in the. 22. leafe, it may be iustly & truely answeared, that they could not so doo. For albeit euery person may by law renounce his owne priuate right, yet may he not renounce his right in that which toucheth the cōmon wealth or a third person.

And this title & style more touched the cōmon wealth & Realme of England, then the king. For as I said before, it was ordeyned for þ^e cōseruation of þ^e libertie of þ^e whole realme, & to exclude þ^e vsurped authoritie of the B. of Rome. And therfore no King or Queene alone could renoūce such title: but it ought (if they would haue it taken away) be taken away orderly & formally by act of Parlament sufficiētly called & summoned. For the natural & right way to loose & vndoo things, is to dissolue thē by that meanes they were ordeined. And so it most manifestly appeareth that all their doyngs, frō the beginnyng to the end, were & be of none effect, force, nor authoritie: but al þ^t they haue don hath bene meere tyrannie. O most marueilous prouidence of almighty God, that alwayes & in all thynges doth that is best for the wealth of his people. O most mighty power, that so sodenly ouerthroweth the counselles of the wicked, and bringeth their deuises to nought. O infinite mercye, that so gently dealeth with his people, that he saueth them whō he might most iustly destroy. MarginaliaA ioyfull day.O most ioyfull, most meery, & neuer to be forgotten, Hopwednesday, in which it hath pleased thee O God, to deliuer thy Church, this Realme, & thy people frō so horrible tyrannie. No tongue can expresse, no pen can endite, no eloquence can worthily set out, much lesse exornate these thy marueylous doings. No no hart is able to render vnto thy goodnes, sufficiēt thanks for þ^e benefits we haue receyued. Who could euer haue hoped this most ioyful tyme? Yea, who dyd not looke rather for thy most sharpe visitation and vtter destruction of this Realme, as of Sodome, Gomorre, and Hierusalem.

But we see & feele good Lord, that thy mercy is greater then al mens sinnes, and farre aboue al thy workes.