MarginaliaAnno 1558.Gods mighty hand, yet let not them thinke that because the iudgement of God hath lighted sooner vpon other, therefore it will neuer light vpon them: or because God of his mercy hath graunted them space to repent, let not them therefore of Gods lenitye build to themselues an opinion of indemnity. The bloud of Abel cryed long, yet it wrought at length. The soules of the Saynctes slayne vnder the aultar, were not reuenged at the first. Apoc. 6. but read forth the chapter, & see what folowed in the end. Bloud especially of Christes seruauntes, is a perillous matter, and cryeth sore in the eares of God, and will not be stilled with the lawes of men.

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Wherfore let such bloudguilty homicides beware, if not by my coūsell, at lest by the examples of theyr felowes. And though Princes and Magistrates, vnder whose permission they are suffered, do spare theyr liues, let them not thinke therefore (as some of them shame not to say) that man hath no power to hurt them, and so thinke to escape vnpunished, because they be not punished by man, but rather let them feare so much the more. MarginaliaGod maketh the persecutors of his people commonly to be their owne persecutours.For oftentimes suche as haue bene persecutours and tormentours to Gods children, God thinketh them not worthy to suffer by mā, but either reserueth them to his owne iudgement, or els maketh them to be theyr owne persecutors, and theyr owne hands most commonly hangmen to theyr owne bodyes.

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MarginaliaSaul murderer of himselfe.So Saul after he had persecuted Dauid, it was vnneedfull for Dauid to pursue him agayne, for he was reuenged of him, more then he desired.

MarginaliaAchitophel murderer of himselfeIt was needlesse to cause Achitophell to be hanged, for hee himselfe was the stifeler or strangler of his owne life.

MarginaliaIudas murderer of himselfe.Neither for the Apostles to pursue Iudas that betrayed their Mayster, for he himselfe was his owne hangman, & no man els, that his body brust, and his guts brast out.

MarginaliaSenacherib murdered of his owne sonnes.Senacharib, had he not for his Persecutors his owne sonnes, and cost Ezechias nothing to be reuenged of him for his tiranny.

MarginaliaHerode and Antiochus murdered by lyce.Antiochus and Herode, although the Children of GOD whom they so cruelly persecuted, layd no hand vpon them, yet they escaped not vnpunished of Gods hand, who sent Lyce and Wormes to be theyr Tormentours, whiche consumed and eate them vp.

MarginaliaPilate murderer of himselfe.Pilate, after he had crucified Christ our Sauiour, within few yeares after was he not driuen to hang himselfe?

MarginaliaNero murderer of himselfe.Nero, after his cruell murders and persecutions stirred vp agaynst the Christians, when he shoulde haue bene taken by the Romaynes, God thought him not so worthy to be punished by the handes of them, but so disposed the matter, that Nero hym selfe when he could finde no frend nor enemy to kill him, made his owne handes to be his owne cutthroat.

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MarginaliaDioclesianus and Maximinianus Emperours deposed them selues.Dioclesianus, with Maximinian his fellowe Emperour, which were the Authours of the tenth and laste Persecution agaynst the Christians, being in the middest of theyr furious tyranny agaynst the name of Christ, needed no mans helpe to bridle them and plucke them backe: for God of his secret iudgement put such a snaffle in the mouthes of these Tyrauntes, that they themselues of theyr owne accorde deposed and dispossessed themselues of theyr imperiall function, and liued as priuate persons all theyr liues after: And notwithstanding that Maximinian after that, sought to resume his Imperiall state agayne, yet by Maxentius hys Sonne hee was resisted and shortlye after slayne.

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MarginaliaMaximinus eaten vp with lyce.What should I here speake of the cruell Emperiour Maximinus, who when he had set forth his Proclamation engrauen in Brasse, for the vtter abolishing of Christ and his Religion, was not punished by man, but had Lice & Vermin gushing out of his entrals, to be his tormentors, with such a rotting stinch layd vpon his body, that no phisitions could abide to come neare, and were caused to be slayne for the same. pag. 82.

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MarginaliaMaxentius and king Pharao both drowned in their owne harnesse.Maxentius the sonne of Maximinian, and Pharao the king of Egypt, as they were both like enemies agaynst God and his people, so dranke they both of one cup, not perishing by any mans hand but both in like maner after were drowned with their harnes in the water.

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MarginaliaAchaz. Achab. Iesabell. Manasses. Ioachim. Sedechias punished of God for ther persecutions.Furthermore, and briefely in this matter to conclude, if the Kynges among the Iewes, which were bloudy and wicked, were not spared, as Achaz, Achab, Iesabell, Manasses, Ioachim, Sedechias, with many other but hadde at length, although it were long, the hyre of theyr iniquity: let not these bloudy Catholickes then thinke, which haue bene Persecutors of Christes Sayntes, that they being in the same cause as the other were aboue recited, shall escape the same iudgement, which the longer it is deferred, the sorer many times it striketh vnles by due repentaunce it be preuented in time: which I pray God it may.

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MarginaliaThe murdering motherchurch with her bloudy children admonished.Innumerable examples moe to the same effecte and purpose might be inferred, whereof plentifull store we haue in all places, and in al ages of men to be collected. But these hitherto for this present may suffice, whiche I thought here to notify vnto these our bloudy children of the murdering mother church of Rome, of whom it may well be sayd: Manus vestræ plenæ sunt sanguine. &c. 

Your handes be full of bloud. &c. MarginaliaEsay 1.Esay. Chapter 1. to

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the intent that they by the examples of their other fellowes before mentioned, may be admonished to followe the Prophetes counsell, which followeth and biddeth: Lauamini. mundi estote. &c. 

Be you washed, and make your selues cleane &c. MarginaliaEsay. 1.Esay. 1. and not to presume to farre vppon their owne securitie, nor thinke themselues the further of from Gods hand, because mans hand forbeareth them.

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I know and graunt, that man hath no further power vppon any, then God from aboue doth geue. MarginaliaWhat the lawes of this Realme could say agaynst the persecutours in Queene Maries tyme.And what the lawes of this Realme could make agaynst them, as agaynst open murderers, I will not here discusse, nor open that I could say (because they shall not say that we desire their bloud to be spilled but rather to be spared:) MarginaliaThe nature of the Church is not to persecute with bloud. MarginaliaIn that the persecutours of the Church be suffered of the Church to liue it is to their confusion.but yet this I say, and wishe them well to vnderstand, that the sparing of their liues which haue bene murderers of so many, is not for want of power in magistrates, nor lack of anye iust lawe agaynst them, whereby they might iustly haue bene condemned, if it had so pleased the Magistrates to proceed (as they might) agaynst them: but because almighty God peraduenture of so secret purpose hauing some thinge to doe wyth these persecuters, hath spared them hitherto, not that they shuld escape vnpunished, but that peraduenture he will take his owne cause in his owne hand, eyther by death to take them away (as he did by Boner, and by al Promoters in a manner of Queene Maryes time) or els to make them to persecute themselues with their own handes, or will stirre vp their conscience to be theyr owne confusion, in such sort as the Church shall haue no neede to lay handes vpon them.

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Wherfore with this short admonition to close vp the matter as I haue exhibited in these histories the terrible endes of so many persecuters plagued by Gods hand: so would I wish all suche whome Gods lenitie suffereth yet to liue, this wisely to ponder with themselues, that as their cruell persecution hurteth not the sayntes of God, whome they haue put to death: so the pacience of Christs church suffering thē to liue, doth not profite thē, but rather heapeth the great iudgment of God vpō thē in the day of wrath, vnlesse they repent in tyme, which I pray God they may. 

 

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And nowe to reenter agayne to the time and story of Queene Elizabeth where we left before.

In whose aduauncement and this her princely gouernance, it cannot sufficiently be expressed, what felicitie and blessed happines this Realme hath receaued in receauing her at the Lordes almighty and gracious hād, for as there haue bene diuers kinges and rulers ouer this Realme, & I haue read of some, yet I coulde neuer finde in Englishe Chronicle the like that may be written of this our noble & worthy Queene, whose comming in not onely was so calme, so ioyfull, and so peaceable, without shedding of any bloud, but also her reigne hetherto (raygning nowe 24. yeares and more, hath bene so quiet, that yet (the Lord haue all the glory) to this present day, her sword is a Virgine, spotted and polluted w^t no drop of bloude. In speaking whereof I take not vpon me the part here of þ^e morall or of the diuine Philosopher, to iudge of thinges done but onely keepe me within the compasse of an historiographer, declaring what hath bene before, and comparyng thinges done, with thinges now present, the like wherof as I sayde, is not to be found lightly in Chronicles before. And this as I speake truely, so I would to be taken without flattery, to be left to our posteritie, ad sempiternam clementiæ illius memoriam. 

MarginaliaSyr Henry Benifield forgiuen.In commendation of whiche her clemēcy I might also here adde how mildly her grace after she was aduaunced to her kingdome, dyd forgeue þ^e foresayd sir Henry Benifield, without molestation, suffering him to enioy goodes, lyfe, landes and libertie. But I let this passe.

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Thus hast thou, gentle Reader, simply, but truely described vnto thee the tyme, first of the sorrowfull aduersitie of this our most soueraigne Queene that now is: also the miraculous protection of God, so graciously preseruing her in so many strayghtes and distresses, which I thought here briefly to notifie, the rather for that the wondrous workes of the Lord ought not to be suppressed, and þ^t also her maiesty, and we likewise her poore subiectes, hauyng thereby a present matter alwayes before our eyes, bee admonished bothe how muche we are bounde to his diuine Maiestie, and also to render thankes to him condignely for the same.

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Now remayneth likewise in prosecuting the order of this, as of other histories before, to notify and discourse of thinges memorable especially in the Church, such as happened in the time of this her Maiesties quiete and ioyfull gouernment. And first here I let passe by the way the death of Cardinall Poole, MarginaliaNouember. 18. which was the next day  

after þ^e death of Queene Mary, þ^e death also of Christopherson B. of Chichest. Hoptō B. of Norwich, omitting also to speak of MarginaliaDoctor Weston.Doct. Weston, who being chiefe disputer against Cranmer, Ridley, & Latimer, as is before declared, first fell in displeasure with the Cardinall & other Byshops, because

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