g
to the principal effects of every action must the intent of
the act be deemed and presumed. For the objected excuses
(that they did it for conscience, or for fear of the French)
be too frivolous and vain to abuse any wise man. For they
that under King Henry were as catholic, as the six articles
required: that under King Edward were such Protestants as
the Protector would have them; that under Q. Mary were
Catholics again, even to creeping to the Cross: and that
under Q. Elizabeth were first Lutheran, setting up Parker,
Cheiny, Gest, Bill, &c., then Calvinists, advancing
Grindall, Juell, Horne, &c.: then Puritans, maintaining
Sampson, Deering, Humfrey, &c.; and now (if not Anabaptists
and Arians) plain Machiavellians, yea, that they persuade in
public speeches that man hath free liberty to dissemble his
religion, and for authority do allege their own examples and
practice of feigning one religion for another in Q. Mary's
time (which containeth a manifest evacuation of Christ's own
coming and doctrine, of the Apostles, preaching and
practice, of the blood of the martyrs, of the constancy of
all confessors; yea, and of the glorious vain deaths of all
the stinking martyrs of their innumerable sects of
hereticks, one and other having always taught the confession
of mouth to be as necessary to salvation as the belief of
heart): shall these men now be admitted to plead conscience
in religion; and can any man now be couzined so much, as to
think that these men by conscience were then moved to make
that mutation?" Fol. 96, 97. "At home, likewise, apparent it
is how they provided, every way to make themselves strong
there also. For being by their own marriages allied already
to the house of Suffolk of the blood royal, and by
consequence thereof to the house of Hertford also, and their
children thereby incorporated to both: mark you how now by
marriage of their children with wily wit and wealth
together, they wind in your other noblest houses unto them
that are left, I mean in credit and countenance. Consider
likewise how, at their own commendation and preferment, they
have erected, as it were, almost a new half of your nobility
(of whom also they have reason to think themselves assured)
and the rest then (that were out of hope to be w