your honour and combine for your finall fall and all this under the gallant name of Loyalty to their King and specious pretext of defending the faith Oh the cunning Hereticks the Scots they have besieged us most subtilly and sprung a mine as it were under your Holinesse owne throne Amongst other inveagling devices they have coined such a blasphemous way of argumenting against Venerable Episcopacy that it will prove most destructive of that heavenly Hierarchy by which your Holinesse had anchored on the beauty of this Church and this malignancy is followed with congruity of humours so easily elemented that I doubt the miserable torne thing can escape shipwracke in this hell-blowne tempest They laugh at the authority of our Church they scorne the arguments of antiquity saying that Truth did precede errour and all the considerations of pompe and state and externall magnificence they hold lighter then vanity As to the Assembly of the high Court of Parliament here upon which all hereticke Churches doe gaze more superstitiously then the Indians looke upon the Sun which they adore 't is more terrible then many Armies with banners and by unmercifull wayes intends a mighty vengeance against the Romish and Prelate faction They are in a strange motion and run a tyde cleane contrary to our standing some wonderfull assistance must prompt the times dangerously and the great body of this justly redoubted Parliament is like to have a vertue too immense for one region to containe and moves with greater Majesty then as it were resolved to confine its revolutions within the narrow limits of this Iland for the policies are so many and transcendent their resolutions so firme and immovable that they are easily powerfull not onely to banish the Catholicks out of their owne Land but doe violence to the Romish faith in the heart of Jtaly and perswade the Turkes and Barbares to become hereticall Impostors It is able to make your Ancestors breake their mabre lodgings come forth and quarrell this superlative fury which riots so boundlesly Hee that would dis-compose this Parliament must first overthrow a Kingdome a Prince a Law nay else as easily might hee commixe with lightnings or call backe a Thunderbolt as offer to restore it for it is diseased in mind diseased past recovery All the Canons and constitutions of that sacred Synode which were truely the Magazin of our spirituall strength are here bitterly pestered and swept away and the children of Policy who made the advancement of your estate and honour the greatest part of their study are now most dangerously censured and made the deplored subject of the times They take as little notice of your off-spring the reverend Prelats as the surly North does of the Snow which when it has engendered its vild breath scatters through the earth forgotten If businesse take so hot a working truely for what I can conjecture by the purposes of heaven or earth all the Lawrels growing on your Holinesse Crest will bee turned to Cypres serving to no use but to adorn your funeralls and the Cardinalls Arch-bishops and Bishops of Italy shall bee shortly sent to visite their cold Urnes and the Nunnes left to keepe warme their ashes with their dearest teares Your Arch-officers and friends can be no more usefull to your Holinesse though they were indeed your ministring and faithfull spirits yet are they now shut up in prisons and groane under the martyring hand of impious and corrupt Justice resolve to compose their funerall Anthemes and make ready condigne places for them in the Calender for the blackest crime in their charge is that they have befriended the Romish cause trusty soules and laboured to rectifie a stubborne State too imperiously The persecution is so hot here and the winnowing of men so exact that sundry out of conscience of humbling and weakening the State to make it more capable of alterations and and apt to obey not able to stand before such a sophisticat light as is their Parliament which notwithstanding of our light esteem has melted them as Snow have embraced a voluntar banishment and transplanted themselves beyond sea where they may enjoy the safety of a more gracious shade and under your Holinesse beames grow fat Wee have not yet seene all the links of this chaine of providence till the unwearied spheares the dispensers of time spin them out one after another but if your Holinesse will cast your eyes about you and looke to the commotions and earth-quakes in Kingdomes and Common-wealths Wee dare almost be bold to say that your Kingdome is now at the age of consistence and can grow no further Your Sun-beames have past the meridian and chased with the stifling mists of errour like smoake out of the pit are swiftly declining and that without hopes to arise againe so they take it universally for granted and beleeve with strong confidence that now upon the stage of Europe there is a strange Comedy acting whose Epilogue shall be in Rome for matters cannot stand at this point but our enemies who have their desires strengthned will strive to encompasse what yet remaines May it not wel be feared that the English Majesty with his two puissant armies in the fields ready for all undertakings shall espouse the cause of the Hugenots in France and now when the French King is offering to set his foot upon that little republicke of Geneve shall appeare most terribly for their reliefe and lift up the Hereticks horne now lying in the dust and finally confound all the pioning policies of the Cardinall Richilieu who has so prosperously triumphed in his garlands of Lillyes and Floure-de-luces What should hinder him from becomming the head of all these pretended reformed Churches and display an uncontrolled banner till he have sprung over the Alpes upon the wings of renowne and as full of successe as hopes spread feare and love through the world and having forgotten your right to the Patrimony of the Church by the benevolence of Constantine the Great hee strip you naked of all your riches and eminence making you miserable as the poorest Capuchin and armed with zeale teare downe the walls of Rome like a ramping Lyon I think Wee should be sufficiently puzled and the most generous Armies your Holinesse could command would take them to their last abilities and have use of all their Counsell and strength if these motions should bee followed It is here likewise reported to the great encouragement of our enemies that there be strange and dangerous Novations in France which leade to an open revolt and the powerfull prevailing of heresie for if their Church Service be received in a known tongue against the practises and constitutions of the Church as the same flyes and that by the advice of the Hugenots who will never move beyond their Line to meet us not a haire breadth certainly you may then make the Myters Epitaph and perswade your selfe of greater inundations of evills then ever was thought to have sprung from the Covenant of
Scotland or the Trienniall Parliaments in England You may see then the combustion which began in Scotland and threatned but weakely at a great distance is now come to the skirts of the Holy Land almost and that you had need to looke to your owne building Our evills multiply as the heads of Hydra for what consequence may Wee apprehend from the Marriage of the daughter of England with those who bee Arch-enemies to your most Catholicke Sonne the right hand of your execution and can the Prince Palatine be arrived here for any thing which will bring either happinesse to the common cause or divert the calamities which are daily emergent like swolne clouds of infection arising upon the Horizon and darkening the skie No our evills are preparing as the Arrowes are ready to bee sent from the bended bow Through this beliefe the prophane world doe glory in most sacrilegious insolencies for the dis-mantling of Churches the pulling up of the railes which make the comely distance from the holy place nay the overturning of Altars which in all the corners of the Kingdome did rise most bravely after the Italian mode are but the daily practises of the undanted and undistinguishing vulgar Wee are come to such height of contempt that Boyes sing our scandale in the streets they tune Ballads to our infamy and hee that can reproach us most handsomly and deepely informe against us has most strongly demerited Church and State I like not the complexion of our affaires strange symptoms of a most dangerous consumption and many pregnant reasons for the encrease of our feares The Pulpits have forgotten that gracious sound with which they were of late most entirely acquainted the Bookes dare not appeare in the Romish dye but come forth in squadrons in strange habit and hereticall colours Our possession heere is gone it seemes and our hopes to recover it wholly blasted nay if the pernicious Counsells and the opinions of the daring Scots prevaile Wee may as easily thinke to entice the Sun from his Ecliptick as work an alteration of their humors or shake them from these new grounds to which they are now so miserably wedded I dare not forget to shew your Holines what great expressions of joy have bin heere in the City of London tearing the clouds with the musicke of their Bells and condensing the aire with the smoake of their Bonefires as if they had already seene their furthest desires crowned and had bin ringing our funerall knels because the Prince has granted to the Estates a Triennall Parliament wherewith the people have beene as strongly affected as if they had beene delivered from Pest or Famine or had received the spoiles of most important conquest by this meanes they resolve to hammer us so flat that Wee shall never set up our heads nor bud againe If ever affliction could awake the Sonnes and Daughters of the Romane Church 't is now when the angry winds are let loose from the corners of the earth Wee have not indeed slept our time here but practised very laboriously and according as the Churches exigency did call us to a double care so likewise have We attempted all expediencies for deluding the purposes of our enemies and strengthning our selves We have stretched our wit and studied fitting policies in all the latitude of a Catholick conscience there remaines nothing in the treasure of invention which We have not sollicite and now in these bleeding times with greater strength of wit but I know not what has interposed betwixt your Holines influence and a good effect some thing of late has made obstructions in the effectuall derivations of your Apostolick Benedictions all has proved unprofitable And not to offend your Holines I feare least the tyde of your sorrowes be but yet growing for whereas Wee have ever magnified and exalted tradition above the Scripture yet we know not how to fasten on these Impostures for they adhere so close to their Scriptures in their reasons and opinions that sooner may you divorce the light froÌ„ the Sun then pull them from their grund slighting the traditions and customes of the Romish Church with as much disdaine as we neglect the Alchoran and ever when they oppone Scripture to our Traditions We know not what to say and have not bin acquainted with other Authority then the Churches therefore your Holines would doe well to hearken to this and consider that the times in likelyhood are comming when the Scriptures which have bin so highly esteemed by the simplicity of that pretended Religion will bee the rule of faith and Church-Government and overthrow our subtilties I hope your Holines as the great Ghostly Father of the Church will see that your building be firmely seated upon permanent foundations for if they be not sure and able for all assaults it may happily fall and crush us all and I assure your Holines if your affronts encrease your strength doe not convalesce and this bad fortune of the Miter continue a panick feare will invade all your devoted Kings Princes and Cardinals they will betake them to the strongest side and leave you in the mire It is now therefore high time to summon up all that is vertue about you What ever any of the great Monarches of the Church could â—oe let it now appeare by your power most eminently displayed your Holines would doe well to call a Counsell and consult with heavens and learne how to stop these Hereticks mouthes convince them of the Truth and heape coales on their heads seeke out the end of these troubles that afflict the world for it is indeed to be feared if Heresie become so insolent and swell with so good fortune that shortly their Truth shall shine glorious as the Sun and become as it were the Idole of the world extinguishing the life of our misteries under which Wee have had such Halcyonian dayes Since then all the fabrick of our Religion the standing of the Apostolick Empire and all that is deare and splendid to the glory of the Miter is now shaking Rise up from your throne put to your saving hand to the Helme and doe not neglect one day one houre one minute to weare out with toyle of plot and practise of conceit your busie and fruitfull wit bestir like the first mover your inferiour and obedient Spirits every one in their owne spheare never take rest nor force a smile which is not borrowed from a sacred and Papall vengeance such as becomes the state of your disgrace and unbounded fate till your Holines know what way to satisfie fury and revenge till you and your successors the undoubted Inheritors of the worlds Metropoliticall throne have touched the ends of the earth with your all conquering Scepter and hath led Truth in Procession triumphing over the ruines of errour FINIS The Daughter of Myst'ry the child of Errour Mother of Tyranny of Wars of Terrour The Idol of Reproach Rocke of offence To Iew and Gentile Source of Indulgence For all Impieties and th'usurping Crest 'Bove Diademes the State the Churches Pest Is now discov'red and all the world awake Makes proud Rome and th'opprobrious Myter shake
Assembly to which the title of Candor doth properly belong You fathers of Integrity sons and heirs aswell of my Institutions as Designes whom my Holy Benediction hath erected to be the Ornament of the Church throned in all Catholicall graces If naturall compunction touch you truly you have found how your most deare Primitive Mothers heart hath received a late Wound from the Adversaries and how a number of Impostors are risen up preaching a new Sedition and drawing her very Life-blood her blood of Honour from her sweet tender Sides The fearfullest Blow our Cause ever felt the lowdest Tempest that ever Hereticall Schisme could rouse doth now rage most furiously and threatens to pull up our Sacred Throne by the very roots It hath made S. Peters tremble Shook the very Altars and Statues and affrighted the ashes of sleeping Popes We have certainly gotten a Master-check never felt extremity like this Amazement covers us our infallible staffe doth faile us and for very feare our Mysterious Miter is turned Paralytick Thick darknesse dwels upon this Houre Integrity like one of Heavens bright Luminaries by Errors dull Element interpose suffers a black Eclipse the Locusts of Hell are let loose and if they be not swept away we may resolve to make Bone-fires of all the Books of the Vaticane and let all the Religious turne Knights errant It is to be feared my Disciples lest this new-fangled Heresie pervert Nations and Realmes to an open Revolt from our spirituall Scepter and these Innovators spread over the world cover the Earths face and make dark the land like Egyptian Grashoppers The affront which our Holinesse receives doth the more afflict Us because it comes from that Kingdome of Scotland the most infortunate and inconsiderable Angle in the World a people not worthy to be beloved nor sought after Yet our conscience beares Us witnesse how affectionatly we have offered unto them our Apostolicall Embracements but they hated to be reformed And to the end that rebellious Nation might be brought under You know how I have most laboriously bestirred the strength of Machiavell and diligently sollicite Jgnatius subtilties who like a glittering serpent with his resplendent Poysons can most divinely creep into the very Souls of the most impregnable Common-wealths and teach them how to derive Life and Motion from Us What great proofes we have had of their dexterities in such Convoys the whole Christian World can this day bear record how nimbly likewise those Emissaries fraughted with the same Excellencies went about the great work called The possession of the World to make it Ours you have learned by the informations of our Secretaries and addresses of our Nunncio's and may likewise judge by the Records of the Articles and assurances which they duly dispatch from these parts The continuall Current of that Primates Intelligence who for his active zeale deserveth well to be called The Genius of the distressed Church in England did sweetly refresh our longing soules with glad tydings and conceived fair Hopes in our Hearts We have justly ripened him with the beames of our favour and we must all confesse that howsoever We laid our Commands both thick and fast upon him his allegeance notwithstanding was ever devoted to Us in a boundlesse obedience the humblest yet mightiest of all filiall duties full well he knew the language of my Intent moved by my Sanctimonious breath He hath propined most abundantly to that Nation and I hope effectually too for the businesse of the Universall Monarchy went well on I saw it in an Egyptian Glasse the most Pure Waters which run from the threshold of S. Peters Sanctuary Which makes this good Ghostly Father amongst those yet unhallowed Heretiques to be branded as great Prime Incendiary of all Christendome who with the French Cardinall tosseth Kingdomes like Tenisbals We heard he can negotiat most handsomely factiously with pleasant subtilty and bewitching Courtship abuse the Infatuate State with delight He muzles the barking Tongue-men of the Time as cunningly as ever the Florentine Monster could poyson the fairest CoÌ„monwealth of Europe with his Politicks so hath he most Episcopally exalted our Church Hierarchy established a Spirituall Government there now happily advanced the opinion of our Glory to that Eminency that the two Tutelar Angels of Cambridge Oxford stick not almost to maintaine the Myter of equall dignity with the Scepter Nay so good proficients were they in his Apostolicall Canons Two Germain brethren the one whereof maintained the Popes honour above the Emperour the â—ther sustained the Emperours dignitie above the Popes wherupon they fought and the one killing the other their quarrell was spred throughout all Italie that as boldly durst they kick against the one as spurn at the other Thus were we hopefull to see the old quarrell of the Gwelfes and Gibellines enflame the swords of Potentates die the Copes of English Cardinals with the blood of Hereticks For the course which he ran seemed to be infallible as the prophecies of the old Testament immoveable as Fate tollerat by Heavens connivance And thus like a cunning Catholick burning with zeal of the great Cause and desirous to bring that fatall and Neighbouring Nation under our banner and within the bosome of the Church Catholick he fastned upon the most promising and apparant meanes which our Conclave could teach him put the same to as assured execution as if Ignatius spirit had made Pythagoricall Transmigration to his venerable brains For the truly Aequivocall Father of that Church with his Fellow-labourers the Scottish Prelates caused compyle a Service book to the great service of our Church wherein were most divinely couched the true Orthodox Tenets of the Ancient Apostolick and Catholick faith but ever opposed by the Enemies of the Truth in that Land And in this Web of their composure they had so ingeniously interlaced for though the Generals were given out from Us yet we committed the particulars to their owne discretion respectivè in Times and States the sweet Embellishments of our Art and the Majestie and Decency of our Missall that none could well discover at the first glance the girnes of our Holy Treason by which we would have surprised the Heretick Soules nor the Mysterie of the Work unlesse they had the benefit of Gregory the Great and Bedaes Spectacles or Calvines Perspective by which he saw the Antichrist say Masse within the walls of Rome S'il est vray peut bien est râ— And those Reverend Presbyters of these Northerne Churches who sought not themselves nor the glory of this present world that they might elude the People alwayes jealous of Novations and dally with Princes they advocate Authority and caused animat the Book with the strong Influence of a Secular power This drift walkt a pace uncensured never questioned but in thought with a whifle or whisper what ever disappointment it hath met with since what ever misfortun hath stopped the current very spring
of these Advancements and overflowings it ought not to be imputed to that never-enough-deserving Prelat who is of the true Champ and perfectly sincere But these other of Scotland who were but his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Neophytes have given a little weake evidence of their good breeding in their profession For the Politick institutor had shown them the true Catholick paths and mounted them on the Chariots of Dignity and Power But once elevate to a sphere too high and not able to sustaine such happinesse Powder was not more ambitious when the match met it than their mindes to mount which emboldened them to presse our holy will a little immaturely Their preposterous zeal blown up with supererogation of obedience did anticipate the maturity of our Designes with an unluckie discovery to the eternall disaster of those Politicians and back-sliding of the great Cause Had they gone more softly they had come more swiftly to Rome but good souls presuming on the faire Path of their meaning went a little rashly on and brought within the wildernes of an Heretical though National Law by some lines or words dropt unadvisedly out did innocently hurt the good Cause gave the Adversary advantage by it Had they with an insinuating distance played a while with the Eare and grop't the Peoples mindes and found to what point their blood most inclined by strong Episcopall reasons violented their soules had they prepared them with Purgatives before they adhibited the Book of Missall too strong for the Puritanicall complexion of the Scots this day we might have gone in Procession and sung Te Deum whereas we now shrink under an abortive wound and are met to celebrate the Funerals of the most important Members of our Church and most considerable souldiours of that Northern Conquest The sooner they dispersed their Novations and the more imperiously they urged obedience the sooner they hastened to the displaying of all and loosed the fair advantages of Times and Plots If they had not tempted the Eye of Jealousie too much they should quickly have gained no question the Laicks Sons and Daughters of their meritorious Seducements But when before the fulnesse of Time the Book pointed out his unknowne head O how it was most profanely persecute and how the sharpe Invectives like points of spears have rent discovered his bowels It was abhorred as a leprous brood every Parret in the Land was taught to raile reproaches the very Children to preach against it and every mouth could most profusely vomit forth his blasphemies The uncatholical multitude like the spectacled inquisitors of Venice durst pick out syllables of Heresie against the Canonicall liberties of our Church Discipline The Laicall Judgements durst canvase the Mysteries of our Conclave question our Infallibility But if our Holines had doubted their skill in cheating of soules If we had not thought they had been more Spaniolized Gamesters We should have taught them the Times and secrets of State and wrought out our Holy purposes more softly at length found means to make thē swallow it over as greedily w th as implicite obedience as ever the Turks did their Alcoran but we thought it was no matter of difficulty to reconcile that silly Lunatick Church with ours especially since they began to have a Communion of words with Us used familiarly that Idiome which once heard of before amongst them would have made a whole Churchfal a swound so much did we confide the continuall assurances of our Attourneyes amongst them as the Cabinet of my Intelligences can well instruct And therfore our diseased Prelates would have done well sometimes to have throwne into the peoples Eares out of Pulpits the authority of Councels and guilded over the Rudenesse of their Pillules with the Homilies of Fathers yet faithfull soules we know their Intentions were meerly and purely Catholicall but the affectionat passion to approve themselves obsequious to our Holy desires made them prove too Herculean that offered to strangle Serpents in their Craddles for sooner could the Segniory of Geneva embrace the Missall and the abject Valdenses assent to our Supremacy than that cursed Crew could be moved to welcome that book of Reformation which we out of our Holy Fatherly care as supream Head of the Church on Earth conceived to be the Soveraigne way to convey the beames of our purity through the darknes of those Islands but they had al drunk in such a Mortal dislike against it as no authority was able to restraine the strong inward thoughts of the disloyall subjects the hot murmurings from comming to outward Resistances which al the Ecclesiasticall Canons could not beat down nor Secular power overcome Thus being a People without wisdome given over to the spirit of Delusion and Heresie which wrought most powerfully in them laying aside all subjection of their Execrable wills and judgements infected with that Leprosie which they suckt from the Arch-enemies of the Truth with an Immoveable Resolution they combine against their own Anointed those likewayes whom by the Oyl of Punity we have consecrate to be the Bishops of their Soules And not knowing the principles of Implicite Obedience they begin to sift those undoubted Verities which are as old as the Sunne and Starres and doe arraigne our Catholick Apostolicke Truths before their Tribunall where our Venerable Cleargy being the Character of our own Image in whose hands we have absolutely put the Raignes of Ecclesiasticall and Secular Government must stand to their determination and wait upon the discretion of an usurped and Hereticall Censure O high Impiety The last of all Nations whose Revenues could hardly afford Us Oyle to our Sallads Is it to them we owe account of our Infallible wayes Shall not they take of our Hands which Multitudes Nations People and Tongues more regarded by Heavens than they have kindly accepted Shall they refuse to drink of that Cup wherewith we have inebriat the powers of the World No Counsellors Rulers of the Earth though hitherto we have sailed with a very prosperous wind were hopefull to arrive at the Port of our Desires yet now certainly our Designes seeme to be scattered by a Thing which they call a COVENANT Hinc dolor lachrymae even as the fired Ship put in severed the Fleet in the 88. For when this black Heresie had displayed the Ensignes of that Covenant then whole Squadrons Legions and Numbers of Hereticks like Frogs were so espoused in their Soules to the devotion thereof that sooner might you blow away the light from the Sunne than pull them from their Covenant or work up their festered Judgements to right reason This accursed Covenant the King of all Monsters in Religion which is able to make all other Monsters to be unadmired and draw all number to this only out of whose wombe like the Trojane Horse are like to come a furious Crew of Undaunted Hereticks to brash the wals of Rome gives name to a Sect