ashamed to publish it vnto the world in this maner So as now those matters being thus declared determined by his Holines we hope that euery good Catholicke man and especially our brethren that are also Gods Priests will enter into themselues c. The like boldnesse doth this Author vse and libertie in the next sentence where he wisheth the good Catholike man and especially his brethren to ponder well the absurditie of spirit and speech proceeding thereof discouered in those their later bookes beyond all measure vnfitting for men of our vocation that is to say the booke to the Inquisition and The hope of peace against which two bookes this Appendix is written and because he will seeme to say nothing but what he meaneth to proue this answer saith he shall principally consist in laying before them their owne sayings in these bookes with a word or two of aduertisement to make more deepe and full reflexion thereof Now then it resteth that he performe asmuch and that he deale both honestly in relating the words out of these bookes and charitably in giuing his aduertisements The first of these later bookes which he taxeth for absurditie of spirit and speech is intituled The hope of peace by laying open such doubts and manifest vntrueths as are diuulged by the Archpriest in his letter or answere to the bookes which were published by the priests But before he toucheth it he discouereth a little of his owne spirit and speech which whether it be not more absurd then that at which he carpeth an indifferent Reader may iudge while he chargeth his brethren as he termeth them with fond passionate proceedings in these their distracted agonies In this title are 5. things noted First that it is a cōtrary meanes to make or hope for peace to impose on the Archpriest and diuulge against him calumniations of so manifest vntrueths which can neuer be prooued Secondly that the Archpriest is here named by contempt without any reuerence or respect at all Thirdly that there is mention of doubts the Archpriest hauing no doubt in the points he touched in his letter Fourthly that the Archpriests letter is tearmed an answere to the former two bookes Fiftly that they call themselues the priests being but a fewe diuided men frrom the rest whose doings are vtterly misliked and detested by the better and greater part of our Clergie To the first replie is made that it is the most ordinary and surest meanes to make or hope peace to open doubts and vntruethes which is perfourmed in The hope of peace without imposing any thing vpon the Archpriest but what is there proued and this author himselfe thought so well of those meanes himselfe as in the preface he tooke occasion to hope rest quietnesse peace and obedience because as he sayd these matters were declared and determined by his Holinesse and there is no man can doubt but that the cause of this second diuision was the not laying open of such doubts and manifest vntrueths about the slander of schisme which if it had been determined when the first Breue came those wicked proceedings of the Archpriest and his seditious adherents had neuer ministred any occasion to make a second Breue To the second there is this reply made that if these words the Archpr. imply a contempt then he is very often cōtemptuously vsed by the author of this Appendix both in the preface and the discourse where we reade the said words The Archpriest yea sometime concerning the Pope himselfe the Popes Breue the Popes authoritie and where speech is of the Prouinciall and Generall of the Iesuits fol. 17. Fa Parsons letter is cited wherein there is no more reuerence and respect then this the Prouinciall and Generall themselues which who will dare to say are named by contempt To the third replie is made that although to men of sense there is nothing in the Archpriests letter which should moue any doubt yet the letter being caried about and presented to the simpler sort there are many things which might mooue doubts in them and particularly in the very first beginning the Archpriest doth shew some doubt where he sayth speaking of the bookes perhaps neuer meant to bee presented to him his Holines And the fourth principall point which he toucheth is touched as a matter in doubt for it is sayth he speaking of the supposed schisme but a matter of opinion and therefore not worthy to make a matter of contention which part soeuer was true To the fourth I answere that the Archpriests letter is not absolutely called an answere to the bookes but a letter or answere as may be seen in the title of the booke but if it had been called an answere it was so christned before this booke was written and the Archpriest himselfe vseth the same word for not farre from the beginning of his letter thus we reade and therefore sayth he no other answere shall be sent now but this To the fifth I answere that they vsed the name of priests to distinguish betweene the Iesuits and them the controuersie being principally betweene them as may appeare by the groundworke of all this controuersie to wit the slanderous tongues and pennes of the Iesuits in the infamie of schisme Secondly if the controuersie shall be sayd to be onely among the priests the name of priests will most fitly be applyed to them who haue behaued themselues as became priests and the fewnes of the number can be no barre vnto them howsoeuer their doings are misliked and detested by the greater part of the Clergie which part if it were the author of this Appendix as it seemeth content to beare the name it might with more humilitie haue left out these wordes speaking of themselues the better part After that he hath canuassed the title of the booke hee descanteth vpon the Scripture which is prefixed vnto it Veritatem tantum pacem diligite that is trueth onely and peace doe you loue and he telleth his Reader that the priests do impugne peace and trueth and this latter point hee prooueth because the booke is said to be imprinted at Frankfort by the heires of D. Turner whereas sayth he the booke is knowen to haue bene printed at London by the fauour of the Bishop and permission of his Purseuants This argument hath beene often solued before and the folly thereof discouered it being an vsuall matter among honest men if Fa. Parsons may be counted an honest man to set out bookes as printed in one place which are printed in another and the thing it selfe neither being of that qualitie that it can induce any man into error and no iust cause wanting why such a point should be concealed It was neuer heard of before the absurditie of this spirit appeared that such exceptions were taken against a booke Saint Peter did in a manner date his first Epistle from Babylon Salutat vos Ecclesia quae est in Babylone the Church sayth he ending his Epistle which is
prophecie as that any good or ease should come to the Catholicks by the absence of the Iesuits in England Wotteth he not that his Holines knoweth that no euill is to be done although good should ensue thereon If it be a sinfull act to call the Iesuits out of England what feare is there that his Holines would doe it If it be no sinfull acte to call them out of England and that thereupon may come ease and quiet to the Church which hath bene a long time in the more grieuous persecution in regard of the hard opinion which our Prince and Counsell haue had of their statizing vnder a colour of pietie and Religion how farre are these fellowes from that Spirit of Ionas who willingly yeelded himselfe rather to be throwen out of the ship into the sea then that through his default those who were in it should perish But of these matters we shall haue cause elswhere to delate more at large And in the meane while wee make humble request to the indifferent Readers to note well throughout the Apologie how farre this Author is from all Authenticall testimonies in laying downe the grounds of all such matters as are now in question for we are not here to stand vpon such impertinent stuffe as he thrusteth into his booke to the end that by shuffling in sometime some part of our matters he might make them odious to such as will runne ouer his packes without searching into them what is therein belonging to our controuersie and how little coherence it hath with that other with which it is ioyned CHAP. 5. How the Apologie-maker by the same reason which he giueth for the publishing of his Apologie doth giue light to his reader to conceiue the iust cause which the Priests had to print their bookes THe Preface of this Apologie is to the Catholikes of England to fore-arme forewarne them what is meant thereby lest the matter being otherwise taken then it ought to be should yeeld to scandall and thereby ouerthrow sayth he and worke your ruine which is intended and permitted by Almighty God Father of all mercies to your triall and greater merit c. But this fore-arming of the Catholiks is such as they ought all to be forewarned what is meant by this his fore-arming For what Catholike or worthy seruant of God as he tearmeth them hath euer before this time beleeued that either scandall or their ruine hath been intended howsoeuer it hath been permitted by Almighty God vpon some cause best knowen vnto his diuine Maiestie For how farre off is this fore-arming or forewarning from his doctrine who sayth that the betraying of Christ was Gods acte in Iudas aswell as repentance in S. Peter But I pray you see how he goeth on affirming that Christ sent aduersaries to afflict his Church and which is most ridiculous he auoucheth that he sent a new kind of aduersaries neuer heard of in the world before named heretikes that tooke vnto themselues the name of the best sort of Christians c. If there were no heretikes before what were the Pharises and Sadduces Of whom Ioseph lib. 18. Antiqui Iud. cap. 2. affirmeth that the Pharises held opinion that those soules who after the separation from the body were found good did returne againe to some other bodies And that the Sadduces did thinke that the soule died with the body And doubtlesse this was the cause why it is so precisely recorded in the second booke of the Macchabees cap. 12. that Iudas did thinke piously and religiously of the resurrection For about this time did these people rise and fell very quickly into these heresies perchance the sooner for their very great pride which they tooke of their ouer selfe-weening religious course of life Of the Saduces we haue many testimonies in the new Testament and of their error as Math. 22. Mar. 12. Luk 20. and Act 23. but two notable places there are in the Acts of the Apostles which shew not onely that these were errors but heresies and that they were Heretikes who are related by the Euangelist to haue assaulted our Sauiour We reade in the 5. chapter a company thus described Quae est heresis Saducaeorum which is the heresie of the Saduces And in the 24. chapter Tertullus the oratour accuseth S. Paul before Foelix the President in this manner Inuenimus c. We found this pestiferous fellow both raising contention against all the Iewes in the world and broaching the sedition of the sect of those of Nazareth And for that word sect there is in the Greeke copie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heresie And in the same chap. S. Paul answering for himselfe acknowledgeth that he serued God in that way which his accusers called heresie Can there be any plainer Testimonies that there were heresies among the Iewes and so accounted by them and the men accused thereof who held such opinions But this good fellow writeth to such as hee thinketh will not bee euill conceited of him howsoeuer he abuseth them or himselfe but will rather take his wordes for oracles how contrary soeuer they are to trueth Hereupon also he emboldeneth himselfe to cast many doubts and suspitions into his readers head against the priests whom he calleth Libellers First because as he sayth There is no certaine author of their bookes named Secondly because no licence of superiors for printing is named Thirdly because worthy men are defamed by name without intention or possibility to proue it by lawful meanes To the first I answere that the authors names are as leageably set downe in the bookes which the priests set out as the authors names of this Apologie That booke which is dedicated to his Holinesse is set out by the priests vnder their owne names as appeareth by the title of the booke where it is sayd to be giuen to his Hol. by the priests who were most vniustly defamed of schisme and other crimes And in the appeale their names are particularly set downe who they are Pag. 119. and the other are set out in the same maner And this Apologie is sayd to be written and set forth by priests vnited in due subordination to the Archpr. but the reader must go looke who they are This exception therefore against the priests bookes is very absurd and proueth that the Apologie commeth neerer to the nature of a Libel then the Priests books To the second I answer that in case the Superiour be a party laboureth what he may with all men that the trueth of the question be not knowen and to that end forbiddeth that any thing be written or read which may giue satisfaction to indifferent men it is not necessary to expect his licence neither is it a note of a Libel to print without it To the third I answere that there is no man touched in these bookes but for such matters and vpon such ground as the authors of them are ready to iustifie and haue alreadie shewed that they haue intention to proue
in execution against him which is due vnto the refusers of iust appeales and contemners of the sea Apostolike whither the appeale was made And if the appeale were not a iust appeale how foolishly is it here vrged that the Priests not resting here nor contented with this freedome during the dependance of the same appeales they haue proceeded to greater disorders which is to publish in print most iniurious contumelious and infamatory bookes and libels without particuler name of Author without licence of superior c. The causes of this publishing haue bene diuersly touched by many who haue proued that it was most necessary for the procuring of an vnfeined peace lest matters being shuffled vp as once before they were the Iesuits should breake out at their pleasure as they did once before not long after the peace was concluded And being backed with the authoritie of the Archpriest bring new quarels euery day worse and more grieuous then the former And whereas here it is particularly vrged that during the dependance of the appeales these bookes were published it is easily answered because the archpriest shewed no reuerence to his Holines and to the sea Apostolicke but denied the dimissory letters which were demanded of him reiected the appeale as a seditious pamphlet and proceeded against the appellants as if the appeale were no otherwise to be esteemed as wee haue immediatly before proued and all Catholicks can testifie as much who haue bene warned not onely from receiuing Sacraments of the appellants but also from being present at their sacrifice because they set their hands to that appeale And therefore it was iudged necessary that all Catholicks should be informed of the trueth and how the case stood in this present controuersie which without printing could not conueniently haue bene declared especially where the matter is so hardly followed that no one of the Priests may bee suffered to speake for themselues And to this effect also were the Latine bookes printed that the Priests making their cause generally knowen in Christendome they might maugre their aduersaries come to haue audience where they desired and had once before failed when for auoyding of too much speech of strangers they went in a more priuate sort for a remedy of home miseries Neither ought any man to wonder at this good fellow when he calleth these bookes Libels for the spirit moued him in hope at that time that the Priests should be sufficiently debarred from comming to the place where now they are and being there ready to proue such things as are here to be obiected they doe conuince the vnderstanding of him who hath any and knoweth what belongeth to a libel that these bookes are no Libels against which this author inueyeth in these hote termes iniurious contumelious and infamatory bookes or libels But by that which followeth he doeth more discouer his folly He saith that the bookes were published in print without particuler name of Author without licence of superior and other circumstances of modestie right and conscience required in such attempts Alas good sir to omit in this place what want there is of other circumstances of modestie throughout all the Apologie if it be a necessary circumstance of modestie right and conscience to put to a booke some particuler name of Author where was your modestie right and conscience when you published this Apologie what particuler name of Author hath your booke Haue you not set it out in these general termes written and set forth by Priests vnited in due subordination to the right reuerend Archpriest and other their superiors And I pray you sir what particuler name is here and of what author Good sir turne once againe the bookes against which this Apologie is written and finde this circumstance of modestie right or conscience more wanting in their bookes then in the Apologie and then with lesse shame vpbraid the priests that they published in print without particular name of Author and other circumstances of modestie right and conscience But to giue a fuller satisfaction to our Reader We affirme that the books which were published by the Priests were published with more particular name of authour then this Apologie was if the particular name be that which bringeth the authour to be knowen who he was For first the Latine booke which was published in print and dedicated to his Holinesse is sayd to be exhibited by those Priests who were accused of Schisme and other crimes The English booke also which is intituled The copies of certaine discourses carieth as particular a name of authour in these words which were extorted from diuers as their friends desired them or their aduersaries driue them to purge themselues of the most grieuous crimes of schisme sedition rebellion faction and such like Now good sir I doe appeale to the indifferent Reader whether the authors of these two books for this Apologie meaneth none other as appeareth by the whole discourse thereof and particularly fol. 8. were more knowen by this description accused of schisme they shewing themselues publiquely in their owne defence then the authors of the Apologie by this description Priests vnited in due subordination to the Archpriest all the rest keeping their consciences to themselues that no man almost is sure who can be meant by this name And some of them who were so firmely reputed for such as the Archpriest and Iesuites aduentured to aske their handes or consents to somewhat which some doe thinke should haue bene vsed for the authorizing or giuing their consents to the setting out of this booke they tooke this priestlike courage vnto them as to deny to set their hands to that to which they were not to be made priuie And many more there are as many doe knowe who goe for such as are here set downe for authours of this Apologie who perchance haue their handes as deepe in the answere as any of the other But we will let this slip go hoping that this good fellow will be better aduised in his next booke how he taxeth men for that in which he doth offend himselfe if the fault which hee findeth may be called an offence But now concerning the other circumstance that the bookes were printed without licence of Superiour If this authour will tell vs whither we should haue gone neere hand to haue found an indifferent Superior we will acknowledge that there was some errour The Archpriest was not an indifferent Superiour in this case because he was a partie against whom the bookes were to be published so farre foorth as they concerned the controuersie betweene himselfe and the Priests and therefore he was not likely to giue them licence to print An other Superior they know not where to seeke in any reasonable distance to demād their licence Besides that to their remembrance they doe not finde any authority in his Commission to licence bookes to the print being no Ordinarie but a Subdelegate and for certaine purposes among which this is not reckoned for any
strengthening For what profiteth it you to be raised after a fall if you are not confirmed or made strong to stand And a little after sayth the King Ad hoc enim ordinatur It is ordained to this end that a man may boldly confesse his faith before the persecutor And to make here an end of this discourse Pope Leo the 10 gaue vnto the King for this booke this Title Defender of the faith And if there were no other proofe of the necessitie of this Sacrament in time of persecution that which is here cited out of Hugo and so highly commended by Pope Leo were sufficient for a farre better man then the fault-finding Apologie-maker and to conuince him that the proposition which the priests vsed was neither words of great excesse nor contained false doctrine nor was reprochfull to his Holinesse or his predecessors who could not but know that confirmation was most necessarie in time of persecution howsoeuer they were perswaded by some our backe-friends that it was not necessarie in England during the time of our persecution And thus much in answere to the second Chapter of the Apologie wherein the author doth sufficiently discouer by his proud and peremptorie iudgements whither his spirit tendeth and that his hope to preuaile with his reader is founded more vpon contumelious words and false imaginations then vpon sound discourses CHAP. 8. How this Authour layeth his plot for the disgrace of Secular Priests and draweth on his reader with diuers idle stayes Apol. cap. 3. IN the third Chapter this Authour intendeth first to shew the great iniuries and ingratitude offered to the whole body of the society secondly how pleasing and profitable this is to heretikes thirdly how preiudiciall and dishonourable to all our Catholike nation and cause three very materiall points were they performed The priests doe shew all these things most plainely against the Iesuits and their adherents in this action For whereas the Priests did raise a very reuerend opinion of the Iesuits in the hearts of the English as Fa. Campion in his letters to his generall confesseth and such as without feare hee could not recount it the Iesuits being by these meanes wrought into credite wrought the priests out so far as in many places no priest was welcome who came not by order of a Iesuite and hauing gotten an aduantage as they thought of the Priests followed it to the priests great disquiet although in the end it will turne to their owne vtter discredite as already it beginneth and their best friends doe see it and wish too late that their treatise of Schisme against the Priests had neuer bene written The commending of which treatise by their fellow Iesuits or the not punishing of so famous a libeller hath iustly drawen on a hard conceit of the whole body especially the superiour of the society who in conscience should haue corrected so foule a fault and chiefe root from whence doeth spring the present disquietnesse in England among the Catholikes and a very profitable pleasure to the Protestants who cannot but laugh at this sinnefull folly of the Iesuits while by libels they would possesse al Catholikes that the priests who reconciled them to the vnion of Gods Church were now themselues become Schismatikes the most preiudiciall and dishonourable calumniation that euer was raised against our Catholikes and the Catholike faith And for the further vexation of the priests this author proceedeth in this third Chapter to bring them into the highest degree of contempt and hatred he endeuoureth to bring them into contempt by telling his reader that they went ouer-Sea some of them poore seruing-men other souldiers other wanderers in the world good stuffe to make priests of whom Catholiks are to reuerence and at whose feet Princes are to kneele And although our Sauiour made his choice of his Apostles out of the meaner sort of men to giue vs to vnderstand that it was their function which was honourable in them yet these words in this place might for diuers respects haue bene spared First for that if any such be among them it is litle for the Iesuits credit who procure them to take orders Secondly because these who are named to haue bene the authors of the bookes against which this Apologie is written and seeme by this discourse to be here girded at haue some of them left more to betake themselues to that calling in which they are then all our English Iesuits haue done others are so abundantly prouided for out of their owne patrimonies as they do maintaine diuers others of their friends Others if al their worshipful friends should haue failed them were so well placed in the Vniuersities of Enggland as they needed not to haue come to any such bare estate as to become poore seruing men souldiers or wanderers And he who was worst of them all prouided for was a scholler of good fame and so might haue liued in such sort as he neither needed to serue in this maner or to wander in a strange country Thirdly the author of this Apologie if he be not mistaken had he not helped himselfe with his pupils money with which he was put in trust for his pupils vse might haue bene a poore seruing man in some strange countrey or a souldier or a wanderer not hauing any honest place of abode in England For being expulsed with infamie out of his Colledge at Oxeford and thereby made destitute where to become in England resolued to trauaile and to study Phisicke in Padua where in a short time his money failing him which his pupils lent him against their wils want wrought such a deuotion in him as he was contented to be beholding to the Iesuits in such sort as here in generall termes he affirmeth of the priests Fourthly if the remembrance of sir William Stanley and of other good souldiers and zealous men for the Iesuits could not haue obteined of this author not to haue spoken so contemptuously of souldiers and to discredit some of his closest adherents yet the remembrance of F. Ignatius Loiola the founder of the Iesuits should haue made him beare a greater reuerence to the name of a souldier But perchance he meaneth to keepe himselfe well ynough out of his sight and we feare it greatly that F. Ignatius wil haue litle ioy to looke vpon him vnlesse hee fall to repentance of these his bad dealings And whereas he affirmeth that probably some of those which he calleth heads of the faction had neuer bene men of learning or accompt or able to write bookes if the Iesuits had not bene It is well knowen that some of those whom he by-nameth were neuer the better by the Iesuits some so little as little might be and al of them might haue bin probably men of more learning accompt better able to write books if they had neuer knowen the Iesuits then now they are hauing had more hinderance by them then furtherance while vnder colour of prudent and necessay mortification
of their liues and one of them had suffered imprisonment for the Catholike faith which sentence sayth this author they accepted and confirmed also by a corporall oath This fellow forgetteth himselfe This sentence he sayth was by way of a letter to F. Parsons who was Rector or to the Vicerector and by F. Parsons onely was this sentence shewed first to M. Charnocke who was yet in prison then afterwards to M. Bishop who was at liberty and had ben so some certaine dayes And neither did F. Parsons exact any oth of them neither did they take any vnto him And in the tenth Chapter fol. 155. it is vrged that this oath was exhibited by the immediate Commissarie or Delegate of his Holines which titles belonged not to F. Parsons to whome this letter was directed by the two Cardinals as shall hereafter appeare The truth of this story and how this letter lay hid as was pretended in F. Parsons chamber for certaine dayes as he told M. Charnocke is set downe in the booke dedicated to the Inquisition pag 88. and it goeth vncontrolled and vntouched which in the iudgement of any indifferent man it should not if any iust exceptions could be takē against it Yet must his Reader be told that this author proceedeth no otherwise then in such sort as must satisfie all men for this he sayth fol. 126. speaking of himselfe offering for proofe either the publique testimonies of his Holines the two Cardinals Protectors Acarisius the Popes Fiscal and other parties that were actors or priuie to the cause or else the depositions of the said messengers themselues vnder their hands and oaths or finally the witnesse of the whole English Colledge and nation that knowe what passed in this matter which is another manner of proceeding then to publish things in corners by way of libels without any further ground of trueth then the will or malice of the publisher But these testimonies so much vanted of are loth to come to light or are caried into some farre countreys as disdaining to be in corners such as England Flanders France and Italy for these were the corners in which the priests books were published and in these corners haue the priests iustified their bookes which this poore fellow calleth libels to shift them off by one meanes or other And the priests were neuer so daintie of their bookes but that they who opposed themselues against them might haue Gods plenty for their comfort whereas contrarywise this miserable Apologie had a quartane euery time that it came to any of the priests hands and when it was to be seene by them it was by stealth and but for an houre or two so did it quake for feare of being found to be such stuffe as since it hath bene sufficiently discouered Yet to encourage the blind-obedient it telleth them of Popes and Cardinals testimonies and authenticall matters and bringeth nothing which can please these blinde affectioned but some railing words against Catholike priests as though if it could perswade the reader that they were most wicked by often inculcating it vnto him the cause were wonne and a railing word of this authors mouth would be of more weight to determine a controuersie then all possible right in the part oppressed But the indifferent reader will weigh his reasons and not his foule words and iudge of matters not as they are said to be but as they are prooued And thus much in answere to the ninth Chapter CHAP. 15. How this Apologie-maker shuffleth off the true cause of this present controuersie and layeth the blame thereof vpon the Secular priests Apol. cap. 10. IN the tenth chapter of the Apologie the author thereof intendeth to shew how that all controuersies were ended vpon the publication of his Holines Breue and how that a new breach was made He promiseth also to handle some excesses of his brethren and of their dealings with the Counsell The first point he handleth very slenderly as it should seeme for he forgetteth often that euer the controuersies were ended The second he layeth falsly to the priests as shall be shewed and in the rest he onely sheweth his merchandize And thus he beginneth this Chapter After that his Hol. had well considered the little waight of reason which these two former messengers had brought in the behalfe of their partners in England for raising so great a sedition against the Protectors letters and Archpriests incitation and had giuen some due reprehension to the sayd messengers as by their restraint aswell in Rome as by that they were not permitted to returne presently into England he thought conuenient to confirme the sayd Protectors letters c. In these few lines it is to be noted first how that his Holinesse is sayd to haue restrained the priests who went to Rome vpon consideration of the little waight of reason which they brought and permitted them not to returne or as we say in English banished them not onely England but Scotland also and Ireland yea and confined them to seuerall Countreys without allowing them any thing for their maintenance Secondly how his Holinesse confirmed the Cardinals letters Touching the first it is knowen to all the world or at the least in those parts which this author calleth corners those are England Flanders France and Italie where their bookes haue been published or sent that the two priests were restrained before they deliuered any reasons of their forbearance to subiect themselues to the Archpriest and as yet no one part of their relation hath been prooued faulty They haue layd downe an orderly narration of their messengers disorderly restraint through the false wicked suggestiōs of their aduersaries before that they had any audience and thereby haue made it euident that his Holines did not restraine them vpon any consideration of their reasons because he heard them not nor any cause else before they were restrained Secondly it is at large related both in the English booke pag. 97.98.104.105 and els where as also in the booke to the Inquisition pag 77. how that when the priests came to their answere before the Cardinals Caietane and Burghese they were not suffered to haue a copie of their accusations brought against them although it were most earnestly demanded by them that they might make their answere thereunto but a dissembling shew was made to haue all matters taken vp in peace and quietnes And this author not being able to gainesay any of this how shamelesly doth he here tell his reader that his Holinesse had well considered the little weight of their reasons and had therefore not onely restrained them but banished them or as he tearmeth it not permitted them to returne presently into England And although it be true which this author affirmeth that his Holines confirmed the Card. letters yet it is euident that he did not vpon consideration of the little weight of the messengers their reasons for they were neuer suffred to deliuer them as the custome of God Church was
the principall faction against them and are priests who sooner or later for the most part did forsake the Seminaries Thirdly they say in this title saith he that their contentions against the Iesuits began from the death of Card. Allen. They neither challenge vnto themselues any coÌ„tentions against the Iesuits neither doe they say when any begun but onely intituled the booke in this maner A declaration of stirres and troubles which are or were betweene the Iesuits and them since the death of the Cardinall vnto such a yeere If a man should write of the warres in the Low Countreys from the death of the Prince of Parma vntill this present yeere must he be said to affirme that the warres began then yet cannot this author proue that there was any publique opposition or common stirres in England before the Cardinals death but that rather what was begunne as he saith Cap. 2. fol. 85. in the Cardinals time by Libertines and factious people was retained somewhat from breaking forth by his authority while he liued and this is most true for the Iesuits who lusted after a superioritie ouer the priests were afraid to make this their pride knowen either by themselues or by their factious adherents so long as he liued But the good Cardinall being dead in the yeere 94 all factious brake out together Fa. Weston the Iesuit and his factions begun a common wealth in Wisbich and vnder a colour of a stricter rule all the priests there must become his subiects or liue in perpetuall infamie some Iesuits abroad tooke order for the priests their welcome to all such places whither they were not directed by them The matters of Rome I leaue to them to whom that belongeth and although this fellow is so impudent as to alledge the Cardinall Allen his letter to proue that some of the seditious as he termeth them had begunne to stirre against the Fathers in England in his dayes his reader may easily discouer his falshood if he will turne not to the place by him cited to wit the 4. Chapter for there is nothing to be seene but to the second Chapter for there he shall finde that the priests are no more charged for any stirre against the Iesuits then the Iesuits for their sedition against the priests and moreouer that what difference there was could not be but some priuate quarrels betweene some priuate man and not any such publique difference or dislike as this is of which the booke intreated which was dedicated to his Holines as I haue shewed where this letter is set downe by this author Fourthly they said Ad S. D. N. Clementem 8. exhibita ab ipsis sacerdotibus that this declaration was exhibited by the Priests themselues to our most holy father Pope Clement the 8. This word was is of his owne addition It is said to be exhibited in that it was presently to be sent by them And if it came not to his Holines his hands so soone as they intended the fault was not in them who tooke all such meanes for it as they could so that they might iustly vse the phrase which they did without deseruing any blame therefore And the priests are saide to exhibite it themselues for that they writ it and were to present it in their owne names and the not comming of it to his Holines view will iustifie their printing of many copies that some one by one or other might come into his hands and the shamelessenes of this fellow may the more now appeare who would so peremptorily informe his reader that the priests were loth that he should know of it hauing by printing taken a most certaine way for it and much lother to answere it before him before whom the whole world will witnes for them that they haue bene to answere it The fifth cauill is at the sentence of Scripture which the priests put to their books as though they had abused it in vsing it in that place But gald nagges must haue pardon if being touched they winch The iustnesse of the priests their cause will beare them out against all hereticks hypocrits and Atheists and will stop the mouthes of them how potent soeuer they either are or would seeme to be among their like Thus much is implied in that sentence and no lesse was in the priests their meaning when they prefixed it to their Booke Sixtly and lastly it is said in this first page sayth he that it was printed Rhotomagi apud Iacobum c. At Roane in France in the house of Iames c. And hereupon he keepeth such a foule stirre as if it had beene a whole halfepenny matter where the booke had bene printed or that the Pope might haue thought the priests cause to be the more iust if the booke were printed at Roane I pray you good sir tell me what doeth the being here or there printed helpe or hinder the matter in questioÌ„ what if it be printed at Constantinople or at Cosmop If this fellow could shew what auaile may come to the priests or what preiudice to the other part by hauing their booke goe forth as printed at Roane he might haue bestowed a little of his paines taken here about it to some good purpose but his exception beeing so absurd as it is I will turne him to the Printers boy to reason this matter with him who for any thing that I can as yet learne set this which he citeth to the booke and the boy finding this fellow some equall match for him will perchance spurre him this question Why he should conster Rhotomagi Printed at Roane rather then to be â—olde at Roane or why hee should interprete Rhotomagi at Roane in France rather then at Roane in England there being in England diuers places named by as strange names as Roane is as Scotland Iury litle Britaine and such like yea the little boy will remember perchance that some of F. P. bookes which were printed here in England are said to haue bene printed at Doway and yet I trow this author will not say for a hundred pound that F. P. can lye or at the least that hee abused any man in saying so But I will leaue this authour and the Printers boy together for they seeme to be very well coupled to argue this matter onely I wish that this author would beware what termes he doeth vse in his anger for it may be the Printer will call him twice or thrice by his name if he be miscalled himselfe or perchance the Printer or his boy will tell him that there are as good Printers in London as in Roane although they themselues were not so expert and put him to a nonplus for saying that the booke was printed vnder the protection of my L. of London Well then sayth hee these sixe absurdities shifts and falshoods being discouered in the very first page of the booke as a preamble to the rest and vsed euen to his Holines himselfe we may imagine what the remnant will be
in Babylon saluteth you and no man doubteth but that he was then in Rome and meant no other then to write from Rome And shall wee say that hee gloried in vttering an vntrueth But whereas this fellow affirmeth that this booke was printed in London by the fauour of the Bishop and permission of his Purseuants he discouereth that which was neuer known vnto him who paid for the printing thereof as I haue beene before very credibly informed But to let passe these friuolous toyes and foolish exceptions which might be quitted with a reall falshood commonly vsed by the author of this Appendix in publishing his libels vnder the name of the vnited priests who poore fooles must beare all the blame thereof and runne thereby into perpetuall infamie I will shew what exceptions this absurd fellow taketh at the preface of the booke which he impugneth Out of the Preface hee hath picked a fewe sentences out of which hee gathereth certaine notes worthy himselfe as first that they are called the priests as if they were either far the greater part or the most eminent priests of all England Secondly that they affirme how that they haue set foorth two bookes in the necessarie defence of their good name and fame which necessitie he affirmeth to be no other then the force of their owne passions and telleth a tale of King Edward as he sayth or some former King Thirdly he noteth a comicall veine in the beginning of the Preface and that the priests doe descrie a stage spirit by mentioning fooles and physicians and morning and euening meditations which hee affirmeth that they did vse when they were vnder the Iesuits Fourthly he noteth more of this kind mingled also with some sauour of impietie in these words of the Preface The Iesuits might haue played with their Canons vpon such as resisted the Apostolicall decrees c. And a little after Fa. Lyster being alwayes ready with his Canon nullifas est c. Here loe who seeth not that these men sayth he by scoffing at Canons which are nothing els but Ecclesiasticall rules meane to liue vnder no rule at all c. Fifthly hee noteth that the same Fa Lyster who cited that Canon read both Philosophie and Diuinitie with great commendations in other countreys Sixtly hee citeth a sentence of which he misliketh both the style and the phrase Concerning the first note or exception sufficient hath bene said and how that the greater part in a communitie may be mislead and the part which hath iustice for it deserueth the title of the whole for that in Courts of conscience and iustice the faultie although otherwise far exceeding in number is accompted either the lesser part or no part at all but onely as a faction against them who haue the trueth on their sides which hath bene declared by the Cardinals of the Inquisition and his Holines also to be with the lesser part of the priests To the second exception it is replied that no man of any sense can deny but that the most impious slanders which the Iesuits the Archpr. and their seditious adherēts did raise against the priests were a great necessitie for the priests to set out their books yea after their appeale was made vnto his Holines because these fellowes desisted not from their wickednes but persecuted the Appellants and the more eagerly for this fact of their appellation labouring in all places to defame them and abridging them of their charitie as they call it which otherwise such of the Appellants as either in prison or elswhere are in want were wont to receiue for their reliefe And as for his tale of King Edward the Confessor or some former King it is not his fortune as I thinke to thriue with his tales First because how commendable soeuer a touch of a comicall vaine may be in serious or graue matters yet it is absurd in him who shall vse it and yet finde fault therewith in the very same matters as this fellow doeth in his thirde exception which I haue noted Secondly because his tales are returned vpon himselfe much more fitly then he deliuereth them against his aduersary He remembred a story that is recorded in one of our ancient writers either of King Edward the Confessor or some former King who being complained vnto by a certaine woman with great vehemencie that an other had called her skold she being conuented and not able to proue it she was cōdemned to prison but she replyed saying well then I must to prison not for that I haue spoken vntrueth but onely for lacke of a witnes Wherewith the king being mooued saide In good scoth I thinke you haue reason and that in this matter I may bee your witnesse for that this woman in accusing you and defending herselfe hath prooued her selfe a very skold in deed Thus saide the King and the parable needeth no great application for mee thinke euery man will vnderstand it and our brethren are like to haue the same successe in the ende if wee bee not deceiued which wee leaue to the euent and triall Thus farre the tale of the skold and in the very next wordes he blameth a Comicall veine in so graue a subiect as this is But to the skold This Authour leaueth the parable as he termeth it to euery man to vnderstand it and if it be not vnderstood as he would it should he is to blame himselfe would propound such parables and would not expound them This skold I take to be Fa. Lyster the Iesuit and in him his fellow Iesuits and the Archpr. with his faction who mainteined that treatise of schisme and infinite other slanders and wicked actions against the other priests who being many wayes put to silence as hauing their complaint by appellation not admitted and commanded not to name it wherein they had bene most iniuriously slandered do somewhat resemble therein the woman who could not proue the skolde to be a skolde But if king Edward the Confessor or any other king if not so saint-like yet not altogether senselesse would take that treatise Of schisme and attentiuely reade it he cannot but see a singular president for all the skolds which should for euer after succeed First the very title of the treatise doth shew that it was made by a skolde for this it is Aduersus factiosos in Ecclesia Against the factious in the Church and this word factious is often vsed but because it is not significant enough in the third paragraffe toward the end thus he proceedeth Sed adeant nugaces isti ac in theologia homunculi vllam rempublicam c. that is But let these triflers and pigmies in diuinitie goe to any common wealth c. Who would haue thought that F. Lyster a Iesuite would haue growen to such an insolencie against priests whereof some were his fellowes in studies some so farre his ancients as they might haue bene his Masters in diuinitie and many more of them might haue excelled him were he a
A REPLY TO A notorious Libell Jntituled A BRIEFE APOLOGIE or defence of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchie c. Wherein sufficient matter is discouered to giue all men satisfaction who lend both their eares to the question in controuersie betweene the Iesuits and their adherents on the one part and the Saecular Priests defamed by them on the other part ¶ Whereunto is also adioyned an answere to the Appendix PSAL. 26. Mentita est iniquitas sibi ¶ Imprinted Anno 1603. ¶ THE PREFACE to the Reader VBi non est sepes sayth Ecclesiasticus Cap. 36. diripietur possessio In such times wee doe liue courteous Reader as no care can be too much no diligence too great to preserue that litle which we haue or are from ruine and rapine of the euill disposed mighty How intolerable the iniuries were which some Priests once sustained and afterward freely forgaue the whole world is now a witnes and cannot but see how vntimely these stirres were reuiued by the Iesuits and the Archpr. after that peace was concluded betweene them Other iudges then the whole world the Priests would haue had as appeareth by a letter of theirs to the Archpr. in their booke dedicated to the Inquisition pa. 61. but their humble petition was sayd to be a tumultuous presumption and would not be heard They foreshewed what danger would grow by his deniall of a home-conference but that did nothing mooue him They declared that they stood in such tearmes for their good name and fame as they must either liue in perpetuall infamie or vse their pennes in their owne defence the first no way fitting their calling and present state the second very dangerous to both parts it being very probable that an Apologie would draw on an Answere the Answere a Reply and that Reply not likely to be the last howsoeuer lost labour But neither could this perswasion purchase any peace or procure that the Controuersie might be determined at home among themselues One way more did the Priests assay to stay the outrage of the Iesuits and Archpr. and that was to send to the Vniuersitie of Paris for their opinion in the matters in question which was no sooner seene by the Archpr. and Iesuits but an Edict made â—9 Maij 1600. and diuulged in condemnation of their censure and great penalties threatned against those who should either directly or indirectly maintaine or defend it in word or in writing whether it were truely giuen or forged marke I pray you this spirit whether vpon true information or otherwise as being preiudiciall to the Sea Apostolike c. This headdie proceeding and disclaiming or rather condemning all triall but a selfe will and a dangerous obstinacie in the Archpr. and Iesuits compelled the Priests to aduise vpon some other course in which consult they resolued to appeale to the Sea Apostolike and the better to preuent such blockes as were before layed in their way vpon the like attempt they published certaine bookes some in English to satisfie such of our owne Countrey as were misinformed by the one part and were not suffered to haue any speech with the other some in Latine that the cause comming to triall might not bee heard with that preiudice which false informations had before wrought and would not now be wanting Against two of these bookes there is an Apologie lately come foorth to wit against the Latine booke which is dedicated to his Holinesse and intituled Declaratio motuum c. and againe an English booke intituled The Copies of certaine discourses And at the end of this Apologie there is an Appendix wherein two other bookes are shrewdly threatned the one in English which was written in reply to a letter of the Archpriest to his assistants concerning the other bookes and is intituled The hope of peace the other in Latine which was dedicated to the Inquisition and hath this title Relatio compendiosa c. It is a world to see what shifting there is in this Apologie when a difficultie occurreth to bee answered what iugling to haue the matter on the Priestes side seeme odious what haste a second vntrueth maketh to ouertake a former which through the Authors fault onely had gotten the start how many rotten points there are by which one storie is made to hang vnder another what singular deuotion and extraordinary charity is expressed in the most vile and bitter termes that either malice or madnesse could deuise as a The Epist to his Hol. Children of iniquitie b Apol. cap. 1. fol. 5. Libertines c. and how true that sentence is in this Author In oculis suis lachrymatur inimicus si inuenerit tempus non satiabitur sanguine Ecclus cap. 12. The enemy hath water in his eies but if the time serue him it is not blood wil satiate him And this other also Caput suuÌ„ mouebit plaudet manu c. He will shake his head and clap his hands He will seeme to lament the course which is taken and in the middest of his sorow he sheweth by one or other impertinent ridiculous matter how glad he is of any litle occasion to sport himselfe at the griefes of other men Yet notwithstanding this so grosse kind of dealing as any man who is not ouer-partiall might enter into it the applause of the ignorant who will not either reade the bookes which the Priests set out or examine what is boldly although most vntruely aduouched in this Apologie demandeth an answere which although M. Doctor Ely and M. Iohn Collington haue largely and learnedly giuen to the most principall points therein handled yet vpon the earnest desire of some who haue seene this reply in my hands I emboldened my selfe without the Authours priuitie to publish it referring the Reader for more satisfaction in this present controuersie vnto their labours The last yeeres BREVE of the 17. of August would haue cast some doubt into me whether I might haue attempted thus much had not the Archpr. after a quarters meditation or more thereon published the Apologie and immediatly after an Appendix vnto it And if an vncontrolled custome may haue the credite to be the best interpreter of a Lawe my feare is much lessened by the breaking out of another payre of bookes from the same Authours since that time In which while they endeuour to manifest the bad spirits of other men they discouer their owne by such tearmes as ill beseeme their profession and pay doubly some one mans debt to which they would falsely and against their owne knowledge perswade the Reader that all the other Priestes were liable and if no benefite rise by this present discourse to the Reader yet will it be another although a needlesse witnesse against the wilfull blinde whome the holy Ghost rebuketh by the Psalmist in these wordes Noluit intelligere vt bene ageret He would not vnderstand that thereby he might doe as hee ought to doe Yours all that he is A. P. ¶ A Reply to a
certaine Libell lately published in Print in the name of the vnited Priests called A briefe Apologie supposed to be made by F. Parsons CHAP. 1. How the Authour of the Apologie playeth at All hid with the Reader and while hee is couered vnder the name of vnited Priestes he discouereth himselfe to be a Iesuit IT might seeme a very friuolous labour to examine the title of this Apologie if the Author thereof had not bene more curious in the like then there was iust cause and ouer carelesse also what entrance hee made to this present woorke of his vntrueths and poore shifts when impertinent discourses doe suffer him to fall into the matter in question which as at other times so here in the very title he peruerteth and possesseth his Reader that an Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie erected by his Holines was impugned by the books against which he writeth and for his pleasure termeth although most ignorantly Libels their Authors being alwayes ready to iustifie them both before God and the world And if his Reader might be so much fauoured by him as that hee might haue his leaue to peruse those bookes hee would soone perceiue how falsly this title is set to this Apologie the bookes intreating onely of the abuses of the authoritie and of the iust causes of the Priests their forbearance to subiect themselues to a superior of the Card. Caietans appointing before any letters came from the Sea Apostolike either in confirmation therof or to shew that the Cardinal had any such authority or commandement from his Holines to erect any such Hierarchy This Apologie is said to be written and set foorth for the true information and stay of all good Catholicks by Priestes vnited in due subordination to the right reuerend Archpriest and other their superiors As though those who had appealed from the Archpriest vpon iust cause did not remaine in due subordination to him and other their superiors to whom they had appealed But to let this calumny passe there hath bene inquity made of many who are the men here meant by these words Priests vnited c. and as yet we cannot heare of any who were priuie to the writing of it or setting it forth Some there are who confesse that their consents were asked to the setting foorth of some booke in their names the contents whereof they were not to know at that time and of most likelyhood it was to the setting out of this book but they denied to giue their consents thereunto Many suspect that this Apologie was not written by those Priests which are here made to father it but rather by those who haue alwayes made their commoditie by the disunion of the Priests And although it go forth in the name of many it is very probable that it was made by some one man For whereas one man setting out a booke may vse his phrase in the plurall number when he speaketh of himselfe wee suppose or we say it is seldome in vse that many ioyned together do vse in the like the singuler number as I pray you I suppose which here we reade in the Preface I shall in the first chapter I thinke I say in the third Chapter and in the sixt chapter I omit 〈…〉 But to let this also passe there are no weake coniectures that this Apology was made by some Iesuite who bewrayed himselfe before he was aware as may be seene in the 8. chapter of the Apologie Fol. 180. where the author hath these words Where about they aske this question concerning vs why should they be vnwilling to procure c. Copy 〈…〉 And if any man will take the paines to turne to that place cited by these Authors hee shall finde that the question was asked concerning no other then Iesuits and consequently that out of this place of the Apologie there is iust cause to take them for the Authors 〈…〉 An other coniecture there is that Fa Parsons in particuler is the author of this Apologie because in the common opinion of many who haue read his stile this is so like vnto it as it would be hard for any man to imitate it so neerely without the very same gift which he hath And the number of letters and such as they are do almost conuince that it is his doing For what occasion had any Priests here in England to enter into so many impertinent matters to their state and profession as are here by manuscripts testified which probably were not to be gotten by the first of Iuly after the publication of the bookes he vndertaketh to answere And F. Garnet the head of the Iesuits did almost discouer asmuch in a letter of his of the last of Iuly Anno 1601. to a Saecular Priest M. F. B. wherin he told him that the two printed books against which this Apologie is written should be God willing answered from Rome Such as had read Prou. 27. Laudet te alienus non os tuum Let an other man and not thine owne mouth praise thee might doubt whether F Parsons would so grossely commend himselfe as here he is commended were he not knowen to bee one who would not willingly that any mouth or pen of which he hath the gouernment should not shewe foorth his praises Some other might doubt whether it were his doing because of the diuerse Englishing of this sentence Hebr. 13. Obedite praepositis vestris subiaccte eis which here is thus Englished Obey your Superiours and submit your selues vnto them And in his selfe-clawing Wardword wherein hee discouereth a piece of his disposition against some Catholiques he translateth it thus obey your Prelates and lie vnder them Perchance those who had the printing of this Apologie prefixed this sentence and we will imagine that they in recompence of his extraordinarie commendations of them requited him in that which he might blush to say of himselfe if at any time his vndeserued prayses may make him blush There is an other place of scripture taken out of the first to the Thess cap. 5. Rogamus vos fratres corripite inquietos We beseech you brethren represse those that are vnquiet amongst you which is apparantly abused in this place both by false translation and by being applyed against Cathol Priests because when they saw a thiefe they did not runne with him but stood and stand still as they are bound in conscience in the defence of their fame against those who most iniuriously had taken it away in some places and indeuoured to doe the like seruice elsewhere if they could It is set out permissu Superiorum that is by permission of the Superiors but as yet we cannot learne what superiors these are hauing most humbly requested the Archpriest to giue vs satisfaction herein as may appeare by a letter to him from M. Collington not long after we had a sight thereof It is very probable that no superiours dare auouch it for it containeth the most grosse vntrueths idlest shifts and
in as a witnes hereof by a latter letter But this falshood is so notorious and knowen to be so great and so wicked as the spreaders of this libell blotted it out in some bookes themselues and pasted thereon a piece of paper as if they had been ashamed thereof Yet did they let many books passe vncorrected perchance to such as they presumed would beleeue any thing they said without further examination And to make some kinde of recōpence for this their wickednesse they haue set a few lines at the end of their Appendix to the Apology but indeed they haue committed a greater wickednesse by iterating the accusation in this maner A new found meanes to defame men Moreouer in the Apology pa. 201. the Reader is to omit the 9. lines immediately following these words Thus farre wrote that good priest c. for that something is therein mistaken through the mistaken date of one of M. Bensteds letters whereby a former letter of his was taken for a later His first apprehension was verily thought to proceede of treachery vpon some free speaches of his with some malecontents but his second taking which hapened at Lincolne seemeth to haue been by a meere chance after his breach from Wisbich and soone after he was put to death What man of iudgment wil not discouer a notorious malice in this author who would so peremptorily affirme that M. Bensted did testifie by a later letter that he was taken and soon after made away in recompēce of this his contradiction and afterward seem to salue it with a mistaken date of a letter as though the letter bearing this or that date could deceiue the Reader in a matter of so great weight 30 A most grosse slip Cap. 13 fol. 207. It is sayd how that as soone as euer the priests vnderstood that their two messengers were restrained in Rome and not like to preuaile then D. Bagshaw was sent for from Wisbich to London to treate with the Councel c. which cannot but be a very shameles vntrueth all England knowing that he was sent for vp not long after Michaelmas about Squires Spanish treasons and it is well knowen that the priests were not restrained in Rome vntill the 11. of December as is confessed in the Apologie cap. 9 fol. 121. By these few his Reader may see how bold a face he hath to prefixe in the beginning of his Apologie this saying of S. Augustine Doe you know to distingui◅ betweene true and false betweene solide and puffed vp betweene turbulent and quiet between swelling and sound betweene probations and criminations betweene instructions and fictions betweene handling the cause and running frō the cause If you know this well and good if you know it not we are not sory that we haue had this care to instruct you For albeit your heart be not turned to peace yet our peace returneth to vs. Yet to make some flourish in this kinde and that his Reader should be possessed with a conceit of an infinite heape of slanders calumniations and contumelious speeches pretended to be vsed in the bookes against which he writeth he giueth him a taste as he sayth in some few places taken out of the bookes as they doe lie by way of a Table which he intituleth in this maner CHAP. 3. An answere to those calumniations which the Apologie-maker setteth out in a Table intituled Of certaine principall deceites falshoods and slanders PArturiunt Montes who doeth not expect some very great wonder Who hauing but one eare or a credulous head would not at this first encounter take the Priestes for no other then strange monsters But alas how will this good man blush if he be not past shame when it shal be discouered how litle worth the noting he bringeth foorth any thing but the fruite of an idle and distempered braine of which in these few words he hath giuen a sufficient argument knowing that this Table is not of deceites conteined in the two bookes as he promiseth but onely in one and so telleth his Reader at the ende of the Table That he meaneth not to cite any thing of the other for breuities sake But marke I pray you what deceites falshoods and slanders are here set downe for principall and by those you may gesse what he would say if he might Out of the latine booke dedicated to his Holinesse pag 1. he hath found no lesse then fiue or sixe deceites shiftes and falshoodes But if you will know what they are you must goe looke in the xj Chap. of the Apologie where we haue also discouered his exceptions to be no other then fiue or sixe fond calumniations He would not tell you here what they were either because he would not so soone discredite himselfe or els because imitating Painters throughout all this worke aswel as Poets the top of his Table shall present nothing to his Reader In the second page as he saith where the priests complaine of the persecution of the one side and their oppression on the other side he findeth great fault or promiseth to prooue that few of them haue bene wounded or put to death but rather cherished to make an opposition against the whole body He citeth cap. 10 11 12 and 13. But if there should be a recitall made of such as haue bene put to death and the priests named there would very few be found that haue fauoured the proceedings of the Iesuits And if any priests haue lately found more fauour then either themselues or other heretofore haue had it hath bene as I suppose in regard that the Councell hath lately perceiued a difference of priests from Statists and what indignities the priests haue and doe daily suffer because they will not run the lesuits courses but oppose themselues rather against their falshood with all due respect to the whole body of which they are members and the contrary is not shewed in this Apologie either in the 10 11 12 or 13. Chapter For in the tenth there are onely a fewe foolish coniectures that M. Doct. Bagshaw wrought some matters with the Councell when he was sent for vp to London to his answere about the treason wrought by Squier being by him charged therewith at Fa. Walpole the Iesuits direction in Spaine In the 11. Chapter there is scarce one word to this purpose In the 12. there is a bare assertion as there is here in some foure or fiue lines In the 13. chapter this authour indeede inlargeth himselfe vpon this matter and is emboldened vpon a letter of M. Th. Bluet which by the contents seemeth not to be his Bluet being therein named among others and altogether spoken of in the third person not in the first as Englishmen vse to speake when they mention any thing concerning themselues and others ioyntly As for example our phrase is we shall be not they shall be if the writer be one himselfe And to say that he vsed such a phrase to couer himselfe is too grosse for
offendicula multa inueheret in Ecclesiam nostrem pacique funesta esset vehementer principi magistratibusque suspecta quod patribus Iesuitis alias atque alias inuasiones hostiles continuò machinantibus in regnum plus aequo tribueret quasi totum Clerum ijsdem subderet videbat ille arbiter nullam habere benè institutae Communitatis formam monstrique simile esse vt vnus pater Iesuita membrum vnius corporis caput fieret alterius c. That is to say This sodalitie besides the many impediments it brought into our Church and was incompatible with peace and vehemently suspected by the Prince and Magistrates in that it gaue more then was fit to the Fa. Iesuites who sundrie wayes busied themselues in hostile inuasions of our Countrey and as it were made all the Cleargie subiect vnto them the arbiter sawe that it had no forme of any well framed Communitie and that it was like vnto a monster that one Fa. Iesuite beeing a member of one bodie should bee made the head of another body in which some were who in regard of their more auncient order of Religion some in regarde of their degree of Doctorshippe some for their venerable age many for their wisedome learning and vertue farre his betters c. By which it may appeare to the indifferent Reader howe carelesse this Authour is what he sayth so he may make somewhat sounde for his purpose And to the ende hee might bring the Priestes into obloquie he will for a colour bring some two or three of their owne wordes and ioyne somewhat thereunto of his owne and then runne a while vpon that as in this place hauing thrust in those words Of them that liued vnder Rules in Wisbitch he maketh this Comment Great stumbling blockes that a few pious Rules of modest life in a fewe prisoners could bring into our whole Church Whereas the place here cited by this Authour giueth him no occasion to frame such a conceite but pleadeth the iudgement giuen against that sodalitie by him who was chosen arbiter in the cause And whereas he also affirmeth That if this sodalitie were suspected by the Prince it must needes be that the Priests had maliciously perswaded that it as also the institution of the Archpriest was not for Religion but for matter of state The Iesuites knowen practises against the State mentioned in the place which is cited by this Authour conuince that there was no such neede that the Priestes should vse any perswasions to the Prince or Magistrates and that no plot in gathering a head vnder a Iesuites direction could bee free from suspition as shall be shewed more at large where the Author shall find his place in the Apologie to giue other colour to the Iesuites actions In the 19. page vpon those words Dom. Standisium c. M. Standish who had giuen his name to be a Iesuite This Author inferreth a prety conclusion All are Iesuites with these men who are not of their faction the Archpriest and all in which to omit his folly how doth he shew in that place any principall deceit falshood or slander or not being able to gainsay that which the priests sayd how shamelesly or rather childishly doeth hee shift it In the 20 page there is exception taken against that which is mentioned of F. Weston his being taken dumbe and falling downe and it is called an impudent fiction refuted by authenticall testimonies of all the quiet prisoners in Wisbich and you must goe looke for this in the 6. Chapter of the Apol. where you may find it contrary if you can For answere to this we are to referre the Reader to the particular narration of the stirres in Wisbich In the 21. page the principall dece it falshood or slander is shewed in these wores Consilium iniuimus c. We tooke a counsel together for appointing prouosts and superiors ouer vs in opportune places of the kingdome c. It was death for this good fellow to go any further in the narration which here he doth calumniate for if he had added these words which are part of the sentence cited by him with an c. all which Prouosts and superiours should haue bene chosen by the free suffrages of the Priests his falshood would haue bene discouered which he sheweth here in these words This was the worke of their the priests association whereby a few busie and ambitious men tooke vpon them to be Counsellors of State without Commission or consent of the rest of the Clergie or licence of their superiours to appoint dignities to themselues and others at their pleasures and to make a new sedition And if the reader will vouchsafe to turne to that 21. page hee shall see that this author is little to bee credited in his relations and may wonder that he will so shamelesly behaue himselfe as euery indifferent man must condemne him of exceeding great falshood and direct intention to deceiue his reader And because he referreth his reader to the letters of the assistants and other proofes cap. 8. 9. there we will make our answere vnto them for so much as is there touched in this matter In the 23. page these words are cited Quid interea P. Parsonius c. What did F. Parsons in this meane space the Author incensor and actor of allour perturbations c. But nothing being in this place answered to that which in the 23. page is sayde against him we are not to stand vpon those other matters which are here mentioned It sufficeth that there is nothing conuinced of deceit falshood or slander to which ende the table maker brought this place out of the latine booke In the 26. page M. Blackwell is said to be slandered and that these were spiteful speeches against him Videns autem D. Blackwell c. M. Blackwell seeing this c. where in the Latine booke mention is made of a letter he writ to the Card Caietane the letter is out in print and whosoeuer wil take the paines to read it shall see that there is nothing but the truth set downe in the place here cited by this authour And whereas here it is vrged that he is named euery where without any reuerence at al they will hardly since him named but Master Blackwell which is as much reuerence as is due vnto him for any thing the Priestes know And if he be sometime called the Archpriest it is as much as this Authour giueth him as may be seene in many places Moreouer if there be any thing to the contrary in the 4 10 or 11. chap. of the Apologie it shall be there answered In the 27. page a principall deceit falshood or slander is noted where it is said Cum omnes c. Whereas all Iesuits almost in England be children of poore parents c. And to this what answer is here made Forsooth how manifestly false and shamelesse this is there needes no other proofe but to know the parties and to consider
any such matter compelled by your slanders should they not say truth seeing fiue or fixe partly Seminaries partly residences haue beene erected by them c. Well good sir not to deuine here what slanders they were which so happily compelled the Iesuites to speake of their so great benefits vnto the priests I will keepe mine eye-sight for the 3 5 10 and 12. chap. where I am told I shall see more of this most insolent ingratitude And in the meane while I will hope that the Iesuits of their charitie will forgiue them all who compelled them to speake so much of their owne great good deeds which were they a thousand times more then they are the Iesuites ought not to embolden themselues or challenge thereby a greater libertie to abuse men at their pleasure and it is a silly proofe that they haue not abused men in one kind because that they haue done them a good turne in another And with this the table was taken vp for the author had no other meaning when he set you to this table of principall deceits falshoods and slanders then to let you haue a taste of those two libels which the discontented priests did set forth to wit the booke dedicated to his Holines entituled Declaratio motuum A declaration of stirres c. and the English booke entituled The Copies of certaine discourses But alas poore man either his wits appeare hereby to be very shallow who out of an infinite heape of slanders calumniations and contumelious speeches which hee sayth are contained in the priests bookes could no better furnish his table with deceits falshoods and slanders which here hee vndertooke or his malice extreame great to make such a vaineglorious shew where the principal stuffe was of no more moment then is already shewed in these 28. pickt points to discredit the Latine booke and the authors thereof who alwayes haue will shew that they meane better then hee doth and tend to that place to which honest priests should tend and hope to arriue in the end whence it is to be feared they shall behold the Author of this Apologie lying and too late repenting this and other his misdeeds The rest that followeth in this Latine booke about the Appellation sayth this Author as also about a fond and seditious Latine letter of M. Iohn Mush thereon ensuing are sufficiently examined Cap. 10 and 11. Apol. But vnlesse the 10 and 11. Chap. be too too much ouerseene there is no one point of the Appellation examined There is somewhat said to M. Mush his letter in the 11. Chapter which is little to the purpose The examination of the English booke entituled The Copies of discourses is for breuitie sake put off to the 1 2 7 and 11. Apol. where it is to be defended not to haue any thing in it worthy the name of a scandall but to a Pharisie and thereby it will be shewed to bee a worke fit for Catholike priests to write and publish to the world their case standing as then it did And their fact will appeare the more iustifiable by how much it will appeare by the answer to this Apologie that they cannot be disprooued but by manifest falshoods deceits and slanders After these notes or exceptions against the Latine booke which was dedicated to his Holines vnder this title Declaratio motuum c. march certaine principall persons which the Reader must beleeue are iniuried by the priests and are defended by the Apologie amongst which there are such placed as the Authors might with more honestie haue made two lists one of those most honourable personages the other of the rest but since that they haue put them all in one companie one answere shal serue to the whole list that howsoeuer his Holines is here abused in the Epistle and the honour of the honourable is touched in this Apologie the priests at no time haue iniuried either them or any the other by-hangers neither can the contrary be shewed as any man who knoweth what vse this author will make of a little may iustly imagine in that there is no one place cited out of the booke written by the priests or in this Apologie where any abuse is conuinced And although sometimes in this Apologie the author putteth his reader in mind of such matters he doth discouer nothing but his owne desires in some and follie in other his exceptions as shall be shewed when occasion is offered And in the meane while the discreete reader may iudge whether this authour or publisher were not past shame who could not but know that the priests had bene with the Nuntio in Flanders and acknowledged his authoritie And to that end that no principall thing be hidden from his reader he hath after principall deceits and principall persons set down the principall authors spreaders of the bookes wherein these principall deceits are contained the principall persons iniuried And in naming those which he doth name for the principall authors he hath committed a very grosse error in his Preface where he seemeth to doubt who were the authors And in the end he concludeth thus So as these bookes must needs be presumed to haue bene published either by some one or few discomposed passionate people or by some heretike or other enemie to dishonour them all and discredit our cause and nation and so as to such we shall answer c. what man of iudgement will not say that either the memorie of this fellow is very short or his honestie very small who hauing named whom he thinketh to be the authors maketh his answere as to heretikes And if to these be added those disgraceful speeches which are vsed in the beginning of the 3. Chap. fol. 20. against the Authors of the bookes impugned by the Apologie his most audacious friendes will blush at his folly for there very contemptuously he affirmeth that some of them went ouer poore seruing men other souldiers what an ingratitude and dishonor is this to Fa. Ignatius Laiola the souldier and Iesuites founder other wanderers in the world c. Possibly this good mans wits are not alwaies at home and they should doe him great iniury who should looke for one wise worde from him which is not put into him by some other If he had not named those sixe for the principall authors of the books he might with lesse shame haue vttered his foule conceite but hauing named them hee cannot auoide the note of a most malitious false companion what godly pretences and promises soeuer he maketh of modestie in this Apologie CHAP. 4. How the authour of this Apologie followeth that counsell which Achitophel gaue to Absalon 2. Reg. 16. that other seeing how hee abused his Holinesse might the more desperately adhere vnto him THe Epistle which followeth to his Holinesse and is saide to be translated out of Latine into English after some time of probation expired was admitted and annexed to the Apologie It had bene very great pitie to haue
with the Councell c. If we looke into the Apologie we shall finde that the two messengers came to Rome vpon the xj of December 1598. cap. 9. fol. 121. and they were imprisoned vpon the 29. of the same moneth And M. D. Bagshaw his sending for was not so secretly done but that all England may quickly vnderstand that he was long before this time at London and that hee was either returned againe to Wisbich or vpon his returning before it was knowen in England that the two Priests were restrained in Rome And yet his Holinesse must needes be tolde that vpon their restraint in December and by reason thereof D. Bagshaw was sent for from Wisbich to treate with the Councell in the moneth of October Can any thing make this fellowe blush who is so generally carelesse what he publisheth to the world or can the Cath. expect that hee should deale more faithfully with them for their instruction who will so boldly abuse his Holinesse All that also which followeth in the 13. point touched in this Epistle to his Holinesse consisteth vpon diuers vntrueths shuffled in one vpon another as first that the two Cardinals Caietane and Burghesius did duely examine all matters Secondly that the Priests did but make a shew to obey the Breue as hauing engaged themselues before with the Councell to the contrary and thereupon sought occasions to breake againe Thirdly that they sent not any to prosecute their appeale Fourthly that they did not expect his Holines sentence or definition but proceeded by secret fauour and intelligence with the Councel and Bish of London to print and set forth erronious libels to the detraction of diuers venerable men and of a whole order of Religion and of their immediate superiours and of the sea of Rome it selfe of his Holinesse and the Protectors proceeding in this matter To the first it is answered that all matters were not duly examined when the two Priests were not suffered to deale neither as plaintifes nor as defendants beeing clapped vp close prisoners all their instructions taken away from them not suffered to speake one with another or to conferre with any man else about those matters for which they came examined by F. Parsons who made such Interrogatories as were for his purpose being the principall aduersarie on the other part and curtailed their answeres when it pleased him or blotted out both Interrogatories and answeres when they succeeded not to his mind being brought before the two Cardinals Caietane and Burghesius where after they had heard seuerally some part of their examinations read they were admitted to come together to heare a libel read ioyntly against them both but were not suffered to haue the copie thereof to make their answere thereunto as they desired and beeing friendly dismissed for that instant were afterwards kept close prisoners seuen weekes longer and not suffered to come together vntill the Breue was out in confirmation of the authority And thus much for the due examination of all matters which is here suggested to his Holines To the second it is answered That the Priests made an vnfeined peace for their parts and sought diuers wayes to haue all such questions ended as might be cause of contention betweene them as may appeare both by their offer of disputation and their sending to Paris for their further resolution and satisfaction of their ghostly children after their offer of disputation was reiected by the Archpriest It is also well knowen that the Counsell was not so enformed at that time of the difference betweene such men as they tooke to be dangerous to the State and others neither had any priests as then more fauor then the other had And where it is said here that the Priests sought occasions to breake againe it is most vntrue the contention was renued by the Iesuits who after the peace was cōcluded gaue their censure that those Priests were schismatikes who had deferred to subiect themselues to the new authority before they saw the Breue And this contention was encreased through the default of the Archpr. who being certified of the Iesuits rashnes in their speeches concerning this point did shew himselfe to be of the same opinion and furthermore gaue direction that the priests should make account of their being schismatikes and satisfie before they should receiue the benefit of absolution as appeareth by the resolution diuulged by him from the mother citie Of all which the Breue dated the 17. August 1601. taketh notice And in the relation thereof his Holines vseth these wordes Quod dolentes referimus that is to say which with griefe we relate And therefore it must be great want of shame to tell his Holines in this Epistle that the Priests either made a shew to obey or sought occasions to breake againe And this testimony out of the Breefe is of the more force if it be true which is said in the Preface to the Appendix that his Holinesse had not vnderstood of any of these scandalous bookes for so it pleaseth this author to terme the bookes which the Priests set out when he wrote the Breue and therefore could not receiue any such information by them as he doth follow in the Breue The third matter is now answered by the Priests there present in Rome To the fourth it is answered that notwithstanding the Appeale the Archpriest proceeded against the Appellants and principally because they had appealed as may appeare by many acts which he did and for this in particular there is yet his owne hand to shew to a lay gentleman of the 16. of April 1601. This I write vnto you to make you priuie of the great spirituall danger wherein you and all that receiue any sacrament of M. Osw Needam may be if it be so that hee hath subscribed to a seditious pamphlet coloured with the name of an Appeale And in respect that the Archpriest did in this maner proceed against the Appellants without expecting his Hol. sentence and definition which they might haue procured notwithstanding his most irreuerent refutaries the Appellants proceeded to publish their cause in print without detraction or defamation more then is requisite for the following of the cause in question And whereas it is here said that a whole religion is defamed it is most vntrue as appeareth by the booke to the Inquisition pag. 5. the Sea of Rome is no way dishonoured but rather maintained and all lawfull superioritie neither were these bookes printed by secret fauour and intelligence with the Councel and Bishop of London For which this only argument might satisfie an indifferent man that they would haue had a more skilfull man to haue printed them and not to haue one to worke who as the Latine booke doth very well shew did not vnderstand one word in Latine His exceptions against certaine propositions as scandalous and temerarious leaue some doubt in a man of iudgment whether this felow be more ignorant or more malicious He referreth his Holines
satisfaction before they receiue the benefite of absolution Can this Apologie-maker find any such matter in any of the bookes which he doth impugne and terme licentious and scandalous proceedings or can he shew how the good could be so dangerously infected or the strongest so greatly troubled by any thing which the priests haue written as they may be with these treatises resolutions or libels of the Iesuits and Archpriest with what face doth this author carpe at the priests bookes and say that the style is most bitter and opprobrious and nothing sauouring of that spirit that should be in the seruants of one God Could there be more bitter speeches then these before vttered against the priests or is there any one in those bookes which he impugneth comparable to those which this fellow himselfe vseth against the priests in this Apologie calling them children of iniquitie in the Epistle to his Holines sometimes Libertines and other such like as the spirit moueth him But these his tricks not being to be taken by any man of iudgement but to proceed out of great excesse and passion himselfe thereby more likely then the priests to be condemned he proposeth certaine generall considerations to trouble his discreete Reader For example What manner of men these be that haue aduentured to be the authors of so intollerable a scandall in our English Church what may be their motiues what their ends what their meanes by secret combining themselues with the enemie for defaming such as they most feare and hate and finally what may be doubted in the sequell how disunited these men be from their lawfull superiours and consequently from God also as iustly may be suspected yet for better enforming the Reader of diuers particularities falsly and vniustly set downe in their late bookes or infamatorie libels which I suppose the more pious sort of men will haue scruple to reade or looke vpon we are c. A notable insinuation that euery man must listen to him and his partners and must not once looke vpon any thing which the priests alledge for themselues And this caueat was very necessarily put in here and conformable to that policie out of which the Edicts proceeded that no man must see what the priests could say for themselues lest that the iugling of their aduersaries should be seene by the Catholikes and they reduced to those to whome in the end they must adhere when the true causes of all this diuision are to be ripped vp and iudged But if the discreet reader would but enter into the first consideration which is here proposed vnto him that is what maner of men these be his discretion will inforce him to heare them For some of them are of the most ancient Priests in England some haue suffered long imprisonment were neuer touched with any thing blame-worthy before this controuersie began In the time of greatest need these men haue bene of those who haue most imployed themselues in all parts of England and what hath bene praise-worthy done in any disputations at any time with the Protestants it hath bene by some of them This therefore and the like contemptible speeches as Cap. 9. fol. 119. such as they be and such like do argue nothing but an intollerable pride in this Author who being inferior to many of them for many good parts in them vseth a little liplabour the best qualitie which he hath to disgrace them In which doubtlesse he will haue bad successe with a discreet Reader and will discouer himselfe and his fellowes to haue bene the Authors of this intolerable scandall in our English Church The second consideration here proposed to the discreet Reader is what may be their motiues And for this the discreet Reader if he wil as discretion would leade him looke into their bookes hee will finde that their motiues were to shew how badly the Iesuits and Archpriest haue dealt with them and how vniustly they haue bene defamed of schisme and other enormous crimes as before is shewed and that the end which they desire is peace when the trueth shal be knowen which so long as it is smothered vp can neuer breed peace And thus is the next consideration at an end which was what their ends were Now followeth what their meanes are by secret combining themselues with the enemy But first he must haue told the discreet Reader what enemy this was The priests neuer tooke other for enemy then what they iudged error hauing alwayes honoured the personages of such as to whom they do owe honour And if this haue bene now lately perceiued by our Prince and the State and thereupon they haue shewed such fauour vnto them as faithfull and loyall subiects do or may deserue notwithstanding the controuersie in Religion how doeth this fellow call it a combining with the enemie If the priests had at any time done any thing which they are not ready to iustifie at the feet of his Holines this good fellow might haue cast some odde surmise into his Readers head but the contrary being so euident as the world is now a witnes the discreet Reader need not stand any longer vpon this consideration nor vpon the next which is what may be doubted in the sequell they hauing in this aswell as in any other thing behaued themselues no otherwise then hath become Catholicke priests Lastly the discreet Reader must consider how they are disunited from their lawfull Superior and consequently from God also A simple consequence but well beseeming the charitie with which this Apologie was written What bad man in authority wil not thinke himselfe much bound to this Author for this his consequence Must he consequently be iustly suspected to bee disunited from God who shall not runne wholy with his superior Cannot a lawfull superior do amisse and in that misdoing may he not be forsaken by those whose superior he is without incurring a iust suspition that they are dsunited from God Haue not the priests oftentimes offered to haue these matters scanned and determined by which the disunion hath growen with all submission And hath not the Archpriest refused this offer and written backe againe vnto them that their petition is a tumultuous complaint And how then can they be said to be disunited from their superior and not rather the superior from them and he in refusing to doe that which is honest and iust is more disunited perchance from God then he taketh himselfe to be or those who direct him in these his strange courses After these cōsiderations foloweth a faire promise to bring forth authentical proofes of such matters as are or should here be handled But they being not yet ready the Reader must content himselfe with what this Author can at this time affoord him and hope to see somewhat in a larger Apologie And he will performe this in a farre other style then the priests vsed in their bookes if God assist vs saith he with his grace and holy Spirit A very good condition
and such as would gladly be seene in any of his actions and his fellowes who both in their Libel which was spread abroad vnder F. Lister the Iesuits name in this Apologie yea almost immediatly after this godly resolution are so farre from Christian spirit or ordinary modesty as it could not but be an exceeding ioy to all their friends to see any iot of Gods grace or assistance of his holy Spirit in them But as it seemeth by the latter end of this preface there is some kinde of resistance made against this assistance of Gods grace and holy Spirit Where this authour faigning vnto himselfe that these bookes against which he writeth could not be published in the style they goe in by any modest and Christian spirit he concludeth that they are published by some one or few discomposed passionate people or by some heretike c. and so as to such we shall answere saith he and not to our brethren yet doth his answere throughout all the Apologie light vpon the Priests although indeede the termes which are vsed would much better fit an heretike against an heretike so little doe they sauour either of modestie or Christian spirit CHAP. 6. How this present controuersie about the abuse of this newe subordination is deduced from Iohn of Gaunt and other matters most impertinent thereunto Apol. cap. 1. HAuing shewed through how foule darke vneuen and ill sauouring an entry this authour hath lead his deuoted to this Apologie the indifferent reader may probably coniecture that in the end there will be nothing to be seene but a boldnesse in auerring any vntrueth a sleight in casting mistes before his eyes to hold him still in ignorance of the trueth a defect of plaine dealing when he is driuen to say something and a heape of slanders with most odious insinuations to bring the Secular priests into contempt and obloquy In the first chapter of the Apologie intituled What great hurts haue come to England by emulation of the Laitie against the Clergie and of Secular priests against religious and of the state of the present controuersie in question he maketh an abridgement of the whole booke following and contriueth it in such manner as whereas he beginneth at Iohn of Gaunt he might asmuch to the purpose haue begunne at the diuision emulation and contention which the enemy raised in Cain against his brother Abel For although he intitle the Chapter of hurtes come to England by emulation and therefore a story of emulation in England may seeme to come neerer to his purpose yet his discourse being of emulation by which the reduction of England to the Catholike faith hath bene hindred he might aswell haue applyed the story of Abel and Cain as that of Iohn of Gaunt and Iohn Wickliffe who were dead and buried Iâ—… Stow. in vita Ric. 2. An. 1384. and this last also had his bones taken vp and burned aboue 40 yeeres after to wit in the yeere 1425. by commandement of Pope Martine the 5. which was an hundreth yeeres before the discontinuance of the Catholike faith in England or the least declining thereof as may appeare by the most zealous disposition of K. Henry 8. who in Anno 1521. deserued that most glorious title Defender of the faith But let vs see how handsomely he patcheth his geere together thus he beginneth the first chapter If euer the enemy of mankind did bestirre himselfe and all his power to let any publike good of the English nation it hath bene in this of the reduction of the Catholike faith For hindring whereof he hath tried all his possible meanes as before we haue noted but especially that of diuision emulation and contention hath bene his chiefest For by emulation of the Nobility against the Clergie and of Secular priests against religious he raised Iohn Wickliffe aboue 200. yeeres past whom Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster sonne to King Edward the 3. together with the residue of his faction vpon emulation he had with B. Arundel of London B. Wickam of Winchester and others did set vp and maintaine against those and the rest of the Clergie especially against religious men that had possessions Wickliffe being a Secular priest himselfe Thus saith this author and then he goeth forward affirming how that certaine motions were made concerning the taking away of the Abbey lands giuing them to the Crowne which motions were made vpon the same emulation vnder the Kings Richard 2 Henry 4 Henry 5 and others and tooke effect in the time of King Henry 8. And in the end concludeth that the want of restitution of Abbey lands was the hindrance of reconciliation in Queene Maries dayes But this doubtlesse argued rather an vnwillingnesse in the Laitie to part with the Church liuings of which they were now in possession then an emulation in them against the Clergie or religious And therefore in this conclusion the Author doth seeme much to forget himselfe who vndertooke to shew that emulation and not want of restitution of Church liuings hindered the reduction of England to the Catholike faith It seemeth that hee aimed onely at this that the controuersie being now principally betweene some Secular priests and some religious hee might driue into his Readers head some sinister conceit of the Secular priests and to that ende telleth a tale of the enemie of mankinde and how hee raysed a Secular Priest against religious and how that malice tooke effect in K. Henry the 8. dayes and the Laity would not restore the Church liuings in Q. Maries dayes And if the Reader can put all this together and cry out against the Secular Priests habetur intentum as truants vse to say in the schooles when they knowe not how to deduce the conclusion to their mindes in forme out of the premisses without laughter in the hearers We haue before shewed how that neither by Wickliffe nor by Iohn of Gaunt there could be any hinderance of the reducing of England to the Catholike faith and consequently how impertinent this story is to that for proofe whereof it was brought But for the better discouering of this fellow his falshood and sinister dealing you shall vnderstand that this Iohn Wickliffe was a Secular Priest And although in receiuing that holy Order he also receiued so indelible a character as he must be still a Priest how wickedly soeuer he behaued himselfe yet he did not receiue any confirmation in grace but might fall into most great enormities as the most holy not confirmed in grace may doe And entring out of a melancholy humor which grew vpon him by being depriued of a benefice which he had into a good conceit of himselfe that he was not sicut caeteri homines as other men were hee changed his life from the ordinary life of the Secular Priests into a streighter rule and tooke another habit Io. Stow in Ed. â— An 1377. He and all his followers went barefooted and in course russet garments downe to the heeles and in
liuely represent the knowen old medicine to kill fleas by putting dust in their mouthes If but halfe of these matters here alledged were proued against the Priests doubtlesse they were to be auoyded by Catholicks as such as wanting no faults in themselues would hardly instruct others in vertue But this Author being not as yet setled to his Apologie without doubt discouereth that hee is not free from all those vices which he hath reckoned if he want any of them who vpon so smal or rather no cause or euidence would haue his Reader to enter into so rash and vile a iudgement of the Secular priests as though his Apologie were to no purpose vnlesse his Reader would carry such an vncharitable conceit of them as there should be no need of any Apologie or defence of those who are their aduersaries But now to his ground of this present contention The principall or onely ground saith he of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie is the very same disease of emulation partly of Lay men against Priests and partly of Priests against religious men especially the Fathers of the Societie with whom at this time they haue to doe c. We haue before shewed that the emulation of the Laitie against the Cleargie of which he speaketh before was for that the Cleargie were thought to be an hinderance to some designments of the Laitie and thereupon some few deuised how to indomage the Cleargie The emulation also which was said to haue bene in the Cleargie against the religious Ioâ—… Stow in Edw. 3. Anno 13â—7 hath bene shewed not to haue bene in the Cleargie but in Wickliffe and his societie surnamed by the people Lollards And if any of the Cleargie may be said to haue ioyned with Wickliffe in that his insolent and heretical attempt they were of the Religious cleargie and not of the Secular And this emulation was against the religious who had possessions Now then good sir if the principall or onely ground of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie is the very same disease of emulation you must shew what like cause the Lay men haue found in the Cleargie or the Priests in the Religious especially the Fathers of the Societie who by their rule haue no properties nor can possesse any thing T.W. in his Diâ—resâ—…on from the 16. Martyrs pag 63. as M T.W. would haue vs to thinke We haue giuen a cause before of the contrary part why the Lay men who follow the Iesuits and the Iesuits also may be thought to stirre vp themselues against some Secular Priests to wit because that some of the Secular Priests cannot bee brought to like of such plots as the Iesuits haue layd for the inuasion of our Countrey in which they haue imployed themselues oftentimes and thrust also some Secular Priests into the action although most grieuously against their wills namely in the yeere 1596. And if this Author had not vsed this parenthesis speaking of Religious men especially the Fathers of the Societie with whom at this present they haue to do we should neuer haue dreamed that this digression from hurts done in this Queenes dayes had bene made against the Priests who stand vpon their defence against the impostures of the Iesuits and their adherents because so small a number of the Laity doe stand with those priests and the priests themselues are so few by this good fellow his accompt as he disdaineth much that they are called the priests And in the 11. Chap. of the Apol. fol. 162. he alledgeth it for the second abuse sleight or shift which was vsed towards his Holines in the title of the booke dedicated vnto him wherein it is said that the troubles were betweene the Iesuits on th' one side with the Archpr. c and the Seminary priests on th' other side But no doubt herein this fellow his memory did faile him as also in another matter there mentioned For whereas here he affirmeth that the principall only ground of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie is the very same disease of emulation partly of Lay men against priests and partly of Priests against religious men especially the Fathers of the Societie In the 11. Chap fol. 161. 162. hee affirmeth that the Priests their controuersie is with the Archpr. c. and that their stomacke against the Iesuits is for standing with him and for him So as by this reckoning the case is plainely altered For if the principall and onely ground of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie be the very same disease of emulation partly of Laymen against Priests and partly of Priests against religious men especially the Iesuits to which of these two members will this Author bring this controuersie which in the 11. Chap. he saith is betweene Priests and their Archpriest he cannot bring it to the first which is of Lay men against Priests for then hee must accompt the Priests betweene whom and the Archpr. the controuersie is or the Archpr. among Lay men which I trust he will not He cannot bring it to the second which is of Priests against Religious For then the Archpr. betweene whom and the priests is the controuersie must be confessed to be religious which also as I weene he will not say especially that he is a Iesuit as hee expoundeth himselfe or a Father of the Societie with whom at this present as he saith here they the priests haue to doe For at this he laughed Num. 16. in his table of falsehoods But perchance his strayning to disgorge himselfe caused a lightnes in his head that he knew not well what hee said The filth then before shewed being now out of his stomacke For better declaration of this matter saith he I shall goe forward with the narration of those hurts and difficulties which vpon emulation haue fallen out in this our English cause vnder the Queene that now is especially concerning the Seminaries and the reduction of England by that way and meane procured for these 20. yeeres and more to wit since the beginning of the Romane English Colledge which was in the yeere 1578. at what time a contention beganne betweene M. Doct. Lewis then Archdeacon of Cambray but after B. of Cassana and the English schollers about the maner of gouernment and gouernors of that house erected especially by his procurement and industry He hath shewed you before what hurt came to England by the emulation which some Catholicks had against the restoring of a new English Clergie at Doway which notwithstanding the Seminary there florished and afterward also at Rhemes in France in such sort as England thankes be to God did not feele that hurt vntill new Lords came who were of the Iesuits faction and were forced sometime to runne with them for some respects how smal soeuer their inward deuotion was vnto them Now he will giue you to vnderstand what great hurt our English cause hath had by emulation which was at Rome
credit of the chiefe pastour in these words And who vpon earth is warranted from erring but one To which to take away the scandall which vpon some speaches of such sycophants as this author is hath growen in Christendome among the simpler sort of people these words are most Catholikely and truely added and not he in all things The exceptions which afterward are taken for vnkindnesse towards the Cardinal Caietane are very foolish and those that are for irreuerence are as false the priests hauing always shewed asmuch reuerence as the Cardinall did deserue or they could doe sauing their duety to the Cardinals superiour and theirs and the libertie which the Clergie hath in all places of Christendâ—…e and yet deserue not the name of libertines as this godly author out his great charitie and assistance of the spirit which guideth him termeth them in this place vpon occasion of some wordes which he saieth are vnder the handes of sixe prisoners of Wisbich and were to bee shewed to his Holinesse to wit citò indignabitur libertas si prematur that is to say oppressed libertie will not long beare it For after that hee hath shewed that the priests dealt vnkindly with the Cardinall Protectour who now hee sayth is gone to God and perchance had left a greater hope of possibilitie of some peace in our afflicted Church if he had taken some of these godly with him he would perswade his Reader that the priests doe not spare the Pope himselfe for proofe he citeth one place where they speake of their boldnes in repelling iniuries as though this did any way concerne the Pope and that other place before cited which he saith should haue bene shewed vnto him and then he falleth from this to proue a haughtinesse in the priests in that they would not suffer themselues to be accounted al the world ouer for schismatikes Other sentences also are cited out of their bookes where they indeuour to prooue how conuenient it had beene that they had had the choyce of their Superiour according to the decrees not onely of Popes but also of the Emperours at which this Authour glaunceth and vseth these wordes as though this were more as though this were not more although the one be of a higher order then the other as when we say that such a thing is of force by lawe diuine and humane when no man is so absurd as not to thinke that the law diuine doth farre excell mans law But for our purpose and to prooue that it was alwayes more to haue a libertie by the temporall Prince his lawe ouer and aboue the libertie which the Clergie had by the decrees of holy Church see I pray you howe this was thought on when it was graunted by a Parliament 47 Edw. 3. that the Cathedrall Churches should enioy their elections and that from thencefoorth the King should not write against the elected but should by his letters helpe toward their confirmation But sayth Iohn Stowe this statute tooke small effect By which it is euident that the Clergie did finde that it was more to haue the decrees of the Pope and King then the decrees of the Pope alone But if this fellow will say that two are not more then one his Reader must take it for an Oracle and by vertue of blinde obedience beleeue it vndoubtedly In the next point this author iuggleth vp two matters together the one that the Priests doe call into suspition of forgery the Popes Breue it selfe the other is that they draw his Hol. pious meaning into matter of State For proofe of the first he citeth these words out of the English booke that it was procured God knoweth out of what office which words cannot by any but an euill disposition be brought to an accusation of forgerie The most that can be made of it is that Fa Parsons might be suspected to haue procured it where hee might haue his will perchance more then was conuenient and yet the Breue not forged For as Rebuffus in praxi beneficiorum de breui Apostolico numero 16. doeth note an Apostolicall Breue solet concedi à Papa à Cancellaria ac à summo paenitentiario horum quodlibes dicitur Apostolicum sic Breuia dicuntur literae Apostolicae It vseth to be granted by the Pope and by the Chancery and by the high penitentiary and euery one is called Apostolicall and so the Breues are said to be Apostolicall letters Hauing then thus shewed that Breues may come from diuers Courts and yet be true Breues we haue also shewed that the Priests are here falsly accused where they are said to bring the Breue in suspicioÌ„ of forgery by making a doubt out of what court it was procured But to giue further satisfaction to the curious The cause why a doubt was made of F. Parsons his cariage in this matter is as we haue set it down in the booke dedicated to the holy Office pag. 59 for that the Breue affirmed that M. George Blackwell was appointed by the Cardinals letters of the 7. of March 1598 Archp. of the English Catholicks for the better vnion of the Catholicks of the kingdomes of England and Scotland whereas in these the Cardinals letters he is not made archpriest of the English Catholicks but onely of Priests and not of all the priests but onely of the Priests of the Seminaries And we did more easily giue consent to thinke that Fa. Parsons had busied himselfe more then became him because his Holines as no doubt he is carefull that no errors or shew of errors should be in the Breues so he hath no custome to looke vpon them but only giueth his consent that they be made Which consent although sometimes the chiefe of that office doeth take in presence yet sometime he giueth credit to those who say that they haue his Holines consent thereto And although he who is chiefe in that office must giue also his consent or warrant for the making of the Breue yet he taketh all his information of him who asketh for it and seeth not the Breue but onely a small abstract thereof and leaueth it to other inferior officers to draw it as it must be seale it and deliuer it to them who are the procurers thereof All which is expressed by Zecchius in his booke de republica Ecclesiastica tract de prelatis Cap. 9. Breuium vero officio praepositus est vnus Cardinalis iurisperitus qui habito viuae vocis oraculo Papae perseipsum vel alium facto absque alia Papae signatura omissa etiam porrectione supplicatoris sed sola Breuium minuta ab Abbreuiatore recepta videt formam Breuis addit minuit pro eius arbitrio reuisam minutam subscriptam ab ipso solicitatoribus restituit quae postea apud expeditores fidem facit inde litterae in forma Breuis in tenuiori pergamena scribuntur scriptae sub annulo Piscatoris dominico sub cera expediuntur
those who would not listen to the spirit which called them to be Iesuits were enforced to spend their time with lesse quietnesse and consequently with lesse profit then otherwise they might Neither is it here needfull to stand vpon the Catholiks their blushing to aske helpe now of the Iesuits for their helps are as they haue bene a long time as wee feare vpon such conditions as all honest men must blush if they doe aske them and those who are as ready to further the Iesuits plots as themselues a notable abuse of the Catholike King his charitie to poore Catholicks are neither driuen to aske help nor to blush when they take it although their helpe is so prudently offered as few do surfeit vpon it Hauing thus laied his plot to bring the priests into contempt now he imploieth himselfe to bring them into hatred with the Catholicks by affirming that they conspire with the very enemy against their owne which is most false For if matters of Religion be in question the priests are ready to ioyne rather with the lewdest Catholicke in the world then with the Protestant although when matters of trecherie against their Prince and countrey be handled they are as ready to defie the plotters thereof were they the most zealous Catholicks in the world Sure we are that this author cannot iustly challeng vs that we haue swarued one iot from the Catholicke faith and his accusation must needs sound euill in the eares of vpright Iudges when he saith we conspire against our owne I wish also that it were not too sure that the Iesuits their adherents haue thrust themselues into conspiracies against their owne if either their Prince and their countrey or Catholicke priests be their owne For it is so palpable as euery man may feele it how they haue thrust in not onely their aduise but their persons in actions against their Prince and countrey against Catholicke priests What greater conspiracie could haue bene made then hath bene by their slanderous tongues and infamatory libels of schisme dispersed against them whereby they haue declared that they haue giuen hands to all sorts of enemies aswel ghostly as visible against their owne in which their vnion the priests haue no reason to ioyne themselues Now do follow certaine exceptions against some marginall notes made in the book dedicated to his Holines For example in the 23 page there is this note in the margent Iesuitae quaesua sunt quaerunt which this author Englisheth thus Iesuits seek their owne and not those things which are of Iesus Christ which is more then is in the Latin or perchance more then was meant by that Latine or could be honestly gathered the priests not citing the place of Scripture to which this author alludeth And vpon his owne addition hee discourseth somewhat in the ende of this Chapter concludeth that they haue sought those things which are of Iesus Christ The error then was that the priests put this word sua where they should haue put Iesu Christi haue made the note more true in this maner the Iesuits seeke those things which are of Iesus Christ for belike the Iesuits haue no list to busie themselues where nothing is to be had which they must doe if they seeke sua their owne They doe rather seeke where there are some great summes of money to be bestowed vpon the poore Catholicks priests who are in want which almes are Iesu Christi belonging to Iesus Christ and the note had stood very well to this sence Iesuitae quae Iesu Christi sunt quaerunt The Iesuits doe seeke those things which are Iesu Christs The other notes this fellow calleth them trifles he might very well haue left them as many other For he doeth but stirre vp a desire in the Reader to looke vpō the booke whence these notes were taken where he shall finde matter ynough to make more displeasing notes then these are which are here picked out Yet that note concerning the Seminaries must in no case bee omitted although it hath bene often answered that they are more to the benefit of the Iesuits then to England hauing therein such as they vse or abuse rather for the furthering of their present state-plots a good assurance that the Colledges in Spaine are to fal to their share hereafter The lamentable state into which the colledge of Rome is brought wil be declared at large in a treatise therof The college of Doway is brought into these termes vnder pretence of pouertie as no man is to be admitted thereunto of whō there is not great hope that he will become of the Iesuits faction The Cardinal Protector willed perchance that there should be a stint vntil the debts were payd this is vsed for a colour to admit or reiect whom the Iesuits list If one be presented thither whom the Iesuits like not then the colledge debts are to be paid if it be one who is likely to be factious for them the Colledge hath credit for his admittance And if he be one whose friends wil maintein him then he shal go to S. Omers after some circumstances where the Iesuits wil haue care for the pious distribution of that which he hath and nothing is ought worth which hath not some great prouidence or pietie at one end thereof To conclude In this chapter the author doeth litle other then weary his reader with those idle matters which he hath before brought to proue emulation and faction in all places and actions where Iesuits haue had any thing to doe and to the ostentation of the Iesuits actions he addeth some litle of the zeale of the priests which would proue that the good priests dwelt farre from good neighbours if I thinke fol. 21 and such like slips did not discharge the vnited Priests from all the suspition of writing this Apologie as by the title he would that the Reader should beleeue CHAP. 9. How this Author pursueth his impertinent discourses of troubles among the English in Flaunders Fraunce Italy and Spaine Apol. cap. 4. IN the fourth Chapter of this Apologie the Author intendeth to shew how greatly the Card. Allen and others of our nation are iniuried by being said to haue bene against the Iesuits and what iniurie is also offered to the Cardinals Borromaeo and Toledo and his Holines himselfe And for his exordium hee declareth how all sorts doe seeke companie to approoue and authorize their actions Belike it was not forgotten as yet how the Iesuits haue canuased not onely in Flaunders amonst the souldiers religious women and artificers for voices in commendation of themselues but also here in England hoping that the number of such as can be gotten by bribes flattery or threats may in time ouerpease the trueth of the cause now in controuersie The first proofe which is here brought to declare the Card. Allen his loue and affection to the Iesuites is out of his letter written to M. Mush of which wee haue discoursed before
priests would not suffer themselues to be abused and reported to haue been schismatickes as the Iesuits published after the comming of the Breue and the peace made and the Archpriest did not onely not controll this seditious attempt of the Iesuits but furthered it by promulgating a resolution which hee sayd he had receiued from the mother Citie that the priests were schismatikes who refused to obey the authoritie before they sawe the Breue And what els And that they in this very booke do call it in question also how it came forth saying that they doe not know out of what office it was procured by Fa. Parsons meanes Is this to call the Breue in question or rather the maner of procuring it He who vsed the wordes out of which this clause is gathered declareth in the Pamphlet intituled The hope of peace pag. 23 that a Breue may come from diuers places be called an Apostolical Breue and pag 24. he giueth a cause why there might be some ielousie had of indirect dealing in the procuring of this to wit a manifest mistaking of the Cardinals letter which is also noted in the booke to the Inquisition pag. 59 a thing not vnufuall in his Holines Breues Other reasons of theirs are sayth the Apologie that the Cardinals letters Patents are not sufficient to giue the matter credit and this is sufficiently prooued by M. Io B. in The hope of peace pag. 32 33. and since by M. Iohn Collington in his third reason pag. 60.61 and other following M. Doctor Ely also Doctor of both lawes and professor in Pont à musson in Lorraine in his notes vpon the Apologie from the 116 page to the 137. prooueth this point where also that foolish obiection of the eighth priuiledge of a Card. here cited in the Apologie is answered as also by M. Iohn Collington pag. 114. and the authour of the Apologie iustly reprooued for his false dealing in citing this impertinent glosse for he leaueth out a part of the sentence which marreth his market and maketh it euident to what poore straits he is driuen that must cite such a place for himselfe which besides that it maketh not for his purpose it maketh altogether against him in calling that in doubt vpon which hee would build his argument which he would frame in this maner The credit of a Card is so great that if he should say he is the Popes Legate he is to be beleeued though he shew no letters ergo in this as a matter of lesse moment he is to bee beleeued If a debtor tell his creditor he is a Christian his creditor will beleeue him but if he telleth him that he oweth him nothing I doubt whether he will beleeue him notwithstanding he beleeueth him in a farre greater matter then forty shillings to wit that he is a Christian But to their argument First it is to bee seene that it is not infallibly true nor so taken generally that such credit is giuen to a Cardinall For the same glosse in the same place affirmeth that some do doubt thereof And M.D. Ely affirmeth that it may be better said that all do doubt thereof and so he goeth on pag 125. vpon this point shewing vpon how weake a proofe this Apologie standeth and M. Iohn Collington prooueth pag 118. that he to whom a cause is delegated by speciall commandement is greater in the same then is a Legate generall and by this is that supposition also maimed that in our case where the Cardinal is said to haue affirmed that what he did he did by speciall commandement hee was inferiour to a Legate although in very trueth he sayth not so but onely that he had a speciall commandement of his Holinesse to doe what he could for the making vp the breach which was suggested to the Pope to haue been in England betweene the Seminarie priests and Catholikes as may be seene in the letters constitutiue prefixed to M. Collingtons booke And yet to blind such as take pleasure therein this author speaking of the Cardinall demandeth who doth not know what a Cardinals test monie in any Christian Catholike Court is worth especially a Protector testifying and professing in his letters patents to doe it exspeciall mandato Sanctissimi at this man doth in his letters As this man doth not in his letters more then wee now haue sayd which was no commission to make his Subordination Let the letters bee sought and it will soone be seene that this fellow vsed these Latine words of his owne and not out of the Cardinals letters and that the like words are referred by the Cardinall to some other point then the making of this Subordination But to omit the iugling which is vsed betweene the Cardinals doing it sometime as here fol. 108. and his witnessing sometime that his Holinesse did it as it was sayd in the Libel which D. Haddocke and M. Martin Array put vp against M. Doctor Bishop and M. Charnocke at Rome the tenth of Ianuary 1599 and all with the same letters commonly called the Constitutiue letters This circumstance of being Protector doth litle helpe the matter for that as is sayd in The hope of peace pag. 33. this acte of the Card. was a subdelegation as appeareth by those words of his letters Te deligimus c. We make choice of you whom for the time we subdelegate in that charge which was committed to vs and not an acte of Protectorship And pag. 34. it is shewed that the office of a Protector stretcheth it selfe no further then the Court of Rome For so doth Zecchius set it downe in his booke De repub Christiana De statu Ill. Dom. Card. Nu. 9. In hoc Consistorio quaeque prouinciae regularium congregatio ac reges habent suos patres tutelares qui Protectores dicuntur qui electiones alias causas prouinciae sibicommissae in Consistorio proponunt oppositoribus respondent In this Consistorie euery prouince congregation of Regulars and kings haue their Fathers who haue care of them and these are called Protectors these doe then propose elections and other causes of the prouince committed vnto them and doe make answere to such as oppose against them This point is also handled by M. Collington pa. 6◠and by M D Ely pa 163. 164. But not to stand vpon these matters saith this poore man who in trueth can finde no footing in this his cause it is a foule thing what for birds to defile their owne nests as these vnited priests do oft in this Apologie if they are authors thereof you meane some other matter Let vs heare it when for couering our owne wils of not obeying we seeke holes in the coates and authoritie of our Superiors I wil shew you what is a fowle thing when for couering the lewdnesse of others who shot at nothing els then to haue you and all the Secular cleargie of England vnder them as punies and boyes you will take vpon you to patronize and
wit by his Holinesse Breue yet these matters were touched as long past before the Breue came and at such time as hee was deemed to be intruded without his Holinesse knowledge to shew what iust causes the Priests had to be aduised before they should resolue to subiect themselues vnto him After this long paine to finde holes in Superiors coates the author is fallen againe into the priests reasons among which hee citeth those which wee haue now once already answered to wit that his Holinesse could not do it lawfully without their consents and that the election pertained vnto them and the like One newe deuise he hath for some varietie as for that it is a forreine authoritie and subiect to danger of Premunire which is answered before that the priests did not plead this or giue it as a reason against the authority but alleaged it as the opinion onely of diuers men of iudgement in the lawes of our countrey as may be seene in the sixt page of the English booke and prooued thereby that in wisedome they might pause vpon their submitting themselues vnto the authority seeing no other warrant for it then a Cardinals letter to whom they knew no tye of obedience much lesse in a matter of so great moment And that this was all which they did it is euident in that so soone as they did see his Holinesse letter whom they knew to be their Superiour they all yeelded themselues And as it is sayd before if our princes of the same religion of which we were did punish such as accepted of any dignities by prouision from Rome without their cōsents the priests might assuredly expect some seueritie of a prince of a contrary religion And as they were not bound to accept thereof before it was confirmed by his Holinesse so did they thinke it great follie to exasperate the state any more against them by accepting of so strange and needles a noueltie And these reasons saith the Apologie are set downe and printed in two of the first treatises of this English booke intituled Copies of discourses which were written before the Breue came foorth for confirmation of the Archpriest and therefore they ought to haue bene answered according to that time not with this idle shift His Holines Institution For as then it was not knowen that it was his Holinesse Institution as here is confessed in these words Before the Breue came foorth And consequently it seemeth strange to vs why they were now permitted after the Breue is foorth and hath not wrought that effect for quieting them which then they promised What then will this fellow say to all the testimonies brought by himselfe to proue the peace was made at the sight of the Breue Cap. 10. Apol what will he answere to his Holinesse Breue of the seuenteenth of August 1601 where his Holinesse auoucheth it that all was presently ended vpon the sight of his Breue of the sixt of Aprill 1599. His riddle then is thus read that the Breue did worke that effect in the priests which they promised as we haue now shewed But not long after the Iesuits began to spread abroad and that the priests who obeyed not before they saw the Breue were schismaticks and the Archpriest was so farre from controlling this reuiued faction of the Iesuits as hee published a resolution pretended to come from Rome that the refusers of his authoritie were schismatikes And now it will not seeme strange to a reasonable man that these discourses were now printed for that now there was need to perswade Catholickes that the priests were not then schismatikes which perswasion the priests thought it fit to further by declaring the true state of matters how they then stood and vpon what reasons And these were best and most sincerely to be shewed by the letters which passed at that time to and fro and by laying downe the causes which then they had and might haue to deferre their obedience vntill they saw the Breue and thereby giue satisfaction to Catholickes that they had not been schismatikes as the Iesuites and Archpriest began now againe after the peace made to publish against them But now after these treatises sayth this author ensueth an Epistle of M. Anthony Champneys which we would hardly beleeue to bee his if he had not suffered his name to be put downe in print to the same For we had greater opinion both of his discretion learning and modestie then that hee would vtter such things as in this epistle are contained especially matter of so much gall against the Fathers of the societie vnder whom he hath bene brought vp and of whose order for diuers yeeres as we are informed hee sought to bee Note this author his opinion of M. Champneys discretion learning and modestie and how that this opinion must no longer last because he maintaineth his good name against the slaunderous tongues of the Iesuites and their associates in their vniust accusation of Schisme and disobedience And whosoeuer shall reade his Epistle which is heere mentioned shall perceiue great cause why that good and reuerent opinion was rather to be still kept by that Epistle then the least iot diminished as hauing shewed very discreetely learnedly and modestly how wrongfully he and other graue and reuerend Catholicke priests were charged by the Iesuites and their adherents But this seemeth very strange to many that there being so reuerend an opinion of his discretion learning and modestie as this author affirmeth they would not admit him into their order hauing sought it for diuers yeeres as here is affirmed Will hee perchance haue his reader to vnderstand that a man of discretion learning and modestie cannot well suite with that religious order or that such men are not thought fit for such purposes as the master of misrule would effect in our countrey who now hath the disposing of our English Iesuites and is of opinion perchance that the further off a man is from discretion learning and modestie the fitter will he be to further his designes and hath for the instruction of his nouices or encouragement to other written this Apologie and shewed that he himselfe hath neither discretion learning nor modestie or else that his instruments must haue defect at the least in some one or two of these three vertues as the author of the Treatise of Schisme and his abettors therein who were thought to haue had some learning but they haue giuen an earnest penny in that Treatise that they neither had discretion modestie nor learning And M. Champney might be thought to be highly fauoured of God that he escaped so great a danger seeking it himselfe for diuers yeeres as here is said although no doubt he might haue bene of the societie and haue taken such good and religious courses as we doubt not but that many of that order doe But those commonly sayth this author are worse when they loose their spirit seeking to pacifie the remorse of their owne conscience by
this any further here especially seeing Fa. Valent. his doctrine set downe before out of S. Thomas doeth most clearely conuince them And therefore we leaue that to God and their consciences to answere one day before the high Iudge where shifts will haue no place A condition which I doubt not but the author of this Apologie would gladly for this time should be agreed vpon howsoeuer when that day shal be present he would be willing to haue the hearing of the matter further deferred For if we doe but reflect what meanes haue bene made to haue it heard in this world and haue bene crossed by him and his faction we shall easily conceiue how vnwilling he will be to come to the triall in the next where hee must come to the naked proofe of right or wrong without his cloake which now couereth all his falsehood To this adiuration the priests will answere in their consciences afore God and at the day of Iudgement where shifts wil haue no place that when they had seene read ouer the Card. Caietanes letter which he testified not to the whole world as here it is most falsly suggested but onely to M. Blackwell being a letter written particulerly to him and to no other as appeareth by the letter extant both in the bookes dedicated by the priests to the Inquisition and at the beginning of M. Colingtons booke lately set forth and written by one who was not knowen to haue any authority in England neither did he make it knowen that he had any authoritie delegated vnto him for that which he had attempted but only by his owne bare words which no man in this case was to beleeue vnder any sin Notwithstanding they had heard that his Hol. had giuen a charge to some in particuler to haue peace with the Iesuits a very impertinent matter and as foolishly here vrged for the band to accept the Subordination at the first comming or had seene other letters testifying the same as a heare-say as M Colington doeth particulerly prooue from the 68. page to the 80. or that he was a Cardinal who writ his letters it being euident in the opinion of the chiefest Cannonists that a Card. may do more sometime then needeth or els they would neuer accord that credit is not to be giuen to him vnlesse he shew his commission whereupon your brethren doe answere sincerely and without passion that it was no morall certaintie of the Popes will and that they had not sufficient knowledge to bind vnder sinne to obedience and that no Superiours will did by any meanes appeare vnto them but rather a very bad part of their aduersaries to crosse them for a time vntill they could worke the Pope to confirme the plot which they had layde to bring the priests into a slauish bondage vnder them neither can they once be conuinced of the contrary as may in part appeare by that their reasons of their refusall before the Breue came doe stand firme as yet vnanswered And thus omitting to coniure the Iesuits Archpriest for their false dealings in this action for which assuredly they must come to an vnpleasing reckoning I wil briefly touch what is here said of the censure of Paris and make an ende of this Chapter referring the Reader for a larger satisfaction to M.D Elie his notes vpon the 8. Chapter of the Apologie pag. 245. and to M. Iohn Colington in his 4. reason pag. 153. The decree of the doctors of Sorbon in Paris consisted of two parts the one was that the priests who deferred to admit of the authoritie vpon the causes alledged were not schismaticks the other was that the priests the fact of it selfe considered did not any way offend or commit sinne By this definition of Paris saith this author fol. 118. commeth very little reliefe vnto the priests and it was printed onely to make a vaine flourish with the ostentation of an Academicall sentence Thâ—s very word Academiâ— sticketh marueilously in this authours stomach and his fellowes But let vs see how he will shew that this decree of these doctors did very little relieue the priests To the first point that it was no schisme what saith he marke I pray you his words fol. 115. for of the other point of schisme we will not talke at all am sorie that euer it was mentioned or brought in questioÌ„ But will you see this good sope of milke turned downe with a foule paire of heeles Note that which is behinde Vnquiet people hauing taken occasion hereby to continue contention and to make more brables then were needfull They were much to blame belike who would speake being publiquely defamed for schismaticks and what els a quintessence of malice could deuise as may be seene in the treatise of Schisme written by the Iesuits and approued by the Archp. and yet to this day mainteined in corners where any of that seditious crew can haue any hope to increase the schisme or diuision or what els it may be hereafter called in Gods Church by perswading now some now othersome not to communicate in Prayer and Sacraments with those who are the true members of Gods Church for a cause in which these members doe in here and plead the commandement of the head of the Church against a priuate letter from a priuate Cardinal to a priuate man as may appeare by the letter it selfe Were shame of that most wicked and sencelesse slander the cause of sorrow or silence in this author concerning this point of schisme what hope might there be that he had some grace but his sorrow and silence grow both out of a splene that his and his fellowes slanderous tongues had not that successe which he and his froward malitious adherents hoped for The submission which the priests did make at the sight of his Holines first Breue of the 6. of April 1599. acknowledged in his later Breue of the 17. of August 1601. conuinceth all but contentious brablers that the priests were further off by much from any touch or any suspition of schisme then their aduersaries here euer since their first deuiding themselues from them in prayer and communion of Sacraments But seeing he will say no more of schisme we will omit it and come to the question which this author meaneth to handle Our question saith he is then onely whether any sinne were committed whereof also we will not presume to determine any degree of sinne but leaue that to God and to the offenders consciences Now that the priests here be published for rebels seditious factious excommunicate irregular fallen from the Church to haue lost their faculties scandalous infamous persons no better then soothsayers and Idolaters disobedient to the Church and therefore as Ethnickes and Publicanes the author of this Apologie will not presume to determine any degree of sinne Our question sayth he is whether any sinne were committed but he giueth no answere to this question but wrangleth a little about the censure of
authoritie they called it in doubt whether those things were true which were contained in these letters of the Cardinals namely that the authoritie was constituted by his Hol. commandement and if it were so yet they doubted whether his Hol. could appoint them a Superiour vnwitting and vnwilling thereto which afterward they feared not to say when they came to Rome yea and repeated it often as we can proue by conuenient witnesses And yet would this fellow perswade his reader that the priests did first contradict or oppose themselues against the authority and then afterwards finde some reasons for it yea after the two priests were gone to Rome notwithstanding these plaine testimonies of his owne that the priests had these difficulties at the beginning But perchance M. Charnockes answere put all these things out of his memorie non putarat he thought not vpon it How so Forsooth M. Charnocke said that the cause of his comming was to supplicate most humbly to the Sea Apostolike that if the aforesayd order of the Archpriests authoritie were not yet confirmed by his Holinesse as they had heard that Fa. Sicklemore and some other had reported that then the same might be either mitigated or changed or some other order appointed with it thus he collecteth M. Charnocks answere and thereupon commeth with a so as now our brethren seemed not to doubt c. nor were yet growne to be so bold as to affirme that his holinesse could not doe it without their consents except he violated the canons c. The humble spirit of the priests who hauing many and most iust causes to deale in other maner then by way of supplication being measured by his own proud humor of wrangling where he had no iust cause brought him into this error Next follow the reasons or causes which mooued M. Bishop to come to Rome which were sixe and hee here setteth them downe and proueth that he and M. Charnocke did scarce seem to agree in the causes of their comming And how so Forsooth M. Charnocke sayd and sware that his onely comming was to supplicate c fol 132. But whosoeuer will turne to M. Charnocks oath set downe fol 129. shal find this iugler and how that this word onely is here foisted in by him for this purpose And so much sayth he of this for that it were ouerlong to run ouer all points and not finde one for his purpose without a litle of his arte which will serue him no longer then vntill it commeth into the aire for then all this painting and false colours will easily be descried and himselfe worthily laughed at for his so grosse counterfeiting yet this in briefe they affirmed both of them that as for the Archpriest they brought nothing lawfully prooued against him either in learning life or manners and the like they affirmed of the Iesuits An euident argument euen to F. Parsons and the rest that they went to Rome to deale in peaceable manner with his Holines concerning these matters beeing able to bring more matters vnder the hands of sufficient witnesses then the Archpriest will be euer able to answere and which in any court of Iustice would haue hindered his confirmation But this authour setteth downe his matters somewhat warily the priests brought nothing against the Archpr. lawfully proued as for the Iesuits let any indifferent man iudge whether the priests were in place to haue medled with them further then that the Iesuits were their Iaylours somewhat belike they could haue said but they brought nothing lawfully prooued M. Bishop sayth he said he heard his fellow Rob. say that M. Collington and himselfe had heard the Archpriest vtter an hereticall proposition which was that they could not appeale from him to Rome They both affirme that hee stood very peremptorily in it after that hee was warned thereof and if M. Bishop did affirme that this proposition was hereticall or the author of the Apologie doe thinke so of it himselfe I wonder that M. Bishops fellow Rob. was not asked the question his examination not being ended in some 6. or 7. dayes after that M. Bishop was dispatched as appeareth here fol. 134. and this is one speciall matter which this author chuse out of many ouer which it had beene ouerlong to runne ouer Will ye heare another in briefe as he sayth M. Charnocke beeing asked what money they had made answere for 30. crownes more then M. Bishop tooke notice of which perchance this author here inserted that his reader might giue credit to M. Bishop when he said as is extant in the English booke pa. 171. The examinations were what is your name how olde where remained you in England how and which way came you ouer what money brought you ouer with you c. and much such like impertinent stuffe to fill vp the papers that when wee came to the matter it selfe they might be briefe taking barely what we came about without the reasons perswasions of it yea obiecting against it and peruerting it what they could The third principal point which notwithstanding the hast was in no case to be ouerslipped but rather run ouer is a disagreement betweene M. Bishop and M. Charnocke about one point of their commission And thus forgetting how he had before foisted in this worde onely to make a disagreement betweene them in that the one should say that their onely comming was to supplicate c. fol 132. and the other alledge sixe causes of his comming Now hee is contented that M. Charnocke should say that he had diuers points in commission and how commeth this kindnesse ouer him forsooth he would faine find another disagreement betwixt M. Bishop and M. Charnocke and for this purpose hee must intreat his reader to forget that he had before made him beleeue how that he had heard that M. Charnocke said and sware that their onely comming was to supplicate c. and now that it will please him to vnderstand that Master Charnocke said that he had in commission amongst other points for to procure that no bookes should be hereafter written by Catholicks that might exasperate the state of England M. Bishop said that he liked not that commission but rather it should be left as hitherto to the discretion of the writers adding further that in his opinion such bookes as before had beene written had rather done good then hurt M. Doctor Ely hath noted vpon the Apologie that the author thereof is much troubled with the chincough which in his relating this point may be very easily seene by his leauing out of certaine wordes at the end of the point auouched by M. Charnocke to haue beene in his commission The words are these sine necessitate aut vtilitate without need or profit which words being added vnto the point as he calleth it in M. Charnocks commission or the petition of the priests as they tearmed it maketh the matter so iust a request as no man of sense can dislike thereof But the very
thing indeed which troubled this author was that F. Parsons vrging very much to know whether that the booke of succession were not one of these which were within the compasse of this petition was told directly by M. Charnocke that it was and thereupon grew a little alteration betweene them to fill vp the papers perchance as M. Bishop sayth and as for M. Do. Bishop it is so plainely set downe what hee answered concerning this booke of succession or titles in the answere for M. Doct. Bishop fol. 16. which answere is annexed to M. Doct. Ely his notes vpon the Apologie that I cannot but wonder at this fellowes greedinesse to forge matters to make some shew at the least that M. Doctor Bishop and M. Charnocke disagreed For first M. Doct. Bishop was not asked any question concerning this point as there it is affirmed but had some priuate talke concerning the bookes of titles And the effect of his answere is that the booke is so penned as that while many by warrant thereof may iustly striue for the crowne a stranger may come in and take it from them all and how this agreeth to that which the Apologie sayth of a difference betwixt Master D. Bishop and M. Charnocke an indifferent reader will quickly iudge Now followeth a contemptible repetition of tickets and scrolles the least whereof was bigger then any by which this subordination was requested vnlesse wee should say as the author of the Apologie would perswade vs cap. 8 fol. 98. 104. that the 7. of March endured at Rome vntill many moneths passed in other countreys and many of them were directed to his Holines as humble supplications to which according to the old fashion men did not vse to set any seale but their names onely and so were these subscribed in the best manner that the writers could and the papers were of purpose so small for the better conueyance of them if the bearers should haue chanced to haue beene searched as this authors wit might haue taught him and not onely the names were to the petitions but the matters which were demanded by which these foolish doubts here made are easily solued what manner of commission these men had or could haue from whome by what meanes for what matters whether they in England would stand to all points which these men here should conclude in their behalfe and whether these mens authoritie were generall or limited For by these letters it was seene that they had such commission as many could giue where there was no one in authoritie the Archpriest not being as yet confirmed nor if hee had any likely to haue giuen any commission to any whome he should imagine liked not of such his preferment It was also seene from whome they had the commission for that the priests names were to their petitions The meanes likewise were faire without threatnings of execution and such like as were vsed to make the priests subscribe to the Archpriest The matters also were specified in their petitions and the priests in England committing their matters to these two there needed no great doubt to haue bene made whether they would haue stood to that to which they had agreed in that behalfe as they did when receiuing the Breue signed by their two handes of which otherwise perchance there might haue bene some doubt vnlesse the originall had bene sent they all submitted themselues It was also euident by the points set downe in particular what they had to deale in in the names of the rest although they were not thereby debarred any way to deale as they saw cause or had hope to effect any good for their countrey So that his endlesse folly might haue bene left out where he concludeth finally that the priests did onely agree in contradicting and pulling downe but nothing that was probable or facible for setting vp and so their examinations were ended c. A very good conclusion and well deducted out of his principles All this being done saith he and the whole processe considered and weighed well by the Cardinals and after related to his Holines it was resolued that the said Cardinals with his Holines Commissary Acarisius should goe to the Colledge themselues and to see whether they had any thing els to say or write Who doeth not now prepare himselfe to heare some matter to some purpose For all which hitherto hath bene touched in the Apologie seeme to be but praeludia or an entrance to this acte Here was it to be tried how iustly or iniustly the priests had done and to be shewed how worthily they had bene imprisoned with infamy kept close so long debarred al helpe one of the other Here was the proper place for this author to haue answered the English booke which was one of the two for which this Apologie was written this apparance of the two priests before the Cardinals being set downe so particularly in the English booke intituled The copies of the discourses pag 95 96. 97. 98. But alack the good man had not what to say but that which would haue cleared the priests nor was able to controll any part of the narration which is made in the places cited but turneth off his reader with certaine generall termes to which he first disposeth him with as idle discourses First taking occasion to exclaime vpon D Bagshaw for that he thought it requisite that the Archpresbytership should be recalled as being neither requested by vs nor any way profitable and that some Hierarchie were instituted which were to be approued by the free suffrages of the priests onely of the Seminaries And for this this author exclameth Loe what a resolute lawmaker here is who recalleth the Popes Subordinations in a word setteth vp another of his owne making with as great facilitie Loe what a resolute ly-maker here is who affirmeth that which is most false and can no way follow of the doctors words For the Archpresbytership was not the Popes Subordination but the Cardinals as then it was manifest by the Cardinals letters where he said Dum haec nostra ordinatio durauerit so long as this our ordinance shall endure Neither doeth the Cardinal in any place of those letters affirme as this resolute ly-maker doeth often inculcate in this Apologie that he did it expresso mandato Sanctissimi By expresse commandement of his Holines Neither doeth the doctor recall it but signifie vnto such as were going to Rome what his and others opinion was of the vnprofitablenes thereof And being thrust vpon them vnasked that it was to be recalled by his Holines in whom the author as I trow will acknowledge a power to doe as much as this was Loe likewise what a resolute lye-maker here is who affirmeth that the doctor setteth vp another Subordination of his owne making with as great facilitie whereas the doctor writeth in the same kinde to haue some other by his Holines appointment of which he desireth not that himselfe should be the setter vp
a thing called an Appeale he kept a fowle stirre by some of his seditious Agents against the Appellants An other reason was because they had a desire that their cause should be knowen sufficiently abroad which could not bee knowen too much in their conceit who sought nothing but a trial of the trueth and for iustice against their vniust defamers But what this author hath to say against these bookes you shal heare in the next Chapter and if you wil haue an answere from him to this question proposed fol. 148. which part hath broken the peace you must goe picke it vp where you can now you know his worships minde CHAP. 16. How the two bookes against which the Apologie is written are sleightly runne ouer with a few cauils against them Apol. cap. 11. IN the eleuenth Chapter the author of the Apologie intendeth to shew how false slanderous and iniurious the two bookes are which the Priests set forth whereof one was in Latine to his Holinesse the other in English entituled The Copies of certaine Discourses He will also shew how highly the writers and publishers offended God and all good men thereby Lastly he will defend certaine particular men that are slandered therein And first he beginneth to shew how God was offended supposing still that credite must be giuen vnto him in all which he sayth Now sayth he fol. 160. are we come gentle Reader almost to the last but the most loathsome part of all our answere which is to handle and examine in particular the two contumelious libels c. And after a holy protestation against so base and wicked a spirit neuer so much perchance as imagined that it should be so manifest in himselfe doth here and since in his Manifestation of spirits and a certaine Latine libell entituled Appendix c. he telleth his gentle Reader that the sinne of libelling is to be considered how grieuous it is in the sight of God how great censures are layd thereon c. O how would this man make a saint with a little helpe but his gentle Reader demaundeth of him where all these considerations were when the Iesuits writ their discourse aduersus factiosos in Ecclesia against the factious in the Church where were these considerations when this libell was generally approoued by their fellow Iesuits the Archpriest and all that seditious crew which adhered vnto them in this sinnefull acte whereby many Catholicke priests were most maliciously and most vniustly defamed and to omit other most malapert and scornefull speeches were in spirit exclaimed against in this sort Vos rebelles estis c. Yee are rebels ye are schismatickes and fallen out of the Church the spouse of Christ you haue trampled vnder your feete the obedience which is due to the sea Apostolicke yee haue rushed into excommunication and irregularitie ye haue so scandalized the godly that ye are euery where infamous ye haue by disobedience sinned against the chiefe Vicar of Christ and against Christ himselfe the Iudge and Iusticer See I pray you how that ye are nothing better then Southsayers and Idolaters and as Ethnicks Publicans because you obeyed not the Church when it spake vnto you by the highest Bishop And all this sturre was because the priests did not accept of the new authoritie vpon the sight of a letter written by one that was neither the highest Bishop nor the lowest nor yet any Bishop at all nor of any such credit as he was to be beleeued in this matter as hath beene sufficiently prooued by M. Doctor Ely in his notes vpon the Apologie and M. Collington in his defence of the slandered priests and was diuersly touched before in other their bookes But where were these godly considerations when this libell so senslesse false and scandalous was written and published how was God offended hereby or was hee not in your pious wisdome were any censures incurred hereby of the Church or any punishments deserued which the ciuill lawe inflicteth vpon Libellers In whom was that base and wicked spirit against which you so godly inueigh in this place when Iesuites the Archpriest and their faction were authours spreaders or approouers of such things where were these godly meditations when the Archpriest after the peace made did spread and approoue that scandalous libell or resolution as hee termed it from the mother citie that the refusers of the appointed authoritie were scismaticks I will omit to speake of that base and wicked spirit which caried certain gentlemen from house to house as he doeth the mountebanks from towne to towne with certaine libels against particular men where they seeme to striue whether they can excell those mountebanks in shamelesse and vngracious relations I will here say nothing of that base and wicked spirit which maketh euery one of the factious adherents to the Iesuits and Archpriest a most infamous and scandalous Libeller against such priests as did delay to accept of the Archpr. before they saw iust cause and denyed afterward that they had bene schismatickes during the time of that delay I will not vrge this fellow his Manifestation of spirits in which all his holines which he pretendeth many other wayes is discouered to be nothing but hypocrisie I will onely stand vpon this Apologie in which I haue shewed and shall yet discouer so many falshoods and slanders as no man of indifferencie can deny but that it is a most notorious libell and proceeded of a most base and wicked spirit And so I will leaue it to the authour his own iudgement here giuen what sinne it is to libell how grieuous in the sight of God and man and how great censures and extreame punishments are due vnto him for it when hee shall come to his answere as the priests haue bene in the face of the whole world which in the opinion of all learned men hath freed their bookes from the ignominious name of libels But here are certaine circumstances which aggrauate the matter against the priests as first that a religious communitie is here defamed but this is false for the societie is not touched by the priests but certaine men of the society such as we hope the whole society will not beare out in their wicked courses And if they should beare them out therein and thereby make themselues a party then must the religious community expect no other priuiledge then any other irreligious company And I cannot but marueile how M.D. Ely in this Epistle to M. D.W. prefixed to his notes vpon the Apologie blameth the Priests for opposing themselues as he mistaketh them against the whole society for they haue not in all their bookes vsed any such generall termes as may include the whole bodie of the societie when they haue spoken of Iesuits but in handling particular matters haue sufficiently discouered whom they haue ment when they haue spoken of Iesuits yea they haue in plain termes and particularly affirmed and published in print that they doe not touch the body of
and the priests now the world is come to this passe that he is no zealous or godly Catholike that will not runne from place to place to disgrace all such priests as refuse to be guided by the Iesuits or in this present controuersie will not acknowledge that they liued in schisme and deserued eternall shame and reproch because they deferred their obedience to an authoritie vntill they did see what was their Superiour his will concerning it at what time they all submitted themselues vnfainedly whatsoeuer this author most wickedly suggesteth to his reader in this place without any proofe at all vpon certaine of his most absurd surmizes for which also he sendeth his reader to the former chapter where he shal see perhaps and as it is supposed and it is very likely and such like stuffe as a man who esteemed of his credit would be ashamed of in so weighty a matter And for his foolish assertion that if it had been vnfained it would haue wrought some permanent effect there is an old saying that there must goe two words to a bargaine and so say I that if there must be peace betweene two parts both the parts must doe their parts to preserue it for who seeth not that it is a most absurd iest that if peace be broken by the wickednesse of the one part the other should be blamed for not dealing sincerely and vnfainedly the priests haue sayd that the Iesuits and the Archpriest did breake the peace and they haue shewed how and that which they haue sayd herein cannot be controlled and that is that Fa Iones the Iesuit after the peace made fetched out of hell it selfe as by the euent it appeareth that most wicked paradox of his fellow Iesuit Fa. Lister concerning schisme and the Archpriest also after the peace made brake the same peace by publishing a resolution from the mother citie that the refusers of the appointed authority were schismatikes which resolution he affirmed he had either from F. Warford or Fa Tichborne a paire of yong English Iesuites and this is the Epistle which is not onely mentioned but set downe in the booke to his Holines pag 63 and which this author slily ouerslippeth and stoppeth his readers mouth with the marginal note which is put by the priest to wit origo c. The beginning of the new contention was a violent Epistle of the Archpriests which here this author citeth and runneth in his new found milde and religious tearmes vpon the priests because they would breake out for an angry Epistle and so laughing in his sleeue to thinke how hee can cousin the blind obedient which must beleeue any thing that he telleth them he shutteth vp this matter without telling them what this angry Epistle was or that it was set downe in the booke to his Holinesse least that he should haue discouered the weakenes of his cause and consequently his owne wickednes who in so weake a case would vse so wicked tearmes against Catholike priests This you see how this fellow hath answered the booke which is dedicated to his Hol. and what poore geere he picketh out sometime out of the discourse sometime out of the margent and letteth this discourse goe quietly by him and with all this nicenesse and choice of some place to which he might make colourable shewe of answere he bringeth nothing but what being examined will breede his owne shame and confusion The Appeale he saith shal be answered by the Pope who in a briefe of the 17. of August 1601. refused it for peace sake as there is said being induced thereunto perchance by such as were loath to heare these matters come in question yet since this Breue all the world is made a witnesse that these matters haue bene handled at Rome and that there was iust cause to appeale notwithstanding the fine gloses here made by this authour who wisheth perchance by this time that he had not so much commended this Pope Lastly he agitateth a letter of M. Mush his writing to Mon Seignior Morto a Bishop in Italy who was ioyned with Doctor Lewes Bishop of Cassana in many affaires of the Church which letter is said in the priests their bookes to haue bene sent by the two messengers vnto him And in reason the Priests who said so should haue had credit vntill the contrary could haue bene prooued which can neuer be with more substantiall arguments then are here brought To wit it was not found among their papers as though they hauing bene 17. dayes in Rome before that the Iesuites and the Sbirri carried them to prison could not conuey it as it was directed before that their papers were seazed on or secondly the two messengers neuer spake to Fa. Parsons of such a letter ergo they caried no such letter with them as though Fa. Parsons were the man that must knowe all things and was not rather kept so short as diuers in the Citie noted how he was troubled for that he could get no other answere of the priests to his curious question then that time and place should discouer what they had to say And although afterward he was admitted by them to be their examiner it was not without the condition that they should not be bound to answere to his questions which condition the Fiscall did take and agree vnto before he could obteine of them to let Fa. Parsons be the examiner and it may be thought that when they were asked such idle questions they did vse this license or their owne rights no oath in this kind binding any man to answere to all things proposed vnto them and Fa. Parsons may call to minde if it please him that to some questions he was directly denied an answere The matters contained in M. Mush his letter are there so sufficiently handled as this authour saith nothing thereof in this place but referreth his reader backe to fome places already handled and answered he glaunceth at that which is there said of the necessity of the sacrament of confirmation in England for which all the Catholikes if they will may see his egernesse against their good and comfort in this time of persecution that he cannot heare of any who shal say it is necessary but he is straight on his iacke for it And because one said once that it was either most necessary in time of persecution or a vaine and as a superfluous ceremony in Gods Church because there onely is the proper vse thereof he playeth vpon the latter words as if they had bene affirmed by any one and applyeth them to such as speake for the necessitie of the sacrament He excepteth also against that which M. Mush affirmeth of Fa. Parsons his State bookes and is agreeued that he onely is named among such as haue written of such a subiect And for the loue he beareth to Cardinall Allen and other of our Nation he setteth downe in print what they haue written concerning such matters as though their fact did excuse
Fa Parsons but why is Fa. Parsons onely named because Fa Parsons being onely aliue of those writers of which M. Mush spake was consequently more likely then any of the other to write againe of such matters and also because Fa. Parsons his bookes of Titles are professedly State bookes and beeing writ in fauour more of the Spanish faction then any other were the more likely to bring affliction vppon Catholikes the Spaniardes hauing giuen so often attempt to inuade our Countrey Fa. Parsons his dealings with the Studentes in Spaine to come in those Armadoes are euident proofes of his meaning and consequently his bookes might be iudged most hurtfull to Catholikes This author also would perswade his reader that there was some great matters betweene Master Mush and M. Collington and others and that they were discontented either with others actions concerning the association because they had diuers conceits for the proceeding in it which suspition ought to be taken away from euery indifferent man that shall vnderstand that they all came to a conclusion what was fit to be done as in all orderly proceedings it falleth out where diuers men at the first vtter their diuers conceits M. Mush is also here taxed for his letter to F. Parsons which is set at the latter end of the English booke and the matter is made very holy that a cow should giue a good sope of milke and kicke it downe afterward with her heeles and so hauing commended F Parsons for his writings pertaining to deuotion and controuersies for which and his good will as I thinke all the priests doe thanke him as also for what other good deedes he hath done and for reward pray to God for him to send him his grace this author setteth himselfe to answere the English booke entituled The Copies of certaine discourses which also is here to be defended but first this author is to be told that he doeth ouer lash too much when fol. 171. hee affirmeth that neither M. Mush nor his fellowes haue euer written any books concerning deuotion or controuersies for they haue written much in both kinds although they had not that meanes which F. Parsons had to set them forth and M. Mush in particular put his pen to paper against M. Bell now an enemie as now hee hath done against these factious Iesuits which haue attempted to trouble Gods Church here in England This author beginneth his answere to the English booke with as foolish an exception as he tooke to the Latine to wit that it is said to be printed at Roane to which the answere is already giuen as also to that false tale deuised by him that their bookes were printed vnder my L. of London his protection The Meditation is as foolish which he maketh vpon the sentence of Scripture prefixed to the English booke Dicet piger c. The slothfull excuse themselues saying there is a Lyon in the way which carrieth his sence with it so plaine that it needeth no such comment as this fellow maketh it beeing well knowen that many priests and lay men doe stand for the Iesuites and Archpriest in this their faction against the priests which would not if they feared not the like hard measure to that which is meated to the priests He stumbleth very grossely at the Preface and the two first letters with references where his reader should finde them confuted but there he giueth them small comfort as may be seene hee would seeme a little to canuace M. Champneys letter which followeth and frameth his aduersary to his minde finding fault where there was none as any man may see that wil. That which Ma. Champney calleth an extraordinarie authoritie this authour turneth it to an extraordinarie dignitie as if the priests had pretended that they neuer heard of an Archpriest before Then he commeth on to prooue the absolute authoritie of the Pope to giue the Priests a Superiour which the priests did alwayes acknowledge as appeareth by their yeelding vnto it when they saw his Holines Breue before which time it could not be proued to be his Holines order That which the priests alledged out of the Canons was brought to prooue what was the order of Gods Church which order was broken by the appointing of a Superiour among priests without their priuitie or consent The letters which are cited in the 8. Chapter to prooue the consent of the priests or desire to haue a subordination are there shewed to haue beene written long after the Archpriest was appointed by the Cardinall Caietane In fine M. Do. Ely in his notes vpō the Apologie doth defend M. Champney against this Libeller in so ample manner as it were superfluous to say any thing more thereof Next vnto M. Champney his letter the priests set F. Parsons his letter to M. B. vpon which there is a censure by M. I. B. which sorely troubleth this good mans patience especially for that F. Parsons letter is diuided into 24 parts by the censurer and so sayth he leapeth from one to the other forth and backe referring you now to this and now to that c. This man knoweth well his owne disease hee would goe on still and tell his reader now this now that as it commeth into his head and if his reader should fall to conferring one place of his discourse with another then is hee vtterly shamed his slie trickes are found his falshood is discouered his contradiction laid open and whatsoeuer an euill cause needeth to colour it is shewed to bee in his yet lest he should seeme to say nothing he will shew that there was a contradiction found in F. Par. letter which he sayth was no contradiction And how doth he proue this F. P. saith that from May to Nouember is more then halfe a yeere A iolly wise saying of so graue a father But where or when did this said saw passe him Or how doth this alter the case more then if there were but two daies betweene May and Nouember The contradiction was that F. Parsons said in his letter that no letter had yet appeared from M. Bishop or M. Charnocke And in the same letter he confesseth that hee receiued a stale letter from M. Bishop The next point for which the censurer deserueth blame is for that he affirmeth that F. Parsons said that an heretical proposition was layd to M. Blackwels charge and would not himselfe affirme so much he knew nor perchance what Fa. Parsons meant F. Parsons said it and Fa. Parsons must proue it And whereas it is here said that M. Bishop affirmed it at Rome and proued it by a heare-say from M. Charnocke but M. Charnocke said nothing of it I wonder why M. Charnocke was not asked the question but if it had bene so Ma Charnocke would haue said so vnasked And so he must haue done if he had spoken of it for as it seemeth Fa Parsons had no will to haue the matter brought in question and as it is to be thought not for
trauailed in England to the sea coast or at sea where he was not knowen nor willing to be knowen for such as hee was what an absurd exception was this that he did bring such things to Rome as though he ought to haue cast them away But this fellow careth not what halfe tales he telleth to make his Reader beleeue any thing which might any way tend to the discredite of a Priest The long tale which this author telleth of Fa. Parsons departure from Oxford I will omit because it runneth into many particulars of which I haue no knowledge But the trueth is he was expelled and the bels were rong at Magdalene College for his expulsion And this authour his charging the fellowes with the breach of oath when they made knowen his expulsion is very ridiculous The causes of his expulsion I omit to set them downe in this place as they are deliuered vnto vs onely this I note that it was not for religion howsoeuer he might haue an inclination thereunto and might be the worse liked of therefore by some for of this imputation or slander as he called it he offered to a Gentleman of the Temple to cleare himselfe by oth But when the fellowes proceeded to his expulsion and no man stood for him hee requested that he might resigne to which the fellowes yeelded Then did he write in this manner Ego Robertus Parsonus socius Collegij de Baliolo resigno omne meum ius titulum claimeum quem habeo vel habere potere societatis mea in dicto Collegio quod quidem facio sponte coactus die decimo tertio mensis Februarij Anno Domini 1573. I Robert Parsons fellow of the Colledge of Balioll resigne all my right title and claime which I haue or may haue of my fellowship in the same College which I doe of mine owne accord and compelled thereto the 13. of February in the yeere of our Lord 1573. This being done he made request that this might be kept secret for a time and that he might keepe his chambers and scholers as a fellow of the house which was also granted vnto him and thereupon was this decree written as followeth Eodem tempore decretum est vnanimi consensu Magistri reliquorum sociorum vt Magister Robertus Parsonus nuperrimè socius retineat sibi sua cubicula scholares quousque volucrit communia sua de Collegio habeat vsque ad festum Paschatis immediatè sequentis That is It is dereed at the same time by the generall consent of the Master and the rest of the fellowes that M. Robert Parsons late fellow doe retaine his chambers and schollers as long as he will and haue his commons of the College vniill the feast of Easter next following But F. Par. perceining shortly after that his knell had bene rung at Magdalene College and how he was mocked by some in the house he left the College and went to London where he conferred with a Gentleman of the middle Temple about his trauaile to studie phisicke to whom hee offered to take his oath that he was slandered with the name of a Papist and that hee neither was a Papist nor euer meant to be one But withall this is to be noted that this authour appealing fol. 193. to the Registers of Balioll colledge the Registers haue bene sought and there is some little difference in the words of the Resignation for where we haue cited it sponte coactus now there is a dash through and this word non writtē ouer head a manifest signe of some false dealing For it is not likely that in that place would haue bin written for non it maketh a cleane contrary sense Neither is the obiection well solued fol. 197. which brought F. Parsons in suspition of bastardie for there are diuers who confirme as much as the priests said that is that it was the common opinion through out the whole Countrey His quarrels with diuers of his order and others will be iustified and the letter of M. Benstead will also be prooued to be falsified But the patch which is clapped vpon the 201. lease argueth how forward these fellowes are to discredite the priests with most false and scandalous imputations when they themselues are ashamed thereof That which concerneth M. D. Bagshaw is to be answered by himselfe who no doubt knoweth in what cases doubtfull answeres and equiuocations are to be made to curious questions neither is it to be thought that he disallowed thereof but onely of the liberty which is in the Iesuites and their adherents in all their dealings with other men through which all confidence is taken away among men as not knowing what senses these fellowes will alleage that they had in their speeches and actions CHAP. 18. How the Secular priests appealing to Rome and going to his Holinesse for iustice against the vniust slanders of the Iesuits and their adherents are falsly and with great ignominie to the Sea Apostolike compared by this Apologie-maker to Alcymus and to Simon who went to Demetrius and Apolonius heathen persecutors of Gods people and his priests Apol cap. 13. IN the 13. Chapter this Authour vseth gentle perswasions to his discontented brethren and proposeth certaine considerations and a better way for reunion againe as he supposeth In the first consideration occurreth nothing worthy noting his rayling speeches excepted hudling vp of scriptures one vpon another against the disobedient to their Superiours which concerneth the priests nothing at all who neuer disobeyed their knowen Superiours but alwayes submitted themselues vnto them as it is manifestly prooued in all their bookes and more at large in M. Collingtons booke and in M. D. Ely his notes vpon the Apologie He maketh a recapitulation of some matters in the same false vaine in which he writ this Apologie as is sufficiently discouered in this answere to the places quoted by him and in the same kind is his second consideration imputing the iust defence of the priests from the Iesuits imposture of schisme and other grieuous sinnes to emulation hatred pride reuenge libertie and other his owne and his fellowes humours In the third consideration he doeth explicate himselfe how the priests dealt with the Counsell and his first tale soundeth so shamefully false as it were ynough to conuince an indifferent man that this author had no honestie nor care of his credit And doubtlesse had there not bene a great dearth of paper this place should haue had a patch vpon it as was put vpon that malitious and wicked glose against the same man and his fellowes fol. 201. Note I pray you the impudencie of this fellow First saith he as before you haue heard and in the margent he quoteth the 10. and 12. Chapters as soone as euer they vnderstood that their two messengers were restrained in Rome and not like to preuaile then D. Bagshaw was sent for from Wisbich to London to treat with the Counsell c. Could this man
Censures when the priests submitted themselues vpon the sight of his Holinesse Breue which censures he had vsed against three priests because they had appealed from him to the pope as it is set downe in the booke to the Inquisition And I doubt not but that the Archpriest would be as glad now that all were well accorded as he was at the first attonement and be as ready perchance to breake out againe as then hee was as it is prooued in the bookes to his Holinesse and to the Inquisition neither is there any man that is in his wittes but will thinke that the Iesuits and Archpriest would haue peace that is power to vse the Secular priests at their pleasure and that the priests should suffer all manner of indignities both in fame and otherwise and not to stirre for anie thing which may be done against them least the Iesuites peace be broken which they loue so dearely and cloake it with extraordinary pietie in this place fol. 221 where they are sayd to haue stoode with the Archpriest and the rest in defence of his Holines ordination as though the priests had euer resisted his Holines ordination and not rather yeelded themselues presently at the sight of the Breue before which there was no Popes ordination And to this the Iesuites their standing in defence of his Holinesse ordination are ioyned most absurd positions of their desire not to meddle in the priests affaires whereas it hath beene shewed that they haue been the chiefe of this sedition against the priests And their interpretation that their dealing proceedes of loue is to men of vnderstanding an argument of a factious disposition and desiring of gouerning all sortes of people whosoeuer must play the Apes part to take away the enuie for their misdeedes from them They intend not sayeth hee to preiudice them in any preferment for the time present or to come Hee were worse then madde that would trouble himselfe with our Iesuites intentions which varie as often as their tongues moue and turne their intentions to serue best their owne turnes Let the Iesuites their hinderance of all our nation beyond the Seas from al promotion speake for their intentions since that no place or preferment there can be had without degrees in schooles which they haue induced his Holinesse to debarre all the English nation vnder this other intention that young men must not take the degrees when they depart from the Seminaries And that their intention may be the more euident that they will hinder euery mans preferrement they haue put into the Popes Breue a barre not onely for the proceeding in Diuinitie the knowledge whereof they haue now also cleane taken out of the Colledge at Doway but in either of the Lawes also Ciuill or Canon which are not taught in any of our Seminaries Yet must all their intentions bee most excellent and must not be thought to preiudice any for the time present or to come As for the time to come were it in their hands to preiudice any man all their protestations and oathes would carie little credite but with such as know them not In which as in all other their dealings especially in this action the priests doe most willingly forgiue them their falshood and doe pray for them that God will giue them and their adherents his grace to amende what they cannot chuse but see is amisse in themselues To which they may make a good steppe if they will enter into their owne consciences and consider of what great scandals and harmes in Gods Church they haue beene a very faulty occasion by that most wicked imputation of schisme to most Catholicke priestes and their obdurate standing in that sinfull opinion without admitting any equall triall of the cause in question which the priests did offer in most humble wise before they tooke the course that now they take and was onely left vnto them to cleare themselues of so damnable a slander ¶ A REPLY TO THE Appendix of the Apologie by J. B. THE author of the Apologie hauing seene other two bookes beside those against which he writ his Apologie maketh an answere such as it is vnto them which answere he calleth An Appendix to the Apologie by the Priests that remaine in due obedience to their lawfull Superior As though an Appeale made from a superior vpon iust causes and a lawfull prosecution thereof could not stand with due obedience But somewhat must be said and if it haue no pith in it as euery indifferent reader will soone discouer that want in this Appendix it must be ouercharged with bigge words which the blinde obedient must imagine would not haue bene vttered without iust cause although they see none After a long conflict then as it should seeme in this author whether hee should take notice of these two latter bookes to which he hath made it knowen both in this Appendix and other two scurrilous Libels set out since this Appendix came forth that he cannot make any answere he hath aduentured to say somewhat of them and that it might not bee made too apparant to the world how little the poore man had to say herein hee stuffeth these few leafes with exceptions against those bookes to which he pretended an answere in his Apologie enlargeth himselfe somewhat by way of a preface wherein he telleth his reader how vnwillingly he put his pen to paper for the defence of our Superiors and their lawfull doings and proceedings against the intemperate impugnations by tumult and Libels of a few discontented brethren c. And no man can but beleeue him that it was sore against his will that he had such cause as he had to vse his pen although he neuer made daintie of his paines and pen where hee thought he might discredit those priests which he could not bring to his lure And as for the priests their doings or proceedings they haue shewed themselues ready to giue accompt thereof and to proue both the lawfulnesse and the necessitie which was in withstanding the exorbitant proceedings of such as hauing neither any Christian wisdom nor honestie abused our Superiors and procured that al the priests should be brought into these streights to wit either to yeeld to the wicked designes of others or to be made infamous all the world ouer And to this effect was the treatise of schisme written by the Iesuits and sent abroad not onely in England but into remote places beyond the seas to perswade such as would be blinde that Catholike priests who had liued in a long most dangerous persecution for defence of the sea Apostolike were now become schismaticks and why because they did not contrary to the lawes of Gods Church yeeld their obedience to a creature of the Iesuits intruded vpon them as their Superior without any warrant from the Sea Apostolike which hath commanded that no such superior be accepted without a speciall warrant or letters from the same Sea as may be seene in that extrauagant
of Pope Boniface the 8. Iniunct de electione and was afterward extended by Iulius the 3. to such as is our present Prelacie And all the scandall which hath growne out of this contention must be answered by those who most iniuriously did driue the priests to so hard a choice and if the priests haue in the prosecution of their iust defence bin assisted by such as in some other respect do disclaime from them and other their actions the Iesuits and their adherents cannot so cary it away with saying that they haue combined themselues in secret with the knowen enemies and aduersaries of our Catholicke faith But they must proue that they haue made an vnlawfull combination it being euident to the world that there may be as wicked and vniust combinations betweene men of the same religion as betweene men of diuers And as it hath bene answered before the priests haue iustified and cleared themselues sufficiently by their apparance at Rome from all suspition of euill dealing or other combinations then which Catholike priests might make and thinke themselues infinitely beholding to their gouernours that they are accepted of by them in that degree in which they are But listen how faire as false a tale he telleth his reader The Apologie therefore sayth this author written by vs was to stay somewhat this violent course if it might be by laying open quietly and modestly the true grounds of all these stirres and perturbations and that not by inuectiues exaggerations or inuentions of our owne as our brethrens books doe but rather by calme gentle and modest narration yea with the greatest loue and compassion of our hearts alledging alwayes most authenticall proofes for that we say speaking also the same in the best and most temperate maner we could and pretermitting many things that might be more odious if they had beene vttered and of this wee make Iudges the readers themselues that shall haue perused the same or may hereafter It is very strange that indifferent readers cannot see any of this in the Apologie If we shall trust to M. Doct. Ely to whom the Apologie was sent by a principall man of the Iesuits faction to be read wee shall finde by the notes which hee made thereupon that the true grounds of all these stirres are not handled in the Apologie but a foule stirre made with much impertinent stuffe full of innectiues exaggerations and inuentions of his owne and his fellow partners in this businesse and no proofes but a fewe of their owne letters a most ridiculous manner of proceeding whereas the priests haue brought their proofes out of the originals of their aduersaries letters and writings published by them and this dealing is also discouered in the reply to the Apologie how this authour in most intemperate manner and most odious termes seeketh the disgrace of the priests for want of other meanes to wrecke himselfe vpon his aduersaries who haue laid too sure and firme a foundation for him to mooue and vnlesse a man will be most wilfully blind hee may very well perceiue the distemperature of this brainsicke companion where he tearmeth the priests children of iniquitie libertines and chargeth them with ambition enuy hatred contention malice prink malediction and other like His contemptible speeches also doe argue little modesty in him but if he should say that he had written no Apologie at all his absurd faction must beleeue him although they see him write it and haue it in their hands so religious are our newe illuminated Catholikes become if their guide tell them the tale But now sayth he since the writing of the sayd Apologie some other matters haue fallen out which doe inuite vs to write againe and what are those forsooth our discontented brethren haue set foorth two other books and put them also in print intituling the one The hope of peace by laying open such manifest vntrueths as are diuulged by the Archpriest c. Consider you how full of hope this way may be to peace I haue considered of it and I iudge it a most effectuall meane for peace to haue falshood discouered and the doubts or difficulties laide open which were before shuffled vp in such sort as the stirres brake forth againe presently after without giuing so much respite as to say there was a peace concluded The other in Latine whose title beginneth thus Relatio compendiosa turbarum c. A compendious relation of troubles c. But now good sir what of these wherein doe these two bookes trouble you will you heare his griefe he hath tolde you so many idle tales in his answere to the two former bookes that hee hath none left to bestow vpon the answere to these and therefore hee will make quicke worke with them and to beguile his deuoted the more cunningly he beginneth to tell them a tale of a Breue of the 17 of August 1601. which he pretendeth here that hee had not seene it when hee writ this Preface yet he would not but his reader should conceiue that he was very perfect in it for he declareth that there is a full decision of the cause in controuersie determining all points that haue beene or may be in question among vs or betweene our brethren and their Superiour or any bodie else But as yet could no man euer say that the priests were cleered from schisme thereby or condemned as schismatickes and how then are all points determined that haue bene or may be in question or how are any matters determined which were put vp in the appeale to his Holinesse nay the appeale it selfe is not admitted although the Archpriest did that which his Holines could not without griefe relate as these words of the Briefe import Quod dolentes referimus neither is there any one worde of the Iesuites or their disorders once touched but in a very fauourable manner that most wicked and seditious libell which they writ against the priests is onely suppressed and herein doe some of them most insolently glory This Breue also is prooued in this preface both by the date thereof and otherwise that it was gotten by the information of the one part only and how then could any controuersie be ended as it ought to be for it beareth date 17. of August 1601 which was long before that the priests arriued at Rome although they were there long before they were bound to appeare in the prosecution of their appeale as all men know who know any thing in the common lawes which allow two yeeres to the Appellants and when his Holinesse wrote the same as though his Holinesse wrote it he had not vnderstood saith this author of any of those scandalous bookes written and printed partly before and partly since by our discontented brethren If then he neither spake with the appellants nor did see any of their bookes dedicated to himselfe or the holy office of the Inquisition by whom could he be informed in their affaires or can any man of sense imagine but that
this were so sweete and milde a declaration being as it seemeth hereby altogether against innocent priests what shal we thinke of that Declaratiō which was made the twentieth of Iuly 1602 where in consult had in the Congregation of the Inquisition and was afterward confirmed by his Holinesse the Archpr. is condemned for oppressing the said Priests in often declaring them to haue bene Schismaticks rebellious and disobedient and for this cause forbid them the vse of their faculties and that they should not defend themselues from that infamy and lastly after other oppressions there named he is condemned because he did not admit of the Appeale which they had made to the Sea Apostolike If his Holinesse did with a sweete and milde declaration annullate the appeale in that Breue of the 17. of August 1601. how is the Archpriest condemned 20. Iuly 1602. by the same Pope and the Inquisition for his not admitting therof And if his Holines was induced onely vnder a colour of peace not to admit thereof notwithstanding it was a most iust appeale because in the prosecution thereof might greater stirres arise how sweetely or mildely did he deale in not recalling the censures or penalties with which the Archpriest did vniustly oppresse the priests as is declared in the last consultation in the Inquisition But perchance his Holinesse seeing the malicious proceeding of the Archpr. and that his will was more then his power in the vse of his authority thought it a very friuolous matter to recall either censures or other penalties seeing that he did exceede his faculties as in this Consult in the Inquisition is declared and neuer kept the forme which was prescribed vnto him which defect maketh voide all the proceedings of a Delegate as the Archpr. was in this his office ouer the priests And whereas the priests are charged that they published bookes while the sute hanged before his Holinesse without expecting his sentence reply is made that the Archpriest inforced them thereto by punishing the Appellants while the sute hanged before his Holinesse without expecting his sentence and he punished and afflicted them by reason of their appeale as hath bene proued and the Breue of the 17. of August 1601. was procured against the priests before that either they were come to folow their appeale or their bookes in his Holinesse hands as here is confessed so that his Holinesse could not be informed by them of their case how it stood with them and their aduersaries And whereas also it is here said that the Archpr. was all this while their lawful Ecclesiasticall Superiour this Authour must finde how to satisfie all those lawyers who affirme that a Prelate pretending to haue an authoritie from the Sea Apostolike is an intruder if he vse his authority without he shew his letters in confirmation therof from the same Sea Apostolike which it is euident the Archpriest could not shew for a whole yeere after that he tooke vpon him to play his prize against his fellow priests During which time the priests had iust cause as is shewed not to accept of him and after his confirmation hauing behaued himselfe most sinfully in his office as it is determined by the Cardinals of the Inquisition and by his Hol. himselfe as appeareth by the copy of that consultation which was had the 20. of Iuly 1602 his actions were iustly impugned and this errour of the author of the Appendix ouerthrowen where hee holdeth it of necessitie that a lawfull superiour cannot be impugned without offence to God For these are his words in this Preface It followeth we say first that our good Archpriest during all this time of tumultuation against him hath beene and is our lawfull Ecclesiasticall superiour and consequently that so violent impugning him must needs haue bene very offensiue to God and perilous to the impugners Can this fellow be any other then a limme of those who were condemned in the Council of Constance Sess 15. for maintaining neminem gerere vicem Petri vel Christi nisi illum sequatur in moribus or nullum esse Dominum spiritualem dum est in peccato mortali This fellow must shew how without maintaining these errors he can make his consequent good A lawfull superiour is impugned ergo it must needs be that God is thereby offended The second Corollary which this author draweth is that the books against which he writeth are forbidden by this Breue of the 17. of August 1601. because they treat expresly and principally euery where the matter of schisme The procurers of this Breue are noted herein to haue shewed a little subtiltie but neither wit nor honestie For how can they imagine that Catholicke bookes written in the defence of Catholicks who were most sinfully slandered as schismaticks by the Iesuits and their seditious adherents can be iustly forbidden to be read or kept the slanderers remayning vncorrected for their wickednes and no way abridged of their sinfull courses against the same Catholicke priests For in the same Breue all the charge which is giuen is giuen to the Secular priests and they who were the malitious brochers of that sinfull slander of schisme against Catholicke priests yea although there be mention of their treatise of schisme against the same priests are not once named as a part in the controuersie but are at libertie to abuse the priests asmuch as euer before By this the absurditie of the Appendix-maker appeareth also in so often obtruding to his reader that all matters are declared and determined by his Holines who neuer had seene the priests their bookes nor heard them what they had to say neither can this author shew out of that Breue that it is declared or determined by his Holines whether the priests who according to the Cannons of holy Church refused to admit a Prelate instituted as is pretended by the See Apostolicke but had no letter to shew for his institution from that See were schismaticks or no. Neither can this fellow shew out of that Breue that it is declared or determined whether those priests who so refused that Prelate were for that cause excōmunicated or lost their faculties or could loose them by defending their innocencie by any law or edict which could be made by the Archpr. or at the will and pleasure of a Prelate who had his Authoritie not as an Ordinary but as Sub-delegate to whom was prescribed a set forme of proceeding in the inflicting of such penalties as he had power to inflict vpon those who should deserue them In fine it appeareth not in that Breue that the chiefe doers in this controuersie are once named or their facts censured only a booke of theirs is suppressed to wit their treatise of schisme but not condemned as false or erronious whereby any iudgement might be made whether the accusation were iust or not iust or how the Catholicks who were most violently caried against the priests might be resolued vpon the point in controuersie yet is not this fellow
and no man of reason or learning euer taught the contrary howsoeuer any lawe made by prince should stand in force although hee were induced thereunto by false motiues and therefore is this comparison fasely made here and most ignorantly And no lesse false it is which is here affirmed that there was a diuision begun betweene Catholicke priests and Religious men as well for the matter of the pretended association as also about the slandercus Memoriall fent ouer by Robert Fisher for so soone as the priests perceiued that some did dislike of the association they gaue ouer the soliciting it here in England and this matter of the Memoriall came too late from England to Rome as is shewed in the reply to the 8. Chapter of the Apologie to be a case of this subordination but somewhat must be said to patch vp a broken matter and rather then faile the religious men shall now be brought in who were cleane out of the Card. Caietanes letter as now we haue it In the same 20. leafe this author sayth that he will end with one tricke more of theirs wherewith they end this booke that is that Fa. Garnet hauing written to them a letter exhorting to peace and telling them that he doubted not but they sought the glory of God and consequently would hearken to the meanes c. they now will needs take him at his word threape vpon him that he knoweth they seeke nothing but the glory of God in all these their actions and scandalous attempts Fa. Garnet say they knoweth wee doe seeke the glory of God and witnesseth so much in his letter dated on Midsommer day last past Loe here how substantially they prooue by F. Garnets testimonie that they doe seeke the glory of God euery child will laugh at this and so we need to say no more of it First it is false that Fa. Garnet is said to haue written vnto them for his letters were to certaine other prisoners to deale as it were betweene both parts Secondly hee proposed such meanes as hee himselfe best liked but were not indeede any meanes for peace Thirdly howsoeuer this fellow cauilleth or commenteth vpon the hope of peace there is nothing there cited but what F. Garnets letter will beare I know also sayth F. Garnet that those which complaine against vs doe desire Gods glorie but it is to be vnderstood according to the meaning of the Iesuits as it seemeth who alwayes doe meane what they list and euery childe may very well laugh at it and hee who taketh hold of any thing which proceedeth from them is as sure as he is of the wet Eele which he hath by the taile yet true it is that thus the Iesuite writ but what meaning hee had he shall expound himselfe for so hee will whatsoeuer his words are and so we need to say no more The Appendix maker hauing scurried a little ouer the hope of peace of which he would gladly haue bin discharged much sooner runneth ouer the booke which is dedicated to the Inquisition in which his labours there occurreth no new thing worth the noting In this he spendeth almost foure leaues the most part thereof is in gentle perswasions yet can hee not ouerpasse Ma. Charnocks going into England contrary to the sentence wherein he was charged vnder mortall sinne not to goe as he interpreteth the sentence he telleth moreouer how that Cardinall Burghese writ a letter vnto M. Charnocke while he was yet in France disswading and condemning that fact if he should doe it c. which the letter it selfe and the Apologie also fol. 156. conuinceth of an egregious falshood Afterward hee telleth his Reader that M. Charnocks reply was so irreuerent and malapert as any modest man that shall read it can but feele his eares burne in behalfe of so honorable and venerable a man as the good Cardinal is but there is not one of M. Charnocks reasons answered which doe iustifie his returne into England notwithstanding that sentence which was giuen in the letter of the two Cardinals Caietane and Burghesius neither is it the fashion for this fellow to answere the reasons otherwise then as olde heretickes were wont who when they had not what they could say against the Catholikes they would breake into railing and in the 24. this fellowe not knowing in what particular to take exceptions against the narration of the vsage of M. Do. Bishop and M. Charnocke at Rome he telleth his reader that they set it forth so tragically as any acte euer done by Nero Caligula or Dioclesian A good commendation for those who were the cause thereof nothing being there set forth but what was most true Lastly there is a little somewhat in the defence of F. Parsons of whom this authour cannot deserue too much but his actions haue ben too grosse in the managing of this matter to be now concealed or smothered vp God send him his grace that he may see his owne naughtinesse in time and saue his soule after so many desperate aduentures which also I heartily wish to them all who haue either maliciously or ignorantly run this wicked course against Catholike priests ⧠The Contents of the Chapters with the page wherein euery Chapter beginneth Chap. 1. HOw the Author of the Apologie playeth at All hid with his Reader and while he is couered vnder the name of vnited Priests he discouereth himselfe to be a Iesuite pag. 5. Chap. 2 A Table of some notorious falshoods and apparant shiftings which are contained in the Apologie pag. 8. Chap. 3 An answere to those calumniations which the Apologie-maker setteth out in a booke intituled Of certaine principall deceits falshoods and slanders pag. 18. Chap. 4 How the Author of this Apologie followeth that counsel which Achitophel gaue to Absalom 2. Reg. 16. that other seeing how he abused his Holinesse might the more desperately adhere vnto him pag. 39. Chap. 5 How the Apologie-maker by the same reason which he giueth for the publishing of his Apologie doth giue light to his Reader to conceiue the iust cause which the priests had to print their books pag. 55 Chap. 6 How this present controuersie about the abuse of this new Subordination is deduced from Iohn of Gaunt and other matters most impertinent thereunto Apol. cap. 1. pag 63. Chap. 7 How this Author of the Apologie while he would inueigh against dangerous and temerarious propositions engageth himselfe further then becommeth a Catholike Apol. cap. 2. pag. 105. Chap. 8 How this Author layeth his plot for the disgrace of Secular priests and draweth on his Reader with diuers idle stories Apol. cap. 3. pag. 142. Chap. 9 How this Author pursueth his impertinent discourses of troubles among the English in Flanders France Italy and Spaine Apol. cap. 4. pag. 147. Chap. 10 Howe the stirres in the English Colledge at Rome beganne the cause whereof this Apologie-maker doth seeke to colour and to lay it where it should seeme it was not Apol. cap. 5. pag. 151. Chap. 11. How this Author be stirreth himselfe to lay the fault of the scandalous diuision in Wisbich vpon those Priests who would not subiect themselues to that insolent Agencie of the Iesuits Apolog. cap. 6. pag. 153. Chap. 12 How this present controuersie is dissembled and fetched from a head in Flanders by the Apologie-maker Apol. cap. 7. pag. 158. Chap. 13 How the Authour of the Apologie to cloake the Iesuits their dealings concerning the institution of the new Subordination perswadeth his Reader that his holinesse was moued thereto by certaine letters which were long after written Apol. cap. 8. pag. 171. Chap. 14 How this Apologie-maker perswadeth his Reader that his Holinesse was mooued to imprison the two priests who went first to Rome by certaine letters which were written long after his resolution to imprison them and how he iuggleth about that which chanced vnto them in Rome Apo. cap. 9. pag. 228. Chap. 15 How this Apologie-maker shuffleth off the true cause of this present controuersie and layeth the blame therof vpon the Secular priests Apol. cap. 10. pag. 264. Chap. 16 How the two bookes against which the Apologie is written are slightly run ouer with a few cauils against them Apol. c. 11. pa. 300. Chap. 17 How this Author busieth himselfe to purge F. Parsons of his expulsion out of Baliol Colledge at Oxenford and other matters wherewith he is charged Apol. cap. 12. pag. 322. Chap. 18 How the Secular Priests appealing to Rome and going to his Holinesse for iustice against the vniust slanders of the Iesuits and their adherents are falsly and with great ignominie to the Sea Apostolicke compared by this Apologie maker to Alcymus and to Simon who went to Demetrius and Apollonius heathen persecuters of Gods people and his Priests Apol. cap. 13. pag. 331. A Reply to the Appendix of the Apologie pag. 341. FINIS