might be against him that had maintained the War in the Palatinate That he would put the Laws in Execution against the Papists That the c Charles the First Prince might be married to a Protestant That the Children of the Nobility and Gentry beyond Seas might be called home That Papists Children and their Children whose Wives were Papists might be educated by Protestant School-Masters and Teachers That the King would revoak all former Licences for Youth to travel beyond Sea and grant no more after That all former Grants of Papists Lands might be avoided if by Law they could and no such Grants made afterwads The Commons had no small reason to take notice of the State of the Protestant Interest abroad seeing besides the great Wound made in Germany Protestants persecuted abroad Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 43. and the Cruelties of the prevailing House of Austria the Protestants in France were almost ruined by Lewis the Thirteenth and yet notwithstanding the King understanding they were preparing the above mentioned Remonstrance writ a Letter to Sir Thomas Richardson Speaker of the House of Commons December the 3 d. 1621. Wherein he let him know He heard to his Grief that his Absence being sick had emboldned some fiery and popular Spirits of the House to argue and debate Matters far above their Reach and Capacity The King is angry at the Remonstrance and writes to the Speaker to prevent it Rush Coll. Ibid. tending to his Dishonour and Breach of Prerogative Royal. Therefore commanded him to make known to the House that none should presume to meddle with any thing concerning his Government or deep Matters of State and particularly that they should not deal with his dearest Sons Match with the Daughter of Spain or any other his Friends and Confederates That except they did reform it before it came to his Hands he would not hear nor answer it Another Remonstrance Rush Coll. 1 pt f. 44. And he was as good as his Word as will appear afterwards for upon the Receipt of this Letter the House drew up another Remonstrance with the greatest Submission imaginable wherein they lay the Ground of their former Remonstrance upon the deplorable Estate of his own Children in the Palatinate and the apparent Danger and almost unavoidable Ruine of the Protestants and the Protestant Religion at Home and abroad evidenced by Transactions an Account whereof they had received from his Majesty himself by three Honorable Lords and tackt their former Remonstrance to the latter and so presented them but the former he rejected utterly and gave a long Answer to the latter but granted nothing whereof they complained as may be seen by the Answer it self printed in Wilson f. 178. and Rushworth f. 46. In the said Answer he discovered his great Concern for the Spanish Match and his Backwardness to proceed against Papists however the same is blended by specious Pretences of the Necessity of shewing Favour to the Papists here to procure the gentle Usage of the Protestants abroad VVilson's Hist f. 188. Rushw Coll. 1 pt 53 54 55. The Parliament dissolved He denied in his Answer the Rights and Priviledges of the Commons to be their Birth-right they protest them so to be he tears the Protest out of the Journal Book of the House of Commons and the sixth of January 1621. by Proclamation dissolves the Parliament And whether that were the way to recover the Palatinate or secure the Protestant Religion at home or abroad needs no great Sagacity to determine Papists discharged from Imprisonment VVilson's Hist f. 195. Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 62 63. In the twentieth Year of this Kings Reign the Prisons were opened Priests and Jesuits walked about at Noon And Gondamore who did what he pleased vaunts of four thousand Papists that his Intercession had released either to make his Service the more acceptable to his Master or to let him see how willing the King was to do any thing to advance that Match which they never intended The King was not so nice but that he could stay for * Car. Bandino Car. Lode visio a Dispensation from Rome To expedite which he wrote to some of the most active Cardinals there and received Answers from them full of alluring Hopes And that he might give some more publick Testimony of his Indulgence to the Papists the mortal Enemies of the Protestants he commanded Doctor Williams Bishop of Lincoln then Lord-Keeper of the Great Seal of England to pass Writs under the Great Seal to require the Judges of every Circuit to enlarge all such Papists as were imprisoned for Recusancy accordingly the Writs were issued forth under the Great Seal and the Lord-Keeper wrote to the Judges on this manner which Letter take Verbatim as printed in Wilson The Lord Keeper Williams his Letter to the Judges in Favour of the Papists VVilson's Hist f. 196. AFter my hearty Commendations to you His Majesty having resolved out of deep Reasons of State and in Expectation of like Correspondence from Foreign Princes to the Professors of our Religion to grant some Grace and Connivance to the imprisoned Papists of this Kingdom hath commanded me to pass some Writs under the Broad Seal to that purpose requiring the Judges of every Circuit to enlarge the said Prisoners according to the Tenor and Effect of the same I am to give you to understand from His Majesty how His Majesties Royal Pleasure is that upon receipt of these Writs you shall make no Niceness or Difficulty to extend that His Princely Favour to all such Papists as you shall find Prisoners in the Goals of your Circuits for any Church Recusancy whatsoever or refusing the Oath of Supremacy or dispersing Popish Books or hearing saying of Mass or any other Point of Recusancy which doth touch or concern Religion only and not Matter of State And so I bid you farewel Your Loving Friend Jo. Lincoln Westminster Coll. 2. Aug. 1622. In order to the Match with Spain the King agreed to such Articles of Religion The Spanish Match the Nature of the Articles Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 66 67. as were Satisfactory in the Judgment of the learnedest and greatest Clergy of Spain That they declared their Opinion that upon the Offer of such Conditions the Pope ought not to with-hold the Dispensation and the Pope himself was satisfied that he had in a manner done already all that was desired No wonder then that the Papists were quiet here in England and not engaged in Plots and Contrivances against the Kings Person for the Reason is plain the whole Substance of the Spanish Treaty was a Plot for ruining the Palatinate and thereby weakning in order to destroy the Protestant Interest abroad which they effected by feeding the King with the Hopes of that Match and thereby diverting him from taking the Parliaments Advice in order to recover the Palatinate You may read the whole Story in VVilson and Rushworth and when they had
submit themselves to the Romish Bishops and Prelates and the Histories of those times acquaint us that they were the Professors of the true Religion afterwards called Protestants By Colour of this supposed Act certain persons that held that Images were not to be worshipped Co. Inst 3 d. fol. 40. and such like Doctrines which the Protestants now hold were detained and tormented in Prison till they were compelled before the Masters of Divinity as they called themselves to take an Oath and did swear to worship Images which was against the Moral and Eternal Law of Almighty God. This these Popish Bishops and Prelates did by vertue of this Law which indeed was none for it was onely signed by the King at the instance of the Bishops and Prelates and never assented to by the Commons and therefore in the next Parliament the Commons preferred a Bill reciting the said supposed Act and constantly affirmed that they never assented thereunto and therefore desired that the same might be made void for they protested that it was never their intent to be justified and to bind themselves and their Successors to the Prelates more than their Ancestors had done in times past whereto the King gave his Royal Assent in these words y pleist au Roy. But in the Proclamation of the Acts of that Parliament Co. 12.58 and 3. Inst f. 41. which was 6. R. 2. the said Act of 6. R. 2. whereby the said supposed Act of 5. R. 2. was declared to be void is omitted and afterwards the said supposed Act of 5. R. 2. ca. 5. was continually printed and looked on as a Good Law and the said Act of 6. R. 2. was by the Prelates from time to time kept from the Print Such pious Frauds have been always practised by the Popish Clergy and always found necessary for the supporting of the credit of that Church CHAP. II. Hen. IV. THe Rage of the Popish Clergy against the Wicklivites or Professors of the true Religion increasing with the increase of the light of the Gospel and they fearing that the said contrivance might be detected to the end that they might be yet more able effectually if it were possible to suppress the truth when they had requited R. 2. for granting them that supposed Law with deposing him and assisting H. 4. to usurp the Crown they in the 2 d. H. 4. apply themselves to him for a further Law for the preservation of the Catholick Faith as they called it against Christ's true Religion by them miscalled Heresie and he in gratitude to them in assisting him in his coming to the Crown granted them a Law to their Hearts content which follows as it is printed in Rastal 's Statutes in these words Whereas it is shewed to our Soveraign Lord the King on the behalf of the Prelates and Clergy of this Realm of England in this present Parliament 2 H. 4. ca. 15. Rast Stat. f. 180. By this Law the Professors of the true Religion were to be burnt as Hereticks that although the Catholick Faith builded upon Christ and by his Apostles and the holy Church sufficiently determined declared and approved hath been hitherto by good and holy and most noble Progenitors of our Soveraign Lord the King in the said Realm amongst all the Realms of the World most devoutly observed and the Church of England by his said most noble Progenitors and Ancestors to the honour of God and of the whole Realm aforesaid laudably endowed and in her Rights and Liberties sustained without that that the same Faith or the said Church was hurt or grievously oppressed or else perturbed by any perverse Doctrine or Wicked Heretical or Erronious Opinions Yet nevertheless divers false and perverse people of a certain new Sect of the Faith of the Sacraments of the Church and the Authority of the same damnably thinking and against the Law of God and of the Church usurping the Office of Preaching do perversly and malitiously in divers places within the said Realm under the colour of dissembled Holiness preach and teach these dayes openly and privily divers new Doctrines and wicked heretical and eronious Opinions contrary to the same Faith and blessed determinations of the Holy Church And of such Sect and wicked Doctrine and Opinions they make unlawful Conventicles and Confederacies they hold and exercise Schools they make and write Books they do wickedly instruct and informe people and as much as they may excite and stir them to Sedition and Insurrection and maketh great strife and division among the people and other Enormities horribly to be heard daily do perpetrate and commit in subversion of the said Catholick Faith and Doctrine of the Holy Church in diminution of God's Honour and also in destruction of the Estates Rights and Liberties of the said Church of England by which Sect and wicked and false Preachings Doctrines and Opinions of the said false and perverse people not only most greatest peril of the Souls but also many other harts flanders and perils which God prohibit might come to this Realm unless it be the more plentifully and speedily holpen by the King's Majesty in this behalf namely whereas the Diocesans of the said Realm cannot by their Iurisdiction Spiritual without aid of the said Royal Majesty sufficiently correct the said false and perverse people nor refrain their malice because the said false and perverse people do go from Diocess to Diocess and will not appear before the said Diocesans but the same Diocesans and their Iurisdiction Spiritual and the Keys of the Church with the Censures of the same do utterly contemn and despise and so their wicked Preachings and Doctrines doth from day to day continue and exercise to the hatred of Right and Reason and utter destruction of Order and good Rule Vpon which Novelties and Excesses above rehersed the Prelates and Clergy aforesaid and also the Commons of the said Realm being in the said Parliament praying our Soveraign Lord the King that his Royal Highness would vouchsafe in the said Parliament to provide a convenient Remedy The same our Soveraign Lord the King gratiously considering the premises and also the laudable steps of his said most noble Progenitors and Ancestors for the conservation of the said Catholick Faith and sustentation of God's Honour and also the safeguard of the Estates Rights and Liberties of the said Church of England to the laud of God and merit of our said Soveraign Lord the King and prosperity and honour of all the said Realm and for the eschewing of such Dissentions divisions hurts slanders and perils in time to come and that this wicked Sect preachings doctrines and Opinions should from henceforth cease and be utterly destroyed by the assent of the States and other discreet men of the Realm being in the said Parliament hath Granted Established and Ordained from henceforth and firmly to be observed That none within the said Realm or any other Dominions subject to his Royal Majesty presume to preach openly
Penal Laws That for the first ten years of Queen Elizabeth's Reign the State of Catholicks i. e. Papists was tollerable and after a sort in some good quietness such as for their Consciences were imprisoned in the beginning of her coming to the Crown were very kindly and mercifully used the state of things then considered some of them were appointed to remain with such their Friends as they themselves made choice of Others were placed some with Bishops some with Deans and had their Dyet at their Tables with such convenient Lodgings and Walks for their Recreations as did well content them They that were in the ordinary Prisons had such Liberty and other Commodity as the places would afford not inconvenient for men in their Cases But that our Brethren of the more fiery and Jesuitical Humour may not snuff hereat we have thought it meet to cool their heat with some of Master Parsons and his Fellow Mr. Creswel's more gentle delaies then are usual with them who in one of their Books do confess as much in effect as here we have set down if not more thus those great Emperor-like Jesuits do speak to her Majesty In the beginning of thy Kingdom thou didst deal something more gently with Catholicks None were then urged by thee or pressed either to thy Sect or to the denyal of their Faith all things indeed did seem to proceed in a far milder course no great complaints were heard of there were seen no extraordinary contentions or repugnancies some there were that to please and gratifie you went to your Churches but when afterwards thou didst begin to wrong them c. And thus not only our own Historians do acquit Queen Elizabeth of all imputations of Rigour or cruelty towards the Papists for the beginning of her Reign but even the Secular Priests not only do it themselves but have Printed and published it to all the world that the Jesuits themselves Parsons and Creswel could not but acknowledge it too And when was it that she began to be severe The Seculars give this answer to it surely whensoever it was we our selves certain Catholicks of all sorts were the true causes of it For whilst her Majesty and the State dealt with the Catholicks as you have heard Ibid. f. 35. She was presently deprived by the Pope and the Queen of Scots pretended a title to the Crown which was full eleven years no one Catholick being called in question of his life for his Conscience all that time Consider with us how our profession proceeded with them 1 Hist Council of Trent f. 410 411. The grounds of making 13 Eliz. ca. 2. Her Highness had scarcely felt the Crown warm upon her head but it was challenged from her by some of her Neighbours as Master Saunders noteth Thus they themselves confess but because I am past five years of Queen Elizabeth's Reign and am to give the true Reasons of making the rest of the Penal Laws in Queen Elizabeth's time I shall proceed to assign the Reasons of making 13 Eliz. ca. 2. Queen Elizabeth having triumphantly Reigned above 10 years in the Nation to the great Joy and comfort of her Subjects the Romish party as they had been all along carrying on private Designs to disturb her Reign so in the eleventh year of her Reign Anno Domini 1568 they more openly appear'd and Thomas Harding Nichloas Saunders and T. P. Divines busily exercised their Episcopal Power receiv'd from the Bishop of Rome of absolving in the Court of Conscience Cambd. Annals lib. 1. f. 107. In 1568 the Priests exercise Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction under the See of Rome Rodolph excites the Queen's Subjects against her Cambd. Annals f. 118. Foulis Hist lib. 7. ca. 3. p. 330. Udal's Hist of Mary Queen of Scotland p. 119 169. In 1569. The first Rebellion under the Earl of Westmerland fomenteâ— by Morton the Priest Cambd. Annals f. 133 134 135 136. Collection f. 9. all English men which returned to the Bosom of the Church and of dispensing also in cases of irregularity excepting causes arising of wilful Murder or brought into a contentious or judicial Court and also of absolving from Irregularity in respect of Heresie so as the persons to be absolved do abstain from the Service of the Altar by the space of three years After this in the same year Robert Rodolph a Florentine who had lived long time as a Factor in London was imployed by Pius Quintus Bishop of Rome for he durst not send his Nuntio openly to excite the Papists in England secretly against Queen Elizabeth which he most carefully and closely performed And this same Pope writ a Letter to the Earls of Northumberland and Westmerland which had such success that the latter end of 1569 a Rebellion of the Papists broke out in the North fomented and carryed on by one Nicholas Morton a Priest who was sent from the Bishop of Rome to pronounce Queen Elizabeth to be an Heretick and thereby to have forfeited all Dominion and Power The Ring-Leaders of the Rebels being the Earls of Northumberland Westmerland and Sussex The Rebels went first to Durham an Episcopal See where they rent and trampled under feet the English Bibles and Books of Common Prayer which they found in Churches and Celebrated Mass in all places where they came their number was six hundred Horse and four thousand Foot. But this Rebellion was quickly suppressed threescore and six petty Constables hanged for a terror at Durham amongst whom the men of most note was one Plomtree a Priest Simon Digby John Fulthorp Thomas Bishop and Robert Peneman at York and at London some few months after Christopher and Thomas Norton and some few elsewhere Afterwards such of the Rebels as were of best note were convict of high Treason and proscribed viz. Charles Earl of Westmerland Thomas Earl of Northumberland Anne Countess of Northumberland Daughter to Henry Earl of Worcester Edward Dacres of Morton John Nevel of Leversedge John Swinborne Thomas Markenfield Egremond Ratcliff the Earl of Sussex his Brother Christopher Nevil Richard Norton of Norton Conyers Christopher Marmaduke and Thomas of the Family of the Nortons Robert and Michael Tempest George Stafford and about forty more of Noble Birth These mens Convictions and Proscriptions was confirmed in the next Parliament The rest which had no Estates nor had fled the Land as the Earl of Westmerland and several others did were pardoned not taken and hanged like Dogs in Cold-Blood without Tryal as many hundreds were in the West in 1685. The Letter writ by Pope Pius V. to the Earls of Northumberland and Westmerland was this viz. A Letter of Pope Pius V. to the Earls of Northumberland and Westmerland for encouraging them in the Rebellion against Queen Elizabeth they were then engaged in Being the tenth Letter of the fourth Book of the Epistles of the said Pope Pius published at Antwerp ex officina Plantiniana by Francis Gouban in the year 1640 and now from that Edition
* Allen before named worthy Man but by the perswasions as they think of Parsons greatly disliked of many both Wise and Learned And especially it was wondred at a while until the Drift thereof appeared more manifestly in the year 1588 that the said worthy Person laid down this for a ground in justifying the said Stanley viz. that in all Wars which may happen for Religion every Catholick Man is bound in Conscience to employ his Person and Force by the Popes Direction viz. how for when and where either at home or abroad he may and must break with his Temporal Soveraign Let us now see what was further doing by the Pope and the Papists against the Protestant Queen and the Protestant Religion in England in the Year 1588 and we shall doubtless see very good reason for making the Statute of 35 Eliz. Ca. 2. which was the last Law that was made against them in Queen Elizabeths time The Pope some Religious Persons in Spain and several English Fugitives The Pope plotting again Camb. Annal. f. 402. Baker's Chron. f. 374. had called back the Spaniard to his former Designs for the Conquest of England which had been interrupted by the Portugal Wars earnestly exhorting him that seeing God had given him Success in laying Portugal and the East-Indies to his Dominions he would do something which should be acceptable to God and becoming the Grandeur and Majesty of the Catholic King that nothing could be more then the propagating and enlarging the Church of God which could not be more gloriously nor more meritoriously done then by the Conquest of England re-planting the Roman Catholic Religion and abolishing Heresie there They suggested that this War would be just because it was necessary as also because it was for the Maintainance of Christs Religion in regard That the Queen of England being excommunicate persisted contumaciously against the Church of Rome supported his Rebels in the Netherlands annoyed the Spaniards by continual Depredations suppressed and sackt his Towns in Spain and America and had very lately put the Queen of Scots to Death violating thereby the Majesty of all Kings That it would be no less profitable than just for so he should add to his Empire those three Kingdoms quell the Rebellion in the Low Countries secure his Voyages to the Indies without the Expence of Convoys To prove this they suggested that the Spanish Navy did far exceed the English in Number Largeness of Ships and Strength especially considering the Addition of the Portugal Fleet that England had no Forts nor defences that it was unprovided of Commanders Souldiers Cavalry and Munition bare of Wealth and Friends that there were many Papists who would presently joyn with him that so great was the Strength of Spain and so unmatchable their Valour that none durst oppose them and confidently assured themselves of Victory That this Opportunity was offered by God himself a Peace being then concluded with the Turk and the French embroiled in a Civil War That the Conquest of England would be far easier than the Netherlands in respect the Cut from Spain to England was much more short and convenient than from Spain to the Netherlands That in order to the Conquest of the Netherlands it was necessary first to conquer England and that England being once conquered the Low-Countries must of necessity be subdued The Spanish King being perswaded to believe all this resolves on the Attempt The Contrivance of the Spanish Invasion Camb. Annal f. 403 404. and the next thing considered was in what Way and Means to effect it And the Method agreed on was to do it with a well-provided Army from Spain and the Low-Countries to be landed by a powerful Navy at the Thames Mouth in order to surprize the City of London by a sudden Assault this being resolved on the Preparation was made which was so great throughout all Spain Italy and Scicily that the Spaniards themselves were amazed at it and named it the Invincible Armada Their Cause the Armada and Army they recommended to the Pope and to the Prayers of the Catholics to God and the Saints and set forth a Book in Print for a Terror wherein the whole Preparation was set down The Prince of Parma also in the Netherlands by the Spanish Kings Command built Ships and many Flat-bottomed Boats and other great Preparations in the Sea Towns of Flanders he had an Army of an hundred and three Companies of Foot and four thousand Horse amongst which were one thousand English Fugitives who of all others were least esteemed neither was * Sir William Stanley before named Stanley who had the Command of them nor others who offered their Service and Council once heard but for their unnaturalness to their Country they were debarred from all access and as most inauspicious Persons worthily and with Detestation rejected The Spanish Navy in the whole consisted of one hundred and thirty Ships whereof Galliasses and Galleons seventy two in which were Souldiers nineteen thousand two hundred and ninety Camb. Annal. f. 410. Baker's Chron. f. 374. The Number of the Armada Marriners eight thousand three hundred and fifty Gally Slaves two thousand and eighty great Ordinance two thousand six hundred and thirty for the greater Holiness of their Action twelve of their Ships were called the twelve Apostles the chief Commanders were Don Alphonso Duke of Medina and John Recalde a great Sea-man Sixtus Quintus Curseth Queen Elizabeth Foulis Hist li. 7. ca. 6. f. 350. Camb. Annals f. 410. Sixtus Quintus the Pope that he might not seem to be wanting in so good a Cause did not only assist with his (a) Ant. Cicarella in vità Sexti V. Allen sent into the Netherlands to carry on the Design Treasure but his Papal Curse to boot whereby he excommunicated the Queen dethroned her absolved her Subjects from all Allegiance and published his Croisado in Print as it were against Turks and Infidels wherein out of the Treasure of the Church he granted plenary Indulgences to all that gave their Help and Assistance with this goodly Stuff William Allen a little before made a Cardinal an English-man and an old Traitor to the Queen was sent into the Netherlands the better to encourage the English Romanists to Rebellion Allen pulls out his Papal Tool which he forgeth into a Pamphlet in the English Language which he prints at Antwerp calling it The Declaration of the Sentence of Sixtus Quintus Their Methods And as a farther Interpretation of the Papal Intent and the better to ingage the English to Rebellion he joyns a second Part to it called An Admonition to the Nobility and People of England And that the Reader may better understand the Honesty of the Paper take the Sum of it thus Em. Meteram Hist Belg. lib. 15. p. 473 474. Sam. Purchas Pilgrims vol. 4. l. 10. c. 11. p. 1895 1896. It begins with Calling the Queens Government impious and unjust her self an
afterwards another Treaty was set on foot for Prince Henry with a Daughter of Spain What Religion the Spaniard was of is well known and what effect the Crown of England Matching into Popish Families abroad hath had is more to be lamented then remembred any other ways then to avoid the like mischiefs for the future In the 12 th Year of his Reign there were a generation about the Court Camb. f. 77. A Parliament called and dissolved because they complained of grievances and particularly of the increase of Papists that undertook for the calling such a Parliament as the King would have these were Men that presumed they had friends in every County and Borough who by their power among the People could make Election of such Men for Knights and Burgesses as should comply solely with the Kings desire and Somerset was the head and chief of these undertakers but these projects against the Fundamentals of the English Government proved an abortive for the Parliament meeting such Faces appeared there as was no ways pleasing to the Court who instead of contributing to the Kings wants lay open his wasts especially upon the Scots with whom they desire a share of Favour The Bread by our Saviour's Rule properly belongs to the Children of the Kingdom and they beseech his Majesty to stop the Current of future access of that Nation to make residence here having enough to eat up their own Crums they enquire into the Causes of the unexpected increase of Popish Recusants since the Gunpowder Plot the detestation whereof they thought should have utterly extinguished them and they attribute it to the admission of Popish Nobility into his Councels the silencing of many watchful and dilligent Ministers the divers Treaties his Majesty had entertained not only for the Marriage of Prince Henry but for Prince Charles with the Daughters of Popish Princes which disheartned the Protestant and encouraged the Papist they laid open with these many other miscarriages in Government the King desirous to conceal these Matters dissolves the Parliament and Committed to the Tower and other Prisons such as were most active for the common good and who can deny but that this must needs give encouragement to the Papists In the 15 th Year of his Reign he put out a Book to Tollerate Sports on the Lords Days this Book came out with a Command injoyning all Ministers to read it to their Parishoners and to approve of it A Book of Sports obtruded and those that did not were brought before the High Commission Imprisoned and Suspended This was a contrivance of the Papists and their adherents to trap the most Conscientious Men of the Church of England who were in all other matters exactly conformable and to lay them aside and good reason the Papists had for this because no Nation will ever receive their innovations in Matters of Religion where there is a Sound Orthodox Learned and Pious Clergy Wilsons Hist. f. 105. Wilson says that some of the Ministers that were Suspended said that they would Preach the Gospel in a Fools Coat rather then be silent for a Surplis and the Conjuring of them with the Cross in Baptism and the Circle of the Ring in Marriage could not make a well composed Reason and a sound Conscience then start at it But when so frighful an Aparition as the Dancing Book appeared some of the Ministers left all for fear others by force they were so terrified by it This I have set down in Willsons own words because it appears by this that the Men that were suspended were proceeded against not for Puritanism or Nonconformity to the discipline of the Church of England but for non-complying with things obtruded on them by right down Papists or those who whether they saw it or no I cannot tell were carrying on the Popish designs The King having all along had a design of Matching his Son Rushw Col. 1. part f. 11. either to Spain or France it is no wonder that the Priests and Jesuits swarm here and much less a wonder that they endeavour to promote their own Religion for if they will do it when the Edge of Justice is sharpned against them much more when he that should make use of the Sword is so merciful that let them do what they will he will not or so fearful he dares not strike As Prophanness by reason of the Book of Sports crept in by their means so did Idolotry and Superstition for their was now more enmity against Ministers of the Gospel then Popish Priests and no wonder for let a Peoples Morals be once throughly debauched and 't will not be very difficult to make them outwardly of what Religion you will. The Jesuits Jugling with the Boy of Bilson Wilsons Hist. f. 107. The Popish Priests and Jesuits having now more liberty then they had had for above fifty Years resolve to make much of their time and because they cannot much boast of real holiness pretended Miracles must recommend them to the People for this purpose the Boy of Bilson was set up by them as he himself afterwards confest to Act the part of one possest with a Divel and they were to come and disposes him that so it might appear how much Gods Power was exprest in their weakness and to difference the truth and holiness betwixt the Catholic Religion and the Heresie profest among Protestants such Godly cheats are they always making use of to deceive the Hearts of the simple This Boy Bishop Morton discovered to be an imposture and when he had made the discovery and the Boy found he was detected he confest the whole Matter to be thus That he was inticed to one Mr. Giffords House in Stafford-shire where there were four Romish Priests who gave him Mony and many fair words promising him great matters if he would be conformable to their instructions In three days time they had taught him to practice his tricks so well that they ventured him home to his Fathers to exercise them publickly He came home in a very distracted manner to his Parents amazement and in a short time the thing was noised and a great deal of Company coming to see him his Parents got Money by it which was an incouragement to him to persist so that when the Priests came to disposes him he would not be disposest but went on and as they had instructed him accused a poor Old Woman of Witchcraft for which she was Tryed and Condemned and had been Executed had it not been for Bishop Morton detecting this imposture The whole story you may read at large in Wilson from f. 106. to 111. Wilsons Hist. f. 130. Henry Earl of Northumberland who was Sentenced in the Star-Chamber Thirty Thousand Pounds and Imprisoned in the Tower for harbouring in his House the aforenamed Thomas Piercy his Kinsman who was one of the Plotters of the Gunpowder-Treason was in the Seaventeenth Year of this Kings Reign set at liberty The