as doth that of yours by euident proofes elswere convinced do allow of any such doctrine and enterprises This Powder-plot-treason was in it selfe in the eyes of some of the actors therein so horride and detestable as that one of your owne Iesuites from an apprehension of the jmmane cruelty thereof not mooued with any commiseration of their miseries who were by their designes destinated to the rage thereof but proceeding from a trembling feare least it should be discouered could say to his fellow in profession and action That if it were discouered it would be the vtter ruine and dissolution of their Society Remember also Robert Winters dreame and the horror thereof how it terrified his very soule with the gastly appearance of some of his consorts And forget not the fearefull vengeance of God in suffering their faces to be so vgly disfigured with Gunpowder in Littletons house who had prepared a Destructiō for this whole kingdome with the same matter and Substance and then conclude that God is iust and therefore in his justice did punish their wickednesse with the inventions of their owne braines Was it not time to lop those ambitious aspyring thoughts of Watson the Priest and his confederates as also to clippe the winges of the Powder-Treason contriuers and their fauorites the first affecting in his owne person the high Chancelorship of England and the latter building their hopes aboue the Moone amongst themselues concluding to set vp a Protector of their own choosing out of the number of those Popish Lords that by them were intended should bee preserued from that generall destruction of their sulphurious fire all of them directlie ayming at the vtter ruine and destruction of this noble and renowned Iland and to make desolate the most glorious Kingdome that is couered by the Heauens But as the most fruitfull trees beare their tops lowest and the most barren and vnfruitfull shoote vp highest euen so is it amongst men Those that are most emptie of vertue and laudable qualities aspire in their ambition to places of highest honour vncalled whereas the more worthy and vertuous would in their humility refuse them being jmposed were it not onely for this that they may thereby be the better jnabled to do good Admit that the Kings Majestie had in a religious pollicy promised a toleration before he were fully seated in his kingdome or come into this Kingdome nay that hee had so also meant indeed as some of you haue falsely and jmpudently giuen out yet had he not for your extreame ill carriage and disloyall demeanour just cause to haue reuoked it For before that liberty could be established for you there must needes haue beene a repeale made of those Lawes and Statutes formerly made against Recusancy which as they were by act of Parliament confirmed so must they haue been by the like authority disanulled But your Watson and Clarke thought to make a shorter cut then so by preventing the King in the performance of that which Watson himselfe knew full well the King neuer purposed nor promised albeit it should seeme by Watsons owne confession that he had much laboured and jmportuned his Majestie therein Since which time also if his Majestie had promised the like as some of your faction haue falsely giuen out was not that matchlesse Powder-treason plotted contriued furthered and assisted by beasts for men I cannot call them but rather deuils of your religion both Priests Iesuites and as you stile your selues lay Catholiques a sufficient warrantise without prejudice to his honour to recall such a grant as might giue protection to Caterpillers Degenerate persons Miscreants Vipers Monsters and not men and whatsoeuer name more odious that also yea vnworthy to bee called by the name of any of Gods creatures for they persist in their created natures but the other do not but are degenerated from men to Devils That their damnable practise doth rightly moralize the tale of the Husbandman wherein hee is fabled to haue found a Snake stiffe and almost dead with cold and to haue brought him home in his bosome and warmed him by the fire which after recouering began to hisse at the good man of the house for his paines and would with his venomous tongue haue stung him to death who had before saued his life which plainely bids King Iames beware that he nourish not vipers in his own Kingdome I pray God not in his Court. You seeme in some places of your writings to taxe Queene Elizabeth and in her all true professors of religion for a backward and frozen zeale towards the Kings Majesties rightfull succession in these his kingdomes to blazō your own forwardnesse in his Majesties behalfe but know you false-hearted and degenerate men that king Iames knowes how to judge of spirits and to hold you but hollow-hearted vnto him now because whiles you were yet Queene Elizabeths subiects you were then so vnto her and to esteeme of our late Queene Honourably and of vs as faithfull Subiects then vnto her so now no lesse vnto him And albeit that for some reasons of State vnto her selfe best knowen and which no doubt but his Majestie now very well vnderstandeth it pleased her to conceale the kings right from the multitude yet I verily perswade my selfe that his Majesty did neuer so much as conceiue a thought that Queene Elizabeth did euer purpose or intend to debarre him in his right of lawfull succession And in this poynt your fellow Catholiques thought to cast a Bone between his Majesty and his good subiects but you are made to swallow it your selues and some whose throats were to little it choaked Nor may I here let passe vntouched that Propheticall speech of that worthy Matriarke Honourable amongst women Q. Elizabeth who when in the first yere of her raigne shee was motioned to dispose her selfe to Marriage that her subiects might enioy an happy issue of her own body like as Abraham when his Sonne Isaac sayd Behold the fire and the wood but where is the Lambe for the burnt offring Gen. 22.7 replyed Deus providebit mi fili So shee Abrahams daughter by fayth likewise Fideles mei subditi my louing and faithfull Subiects although you may justly fear what may be the euent of my disposednes to a Virgin life yet be not depressed with care that way nor dejected with sorrow but trust in God for Deus providebit hee euen God euen that God who made Sarahs barren wombe fruitfull and he who although I should marrie can cause my wombe to be barren He who had another meat to eat that his Disciples knew not of Ioh. 4.32 Euen he I say will provide you a king of his owne choosing whome you do not so much as dreame of My Fathers Will must bee done Ioh. 4.34 I the Lord will bee their God and my seruant David shall be the Prince amongst them I the Lord haue spoken it Ezech. 34.24 Which that your eyes haue after
bin king of Scotland being next heire thereto as the story reporteth the other on my head is that which I haue receaued common with other Saints And that you may be assured of the verity of this vision you shall be presently cured of your infirmity and hauing thus spoken and the other jmmediatly healed he vanished away Another ST Decuman first passed ouer the Riuer of Seuerne miraculously with a faggot in steed of a boate and afterwards was slaine by a Pagan and his head cut off which hee tooke vp from the ground and carryed it to a fountaine where hee was woont to wash it Another ST Dunstan hee on a time when the diuell appeared vnto him in the likenesse of a yong woman tempting him to vncleanesse tooke a paire of pincers which lay by him and caught the diuell by the vpper lippe and so holding him fast and leading him vp and downe his chamber after diuers jnterrogatories droue him away Another ST Osith shee after that the Danes had cut off her head tooke it vp in her hands and carryed it three furlongs to a Church of S. Peter and S. Paul whither when she came all jmbrued in her owne innocent bloud she fell downe and so ended the course of her Martyrdome Another ST Keyna she by her prayers turned a wood full of Serpents into stones still retayning the likenesses of Serpents Also she being ready to depart out of this world an Angel came downe from heauen and put vpon her a white garment wrought with Gould bidding her to be in readinesse to enter into the kingdome of her celestiall Spouse Another ST Edmund hee hauing his head cut off by the Danes and cast into a wood neere by amongst bryars and bushes the Christians afterwards seeking for the same lost themselues in the same wood and calling one to another where art where art the head answered Here Here Here by which they found out the same Another ST Inthware she hauing her head cut off by her owne brother Bana vppon a day as shee came from Church because shee was accused by her stepmother to be an harlot her jnnocency was presently testified by this for that she presently tooke it vp in her owne hands and carryed it to the Church from whence shee came Adde hereto also their late coyned Death deseruing for the fact woonder of Garnets face in a wheat strawe Vide librum cuius tituli pars est Vera historia de admirabili spica Rightly englished A fabulous story of a fained straw first divulged by a foolish Iack-daw Many more such grosse and palpable lying woonders are therein expressed which I am weary to recount and I almost wonder that they themselues are not ashamed to record for truths but as herein so also in their false accusations of Queene Elizabeth and King Iames by vnjustly and maliciously taxing them with bloud breach of promise and bloudy persecution for conscience they are most jmpudent and shamelesse yea past shame and past grace for as a Reuerend Father of our Church elsewhere vpon another occasion though more rightly applyable to this generation said Qui semel modestiae limites transilijt knauiter fit impudens But the Priests and Iesuites in this poynt of jmpudency surpasse and one maine reason hereof as I take it is because they hold the laye Papists of whome they haue their maintenance in such a thraldome of jgnorant obedience as that they dare not for feare of damnation read any booke whereby to enforme them in the truth but only such as their traiterous and seditious vn-ghostly leaders shall permit And so if they can hold the good opinions of their maintainers they will neuer blush at whatsoeuer themselues say or whatsoeuer bee said of them by others If any friend shall thinke that this my labour might well haue beene spared because the liues of the Martyrs the proceedings against them the times and causes of their sufferings are already by Mr. Foxe in his large Booke thereof more fully expressed or otherwise should thinke that I do the Papists too great a grace by placing them in the same Booke with the true Martyrs of Christ to him in friendly manner I thus replye and first to the first That though his allegation bee indeed true for I willingly confesse that hee hath deserued much for his extraordinary paines that wayes and hath compassed so much and such variety of matter therein as that I cannot say whether were greater his labour or the Readers profit yet cannot euery mans purse reach so great price as is that Booke at large and besides I haue not medled with any matter of Historie contained therin but only haue borrowed out of him the names of such as were in Queene Maries daies burned as I haue likewise out of their Martyrologist the names of their Priests Iesuites and Recusants for vnlesse I should set downe their names I could make no good comparison of their numbers in opposition one to the other which is the especiall end whereat I aime Secondly although that twentie or thirtie yeares since many hundreds of Thousands of persons were liuing that could viva voce beare record how cruelly and vnmercifully the Professors of Christs truth were dealt withall in Queene Maries daies and could also if any seducing Priest or Iesuite had accused their Soueraigne of cruelty haue thus replyed Away vild harlots belie her not for Queene Elizabeth was a mercifull Queene but mine eies haue seene the aboundance of bloud shed in Queene Maries raigne onely for conscience wherwith ye were neuer glutted but now these Viue-speakers in Christs cause being by time consumed it is more needfull to preserue by these neuer-dying memorials the remembrance of their sufferings especially seeing the aduersarie is so busie by all meanes that the Pope the Diuell or hell it selfe can possibly deuise to exalt their faction and to bring a scandall both vpon our Soveraignes vs and them And to the second poynt That it is a Grace vnto the Papists and Romanists to haue their Priests and Iesuites ranked with the true Professors I answere thus It is not the punishment nor the place but onely the cause that maketh a man famous for vertue or for vice jnfamous loued of God for his owne free graces or hated of God and good men for their villanies If the Iron barres whereon Catesbies and Fercies heads are fixed and nailed on the Parliament house be a grace vnto them or any of their fauorites because they possesse the highest places of that Honourable house such grace haue all the kings enemies If Garnets scaffold because it was raysed aloft for more publique view were an honour vnto him or any of his Iesuited society such honour haue all that are were or hereafter shall be his partakers If London bridge or Newgate grace that faction because their friends dismembred limbes are so highly thereon aduanced let Crowes and Rauens likewise deuour all them that
thy vsurped authoritie Let such as expect Donations of other Princes Kingdomes from their grand traÌ„slator of Empyres the Pope the diuels substitute as Philip the second of that name King of Spaine did vpon whom Pius Quintus or rather Impius intus the diuels vicegerent then at Rome conferred the Kingdome of England but all the craft was in the catching instanced and approued as an act lawfull by Azorius the Iesuite in his morall institutions part second booke eleuenth chapter the fift circa medium capitis Let such Princes I say adhere to the Pope subiugate their neckes to his trampling but let those whose cause is good succession lawful spirits more mâ—gnanimous and of a better mettall their subiects hearts generally firmely assured the word of God which is trueth it selfe on their side power and abilitie to withstand and offend him and all his vnholy confederates free Princes next vnder God in their owne Dominions Let these I say all learne of that renowned Queene Elizabeth this resolute saying rare amongst men but not to be paralleld by any woman If my religion be allowable if my mariage lawfull if my succession rightfull by the Popes Dispensation then is it so also without it and God willing I will maintaine it without him who of his power can make it no more lawfull or vnlawfull then of it selfe it is without him for against the word of God there lieth no Dispensation And let great Great Brittaines King make it known for an honour to him and his posteritie that great Elizaes spirit lodgeth in his Brest Though happie she in peace with God doth rest Thus holding Poperie to be an hotch-poch of new religion coyned in the mints of the Babylonish whore who contendeth to aduance her Kingdome aboue the Kingdome of Christ by all meanes that themselues or hell it selfe can inuent by crueltie by blood by deceit by abusing the word of God by equiuocation by what not yea she hath so taught her brats the Priestes and Iesuites and infinite others by them seduced to sweare and forsweare to promise and protest by whatsoeuer can bee named although they haue no purpose to make good any of their vowes in this kind as that they haue almost left no means whereby a man may be assured of anothers intentions although he vowe it neuer so seeming seriously Call to minde the great and serious protestations that Watson the Priest made in his Quodlibeticall questions That albeit he differed in religion from that which was professed in the Church of England yet if either Pope or Spaniard should seeke by hostile meanes to inuade his countrie hee would willingly spend his substance nay his dearest blood against any such as should attempt it and yet he himselfe was the first afterwards as I remember that came to the gallowes for violating it If I could find any thing that good is in either Priests or Iesuites I would commend them for it but because I cannot holding them all to bee traytors in heart vnto his Maiestie and their fauourers to be scarcely good subiects I will end for their coÌ„mendations with the words of a late but wittie Satyrist Fâ—uet illis quisquis de illis tacet FINIS a Vide Torturam Torti paginis 131.132 b Three conversions of Eng part 3. in many places c English Martyrologe by J. VV. Priest Anno. 1608. d VVatson and Clarke executed at VVinchester in An. 1603. Novemb. 29. Stowe Henry Garnet had 6. names to wit Gaâ—net VValley Darcy Roberts Farmer and Phillips Likewise Edward Hall alias Oldâ—orne Likewise Oswaâ—d Tesmund alias Greenway Likewise Thomas Garnet alias Rookwood alias Sayer with many others f Three conversions of England in page 426. and many pages therof besides Ianuary 7 Page 7. Ianuary 11. Page 10. Ianuary 14. Page 12. Ianuary 20. Page 18. February 3. Page 32. March 17. Page 17. Aprill 3. Page 86. Aprill 9. Page 92. May 2. Page 116. Maye 18. Maye 22. Page 134 Iune 2â— Page 167. Iuly 2. Page 178. Iuly 25. Page 202. August 6. Page 216. August 27. Page 233. September 7. Page 244. October 7. Page 372. October 8. Page 374. NoueÌ„ber 20. Page 320. DeceÌ„ber 23. Page 350. g D. Barlow in his answere to M. Broughton 1610. h The booke at large worthy to be writteÌ„ in letters of gould is this yeare newly and well printed by the Companie of Stationers in London The Miracles that god hath wrought for confirmation of his gospell Two miracles of miracles The 1. The 2. The Iesuits reported in Spaine that there was no such matter as the gun-powder Treason Related by the L Cooke at the Earle of Northumberl conviction in the Star-chaÌ„ber Iune 27. 1606. Childish and strawish Myracles In your supplication to the kings Maiestie Anno. 1603. An. 1604. in many places thereof as also in diuers other treasonable bookes since by you set forth and dispersed * Tortura Torti Page 83. The Starre-chamber Omne animi vitium tanto conspectus iâ— se crimeÌ„ habet quanto maior qui peccat habetur The now L. Cooke The Lord Archbishop of Cant. The word theÌ„ vsed was To hold an Axe ouer the Kings head The L. Zouch Vide Tortûrâ—Ì„ Torti Pag. 83. Promâ—ssa nescio quae commeÌ„ti sunt quae tamen nulla suerunt quod factuÌ„ nunquaÌ„ est id fuisse tamen factum in vulgus spargebant vide the Earle of Northamp printed speech at Garnets arraignment in pag. 1. of Aâ—a The Earle of Salisburie in his answere to certaine scandalous papers D. Reynolds in his preface before his coÌ„ference with Hart. D. Morton M. Stocke with many more Greenewell Garnet Reported at his arraignmeÌ„t in VVestminst Hall Ianu. 27. 1605 mentioned in the Earle of NorthamptoÌ„s speech in the first pag of L. Confessed vnder his owne hand in an examination openly read in the Star-chaÌ„ber at the coÌ„viction of the Earle of Northumbert Iun. 27. 1606. Confessed in diuers examinations vnder their hands openly read the time and place aforesayd Simile These forward spirits as they wold be thought for the Kings Succession would yet haue bereft vs of his head before the Crowne had adorned it Tortura Torti Page 84. See the Catholique supplication to the kings Maiestie in Ann. 1604 neere beginning thereof See your supplication to his Maiestie Anno. 1604. chap. 5. Also in the first part of Engl. three Conversions neere the beginning thereof Mentioned in M. Fox his booke of Martyrs in the very beginning of Q. Maries Raigne a Bristow in his motiues 15. Chap. 73 calleth these Martyrs Aboue 1000 of thes saythe lay Catholiques in their SuplicatioÌ„ to the Kings Maiestie 1604. abandoned their liuiÌ„gs rather then they would chaÌ„ge their religioÌ„ Also the three coÌ„uersions of England part the first page 264. a Three conuersions page 265. Of Priests aboue 100. haue Sealed the confession of their faith with blood within 40. yeeres A small nuÌ„ber in comparison of 278. martyrs in lesse then sixe yeeres a Vide Pope Sixtus the 5. his oration vpoÌ„ the death and murther of Henry the 3. French King by a Fryar Ne misericordia in inimicos fit crudelitas in se suosque a Printed in Anno 1608. as hee saith Permissu superiorum a Vide Fox his booke of Martyres in Queen Maries raigne b Vide the Lord Burleigh late Lord Treasurer his booke intituled Execution of Iustice for treason and not for Religion c Earle of Northampton in his priÌ„ted speech at Garnets arraignemeÌ„t in the fourth page of the letter GG d Their refusall of the Oath of allegeance proueth what they hold in this point and the Popes gift of Ireland to the King of Spaine mentioned by Azorius the Iesuite in his institut moral confirmeth it a Vide Faux his confession with others mentioned in the afore quoted page by the Earle of NorthaÌ„pton Confer also herewith Catesbies answere to Garnet in the last page of R. and also in the last page of T. of the former booke his words are If it were lawfull not to admitte of the Kings Maiesty at first warranted by the Popes Breeues then was it also lawfull to cast him out b This trebble bond theÌ„selues whiles they laboured to seeme good subiects acknowledged in their supplication to the Kings Maiâ—stie chap. 5. neere the end thereof Agreeable hereto is the Earle of Northamptons sound maxime in the last page of FF in his speech to Garnet c Scienti volenti non fit iniuria d Besides this Priestes confession agaiÌ„st themselues see also for thy better confirmation in this point the iudgement of two great Counsellors of state in their seuerall writings published by the Earle of Salisbury in his answere to certaine scandelous papers in the third page of C. and the Earle of Northampton in his speech at Garnets Arraignement in the letter HH in diuers pages thereof e This Thomas Garnet is the last that our Pseudomartyrologist I. W. Priest hath noted in his Beadroll to haue suffered in King Iames his raigne a D. Reignolds conference with Harts in Harts owne Preface therto b Relation of the state of religion in the west part of the world neere the beginning therof b Azorius in his institutions part 2. booke 11. chapt 5. a A strange thing that the Pope claiming to bee but Christs Vicar should yet challenge a larger power theÌ„ euer Christ himselfe did for Christ confessed that his Kingdome was not of this world and yet the Pope will be a disposer and setter vp and puller downe of Kings and Kingdomes at his pleasure b In his booke of Quodlibets c Here was Mel in ore fel in corde a smooth tongue but a treacherous heart d Conclaue Ignati in Apologia pro Iesuitis ad finem libri adiecta