reasons which they alledge for the making and exhibiting this petition are these firste they tell vs that they are excluded as superstitious persons from that supreme courte of Parliament that was firste founded by and for catholike men Next that daily bills Books ar exhibited in Parliament againste them taxing them with odious names of haereticks sectaries superstitions persons idolaters Thirdly that his Maiestie is often solicited to extirpate the race and memory of papists out of his dominions and rather to admit miscreants and Iewes then Papists And lastly that a new motion hath beene made for the reuiuing of former capitall lawes and pecuniary payments and other penalties For these causes they say they haue emboldned themselues to present to his maiestyes view this apology and that firste Leaste god should be offended with theire silence in matter of his honor and next leaste the Christian world should condemne them of negligence in defence of theire distressed estate and thirdly leaste theire children and posterity shoulde argue them of carelesnesse and pusillanimity in a cause concerning theire liues estates and soules saluation and lastly least theire aduersaries shoulde insult ouer them and repute them tanquam confitentes reos But firste we answer that diuers maters heere alleadged are false and some wicked and. slanderous next that theire reasons are impertinent not concludent That papists are excluded out of parlia ment it may be proued false by the exāple of diuers particulers which I could name if I list Thisis most certain that no Papisticall burgesse or knight is refused in the lower house vnlesse he refuse to acknowledg his maiesties supreme anthority which if he doe he is not only to be excluded out of the house but out of the lād if he haue his right Jt is also an old trick of falsity to affirme papists to be catholikes they must shew that they hold Apostolike and Catholike doctrine or els renounce the name of catholikes Thirdly they erre grossely if they suppose that Parliaments wer founded by papists professing the puddle doctrine of the popish sect flowing out of the sink of the conuenticle of Trent or that they were made for such as impugne the Kings authority and adhere to forreigne enemies Fourthly they shew themselues not onely to be spreaders of false tales but also ignorant of Parliament causes that say that books wer exhibited against thē in parliament for that sacred senat is no place where to exhibit books But if in parliament time any Books were published abroad it was to answere theire iangling supplications and discourses which thought to be heard for theire much babling Fiftlie ridiculously in the superlatiue degree they call thēselues the kings most faithfull subiects The falsity thereof appeareth by the proceedings at VVinchester againste George Brooke a lay and lame papist and subiect and his complices but much more is the same made euident by the flagitious treason of Percie Catesbie Faux Owen Baldwine and theire consorts and the rebellion which thereupon ensued wherein they expected and the Iesuites and massepreests promised the aid and concurrence of al the papists in England and many no question woulde haue ioyned with them but that they were taken before their tyme and choked in the birth of their dangerous destinies Sixtly wickedly they slander the state if they suppose that any therein doe desire that eyther Iewes or other miscreāts may be admitted and wrong his maiesty if they say hee giueth eare to such motions Nay hee desireth rather the cōuersion then the destruction of papists albeit they are the onely miscreants that are to be feared in this land Finally it is no new matter to make motions for restraining the insolency of the massepriestes and their adherents For if these petitioners be not old such motions were made before they were borne King Henry the 8. at the motion of his subiects repressed such as shold attempt to maintain the popes authority which is a main ground of popery And long before his time were lawes of prouisions and praemunire made to stop the popes encrochements and dayly do recusants giue occasion to make new lawes against them But admit inassepriests and their adherents and the Popes truely deuoted creatures had been excluded out of parliaments and that in bills books they had been charged as sectaries superstitious persons hereticks and idolaters and further that his Maiesty had bin moued to take a course with them and the parliament to aggrauate their penaltyes and to prouide for the execution of lawes against them yet haue these lame witted lay papists no cause eyther to make these outcries or to publish these slanderous libells not onely to the disgrace of our late gratious Queen and King Edward that excellent spirite but also against his maiesty as if he meant to giue intertainment to miscreants and knew not how to keepe measure in punishing papists and other sectaries and heretikes For first the Parliament is no place for such as loue strangers better then their owne princes and depend vpon forrayners rather then their countrimen Secondly papists are no catholikes nor were parliaments founded eyther by such as beleeued the filthy doctrine of popery pomped out of the popes brest in the conuenticle of Trent nor for such caitiffs miscreants as beleeue that doctrine Thirdly if such as in England adhere to the Pope and positiuely hold his doctrine be called hereticks sectaries superstitious persons and idolaters they are not wronged For the same is clearly demonstrated in diuers treatises and partly in this answer And litle are these lame petitioners able to say for themselues to the contrary Nay they haue fauor considering their intelligence and practises of late with the pope and his agents that they are not called far worse Lastly they haue no reason to complaine of penall lawes made against lay-papists for the penalties are only pecuniary and very remissely pursued but the bloudy inquisitors and the popes adherents murdre and massacre all that professe true religion in places where they command and this had Percie and his compagnions doon in England if they had preuailed Further themselues will not deny but that idolaters heretikes and sectaries may lawfully be punished And if they should deny it yet woulde the examples and practise both of Hezekiah Iosiah and other godly kings before Christs time and of Constantine Theodosius and other christian emperors since christianity began to be professed plainly proue it But it hath been and shall alwayes be plainly proued that papists are sectaries superstitious persons heretikes and idolaters Their feare therefore least God wold-be offended with them for their silence in this cause is superstitious and very foolish For god is rather displeased with such as seeke to erect open idolatry and to maintaine grosse superstition and heresie as these ignorant lay papists or rather lame Masse-priestes seek to do then with such as keep themselues within the lists of their ignorance and hold their peace Secondly true it
cultu sanctorum c. 23. aloweth these speches of friars speaking to a woodē crucifix thou hast redeemed vs thou hast recōciled vs to thy father he confesseth also in his 1. booke de iudulgentijs that saints may be called redeemers Thomas Waldensis in his prologue ad Martinum quintum applieth these wordes of the Apostle Lord saue vs wee perish to the pope 14. Bonauenture or rather some falsary vnder his name applieth those diuine prayses which the prophet in the Psalmes giueth to god to the virgin Mary 15. Of the scriptures most commonly they speak most blasphemously sometime calling them a nose of waxe sometime a deade letter sometime a killing letter sometime comparing them to Aesops fables Kellison in his suruey p. 158. saith the deuill doth wrap himselfe from top to toe in scriptures as if the word of god were the habit of the diuell He that list to see diuers other blasphemous doctrines sayinges of the pope and his complices let him reade the two bookes de antichristo et eius ecclesia latelie set out by Master Powel a young man learned zealous and paineful that hath at large handled this argument in the meane while we may see that such as professe christian religion and true piety haue noe reason to like that religion in which Christ is notoriously blasphemed and so many impieties conteined Chap. 11. That toleration of popery is contrary to reasons of state FVrthermore with small labor it may be shewed that popery is a religion full of contradictions absurdities and fooleries and so contrary to holy scriptures and the catholike faith of christians as darknesse to lighte falsehood to truth and black to white But this short answere will not admitte any such large discourse beside that all these poyntes are at large prooued in the suruey of popery published in answere to Kellisons inuectiue Suruey Now therefore it shall bee sufficient to shew that as popery is contrary to the rules of Christian religion so it si no lesse repugnant to reasons of state and derogatory both to the Authority of Kinges and to the libertie of Christians That popish religion is contrary to reasons of state and politicke gouerne ment it apeareth firste for that the same is idolatrous wicked false and contrary to gods true seruice nowe what state can long continue that either receiueth such a wicked religion or else is carelesse for the establishment of gods seruice Them that honoure me saith the Lord. 1. Samuel 2. I will honor and they that despise me shall bee despised The Apostle also Rom. 1. sheweth that the wrath of god is reueiled frō heauen against all vngodlines and vnrighteousnesse of men which withold the truth in vnrighteousnesse Secondly it is alwaies dangerous to change lawes and to reuerse matters heretofore orderly passed But if popish religion were tolerated then shoulde all those lawes cease that concerne the articles of religion the book of common prayer the forme of administration of sacramentes the kinges royall authority in ecclesiasticall causes the ministers of gods worde and sacramentes and the postessions of the church Finally many things now well ordered would then bee called in question if then lawes be the bands that conteine the common welth in order who seeth not that a greate dislolution of state woulde followe if Popish religion were tolerated Thirdly the pope claimeth power to dispose of kingdomes and to depose kings and all his true disciples doe maintain his Claime Js it then possible that any state should ether liue vnder such a tyranny or tolerate such professed enemies of state Fourthly the same man pretendeth right to giue lawes to the state especially in ecclesiasticall causes and to dispose of the liuings of the church But I thinke noe state will giue this power to straungers and enemies that hath liberty to refuse it Fiftly we reade that pope Paule the third in his bulle of excommunication against King Henry the eighte King of Englānd commanded his subiects to take armes againste him gaue away his true subiects as slaues to those that coulde take them dissolued all bondes wherein any stood bound to him or his subiects as is euidently aparent in the words of his bulle recorded in Sanders de schismate the collector of his Bulles and this authority all pops claime and al papists must defend But it is strange that any state should endure such indignities offered to princes and theire subiects Sixtly no man can serue the pope and his prince and countrye especially beeing in opposition with the pope howe then can the state admit such as depend vpon the pope and are ready to exequute his commandementes and take them selues bound to do it vpon paiue of damnation Nay Percie and other papists of late without his commaundement as they say were in a fayre way to ouerthrow the state 7. To restore banished men to acquite condemned persons to let prisoners loose that are in custody by order of law is the moste extreme condition that lost common wealths may be drawn vnto as Tully saith lib. 5. in Verrem perditae ciuitates saith he desperatis omnibus rebus hos solent exitus exitiales habere vt damnati in integrum restituantur vinctisoluantur exules redusātur But toleration of popery doth bring all these incommodities with it shold we then basely subiect our selues to enemies and traitoures take that course which no state euer yeelded vnto vnlessethe same were brought to extreme and desperate termes 8. No state can admitte such as depend vpon forreine enemyes and intertaine intelligence with them For that were to imbrace within our bosomes the enemies of state But that is the case of the archpreest of the Iebusites Massepreests gunpouder traytors and all their adherents 9. No state can be well gouerned by two gouernors and two diuers lawes For as there is but one principall gouernemente In a state so ought there to be but one authority and one law but if papists bee tolerated then the pope must aswell be obeyed as the king and the popes laws be ioyned with the kings lawes furthermore the common wealthe will prooue a monster not onelie with two heades but also with two soules and two diuers kindes of proceedings 10. The bonds of state are lawes the bonds that tye subiects to their princes are othes of allegeance and loyall affection towardes them But papists being dispensed with all by the pope respect neither lawes of state nor othes of allegeance nor loue due to princes Howe then can any state tolerate such fellowes as respect nether bonds of state nor duty nor obligation toward their lawfull princes 11. Lawes punish such as contriue the murther of priuate persons and much more such as are ready vpon euery occasion to stirre sedition should then then the state tolerate such as vpon the Popes commandement and warrant nay vpon the word of a seditious Massepriest shall thinke it lawfull meritorious to murther empoyson any that shal be opposite
Papists study as much for the Popes grace as for gods grace in hac vita gloriam in futura From my study in Dovvay this 7 That is 12. dayes before the receit of the book which vvas the 28. of this moneth 16. of October 1604. Your very louing Sonne and seruant in Christo Dommo IO. LECEY The answer to both HOw little our aduersaries respécte true and sincere dealing wee may in part coniecture by the vntruths of thè title and preface praefixed before this petitiō For firste they giue the title of Catholikes to papists whose religion is prooued seditious false erroneous hereticall idolatrous and blasphemous and in no sorte catholike or professed of true catholikes and secondly they pretend that it was made by the lay papists of Englād whereof J doe no suppose them to be so vnwise as that they will auowe what soeuer is sayde in this petition or so presumptuous as to charge the King with disgraceful breach of promise or to defame him with suspition of heresy as these men do Further the authors hereof page 19. do cite Caluine Knoxe Luther and Goodman whose books lay papistes may not reade and whose testimonyes they haue no reason to alledge vnlesse théy haue read them Leceys praeface concerning the conformity and perfection of this petition the contentement to be receiued of all sortes of men thereby is nothing but a pack of foolish and vntrue surmises as we shall declare heereafter alledging the wordes of Saint Peter 1 Epist 2. they leaue out the beginning of the sentence vpon which the words by them cited do depend Haue your conuersation honest among the gentils saith saint Peter that wherin they detract from you as malefactors considering good works they may glorify god in the day of visitatiō those words haue your conuersation honest being guilty in their consciences of dishonesty they leaue out and translate by the good workes considering you for considering your good works Further their title and testimony is not more destitute of truth thē of reason For neither is a petition an apology nor an apology a Petition that they should call their discouse a petition apologeticall Nor had they reason to alleadge saint Peters wordes concerning the good workes of Chrstians who notwithstanding were reputed malefactors For little doe they fit the cause of papists whose good works are gheason and whose practises of treason and rebellion in so many recordes doe conuince them to be truly malefactors The secular preestes also confesse that the exequutions done vpon Masse-priestes and theire adherentes were iust and necessary The preface of John Lecey or rather lazy Iohn is nothing else but an idle declamation in prayse of this pseudaposticall petition and the authors thereof wherein this scraping fellowe endeuoureth to tickel the galled backs of his owne compagnions with his forged commendations But let them beware they trust him not to farre least he draw them within the compasse of his own disloyalty and bring them where Percy and Catesby left them The Lazy fellowe directeth his speech to some odde namelesse sacrificer for hee calleth him reuerend Sirre but if the Masselouers were not blinded with affection they might thereby see howsoeuer this geare is thrust forth vnder the name of lay papists that all the aduantage proceeding therof commeth to the polshorne preests of Baal In the entrance of his matter he maketh greate bragges telling his frend that this petition or apology he knoweth not whether to call it is so conformable to reason so absolute in forme of the petitioners submission and so admirable for the assurance by them offered for theire preestes and pastorus that the publishing thereof cannot but giue contentment in his opinion to all sorts of men But his performance is nothing correspondent to his greate countenance For firste we haue already shewed that this request for a toleration of popery is not only contrary to reason but also to religion all Christian policy Secondly the submission that they make is very defectiue cōsidering theire denyall of the Kings authority in Ecclesiast icall causes and their de pendance vpon the Pope that claimeth a superiority ouer the king But did they submit themselues wholy to his maiesty yet shoulde they doe nothing but that which is required of all good subiects Thirdly theire admirable assurance is most admirably ridiculous For who doth not wonder and laugh to heare assurāce offred for the life of so great a King and so potent a state by a few thridbare fellowes we know not who they are the parliament house had beene blowne vp who shoulde haue sued their bonds who should haue brought them into the Starchamber for periurye Againe when the Pope so easily dispenseth with oathes and dissolueth contracts what reason hath any Christian to depend either vpon him or his adherents for either oth promise or bond Besides all this our prologue where hee thinketh himselfe horribly eloquent speaketh playne contradictions fooleries For firste if the petitioners had such reason as he pretendeth what should they neede to make a submission as hauing committed some greate crime againe what submission can a subiect make to his souereine that it is not required of him by duty thirdly such as make such absolute submissions as he talketh of neede nor to put in bonds or pledges Finally it is foolery to thinke either that papists are true catholikes or that such as ar truly informed of the continual practises of the fierye Iebusites and massepriestes agaynste the state will like of their vnreasonable requestes and no man can take them to bee wise that charge their iudges with praeiudice before hearing but to say or signify that nothing can satisfie the state but the blood and vtter beggary of Catholikes or rather papists is plaine villany and not to be proued againste any gouernor of this state No they desire their reformation and not their destruction or hinderance and much it were to be wished that Percy and other papists had been no more malitiously affected to vs thē we to them Alledging reasons for the publishing of this treatise he disputeth like a wilde man running far beyond his witte reason firste hee saieth that the publishing of this Apology cannot but tend much to his maiesties honor and more to his satisfaction and security as if those did honoure him that charge him with breach of promise note him with the stain of heresy hatred to catholike religiō as the petitioners do Further what security and satisfaction can those yeelde his maiesty that esteeme neither othes nor bonds when the pope contremandeth them but did they meane to keepe both yet prinate mens bonds are no security for such a king kingdom They talke J confesse of loue and deuotion to the king But it appeared but little by the practise of Brooke Clerke and VVatson first les lately by the treason of Percy Catesbie and Faux who of meer loue sought to blow vp the king
they seek for true pastors indeede why do they forsake the bishops and preests of the Church of England which indeed haue both the calling and exequute the function of true Bishops and pastors and runne after these wolues murdrers and deuourers of Christ's sheepe Fiftly they offer to answere person for person and life for life for the fidelity of theire preests to his maiesty and the state But what if the preests absolue traitors and perswade them to rebellion where shall the state seecke either for the parties or sureties And what shall it auaile to sue the bonds Agayne what a ridiculous conceite is this to thinke that the bonds of euery two or three base compagnions will be sufficient to secure either the life of so greate a king or the peace and state of so greate a kingdome against men already found perfidious Thirdly it will be a question whether if such a matter were to be performed euery pild crowned preest could procure such hostages and bondes as are offered it may be some good old Ladyes and recusant Cuckowes would offer any bond for their darlinges But the wiser sort J thinke woulde neuer put their liues in hazard vpon the massepreests promises who if the pope command them to doe an exployt for their holy mother the mother of fornications regard neither promise nor oath Finally it may be a question whether any such bonds are good in lawe and percase these good fellowes knowing them to be nought are the bolder to offer them thinking to gull the worlde with theire greate offers Fiftly comming to the poynt of their pretended submission they playnely refuse to submitte themselues offring rather articles of a capitulation betwixt the King and them then any forme of true subiection or submission for firste they say they will acknowledge his maiesty to bee their lawfull King and souerein Lord and will defend his maiesties heires and successors righte And for this his maiesty is much beholding to them But we must vnderstand howe this offer is made vpon condition if they may haue theire masse and theire Masse preests if they may not haue theire requests then they neither submit themselues nor offer any thing Further they acknowledge more then by the doctrine of popery they can make good For by the chapter v. nam sanctam extr de maior obed all kings are declared to be subiect to the pope They do also deny the kings authority in Ecclesiasticall causes and offer many preiudices to the Kings righte both ouer the Clergy and others and acknowledge him no further to be their lawfull king then it shall please the Pope who hath power to excommunicate him and depose him as they say Lastly where they speake of the Kings successors right they forget to mention the kings righte But what should wee stand vpon future coniectures when the treasons of Watson Clerk Garnet Hamond and the rest haue plainely declared them to bee the kinges enemyes Secondly they promise to reueale and to theire powers to withstand and preuent any conspiracy or treason agaynst the King and his heires and to defend the realm against forrein inuasions But miserable were the King and state if they shold depend vpon their reuelations and withstandings of treasonable attempts and invasions that are sworne to the pope depend vpon forrein enemies Former practises and experience sheweth that their words and promises are but snares to catch such as trust them of late they smothered the treason of Percy and Catesby as much as they could soughte by all meanes to haue their country set on a flame They acknowledge to his maiesty what is due by the word of god or hath been vsed by any of their sect but of the word of god they make the Pope supreme iudge and vse to deny obedience to Kings excommunicate by him nay to Kings not excommunicate in ecclesiasticall causes what they meane to performe it appeareth by Watsons and Percies treasons Lastly they say they will performe this by protestation or oath and offer the like for their preestes But what are oathes and promises when they say the pope can dispense with oathes and teach that faith is not to bee performed to hereticks in which rank these superstitious ministers of antichriste place all true Christians Furthermore it may bee doubted whether these felllowes can bring the stiffe necked massepreests to take these oaths if they cā yet shal they neuer make them to keepe them doth it not then appeare that these conning fellowes goe about to ensnare playne dealing men with their false othes and feigned protestations the examples of Iohn Husse of the professors of religion in Frāce and Flanders that haue bene often massacred when they relyed vpon the othes and promises of the Popes adherents doe assure vs of it and Garnets treasons may bee a caueat for vs. Wherefor seeing these proud suppliants confesse themselues but halfe subiects and are much lesse then halfe when the pope commandeth them whose they are body and soule seeing they always cut away halfe the kings authority and sometymes all and endeuoure to bring vpon his maiestye and his subiects not only a false idolatrous hereticall and impious religion but also a most greeuous yoke of the popes tyrannicall gouernement from which this land hath by the grace of god and prowesse of his maiestyes noble ancesters been most happily freed and deliuered and seeing they haue alledged nothing which might eyther iustify their abusiue false religion or cleare themselues from the common imputations of the disloyalty of the popes adherents or assure the king and state against the trecherous plots and practises of rinegued English sacrificers Iebusites and other theire associates euer suspected now lately plainely detected in Percies treasō to be sworn slaues of Antichrist professed enemyes to the king I doubt not but his maiesty the state wil take a cours with these bold importune petitioners assure the church and realme both against their corruptions in doctrine and attempts in the affaires of Policy and that in the meane while as all Christians abhorre theire antichristian doctrine and dangerous practises so they will concurre in repressing and extinguishing the causes of them This al christians ought to performe and these especially that haue eminent places both in church and common wealth VVhat then should I need to exhort them to performe that which belongeth to their duty as they doe well knowe and which both god requireth and all true christians expect at theire handes Chap. 22. A censure vpon certain letters of the banished masse preests sent back to the lords of his maiesties councell anno 1604 and annexed to the former petition IT is an old saying all is lost that is bestowed on men vngratefull and may well bee verified by the fact of certein massepreests who hauing well deserued death if the lawes of the land had been exequuted against them were graeiously pardoned by his maiesty only
Clerk Brooke Percy Garnet and their confederates hearty affection we beare to your Maiestie and the commonwealth of your Potent Monarchie deserueth It is not our meaning most mightie Monarch being meerly lay men that make no profession of lettres to examine 4 They thinke to slubber matter ouer vvith out examination curiously and contentiously all that our aduersaries haue thundred of late against vs or to dispute with them in mood figure which combate we leaue to the diuines of both parts when your Maiesty shall thinke good thereof but with due respect to giue your Grace an accounte and reason of our beleefe and religion and a full and ample securitie and satisfaction of our fidelities and submission The answere to the first and second Chapter THus we see the causes of their silence and of theire speakeinge but wee cannot see that they are either true or sufficient the first reasons pretended for their silence are these as they tel vs. the coÌ„fidence of a good cause the testimony of an incorrupt conscience the memory of their coÌ„staÌ„t continuall affection to the vndoubted righte and title in remainder of the king to the crowne of England their zeale and promptitude shewed in his maiesties righte and pretention as they call it to the crown of EnglaÌ„d theyr forwardnesse in proclaiming his maiesty King of England and their generall ioy and applause at his maiesties enterance into the realme and for these reasons they say they haue in profound silence expected for some benigne remedy and redresse of their most greeuous calamities and afflictions But first what absurde fellows are these to talke of silence hauing of late time published so manye discourses libells rimes and pamphlets both in defence of themselues and in disgrace of others and presented so many petitions both to his maiesty and to all that could helpe them or were likely to fauour them Secondly if the Massepreestes and theire associates had a conscience so incorrupte as they pretend and such confidence in their cause as they boast why doe they fly the light and hide themselues in corners againe why doe they not make the goodnes of theire cause appeare and particulerly clear themselues of those hereticall and treacherous doctrins wherewith they stand charged they shew themselues most shamelesse when they defend the popes clayme in deposing kings and translating kingdomes and adhere vnto him as his sclaues and maynteine grosse idolatries and absurd nouel tyes to talke either of a good cause or of a good conscience Thirdly if they indeede had fauoured the kings vndoubted righte then woulde they not haue called it pretention nor put him in remainder as heere they doe Nor would so many of them haue fauoured Parsons and Coluill that haue oppugned the kings title in bookes published to the worlde nor haue receiued pensions and interteined intelligeÌ„ce with other clay mers and pretenders Fourthly those which fauored the Iebusites and spaniardes and pope did not then much applaude when either his maiesty was proclaimed king of England or firste entred into the realme But when they sawe the states forwardnes then whatsoeuer heauinesse lay at their hartes they were forced to set on the best face they cold and to do as others did though with smal alacrity as the deiected countenances heauy sighes and sobre cheare of diuers of them did declare Knowing the king to be of a religioÌ„ aduerse to the Pope by the rules of the Popes decretales which they regard as much as the holy scriptures they might not fauoure him nor consort with him if they had beene able to resist Lastly most vniustly they charge the state as oppressing the papists with greâ—uous calamities and afflictions whereas their consorts in Spaine and Italy with all cruelty spoyle and murder our brethren and the state doth only punish recusancy with pecuniary mulctes and very rarely and of few and of late tyme hath begun to exact them But had these fellowes so good a cause and conscience as they pretend yet should the same rather mooue theÌ„ to speak then to keepe silence For who is not bolld to speake in a good cause to mention the kings mother or the conspiracy of Gray and Cob ham they shold say of Clerk and Watson the principall contriuers of that plot they had no reason being the causes of her destruction drawing her indirectly into theire intricate practises most dangerous to her person and that conspiracy proceeding onely from the inuention practise of Papists The next causes of their silence were as they say the promises made by his maiestie both in publique and priuate the courteous vsage of certain recusants at Hampton courte and his maiesties speech the firste day of the parliament But these are matter that rather mighte moue them to open theire mouths and to giue thankes to his Maiesty for his vndeserued fauors then either to suppresse his prayses in silence or to mutinously to mutter and to vtter wordes of discontentment as if they had bene dealt withall hardlie and vniustly Furthermore they do bewray their vngracious and crooked nature that seeme to charge the king with breach of promise and alteration of his courses who promised more then they deserued and performed all that hee promised and altered not his course of Clemency though forced thereto necessarily by alteration of theyr lewde course and their agents importunity For his promises at Hampton courte which are principally vrged this I answere that in that place neither was any toleration of religion demanded nor any such matter promised nay the cause of the repaire of diuers recusants thither was the suspition conceiued of them as if they were guilty of the preests treason and not any new motion for toleration Thereuppon they prayed his maiesty to haue a good opinion of them being guilty of no other crime as they sayd theÌ„ recusaÌ„cy And he like a most gracious king father of his people answered that the same shoulde be no conuiction if other wise they d emeaned themselues loyally Had they beene as dutifull as his maiesty was benigne and gracious they woulde not haue entred into those plots and rebellions which some did afterward That his maiesty did neuer promise any toleration of popery at any other time a noble Counsellor did assure all that were present when Digby vpon occasion did mention and vrge the same at his arreignement His Maiesty saide hee as well before his comming to the crowne as at the very tyme and alwayes sence was so farre from making a promise or giuing hope of toleration that he professed he shoulde not endure the very motion there of by any whatsoeuer For his clement courses against recusaÌ„ts euil deseruing papists I need not say much the same being notorious to the world only J wish that this generatioÌ„ wold not abuse his clemeÌ„ cy but seeke to bee thaÌ„kful for his former fauors theÌ„ prouoke his iustice by their coÌ„tinued il carriage misdemenors secret plottings The
exiled for that the state cold not otherwise be well secured against their plots and practises and yet are so farre from rendring thankes for any fauour that they expostulate with his maiestyes councell as doing them wrong and in effect protest they will not submitte themselues to his maiestyes order Nay it is apparent that they resolued to return to continue their former treasons as may be collected by the examinations of the actors in Percyes treason and rebellion THE COPIE OF THE BANISHED Priestes Letter to the Lords of his Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell To the right a VVhy is this petitio directed to the Lords is the king no body with these mē Honourable our very good Lordes the Lords of his Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell RIGHT Honourable As we haue suffered for 1 Not so but for Antichrist and his damned practises and pretences Christ his sake and the profession of the true Catholike religion which he 2 Men plant vvith hands not vvith bloud but these priests of Baal tread vpon Christs blud root vp the Church by him planted planted with his pretious bloud many years imprisonment and 3 Those that liued at Wisbich in prison fared like Lords and fatted thēselues like proks other massepriests abroad vvere either chāberlaines to their hostesses or Maggiordōs to their hostes wāting nothing that they could vvish And this against the Iebusitical faction may be proued out of Watsōs quodlibets depriuation of all worldly comforts and commodities so do we with the like patience and humilitie endure this hard heauy 4 For those that by lavvs deserue death this is extraordinary fauor sentence of exile which is a certaine kind of ciuill death or rather a languishing and continuall dying especially to them that haue the honour and safety of their prince and Country in that recommendation as we 5 Thē neuer haue they had their prince and country in recōmendation seeking to make both subiect to the pope his abhominable heresie nay to destroy both as appeared by the late gunpovvder treason euer both haue had and haue Notwithstanding least it might be imputed vnto vs here after that this banishment was rather an extraordinary fauour and grace then an vndeserued 6 This thanks the Lords ar to look for at the hāds of the priests of Baal punishment or penalty we thought it our dutie to let your Honors vnderstand that as we are 7 VVhy then do ye murmure content with patience and humility to suffer and support whatsoeuer you should impose vpon vs for our 8 For your trecherous practises and combinations Religion so are we bound with all to make protestation of our innocencie according to that of S. Peter 9 But you suffer contrary to these vvords of Peter for railing libelling practifing against the state Nemo vestrum patiatur vt sur ant latro an t maledicus aut alienorum appetitor si autem vt Christianus non erubescat glorificet autem Deum in isto nomine May it please your Lordships therfore to vnderstand that the quality and condition of those that are comprehended vnder the selfe same sentence of banishment is very different and considerable both in honour and 10 What do these base conscienceles svvads talk of honor conscience that hane no other foundation of their actions but the popes vvil conscience among the which some there are that came voluntarily into prison vpon a proclamation set out by your Lordships in the late Queens daies and name with assurance of fauor vpon such their submission som came neither voluntarily into the prison nor into the Realme and therefore not subiect to any censure and all of them haue bin euer most 1 Such faithfull seruants and vvelvvillers vvere Clerke Watson and Brook executed not lōgsince at Winchester and Digbie Grant Faux and others executed in Pauls Churchyard at Westminster but nether for their faithfull seruice nor their affectiō to his Maiesly faithfull seruants affectionate well-willers of his Maiesty and haue to shew vnder the great Seale of England his Maiesties gratious generall pardon by which they are restored vnto the peace of his Maiesty place of 2 This shevveth that their conscience accused them of trechery disloially before true subiects since which time they haue committed nothing against his Maiesties quiet Crown and dignity as being euer since in 3 As if prisoners might not be disleall and trecherous captiuity and therfore in the rigor extremities of those lawes which in their best sence nature were euer held both 4 Most gentle if they be cōpared vvith the lavves of the Spanish inquisition or the popes bloudy decretales extreame and rigorous cannot be punished by any form or course of law with so seuere a correction as aqua igne interdici to be depriued of the benefit of the common Ayr and elements of our most naturall and dear 5 VVhen you sold it to forrein enimies you made it deare both to them and your selues country Yet sithence it is your Lordships pleasure we should be transported we are 6 This is the patience of Lombards not of saints content in signe of obedience cōformity to that we see is your order for this time to forbear the Realm for a while to absent our selues reputing our selues notwithstanding as men free from all danger or penalty of lawes and neither by this fact of banishment nor by any other act of our necessarie retourne into 7 If this be your country vvhy did you abandon it take your self to the seruice of Italians Spaniards our country hereafter in worse estate then your Lordships found vs in the prison when your Lordships warrant cam for the carying vs out of the Realme And so hoping your Honours will conceiue of vs as of men that haue the feare grace of God before our eies and the sincere loue of our 8 For pure loue they their consorts an 1588. sought to cut their countrimens throats and to bring their prince and country into the hāds of strāgers for like causes sought Percy to blovv vp the parliament house Prince and country in our harts and dutifull reuerence and respect to your Lordshippes in all actions we humbly beseech your honors that if we happen for want of health or other helpes necessarie for our reliefe to 9 Hauing bin in Italy they shold know the penally of banishedmē returning vvith out pardō or licēce retourne hereafter into the Realme this banishment may not any waie aggrauate our case or make vs les capable of fauor grace then we were the xxj of September when your Lordships order came to remoue vs frō post to 10 You shold haue bin left at Tiburn post neuer haue bin suffered to return to the pope Cardinals vvhich you count pillers but that you haue encoūtred vvith