per Tho. White Mayor of Waterford These two Letters you may see in the honourable a Pacata Hibernla lib. 2. cap. 3. pag. 142 143 144 145. Sir George Carew afterwards Earl of Totnes but with some mistakes by the Printer wherefore I have followed the Authentick Manuscript Copies whence he took his And thus much for the troubles in Ireland till we come to the next Century Though here it may not be amiss to add that several of the Irish Nobility either by the Queens or their own instigations conveyed themselves over to be Instructed in our English Universities as M S. Matriculâ— Antiqua Univers Oxon. Richard Bourke Baron of Dunkellyn studies at Christ-Church after this his Brother Thomas Baron of Dunkellyn at Magdalen Colledge Bernard Orwoirk a Knights son of Conaught at New-Colledge and Thadeus Bryan an Earls son at Lincolne Colledge in Oxford and in Cambridge I finde the Lord b Sir George Paule's life of Archbishop Whitgift p. 17. § 35. Dunboy's son at Trinity Colledge under the Tuition of the then Dr Whitgift afterwards the careful and worthy Archbishop of Canterbury So at the beginning of King James his Raign Henry O Brian Baron of Bryken and his younger Brother Brian O Brian entred themselves together in Brazen-Nose Colledge in Oxford Thus was the Kingdom of Ireland by the well bringing up of their Nobility designed to be well civiliz'd that they might the more appear like men and Christians which would the better oblige them to their Queen and her Government This makes it convenient to nurture up your very Enemies the better to reclaim them in Religion Learning and Morality But Sir John Perot was out in his Politicks when he taught the Irish the use of Arms whereby they afterwards became more formidable to the English and put them to far greater troubles and straits to reduce them to obedience The end of the Sixth Book A CONTINUATION OF THE REBELLIONS AND Treasonablepractices OF THE ROMANISTS IN ENGLAND From the year MD to MDC BOOK VII CHAP. I. The Supreme HEAD of the Church King Henry VIII declared deprived of his Dominions BEing now come to England here we might finde matter year 1500 enough of the Papal malice to make up a large Volume but herein we must studie brevity and in so doing leave the particular Relation of Fights and Tumults to other Writers But first a word by the by concerning Henry VIII who procured to himself a great deal of ill will by declaring himself an absolute King over all his Subjects by being Supreme Head under Christ both of Church and State within his Dominions At this many of his Subjects boyl and grew scrupulous would finde many faults which were neither made nor intended and so cry down what was never set up Queen Elizabeth willing to give them content left out the word Head which was the main word they started at and was call'd the a 1 Elizabethae cap 1. Supream Governour of this Realm and of all other her Highness Dominions and Countries as well in Spiritual or Ecclesiastical things or causes as Temporal And in the form for Bidding Prayers thus b Q Elâ—z â—â—â—â—nctions anno 155â— Supreme Governour of this Realm as well in Causes Ecclesiastical as Temporal At this the Romanists not onely took exceptions but falsely spread abroad that by this Title the Kings or Queens of England took upon them to be in c Adeâ— quidâ—m 〈…〉 in administran lis Sacramentis sacerdotalem potestatem arrogari Sanders de 〈…〉 vâ—d pag. 316 317. Insoâ—uch as if He i. e the King pleaseth he 〈…〉 personaâ—ly Râ—flâ—ctions upon the Oaths of Supremacie and Allegiâ—â—â— â—wâ—g 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy Orders might adminâ—ster the Sacraments and had Sacerdotal Qualifications and Authority To take away this Rub and the better to satisfie the people the Qâ—â—â—n and her Convocation published this following Interprâ—â—â—â—ion An Admonition to simple men deceived by Malitious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Majesty being informed that in certain places of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sundry of her Native Subjects being callâ—d Ec 〈…〉 Miniâ—try of the Church be by sinister perswasion and 〈…〉 induced to finde some scruple in the form of 〈…〉 by an Act of the last Parliament is prescribed to be 〈…〉 persons for the Recognition of their Allegiance 〈…〉 which certainly never was ever meant nor by any 〈…〉 or good sence can be thereof gathered would that 〈…〉 subjâ—cts should understand that nothing was is or 〈…〉 meant or intended by the same Oath to have any other Du 〈…〉 or Bond required by the same Oath then was ackâ—â—wâ—â—â—ged to be due to the most Noble Kings of famous memorie 〈…〉 the VIII her Majesties Father or King Edward the 〈…〉 Brother 〈…〉 her Majestie forbiddeth all manner her Subjects to 〈…〉 credit to such perverse and malicious persons which 〈…〉 maliciousâ—ie labour to notifie to her loving Sub 〈…〉 of the said Oath it may be collected that the 〈…〉 of this Realm Possessors of the Crown may 〈…〉 and Power of Ministrie of Divine Service in 〈…〉 her said Subjects be much abused by such evil 〈…〉 〈…〉 her Majestie neither doth nor ever will châ—llenge 〈…〉 theâ— that was challenged and latelie used by the 〈…〉 Kings of famous Memorie King Henry the VIII and 〈…〉 VI which is and was of ancient time due to 〈…〉 of this Ream that is under God to have the 〈…〉 Rule over all manner of persons born within 〈…〉 â—ominions and Countries of what Estate ei 〈…〉 Temporal soever they be so as no other Forraign Power shall or ought to have any Superioritie over them And if any person that hath conceived any other sence of the form of the said Oath shall accept the same Oath with this Interpretation sence or meaning her Majestie is well pleased to accept everie such in that behalf as her good and obedient Subjects and shall acquit them of all manner of Penalties contained in the said Act against such as shall peremptorilie or obstinatelie take the same Oath And as if this were not authentick enough she took care that this interpretation of hers should be confirm'd by Act of Parliament in this following Proviso Provided also that the Oath expressed in the said Act made in V Elizabetha cap. 1. the said first year shall be taken and expounded in such form as is set forth in an Admonition annexed to the Queens Majesties Injunctions published in the first year of her Majesties Reign that is to say to confess and acknowledge in her Majestie her Heirs and Successors none other Authoritie then that was challenged and lately used by the Noble King Henry the eighth and King Edward the Sixth as in the said Admonition more plainly may appear And as if this were not satisfactory she provided to have the Interpretation of this Oath thus inserted amongst our Articles of Religion thereby the better to demonstrate how far we are from giving any Priestly Function to our Soveraigns XXXVII Of the Civil
not de jure to wit whether the Pope might justly in this or that occasion excommunicate or depose this or that Prince upon these or these causes or whether precedent Popes have done well therein or no then might some of those reasons which you say your Friends do alledge be admitted into consideration to wit whether it would be in aedificationem or destructionem do hurt or good be profitable or improfitable or whether the causes be sufficient or no for without cause none holdeth that the Pope may depose or whether the due form of admonition touched in your Letters were observed But for as much as the Question is de Potestate of the See Apostolick power what it may do upon any cause or against any Catholick Prince whatsoever these considerations of temporal hurt cannot enter Besides these I have conferred the matter with Cardinal Bellarmine and sundry others of great Learning and Conscience and all are of Opinion in this case that the form of the Oath as it lyeth is Heretical and no way may be admitted by him that will not deny the Catholick Faith I have had occasion twice to speak with his Holiness the first in company of Mr. Thomas Fitzherbert where we proposed certain manners of Mitigation suggested by Friends c. Where to his Holiness answered That as for any actual using Censures against his Majesty he meant not but rather all courtesie but as for the Authority of the See Apostolick to wit for using of Censures he was resolved and would rather loose his head than yeild one jot The second he being informed that some Priests did seem to incline to the taking of the Oath he answered He could not hold them for Catholicks c. What an enemy this Parsons was to his Native Country we may discourse of hereafter onely at this time we shall go no farther than what belongs to the Popes power now in hand yet we may observe by the by that whatever he writ he never put his own name to it but sometimes false ones and sometimes onely two Letters which he commonly alter'd in every new Pamphlet stuft up onely with evasions resolved to let the Romanists know what he meant but would never acknowledge any thing to be proved against him yet an indifferent Judge will acknowledge his hints to be bold enough In one place thus he tells the Learned Morton You know that deposition of Princes is an effect of Excommunication P. R. Quiet and sober reckoning pag. 64. and can never happen by Ecclesiastical Authority but where Excommunication hath gone before And I would ask M. Morton in good earnest out of his Divinty when a Christian Prince is lawfully excommunicated and shut out from all society of Christian Communion and he persists Impenitent how can he be head of a Christian Common-wealth for so much as he is no member nor hath any place or part at all in the whole body the head-ship being the chief part of all others In another place he telleth thus his own Principles from his learned Opponent Catholick Subjects do believe that in some cases there is power Id. Pag. 80. left by God in the Church and the Head thereof the Bishop of Rome over Princes to use not onely spiritual Censures for restraint of Exorbitant Excesses but Temporal Remedies also either directly or indirectly when urgent necessity of the Common-wealth should require All Catholick Subjects also of other Countries do hold and acknowledge Id. Pag. 81. this Doctrine In another of his Books against the foresaid Oath of Allegiance to the objection that some Roman Catholicks had taken it he thus answereth The judgement of a Catholick English-man in a Letter touching the Oath of Allegiance p. 18. § 30. I cannot but in charity assure my self that they being Catholicks took the said Oath for so much as concerneth the Popes Authority in dealing with Temporal Princes in some such lawful sence and interpretation as being by them expressed and accepted by the Magistrate may stand with the integrity and sincerity of true Catholick Doctrine and Faith to wit that the Pope hath not Authority without just cause to proceed against them But concerning the general Question to deny simply and absolutely Ib. Pag. 19. § 31. That the Pope is Supream Pastor of the Catholick Church hath any Authority left him by Christ either directly or indirectly with cause or without cause in never so great a necessity of the Christian Religion to proceed against any Prince whatsoever Temporally for his restraint or amendment or to permit other Princes to do the same This I suppose was never their meaning that took the Oath for that they should thereby contradict the general consent of all Catholick Divines and confess that Gods Providence for the Conservation and Preservation of his Church and Kingdom upon earth had been defectuous for that he should have left no lawful Remedy for so great and excessive an evil as that way might fall out And if you look but a little a Id. P. 85. § 25. farther you will see where the Shoe pincheth and that to deny the Popes power to depose Kings is one of the main reasons they have against this Oath the Affirmative being one of the greatest Pillars that upholds their puissant Hierarchy right or wrong And in another of his b Temperate Ward-word p. 53 54. Pamphlets you will see him close with Cardinal Allen Sanders and suchlike against Princes in behalf of the Popes power over them Nor need we question his attributing this Authority to the See of Rome when he alloweth the same to the People not onely telling them that they may Rebel against c See his R. Dolemans conference about the Crown but depose their King too and it may be worse of which in its due place But enough of Robert Parsons at this time unless he were better And if we consult some others abroad we shall finde d Con. in 2. 2. D. Tho. pag. 63. § 151. Johannes Wiggers e Com. in 2. 2. Aquin. Quest 12. art 2. Hieronymus de Medicis the Dominican f In 2. 2. D. Tho. in Summario Conclusionum d. 57. conclus 2. Luisus Turrianus the Spanish Jesuit g Com. in 2. 2. Quest 1. art 10. disp 8. Johannes Malderus Bishop of Antwerp and h De potestate Ecclesiastica fol. 154. Potest Papa jure optimo à gradu dignitate sua omnem Regem Principem dejicere non solum propter Heresim Schisma propter quam vis aliam sceleâ—osam impietatem verum etiam propter secordiam negligentiam ad regendum ineptitudinem si praesertim ejusmodi sit ut Regnum periclitetur Christianorum Johannes Antonius Delphinus allow that Kings may justly be deposed and that by the Pope and to these we may add Carolus Scribanius the Dutch Jesuit under the false name of i Amphitheatrum Honoris lib. 1. cap. 12. Clarus Bonarscius
and dated his Letters from the year of his Popedom And now I talk of datings I might speak here of Philip the First of France of his Excommunication An. 1100. and how some would thence conclude that he was thereby deprived from his Kingdom and bring for a proof some datings not with the Raign of the King but the year and Rule of Christ under this form Regnante Christo But seeing c Hist de France tom 2. p. 89. § 5. Scipion Dupleix slights it as of no validity and that vastly read David Blondellus hath in a particular large a De formulae Regnante Christo usu Treatise shewn its mistake and that such Forms have been many times used when no Excommunication or Censure obliged it I shall not trouble the Reader nor my self any farther with it CHAP. III. 1. The Kings of England denyed the Popes Coercive Authority over them or their Dominions 2. The troubles of England by the arrogancie and obstinacie of Thomas à Becket against his Soveraign King Henry the Second Sect. 1. The Kings of England denyed the Popes Coercive Authority over them or their Dominions HAving now seen in part how the greatest Emperours have been tost about by the Popes it will not be amiss to hint at their indeavours to reduce England to the slavery of their humours and what may we not expect from their pretended grand Spiritual jurisdiction when we shall see an Archbishop and a born Subject too bandy against his Soveraign Henry the Second which story is here related As for England the Pope would be Lord over it as well as other Nations nor did his Religion any way advance the Obedience and Allegiance of Subjects For though one Pope had approved of King William the First his Conquest by sending him a b Speed book 9. c. 2. § 2. consecrated Banner an Agnus Dei and one of St. Peters Hairs in way of his good speed Yet the next Pope viz. Gregory the Seventh demands fealty from him as may appear by the Kings Dr. Geo Hakewell's Answ to Dr. Cariers Letter pag. 141. Answer in Sir Robert Cottons Library Hubertus Legatus tuus Religiose Pater ad me veniens ex tua parte me admonuit quatenus tibi successoribus tuis fidelitatem facerem de pecunia quem Antecessores mei ad Romanam Ecclesiam mittere solebant melius cogitarem unum admisi alterum non admisi fidelitatem facere nolui nec volo quia nec ego promisi nec Antecessores meos Antecessoribus tuis id fecisse comperio Hubert your Legat Holy Father coming unto me advertised me as from you that I was to do fealty to you and your Successors and that I should bethink my self better of the Money which my Predecessors were wont to send the Church of Rome the one I admitted the other I admitted not The fealty I would not perform neither will I because neither my self promised it nor do I finde that my Predecessors performed it to yours Upon which refusal some suppose Gregory returned that furious and uncivil Letter seen amongst his other a Lib. 7. Ep. 1. Epistles to his said Legat Hubert in which he accused the King of Impudence and that he had done more against the Church than all the b Nemo omnium Regni etiam Paganorum contra Apostolicam sedem hoc praesumpsit centare quod is non eâ—ubuâ—â— facere Ib. Pagan Kings themselves had offer'd Nor did his Son King Henry the First acknowledge any subjection to the See of Rome for though Pope Paschal the Second expected it and accordingly thus wrote to him to put him in minde of it Paschalis servus servorum Dei dilecto filio Henrico illustri Anglorum Regi salutem Apostolicam Benedictionem Cum de manu Domini largius honorem divitias pacemque susceperis miramur vehementius gravamur quod in Regno potestateque tua Beatus Petrus in B. Petro Dominus honorem suum justitiamque perdiderit Sedis enim Apostolica Nuntii vel literae praeter jussum Regiae Majestatis nullam in potestate tua susceptionem vel aditum promerentur nullus inde clamor nullum inde judicium ad sedem Apostolicam destinatur Paschal the servant of servants of God to our beloved Son Henry the renowned King of England health and Apostolical Benediction Since you have plentifully received Honour Riches and Peace from the hand of the Lord We exceedingly wonder and take it in ill part that in your Kingdom and under your Government St. Peter and in St. Peter the Lord hath lost his Honour and Right in as much as the Nuntio's and Breves of the See Apostolick are not thought worthy entertainment or admittance into your Dominions without your Majesties Warrant No Complaint now no Appeal comes from thence to the Apostolick See To which King Henry the First after some terms of Complement replies in this manner Eos Honores eam Obedientiam quam tempore Patris mei Antecessores vestri in Regno Anglia habuerunt tempore meo ut habeatis volo eo videlicet tenore ut dignitates usus consuetudines quas Pater meus tempore Antecessorum vestorum in Regno Angliae Ego tempore vestro in eodem Regno meo integre obteneam Notumque habeat Sanctitas vestra quod me vivente Deo auxiliante Dignitates usus Regni Angliae non minuentur Et si Ego quod absit in tanta me dejectione ponerem Optimates mei imo totius Angliae populus id nullo modo pataretur Habita igitur Charissime Pater utiliori deliberatione ita se erga nos moderetur benignitas vestra ne quod invitus faciam à vestra me cogatis recedere obedientia That Honour and Obedience which your Predecessors had in the Kingdom of England during the raign of my Father my will is that you should have in my time with this condition That my self fully and wholly enjoy all the Dignities Prerogatives and Customs which my Father enjoy'd in the said Kingdom in the time of your Predecessors And I would that your Holiness should understand that during my life the Dignities and Prerogatives of the Crown of England by Gods Grace shall not be diminished And if I should so far debase my self which God forbid my Lords and Commons would by no means indure it Wherefore most dear Father upon better advice let your gentleness be so tempered towards us that I be not inforced which I should unwillingly do to withdraw my self from your obedience But to save my self trouble I shall refer the Reader to Sir a Rep. part 5. Edward Coke and Mr. b Hist of the the Popes intolerable Usurpations Prynne where he may abundantly satisfie himself that the Kings of England not onely slighted the Papal Coercive Power but all along exercised Authority in and over Ecclesiastical Causes Though the Pope made it his business to trample upon all Temporal Jurisdiction and make it a meer
of the Bishops Court of Chancery at the request of the Chancellor the See being vacant And farther had earnestly endeavoured to seduce a young Gentlewoman his Cozin using many solicitations to her both in publick and in the Church but not gaining his desires according to a common kind of Revenge and Affront in Italy he filthily bewray'd her door portal and the ring thereof and did her some other wrongs The young Gentlewoman upon advice puts in her Complaint to the Senate at Venice whereupon the Canon is Cited and Imprisoned Of this the Pope is informed who cryeth out that the Liberties of the Church are violated that he will not permit Ecclesiasticks in any Case to be judged by Lay-men that Satisfaction is to be given and the Canon releas'd The Venetians return That their Republick is free that they have the same autority with other Princes so can take cognisance of the Crimes of their own Subjects within their own Dominions and punish them according to the falt Whilst this is convasing happens another accident The Count Brandelino Valdemarino Abbot of Nervese being guilty of many Exorbitant Crimes as Cruel Tyranny over his Neighbours by taking up their goods at what small price he pleas'd Committing many Rapes and Impurities upon all sorts of Women Accused of Sorcery and dealing in Magick Practising many abominable murthers by poyson whereby he destroy'd his Brother and his Servant and indanger'd his own Father That he had for a long time lain with his Sister and poysoned her Maid lest she should discover it That he had caus'd his Enemy to be kil'd and then poyson'd the murtherer lest he might accuse him and other such like Villanies For these and such other crimes the Abbot is by Order of the Senate Imprison'd At this the Pope also takes offence denying the Temporal Authority over Priests that the Church can only take cognisance of them be their falts never so great or notorious And in this humour layeth a Quarrel against the Venetians unless they will satisfie him in these three things I. That they null the Decree concerning the building of any more Churches II. That they also null and void the other Decree touching the giving of lands to Ecclesiasticks III. That the Abbot and the Canon be releas'd and delivered up to his Nuntio A great deal of do there was on both sides but the Pope peremptorily informed the Senate that at first he would send an Exhortory Breve to them and if he were not obey'd by such a time he would proceed farther having power over all could deprive Kings and to this end had Legions of Angels for his aid and assistance And accordingly he sent two Breves The Nuntio delivers them to the Senate but they were not open'd because Marini Grimani the Duke was then on his Death-bed and dyed the next morning The Pope upon notice of this orders his Nuntio to protest unto the State against any new Election as in it self to be void by being made by men excommunicated Thinking by this Trick to bring a Confusion amongst them The Nuntio to execute this Command with great importunity desired Audience of the State but it was not granted him it being not their Custom to admit any during the Vacancy unless their business be only of Condoling Duke Grimani being buryed for till the former Duke be under year 1606 ground they cannot go to the choice of another they fell to their Ballotation or Lots and the Election fell upon Leonardo Donato Having thus got another Doge or Duke they open the Breves which they found to be one and the same in Tenor which the Pope said was through the Nuncio's mistake in delivering two of the same instead of two different ones The Pope ranted fairly against their Decrees about Churches and Ecclesiasticks affirming that These Ordinances tended to the Damnation of Souls to publick scandal were of themselves void and of no value and no man obliged to observe them That they who had made these Statutes or any like or who did further them had incur'd Ecclesiastical Censures had deprived themselves of such lands as they held of the Church and their Estates and demains were subject to other penalties that they could not be absolved unless they revoked the Decrees So he admonish'd the Republick to consider the Danger whereinto they had cast their souls to seek a Remedy and commanded them under pain of Excommunication to null the said Orders That otherwise he would proceed farther considering the account he was to give to God at the Day of judgment and that he could not dissemble when he saw the Ecclesiastical Authority so abused The Venetians answer'd all warily and wisely but yeilded not a jot of their Authority At which the Pope was incensed saying they were Tyrants and different from their Ancestors being resolved though he should lose his skin yet he would maintain the cause of God of his own Reputation And so orders his Nuntio to give the other Breve which through mistake as he said he had not formerly presented The Nuntio obeys and the Senate opening it found it to concern the Imprisonment of the Abbot and Canon which the Breve said was Contrary to the Holy Canons and to Ecclesiastical Liberty which were grounded on divine Ordinance so commanded under pain of Excommunication that the Canon and Abbot should speedily be delivered to his Nuntio and that if in the mean time the secular power had proceeded to any acts or sentence of Condemnation or Execution he did null them and declare them void Threatning if he were not speedily obey'd he would proceed farther The Senate vindicated themselves by an Answer but nothing satisfactory to the Pope who told their Ambassador that the Exemption of Ecclesiasticks was de jure divino and that his cause was the cause of God that he would not depart any thing from his Resolution and he would be obeyed And thus resolved calls a Consistory where were present XLI Cardinals who agree with the Pope so a Breve of Excommunication or Interdict is drawn up printed and publish'd against the Duke Senate and the Republick It contain'd That the Venetians had lately made some Decrees contrary to the Authority of the Apostolical See the Ecclesiastical Liberty General Councels Sacred Canons and the Constitutions of the Pope For proof of which he instanced their Decrees concerning Churches and the Clergy with the Imprisonment of the Abbot and Canon That these Actions tended to the danger of the Souls both of Duke and Senate and the scandal of others That the Law-makers incurr'd the Censures of the Church the forfeiture of what they had could not be absolved but by the Pope and the nulling of the Decrees That though the Decrees were void of themselves yet the Pope did hereby null them according to the Example of his Predecessors That he doth hereby Excommunicate the Duke Senate and their Partakers if within XXIV days they do not null the Decrees rase them