in die Coenae Domini solita est legi ac eis pro commissis poenitentiam salutarem iniungendis That is we giue leaue and permission to as many of you as are Priests to heare the Confessions of the faithfull of the one and the other Sexe from what part soeuer they come vnto you and them being diligently heard to absolue from all and singuler their sinnes crimes excesses and offences how great and enormous soeuer yea euen those that are reserued to the Sea Apostolique and all circumstances thence arising by sentence censure or paines Ecclesiasticall those excepted which are contayned in the Bull accustomed to be read on Maundie Thursday and to ordayne to the Penitents for the faults by them committed wholesome and profitable penaunce As the priuiledges which they perswade themselues haue beene graunted them for the Catechising and instructing of youth haue peruerted all the auncient order of famous Vniuersities so this large and extraordinarie licence permitted them in matter of Confession hath beene the cause that the greatest part of the people haue in great and haynous sinnes forsaken the auncient custome of resorting to the Penitentiaries of Cathedrall Churches and had recourse to the Iesuits whom wee see by vertue of this Bull to be all of them authorized for Penitentiaries And God knowes how farre these holy and blessed Fathers haue abused it The first breaking forth of our troubles was in the yeere 1585. at which time all that resorted to them to be confessed if they affirmed themselues to be good subiects and loyall seruitors to the King for they were questioned vpon that article they were sent backe by the Iesuits without receiuing absolution Which beeing obiected against them by Arnauldus marke I beseech you the cold aunswere which they make in their defence against his accusations For in the 17. article it is obiected saith Arnauldus that the said Defendants haue at diuers sundry times denied absolutiō to them that stoode for the late King from the yeere 1585. The said Defendaunts aunswere that the article is vntrue although themselues know that it hath beene often by sundrie persons auouched yea and deposed against them in the presence of the late King in his closet and what witnesse could there be produced against them in this case saue only those who had been by them denied absolutiō There is no smoak without some fire Read their annuall letters of the yeere 1589. when griefe rage and furie of the last troubles beganne you shall find that the number of their confessions was infinitely encreased and specially in the Colledge of the Iesuits at Paris Totius vitae confessiones auditae trecentae Wee haue heare 300. totall confessions wrote the Substitutes of the Colledge to their Generall Aquauiua If you aske me whence this new deuotion of the common people to them proceeded I wil tell you Our Kings represent the true image of God Against whom this yeere there hapned three straunge and vnusuall accidents first the rebellion against the late king which they coloured with the title and pretext of tyrannie for the fairest title they could affoord him was the name of Tyrant secondly the parricide committed vppon his person by a Munke and lastly the continuance of that rebellion against the King that now is for his religion Be you assured that all such as did not hold their consciences at as low a rate as many of the Cleargie doe found themselues much disquieted vpon these accidents Which was the cause that during these troubles they went to be confest by these vpstart Penitentiaries some were to be resolued by them whether it were sin not to yeeld obedience to their King others to be absolued for the same But this was to commit the Lambe to the Woolues custodie for their confessions were as many instructions or rather destructions to teach Rebellion refusing to absolue them which eyther were not in their consciences fully confirmed in their reuolt from the two Kings or had any inclination to acknowledge them for their Soueraignes And which is full of horrour and detestation their ordinarie course was before they would absolue them to make them sweare by the holy Gospell contayned in their breuiaries neuer to take these two Kings for their lawfull Soueraignes That which I speake I haue by good information from many that were fayne to passe through that strait and I know one amongst the rest more neere mee then the rest who rather then hee would giue credit to their doctrine departed from his Confessour without receiuing absolution This teacheth to the whole bodie of the Realme But as concerning priuate Families the Iesuits make a double vse of ministring Confession One is to take information from the Penitent not onely of his owne sinnes but of their demeanour likewise that dwell with him or with whom hee dwelleth nay of the whole neighbourhoode as if it were a sinne in him not to discouer an other mans sinne in confession eyther if hee know it or suppose that he knowes it Which is as much in effect as to make so many spies and carrie-tales in a Towne as there be Iesuits Confessors The second vse which toucheth them in a neerer respect is that in sucking by the eare the soule of a timorous conscience they sucke or rather swallow there-withall his goods and possessions by promising abundance of Spirituall goods in the world to come after their death to those that shall in their life time be charitable to them out of their temporall goods A course whereby they haue carried away an infinite masse of wealth if you beleeue those that haue taken vppon them to write their Legend for I know not by what other name to in title the liues of these holy Fathers One point more I will adde whereof I desire to be resolued by our auucient Doctors in Diuinitie they haue a rule in practise that men are bound to accuse themselues to their Confessour and not themselues onely but all their confederates likewise and as for the Magistrate the malefactor being condemned to die after he hath once made confession of his sinnes to his ghostly father is not tyed to reueale it to his Iudge nay it is lawfull for him to stand in stiffe deniall thereof at the time of his execution as being cleere before God although he persist in a lie after he hath once discharged the depth of his conscience to his Confessor A thing that breedeth much scruple in the minde of a Iudge who otherwise is greatly quieted in conscience when an offender adiudged to die howsoeuer he haue before time stood in deniall of the fact yet at the time of his death confesseth the truth CHAP. 13. ¶ Of a generall assemblie of the Iesuits holden in Rome in the yeere 1593. wherein they are prohibited to entermedle in matters of state I Haue formarly in this discourse charged the Iesuits to haue beene both the first sparkes and the chiefest flames of our last troubles for proofe whereof
Mass lib. 2. capit 2. as to the ring-leader of them all didst wisely take thy iourney into Spayne to take order for your affaires and fellowes And after that with great zeale you tooke shippe at Valentia to goe for Venice without any feare of Barberosse the Turks scouring of the Seas all of you met at Venice you came after that to me to receiue my blessing and passe for your trauell and inhabiting Palestine You obtained at my hands all that you craued you receiued much gold and siluer giuen you by diuers men for your first earnest of the voyage vpon this blessing you returned back to Venice with a purpose to performe your promise I would saine know who diuerted you You say the warre suddenly made betweene the Venetians and the Turke What Gallies mand what ships rigged what preparation sawe you for this exployt The Turke and wee are continuall enemies yet doth hee not refuse to giue pasport and safe conduct to poore Pilgrims paying him his auncient trybute did this warre driue away the religious persons that dwell neere the holy Sepulcher Furthermore who compeld you to alter your vow for that which is prolonged from one yeere to another Paul Ioui lib. 32. hist is not quite broken off Likewise the Venetian and the Turk are now vpon entreatie of peace the matter either already concluded or at a point so to be Besides if the passages be stopt that way they lie open for you to the Indies there is no feare in that passage the King him selfe leades you by the hand why doe you draw back You that so late made shewe to goe to Palestine a voyage subiect to a thousand dangers of your liues go now in Gods name to this new world and come not heere to plant a new world in our old Church It is not the warre betweene the Venetian and the Turke that driues you froÌ„ your first vow it is your selues that vow what you lust This sauors of man more then I would it did At your first comming froÌ„ Venice to my Court you little knowe what cheere was made you by me and mine and whether good or bad which of the two I haue no leasure to tell you you founde more fauour then you looked for good countenaunce kinde entertainement gold siluer to spend by the way For this cause you returned to Venice you tooke your shortest cut to recoyle back againe to Rome with more promises of submission to the holy Sea forgetting your originall vowe But let vs yeelde a little to you as you are men let vs take your new excuse for payment How can I winke at the lies you flap me in the mouth withall to circumuent mee and betray mee You say you are all Maisters of Arts of the great famous Vniuersitie of Paris I find three of you neuer tooke degree You say you haue studied diuinitie many yeeres where shall I finde these manie in two of the companie that vvere but Maisters in the yeere 1534. two others in the yere 1535. and these came to Venice in the yeere 1536. Where shal I find then I say these many in Ignace that forsooke Paris three yeeres before he was Maister or in that other that neuer tooke degree To be short I see but two of your companie Faure and Xauier that euer could haue any leysure to follow this studie I knowe it well that if you make any lie on your part you will say it is to be borne withall because it is done to a good end A ghostly deceit and I tell you at a word that Chistianiâ—e brookes no fraudulent pietie Set these two particulers apart let vs come to the naked truth Howe can I dissemble the breach of your vow wherein it cannot be but the deuill had a finger You promised and swore to God that you woulde goe no further with your enterprizes before you had ended your Diuinitie course where is the end nay where is the beginning of it Prick mee out the time when euery one of you seuerally began it If you began it who hindered your finishing of it for there was nothing in Paris to feare you The vvarre betweene the Emperour and the French King God be thanked is ceased Nothing constrained you to make such a hote vow at Montmatter it proceeded from your zeale which tied you to nothing at the first but now the vow is made you are bound to keepe it Before it was made was not this worke necessarie for the winning of soules which you promise to performe You like auriculer confession in our Ministerie a most holie thing the transsubstantiation of the bodie of our Sauiour Christ in the Sacrament a most holy thing If the word most import no more These be meanes to keepe the Catholiques to theyr old religion yet are they not sufficient to conuert men of a long time nousled vp in Idolatry and Mahometisme Euery one of them hath in his impious superstition certaine Maximes contrarie to the Christian fayth Besides this doe not you know that the deuill Martine Luther so I meane to call him as an impe of the deuil of S. Martins is in complet Armour against the two Sacraments by an infinite sort of Sophistications ill deduced from the holie Scripture if you learne of him to dosse out your hornes as you haue promised this is no young Schollers worke nor for a simple Maister of Arte but for one of the wisest and best learned Diuines to take in hand For otherwise while you thinke to defend our cause you will betray it What weapons must you haue to foyle these miscreants The foure Euangelists with the Commentaries of the good Doctors of the Church S. Hierom S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Gregory Nazianzen Gregory the great the first Pope of that name S. Iohn Chrisostome S. Bernard and many others whom the Church hath enroled in the Kalender of Saints All these hold a course of morrall Theologie a verie trenchant sworde to destroy the euill life of Christians but that blade which I meane to speake of now is fittest to bring you to close fight with poynt to poynt One Peter Lombard maister of the Sentences and S. Thomas of Aquine men worthy to be followed in Schoole learning These be two Champions by whose help we may be sufficiently armed to buckle with our enemies this is no studie of two or three yeeres ancient discipline requires at the least sixe yeres trauell in them for publique exercise besides all the rest of our life in particular Sith you haue vowed to GOD to distill your wits through this Limbec why would you haue me dispence with you You that haue dedicated your selues as wel to conuert Infidels as Hereticks why haue you not doone it It became you to doe it except you meant to present vs with Phaetons fable of newe Coach men who vndertaking to driue the horses of the Sunne cast the whole earth into a combustion Had you any sparke of
paused a while which gaue the Gentleman occasion to say vnto him I assure you Sir I cannot but much commend your inuention in representing this matter in the person of Stones For seeing men will not speake stones must their dealinges beeing such as you haue shewed and prooued not by proofes at randon and vncertaine but most infallible and drawne out of their owne bookes But how commeth it to passe that this being so notoriously knowne and remayning of record yet neuerthelesse there be certaine Courts of Parliament within the Realme which doe not onely receiuâ—â—â—em but honor cherish and embrace them within their Cities and iurisdictions I did expect you should aske me that question quoth the Aduocate and was about to haue entred thereinto of my selfe had you not preuented mee Thinke it not straunge it should be so it is a mysterie hidden in the secret counsell of God who hath not wholy withdrawn his wrath from vs but intendeth one day to vse these as his instruments to bring more plagues vpon vs. Neuerthelesse doe not you thinke but that those other Parliaments haue some great shew of reason for their doings Did you neuer see a new Testament wherein the histories were drawne in pictures In that place of the Gospell where our Sauiour is tempted in the desart Sathan is pictured in the habit of a Munke Some Lucianists sticke not to say that thereby is vnderstood that the life and conuersation of Munks is Diabolicall But I am of a contrarie opinion For whosoeuer the Painter was that in this matter of the temptatioÌ„ deuised to cloth the Diuell in those weeds he did it not without great consideration iudging that this being the true habit of piety there was no way more readie certain to surprise the consciences of well meaning men then by it The Diuel after he had set forth diuers mommeries of religious Orders he meant to set his rest vpon this and transforming himselfe into Ignacius and his adherents to pretend the holy name of Iesus and to promise by the mouth of the Iesuits not onely terrestriall kingdomes to Princes wherewith they would inuest them as Sathan did to our Sauiour but also the kingdome of heauen to such as would execute their malice against those Kings that were their enemies Wherein the Diuell hath not much missed of his ayme For vnder this glorious name hath he abused and onerreached our Popes their holines and consequently a number of religious soules And as himselfe is the Spirit of Diuision so is it no meruaile if the Iesuits his true and lawfull children enioy the same priuiledge that their father doth They haue caused diuision between themselues and our Prelates of Fraunce betweene themselues and the Vniuersities betweene Popes and Kings betweene Popes and other Prelats if now they cause a new dissension amongst our Parliaments of Fraunce they haue done that which onely was wanting to the ful and absolute accomplishment of the Sorbones prophecie when in her censure of the Iesuits Sect in the yeere 1554 she saith Multas in populo querelas multas lites dissidia contentiones aemulatioues variaque schismata inducit It breadeth many quarrels controuersies discords contentions emulations and many divisions amongst the people The Parliament of Paris vpon mature wise deliberation hath banished theÌ„ out of their iurisdiction Some other Parliaments doe retaine them albeit the attemps of Barriere and Chastell vppon the person of the King be vnto them notoriously knowne and that they were the first plotters and contriuers of our troubles When I thinke of these dissentions I am put in minde of a discreet aunswere made by King Henry the second touching the case of Pelisson President of the Parliament of Chamberi who by the sentence of the Parliament of Digeon was depriued of his office besides sundry other disgraces which he receiued vpon the complaint and information of Tabouè Atturny generall Afterward obtayning Letters for a second examination and and the cause being remoued to the Parliament of Paris he was restored to his office and Tabouè condemned to make him honourable amends bare-headed in his shirt with a halter about his neck The King beeing informed of these proceedings in both the Courts of parliament wisely made aunswer that he esteemed all his Iudges to be men of honestie vprightnes but that they of the parliament of Digeon had iudged according to their consciences and they of Paris according to right and iustice I make no doubt but that all the Iudges of other parliaments are by their consciences induced thereunto but this I say that there was neuer any thing decreed in Court more sufficiently and sincerely then this was by the parliament of Paris The other as I suppose are swayed by the authority of the holy Sea supporting the Iesuits which is no small aduantage for them to leane vnto notwithstanding I will oppugne them by the same authoritie beseeching them not to take in euill part this admonition which in all dutie humilitie I offer vnto their coÌ„siderations not doubting but after they haue heard me if at least they please to giue me hearing they will theÌ„selues condemne this their opinion You haue heeretofore vnderstood how at two seuerall times our Iesuits had practised the murder of the King and not at that time when hee was deuided from vs in religion but euen then when he was reconciled to our Church in the time of a truce desiring nothing else but a generall vnion and reconcilement of all his subiects throughout the Realme They are highly fauoured at Rome as the Iuie which seemeth outwardly to succour the wall when as inwardly it eateth into it but if they had euer conspired any attempt against the Popes person I am out of doubt that by the Decree of that great and holy Consistorie of Rome theyr Order would haue beene put downe and abolished for euer At the least I haue seene the like practise in a case not vnlike for a matter not so dangerous for example nor of such consequence as that shewed vppon the whole Order of the Humiliati I will acquaint you with the historie CHAP. 22. ¶ How the Order of Humiliatj was suppressed by Decree of the Consistorie of Rome and that there is greater cause to suppresse the Iesuits then the Humiliatj THis Order in outward appearance like this of the Iesuits promised so great sanctitie and deuotion as Cardinall Borrhomao the Archbishop of Millan vvould needes take vpon him the patronage and protection thereof This good Prelate perceiuing that the greatest part of them gaue themselues ouer to a voluptuous and dissolute kinde of life tooke in hand to reforme them which some of them tooke in such indignitie dignitie as that they vowed his death There was a Guardian of that Order resident in the Cittie of Versellis his name was Girolano Lignana who with certaine other his confederats vndertakes this execution And to make way to their purpose they resolued to kill Frier Fabio
him if vpon occasion taken to refresh our selues we would goe visite him How soeuer some distasled this aduise at the first yet at last the most voyces caried it and all of vs forth-with turned out of our way vnto his house where we found him accompanied with many other Gentlemen Who espying his auncient friend gaue him many cheerefull embracings and said How commeth it to passe that I am so fortunate as to behold my second selfe this day Sir at a word you are very welcome and I thinke my selfe deeply indebted to you for this vnexpected assault giuen me with so fayre a troupe After we had seuerally thanked him one by one hee commaunded our horses to be set vp and a cup of wine to be brought vs and so led vs through the Court into his house vvhere entertayning one another with enterchangeable greetings hee gaue order for Supper to be ready in conuenient time that wee might take our rest meane-while wee fell into discourse But as commonly it hapneth that we lay our hand vpon that part of our body that grieves vs most so wee begun principally to complaine of the miseries of Fraunce brought in amongst vs by diuersitie of Religion euery man seeking to aduaunce what himselfe maintaines sutably to his owne priuate passion which he calls deuotion There was a Iesuite in our company disguisd in apparell a man without question very sociable There was an Aduocate also whom I well perceiued to be opposite to the Bulles constitutions and orders of the Iesuites The speech when we parleyd rebounding from mouth to mouth the Iesuite made demonstration how much our Church is bounde vnto theyr societie And belieue me Gentlemen quoth he if God had not sent amongst vs our good Father Ignatius and his company our Catholique religion had been extinguisht but as it commonly falls out that in punishing our offences after GOD hath afflicted a Country with some generall plague he applies a remedie to it againe that it may not be vtterly destroied so hauing suffered Martin Luther to infect many Nations with his poyson it pleased him for the cause before alleaged to raise vp another Daniel in his Church to preserue the head thereof from all the venomous bitings of that Monster And to speak what I thinke I am of that mind that Ignace Loyhola had his name giuen him not by chaunce but by miracle to this end no doubt that by changing one Letter into another as C. into R. calling him Ignare Loyhola for Ignace Loyhola all posteritie might knowe him to be the man which had made an end of Luthers ignorance and of all his followers which vppon his grounds should set anie other heresies abroach heereafter At this speech of his euery man began to smile for it was deliuered with so good a grace as it could not be offensiue to any vnlesse the Aduocate vvho vvith change of countenaunce sayd thus vnto him Sir I will not suffer your speech to fall to the ground without taking it vp againe I would faine knowe what miracles the Iesuits haue wrought what bounds they haue set to bridle the course of heresie and what difference there hath beene in the carriage of the one and the other For if the Hugonotes on the one side were the cause of the troubles in Fraunce in the yere 1561. standing as they did vpon their defence the Iesuite on the other side assayling vs in the yeere 1565. raysd vp farre more fierce and great tyrannies than the former As for your newe Anagram you abuse your selfe Ignace was in some good sort a Gentleman of Nauarre not called Ignace Loyhola but Ignare de Loyhola as much to say as Ignorant of the Law hold thy peace For beeing as ignorant as might be he thought it better to be silent than to speak VVhich warily acknowledging in himselfe hee neuer shewed his wit in preaching teaching or writing except it were at first within the gates of Rome where hee taught young children theyr beliefe as Maisters of pety Schooles are wont to doe This speech mooued no lesse laughter than the former then said the Gentleman our hoste I see no great matter of laughter heere turning him to the Iesuite I belieue Sir quoth hee that you are of the Societie of IESVS the tenour of your speech bewraies no lesse To this the other aunswered that it was so indeed and theyr order permitted them to be disguisd the better to sound euery man in his humor I am very glad of thys said the Gentleman and I doe belieue that some good Angell led you hether into my house the rather for that I haue beene long time desirous of such good company to the end I might know how the case stands with your Order which I see is balanced betweene two Scales greatly commended of some and by the same weights againe much blamed of others But seeing there is no banquet heere for seruaunts they shall take away the cloth and thanks giuen to God for his daily bounty towards vs wee will enlarge our selues with thys poynt a little farther It was performed as hee had sayd and all the wayters voyded the place he desired the Iesuite not to be displeased if after the manner of a Catechisme he brought in one like a childe moouing the question to his Maister for the better vnderstanding of his first grounds In this manner dealt the Gentleman with the Iesuite desirous to be informed of the principall points of his Order whereunto the Iesuite readily consented And although in very deed for any thing I coulde gather by theyr talke the Gentleman was as skilfull as the Iesuite yet playing Sacrates part he rode after him like a Platonist to draw from him that which hee desired in such manner as heere ensues CHAP. 2. ¶ What the foundation is of the societie of Iesus which the common-people call Iesuits Gent. YOu say you are a Iesuite therefore of a newe Religious Order Iesuit Nay rather of a most ancient and for this cause haue we taken vpon vs the holy name of the societie of Iesus as imitators beyond others of our Lorde Iesus Christ and his Apostles Gent. You preach teach freely euery one that will heare you Ies We doe so Gent. But tell me then did the Apostles teach little boyes theyr Grammer or A.B.C. Ies No. Gent. Then haue you great aduantage of them and it is not without some ground that despising the name of Christians by which they were called you particularly terme your selues Iesuites Ies Had they taught as wee doe their charitie had beene more compleat and as for the name of Christians wee take it to bee too proude a stile Gent. Somewhat there is whereby you passe them in charitie and humilitie You make three vowes do you not of Chastitie Pouertie and Obedience Ies Neuer doubt of that Gent. Then are you Monkes Ies By no meanes but rather Religious men Gent. Then your houses be Monasteries Ies Nothing lesse wee call our
atque alijs diligenter examinatis perpensis Haec societas videtur in negotio fidei periculosa pacis Ecclesiae perturbatiua monasticae Religionis euersiua magis ad destructionem quam act aedificationem I will not iuggle with you it may bee some of thys company vnderstands no Latine therefore this censure beeing the foundation of my discourse I will put it into French apparrell that euery man may know it In the yeere of our Lord 1554. the first of December the most sacred facultie of the Diuines in Paris after Masse of the holy Ghost was celebrated in the Colledge of Sorbons Chappell according to their custome this fourth time by oath assembled together to determine of the two Bulles which two holy Fathers the Popes Paulus the third and Iulius the third are sayd to haue graunted to these men that desire to be honoured with the societie of IESVS Which two Bulles the Senate or Court of Parliament of Paris sent by Hostiarius to the said Facultie to be perused and examined Before they entreated of so high and weightie matters all and singuler our Maisters in pubique with open mouth protested that they decreed deuisd and intended nothing against the authoritie and power of the Pope but all and euery of them like obedient Chyldren as they euer acknowledged and confessed him to be Christes chiefe vniuersall Vicar and generall Pastor of the Church whom all sorts of both Sectes are bound to obey to honour his decrees and euery one to defend them to his power So nowe also they doe sincerely faithfully and willingly acknowledge confesse the same But because euery man especially Diuines ought to be readie to giue an aunswere to euery one that asketh them of matters appertaining to fayth manners and edification of the Church the saide Facultie hath thought it meete to satisfie the request commaundement and entreatie of the Court. Therefore all the Articles of both Bulles beeing often read repeated and conceiued for the greatnes of the matter many daies monthes and houres according to their custome first verie diligently discust and examined at last with one consent but with great reuerence and humilitie submitting all to the controlement of the Apostolike sea they gaue this doome This new Societie chalenging to it selfe the rare title of the name of Iesus so licentiously and hand ouer-head admitting all sorts of persons how wicked illegitimate or infamous soeuer diffring nothing from secular priests in outward apparrell tonsure canonicall howers either priuately to be said or publikely to be sung in churches in cloistures and silence in choise of meates and daies in fasts and other ceremonies whereby religious orders are distinguisht and preserued endowed with so many and sundrie priuiledges grants and liberties especially in administration of the Sacraments of penance and of the Eucharist that without difference of place or persons as also in the office of preaching reading and teaching to the preiudice of the Ordinaries of the Hierachicall order to the preiudice likewise of other religious men nay euen of Princes temporall Lords against the priuiledges of the Vniuersities and to the great griefe of the people appeares to defloure monasticall religion it cuts the sinewes of the painfull holy and necessarie exercise of vertues of abstinence ceremonies and austeritie it opens a gap to Apostacie from other religious orders it takes away due obedience from the Ordinaries it vniustly depriues the Lords spirituall temporall of their right It breeds a garboile in both gouernments many complaints among the people many iarres discords contentions emulatiōs rebellions sundry schismes Therfore all these and other things of like nature thorowly examined and waighed This Societie appeares to be in matter of faith daungerous to the peace of the Church troblesome to monasticall religion ruinous and more apt to pull downe than to build vp Was there euer a better sentence mixt with a truer prophecie than this And why There was no banding then in the field euerie man slept safe in the sinceritie of his conscience towards God there were no tumultuary assemblies but for foure daies togither by them that had determined of it long before Much lesse minded they to oppose themselues against the authority of the holy Sea as we gather from their humble protestation For this cause the holy Ghost after their deuout inuocation of him by their sacrifice spake thorough the organe of this sacred facultie And thus am I perswaded that for these thousand yeers there was neuer any worke of the holy Ghost greater and more apparant to our eies than was this censure The Court of Parliament of Paris sent those Buls onely of Pope Paulus dated the yeere 1543. And that of Iulius the third dated the yeere 1550. The Iesuites kept all the other close bearing date of the yeeres 43.45.46.49 Vpon the sight but of those two ends of their ware they iudged wisely what the rest of the whole peece might be Without any more a do remember those three lines It breeds many complaints among the people manie iarres dissentions contentions rebellions and sundrie schismes and conferre them with your discouery of their order you shall find the Sorbons speech true The diuine seruice of their Church is diuided from ours their priuiledges make a deuision betweene the Bishops and them the Monasteries and them the Vniuersities and them the Diuines of Paris and them Their propositions also make a diuision betweene the holy Sea and Princes But how be these priuiledges maintaind By their Colledges their confessions their preaching Their Colledges are traps to catch youth their confessions subornations their Sermons Mounte-banks Markets If you beleeue this Iesuite here he will say we haue no preachers but them to defend the olde Church It is not yet aboue threescore yeeres since they were set a foote What preachers haue we had of them in Paris One Aimond Auger and Iames Commolet I remember none but these On the other side how many hath the facultie of the Vniuersitie in Paris bred of learned and holy men neuer tainted with innouation Againe did euer any man in our time heare a Iesuite handle or expound in Pulpit or open assembly any one text of Scripture either to vphold the Apostolike Sea or lay heresie in the dust What is the summe of their preaching To bite them that are absent not to edifie them that are present except it be to scandale kings and princes And that which is most admirable in this censure is that our diuines saw the rebellions these new masters would raise vp in time to come against our king Therefore while I now embarke my selfe against them it is neither giddinesse malice nor folly that caries me with wind and tide I set the venerable facultie of the diuines of Paris before mine eies for my Vice-admirall to carie the light in my nauigation CHAP. 4. ¶ How at what time and by what sleights the Iesuites crept into Fraunce WHen God is determined
this progresse by degrees the Iesuits request was presented to the Court of Parliament that had tenne Aduocates as Montaignes and Fon do confesse in their writinges in respect of 13. aduersaries Mont. ca. 22 Fon. ca. 4. which Fon reports were sixe boysterous mightie limmed bodies to wit the Vniuersities the Sorbons the Mendicants the Hospitals and the Parish priests With other foure Lordes of great authoritie namely the Gouernour of Paris the Cardinall Chastilion as protector of the Vniuersitie the Bishop of Paris and the Abbot of S. Geniueue Now can we be so sencelesse as to thinke that so many both of the better and meaner sort banded against them without cause in a matter of so great importance But what were the commons those which of late memorie plagued the Hugonots out of all measure raced the walls of Patriarch and Popincourt where they had theyr exercise of religion who by order of Lawe procurd the death of Gabaston the Captaine of their garde and protector of theyr attempts together with Cagres both the Father and the sonne So many Sages of the common people sworne enemies to heresie did sette thēselues against the Iesuits lying but yet in the suburbs of our ciuill warres against the Iesuits I say who then vaunted themselues to be the scourge of Hereticks Assuredly it cannot be but that all those great personages who then vndertooke the quarrell against them were perswaded that this Sect was extreamely to be feared as well by the libertie of the French Church and generall estate of Fraunce as of all Christendome Besides these two great parties there was yet another more strong mightie then them both namely Mounsieur Mesnil the Kings Aduocate in the Court of parliament directly opposite to them But for all this great multitude of partakers sayth the Iesuite the matter came not to open triall but was put ouer to coūsell as a plaine argument that the goodnesse of our cause did craue very much fauour Poore foole and young Scholler hadst thou been brought vp in the light of the Royall pallace or read the course of iustice of our kings as thou art nuzled in the dust of the Colledges thou shouldst haue knowne that the high Courts admit no open triall of great causes they haue no time nor leysure duly to informe theyr consciences As appeares by a like course helde by the same Court in the month of Iuly 94. And for this cause Mounsieur Marion pleading against the Iesuits of Lyons in the yeere 97. said that a defectiue and imperfect prudence of the yeere 64. was in some sort the occasion that the affaires of Fraunce degenerated with the time waxed worse and worse As for my selfe I will say more boldly with open face that this matter was in the yeere 64. put ouer to counsell by the wisedome of men but thys counsaile was guided by the hand of God who to take vengeance of our sinnes preserued the Iesuits as a deuoted instrument hung aside in the Temple fit for the future miseries of Fraunce To what purpose is all this saue onely this to shewe you that if I detest abhorre the Sect of Iesuits I haue no small shelters for my oppinion first the venerable censure of Paris the yere 1554. wherein were the greatest Diuines that euer were in Fraunce and by name Picard Maillard Demochares Perionius Ory the Inquisiter for matters of faith The first an admirable preacher whose body after his death being layd forth in his house in the Deanry of S. Germins of Lauxerrois the people of Paris for the sanctimony of his life did striue to kisse his feete the foure other his companions were extreame persecutors of the Heretiks I haue the great decree of the French church in the yeere 61. the iudgement that did second it and finally many men of marke and communalty set against them in the yeere 1564. Amongst these I may speake it for a certainty which I ought to beleeue because I saw it There was two honorable resemblances of antiquitie Solicitors in the cause Bennet the Deane and Courselles the Subdeane of the facultie of the Diuinitie Schooles in Paris The one fourscore yeeres of age the other threescore seauenteene both ready to depart from hence to giue vp an account of theyr actions in another world at which time euery man standes stricte vppon his conscience With them was Faber Sindic one of the wisest men that euer was among the Sorbons In the winding vp of all I will set downe Ma. Noell Brullarte Procurator generall the great Aristides and Cato of his time which liuing in the yeere 50. withstood the receiuing of the Iesuites I tell you this expresly to discouer how like the iugling of the Iesuits of our time is to the former For Fon is so impudent as to report that Ramus Mercerus after they became the Kings Professors reuolted from our auncient Religion and were folicitors in this cause and that if they had not encountred them they had won the field but to auoid sedition the Court was forced warilie to strike saile to the tempest by putting the matter off to counsell Well but yet thou lyest most impudently thou Iesuit Pardon me for it is very fit I should be in choller Neither Ramus nor Mercerus for theyr parts euer stirred in this although they tooke part with their brethren the Kings Professors because they would not separate thēselues from the body of the Vniuersitie Moreouer what likelihood is there that the mindes generally of the Parisiens could be so suddenly changed to take part with the Hugonots Mercerus was so farre from faction that hee had no skill in any thing but Hebrue wherein he spent all his time without intermission and became so great a Superlatiue in that tongue that by the iudgement of the best learned he was preferd before all the Iewes In all worldly matters hee stoode but for a bare Cypher But this is a Iesuiticall priuiledge to vnderset theyr slaunders with the time by newe cogges For if this Iesuit Fon durst he would say that the towne the Vniuersitie and the facultie of Diuinitie in Paris all the foure orders of Mendicants the Parish priests were Hugonots because they hindred the matriculation of this holy Order what other consequence can be deduced from his speech Oh singuler and admirable impudencie yet to be excused because it proceedeth from a Iesuit Neuerthelesse to shew with what truth integrity I mean to confound thē in their lying they caused Versoris Plea to be printed in the yere 94. he to bring the Vniuersity into hatred In the 24. 32. leafe of Versoris Plea saith first formost not that Mercerus but Ramus Gallandius were made solicitors in this cause but this was so far frō all likelihood of truth that euery man tooke it for an hyperbole by reason of the open enmity they caried to all times which accompanied them vnto their death This enmity Rablays the Lucian
to the steps of the Apostles times plotted to minister the Sacraments of pennance of the Altar and to preach Cods word And by this deuice they spred farre without the authoritie of the holy Sea and they likewise desired to be intitled the company of Iesus The Apostles ministred these two Sacraments and caried the Gospell ouer all the world was it then permitted to these new vndertakers to do the like I denie it For they succeeded not the Apostles but the Bishops and vnder them the Curates The Iesuits deuotion was built vpon ignorance by reason wherof they ought not to be called Iesus followers but his forsakers as bringers in of a new schisme into the Church Yet haue they by this erronious proposition qualified themselues with the title of Iesus company A stile neuer giuen them by our holy father but arrogated to themselues as manifestly appeares in a passage of their request preferd to Paulus the third and interlaced in the Bull in the yeere 1540. Whosoeuer in our Society which we desire to be oderned with the name of Iesus is willing to warre vnder the banner of the crosse This clause is repeated word for word as it lieth in the Bull of Iulius the third in the yeere 1550. which is the confirmation of their priuiledges It were absurd to thinke Pope Paulus would honour them with so proud a title who refused them at the first after ward allotted them but a certaine number that with many scruples of conscience Neuerthelesse as the Iesuits neuer lackt new lying inuentions to credit them so they bruted it abroad that they held this title by the faith and homage of the holy Sea Indeed the first Chapter of their constitutions begins in this manner This little congregation which by their first institution was called the Societie of Iesus by the Sea Apostolike And agreeable vnto this Versoris the Aduocate pleading their cause In the 30. leafe of Versons Plea alleaged this passage to shew that the Pope was their God-father and that they held their name by humilitie not by ambition these be the words he vsed I blame not the Aduocate a man of account for he pleaded vpon the aduertisements giuen him but I excuse not these wise men the Iesuits which are made lyers by their owne Buls There is no lye so impudent as that but the authoritie of the holy Sea was not sufficient to grace them by this forgerie they must haue recourse to miracles that is to say to their iugling casts Maff. lib. 2. ca. 5. Rabad lib. 1. ca. 12. Of late yeeres Maffee first and then Ribadener found out that Ignace accompanied with Peter Faure and Iames Lainez going through a Church not farre from Rome being at his praiers fell into a trance wherein God the Father appeared to him who commēded Ignace his companions to Iesus Christ his Sonne then loaded with his crosse marked with his wounds which promised to take him into his protection said to Ignace at that instant I wil assist thee in Rome And as soone as Ignace went out of the Church he discouered to his two companions what vision he had That this is but a tale of a tubbe I haue no doubt at all Iames Lainez succeeded him in the Generalship who being priuie to this miracle how cōmeth it to passe he neuer signified so much to Congordan his Agent Versoris his Aduocate when the cause was pleaded Why did he smother this great miracle when it was requisite to disclose it For that which was chiefly obiected against them in the assembly of Poissie and afterward in the court of Parliament of Paris was the insolencie of this proud title of the Society of Iesus Why I say did not Lainez his crue giue vs notice of this matter when the French Church and the court of Parliament forbad them this title They did not so much then because neither the diuell nor his impostures built their nests in their pens as they did at last Neuertheles this lye profited them no more thē another which we see with our eies For when Maffee had told vs this tale marke what he puts to it And this was the chiefest cause for which after the Society was confirmed he gaue it especially the name of Iesus If that be true which this lyer reports it followes that Ignace his companions tooke not the title of Iesus Society but after their order was cofirmed yet by their requests put vp to Pope Paul inserted into their first Bull of the yeere 1540. they attributed this name vnto thē And that which greatly waighes it is that foure or fiue yeeres after Montaignes a Iesuit roundly confessing that to be false which Maffee Ribadener haue written Cap. 66. of Truth defended he fathers this inuention vpon the Pope I answere you saith he to Arnault that it is the Pope which gaue the name to this holy company the sacred coūsell that allowed them which suffices to stop your mouth The verie same saith Fon Fon. ca. 38. The people gaue them the name of Iesuits because the holy Sea called them the company of Iesus And two leaues after The Iesuits tearmed not themselues Iusuits but the holy Sea termed them the companie of Iesus I commend the conscience of these two honest Iesuits who speaking nothing of Ignaces vision mocke themselues in their soules with these two flatteries But I cannot chuse but excuse their ignorance for had they red their first Bull of Paul the third they should haue found that Ignace his companions were intitled the Societie of Iesus when they preferd their petition to the Pope The Aduocate standing vpon these contrarieties one of the company said to him Me thinks you labour in vaine They haue this name of Iesuits neither from God nor from the Pope but only from the common people which is a great Philosopher and controuler of our actions You see Fon agrees vnto it but you must vnderstand at large how matters passe on this side Being at the first named the companie or Societie of Iesus the people marking their behauiour called them Iesuists not Iesuits pronouncing S. and T. together For when their cause was pleaded in the yeere 64. The Aduocates cald them nothing else but Iesuists See the counsell Maister Charles Moulin one of the best lawyers in Fraunce gaue vpon the receiuing them The title was this Whether the Iesuits be to be receiued in the Realme of Fraunce and admitted in the Vniuersitie of Paris And all along his discourse speaking of them he vseth no other terme than Iesuists A matter which you shal find auouched also in Versoris Plea Fol. 30. Versoris Plea put forth in print by them Men qualified their title saith he and called them the Colledge of Iesuists And so it continued a little after But they could not leaue it for so much as they ought to haue a common name fitting the whole order and Colledges belonging
Master of the Sentences the first foundation of our Schoole Diuinitie Adde to it that the two yeres he spent one while at Alcala another-while at Salamanca another Vniuersitie these were but prisons extraordinary proceedings for him that is as much to say so much interruption of his imaginarie studies hindred in him I call them imaginarie because he had no other speculations in his soule but by faire semblance to fashion a new Sect. All thys vvas partly the cause that hee perceiuing his drifts to take no place in Spayne desired to see Fraunce came to Paris in Februarie 1528. And then say Maffe and Ribadener knowing how little hee had profited in 4. yeeres Maff. lib. 1. ca. 18. Rib. lib. 18. cap. 16. as well by reason of the precipitation as the confusion of his studies he deliberated to follow the broad way Let vs take Maffees booke into our hands marke what he discourseth And when by his experience he had found the imbecilitie of mans mind to be such that he can hardly endure to haue many yrons in the fire at once condemning his former hast and forsaking froÌ„ thence forth the shortest cut he entred the Kings high way and attempted to begin his studies anew Therefore beeing at mans state hee disdained not to repaire euerie day to the Colledge of Montagu and in the company of babling children repeat his Grammer rules He did also much diminish his set time of prayer taming of his bodie to recouer the more leasure and strength yet so that he principally neuer omitted these three things First to heare Masse deuoutly euerie day Next to refresh him with the bread of heauen euery eight day after the Sacrament of pennance Last of all to call himselfe twise in a day to a straight account of all that he had spoken done or thought and that comparing the day present with the day past one week with another one month with another he might trie examin at a hairs bredth how he had gone forward or backward in his soule Let vs follow the traces of the same Maffee Ignace being come to Paris Lib. 1. ca. 19. fel so sodainly poore that he was constrained to beg his bread euerie day from doore to doore to get into S. Iames hospitall by very humble suit entreating the President of that place which was indeed a great hinderance to him Therefore in Saint Iames hospitall which stands farre off in the Suburbes Ignatius being driuen to verie great streights by reason of so great distance of place he strugled with other incommodities as well in that the schooles began in the Vniuersitie before day and ended not but within the night he by the statutes of the hospitall could not get out of the gates easily before sunnne rising and must returne at euening before the sunne was set as also that by going and comming though he were a painefull and diligent Scholler yet he lost much of his Maisters dictates and of the exercises of the schooles Hauing no other present remedy for so great detriment he determined after the manner of poore Schollers to serue some of the heads Dostors of the Vniuersitie vpon condition that such vacant times as he had from his Maisters buisines might wholly be spent in the schooles to get learning And a little after seeing how Ignace went forward with his studies He tooke a farre better course that when the vacations began he might runne out into Belgia and sometime into England or Britane to the Spanish factors by whose bountie hauing easily obtained a yeerely summe of money to be paid him by certaine pensions at Paris all the time of his studies he might the more commodiously giue himselfe to his booke and when he had spent almost eighteene moneths at the Latine tongue in the Colledge of Montagu he went into a Colledge cald by the name of Saint Barbara to studie Philosiphie tarying there three yeeres and a halfe which is the full time appointed in that Vniuersitie for the course of Philosophy he profited so well that by the honourable verdict of his Maister which was Iohn Penna the Philosopher when he had plaid his ordinarie prizes he was graced with a lawrell and other ornaments of learning After this he did set vpon the studie of Diuinitie in the schooles of the Domenicans Monasterie with great trauell Ribadiner the supply of Maffees vntruthes adds That hauing goue through his course of Philosophie he gaue the rest of his time vntill he was fiue and thirtie yeeres of age vnto Diuinitie wherein by Gods goodnes the haruest was answerable to his seed His meaning was to tell you that he wonne as great honour in Diuinitie as he did in Philosophie wherein he said verie true sithence he got no more commendation in the one profession then in the other I haue here set forth wares which I tooke out of Maffees shop whereby I desire neither to be a gainer nor a looser It is sit that euerie historie should either containe a truth or some likelihood of it this lier hath neither one nor other For while Maffee would here represent the actâ—ons of a good and vertuous man he makes him such a one as knew not well how to speake Latine or if he did it was but the verie chattering of a Pye that spake without vnderstanding Neuerthelesse at the end of his studies he makes him a great Philosopher It is not inough for a witnesse to depose such a thing was done he must render a reason of his speech if he will be beleeued Let vs go ouer all that I haue here read vnto you First Maffee confesseth that all Ignace his studies for the space of foure yeeres in Spaine were vnprofitable so that he was constrained to go back to the lowest formes of the colledge of Montaigu with little childreÌ„ to learne the first principles of his Latine Grammer wherein he spent eighteene moneths onely before he entred the course of Philosophie I will shew you that of all this time you shall not find aboue sixe moneths of studie During these eighteene moneths he neuer lost one Masse he kept all his Saboths this could not be done without deuotion so that he must at the least take vp the Saturday to prepare himselfe or if he went to lectures that day it had beene to abuse the Sacrament of the Altar to present himselfe before it the day following Moreouer euerie day he fell to examining his conscience and if you will haue me put him into his circle a braue studie certainly farre passing all other but while he gaue himselfe time for it this was to distract him from his other studie whereof we now speake His first abode was at Saint Iames of Haultpas halfe a quarter of a league distant from the Colledge of Montaigu What a deale of time lost he in going to and fro The hospitall gate opened late in the morning and shut soone in the euening which made him copie out many
a generall surueigh of his Church from the passion of our sauiour Redeemer Iesus Christ vnto this day where as it were in a great procession the Apostles went formost followed by Popes Patriarches Archbishops and Bishops Curates priestes and all those Ecclesiasticall persons which are calld Seculars because they bee no Monks In the second ranke marched those good olde Fathers the Hermits vvho were the first founders of Monasteries After them traced many great Abbots religious Orders of S. Augustine and S. Benet from whom as from two great conduits flowed all other religious Orders called Regulars In the reareward came the Vniuersities led by their Rectors and the foure faculties of Diuinitie Law Phisick and Arts with all their Officers a huge companie of schollers great and small S. Peter carried the streamer before the first Saint Anthonie before the second and because some haue thought good so to place him Peter Lombard Bishop of Paris and Maister of the Sententences before the third a man framed for this purpose at this time without looking backe towards Maister Iohn Gerson Doctor of Diuinitie and in his time Chancelor of the Vniuersitie of Paris Last of all came the good Ignace with his equipage of Faure Xauier Salmeron Bobadilla Roderic Breet Iay and Codury his first companions And after them Iames Lainez Fraunces Borgia Euerard Marcurian Claudius Aquauiua all of them successiuely Generalls of their order Behind these were the Prouincialls Rectors Fathers Principalls Regents Presidents spirituall temporall coadiutors and schollers admitted All which marching after theyr Captaine Ignace desired to bee marshald vnder the banner of S. Peter first next vnder S. Anthonies lastly vnder the Vniuersities At the first Ignace neuer doubted to be receiued of the Apostles because their preaching administration of the sacraments of Pennace of the Altar and the great vowe of Mission made by the Fathers to the holie Sea seemed to paue the way thether very faire for them this made him steppe boldly to S. Peter You shal be partakers of the whole discourse that passed between them I beseech you let it not displease you to see my Dreame enioy the priuiledge of dreames which make what personages they lust play theyr parts with those that come into our fantasies without respect of any rule or interposition of time which commonly we obserue in other matters S. Peter Good Fathers you are very welcome for the maine scope of our calling hath beene to winne as many soules to God as possibly wee could Ign. This is the marke we aime at by the particular vow of Mission which wee make to your successors in Rome S. Peter This is well done howe are you called Ign. As our vocation craues to wit The societie of Iesus In respect whereof the common people by inspiration of the holie Ghost haue called vs Iesuits a name which at thys day appeares to be miraculously spredde ouer all the world it hath pleased God it should be so S. Pet. Nay rather the deuill which hath vnder your habite gone about to circumuent all the world this is not the first taste we haue taken of his trecheries neither will it be last he watches euerie day to surprize the Church of God How coÌ„meth it to passe We which were fostred euerie day in the companie of Iesus to whom he imparted all his secrets all the while he was debased here in the flesh and after he ascended vp to heauen made vs pertakers of his companie by his holy spirit we I say neuer durst take this name vnto vs but the name of Christians first in the Church of Antioch where our holy brethren Paule and Barnabas did gouerne A title approoued by the Church from our time to this day and do you that desire to be among vs by a new and arrogant title call your selues Iesuits Ign. I beseech you hold vs excused it is not pride but humilitie that prouokes vs to it our Sauiour had two names one proper which is that of Iesus this at that time was a common name to many Iewes though men of base and vile condition the other is that of Christ much more noble and honourable for it appertaind to none but Kings Priests and Prophets Fon. ca. 38. men cald Gods annointed for which cause you haue chosen this name and we contrarywise the other of Iesus for the small account the Iewes made of it as meaner and lower then the other Thus if there be any greater pride in the choice of the one then of the other it may easily be iudged from whence it comes Moreouer we doe not thinke that the name of Christian was imposed vpon you by the Church of Antioch but accidentally by the voice of the common people without iudgement it was receiued to be by a secret inspiratiation of God At this speech a great many saints and deuout men standing in the first ranke began to murmour softly one to another and some mutined out aloud saying that without giuing any further hearing vnto Ignace he and all his followers were to be banished our Church And that by this proposition the foundation of their order there is much Iudaisme in Iesuitisme for iust as the olde Iewes arraigned our Sauiour Iesus Christ so deale these new Iewes at this day with the Apostles The Primitiue Church vsurped not the Name of Iesus although it seemed to them to be common among the Iewes but because the Apostles and other true and faithfull Disciples of Christ Iesus knew the force energie and exceeding greatnes of this holy name Then Saint Mathew and Saint Luke stepping forth defended Mâ—h ca. 1. Luc. ca. 1. that God the Father himselfe gaue this name by the mouth of the holy Ghost his Embassadour expresly sent by him when he told the Virgin Marie that he that should be borne of her pure wombe should be called Iesus a name that signifies a Sauiour because he should be the Sauiour of the world Hereupon Eusebius Bishop of Cesarea Fuseb lib. 1. ca. lib. 2. ca. 6. made a faire commentarie vpon the difference of the two words And Saint Augustine that famous Bishop of Hippon shewes that if God the Father gaue this name of Iesus it was done by a secret mysterie prophecied by his great Prophet Moses whom GOD told hee had chosen him to lead his children of Israel to the land of promise and for this cause did he take another to succeed him in his place before he died Moses made choice of Auses but in the choice Aug tom 1â— hom 27 chaunged the name of Auses into that of Iesus that in time to come saith this notable Affricanian Bishop men might know that not by Moses but by Iesus that is to say not by the law but by grace Gods people should enter the land of promise And as the first Iesus was not the true Iesus but onely a figure of him so the land of promise was not the euerlasting land of promise
admits none of these Paracelsian abstractors of quintessences into their schooles so may not we receiue the Iesuits To reiect a Paracelsite and a Iesuite both rime and reason will beare vs out Therefore get you some whether els for as you disdaine the holy name of Monks so are you disdained by Monkes You proceeded Maisters of Art in the Vniuersitie of Paris at the least you presented your selues for such men to Pope Paule the third I counsell you to returne as Maisters of Art to the Vniuersitie you shall finde some of your acquaintance there it cannot be but that some one or other of them wil entertaine you Ignace perceiuing his case grow worse and worse mistrusted some misfortune in his attempts whereuppon turning himselfe to his companions he said Nowe we are in question to goe toward the Vniuersitie I knowe what my behauiour must be and although it will bee easie for them to goe beforme me if I come to the great Doctors yet sith at the first I tooke no course but to teach pettie schooles for children and you after me haue read Lectures to all sorts of schollers against our first institution I pray you quoth he to Father Claudius Aquauiua seeing that now all my superioritie ouer our companie rests in you that as Generall of thē all you would take the charge to sway Maister Iohn Gerson it may bee you shall find more fauour at his hands then all the rest Aquauiua not onely gaue him no deniall but thought his commaundement very fit to be obeyed Then began hee and his to bragge that they taught freely wherein he thought his companie had very much aduantage of the other Regents but his feete were intangled for he was more roughly handled by them then by the former and when they came to pell mell because both sides had beene nousled in Schoole Ergoes there was the best sport of all Nowe let vs see them beginne theyr disputations Aquauiua hauing framed his proposition and propounded his question Gerson one of the chiefest Doctors of Diuinitie that euer were in Fraunce spake thus to Aquiuaua Ger. You would faine be of our companie will you then acknowledge our Bishop for your superiour and ours especially in matters concerning the instruction of youth for hee is our chiefe Iudge in this cause And now as his substitute in the office of a Chauncellour and Chanon of the Church of Paris I cary the flagge of the Vniuersitie of Paris which is the chiefe of all others Aqua I doe not vnderstand your speech we haue a greater Maister our holy Father the Pope which hath dispenced with vs in this point against the Bishops authoritie Gers You faile in the first marke this one poynt must send you backe againe to Rome to learne your lessons and banish you out of all the Vniuersities in Fraunce But let vs proceed our Vniuersities are compounded of two sorts of men the one are Seculars the other Regulars in either of these the rule and gouernment differs The Seculars may be Maisters of Art Doctors of diuinitie Law or Phisicke and read Lectures after they haue theyr degrees to all commers as well within as without the Colledges the Regulars are permitted but to goe forth Doctors of diuinitie and to reade to the nouices of their orders onely Which of these two sorts are you Aunswere mee not I beseech you as in the yeere 1564. you aunswered the Rectors and officers of our Vniuersitie of Paris they moouing the like question to you you replied twise or thrise that you were Tales quales vos curia declarauerat For the Aduocate that pleaded against you standing vpon this poynt argued that you were such as were vnworthy to be enrolled in the Vniuersities register Aqua I maruell not at that we were at that time like vnto the Beare whose whelps seeme at the first to be but a rude lumpe of flesh but by the Dams continuall licking of them in time they recouer the shape of a Beare so was it once with vs for to tell you truth Ignace and his companions neuer prict it out perfectly what wee were but after we had many wayes exercised our wits vppon an obscure platforme of theirs we were not called Monks but regular Clarkes for so hath our great Ribadmere entiteled vs Rib. lib. 2. capit 17. and before him if I be not deceiued the Counsell of Trent gaue vs the same stile which was publisht a fewe months after our cause vvas pleaded to haue recourse to the first day of May following Gers This is not to aunswere my question you must aunswere categorically to bring you into one of these two predicaments of Seculars or Regulars Aqua Did I not aunswere you at large when I tolde you wee are Regular Clarks For beeing such we are not bound to stand to the old statutes of your Vniuersities beeing neither pure Seculars nor pure Regulars And we may with all our vowes be graduated throughout all your faculties and read publique lectures to youth in all sciences without seeking to or acknowledgement of the authoritie of your Bishops Gers Then are you a kind of Hermophroditicall order such as Pasquier hath publisht you to be in his researches of Fraunce for being Seculars and Regulars both together you are neither of both And sith you are not bound to obey our statutes we likewise are not bound to immatriculate you in our Vniuersities Aqua Why do you refuse vs that teach freely Gers Because you be verie coniecatchers The first that euer came to teach in Paris were Alcuin Raban Ian and Claudius venerable Bedaes schollers they made proclamation that they had learning to sell you quite contrary bestow it gratis Yet is it true that in three score yeeres space you haue got more treasure twice or thrice told then all the Vniuersities in France euer had since the first stone of their foundation was laid Moreouer were you not censured by the Vniuersitie of Paris in the yere 1554 Aqua You may say what you wil but of later memorie the same facultie of Diuinitie allowed vs against the old censure for some particular persons hauing abused the name of the Vniuersity of Paris in the yeere 1594. in the Court of Parliament the Sorbons made a Decree in fauour of vs by which the pursuit of our aduersaries was disalowed At this speech all the Sorbons shouted you be lying Sophisters and verie bad Grammarians We know it well that the Aduocate that first pleaded for you would faine haue beene your buckler and after him Montaignes of your companie then Fon But this is to enioy your ordinarie priuiledge you know whereof Let the Beadle bring out our Decree and read it for this is too much impudencie to be laid vpon Christian people Die nona Iulij Anno Domini 1594. viso audito a facultate Theologie Parisiensi legitimè congregata in maiore aula Sorbonae libello supplici à venerabilibus patribus sociotatis Iesu ipsi facultati
A Cleargie mans goods may be confiscated by an ecclesiasticall Iudge in such cases as a Lay-man may be so punisht by the law 38 A Cleargie man may not be punisht by a Secular Iudge for a false testimonie giuen before him 39 A Clergie man being smitten by on of the Laitie may sue him before an ecclesiasticall Iudge 40 A Cleargie man may vse the custome and statute of Lay-men for his owne profit His meaning is that the custome binds him not vnlesse it please himselfe 41 A Bishop may constraine men vpon paine of excommunication to bring in the Testaments of the dead and see they be executed 42 A Bishop may charge a benefice which hee bestowes with a yeerely pension for the maintaining of a poore scholler or Clarke 43. A woman is not vsually to haue succession in Fee 44. A Cleargie man dying intestate and hauing no kinred the Church which he serued must be his heire but now perhaps the chamber of the Apostolique Sea inherits 45. A prisoner going to execution is not bound to confesse that which before he vntruly denied vnlesse otherwise some great harme may ensue 46. A prisoner is not to be compelled by his confessor to confesse his fault All which Propositions directly derogate from those which we obserue by the common law of Fraunce And yet that which is more mischieuous intolerable is that which he hath in two other Articles written in this sort 47 The rebellion of a Cleargy man against his Prince is not high treason because he is not subiect to the Prince 48 If a Priest in confession haue intelligence of some great daunger intended to the state it is sufficient to giue a generall warning to take heed He also against whom euill is intended may be warned to take heed to himselfe at such a place and time so that the penitent be not in daunger to be discouered thereby Good God Can we abide this order in our countrey of Fraunce I know that although God be thanked our kings were neuer tyrants yet the Iesuits propound two Maximes which if they should take place euerie soueraigne Prince must stand to the mercie of his people 49 A King may be deposed by the State for tyranny and if he do not his dutie when there is iust cause an other may be chosen by the greater part of he people Yet some thinke that tyrannie onely is the cause for which he may be deposed 50 He that gouerns tyranously may be deposd by the peoples sentence yea though they haue sworne perpetuall obedience to him if being warned he will not amend If these two Articles take place there is no Prince be he what he will that can be assured in his estate And I pray you suppose that this confessionary was printed in the yeere 1589. that is to say to confirme authorize that which was purposed against the King deceased in the beginning of the yeere when certaine ill disposed persons would haue declared him to be a tyrant 51. We haue in this countrey of Fraunce an appeale as it were a writ of Errour of the thundring of the Apostolike Buls when they are found to enterprize anie thing eyther against the maiestie of our Kings or against the auncient Councels receiued and approued in our Church of Fraunce or against the liberties thereof or against the authoritie Royall or Acts of the high Courts This appeale as from the abuse I tell you is one of the principall sinewes of the maintenance of our estate The Iesuit will not acknowledge it for many causes which touch him neere which I will not here discouer 52 The Iesuits acknowledge none for their Iudge but the Pope or their General desiring by this means to fend vs backe againe to that old labyrinth of Rome wherof our good Saint Bernard complaind to Pope Eugenius in his bookes of consolation And thereof we saw a notable example in Burdeaux when Lager Rector of the Colledge of the Iesuits declared that he would not obey the Maire and Iurats who had sent for him for the preuenting of a certaine sedition saying that he acknowledged them for ciuil Magistrates ouer the Burgesses of the Citie but that neither they nor any other Iudges of what nation qualitie dignitie and authority soeuer had any power ouer their societie but onely our holy Father the Pope or the Generall of their order And shall we then suffer this family to liue in the midst of vs That were indeed to receiue in a vermine which at length will gnaw out the heart of our estate both spirituall and temporall Then said the Iesuit to the Aduocate I will not be long in aunswering your curious collections Sess 25. ca. 16. de regular For against all that you haue said I oppose in one word the generall counsell of Trent by which we are approued and authorized 53 Whereto the Aduocate aunswered I grant that you haue thirtie on your part but we haue 45. aboue you This Councell concerning the doctrine is an abridgement of all the other auncient Councels therfore it is in that regard to be embrast by all deuout soules but wholy to be reiected concerning discipline as well Secular as Ecclesiasticall as that Councell by which our whole Realme of Fraunce would be set on fire if it should be receiued And they that can sent well smell that all which was then decreed came from the Iesuitish soules I meane as concerning matter of gouernment If there were no other respect but this ye were to be banisht out of Fraunce because we cannot allow of you without allowing of this Councell and the approuing of it were to make a great breach both into the Maiestie of our Kings and into the liberties of our Church of Fraunce CHAP. 2. ¶ That the Popes authorizing the Iesuit at his first comming neuer had any perswasion that eyther he could or ought to inhabit in Frannce WHen the Aduocate had made an end of this discourse the Iesuit thinking he had some great aduantage against him began to speak thús to him Let vs lay aside the counsell of Trent though it be a strong fort for the confirming of our order At the least you cannot deny that we are assisted with an infinite number of the Buls of diuers Popes Paulus and Iulius the third Pius the fourth and fifth and Gregorie the thriteenth by all which they do not onely approue vs but gratifie vs with many great priuiledges such as neuer were granted to any other order of religion as you might vnderstand by me yesterday Whereupon it followes that you and all other that set themselues to fight against vs ought to be held for heretiques Aduoc. A great obiection forsooth for you could not possibly fight against me with any better weapons I am right glad that my whole discourse begins continues ends according to the authority of the holy sea Abs Ioue principium Iouis omnia plena The holy Sea hath approued of you say you I
nonce And vpon this proposition he tels a tale that one day a Priest of their Societie being attired in his Vestments comming out of the Vestrie with the Challice in his hand as he went to say Masse receiued a message from Ignace to come to him presently The Iesuit obeied him and left his Vestments and Chalice Ignace askt him if he did not mislike this commaundement No quoth he I hold it for verie good sith it came from you Know then quoth Ignace that I sent not for thee because I had any thing to say to thee but onely of purpose to make triall of thy obedience And thou hast done a more meritorious worke in leauing the Sacrifice thou wast about to offer then if thou hadst offered it So that although the Sacrament of the Altar of God be of such importance as it is yet Obedience is better then Sacrifice as it is writtē Another time as a Iesuit priest was hearing the cōfession of a yong gentleman Ignace sent for him to whō when the Priest had answered that he would not faile to come to him as soon as he had giuē absolution to the penitēt Ignace not content with this answer sent for him the secōd time Which this Confessor seeing intreated the Gentleman to haue patiēce went presently to Ignace who at the first word spake thus to him What Must I send twice for thee And sharpely rebukt the man with verie bitter words not because he had any thing for him to do but to make him know what obedience he must vse in things that are seriously enioyned him If he might haue entred into an examination and consideration of the sinne the honour dignitie good order and dutie to the Church forbad these two Iesuit Priests to obey their Generall But he would not take this for payment because it appertained not to the inferiour to enter into consideration whether there were sinne in the matter or no neither is wisedome to be lookt for at his hands that is commaunded but at his that commandeth These are then indeed very dallyings these are mockeries these are illusions and fancies by which the Iesuit would abuse vs when hee alleages that he is not boūd to obey if he find any apparence of euill in the commandement For contrariwise all sinnes are couered and blotted out when he obeyes This is that Gentlemen which I had to say this morning and because after we haue fed our mindes with discourse it seemes to me high time to refresh our bodies with some nourishment I pray you hold me excused if I proceed no further yet with protestation that after dinner I will declare to you at larg all that seemes to me to be behind of this matter CHAP. 19. ¶ Of the wisedome of Ignace and the sottishnes of the newe Iesuits A Dialogue betwixt the Iesuit and the author of this discourse THe companie not onely yeelded to the Aduocates motion but also thankt him for the paines he had taken and promist to take all of vs being resolued to heare him as fauourably after dinner as we had doone in the morning But the Gentleman said If I be King in my house as the Collier is in his I appoint this afternoone be spent in walking and especially you particularly my good friend quoth he to the Aduocate are permitted to giue your thoughts leaue to play till to morrow morning when if it please God we will make an end of our discourse As he appointed so it was done Dinner was brought in the cloth taken away euerie man rose vp to go whither it pleased him into the Garden into the walks into the Parke into the fields meadowes or woods For our hosts house had all this varietie For my part I went to the Iesuit whom I found reasonable wel disposed after we had walkt two or three turnes togither I said to him What thinke you of our Aduocate For in my opinion though much of his speech were to verie good purpose yet he went somewhat too far in reproaching thē of your order It is not for me to iudge of him quoth he For if I say he spake well I shall wrong our Societie if ill you will thinke it is to flatter my felowes In fine which way so euer you take it I may well be accepted against Away with these points of Rhetorick quoth I you and I are heere in a place of truth where wee are not to dissemble Do you not remember you haue read in Herodotus that when the wise puts off her smock in bed by her husband shee puts of shame to Sith you haue cast off the habite of your Order I suppose it is very easie for you to cast off also that hypocrisie which your ilwillers say lodges in your Houses You are a trauailer and Homer could not tell how to represent the wisedom of men better then in an Vlisses that had seene diuers Countries Sith you were chosen by your Generall to passe from countrey to countrey to sound the diuersity of our behauiours and opinions that you might make report thereof to him it is not likely but that at one time or other when you are alone in the fieldes you vvill finde leysure to play the Phylosopher in considering the carriage of your Societie Therefore I hartilie pray you tell me plainly and trulie what your opinion is of them and withall of this discourse of our Aduocate For although you are meruailously kept vnder by your Constitutions yet your thoughts are free The Law-maker of your Order was not able to take any order for them Then said the Iesuit sith you cōiure me in so friendlie a manner I should be very discurteous if I should not satisfie you The Aduocate is too blame but not so much as some man would thinke If he haue spoken ill of our Societie wee are the cause of it No man is hurt but by himselfe The greatest secret that I finde in matter of religion is that the secret◠of them be not made commonly knowne that euerie religious person according to the profession he makes liues in peace of cōscience I see that amongst the olde Priests of the Heathen law greatest account was made of the Druides there was nothing that got them so much credit as an auncient policie of not leauing theyr doctrine in wryting but to keepe it secret and deliuer it from hand to hand by a long tradition from their auncesters to their successours If wee had followed the wisedome of our great and wise Ignatius wee had neuer faln into this inconuenience For it was his opinion that wee should keepe our selues close and hidden so that the people might haue no knowledge of our gouernment To the end that our ceremonies or to speake better our deuotions might be seene of the people but not read Our enemies then spake of vs if I may so say but by gesse Now our Bulls and Constitutions are suffered to come to this and that mans handling I doubt
life of any man lesse ouer the life of the Chauncellour who was a chiefe man in the execution of the iustice of the Land Furthermore hee added that besides hee had no charge from the Prince of Pâ—â—â—â—â— to employ his money in such stade â—â—d Merchandize Matellinus beeing wâ—â—beloued of the King his Maister had two offices to wit the Chauncelloure the chiefe Secretaries of estate that after his death there were two great Lords worse then he to the Catholicke who beeing favoured of the King would part between them the spoyle of the other To be short that for an vncertaine good thing which a man might promise vnto himselfe hee should not accomplish a certaine euill thing no though a man were assured of good to come therby And seeing the question was touching the aduancing of Christian religion this should be the meanes wholie to ruinate the same in as much as men went about to promote iâ— by slaughter and murther and that to the great scandale of all in generall the perpetuall dishonour of the holy order of the Iesuits in speciall And thus spake Bruse in his conscience as one that hauing spent all his youth in theyr Colledges bare them all manner of reuerence And yet Father Crichton would not yeeld for all this for hee his companions haue they common places of antiquitie but yet euil alleaged to prooue that murthers and such like vvicked practizes are permiâ—ted By meanes whereof Bruse being more importuned then before demaunded of him whether in a good conscience hee might consent to that enterprise or whether he could dispence there-withall To which the Iesuit replyed that hee could not but this that the murther beeing committed by him and hee comming to confesse himselfe vnto him hee would absolue him of it Then Bruse replyed in these 〈◊〉 Sith your reuerence acknowledgeth that I must confesse my selfe of it you also thereby acknowledge that I should commit a sinne and I for my part know not whether when I haue done it God would giue me grace and inable me to confesse it And thereto I verilie belieue that the cofession of an euill that a man hath done of set purpose vnder aâ— intent to confesse himselfe thereof to haue absolution of it is not greatly auâ—lable and therefore the surest way for mee is not to put my selfe into such hazard and danger And so my Maister Iesuit missed at that time of his purpose But afterwards hee know verie well to haue his reuenge for it For the Duke of Parmâ— being dead and the Countie Fuentes a Spaniard and Nephew to the Duke of Alua comming in his place Crichtou accused Bruse of two crimes before the said Countie The one that he had ill managed the Kings treasure The other that he was a Traytor because he would not disburse money to cause Metellenus to be slame and thys was the principall marke at which the Accuser aymed A great fruit certainly in the Iesuit common wealth for which hee was worthily kept prisones in Bruxells full fourteene months together For as concerning the first point Crichton made no great account of that but touching the second he to the vttermost stood vpon it and that so much the more because the prisoner demind not the crime The processe had his course At the last after that Bruse had beene a long time troubled and afflicted the prisons were opened to him and he was set free but not with any commaund to that holy Father the Iesuit no not so much as to repayte his good nume or to pay his costs dammages or losses whatsoeuer The reason whereof was as a man may easily belieue it that hauing attempted this deuout accusation he did nothing at all therein but that which might be directly referd to the holy propositions of his owne Order CHAP. 3. ¶ Concerning the murther which William Paâ—â—y a◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man thrust â—â—theâ—â—â— by the Iesuits 〈…〉 against Elizabeth Queene of England in the yeere â—â—84 HE that writ the humble temonsâ—â—ance petition to the King minding to make it appeare that men slaundeâ—ouâ—â—y accused the Iesuits of hauing a purpose to attempt any thing against the Queene of England sayth thus In respect of English people those that 〈◊〉 â—â—rite of these matter 〈◊〉 witnes our faithfulnesse and neuer yet durst accuse vs of attempting any thing against the Queene in her estate those that meant to calumâ—â—â—â— charge vs there with all could neuer fasten their lies and leasings vpon out bâ—bâ—â—â—â—â—s and cause gâ—t of 〈◊〉 selues by any probable or likely reason of truth But now I will shew that this Iesuit is a second Heredotus And let him not thinke but I doe him great honor when I resemble him to that great personage whoÌ„ men say was the first Father of a lying historie William Parry Doctor in the Lawes a man full of vnderstanding but yeâ— more full of his pleasures delights after that â—e had consumed all his owne stocke substance and the greatest part of his wiueâ— also yeâ— charged with a great controâ—â—sâ—e and question against Hâ—gh Hare Gentleman of the Temple purposed in the yeere 1582. to take the mind and to faile into Prâ—â—â—ce where being arriued and come particularly to the cittie of Paris and purposing to be familiar with certaine Enlish Gentleman that â—â—â—â—led ouâ— of theyr Coâ—â—â—â—y for theyr religion they doubted to be familiar with him thinking that he came expresly to them to spy out their actions By meanes whereof hee tooke his iourney to Lyons and from thence to Venice where euen at his first entrance because hee was an Englishman hee was put into the Inquisition but he yeelded so good an account touching Catholique religion that his Iudges found he had a desire and dutie to returne beeing â—â—beloued of all the Catholiques and particularly of Father Bonnet Palmeo a Iesuit of great reputation amongst his owne brother hood After wards he tooke a concâ—t to do such an act as be once did that in old time burned the Temple of Diana at Ephesus that so hee might be spoken of for it Hee plotted to kill the Queene his naturall Ladie and Soueraigne by the same meanes to set fire on and in the foâ—â—e corners and quarters of England making thys the ground vvorke of his practise and enterprise and that as well to deliuer his Countrie from tyrannie and oppression as to aduaunce to the Crowne Marie the Queene of Scots vvho vvas a Catholick Princesse â—erest of the bloud to succeed An oponion and conceit that came from his owne instinct and motion without acquainting the Scottish Queene any whit at all before his departure as hee afterwards confessed when hee was in person But because this enterprise and attempt was verie hawtie and that he vndertooke it with a great blow to his conscience before God he conferred hereof with Palmiâ— the Iesuit who according to the ordinarie Maxim and principle of that Sect did not onely
from thence forward Father Claudius Mathew Prouinciall of Paris deales in the matter more earnestly then before sits and assists in all delibe rations and counsels takes vpon him a iourney vnto Rome Father Henry Sammier another into Spayne where they so wel acquitted themselues in their Embassages that Pope Gregorie the 13. and the Spanish King promised each for his part a great summe of money towards the maintenance of this warre The Embassadors being once returned we beheld Ensignes displaid Fraunce couered with souldiers and many Townes surprised wherein there neuer had beene any exercise of new Religion Now might you see three parties on foot the Kings very much entangled that of the holy League so was the Iesuits warre intituled that of the Religion for so the Hugonots did terme their faction Pope Gregorie died then feared the Iesuit he should loose halfe of his credit for which cause father Mathew returned backe to Rome where he found Pope Sixtus chosen of whom to his exceeding great contentment he obtained the like promise his predecessor had made him before In his return he died at Ancona the yere 1588. by means wherof a new suit is begun by Father Odon Pigenat a Burgonian theÌ„ elected Prouincial of France by decease of Mathew which was not reiected by Sixtus This gaue occasion to certaine Catholiques not onely to propound a peace but euen to wish it in their soules Yet not withstanding some there were that would haue bridled our thoughts for this proposition disliked our Iesuits There be two sorts of Catholiques the one called Pollititians of worse condition then Hugonots because they wisht for peace the other zealous Catholiques or Leaguers beloued of the commmon people because they desired an endlesse warre a distinction that planted a Nurserie of warres betweeene Catholique and Catholique and withal procured a peace with our common enemy What say I a peace we put hereby a sword into his hands to beat vs with we opened him the way to raunge in to come forward to thriue to increase without our resistance we who had enfeebled our selues by this same new diuision Armes were taken on all hands and yet was it not a ciuill warre only it was a general throat-cutting all France ouer which to remedy our two Kings had successiuely need of all their peeces and so the Hugonot came by a good part in their quarrell for the maintenance support of the State And the Iesuits Colledges were manifestly the places whereto the other side vsually resorted There were forged their Gospells in Cyphers which they sent into diuers countries there were their Apostles bestowed into sundry Prouinces some to vpholde the troubles by their preaching as their father Iames Commolet within Paris and their father Bernard Rouillet within Bourges others to commit murther and bloudshed as Varade the same Commolet Not so much but father Odon Pigenot seased in all credit prerogatiue and authoritie among the Sixteene of Paris dregs of the vulgar and entertainers of sedition A thing all Iesuits agree on in the bookes which they haue published since the yeere 94. I haue said and truly said that Iesuitisme argeeth with the Anabaptists opinion in two propositions In medling with State matters and in causing Princes and Kings to be murthered accordingly to the conueniencie of their affaires I will adde that in the carriage of this Iesuiticall warre within Fraunce there was some conformitie of names betweene this and that the Anabaptists vndertooke in Germanie the yeere 1535. For they had one Iohn Mathew their chiefe Prophet vnder Iohn Leydon their king and one Bernard Rotman and Bernard Cniperdolin principal actors in their faction for the seducing of simple people euen as our Iesuits had their father Clauaius Mathew Bernard Rouillet I will not here recite the other particulars of our troubles being contented plainely to haue shewed vnto you that our Iesuits were the first Seminaries thereof onely I will discourse what fruit we haue reaped by them God withdrawing his anger from vs would in the ende appease all matters In this reestablishment the Hugonots who during our troubles thinke they haue beene some instruments of keeping the Crowne on the Kings head as well as other Subiectes which were Catholiques haue also thought that after the peace was made they ought not to bee accounted as outcastes from among vs therefore haue they importuned the King by sundry requests to restore them to their auncient Priuiledge graunted them by the Edicts of Pacification from which since the peace of the yeere 77. they haue beene almost wholly driuen Wee haue said they followed yours and the last Kings fortunes during your troubles we haue exposed our liues and goods for the vpholding of your royall estate against the Iesuiticall faction which called in a Sraunger to make him Lord and Maister of your Kingdome Is it meete that wee for our good seruice to you should loose our part in your common-wealth and gouernment and that the Iesuits for hauing vsed all the badde practises they could against you should beare sway rule and triumph in your Realme of Fraunce What could a wise and prudent King doe in this case being prest with so iust a Petition as this was What but assent thereunto to auoid of two mischiefes the greater and not to fall backe into that gulph out of which we were newly but escaped Tell me I beseech you to whom are we beholding for this last Alarum in Fraunce but onely to our Iesuits the firebrands of our latest troubles Which troubles had they not beene the Hugonots credit had beene vtterly ouer-throwne This is one bond amongst other wherein we stand obliged to that holy Societie of Iesus CHAP. 12. ¶ That Auriculer confession hath beene vsed by the Iesuits as a chiefe weapon for the rebellion and in what sort they are wont to manage it IN vaine doe wee leuell our course to the works of pietie vnlesse confession leade the way and a due worthy repentance follow This is the Iesuit licenced to exercise vppon all in generall that present themselues before him to the preiudice of Ordinaries but by a meruailous priuiledge such as vvas neuer graunted to any Munk no not to Curats themselues who of all Ecclesiasticall persons next vnto Bishops are most authorised that way The tenor of the Bull graunted by Paulus tertius in the yeere 1545. is thus After he hath giuen them permission to preach in all places where they pleased he addes Nec non illis ex vobis qui presbyteri fuerint quorumcunque vtriusque sexus Christi fidelium ad vos vndecunque accedentium confessiones audiendi confessionibus eorum diligenter auditis â—psos eorum singulos ab omnibus singulis eorum peccatis criminibus excessibus delictis quantumcunque grauibus enormibus etiam sedi Apostolicae reseruatis à quibusuis ex ipsis casibus resultantibus sententijs censuris poenis Ecclesiasticis exceptis contentis in Bulla quae
I wil seeke no more assured testimonie then this Aquauiua their Generall perceiuing that he could not make so good aduantage of these troubles as hee had at the beginning promised vnto himselfe caused the Prouincialls Rectors most auncient Fathers of theyr Societie to be summoned to meete at a generall Synode which he appointed to be holden in Rome This depended some sixe months in which meane time the King taunged himselfe into the bosome of the Church in Iuly 1593. From that time forward euery man bent his studie to mediate a good peace through Fraunce and to make way thereunto were concluded two or three seuerall truces the vsuall Kalender of a peace to ensue During thes◠cessations men had safe enter course frō one partie to the other This opportunitie doe the Iesuits lay hold on as being sent them frō heauen to worke an attempt vpon the Kings person Barriere is the man that freely offers himselfe to this seruice but without successe These honest Fathers perceiuing that all their practises as well in generall as in particuler fell short of their dessignes made shewe as if they would by theyr Synode make a finall end of the warres betweene the Princes In the month of Nouemb. 1593 was this decree made Vt ab omni specie mali abstineatur querelis etiam ex falsis suspicionibus This decree is at large set down in the accusation of the Iesuits in the yeere 1594. prouenientibus praecipitur nostris omnibus in virtute sanctae obediētiae sub poena inhabilitatis ad quaenis officia diguitates seu praelationes vocisque tam actiuae quā passiuae priuationes ne quispiam publicis seculariū Principum negotijs vlla ratione se mimiscere nec etiam quantumuis per quoscumque requisitus aut rogatus eiusmodires tractandi curam suscipere audeat vel presumat Idque serio commendatur Superioribus ne permittant nostros ijs rebus vll◠modo implicari si quos ad ea propensos animaduerterent eos loco mutandos quam primum commutent si alicubi sit occasio vel periculum se eiusmodi implicationibus irretiendi That there may bee an abstinence sayth hee from all appearance of euill and to meete vvith all complaints howsoeuer grounded vppon wrongfull surmises be it enioyned to our Collegiats in vertue of the holy obedience and vpon paine of beeing made vncapable of any office dignitie or promotion to loose their voice or suffrage as wel actiue as passiue that none of thē presume be he neuer so much therevnto praied and required by whomsoeuer to entermeddle in matters publique and belonging to secular Princes And be it straightly commaunded to the Superiours not to suffer those of our Societie to entangle themseles by anie meanes in such affaires and in case they shall obserue any of them to be thereunto enclined that they remoue them to another country out of hand if in that place there be opportunitie or danger to wrap themselues into such intangles The Iesuits make great vse of this Article in pretending that by vertue of this Decree they are restrayned from entermedling in those matters and I as great in affirming that notwithstanding this Decree they haue intermedled But ô holy blinded obedience vvhere doost thou now reside If thou be of the first principall essence of their vowes it must needer followe that all the chiefe Fathers of that Order are hereticks in their sect For since this great and holy decree Father Iames Commolet did notwithstanding intermeddle in those affaires who in a Sermon taking his text out of the third chapter of the Iudges wherein was mention of one Ehud that murdred Eglon and saued himselfe by flight After he had long time thundred touching the death of Henry the third and placed the Iacobin that accursed Iudas amongst the soules of the blessed at last exclayming with open throate he said We stand in neede of an Ehud be he Munke or souldier or souldiers boy or shepheard is skills not but wee neede an Ehud Wee want but that feate to bring our matters to the passe which our soules desire This was strōgly enforced against thē by Arnault but neither he that wrote the Defence against his Accusation nor Montaignes haue toucht it in their aunswer which perswades mee that they are agreed vppon that poynt Wallpole the Iesuit in the yeere 97. deliuered a poysonous confection to Squire there-with to make away the Queene of England his Soueraigne The Iesuits at Doway in 98 sent the Cooper of Iper to kill Graue Maurice of Nassaw haue all these performed obedience to this synodall decree Adiew religion of the Iesuits as I said to a friend of mine of that Societie seeing your obedience hath broken rank For you doe not onely disobey your particuler Superiors but that also which hath beene decreed in foll chapter by your whole Order Whereunto he wisely made aunswer that I did much misinterprete the Article which did not beare an absolute and simple restraint from medling in those affaires but in case the Superior perceiued there might danger growe by intermedling therein Si alicubi sit occasio vel periculum se eiusmodi implicationibus irretiendi This decree then is but meerly to blind the eyes of Princes that they may stand lesse vppon their guard then heretofore they haue done And to speake truth to deale in state matters and to practise the death of Princes are as essentiall parts of their function as their Confession it selfe CHAP. 14. ¶ Whether the Iesuits haue Spanish harts as their enemies charge them to haue or if they be for Who giues most I Heare many thunder against the Iesuits charging them to be Spanish in hart and affection they on the otherside seeme to feare nothing more then to incurre thys opinion in Fraunce I purpose presentlie to deliuer them of this feare and for a neede to become their Aduocate in this poynt not so much for the good affection I beare them as that the truth enioynes mee thereunto It 's true they fauoured the Spanish proceedings about the middle and end of our troubles which makes them feare least the memorie thereof should be reuiued but that their harts are Spanish I vtterly deny It proceeded not of any especiall deuotion which they had to the late King of Spayne more then to any other Prince but for that following the course of Iesuits who measure the right and iustice of a cause by the aduauntage of theyr owne affaires they deuote themselues vsually to him whom they suppose to haue the strongest partie and from whom they stand in expectation of greatest commoditie which is no small secret in matters of state for them which in their harts stand neutrall indifferent The same lesson was likewise put in practise in time of our last troubles by Pope Sixtus the fist a man of as great wisedome gouernment as euer came in Rome Such was the contagion of those times after the
death of the two Brothers at Blois that certaine young Diuines infected with the poyson of the Iesuits loosed the reines to subiects against their King in the yeere 1589. notwithstanding themselues confessed at that time that their aduise in this poynt ought not to take place without the formall confirmation of the Sea Apostolicke Neuerthelesse Commolet the Iesuit and his adherents the day following sounded the Trumpet of warre in their Pulpets against the King deceased affirming withall that it was confirmed by Decree Whereupon insued those outragious disorders which wee haue seene in Fraunce since that time To take Armes against his Soueraigne was heresie but much greater heresie was it not to tarrie for the allowance or disallowance of the holy Sea So that this was to offer violence to two Soueraigne powers at once the spirituall power of the Apostolicall Sea and the temporall power of the King And Pope Sixtus if hee had pleased might with one stroake of his pen haue extinguisht all our troubles by excōmunicating all those who without his knowledge authoritie had presumed to arme themselues against their King whom hee knewe to be a most deuout Catholique But he kept himselfe well enough from that for in so dooing he should haue excōmunicated them who at that time had all the strength on their part in fauour of a poore King against whom heauen earth seemed to conspire Contrariwise he conuented him to Rome to answer that he had done against al the lawes customs liberties and priuiledges of our Countrie of Fraunce Our King now raigning was at his first comming to the Crowne of a contrarie religion to ours and it pleased the Pope at the first to censure him for such a one but when hee once came to knowe his valour and that his enemies did but feede his holinesse with false bruits of imaginarie victories he began to shrink his head out of the coller and would neuer after haue any hand in the matter And from that day forward vsed the King vnderhand with all the curtesie that coulde be desired Neither doe you thinke for all this that Sixtus stood the worse affected to the King that dead is or the better to him that now raigneth but he thereby out of his vvisedom fauoured the more his owne proceedings Albeit certaine foolish Schollers charged him a little before his death that hee was inclined to the Kings partie And vppon this challenge some rash spirits haue not spared to say that he was poysoned whereunto I will giue no credite although it were true The like may be said of our Iesuits who ayme at nothing else but the aduauncement of theyr Common-wealth which they entitle The Societie of Iesus which as it hath take his originall and increase from nothing but from the Troubles so doe they shoote at nothing but to disturbe those countries wherein they remaine in that disturbance they euer encline to those which are able to maister the weaker part as I will make good by an ocular demonstration After they had set fire to the foure corners and midst of Fraunce and that the late King was brought to a narrow straight they deuoted themselues to him aboue the rest that was the Captaine generall of the League because all things fell happilie on his side And as long as Fortune smiled vppon him all theyr Sermons vvere of nothing but his greatnes and merrits But when they once perceiued that hee beganne to decline and that he was forced to call to the King of Spayne for assistance then beganne they likewise to turne theyr face from the Duke wedding themselues to the partie of a King whom they esteemed to be exceeding mightie There is at this day a new King in Spayne what his good or ill fortune shall be is knowne to GOD onelie For my part it shall neuer grieue me to see as many Crownes on his heade as were on his Fathers the late deceased King Imagine that for a new opinion of war vvhich is easily harboured in the braine of a young Prince he should breake with vs and that our affaires should haue prosperous successe in his dominions bee assured you should see our Iesuits altogether French albeit they were Spaniards by birth These are true birds of pray that houer in the ayre It was wel befitting the person of a soueraigne prince to play that part which Sixtus did but for a subiect it is an ill president a matter of dangerous consequence This is to prooue that which way soeuer you turne your thoughts you shall finde no reason why the Iesuits should be nourisht within a kingdome who are as many I will not say espialls but enemies to theyr Prince if he fortune to prooue the weaker And for a neede if there should happen newe factions in Rome and that the Pope were put to the worst hee himselfe should feele the effects thereof notwithstanding the particuler homage which they sweare vnto him at euerie change of the Sea Scarcely had the Aduocate finisht this discourse but the Gentleman replyed Take heede you be not deceiued and that this your position doe not imply a contradiction For if the Iesuit bee naturallie addicted to him that is most beneficiall to him as you hold then must it of consequence followe that hee is naturally Spanish and not French VVill you know the cause hee is sure that what trouble soeuer hee may breede in the consciences of these and these priuate men by his nevve kinde of confessions yet shall hee neuer be able to get such footing in the whole Realme of Fraunce as hee hath alreadie in Spayne wherein the supreame Magistrate is fallen from one extremitie into another For the Spaniards beeing of olde accused to be halfe Pagans as holding a mungrell Religion and not wholie Christian doe novve in these dayes to purge themselues of that calumnious accusation for so I will suppose it to be they speciallie and aboue all others embrace the Iesuits esteeming them vassales to the Papacie without all clause or exception And vpon thys opinion they graunt them in theyr Citties an infinite number of prerogatiues aboue the common people yea euen aboue the Magistrates themselues whom they rule at their pleasures And albeit antiquitie haue giuen vs in Fraunce the title of the eldest sonnes to the Catholique Apostolick Romane Church yet is it with certaine qualifications vvhich the Iesuits shall neuer be able to remoue out of our heads what soeuer shewe of continuation they bring to the contrarie And that is the cause why they supposing their commoditie vvould be greater if the Spaniard were Maister of all Fraunce then at this present it is will euermore leane to that side rather then to ours albeit they were naturally French These are pollititians which cleaue rather to the certaine then to the vncertaine Thinke not your selfe interrupted by thys short Parenthesis but if you please fall againe into your discourse I will doe soe aunswered the Aduocate and I vvill tell
a full congregation for their Aduocate Hauing prepared my selfe for the cause being armed with that sacred Decree which the facultie of Diuinity had pronounced against them in the yeere 1554. where those two great pillers of our Catholique Religion Monsieur Picard and Monsieur Maillard were assistants I was perswaded that I was able with a free and vncontrouled conscience to encounter hand to hand with this monster which being neyther Secular nor Regular was both togither and therefore brought into our Church an ambiguous or mungrell profession We pleaded this case two whole forenoones Maister Peter Versoris and I he for the Iesuits I for the Vniuersitie before an infinite multitude of people who attended to see the issue thereof Maister Baptist du Menill the Kings Aduocate a man of great sufficiencie was for me In my declaration I alledged the irrigularitie of their profession the iudgement and determination of the whole facultie of Diuinitie pronounced against them tenne yeeres before the obiection made by Monsieur Bruslard the Kings Attorney Generall against their admittance for that their vow was cleane contrarie to ours that if we should harbour them in our bosome we should bring in a Schisme amongst vs and besides so many espials for Spayne and sworne enemies to Fraunce the effects whereof wee were like to feele vpon the first chaunge that the iniquitie of time might bring vpon vs. Notwithstanding for the conclusion we were referred to Counsell Eyther partie both got and lost the day For neither were they incorporated into the Vniuersity nor yet prohibited to continue their accustomed readings When God hath a purpose to afflict a realme he planteth the roots thereof long time before hand These new-come guests blind and bewitch the people by shewes of holines and fayre promises For as if they had the gift of tongues which the holy Ghost infused into the Apostles they made their boasts that they forsooth went to preach the Gospel in the midst of barbarous and sauage people they that God knowes had ynough to do to speake their mother tongue With these pleasant baits did they inueigle and draw the multitude into their snares But as they had brought in a motly religion of Secular and Regular disturbing by meanes thereof all the Hierarchie of our Church so did they intend to trouble thence-forward all the politique states in Christendome In as much as by a newe inuented rule they beganne to mingle and confound the State with their religion And as it is easie to fall from liberty to vnbridled licence so did they vpon this irriguler rule of theirs ground the most detestable heresie that can be deuised affirming that it is lawfull to murther any Prince that should not conforme himselfe to their principles treading vnder foot both the checke which our Sauiour gaue to Saint Peter when he drew his sword in his defence and the Canon of the Councell of Constance whereby they were pronounced accurst that set abroach this position When I pleaded the cause I mentioned not these two propositions against them For though they bred them in their hearts yet had they not as yet hatched them only I said that there was no good to be hoped for of this monster but that they would euer put in practise eyther that principle which was broched by the old Moūtainer who in time of our wars beyond the Seas dispersed his subiects called cut-throats or murtherers through the the Prouinces to slay the Christian Princes or that horrible Anabaptisme which sprung vp in Germanie when we were young this should I neuer haue imagined Notwithstanding both the one and the other Maxime hath beene by them put in execution in the sight and knowledge of all Christendome For as concerning the first there is no man but knowes that they hauing set foot in Portugall not vnder the title of Iesuits but of Apostles they sollicited King Sebastian by all maner of illusions to make an vniuersall law that none might be called to the Crowne vnlesse he were of their Societie and moreouer elected by the consent suffrages of the same VVhereunto they could not attayne albeit they met with the most deuout and superstitious Prince that could be And not to lead you out of our owne countrie of Fraunce they were the men that kindled the first coales of that accursed League which hath beene the vtter ruine and subuersion of the land It was first of all debated amongst them and being concluded they constituted their Fathers Claudius Matthaeus a Lorrain and Claudius Sammier of Luxembourg for so are their Priests of greatest antiquitie called to be their trumpets for the proclayming thereof ouer all forraine nations And after that time did they with open face declare themselues to be Spaniards as well in their Sermons as publique Lectures In fauour of whom they attempted to bring their second principle into practise not all the while that the King was diuided from vs in religion for they knew that was a barre sufficient to keepe him from the Crowne but as soone as they saw him reclaymed into the bosome of the Church they set on worke one Peter Barriere a man resolute for execution but weake and tender in conscience whom they caused to be confessed in their Colledge at Paris afterwards to receiue the Sacrament and hauing confirmed him by an assured promise of Paradise as a true Martyr if he died in that quarrell set forward this valiant Champion who was thrise at the the verie point to execute his accursed enterprise and God as often miraculously stayed his hand vntill at length being apprehended at Melun he receiued the iust hyre of his trayterous intention in the yeere 1593. I speake nothing but what mine eyes can witnesse and what I had from his owne mouth when he was prisoner View peruse all the impieties that you will you shall find none so barbarous as this To perswade an impietie and then to couer it with such a seeming maske of pietie In a word to destroy a soule a King Paradise and our Church all at a blow to make way for their Spanish and halfe-Pagan designements All these new allegations caused the Vniuersitie of Paris the Citie being brought vnder the Kings obedience to renew their former suit against them which had beene stayed before time by the Counsels appoyntment The cause was pleaded effectually and learnedly by Maister Authonie Arnald but when the processe was brought to the verie poynt of Iudgement there fell out another accident which made them proceed roundly thereunto Iohn Chastell a Paritian of the age of 19. yeeres a graft of this accursed Seminarie stroke our king Henris the fourth with a knife in his Royall Pallace of the Louvre in the midst of his Nobilitie He is taken his processe being commenced and finished sentēce ensueth dated the 29. of December 1594. the tenour wherof followeth Being viewed by the Court the great Chamber and the Tournel being assembled the arraignement of processe criminall begun
not by his silence condemned our Accusers and giuen most assured testimonie of our innocencie If since that time it haue condemned vs that proceeded not of the due and formall pleadings of the Aduocates or of any aduantage of law which our aduersaries had against vs it is an inconuenience vvhich hath condemned vs in costs but not ouer-throwne our cause And vvithin a fewe leaues after In Iuly 1594 at what time the processe was reuiued by two pleading Aduocates they charged vs with Barriere and framed many like imputatiōs to agranate this crime against our credite and reputation But all these were but blunt assertions not sharpe proofes proceeding frō the tongue and not from the truth the Court made no reckoning of them and by their silence cleered acquited vs. Rene de la Fon followeth his steppes and goeth about to proue in like manner that the cōdemning of Chastell is the acquiting of all their Societie in as much as hee being racked and tortured appeached none of them But theyr intelligence was very bad in this matter For albeit this wretched fellow by his aunswers and interrogatories to him ministred spared the names of particulers yet did he accuse the whole Order in generall as I wil verifie hereafter more at large Moreouer these Iesuits seeme to be both of them altogether ignorant in the course of Iudgements pronounced by those high Courts The Court saith the first hath not forthwith proceeded to iudgemēt in this cause notwithstanding the sharp accusations wherewith we were charged Ergo by his silence it pronounced vs guiltlesse Furthermore Barriere his fact was laid to our charge yet the Court would not presently condemne vs Ergo the Court intended by silence to acquite vs thereof I beseech you seeing you professe your selues to be Logicians to haue the start of all men in scholasticall Diuinitie by what principles can you make good these conclusions Yet are they not strange to proceede from a Iesuits pen. For these reuerent Fathers are in place and authoritie to cōdemne Kings without hearing them and to abandon their realmes and lay thē open for a pray to him that can possesse himselfe thereof◠as they did to the last King High and soueraigne Courts obserue another manner of proceeding They heare the Counsell on both parties yet rest not thereupon but in such important causes as this especially they remit their iudgement or sentence to their better leysure and to theyr second thoughts The like course was held in their cause Arnauld and Dole vrged in their Declarations the tragical historie of Barriere the Court gaue no credite therevnto and not without good consideration In as much as it was requisite for them to view Barriere his triall or processe which was made at Melun by Lugoly that they might be throughly informed of what had there passed But alas Iesuit what is become of thy wit Thou doost acknowledge this Court to consist of the greatest ornaments of the Law which the world yeeldeth as elsewhere also that referring both parties to counsell they had proceeded without passion or partialitie and yet in the instant thou changest thy note challenging it to haue done iniustice in grounding their sentence against you vpon Chastell who had not accused you Iudges proceede indirectly when eyther they want skill to iudge or that their iudgements are corrupted by hatred fauour or other such partial affections Neither of these defects can be shewed in the managing of your cause as your selfe confesse therefore it is presumption in vs both in you to assay by Sophistrie out of your shallowe braine to elude this sentence in mee to endeuour by reasons and arguments to maintaine and vphold the fame Let it suffice vs that it is a Decree or Arrest and it is our part therefore to rest our iudgements there-vppon In all causes especially in those of weight and importance like this GOD is in the midst of the Iudges to inspire and direct them Many times a man that hauing heard a case pleaded on both sides prepared himselfe in his minde either to acquite or condemne this or that partie yet when hee heares the first Iudge deliuer his opinion hee changeth his mind yea oftentimes it falleth out that one word vttered by the first giueth new light to him that secondeth when as happely he that spake it dreamt not thereon and when it cōmeth to the casting of the Bell for by that by-word doe the Lavvyers terme the vp-shot or conclusion of all they gather and collect out of the precedent opinions a generall ayre or abstract whereuppon this sentence is built Doost thou think that Chastells fact was the sole occasion of your fall thou art deceiued The Court had wisely referred the cause to counsell giuiuing thereby to vnderstand that it meant not to proceed therein eyther with passion or rash hastines two great enemies of iustice In the meane time hapned this damnable act committed by one of your schollers the principals which were before disposed to your condemning were taken in hand a fresh in the handling of Chastels cause your cause is adiudged all vnder one The indignitie and detestation therof awaked iustice in the hearts of the Iudges which in your cause might peraduenture haue slept had it not beene thereby stirred and excited And in all this there is nothing wrought by man but by a speciall iudgement of God which wee ought to proclayme through the whole world It is well knowne that your Colledge was the fountayne and seminarie of all those calamities which we endured during the last troubles There was the rebellion plotted and contriued there was it fully and wholly nourished and maintayned your Prouincials your Rectors your deuout Superiours were the first that troad that path they that first and last dealt with this merchandise Your Colledge was the retreat or Randeuous of all such as had vowed and sold themselues aswell to the destruction of the State as to the murther of the King in which your doings you at that time gloried and triumpht both in your Sermons and Lectures The true hearted subiects who had the Flower de Luce imprinted in their breasts beheld this tyranny and sighed in their soules for they durst not giue breath to their sighes all their recourse was to God that it would please him to haue compassion on their miserable estate God suffered you to raigne fiue yeeres and more swaying both people Magistrate and Prince to trie whether there were any hope of your amendment in time The King was no sooner entred into Paris but the iust hatred of the people towards you brake forth the Vniuersitie of Paris stirreth against you and reuiueth their former suite which had beene referred to Counsell in the yeere 1564. the occasion thereof was founded vpon your owne fresh practises and lewd misdemeanours the cause is pleaded by two worthie Lawyers Arnauld and Dole heard with patience discreetly not iudged forthwith by reason of the waightines besides the heat and
choler of those which prosecuted the cause against them might in time coole and asswage as the manner of French men is The Iudges neuer stirre in any cause but as they are vrged thereunto otherwise they should doe themselues wrong and men might say they were rather soliciters then Iudges In this pause the iudgement of your cause was likely to haue beene forgotten when on a sodain beyond all imagination this fact of Chastels came to paste whereby the humors both of the Iudges and of the parties are stirred a fresh This was the houre of Gods wrath who hauing long temporized with your sinnes thought it good to make Chastell a spurre in the hearts of the Iudges to incite them to doe iustice aswell vpon you as vpon him and that you might all serue for an example for posteritie to wonder at To the accomplishing of this worke he permitted that Chastell who had beene nurtured and brought vp in your schoole should assay to put in practise your deuout Lectures and exhortations against the King not in the countrie but in the Citie of Paris and that his dwelling should be not in any obscure corner of the Town but in the verie hart of the City standing as it were in the midst of two other Townes moreouer in a house right opposit to the gate of the Palace the ancient habitation of our Kings of the supreme and soueraigne Iustice of Fraunce This house belonged to the father who was so infortunate as not to reueale to the Magistrate the damnable intention of his sonne wherof he had knowledge as himselfe confessed God made speciall choise of that place of purpose to make the punishment more notorious For in like offences of high Treason the Iudges are in dutie bound to their Soueraigne to cause the habitations of the malefactors to be raced and pulled downe and there to be engrauen a memoriall of the whole proceeding for which cause this house was ruinated raced by order in the place thereof a Pyramis or piller raised bearing the memoriall not onely of Chastells offence but of the Iesuits also and this to stand in opposite view of this great and Royall Pallace To the end that our posteritie may know hereafter how highly Fraunce is beholding to this holy Societie of Iesus Was there euer I say not in Fraunce but in the whole world a more famous or notorious punishment then this CHAP. 20. ¶ Of the Pyramis which is raysed before the Pallace of Paris and of the sentence giuen in Rome by the renowmed Pasquill concerning the restauration of the Iesuits sued for by themselues TEll me Marble saith the hypocriticall Iesuit in his most humble petition speaking of the Pyramis to record and testifie to posteritie the happines of a great King and the misfortune of a great offender what hast thou to doe with a poore guiltlesse Societie hast thou not inough of thy iust burthen but thou must charge thy selfe with his slaunder and defamation that had no hand at all in this fact But sith thy backe hath a tongue to vtter falshoode let thy tongue aunswere me and speake the truth Who hath engrauen vpon thy backe that the Iesuits did prouoke or perswade an vnhappie Frenchman to murther the most Christian King of France what witnes what deposition what confirmation hast thou hereof seeing thou doest take vpon thee to witnesse it to depose it to confirme it so assuredly to all the world Hast thou heard more without eares seen more without eyes then fiue twentie thousand eares as many eyes were able to heare or see at that executiō of iustice in the place of the Greue Dost thou in a brauerie say more then that offender durst say being vrged therunto with such rigorous tortures Assuredly the force of a strong fancie or imagination is great and wonderfull not only to cause these prodigious effects in our minds but euen in our bodies themselues For so we read that Craesus his sonne beeing dumbe recouered speech seeing his father in daunger to be slaine and Cippus a King of Italy sitting to behold the fight of the Buls with a fixt and stedfast apprehension fell a sleepe and when he awaked he felt his forehead planted with a paire of hornes One Lucius Cossitius greedily and furiously apprehending the pleasure which he expected of his wife that should be the first night of his mariage was chaunged into a woman Which makes me greatly feare least this honest Iesuit reading in this Pyramis the generall condemnation of his brother-hood should be transformed into a stone as Niobe was when she saw her children slaine For I alreadie perceiue by him that he hath lost the eyes both of his bodie and mind setting forth with such eagernes the innocencie of his Order and bearing vs in hand that this sentence was builded vpon no other ground but Chastels offence Seing therefore that of a wilfull blindnes thou art ignorant euen in that which the walles themselues can testifie and teach and that thou framest thy speech to a stone I thinke it best that thou shouldest be aunswered by a stone but a most auncient and authentique stone the great and venerable Pasquils of Rome who suiteth and resembleth you in many poynts For as you iudge Kings and Princes by certayne texts of Scripture wrested and misunderstood so hath Pasquill beene allowed from all memorie to do the like by Popes and Cardinals vpon the same texts ordered after his owne liking and appetite And as you by meanes of confession come to to the knowledge of a thousand secrets as well of the publique State as of priuate families so is be priuiledged by aunciēr foundation to receiue intelligence from all countries whereby he layeth open to the world that which men presumed to be hidden from all knowledge Considering which sympathie argreement betwixt you him I make no doubt but you will be the rather inclined to beleeue him For do not think but this cause hath beene by him handled in Rome and with mature deliberation adiudged that for the interest you haue in him he hath left nothing vndone aswell to disanull the sentence and deface the Pyramis as to restore you into Fraunce howsoeuer his endeuours haue wanted successe Heare therefore what he hath written to thee in Italian which I haue translated into French as faithfully as I could it may bee thou wilt rest satisfied thereby Thrice reuerend Father I haue perused at large the humble remonstrance and petition preferred by you to the Most Christian King Henrie the fourth of that name as also the notes and instructions deliuered to Father Magius to present vnto his Maiestie for your re-establishment which wrought in me great pleasure and displeasure both at one instant Pleasure to see the choise and varietie of good words that abound in you displeasure to vnderstand in what euill manner your Fatherhoods haue beene entreated If I mistake not the chiefe marke you ayme at is to
destroy and pull downe the Pyramis for what boote were it for you to be restored vnlesse this stone be taken away whereby you are charged with sundry crimes which you esteeme false and calumnious Seeing therefore your intent was to commence suite against a stone I presumed that the hearing of the cause belonged absolutely to my selfe and to none other And that you may vnderderstand with what diligence and iustice I haue proceeded in the examination thereof I remembred that your cause had been twise pleaded and twise referred to counsell First in the yeere 1564. wherein you were plantiues suing to bee incorporated into the Vniuersitie of Paris Secondly in the yeere 1594. wherein the Vniuersitie of Paris were plantiues requiring that you might be instantly banished and expelled the land To be throughly informed of the first I required a Copie of Pasquier his declaration against you Versoris his Plea for you as also of the latter by Mesmll the Kings Aduocate By all which I found that the onely matter in question at that time was the noueltie and straunge rule of your Order being contrarie to the auncient liberties of the Church of Fraunce And being desirous to be yet further instructed in the matter behold certaine mutinous spirits present me with three bookes on your behalfe In the first were contained the Buls by you obtayned for your commoditie and aduantage In the second were your orders or constitutions diuided into tenne parts In the third the Examen or if I may so terme it the Abstract or abridgement thereof Out of which I collected many poynts which before time were to me altogether vnknowne a simple and absolute vow which your enemies alleage to be full of subteltie and heresie many extraordinarie vsurpations vppon the Ordinaries and Vniuersities a rich kind of pouertie professed by vow a blinded obedience to your Supâ—â—ion for as for that to the Pope I meddle not ther withal your principall Buls wherein it seemes you haue surprised and abused the sanctitie of the holy Sea Whereupon I said that that villaine whatsoeuer he was that brought these bookes out of your Colledges deserued to be hanged for his paynes It is not meet the world should know the secrets of a profest Societie It doth but open mens mouthes to scanne and descant thereupon at their pleasures to the discredit and disgrace of the whole Order But seeing the offender cannot be discouered I thinke it best that these three bookes be sent backe into one of your Colledges there to receiue open discipline for this offence This is not the first time that sencelesse things haue beene dealt withall For in that manner doe we read that the Sea hauing trespassed against Zerxes that wise and prudent king of Persia who had purposed to passe ouer into Greece vpon a bridge of cordes was by him condemned to be whipt As contrariwise the Signiorie of Venice to flatter and infinuate with the Sea is wont yeerely vpon Ascension day to espouse and wed it with a Ring which they present vnto it I assure you when I compared the priuiledges of the Church of Fraunce with yours I stood greatly perplexed what to thinke holding this with my selfe for a law inuiolable that housoeuer all lawes were wauering and vncertaine according to the chaunge and alteration of times yet this stood firme stedfast and immutable that we are to liue according to the lawes of that countrey wherein we defire to liue And finding your Buls and constitutions to goe slat against the liberties of the Church of Fraunce it bred no small scruple in my mind howsoeuer I was inclined or deuoted to fauour your cause Hauing viewed and reuiewed the bookes and euidences concerning the first cause which was referred to counsel I passed ouer to the second instance of the yere 1594. wherin I employed all the powers of my braine Herein you were not called in question for your doctrine or profession any more but for your attempts and practises made aswell against Princes and Princesses as against the seuerall countries wherein you are resident and especially against the Realme of Eraunce A matter full of waight difficultie and of daungerous consequence which caused me for the discharge of my place and conscience to interpose my selfe in this cause contrarie to that custome which I haue hitherto learned and practised For in other cases I receiue such packets as my Vassels and Subiects list to impart giuing credit thereunto vpon their bare relations But in this I haue taken a farre other course For hauing perused your petitionarie booke full of pittie and compassion I sent forth summons to all quarters without exception to come in and speake their knowledge in the matter I directed out Commissions ouer all countries according to the prerogatiue which from all antiquitie hath beene graunted me through the whole state of Christendome to informe me aswell by letters as by witnesses of what I thought requisite for your iustification commaunding all Iudges of what qualitie foeuer vpon payne of a grieuous fine at my pleasure to send me the whole processe aswell criminall as extraordinarie which had passed in your cause being resolued your innocence once verified and confirmed to cast downe this Pyramis and to preferre this sentence into the Inquisition As your selues sometimes caused the censure and determination of the Sorbone pronounced against you in the yeere 1554. to be censured by the Inquisition of Spayne For it is not for euerie man to iustle with your holy Fatherhoods And that which pronoked mee the rather hereunto was your booke wherein reading to my great discomfort the hard measure which hath beene shewen you by the Court of Parliament of Paris yet you acknowledge the said Court to excell all other in knowledge iustice and religion Vpon my summons I must confesse the truth there appeared at the first dash a great troope of French English Scottish Arragonians Portugalls Polanders Flemings Swethlanders who reported much more then I desired to heare And albeit the peoples voyce be the voyce of God if you belieue the coÌ„mon prouerbe yet would not I for the sequell build my iudgment thereon Your owne booke increased my scruple doubt much more then before when for your iustification you say that in the yeere 1593. by a generall Synode holden by your Societie at Rome those of your Order were forbidden to entermeddle henceforward in matters of State which poynt I could not well conceiue They are prohibited said I to entermeddle hence-forward in State matters therefore it is presupposed that heretofore they haue medled therein I cannot be perswaded that these deuout and holie men did euer apply themselues that way because such is the calamitie of our times that in our State affaires wee harbour commonly more impietie then Religion to bring our designements to passe And standing thus in suspence one rounded me in the eare and bad mee be cleere of that poynt for he that made The Defence of the Colledge of Clairmont in
he vsed And that you may not thinke that this Maxime proceedeth from the pliantnes of their consciences which they restraine or extend as best fitteth their profit their good Father Ignace first taught them this dispensation whereof since they haue made a particular constitution The other holy Fathers founders of diuers orders of Religion established diuers ordinances which they fastened if I may so speake with nailes of Diamond in tombs of brasse which should perpetually be obserued by their Munks and other Religious In the Sect of Iesuits there is nothing so certaine as their vncertaintie as I said of late In the Bull of Pope Paule the third it is written as followeth Et quod possint constitutiones particulares quas ad Societatis huiusmodi finem Iesu Christi Domini nostri gloriam ac proximi vtilitateÌ„ conformes esse iudieauerint condere tam hactenus factas quam in posterum faciendas constitutiones ipsas iuxta locorum temporuÌ„ reruÌ„ qua litatem varietatem mutare alterare seu in totum cassare alias de nouo condere possint valeant Quae postea alteratae mutatae seu de nouo conditae fuerint eo ipso Apstolicae sedis authoritate praefata confirmatae censeaniur cadem Apostolica authoritate de speciali gratia indulgemus That they may make saith Pope Paule particular ordinances which they shal iudge fit for the Societie to the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ and the profit of their neighbour And that such as are alreadie made or shall be made hereafter they may chaunge alter or abolish according to the varietie of place time and occasions and in steed of them make new the which so chaunged reuoked or new made we will that they be confirmed by the foresaid authoritie of the Apostolique Sea and by the same authoritie of our speciall grace and fauour we confirme them I haue translated this place word for word and yet when the Bull saith in Latine that the constitutions may be chaunged as shall be fit for the Societie it must be vnderstood for the maintenance and aduancement of the Order Out of this generall constitution they haue drawne one particular which is woorthie to be knowne in the 16. part of their constitutions Chapter 5. the title beginning thus Quod Constitutiones peccati obligationem non inducunt Cum exoptet Societas vniuersas suas Constitutiones declarationes ac viuendi ordinem omnino iuxta nostrum institutum nihil vltraan re declinando obseruari Optet etiam nihilominus suos omnes securos esse vet certè adiuuari ne in laqueum vllius peccati quod ex vi constuationum huiusmodi aut ordinationum proueniat incidant visum est nobis in Domino vt excepto expresso voto quo Societas summo Pontifici pro tempore existente tenetur aecâ—tribus alijs essentialibus Paupertatis Castitatis Obedientiae nullas Constitutiones declarationes vel ordinem vllum viuends posse obligationem ac peccatum mortale vel veniale inducere Nisi Superior ea in nomine Domini Iesu Christi vel in virtute obedientiae iuberet And a little after Et loco timoris offensae succedat amor desiderium omnis perfectionis vt maior gloria laus Christi creatâ—ris ac Domini nostri consequatur That the constitutions may not bind any man in conscience sith the Societie desires that all their constitutions declarations and order of life should be without euasion conformable to our direction and also neuerthelesse wisheth to be secured or at least succourd that they be not snared in any sin which may grow by theyr constitutions or ordinances We haue thought good in the Lord exception taken to the expresse vow wherewith the societie is bound to the Pope for the time beeing and the three other essentiall vowes of Pouertie Chastitie and Obedience that no Constitutions declarations or any order of life shall impose any yoake of mortall or veniall sinne vpon them vnlesse their Superiour commaund those thinges in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ or in the vertue of obedience And againe In stedde of feare of offending let loue and desire of all perfection come in place and let the glory praise of Christ our Lord and Maker be the more exalted By the first article it is lawfull for them to change rechange their constitutions at their own pleasure forsooth for their good By the second their constitutions are held in regard of the soule indifferent so that the Iesuit may breake them without committing mortall or veniall sinne A law which their great Law-giuer gaue them to the end that to Gods honour and glory there might be fewer sinners in theyr societie Oh holy soules oh pure consciences Who restrayning their inferiours from sinne take themselues the reines committing all manner of sinne vncontrouled Let vs examine these poynts without passion and let vs consider the scope of these two propositions By the first no Prince shall be assured of his estate and by the second no Prince shal be secure of his person in his own kingdome Concerning the first poynt call to minde howe matters haue beene carried for these 25. or 30. yeeres There hath beene no Nation where they be fostered but they would be tempering with their affaires of state I think they are such honest men as what herein they haue done they haue vndertaken to doe it by vertue of their silent Constitutions which the auncient Romans termed Senatus-Consulta tacita or if they did it by their owne priuate authoritie the Generall vvere vnworthy of his place should he suffer it Further this was forbidden them in the yeere 1593 when they sawe all their plots meere frustrate Admit newe troubles should arise these gallants will cassiere and disanull this last Ordinaunce suffering their companions to intermedle as before This same Pauline will it not breede in them a trouble-state where euer they become â—manuel Saâ—n his Aphoâ—ismes of confession Montag cap. 58. But what are their rules in such affaires Marry that it is lawfull to kill a Tyrant That a King breaking and contemning the common lawes of the Land may be depriued of his Crowne by the people That there are other causes for the which Princes and great personages may be slaine In what a miserable condition shall Princes liue if the assurance of theyr Estate shall depend vpon these fellowes Let vs see their newe constitutions of 93. I will that they meddle not at all in affaires of state in generall termes And that particulerly they practise not vpon the person of Princes Are they bound to obey this Nothing lesse Inasmuch as their Lawgiuer chargeth not their consciences but in expresse termes he would otherwise haue charged them by vertue of their blinded obedience And this is the cause that Commolet preaching since this new Statute that there wanted a newe Chud to kill our King and Walpoole furnishing Squire with poyson and instructions to kill the
thereof there is not any King or Prince that can defend himselfe from their stings Chap. 1 Touching an extraordinarie processe and course held in the Low countries against Robert Bruse Gentleman of Scotland vpon the accusation information of Father William Critchton Iesuit because he would not cause the Chauncellor of Scotland to the slaine Cha. 2 Concerning the murther which William Parrie an English man thrust on thereto by the Iesuits meant to execute against Elizabeth Queene of England in the yeere 1584. Chap. 3 Of another assault and murther procured in the yeere 1597. by the Iesuits against the Queene of England Chap. 4 That the Iesuits doe at this day make shew to condemne their wicked doctrine in all things concerning eyther the murthering of Princes or rebellion against their states Chap. 5 A prodigious historie of the detestable parricide attempted against King Henry the fourth of that name the most Christian King of Fraunce and Nauarre by Peter Barrier for the raysing vp of the Iesuits Chap. 6 How the heathenish impietie of the Iesuits had been preiudiciall to our Church if their execrable counsel had come to an effect Ch. 7 Of the murther which Iohn Chastell brought vp at Paris in the Iesuits schoole sought to attempt against the King in the yeere 1594. Chap. 8 That it is an heresie to approoue the killing of Kings although they be heretiques Chap. 9 A memorable act of Ignace wherupon the Iesuits haue learnd to kill or cause to be killed all such as stand not to their opinioÌ„s Ch. 10 Of the holy League brought by the Iesuits the yeere 1585. into Fraunce and that they are the cause of the Hugonots new footing among vs. Chap. 1. That Auricular confession hath been vsed by the Iesuits as a chiefe weapon for the rebellion and in what sort they are wont to mannage it Chap. 12 Of a general assembly of the Iâ—â—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 in the 〈◊〉 1593. wherin they are proâ—â—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I le in mâ—â—â—â—rs of State Chap. 13 Whether the Iesuits haue Spanish hâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 their enemies charge them to haue or if they be for who giues most Chap. 14 That the Iesuits were the cause of the â—eâ—th of Mary Queene of Scots together with a briefe discourse what mischiefes they haue wrought in England Chap. 15 That the Iesuits entermedling at matters of State after they haue troubled whole Realmes yet doe all things fall out quite contrarie to their expectation Chap. 16 That the Pope hath not power to translate the Crowne of Fâ—â—nce from one to another against the dangeroâ—â— pâ—â—â—â—â—ons of the Iesuits and some other discourse tending to the same eâ—â—â—ctâ— Chap. 17 The Decree of the Parliament of Paris 〈…〉 Iesuits in the yeere 1594. And a chapter taken out of the â—â—d bâ—â—â—â—â— des Reserches de la Fraunce by Stephen Pasquier Chap. 18 The Iesuits vnder couert termes chalenge the sentence 〈◊〉 against Iohn Chastell of iniustice how God suffâ—ed him 〈…〉 â—â—â—ished to make the punishment of Iesuiâ—â— moâ—e notorious 〈◊〉 posteritie Chap. 19 Of the Pyramis which is raised before the Pallace of Paâ—â—â— and of the sentence giuen in Rome by the renowmed Pasquiâ—ll concerning the restauration of the Iesuits sued for by themselues Chap. 20 Of the diuision which seemes to be in the Parlaments or Iâ—risdictions of Fraunce as concerning the Iesuits and what may be the cause thereof Chap. 21 How the order of the Humiliati was suppressed by Decree of the Consistorie of Rome And that there is greater cause to suppresse the Iesuits then the Humiliati Chap. 22 Of the impudency of the Iesuits to saue themseues from the processe of the consistorie of Rome granted out against the order of the Humiliati Chap. 23 That the Sect of the Iesuits is no lesse daungerous to our Church then the Lutherans Chap. 24 Of the notorious enterprize or vsurpation of the Generall of the Iesuits ouer the holy Sea and that there is no new Sect which in time may be more preiudiciall to it then this Chap. 25 That there is no credit to be giuen to the promises and protestations of Iesuits for that they 〈◊〉 no faith but such as maketh for the effecting of their purposes Chap. 26 The conclusion of the third Booke containing the restoring of the Iesuits by them procured Chap. 27 FINIS