that the gift of the Bishoprickes in England as well by ancient catholike as also by recent lawes are in the prince to bestow where her Maiestie pleaseth And therfore committing the controuersie of religion succession and calling to silence in points of pacification and humble suite for release of affliction they yeelding to them the honor of Earles or Barons as their place by gift of the prince doth inuest them withall there is no cause moouing them to disswade from toleration but rather in truth both states and persons ecclesiasticall and temporall in respect of the premisses for the safer continuance in their present interest may conceiue iust cause and many weightie reasons moouing them on the seculars and other catholike recusants behalfe against the Iesuiticall and puritanian faction to commence their humble suite to her highnes for libertie of conscience with a repeale or at least a gratious milde and comfortable mitigation of former sharpe penall lawes made aswel against the seminarie priests themselues as also against all those that receiue or relieue them any manner of way Fiftly to the catholike recusants themselues there is none sanae mentis vnles bewitched with the Iesuiticall vaine hope of future aduancements but may and no doubt but doe and will daily more and more easily perceiue it that this betwixt the seculars and Iesuits was the happiest contention that euer rose and that all discreet vertuous and sound catholikes in deede haue iust cause especially if of a naturall humane breede and not mungrels nor bastards to giue God thanks euery day vpon their knees for this so sweete vnexpected extraordinarie comfortable and to be admired at meanes to all posteritie scil how euer such hart-breaking broiles should haue turned to so great a good on all sides as doubtlesse if the diuell play not the knaue too too egregiously and preuaile more then ordinarie these cannot choose but turne vnto First in receiuing hereby a holesome mithridate or antidotum to the spirituall health and recouerie of many a deuoute soule against the most dangerous infections and by all other meanes irremedilesse poyson of the Iesuiticall doctrine then by banishing out of their mindes this vnsauorie comparison and distinction of persons in bestowing of spiritual graces with ego sum Pauli ego Apollo c. after that by breeding in euery vertuous sincere religious catholike hart a more reuerend regard to priesthood in generall and to their ghostly fathers in speciall then now they haue by the Iesuiticall policies and most Machiuillian perswasions And last of all there would be then the woonted ioy at meeting of priests and catholikes together whereas now and so long as the Iesuits remaine in this land there is none other to be expected but mutinies brabbles detractions defamations watchings intrappings betrayings of one another and nothing but a mournefull blacke sanctus in steede of a ioyfull Alleluia at the conuersion of any soule or furtherance of any good catholike and charitable action THE III. ARTICLE VVHether any religious person may or ought to meddle or haue any dealings in state matters or secular affaires as other ecclesiacticall persons or as now the secular priests do deale or not and if any other may then why not the Iesuits THE ANSWERE TO this interrogatory I answere First that Ex officio de iure no religious person one or other ought or may lawfully deale either in state or any other secular affaires bicause the worde secular à fortiori stat are wordes resumed into wordly actions in their practise and therefore as farre from a religious profession to meddle withall in regard of their vowe of pouertie whose essentials are humilitie silence solitary life renuntiation of the world and a ciuill voluntary monasticall death as for them to breake out of their cloisters and take a benefice without leaue in regard of their vowe of obedience or to take a wife in regard of their vow of chastity c. Secondly as notwithstanding their vow of voluntary pouertie they may haue and possesse lands and all other things in common so may they also carry a kind of state amongst themselues and thereupon being subiects also to their prince and members incorporate to the common wealth wherein they liue their Abbots Priors Guardians and other superiors chosen amongst them to rule ouer them may be admitted by the two states ecclesiasticall and temporall to deale in secular affaires and matters of state as other Bishops and Parsons ecclesiasticall may and so was the custome of old in this land that commonly the Abbot of Westminster was Lord Treasurer of England the Archbishop of Yorke Lord president of the North and sometimes one Bishop and other while an other was Lord Chauncellour of the realme Thirdly yet was neither this a freedome to the monkes of their cloister to liue secularly neither was it allowed of as generall to all religious orders to be aduanced so bicause some are bound by vow to the contrary and as repugnant to their profession they beare no state amongst themselues but liue all in humiliation without possessiōs lands or any thing that smels of the world saue onely a house to shrowde them from cold a church to serue God in and meate and drinke to keepe life and soule together as of almes shal be giuen them c. Fourthly of all other religious orders the Iesuites by profession should be furthest of from all secularity statising or other worldly dealings and yet on the contrary they of all the rest are become not onely most secular and ecclesiasticall but also most laicall temporall and prophane yea most treacherous ambitious seditious and daungerous both to themselues and all others where they liue as these articles here shall discouer of our owne countrey Iesuites more at large THE IIII. ARTICLE VVHether any clergy person of what religion profession or sect soeuer he be for I take it to be all one when we talke of state affaires whether the statist be catholike protestant or puritane euery one thinking his owne course to be best may or ought to labour for planting of his owne religion or onely ought he to seeke the temporall good of his country letting religion goe where and how it pleaseth God it shall THE ANSWERE THere is no question in it but abstracting in this point of statizing from a matter of faith to a matter of policy all men of what religion soeuer supposing they haue and thinke in conscience that they haue the truth on their side are bound to propagate plant and establish the religion they are of to the vttermost of their power yet so as all may be ad aedificationem non ad destructionem And whosoeuer thinkes his religion best must thinke this withall that the meanes of restoring it be it the puritanes amongst protestants or protestants amongst catholikes or catholikes amongst either of these or any other must not be by treasons conspiracies and inuasions The conuersion of any country by such attempts did
Portingals and Spaniards continued kept the honours point for Martiall exploits these latter yeares but who shall carie away the price in the cadences of the Spaniards God only knoweth Thus came the foure Patriarkes of Hierusalem Antioch Alexandria and Constantinople by succession of honor wealth and fame in Gods Church to rise and fall one after another and now all decayed dead and gone from their auncient state renowne and dignitie in the Church of God here militant on earth Thus came all Monasticall Heremiticall and religious orders of Saint Anthony of Saint Basill of Saint Augustine of Saint Hierome of Saint Benedict of Saint Bernard of Saint Dominicke of Saint Frances of Saint Clare of Saint Briget and sundrie other religious orders of men and women to haue their generation and corruption by the freedome left of God in humane actions and mans choise to be good or bad vertuous or vicious and to rise and fall by succession one after another by merited fame and iust desert of their life manners and graces giuen and employed by them to Gods glorie In few thus came the spirituall Knighthoods of the Templers the Knights of Saint Iohns the Knights of Rhodes and now of Malto by a lineall succession of fame renowne and worthinesse to haue panigericall histories set foorth of their prayses And the like is of later orders and societies of Carmelists Carthusians Capouchians Theatines Iesuits Bonhommes c. all which set vpon the worlds Theater represent a mournfull tragedie of mans miserie how like to flowers they haue now one and then another order companie or societie burgened blossomed bloomed and flourished and yet subiect to the fates of free-will in all humane wights their deriuatiues are strayed abroad haue left and are gone from the obedience deuotion pietie pouertie chastitie charitie humilitie patience and religious zeale which was in the primitiues and founders of their Orders What shal we say more the whole body mysticall of Christ consisting of the three estates Ecclesiasticall Temporall and Monasticall do auerre the Peripateticall Prince his principle to be true in all things depending vpon chance and chaunge concerning the conuersion of countries people and nations to the Catholike faith For was not the generation or beginning of the Mosaicall law a plaine corruption fall and decay of the law of nature all the Gentiles presently vpon the Orient rise bright shine and flourish of the Israelites Church and their Hebrew Monarchie being giuen ouer into infidelitie and Idolatrie contrarie to the law of nature vnder which the faithfull had liued aboue two thousand yeares without distinction of Iew or Gentile vntill this Mosaicall law began And when for the Iewes sinnes and offences the period of their Monarchie and end of their synagogues and temples honour and religion came did not then the primitiues of the East Church amongst the Christians carry away the auriflambe of all religious zeale After that when the heauie cadens of the East Church came did not also then the Sonne of iustice tanquam sponsus procedens de thalamo suo spread abrode the bright beames of his spouses glorie in a transparant light throughout these our West Ocean cloudes of heathenish darknesse and giue to these Northren Isles the prerogatiue regall of Prime-birth to his inheritance if the Britons and afterwards the English Saxons could haue kept it When by succeding turnes the most part of Asia and Affricke was corrupted and fallen away and all Europe conuerted to the sacred Apostolicall Romane faith when Monasteries began in this North Christian world to be built and great multitudes of Monkes Friers Canons regulars Nunnes and other sacred Saints and holy persons to consort themselues together when Emperors Kings Queenes Princes Lords and Ladies of all degrees fled from their regall Palaces to priuat Cels and left the triumphes of their conquests the trophees of their loues and pompes and pleasures of their Courts to who so would possesse them when here an Anchoresse there an Hermit and in euery wood wild and desert some sacred virgine valed inuested interred dead to the world was to be found when all fertile soyles all places of pleasure profite and content all earthly wealths and reuenues of most woorth were turned into Abbey and Church lands liuings and liuelyhoods when holy emulation was who might giue most all gaue of the best and made this flourishing Isle our Ladies dower when Kings and Queenes Priests and Prelates Lords and Ladies Monkes and Friers sacred Virgins and chast Matrons and all sorts of persons knew their duties first to God to his Church to her Priests then to their Prince to the Commonwealth and to her Peeres and lastly each one to another how when and where to commaund or obey when all things sorted to so sweet a sympatheall harmonie in English hearts as England by a prerogatiue royall of grace diuine merited to be called Anglia chara Deo gens when flying fame of their rare Angelicall conuersation had fronted the coasts of furthest countries and occupied with great admiration of mind the mouthes of most men in the world when England Fraunce and Flaunders Italy Bohemia and Germany Spaine Portugal and Hungary Sicilie Naples and Cyprus Denmarke Poland and Sweden Scotland Ireland and Norway did striue for a supremacie to carry away the garland of vertue deuotion and religion on all sides Then inimicus homo enuying at mans felicitie to conforme by permission diuine Gods concurrence with secondarie causes to the Philosophers prescript of generation and corruption in tract of time corrupting all these Northren and Westerne parts of the world with contention ambition Turcisme heresie and Pharisaisme a new generation of Catholike truth and religion begins to labour and bring soorth their children amongst the Indians Antipodies and new found world before vnknowne vnto these Northren and Westerne parts discouered first by Portingals and Friers and after proceeded in by Spaniards and Iesuits And now listen what followed Amongst many other cadences and fals the heauiest of all the rest hath bene iudged by many to haue bene our English calamities begun at first by the ambitious aspires of Cardinall Wolsey who affecting the highest Soueraigntie in causes Ecclesiasticall on earth made a great breach by his contrarie plotting betwixt King Henry the eight of famous memorie and the Sea Apostolicke And afterward when vnder her Maiestie Queene Elizabeth our Soueraigne now regnant sundrie persons of rare indowments graces and abilities had retired themselues to places of studie and seruice of their Lord God beyond the seas where they liued in diuerse Seminaries and Colledges leading there a right Monasticall and religious life in a most perfect state of religious profession calling and order as both all other religious Orders and Ecclesiasticall persons that conuersed with them or knew their manner of life and whereunto their whole studie tended did acknowledge somtimes in teares proceeding after their returne hither in simplicitate cordis with all humilitie patience
deuout but indiscreetly zealous and tender hearts in serious reading perusing and canuasing the case cause of contentions betwixt vs and the Iesuits aswell in these ten crosse interrogatories as in others set downe in order one after another in forme following Amongst all which this being a chiefe and common passage of speech where Catholikes Scismatikes and others do meete to wit what great scandale these contentions haue giuen c therefore thus go the articles concerning that matter THE FIRST QVODLIBET OF plots by scandale WHether the Seminarie Priests or the Iesuits were first beginners of these contentions betwixt them and how long hath this thorough burnt coale of scandale lien smothered in the hote imbers of zealous hearts before it did burst out into that hideous flame which like a Babylonian fornace scorcheth and burneth those who first did cast their brethren into it THE ANSWERE THe Iesuits were the first beginners thereof and haue continued on this Salamandrian smoake of vaporous heats euen from their first authority gotten ouer the English Colledge and Seminaries at Rome vntill the foysted in authority of maister Blackwels Archpresbitery was conueied ouer the seas into England At what time the mistie cloudes of long conceited soueraignty did giue a cracke and the lightning flashing ouer all this whole I le of England Scotland and Wales the thunder-bolt fell vpon the afflicted Priests and seruants of God striking all resistants with Ecclesiasticall censures without remorse pity compassion taken or any respect had of either duresse or imprisonment or yet the affliction and daunger which obroad they liued in day and night And if any now be desirous to know more precisely of these generalities in particular manner he may please to reade sundry bookes and records of this matter set out at large what great troubles incessant affliction and extreame miserie all haue endured from time to time and how from point to point one contention did follow vppon another presently after that discord seedes were once sowne in the Romane Colledge by the plotcasters of the diuision betwixt the English and the Welch which was nothing else but a canuas to disgrace that reuerend prelate doctor Lewis a Welchman borne afterwards Bishop of Cassana by putting maister Morrice from the Rectorship of that Colledge whereunto doctor Lewis had preferred him The which Colledge was first founded as an Hospitall by Briton and after English Saxon Kings and Princes of this land for the reliefe of such as went on Pilgrimage to visite those holy places dedicated vnto Gods Saints and seruants by the memorable Martyrdome of 33. Popes betwixt Saint Peter and Saint Siluester the first vnder whom the Catholike Romane Church had peace and perfect quiet This Hospitall being now translated into a Colledge by doctor Lewis meanes then Archdeacon to the Bishop of Cambray and Refrendary to the Pope at that time was enriched with the pention of an Abbacy by Gregory the thirteenth of all holy memorie at what time as Cardinall Allane erected the Colledge at Rhemes in Fraunce for the same end intent and purpose of education and bringing vp of English youth in vertue and learning to do their Lord God and countrey seruice The sincere and religeous designments of this graue learned and reuerend Prelate being thus defeated by the displacing of maister Morrice and a Iesuit Priest made Rector of the Seminarie in his place herehence a Soueraignty being gotten in a sort vnder a colourable excuse of teaching and reading to the English youthes there which was the stroke of flintie heads on steely harts that gaue fire to the seditious match which hath welnigh set all Christendome on fire and flame then followed a pursuite of challenging a superiority by calling of Counsels holding of Courts and deciding of all matters here pell mell of their owne bare word I meane father Heywood though after in disgrace and other Iesuits and Priests that subiected theÌ„selues to his and their summons without any knowne authority in the world so to do to the great discomfort discontent and dislike of many reuerend Priests and other vertuous learned and graue persons of the Catholike Laity in whose high prudence it did euen then appeare that the fire of ambitious aspires and contention begun at Rome was closely conueied ouer the English Ocean and would breake out if not troade out in time of it selfe as not many yeares after it did indeed For the Seminary Priests studying wholly the conuersion of soules and weining their thoughts from all conceits of superiority or gouernement ouer others in that afflicted state wherein all did liue did neuer imagine that any Iesuit or religeous person would euer haue dreamed much lesse haue sought for any such authority ouer indeede their superiours or at least their betters as all Seminarie and secular Priestes are neither were they willing to meddle in opposition against them if in case they sought for it as the wiser sort saw plainely at the first they most greedily did affect it being as desirous to liue peaceably with all as inconsiderate right Englishmen-like with their after wits to foresee what would happen And if some one or moe brake out in termes against them vpon iniuries or wrongs receiued at their hands yet were their complaints and demands of satisfaction and iustice so farre from being listened vnto by any of the rest of their brethren so cunningly had they cast their plots at first all ouercast with a bright seeming cloud of religeous zeale that euen those who felt the griefe of the same thorne which prickt them at the heart durst not once open their lips to speake in the defence of the innocent but rather all with one voyce with generall applause and clapping of hands with whoopes whowes and hoobubs would thrust them out for wranglers discard them for make-bates and hold them for vncharitable malecontents and disordered persons that should seeme to speake a word against a Iesuit nay that should not freely readily and voluntarily consent to whatsoeuer they defined designed or determined Hereupon the fire of contention more and more inkindling conglobed together in the highest cloud of surly minds and thereby giuing greater occasion of bursting out into an vnquenchable flame the next generall conflict to keepe in the smoake was at Wisbich where by Natures course and Philosophers consent in generation of things being vnnaturally growne to a full ripenesse not able to hold in any longer father Edmonds alias Weston was the Champion vnder whose infest banner of factious contention and seditious aspires displayd the sharpe shot of puny Iesuits and their fautous made first their challenge of superiority and then a deuision from their brethren the designed Martyrs worthy confessors and reuerend Priests of and in that place some whereof had endured aboue twenty yeares imprisonment for their religion and conscience sake before euer some of these hot-spurred censurers knew what durance meant as maister Bâ—â—et for one and some others also who had suffered more
affliction and calamity then any of these their young maisters euer yet tasted of And last of all the fire bursting out there first though first enkindled at Rome as earst I sayd then began the like of fresh at Rome againe where it burst out into so furious and mercilesse a consuming flame for fire and water haue no mercy as sundry reuerend Priests burnt therewith haue deepely protested they would rather chuse if it were in their choise to liue captiues vnder the Turke for security of their soules then vnder the Iesuits gouernement or rather indeede captiuity the temptations suggested by them are so many dangerous intricate and difficult which way to ouercome them And so by succeeding turnes Spaine Fraunce Flanders and all England became infected with these Iesuiticall contentions and garboyles the grounds originals causes and continuance whereof were onely wholly and absolutely the Iesuits ambitious aspires fallen downe now vpon their heads to their owne destruction that were the first plotcasters of their innocent brethrens ruines THE II. ARTICLE VVHether the Seminarie Priests or the Iesuits haue giuen greater scandale by publishing of matters abroad in proiects to the worlds theater concerning these contentions before in secret at the first vnknowne to the Catholike Laity and much lesse to any Protestant or other of a contrary Religion and which side part or faction was the first beginners of spreading abroad infamous letters and libels against the opposits to their designments THE ANSWERE THe Iesuits were both the beginners of the contentions as before is shewed the fewell cariers to the seditious fire-feedings and the first brokers breathers and brochers of them abroad both to Catholikes Protestants Cleargy Laity men women children home-borne and foreyners as by sundry of their letters libels and other infamous seditious and inuectiue writings is yet extant to be seene aswell in printed bookes as in many manuscripts of maister Blackwell father Parsons Creswell Currie Gerard Martin Array Baldwin Lyster and sundry others whose false malitious and most exorbitant dealings to detect defame and vtterly exterminate the name fame and memory of the Seminarie Priests and Cleargy aswell in generall as in speciall will be brought out in deposition against them when competent iudges may be had and the cause iustly tried Nay when did euer any Priest write and much lesse commit to the impression of a pamphlet any one word against them The most part euen of those that had suffered most longest and greatest disconsolation and wrongs put vp at their hands accounted that the touch of any Catholike Priests good name was tangere pupillam oculi sui so dainty nice and precise a conscience had they to detract defame or speake euill of any man or woman yea though the reports were true And vntill all was in an vprore all Priests that sided not with the Iesuits in all things were brought into obloquie contempt and disgrace all shunned auoided and such slanderous speeches raised by the Iesuits faction against them as they knew not possibly how to liue quiet or to liue in truth at all by them Vntill then I say they winkt kept silence and let passe all their letters libels and iniurious slanders vnanswered They sayd little or nothing to those erronious and yet to the Iesuits most plausible bookes of choise of ghostly fathers They let passe that erronious speech in the Wardword to Sir Francis Hastings watchword making Iesuits Christ his equals in a way of absurd comparison and insinuating Seminarie Priests and other Catholikes to be but the Churches refuse They friendly admonished the Author of the 3. farewels of the soule giuing to the Iesuits that which no religious order would accept of or durst desire to cease from publishing such grosse errours which otherwise had gone to the presse and print as extolling the Iesuits therein to the skies aboue all possible humane deserts vnder the title of religious persons distinguished thereby from meere secular Priests as they tearme the rest but neuer did they publish anything against it They suffered with patience that long lowd lye to passe vnrecalled wherein the Cardinals and by Cardinall Caietane the Popes Holinesse was informed that the cause of sending to the Sea Apostolique to haue superiours appointed ouer the English Priests was grounded vpon great and dangerous contentions risen vp betwixt the Seminary Priests and the Catholike laity in that nation knowing in their owne conscience there was no contention mouing thereunto but betwixt the Seminarie Priests and themselues and those of their and the Spanish faction They sought not to controule that seditious false infamous booke intituled Against the factions in the Church applied directly by the Archpriest to the secular Priests and those that sided with them on the Catholike Church and their natiue countries behalfe They labored not to call in question those stained records with all falshood impiety and arrogancy on the Iesuits behalfe of the memorable acts done by their society forsooth here in England viz. how that they onely were persecuted and not the Seminary Priests how such and such and in generall all that opposed themselues against their proceedings had suffered disgrace and shame and came to miserable ends notwithstanding and they cannot deny it neither are they ignorant thereof that there be a whole browne dozen twice ouertold of glorious Martyrs all Seminary Priests all defamed by them all noted for malecontents as opposits to their proceedings These indignities calmuniations iniuries lies and irreligeous vanities with many the like vnchristian practises did they let passe and neither did neither euer would haue set hand to paper to write of these contentions betwixt them vntill their long silence condemned them all as guiltie and the Iesuits preuailed and did what they list by backbiting and writing most opprobriously against them THE III. ARTICLE WHether the Seminarie Priestes gaue any scandale or committed any sinne or incurred any danger of falling into schisme by resisting the Archpriest after the first sight or hearing of the Cardinals letters and now of late since the generall admittance of him vpon sight of the Popes Holinesse his Briâ—fe whether they incurred the like offence by writing Apologies in their owne defences or was or is it no sin scandale nor offence at all in them so to do THE ANSWERE IT neither was nor is any more sin schisme scandale nor offence in the one or the other they being in iustice charitie loyaltie and obedience for defence of Christs church and their countrie bound to both then for a guiltlesse man condemned to say you do me wrong or for an appellant against a knowne Rebell in act word or thought conuinced by demonstration vel à priori vel à posteriori i. either of the cause or of the effect to haue intent to say thou art a traitor For who of common sense would not haue bene touched with scruple if but hearing of a plaine simple man vnexperienced either in the Church or his countries affaires as liuing
land must be coursed and canuassed with their letters postes and messengers in the passe and repasse out of England into Fraunce and from Fraunce to Flaunders and thence into Italy Germanie Rome Spaine Portugall and Ierusalem to blaze it abroade of the weakenesse loosenesse scandale badde and corrupt life of all Seminaries and secular Priestes in generall and how vnfit they are to come into England or for any of them to take the charge of soules vpon them for one mans offence or miscariage And he vnhappie man whose life death good name for euer after must hang in the blast of their mouths though he repent with S. Peter or recant with S. Marcelline yet shall his first fault be laid in his dish euer after with Pharisaicall vpbraiding of him whensoeuer occasion is offered of a malitious reuenge to betaken Nay what is more common with these precise pure illuminates then thus to censure of the most constant Martyrs and Confessours if not wholy Iesuited of this age Who though they neuer could be touched with any act word or thought of reuolt from Gods Church or stepping any whit awrie yet these diuellish spirites of a Luciferian pride and conceit of their owne proper excellencie will touch them to the quicke with these speeches I pray God he may stand he is but a weake man such a father had bene fitter then he to haue managed such a matter c. THE IX ARTICLE VVHether in regard of the premises if the Iesuits be such wicked men and so farre gone astray from the first prescript and institution of their order is there any likelihood of their continuance or if not then of what downefall THE ANSWERE I Told you before that Nullum violentum est perpetuum which is to be vnderstood of all humane and naturall causes acts and motions and that some of the Iesuits themselues haue presaged if not prophesied by manie fearefull signes a heauie destruction ruine and downefall to come vnto their societie by reason of the great pride insolencie heate of ambition and vnquenchable thirst in affecting of soueraigntie which raigneth amongst them But what fall it is they shall haue or where or when it will happen God he knoweth as for me Non sum Propheta nec filius Prophetae neither wish I to be but shal truly rather bewaile to see the genius of their hard fortune that men of so many good talents worthie parts singular abilities and rare indowments as sundrie of them haue should be bewitched as they are and as men inuolued in laberinths of errours drowne themselues in the Stigean lake of their owne folly Well Salomon was wiser more learned of better gouernment fitter to rule had a more peculiar gift and grace in all things and more often secreter and nearer familiaritie with God then euer any of them had to this houre here on earth and yet he became a prophane Idolater And therefore howsoeuer the Machiuilian or rather Mahumetane-like factiō giue it out that it hath bin reuealed vnto their foūder how mightily his societie should be impugned but still shall preuaile c. whereof I will speake hereafter yet am I rather moued to embrace the common opinion scil that their end will be a right Templarian downefall which for to make seeme probable because I am still in euery Quodlibet forced to be too tedious I will refeerre you for this matter to a peculiar worke which I haue taken some paines about in comparing first the Templars and the Iesuits together then the Iesuits and Machiuell after that Cardinall Wolsey and father Parsons and last of all the comtemplatiues of the said Parsons in Greencoate to the actiues of the same man in his practised Doleman for a Monarchy In which booke if it happen to come forth you shall see how all ambitions aspirers haue risen vp at the first and by what meanes how base persons haue attained to highest dignities how a man may insinuate himselfe to become great famous and admired at and what is required to make fortune as thsy say a mans friend In the meane space let it suffise that the Iesuits are and shall be well warned and therefore surely armed if they haue grace to accept of it to look to themselues and alter their course in time lest they be taken napping at vnwares as the Templars were THE X. ARTICLE WHether any danger to Gods Church to erre and vtterly to be ouerthrowne by the Iesuits ruine if it happen or no danger at all THE ANSWERE NO danger at all of either errour or any ouerthrow hurt or inconuenience to come to the Church yea or to the least member thereof by their outcast but rather in verie deede a greater securitie to all to haue such infectious poison burst and stinking weedes rooted out that the good and bad do not perish altogether by their abode amongst vs. So that amongst many other fables of their folly or rather of the ignorant multitudes folly seduced by them this is one to beare people in hand that these gallants courtly rabbies I hill warrant you in their coaches haue such a speciall charge care and authoritie committed vnto them of and ouer the whole Cotholicke Church that faile they or be they once expelled and thrust out of England all pietie deuotion Christian discipline and religion Before euer anie Iesuites came in England to plot conspiracies against our Soueraigne and her Realme to sow sedition amongst Catholicke and contention amongest Priests there was more ioy cōfort and truly Catholickes vnfeined charitie shewed to one another in one day then there is now in a whole yeare will presently quaile perish and play turne Turke into Atheisme Thus said they before and at their expulsion for high treason out of France but yet they proued false Prophets Gods Church hauing flourished more since their exile thence then euer it did whiles they were amongst thē Nay what haue they said more and auerd auouched and confirmed the same by writings preachings and other passages all their endeuours tending to this end forsooth they haue not bene scrupulous to affirme that he could not be a sound Catholicke and therefore father Parsons in Philopater is bold to call great Henry the now most Christian King of France a verie reprobate and one impossible to be a sound Catholicke nor yet the whole Realme of France euer soundly to be conuerted and so of others that should anie way dislike of the Iesuits proceedings against England But for any directly to oppose himselfe against those mens holy designements as sundrie Catholickes did in France mary sir that were matter enough to make him burne at a stake the like it were to impugne the king of Spaine or Archduches his daughters pretended title to the English Crown Nay which is a most odious and lothsome breath of bloudie broiles garboiles and cruelties threatned to all Nations by these Ascismists for what are they all say some that know them but massacring butcherly buyers
to serue his owne turne withall They will beleeue that the Archpriests authoritie once had can neuer be lost againe be it from God or the Diuell at the first graunt made vnto him by forgerie cousinage or false play by deluding of the Popes Holinesse preiudice of the See Apostolicke contempt of Priesthood premunire incurred against her Maiestie with treason to her Royall person Crowne and State and by all abuses that may be as he hath committed many since and those such as the authoritie he had is lost by them or by any other meanes They will beleeue that he this Archpriest and the Iesuites haue still their authorities and are not excommunicated suspended c. as they are in very deede by their cursed proceedings most vniustly and iniuriously against the innocent and in taking vpon them matters aboue their reach by vsurping his Holinesse place and authoritie They will still beleeue and follow these Saintly men make no scruple to come at Seruice and to Sacraments with them notwithstanding that by all these Quodlibets past and to come they may see what a daungerous desperate and damnable race they runne and all those that follow them They will still beleeue for all this that the seculars are excommunicated and suspended c. by the Archpriest and that he had and hath power to do it and therefore will they still make scruple to come at any of them to confession or other sacrament notwithstanding that neither will nor dare the Archpriest or Iesuites auouch it openly but in hucker mucker neither their brokers and trumpeters stand to it publikely In fewe if this will not resolue the laitie and moue them to ioyne with the seculars as a parcell of their owne corporation and common body politicall that must sticke to them when the other I meane the Iesuits as a priuate corporation and body of it selfe will be farre to seeke at least for any helpe or succour yeelding to them further then will stand for their owne priuate gaine and commoditie but if quite contrarie they will still runne against the streame and beleeue that blacke is white chalke cheese new sectaries saints and religious men seculars or rather controllers of seculars then can I say no more but new doctrine new faith new maisters new schollers new fathers new children and all in the end new c. and there I leaue it THE IIII ARTICLE WHether any go before the Iesuits in politicall gouernement prudence c. or not THE ANSWERE LIke as in all true Heroicall morall Cardinal yea or Theological vertues in general there are many thousands go beyond theÌ„ so in true prudeÌ„ce in speciall and by consequent in politicall gouernment as it is a branch deriuatiue from prudence many do excel them throughout the Christian world euery where Marry take pollicie as it is now a dayes taken by common phrase of speech in the subiect wherein it is inhaerent as we say that a right Politician is a very Machiauell a very Machiauell is an vpright Atheist and an vpright Atheist is a downeright dastardly coward void of all religion reason or honestie so by consquent it may be said that in politicall gouernment or Machiuilcan pollicie none goeth beyond the Iesuits at this day For the better vnderstanding whereof I will here set you downe some of their sleights and deuises how they deale to become great and to haue gouernment and charge of others committed vnto them and all this by the fame and report that goes of them by admiration cunningly gotten to be had of them and their doings in all things A â—hough sundrie 〈◊〉 â—he seculars might haue had â—â—aâ—ple fâ—culâ—â—â—s for hallowing 〈◊〉 Châ—lices disâ—enâ—â—â—â—ons c. as any Ie uit euer â—â—d or hâ—â—h yet 〈◊〉 king humbly 〈◊〉 heâ— vocation and coâ—â—ntiâ—g tâ—â—msâ—lues with such faculties as might extend to the absolution of any sinâ—e and deliuerie of any penitent soule out of the power of thâ— Diâ—ell which authoritie the meanest Priest hath aswell as the mightiest Rabbie of the Iesuiticall order they littlâ— the â—meâ— of the inconueniences that would come of these newly enlarged faculties that the Iesuits at the first entrance came withall as hauing cast their plot before hand how to winne fâ—me and mâ—ke themselues admiâ—ed aâ— of the English a 〈…〉 â—â—t to ceaâ—e of euery noueltie Neither did the seculars then consider what was spokâ—â—â—bâ—oad of the Iesuits not yet remembred the Cardinals words that the Iesuits would proue but thornes in the seâ—â—â—â— sides and be cause of great troubles amongst them So great was their charitable ouersight in not opposing theÌ„selâ—â—◠〈◊〉 iuâ—t these â—harisees 〈◊〉 the first or seeking to haue them called out of this land but it was for our sinnes that 〈◊〉 weâ—e thus bewitched with them Their first deuise then is to get a report to go amongst the people of them to be the rarest men for learning wisedome vertue and gouernment that are in all the world in this age to be found Which opinion to confirm they cunningly obtained extraordinarie faculties for hallowing of Chalices c. and after that they got a report to go that for their familiaritie and nearenesse to God to obtaine their sute in all their needâ— they are and must needes be endued with a speciall spirit for guiding of soules which the seculars want 2 To second this withall a secret admonition must be giuen to warne all Catholikes to take diligent heede to beware of all Priests in generall how they come at any Sacraments with them at extraordinarie times of making generall annuall or quarterly confessions but weekly or monethly onely vnlesse they be either Iesuits or such as are correspondents vnto theÌ„ as wholly aduised guided and ruled by them in all their proceedings 3 This foundation thus laid then to huffe and ruffe it out a Councell of women must be called to set cocke ahoope and these of nature being as flexible to yeeld as credulous to beleeue and as prone to vertue or vice vpon any sudden motion as forward dutifull and truly deuote and timerous in doing any thing otherwise then those that are their spirituall guides do moue them vnto must be the chiefe factors for them a while as those knowne to be potent in mouing either to contemne or esteeme whosoeuer they will haue aduanced or disgraced 4 Hauing first got in a foote and after the whole body by this peece-meale meanes into any court or countrie then must there be a deuise to get a residence for some principall man amongst them who how vnfit soeuer yet shall he be commended for a sans peere without comparison to remain in the Princes court or with some speciall man or woman of marke who may giue him best intelligence of all things that passe or are done there And by this deuice there are few or no Kings Courts in Europe or of Christendome this day where some of their intelligents do not reside of purpose to receiue and giue intelligence vnto their
Campian and Fa. Parsons they were but counted as their assistants and that only in administring of sacraments for Fa. Heywood durst presume to forbid preaching c. Seuenthly vpon this intollerable pride hypocrisie and immunitie arrogated vnto theÌ„ whereby no Prince or prelate liuing can escape their tongs pens yea nor fists if it come to banding vntill these mortificats haue their wils nothing being well done nor any gouernment well managed without their direction as wanting discretion zeale learning or something which these illuminates made of a more excellent mould must perfect and reform in the grosse headed seculars there followeth then presently after it another deuice plotted of purpose to make it seeme meet to the ignorant multitude afterwards to others for note this that popularitie is the rouer they ayme at in all their proceedings the mobile vulgus being euer wauering and readiest to run vpon euery change that all the whole Cleargie both Ecclesiasticall and Monasticall throughout all nations should be subiect to theÌ„ And to put this deuice in execution England is made the maine chance of Christendome this day For effectuating whereof hauing brought all things to that forwardnesse as all the Colledges and Seminaries at Rome Doway Siuill Valledolid and elsewhere beyond the seas are vnder the Iesuiticall gouernment or rather vsurpate tyrannie the contention being about Father Westons supremacie forsooth ouer the rest of the reuerend auncient and worthy Confessors the secular Priests in prison and Fa. Garnets soueraigntie ouer the rest abroad hauing alreadie appointed a silly man for an Archpriest as substitute vnder him and he as Prouinciall here vnder Fa. Parsons nostri fundi calamitas there is now wanting nothing but to bring this platforme to perfection But for the deuice it selfe in contriuing this Luciferian aspire it is this They beare the people in hand that the secular Priests besides their want of learning and zeale which occasionated their immunitie ouer theÌ„ are forsooth more subiect to error heresie Apostacie more infirme fraile weake and readier to fall then they are c. What Princes wil endure such person in their â—â—ngâ—omes as vnder pretence of religion shal infect their subiects wâ—â—h such hateful coâ—â—eâ—ts so daungerous to their State or who can be seâ—uâ—e of his stand if this populâ—â— dâ—â—trine take to â—e in rebellious subiects harts and what â—â—n be expected thâ—reby but wheâ—e rebels can not haue their wâ—â— presently to make hâ—mocke of the common wealth and inuest 〈◊〉 with the Crownes 8 From this freedome of the Iesuits doth issue out a fresh a faire seeming but mischieuously poisoned fountaine of zealing christall streames deuided into two armes or riuals from the head the one is called ordo ad Deum the other obedientia By meanes of which two there is nothing can go or be done amisse by any Iesuite for that alwaies it is either in ordine ad Deum if an act of a superior or propter obedientiam if done by a inferiour So as this seditious odious blasphemous and sacrilegious abuse of Gods diuine graces vertues and benefites bestowed is a dogbolt in euery bow and shaft in euery quiuer to draw out for the managing of any impious fact whatsoeuer By this the popular multitude may depose their Princes and choose others at their pleasure By this no difference shall be put in their choise vpon any right or title to Crownes or Kingdomes by birth or bloud or otherwise then as the Fathers forsooth shall approue it By this all things must be wrought and framed conformable to oportunitie of times and occasions as verbi gratia The people haue a right and interest in them to do what they list in choise of a King marry yet limited by reason of the times and occasions now offered to one of these two scil the King of Spain or the Lady Infanta And then againe the times and occasions changing after a Spaniard is setled in the Crowne it must be holden for a mistaking yet such as seeing it cannot be holpen the people must beware hereafter of euer attempting the like againe It is manifest to any that knowes the Iesuits course that although they pretend all their designmeÌ„ts to be ordine ad Deum as directed to the common good of the Church yet their chiefest care is how to aduance increase their owne socie ie hoping of likelyhood by their number to bring one day some great matter to passe after once they haue firmly established their new Hierarchie which being perimpleshed who so then liues shall heare other news then euer yet were heard of either of Antichrist 〈◊〉 some other â—onster By this a checke must be giuen to the publishers of such Paradoxes after that a dispensation procured for restoring the offender and then shall all be well euer after c. 9 Out of this directing and doing of all things in order ad Deum and for obedience sake they frame a new deuise how to make themselues not only aboue seculars in authoritie but also more mundane then any temporall worldling in practise And this deuise is grounded vpon a principle amongst them called vti scientia that is a rule prescribed vnto them if you please to know it in plaine English how to learne to shift and liue by their wits And therefore they as knowing better then any Cadger Graser MerchaÌ„t Farmer Artizan Broker or Vsurer where and how a commoditie is to be raised and to be disposed euery way in ordine ad Deum must command rule all the rest in euery Noble and Gentlemans house where they reside In so much as no lease must be let nor fine taken nor peece of bread giuen but by their aduice The tenant must please them or grease them or else repent it a part of the fine must be employed at their appointment the Maister or Mistresse can scarcely rule or do any thing without their approbation the children and seruants are set in opposition against their parents and maisters if the least dislike be had of these Rabbies Yea I tremble to write what they haue not feared to worke and daily practise vpon this sacrilegious and arrogant abuse of vti scientia wherby they knowing aswell by the seruants maisters mistresses confessions as also by the wiues against their husbands husbands against their wiues and the seruants confessions against theÌ„ both all the secrets in the house how they haue abused that sacred seale which neither by word nor signe nor by any other means nor vnder what pretence soeuer may be opened to death and all of purpose to tyrannize ouer poore soules as getting thereby occasion to intrude themselues for disposing and managing of their worldly causes I leaue it to sundrie reports woful experiences wherof Mistresse Wibur in Kent together with her husband can and will be witnesses another day against Father Cur. the Iesuite vnlesse his repentance were great for it ere he died 10 To helpe this forward
vt in quo quis peccauit in eodem punietur Now then that this neuer practised nor ordinarily heard of the like crueltie amongst heathen and infidels should be in vse amongst the Christians nay amongst Catholickes nay amongst Priestes nay amongst religious persons and that against their own deare brethren countrimen and friends that suffer for the same cause which they pretend to suffer for that this should be maintained as lawfull by any Iesuit who takes vpon him to be an illuminate an inculpable guider of soules a man come to the highest step of the scale or ladder of perfection that all laws shold bind men to giue of their owne proper goods and treasures for reliefe of captiues and the poore and needie and that these men notwithstanding should withhold not their own which were more tollerable but other deuout and charitable persons both men and womens deuotions and beneuolence and that not from ordinarie captiues or other poore afflicted for Christ his sake but for such as are not without cause of iealousie had of thē all for the Iesuits cursed conspiracies treacherous attempts persecuted imprisoned put to death The very Canibals and Anthropophagies shall rise vp at the last day and condemne this barbarous and sauage generation of Belials brood for this crime And whereas the grace of God deriued to his Church by the sacred priesthood ought to be bestowed gratis as is said Gratis accepistis gratis date the Iesuits haue deuised a false kind of exercise whereby to fleece charitable people and so inrich themselues therin imitating Simon Magus in selling Gods blessings nay in that their precise course is farre more execrable then his was For Simon Magus dealt plainly though villanously and most blasphemously in offering to buy the holy Ghost and gifts of God for money But these ô what shall I terme them deale cousiningly in making people beleeue that the exercises or other graces which they bestow in Gods behalfe are more precious and singular in themselues then if giuen by anie other either secular or religious Priest that is not Iesuited The persecutiō of the Iesuites is so extreme in depriuing of prisoners yea and all others abroade so much as they can possibly of all reliefe that vnlesse her Maiestie and honorable Councell either clearly dismisse her tried most loyall subiects with a gracious conniuence at their secret vse of their function no way seeking to offend any one or else extend her magnificall beneficence in maintaining them as condemned to her Highnes prisons they are not possibly long to continue hold out or liue and so draw them on by litle and little to make it seeme a matter in conscience to giue anie thing from them nay not to giue all a man or woman hath or can possibly make for them in recompence of these so great and extraordinary giftes graces bestowed vpon them As though the least gift of God or drop of grace giuen in and by any sacrament ministred by any though the meanest priest be able to be counteruailed with all the wealth in the world which foule abuse is nothing else but a meere mentall Simonie vsurie sacriledge and most impious hypocrisie That this shamefull theft should not onely passe vnpunished in measure according to the qualitie condition and state of the person who taking vpon him a religious profession it aggrauates at least if it do not alter and change the sinne to be more hainous in him then in any other by many degrees of impiety But withal that the people should be set on to auow it as most iust conuenient to be so scil that no reliefe should be sent to anie opposite to a cursed pharisaicall Iesuites designements yea and that the Iesuits themselues should glory in it make their vaunt of it scil that they wil make all the secular priests leape at a crust ere it be long for so said that good holy father Iohn Gerrard of late to the Ladie Markham in Notingham shire who told it shortly after to Master Atkinson c. and that they will driue the Seculars perforce to yeeld vnto them for meere pouerty want The pillages of the Iesuits both in England and Scotland being so much the more odious by how much as spirituall robberies yea and that committed by religious seeming persons passe al temporall pilferings there are three in chiefe which are generally to be noted First a report of faculties gotten to abstract from what parsonage or vicarige they list all spiritualities for preuenting forsooth of symony thereby to make them meerely temporal and saleable and then being sold at the highest rates vpon pretence of deuiding the mony betwixt S. Peter and poore prisoners one good father or other comes with Dominus opus habet and makes alwaies the best part of it their owne cleare gaines Secondly alike to this is their order set downe for restitution as verbi gratia an vsurer or extraordinary gaine-maker by buying or selling or by anticipation or dilation of payment or a Lawyer taking more of Clients then his ordinary fees or a procurer of any euill cause also a landlord Sherife or other officer or persō whosoeuer that gets any thing falsly or indirectly for which a restitutiō as indeed there ought must be made because the parties often know not how much nor to whom to make it therefore must they compound forsooth with the fathers giuing certa pro incertis to Saint Peter and the prisoners but the fathers swallow vp all or the most of it yearly amounting to a mighty sum of mony some one man hauing giuen 500. pounds to that end Thirdly but amongst al their deuises to enrich increase their order their forme of meditatiō called by thē an holy exercise is worthy the noting for all others to beware of them that haue not felt the smart of it already and this practise is for such as are either for their pregnancie of wit learning or their parentage friends or their wealth possessions fit for the Iesuits purpose cannot otherwise but by the taking of this holy exercise be allured to their society this then is such a barbarous cruelty as I want words to expresse the abhominatiō of the sin Maister Tempest was so canuased amongst them that hauing his faculties taken from him and being thrust out a doores of his owne friends his father in law hiding his face whē he came in place where he was his owne sister not daring to owne nor acknowledge him nor to send him any reliefe and in few his ghostly father denying him to come at the Sacraments at length being thus cruelly dealt withall he was forced to yeeld to whatsoeuer they would vrge him vnto notwithstanding that as himselfe hath since confessed and told some of his friends he neuer to death could or should like of them in his hart knowing their tyranny and extreame cruelty to passe all measure against whomsoeuer they powred out their
earth His words are these When I came to Rome saith he I found the Colledge as a field with two hostile campes within it father Generall and his assistants wholly auersed and throughly resolued to leaue the gouernement c. And taking vpon him to shew the causes of those long troubles in the Colledge he saith Some thinke that it is in great part the nature of the place that ingendereth high spirits in them that are not well established in Almighty Gods grace For comming thither very young and finding themselues presently placed and prouided for abundantly This speech had bene fitly applied to father Parsons himselfe and may iustly be returned vpon him and his society and acquainted daily with sights and relations of Popes Cardinals and Princes affaires our youthes that were bred vp at home with much more simplicity and kept vnder by their parents and maisters more then the Italian education doth comport forget easily themselues and breake out into liberty I meane such as haue run astray and lost respect to their superiours in Rome And this opinion of the circūstance of place is greatly increased by the iudgement of strangers both Spanish and French Flemings and other nations who affirme that they try by experience that their people which liue in Rome if they be not men of great vertue do proue more heady afterwards and lesse tractable then others brought vp at home But yet to this other men of our nation adde a second reason for the English Colledge which is at Rome being a place whereunto many young men do resort onely vpon a desire of seeing nouelties When any come thither of the English nation find such a commodity of study and maintenance themselues in want and misery they made suite for that whereunto perhaps they had no true vocation from God nor due preparation in themselues to so holy and high an estate and so being once admitted fell afterwards into disorder and to put out of ioynt both themselues and others c. Thus farre this impious father sheweth it to be the want of grace in some and want of true calling in others that they disagreed with the Iesuits But now to heare his report of the estimation that our English students and Priests haue gotten by their being at Rome I thinke it will make all parents afraid and all our youth abhorre comming at Rome amongst them euer after vnlesse their parents wish or themselues intend to haue them all Iesuits or at least Iesuites bondslaues to sweare to whatsoeuer they say to trot and trudge whither and when they please and to runne their most traiterous race and cursed courses inhumane odious hatefull to God and man In good faith deare Catholikes Lords Ladies Gentles or whosoeuer you be that haue your children or other friends vnder the Iesuits tyrannicall yoke in bondage beyond the seas pardon for Gods loue pardon my vehemencie on your behalfe against these malignant wretches I could not with patience set hand to paper after I had read this letter following but walked two or three turnes vp and downe in my chamber trēbling in anger with my heart as high as my head to thinke on the villany of this bastardly runagate Parsons cursed be the hower wherein he was borne this filius peccati sacrilegij iniquitatis populi Diaboli how euer he durst come at Gods holy Altar after his blasphemies and outragious speeches and writing against the secular Priests and Students most falsly irreligiously and Pharisaically laying his owne sinnes and the rest of the Iesuits seditious vprores and more then heathenish impietie vpon the innocent most cruelly persecuted by them all and by him in speciall aboue al the rest as most cruell Iewish harted vnnaturall His words are these Lo this wretch There is no true humilitie obedience nor other vertue but in a Iesuite or his bondslaue Baconius saith he and that was one of the Cardinals that came comport him at his lodging often told me that our youthes bragged much of their Martyrdome but they were refractarij that was his word had no part of Martyrs spirit which was in humilitie and obedience His Holinesse oftentimes told me that he was neuer so vexed with any nation in the world For on the one side they pretended pietie and zeale and on the other shewed the very spirit of the Diuell in pride All the world knoweth these things rightly to simbolize with Parsons and the rest of the Iesuits contumacie and contradiction c. and euer now and then his Holinesse would put his finger vp to his braine signifying that there stood their sicknesse and so would most of the Court when they talked of them saying the English were indiauoluti and like words His Holinesse added also that he knew not what resolution to take for on the one side to punish them openly would be a scandall by reason of the heretickes and if he should cast them foorth of Rome some had told him that they would become heretickes c. Lo what a long lowd lye this Puritane Iesuite hath brought to a loose end falsely fathered on his Holinesse against the seculars all the world knowing the Iesuits to be the men most like of any other in the world this day to fall into the most blasphemous heresie and apostacie as these that are become alreadie incorrigible of any Prince Prelate or people And againe he saith that I haue heard his Holinesse often and diuerse Cardinals more often report with exceeding dishonour to our nation the headinesse and obstinacie of our youthes So as now many great and wise men begin to suspect that the sufferings of our blessed Martyrs and confessors in England was not so much for vertue and loue to Gods cause as of a certaine choller and obstinate will to contradict the Magistrates there c. O monster of all other for so I may well tearme thee because I imagine thou art an irregulate Priest by reason of thy aspiring hart which probably wold neuer permit thee to seek for dispensatiō of thy bastardly base bloud Sundrie mischieuous practises of impiety are amōg the Iesuites yet of all their maximes this is one of the most inhumane bloudy cruell and mercilesse to wit that whosoeuer doth not approue and aduance Fa. Parsons and some of his fellowes conceits and courses touching our country nation though they be neuer so foolish rash furious scandalous dangerous nay though men be desirous to sit stil and meddle nothing with them nor against them one way or other yet if he do not ayde assist thē yea be currents of their fatall course in al things it is lawfull yea meritorious to haue such persons infamed by casting out any calumniation against them that may discredite them the practise wherof how many poore Priests in England haue tasted nay who hath not there being not one secular Priest whō lesse or more they haue not defamed yea no Prince Prelate Lord
ecclesiae as all doe grant it and experience of all ages hath approoued it true the latter not for that surceasing excepts against heretikes in such proceedings who by authoritie of holy writ may iustly be constrained with force of the temporall sword to receiue the faith of Christ and his catholike Romane Church wherein they were baptized and out of which they are now most pernitiously fallen to their damnation To this the former againe makes reply that that is in a case of lawe and strategeme of warres when the plaintif as a soueraigne hauing right on his side may haue strength and power at hand sufficient to defend his iust quarrell and Gods cause but where and when the poore afflicted catholikes are the weaker part and in subiection vnder their natiue prince they must not tempt God with miracles sed in patientia possidebunt animas suas expecting the time that God hath appointed either to ease the afflicted of their heauie persecution by calling them to his mercie or else to mooue the aduersarie as here he did king Cyrus c. Here againe the latter doth vrge very vehemently against the former that it is their fault if they be not of strength ynough For if all would side one way run one course ioyne together of one part they were able to match their aduersaries at all assaies but bicause they fauor heretikes and their titles more then catholikes as some the Scots king others the house of Derbie others that of Huntington others of Hartford and others the Lady Arbella c. therefore is Gods cause weakened and the catholiks quarrell quailed But to this yet againe the former makes reioinder professing that if they had millions on their side for thousands on her maiesties yet they hold it were not lawfull for them by force of armes to gaine the garland that they run for as afterward it shall appeere and vtterly denying that they fauor any heretike as an heretike or their titles vnder that pretence but as remembring how diuers princes and great monarches haue been conuerted to the catholike Christian faith and withall considering that neither the king of Scots nor yet any of the rest were euer any speciall persecutors of vs or our religion but rather fauorable to many catholikes as is well knowne not forgetting this besides that it were an act of iniustice in vs especially being priuate persons either to manage a false title as the Spaniard hath none other or impugne a knowne right as all the world knoweth it rests confined within the Albion I le But admit it were reuealed to any priuate man that the Spanyard or any other forraigne prince should preuaile and cary away our English crowne out of the land so as we should neuer haue king regnant ouer vs hereafter as some old prophecies many say haue foreshewed that our deere countrimen brothers sisters and friends the flower of Englands youth the beautie of our Ladies Widowes Wiues Virgins of all degrees should be prostituted prophaned rauished and led captiue into strange lands the sore persecution of Gods seruants the blasphemies heresies execrable schismes of this age and our owne sinnes in generall vrging Gods wrath against our whole Nation to take so sharpe yet ordinary reuenge for such offences as some say also hath bene spoken of long agone to come to passe in this our vnfortunate age or that we should haue such a change of state gouernment common wealth and all as the chiefe soueraigntie should be in an alien prince Spanyard or Burgundian Netherlandian or the like and the Lords spirituall and temporall gouerning ouer vs for the time to be of that foraigne prince his Nation and the Iesuits or fathers as they terme themselues of the societie to be their Interpretors for our English Welsh Irish and Stots nation as both letters and witnesses besides inuincible probats otherwise are extant to shew that Master Parsons and his confederates goe about such a matter and a sermon himselfe once made at Rome insinuates no lesse but that by tyrannicall subiecting the Seminary there to be vnder his societie he expounded the prophecie he there spoke of in his intent and meaning to be directly vnderstood of himselfe and his company that they should be those long gownes which should raigne and gouerne the whole Isle of great Britaine Of which societie there being some of all or the most part of all Christian Nations hauing once this land giuen them by and vnder the Spaniard as they hope for to make it a Iapponian Island of Iesuits but stay they haue not yet Iapponia in their handes then should we haue as many languages in this Isle and the auncient Inhabitants dispersed into as many countries as there should be prouincialls of that societie for it were no policie to let vs all liue here together nor yet leade all captiue into one prouince or kingdome Yet let God worke his will in these things be it true or false that any such heauines be reuealed what then Shall I therefore be the bloodie instrument to worke it of mine owne head without Gods speciall designement so to doe Shall I shew my selfe so vnnaturall inhumane and cruell harted as to write bookes to perswade to vse all possible meanes to bring my natiue country into bondage and slauerie Shall I of a grudge or desire of reuenge vpon some particular person or persons or for some priuate gaine to my selfe or my owne peculiar company banish from my hard nay stonie nay flintie nay adamantine hart all pittie compassion charitie remorse and naturall affection to that which next to my maker and his spouse I am by all lawes in chieefe to esteeme of the bond of loue loyaltie and dutie being greater to my prince and countrie then to my parents or deerest friends And whereas euen tyrants in such like cases haue been mooued to lenitie shall I haue no conceit of the wringing of hands of the sighes and teares of the weepings and wailings of the skrikes and cries of so many sweete yoong and tender babes of both sexes Shall I haue no feeling of so many mothers bleeding harts of so many noble ladies and other yoong maides of generous birth gentle blood and free education for all rare parts indowments and abilities of nature and fortune fit to be princes peeres now to be left desolate or bestowed on euery base fellow not woorthy to be their seruant Shall I take vpon me to be an actor an orator or a broker in laboring to bring that old blinde prophesie to effect which saith When the blacke fleete of Norway is come and gone then lords shall wed ladies and bring them home Shall I be the efficient instrumentall cause or causa sine qua non of so many great worshipfull honorable and princely heires to be disinherited of so many vpstart squibs of forraigne nations to start vp in their places of so many false textes forged glosses fained lawes of God of nature and of man to disprooue all
sadnes command me now to a sorrowfull silence and so concluding this long article that whatsoeuer the end of our countries calamities happen to be for subiection captiuitie bondage desolation or the like yet if Parsons say and affirme that they who were the originall cause and occasion of our heauie and iust downefall be sure to beare the greatest burden and to abide the sorest triall if he haue been that infortunate Saians iade vpon whom whosoeuer hath sitten haue come to a sorrowful and wretched end as all his tampering platformes with this and that noble haue declared if he haue hitherto euer ioyned most with those whom himselfe hath euer iudged most infortunate and iustly to haue merited these plagues which he threateneth on Gods behalfe to fall vpon them and their posteritie Then what mad man or woman is he or she that to second his owne sorrowes will consort him or her selfe with the Iesuiticall faction to side with those of whom their Polypragmon hath prophecied the destruction Therefore happy say I is he or she that setting all priuate respects aside for their owne gaine seeke the conuersion of their countrie as the seculars doe For that although there neither is neither can there be any assurance of either side to wit whether euer our countrie shall be againe conuerted all wholy to the catholike faith or no either by secular or Iesuit or any other yet more hope questionles there is of conuersion of it by the seculars then by the Iesuits course bicause the seculars is more apostolicall and directly tending to the preseruation of all c. THE X. ARTICLE VVHether any certaintie or possibilitie of conuersion of any of the Lords of her Maiesties honorable Counsell or other magistrates or officers in speciall authoritie vnder her highnes whom the seculars deale withall and if none then whether they may trust them in other matters and proceedings as D. Bagshaw M. Bluett and others doe or no without offence scandall or other danger either to themselues or their friends THE ANSWERE THis question is sufficiently debated before to wit That although all or any one appointed by her Maiestie to deale in these affaires meant fraudulently and with intent to intrap the seculars one way or other to worke their greater discredite disgrace and vtter ouerthrowe thereby which yet were very ingrateful vnciuill and inhumane for any so to iudge and censure without cause for as it is said it is sinne to lie of the diuell and sure this calumniation and slaunder raised of these men for their intercourse with those in authoritie vnder her Maiestie declares a most malitious Iesuiticall spirite there being no question to be made of it to the contrary bicause former examples of other Iesuites haue proued it true and led the seculars first the daunce in seeking of fauours at ciuill magistrates or others hands but that if either Master Blackwel or Father Garnet or any Iesuite of them all that deale now in hucker mucker and therefore more daungerously and pernitiously as I said before might haue free accesse and either were as cleere in their owne conscience as these seculars are or else might haue imputatiue iustice by conuiuence from her Maiestie on their side to obtaine so much fauour by as these haue obtained there is not the purest of them but would come with his hat in his hand to the Bishop of London or to any other in authority for to be shrowded vnder them and so by consequent to ingrate thus iniuriously both vpon her Maiesties officers the secular priests as the Iesuites doe bicause they haue not the like fauour deserues the challenge to a combat if they were other men then they are yet howsoeuer although as I said there were euill intended seeing notwithstanding that there is no way possible to worke any euill to the seculars or their friends thereby vnlesse they count it euill for a man condemned to the gallowes to be deliuered and set free and his life graunted him or for him that is condemned in a premunire or otherwise to perpetuall prison to be deliuered thence or for him that is in daunger to be searched and ransackt euery hower to haue a breathing fit of safetie and securitie to sleepe one weeke or fortnight a sounder sleepe then he had slept in twenty yeeres before or for him that hath by statute lawes forfeited his life lands goods and all he is worth to haue some mitigation and find an ease not onely in pardon of his life but also in releasement of the confiscation of his goods and sauing of his lands c. And if any litle ease to languishing harts be comfortable if lawfull it be for any redimere iniustam vexationem if all men be bound to cleere themselues and to liue without exasperating of any nor giuing offence no not to Infidels if for these and the like causes sundry secular priests haue vpon sufficient approbation and triall had of their innocency found extraordinary fauour and others also by their meanes And if a Sebastian could court it out with his Lord and Emperor and yet keepe a religious hart to God ward helpe and saue many a mans life that otherwise had died if a Daniell could obtaine so speciall fauour at a kings hands as not onely to be deliuered out of prison yea and from out of the lyons den but also to be made liefetenant generall princeps exercitus and Emperor of the field euen amiddest those amongst whome he and all his countrimen liued captiue If both a Peter and a Iohn could be like deerely accounted of to their Lord master Christ and yet euen he who was rather of the two yea or most of all the rest in greatest danger bicause by his royall blood and alliance to the king his maker and his master a iust cause of ielousie was to be had of him but notwithstanding this we finde that Saint Iohn found friendship when and where Saint Peter could not at the high priestes hands and amongst other inferior officers and yet none euer spake against it or thought the woorse of him for it Yea if S. Peter although he had better haue vsed his friend in another matter but that it was oracled so to be vsed Saint Iohns helpe to come in amongst the thickest of his masters enimies Then say I it is the most enuious malitious and pharisaicall part that these prowd disdainfull sycophants could possibly play and doth as much discouer their vile and base mindes as any one thing could possibly doe to maligne slaunder and backbite men of better deserts then themselues But the diuell is euer enuious An enuious man is alwaies murmuring grudging and repining at an others good fortunes and to heare of a Iesuitical fellow to giue a good word of any that is not Iesuited in faction or affection he sure by my consent shall be a king cipher to command the nine figures in algorisme with o rare amongst the rarest illuminates So then to
that is now a Priest in England to be found nor in whom were lesse signes of true conuersion when he first presumed to take that sacred function vpon him yet if a man should go so straightly to worke with him as he and his doe with others who that had seen and knowne him in Oxford and his dealings there how seditious wanton factious this leud bastards conuersation was how for his libelling and other misdemeanour he was thrust out of Balyoll Colledge and not for religion as he vainely vaunts doctor Bagshaw being then fellow of the same Colledge and his stiffe aduersarie in the matters obiected against him which I verily thinke is cause of a greater hatred in all the Iesuits against the said doctor now as an accident proper to that societie to be reuengefull to death How he became so infamous there being thē master of Arts that they hissed him out with whoubs hoo-bubs rung him thence with bels how after his expulsiō thence or relinquishing by compulsion that place and Colledge he deepely protested vpon occasion of speech to one Iames Clark his old schoolfellow then abiding in the inner Temple that he neither then was neither euer meant to be a papist for so it pleased that good fellow to call vs catholikes at that time offered for his better satisfaction therein to take an oth before him for assurance of the same who I say that had heard seene the man at that time yea and euer since had conuersed with him and noted well his whole life and conuersation would euer haue preferd him for any good part or acte of pietie or signe of grace before any the seeming furthest of in all England or else where whom in truth if his owne bookes and writings and the rest of his fellowes speeches had not put me in minde of their impudencie I would neuer haue touched thus narowly and yet sparingly as in an other place you shall heare nor brought him in for an example to prooue that Finis coronat opus and that it is neither the good beginning nor progresse nor regresse nor any one zealous acte nor long continuance either in vertue or in vice that notifieth a man to be predestinate or a reprobate before the end of his life approoue it and that the Parcae haue cut the twist in two For which intent and none other but to pull downe our peacocks plumy harts to keepe our soules in awe and our consciences in feare and neither the one nor the other to murmure or make comparisons with Gods graces our deserts it was parabolizd of the laborers that had al a like pay at night though some of them came not passing three houres before supper and others at noone tide yet were equald with those that came in the morning and had borne onus diei vpon their shoulders And therefore a shame of the diuell and all hypocrits and pharisees that hauing beene whatsoeuer they now are the woorst men that liue and of as bad a nature and base a moulde as euer water wette or winde dried must haue panegyries of their praises and peeces shot of to make report of their learning their vertue their prudence their gouernment their pietie their charitie their constancie their perseuerance their assurance neuer to faile their predestinate state phy phy of the diuell and puritanes their pharisaicall excellencie woorth and rarenes in all things with the contraries in all their opposites yea so farre contraries as this base fellow Parsons whom some can euer hardly thinke to be a priest but to liue still irregular vpon a Luciferian pride dare presume to call in his impudently fathered appendix vpon Cardinall Allen the king of Scots an obstinate heretike in effect as no possibilitie of his conuersion And in an other booke of his or Father Creswels they censure the king of France for a reprobate of God forsaken as impossible to be euer a sound catholike though to the diuell and their shame and confusion and I hope vtter destruction at least expulsion extrusion exile out of these parts of Christendome his maiesty hath giuen better testimony already of his catholike faith then that bastard Parsons euer yet gaue And in this fellowes letters you haue heard before what his report hath bin of the students at Rome other priests lay persons else where the like is now of their presumptiō to censure these reuerend priests actions aboue mentioned for finding grace and fauour at her maiesties hands as also their rash censure that such and such are obstinate heretikes and impossible to be reclaimed by consequent not to be vsed in other matters Which great impudencie in them manifest signe of an obstinate resolue to maintaine ere long a most absurd and hereticall opinion of impossibilitie of conuersion of a sinner both bewraies their archplot-caster and others of them neuer to haue beene sound catholiks to this hower and therefore they speake as in their owne guilty conscience they finde true and also on the other side it is flat repugnant to the generall consent of the whole church yea and to holy scripture it selfe Misericordia eius super omnia opera eius God can forgiue more then man can offend and many comfortable examples to all repentant sinners we haue to confirme it that Diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonum yea euen etiam ipsa peccata said Saint Augustine then whom a greater sinner nor hotter heretike was not in his daies And if heere I might enlarge my selfe a little who that had seene good king Dauid not content with all his wiues and concubines but first to haue taken his true and faithfull seruants wife and then after she had conceiued by him sent presently for her husband to haue had him lien with her and so to haue fathered the bastard spurius on him and that not seruing the turne to haue made the good knight Vry drunke of purpose to stir vp lust in him and thereby to get him home to bed with his wife and lastly when nothing would preuaile to hide his sinne withall rather then he would want his will he would ieopard the hazard of his whole life to haue this good true knight cast away slaine that done foorth with to take her to his wife Quam polluit per adulterium Lo how many sins one vpon another were committed in this one acte who then to haue seene this and withal had remembred how king Saul for a farre seeming lesse offence was of God vtterly reiected and forsaken would euer thought that it would haue bin said by God of Dauid Inuem hominem secundū cor meum Who that had heard S. Peter curse sweare forsweare deny his master thrice in two houres space and lesse would euer haue iudged him to haue beene the man of whom Christ our Sauiour said Et tu aliquando conuersus confirma fratres tuos Who that had seene S. Paul then Saul so
a catholike nay of a Christian nay of a humane creature but of a beast or a deuill a violater of all lawes a contemner of all authority a staine of humanity an impostume of all corruption a corrupter of all honestie and a Monopole of all mischiefe From whom as from the source of all our sorrowes doe daily ebbe flowe and rise vp to full floods in bubbles of bloud and teares new spring tides of our English calamities keeping vs all continually tossed to and fro vpon the Ocean maine of incessant sadnes All eies of enemies casting a greedie looke after the long expected pray he hath put them in hope of all our friends bewailing our heady downefall in his plotted intendments all English harts irritated by him our soueraignes life often sought for our country standing betraied into the enemies hands our selues poore innocent men and women that be catholikes and ignorant of his bloudy practises and vnnaturall designements haue already felt the smart of his wickednesse whilest he like a faint soldier nay a dastardly coward for neuer expect manhood in Machiauel high prowes in politikes nor valour in vices and a false deceitfull shepheard did winde himselfe out of the bryars and left both vs and Christ his flocke to the spoile And would God he had but onely left for then should we haue found no want of far his betters there hauing euer bene better then he for learning wisedome gouernement and all true tokens of vertue pietie and religion euen when he was at the best which was at the time of his writing the Resolution a very commendable and worthy work in deed though neither of any so high points aboue ordinary capacitie as to merite him the name of a schooleman or yet of any great or profound diuine being but a plaine positiue discourse and that not of his owne absolute inuention but taken out of other authors onely the praise being his for well translating of it close couching and packing it vp together in a very smooth stile and singular good method wherein truely he was to be commended But was all this comparable to Salomon to Origen to Appollinaris and many moe who lost their good spirits by their selfe conceits he his by his proud ambitious harts aspires so vnable now to speake or write of any spiritual priestly or religious matter as a very reuerend priest comming ouer of late told me that he neuer heard a meaner sermon made beyond the seas then he had heard of father Parsons and that his words and writings for edifying or giuing any good instruction and ghostly counsell were as barren bare and far from his former abilities on that behalfe as if he had been before father Robert Parsons the Iesuit and now poore George Parsons the waiward foole his brother Thus it is when proud Nimrods will presume to build Babel aboue the welkin take vpon them to be strong hunters coram Domino and thinke to face it out that the outward apparance and habite onely may forestall carrie away and preiudicate mens conceits where the effects disclaime to the contrary crying out against him that he hath lost the spirit he had through his arrogancie and abuses of Gods graces If he be a religious man he is in the number of monasticks what hath he then to doe with the world to coosen the innocent and heape together this mucke of the molde If he be a Iesuit he hath by profession sequestrated himselfe from all medling in secular affaires what hath he then to doe with common wealthes titles successions and princes proceedings If he haue abiured all pompe maiestie and glorie here on earth he is for a church and a cloister not for courts and palaces what hath he then to doe in determining of state matters to court to monarches to cap to crownes to canton kingdomes and to crowne kings and Queenes with pamphlets as he pleaseth If he be a priest his office is to pray and offer sacrifice for the liuing and the dead piè religiose de resurrectione mortuorum cogitans for the popes holines and all cardinals bishops and clergy the whole church of God here militant on earth for the vnitie league peace and concord amongst all Christian princes for the conuersion of all nations to the catholike Roman Church for the extirpation of all Paganisme Iudaisme Turcisme infidelitie schisme and heresie for the preseruation of his prince and countrie from all inuading foes ciuill warres and other enimies both bodily and ghostly for all the nobles and peeres of his soueraignes realme for his owne flesh and blood friends and kinred if he haue any as being filius terrae he is of a great Clan base though it be In few if a vestall virgine in time of gentilisme could not be brought to vtter any curse execration or imprecation against an enimie of Rome bicause as she said in pagan rite her office was to pacifie not to punish to preserue not to put downe and to pray for all not to persecute any then much more ought this to be a christian catholike religious priests office and charge then what hath he to doe in Campo Martio with Bellonaes banner to ballance his pen with gastfull gores of English blood or to imbrew a priestly hand in princes bowels O monster of mankinde fitter for hell then middle earth If thy profession will not draw thee to consideration of the premises yet shewe some signes of charitie in sparks of grace if it were but onely in policie to mooue thee to forbeare thy barbarous cruelty bicause thereby thou giuest occasion for diuers to thinke thou art not a meere man but some Fairies brat or begotten by an Incubus or aerish spirit vpon the body of a base womā And there fore imitating thy vile progenitors thou daily dost minister new matter to increase our home persecutions by thy spritish crueltie Princes are alwaies iealous many times haue iust cause and euer more then any other priuate person to be so for the greater honors the greater mo grieuouser osors Why dost thou then not now surcease frō prouoking our prince to be suspitious of vs by thy trecheries after the blood of an hundred martyrs all innocent men and reuerend priests shed by thy meanes Loe wretch is not this ynough to giue thee a gorge to glut a cormorants mew neuer satiated with our blood Leaue of leaue of leaue of it is not possible for all you Iesuits in the world with all the helpe of hell and puritanes to band it out Your plants are blasted in the bud your corne shaken before the reape and your whole societie become infamous by your prouincials most hatefull platforms And howsoeuer these Quodlibets or other discoueries of your hypocrisie be hardly taken of some for a time and holden of many for odious libels yet in tract of time when passions are alaid and blinde affections haue referred the matter to reason to consider of then questionles both men and
effects we now behold both clergie and laitie highly offending so the succceding occasions of erronious conceipts hath been our owne faultes in treading our forefathers steps in this point of priuate respects selfe conceits and high aspires So as iustly we may say Non sumus digni à Deo exaudiri but rather and most true it is that nostris demeritis meremur puniri and that the fault is not in her Maiestie nor honorable Councell nor ciuill magistrate nor all nor any of our aduersaries but in our selues that England is not yet conuerted and our persecution of long time still encreased scil by reason of some seditious persons and others that followed them with indiscreet zeale and those that were in expectance of great matters by a change conuerting their thoughts from heauenly hopes to earthly hazards imploying their studies how to compasse their owne ambitious aduancements God highly offended to see his blessings and graces lost and taken from amongst vs for our forefathers sinnes to be gone about by the like and woorse proceedings to haue it restored againe It could not otherwise choose but greeuously offend the diuine maiestie and vntill the archplotters of this preposterous course for our countries conuersion were either cut off or otherwise had humbled themselues and surceasing from all ambitious aspires sought sincerely the health of soules not heapes of gold England should neuer be conuerted But we all die and pine away leauing the atchieuement to those that shall succeede in our places when we are all dead and gone That the Iesuits of the more fiery hot and Puritanian humor may not snuffe at the quiet that catholikes are here said to haue liue◠in eleuen yeeres you shall heare the very words of two of their great Rabbies Parsons Creswels speaking to her Maiestie in a Puritanian stile as followeth In the beginning of thy kingdome thou didst deale something more gently with catholikes none were vrged by thee or pressed either to thy sect or to the deniall of their faith All things in deede did seeme to proceede in a farre milder course no great complaints were heard of no extraordinarie contentions or repugnancies Some there were that to please gratifie you went to your churches But when afterwards thou didst beginne to wring them c. Which whensoeuer it was we were the cause as the attempts in Fraunce and Scotland make it manifest This then being the course and cause of humane hopes our harts doe bleede to reade and heare as sundry of vs haue what hath beene printed and published out of Italie in the life of Pius Quintus concerning the indeuors of his holines stirred vp by false suggestions to ioine with the king of Spaine for the vtter ruine and ouerthrow both of our prince and countrie Would God such things had neuer beene enterprised and more that they had neuer beene printed but most of all that they neuer had fronted our natiue shores And if Parsons and his associates had not busied themselues with that they should nor then had we not now medled in this place with that we would not as whereunto for a iust defence of all loyall catholike subiects ignorant of Parsons and his complices drifts we are now constrained to make appeales apologies and replies For what good soeuer the first or againe renewing of the excommunication the printing reprinting of state bookes and other practises may bring hereafter to the Church of God we neither see it neither knowe it But sure we are that for the present nothing hath done vs greater harme nor giuen our common enimies greater aduantages against vs. It is elsewhere set downe how that her Maiestie vsed vs kindly for the space of the first ten yeers of her highnes raigne the state of the catholikes in England that while was tollerable and after a sort in some good quiet Such as for their conscience were imprisoned or in durance were very mercifully dealt withall the state and change of things then considered some being appointed to remaine with such their friends as they themselues made choise of others were placed with Bishops and others with Deanes and had their diets at their tables with such conuenient walkes and lodgings as did well content them They that were in ordinarie prisons had all such libertie and commodities as the place and their estate could affoord them yea euen thus much and more doth Parsons confesse in his Philopater as also father Creswell in his Scribe to the like effect though both very rude peremptorie and sawcie in their speech to her Maiestie with thou didst this and thou didst that c. And Parsons in Grenecoate makes the case cleere especially for state matters though he turne his passage there against the Earle of Leicester to a wanton speech as deliuered from a Lady of the Court how great quiet the state and Court was in for twelue yeeres space no talke of treasons nor conspiracies no iealousies nor suspitions no enuie nor supplantations no feare of murtherings nor massacrings no question of conscience nor religion all liued in quiet content and right good fellowship was amongst them both Lords and Ladies wiues and maidens nobles and gentles knights and esquires married and single of all degrees a ioy it was to haue been in the Court in those daies saith Parsons in that Ladies name whose words mooued much the company where she was as women saith he are potent in moouing where and when they please she did deliuer her mind with so sweete a countenance and courtly a grace c. Now whiles you were say our aduersaries thus kindly vsed of her highnes how trecherously was she dealt withall by you For what had you to doe being catholikes and religious priests as Iesuits terme themselues with spreading pamphlets libels and other fooleries abroad of any misdemeanor in her Maiesties subiects and peeres of the realme You might haue left such scoggerie as Parsons hath set out in Greenecoate to Tarleton Nashe or else to some Puritane Martin Mar prelate or other like companions And for you it was to haue handled grauer higher and more important matters and that concerning soule points not subtilties nor new deuises much lesse to haue dealt against her Maiestie and the state in so traiterous a manner as in a late treatise set out by our brethren doth at large appeere Where to our vnspeakable greefe the world shall see that we our selues who would be termed catholikes and that of all sorts haue beene the true causes of all our owne calamities When I was examined before some of the high Commissioners at the Gildhall about 14. yeeres agone concerning matters of state and especially about the six Interrogatories which we commonly called the six bloodie articles knowing my selfe innocent from the beginning of any the least disloyall thought I haue often since much mused with my selfe what should haue mooued her Maiesties honorable Councell to haue proposed these articles to priests but most of all why
such straite lawes were made for comming into England of Seminarie priests bringing in of Agnus Dei crosses medals graines c. reconcilement perswasions to the catholike faith and the like All which when I saw the bookes of the excommunication of her Maiestie by Pius Quintus diuers others tending to that purpose written since and withall had well considered what the Iesuits dealing had beene how that they had procured these indulgences pardons to serue their owne turne therewith I then wel perceiued vpon what grounds the said six articles were built And Master Bales a blessed martyr shall witnes with me at the latter day how woe my hart was vpon the last speech he and I had together in the house of an honorable person where we met about those and other matters my last words being these vnto him scil that his holines was misinformed and indirectly drawne to these courses by Iesuiticall meanes And therefore of all other orders of religion were I to goe into any I would neuer be Iesuit whiles I liued And this may suffice for the matter in question to conuince any catholikes true meaning hart that the circumstances well considered with all humble obedience to the See apostolike be it spoken there neither was due circumstances in the Bull of Pius Quintus to binde any to withdrawe their allegiance from our Soueraigne neither and much lesse was it conuenient that the same excommunication should haue beene renewed againe THE IX ARTICLE VVHether then seeing her Maiestie and the state knew such practises were by priests and other catholikes vsed and put in execution and yet were ignorant who were of that faction more one then an other till now of late that God hath most strangely and in very deed as it may he termed miraculously reuealed the truth which long hath beene hidden to discerne who are innocent and who free may not then her lawes and proceedings against all catholiks in generall from the beginning of her Highnesse raigne to this present discouery of the treasons and traitors that vrged it be truely counted both milde and mercifull And that howsoeuer of her owne accustomed innate royall disposition benignitie clemencie her Highnesse may and we shoulde wrong our owne conceits in preiudice of her sweete and Princely nature if we should not thinke she would now at length take pittie of such her owne catholike subiects as haue manifested their loyaltie innocencie and ignorance of what was intended against her royall person and state Yet whether in tendring the afflictions which the innocent both secular priests lay persons haue sustained by making such lawes or prouisoes and adding them to the lawes alreadie made as may free both the priests and those that receiue them from the paines and penalties before by statute enacted against them all in generall may not for all that the sayd former statutes penall lawes and actes enacted be thought to stande in force against the Iesuiticall faction and no reason or sense to haue them repealed but both to haue beene made with great moderation and also to stand and remaine with as great pollicie in all or any wisemans iudgement that shall duly consider the Iesuits practises and other her Highnes enimies against her person state and kingdome in the course precedent of all this time THE ANSWERE I Holde directly the affirmatiue part heerein scil that both her Maiesties lawes and proceedings against all sorts of catholikes haue bene milde and mercifull the opinion and iudgement of her Highnesse in religion one way and their foresaid practises against her another way duly considered and also that all the appellants and other priests and catholikes that ioyne with them in prosecuting that appeale as there is iust cause and many reasons which we doubt not of but that to her high prudence and Princely wisedome they will present themselues in laments submissions and teares on our behalfes and in pollicie mercy and iustice on the part of her Highnesse towards vs why some prouisoes should be made for securing of them the said appellants and their associates together with those that do or shall receiue them heereafter from danger of the foresaid penall lawes so haue they and we all that be catholikes in England this day as great motiues causes and reasons moouing vs to admire that euer any of vs are left on liue to make knowne to all posteritie what hath hapned in our daies the like woonders hauing neuer hitherto as yet beene seene as our wretched age hath left recorded to those shall follow vs by succeeding turnes of natures course to the worlds end And by consequent we cannot vrge an absolute repeale of any former statute or penall law so long as any Iesuit or other priest or lay person of their faction which I hope would be very few if any were after they were gone shall remaine within the land but thinke our selues happie and deepely bound to her Maiesty if a prouisoe onely may be made in forme aforesaid to keepe the innocent harmeles though with an other prouisoe also or stricter statute if stricter may be for the vtter expelling of all Iesuits out of the land And for to make this my opinion sinke the deeper into all catholikes heads and harts that either are infected with the Spanish pip or otherwise Iesuited in affection or faction I must and do craue pardon for enlarging my selfe a litle in handling this subiect to the purpose and agreeing to their capacitie Often haue many wise learned and prudent greatly mused what should haue beene the cause in morall sense to speake to men of the heauie and sore affliction of catholiks in England for many yeeres yea it hath beene thought of many great clerkes yet with pardon craued ignorant of our English cases as heereafter will appeere that the circumstances considered as the occurrents came to their minds that their persecution in the primitiue church was not greater if so great respecting the danger of soule-wracke then the persecution in England hath beene for these twenty yeeres space and vpward to wit since the infortunate arriuall of the Iesuits in this land The causes moouing many to admire thereat and in multitudes of vollees in morneful sighes and sorrowes hurled out with wailings one to another greeuing when wise deuout true compassionates of their countries miseries met together that for our owne and our forefathers sinnes so heauie a scourge shoulde be laid vpon our nation our deere countrymen our flesh and blood our neerest linckt vnto vs often times our greatest lothers Amongst others these were the causes of their woonder how it should be First they considered with how great a sympathie all concord naturall incline and reciprocall affection It is no maruell though the Iesuits be so egar of England as they are and that they hazard body soule and all they haue or can be able to make to haue it wholy theirs For considering the poore lodgings scarcity of victuals and vncomfortable trauell
any especially so neere her Maiestie as those were c. But amongst many woorthy examples and reasons alledged by these ancient fathers to the heathen emperors in the primitiue Church why they should grant libertie of conscience to Christians arguments deduced from policie ciuilitie humanitie and their owne princely benignitie for they not accustomed with matters of faith religion conscience being infidels onely morall ciuill politicall and humane respects such as some sparks of Synderesis the lawes of reason of nature and nations are in man were motiues to moone them to surcease from persecution or else nothing Of all the rest Athenagoras in his Apologie to the emperor Commodus on the behalfe of the Christians frameth his speech to the best construction and fitliest agreeing to the matter now in question to the iudgement of many on the English catholikes behalfe to our Soueraigne For the summe of Athenagoras speech consisting as it doth in this that one and a chiefe reason why the emperor should grant free vse and libertie of conscience to the Christians was for that his Maiestie together with all his predecessors freely granted the same freedome to all other sects sectaries professors of religion and worshippers of sundry gods and goddesses as far different in the worship done to and derogating from the Maiestie and honor of Caesar as the God of the Christians or worship done vnto him did or could any way differ or derogate And seeing that euery particular prouince countrie and people had their peculiar gods to themselues whom they worshipped with a kinde of singularitie vsed in one thing or other towardes them that others wanted where euer they went or liued either in the prouince of their birth or else transported to some region further of or nearer hand and yet neuer once examined nor asked the question why they did so then ab inductione Athenagoras did conclude euen iure gentium that the Christians throughout the emperors dominions ought to haue the like libertie tolleration and conniuence granted them Whereupon our catholikes in England bringing in an argument à simili that if there wâ—re reason why the Emperor should permit the Christian religion as well as other religions opposite to the Romane rites in gentilisme that were then allowed of with all their pluralities of like sort then say ours seeing her Maiestie permitteth Puritanes Brownists or Barowists Familians c. to liue quiet within her dominions it were agreeing as well to mercy suited alwaies best with maiestie as also to if not our iust yet our lawfull desires for to haue the like libertie or at least not to bee haunted with continuall searchings hazard of life ordinarie taxations and losses of lands and goods taken from them as the catholike recusants are and haue beene long in these vexations troubles and dangers from whence all other are free Amidst this argument they vrge further for that the emperors in those daies were heathen our Soueraigne a Christian their 's often strangers to the Romanes yea alwaies strangers to one nation or other ouer which they gouerned especially during the raignes of some thirty emperors euen vntill Constantine the great his time by reason that the emperiall crowne of Caesar went by meere election that while whereupon followed so many bloodie murthers massacrings and open warres against one another for aspiring to the emperiall soueraigntie Here one proclaimed emperor in the field by a rabble of vnruly soldiers there another denounced installed and crowned emperor by the Senate and he sometimes an Italian otherwhile a Spaniard otherwhile a Frenchman then a Britane borne in this lande and after that perhaps a Grecian c Whereas now our Lady and Soueraigne is of our owne nation birth blood education naturall incline and all things to mooue to lenitie Againe their pluralities of gods and diuersities of worships sacrifices and ceremonies tended onely to points of religion sects and opinions amongst themselues no way otherwise derogating to the imperiall crowne of Caesar But these in England which yet as I said are permissible differ not onely all of them in generall from the present church of England yea and one from another in matters of faith and points of religion besides as much as the catholikes do differ from the Protestants if not more but euen also in matters of state in the highest degree the Puritans as eagerly seeking and wishing the death of her Maiestie and both writing and speaking as boldly vnto her as any traytor euer did or durst speake to his prince and yet they are permitted to liue and enioy their liberty whereas the catholiks can not be any way endured which to nations abroad giueth no little cause of admiration Fourthly they otherwhiles turnd ouer their bookes wherein they had registred the imperiall decrees of Caesar and finding amongst other points of importance belonging to this great cause of our heauines and woonder how that euer so sore an affliction of catholikes should haue fallen out in our infortunate age and that in our natiue countrey and amongst our owne deerest and neerest friends by all coniunctions of lawes orders motiues they had there quoted how that in time of Arrianisme other afflictions persecutions of the church vnder Iulian vnder Valens vnder Constans vnder Constantius vnder Theodoret and others the like when the same emperors were fautors yea and earnest persecutuors protectors and patrons of the catholikes aduersaries and that all the Christian world was infected with those heresies which continued 400. yeeres ere they were quite extinct yet were these great Monarches and mighties of the world so far from inflicting such a generall affliction vpon all catholikes in those daies as now the English catholikes do sustaine that they thought it enough to haue them and that but in some places for to be depriued of their Benefices Bishopricks and other as well ecclesiasticall as temporall dignities and offices suffragating Arrian Bishops and others in their places without further taxes laide vpon them or other troubles and vexations in generall For what was done in speciall against Saint Siluester and Saint Siluerius martyr against Saint Basill and Saint Martin martyr against Saint Iohn and Saint Donatus both martyrs against Saint Athanasius Saint Chrysostom and others it was of priuate grudge and no generall cause Nay which was more euen those same emperors that persecuted the catholikes most yet often of their owne princely benignity and meere motion proceeding of their innate clemencie they would and did authorise graunt and make offer from their imperiall throne to sundrie catholike Bishops and other prelats euen vnder their hands For as I said before in places prouinces and countries further of though subiect to the Romane empire there was no question made of hauing catholiks or Arrian Bishops equally alike as the number of the one or other religions did sway most that they might vse their Episcopal iurisdictions and other rites and ceremonies agreeing to the custome of the catholike
of a lyon becom a lambe In few we see in Polony in Sweden in Scotland in Flaunders and euery where that catholikes are together with those of other professions sects and opinions vnlesse it be where onely the Consistorian Caluinian Cartwrightian puritans rule the rost and that a company of ministers or exorbitant superintendants ouertop both Prince prelate and all as in Scotland and at Geneua c. Otherwise all kings and princes of this age haue iudged it in pollicie the fittest wisest safest and most honorable and princely course they could haue taken to graunt libertie of conscience to their subiects Which seeing our soueraigne Queene Elizabeth hath not granted and yet is knowne to be in her owne high towring princely wisedome of as high a pitch sound and deepe conceite censure and iudgement in reach not to be seconded of any of these adding heereunto that for gouernment of her land for policie in her state for noblenes in her court her Highnes hath the choice of as fine delicate and daintie breed of gallant graue quicke wits as Europe nay as Afrike nay as Asia nay as the world this day enioyes The Italian the Spaniard the Polonian the Sweden the Moscouite the Turke the Persian and who not is willing to aduaunce her Maiesties meanest sort of subiects sometime to the highest types of honor to winne them wholy to be theirs to learne witte sleight and pollicie out of their practise and experience These Boreas blasted lads borne vnder the Britaine Ocean able to fire with their wits the hotte climatical Southerne Sages witnes our Stukeleyes our Candishes our Furbishers our Drakes our Hilles our Sherleys our Parsons c. All these circumstances duly weighed that this heauie yoke should be laide by so mercifull wise and prudent a prince vpon the weake neckes of her poore subiects with weight importable for them to carry vnlesse her highnes should stretch foorth her accustomed Atlantike armes of clemencie to support them before they sinke downe right vnder their burthen That this seueritie should be more vsed against catholiks in England then either any catholike king or prince of other professions either Christian or heathen vse against either subiects or forrainers of contrary religions vnto the said princes throughout the worlde this day This is the point which many stande vpon in admiring how euer things should haue come to that passe they are at in England concerning the affliction of catholikes and cannot finde out the causes This then to make manifest to all the world by an historicall discourse and that howsoeuer we haue matter enough against our aduersaries euen for religions sake yet neither to aggrauate more then is necessarie nor to accuse further then is expedient nor to excuse more then is conuenient nor yet to lay the fault of any that is faultlesse therefore shall it be made knowne that as the affliction of catholiks in England hath beene in very deed extraordinary as is heere set downe and many an innocent man lost his life so also hath the cause thereof beene extraordinary and so farre beyond the accustomed occasions of persecution giuen to any prince in christendome or monarchie that is or euer was in the world to this hower vnlesse the Puritanes of Scotland which may in some sort equall the offence heere to be set downe as rather it is to be woondred at all things duly considered that any one catholike is left on liue in England then that our persecution hath beene so great for name one nation I know none can vnder heauen where the subiects especially if they were catholikes euer sought the death of their Soueraigne though of a different religion frō them the conquest of their natiue land the subuersion of the state the depopulation of the weale publike the alteration change of al lawes customs orders in few the vtter deuastation desolation destruction of al the ancient inhabitants of their land in so vnnatural vnchristian vncatholike a maner as the Spanish faction haue sought it in our owne flesh and bloud against this realme which treacherous courses although they were but some fewe and those priuate persons offences and by consequent in a court of conscience and in rigour of iustice the rest neither acting nor concurring nor consenting to their conspiracies were innocent and no way to be vsed with that seueritie as many catholiks haue beene Yet forasmuch as the pretences of such practises were generall and common to all catholikes alike all maintaining one and the same opinion concerning what might be done by apostolicall power and authoritie and neuer talking of what was necessarie therefore was it that her Maiestie and the state standing on the other side affected in religion as they did had both cause to iudge secundum allegata probata in foro externo and also can not otherwise be thought of but that the circumstances on all sides considered as well making for her owne securitie as also for a Non-knowledge what catholiks were guiltie and who were free her Maiesties lawes and proceedings against catholikes haue beene both milde and mercifull And as we are to thinke in deed our happe now to be hard if no mitigation nor prouisoe should be made for the innocent now that the way and meanes is knowne for discouery of traytors distinguishing betwixt state catholiks catholike loyall subiects so also are we to giue her Highnes humble thanks for our liues that we were not al cut off whiles no difference was made put nor knowne betwixt the secular priests Iesuits that we haue been permitted to liue to this happy houre of manifesting our catholike cōstancy obedience to the See apostolike in al our actions and our naturall loyaltie and seruiceable harts to our Prince and countrey in all our proceedings in neither stayning our catholike religion with vnnaturall treason nor priestly function with factious dispositions and state affaires But of this matter I will heere be silent referring you to a treatise lately set out by my brethren intituled Important considerations c. whereunto I haue prefixed an Epistle By both which you may see at large what statizing by acts wordes and writings in most treacherous and treasonable manner hath beene against her Maiestie against the present state against the whole common-wealth against vs all without exception her Highnes loyall and naturall subiects of what religion soeuer we be which seeing her Princely hart hath forborne as no Soueraigne on earth would euer haue suffred the like to haue past vnpunished as she hath I must conclude and end as we began that her lawes and proceedings haue beene both milde and mercifull THE X. ARTICLE VVHether then the premisses considered is it fit that Catholiks should send their children and friends to be brought vp in the Seminaries beyond the seas or not If not then how should the salt of the earth be kept vncorrupted or the seede of priesthood be continued for restoring of the catholike Romane
sequell of proper kind as we now handle them that the one followeth the other as the shadow doth the body there is nothing said in the last generall Quodlibet of state but it hath a relation to this of succession So as it can not be otherwise imagined but that the Iesuites haue a further drift and intend a greater mischiefe then all the world dreames of to make princes state gouernment and all authoritie seeme odious to the multitude Therefore I affirme and say absolutely as in my hart I thinke it that their proceedings therein are neither religious catholike christian nor dutifull but very barbarous impious and dishonest which I prooue first by testimony of holy writ Thou shalt not speake euill of the prince of thy people said the wise Salomon amongst his many Prouerbes Secondly Curse not the king no not in thy thought said the great Preacher in his ecclesiasticks and to the same purpose are the two great princes of the earth Saint Peter his words in his first Epistle and Saint Paule his speech by an Epistle to Titus Thirdly againe if any action can beare two constructions charity bindeth a man to take the best But princes haue neuer had more cause then now they haue by the Iesuites practises to be iealous of their estates ergo it ought to be construed in the best sense a man may if their gouernment be contrary to our likings Fourthly besides kings proceedings are oft aboue the capacity of the subiects and are not by them to be scanned or sifted much lesse to be slaundered and depraued Fiftly furthermore kings being the fathers of their country if they should haue in their proceedings any nakednes their subiects shew themselues to be of the generation of Cham that will not rather couer then detect them But such are the Iesuits vnnatural harts and greedie desire of soueraignty as it seemeth nothing doth more delight them then to find in a prince or priests coate some thing to make them seeme odious to their subiects or ghostly children Sixtly also the honour of our countrie ought to be more deere vnto vs then our owne credites or estimation nay oftentimes then our liues themselues ergo how can it be chosen but that the Iesuites being so ambitious in seeking their owne glory so greedy of their owne praises and so deeply affecting soueraigne dominion should not condemne themselues in their owne consciences in detracting and calumniating their soueraignes It is therefore most manifest and true as I haue often said and must haue often cause to repeate the same that of long time the grauest sort of the secular priests in England haue vtterly disliked such pamphlets and railing treatises and bookes as haue bene set out to the dishonour of her Maiesty and state here The booke that Doctor Saunders writ De schismate and his other De visibili Monarchia we wish with all our harts that they had neuer seen light Diuers of father Parsons books letters and treatises we haue and do from our very harts vtterly condemne them as conteining many seditious and trayterous points and being very full of slaunderous speeches and impudent calumniations Andreas Philopater being the fruits of father Parsons and father Creswell we hold to be fraught till it almost burst againe as some of my brethren elsewhere haue noted with all Iesuiticall pride and poyson And as touching the Exhortation before mentioned printed 1588. it is so detestable a treatise as all posterity cannot choose but condemne father Parsons for a most scurrilous traytor If he had beene brought vp amongst all the ruffians and Curtizans in Christendome he could not haue learned to haue writ more vilely prophanely and heathnishly Furthermore in that father Parsons and his fellow father Creswell do glory in their said booke that they haue caused not onely it but also master Saunders treatise De schismate to be translated into the Spanish toong and do reioyce that thereby the Spaniards are brought already into a greater detestation of her Maiestie her gouernment proceedings then they had before I thinke they glory in their owne shame and that they are to be accounted by all true catholikes to be most vile and trayterous persons that they dishonor priesthood and are as right Iesuits as insolencie and hatred can make them And so I conclude that the Iesuits practises and intents in wresting their Soueraignes and the state affaires in euery politicall morall and humane action to the worst sense is neither agreeing to Christian iustice catholike charitie nor bounden dutie of true subiects but like rebellious traytors to bring all into vprore that they may haue al crownes kingdomes gouernments succession state inheritance and all at their pleasure THE II. ARTICLE VVHether may not Iesuits although they are religious men and therefore excluded from dealing in publike secular affaires yet for all that which hath beene said imploy themselues in matters of state thus farre scil to direct and appoint the forme of the ciuill gouernment to set downe who ought to succeed to alter the ancient lawes of their countrie to decide and determine difficulties that may rise concerning all and euery competitors title in way of succession by birth blood c. to the crowne and to innouate all things vnder the pretence of gods glory and the promoting of their owne societie Or whether are not all these imputations so many vntruthes and calumniations THE ANSWERE I Hold it as I said before altogether vnlawfull for them to deale so in state matters and by consequent indecent First for that it is against the rules of their orders and very presumptuous for any of them to medle with the succession to the crowne at all Secondly it doth repugne from the very nature of all religious profession which is a seperating of men from the actions of the world Thirdly it tendeth to that which we most condemne in our common aduersaries For the consequence will be hardly denied it is lawfull for cleargy men to mannage ciuill causes ergo it is lawfull for temporall men to manage causes ecclesiasticall For wrest it and wring it aswell and which way soeuer we can possibly deuise yet will it alwaies be iudged of our aduersaries an assertion most euident and absurd to be denied that temporall men should not haue as great authoritie in church causes as Iesuits monks or friers at least if not also as other secular and ecclesiasticall persons should haue in causes ciuill Fourthly I shall not much need to trauell in this point bicause the Iesuits themselues do digest nothing woorse then to heare themselues charged with it for it is a practise with them to do all things vnder hande and to be as little seene in them as possiblie they can deuise And therefore as I haue often told you no lesse for the most part that which they go about they do it by other men or by feined names that if any inconuenience should happen they might either lay the blame vpon
right stampe hath be laboured with his pen to winne vnto his byace and to bring her Ladiship in dislike of the secular priests as others haue sought but all alike preuayled she being both too wise constant and vertuous to be carried away with gloses you would maruell that euer any bearing the face of a religious man would write so exorbitantly as he there hath done to his vtter shame and discredit as you shall well perceiue when it once comes foorth in Print with the discouery of his arrogancy ignorance lies on the one side and of his malice slāderous toong contēpt of the secular priests on the other side But to returne to our former speech These circumstances of Parsons actions and names giuen to offenders demonstrating a soueraigntie or superioritie in cheefe to be in Master Blackwell it followeth that he being notwithstanding all this subordinate or for feare or want of wit experience and knowledge due to such a superior as he takes vpon him to be at the command of Fa. Garnet betwixt whom by a priest of their owne faction it hath been told that there is continuall intercourse once in euery 24. howers at least there can no lesse be aymed at by the Iesuits in this Isle then a supreme power imperialty and dominion ouer all And so I conclude that they ayme at the succession themselues to rule vnder the Spaniards or rather to cloake their intended ambitious aspires vnder the Spaniards wings a while vntill they haue gotten all subiected vnder them Sed caueat Hispania praelio partu venditur proelis fides THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether then seeing they shoote at the whole monarchie of great Britanie together with Ireland Doe they intend any thing against Fraunce or not Or whether their practise for England may hinder or further their attempts for Fraunce more then their like practises for Scotland one while and for Ireland another while may do or no THE ANSWERE ENgland is made the maine chaunce of Christendome as our countries heauie case is at this present by seditious factions tampering and aspiring heads Wherefore we haue iust cause so many as loue to liue in quiet to pray hartely for the preseruation of her Maiesties life For afterward great calamities are we sure to see so many as liue to that wofull hower by all probable coniecture And by consequent then it followeth that England is the onely butte marke and white they aime at as well in intention as in execution of their pretended expedition exployte and action Which failing farewell a Iesuits monarchie for euer But holding their plots cast for England then haue at all Fraunce and other nations by peece meale in succeeding turns of conquests And therefore standes it both the state ecclesiasticall and temporal vpon of England in chiefe of Fraunce next and so of all other states and princes to looke to them in time and to ioyne in aide fauour and assistance of the Seminarie and secular priests in this their appeale This conclusion needes no further better nor other proofe then a relation with aduisement of this discourse Quodlibeticall First for that as you may gather by the second reason in the last Article and perceiue more at large if you read father Parsons Dolemanian succession he bringeth all his chiefe and strongest arguments for intituling the Lady Infanta to the English crowne from that head scil for that she is the right heire of Brytaine and France c. Now then if she be the heire of France and Brytaine as in precise termes he calleth her in his Appendix and that thereby she be intituled to our English crowne then questionles if once she get or I should haue said they get possession of this Isle in her right which they aime at in chiefe their title therunto comming by this meanes it standes with no sense that they shoulde giue ouer their clayme on her graces behalfe to that kingdome whereof they say she is already heire hauing obteined that monarchy whereunto she is intituled by the foresaide claime of heritage and whereby withall reciprocally she is againe reintituled to the same French kingdome and crowne Neither will the law Salique keepe them out from aduauncing her royall ensignes in the middest of them For I holde it but for a kindly canuase banding bob or taunting effect to confront with France for Burgundy Britany and other states and seigniories of old depending vpon the French crowne affirming as father Parsons doth in Doleman that though by the law Salique the Lady Infanta may be defeated and put from her rightfull title of inheritance and lawfull claime to the whole kingdome of France in concreto or in sensu composito as a man may terme it yet no reason saith he there but that so many states prouinces as came to the crowne of France by heires generall or women but that the same should diuolue vnto the Spaniard by women heires againe Which if he can bring to passe for all those seigniories come by women then shall the French be so fleeced in abstracto or in sensu diuiso as let them rest assured to be distracted out of their wits ere the Spanish Iesuiticall faction haue left them vnlesse they surrender vp the whole into their hands and yeelde perforce to abrogate the authoritie of their Salique lawes it holding no way either in piety or policie with father Parsons principles that taking vpon him in his said booke of titles and high counsell of reformation to abolish vtterly the auncient municipall lawes of this lande which were established by highest authoritie then the lawe Salique of France and that before euer the saide lawe was heard of amongst them that they should not tender thrust vpon and compell the French to chaunge their forme of gouernment lawes customes and all at his designement Secondly although during the time of their I meane the Iesuits rebellious practises conspiracies against the last king Henry the 3. of France of the house of Valois and this king regnant Henry the 4. before king of Nauarre it was not directly knowne that the Iesuits had cast at the crowne and whole kingdome of France in those warres then maintained by aide of the Spaniard but as a great part of catholikes heere in England in former broiles and conspiracies as well by the dukes of Norfolke and of Guise as also by captaine Stukeley and doctor Saunders aided with Italians and Spaniards c. and finally by the attempt in the yeere 1588. did thinke that the Iesuits and their faction had done all of zeale though indiscretely and for the aduancement of Gods glory and the catholike cause pretended by them to be religion So the French catholikes many of them of ignorance folowing the parts of Spaine and other rebels against their Soueraigne and country by Iesuiticall perswasion hauing had the like good opinion of these religious men and thereupon following their direction at an inche yet since their expulsion thence for their treasons and
to receiue take and accept of for their practise and directions in all causes martiall monasticall spirituall and temporall This grosse error of father Parsons and his no lesse great absurditie then rash foolish presumptuous and most dangerous course where unto his proiects do tend by this his pretence for the Lady Infanta to colour his owne and his societies traitorous aspires doe argue his insolencie and pride to be so great as they blind his iudgement sence and censure from discerning that these his plots drifts and deuises will be not onely condemned and laughed at by a generall applause but he also vtterly reiected and cast off out of all indifferent mens conceites be they of what religion soeuer that beare any loue to their countrie or that wish a preseruation of their auncient nobility and gentry freed by lawes customes and priuiledges from that tyrannie spoile which this hard natured and most cruell harted man seemeth most to desire for his owne priuate respects and commodities And surely when I remember the words of some of his proctors apparators somners pursiuants attornies aduocates soliciters and serieants here in England that neither could neither can yet indure to here that the Popes holinesse should haue any dealing or medling in this matter as a gust which gauleth them to the very guts to heare and see some already of a more gracious sweet mild incline to mercy in her Maiesty towards the innocent on that behalfe then heretofore hath bene or then they can hope for to themselues or any way indeede do desire to any others father Parsons and the rest of his state compartners vrging nothing more then to haue persecution of catholikes increased not diminished at all further then to grant out bulles of excommunication against all those that should impugne the spanish title and withall to send out pardons and graines of indulgence to all those that should fight on the Spaniards side against their natiue countrie both which vnnaturall practises seing the Iesuites haue sought for to be put in execution to the vttermost thereby to torment vs on euery side and by consequent incense the soe oppressed with rage against their soueraigne and the state tell me deere catholikes what moues you to fawne vpon those that thus doe labour for your heauie destruction I cannot but muse with my selfe how euer this disguised vnfortunate stepfather father Parsons being filius terrae by birth an Englishman by education a catholike by externall profession a priest by charecter a religious man by vow and order and taking vpon him by function and calling wholy to aduance Gods cause yea with hallowes and how-hubs with whowbes whowes and outcries against all that tast not on the froth of his zeale hath hitherto refused to take his holinesse for an example and his sacred predecessors the successors of Saint Peter vpon whom he ought chiefly to haue relied as a speciall note of so sound a catholike and perfect religious person as he and his would make the simple people beleeue they are for a paterne to imitate who haue euer held most mild modest and moderate courses towards all but especially towards the kings of great Britaine were they Scots or English not halfe so seuere against any as oftentimes by surreptitiall suggestions of some euill and factious persons they were vrged to haue bene As well appeered in the bull of Pius the fift which though we wish had neuer come out and much more that the other two since that time denounced against her Maiesty had neuer bene seene or heard of in this world yet to speake Gods truth when the Pope his holinesse perceiued what bloody tragedies and massacres on all sides were like to ensue thereupon by commaund of withdrawing our naturall allegiance from our natiue soueraigne vpon wrong information giuen as before we haue touched at large the said Bull was called in againe and all catholikes throughout England left as free to obey her Maiesty in all things due to her princely regalitie as they were before But letting that and other excommunications passe as spoken of before with harty wish they had neuer bene amongst many examples of the deere loue and fatherlie compassion of the Popes holinesse towards the inhabitants and princes of this land in times of eminent common welthes dangers the chiefe since the Norman conquest was shewed in the daies and raignes of king Henry the second surnamed Fitzempresse and of his sonne king Iohn the third Monarche of England of a Plantagenets royall race Against whom hauing vsed his fatherly correction as pastor vniuersall ouer the whole flocke of Christ for their great tyrannie and crueltie vsed towards their naturall subiects yet vpon their repentance mercifully receiuing them into grace and fauour of Gods church againe his holinesse on the behalf of the second did not onely accurse and excommunicate prince Lewis of France with all his adherents forcing him to yeeld vp all the interest right and title that he or his posteritie had or euer should haue to the English crowne but also surrendred vp the said crowne of England frank and free to king Iohn and his heires and successors from of the head of Cardinall Pandulphus hauing sit enthronized three daies therewith in the Popes right of purpose to abate and end the strife for euer to inioy the same in as full absolute and ample manner as any prince or monarche euer enioyed or possessed a crowne And thousands there are in England that desire as much and I verily thinke more vnfainedly and with a better more sincere true and catholike religious mind then any of the Iesuiticall or spanish faction doe desire the conuersion of our countrie who yet will be ready to lay their liues to pledge for it that if as God forbid and I hope it shall neuer happen that any Lancastrian forraigner should get possession of this land with as many oathes homages and fealties made and done vnto him or her whosoeuer as prince Lewis had whom father Parsons brings in for an example in confirmation of the Lady Infantaes title by that house bloud and line of king Lewis of France be like of purpose to vrge the English as he hath to make the like protestation on the said Infantaes behalfe yet would euen this Pope Clement the eight according to his predecessors example reuoke recall repeale and force him or her to retire and withall would of his mere mercie a gift appropriated to Saint Peters chaire in speciall manner grant to our nation the election and choise and set vp a king of our owne natiue soile bred and borne within the confines of great Britaines Ocean vpon the like repentance and submission of former princes in this and all other Christian kingdomes maugre all the Iesuites Spaniards and huff muffes in the world These important considerations should haue touched father Parsons hart with deepe remorse to remember how mightily he hath resisted impugned and violated all lawes diuine and humane whatsoeuer
it must needs follow that silence hath mightily disaduantaged our cause it is the only point the Iesuits doe and must if they will be holden for politikes stand vpon to suppresse all writings to death and seeing they cannot shew their extreme hatred neuer merited by any of vs at their hands towards vs more then they haue already shewed it be we silent or speake we out then conceiue deere Catholikes of our cause and case directly as it is that these bookes do onely the Iesuits not vs nor any of you the harme if any be in publishing them abroad and it proceedes of great simplicity in you to conceiue otherwise yea or not to see that it riseth of a Iesuiticall deuise to put such a conceit into your heads But be you fully assured when we are all dead and gone these bookes will worke good in your posterity to the extirpation of al Iesuitisme puritanismout of England for euer they are so throughly discouered therin Fiftly admit all were true that their brokers haue set a broache concerning that booke and those matters and that it were such odious stuff as they would beare you in hand yet will you be so simple deere catholikes as to beleeue them in this that they haue gotten any aduantage thereby against vs or that they laugh in their sleeue to see vs at varience amongst our selues about it as they say but falsly as shal be shewed anone For what aduantage shall they get by it when they are detected for seditious turbulent factious persons ambitious aspirers traitors the secular seminary priests cleered of their conspiracies Wil this bring good men to be hated to haue irreligious persons made knowne or if they say the word will all others run riot with them and so to hell for company No no deere catholikes I wil tel you what the mistery meaning is of al that blazon Nothing doth more torment an enuious man then to haue others liue prosper by him And so when the Iesuites saw that the priests found more fauour at the ciuill magistrates hands then they could find bicause they had cleered themselues of all state meddles which the Iesuites to death can not doe then enuy burst out as all the world may see it in them Againe nothing is more duly obserued in Machiauels schoole thē alwaies to cast plots by cōtraries As for example if you would haue any thing done or said by your enemy for your aduantage then put on a cowardly face of feare least such a thing should happen that seeming kind of trembling vnwillingnes shewed in you wil make him more eager in despite to prosecute it But if you feare such words writings or other acts indeed and that it be so as possibly you cannot stop nor hinder it then laugh at it make it seeme odious or ridiculous and in disgrace of the actor or author seeme to make small or no account of it and retort it if it be possible by hooke or crooke vpon your aduersary or at least band it out with outward shew of aduantage on your part against him to as many as you can come or send vnto and especially those such as are or may be thought to side on his side against you And this is iust the Iesuits crafty drift and your ignorance in not seeing into their policy For whether any thing make for vs or not it is not the question but would they trowe you be so carefull and diligent by their neuters to haue vs know before hand how mightily we are disaduantaged by our writings if it were so No no we neuer yet could find that charity in them and so letting it passe for an ordinary cog amongst them a halfe witted man may see there is nothing makes for them nor their aduantage Sixtly you deere Catholikes by this your childish compassion and womanlike lenitie goe against the principles grounds and rules of all arts sciences lawes customes and orders you goe against that Generall maxime in the lawes which is that fiat iustitia ruant coeli For wherein deere Catholikes should iustice take place in the case proposed if we keepe silence in concealing the Iesuits great impiety together with their and the rest of the Spanish faction their fautors and followers vniust calumniation irreligious abuses and high contempt of priests and all ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and state together with their vnnatural attempts practises and confederacies against our Prince and countrey and vs all that are not of their faction You goe against all custome and order For what is more innouate preposterous and beyond all gods forbid then this new fanglenes in you to prefer a company of Iesuits whose society began but yesterday in respect of many other religious orders not onely before all other monasticall persons but also euen before all secular priests and the state ecclesiasticall whereupon they and all others doe and must depend in soule points and not onely so but you forestall vs in iudgement you condemne vs you iustifie them you take vpon you to be paramount to censure of vs both before you heare our case and cause nay you will not heare nor reade nor vnderstand what points we stand vpon but as blinde affection leades you so wilfull ignorance eggeth you forward to censure vs at your pleasure And this deer catholikes is out of all order farre from all ancient catholike custome voide of all reason conscience or religion in you running headlong vpon your ruines through your simplicitie wilfulnes and follie You goe against the diuine rules and principles of charitie wherein per legem Talionis oculus pro oculo an eie for an eie a tooth for a tooth a tongue for a tongue a hand for an hand is giuen on the one side to defend for you know vim vi repellere licet and on the other to make satisfaction To perswad a Iesuit to make satisfaction were as hard a matter as to wreest the club out of Hercules fist to wring water out of a flint or to drinke vp the Thames at a haust To put them to silence by our silence it were a thing impossible for the more silent we were the more fiercely like false harted cowards they insulted ouer vs. To liue disgraced defamed and contemned for atheists apostataes and reprobates as they accounted vs was a crueller death then to haue beene torne in peeces and eaten vp aliue amongst Anthropophagies What should we doe then To escape their tongue torments yea and hand tortures we could not and yet againe common charitie commands vs our legifer preached it his apostle affirmed it that he who is carelesse of his good name is woorse then an infidell and carelesse should we be as hitherto we haue beene as too too scrupulous in these points God forgiue vs for it if we should still sleepe with a broken head with a wounded hart with a mangled conscience torne in peeces by them and neuer seeke redresse nor for
amends at their hands Which redresse and amends let any whosoeuer that thinke themselues most politike most prudent most wise set me downe and approoue it the premises and circumstances of the case and our cause considered the way and meanes how euer to haue wrought or brought it to passe otherwise then by making the Iesuits knowne what wicked men they are and I will be his bondman for euermore And this deere catholikes was another grosse error in the vndiscreet zeale of your deuout follie quite contrary to the rules and precept of charitie which I greatly woonder at in that you seeing vs condemned contemned and reiected for the vilest creatures on earth our companie and presence shunned and auoyded our speech names and persons holden for most odious our sacrifices sacraments and poore deuotions accounted of as schismaticall prophane and damnable damnable oh damnable not onely in secular priests to offer any but also in the laitie to come at any offered by vs our deere brethren reuerēd priests your true ancient catholike louing ghostly fathers readie to shed their best blood for your soules behalfe Was it not monstrous in a Iesuit broker in Fetter lane hearing that Master Clarke a reuerend priest was very sicke in prison and could through the Iesuiticall crueltie get no reliefe to say he is well ynough serued let him die and starue for his disobedience c. what thinke you deere catholiks would these Iesuits and their seditious faction doe if they had the sword in their hands that are thus cruel harted towards afflicted catholike priests Questionlesse should once a Iesuit and Spaniard beare sway in England there is not one of you that now run not with them should be left on liue yea think as true it is that many of their brokers should then be cut off as vnprofitable members in their atheall common wealth c. lying some of them in prison ready to perish for want of foode others tormented with slaunders well nigh to death many forced to yeeld against their conscience to a Iesuits cursed will and proud minde and all brought into obloquie shame and disgrace that would not run when a Iesuit gaue a nod to bid them goe And yet you deere catholikes seeing all this will you or can you in your conscience wish vs to keepe silence If you say you could wish it then you goe flat against the rules of charitie Charitas enim incipit à seipso If needes we must die all lawes allow it to kill before we be killed in our owne defence to suffer the infamie reproch and shame to fall vpon the guiltie rather then the innocent to be condemned to let euery asse beare his owne burthen rather then to lay al vpon the weakest If you thinke we haue iust cause to speake and write in our owne defence but yet not in detecting them then tell me which way the one can be without the other and I will crie peccaui If you admit it necessarie to haue them detected and made knowne but yet not in such bitter termes then tell me what termes deere catholikes doe I vse not agreeing to their deserts yea or halfe so bitter or exorbitant as theirs are against the innocent Doe I call them apostataes or heretikes or schismatikes or southsaiers or reprobates with many such like as odious to the eare though none more detestable to the soule possessed with them which they not onely haue imposed vpon vs but also made you deere catholikes vnder that pretence to refuse to despise to detest vs for such But what doe I call them Mary I call them seditious bicause no companie nor societie nor order in any of the three states ecclesiasticall temporall or monasticall can liue quiet by them I call them factious bicause they band out all their doings by making of parties drawing of companies to side with them threatening of opposites promising of great matters to their fautors and followers and setting all in an vprore with iealousie suspition and backbiting one an other I call them traitors bicause of their many conspiracies attempts and practises against Pope Prince Church common wealth state and all I call them by many such like names but yet by none saue onely such as best doe symbolize with their qualities and lewde deuises And therefore you deare catholikes in this your partiall doome set on by Neuters goe against the lawes and preceps both of God and man which as you doe it of a scrupulous conscience so doth your scruple rise of simplicitie and folly in not seeing it being as plaine as the nose on a mans face that it is the epicine Iesuits which liuing in shew masculine in effect faeminine in esse neuters put such buzzes into your heads and when they haue done they ride you like fooles In fewe deare catholikes you goe against the rules and principles of all Arts and sciences in conceiting these discoueries of the Iesuits treacheries to be a hinderance to our common cause or any way to haue hurt or harmed vs. First Of all wonders soo the world it is the greatest in my conceite that any English catholike should so dote vpon a Iesuite and rage against all priests that side not with them as to thinke it lawfull and to practise it as meritorious in them to leaue nothing vndone vnsaid vnthought of to bring priesthood in contempt and Iesuits to be holden for sanceperes and yet cry out of priests if they doe but cleare themselues and shun the danger both of body and soule wracke that the layty doth stand and liue in by following of them and their traitorous designements But it is a right smacke of a Puritane spirit in them and of a more dangerous infection then a Puritanes wit is able to inuent c. for that if you demaund of politicks which way to vanquish an enimie with most aduantage they will tell you by turning his owne weapon vpon him in that part wherein his strength is most Now to the seminary and secular priests omitting others I doe speake it before God and his holy Angels and Saints I thinke there are not more infest nor deadly enimies this day on liue then Parsons and some other of the Iesuites and the Spaniardes faction are their weapons haue been calumnies infamies and slaunders their strength consists in vaineglory vaunting boasting ambition lying falshood cosenage and a thousand such impious sleights and deuises Therefore is there no way in the world left to encounter them with aduantage but to retort and returne all backe vpon them to their shame and confusion If you aske of the Mathematician how to passe betwixt two periods he will tell you that ab extremo ad extremum non transitur nisi per medium Now that the Iesuits we are in extremes they too lofty and we too lowly thty to ambitious and we to submissiue they to stirring and we to quiet they too seditious and we too peaceable they too clamorous we too
hoping that the more they haue to side with them against vs the greater feare they will put the state in and make it more ready and willing to pardon and accept of them vpon any condition at their pleasure For to that sense doth tend their banding it out with friends their threatening of opposites their vaunt made of moe honorable and great persons in cour◠and countrie that fauor their Spanish faction and cause then we haue that labor to withdraw all English harts from such vnnaturall intents attempts and proceedings To the third obiection of our common aduersaries disgracefull speeches giuen out against vs more then against the Iesuits it is a senselesse forgerie and smels of a Iesuiticall spirit whose Luciferian pride is such as it delighteth to be counted famous in mischiefe extraordinary in suffering of torments and to haue none to equall him in impietie but all base and meanely esteemed of compared with himselfe in villanie Which proude conceit seeing the Iesuits haue it much good or mischiefe whether they more delight in may it doe them I will promise them we will neuer compare with them mary to say that any honorable person should haue vs in contempt and them in grace and fauor for our opposite courses taken that is as far from sense to thinke it as neere to sottishnes to beleeue it vnles they could make vs beleeue that all the state or those honors they meane of are throughly spanified and entred into a trayterous league confederacie against their Prince and countrey And the like answere may serue to the fourth obiection of making one of vs cut one an others throte c. which are childish arguments and but bugges bulbeggers or hobgoblins fit to feare babies withall as these patches by their cogging foysting and deuises make you all deare catholikes none other and yet you will not see into it For what can the councell or state get out of vs more then is in our harts and inward intents and meanings and what is inwardly in vs which outwardly we doe not professe and make knowne to all the world to wit a catholike resolue for our Romane faith church and religion an English resolution for our natiue Prince state and countrey and a resolute intent euer God before assisting vs with his grace in well and in woe to remaine constant loyall seruiceable and faithfull to both to death And more then this neither Angell man woman nor deuill can get out of vs bicause more then this we haue not in vs and if this will cut our throts or make one of vs vndoe an other or vrge the state against vs or cause vs to be euil thought of and in the end cut off when they the said state haue gotten out of vs what may steed them and the like vos iudicate Of this I am sure we shall dye for religion and not for treason and this is also morally certaine that the state will neuer in policie if we would like Iesuites conceite them full of all impietie seeke the secular priests destruction who labour wholy for the preseruation of our Countrey and in excuse of their law made so farre as is possible to excuse them against vs all in generall for some priuate persons offences and on the other side leaue them scotfree whom they know for professed enimies against them and all the world seeth how vnnaturally they haue sought the destruction of our countrey This also is probable that if the Iesuites haue so many great persons in Court of the Spanish faction and their fautors as they make boast of they may vnder hand preuaile so farre as to get vs all cut off together with them without daigning vs any notice to be taken of our loyalty more then theirs but if such an extremitie should happen as questionlesse no one thing that craft of deuill or wit of man or waight of Mammon can afford shall be left vntried to effect it yet what then shal we for that cōsent to the desolation of our countrey and vtter extripation of all your deare catholikes posterity only to reuenge our selues of so inhumane cruelty and extreme wrong offered vs no certainely we will all rather dye in miserie one after an other and leaue our innocent blood to crie for vengeance to him who both can and will take vengeance on those should so afflict vs knowing as they doe our intent and harmeles harts And last of all for the preachments of some at Paules crosse and other places against vs equally as against the Iesuites that first doth manifest that we are accounted of as opposite to our aduersaries in points of Religion and therefore no such yeelde as the Iesuiticall faction report we haue made Secondly it is no maruaile though they preach against vs seeing those who are most noted to haue done so are knowne to be Puritanes by common report and also by their inueighing against sundry great persons in authority who are thought nothing to fauour their Allobrogicall gouernment And no doubt the more earnest and outragious they are against vs by reason that they heare alredy of these Quodlibets wherein they and the Iesuits are coupled together in matters of state medles sedition faction and trechery Thirdly who so looketh into the ticklish state of things as by these turbulent persons meanes they now do stand euery one being already brought into such iealousie and suspition of one another as hard to tel whether more dangerous to speake or keepe silence in these nationall contentions and factions it is easie to be seene from what spirit such preachmēts do proceed euen none other questionles then from the like blowen abroad in the Court to the same effect scil that these bookes haue done the secular priests great harme hindered our common cause giuen great aduantage to be taken against vs and that it makes the Iesuits laugh in their sleeue c. which is nothing else but an old stale principle of Machiauel or a new Atheall canuasse of Iesuitisme which you please and in very deed but a ridiculous iest to see what poore shifts these polititians are driuen vnto to packe and sacke vp sackes of money to bring and binde mens toongs therewith to preach and prate in Court countrey and pulpilt what they will haue them to keepe themselues in that they be not banished the land or put to exquisite deathes And if any hurt come to vs or hinderance to our cause by these bookes it is this No maruell though the Iesuits faction stop all waies meanes of making knowen their impietie being forced by this discouery to pay lay out their euill gotten gold whiles many a catholike starued for want to keepe in that they be not vtterly cast out on all sides as well amongst catholikes as Protestants and schismatikes None vnlesse it be puritanes and such like factious statisers that begin already to discouer themselues by storming against these bookes and the authors in open pulpit but
doe neither will any of our brethren whom we account of as ours to wit those in the appeale euer dislike or condemne it in that sense as the Iesuits doe Some others in deede there are who fauor our part and hartily wish a good successe to our brethren that are gone to Rome I say to Rome if the Iesuits murther them not in the way thither and then giue out they are run away as some of the Puritanes giue out they will neuer come there and the like do the Iesuits faction right Puritanes in al these statizations and as the said Spanish faction did before giue out of the former we sent to the mother citie though by good hap their liues were saued yet as their timorous scrupulous and weake mindes in iudging of things hath made them I meane the fautors of our cause hitherto stand aloofe of from intermedling vp or downe in these matters so also the like feare scruple and inconsiderate censure may and very probably hath mooued them to dislike and condemne it partly of their owne frailtie and rashnes in precipitating sentence before they had read it exactly throughout partly also of a nicenesse or curiositie it being a fault incident to many to picke quarrels at whatsoeuer is not of their owne doings or at least before seen allowed of by them but most especially of a seruile applause to the Iesuits humour which diuers do vse who otherwise would be ready with the first to cast all the Iesuits in England ouer hatches if they once could catch them on the starboord side And as well those as sundry others some whereof perhaps are in the appeale that haue as hard a conceit of the Iesuits as I haue witnes both their words and writings although they did at the first dislike it perhaps condemne it ere they knew it vpon some neuters misinformation giuen vnto them out of it yet was their dislike and condemnation of it euer limited to the method and stile not to the matter treatise and tenure it selfe and both the one and the other dislike and condemnation did rise of a prouident feare least the Iesuiticall faction might and would lay it to our brethrens charge that are gone as though they had beene of counsell and consent thereunto as very like they would though yet it were a most wicked vniust and vile part in their opposites the Iesuits to charge the innocent therewith being now gone and a mere calumniation as the case now stands and all this because that it is set out in all the priests names which in very deed is so in respect of the matter whereupon all our company doe agree and confirme it as true and the rather because in effect others haue written of as much both in Latine and English before that booke of important considerations euer came to light but not in regard of the accidentall forme and outward phrase of speech which is directly mine in the said Epistles and therefore neither all nor any other of my brethren to be blamed if blame woorthy it be but onely my selfe for the same neither and much lesse doe you deere catholikes thinke our common cause hindered or our brethren to be thought the worse of in generall for my bitter sharpe or exorbitant writing in speciall for that were greater wrong then to beat an Oliuer for a Rowland And lastly howsoeuer the Iesuiticall faction giue out of me in this as in other things making if it be but the wagging of a straw a monstrous matter of whatsoeuer comes from my hands and ynough it were to cause it to be holden for odious and damnable by their censure if it be but once giuen out that I did saide or writ it as a great facility they haue to coyne lies by equiuocation to make any thing liked or disliked of as they list and to giue out by Neuters what they please yet doe you deere catholikes daigne me of your charirity so much fauour that seeing the onely fault can be found with that booke in an vpright censure and sound conceit is the sharpnes of the stile and this all and onely fault being mine and my will mine owne in the kingdome of my minde and by consequent then no scandall or offence giuen by any other or iustly to be taken against any and much lesse against all my brethren for my sake let me beg thus much at your hands as to impute my fault if not to a graunt of grace yet to a gift of nature I meane if not to an action of zeale which I hope it proceeds from yet to a passion of anger at the vttermost and that of such anger as is as far from malice as free from gall as ready to forgiue as resolute to resist a Iesuits proceeding to death And because this is the only one fault that can be iustly obiected against me for as for all the rest you see they haue no ground and are but childish reasons to infer so daungerous and odious sequells vpon them as that faction doth giue me leaue therefore deere catholikes to purge choller a litle with enlargement of my speeche to cleere me of that crime to put you out of doubt of me and to satisfie all infirme and weake minds for none of sound iudgement learning or staid conceite will erre so far from all sense in their censure of my well meant indeuours towards you as you do You know deere catholikes that zeale charitie and loue diuine Loue properly respecteth man charity the churche and zeale God himselfe as their immediate principal and proper obiect are three words of a different signification in regard of their obiects yet may be often are all one in respect of the subiect wherein they are inherēt as al three being poprer acts of the wil are inserted in man by the benefit of creation so are they perfected by grace diuine in the worke of our redemption by application of the merites of Christ vnto vs in the sacraments of his church as in the vessells of our saluation And this difference of affections or distinction betwixt loue charitie and zeale is to be found here and there in sundrie parts of Scripture as well by the words as actions and practise of our Sauiour and his seruants here on earth As when our mercifull redeemer would sound his seruant successor S. Peter his affectiōs towards him as he was man amor dilectio both loue in English were the words most all wholy in request as Simon Ioannes amas me diligis me plus his c. Againe when he spake in the person of his sweete spouse and what affection those had or ought to haue that labour on her behalfe in his name to reconcile soules and bring all into his fold that they might be made all vnum ouile vnus pastor then charitas charitie was the word of that worth as none could be worthier and thereupon he said that maiorem charitatem
for euen so they deemed nothing lesse of him then their wordes imported but what they did said therein was to hinder the Bishop from the preferment they feared would be laid vpoÌ„ him And thus like Pharises do they deale Sed pece â—â—ori dixit Deus quare tu enarras iustitias meas sedeÌ„s aduersus fratrem tuum loquebaris a luersus filium matris tuae poâ—ebas scandâ—lam c. and loued his memorie in their hearts as a holy shrine how beneficiall his Grace had bene to their Colledge how highly he was esteemed of and respected of all princes in Europe that either knew him by sight or else had heard of him by any passage of memorable speech how dearely accounted of and deepely affected of sundrie Popes aswell his Holinesse then in supreme esse as his predecessours of all holy memorie How all his whole studie chiefe endeuours and greatest care was euer bent for the good of his countrey for reducing of the same to the Catholike faith and for the comfort of the afflicted here and there and euery where To what high dignities he was aduanced how well he merited his place and calling and how greatly honoured in the Court of Rome how much admired at by the rest of the Cardinals in what possibilitie to haue beene Pope and how reuerenced by themselues the Iesuits c. Thus charitably they dealt with the good Cardinall after he was dead and that they were sure their praises giuen out of him could not then obfuscate obscure nor abolish one iot of their preheminence or mirificall designements The like example to this might be a correspondent and euident fauour shewed to the said Bishop after his death as the former was after the Cardinals death For according to the philosophicall Axiome as contraria iuxta se posita magis elucescunt so vertue and vice hauing such a dissocietie by consequence of kind that the one followes the other like form and priuation Hereupon it comes that faith and hope failing charitie neuer dieth but goeth to heauen with the happily possessed therewith so his opposite vice enuie neither euer dieth but goeth to hell with the cursed soule infected therewith at her death For this cause then it is plaine that as these men neuer spoke well of the Cardinall after his death for any loue they bare vnto him so neither did they vse the like good speech of the Bishop for any entire affection towards his Lordship but that which they did was thereby to hinder and discountenance the said Bishop of Cassanaes nephew Montseigneur Hugh Grissin Which to performe stratagemically they commended his said Vncle exceedingly to insinuate thereby that he did farre degenerate from his Vncles vertues And a very like canuasse is all the whole discourse of Fa. Parsons in Doleman conferred with his practise about the bequest of the English Crowne now extolling Scotlands title to the skies and then abasing it in the presence of Spaine To day all wholly for the house of Austria to morrow as forward for the house of Parma Now fawning vpon Derbie to bring Earle Ferdinand to destruction and then vpon Essex to stirre vp Earle Robert to rebellion and still in the meane by entercourse of parlee with anie who either by their greatnesse may comport with his ambition or whom he by his platforme may couple withall to bring this whole Isle to a popular confusion In all which treasonable practises seeing he hath alwaies vsed one to anothers disgrace by praise and dispraise as time and occasion pricke him forward with affiance in one more then in another for his societies aduancement not sparing Spaine it selfe when any hope was by any other meane but to insinuate in plaine tearmes that his aduice was for the mobile vulgus in England to choose and set vp a Soueraign it made no matter who amongst them when oportunitie should be offered affirming boldly that he liked not of the Spaniard as heretofore he had liked neither saw any hope to come by their meanes Yet making the royall issue of King Philip still his dogbolt when all other hopes did quaile and helpes did falle him there is none that reades his libels and conferres them with his practise but shall easily discerne that he would not be improuident of setting downe this statute of Retractation of slaunder as a prouiso in that high Councell of Reformation for England that being the maister trump he had to play for the maine chaunce of his conceited Monarchie and the onely bolt that would serue his turne if anie could in time of neede to driue the bunting to the baye I might here adde a fourth example of this prouiso out of the practise of that simple mis-led man Maister George Blackwell the new Archpriest of England nay the Subuiceroy rather of all the Isles of Albion Maister Blackwell a plaine simple man alwaies full of sentences in his writings as one who hath very probably flores sententiaruus tum PhilosophoruÌ„ c. by reason wherof wanting a head for inuention discourse or iudgement his sententious letters are ofteÌ„ euill couched in deliuerie of his mind by a long passage written togetherward of one matter But of nature being at the first for many yeares together by report of those that knew him very humble scrupulous and affable became some 3. or 4. yeares before his miraculous aduancement so testie peremptorie c. I will leaue it there that there was no ho with him no seruant could dwell in the house with the widow questionlesse a vertuous Gentlewoman otherwise where he liued no nor yet her owne children haue but what he iudged meete for them c. was not so hot against the Iesuits especially Fa. Parsons in time of his naturall and priestly secular mildnesse but now is become as furious against the said seculars since his heart was smitten by Mercuries melancholie yet Iesuitically guilded caduceus Thus times go by turnes honores mutant â—ores sic transit gloria mundâ— to men of no deserts This plaine Polipragmon as none more elated in conceit of their owne proper excellencie then an ignorant body aduanced to immerited vnexcepted and inconceited dignity hauing either heard of or belike had receiued this statute of Retractation sent froÌ„ Rome by hart or a like vnto it taught him per coeur For before that time none seemed to mislike more of the Iesuiticall course proceedings then he nor spake more suspiciously against some of them in particular especially against Father Parsons by name whose comming into England being knowne Maister Blackwell bewailed the same very tenderly to a friend of his then in prison saying that the President at Rhemes meaning Doctor Allane played a very vndiscreete part to send him hither as being an vnfit man to be employed in the causes of religion And being asked why he was vnmeete for that employment he answered because his casting out of Baliol Colledge and other articles and matters depending vpon it
betwixt him and Doctor Squire then liuing were very likely to be renewed and so to worke great discredite both to him and the cause Catholike Thus stood the case then with Maister Blackwell now see the canuasse for Retractation of this slaunder giuen out of so stately a Polipragmon This simple man quite altered in nature manners and conuersation by reason of strong drinke priuate close liuing and familiaritie with some fathers of that societie became an officious Agent libeller-like to Rome by writing against his brethren the seculars enticed I make no question of it by some cony-catching deuise of Fa. Parsons thereby intending to be his bane at length as his new magisteriall office at his procurement instituted will be no doubt of it the onely meanes to plague him in reuenge of his former speeches vsed against the said father Who should quite forget himselfe his principles of Machiauell and all his rules of pollicie if Maister Blackwell scape scotfree after all the Iesuits turnes are serued by such a blockish instrument as cannot perceiue their mumbling meaning as resting wholly at their deuotion to stand or fall Yet so it is now as whether drowned in vaine delight of his new supremacie or otherwise inueigled to be a close Iesuit as sundry such there are which going vnder the name of seculars make the said seculars cause seeme more odious weake and exorbitant or howsoeuer it comes to passe Maister Blackwell sings now placebo domino meo Parsonio in terra viuentium for the time and layeth me on loade vpon euery opposite to a Iesuites designement Now he condemneth all as suspended and irregular persons that either directly or indirectly maintaine write or speake in defence of the censure of Paris which cleared the seculars from schisme sinne and all other crime or offence in the first resistance of his Archpresbitership and then againe threateneth all with thundring sentences of Ecclesiasticall censures that speake conferre procure or seeke for any redresse against his ignorant crueltie appointed of purpose and either doth not or will not know it to be slagellum fratrum suorum yea a scourge to himselfe and all England besides It is strange to consider how now he be labors himself in laying about him on all sides to defend the neuer heard of more impudent shamefull and palpably ignominious It is but a signe of a dastardly mind and most vnfit to be in authority to persecute those most whome all men note to be freest froÌ„ offence and yet such as by reason of a humerous tender and scrupulous heart they carry are easi iest ouercome and forced to yeeld For exaÌ„ple whereof get and read all the passage by letters and messages betwixt the Archpriest and Ma. More c. reprochfull and abhominable facts of Fa. Parsons and the rest of the Iesuits And especially he tyrannizeth if he find a sweete nature and mild disposition any way opposite vnto him such a one as Maister Thomas More a very reuerend secular Priest of many good parts and abilities who as I haue heard of late hath fared worse for my sake which I am very sory for though outwardly there was made no shew of it for I could tell perhaps why I can no lesse admire how that euer wise men should be so blinded as not to discerne which many do not then smile in my sleeue to thinke how brauely they haue bobd this double diligent M. Blackwell with this statute of Retractation of slaunder whereby if euer it come to hearing he is as sure to be hoysted ouer the barre for an ambidexter by comparing his former speech to his present proceedings as I am sure to haue written and set it downe here for a looking glasse vnto him with this emprise aboue it tristitia vestra trust to your self good Ma. Blackwell and forsake in time that seditious company who moue you to act write and speake you know not what against your selfe as one day you will find it I could here particulate this statute but it were too tedious to do so more exactly in discouerie of M. Blackwels ignorance simplicitie Who whiles I was in Scotland sent out an inhibition against all such bookes printed per Biennium c. by any Catholikes meanes or procurement within these two Realmes of England or Scotland as either might exasperate our common aduersaries here or otherwise preiudice the worthie labourers in our common causes that had merited so well of their countrey and all Catholikes as Father Parsons had for he was the famous man and I the infamous wretch whom all men iudged that speech to be intended for as no doubt it was and that by instigation of his good spirite Fa. Garnet to stop thereby the answer to Fa. Parsons Doleman of succession to the English Crowne which then they knew I went about A copie of which schedule being sent vnto me by a friend out of England to Edenborough where then I lay I could not tell well whether to laugh or be angrie to see the slinesse craft and pollicie of the Iesuits to put such a sharpe sword of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction into a rawe simple and mad mans hands as if the point had not bin blunted and the edge turned by abuse of his authoritie neuer rightly had and many wayes since iustly lost as wil be proued against him he wold haue kild all that euer came in his I should say the Iesuits way and himselfe vnnaturally therewith as I feare he hath already For amongst other errors committed by him in that inhibition this was one scil that he would suffer all Parsons seditious bookes to passe current as his Philopator speaking most rebelliously against her Maiesty and the whole State and Nobles of this land his Doleman entituling most traiterously the Spanish Infanta to the English Crowne together with his Appendix fathered on Cardinall Allane being dead his Letter to the Marques Huntley to creepe in againe with Scotland but sent through England to be huffed ruffed and vanted of and sundrie other of his confederates libels letteâ—s and messages matter enough to haue moued a Saint to anger much more a mortall wight to be exasperated therby and knowing as he could not chuse but know it that I sought nothing lesse then to exasperate either my Soueraigne or present State but all quite contrary to confute all and whatsoeuer he had written leauing the question vndecided and fault where it was in him his clearely to be seene yet he to forbid both printing and reading of mine and extolling the other to the skies what a man should thinke hereof it may be easily discerned An other error therein was in that his authoritie if he had any and that it were not lost againe did extend onely to the censure allowance of such bookes as were of matters of Religion and Ecclesiastical gouernment and discipline so as this booke I then was thought to be in hand withall was out of his commission to meddle or deale