been perverted by dissolution of Life and Heresie they have brought her into more misery infamy and confusion within the compass of few years than all other Christian Kingdoms round about us together Wherefore the principal help and hope next under God which our poor afflicted Country hath or may have of her redress is by means of her good Catholick Prince that God of his Mercy shall vouchsafe to give us who also considering the great work whereunto he is called shall in no wise be able better to satisfie his Obligation and Duty to God and the Expectation of all good Men and to assure his own Possession and Estate than to make account that the security of himself his Crown and Successor dependeth principally of the assurance and good establishment of the Catholick Roman Religion within his Kingdom and whatsoever is done or permitted against this Religion is not only against Jesus Christ our Saviour and his Spouse his Catholick Church but also against every Catholick Prince as his supream Minister and much more against the King of England as things do now stand both for Religion and Estate First of all then is to be recommended with all humility and earnest suit unto his Majesty that shall be established the singular care and holy zeal of restoring perfectly the Catholick Religion in our Realm and to employ his whole endeavour and authority therein and to concur and assist with his Princely favour and special Protection all such Men as principally shall labour therein and above other the Council of Reformation the Prelates Preachers and Clergy of his Realm and by example of his own Royal Person in frequenting the Holy Sacraments and other pious Actions of Religion and Devotion to animate all other his Subjects and foreign Princes also and Countries about him to whom he will in these our times be a remarkable mirrour to imitate the same and this for his own Person But concerning his Majesty's Council both in Spiritual and Temporal affairs it will import also exceeding much that he make choice of fit and worthy persons And for the first which is in matters concerning conscience the pious custom of some Catholick Kings and namely those of Portugal in times past is greatly to be commended who besides their Temporal Council had also another of learned Spiritual Men named the Table of Conscience in taking any thing in hand and execution of the same And for this Council they were wont to make choice as I have said of some number of eminent and learned Men and also notorious for their Piety and good Consciences whether they were of Religious Orders or no and the head or chief of these commonly the King 's own Confessor who might with more security by council and assistance of these able Men direct the King's mind with safety of Conscience And whatsoever Prince shall take this course no doubt but he shall find great help light comfort security and quietness of Mind thereby And as for the World abroad it must needs be a singular great justification of all his acts intention and attempts in the eyes and tongues of all Men seeing he doth them by the direction of so irreprehensible a Consultation His Temporal Council shall be needful to be made with great choice and deliberation especially at the beginning in England for that if any one person thereof should be either infected with Heresie or justly suspected or not fervent nor forward in the Catholick Religion and in the Reformation necessary to be made for good establishment of the same it would be to the great prejudice of the cause and of his Majesty and Realm And seeing Heresie and Hereticks could be so vigilant for overthrowing of true Religion at the beginning of this Queen's Reign as they admitted no one Man to govern whom they might suspect to favour true-Religion how much more zealous and jealous ought our new Catholick Prince to be in excluding from his Privy Council and other places of chief charge and government not only Men known or justly feared to be favourers of Heresie and Hereticks that will never be secure to God or his Majesty but also â—old and doubtful professors of Catholick Religion until they be proved by long tract of time And seeing that his Majesty shall have so great choice at that day of approved constant Catholicks within the Realm as never was seen the like since our first Conversion who have suffered so constantly at the hands of Hereticks in these Persecutions it is to be hoped and expected that his Majesty will serve himself first and chiefly of these men above all others according to their merits and after these of such other known Catholicks as albeit God gave them not fortitude and constancy to suffer so much as the others did for Religion yet were they ever secret favourers and never Persecutors or open Enemies to the truth It is to be commended with like submission and instance to his Majesty that after he shall have taken the Crown upon him and embraced this Realm as his loving Spouse he will confirm first of all the Laws Customs Priviledges Dignities and Liberties of the same and to take away all such burdens servitudes and unjust oppressions as have been any way laid upon us in former times but since the entrance of Heresie And as this is to be done to all the Realm as to the Nobility and to the Commonalty so principally and above others it is reason that it should be performed to the Church and Clergy-men who beyond all others have been injured in these latter times so that at the least it will be just that the Church of England be restored to the same state of Priviledges Possessions Dignities and Exemptions wherein it was when King Henry the Eighth began to Reign And for that the external face and material part of our Churches hath been so much defaced spoiled and broken down by King Henry the Eighth and his Children as all the World seeth it will be one principal part of our new King's Piety and Religion to concur effectually to the rebuilding and restoring of the same again by the means touched by me before of that moderate and temperate manner of restitution whereof I have spoken largely in the First Part of this Memorial And it is to be hoped that his Majesty will be the first and most fervent fartherer of the same according to the Holy Obligation Vow and Offer that he will make to Almighty God for that Heroical enterprise to his eternal honour and infinite benefit and beautifying of our Commonwealth Which sound Foundation of Religion and Piety being once laid it may be suggested to his Majesty with like sollicitude touching the execution of Justice to all Men with indifferency which is the principal point of a true Catholick Prince's Office next after God and Religion and is so much the more necessarily to be looked to now in England after so long
wâ— taken all ways were tryed and some very mean ones 〈◊〉 was forc'd to be for so I cannot but in compaâ—â—â— word it Ungrateful to his best Friends to turn all the Honest Nobility and Gentry of the Nation out of all Commissions of Trust or Profit to discard his two Brothers who had been so faithful to his Interest in the worst of times and serviceable to him at all times to snatch away Charters to regulate and model them by thrusting out honest substantial Men and filling their Places with the Vilest and Off-scouring of all places for so I must look upon all those Protestants to be though they have wiped their Mouth since that would engage to chuse such Parliament men as would take off the Penal Laws and Test to undertake the mean Office himself of closetting Nobility and Gentry and yet all would not do he and our Jesuit were equally mistaken he could not get a Parliament to his Mind CHAP. III. How this Reformation may best be procured and what Disposition of Minds is needful for it in all Parties FOR that the grace and good Motion to take in hand and to go through with so great a work as is this desired Reformation must come from Heaven therefore the first sure step unto it must be by 3 the true reconciliation of the Realm unto God and to his Church and as the first of these two proceedeth so will the second and for that the first was hudled up in Queen Mary's Days I mean the Reconciliation by a certain general Absolution only without due search and consideration of what had been committed or what satisfaction was to be made to God and Man so was the other shuffled up with like negligence and only the external part was plastered without remedying the Root the renewing the Spirit which should have been the ground of all many Priests that had fallen and married in King Edward's Days were admitted presently to the Altar without other satisfaction than only to send their Concubines out of Men's sight and of some it is thought they did not so much as confess themselves before they said Mass again Others that had preached against Catholicks were admitted presently to preach for them and others that had been Visitors and Commissioners against us were made Commissioners against the Protestants and in this Queen's time were Commissioners again of the other side against ours so as the matter went as a Stage-Play where Men do change their Persons and Parts without changing their Minds or Affection many or rather all that had Abby-Lands the good Queen Mary herself and some very few others excepted remained with the same as with a prey well gotten and he that was most scrupulous would but send for a Bull of Toleration to Rome upon false Information to the end that he might not be troubled and with this he thought himself safe in Conscience and bound to no more yea he was taken for a great Catholick that would so much as ask for a Bull. And matters passing in this manner who will wonder that the Benefit of Religion remained so little a while or that the second scourge of Heresie hath been so sharp and heavy since as we have proved To amend the error the way must be that our Reconciliation and turning to Almighty God be True Sincere Hearty and as it ought to be with Sorrow and Contrition for what is past and with full purpose of amendment for the time to come and to do that satisfaction both to God and Man that shall be thought necessary and lyeth in us conveniently to perform for without this disposition the matter goeth not well This is necessary to be performed both by Clergy and Laity and the more sincerely this business is wrought the more permanent will it be It will import also greatly and is to be procured by all good means possible That these two principal Members of our Commonwealth I mean the Clergy and Temporalty do joyn and unite themselves well in this greatest Action of all others for the good and re-establishing of Religion and Piety in the Realm and so much the more carefully is this to be sought for at this time for that it is very probably presumed that one principal cause of their ruine hath been the Emulation and Disunion of these two Estates in England which ordinarily is wont to follow where Spirit and Charity waxeth cold But now both Parties having tasted the smart of this error and seen the deceit of the Devil therein they may the easier be brought to detest it and to note for wicked Men and devilish Instruments all such as any ways shall be known to favour enkindle or nourish that Division And the best means to settle this Union substantially and form the heart will be for each Party with all Indifferency to consider not only the harms that have and will ensue by this disunion to both sides but also and principally how necessary and profitable the one of these two Members is to the other as namely the Clergy to the Laity for Direction of their Souls which without them must needs perish and the Temporalty to the Ecclesiastical for their defence and maintenance so as the one without the other cannot stand and God his Holy Ordination is that both should joyn together in his Church and one part help the other to his service and to the attaining of Heaven and Eternal Salvation And for that the Frailty of Man is great and prone to fall into Emulation and Contention as brittle Vessels to use the Comparison of St. Austin that knock out one the others sides great heed is to be taken as much as may be at the very beginning of this our Reformation to remove all occasions that are wont to breed strife and breach between the Clergy and Laity as namely about Jurisdiction Possessions Revenues Duties Prerogatives Exemptions and the like all which are to be settled with consent and good liking of all Parties as near as may be and that which is said of this may be understood also of taking away all occasions of jarrs and disagreeing between Bishops and their Chapters Religious Men and Priests one Order of Religion with another and such like Persons or Communities of divers States Condition or Habit in whom the Law of Charity and True Zeal of God's Service and help of our Country ought to prevail more especially at this time than any Passion humane infirmity or particular respect whatsoever This mutual Concord and hearty good will being once well settled between the Clergy and Temporalty it will be a great Foundation for all good effects to follow especially if both parties do rectifie also their Intentions in this great Action as they ought to do to desire nothing but God's Glory and this without any evil affection towards any of Envy Malice Revenge or the like and without respect of particular interest And for that there will be two sorts of People to be dealt
or elsewhere I shall say to the more mature judgment of them which at the wished day shall be able to judge better ex re praesenti and determine the Cause There remaineth to say a word or two of the best ways how to Convert Hereticks to the Catholick Faith whose Souls we ought to thirst and seek for above all other things of the World And first of all there is no doubt but that the chiefest and most principal means will be to give the battery to the Judgments and Understandings though to gain first their good wills and affections by the Clemency before mentioned and other Points that after shall be touched will be a great Disposition and entrance to the same But for convincing of their understandings in matters of Controversie I would wish that a plain contrary course were taken of us towards them for that which they have used towards us seeing that our cause doth bear it which is of contrary State and Condition to theirs For whereas their cause being false g they would never consent to come to any indifferent Trial or Disputation with the Catholicks I would wish that seeing our Cause is true and substantial and the more it is tried the more it will appear that once at least at the beginning full satisfaction were given by English Catholicks to those and all other Hereticks of the World by as full free equal and liberal Disputation as possibly could be devised within our Realm and this in London Oxford Cambridge or some other fit place where all the Heads of Heresies might most conveniently have recourse and the particular Circumstances which for the present do offer themselves to me for the profitable performance of this enterprise are these that follow other Men at that time will easily invent better That sufficient warrant and warning be given to all sides to prepare themselves That the Hereticks do chuse three or four of their most learned Men to dispute and answer and one other to be President and another to be Notary and that the like must be assigned of the Catholick Party for this Tryal and that all be prepared for a certain day upon the particular Controversies that may be appointed and all kind of Books allowed them to their contentment There may be two high Seats Stages or Scaffolds appointed so as all may hear and see and on the one may sit the forenamed three or four Disputers of the one side together with their Furniture of Books about them and so on the other side may be placed the Catholick Party and in equal distance between them both may sit the two Presidents of the Disputation with the two Notaries and commodious Room left for all the lookers on to behold and hear The first day may Argue or Dispute the one side upon the Controversie that shall be set up publickly and be known the day before and the other part may defend and answer and so interchangeably the next day may answer and defend the other side that argued the day before and upon the very same Doubt or Controversie so as the ability of both sides in opposing and answering in the same thing shall be seen which the Protestants never durst permit to Father Campion and his Company in their feigned Disputations nor yet to give them Books or time to prepare themselves whereas all the contrary must be performed by ours The manner of arguing and answering may be that one of the three or four Disputers for each side be appointed to be Proloquutor of the rest for that day and that he only do speak and be bound to answer and argue in form of School and that others that be his assistants do not interrupt him but let him speak alone until he have proposed his Argument or Answer wholly and repeated the same and whether his assistants do allow the same without adding or altering and saying yea the two Notaries shall agree upon the writing and then shall the other part answer or reply and having ended to speak in form of School the like shall be used in asking his assistants whether they be content and satisfied with that he setteth down And thus though the Arguments will go something slowly forward yet in the end will great substance be drawn out of this bolting for that the one Party or the other will come quickly to a plain exigent and to have no more to say but only words which will be easily discerned by all that are present for that although the formal Speech of Disputations must be in Latin yet may all be so easily declared as few men of understanding will be present that will not understand the substance of all And for the two Presidents or Moderators though they be of different Religion yet their Offices being only to speak when need is and to hold peace and to make the Arguments and Answers to be well understood only on both sides it may be thought they will pass well enough for the purpose that is pretended especially if there be another person of higher authority placed there by the Prince as there ought to be who may cause each Party to do their Office and Function with Modesty Peace and Edification and remove away without remission whosoever should fall into disorder of words and command now and then the two Notaries or one of them at one time and the other at another to read out aloud the Arguments Answer Reply or Distinction that hath been given and at the end of every day to recite all that hath been spoken that day and this with the consent of both Presidents and of all six Disputers And if there be but one Week bestowed in this Work with these and the like circumstances and at last all these Disputations publickly shewed in Print for the satisfaction of such as could not be present and that all circumstances be declared how and when by whom and in what order they were done I am of Opinion it would break wholly the credit of all Heresies in England and that afterwards few Books would be needful on our part as in truth it were to be wished that few or none were written in the Vulgar Tongue against Hereticks but rather that Books of Devotion and vertuous Life should enter in their place and the memory dye of the other Wranglings And the like course also may be taken by Preachers in their Sermons which by little and little were to be freed from all mention of Heresies to the end the People of God might come again to their old peace of Mind and attention only of good Works and Christian Vertues And this is so much as I have thought good to advertise about this manner of g publick Disputation which hath been often asked by the Catholicks at the Protestants hands and could never be obtained and no marvel for as Christ saith Omnis qui malè agit odit lucem non venit ad Lucem ne arguantur opera ejus but
to furnish all places with particular Curates and Pastors which may be by God's grace and good diligence of this Council in erecting and furnishing Seminaries within the space of some five or six years that is before this Council shall resign over their authority And in the mean space the best means of supplying the common Spiritual needs of England would be perhaps that no Priests besides Bishops Deans Archdeacons and the like that are needful for the Government of the rest should have any particular assignation or interest in any Benefice but only a sufficient Pension allowed him by the Council of Reformation or Bishop of the Diocess for his convenient maintenance and his Commission to Preach Teach hear Confessions and all other Exercises of Priestly Function And when the Council of Reformation were to leave their charge then might they take a view of all the Priests in their times or before and according to each Man's talent and good account given of himself in this time of tryal to place them in Benefices But yet with this express Proviso and Condition That they may be removed again from the same Benefices to a worse or to none at all if they give not Satisfaction in their Function which only Bridle may chance to do more good than all the Laws and Exhortations in the World and it would be good sometimes to put it in Execution to promote some in higher Benefices and thrust down others to lower by way of Visitation when cause is offered And one thing before all others will be of very great moment for this Council to put in practice which is That presently at the beginning they do publish an Edict or Proclamation with all severity commanding under pain of great Punishment That no Religious or Ecclesiastical Person whatsoever do enter into the Realm without presenting himself before the Council within so many days after his entrance and there to shew the cause why he cometh and the Licence and Authority by which he cometh and to stand to the Determination of the Council for his aboad or departure again for if this be not done and observed with all rigour many scandalous light and inconstant People partly upon novelty and partly upon hope to gain will repair presently to England and do great hurt by their Example And when this Door is once stopped it will be easie for this Council to write to all the Heads of Religious Orders that are in other Countries to send them such a number of exemplar and reformed Men or Women to begin to plant the said Religious in England as shall be thought expedient and be demanded And for that Religious Orders have been more defac'd dishonoured and persecuted in our Realm than in any Christian Country in the World perhaps it would be convenient to make such an amends and recompence as is not besides in any other Kingdom to wit that all the approved Religious Orders that are in the Church of God should be called into England and placed joyntly in the City of London for that at least it is to be presumed that this City would be capable of all and from thence they might be derived afterwards by little and little into other places of the Realm as Commodities were offered and as Men's Devotions should require and as they should be proved to be most agreeable and profitable to the State of our Country but altogether to be in London and that in the perfection of their first Institution would be a most excellent thing and a priviledge above all other Kingdoms in the World where all Religious Orders are not seen together and much less in the perfection of their first institute and observance which ought to be the Condition of admitting any Order into England now at our next Reformation be they Men or Women to the end that the greater Glory of God be procured in all things And for more easie effectuating of this there may be taken order that Religious Men and Women be called and admitted only from the Parts and Countries for beginning this great work of England where it is known that their Order is reformed and hath some that observe the first perfection of their Rule and in our days divers Countries have And with this one Observation only about Religious Orders and People England would be the most eminent Country of Christendom as hath been said In the beginning of Religious Houses in England care may be had that such be builded and most multiplied as be most needful and profitable for the time present and do apply their labours to action and to the help also of others and that before all the rest Seminaries and Colleges be built and put in order for the more ease of our Clergy And as for old and ancient Religious that appertain most to Contemplation though also they be not to be omitted yet when in every Shire there were one of a sort planted for a beginning and indowed with sufficient Rent for a competent number that would observe their first institution it were no evil entrance for that quickly the Devotion of Good People would increase the same and so would England come in small time to be furnished with more variety of Monasteries and Religious Monuments and of much more edification than when it flourished most Nunneries also for refuge of Virgins and of the devoutest sort of Womenkind were to be set up and the most of Observant Orders and of most edification were first to be planted for example and encouragement of others It were also to be considered whether some new Military Order of Knights were to be erected in our Realm for exercise and help of our young Gentlemen and Nobility as in other Countries we see it And as for England in times past it had only the Order of St. John of Malta wherein now perhaps there may be some difficulties at first for that we have no Knights left of our Nation in that Order to train the rest and to begin it only with strangers may seem hard And secondly For that albeit their institute be good and holy to fight against the Turk and other Infidels yet is Malta far off and these Ages have brought forth many more Infidels and Enemies near home to wit Hereticks and thereby the binding of young Gentlemen which live abroad in the World in Wealth Liberty Ease and Conversation also with Women to perpetual Chastity by Vow as Knights of Malta be without giving them the means and helps that other Religious Men have to keep the same which are Disciplines and restraint from Company and the like has also his difficulties as both reason and experience doth teach us and the examples of some other Countries do prove as namely of Spain where for avoiding of difficulties they have procured Dispensation from the Pope that the Knights of the Military Order of St. James Alcantara Calatrava and the like may Marry Wherefore some are of Opinion That it were good
Times Men Matters and Occasions may chance to fall out very like or the same in England whensoever it shall be reduced to the Catholick Faith again great and special care is to be had lest semblable effect should also follow to the universal prejudice of the common cause wherefore this ought to serve as a preparative both for our Prince and People to put on the same pious and generous mind that Constantine the Great did to bear patiently with the infirmities of Men and remedy all matters the best he may and the People but especially Priests to beware of like deceit of the Devil and amongst other things if perchance in time of Persecution cause has been given or taken of offence or disgust between any person whatsoever that have laboured in God's Service and do tend all to one end to procure effectually now that it be altogether cut off and put in oblivion and this especially amongst the Clergy and by their means amongst others and if there should be any unquiet or troublesome Spirit found that under any pretence would sow or reap or maintain divisions that the Holy Apostles Counsel be followed with him which is to note and eschew him to the end that all may join chearfully and zealously to the setting up of this great and important work of Reformation And so much for Concord But as concerning example of good Life and to be Lanterns of the World I hope in Jesus there will be no great need at that day nor for that day now to call much upon our Clergy or at leastwise for some years after our Reduction they having received so abundant grace of Almighty God in this time of Persecution and so excellent a kind of Holy Education in our Seminaries as never perhaps any Clergy had in the World which Benefit of God ever ought to be a Spur unto them to be answerable to the same in their lives and works and to fear the most terrible sentence of St. Paul to the Hebrews about the hard and miserable case of such as after much and special grace received slide back again to their everlasting and most intolerable Damnation A blessed Servant of God in these our days cried out in a certain Memorial of his to the Council of Trent about matters of Reformation saying Take from us once if it be possible the shame and reproach of Israel which is the Evil and Idle Life of Clergy-men which cry ought ever to found in the Ears of our Clergy also for a watch-word and jointly to remember the Admonition of St. Paul no less necessary than this for them that are to labour in God's Vineyard which was That having meat and competent maintenance they should seek no farther but be content to labour willingly and liberally for so worthy a Master as is to pay them above all expectation or desire in the next Life Which Admonition is most important for moderating our appetites and avoiding of ambition greediness and contention when the day shall come though in England there will not want to give contentment also with abundance in temporal matters to all godly Men that shall labour there if his Divine Majesty vouchsafe to restore the same from his Enemies hands so as my hope is that our Clergy in every degree from the highest to the lowest will endeavour at that day to conform themselves to all rules of Reason Piety and Religion and to hearken gladly to any good Counsel or remembrance of Order and Discipline that shall be offered for theirs and the common good and with that I may presume to set down the Notes that hereafter do ensue CHAP. II. Of Bishops and Bishopricks in England BIshops and Prelates be Heads of the Clergy and if all ought to be Light and Salt how much more they that must lighten and season not only the Temporalty and Laity but all the rest of their own Order also who according to the example given them by their Prelate are wont to proceed And on the other side the best means for a Bishop to do much good in his Diocess is to have good Priests about him for that a Prelate without good Priests to help him is a Bird without Feathers to fly and to have good Priests he must make good Priests both by his Life Doctrine and other good means and especially by Seminaries for that Figs grow not on Thorns as our Saviour says and to have so great a Treasure it must cost both Labour Industry and Mony The Authority and Jurisdiction of Bishops in England is commonly more than in divers other Countries and more respected and their ordinary inquiry upon dishonesty of Life or suspicion thereof is peculiar to England alone and of very great importance for holding Men in fear of carnal sins and for this cause to be continued and increased And albeit in some other Counties simple Fornication be not so much punished or pursued and inquired upon and that the Stews also be permitted for avoiding of greater inconveniences in respect of the different natures and complexions of the People yet by experience we do find that the same necessity of liberty is not in England and consequently in no wife to be brought in again for that it is an occasion of fall and of grievous temptations to many that otherwise would not have them That English Custom also of often Visitations by the Bishop and by his Councellors Officials and other Ministers and Probats of Testament to be made before them and the use of often administring the Sacrament of Confirmation to Children is very laudable and to be honoured and any other thing that may belong to the authority credit or good estimation of the Bishop or of his Function and Office and if for a time after the next change some hand were given to Bishops also in Temporal affairs as to be principal in all publick Commissions within the Shire it would greatly authorise Religion and assure the Country much more to the Prince It will appertain to the Council of Reformation to consider of the Revenues of each Bishoprick and where there wanteth sufficient to bear out decently that State then to add so much as shall be necessary yet are Bishops to be admonished saith Mr. John Avila that Christ willeth them to be Lights of the World and Salt of the Earth by their fervour of Religion Prudence and Vertues and not by abundance of great Riches and Pomp and he alledgeth a Canon of the first Council of Carthage which saith thus Episcopus habeat vilem supellectilem mensam victum pauperem dignitatis suae authoritatem fidei vitae meritis quaerat And upon this he addeth That much more hurt hath come to the Church of God by overmuch Wealth of Bishops than by their Poverty albeit he wisheth notwithstanding that they have sufficient with Moderation And he beseecheth the Council of Trent that as well of Bishops Livings as of Deanries Archdeaconries Rich
Benefices and all other Ecclesiastical Livings which can bear it that there be a certain Portion allotted for the Poor whereof he would not have the Incumbents to have Possession or Interest but only that they with some other assigned for that purpose to be joyned with them to have the Distribution and be accountable yearly for it as if it were not theirs And his reason for this is for that each Ecclesiastical Person being bound in Conscience to give part to the Poor it were good their Consciences were eased herein by help of some others also and that the Poor were assured of their Portion which Holy suggestion might easily be put in Execution at the beginning in England and it would be a goodly Treasure for the Poor in every Diocess and a singular Example to all other Nations in Christendom and those that are good Prelates and Priests would be contented therewith and give besides also of their own and such as are otherwise at least would be forced to give this to their own benefit and others For the Bishop's own Person as also his Houshold it shall not be needful to say how far off it ought to be not only from vanity pomp and lightness which is crept into many to the ruine and scandal of the World to wit of gorgeous Apparel great troops of Servants rich Furniture of Houshold-stuff and other Ostentation of this quality but also and much more from the prophanity and secularity of others as Hawking Hunting Dicing Carding Banqueting inriching of Kindred and the like which Corruptions do easily insinuate themselves partly by corrupt Nature and partly by inticements of others as by experience we have seen in former times if our Bishops and Priests do not stand watchfully upon their own Actions and resolutely cut off the Serpents Head and all Serpentish allurements to these things at the beginning The Bishop's Person ought to be as an Angel of Peace Joy Comfort Ayd Compassion and Encouragement amongst the People and his House to be a School of all Vertues and a Shop or Store-house of all vertuous Men to take out as need shall be for the furnishing of other Places Silks Velvets Chains of Gold Feathers Hawks Hounds and the like in his House or Houshold is great vanity Idleness Swearing Gluttony loose Life Unlawful gains in his Servants is Impiety Well it were that Prelates Servants should be the better provided for than any other to the end that many might desire their Service and bear the Discipline of their Houses more willingly to wit that they should be both better paid and have more ways for their present Services and more hope of certain recompence for the time to come but with this also it were reason that they should be known from all other Mens Servants by their Vertuous Behaviour Modesty in Apparel Temperance in Dyet Sweetness and Humility of Speech Courteous Conversations No less care ought to have the Bishop of the Souls of his Servants but rather more than any other of his Flock which the Holy Apostle St. Paul did so far exaggerate to his Scholar Timothy that was also a Bishop as he said If any man have not care of his own and especially of those that be his Domesticals he is without Faith and worse than an infidel The principal Point that good Prelates do use and may use about Reformation of their Families are first to keep no more than they have need and are well able to maintain of themselves without permitting them Shifts Bribes or other unlawful or suspicious means to help themselves under colour and countenance of their Master's Coats which all redoundeth to their Masters hurt and discredit And Secondly if more do offer themselves to service than the Bishop can thus maintain or hath need of more merit and edification will it be to help to place them otherwhere and to assist them also with Alms abroad if his ability be for it than to hold great Troops of Servants under pretence of Piety and Alms which oftentimes is Oftentation and Vanity or at leastwise great occasion thereof Thirdly such as be admitted to the Bishop's Family and dwell in his House ought to be governed with all kind of care and good Discipline fit for such a place and not disagreeing to the State and Concition of the Men and namely That they confess themselves every Month at the least with known and approved Confessors and that the Bishop himself upon high Feasts or some other may by his appointment administer unto them the blessed Sacrament that whilest they dine or sup in the Hall they have some Spiritual good Lecture read unto them that a certain competent space be appointed them to rise and go to Bed and some Exercise of Prayers in the Mornings and that in the day time such as have no particular charge or offices to occupy themselves in but to attend and wait have some thing devised for their Exercise if it may be to keep them from idleness and among these may enter some honest kind of Disports also at certain times and store of good Books to be laid in publick places for them to read and entertain themselves at other seasons All kind of access and ordinary residence or traffick of Women within a Prelate's House for any occasion whatsoever whether they be kindred or not is indecent suspicious and full of disedification except it were only upon some known cause suit or particular business without stay which yet ought to be avoided the most that may be The occupations of a good Bishop which lie upon him by obligation of his office are so many and weighty as it cannot be imagined how he can have spare time and leisure for idleness or vain and secular entertainments if he have a good Conscience but rather it is needful that he devise the time very well and exactly for to be able to fulfil his duty in preparing saying Mass preaching teaching visiting his Diocess hearing and determining of causes attend to his particular Houshold conferring with his Officers and a thousand other Occupations Cares and Obligations that will fall upon him and take from him both his time by Day and sleep by Night if he be such a Father as he ought to be and have a tender heart towards God's Service and his own Salvation and towards the good of his People and Country which being so there needeth no other Advertisement in this behalf but that he be a good Man and look well to his Conscience and divide well the hours of the day that every thing may be done in its time and Men find space and facility to negotiate with him Let him visit his Diocess often by himself if he can to know his own Sheep nominatim as Christ commandeth and if he cannot let him do it by his Officers and see that it be done with diligence and gratis without Bribes and let the Visitations be examined well afterwards and some Declaration ever made of
and be registred in some Book by some Men of Confidence about his Majesty free from all suspicion of Interest or Corruption and appointed only to attend unto this affair and to take the Memoires that shall be sent from all places which Memoires Lists and Catalogues might be renewed from time to time as before hath been mentioned and hereby would come to pass that the Prince by tract of time should come to be perfectly informed of the merits and abilities of all his principal Subjects and therefore again would ensue that worthy Men without seeking and labouring for it as commonly they are more modest than others should be sought out and preferred and that ambitious and unworthy which ordinarily are the most importunate suiters should be restrained and put back to the comfort of all good Men and to the inestimable benefit of the Commonwealth and singular help of God and the Prince's Service And as this would be one great means to advance worthy Men so is there another of no less importance or piety for the amending of such as run awry which easily might be performed by a careful Catholick Prince to the great benefit of many and to his own singular commodity both with God and Man And this is that some special good Man about his Majesty which is discreet pious and learned as for example his Confessor or the like should be appointed to take the Relations and Informations which do come and would come in such a case of principal Men's behaviour through his Realm both Ecclesiastical and Temporal especially of such as are in Government and Authority and that when any evil fame or report should come of any Man 's bad proceeding or notorious negligence in his duty or manner of life and were confirmed by many ways for light of credit he ought not to be considering the natural inclination of Men to speak rather evil than good of such especially as are in authority then should this person confer the same with his Majesty and by his Licence though as of himself by the way of Friendship admonish the said Party of the opinion and report that is of him to the end he might look about him and amend that which were amiss before the Prince should be forced to take knowledge thereof or put his hand in the matter And I am of opinion That this only Art of Brotherly Correction which is commanded straitly by God to all Men but especially to Governors and such as have care over others though little used now in the World if this one means I say were brought into England among other good Orders now at the beginning and put some times in Execution by our Catholick Prince's commandment it would remedy more evils and procure him more hearty good-will with the People and merit with Almighty God than any thing else that could be devised for this purpose Many other such-like things might be here suggested for the happy day that we expect when God shall please to send us this Catholick Prince but that both these and all other points besides that are treated in this Memorial if any shall be judged worthy of Observation will appertain principally unto him as the head of all to see them set forward established and preserved I shall descend to no more particulars in this place but remit me to that which in other Chapters also is recorded recommending the whole to his Majesty's Protection and zealous furtherance so far forth as they shall be found to tend to the greater glory of God and advancement of the Weal publick And for that divers good Books and notable Discourses are abroad also in Print about this Subject and do lay before good Princes Eyes many excellent points for their better help light and direction in Government I do remit my self also in many points and among other to a notable Treatise come forth this very year in the Spanish Tongue written by a grave and learned Man of the Society of Jesus named Father Ribadeneira the Title whereof is Of the Religion and Vertues that a Christian Prince ought to have for the well governing and preservation of his Estates which in my Opinion is a right excellent piece of work and worthy to be read by all good Princes for that it will put them in mind of many rare and necessary points fit to be remembred embraced and put in execution and whatsoever Prince would read it diligently or appoint every day at his best leasure but some little part thereof to be read unto him with attention and he would continue this Exercise with desire to please God to discharge his Conscience and to govern well his Commonwealth he would hardly do amiss in my Opinion and should have need of little other Counsel for taking the right way in all his occasions purposes and affairs CHAP. III. Of the Nobility and Gentry of England and matters appertaining to their Estate BY the Nobility of England we do understand according to the fashion of other Countries not only Noblemen of Title but Gentlemen Esquires Knights and other degrees that be above Yeomen Husbandmen and the Commonalty In which inferiour sort of Nobility beneath Barons I mean of Knights Esquires and Gentlemen there is not that distinction observed betwixt their degrees in foreign Countries as is in ours and I take ours to be far better and the more laudable Order This Nobility then and Gentry being the chief Members of our Realm are carefully to be preserved by our Catholick Prince in their ancient honours dignities priviledges and whatsoever injury or disestimation hath been laid upon them these later years by some base Heretical Persons in authority it is to be removed and particular inquiry made by Commissioners appointed by the Parliament for this purpose wherein and in what points the Nobility of England have been injured dishonoured or oppressed in these later years of Heresie to the end that supplication may be made to the Catholick Prince for remedy thereof And as the ancient Nobility of England in times past came to that dignity in the Commonwealth and to their credit and estimation both with Prince and People first for their Piety and Zeal in Christian Religion and secondly for their Fidelity and Valour in Service of their Prince and Country so their Heirs and Posterity must conserve the same by the self-same means And first of all it will behove them greatly to take it for a point of chief honour greatness and Nobility at this next Conversion of our Realm to shew their eminent zeal in furthering Religion and the Reformation before-mentioned in all they can both by their authority credit power and zeal and edifying also other Men by their Example of Life as by frequenting the Holy Sacraments in their own Persons publickly and often and by joyning chearfully and piously as their fore-Fathers were wont to do with the Clergy and other good Men to further the advancement of God's cause in all points and
declared in themselves to have been of no force nor yet the Laws therein made and consequently to be frustrate and to be put out of the Book of Statutes except such as this Parliament shall think necessary to confirm and ratifie or make anew The Decree and Law for the faithful restitution of Abby-Lands and Ecclesiastical Revenues with the Moderation before specified is to be determined of among the very first points of importance and it were to be performed with a great alacrity and promptness of minds in all Men thereby to bind Almighty God to deal the more liberally also with us in all the rest that were to be done as no doubt but he would and after this many other particular Commissions and Subdelegations are to be given forth by the Prince and Parliament to particular Troops and Companies of Men for setting good order in divers matters as namely one very ample to the Council of Reformation before-mentioned for the reestablishing of Religion and for gathering up and disposing of the Ecclesiastical Rents and Revenues aforesaid And other were to be given out to certain principal Lawyers and others to reform the points that shall seem needful about our Common Laws Inns of Courts and the like as hath been mentioned another for the Universities another for the planting of Seminaries as well of our Nation as of our Neighbours Strangers for their Conversion and divers other such like weighty affairs are to be committed by different Commissions to able and fit Persons for putting our Commonwealth in joynt again except it shall seem best to commit the most of these matters by a general Commission to the Council of Reformation in form as hath been declared all which being confirmed by our Catholick Prince and See Apostolick may be executed sweetly and securely by the grace of God to his most high glory and everlasting good of our Realm And this is so much as I have to note for the present about this First Part concerning the whole Body of the Realm in general Now shall I speak somewhat of the two principal Members which are the Clergy and Temporalty in particular Animadversions on Chap. X. n THat every Man be sworn to defend the Catholick Roman Faith and moreover that it be made Treason for ever for any Man to propose any thing for change thereof In the late Popish Reign every one does remember what abundance of pains was taken to ridicule the Penal Laws and Test but especially the Test for the decrying of which all Mouths were opened all Pens employed even one of our own if we can with truth call our own that Scandal of Protestant Episcopacy Dr. Parker of Oxford and yet we see that how abominable soever a Test was in favour of the Church of England the Jesuit is for having one and that no body be admitted to suffrage in Parliament till he hath taken a swearing Test for Popery And just so it is with Penal Laws though those made against Papists which by the bye were made not against their perswasion in Religion but against the Treasons and Plots which as Papists they were ever and anon running into be abominable yet against Hereticks they are absolutely necessary When I first read this Chapter I could not but wonder at the Impudence of the Romish Priests in the late Reign that made such tragical Exclamations against Penal Laws but especially of the Jesuits who having this Memorial in their hands and admired by them should exclaim against sanguinary Laws when yet they were resolved as soon as they could get a Popish Parliament to have all the Laws that were ever made against Hereticks those for burning them at Stakes restored and put in full Authority God hath delivered us out of the hands of such abominable and bloody Hypocrites and may He ever preserve us from them who gave good words to the Protestant Dissenters that would be cajoled by them with their Mouths while they had destruction and ruine in their hearts against all Protestants whatsoever And at the same rate were too many Dissenters gull'd about the promised Liberty of Conscience that was to be established in Parliament to be made as firm as Magna Charta and it should have been made Felony or Treason and I know not what for any one in Parliament ever to have motioned a Repeal of it but now we see in the Memorial found in the late King's Closet what it was that was to be so firmly established we find that immediately it was to have been made Treason for ever for any Man to propose any change of Popery in England The SECOND PART of this MEMORIAL Touching the CLERGY I noted in the beginning the Clergy might be divided into Three principal Branches which are Bishops Priests and Religious Orders both of Men and Women and so according to this Division shall I prosecute this Memorial CHAP. I. Of the Clergy in general what they are and ought to do at the next change HAving to speak of the Clergy in general which God from the beginning of his Church vouchsafed to name his own Portion for that they were dedicated more particularly than other Men to his Divine Service and our Saviour to call them by the most honourable name of the light of the World and Salt of the Earth The first point of all to be remembred unto them seemeth to be that if ever there were a time wherein the effect of these names were needful to be shewed and put in execution it will be now at the beginning of our Countries next Conversion whose Fall and Affliction may perhaps in great part be ascribed to the wants of these effects in former times past And furthermore it may be considered that the State of the Clergy in England after a long desired Reduction and happy entrance of some Catholick Prince over us and after so long and bitter a Storm of cruel Persecution will be much like unto that which was of the general Church of Christendom in time of the first good Christian Emperor Constantine the Great after the bloody Persecutions of so many Infidel Tyrants that went before him for three hundred years together at what time as God on the one side provided so many notable zealous and learned Men for the establishing of his Church as appeareth by the three hundred and eighteen most worthy Bishops gathered together in the general Council of Nice so on the other side the Devil ceased not to stir up amongst the Clergy of that time divers and sundry Divisions Emulations and Contentions some of indiscreet zeal against such as had fallen and offended in time of Persecution and some other grounded upon worse causes of Malice Emulation and Ambition tending to particular interest whereby both that good Emperour in particular and all the Church of God in general were much troubled and afflicted and many good Men scandalized and God Almighty's Service greatly hindered and the common Enemy comforted And considering that the