A TRVE REPORT OF THE LATE APPREHENSION AND IMPRISONNEMENT OF IOHN NICOLS Minister at Roan and his confession and ansvvers made in the time of his durance there VVherevnto is added the satisfaction of certaine that of feare or frailtie haue latly fallen in England PRINTED AT RHEMES By Iohn Fogny 1583. THE PREFACE Good Christian reader the children and specially the Priests of Gods Church haue ben manifoldly assailed by their aduersaries in our coūtrey these later yeres first by the vvriting and preaching of the Sect-maisters vvhich made no great impression Secondly by authoritie of the Ciuil Magistrate vvhich vvas more forceible but yet preuailed no further then to the losse of some rich-mens transitory goods a fevv poore mens temporal liues neither the one nor the other perished to the ovvners but both laid vp vvith Christ and bestovved vpon him to the hundreth fould aduantage in the next and to the great encrease of the Catholike partie in this life Lastly by practise and pollicie of certain crafty cōsciēceles men by falshood forgerie altering in the sight of the simple the causes of their death punishment making their liues actiōs odious to the vvorld Vvhereby they disaduātaged in deede the Catholike part much more then by any plaine violēce or pretēded iustice vvhatsoeuer Besides the cōmon persuasions of Protestants but most false though grounded vpon the experimēt of their ovvne disloyaultie in the daies of Q. Mary that al Catholikes be ennemies to the state vvas it not a great tēptation to such as knovv not the deepe subtiltie of Sathā to see that certain good fellovves vvere found to preach print aduouch to the faces of the poore desolate persons yea and to svveare that they had purposed and practized the Queenes death particularly recording the time place and circumstances and naming such and such of the Counsel that vvere vvith all to be massacred and al this either so coulorably and confidently or so plausibly oportunely for the practize that publike iustice passed vpon them as malefactors and therevvith many pretty pāphlets put forth and spred for the tempering of mens speaches and conceits of such strange procedings In this case truly a poore and vnaduised man might haue ben either for some time abused or haue foūd good cause to say vvith the prophete Penè moti sunt pedes mei my feete vvere almost moued But he that said nothing is hidd vvhich shall not be reuealed vvould not haue this error long to preuaile but hath to his ovvne glory the honor of his saincts and great aduantage of the Catholike cause in our countrey and the vvhol Church many vvaies discouered that trechery as short gaudies almost hath the ennimie of such traffick as Iudas had of the betraying and sale of Christ vvho disclosed his ovvne treason yelded vp his money againe and hanged him self before his Maister vvhom he sould vvas executed God giue the aduersaries better grace and an other kind of repentance then that proditor had to saluation and not to perdition But truely his name be therefore euerlastingly glorified our mercifull lord hath merueilously reuealed to the shame of heresie these sinful inuentions of the Churches ennemies The conscience and certen knovvledge of so many good men that knevv those holy confessors innocency the vvisedom of others that savv the practiz coulour and collusion the note of their ansvveres and full satisfactiō giuen at the barre their vniforme and sincere protestations of their innocencie at their death the very qualities of such persons as vvere the first brochers and instruments of their accusation and condemnation al these things and diuers treatises set forth of the matter haue opēned and made clere the case to the vvhol vvorld vvhereby god of his old mercies hath turned all these difficulties and apparent distresses to the singular benefit of his truth And lo here more to see his svvet prouidence and disposition of these things Iohn Nichols him self the first author of the shamfull fiction and that first set dovvne the particularities for vvhich the men of god vvere cōdemned and executed falling of late into the handes of the iustice at Roan hath confessed al the collusion and forgerie Vvhich vvas thought meete to be published Verbatim euen as him self vvrote gaue forth to the Officers and others the Original partly remaining in the court roules partly to be shevved of his ovvne hand vvriting In setting it dovvne no one title is altered nor the very incongruities of his speach amended And though he vvas in prison vvhen he did it yet he did nothing of feare or compulsion being assured that he could not for such matters as he had committed in Englād nor for religion be any long time in durance in Fraunce but al came of deepe remors of mind and conscience for the death of the innocents vvhich he knevv came by his false accusation vvherevvith he vvas invvardly so vexed in England though he continued as he dooth yet in his peruerse pretēded religion that he both confessed his foule dealing to one of the cōdemned persons and to some in office and authoritie there and also in fine left the Realme therefore specially and partly as he saith him self because the Bishops vvho vvere cōmaunded and had promised him euery one of them a yerely pension for recompence of that his seruice vvould not keepe touch vvith him but shaked him of vvith a Tu videris like as the ievves did their copesmā sudas Vvhere vpon he obteined a peece of mony of an other his principal patron vvho thought it pitie or at least no pollicie to cast the poore miser of in that sorte and passed ouer into the lovve countrey vvithout taking his leaue vvent forvvard into Germany provvling as his manner hath long ben vvith Epistles for his liuing and not finding cōtentement so he purposed into Turkey and thithevvard he vvent on till by the persuasion of his cōpanion one M. Laurence Caddey sometime student of the English College in Rome he vvas turned back from that desperat course into Fraunce by vvhose godly endeuours for both their saluations notice vvas giuen of the said Nichols in Rhemes and Paris and after vvas apprehended in Roan vvhere he vvrote and spake the letters and other things follovving and therevpon vvas dimissed very shortly And being aftervvard among some contreymen of his ovvne religion to vvhom he resorted for payment of his fees he vvas demanded before them by some that vvere Catholiks vvhether he vvould novv being at liberty auouch all the things confessed in the time of his restraint he ansvvered that all vvere most certaine that he vvould stand to all that he had vttered A protestant yet he vvould be still though in prison he shovved him self vvilling to conferre and to yeld to reason and might at the same time haue easily ben inuited to Rhemes if he had not falne into the Protestants hands at his releasing At his first arriual in Roan the vaine man told
harpiarum more immundo contactu conspurcarent that is to say lest they should diminish and abase the reuerēd maiestie of philosophie by their foolish and doting expositions How soeuer it is in that facultie of Philosophie sure it is that the written vvord of God is full of profound mysteries yet is confidently bouldly and malepertly expounded now in England as vvel priuatly at euery table and tauerne as in the pulpits and common assemblies of simple and vnlearned artificers so that the lay people prentises especially and yong schollers assone as they can bid Caesar good morrow in Greeke or reade th' English Testamēt yea the women dare presume to dispute with the Clergie of the cheefest points of Religion and bouldly condemne the cheefest clercks in the vvorld Is not this I pray you a great abasing of th'excellēcie of the vvord of God surely if I had fauored heresies this would haue ben a sufficiēt motiue to haue reuoked me I could bring many moe strong reasons to this purpose but because I am a yong nouice in learning and because I thinke this vvhich I haue brought will suffice to proue that there vvas no cause of my invvard defection in respect of my particular knowledge I vvil here end this first point For the second that I had no cause to seperate my self from the Catholick church for the euel life of the Catholicks and to come to be a Protestant for their holynes I vvil shew it manifestly and yet no great profe vvil be loked for at my hands therein First suppose the Catholicks liued very euel as ill as their aduersaries purposely to deceiue the people faine them to do if I thinke the Religion to be good their euel life should neuer cause me to for sake it if a man should measure truth faith by the elle of vertu and innocencie in the professors follovvers of any sort in mans frailtie miserie of this life God should haue no people nor part in this world al being subiect to sin and danger in this mortal state But surely if wee should docide the matter by the difference of life behauiour and conuersation of both sides I vvere vvorse then an asse to determine for the Protestants against the Catholicks amongest whom the first Professors vvere Saincts and the cheef leaders and teachers aftervvard most holy and al these follovvers though fraile and sinfull men yet finding remedy by the medicinable Sacraments penaunce and discipline of the Church for their daily offences Where contrary vvise the very first authors of this Protestancy Luther Caluin Beza and the like or as them selues call them the restorers reformers of Religion vvere not onely vulgarly nought but of notorious infamous wicked life as their Ministers be in al coūtreies and their zelous followers not good in any place specially in Englād where they haue notoriously betraied their false faith by their foule fruicts Yea and vvhere it is knowne that their doctrine it self hath só altered to the vvorse al kinde of States and that their pulpits are nothing els but a schoole of sinne licentiousnes lust and liberty that al wisemen wonder at it and good men lament the case Who knoweth not that vertue deuotion godly life it self is bourthenous and hateful to the Protestants so far surely that they seeke as I haue seene not onely to abolish deface and destroy the bookes now or of ould written for defence and proofe of the Catholick faith which they may do vpon some pretence of errors conteined in the same but they burne vp al godly treatises and bookes of contemplation meditation and instruction of Christian life and manners conteining no dispute of religion at al as long sith they vsed a deuout treatise of the life and Immitation of Christ and now of late they openly burned a number of the bookes of prayer and meditation of prayer made by Levves of Granado together with the new Testament Assure your selues that they cānot abide such bookes of al others knowing that deuout praier onely penaunce and amendement of life vvill easily bring men from their pretēded Religion in which no such deuotions are found Neither if you marke vvell shall you euer finde that the learned of the Protestants writ or treat of any such argument al their doings are in pugnis verborum in strife emulation contention contradiction destruction They stand vpon quick dispatch and attribute al to Christ his passion without ether much meditation of it or conforming them selues vnto it Finally they haue turned the grace of Christ into carnal lust and licence To see these things which in England are so open and euident not so much profound learning is requisite as due consideration and some experience of other places vvhich if our Gentlemen students and others ether of the ynnes of Court or vniuersities or of what other place or calling soeuer might haue as diuers by trauelling ouer the seas to ether of the Seminaries or other Catholick schooles haue happely proued they should see vvhat difference of life manners education and behauiour there is betwixt the one and th' other This one thing I dare be bould to say for the Seminary of Rome where I most liued in mine absence from my countrey which therefore I knew best and vvhich the vvicked calumniators haue most sought to slaūder the youthes and students al there be as vertuous as any be in Christendome And let both Oxford and Cambrige giue me one such for hollynes of life and conuersation so long as they be there vnder the Protestants regiment as there be a number in the said Seminary and I promis you I vvill say in S. Peters in Rome al that I said at Paules crosse in London Not vvithstanding as I said al euel life maketh not nor proueth one to be an heretick for I am an offendor as other men and perhaps the cheef of many sinners but I haue found remedy mercie saluation in the Church in vvhich onely the holie Passion of Christ the cause of al remission is profitable and out of the same nothing but damnation though mans life seeme neuer so iuste and holy For this his blessed passions sake I trust he vvill nether now remember the sinnes of my youth nor this my exterior reuolt from his holy Church vvhich I professe as before to haue ben of frailtie against mine owne conscience and knowlege God that knoweth al things knoweth that I did it not for any liking I had of the Protestants either life or religion knowing both to be starke nought onely the Diuel by false and subtil persuasions vvas the cause of my outward defection First I had a seruent desire to see my parents and freends and because I vvas afraid they neither durst nor vvould receiue me for seare of the statuts I thought it good to play the hypocrite if that may be called hypocrisie to put on the habit and resemblance of wickednes with the Bishop of London that is to faine
faith it vvas abruptly in three howers donne by me beside none at Paris either helped me or saw it as yet therefore it must needes be childishe I pray you let it come to light both for the honor of the Church and my credit also and for the discharging of my conscience besides I made a solemne oth that there is nothing but that it is true euery good Christian vvill thinke so and I vvould you could learne his name that was in prison neere me in the Gatehovvse aske him c. as for the resolution of entring into religion I haue chosen meaning thereby to worke by Gods grace my saluation I do it not for neede for first I might may be but I vvill not a Carthusian although I neuer offred my self besides going vvith a good Religious Father to Says in Normandie there in an Abbey of Sainct Martin I vvas requested of most of the Brethren as this Father can testifie to enter into their order but I neither offred my self there or to any other order but this Nor minde to be of any but this of the Carmes which I trust I haue made choise of by Gods suggestion not condēning any other order al doublesse being of God neither yet enter I into religion for neede or for desperation for I know that if the number of my sinnes were more then the litle sandes of the sea if I vnfainedly repent by Contrition Confession and Satisfaction as much as I can that God will be mercifull vnto me to be short I vvill neither in any calling dispaire or presume for if in any thing in this it is truely said In medio consistit virtus Briefly I will either attempt it vvith zeale deuotion and full desire of working my saluation and the seruice of God or els Manum de tabula that is I will leaue of betime and not take the habit and afterwards Valedicere habitui conuentui As for the rest in your letter if I study not to put them in execution to th'vttermost of my power surely my hart is more hardened then euer Pharoes hart was seing that one not much inferiour to Moyses doth both by word of mouth and by writing speake vnto me so louingly effectually Thus leuing of to trouble you I request al your prayers for me and as my bound dutye is I will whiles I liue be your beades man At Paris Your daily Oratour Laurence Caddey THE CONFESSION OF RICHARD BAINES PRIEST AND LATE STVdent of the Colledge of Rhemes made after he vvas remoued out of the common gaile to his chamber AS my miserie vvickednes vvas greate which I vvill now set downe to the publishing of my ingratitude to God the Church and my superiors so vvas Gods iustice mercy and prouidence meruelous towards me to saluation as I verely hope Of al vvhich to the glory of Christ and satisfaction of the holy Church and all her children whom I haue offended or scandalized to mine owne vvorthy confusion temporall I intend to make this my publike confession that al that stand may by my exāple beware of a fall and such as be fallen may thereby make hast to aryse againe The very ground of my fall and of al the wickednes ether committed or intēded was my pride which droue me to a lothsomenes to liue in order and obedience to conceipts of mine owne vvorthines and manifold discontentement of the schollarlike condition vvherein I liued to an immoderat desire of more ease welth and which I specially also respected of more delicacie of diet and carnal delits then this place of banishment was like to yeld vnto me though vvo vnto me that could not see so fare before the studēts state in the Seminarie vvhere I vvas in very honest compt and calling is in all points so good and happy that most vvise men wonder at Gods so mercifull and plentifull prouision for the competent maintenance of so many in such a blessed trade of life and education Besides this though I vvas not onely a student in diuinitie but also a priest though many vvaies I shewed and made my self most vnworthie of that high degree pretēding in dede in the sight of my superiors the study of holy scriptures as dewly required yet in truth I most delited in prophane writers and the vvorst sort of them such as ether wrot against the truth or had least tast of religion vvhereby the holy vvriters of my Christian profession priesthood began daily to waxe more and more tedious and lothsome vnto me in so much that in the doing of such publike exercises as by my course of study or my superiors appointmēt I often made I had a delit rather to fil my mouth and the auditors eares with daintie delicat nice and radiculous termes and phrases then vvith vvholsome sound and sacred doctrine Whereby at leinght I had such a liking of my self that through nouelties of wordes ioyned vvith pretty prouerbs termes and mocking taunts wherevnto by natural inclination and by my said prophane vsage I vvas much giuen I found meanes to insinuat my self to the familiaritie of some of the yonger sort that me thought might easely be caried into discontentment to mislike of rule and discipline and of subiection to their maisters and gouernors for vvhich purpose I vsed ordinarily some prety skoffes against euery of the elders of our howse Vndermining by art also but in pretence of great playnnes and holy simplicitie certen very honest men vvhom I thought knevv somewhat of my superiors secrecie the knowledge whereof our lord God forgiue me I purposed to abuse as occasion afterward should be giuē to the annoyance and great hurt as wel of the Catholike cause as of the Seminaries our President and other principal persons to whom by the lavv of God nature and by singular benefits donne to me I ovve all duety With this I began by litle and litle to the scandal ruyne of diuers of the youth and other my fellovves if God had not preserued them by his singuler grace as vvel by my example of licentious life as by vvicked words to shew my mislike of fasting and praying calling for flesh pies or pasties in my chamber on fry daies at night and omitting the diuine seruice prescribed to men of my calling often iesting and skoffing thereat before some of my companions in vvhose secrecie loue toward me I had some affiāce And then proceding farther and farther in vvickednes I began to mocke at the lesser points of religion vvhich is the high vvay to Heresie Infidelitie Athisme as to my great daunger I haue experience in myne owne case so lamentable desiring al Christian people to take head by my example Protesting to al the vvorld that it is not reason nor scriptures nor the spirit of God which are so much pretēded by protestants that leadeth any man to that damnable sect by vvhich one countrey is perished but it is voluptuousnes sensualitie pride ambition