executed at Tybourn where Lopez thinking to make some Vindication affirmed that he loved the Queen as he loved Jesus Christ at which the spectators could not but smile knowing Lopez to be of the Jewish Profession At the same time that Lopez was dealing withal about the Queens Murther they to make more sure perswaded one Patrick Cullen an Irishman and a Fencer to commit the same villany against her Royal Person In this Treason Stanley was very active who with Sherwood and Holt two Jesuits confirm'd him in the lawfulness of the action giving him thirty pounds towards his journey into England being then in the Low-Countries But he was taken confess'd all and is executed At the same time also lived in the Netherlands one Edmund York Nephew to the Traytor Rowland York This Rowland was a vapouring Londoner the first that brought into England the use of Tucks or Rapiers in single Duels before which the manly Back-sword and Buckler was onely in practice by the greatest Gallants This was that scandalous Rowland York also who basely betray'd his trust and deliver'd Zutphen of which he was Governour with himself unto the Spaniards and perswaded Sir William Stanley to do the same with Deventer both of them for the future fighting under the Spanish Colours against their own Soveraign Queen and Country The English Fugitives beyond Seas perswaded this mans Nephew Edmund York and one Richard Williams with others to kill the Queen And this wicked Treason was agitating the same time that Lopez and Cullen were consulting about theirs But these Traytors were also seised on and suffer'd 1. They confess'd that for an incouragement Hugh Owen a noted Traytor at Bruxels had an assignation subscribed by Ibara the Spanish Secretary of forty thousand Crowns to be given them if they would kill the Queen 2. That the said Assignation was deliver'd to Holt the Jesuit who shew'd also the same to York and produced the Sacrament and kiss'd it swearing that he would pay the said monies when the murther was committed 3. That Stanley did earnestly perswade York to undertake it animating him with the Example of his Uncle Rowland 4. That to forward the plot there were several consultations Holt the Jesuit sitting as President 5. That Holt said if this designe fail'd they would then imploy no more English but Strangers 6. That at these consultations there used several to be present as Thomas Throgmorton Charles Paget Hugh Owen Dr. William Gifford the finisher of Calvino-Turcismus of whose Treasons we have heard formerly Dr. Thomas Worthington the chief promoter of the Doway-Bible adding some notes to it He also turn'd Bristow's Motives into Latine and in his old age turned Jesuit at Rome 7. It was also confess'd that there were designed to come into England to attempt her death one Tipping an Englishman one Edmund Garret an Ensigne with a Wallon and a Burgundian 8. That one Yong had undertaken a Treasonable action too 9. It was also confess'd that these three York Williams and Yong determin'd at their coming into England to have put themselves into the service of some great Noblemen of the Queens Council thereby to have free access to the Court and every one of them to seek their opportunities 10. That Williams through zeal to the Cause had wish'd his sword in the Queens Guts 11. That they had vow'd come what will of it to be the death of her And how furious and abominable James Archer the Irish Jesuit and others were in this Parracide Dr. a Antilogia cap 8. fol 116 117 118 119 120. Robert Abbot and a little after Bishop of Salisbury hath abundantly from their Confessions confuted the Impudent Andraeas Eudaemon-Joannes and satisfied all Forraigners And besides those common rewards of riches and favour with advancement here they were promised the highest of Spiritual Benefits because their Treasonable Actions could be no less then meritorious by which they would be certain to enjoy Heaven and its Glory hereafter For no less rewards and enjoyments did these evil Councellors impudently promise to these bloudy Traytors As if these Casuists were related to the old Hereticks the b Gabr. Pratâ—ol Elench Haeret p. 110. Cainani who reverenced Cain for killing his brother Abel and worshiped Judas for betraying our Innocent Saviour But why might not they promise as much when they knew that the Pope who cannot err had formerly bequeath'd such blessings to the enemies of Queen Elizabeth All these designes failing the Fugitives and other Traytors were at their wits end seeing the Queen raign prosperously and successful and all their attempts against her ruined always discover'd and the main instruments seiz'd on and deservedly executed But at last another opportunity offer'd it self In the year 1595 Sir Francis Drake making his last voyage against the Spaniards in America in which he dyed there was one Edward Squire who was first a Pettifogging Clerk afterwards an under-servant in the Queens Stables and now would try his fortune as a Souldier in this voyage It was his chance to go in a little Pinnace which unluckily straying from the rest on the Coasts of America was taken by five great Spanish Ships By which means much of Drakes designe was discover'd and so a great part of the exploit prevented Squire at last was carryed into Spain as a prisoner Here a There were three Brothers of Norfolk all Jesuits viz. Henry Michael and Richard Walpoole Walpoole a Jesuit meets with him and procures him as an Heretick to be put in the Inquisition where with afflictions and fair speeches he drew him to be a zealous Romanist This done he perswades him to kill the Queen commends the action to him as piouâ— and meritorious offers him large promises And at last Squire is fully perswaded and undertakes the murther At this the Jesuit Walpoole rejoyceth hugs and incourageth him bindes him by several Oaths under pain of Damnation to be secret and perform his promises and not to fear death For saith he what doth it profit a man to gain the whole Rob. Abbot Antilog fol. 122 123. world and loose his own soul Assuring him that if he did but once doubt of the lawfulness and justness of the Action that mistrust would be enough to damn him such a sin being seldom pardon'd This said he imbraceth him then throwing his left Arm about Squires neck so hugging him with his right-hand he makes the signe of the Cross upon Squires forehead thus blessing him God bless thee my son and strengthen thee be of good cheer I will pawn my soul for thine and thou shalt always have the benefit of my prayers and whether thou livest or dyest thou shalt enjoy a full pardon and remission of all thy sins And another time thus incouraged him There is one thing necessary which if thou prefer before all other things and dost fulfill it I have my desire and thou shalt be a glorious Saint in Heaven Squire thus devilishly resolved gets into England
say to him Why do you so since his power is such as to dispence beyond Law it self and so of Injustice can make Justice either by correcting or changing the Laws or Rights and b Dist 34. c. Lector Gloss dispence too against the Apostle Their Canon-Law brags that Constantine the Great call'd the Pope a c Dist 96. c. Satis evidenter God But their extravagant Gloss speaks out more plainly in these very words d Credere Dominum Deum nostrum Papam Conditorem c. Extra Joh. XXII Tit. 14. de verborum significat cap. 4. Cum inter nonnullâ—s Gloss Sect. Declaramus prope finem OUR LORD GOD THE POPE Because e Warn-word to Sir Fran. Hastings's wastward Encount 1. c. 2. Sect. 10. Father Parsons affirmeth he could never finde any such expression though he saith he sought much for it I have been the more exact and plain in the Quotation as also to confute f Apol. pro Hen. Garn. Andraeas Eudaemon-Johannes and some others who are apt to perswade their Readers that there is no such thing to be found at least in those Copies that they can meet withal for confutation of which take this Catalogue of Editions which I have met withal in which they will finde the said words expresly set down Lugduni Lutet Paris 1526 1522 1556 1561 1559 * 1585 1572 * 1601 * 1584 * 1612 Several of which viz. those you see here noted with the Asterisks were Vid. Pet Moulin vates lib. 5. cap. 6. printed after Pope Gregory the Thirteenth had corrected the Canon-Law and were as they confess printed and publish'd according to the Roman Copy by Authority of the said Pope And it may be from suchlike wicked expressions as this that abominable Varlet Francois Ravaillac drew this Blasphemous Doctrine g Parceque faisant la guerre contre le Pape c'estoit la faire contre Dieu d'â—utant que le Pape estoit Dieu Dieu â—stoit le Pape Pâ—ocez Examen Confessions c. du Fâ—ancoâ—s Ravaillac pag. 39. Is Casauban Epâ—st ad Front Ducaeum pag. 14 The Pope is God and God is the Pope And therefore supposing that Henry the Fourth of France would make War upon the Pope he thought himself obliged to murther the said King lest he should fight against God that is the Pope However though I cannot say that the wisest of them think the Pope really to be God yet this I am certain of that they commonly paint one so like the other with a Triple Crown and all other Pontifical Garments that you can scarce know whether they designed it for the Picture of God Almighty or the Pope But others would have us to think that he is not really a God no more than he is really a man but something or other between both according to our Country-man in their h Gloss g Clâ—mâ—â—t in Proem Gloss â— Papa Papa stupor Mundi Qui maxima rerumes Nec Deuses nec homo quasi neuter es inter utrumque Pope the worlds wonder greatest in all the world Nor God nor Man but between both thou' rt Purld And now can we think that they give these almost-almighty Titles and Power to his Holiness without sure grounds and good cause And that of all Reasons and Authorities the Canon-Law which hath been so carefully composed and so often revised by their wisest ones doth not afford the best No surely and therefore for a taste take some of their invincible Arguments and those too for more Authority framed by the Popes themselves and so infallibly true Can any deny that the Pope hath all a Extra Com. de Major Obed. c. Unam Sanctam Temporal as well as Spiritual jurisdiction seeing the Apostles said b Luke 22. 28. Behold here are two Swords and Christ answered That it is enough Which is also sufficiently testified by Christ's saying Peter c Job 18. 11. Mat. 26. 52. put up thy sword into the sheath What need any man question the d Extra Com. c. Unam sanctam Greg. de Major Obed c. Solitae Popes Authority to depose Kings seeing God told the Prophet Jeremiah saying e Jer. 1. 10. Behold I have this day set thee over the Nations and over the Kingdoms to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant Is it not as plain as a Pike-staff that there is but one Supream Authority in the World and that that is the f Extra Com. c Unam sanctam Pope because God g Gen. 1. 1. created heaven in the Beginning for it is not said in the plural number in the Beginnings And therefore he that believes not that the Pope is the Chief must be an Heretical Manichee Again is it not impudence to deny the h Greg de Major Obed. c. Solitae Pope to be above any Emperour be he East or West seeing God himself decided long since the Controversie by creating i Gen. 1. 16. two great Lights viz. the Sun and the Moon whereby he did plainly demonstrate that the Pope is as far above the Emperour as the Sun is greater than the Moon And for the Kings they are no more to be compared to the Pope than k Dist 96. c. Duo sunt Lead is to Gold Upon the strength of these Authorities and mighty Reasons though not a Rush to the purpose their Writers vapour with his Holiness over all poor Hereticks l Comment in c. Oportchat pag. 48. Sect. 9. Rodericus Cupers thinks that those who deny the Popes Temporal and spiritual Supremacy deny also the Gospel and the great m Sum. Patt 3. Tit. 22. c. 5. Antoninus of Florence that he hath power not onely on earth but in Heaven and Hell Doctor n Tract de jurisdict part 4. cent 1. cas 56. Sect. 1. Marta saith that he is Judge of all men in the World And so any may appeal from their secular Judges to him He being the o Ibid. Sect. 8. Fountain and Original of all Temporal jurisdiction and having all the Power that p Id. cap. 25. Sect. 20. Christ had q Quodlibet VI. Quaest 23. fol. 369. a. Henricus à Gondavo with his Commentator Marcus Vitalis Zuccolius and r De Potestar Rom Pont. l. 2. c. 9. Sect 7. cap. 10. Alexander Carerius with a multitude of others are great sticklers for this his Authority and the later of them tells us that it is the common opinion of all their Divines and Canonists Nay Stephanus an Arch-bishop in one of their Lateran Councils applauded the Opinion That the Å¿ Concil Edict Regia Tom. 34. pag. 449. Pope was above all Power both of Heaven and Earth One tells us that he is not onely the Judge but the t Jo. Rubeus in Bonifac. VIII pag. 216. Spouse of the Vniversal Church and the Arbitrator of Heaven and Earth u Isidor
Et sera ce premier Article leu par chacun an tant â—s Cours Souveraines qu' es Bailliages Seneschaucees du dit Royaume a l'ouverture des audiences pour estre garde observe avec toute severite rigueur To hinder the spreading of the pernicious Doctrine lately taught and maintain'd by some seditious spirits enemies to good Government against Kings and Soveraign Powers His Majesty shall be humbly desired that there shall be establish'd by the three Estates for a Fundamental Law of the Land to be kept and known by all men That the King being acknowledged head in his Dominions holding his Crown and Authority onely from God there is no power on Earth whatever spiritual or Temporal that hath any right over his Kingdom either to depose our Kings or dispence with or absolve their Subjects from the fidelity and obedience which they owe to their Soveraign for any cause or pretence whatever That all his Subjects of what quality or Condition soever shall keep this Law as holy true and agreeable to Gods Word without any distinction equivocation or limitation whatsoever which shall be sworn and signed by all the Deputies of the Estates and henceforward by all who have any Benefice or Office in the Kingdom before they enter upon such Benefice or Office and that all Tutors Masters Regents Doctors and Preachers shall teach and publish that the contrary Opinion viz. that it is lawful to kill and depose our Kings to rebel and rise up against them and shake off our Obedience to them upon any occasion whatever is impious detestable quite contrary to Truth and the establishment of the State of France which immediately depends upon God onely That all Books teaching these false and wicked Opinions shall be held as seditious and damnable All strangers who write and publish them as sworn Enemies to the Crown and that all Subjects of his Majesty of what Quality and Condition whatever who favour them as Rebels violators of the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom and Traytors against the King And if there be a Book or discourse writ by any forraign Church-man or any other that then the Clergy of the same Orders establish'd in France shall be obliged continually to answer oppose and confute them without any respect ambiguity or equivocation upon pain to be punish'd as abovesaid as a favourer of the Enemies of the State And this Article shall be read every year in the Soveraign Courts Bayliwicks and Seneschalships of the said Kingdom and at the opening of their Courts of Audience that they may be the better preserved and observed with all rigor and severity This startles the Clergy who with the Noblesse presently set themselves against the third Estate somewhat like our House of Commons with a resolution to expunge this honest and loyal Proposition yet declared their continuable obedience to their King And as a main Engine to carry this their design about they desired Jaque Davie the famous Cardinal of Perron to endeavour to work over to them the third Estate knowing that his voluble Tongue used to be carryed on with so much Learning Judgement and Sweetness that it seldom mist of that it spoke for Accordingly attended with some Lords and Bishops as Representatives of their respective Estates and so to shew to the Commons that both the other did agree so in judgement in this case with the learned Cardinal that he spoke not onely his own but their Opinions too He though at that time somewhat indisposed went accordingly where he made a very long Speech to shew the unreasonableness and absurdity of the foresaid proposition endeavouring to prove by Reason that sometimes Kings should and by Example that they had been deposed their Subjects being justly quit from their Oaths of Allegiance and so not bound to obey them The Harangue it self being large I refer you to it in his Diverses Oeuvres Yet this Oration wrought little upon the third Estate which hugely troubled all their Cergy and the Popes Nuntio then at Paris and a Hist de Louis XIII pag. 49. Scipion Dupleix one of the Kings Historiographers can accuse the Article with manifest absurdity by which he shews his compliance with the rest in this Doctrine But the Pope Paul the Fifth shew'd himself most troubled in his Letter to Perron dated from Rome Febr. 1615. he call'd it a Detestable Decree and the voters of it Enemies to the Common good and quietness and mortal adversaries to the Chair of Rome But at the same time gives the Cardinal all the commendations and thanks that can be But our King James was not so complemental nor had he Reason For the Cardinal in his Speech having several reflections against the Government of England the cruelty of her Laws the persecution of the Roman Catholicks and shew'd himself mainly concern'd against our Oath of Allegiance which did not a little reflect upon the King himself upon which his Majesty looking upon this Cardinal as somewhat too busie in putting his Oar in another mans Boat and so concern'd to have somewhat of justice done him by his Ambassador publickly complain'd of this affront to the young King the Queen-mother and others and himself publickly answered the Speech But this was no trouble to the Cardinal who was hugely complemented and magnified from several Bishops and other great persons for this his Speech and valiantly defending the right of the Church But how to end this grand Controversie amongst the Estates was the cause of some Consultations at last the King was cunningly perswaded to take it to himself which he did affirming he understood his own Right and Possession and so forbad them to determine any thing about it However the two Estates were gallantly caressed by two Breves from the Pope stufft with Commendations and thanks for their Doctrine and valour for the Church But enough of Perron and the French Estates now in a manner neglected in that Kingdom And should we look upon our own Oath of Allegiance made onely upon a politick account for the prevention of Treason we might see it as strongly opposed and girded at as that of France For no sooner was it made that horrid Gunpowder-plot being a main Motive but Paul the Fifth absolutely forbad it to be taken by two Breves sent into England and presently began a Paper-scuffle on all sides Bellarmine Gretzer Parsons Coquaeus Scioppius and many others by might and main opposing its taking but they were instantly answered not onely by King James himself but several of his learned Subjects as Bishop Andrews Dr. Abbot Carleton Donne Prideaux Burbill Widdrington or Preston a Benedictan Monk for which there were Rods laid in piss for him by the Romanists and several others Amongst those who zealously opposed it was one Adolphus Schulckenius but whether a true name or no I know not yet he is very furious in behalf of the Popes deposing of Kings and this he tells us the Pope may do by the
some cases as if the Prince should force his People to be a a Allow one or two Exceptions and twenty will follow if the Romanists be Judges Prateo lus Elench Haeret. § Mahometes compares the Protestants to the Turks Gifford Prâ—f in lib. D. Reinald Calvino-Turcismus saâ—th that the Protestants belief is worse than the Alcoran Mahometans Jewes Pagans or Infidels the Pope may discharge his Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience otherwise due to him III. That the King Bishops Peers and Commons in Parliament cannot declare or censure the opinion which alloweth the Popes power to excommunicate and deprive Kings to be Impious and Heretical IV. That it is gross Ignorance and False not to believe that the Pope or any other have power to absolve Subjects of their Oaths of Obedience and Allegiance V. That this Oath of Allegiance though taken is not obligatory nor hath any power to binde Thus we see the foundation of Government shaken Oaths and Obedience brought to be but trifles and Supream Authority and Rule upon the common-canting whining pretence of Religion consumed to nothing Leonardus Lessius a Jesuite of great repute under the false name Discussio Decreti Mag. Concil Lateran of Guilielmus Singletonus is very zealous for this Authority to be in the Pope Tells us in one place that if the Pope b Si sam Pont. non haberet illam potestatem in Tâ—mporalia Ecclesia errarâ—t in Doctrina morum quidem circa res gravissimas Docet enim Principe per sententiam summi Pont. abdicato omnes subditos ab ejus obedientia esse solutos ditionem ejus ab alio posse occupari ut ex Conciliis constat Discuss Decret Concil Lat. pag 46. have not this power then the Church of necessity must err because it teacheth such jurisdiction to lye in the Pope but to affirm so of the Church viz. that she erreth is Heretical nay that this error viz. that the Pope cannot depose Kings c Id. Pag. 90. Hic enim error longe perniciosior erit magisque intolerabilis quam error circa aliquod Sacramentum is more pernicious and intolerable than an error concerning some of the Sacraments for 't is a d Id. Pag. 100. certain and undoubted received Opinion of the Church and therefore he e Id Pag. 123. conjures all Catholicks as they love the salvation of their Souls to have a care of doubting of it or believing the contrary for it f Ad sidem pertinere sive ita cum rebus fidei Religionis esse conjunctam ut absque sanae Doctrinae injuria non videatur posse negaâ—i belongs to faith or agrees so neer with it that it cannot be denyed without great injury to sound Doctrine And whether this Lessius in another of his Books concerning the a De potestate summi Pontifici Popes power maintains any Tenents more dangerous than these I know not no more than I do the reasons that made them suppress it though many years ago printed The Lawyer b De sindicatu Summar 4. § 56 57 58 59. Paris de Puteo from the Canon-law and other such-like authorities gathers that the Pope may depose Kings or Emperours and the old c Dist 40 Si Papa Gloss Glassator upon Gratian standing upon the same sandy Foundation maintains the same proposition against the latter and with these agree another Lawyer d Et Imperator debet confirmari à Papa tanquam superiore ab eo examinare approbari ac incongi consecraâ—i coronari si est dignus vel rejici si est indignus puta si esset sacrilegus excommunicatus licet esset electus ab Electoribus Imperii Jo. Bapt. Plot. Consilium § 64. Johannes Baptista Plotus In the year 1619. Frederick Elector Palatine of Rhine being over-perswaded by the Bohemians who had then denyed Ferdinand the Emperour to be their King to take upon him the Government over them was after some Wars overcome by the Imperialists and bereft not onely of that Kingdom but the rest of his Territories Upon this great consultation is had privately at Rome to get another Elector into his place and for the person they need not study long The Duke of Bavaria having his great expence in this War against the Bohemians and the Jesuits to whom he was a great Benefactor had a particular Devotion and was in all things sway'd by them to speak loud in his behalf and besides which was no small mover his Zeal for the cause of Rome Frederick being a Protestant and thus laid by would thus over-sway the reformed Electors in number whereby the Empire probably would still be ruled by that Religion These and other like reasons made Pope Gregory the Fifteenth and his Nephew and Favourite Cardinal Ludovisio who was also made Protector of the Irish to be earnest with the Emperour about it which at last though the Spaniard at its first motion seem'd not to like took effect and Maximilian Duke of Bavaria obtain'd that honour 1623. But that which I most aim at in this story is the Paper of advice or reasons to perswade to this action presented to the Pope and Cardinals by Michel Lonigo da Esle belonging to his Holiness in which is strongly pleaded for Bavaria ranting and boasting in a whole beadrole what pretty pranks and tricks the Popes have formerly acted over Kings and Emperours by interdicting excommunicating and deposing them altering and changing of Empires and Kingdoms and in one place speaks boldly and plainly thus It is in the Popes hands as appeareth by all Histories to renew the Emperours in their Empire to translate the authority of one Nation to another and utterly to abolish the right of Election And that Rome did think her power over Kings by way of punishment to be just and really her own you may partly guess from this following story No sooner came forth our Oath of Allegiance for the preservation Ro. Widdrington's Theological Disputation cap. 10. Sect. 2. § 52 53. c. of the King and security of his Kingdoms but Father Parsons at Rome sollicited the Pope for his Breves against it which were obtain'd but before they were sent into England this Jesuite wrote a Letter hither to intimate though falsly that he was for mitigation but that true enough the rest were for the Popes power against the King but take his own words as they are delivered to us by an honest Benedictine About some four or five Months ago it was consulted by seven or eight of the Learned'st Divines that could be chosen who gave their judgement of it Their Reasons are many but all deduced to this that the Popes Authority in chastising Princes upon a just account is de fide and consequently cannot be deny'd when it is call'd into Controversie without denying of our Faith nor that the Pope or any other Authority can dispense in this For if the Question were de facto and
e Non solum ei liceat Monarchae jus nomen sibi ipsi vendicare sed etiam suae ditioni subditos ad Principatus Regna Imperia utcunque ei visum fuerit assumere assumpto vero etiam sine Causa ab iisdem Regnis deponere ea Regna ex uno ad alterum pro suae voluntatis arbitrio transferre Quod si forte in reprobum sensum traditi has i. e. the Popes Censures quoque contempserint tunc Pontifex si tamen id Ecclesiasticae tran quillitati expedire cognoscet populos absolvere poterit à juramento Obedientiae quo se Dominis illis devinxerant cum adhuc juste imperarent ei quoque licitum erit ipsos Dominos incorrigibiles Ecclesiae Rebelles Principatuum suorum jurisdictione privare eorum jura ad alios Orthodoxos Principes transferre Sixt. Senens Bibliotheca lib. 6. Annotat. 72. Sixtus Senensis a man of great Reading but in this case he thought it not amiss to fin for company with the rest of his Party now affirming that the Pope at his own pleasure without any cause can depose of Kingdoms yet a little after he is willing to have a Reason and then the deposition is lawful enough CHAP. II. That the Pope can absolve subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance and their Obedience due to their respective Princes ME thinks 't is an odd humour that the Pope should be so much on Cock-horse above all the world besides as to expect that all Emperours and Kings should swear absolute obedience to him and yet allow other earthly Monarchs to have but a conditional subjection from their Subjects And this Allegiance though never so strongly tyed up with Oaths and Duty yet must the people be perswaded that an Item from Rome can quit them from its Obligation as poor Hortensius believed himself to be King of Poland because Roguish Francion and others told him so Though we abhor the action yet we cannot chuse but smile sometimes to see how many by the knavery of some Polititians are gull'd into villany many of our wicked States-men as the Devil turns himself into an Angel of Light wrap themselves in Religon to catch those who know nothing of it but the word And though we be tyed to Allegiance with the strictest bonds of Birth and Oaths yet from these if occasion serve the Grandees of Faction will ease us either as one Nail drives out another by taking a contradictory Oath to the former or some way or other procuring or making of and to our selves an Absolution the Pope and Disciplinarian being the Chief Masters of this Faculty Our Presbyterians after they had above two years impiously rebell'd against their King and Church to make their actions more plausible to the Vulgar took that abominable Covenant against both and so declaring their disobligation to either as if a latter unlawful Oath could quit one of the former which Law Religion and Nature did bind him to And I cannot but think here of the impious Guisian league in France who having fought a great while against their King Henry the Third and declared themselves not obliged to their Allegiance to him yet as a pretty trick to fool the world they sent to Pope Sixtus the Fifth that he would declare their war Vestram Beatissime Pater opem imploramâ—s Primum ut juramento quo nos Henrico III. quondam abstrinximus soluti declaremur Deinde ut bellum quod cum publica Religionis ac libertatis oppressere necessario gerendum est justum esse decernatur De justa Hen. III. abdicatione pag. 398. to be lawful and quit them from their Obedience to their Soveraign both Knaves of a double dye first to Rebel and then to make that sin lawful And that the Pope hath this power to absolve people from their Obedience is stifly maintain'd by the Roman Champions Amongst the rest Martinus Becanus is thus perswaded and he saith That nothing Pontifex absolvat subditos à debito seu vinculo subjectâ—onis quo obligati sunt suis Regibus nam sublato hoc vinculo ex parte subditorum jam sponte cessat potestas jurisdictio Regnum in suâ—diâ—os Pontifex qui utriusque i. e. King and People praeest in rebus ad salutem peâ—tinentibus potest mandaâ—e dâ—cernere ut subditi non teneantur praestare fidem regibus quando Reges non servant ipsis fidem nihil certius apud Catholicos Mart. Becon Controvers Angl. pag. 133. 135. is more certain amongst the Roman Catholicks than that the Pope may do not onely so but command the Subjects not to obey their Prince With him agreeth another of the same Order viz. a Jesuite but more voluminous and of greater esteem and this is Franciscus Suarez telling us in one place that the a Hos à ju ramento fidelitatis solvere vel solutos declarate Fr. Suar. defens fid Cathol lib. 3. c. 23. § 21. Pope can absolve Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance And in another place saith that to affirm the contrary is to act b Est contra Ecclesiasticum morem Conciliorumque generalium usum approbationem contra Catholicorum Doctorum consensum est etiam contra rationum Id. Lib. 6. c. 2. § 7. against the Custom of the Church the use and approbation of General Councils the consent of Catholick Doctors nay and against reason and is plainly c Propositio illa Haeretica est lib. 6. c. 5. § 1 2. Heretical And as for our English Oath of Allegiance he saith a man d Illud juramentum non ligat jurantem quia non potest juramentum esse vinculum iniquitatis quale illud esset ideo nemo potest ab illo solvi and the words before these are Nemo absolvi potest proprie qui legatus non est need never be absolved from it because 't was never binding to him e De sacrorum Immunit l. 3. Proem § 9 10. Anastasius Germonius f De Haeresi cap. 30. pag. 293 296. Antonius Sanctarellus Cardinal g Contra Barclaium cap. 27. Bellarmine h De Orig. progres S. Inquis lib. 1. Quest 1. Opin 4. § 55. 145. Ludovicus à Paramo i De potest Eccles Quest 40. Art 4. Augustinus Triumphus de Ancona k Summa V. Papa § 10. Sylvester de Priero and l Comment in Cant. Magnif lib. 3. cap. 27. dub 6. pag. 134. Rutilius Benzonius with others amongst the other Priviledges which they allow the Pope to have to straiten the Authority and Grandeur of Kings is the power to absolve their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegance and so to give them liberty either to chuse or take new Masters And m De utriusque gladli facultate Tom. 2. pag. 119. Robertus Cenalis is willing to bestow the same jurisdiction upon the See of Rome As for our Country-man n De visih Monarch l. 2. cap. 4. Nicholas Saunders
in this cause he is as fierce as any of them and his great Animosity against there formed Religion his Native Country and his legal Soveraign might prompt him to it and much more and with these do consent o De sacro Eccles principatu lib. 2. c. 12. fol. 63. Johannes Blasius p Theolog. Moral Tom. 1. v. Dominium pag. 393. v. Apostasia p. 5. Franciscus Ghetius and that ancient Jesuite q Tom. 4. Part. 3. Tract 4. § Tertiam potestatem pag. 410. Alphonsus Salmeron r Potest eum excommunicare subditosque illius à juramento fidelitatis absolvere ab illius obedientia eximere atque ea non est Tyrannica vel usurpata authoritas sed legitima à Christo instituta illi concessa ad Regimen optimum Christianae Reipublicae Len. Coq Exam. Praefat. Monit Jacobi pag. 55. pag. 103. Leonardus Coquaeus indeavouring to confute King James is very earnest not onely for this Papal Authority in absolving subjects from their obedience to their respective Princes but also would gladly perswade him and others to think that this is neither a tyrannical nor an Usurpt Authority but a lawful one granted to him by Christ But King James would not be caught with such Chaff and a King that knoweth himself to be absolute must have a strong demonstration to the contrary before he 'll throw himself upon another mans mercy When a man 's nurst up in an error he will commonly swear to it and though of all Authorities or Decrees the Canon-law hath the least reason in it yet where men must think as they are bid we need not wonder when we see the chiefest of the Romanists with r Disquisit Clerical Part. 1. pag. 282. § 109. Johannes Maria Bellettus ſ In decretal de Haereticis c. 13. Panormitan t Summa de Eccles c 14. Propos 5. Cardinal de Turrecremata u De jure Personarum extra Eccles lib. 4. cap. 52. § 1. Antonius Ricciullus x Repet in clem ut clericorum de Offic. Ordi § 40. Stephanus Aufrerius and y De Cathol Constitut Tit. 46. § 73. Jacobus Simanca with may others to affirm to the world this absolving power to lye in the Pope since besides other reasons 't is one of the best Cards in the Pack that Rome hath to keep up her greatness Whether Albertus Pighius read with these Spectacles or no I know not but 't is very probable that something else besides true reason did a little sway him in this case And though considering his time he had more judgement and learning than an hundred of your dull Canonists yet we see him run with the rest to embrace an error though for his so doing he saith he hath the consent of the Church for about Necesse est ut Impia heretica sit illa ejus sententia qua affirmat esse haereticum ut possint subditi absolvi à juramento fidelitatis quo ante adstricti fuerant suis superioribus fidelibus Alb. Pigh Hierarch Eccles lib. 5. cap. 15. fol. 266. eight hundred years and so concludes that to think that the Pope cannot quit Subjects from their Obedience and Allegiance due to their Kings is both Impious and Heretical Nor is this strange since a greater than he and no less than z Quam cito aliquis per sententiam denuntiatur Excommunicatus propter Apostasiam à fide ipso facto ejus subditi sunt absoluti à dominio ejus juramento fidelitatis quo ei tenebantur D. Tho. Aquin 2. 2. Quest 12. Art 2. Thomas Aquinas doth allow that Subjects may be sometimes quit from their Allegiance and Oaths to their Kings and to him consents a Theolog. moralis Tract 1. cap. 7. conclus 5. Petrus de Ledesma and the Commentators upon him such as b Com. in 2. 2. D. Tho. Quest 12. Art 2. Hieronymus de Medicis c Com. in D. Tho. 2. 2. Quest 1. Art 10. disp 8. Johannes Malderius and others so that we need not doubt its validity amongst them Nor is it any wonder to see d De libertate Christ lib. 1. c. 14. Johannes Driedo e Rosella Casuum verbo Haereticus § 11. Baptista Trovomala f Apologie pour Jehan Chastel Franzois de Verone g De justa Hen. III. ablicat lib. 1. cap. 5. Dr. Boucher h Discussio decreti Concil Later pag. 46. Leonardus Lessius under the false name of Gulielmus Singletonus i Le Relationi Universali part 2. lib. 4. pag. 124. Giovanni Botero yet the more wonder in him because a great and understanding States-man and several others to be so much for the Pope as to allow him Authority to absolve Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance when they have no less than the famous Cardinal Perron to be their Champion and with him the Nobility and Clergy in France and this cause of the See of Rome to be by him boldly maintained publickly in a long Speech to the third Estate the occasion of which we have spoken more at large in the former Chapter In this Harangue the Cardinal endeavours Harangue faite de la parte de la Chambre Ecclesiastique en celle du tiers Estat sur l'Article de serment 'T is printed amongst several of his other Works les diverses Oeuvres and in Recueil General des Affaires du Clergé de France Imprim à Paris 1636. Tom. 1. pag. 295. to prove at large that subjects might be quit from their Oaths of Allegiance and Obedience due to their Kings nay that Kings might sometimes be deposed of which formerly As for the first viz. That Subjects might be absolved from their Oaths of Allegiance made to their Kings he saith That a Les diverses Oeuvres p. 599. Toutes les autres parties de l'Eglise Catholique voir mesme toute l'Eglise Gallicane depuis que les E'choles de Theologie y ont esté instituées jusques à la venué de Calvin tiennent l'Affirmative ascavoir que quand un Prince vient a violer le serment qu'il a fait à Dieu a ses subjets Les Prince-la peu estre declare dechen des ses droits comme coulpable de Felonie envers celuy a qui il a fait le serment de son Royaume c'est a dire envers Jesus Christ Et ses subjets absous en Conscience au tribunal Spirituel Ecclesiastique du serment de fidelite qu'ils luy ont preste que ce cas-la arrivant c'est a l'authorite de l'Eglise residente ou en chef qui est le Pape ou en son Corps qui est le Concile de faire ceste Declaration Et non seulement toutes les autres Parties de l'Eglise Catholique mais mesme tous les Docteurs qui ont este en France depuis que les E'choles de Theologie y ont este instituees ont tenu l'affirmative Ascavoir qu'en
his Rebellion hath too much of Atheism in him to be a true Christian Thus would these men make the condition of Kings to be like that of Damocles with a drawn Sword hanging over their heads by a slender thred His and the Kingdoms settlement to lye at the mercy and alteration of every hot-brain'd Zealot For let him be of whatsoever Religion yet we see he shall not please and that which should have no Arms but Prayers and Tears must be made a pretence to prove the Devil a Saint and Treason an Article of Faith We have formerly seen how the Romish Favorites do hugely contend in behalf of their a Extra Com. l. 1. Tit. â— c. 1. Unam Sanctam Canon-law that the Pope is b Jer. 1. 10. set over the Nations and over Kingdoms to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down But as if this were not enough to overcloud the Authority of Kings they will allow the people also the power to trample upon their Princes by deposing them and this in few words is acknowledged by c Jus deponendi abdicandi e solio Reges ac Principes non solum Ecclesiae sed interdum populis competere ratione exemplis ostenditur Rut. Benz. Comment in Canticum Magnificat lib. 3. cap. 27. dub 6. pag. 134. Rutilius Benzonius Bishop of their Miraculous Loretto Leonardus Coquaeus endeavouring to prove that the Pope hath power to depose Kings in one place brings his Argument by way of comparison that if d Examen Praefat. monit p. 102. Parliaments do sometimes depose Kings why may not the Pope much more do it And in another place speaks more plain That e Imo judicarem quod non expectata sententia Summi Pontificis posset talem Principem a subditis deponi Id. Pag. 49. without the Pope the subjects themselves may pull their Kings from their Thrones But I warrant you that King James against whom he wrote would never be converted by this French-man Here we have the Brabantine Jesuite Martinus Becanus keep a great deal of clutter about the old worne-out Argument of a mutual compact between King and People and so he would conclude that if Kings do not keep their Promises to their Subjects then the Controvers Angl. p. 133 134 135. people may slip their necks out of Coller and throw by their King and something to this purpose he affords you an old Rime Frangenti fidem fides frangatur eidem But this in this case is a false rule with us being no compact nor the parties equals so that do but translate his Riming Proverb to agree with the cause in hand and we shall see the consequence to be false Don breaks his Troth burns my poor house what then May I his slave go and burn his agen This used to be common Logick to the borderers or Moss-troopers but we see ours if held affirmatively cannot prosper in a setled Kingdom But he goeth farther yet to extol the power of the People affirming that when a King is deposed though there Plus dicam in haec re voluit concensus populi ut etiamsi superesset legitimus haeres cui Regnum deberetur hoc palam omnibus constaret tamen si populus praetermitto legitimo haerede alium delegisset ille alius fuisset verus Rex Mart. Becan Controv. Angl. pag. 120. remaineth a lawful Heir to whom the Kingdom of right doth belong and this too apparently known to all yet if the people do chuse another and throw this Heir aside the other so chosen is the true King Almost an hundred years ago an English-man who calls himself John Rastell Master of Arts and Student of Divinity then living at Lovan a A brief shew of the false wares packâ— together in the named Apologie of the Church of England fol. 9â— wrote against Dr. Jewel in behalf of Dr. Harding or rather as himself saith gathered out of Dr. Hardings Book and if so about this cause take both their Opinions For whereas every Common-wealth is greater than the Prince which governeth it and may depose the same upon lawful cause and whereas Riot and doltishness are causes sufficient so to do as making the Prince unable to govern it well it followeth consequently that if the whole Estate of France deposed Chilperick and erected Pipine there was NO FAULT committed in so doing Now certainly you would think that this Chilperick was a strange Tyrant or that his wickedness must be so great that 't was no fault to take the Crown from him and give it to one of his Subjects that had no right to it nor is this all but the Kingdom by this means changed from one Family to another But we shall finde his enormities not to deserve such punishment that he wanted discretion I believe but then they might have given him an assistant and as for his inclination b Hist de' personaggi illustri Religiosi lib. 3. cap. 18. Essenda di natura piâ— Egli menò vita Angelica Paolo Morigi tells us that he was Godly and peaceful and when he was put into a Monastery that he led an Angelical life Whether there was such an English-man or no as this John Rastell I know not because Pitseus maketh no mention of any such and doth tell us besides that c Pag. 764. William Rastell amongst other things wrote several Books against Bishop Jewel whosoever be the man 't is not much to our purpose though William the Lawyer would have given more credit to the cause though for so doing would somewhat have encreas'd the wonder those who are so much addicted to our Common-law not troubling themselves so much with the Romish Politicks or the niceties of the Schools And so much for Rastell and his friends Doctrine d Recognit lib. de laicis cap. 6. Bellarmine tells us that Martinus ab Azpilcueta the famous Spanish Lawyer was of Opinion that the people never transferr'd their power so much upon and into the Prince but that in some cases they might resume it again from him And of the same judgement doth the Cardinal shew himself in one place that if e Videmus in â—ebus publicis temporalibus si Rex degeneret in Tyranâ—um â—icet sit Caput Regni tamen a populo deponi eligi alium Bellar. de Concil l. 2. c 19. the King turns Tyrant the people may depose him and chuse another And again that f Pendet a consensâ— multitudinis constituere super se Regem vel Consules vel alios Magistratus ut patet si causa legitima adsit potest multitudo mutare Regnum in Aristocratiam aut Democratiam e contrariâ— Bellarm. de laicis lib. 3. cap. 6. 't is the consent of the people that constitutes Kings or other Governments over them and so if cause be given they may turn â—he Kingdom into an Aristocracy or Democracy or the contrary g Defens fid
enough of this and the supposed Donation which the Venetians did once prettily confute and so shake off a close demand Laurent Banck de Tyran Pap. pag. 355. The Pope asking them by what right they appropriated to themselves all the jurisdiction and power in the Adriatick Sea since they could not shew any Writings of Priviledges granted to them for so doing To which 't is said they thus returned an Answer That they greatly wonder'd that his Holiness should expect from them to shew those priviledges which yea and the very Originals the Popes themselves had carefully kept all along in their own Archives as a sacred thing and might easily be found if he would but look upon the backside of the Deed of Constantine's Donation for there might be seen the Priviledges granted to them over that Sea written in great Letters And such another story they tell us how Pope Alexander the Sixth having ask'd the same question was thus answer'd by Girolamo Donato the Venetian Ambassador Let your Holiness shew me the Instrument of St. Peters Patrimony and you will finde on the backside of it the Grant of the Adriatick Sea to the Venetians CHAP. II. 1. When the Bishops of Rome had raised themselves up to some favour and greatness what odd striving and dealings there were to obtain that See with the manner of Elections 2. That the Temporal Power had formerly the greatest stroke in the Election of Popes and that it yet hath though by underhand-dealings 3. An Essay upon this Quere Whether for some years past there hath been according to their Decrees and Orders really any true Pope THe Bishops of Rome though formerly lived in great obscurity Sect. I. lurking privately here and there without any greatness or notice by reason of the Persecutions against Christianity Now that they had the Emperours embracers of the Gospel and favourers of the Prelacy appear'd in publick in great Splendor and Authority and presently raised themselves to such a Grandeur that they seem'd not onely to overtop their Neighbours but next the Emperour to appear in greatest glory sway and priviledge which made Praetextatus design to be Consul drolingly say to Pope Damasus Make me Bishop of Rome and I will quickly make my self Facite me Romanae Urbis Episcopum ero protinus Christianus Hieron Epist 61. a Christian And now the ambition to be great made every one aspire to this Dignity and that sometimes with so much earnestness and indirect means that Religion it self and the Bishops of that City lost much of their Reputation not onely from the Heathen but Christian too as is plain by St. Hierome and others who wrote against their faults I shall not trouble my self concerning the discention and schism about Liberius and Felix the Second onely that if Liberius was an Heretick as several accuse him then a man may well plead the other to be no Antipope if that be true which some of their own Church confess that a Pope for Heresie looseth his Dignity and Chair But to wave this a An. 367. Liberius being dead the two Factions divide again each of them striving to make a Pope of their party These who were of the Antipope Felix's side chose one Damasus b Jo. Marian de Reb. Hispan l. 4. c. 19. Villegas F. S. Decemb. 11. Am. Narcellin Hist l. 27. c. 2. Ruffin l. 11. c. 10. whether of Tarragona in Catalonia or Madred in New Castile or of Guimaranes Antre Duero y Mino in Portugal Authors agree not and those who were for Liberius chose one Vrsicinus a Roman at this Election the feud was so great betwixt both parties that in the Church of Sicininus there was slain upon the place CXXXVII persons and it was a long time after before the rage of the people could bâ— asswaged insomuch that Vivensius Governour of Rome for the Emperour not being able to appease these Tumults was forced to retire himself out of the City But at last Damasus got the upper-hand and so kept the Popedom by the assistance of the Emperour c Onuphr Annot. in Platin. vit Felicis II. Valentinian Thus was this thing managed besides voting with d Platin. vit Damas Sabellic En. 7. l. 9. Nausler Gen. 13. p. 487. Genebrard p. 576. main force and arms And those who formerly were held as Schismaticks for chusing and siding with an Antipope are now brave boys for standing and fighting lustily against those who were for the true Pope Liberius as they call him And had the Emperour approved of Vrsicinus for ought that I know he had been call'd infallible and Damasus an Antipope And that the Emperours had some authority about the Election of Popes will appear by the story of another uprore and schism Pope Zosimus being a An. 418. dead the people of Rome enter again into divisions one party chose for Bishop Eulalius in the Lateran Church and the other Boniface in another Church and thus each faction cryed up their Pope Of this Symmachus Governour of Rome giveth the Emperour notice and tells him that Eulalius had Baron anno 419. § 1 2 3 c. most reason and right of his side Honorius the Emperour acknowledgeth Eulalius as Pope as being chosen and approved of by a lawful number time and place rejects Boniface as illegitimate wanting these necessaries to an Election and bids him submit or to be expell'd the City Symmachus sends this news to Boniface but the Messenger is beat In the mean time the party of Eulalius rejoyce he acting as Pope and the City Gates being shut to exclude his Adversary the Governour being the more careful by reason of the great inconvenience and trouble the City underwent by the former Tumults and Riots at the Election of Damasus Those who sided with Boniface seeing themselves and cause quite lost if presently they procured not Remedy drew up a Petition to the Emperour complaining Eulalius not to be lawfully elected but Boniface to be truely Pope for which they desired Caesars assistance Honorius upon this orders that both the elected should appear before him where he would have the Case tryed and accordingly see the right disposed of and for more clearing of the business he appointed several Bishops to meet about it but these not agreeing concerning the Election this meeting vanish'd without any determination whereupon he resolved upon another convention In the mean time the better to keep good Order in Râ—me now full of hubbubs by reason of this division he order'd Eulalius and Boniface the two heads of these disorders to depart the City and Easter now drawing neer that the people might not be without a Bishop to celebrate at that Feast he appointed Achilleus Bishop of Spoleto one uninterest to either party to officiate as chief in Rome and him he call'd b Beatitudo tua His Holiness or Blessedness and so did he Paulinus Bshop of Nola and those of c Sanctitas vestra Africk
To which Paschasius thus replyeth Alas I am here punish'd for no other fault but because I took part with Laurentius against Symmachus But I beseech you pray heartily for me and if you do not finde me here when you return again then you may conclude that your prayers are heard Upon this Germanus gave himself to prayer for him and after some days returning to the same Bath he found not Paschasius there Argument good enough that he was delivered out of Purgatory and pardoned of his fault for thinking any right to be in Laurentius and lastly that Symmachus must be true Pope or else the Miracle is not worth a Rush And this pretty story a An. 498. Baronius would not have you to think unworthy your reading To run over all the factions interests and feuds at the election of Popes would be too tedious at this time and if those of latter days were not fresh in memory we might tell at large the violent eanvasing at the election of b An. 1590. Gregory XIV between the Spanish party and that of Cardinal Montalta the French not pretending to any interest there Henry the Fourth being King and then of the Protâ—stant Religion We might also tell of the hubbubs in the c Vid. Caes de Lâ—gny les Ambassades du Caâ—d du Perron lib. 3. an 1605. Conclave of Leo the Eleventh and Paul the Fifth between the Factions of the Catholick and Christian Kings of the crying out of Treason against the King of Spain because the Cardinal of the French party got the better and some other violences And as great stir there was at the chusing of d An. 1644. Innocent the Tenth every one striving to get a Pope of his party Cardinal Bentivolio that famous States-man had once like to have carryed it but the French party oppose him as a favourer of the Spaniards and his dying at the same time ended this dispute then Sacchetti bid fair for it but he also was rejected by the Catholick Kings faction as one who loved France and Portugal At last after many plottings and contrivings libelling and ripping up one anothers faults the Cardinals being boldly lockt up in Sixtus the Fourth's Chappel and not to stir till they had agreed Phamphilio carried it by a Majority As for the election of the present Pope e An. 1655. Alexander the Seventh there was as much faction and interest as any of the rest the Spaniards having one party there headed by the two Cardinals de Medices Charles and John the first Uncle the last Brother to the great Duke of Tuscany the French had their Creatures also countenanced by the two Barberini Francis and Antonio the first calling himself Protector of the English And besides these there was a third interest consisting against of several Cardinals and in Rome call'd the Squadrone Volante who would seem to be indifferent to the other two Parties and Cardinal Imperiale a Genoese was head of this Troop Sacchetti had not onely Barberini but the Squadrone Volante and some others zealous for him yet though the most desired by the Romans and was held the best and worst worthy amongst the Cardinals he lost it upon the same account viz. as a lover of France and Mazarini as he had done in the former Conclave However for sometime many Cardinals were so resolved for him that 't was said That they would f O Sacchetti O Cataletta either have him Pope or dye there And for a long time at every scrutiny he had XXXIII Votes in opposition to which every one of the Spanish faction in their Scheduls onely writ Ego **** Card. **** Accedo Nemini By which means they kept unanimous and intire by not dividing themselves in these scrutinies to other Candidate Cardinals but this obstinacie of both parties so lengthned the Conclave that Cardinal Chigi now Pope said merrily that a Pope would never be chosen till the Cardinals Nemini and Triginti tria could agree Cardinal Corrado had several friends but those of Castile rejected him because Barberini was for him though he might have served being a severe Canonist and in truth knew nothing else yet this may be enough since of late times they have not chosen a Pope who had studied Divinity but onely some Canon-law or Politicks Caraffa was thought on but the French reject him because the Spaniards intended his promotion however his death at the same time ended the dispute As for Cardinal Rapaccioli he had both hopes and many friends in the Conclave who voted stoutly for him but de Medici and that party opposed him and Cardinal Spada in writing objected against him that he had caused Prayers to be said that the Devils sins might be pardoned The story of which being pretty odd and unusual take as they report it At Teramo in Italy of which place this Cardinal was Bishop one being possest with a Devil Rapaccioli for curiosity sake went to discourse with it and amongst other things asked the Devil if he indured great torments the Devil replyed exceeding great The Cardinal inquired of him Why he did not repent for his sins the causes of his punishment The spirit replyed That he had earnestly repented but without any benefit Then quoth the Cardinal if God should pardon you would you take such a forgiveness and mercy in good part To which the Spirit consenting Rapaccioli commanded prayers to be said to God that the Devils sins might be remitted and forgiven him Cardinal Maculano or St. Clement had once some hopes having many votes but he had to oppose him Madam a Her life is lately written by the well known Gualdo In it the world may see what a woman she was and how she ruled Pope Innocent X the Roman Church Olympia Sister-in-law to the last Pope Innocent the Tenth for she with some carryed a sway in the Conclave And she also gave a main stroke against Cecchino she and others taking him to be a fierce enemy against her and the House of Pamfilio Pope Innocent having sufficiently abused him about the forgeries of Mascambruno in the Porgugal Sodomists and other base actions though Cecchino was clear and guiltless concerning these things And as for Fiorenzola though many wish'd he were Pope and had several Votes to forward it yet the same Donna Olympia his mortal enemy and some other oppositions hindred his promotion and indeed Barberini by his Votes and Friends would sometimes favour her designs whom though most did hate for her imperiousness in the last Popes days yet they did not wish the ruine of the Family and so had no minde to chuse an Enemy to the Pamfilii being then a kin to the Barberini However Alexander the Seventh hath shew'd himself no Friend to Olympia Several others were thought on and adhered to but to no purpose the Spaniards still oppsing those the French would have and those whom the Catholick King desired At last after they had thus bafled jugled
of his Kingdom and became a Canon in the Abbey of St Andrews where he livâ—d some years and then dyed In the mean time Malcolme formerly declared Heir apparent had the Government alotted to him and upon the death of the other was b An. 943. King and commended for a good one of whose actions we shall say nothing but that being exact in the Execution of justice upon Offenders procured to himself some Enemies who conspired against him and taking their opportunity at Vlrande a Village in Murreyland c An. 952. murder'd him After him succeeded Indulph who in battle having beaten the Danes through mistake chanced amongst some of them and was slain and then was d An. 962. Duffe King of Scotland who severely punished all Thieves and Vagabonds and made all people that had nothing to live on to learn some Trade that by their rapine and villanies they might not oppress the Commons and honest labourers This amongst the wicked got him a great many Enemies and which might seem more strange several of the Nobles also hated him because thus they were kept from their Tyranny and Oppression many of their younger Sons having little to live upon but these villanies and most of them grumbled that Gentlemen forsooth should thus be hindred from rapine and forced to get their livings by honest Imployments But the chief murmuring was in Murreyland who at last fell from words to blows and slew the Kings Officers And that which most imbolden'd them to these Rebellions was their knowledge of the Kings grievous sickness whereby himself was disabled from prosecuting them nor indeed would his Physitians let him know of their insolencies lest trouble and perplexity might hasten his end As for the Disease it self I shall not determine any thing but because the story of it is somewhat strange and unusual to be equal'd in Chronicles take it as I finde it in Hector Boetius Holinshed and some other Historians upon whose credit let the truth of the story lye The Nobles of Murreyland being as aforesaid incensed against the good King imploy'd Witches to bewitch the King to death The King falls sick and that into such a languishing Disease that his Physitians could not tell what to make of it so that all their Skill and Medicines was to small purpose At last no man knoweth how or by whom a report and rumour went amongst the people that the King was bewitch'd and that by some of the Town call'd Forres in Murrey In which Town was a Castle the Captain of which was one Donwald who had been faithful to the King amongst the Rebels Duffe informed of this flying rumour of Witches sends some privately to Donald to inquire out the business It chanced that one of the Souldiers of the Castle kept a young Wench of the Town as his Lemmon which being Daughter to one of the Witches knew their actions and in part discovered it to the Souldier who upon this inquiry told it to Donald who sending for the Wench then in the Castle made her by threats and other means confess all she knew whereupon learning by her in what house these actions were done he sent some Souldiers forth about midnight who breaking into the house found the Witches roasting by a gentle fire an Image of Wax resembling the King made as they thought by the Devil and by it a Woman sate reciting certain words of Inchantment basting the Image with a certain liquor The Souldiers upon this seis'd upon them and with the Image led them to the Castle where upon examination they confest that their design was to make away the King That the Nobles in Murreyland had hired them to do it That as the Image wasted so would the King That their canting words kept them from sleeping c. Upon this the standers by immediately broak the Image of the King and had the Witches burnt to death and 't is said that at the same time the King was delivered from languor and shortly restored to present health again But however the story be no sooner was the King well again but he marched into Murrey against the Rebels whom he forced to flee as for them whom he took he had them hang'd up without respect of person or quality But if witchcraft fail in the Kings destruction his own intimates under the visage of friendship will bring it about In this Rebellion Donwald or Donaeld had some of his own Relations for whom he beg'd his Majesties pardon but 't was denyed and so they with the rest were executed which moved a great discontent in Donald which boyld in him so much that his Wife perceived him troubled nor would she let him alone till she understood the cause of his displeasure she added fuel to his malice and so thrust him on to revenge that he was willing to make the King away which at last by her evil perswasions he resolves on which was easie enough for them to accomplish the King putting so great a confidence in Donald that when he was in those parts he used to lye in the said Castle of Forres At last they laid the plot and pitch'd upon the night which coming and the King being in the Castle they made all things ready At the same night the King suspecting nothing thank'd all those who had assisted him against the Rebels and gave them honourable gifts and amongst the rest Donald was one But for all this reward he proceeds in his wicked design And that night two of his Chamberlains having got him to bed left him there and went to Donald and his Wife who had provided a noble Collation for them where they plyed their cups so well that being drunk they were carryed to rest Donald having thus made all secure call'd four of his Servants whom before he had fee'd to this wickedness who secretly enter the Kings Chamber a An. 966. cut his throat convey'd the body out of the Castle by a Postern-gate threw it upon an Horse provided for that purpose but whither they carryed it Authors do not agree The common opinion is that they carryed it two Miles from the Castle where being a little Brook they got certain Labourers to turn the Course of it then dig a deep hole in the Channel in which they buryed the body ramming it up so closely with stones and gravel that turning the water again into its right course nothing of digging was perceived And this they say they did upon the Vulgar opinion lest the body being found the Murderer might be discovered by its bleeding at their presence As for the Labourers whom they gat to turn the water no sooner was the work finished but they slew them lest they should tell tales and then the four Villains fled into Orkny But Buchanan rejects this story as improbable but rather that they buryed it in some obscure place under a Bridge which might be cover'd over with Turf to hinder the appearance of their fresh delvings
the Pope presently a Matt. Paris anno 1164. restored him to that and absolved him The King we may suppose was more and more incensed against Thomas for his obstinacie and for to close up all a Parliament was held at Northampton where Thomas was to appear though he had indeavoured to flee beyond Seas but being beat back by cross windes he conceal'd that purpose and looked as if he had intended no such thing All being met at Northampton Thomas is accused of several things and whilst they are consulting concerning him he caused to be sung before him at the Altar The Princes sit and speak against me and the ungodly persecute me c. Thus would he have the Office for St. Stephen though it was not then his day and against the Custom he wore the Pall. This being finished he took up his Silver Crosier in his hands an action not heard of before as they say and so enters into the Court though several of his well-wishers perswaded him from such a defying posture as if thereby he carryed his Protection Exemption or Appeal The Bishops advised him to submit but he refusing they adjudged him guilty of a Aliquando noster fuisti Archiepiscopus tenebamur tibi obedire sed quia Domino Regi fidelitarem jurasti hoc est vitam membra terrenam dignitatem sibi perte fore salvam consuetudines quas ipse repetit conservandas tu eas interis destruere praecipue cum spectent ad terrenam suam dignitatem honorem idcirco te reum perjuâ—iis dicimus perjuto Archiepiscopo dâ—caetero non habemus obedire Bar. § 29. Perjury which they declared to him by Hilarius Bishop of Chichester and so disclaimed from that time forward all obedience to him as a perjured man The Nobility also pronounce him a Traytor but he slighting them all as no competent Judges over him holding up his Crosier appeal'd to the Pope of Rome and so withdrawing himself with what speed and secresie he could he wafted himself over into Flanders and so to go to the Pope to whom he resigned his Archbishoprick but had it presently confirmed to him again Thus was Thomas caress'd by the Pope and King of France let the King perswade what he will to the contrary yet the King thought it was good policie and security to shew his disdain and resolution against him and his Whereupon he Orders the Sheriffs and Judges of England to seise upon all those who appeal'd to the Pope or Matt. Paris an 1164. Thomas with the neer Relations of all such men as were with Thomas had also Thomas's Revenues seis'd upon and the livings of those who went with him sequester'd and St. Peters Pence to be gather'd but not pay'd to the Pope till farther Order However there were some means used towards a settlement to which purpose Messengers were sent to and fro between the King and Pope and at last a meeting agreed on between them the better to decide the business But this design was spoil'd by Thomas who perswaded the Pope to have a care of the Kings cunning and not to treat with him unless he were also present intimating Baron anno 1165. § 10. to â—â—e Pope as if the King were a jugler or dissembler Thus did Thomas gain so much upon the Pope that this meeting vanished the Pope over-perswaded not to treat but in the presence of Thomas though against the former Agreement And so Henry was resolved not to confer any thing with the Pope in the presence or competition of Thomas his Subject This meeting or half-agreement thus broke off not long after Thomas writes to the King beginning Expecting we have expected Baron anno 1166. § 45. that the Lord would look upon you and that being converted you would do penance departing from your perverse ways And then tells him how Bishops used to Excommunicate Kings and also writes to the Bishops of England commanding them to issue out Censures against those who hinder Appeals to the Pope c. absolves Id. § 54. all from the Oaths they made to keep any contrary Constitution And to carry up Thomas against all opposition and to make his Authority more glorious and formidable to his Enemies the Pope creates him Legat in England Alexander servus servorum Anno 1167. Bar. § 21. Dei Dilecto fratri Tho. Archiepiscopo Cant. salutem Apostol Benedictionem Sacro-Sancta Rom. Eccles digniores personas eas maxime quas honestate prudentia literatura eminentia virtutum praefulgere cognoscit ampliori consuevit charitate amplecti gloria honore praevenire Inde est quod nos tibi Legationem totius Angliae excepto Episcopatu Eboracensi benigno favore concedimus ut ibi vice nostra corrigas quae inveniri corrigenda ad honorem Dei Sacrosanctae Romana Ecclesiae salutem animorum statuas aedifices plantes quae statuenda fuerint plantanda Dat. Anagniae Alexander servant of the servants of God to our beloved Brother Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury greeting and Apostolical Benediction The most Holy Church of Rome always used to embrace with great chariry and prefer in glory and honour persons of eminent worth and them especially whom she knoweth to be most famous for honesty wisdom learning and excellencie of vertues This is the cause that with Our loving favour We grant and bestow on you the Legantine Authority over all England excepting onely the Archbishop of York to the end that within your jurisdiction in Our place and authority you correct what you finde worthy amendment and that to the honour of God the holy Church of Rome and for the salvation of Souls you do constitute build and plant whatsoever is to be setled and planted Given at Anagni Being thus rais'd above himself countenanced and upheld against all opposition he hurries into England to the Bishops a threatning Letter against the King and the Constitutions confirm'd at Clarendon telling the Bishops That We have too long and too much forborn the King of England Baron § 26. nor hath the Church of God gain'd any benefit by this Our induring It seemeth dangerous and intollerable for us to leave any longer unpunished as hitherto We have done so great excesses of Him and his Officers against the Church of God and Ecclesiastical persons especially since We have very often endeavoured by Messengers Letters and all manner of means as became Vs to recal him from his perverse purpose Because therefore he will hardly afford Vs the hearing much less attentively listen unto Vs We have with Invocation of the Grace of the holy Ghost publickly condemned and declared as void that Deed of Writing with the Authority of that Indenture wherein are contain'd not the Customs but rather the wicked divices whereby the Church of England is disturb'd and confounded And have hereby also Excommunicated all the Observers Exactors Counsellors Assistants and Defenders of the same And do
her King and elder Brother Henry and conjures them also to loyalty to throw away all private Interests and Factions and conclude in a firm peace and union The Confederates perceiving that they wanted an Head and so a main pretence to countenance their Arms to the people and that whatever they had hitherto gained was more by their dissembling then strength that also the Pope Paul II had censured them if they continued in open wars For King Henry was held an obedient son to the Bishops of Rome for which Calixtus III had sent him formerly an Hat and a consecrated Sword which they use to bless upon Christmas-Eve at night laying them upon the Altar where they say Mass And farther they recollected that upon Henries death Isabella was like to be Queen whereby they could procure no favour or benefit to themselves by opposing her peaceable desires Upon these considerations they consented to an Agreement so Articles are drawn up a Peace concluded on Donna Isabella is declared Princess of the c Las Asturias formerly of a larger extent is now â— little Province between Galicia Leon and Biscay lying upon the Cantabrian sea 'T is twofold Asturia de Oâ—iedo and Astur de Santillana As the Heirs of England are called Princes of Wales and those of France les Dauphins so are those to the Crown of Castile call'd Princes of the Asturias Upon what occasion this â—hort Scheme may shew Alphonso XI had amongst other Children Henry a Bastard Earl of Transâ—amara took the Kingdom from the Tyrant Pedro and stab'd him with his dagger he had John I. who had Henry III. Don Pedro el Cruel had amongst others a bastard call'd Constancia she was marryed to John of Gant Duke of Lancaster son to Edward III King of England Upon the death of Don Pedro sirnamed the Cruel though his bastard-Brother Henry II. seised upon the Crown and was acknowledged for King yet John of Gant Duke of Lancaster pretended the right to lye in him by reason of his Wife Constance and made some bustle about it Henry dying there succeeded his son John I. with whom and Lancaster a peace was concluded Lancaster to renounce all his Title to Castile and King John to marry his son Henry to Lancaster's Daughter Catherine which accordingly was accompish'd so both their pretensions united And for more honour Don Henry the young son was to be call'd Prince of the Asturias since which time the eldest sons of Castile were call'd Princes and the younger are titled Infantas This hapned about the year 1388. And so much by the way concerning the Title of Prince of Asturias yet do I finde Jehan Froissart who lived at this time to tell us that Henry was call'd Prince of Gallicia in his French Edition 1530. vol. 3. fol. 96. and fol. 143. In the old English Edition vol. 2. cap. 154. fol. 170. and cap. 176. fol. 214. Asturias and lawful Heir to the Kingdoms of Castile and Leon with their dependants What troubles hapned in Castile after this treaty being not considerable I shall pass over Donna Isabella now declared Heir several matches were consulted of but she secretly joyned her self with Don Fernando Prince of Girona and the eldest son living to John II King of Arragon At this marriage King Henry was greatly vext as being contrary to his desire and without his knowledge But at the long run the King becomes more pacified and at last a 1474. dying she succeeds as Queen of Castile and Leon although some busled for Joane the supposed Daughter of King Henry but she is generally thrown by as a bastard being begot of his Queen Joane by one Don Bertrand de la Cueva afterwards prefer'd for his kindness being created Earl of Ledesma Master of Santiago and Duke of Albuquerque As for Henry himself he is by all esteem'd as frigid and uncapable of such loves Not long after John II King of Arragon b 1479. dying that Kingdom was united to Castile by the fortunate former marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella Here might I descend into the troubles of Navar and tell how Don Carlos Prince of Viana took up Arms against his Father John King of Navar and Arragon Upon which quarrel began the great Factions of those of Beaumont and Grammont the first adhering to the Prince and the latter to the King and the feuds of these two potent Families was one of the main causes of the loss of Navar to the Spaniard those of Beaumont assisting Don Ferdinand in the conquest against their own King and Country Of which more hereafter In short the Prince being not able to keep the field withdrew himself to Naples for sometime thence returns endeavours new troubles upon which he is taken and secuâ—ed Upon this the Catalonians rebel and though Prince Carlos was set at liberty and c Some say he was poyson'd by his Step mother D. Joane to make way for heâ—â—â—son Ferdinando to the Crown of Arragon dyed presently after yet they continue their Treasons The people of Barcelona publickly declare King John an Enemy to his Country and so they would withdraw themselves from his obedience And the Catalonians sent to Henry IV. of Castile to desire him to take them under his protection they being resolved no more to obey the Crown of Arragon Don Henry accepts them so they set up the Banners of Castile At last after a tedious War they are vanquish'd forced to submit and King John giveth them all freely a pardon But of Spain more in the next Century A CONTINUATION OF THE REBELLIONS AND Treasonablepractices OF THE ROMANISTS Particularly in Spain Scotland and Ireland From the year MD. to MDC BOOK VI. CHAP. I. 1. John and Catherine King and Queen of Navar deprived 2. Pope Julius II. Sect. 1. John and Catherine King and Queen of Navar deprived THe Conquest of Navar being acted suddenly we year 1500 shall make the story of it but very short At the beginning of this Century we finde John d'Albret or Don Juan de la Brit and Donna Catherina King and Queen of Navar which had boasted it self a Kingdom almost DCCC years Ferdinand II King of Arragon having by his marrying with Isabella Queen of Castile enlarged his Authority and Dominions as also by his banishing the Jews and subduing the Moores to him in Granado made his Government more secure cast many a greedy a Jo. de Bussieres lib. 15. § 16. Spondan an 1512. § 21. thought upon the seising the Kingdom of Navar and then all of Spain Portugal excepted would be his own At last opportunity good enough as he thought offer'd it self which was thus Pope Julius II. a zealous Hotspur falling out with Lewis XII King of France Fernando sides with the Pope and having rais'd an Army not onely demands passage for it through Albrets Territories but the command of his strongest Castles and Fortifications and which was most the possession and custody of Prince Henry eldest son to Navar
with other consolations most convenient to moderate the dolour and displeasure conceived in the hearts of the Catholiques by reason of the success of your a a Viz. the Spanish Fleet 1588. Army contrary to their hope and expectation Also some days after as the commodity offer'd to me to receive the money the said Chesholme delivered to me six thousand two hundred threescore and twelve Crowns of the sun and three thousand seven hundred Spanish Pistolets and likewise hath carryed himself in all his actions since very wisely and as becomes a man of God chiefly when upon the suspicion conceived of his sudden return the King sent to take him I shall behave my self by the Grace of God in keeping and distributing of the mony last sent and of that which resteth yet of the sum according to your Highness prescription and as I ought to answer to God in conscience and to your Highness in credit and to the whole world in the Reputation of an honest man and will manage it in such sort that by the grace of God there shall be fruit drawn thereof pleasant to your Highness It is true that I finde as all others would do that would enterprise such a charge here my self involved in great difficulties For on the one part I am in great danger of the Hereticks and them of the Faction of England by reason of the open Profession that I make of the Cathâ—lick Religion and of the suspition that the last hath of my secret practices and dealings against them On the other part I have much ado to moderate the Appetite that some Catholick Lords have to havâ— the mony presently for the hope which they give of some pretended occasions which will never fall out as they promise The Earl of Huntley made instance to have the third part of the sum which was sent hither as soon as it was delivered to me but he hath not toucht nor shall he touch hereafter a half-penny but upon good tokens I have paid him in the mean time with inexpugnable reasons wherewith in the end he is contented I beseech your Highness by the first Letter it shall please you to write into these parts to the Catholick Lords to remove one errour from a a Huntley Lord Maxwell alias Mortoun and Lord Claud Hamilton three of them who have written in the name of the rest which moves them to think that because they were the first who made offer of their service to the Catholick King that all the money which comes hither should be parted into three and immediately after the arrival thereof delivered to them without giving any part to others who besides them are a great number at the service of the Catholick King and you and who are resolved to hazard all according to their power for the advancement of this Cause Nor will they in any sort depend on the other in the accepting of the Treasure that comes from your liberality but acknowledge it as coming directly from your Highness to whom onely they will be bound and obliged and not to the other three of whom the Earl q Mortoun hath hitherto contented himself with reason As b Lord Mazwell also the Earl of Huntley hath never shewn himself subject to money but since he hath been induced by the third to wit my Lord Claude Hamilton his Vncle who is somewhat covetous of gain and thought under such pretext to make his profit The said Earl of Huntley is constrain'd to remain at Court he is fallen from his constancie in his outward profession of the Catholick Religion partly for having lost all hope of your support before the returning of the said Chesholme because of his long stay there partly by the perswasion of some Politicks partly to avoid the perils imminent to all them that call themselves Catholicks partly to keep himself in the favour of his King who pressed him greatly to subscribe to the Confession of the Hereticks and to be at League with England But for all this his heart is no whit alienated from our Cause for he hath always a good soul although he hath not such vigour to persevere and execute so as is requisite in so great an enterprise But they may help the defects by joyning with him a man of Credit resolute to assist him as we have advised to do since the Baron of b b David Graham Laird of Fintrie In Scotland the Barons were either Great or Small of the latter were Knights and Lairds and none were such formerly but those who held Lands of the King in Capite and had power of life death but now every one will be a Laird as in England an Esquire forsooth Fintrie is put in custody by the King in the Town of Dundee so that he durst not go out of the Gates thereof under the pain of a great sum until occasion may be offered to depart the Country within the limited time And I by the Kings commandment am forbiden to come neer the said Earl because they have attributed to the said Laird of Fintrie and me his constancie in the Catholick Religion and his absence from Court against the Kings will c c i. e. Laird of Fintrie His securement hath somewhat hindred our course and permits me not to move him as it hath pleas'd you to command me and as I desire to dispose of the money joyntly with me So that for the supplying of his want I have associated to the same end a very honest and wise man called Father William Creichtoun Jesuite who was detain'd some years in the City of d d In the Tower of London London after he was taken upon the Sea coming hitherwards from France Likewise I shall help my self by the prudence of Sir James Chesholme eldest brother to the said John who brought the money from your Highness for he is a man confident wise one of our part and very little suspected In the mean time one part of the money is in the principal house of my Lord Levingston a very Catholick Lord the other parthere in Edingborough in surety enough to help as it shall need the Catholick Lords who will come hither presently to resist the designes of them of the English Faction which think to remain at Court with forces to order all things according to their fancies As for the like sum or greater which your Highness intents to send hither it would be very expedient that it were very soon sent hither secretly to help the necessity that may fall out and to cause things to incline to our side when they are in Ballance as there is great appearance they will be by the occasion aforesaid and in case that necessity requireth no distribution the said sum shall be kept and reserved to better occasions or till the arrival of your forces in this Island There is suspition as also Arguments probable enough that Thomas Tyrie who hath brought hither your Highness Letters to our
King hath not behaved himself according to his duty for he hath accommodated himself in his behaviour more of the affection of our a a Sâ—r Jâ—hn Maitland Chancellor who is of the faction of England and abuseth the credit he hath with the King then according to the instructions given him He hath not presented nor made mention to the King of Colonel Simpills letter whereof I have caused the Copy to be presented to his Majesty by the Earl Bothwell as if it had been sent to him with another of the said Colonels to himself which he received from Thomas Tyrie at his arrival who hath reported to the said Chancellor as that Seigneur Don b b Dâ—n Bernardino de Mendâ—za the Spanish Ambassador in France to carry on the Spanish interest and League against the French King Bernardino spake to him in Paris to the disadvantage of the Chancellor Also he hath reported to the King that my Lord c c He means Mr William Chesholme Uncle to Sir Jameâ— and Mr. John Bishop of Dumblane being returned thither spake to your Highness and to others many things to the great prejudice of his d d The King Highness And it is believed also that he is the cause of the suspition which was conceived of the coming of the said John Chesholme newly to the said Bishop However it be the other reports aforesaid which he hath made have not served to conciliate but to alienate the affection of the King of the Chancellor and many other Hereticks from the said Seigneur Don Bernardino the said Bishop and Catholicks here that have to do with them As for my self although I speak not willingly to the disadvantage of any whatsoever chiefly of them whom I have recommended as I did the said Thomas Tyrie to the said Don Bernardino yet I will prefer the love of the truth to men and would not by concealing thereof bring prejudice to the common good nor to the fidelity that the one oweth to the other and especialy to that we owe all to the King of Spain and your Highness to whom I am presently servant particularly addicted by the obligation of five hundred Crowns of e e The Scotch calls it 500 Crowns of â—eâ—il fee and forty for monthly entertainment which it hath pleas'd your Highness to give me freely in the name of the King of Spain not being required for my part nor other thing for my particular to this present By reason whereof I am the more bound to give your Highness most humble thanks and to endeavour my self to deserve by my most humble and faithfal service as well the said entertainment as the recompence it hath pleas'd your Highness to promise me of your grace and favour The said gift of your liberality came well for my purpose seeing by reason of the danger of my person it behooved me to augment my ordinary train for my greater surety which I was not able longer to have born out without help For from all the Lords of Scotland I have not retain'd but a part onely of the money which I spent travelling for the advancement of this Cause in Spain with his Catholick Majesty and with your Highness in the Low-Countries As for the four hundred Crowns imploy'd for the deliverance of Colonel Simpill out of prison I have put it in Count with the residue which I disbursed of the first sum according as it hath pleas'd your Highness to command me The Earl of Morton to whom I have given consolation by writing in prison hath instantly prayâ—d me also by writing to remember his most affectionate care to your Highness finding himself greatly honour'd by the care it pleas'd you to have of him By the grace of God he is no more in danger of his life by way of Justice it being impossible for his enemies to prove against him any thing which they had supposed in his accusation as also the Kings affection not so far alienate from him as it hath been heretofore And in case he were in danger or that it were requisite for the good of our Cause presently to deliver him we can at any time get him out of prison However in the mean time we wait the Kings pleasure towards his liberty oâ—â—ly to avoid all pursuit that they would make if we deliver him by extraordinary means When in the Kings Name they offer'd him his liberty if he would subscribe the Confession of the Hereticks faith he answered He would not do it for the Kings Crown nor for an hundred thousand lives if he had them to loose and hath offer'd to confound the Ministers by publick disputation I shall sollicite the Lords his friends to procure of the King his liberty very soon for he imports more to the good of our Cause then any of the rest by reason of his Forces which are near England and the principal Town of Scotland and the ordinary Residence of our King as also he is a Lord the most resolute constant and of greatest execution of any of the Catholicks It is no small marvel considering the means the Hereticks have to hurt us and their worldly wits so far passing ours and their evil will and intention against us that me subsist Truely we cannot but attribute the effect thereof to God who when the certain news of the returning of the a a The Spaenish Armado being beat a gâ—eat part of them fled Noâ—h wards round about Scotland and so â—eturn'd home by Ireland Army of Spain by the back of Ireland was dispersed through the Country and the Hereticks of the Faction of England triumphed and the constancie in the outward profession of the Earl of Huntley and others was alter'd caused the Earl of b b Archibald Deuglas Earl of Angâ—s dyed at Smeâ—â— near Dalkeith Jaly 1588 supposed by witchcraft or other evil means Angus to dye who was the chief of the English Faction And the same time grew some dissentions amongst the Hereticks by reason of some Offices which some pretended to usurp above others at Court And by the instant prayers and holyperswasions of two Fathers Jesuites converting to our holy faith two Heretick Earls of the chiefest of Authority amongst them the one whereof is called the Earl of Arrol Constable of Scotland converted by Father Edmund Hay the other called the Earl of Crawford converted by the foresaid Father William Creichton They are both able and wise young Lords and most desirous to advance the Catholick Faith and your enterprises in this Island which they are determin'd to testifie to his Catholick Majesty and your Highness by their own Letters which by the Grace of God I will send by the first opportunity In the mean time they have required me to make you offer of their most humble and most affectionate service promising to follow whatsoever the same Jesuites and I shall think good to be done for the conservation of the Catholicks and to dispose and faciliate the
your own with money you may levie here Forces of this Countrie as freely as in Spain who will serve you no less faithfully then your own natural subjects And although we cannot without censure of presumption give your Majestie advice in your affairs in Spain yet in that which may concern your service here we may speak more freelie as being upon the place and knowing by ordinarie experience many things unknown to any of yours that are not here The over late arrival of your Armie in our Waters took from it the Commoditie to retire it self in such safetie as it might have done coming sooner by reason of the great Winds that are ordinarie here in Harvest as also lack of Pilots experienced upon the Coasts of England Scotland and Ireland appeareth to have bred great harm to the said Armie which we could have remedied concerning Scotland to have sent Pilots from hence if it had liked your Majestie to have served your self with them Likewise saving better advice it seems to us altogether unprofitable to fetch the Armie by Sea if it may be avoided for many causes And amongst others because such as shall have fought by Sea shall be unable being wearie to fight again by land against new Forces So the best should be to shift by one way or other for spâ—ring of your men and Vessels and so the English Forces staying upon the Sea unfought with shall be disappointed and shall not come in time to assist them that shall be assailed by land Afterwards sending hither a part of your forces before the other which should go the right way to England and that secretlie by the back of Ireland Your Majestie should compel the enemie to divide their Forces and it may be should cause them send the greatest part hither where we might make them believe the greatest part of your Forces were arrived at least should make them a a The Scotch Copy runs thus At leist sâ—ld caus thame diâ—g rnâ—is as â—â—â—ikle of England and dâ—aâ— a great 〈◊〉 of thâ—ir Forces quhilk wald resist c. weaken a good part of England and draw away a great part of their Forces which would resist your landing and invasion on that Coaest And we may well promise that having here 6000 of your men and money to aid others here we should within six weeks after their arrival be a good way within England to approach and assist the Forces which your Maiestie should cause to enter there The Knight William Sempil Colonel can shew your Majestie the whole to whom we leave it Also we have caus'd to be writ both before and since his departure our several suchlike advises by Mr. Robert Bruce causing them to be address'd to my Lord Duke of Parma to whom your Majestie referr'd us at the beginning of these affairs And seeing your Majestie is dulie advertised and informed we will conclude kissing most humblie your Majesties hands heartily praying God to grant you full accomplishment of all your holie enterprises Your Majesties most humble and most affectioned Servants Earl of Morton G. Earl of Huntley Claud Lord Hammiltoun In the name of the other Catholick Lords in Scotland From Edinborough this XXIV of January M D LXXXIX The King one might think had no reason to mistrust Huntley having not long before marryed him to a gallant Lady a Being Sister to the Duke of Lennox a kin to his Majesty and also got him to subscribe to the Confession of Faith then used by the Reformed in Scotland and confer'd many favours upon him But all this to no purpose he is yet a friend to Spain and sorry for his subscription as may appear by his Letter to the Duke of Parma thus My LORD I Have received from John Chesholme the Letters it pleased your Highness to write the XIII of October full of most Christian affection to the well-fare of our Cause for the which I give your Highness most humble thanks The support of ten thousand Crowns sent to that end is received by Mr. Robert Bruce which shall not be imploy'd but for help of the most urgent necessitie of the said Cause as it hath pleas'd your Highness to direct After the b b Or rather Escape in which he assisted departure of Colonel Sempil I found my self so beset on all hands and pressed in such sort by our King that it behooved me to yeild to the extremitie of time and subscribe with his Majestie not with my heart the Confession of their Faith or otherwise I had been forced immediatelie to have departed the Countrie or to have taken the fields by resisting his Forces and such as he might have drawn out of England to his aid which I could not have done especiallie then when by the returning of your Army into Spain all hope of help was taken from us But if on the one part I have erred by the apprehension of dangers that threatned my ruine I shall on the other part endeavour my self to amend my fault whereof I repent me with all my heart by some effect tending to the weal and advancement of the Cause of God who hath put me in such credit with his Majestie that since my coming to the Court he hath broke up his former Guards and caused me to establish others about his person of my men by means of whom and their Captains who are also mine I may ever be master of his person and your support being arrived spoil the Hereticks of his Authoritie to fortifie and assure our enterprises Whereupon I beseech your Highness to send me your advise and assure your self of my unchangeable affections in my former resolutions although the outward actions be forced to conform themselves sometimes to necessity of occasions as Mr. Robert Bruce will more amplie write unto your Highness to whom I farther remit my self Praying God having first kiss'd your Highness hand to give you accomplishment of your holie enterprises Your Highness most humble and affectionate Servant G. Earl of Huntley From Edinbrough this XXIV of January a a Bâ—th the Scotch and English Copy hath 1592. but by a mistake M D LXXXIX The Earl of Arrol being turn'd Romanist by the perswasions of Edmund Hay the Jesuit is also by the same reasons very zealous for the Spanish interest as appears by his Letter to the Duke of Parma thus My LORD SInce God of late by the clear light of his holie Catholick Faith hath châ—sed from my understanding the darkness of ignorance and errour wherein I have been heretofore nourished I have been as soon perswaded in acknowledging of so great an effect of his divine grace towards me that I am chieflie obliged to procure since I know the enterprises of his Catholick Majestie and your Highness tend principallie to that end as also the advancement of some b b â—â— it against their own King for the King of Spain or what else civil cause which hath verie great affinitie and conjunction with
ours here That I may testifie by this present the affection that I have to the Weal of the one and the other having ever before my conversion been one of the number of your friends and servants for the respect of the last to the which the first of Religion which is the greatest and most important that is in the world being joyned thereto I am also become altogether yours which I most humblie beseech your Highness cause to be signified to his Catholick Majestie and to promise him in my behalf that he hath not in this Countrie a more affectionate servant then I neither yet your Highness as you shall understand more amply of my intention in particular by him by whom your Highness shall receive this present To whom after I have most humbly kist your hand I beseech the Creator to give you the accomplishment of your holy desires Your Highness most humble and most affectionate Servant Francis Earl of Errol From Edinbrough this XXIV of January M D LXXXIX At the same time the foresaid Mr. Robert Bruce the chief Agent writ to Francisco Aguirre a Spaniard then at Antwerp telling him that when he is again sent into Scotland Cause your self to be set on land near Seaton where I pray you to enter secretly and there you shall be kept till I come and finde you c. The following part of this Letter was writ in such cunning and obscure terms that they could not understand it We formerly heard of the imprisonment of some Lords for their Rebellion and now the King thinking for ever to make them his by his grace and favour releaseth them all freely onely Morton enter'd bond of an hundred thousand pound Scotch not to practice any more against him or Religion But in most the King found himself mistaken For William Creichton the Jesuite being forced to leave Scotlâ—nd year 1590 gets into Spain where he becomes Agent for the Old Cause Hath several consultations with King Philip how to advance the business and having brought all things to a fair pass sends Mr. William Gordoun son to the Laird of Abiryeldie with Letters to Mr. a He dyed at Paris 1620 aged 77 years he writ Controversiarum Christianae fidei Epitomen 1591. James Gordoun a Jesuit and brother on the Fathers side to George Earl of Huntley whereby he gave him and the Romanists in Scotland to understand what pains he had taken with the Spanish King and that the said King had confess'd to him that he had been deceived by the English and so would for the future follow the way and advice given him by the said Creichton both for the invading of England and the alteration of Religion in Scotland And the better to carry all on the said Creichton desired as many Blanks and Procurations as could be had of the Scotch Noblemen for the greater credit and assurance of his dealings and agitations At this the Romanists take heart and not to seem wanting on their parts they deal with some of the Nobility from whom they get Blanks subscribed two of which were procured of them by Sir James Chesholme one of the Kings chief Servants one of them year 1592 was thus subscribed in French De vostre Majestie tres humble tres obeisant Serviteur Guiliame Compte de Anguss Another thus subscribed De vostre Majestie tres humble tres obeisant Serviteur Franzoys Compte de Errol Other two Blanks were procured of them in Latine by Robert Abircrumby the Jesuite one of the main sticklers in these plots Thus Guilielmus Angusie Comes Another thus Franciscus Errollie Comes Other two Blanks were procured by Mr. George Ker brother to the Lord Newbottle thus subscribed Georgius Comes de Huntlie All these several Blanks should have been fill'd up and supplyed by way of Letters to the King of Spain and Credentials or Certificâ—â—â—s in behalf of the said Creichton at the discretion of the â—â—â—d Creichton and a There was one Jâ—mes Tyâ—ie a Scotch Jeâ—â—iâ—e wâ—o dyâ—â— at Râ—me 1597 and wâ—it under the nâ—â—e oâ— Gâ—â—â—g◠〈…〉 de Anâ—â—â—â—itaâ—e Eâ—cles Sâ—â—tiâ— buâ— whether this was the same Tâ—rie I know 〈◊〉 James Tyrie who should have writ over them what he thought most fit to carry on the Caâ—se Besides these there were two other Blanks thus subscribed in the midst of two open sheets of Paper Guillielmus Angussie Comes Georgius Comes de Huntlie Franciscus Errollie Comes b This â—â— Patrâ—â—k â—â—dâ—n 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 was Unâ—â—â—â— the â— â—oâ— Hanâ—â—â— Patricius Gordoun de Auchindoun Miles One of these two last Blanks should have been fill'd up with Procurations and whatsoever the said Creichton and James Tyrie should think fit for the confirmation of that which Mr. George Ker who was to carry them had in direction and credit from the Subscriberâ— The other to contain the Articles to be concluded on â—or the better security both of King Philip and the Scotch Nobility The sum of which credit was an assurance that these Noblemen should raise a power of Horse-men and meet the Spanish Army at their landing and to assist and accompany them into England And for farther encouragement these c Subscribers took the burthen on them and engaged that all the Romanists in Scotland would joyn and assist in the said Cause Besides these Subscriptions the Earls of Anguss Huntlie and Arrol deliver'd their Seals or Coats of Armes in wax for a further confirmation Nor did they doubt of carrying all before them the King of Spain having promis'd to send them by the latter end of Spring 1592 an Army of thirty thousand men to have landed either at Kirkudbricht in Galloway or at the mouth of Clyde according as the wind served And besides this to send good store of money to raise Forces in Scotland and to supply the said Army whereof a In this I follow the Scotch Copies of the Examinâ—tions but Archbishop Spotswood hath 15000. pag. 390. which I suppose to be a mistake in the Printer four or five thousand should remain within Scotland who with the assistance of the Romanists there should alter the Religion and the rest of the Army was to pass into England For the carrying of these Blanks and some Letters into Spain they had once concluded that Sir James Chesholme one of King James his chief Servants should be the Messenger being through-paced for the Cause he having then occasion to pass over to his Uncle William Chesholme by them call'd Bishop of Dumblane but the said Sir James being let by some private business that he could not be ready soon enough they pitch'd upon the foresaid Mr. George Ker Doctor of the Laws brother to the Lord Newbottle But he was b Decemb. 27. 1592. he was taken by Mr. Andrew Knox Minister of Pasley and afterwards Bishop of the Isles Ker was imprisoned but afterwards escaped apprehended as he was taking Ship and his blanks and other Letters seiz'd on some of which Letters take as followeth
by the Emperours Ambossador And the better to retain in Memory this Massacre the Pope had it c George Wheâ—ston's English Mirrour pag. 17â— painted about his great Hall in the Lateran and there Recorded in d Jo. Niâ—hâ—l's Pilgrimage B. 8 Marble And what must be the cause of all these e Catholicorum Apologiis propugnata quae â—t Romae atque in Hispania immensis landibus celebrata Jo. de Bussiers Hist Fran. Vol. 4. pag. 120. De eâ— Laetitia ob vindicatos Haereticos piorum animis concepta non parum est Summar ad Hist Hispan Jo. Mariana anno 1572. Joyes Gaities and Triumphs in France Spain Italy and where not amongst the Romanists but that thirty thousand Protestants were in a small time destroyed by divers sorts of deaths some drown'd some hang'd some starv'd some Pistol'd others had their throats cut their bodies drag'd about streets denyed Christian buryal c. without any consideration of Age Sex Quality or Relations And all this in a supposed time of security and tranquillity a peace being made and the King passing his word and promise for their safety Now here would I ask the Romanists whether ever Queen Elizabeth did such a cruel Action as this If not then why must Charles IX go away with all these Glories and Trophies and our Queen laden with nothing but black accusations of cruelty As if Religon intitled one to more authority over his Vassals then the other The year viz. 1572. of this Massacre some have troubled themselves to lay down in these Numeral Letters Upon Gaspar Coligny the Admiral gVIsano oCCVbV It pIVs ah CoLLIgnIVs astV LVX qVater aVgVst I sena DoLen Da Ven It. Or thus bartho Lo MaeVs fLet qVIa FranCICVs oCCVbat atLas And upon the City of Paris this LVtetI a Mater sVos natos DeVoraVIt And here I cannot but take notice of one pretty cheat the Pope makes use of to shew to the world his great liking of this Massacre viz. that whensoever the famous Catholick Thuanus in his Narrative of this Butchery hints as he doth several times of the cruelty of these Throat-cuttings These expressions sound so harsh in the ears of his good Romanists that in the Index Expurgatorius they are all order'd to be dasht out and to appear no more in print lest good people should be corrupted by them so wo be to them who dare think amiss of this Parisian slaughter But it is not here alone but in many other places that they have endeavour'd to falsifie and corrupt this Learned Thuanus though one of their own Church yet one that hated lying For which Jacobus Gretser Johannes Baptista de Machand or Macaldus under the false name of Jo. Baptista Gallus I. C. with Adam Contzen and other Jesuits cannot pass him by without throwing some dirt upon him But though de Thou's book were a Adam Cantzen Discepâ—atio de Secretis Societat Jesu pag. 40. burnt at Rome yet will it remain as an instructive Monument to future Ages though endeavour'd to be corrupted as appears by the Index Expurgatorius and possibly hath been as is manifest by the late little Thuanus Restitutus But leaving these forraign comparisons let us return home and take a short view of our two Sister-Queens of different perswasisions in Religion Queen Mary whose Piety and Mercie is much commended by Sanders and other Romanists Reigned about five years yet in that short time were put to death for Religion above 260 without any regard to Sex Quality or Age Rich and Poor Learned and Ignorant Old and little Children that knew not the right-hand from the left one springing out of its Mothers Womb whilst burning at the Stake and unhumanely the little infant thrown into the fire to burn with its Heretical Mother as they term'd it In twice this time viz. for the first ten years of Elizabeth not one Romanist suffer'd death for Religion and though she Reigned above 44 years yet in that long Rule there were not so many put to death of the Romanists for Treason or what else the Romanist pleaseth almost by an hundred as there were in the short time of Queen Mary To which we may add as is confest by b In numerabiles Ang licaâ—i Martyres Duâ—em Ed mundum Campianum secuti docuetunt Pontificem Rom. posse quemcunque etiam Regem dig nitaâ—e Regâ—a exuete Abr. bzovius de Rom. Pont. cap. 46. pag. 621. Bzovius their Papal Champion that there was not any that suffer'd in Queen Elizabeth's time but did teach the dangerous Doctrine That the Pope could depose Kings This were enough to testifie that Queen Elizabeth was as happy and merciful to her Subjects as her Sister Queen Mary And to perswade those who throw so many commendations on the latter not to rob the former of her due praise The first that the Romanists pretended Martyrologist puts down to have suffer'd in Queen Elizabeth's days is one John Felton year 1570 and yet this was not till the XII year of her Reign so that they can pretend to no bloud for so many years And what small reason they have to glory in this mans Martyrdom let us judge by the Cause in short thus for I shall have occasion to speak more of him hereafter Queen Elizabeth having triumphantly Raigned above X years in the Nation to the great joy and comfort of her Subjects at last Pope Pius V takes a humour in his head and he forsooth must declare her to be no Queen to which purpose he thunders out a Bull declaring her Heretick Excommunicated Deprived and Deposed from her Dominions Absolves all her Subjects from Allegiance and interdicts any that shall obey her c. Felton gets this Bull hangs it upon the Bishop of Londons Palace-gates scorns to seek an escape boldly vindicates the Pope and himself in what was done defying the Queen and her Authority for which he was arraigned condemn'd and hang'd August 8. neer the same place in St. Pauls Church-yard Now for any thus to contemn and vilifie his Soveraign null her Authority renounce his Allegiance and so far to submit himself to a Forreign jurisdiction even in Temporalities as to declare his own Soveraign deprived and depos'd from her Kingdom I say what punishment this man incur'd let the Reader judge provided he will also consider that had a Protestant thus renounced his Obedience in Queen Mary's days not but that there were some Calvinistical fire-brands then the party should have dyed for it and those who commend Felton would have call'd the other Traytor And yet Felton did it to procure a National Rebellion This and some other Disturbances occasioned the next Parliament to put forth some a 13 Eliz. cap. 1. 2 3. Acts for the preservation of the Queens person and the better quieting and securing her Subjects and Dominions all people having time given them to consult either their own safety or a complyance So that who suffer'd afterwards was for their
the Church of England Likewise I must confess that the Course we held was so pleasing to such as saw it or were informed of it by those that they trusted as it proved very gainful unto us all that were Priests We had out of Question procured unto our selves very great Favour Credit and Reputation So as it was no marvail if some young Gentlemen as Mr. Babington and the rest were allured to those strange attempts which they took in hand by Mr. Ballard who was an Agent amongst us They saw as they supposed for both Mr. Babington and divers of his Company were oftentimes at the Exorcisings that we had a great commandment over Devils which prevail'd greatly with them as I think It would have been a very strange thing I am perswaded that we could not have wrought men at that time to attempt which was prudently foreseen by Father Edmunds of purpose as I am resolved in my conscience to prepare the hearts and mindes of Catholicks by those practices that when such forces as were intended should have come into England they might have been more readily drawn by him and us to have joyned their forces with them And this is that I can say concerning the occasions or inducements that such matters were taken in hand at the time articulated Now as touching the substance of the general Interrogatory it self I have perused the several Examinations and Confessions of Sara Williams and Friswood her Sister of Anne Smith and of Richard Mainy Gentleman and am fully perswaded that they have deposed the truth in such points whereof they were examined belonging to their pretended Possession and Dispossession The effect whereof is that they were drawn by our cunning carriage of matters to seem as though they had been possess'd when as in truth they were not neither were there any of the Priests ignorant in my conscience of their dissimulation nor the parties themselves as now it appeareth of our dissembled proceeding with them After I had been my self first at one of their Exorcisings it was my chance to lye that night with Mr. Thomson a Priest and a great Actor in those matters at his chamber by the Spittle and falling into some conference about it I used some such words as though I doubted whether the party were actually and really possessed For I my self being not acquainted with any plot devised by Fa. Edmunds or any other spake my minde somewhat more plainlie then I perceive Mr. Thomson well liked of His answer to me was in effect that He being my friend did earnestly wish me to cast forth no such speeches whatsoever I did think For quoth he the matter is judged to be so by Father Edmunds and some others that are Priests Besides such Catholicks as have been present at such fits have received it for a truth that the parties are possess'd And although I for my part will not make it an Article of my Creed yet I think that Godly credulity doth much good for the farthering of the Catholick Cause and for the defacing of our common Enemies and their proceedings Or to this effect Not long after also talking with Mr. Stamp at the Lord Vaux his house in Hackney concerning these matters and demanding of him seriously his opinion what he thought of them his answer was That they were things of such importance as would farther the Catholick Cause more then all the Books that had been written of late years about the controversies in Religion with the Protestants With which answer I seemed to rest contented because I saw thereby he was not willing to enter into any plainer course with me For although both my self as I said before and so I think of the rest did know that all was but counterfeit yet for as much as we perceived that thereby great credit did grow to the Catholick Cause and great discredit to the Protestants we held it lawful to do as we did c. Anth. Tyrrell June 25. 1602. Mr. a Foot out of the snare New shreds to the old snare Hold fast Gee will afford you more hints of their cheats and juglings whither I refer the Reader and the b Pag. 64. F. Author of Father Paulâ— life writes against such Stage-play-Exorcisms or Puppy-Devils But to prosecute our History the Queen was seldom without dishonourable attempts against her Don Bernardin de Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador in England and afterwards a busie blade for the Covenanters in France here he disingeniously forgetting his place falls a plotting against the Queen and incourageth others to it for which he was forbid the Kingdoms and so sneak'd into France But we shall presently meet with another Ambassador more unworthy then the former and this is l'Aubespine the French Ambassador then lying in England one wholly given up to the Guisian faction Nothing will serve him but the murther of the Queen to effect which he tâ—mpers with one Mr. William Stafford a Gentleman of good Relations And at last by his Secretary Trappie deals more openly and plainly with him promiseth him not onely Riches but great Honour and special favour with the Pope the Duke of Guise and with all Catholicks whatever Stafford refuseth so bloudy an enterprise but tells him of one Moody then in Prison as one desperate enough for any designe Moody is talk'd with gladly undertakes it provided he might be freed out of Prison They consult of the manner Moody propoundeth Poyson or a bag of Gun-powder laid under her bed and secretly fired But neither of these pleas'd Trappie who better discover'd his meaning by wishing that such another bold fellow might be found as was that a Bâ—ltazer Gerard who pistosâ—d William Prince of Orange in Delfe anno 1584. 10 of July Some say that he was instigated by some Jesuits to perpetrate this murther However Orange deserved better at Gerards hands having shew'd him some friendship and favour Gerard was taken and suffer'd death without any repentance or signe of grief for his fault Burgundian who had kill'd the Prince of Orange Mr. Stafford having consider'd with himself the heinousness of this Treason goeth and reveals it to the Queens Council whereupon Trappie is seiz'd on just as he thought to have pass'd into France and upon examination confesseth all Upon this the Council sends to speak with the Ambassador he b Jan. 12. 15â—â— waits upon them they tell him the reasons wherefore they secured his Secretary l'Aubespine rants against the Council and pleads the priviledge of his place Stafford and Moody are brought in confess the Treason and positively accuse the Ambassador as the Instigator He on the other hand at first denyeth it then pleads that had he known it yet being an Ambassador he ought not to discover it unless it be to his own Master After some discourse Cecil Lord Burghley gravely admonish'd him to beware how he committed Treason any more or forgot the Duty of an Ambassador and the Queens Clemencie and that he was
goeth to Greenwich where the Court then was watcheth opportunity and being informed that the Queen was to ride abroad goeth to her Horse holds him according to his place and cunningly puts strong poyson upon the Pummel of the Saddle yet saying with a loud voice as she mounted God save the Queen But such was the providence that her Majesty neither in getting up riding or getting down once touch'd the Pummel yet he doubted not but that in time it would work the intended ruine fully perswaded the Queen had laid her hands on it Presently after this the Earl of Essex set sail for the Island-voyage against the Spaniard And in this Fleet Squire ventured once more as a Souldier with which he return'd into England and lived for some time securely not thinking that he should ever be discover'd But see the luck on 't of this poyson being great expectation amongst some and seeing no signes of any such effect they became incensed against Squire thinking that he had left them and the Cause in the lurch and meerly deluded them Thus jealous and inraged a revenge is resolved on and Squire cunningly accused of some designe against the Queen Squire upon the noise is examined and wondring how any thing should be known against him yet suspecting Walpoole his Confessor and believing year 1598 all was fully discover'd freely confesseth all as abovesaid so as a Traytor is condemn'd and executed Of these late bloudy Treasons Watson and Bluet two Priests thus in Print declare to the world Father Holt the Jesuit and others with him perswaded an See Bels Anatomy p. 22 23. Irishman one Patrick Collen as himself confessed to attempt the laying of his violent and villanous hands upon her Majesty Shortly after 1593 that notable stratagem was plotted for Dr. Lopez the Queens Physitian to have poysoned her This wicked designation being thus prevented by Gods providence the Traiterous Jesuit Holt and others did allure and animate one York and Williams to have accomplish'd that with their bloudy hands that the other purposed to have done with his poyson we mean her Majesties destruction Hereunto we may add the late villanous attempt 1599 of Edward Squire animated and drawn thereunto as he confessed by Walpoole that pernitious Jesuit These words are set down in their Important Considerations pag. 33. And yet Father a Answer to the fiâ—th part of Sir Edw. Cokes Reports Epist Dedicat. v. 2. Parsons doubts whether Squire for all this committed Treason or no such was the loyalty and honesty of this Jesuit Thus in part have we seen the great dangers Queen Elizabeth run through her life being continually sought after both by her own subjects and Forreigners nor did they want incouragements to oppose their own Queen and Country Pope Gregory XIII allowed them a b See the Bull tom 2. p. 319. Colledge at Rome the Guisians in France another aâ— c Sixtus V by Bull desires all to assist it ib. p. 411. Rhemes the Spaniard gave them one at d Clement VIII confirmed this vid Sand. de Schism lib. 4. sive Appendix p. 104. Valladolid in Castile and allowed them e See Thomas Fuller's Church-Hist lib. 9. Cambden anno 1595. others in other places besides allowed the chiefest of them Pensions and maintain'd many hundred English in his Wars though his pay and Pensions were but badly paid to them yet more and better then such Trayterous Fugitives deserved And for all these Pensions private fees for Treason and vast Treasure spent in his attempts against the Queen what did the Spanish King expect for a recompence but the Crown and Kingdom of England for the obtaining of which the nearest that he came was once viz. July 1595. when Diego Brocher with four Callies got very early in a morning unperceived upon the Coâ—sts of Cornwal struck into Mounts Bay by St. Michaels Mount fired Pauls Church standing alone in the Fields Mouseholes Meulin and Pensâ—ns three poor fisher-Towns and presently stole home again without killing one man This beggerly enterprize was all the reward and recompence of his vast Treasure and toyl spent against England And let them never prosper otherwise who attempt any mischief against it and so unworthily foment and maintain Traytors against their respective legal Soveraigns But better had it been for Philip and Spain if he had followed the advice of his Grand-father Charles V that famous Emperour who used often to lay down this for a certain Rule insomuch that it was one of his Proverbs Con todo el mundo guerra Y puse con Inglatierra With all the world make War But with England do not Jar. Whilst these Murtherers were according to their engagements consulting the death of the Queen we must not think the Spanish interest altogether Idle but they had also their other Instruments and preparations on foot the better to secure this Kingdom to them upon her fall As for the Jesuits how active they were for the disturbance of England a Romanist himself shall tell you his words are these We have also certain intelligence that the Jesuits have devised a A. â— Reply to a notorious Libel p. 81 82. means to have had the Tower of London seized into their hands and how they would have it held until the Spaniard came to rescue them Divers of their Letters have been shewed to divers prisoners for proof against them when they have answered in defence of the Jesuits that they thought them free from such stratagems and amongst the rest there is one of the XX of June 1596 wherein there are these words It may be if the Kings faintness and pusillanimity hinder us not as heretofore it hath the Armado will be with you about August or September This is one good help Ireland will be onely for us The Earl of Tyrone and Odonnel would gladly have help from hence and they are well contented to let the Spaniards have certain Holds and Forts for their uses This will greatly pleasure to trouble and disquiet England and in the mean time serve for Harbour for their Ships that shall pass that way c. It were necessary you should make it known aforehand that no Catholick man or woman shall take harm either in body or goods Let every man be quiet till the Spaniards be landed then shall there presently Proclamation be made of all security Of these Proclamations there were two hundred printed in Spain Amongst other contrivances to bring this Kingdom into confusion was the designe of Anthony Rolston an English Fugitive Cambden an 1598. who was sent over into England by the Spanish Agitators and Father Creswell under pretence of procuring a Peace but the truth was as Rolston himself confessed to discover what provisions there were for war to incourage the Romanists and by Bribes and fair promises to corrupt some great Lords about the Queen amongst the rest Essex as the said Earl confess'd himself And the better to make cock-sure and carry
all before them another Fleet is prepared to invade England and for a further encouragement as well of English as others to be assistants in this enterprise their Lord high Admiral draws up a Proclamation which was printed and published and you may Dr. Mat. Sutcliff's Blessings on Mount Gerizzim or the happy Estate of England pag 292 293 294 295. take it as followeth as I meet with it COnsidering the Obligation which his Catholick Majesty my Lord and Master hath received of God Almighty to defend and protect his holy Faith and the Apostolical Roman Church he hath procured by the best means he could for to reduce to the ancient and true Religion the Kingdoms of England and Ireland as much as possibly hath been in his power And all hath not been sufficient to take away the offence done against God in damage of the self-same Kingdoms with scandal of whole Christianity yea rather abusing the Clemencie and Benignity of his Catholick Majesty the heads and chief of the Hereticks which little fear God have taken courage to extend their evil Doctrine with the oppressing of Catholicks Martyring them and by divers ways and means taking from them their lives and goods b b He hath forgot the Spanish Inquisition forcing them by violence to follow their damnable Sects and Errours which they have hardly done to the loss of many souls Which considered his Catholick Majesty is determin'd to favour and protect those Catholicks which couragiously have defended the Catholick Faith and not onely those but such also as by pusillanimity and humane respects have consented unto them forced thereunto through the hard and cruel dealings of the said Catholicks Heretical Enemies And for the execution of his holy Zeal he hath commanded me that with force by Sea and Land which be and shall be at my charge to procure all means necessary for the reduction of the said Kingdoms unto the obedience of the Catholick Roman Church In Complement of the which I declare and protest that these Forces shall be imploy'd for to execute this holy intent of his Catholick Majesty directed onely to the common good of the true Religion and Catholicks of those Kingdoms as well those which be alreadie declared Catholicks as others who will declare themselves such For all shall be received and admitted by me in his Royal Name which shall separate and apart themselves from the Hereticks And furthermore they shall be restored to the Honour Dignity and Possessions which heretofore they have been deprived of Moreover every one shall be rewarded according to the Demonstrations and Feats which shall be shown in this Godly enterprise And who shall proceed with most valour the more largely and amply shall be remunerated with the goods of obstinate Hereticks Wherefore seeing Almighty God doth present to his Elect so good an occasion therefore I for the more security Ordain and Command the Captains General of Horse and Artillerie the Master General of the Field the Captains of Companies of Horse and Foot and all other Officers greater and lesser and men of War the Admiral General and the rest of the Captains and Officers of the Army that as well at Land as Sea they use well and receive the Catholicks of those Kingdoms who shall come to defend the Catholick Cause with Arms or without them For I command the General of the Artillery that he provide them of Weapons which shall bring none Also I Ordain and straitly command that they have particular respect unto the Houses and Families of the said Catholicks not touching as much as may be any thing of theirs but onely of those that will obstinately follow the part of Hereticks in doing of which they be altogether unworthy of those favours which be here granted unto the good who will declare themselves for true Catholickes and such as shall take Arms in hand or at least separate themselves from the Hereticks against whom and their favourers all this War is directed in defence of the honour of God and good of those Kingdoms trusting in Gods Divine mercy that they shall recover again the Catholick Religion so long agone lost and make them return to their ancient quietness and felicity and to the due obedience of the holy Primitive Church Moreover these Kingdoms shall enjoy former immunities and priviledges with encrease of many others for time to come in great friendship confederacie and traffick with the Kingdom of his Catholick Majesty which in times past they were wont to have for the publick good of all Christianity And that this be put in execution speedily I exhort all the faithful to the fulfilling of that which is here contain'd warranting them upon my word which I give in the name of the Catholick King my Lord and Master that all shall be observed which is here promised And thus I discharge my self of the losses and damages which shall fall upon those which will follow the contrary way with the ruine of their own souls the hurt of their own Country and that which is more the honour and glory of God And he which cannot take presently Arnis in hand nor declare himself by reason of the tyranny of the Hereticks shall be admitted from the Enemies Camp and shall pass to the Catholick part in some skirmish or battel or if he cannot he shall flee before we come to the last encounter In testimony of all which I have commanded to dispatch these presents confirmed with my Hand sealed with the Seal of mine Arms and Refirmed by the Secretary underwritten Though Father Parsons was very solicitous to understand the W. Clarkes Reply unto a Libel fol. 65. success of these preparations yet he did not expect any great matters to be performed by them and so it fell out to the no small grief we need not question of many Romanists And to augment the sorrow of the Hispanioliz'd Faction the death of the Spanish King hapned the same year to whom succeeded his son Philip III of whose attempts against Queen Elizabeth you may hear in the next Century The end of the seventh Book THE HISTORY Of the HOLY League AND Covenant IN FRANCE BOOK VIII CHAP. I. An INTRODUCTION to the HOLY LEAGUE THE Beginning of this Century had like to have been year 1502 troublesom to Germany by a mischievous League designed in the Bishoprick of Spire by a Company of barbarous clownish rustick High-shooes and so by the Germans t is Nicol. Basel Addit ad Chroâ— Naucleri p. 394. L. ur Sâ—râ—â— Com p 3â— call'd Bundiscuch These like our Levellers were to raise themselves into as high a Grandeur as any by swearing to reduce all other men to their meanness by equalling all mankind into the same condition by rooting out all Magistracy Dignities and Laws As for the Church which is continually struck at by Traitors and such Sacrilegious Wretches she was not to escape their Villanies they designing to rob her of her Revenues Titles and Decency to
sed ista loquuti sumus secundum ea quae nobis exterius patent Faxit benignissimus Salvator noster ut reliqui hoc horrendo justitiae supernae exemplo admoniti in viam salutis redeant quod misericorditer hoc modo coepit benigne prosequatur ac perficiat sicut eum facturum speramus ut de erepta Ecclesia de tantis malis periculis perenâ—es illi gratias agamus Considering oftentimes with my self and applying my whole understanding unto these things which now of late by a just judgment of God are come to pass I think I may with right use the words of the Prophet Habakkuk I have wrought a work in your days which no man will believe when it is told him The French King is slain by the hands of a Friar for unto this it may justly be compared although the Prophet spake of another thing namely of the Incarnation of our Lord which exceedeth and surmounteth all other wonders and miracles whatsoever As also the Apostle S. Paul referreth the same words most truly unto the resurrection of Christ When the Prophet said A work his mind was not to signifie by it some common or ordinary thing but a rare and notable matter worthy to be remembred as that of the creation of the world The Heavens are the works of thine hands And again He rested the seventh day from all the works which he had made When he saith I have wrought with these words the Holy Scriptures are wont to express things not come to pass by casualty fortune or accident but things befallen by the determined providence will and ordinance of God as our Saviour said The works which I do you shall do also and yet greater and many more such like in the holy Scriptures And that he saith that it is done in times past herein he followeth the use and order of the holy Prophets who for certainty of the event are wont to prophesie of things to come as if they were past already For the Philos say that things past are of necessity things present of being things to come only of possibility For which certainty the Prophet Isaiah long before prophesying of the death of Christ hath thus spoken He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb before his shearer so opened he not his mouth And this whereof we speak at this present and which is come to pass in these our days is a famous notable and almost incredible thing nor done or atchiev'd without the particular providence and disposition of Almighty God A Friar hath kill'd a King not a painted one or one drawn upon a piece of paper or a wall but the King of France in the middest of his Army compassed and environ'd round about with his Guard and Souldiers Which truly is such an act and done in such a manner that none wil believe it when it shall be told them and perhaps hereafter it will be held but for a fable That the King is dead or slain is easily believed but that he is kill'd after this manner is hardly to be credited even as we presently agree unto this that Christ is born of a woman but if we adde of a Virgin then according to natural reason we cannot assent to it even so we easily believe that Christ died but that he is risen again from death unto life is according to humane understanding impossible and therefore incredible that one is awakened again out of sleep extasie or a swound because it oft happens so according to nature we naturally believe but to be risen again from the dead it seemeth so incredible unto flesh that S. Paul disputing at Athens of this point was disliked and accused to be a setter forth of new Gods so that many as S. Luke witnesseth did mock him and others said We will hear thee again of this thing Of such things therefore which befall not according to the Laws of Nature and the ordinary course thereof speaketh the Prophet that none shall believe it when it shall be told them But we give credit to it by consideration of the Omnipotency of God and by submitting our understanding under the obedience of Faith and the Service which we owe unto Christ By these means this that was incredible by Nature becometh credible by Faith Therefore we that believe not after the flesh that Christ is born of a Virgin yet when it is added unto it that this was done supernaturally by operation of the Holy Ghost then truly we agree unto it and faithfully believe it So likewise when it is said that Christ is risen again from the dead as we are onely flesh we believe it not but when it is affirmed that this was done by the power of Divine Nature in him then without any doubting we believe it Even so when it shall be told us An infallible Comparison that such a mighty King was kill'd by a poor simple and weak Friar and that in the midst of his Army environ'd with his Guard and Souldiers to our natural reason and fleshly capacity it will seem incredible or altogether improbable yet considering on the other side the grievous sins of the King and the special providence of Almighty God herein and by what accustomed and wonderful means he hath accomplish'd his most just judgment against him then most firmly we believe it Therefore this great and miraculous work we must ascribe onely to the particular providence of God not as those who refer all things amiss unto some ordinary causes or unto fortune or such like accidentary events but as those who more nearly observing the course of the whole matter easily see that here in this befell many things which could in no wise have been brought to pass without the special help of God And truly the state of Kings and Kingdoms and such like rare and weighty affairs should not be thought to be governed by God rashly and unadvisedly In the Holy Scripture some are of this kind and none of them can be referred unto any other thing but unto God the onely Author thereof yet there are none wherein the Heavenly operation is more seen then in this whereof we speak at present We read in the Maccabees how Eleazar offered himself unto a sure death to kill the King who was an enemy and persecutor of the people of God For in the battel espying an Elephani more excellent then the rest whereon it was likely the King himself was with a swift course casting himself in the midst of the troops of his enemies here and there making a way per force gâ—t to the beast went under her thrust his sword into her belly and so flew her and she falling upon him kill'd him Here we see some things as to zele valiantness of mind and the issue of the enterprise not unlike unto ours though in the rest there is no comparison to be made For Eleazar was a souldier exercis'd in weapons train'd up in
not afraid with a wonderful contentment to assure our selves in our publick and private communications of your Holiness favourable inclination towards us But seeing that our grief daily increaseth and that honest and godly men daily sustain and receive hourly great loss and damages that it lacketh but little but that we God punishing our sins in his heavy judgment begin to feel the ruine of the State of France and which worse is the uttermost decay and overthrow of Catholick Religion the people beginning to waver and to be removed from their accustomed constancy suspecting that the goodwill of your Holiness and the Credit and Authority of your Preachers and which is more not without our great grief almost esteem little or nothing of the Legacy of the most renowned Cardinal Cajetan that wheresoever we can turn our selves are importun'd and wearied with these continual complaints that our want is not relieved by the plentifulness of the See Apostolick and that these fifteen moneths somewhat more or less being spent in hoping and Watching the foresaid Legat hath not had or used a particular power of Excommunicating and Deposing therewith to bridle and subdue all the ungodly and enemies of the Church of what Quality or Condition soever they be seeing that as yet no special Excommunication of Henry of Bourbon and his Favourites hath been published which long ago should have been done they say before they being hardened in their impiety would have despised it so that it is very easie to persuade unto the weak wavering and discontented people being already discouraged with long wars with poverty and need almost dismayed and dead that which the Politicians whisper in their ears namely that your Holiness either favoureth Henry of Bourbons side or at the least will not contraid or displease them or else that you make but a small account of our affairs and that to content the minds of honest and good men your Holyness hath sent your Legat as to Adversaries void and destituted almost of power and money and therefore being infected with the pestilent policies of this time for this the wicked ones seek to persuade endeavoureth to please both Parties and therefore cease not to affirm that your Holiness hath excogitated and invented onely these delays And to that intent * * Francis Duke of Luxenburg a strict Roman Catholick sent to Rome to see if he could get the Pope and King Henry reconciled 1589. Luxenburg the greatest enemy of the Catholicks hath been received at Rome with such humanity and was entertained so liberally and in great dissimulation excluded but afterwards most friendly recalled again unto whom they say your Holiness hath promis'd that Navarre should be used favourably and that another shall be sent the first Cardinal being called back again in a most honourable Legacy Moreover we are not a little grieved that some of the better sort astonished and dismayed through the imminent dangers unto the Catholick Religion and wearied with long delays foreseeing partly the issue of our affairs by the present state thereof begin to confess that which is true to have an ill opinion of our actions and to interpret all things to the worst And further to testifie that which we have seen we know that not long since out of Italy Letters have been written in plain words by men of Authority and Account whose Credit was never yet suspected in like or greater matters that in vain we look for money and assistance from the See of Rome because all things are not done there plainly and sincerely as they should be Whereby as much as we can guess it is probable enough that all things stand in danger of Schism and that a most perilous fire unless God provide otherwise is already kindled to the overthrow of the whole Church O what a painful and troublesom striving and wrestling sustain we against those noisom rumours and tidings O with what a great labour is this to be drawn again out of the peoples minds if in any wise it can yet be rooted out again which if it go further and take faster hold we pray your Holiness to judge what shall at the end become hereof and likewise to consider if there can be any cross more grievous unto honest and good-zeal'd men then this so that not without cause our lives are unto us altogether unsavoury and unpleasant And although we invent certain probable causes of your Holiness delay therewith something contenting the peoples minds and easing their griefs notwithstanding we cannot satisfie our selves herewith ceasing not to bewail these long delays but chiefly when we remember the words of the Poet saying A wound which at first was to be cured with ease With lingering is come a dangerous disease But this is far worse that all things almost are come into an extremity as much as any mortal man is able to judge and which is worst of all now every one saith that this is come to pass through the negligence of the See of Rome and we are not able any longer to disprove their objections To no other end tend our daily and mighty Meetings and Assemblies with the most renowned Cardinal Cajetan and his Assistants whereof they will perhaps complain unto your Holiness inquiring importunately and with full Assembly daily desiring to know what there is done at Rome as touching our matters and the occasion that we are kept thus long in suspence and if there be yet any hope left where to rest upon which as often as we do and bring home nothing else but the common answer and always one song namely that his Holiness hath a great care of our affairs and that he will never abandon our Cause being our most loving and careful Father very wise and expert in that he hath to do and that ere long will quench this burning Fire and that he hath not in vain ordain'd this worthy Legacy and such like things many more We see and not onely we but every particular man that this is told us but to drive us off as those that mask their faces with mirth and cheerfulness but being sifted narrowly this which the Poet saith fitteth them of right In sight they feign good hope and mirth in countenance bear But pinching grief in heart and mind closely they wear Of what mind thinketh your Holiness we should be or how to repose any trust in those answers which are altogether without substance and frivolous Well to what end soever this Council tendeth this generally we fear that whiles you in lingering seek for fitter opportunity and in the mean time the Romans take council * * Meating paâ—is Saguntum shall be assaulted and won and your Instruments and Engines of war as Brutus said shall come too late after the battel In the mean while the * * Henry IV. Heretick prospereth in his succeedings and the unconstant people speak well of him but we must often with grief approach near unto the gates of
death Moreover most holy Father they sow and cast out every where these spiteful and disdainful scoffs that at Rome are oftentimes rehearsed and remembered the singular and great benefits of this Realm unto the See Apostolick but now the same Kingdom being grievously distressed is not once requited with like no not with necessary thanks and reward That this Realm is honoured with the Title of The First begotten of the Church but that it is altogether handled as a Bastard and abandon'd as an untimely Fruit. That the Bishop of Rome challengeth unto him the name of a Father and succoureth not his most obedient and dutiful Children enduring now extremity and stretching forth their humble intreating hands but rather provoketh them to anger Finally that all these lingerings are of small effect and these excuses not worthy to be written in water It is also very grievous to hear and is now upon every mans tongue that it cannot be done without our great shame that all the Treasure of England Germany and other Heretical Nations is spent wasted and consumed in an ill and an ungodly Cause and that from every place power is sent and cometh in savour and aid of the Hereticks But that the Catholick Princes * one onely excepted of whom France receiveth Philip King of Spain a great and continual succour in such important Affairs but notwithstanding insufficient look one upon another careless being in a most just and weighty Cause altogether faint cold and unwilling Which as it is in great grief to be lamented in other yet especially in him unto whom it belongeth to surmount them all in this kind of duty for to encourage them with word and deed to defend the Cause of that particular member of the Church whereof he is set and appointed by God a Governour and a general President and always armed with present money wherewith to defend her And rather should by Letters and Messengers pawn and engage his Credit for to encourage the hearts of the Catholicks then to abate and dismay their hope in fearing in vain to look for that whereunto reason and equity doth persuade and bind him chiefly by that the Bishop by whom Navarre himself and other attending unto Divellish Doctrines and other walking after the design of the flesh in impiety scoffing the name of Catholicks the wisest and most learned men have always judged were excommunicated and cursed For what is he most Holy Father that with one eye cannot see that they onely gape after the Goods and Possessions of the Catholicks by all means seek to entrap their lives greedily thirst after their bloud and onely wish the destruction of Christian souls and utter decay of true Religion This the conquer'd Cities do witness this the sacked and spoiled Goods of honest and godly men this the rewards granted or at least promised unto the Hereticks this the Consecrated Reliques nay rather the most sacred body of Jesus Christ cast before Dogs this the hard and impenitent hearts of the corrupted Nobility this the Souldiers ready to the spoil and overthrow of Churches this the new established Synagogue of the Ministers of Sathan corrupting and falsifying the pure Word of God this the manifold Gibbets of Preachers this the bodies of sundry Captains and Souldiers beheaded this in great heaps the murthered Catholicks this the members of the Franciscans and Dominicans quickly torn in pieces with wild horses this finally the cruel slaughters of Christians and chiefly of Ecclesiastical persons manifestly declare and confirm Amongst whom the bright and thining Lights and worthy to be belov'd and desired and the stays and pillars of their Orders * * It may be his name was Robert Chessaâ—â—â—s Davila pag. 861. he had publickly commended the Murther â—â— Henry III. Chessaeus President in his Country and one of S. Francis Family drawn by violence from Gods service and committed unto the Hangman being at Vendosme not without great grief of all good Christians in the spring and prime of his age hang'd and depriv'd of his life The Director and worthy Regâ—nt of the Dominicans at Paris N. Demonte threescore and ten years of age first in infinite places stabb'd and not far from the City almost torn in pieces And of the same calling before a most worthy and valiant maintainer and defender of the truth * * He advised Clâ—ment to muâ—der Hen. III. Burgonius after divers torments with horses at Tours being dismembered have all now laureated and crown'd with their innocent bloud yielded up their Ghosts in t the hands of the Almighty Whereupon when we think we have thought good diligently to do two things by the liberty which Christ freely hath bestowed upon us The first is which although others can do it better yet after our small and slender skill to declare unto your Holiness the whole state of France whose earnest zeal and desire to aid us we doubt not shall be driven in the rest as the Letters of your most Renowned * * Card. Montalto Nephew written unto the whole body of the Holy League most plainly witness The other that we by all means will seek to comfort and strengthen the careful minds of the people partly heavy and wavering by the subtilty of the Politicians and partly by their own natural weakness and move and stir them up with all diligence and earnestness to expell and drive out Navarre and refuse and deny him boldly even in the middest of Sword Flame and Fire all service and obedience and exhort them to prefer rather what misery soever before an ungodly and wicked peace although he should seem to have forsaken and forsworn his Heresie and for it should have obtain'd a Pardon whereunto yet notwithstanding his is nothing near and should profess himself a Catholick again submitting himself under the Holy See for the manifest danger which might ensue and befall unto the true Religion by this deceitful Conversion and feigned repentance and he that shall favour him counselling any to agreement or else consenting and according thereunto when by any means shall be able to stay and hinder it to be esteemed dangerous and suspected of Heresie and altogether unworthy of mens company Whereupon our minds and heads are altogether so occupied that we are fully determined ere long to put in print to the view of the world certain Articles concerning these points and send them first unto your Holiness and afterwards disperse them in all places of the world partly to a perpetual reproach and upbraiding of the Inhabitants of this Realm if so often times admonished with baseness and cowardliness of heart they should consent to submit themselves under the yoke and bondage of an Heretick partly to stir and raise up every mans affection to send with all expedition aid and relief unto our distressed Affairs And lastly to leave behind us for our Successours sure witnesses and tokens of our care and loyalty to our Country and so to disburthen our Consciences and
As for the Jesuits the Senate demanding their Answer they return'd that they might continue the Divine Offices their Sermons and Confessions according to their Custom For upon notice of the Interdict they had sent Achilles Gaillardi a Paduan noted Jesuit the Author of some meditations to represent unto the Pope what good Services they might do his cause if he would permit them to stay in the Venetian Dominions For the Nuncio before his departure from Venice had been very busie with the Jesuits the chief of whom then in the City being Possevino and Bernardin Castorio noted Authors But the Pope understanding the badness of Example if such a famous Order submitted not to his Breve sent them an Express to depart Now the Term of the XXIV days appointed in the Monitorie approaching the Jesuits were required to give their final Resolution who return'd an Express refusal to say Masse which being retorted upon them as a base Equivocation they replyed it was not contrary to their former promise because the Masse for the Excellency of it is not comprehended under the words of Divine Offices The Senate seeing themselves thus abused by these people commanded the Jesuits speedily to depart their Dominions Upon this the Jesuits suddenly collected a great summ of money from their Devoted ones so packing up as fast as they could in the Evening they departed the City each one carrying the Host at his neck intimating that Jesus Christ departed with them as they took Bark the people cryed out against them Go with a vengeance and come no more hither Before their departure they had hid their richest Ornaments burn'd great quantity of writings and there was found in their Colledges a good number of Cruses to melt metals which left some blot upon them though Possevino indeavour'd to vindicate them from any design of gold or silver At their Colledg in Padua were found many Copies of a writing containing XVIII Rules under this Title being drawn up and commanded to be believed by their Founder * vid. Exerâ—icitia Spirituália Ignatius Loyola Regulae aliquot servandae ut cum Orthodoxa Ecclesia vere sentiamus In the Seventh whereof there is a Prescription to take heed how men press or inculcate too much the Grace of God And in the Third it is ordain'd That men must beleeve the Hierarchical Church although it tell us that that is black which our eye judgeth to be white The Senate having thus wisely given an hint of their Resolutions by their dealing with the Jesuits Put forth an Order that all Ecclesiasticks who would not continue Divine Services should retire out of their Dominions Upon this the Capuchins with whom the Nuncio and Jesuits had tamper'd very much resolved also to depart and intended to go according to the Jesuits Instructions to them out in Procession with the Sacrament thereby to stir up the people to Sedition who have most affection to this Order pretending to great poverty Innocency But this solemnity was hindred by Authority So in the morning celebrating one Masie eating up all the Eucharist they concluded the Office without giving Benediction to the people and then departed and so did the Theatins and the reformed Franciscans But it was observed that the Capuchins in the Territories of Brescia and Bergamo where were no Jesuits to seduce them did not depart but remain'd Obedient to their Governours celebrating Divine Service for which honesty and loyalty they were bitterly persecuted by their superiors at Rome with Excommunications and other Censures Now began a fierce dispute amongst them Whether all the Sacraments administred by the Priests that staid contrary to the Interdict were nullities or no Whether it was lawful to adore the Eucharist shewn by such Priests And Whether it was a Mortal or Venial Sin to hear Masse celebrated by such Priests Of these every one judged according to his Interest as is usual in such cases In the mean time the Jesuits by their Instruments did what they could to stir up Sedition in the State and so did other Ecclesiasticks ingaged on the Papal faction but the Senate by their prudence prevented all and being perfectly united amongst themselves kept the people in a true Obedience to them The Quarrel growing dayly greater and greater each party addressed themselves to the respective Princes in Christendom to render their cause chear and legal the Princes desiring and perswading a Reconciliation every one of the Romanists offering to be Mediators The Pope troubled that the Venetians would not stoop to his humour invented another Plot whereby he thought to make some Divisions amongst them And this it was He publish'd a Jubilee whither he invited all Christians granting Indulgences Absolutions and Pardons to all but those of Interdicted places By this Strategem he fancyed that the Venetian people seeing themselves thus deprived of such blessing and graces would disobey the Senate and run into Sedition And the better to carry this on the Jesuits gave notice that though the people were excluded in the general yet they had power from his Holiness to grant it to such of them as would observe the Conditions by them propounded amongst which were these Not to go to Masse Nor to approve the reasons and actions of the Senate But all these plots did the Pope little good Nor did their orher lyes against the Republick as if it had renounced the Roman Religion and become Lutherans or Protestants avail them any thing The Pope seeing the bad event of all these designs sends to Philip III. King of Spain to desire his Assistance The King returns an Answer that he had desired an Accommodation but seeing the Honour of his Holiness concerned he would assist him with his forces which he had also signifyed to his Ministers in Italy This Letter was received at Rome with the greatest joy and Triumph Imaginable the Spaniards vapouring of their meritorious actions to the Pope But others gave different Censures of the Letter some thinking it procured by the Authority of the Duke of Lerma the then great Favourite of Spain who ruled King and all things else But others believed that the design of it was not as it appear'd really for war but thereby to render the Venetians more submiss and tractable for a peace However the Count de Fuentes the Catholick Kings Governour at Milan seemâ—d very forward in Preparations upon which the Venetians thought it not sâ—tting to be behind so that now both parties seem'd running into a War both Pope and Duke drumming up men and making all things ready for Offence and Defence Whilst these preparations went on the better to disorder and weaken the Venetians the Marquis de Santa Croce having received the Papal Benediction by his Nuncio departed from Naples with XXVI Spanish Gallies and at Messina received the addition of XIV more thence secretly sailing along entred the Golf of Venice fell upon Durazzo a City in Albania belonging to the Turks which he sack'd and returned
when Pope Paul V. dyed he expected all heart-burning to cease but here he found himself mistaken and the Quarrel and Enmity intail'd as it were upon the Pontifick Chair For Gregory XV. succeeding 1621 bare the same ill-will looking upon the Father as the chief-Counsellor nay and Incendiary too of the Venetians insomuch that he told their Ambassador that there would never be a peace between the Republick and the See Apostolick but such an one as Father Paul should approve of The Father informed of this was grieved beyond measure that he should be held a Beautefeu and so rather than any difference should arise about him resolved peaceably to retire himself from his own Country To live amongst the Protestants might expose himself to Calumnies to dwell where the Ecclesiasticks might over-power him or where the Temporality would not trouble it self in his Protection was to expose his Life to Poyson and Stellettoes again Upon this difficulty he determin'd to reside at Constantinople or some of the Eastern Countryes And for this Peregrination he began to make Preparations take advice get safe-conducts c. But being informed that the Pope releas'd much of his displeasure towards him he was the less careful in hastning And now he began to be ancient and feeble and dyed in his Monastery at Venice with great Tranquility and Settlement of mind 1623. in the LXXI year of his Age. The Father was little humble grave but withal chearful of his dyet very sparing insomuch that every day with him was almost a Fast he was merciful and good to his greatest Enemies begging Pardon for those who designed his death His Learning got him renown every where being good for the Oriental Languages besides Greek Latin and other Europaean was famous for his skill in Mathematicks Physick Anatomy Chymistry Astronomy in all which he was a dayly Practitioner and Discoverer of many Excellent Rarities Insomuch that the chiefest Artests thought themselves happy in his advice and acquaintance And make honourable mention of him He had also carefully perused all the ancient Philosophers out of whom he had collected their different Opinions For Politicks he was held not only the greatest but the most honest Statesman in his time admirable vers'd in the Laws knowing in all Histories and his skill in Geography made the world his own Divinity was his calling and what an excellent man he was at his Pen may appear by his divers writings many of which are not yet publish'd but some remain as Rarities lockt up in the Cabinets of Princes whilst others lurk as Secrets in the Archives of the wise Venetian Councel But a Specimen of his great Abilities may be gather'd from his History of the Councel of Trent where he was pleas'd to vail himself under the Title of Pietro Soave Polana Which by an Anagrammatism makes the Fathers Name Sirname and Country thus Paolo Sarpio Veneto his Fathers name being Francisco di Pietro Sarpio There is also abroad of his A History of the Inquisition a History of the Quarrels between Pope Paul V. and the Venetians and several other things in justification of his Country in those Troublâ—s which with his other writings and Commendations of him have faln under the lash of their * vid. Ind. lib. Prohibit edit Alexand. VII pag. 98. 222. 226. 227. 272 Index Expurgatorius The Court of Rome whilst he lived carryed the greatest bitterness against him dayly writing Lybels and Invectives against him stufft up with Lyes and Forgeries insomuch that Bellarmine though his Pen was ingaged against the Father in the Venetian Quarrel told the Pope that such notorious Falsities and Calumnies would bring more Scandal than Credit to his Cause Amongst the rest of his Enemies was Maffeo Barbarini Nuncio in France at the time of the Quarrel and afterwards Pope Vrban VIII who in his Aiery and Romantick humour rais'd and invented many unworthy Stories of the Father far unbefitting a Person of his Place and Dignity Nay so implacable were the Roman Favourites that their Slaunders and Malice followed him to his Grave publishing impudent and fabulous Stories concerning his death of his dying Howling of strange Apparitions of Black Dogs of Terrible Noises heard in his Cell and Chambers and several such like lying Forgeries as those idle people used to invent upon Luther Calvin and others who will not truckle to the Usurpations of the Roman Court But the people of Venice who knew him better accounted him a Saint hanging up their Votive Tablets at his * Spond an 1623. § 13. Rob Johnston Rerum Brit. Hist lib. 20. an 1623. p. 638. Sepulchre till the Senate to satisfie Pope Vrban VIII forbad such Ceremonies to be used to his Monument And so much by the bie of the Learned and Judicious Father Paolo Sarpi Here might I treat of some further troubles endeavour'd to be stirr'd up by Vrban VIII who in affront to the Republick caus'd an Ancient Inscription which had been set up in the Sala Regia in the Vatican as a Monument of the Venetian honour for restoring Alexander III. when chas'd by the Emperor Frederick I. to be defaced and razed out He also excommunicated the Luqueses the Grand Duke of Tuscany the Duke of Parma and of Modena and to maintain his Censures fell to 1642 1644 the Temporal Sword But Parma flew about like Lightning with 3000. Horse that his Holiness and Cardinals thought it safest to retire to the Castle S. Angelo At last by the Intercession of the French a Peace is concluded the Censures are taken off the ingaged Princes have their Temporal Authority confirm'd by the Peace And the Ancient Inscription in Honour and Gratitude to the Venetian is to be renew'd and inscribed in a larger Table and set up in the Vatican as formerly Here the Pope gain'd nothing by fomenting Troubles And in truth the Papal Authority by the late Venetian Quarrel received a deadly blow Princes thereby beginning to see their own power and Jurisdiction have the less esteem for that pretended or usurped by the Pope and may in time acknowledg themselves Supream within their own Dominions CHAP. II. Henry the Fourth murdred by Ravaillac I Have formerly related divers attempts of the Romanists to take away the Authority and Life of Henry IV. of France which Catalogue Hist de la Paix fol. 142. 143. c. Laur. Bouchel Hist de la justice Crim Tit. 4 ch 22. I might augment with the wickedness of four Piedmonters of a Lorrain Lacquey of one Pedefer of one Nicolle Mignon a woman poor and wicked who designed his murther And to these I might add the attempt of one Jean de L'Isle who as the King was returning from hunting upon Pont-neusi in Paris by taking hold of his Cloak would have pull'd him off his Horse and endeavour'd to assassinate him with St. Lazare Hist Tragiques p. 68. Hard. de Perefixe Hist Hen. le Grand his Dagger But the King was graciously pleas'd to pardon him
yeilding to time and necessity for which they presently sent to Rome craving pardon for this their outward submission Amongst the chief of these Rebellious Dissemblers was * Tyrone took upon him the Impudency and Authority to create him with the Ceremonies of the Ancient Irish Mac Cartie More Florence Mac Cartie one of the greatest note amongst them who under-hand fomented and encouraged all Treasonable practises but openly seem'd a fair complier to the Queen and her Government all which appears plainly by his Letters and Correspondencies held with both parties The Lord Deputy seeing the wickedness of Tyrone his resolution not to submit to the Queen but rather to throw himself into the protection of her mortal Enemy the Spaniard from whom he expected great aid as an Earnest of which one Spanish Ship had newly come with Arms Munition and Moneys to carry on the Rebellion The Lord Deputy I say upon these considerations with advice of the Council thought fit thus to proclaim the said Tyrone Traytor By the Lord Deputy and Council Mountjoy WHereas Hugh Neale of the simple and ignorant called O Neale was from her Majesties free and gracious Disposition not only innobled to the Title and Dignity of Earl of Tyrone but also by like Grace bountifully enriched with divers large and great Authorities and Possessions without any colour or title thereunto which by him could be made and at no time so much as once touched for his apparent and known disloyal and undutiful misdemeanours in hope that his amendment might have satisfied his punishment until above five years past He the said Hugh forgetting not only his duty towards God her Majesty and Countrey but also so many favours and great graces did not only in person enter into most detestable and unnatural Rebellions against her Crown and Dignity and endeavoured and in part performed the drawing into this Realm forreign Forces of her Majesties professed and known Enemies with alluring provoking and violently urging her Majesties ancient and dutiful Subjects to partake with him in his Confederacies and Rebellions but also most falsly now of late suggesting to cover his canker'd and long festered Treasonable disposition that he intended a defence for them against the severity of her Majesties Laws made against their long enjoyed Religion Restitution of ancient Liberties by right due unto him and them and a purpose to prevent an utter extirpation and rooting out of them and their posterities from their Countreys Liberties and ancient possessions matters by himself meerly counterfeited and invented himself well known to be irreligious of barbarous life a cruel oppressor of his Countrey people and of worse affection than may be recited Whereas by long experience of her Majesties mild and merciful Government it hath appeared that such Courses never so much as by probable conjecture did or could enter into her Majesties Princely Heart much less to have been by her performed But his only true and known purpose being to draw their dependency so as by him they might be opprest with bearing Bonughes yeelding of intollerable payments executions and oppressions under which they have long groaned and grieved and not return to her Majesties merciful Government but to continue and contain them under his Tyranny for ever All which his intentions and actions well and long known unto her Majesty and yet by her tolerated it pleased her Princely Heart out of her accustomed mercies to the end the wiser might not be excused by want of remembrance nor the simpler to be led away by lack of knowledg openly to proclaim the said Hugh Trâ—ytor unto her Majesty her Countrey and Government And yet nevertheless to make her exceeding Mercies more manifest was pleased in divers and sundry places to the end to reclaim him and his Adherents so by his before-recited means deceived to their ancient subjection to offer unto him and them her Majesties free pardon for their lives lands liberties and possessions which by him was as oftentimes obstinately refused as graciously offered And now at last the said Hugh foreseeing he may no longer withstand her Majesties forces and failing of his long hoped forreign assistance now intendeth to leave this poor deceived people to her Majesties condign Justice by them deserved or to her accustomed Mercy which she never forgetteth and so to retire himself as a Bush Kearne to Wolvâ—sh Dens and Desert Fastness some small time to escape his deserved Judgment Which to prevent and to free her subjects of their former bondage and burthens I the now L. Deputy with consent of her Majesties Council here present for and in her Name and behalf do promise to any person or persons that shall deliver the Body of the said Hugh in life unto the said L. Deputy 4000 Marks and to such person or persons as shall bring in his Head for sufficient proof that he or they have procured and performed his death the sum of 2000 Marks together also with her Majesties most gracious and free pardon for his and their Lives Lands Liberties Goods and Possessions the promise to be fully satisfied and performed in manner and form as abovesaid In witness whereof I the L. Deputy and Council aforesaid have subscribed our Names Given at Her Majesties Castle of Dublin the xxth of November 1600. Adam Dublin C. * * This was the Treasurer not Sir Geo. Carâ—w George Cary. Thomas Midensis Robert Gardiner Richard Wingfield Nich. Walsh George Bourchier Jeffr. Tenton GOD SAVE THE QUEEN Will. Vsher This Proclamation was but fitting considering the rebellious heart of Tyrone who took all manner of courses to withdraw Subjects from their obedience and in this he was not wanting in a counterfeit Religion pretending great zeal for the Roman-Catholick Cause under the colour of which he solemnly took a Pilgrimage to visit a piece of the Cross which they say was kept in the Monastry of St. Cross or Holy Cross in the County of Tipperary But his chief design was to inveigle the simple people to his party by this his religious action nor did he quite lose his expectation And now the Pope Clement VIII for a farther encouragement to their Villanies sends a particular Letter to Tyrone full of many fair words and commendations but void of all honesty and religion perswading him still to continue in his Rebellion The Letter it self was this Dilecto filio Nobili viro Ugoni Principi Naelio Exercitus Catholici in Hibernia Duci Capitaneo Generali DIlecte fili Nobilis vir Salutem Apostolicam Benedictionem Cognovimus ex literis Nobilitatis tuae ex iis quae dilectus filius Petrus Lombardus Civis vester Praepositus Cameracensis nobis coram exposuit Sacrum foedus quod tu quam plures Principes et Proceres et Nobiles Primarii Regni istius pro Dei gloria Patriae salute et Catholica Religionis Defensione in istis Dei benignitate charitatis glutino colligatum conservari et augeri quodque ejusdem Domini
est mortale Permissum est etiam Catholicis Haereticae Reginae id genus obsequii praestare quod Catholicam Religionem non oppugnat Non fuit unquam nec potuit esse Pontificis mens ea Obsequia circa Reginam eis permittere quae aperte cum fine scopo ipsius Pont. de promovenda in Hibernia Catholica fide ac Religione pugnant Hanc autem ejus esse mentem scopum Literae ipsae apertissime declarant Ex quibus omnibus satis manifestum relinquitur illustrissimum Principem Hugonem O-Nellum alios Catholicos Hiberniae bellum gerentes adversus Reginam Haereticam Orthodoxam Fidem oppugnantem nullo modo Rebelles esse neque debitam Obedientiam negare aut Terras Reginae injuste usurpare quin potius illos justissimo bello se terramque suam ab iniqua impia Tyrannide vindicare sacramque Orthodoxam fidem ut Christianos Catholicos decet pro viribus tueri atque defendere Quae omnia singula nos infra-scripti ut certissima ac verissima judicamus approbamus Datum Salamantic VII die Martii An. D. 1602. Sic ego Johannez de Seguensa Professor Theologiae in Collegio Societatis Jesu hujus Almae Salmanticensis censeo Idem Censeo ego Emanuel de Royas Professor Theologiae in eodem Collegio Societatis Jesu Horum Patrum Sententiae tanquam omnino certae assentior et ego Gaspar de Mena Theologiae S. Scripturae in eodem Coll. Professor In eadem sum prorsum cum Praedidictis Pp. Sententia Petrus Osorio in eodem Coll. Societatis Jesu pro Sacris Canonibus In the Name of God Amen THE most Renowned Prince Hugh O Neil doth make warr for the defence of the Catholique Faith with the Queen of England and the English people viz. That it may be lawful for him and the Irish freely to profess the Catholique Religion which liberty the Queen of England doth endeavour to take from them by force and arms There are two matters now in question aâ—â—ut this Warr. I. The one is Whether it be lawful for the Irish Catholiques to favour the foresaid Prince Hugh with Arms and all other means in this Warr II. The other is Whether it be lawful for the same Catholiques to fight against the foresaid Prince without deadly sin and to favour the English in this Warr by Arms or by any other means whatsoever Especially when the case so stands that if they deny this kind of help unto the English they expose themselves to a manifest danger of their lives or the losing of their Temporal goods And furthermore since it is permitted by the Pope that they may obey the foresaid Queen of England and acknowledg her as their lawful Queen by paying Tribute unto her for it seemeth that that may be performed what belongeth unto Subjects to do viz. To fight against the Queen's Rebels who deny their due obedience to her and seem to usurp the Land which is subject to her dominion That both these Questions may be decided we must hold as for certain That the Pope hath power to bridle and suppress those who forsake the Faith and those who fight against the Catholick Faith when by no other means so great a mischief can be hindred And furthermore it must be positively concluded That the Queen of England doth oppugn the Catholique Religion and doth hinder the Irish from the publick enjoyment of the Catholique Faith And that for this cause the foresaid Prince O-Neal and others before him mentioned in the Apostolical Letters of Clement VIII undertook the Warr against her These things thus laid down the first Question is easily resolved For without doubt any Catholick whatsoever may favour the said Prince Hugh O-Neil in the foresaid warr and this with great merit and certain hopes of an Eternal Reward For seeing that the said Prince doth make Warr by the Pope's Authority for the defence of Catholique Religion and that the Pope doth exhort all the faithful by his Letters thereunto as is manifest by his Letters and that he will extend his graces upon the favourers of the Prince in that Warr in as ample manner as if they make warr against the Turks No man in justice can doubt but that the present Warr is lawful and also that to fight for the Catholique Religion which is the greatest good of all others is a matter of great merit And concerning the second question it is most certain that all those Catholiques do sin mortally that take part with the English against the foresaid Prince O-Neil Neither can they obtain Eternal Salvation nor be absolved from their sins by any Priest unless they first repent and forsake the English Army And the same is to be censured of those who in this War favour the English either by Arms or any other means or shall give them any thing of like Condition besides those accustomed Tributes which is lawful for them by virtue of the Pope's Indulgence and Permission to pay unto the Kings of England or their Officers the Catholick Religion flourishing and being amongst them This Assertion is confirm'd by this most manifest Reason Because it is sufficiently proved by the Pope's Letters That the Queen of England and her Forces make unjust Warr against the said Prince O-Neal and those who favour him For seeing that the Pope doth declare That the English do fight against the Catholique Religion and that therefore the said English should be resisted as much as if they were Turks and that he doth bestow the same Graces and Blessings upon those who resist the said English as he doth upon those who fight against the Turks Who doubteth but that the Warr waged by the English against the Catholique Army is altogether unjust But it is not lawful for any to favour an unjust Warr or to be present thereat under the pain of Eternal Damnation Those Catholiques do therefore most grievously offend who bear Arms with the Hereticks against the foresaid Prince in a Warr so apparently impious and unjust And so do all those who assist them in the said Warr with Arms Victuals or by any other means which of themselves do further the proceedings of the Warr and cannot give account of their indifferent obedience Neither doth it any thing avail them to scandal the Apostolical Letters of Surreption or of some underhand procuring For Surreption cannot happen where no Petition of them is declared in whose favour they were dispatched But the Pope doth plainly declare in those Letters that he and his Predecessors had voluntarily exhorted the Irish Princes and all others of the Faithful to undertake this Warr. And the better to incite them to it doth enrich them with great Favours Blessings and Indulgences How can it then be supposed that these Letters were surreptitious which only contain an Exhortation strengthned with many Favours for such as did fulfil them Neither therefore can the Catholiques who assist the English defend themselves by the Reasons alledged in the second
power to absolve me of this Oath or any part thereof Which I acknowledg by good and full Authority to be lawfully ministred unto me And do renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrary And all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledg and swear according by these express words by me spoken and according to the plain and common sense and understanding of the same words without any equivocation or mental evasion or secret reservation whatsoever And I do make this Recognition and Acknowledgment heartily willingly and truly upon the true Faith of a Christian So help me God A. B. Unto which Oath so taken the said person shall subscribe his or her Name or Mark. King James doubted not but that all honest and good Subjects would Apol. for the Oath of Allegiance pag. 49 50 51. submit to this Oath Because as he said that he that shall refuse to take this Oath must of necessity â—old all or some of these Propositions following I. That I King James am not the lawful King of this Kingdom and of all other my Dominions II. That the Pope by his own Authority may depose me if not by his own Authority yet by some other Authority of the Church or of the See of Rome If not by some other Authority of the Church and See of Rome yet by other means with others help he may Depose me III. That the Pope may dispose of my Kingdoms and Dominions IV. That the Pope may give Authority to some Forreign Prince to invade my Dominions V. That the Pope may discharge my Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to me VI. That the Pope may give license to one or more of my Subjects to bear Arms against me VII That the Pope may give leave to my Subjects to offer violence to my Person or to my Government or to some of my Subjects VIII That if the Pope shall by Sentence excommunicate or depose me my Subjects are not to bear Faith and Allegiance to me IX If the Pope shall by Sentence Excommunicate or Depose me my Subjects are not bound to defend with all their power my Person and Crown X. If the Pope shall give out any Sentence of Excommunication or Deprivation against me my Subjects by reason of that Sentence are not bound to reveal all Conspiracies and Treasons against me which shall come to their hearing and knowledg XI That it is not Heretical and Diabolical to hold That Prinees being Excommunicated by the Pope may be either Deposed or Killed by their Subjects or any other XII That the Pope hath Power to absolve my Subjects from this Oath or from some part thereof XIII That this Oath is not administred to my Subjects by a full and lawful Authority XIV That this Oath is to be taken with Equivocation Mental Evasion or secret Reservation and not with the Heart and good will sincerely in the true Faith of a Christian man Now whether there was just cause for drawing up and imposing of such an Oath King James can tell you best himself And first that the Romanists had no reason to contrive his ruin he declares at large in these words But now having sacrificed if I may so say to the Manes of my late Apol. for the Oath of Allegiance pag. 18 19 20. Predecessor Q. Elizabeth whose Government and Moderation he vindicates I may next with St. Paul justly vindicate my own Fame from those innumerable Calumnies spread against me in testifying the truth of my Behaviour toward the Papists Wherein I may truly affirm That whatsoever was her just and merciful Government over the Papists in her time my Government over them since hath so far exceeded hers in Mercy and Clemency as not only the Papists themselves grew to that height of pride in confidence of my mildness as they did directly expect and assuredly promise to themselves Liberty of Conscience and equality with others of my Subjects in all things but even a number of the best and faithfullest of my said Subjects were cast in great fear and amazement of my Course and Proceedings ever prognosticating and justly suspecting that sowr fruit to come of it which shew'd it self clearly in the Powder-Treason How many did I honour with Knighthood of known and open Recusants How indifferently did I give Audience and Access to both sides bestowing equally all Favours and Honours on both Professions How free and continual Access had all Ranks and Degrees of Papists in my Court and Company And above all How frankly and freely did I free Recusants of their ordinary Payments Besides it is evident what strait Order was given out of my own mouth to the Judg to spare the execution of all Priests notwithstanding their conviction joining thereunto a gracious Proclamation whereby all Priests that were at liberty and not taken might go out of the Countrey by such a day my General Pardon having been extended to all Convicted Priests in Prison whereupon they were set at liberty as good Subjects and all Priests that were taken after sent over and set at liberty there But time and paper will fail me to make enumeration of all the benefits and favours that I bestowed in general and particular upon Papists in recounting whereof every scrape of my Pen would serve but for a blot of the Pope's Ingratitude and Injustice in meteing me with so hard a measure for the same Yet for all these Favours His Majesty in another place tells us That The never-enough wondred at and abhorred POWDER-TREASON Monitory Preface to all Christian Monarchs p. 6 7 8 9. though the Repetition thereef grieveth I know the gentle-hearted Jesuit * His Majesty alludes to Parsons Letter against his Book call'd The judgment of a Catholick English man p. 6. §. 10. Parsons This Treason I say being not only intended against me and my Posterity but even against the whole House of Parliament plotted only by Papists and they only led thereto by a preposterous zeal for the advancement of their Religion some of them continuing so obstinate that even at their death they would not acknowledg their Fault but in their last words immediately before the expiring of their breath refused to condemn themselves and crave Pardon for their Deed except the Romish Church should first condemn it And soon after it being discovered that a great number of my Popish Subjects of all Ranks and Sexes both Men and Women as well within as without the Countrey had a confused Notion and an obscure Knowledg that some great thing was to be done in that Parliament for the Weal of the Church although for Secrecy's cause they were not acquainted with the Particulars certain Forms of Prayer having likewise been set down and used for the good success of that Great Errand Adding hereunto That divers times and from divers Priests the Arch-Traytors themselves received the Sacrament for confirmation of their Heart and observation of Secresie Some of the principal Jesuits likewise being found