cannot at once be a King and a Prelate and that his predecessors ordered the Ecclesiastical State which belongeth vnto him and not the temporall which pertaines only to kings Let him not inioyne vs to receiue a King who remayning in a countrie so farre distant cannot ayde vs against the sodain oftē incursions of the Infidels Neither let him commaund vs who of our Franchise and Freedome beare the name of Franks to serue him whom we list not to serue which yoake his predecessors neuer imposed vppon our Auncestors And we finde it written in holy Scripture that we ought to fight to the death for our libertie and inheritance And a little after Propterea si Dominus Apostolicus vult pacem quaerere sic quaer at vt rixam non moueat That is Therefore if our Apostolicall Lord seeke after peace let him so seeke it as he be not an occasiō of war And in conclusiō Hingmare shuts vp his letter with these words Et vt mihi experimento videtur propter meam interdictionem vel propter lingue humanae gladium nisialiud obstiterit Rex noster vel eius Regni primores non dimittent vt quod coeperunt quaniū potuerint nō exequantur That is And as I find by proofe our King or the Peeres of his Realme are not minded eyther for my excommunication or the sword of mans tongue vnlesse some other matter come to stop them to desist from prosecuting what they haue begun By which letters you may vnderstand that the Pope tooke vpon him not onely to censure King Charles the Bald for his disobedience in so iust and rightfull a cause but to make himselfe Iudge also of Empyres and Kingdomes wherevnto neither the king nor his subiects would euer assent auouching that the Pope could not confound Religion with State and that they were resolued to withstand him whatsoeuer it cost them as being a new law which he meant to obtrude vpon the land to the preiudice of our kings It may be some honest meaning man will say How doth this hang together You allow the Pope all primacie and superioritie in spirituall causes and yet limite his general power in your owne king though he should runne astray out of the right way For in respect of temporall matters I grant it but as for this high point of spirituall authority all things make against that position Whom I aunswere thus We acknowledge in Fraunce that the Pope is supreame head of the Catholique and Vniuersall Church yet is it not therefore absurd or inconsequent that our Kings should be exempted from his censures We see that all auncient Monasteries are naturallie subiect to the iurisdiction of theyr Diocesans yet are many of them by speciall priuiledge exempted from the same Our auncient Kings haue beene the first protectors of the holy Sea as well against the tyrannie of the Emperous of Constantinople as against the incursions and inuasions of the Lombards which were dailie at the gates of Rome One king alone Pepin conquered the whole state or Herarchie of Rauenna which he freely gaue to the Pope deliuering their Cittie from the long siege which Astolpho king of the Lombards had held about it And Charlemaine the sonne of Pepin chased out of Lombardie Didier their king and his whole race making himselfe Maister as well of the Cittie of Rome as of all Italie where he was afterwards acknowledged and crowned Emperour of the West by Pope Leo whom he restored fully and wholly to his auncient libertie against the insolencie of the people of Rome who repined and mutined against him And at that time was it concluded that the Popes elect might not enter vpon the exercise or administration of theyr functions vntill they were first confirmed by him or his successors I am certainly perswaded that hee and his posterity were at that time freed and exempted from all censures and excommunications of the holy Sea And albeit we haue not the expresse Constitution to shew yet may it be extracted out of the Ordinaunces of the said Emperour recorded by Iuon Bishop of Chartres Si quos culpatores Regia potestas Epist 123. 195. aut in gratiam benignitatis receperit aut mensae suae participes fecerit hos sacerdotum populorum conuentus suscipere Ecclesiastica communione debebit vt quod principalis pietas recepit nec à Sacerdotibus Dei extraneum habeatur If the king shall receiue any sinner into the fauour of his clemencie or make him partaker of his owne table the whole companie of the Priests and people shall likewise receiue him into the cōmunion of the Church that that which the princes pietie hath admitted be not by the priests held as cast off or reiected If then the table or the fauour of our Kings did acquite and absolute the excommunicated person from the Ecclesiasticall censures wee may well say that our kings themselues were exempt from all excommunications Our kings had right to confirme the Popes after their elections a right which the Popes alledge to haue beene by them remitted then why should we be more enuied then they if the auncient Prelacie of Rome haue priuiledged our kings from all excommunications and censures whatsoeuer Sure I am that Pope Gregorie the fourth going about to infringe that prerogatiue to gratifie the sonnes of king Lewes the Milde the sonne of Charlemaine the good Bishops and Prelats of Fraunce sent him vvord that if he came in person to excommunicate their king himselfe should returne excommunicated to Rome A peremtorie speech I must confesse but it wrought so as the Pope to couer his packing pretended hee came into Fraunce for no other intent but to mediate a peace betweene the Father and the sonnes as indeede he did and had he stood vppon other termes hee would haue gone out of Fraunce greatly displeased So much doe wee embrace this priuiledge of our kings as wee dare affirme that it had his beginning eyther with the Crowne it selfe at what time Clouis became a Christian or at least in the second line within a while after our kings had taken in hand the defence protection of the Church of Rome for so doe we find it to haue beene obserued successiuely in Charlemaine Lewes the Milde his sonne and Charles the Balde his grand-child And since in the third line when our kings seemed some what to forget the right way and that it was requisite to extend the authoritie of the Church towards them the Pope or his Legates were fayne to ioyne the Clergie of Fraunce with them In briefe as long as all thinges were quiet and peaceable betweene the King and his subiects the censures of Rome were neuer receiued against our Kings In our auncient Records wee finde a Bull bearing date from Pope Boniface the eyght the tenor whereof is Vt nec Rex Franciae nec Regina nec liberi eorum ex communicart possint That neyther the King nor the Queene of Fraunce nor theyr
may beleeue that the commaundement is verie iuâ—â— seeing that is was giuen vnto him And who seeth not that this may well be resembled to a dead bodie or to staffe that receiueth no motion but by an other mans hand yea to be short that this commaundement or law is wâ—â—hout eies And that therefore to commit this absoâ—â—â—â— comaundement to an Vsher or vnder officâ—â— and that vnder the maske of Gods supposed presence is properly to put a sword into a madde mans hand And when I consider this vow me thinkes I see the Anabaptists who said that they were sent from God to reforme all things from good to better and so to reestablish them And as men that hammer such matters in their heads they caused a booke of reformation to be published and dispersed And they had for their king Iohn Luydon and vnder him certaine false Prophets who were their Superiours who made the people beleeue that they â—â—lked and conferred with God sometimes by dreames sâ—metimes by lies and forgeries and that they vndertooke nothing but by Reuelation from him Afterwards they breathed their holy Ghost into the mouthes of those whom they found best fitted for their furious opinions distributing and diuiding thâ—â— thorow their Prouinces as their Apostles to draw and bring vnto them the most simple and easie to beleeue By meanes whereof they brought to their lure and whistle almost all Germanie especially within the tâ—â—â— of Munster where they had established and set vp their monstrous gouernment one while commaunding murthers and massacrings and an other while executing them with their owne hands in which they pretended nothing but inspiration from God And going about to make as a pray vnto themselues all the Kings Princes and Potentates of thâ—â— part of the world they published that they were expresly sent from GOD to driue them away Whâ—â—â—upon they made account to murther them if men had not preuented their purposes and practises Now then tell 〈◊〉 prâ—y you what doth the great vowe of the Iesuites towardâ— their Superiours else import but the obedience of the Anabaptists For further proofe whereof let vs set before vs a General of their Order who eyther thoroâ—â—â— certaine vnruly passion or particular ignoraunce went but verie ill fauouredly to make himselfe a Reformer as well of our religion as of all politique states who also being in the middle of his companions spake vnto them after this manner My little children you know that I being here present with you to commaund you our Lord Iesus Christ is in my mouth and therefore that you ought thorowly and in euerie respect to yeeld obedience God powred out his holy Spirie vpon out good Father Ignace the better therby to sustaine c vpholde his Church which was readie to fall by reason of the errours of the Lutherans errors I say which are spred thorow al Europe to the great griefe of al good Catholicks Now then â—ith iâ— hath pleased God to make vs the Successors of that holy-man so it behâ—â—â—â—â—th vs that aâ— he himselfe so we also should be the first workemen vneâ—ly to root out the same Wee see heresies raigne in many Realmes where also the subiect armeth himselfe against his King In some other places we behold Princes tyrannizing ouer their Subiects Here a Queene â—â—â—ogither hereticall not farre from her A King professing the same thing and other some feeding vs with farre shewes allurements the more deeply to deceiue vs. It belongeth to vs yea to vs I say to defend the cause of God and of poore subiects not in some small sâ—â—â—blance as our forefathers haue done but in good earnest They that in former time occupied themselues therein haue drawen a false skinne ouer the wound and by consequent haue marred all But we shall doe a meritorious work to vnburthen countries kingdomes therof We must needs become executione of the soueraigne iustice of Almightie God which will neuer be grieued or offended with any thing that we as Arbitrers and Executors of his good will and pleasure shall doe to the preiudice of such Kings as rule wickedly and suffer their kingdomes to fall vnto them whom in our consciences we shal know to be worâ—me thereof How be it you thinke not your selues strong inough in your selues to execute my commaundements yet at least let this be a lesson vnto you that you may teach in the midst of Gods Church Wherein also you must imploy all the best meanes you haue least the danger disease and Gangrene get so deepe a roote that it will not easily be remooued Wee shall at the length finde good store of workemen and Surgions to helpe vs forward herein But aboue al things apply refer to this all holy and necessarie prouision of ConfessioÌ„ of Masse of CoÌ„municating to the end that we may with greater assurance of their consciences proceed on in this holy worke and busmes The necessitie of the affaires of Christendome commaundeth it and the dutie of oâ—â— charge bindeth vs thereto These are the aduices and councels that I haue receiued from our Sauiour and Redeemer Iesus Christ who suffered his death and passion for vs and for whose sake as it were in counterchaunge we ought rather to die then not to ridde our selues of these wicked Princes And these euen these I say are the aduises which I haue from God whose Vicegerencie I exercise and execute ouer you though I be vnworthie I leaue heere to your owne considerations the places examples and authorities of holy Scripture which are mistaken and this Monsiure might alleage For of this assure your selues these Atheologians or maimed Diuines will no more faile therein then the Negromancers do in the inuocation of their spirits and diuels or in their healing of diseases And yet all these matters tend but to Anabaptistrie or else to the commaundements of that old dotard of the Mountaine mentioned in our Chroniclers and called the Prince of the Assasines who charmed and charged his subiects to kill handsmooth our Princes that went into the East to recouer the holy Land Whereupon also there hath remayned amongst vs and that euen to this day the word Assasine as proper against all murthering Traitors But is not all this found in our Iesuits And is not this doctrine scattered in the midst of that holy Order Haue we not seene the splintors shiuers of it When the last Prince of Orange was not at the first time slaine in Antwerpe was not this by the instigation of the Iesuits And when at the second time he was slaine in the yeere 1584. by Balthazar Girrard borne in the countie of Burgundie And where also Peter Pan a Cooper dwelling at Ipres vvas sent to kill Maurice Prince of Orange and Earle of Nassaw the other princes sâ—â—â—ue of whom I pray you did they take counsell As 〈◊〉 Girrard before hee was examined he confessed that he went to a Iesuit whose name hee knew not but that he was of a
red haire Regent in the Colledge of Trers who also assured him that hee had conferd touching that enterprise with three of his companions who tooke it wholy to be from God assuring him that if he died in that quarrell he should be enroled and registred in the Kalender of the Martirs And the second confessed that the Iesuits of Doway hauing promised him to procure a Prebend for one of his chyldren the Prouinciall gaue him his blessing before he went about it said vnto him Friend goe thy wayes in peace for thou goest as an Angell vnder Gods safegard and protection And vpon this confession he was put to death in the Towne of Leyden by solemne sentence giuen the twentie-two of Iune in the yeere 1598. Neither am I ignorant of this that the Iesuits will say that they gaue that councell to kill two Princes who had armed theÌ„selues against their King But I tell them that then the King himselfe must put them to death be they neuer so many because they were the first enterprisers and attempters of our last troubles in Fraunce as well against the King that dead is as against the King that presently raigneth But their murthers haue a further reach then that For minding to stirre vp Robert Bruse a Scottish Gentleman eâ—â—her himselfe to kill or to cause to bee killed by some other my Lord Iohn Metellinus Chauncellour to the King of Scots euen of hatred towards him because hee was the Kings very faithfull subiect they caused the said Bruse because hee would not condiscend yeelde vnto them to be summoned and sore troubled at Bruxelles And were they not pertakers with the Iacobin in the assault and murther that was committed against the last French King And haue they not at sundry times and by sundry meanes attempted to take away the 〈◊〉 of the Lady Elizabeth Queene of England And to be short haue they not doone the like against ouâ— King both by the meanes of Peter Barrier and Iohn Caâ—â—ill froÌ„ which God hath miraculously preserued him To euerie of which particularities I will allow his proper discourse and begin the storie of their assaults and murthers that should haue been committed by the Scottish Gentleman CHAP. 2. ¶ Touching an extraordinarie processe and course that was held in the Low-countries against Robert Bruse Gentleman of Scotland vpon the accusation and information of Father William Chrichton Iesuit because he would me cause the Chauncellour of Scotland to be murthered MEn ordinarily giue out and grant extraordinarie processe against such as murther or consent to murther but to procure it or make it against one that would not consent thereto this is the first of that qualitie that euer was heard of And this is the very argument of this present chapter A little after the death of Mary Queene of Scots the late King of Spaine coÌ„maunded the Duke of Parma who was then Gouernour for him in the Low-countries to send Robert Bruse a Gentleman of Scotland to the Scottish King with Letters in the which he promised him men money enough to reuenge him selfe for the death of the Queene his Mother vnto who he protested that hee bare alwaies a singuler affection because she had vowed and so declared herselfe to the last gaspe of her life to be of our Catholique Religion which affection hee would continue to the King her sinne by successiue right but yet so as hee should promise to become the inheritour of the vertues and religion of that good and worthy Princesse My purpose is not largely and by peece-meale as me say to meat and declare howe this matter proceeded though I haue good and faithfull Intelligences of it This onely I will tell you that the said Gentleman had at the same time charge of certaine great sums of money for the fraight of threescore shipps to the end that they might first serue for transporting of victualls and munitions into the Low-countries and afterwards for men of war which the Spanyard resolued to send into England hoping that the Queene of England should be assaulted on both sides A short time after Bruses arriuall in Scotland he hauing beene all his young dayes brought vp and nourished with the Iesuits there came thether Father William Crichton a Scottish man who some-time had berne Rector of the Colledge of the Iesuits at Lyons And he was in the company of the Bishop of Dumblaine who was sent by Pope Sixtus the 5. to the King of Scotland to make him offer of a marriage with the Infant of Spaine so that hee would become a Catholique and ioyne with them against the English My Lord Iohn Metellenus set himselfe against thys negotiation and for sundry good and weighty reasons councelled his Maister not to regard it Insomuch that the Bishop returned thence without effecting any thing leauing Crichton in Scotland who ioyned himselfe with Bruse and was his companion And because hee conceiued that Metellenus alone had turned the King from accepting the offers made him he purposed to shew him a Iesuits â—â—ick indeed And that was this A catholick Lord had inuited the King his Chauncellour to a banquet Crichton solicited Bruse if it would please him to lende him soâ—â— mony to compasse thys Lord that should giue order for procuring the slaughter of the Chauncellor assuring himselfe that by 〈◊〉 of the mony he should make him doe whatsoeuer hee would Bruse flatly refused and that not onely because hee was sent to another end as hee made it appeare to him by the iustructions and memorials which hee had from he Duke of Parma but also and that much the rather by reason of the shame that would fall out vpon the execution of that enterprise especially he hauing before made shew of friendship familiarity with the Chauncellor Yea that that murther would neuer be thought good and lawfull beeing committed in the midst of a banquet and in the Kings presence against whom the iniutie should specially be performed as well by reason of the small account they made of his Maiestie as for the slaughter they should commit vpon a person whoÌ„ he entirely affected for his fidelitie and wisedome And that if he did this deede they should minister matter to the King to exasperate him against the Catholicks as murtherous infamous and trayterous persons to God and the world who to that present houre had receiued all bountifull kindnesses curtesies from their King Crichton seeing he had missed of this his match weâ—â— to moue him to another and to perswade Bruse to giue fifteene hundred crownes to three Gentlemen that did offer to kill the Chauncellor after some other lesse flauÌ„derous and offensiue manner But Bruse answered him that as in respect of the fault or sin it was all one to kill a man with his owne handes and to giue money to procure such a purpose and act to be doone And that for his part hee was a priuate person that had not anie authoritie ouer the
assembly some laboured harde to make immortall mercilesse war against the Hugonots yet demaunded an abatement of Subsidies a proposition ill sorting with the former those Subsidies hauing heen introduced of purpose to further the warres By means whereof the man of whom I speake taking first aduise of the Iesuits propounded a third course to league thēselues against the Hugonots and that such as willing lie enroled themselues vnder the League should be bound to contribute vnto the charge of this new warre These instructions receiued and published the Deputies did nominate a certaine Prince to be their head The last King knowing of what consequence this practise was and that succeeding it would make 3. parties in France his owne which was not one properly that of the League another of the Hugonots to breake this blow discreetly affirmed that he approued well this League but that be would be chiefe thereof which was to the end the League should flie no further then he was pleased to giue it wings The first stone of our ruine beeing cast in this manner the Prouosts of the Merchants and the Sheriffes of Paris returning home and loath that thys opinion of a League which they held most holy should miscarie sent theyr Commissions throughout all the Wards to to the end that such as would contribute should subscribe their names The Constables bare them vnto euerie house some hardier then the rest opposed themselues the greater number fearing worse subscribed The Commission was brought to Christopher le Tou chiefe Iustice whose memorie vvee cannot honour too much this good Lord refused not onely to subscribe but detayned the Commission it selfe and the next day in open Court detested this vnhappy innouation as an assured desolation to our state His authoritie his honestie his reasons wrought so great effect that euery one allowed and followed his aduise From thence-foorth this opinion of the League did weare away or rather vvas remitted to another season that better might befit the purposes of such as broached it Suddainly after the Parliament was ended Father Aimon Auger a Iesuit got the King to giue eare vnto him through his plausible hypocrisies And after him Father Claudius Matthew of Lorraine both the which had so great part in his good fauour that as Montaignes testifieth hee some-times caused them to ride along with him in his owne Coach At length this good King founde that these coozeners were desirous to incroach vppon the managing of State-matters about him Auger especially whom for that cause hee gaue order to his Embassadour at Rome to get him remooued out of Fraunce by Letters of obedience from his Generall The King departing from the Parliament pacified his subiects by an Edict of the yeere 1577. the which hee sayd was vvholly his owne and yet had by his wisedome cleane dashed the reformed Religion without bloodshed if the Iesuits would haue vouchsafed him the leisure to finish what he had begun Wageing in the midst of peace a gentle warre against the Hugonots gentle but more forcible in great mens oppinions then any weapons could haue made it For although that the Edict of 77. gaue some libertie vnto them yet the king neither called them to places of iudgement nor vnto offices in his Exchequer nor to the gouernments of Prouinces and Townes Hee had moreouer deuised the order of the holie Ghost reserued wholly for Catholicke Princes and Lords as also that of the Hieronimitans of our Lady of Vincennes where none were to appeare but Apostolicall Romane Catholiques and with whom laying aside his most high authoritie he fraternized in all kind of deuotion Nowe the presence of these causing the others absence belieue it was no small meanes to force them into the right way For there is nothing which the French Nobilitie affect so much as to be neere theyr King nor any thing that afflicts the common people more then to be kept from Offices this is a disease of minde that spoyles the Frenchman As soone as a Lawyer or Marchant haue by theyr endeuours stuffed theyr Closets and Storehouses with siluer the thing they chiefely ayme at is to bestowe it on places of Iudgement or roomes in the Exchequer for theyr Children so that the newe Religion beganne alreadie to dissolute and it grieued not the Auncients thereof vvho for shame and to auoyde the imputation of lightnes stucke vnto it to suffer their chyldren to be instructed in our Schooles and consequently to learne there the principles of our Religion All matters in this sort proceeded from ill to well from well to better the Countriman plyed harde his plough the Artificer his trade the Merchant his traffique the Lawyer his practise the Cittizen enioyed his reuenew the Magistrate his stipend the Catholick his owne religion throughout all Fraunce without impeachment The remainder of those Hugonots that liued being sequestred into a backe corner of the kingdome when our Iesuits seeing themselues remoued frō theyr Princes fauour beganne to lay this snare to intrap him Euen as the Societie of Iesuits is composed of all sorts of people some for the pen others for practise so had they amongst them one Father Henry Sammier of Luxembourge a man disposed for all assayes and resolued vnto any hazard This fellow was sent by them in the yeere 1581 towards diuers Catholicke Princes to sounde the Foorde And to say truly they could not haue chosen one more fit for he disguised himselfe into as many formes as obiects one while attired like a soldiour another while like a Priest by and by like a country Swaine Dice cardes and women were as ordinarie with him as his prefixed houres of prayer saying he did not thinke he sinned in this because it was done to the furtherance of a good worke to the exaltation of Gods glorie and that hee might not be discouered changing his name together with his habite according to the Countries wherein he purposed to negotiate He parted from Lorraine and thence went into Germany Italie and Spaine The summe of his instructions were that foreseeing the eminent danger of our Catholick religion the seeming conniuence which the King gaue to it and secret fauour hee yeelded on the other side to the Hugonots whereof the Duke his brother had made himselfe an open Protector in the Lowe-Countries their holie societie had resolued to vndertake this quarrell vnder the leading of a great Prince making sure account of Gods assistance seeing that it was directed to the aduauncement of his holy Name and good of his Church Thus Sammier got intelligence from each part and tooke assurance on all hands but presently to manifest their proiects the season fitted not because the Duke was aliue and the two brothers forces once vnited were sufficient to swallow all such as had made head against them And this was but the preamble vnto our Troubles In the yeere 83. he died That let remoued the Iesuits imbarqued in their quarrell such Lords as they thought good and
he vsed And that you may not thinke that this Maxime proceedeth from the pliantnes of their consciences which they restraine or extend as best fitteth their profit their good Father Ignace first taught them this dispensation whereof since they haue made a particular constitution The other holy Fathers founders of diuers orders of Religion established diuers ordinances which they fastened if I may so speake with nailes of Diamond in tombs of brasse which should perpetually be obserued by their Munks and other Religious In the Sect of Iesuits there is nothing so certaine as their vncertaintie as I said of late In the Bull of Pope Paule the third it is written as followeth Et quod possint constitutiones particulares quas ad Societatis huiusmodi finem Iesu Christi Domini nostri gloriam ac proximi vtilitateÌ„ conformes esse iudieauerint condere tam hactenus factas quam in posterum faciendas constitutiones ipsas iuxta locorum temporuÌ„ reruÌ„ qua litatem varietatem mutare alterare seu in totum cassare alias de nouo condere possint valeant Quae postea alteratae mutatae seu de nouo conditae fuerint eo ipso Apstolicae sedis authoritate praefata confirmatae censeaniur cadem Apostolica authoritate de speciali gratia indulgemus That they may make saith Pope Paule particular ordinances which they shal iudge fit for the Societie to the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ and the profit of their neighbour And that such as are alreadie made or shall be made hereafter they may chaunge alter or abolish according to the varietie of place time and occasions and in steed of them make new the which so chaunged reuoked or new made we will that they be confirmed by the foresaid authoritie of the Apostolique Sea and by the same authoritie of our speciall grace and fauour we confirme them I haue translated this place word for word and yet when the Bull saith in Latine that the constitutions may be chaunged as shall be fit for the Societie it must be vnderstood for the maintenance and aduancement of the Order Out of this generall constitution they haue drawne one particular which is woorthie to be knowne in the 16. part of their constitutions Chapter 5. the title beginning thus Quod Constitutiones peccati obligationem non inducunt Cum exoptet Societas vniuersas suas Constitutiones declarationes ac viuendi ordinem omnino iuxta nostrum institutum nihil vltraan re declinando obseruari Optet etiam nihilominus suos omnes securos esse vet certè adiuuari ne in laqueum vllius peccati quod ex vi constuationum huiusmodi aut ordinationum proueniat incidant visum est nobis in Domino vt excepto expresso voto quo Societas summo Pontifici pro tempore existente tenetur aecâ—tribus alijs essentialibus Paupertatis Castitatis Obedientiae nullas Constitutiones declarationes vel ordinem vllum viuends posse obligationem ac peccatum mortale vel veniale inducere Nisi Superior ea in nomine Domini Iesu Christi vel in virtute obedientiae iuberet And a little after Et loco timoris offensae succedat amor desiderium omnis perfectionis vt maior gloria laus Christi creatâ—ris ac Domini nostri consequatur That the constitutions may not bind any man in conscience sith the Societie desires that all their constitutions declarations and order of life should be without euasion conformable to our direction and also neuerthelesse wisheth to be secured or at least succourd that they be not snared in any sin which may grow by theyr constitutions or ordinances We haue thought good in the Lord exception taken to the expresse vow wherewith the societie is bound to the Pope for the time beeing and the three other essentiall vowes of Pouertie Chastitie and Obedience that no Constitutions declarations or any order of life shall impose any yoake of mortall or veniall sinne vpon them vnlesse their Superiour commaund those thinges in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ or in the vertue of obedience And againe In stedde of feare of offending let loue and desire of all perfection come in place and let the glory praise of Christ our Lord and Maker be the more exalted By the first article it is lawfull for them to change rechange their constitutions at their own pleasure forsooth for their good By the second their constitutions are held in regard of the soule indifferent so that the Iesuit may breake them without committing mortall or veniall sinne A law which their great Law-giuer gaue them to the end that to Gods honour and glory there might be fewer sinners in theyr societie Oh holy soules oh pure consciences Who restrayning their inferiours from sinne take themselues the reines committing all manner of sinne vncontrouled Let vs examine these poynts without passion and let vs consider the scope of these two propositions By the first no Prince shall be assured of his estate and by the second no Prince shal be secure of his person in his own kingdome Concerning the first poynt call to minde howe matters haue beene carried for these 25. or 30. yeeres There hath beene no Nation where they be fostered but they would be tempering with their affaires of state I think they are such honest men as what herein they haue done they haue vndertaken to doe it by vertue of their silent Constitutions which the auncient Romans termed Senatus-Consulta tacita or if they did it by their owne priuate authoritie the Generall vvere vnworthy of his place should he suffer it Further this was forbidden them in the yeere 1593 when they sawe all their plots meere frustrate Admit newe troubles should arise these gallants will cassiere and disanull this last Ordinaunce suffering their companions to intermedle as before This same Pauline will it not breede in them a trouble-state where euer they become â—manuel Saâ—n his Aphoâ—ismes of confession Montag cap. 58. But what are their rules in such affaires Marry that it is lawfull to kill a Tyrant That a King breaking and contemning the common lawes of the Land may be depriued of his Crowne by the people That there are other causes for the which Princes and great personages may be slaine In what a miserable condition shall Princes liue if the assurance of theyr Estate shall depend vpon these fellowes Let vs see their newe constitutions of 93. I will that they meddle not at all in affaires of state in generall termes And that particulerly they practise not vpon the person of Princes Are they bound to obey this Nothing lesse Inasmuch as their Lawgiuer chargeth not their consciences but in expresse termes he would otherwise haue charged them by vertue of their blinded obedience And this is the cause that Commolet preaching since this new Statute that there wanted a newe Chud to kill our King and Walpoole furnishing Squire with poyson and instructions to kill the
this progresse by degrees the Iesuits request was presented to the Court of Parliament that had tenne Aduocates as Montaignes and Fon do confesse in their writinges in respect of 13. aduersaries Mont. ca. 22 Fon. ca. 4. which Fon reports were sixe boysterous mightie limmed bodies to wit the Vniuersities the Sorbons the Mendicants the Hospitals and the Parish priests With other foure Lordes of great authoritie namely the Gouernour of Paris the Cardinall Chastilion as protector of the Vniuersitie the Bishop of Paris and the Abbot of S. Geniueue Now can we be so sencelesse as to thinke that so many both of the better and meaner sort banded against them without cause in a matter of so great importance But what were the commons those which of late memorie plagued the Hugonots out of all measure raced the walls of Patriarch and Popincourt where they had theyr exercise of religion who by order of Lawe procurd the death of Gabaston the Captaine of their garde and protector of theyr attempts together with Cagres both the Father and the sonne So many Sages of the common people sworne enemies to heresie did sette thēselues against the Iesuits lying but yet in the suburbs of our ciuill warres against the Iesuits I say who then vaunted themselues to be the scourge of Hereticks Assuredly it cannot be but that all those great personages who then vndertooke the quarrell against them were perswaded that this Sect was extreamely to be feared as well by the libertie of the French Church and generall estate of Fraunce as of all Christendome Besides these two great parties there was yet another more strong mightie then them both namely Mounsieur Mesnil the Kings Aduocate in the Court of parliament directly opposite to them But for all this great multitude of partakers sayth the Iesuite the matter came not to open triall but was put ouer to coūsell as a plaine argument that the goodnesse of our cause did craue very much fauour Poore foole and young Scholler hadst thou been brought vp in the light of the Royall pallace or read the course of iustice of our kings as thou art nuzled in the dust of the Colledges thou shouldst haue knowne that the high Courts admit no open triall of great causes they haue no time nor leysure duly to informe theyr consciences As appeares by a like course helde by the same Court in the month of Iuly 94. And for this cause Mounsieur Marion pleading against the Iesuits of Lyons in the yeere 97. said that a defectiue and imperfect prudence of the yeere 64. was in some sort the occasion that the affaires of Fraunce degenerated with the time waxed worse and worse As for my selfe I will say more boldly with open face that this matter was in the yeere 64. put ouer to counsell by the wisedome of men but thys counsaile was guided by the hand of God who to take vengeance of our sinnes preserued the Iesuits as a deuoted instrument hung aside in the Temple fit for the future miseries of Fraunce To what purpose is all this saue onely this to shewe you that if I detest abhorre the Sect of Iesuits I haue no small shelters for my oppinion first the venerable censure of Paris the yere 1554. wherein were the greatest Diuines that euer were in Fraunce and by name Picard Maillard Demochares Perionius Ory the Inquisiter for matters of faith The first an admirable preacher whose body after his death being layd forth in his house in the Deanry of S. Germins of Lauxerrois the people of Paris for the sanctimony of his life did striue to kisse his feete the foure other his companions were extreame persecutors of the Heretiks I haue the great decree of the French church in the yeere 61. the iudgement that did second it and finally many men of marke and communalty set against them in the yeere 1564. Amongst these I may speake it for a certainty which I ought to beleeue because I saw it There was two honorable resemblances of antiquitie Solicitors in the cause Bennet the Deane and Courselles the Subdeane of the facultie of the Diuinitie Schooles in Paris The one fourscore yeeres of age the other threescore seauenteene both ready to depart from hence to giue vp an account of theyr actions in another world at which time euery man standes stricte vppon his conscience With them was Faber Sindic one of the wisest men that euer was among the Sorbons In the winding vp of all I will set downe Ma. Noell Brullarte Procurator generall the great Aristides and Cato of his time which liuing in the yeere 50. withstood the receiuing of the Iesuites I tell you this expresly to discouer how like the iugling of the Iesuits of our time is to the former For Fon is so impudent as to report that Ramus Mercerus after they became the Kings Professors reuolted from our auncient Religion and were folicitors in this cause and that if they had not encountred them they had won the field but to auoid sedition the Court was forced warilie to strike saile to the tempest by putting the matter off to counsell Well but yet thou lyest most impudently thou Iesuit Pardon me for it is very fit I should be in choller Neither Ramus nor Mercerus for theyr parts euer stirred in this although they tooke part with their brethren the Kings Professors because they would not separate thēselues from the body of the Vniuersitie Moreouer what likelihood is there that the mindes generally of the Parisiens could be so suddenly changed to take part with the Hugonots Mercerus was so farre from faction that hee had no skill in any thing but Hebrue wherein he spent all his time without intermission and became so great a Superlatiue in that tongue that by the iudgement of the best learned he was preferd before all the Iewes In all worldly matters hee stoode but for a bare Cypher But this is a Iesuiticall priuiledge to vnderset theyr slaunders with the time by newe cogges For if this Iesuit Fon durst he would say that the towne the Vniuersitie and the facultie of Diuinitie in Paris all the foure orders of Mendicants the Parish priests were Hugonots because they hindred the matriculation of this holy Order what other consequence can be deduced from his speech Oh singuler and admirable impudencie yet to be excused because it proceedeth from a Iesuit Neuerthelesse to shew with what truth integrity I mean to confound thē in their lying they caused Versoris Plea to be printed in the yere 94. he to bring the Vniuersity into hatred In the 24. 32. leafe of Versoris Plea saith first formost not that Mercerus but Ramus Gallandius were made solicitors in this cause but this was so far frō all likelihood of truth that euery man tooke it for an hyperbole by reason of the open enmity they caried to all times which accompanied them vnto their death This enmity Rablays the Lucian
of our age in the preface of his 3. booke after him Ioachim Bellay a gallant Poet in one of his chiefe Poems scoffed at with expresse inuentions which are the best passages in all theyr bookes As for Gallandius he was neuer of any other religion then the Catholique Apostolique Romane I haue quoated out this in particular as I passe along to giue you to vnderstand that in euery matter be it neuer so small the Iesuite cannot goe by without lying and disguising CHAP. 7. How the Iesuits were refused at Rome and by what cunning they were afterward receiued NEuer thinke that if they were so euill intreated in Fraunce they had any better entertainmēt at Rome At their first comming Ignatius and his new companions arriuing there plotted in the yeere 1539 to establish a new sect that should make the three ordinarie vowes of other religious a fourth beyond them all concerning mission and that they should haue a Generall whom they should be bound absolutely to obey without any reason yeelded them I will report it to you word for word what was the conclusion of their assembly and what Massee the Iesuite saith in the life of Ignatius dedicated by him to Aquauiua their Generall which booke was imprinted by his allowance Ergo without controuersie one must be chosen to whom all in earth must be obedient as if it were to Christ Maffee lib. 2. cap. 9. de vita Ignacij to his word they must sweare and esteeme his becke and his will as an Oracle of God And after they concluded that their Generall should continue in this dignitie while he liued Moreouer that whosoeuer entred this profession should to the three solemne vowes of all other religious houses adde a fourth to go without shrinking to whatsoeuer countrey of beleeuers or iufidels it should please the Pope to send them and that without fee or so much as petition to defray their charges by the way Thus you see in the first planting of them another absolute obedience to their General in all things different from that to the Pope concerning their mission onely I will leaue the rest of their rule presented to Paul the third to the examination it pleased his holinesse to make of it He committed it to three Cardinals to discusse which thought good to refuse it specially the Cardinall Guidicion Ignatius whom I haue allowed for one of the most sharpe and worldly wise men our age afforded knew he had plaid the Clarke and in his new statute couched a greater obedience to the Generall than to the holy Sea For this cause he reformed his rule and made their obedience to the Pope and their Generall in both alike These be the words of Ribadener a Iesuit who hath also written the life of Ignatius Rib. lib. 2. cap. 7. The order of these Clarks must be that by their Institution they be readie to obey the Pope at a becke and liue by such a line as he shall well consider and determine of Which the Pope at Tibur the third of September in the yeere 1539. was glad to heare From this passage you may gather that assoone as they offered him absolute obedience in all things Pope Paulus began to lend a fauourable eare vnto them Neuerthelesse he stood a while in doubt to open any broad way freely for them to enter for in the yeere 1540. he alowed them no number aboue threescore afterwards in the yeere 43. he laid the gate wide open vnto them CHAP. 8. ¶ Of the insolent title of the societie of Iesus vsurped by the Iesuits and how many sundrie fashions they haue vsed to authorize it OVr whole country of Fraunce was very much offended at the proud and partiall name of Iesuites which they tooke vpon them The French Church first next to it the Court of Parliament expresly forbad the vse of it Mesnil the kings great Aduocate pleaded the cause shewing how odious the name ought to be among Christians for ripping vp the reasons that moued the Bishop the facultie of Diuinitie and the Vniuersitie of Paris to reiect them at their first arriuall The maine reasons were quoth he first the insolent name title of Iesuits and verily by how much the more the name may be tollerated among Iewes Turks and Pagans by so much the more it is to be refused among Christians which do all make profession of the law of Iesus It is as worthie to be blamed as if a man should attribute and vsurpe vnto himselfe alone the name of a Christian among Christians the name of a French man among the French or the name of Parisian among the Parisians Moreouer the name of Iesus is of such dignitie and excellencie that his Disciples Followers left it only to their Head and neuer tooke but the adiectiue of Christian wherewith they are contented to this day Vpon the same ground Pasquier said as much in a Plea of his I will begin with their name and after descend to their propositions First of all they call themselues Iesuits in the midst of Christians Blessed God is not this an accusation of the Apostles happie and renowmed were those holy Fathers seeing our Sauiour Iesus Christ face to face to heare his exhortations daly and after his ascension into heauen to receiue the holy Ghost from him Neuerthelesse knowing with what humility they ought to regard and honour that great and holy name of Iesus they neuer durst call themselues Iesuits but Christians onely in the towne of Antioch where that name was taken vp by them and as for matters of religion they were afterwards so handled that as in Rome the Popes neuer took vpon them the name of S. Peter for the honour reuerence they bare to their Captain so in Christendome was there neuer any Christian baptized by the name of Iesus All the old fathers knew it well that it had beene blasphemie to attribute the name due to the onely Creator and Sauiour of mankind vnto a meere creature You must acknowledge then my maisters Ignatiens that you blaspheme against the honour of God when you intitle your selues Iesuits It may be you will say we do not take vpon vs the name of Iesus but of Iesuits to let the people know that we be Iesus followers Why did the Apostles other disciples of our Lord they that immediatly succeeded him briefly all the old fathers of the Primitiue Church trace any lesse after him then you do so as by some speciall priuiledge you must borrow this title and not they Furthermore I would be glad to learne whether we by withdrawing our selues from the vow of your arrogant superstition be shut out from the fellowship of our Lord and Maister Iesus Christ Pasquier said well that it is to call the Apostles in question For Fon the Iesuit defended afterwards that the Christians title was a prouder stile then the Iesuits Ignatius and his companie as they said being desirous to draw our Church backe
name which they had once giuen as they thought vnto the truth Nay the matter proceeded so farre that this name grew to be imposd vppon the rest of that societie almost throughout all Portugall Trust me this passage is of such desert that I should deceiue these good men if I should not translate it into French to discouer with howe great pietie they haue purchast this title For Fraunces Xauier is honoured for a great Saint among all the Iesuits Was there euer any impietie or imposture greater then this that these two hypocrits to be counted Apostles bruted it abroad that two new supplies were added to their Sect to make vp the number of twelue Apostles and that vpon this false alarum they were called Apostles This was against theyr will saith Turcelline belieue the reporter For Xauier tooke speciall care not to loose his tytle when hee came into the Indies Tincel 2. booke of Xauiers life cap. 3. Therefore as before in Portugall so in India he began to be commonly calld an Apostle and the same title afterwards flowed from Francis as from the Head to the rest of his fellowes Tell me I beseech you whether this be not to renue the heresie of Manes whose followers were cald Manichees he naming himselfe the Paraclet had twelue Disciples whom he cald Apostles and for such he sent them abroad one by one to other prouinces to spread abroad the poyson of his heresie through their preaching To say the truth Ignace neuer tooke on him the name of Paraclet yet was he willing inough to be accounted for another Iesus by his company As I wil discourse to you in his proper place when I come to speak of their blind obedience He did not only take this authority power vpon himselfe But resigned it ouer also to all the Generals of his order that succeeded him who in like manner haue embraced the title of Apostles wherewith their inferiours were endowed in Portugall This is apparant in Rome and yet no man sees it but quite contrarie this Family is there had in honourrable regard vpon a wrong conceit men haue entertained touching their absolute obedience whereof these my Maisters make semblance vnto the Pope And shall we hereafter haue any maruaile to heare a barking at the holy Sea by diuersities of new opinions that fight against it Pardon me I beseech thee O holy Sea for it is the heat of my zeale deuoted to thee that inforceth me to vtter this speech Great and vnspeakable are Gods iudgements to suffer that in the Citie of Rome in your sight and knowledge there should bee a Manes continued by successions from one to another which hath not twelue onely but infinite Apostles dispersed here and there God will reuenge it early or late though it be by his enemies The Aduocate as a man much wounded in heart was desirous to prosecute this in a chafe when the Iesuit interrupting him said Verie well sir you are in daunger to be drawen drie Marking your discourse you put me in mind of those young Historiographers which imputed it for folly to Alexander the great that he would haue all men thinke him to be Iupiters sonne they attributed this to his immoderate ouer-weening neuerthelesse it was an excellent wise drift of his Can you imagine why so long as the country of king Darius was the marke he shot at he was too wise to take that title vpon him and chose rather to thrust forward his fortune by ordinarie meanes of armes But as soone as he plotted to passe into India a kind of new world deuided from ours he would haue the people perswaded by the great Priest of Aegypt that he was Iupiters sonne and from that time he would be adored as such a one not by the Macedonians his natural subiects bred in the liberty of a Greeke spirit But by the barbarous people with such respect and beliefe that from that time forward they should take him not to be a meere Prince but a great God that came to the conquest of the Indies this deuice tooke so good effect that he made himselfe Lord of the country without striking stroke The Kings Potentates and common people saying that their countrey was first vanquished by Bacchus then by Hercules both sonnes of Iupiter and that the whole rule and Dominion was reserued for the comming of Alexander a third sonne of his Thinke you our Societie followes not this plot you see we neuer tooke the name of Apostles any where but in Portugall but when we were to go to the same Indies where Alexander had beene we thought as he did that it was fit we should be authorized beyond others by a more ample sacred and maiesticall title which was to be called Apostles It had beene ill for vs to challenge it in Portugall if Xauier had not continued it by an entercourse of his companie after his arriuall in the Indies to the end he might be reputed another Saint Thomas sent thither after the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ And it were impossible to recount what conquests of soules we made there vnder this holy perswasion Ha quoth the Aduocate verily if this be your fashion I haue nothing to do with you for as when you entred Italy you borrowed I know not what of their Mountebanks so would you do the like of Machiauell in Portugall and the Indies Meane while you my maisters that haue bragged much of your knowledge in Diuinitie haue verie ill turnd ouer the history of the kings in the the Bible from whence you gather by a continued ranke that God tooke away the crownes of all the Kings of Israel as oft as they became Idolaters eyther while they liued or in all time to come neuer suffered them to descend vnto their children How thinke you I pray ye that God hath left the true Kings of Portugall without heires and that their Realme came into the hands of the first Prince that caught it That one Don Anthonio a bastard one Katherine de Medices Queene-mother of our King pretended title to it and last of all that one Philip King of Spaine became maister of it without any great resistance I will not discourse in partriculer of the goodnes of his title for mine one part I thinke that the best title he had was the iustice of God whō it pleased in reuenge of the giddie Idolatrie and blasphemie of the kings and people to make this realme without triall of the cause passe from one family to another by this holy title of Apostles attributed to these hypocrites And I perswade my selfe that the King of Spayne now raigning will one day fall into the like mischiefe if he suffer this impietie CHAP. 10. ¶ The impieties of William Postell a Iesuits BVt why should we thinke this blaphemie strange in them if within few yeeres after they tooke the title of Apostles on them some one of them was found so abhominable in the sight of God and man
a looking glasse of the Apostles they then succeeding in their charge make themselues successors of their merits And as for vs let vs set before our eies Saint Paule Anthonie Iulian Hilarion Macharius Captaines of our profession and not to forget what the holy scripture tels vs an Elias and an Eliseus Our Table is the ground our diet is hearbes and sometime a fewe small fishes which wee account for great banquets The same Saint Hierom beeing intreated by a good sonne to preach to his Mother Sanct. Hier. tract de vitand susp cont thereby to reconcile her to a daughter of hers you take me for a man saith hee that may croud into a Bishops chaire you vnderstand not that I am shut vp in a Cell sequestred from companie by vow deuoted onely to lament my sinnes past or shunne the sinnes present Time as I haue told you culd out two sorts of these men the one dwelt solitarily in the desartes cald Ancors the others in Couents which the Greeks cald Coenobites whose order and discipline Saint Hierome describes in that notable Epistle that begins Audi filia And although the Monkes were neither Priests nor Clarks yet by course and compasse of time their superiours were permitted to be Priested that they might administer the Sacraments to them Thus became Saint Hierom an Abbot and Priest togither Likewise Iohn Bishop of Constantinople reproouing Epiphamus Bishop of Cypres his inferiour for Priesting some Monkes in Saint Hieromes Monasterie hee made his excuse by the multitude of Monkes which then wanted Priests to minister vnto them And Saint Ambrose in a funerall Oration he made for Eusebius Bishop of Vercellis among other particularities for which he commended him Saint Amb. serm 69. this was one that he had Priested all the Monkes of his Dioces In processe of time Religious persons ioyning holy orders to deuotion became great nurseries of our Church In that some of them were made Archbishops some Bishops who by their holy liues and deepe learning promoted Christian Religion greatly Such were Gregorie Nazianzen and Basill both Monkes and both Bishops which seuerally erected an infinite number of Monasteries and religious orders the one in the Realme of Pontus the other in Cappadocia and in them begunne the discipline of Religions which is in part transmitted ouer euen vnto vs. I omit heere of purpose to touch the nouelties brought in by time contenting my selfe with shewing you the first roote of all It remaines that I speake a word or two to you of our Vniuersities erected as well for diuinitie Lectures as other humaine Sciences Neither in the Apostles times nor long after as our Church particularly charged with Lectures The Apostles office successiuely the Bishops consisted in preaching the Gospell and administring the holy Sacraments VVee are debters to the Church of Alexandria for this first institution where in the dayes of Commodus the Emperour Panthen a man of great learning first opened a Diuinitie schoole by the authoritie of Iulian the Bishop And frō that time Euseb lib. 5 hist ecclesi ca. 9.10 saith Eusebius the custome begun in the Church of Alexandria was continued vnto vs namely to haue men that excelled in all knowledge and learning to be Doctors Diuinitie Readers Clemens Alexandrinus succeeded Panthen a man verie famous for his learning among the best learned in his time After him came Origen who tooke to him Heraclas the best of all his Schollers these two parted the publique Lectures between them Origen read Diuinitie Astronimie Geometrie and Arithmatique leauing the meaner Lectures of the Church of Alexandria to Heraclas The other Bishops borrowed this commendable custome of trayning vp of youth this custome spred so farre in this manner that the Vniuersities beginning to set learning abroach the Bishops became the first and last Iudges of theyr endeuours and for this purpose haue they a Chauncelour ouer them with whom the examination of this course and these matters dooth reside As for Monkes and religious persons they haue no authoritie to read Lectures but to their own companies I haue heeretofore related what was the first and originall Oeconomie of our Church in Bishops Abbots and Vniuersities vpon which three great Pillers our religion stands Now let vs bring the Iesuits to the touch that we may know what they are They be men apparrelled like our Priests bearing no outward marke of Monks yet do they make the three substantiall vowes of Chastitie Pouerty and Obedience common with other religious persons and they ioyne pouertie with it as well in generall as particuler by them of the last vow which are called Fathers men aboue others deuoted to preach to administer the holy sacraments of Pennance and of the Altar to reade publique Lectures in all Sciences to all sorts of schollers without any subiection to the auncient statutes of the Vniuersities yea and without acknowledgement of superioritie of the Bishops ouer thē hauing their prerogatiue apart But in conclusion for the accomplishment of their deuotion they offer to goe into all quarters of the world where it shall please the Pope to commaund them to conuert Infidels and vngodly men thereby to renewe in some sort the ancient practise of the Apostles Therefore let vs now consider whether this innouation of theyrs may by the auncient order of the Church deserue any place among vs and whether they may be calld the companie of Iesus if not by priuation at the least by preuention of al other Christians CHAP. 15. ¶ That no man can tell where to place the Iesuits among all the three auncient orders of our Church and that this is the true cause for which they neuer yet durst set in theyr foote into Processions MEn say that dreames for the most part arise out of a long meditation imprinted in our heads the day before by a reflection vppon some subiect which hath presented it selfe againe in the night vnto our fantasies Thus hath it happened vnto mee of late for as one of the principall things I bent my mind vnto was the Iesuits proceedings so it fortuned that one night among the rest I dreamed this which I will rehearse vnto you And I beseech you my Maisters not to thinke I tell it you to make you merry but in the soberest manner that I can the matter is of such moment that if I should doe otherwise I should deserue to be punisht If you will not accept it for a dreame take it at the least for a heauenly vision such a one as Ignace had when God the Father appeard to him recommending him to his sonne Iesus Christ or els when hee shewed him all the tooles with which hee made this great frame of the word or when Durus Xauiers first disciple sawe in a desolate Chappell our blessed sauiour Iesus Christ in the shape of a childe come to reconcile himselfe to the virgine his Mother that was angry with him As I was a sleepe me thought I saw GOD take
a generall surueigh of his Church from the passion of our sauiour Redeemer Iesus Christ vnto this day where as it were in a great procession the Apostles went formost followed by Popes Patriarches Archbishops and Bishops Curates priestes and all those Ecclesiasticall persons which are calld Seculars because they bee no Monks In the second ranke marched those good olde Fathers the Hermits vvho were the first founders of Monasteries After them traced many great Abbots religious Orders of S. Augustine and S. Benet from whom as from two great conduits flowed all other religious Orders called Regulars In the reareward came the Vniuersities led by their Rectors and the foure faculties of Diuinitie Law Phisick and Arts with all their Officers a huge companie of schollers great and small S. Peter carried the streamer before the first Saint Anthonie before the second and because some haue thought good so to place him Peter Lombard Bishop of Paris and Maister of the Sententences before the third a man framed for this purpose at this time without looking backe towards Maister Iohn Gerson Doctor of Diuinitie and in his time Chancelor of the Vniuersitie of Paris Last of all came the good Ignace with his equipage of Faure Xauier Salmeron Bobadilla Roderic Breet Iay and Codury his first companions And after them Iames Lainez Fraunces Borgia Euerard Marcurian Claudius Aquauiua all of them successiuely Generalls of their order Behind these were the Prouincialls Rectors Fathers Principalls Regents Presidents spirituall temporall coadiutors and schollers admitted All which marching after theyr Captaine Ignace desired to bee marshald vnder the banner of S. Peter first next vnder S. Anthonies lastly vnder the Vniuersities At the first Ignace neuer doubted to be receiued of the Apostles because their preaching administration of the sacraments of Pennace of the Altar and the great vowe of Mission made by the Fathers to the holie Sea seemed to paue the way thether very faire for them this made him steppe boldly to S. Peter You shal be partakers of the whole discourse that passed between them I beseech you let it not displease you to see my Dreame enioy the priuiledge of dreames which make what personages they lust play theyr parts with those that come into our fantasies without respect of any rule or interposition of time which commonly we obserue in other matters S. Peter Good Fathers you are very welcome for the maine scope of our calling hath beene to winne as many soules to God as possibly wee could Ign. This is the marke we aime at by the particular vow of Mission which wee make to your successors in Rome S. Peter This is well done howe are you called Ign. As our vocation craues to wit The societie of Iesus In respect whereof the common people by inspiration of the holie Ghost haue called vs Iesuits a name which at thys day appeares to be miraculously spredde ouer all the world it hath pleased God it should be so S. Pet. Nay rather the deuill which hath vnder your habite gone about to circumuent all the world this is not the first taste we haue taken of his trecheries neither will it be last he watches euerie day to surprize the Church of God How coÌ„meth it to passe We which were fostred euerie day in the companie of Iesus to whom he imparted all his secrets all the while he was debased here in the flesh and after he ascended vp to heauen made vs pertakers of his companie by his holy spirit we I say neuer durst take this name vnto vs but the name of Christians first in the Church of Antioch where our holy brethren Paule and Barnabas did gouerne A title approoued by the Church from our time to this day and do you that desire to be among vs by a new and arrogant title call your selues Iesuits Ign. I beseech you hold vs excused it is not pride but humilitie that prouokes vs to it our Sauiour had two names one proper which is that of Iesus this at that time was a common name to many Iewes though men of base and vile condition the other is that of Christ much more noble and honourable for it appertaind to none but Kings Priests and Prophets Fon. ca. 38. men cald Gods annointed for which cause you haue chosen this name and we contrarywise the other of Iesus for the small account the Iewes made of it as meaner and lower then the other Thus if there be any greater pride in the choice of the one then of the other it may easily be iudged from whence it comes Moreouer we doe not thinke that the name of Christian was imposed vpon you by the Church of Antioch but accidentally by the voice of the common people without iudgement it was receiued to be by a secret inspiratiation of God At this speech a great many saints and deuout men standing in the first ranke began to murmour softly one to another and some mutined out aloud saying that without giuing any further hearing vnto Ignace he and all his followers were to be banished our Church And that by this proposition the foundation of their order there is much Iudaisme in Iesuitisme for iust as the olde Iewes arraigned our Sauiour Iesus Christ so deale these new Iewes at this day with the Apostles The Primitiue Church vsurped not the Name of Iesus although it seemed to them to be common among the Iewes but because the Apostles and other true and faithfull Disciples of Christ Iesus knew the force energie and exceeding greatnes of this holy name Then Saint Mathew and Saint Luke stepping forth defended Mâ—h ca. 1. Luc. ca. 1. that God the Father himselfe gaue this name by the mouth of the holy Ghost his Embassadour expresly sent by him when he told the Virgin Marie that he that should be borne of her pure wombe should be called Iesus a name that signifies a Sauiour because he should be the Sauiour of the world Hereupon Eusebius Bishop of Cesarea Fuseb lib. 1. ca. lib. 2. ca. 6. made a faire commentarie vpon the difference of the two words And Saint Augustine that famous Bishop of Hippon shewes that if God the Father gaue this name of Iesus it was done by a secret mysterie prophecied by his great Prophet Moses whom GOD told hee had chosen him to lead his children of Israel to the land of promise and for this cause did he take another to succeed him in his place before he died Moses made choice of Auses but in the choice Aug tom 1â— hom 27 chaunged the name of Auses into that of Iesus that in time to come saith this notable Affricanian Bishop men might know that not by Moses but by Iesus that is to say not by the law but by grace Gods people should enter the land of promise And as the first Iesus was not the true Iesus but onely a figure of him so the land of promise was not the euerlasting land of promise
A Cleargie mans goods may be confiscated by an ecclesiasticall Iudge in such cases as a Lay-man may be so punisht by the law 38 A Cleargie man may not be punisht by a Secular Iudge for a false testimonie giuen before him 39 A Clergie man being smitten by on of the Laitie may sue him before an ecclesiasticall Iudge 40 A Cleargie man may vse the custome and statute of Lay-men for his owne profit His meaning is that the custome binds him not vnlesse it please himselfe 41 A Bishop may constraine men vpon paine of excommunication to bring in the Testaments of the dead and see they be executed 42 A Bishop may charge a benefice which hee bestowes with a yeerely pension for the maintaining of a poore scholler or Clarke 43. A woman is not vsually to haue succession in Fee 44. A Cleargie man dying intestate and hauing no kinred the Church which he serued must be his heire but now perhaps the chamber of the Apostolique Sea inherits 45. A prisoner going to execution is not bound to confesse that which before he vntruly denied vnlesse otherwise some great harme may ensue 46. A prisoner is not to be compelled by his confessor to confesse his fault All which Propositions directly derogate from those which we obserue by the common law of Fraunce And yet that which is more mischieuous intolerable is that which he hath in two other Articles written in this sort 47 The rebellion of a Cleargy man against his Prince is not high treason because he is not subiect to the Prince 48 If a Priest in confession haue intelligence of some great daunger intended to the state it is sufficient to giue a generall warning to take heed He also against whom euill is intended may be warned to take heed to himselfe at such a place and time so that the penitent be not in daunger to be discouered thereby Good God Can we abide this order in our countrey of Fraunce I know that although God be thanked our kings were neuer tyrants yet the Iesuits propound two Maximes which if they should take place euerie soueraigne Prince must stand to the mercie of his people 49 A King may be deposed by the State for tyranny and if he do not his dutie when there is iust cause an other may be chosen by the greater part of he people Yet some thinke that tyrannie onely is the cause for which he may be deposed 50 He that gouerns tyranously may be deposd by the peoples sentence yea though they haue sworne perpetuall obedience to him if being warned he will not amend If these two Articles take place there is no Prince be he what he will that can be assured in his estate And I pray you suppose that this confessionary was printed in the yeere 1589. that is to say to confirme authorize that which was purposed against the King deceased in the beginning of the yeere when certaine ill disposed persons would haue declared him to be a tyrant 51. We haue in this countrey of Fraunce an appeale as it were a writ of Errour of the thundring of the Apostolike Buls when they are found to enterprize anie thing eyther against the maiestie of our Kings or against the auncient Councels receiued and approued in our Church of Fraunce or against the liberties thereof or against the authoritie Royall or Acts of the high Courts This appeale as from the abuse I tell you is one of the principall sinewes of the maintenance of our estate The Iesuit will not acknowledge it for many causes which touch him neere which I will not here discouer 52 The Iesuits acknowledge none for their Iudge but the Pope or their General desiring by this means to fend vs backe againe to that old labyrinth of Rome wherof our good Saint Bernard complaind to Pope Eugenius in his bookes of consolation And thereof we saw a notable example in Burdeaux when Lager Rector of the Colledge of the Iesuits declared that he would not obey the Maire and Iurats who had sent for him for the preuenting of a certaine sedition saying that he acknowledged them for ciuil Magistrates ouer the Burgesses of the Citie but that neither they nor any other Iudges of what nation qualitie dignitie and authority soeuer had any power ouer their societie but onely our holy Father the Pope or the Generall of their order And shall we then suffer this family to liue in the midst of vs That were indeed to receiue in a vermine which at length will gnaw out the heart of our estate both spirituall and temporall Then said the Iesuit to the Aduocate I will not be long in aunswering your curious collections Sess 25. ca. 16. de regular For against all that you haue said I oppose in one word the generall counsell of Trent by which we are approued and authorized 53 Whereto the Aduocate aunswered I grant that you haue thirtie on your part but we haue 45. aboue you This Councell concerning the doctrine is an abridgement of all the other auncient Councels therfore it is in that regard to be embrast by all deuout soules but wholy to be reiected concerning discipline as well Secular as Ecclesiasticall as that Councell by which our whole Realme of Fraunce would be set on fire if it should be receiued And they that can sent well smell that all which was then decreed came from the Iesuitish soules I meane as concerning matter of gouernment If there were no other respect but this ye were to be banisht out of Fraunce because we cannot allow of you without allowing of this Councell and the approuing of it were to make a great breach both into the Maiestie of our Kings and into the liberties of our Church of Fraunce CHAP. 2. ¶ That the Popes authorizing the Iesuit at his first comming neuer had any perswasion that eyther he could or ought to inhabit in Frannce WHen the Aduocate had made an end of this discourse the Iesuit thinking he had some great aduantage against him began to speak thús to him Let vs lay aside the counsell of Trent though it be a strong fort for the confirming of our order At the least you cannot deny that we are assisted with an infinite number of the Buls of diuers Popes Paulus and Iulius the third Pius the fourth and fifth and Gregorie the thriteenth by all which they do not onely approue vs but gratifie vs with many great priuiledges such as neuer were granted to any other order of religion as you might vnderstand by me yesterday Whereupon it followes that you and all other that set themselues to fight against vs ought to be held for heretiques Aduoc. A great obiection forsooth for you could not possibly fight against me with any better weapons I am right glad that my whole discourse begins continues ends according to the authority of the holy sea Abs Ioue principium Iouis omnia plena The holy Sea hath approued of you say you I
are none but the fathers of the last vow bound to the Pope in this Mission they make account that the holy Sea is infinitely beholding to thē for it There Generall can do more For he is permitted by their constitutions to send as well some of them of the great vow as of the other whither soeuer he will without partialitie or exception of any person Idem Generalis in Missionibus omnē hababit potestatem in tamen nulla ratione repugnando 9. Par. const ca. 3. art 9. quae à sede Apostolica vt in septima parte dicitur proficiscuntur Mittere ergo poterit omnes sibi subditos siue professionem emiserint siue non emiserint quos mittendos iudicauerit ad quaslibet mundi partes ad quoduis tempus vel definitum vel indefinitum prout ei videbitur ad quamuis actionem ex his quibus ad proximorū auxilium Societas solet exercendant Poterit etiam missos reuocare in omnibus denique vt ad maiorem Dei gloriam fore senserit procedere The said Generall saith the Latin shall haue all authoritie in Missions yet without derogating any way frō those which are granted by the Sea Apostolick as it is said in the seuenth part It is lawful for him therfore to send any of his inferiors whether they haue made profession of the vow or not whom he shal think meet to any part of the world for what time he please prefixed or not prefixed for any purpose in which the Society is wont to be employed for the good of their neighbours It is lawfull for him also to call home them that are sent and to doe in all things as the shall thinke it most conuenient for Gods glory I doe not thinke it straunge that their Generall may countermaund them that are sent by the Pope because he had leaue to do it by the Bull of 1549. But concerning that point which depends only vpon their constitutions that the Generall may send whither he will not only the fathers profest but all other inferiors of his order I cannot choose but he greatly offended at the matter For to grant such libertie is to giue too much to their Generall and too little to our holy Father the Pope Therfore as oft as they trumpet out to vs this vow of Mission by which their fathers of the great vow are bound to the holy Sea they mocke both him vs. For this vow is superfluous their constitutions being such for their Generall as I haue shewed you Of which constitutions also they haue no Pope for warrant and they are extraordinarily punishable for hauing vsurped this priuiledge vpon the holy Sea of their owne priuate authoritie CHAP. 17. ¶ Of the blindfold obedience which the Iesuits owe the Pope which at this day they impudently denie by theyr new bookes PAsquiier pleading for the Vniuersitie of Paris against the Iesuits obiected to them that they yeelded a certaine particuler submission to the Pope that was vtterly contrarie to the liberties of our Ch. of Fraunce A submission that first brought in a schissme into the Church betwixt the popish Iesuit the true catholique French-man Besides of such consequence that if any quarrell should happen betwixt the Popes our Kings the Iesuits would be as sworne enemies to the Crowne of Fraunce as any that we foster in Fraunce When this obiection was made against them Verseris theyr Aduocate answered neuer a word to it as you may see by his Plea But as the time hath refined theyr wits so they haue bethought themselues of a buckler for this blow by a new kind of Sophistrie saying that they make no other particular vow to the Pope then that of Mission and that in all other poynts they are conformable to vs. So they would haue defended themselues in the yeere 1594. when their cause was pleaded the second time in the Parliament at Paris as you may vnderstand by that which I alleaged out of their defences And Montaignes in his book of the Truth defended faith that their vow is containd in these wordes of their profession Mont. c. 24. after the three vowes of Religion Insuper promitto specialem obedientiam summo Pontifici circa Missiones Which signifieth nothing els but that they which are profest promise to obey their holy father the Pope specially without delay or excuse to goe into any part of the world to the Indies or to the Turks among the Infidels and heretiques to conuert them or to the Christians to ayde them But aboue all he best pleaseth me which made The most humble supplication and request to the King for the Societie of Iesus who after he had daubd ouer his cause with many hypocriticall reasons when he comes to this poynt of obedience to the Pope his booke beeing shut vp as if by ouer-sight he had forgot to aunswere it adds by way of an appendix beside the Booke about some twentie lines to this effect Addition to page 56. The same Author hath taught our enemies to take vp matter of reproch about a vow that the profest of our Societie make to the holy Sea vppon which they haue glozed that wee promise to obey it wholy in all thinges whatsoeuer it shall commaund and that if the Pope be a Spaniard we will be so to if he please which glosse is not onely contrarie to the truth but also beside the purpose and matter This vow my Liege containes nothing but a promise readily to employ our selues when it shall please the holy Sea among the Infidels Pagans and Hereticks to conuert thē to the fayth The words of the vow are Further I promise speciall obedience to our holy Father in the matter of Mission This vow contains no other particular obligation cannot be but commendable in a time wherein there is so great need of good labourers to succor the church in danger And it weakens not nor hinders in any poynt the submission obedience allegeance which all subiects owe to their Princes the French to the King of Fraunce the Polanders to the King of Poland and so of others What cause haue they then to cry out that wee make a vowe to obey wholy in all thinges whatsoeuer shall be commaunded and that this vow will make vs Spanyards if the Pope please What agreement is there of such an antecedent with such a consequent Let the word Spayne goe I will make no aduantage of it eyther for or against the Iesuit Euery Prince playes his part vpon this great stage of the world as well as he can for the aduauncement of his estate A thing which is not vnseemly for him according to the rules of state matters which giue Princes leaue to loue treasons and hate Traytors Some such a one may haue ayded himselfe by the seruice of the Iesuits in our late troubles who shall one day find that they are very dangerous officers in his Country that by experience of that which
life of any man lesse ouer the life of the Chauncellour who was a chiefe man in the execution of the iustice of the Land Furthermore hee added that besides hee had no charge from the Prince of Pâ—â—â—â—â— to employ his money in such stade â—â—d Merchandize Matellinus beeing wâ—â—beloued of the King his Maister had two offices to wit the Chauncelloure the chiefe Secretaries of estate that after his death there were two great Lords worse then he to the Catholicke who beeing favoured of the King would part between them the spoyle of the other To be short that for an vncertaine good thing which a man might promise vnto himselfe hee should not accomplish a certaine euill thing no though a man were assured of good to come therby And seeing the question was touching the aduancing of Christian religion this should be the meanes wholie to ruinate the same in as much as men went about to promote iâ— by slaughter and murther and that to the great scandale of all in generall the perpetuall dishonour of the holy order of the Iesuits in speciall And thus spake Bruse in his conscience as one that hauing spent all his youth in theyr Colledges bare them all manner of reuerence And yet Father Crichton would not yeeld for all this for hee his companions haue they common places of antiquitie but yet euil alleaged to prooue that murthers and such like vvicked practizes are permiâ—ted By meanes whereof Bruse being more importuned then before demaunded of him whether in a good conscience hee might consent to that enterprise or whether he could dispence there-withall To which the Iesuit replyed that hee could not but this that the murther beeing committed by him and hee comming to confesse himselfe vnto him hee would absolue him of it Then Bruse replyed in these 〈◊〉 Sith your reuerence acknowledgeth that I must confesse my selfe of it you also thereby acknowledge that I should commit a sinne and I for my part know not whether when I haue done it God would giue me grace and inable me to confesse it And thereto I verilie belieue that the cofession of an euill that a man hath done of set purpose vnder aâ— intent to confesse himselfe thereof to haue absolution of it is not greatly auâ—lable and therefore the surest way for mee is not to put my selfe into such hazard and danger And so my Maister Iesuit missed at that time of his purpose But afterwards hee know verie well to haue his reuenge for it For the Duke of Parmâ— being dead and the Countie Fuentes a Spaniard and Nephew to the Duke of Alua comming in his place Crichtou accused Bruse of two crimes before the said Countie The one that he had ill managed the Kings treasure The other that he was a Traytor because he would not disburse money to cause Metellenus to be slame and thys was the principall marke at which the Accuser aymed A great fruit certainly in the Iesuit common wealth for which hee was worthily kept prisones in Bruxells full fourteene months together For as concerning the first point Crichton made no great account of that but touching the second he to the vttermost stood vpon it and that so much the more because the prisoner demind not the crime The processe had his course At the last after that Bruse had beene a long time troubled and afflicted the prisons were opened to him and he was set free but not with any commaund to that holy Father the Iesuit no not so much as to repayte his good nume or to pay his costs dammages or losses whatsoeuer The reason whereof was as a man may easily belieue it that hauing attempted this deuout accusation he did nothing at all therein but that which might be directly referd to the holy propositions of his owne Order CHAP. 3. ¶ Concerning the murther which William Paâ—â—y a◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man thrust â—â—theâ—â—â— by the Iesuits 〈…〉 against Elizabeth Queene of England in the yeere â—â—84 HE that writ the humble temonsâ—â—ance petition to the King minding to make it appeare that men slaundeâ—ouâ—â—y accused the Iesuits of hauing a purpose to attempt any thing against the Queene of England sayth thus In respect of English people those that 〈◊〉 â—â—rite of these matter 〈◊〉 witnes our faithfulnesse and neuer yet durst accuse vs of attempting any thing against the Queene in her estate those that meant to calumâ—â—â—â— charge vs there with all could neuer fasten their lies and leasings vpon out bâ—bâ—â—â—â—â—s and cause gâ—t of 〈◊〉 selues by any probable or likely reason of truth But now I will shew that this Iesuit is a second Heredotus And let him not thinke but I doe him great honor when I resemble him to that great personage whoÌ„ men say was the first Father of a lying historie William Parry Doctor in the Lawes a man full of vnderstanding but yeâ— more full of his pleasures delights after that â—e had consumed all his owne stocke substance and the greatest part of his wiueâ— also yeâ— charged with a great controâ—â—sâ—e and question against Hâ—gh Hare Gentleman of the Temple purposed in the yeere 1582. to take the mind and to faile into Prâ—â—â—ce where being arriued and come particularly to the cittie of Paris and purposing to be familiar with certaine Enlish Gentleman that â—â—â—â—led ouâ— of theyr Coâ—â—â—â—y for theyr religion they doubted to be familiar with him thinking that he came expresly to them to spy out their actions By meanes whereof hee tooke his iourney to Lyons and from thence to Venice where euen at his first entrance because hee was an Englishman hee was put into the Inquisition but he yeelded so good an account touching Catholique religion that his Iudges found he had a desire and dutie to returne beeing â—â—beloued of all the Catholiques and particularly of Father Bonnet Palmeo a Iesuit of great reputation amongst his owne brother hood After wards he tooke a concâ—t to do such an act as be once did that in old time burned the Temple of Diana at Ephesus that so hee might be spoken of for it Hee plotted to kill the Queene his naturall Ladie and Soueraigne by the same meanes to set fire on and in the foâ—â—e corners and quarters of England making thys the ground vvorke of his practise and enterprise and that as well to deliuer his Countrie from tyrannie and oppression as to aduaunce to the Crowne Marie the Queene of Scots vvho vvas a Catholick Princesse â—erest of the bloud to succeed An oponion and conceit that came from his owne instinct and motion without acquainting the Scottish Queene any whit at all before his departure as hee afterwards confessed when hee was in person But because this enterprise and attempt was verie hawtie and that he vndertooke it with a great blow to his conscience before God he conferred hereof with Palmiâ— the Iesuit who according to the ordinarie Maxim and principle of that Sect did not onely
not discourage or turne him there-from but greatly confirmed him and prouoked thereto affirming that there was nothing in that buisines that could hinder him vnlesse it were protracting and delay After this hee tooke againe the way to Lions where discouering himselfe to the Iesuits he was greatly praysed and honoured of them A little while after he returned to Paris where certaine English Gentlemen that were fugitiues out of their countrie vnderstanding of his purpose and practise began to embrace him and by name Thomas Morgan who assured him that so soone as he should be in England and should haue executed his â—â—teprise hee would take order that a puissant armie should passe out of Scotland to assure the kingdome to the Queene of Scotland Now though that Parrie seemed altogither resolute yet was he in some sort hindred by sundrie remorses of his conscience And indeed â—he communicated the same to certaine Englishmen that were Ecclesiasticall persons who all labouned to remoue him from it and particularly a learned Priest named Watell who wisely declared shewed vnto him that all the rules of God and the world were directly contratie to his deliberation and purpose In this his irresolution and want of sâ—â—â—ednes he purposed to conferre with the Iesuits of Paris amongst whom he addressed himselfe to father Hanniball Coldretto to whom also in confession he discouered his first aduice and councell and the vncertainty into which Watell had brought him But the Iesuits that lacked not perswasiue reasons maintained vnto him that Watell and all the other that put these scruples into his minde were heretiques And hauing againe set him in his former course caused him according to their ordinarie custome in such cases â—oâ—eciue the Sacrament with diuers other Lords and Gentlemen The English man being thus perswaded tooke his leaue of them and returned into England fully purposed to bring his treason to effect and issue whereunto the better to attaine he sought all the meanes he might to kisse the Queenes Maiesties hand saying that he had certaine things of verie great importance to acquaint her withall And this was about the moneth of Februatie in the yeere 1585. At the last being brought before her Maistie he largely discoursed vnto her the historie of his trauaile and how that counterfaiting the fugitiue he had discouered all the practises and plots that the English Catholiques had brewed or deuised against her Maiestie yea that he had promised them that he would be the first that should attempt her death which had purchased him verie great credit amongst them And yet notwithstanding that he would rather choose a hundred deaths then to defile his soule with so damnable at thought He was a well spoken man of a good countenaunce such a one as had prepared himselfe to play his part not vpon the sodaine but wel prouided The Queene who wanteth not her spies knew that one part of that which he had spoken was verie true which also caused her to credit the rest and graciously accepting of that honest libertie and freedome which he pretended charged him not to depart farre from the Court and that in the meane season he should by letters sound the affections of her enemies which thing he promised and vndertooke to do and vpon this promise feeding the Princesse with goodly shewes he did many times talke verie priuately with her And amongst other she going one day to hunt the fallow Deere he followed her neuer suffering her out of his eye At last being a good way from her owne people and dismounted from her horse to refresh her selfe at the foote of a tree in the wood Parry being nigh vnto her twise had a desire to kill her but he was with-hold there-from by that gracious familiaritie which her Maiestie vsed towards him At another time he walking after Supper with her in the garden of her Pallace called white Hall which standeth vpon the Thames side where also be had a boate readie with the greater speed to saue him and to carrie him away when he had giuen the blow as also he sought opportunitie for it the Queene escaped from him to this manner He supposed to draw her some-what farre from the the house and that then he would kill her at the gardens end But she returned towards her Pallace and said vnto him that it was time to betake her to her chamber being troubled with heat and the rather because she was the next day to take a bath by the appointment of her Phisitions And thereupon laughing she withall added that they should not drawe so much bloud from her as many people desired And with this speeth she with drew her selfe leaning Parrie much arnazed at this namely that hee had fayled in that his so worthie an enterprise Now as he behaued himselfe after this manner about the Q. he supposed that he wanted a trusty friend to second him in his attempt therupon he addressed himselfe to his friend Edmond Neuill an English Gentleman who for his Religion and conscience sake had his part amongst the afflictions troubles of England whom also he diuers times visited and after that he had sworne him vpon the Euangelistes not to reueale or discouer that which he should tell him did particularly and by peace-meale discourse to him his whole intention prouoked him to take part with him therein as one that had great reason liuely to feele the iniuries that had bin câ—â—miâ—â—ed against him And that this was the time and outly â—â—â—ane to reestablish the Catholique Religion in England and to set vp there the Queene of Scotland and that in doing this both of them should haue a good portion in the bootie that should be deuided But Nenill could at no hand well fauour or like of this new counsell Whereupon Parrie demaunded of him whether he had Father Allens booke which would stand him in steed of a continuall spurre to prouoke him to this enterprise though that of himselfe he were not well disposed and prepared thereto that by that booke iâ— was permitted to excommunicate Kings to depose them yea and to constraine and enforce them and that ciuill warres for the cause of Religion were honourable and lawfull I haue verie good and readie accesse to the Queene said he as you also may haue after that you are once knowne in Court After that we haue giuen the blow and done the deed we will get into a boate which shal be readie for vs to go downe the Riuer withall and from thence we will be imbarked vnto the Sea which you and I may easily doe vpon my crediâ— without trouble or hindrance Neuill entertaining him with goodly words faire promises yet neuer giuing him an absolute yea or nay at the last resolued with himselfe no longer to delay the matter but to aduertise the Queene thereof vnto whom vpon the eight of Februarie 1584. he related all that had passed betweene him and Parries who that night supped with
truth and that there were two blacke Friers which went from Lyons to the same intent but hee tooke vpon him to be most forward to archiue the act for the honour of the enterprise Thus most humbly requesting the Iudges to ridde him out of his paine that his soule by despaire might not be lost with his bodie Vpon these words Lugoly by the commaundement of other Iudges caused him to be strangled and the next day his body was consumed into ashes and the ashes cast into the Riuer After the execution doone which was vppon Tuesday the 31. of August newes vvas brought by a Cittizen of Melun to Paris for the passages were free whersoeuer by reason of a truce made And vpon the Sonday following one Commolet a Iesuit made a sermon about the end whereof he requested his audients to haue patience for you shall see quoth he within fewe dayes a wonderfull miracle of God which is at hand you shall see it yea esteeme it as alreadie come These words vttered openly in the presence of an innumerable multitude caused the Iudges to be most assured that what soeuer Barriere had spoken was most true CHAP. 7. ¶ How the heathenish impietie of the Iesuits had been preiudiciall in our Church if their execrable counsell had come to an effect I Haue most faithfully discoursed vnto you what was the proceedings of Barriere now ye may well gather that what-soeuer is penned downe by the Pleader of Clairmont Colledge and againe by Montaignes within his fabulous truths are as it were old womens fables such as we read in the most part of their anuall Epistles sent amongst their friends And moreouer that Barriere was not a plaine simple and innocent man but rather one most resolute and stoute who stoode vppon his garde as much as in him lay yea before the Magistrate and who after his condemnation had his memory so perfect as he could intreat that he might not be committed to the mercie of the Wheele or other torture And therfore most false is that which Montaignes giueth out of him that he was frighted and his memorie past him by meanes of the torments hee suffered This I say vvas false for he was neuer tortured vntill his confessions of the fact were all ended as is before set down at large Before the sentence of death was denounced the Iudges shewed no great suspition had of the Iesuits but hauing found sufficient matter to condemne the malefactor to death then they all gaue consent by reason of his fact that he should be plyed with questions whereby he might reueale his pretences So that without being put to the tortures seeing it was in vaine to delay hee declared each thing in particuler of that which was past And thereupon as you haue heard he accused 4. religious persons of Lyons amongst others a Iesuit without naming him But the Gentlemen by his deposition haue informed vs that it was one Petrus Maiorius Afterwards he recited what had beene done with him at Paris in the Iesuits Colledge there by him that held the first place to wit the Rector whose name also hee knewe not But Montaignes hath discouered him vnto vs by the name of Varade As indeede it was a thing easily knowne for that he then commaunded in the Colledge adding thereunto that the King beeing since entred into Paris Varade saued himselfe by agilitie of body taking himselfe to flight as one that knew full well there was no surer witnes against him then his owne conscience As touching Commolet there needed no other vvitnesses then those which were at his sermon Moreouer passages on each side were free and at liberty by reason of the truce made so that many honest persons which had with-drawn themselues by flight into Melun being now come backe againe into Paris vnderstood this great miracle of which he prophecied Concerning the rest the prisoner before hee was put to death persisted vpon the Scaffold in all that hee had said and spoken in the place of examination againe after that vpon the wheele beeing full of good memory and vnderstanding for they had medled with no part about him but onely the breaking of his armes thighes and legs And after he had perseuered a while in that paine he requested Lugoly not to occasionate his fall into despaire and that loosing his body hee might not also there-with loose his soule Vppon which wordes the saide Lugoly caused him to be strangled after that he had giuen his last report vnto the Iustices of all and had receiued permission to doe it Therefore it is a most shamefull lie to publish it abroade that Varade found him so weake of vnderstanding that hee could not in any wise giue credite vnto him It was a most notorious lie to say that the confessions of Barriere were forceably taken from him at his examination notwithstanding that he was not questioned withall but twice at seuerall times vppon the Scaffold where he persisted vpon those poynts which hee had confessed in other places as I here haue said As touching other matters of the meeting of the Diuines the Scarffe which was hung at S. Paules if there had beene any such thing no question but hee would haue confessed it as willingly as he did the rest I come again to those flattering speeches which the second Iesuit feedeth the King withall to the end that his Societie might be reestablished Where are now these faire speeches It behoueth not saith he the King of Fraunce to reuenge the quarrels of the King of Nauar neither the eldest son of the Church to be mooued with an opinion contrary to the Church Is not this a shamelesse Piper who would againe vnawares ouercome our king by the sound of his pipe I haue here from the beginning recited the plausible perswasions of the Iesuits to the end euery one might know that there is no better to be looked for to come frō such lying lips as they haue I haue here frō the beginning set down the history of Barriere to the end that each one might know that it is impossible to doe worse and that there is not in the world any beast more cruell subtile and fierce then is the Iesuit wherefore all men ought by all meanes possible to beware of his treasons But I pray you howe were these Nets spred of what stuffe were they Marry so long as the King was of another religion then ours is the Iesuits neuer made shew of any willingnesse or intent to haue him murdered no not in the greatest broyles of our troubles And now being recōciled to our church vppon some feare which was resident in them as they fayned least that the King made himselfe a Catholicke vpon dissimulation this said they was cause of offering vnto his Maiestie such cruell warres But when in the midst of the sworne truce when euery man esteemed himselfe to be at rest wheresoeuer he liued by the publique and mutuall fayth which euery one had giuen
from thence forward Father Claudius Mathew Prouinciall of Paris deales in the matter more earnestly then before sits and assists in all delibe rations and counsels takes vpon him a iourney vnto Rome Father Henry Sammier another into Spayne where they so wel acquitted themselues in their Embassages that Pope Gregorie the 13. and the Spanish King promised each for his part a great summe of money towards the maintenance of this warre The Embassadors being once returned we beheld Ensignes displaid Fraunce couered with souldiers and many Townes surprised wherein there neuer had beene any exercise of new Religion Now might you see three parties on foot the Kings very much entangled that of the holy League so was the Iesuits warre intituled that of the Religion for so the Hugonots did terme their faction Pope Gregorie died then feared the Iesuit he should loose halfe of his credit for which cause father Mathew returned backe to Rome where he found Pope Sixtus chosen of whom to his exceeding great contentment he obtained the like promise his predecessor had made him before In his return he died at Ancona the yere 1588. by means wherof a new suit is begun by Father Odon Pigenat a Burgonian theÌ„ elected Prouincial of France by decease of Mathew which was not reiected by Sixtus This gaue occasion to certaine Catholiques not onely to propound a peace but euen to wish it in their soules Yet not withstanding some there were that would haue bridled our thoughts for this proposition disliked our Iesuits There be two sorts of Catholiques the one called Pollititians of worse condition then Hugonots because they wisht for peace the other zealous Catholiques or Leaguers beloued of the commmon people because they desired an endlesse warre a distinction that planted a Nurserie of warres betweeene Catholique and Catholique and withal procured a peace with our common enemy What say I a peace we put hereby a sword into his hands to beat vs with we opened him the way to raunge in to come forward to thriue to increase without our resistance we who had enfeebled our selues by this same new diuision Armes were taken on all hands and yet was it not a ciuill warre only it was a general throat-cutting all France ouer which to remedy our two Kings had successiuely need of all their peeces and so the Hugonot came by a good part in their quarrell for the maintenance support of the State And the Iesuits Colledges were manifestly the places whereto the other side vsually resorted There were forged their Gospells in Cyphers which they sent into diuers countries there were their Apostles bestowed into sundry Prouinces some to vpholde the troubles by their preaching as their father Iames Commolet within Paris and their father Bernard Rouillet within Bourges others to commit murther and bloudshed as Varade the same Commolet Not so much but father Odon Pigenot seased in all credit prerogatiue and authoritie among the Sixteene of Paris dregs of the vulgar and entertainers of sedition A thing all Iesuits agree on in the bookes which they haue published since the yeere 94. I haue said and truly said that Iesuitisme argeeth with the Anabaptists opinion in two propositions In medling with State matters and in causing Princes and Kings to be murthered accordingly to the conueniencie of their affaires I will adde that in the carriage of this Iesuiticall warre within Fraunce there was some conformitie of names betweene this and that the Anabaptists vndertooke in Germanie the yeere 1535. For they had one Iohn Mathew their chiefe Prophet vnder Iohn Leydon their king and one Bernard Rotman and Bernard Cniperdolin principal actors in their faction for the seducing of simple people euen as our Iesuits had their father Clauaius Mathew Bernard Rouillet I will not here recite the other particulars of our troubles being contented plainely to haue shewed vnto you that our Iesuits were the first Seminaries thereof onely I will discourse what fruit we haue reaped by them God withdrawing his anger from vs would in the ende appease all matters In this reestablishment the Hugonots who during our troubles thinke they haue beene some instruments of keeping the Crowne on the Kings head as well as other Subiectes which were Catholiques haue also thought that after the peace was made they ought not to bee accounted as outcastes from among vs therefore haue they importuned the King by sundry requests to restore them to their auncient Priuiledge graunted them by the Edicts of Pacification from which since the peace of the yeere 77. they haue beene almost wholly driuen Wee haue said they followed yours and the last Kings fortunes during your troubles we haue exposed our liues and goods for the vpholding of your royall estate against the Iesuiticall faction which called in a Sraunger to make him Lord and Maister of your Kingdome Is it meete that wee for our good seruice to you should loose our part in your common-wealth and gouernment and that the Iesuits for hauing vsed all the badde practises they could against you should beare sway rule and triumph in your Realme of Fraunce What could a wise and prudent King doe in this case being prest with so iust a Petition as this was What but assent thereunto to auoid of two mischiefes the greater and not to fall backe into that gulph out of which we were newly but escaped Tell me I beseech you to whom are we beholding for this last Alarum in Fraunce but onely to our Iesuits the firebrands of our latest troubles Which troubles had they not beene the Hugonots credit had beene vtterly ouer-throwne This is one bond amongst other wherein we stand obliged to that holy Societie of Iesus CHAP. 12. ¶ That Auriculer confession hath beene vsed by the Iesuits as a chiefe weapon for the rebellion and in what sort they are wont to manage it IN vaine doe wee leuell our course to the works of pietie vnlesse confession leade the way and a due worthy repentance follow This is the Iesuit licenced to exercise vppon all in generall that present themselues before him to the preiudice of Ordinaries but by a meruailous priuiledge such as vvas neuer graunted to any Munk no not to Curats themselues who of all Ecclesiasticall persons next vnto Bishops are most authorised that way The tenor of the Bull graunted by Paulus tertius in the yeere 1545. is thus After he hath giuen them permission to preach in all places where they pleased he addes Nec non illis ex vobis qui presbyteri fuerint quorumcunque vtriusque sexus Christi fidelium ad vos vndecunque accedentium confessiones audiendi confessionibus eorum diligenter auditis â—psos eorum singulos ab omnibus singulis eorum peccatis criminibus excessibus delictis quantumcunque grauibus enormibus etiam sedi Apostolicae reseruatis à quibusuis ex ipsis casibus resultantibus sententijs censuris poenis Ecclesiasticis exceptis contentis in Bulla quae
in die Coenae Domini solita est legi ac eis pro commissis poenitentiam salutarem iniungendis That is we giue leaue and permission to as many of you as are Priests to heare the Confessions of the faithfull of the one and the other Sexe from what part soeuer they come vnto you and them being diligently heard to absolue from all and singuler their sinnes crimes excesses and offences how great and enormous soeuer yea euen those that are reserued to the Sea Apostolique and all circumstances thence arising by sentence censure or paines Ecclesiasticall those excepted which are contayned in the Bull accustomed to be read on Maundie Thursday and to ordayne to the Penitents for the faults by them committed wholesome and profitable penaunce As the priuiledges which they perswade themselues haue beene graunted them for the Catechising and instructing of youth haue peruerted all the auncient order of famous Vniuersities so this large and extraordinarie licence permitted them in matter of Confession hath beene the cause that the greatest part of the people haue in great and haynous sinnes forsaken the auncient custome of resorting to the Penitentiaries of Cathedrall Churches and had recourse to the Iesuits whom wee see by vertue of this Bull to be all of them authorized for Penitentiaries And God knowes how farre these holy and blessed Fathers haue abused it The first breaking forth of our troubles was in the yeere 1585. at which time all that resorted to them to be confessed if they affirmed themselues to be good subiects and loyall seruitors to the King for they were questioned vpon that article they were sent backe by the Iesuits without receiuing absolution Which beeing obiected against them by Arnauldus marke I beseech you the cold aunswere which they make in their defence against his accusations For in the 17. article it is obiected saith Arnauldus that the said Defendants haue at diuers sundry times denied absolutiō to them that stoode for the late King from the yeere 1585. The said Defendaunts aunswere that the article is vntrue although themselues know that it hath beene often by sundrie persons auouched yea and deposed against them in the presence of the late King in his closet and what witnesse could there be produced against them in this case saue only those who had been by them denied absolutiō There is no smoak without some fire Read their annuall letters of the yeere 1589. when griefe rage and furie of the last troubles beganne you shall find that the number of their confessions was infinitely encreased and specially in the Colledge of the Iesuits at Paris Totius vitae confessiones auditae trecentae Wee haue heare 300. totall confessions wrote the Substitutes of the Colledge to their Generall Aquauiua If you aske me whence this new deuotion of the common people to them proceeded I wil tell you Our Kings represent the true image of God Against whom this yeere there hapned three straunge and vnusuall accidents first the rebellion against the late king which they coloured with the title and pretext of tyrannie for the fairest title they could affoord him was the name of Tyrant secondly the parricide committed vppon his person by a Munke and lastly the continuance of that rebellion against the King that now is for his religion Be you assured that all such as did not hold their consciences at as low a rate as many of the Cleargie doe found themselues much disquieted vpon these accidents Which was the cause that during these troubles they went to be confest by these vpstart Penitentiaries some were to be resolued by them whether it were sin not to yeeld obedience to their King others to be absolued for the same But this was to commit the Lambe to the Woolues custodie for their confessions were as many instructions or rather destructions to teach Rebellion refusing to absolue them which eyther were not in their consciences fully confirmed in their reuolt from the two Kings or had any inclination to acknowledge them for their Soueraignes And which is full of horrour and detestation their ordinarie course was before they would absolue them to make them sweare by the holy Gospell contayned in their breuiaries neuer to take these two Kings for their lawfull Soueraignes That which I speake I haue by good information from many that were fayne to passe through that strait and I know one amongst the rest more neere mee then the rest who rather then hee would giue credit to their doctrine departed from his Confessour without receiuing absolution This teacheth to the whole bodie of the Realme But as concerning priuate Families the Iesuits make a double vse of ministring Confession One is to take information from the Penitent not onely of his owne sinnes but of their demeanour likewise that dwell with him or with whom hee dwelleth nay of the whole neighbourhoode as if it were a sinne in him not to discouer an other mans sinne in confession eyther if hee know it or suppose that he knowes it Which is as much in effect as to make so many spies and carrie-tales in a Towne as there be Iesuits Confessors The second vse which toucheth them in a neerer respect is that in sucking by the eare the soule of a timorous conscience they sucke or rather swallow there-withall his goods and possessions by promising abundance of Spirituall goods in the world to come after their death to those that shall in their life time be charitable to them out of their temporall goods A course whereby they haue carried away an infinite masse of wealth if you beleeue those that haue taken vppon them to write their Legend for I know not by what other name to in title the liues of these holy Fathers One point more I will adde whereof I desire to be resolued by our auucient Doctors in Diuinitie they haue a rule in practise that men are bound to accuse themselues to their Confessour and not themselues onely but all their confederates likewise and as for the Magistrate the malefactor being condemned to die after he hath once made confession of his sinnes to his ghostly father is not tyed to reueale it to his Iudge nay it is lawfull for him to stand in stiffe deniall thereof at the time of his execution as being cleere before God although he persist in a lie after he hath once discharged the depth of his conscience to his Confessor A thing that breedeth much scruple in the minde of a Iudge who otherwise is greatly quieted in conscience when an offender adiudged to die howsoeuer he haue before time stood in deniall of the fact yet at the time of his death confesseth the truth CHAP. 13. ¶ Of a generall assemblie of the Iesuits holden in Rome in the yeere 1593. wherein they are prohibited to entermedle in matters of state I Haue formarly in this discourse charged the Iesuits to haue beene both the first sparkes and the chiefest flames of our last troubles for proofe whereof
I wil seeke no more assured testimonie then this Aquauiua their Generall perceiuing that he could not make so good aduantage of these troubles as hee had at the beginning promised vnto himselfe caused the Prouincialls Rectors most auncient Fathers of theyr Societie to be summoned to meete at a generall Synode which he appointed to be holden in Rome This depended some sixe months in which meane time the King taunged himselfe into the bosome of the Church in Iuly 1593. From that time forward euery man bent his studie to mediate a good peace through Fraunce and to make way thereunto were concluded two or three seuerall truces the vsuall Kalender of a peace to ensue During thes◠cessations men had safe enter course frō one partie to the other This opportunitie doe the Iesuits lay hold on as being sent them frō heauen to worke an attempt vpon the Kings person Barriere is the man that freely offers himselfe to this seruice but without successe These honest Fathers perceiuing that all their practises as well in generall as in particuler fell short of their dessignes made shewe as if they would by theyr Synode make a finall end of the warres betweene the Princes In the month of Nouemb. 1593 was this decree made Vt ab omni specie mali abstineatur querelis etiam ex falsis suspicionibus This decree is at large set down in the accusation of the Iesuits in the yeere 1594. prouenientibus praecipitur nostris omnibus in virtute sanctae obediētiae sub poena inhabilitatis ad quaenis officia diguitates seu praelationes vocisque tam actiuae quā passiuae priuationes ne quispiam publicis seculariū Principum negotijs vlla ratione se mimiscere nec etiam quantumuis per quoscumque requisitus aut rogatus eiusmodires tractandi curam suscipere audeat vel presumat Idque serio commendatur Superioribus ne permittant nostros ijs rebus vll◠modo implicari si quos ad ea propensos animaduerterent eos loco mutandos quam primum commutent si alicubi sit occasio vel periculum se eiusmodi implicationibus irretiendi That there may bee an abstinence sayth hee from all appearance of euill and to meete vvith all complaints howsoeuer grounded vppon wrongfull surmises be it enioyned to our Collegiats in vertue of the holy obedience and vpon paine of beeing made vncapable of any office dignitie or promotion to loose their voice or suffrage as wel actiue as passiue that none of thē presume be he neuer so much therevnto praied and required by whomsoeuer to entermeddle in matters publique and belonging to secular Princes And be it straightly commaunded to the Superiours not to suffer those of our Societie to entangle themseles by anie meanes in such affaires and in case they shall obserue any of them to be thereunto enclined that they remoue them to another country out of hand if in that place there be opportunitie or danger to wrap themselues into such intangles The Iesuits make great vse of this Article in pretending that by vertue of this Decree they are restrayned from entermedling in those matters and I as great in affirming that notwithstanding this Decree they haue intermedled But ô holy blinded obedience vvhere doost thou now reside If thou be of the first principall essence of their vowes it must needer followe that all the chiefe Fathers of that Order are hereticks in their sect For since this great and holy decree Father Iames Commolet did notwithstanding intermeddle in those affaires who in a Sermon taking his text out of the third chapter of the Iudges wherein was mention of one Ehud that murdred Eglon and saued himselfe by flight After he had long time thundred touching the death of Henry the third and placed the Iacobin that accursed Iudas amongst the soules of the blessed at last exclayming with open throate he said We stand in neede of an Ehud be he Munke or souldier or souldiers boy or shepheard is skills not but wee neede an Ehud Wee want but that feate to bring our matters to the passe which our soules desire This was strōgly enforced against thē by Arnault but neither he that wrote the Defence against his Accusation nor Montaignes haue toucht it in their aunswer which perswades mee that they are agreed vppon that poynt Wallpole the Iesuit in the yeere 97. deliuered a poysonous confection to Squire there-with to make away the Queene of England his Soueraigne The Iesuits at Doway in 98 sent the Cooper of Iper to kill Graue Maurice of Nassaw haue all these performed obedience to this synodall decree Adiew religion of the Iesuits as I said to a friend of mine of that Societie seeing your obedience hath broken rank For you doe not onely disobey your particuler Superiors but that also which hath beene decreed in foll chapter by your whole Order Whereunto he wisely made aunswer that I did much misinterprete the Article which did not beare an absolute and simple restraint from medling in those affaires but in case the Superior perceiued there might danger growe by intermedling therein Si alicubi sit occasio vel periculum se eiusmodi implicationibus irretiendi This decree then is but meerly to blind the eyes of Princes that they may stand lesse vppon their guard then heretofore they haue done And to speake truth to deale in state matters and to practise the death of Princes are as essentiall parts of their function as their Confession it selfe CHAP. 14. ¶ Whether the Iesuits haue Spanish harts as their enemies charge them to haue or if they be for Who giues most I Heare many thunder against the Iesuits charging them to be Spanish in hart and affection they on the otherside seeme to feare nothing more then to incurre thys opinion in Fraunce I purpose presentlie to deliuer them of this feare and for a neede to become their Aduocate in this poynt not so much for the good affection I beare them as that the truth enioynes mee thereunto It 's true they fauoured the Spanish proceedings about the middle and end of our troubles which makes them feare least the memorie thereof should be reuiued but that their harts are Spanish I vtterly deny It proceeded not of any especiall deuotion which they had to the late King of Spayne more then to any other Prince but for that following the course of Iesuits who measure the right and iustice of a cause by the aduauntage of theyr owne affaires they deuote themselues vsually to him whom they suppose to haue the strongest partie and from whom they stand in expectation of greatest commoditie which is no small secret in matters of state for them which in their harts stand neutrall indifferent The same lesson was likewise put in practise in time of our last troubles by Pope Sixtus the fist a man of as great wisedome gouernment as euer came in Rome Such was the contagion of those times after the
after they haue raised tumults in all Countries that theyr designements sort to effect CHAP. 17. ¶ That the Pope hath not power to translate the Crowne of Fraunce from one to another against the dangerous position of the Iesuits and some other discourse tending to the same effect THe Iesuits not content to haue offered violence to our King in time of the troubles doe at this day in the time of peace by theyr pennes offer violence to the Royaltie it selfe Hee that maintaines in Rome that the Pope may transfer Empires and Kingdomes from hand to hand at his pleasure deserueth a Cardinals hat as Father Robert Bellarmine the Iesuite he that maintaines the same position in Fraunce is worthie of a hat of that colour but not of that kinde as the Cardinals Kings die whē it pleaseth God to call them the Roialtie neuer dies Which is the cause that the Parliament Court of Paris when they accompanie the funerall obsequies of our Kinges are not in mourning weedes but in Scarlet the true marke and ensigne of the neuer dying maiestie of the Crowne or Royaltie One of the chiefe flowers of our Crowne is that our Kings cannot incurre the censures of the Church of Rome nor their realme be interdicted nor consequently transposed It is a law not made but bred with vs which we haue not learned receiued or by long instruction imprinted but a law which is drawne inspired and deriued into vs out of the very breasts of our Mother Fraunce wherein we are not nurtured but nursed that if any thunderbolts fortuned to be sent from Rome against the maiestie of our Kings so as in consequence thereof the realme might fall vnder the sentence of Interditement we are not bound to yeeld obedience thereunto Neither yet for all this did our kings euer loose the title of Most Christian nor wee of the Eldest sonnes of the Church The Iesuit hath beene condemned by a decree of the Court he drawes his chaine after him still yet will hee not cease to be a Iesuit that is a Seminarie of diuisions factions and dissentions within our country Let vs then heare what he saith who vnder the name of Montaignes hath publisht the booke of the Truth as hee intitles it but of the forged and lying Truth After hee had discoursed that the Temporall state onely appertained to the King and the Spirituall to the holy Father who claimed no interest in their souerainties hee affirmes that if the king happē at any time to transgresse God hath put a rod into the Popes hand to chastise him and depriue him of his kingdome And this is for the behoofe Mont. cap. 15. of the Truth defended for the good of Princes saith he who most commonlie are reclaimed and brought to their duties rather for feare of their Temporall estate which they euer-more hold deer though otherwise ill giuen then of their Spirituall which they set not by vnlesse their conscience be the better which is not generall to all of them But the Pope is no God no more was Samuell who executed that sentence against Saul So as God had annointed Saul King by the Prophet so doth he send the sentence of his deposition by him and by him translate the kingdome annoint Dauid king In the time of Osias king of Iuda the high priest no more a GOD then Samuell gaue the kingdome from the father to the sonne he being strooken with leprosie for his presumption This transposition of the Crowne was doone by the appointment of the high Priest according as by the Law was ordained and consequently the deposition of the Father Iehoiada was no God but a priest and Gods Lieutenaunt when after he had caused Athalia the Queene to be put to death for her tyrannous gouernment hee put the scepter into the handes of Ioas a prince of the blood and lawfull successor to the Crowne All those were but Gods ministers to execute his decrees as the Pope likewise is And seeing God hath infinite meanes to translate a kingdome by the force and weapons of Pagans as of Moores Turks and other strange Nations making the Assyrians conquerours ouer the Greekes the Greekes ouer the Assyrians both of the Iewes and the Romans of both what milder course could he haue ordained among Christians what way more reasonable or more secure then by the mediation and authoritie of the head of the Church and the common Father of all Christians who beeing specially assisted by God and by men both learned and religious will in likelihood doe nothing preiudiciall to the right of the lawfull successors and will proceede without passion and withall moderation and mildnes in a case of that importance hauing an eye euermore to the honour of God and vnto the publique and priuate good In conclusion by this learned position which our pernitious Iesuit maintaines the Pope hath authoritie to transferre kingdoms frō one hand to another when he seeth cause so to doe and dooing it hee is subiect to no mans controule inasmuch as if God himselfe may doe it then is it lawfull for his Vicar to doe the like the Pope hauing no lesse preheminence ouer Kings in these times of Christianity then the Prophets had in the time of Moses law This fond opinion of thine brings mee to a meruailous straite forcing mee to combate against the authoritie of the holie Sea First if you will argue this position morallie where shall you finde that a King constituting his Lieuetenants generall in Prouinces giueth them in all poynts as ample authoritie as himselfe hath ouer his subiects And to say that God hath transferred his omnipotent power into any man whatsoeuer is a poynt of blaspemie against the Maiestie of GOD. Besides tell mee Sophister where finde you that you ought to beg such examples out of the old Testament to transplant them into the new But with such illusions doe you and your associats surprise the consciences of the weake ignorant multitude For if that reason of yours were of any value or consequence we should by the same bring Circumcision into vse againe at this day because it was vsed vnder the Law of Moses And by the same pretext it shall be lawfull for the subiect to lay violent handes vppon his Soueraigne Iudges 3. because Ehud murthered Eglon King of Moab vnpunished Seeing you terme your selfe a Iesuit let vs follow the footesteps of Iesus Christ for to this marke ought all our cogitations to leuell whereunto restraining our discourse I will make it appeare that I am a true Cathotholicke liegeman to the Pope and thou a true Catholique Impostor VVee consider the power of our Sauiour Christ in two different times one was vvhen for our Redemption hee descended from heauen into the earth the other vvhen after his death and passion hee ascended from earth into heauen The first was the time of his humilitie in respect whereof hee professed that his comming was not to be an vmpire of their
chyldren can be excommunicated It fell so out after that time that the same Pope falling at variance with king Phillip the fayre hee needes would excommunicate him but there was neuer excommunication cost Pope so deere as that did him For his Nuncios weare committed prisoners his Buls burnt and Boniface himselfe being taken by Naugeret Chauncelor of Fraunce presently after died for very sorrow despight that he had receiued so foule a disgrace at the hands of his enemie Wherein Phillip did nothing but by the counsell and consent of the whole Cleargie of Fraunce So farre was this excommunication from falling to the preiudice of the King and his Realme that contrariwise it turned to his shame and confusion by whom it was decreed Benet the 13. otherwise called Peter de Luna keeping his sea or residence in Auignon hauing interdited Charles the sixt and his realme the king sitting in the throne of iustice in the Parliament or high Court of Paris the 21. of May 1408. gaue sentence that the Bull should be rent in peeces and that Gonsalue Conseloux the bearers thereof should be set vpon a pillorie and publiquely notified and traduced in the pulpit the meaning whereof was that the people should be taught and informed that the king was not liable to any excōmunication Which decree was accordingly put in execution in the month of August with the greatest scorne that could be deuised the two Nuncios or Legats hauing this inscription vppon their Miters These men are disloyall to the Church and to the King Iulius the second offered the like to king Lewes the twelfth his censures were censured by a Conuocation of the Clergie of Fraunce holden at Tours 1510. Not to goe too farre from our owne times the like censures came from Rome in time of our last troubles in the yeere 1591. by the sentence aswel of the Court of Parliament of Paris then remoued to Tours as of the soueraine or high chamber holden at Chalons in Champagnie it was ordered that the Bulls should be burnt by the publique Executioner as accordingly they were A Maxime so grounded in the realme of France that in the treatie of peace which was made in the towne of Arras in the yeere 1481 between king Lewes the 11 and Maximilian the Arch-duke of Austria and the States of the Low-countries the Deputies for Maximilian and the States treated with ours that the King should promise to keepe obserue this agreement and to that end he and his sonnes should submit themselues to all Ecclesiasticall censures Notwithstanding the priuiledge of the Kings of Fraunce Whereby neither hee nor his Realme might bee compeld by Ecclesiasticall censures Which treatie was afterward confirmed by king Lewes the same yeere at Plessi neere vnto Tours the confirmation carrieth these words Wee haue submitted vs and our said sonne and our Realme to all Ecclesiasticall censures for the keeping and obseruing of the saide treatie notwithstanding the priuiledge which we haue that wee nor our successours nor our Realme ought not to be subiect nor liable to censures VVhich thing hath beene since that time confirmed by a decree made in the yeere 1549. Charles Cardinall of Lorraine Archbishop of Reims to make his memory immortall by a most honourable action founded an Vniuersitie in Reims with manie great priuiledges hauing first obtained leaue and permission of the King Henry the second and next of the Pope Paule the third for so much as concerned the spiritualties who graunted forth his Buls verie large and ample contayning amongst other clauses this one Nos igitur piū laudabile Henrici Regis Caroli Cardinalis desiderium plurimū commendantes praefatum Henricum Regē à quibusuis excommunicationis suspensionis interdicti alijsque Ecclesiasticis sententijs censuris poenis à iure vel ab homine quauis occasione vel causa latis si quibus quomodolibet innodatus existat ad effectum presentium duntaxat consequendum harum serie absoluentes What greater fauour or courtesie could we expect from Rome then that our king without any suit of his should be absolued from all censures which he could incurre de iure or de facto Neuerthelesse this courtesie was by the Court of Parliament at Paris as frankly refused as it was offered Because in the verification aswell of the Buls as of the kings Letters-patents it was enacted by a decree in Court giuē the last saue one of Ianuary 1549 with this prouiso that notwithstanding this pretended absolution it be not inferd that the king hath beene or hereafter may be any way or for any cause whatsoeuer subiect to the excommunications or censures Apostolicall or thereby preiudice the rights priuiledges or preheminences of the king and of his Realme As also the sentence giuen against Iohn Chastell the 29. of December 1594. contained this peculiar clause that amongest other things he was condemned for hauing maintayned that our king Henry the fourth raigning at this present was not in the Church vntill he had the approbation of the Pope whereof he did repent and aske forgiuenes of God the king and the Court. This that I haue deliuered in this present discourse doth not proceed of any sinister affection which I beare to the holy Sea sooner let GOD bereaue me of my life but onely to make it appeare that our kings carrie together with their Crowne their safe conduct in all places and are not subiect to the trecherous practises of their enemies neere the Pope Notwithstanding you see how these accursed Iesuits enemies of our peace instruct vs in the contrarie that is kindle and prepare vs to reuolt in case our kings should stand in ill termes with the Pope which prooues that it is not without iust cause that by a Decree of the Parliament of Paris they haue beene banisht out of Fraunce CHAP. 18. ¶ The Decree of the Parliament of Paris against the Iesuits in the yeere 1594. and a Chapter taken out of the third booke des Recerches de la Farunce by Stephen Pasquier HAuing dedicated this booke saith Pasquier to the liberties of our Church of Fraunce Lib. 3. de◠Recer ca. 32 I hope I shall not digresse from my purpose if I entreat somewhat of the Sect of the Iesuits which to the subuersion of our State maintayneth principles quite contrarie to ours The Iesuits hauing got into their hands the great legacies giuen and bequeathed them by Maister William du Part Bishop of Clairmont they bought Langres place lying in Saint Iaques street in the Citie of Paris where they after their manner established the forme of a Colledge and of a Monasterie in diuers tenements and taking vpon them to instruct youth without the authoritie of the Rector they made sute sundrie times to be incorporated into the Vniuersitie Which when they could not obtayne they exhibited a petition to the same effect to the Court of Parliament in the yeere 1564. The Vniuersitie did me the honour to choose me in
a full congregation for their Aduocate Hauing prepared my selfe for the cause being armed with that sacred Decree which the facultie of Diuinity had pronounced against them in the yeere 1554. where those two great pillers of our Catholique Religion Monsieur Picard and Monsieur Maillard were assistants I was perswaded that I was able with a free and vncontrouled conscience to encounter hand to hand with this monster which being neyther Secular nor Regular was both togither and therefore brought into our Church an ambiguous or mungrell profession We pleaded this case two whole forenoones Maister Peter Versoris and I he for the Iesuits I for the Vniuersitie before an infinite multitude of people who attended to see the issue thereof Maister Baptist du Menill the Kings Aduocate a man of great sufficiencie was for me In my declaration I alledged the irrigularitie of their profession the iudgement and determination of the whole facultie of Diuinitie pronounced against them tenne yeeres before the obiection made by Monsieur Bruslard the Kings Attorney Generall against their admittance for that their vow was cleane contrarie to ours that if we should harbour them in our bosome we should bring in a Schisme amongst vs and besides so many espials for Spayne and sworne enemies to Fraunce the effects whereof wee were like to feele vpon the first chaunge that the iniquitie of time might bring vpon vs. Notwithstanding for the conclusion we were referred to Counsell Eyther partie both got and lost the day For neither were they incorporated into the Vniuersity nor yet prohibited to continue their accustomed readings When God hath a purpose to afflict a realme he planteth the roots thereof long time before hand These new-come guests blind and bewitch the people by shewes of holines and fayre promises For as if they had the gift of tongues which the holy Ghost infused into the Apostles they made their boasts that they forsooth went to preach the Gospel in the midst of barbarous and sauage people they that God knowes had ynough to do to speake their mother tongue With these pleasant baits did they inueigle and draw the multitude into their snares But as they had brought in a motly religion of Secular and Regular disturbing by meanes thereof all the Hierarchie of our Church so did they intend to trouble thence-forward all the politique states in Christendome In as much as by a newe inuented rule they beganne to mingle and confound the State with their religion And as it is easie to fall from liberty to vnbridled licence so did they vpon this irriguler rule of theirs ground the most detestable heresie that can be deuised affirming that it is lawfull to murther any Prince that should not conforme himselfe to their principles treading vnder foot both the checke which our Sauiour gaue to Saint Peter when he drew his sword in his defence and the Canon of the Councell of Constance whereby they were pronounced accurst that set abroach this position When I pleaded the cause I mentioned not these two propositions against them For though they bred them in their hearts yet had they not as yet hatched them only I said that there was no good to be hoped for of this monster but that they would euer put in practise eyther that principle which was broched by the old Moūtainer who in time of our wars beyond the Seas dispersed his subiects called cut-throats or murtherers through the the Prouinces to slay the Christian Princes or that horrible Anabaptisme which sprung vp in Germanie when we were young this should I neuer haue imagined Notwithstanding both the one and the other Maxime hath beene by them put in execution in the sight and knowledge of all Christendome For as concerning the first there is no man but knowes that they hauing set foot in Portugall not vnder the title of Iesuits but of Apostles they sollicited King Sebastian by all maner of illusions to make an vniuersall law that none might be called to the Crowne vnlesse he were of their Societie and moreouer elected by the consent suffrages of the same VVhereunto they could not attayne albeit they met with the most deuout and superstitious Prince that could be And not to lead you out of our owne countrie of Fraunce they were the men that kindled the first coales of that accursed League which hath beene the vtter ruine and subuersion of the land It was first of all debated amongst them and being concluded they constituted their Fathers Claudius Matthaeus a Lorrain and Claudius Sammier of Luxembourg for so are their Priests of greatest antiquitie called to be their trumpets for the proclayming thereof ouer all forraine nations And after that time did they with open face declare themselues to be Spaniards as well in their Sermons as publique Lectures In fauour of whom they attempted to bring their second principle into practise not all the while that the King was diuided from vs in religion for they knew that was a barre sufficient to keepe him from the Crowne but as soone as they saw him reclaymed into the bosome of the Church they set on worke one Peter Barriere a man resolute for execution but weake and tender in conscience whom they caused to be confessed in their Colledge at Paris afterwards to receiue the Sacrament and hauing confirmed him by an assured promise of Paradise as a true Martyr if he died in that quarrell set forward this valiant Champion who was thrise at the the verie point to execute his accursed enterprise and God as often miraculously stayed his hand vntill at length being apprehended at Melun he receiued the iust hyre of his trayterous intention in the yeere 1593. I speake nothing but what mine eyes can witnesse and what I had from his owne mouth when he was prisoner View peruse all the impieties that you will you shall find none so barbarous as this To perswade an impietie and then to couer it with such a seeming maske of pietie In a word to destroy a soule a King Paradise and our Church all at a blow to make way for their Spanish and halfe-Pagan designements All these new allegations caused the Vniuersitie of Paris the Citie being brought vnder the Kings obedience to renew their former suit against them which had beene stayed before time by the Counsels appoyntment The cause was pleaded effectually and learnedly by Maister Authonie Arnald but when the processe was brought to the verie poynt of Iudgement there fell out another accident which made them proceed roundly thereunto Iohn Chastell a Paritian of the age of 19. yeeres a graft of this accursed Seminarie stroke our king Henris the fourth with a knife in his Royall Pallace of the Louvre in the midst of his Nobilitie He is taken his processe being commenced and finished sentēce ensueth dated the 29. of December 1594. the tenour wherof followeth Being viewed by the Court the great Chamber and the Tournel being assembled the arraignement of processe criminall begun
and declare That wickedly accursedly against the truth hee hath written that the late King was instlie slaine by Iaques Clement and that if the King nowe raigning should not die in the warres he ought to be killed For the which he is hartily sorrie and asketh forginenesse of God the King and the Court. This done to be led to the place of the Greue there to bee hanged vntill hee be dead vppon a Gibbet which shall be there erected for the same purpose And afterwards the dead bodie to be consumed to ashes in a fire which shal be made at the foote of the said Gibbet it hath declared doth declare all and singuler his goods to be forfeited and confiscate to the King Pronounced to the said Iohn Guignard and executed the seauenth day of Ianuarie 1595. ¶ Another sentence against Peter Chastel Father of Iohn Chastell and Iohn Gueret Priest naming himselfe of the Companie and Societie of the Name of Iesus BEing viewed by the Court the great Chamber the Tournell assembled the triall or processe criminall cōmenced by the Controuler of the Kings houshold and since finished at the requisition and demaund of the Kings Atturny generall plaintife against Iohn Gueret priest naming himselfe of the Cōpanie and Societie of the Name of Iesus abiding in the Colledge of Clairmont and heeretofore Schoolemaister to Iohn Chastell lately executed by sentence of the said Court Peter Chastell Cittizen and Draper of the cittie of Paris Denise Hazard his wife the Father mother of the said Iohn Chastell Iohn le Comte and Katherine Chastell his wife Magdelan Chastell the daughter of the said Peter Chastell and Denise Hazard Anthonie Villiers Peter Russell Simona Turin Louisa Camus theyr man and maid-seruaunts Maister Claudius l' Allemant priest Curat of Saint Peters of Arcis Maister Iaques Bernard priest Clarke of the said charge and Maister Lucas Morin priest qualefied in the fame prisoners in the prisons of the Conciergerie of the Pallace examinations confessions and denialls of the saide prisoners confrontation being made of the said Iohn Chastell to the saide Peter Chastell his Father information beeing giuen against the said Peter Chastell the witnes therein heard produced face to face the processe criminall intended against the saide Iohn Chastell by reason of the most execrable and abhominable parricide attempted vppon the person of the King the processe verball of the execution of the sentence of death giuen against the said Iohn Chastell the 29. of December last past The conclusions of the Kings Atturny generall the said Gueret Peter Chastell Hazard being heard and examined in the said Court vpon the matters to them obiected and contayned in the said processe other examination and denialls made by the sayd Gueret and Peter Chastell on the rack or torture to them applied by order of the said Court and all weighed and considered BE IT KNOWNE that the sayd Court for the causes contriued in the said processe hath banished and doth banish the sayd Gueret and Peter Chastell out of the Realme of Fraunce that is to say the said Gueret for euer and the sayd Chastell for the terme space of nine yeeres and for euer out of the cittie suburbs of Paris it is enioyned them to keepe obserue their sentence of banishment vpon paine to be hanged without any other forme or manner of processe it hath declared and doth declare all and singuler the goods of the said Gueret forfeited and confiscate to the King hath condemned and dooth condemne the said Peter Chastell in two thousand crowns for a fine to the king to be employed to the releasing and relieuing of prisoners in the Conciergerie and to remaine in prison vntill the full payment and satisfaction of the said sum neyther shall the time of theyr banishment runne but from the day that he shall haue fully paid the said sum The said Court doth ordaine that the dwelling house of the said Chastell shall be puld downe ruinated and raced and the place made common that no man may heereafter builde thereon In which place for euerlasting memorie of this most wicked and detestable parricide attempted vppon the person of the King there shall be set vp and erected an eminent piller of Marble together with a table wherein shall be written the causes of the said demolition and erection of the said piller which shall be made with the mony arising out of the demolition or pulling downe of the said house And as touching the said Hazard le Comte Katherine and Magdalen Chastell Villiers Russell Turin Camus l' Alemant Bernard and Morin the sayd Court dooth ordaine that they shall be set at libertie Pronounced to the said Hazard le Comte Katherine and Magdalen Chastell Villiers Russell Turin Camus l' Allemant Bernard and Morin the seuenth of Ianuarie to the said Gueret and Peter Chastell the tenth of the said month 1595. These are the three sentences of the Court of Parliament of Paris whereby it appeares what diligence religion and iustice was performed in the whole proceeding how those that were accused were punished more or lesse those that were onely suspected freely discharged and released in a case which concerned the vvhole state of Fraunce Let vs now take a view if you please of the comments which the Iesuits haue made and doe make vpon these sentences for of late they haue againe recouered their speech CHAP. 19. ¶ The Iesuits vnder couert termes chalenge the sentence giuen against Iohn Chastell of iniustice and how GOD suffered him to be punished to make the punishment of the Iesuits more notorious to all posteritie AGainst this Sentence touching Iohn Chastell doe our Iesuits outragiouslie exclaime and making shew as if they would excuse the Court they accuse it of vniustice by it committed in condemning them VVee are saith the hypocriticall Iesuit in his most humble petition presented to the King enemies to Kings the state and your person seducers of youth Against these generall accusations we first oppose the testimonie of the Court of Parliament of Paris The Court had heard the Aduocates which brought and emptied their baggs loden with these weightie accusations it had beene with all importunitie sollicited to condemne vs It had aboue 9. months respite to weigh and ballance the cause that is from the last of Aprill vntill Christmas following It condemned vs not but suffered vs to remaine in peaceable possession of our rights reseruing it selfe to a fitter season to call them to account which had most vncharitably suggested these calumnious accusations against vs. Thinke you that this body of Iustice composed of the most famous ornaments of the Lawe vvhich the world yeelds and of the strongest firmest members of the state if it had seene the least of these crimes as sufficiently prooued as they were maliciously obiected thinke you I say that it would not haue proceeded to condemne vs in the very instant And hauing not condemned vs hath it
not by his silence condemned our Accusers and giuen most assured testimonie of our innocencie If since that time it haue condemned vs that proceeded not of the due and formall pleadings of the Aduocates or of any aduantage of law which our aduersaries had against vs it is an inconuenience vvhich hath condemned vs in costs but not ouer-throwne our cause And vvithin a fewe leaues after In Iuly 1594 at what time the processe was reuiued by two pleading Aduocates they charged vs with Barriere and framed many like imputatiōs to agranate this crime against our credite and reputation But all these were but blunt assertions not sharpe proofes proceeding frō the tongue and not from the truth the Court made no reckoning of them and by their silence cleered acquited vs. Rene de la Fon followeth his steppes and goeth about to proue in like manner that the cōdemning of Chastell is the acquiting of all their Societie in as much as hee being racked and tortured appeached none of them But theyr intelligence was very bad in this matter For albeit this wretched fellow by his aunswers and interrogatories to him ministred spared the names of particulers yet did he accuse the whole Order in generall as I wil verifie hereafter more at large Moreouer these Iesuits seeme to be both of them altogether ignorant in the course of Iudgements pronounced by those high Courts The Court saith the first hath not forthwith proceeded to iudgemēt in this cause notwithstanding the sharp accusations wherewith we were charged Ergo by his silence it pronounced vs guiltlesse Furthermore Barriere his fact was laid to our charge yet the Court would not presently condemne vs Ergo the Court intended by silence to acquite vs thereof I beseech you seeing you professe your selues to be Logicians to haue the start of all men in scholasticall Diuinitie by what principles can you make good these conclusions Yet are they not strange to proceede from a Iesuits pen. For these reuerent Fathers are in place and authoritie to cōdemne Kings without hearing them and to abandon their realmes and lay thē open for a pray to him that can possesse himselfe thereof◠as they did to the last King High and soueraigne Courts obserue another manner of proceeding They heare the Counsell on both parties yet rest not thereupon but in such important causes as this especially they remit their iudgement or sentence to their better leysure and to theyr second thoughts The like course was held in their cause Arnauld and Dole vrged in their Declarations the tragical historie of Barriere the Court gaue no credite therevnto and not without good consideration In as much as it was requisite for them to view Barriere his triall or processe which was made at Melun by Lugoly that they might be throughly informed of what had there passed But alas Iesuit what is become of thy wit Thou doost acknowledge this Court to consist of the greatest ornaments of the Law which the world yeeldeth as elsewhere also that referring both parties to counsell they had proceeded without passion or partialitie and yet in the instant thou changest thy note challenging it to haue done iniustice in grounding their sentence against you vpon Chastell who had not accused you Iudges proceede indirectly when eyther they want skill to iudge or that their iudgements are corrupted by hatred fauour or other such partial affections Neither of these defects can be shewed in the managing of your cause as your selfe confesse therefore it is presumption in vs both in you to assay by Sophistrie out of your shallowe braine to elude this sentence in mee to endeuour by reasons and arguments to maintaine and vphold the fame Let it suffice vs that it is a Decree or Arrest and it is our part therefore to rest our iudgements there-vppon In all causes especially in those of weight and importance like this GOD is in the midst of the Iudges to inspire and direct them Many times a man that hauing heard a case pleaded on both sides prepared himselfe in his minde either to acquite or condemne this or that partie yet when hee heares the first Iudge deliuer his opinion hee changeth his mind yea oftentimes it falleth out that one word vttered by the first giueth new light to him that secondeth when as happely he that spake it dreamt not thereon and when it cōmeth to the casting of the Bell for by that by-word doe the Lavvyers terme the vp-shot or conclusion of all they gather and collect out of the precedent opinions a generall ayre or abstract whereuppon this sentence is built Doost thou think that Chastells fact was the sole occasion of your fall thou art deceiued The Court had wisely referred the cause to counsell giuiuing thereby to vnderstand that it meant not to proceed therein eyther with passion or rash hastines two great enemies of iustice In the meane time hapned this damnable act committed by one of your schollers the principals which were before disposed to your condemning were taken in hand a fresh in the handling of Chastels cause your cause is adiudged all vnder one The indignitie and detestation therof awaked iustice in the hearts of the Iudges which in your cause might peraduenture haue slept had it not beene thereby stirred and excited And in all this there is nothing wrought by man but by a speciall iudgement of God which wee ought to proclayme through the whole world It is well knowne that your Colledge was the fountayne and seminarie of all those calamities which we endured during the last troubles There was the rebellion plotted and contriued there was it fully and wholly nourished and maintayned your Prouincials your Rectors your deuout Superiours were the first that troad that path they that first and last dealt with this merchandise Your Colledge was the retreat or Randeuous of all such as had vowed and sold themselues aswell to the destruction of the State as to the murther of the King in which your doings you at that time gloried and triumpht both in your Sermons and Lectures The true hearted subiects who had the Flower de Luce imprinted in their breasts beheld this tyranny and sighed in their soules for they durst not giue breath to their sighes all their recourse was to God that it would please him to haue compassion on their miserable estate God suffered you to raigne fiue yeeres and more swaying both people Magistrate and Prince to trie whether there were any hope of your amendment in time The King was no sooner entred into Paris but the iust hatred of the people towards you brake forth the Vniuersitie of Paris stirreth against you and reuiueth their former suite which had beene referred to Counsell in the yeere 1564. the occasion thereof was founded vpon your owne fresh practises and lewd misdemeanours the cause is pleaded by two worthie Lawyers Arnauld and Dole heard with patience discreetly not iudged forthwith by reason of the waightines besides the heat and
destroy and pull downe the Pyramis for what boote were it for you to be restored vnlesse this stone be taken away whereby you are charged with sundry crimes which you esteeme false and calumnious Seeing therefore your intent was to commence suite against a stone I presumed that the hearing of the cause belonged absolutely to my selfe and to none other And that you may vnderderstand with what diligence and iustice I haue proceeded in the examination thereof I remembred that your cause had been twise pleaded and twise referred to counsell First in the yeere 1564. wherein you were plantiues suing to bee incorporated into the Vniuersitie of Paris Secondly in the yeere 1594. wherein the Vniuersitie of Paris were plantiues requiring that you might be instantly banished and expelled the land To be throughly informed of the first I required a Copie of Pasquier his declaration against you Versoris his Plea for you as also of the latter by Mesmll the Kings Aduocate By all which I found that the onely matter in question at that time was the noueltie and straunge rule of your Order being contrarie to the auncient liberties of the Church of Fraunce And being desirous to be yet further instructed in the matter behold certaine mutinous spirits present me with three bookes on your behalfe In the first were contained the Buls by you obtayned for your commoditie and aduantage In the second were your orders or constitutions diuided into tenne parts In the third the Examen or if I may so terme it the Abstract or abridgement thereof Out of which I collected many poynts which before time were to me altogether vnknowne a simple and absolute vow which your enemies alleage to be full of subteltie and heresie many extraordinarie vsurpations vppon the Ordinaries and Vniuersities a rich kind of pouertie professed by vow a blinded obedience to your Supâ—â—ion for as for that to the Pope I meddle not ther withal your principall Buls wherein it seemes you haue surprised and abused the sanctitie of the holy Sea Whereupon I said that that villaine whatsoeuer he was that brought these bookes out of your Colledges deserued to be hanged for his paynes It is not meet the world should know the secrets of a profest Societie It doth but open mens mouthes to scanne and descant thereupon at their pleasures to the discredit and disgrace of the whole Order But seeing the offender cannot be discouered I thinke it best that these three bookes be sent backe into one of your Colledges there to receiue open discipline for this offence This is not the first time that sencelesse things haue beene dealt withall For in that manner doe we read that the Sea hauing trespassed against Zerxes that wise and prudent king of Persia who had purposed to passe ouer into Greece vpon a bridge of cordes was by him condemned to be whipt As contrariwise the Signiorie of Venice to flatter and infinuate with the Sea is wont yeerely vpon Ascension day to espouse and wed it with a Ring which they present vnto it I assure you when I compared the priuiledges of the Church of Fraunce with yours I stood greatly perplexed what to thinke holding this with my selfe for a law inuiolable that housoeuer all lawes were wauering and vncertaine according to the chaunge and alteration of times yet this stood firme stedfast and immutable that we are to liue according to the lawes of that countrey wherein we defire to liue And finding your Buls and constitutions to goe slat against the liberties of the Church of Fraunce it bred no small scruple in my mind howsoeuer I was inclined or deuoted to fauour your cause Hauing viewed and reuiewed the bookes and euidences concerning the first cause which was referred to counsel I passed ouer to the second instance of the yere 1594. wherin I employed all the powers of my braine Herein you were not called in question for your doctrine or profession any more but for your attempts and practises made aswell against Princes and Princesses as against the seuerall countries wherein you are resident and especially against the Realme of Eraunce A matter full of waight difficultie and of daungerous consequence which caused me for the discharge of my place and conscience to interpose my selfe in this cause contrarie to that custome which I haue hitherto learned and practised For in other cases I receiue such packets as my Vassels and Subiects list to impart giuing credit thereunto vpon their bare relations But in this I haue taken a farre other course For hauing perused your petitionarie booke full of pittie and compassion I sent forth summons to all quarters without exception to come in and speake their knowledge in the matter I directed out Commissions ouer all countries according to the prerogatiue which from all antiquitie hath beene graunted me through the whole state of Christendome to informe me aswell by letters as by witnesses of what I thought requisite for your iustification commaunding all Iudges of what qualitie foeuer vpon payne of a grieuous fine at my pleasure to send me the whole processe aswell criminall as extraordinarie which had passed in your cause being resolued your innocence once verified and confirmed to cast downe this Pyramis and to preferre this sentence into the Inquisition As your selues sometimes caused the censure and determination of the Sorbone pronounced against you in the yeere 1554. to be censured by the Inquisition of Spayne For it is not for euerie man to iustle with your holy Fatherhoods And that which pronoked mee the rather hereunto was your booke wherein reading to my great discomfort the hard measure which hath beene shewen you by the Court of Parliament of Paris yet you acknowledge the said Court to excell all other in knowledge iustice and religion Vpon my summons I must confesse the truth there appeared at the first dash a great troope of French English Scottish Arragonians Portugalls Polanders Flemings Swethlanders who reported much more then I desired to heare And albeit the peoples voyce be the voyce of God if you belieue the coÌ„mon prouerbe yet would not I for the sequell build my iudgment thereon Your owne booke increased my scruple doubt much more then before when for your iustification you say that in the yeere 1593. by a generall Synode holden by your Societie at Rome those of your Order were forbidden to entermeddle henceforward in matters of State which poynt I could not well conceiue They are prohibited said I to entermeddle hence-forward in State matters therefore it is presupposed that heretofore they haue medled therein I cannot be perswaded that these deuout and holie men did euer apply themselues that way because such is the calamitie of our times that in our State affaires wee harbour commonly more impietie then Religion to bring our designements to passe And standing thus in suspence one rounded me in the eare and bad mee be cleere of that poynt for he that made The Defence of the Colledge of Clairmont in
1594 hath inserted saith he the whole article in Latine I called for the booke found it true as he told me Another brought me Montaignes his booke reade this place saith he heere you shall find the foundation and originall of our last troubles In this booke I finde that Father Claudius Mathew and Aimond Auger were sometimes in high fauour with Henry the third in so much as oftentimes hee tooke them into his Coach after hee addeth That sathan hauing cast into the Realme the Apple of strife suspition and ielousie all things changed their course and then was brewed that vineger and gall of ciuile dissentions which since that time wee haue seene and tasted As to all texts there want no comments so in the reading of this place thys fellow said vnto me that two words sufficed to a good vnderstander and that this alteration fell out by meanes of the repulse which these two blessed Fathers receiued of the King when he saw them begin to set their hands to matters of State and that they played as did Narses the Eunuch whom the Empresse commaunding to goe and spin her distaffe he made aunswere that he would spin her such a quill as shee or her husband should neuer be able to vnwind And indeed kept promise with her by bringing the Lombards into Italie Euen so these two honest Iesuits beeing estranged from the grace and fauour of the King would let him know they could skill of somwhat else then to say ouer our Ladies Psalter And to speake freely what I think I neuer knew mon of a better conscience then are those of your Societie nor that lesse feared to incur the censures of Rome First Father Henrie Sammiere a stirring pragmaticall fellow confessed that about the yeere 1580 or 81 if I mistake not he was sent by you into diuers Countries to treate or commune about the generall reuolt which you intended to stirre vp against the late King of Fraunce And albeit I maintained that it was neyther true nor probable in as much as you had no cause at that time to attempt it he bad me seeing I beleeued not his words to looke but vpon the arraignment and triall of William Parry an Englishman vvho was executed the third of March 1584. that there I should finde at the latter end of a certaine Letter which he wrote to the Queene during his imprisonment That shee should finde the King of Fraunce had enough to doe as home when shee neede of his helpe Parry as Sammiere told me departed out of England in 1582 and came into Fraunce where hee was dealt withall by our Societie to destroy the Queene of England and to make an innouation in the State and when he obiected that it would hardly be brought to passe in as much as she were like to be ayded and assisted by the King of Fraunce we made him aunswer that we would cut out the King of Fraunce so much worke that his hands should be full of his owne busines without stirring to ayde or succour another Whereby it appeares that euen in those daies our web was on the loome I had not at that time the acts of Parry his tryall but hauing since procured them I haue read the Letter haue found all true that Sammiere reported Who in a good meaning proceeded further and confessed that himselfe and Roscieux were sent in 1584. to the King of Spaine and Father Claudius Mathew to Pope Gregorie the 13. to vnderstand what summes of mony they were willing to contribute towards the charges maintenaunce of the holy League whereunto Roscieux replyed Yea but this honest Munk telleth you not what a cast of his office he shewed me For hee and I riding post together he perceiuing one night that I beeing wearied with trauaile was buried in a dead sleepe caused fresh poast-horse to be brought him and away hee went leauing me in bed for a pawne and such speede and diligence he vsed as that our whole busines was by him almost dispatched with the King of Spayne before I could ouertake him To bring this processe to a conclusion I caused to be brought vnto me the pleadings of Arnauld Aduocate for the Vniuersitie and Dole who was retaind for the Curats of Paris The aunswere to the same vnder the name of the Colledge of Clairmont Frauncis de Montaignes his booke De la veritè Defendue against Arnauld and certaine other bookes or euidences seruing to the state of the cause I belieued Sammier for so much as concerned himselfe but as for Father Claudius Matthew I would not the memorie of him should be touched vpon another mans confession Wherefore I had recourse to the litterall proofe and read Arnauldus his pleadings wherein he toucheth him to the quick and the aunswere thereunto contained in that Plea which is as followeth And whereas Arnauldus alledgeth that Claudius Matthew of the Order of the said Defendants hath beene the Authour and contriuer of the League the said Defendants aunswere that Claudius Matthew hauing spent his whole time in their Colledges amongst children liuing euer in the course of a Scholler could not haue iudgement policie industrie and authoritie requisite for the contriuing and knitting of so great strong a League And be it that the saide Mathew endeuoured to fortifie the sayd League as many others of all estates cōditions haue likewise doone that prooues not therefore that he was the Authour or beginner thereof Besides this is but one particular And fiue or sixe lines after There was not one of them at the first acquanted with his actions and had they beene yet could they not haue hindered them inasmuch as hee vvas their Superiour Comparing Arnaulds obiection with this colde and faint solution mee thought you were agreed that Fraunce should thinke her selfe beholding to none but your selues for her last troubles And desiring more fullie to informe my conscience as touching the Reuolt which happened in Paris euen in the Sorbon it selfe the seauenth of Ianuarie 1589 there came a crew of Diuines beeing men of credit and reputation who certified me that in truth they were at that time assembled to debate the matter that all the auncienter sort were of a cōtrarie opinion howsoeuer the younger were not the greater part whereof had beene schollers to the Iesuits of Paris So as the voyces being numbred and not weighed it was carried away by pluralitie Neuerthelesse they did not as yet altogether loose the reynes to rebellion but determined to suspend the effect of thys their conclusion vntill such time as it were confirmed and ratified by the Sea Apostolick But the day following Father Iames Commolet a Iesuit sounded the drum within Paris And that I might be assured if not of the whole yet of the greatest part of the premisses by the annuall Letters of the Iesuits of the yeere 1589 and moreouer by their Pleas I went directly to theyr Letters and found in those which were written from your Colledge of
to his report This letter did mightily incense me against your iustifications wherupon I desired to see the aunswer hereunto in your Pleas. Tenthly Arnauld alledgeth that the yeere 1591. Monsieur de Chaseron intercepted certayne letters written to the king of Spayne carried by Father Mathew of the Order of the said defendants We aunswere that Arnauld vnder correctioÌ„ of the Court is ill informed for the said father Mathew died three yeers before at Ancona in Italy that is in the yeere 1588. and by consequent could not but by a greater miracle then Saint Dennis go and come into Spayne And addeth moreouer that that Mathew was a Spanish Frier of one of the four orders of the begging Friers I see the same aunswere to be likewise made by Moâ—â—â—gâ—es one of the chiefe men of your Order which made me presently exclaime against Arnauld O straunge impudence of an Aduocate against an innocent Societie But one of the companie interrupting me prayed me to take better aduisement for saith he if there be any impudence herein it is on the Iesuits part nay rather want of common sence For Arnauld was farre from saying that father Clâ—â—dâ—â—s Mathew was the bearer of those letters but an other Iesuite whose Christen name iumpt with Mathew his surname Let vs read his Plea When King Philip saith he by the Iesuits perswasion had sent a garrison of Spaniards into Paris and desired to haue some colourable title for that which he held alreadie by force whom sent he thether but father Mathew the Iesuite whose ChristeÌ„ name was all one with the other Mathewes surname the Iesuit that was the principall instrument of the League in the yeere 1583. This Mathew in fewe daies that hee abode in this Citie being lodged in the Colledge of the Iesuits caused this letter to be there written and signed Marke saith one of the companie who against my will insulted therupoÌ„ the foolish sophistrie of these fellowes For in their Pleas they make Arnauld say that which he neuer meant hauing in plaine termes distinguished betweene the two Mathewes Likewise to alledge that it was a Spanish Frier whose name was Mathew carieth lesse probabilitie because the foure orders of the begging Friers are not called Fathers but Friers or brothers and much lesse Reuerend whereas in this letter the bearer is stiled the Reuerend Father Mathew Which proueth palpably and to the eye that howsoeuer the letter were written in the name of the Sixteen seditious Gouernours and Tyrants of Paris whereof Pigenat was the Superintendent yet came it out of the Iesuits shop who were aswell the composers as the bearers thereof Compare the date of the letter which is of the 2. of Nouember 1591. with the sauage cruelty vsed the same month by those Sixteen against him that was then chiefe President of the Parliament of Paris and two other personages of name who were attached and executed all at one instant it will appeare that in all this buisines there was nothing but proceeded from the Iesuits If all these euidences in writing and confessions by mouth doe not yet satisfie you read the booke of René de la Fon you shall see that he acknowledgeth the Iesuits to haue been the authors originals of our last troubles and of the generall ruine of France But forasmuch as this Pamphlet is of great consequence to our present purpose you must vnderstand that Pasquier in two or three places of his pleadings fortuned to say that the sect of the Iesuits once taking root in France would bring forth a Seminary of diuision betweene the n = * The French and the Spayniard Christian and the Catholique in the end of his pleading protesteth that wheÌ„soeuer this misery should come to passe yet at the least they that should liue in those daies should acknowledge that this age was not vnfurnisht of such as had long before as it were from a high Tower foreseen the tempest to come In the yeere 1597. Monsieur Marion the Kings Aduocate in the court of Parliament of Paris pleading against the Iesuits of Lions recounting the mischiefes which this sect had caused added these words Wherein appeareth a notable example of the true predictioÌ„s which God when he pleaseth inspireth into those whom he loueth For the cause being solemnly pleaded aboue thirtie yeeres agoe for the admittance not of their Order which was neuer approued in Fraunce but of their Colledge into the bodie priuiledges of the Vniuesity the wisest men of that time hauing indeed a singular insight into the course of the world foresaw eueÌ„ in those daies that in tract of time they would kindle the flames of dissension in the midst of the Realme La Fon the Iesuit supposing that he meant it specially by Pasquiers Pleas takes vpon him to aunswere it but in so pleasant a manner as I cannot but acquaint you withall But what are these Diuine Diuiners saith he that prophecied so well so truly so effectually of the Iesuits Is it not possible for vs to diuine at their names and Diuinations although our breasts swell not with the enthusiasmes of these inspired spirits Is not Pasquier one of them And Marion in the prophecies which he alledgeth doth he not directy poynt at those which were vttered by Pasquier If I prophecie truly Pasquier his Pleas haue made me a Prophet This Plea hauing lyen buried for thirtie yeeres and digged vp againe within these three yeeres like an old Image loaden with newe Pardons hath like a ridiculous Pasquill spoken and prophecied backward That which in the yeere 1564. he neither could nor durst say returning out of hell in the yeere 1594. 95. better instructed in things which were past alredy he hath pronouÌ„ced theÌ„ like an Oracle from the tripode from him haue I learnt them But the mischiefe wil be wheÌ„ these pleadings shal be one day brought forth in their originall forme to discouer the new Pardons that are pasted vpon this plastred Pasquin and when the reward of his prophecies shal be branded vpon his backe O mightie and worthie champion meriting to haue his statue set vp in the mids of all your Colledges for hauing so valiantly hunted not to couert but to death the auncient enemie of your Order was there euer man that behaued himselfe better with his perme and his wit Onely this troubleth me that giuing such a braue onset vpon this poore old man he chargeth him at last to haue new forged his pleadings and set downe vnder the yeere 1594. in manner of a prophecie those things which he had seene come to passe through Fraunce the yeere 1564. whereby this honest man doth confesse that all the miseries of Fraunce haue proceeded from the Iesuits for this was the scope of Pasquier his Plea And my selfe also acknowledge that the holy Ghost was minded to speak by the mouth of this Iesuit O how great is the force of truth which cannot but break forth whatsoeuer fig-leaues of cunning cloaking
and afterwards by way of parable in great iollitie before the people maintained it in the pulpit And yet were there but this sole example in this kinde I should be verie iniurious to challenge theyr whole sect but when wee see it is theyr continuall practise what shall we say As for instance theyr attempt against the deceased Prince of Orange at Antwerpe Afterwards in the towne of Trierres where he was murthered At Doway likewise against the Counte Maurice his sonne At Venice Lyons Paris against the Queene of England in the yeere 1584. Againe against her in Spayne in the yeere 1597. In Scotland against the Chauncellor Metellinus Againe in Fraunce that in Paris against our King in the yeere 1594 by one of theyr schollers Chastell who in open Court before the face of the Iudges was so shamelesse to maintaine that in certaine cases it was lawfull to kill his king Now if the rule of Logitians be true that from manie particulers a generall may be concluded I thinke I may truly affirme that their axiom whereuppon they ground theyr massacring of Kings Princes and great personages is as naturall and as familiar vnto them as the rest of theyr vowes It is most certaine they consented to the death of the late king and that Guignard one of their order since executed made as I told you a booke wherein hee maintaineth that the death of such offenders is meritorious and that the king now liuing should be serued so to Hetherto you haue heard mee discourse vnder the name of the venerable Pasquill of Rome notwithstanding the things themselues are serious and true Among others there is a booke made by the Iesuit Montaignes Principall of the Seminarie of Reims vppon the same subiect Arnauld hauing in his pleading obiected it vnto him Montaignes made no hast to aunswere it although in things more friuolous his pen hath euer been too busie For conclusion all their actions all theyr plots are barbarous and bloodie Which occasioned a pleasant Gentleman of Fraunce hauing in a little Poem briefly discouered their deuilish practises in his conclusion to say thus of them Gesum is a warre-like weapon vsed by the French as Liuie Festus Nonius and Sosipater testisie A Gesis sunt indita nomina vobis Quae quia sacrilegi Reges torquet is in omnes Inde sacrum nomen sacrum sumpsistis omen Of Gesum not Iesus are Iesuits hight A fatall toole the French-men vsed in fight Which sith by sacriledge at Kings you throw From hence your holy name and fortunes flow Notwithstanding any thing can be sayde to the contrarie yet this conclusion still must stande inuiolable The particuler offender is to be punished the Order not to be touched as beeing farre from the thought of such impietie Who is so braine-sicke to belieue it I vvill not abuse your patience by reckoning vp the tumults and seditions they haue caused in our state I knovve the great Maisters of our Common-wealth respect them as men very zealous ouer the good of their Country I beseech them to consider whether that I haue sayd be true or no Other Rhetoricke I will not vse to draw them to my opinion And because I haue begunne this discourse vvith the Decree graunted in Rome against the Humiliati I vvill vrge the same againe to make it plaine vnto you with what impudencie the Iesuits ward thys blow CHAP. 23. ¶ The impudencie of the Iesuits to saue themselues from the processe of the Consistorie of Rome granted out against the order of the Humiliati ARnauld first of all in the yeere 1594. Marion the Kings Attorney since in 97. declare that the Order of the Humiliati was in our time suppressed for lesse cause then the Iesuits deserue to be The one and the other in few words This is the position I maintaine Let vs see how the Iesuits will ward this blow Montaignes writing against Arnauld sayth Montaig ca. 59. To strengthen your weake assertion you bring the example of the Order of the Humiliati which were suppressed in Italy You are farre wide the cases are nothing alike The causes of their suppression are mentioned in the Bull namely that they were irrigular imperious and incorrigible They conspired against their Prelat their Protector and reformer and the executor of the conspiracie being taken discouered the rest who likewise confessed the fact You cannot affirme the same of the Iesuits could you it is like you would not spare them I am of the Iesuits mind they are nothing like indeed For the question was there but of a Prelat wherof there is plentie here of a King of which fort we had no more who is Gods true annoynted The conspirator of the Humiliati was punished as soone as he was taken the Iesuit was not for after they had brought him backe from Paris as to them nothing is impossible they found meanes for his escape In truth this defence of Montaignes is full of preuarication and therefore La Fon denieth it Concerning the Humiliati saith hee it hath beene answered heretofore by Francis Montaignes that they were sensual licentious vnlearned irregular without discipline scandalous whose houses were Princes Pallaces their chambers garnished like Kings Cabinites Their Cloisters Galleries full of lasciuious pictures Their Prouost keeping a publique Curtisan all the rest of the Prouosts diet In the end they were conuict of treasonable practise against the person of their Prelate the Cardinall Borrhomeo a man of verie holy life labouring by all meanes to reclayme them Their cause was exactly heard the crimes examined debated and iudged by our holy Father the Pope to whom the cognisance of such causesproperly belongeth who condēned them not to depart out of Italy but to liue confined vnder other religious as Pentioners depriued of their possessiōs of whom some liue at this day in Milan And hereof all Millan is witnesse togither with the Bull thereof likewise extant My purpose was to haue made a comparison betwixt the Humiliati the Iesuits therby to show that there is much more reason to suppresse the Iesuits now then there was cause then to dissolue the Humiliati But the impudencie of this last Iesuit presseth me to encounter him before I passe any further What a strange comment is this he maketh vpon his fellow Montaignes Where findeth he either in Montaignes or in the Bull those crimes which he mentioneth where findeth he this same conspiracie in person against the Cardinal Borrhomaeo where findeth he the Prouosts Curtisan was there but one Prouost in this order Had not euery Priory one Had this Prouost no name It is an vse the Iesuit hath gotten when hee begins to tell tales he leaues not till he haue told twentie But to bring him to the touch Let vs see the Bull of Pope Pius Quintus it wil easily appeare whether his allegations be Alchimie or no. PIVS EPISCOPVS SERVVS seruorum Dei ad perpetuam rei memoriam QVE MAD
not haue beene auoyded but their Generall the Prouincialls of their Order and the Priors of their Monasteries must haue beene of the conspiracie or at the least some part of them A clause which would not haue beene forgotten in the Decree that Pope Pius the fift the holy Consistorie of Rome sent out hauing so great intention finallie to suppresse them And this is the reason the Iesuits haue layed this condemnation most falsely vppon all the Order who had in Chapter as they say conspired against Borrhomeo Let vs acknowledge a truth like the children of Christ and not like the disciples of Ignacius This Order vvas growne very infamous by reason of their incontinency and licentious life the which the good Cardinall Borrhomaeo would haue helpt if it had beene possible This was I must confesse a fault and that verie foule and scandalous yet for this it is like they should not haue beene suppressed It is a vice whereunto naturally wee are prone Insomuch that hee who would suppresse all houses of Religion where this vice aboundeth especially those which are seated in places farre from resort wee may say with Tacitus Vt antea vitijs ita tum demuÌ„ legibus laboraremus And there might be peraduenture more scandale in suppressing then in winking at theyr vices How then What caused the suppression It vvas GODS will that vnexpectedly Lignana Pryor of Versellis and some others angry with this new reformation conspired against Borrhomaeo as it is expressed in the Bull. And this ryot was the cause of the suppression and this is the cause the Bull dooth recount theyr disorders in generall but specially theyr attempt against Borrhomaeo The which is set downe verie particularlie and not the incontinencies which La Fon reciteth VVhat is there in this storie but will fit the Iesuits as well as if it were made for them They are notorious throughout the world for the troubles raised by them in Fraunce And as manifest it is that they practised and bargained with a stranger to bring in a newe King into this kingdome The detestable fact of Barriere The howlings of Commolet to the people to kill the King euen in the time of the truce The people vvith one mouth from the youngest to the most aged cried vengeance on them so soone as the King reentred Paris The cause was pleaded in the name of the Vniuersitie and as it falleth out oftentimes that in matter of iudgement where the cause is of consequence while we feare to be negligent wee growe ouer-curious so heere the cause was referred to counsaill GOD would so haue it that Chastell a disciple of the Iesuits poysoned vvith theyr damnable positions wounded the King with a knife and beeing taken hee maintained in the open face of iustice that hee might doe it lawfully The haynousnes of thys fact aggrauated with other circumstances gaue occasion of the pronouncing the processe against the whole Order Nowe I pray you tell mee if the same holie Ghost which wrought in the suppression of the Humiliati had not a stroke likewise in driuing the Iesuits out of Paris They are the same things the same proceedings vnder seuerall names Theyr difference is in these two poynts The one that the Humiliati in being too subiect to their pleasure sinned yet committed such a sinne as our corrupt nature teacheth vs but the Iesuits beeing the principall Authours of the troubles wherein two hundred thousand lost theyr liues haue sinned against GOD against nature For nature abhorres nothing more then death which is so cheape among the Iesuits to the losse of others The other difference is that the attempt of Lignana was but against a Cardinall whoÌ„ I acknowledge willingly to be one of the holiest men our age yeeldeth A Cardinall whom the Colledge would be loth to spare yet notwithstanding hee liues and liueth in as great reputation as euer hee did Whereas the attempt of Chastell endangered a King sole in his kingdome such a king as the world must yeeld to bee as valiant wise and curteous as anie before him and by whose death if the treason had sorted to effect wee were to expect nothing but horrour and confusion our olde inhabitants And yet they must be cherrished in some part of the kingdome But because some not remembring or not obseruing things past others not foreseeing lesse laboring to preuent dangers to come suffer themselues to be abused by them accounting them the Champions and protectors of the Catholick faith I wil make it manifest vnto you that their sect is as dangerous as Martin Luthers that there is nothing the Pope hath more to feare as preiudiciall to his authority and greatnes then their Generall what showes and protestations soeuer they make to the contrary notwithstanding CHAP. 24. ¶ That the Sect of the Iesuits is no lesse dangerous to our Church then the Lutherans THis position may seeme at the first sight Paradoxicall but it is true The distribution of the hierarchicall Order of our Church hath a proportion and correspondeÌ„cy with the humane body wherin the head coÌ„mandeth ouer the other members amongst the which there are certaine noble parts as the hart the liuer the lungs without which the bodie cannot consist So as hee who would take from the head to adde to the noble parts or diminish them to giue vnto the head disordering the proportion and correspondency which should bee betwixt the members hee should confound destroy the bodie So is it in our hierarchy the head of the Church is our holy father the Pope the noble parts vnder him are the Archbishops Bishoppes Cardinals Priors Abbots I will adde Princes Lords Vniuersities as for the rest of the people they represent the other members of the body Martin Luther was the first who durst traduce this head bringing in a form of Aristocratie into our Church making all the Bishops in their seueral dioceses equall to the Sea Apostolique There succeeded him Ignactius Loyhola some yeeres after who by a contrarie course defended the authoritie of the holy Sea but after such a fashion as hee no lesse endamaged our Church then theirs For pretending more zeale to the Sea and our holy Father then the rest and still intituling him to more predominant and new authoritie ouer the Ordinaries hee and his successiuely obtaynd from diuers Popes so many Priuiledges Indulgences and Graunts in disaduantage of the Prelats Monasteries and Vniuersities that suffering them to liue in the midst of vs you disfigure stain the face of the Catholique and Vniuersall Church RemeÌ„ber what the Iesuit said to you this other day you will find my words true The difference betwixt Luther and Ignace is that hee troubled our Church fighting against the head And this warring against the noble parts All extremitie is a vice vertue is â—â—â—ympiere betwixt both For mine owne part I beleeâ—â—â—hat the true Catholique Apostolick Roman faith is that which hath bin in vse euer
cast off all authoritie and preheminence ouer them as it is manifest by that which followeth For it was hee whom they promised to meete at Venice at a certaine day prefixt It was hee which afterwards assembled them at Vincintia to deliberate whether they should returne to Rome or no there to erect their new Sect it was he which vndertooke the charge as principall This was the cause that hee assuring himselfe that when they should proceed to eleclection would make choise of him for Generall of their Order prouided before hand that this office should not be annuall but for life and all with all that the Generall should haue absolute authority ouer his subiects Ergo sine controuersia deligendum videri cui omnes in terris tanquam Christo parerent Maff. lib. 2. chap. 9. cuius in verba iurarent denique cuius sibi nutum ac voluntatem instar diuini cuiusdam oraculi ducerent His ita constitutis deinceps quaesitum de huius ipsius potestate vtrum certo dierum spatio definitam an vero perpetuam esse oporteret perpetuam esse placuit omnibus After the Order was established in Rome and Ignatius chosen Generall and that vpon termes of an absolute Gouernour He who from his youth had beene in armes not in Arts began to bring in amongst them a tyrannous gouernement willing that all his Decrees and the Decrees of his successors should bee held iust and inuiolable For although they made shew to vowe like obedence to the holy Sea vnder this protestation they were authorized in Rome yet is it manifest that they do yeeld more obedience to their Generall then to the Pope I say not onely to their Generall but to all their other Superiors as their Prouincials and Rectors and especially in their vow of Mission their Generall hath more commaund ouer them then the Pope euen all as I haue more particularly discoursed speaking aswell of the vow of Mission as of the blinded or hoodwinckt obedience Therfore I conclude concluding shal not be withstood by any man which is not verie passionatly partiall that the commaund which the Pope and the Generall haue ouer the Iesuits is in all points soueraigne and absolute but without comparison more precise in the things which concerne the General Which maketh mee beleeue that if euer the holy Sea receiued a breach there is no Sect liker to make it then this of the Iesuit their General residing in Rome We exclaime againsts the Lutherans and not without cause inasmuch as they were the first in our age that troubled the peace of the Church Notwithstanding I hold not thē of more dangerous consequence then the Iesuits Some childish or young scholler will not sticke to say perhaps that in maintayning this position I am an heretique All those whom we terme in Fraunce of the pretended Religion of the Reformed or of the new haue no head ouer them If they should admit any they should contradict themselues denying the Popes primacie and yet receiuing another They liue in an Oligarchy or an Aristocracy Insomuch as he who for his knowledge or antiquity hath any preheminence ouer the other Ministers it is an inherent authoritie for time of life not transmissible from him to his Successors Besides they want outward ceremonies without the which Religion worketh not easily in the hearts of simple people He among them is held a great minister who neuer read ouer but Caluins Institutions or Peter Martyrs Common-places and some other moderne writers So as I doubt not but this Sect in time will fall of it selfe as I thinke it had beene downe ere this time if the vnhappie ambition of the Iesuits had not so factiously withstood the wise designes of our deceased King I know this is not a stile greatly to content the Ministers neyther doe I affect their fauour all my ambition is to see our Catholique Apostolique Roman Church in that dignitie and discipline wherein it flourished in the dayes of our fore-fathers For conclusion our Kings being Catholiques as they must be if they will raigne I feare not the Hugonote in Fraunce who whether he will or no shall be brought in vnder obedience well ynough But I feare the Iesuit aboue all not onely in Fraunce but in Rome because their pollicy tendeth to the establishment of a tyranny ouer all which they will recouer by little and little if they be not preuented They haue a Generall which is not annuall or for terme as those of the Friers But perpetuall as the Popes Some one will say that the like is in the chartre house I agree but they are recluse lead a solitary life in their Cloysters sequestred from trafficke and entercourse with the world Some will reply that there are diuers heads of Orders as of Clugni Premonstre and Grammond which are for terme of life I graunt it but yet they haue Statutes and Decrees inuiolable within which they are limited and confined so that they can do nothing preiuditiall to the rest of the Religious It is not so with the Iesuits for they haue nothing so certaine as the vncertaintie of their constitutions The which they can change in their Chapters without crauing ayde of the holy Sea yea and the Generall himselfe in ordinarie affayres of his owne absolute authoritie may doe his pleasure Euerie man knoweth that a perpetuall Magistrate is more absolute then a temporary In the first general congregation which was held by them in the yeere 1558. Pope Paule the fourth sent to them purposely the Cardinall Pacochus to aduertise them his pleasure was that their Generall should be chosen for certain yeers foreseeing the extraordinary greatnes which he might grow vnto by this perpetuall regency Notwithstanding ouercome with their importunities he was in a sort content yet sent he the Cardinal Taruense to signifie that he held it more cōuenient to be temporarie then perpetuall This Generall beeing thus perpetuall yet are all the dignities of his Order temporary Vnder him are the Prouincialls according to the deuision of Prouinces vnder them are the Rectors who haue particuler authoritie ouer theyr houses and Colledges and consequently ouer theyr Fathers ouer the Coaiutors spirituall and temporall ouer the schollers elected For the heads of Colledges they are principally appointed to be Superintendems of the stranger schollers These offices hold vsually for three yeeres together yet may they be cōtinued or abridged at the pleasure of the Generall he disposeth of the temporalties absolutly without any consent and exerciseth a world of prerogatiues which are not permitted to our Bishops I will deliuer you euery particuler in his place The Prouincialls are their Bishops the Rectors are their Curats as we likewise call in Languedoc Rectors those which in all other parts of Fraunce are called Curats None of these I haue named are perpetuall but at the will of their Generall No other dignitie of Christendome is comparable with that of our holy Father and yet his
thereof there is not any King or Prince that can defend himselfe from their stings Chap. 1 Touching an extraordinarie processe and course held in the Low countries against Robert Bruse Gentleman of Scotland vpon the accusation information of Father William Critchton Iesuit because he would not cause the Chauncellor of Scotland to the slaine Cha. 2 Concerning the murther which William Parrie an English man thrust on thereto by the Iesuits meant to execute against Elizabeth Queene of England in the yeere 1584. Chap. 3 Of another assault and murther procured in the yeere 1597. by the Iesuits against the Queene of England Chap. 4 That the Iesuits doe at this day make shew to condemne their wicked doctrine in all things concerning eyther the murthering of Princes or rebellion against their states Chap. 5 A prodigious historie of the detestable parricide attempted against King Henry the fourth of that name the most Christian King of Fraunce and Nauarre by Peter Barrier for the raysing vp of the Iesuits Chap. 6 How the heathenish impietie of the Iesuits had been preiudiciall to our Church if their execrable counsel had come to an effect Ch. 7 Of the murther which Iohn Chastell brought vp at Paris in the Iesuits schoole sought to attempt against the King in the yeere 1594. Chap. 8 That it is an heresie to approoue the killing of Kings although they be heretiques Chap. 9 A memorable act of Ignace wherupon the Iesuits haue learnd to kill or cause to be killed all such as stand not to their opinioÌ„s Ch. 10 Of the holy League brought by the Iesuits the yeere 1585. into Fraunce and that they are the cause of the Hugonots new footing among vs. Chap. 1. That Auricular confession hath been vsed by the Iesuits as a chiefe weapon for the rebellion and in what sort they are wont to mannage it Chap. 12 Of a general assembly of the Iâ—â—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 in the 〈◊〉 1593. wherin they are proâ—â—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I le in mâ—â—â—â—rs of State Chap. 13 Whether the Iesuits haue Spanish hâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 their enemies charge them to haue or if they be for who giues most Chap. 14 That the Iesuits were the cause of the â—eâ—th of Mary Queene of Scots together with a briefe discourse what mischiefes they haue wrought in England Chap. 15 That the Iesuits entermedling at matters of State after they haue troubled whole Realmes yet doe all things fall out quite contrarie to their expectation Chap. 16 That the Pope hath not power to translate the Crowne of Fâ—â—nce from one to another against the dangeroâ—â— pâ—â—â—â—â—ons of the Iesuits and some other discourse tending to the same eâ—â—â—ctâ— Chap. 17 The Decree of the Parliament of Paris 〈…〉 Iesuits in the yeere 1594. And a chapter taken out of the â—â—d bâ—â—â—â—â— des Reserches de la Fraunce by Stephen Pasquier Chap. 18 The Iesuits vnder couert termes chalenge the sentence 〈◊〉 against Iohn Chastell of iniustice how God suffâ—ed him 〈…〉 â—â—â—ished to make the punishment of Iesuiâ—â— moâ—e notorious 〈◊〉 posteritie Chap. 19 Of the Pyramis which is raised before the Pallace of Paâ—â—â— and of the sentence giuen in Rome by the renowmed Pasquiâ—ll concerning the restauration of the Iesuits sued for by themselues Chap. 20 Of the diuision which seemes to be in the Parlaments or Iâ—risdictions of Fraunce as concerning the Iesuits and what may be the cause thereof Chap. 21 How the order of the Humiliati was suppressed by Decree of the Consistorie of Rome And that there is greater cause to suppresse the Iesuits then the Humiliati Chap. 22 Of the impudency of the Iesuits to saue themseues from the processe of the consistorie of Rome granted out against the order of the Humiliati Chap. 23 That the Sect of the Iesuits is no lesse daungerous to our Church then the Lutherans Chap. 24 Of the notorious enterprize or vsurpation of the Generall of the Iesuits ouer the holy Sea and that there is no new Sect which in time may be more preiudiciall to it then this Chap. 25 That there is no credit to be giuen to the promises and protestations of Iesuits for that they 〈◊〉 no faith but such as maketh for the effecting of their purposes Chap. 26 The conclusion of the third Booke containing the restoring of the Iesuits by them procured Chap. 27 FINIS