honor est in honorante say Deuines in exposition of the princely Prophets speech Omnis honor regis ab intus in fimbrijs aureis c. And for that the questioÌ„ is not of admittance into the nuÌ„ber of nobles or geÌ„tles but being once matriculated cataloguated registred in that KaleÌ„der whether that then being but a Gentleman of proper merite onely and not of bloud coat-armor or auncestrie the foresaid wants and defects do more disable the subiect wherein they are inherent to aduancement ecclesiasticall or ciuill that is whether a Priest by function or an Esquire by creation ought more to conceale and hide his faults and which of them may be soonest hindred from preferment to higher dignities as from an ordinarie Priest to be a Pastor Vicar Deane Archdeacon Bishop c. and from a Gentleman of coat-armor to be a Knight Baron Lord baron Vicount and Earle c. Wherein because it is presupposed that they are both in the way to preferment the one as a consecrated Priest by his spiritual the other as a created Esquire by his temporal gentrie the difference by consequent must needes follow thereupon to be this that being once admitted by dispensation legitimation c. those things most in request with a Priest afterward must be learning vertue gouernment c. None of which in our speech of meanes to aduancement are so exactly required in a temporall Gentleman and on the other side the graces and abilities expected at a temporall mans hand must be parentage valor comelinesse of person and wealth sufficient to maintaine his estate c. which may cause his good fortune by marryage and otherwise none of which are required so precisely in a Priest and perhaps not at all necessities his preferment standing not vpon mariage or ostentation of his wealth friends and temporall abilities but vpon the managing of the thing he hath or is to take in hand wherein wisedome prudence and other ciuill politicall and morall vertues are required And so by consequent it followeth that as both are to maintaine their honour renowne and credite to the vttermost so both may conceale such defects as may hinder the same preferment which otherwise might and would accrew vnto them alwaies respecting time place person and other circumstances as may preiudice either one or other thereby which to explane how that may happen I will set the case downe in these few examples following Saint Augustine rightly called the Apostle of England because sent hither by blessed Saint Gregorie the Great to conuert as he did this countrie to the Catholike Romane faith sending for the Welch or Briton Priests fallen into Apostacie and Pesagianisme to come to conference with him concerning sundrie of their heresies and grosse errors obseruing well his actions and behauiour towards them vpon the speech of a false prophet or Pelagian Hermit they all that came to parlee presently left him before the first encounter because he did not rise and giue them the chaire place or honor point at their meetings mightily condemning him for an arrogant proud man But yet was it no pride in him at all because he both came in all humble wise submitting himselfe to the meanest in all Kent vntill he had conuerted them and also for that he should by giuing them place coming as he did an Apostle haue preiudiced the See Apostolike and the Popes Holinesse from whence as an ambassadour with Legatiue power he came and also he should therein haue preiudiced the Regall Maiestie of King Ethelbert of Kent by name who then hauing receiued the Catholike Romane faith at Saint Augustines hands whom for that cause his Maiestie had highly priuiledged they did not send for him but he sent for them by authoritie from the said King who afterward also compelled them to receiue the same faith and to renounce their heresie with the death of two thousand Monks of Bangor Abbey at one time procured by the King of Kents exciting the King of Northumberland and others to warre vpon them c. Conformable to this example in another kind may very well be the secular and Seminarie Priests comming into England with like Apostolicall authoritie as did Saint Augustine and therefore as they are to humble themselues in all respects wheresoeuer they come in England as he did in Kent vnder any ciuill magistrate vnder her Maiestie and not to contend for a cappe or a knee where is readie prepared for them a racke and a halter by course of lawe in this land through the Iesuites mischieuous practises bringing all the rest to be had in iealousie thereby so are and ought they to stand vpon points when they come in place where their priesthood is called in question Aâ—â—â—e 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 weâ—l â—e two â—â—â—â—ble â—â—â—â—â—â—es of 〈◊〉 N◠〈…〉 boâ—â— hâ—â—â—â—â—d aâ—â—bâ—â—h 〈◊〉 â—â—all men Th◠〈◊〉 was aâ—â—oâ—re shewâ—â— by the Lord â—â—d Dâ—cre â—o Capt. Stukeâ—â—y whâ—ch Stukeâ—â—y tak ng vpon him to be â—n extraordinary gâ—â—aâ— person desireâ—â—he â—â—â—le Dacre is 〈◊〉 on a time to gâ—ue him countenance and the place of 〈◊〉 where eâ—â—â— hâ— staâ—â—◠〈…〉 checks 〈◊〉 it told hiâ— â—oâ— and further if he once esteâ—ed to take either place or titlâ— of honor vpon him in his presâ—nce he would maâ—â— him know him selfe as too â—reat â—n indignity 〈◊〉 so highly â—â—scenâ—ed of that honor he was of 〈◊〉 hâ— bloud to be suffered thâ—t be should well know that honour consisted not in popular applause nor yet 〈◊〉 excesse furâ—â—it of worldly â—ches The other example was of a Noble mans son who being prisoner to a Knight fâ—r that the said Knight had enâ—red into some â—â—aiâ—â— with 〈◊〉 concerning hiâ— Noble bloud be tooke him by the sleeâ—e as they wâ—re in goâ—â—g ouer a stile passing ouer before him said Know you Sir H.B. I am W. sonne of W Lo. S. and though I gaue you place before yet hereafter I will not neither can I without preiudice of my house and honour do it c. and vsed with contempt either of their function or of the Sea Apostolike by whose authoritie they pleade Marrie yet herein also with a different respect had to an aduersarie of an other profession and religion whom in these times to contend withall it were in vaine and but an occasion of moe dangers many blasphemies greater sinnes and to one that is of the same religion the secular Priest is of A verie fit example agreeing whereunto was of late shewed by one secular Priest to three sundry persons all Catholikes and one a Priest Iesuited to the first being a Gentleman but yet meaner of calling then either of the other he gaue place at table hand wall and stile because he saw it proceeded of simplicitie inciuili lâ— rudenesse in him though perhaps entermingled with some spice of sâ—lâ— conceit and sawcinesse and withall there came no contempt of Priesthood direâ—tly thereby The second hauing also before time alwayes giuen place because he was
rightfull title or no he being by father Parsons definitiue sentence denounced an obstinate heretike and one of whom there was no possibilitie or hope of reclaiming from his hereticall opinions the said father Criton answered saying My Lord doubt you nothing thereof it is but father Parsons deuise to indanger his Maiesties person thereby knowing that the Scots are a false traiterous and a rebellious people quickly taking occasion to murther or otherwise rise in armes against their liege Lord and king True it is indeede that father Parsons and other English Iesuits and those that are of the Spanish faction haue laboured it much to haue the sentence denounced against his Maiestie but hitherto they haue not preuailed neither doe I thinke that euer you shal see it bicause no Scots wil seeke for it And Popes are alwaies sparing vnlesse they be mightily importuned vrged as both Pius quintus and Xistus quintus were by father Parsons and other Iesuits procurement against our owne Soueraigne and Queene Loe what euill hap England had to breede this wicked Iesuiticall broode that seeke their princes and countries destruction more egarly then any other Iesuits doe the nations and countrie where they liue THE VIII ARTICLE VVHether then bicause by the precedent article it seemeth very dangerous is it expedient for the Church in these latter daies of the world to excommunicate kings and whether was it a good and godly act in certaine of her Maiesties subiects such as desired to seeme more zealous then the rest to perswade Pius quintus to excommunicate her highnes and since also other Popes to renew the same twise THE ANSWERE VEry well said Saint Paule as earst I noted Multa mihi licita sunt sed non omnia expediunt For it is one thing to talke of the power authoritie and lawfulnes of excommunications and an other of the time place and persons when the sentence is denounced therefore as we say ex effectibus cognoscitur causa so by demonstration à posteriori it is manifest to all our woes that excommunicating of princes is not conuenient in this irreligious and most vnfortunate age Neither did they wel that either stirred vp Pius quintus first to excommunicate her highnes or these that since haue vrged other Popes to renew the same And therefore in answere to both the points of this article I hold the negatiue And for the first these are my reasons First when Saint Ambrose excommunicated the emperour Theodosius it was a time of greater zeale and otherwise Saint Ambrose might thereby haue procured vnspeakable detriment to the Church In my priuate cogitations hereof I haue assuredly often doubted whether Saint Ambrose deserued more commendation for his prouidencie in attempting such a matter or the emperor for his patience and obedience in taking the same in so good part But yet I hold it out of all question that if Saint Ambrose had inserted any such clauses into the said excommunication as of latter times are vsed and should in plaine terms haue deposed him or labored to haue had him deposed from his empire or absolued his subiects from their obedience the emperor would haue startled and I cannot tell but by all likelyhood he would not haue obeied it but rather haue put all to the sword that should haue withdrawne themselues from vnder his allegiance Secondly I finde certaine words in Saint Thomas which make me to maruell in that he saith out of the glosse that Princeps multitudo non est excommunicanda or as Rich. de Media Villa alledgeth the place neither the multitude nor the prince ought to be excommunicated And the most of the Schoolemen that write vpon S. Thomas in this place doe agree with him that a multitude is not to be excommunicated or if it be some hold that such an excommunication is void But let it be their error yet still they omit therein the other part as touching kings and princes and doe say nothing concerning the validitie of it in that place onely the said Richardus de Media Villa doth touch this point somewhat to our purpose for the inconueniencie thereof but in mine opinion very weakely for that any thing be it neuer so plaine may easily be so auoided A king saith S. Thomas ought not to be excommunicated that is saith Richardus but in maioribus peccatis for great offences As if we should thinke that euer S. Thomas thought so meanely of the wisedome iudgement and discretion of the Church that she would excommunicate princes for euery trifle Nay if that should be his meaning he had alledged the said place very ridiculously which is farre from Saint Thomas course and practise Thirdly besides whereas some inconueniences are made the impediments why a multitude may not be excommunicated there may very many moe reasons of mischiefes be obiected that doe ensue by the excommunicating of princes which consequently should stay that course likewise against them I haue prosecuted this reason onely disputatiuè non positiuè saluo semper meliori iudicio let S. Thomas meaning be what it shall his words are as I haue alledged them here in this place Fourthly it is no good prouidence in S. Augustines iudgement to excommunicate those that haue many followers to take their part or when the same may breede a schisme But it is very likely that kings and princes wil alwaies haue many followers to take their parts and that the same may beget more then a schisme Fiftly there was no probabilitie of any good successe that could be looked for by excommunicating her Maiestie as by experience might haue beene apparant by the excommunication denounced against king Henry 8. Sixtly I haue made mention before of inconueniences and mischiefes but if they may serue the turne to shew the inconuenience of an excommunication against kings and that I should enter into the enumeration of all the inconueniences and mischiefes which haue been the effects of both the said excommunications against her Maiestie and against her royall father it would appeere that there was neuer any excommunication more inconuenient and I should be exceeding tedious It may be sufficient that I remember vnto you as touching our own time how thereby her Maiesty and the state haue been more incensed both against the See of Rome and likewise against all catholikes priestes are become most odious the generall cause hath beene more impaired many dangerous questions and straight examinations haue thereof proceeded and to omit the rest infinite perplexities and quidities haue growne concerning the consciences of the weaker sort of catholikes when wherein and how farre they might professe their allegiance which haue intangled them diuersly and brought many of them into bands and other great dangers Seuenthly I am fully perswaded that there was yet neuer any Pope that did euer excommunicate any king or soueraigne prince but that afterward he sawe cause for the most part in his owne time if he liued any while to repent him of
ecclesiae as all doe grant it and experience of all ages hath approoued it true the latter not for that surceasing excepts against heretikes in such proceedings who by authoritie of holy writ may iustly be constrained with force of the temporall sword to receiue the faith of Christ and his catholike Romane Church wherein they were baptized and out of which they are now most pernitiously fallen to their damnation To this the former againe makes reply that that is in a case of lawe and strategeme of warres when the plaintif as a soueraigne hauing right on his side may haue strength and power at hand sufficient to defend his iust quarrell and Gods cause but where and when the poore afflicted catholikes are the weaker part and in subiection vnder their natiue prince they must not tempt God with miracles sed in patientia possidebunt animas suas expecting the time that God hath appointed either to ease the afflicted of their heauie persecution by calling them to his mercie or else to mooue the aduersarie as here he did king Cyrus c. Here againe the latter doth vrge very vehemently against the former that it is their fault if they be not of strength ynough For if all would side one way run one course ioyne together of one part they were able to match their aduersaries at all assaies but bicause they fauor heretikes and their titles more then catholikes as some the Scots king others the house of Derbie others that of Huntington others of Hartford and others the Lady Arbella c. therefore is Gods cause weakened and the catholiks quarrell quailed But to this yet againe the former makes reioinder professing that if they had millions on their side for thousands on her maiesties yet they hold it were not lawfull for them by force of armes to gaine the garland that they run for as afterward it shall appeere and vtterly denying that they fauor any heretike as an heretike or their titles vnder that pretence but as remembring how diuers princes and great monarches haue been conuerted to the catholike Christian faith and withall considering that neither the king of Scots nor yet any of the rest were euer any speciall persecutors of vs or our religion but rather fauorable to many catholikes as is well knowne not forgetting this besides that it were an act of iniustice in vs especially being priuate persons either to manage a false title as the Spaniard hath none other or impugne a knowne right as all the world knoweth it rests confined within the Albion I le But admit it were reuealed to any priuate man that the Spanyard or any other forraigne prince should preuaile and cary away our English crowne out of the land so as we should neuer haue king regnant ouer vs hereafter as some old prophecies many say haue foreshewed that our deere countrimen brothers sisters and friends the flower of Englands youth the beautie of our Ladies Widowes Wiues Virgins of all degrees should be prostituted prophaned rauished and led captiue into strange lands the sore persecution of Gods seruants the blasphemies heresies execrable schismes of this age and our owne sinnes in generall vrging Gods wrath against our whole Nation to take so sharpe yet ordinary reuenge for such offences as some say also hath bene spoken of long agone to come to passe in this our vnfortunate age or that we should haue such a change of state gouernment common wealth and all as the chiefe soueraigntie should be in an alien prince Spanyard or Burgundian Netherlandian or the like and the Lords spirituall and temporall gouerning ouer vs for the time to be of that foraigne prince his Nation and the Iesuits or fathers as they terme themselues of the societie to be their Interpretors for our English Welsh Irish and Stots nation as both letters and witnesses besides inuincible probats otherwise are extant to shew that Master Parsons and his confederates goe about such a matter and a sermon himselfe once made at Rome insinuates no lesse but that by tyrannicall subiecting the Seminary there to be vnder his societie he expounded the prophecie he there spoke of in his intent and meaning to be directly vnderstood of himselfe and his company that they should be those long gownes which should raigne and gouerne the whole Isle of great Britaine Of which societie there being some of all or the most part of all Christian Nations hauing once this land giuen them by and vnder the Spaniard as they hope for to make it a Iapponian Island of Iesuits but stay they haue not yet Iapponia in their handes then should we haue as many languages in this Isle and the auncient Inhabitants dispersed into as many countries as there should be prouincialls of that societie for it were no policie to let vs all liue here together nor yet leade all captiue into one prouince or kingdome Yet let God worke his will in these things be it true or false that any such heauines be reuealed what then Shall I therefore be the bloodie instrument to worke it of mine owne head without Gods speciall designement so to doe Shall I shew my selfe so vnnaturall inhumane and cruell harted as to write bookes to perswade to vse all possible meanes to bring my natiue country into bondage and slauerie Shall I of a grudge or desire of reuenge vpon some particular person or persons or for some priuate gaine to my selfe or my owne peculiar company banish from my hard nay stonie nay flintie nay adamantine hart all pittie compassion charitie remorse and naturall affection to that which next to my maker and his spouse I am by all lawes in chieefe to esteeme of the bond of loue loyaltie and dutie being greater to my prince and countrie then to my parents or deerest friends And whereas euen tyrants in such like cases haue been mooued to lenitie shall I haue no conceit of the wringing of hands of the sighes and teares of the weepings and wailings of the skrikes and cries of so many sweete yoong and tender babes of both sexes Shall I haue no feeling of so many mothers bleeding harts of so many noble ladies and other yoong maides of generous birth gentle blood and free education for all rare parts indowments and abilities of nature and fortune fit to be princes peeres now to be left desolate or bestowed on euery base fellow not woorthy to be their seruant Shall I take vpon me to be an actor an orator or a broker in laboring to bring that old blinde prophesie to effect which saith When the blacke fleete of Norway is come and gone then lords shall wed ladies and bring them home Shall I be the efficient instrumentall cause or causa sine qua non of so many great worshipfull honorable and princely heires to be disinherited of so many vpstart squibs of forraigne nations to start vp in their places of so many false textes forged glosses fained lawes of God of nature and of man to disprooue all
church c. And at Millane at Antioch at Constantinople and elsewhere were sometimes offers and often graunts made to catholikes to haue their churches chappels to themselues apart from the Arrians and other infest enimies of the catholikes suffering them the saide clergie on both sides to do it by dispitions amongst themselues neuer persecuting any catholike for that cause vnlesse some speciall grudge or occasion of high displeasure taken by the emperors against some particular person which for the most part proceeded on the Arrians behalfe and suggestion made by them had mooued them to the contrary Which being so and that the princely disposition and royall hart of our Soueraigne is behinde none of the woorthiest emperors that euer sat enthronized with imperiall crowne for a flexible milde free nature and sweete incline to mercy bountie pittie grace pardon fauour and compassion taken of her subiects be as they be may in different affections of religion aliened from her together with her magnificencie liberalitie and maiestie equalling if not before them either great Alexander or Iulius the woorthy Caesar Of which two although it were said of the former in Greece and of the latter in Rome that Alexander the Conquerour in vsing liberalitie and Iulius Caesar in pardoning of iniuries none euer equald or at least went before them yet was it spoken and so it is vnderstood of precedent ages not of future heroeces we no way yeelding in our heauiest thoughts of hart burning griefes sustained to heare our noble Elizabeth prince peregall paramount and paragon the so admired at Saba of Europes England as all the world hath woondred at her more then ordinary indowments of princely nature otherwise accounted of then as a Sance-pere giuing place to none of former present or future times persons or ages for and in all points attending at the gates of royall honor or throne of regall Maiestie That then notwithstanding all this her Highnesse worne out subiects suppliants poore afflicted catholiks in her prisons in durance dangers and distresse euery where should haue so hard a happe as not onely to be depriued of all ecclesiasticall and temporall dignities offices preferments any manner of way which yet were more tollerable as a thing they nothing lesse expect wish for or desire it being so that both clergie and laitie of the catholikes take it as a sweete chasticement and fatherly scourge sent them from God to be humbled with so heauie a downefall but also which doth grieue them most to liue in sorrow heauines and suspition had of their vnattainted loyalties in generall for some priuate offences in speciall that they of al other should feele the force of these vnaccustomed frownes which pearce those harts the deepest whose faithfull seruices haue beene deerest to their Soueraignes in their owne and their forefathers daies That not one noble will speake for them that no solace should be left them no comfort euer affoorded them no hope at all this long time giuen them of euer receiuing a glympse or glance of those accustomed gracious smyles which ordinarily do flowe in pearld streames from lions hart of truest golde gushing out at siluer lymbecks of egles eies all royall in their rarenes That this should be all catholikes heauie case her highnes a prince and second to none in maiestie mercy and magnificencie her catholike subiects seconded with as fewe for seruice submission and loyaltie and yet that they should be put from time to time to such sore trials and indure so many calamities is a sutable cause with the rest of admiration and woonder Fiftly they sometimes cast their eies aside to Turkes to Persians to all Pagan prouinces to see if they can espie any one sect profession or professors of religion tossed turmoilde and tormented as the English are and throughout all this vaste Macrocosme they finde not one patterne sampler nor example left to posteritie to bee recorded like to ours The Sophy indeede hath a long time had great and mortall wars with the Ottomane race family and successors in the Turkish tribe so hath great Mogor great Cam of Catay Presbyter Iohn and other monarches adioyning and affronting him but yet omitting the generall contention amongst the Mahumetans about the heires of Ella and the body of Mahomet there is a libertie graunted for religion to all men in a sort more tollerable then in England is to be heard of for catholiks to enioy The very Turke who hath the straitest lawes forbiddeth indeed all talke disputation or controuersie to be about religion but yet he permitteth either Christians or any other to liue quiet vnder him vsing their owne rites seruice and ceremonies for paying a certaine yeerely tribute which is not much more then catholikes pay in England euen to their naturall Prince and Soueraigne and yet cannot haue the like securitie safetie and quiet from inferior officers but still in one place or other within her Maiesties dominions they are pild and pold to the vttermost So as when all is quiet at London then are they aloft in Yorkshire and throughout the North when quiet there then vp in Wales and the marches that way And thus persecution running per circulum the lande neuer wholly at rest and quiet these things manie learned men and others haue woondred at not knowing what were the causes Sixtly sometimes those graue and reuerend prelats cast backe their eies to these our latter ages and present times wherein now we liue and to the bordering kingdomes and princes round about vs to see whether any like to these our English miseries and catholike distresses can be found And in Germany howsoeuer there be some slacknes and dislikes at their Diets and election of their Caesar yet in ciuil conuersation one with another and for life gouernment and order the emperour though a catholike findeth as great seruice and concord amongst his subiects and they againe vse and enioy all their immunities freedomes and liberties with as great content and quiet liuing in one Prouince in one citie in one towne in one streete yea and in one house sometimes together of diffrent as if they were all of one minde faith and religion In Fraunce we see what libertie of conscience wrought Did it not as well animate the Hugonites to ioyne with king Henry of the house of Valois then a catholike in shewe howsoeuer the Iesuits censure of his hart as it did of like sort the catholikes to ioyne with the now most Christian and catholike king Henry the 4. then a Protestant yea did they not sticke as sure fast to his christian Maiestie as if he had been of their owne catholike religion profession that with as great alacritie of minde in regard of his present right to that crowne and their future hopes of his conuersion to their church and faith as afterward it hapned God sweetly so disposing that he who could not by rough handling be made flexible by experience of his subiects loyaltie is
our powers should take vpon vs to giue it vnto another were he neuer so good a Catholike that had no right thereto Iustinus Martyr speaking of the duety of Christians to the ciuill Magistrate in those times of Infidels and persecutors affirmeth that they prayed not onely for the Emperors themselues but also for their sonnes that they might succeede them in the Empire quod aequissimum est which saith he is most agreeable to iustice and equitie were they like to prooue as euill as their fathers there is no exceptions of it The which I rather obserue to shew my dislike of Fa. Parsons in this point who is accustomed vpon euery occasion when he is in his best moode to affirme that he careth not who it is from whence he commeth or what right he hath to the crowne of this kingdome that when the time commeth shall be able to catch it so he be a Catholike But concerning both this point and the former least it should be said that whilest I would seeme to giue a reason of that which I haue in hand I do onely shew my opinion and illustrate the same with similitudes that are of as great vncertainty as that which I propound I will confirme my opinion with the iudgement of a principall man to whom there will no great exception be taken and then that which I haue said will prooue to be an argument ab authoritate Thus he writeth Soloiure naturali diuino non priuatur aliquis Dominio in subditos propter peccatum Apostasiae in fide c. If you goe no further then to the law of nature or to the law of God no king is depriued from his soueraigntie ouer his subiects though it be for the sin of Apostacie from faith And he giueth a very sound reason for this his assertion nam fundamentum dominij non est fides c. For faith is not the ground of dominion but some other politike title hauing force by the lawe of nations of succession by inheritance or of election or of iust acquisition by iust warre Qui tituli possunt etiam manere sine fide neque vnquam extat ius aliquod diuinum quo eiusmodi tituli eneruantur propter defectionem a side which titles may remaine without faith neither is there any lawe of God whereby such titles are impeached for defection from faith 8. I know that iure ecclesiastico by the authoritie sentence of the Popes holines much more may be done then here I will speake of But yet I thinke it wil prooue in the end the best course for men not to do so much as they may Many things be lawfull which are not expedient And this Iesuiticall course of downe with princes when they offend them may peraduenture so prouoke them as they will say as fast downe with priests and of a certainty we shall haue the woorse When they finde that the titles of their kingdomes cannot be touched either by the lawe of nature or by the lawe of God do what they list it may giue them occasion to oppose themselues with greater seueritie against the See Apostolike in that the same should make such extreme lawes voluntarily against them as should tend to the thrusting of them out of their kingdomes And out of question it will be subiect if once they take this course to great iangling whether such lawes as should touch the deposing of a king are not rather to be accounted lawes ciuill and temporall then any matter or subiect fit for ecclesiasticall men or lawes to worke vpon We see already that some kings do take vpon them to deale and make lawes in causes ecclesiasticall denying his holines authority therein within their kingdomes And will it not seeme a thing much more plausible probable if other kings shall stand vpon it and say that his holines hath no interest to make any ciuill or temporall lawes that may touch their freeholds Nay if things should come to this rifling I feare they would in their heat goe further and tell his holines that for ought they finde kings haue as great authority to depose priests as priests haue to depose kings Besides it must be cōfessed that all priests Iesuits and euery other sort of clergie men the Popes holines excepted are borne subiects of kings and princes and it will be an odious assertion to say that the taking of priesthood vpon them should giue them warrant to bristle and make head against their soueraignes Furthermore it cannot be denied shift the Iesuits with all their cunning neuer so prettily but the immunities which priests haue from the temporall lawes of kings doe proceede as Saint Thomas acknowledgeth from their meere fauour and godly zeale towards them Also it is most manifest that as the kings of England haue beene most bountifull to the church and churchmen here within their dominions in so much as all the reuenewes and temporalties with many singular priuiledges which in this realme our forefathers haue enioyed haue proceeded from their most princely liberality and authority so standeth the case of the clergy in all other kingdomes which two points would be duly considered of in time For if princes should by the same meanes seeke to spoyle the church and take from it all her said immunities priuiledges and temporall possessions it will little auaile to bring in our distinctions how parliaments may giue what they list to the church and churchmen but they can take nothing either from them or from the church What the power of a parliament is in England we haue had too great experience and I suppose the states in other kingdomes haue the like And therefore in all pollicie kings and soueraigne princes are not to be ruffled with in this Iesuiticall maner That which they may pretend how in these their discourses they ayme but at some one or two doth indeed touch all kings if they incurre the displeasure of his holines Surely though I humbly acknowledge my selfe to be minimus fratrum meorum and neither arrogate to my selfe to be of such mature iudgement as many are nor will presume to take vpon me so peremptorily on the one side as Father Parsons doth on the other though vnlearnedly God wot yet I finde many great dangers that may happen to the Catholike Roman church if these violent spirits be not in time suppressed Such furious insulting ouer princes will neuer doe good They may be drawen many waies by gentle and milde proceedings with them rather then by such indiscreete and desperate courses whereby they grow to greater resistance For if the Popes holines in times past dealt so sharpely as it seemeth with Baldemarus king of Denmarke that he writ in this sort to the supreme Pastor Notum tibi facimus vitam nos habere à Deo nobilitatem à parentibus regnum à subditis fidem ab ecclesia Romana quam si nobis inuides remittimus per presentes Be it knowen vnto thee that we haue our
Portingals and Spaniards continued kept the honours point for Martiall exploits these latter yeares but who shall carie away the price in the cadences of the Spaniards God only knoweth Thus came the foure Patriarkes of Hierusalem Antioch Alexandria and Constantinople by succession of honor wealth and fame in Gods Church to rise and fall one after another and now all decayed dead and gone from their auncient state renowne and dignitie in the Church of God here militant on earth Thus came all Monasticall Heremiticall and religious orders of Saint Anthony of Saint Basill of Saint Augustine of Saint Hierome of Saint Benedict of Saint Bernard of Saint Dominicke of Saint Frances of Saint Clare of Saint Briget and sundrie other religious orders of men and women to haue their generation and corruption by the freedome left of God in humane actions and mans choise to be good or bad vertuous or vicious and to rise and fall by succession one after another by merited fame and iust desert of their life manners and graces giuen and employed by them to Gods glorie In few thus came the spirituall Knighthoods of the Templers the Knights of Saint Iohns the Knights of Rhodes and now of Malto by a lineall succession of fame renowne and worthinesse to haue panigericall histories set foorth of their prayses And the like is of later orders and societies of Carmelists Carthusians Capouchians Theatines Iesuits Bonhommes c. all which set vpon the worlds Theater represent a mournfull tragedie of mans miserie how like to flowers they haue now one and then another order companie or societie burgened blossomed bloomed and flourished and yet subiect to the fates of free-will in all humane wights their deriuatiues are strayed abroad haue left and are gone from the obedience deuotion pietie pouertie chastitie charitie humilitie patience and religious zeale which was in the primitiues and founders of their Orders What shal we say more the whole body mysticall of Christ consisting of the three estates Ecclesiasticall Temporall and Monasticall do auerre the Peripateticall Prince his principle to be true in all things depending vpon chance and chaunge concerning the conuersion of countries people and nations to the Catholike faith For was not the generation or beginning of the Mosaicall law a plaine corruption fall and decay of the law of nature all the Gentiles presently vpon the Orient rise bright shine and flourish of the Israelites Church and their Hebrew Monarchie being giuen ouer into infidelitie and Idolatrie contrarie to the law of nature vnder which the faithfull had liued aboue two thousand yeares without distinction of Iew or Gentile vntill this Mosaicall law began And when for the Iewes sinnes and offences the period of their Monarchie and end of their synagogues and temples honour and religion came did not then the primitiues of the East Church amongst the Christians carry away the auriflambe of all religious zeale After that when the heauie cadens of the East Church came did not also then the Sonne of iustice tanquam sponsus procedens de thalamo suo spread abrode the bright beames of his spouses glorie in a transparant light throughout these our West Ocean cloudes of heathenish darknesse and giue to these Northren Isles the prerogatiue regall of Prime-birth to his inheritance if the Britons and afterwards the English Saxons could haue kept it When by succeding turnes the most part of Asia and Affricke was corrupted and fallen away and all Europe conuerted to the sacred Apostolicall Romane faith when Monasteries began in this North Christian world to be built and great multitudes of Monkes Friers Canons regulars Nunnes and other sacred Saints and holy persons to consort themselues together when Emperors Kings Queenes Princes Lords and Ladies of all degrees fled from their regall Palaces to priuat Cels and left the triumphes of their conquests the trophees of their loues and pompes and pleasures of their Courts to who so would possesse them when here an Anchoresse there an Hermit and in euery wood wild and desert some sacred virgine valed inuested interred dead to the world was to be found when all fertile soyles all places of pleasure profite and content all earthly wealths and reuenues of most woorth were turned into Abbey and Church lands liuings and liuelyhoods when holy emulation was who might giue most all gaue of the best and made this flourishing Isle our Ladies dower when Kings and Queenes Priests and Prelates Lords and Ladies Monkes and Friers sacred Virgins and chast Matrons and all sorts of persons knew their duties first to God to his Church to her Priests then to their Prince to the Commonwealth and to her Peeres and lastly each one to another how when and where to commaund or obey when all things sorted to so sweet a sympatheall harmonie in English hearts as England by a prerogatiue royall of grace diuine merited to be called Anglia chara Deo gens when flying fame of their rare Angelicall conuersation had fronted the coasts of furthest countries and occupied with great admiration of mind the mouthes of most men in the world when England Fraunce and Flaunders Italy Bohemia and Germany Spaine Portugal and Hungary Sicilie Naples and Cyprus Denmarke Poland and Sweden Scotland Ireland and Norway did striue for a supremacie to carry away the garland of vertue deuotion and religion on all sides Then inimicus homo enuying at mans felicitie to conforme by permission diuine Gods concurrence with secondarie causes to the Philosophers prescript of generation and corruption in tract of time corrupting all these Northren and Westerne parts of the world with contention ambition Turcisme heresie and Pharisaisme a new generation of Catholike truth and religion begins to labour and bring soorth their children amongst the Indians Antipodies and new found world before vnknowne vnto these Northren and Westerne parts discouered first by Portingals and Friers and after proceeded in by Spaniards and Iesuits And now listen what followed Amongst many other cadences and fals the heauiest of all the rest hath bene iudged by many to haue bene our English calamities begun at first by the ambitious aspires of Cardinall Wolsey who affecting the highest Soueraigntie in causes Ecclesiasticall on earth made a great breach by his contrarie plotting betwixt King Henry the eight of famous memorie and the Sea Apostolicke And afterward when vnder her Maiestie Queene Elizabeth our Soueraigne now regnant sundrie persons of rare indowments graces and abilities had retired themselues to places of studie and seruice of their Lord God beyond the seas where they liued in diuerse Seminaries and Colledges leading there a right Monasticall and religious life in a most perfect state of religious profession calling and order as both all other religious Orders and Ecclesiasticall persons that conuersed with them or knew their manner of life and whereunto their whole studie tended did acknowledge somtimes in teares proceeding after their returne hither in simplicitate cordis with all humilitie patience
woman or not c. and withall to bring arguments sillogisticall enthimematicall and inductiue or exemplarie pro contra for auerring and impugning of the same then to put foorth a question whether a Seminarie Priest or a Iesuite ought sooner to be credited esteemed of and followed whether a Iesuite be a good or a bad man whether their doctrine be erronious trecherous and seditious or not whether it be lawfull to call a knaue a knaue an hereticke an hereticke a traitor a traitor a bastard a bastard c. or not and how when where and vpon what occasions such questions doubts and interrogatories may and ought to be proposed and answer made pro contra agreeing to humane conceit morall capacitie and iust censure of and in such cases cannot iustly incurre any reprehension or blame Besides this kind of proceeding shall as I haue said both driue the true conceipt of matters the better into peoples hearts heads and eares and yet not exasperate any by galling words which positiue discourses in accusations do ordinarily occasionate and cannot be auoyded further then the ripping vp of truth in things necessarie to be knowne must needs stirre and moue the guiltie constrained by this meanes to hold vp his hand at barre and to haue his wounds launced searched and discouered to the very naked heart in open sight This then being the summe of what I intend to write and here propose to no other end as I take my sweet Sauiour and all his holy Angels and Saints to witnesse then to deliuer the ignorant out of errour to giue to the tersacred Apostolicall Romane Church faith and Religion their due and to make known what loyaltie what seruice what deare affection ought to be in euery subiect euen by authoritie of all lawes of God or man in defence of their Prince countrie and state where they liue I will hold the indifferent dispassionate and diligent Reader with no longer discourse of a Preamble but leauing all to his best conceipts and desiring no euill opinion sinister construction or hard censure to passe of my well meant indeuors I commit his sharpe wits or her swift thoughts to the speedie encounter of this Bucke of the first head in the quest at euery Quodlibeticall relay set in the pursuit of their game LENVOY THE contents of this booke shall appeare in the Table of the Articles meane while be pleased gentle Reader to take these rules to guide you in this Discourse First be not hastie to censure of any part or parcell vntill you haue read the whole booke throughout if you will be free from partialitie and rest reformed of errour and quieted in Catholike vnitie loue and peace Secondly if you find in some Page the names of particular persons places c. expresly set downe and in other Pages concealed take the reason cause thereof to be this to wit that in the concealement the respect is had to the hurt that might be done by opening such matters men time place words writings c. and againe in the expresse discouery of them the respect is had to the common cause hindred by concealement of such persons actions c. Thirdly take this for a rule infallible that no secret is written of here in particular which was not before publikely knowne aswell to our common aduersaries as to our owne company and that aswell by letters taken as by their owne confessions in publike manner whom the fact concerned Fourthly be not too curious in these two points vz. if you find sundry faults escaped by the Printer as quae for quod Malto for Malta anno primo for actione prima and many such like which the prudent Reader may correct by the sense and vpon his owne knowledge without setting downe Errata here for euery particular Againe if you find some words more sharpe and biting then in your conceit is requisite yet do not for that condemne either the whole Booke which respecteth the matter whereupon all our company in effect do agree and not the words sentences or phrase of speech which respecteth the humour of euery man with such a difference as almost impossible to please all mens veines or symbolize with their methods conceits and meanings neither yet do you vpon dislike of such speeches or of the Author condemne the cause or the rest of his brethren for what is more common then for one man to giue censure and iudge of a case thus and for another so and withall euen in points of most importance a controuersie decided in sacred synode is set downe infallibly true but the Scribe notwithstanding in adding a reason of his owne in explaning the Text or Canon may commit a great sinne and grosse errour and yet not the decree of the Councell to be euer the worse thought of or of lesse credite THE ARGVMENT OF THE first Generall Quodlibet FOrasmuch as all these 10 Quodlibets consisting of 10 Articles a peece haue a relation to the good or harme done in and to the Church common-wealth the heads of both and principall members either specificall or indiuiduall in either of them by the Iesuits faction and confederats in casting of plots for their purpose and most aduantage aswell by plausible perswasions in passages of speech as also by countermined platformes in practicall conspiracies I thought it good to giue you to vnderstand as a point of importance necessary to be knowne that all and euery of these Quodlibets and Articles are of such speciall matter as they are not to be tearmed Metaphisicall conceits or coniectured inuentions of speculatiue knowledge but are in very deed Phisicall practicall and knowne things which rise in question and are talked of euery where of Cleargy and Laity Catholikes and Protestants men and women nobles and gentiles boyes and girles home-borne subiects and aliens or strangers yea what part of Christendome nay of the whole Macrocosme this day almost is free or exempted from the knowledge or hearing of what I meane to discusse and reason of in briefe no nation vnder the cope of heauen but shall find thēselues touched and to haue an interest part and portion in some one or other of these questions quodlibetical articles here proposed For which cause the first Quodlibet offered as an obiect to the eyes of the ignorant seemeth sitly to be tearmed a Quodlibet of plots by scandale and offence taken by some Pharisaically or Iewishlike and therefore not to be regarded by others superstitiously or rather too scrupulously and therefore necessary to be informed of the truth and reformed of their errour as being in the originall scandale not directly giuen but onely taken of their infirmity and weake iudgement and vnderstanding for a prudent wise and sound Catholike or other person of stayd wit censure and conceit will neuer be scandalized at these contentions or the like And therefore haue I placed it in the first ranke and before all other as an introduction to take away all scruple out of
potent Kings Christian and Catholike did verily thinke they would haue pulled them downe and stoned them in the streete Thus you see what perfection these mortified men are come vnto and whereunto their ostentation of obedience to their superior doth tend Obedience indeed is a speciall vertue but one swallow makes no Sommer one vertue makes no creature perfect in his life one onely defect makes a priuation but all helpes must concurre to euery perfection Vnitas est principium numeri sed vnus vel vnitas non est numerus nisi abusiuè sumptus The fiue foolish virgins they did watch they liued chast they were obedient they were diligent they were carefull they carried lampes with them burning with indiscreet fire of zeale but they wanted oyle of charitie to keepe in the heate and make it perfect and therefore were they reiected with nescio vos Well yet admit this obedience of the Iesuits to weare the garland of perfection and merite the crowne of glorie what then Is there none hath equall part with them or may none be as perfect as any of them by this same meanes Yes questionlesse Saint Augustine our Apostle was sent by Pope Gregorie surnamed the Great for his many rare excellencies and graces into this flourishing Isle of England nolens volens with commaund not to returne vntill he had conuerted this people and nation to the Christian faith or else lost his life in defence of the same And he came by vertue of his Holinesse commaund and vnder obedience worthily perfourmed the same to his great merite How many Monks and Friers and other both secular and religious persons haue gone and do go continually with like authoritie when occasion is offered and vnder the same vow of obedience which these Iesuits make their vaunt of It were too long to stand to number them with what authoritie and vnder what other obedience vnlesse a more perfect kind do Seminarie Priests come into England saue onely this alone Where is then the difference of this great perfection which is in the Iesuits aboue all other Priests or orders of religion Where it is I know not but where the contrarie is I can giue a shrewd guesse at it It was said of old Cucullus non facit monachum It is not the death but the cause that makes a Martyr And we say now that meate makes and cloth shapes and manners makes a man and that all these faire shewes and flourishes in Academicall vertues may be without impeachment in their causes and yet stark nought in the effects produced by them And because saith the Philosopher that ex effectibus cognoscitur causa therefore by demonstration à posteriori it wil be proued that the Iesuits state of perfection is starke stinking nought and their ostentation of obedience meere hypocrisie and a seditious arrogant vaineglorious deluding of simple people with their vsurpate authoritie Is it alwaies a vertue and merite in those qui trans mare currunt to hazard their liues in forreine lands going either voluntarie or vnder obedience by commaund of their Superior If the Iesuites say it is not as it is not indeede then it followeth that they must graunt O that men wold but giue now and then an impartial glaunce vpon the Iesiu s protects and principles of their absurdities then should they see it luce clarius thâ—â— they abâ—â—e euery vertue grace and meane left vs to worke our saluation by cum â—â—more tremore simplicitate cordis who doth or can deny but that the three Euangelicall vertues of chastitie pouerty and oâ—eâ—ience are of counsell onely not of precept a in the Gospel and of precept not of counsell after a vow 〈◊〉 God hath past of them and yet â—oth wâ—ies they 〈◊〉 be and are often abus d to â—uâ—ll eâ—â—â—â—â—s apâ—â—eâ—â—â—â—â—â—ne in 〈…〉 seâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—ons that 〈…〉 it is the intention not the action that occasioneth the merite In respect whereof we say and true it is by generall opinion of all men that two Christians going into the warres together against the Turke and both of them there slaine the one may die a blessed martyr the other be damned to hell without redemption and then by consequent they must needes graunt that though the cause seeme neuer so iust yet the intention may mar all that that which is known only to God alone during the time of hanging the same cause the same is known to man after the effects haue discouered it And so their ostentation of mortification obedience perfection of state and I know not what is in pollicie by them to be kept silent for burst it out once into the effects it will proue nothing but auarice extorsion cousinage trecherie and treason If they affirme which were grosse that the very act of going vnder obedience be meritorious and makes the habituated therewith perfect then I inferre that vpon such a generalitie Mithridates filling all the Adriaticke seas with Pirates to molest the Romane Nauies and to breake their forces did cause a high merite to redound by that act to his couragious souldiers for feare makes cowards couragious in extremities though questionlesse many of them went for obedience which had rather haue wished themselues halfe hanged to haue sit still at home slept in a sound skin amongst their wiues and children So a merchants factor going by commandement of his maister into Turkie Barbarie Persia or elsewhere committing himselfe to Neptunus mercie to winds and waues and all aduerse fortunes of sea and land yet because those that are bound they must obey and perhaps though vnwilling to haue taken that voyage in hand of himselfe yet going on his maister his cost and charges he takes it vpon him with great alacritie and ioy of mind and by consequent meriteth greatly thereby if this principle hold true with the Iesuits And a number of the like examples may be brought to shew their grosse errour or rather the fond opinion of many that thinke vpon their inueigling perswasions that a Iesuite hath taken vpon him the most perfect state and vocation of life of any other whosoeuer Whereas in very deede it is especially as now they vse it the most imperfect of all other a very platforme canuase and deuise how to strengthen and enrich themselues with wealth friends and insinuating of theÌ„selues into Princes Courts and affaires and thus forsooth for obedience sake these humble soules must passe into India Turkie England Scotland and all nations and be remoued sent for and posted euer like merchants indeede that trafficke where most gaine is to be made by interchaunging of merchandize from one Mart hauen promontorie or Monopole to another and so another sent in his place thither againe or perhaps none at all if no commoditie be to be reaped thereby either by holding in of some friends that would slip from them or else by meanes of giuing intelligences of affaires in those coasts necessarie to be made knowne And thus much for these pure
yet any one wise man no nor sound Catholike or good Christian in the world vnlesse he were either a Ieseuit in re or in spe or a broker for them THE VII ARTICLE VVHether any other profession or religious order haue done like good for instructing of youth or conuerting of countries to Gods Church or reformation of life and manners of such as liue in the Church as the Iesuits haue or not THE ANSWERE LIke as I told you before the Iesuites intrude themselues into both secular religious and temporall Princes affaires and must euery one of them be Rector chori Dominus fac totum and an absolute superlatiue in all things or else all is naught So herein they challenge a prerogatiue royall to themselues alone so farre beyond all measure of copartnership with any other as they haue bene bold to affirme that religion had vtterly quailed if they had not bene yea the Catholike Church in eminent danger to haue bene quite extinct and ouerthrowne In so much as they haue not feared to affirme that the Pope erred de facto in the reconciliation of the French King which great no lesse impudency and insolency then arrogancy and impiety in them as it may be put amongst others of their malepart errors and vsurpate censures so know they to their owne perdition shame and confusion that the Church of God hath no need of them But let them all as I pray God for their wretched soules sakes that too many of them do not proue ranke heretikes yet for the Catholike saith and Church of God neither they neither portae inferi preualebunt aduersus eam and that he qui potens est ex lapidibus suscitare filios Abrahae can raise vp better more learned prudent and perfecter and purer then any pure illuminate amongst them out of the very ashes and dust of seculars or other religious bodies when they are all dead and gone to the place prepared for them And therfore in answer to the Article I say First that as it hath alwayes bin seene hitherto in Gods Church at the rising of any new and extraordinary sect or opinion in religion that God hath stirred vp some certaine person or order of religion to be a curbe to that new sect or heresie as is cleare by S. Benedict by S. Dominicke by S. Augustine by S. Thomas Aquinas and sundry others and yet not these such as without whom the Catholike faith had bin extinct or the Church of God ouerthrowne So reâ—rend a regard was alwaies had of both secular and religious persons as no Noble or other Peere of highest honor in this laÌ„d but would haue had their childreÌ„ yea their heires brought vp in Bishops pallaces or Abbots monasteries vnder those spirituall guides before euer any Iesuit came within ken of humane knowledge Yea some Bishops in England are recorded to haue had 7. or 8. Earles with other Noble mens sonnes attending vpon theÌ„ at one time not that any Bishop did expect seruice at their hands but that it was thought fit to traine them vp these in their youth c. So no question of it but the Iesuits at the first institution of their society did much good in these dangerous times of heresies sects and innouations wherewith the Christian world was and is yet intangled more is the pitty but yet being far inferior to the aboue named religious orders as the church of God could theÌ„ haue bin without theÌ„ so now much more without these yet done aswel perhaps better as now the case staÌ„ds theÌ„ she hath done by their helpes meanes Secondly for their instructioÌ„ of youth c. I haue told you inough before it is but a double diligence like to a Beares loue to his whelpes to pray for his owne paunch And yet take it in best sense there haue bin are wil be youths brought vp better then they do both by secular religious teachers wheÌ„ they shal be far to seeke Mary that it is so now for the present it proceeds of one of their former trickes of gaining credit fame as by alluring sweet natured youths vnto them withall in stopping by disgracing speeches other meanes that none whom they can hinder shal be gouerned taught or instructed by any but themselues Yea was not this one speciall cause of foisting in the Iesuites readers into the Romane Colledge and other places was not this one speciall cause to hinder the Benedictines religious intent charitable designments when they offered to haue brought vp and maintained 30. English youthes from time to time to prepare them for their natiue country Which these Momists Zoilists Aristerkists and enuious Iesuits could not endure to heare of was not this the cause of their Archpriests late command that no youth should go ouer to any Colledge without his approbation testimony giuen of him to the fathers Yea and withall hath not this bene the cause that many fine yong Gentlemen haue lost their wits haue bene made vncapable of all gouernment either in the Church or common-wealth euer after Let one William Tempest as fine a youth one who had as many signes of a generous hart and gentle bloud in him as any that euer went out of England in this age be a heauy spectacle as it cannot chuse but be so to all his friends for all others to looke vpoÌ„ wheÌ„ they are moued to send their children to be brought vp vnder Iesuits Thirdly concerning their paines taken in conuersion of countries I pray you what nation is there that is wholly conuerted by their only meanes They entred Polony and streight there followed vpon it a rebellion against their Soueraigne in conclusioÌ„ the Danskers wold not admit him to be their King vnlesse he wold cast off that seditious society that had raised such mutinies against the Cleargy They pierced India thrust out the Dominicans Augustinians other poore religious Friers in fine made the Spaniards become odious to that straÌ„ge people natioÌ„ They ruled the rost ouer al in France And wherunto tended all their seeming religious indeuor but treason to the king rebellion in his subiects population ruine destruction of their natiue country common-wealth They came here into England and no sooner had they set foote on shore but presently their harts were inflamed with flashes of conspiracies how to top the highest place They haue residence in Spaine and how mightily haue they labored to wring the bucklers out of the Dominicans haÌ„ds for possessing the chaire to teach at Salamanca And with the like busie turbulent seditious heads is Germany Bohemia Cicily Italy and Rome it selfe molested pestered and disquieted Therefore as they haue neither conuerted any countrey directly and by their owne only labours but peruerted many a deuout soule by sinister dealings so neither haue they done halfe that good in any place wheresoeuet they yet came as sundry both secular religious Priests haue
or Iudge Paramount on earth vnder the Diuell in hell must denounce the sentence following out from his infernall seate Forasmuch as the secular Priests durst presume to appeale to Saint Peters chaire against my faithfull seruant George Blackwell instituted at my appointment designements and instructions giuen to the Pope of Rome to make him Archpresbiter and Protonotharius c. in and throughout the great Kingdomes of Albion or great Britaine to do lawe and iustice vpon such rebels against my louing brother the King Catholike of Spaine as in that Imperiall Isle it should seeme meete iust and necessarie in his wisedome to haue sharpely rebuked chastised and punished and for that also I did prescribe the manner how the said Pope was to proceede according to the tenure of my abstract of statutes lawes orders and actes enacted by me and my Generall in the high Councell of Reformation for England with a prouiso that my forenamed seruant Maister Blackwell should haue nothing to do with the fathers of the societie I thought it meete in my experience and wisedome not onely to exempt all my brethren and confatherhoods the Iesuites in England Scotland or elsewhere from being vnder the Archpriest but moreouer and besides to will and commaund my said seruant Maister Blackwell vnder paine of officipard to do nothing without my Prouinciall Garnets counsell designements and decrees who being an especiall illuminate and hauing a more neare familiaritie with God then any of the rest by reason of his place and calling he the said Blackwell thus directed by him shall be so farre and free from error or doing any thing amisse in acting all things vnder obedience to my Prouinciall as whosoeuer should contradict any thing by him decreed I hold it sit that he be noted for an Ethnicke a reprobate and one that was neuer established in the grace of God c. All these lawes statutes and acts with prouisoes thus enacted forasmuch as the seculars contemptuously haue violated infringed and broken the very marrow center and quintessence of their contempt accrewing to the preiudice of the holy societie and therein to Father Parsons in chiefe it stood his Prouinciall Garnet vpon to lay about him on the behalf of Blackwell to make his cause and quarrell his owne and this to be outwardly in shew Clement the eighth his Holinesse the Pope of Romes in managing and menacing and inwardly in intention to be Parsons that bastardly vicar of hell his in the platforme plotcastings and practises And so for all the world neuer imagine nor dreame of any kind of temporall gouernement by a Puritane Iesuit to be otherwise intended then as a Puritane Minister said in Edenborough God and the Kirke against the King and his Councell and outher ney King or ney Minister in Scotland As much to say and as Knoxe that seditious traitor did write to her Maiestie that those Princes who will not subiect themselues to their infernall and damnable discipline yea and submit themselues to be ruled by the Puritanian Ministerie might iustly and shold be deposed and depriued both of Crown gouernement and life at their pleasure Wherein you may please to note by the way that the Puritanian Ministers made the Gospell and the blacke Kirke of Scotland their pretence for aduauncing such a man to the Crowne as should wholly subiect himselfe and sweare and subscribe to the defence of their doctrine And yet all the world knoweth it that they would bring all into a Swisserly popularitie or a Geneuian gouernment void of Prince peere or other Noble or at least will neuer yeeld to accept of any King that shall not be ruled by theÌ„ And euen so the Puritanian Iesuits must needs intend do make shew of aduancing none to the English Crowne but such a one as is conuerted to the Catholike Church of Rome making the Gospell and spouse of Christ their pretence therein But yet their platforme allowes no King power or potentate aboue them and by consequent seeing notwithstanding yet needes they must haue the countenance of some great Monarch for a time to gouerne by in the state temporall as now they make his Holinesse for a while their sconce and buckler in the state ecclesiasticall it were no pollicie in them to haue an absolute Soueraigne to raigne in this land no not euen the Infanta who questionlesse Parsons made choise of before her father or brother the King of purpose to haue her gouernement subordinate either vnder him or the Emperour but as they haue gotten an Archpriest to be as it were a Vicar generall subordinate vnder his Holinesse in causes Ecclesiasticall and yet his said Holinesse onely to be a shadow or cloake but to haue no medlings or dealings nor to know any thing of the affaires of his Church here further then they shall please to informe him of so will they neuer admit of other gouernement but a Viceroy to be as it were a Prorex or King homageâ— subordinate to Spaine or Austria in causes temporall And yet the said Prorex must stand at their deuotion and not be able to informe anie thing to the King absolute further or otherwise then as they shall appoint him which if he do or attempt the contrarie he is sure to be deposed and loose his life for it either such a new King homager chosen by the Prince absolute at their assignement or else no King euer after but a king Cardinall and Pope Iesuit THE X. ARTICLE VVHether then is it dangerous or not to haue any of the English bloud royall either maryed to one of the Iesuiticall or Spanish faction which I perceiue is all one in the generall pretence though not in the intention or practise either within or without the land or otherwise conuerted to the Catholike faith if God so giue them grace by any Iesuite or Iesuited Priest of their faction THE ANSWER THe daunger you make a question of may be two wayes taken one spiritually and the other corporally In neither of which daungers any one can be said properly and directly to be in the act of either mariage or conuersion Because as I said at the first these seditious turbulent factious Iesuites here in England howsoeuer they may be in foro conscientiae and before God excommunicated suspended irregular or otherwiâ—e haue incurred any ecclesiasticall censure by their absurd grosse erronious opinions practises and proceedings yet for that they liue hitherto as visible members of the Catholike Church and neither do neither dare publikely teach much lesse obstinately defend any thing contrarie to the Catholike Churches doctrine and beleefe and further forasmuch as there is no sentence as yet denounced from his Holinesse against them or if denounced yet not here made knowne or if knowne yet no Bull nor Briefe come for assurance thereof or if any such yet not publikely promulgated therefore in foro externo all these circumstances considered and that the Church doth iudge secundum allegata probata as
but will be commended to all posteritie let them looke to the danger that may ensue and so I leaue them to their best thoughts had of those matters fearing least some of them will too truely verifie the saying that a Counsellour at lawe is as wise as a dawe vnlesse he be amongst fooles c. For I was not ignorant at the writing heereof how some Iesuiticall lawyers that seeme some body and are taken so to be both schismatike some and catholike others haue not onely refused themselues but made others refuse to deale heerein Sed videant ipsi THE VII ARTICLE VVHether seeing many both catholikes and schismatiks doe mightily dislike this discouery of the Iesuits secret faults admit it were true and that the Iesuits had giuen iust cause for their iniuries and wrongs done to the seculars both which their fautors deny and therefore account this writing and setting out of bookes with such bitter sharpe gauling words to be nothing else but infamous libelling or Ouidian inuectiues or Horatian Satyriques of purpose to banish at least the Iesuits out of this land could there then any danger of body or soule come to the Iesuits by relinquishing of them with a generall consent of all both catholiks and schismatiks for schismatiks are most deluded and easeliest inueagled with fabulous reports giuen out of them to follow and ioyne with Priests for securing of her Maiesties royall person and her realme and auoidance of all incombrances or iealousies to be heereafter had of catholikes her highnesse euer most loyall subiects or whether their indangering if any were by this meanes would not indanger the whole realme or no THE ANSWERE IF a man will not be caried away with wordes and winde but will deepely enter into the consideration of things so as by proofes and probates he doth find most like to be true he cannot choose but thinke this question friuolous as wholy depending vpon these weak grounds and too too grosse conceits of any halfe witted body to be possessed or interteined scz First that it is not possible for such things to be true as is heere and in other bookes discouered of the Iesuits and by this rash resolue they giue more sanctitie to these Iesuits then to the Pope himselfe who hauing greater Note here differentiam actus liberi arbitrij All angels diuels and mortal men haue free will by creation but the angels onely ad bonum can not sin if they would the diuels ad malum cannot do good men ad vtrum libet may either do good or euill as they list because as yet in via whereas the other two are in patria assigned vnto them to liue the one to die the other therein for euer moe and more effectuall helpes meanes then any or all the Iesuits in the world to be good sound constant and firmely confirmed in vertue yet none denies but in matters of life and manners he may be an euill man the catholike faith and beleefe of his holinesse freedome from errour being onely in matters of faith and Vt est Petrus yea if this were so scz incredible that such horrible crimes should be committed by the Iesuits then followeth it withall that they want freewill and haue not potestatem ad vtrumlibet but are like angels confirmed in grace so by consequent must they be saints in heauen whose ghosts or spirits walke heere amongst vs. For otherwise it implicates a contradiction Saint Augustines sentence standing infringible allowed of by common consent of doctrine that there is no sinne committed in the world or euer hath beene but I or he or she or any humane mortall wight may commit the like be it as horrible loathsome and vnnaturall seeming against the course of kinde as can be imagined This therefore is peoples error put into their heads by these new illuminates Secondly it is but an accustomed coggerie of the Iesuits to make these bookes and writings against them seeme odious and such a deed as neuer was done before their drift therein being onely to continue their credite with the laitie to increase the contempt had in all men of the seculars and to perfect their mischieuous platforme cast for the destruction of their prince and countrey thereby which drift of theirs may easely be perceiued of any halfe witted body that doth but consider that if such things may be and that the Iesuits be men and therefore fraile and as subiect to fall into sinne as others are then sure it cannot be otherwise chosen but that they are guiltie of all these crimes laid to their charge and knowing not in all the world how to excuse or defend themselues if it come to triall the seculars vrging so vehemently as they do they haue no other shift but to stop the peoples eares eies and vnderstanding from comming to the knowledge of these matters Which stoppage can be by no other meanes then to make these bookes and writings set out to discouer them to be holden for infamous libels and Satyricall inuectiues neither to be read nor answered And this is a second false surmise or coggerie of the Iesuits to keepe the ignorant in error Thirdly whosoeuer shall reade and examine these 10. Quodlibets and other bookes written against the Iesuits from point to point shall finde that there is no such detraction slander or bitter speech vsed as they talke of nor so much as perhaps were necessary to discouer as the case stands for that the particulars of any one mans priuate life and actions as they are priuate with correspondencie had to the generall or common cause are not as yet touched but the cause so handled agreeing to the diuersitie of men matter time and place discussed of in these Interrogatories so as the answere may passe currant and apparant couertly exactly disioyntly without either interruption of iustice on the one side violated by concealing things necessary to be made knowne for cleering of the innocent fiat enim iustita ruant caeli or without breach of charitie on the other side hindred by reuealing of secret faults of any one impertinent to the manifestation of what ingenerall is intended And heere I account the secret faults which are needlesse or not at all to be opened to be whoredome drunkennesse robbery on the high way or in secret burghlary and the like offences which come of passion or frailtie of man And againe I account these publike common or generall faults though committed by priuate persons which rise of pride ambition c. may either indanger the church or common-wealth or hinder the common cause by taking away the life of any publike person or aduancing any one to hinder the same or finally be the cause directly or indirectly of leading ignorant people into errour or misconceit contrarie to the doctrine of the catholike church and resolute beleefe of euery obedient childe and member of the same And of this latter kind are the detractions and defamations if any be
the suite of Daniell to send home his countrimen in peace and quiet or otherwise to harden his and Darius his hart to yeeld to no release but that for euer they should there condemned despised and dispersed remaine In this heroicall disputation the moderators wherein no doubt were full replete with no lesse Cherubinicall knowledge then Seraphical zeale the three great princes Michael Raphael and Vriel with the rest of the Regents and gouernors deputed to the Hebrues monarchie or twelue tribes of Israell taking part with the Iew and Daniell and the prince of the Persian kingdome who had resisted Daniell 21. daies together with all the Lords protectors guardians and gouernors of Mede of Perse of Chaldaea of Babylon and of all the Asiacke monarchie vsque vltra Garamantes and Indos taking the parts of the Gentiles and defending those people princes and nations ouer whom by Gods mercifull designment they had the protection gouernment and charge of patronage Thus began the plea. The guardians of the frontires of Palestine alledged how all that rich countrie à fructu frumenti vini olet multiplicata and abounding with milke and hony in former ages was now become desert wilde laide waste to sacke and spoile with robbers and theeues hauing no repâ—â—â—e of God nor good Saint no soule in that soile but nowe diâ— pâ—râ—sh Whereas before out of euery tribe there past yeerely sundry deuoâ—re soules thence into Abrahams bosome to be in a readines at th Mâ—ssâ—â— his returne into heauen Therefore was it necessarie that Z â—â—ch 〈◊〉 Esdras that Nehemias and others of the Iewes priestâ— Leuites prophetâ— and scribes with the whole multitude should be deliuered to replenish these prouinces with Gods people againe To this was answered by the Gentiles generals and captaines that forasmuch as Nabuchodonosor as Baltasar as Darius as Xerxes and other monarches by secret instinct and often good motions put into their harts by commission giuen vnto them from their heauens king had of their princely benignitie granted vnto the Iewes after triall made of their constancie and that their God fought for them in the cause of religion and sacrifice a free libertie of conscience to serue their Lord God agreeing to their Iewish rites and that euen Daniell who was so desirous to haue his people sent home was in as high authoritie grace and fauour with those Ethnicke princes as any noble of their owne sect in the court and countrie where they and he together liued therefore was that argument for the Palestian empire of no validitie seeing it is not the soile but the soule which God respecteth and whereof they all haue charge and thar no humane wight be he Iew Gentile or Proselite Christian Infidell or Catechumene but hath his good Angell appointed to protect him at his first entrance into the worlds vale of miseries and is bound to continue with him accompanying him where euer he goes so long as he or she remaines in this territorie of teares Then the guardian of Hierusalem and principall of Iudea S. Michaell as it seemed replied and said that though it were the men which liued in the world and not the world it selfe which they all had charge of in chiefe yet because man came of earth and in Salem citie was Adam our protoplast created therefore was the prerogatiue royall giuen to Iebus land to be called Terra sancta for euer after The language also which Adam first did speake and which after some two thousand yeeres continuance of that onely and no moe throughout the world remaining vncorrupted as destinated to the posteritie of Heber in the time of Phaleg amongst 72. distinct tongues cast amongst the Nimrodian rebels in the tower of Babell comming by lineall discent to be called Hebrew after the diuision made was the same which Moses which Samuell which Salomon which Dauid with all the Iewes legifers vsed in their scriptures codes law bookes prophecies and other writings and this tongue of all others is onely called Lingua sancta Moreouer the people of this nation Iewes borne and none but they are called Gens sancta populus electus regale sacerdotium by right of inheritance euen from Adam from Noe from Abraham from Israell from Dauid by lineall succession in a downe-right line And although their ancestors liued in bondage 400. yeeres space vnder the Aegyptian Pharaos during which time seuen mighty nations of sundry warlike people whereof the chiefe being Cananites gaue the name to the whole land inhabited ouer all yet did not that discontinuance any whit disable their rightful title and claime but that at time conuenient by Gods appointment to the number of 1300000. and aboue past ouer the red sea leauing not one Israelite behinde them in Aegypt and vnder the conduct of Moses and Duke Iosue victorious ouer thirty kings and kingdomes besides other states this sacred nation possessed this holy land the holy language still preserued amongst them So as euen to these countries kingdomes and prouinces hath God assigned his Angels protectors of his people therin and by consequent in rigor of his iustice the Iewes ought to returne into the kingdome of Iurie and Hierusalem againe With this answere was not the Angell of Perse contented but held on his plea on the Gentiles side affirming that as it was for their sins that God in his iustice had reiected Israells issue so although it pleased him to manifest his omnipotent power and Maiesty that man might say non in carneo brachio corroborabitur vir and that there was no God but the Lord God of Israell alone yet was not his mercy so tied to their sleeue as after so many signes tokens prodigious woonders and miracles shewed for their sakes in open sight of all their enemies as amongst the Aegyptians before named the Philistines the Tyrians the Moabites the Ammonites the Edomites and all other nations round about them he should still forgiue and forget to punish them agreeing to their demerits as hitherto he had but that the destinies of their daies drawing to an end the fatall web of their woes being at hand and the period of their time now approching there was no expectation to be had of their returne nor in rigor of iustice any motion to be made on that behalfe And euen Daniell Ezechiell Ieremie and the rest of the prophets doe know that the quadrupart monarchie began in Babylon vnder Nabuchodonosor which shall continue to the end by translation from the Chaldeis to the Medes and Persians as now it is and from them to the stout inuicted Macedonian Greeke from whom by reuolution af time it shall descend to the Romanes sacred Senate and whosoeuer be the monarchie vnder that prince power and potentate shall the Iewes captiues liue Therefore the holines of the land the sanctitie of the tongue the purity of the people the sacred vnction of the priest is not to be named when it comes to pleading of Gods iustice and mans deserts Heauen was euer
sadnes command me now to a sorrowfull silence and so concluding this long article that whatsoeuer the end of our countries calamities happen to be for subiection captiuitie bondage desolation or the like yet if Parsons say and affirme that they who were the originall cause and occasion of our heauie and iust downefall be sure to beare the greatest burden and to abide the sorest triall if he haue been that infortunate Saians iade vpon whom whosoeuer hath sitten haue come to a sorrowful and wretched end as all his tampering platformes with this and that noble haue declared if he haue hitherto euer ioyned most with those whom himselfe hath euer iudged most infortunate and iustly to haue merited these plagues which he threateneth on Gods behalfe to fall vpon them and their posteritie Then what mad man or woman is he or she that to second his owne sorrowes will consort him or her selfe with the Iesuiticall faction to side with those of whom their Polypragmon hath prophecied the destruction Therefore happy say I is he or she that setting all priuate respects aside for their owne gaine seeke the conuersion of their countrie as the seculars doe For that although there neither is neither can there be any assurance of either side to wit whether euer our countrie shall be againe conuerted all wholy to the catholike faith or no either by secular or Iesuit or any other yet more hope questionles there is of conuersion of it by the seculars then by the Iesuits course bicause the seculars is more apostolicall and directly tending to the preseruation of all c. THE X. ARTICLE VVHether any certaintie or possibilitie of conuersion of any of the Lords of her Maiesties honorable Counsell or other magistrates or officers in speciall authoritie vnder her highnes whom the seculars deale withall and if none then whether they may trust them in other matters and proceedings as D. Bagshaw M. Bluett and others doe or no without offence scandall or other danger either to themselues or their friends THE ANSWERE THis question is sufficiently debated before to wit That although all or any one appointed by her Maiestie to deale in these affaires meant fraudulently and with intent to intrap the seculars one way or other to worke their greater discredite disgrace and vtter ouerthrowe thereby which yet were very ingrateful vnciuill and inhumane for any so to iudge and censure without cause for as it is said it is sinne to lie of the diuell and sure this calumniation and slaunder raised of these men for their intercourse with those in authoritie vnder her Maiestie declares a most malitious Iesuiticall spirite there being no question to be made of it to the contrary bicause former examples of other Iesuites haue proued it true and led the seculars first the daunce in seeking of fauours at ciuill magistrates or others hands but that if either Master Blackwel or Father Garnet or any Iesuite of them all that deale now in hucker mucker and therefore more daungerously and pernitiously as I said before might haue free accesse and either were as cleere in their owne conscience as these seculars are or else might haue imputatiue iustice by conuiuence from her Maiestie on their side to obtaine so much fauour by as these haue obtained there is not the purest of them but would come with his hat in his hand to the Bishop of London or to any other in authority for to be shrowded vnder them and so by consequent to ingrate thus iniuriously both vpon her Maiesties officers the secular priests as the Iesuites doe bicause they haue not the like fauour deserues the challenge to a combat if they were other men then they are yet howsoeuer although as I said there were euill intended seeing notwithstanding that there is no way possible to worke any euill to the seculars or their friends thereby vnlesse they count it euill for a man condemned to the gallowes to be deliuered and set free and his life graunted him or for him that is condemned in a premunire or otherwise to perpetuall prison to be deliuered thence or for him that is in daunger to be searched and ransackt euery hower to haue a breathing fit of safetie and securitie to sleepe one weeke or fortnight a sounder sleepe then he had slept in twenty yeeres before or for him that hath by statute lawes forfeited his life lands goods and all he is worth to haue some mitigation and find an ease not onely in pardon of his life but also in releasement of the confiscation of his goods and sauing of his lands c. And if any litle ease to languishing harts be comfortable if lawfull it be for any redimere iniustam vexationem if all men be bound to cleere themselues and to liue without exasperating of any nor giuing offence no not to Infidels if for these and the like causes sundry secular priests haue vpon sufficient approbation and triall had of their innocency found extraordinary fauour and others also by their meanes And if a Sebastian could court it out with his Lord and Emperor and yet keepe a religious hart to God ward helpe and saue many a mans life that otherwise had died if a Daniell could obtaine so speciall fauour at a kings hands as not onely to be deliuered out of prison yea and from out of the lyons den but also to be made liefetenant generall princeps exercitus and Emperor of the field euen amiddest those amongst whome he and all his countrimen liued captiue If both a Peter and a Iohn could be like deerely accounted of to their Lord master Christ and yet euen he who was rather of the two yea or most of all the rest in greatest danger bicause by his royall blood and alliance to the king his maker and his master a iust cause of ielousie was to be had of him but notwithstanding this we finde that Saint Iohn found friendship when and where Saint Peter could not at the high priestes hands and amongst other inferior officers and yet none euer spake against it or thought the woorse of him for it Yea if S. Peter although he had better haue vsed his friend in another matter but that it was oracled so to be vsed Saint Iohns helpe to come in amongst the thickest of his masters enimies Then say I it is the most enuious malitious and pharisaicall part that these prowd disdainfull sycophants could possibly play and doth as much discouer their vile and base mindes as any one thing could possibly doe to maligne slaunder and backbite men of better deserts then themselues But the diuell is euer enuious An enuious man is alwaies murmuring grudging and repining at an others good fortunes and to heare of a Iesuitical fellow to giue a good word of any that is not Iesuited in faction or affection he sure by my consent shall be a king cipher to command the nine figures in algorisme with o rare amongst the rarest illuminates So then to
any especially so neere her Maiestie as those were c. But amongst many woorthy examples and reasons alledged by these ancient fathers to the heathen emperors in the primitiue Church why they should grant libertie of conscience to Christians arguments deduced from policie ciuilitie humanitie and their owne princely benignitie for they not accustomed with matters of faith religion conscience being infidels onely morall ciuill politicall and humane respects such as some sparks of Synderesis the lawes of reason of nature and nations are in man were motiues to moone them to surcease from persecution or else nothing Of all the rest Athenagoras in his Apologie to the emperor Commodus on the behalfe of the Christians frameth his speech to the best construction and fitliest agreeing to the matter now in question to the iudgement of many on the English catholikes behalfe to our Soueraigne For the summe of Athenagoras speech consisting as it doth in this that one and a chiefe reason why the emperor should grant free vse and libertie of conscience to the Christians was for that his Maiestie together with all his predecessors freely granted the same freedome to all other sects sectaries professors of religion and worshippers of sundry gods and goddesses as far different in the worship done to and derogating from the Maiestie and honor of Caesar as the God of the Christians or worship done vnto him did or could any way differ or derogate And seeing that euery particular prouince countrie and people had their peculiar gods to themselues whom they worshipped with a kinde of singularitie vsed in one thing or other towardes them that others wanted where euer they went or liued either in the prouince of their birth or else transported to some region further of or nearer hand and yet neuer once examined nor asked the question why they did so then ab inductione Athenagoras did conclude euen iure gentium that the Christians throughout the emperors dominions ought to haue the like libertie tolleration and conniuence granted them Whereupon our catholikes in England bringing in an argument à simili that if there wâ—re reason why the Emperor should permit the Christian religion as well as other religions opposite to the Romane rites in gentilisme that were then allowed of with all their pluralities of like sort then say ours seeing her Maiestie permitteth Puritanes Brownists or Barowists Familians c. to liue quiet within her dominions it were agreeing as well to mercy suited alwaies best with maiestie as also to if not our iust yet our lawfull desires for to haue the like libertie or at least not to bee haunted with continuall searchings hazard of life ordinarie taxations and losses of lands and goods taken from them as the catholike recusants are and haue beene long in these vexations troubles and dangers from whence all other are free Amidst this argument they vrge further for that the emperors in those daies were heathen our Soueraigne a Christian their 's often strangers to the Romanes yea alwaies strangers to one nation or other ouer which they gouerned especially during the raignes of some thirty emperors euen vntill Constantine the great his time by reason that the emperiall crowne of Caesar went by meere election that while whereupon followed so many bloodie murthers massacrings and open warres against one another for aspiring to the emperiall soueraigntie Here one proclaimed emperor in the field by a rabble of vnruly soldiers there another denounced installed and crowned emperor by the Senate and he sometimes an Italian otherwhile a Spaniard otherwhile a Frenchman then a Britane borne in this lande and after that perhaps a Grecian c Whereas now our Lady and Soueraigne is of our owne nation birth blood education naturall incline and all things to mooue to lenitie Againe their pluralities of gods and diuersities of worships sacrifices and ceremonies tended onely to points of religion sects and opinions amongst themselues no way otherwise derogating to the imperiall crowne of Caesar But these in England which yet as I said are permissible differ not onely all of them in generall from the present church of England yea and one from another in matters of faith and points of religion besides as much as the catholikes do differ from the Protestants if not more but euen also in matters of state in the highest degree the Puritans as eagerly seeking and wishing the death of her Maiestie and both writing and speaking as boldly vnto her as any traytor euer did or durst speake to his prince and yet they are permitted to liue and enioy their liberty whereas the catholiks can not be any way endured which to nations abroad giueth no little cause of admiration Fourthly they otherwhiles turnd ouer their bookes wherein they had registred the imperiall decrees of Caesar and finding amongst other points of importance belonging to this great cause of our heauines and woonder how that euer so sore an affliction of catholikes should haue fallen out in our infortunate age and that in our natiue countrey and amongst our owne deerest and neerest friends by all coniunctions of lawes orders motiues they had there quoted how that in time of Arrianisme other afflictions persecutions of the church vnder Iulian vnder Valens vnder Constans vnder Constantius vnder Theodoret and others the like when the same emperors were fautors yea and earnest persecutuors protectors and patrons of the catholikes aduersaries and that all the Christian world was infected with those heresies which continued 400. yeeres ere they were quite extinct yet were these great Monarches and mighties of the world so far from inflicting such a generall affliction vpon all catholikes in those daies as now the English catholikes do sustaine that they thought it enough to haue them and that but in some places for to be depriued of their Benefices Bishopricks and other as well ecclesiasticall as temporall dignities and offices suffragating Arrian Bishops and others in their places without further taxes laide vpon them or other troubles and vexations in generall For what was done in speciall against Saint Siluester and Saint Siluerius martyr against Saint Basill and Saint Martin martyr against Saint Iohn and Saint Donatus both martyrs against Saint Athanasius Saint Chrysostom and others it was of priuate grudge and no generall cause Nay which was more euen those same emperors that persecuted the catholikes most yet often of their owne princely benignity and meere motion proceeding of their innate clemencie they would and did authorise graunt and make offer from their imperiall throne to sundrie catholike Bishops and other prelats euen vnder their hands For as I said before in places prouinces and countries further of though subiect to the Romane empire there was no question made of hauing catholiks or Arrian Bishops equally alike as the number of the one or other religions did sway most that they might vse their Episcopal iurisdictions and other rites and ceremonies agreeing to the custome of the catholike
faith in England And if so that they be sent then how should her Maiesty and the state here be satisfied or moued to mitigate the former seuerall lawes made against them and all catholikes for their Iesuiticall crimes THE ANSWERE THis Interrogatorie is indeed a very doubtfull Dilemma in a sequell to great sense respecting what hath bene said in the last article For kings haue euer bene iealous of their estates haue and doe orderly take any occasion to preuent the worst and none hath euer had greater cause then her Maiestie hath had to suspect her catholike subiects loialtie in generall for some priuate and peculier Iesuiticall treasons wrought against her roiall person and state in speciall they still practising and we still punished they onely faultie and we commonly smarting for their offences they still attempting and the catholikes cause daily more and more indaungered and hindered by them And againe the iealousie had of vs all is greatly increased by these three heads viz. One in that it is apparant that the Seminaries in Spaine were intended by father Parsons of purpose to cause a conquest and to bring this land into bondage and slauery of the Spaniard An other in that he being Rector of the Seminary at Rome all that come there must dance after his pipe or els woe be to them c. The third for that all schoole Diuinity being banished out of the Seminary at Doway bicause saith Parsons Scientia inflat his subiect Doctor Woorthington must teach them to practise what he will haue them in England els get they no faculties Which things occasionating a meruailous great suspition to be had of all catholikes by the state and thereby withall increasing our manifold dangers on euery side it makes the case very doubtfull what to thinke of continuance of the Seminaries being all now vnder these blody cruell harted traiterous and most vnnatural irreligious and consciencelesse Iesuites tirannicall gouernment Therefore to the article thus I answere First that I am not of their opinion who hold that the said English Seminaries at Rome and Rhemes were ordained of purpose to traine vp seditious youths as our aduersaries say and after some time to send them into England to moue rebellion Secondly I am fully perswaded that his holinesse Pope Gregory the thirteenth and some others had very sincere harts in the erecting of them and were far from any intent to haue the Seminary priests of England brought vp there in any treacherous or traiterous manner but in a most holy religious and vertuous course of life study and exercise as Cardinall Allane in his apollogie doth demonstrate Thirdly no man shall be able to write that commendation of their doings therein whereunto I will not most willingly subscribe and auowe whiles breth is in my body or life doth last in me Yet all this notwithstanding as the case is now with the said Seminaries I am of opinion setting aside the said holy intent and godly institution that no catholikes ought to send their children or friends thither First bicause they are greatly degenerated though the time be not long since they were erected from their primitiue foundation and intent of the founders Secondly they were ordained for the training vp of the best wits to be secular priests but now they are abused to the increasing of the number of the Iesuites Thirdly true cases of conscience schoole diuinity positiue exercises for matters of controuersie in religion and other studies of humanitie besides were there taught but now their heads must be filled with treacheries equiuocations dissimulation hipocrisie and all kind of falshood otherwise they are not fit disciples of Iesuiticall traitors nor fit for to be of the Spaniards faction Fourthly the Iesuites haue gotten into their hands the gouernment of the same Seminaries who being very odious men to diuers states will bring likewise a detestation of all such priests as shal be brought vp vnderneath them Fiftly we find by experience that the Iesuites here in England doe therefore chalenge superioritie and precedency of the secular priests bicause whilest they were in the Seminaries they were brought vp and trained by them which tendeth to the great derogation of the secular priesthood Sixtly although her Maiesty and the state hitherto haue not dealt so roughly either with priests or other catholikes as they might haue done yet knowing now that our english students being brought vp by Parsons direction chiefly and that in their missions hither his manner is to bind them to set out the said Infantaes title as is before expressed it cannot chuse but that the state will proceede against them as they shal be taken with greater seueritie Seuenthly whereas heretofore it was made onely subiect to a pecuniary mulet for any catholike to send their sons or friends beyond the seas if hereafter a lawe be made to inflict the same punishment vpon such as sende youths thither who can iustly take exception to it And the rather can they not take exception to such a law bicause of the punishment that is already ordained for those that shall receiue priests from thence Now for the last point in the article my opinion is and I verily thinke that all catholike English subiects priests or lay persons that are not to too much bewitched with Iesuitisme are of my mind that all faithful catholikes the premisses considered are bound in conscience to become most humble sutors to his holines for the remoouing of all Iesuits not onely out of England where they haue already wrought all our woes but euen also from intermedling in any sort with the said Seminaries in any place beyond the seas Or if they cannot be heard through the Machiuilian practises of the Iesuits as questionles what the malice of the diuell or wit of his fowle instrument Parsons can inuent shal be vrged to the vttermost to stop this course then they are to fall to their praiers that God himselfe will thrust out laborers into this vineyard and draw the harts of the students in our owne vniuersities here in England to receiue and embrace the catholike faith if not in generall which we hartily wish and pray for yet in some certaine colledges either in the one or the other And withall for the better hope thereof to commence our humble sute vnto her Maiestie ioyning thereunto our hartie prayers that God of his mercy would vouchsafe to incline her princely hart to grant vs some colledge or other house fit for that purpose with free leaue to teach and reade such lectures as may be fitting for our profession and for to withdraw and take away all occasions or necessities of sending any of our friends beyond the seas In which most pious politike and honorable acte fitly agreeing to her Maiestie and magnificencie and graunted euen of heathen princes to christian priests and prelats her Highnes should not onely merite lasting fame renowne and memorie to all posteritie but euen also thereby cut off occasions of
sequell of proper kind as we now handle them that the one followeth the other as the shadow doth the body there is nothing said in the last generall Quodlibet of state but it hath a relation to this of succession So as it can not be otherwise imagined but that the Iesuites haue a further drift and intend a greater mischiefe then all the world dreames of to make princes state gouernment and all authoritie seeme odious to the multitude Therefore I affirme and say absolutely as in my hart I thinke it that their proceedings therein are neither religious catholike christian nor dutifull but very barbarous impious and dishonest which I prooue first by testimony of holy writ Thou shalt not speake euill of the prince of thy people said the wise Salomon amongst his many Prouerbes Secondly Curse not the king no not in thy thought said the great Preacher in his ecclesiasticks and to the same purpose are the two great princes of the earth Saint Peter his words in his first Epistle and Saint Paule his speech by an Epistle to Titus Thirdly againe if any action can beare two constructions charity bindeth a man to take the best But princes haue neuer had more cause then now they haue by the Iesuites practises to be iealous of their estates ergo it ought to be construed in the best sense a man may if their gouernment be contrary to our likings Fourthly besides kings proceedings are oft aboue the capacity of the subiects and are not by them to be scanned or sifted much lesse to be slaundered and depraued Fiftly furthermore kings being the fathers of their country if they should haue in their proceedings any nakednes their subiects shew themselues to be of the generation of Cham that will not rather couer then detect them But such are the Iesuits vnnatural harts and greedie desire of soueraignty as it seemeth nothing doth more delight them then to find in a prince or priests coate some thing to make them seeme odious to their subiects or ghostly children Sixtly also the honour of our countrie ought to be more deere vnto vs then our owne credites or estimation nay oftentimes then our liues themselues ergo how can it be chosen but that the Iesuites being so ambitious in seeking their owne glory so greedy of their owne praises and so deeply affecting soueraigne dominion should not condemne themselues in their owne consciences in detracting and calumniating their soueraignes It is therefore most manifest and true as I haue often said and must haue often cause to repeate the same that of long time the grauest sort of the secular priests in England haue vtterly disliked such pamphlets and railing treatises and bookes as haue bene set out to the dishonour of her Maiesty and state here The booke that Doctor Saunders writ De schismate and his other De visibili Monarchia we wish with all our harts that they had neuer seen light Diuers of father Parsons books letters and treatises we haue and do from our very harts vtterly condemne them as conteining many seditious and trayterous points and being very full of slaunderous speeches and impudent calumniations Andreas Philopater being the fruits of father Parsons and father Creswell we hold to be fraught till it almost burst againe as some of my brethren elsewhere haue noted with all Iesuiticall pride and poyson And as touching the Exhortation before mentioned printed 1588. it is so detestable a treatise as all posterity cannot choose but condemne father Parsons for a most scurrilous traytor If he had beene brought vp amongst all the ruffians and Curtizans in Christendome he could not haue learned to haue writ more vilely prophanely and heathnishly Furthermore in that father Parsons and his fellow father Creswell do glory in their said booke that they haue caused not onely it but also master Saunders treatise De schismate to be translated into the Spanish toong and do reioyce that thereby the Spaniards are brought already into a greater detestation of her Maiestie her gouernment proceedings then they had before I thinke they glory in their owne shame and that they are to be accounted by all true catholikes to be most vile and trayterous persons that they dishonor priesthood and are as right Iesuits as insolencie and hatred can make them And so I conclude that the Iesuits practises and intents in wresting their Soueraignes and the state affaires in euery politicall morall and humane action to the worst sense is neither agreeing to Christian iustice catholike charitie nor bounden dutie of true subiects but like rebellious traytors to bring all into vprore that they may haue al crownes kingdomes gouernments succession state inheritance and all at their pleasure THE II. ARTICLE VVHether may not Iesuits although they are religious men and therefore excluded from dealing in publike secular affaires yet for all that which hath beene said imploy themselues in matters of state thus farre scil to direct and appoint the forme of the ciuill gouernment to set downe who ought to succeed to alter the ancient lawes of their countrie to decide and determine difficulties that may rise concerning all and euery competitors title in way of succession by birth blood c. to the crowne and to innouate all things vnder the pretence of gods glory and the promoting of their owne societie Or whether are not all these imputations so many vntruthes and calumniations THE ANSWERE I Hold it as I said before altogether vnlawfull for them to deale so in state matters and by consequent indecent First for that it is against the rules of their orders and very presumptuous for any of them to medle with the succession to the crowne at all Secondly it doth repugne from the very nature of all religious profession which is a seperating of men from the actions of the world Thirdly it tendeth to that which we most condemne in our common aduersaries For the consequence will be hardly denied it is lawfull for cleargy men to mannage ciuill causes ergo it is lawfull for temporall men to manage causes ecclesiasticall For wrest it and wring it aswell and which way soeuer we can possibly deuise yet will it alwaies be iudged of our aduersaries an assertion most euident and absurd to be denied that temporall men should not haue as great authoritie in church causes as Iesuits monks or friers at least if not also as other secular and ecclesiasticall persons should haue in causes ciuill Fourthly I shall not much need to trauell in this point bicause the Iesuits themselues do digest nothing woorse then to heare themselues charged with it for it is a practise with them to do all things vnder hande and to be as little seene in them as possiblie they can deuise And therefore as I haue often told you no lesse for the most part that which they go about they do it by other men or by feined names that if any inconuenience should happen they might either lay the blame vpon
of Spaine is more intollerable then these such idle speculations before mentioned For it is grounded not only vpon the said most sottish speculation against all the kings that liue but likewise vpon a most slanderous traiterous lie in making all the kings Queenes that haue been for aboue two hundred yeeres in this land to haue bene vsurpers tyrants traitors and I wot not what And that which doth not a litle moue my patience this bastardly Iesuite doth father this traiterous assertion vpon that worthy person Cardinal Allane from whom I durst be sworn he neuer had them nor so vile a cōceit euer harbored in his brest Whilest I haue bene diuers times thinking of this fellowes writings touching these such like matters I haue wōdred with my selfe how possibly he could be so blind as not to foresee that when kings should vnderstand what a plot he hath laid for the ouerthrow of all authority by setting vp and aduancing a popular furie they should find thereby verie iust cause giuen vnto them to detest both him and all the generation of Iesuits or any other catholikes whosoeuer that should teach or defend such bloodie traiterous doctrine But I haue stood too long vpon this point if you can procure Master Charles Pagets booke against father Parsons you shall finde the foxe so vncased and left so naked of all honestie wisedome or iudgement touching these points as you may well thinke my paines herein to haue beene needlesse except you will remember that my drift is onely to let you vnderstand that father Parsons and his fellowes are great intermedlers with matters of state and succession especially concerning the English crowne which when they shall be out of all hope euer to obtaine I am verily perswaded there will some of them run mad about it they are so extremely egar vpon it and in such a desperate iealousie and feare of loosing it And therefore will I proceede therein a little further by his Masterships leaue For as the said father Parsons hath laide his plot when England shall be Spanish how the ancient lawe of this realme shall be abrogated and the ciuill law aduanced in the place thereof so hath the prouident gentleman another treatise of reformation in store how to establish amongst vs when that time shall come the ancient lawe termed Lex Agraria Bicause that as it seemeth his mastership is of opinion that the nobilitie of England haue too large and great possessions and therefore by one of his rules in the said reformation their abilities and what they shall yeerely spend must be limited vnto them as also what retinue they shall keepe and what their diet shall be The like course he hath also ordained for the Bishops and clergie they must be put to their pensions and the ouerplus is to be at the direction of the Iesuits to be imploied by the appointment of their Generall resident alwaies in Rome propter bonum societatis and ordine ad Deum Of all which follies although I haue told you in part before yet they comming so fitly to hand as best agreeing to this Quodlibet of succession they can doe no harme to be repeated againe But now if any man thinke it impossible that these fellowes should be thus bewitched with these vaine conceits let him but consider the nature of pride ambition and libertie into what a fooles paradise they are able to cast any manner of persons or professions that are possessed with them They can hardly thinke of any thing but they account themselues woorthy of it and able by their wits to effect it euen the very supreme power and church of S. Peter such is their ambition And for their libertie they are men exempted frō the iurisdiction of all the superiors of the clergie sauing to their owne officers whereby as lawlesse libertines they write doe and say what they list and dreame of I know not what Iesuiticall monarchie And thus farre of this generall point that those men doe not slander the Iesuits that charge them to be greater statists then they would be accounted and thereby to transgresse all ancient orders of religious persons and to shew themselues as runnagates and degenerated from their owne profession THE III. ARTICLE VVHether is it profitable or expedient for the church of God that the Iesuits as father Parsons in sundrie of his writings and so generally all the rest in effect of that societie and some other of their humor should oppose themselues so much as they doe against princes in extenuating their authoritie vpon euery occasion and eftsoones by telling the world what small interest and hold they haue of their kingdomes as that in this case and that case or if they doe this or will not doe that then foorthwith dominium amittitur all is lost they cease to be kings and what else if they escape with their liues it shall please their fatherhoods to tell vs. THE ANSWERE I Thinke their course therein to be neither profitable nor expedient for the church but on the contrarie very pernitious and dangerous and especially in these our daies First bicause I doe not finde that the Apostles sent by our Sauiour Iesus Christ to preach the Gospell did inculcate any such matters or points either of doctrine or policie yea in their writings for ought I see there is no such thing expressed neither doe I remember that any historie doth tell vs of any such course but rather the quite contrarie to haue beene held by them Secondly the heathen kings both before the comming of Christ and in the Apostles times did suppose their titles to their kingdomes to bee much more firme and their subiects being both learned and wise men skilfull in all humane knowledge and lawes did thereof assure them terming them to be the verie life and soules of their kingdomes And it was accounted in the primitiue Church a great slaunder to the Gospell catholike doctrine of the church of Christ when some did report that the doctrine of the Christians was iniurious to the empire or ciuill magistracy as tending to the diminishing of their right and authority Thirdly if either the Apostles in those times or their successors afterwards in the Primitiue Church should haue written or preached of these matters as now the Iesuites doe they would out of question haue beene cut off presently It is true that although they tooke a very mild course yet they indured great persecutions and were very many of them put to death But if they had beene of the Iesuites spirit it is not probable that any but the Iewes who had trayterous harts to the Empire would euer haue indured to haue heard them speake We see that if their enimies could but deuise some litle shew though most falsely that they touched Caesars authority it was sufficient to cry out against them that they were not worthy to liue Nay how sought they to haue intangled Christ himselfe by their question of tribute
conspiracies vpon more warie and further looking into their dooings drifts and plot castings comparing their infamous libels letters passages practises purposes and proceedings together and conferring one thing with an other heere and there and in all other nations kingdomes and prouinces where they come and can get footing as now in Sweuia the case is cleere how the Polonian king is defeated of that kingdome occasionated only by their treacherous ambitious tampring aspires sundry of sound iudgement and of the grauer more politike and wiser sorte amongst them that are not ledde away with passion or affection further then reason lawe iustice conscience and religion mooues bindes and compels them for to thinke are fully perswaded they escaped as great a danger of comming vnder a Iesuitical bondage when al France was in a furious combustion by them as euer they or anie other nation did at what time as the Templars the sampler of the Iesuits often mentioned by me in sundry places had confederated with the Turks or Sarazens in a general conspiracy for the ouerthrow of the whole christian world of France in chiefe And therefore as that most Christian catholike king great Henrie of France now regnant hath iust cause together with the state of France neuer to admit of the Iesuits againe to come within his borders or to like as the Scots phrase goeth within his bounds so maruell not though all that are Iesuits either in verbo or in voto in re or in spe or in faction or affection do mightily grudge murmur and euen gnash their teeth in the furie of their zeale with most bitter words reuiling as well the Popes holines as the king Christian the state the clergie the catholikes and the whole realme of Fraunce when they heare but the name of that nation or call to minde what a sweete morsell was taken out of their iawes at the reconciliation of the French king to the catholike Romish Church as the onely acte which dashed their hope for the time of that crowne frustrated their ambitious aspires to that mighty monarchie and put them halfe in dispaire of euer obtaining the like meanes of aspiring to soueraigne dominion Yea I am verily perswaded it gaue many of the more ambitious sort amongst them such a frantike phanaticall mad distraction in their wils as seuen yeeres retired exercise of contemplation will hardly bring them to a true mortified religious course and spirite againe For had they gotten Fraunce subiected vnder the Spaniards at that time as the ticklish state of all things stood here and elsewhere the Spanish title and claime to the English crowne rising thence as before is said they would haue had greater possibilitie of aduantage helpes and meanes by size ace and the dice for the conquest of all these northerne Isles then now they haue or are like hereafter easily to be possessed of the whole Christian world beginning now daily more and more to looke into them and their treacherous dealings Thirdly I might here enlarge my selfe with many weightie reasons to conuince the Iesuiticall ambition and aspires to the French crowne and kingdome as well by some suspitious speeches giuen our by their fautors of the causes moouing the marriage betwixt the Lady Infanta Isabella and the Archduke Albert and placing of them both in the Low countries as also by the generall passages and the Iesuiticall faction concerning the house of Burgundy and common applauses giuen on that behalfe how maruellous deepely affected the Burgundians are to the English how hatefull to the French how woorthy warriors of themselues and how that their forces together with the power of England and strength which the Lady Infanta their soueraigne would bring or send vnder the conduct of some Iesuiticall General perchance of Captaine Cubbocke were sufficient to bring both Fraunce and Scotland vnder the English subiection as of right they should These with many other the like perswasions vsed by them both to catholikes and others of our common aduersaries shew plaine if a man ponderate euery point particular and circumstance well with himselfe that the Iesuits aime at all these northerne Isles together with the whole kingdome of Fraunce and by consequent then these once gotten in full possession what kingdome in the world but per nullum tempus occurrens regi may by degrees come vnder their bowe bondage and Allobrogicall gouernment THE VII ARTICLE VVHether then bicause so it seemeth by this your last speech doe the Iesuits if they preuaile in England or Fraunce intend any thing against Spaine and the whole house of Austria and by consequent against the whole Empire and all other Monarchiall states of Christendome or else none but onely these before mentioned to themselues and the rest for the Spanish and Austrian lines THE ANSWERE IT is most certaine apparant and manifest by all coniecture reasons proofes and arguments ad hominem that they most traiterously haue cast the platforme and doe goe about so much as wit of man can deuise to bring all kings princes and states in Christendome vnder their subiection And therefore they haue an intendment against Spaine Austria and the whole empire as well as against England Scotland or Fraunce or any other peculiar prouince though not against all at once for that were meere follie in them but by peecemeale as I said before of these northerne Isles in setting one nation in opposition against an other and euery one to be iealous not only of their neighbour princes but also of their owne subiects each one apart and all this vnder pretence of religion making the Spaniards bicause he hath the best bag in deede though they pretend bicause he hath more religion in him then the rest a great many not knowing or at least not thinking of it how that the Spanish state is as ticklish as any in Christendome this day and as much bad and wicked liuers in it as any where almost is to be found the number of infidels Nueuo Christiano and lewd catholikes considered to be the cloake of their colorable aspires pretending for him alone as best able they thinke to beare them out against all other princes or soueraignes whosoeuer In which kinde of practise policie and matchiuilean deuise doe blinde the eies of the multitude which they chiefly labour for though it may seeme incredible to some that euer they should aspire to an absolute monarchie thereby considering they are so few in number and those dispersed here and there in sundry Nations ouer all the face almost of the whole earth yet who so doth wel consider that the Turkish empire the Ottomans race the Mahumetans state hath spred it selfe abroad vpon no expectation had either of themselues or feare conceiued at first of any other by them like to this platforme doctrine and pretend of the Iesuits they will thinke it neither strange nor impossible but rather very probable vnlesse God do strike them and confound their deuises And this I proue first to
Iesuites and neuer to trust a word they speake in commendation of the Spaniard and discommendation of other people or nations compared with them as also vpō the said kings Queenes and Archduke and Duchesse c. When they pretend any thing either on the catholike church or the Iesuites behalfe and by consequent shall doe an act of high merite iustice prudence and policy if they I meane all other christian princes and states expell these seditious factions turbulent irreligious persons out of all their territories seigniories regalties and dominions that haue pesterd the Church of God with such wicked doctrine as the proiect of that booke imports As none will iudge otherwise of them but as of most conscienceles careles and bloody minded men when they shall heare first of one booke set out as Greenecote is wherein the Author doth manifestly demonstrate that no different religion be it heresie or whatsoeuer ought to depriue a lawfull heire in fee simple of his fathers inheritance being but a subiect and a forraigner then in princes rights titles to kingdomes it must and ought to hold saith father Parsons in that place bringing in sundry examples how that neither in England catholikes by that name were debard of their lawfull inheritance vnder her Maiestie since the change of religion here neither the Puritanes in Scotland vnder the Queene Regent a catholike there neither in Fraunce Germany or else where was it euer heard of that any were disinherited for religious causes c. and then againe of an other as Parsons Doleman is together with his Appendix Philopater and others that quite discard all heretikes as he termes them from all interest pretend or title to any crowne Noe not if in case hereafter they should be catholike at the attempting of such an exploit or when they should see there were no remedy This last conceite with these hote spirited Puritanian Iesuiticall faction is holden so farre wide and contrary to the former as if the parties be not catholikes euer at the instant when their fatherhoods would haue them be you fully assured for no zeale of religion but of meere machiuilian policy either thereby to exasperate them against others or others against them and so to bring all a flote in fire and sword which is the onely thing they long for they must be censured iudged and condemned presently for reprobates atheists impostors to be conuerted and men be they Princes or whosoeuer vtterly of God forsaken This doctrine when princes and other men of learning iudgement and experience in such pragmatical platformes do perspicuously looke into and withall perceiue that religion is abused and Gods holy name blasphemed as being not his honor but their owne vnder a maske of catholike zeale they wish for they enter further into a deepe detestation of their Pharisaicall proiects iealously had of their owne naturall subiects and princely feare of their royall estates When they heare a man pretend as father Parsons doth on Spaniardes behalfe make a claime neuer heard of in any age to another mans lands in whose actuall quiet and apparantly rightfull possession by lineall discent from the father to the sonne for many hundred yeeres space times and ages past it hauing continued is now diuoluted to the present incumbent or prince regnant from his auncesters whose state title and regall honour he hath possesseth and peaceably enioyeth that so ancient renowned indubitate a right should now be called in question and that vpon the bare worde of a claymorous claime exceeding al meane modestie and measure made by an arrant traytor to God his Prince his countrey and to all lawes of God of nature of nations or of man and generally misliked of by all graue discreete prudent learned wise religious true harted catholikes especially for this his sodaine camelion vnexpected vndeserued vngrounded exorbitant passionate apostrophall change of a foisted in pretend audaciously presuming without buls breue billet ticket worde or warrant of any authoritie to charge all men to allow admit ratifie and confirme without all gainesay controlment or contradiction such a Soueraigne as he the said father Parsons will appoint them otherwise to be noted for Atheistes fooles rebels malicious politikes and aduerse to his catholike Maiestie and forsooth the common cause this this is that most odious scandalous irreligious treacherous erronious doctrine which is so preiudicial to the king catholike and his pretended cause as whiles Spaine is Spaine England England Fraunce Fraunce and Rome Rome will it neuer be forgotten nor forgiuen nor the iealousie thereof put out of all princes harts So as iustly father Parsons may be pointed at for woorse then a fabling libeller and were woorthie were he not a priest to be set vpon the pillorie and that euen by his catholike Maiestie for bearing the world in hand that he was set on to write those libels by warrant and priuitie of the said surmised pretendor whereas all circumstances both in the same bookes and scheduls together with those plotcasters speeches in secret to their friendes and the many dangers damages indignities discommodities accrewing to the king and his royal estate doe argue quite contrarie This is that venemous law will pearce the king catholike to the very naked hart if his Maiestie permit it to passe currant without due punishment inflicted vpon the presumant scribe and speedie abolishment of so polypragmaticall a platforme no lesse dangerously cast then traitorously laide to intrap all princes in Christendome in a Templars snare and as preiudiciall if not more in chiefe to the crowne and safetie of his royal person to his family in esse and to his successors for euer hereafter as to any other prince or monarch whosoeuer For let his Highnes winke at this doctrine and seeme to authorize it and then what better warrant or more plausible can be deuised when minds of people in all nations as ruefull experience doth tell vs are now a daies so quickly exulcerated with grieuous sores of gustes and discontent easily corrupted with maladies of contention and hastely set on horsebacke with superfluous humors of nouelties innouations ambition disdaine reuenge thirsting after bloud desirous of liberty and greedily affecting soueraignty then thus to authorize all and euery Prouince vnder his gouernment to rebell against him at their pleasure and auouche maintaine and defend for lawfull all their outragious insurrections malepert mutinies and contagious crimes against his highnes and soundest part of his nobles and subiects euery where but especially in the Low countries vnder this counterfeited conference holden at Amsterdam amongst the States there Yea by this colourable doctrine of Fa. Parsons hotch potch prodigious common wealthes authority when it comes to reasoning standing the premises without the kings controlment they may lawfully auerre al their practises proceedings and deeds past they may admit his maiestie peacebly to gouerne and raigne ouer them with this condition that he shall mantaine the course by them begun for gouernment
course taken amongst the English students at Rome that they may not haue their mutuall meetings congratulations recreations and other solaces and comforts of one chamber classe and company with another as earst they haue had and is euery where else to be found where any humanitie religious pietie or charitable wish or desire of either spirituall welfare or corporall health progresse and practise of studie vertue and learning is resident in the Rector Principall or chiefe But Iesuits must needes smell of innouations and singularitie in all things otherwise how should we knowe their rare indowments illuminations and familiar acquaintance with their maker c. And to this absurditie a blasphemie of his may be added wherein he maketh this opposition against the sacred state of regall dignitie and throne triumphant of imperiall maiestie to wit that the title honor and regall dignitie of a crowne is of all other things so irregular and extraordinarie as not onely an vsurper disseizer intruder and impious tyrant but also euen a very infidell a traitor a butcherly murtherer or a most base Assismistial crue if once he may attaine it by the rules of father Parsons common wealth then his title is neuer after to be examined by any except a Iesuit you must alwaies vnderstand but euery one is bound as is aboue said in conscience to obey the same Loe here noble princes and you deere catholikes what you are to learne out of the Iesuiticall doctrine Certainly therein is nothing else but fallacie vpon fallacie error vpon error one contradiction encountring another and all nothing but treacheries treasons and conspiracies The state of a monarchie is of all other gouernments the most perfect and excellent and yet forsooth the tenure of a crowne is imperfect infamous as out of all rule and order The actuall possession of a kingdome or state at the first vsurpation of it must onely guide the right as the most materiall point to lead the inheritance and succession of a crowne which way it liketh best The common wealth is the onely iudge of the possessionar or king regnant to controll him at the pleasure of the people A king was made to rule a common wealth and a common wealth to obey a king and yet carts must leade carthorses schollers guide schoolemasters people teach preachers children rule parents and an vnruly irregular disordered multitude witkout head or of many heads none good like a monster cloaked by a fallacie to abuse simple people vnder the name of a common wealth must gouerne the most irregular and extraordinarie crowne And so lawes must be construed conformable to the sensual appetite of a multitude not the multitude reformed agreeable to Gods lawes Soueraignes must accommodate themselues to the manners and conditions of their subiects be they good or bad and not subiects apply themselues to the arbitrament of their soueraignes be they neuer so good and gracious longer then they list to obey them Soueraignes must raigne vpon sufferance onely de facto ad beneplacitum populi in a bare possession of a crowne but not de iure to continue the same by order of lawe in his owne right longer or otherwise then the varieties of humors altering the dispositions in men may mooue the people to interprete the lawe from time to time vnto them Thus shall neither the king catholike nor the emperor nor any other soueraigne haue assurance of safetie for their person or state one minute of an hower and all by this vnchristian directorie of father Parsons which makes all their actions good and allowable to displace princes at their pleasure And yet still vice must be vertue violence made law wrongs iudged rights hangmen made iudges and traitors crowned kings but deposible alwaies and actually oftentimes must be deposed be there cause or no cause be they capable or incapable be it in the field of warre or in the land of peace Bicause forsooth Fa. Parsons publike state or statisticall doctrine of runnagates called here a Common wealth doth hold it necessary to be so is the onely iudge peramount in all state cases commissions for a crowne king kingdome without appeale to any higher iudge whosoeuer And further euery Precopite Tartarian multitude thus incorporated getting once the stile and title of a publike state in their owne opinion may brook the name of a Geneuian or an Heluetian or a Switherly commō wealth and alter chaunge and innouate the course of inheritance and succession not onely to crownes and kingdomes but also to euery priuate persons heritage holden in Fee simple So as they may beare away the right and true title cast vpon any from the king to the Freeholder by the lawes of Fa. Parsons new common wealth and giue it to whom they list though the party be neither member of that state nor subiect thereunto by nature submission infranchisment or other ordinary and lawfull meanes For if the onely lawful and good tenure of a kingdome diademe and crowne be holden by the king himselfe of the good-will onely of the common wealth that is as much to say as a Tenant at will of the people then followeth it by this hyperbolical fiction against the state of inheritance in regall maiestie that à fortiori all a soueraignes subiects also which haue any lands of ancient demaine or other inheritance must be subiect to the like lawes And so by good or at least necessary sequell is inferd that this they doe to confront the king of Spaine in chiefe points of regal state and to harden the Hollanders Zelanders and others there to mantaine warres in open action against him as also to minister new matter of rebellion in Arragon in Portugall and in all other of his owne dominions for a seditious route to thrust him quite out of his whole monarchiall estate of Spaine and to depriue him of kingdome crowne and life at their pleasure To all this Fa. Parsons hath prepared a ready way to serue his owne turne and his societies not the king nor any of his royall issues therewith for his admittance to the Spaniards much more to any other kingdome being onely by his common wealth and popular applauses neuer so well settled yet holding his crowne but as Tenant at will of the said common wealth who may reuoke their admittance when they list to quarrell it followeth that he hath no estate of nor assurance at all in him for any thing he holdeth Thus hath this great Statist discouered at vnawares his owne and his confederates ambitious aspires treacherous intent Atheall expectation pragmaticall practise and Matchiuilian platforme to make the world beleeue he pleads onely for the Spaniards and that simply and plainely for religions sake when his drift directly is immediately by meanes of conquest intended for England to bring all Christendome into an vprore for common soldiers to examine their soueraignes what title they hold by and thereupon themselues by craft mony and multitudes gathered together through their