prudent manner of dealing and proceeding as well with Catholicks as Schismaticks Protestants and Persecutors And as for known Catholicks which have been constant and born the brunt in time of Persecution though for their own parts they ought to follow the most holy and secure Council of our Saviour Cum omnia feceritis dicite quia servi inutiles sumus quod debuimus fecimus nothing presuming of themselves or vaunting over others but expecting their reward with humility at God's Hands yet it is evident that in all Reason and Justice and Law of gratitude they are to be used and employed by the Commonwealth in all Principal Charges Rooms and Offices with special confidence every Man according to his known Zeal Ability and Talent for the same and according to the measure of his suffering for God's Cause by which means both they and others shall be animated and comforted and the state of Religion much more assured than if for particular Favours Kindred Bribes Interest any be preferred or such as are not known to have any Zeal in God's Affairs as in the late Queen Mary's time in many places was seen to the grief and discouragement of many and to the infinite danger of the Realm as after well appear'd As for Schismaticks or close or weak Catholicks that have fallen denied or dissembled their Religion if they have done it of frailty and have not been Persecutors the more Compassion is to be had of their Estate and the more sweetness to be used in restoring them to the Unity of God's Church again But yet how far they are to be used in matters of the Commonwealth especially at the beginning and in rooms where their weakness and inconstance may be in danger the Law of Godly Wisdom must determine and the manner of their Reconciliation will give also great light to this Deliberation which Reconciliation as well in these Men as in all others that shall return to Catholick Union again whether they have been Hereticks or no ought to be made with great attention and deliberation as in a matter of most high moment for all their future Life and Condition For that most commonly according to this first step of reentrance with Almighty God again is the Sequel of all that ensueth good or bad so as he that maketh a good and perfect and sound Reconciliation proveth for the most part a sure and constant Christian afterwards and he that huddleth the matter up in haste without due measure of Consideration is where he was before within a few days after and perhaps far worse for contempt of so great Accommodation Wherefore to the end that this so mighty a Foundation may be laid as it ought to be the Commonwealth should take care and especially the Bishops that Men of Ability and Capacity only should be employed in receiving of these Reconciliations at the beginning and some particular form were to be prescribed how it should be done especially in great Persons and Subjects of great importance and these perhaps not to be reconciled without special faculty or knowledge of the Bishop or Prelate of the place and by some able Person by him assigned and this with giving to them space and due time of Deliberation Recollection Meditation Instruction and of any other means to help them in so great an affair And this for them that will return But as for Enemies or obstinate Hereticks whether they be of Malice or of Ignorance another course seemeth to be taken for their Reduction and Satisfaction which is to endeavour by all ways to convince them if it be possible of their Errors and this by reason and sweet means as far as may be whereof I shall touch some Particulars in this place And first of all f Perchance it would be good considering the present State of the Realm and how generally and deeply it is and has been plunged in all kind of Heresies not to press any Man's Conscience at the beginning for matters of Religion for some few Years to the end that every Man may more boldly and confidently utter his Wounds and so be cured thereof which otherwise he would cover deny or dissemble to his greater hurt and more dangerous Corruption of the whole Body but yet it may be provided joyntly that this Toleration be only with such as live quietly and are desirous to be informed of the Truth and do not teach and preach or seek to infect others and by experience it hath been seen that this kind of suffering and bearing for a time hath done great good and eased many difficulties in divers Towns rendred up in the Low Countries which being mitigated at the beginning with this entrance of Clemency never greatly cared for Heresies afterwards yet do I give notice that my meaning is not any way to perswade hereby that Liberty of Religion to live how a Man will should be permitted to any Person in any Christian Commonwealth for any cause or respect whatsoever from which I am so far off in my Judgement and Affection as I think no one thing to be so dangerous dishonourable or more offensive to Almighty God in the World than that any Prince should permit the Ark of Israel and Dagon God and the Devil to stand and be honoured together within his Realm or Country But that which I talk of is a certain Connivence or Toleration of Magistrates only for a certain time to be limited and with particular Conditions and Exceptions that no meetings assemblies preaching or perverting of others be used but that such as be quiet and modest People and have never heard perhaps the grounds of Catholick Religion may use the freedom of their Consciences to ask learn and to be instructed for the space prescribed without danger of the Law or of any inquiry to be made upon them to inform themselves of the truth And I would hope verily that by the grace of Almighty God and by charitable diligence and industry of good Men and especially of diligent Pastors and Preachers that many good effects would follow of this Toleration For first there would be taken away that slander wherewith the Enemies are wont ordinarily to charge the Catholick Church though perversly and falsly that she persecuteth before she instructeth And secondly the Wounds would be opened and cured as before hath been said that otherwise would be dissembled and more infested And thirdly there would be more liberty for Men to deal for the true Conversion of Hereticks and they with more confidence comfort and alacrity would alter their Minds and be more capable of the Truth and I think it would be the gaining of thousands of Souls that otherwise would be lost and finally by this means the Prince would come to know at the end of the time prescribed what Disposition of People he had within his Realm which otherwise would be hard to do And these are my reasons for my desires in this behalf which I do remit as all the rest that here
or elsewhere I shall say to the more mature judgment of them which at the wished day shall be able to judge better ex re praesenti and determine the Cause There remaineth to say a word or two of the best ways how to Convert Hereticks to the Catholick Faith whose Souls we ought to thirst and seek for above all other things of the World And first of all there is no doubt but that the chiefest and most principal means will be to give the battery to the Judgments and Understandings though to gain first their good wills and affections by the Clemency before mentioned and other Points that after shall be touched will be a great Disposition and entrance to the same But for convincing of their understandings in matters of Controversie I would wish that a plain contrary course were taken of us towards them for that which they have used towards us seeing that our cause doth bear it which is of contrary State and Condition to theirs For whereas their cause being false g they would never consent to come to any indifferent Trial or Disputation with the Catholicks I would wish that seeing our Cause is true and substantial and the more it is tried the more it will appear that once at least at the beginning full satisfaction were given by English Catholicks to those and all other Hereticks of the World by as full free equal and liberal Disputation as possibly could be devised within our Realm and this in London Oxford Cambridge or some other fit place where all the Heads of Heresies might most conveniently have recourse and the particular Circumstances which for the present do offer themselves to me for the profitable performance of this enterprise are these that follow other Men at that time will easily invent better That sufficient warrant and warning be given to all sides to prepare themselves That the Hereticks do chuse three or four of their most learned Men to dispute and answer and one other to be President and another to be Notary and that the like must be assigned of the Catholick Party for this Tryal and that all be prepared for a certain day upon the particular Controversies that may be appointed and all kind of Books allowed them to their contentment There may be two high Seats Stages or Scaffolds appointed so as all may hear and see and on the one may sit the forenamed three or four Disputers of the one side together with their Furniture of Books about them and so on the other side may be placed the Catholick Party and in equal distance between them both may sit the two Presidents of the Disputation with the two Notaries and commodious Room left for all the lookers on to behold and hear The first day may Argue or Dispute the one side upon the Controversie that shall be set up publickly and be known the day before and the other part may defend and answer and so interchangeably the next day may answer and defend the other side that argued the day before and upon the very same Doubt or Controversie so as the ability of both sides in opposing and answering in the same thing shall be seen which the Protestants never durst permit to Father Campion and his Company in their feigned Disputations nor yet to give them Books or time to prepare themselves whereas all the contrary must be performed by ours The manner of arguing and answering may be that one of the three or four Disputers for each side be appointed to be Proloquutor of the rest for that day and that he only do speak and be bound to answer and argue in form of School and that others that be his assistants do not interrupt him but let him speak alone until he have proposed his Argument or Answer wholly and repeated the same and whether his assistants do allow the same without adding or altering and saying yea the two Notaries shall agree upon the writing and then shall the other part answer or reply and having ended to speak in form of School the like shall be used in asking his assistants whether they be content and satisfied with that he setteth down And thus though the Arguments will go something slowly forward yet in the end will great substance be drawn out of this bolting for that the one Party or the other will come quickly to a plain exigent and to have no more to say but only words which will be easily discerned by all that are present for that although the formal Speech of Disputations must be in Latin yet may all be so easily declared as few men of understanding will be present that will not understand the substance of all And for the two Presidents or Moderators though they be of different Religion yet their Offices being only to speak when need is and to hold peace and to make the Arguments and Answers to be well understood only on both sides it may be thought they will pass well enough for the purpose that is pretended especially if there be another person of higher authority placed there by the Prince as there ought to be who may cause each Party to do their Office and Function with Modesty Peace and Edification and remove away without remission whosoever should fall into disorder of words and command now and then the two Notaries or one of them at one time and the other at another to read out aloud the Arguments Answer Reply or Distinction that hath been given and at the end of every day to recite all that hath been spoken that day and this with the consent of both Presidents and of all six Disputers And if there be but one Week bestowed in this Work with these and the like circumstances and at last all these Disputations publickly shewed in Print for the satisfaction of such as could not be present and that all circumstances be declared how and when by whom and in what order they were done I am of Opinion it would break wholly the credit of all Heresies in England and that afterwards few Books would be needful on our part as in truth it were to be wished that few or none were written in the Vulgar Tongue against Hereticks but rather that Books of Devotion and vertuous Life should enter in their place and the memory dye of the other Wranglings And the like course also may be taken by Preachers in their Sermons which by little and little were to be freed from all mention of Heresies to the end the People of God might come again to their old peace of Mind and attention only of good Works and Christian Vertues And this is so much as I have thought good to advertise about this manner of g publick Disputation which hath been often asked by the Catholicks at the Protestants hands and could never be obtained and no marvel for as Christ saith Omnis qui malè agit odit lucem non venit ad Lucem ne arguantur opera ejus but
been perverted by dissolution of Life and Heresie they have brought her into more misery infamy and confusion within the compass of few years than all other Christian Kingdoms round about us together Wherefore the principal help and hope next under God which our poor afflicted Country hath or may have of her redress is by means of her good Catholick Prince that God of his Mercy shall vouchsafe to give us who also considering the great work whereunto he is called shall in no wise be able better to satisfie his Obligation and Duty to God and the Expectation of all good Men and to assure his own Possession and Estate than to make account that the security of himself his Crown and Successor dependeth principally of the assurance and good establishment of the Catholick Roman Religion within his Kingdom and whatsoever is done or permitted against this Religion is not only against Jesus Christ our Saviour and his Spouse his Catholick Church but also against every Catholick Prince as his supream Minister and much more against the King of England as things do now stand both for Religion and Estate First of all then is to be recommended with all humility and earnest suit unto his Majesty that shall be established the singular care and holy zeal of restoring perfectly the Catholick Religion in our Realm and to employ his whole endeavour and authority therein and to concur and assist with his Princely favour and special Protection all such Men as principally shall labour therein and above other the Council of Reformation the Prelates Preachers and Clergy of his Realm and by example of his own Royal Person in frequenting the Holy Sacraments and other pious Actions of Religion and Devotion to animate all other his Subjects and foreign Princes also and Countries about him to whom he will in these our times be a remarkable mirrour to imitate the same and this for his own Person But concerning his Majesty's Council both in Spiritual and Temporal affairs it will import also exceeding much that he make choice of fit and worthy persons And for the first which is in matters concerning conscience the pious custom of some Catholick Kings and namely those of Portugal in times past is greatly to be commended who besides their Temporal Council had also another of learned Spiritual Men named the Table of Conscience in taking any thing in hand and execution of the same And for this Council they were wont to make choice as I have said of some number of eminent and learned Men and also notorious for their Piety and good Consciences whether they were of Religious Orders or no and the head or chief of these commonly the King 's own Confessor who might with more security by council and assistance of these able Men direct the King's mind with safety of Conscience And whatsoever Prince shall take this course no doubt but he shall find great help light comfort security and quietness of Mind thereby And as for the World abroad it must needs be a singular great justification of all his acts intention and attempts in the eyes and tongues of all Men seeing he doth them by the direction of so irreprehensible a Consultation His Temporal Council shall be needful to be made with great choice and deliberation especially at the beginning in England for that if any one person thereof should be either infected with Heresie or justly suspected or not fervent nor forward in the Catholick Religion and in the Reformation necessary to be made for good establishment of the same it would be to the great prejudice of the cause and of his Majesty and Realm And seeing Heresie and Hereticks could be so vigilant for overthrowing of true Religion at the beginning of this Queen's Reign as they admitted no one Man to govern whom they might suspect to favour true-Religion how much more zealous and jealous ought our new Catholick Prince to be in excluding from his Privy Council and other places of chief charge and government not only Men known or justly feared to be favourers of Heresie and Hereticks that will never be secure to God or his Majesty but also â—old and doubtful professors of Catholick Religion until they be proved by long tract of time And seeing that his Majesty shall have so great choice at that day of approved constant Catholicks within the Realm as never was seen the like since our first Conversion who have suffered so constantly at the hands of Hereticks in these Persecutions it is to be hoped and expected that his Majesty will serve himself first and chiefly of these men above all others according to their merits and after these of such other known Catholicks as albeit God gave them not fortitude and constancy to suffer so much as the others did for Religion yet were they ever secret favourers and never Persecutors or open Enemies to the truth It is to be commended with like submission and instance to his Majesty that after he shall have taken the Crown upon him and embraced this Realm as his loving Spouse he will confirm first of all the Laws Customs Priviledges Dignities and Liberties of the same and to take away all such burdens servitudes and unjust oppressions as have been any way laid upon us in former times but since the entrance of Heresie And as this is to be done to all the Realm as to the Nobility and to the Commonalty so principally and above others it is reason that it should be performed to the Church and Clergy-men who beyond all others have been injured in these latter times so that at the least it will be just that the Church of England be restored to the same state of Priviledges Possessions Dignities and Exemptions wherein it was when King Henry the Eighth began to Reign And for that the external face and material part of our Churches hath been so much defaced spoiled and broken down by King Henry the Eighth and his Children as all the World seeth it will be one principal part of our new King's Piety and Religion to concur effectually to the rebuilding and restoring of the same again by the means touched by me before of that moderate and temperate manner of restitution whereof I have spoken largely in the First Part of this Memorial And it is to be hoped that his Majesty will be the first and most fervent fartherer of the same according to the Holy Obligation Vow and Offer that he will make to Almighty God for that Heroical enterprise to his eternal honour and infinite benefit and beautifying of our Commonwealth Which sound Foundation of Religion and Piety being once laid it may be suggested to his Majesty with like sollicitude touching the execution of Justice to all Men with indifferency which is the principal point of a true Catholick Prince's Office next after God and Religion and is so much the more necessarily to be looked to now in England after so long