and charitie abstracted from all gaule guile or state affaires as men most willing to communicate Gods blessings and graces to others fructifying maruellously in our countrie by them and accepting as coadiutors with them in this their haruest on Gods behalfe all and euery religious person of any Order that would hazard themselues as they did had our language and should come with like Apostolicall commission and authoritie wherewith they came none otherwise then as Saint Augustine our Apostle first entred this land Of all the rest of religious Orders that vndertooke with the Seminaries this speciall conflict the fathers of the societie of Iesus were the most in number who presently forgetting the Apostolicall worke of Seminarie Priests alreadie taken in hand began foortwith to take a new preposterous and neuer heard of Apostolicall course for conuersion of countries to wit by tampering temporizing and statizing like martiall men or common souldiers in the field of warre in all temporall mundane and stratagemicall affaires The Seminaries innocently iudging the best of their bad meanings as charitie they thought did bind them were willing at the first to colour hide and conceale all making the Iesuites cause attempts intents practises and proceedings their owne in euery thing and yeelding to them the preheminence fame honour and renowne in euery action acted by them vntill at last they were intangled by penall lawes iustly made against them equally as against the Iesuits whose plots and practises they seemed at first to defend or at least to winke at and withall perceiued that the Ies religious pietie being turned into meere secular or rather temporall and laicall pollicie did occasionate in them an aspire to soueraigntie and that taking an elle vpon an inch giuen them did tempt them with an ambitious hope of domineering ouer them and thereby ouer the whole Cleargie and state Ecclesiasticall hand then the said Priests for their owne indempnitie were driuen to prouide and looke to themselues Et hinc illae lachrymae of all the euils that since haue ensued aswell respecting the persecutions inflicted vpon vs all for their owne peculiar and priuate practises as also in regard of the hartburnings and contentions that since haue bene and are at this present betwixt them and the Seminarie Priests which heauie accident and of all other most straunge manner of proceeding in the Iesuits hath caused many to bath their sighes in bloud and me to theame my speech in teares to thinke how that their insolencie hath past so farre beyond the bounds of charity iustice and all humanity as I must be forced to open to all the world what grosse errors they do maintaine how maruellously the people are blinded and seduced by them and how dangerous a race they runne to their owne and all others destruction that will be currents of that fatall course begun by them with contempt of Priesthood and all Ecclesiasticall order with contempt of sacred Maiestie and all magisteriall gouernment and with most turbulent seditious and trecherous innouations supplantations defamations and slaunders of all that rubbe not on their loftie banke rebellions and conspiracies against both Pope and Prince Church Commonwealth and all estates therein And because that as I haue shewed there is nothing permanent or certaine here on earth saue onely the power of Priesthood for administring of the Sacraments that sentence propheticall standing irrepealable for euer tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech and that irremoueable ground of truth graunted only and wholly to the same priestly power to remaine without all possibilitie of errour in Saint Peters chaire to the worlds end all other foundations assurances priuiledges and prerogatiues fayling saue this alone no Monarch in the world being sure of his estate no religious Order being certaine of their stand nor person of most perfection being freed from chance and change from better to worse and to haue a hideous downefall this night before to morrow hereupon as in our case in hand we haue experience there rising many thousands of absurdities whispered into gadding heads and itching eares by so many intricate politicall plots and deuises as for to set them downe in a positiue discourse Rhetoricall stile or historicall method were but oleum operam perdere the ignorant multitude to whom the matter most belongs for their better instruction especially whom the Iesuits vse most as women gospellers trumpetters of their prayses being not possibly able to conceiue much lesse to carry away so many particular points as are in question betwixt vs and the Iesuits and as which if either they acknowledge an obedience to Gods Church to the Popes Holinesse and to all or anie Priest or a due loyaltie to their Prince and Soueraigne or a dutifull respect to the common wealth of their natiue land or any loue or affection to their flesh bloud kindred friends and generally to all noble generous and humane English hearts or lastly any care of their owne soules good name and fame before God and man they must heare of conceiue of haue beaten into their heads and hearts and carry about with them for their better information resolution conceit of things like Catholiks indeed where euer they go or happen into company prurientes auribus à veritate auditum auertentes which is a common case amongst silly women more deuout then discreet as alwayes in extreames either Saints or Diuels I haue therefore thought vpon the easiest readiest briefest plainest and exactest of any other course or methode that I thinke could possibly be found out aswell to satisfie all parties that desire to be resolued of all or any point in question amongst vs or that will not wilfully and malitiously as God forbid any Catholike or well minded Schismaticke should be caried away with popular applause into manifest errours as also to deliuer the truth and state of the matter by such interrogatorie questions Articles or Quodlibets as shall both touch to the quicke whatsoeuer is offered proposed or comes to be examined qustioned withall or reasoned vpon amongst the learned or ignorant on any side and yet withall allay the passions of the contrarie affected Reader and abate the heate of the haughtie heart in all or any that find themselues touched or grieued therewith So as by this kind of Methode they shall haue neither cause iustly to complaine of iniurie or wrong done or offered vnto them neither any euasion or means to escape from detecting and making known what is in their very harts who are wronged and who are not what euery one is bound for his own securitie to speake write beleeue and practise in these things and how farre he may go therin For if that by way of a Quodlibet or Thesis proposed a man may without blasphemie sinne scandall or any offence in the world aske whether God or the Diuell be to be honoured whether our Sauiour Christ could sinne or no whether our blessed Lady were an adultresse or common
affliction and calamity then any of these their young maisters euer yet tasted of And last of all the fire bursting out there first though first enkindled at Rome as earst I sayd then began the like of fresh at Rome againe where it burst out into so furious and mercilesse a consuming flame for fire and water haue no mercy as sundry reuerend Priests burnt therewith haue deepely protested they would rather chuse if it were in their choise to liue captiues vnder the Turke for security of their soules then vnder the Iesuits gouernement or rather indeede captiuity the temptations suggested by them are so many dangerous intricate and difficult which way to ouercome them And so by succeeding turnes Spaine Fraunce Flanders and all England became infected with these Iesuiticall contentions and garboyles the grounds originals causes and continuance whereof were onely wholly and absolutely the Iesuits ambitious aspires fallen downe now vpon their heads to their owne destruction that were the first plotcasters of their innocent brethrens ruines THE II. ARTICLE VVHether the Seminarie Priests or the Iesuits haue giuen greater scandale by publishing of matters abroad in proiects to the worlds theater concerning these contentions before in secret at the first vnknowne to the Catholike Laity and much lesse to any Protestant or other of a contrary Religion and which side part or faction was the first beginners of spreading abroad infamous letters and libels against the opposits to their designments THE ANSWERE THe Iesuits were both the beginners of the contentions as before is shewed the fewell cariers to the seditious fire-feedings and the first brokers breathers and brochers of them abroad both to Catholikes Protestants Cleargy Laity men women children home-borne and foreyners as by sundry of their letters libels and other infamous seditious and inuectiue writings is yet extant to be seene aswell in printed bookes as in many manuscripts of maister Blackwell father Parsons Creswell Currie Gerard Martin Array Baldwin Lyster and sundry others whose false malitious and most exorbitant dealings to detect defame and vtterly exterminate the name fame and memory of the Seminarie Priests and Cleargy aswell in generall as in speciall will be brought out in deposition against them when competent iudges may be had and the cause iustly tried Nay when did euer any Priest write and much lesse commit to the impression of a pamphlet any one word against them The most part euen of those that had suffered most longest and greatest disconsolation and wrongs put vp at their hands accounted that the touch of any Catholike Priests good name was tangere pupillam oculi sui so dainty nice and precise a conscience had they to detract defame or speake euill of any man or woman yea though the reports were true And vntill all was in an vprore all Priests that sided not with the Iesuits in all things were brought into obloquie contempt and disgrace all shunned auoided and such slanderous speeches raised by the Iesuits faction against them as they knew not possibly how to liue quiet or to liue in truth at all by them Vntill then I say they winkt kept silence and let passe all their letters libels and iniurious slanders vnanswered They sayd little or nothing to those erronious and yet to the Iesuits most plausible bookes of choise of ghostly fathers They let passe that erronious speech in the Wardword to Sir Francis Hastings watchword making Iesuits Christ his equals in a way of absurd comparison and insinuating Seminarie Priests and other Catholikes to be but the Churches refuse They friendly admonished the Author of the 3. farewels of the soule giuing to the Iesuits that which no religious order would accept of or durst desire to cease from publishing such grosse errours which otherwise had gone to the presse and print as extolling the Iesuits therein to the skies aboue all possible humane deserts vnder the title of religious persons distinguished thereby from meere secular Priests as they tearme the rest but neuer did they publish anything against it They suffered with patience that long lowd lye to passe vnrecalled wherein the Cardinals and by Cardinall Caietane the Popes Holinesse was informed that the cause of sending to the Sea Apostolique to haue superiours appointed ouer the English Priests was grounded vpon great and dangerous contentions risen vp betwixt the Seminary Priests and the Catholike laity in that nation knowing in their owne conscience there was no contention mouing thereunto but betwixt the Seminarie Priests and themselues and those of their and the Spanish faction They sought not to controule that seditious false infamous booke intituled Against the factions in the Church applied directly by the Archpriest to the secular Priests and those that sided with them on the Catholike Church and their natiue countries behalfe They labored not to call in question those stained records with all falshood impiety and arrogancy on the Iesuits behalfe of the memorable acts done by their society forsooth here in England viz. how that they onely were persecuted and not the Seminary Priests how such and such and in generall all that opposed themselues against their proceedings had suffered disgrace and shame and came to miserable ends notwithstanding and they cannot deny it neither are they ignorant thereof that there be a whole browne dozen twice ouertold of glorious Martyrs all Seminary Priests all defamed by them all noted for malecontents as opposits to their proceedings These indignities calmuniations iniuries lies and irreligeous vanities with many the like vnchristian practises did they let passe and neither did neither euer would haue set hand to paper to write of these contentions betwixt them vntill their long silence condemned them all as guiltie and the Iesuits preuailed and did what they list by backbiting and writing most opprobriously against them THE III. ARTICLE WHether the Seminarie Priestes gaue any scandale or committed any sinne or incurred any danger of falling into schisme by resisting the Archpriest after the first sight or hearing of the Cardinals letters and now of late since the generall admittance of him vpon sight of the Popes Holinesse his Briâ—fe whether they incurred the like offence by writing Apologies in their owne defences or was or is it no sin scandale nor offence at all in them so to do THE ANSWERE IT neither was nor is any more sin schisme scandale nor offence in the one or the other they being in iustice charitie loyaltie and obedience for defence of Christs church and their countrie bound to both then for a guiltlesse man condemned to say you do me wrong or for an appellant against a knowne Rebell in act word or thought conuinced by demonstration vel à priori vel à posteriori i. either of the cause or of the effect to haue intent to say thou art a traitor For who of common sense would not haue bene touched with scruple if but hearing of a plaine simple man vnexperienced either in the Church or his countries affaires as liuing
secular Priests yea of our owne nation as Doctor Allane Doctor Sanders though to much Iesuited Doctor Harding Doctor Stapleton Doctor Gifford Doctor Parkinson Doctor Ely and a whole score twice told now in esse of secular Priests whō no English Iesuit is able to hold tacke withall yet haue these Machiauels got such a generall fame report to fly abroad of them as though there were not one of any talent in the world to be found vnlesse he were a Iesuit THE ANSWERE I Answer first that where there is one learned man of the Iesuites there are a hundred either of seculars apart or of religious apart Secondly where there is one learned book written by any Iesuit there are a couple of thousands written by others as learned at least if not more as they are Thirdly the cause why seculars especially the Seminarie Priests in England do not write so many nor almost any booke at all as the Iesuits do haue done is partly for want of money without which no Presse will go the the seculars and Iesuits liuing apart in extreames the former pining in defects and therefore can set out nothing the other surfetting in excesse and therfore may set out what they please partly also for that the seculars haue bene euer against writing of any such bookes as might exasperate the present State or occasionate a displeasure against all for some such priuate persons offences which the Iesuites quite contrary least regarded Nay what bookes haue they written almost but such as are farced with rebellious conspiracies and treasons iustly occasionating a generall persecution vpon vs all thereby Onely one Fa. Parsons hath written sundrie bookes for I account not of Fa. Southwell as whereof to make any ostentation of learning and all those of one practise or other in exasperating either against her Maiestie directly as his Philopator or against the whole State in generall as his Doleman or against all the bloud royall in common as his Appendix or against the whole commonwealth as his Machiauell of oeconomickes or book of Spanish Councels against England or against this or that Peere of this land in particular as his Greenecoate or Scribe And as for his booke of Resolution which gets him all the praise he hath or can deserue yet alacke alacke it is easie to lay fine threeds together when they are gathered to a mans hand and as easie to translate a work almost verbatim out of peecemeale copies into his mother language Fourthly the seculars vntill now of late had no meanes from beyond the seas for printing of any book in England they durst not venter for offending the State without leaue whereas the Iesuites haue alwaies had meanes both here and there for what is it that mony cannot compasse Fiftly the Iesuits haue learned herein one speciall tricke of Machiauell which also was throughly practised of Erasmus in his daies and that was to be at compositiō with certaine Nobles and great personages in Princes Courts to spread abroad his bookes with this prouiso that they should report of euery thing he wrote to be rare learned and eloquent and himselfe the most famous man of Europe for his pen in those dayes for pregnancie of wit dexteritie of inuention facilitie of passage pleasing accents delightfull with a naturall facilitie in all things and then would he againe in recompence of this grace and fauour to requite their honorable esteeme had and caused generally to be had of him set them foorth on the other side by dedicating of his bookes either vnto them or taking some speciall occasion to write of them or their progenitors sound foorth the Panigeries of their praises extolling them aboue the skies for their Noblenesse their heroicall hearts martiall prowesse valiant acts worthy feates warlike exploits honorable calling of parentage by birth bloud and high renowne highly descended And fame alwaies following the reports of Ecchoes such Nobles and Gentles for natures portraicture in the lineaments of their body fine conueyance of their actions not coyned by art but naturally passing from them as a forgetfull custome by instinct of proper kind comly gesture with countenance haughtie stern and champion-like yet dropt with spots of beautie bountie and magnanimitie intercepted with graces of mildnesse courtesie and affabilitie at a word courtly regardfull pleasing acceptable in al things being the right compliants of times comperters of sages and the full complements of all admirable aspects as the mirrors of vertue and all liuely graces Both by these meanes should be famous and respected inquired of talked of peerlesse And all this that I haue said concerning the pollicie of Erasmus you may please to decipher out in the Iesuits with supererogation of an ouerheaped vp measure For let the person be neuer such a dolt dunce or dotrel or his actions neuer so base ignominious dishonest or ridiculous or his words or writings neuer so simple grosse and exorbitant or impertinent to the purpose yet being a Iesuit oh he is a rare man another Salust Cicero or Demosthenes for eloquence as was Father Southwell but yet came short of them an other Chrysostome in preaching as Father Ned Coffin alas poore silly mā sent loquitur c. An other equal nay far aboue that worthy pillar of the Church Saint Augustine the Doctor Angelicall S. Thomas Aquinas the most subtill disputer Doctor Scotus as is that top of wit Fa. Parsons not worthy to hold the candle before the meanest of any of all these or sundrie other far their inferiors But what should we say fame flies farre if the Iesuits wanted this tricke of coggerie to make them seeme famous nay matchlesse nay peerelesse in setting out of bookes and doing of other like exercises pertaining to learning gouernment and knowledge I would say they had no scholerisme worth a blew button amongst them nor were they fit to foot the instep in Machiauels schooles Sixtly another cause there is why the Iesuits workes and bookes are here in England so common frequent and much talked of and almost none other named or at least accounted of at all And that is forsooth an authority they haue gotten to their Archpriest now to stop all others from writing of any thing be it good or bad without his approbation or allowance which he will neuer yeeld vnto but with disgraces to the Author as experience hath tried it true And besides before this authority came the Iesuits as high Admirals or Emperours of sea and land dealt so cunningly few or none euer imagining such an ostentatiue sleight and vaineglorious deuice as was to haue their owne doings onely praised to lye close couched and packt vp at euery mart therein as few or no bookes came euer from beyond the seas but of some Iesuits setting forth or if they did yet did not the discharge of that peece in striking saile giue so sound report thereof as of theirs and so still it seemed there was no learning nor scholers nor
titlet customes and ancient rights of birth and blood to lands liuelyhoods and other inheritances and make them of no validitie but that euery one of most might may lawfully possesse what they may lay hands on dispossesse the olde tenant yea ancient inhabitants at their pleasure and dispose of goods lands and inheritances as they thinke good For admit that a crowne and kingdome may be thus handled as Master Parsons in his booke of succession affirmes they may then à fortiori all other fee simples fee tailes franke almaines or what other estate soeuer is most sure being depending of a kingdome and subiect to a crowne are of no force effect woorth or value more then an ordinarie tenant at will hath of his farme bartin or cottage It was oracled from those diuine lips to which it were blasphemie to impute any possibilitie of a lie that necesse est vt haereses and in another place vt scandalum veniat But to this necessitie was giuen such a gird as might euen haue made a reprobate appalde to thinke that the euill which of necessitie must come to passe should be acted by his infortunate plottings For vae homini illi was straightwaies added to the definitiue sentence per quem scandalum venit as far better and more tolerable to haue had a milstone tied about his necke and himselfe bound hand and foote cast headlong into the sea rather then euer to haue been author agent plotcaster current or contriuer to so great a sinne Parsons is that wretch to whom with his Iesuiticall plotcasters of faction this speech of scandall is applied If he therefore haue thus farre medled and further as in more particular manner shall in the next Quodlibet be shewed by his seditious libels practises and conspiracies against the English state if all men iudge these vnchristian vnnaturall vncharitable dealings of his to haue occasioned such a general iealousie to be had of all priests and catholike recusants as the sequele thereof presageth a ruine subuersion conquest captiuitie and bondage of our deere countrie natiue land people nation and friends were it not that God of his mercie in whose hands are the harts of princes had inclined her Maiesties princely hart to conceiue of her poore catholikes so as not to condemne all for some priuate mens attempts and practises which if any thing preuent these generall ensuing calamities to the whole realme it must be that or nothing else at all the whole state being otherwise brought into such iealousie of one the other by Parsons agents as all and euery of them of necessitie constraind must seeke for their securitie to make friends where and as best they may if he the said Parsons haue taken vpon him to promulgate these prodigies to foreshew our ensuing calamities to be the genius of his owne and all our hard fortunes and to make knowne to all nations the enormous dealings of priuate persons vnder our soueraigne still concealing his owne and his associats and to stir vp yea put forraigne powers in hope of a conquest nay full assurance of a rightfull title to our English crowne if he in his bookes in his platformes in his secret perswasions in his agents tongue works will labour to make all our royall and imperiall heroicall princes our nobles our gentils our commons and the whole realme odious by reason of some priuate and particular persons offences if he will seeke to confederate himselfe in a Spanish or Iesuiticall league with those against whom he hath written most bitterly and shewed by demonstration that all the realme in his iudgement and censure hath iust cause to curse hate and spit at them if he haue offered himselfe like an impudent base fellow to be a spie to colour thereby his treason for her Maiestie to fill all the whole realme with state practisioners to tamper one while with this noble Heroes another while with that roiall lady and get by his agents some or other of his Iesuiticall tribe and consistorian order to insinuate his drift euery where If by his meanes there be not one noble familie in this land but the Iesuits haue been tampering withall to come within it one way or other the nobles themselues both Lords and Ladies often dreaming of nothing lesse then that any of a Iesuiticall faction came within their doores or sat at table with them much lesse that so smooth a creeper into their bosome intended to sting them at the hart at time appointed for their purpose neither the Marquisate of Winchester nor the house of Oxford for as for the house of Arundell Westmerland and Northumberland how he and his associats haue tampered with them all the world knoweth especially the first against which notwithstanding he hath written most bitterly in Philopater and other bookes affirming the infortunate Howard of Norfolke to haue been one and the chiefe cause of the ouerthrow both of the Church and common wealth yet with whom he and his hath had I will not say haue videant ipsi more inward close dealing for aduancement to the crowne by marriage of Lady Arbella c. and other means then with any other house familie within the land nor the house of Lincolne nor the houses of Cumberland of Shrewsbury of Penbrooke of Darby of Hartford of Huntington of Warwike of Leicester of Worcester of Bathe of Kent of Sussex of Nottingham of Mountague c. together with all and euery of the nobles Barons of this land none I say hath beene free from danger of intrapping of whatsoeuer religion they were by some one fine fingerd fig boy or other cosin of his kinde alwaies obseruing this for a generall rule that looke where any of the blood royall ly most there and in those places are the Iesuits most frequent and their faction is hottest so in London in Derbyshire and whiles Earle Ferdinando liued in Lancashire though God be thanked there are not so many of that faction there now as earst haue been c. Finally if he in all his said Philopater and elsewhere haue shewed what miserable endes those Archmurtherers of the Church and common wealth haue made together with their posteritie before the fourth generation hath been past if he haue presumed to accommodate these examples to our countries nobles and taken vpon him the person of a wise man southsaier or prophet to foretell a sorrowfull visitation of our nobilitie with like misfortunes if they that take part with the wicked in their wickednes must of equitie and reason looke to be partakers of their punishments paines and miseries what should I say more religion mooues me yet much more to speake conscience bindes me to cleere true catholike harts zeale of Gods house and honor constraines me to detect this wicked impe of cursed kinde affection to my deere countrie makes me tedious in discourse loue and loyaltie faith and dutie feare and affection striue for a supremacie in a troubled spirite and all resolued into a sea of
impersonals in terra viuentium And fame being the swiftest bird of wing that euer seased on pray no sooner had these neuters set on thus by the Iesuites cast off that haggard hawke from a false fist but presently taking her irreuocable gate in a gadding mount she flew a foule flight in windings twindings and girdings ouer all making many a sweete bird to tremble quake when they heard that a catholike priest should haue written such vild matters against all conscience religion sense or reason as to them at first it seemed But I build so much vpon the equitie of our common cause and mine own innocencie and sincere intent therein as were that Epistle to write againe I would write verbatim as it is and nothing doubt but that their impiety plots and sly deuises will turne at length to their shame and my credite for the same Secondly the most I doe wonder at in these strange conceits of you deare catholikes is your simplicitie and extreame folly pardon me for God sake if I speake home for deepe is the wound that pearceth to the hart and dead is the stroke that cuts life and soule a sunder in that you thinke it a hinderance to our cause to haue such bookes set out in painting forth the Iesuites in their proper colors Which conceite of yours by your leaue deare catholikes may perhaps in it selfe haue I doubt not but it hath in your charitable deuout harts and intentions some sparks of pietie but certainly not at all of policy as manifesting that to be true which they report of you vs all for this point in declaring your iudgement to be very weake your wits shallow your appreheÌ„sion meane your reach short your selues fitter for a cloyster then in very deed the Iesuits are but withal they more fit to manage a matter in a ciuil political secular temporal common wealth yea or in the field of war then any of you are that haue such pusillanimous spirits as they affirme we haue all and therefore ride vs like fooles lead vs which way they list and make vs beleeue what they please to serue their owne turne withall For if you were of iudgement and discourse you would not but conceiue and see what here I meane God willing and if in nature it be possible to driue into your heads to wit that the chiefe and originall cause and occasion giuen of temptation on our part to the Iesuits hath beene our serupulous remissnes childish nicenes and womanlike tendernes in speaking writing or vttering of our griefes and wrongs put vp at the Iesuits hands which made them so bold to attempt and peremptory to control so that accounting of vs all to be but silly bodies and sorie fellowes of no talent gift or ability like Storkish kings they came vpon vs poore frogs with minaces of death to him that first should leape out of the puddle from vnder their tyranny And thus the erroneous conceit you had of their worth and our and your owne vnworthines puffed them vp in pride puld vs all downe in miseserie and blew the coale of their perdition through your indiscreet humility renuntiation and silence Note the Iesuites immitate Lucifer in pride for he cannot endure to be despised or to haue any creature accounted of for rare indowments of nature but himselfe and the Iesuits cannot abide to be counted of as good deuout simple religious men but must be holden for the rarest polititians the wisest sages the perfectest statesmen c. fit phrases be they not for religious persons to boast of and the secular clergie disgraced to the vttermost else cannot that Luciferian spirit of theirs be quiet By this shall you know a Iesuits spirit in that hauing presumed to haue their brokers reuile priests and princes in the vilest manner as an act of zeale yet are they and theirs ready to fly in his or her face that shall but seeme to dislike of a Iesuite Thirdly to enlarge my speech a little with your folly you should haue considered that the chiefe vice noted in the Iesuites is ambition and pride which being a stately sinne sitter for feinds then for beggers to boast of as nothing torments the diuell more then to be contemned abased and not feared or regarded so questionlesse the Iesuits hauing gotten an admiration of rare esteeme to be had of themselues aboue all priests who are to be had in contempt in respect of them and their followers there is no torture in the world like this vnto them scil to be made knowen what lewd mocke religious persons they are and that those who are the best of them yet if they fall into comparisons they are the meanest inferior and last of al other religious orders And now because these bookes doe touch them to the quicke and make them both know themselues and all others to looke into them therefore should they want wit or else haue more grace then most of them seeme to haue if they should let these discoueries of their trecheries and impieties passe vncontrold or spoken against in hucker mucker and not hinder what they can possibly that none of these pamphlets come abroade to be seene nor and much lesse beleeued of any And this you deere Catholikes do not see into neither how that all these commisserations and hypocriticall pitie taken had their origine sourze and spring from a Iesuits sconce and issued out in armes of maines from them amongst vs to helpe themselues drowne vs in the ditch they haue made for vs. Fourthly I desire you all deere Catholikes serch out the corners of your harts and tell me of your conscience which of you all be you priests or lay persons haue suffered a sorer persecution of a Iesuits toong since these bookes were written then you did suffer before any of our company set pen to paper or who that hath not written but rather spoken against all writings of a kinde of scruple as I said before hath beene more spared or freed from their cruell bitings alwaies supposed he be no current of their course then if he had written with the most and as bitterly as any Which being so It is most strange to see the Iesuites surfeit in persecution of their opposites for long ere euer any booke or letter was written or intended did the Iesuits so mightily preuaile in seeking the priests ouerthrow as it was a woonder that one priests was left on liue in England to make knowen their bad dealings and extreame cruelty But more strange it is that Cathol kes knowing how the priests haue beene and are brought into an intollerable contempt and disgrace by them Will not yet looke into them nor acknowledge that the Iesuits are men at most and therefore may sinne as others may Certainely I thiâ—ke their followers being otherwise good Catholiks are al bewitched for else they would neuer be so sottish sencelesse and irreligigious in contempt of priests to beleeue none but Iesuits
that those who haue quite abandoned the world ought not to seeke aduancements in the world and by consequent not to set forth themselues otherwise then they are indeed Neither in truth shal you finde it in any religious order or person vnlesse they be apostataed from their faith as is ordinary by that occasion taken saue only amongst the Iesuits with whom it is as common a practise as to say their Breuiary See a notable stratageme for this matter in the next Article how Doctor Worthington president at Dowry and father Hoâ—t the fully states man at Bruxels bestirred theÌ„selues in procuring boyes and girles and â—ll sorts of pâ—rsâ—â— to mâ—ke pâ—â—tâ—on to the king of 〈…〉 and other Princes to haue fâ—â—her Parsons made Lord Cardinall of England mâ—king it seeme otherwise that all religion and hope of the king Catholikes aduancemeÌ„t to the English Crowne would â—uaile and be dashed for euer yet forsooth these holy fathers may not seeke for any â—â—â—â—ncemeÌ„t neither will neither may they take it being thrust vpon them So the foxe will eate no grapes not hungry houÌ„ds any duâ—ty puâ—dings vnlesse they can come by theÌ„ and not be seene And I verily thinke more common in some of them whose whole studie meditation and indeuor seemeth as it were to tend to this onely end how to aduance them selues and their societie Which mind of theirs for that it suffers a contradiction by reason of their religious profession and vowe of voluntarie pouertie containing in it many particulars opposite to all or any either ecclesiasticall or temporall aduancement therefore must they set all their wits a wool-gathering making choise of the finest locks to worke vp this web in so smooth a loome and that so couertly and the threeds so layd and wrought in close couched together as not a breake knot or anie the least tuft or end of a threed extrauagant of any mundane thought or secular aduancement fished for by them be left to be seene but all pure zeale spirituall contemplation perfect mortification Christian renunciation contempt of honour riches and all worldly esteeme Of this I neede to say no more euery Quodlibet and Article ministring occasion to talke of the Iesuits ambition incrochment and seeking for aduauncement by concealing such defects wants in themselues as are verie necessarie to be knowne no way ought to be kept close neither will they be so hereafter vnlesse they mend their maners and reforme themselues in their order Now for others that liue in the world abroad in way of aduancement to and in a state ecclesiasticall or temporall thus stands the case I told you before in the Quodlibets of Fame and report what a Priests place and office was and how the state Ecclesiasticall or secular was euer to be preferred before the Monasticall or religious Monos tying them to a solitarie life Religion to a stricter retired course and order Therefore true it is that though both Priests and lay persons may lawfully seeke for aduancemeÌ„t as hereafter shal be shewed Quia qui in Episcopatum desiderat bonuÌ„ opus desiderat said the choise vessel of deuine election to his scholer disciple consecrated Bishop per impositioneÌ„ manum suarum yet is there a great difference in the matters to be reuealed or coÌ„cealed for the better furtherance or hinderance of their aduancement verbi gratia a man giuen ouer either to wine or women is not to take vpon him the charge of soules but being initiated to holy orders a close Cell is fittest for him to auoyd both the danger of damning his owne soule by fact scandall and leud example giuen and also the ruine and fall of others by his conuersing with them Qui enim tangit picem coinquinabitur qui amat periculum periculo peribit And thererefore ought he secretly to impart the conflicts he hath with himselfe in such a case to his ghostly father with desire to haue him worke some conuenient meanes to stop his preferment if he be vrged to take curam animarum vpon him Otherwise if needes he must take charge then let him euer haue iust Iob his league written in his heart Pepegi foedus cum oculis meis ne cogitarem quidem de virgine and so concealing his owne infirmities obstando principijs as much as is possible ter dominuÌ„ rogando yea ter centies with S. Paul vt auferratur à se stimulus carnis angelus Sathanae qui illum colophizat let him not double but to beate in his heart or feele in his flesh that comfortable answer which the said Apostle had made vnto him in the like case Sufficit tibi gratiae meae nam virtus in insirmitate perficitur And so let him go forward in the name of God reueale his defects to God alone But now on the contrarie in a temporall man these defects are not so great a blemish because the one may easily be remedied by mariage a sacrament instituted in remedium peccati post lapsum Adami and the other as sufficiently supplied by competent diet and neither the one or the other so daungerous to the Church weale publike or the infected therewith as they are in the former Againe in a temporal man these are greater defects and causes of hinderance to his preferment then in a Priest scil meannesse of birth want of wealth deformitie of bodie foule diseases and the like For that although all these things are to be respected in a Priest scil that he be not base borne nor a bondslaue nor a beggars brat nor a deformed creature nor infected with any filthie disease c. but on the contrarie of honest parentage a free borne Denison of sufficient patrimonie or meanes to liue though he were not Priest of comely personage and of a cleane constitution of bodie optima quaeque Deo and further although the question betwixt Ciuilians and Diuines be pro contra It was wel asked when Adam delued and Eue span who was then a Gentleman insinuating thereby that all Noblenesse and gentry came at the first but of mean persons compared in manners and order of life with their successors or posteritie Yea the greatest Emperour honor and families in the world came ofteÌ„ vp of meanest officers in their progenitors scil of bondslaues of Scriueners of Gardiners c. which is the cause that wheras all honor and gentrie riseth froÌ„ one of these two heads scil from learning or from chiualrie that by consequent a Gentleman of proper merit by either may is to be preferred before him of bloud coat armor perfect and ancestry if his deserts excel the others otherwise not c. concerning dispensations legitimations and enabling of such irregulates and defectiues to aduancement in the Church and common wealth wherof somewhat I spoke in the foresaid Quodlibet of Fame and Report and more at large haue set it out in the Antiperistasis to Dolemans succession in the barre of bastardie yet forasmuch as
coeur how to insinuate a detraction vnder colour of zeale religion affection or otherwise against any whom it stands them vpon either to haue as an affied friend on liue or else pull down as an infest foe vpon his knees to death or may they not do so THE ANSWERE IT is a most vnchristian Turkish hereticall and traiterous ground they stand vpon and a promontorie farre beyond all the capes and points of pietie lying out into the dead sea Persian gulfe or Stigian lake of perdition to affirme that all whosoeuer without exception of person time or place must be defamed detracted backbitten despised and borne down that are opposite to them and their designements And therfore by consequent their suffering if not vrging maintaining commanding the simpler sort so to do on their behalfes is a new way discouered by a backe doore set open to the entrance of the sorest hatefullest and most dangerous heresie that euer yet was in the Christian world which all true Catholike hearts will tremble to thinke on when they see the effects of it apparantly before their eyes as partly we haue alreadie and meane God willing to touch it a little further to the quicke ere these Quodlibets be all ended and bewaile they shall with feare griefe and anger at themselues that euer comming into the Catholike church with religious deuout sincere meaning care desire of sauing their owne poore soules for I am not of that wretch Parsons mind that none can be a right Catholike or established in Gods fauour vnlesse he runne his restlesse cursed race against his Prince countrey and deare friends none I verily thinke vnlesse it were some such Atheist as Parsons or an odde reprobate amongst a thousand but come to be Catholique of meere remorce of conscience for the loue of God and resolute beliefe that howsoeuer any other is perswaded this is the onely truth and way to walke in In which though they may be damned by dying impenitent for their offences yet out of it they cannot be saued liue they otherwise neuer so morally vertuous Comming then with this consolation as a speciall grace and meere gift of God infused into the soule of man fully bent to hazard credite honour fauour fortune goods lands life and all rather then to loose their soules by doing any one act against their owne conscience in points of religion and seruice of God for therein onely not in other affaires doth Saint Peters sentence hold obediendum maius est Deo quà m hominibus And being thus quieted in their mind voyding their thoughts of all temporizing statizing and seditious medlings with the affaires of Prince or Peer that they shold notwithstanding haue bene so readie to beleeue these new teachers of innouations rebellions inuasions conspiracies hatred of their Prince defamation of the blond royall of the land wishing for population to their natiue countrey hauocke spoile destruction of all for their ambitious vnnaturall vnlawfull pleasures and desires this shall grieue many a deuout Catholikes heart that euer after so many memorable constant worthie and happie conflicts with themselues in these daungerous times of soule-wrack they shold become so senslesse as to follow such false teachers and the erronious doctrine of the Iesuites in these cases this shall one day cause many a vertuous Ladie wring their hands for woe that euer they were so forward on these new Pharisees behalfe vnnaturally disloyally inhumanely bent against their Prince and countrey and indiscreetely irreligiously vncharitably against secular Priests This I say shall make them readie to eate their owne nailes to remember their rash vehement and cruell begunne persecution of their secular Priests their owne ghostly fathers the present Apostles of their countrey their dearest nearest and carefullest tender hearted friends prepared euery houre to come vpon their hands knees if need require to expose their poore worn out bodies for their sakes to the sorest trials on earth rather then any the least danger of soule-wracke should happen vnto them by their meanes or want of instruction comfort and consolation in their sufferance for Gods cause And considering that notwithstanding the Iesuites fautors a most seditious faction haue whetted their teeth to so sharpe an edge causelesse against those that neuer did them wrong but much good many waies as none of the common aduersaries were euer so eagerly bent against priesthood Priests in generall then they shew themselues to be therein by these cony-catching hypocriticall mates procurements yet still all being readie to shed their bloud in defence of one and the selfe same vniforme Catholike faith and religion maintained outwardly on both sides alike I say outwardly on both sides alike because no Iesuite dare as yet openly maintaine the contrarie It would seeme impossible how that euer such malice hatred deepe disdaine and contempt of any either Prince or Priest could rest in a Catholike heart as it doth generally in the Iesuites faction were it not that in like cases we find how many thousands of seeming good Catholikes and no doubt for the present were so morally outward for who doth see the hearts of men but God alone qui scrutator cordium est c. haue bene abused seduced and drawne by peecemeale into most horrible blasphemies heresies contempt of the chiefe mysteries and points of our saluation by such as at the first did hoyst vp sailes aloft bare as great a countenance and were as sound Catholikes as any Iesuite nay as any the most religious Priest Monke Nunne or Frier that is on liue and yet iust by like singularitie ambition arrogancie and aspiring humours fell away into such grosse errours and heresies as afterwards they did maintaine euen to death For neither Pelagius nor Beringarius nor Nouatus nor Arius nor any other but had as good holy vertuous deuoute religious and seeming setled and established men and women in the grace of God that were their followers at the first and that stoode in defence of them as earnestly faithfully resolutely deuoutly and zealously in their kind as any pure spirite these new illuminates haue at this present to pleade for them Neither did neither durst any of these heretickes maintaine their errour openly at the first but by degrees being crossed in their proud conceipts First they raised a sedition and dislike of their auncient fathers teachers and gouernours then taught secretly straunge paradoxes and opinions amongst the ignotant people which might be interpreted diuerse waies after that vt est natura hominum nouitatis auida finding how that new names straunge words and other nouelties out of vse in the Church of God as hereafter shall be proued of the Archpresbiterie did breede an admiration to be had of them as rare learned men and I know not what then from the mobile vulgus they proceeded further to draw great persons Nobles Honours and Graces promiscually vnto them vpon that againe perceiuing exceptions to be taken against them as there is alwaies some dogge in
appellationem factam manis est excommunicatio or as saith the glosse Nemo potest excommunicari 2. That admit there had beene no appeale yet could no excommunication suspension c. binde them in the case proposed in foro conscientiâ—e quia litterae impetratae suggesto mendacio non nocent eis contra quos impetrantur c. sententiae contra leges canonesue perlatae debent vtique pro infectis haberi c. 4. Lastly a question doth rise heere out of this article whether in foro exter an excommunication suspension c. do alwaies binde or not The Archpriest is knowne directly to haue no such authority as he master Parsons giuâ—â—ut he hath to excommunicate suspend c. neither was his holinesse priuâ— to his vsurpate intâ—nt on in taking more vpon him than he hath graÌ„ted ergo ad placâ— tum whether any will obey him in the points in question or not c. vers gra whether if by meanes made to his holinesse on the Iesuits and Archpriests behalfe there should a precept briefe or bull be obteined to command all Catholicks to be at master Blackwels command and to obey him in all things sub paena excommunicationis suspensionis amissionis omnium facultatum c. were it to be obeied or not To which I answere first that it were as is saide before scil to suffer patiently that iust torment inflicted vpon them if knowne directly that it were his holinesse will and intent to haue it so by refraining from the Sacraments and thus much propter obedientiam piae iurium ecclesiam eiusque cap. Rom. po tum ad euitandum scandalum which in this case might happen to the infirme and weake Catholicks iudgeing it to proceed of contempt and disobedience to the sea Apostolick if they should presume to come at the holy altar or frequent any Sacraments being excommunicated c. though neuer so wrongfully and iniustly Secondly that notwithstanding such an excommunication yet the said seculars and their adhaerents might proceede as before either in prosecuting the appeale begun or beginning a new and following of the same Note that the Archpriest cannot haue authoritie from the Pope to stop all appeales froÌ„ him to the Pope and by consequence thâ—ugh in Blackwell had authority to excommunâ—cate suspend c. in all thinges which he hath not neither daâ—e take it vpon him to defend he hath so yet were his excommunication void both in foro conscientiae ecclesie in this case of forbidding appeales wherein so free al men were from any bond to obey as they were bound to disobey it and reiect him as an Antipape notwithstanding any command or authority to the contrary vntill such time as the truth of their cause were made knowne to his holinesse and that they had receiued his resolute answere Which had no such censure could be incurd because the wrong accrewing in ius suum by making the Archpriest aboue himselfe it were not in the Popes power to giue him such an authoritie and remaine Pope after it for that the passage of an appeale must alwaies be from an inferior to a superior ergo if master Blackwell haue authoritie to command that none shall write nor send nor seeke for iustice from him to the Pope nor and by consequent then it followeth to any other but whom he shall assigne as his charge giuen to the apellants to goe into the Low countries c. includes so much arrogancie and vsurpation of a supremacy at least vnder paine of excommunication c. then it followeth that he the said Blackwell is the supreme head of the church Catholike at least heere in England from whom there is no appeale to be made but all iniuries to be borne off with head and shoulders neither will his or the Iesuits excuse for him serue their turns to say the seculars appeale is but about friuolous light matters in themselues proceeding of a seditious stubborne disobedient obstinate contentious spirit not well established in the grace of God c. In all which cases it were expresly against the Canons to disobey him or to appeale from him as from say they their lawfull superior and by consequent that he may command them not to trouble his holinesse with such brabling matters c. I say this neither will neither shall serue his turne For if they be but trifles or wranglings A Bishop cannot authorize his chaplein a king his secretary not the Pope his protonotary in things wherein the so authorized depriues the authorizer of his superioritie ouer him and withall of the chiefe act of iustice and title of his dignity and honor belonging to his person or place but must withal make him by that act his superior bicause no duals in popedomes kingdoms or Bishopr ckes but all singles as one in one c. then haue the seculars the woorst of it being sure to be sharpely punished when the plea shall come before his holinesse but if otherwise it will prooue then videant ipsi Iesuitae cum suo Archipr But howsoeuer be it so or be it not yet the seculars affirming that it is of matters of most moment that euer hapned in this age as both by these 10. Quodlibets and sundry other bookes written of this subiect may and will appeere it is neither Blackwell nor Garnet nor Parsons nor Lucifer nor who is the prowdest of them to face it with greatest impudency that shall dare presume to be iudge therein or stoppe it from comming to his holinesse but shall be noted for an Antipope at least Thirdly I say further that suppose there were neither Rex nor summus Pontifex in all the world as for the space of 2000. yeeres or thereabout it was so the first borne sonne of euery family being that while vnder the law of nature both king and priest in authoritie without the name and that all gouernment on earth were as it should be in that case Aristocraticall yet did not that hinder but that still a subordinate power shoud be aswell in the church as common-wealth and lawe and iustice there take place in order so as alwaies an appeale might be lawfull and not deniable from an inferior person court corporation common-wealth or what name title or authoritie soeuer to a superior but not on the contrary in any of these without preiudice of the predominant and so from one to another till it come to the chiefe and highest court Yea this kinde of subordination is euen in the lawes themselues the Ciuill lawes or lawes Common heere in England which equall the lawes Ciuill being inferior to the lawes Canon or municipall in this lande as is cleere by a plea which ordinarily may be remooued from the common Law into the court of Chauncery and the law Canon inferior to the law of Nature and Nations which commonly is taken to be one with Natures lawe and againe the lawe of Nature to the Law of God as it is giuen written
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
against the Iesuits which euery catholike priest is bound vnto to make things knowne and euery loyall subiect and dutifull childe is to take notice thereof for auoiding their owne danger both of body and soule Therefore must it needs follow that forasmuch as a libell or inuectiue imports a calumniation or slander against any or many publike or priuate persons vpon a special peculiar intent either of reuenge or preferring a priuate faction or action in opposition against a publike cause the matter here handled and the wrong done being no priuate hurt but a publike harme no sole foule danger but a common-wealth damage no indiuiduall action of the person but a specificall or rather genericall faction of the case that is heere in request amongst vs on the behalfe of the catholike church in generall and our natiue countrey togither with all other common-wealths * It may not be left nor accounted of as a libelling against the seditious Iesuits and their priuate faction but turning backe the diuels malice vpon himselfe and their slanders of the innocent vpon their owne heads I conclude that as the relinquishing of the Iesuits for Pharisees and conspirators against God and their countrey as they are were the safest way for all catholikes schismatiks or other of their and the Puritanes fautors so were it also the Iesuits best course to auoide the lande and those pure spirited children of theirs that will come now at no seculars nor much lesse heereafter if they euer depart it were best for them to be packing with them and make triall what will be the end of them both if they delight so much as it seemeth they doe in nouelties and change and when they are all gone and the great new Abbot with them or whether they be all exiled and banished the land or no which were great pittie but they should let them know this that the Church of God hath no neede of any of them and the common-wealth much lesse as both being now so pestered with them as a greater securitie could not come to either state Ecclesiasticall or temporall then to concurre by one consent vtterly to expell them the land And although it greeues my very hart to thinke that so many vertuous and truely sincere catholikes and religious men and women are deluded by their Pharisaicall life so much as greatly it is to be feared because greatly if it happen to be lamented that if they should fall into manifest Apostasie or open rebellion as they are in a great forwardnesse to both or any other execrable error these fondlings would follow them euen into hell mouth spite of priest or pope himselfe so vainly are many perswaded of them Yet false prophets shall they prooue and so let them trust vnto it as a generall receiued veritie of all true catholikes throughout the world and flat heresie to defend the contrary that shall dare presume to affirme the fall and stand of the catholike church faith and religion to depend vpon them No no if euery one of their brokers were a professed Iesuit and euery professed Iesuite a prouinciall ouer a 1000. Rectors and euery Rector had vnder him 10000. ministers and euery minister so many nouices euery nouice a Parsonian spirite and after all this if the prowd gates of infernall dungeons were broken vp and that they had all the helpes out of Stix Corceris and Fligiton that olde satanas Segnior Belzebuh Don Lucifer or Damp. Bemoth could affoord them yet neither should they neither could they euer preuaile against the impregnable rocke which standing post alone would split them all one after another THE VIII ARTICLE VVHether was it of secret intelligence giuen from some of the Lords of the Counsell or did it rise onely of a Iesuiticall Machiuillian deuise that catholikes should haue such a iealousie and feare as many seeme to haue least these proceedings of certaine secular priests against the Iesuits togither with the extraordinary intercourse betwixt them and the State be like to occasionate all the said catholikes ouerthrow heeretofore or not THE ANSWERE IT was spoken of late as from a Lady of high renowne to one of her women in her bed chamber but I will not say the Countesse spoke it because her woman not her Lady was Iesuited and therefore likely to be a plot of her ghostly fathers fathered vpon her honorable Mistres that neither her Maiestie nor the Lords of her Highnesse honorable Counsell ment any more good or scant so much to the seculars as to the Iesuits but only for the time present to get out of the seculars being but simple men what they coulde by this meanes and first set them forward to worke out the Iesuits and then to picke a quarrell at the saide seculars to make them all away c. Which wordes smell so ranke of a Iesuiticall breth as they can not be imagined to come of any other spirite First for the great indignitie included in them to regall Maiesty especially against our dread Soueraigne and honorable Counsell as to impute vnto them so cruell and neuer heard of the like tyranny to massacre the innocent who labouring wholy for her Maiesties realmes safety desire nothing to themselues but an abiect quiet in a frownd on state Secondly for the accustomed arrogancie of a Iesuiticall spirite in that in contempt of priesthood and all seculars they would impute this danger to come as their manner is by reason of the seculars want of experience c. Thirdly be it so as it were too to preiudiciall presumptuous and saucie a part for any subiect especially liuing in like to this of our frownd on state to cause any such iealousie to be had of their Soueraigne and honorable Counsel that no good were ment but hard measure intended to be offred to the innocent by shedding of guiltlesse bloud adding affliction to affliction and so increasing all our miseries by this small comfort of liberty graunted to some few particulars yet three commodities would ensue heereof which now we al do want one is that we should then suffer but one kinde of persecution whereas now we suffer two at once the Iesuits tongue torments being more cruel and heauie vnto vs then our aduersaries racks ropes or Tiburne tippets an other is that if we may by meanes of his holinesse commaund get riddance of the Iesuits hence out of the land and an absolute confinde libertie granted to all catholike prisoners we should not then feare to die of famine which now many are very like shortly to die of vnlesse her Maiestie take pittie of them euen of her innate princely disposition and of her meere mercy all that be in Framlingham castel readie to starue already as receiuing no maintenance nor reliefe of the common beneuolence And a third but not the least is an assured hope that by such a means al should die glorious martyrs as freed from those factious seditions and trayterous dispositions wherewith Parsons that traitor attainted hath
a holier place then earth the land of Eden far before Palestine Paradise terrestriall alwaies to be preferred before Hierusalem and yet out of these haue our fellow Angels and Israels ancestors mans protophlast both bene thrust out with infliction of perpetuall exile out of heauen vpon the former and an inhibition to the latter neuer to returne into the countrey of Eden nor garden of Paradise againe and then à simili no reason of their returne home to the land of behest hereafter nor to account them Gods people th◠〈◊〉 Nation and the like more then any other inhabitants vpon the 〈◊〉 the middle earth seeing all are one by creation as come of one man Adam all one by preseruation as we are appointed to guarde the Persians with as tender care ouer them as you haue ouer the Iewes and so hath euery guardian Angell ouer that countrey and people allotted to his custody all one by Synderisis and instinct of proper kinde as inclined to seeke for good to eschewe euill and wishing after summum bonum if in paris naturalibus they could haue obtained it and all one by relation betwixt the D. attributes and mans deserts on Gods part as one qui neminem vult perire sed omnes animas saluas facere aswell Gentile as Iewe or proselite Yet for all this an other Angell replied and it was our blessed Ladies paranimphe Saint Gabriell as may be well coniectured because Daniell saith that this holy spirite appeered vnto him from the beginning and told him of things to come towards the end of the world what should happen in these latter daies and how the Septuaginta Hebdomades were abbreuiated ouer his people and ouer the holy citie meaning Hierusalem This Archangell then reuiued the plea on the Iewes behalfe that needes they must returne to Hierusalem againe to repaire the holy Citie to restore the Temple to reinstall their high priest to consecrate the altar to annoint the holy of holies to purge the place of sacrifice polluted by the Gentiles and to exercise their many ceremonies sacraments and sacrifices which were not to be vsed made or offered extra ciuitatem sanctam Hierusalem and bicause that after 62. weeks vnderstand 8. Hebdomads to be first ended in time of this altercation and despicion amongst the Angels occidetur Christus therefore to confirme what God hath promised by his Angels speaking in the mouth of his prophets the Iewes of necessitie must returne againe that God may be glorified his church florish and his priests offer sacrifice vnto him in the place appointed them But to this roundly and readily Malachies Angell made answere agreeing to the minde of the Persians guardian that as he had said so true it was that non est personarum acceptio apud Deum but that who when and in what place soeuer the name of God shall be called vpon there then and by that same person shall his name be glorified And for the particulars Hierusalem in deed was the holy city and so it should be counted to the worlds end not for that Adam was therein created liued died and his scul buried in mount Caluarie not for that it was the seate of the holy line deuoluted from Adam to Christ not for that the law the prophets the sacrifice and the high priests gaue the prerogatiues of all sanctitie and holines to this place before any other But that which made that land holy that people holy that line holy that city holy was bicause the holy of all holies Christ Iesus the sonne of God and Mary the immaculate tressacred blessed virgine came out of that line liued in that land was linked in blood to that people by the two tribes of Iuda and Leui kings and priests watred many a house with his teares and sanctified that citie with his owne most pretious blood imbruing the streetes earth and stones from Pilats palace to Caiphas his place and from thence to the Caluarian mount without the gates of the citie Whose personall birth life and death as they left an inestimable sanctitie behinde them to that land so the Iewes wilfully depriuing themselues of so inualuable a price as he paied for mans redemption haue woorthily deserued an vtter extirpation of their race a subuersion of their state and a captiuity bondage and slauerie of themselues and their posteritie for euer And although there had been and were during the time of captiuitie many holy religious and deuout men and women amongst them yet not onely bicause the greatest part of the multitude and sundry of their kings princes and gouernors had offended their Lord God in the highest degree which is in schisme heresie and apostasie with idolatrie so highly displeasing the diuine maiestie as the punishment of those vices hath alwaies beene this videl a conquest of the land a downefall of nobilitie a desolation of the state a deflowring of their virgins a dishonoring of their wiues a massacre of their ancients a population of the common wealth and a seruile life to all their youth led captiues out of their natiue land But withall as the Persian had said bicause the prouidence in appointing of Guardians for euery prouince prince people and particular person had been in vaine and to no purpose if God should for euer withdraw his mercie frō all saue only those of his owne flesh and blood as he was a Iew borne and if our Iewes prophets spoke in generall when they said that Deus non vult mortem peccatoris sed magis vt conuertatur viuat then can it be no otherwise but that the Hebrues Israelites and Iewes hauing continued these three thousand and od hundreds of yeeres vnder one kinde of true worship of our Lord God the onely visible Church true faith sacrifice and religion remaining inuiolate amongst them alone reason doth conuince on the part of man and mercy and iustice on Gods behalfe doth ratifie and confirme the argument to be good lawfull and expedient that the Iewes should be dispersed before the Messias come into so many nations prouinces and kingdomes of the Gentiles as his holy will is to haue partakers of his merits And all this to the end that the Gentiles being by creation in God himselfe and preseruation in the power of his angels his owne people as well as they liuing now in darknes ouerwhelmed with ignorance and giuen ouer vnto prophane idolatrie might by this their conuersing and familiar liuing amongst them come to haue some knowledge of their end that there is another world after this and that they are to acknowledge honor and latrially adore but one God alone That this was the meaning of the holy Ghost Malachies corrupt heretikes The former constantly expecting Gods iust designments in these causes alledge that they come as Apostles of their countrie whose peculiar propertie is to conuert soules by suffering their owne blood to be shed not in procuring the shedding of any others Sanguis enim martyrum est semen
blood crueltie and destruction not onely of their soueraigne but an infinite number besides For they could not be so absurd as to thinke that the said excommunication was euer like to take effect without either warre or treacherie Nay it is now plaine that they had then plotted in their harts a shamefull rebellion which they did sollicite some of them in person as soone as the Pope had satisfied their desire Ninthly it is well knowne that the chiefe reasons that mooued Pius Quintus to yeeld vnto them were most falsly surreptiously suggested to his holines and carried with them very many absurdities as this for one scil Forsooth the Duke of Norfolke was a most sound catholike which was false all the realme would follow him which was absurd the Popes pleasure and censure once knowne to the catholikes there could be no resistance which was ridiculous Besides this a mariage would follow that would reforme all and worke woonders as if they should haue said that when the skie falleth they should haue store of larkes And now to those that procured the renouation of this excommunication at the times articulated If the first procurers of it may iustly be condemned as you haue heard what shall we thinke of them father Parsons and his associates our pretended holy fathers of the societie of Iesus that when it lay asleepe did reuiue it Certainly they are to be detested of all true catholikes and dutifull subiects to her Maiestie All that hitherto hath beene said against the procurers doth touch them nearer that were the sollicitors to haue it renewed as it may appeere to any that is not obstinately wilfull for these two reasons First for that they did finde by experience the mischiefe which the other might easily haue foreseene that is all the plagues miseries calamities and inconueniences that the denouncing of the said excommunication had already wrought which ought to haue restrained their madnes considering that the renewing of it could not choose in any reasonable mans iudgement but prouoke her Maiestie and the state to greater seueritie against all catholikes whereof they were in no danger themselues being beyond the seas Then a second reason was the bad successe which they also might haue noted by all the attempts made giuen or intended against our soueraigne realme apparantly demonstrating thus much at least to be expected by renewing of the excommunication scil a sorrowfull repentance of their after wits too late right Englishmen in deede but no way to be wished for such experimentall knowledge of our natiue dispositions in matters of so great importaÌ„ce as in a world greater could not be found And howsoeuer any cause had bin giuen yet the case was cleere by the effects ensuing that it was not Gods will such excommunications or other practises should haue been vsed or gone about especially by such men as father Parsons and other Iesuited hot spurres whose profession being farre otherwise in labouring for conuersion of countries the euill succes which he and all his confederates haue had in all their proceedings against princes doth giue all the world to vnderstand that God was not pleased from the beginning with the Iesuiticall courses Besides the more * The old Lord Mountacutes conceit was maruellous both catholike loyall against these new state religious Iesuits whose singularity he vtterly disliking of together with their busie practises and intrusions would neuer suffer any of them to come within his dores neither yet any other Seminarie priest all such being wrongfully suspected to be of a Iesuiticall disposition from which humor many were euen from the beginning most free though some and those too many were infected by them But al keeping silence in respect of the common cause the said Seminaries and other secular priests lay catholikes were content to vndergo that wroÌ„g conceit had of them with their fellowes with many other inconueniences miseries whâ—ch they might haue auoided if they had sooner opened themselues their detestatioÌ„ of such courses As the onely chiefe cause ad hominem of keeping out so many schismatikes that otherwise would haue been catholikes occasionating also the fall of sundrâ— others which probably would neuer haue shrunke if feare of intangling with state matters had not mooued â—hem thereunto ancient learned wise and grauer sort did euer dislike with such kinde of dealings scil Cardinall Allan that renowmed prelate he euen wept of tender loue to his countrie in conceiting what mischiefes the Iesuited Spanish faction had bred and would heereafter breede to this realme and Doctor Watson then Bishop of Lincolne with others as it were presaging or prophecying in plaine termes foretold it that as things then stood the Iesuits progresse in statizing as they did would certainly vrge the state to make some sharper lawes which should not onely touch them but likewise all other both priests and catholikes as since we all haue found it to be most true diuers others also of sounde iudgement in forecasting what might happen by these rebellious tumultuous vnpriestly and irreligious courses told father Parsons in plaine terms that vnles he did desist from those his vnpriestlike affaires whereof one was then to set her Maiesties crowne on anothers head as his letter to an Earle before mentioned declareth they the said catholikes would deliuer him vp into the hands of the ciuill magistrate to make him know they could and would put a difference in discerning of a pretence betwixt religion and treason and that they did detest his platforme and proceedings to effectuate the same to the vtter destruction not conuersion of our countrie So also the succession of sorrowes which from time to time haue fallen vpon vs all and especially the most innocent most tormented the false traitors flying away casting of their loade and laying all vpon their backs might woorst and least desired deserued or demerited to haue borne it and leauing the guiltlesse blood to bleede the harmelesse harts to wring the scrupulous catholikes perplexed with many dilemmaes betwixt religion and loyaltie not knowing what to doe did plainly explane the case when and how that posteriores cogitationes solent esse sapientiores that though experience be called the mistres of fooles yet is she no foolish mistres that the Iesuiticall plots for restoring religion in this land by surreptitiall excommunications depositions inuasions massacrings murthorings and other treacherous Catelinian coniurations and conspiracies were not sanctified nor blessed by the hand of God and that happy had we all beene that are catholikes borne vnder Englands alleagiance if these men being priests and religious persons by profession as the Iesuits in their follie would be counted of in chiefe had neuer troubled themselues with state affaires nor procured by execution and practise of excommunication a firebrand of a bloody contentious dispute to be cast amongst vs. And as no doubt the originall cause of religious change came for the offences of our forefathers to be radicated in the mournefull
effects we now behold both clergie and laitie highly offending so the succceding occasions of erronious conceipts hath been our owne faultes in treading our forefathers steps in this point of priuate respects selfe conceits and high aspires So as iustly we may say Non sumus digni à Deo exaudiri but rather and most true it is that nostris demeritis meremur puniri and that the fault is not in her Maiestie nor honorable Councell nor ciuill magistrate nor all nor any of our aduersaries but in our selues that England is not yet conuerted and our persecution of long time still encreased scil by reason of some seditious persons and others that followed them with indiscreet zeale and those that were in expectance of great matters by a change conuerting their thoughts from heauenly hopes to earthly hazards imploying their studies how to compasse their owne ambitious aduancements God highly offended to see his blessings and graces lost and taken from amongst vs for our forefathers sinnes to be gone about by the like and woorse proceedings to haue it restored againe It could not otherwise choose but greeuously offend the diuine maiestie and vntill the archplotters of this preposterous course for our countries conuersion were either cut off or otherwise had humbled themselues and surceasing from all ambitious aspires sought sincerely the health of soules not heapes of gold England should neuer be conuerted But we all die and pine away leauing the atchieuement to those that shall succeede in our places when we are all dead and gone That the Iesuits of the more fiery hot and Puritanian humor may not snuffe at the quiet that catholikes are here said to haue liue◠in eleuen yeeres you shall heare the very words of two of their great Rabbies Parsons Creswels speaking to her Maiestie in a Puritanian stile as followeth In the beginning of thy kingdome thou didst deale something more gently with catholikes none were vrged by thee or pressed either to thy sect or to the deniall of their faith All things in deede did seeme to proceede in a farre milder course no great complaints were heard of no extraordinarie contentions or repugnancies Some there were that to please gratifie you went to your churches But when afterwards thou didst beginne to wring them c. Which whensoeuer it was we were the cause as the attempts in Fraunce and Scotland make it manifest This then being the course and cause of humane hopes our harts doe bleede to reade and heare as sundry of vs haue what hath beene printed and published out of Italie in the life of Pius Quintus concerning the indeuors of his holines stirred vp by false suggestions to ioine with the king of Spaine for the vtter ruine and ouerthrow both of our prince and countrie Would God such things had neuer beene enterprised and more that they had neuer beene printed but most of all that they neuer had fronted our natiue shores And if Parsons and his associates had not busied themselues with that they should nor then had we not now medled in this place with that we would not as whereunto for a iust defence of all loyall catholike subiects ignorant of Parsons and his complices drifts we are now constrained to make appeales apologies and replies For what good soeuer the first or againe renewing of the excommunication the printing reprinting of state bookes and other practises may bring hereafter to the Church of God we neither see it neither knowe it But sure we are that for the present nothing hath done vs greater harme nor giuen our common enimies greater aduantages against vs. It is elsewhere set downe how that her Maiestie vsed vs kindly for the space of the first ten yeers of her highnes raigne the state of the catholikes in England that while was tollerable and after a sort in some good quiet Such as for their conscience were imprisoned or in durance were very mercifully dealt withall the state and change of things then considered some being appointed to remaine with such their friends as they themselues made choise of others were placed with Bishops and others with Deanes and had their diets at their tables with such conuenient walkes and lodgings as did well content them They that were in ordinarie prisons had all such libertie and commodities as the place and their estate could affoord them yea euen thus much and more doth Parsons confesse in his Philopater as also father Creswell in his Scribe to the like effect though both very rude peremptorie and sawcie in their speech to her Maiestie with thou didst this and thou didst that c. And Parsons in Grenecoate makes the case cleere especially for state matters though he turne his passage there against the Earle of Leicester to a wanton speech as deliuered from a Lady of the Court how great quiet the state and Court was in for twelue yeeres space no talke of treasons nor conspiracies no iealousies nor suspitions no enuie nor supplantations no feare of murtherings nor massacrings no question of conscience nor religion all liued in quiet content and right good fellowship was amongst them both Lords and Ladies wiues and maidens nobles and gentles knights and esquires married and single of all degrees a ioy it was to haue been in the Court in those daies saith Parsons in that Ladies name whose words mooued much the company where she was as women saith he are potent in moouing where and when they please she did deliuer her mind with so sweete a countenance and courtly a grace c. Now whiles you were say our aduersaries thus kindly vsed of her highnes how trecherously was she dealt withall by you For what had you to doe being catholikes and religious priests as Iesuits terme themselues with spreading pamphlets libels and other fooleries abroad of any misdemeanor in her Maiesties subiects and peeres of the realme You might haue left such scoggerie as Parsons hath set out in Greenecoate to Tarleton Nashe or else to some Puritane Martin Mar prelate or other like companions And for you it was to haue handled grauer higher and more important matters and that concerning soule points not subtilties nor new deuises much lesse to haue dealt against her Maiestie and the state in so traiterous a manner as in a late treatise set out by our brethren doth at large appeere Where to our vnspeakable greefe the world shall see that we our selues who would be termed catholikes and that of all sorts haue beene the true causes of all our owne calamities When I was examined before some of the high Commissioners at the Gildhall about 14. yeeres agone concerning matters of state and especially about the six Interrogatories which we commonly called the six bloodie articles knowing my selfe innocent from the beginning of any the least disloyall thought I haue often since much mused with my selfe what should haue mooued her Maiesties honorable Councell to haue proposed these articles to priests but most of all why
of a lyon becom a lambe In few we see in Polony in Sweden in Scotland in Flaunders and euery where that catholikes are together with those of other professions sects and opinions vnlesse it be where onely the Consistorian Caluinian Cartwrightian puritans rule the rost and that a company of ministers or exorbitant superintendants ouertop both Prince prelate and all as in Scotland and at Geneua c. Otherwise all kings and princes of this age haue iudged it in pollicie the fittest wisest safest and most honorable and princely course they could haue taken to graunt libertie of conscience to their subiects Which seeing our soueraigne Queene Elizabeth hath not granted and yet is knowne to be in her owne high towring princely wisedome of as high a pitch sound and deepe conceite censure and iudgement in reach not to be seconded of any of these adding heereunto that for gouernment of her land for policie in her state for noblenes in her court her Highnes hath the choice of as fine delicate and daintie breed of gallant graue quicke wits as Europe nay as Afrike nay as Asia nay as the world this day enioyes The Italian the Spaniard the Polonian the Sweden the Moscouite the Turke the Persian and who not is willing to aduaunce her Maiesties meanest sort of subiects sometime to the highest types of honor to winne them wholy to be theirs to learne witte sleight and pollicie out of their practise and experience These Boreas blasted lads borne vnder the Britaine Ocean able to fire with their wits the hotte climatical Southerne Sages witnes our Stukeleyes our Candishes our Furbishers our Drakes our Hilles our Sherleys our Parsons c. All these circumstances duly weighed that this heauie yoke should be laide by so mercifull wise and prudent a prince vpon the weake neckes of her poore subiects with weight importable for them to carry vnlesse her highnes should stretch foorth her accustomed Atlantike armes of clemencie to support them before they sinke downe right vnder their burthen That this seueritie should be more vsed against catholiks in England then either any catholike king or prince of other professions either Christian or heathen vse against either subiects or forrainers of contrary religions vnto the said princes throughout the worlde this day This is the point which many stande vpon in admiring how euer things should haue come to that passe they are at in England concerning the affliction of catholikes and cannot finde out the causes This then to make manifest to all the world by an historicall discourse and that howsoeuer we haue matter enough against our aduersaries euen for religions sake yet neither to aggrauate more then is necessarie nor to accuse further then is expedient nor to excuse more then is conuenient nor yet to lay the fault of any that is faultlesse therefore shall it be made knowne that as the affliction of catholiks in England hath beene in very deed extraordinary as is heere set downe and many an innocent man lost his life so also hath the cause thereof beene extraordinary and so farre beyond the accustomed occasions of persecution giuen to any prince in christendome or monarchie that is or euer was in the world to this hower vnlesse the Puritanes of Scotland which may in some sort equall the offence heere to be set downe as rather it is to be woondred at all things duly considered that any one catholike is left on liue in England then that our persecution hath beene so great for name one nation I know none can vnder heauen where the subiects especially if they were catholikes euer sought the death of their Soueraigne though of a different religion frō them the conquest of their natiue land the subuersion of the state the depopulation of the weale publike the alteration change of al lawes customs orders in few the vtter deuastation desolation destruction of al the ancient inhabitants of their land in so vnnatural vnchristian vncatholike a maner as the Spanish faction haue sought it in our owne flesh and bloud against this realme which treacherous courses although they were but some fewe and those priuate persons offences and by consequent in a court of conscience and in rigour of iustice the rest neither acting nor concurring nor consenting to their conspiracies were innocent and no way to be vsed with that seueritie as many catholiks haue beene Yet forasmuch as the pretences of such practises were generall and common to all catholikes alike all maintaining one and the same opinion concerning what might be done by apostolicall power and authoritie and neuer talking of what was necessarie therefore was it that her Maiestie and the state standing on the other side affected in religion as they did had both cause to iudge secundum allegata probata in foro externo and also can not otherwise be thought of but that the circumstances on all sides considered as well making for her owne securitie as also for a Non-knowledge what catholiks were guiltie and who were free her Maiesties lawes and proceedings against catholikes haue beene both milde and mercifull And as we are to thinke in deed our happe now to be hard if no mitigation nor prouisoe should be made for the innocent now that the way and meanes is knowne for discouery of traytors distinguishing betwixt state catholiks catholike loyall subiects so also are we to giue her Highnes humble thanks for our liues that we were not al cut off whiles no difference was made put nor knowne betwixt the secular priests Iesuits that we haue been permitted to liue to this happy houre of manifesting our catholike cōstancy obedience to the See apostolike in al our actions and our naturall loyaltie and seruiceable harts to our Prince and countrey in all our proceedings in neither stayning our catholike religion with vnnaturall treason nor priestly function with factious dispositions and state affaires But of this matter I will heere be silent referring you to a treatise lately set out by my brethren intituled Important considerations c. whereunto I haue prefixed an Epistle By both which you may see at large what statizing by acts wordes and writings in most treacherous and treasonable manner hath beene against her Maiestie against the present state against the whole common-wealth against vs all without exception her Highnes loyall and naturall subiects of what religion soeuer we be which seeing her Princely hart hath forborne as no Soueraigne on earth would euer haue suffred the like to haue past vnpunished as she hath I must conclude and end as we began that her lawes and proceedings haue beene both milde and mercifull THE X. ARTICLE VVHether then the premisses considered is it fit that Catholiks should send their children and friends to be brought vp in the Seminaries beyond the seas or not If not then how should the salt of the earth be kept vncorrupted or the seede of priesthood be continued for restoring of the catholike Romane
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
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
of them their owne priuate foule spirits of deceit and error so quot homines tot sententiae So many men so many minds But to the purpose I say if they or you deere Catholikes will not be smattered with any smacke or smell of heresie then doe not wrest the text otherwise then the letter importeth nor do not mince nor mangle it in leauing out the principall part which giues light and life vnto it For wheresoeuer I talke of the non validity of bulles c. or the wrong done to her Maiestie in procuring of them I therewithall do shew the case and cause why they were so sory for that they were procured either merily by subreption or wrong and false information and erronious grounds as that of Pius Quintus whose holines was made beleeue that the Duke of Norfolke was a Catholike and yet he died a professed enimy to the Catholike church and religion also that the Spaniards pretence was wholy merely and absolutely for restoring of religion and yet both by bookes words and actions it hath and doth proue to the contrary scil that he pretends a conquest of the land if by Parsons proiects he cannot otherwise haue it by compremise and composition giuen him And for our disobedience to the Popes commaund in subiecting our selues to the Iesuits or Archpriest the very words following to wit to aduance an enimy to the English crowne together with the whole context tenure of my speech in that place and throughout the whole booke doth make it manifest that it is absolutely meant in causes meere temporal yea marshiall nay bloody inhumane vnnaturall hostility in betraying our Prince or countrey or both and all our posterity into aliens and strangers hands by the Iesuits vrging and procuring an inuasion and conquest of this land and setting vp an Archpriest principally for that intent as an ignorant plaine man God wot fittest for their purpose to worke withall And this being not onely a cleering of the Pope of Rome for sending foorth bulles c. as most irreligiously abused by the Iesuiticall Spanish faction making many sacrilegious lies to incense his holines against our countrey Soueraigne and state and against vs all that be natiue subiects of the English blood vnder pretence forsooth of religion when the very ground was ambition and greedie affectation of English Soueraigntie but withall a plaine manifestation of high preiudice offered by that vnnatural Iesuiticall factiō to the See Apostolike I know not whether to inueigh more against their malice or your folly in storming against me for that booke as you doe For considering that the whole contents tenure scope and drift of that booke is to lay open the Iesuiticall conspiracies to set before your eies the plaine intent and meaning of the Spanish faction for inuasion to shew the danger wherein you stand that sway with those alien Princes and their procurators the Iesuits who labour for nothing more then to sway the scepter royall of this Imperiall Isle and to manifest vnto you our great dislikes of such vnnaturall practises our intent to draw you if it be possible from applauding vnto them hereafter our deepe desire to take away all occasion on our side of the argument and augment of our miseries and our publike confession of our owne and harty wish of your continuance in the Catholike Romane church and faith constant to death These things well weighed and withall that there is few or none of you but will acknowledge as much if you come before any ciuill magistrate yea some of your hot spurres haue already confessed and acknowledged more and that by vertue of your solemne oath then I haue written concerning this kind of disobedience to the See Apostolike who notwithstanding hauing rayled and scolded against me since in the fury of your zeale thrown the said booke into the fire I cannot see what equiuocation can excuse you from at least a mentall periury This it that which makes me amased to see your great simplicitie in murthering your selues with your owne weapons at a Iesuits craftie perswasion in finding fault you cannot tell with what or at most with that whereof when you are examined from point to point not one of you all but will acknowledge as much and euen the Iesuits though with a false hart in all or most part of them in their Apologies and other writings and examens haue and will confesse as much as I haue written concerning that mattter They say I vse certaine rowling phrases and Rhetoricall wordes which smell of heresie as in affectation of speech by often repetition of one thing vz. Disobedient we are c. and neuer shall c. these words Romish Iesuiticall and the deuill c. To which I answere as to the last first that if some words be placed or printed amisse as Romish for Romane alas for pure neede what beggerly quarrelling obiections are these but yet to make a direct response deare catholikes I was not present at the printing to be a corrector nor had I the sight of one proofe vntill the whole booke was out in print and sold and then too late to set downe errata which in that word Romish and in sundry others I found A reason whereof aswell to confirme my sound conceite as also to excuse the Printer in some sort may be this that where I had written Romane out at length there they printed so which you may find both in the beginning and ending of the Epistle and thereby iudge of me aright and where they found I had written short Rom. there they printing it out at length added ishe and so made it Romish thinking it to be so as English Scottish Irish Flemish c. To the next to wit Iesuiticall I cannot maruael though they cauil about it for some 3. yeeres agone I remember a reuerend graue and vertuous priest yea and as sound resolute and constant a catholike as the purest Iesuite among them all that I goe no further hauing written a very learned religious and priestlike apology or reioynder to the Iesuiticall calumniation about the Archpriest and other matters bicause he vsed this word Iesuite very often did not forsooth call euery puny or nouice of theirs by the name of a father of the societie or breefly the fathers therefore was he censured then to smell of heresie and onely for that word and none other But to answere these carping Cynickes directly I vse that word Iesuiticall not in contempt of their societie nor of themselues in generall for I alwaies esteemed of it as of a holy good and religious institution as well in the intent of their founder Ignatius as also in the forme and manner prescribed for obseruations of the rules set downe by him and the more holy bicause confirmed by the Pope his holinesse and for that sundry good deuout religious men haue beene of it though no sance peres Neither doe I call them Iesuiticall by way of analogy as
doe neither will any of our brethren whom we account of as ours to wit those in the appeale euer dislike or condemne it in that sense as the Iesuits doe Some others in deede there are who fauor our part and hartily wish a good successe to our brethren that are gone to Rome I say to Rome if the Iesuits murther them not in the way thither and then giue out they are run away as some of the Puritanes giue out they will neuer come there and the like do the Iesuits faction right Puritanes in al these statizations and as the said Spanish faction did before giue out of the former we sent to the mother citie though by good hap their liues were saued yet as their timorous scrupulous and weake mindes in iudging of things hath made them I meane the fautors of our cause hitherto stand aloofe of from intermedling vp or downe in these matters so also the like feare scruple and inconsiderate censure may and very probably hath mooued them to dislike and condemne it partly of their owne frailtie and rashnes in precipitating sentence before they had read it exactly throughout partly also of a nicenesse or curiositie it being a fault incident to many to picke quarrels at whatsoeuer is not of their owne doings or at least before seen allowed of by them but most especially of a seruile applause to the Iesuits humour which diuers do vse who otherwise would be ready with the first to cast all the Iesuits in England ouer hatches if they once could catch them on the starboord side And as well those as sundry others some whereof perhaps are in the appeale that haue as hard a conceit of the Iesuits as I haue witnes both their words and writings although they did at the first dislike it perhaps condemne it ere they knew it vpon some neuters misinformation giuen vnto them out of it yet was their dislike and condemnation of it euer limited to the method and stile not to the matter treatise and tenure it selfe and both the one and the other dislike and condemnation did rise of a prouident feare least the Iesuiticall faction might and would lay it to our brethrens charge that are gone as though they had beene of counsell and consent thereunto as very like they would though yet it were a most wicked vniust and vile part in their opposites the Iesuits to charge the innocent therewith being now gone and a mere calumniation as the case now stands and all this because that it is set out in all the priests names which in very deed is so in respect of the matter whereupon all our company doe agree and confirme it as true and the rather because in effect others haue written of as much both in Latine and English before that booke of important considerations euer came to light but not in regard of the accidentall forme and outward phrase of speech which is directly mine in the said Epistles and therefore neither all nor any other of my brethren to be blamed if blame woorthy it be but onely my selfe for the same neither and much lesse doe you deere catholikes thinke our common cause hindered or our brethren to be thought the worse of in generall for my bitter sharpe or exorbitant writing in speciall for that were greater wrong then to beat an Oliuer for a Rowland And lastly howsoeuer the Iesuiticall faction giue out of me in this as in other things making if it be but the wagging of a straw a monstrous matter of whatsoeuer comes from my hands and ynough it were to cause it to be holden for odious and damnable by their censure if it be but once giuen out that I did saide or writ it as a great facility they haue to coyne lies by equiuocation to make any thing liked or disliked of as they list and to giue out by Neuters what they please yet doe you deere catholikes daigne me of your charirity so much fauour that seeing the onely fault can be found with that booke in an vpright censure and sound conceit is the sharpnes of the stile and this all and onely fault being mine and my will mine owne in the kingdome of my minde and by consequent then no scandall or offence giuen by any other or iustly to be taken against any and much lesse against all my brethren for my sake let me beg thus much at your hands as to impute my fault if not to a graunt of grace yet to a gift of nature I meane if not to an action of zeale which I hope it proceeds from yet to a passion of anger at the vttermost and that of such anger as is as far from malice as free from gall as ready to forgiue as resolute to resist a Iesuits proceeding to death And because this is the only one fault that can be iustly obiected against me for as for all the rest you see they haue no ground and are but childish reasons to infer so daungerous and odious sequells vpon them as that faction doth giue me leaue therefore deere catholikes to purge choller a litle with enlargement of my speeche to cleere me of that crime to put you out of doubt of me and to satisfie all infirme and weake minds for none of sound iudgement learning or staid conceite will erre so far from all sense in their censure of my well meant indeuours towards you as you do You know deere catholikes that zeale charitie and loue diuine Loue properly respecteth man charity the churche and zeale God himselfe as their immediate principal and proper obiect are three words of a different signification in regard of their obiects yet may be often are all one in respect of the subiect wherein they are inherēt as al three being poprer acts of the wil are inserted in man by the benefit of creation so are they perfected by grace diuine in the worke of our redemption by application of the merites of Christ vnto vs in the sacraments of his church as in the vessells of our saluation And this difference of affections or distinction betwixt loue charitie and zeale is to be found here and there in sundrie parts of Scripture as well by the words as actions and practise of our Sauiour and his seruants here on earth As when our mercifull redeemer would sound his seruant successor S. Peter his affectiōs towards him as he was man amor dilectio both loue in English were the words most all wholy in request as Simon Ioannes amas me diligis me plus his c. Againe when he spake in the person of his sweete spouse and what affection those had or ought to haue that labour on her behalfe in his name to reconcile soules and bring all into his fold that they might be made all vnum ouile vnus pastor then charitas charitie was the word of that worth as none could be worthier and thereupon he said that maiorem charitatem