of England All these traines notwithstanding the Puritane faction in England that is all cordiall Protestants abominated the grounds of that war and in conclusion the popish faction and the Bishops Nobility Universities and Clergie which onely challenge the name of Protestants were not able to put the King into such a condition of strength but that he was driven to give the Scots their demanded satisfaction Hereupon likewise a resolution is taken to summon a Parliament in England as is pretended for the disbanding of the two Armies and composing these Nationall breaches but some thinke for the turning one or both these Armies another way and raising farther divisions in the bowels of England but God so over-ruled the matter that the Scots did peaceably retire and our souldiers disband without attempting any thing against the Parliament And now to recover life againe in this so foil'd an enterprise nothing will serve but that the Irish who were placed as in Ambuscado for the purpose must rise all in Armes and most perfidiously execute a secret bloody massacre upon all the British Protestants in that Kingdome Doubtlesse if ever Rome shewed her excellent skill 't was in that silent deepe conspiracie if ever she shewed her fiery zeale 't was in that horrid infernall Tragedie If ever she discovered her selfe to the Christian world in her lively colours of whore witch murtheresse 't was in this unparallel'd villany By this meanes the Popish affaires are in better state than ever for Scotland stands gazing on as if she were lost in admiration and Ireland is become not onely intire for the businesse for its owne strength but is back'd also with some supply out of Flaunders and other Countreyes and even the Kings party in England though they hold not open intelligence with them yet act all the parts of perfect friends and allyes to them The Irish Rebells are secured by the diversion of our Cavaliers here and our Cavaliers here are secured by the diversion made there by the Rebels both sides professe and avow the same cause and draw their swords against the same Parliament Round-heads and were it not that our shipping did prevent their meetings doubtlesse our Cavaliers would procure some forces from Ireland and the Irish would be supplyed with other necessaries out of England and yet 't is advantage to the popish abettors here to disclaime the advantage of Communion with their popish abettors there That very Army also which to the great exhausting of the good party in England levied to oppugne the Rebels is sollicited to joyne against those by whom it is levied and supplies sent for Ireland by the Parliament of England are intercepted by the Kings forces and thus the Parliament more unfortunate than the Pelican makes wounds in her owne breast to draw out blood not for her friends but for her enemies advantage In this strange confluence of unexpected mischiefs whilst the Parliament finds her selfe so relinquish'd by her friends so surrounded with enemies of contrary factions and pretences and so undermined with daily new treasons Shee makes her mosâ— humble addresse to the King to settle the Posse or Militia of this Kingdome in faithfull well reputed hands the King at first in great darknesse neither grants nor seemes to deny the request he professeth no dislike to the persons nominated but alledgeth that by this meanes the Commissioners should neither be authorised solely by his Commission nor should be discharged at his meere pleasure The Scots had obtained this due righteous satisfaction before and doubtlesse had taken it as an utter defiance or invasion had they not obtained it but England is denyed so much right even after its example and the good consequence thereof in Scotland yet remaines too insensible of their owne danger in this fatall sad denyall Neverthelesse the contrary faction takes this as the certaine trump of war and leaving us to our deepe melancholly bestirs it selfe towin the City of London and all military persons to the King and though the City will not prove unfirme to the Parliament yet the Cavaliers all flocke to the Court and there caressed by the Queene vow themselves to any designe whatsoever Something also is plotted both against the Citie and Parliament but proving uneffectuall because both are so safe against the Popish partie and the Cavaliers therefore it is pretended that they are unsafe to the King and his Children and it is spred abroad that the King is in danger of being surprized by those who should have been surprized by his if God had not otherwise provided The King is counselled in the next place therefore to retire to some remote Port Towne of strength commodious for receit of Forces both forraine and domesticall and his eye is upon Hull where a great Magazine of Armes is but in that he is fore-stalled by the Parliament This gives the King occasion to levie men at York for the safegard of his person whilst all intentions of an Army were solemnly abjured by himselfe and the same seconded by the Lords subscriptions and this was a good help to encrease his Gard into the proportion of an Army and to give good hope that hee might not only remaine safe in York but also march forth to storme Hull But soft I am not to passe the storie of that march that was the Rubicon of this war and it is beyond my purpose to trace the businesse any further what hath since followed on both sides was enforced by these beginnings I must now leave off my discoverie Venit Hespeâ—us the day it selfe would faile mee if I should prosecute these things too far He which takes all these premises into just consideration can want nothing else to convince and satisfie who were the chiefe Incendiaries of this war and who were the persons that did commence and continue all our broyles That the people of these our Kingdomes have of late yeares since Queene Elizabeths death so prodigiously degenerated as of honourable to become generally dishonourable of loyall to become universally disloyall of naturall to become totally unnaturall is monstrous to beleeve But that King Iames and King Charles have varied from the government of Queene Elizabeth and to hold a good understanding with Rome have not been so fixedly devoted to the true interests of the reformed Religion and their subjects prosperitie as that blessed Lady was is a truth that Heaven and earth will give testimony to That ambitious Prelates have been our prime Fire-brands is manifest also for without their strong inchantments our Kings would not have been so far alienated from us and without that alienation the Papists could not have so far trampled upon us To compasse to themselves an Empire above Princes 'tas beene ever the charme of Priests to make promises and assurances that they will elevate Princes as far above their Subjects by an addition of royaltie and enlargement of prerogative In this all Priests conspire that prefer earth before Heaven be they Protestant or
Du Chesne the French Geographer in his Book fol. 1162. The Popes Rhetorick in briefe flowes thus MOst noble Prince the former Kings of Britain have been very famous for their devotion to the Popes Chaire and now though the state of the English Church be altered yet the Court is adorned with such morall vertues as may support our charitie and the more the glorie of your most clement Father and the resentment of your royall nature or inclination delights us the more ardour there is in us to open the gates of Heaven to you We commend your designe which hath directed you to take a journey into Spaine to allye your selfe to the House of Austria it elevates us to the hope of extraordinarie advantage our open testimony is in this present affaire that you are he which has the principall care and regard of our Prelacie for since you desire to take in marriage a daughter of Spaine we easily conjecture that your Progenitours Zeale may againe revive in your soule and it s not credible that hee that loves such alliance should hate the Catholike Religion or take delight in oppressing the holy Seat Therefore publike intercession is made continually by our command that you may be put into possession of that most noble heritage which your Ancestours have purchased for you to defend the authoritie of the Soveraigne Bishop and to combat against the monsters of heresie The most sacred Kings of England came formerly from England to Rome accompanied with Angels to honour and doe homage to the Prince of the Apostles in his Chaire Apostolicall let their actions be as so many voyces of God to exhort you to the same and to bring you back againe into the lap of the Romane Church Their sighs and groanes are ancessant for your salvation and you cannot give greater consolation to Christendome than to put the Prince of the Apostles into possession of your most noble Isle holding his authoritie as the defence of your Kengdomes and as a Divine Oracle Our great charitie makes us desire that you and your royall Father may be enobled with the names of Deliverers and Restauratours of the ancient paternall Religion of Britaine and the care of our charitie in this is no other than to procure your happinesse The Answer in short is thus couched Most holy Father I received your Sanctities dispatch with grand contentment and with a respect beseeming the pietie and benevolence thereof I have read the Elogies of my Royall Progenitours who have exposed their estates and lives for the exaltation of the holy Chaire set before mine eyes by your Holinesse for imitation with pleasure unexpressible and as justly deserved by them Neither was their courage against the enemies of the Crosse lesse than the thought and care which I have to unite all Christian Princes nor doe I esteeme it a greater honour to be descended of so great Princes than to represent them in the Zeale of their pietie The knowledge which I have of my most honour'd Fathers mind and the concurrence of his Catholike Majestie to whom the present divisions of Christian Princes is so grievous and the fore-sight of your Holinesse who judged this marriage with the Infanta of Spaine necessarie for procuring of publike union and therefore designed it are great encouragements to me Wherefore 't is most certaine I shall never be so extremely affectionate to any thing in the world as to seek alliance with a Prince that hath the same sense of true Religion with my selfe I have been alwayes verie far from encouraging novelties or being a partie in any faction against the Catholike Apostolike Roman Religion but have sought all occasions to remove such suspitions from resting on me And for the future since wee all beleeve in one Iesus Christ I will straine all my power to have but one religion and one faith and I am resolved to spare nothing in the world but to suffer all manner of discommodities even to the hazard of life and estate for the effecting hereof It rests only that I thank your Holinesse for your permission and accord herein and I pray God to blesse you for the great travaile which your Holinesse hath sustained in his Church If this was Court-dissimulation Gods name was too far used in it and the dissimulation has extended further than to language the maine affaires of our Court and Church for many yeares together have been conformable to the same expressions And if here was plaine meaning without dissimulation no words of man can more fully and clearly justifie Poperie and protest against the novelties and heresies of the Reformed Churches than these do And the Pope it seemes suspected no dissimulation herein nor his Councellours and principall Ministers and yet they are not usually gulled or blinded or out-done in that kind of Craft and for proofe hereof I will instance in Father Iohn de Monte-Major of the Societie of Iesus and I will be verie briefe herein and confine my selfe only to him This Jesuite was a subtile States-man â—s we may perceive by his arguments now in print and in the Iunto at Madrid when the marriage of the Infanta with our Prince was upon debate for answer to such difficulties and objections as some other of the Iunto had offered to oppose the marriage he divers times insisted upon such points as these Since the Prince is a man settled in his manners and makes great account of our holy Law it may with sufficient probabilitie be heped that by the good example of the most illustrious Infanta and all her Attendants both men and women and by the holinesse and doctrine of her Confessour he will be easily brought to our holy faith fol. 6. a. And therefore as we have seene that the Prince and his father have kept their agreement made at the Treatie of peace for the well using of Catholikes and we are informed out of England that this yeare in the holy week within London there have been at the Communion 4000 Catholikes in the Embassadours house and that they have made 40 monuments no body speaking one word to controll them fol. 7. a. Both the Prince and his father doe extremely desire the friendship of his Holinesse and of Spaine which Henry the eighth little did care for and that 's the reason which moveth the Prince and his father to procure this marriage is to establish the said friedship with the Apostolike See and the Crowne of Spaine fol. 7. b. Another principall thing to be observed is that the Prince at all other English and French Hereticks doe beleeve that we are saved keeping the religion of the Church of Rome fol. 8. b. There are sufficient signes shewing that the King of England is well affected to our Religion since it appeares hee with such care and paines endevours to match his son with a spouse so much Catholike daughter to so Catholike Parents and hee being the only Heire of his Kingdome against the advice of all the Hereticks
and all his Councellours and all the enemies of this Crowne hath sent him with great danger of his health and life c. All which is a great signe that hee being moved with some great light from Heaven desires to forsake the new Religion he professeth and to returne to the old one professed by his Predecessours for so many ages The Prince gives cleare testimony to be well affected to our holy Law since hee beleeveth and hath spoken it to divers persons that those that follow the same are saved in it c. being Grand-child to a Grand-mother that dyed a Martyr fol. 9. a. Thus great hope may be that the whole Kingdome shall be reduced to the Catholike Faith fol. 9. b. It is to be noted how earnestly this match hath been pursued and treated for both with his Holinesse and other persons debated in many Junto's by most learned men fol. 10. b. There shall be kept a publike Church in London for the Catholikes a Bishop of that Citie libertie of conscience the children shall be brought up by their mother the Infanta till they be fourteene yeares of age c. Where such great Agents of the Hierarchy have not only delivered their judgements so plainly but also set forth the reasons whereupon their judgements are grounded so clearly I shall forbeare any further to deliver mine These things are publike enough in the Spanish tongue But let us stay no more upon times so long agoe elapsed let us for brevitie sake omit all discourse concerning the wars in Bohemia the Palatinate Rochell and other countries where our false promises of supplyes and aids purposely as is thought destroyed the Protestant cause let us now lightly passe over the former part of these last twentie yeares and chiefly fix our discourse upon the alterations and innovations of the latter part therof Whilst the Queene was verie young and the plot of our Hierarchists not fully ripe the Babylonish Mysteries were not fit to be revealed and yet even in those times the work went on darkly and insensibly and some use was made of the verie loosnesse and excesse of those times to help on the perfection thereof This violent sharp malady of which we labour so distressedly at this present began to seize the vitals of this State long before its violence appeared and the venome thereof as if it were of affinitie with that of the Tarantula whilst it was in its slow growth caused rather fits of jollitie than pangs of dolour in us That which is now murther rapine lamentation was within these twentie yeeres masking triumphing revelling so that hee that writes the storie of our overthrow must say that we drunk and danced and sported our selves to death some mortall and noxious potions may yet be delicate to the palate and others of medicinall and salubrious vertue may offend the taste verie much so it is with times some abounding in dissolute merriment may yet conduce to a Nations overthrow whilst others more sad and uncouth may be helpfull towards a recoverie 'T is not just therefore in the enemies of Parliaments to ascribe the cause of our present miseries to the Parliament or to exclaime against these times for being as yet miserable neither ought they so much to boast of that false betraying jollitie which we seemed heretofore to enjoy 'T is now about ten yeares since a Nuntio came over from the Pope the businesse before was transacted by Sir Toby Mathewes and some other more privie Instruments for we must not think that a Nuntio was sent till his way was before made and entertainment agreed upon and that agreement also we must needs think had its preparations and previous considerations but to limit our discourse to these last ten yeares and to give a verie briefe account of them from the mouth of such as are not partiall let us in the first place make use of that Censure and Narrative which hath beene lately published in Print and is entituled The Popes Nuntio c. The Authour of that Discourse was a Venetian and seemes a man equally ingenuous and observing and because he was a Papist we may not think he did utter any untruth to the disadvantage of his own religion and because he was imploy'd in state-matters at Court we may ghesse that what he cōmunicated was for the most part of things within his owne knowledge and privity the piece also is faithfully translated out of the Italian and French and was valued and preferred as a thing not fit for vulgar eyes by great Statesmen of other Nations and there are few of our owne Nation and Religion that had any sight into Court affaires but they know well much more might have been said and is likely yet to be discovered However by the light of that Pamphlet we shall be informed that the word Popery is of various ambiguous signification so that he which abjures the Romish Religion may yet like well of a reconciliation with Rome And Reconciliation in the next place is a thing that may admit of such and such degrees and steps both of one side and the other and such fraud may be used in a Treaty of reconciliation that one side may condescend to more then is intended and the other gaine more then is pretended and in all these points our Venetian if he be rightly and throughly understood will satisfie our doubts and cleare our ambiguities I shall desire therefore all impartiall dis-ingaged men to review our Venetians discourse with me and to give me leave to descant thereupon a little whilest I fetch my considerations no higher nor further than the method and guidance of that Pamphlet directs me our Venetian tells us that King Charles once was heard to say that Hee could at that time reconcile himselfe to the Church of Rome with much advantage for our better information therein and that wee may neither mistake the Kings intention nor conceale our owne danger let us make use of our Venetians discourse in these five particulars 1 Let us from hence learne to understand what the reconciliation was and how far each side should comply and submit according to the capitulation 2 Who were the parties to be reconciled 3 What were the expedients and meanes of effecting or speeding this reconciliation 4 What that profit and great advantage was which the King promised to himselfe by this reconciliation 5 What the difficulties and obstacles were which did retard this reconciliation 1 We shall do well first to take into our consideration the articles and capitulation betwixt both parties whereby it was agreed how far the Papists should meete the Protestants and how far the Protestants should advance towards the Papists the Pope was to move towards us but very slowly in a pace exceeding majesticall his Holinesse was pleased not without much difficulty to dispence with foure things First that marriage might be permitted to Priests Secondly that the oath of allegeance and supremacie so far as it concerned the