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
A DISCOVRSE CONCERNING THE GROVNDS CAVSES of this miserable civill war Wherein Ireland is exhausted England wasted and Scotland likely to be imbroyled and wherein not only Liberty but Religion is endangered c. KING CHARLES was within few late yeeres quietly possest of three flourishing Kingdomes and for a while as his subjects seerned to enjoy all the blandishments of peace under his raigne to the envie of other Nations so hee appear'd eminently glorious in the inviolable loyalty and obedience of his subjects â—o the inciting of envie amongst other Princes But to that serene delightfull calme a most dismall tempest hath since succeeded and in so short a traverse of time a more wofull desperate Catastrophe then this which now confounds both King and subjects was scarce ever brought about in any other Country All our gamesome Holidayes past seeme now to us like the sleepe of Ionah in the ship the trance thereof only lockt up our senses for a while that we might be betrayed to the greater horror and amazement when the incursion of unexpected ralamities should immediatly seize us under so dead and stupid a condition Ireland already is become as sad a spectacle as the ruthlesse hand of war ever made any since Vespasians dayes and England though it sinkes a little more slowly yet is in the posture of sinking and is not to be supported but by a divine hand more then ordinary and lastly Scotland is but one degree onely more removed from destruction The greater the Popish faction is in Scotland and the more potent that Court-party there is which suggests to it selfe probable advantages out of the shipwrack of broken England the more inevitably is that Nation owned and destin'd to the same ruine as England let not dreames infatuate she must expect the same line to be stretched over her as England has if she prevent not her fate by some sisterly assistance whilest it is thus distant she shall certainly unpitied perish at its neerer approach But the Question is Whence did these unnaturall broyles spring and arise Hath the Kings misgovernment or the Nations rebellious disposition caused these sudden distempers has all this discord beene stirr'd principally by Ecclesiasticall or Civill Persons and have their ends been temporall or spirituall How does that commotion which was in Scotland differ in cause from ours in England or this in England from that in Ireland Has it beene the same designe carryed on for many yeeres together from whose maturity at length all our troubles in all the three Nations have been derived Or have the Scots occasionally aimed at one thing the Irish at another and the English at another If the Rebels in Ireland and the Parliament in England have purposes diametrically opposite how is it that the King protests against both how comes it that he wages a war upon the Parliament that is as favourable to the Irish as destructive to the English And if the Scots and the English propose the same thing how is it that the English are thus implacably Prosecured whilest the Scots are friendly intreated How is it that Papists are so far united yea even in Ireland where they pretend for the King contrary to the acknowledgement of our Court yet all of them move undevided and in England where they fight for the King and are accordingly entertained and allowed so to doe yet still they are unanimous whereas Protestants hold no perfect correspondence any where in Ireland they joyne against Papists yet favour the Papists cause in England and in England they fight under Popish Banners and by consequence maintaine the Romish faith both in England and Ireland And if these miseries have beene not meere late accidentall events but the studyed and prepared accomplishments and productions of divers former yeeres then whether is' t more probable that the Parliament hath beene this long time busie in plotting against the Court or the Court against the Parliament To give satisfaction to all men in all these Queeries will be difficult but to give satisfaction to all honest Protestants and to convince all our most subtill enemies be they Protestants or Papists will not be impossible and therefore my utmost skill shal endevour it And if this age will not give me credit therein I am certaine the next will I will commandingly say That it shall without dissent and deniall receive and acknowledge these truths which I now deliver The sonnes of the Iewes erected Trophyes and built Monuments of honour for those Prophets which had been stoned in the ages before and yet at the same time perhaps they maliciously murdered the true successors of the same Prophets such difference is there betwixt the evidence of present and past truth neverthelesse I shall for the present lye the lesse obnoxious to contradiction or distrust because I shall not so much insist upon conjectures or nude averments of my owne as the censures of strangers and Papists and the judgements of other Statesmen whose partiality herein is the lesse to be suspected The great tyranie and usurpation of Roman Prelates who to purchase to themselves an Ecclesiasticall Empire more large and uncontroleable then any temporall Monarch ever challenged had perverted Religion and innovated the whole frame of Christianity began to be discovered to many in England about 120 yeeres since Henry the eighth also so farre as his owne Crowne was concerned therein was willing to countenance the discovery but as for a totall reformation of Religion or redemption of his subjects liberty from popish thraldome no such thought ever entred into his breast 'T was indifferent to him on the same day and in the same place to hang a Papist maintaining the Popes supremacy and to burne a Protestant denying those corruptions of Religion whereupon that supemacy was founded so indigested and rude a Chaos of Doctrine was that which he sought to authorise and to daub over with his untempered morter Edward the sixth by a more blessed illumination set himselfe to pull downe the whole fabricke and to raze the very foundation of Hierarchy and had it not been a worke of more yeeres then it pleased God to adde to his life hee surely had not left one stone upon another Queen Mary set her selfe as entirely to repaire the Popes Empire as her brother did to ruine it yea even to the effusion of much blood with a more fierce zeale she laboured in it and had not death overtaken her and the hand of God otherwise crossed her perhaps no hopes had been left for a new restauration under her successor Queen Elizabeth with as perfect an integrity as either her brothers was in maintenance of truth or her sisters in maintenance of superstition applyed her selfe and her utmost power to restore Religion againe in full conformity to her brother and opposition to her sister Two admirable Councellors she had Cecyll and Bacon both cordiall and totally addicted to the Protestant Religion the honour of whom leaves her honour unquestionable
because they honour Calvin and are averse from the Pope The name of Protestant also is to be appropriated to the King the Nobilitie the Prelates and Vniversities meerely because they hate the Gentry and Commonalty or the Generality therof more then they hate Papists and lastly the Papist and the Protestant that they may be more fully incorporated both of them shall be gratified and their Vnion solemnized as it were with the ruine of the third and most Potent party of the Kingdom This was that great and godly worke which was so magnified by Doctor Heylin and and other Court Chaplaines of late this was that rare bloudy machination which his Grace of Canterbury and the other Grandees of our Church recommended to us as the pious inclination of the times and as a more beautiful restoration of the Gospel then that which Luther and Calvin labour'd to advance Rome had not such pregnant hopes of regaining England fifty yeares agoe for then as a great Romanist complained opposition was made not onely by a puritan-City and a puritan-Parliament but a puritan-Queene also It should seem the City of London was puritanicall from the beginning and so was the Parliament in which two is comprized all that is noble and worthy in the kingdome of England but who would imagine that so inconsiderable a party as the Papists and semi-Papists were in Queene Elizabeths dayes should dare to asperse not only the whole kingdome but even the Queene her selfe and who can wonder if in these times London and the Parliament have new brands of disgrace worse then that of Puritane fixed upon them The King himselfe now appearing against them if they could not goe unbranded when that unparallell'd Lady professed with them yet we cannot ascribe this so much to the policy of the Clergy as the blockishnesse of the Laity that the Hierarchy prevailes so far for if whole Cities whole Parliaments whole Nations are to be conquered with the meere calumnious words of Puritane Roundhead Anabaptist c. Who is able to stand before them can it be imagined that the same faction should forbeare to call us Round-heads which upbraided Q. Elizabeth as a Puritane especially when by their comming upon the King they have gotten that advantage now Which then they had no hopes to get nor can it be imagined that that party will fall from its preferment and hopes rather then to satisfie so sottish a generation it will take the paines to invent one reviling term of scurrility surely the world for these many ages has had better experience both of the malice and subtilty of Rome 3 Thirdly the meanes used for the effecting of this reconciliation and for the sure transacting and close carrying of it on are now to be considered The King it should seeme thought that without all scandaâ—l he might receive an Embassadour from the Pope as well as from other Catholick Princes and upon the proposition of the same by Panzani himselfe to the Queene and to some others of power about the King by Panzani's friend the thing seemed very reasonable so that the Nuntio to be sent over were no Priest howsoever for more privacies sake it was ordered that the Nuntio should addresse himself to the Queen and not to the King immediately and that the pretended businesse of his addresse should be to mediate a reconciliation betwixt the Regulars and Seculars in England This would better blinde the jealous Puritanes and make the true intent of the negotiation the more involved and the case of Dr. Smith the Bishop of Chalcedon expelled by the persecution of the Iesuites for claiming jurisdiction as Vniversal ordinary in England served well at this time for a specious colour Reason of state none could be alledged for any intercourse betweene England and Rome therfore the Church affairs must be the subject of our Embassie the Iesuites and the Seculars were imbroyled in some contestation t was for the benefit of Rome to appease the heat of it Without all doubt the Romish Councell De propaganda side would not entertaine agents from us to settle union betweene Calvinists and Lutherans or betweene Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants but we that have no such councell nor no such designe instead of nourishing enmity amongst our adversaries allay it and in stead of allaying enmity amongst friends nourish it Nothing can more cleerely shew that the Court of England stands not disaffected to the prosperity of Rome then this endevour of making atonement betwixt the opposite Champions of that religion and yet this was but the shell of the designe the kernell had more mischiefe in it for we may understand by our Venetian that Panzani out of his great circumspection and finenesse having matured the businesse of generall reconciliation so well for the further covering of his true designe he did apply himselfe after to his pretended negotiation And therefore upon the 22 of November 1635 almost a yeare after his arrivall here procured some accord betwixt the Seculars and Regulars though the Iesuites would not come in The truth is the Iesuites were then the principall body of the Regulars governing them as they do still also the best families of England nay the very Court it selfe and so they not submitting to the accord 't was but nugatory and a meere umbrage to all the world except the phlegmaticall dull English Nay it is sufficiently proved by our Venetian that all pacification betwixt the Iesuites Regulars is impossible wherupon if Con comply with the Iesuites it is the same thing as if he did abandon the Seculars and it is to be doubted that the businesse of Religion will be rather hindered than promoted thereby And what greaterinstance need we of the Iesuites predominance in Eng. than this that notwithstanding the distast of Canterb. and his deare confident Chichester they can excite the Popes ordinary here nay without all regard to the Colledge of Sorbona to the Popes own interest they dare inveigh not only against the person of some but against the function of all Bishops Wherefore the accommodation betwixt Seculars and Regulars being so useles to Protestants so hopeles to Papists we must not doubt but some designe of more consequence was obscured under that pretext for when we heare that the Pope and Cardinall Barbarini dispatched so many persons of such quality hither that the King stood bare at their audience and manifested so much grace in their reception and that the Qâ— and all the great Lords and Ladies with extraordinary presents and frequent visits both given and taken studied to do such honor to them the matter in hand cannot seem ordinary T is true the Arch-bishop would not personally treat with Panzani Windebank his creature was to intervene therin neither could Panzani treat with the Archbishop but by Franscis a Sanct Clara his friend on the other side but this was meerely for secrecies sake for we know well what factions soever were in our Court Panzani was
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
Popish be they English or Romish the difference is only this the English Prelate affects Poperie for Tyrannies sake whereas the Romish prelate affects Tyranny for poperies sake but both affect both for their owne preferments sake for without Tyranny poperie cannot be enforced and without poperie Tyranny cannot be supported and as both cannot be establisht but by a conspiracie of both parties so neither is that conspiracie sufficient unlesse the King also be won by it Therefore in the Scots war it was suggested to the King that the Crowne could not stand without the Myter and therupon amongst the Plebeians it was dispersed and maintained that the Bishops fought to maintaine the Kings Crowne not that the King fought to uphold the Bishops Myter And what difference is there now in our case Is not this war in England a meere reviving of that war which was in Scotland Did not our prelats as openly imbark the King in their quarrell then as they do now And do not our prelats struggle and stir as unanimously now and stand for the same ends and adhere to the same confederates the papists as they did then One drop of water is not more like another than the Scottish war is like this And if it be objected that the prelates now incense not the King against the Scots and therefore there is something new in the difference more than was in that and further that they disclaime and abhor the Irish rebellion and therfore they combine not with papists This answer is readily given The Scots 't is true are fairely entertained in words but in deeds all the hostilitie offered to us is aimed at them and will reach them in the next place their ruine is most inevitably involved in ours and the Stoccado that pierces it will easily find a passage thorow our bodyes into theirs I am sure they are too wise a Nation to apprehend otherwise so also for the Irish rebels 't is as true they are ignominiously entertained in words but indeed all the hostility offered to us is amity to them 't is armes monies supplies sent to them their protection is involved in our destruction and our graves are their strongest bulwarks But oh how is it that I am constrained to mention that detestable word Ireland How is it that that habitation of Zim and Ohim should enter my mind to make there as dismall a mansion of horror as it selfe Had I such fountains of teares in my head as Ieremiah had to power out upon the slaine Protestants there 't would be some relaxation of griefe to me or had I the bitternesse of soule which David had when the Image of Iudas traytorously imbrued in his Lord and Saviours blood represented it selfe to him that I might power out all his Propheticall execrations upoâ— them and their posterities who have animated and enabled the rebels there especiall if any of them were Protestants or of the British race or in high place of authority that perhaps would disburthen the too too pressing agonies of my spirit But alas alas perhaps it is more seasonable for me to pray that the Celestiall groanes of Manasses than the infernall tortures of Iudas may be given by God to those deeplingaged sinners upon whom this woful guilt lies I now wander and am lost I must returne to the businesse in hand I heare some say that the Parliament did first plot and contrive against the Court of England and that all this in the Court hath beene but a defensive contriving or counterplotting Nothing more absurd nothing more impossilbe nothing more inconsistant with the meanes nothing more repugnant to the ends of Parliaments we must suppose that there are about ten Anabaptists now in Parliament that first expelled the major and better part there and then overcame the major and better part of such as remaine unexpelled then by authority of Parliament and the help of some few other Anabaptists in the City they master and inslave the major and better part also by far and then by some tumults there raised they drive the King and all his popish prelaticall courtly and militarie Adherents from the Citie then they impose taxes upon the Kingdome for the maintaining of divers Armies and thereby tyrannize as the Decemviri did in Rome in spite of King in spite of Nobilitie in spite of Gentrie in spite of Commonaltie in spite of Protestants in spite of Papists in spite of their owne Armies And then not being sufficiently disconsonant to reason and nature we must suppose that these ten Anabaptists have been in travaile with this designe almost 40 yeeres before King Iames began to comply with Prelates and Papists and before Prelates and Papists began to conspire against Protestants under the names of Puritans these Anabaptists were consulting in a close Iunto how to get themselves chosen of a Parliament then how to get a Parliament call'd then how to preserve that Parliament from being ever dissolv'd then how to effect all these divine miracles by such meanes as none but themselves should ever be able to discerne or comprehend Is not this a rare subject for our great wits at Coutt to work into Proclamations and Declarations 'T is reported that the Lord Digby of late being at Mr. Knightley's house in Northampton-shire in a parlour there whilst his Souldiers were busily searching and plundring and rifling other roomes hee smote his hand upon the table and swore That that was the table whereat all these civill wars had been plotted at least a dozen yeares before It should seeme Mr. Pym had sojourned sometime in that house and that was sufficient for an inference that the nest of Anabaptists had been there too and that that nest had studied something which neither our Kings Cabinet Councellours nor the Iunto's of Italy or Spaine could make defeisable But if there were some meanes for Parliaments thus to debase Prerogative and disable Monarchy To what end should they attempt it Is it for the felicitie of Parliaments to subject themselves to ten unlimitable Anabaptists rather than to endure one most admirably bounded Prince and rather to make the whole Land a stage of bloud horrout and crueltie than to be presidented by the loyaltie policie and religion of their Ancestours Other men have spoken and written of this sufficiently And besides if it were possible if it were profitable for Parliaments to turne publike oppressours yet sense and experience tels us that this Parliament hath not used any oppression but with much difficultie been redeemed from oppression But of this sufficiently also hath been written and spoken It remaines therefore that we compare the means the ends the practices of Parliaments with those of Princes Papists Prelates c. and taking a view of what hath been already set forth in this Discourse parallel the same with that which is objected by the other side and it cannot be denyed but prelates and papists have been formerly conspirers and drawers on of the Scotch war and other alterations in Church and State as is here discovered Then the question is whether or no they have since desisted or changed their resolutions some change perhaps there is but not such as may secure us for before they did combat against us de victoria now de vita hope of victorie before inflamed them but feare of ruine now exasperates them and in this respect our danger is not the lesse but the more FINIS
enough In the next place also our Prelates were contented to allow the Pope a priority above all Bishops but a superiority seemed more then due especially in England the Arch Bishop was resolved to be the supream Ordinary himself and yet his holines did not thinke it agreeable to his Vice-Godship to admit of that honour as due to the Arch-Bishop The dispute was not whether the Arch-Bishop should execute that office in his own name and right or by allowance and deputation from the Pope nor was there any clause of salvo jure to either of them as yet thought on these were tender points not to be insisted on too roughly at such a time as this when bothsides were so far resolved of a reconciliation before hand There must be a more mind and easie way of composing things then so for as the Pope had rather we should remaine Protestants and so desperate of salvation then that his supremacy should be too farre impeached so Canterbury had rather we should not turne Papists then that his Primacie should be too farre disabled The bargain therefore at first unqualified was thus The Pope demanded to have a Legate in England that should be a Bishop and not favour the oath of Allegiance on the other side the King here would have the oath of allegiance favoured and the Bishops thought it needlesse for the Pope to have any other agents or deputies here besides themselves This difference could hardly be composed all the time of Seig. Panzani but at last the Bishops durst not wholly neglect the Kings interest and so the oath of allegiance was included in the bargain and the King would not oppose the Bishops interest and so a lay Legate was agreed upon and it was for the Popes honour that a Legate should be for the saving of his authority and therefore because the Pope could not withstand both King and Bishops such a Legate was agreed upon as should favour the oath yet be no Bishop It was pressed home to the Pope that the Archbishop and his party were passionate seekers of this Reconciliation and in order and preparation thereunto had already brought in many Rites Ceremonies and Doctrines nearly approching the Church of Rome and that if the work were not speeded during his life time greater difficulties and re-incounters were likely to interpose after his death and yet for a good space the Pope thought the conditions too unequall So little weight and proportion did the soules of millions hold in comparison of one temporall flower of the popes garland and therefore Panzanies skill and industry for a whole yeare could scarce master these animosities and facilitate the businesse for his next successours neverthelesse the Pope at last grew more a Courtier and stooped a little to a smoothy cōpliance by his more crafty ministers Con Rosetti and now the plot of the agreement is perfected and there wants nothing but the putting of it into execution Without a effected but by their utter subversion the wished reconciliation could not yet be consummated and the Puritanes being the greater part of the Kingdome by farre this taske must needs be very cumbersome Confession as our Venetian heard say was a thing held fit to be urged upon us by violence but fear of commotion hindered it and we may very probably conjecture that some other grosser points of Popery had been obtruded upon us also by the higher powers but that the cursed indisposition of the Puritanes was such that there was great hazzard in the attempt Howsoever our stout Prelates were not out of all hope of carrying their designe either by fraud or force or a mixture of both and therefore seeing things so equally poized in England Scotland and Ireland they were resolved that no meere hazzard should wholly deter them from adventuring the utmost Scotland appeared wholly almost puritanicall but to counterpoise that Ireland appeared as generally Popish and for England though the major part there was puritanicall yet the more potent in place and authority and the more exquisite in subtilti◠or rather treachery was Popish or Protestant that is inclined to combine with Papists and therfore in all this there was little odds to disanimate them neither was their any feare of forraign forces for under the deceitfull pretence of our head-ship and association the Protestants in Germany and France were allready much weakned and betrayed and made jealous of adhering to us they being brought to such a condition that they could not helpe themselves at home much lesse annoy enemies abroad Also the King of Denmarke and Prince of Aurange though Protestants yet were Polititians and therfore the interest of Royalty would questionles prevaile more with them then the interest of Religion It would please them better to see the Prerogative gained in England to the damage of Religion then religion to prosper by the diminution of Prerogative It onely remains then that in England they plotted Reconciliation be first put in execution and advanced by as slow insensible degrees as may be and great art must be used when Churches Altars c. beg in to be decored be made to believe not that popery is to be induced but that a faire reconciliation between both Churches is to be procured and not that Protestantisme is to be at all in any considerable matter changed but that Puritanisme be exterminated Also when not onely faire allurements but the two great Carnificines of the Land The Star-Chamber and High-Commission have by rigor prevailed as far as may be and when by all other meanes the English are inured and familiarized to some popish rites under the faire pretence of conforming to Reverend Antiquity Then the Scots who are not so apt to be inamoured with the splendor and pomp of Church-men as we are must be by all meanes assailed and urged to union and conformity with the Church of England And because it is expected that the Scots should be more jealous of the least incroachments of Poperie and more adventurous to secure themselves in such jealousie and more unanimous in their adventure therefore their countrey is to be made the first Scene of the war And since it would be too grosse to impeach the whole Nation of Puritanisme therefore their crime must be rebellion and the better to imbarque the English in the quarrell that in the Scots they might destroy themselves some new disguise must be put upon the war it must be divulged that in stead of settling Bishops in their Sees and bringing in the English Lyturgie the King has need to be established in his Throne and Scotland to be preserved from Anarchie All the dispute is Whether Subjects may make resistance by force of Arms against a just pious clement Prince the name of Bellum Episcopale is dis-owned the Title of the Lords annoynted will better support the envie of these broyles and it is suggested to the English that both the Lawes and Natives of Scotland are more Antimonarchicall then those
tempters to our Saviour all these royalties and glories will I bestow upon you but with this proviso that you then prostrate your selves to serve me but what is that service which he requires that they may endure a baser vassallage under him then their Subjects do under them On the contrary the Protestant Religion seasons us with such unstained loyalty that Princes do presume thereupon fear the lesse to grieve provoke us as by Contzens the Jesuits advertisements the practice of divers Princes in Europe of late is testified too clearly well may we wonder then at the frontlesse impudence of such Papists as upbraide Protestants with disobedience to Magistracy especially when they charge it as a sin resulting issuing out of the Protestant principles themselves What doth Barclay imagine of his readers stupidity when in his book contra Monarchomachos he inveighes against his countrey man Buchanan as injurious to Royalty and imputes this as an effect or product of the Protestant Religion His Relgion was ever infamous for excommunicating murthering deposing Princes and imbruing nations in unnatuall treasonable execrable warres whereas the Protestant Religion equally abhorres both cruelty in princes and disloyalty in Subiects aiming at nothing but that Kingly prerogative and popular liberty may be even ballanced and yet this foule railer here inverts nature calling white black and black white The King of England hath some Subiects wherein none hath an interest but himself and he hath other Subiects wherein the Pope hath an interest as well as himself the first are English the second are Irish in whether Nations loyalty he may rather confide I cannot tell for at this present he bends himself with more violence against the Englsh then Irish but the end will reveal to the confusion of his malignant seducers that there was nothing but fidelity in English Protestants nor nothing but perfidie in Irish Papists I shall use no other instances If there be any curse impendent over the Nation both King and People it is this that this truth is not yet sufficiently credited and acknowledged But to our present negotiation again it seemed to our Venetian that the King aimed at such a dispensation from the Pope as that his Catholick Subiests might resort to our Protestant Churches and take the oath of Supremacy and fidelity and that the Popes iurisdiction here should be declared to be but of humane right c. but what needed the King to seek these things from the Pope or what hope was there to obtaine them at all and if they were to be obtained but not without the losse of other things ten times more precious and profitable to the King what advantage was in them We cannot apprehend that the King should expect any good from Rome of himself some strong inchanting solicitation there must be to induce him and that by such as aimed not at his but their own interests and this our Venetian layes open and makes clear enough for he tells us that the Court of Rome treated according to its own maxime and in pursuance of its old pretences The Popes end was temporall grandour and what coâ—ld all the Popes vassalls here more expect then his advancement but the Pope and his party were but Treaters of one side the question is who were Treaters on the other side and what it was which they were to treate for This question is without question for the Merchants of our side were our Preâ—ates some whereof being single were to be made Cardinalls and others were to receive pensions from Rome as our Venetian tells us The Protestant Religion doth not so much affect the outward opulence pomp and splendour of the Church that is of Clergy men as the Popish doth and therefore the main body of the Clergy and the Universities have been long conspiring to alter Religion at least in that point and rather then faile in that they care not how they debosh the Church inducing an hotohpodge as Mr. Cheynell has well observed of Arminianisme Popery Socinianisne any thing rather then a plaine Gospell If Canterbury may not be allowed to be Alterius Orbis Papa as some of his predecessors were called and as able to give check to the Crowne of England and if Scholars generally may not insult and lord it in Church and state as the use was amongst our ignorant forefathers they will make a league with Rome nay with hell it self rather then endure it The Religion of Scotland is a nasty invention the discipline of Geneva is a profaine confusion the City of London is a nest of Anabaptists the Parliament a croud of croundheads All Protestants that are not for beautified Altars gilt Organs clinquant copes are worse Christians then the Romish Catholicks how soever the true Protestant desires not to see the Clergy despicable or the house of God to be without bread or order confounded in the Church these are scandals invented to make all men odious that are not addicted to the Popish gaity tyranny of Priests That Reformation which the Parliament aimes at will avoide all unjustice and extreames and if the Clergy stand not in their own light Religion will flourish and the Church prosper better then they have done hitherto for the Vine which is the most naturall resemblance of the Church that can be proves equally unfertile by luxuriance when her branches for want of pruning spread abroad too wildly as it does by indurance when shee bleeds two prodigally under the dressers knife And this cannot be unknowne to the Parliament 5 We come now to vew the true obstickles and impeâ—chments of this Reconciliation one hindrance was Sr. Toby Mathewes his ambition who thinking his imployment lessned and his person cheapened by the comming over of feig Panzani and not finding such compliance from Panzani as he expected openly expressed himselfe an adversary to his undertakings the great stomack also of the Jesuites who before had the sway at Court did not well brook a lay Legate here in England and if the reconciliation thrived they did perhaps feare that the English Nation might rather incline to favour the seculars then themselves Then the Pope doubtlesse with reverence be it spoken to his infallibility was a little too majesticall at first in his moving towards us he saw us so precipitate in our pace towards him that he thought he himself might safely stand upon rigorous punctilio's The King required from the Pope onely such naturall allegiance of his subjects as other Catholicke Princes use to have paid them without futher distinguishing and yet his holinesse did conceive it was too much to tolarate this oath for the assurance of that His holinesse thought it rather fit that the very words formerly conceived and enacted by the states of the whole kingdome should be presently expunged or altered and though the King was contented to qualifie and correct the letter of the law by a milder declaration and interpretation yet even that was not held satisfaction