enemies IN THE first yeare and Parlamente of Queene Elizabeth when our aunciente holy Catholike Religion was so vnholily and irreligiously suppressed and the new Protestant maner and fashion by her authoritie receaued as partly before remembred from our Protestant Histories and will by them more amplie be declared hereafter All the Catholike Bishops of England then liuing so farre opposed against it that as a Protestant Antiquarie relateth obseruing the willfull and indirect proceedings of her and some few of her secret Councellours and aduisers in that so importunat businesse far aboue the compasse calling and correction of a yong woman and laye men diuers of them vrged to proceede to excommunicate that Queene at that time Cambd. Annal in Elizab. p 37. But others which preuailed aduised to reserue it to the Pope of Rome And they all ioyntly contradicted that innouation and then and there offered as all protestant historians agree Stowe and Howes hist. an 1. Eliz. Holinsh. hist. of Engl. Ibid. Theater of Brit an 1. Elizab. Cambd. in Annal. supr publickly to defend and maintaine by disputation against all aduersaries whatsoeuer their holy professioÌ„ and religion and to that purpose assigned and appointed these disputants The then Bishop of Winchester the Bishop of Lichfielde the Bishop of Chester the Bishop of Carlile who had crowned her the Bishop of Lincolne Doctor Cole Doctor Harpesfield Doctor Langdal and Doctor Chadsey But that protestaÌ„t Q. her fauorites knowing the weaknes of their cause to be such and how their chiefest champioÌ„s had bene not long before in publike schooles at Oxford in the time of Queene Marie so shamefully conuinced by some of these Catholikes that they were hissed by the learned Auditors durst not ioyne with theÌ„ in tryal Foxe in Q. Mary CraÌ„ c. But the ParlameÌ„t begining on or about the 23. of Ianuary they had so prepared their way before that almost in the beginning of that ParlameÌ„t they obtained their purpose for the receauing their new Religion and effected that in the very first Acte or law of that Parlament Statut. an 1. Eliz. cap. 2. and would neuer harken to any motion or petition for disputation vntill the laste day of March Stowe Howes Holinsh. supr almost two moneths after they had thus vtterly excluded the Popes authoritie and the cathotholike religion vsed and practised here in this kingdome euer since the time of Pope Elutherius and King Lucius as the catholikes offered in Parlament to maintaine fourteene hundred yeares togeather without interruption Feckh orat 1. Elizab. and publicke Masse and seruice of â—he church to haue bene here so long celebrated in the latine tongue And would not then condiscend to any disputation at all except the catholikes would accept to write in Protestants words That Baconus in Theologicis parum versatus pontificus in festissimus ordinis vâ—ndex tanquam iudex praesideret Bacon a lay man vnskilful in diuinitie most infestuous enemy to Papists and persecutor of their order should be iudge Camden Annal. pag. 27. And if we may beleeue the present protestant Archbishop the director of M. Francis Mason in their booke of consecration among so many essentiall matters controuersed betweene the Protestants and vs they would not dispute any one at all but onelie three concerning some ceremonies Fr. Mason in praef of their booke of consecrat and pag. 103. 1. about common prayer in the Latine or vulgar tongue 2. Of the power of Churches to change ceremonies The third and last whether communion was to be ministred in both kindes and the triall of these three ceremonies to be made by a fourth most strange ceremonie in disputation onely to be put in writing within two daies warning at the most vnum alterum diem de quaestionibus praemoniti as your Antiquarie writeth and deliuered to their said offensiue enemy Sir Francis Bacon Cambden annal pag. 27. A thing so ridiculous and vnequal in the iudgement of all learned and wise men that if it had bene offered before Catholike religion was there condemned it could not in conscience either by those learned Bishops and Doctors or the most learned that euer were in the Church of Christ nor by the holy Apostles themselues if they had then and there bene be accepted Yet Queene Elizabeth and her aduisers in this notwithstanding that she had in open Parlament before as before is testified by our Protestant writers Howes historicall preface in Q. Elizabeth openly pronounced that shee would neuer vexe or trouble the Romane Catholikes concerning any difference in Religion in that very parlament where she spake these wordes and made that promise proceeded to cruell penalties against those Romane Catholikes all our holie Bishops were depriued imprisoned or exiled Stow histor an 1. Eliz. Holinsh. ibid. Cambden Annal an 1. Elizab. Theatre of Brit. an 1. Eliz. c. So were all other Ecclesiasticall persons that would not doe as pleased her Great forfaitures and punishments were imposed vpon all that should heare Masse or not be present at the new deuised seruice Parl. an 1. Eliz. cap. 1.2 praemunire losse of landes goods and perpetual imprisonment and losse of life also with note of Treason to them that should denie that supreame spirituall power to be in her which many Protestants and learned both then and at this time said and say she was incapable of All which notwithstaÌ„ding that most worthy cleargie in exile and prisons at home so caried themselues in all ciuill dutie to that Queene that they are in that respect recommended and honored by their greatest Protestant aduersaries and persecutors and for learning and pietie dignified and exalted more by theirs and our enemies then euer any Protestant Bishops or Ministers which inuaded their holy places since that time Protest def of English Iustice. Godwine Catal in those Bish. Camden in Annal. But of this strange innouation of Religion by Q. Elizabeth I shall write more largely from these Protestants hereafter The vertue learning and dutiful loyaltie of the Seminarie or secular as some name them Priestes which came after into England the vniust persecution of them and catholikes here and their most christian and religious offers and behauiour AFter Q. Elizabeth had by profane deuises inueÌ„tions of some few irreligeous couÌ„cellors suppressed the auntient catholike religioÌ„ of this nation by such sinister proceedings as are before insinuated to the wonder of the christian world orbe christiano mirante as this Protestant chiefest antiquarie truely noteth Cambden Ann. p. 39. for the vncoÌ„scionable maner effecting herof though she had in opeÌ„ ParlameÌ„t as befor protested neuer to vexe or trouble the Roman Catholikes coÌ„cerning any differeÌ„ce in ReligioÌ„ How 's historical praeface in Q. Elizabeth yet being assured as the truth was by her pauculi intimi her very few secret friends Cambd. supr that except she became a persecutor against her faith promise so publikely and lately giuen so ioyne craft and violence together the weaknes
power Ormerod protest Assert an 1604. pag. 218. Then much lesse of that supreame power And if shee had been a man yett in that case your protestant historians before haue told vs made illegitimate by publicke parlament the Kinge Lords spirituall and temporall with the rest there must haue beene as greate a power to recall yt which was not in that her first parlament for the Lords spirituall whoe onely haue power in such cases did vtterly dissent to yeeld her any such priuiledge soe that noe man or company that had power of dispensations in such things dispensed with her but contrary Againe it is a maxime in the Lawes as you Lord Cooke writeth l. 4. fol 23. nemo potest plus iuris in alium transferre qnà m ipse habet None can giue more power to an other then they haue to giue and the contrarie is vnpossible Therefore seeing no Parlament that euer was in England when all the Bishops and Abbots and chiefe spirituall men it euer had were assembled had at any time either for themselues or to giue vnto any other that supreame spirituall power but as your Bishops haue told vs before it was wholly in the Pope of Rome euer from our conuersion and so could neuer be deriued to King Henry the eight or Edward the six Parker antiquit Britan. in Cranmer Polydor. Virg. in Henr. 8. l. vlt. histor c. it is much more stronge against Q. Elizabeth both for her sexe and the other incapabilitie as Protestants assure vs. And for her or any to clayme it by that Parlament wherein shee tooke it vpon her is a thing more then to be wondred at for all men of that Parlament which had any spiritual iurisdiction as the Catholike Bishops did by all meanes resist and contradict it and the words of the statute as your Protestants haue published it by which shee tooke vpon her to exercise it and persecute Catholikes onely by pretence of this power there giuen vnto her are these Most humbly beseech your most excellent Maiestie your faithful and obedient subiects the Lordes Spiritual and Temporal and the vvhole commons in this your present Parlament assembled That the supreame power spirituall should be in that Queene when it is euident by all our Protestāt histories that not one Lord Spirituall either desired it or consented vnto it but all repugned and gaine-said it and for that cause were committed to prison or otherwise most grieuously afflicted Stow histor an 1. Elizab. Holinsh. Theater an 1. Eliz. Cambd. annal rerum Anglic. in 1. Elizab. c. And yet there was not any man in that Parlament that could giue vnto her if she had bene capable as she was not the least spiritual iurisdiction ouer the least parish in England And if she had not insisted in her fathers steppes of flatterie terrors dissimulatiō promises of great matters without performāce in some degrees by the cunning of some about her without conscience exceeded him shee might haue founde as little applause and consent in the Lords temporall and others For vsing all meanes she could to further her strange proceedings partly to be hereafter from her Protestant writers remembred yet shee found such and so manifest reasons opposed against her that the scarres of those wounds then giuen to your religion will neuer be recouered A principall antiquarie among you writeth Cambden Annal. in Eliz. pag. 26. that the Lord Vicount Mountague which a little before had bene Ambassadour at Rome with Bishop Thursby of Ely for the reconciling of England to the Church of Rome in Queene Maries time publickly in parlament these opposed Hic ex Religionis ardore honoris ratione acriter instabat magno Angliae dedecori esse si ab Apostolica sede cui nuper se submisse reconciliarat mox deficeret Hee out of loue of religion and care of honour did earnestly vrge how great a shame it would be to England if it should so soone reuoult from the Sea Apostolike to which it had lately submissiuelie reconciled it selfe and would turne to greater danger if excommunicated it by such defection be exposed to the rage of neighboring enemies Hee in the name of the nobilitie and all degrees in England in their name had done obedience to the Pope of Rome and must needes performe it Therefore he vrgently besought them that they would not depart from the Romane Sea to which they were indebted both for first receauing the faith from thence and from thence hauing it continually preserued This was sufficiently prooued at that time of the reconciliation of England to the Church of Rome in open Parlament also by Cardinall Pole as your first protestantly ordeyned Archbish in these wordes affirmeth Parkerant Brit. in Reginald Polo Hāc in sulae nobilitatem atque gloriam Dei prouidentiae atque beneficientiae soli accepta ferendam sed tamen viam ipsam atque rationem qua hac nobilitas atque gloria parta est sede Romana nobis prima semperque monstratam patefactam fuisse In Romana exinde fidei vnitate nos semper perseuerasse fuisseque nostram antiquissimam Romanae ecclesiae subiectionem The noblenes of this Iland for being the first of all the Prouinces of the worlde that receaued the Christian faith and the glorie thereof is to be acknowledged to haue proceeded from the prouidence and goodnesse of God yet the way it selfe and meanes by which this nobilitie glory was wonne vnto it was first alwaies shewed and layde open vnto vs from the Sea of Rome wee haue alwaies from that time perseuered in the vnity of the Romane faith and our subiection to the Romane Church is most auntient And this reconciling of England then to the Romane Church was so ioyful and honorable a thing to this natiō that to vse your Protestant Archbishops wordes Parker antiquit Britan. in Polo In Synodo decretum est vt dies ille quo pontifici Romano authoritas restituta fuerit quotannis festus dies celebraretur atque Anglicanae ecclesiae reconciliatio diceretur It was decreede in a Synode that the daye on which authoritie was restored to the Pope of Rome should yeerely be kept holie daie and called the Reconciliation of the Church of England Abbot Fecknham in Parlm Elizab. in his oration to that Parlament of Q. Elizabeth hath thus Damianus and Fugatianus as Ambassadours from the Sea Apostolike of Rome did bring into this Realme 1400. yeares past the very same religion whereof wee are now in possession and that in the latine tongue as the auntient historiographer Dominus Gylduas witnesseth in the prologue and beginning of his booke of the Britaine histories which he would not haue dared to vtter in that time and place but that then he could produce that antiquitie to be his warrant which with many others condemning the new religion of Protestants are by them suppressed All the Bishops of whom more hereafter and whom tearmeth your Protestant glorious renowned men obfirmate
ENGLISH PROTESTANTS PLEA AND PETITION FOR ENGLISH PREISTS AND PAPISTS TO THE present Court of Parlament and all persecutors of them diuided into two parts IN THE FIRST IS PROVED by the learned protestants of England that these Preists and Catholicks haue hitherto been vniustly persecuted though they haue often and publickly offered soe much as any Christians in conscience might doe IN THE SECOND PART IS PROVED by the same protestants that the same preistly sacrificinge function acknowledgeing and practize of the same supreame spirituall Iurisdiction of the Apostolick See of Rome and other Catholick doctrines in the same sence wee now defend them and for which wee ar at this present persecuted continued and were practized in this Iland without interruption in al ages from S. Peter the Apostle to these our tymes Odio habuerunt me gratis They haue hated me without cause With permission Anno 1621. THE PREFACE TO AL INDIFFERENT AND EQVALL READERS RIght honorable and the rest my dearest and moste beloued contrymen kinred and frends I haue by the greate prouidence protection and mercy of God liued now amongst you a preist in persecution little lesse then halfe the life of an aged man That which remayneth is cheife my debt by nature to dye and make accompt to my highest Kinge and Iudge as of late our moste reuerend Arch-preist within these few weekes hath done whoe as I interprete his letters bequeathed as a legacie to mee vnworthie this chardge To write and publish to the world this ensueing treatise which I name The protestants Plea and petition to the parlament for preists and papists soe many protestants please to stile Catholicks If this chardge had not beene committed vnto mee by my soe honored and reuerend frend yett hauinge beene soe longe a partaker of the miseries which english catholicks haue in these tymes endured and beeing well acquainted with the proceedings of bothe sides and knowing by certaine experience that besides their sufferings to their immortall honor their published bookes by diuers our learned preists haue soe conuinced the vnderstandings of our greatest aduersaries in all cheife questioned things That noe protestant Bishop or other writer hath now after diuers yeares made any answeare at all vnto them and of many former moste humble petitions of our learned preists and catholicks both to our protestant princes and parlaments to haue audience in disputation with their best learned protestant Bishops doctors whether to thy could conuince vs as guiltie and worthie to bee persecuted as we haue beene which hither they would neuer graunt but haue soe longe and greuously without any triall or condemnation executed and persecuted vs in soe straunge a maner and the present protestant rather puritane parlament stormeth now more against vs then the wisest of vs can see reasons to warraÌ„t them I therefore for the honor of God and reputation of his holy church and Religion the loue of my country and to performe my frends request doe puplish this remembred worke to bee diuided into two parts and eyther of them to bee inuincibly proued by the learned protestants of this kingdome In the first because the holy scripture soe describeth the dutie of well lyuing men Declina à malo fac bonum declyne from euill and to good I am to proue by these remembred protestants that the catholicks of England doe moste religiously decline from your Religion and all participating therein and their offers considered the protestant state doth moste vniustly persecute them In the second to iustifie that fac bonum wee doe well and therein performe the holy commande of God in professing the catholicke Religion the same with the church of Rome shall bee demonstratiuely proued by these protestants and the best Antiquities and monuments they haue of our first true Apostolick Religion in these kingdomes of our present most honored soueraigne kinge Iames that not onely those cheifest questions for which wee ar soe persecuted as namely holy preisthood now treason the sacrifice of the masse so punished and the spirituall power and iurisdiction of the see Apostolicke here nowe soe penall and contemptible but if need require all other controuersies betweene vs of substance haue euer from the tyme of S. Peter the Apostle in euery age and hundred yeares vntill these dayes beene practised and continued here without interruption in such sence maner meaneinge as wee catholicks of this kingdome with the church of Rome now doe professe And here I entreate noe Religious order to take my Title plea and petition for preists and papists as any excluding of their holy labours and deserts which I embrace and reuerence for although I will maintaine for them that monasticall life in England is soe auntient as the dayes of S. Ioseph of Aramathia whoe brought it hither and dyed here with his holy company in that profession yett I finde wee had both preists and Bishops here in and of this nation longe before that tyme and many Catholick Christians of the same Religion wee now professe and soe continued vntill this tyme without the least discontinuance or totall interruption which I dare not to affirme of our Religious men ceasing for an hundred yeares after S. Iosephs death and in the beginninge of Queene Elizabeths tyme for twenty yeares allmost together fayled here when many holy preists were laboureing here in this holy worke and after some Religious men of the societie had come hither they went and left vs alone for diuers yeares Therfore to speake consequently which I must performe I must giue this happie prerogatiue to our reuerend preists whoe neuer fayled or fainted in this cause and contry They were the first conuerted this kingdome and did neuer cease They first tooke this quarrell in hand in the tyme of Q. Elizabeth and onely were they that neuer gaue it ouer They are principally they whoe in the catalogues of our holy writers of this tyme ar stiled with that honor They ar the spirituall fathers and in Christ Iesus haue begotten both the present Religious and other catholicks of this kingdome They whoe with their holy doctrine and effusion of their sacred blood for this moste glorious cause haue aboue all others eight or more to one beene the continuall preachers and propugners of this true faith with vs. They whoe both in the presence and absence of all religious haue often offered and humbly sought publick defence thereof by disputation against the best learned and selected protestant Bishops and Doctors of this nation Therefore leauinge these peculiar honors vnto the Reuerend preists of England I will with such inequallitie as I haue before proposed maintaine for all preists Religious and all catholicks that our holy preisthood sacrifice of Masse spirituall Romane iurisdiction and the like were vsed and continued â—ere without chaunge or intermission in the same â—enure wherein Catholicks now professe them from S. Peter to these dayes by our protestant warrants and Antiquities And soe I rest Your most loueinge and
of her cause was such and the learning and conuersation of life of those her Protestant ministers whom she must imploy in this busines so vnequall and inferiour to the Catholike Bishops and Cleargie of England that no hope of such succeâ—e as they sought could bee except these holie and worthie men were depriued imprisoned banished or vtterly one way or other put to silence in such maner that after their deathes our most sacred order of Priesthood which had continued in this nation here in honor and glorie from S. Peter the Prince of the Apostles as we haue made demonstrance in other places might vtterly and for euer be abolished and extinguished as these fewe secrete friends of those designements open Antipriests or Antichristians for the Religion of Christ cannot be without the Priests of Christs plotted and hoped to effect Your principall protetestant Antiquarie thus relateth that cruel Tragedie Camden in Annalib pag. 36. Parlamento dimisso ex eiusdem authoritate Episcopis pontificijs alijs ecclesiasticae professionis iuramentum suprematus proponitur Quotquot iurare abnuerunt beneficijs dignitatibus exuuntur 80. rectores ecclesiarum 50. prebendarij 15. praesides Collegiorum Archidiaconi 12. totidem decani 6. Abbates Abbatissae episcopi 14. Omnes qui tunc sederunt praeter vnum Antonium Landauensem sedis suae calamitatem The Parlament being ended by the authoritie therof the oath of the Queenes supreamacie was proposed to the popish Bishops and all Ecclesiasticall persons as many as refused to sweare were depriued of their benefices dignities and Bishoprickes 80. Rulers of Churches 50. Prebendaries 15. Masters of Colledges 12. Archdeacons 12. Deanes 6. Abbots and Abbases and 14. Bishops all that then remained except one Anthony Bishop of Landaffe the calamitie of his See These Bishops inferiour in vertue and learning to none in Europe as your Protestants acknowledge Mason lib. 3. consecrat c. 1. pag. 100. Cambd. in Annal. sup Stowe histor an 1. Eliz. Holinsh. hist of Engl. 16. thus deposed and imprisoned and there to languish to death they thought none could suruyue to consecrate anie more priestes for England and all rulers of our Colledges in our then renowned Vniuersities thus expelled that would not forsweare themselues in such a sacrilidgeous manner they thought themselues assured we could haue no succession of Catholike students here to enter into that holy priestly order But non est consilium contra Dominum there is no counsayle against our Lord. The prophane craft and wylinesse of a few wicked men ioyned with a womans spiritual supreamacie was too weake to oppose and battaile against the heauenly wisdome and will of God For a very small number and those of the meanest then of our glorious Cleargie transporting themselues to Catholike nations and by such poore meanes as they could procure liueing in collegiall discipline and order at Doway in Flaunders where our common happie and spirituall Nurse and Mother is haue so wounderfull and far beyond the reach of your protestant polycies and strategems to the honour of God and his holy cause against you multiplied and encreased that the number and glory of our renowned publikely stiled writers which in this time haue come from thence giueth not place to anye age since our firste conuersion to Christe Pits de virg illustrib Brit. aetate 16.17 our holye Martirs violently put to death by your Edictes and proceedings Stowe histor in Henric. 8. Elizabeth Iacob Catalog martyr sub Henric. 8. Elizab. Iacob 1.5 exceede the number are not exceeded in glorie by any that histories amonge vs remember or whose memories by iniquitie of times are not remaining except the nouenius persecution duringe but nine yeares Gyldas de excid ours ninetimes as longe vnder Dioclesian the tyrant The Religious men of our Nation all the spirituall Children of that Mother are nowe possessours of manye Religious Colledges and Monasteries vnder Catholike princes and some of them in England with so many of ours are enrolled in the Catologue of glorious martyrs and a great number here stil working in this holy labour with vs. And if to enter into scholes with your best learned wee needed their assistance wee doubt not but diuers of them are both wel able and also readie to assist vs. But wee haue euer bene so far from either needing or requiring it of them that when you gaue vs the greatest hopes of disputation wee neuer sent for any of our owne re-â—enowned professors lyuing in forraine nations But as true Priests of England are the successors of Saint Peter the glorious Apostle and his holie Disciples in this Nation by a continued and neuer yett interrupted Hierarchicall succession to this daye as we will iustifie against your best antiquaries and diuines and firste after our Bishops by you depriued imprisoned and persecuted vndertooke this quarrell of God in hande against you and gayned many soules to Christ and for no crueltie or persecutions you raysed or exagerated against them coulde at any time be forced to forsake that holie combate they had vndertaken But as true Pastors they aduentured and gaue their liues for the sheepe of our highest shepheard and redeemer so to the hazard of the honour of Catholike Religion if Protestants could haue put them to foyle in all these miseries and afflictions destitute of bookes conference and harbour oftentimes to hide their heades they were euer readie to offer and entreate for tryall with vnequall conditions and so vnequall and preiudiciall to the disputante Priestes and Catholickes of Englande that except they had beene so confidente in their cause that they could not be ouercome and the Protestant Bishops and Doctors compleately furnished and prouided of all thinges requisite to such a conflicte if their quarrell were iust had not bene desperatly diffident in these matters neither might the Catholikes in conscience haue made those suits and offers or these protestants without damnable shame haue refused them as the petitions themselues will be euerlasting witnesse to the world And when the protestant state of England had in aboue twenty of the first yeares of Q. Elizabeth afflicted vs with many miseries and had put many of our renowned and best learned priests M. Sherwine Foord and others to whom they durst not graunt priuate disputation in the Tower itselfe though neuer so secret vniustly to cruell death and had vsed M. Campion the glorie of that Societie in England in such measure neuer allowing him to defende his owne written booke though neuer so priuatly vntill by tortures and rackes they had al-most depriued him of his life and after with many of our learned and holy priests did depriue him thereof had banished M. Heywood and M. Parsons had forsaken England the three prime English Iesuits of that time And no other religious man either of that or any other order but onely priests being here and of them aboue thirtie in prisoÌ„ in the Tower Marshalsea Kings-bench and other places About which time the 27.
antiquities giue warrant to write he in all his life time cōtinued in these doctrines and at his death in his last will and testament protested himselfe to continue in that opinion Bed Henric. Hunt Guliel Malmesb. Roger. Houeden Matth. West Flor. Wigor Camb. Stow. Holinsq Theator c. And for the supremacie it selfe as hath bene prooued in the time of Queene Elizabeth and your protestant historian hath sufficiently insinuated he recanted it Booke intituled Lesters common wealth your Protestants wordes of him these be At his death he was much perplexed spake many things to great purpose but being vnconstant in his life none durst trust him at his death Howes super hist. preface in Henry 8. which relation from a protestant writer can carrie no other construction And I take God to witnesse I haue heard my father then liuing in Courte often make relation that this king Henry the 8. at his death was sorie for his taking that title of supremacie vppon him was willing to relinquish it and laboured to be reconciled to the Church of Rome promising if he liued so far as he could to make restitution But being demanded of him presently to take order therein he was preuented by death and dyed with such burthen and horror of cōscience as chanceth in such cases which this Protestant before aymeth at when he saith he was much perplexed and spake many thinges to great purpose Therefore the Catholikes of England are rather confirmed by this king then weakned by him in profession of their holie faith And though in his life he persecuted and put to death many renowned Catholikes for deniall of his supremacie and sacramentary Protestants such as those in England now are for heretikes yet he neuer recalled this second as he did the first neither made any new lawe by which they were put to death but left their triall to the auntient Canons of the Catholike Church yet put those Catholikes to death only by pretence of his new inacted Edict of his supremacie neuer heard of in England before as Protestant antiquaries haue tolde vs. Therefore this first supreame head of religion in England in all things confirmeth the religion of Catholikes and condemneth that of Protestants and this the more if we adde from your Protestant historians how fraudulently or rather forcebly he obtained his first colourable tytle to that his spirituall supremacie by which he kept such turbulēt sturres in this kingdome A Protestant historian and an Esquire by state as he stileth himselfe thus relateth it William Martine Esq in histor of Henr. 8. pag. 388.389 Cardinal Wolsey being dead the King by his Councel was informed that all the cleargie of England was guiltie of premunire because in al things they supported and maintained the authoritie and power legatine of the Cardinal wherefore to preuent mischiefe before it fell vpon them they gaue to the King for their redemption and for their pardon the somme of one hundreth thousand pounds and by a publicke instrument in writing subscribed and sealed by the Bishops and fathers of the Church they acknowledged the King within his owne kingdomes and dominions to be supreame head of the Church Thus vniustly he procured that vnlawful prerogatiue more vniustly as before made his wicked vse therof I neede proceede no further in his proceedings for they ar dead with him the present protestant state as his owne childrē before by lawes and Parlaments condemne them all Protestants in the worlde reiect them and hee himselfe before his death by the most manerly fashion he could refused his title of supremacie in which he most differed from the church of Rome as I haue brought Protestant witnesses before therefore Catholiks are rather confirmed then weakned in their religion by the proceedings of this King That English catholikes cannot be perswaded vnto but much disswaded from Protestant Religion by the Protestant proceedings in the time of King Edward the 6. NOW let vs come to the next temporall rule that claymed supremacie in spiritual matters in England King Edward the 6. he was but 9. yeares olde when this charge was layed vpon him yet he was elleuen yeares olde whē your religion was first borne in this nation in the second or third yeare of his raigne as all lawes and histories of that time giue recorde Parl. 2. 3. Edw. 6. Stow hist in Edw. 6. Holinsh. Theater and others ibid. So this childe begot it and his sister Q Elizabeth nursed it We knowe for shame you will not tye vs to the censure of an infant king then you must appeale to those that instructed and directed him in so great a businesse These were temporall and spirituall and chiefly those that were of councell and had sworne otherwise to King Henry the 8. during his life liued in his Religion and after his death continued the same vnder this yong king in his beginning and first Parlament Parl. 1. of Edw. 6. Stow. Holinsh. in k. Edw. 6. were executors of the last will and testament of king Henry the eight in which concerning matters of trust in religion they truely executed nothing at all but in the exheredation of his Maiesties holy Mother and himselfe as much as they could they executed it Howe 's historial preface supr Stow Holinsh. Theater in Q. Marie Edward 6. The chiefest of these for spiritual men was Cranmer their Archbishop and the rest of the Bishops of that time that were not Catholikes of which we finde but two onely Hooper and Ferrar put to death for their Religiō by Queene Marie For Cranmer Ridlie and Latimer were condemned for treason Foxe tome 2. Monumen in Q. Marie Godwyne Catalogue of Bishops of K. Edwards time and what can we accompt of the religion of these two changing their profession so often with king Henry and K. Edward and Ferrar to vse your Bishops wordes was thrust out of the Bishoppricke in the beginning of Queene Marie for being married and ended his life in the fyer more for being desperate how to liue then for loue of Religion so far as we can gather Godwyn in S. Daudis 79. Robert Ferrar The other Hooper Godwyn in Worcester 75. Glocester 2. Iohn Hooper a man of such conscience as your Bishop writeth that being made Bishop by the childe king anno 1550. Bishop of Glocester held also the Bishopricke of Worcester in commendam by licence of King Edward the sixt this is his commendation The rest that fled not the Realme for treason which were not of your Protestant religion but Puritanes in forraine countries were depriued in England for being married which by no Religion Bishops might doe such were Bush of Bristow Harley of Hereford Holgate of Yorke and others that became Catholikes Godwyn in Brist Heref. Yorke c. Couerdale was set at libertie by Q. Marie and of so small esteeme with you in the beginning of Q. Elizabeth her raigne that no Bishopricke was allowed him Now let vs come to your chiefe
well wishing contry man TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE Court of parlament especially such as therein bee persecutors of Catholicks and to all other such persecutors A Breuiate of the vndoubted truthe of catholick Religion persecuted in England Right honorable and the rest THe penalties and persecutions which in these daies of Protestants haue been heaped vpon and prosecuted against the sacred preists and renowned Catholicks of England haue beene soe heauy and greate by his Maiesties regall sentence in publice parlament that they moued him to these words of commiseration My mynde was euer free from persecution or thrallinge my subiects in matters of conscience I was soe far froÌ„ encreasing their burdens with Roboham as I haue soe much as either tyme occasion or lawe could permitt lightned them Your Courte well knoweth what the case of Roboham was wee neede say noe more and what other heauie burdens haue been since then heaped vpon vs And by your present assemblie now againe to bee inuented and added in his publick speach in his 1. parlam You cannot possibly bee ignorant what an eminent man in your house and companie hath written of the opinion of the christian world of these proceedings The suffrings Syr Edwyne Sandes speaketh vnto you in his booke of the relation of the state of Religion and martyrdomes of English catholicks in these times ar accompted to the height of Neroes and Dioclesians persecutions and the suffrings on their side both in meritts of cause in extremitie of torments and in constancie and patience to the renowned martyrs of that heroicall church age What Nero and Dioclesian were amonge the greatest tyrants and persecutors your place and lawe-makers may not pleade ignorance neyther what the honor and glory of that moste sacred preisthood sacrifice and Religions which soe vehemently and beyonde example you persecute If all catholicks would bee silent your owne protestant Bishops and Antiquaries haue published in Theaters histories to the present world and future posterities that the very same were planted and embraced here in the Apostles tyme and were neuer chaunged in any materiall thinge vntill your pretended reformatioÌ„ Protest Bishops in the Theater of Brit. l. 6. Holinsh. â—ist of Engl. in Claud. Cambden in Britan. Godwyn Conuers Parker antiq Brit. GrymstoÌ„ booke of Estaâ—es in Engl. Scotland Ireland Yf wee appeale to kings and parlaments â— whereon you builde all the auncient parlaments lawes liues of the kings of ScotlaÌ„d â—ry out vnto vs that after 80. Christian kings â—here king Iames is the first and onely proâ—estant kinge The parlaments lawes liues of kings and histories of England and Ireland doe publish vnto vs that of all his primogeniâ—ors kings of these nations hee alone is protestant kinge of them Hee claymeth nothing from king Henry 8. Edward 6. or Q Elizabeth â—ee enioyeth and longe and happily God graunt him to enioy it this Empire by a betâ—er and truer right then they could giue him Hector Boeth Vereca alij hist Scot. all English â—rish hist with their parlam c. Your histories and the laste wills and testaments of those kings ar witnesses against theÌ„ and your Religion that they laboured moste â—niustly against the lawe of God and nature â—o suppresse the vnquestionable right of our soueraigne and his holy mother Edw. Howes preface historial in king Henr. 8. last will of king Henr. 8. All those lawes parlaments and antiquities ar warrant that from our first conuertion to Christ wee had noe other Bishops preists ministers or church seruice which you call communion but Romane catholicke Bishops preists whom you make Traytors and sacrifice of masse for the liuinge and the dead now soe persecuted by you vntill the second parlament of kinge Edward 6. a childe moste childishly began this innouation Parlament 2. Edw. 6. cap. â— an 5. c. 1. Confer at hampt court And in Scotland your ministry and communioÌ„ deuised there by that Traytor to God and prince is of a yonger standinge in the yeares 1560. and 1571. Commun booke c. of the kirke of Scotland by Iohn knoxe 9. of march an 1560. and 1571. Your protestant Antiquaries mustar vnto vs about 1000. approued classicall writers in this kingdome that be renowned in the christian world whoe were such preists said masse preached and proued that Religion they tell vs of many thousand Bishops by continuall succession from our first christianitie of aboue 1000. canonized Saints of diuers thousands of Religious men and woemen liuing in continuall pouertie chastitie and obedience since the tyme of Saint Ioseph of Arimathia that buryed Christ and brought monasticall life into this kingdome wee had 700. Religious howses founded for them which you haue defaced Baleus l. de Scriptor centur 1.2.3.4 Ioh. Leland de script Pitseus de vir illustrib aetate 2.3.4.5 c. Capgrau al. de Sanct. histor Angl. passim Theater of Brit. per tot Stowe hist Holinsh. histor Eng. Scot. Irland Camb. Britan. Our Religion builded those churches which â—ou haue reserued many thowsands which â—ou haue defaced Wee enioyed aboue the â—hird part of England to our Religion 600. â—eares paste and after wee had more kings Queens and princes Saints in this Island and â—reland by your owne historyes and kaleÌ„ders â—hen there euer were since in all the world of â—our Religion Tom. 1.2.3.4 Concil Our Religion had for external warraÌ„t aboue 20. general â—ouncells From the first of nyce in the time of Constantine our Kinge Emperour and conâ—ryman and Sardyce where the popes supreaâ—acy masse and preisthood are confirmed Concil Nic. 1. can 6.7 Sardic concil Theater of Briâ—an in Brit. Stowe hist. Holinsh. ib. Camb. Brit. which our brittist bishops receued vntill the â—aste of Trent in the tyme of Q. Elizabeth to which our catholicke Bishop Pates of worcesâ—er subscribed for England for vs and against you as your protestant Bishop telleth vs. Godwyn Catalog of Bish. in worcester in Rich. Pates wee had consequently all holy fathers and Bishops present in them to warrant vs. wee had and haue as your protestants acknowledge Casaubon respons ad Cardinal Peron pag. 69.70 all Apostolicke seas for vs against you wee had and haue consequently all those true and vndeniable motiues of true ReligioÌ„ which moued the christian world to embrace the lawe of Christ to assure and confirme vâ— in this truthe wee see and knowe that this our holy faith accordinge to the foretelling of Christ his prophets and Apostles is preached and planted in all the worlde Europe Africke Asia and America neuer any Religion in the lawe of nature of Moyses Iewes Turcks Tartares protestants pagans or other is or was at any tyme in any degree dilated as it is Grymston Booke of estates in kâ— of Spaine Europe Asia Africk America And for externall splendor at home it was soe greate when king Henry 8. began to enuie the glory of it that he promised the parlameÌ„t as your protestaÌ„t histories assure vs if it would graunt him power to visitt
sonne Robert Earle of Salisbury neâ—er to persecute any of that Religion Thus hee acknowledged to a worthy and noble witnesse who as God is witnesse so hath testified We doe not we will not contest with our present most honoured wise and learned Soueraigne neither enter into his priuate iudgement But if any the best learned protestant Archbishops or Bishops you haue will iustifie all those publicke speaches writings and bookes which goe vnder the name of our King to proceede from him if it will please him to giue way vnto â—t they shall haue maintained against them that â—y those published writings it is damnable for â—hem to persecute vs and we in conscience cannot if to gaine a thousand worlds be of your protestant Religion And we humbly hope this nothing derogateth to his prudent Maiestie for we openly and willingly write that concerning all your best learned Bishops and others that haue written as namely Whitguist and Bancroft of Canterburie Bilson and Andrewes of Winchester Doue Barlowe Godwyne Field Bridges Hooker Couell and all the best students amongst you were in iudgement far from persecution of Catholikes and as far from assurance that they themselues were in true Religion It is no vaine boasting now to write it because in all controuersiall poynts we haue many yeares since invincibly prooued it by your best learned Protestant Bishops and Doctors Protestants Recantation in matters of Religion l. 1. l 2 Protestants Demonstrat for Catholikes Recusancy c. both in generall that neither Scriptures Traditions Counsels Apostolike Churches Fathers or any authoritie in diuine matters is for you but all against you that you haue not neither hereafter by your Religion can possibly find any Rule or direction to bring you into trueth That there is not nor can be any true and competent Iudge or Consistorie with you to decide these contentions and bring you into the right way That there is neither true Bishop Priest or Cleargie man in your Congregation That in all particular questions betweene vs you are in error All these things so inuincibly prooued by your selues that now after diuers yeares our bookes receaue no answere at all And your best â—earned are so far from taking this charge in â—and that but for disgrace of these times with â—ou they would in their liues and health â—ot liue in your wauering religion but be reconâ—iled to the Romane Church as many of them â—ately at their deaths haue bene And now in â—his your Parlament time to moue you and London to know the trueth the late Proâ—estant Bishop thereof Doctor King in his life â—or external cariage a great persecutor of Priests â—nd Catholikes a little before his death did plainely denounce your Religion to be damnable renounced as wee had prooued before of all such that he was any Bishop or Cleargie man was penitent for his protesting heresie humblie at the feete of a Priest whom he had formerly persecuted confessed his sinnes receaued Sacramentall absolution at his handes and was reconciled to the Catholike Romane Church of which he had in his life bene so vehement a persecutor Zealously and openly protesting there was no saluation to be had out of that holy Catholike Romane Church Therefore wee neede not to dispute these matters anew But because by the present tempests you raise against vs in this your Parlament we are assured that your storming persecutions are not ceased if your wils and anger can maintaine their blustrings therefore we cannot but still defend our innocencie and humbly admonish you that by these courses you offer and doe we receaue and suffer wrong And because you see and know you are neither able to instruct vs or your selues persisting in persecution you fall into that lamentable estate preached vnto you out of Pulpit by your now Archbishop of Yorke D. Matthewes Serm. before the Parlament and in publike Parlament denounced by his Maiestie Persecution without instruction is but tyrannie K. Iames speach in Parlament That you cannot or vncharitably will not both leade to that damnable estate we are now euidently to demonstrate to you and make knowne to the world for our owne excuse which we can doe by no better or more certaine meanes in this case then publish and make knowne to our dearest countrey that from the first beginning of these your persecutions broached and borne in the first Parlament of Queene Elizabeth wee haue in all humble and best meanes we could requested and sought for instruction from your best learned Bishops Doctors and instructors among you if we be in error by many and sundry petitions to our protestant Princes Parlaments and others that were in chiefe place and command to procure it if there had bene any in your Religion that could performe it If you had that could and would not your estate is more then dangerous if you haue none can instruct vs which you make apparant if you still persist in persecution You heare our King and your Archbishop call vnto you Correction without instruction is but tyrannie Therfore in this first part of this Protestant plea and petition of your best learned Protestants in both parts to be vndeniably proued iustified by them wee propose some of those most humble suites and petitions we haue by the best warrant spirituall we had in England our most Reuerend Archpriest his learned Priests and chiefest renowned Catholikes presented to procure and obtaine this instruction in conference and disputation with your best learned Protestant Bishops and Doctors and with such vnequall conditions on our behalfe that except the Catholikes of England had bin assured they were in trueth and their disputant Priests could not be instructed by any the best learned in your Religion they could not in conscience haue made so large and disaduantageous offers vnto you as their seuerall petitions and suits will witnesse Except you will thinke to flatter your selues that these renowned Priests and catholikes did doubt of their Religion which their martirdomes and sufferings for it do inuincibly reproue and appeale to you for instruction which you denying and yet so persecuting them can neuer free your selues from that dolefull condition remembred by our gratious King and your Archbishop you will further receaue in this first part such iuste and most reasonable and vnanswereable reasons by the Religions and proceedings of all your supreame heads in spirituall busines vntill his maiesties time wherein silence will be vsed King Henry 8. King Edward the 6. and Queene Elizabeth that as they are set downe by your best protestant writers we cannot yeelde to you in matters of Religion neither you in conscience either persecute vs in these things or your selues secured in that profession Howe Catholike Religion was vniustlye suppressed by Queene Elizabeth not one Spirituall person hauing voyce in Parlamente consenting no disputation or ordinarie defence thereof permitted to the Catholike Bishoppes and Cleargie and their duetifull loyaltie notwithstanding their pietie honoured by their protestant
yeare of her raigne Queene Elizabeth was so vnmindfull of her promise made in her first parlament before remembred that by degrees shee clambred vp to the heighest pitch of persecution against her Catholike subiects that she imposed twenty poundes for euery moneth absence froÌ„ that her new seruice Parl. of Q. Eliz. tit Recusancy at which to haue bene present had bene damnable sinne and heresie froÌ„ our first conuersioÌ„ to Christ vntil the yeare of K. Edward the sixt a child both by the lawes of the whole Catholike Church and of this kingdome And not content with this proceeded to that contempt of the Priestly dignity of our most blessed Sauiour and Redeemer his holy Apostles and all holy Bishops and Priests since their time that she intended to make it treason and al that willingly receaued such men as Christ our Sauiour commandeth all men to do vnder a great woe and penaltie of losse of libertie lands goods and life also which she after enacted for a law in that Parlament Whereupon and for preuention of so vnchristian proceedings the chiefest catholikes of this nation with the consent and directioÌ„ of their learned secular Priests then onely here remaining and no religious men being at that time or diuers yeares after in England humbly prefered to that Queene in her Parlament time when shee decreed that bloody edict this most christian and more then equall petition following word by word TO THE QVEENES MOST Excellent Maiestie the humble petition of her Catholike subiectes of England in the 27. yeare of her raigne wherein their innocencie is iustified and their Religion offered to be maintained for holy against all Protestants MOST mighty and most excellent our dread Soueraigne Ladie and Queene the necessitie of our lamentable Case hath emboldned yea necessarily enforced vs your Maiesties Catholike and approoued Loyal subiects to present our manifold griefes and miseries to the merciful viewe of your Maiestie We could still haue bene contented as hitherto we haue bene with silence to haue made vertue of exceeding great necessities But now most gratious Soueraigne the Law of God and nature doth Councell vs to appeale vnto your most excellent Heighnes our head-spring and fountaine of mercy for the lightning of some heauy yoakes which by common reporte we haue iust cause to feare are intended shortly to be layed vpon our weakned and wearied neckes To speake to so potent and prudent a Prince as it may be reported boldnesse so not to speake in a poore and distressed subiect may be deemed guiltines Wee doe therefore most deare soueraigne with all humilitie and no lesse sorrow cry out and complaine that our afflicted harts haue conceaued an vnspeakgriefe For what wound can be more mortall to the bodie as treasonable accusations to innocent mindes We your Catholike subiects which hitherto haue bene and euer will be as well carefull to please your Maiestie as not to displease almightie God what lamentable state was euer like to ours that we poore wretches in discharging our conscience towarde God are reported of and that before your sacred Maiestie to be euill affected towardes your Royall person and princely dignities and that vpon the â—yle action and intend of euery lewde person wee must be condemned all for traytors as it appeareth in bookes daily printed against vs wherein we are most odiously tearmed blood-suckers and by vncharitable exclamations it is published that your Maiestie is to feare so many deaths as there be Papists in the land Would God our harts might be layde open to the perfect view of your Maiestie and all the world no doubt our thoughts should appeare correspondent to the expectation of so mercifull a Queene in all louing true and faithful subiection and would giue dewe deserte of mercie for reward For most deare Soueraigne where our greatest accusation ryseth vpon our recusancy or absence from the Church which hath deuoyded vs of all your wonted graces and special fauours wee take almighty God to witnesse that this our refusing and absenting our selues is not grounded in vs vpon any contempt of your Maiesties Lawes or any other willfull or trayterous intent but altogether vpon meere conscience and feare to offende God This God knoweth the searcher of all hearts and to the ende that our sincerity and dutifull meaning may appeare the better we doe protest before the face of the eternall God and Lord of vs all and doe craue his dreadfull indignation in this worlde and sentence of endlesse dampnation to bee our portion in another worlde if wee doe practise speake or write any thinge in this poynte more or lesse in respecte of anie worldlie pollicie but onelie as the duety of euerie good Christian Catholike bindeth him In which opinion if happelie wee bee deceaued yet if wee should doe contrarie to that we thinke in conscience to be right we may iustly be accompted men voyde of all grace and honesty pretending in shew and thinking otherwise in heart false dissemblers hatefull to God and man and in truth the most dangerous and worst subiects that may be in a common wealth as aptest to any wicked or desperat attempt No lesse is verified in the late moste excecrable example of that monster Parry whose detestable endeauours doe giue euidente testimonye that the cruell vypar euer temporising and makinge ship-wracke of all faith and Religion hathe thereby at length loste both taste and habite of the grace and feare of God Let such diabolicall dissimulation and trayterous thirste after hallowed blood sinke according to Gods iudgement to their deserued doome of deepe damnation we for â—ur parts vtterly deny that either Pope or Cardinall â—ath power or authoritie to commande or licence â—nie man to consent to mortall sinne or to comâ—it or intende any other acte contra ius diuiâ—um much lesse can this disloyall wicked and vnnaturall purpose by any meanes be made lawefull to witte that a naturall subiecte maye seeke the effusion of the sacred bloode of his annoynted Soueraigne whosoeuer hee bee therefore spirituall or Temporall that maintaineth so apparant sacriledge wee therein renounce him and his conclusion as false deuilish and abhominable But nowe to returne to our purposed matter wee doe promise that wee will hereafter be reddie and willing to resorte vnto Churches and other places where publicke exercise of prayer is vsed if the learned nowe assembled in conuocations hall bee able by sufficiente groundes of Diuinitie to prooue to the learned of the catholike Church that wee being in Religion Catholike may without committing mortall sinne frequent those Churches where the contrary religion is professed and exercised If conscience onely had not pressed vs in this point those of our Religion would neuer haue suffered therefore so many disgraces impouerishments And if that the mercifull eyes of your clement Princely nature could but see the continual terrours the streight imprisonment the reproach full arraynement making no difference in place nor time betweene murderers felons rogues and betweene gentlemen
thing like it selfe or at least dislike to suffer a thing contrary to it selfe Knit the bodie and the soule togeather Let not vs your catholike natiue english and obedient subiects stand in more perill for the frequenting the blessed Sacraments and exercising the catholike religion and that most secretly then do the Catholikes subict to the Turke publickly then do the peruerse and basphemous Iewes haunting their Synagogues vnder sundry Christian Kings openly and then doe the Protestants enioying their publike assemblies vnder diuers catholike Kings and Princes quietly Let it not be treason for the sicke man in the body euen at the last gaspe to seeke ghostly councell for the saluation of his soule of a catholike Priest so shall both soule and body spiritual and temporal according to our most bounden dutie serue you truely and praye for your long and most prosperous raigne effectually Then shall this your gratious tolleration sound out your most famous memory so tryumphantly to all nations that the same shal be preserued of record from age to age and consecrated to endles glorie and rerenowne Accept most mercifull Prince our faithfulnes regard our dutiful hearte despise not our sincere affection Let our rehearsed miseries be relieued with your renowned mercies accompt those subiects to be vndoubtedly faithful in whose accusations and liues hath appeared a chiefe and speciall care not to offend God It nowe behoueth vs moste humbly to craue your maiesties gratious pardon for that we haue not obserued the vsuall breuitie of supplications being destitute of friendes to speake in our behalfe wee are driuen to set downe somewhat largly by writing that which might by speach with les tediousnes bene vttered Finally we make our huÌ„ble petitioÌ„s that your excellency wil giue vs such credite and affiance to our words othes that we may froÌ„ henceforth be deemed cleere voyâ—e of al suspition both in thought word deed to refraine publick places of prayers only for feare to fal into daÌ„nable sin not in any hope or regard of any worldly prefermeÌ„t or policy SecoÌ„dly to haue that pittiful consideration remorse of our calamities as may be thought most expedient to the comfort of vs afflicted and most agreeing with your M. most gratious pleasure good likeing Thirdly chiefly not to suffer any law to be made whereby Catholike Priests of this realme shall be banished their receiuers highly punished Grant O merciful Q. that we may do the works of mercy charity to Gods Priests so long as they pray for your M. vse theÌ„selues dutifully we are the more encouraged thus boldly to entreat with your M. because in former years it hath bin deliuered in pulpets published by books late printed otherwise diuulged that your clemeÌ„cy neither hath nor will punish any of your catholike subiects for their coÌ„science in matters of religioÌ„ only For our parts what successe soeuer shal grow vnto vs by reason of this our huÌ„ble supplication we do aduisedly firmely vow to God that your M. shal finde such subects as God requireth and your M. desireth That is most louing most loyal and most dutiful Our Lord God preserue your M. to our inestimable ioye and your endlesse felicitie Amen The Parlaments vniust proceeding against Priestes and Catholiks and persecution without all cause by their owne iudgements HItherto the petition of the Catholikes of England penned by the reuerend Priests in that time and by their assent presented to Queene Elizabeth and to her handes deliuered by M. Shelly in the 27. yeare of her raigne as she walked in her Parke at Greenewich and at the time of the Parlament then holdeÌ„ by which Parlament all English men made Priests since the feast of the natiuitie of S. Iohn Baptist in the first yeare of her raigne were made Traytors and the receiuers of them fellons The same M. Shelly for his presuming to deliuer it vnto that Queene not acquainting her priuie Councell there-with before and for no other cause as hee often protested was by Sir Francis Walsingham then chiefe Secretarie committed close prisoner to the Marshallsey where he dyed which was the summe of the answere made vnto this most humble and religious petition which notwithstanding that Queene and her Parlament then proceeded in making that cruell Lawe as commonly the Protestants since haue presumed Although M. Robert Apreece of Washingly in Huntingtonshire lately deceased and in his life a worthy Confessor did often affirme before diuers credible witnesses approuing it againe not three weekes before his death in the presence of many being thereof of purpose demanded that the Earle of Kent which then was and present in that Parlament did constantly affirme that Queene Elizabeth did not confirme that statue but said I' a visera which disabled it to be a lawe He testified further God is called to witnes of this true relation that a gentlemaÌ„ named M. Hambdon at that time gentleman vsher of Bromeley then L. Chancellour and present when the Queene came to allowe or disallow the lawes then entreated and assuredly iustified to the same M. Apreece and diuers other gentlemen assembled togeather at a supper that very daye that this Bill was not passed by the Queenes consent but she said as the Earle before affirmed and that giueth more strength for this to be so The same M. Apreece confirmed vpon his owne knowledge that this statute was not put in the written copie or Catalogue of the lawes that passed in that Parlament was diuulged and so continued a fourtnight together in common acceptance without contradiction But howsoeuer the trueth of this is most true and too true it was and is that by onely pretence of such a lawe many holy and worthy Priestes haue bene most cruelly put to death and most grieuous afflictions raysed and prosecuted against the Catholikes of England by that onely warrant Yet this Queene sometime before her death or at least some of her priuie Councell gaue some hope of a mittigation thinking perhaps that after her death his maiestie that nowe is being vndoubtedly by his true and most lawfull right to succeede could no be so well pleased to finde the Catholikes of England which had endured so much for their constant defence of the most vnquestionable tytle of him and his holy mother to be so grieuously afflicted by the Protestants estate of this kingdome which had not bene so friendly and fauourably vnto it Therefore some hopes were giuen to the Archpriest of England then that his Priestes should at the laste haue disputation with their Bishops and Doctors and this was so credibly related and denounced vnto him that two seuerall times he sommoned appoynted foure of his learned Priests to vndergoe that combate His assigned disputants were these D. VVeston D. Smyth D. Tho. Wright and M. Richard Broughton Three of these also hee appoynted to despute D. Smith M. Wright and M. Broughton at the Parlament in K. Iames his time when the new
oath was enacted and for the fourth assigned Doctor Bishop And to confirme further this relenting disposition in that Queene and the wisest of her counsell besides that which is written before those Priestes whom hee that writeth for the new oath vnder the name of M. Roger Widdrington doeth vntruely challenge for his opinion as both their late Apologie to the contrary the martirdome of some of them for onely refusing it as namely M. Robert Drury and the confession and acknowledgment of that author himselfe vpon certaine knowledge doe testifie they still iustifie that the councell of Q. Elizabeth promised quietnes and tolleration vpon Priests acknowledgement of temporal obedience vnto her which none denyed and this was the motiue as these Priestes haue often protested for I am none of them that they were willing to yeeld so much as their spiritual bond and dutie to the See Apostolik which they except would permit to Queene Elizabeth then their Soueraigne Neither can wee without great aspersion of dishonour and all hope of all kinde of penitencie in that princesse be of other minde For hauing publickly so protested in parlament neuer to vexe or trouble anye Romane Catholike for matter of Religion her case euen by protestants iudgement not to persecute for Religion should be too desperate by their owne proceedings especially if we a little reflect vpō that which all the christian world can witnesse both for priests and Catholikes and our protestant histories themselus thus deliuer vnto vs in these wordes Elizabeth succeeded her sister began her raigne with so generall applause as her sister did by reason the Cleargie the Nobilitie and most of the commons were Romane Catholikes who neuerthelesse although they knew her full determination was to alter their setled course in Religion yet they all with one consent being set in the Parlament house when the certaine newes was brought thē of Queene Maries death they acknowledged her immediate right and presently declared the same by diuers Proclamations and forth-with prepared themselues to performe their homage and fealtie which shee gratiously accepted Howes Historical preface in Queene Elizabeth Stowes Historie anno 1. Elizabeth Cambden in apparal Annal. Thus these Protestant historians and these renowned Bishops Priests and Catholiks were so far from raysing the least resistance against her when as we see they might easily haue kept her from being Queene if they would haue proceeded as Protestants vse to do that those holy Bishops as your greatest Protestant antiquarie writeth Cambden annal pag. 27. though they both thought Queene Elizabeth at that time to deserue the censure of Excommunication and that they had power and authoritie to inflict it on her yet they refrayned to doe it leaste by that meanes the people and subiects of England would take armes against her and so depose her being by them excommunicated And thus tender of this Queenes safety and quiet though after excommunicate and for her birth by our Protestant historians and statutes themselues not in the best estate were all Priests of England after that not onely at that time of the statute against them they were all most free and innocent as is iustified in the petition before confirmed by our Protestant historians which cannot charge any one Priest of those dayes with temporall disobedience but euer after continued in the same dutie and loyaltie not any one accused of the contrarie except they wil instance in M. Ballard for the businesse of the Queene of Scotland and her sonne his Maiestie that now raigneth and long and happely may he raigne amongst vs which we thinke for their dutie they owe to our Soueraigne and King Iames Protestants should not be hastie to vrge and if they should and that matter were as the Protestants then pretended yet but one Priest in 44. yeares seruing for their purpose they may now acknowledge how vnequal and vniust a thing it was to condemne so venerable heigh a function generally for so an heynous offence when they finde none guiltie by their owne proceedings And this innocencie of Priestes was that which in those latter dayes of Q. Elizabeth so inforced that Queene and her councel so cunningly as they could with their politike reputation not to be altogether contrary to themselues and not ingeniously acknowledge the wrongs and iniuries they had offered and done to that sacred vocation to stay the fury and mittigate the rage of their former persecution by occasion whereof and Priestes prooued thus innocēt diuers religious men which spareingly before as those of the Societie or not at all as the Monkes of the order of S. Benedict had visited England resorted hither in some numbers in those latter dayes of that Queene And thus much of the honor and loyaltie of Priests and vndeniable trueth of the Religion they taught in her time Howe the Priestes and Catholikes of England neuer deserued the least persecution or affliction vnder our Soueraigne King Iames but rather fauour honour and reuerence NOW let vs come to the time of our dread leige and Soueraigne King Iames as the world well knoweth the affection and dutifull loue of the Priests and Catholikes of England toward his Maiesties right and most vndoubted true title to this kingdome in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth yet euer performing due obedience vnto her was not inferiour to the best Protestants of this nation so it pleased his Maiestie without any exception of Priest or Papist generally to speake in publike Parlament of this whole Iland I am the husband and all the whole I le is my lawful wife I am the head and it is my bodie I am the Sheepheard and it is my flocke King Iames parl 1. sess 1. He therefore accounteth vs poore members of this his wife his bodie flocke for being but one husband head and shepheard he hath but one wise body and flocke by that relation And at his entrance hither by his regall testimonie wee that be priestes and Catholikes applauded and embraced it with as great ioy and alacritie as those that were Protestants and of his Religion as they pretende his Maiestie tearmeth it sess 1. supr parl 1. a ioy full and general applause and vnexpected readines of our deserts memorable resolution most wonderfull coniunction and harmonie of our hearts in declaring and embraceing our vndoubted King and gouernour at his first entrie into this kingdome the people of all sortes rid and ran other flew to meete him their eyes flaming nothing but sparkles of affection their mouthes and tongues vttering nothing but sounds of ioye their hearts feete and all the rest of their members in their gestures discouering a passionate longing and earnestnes to meete and embrace their new Soueraigne Thus it pleased him to embrace vs in generall as his most louing and dutifull subiects and in particular thus he pittied our former afflictions and intended to mitigate and relieue them my minde saith he was euer free from persecution or thralling my subiectes in matters
of conscience King Iames in Parlament therefore of himselfe he did not thinke vs worthie to be persecuted or inthralled but rather lightned of those miseries as his next wordes a warrant I was so far from encreasing their burdens with Roboam as I haue so much as either time occasion or lawe could permit lightned them And in his censure against Conradus Vorstius the Dutch heretike recounting the differences betweene protestants and vs hee findeth not one for which we may be persecuted but the contrary At his comming in he set the Catholikes and Priestes at libertie gaue free pardons vnto all of them both priests and others that would sue them foorth and paye foure or fiue Nobles at the moste for them to the Lorde Chancellour In those pardons hee remitted both the guilt and danger from priesthood and much more then any of vs had transgressed in he stiled vs as our dignities discentes or callings were gentlemen priestes or of what degree dignitie or preeminence soeuer he were his belooued subiects which wordes and state are incompatible wtth the name of Treason in those pardons hee pardoned whatsoeuer could be in any rigour interpreted to be within the daunger of that Lawe both our comming into England and abyding and remayninge heere so that by pardon being dead they cannot possiblie be reuiued because the graunt is irreuocable Our comming in was but one indiuiall acte and offence in Lawe and so remitted cannot be offence our continuance and remayning so long as we doe not reiterate it againe by going foorth and comming in the second time is also but one particular singular and indiuidual action without discontinuance one ens fluens as all such not interrupted be an hower a daye a weeke a moneth a yeare a life an age and the like This all philosophie common reason whereon our common law is and must be founded teacheth vs. Thus diuers protestāt good lawyers haue answered thus his Maiestie esteemed when hearing of a priest named M. Freeman put to death for his priesthood by the Iudges of Warwicke soone after his Maiesties comming hither with signe of sorrow answered Alas poore man had he not foure nobles to buye his pardon by which he concluded that a priest being pardoned for his priesthood could not after for being a priest be put to death or tearmed a traytour or indanger his friends and receauers but was a free and lawfull true subiect from that imputation His Maiestie also allowed the times of Constantine for times of true Religion and the Roman Church then and after to be the true our mother Church and not to be departed from Then wee may not so vnder-value the learning and iudgement of our learned and Soueraigne in diuinitie and histories but he well knoweth which no learned man is ignorant of that in the time of Constantine the Church of Rome had the same holy sacrifice of Masse and the same holy sacrifycing priesthood which now it hath which I will hereafter demonstrate by the best learned protestant antiquaries of this nation as also that the Church of Rome at the reuolt of King Henry the 8. was the same in all essential things which it was in that prefixed time of Constantine And to be liberal to my needy protestant contrymen in this case I say that the Church of Rome the Religion of the Priests of England their priesthood and sacrifice of the Masse is the same which were in Rome and in this Iland also in S. Peters time in euery age without interruption since then vnto these dayes of Protestants And if we may beleeue Isaac Casaubon the stipendarie champion for the Protestants of England who saith ab ore regis accepi and haec est Religio Regis Angliae c. Isaac Casaubon contra Cardinal Peron Pag. 50.51.52 I haue it from the Kings mouth this is the Religion of the King this is the Religion of the Church of England The fathers of the Primatiue church did acknowledge one sacrifice in christian Religion that succeeded in the place of the sacrifice of Moses The sacrifice offered by Priests is Christs bodie and the same obiect and thing which the Romane Church beleeueth These and such things troubled the heads of some great Protestant persecutors in England their consciences being guiltie of some-what not good that they coulde not enduer the least clemency of his Maiestie towards his loyall and truest catholike subiects but olde stratagems and tragedies of Queene Elizabeths time must needes be renewed and playde againe to bring not only the Catholikes of England but their holy religion if possiblie it could be done into obloquie especiallie with his gratious Maiestie and thereupon an execrable and most damnable treacherie by gunpowder was to be inuented for a few wicked desperatly minded men to doe whom many protestants tearmed papists although the true Priests and Catholikes of England knew them not to bee such nor can any protestant truely say that any one of them was such a one as their lawes and proceedings against vs name Papists Popish recusants or the like What he was papist or protestant rich or poore noble or vnnoble of Courte or countrey that was inuentor of this horrible deuise I will not discusse but referre all indifferently minded men and of iudgement able to discerne the probable trueth in such a cause to the historie and circumstances thereof as they are set downe by the Protestant historian M. Ed. How 's histor of Engl. in King Iames. But to graunt to our Protestant persecutors for arguments sake that which I may not and they will as hardly proue that this wicked interprise was first inuented by Catesby and some of his consorts and that diuers of them were papists and had acquaintance with the chiefe Iesuite then in England who at least in confession knew of this conspiracie did not reueale it that there were foure of this cōpanie arraigned for the conspiracie three gentlemē though two of these Fauxe and Keyes were but seruing men as the fourth Thomas Bates styled yeomā that one Knight and three Esquires concealed it of which the Knight was so ignorant that as the Protestant relator of this matter saith at his death he spake these wordes Howes supr in Sir Edward Digby If he had knowne it first to haue bene so fowle a treason he would not haue concealed it to haue gayned a world Which he could not haue truely said if he had knowne it in particular in it selfe a most horrible damnable thing and the rest as this author writeth dyed penitent and besought all Catholikes neuer to attempt such a bloodie acte being a course which God did neuer fauour nor prosper Those that were vp in tumult with Catesby were as the Protestants relateth Howes supr neuer full fourscore strong besides many of their houshold seruants no doubt papists if their maisters were so forsooke them how erlie yet they diuulged many detestable vntruths against the king state
the protestants condemne some other Iesuits for this matter and among them Father Baldwyne yet hauing him prisoner diuers years vnder their strictest examination they at last dismissed him as innocent and guiltlesse therein that with honour And how-so-euer the case stood with the accused Iesuites we are euideÌ„tly taught by these greatest authorities that both priests and catholikes were vpon this pretence most vniustly persecuted although besides all these reasons wee by publicke consent both of Archpriest best learned cleargie and Catholikes presented and offered to maintaine our cause innocencie in these humble petitions and first to his maiestie in this maner TO THE MOST EXCEL-CELLENT and mightie Prince our gratious and dread Soueraigne IAMES by the grace of God King of great Britaine France and Ireland in the yeare 1605. iustifying the Innocencie of Catholikes and trueth of their holie Religion against all best learned protestant aduersaries Most gratious Soueraigne THe late intended conspiracie against the life of your royall maiestie the life vnion rule and direction to these vnited kingdomes was so heynous an impietie that nothing which is holy can make it legittimate no pretence of Religion can be alleaged to excuse it God and heauen condemne it men and earth detest it innocents bewaile it the nocent and vnhappie delinquents themselues in repentance haue lamented it and your dutiful religious and learned Catholikes Priests and others which haue endured most for their profession holde it in greatest horror and will sweare protest promise and performe to your Maiestie whatsoeuer loyaltie obedience and dutie is due from a subiect to his temporall prince by the word of God lawe of nature or hath bene vsed by the subiects of this kingdome to any your christian progenitors from the first to the last acknowledge and render to your honorable counsel and all magistrates in ciuill causes so much honor reuerence and submission and to all other protestant subiects like amitie and neighbourly affection as if they were of the same Religion which we professe Yet this is the miserable and distressed state of many thousands your most loyall and louing subiectes dread liege for their faithful dutie to God and a Religion taught in this kingdome and embraced by all your progenitors and our ancestors so many hundred yeares that euery aduersary may preach print against vs and make their challenge as though either for ignorance we could not or for distrust of our cause wee were vnwilling to make them answere or come to triall when quite contrarie we haue often earnestly and by all meanes we could desired to haue it granted with equal conditions against the most selected and best learned doctors of that Religion And at this present when your chiefest Protestant Clergie Bishops and others is assembled wee most humblie intreate this so reasonable a placet that although they will not as we feare euer consent to an indifferent choyce opposition and defence in questions yet at the least to auoyde the wonder of the world they will be content that we may haue publike audience of those articles opinions and practise for which we are so much condemned and persecuted If we shall not be able to defend or proue any position generally maintained in our doctrine to be conformeable to those rules in diuinitie which your Maiestie and the protestant lawes of England we can profer no more haue confirmed for holie the canonicall scriptures the first generall councels the dayes of Constantine and the primatiue Church let the penalties be imposed and executed against vs. If we performe it or this petition may not be admitted we trust that both our office to God and dutie to our Prince is discharged in this poynt Your royall person and that honorable Consistory now assembled are holden in your doctrine to be supreame sentencer euen in spiritual busines in this kingdome we therefore hope you wil not in a Courte from whence no appeale is allowed and in matters of such consequence proceede to iudgement or determine of execution before the arraigned is summoned to answere hath receaued or refused trial is or can be prooued guiltie If we be condemned and our cause be iust and religion true it is God not man against whom you proceede in sentence If our profession be erroneous and yet for consent with so manie nations and so long continuance it is lesse vnpunished you onely pardon the frailtie and ignorance of earthly men and fight not with the heauenly Denie not that to vs your euer true and obedient subiects in a religion so auntient which your collegued princes the King of Spaine and the Archduke do offer to the so many yeares disobedient Netherlandes vpon their temporall submittance in so late an embraced doctrine that which the Arrian Emperours of the Easte permitted to the Catholikes Bishops priestes Churches tolleration what the barbarian Vandals often offered and sometimes truely performed in Africke What the Turkish Emperour in Greece and Protestant Princes in Germanie and other places conformable to the examples of Protestant rulers not vnanswerable to your owne princely pietie pittie and promise no degust to any equally minded Protestant or Puritane at home a iubâ—ly to vs distressed a warrant of securitie to your Maiestie in all opinions from all terrours and dangers From which of what kinde soeuer we most humblie beseech the infinite mercie of Almightie God to preserue your Heighnes and send you your Queene and posteritie all happienesse and felicitie both in heauen and earth Amen Another petition of the Catholiks of England to his Maiestie at the same time REmember most worthie Prince not onely howe grieuous but how general the penalties against your catholikes be enacted and yet new threatnings be made that new more strange as nec inter geÌ„tes shall be ordeyned The bodies honors reputations and ritches of the husbands to be punished for their wiues religion and soules to which they are neither husbaÌ„ds nor superiours children to be taken froÌ„ their parents parents to be depriued of their education which Catholike princes doe not and in conscience cannot offer to Iewes themselues though in some opinions the slaues of Christians Children seruants kinsmen and neighbours to be made hired espials to betray their parents maisters kindred in things as vnlawful which the whole catholik world honoreth for holie Commendable arts functions of physicke and which haue no connexion with religion to be put to silence in catholikes The seuere penaltie twentie pounde a moneth for not monethly professing the protestant faith in churches when in all diuinitie the precept of profession of true and vndoubted faith in se ex se bindeth but seldome is to be encreased And others of such condition too many here to be mentioned and too grieuous and vnnatural we hope in your princely opinion to be concluded by a kings consent vnder fauour for all wee instance in one most heauie and generall in those of our deceased Queene All Priestes though neuer
vvould be to your Consistorie vvhole Religion to impose and multiplie penalties vpon vs these offers considered for not doing those things vvhich by your ovvne knovvledge your best learned in diuinitie on vvhose vvordes and vvarrant you hazard your soules cannot nor vvill not take vpon them to maintaine as lavvfull for vs to doe But if so many suites supplications reasons and examples vvill not call you to a contrary minde but you haue set vp your resolution vvithout any ansvvere or defence by vs to be our accusers iudges and executioners and singularly vvithout any example at all in the vvorld either of Christians or others to persist in vehemencie of persecution against our religion let vs finde you so far to harken vnto vs that to retaine the name of lavve-makers you vvill retaine some proportioÌ„ anologie as all so named must doe vvith the most auntient lavve of God of nature nations and this kingdome not to punish tvvice one and the same offence If by strong hand you will haue that to be offence which vve assure our selues is so far froÌ„ that name and nature that the contrary is great and heigh offence to God Non consurgat duplex tribulatio and afflixi te non iterum affligam and againe Deus non punit bis in idipsuÌ„ And as a double punishments is not to be inflicted for one offence so by these lavves pro mensura delicti erit plagarum modus vvhich our auntient lavves in our great charter of England follovve Nullus liber homo amercietur sed secundum modum delicti ipsius saluo tenemento suo Magna Charta cap. 14. Peruse if it please you but the heades of the punishments prouided against vs for sundry respects questionable vvhether any offence or no and shal perceaue that your lavvs do not impose you or prosecute such seuere penalties by many degrees vpon sins that certainly and by al iudgements are confessed and acknovledged to be sinnes yea and great sinnes against the lawe of God nature all nations this Kingdome By this we hope you vnderstand that if you wil haue example either in heauen or earth to follow your persecutions must die or must diminish for we haue yeelded ful satisfactioÌ„ to all your pretended reasons to persecute vs. That which remaineth wee desire you to consider what a resemblance there is or should be betweene yours the heaueÌ„ly court froÌ„ whence the irreuocable law is proceeded with great terror published Woe to theÌ„ that make vniust lawes and writing haue written iniustice that in iudgemeÌ„t they might oppresse the poore and do violence to the cause of the humble of my people that widdowes might be their prey and the spoyle of fatherles So beseeching the almightie that in these and other causes in that heigh Court now in hand you may in such sort proceed as may be to his honor and glory the securitie good of his maiestie his of-spring posterity and this common wealth we leaue you to Gods holy protection Your wel-wishing Countrymen kinsmen alliance frieÌ„ds the Catholike RecusaÌ„ts of this realme of EnglaÌ„d An other also of the like tenure which here ensueth was then with the same assent subscribed with 23. handes of the chiefest Catholike gentlemen of England and presented to the chiefe Secretarie of estate potent in those times in court and councell and as the Catholikes then feared not equally effected towards them though neuer so innocent and wel-deseruing who was one of them who with other of the councell declared to diuers of these gentlemen as they confidently reported vpon their reputation that the Kings pleasure was they should paye no more the penaltie of twentie pounds a month for their recusancie and after when hee had perswaded his maiestie to the contrarie denyed his former assertion of the releace thereof although the gentlemen most sincere and iuste still insisted and maintayned that this messadge was so deliuered vnto them which also the then Earle of Northampton L. Henry Howard did freely confesse acknowledge to be most true And the same Catholiks were more then iealous that this practise of coÌ„spiracie was no great secret to that Secretary long before diuers of them that were actors in it and by him named Catholikes were acquainted with it We may not enter into iudgement where men are not defamed of such inuentions to entrappe those they doe not affect for the rest let M. Howe 's his historie of that matter make relation who it was a great protestant that had more or not much inferiour knowe ledge of it by his relation then some that wer-put to death for concealing it But howsoeuer the petition followeth in these tearmes TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE ROBERT Earle of Salisburie chiefe Secretarie of estate to his Maiestie the petition of the Catholicks of England IF the corrupted and obscured vnderstanding of men not knowing God could among other cloudes and mystes of ignorance be so far blinde in that wherein the lawe light of nature it selfe doth giue sufficient instructioÌ„ to all people and nations that Princes and rulers in authoritie are to be honoured and obeyed yet the heauenly and supernatural illumination doth clearly deliuer all Christians especially Catholikes from such darkenesse and want of dutie giuing knowledge that euerie soule must be subiect to superiour powers that God is he per quem reges regnant and he that resisteth power resisteth the ordinance of God Wherefore vvee your Lordshippes humble suppliants the Lay Catholiques of this Kingdome so long probationers for religious causes haue euer in our hearts wordes and workes abandoned all contrarie proceedings as a Babilonian building and insurrection against the might and commande of heauen damnable and rebellious vnto all regall and princely power peace and vnitie on earth Therefore being admonished by the vvisest King that there is as well tempus loquendi as tacendi and occasions of these times being such as inforce vs to speake least by silence vvee might be censured by some no equall minded-men vnto vs to be suspected criminal in that vvherein as al matters of that nature vve doe and euer did by long-knovvne experience stande most innocent vvee therefore protest concerning the late conspiracie that vvee doe condemne it for a most impious vnnatural barbarous and execrable offence against the lavve of nature the sacred vvord of God and the canons and practise of the holy Catholike Church wherein vvee doe liue to vvhich no pretence of holinesse no petence of Religion no pretence of priuate or publicke authoritie can giue vvarrant to make it lavvful And vvee take God to vvitnesse that vvee vvere neither consenting coÌ„spiring or priuie to that or any such wâ—ked designement but the very remeÌ„brance that any such enterprise should be intended or deuised by any maÌ„ especially bearing the name of a Catholik is the continuall sorrow of our hearts and among al tribulations the obiect of our greatest griefe And for this present and all future times we
offer professe and promise as great ample true and faithful obedience loyaltie dutie to his Maiestie as though he were a Prince of our owne religion as much as any our auncestours in this Kingdome did yeelde to any his heighnes progenitors Kings and Princes thereof or as is required of Catholike subiects in other countries to their Protestant rulers or as any Protestant subiects obserue or performe to their Protestant or Catholike Soueraignes in ciuill obedience That neither vvee can offer nor his Maiestie or estate require more of vs all worlds and generations of meÌ„ Catholikes Protestants Christians Pagans whatsoeuer in this and all other Kingdomes past present and to come wil witnesse for vs. And for our sinceritie dutifull and obedient meaning herein wee appeale to all our persecutors their most strict politicke and cunning inquiries and examinations of our behauiour and carriage from time to time by which vvee stand as clearely vnspotted as irreprehensible as irreprooueable as dutiful in all ciuil respects and duties as any Protestant in this Nation Therefore Right honorable if some fewe vnhappie men of our religion haue made traÌ„sgression of their alleageance we hope it shal be no motiue to change your graue and vnresolued minde from thinking it vndue to impose a burthen vpon innocents for the fact of the guiltie according to your owne excelleÌ„t speeche heeretofore vsed and now at this present Solum necis artifices arte perire sua And your Lordships most christian desire of one vniformitie in true religion in this kingdome bringeth no smale hope vnto vs that now at last our so-long and many times in humble maner requested petitions concerning our not comming to your churches may by your honourable mediation to his Maiestie be brought to tryall by the learned of both parties whether without committing sinne it may be done by vs which wee take to be the onely meanes to bring this kingdome to your so-much desired vniformitie in religion For if your Protestant novv assembled or best learned doctors can and doe prooue it lawfull to our learned diuines vve absolutely offer to performe it vvithout delay or further exception And may it please your Lordship to call to minde the ordinarie knowne practise of Catholikes and Protestants in France Heluetie Germanie and other countries where they communicate in ciuill societies and not in churches and spirituall communications vvhich pleadeth that our refusull is not singular but hauing ground and patronage both from Catholiques and Protestants in this point Our confidence now is that his Maiestie your honour and the state will not take this our humble and necessarie petition in euill parte considering that catholique Emperours Kings of France and other Princes haue granted the like to their Protestant subiects and this in those countries vvhere no other Religion theÌ„ the Catholique Romane Religion hath bene publicklie exercised at any time since their first conuersion from Paganisme All these petitions being presented according to their titles at that time though the two first to his Maiestie were printed and the booke after his maner answered by D. Norton a Protestant Bishoppe yet he neuer tooke notise of either of those petitions or any one sentence of them and the Parlament was as silent for that presented vnto it Onely this Secretaty was so much distasted with the gentlemen that subsigned it that hee tolde M. Anthony Skinner who presented it vnto him that if they were present he would set them all by the heeles a punishment for rogues not for men of their worth and reputation There was no other answere made to these petitions but onely this the oath was enacted and after prosecuted with such violence as the world can witnesse such accompt and regarde hath bene made of our miserie by these Protestants Whether any reformatioÌ„ may be found in the pretended reformers of religion for Catholikes to follow And first of King Henry the 8. with whome neither Catholikes nor Protestants now ioyne in Religion NOW seeing if we be in errour we cannot possible by all meanes we can work procure that the learned protestant bishops and doctors who haue controlled all the christian world in their secret assemblies will vndertake to instruct a few Priests of England but suffer in their proceedings many thousandes of Catholikes by this meanes to be tyrannized ouer both in bodies and soules let vs returne to the first founders of this religion in England The father King Henry the 8. his yong sonne and daughter and see if wee can finde any motiue in their proceedings to mooue vs from our error if we be in error And first to begin with the first the father in this new Religion and spirituall power all Protestant antiquaries Foxe Parker Stowe Holinshed Cambden Howes and the rest entreating of this matter assure vs both that King Henrie the 8. and his fit instrument Cranmer for a cleargie man were the principall and first actors in this Tragedie Foxe tom 2. in Henr. 8 and Cranmar Parker antiq Brit. in Cranm. Stow hist. in Henr. 8. Holinsh. ibi Theater of great Britâ—in eod Howe 's historial praef Cambd. praef hist Eliz. c. and the occasion King Henry tooke to make his reuolt from the Church of Rome because the pope would not consent for his putting away his wife Queene Katherine that holie Ladie of Spayne For before that time king Henry was so obedient a childe to the Sea and Religion of Rome that by the pen of the blessed Bishop Fisher whom hee after put to death for denyal of his assumpted Supreamacy in his owne name he defended them against the scurrilous bookes of Martin Luther and was for that stiled by the Pope Defensor fidei defendor of the faith Henr. 8. l. cont Luther which his Maiestie King Iames still vseth by vertue of that donation One of late among the rest with greatest warrant speaking of this his first reuoult hath these wordes Hovves historicall praeface to his Hist. in Henry 8. This was done after the king was deuorced from Catherine of Spaine his first wife with whom he had liued aboue twenty yeares and by her had fiue children The cleargie nor parlameÌ„t notwithstanding the Kings importunitie would neuer yeelde to the diuorce by reason they could not finde any iust cause The King made Cranmar Archbishop of Canterbury who was very apt and ready to performe the Kings will and he denounced the sentence of diuorce Then the King contrary to the good liking of all men marryed Anne Bulleyne by whom he had the Ladie Elizabeth And then by acte of Parlament made it treason against all men that should say the marriage was not lawful And presently after her birth he pickt a quarrell against Queene Anne and then repealed the former acte made a new acte of Parlament whereby it was enacted that it should be heigh treason for any to iustifie his former marriage to be lawfull and the next day after her behedding he marryed her hand-maid
Scotland against those two blessed Queene Maryes that Q. Mary of England was inforced to make a statute in parlamēt to suppresse yt the Abridgement thereof is thus parlament 2. an 1. Mar. 20. die April 1554. cap. 2. The Regall and kingely power of this realme and all the dignities and prerogatiues of the same shall bee as wel in a Queene as in a kinge How the protestants in England vpon such good doctrine rebelled against that Q. Mary all knowe And in Scotland they rather chosed to crowne our Soueraigne in his cradle then the true Queene his mother should raigne haue any power spirituall or temporall at all in her owne hereditary kingdome Holinsh. histor of Scotland Stowe hist an 1. Iacob but by the violence of those Scottish protestants to bee driuert from thence And landeinge in this kingdome of England Cambden in Annal. in the life of Q. Mary of Scotland Where by these protestants before shee had such iust right of succession as they haue declared left that most vndeniable Title and interest by which moste truely lawfully and vndoubtedly her sonne our soueraigne kinge Iames now enioyeth both this whole kingdome of Britanie Ireland and all the adiacent Ilands by hereditary right from her shee fownde noe further fauour here of the English protestants but to bee a perpetual prisoner in her life and to her eternall glory and english protestants soe longe endureinge shame murthered and martyred at her death Stowe Holinsh. Theater of Britanie in Q. Eliz. c. Moreouer in this soe termed parlament besides the takeinge of this greate and supreame spirituall chardge and office vnto a woman neuer heard of in the world before and suppressinge of the holy sacrifice of the masse euer since Saint Peters tyme as before is proued excepting three yeares of kinge Edward the 6. a child and in place thereof admittinge a forme of communion and common prayer neuer vsed by any people catholicks or protestants but in that shorte tyme alsoe of that yonge kinge in England not any one Article of protestant Religion eyther against the 7. Sacraments of the church inuocatiō of Saints prayer for the dead purgatorie validitie of good workes merit iustification or whatsoeuer els now contradicted by these protestāts was thē or vntil the fourth yeare of Q. Elizabeth concluded by any parlament protestant Authoritie in England but left arbitrary for euery man to beleeue and practize as his fantasie serued without any rule at all Booke of Articles and Conuocation an 1562. And for the communion Booke yt selfe it had not any approbation of any one parlament mā diuine or other as your protestants assure vs but the chardge of making or mareing that was onely committed sayth your prime protestant Antiquary with others Cambden annal pag. 23. Parkero Billo Maio Copo Grindallo whitheado Pilkingtono Theologis Thomaeque Smitho Equiti To Parker Bill May Cope Grindall Whithead and Pilkington diuines and Thomas Smyth a knight The first and cheifest of these seuen beeing Mathew Parker had beene of seuen Religions vnder kinge Henry 8. Edward 6. Q. Mary and Q. Elizabeth chaunging in euery one of those chaunges as before is proued Godwyne Catalog of Bish. in Canterbury Matth. Parkr Foxe to 2. in k. Henr. 8. Edw. 6. Q. Mar. c. and al Q. Maries tyme professinge the catholicke Romane Religion in England both before and after his depriuation of his liuings in the second yeare of Q. Mary for being marryed For the rest of these protestant diuines they were fugitiues for mariadge against the canons of the church and conspiracy against Q. Mary before which time they were in the same disease of chaungeing Religion with the former princes and after their going forth of England professed the religion discipline also of the puritane churches where they liued namely to exemplyfie in the liturgie or common booke of prayer of the protestants of Franckfort published an 1554. in Q. Maryes tyme denyinge both the supreamacy of temporall princes and other matters of english protestant Religion this is the subscription of the english protestants then in all their names Liturgia seu ritus ministerij in Ecclesia peregrinorum Francofordiae an 1544. per Petrum Brubachium in fine in subscript Subscribunt Angli ob Euangelium profugi totius Ecclesiae suae nomine Iohannes Mackbraeus c. The protestants of England that were fled for the Ghospell subscribe in the name of their whole church Ihon Mackbree minister Ihon Stanton William Hamon Ihon Bendall William whithingham and to assure vs that these men in particular before named bee Authors or correctors of yt neyther did nor in their owne iudgment could allowe yt it is euident first both because they were of this protestant Franckford congregation secondly because The first protestants of this kingdome your protestants words Couel in examin pag. 72. in a letter subscribed with eleuen of their hands whereof Knoxe Gilby whithinghame and Godman were foure moste of them hauing iudgement and learninge vtterly condemned yt Couel against Burges pag. 69.122.47.185 Soe did Caluine at Geneua Ridley your protestant Bishopp and supposed martyr in a letter to Grindal himselfe a cheife agent in it all the Caluinists in the world abrode in their publick confessions and at home haue likewise euer and doe still condemne it as alsoe all Lutherans that euer were and all those writers or correctors of it themselus and all the protestants in that first parlament in all probable iudgment except fowre new cownsaylers of Q. Elizabeth the Marquesse of Northampton Earle of Bedford Ihon Grey of Pyrge and Cecile her pauculi intimi to whome onely as sayth your historian Cābden supr in Annal. in Elizab. this matter was communicated vnto re nemini communicata nisi Marchioni Northamptoniae Comiti Bedfordiae Iohanni Greio de Pyrgo Cecilio And this matter was sufficiently proued by some of your late Bishops in the Conference at Hampton Court publickly betweene the protestant Bishops and puritans before our kinge himsemselfe where Barlowe your Bishop in relating of that disputation Barlowe Conference at Hampton Court pag. 14. 15. bringeth in Babington a protestant Bishop of yours openly to acknowledge that in the beginninge your protestants religion and communion booke thereof was proposed and approued in that first parlament by ambiguous and indirect dealeinge of the composers of that communion booke and citeth the Archbishop of yorke to that purpose And if wee may beleeue your protestant Relations of that dispute printed with priuiledge Their protestant Relations of that Confer printed by Ihon windet cap. 1.2.3 all annexed to Barlows Relation wee ar told that your protestant Archbishop of Canterbury Bishop of London Bishop of Wynchester did here vpon their knees before his maiesty confesse as much of the errors of that booke and their Religion thus wee haue from them in three seuerall relations and from the fourth by your Bishop Barlowe as before Finallie thus wee pore catholicke preists and catholicks haue toyled ourselues in searching seeking and preaching all protestants proceedings parlaments lawes writings liues dealeings of these pretended reformers and the further wee wade the deeper wee ar in error if Catholick Religion could possibly bee error for as is euident before wee can finde nothing in any of these protestant patterns and examples but such as confirme vs in that faith wee professe with the catholicke christian world in all ages To which God of his mercy conuert them that bee in error And soe much for this first part of this protestant Plea and petition But seeing wee cannot finde any comforte by your owne writers and relators of these thinges to ioyne with you in your New Religion wee will next proue vnto you by your owne doctors and Antiquaries that holy Religion which wee embrace for which you persecute vs to be the same which was first preached here by Saint Peter and his holy disciples and soe consequently deliuered by Christ himselfe and continued in this nation in all ages euen since then vntill these tymes FINIS APPROBATIO Ego infrascriptus legi libellum Anglicanum cui Titulus praefigitur Protestants plea and petition for Priests and Papists nihil in eo reperi fidei Catholicae vel bonis moribus aduersum quin potius eundem vtilem futurum iudico dignum qui in lucem prodeat Datum Duaci 19. Septemb. 1621. MATTHAEVS KELLISONVS