any money for them onely they must pay for the sawce which according to the custome of the faire they must haue or els they must haue no goose O happy day wherein that faire was first instituted and a secret discouered which no Catholike Kings or Prelats could euer attaine vnto And thrice happy are they who by the light as it should see me of that day did see to make that Statute in the third yere of the Archipres byterie of M. George Blackwell vidi preuaricantes c. 18. Octob. 1600 wherein al right to appeale to Rome being most Catholikely conserued the penalties therein conteined doe onely light vpon such as haue set their hands to that which is prefixed to the Appeale which is nothing els but the causes thereof without which according to the custome and Canons of holy Church the appeale is of no force and are therefore by name to be expressed as we haue before shewed out of the Clementine Appellantide Appellationibus Now it remaineth that we shew when and vpon what occasions the Statutes were made by which the prouisions from Rome and some Appeales to Rome were forbidden First concerning these prouisions there was a statute made either in the 30. or 35. or as some other affirme 25. Edward 1. which was aboue 300. yeeres since wherein it is agreed and established that they should not be suffered There was also the like statute made in the 25. yere of Edw. 3 to the like effect by which it was forbidden that any should be placed in any dignitie without the assent of the King The same is also forbidden in the Parliament holden in the 38. of the same King The occasions of enacting these statutes are set downe as well in that of the 25. of Edw. 1. as elsewhere the iustice of those which were made in the time of Edw. 3. is the more apparant by a letter which hee and his nobles sent in the 17. yeere of his reigne to his Hol. to haue redresse for such defaults as were in that kind committed The Letter was to this effect King Edward and his Nobles perceiuing the derogation that was done to the Realme by such reseruations prouisions and collations of benefices as the Pope practised here in England wrote to him requiring him that sith the Churches of England had beene founded and endowed by noble and worthy men to the end the people might be instructed by people of their owne language and that he being so farre off could not vnderstand the defaults yet his predecessors and hee more then had been vsed by diuers reseruations prouisions and collations made to diuers persons some strangers yea and some enemies to the Realme whereby the money and profits were carried forth their Cures not prouided for according to the founders minds they therefore vpon due considerations thereof signified vnto him that they could not suffer such enormities any longer and therefore besought him to reuoke such reseruations prouisions and collations wholly to auoid such slanders mischiefes and harmes as might ensue and that the Cures might be committed to persons meete for the exercises of the same beseeching him further without delay to signifie his intention sith they meant to bestow their diligence to remedie the matter and see that redresse might be had Giuē in full Parliament at Westminster 18. of May Anno Dom. 1343. Thus far out of Iohn Stow 17. Edw. 3. where he also citeth Auesburie and Honingford Secondly concerning the forbidding of the appeales to Rome we find a Statute made in the 27. of Edw. 3. against those who shall drawe any person in plea out of the Realme of a thing whereof the knowledge appertained to the Kings Court or of such things whereof iudgement was giuen in the Kings courts or should sue in any other courts to defeate or let the iudgements giuen in the Kings Court. To these and other Statutes to the like effect the author of the Apologie affirmeth that the Catholike Bishops neither did nor could assent But whatsoeuer may be said for or against this position concerning the appeales no man can in reason think but that they both might very well and did assent to those statutes which were made against the prouisions or bestowing of dignities in England without the kings consent the causes are so apparantly layd downe by the King and the Nobles for that abridging of his Holines his promoting whom he would and to what dignities hee would in England And thus much may be alledged in the behalfe of the consent of the spirituall Lords to the statute against those appeales That in the new great abridgement printed Anno 1551. there is this clause set to the end of some statutes But the spirituall Lords assented not to this statute And there is no such note set to any of these Statutes which we haue here cited It is also euident that these statutes were not made vpon any heate of emulation against the Clergie for as we finde that in the 38. yeere of King Edw. 3. the statutes against those prouisions made in the 25. and 27. of the same King are confirmed although there be some fauour giuen to the Lords and Prelats offendors so in the 39 yeere of the same King which was the next yeere after we find that the Clergie in England was in as great honour as any Clergie in the worlde as may be shewed by the offices which the Bishops and Priests had then in England For the Bishop of Canterbury was Lord Chancellour of England the Bishop of Bath was L. Treasurer the Archdeacon of Lincolne was Lord priuie Seale the Parson of Somersam was master of the Rolles ten beneficed Priests were masters of the Chancerie the Deane of S. Martins le grand was chiefe Chancellour of the Exchequer Receiuer and Keeper of the Kings Treasure and Iewels the Archd. of Northampton was Chancellor of the Exchequer a Prebendarie of S. Martins was Clerk of the priuie Seale a Prebendarie of S. Steuens was Treasurer of the Kings house the Parson of Auon or Oundell was master of the Wardrobe the Parson of Fenny Stanton was one of the Chamberlaines of the Excheq and Keeper of the Kings Treasury and Iewels Other of the Clergie are noted to haue ben in office also in France in Ireland as well as in England Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the fourth sonne of King Edward 3. hauing the gouernement of England committed vnto him in the time of his fathers last sickenesse which was in the 50. and 51. of his reigne disposed so farre of matters and offices as he conceiued some possibility to attaine to the Crown and to depriue his nephew Richard of Burdeaux who was sonne to the Blacke prince Edward the eldest sonne of King Edward the third But perceiuing that it would be hard for him to obtaine his purpose so long as the Church stood in that estate it did and the citizeens of London enioyed their liberties hee laboured to ouerthrow them both
they list In the first Chapter of the Apol. fol. 2. this author affirmeth that the principall or onely ground of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie is an emulation partly of lay men against Priests and partly of Priests against religious men especially the Fathers of the societie And in the 11. Chap. fol. 161. he sayth that the whole world knoweth that this cōtrouersie is of Priests with the Archpriest and that the stomacke against the Iesuits is for standing with the Archpriest By which besides the contradiction it appeareth how this poore mans memory doth faile him euen in the deciding betweene whome the controuersie is which hee vndertaketh to handle and determine 13 In the same Chapter fol. 6. and 7. the beginning of the association of secular Priests is attributed to the Priests vpon their comming into England A malicious deuise for to discredit the association intended by the priests after they were frustrated of their designments by F. Parsons dealing at Rome whereas his comming to Rome was in the yeere 1597. and not before as appeareth in this place and the association began in the yeere 1595. and F. Parsons was tolde thereof before hee came out of Spaine for Rome 14 Cap 3. fol. 20. The Iesuites care for pure stuffe to make priests of The bookes which are set out by the Priests are sayd to be done by such as went ouer Seruingmen Souldiers and wanderers which is most apparantly false if those were the authors which in the beginning of this Apologie are held to be 15 Fol. 21. It is sayd That the whole bodie and name of Iesuites is impugned which is most false as may appeare in the booke to the Inquisition pag. 5. 16 Cap. 6. fol. 27. D. Norden is saide to haue bene striken by God with a strange accident of repressing his tongue by dumbnesse vntill hee died which is most false hee dying no more strangely then all persons vse to die according to the maner as the sickenesse doth take them It is well knowen that he died of a Lethargie and that he spake many times after he was first taken therewith and died in all points as became a Catholike priest as there are many to witnesse who were present 17 Cap. 8. fol. 98. His Holines is sayd to haue resolued to yeeld to the erecting of a gouernment in England vpon a mature deliberation taken of certaine letters which by the date there set downe were written in England after that this gouernment was erected Conferre them with the date of the Card Caietanes letters of the institution of the Archpriest Martij 7. 1598. and the first of these here cited wil be seene to haue bene written in England about a moneth before 18 Fol. 109. The falsehood which is layd to M. Blackewel in his proposing false instructions and affirming them to haue been annexed to his Commission is shuffled ouer with an assertion that his instructions came with his letters which no man euer doubted of The exception was against those which were proposed for such and were not such 19 In the same leafe M. Blackewell his persisting in this error that we could not appeale from him to his Holines is shifted first in this maner We are sure he did not say it in the sense they take it Secondly thus Many men in the world might say this in diuers cases wherin Appeale is cut off by his Holinesse consent and order A couple of good ieasts The first is common to that sort of people to flie to secret senses to iustifie any thing whatsoeuer passeth them And it were not altogether so intolerable if they would vnder the pretence that sometime men may aequiuocate by the example of our Sauiour other his saints onely vse it to saue themselues from being taken for such as they are but they will pleasure their friends with the like and be as ready to giue a sense of other mens words as their owne but with this difference that if they can possibly deuise how to draw other mens words to an euill sense they will peremptorily affirme that those men spake their wordes in that sense And this their frowardnes towards others is sufficiently discouered cap 2. Apol fol. 16. where the priests assertions that authority is not an infallible rule of trueth and that but one vpon earth is warranted from error and not he in all things are called in question by this author vpon some his imaginary senses But in the late spritish manifestation of spirits cap. 1. hee discouereth himselfe egregiously in this kinde where confessing that Statutes haue bene made both by our ancient kings of England and by our protestant princes by which they haue forbidden prouisions from Rome of dignities Benefices he telleth his Reader very peremptorily that they priests do conspire and iumpe with the protestant and in a false and hereticall sense obiect the statute of Praemunire Which also he would seeme to proue by giuing a reason why the olde statutes were made as though neither the statute were to bee interpreted according to the contents thereof whatsoeuer was the cause of the making thereof nor the absolute prouision of dignities from Rome forbidden because the motiue of that statute was to keepe the treasure of England within the land which was raised by the benefices at that time annexed to the dignities But to make this his cauill more plaine the dignity of a legate had no spirituall liuing annexed vnto it and yet did those Catholike princes hold him to haue incurred the penaltie of the Statute of Praemunire who would exercise a power Legantine in England without the Soueraignes consent as may appeare by the answere of Card. Wolsey when they endighted him in a Praemunire vpon those statutes constrained thereunto sayth the history to intitle the King to his goods and possessions Iohn Stow 21. Hen. 8. My Lords iudges the Kings highnesse knoweth whether I haue offended his Maiestie or no in vsing of my prerogatiue Legantine for the which I am indited I haue the Kings license in my coffers vnder his hand and broad Scale for the exercising and vsing thereof in the most largest wise the which are now in the handes of my enemies Therefore because I will not stand in question with the King in his owne cause I will here presently confesse before you the inditement and put me wholly to the mercy and grace of the King trusting that he hath a conscience and a discretion to consider the truth and my humble submission and obedience wherein I might right well stand to the tryall thereof by iustice c. By which it appeareth that although his Maiesty who then was were mooued by some of his counsell infected with Luthers doctrine to condemne the Cardinal for vsing his power Legantine yet it is euident by this that when the King was most Catholike and the Cardinal also the Cardinall would not exercise his authoritie Legantine without the Kings license and
contempt of temporall goods his conuersation was with those Religious that had no possessions and ioined himselfe vnto the begging Fryers approouing their pouertie and extolling their perfection Euident tokens that hee had left the state of a Secular Priest and ascended to some higher degree of perfection But as it should seeme he was neither Monke nor Frier but talis qualis such as he was or as other perchance who came after him although they follow him not in all things For as it appeareth in our Chronicles hee preached against Monkes and other religious men that had possessions and taught such doctrine as hee was condemned for it in the Council of Constance as an heretike and his bones were taken vp and burned as is beforesaid Whereby also this authour is proued to forget himselfe very much to number him amongst the Clergie which is generally taken for such as are not onely in Orders but liue also in vnitie of the faith Wherefore purposing to tell a tale of emulation in the Clergie against the Religious he should haue taken some other to haue prooued it then Wickliffe who also by his pretence no doubt of greater perfection had forsaken the state of a Secular Clergie man as appeared by his habit and conuersation To these falshoods and couert calumnies against the Secular Priests this deceit of this author may be added That whereas the Chronicles doe mention that not only Iohn Wickliffe but foure doctors of diuinitie also one of euery Order of the begging Fryers ioyning with him were imployed by Iohn of Gaunt in his grudge against Bish Wickham of Winchester in whose defence the B. of London not Arundell as this author affirmeth but Courtney speaking as became him to doe Iohn of Gaunt threatned him also and swore that he would pull downe both the pride of him and of all the Bishops in England this author mentioneth onely the Secular Priest as he termeth him without any mention of the orders of Religion which were also imployed Moreouer it soundeth very foolishly that Iohn of Gaunt would set Iohn Wickliffe against the Monkes vpon an emulation which hee had against the Bishops their estates depending so little vpon the estate of the Monkes as when all the Abbyes in England were put downe the Bishops remained in as great honour as euer they did And wheras it is further said that the Abbey lands were taken from the Monkes and giuen to the maintenance of the crowne by the same emulation of the Clergie against the Religious in the time of K. Henry the eight it is most false the Abbyes being then put downe by a change of Religion which had not the beginning vpon any such emulation as this author affirmeth but vpon the perswasion of Longland B. of Lincolne the Kings confessor fortified by Card. Wolsey viz. that his Highnesse mariage with the Lady Katherine his brother Prince Arthurs wife was vnlawfull and against the word of God whereby the King being induced to seeke a diuorce but crossed therein with the Pope by Charles the fift nephew of the Lady Katherine and some others as well of the Laytie as the Clergie both Secular and Religious here in England it wrought in the King such a dislike of his Holines and others as it procured not onely the ouerthrow of the Abbyes but such a change in Religion as since the world hath seene Of this alteration therefore if any emulation were the beginning it was an emulation in the Cardinall who dealt with B. Longland to perswade the King as is mentioned and afterward did second him with all his might himselfe against the Emperour for hindering him of the Popedome and neither the sister nor the mother to ambition as this author would haue it but her daughter But the greatest folly committed by this author in this his exordium is not yet touched and that is that among all other histories impertinent to the cōtrouersie in question he would make his choyse of one wherein himselfe if we are not deceiued is notoriously disciphered Iohn Wickliffe was a Secular priest being a priest and neither Monke nor Friar and no Secular priest as differing from them in habit and conuersing with the religious Mendicants vnder pretence of greater perfection His followers tooke no name of him as both Monkes and Friers do of their founders and Sectaries of their Masters but went vnder the name which the common people gaue them to wit Lollards He was vsed as an instrument by Iohn of Gant to bring that to passe which this Duke had long conceiued in his mind For he saw saith the Historie Ioh. Stow. sup that it would be hard for him to obtaine his purpose the Church standing in his full state c. Wherefore he laboured first to ouerthrow aswell the liberties of the Church c. And to this end did Iohn Wickliffe bestow his talents for he was not onely eloquent saith the historie but also seemed to contemne temporall goods for the loue of eternall riches c. This authour being in a state which once was of Secular priests now no state of Secular priests not because he will be taken for either Monke or Frier or goe barefoote as Iohn Wickliffe did and his followers or basely clothed for these are outward mortifications which of what edification soeuer they are yet are not worthy of that honour which is due to the inward mortifications which lie hid and are not seene by the corporall eye But because Pope Gregorie the 13. hath so declared it yet so as he being filius populi as people say hath no other name but what the people giue him he is imployed not by Iohn of Gant himselfe in his owne person for this great Duke died aboue 200 yeeres since but by Iohn of Gant in some of his posteritie who hath somewhat to bring to passe which he hath long conceiued in his mind for the effecting of which this godly Father is busied in the corrupting the Cleargie of England or the vtter ouerthowing it which at this present he and his doe worke by taking from them their good name and fame and making them odious without iust cause to the people And to the end that he would be knowen not to haue spent his time idlely in Wickliffe his schoole he hath not onely imployed his tongue but his pen also and in his first platforme of Reformation hath ordeined that none of the Clergie shall possesse any temporall liuings but shall liue vpon such pensions as shall to certaine of his company and some secular Priests ioyned with them in their wisedome seeme necessary for their maintenance But let vs now see whether this authour can fit himselfe better in the next point In the beginning also saith he of this Queenes dayes the little affection which the Laitie did beare vnto the Clergie procured by some vnquiet spirits as also the small vnion of diuers Clergie men among themselues some holding with the heretikes and politikes by beate of faction
liuely represent the knowen old medicine to kill fleas by putting dust in their mouthes If but halfe of these matters here alledged were proued against the Priests doubtlesse they were to be auoyded by Catholicks as such as wanting no faults in themselues would hardly instruct others in vertue But this Author being not as yet setled to his Apologie without doubt discouereth that hee is not free from all those vices which he hath reckoned if he want any of them who vpon so smal or rather no cause or euidence would haue his Reader to enter into so rash and vile a iudgement of the Secular priests as though his Apologie were to no purpose vnlesse his Reader would carry such an vncharitable conceit of them as there should be no need of any Apologie or defence of those who are their aduersaries But now to his ground of this present contention The principall or onely ground saith he of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie is the very same disease of emulation partly of Lay men against Priests and partly of Priests against religious men especially the Fathers of the Societie with whom at this time they haue to doe c. We haue before shewed that the emulation of the Laitie against the Cleargie of which he speaketh before was for that the Cleargie were thought to be an hinderance to some designments of the Laitie and thereupon some few deuised how to indomage the Cleargie The emulation also which was said to haue bene in the Cleargie against the religious Ioâ—… Stow in Edw. 3. Anno 13â—7 hath bene shewed not to haue bene in the Cleargie but in Wickliffe and his societie surnamed by the people Lollards And if any of the Cleargie may be said to haue ioyned with Wickliffe in that his insolent and heretical attempt they were of the Religious cleargie and not of the Secular And this emulation was against the religious who had possessions Now then good sir if the principall or onely ground of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie is the very same disease of emulation you must shew what like cause the Lay men haue found in the Cleargie or the Priests in the Religious especially the Fathers of the Societie who by their rule haue no properties nor can possesse any thing T.W. in his Diâ—resâ—…on from the 16. Martyrs pag 63. as M T.W. would haue vs to thinke We haue giuen a cause before of the contrary part why the Lay men who follow the Iesuits and the Iesuits also may be thought to stirre vp themselues against some Secular Priests to wit because that some of the Secular Priests cannot bee brought to like of such plots as the Iesuits haue layd for the inuasion of our Countrey in which they haue imployed themselues oftentimes and thrust also some Secular Priests into the action although most grieuously against their wills namely in the yeere 1596. And if this Author had not vsed this parenthesis speaking of Religious men especially the Fathers of the Societie with whom at this present they haue to do we should neuer haue dreamed that this digression from hurts done in this Queenes dayes had bene made against the Priests who stand vpon their defence against the impostures of the Iesuits and their adherents because so small a number of the Laity doe stand with those priests and the priests themselues are so few by this good fellow his accompt as he disdaineth much that they are called the priests And in the 11. Chap. of the Apol. fol. 162. he alledgeth it for the second abuse sleight or shift which was vsed towards his Holines in the title of the booke dedicated vnto him wherein it is said that the troubles were betweene the Iesuits on th' one side with the Archpr. c and the Seminary priests on th' other side But no doubt herein this fellow his memory did faile him as also in another matter there mentioned For whereas here he affirmeth that the principall only ground of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie is the very same disease of emulation partly of Lay men against priests and partly of Priests against religious men especially the Fathers of the Societie In the 11. Chap fol. 161. 162. hee affirmeth that the Priests their controuersie is with the Archpr. c. and that their stomacke against the Iesuits is for standing with him and for him So as by this reckoning the case is plainely altered For if the principall and onely ground of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie be the very same disease of emulation partly of Laymen against Priests and partly of Priests against religious men especially the Iesuits to which of these two members will this Author bring this controuersie which in the 11. Chap. he saith is betweene Priests and their Archpriest he cannot bring it to the first which is of Lay men against Priests for then hee must accompt the Priests betweene whom and the Archpr. the controuersie is or the Archpr. among Lay men which I trust he will not He cannot bring it to the second which is of Priests against Religious For then the Archpr. betweene whom and the priests is the controuersie must be confessed to be religious which also as I weene he will not say especially that he is a Iesuit as hee expoundeth himselfe or a Father of the Societie with whom at this present as he saith here they the priests haue to doe For at this he laughed Num. 16. in his table of falsehoods But perchance his strayning to disgorge himselfe caused a lightnes in his head that he knew not well what hee said The filth then before shewed being now out of his stomacke For better declaration of this matter saith he I shall goe forward with the narration of those hurts and difficulties which vpon emulation haue fallen out in this our English cause vnder the Queene that now is especially concerning the Seminaries and the reduction of England by that way and meane procured for these 20. yeeres and more to wit since the beginning of the Romane English Colledge which was in the yeere 1578. at what time a contention beganne betweene M. Doct. Lewis then Archdeacon of Cambray but after B. of Cassana and the English schollers about the maner of gouernment and gouernors of that house erected especially by his procurement and industry He hath shewed you before what hurt came to England by the emulation which some Catholicks had against the restoring of a new English Clergie at Doway which notwithstanding the Seminary there florished and afterward also at Rhemes in France in such sort as England thankes be to God did not feele that hurt vntill new Lords came who were of the Iesuits faction and were forced sometime to runne with them for some respects how smal soeuer their inward deuotion was vnto them Now he will giue you to vnderstand what great hurt our English cause hath had by emulation which was at Rome
discouered in his imploying of Hesket who was executed at S. Albones for his seruice done to the same F. Holt the Iesuit and other the plotters of the raising of the noble Ferdinand Earle of Darby to the Crowne of England by the assistance of Sir William Stanley and other such like After which the good Earle likewise enioyed his life but a little while but died an vntimely death in the prime of his age How farre forward this Owen also mentioned here might be in these actions we leaue it to men of vnderstanding he being pew-fellow with F Holt in the English affaires as it should seeme by this Author And certaine letters of his of the 5. of April 1596 doe shew euidently that he was a dealer with the Spanish faction against England And whereas this Author among other his impertinent stuffe doeth here gird at the dimission of M.D.B. out of the English Colledge at Rome to quit perchance the story of that infamous expulsion of F. Parsons out of Baliol Colledge in Oxford he hath made his answer to this and set it to M. D. Ely his notes vpon the Apologie But this is also here to be noted that he was sent into England very honourably and was admitted into the sodalitie of our Lady which was at that time a fauour so ioyned with those who were esteemed well of by the Iesuits as if any of that sodalitie had bene factious or behaued themselues contrary to their liking they were expelled or reduced to a kinde of Nouiceship as some Iesuits in England can testifie This also is certaine that the visitation of which there is mention made in this Apologie to haue bene about that time was long after his departure vpon an open breach and parts-taking in the Colledge betweene the Iesuits and many of the Students And thus much concerning Iohn of Gaunt Iohn Wickliffe the dissolution of Abbeyes in the time of King Henry the 8 the Q. Mary Priests the going to Church the emulation against the institution of the Seminaries the dealings of the Counsell by spies to further the diuision begun in and for the Seminaries the parting of some Gentlemen from D. Allen F. Parsons Sir Frances Englefield and the whole body of Catholicks vnited in certaine affaires of our Countrey more matters against the Seminaries the writings of G. G. and E. G. against D. Allen F. Parsons and the Iesuits the hinderance of D. Allen when he was to be made Cardinall and the setting vp of his emulator and the breaking foorth of all factions against the Iesuits in Rome Flanders and England Now we shall come to more domesticall affaires And first of all we must vnderstand that Fa. Parsons comming to Rome in the yeere 1597 made an end of those stirres which were betweene the English students and the Iesuits which we are not here to examine but referre the Reader to the particuler discourse which is made thereof That which concerneth vs here is the bold and vnshamefast assertion of this Author who to make a lewd entrance into a like relation he telleth his Reader that the association which was begun in England by the Priests was deuised by the relicks of the troublesome which F. Parsons had after his comming to Rome acquieted These are his words But the relicks of those that had bene troublesome and vnquiet before comming into England and conferring againe with their consorts of their former actions and designements frustrated as they thought by F. Parsons dealing at Rome resolued to begin againe but after another fashion to wit by deuising a certaine new Association among themselues with offices and prelacies of their owne institution where unto meaning to be chosen by voyces of such as they would procure to fauour them his Holines should be inforced afterward to confirme them c. What is it vpon which this audacious companion will not aduenture who so shamelesly will report a matter controllable by all the Catholicks in England who can witnes that this Association was begunne long before the yeere 1597 and consequently before Fa. Parsons came to Rome as may apparantly be gathered out of this place of the Apologie Yea Fa. Parsons himselfe as good proofe will bee made had vnderstanding of this Association when he was in Spaine and M. Iames Standish who was one of the first dealers therein was at Rome before Fa. Parsons came thither And could this fellow without a vizard publish that it was deuised by the relicks of those troublesome as hee termeth them whose designements were frustrated as they thought by Fa. Parsons dealing at Rome Is it not easily seene with what spirits assistance this is written when as this very same Author in the same booke Ca. 7. fol. 89. turneth this matter to M. Mush and an other vpon his returne from Rome the death of the Card. which was in the yeere 1594 and fol. 90. bringeth witnes of his owne that it begun about 4. or 5. yeres before a letter dated the 2. of May in the yeere of our Lord 1601 And fol. 96. the examination of Fisher conuinceth most plainely that it was begun before his being returned backe out of England in the yeere 1597 as appeareth fol. 93. Moreouer that which here in generall termes he calleth offices and prelacies of the Priests institution in the 7. Chap. fol. 90 he calleth a superioritie as it were of Archbishops the one for the South the other for the North which if it had bene so was no prelacie of these Priests institution as all Christendome will witnes But there was no such matter as M. Blackwell his pen will witnes which was vsed to proue how inconuenient it was for one to haue so great a charge neither can this Author proue that euer there was any thing intended but an order or rule vnder which who would might liue and those who would not might chuse And there is asmuch confessed in this Apologie Cap. 7. fol. 90 where wee finde in the letters of the sixe Assistants to the Nuntius in Flanders of the 2. of May 1601 that there were Chapters in the new constitutions of the Association of those that are to bee admitted or expelled Which is a demonstration that this fellow enlargeth himselfe too farre beyond the trueth in this point as also when he affirmeth that those relicks of the troublesome at Rome deuised a new Association in England with offices and prelacies of their owne institution as if they were Archbishops the one for the North the other for the South as Cap. 7. he explicateth himselfe and addeth here in this place a stranger conceit then was in all the rest that is that his Holines should be inforced afterward to confirme them For how this force should be offered to his Holines we do not vnderstand especially if it were true as it is as far from the trueth as that which we haue already shewed which fol. 90. is said that this Association was to the preiudice of others And
For the ruine of the Citie liberties he deuised that it should no more be gouerned by the Maior and Aldermen but by some Captaine appointed for the purpose And that the Marshall of England who then was a trustie friend of his and placed in that office by him should vse his authoritie as well in London and the liberties thereof as els where which the Commons taking in euill part rose together in great multitudes and in heate of emulation to vse this authors words sought the Duke and the Marshall with such fury as if the Bishop of London had not happened to appease them the Duke and the Marshall had not escaped them But when all was quiet and the best of the Citie for the common sort would not obey it had giuen such satisfaction as the king commanded the Duke tooke exceptions thereat affirming that they knew his minde and were not ignorant how to make satisfaction with which words sayth the historie the citizens were much troubled for quoth they among themselues hee would haue vs to proclaime him King but this shall neuer be done The way which hee tooke to ouerthrow the estare of the Church was by countenancing Iohn Wickliffe who by reason of an hypocriticall demeanour among the Common people had gotten an opinion of holinesse Hee had liued as a secular priest but afterward hee changed his habit and conuersed with the Friars mendicants Hee and his company went bare footed and in course russet garments down to the heeles They preached especially against Monkes and other religious men that had possessions and for this cause got in some fauour with the Religious who had no possessions and were assisted by them in that cause This Wickliffe being called before his Ordinary to answere for certaine wordes spoken by him was brought in by the Duke and the Marshal into S. Pauls Church in London and was bidden by them to sit downe as hauing much to answere which when the Bishop Courtney of London vnderstoode hee countermanded it Whereupon the Duke and the Marshall tooke occasion of anger against the Bishop and the Duke threatned to pull downe both the pride of him and of all the Bishops of England He had before caused all the goods of the Bishop Wickham of Winchester to be seized on and would not suffer him to make his answere and had persecuted others who had bene most vsed by his father in the gouernement of the Realme But shortly this Bishop had his temporalties restored vnto him by king Edward against the Dukes will and presently after the Duke and he were made friends at the very beginning of the reigne of King Richard the second who succeeded King Edward the third And this accord was not onely made betweene them but also betweene the Duke and the citie And thus ceased that heate of emulation so soone as it was begun and yet it began not vntill the 50 or 51 yeere of K. Ed. the 3 in whose 17 25 27 38 yeres of his reigne the statutes before cited were begun to be treated of made concerning the abridging of prouisions for dignities from Rome and the forbidding of Appeales in some cases to Rome besides what we brought concerning the first of these two points out of a statute made aboue 300 yeres since to wit in the 25 of Ed. the first By which it may appeare that it was treated concerning these points before Wickliffe rose how deceitfully these matters are layd vpon a heate of emulation against the Clergie And although in the 9 yere of the reign of K. Rich. the 2 there was a Bil put vp in the Parliament against the Clergy for their temporalties the King hearing sayth the story the inordinate cryings out of the Laity the iust answeres of the Clergy cōmanded that the bil should be cancelled such inordinate petitions to cease affirmed that he would preserue the church during his time in as good state as he foūd it or in better And the king being then not past 20 yeeres of age no doubt but his nobles counselled him in this his answere which is an argument that at that time the aduersaries of the Clergy did beare no great sway in England In the 18. yeere also of his reigne the Clergie and religious men being oppugned by certaine fauourers of those hypocritical Lollards the King being in Ireland certified therof hastened home and threatned those fellowes that if they did from thencefoorth fauour the Lollards or in any wise comfort them he would extreamly punish them By which it is euident that what was enacted or confirmed by him in the 16 yeere of his reigne which was two yeres before this or at other times concerning those points cannot bee construed to haue bene done by heate of emulation against the Clergie King Henry also the fourth who was sonne of Iohn of Gaunt and succeeded King Richard the second was so great an enemy to these Lollards as in the beginning of his reigne at a Parliament held in London he made a statute against them wherein it was enacted that they should be apprehended and deliuered to the Bishop of the Diocesse and if they were found obstinate they should be degraded and committed to the secular iurisdiction to be executed And in the fifth yere of his reigne when some to relieue his want made a motion in the Parliament to haue the Clergie depriued of their temporalties and Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterburie had giuen his reasons to the contrary the king and his Nobles stood for the Bishops and those knights of the parliament who were actors against the Clergie were brought to confesse their offence and to aske forgiuenesse thereof To conclude no one of these statutes were euer repealed by any of our princes Catholike or other which concerned those prohibitions of prouisions from Rome or pleading of matters out of this Realme the knowledge whereof did appertaine vnto the kings Court although some particular clause concerning the punishment of the offenders hath been repealed As for example where it was lawfull for any man or at the least not punishable by our lawes to kill such as were out of the kings protection or to be taken as the Kings enemies by offending against these statutes And in the first yeere of Queene Mary whom the Author of the Apologie will bee ashamed to number amongst the worst kings for according to the statutes of our Realme what prerogatiues soeuer any kings haue had they are to be vnderstood to be fully and wholly in the Queenes who come by succession to the Crowne when no doubt these statutes were in minde it was enacted that all offences made felonie or limitted or appointed to be within the case of Premunire by any act or actes of Parliament statute or statutes made sithence the first day of the first yere of the raigne of the late king of famous memory King Henry the eighth not being felony before nor within the case of Premunire
there is a scornefull speech of the degree of Doctour in Diuinitie where speaking of Master Doctour Bagshaw thus he saith and all this stirre to make roome to his Doctourship a degree wont to be honoured among honest Catholike priestes which God knoweth in what corner of the worlde he got it and how worthily but certaine it is as farre as we are informed by ordinary commendation of his Superiours he had it not God and the world knoweth that he had his Doctorship at which this silly fellow gybeth in no corner of the world vnlesse one of the most famous Vniuersities in Italy be to be tearmed a corner of the world For it is well knowen that hee tooke his Doctourship in Padua and hee tooke it so woorthily as this poore fellow might come learne diuinitie of him these many yeeres although his grauitie perchance would thinke much thereof And it is certaine also howsoeuer this fellow is informed that he had it by the ordinary commendation of his Superiour who at that time was no other then his Holinesse who in his predecessours time admitted all into the degree of Doctourship who should be iudged worthy thereof by such as were in office for that purpose in that Vniuersitie aswell as in all others and the most iniurious Breue which afterwardes the Iesuites procured against all Englishmen aswell Diuines as Lawyers was not as yet procured by them But this fellow his griefe is that he or any other should take degrees vnlesse they would become of their faction which maketh them to haue so many venerable Doctours for them and so forward as some of them haue not blushed to take vpon them to heare and determine the matters of such learned men as were iudged most worthy of that degree and had it and other honourable places in Gods Church when these were blockheaded boyes and cannot but mooue wonder and also laughter to those who knewe them to thinke in what corner or how they came to be made Doctours But they were the fittest subiects for Iesuites to worke vppon and stood most in neede of extraordinarie commendations from such Superiours as here this Authour would that M. D. Bagshaw should haue had for the taking of his degree As for the other points touched in this sixt chapter concerning the stirres in Wisbich I am to referre the Reader to a relation set out thereof before this Apologie appeared and to that which M.D. Bagshaw hath set foorth already at the ende of M. D. Ely his notes and what others now touched here shal hereafter say of these matters CHAP. 12. How this present controuersie is dissembled and fetched from a head in Flanders by the Apologie-maker Apol. ca. 7. IN the seuenth Chapter of the Apologie the Author intendeth to shewe the generall troubles and disquietnesse which were raised among the English Catholikes in Flaunders and England during the former stirres in Rome and Wisbich and how the one gaue hand vnto the other that all proceeded from different members of the selfe same faction And this his narration of the Flemish troubles he beginneth at the yere of our Lord 1588. and continueth it with many idle discourses and altogether impertinent to the present controuersie But when he hath told his tale of those matters then he patcheth thereunto the stirres in England with an As in the cōtrouersie against F. Holt others in Flanders these few had against them all the body of our Cath. nation c. So fareth it now in England where a very few at the beginning partly vpon stomacke and auersion or rather discontentment partly of ambition vnquietnes of spirit and desire of contention as by their doings may appeare they began to oppose themselues against the whole streame of other Catholikes deuising particular wayes for their owne preferment The admirable mildnesse of this Apologie-maker and his true religious pietie But it is great pitie to interrupt him for he meaneth to shewe his reader the true state of the question and thus hee proceedeth And since that time haue drawen in diuers other one vpon one motiue another vpon another some for preferrement some for discontentment some for other occasions to take their parts and being once engaged to leape with them from an inch to an ell from a little slide to a headlong precipitation A godly procession but where is the true state of the question Forsooth and this is the true state of the question Happie is he who can vnderstand it A few discontented vpon such causes as this author affirmeth began to oppose themselues against the whole streame of other Catholikes but you must goe looke wherein and those fewe made some other to leape from an inch to an ell and this is the true state of the question How haue we hitherto bene deceiued in taking the true state of the question to be in matters principally between the Secular Priests and the Iesuits as sometime we are told in this Apologie namely in the first Chapter fol. 2. or betweene the Secular Priests and their Archpriest principally as other sometime we are tolde in the same Apologie cap. 11. fol. 161 Now we must beleeue that the true state of the question is betweene some fewe and the whole streame of other Catholikes But what skilleth it since that euery thing is vsed in his place to some good purpose for the bringing about that which is principally intended by the authors of the Apologie The opposition then against the whole streame of Catholikes and particular deuises for preferment with the making diuers other to leape or slide must here be suggested to be the true state of the question which how deeply it may touch the Iesuits and their factious adherents is or will be declared elsewhere to wit with what ambition they sought their owne preferment in the castle of Wisbich and with what scandall they wrought it by a most wicked separation or schisme at what time the true state of the question was whether the Iesuites and their fellow-factious committed any sinne or did like Christians in making that diuision in Wisbich from their fellow prisoners and priests as they were suffering all vnder that name of Catholikes and Catholike priests Secondly with what ambition vnquietnesse of spirit and desire of contention the Iesuites began to oppose themselues against other Catholike priests when they writ that wicked and senslesse libell of schisme omitting no name of disgrace which a Iesuits malice could deuise at what time the true state of the question was whether the priests were bound to subiect themselues to an authoritie procured by falshood as the letters of institution shewed proposed with falshood as then the Archpriest being taken in the manner could not deny put in execution contrary to the tenour thereof hauing no letters from his Holinesse besides whom the Priestes had no knowen Superiour either for the erection of that authoritie nor any testimonie that any other had power giuen vnto them by him to make
vnderstand what reason he had in this place to make this note in the margent How this last sedition in England began shewing nothing in the text but his general conceit of an emulation and diuision begun in England by some Priests against the Fathers of the Societie and bringeth no other proofe therof then the Card Allen his letter aboue mentioned wherein there is no more mention of any diuision by Secular priests against the Iesuits then by the Iesuits against Secular priests as hath bene shewed And if by this note we are giuen to vnderstand How that this last sedition in England began before this letter of the Car. Allen was written then at the latest this last sedition must haue his beginning in the yere of our Lord 1594 or before For in that yeere the Cardinal died as it is here confessed in the Apol fol. 6. Now then if this last sedition in England did begin in the yeere of our Lord 1594 or before what was the secret intention which this Religious spirit had when in the 9. Chap. of this Apologie fol. 131. it made this marginal note The first beginners of the sedition M. Collington and M. Charnocke by his owne confession how could these men be the beginners of this sedition by an acte done in the yeere of our Lord 1598 at the soonest for so the letter constitutiue beareth date about which this confession is said to haue bene made when this author affirmeth that this last sedition was begun in the time of Card. Allen who died in the yeere of our Lord 1594. But as the good-wife of an Ordinary saith A ioynt is a ioynt so with this good fellow A booke is a booke And it is no great matter how one piece is patched to another the fooles who are deuoted vnto him wil take al with blinde obedience and for the rest there wil be some other deuise as to stand stoutly to the auerring of any thing which may further his cause or the denying whatsoeuer may hinder it Hauing thus farre presumed vpon the simplicity of his Reader he proceedeth in his declaration of the way or path or the supposed true state of the question and continueth his tale of M. Mush his negotiation But returning saith he into England as he went foorth and the Cardinall soone after dying he ioyned with an other of his owne humour that had left another religion namely the Carthusians and in the margent he setteth M Iohn Collington and they two with some few other determined to make a certaine newe Hierarchie of their owne calling it an association of Clergie men with two Superiours as it were Archbishops the one for the South and the other for the North with certaine Rules and deuises impossible to be obserued in England while times and matters doe remaine as they doe c. It is very well knowen that M. Mush returning into England imployed himselfe in more offices of charitie then all the Iesuites in England And all the North parts of England will affirme it especially those who were in durance for their conscience And when the spirit of the Iesuits mooued them vnder pretence of reformation in Wisbich to make their scandalous separation and schisme he went thither accompanied with M. Dudlie where after that they had spent some dayes and perceiued that there was no hope of any accord but by the cōmandement of him who was Superiour to F. Weston who canuased in Wisbich for a superioritie vnder the title of an Agent he came to London where he found this Superiour and after long conference with him about it as one who was loath the matter beganne should go backward he promised at the length to send such letters vnto Wisbich by them that at the sight thereof his subiect Fa. Weston should surcease from that intended Agencie and all should bee well But M. Mush and M. Dudlie were compelled to send for these letters and if they had not vrged the matter in such sort as this Superiour could not any longer halt with them they had departed with such letters as had bene to no purpose and the time was differred vntill it was so late as he hoped they would not haue stayed for any other The peace being in the ende made such as it was and not without this vnder-hand condition that the Iesuits their faction might afterward breake off when they would M. Mush and M. Dudley at their next returne to London if not before delt with M. Iames Standish for the erecting of an Association of such priests as would voluntarily subiect themselues to liue vnder such a superior and such rules as they should among themselues agree vpon M. Standish communicated this matter to other priests who liked well therof as yet M. Colington not being neere Lōdon knew nothing of this intent howsoeuer it hath pleased this author now to except against it there will be good proofe made that the Superior of the Iesuits was so farre from speaking against it as he did seeme to take great ioy in it vntill he perceiued that he was not likely to haue the gouernment thereof as his fellow had in Wisbich of the greater part of the Catholike prisoners And if the vnited priests were the authors of this Apologie how ridiculously are sixe of them brought in here to credit it as though there were more honestie in these 6. alone taken singly from the rest then 16. in the whole company of those vnited brethren when those sixe also are among them but it shal be well seene in a particular answer to their letter here cited that whosoeuer were the authors thereof those sixe who subscribed vnto it had smal cause to doe so or to thanke them who eased them of the labour to pen it But now remitting the reader for M. Collington his iust causes of leauing the order of the Carthusians in which he neuer was but onely in probation which argued a most religious minde in him and was crossed onely by the disablements of his body to the last point handled by himselfe in his late booke of Reasons intituled A iust defence c. And for M. Mush his leauing the Iesuits to the eleuenth Chapter of the Apologie fol. 170 where it is plainely said that they would not admit him we will see how this Apologie fitteth his Reader First by this narration in the Apologie it is euident that the association of which here is mention was not deuised by such as thought their designements frustrated by Fa. Parsons dealing at Rome in the yeere 1597 as the author of this same Apologie affirmeth cap. 1 fol. 6. 7. Secondly it is vntrue that these two determined vpon any such matter Thirdly there was neuer any determination to haue two Superiors much lesse as it were Archbishops For as may appeare by the rules made in the North the very first rule De rectoribus is this There shall be chosen euery yere one Father and two assistants by the consents
Iesuits it is a meere mockery as may appeare by the letter it selfe for so much as is set downe to this purpose in this Apologie cap. 2. fol. 11. where we find these words I haue heard to my great griefe that there is not that good correspondence betweene the Fathers and other priests I cannot tell vpon what discontentment c. But whereof soeuer it commeth it is of the enemie and with all possible discretion and diligence by the wiser sort on both sides to be rooted out or els it wil be the ruine of the whole cause c. And therefore in this point especially M. Mush be earnest and peremptory with all parties and euery one in particular c. By which we vnderstand not how it may rather be gathered that there was a factiō by the Secular priests against the Iesuits then that there was a faction by the Iesuits against the Secular priests neither is here any relation to any former speech had with him as doubtlesse there would haue bene had M. Mush giuen any such information to him but rather the contrary as may be gathered by these wordes I haue heard to my great griefe c. which argueth that this was put into his head by some other that this being before layd for a groūd they might afterward build thereon to their owne best liking nothing at any time being accounted so much their honor and glory as others falling out which howsoeuer they doe vnderhand nourish it while they would seeme to remedy it maketh them wise and charitable purueyours for the common cause and what not good men beeing as innocent of these broyles and diuisions as Sinon was of the betraying of Troy Moreouer it may appeare by this letter that the Car. had a very great good conceit of M. Mush who would employ him in a matter in which lay the ruine of the whole cause and therefore willed him to be earnest yea and peremptory with all parties His good affection was also shewed in that at his cōming into England he perswaded the Pope to giue vnto him very speciall faculties and power to name at his returne into England to a certaine number who hoc ipso should haue the like And yet this author is not ashamed in this place to set downe to his discredit these words Hauing bene with the Cardinall at Rome and hauing done some euill offices as is presumed c. the Card. perceiuing his humour wrote most effectually to him and by him to others against this diuision and faction but little preuailed And in the margent there is a note of the aboue cited letters which as they are set downe in the Apologie are a most absurd instance to proue thus much as is here presumed of the Cardinals sinister conceit of M. Mush as that it was farre from trueth which was auowed that the Cardinall was disunited from the Fathers before he died For thus this author maketh his tale hang together But it litle preuailed as now appeareth onely it may serue to prooue how false and farre from trueth it is which he M. Mush and others of his faction doe auow in their bookes that the Cardinall was disunited from the Fathers before he died for that he said as they relate that when he should be dead farre greater troubles and oppositions would fall out against the Iesuits which may be true for that he saw so much emulation against them by Libertines and factious people already begun in his time which yet were reteined somewhat from breaking forth by this authoritie while hee liued But the Cardinall liuing yet sixe moneths longer what proofe could this letter be that hee was not disunited from the Iesuits before he died Or what proofe is it of any such vnion to the Iesuits when he writ it as it could not be likely that hee was disunited before he died he willeth Master Mush to be earnest and peremptory with all parties in which words the Iesuites are included aswell as the Secular priests and consequently the Cardinall was peremptorily conceited that somewhat was amisse in the Iesuits or else hee would not haue bene so bold with them as he might vpon any small occasion with the Secular of whom he had a particular charge To our remembrance also the words of the Cardinall related vnto vs were not those which are here cited to wit that when he was dead farre greater troubles and oppositions would fall out against the Iesuits but that there would be very great troubles by the Iesuits their ambitious courses bad carriages towards the Secular priests And this gloze that he foresaw so much emulation against them by Libertines and factious people is piously made by this authour that the reader should be out of doubt what spirit it is which doeth assist him in the making of this his necessary Apologie But the good Cardinall being dead in the yeere 1594 all factions saith this fellow brake out together against the Iesuits destitute now of the Cardinals assistance c. This Author mistaketh the matter For after the Cardinals death the Iesuits began their raigne in euery place where any English were resident as at Rome and in England especially at Wisbich where through the folly of the Lay Catholicks they had greatest hope to preuaile first and afterward to haue an easier conquest of the rest The stirres troubles of Rome are particularly to be set downe in a discourse thereof whither wee are to referre the Reader The stirres in England began at Wisbich by the insolencie of the Iesuits there in durance F. Weston F. Buckley F. Bolton and others who had deuoted themselues particularly to their order or passed their vowes in secret And to effect this the better the Lay gentlemen by whose charitie the Castle had bene relieued were dealt withall by the Iesuits or their factious adherents to withdraw their charitie from all those who would not subiect themselues to F. Weston the Iesuit by whose instructions it is most falsly here auowed that the company had liued a Collegiall and religious maner of life for before hee came thither they liued indeed in such sort but after his comming his ambitious humor disturbed the whole house as it is set downe in a booke already published of The stirres at Wisbich And as for the stirres which were in the Low-countries the cause is here in patt set downe by the Author of the Apologie to wit that Fa. Holt and M. Hugh Owen were deemed partiall against some and did not further them for the getting of their pensions But as it should seeme these two had some intent in which because those other would not ioyne with them they were accompted as factious and not worthy of the Spanish charitie F. Holt was sufficiently knowen to haue bene a notorious actor in the yeere 1588. and was not without cause thought through his folly to haue bene the cause of the death of the duke of Parma His treacherie was afterward better