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A18210
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A petition apologeticall, presented to the Kinges most excellent Maiesty, by the lay Catholikes of England, in Iuly last
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Lecey, John.
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1604
(1604)
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STC 4835; ESTC S120958
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34,556
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41
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probation and therein not to be any way stayned The second triall of our fidelities consisteth in matter likewise of fact a Catholikes behauiour tovvardes his Maiesties Predecessors and him selfe towardes your Maiesties Predecessors your Title in them and in your selfe and the effect of our loue and affection performed in all occasions that might giue contentment to your Maiesty both before and since your entraunce into this your Kingdome of England which we will endeauour to touch as briefly as we can It cannot be denied then in the first ranke of these our comportements but that we our selues in our times and our Catholike Parents before vs at all times of opportunity offered haue declared our deuouted affections to your said Highnes b Catholikes alvvayes affected to the K. Title to England right to this Crowne the testemonies whereof are in printed bookes and publike facts so manifest to the world that we neede not long dwell on that point vouchsafe therefore patience we beseech you DEARE SOVERAIGNE to heare some instances of the c Blessinges benefittes his Maiesty hath receiued by Catholikes blessinges and the benefits your Maiesty hath receiued by Catholikes and by our seruices and fidelities King Henry the vij th and his eldest Daughter from whome your Maiesty hath receiued lineally and directly your birth right and naturall succession to this Crowne were most zealous and religious Catholikes and for that singuler affection he did beare to the d Henry the 7. preferreth the Scotish King before the Frensh Scotish nation principally for their great zeale at all times to the Catholike religion preferred the same before Fraunce bestowing his said eldest Daughter on your Highnes great Grand-Father and the younger vpon the French King by which happy marriage came that lineall and rightfull descent of bloud that made your Maiesties renowned Mother Heyre apparant to this Crowne of England who also was the vndoubted e His Maiesties Mother lineall heire to King Edvvard the Confessor lineall Heire to King Edward the Confessor by his sister Margaret Queene and Saint and consequently your Maiesty from your Catholike Mother and her Catholike Predecessors hath not only receiued the hereditary succession of the Kingdome of Scotland but also a double right to the Crowne of England as f His Maiestie true heire both to the Saxon Norman Princes heire to the Saxon lineall line by a holy Saint Catholike Queene and heire to the Norman line by a most worthy Catholike Prince and a blessed Martir and all them vnited in her and nowe duly descended to your Maiesty Queene Mary It was the pious and vertuous Queene Mary and her Catholike subjects who cancelled the forged will of her Father King Henry the eight exceeding preiudiciall to your right in this Crowne that disproued it in Parliament and deposed the Protestant vsurping Queene Iane a Queene Iane set vp by Protestants deposed by Catholikes set vp then by the Protestants to the disinheriting of Henry the eight his daughters Queene Mary and Queene Elizabeth and his eldest sisters issue vvho was your Maiesties great Grand-mother and whose issue were in all right to haue beene preferred before her younger sister Grand-mother to the vsurping Protestant Queene Iane who so deposed by that renowned pious Catholike Queene Mary the Crowne by her royall prouidence was reserued to the rightfull and lawfull heires thereof consequently descended nowe to your Maiestie conformable to the lawe of God Nature and Nations The serpentine inuectiue made by Hales and other Protestants in the beginning of Queene Elizabethes raigne directly against your Maiesties Title thereby intending b Hales inuectiue against the Title of Scotland the aduauncement of a pretender potently in those daies possessed in the breastes of no meane multitudes was vpon the setting forth thereof in the time of Queene Elizabeth indelayedly vndertaken fully answered learnedly confuted by c Hales ansvvered by Iustice Brovvne M. Ployden both Catholikes Sir Anthony Browne then one of the Iustices of the common Pleas and lately before in Queene Maries raigne had beene chiefe Iustice of the same Court and M. Edmund Ployden famous Lawyers with the assent of other Catholike Diuines ciuill Lawyers and Gentlemen of good worth judgement and experience Howe many d Havvardes Persies Pagets Vaux Treshams Throghmortons Salisburies Abington families of Catholikes haue endured great damages and detrimentes in renowne and state for desire they had to maintaine the right of your most blessed Mothers Title in remainder and aduentures made to relieue her and deliuer the afflicted Princesse out of her captiuity with much abundant loue teares and affection your sacred mother testified publiquely at the end of her life Since your Mothers death we remayned euer e Catholikes behauiour after the martirdome of his Maiesties Mother constant to your Maiesties right to the succession of this Crowne not ebbing and flowing in our affections but resolute euer to liue or die with your Maiestie in that most just pretence but if any particular person in forraigne countries hath spoken or written to the contrary for his priuate and particular pretentions he is to answere for himselfe and his owne fact for therein we disclaime which party as we are credibly enformed hath both before and sithence the Queenes death done great diligence to giue your Maiesty satisfaction And your Maiesty is not ignorant we are assured what hath beene the carriage opinion and opposition of vs and our friendes euen in that particuler in the fauour and defence of your Maiesties right both within and without the Realme what a The daungers damages and disgraces vvhich M. Charles Paget Cap. Tresham M. Iohn Stonor of Stonor and diuers others suffred therefore are notorious dangers we haue passed at home and what slaunders and damages very many of our Catholike brethren haue suffered abroade for shewing themselues Scotish in faction as we were tearmed that b Scotish infaction vvhat is firmely immoueably affected to your Maiesties right of succession to this Crowne your Maiesty haue heard and we haue felt and shall feele our honours and estates thereby being extreamely diminished and eclipsed whiles we liue vnlesse your Maiesties pious royall hart vouchsafe to repaire and relieue the same Neither did your Maiesties c His Maiesties zeale in the Protestants Religion did nothing diminish the Catholikes forvvardnesse tovvardes his right and iustice zeale in the Protestant religion any way alter or diminish the just conceit and dutifull consideration we carried to that justice and right which God and nature had prepared for you from your cradell If then our carriage and affection to your Maiesty was such when your Religion was to ours so different your Person to vs vnknowne your fortune doubtfull the factions diuers the oppositions in all likelyhood very great and the euent of your affaires very vncertaine what may your Maiesty presume of vs nowe or rather what may you not
least presumed to be most consonant to the good mindes and affections of them whome it most concerned And thus willing you to make your profit spirituall of these my endeuours and of the sequent Apology desiring God that it may serue to mollifie the harts of our heauy aduersaries and fortifie and corroborate the Saints seruants of God in well â—â—ing and patiently suffering and carrying the Crosse of Christ Crowne of thornes which pricke to the quicke on euery side I wish you the two most pretious Iewels that can happen to a Christian soule Gratiam in hac vita gloriam in futura From my study in DOWAY this 16. of OCTOBER 1604. Your very louing Sonne and seruant in CHRISTO DOMINO IO. LECEY A PETITION APOLOGETICALL PRESENTED TO THE KINGES MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE BY THE LAY CATHOLIKES OF ENGLAND in Iuly last CHAPTER 1. The cause of our silence MOST MIGHTY AND GRATIOVS SOVERAIGNE Many are the reasons that haue caused vs to expect with perpetuall patience and profound silence your Maiesties most gratious resolution for some benigne remedy and redresse of our most grieuous calamities and afflictions as the confidence of a good cause the testemony of an incorrupt coÌ„science the memory of our constant and continuall affection to the vndoubted right Title in remaynder of your renowned Catholike Mother to the Crowne of England the imputations Crosses afflictions we suffred many yeares therefore the publique and gratefull acknowledgmeÌ„t that your said glorious Mother made thereof at the time of her Arraynement and execution in the presence of the Lordes there assembled for her conuiction vttering these wordes * Her bloud is shed yet remaineth peace authority to vvorke them redemption of her so desired Woe is me for the â—oore Catholikes and the miseries I foresee they are like to endure for their irremoueable affection to me and mine If I were as free as mine estate and innocency requireth I would gladly redeeme their vexations with my dearest bloud The same zeale promptitude after her decease we shewed in your Maiesties right and pretention to the Crowne of England the oppositions were made by vs and our Catholike brethren and freinds abroade and at home leauing nothing in our power vndone that might lawfully aduaunce your Maiesties rightful Title as Heire apparant to the Crowne of England against all practises or projects to the contrary a The L Mont eagle M Fran. Tresham Sir Levvys Tresham in the Tovvre of London Our forewardnes in proclayming your Maiesty without any further warrant then the right and justice of your Title and the loyaltie and affection of our hartes b Sir Thomas Tresham at Northampton The dangers and difficulties that some amongest vs passed in performing thereof in times so greene and doubtfull c The Vicount Montiguelargly casting money among the people The general joy applause shewed by vs with remarkable signes of infinite contentment at your Highnes entrance into the Realme with dutifull offices of joy and readines to proclayme and receiue your Maiesty were performed by Catholikes with such alacrity in most places of the Realme and those in such d The L. Winsor The L. Mordent distance one from the other that they could haue no intelligence one with another howe they should behaue them selues in that occasion which maketh it euident that so generall a consent in so suddayne important an affaire of persons so by places deuided could not proceede from any other fountayne but from an vniuersall and setled deuotion to your Maiesties vndoubted Title All which offices of our loue and loyaltie we assure our selues are aswell knowne to your Maiestie as your Maiesties Candor Clemency is knowne vnto vs by vs blazed throughout the Christian world And not by our tongues and pennes only are these your heroicall vertues made so notorious as they are by the often publique and gratious promises also protestations which your Maiesty out of the infinite bounty and magnanimity of your minde hath made aswell to Princes abroade as to priuate Men at home aswell before as after the Queenes death aswell before as after your entrance to the Realme both in priuate and in publique both in Pallace and Parliament that you would haue no bloud for Religion that you would haue no sale money for conscience contrary to the word of God that you would reuiewe the lawes made against Catholikes and giue order for clearing of them by reason in case they haue beene in times past farther or more rigorously executed by the Iudges then the meaning of the lawe was The intended performaunce of which your most gratious promises receiued a memorable commencement in Iuly last past some fewe dayes before your Royall Coronation when by speciall order of your Highnes without anie sute or motion of the Catholikes certayne Recusantes of the best quality and ability out of diuers partes of the Realme were sent for to Hampton-Court by the Lordes of your Maiesties priuy Councel and were by them very respectiuely and curteously vsed and also assured by the said Lordes that your Maiesties Royall pleasure and Clemency was to exonerate the Catholikes of this Realme from henceforth of that pecuniary mulcte of xx pound a Moneth for recusancy The xx pound a Moneth for Recusancy released by the K. voluntarie promise in Iuly 1603. which your Maiesties grace relaxation the said Lordes signified that they should so long enioy as they kept them selues vpright in all ciuill and true carryage towardes your Majesty and the State without contempt whereunto reply was made that recusancy might be held for an acte of contempt It was answered by the Lordes of the Councell that your Majesty would not accompt recusancy for a contempt And this your Maiesties gratious order and pleasure the said Gentlemen recusants were willed to signifie to all other Catholikes Which grace proceeding from your Maiesties meere Clemency and voluntary good will in that most dangerous time of the discouery of the conspiracy of the Lord Gray and Cobham seemed to vs so inuiolable and so little subject to chaunge or alteration that comparing these bountifull effects with the repose and trust which your Maiesty in your Printed booke to your peereles Sonne seemeth to put in them that were faithfull and resolutely affected to your Mother and with the speach your Highnes made the first day of the Parliament tending to some more temperate course in matter of Religion then was of late vsed we had great reason to abstayne from farther importuning your Maiesty either by friendes or petition but to exspect with silence patience and all humble submission how your Maiesty should please to dispose of vs without any diffidence or distrust either in our owne merits or your mercy CHAPTER 2. The Reasons that haue driuen vs to breach of silence and to a necessary and iust defence BVT alas DREAD SOVERAIGNE we see our silence modesty and simplicity so abused