at home and their Ministers The Principal Root hereof The Councel of Trent which agreed to extirpate Christian Religion which they term Heresie whereunto divers Princes assented and bound themselves in solemn Manner Pope Pius Quintus sent his Excommunication against Her Majesty Dr. Mourton and Mendoza a Spanish Ambassador bestirred them a Northren Rebellion was bred the Pope and the rest Practiced for the Scottish Queen and she being acquainted proceeds by her means Pope Paulus the thirteenth proceeds and sends Jesuites and Seminaries to England and Ireland and they proceed to inveagle the the Subjects and disswade them from obedience Viska beginneth a Rebellion in Ireland James Fitz Morris furthereth the Execution thereof Doctor Saunders and Desmond stir new Rebellion there and wrote into England c. Parry was moved to kill Her Majesty and perswaded it was Meritorious Pope Sixtus the fifth imitateth the other Popes to execute their former Devices and writeth to the Cardinal of Lorain and Guise that he will overthrow the Gospel which Mr. Vice Chamberlain honourably termed the glorious Gospel and therefore moved them to joyn with the Princes of the League and to practice to win the King of Scots and to set up the Scottish Queen in England and make his reckoning of the Cantons that were Popish the Switzers the Duke of Savoy they Duke of Ferara King of Spain and King of France A chief Instrument to work this was one Carew called also Father Henry He was sent into Germany and over Italy and France wrote to the Scottish Queen that the Powers will joyn to overthrow England and make known the effect of his Labour to the Pope Invasion should have been made into England and Ireland the last year and not like to be unattempted this year The Pope Excommunicateth the King of Navar the Pope accounteth not of Popish Preaching and perswasions that way But nevertheless moveth all to use the Word and for maintenance thereof spareth his Treasure otherwise and withdraweth maintenance from Jesuites Seminaries and divers other Letters were found with the Scottish Queen which prove all these to be true If we serve Almighty God in sincerity of Heart we need not to fear It is to be remembred that the King of Spain sought to recover some part of his Fathers Credit by using our Treasure and Force to get St. Quintines but he soon made his advantage of it and regarded not our Territories in France But suffered the loss of Calice and all our Territories and after the Death of Queen Mary what he could Her Majesty sought for his Good-will sending the Lord Mountague the Lord Cobham Sr. Thomas Chamberlain Knight Mr. Maun and others and they were but hardly used some of them were offered great indignity and Mr. Mauns Son forced by strength to do a kind of Pennance He comforted the Queens Enemies he giveth Colour of Wars he Chargeth the Queen that her Subjects have aided his Rebels in the Low Countries with the countenancing Mounsieur with many at Cambray with sending her Nobility with him into the Low Countries with the Actions of Sr. Francis Drake with assistance of the Low Countries Of the purpose of the Combined Princes Their shew is to deal with the King of Navar to extirpate him but their drift is to ruinate Religion not only there but to set upon and to work the ruin of it here also Wherein the King of Spain and Guise are now very busie Their Malice is the more for the executing the Scottish Queenâ— But their hope is the less The King of Spain his Designments are to invade England and Ireland His Preparations Three hundred sixty Sail of Spain Eighty Gallies from Venice and Genoua one Galliass with six hundred armed Men from the Duke of Florence Twelve thousand Men maintained by Italy and the Pope Six thousand by the Spanish Clergy twelve thousand by his Nobility and Gentlemen of Spain It is reported that ten thousand of these be Horsemen I think it not all true but something there is We must look to the Papists at home and abroad It hath touched us in the Blood of the Nobility and the Blood of many Subjects They practice to frame Subjects against all Duty and bring in Doctrine of Lawfulness and Merit to kill the Queen and have sent their Instruments abroad to that purpose Notwithstanding things stood thus yet the Parliament having made so many Laws thought convenient to make but one Law this Session against the Papists which was not made Provisory of any new Remedy against them but to enforce the Execution only of a former Law. It is entitled An Act for the more speedy and due Execution of certain Branches of the Stat. 23. Eliz. intitled An Act to retain the Queens Majesties Subjects in their due obedience 29. Eliz. cap. 6 Rast Stat. 2. Part. f. 338. An Act to enforce the Execution of 23. Eliz. By which Act For the avoiding all Frauds and Delays in hinderance of the Execution of the said Act it is provided that certain assurances made by Papists shall be void against the Queen That the Conviction shall be at the Kings Bench or at the Assizes or general Goal Delivery and certified into the Exchequer The twenty pounds a month for not going to Church is to be paid into the Exchequer every Easter and Michaelmas Term In default of Payment the Queen may take all the Goods and two parts of the Lands and Leases of the Offenders The indictment sufficient tho it mentions not the Parties being within the Realm Vpon Proclamation made if the party renders not his Body he stands Convicted no forfeiture if the party submits or dies Assurances made bona fide not to be impeached nor Lands for Life or in the Wives right after the Offendors Death Thus did the Plots and Conspiracies of the Papists from time to time force the State to make either New Laws against them or else Laws for the more effectual executing the old for the truth of the Plots and Conspiracies before mentioned I shall here insert the very words of the Secular Priests in their important Considerations as hereunto followeth The Secular Priests Confession of the Plots before-mentioned Collect. f. 45. Babingtons Plot. We might add the notable Treasons of Mr. Anthony Babington and his Complices in the Year 1586. Which were so apparent as we were greatly abashed at the shameless Boldness of a young Jesuit who to excuse the said Traitors and qualifie their offences presumed in a kind of supplication to Her Majesty to ascribe the Plotting of all that mischief to Mr. Secretary Walfingham the Treachery also of Sr. William Stanley the year following 1587. in falsifying his Faith to Her Majesty and in betraying the trust Committed unto him by the Earl of Leicester who had given him the honourable Title of Knighthood as it was greatly prejudicial to us that were Catholicks at home Stanley's Treason so was the defence of that Disloyalty made by a
The Oath of Secrecy by Word or Circumstance the Matter that shall be proposed to you to keep Secret nor desist from the Execution thereof till the rest shall give you leave After this was done every Man betakes himself to the part assigned him some to provide Money other Materials and others a place to lay the Materials in The place pitched upon for placing the Materials in was Cellars under the Parliament House which Thomas Piercy had hired for that purpose the Materials were thirty six Barrels of Gun-Powder provided in Flanders carried into the Cellar from Lambeth in the Night covered over with Wood and Coals and all provided at the Charge of the English * Sr. Everard Digby 1500 l. Mr. Francis Tresham 2000. l. Piercy 4000 l. besides others Papists who promised themselves the extirpating this Northren Heresie as they called it and introducing in its Room Popish Superstition and Idolatry as we call it and the Divines of our Church have proved it to be to the Conviction of all 〈◊〉 who will not Wilfully shut their eyes against the Light. Things being thus prepared they looked upon the King and Prince Henry as already made a Sacrifice to attone the See of Rome for the revolt that England had made from her and Percy had undertaken for the slaying the Duke of York Charles the First that there might be no ingredient in the Sacrifice wanting to make it acceptable but because it was thought necessary for a Colour to their Bloody designs to preserve the Succession the Lady Elizabeth must be spared and made Queen Foulis Hist l. 10. cap. 2. f. 507. and the Odium of blowing up the Parliament cast upon the Puritans They designed the Accomplishment of this unparallel'd Cruelty on the 5 th of November 1604. when the King and both Houses of Parliament were to meet and that very day they appointed a great Hunting Match at Dunsmore Heath near Comb the Lord Harringtons House in Warwickshire where the Lady Elizabeth was upon which pretence divers Papists were to meet well Armed in order to seize and secure her with intention to marry her to a Papist and by that means to introduce Popery To carry on their Design of fixing this Plot upon the Puritans Foulis Hist l. 10. cap. 2. f. 508. they framed a Proclamation which they got printed and ready for publishing upon the Sign given which they supprest and burnt upon the Discovery though some of them by chance came to light and were seen and read by Dr. Parker Dean of Lincoln Sir William Ellis Recorder of the said City and others And that they might gain the greater Credit with the People in this Contrivance Keys Brother-in-Law to Mr. Pickering had a few days before either borrowed or bought the Swift-horse well known in London and thereabouts of Mr. Pickering of Tich March Grove in Northamptonshire a noted Puritan whom they also designed to kill upon which Faux having fired the Match and Touch-wood leading to the Train was to escape as they bore him in Hand But O Horrid Impiety their Design was to kill him as soon as he had imbrued his Hands in so much Innocent Blood just as he was to mount the Horse as being Pickerings Man which the People would easily believe seeing the Horse was so well known to them and the Multitude once perswaded of this would be more facile to joyn with them under notion of doing Justice upon such supposed Traitors and Wretches They also consulted how to keep the Romish Lords from going that Day to Parliament the better to strengthen their Cause by their Preservation But in the heighth of all their Hopes and Expectations a Discovery is made thus The Manner of the Discovery some of them supposed by Monteagle to be Piercy but Bishop * Answer to Sir Anthony VVeldon's Court of King James p. 73. M. S. Goodman saith it was Tresham who writ the Letter having a great Affection to the said Lord Monteagle Son and Heir to the Lord Morley had a mind to preserve him from the intended Slaughter So one Evening a Letter Sealed is delivered in the Street the Strand by an unknown Fellow to one of the Lords Foot-men charging him to deliver it with Care to his Lord. Monteagle opens it finds it without Date and Subscription writ with a very bad Hand and in a Stile he knew not what to make of The Letter was this My Lord OVT of the Love I bear to some of your Friends I have a care of your Preservation Foulis Hist l. 10. cap. 2. f. 508. Wilson's Hist f. 30. therefore I would advise you as you tender your Life to devise some Excuse to shift off your Attendance this Parliament for God and Man have concurred to punish the Wickedness of this time And think not slightly of this Advertisment but retire your self into your Country where you may expect the Event in Safety for though there be no Appearance of any stir yet I say they shall receive a terrible Blow this Parliament and yet they not see who hurts them This Councel is not to be contemned because it may do you good and can do you no harm for the Danger is past as soon as you have burned this Letter and I hope God will give you the Grace to make good use of it to whose Holy Protection I commend you Monteagle wondred at the Letter and its Delivery and thinking it might relate to some Mischief thought it his Duty to make it known so away he goeth to White-Hall shows it to the Earl of Salisbury then Secretary of State who tells some other of the Privy Council of it and the King being returned from his Hunting at Royston they delivered it to him His Majesty having seriously considered it and all other Circumstances concluded that it might relate to some Design to blow up the Parliament and in this Jealousie ordered the Rooms and Vaults about the House to be searched which was done the Night before the Session when in the aforesaid Cellar under the Lords House were found the Barrels of Powder and at the Door standing Guido Faux booted and Spurred with a large dark Lanthorn now to be seen in Oxford Library with Matches Tinder-Box and other Materials for his Design Faux was presently carried to Court and examined where he appeared sturdy and scornful maintaining the Design to be lawful that James was not his King because an Heretic was sorry that the Plot failed and that he had not blown up the House with himself and those that were sent to search affirming that God would have had the Plot concealed but it was the Devil who revealed it at last Faux himself confest all that he knew of the Treasons Thus far discovered the King suspecting some Commotions or Risings sent with all speed to prevent them by timely Notice by Lepton and others This was that Mr. John Lepton of Yorkshire who rid so often betwixt London and York
in one Week viz. in May 1606 who though he won his Wager yet was a Looser never getting his Winnings Piercy Wright c. who now lurked about London to expect the fatal Blow informed of the Discovery takes Horse making what haste they can to their Companions appointed to be at the Rendezvous on Dunsmore in brief according to their Abilities they run into open Rebellion but to their own Destruction The high Sheriffs with other Magistrates and Loyal Subjects so hunting them that they were either all dispersed slain or taken and the Chief of them afterwards condemned and executed Proceedings against Garnet and his Confederates printed by Robert Barker Printeâ— to the Kings most excellent Majesty 1606. to prevent untrue and incoherent Reports and Relations of their Tryals as the Epistle to the Book informs us And for the Confirmation of the Truth of these things I shall here insert the Heads of Sir Edward Coke's Speech at the Tryal of Robert Winter and divers others for their Treason in Westminster-Hall before the Earl of Nottingham the Earl of Suffolk the Earl of Worcester the Earl of Devonshire the Earl of Northampton the Earl of Salisbury the Lord Chief Justice of England the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer Sir Peter Warburton Knight one of the Justices of the Court of Common-Pleas Lords Commissioners for that purpose On the 27 th of January 1605. were arraigned upon one Indictment Robert Winter Esq Thomas Winter Gent. Guy Fawks Gent. John Garnet Esq Ambrose Rookwood Esq Robert Keys Gent. and Thomas Bates upon another Indictment Sir Everard Digby At the Tryal of Winter and the rest upon the first Indictment * The Heads of the Speech of Sir Edward Coke at the Tryal of some of the Conspirators Sir Edward Coke than Attorney General made a very long and learned Speech wherein he first answered the Clamor that the Papists and their Adherents had then made because they were not sooner tryed Then he opened the Hainousness of the Crime in all the Aggravating Circumstances of it He said that as the Powder-Treason was of its self prodigious and unnatural so was it in its Conception and Birth most monstrous as arising out of the dead Ashes of former Treasons and then takes notice of very many if not all the Treasons before mentioned I think in this Speech and the Speech he made at Garnets Tryal all I am sure the most are taken in He then considered the Powder-Plot it self with regard to the Persons by whom the same was conspired And they were Clergy and Laity of the Roman Communion The Laity Gentlemen of good Houses of excellent Parts however most perniciously seduced abused corrupted and Jesuited of very competent Fortunes and Estates It being then said that there was never a Religious Man in the Action saith he in answer I never yet knew a Treason without a Romish Priest and names as ingaged in this Henry Garnet alias Wally the Superior of the Jesuits Legier here in England Father Creswel Legier Jesuit in Spain Father Baldwin Legier in Flanders as Parsons at Rome besides their Cursory Men as Gerrard Oswald Tesmond alias Greenway Hamond and Hall then he opened the Doctrines and Practices of the Jesuits and other Priests of the Romish Church which he proves from Simanca Creswels Philopater and other Books Then he considered the Persons against whom this Treason was conspired the King the Queen the Royal Issue Male the most honourable and prudent Councellors and all the true hearted and worthy Nobles all the Reverend and Learned Bishops all the Grave Judges and Sages of the Law all the principal Knights Citizens and Burgeesss of Parliament the Flower of the whole Realm Then he considered that this was designed notwithstanding the King had used so great Lenity toward the Papists that by the space of a whole Year and four Months he took no Penalties of them due upon the Statutes and besides this divers of the Papists were greatly preferred Then he considered the House of Parliament which they pretended they chose because there the Penal Laws were made against them which he answered by briefly showing what Laws were made against them and that their own Treasons were the true Grounds of making them Then he considered the End of this Conspiracy which was to bring a final and fatal Confusion upon the State and this is to be effected by damnable Means by mineing by thirty six Barrels of Powder having Crows of Iron Stone and Wood laid upon the Barrels to have made the Breach the greater Then he considered the Secresie of the Contrivance and Carriage of this Treason in three Respects the first that Catesby had Recommendation for a Regiment of Horse in the Low-Countries that under that Pretence he might furnish this Treason with Horse without Suspicion The Second was the Oath before mentioned The Third the Sacrament He then took notice of the admirable Discovery of this Treason and proceeded to make nine several Observations upon the whole which were these First The Mine had never been discovered had not the Cellar been hired 2. The Kings Directing the Search to be made there from those dark Words A Terrible Blow 3. Catesby Rookwood and Grants their narrow Escapes having a few Days before they were taken been in very great Danger of being blown up by Gun-powder 4. Gun-powder was the Invention of a Fryar 5. Binham was sent to the Pope to give notice of this Blow and to crave his Direction and Aid 6. Notwithstanding their rising in open Rebellion and giving out that the Catholics Throats would be cut not one Man came in to take their Parts but their own Company 7. The Sheriff immediately supprest them 8. The Discovery was made a few hours before it was to have been put in Execution 9. That there never was any Protestant Minister in any Treason and Murther that had been then attempted within the Realm Then he compared this Plot with that of Raleigh and Watson and Clark. 1. They had both one end 2. Both to be effected by Popish and discontented Persons Priests and Laymen 3. They all played at Hazzard the Priests were at the By Raleigh at the Main but these in at all purposing to destroy King Issue whole State. 4. All obliged by the same Oath and Sacrament 5. The same Proclamation after the Fact for Reformation of Abuses 6. The like Army provided for Invading 7. The same Pension of Crows promised 8. The Agreeing of the Times which was when the Constable of Spain was coming hither which was intended a Colour to the Invasion that it might not be suspected After Sir Edward Coke had ended his Speech The Evidence against the Traitors the Examinations of Winter and the rest subscribed by themselves were shown particularly to every one of them and acknowledged by them to be their own and true and in their Examinations every one had confest the Treason which Confessions were afterwards openly and distinctly read by
of Parliament because they yet strengthen and confirm the Truth of the said Conspiracy and that they do so must be confest unless Men will fly in the Face of that Parliament I have here inserted as I find the same in Rastal's Statutes The First is Intituled An Act for publick Thanks-giving to Almighty God every Year on the Fifth Day of November FOrasmuch as Almighty God hath in all Ages shewed his Power and Mercy 3 Jac. 1. ca. 1. Rast Stat. 2. Part. f. 588. The Act for keeping the Fifth of November yearly as a Day of Thanks-giving in the Miraculous and Gracious Deliverance of his Church and in the Protection of Religious Kings and States and that no Nation of the Earth hath been blessed with greated Benefits than this Kingdom now enjoyeth having the true and free Profession of the Gospel under our most gracious Sovereign Lord King James the most Great Learned and Religious King that ever reigned therein enriched with a most hopeful and plentiful Progeny proceeding out of his Royal Loyns promising Continuance of this Happiness and Profession to all Posterity and the which many malignant and devilish Papists Iesuits and Seminary Priests much envying and fearing conspired most horribly when the Kings most excellent Majesty the Queen the Prince and all the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons should have been assembled in the upper House of Parliament upon the fifth Day of November in the Year of our Lord 1605. suddenly to have blown up the said whole House with Gun-powder an Invention so inhuman barbarous and cruel as the like was never before heard of and was as some of the principal Conspirators thereof confess purposely devised and concluded to be done in the said House that where sundry necessary and religious Laws for preservation of the Church and State were made which they falsly and slanderously term cruel Laws enacted against them and their Religion both Place and Persons should be all destroyed and blown up at once which would have turned to the utter Ruine of this whole Kingdom had it not pleased Almighty God by inspiring the Kings most excellent Majesty with a Divine Spirit to interpret some dark Phrases of a Letter shewed to His Majesty above and beyond all ordinary Construction thereby miraculously discovering this hidden Treason not many Hours before she appointed time for the Execution thereof therefore the Kings most excellent Majesty the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and all His Majesties faithful and loving Subjects do justly acknowledge this great and infinite Blessing to have proceeded meerly from God his great Merry and to his most Holy Name do ascribe all the Honour Glory and Praise And to the end this unfeigned Thankfulness may never be forgotten but be in a perpetual Remembrance that all Ages to come may yield Praises to his Divine Majesty for the same and have in Memory This joyful Day of Deliverance Be it therefore enacted by the Kings most excellent Majesty the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same that all and Angular Ministers in every Cathedral and Parish Church or other usual Place for Common-prayer within this Realm of England and the Dominions of the same shall always upon the fifth Day of November say Morning-prayer and give unto Almighty God Thanks for this most happy Deliverance and that all and every Person and Persons inhabiting within this Realm of England and the Dominions of the same shall always upon that Day diligently and faithfully resort to the Parish Church or Chappel accustomed or to some usual Church or Chappel where the said Morning-prayer Preaching or other Service of God shall be used and then and there to abide orderly and soberly during the time of the the said Prayers Preaching or other Service of God there to be used and ministred And because all and every Person may be put in mind of this Duty and be the better prepared to the said Holy Service be it enacted by Authority aforesaid that every Minister shall give Warning to his Parishioners publickly in the Church at Morning-prayer the Sunday before every such fifth Day of November for the due Observation of the said Day And that after Morning-prayer or Preaching upon the said fifth Day of November they read publickly distinctly and plainly this present Act. The Second is intituled An Act for the Attainder of divers Offendors in the late most barbarous monstrous detestable and damnable Treasons The Preamble of which Act runs thus 3 Jac. 1. ca. 2. Rast Stat 2. part f. 589 An Act for the Attainder of the Conspirators IN most humble manner beseeching your most excellent Majesty your most Loyal Faithful and true Hearted Subjects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled That whereas Arthur Creswel Jesuite who at the time of his Profession to be a Iesuite took upon him the Name of Joseph Creswel Oswald Tesmond Jesuite and Thomas VVinter late of Huddington in the County of VVorcester Gent. the last Day of June in the four and fortieth Year of the late Queen Elizabeth of famous Memory at Valedolide within the Kingdom of Spain and at divers other days within the same four and fortieth Year of the said late Queen at Valedolide aforesaid and elsewhere within the same Kingdom of Spain by the Means Procurement and Privity of Robert Catesby late of Ashby in the County of Northampton Esq Francis Tresham late of Rushton in the said County of Northampton Esq and Henry Garnet Iesuite assuming upon him to be Superior of the Iesuits within this Ream of England and others being all natural born Subjects of this Realm did Traiterously and against the Duty of their Allegiance move and incite Philip then and yet King of Spain then being at open Enmity and Hostility with the said late Queen with Force to invade this Kingdom of England and to joyn with the Papists and discontented Persons wiâ—â—in this Realm of England to depose and overthrow the same late Queen of and 〈◊〉 her Crown and of and from all Her Royal Estate Title and Dignity and to suppress and abolish the true Religion of Almighty God truly and sincerely professed within this Kingdom and to restore the Superstitious Romish Religion within the same and to bring this Antient Famous and most renowned Kingdom to utter Ruine and miserable Captivity under Forreign Power and for that the greatest Impediment unto the same Invasion would be the want of Help of good Horses the said Thomas VVinter the rather to incourage the said King thereunto was to offer unto the same King on the Behalf of the Papists of England to give him Assistance presently upon the Landing of his Forces with one thousand five hundred or two thousand Horses and that for their better accomplishing thereof he should move the said King to furnish the Papists of England with a good Sum of Money partly to be employed to
Eliz. QUeen Mary dyed the 17 th of November Queen Elizabeth's Birth-Day Anno Domini 1558. Whose Death put an end to this severe Persecution The Parliament then assembled in the sixth and last year of her Reign Queen Elizabeth her Accession is the Crown and her râ—â—â—eâ—â—ete calling of a Parliament D'Ewes Journal of Q. Eliz. Reign f. 1. Cambd. Anceâ—s f. 12. Hist R. f. 2 pt f. 373. being by her demise Dissolved The thrice Excellent and Prudent Princess Queen Elizabeth according to her Right and Hereditary Title saith Sir Simon D'Ewes true and lawful Heir to the Crown according to the Act of Succession of 35 H. 8. saith Cambden the next and indisputed Heir to the Crown saith Doctor Burnet and Heath the then Lord Chancellour so called her without any opposition or difficulty King Philip being then very happily beyond the Seas succeeded to all the Realms and Dominions of Mary her Sister excepting Calais and those other inestimable places in France which had been most dishonourably and vainly lost in the time and towards the end of the Reign of the said Queen Mary and finding also the Innocent Blood of God's Saints Arch-Bishop Cranmer Bishop Ridley Bishop Hooper and the rest shed for the Witness of the Truth to have stained the former Government with the just brand and stygma of Persecuting and Tyrannical and that her Realms and Dominions were much impoverished and weakned as Doctor Burnet in his Letters hath made evident almost all places abroad are where Popery is the prevailing Religion Popery and Slavery being inseparable Companions she therefore in the very entrance of her Reign applyed her first are to the restoring of the Protestant Religion which she verily perswaded her self was most true Cambd. Hist f. 13. and consonant to the Sacred Scriptures and the sincerity of the Primitive Church and well considering and foreseeing that the surest and safest way to establish the Truth to abolish all Foreign and Usurpt Authority to repair the weaknesses and breaches of her said Realms and Dominions to strengthen her Kingdom with Shipping and Munition and to revive the decayed Trade thereof was by the common Advice and Counsel and with the publick Assent did summon her first Parliament to begin on Munday the 23 d day of January in the first year of her Reign But before I give any Account of what Laws were thereby made relating to the Papists I shall 1 st Shew how the Law stood at to the Papists when she came to the Crown 2 d. I shall show that the Protestant Religion was restored by much more lenil and mild Methods towards the Papists in Queen Elizabeth's time than the Popish Religion was introduced by in Queen Mary's 3 d. I shall make it fully appear that they gave just occasion for making the severe Laws against them that were made in Queen Elizabeth's time and when in time the occasion was given and the Laws made which last thing will run through the whole thread of the following account As to the first whoever will give himself the trouble to consult our Statute and Law-Books will find 1 How the Laws stood as to the Papists before any new ones were made 25 F. 3. ca. 2. that long before her Reign it was Treason to compass or imagine the death of the King the Queen or their Eldest Son and Heir or to levy War against the King or to adhere to the King's Enemies or to give to them Aid or Comfort 2 Rog. Hov. in Hen. 2. 13 R. 2. sta 2. ca. 2 Co. Inst 3.100 ca. 36. That it was Treason and afterwards Felony to bring or send into this Kingdom or the King's Power which is the same with Dominions any Summons Sentence or Excommunication against any person of what Condition soever he be 3 16 R. 2 ca. 5.3 Inst 120 121 126.12 Co. 37.40 Davis 84. that he incurr'd a Premunire that purchased Bulls from Rome and that the Crown of England even in the Popish times was subject to none 4 Co. Rep. 5. f. 12 15 17 21 22 23 27 28. and Co. Inst 3. Ca. 36. It was of old Treason by the Common Law of the Land to procure or bring in any Bull of Excommunication against any Subject much more certainly against the King or Queen because it gives way to Foreign Authority 5 Co. Inst 3. ca. 67. f. 144. And by the Laws of England all Subjects are prohibited to take any Pension c. of any Foreign King Prince or State without the King's License altho' in League with England Thus stood the Laws when that Glorious Queen of ever Blessed Memory ascended the Throne and one would have thought these would have guarded her against all attempts of the Papists and 't is not unreasonable to believe that she her self was of that mind if we consider 2 ly That the Methods taken by Queen Elizabeth for restoring the Protestant Religion were much milder than those taken by Queen Mary to introduce the Popish This will appear by the Laws themselves of which I come now to give an account and of the occasion of their making The first is That which restores to the Crown 1 Eliz. ca. 1. Rast Stat. 2. part f. 1. The Crown restored to its Antient Jurisdiction in causes Ecclesiastical a power given to delegate the exercise of it the Oath of Supremacy and what shall be taken for Heresie ascertained the Antient Iurisdiction over the Estate Ecclesiastical and Spiritual and abolisheth all Foreign Powers repugnant to the same Which it doth by reviving the Laws of Henry the 8th against the See of Rome and of Edward the 6th for the Protestants Which Laws were repealed by Queen Mary and Laws for Convicting and Burning Hereticks i. e. Protestants in an Arbitrary way revived which had been Repealed in Edward the 6th's time This Law therefore particularly repeals 5 R. 2.5 5 H. 4.15 2 H. 5.7 made against the Protestants then called Hereticks and Lollards and then doth abolish Foreign Iurisdiction wherein it is but declarative of the Antient Laws of the Kingdom and annereth Ecclesiastical Iurisdiction to the Crown and gives a power of delegating the Exercise of it establisheth the Oath of Supremary but in tenderness to the Papists leaves out Supream Head of the Church and provides that all Ecclesiastical Persons Temporal Iudges Iustices Mayors or other say or temporal Officers and every other person having her Highness Fee or Wages shall take the said Oath upon the penalty of forfeiting their places Ecclesiastical or Temporal upon an obstinate refusal and disability to hold the same for the future the penalty of maliciously maintaining a Foreign Iurisdiction is for the first offence the loss of Goods and Chattels only and if he be not worth 20 l. then over and above the forfeiture of his Goods and Chattels he shall suffer twelve Months Imprisonment without Bail or Mainprize the second offence is made a premunire the third offence high
Obstacle by killing her altered his opinion but was for joyning five more to Savage to make sure of the Matter Which being agreed on they set forward the design of the Invasion The design was by Babington imparted to the Queen of Scots and she was to reward the Heroical Actors in this barbarous Attempt or else their Posterities in Case they perisht in it And he was Commanded to pass his word to the six Gentlemen and the rest concerning their reward for their Service In this Conspiracy were ingaged divers Gentlemen who were very Zealous for Popery Edward Windsor Brother to the Lord Windsor Thomas Salisbury of a Knights Family in Denbeighshire Charles Tilney of an ancient Family who was then but lately reconciled to the Romish Church Chideock Tichburn of Southampton Edward Abbington whose Father had been the Queens under Treasurer Robert Gage of Surry John Travers and John Charnock of Lancashire John Jones whose Father was Yeoman of the Wardrobe to Queen Mary Savage before named Barnwel of a noble Family in Ireland and Henry Dun Clark in the Office of first Fruits and Tenths and one Polley To every of these Gentlemen was a Part in this Conspiracy assigned and all things went according to their hearts desire as they thought Nothing perplexed Babington But his Fears of being failed in the Foreign Aid that was promised him therefore to make sure of it he resolved himself to go over into France and to that purpose to send Ballard privately before for whom by his Money under a Counterfeit name he procured a License to Travel And that there might not be the least Suspicion of himself he insinuated into Secretary Walsingham by means of Polley and earnestly besought him to procure him a License from the Queen to travel into France promising her to do her extraordinary good Service in pumping out and discovering the secret designs of the Fugitives in behalf of the Queen of Scots The Plot discovered but as we say forewarned forearmed he being a faithful and cunning Secretary by his Spies had discovered all and informed the Queen and therefore only commended Babingtons pretended design and made him fair Promises and so from time to time delayed him The chief instrument in discovering this Plot was one Gilbert Gifford who lurked in England under the Name of Lauson in mind Salvage of his Oath but had informed the Secretary what he was and to what purpose sent into England This having gone on for some time Ballard apprehended the Queen apprehending there might be great danger in letting it proceed further ordered Ballard to be apprehended who was seized on before he was aware in Babingtons House just as he was setting out for France Babington and some others of the Confederates being jealous the design was discovered hid themselves in St. Johns Wood near London Notice being given of their withdrawing they are proclaimed Traitors at last are found and seized on and the rest of their fellow Rebels fourteen of whom were executed in September 1586. in St. Giles in the Fields where they used to meer and consult about their intended murthering of the Queen and invading the Kingdom Mary Queen of Scots having been at the bottom in all these designs The Queen of Scots at the bottom Cam. Annals from f. 33 to f. 35. D' Ewes Journal f. 392 393 395 400 401 405 408. A Commission Issued for trying Mary Queen of Scots grounded on 27 Eliz. Cap. 1. Camb. An. l. 3. f. 347. and there being no probability of the Kingdoms continuing in the safe and secure exercise of the Protestant Religion under their Protestant Queen so long as she was in being The Papists being assured by her that in case she had the Crown she would introduce Popery Queen Elizabeth was advised to try her for Treason which she was with great difficulty prevailed to do and Issued out a Commission grounded upon 27 Eliz. Cap. 1. herein before set forth The Commissioners appointed to Try her were these viz John Archbishop of * Whitgift Bakers Chron. f. 369. Canturbury Sir Tho. Bromley Kt. Chancellor of England William Lord Burleigh Treasurer of England William Lord Marquess of Winchester Edward Earl of Oxford great Chamberlain of England George Earl of Shrewsbury Earl Marshal Henry Earl of Kent Henry Earl of Darby William Earl of Worcester Edmund Earl of Rutland Ambrose Earl of Warwick Master of the Ordinance Henry Earl of Pembrook Robert Earl of Leicester Master of the Horse Henry Earl of Lincoln Anthony Vicount Mountague Charles Lord Howard Lord High Admiral of England Henry Lord of Hunsdon Lord Chamberlain Henry Lord Abergavenny Edward Lord Zouch Edward Lord Morley William Lord Cobham Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports Edward Lord Stafford Arthur Lord Grey of Wilton John Lord Lumley John Lord Stourton William Lord Saunders Lewis Lord Mordant John Lord St. John of Bletnesho Thomas Lord Buckhurst Henry Lord Compton Henry Lord Cheney Sir Francis Knolles Kt. Controller of the Houshould Sir Christopher Hatton Vice-Chamberlain Sir Francis Walsingham Secretary William Davison Esq Sir Ralph Sadleir Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster Sir Walter Mildmay Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Amias Pawlet Captain of the Isle of Jersey John Woolly Esq Secretary for the Latin Tongue Sir Christopher Wray Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas Sir Edward Anderson Chief Justice of the Bench Sir Roger Manwood Chief Baron Sir Thomas Gawdy and William Periam Judges The substance of their Commission was this The substance of the Commission Cambd. Annals f. 348. after the recital of 27. Eliz. Cap. 1. thus it followeth Whereas since the end of the Session of Parliament viz. since the first day of June in â—â—e 27 th Year of our Reign divers things have been compassed and imagined â—â—nding to the hurt of our Royal Person as well by Mary Daughter and Heir of James the Fifth King of Scots and commonly called Queen of Scots and Dowager of France pretending a Title to the Crown of this Realm of England 〈◊〉 by divers other Persons cum scientia in English with the Privity of the said Mary as we are given to understand And whereas we do intend and resolve that the aforesaid Act shall be in all and every part thereof duly and effectually put into Execution according to the Tenour of the same and that all offences abovesaid in the Act abovesaid mentioned as afore is said and the circumstances of the same shall be examined and Sentence or Judgment thereupon given according to the Tenour and Effect of the said Act to you and the greater part of you we do giâ—e full and absolute Power License and Authority according to the Tenour of the said Act to examin all and singular Matters composed and imagined tending to she hurt of our Royal Person as well by the aforesaid Mary as by any other Person or Persons whatsoever cum scientia in English with the Privity of the said Mary and all circumstance of the same and all
judgment as not to see mine own danger before mine Eyes nor so indiscreet as to sharpen a Sword to cut my own Throat nor so egregiously careless as not to provide for the safty of mine own Life This I consider with my self that many a Man would hazzard his own Life to save the Life of a Princess but I am not of their opinion these things have I many times thought upon seriously with my self But since so many have both written and spoken against me give me leave I pray you to say somewhat in mine own defence that ye may see what manner of Woman I am for whose safety and preservation you have taken such extraordinary care wherein as I do with a most thankful heart discern and read your great vigilancy so I am sure I shall never requite it had I as many lives as all you together When first I took the Scepter into my hand I was not unmindful of God the giver and therefore I began my Reign with securing his Service and the Religion I have been both born-in bred in and I trust shall dye in And though I was not ignorant how many dangers I should meet withal at home for my altering Religion and how many great Princes abroad of a contrary Profession would in that respect bear an Hostile mind towards me yet was I no whit dismayed thereat knowing that God whom alone I eyed and respected would defend both me and my Cause Hence it is that so many Treacheries and Conspiracies have been attempted against me that I might well admire to find my self alive at this present day were it not that Gods holy hand hath still protected me beyond all Expectations Next to the end I might make the better progress in the Art of Ruling well I had long and serious Consultations with my self what things were most worthy and becoming Kings to do and I found it absolutely necessary that they should be compleatly furnished with those prime Capital Vertues Justice Temperance Prudence and Magnanimity Of the two latter I will not boast my self my Sex doth not permit it they are proper to Men but for the two former and less rough I dare say and that without ostentation I never made a difference of Persons but high and low had equally right done them I never preferred any for favour whom I thought not fit and worthy I never was forward to believe Storys at the first telling nor was I so rash as to suffer my Judgement to be forestalled with prejudice before I had heard the Cause I will not say but many reports might happily be brought me too much in favour of the one side or the other for a good and wary Prince may sometimes be bought and sold whilst we cannot hear all our selves yet this I dare say boldly my Judgment as far as I could understand the Case ever went with truth And as Alcibiades advised his friend not to give any answer till he had run over the Letters of the whole Alphabet so have I never used rash and sudden resolutions in any thing And therefore as touching your Councils and Consultations I acknowledge them to have been with such care and Providence and so advantageous for the preservation of my Life and to proceed from hearts so sincere and devoted to me that I shall endeavour what lyes in my power to give you cause to think your pains not ill bestowed and strive to shew my self worthy of such Subjects And now for your Petition I desire you for the present to content your selves with an answer without answer your Judgement I condemn not neither do I mislike your reason but I must desire you to excuse those thoughtful doubts and cares which as yet perplex my Mind and so rest satisfied with the profession of my thankful esteem of your affections and the answer I have given if you take it for any answer at all if I should say I will not do what you request I might say perhaps more than I intend and if I should say I would do it I might plunge my self into as bad inconveniencies as you endeavour to perswade me from which I am confident your wisdom and discretions would not that I should if you consider the circumstances of place time and the manner and conditions of Men. In December 1586. the Parliament was prorogued saith Cambden D' Ewes Jour f. 407. Adjourned saith D' Ewes to the 15th of February and thence ajourned to the 22 of February and soon after notice was given to the Queen of Scots of her Sentence which she received joyfully and seemed to Triumph that she was taken for an instrument for introducing Popery But a Bishop and Dean of the Church of England Queen of Scots carriage to a Bishop and Dean of the Church of England Camb. Annals f. 308. being commended to her to fit her for Death she rejected them and sharply taxed the English Nation saying that the English had many times put their own Kings to death no marvel therefore if they now also shewed their cruelty upon her who was issued from the Blood of their Kings After her Sentence was published before any Warrant for her Execution People vented their several Opinions some for it some against it I shall Wave all but the then French Ambassadours Reasons on the behalf of the Queen of Scots and the Answer to those Reasons as they are related by Cambden as follows That it very much concerned the most Christian King of France and all other Kings The French Ambassadours Reasons against executing the Queen of Scots Camb. Annals f. 374. that a Queen a free and absolute Princess should not be put to death That the Queens safety would not be more endangered by the death of Queen Mary then it would be by her Life That if she were delivered out of Prison she could probably attempt nothing against the Queen being now in a sickly condition and having but a short time to live That although she had laid claim to the Crown of England she was not to be blamed for it but it was wholly to be imputed to her young and tender Years and to bad Councellors That she came at first a supplicant into England and therefore having been unjustly detained she was now at length to be either ransomed or mercifully dealt withal Moreover that an absolute Prince was not to be called in question which made Tully say So unsual a thing it is for a King to be put to death for any Crime that before this time it was never so much as heard of That if she were Innocent she were not to be punished if Guilty she was to be spared for this would turn to far greater honour and advantage and would be recorded eternally as an example of the English Clemency That the story of Porsenna in this Case was to be remembred who snatched the right hand of Mutius Scaevola out of the Fire and set him at Liberty though he had
Conspired his Death That it was a prime Rule and Precept for well Governing to be sparing of Blood that Blood cryeth for Blood That to use the extreamity of rigour towards her could not but seem a cruel and bloody Part. That the French King would do his best to repel and frustrate the Attemps of all Men whatsoever who should offer violence to the Queen and that the Guises the Queen of Scots near Kinsmen would engage themselves to do the like by Oath and Covenant under their hands who in Case she should be put to death would take it very hardly and haply not leave her unrevenged Lastly they required she might not be proceeded against according to so rigorous and extraordinary a Sentence Otherwise the French King could not but take very great displeasure thereat howsoever other Princes should hap to resent it The Answer to those Reasons To these Reasons Answer was made from Point to Point as followeth That the Queen of England trusted the most Christian King of France would have no less a regard and respect for her then he had for the Queen of Scots who had practised the destruction of an Innocent Princess her near Kinswoman and a Confederate with the French King. That it was expedient and necessary for Kings and Common-wealths that wicked attempts especially against Princes should not go unpunished That the English which acknowledged the Soveraign Authority of Queen Elizabeth only in England could not acknowledge two Supream free and absolute Princes in England at one time or account any other whomsoever equal to her in England as long as she lived Neither indeed did they see how the Queen of Scots and her Son who at present Reigneth can be reputed both at one time for Supream and Absolute Princes Whether the Queens safety would be exposed to greater danger upon her being Executed depended upon future Accidents and Contingences the Estates of England upon serious deliberations of the Matter thought otherwise there would never be occasions wanting for bad attempts especially when the Matter was now come to that pass that the one had no hope of safety unless the other were ruined and this saying they might call to Mind aut ego illam aut illa me either I must take away her Life or she will take away mine The shorter the time to come of her Life was the sooner and more eagerly would the Conspirators hasten the Queens danger That the Title which she claimed to the Crown of England she would not yet renounce and therefore she was with good reason detained in Prison and so to be detained though she came a Supplicant into England till she had renounced the same and the Crimes which she had committed since she was Prisoner she ought to suffer for whatever were the Cause of her first casting into Prison That the Queen had formerly most Graciously spared her Life when by unanimous consent of the Estates she was Condemned for a Rebellion raised about an intended Marriage between her and the Duke of Norfolk and to spare her again were but unadvised and cruel pity that no man was ignorant of that saying of the Lawyers A Man offending in anothers Territory and there found is punished in the Place of his Offence without regard of his Dignity Honour or Priviledge And that this was both justifiable by the Laws of England and by the Examples of Licinius Robert King of Scicily Bernard King of Italy Couradine Elizabeth Queen of Hungary Joan Queen of Naples and Dejotants for whom Tully pleading said it was no unjust thing that a King should be found Guilty and put to Death though it were not usual For thus the words run which I speak first touching a Kings forfeiture of Life and Estate which thing though it be not unjust especially when thy Life is in danger from him yet is it so unsual c. That she ought to be punished having been found Guilty upon a just and legal Tryal considering that what is just the same is honest and what is honest is also profitable and Expedient That the Story of Porsenna suited not with the present Case unless a Man should imagine a numerous Combinations of men to have laid wait for the Queens Life and should thereupon perswade her to let the Queen of Scots at Liberty without any hurt out of a fear of them with some regard to her own honour but none to her safety as Porsenna discharged Mutius after he had affirmed that three hundred like himself had Conspired and vowed his death Moreover Mutius attempted this against Porsenna in a just and declared War and when Mutius was let go Porsenna verily perswaded himself that all the danger was over but the Case here is quite otherwise That Blood indeed is to be spared but it must be inoncent Blood this God hath commanded True it is indeed that the voice of innocent Blood crieth for Blood and this can France both before and since the Massacre at Paris well witness and testifie That Death that is justly inflicted cannot seem Bloody as is neither Physic prapared duly and as it ought to be esteemed violent That howsoever the Guises the Queen of Scots Kinsmen might take the Matter yet it highly concerned the Queen to regard rather the safety of her self the Nobility and People of England upon whose love and affection she wholly depended then the displeasure of any whomsoever That the Matter was come to that pass that what was said of old concerning two Princes Couradine of Sicily and Charles of Anjou might now be spoken of two Queens it might now be truely said the Death of Mary is the Life of Elizabeth and the Life of Mary the Death of Elizabeth That the French King or the Guises promises could not secure the Queen and Realm much less make satisfaction for her Life if she should be made away That the French King could neither discover nor hinder secret Plots against himself at home much less was he like to hinder those against the Queen of England For Treason is plotted in secret and therefore hard to be prevented if the fact were once committed what would it avail to claim their Promises how should an incomparable Prince's death be made amends for and in so sad and woful a Confusion of all things what Remedy could be found for the languishing Common-wealth That the Obligations and Oaths of the Guises were of small value who judged it Meritorious to kill the Bishop of Rome's Adversaries and could easily procure Dispensations for their Oaths and what Englishman if Queen Elizabeth were slain and the Queen of Scots of the house of Guise advanced to the Crown durst accuse them of the Murther and if any should accuse them could they thereby make her alive again And the Ambassadors in calling this a rigorous and extraordinary Sentence have spoken rashly and unadvisedly for as much as they have neither seen Process nor Proofs and have more sharply then is fitting taxed the
Estates of the Realm of England choice Men for their Nobility Vertue Prudence and Piety Yea they have very inconsiderately uttered such Words in the French Kings Name as if they meant by threats to terrifie the Queen and the Estates of the Land. The English-men use not to be terrified by the French-mens threats from taking Courses to secure their own Tranquility when they in the mean time could direct them no proper way to avoid the instant and threatning Dangers The Answer to these Reasons not leaving the French Ambassador Room for a Reply from Words he was resolved to fall to Blows and that he might save one Queens Life enters into a Plot to take away anothers A Plot by the French Ambassador to take away the Queens Life Camb. Annal. f. 377. Stafford engaged in it but refused it and proposed one Moody who undertook it And in order to this he at first more closely tampers with one William Stafford a young Gentleman whose Mother and Brother were Servants to the Queen the former of the Queens Bed Chamber the Latter Ambassador in France and afterwards more plainly and openly by Trappy his Secretary who promised him if he would effect it not only great Glory and vast Riches but special favour with the Pope the Duke of Guise and all the Papists Stafford refused to do it himself but recommended one Moody who undertook the Matter and as to the Manner propounded to do it either by Poison or by a bag of Gunpowder of twenty pounds weight to be conveyed under her Bed and secretly fired But soon after Stafford discovered the whole Trappy was taken and Confessed the Matter the Ambassador was sent for and rebuked but he insisted that he being an Ambassador was not bound to make any Discovery to any but his Master Camb. Annal. f. 379. Bakers Chron. f. 371. The Queen privately signed a Warrant to execute the Queen of Scots and delivered the same to Davison Camb. Annal. f. 387 389 383. Bakers Chron. f. 371. Davison Acquaints the Council with it The Councel execute her before the Queen knew it Queen Elizabeth Resents it Camb. Annal. f. 388. Bakers Chron. f. 372. At this time there were divers Rumors and terrifying Reports spread over England viz. that the Spanish Fleet was already arrived at Milford Haven that the Scots were broken into England that the Duke of Guise was Landed in Sussex with a strong Army that the Queen of Scots was escaped out of Prison and had raised an Army that the Northern Parts were up in Rebellion that there was a new Conspiracy on foot to kill the Queen and set the City of London on Fire These Reports hastned on the Queens signing a Warrant for the Execution of the Queen of Scots to do which she being by her Courtiers as before she had been by the Parliament pressed both by Reasons and also by Examples did command a Warrant to be drawn up for her Execution which Command she delivered in Writing to Davison one of her Secretaries but commanded him to acquaint no Man therewith But the next Day having changed her Mind she commanded Davison by William Killigrew that the Warrant should not be drawn He came presently to the Queen and told her that it was drawn and under the Seal already whereat she was greatly moved but notwithstanding he acquainted the Council with it and they believing that the Queen commanded it should be Executed without any delay sent down and had it done on the 8 th Day of February 1586. As soon as the Report was brought to Queen Elizabeths Ears who little thought of such a thing that the Queen of Scots was put to Death she heard it with great Indignation her Countenance altered her Speech faltered and failed her and through excessive Sorrow she stood in a manner astonished insomuch as she gave her self over to passionate Grief puting her self into mourning Habit and shed abundance of Tears Her Council she sharply rebuked and commanded them out of her Sight causing them to be Examined Davison she commanded to appear and be tryed in the Star Chamber A great fine in those days Her Councel she forgave but Davison was tryed fined a thousand Pounds and imprisoned during the Queens pleasure Yorks Plot. Camb. Annal. f. 397. Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 7. f. 356. Bakers Chron. f. 373. After the Queen of Scots was executed the first piece of Treasonable Practice of the Papists I meet with is that of York who drew Stanley to betray Deventer a strong and wealthy Place to the Spaniards contrary to Oath solemnly taken to Leicester and to satisfie his Conscience against the imputations of Treason he pretended that he had restored that place to the true Lord and Owner which had been kept from him by Rebels and being a ranck Papists he soon after sent for Papists to instruct his Regiment consisting of thirteen hundred English and Irish in the Popish Religion giving out that this should be a Seminary Regiment of Souldiers to defend the Romish Religion by their Swords as the Seminary Priests did by their Writings And for this purpose Allen who was not long after made Cardinal not only dispatcht Priests to him with all expedition but set forth a Book also wherein according to Pius Quintus his Bull against Queen Elizabeth he both commended the Treason and excited others to the like perfidiousness as if they were neither bound to serve nor obey an Excommunicate Queen And now let us see what the Parliament are doing after the Death of the Queen of Scots That great Root of Rebellion and Treason even in their opinion At the meeting of the Parliament 22 d. of February to which the same was adjourned the Queen acquainted them by Sr. Christopher Hatton that the Nation was in great danger and what the danger was you will find laid down in an excellent Speech The Parliament met 22d Feb. 28 29. Eliz. made in the House of Commons by the said Sr. Christopher Hatton which I have here inserted that you may see that tho' the Queen of Scots was dead yet the Papists were not but as active against the Queen and the Protestant Religion as ever The Speech take as it is set down in Sr. Simon D' Ewes his journal which is as followeth That it was Her Majesties pleasure to have dangers disclosed and to have the House know that she thanked God for the Goodness of the House Sr. Christopher Hattons Speech D'Ewes journal f. 408. that she wished the Session mistaken for Meeting to be short that Men of Government might go home for matter of Government Hospitality and Defence and to take another time for making of Laws saving such as be now of necessity The dangers which Her Majesty meaneth proceed of ancient Malice and are to be prepared for and God called for Aid The Principal Heads of the Dangers The Catholics abroad the Pope the King of Spain the Princes of the League the Papists
* Allen before named worthy Man but by the perswasions as they think of Parsons greatly disliked of many both Wise and Learned And especially it was wondred at a while until the Drift thereof appeared more manifestly in the year 1588 that the said worthy Person laid down this for a ground in justifying the said Stanley viz. that in all Wars which may happen for Religion every Catholick Man is bound in Conscience to employ his Person and Force by the Popes Direction viz. how for when and where either at home or abroad he may and must break with his Temporal Soveraign Let us now see what was further doing by the Pope and the Papists against the Protestant Queen and the Protestant Religion in England in the Year 1588 and we shall doubtless see very good reason for making the Statute of 35 Eliz. Ca. 2. which was the last Law that was made against them in Queen Elizabeths time The Pope some Religious Persons in Spain and several English Fugitives The Pope plotting again Camb. Annal. f. 402. Baker's Chron. f. 374. had called back the Spaniard to his former Designs for the Conquest of England which had been interrupted by the Portugal Wars earnestly exhorting him that seeing God had given him Success in laying Portugal and the East-Indies to his Dominions he would do something which should be acceptable to God and becoming the Grandeur and Majesty of the Catholic King that nothing could be more then the propagating and enlarging the Church of God which could not be more gloriously nor more meritoriously done then by the Conquest of England re-planting the Roman Catholic Religion and abolishing Heresie there They suggested that this War would be just because it was necessary as also because it was for the Maintainance of Christs Religion in regard That the Queen of England being excommunicate persisted contumaciously against the Church of Rome supported his Rebels in the Netherlands annoyed the Spaniards by continual Depredations suppressed and sackt his Towns in Spain and America and had very lately put the Queen of Scots to Death violating thereby the Majesty of all Kings That it would be no less profitable than just for so he should add to his Empire those three Kingdoms quell the Rebellion in the Low Countries secure his Voyages to the Indies without the Expence of Convoys To prove this they suggested that the Spanish Navy did far exceed the English in Number Largeness of Ships and Strength especially considering the Addition of the Portugal Fleet that England had no Forts nor defences that it was unprovided of Commanders Souldiers Cavalry and Munition bare of Wealth and Friends that there were many Papists who would presently joyn with him that so great was the Strength of Spain and so unmatchable their Valour that none durst oppose them and confidently assured themselves of Victory That this Opportunity was offered by God himself a Peace being then concluded with the Turk and the French embroiled in a Civil War That the Conquest of England would be far easier than the Netherlands in respect the Cut from Spain to England was much more short and convenient than from Spain to the Netherlands That in order to the Conquest of the Netherlands it was necessary first to conquer England and that England being once conquered the Low-Countries must of necessity be subdued The Spanish King being perswaded to believe all this resolves on the Attempt The Contrivance of the Spanish Invasion Camb. Annal f. 403 404. and the next thing considered was in what Way and Means to effect it And the Method agreed on was to do it with a well-provided Army from Spain and the Low-Countries to be landed by a powerful Navy at the Thames Mouth in order to surprize the City of London by a sudden Assault this being resolved on the Preparation was made which was so great throughout all Spain Italy and Scicily that the Spaniards themselves were amazed at it and named it the Invincible Armada Their Cause the Armada and Army they recommended to the Pope and to the Prayers of the Catholics to God and the Saints and set forth a Book in Print for a Terror wherein the whole Preparation was set down The Prince of Parma also in the Netherlands by the Spanish Kings Command built Ships and many Flat-bottomed Boats and other great Preparations in the Sea Towns of Flanders he had an Army of an hundred and three Companies of Foot and four thousand Horse amongst which were one thousand English Fugitives who of all others were least esteemed neither was * Sir William Stanley before named Stanley who had the Command of them nor others who offered their Service and Council once heard but for their unnaturalness to their Country they were debarred from all access and as most inauspicious Persons worthily and with Detestation rejected The Spanish Navy in the whole consisted of one hundred and thirty Ships whereof Galliasses and Galleons seventy two in which were Souldiers nineteen thousand two hundred and ninety Camb. Annal. f. 410. Baker's Chron. f. 374. The Number of the Armada Marriners eight thousand three hundred and fifty Gally Slaves two thousand and eighty great Ordinance two thousand six hundred and thirty for the greater Holiness of their Action twelve of their Ships were called the twelve Apostles the chief Commanders were Don Alphonso Duke of Medina and John Recalde a great Sea-man Sixtus Quintus Curseth Queen Elizabeth Foulis Hist li. 7. ca. 6. f. 350. Camb. Annals f. 410. Sixtus Quintus the Pope that he might not seem to be wanting in so good a Cause did not only assist with his (a) Ant. Cicarella in vità Sexti V. Allen sent into the Netherlands to carry on the Design Treasure but his Papal Curse to boot whereby he excommunicated the Queen dethroned her absolved her Subjects from all Allegiance and published his Croisado in Print as it were against Turks and Infidels wherein out of the Treasure of the Church he granted plenary Indulgences to all that gave their Help and Assistance with this goodly Stuff William Allen a little before made a Cardinal an English-man and an old Traitor to the Queen was sent into the Netherlands the better to encourage the English Romanists to Rebellion Allen pulls out his Papal Tool which he forgeth into a Pamphlet in the English Language which he prints at Antwerp calling it The Declaration of the Sentence of Sixtus Quintus Their Methods And as a farther Interpretation of the Papal Intent and the better to ingage the English to Rebellion he joyns a second Part to it called An Admonition to the Nobility and People of England And that the Reader may better understand the Honesty of the Paper take the Sum of it thus Em. Meteram Hist Belg. lib. 15. p. 473 474. Sam. Purchas Pilgrims vol. 4. l. 10. c. 11. p. 1895 1896. It begins with Calling the Queens Government impious and unjust her self an
undertook to take this rub out of the way by killing the King to which purpose he went for Scotland but took England in his way At London one Daniel an Italian Fencing Master discovers the Plot to the Queen she seized them and sent them into Scotland Mowbray supposed Guilty is cast into Edenburgh Castle whence thinking one Night to escape out of a Window by his Bed sheets they proved too short and he fell upon the Rocks and so dyed his Body was hanged for sometime then quartered 1601. and set upon the Gates and several places of the City This Design failing another is in hand in Italy A design to poyson King James the First Ferdinando I. the Grand Duke of Tuscany by the intercepting some Letters discovereth a Plot to poyson the said King James The Duke by what reasons induced is not material but 't is conjectured in hopes to convert him rather pervert him to the Romish Religion resolved to discover and prevent it At this time one Mr. Henry Wotton sojourned in Florence 1602. and was well acquainted with Seigniour Vietta the Dukes Secretary upon whose Commendations Wotton is pitched on to be the Messenger The Letters and excellent Antidotes against Poyson such as were not then known in Scotland were delivered to him who disguised under an Italian Garb and Name of Octavio Baldi hasteth into Scotland cometh to the King discovereth himself and the Conspiracy and after some stay returneth to Florence he was afterwards Knighted by King James As the Popes are never without Designs for promoting some of their Nephews The Pope designs to exclude King James the First so Clement the VIII the then Pope in these Designs against the said King James his succeeding Queen Elizabeth was not wanting intending the Crown of England for some of his friends and perceiving that some in England English Papists to be sure were tampering to promote the Interest of the Lady Arabella in this case he thought it best to deal warily he was very desirous that the Duke of Parma should wear the Crown of England but finding that this was not feasible by reason Arabella's Interest was too strong for him he steers another course and thinks of Cardinal Farnese who being unmarried might take to Wife Arabella and so unite Forces and Interests to carry the Crown To carry on this design it was advised that all the Romanists in England should unite that their Cause might not suffer by any dissentions about this Succession amongst themselves a good Caution may hence be given to all Protestants in England that they do not divide upon their present Majesty's King William and Queen Mary's accession to the Crown who under God are the preservers of the Protestant Religion amongst us for vis unita fortior and nothing but division can hurt us to promote this union the Romish Clergy who then had and still have a great awe and authority over the Layety were exhorted by the Pope to be all of a Mind as to this Succession and to press it home upon the Layety that so the Layety might not be divided To which purpose it was concluded that there should be an Arch Priest who should have a Jurisdiction over the rest who are to â—it according to his Rules and Directions and in these designs Father Parsons who was not yet advanc'd according to his merit was a main stickler and contriver the Pope also had drawn up some Bulls and sent to his Nuncio in the Netherlands to Divulge and spread them abroad at convenient times wherein he declared that not any though never so near in blood should after Queen Elizabeths death be admitted to the Crown but such an one as would not only tollerate the Roman Religion but would swear to promote and resettle it and that in the mean time Cardinal Farnese might in this Island have the greatest vogue the Pope made him Protector of England as Pope Pius V. had before made Mary Queen of Scots Queen of England to carry on the same design as he was of other Countrys Nay rather then fail the same Pope had formerly exhorted the French and Spaniards to unite invade England and divide it between them nor did they neglect to instigate the Family of the Pools to have a Right Divers other Attempts were made by Winton Desmond and other Priests and Jesuits to exclude King James the First but all proved abortive as did the Treasons plotted against him after his Accessions to the Throne Queen Elizabeth's death Camb Annals f. 651. Bakers Chron. f. 403. On the 24th of March 1603. the Virgin Queen Elizabeth of every Glorious Memory exchanged her corruptible for an incorruptible Crown after she had Reigned Forty four Years and Four Months and in the Seventieth Year of her Age of whom her Successor gave this Character that she was one who in wisdom and felicity of Government surpassed all the Princes since the days of Augustus King James the First Proclaimed Camb. Annals f. 661. Bakers Chron. f. 403. A Conspiracy against him She being dead some few hours after King James was Proclaimed King of England the First of Scotland the Sixth and no sooner is he set upon his Throne even before he could well get the Crown upon his Head but we find a Plot laid against his Life for though the Papists could not keep him from the Throne they were resolved if possible that he should not sit long there This Plot I must confess is prima facie of a strange Complection but when 't is well viewed if we look upon the Majority of the Persons concerned we shall find them to be Romish Priests and Lay Papists and therefore if a thing may take its denomination from the greater part this may sure and we may safely call it a Popish Conspiracy for although some Protestants were inveigled into it Yet they were the smaller number and at that time under a discontent (a) Bakers Chron. f. 404. VVilsons History of Great Brittain f 4. which oftentimes carries Men beyond the Principles of their Religion and to do things contrary to the Rules of right Reason Whither their discontent was well grounded or not is not my purpose to enquire but taking it for granted they were Male-contents I shall now give an account of who were Actors in this Design and what the Design it self was The Names of the Conspirators Fowlis Hist li. 10. cap. 1. f. 499. VVilsons Hist. f. 4. Bakers Chron. f. 404. The main Actors in this Conspiracy were William Watson and Clark who had both writ against the Jesuits for their Treasons and Conspiracies Sir Griffin Markham Count Aremberg Ambassador from the Arch Duke of Austria Mathew de Lawrency a Merchant but an Instrument employed by Aremberg all zealous Papists Sir Edward Parham a Papist Bartholomew Roskesby and Anthony Coply Papists Henry Brook Lord Cobham and George Brook his Brother who seemed to be Protestants Thomas Lord Grey of Wilton a Protestant
continue your daily Plotting of so Tragical Stratagems against Recusants It is ordered that none of these Five knoweth who the other Four be for the better preventing the discovery of the rest if so any one by attempting and not performing should be apprehended It is also already agreed who shall first attempt it by shot and so who in order shall follow In accomplishing of it there is expected no other than assurance of Death yet it will willingly be embraced for the preventing of those general Calamities which by this your transcendent Authority and Grace with His Majesty are threatned unto us And indeed the difficulties herein are more easily to be digested since Two of the intended attempters are in that weak estate of Body that they cannot live above three or four Months The other Three are so distressed in themselves and their Friends as that their present griefs for being only Recusants do much dull all aprehensions of Death None is to be blamed in the true censuring of Matters for the undertaking hereof Nor are they to be blamed for it for we protest before God we have no other means left us in the World since it is manifest that you serve but as a Match to give Fire unto his Majesty to whom the worst that we wish is that he may be as great a Saint in Heaven as he is King on Earth for intending all mischiefs against the poor distressed Catholics Thus giving your Lordship this charitable admonition the which may perhaps be necessary hereafter for some others your inferiours at least in grace and favour if so they run on in their former inhumane and unchristian rage against us I cease putting you in mind For 't is true and Spiritual Resolution that where once True and Spiritual Resolution is there notwithstanding all dangers whatsoever the weak may take sufficient revenge of the great Your Lordships well admonishing Friends c. A. B. C. c. It may be your Lordship will take this but as some forged Letter of some Puritans thereby to incense you more against Recusants But we protest upon our Salvation it is not so Neither can any thing in humane likelihood prevent the effecting thereof but the change of your Course towards Recusants This Letter at the beginning affords fair seeming to detest the Gun-Powder-Plot as Watson did the Popish Treasons in Queen Elizabeths time and was hanged for Treason in the beginning of the Reign of King James but little credit is to be given to what they say if it be considered that the very design of it is to apoligize for Murther and that they therein assert that although they Murther Privy Counsellors yet the Murtherers may be good men nor are they to be blamed for it for it is a true and spiritual resolution What influence this Letter had the sequel will evince for the said Oath was immediately confirmed by Act of Parliament and the Papists injoyned to take it in the Circumstances and upon the Penalties in the Act for that purpose mentioned the sum and substance of which Act followeth it is Intitled An Act for the better discovering and repressing of Popish Recusants The Preamble of the Act runs thus 3. Jac. 1. c. 4. Rast Stat. f. 591. Papists must receive the Sacrament and take the Oath of Allegiance c. upon pecuniary mulcts if neglected FOrasmuch as it is found by daily Experience that many His Majesties Subjects that adhere in their hearts to the Popish Religion by the infection drawn from thence and by the Wicked and Divelish Councel of Iesuits Seminaries and other like Persons dangerous to the Church and State are so far perverted in the point of their Loyalty and due Allegiance to the Kings Majesty and the Crown of England as they are ready to entertain and Execute any Treasonable Conspiracies and Practices as evidently appears by that more then barbarous and horrible Attempt to have blown up with Gun-powder the King Queen Prince Lords and Commons in the House of Parliament Assembled tending to the utter Subversion of the whole State lately undertaken by the instigation of Iesuits and Seminaries and in Advancement of their Religion by their Schollars Taught and Instructed by them to that purpose which Attempt by the only goodness of Almighty God was discovered and defeated And where divers Persons Popishly affected do nevertheless the better to cover and hide their false Hearts and with the more safety to attend the opportunity to execute their mischievous Designs repair sometimes to Church to escape the Penalty of the Laws in that behalf provided Then for the better discovery of such Persons and their Evil affections to the Kings Majesty and to the State of the Realm to the end that being known their Evil Purposes might be the better prevented It was enacted that every Papist that Conforms shall Yearly receive the Sacrament upon twenty pounds Forfeiture upon the first Years neglect forty pounds the second sixty pounds the third and so forwards sixty pounds Yearly until he or she shall have received it That Papists their Children of Nine Years and Servants shall be once a Year presented at the general or Quarter Sessions Which presentments are to be recorded at the Sessions That the Iustices of Assize and Goal Delivery and Iustices of Peace shall hear and determine the Offence That Proclamation shall be made at the Assizes or Sessions for the Offender to render his body to the Sheriff Bayliff or Keeper of the Goal of the Liberty before the next Assizes or Sessions c. And if the Offender doth not he stands Convicted and forfeits twenty pounds a Month for every Month contained in the Indictment whereon he his Convicted That every Conviction shall be certified into the Exchequer that the King may refuse twenty pounds a Month and take two parts of the Papists Lands save their Mansion House That the Kings two parts shall not be Leased to Papists Noblemen and Noblewomen are excepted That the Oath of Allegiance shall be tendred to all Persons of the Age of Eighteen Years or above Convicted or Indicted for Recusancy for not going to Church for not receiving the Sacrament or that pass through any Country Shire or Liberty and unknown Who refuse taking this Oath incur a Premunire except Women covert who are to be Committed to the Common Goal without Bail or Mainprize till they take the Oath No Indictment or other Proceedings against the Papists shall be discharged or reversed for default of Form but Conformity discharges all Proceedings whatever Felony in any that go beyond Seas to serve any Forreign Prince c. or being there shall voluntarily serve such Prince not first having taken the Oath Felony in any Gentleman or Person of higher Degrée or any that is or hath born Office in Camp Army or Company of Souldiers to go beyond the Seas voluntarily to serve a Foreign Prince or shall voluntarily serve any Prince unless he first enters into Bond
Treason This Act declares what shall not and what shall be Heresie Hist Ref. pt 2. ib. 3. f. 386. that no matter of Religion or cause Ecclesiastical within this Act shall be Heresie Schism or Schismatical Opinion nor any thing but what is so adjudged by the Canonical Scriptures and the four first general Council or other Councils by the true and genuine sence of the Holy Scriptures or what should afterwards be declared Heresie by the Parliament with the consent of the Convocation From which Act. I observe that altho' it was a Premunire before this Law to own a Foreign Jurisdiction as bringing in Bulls doth yet the Queen was willing to inflict a less punishment for the first offence to see if she could gain upon the Papists by Clemency and made it not high Treason till a conviction of the third offence and that Conviction to be according to the Antient Laws of the Land and not in an Arbitrary way which is much more mild than any of the Popish Laws were neither was this Law put in Execution against them till they grew troublesome to the State as I shall plainly make appear hereafter The next Law was for the uniformity of Common Prayer and service in the Church and administration of the Sacraments Whereby 1 Mar. ca. 2. is repealed 1 Eâ—iz ca. 2 Rast Stat. p. 2 f 5. An Act of Vniformity Camd. Annal. fol. 27. and the last Book of Common-prayer c. made in Ed. 6 th time is established with the alteration of some few things By which Law it is provided that spiritual persons that shall use any other service or deprave or speak against the use of that for the first offence being legally Convicted shall lose the profits of his Benefice for a Year and shall suffer six months Imprisonment for the second Offence shall be deprived ipso facto for the third not only deprived but suffer Imprisonment during his Life a Lay person offending in the Premisses shall for the first Offence suffer Imprisonment for a Year without Bail or mainprize and for the second Offence shall suffer Imprisonment during Life Every one that by Enterludes Plays Songs Rhimes or other open words shall speak against any thing in derogation depraving or despising of the same Book or shall any ways maintain any person c. in using any other Service c. or shall hinder or interrupt the use of this Book For the first Offence shall forfeit 100 Marks for the second Offence 400 Marks and for the third Offence shall forfeit all his Goods and Chattels and suffer Imprisonment during Life and for non payment of the 100 Marks in 6 Weeks after his Conviction shall suffer six Months Imprisonment and for non payment of the 400 Marks shall suffer 12 Months Imprisonment without Bail or Mainprize All persons are by this Act required having no reasonable Excuse to resort to their Parish Church or upon reasonable Let to some other place where the service is used upon Sundays and Holy-days upon the Penalty of punishment by the Censures of the Church and 12 d. for every Default And for due Execution of this Act the Queen il â—ean trying the Bishops for being guilty of a Misdemeanor iâ— not complying with a Popish Prince against this Law be justified the Lords Temporal and all the Commons in that Parliament assembled did in God's Name earnestly require and charge the Arch-Bishops Bishops and other Ordinaries that they should endeavour themselves to the utmost of their knowledges that the due and true Execution thereof might he had throughout their Diocess and charges as they would answer before God for such Evils and Plagues wherewith Almighty God might Iustly punish his People for neglecting that good and wholsome Law. All Laws for other Service are hereby made void But may the Papists say Are not imprisonment Premunire and High Treason very great Penalties What Greater To this I answer That there is not any of them inflicted for the first Offence But punishment for the first offence is still but a pecuniary molct The Penalty annâ—â—ed to this Law justified and extends to neither Pillory Loss of Ears striking off hands or death much less death by Fire and Fagor The second Offence is restraint of Liberty and that but Temporary except in one single Case where it is for Life The punishment for the first Offence is no where made a Premunire nor Treason and 't is but in one case that the Party offending is made Guilty of High Treason and that is upon being Convicted of the third Offence too and for that very Offâ—nce the Party incurr'd a Premunire by the Law before And if it be granted me that it is necessary that some kind of Penalties be annexed to inforce obedience to Laws which certainly cannot be denyed these being such gradual Penalties the Papists themselves cannot but own that they are reasonable 5 Eliz. ca. 1 Rast Stat. pt 2. f. 39. An Act to exclude the Popes Pretences to any Authority here in England The reasonableness of it and the Penalties annexed to it The next Act of Parliament I shall take notice of is the Act for the assurance of the Queens Majesties Royal Power over all States and Subjects within her Dominions by which Act it is provided That if any person dwelling inhabiting or resiant within the Queens Dominions should after 1 Apr. 1563 by writing c. advisedly and wittingly hold c. maintain or defend the Authority Iurisdiction or Power of the Bishop of Rome or of his See heretofore usurped within this Realm being lawfully Convicted thereof within a Year should incur a Premunire for the first Offence and High Treason for the Second the like Penalties are annexed to the Refusal of the Oath of Supremacy The reason of the making which Law appears from the Preamble of the Act and the History of those times The Preamble takes notice that Hures Perils Dishonours Inconveniences had before time befallen the Queens Majesties Noble Progenitors Kings of this Realm and the whole estate thereof by means of the Jurisdiction of the See of Rome unjustly claimed and usurped within this Realm and the Dominions thereof and also takes notice of Dangers the Queen and state was then in by the Faâ—ters of the said usurped Power at that time grown to marvellous outrage and Licentious Boldness and therefore it was necessary to have more sharp restraint and correction of Laws then before in the time of the Queens Majesties most mild and merciful Reign had been establish'd Hence it plainly appears that the Parliament thought the Queens Person and the Kingdom in great Danger from the Papists who are all favourers of the Pope's Authority in England and if Cambden may be believed not without reason Cambd Annals fol. 58. for he tells us That Anno Domini 1562 in France the Professors of the Reformed Religion were most grievously afflicted And that thereupon the Papists in England muttered
many and Great matters in secret talk amongst Companies of suppressing in like manner the Protestants in England And every one that is acquainted with the History of those times knows that at the same time that these things were bruited about the Papists here the Guises in France and the Queen of Scots that restless and unwearied Enemy of the Protestant Religion were plotting and Contriving against the Queen and that those Plots and Contrivances of the Queen of Scots were never at an end till the Axe put a period to her Life and them together And how forward the Priests of the Romish Church especially of the Order of Jesuits are to assert the Pope's jurisdiction and bring in and Execute his Bulls here in England is well known amongst Protestants And that this is laid by the secular Priests themselves to the Charge of the Jesuits I shall hereafter make appear So that certainly it must be owned that there was very good reason to make this Law and as for the Penalties they were annexed in terrorem rather than with any design to be inflicted to the ruine of them against whom the Laws were made as plainly appears from the History of the first 12 years of this Queens Reign during which time the Persons of the Papists The Queens mild usage of the Papists notwithstanding these Laws remained in the Kingdom quiet and undisturbed till they themselves gave just occasion for putting these and the Antient Laws of the Kingdom in Execution against them and making further provision by the adding new Laws with more severe Penalties or rather inforcing the Execution of the old ones 1 Foulis Hist of Romish Treasons li. 7. cap. 2. fol. 325. The secular Priests in their important considerations confess not above 12 in 10 years and of those 12 some were attainted of Treason Collections f. 41. Lord Treasurer Burleigh hasserts the same f. 28. Abr. Bzov. de Rom. Pontif. c. 46. p. 621. We don't read in our English Histories of twelve Papists that suffered Death in the 10 first Years of the Reign of Q. Elizabeth nor of any that at any time were executed purely for exercising their Religion But those of them that have been executed have dyed for Treason and Rebellion and Mr. Fowlis tells us that it is confest by Bzovius their Papal Champion that there was not any that suffered in Queen Elizabeths time but did teach the dangerous doctrine that the Pope could depose Kings That the Papists both Clergy and Laity were used by the Queen in the Beginning of her Reign with all the kindness and even tenderness imaginable must be believed if one of the greatest Statesmen of his Age and one of the Wisest Persons this Nation ever bred viz. The Lord Treasurer Burleigh who writ in this Queens Reign can challenge any Credit he saith thus 2 Execution for Treason not for Religion p. 6.7 And though there are many Subjects known in the Realm that differ in some Opinions of Religion from the Church of England and that do also not forbear to profess the same yet in that they do also profess Loyalty and Obedience to her Majesty and offer readily in her Majesties Defence to impugn and resist any foreign force tho' it should come or be procured from the Pope himself none of these sort are for their contrary Opinions in Religion prosecuted or charged with any Crimes or Pains of Treason nor yet willingly searched in their Consciences for their contrary Opinions that savour not of Treason They were not Closetted 3 Dr. Burnet in his Hist of the Ref. gives much the same Account of the usage of these Men. pt 2d lib. 3. f. 396. Cambd. doth so likewise fol. 28 29. his Annals And he instances in several Dr. Heath Arch Bishop of York and Lord Chancellor of England in Queen Mary's time who saith he at the first coming of her Majesty to the Crown shewing himself a faithful and quiet Subject was continued in both the said Offices tho' in Religion then manifestly differing and yet was he not restrained of his Liberty nor deprived of his proper Lands and Goods but leaving willingly both his Offices lived in his own House and enjoyed all his purchased Lands during all his natural Life until by very Age he departed this World and then left his House and Living to his Friends An Example of gentleness never matched in Queen Mary's days The Like did Dr. Pool who had been Bishop of Peterborough Dr. Tonstall Bishop of Duresme these of quiet behavior There were others he tells us Dr. White and Dr. Oglethorp the one Bishop of Winchester the other of Carlisle and Dr. Thurlby and Dr. Watson one Bishop of Ely the other of Lincoln not pressed with any Capital Pain though they maintain'd the Pope's Authority against the Laws of the Realm Mr. Fecknam an Abbot is also Instanced in Some Deans as Dr. Boxall Dean of Windsor a Person of great Modesty and Knowledge Dr. Cole Dean of Pauls a Person more earnest than Wise Dr. Reynolds Dean of Exeter and many such others having born Office and Dignities in the Church and had made profession against the Pope which they began in Queen Mary's time to change yet were they never to this day burdned with Capital pains nor yet deprived of any of their Goods or proper Livelyhoods but only remov'd from their Ecclesiastical Offices which they would not Exercise according to the Laws And most of them for a great while were retained in Bishops houses not in Cole-holes and Dungeons as Bonner entertained the Protestants in the Marian daies in very civil and curteous manner without charge to themselves or their Friends until the time that the Pope began by his Bulls and Messages to offer trouble to the Realm by stirring of Rebellion about which time only some of those aforenamed being found busier in Matters of State tending to stir troubles than was meet for the common quiet of the Realm were removed to other more private places not into Smithfield to be burnt after a pretended Conviction of Heresie in an Arbitrary and Illegal manner Cambd. Annals f. 28. In all England where there are 9400 Ecclesiastical Promotions there were turned out of their Livings Dignities and Bishopricks not above 800 Parsons of Churches 50 Prebendaries 15 Presidents of Colledges 12 Archdeacons as many Deans 6 Abbots and Abbesses 14 Bishops Baker 's Chron. f. 395. Until the twentieth year of Queen Elizabeth's Reign the Papists in England were mercifully connived at while they solemnized their own Rites within their private houses tho' that also were against the Laws The Priests confess the Queen 's mild usage of Papists Lord Burleighs Execution for Treason The Secular Priests important considerations and the Jesuits reasons unreasonable f. 34. The Secular Priests themselves Watson and Bluet confess in their important Considerations wherein they make the Jesuits Plottings and Treasons to be the occasion of making and Executing the
Penal Laws That for the first ten years of Queen Elizabeth's Reign the State of Catholicks i. e. Papists was tollerable and after a sort in some good quietness such as for their Consciences were imprisoned in the beginning of her coming to the Crown were very kindly and mercifully used the state of things then considered some of them were appointed to remain with such their Friends as they themselves made choice of Others were placed some with Bishops some with Deans and had their Dyet at their Tables with such convenient Lodgings and Walks for their Recreations as did well content them They that were in the ordinary Prisons had such Liberty and other Commodity as the places would afford not inconvenient for men in their Cases But that our Brethren of the more fiery and Jesuitical Humour may not snuff hereat we have thought it meet to cool their heat with some of Master Parsons and his Fellow Mr. Creswel's more gentle delaies then are usual with them who in one of their Books do confess as much in effect as here we have set down if not more thus those great Emperor-like Jesuits do speak to her Majesty In the beginning of thy Kingdom thou didst deal something more gently with Catholicks None were then urged by thee or pressed either to thy Sect or to the denyal of their Faith all things indeed did seem to proceed in a far milder course no great complaints were heard of there were seen no extraordinary contentions or repugnancies some there were that to please and gratifie you went to your Churches but when afterwards thou didst begin to wrong them c. And thus not only our own Historians do acquit Queen Elizabeth of all imputations of Rigour or cruelty towards the Papists for the beginning of her Reign but even the Secular Priests not only do it themselves but have Printed and published it to all the world that the Jesuits themselves Parsons and Creswel could not but acknowledge it too And when was it that she began to be severe The Seculars give this answer to it surely whensoever it was we our selves certain Catholicks of all sorts were the true causes of it For whilst her Majesty and the State dealt with the Catholicks as you have heard Ibid. f. 35. She was presently deprived by the Pope and the Queen of Scots pretended a title to the Crown which was full eleven years no one Catholick being called in question of his life for his Conscience all that time Consider with us how our profession proceeded with them 1 Hist Council of Trent f. 410 411. The grounds of making 13 Eliz. ca. 2. Her Highness had scarcely felt the Crown warm upon her head but it was challenged from her by some of her Neighbours as Master Saunders noteth Thus they themselves confess but because I am past five years of Queen Elizabeth's Reign and am to give the true Reasons of making the rest of the Penal Laws in Queen Elizabeth's time I shall proceed to assign the Reasons of making 13 Eliz. ca. 2. Queen Elizabeth having triumphantly Reigned above 10 years in the Nation to the great Joy and comfort of her Subjects the Romish party as they had been all along carrying on private Designs to disturb her Reign so in the eleventh year of her Reign Anno Domini 1568 they more openly appear'd and Thomas Harding Nichloas Saunders and T. P. Divines busily exercised their Episcopal Power receiv'd from the Bishop of Rome of absolving in the Court of Conscience Cambd. Annals lib. 1. f. 107. In 1568 the Priests exercise Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction under the See of Rome Rodolph excites the Queen's Subjects against her Cambd. Annals f. 118. Foulis Hist lib. 7. ca. 3. p. 330. Udal's Hist of Mary Queen of Scotland p. 119 169. In 1569. The first Rebellion under the Earl of Westmerland fomenteâ— by Morton the Priest Cambd. Annals f. 133 134 135 136. Collection f. 9. all English men which returned to the Bosom of the Church and of dispensing also in cases of irregularity excepting causes arising of wilful Murder or brought into a contentious or judicial Court and also of absolving from Irregularity in respect of Heresie so as the persons to be absolved do abstain from the Service of the Altar by the space of three years After this in the same year Robert Rodolph a Florentine who had lived long time as a Factor in London was imployed by Pius Quintus Bishop of Rome for he durst not send his Nuntio openly to excite the Papists in England secretly against Queen Elizabeth which he most carefully and closely performed And this same Pope writ a Letter to the Earls of Northumberland and Westmerland which had such success that the latter end of 1569 a Rebellion of the Papists broke out in the North fomented and carryed on by one Nicholas Morton a Priest who was sent from the Bishop of Rome to pronounce Queen Elizabeth to be an Heretick and thereby to have forfeited all Dominion and Power The Ring-Leaders of the Rebels being the Earls of Northumberland Westmerland and Sussex The Rebels went first to Durham an Episcopal See where they rent and trampled under feet the English Bibles and Books of Common Prayer which they found in Churches and Celebrated Mass in all places where they came their number was six hundred Horse and four thousand Foot. But this Rebellion was quickly suppressed threescore and six petty Constables hanged for a terror at Durham amongst whom the men of most note was one Plomtree a Priest Simon Digby John Fulthorp Thomas Bishop and Robert Peneman at York and at London some few months after Christopher and Thomas Norton and some few elsewhere Afterwards such of the Rebels as were of best note were convict of high Treason and proscribed viz. Charles Earl of Westmerland Thomas Earl of Northumberland Anne Countess of Northumberland Daughter to Henry Earl of Worcester Edward Dacres of Morton John Nevel of Leversedge John Swinborne Thomas Markenfield Egremond Ratcliff the Earl of Sussex his Brother Christopher Nevil Richard Norton of Norton Conyers Christopher Marmaduke and Thomas of the Family of the Nortons Robert and Michael Tempest George Stafford and about forty more of Noble Birth These mens Convictions and Proscriptions was confirmed in the next Parliament The rest which had no Estates nor had fled the Land as the Earl of Westmerland and several others did were pardoned not taken and hanged like Dogs in Cold-Blood without Tryal as many hundreds were in the West in 1685. The Letter writ by Pope Pius V. to the Earls of Northumberland and Westmerland was this viz. A Letter of Pope Pius V. to the Earls of Northumberland and Westmerland for encouraging them in the Rebellion against Queen Elizabeth they were then engaged in Being the tenth Letter of the fourth Book of the Epistles of the said Pope Pius published at Antwerp ex officina Plantiniana by Francis Gouban in the year 1640 and now from that Edition
ingaging him at the little River Gelt after very many of the said Leonard Dacre's Men were slain he left the Victory to the Lord Hunsdon and withdrew himself to the next part of Scotland from whence shortly after he Crossed the Seas into the Low Countries and dyed a poor Man at Lovain The Queen by publick Proclamation pardoned the Multitude whom he had excited to Rebellion The third Rebellion was in Ireland in the same Year beaded by the Botelers Cambd. Annals f. 137. The Reason of these Rebellions was Pope Pius Quintus his Bull. Camb. Annals fol. 145. Baker's Chro. fol. 34. Foulis li. 7. ca. 2. fol. 325. Collection f. 3. Pope Pius Quintus his Bull. Cambd. Annals fol. 146. Fowlis 331. And as the Papists gave Queen Elizabeth these disturbances here in England so they were not wanting in Embroiling of Ireland So ungrateful were they for all the favour and kindness that she had from time to time shewn them Edmond and Peter Boteler the Earl of Ormond's Brethren engaged themselves with the Bishop of Rome and the Spaniard for maintaining the Popish Religion and outing Queen Elizabeth of her Kingdom of Ireland But their Brother the Earl of Ormond quenched this Flame by perswading his Brethren to submit themselves who by that means saved their Lives And no wonder it is that the Papists thus Rebel against Queen Elizabeth when Pius Quintus Bishop of Rome who had from the time he came to the See been continually plotting against her had the year before by his Bull declaratory without any previous admonition or Citation excommunicated her and did afterwards cause the same to be openly published and set up upon the Gates of the Bishop of Londons Palace in these words A Sentence Declaratory of our Holy Lord Pope Pius Quintus against Elizabeth Queen of England and the Hereticks adhering unto her wherein also all her Subjects are declared to be absolved from the Oath of Allegiance and whatever other Duty they owe unto her And those that from henceforth shall obey her are involved in the same Curse or Anathema Pius Bishop Servant to God's Servants for a future Memorial of the matter He that raigneth on high to whom is given all Power in Heaven and in Earth hath Committed his one Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church out of which there is no Salvation to one alone upon Earth namely To Peter the Chief of the Apostles and to Peter's Successor the Bishop of Rome to be by him govern'd with plenary Authority Him alone hath he made Prince over all People and all Kingdoms to pluck up destroy scatter consume plant and build that he may preserve his faithful People knit together with the band of Charity in the Vnity of the Spirit and present them spotless and unblamable to their Saviour In discharge of which Function we who are by God's Goodness so called to the Government of the aforesaid Church do spare no pains labouring with all earnestness that unity and the Catholick Religion which the Author thereof hath for the tryal of his Childrens Faith and for our amendment suffered to be tossed with so great Afflictions might be preserved sincere But the number of the ungodly hath gotten such power that there is now no place in the whole world left which they have not assayed to corrupt with their most wicked Doctrines and amongst others Elizabeth the pretended Queen of England the Servant of Wickedness lendeth thereunto her helping hand with whom as in a Sanctuary the most pernicious persons have found a refuge This very Woman having seized on the Kingdom and monstrously usurped the place of Supream Head of the Church in all England and the chief Authority and Jurisdiction thereof hath again reduced the said Kingdom into a miserable and ruinous condition which was so lately reclaimed to the Catholick Faith and a thriving Condition For having by strong hand prohibited the exercise of the true Religion which Mary the lawful Queen of Famous Memory had by the help of this See restored after it had been formerly overthrown by Henry the Eighth a Revolter there-from and following and embracing the Errors of Hereticks she hath changed the Royal Council consisting of the English Nobility and filled it up with obscure Men being Hereticks suppressed the Embracers of the Catholick Faith Constituted lewd Preachers and Ministers of Impiety Abolished the Sacrifice of the Mass Prayers Fastings choice of Meats unmarried Life and the Catholick Rites and Ceremonies commanded Books to be read through the whole Realm containing manifest Heresie and appointed Impious Rites and Institutions by her self entertained and observed according to the Prescript of Calvin to be likewise observed by her Subjects presumed to eject Bishops Parsons of Churches and other Catholick Priests out of their Churches and Benefices and to bestow them and other Church Livings upon Hereticks and to determine of Church Causes prohibited the Prelates Clergy and People to acknowledge the Church of Rome or obey the Precepts or Canonical Sanctions thereof compelled most of them to condescend to her wicked Laws and to abjure the Authority and Obedience of the Bishop of Rome and to acknowledge her to be sole Lady in Temporal and Spiritual Matters and this by Oath imposed Penalties and Punishments upon those which obeyed not and exacted them of those which persevered in the Vnity of the Faith and their Obedience aforesaid cast the Catholick Prelates and Rectours of Churches into Prison where many of them being worn out with long languishing and sorrow miserably ended their Lives All which things being so manifest and notorious to all Nations and by the serious Testimony of very many so substantially proved that there is no place at all left for excuse defense or evasion We seeing that Impiety and Wicked Actions are multiplyed one upon another as also that the Persecution of the Faithful and Affliction for Religion groweth every day heavier and heavier through the instigation and by means of the said Elizabeth and since we understand her Heart to be so hardened and obdurate that she hath not only contemned the Godly Requests and Admonitions of Catholick Princes concerning her cure and Conversion but also hath not so much as suffered the Nâ—ncio's of this See to cross the Seas for this purpose into England are constrained of necessity to betake our selves to the Weapons of Justice against her being heartily grieved and sorry that we are compelled thus to punish one to whose Ancestors the whole State of Christendom hath been so much beholden Being therefore supported with his Authority whose pleasure it was to place us tho' unable for so great a burthen in this Supream Throne of Justice we do out of the fulness of our Apostolick Power declare the aforesaid Elizabeth as being an Heretick and a favourer of Hereticks and her adherents in the matters aforesaid to have incurr'd the Sentence of Excommunication and to be cut off from the unity of the body of Christ And moreover we do
declare her to be deprived of her pretended Title to the Kingdom aforesaid and of all Dominion Dignity and Priviledge whatsoever and also the Nobility Subjects and People of the said Kingdom and all others who have in any sort sworn unto her to be for ever absolved from any such Oath and all manner of Duty of Dominion Allegiance and Obedience and we also do by Authority of these Presents absolve them and do deprive the said Elizabeth of her pretended Title to the Kingdom and all other things before named And we do command and charge all and every the Noblemen Subjects People and others aforesaid that they presume not to obey her or her Orders Mandates and Laws And those which shall do the contrary we do include them in the like Sentence of Anathema And because it would be a difficult matter to convey these Presents to all places wheresoever it shall be needful Our Will is that the Copies thereof under a Publick Notaries hand and Sealed with the Seal of an Ecclesiastical Prelate or of his Court shall carry altogether the same credit with all men judicially and extrajudicially as these Presents should do if they were exhibited or shewed Given at Rome at St. Peters in the year of the Incarnation of our Lord 1569 the fifth of the Calends of March and of our Popedome the fifth year Cae. Glorierius One Felton hung up this Bill upon the Bishop of London's Palace Gates Cambd. Annals f. 148. Fowlis Hist lib 2. ca. 3. f. 327. Collections f. 24 Felton hanged as a Traytor for publishing the Bull. and scorning to seek an escape boldly vindicates the Pope and himself in what was done defying the Queen and her Authority for which he was Arraigned Condemned and Hanged near the same place in St. Paul's Church-yard Now for any thus to contemn and villifie his Soveraign nul her Authority renounce his Allegiance and so far to submit himself to a Foreign Jurisdiction even in Temporalities as to declare his own Soveraign deprived and deposed from her Kingdom what punishment this man incurr'd let the Reader Judge provided he will also consider That had a Protestant thus renounc'd his Obedience in Queen Mary's daies the party must have dyed for it and those who commend Felton would have called the other Traytors and yet Felton did it to procure a National Rebellion Besides this in the beginning of the 13 th year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth The 4 th Rebellion was in Ireland begun in the beginning of 13 Eliz. by Conogher O Brien Earl of Twomond Cambd. Annals f. 153. in Ireland Conogher O Brien Earl of Twomond closely contrived a Rebellion which just as it was ready to break forth was by meer chance blown over and Thomas Steukley an Englishman a Ruffian a notorious Spendthrift and a notable vaporer who having consumed his Estate fled over into Ireland after he had first vomited forth most undeserved disgraces against his Princess to whom he was extraordinarily bounden soon after slipt out of Ireland into Italy to Pius V. Bishop of Rome where incredible it is into how great grace and favour he wrought himself by his Flatteries with that old man who breathed after the destruction of Queen Elizabeth This Steukley saith the Lord Treasurer Burleigh was a defamed person almost thro' all Christendom and a faithless Beast rather than a Man Collections f. 2 3 fleeing first out of England for notable Piracies and out of Ireland for Treacheries not pardonable and that he and the said Charles Nevil Earl of Westmerland were the Ring-Leaders of the rest of the Rebels the one for England the other for Ireland But notwithstanding the notorious evil and wicked Lives of these and others their confederates void of all Christian Religion it liked the Bishop of Rome as in favour of their Treasons to animate them to take Arms against their lawful Queen to invade her Realm with Foreign Forces to pursue all her good Subjects and their Native Country with Fire and Sword for maintenance whereof the Bull aforesaid had proceeded And the Pope the Guises the King of Spain Contrivances by the Pope the King of Spain the Guises and the Queen of Scots against Queen Elizabeth and the Protestant Religion Fowlis p. 330 331. Cambd. Annals lib. 2. f. 154. and the rest of the confederates against the Queen and the Protestant Religion the better to carry on their designs did soon after Queen Elizabeth came to the Crown set up a Title thereto in the Queen of Scots as aforesaid which was one principal cause that there were so many Plots and Conspiracies during her Reign tho' none gave her any great trouble till about the 10 th or 11 th year of her Reign It appears by Letters from the Pope to the Queen of Scots written in the year 1571. 13 Eliz. that there was a design on Foot to introduce Popery and to subvert the Protestant Religion here in England which Letter was delivered by Ridolpho the Florentine before mentioned his means to the Queen of Scots And Ridolpho by his own particular Letters to the Queen of Scots desired her to acquaint the Duke of Norfolk and her Friends with the Design but there being at that time a Treaty begun in order to her being restored to her Kingdom of Scotland whereof she was at that time dispossest she defer'd answering the Letter but the Treaty afterwards coming to nothing she privately sent a large commentary or draught of her Counsels and Affairs to the Duke of Norfolk before mentioned written in Cyphers known only to them two as also other Letters to be conveyed by Ridolpho to the Pope and the Spaniard Camd. Hist lib. 2. fol. 157. Baker's Chron. f. 344. Ridolpho greatly pressed the Duke to enter into the Confederacy and as an encouragement affirmed That the Pope so that the Catholick i. e. the Popish Religion might be promoted would bear the charge of the whole War and that he had to that purpose laid down 1 Some Writers say 150000. Crowns an hundred thousand Crowns the last year when the Bull was Published whereof twelve thousand he the said Ridolpho had distributed amongst the English Fugitives He promised that the Spaniard would supply him with 4000 Horse and 6000 Foot which might be sent over to Harwich near whereunto the Duke had many Potent Adherents and that most commodiously and without suspicion in the beginning of Summer when the Duke of Medina Caeli was to come with a strong Fleet into the Netherlands And concluded that such Caution might be used that the Duke might be cleared from all Suspition of affecting the Crown and the Queen of England safely might be provided for so as she would Embrace or tollerate the Romish Religion and give her assent to the Queen of Scots Marriage with the Duke Which Conspiracy the Duke at that time refused to enter into Cambd. Annals p. 158. Baker Chron. fol. 844. Camb. Annals li. 2. fol. 162.
notwithstanding Ridolphus plausible reasoning as he did also a Proposition made to him from Ross by Barker of surprising the Queen at unawares and interrupting the Parliament which was then sitting The Commentary of the Queen of Scots before mentioned being afterwards discovered there the Design appearing I have inserted what Cambden saith she therein discoursed viz. That the French approved of the Conference begun with the Scots and yet propounded the Marriage of the Duke of Anjou with Queen Elizabeth and that to no other end but that they might have the better pretence to deny the aid promised for her Restitution That the same French privately opposed her Marriage with Don John of Austria and highly favoured that with Norfolk in hatred to the Spaniards That the Duke of Alva did so far condemn the Design for sending back the Queen of Scots into Scotland that he thought it to be attended with the utter undoing of the Queen and the overthrow of the Catholick Religion in Britain for the Queen being returned into Scotland must of necessity either undergo the danger of being besieged or else hazard a Battel with the Rebels who with the help of the English would soon get her into their power before any foreign Forces could come to her assistance Seeing then she could not be safe in Scotland and from France there was swall hope that being embroiled with Wars within it self he thought it her best Course to fly to the Spaniards help who had proffered her Marriage with Don John of Austria which notwithstanding she would refuse having given her Faith that the Popish Religion in Brittain should be restored by Norfolk as also that her Son should be forthwith conveyed out of Scotland and sent into Spain for so he would be kept in safety and instructed in the Romish Religion from his very Childhood and withal all pretences would be taken from the Scots who Cloaked their Rebellion under his Name That to solicit these matters and to procure foreign assistance Ridolph was to be sent away presently who was to have private directions in any Case to conceal these things from the French. When the Council had received this Commentary and the Letters before mentioned Camb. Annals p. 163 Baker's Chron. fol. 344. Camb. p. 166. Fewlis Hist li. 7. ca. 3. p. 326. 13 Eliz. ca. 1. as likewise other Letters sent from the Bishop of Rome and one Barker being apprehended had made a full Confession the Duke of Norfolk was committed to the Tower together with Bannister the Dukes Counsellor at Law the Earls of Arundel and South-hampton the Lord Lumley the Lord Cobham and Thomas his Brother Henry Piercy Lowder Powel Goodyear and others who every one of them even the Duke himself confessed the matter The Iniquity of these times and the Love of the Estates of England which were then assembled at Westminster towards their Prince and Country occasioned the making an Act of Parliament whereby certain Offences were made Treason Rast Stat. pt 2. fol. 136. To bold that the Laws and Statutes cannot liâ—â—â— the Crown and bind the Succession Treason during the â—uccâ—s Life and a Premunire ever after The Preamble of this Act takes notice that it was thought the Laws and Statutes of this Realm then in force were not sufficient for the preservation of the Queens person which ought to be provided for and by the Neglecting whereof the Government might be subverted And therefore it was Enacted and provided according to the Tenor of former Laws that if any should attempt the Destructeon or personal Hurt of the Queen or raise War or excite others to War against Her if any Man should affirm that she is not nor ought of right to be deemed Queen of this Realm but that the Kingdom is more justly due to another or should pronounce her to be an Heretick Schismatick or Infidel or should usurp the Right and Title of the Kingdom during her Life or affirm that any other hath right to the Crown or that the Laws and Statutes cannot limit and determine the Right of the Crown and the Succession thereof Every such person should be guilty of High Treason during the Queens Life and that after her Death if any person held the Doctrine that the Laws and Statutes cannot limit and determine the Right of the Crown and the Succession thereof he should incur a Premunire That if any Man during the Queens Life should by any Book written or printed expresly maintain that any person is or ought to be Heir or Successor to the Queen except the same be the Natural Issue of her Body or should wilfully publish print or utter any Books or Writings to that effect he and his Abettors should for the first Offence suffer Imprisonment for a Year and forfeit the one half of his Goods and for the second Offence incur the Penalty of a Premunire I confess that Keble saith in his Collection of Statutes that this Act of Parliament is expired but what ground he hath for it appears not any where that I can find Keble Stat. fol. 827. either in our History or Law Books so that I take it for so much as was to continue after her death it is in force still not being repealed by any subsequent Statute and therefore certainly who ever holds that Doctrine that the Right of the Crown and the succession thereof cannot be limited and determined by the Laws and Statutes of the Kingdom incurs a Premunire There was also another Act of Parliament made in the same Session the which is intituled an Act against the bringing in and putting in execution of Bulls writings or Instruments and other Superstitions from the See of Rome The Preamble of which Statute recites the Stat. of 5 Eliz. ca. 1. 13 Eliz. ca. 2. Rast Stat. pt 2 fol. 138. Against bringing in Bulls c. from Rome and reconciling and being reconciled to the See of Rome Touching the Abolishing of the Authority of the Bishop and See of Rome and setts out That yet nevertheless divers Seditious and evil disposed People minding not only to bring this Realm and the Imperial Crown thereof being in very deed of it self most free into the Thraldom and subjection of that Foreign usurped and unlawful Iurisdiction Preheminence and Authority claimed by the said See of Rome but also to estrange the Minds and Hearts of sundry of her Majesties Subjects from their Dutiful Obedience and raise and stir Sedition and Rebellion within this Realm to the disturbance of the most happy peace thereof have lately procured and obtained to themselves from the said Bishop of Rome and his said See divers Bulls and Writings And sets forth the effect of the said Bull herein before particularly set forth and that by colour of the said Bulls and Writings the said wicked Persons very secretly and most seditiously in such parts of this Realm where the People for want of Instruction were most weak simple and ignorant and thereby furthest
to deliver the Duke out of Prison 14 Eliz. ca. 1. Rast Stat. p. 2. fol. 188. Divers other Conspiracies and Practices there were for delivering the Duke which occasioned a Parliament and the Parliaments making two Acts. One that those who should surprize demolish or burn any of the Queen's Forts should be guilty of Felony And that those who should hold the same by Force against the Queen burn her Ships or stop up her Havens should be guilty of High Treason Another against such as should conspire or practice the inlargement of any Prisoner committed for High Treason which as it is Printed by Rastal is as followeth 14 Eliz. ca. 2. Rast Stat. pt 2. f. 188 Against Conspâ—ring to deliver any imprisoned for Treason Forasmuch as great danger may ensue to the Queens Majesties person and great trouble to the State of the Realm by unlawful Conspiracies Devises and Imaginations to inlarge and set at Liberty such persons as be or shall be committed to any Prison Gard or Custody for any Treason touching the Royal Person of our said Soveraign Lady against which Devices Conspiracies and Imaginations sufficient remedy by the Laws of this Realm hath not been heretofore had nor provided unless the same Conspiracies Imaginations and Devises were Executed and brought to effect Be it therefore Enacted by our said Soveraign Lady the Queen the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament Assembled and by the Authority of the same that if any person or persons at any time after the end of this present Session of Parliament shall imagine conspire devise invent or go about unlawfully or malitiously to inlarge or set at liberty any person or persons committed or to be committed to any prison gard or custody by her Highness special Commandment for any Treason or suspition of Treason concerning the person of our said Soveraign Lady the Queen before any indictment of such person so sought or intended to be set at large or liberty as is aforesaid and the same conspiracies imaginations devices or inventions shall by express words writing or other matter or act expresly or manifestly set forth utter or declare that then every person so offending shall incur the penalty and forfeiture of Misprision of Treason and that all and every Offence and Offences to be comitted and done as is aforesaid shall be deemed and taken for Misprision of Treason And be it also Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that if any person or persons at any time after the end of this present Session of Parliament shall imagine conspire devise invent or go about unlawfully and malitiously to inlarge or set at liberty any person or persons committed or to be committed to any prison gard or custody being or which hereafter shall be induced of any Treason in any wise concerning the Person of our said Soveraign Lady the Queen and the same conspiracies imaginations devises or inventions shall by express words writing or other matter or act expresly or manifestly set forth utter or declare that then every such person so offending shall be deemed and adjudged a Felon and suffer lose and forfeit as in cases of Felony by the due course of the Laws of this Realm And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that if any person or persons at any time after the end of this present Session of Parliament shall imagine conspire devise invent or go about unlawfully and malitiously to inlarge or set at liberty any person or persons being committed to any prison gard or Custody after the same person or persons is or shall be attainted or convicted of any Treason in any wise concerning the Royal Person of our said Soveraign Lady the Queen and the same conspiracies imaginations devices or inventions shall by express words written matter or act as is aforesaid set forth utter or declare that then every person so offending shall be deemed and adjudged an High Traitor and shall suffer lose and forfeit as in cases of High Treason by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm This Act was to indure during the Queen's Majesties Life only In the year 1572 Camb. Annals fol. 188. Baker's Chron. f. 347. the Earl of Northumberland was also Executed for his Treason in the Northern Rebellion before mentioned But I find that altho' several Persons were apprehended for offending against 13 Eliz 2. which was made against bringing in Bulls Agnus Dei c. as private Tokens of Papal Obedience and against reconciling any to the See of Rome yet not one was Executed till 1577 which was almost twenty years after the Queen's Accession to the Crown The first that was convicted upon this Law was one Cuthbert Mayne a Priest Cambd. Annals f. 224 225 who being an obstinate Maintainer of the Pope's Power against his Princess was put to Death at St. Stephens Fane commonly called Launston in Cornwel and one Trugion a Gentleman that had harboured him was turned out of his Estate and condemned in perpetual Imprisonment and after him Hanse and Nelson and one Sherwood all for maintaining that the Queen was a Schismatick and Heretick and ought to be Deposed so that from the time of making 13 Eliz. ca. 2. in 1571 to this year of 1577 fair and calm weather shone upon the Papists in England who by a merciful connivance served God according to their own way of Worship in their private Houses in a manner without any Punishment altho ' it were prohibited by the Law by which a pecuniary Mulct was to be inflicted on them neither did the Queen in all this time offer violence to their Consciences nor was she easily to be induced to believe any thing amiss of the people much less to inflict punishments upon them for differing in Opinion being wont to say That she could believe nothing of her people which Parents would not believe of their Children And was not this Clemency and Kindness sufficient to prevail with the Papists to leave off their Plots and Contrivances against her and the Protestant Religion Were not these Laws severe enough to keep them within the bounds of their Duty Will neither Love allure them to Obedience nor threatnings upon so severe penalties as the loss of Life and Estate deter them from offending one might reasonably have expected it Steukly 's Plot. Cambd. Annals f. 230. Baker 's Chron. f. 354. But instead thereof in 1578 for Invading Ireland and England both at once and deposing of Q. Elizabeth who was the strongest Bulwark of the Reformed Religion both the Spaniard and Gregory the thirteenth Bishop of Rome entred into a Confederacy at and by the instigation of one Thomas Steukly a Fugitive herein before mentioned but that design by the Providence of God being defeated In the year 1579 one James Fitz-Morris a Fugitive raised a Rebellion in Ireland Fitz-Morris his Plot. Camb. Annals f. 336. the same James who had not long before been in a Rebellion and was upon
Gregory the 13 th which alwaies afforded new supplies of Priests for England when the old ones failed whose business it was privately to spread the Seeds of Popery here amongst us From whence the Colledges had the name of Seminaries and they called Seminary Priests who were bred up in them In these Seminaries amongst other disputations it was concluded that the Pope hath such fulness of Power by Divine Right over the whole Christian World both in Ecclesiastical and Secular Matters that by vertue thereof it is lawful for him to Excommunicate Kings absolve their Subjects from the Oath of Allegiance and to deprive them of their Kingdoms Out of these Seminaries were sent forth into divers parts of England and Ireland at first a few young men and afterwards more according as they grew up who were entered over-hastily into holy Orders and instructed in the above mentioned Principles They pretended only to administer the Sacraments of the Romish Religion and to preach to Papists but the Queen and her Council soon found that they were sent over underhand to seduce the Subjects from their Allegiance and Obedience due to their Prince to oblige them by reconciliation to perform the Pope's Command to stir up intestine Rebellions under the Seal of Confession and flatly to execute the Sentence of Pius V. against the Queen to the end that Way might be made for the Pope and the Spaniard who had designed the Conquest of England To these Seminaries were sent daily out of England by the Papists in contempt and dispight of the Laws great numbers of Boys and young Men of all sorts and admitted into the same making a Vow to return into England Others also crept secretly from thence into the Land and more were daily expected with the Jesuits who at that time came first into England This occasioned the Queen to issue out a Proclamation Camb. Annals f. 245. Collection f. 42. That whosovever had any Children Wards Kinsmen or other Relations in the parts beyond the Seas should after 10 days give in their Names to the Ordinary and within four Months call them home again and when they were returned should forthwith give notice of the same to the said Ordinary That they should not directly or indirectly supply such as refused to return with any Money That no man should entertain in his House or harbor any Priests sent forth from the aforesaid Seminaries or Jesuits or cherish and relieve them and that whoever did to the contrary should be accounted a favourer of Rebels and Seditious Persons and proceeded against according to the Laws of the Land. Camb. Annals f. 246. Before such time as this was proclaimed the Papists pretended that they were sensible too late of the Inconveniencies by the said Bull and that they were ill pleased that ever it came forth A defence of the same written by the said Nicholas Sanders they cunningly supprest and prohibited the Question concerning the power of the Bishop of Rome in Excommunicating and Deposing of Princes to be publickly disputed Which notwithstanding brake forth every day hotter and hotter amongst them Robert Parsons also and Edmund Campian English-Men and of the Society of Jesus being now ready to come over to advance the Romish affairs in England obtained Power from Gregory the Thirteenth Bishop of Rome for moderating that severe Bull Parsons and Campian sent into England by the Pope to promote the Popish interest here The Faculties themselves are Printed verbatim in English and Latin by the L. Burligh in his Examination for Treason Col. f. 12 13. And by Foulis in his History f. 337. The Character of Parsons and Campian Cambd. An. f. 246. Bakers Chron. f. 356. and that in these words Let there be humbly prayed of our most Holy Lord who is generally the most wicked of the whole Court of Cardinals an Explanation of the Bull Declaratory set forth by Pius the V. against Elizabeth and her adherents to give her the Title of Queen after she was excommunicated would have been to disown their own Doctrine of the Lawfulness to depose and kill Princes which Bull the Catholics i. e. the Romish Rebels and Traytors do desire may be understood in this manner that it may always bind Her and the Hereticks i. e. the Protestants and their Protestants Queen but in no way the Catholicks as matters now stand for they were wise enough to carry on their Cruel Designs and knew well enough that whatever Cruelties they used they should be commended for it whether they had any orders for it or not but only hereafter when publick Execution of the said Bull may be had they doubted not of effecting their enterprize for washing their hands in the Blood of the Protestants these Graces aforesaid the Bishop hath granted to Father Robert Parsons and Edmund Campian who are now to take their Journey into England the Fourteenth day of April 1580. in the Presence of Father Oliver Manarcus Assistant This Parsons was of Somerset-shire a violent fierce natur'd Man and of rough behaviour Campian was a Londoner of a sweet disposition and a well pollish'd Man both of them were by Education Oxford Men and known there to Cambden himself as he avers Campian being of St. John's Colledge bare the Office of Proctor of the University in the Year 1568. and being made Deacon made a shew of the Protestant Religion he withdrew himself out of England they can turn themselves into all shapes to carry on their Barbarous and Cruel Conspiracies against the Protestants and the true Religion which they profess Modern Instances of this we have not a few Parsons was of Balliol Colledge wherein he openly professed the Protestant Religion until he was for his loose carriage Expell'd with disgrace and went over to the Papists and it hath been observed by many and that very truly that they who go over from the Protestant to the Popish Religion are generally Men of very vitious and loose Lives These two coming privately into England Travelled up and down the Country and to Popish Gentlemens Houses Covertly and in the disguised Habits sometimes of Souldiers sometimes of Gentlemen sometimes of Ministers of the Word and sometimes of Apparitors diligently performing what they had in Charge both in word and writing Parsons who was Constituted Superior being a Man of a Seditious and Turbulent Spirit and Armed with a Confident Boldness tampered so far with the Papists about deposing the Queen that some of them Cambden saith he speaks upon their own Credit thought to have delivered them into the Magistrates hands Campian the more modest yet by a written Paper Challenged the Ministers of the English Church to a Disputation and published a Neat well-pen'd Book in Latine called Ten Reasons in Defence of the Doctrine of the Church of Rome And Parsons put out another virulent Book in English against Clark who had soberly written against Campian's Challenge but to Campian's Reasons Whitaker gave a solid Answer Campian himself
was taken a Year after and put to the Rack and afterwards being brought forth to Dispute he scarcely answered the expectation raised of him Neither wanted there others also of the Popish Faction for Religion was then grown into faction as it was very lately here in England who Laboured Tooth and Nail at Rome and elsewhere in Princes Courts to raise War against their own Country Yea they published also in Print that the Bishop of Rome and the Spaniard had Conspired together to Conquer England and expose it for a Spoil and Prey And this they did on purpose to give Courage to their own Party and to terrifie others from their Allegiance to their Prince and Country This forced a Manifesto from the Queen Camb. Annals f. 247. wherein after acknowledgment of the goodness of God towards her She declareth that she had attempted nothing against any Prince but for preservation of her own Kingdom nor had she Invaded the Provinces of any other tho she had been sundry times thereunto both provoked by Injuries and invited by Opportunities that if any Prince go about to attempt ought against her she doubts not but to be able by the Blessing of God to defend her People and to that purpose she had Mustered her Forces both by Sea and Land and had them now in readiness against any Hostile Invasion her faithful Subjects she Exhorts to continue immoveable in their Allegiance and Duty towards God and their Prince the Minister of God not their absolute Supream Lord to dispose of them and theirs according to will and pleasure the rest who had shaken off their Love to their Country and their Obedience to their Prince she commands to carry themselves modestly and peaceably and not provoke the severity of Justice against themselves for she would no longer be so imprudent as by sparing the Bad to prove cruel to her self and her good Subjects By this Manifesto all Men may see how tender and compassionate the Queen was to her worst Subjects even them who had renounced their Allegiance to her and very hardly was she brought to put the Laws in Execution against them although they so justly deserved it of which take the following account from Mr. Cambden Camb. Annals f. 270. The Queen to take away the fear which had possest many Minds that Religion would be altered and Popery tollerated being overcome by importunate Intreaties permitted not furiously Commanded as if she thirsted after Blood That Edmund Campian aforesaid of the Society of Jesus Ralph Sherwin Luke Kirby and Alexander Briant Priests should be Arraigned who being Indicted upon the Act for Treason made 25 Ed. 3. and charged to have compassed and imagined the destruction of the Queen and Realm to have adhered to the Bishop of Rome the Queens Enemy to have come into England to disturb the Peace and Quiet of the Realm and to have raised forces to that end were condemned to dye and persisting obstinately to defend the Popes Authority against the Queen were Executed And not for professing the Popish Religion or exercising it barely as some of the Romanists and a few ignorant Protestants pretend For Campian after he was condemned being askt first whether Queen Elizabeth were a true and lawful Queen refused to answer then whether he would take part with the Queen or the Pope if he should send Forces against the Queen he openly professed and testified under his hand that he would stand for the Pope Afterwards some others also were Executed for the same Reasons whereas in full ten Years time after the Northern Rebellion But five Papists put to death in ten Years there had been no more then five Papists put to death But such now were the times that the Queen who never was of opinion that Mens Consciences were to be forced complained many times that she was driven of necessity to take these Courses unless she would suffer the ruin of her self and her Subjects upon some Mens pretence of Conscience and the Catholic Religion i. e. the Abby Lands and a Cardinals Cap yet for the greater part of these silly Priests she did not at all believe them guilty of Plotting the destruction of their Country but their Superiors were they she held Camb. Annals f. 271. Lord Burleigh saith the same thing Collection f. 28. to be the Instruments of this villany for these inferior Emissaries committed the full and free disposure of themselves to their Superiors And when those of the Superiors that were then and afterwards taken were asked whether by the Authority of the Bull of Pius V. Bishop of Rome the Subjects were so absolved from their Oath of Allegiance towards the Queen that they might take up Arms against her whether they thought her to be a lawful Queen whether they would subscribe to Saunders and Bristow's opinion concerning the Authority of that Bull whether if the Bishop of Rome should wage War against the Queen they would joyn with her or him they answered some of them so ambiguously some so resolutely and some by prevarication or silence shifted off the matter in such a manner that divers ingenious Papists which are rare to find in thâ—t Age began to suspect they fostered some treacherous disloyalty and John Bishop a Man otherwise devoted to the Bishop of Rome wrote against them and solidly proved that that Constitution obtruded under the Name of the Lateran Council upon which the whole Authority of absolving Subjects from their Allegiance and deposing Princes is founded is no other then a Decree of Innocent the III. and was never admitted in England yea that the said Council was no Council at all nor was it at all there decreed by the Fathers But of the Priests themselves owning all this I shall give a further account hereafter Camb. Annals f. 272. Suspicions were daily increased by the great number of Priests creeping more and more into England who privately felt the Minds of Men spread abroad that Princes Excommunicate were to be deposed notwithstanding their former prohibition of Preaching that Doctrine and whispered in Corners The Popish Terets spread abroad that such Princes as professed not the Romish Religion had forfeited their Regal Title and Authority that those who had taken holy Orders were by a certain Ecclesiastical priviledge exempted from all jurisdiction of Princes and not bound by their Laws nor ought they to reverence or regard their Majesty that the Bishop of Rome hath supream Authority and absolute Power over the whole World yea in Temporal Matters that the Magistrates of England were no lawful Magistrates and therefore not to be accounted for Magistrates yea that whatsoever was done by the Queens authority since the time the Bull declaratory of Pius V. was published against her was by the Laws of God and Man altogether void and to be esteemed as of no validity and some of them were not ashamed to own that they were returned into England with no other intent then by
reconciling Men at Confession to absolve every one particularly from all his Oaths of Allegiance and Obedience to the Queen just as the said Bull did absolve them all at once and in general And this seemed the easier to be effected because they promised withal absolution from all Mortal sins and the safer because it was pronounced more closely and under the Seal of Confession On the 16th day of January 1580. The Parliament Sir Simon D' Ewes his Journal of the House of Commons p. 266. being the time to which the same had been Prorogued and the 25th day of January Sr. Walter Mildmay made an excellent Speech a great part of which because it will give a confirmation to what hath been before said and evince the reasonableness of the Law that was made in that Session of Parliament against the Papists I have here inserted as it is in Sir Simon D. Ewes his Journal published by Paul Bowes Esquire The Principle Cause of our Assembly here Sir Walter Mildmay 's Speech Sir Simon D' Ewes f. 284. being to consult of Matters that do concern the Realm I have thought good with your Patience to remember you of such things as for the weight and necessity of them I take to be worthy of your consideration wherein I mean to note unto you what I have conceived first of the present state we be in next of the Dangers we may justly be in doubt of And lastly what provision ought to be made in time to prevent or resist them these shewed as briefly as the Matter will suffer I leave to your Judgment to proceed further as you shall find it Expedient That our most Gracious Queen did at her first Entry loosen us from the Yoke of Rome and did Restore unto this Realm the most pure and holy Religion of the Gospel which for a time was overshaddowed with Popery is known of all the World and felt of us to our singular Comfort But from hence as from the Root hath sprung that implacable Malice of the Pope and his Confederates against her whereby they have and do not seek only to trouble but if they could to bring the Realm again into a Thraldom the rather for that they hold this as a firm and setled opinion that England is the only setled Monarchy that most doth maintain and countenance Religion being the chief Sanctuary for the afflicted Members of the Church that fly thither from the Tyranny of Rome as Men being in danger of Shipwrack do from a raging and tempestuous Sea to a calm and quiet Haven This being so what hath not the Pope assayed to annoy the Queen and her State thereby as he thinketh to remove this great obstacle that standeth between him and the overflowing of the World again Popery for the proof whereof these may suffice The Northern Rebellion stir'd up by the Pope and the Quarrel for Popery Note These things were spoke soon after they happened whilst they were fresh in memory The Maintenance sithence of those Rebels and other Fugitives The Publishing of a most Impudent Blasphemous and Malicious Bull against our most rightful Queen The Invasion into Ireland by James Fitz Morris with the obstinacy of some English Rebels The raising of a dangerous Rebellion in Ireland by the Earl of Desmond and others intending thereby to make a general Revolt of all the whole Realm The late Invasion of Strangers into Ireland and their fortifying it The Pope turned thus the Venom of his Curses the Pens of his malitious Parasites into Men of War and Weapons to win that by force which otherwise he could not do And though all these are said to be done by the Pope and in his Name yet who seeth not that they be maintained under hand by some Princes his Confederates And if any Man be in doubt of that let him but note from whence the last Invasion into Ireland came of what Country the Ships and of what Nation the most part of the Souldiers were and by direction of whose Ministers they received their Victuals and Furniture For the Pope of himself at this present is far unable to make War upon any Prince of that Estate which Her Majesty is of having lost as you know many years by the Preaching of the Gospel those infinite Revenues which he was wont to have out of England Scotland Germany Switzerland Denmark and others and now out of France and the Low Countries so as we are to think that his Name only is used and all or the most part of the Charge born by others The Queen nevertheless by the Almighty Power of God standeth fast maugre the Pope and all his Friends having hitherto resisted all Attempts against her to her great Honour and their Shame as the Rebellion in the North suppressed without Effusion of Blood wherein her Majesty may say as Caesar did Veni Vidi Vici as expedite and as honourable was the Victory that God did give her by the Diligence and Valour of those Noble Men that had the conducting thereof The enterprize of James Fitz Morris defeated and himself slain The Italians pulled out by the Ears at Smirwick in Ireland and cut in pieces by the notable Service of a Noble Captain and valiant Souldiers Neither these nor any other Threatnings or Fears of Danger hath or doth make her to stagger or relent in the Cause of Religion but like a constant Christian Princess she still holdeth fast the Profession of the Gospel that hath so long upholden her and made us to live in Peace twenty two years and more under her most gracious Government free from those Troubles that our Neighbours have felt so as this now seemeth to be our present State a Blessed Peaceable and happy Time for the which we are most bound to God and to pray unto him for the continuance thereof But yet notwithstanding seeing our Enemies sleep not it behoveth us not to be careless as tho all were past but rather to think that there is but a piece of the Storm over and that the greater part of the Tempest remaineth behind and is like to fall upon us by the Malice of the Pope the most capital Enemy of the Queen and of this State the Determinations of the Councils of Trent and the Combinations of the Pope with other Monarchies and Princes devoted unto Rome assuring our selves That if their Powers be answerable to their Wills this Realm shall find at their Hands all the Miseries and Extremities that they can bring upon it And though by the late good Success which God hath given in Ireland these leud and malicious Enterprises seem for a time to be as it were at a stand yet let us be assured that neither their Attempts upon Ireland neither the Mischief intended against England will cease thus but if they find us negligent they will be ready with greater Forces then have been yet seen The certain Determination which the Pope and his combined Friends have to root
a Committee to prepare Bills And that Session there was an Act of Parliament made that is intituled 23 Eliz. ca. 1. Rast Stat. 2. part f. 243. An Act to retain the Queens Majesties Subjects in their due Obedience which Act recites That where since the making of the 13th of the Queen Ca. 2. divers evil affected Persons have promised contrary to the meaning of the said Statutes by other means then by Bulls or Instruments written or printed to withdraw divers the Queens Majesties Subjects from their natural Obedience to Her Majesty and to obey the usurped Authority of Rome and in respect of the same to perswade great Numbers to withdraw their due Obedience to Her Majesties Laws established for the due Service of Almighty God. It is thereby enacted that they should be guilty of High Treason Treason in Reconciler and Reconciled to the Church of Rome who should diswade the Subjects from their Obedience to their Prince and from the Religion established in England or should reconcile them to the Church of Rome as also those who should be diswaded or reconciled those also who should say Mass were to be fined 200 Marks and to suffer Imprisonment for a Year or longer if they paid not the Money they who should be wittingly and willingly present at Mass were to be fined 100 Marks and to suffer Imprisonment likewise for a Year and they who refused to frequent Divine Service are to forfeit 20 Pounds a Month but there must in every Case a legal Conviction precede From the History of the Papists Conspiracies and the Queens Carriage towards them during these last ten Years whereof I have given an Account I cannot but observe 1. That the Papists are a most perverse and disingenuous Generation of Men who never have lived nor is it to be believed ever will in Obedience to any Prince who is not of their own Religion 2. That notwithstanding their many Treasons and Rebellions in England and Ireland against Queen Elizabeth yet in ten years time there were not above five executed upon any of the Penal Laws made against them and that she was hardly prevailed upon to execute any of them although for the most apparent Treason and would not have yielded but that it appeared necessary for the Preservation of her self her Protestant Subjects and the Protestant Religion 3. That therefore the Penal Laws were not made so much with design to offend the Papists as to defend the Queen and her Government from the Treasons Rebellions Outrages and Violences every where committed by the Papists stirred up and egged on by the Seminary Priests Jesuits and sent hither for that very Purpose 4. That notwithstanding all their Plots and Contrivances there was no restraint upon their exercising their Religion in their own private Families nor no Prohibitions of saying or hearing Mass till this last Act of Parliament was made which was extorted from the State by their horrid Abuse of their former Liberty So that he that denies the Reasonableness of those Penal Laws against Papists must one would think offer Violence to his own Reason But yet least the Papists should object and any weak Protestant think with too great Colour of Reason that these Facts are the Relation of Protestant Historians who will be sure to write all things with the greatest plausibleness and shew of Reason and Justice on their own side and will be sure to blacken and villifie the Papists as much as they are able although they have never so little reason so to do I shall to back what I have related from our own Historians and to convince all mankind that it is true subjoyn what the Seeular Priests themselves in their important Considerations have owned was the true ground and reason of making this Act of Parliament of 23 Eliz. Cap. 1. and because the Papists shall not say I bely mis-construe or misrepresent them take it in their own Words Col. f. 39. The Secular Priests Confession Of the Pope the Spaniard and Duke of Norfolk's Plot. Steukley's Plot. Furthermore about the coming out of the said Book of Mr. Saunders they had been in the Paragraph before complaining of Mr. Saunders his Writing a Book De visibili Monarchia whereby he justified the Bull of Pope Pius Quintus and the Rebellion in the North and many other such like things the whole Plots before mentioned of the Pope and the King of Spain with the Duke of Norfolk for the Disinheritance of her Majesty and other intended Mischiefs fell out to be fully disclosed afterwards within some four or five years it was also commonly known to the Realm what Attempts were in hand by Mr. Steukley assisted with Mr. Saunders and other Catholics both English Irish and Italians for an Enterprise by force in Ireland under a pretence to advance the Catholic Religion which for that time through some Defect succeeding not the Pope himself The Popes Invading Ireland in 1579. in the Year 1579. abused still by false Pretences did set forward that Course and sending thither certain Forces Mr. Saunders too much Jesuited did thrust himself in Person into that Action as a chief Ring-leader and to perswade the Catholics when he should come into Ireland to joyn with the Popes said Forces for the better assisting certain Rebels then in Arms against their Soveraign Now whilst these Practises were in hand in Ireland The Queen Excommunicated by Gregory 13th Gregory the Thirteenth reneweth the said Bull of Pius Quintus and denounceth her Majesty to be excommunicated with Intimations of all other particulars in the former Bull mentioned which was procured we doubt not by Surreptions the false Jesuits our Country-men daring to attempt any thing by untrue Suggestions and any leud Surmises that may serve their turns This Stratagem accomplisht and ground laid whereupon they imagined to work great Matters these good Fathers as the Devil would have it came into England and intruded themselves into our Harvest being the Men in our Consciences we mean both them and others of that Society with some of their Adherents who have been the chief Instruments of all the Mischiefs that have been intended against her Majesty since the beginning of her Reign and of the Miseries which we or any other Catholics have upon these Occasions sustained Their first repair hither was Anno 1580. when the Realm of Ireland was in great Combustion Parsons and Campians coming into England in 1580. and then they entred viz. Mr. Campian the Subject and Mr. Parsons the Provincial like a Tempest with sundry such great Brags and Challenges as divers of the gravest Clergy then living in England Dr. Watson Bishop of Lincoln and others did greatly dislike them and plainly foretold that as things then stood their Proceedings after that fashion would certainly urge the State to make some sharp Laws which should not only touch them but likewise all others both Priests and Catholics upon their Arrival and after these brags Mr.
Parsons presently fell to his Jesuitical Courses and so be-laboured both himself and others in matters of State how he might set her Majesties Crown upon another Head as appeareth by a letter of his own to a certain Earl that the Catholics themselves threatned to deliver him into the hands of the Civil Magistrate except he desisted from such kind of practices In these tumultuous and rebellious proceedings by sundry Catholics both in England and Ireland it could not be expected but that the Queen and the State would be greatly incensed with indignation against us We had some of us greatly approved the said Rebellion highly extoll'd the Rebels and pitifully bewailed their Ruin and Over-throw Many of our affections were knit to the Spaniards and for our Obedience to the Pope we all do profess it The attempts both of the Pope and Spaniard failing in England his Holiness as a temporal Prince The Popes Banner displayed in Ireland to depose the Queen displayed his Banner in Ireland This Plot was to deprive Her Highness first from that Kingdom if they could and then by degrees to depose her from this In all these Plots none were more forward then many of us that were Priests The Layity if we had opposed our selves to these designments would out of doubt have been over-ruled by us How many of our Calling were addicted to these Courses the State knew not In which Case the premises discreetly considered there is no King or Prince in the World disgusting the See of Rome and having either force or Metal in him The Queen Vindicated and commended that would have indured us if possible he could have been revenged but rather as we think have utterly rooted us out of his Territories as Traytors and Rebels both to him and his Country And therefore we may rejoyce unfeignedly that God hath blessed this Kingdom with so gracious and merciful a Soveraign who hath not dealt in this sort with us Assuredly if she were a Catholic she might be accounted the Mirrour of the World but as she is both we and all other Catholics her natural Subjects deserve no longer to live then we hereafter shall Honour her from our Hearts obey her in all things so far as possibly we may pray for her Prosperous Reign and long Life and to our Powers defend and Protect both her and our Country against any whatsoever that shall by force of Arms attempt to damnifie either of them for in the said Garboils and very undutiful Proceedings how hath her Highness dealt with us From the time of the said Rebellion and Parliament The Papists themselves confess not above twelve Executed in ten years there were few above twelve that in ten Years had been Executed for their Consciences as we hold altho our Adversaries say for Treason and of those twelve some parhaps can hardly be drawn within our Account having been tainted with matters of Rebellion The most of the said number were Seminary Priests who if they had come over with the like intents that some others have done might very worthily have been used as they were But in our Consciences nay some of us do know it that they were far from those Seditious humours being Men that intended nothing else then simply the good of our Country and the Conversion of Souls Marry to say the Truth as we have Confessed before how could either her Majesty or the State know so much They had great Cause as politic Persons to suspect the worst Besides to the further Honour of Her Majesty we may not Omit that the States of the whole Realm Assembled in Parliament Anno 1576. Were pleased to pass us over and made no Laws at that time against us The Antient Prisoners that had been restrained more narrowly in the Year 1570. were notwithstanding the said Enterprizes in Ireland again restored to their former Liberty to continue with their Friends as they had done before such as were not suspected to have been Dealers or Abettors in the said Treasonable Accounts were used with that humanity which could not well be expected But when the Jesuits were come and that the State had notice of the said Excommunication there was then within a while great alteration for such were the Jesuits proceedings and with so great boldness as tho all had been theirs and that the State should presently have been changed Her Majesty had seen what followed in her Kingdom upon the first Excommunication and was therefore in all worldly Policy to prevent the like by the second The Jealousie also of the State was much increased by Mr. Sherwin's answer upon his Examination The Jesuits indirect answering of plain Questions above Eight Months before the Apprehension of Mr. Campian For being asked whether the Queen was his lawful Soveraign notwithstanding any Sentence of the Popes he prayed that no such Question might be demanded of him and would not further thereunto Answer Two or three other Questions much to the like effect were likewise propounded unto him which he also refused to Answer Matters now sorting on this fashion there was a greater restraint of Catholics then at any time before many both Priests and Gentlemen were sent into the Isle of Ely and other places there to be more safely kept and looked unto The Queen's Proclamation upon the coming over of the Jesuits Seminary Priests This is a Mistake for the Law made by this Parliament was 23. Eliz. Cap. 1. that made it Treason in converter and converted to the Church of Rome and the Law here mentioned is 27. Eliz. Cap. 2. In January following 1581. according to the general Computation a Proclamation was made for the Calling home of Her Majesties Subjects beyond the Seas such especially as were trained up in the Seminaries pretending that they Learned little there but disloyalty and that none after that time should harbour or relieve them with sundry other Points of hard intendment toward us The same Month also a Parliament ensued wherein a Law was made agreeable in effect to the said Proclamation But with a more severe punishment annexed for it was a Penalty of Death for any Jesuit or Seminary Priest to repair into England and for any to receive or entertain them which fell out according to Bishop Watsons former Speeches or prediction what mischiefs the Jesuits would bring upon us We could here as well as some others have done shew our dislike with some bitterness of the said Law and Penalty But to what purpose should we do so It had been a good Point of Wisdom in two of three Persons that have taken that course to have been silent and rather to have thought by gentleness and sweet Carriage of themselves to have prevented the more sharp Execution of that Law then by exclaiming against it when it was too late to have provoked the State to a greater severity against us And to confess something to our disadvantage and to excuse the said Parliament If all
Wade the Clerk of the Councel by putting together these torn pieces of Paper with much pains and singular Dexterity discovered the Design Their spight was all at the Queen and the better to procure her ruin Martins Book against the Queen Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 4. f. 338. there was a little Book composed and called a Treatise of Schism which amongst other things exhorted the Women at Court to Act the same against the Queen as Judith had done with Commendation against Holosernes The Author of this pernicious Pamphlet was one Gregory Martin formerly of St. Johns Colledge in Oxford and Contemporary with Campian The Duke of Norfolk made him Tutor to his eldest Son and indeed his Learning was noted being a good Linguist and one who had read much but in his writing he was very passionate and so sometimes inconsiderate One * Carter Prints Martins Book Concertat Eccles Cathol Angl. part 2. f. 127. c. Ruston de Schism Angl. l. 3. William Carter who had formerly been Amanuensis to Dr. Harpesfield one of Bishop Bonners Creatures and was now the chief Printer for the Romanists keeping two Presses at their Devotion gets this Book commended by Allen and Prints above a thousand for which he is tryed confesseth the Printing it vindicateth all is contained in it is condemned and executed and hath the Honour to be registred amongst their Martyrs By reason of these Treasons before mentioned as also upon occasion of Rumors from all parts that great Dangers were at hand and threatned to prevent the wicked Designs The Subjects of England Associate and Treacherous Practices of the Papists and to provide for the Queens safety upon which the Welfare both of the Realm and Religion depended many Men of all Degrees and Conditions throughout England by Leicesters means and out of their own publick Care and Love whilst they stood not in Fear of her but were full of Fear for her bound themselves in an Association by mutual Vows Subscriptions and Seals to prosecute to the Death as far as lay in their Power all those that should Attempt any thing against the Queen Upon which the Parliament meeting on Munday 23 d. Day of November 27 El. A Bill was in this Sessions brought into the House of Commons for Provision to be made for the Surety of the Queens Majesties Royal Person and the continuance of the Realm in peace and for confirming the said Association There was also in this Session of Parliament another Bill brought into the House of Commons against Jesuits Seminary Priests and other disobedient Persons and one William Parrey by Nation a Welshman born of obscure Parentage and of mean Estate by Title a Doctor of the Law though but indifferently Learned a Man exceeding proud Camb. Annals f. 305. D' Ewes his Journal f. 340 341 342. Bakers Cron. f. 364. Parry's contempt to the House of Commons when this Bill was read the third time which was Decemb. the 17th 1584. and with little or no Argument passed the House in very violent Terms spake directly against the whole Bill standing up for the Jesuits and pleading that the said Law svoured of Treasons was full of blood danger despair and terror or dread to the English Subjects of this Realm but refused to give his Reasons to the House or any other but the Queen for which he was committed to the Serjeants Custody till the House considered of his Crime and being called in again and he persisting in his contempt It was resolved that for that he did speak to the Bill and gave his Neggative voice so directly and undutifully and in contempt of the House would not shew his Reasons for the same being against the ancient Orders and Usage of that High Court and not for that he said he would shew them only to be discovered to her Majesty he should be committed to the Serjeants Ward till the Matter should be farther Examined On the 18th of December the Queen sent a Message to the House approving and commending what they had done in this matter and letting them know that Doctor Parry had been examined and made a discovery partly to the satisfaction of her Majesty and therefore desired that upon his humble submission and acknowledgement of his fault he might be dispensed with which was accordingly done But Feb. the 18th being in the Tower for Treason was disabled from being longer a Member of the House of Commons Parry's Treasonable Conspiracy for taking away the Queens Life Camb. Annals f. 306. Foulis Hist l. 7. ca. 4. f. 338. D' Ewes Journal f. 350. This very Parry when he got to be Parliament man was a Papist and afterwards accused by Edmond Nevil who claimed the Inheritance of Charles Nevil late Earl of Westmorland one of the Ring-leaders in the forementioned Plot in the North who a little before ended his Life in a Miserable Exile and the Title of Lord Latimer as next Heir Male to have been ingaged in a secret design for taking away the Queens Life This Parry had been pardoned formerly by the Queen of a Burglary and Assault for which he was Tryed and Condemned and to requite her enters into a Conspiracy to take away her Life which he being resolved to do and being then beyond Seas comes forthwith for London and the better to get access to the Queen and credit with her resolves to discover how he had been perswaded to kill her which he doth at White-Hall as cunningly as he can The Queen gave him the hearing and began to put some confidence in him He afterwards engageth the said Mr. Nevel in the design who declared himself convinced of the lawfulness and braveness of the Action so they both swear in Parry's Lodgings Secrecy to kill her yet all this while Parry carried it so fair with the Queen that She not only thought him a trusty Loyal Subject but intended him a liberal Pension or Allowance Foulis Hist l. 7. c. 4. f. 141. Whilst he thus gets esteem with the Queen and at the same time contrives her death Nevil resolves to discover all doth so and is examined by Leicester and Sir Christopher Hatton the Queen wonders at the juggle and contrivance but had it kept secreet And the better to find out the Plot Parry is sent for by Secretary Walsingham to his house there to see if he would any way confess this who had shewed himself soreedy on his own head to discover the Foreign de-signs against her Majesty The Secretary entertains him kindly telling him that the Queen had appointed him to deal with him in a Matter that highly concerned her Majesty knowing him to be one who bore an extraordinary devotion to her the Matter was the Queen had been advertized that there was some Plot in hand against her own Person wherewith she thought he could not but be made acquainted considering the great trust that some of her greatest Enemies reposed in him of this she desired to
understand his knowledge and whether he himself might not at some time or other have let slip some suspitious words not with any real design against her but to discover the intentions of others Parry strongly confiding in Nevil earnestly denied it again and again with several Protestations that he was neither party nor privy to any such motion or enterprize Walsingham dealt fairly with him telling him that there was a Gentleman and his friend who would prove the contrary to his Face yet Parry denieth all true Popish impudence though probably had he confest and these were hints enough and accused Nevil at his first asking he might have saved himself and in this his great cunning was overseen Parry thus obstinate in his denials is not permitted to go home but lodged that Night at Mr. Secretry Walsinghams House in London This put him in a peck of troubles fills his Head full of suspitions and having consulted with his Pillow the next Morning he desired to speak with Mr. Secretary which granted he confesseth that now he called to remembrance that he once had Speech with one Nevil concerning a Point of Doctrine contained in one of Dr. Allen's Books wherein it was maintained that it was lawful to take away the Life of a Prince to benefit the Roman Religion but denied that he spake any thing of the Queen That Night he was Examined in Leicesters House before several but still he deny'd all whereupon Nevel was brought before him who punctually justified every circumstance before his Face yet the other as formerly denied all however he is sent to the Tower where perceiving the exactness of the Proof against him he freely and of his own accord confessed all which Confession take as the same is related by Cambden in these words In the Year saith he 1570. I was Sworn one of the Queens Servants and continued intirely devoted to her Majesty till the Year 1580. at which time I came into danger of loosing my Life with great disgrace Parry's Confession Camb. Annals f. 306. for he had broken into Hugh Hares Chamber in whose debt he was and had wounded him for which he was by the Law Condemned but had his Life saved by the Queens gracious Pardon from that time I continued troubled in my Mind and having procured a License to withdraw my self into France not with any intentions to return hither again for I had devoted my self to the Catholic Religion At Paris I was reconciled to the Church of Rome at Venice I had conference with Benedict Palmio a Jesuit concerning the destressed Catholics in England and I gave him some hints that I had found out a way to relieve them if the Pope or any Learned Divines would justifie it to be lawful Palmio extolled this as a Pious design and me he recommended to the Popes Nuncio at Venice whose Name was Campeius and Campeius recommended me to the Pope I besought by Letters that I might come to Rome with a safe Conduct Letters of safe Conduct were sent me from the Cardinal of Como but not large enough afterwards others were sent me more large and full but then was I returned to Paris there I lighted upon Morgan who told me that it was expected by divers that I should do some notable Service for God and the Catholic Church I answered that I was ready to kill the greatest Subject in England but said he why not the Queen her self and this said I might easily be done if it might appear to be lawful for Watts a Priest with whom I had conference about it concealing persons Names affirmed flatly it was not lawful and Chreighton also a Scotish Jesuit avouched the same Teaching that evil was not to be done that good might come of it that God was better pleased with Adverbs then Nouns and approved what was well done and lawfully then what was otherwise good and that many Souls were not to be redeemed with the destruction of any one without the Express command of God notwithstanding I having engaged my self both by Letters and Promises whilst I was in Italy thought it an heinious sin to give over my enterprize in case the Pope should approve it by his Letters and grant me a plenary Pardon which I begged of him by Letters I sent to him by Ragozonio his Nuncio in France who highly commended my design and sent my Letters to Rome being returned into England I procured access to the Queen to whom after all By-standers were removed I discovered the whole Conspiracy how be it cloaked with the best Art I could she heard me without being daunted I departed not without being terrified and cannot now forget what she then said That no Catholic should be called in Question meerly for Religion or the Popes Supremacy so that they shewed themselves good Subjects In the mean time whilst I was a daily Suitor in the Court for the Mastership of St. Catharines I received Letters from the Cardinal of Como wherein my enterprize was commended and my self absolved in the Popes Name These Letters I imparted to the Queen what effect they wrought with her I know not to me they certainly added Courage and took away all scruples yet was I not minded to offer her any violence if she could by any means be perswaded to deal more favourably with the Catholics And therefore least I should commit the Murther I layed away my Dagger still as often as I had access to her when I seriously considered her and her truly Royal vertues I was distracted with doubtful thoughts for my Vows were recorded in Heaven my Letters and Promises amongst Men these things I often pondered with an unquiet Mind I was never much beholden to her for any thing my Life indeed she once Pardoned me but to have taken it away upon that occasion had been cruel and tyrannical hereupon I departed from Court much unsatisfied with my condition I lighted upon Dr. Allens Book against the Justice of Brittain where he taught That Princes Excommunicate for Heresie were to be deprived of Kingdom and Life which Book did strongly encourage me to prosecute my attempt This Book I read to Nevil whom I sometimes invited to my Table six whole Months before he accused me afterwards he came to me and said let us venture upon somewhat since we can get nothing from the Queen and he propounded several things about the delivery of the Queen of Scots But I have said I a greater business in my Mind and of more advantage for the Catholic Church The next day he came and swore upon the Bible that he would conceal and constantly persue any thing that should be for the good of the Catholic Religion and I sware the like we then resolved with ten more Men to set upon the Queen as she rode abroad to take the Air and to kill her All which Nevil concealed till now But having heard that the Earl of Westmorland was dead whose Estate he hath already swallowed in hopes he
and Attempts against Her Majesties most Royal Person now for the explaining of all such Ambiguities and Questions which otherwise might happen to grow by reason of any sinister or wrong Construction or Interpretation to be made or inferred of or upon the Words or Meaning thereof Be it declared and enacted by the Authority of this present Parliament The Association approved and confirmed that the said Association and every Article and Sentence therein contained as well concerning the disallowing extending or disabling of any Persons that may or shall pretend any Title to come to the Crown of this Realm and also for the pursuing and taking Revenge of any Person for any such wicked Act or Attempt as is mentioned in the same Association shall and ought to be in all things expounded and adjudged according to the true Intent and Meaning of this Act not otherwise nor against any other Person or Persons The latter of the said two Acts of Parliament is intituled An Act against Jesuits Seminary Priests and such other like disobedient Persons The Preamble runs thus 27 Eliz. cap. 2. Rast Stat. 2. part f. 285. Treason for Priests and Jesuits to come into England Harbouring them Felony c. WHereas divers Persons called or professed Iesuits Seminary Priests and other Priests which have been and from time to time are made in the Parts beyond the Seas by or according to the Order and Rites of the Romish Church have of late years come in and been sent and dayly do come and are sent into this Realm of England and other the Queens Majesties Dominions on purpose as it hath appeared as well by sundry of their own Examinations and Confessions as by divers other manifest Means and Proofs not only to withdraw Her Highnesses Subjects from their due Obedience to Her Majesty but also to stir up and move Sedition Rebellion and open Hostility within the same Her Highnesses Realms and Dominions to the great indangering of the Safety of her most Royal Person and to the utter Ruine Desolation and Overthrow of the whole Realm if the same be not the sooner by some good Means foreseen and prevented For reformation whereof it is enacted That all Iesuits Seminary Priests and other Priests whatsoever Ordained within or without the Queens Dominions by virtue of the Popes Authority should depart within forty Days That those who should afterwards return into the Kingdom should be guilty of High-Treason That he who should wittingly and willingly Harbour Relieve and Maintain them should be guilty of Felony that those who were brought up in Seminaries if they returned not within six Months after Notice given and submitted not themselves to the Queen before a Bishop or two Iustices should be guilty of High Treason and if any so submitting themselves should within ten years approach the Quéens Court or come within ten Miles thereof their Submission should be void That those who should by any Means whatsoever send or convey over any Money to Students in such Seminaries should incur the Penalty of a Premunire That if any of the Peers of the Realm that is Dukes Marquisses Earls Viscounts or Barons of Parliament should offend against these Laws he should be brought to his Tryal by his Peers That if any should know of any such Iesuits or other Priests above said lurking within the Realm and should not discover them within twelve Days he should be Fined and Imprisoned at the Queens Pleasure That if any Man should be suspected to be a Iesuit or Priest as aforesaid and not submit himself to Examination he should for his Contempt be imprisoned till he did submit himself That he who should send his Children or any others to Seminaries and Colledges of the Popish Profession should be fined in an hundred Pounds of English Money and that those who were so sent thither should not succeed as Heirs nor enjoy any Estates which should any way fall to them the like for all such as should not return home from the said Seminaries within a year unless they did conform themselves to the Church of England That if the Wardens or Officers of the Ports should permit any others besides Sea-men and Merchants to cross the Seas without Licence of the Quéen or six Privy Councellors they should be put out of their Places and the Masters of such Ships as carried them should forfeit their Ships and Goods and suffer Imprisonment for a whole Year Reflections upon the foregoing Plots Treasons and Acts of Parliament occasioned by them From which said Plots Conspiracies and Treasons and the said Acts of Parliament occasioned by the same I observe these things amongst many others observable 1. That there are no Villanies that can be imagined so bad but the Romish Clergy even the Pope himself will tell you is lawful to be Committed to carry on the interest of that Religion and instruments enough are to be found amongst Men of that Communion to undertake the Committing thereof one instance whereof we have in this Parry who did not only think it lawful but undertook it to murder his own Lawful Soveraign and had Authority so to do from the Pope himself and that he might sit in the House of Commons must needs be Guilty of a Wilful Perjury for by 13. Eliz. cap. 2. none could sit in that House but he who first had taken the Oath of Supremacy and that he did sit there is plain from the History and tho it doth not appear that he had a Dispensation for it yet 't is not to be doubted but that he was sure of a Pardon in case he had not a Dispensation 2. That the Protestants in those days thought it not only lawful but their Duty to Associate for the preservation of their Prince and of their Religion and having so done they were so far from being blamed by the Parliament that the Parliament did esteem it not only as a Lawful but a Commendable Act and added their Sanction to confirm what before they judged Lawful 3. That the Parliament in the 27 th Year of Queen Elizabeths Reign were so far from questioning their own power of determining and limiting the Crown and the Succession thereof that they did not only think it in their Power but reduced it into Act too to make the Successor Guilty of High Treason that should imbrue His or Her hands in the Blood of the Predecessor and hereby altered the Law 1. H. 7.4 Fitz. Abr. tit Parl. 3. Bro. Abr. tit Parl. 37. Plowd 238. b. that the Accession to the Crown purges the Treason because all Persons named in Acts of Parliament even the King himself are bound by such Acts of Parliament wherein they are named they being no ways alterable but by the same power not Persons that made them 4. That the severity of the Laws hitherto made did not actually deter the Papists from Plotting and Conspiring the Death of the Queen and the subverting the Protestant Religion Nor was it likely to
be effected so long as the Jesuits Seminary Priests and other Priests were tollerated here for it hath been observed by some with a great deal of Truth that there was never yet a Plot against the Government but the Popish Priests had their share in it It was therefore thought necessary to follow the example of Swedeland the State of Venice and other Countries who have banisht the Jesuits and wisely to carry it a little further and banish Priests too they being such Disturbers of the State which was accordingly done by 27. Eliz. cap. 2. But least the Papists should again object against the Authorities I cite for the History of the Fact I shall here insert the very Words of their Secular Priests in their important Considerations whereby the truth of the Fact is Confest the Words are these About the time of the overthrow of the Popes Forces in Ireland The Secular Priests confess the truth of all the foregoing Account Collect. f. 44. The Popes Plot with King of Spain and Duke of Guise Mendoza his Holiness by the false instigation of the Jesuits plotted with the King of Spain for the assistance of the Duke of Guise to enterprize upon the sudden a very desperate design against Her Majesty and for the Delivery and advancement to the Crown of the Queen of Scotland For the better asserting whereof Mendoza the Jesuit and Ledger for the King of Spain in England set on work a worthy Gentleman otherwise one Mr. Francis Throckmorton and divers others And whilst the same was Contriving as afterwards Mr. Throckmorton himself Confessed 1584 the Jesuitical humour had so possessed the hearts of sundry Catholics as we do unfeignedly rue in our hearts the remembrance of it and are greatly ashamed that any Person so intitl'd should ever have been so extreamly bewitched Two Gentlemen about that time also viz. Anno 1583. Mr. Arden and Mr. Somervil were convicted by the Laws of the Realm Throgmortons Confession you have Printed Camb. Annal l. 3. f. 297. Arden and Somervil Dr. Parry Earl of Northumberland for having purposed and contrived how they might have laid violent hands upon Her Majesties sacred Person Mr. Somervils Confession therein was so notorious as it may not be either quallified or denied And Dr. Parry the same Year was plotting with Jesuits how he might have effected the like Villany How the worthy Earl of Northumberland was about this time brought into the said Plot by the Duke of Guise then still in hand we will pretermit Mr. Parsons that was Actor in it could tell the Story very roundly at Rome it wrought the Earls overthrow in 1585 which may justly be ascribed to the Jesuitical Practices of the Jesuite Mendoza and others of that Crew They mentioned several other Treasons which I shall not here take Notice of but reserve them till I come to give the further Account of their Treasons and only set down the Conclusion of this Paragraph These things say they we would not have touched had they not been known in effect to this part of the World and that we thought it our Duties to shew our own dislike of them and to clear Her Majesty so far as we may from such imputations of more then barbarous Cruelty towards us as the Jesuits in their Writings have cast by Heaps upon her They themselves as we still think in our Consciences and before God having been from time to time the very Causes of all the Calamities which any of us have endured in England since Her Majesties Reign which we do not write simply to excuse Her Highness altho we must Confess we can be contented to indure much rather then to seek her Dishonour but for that we think few Princes living being perswaded in Religion as Her Majesty is and so provoked as she hath been would have dealt more mildly with such their Subjects all Circumstances considered then she hath done with us Let us now see what reason can be given for making the rest of the Penal Laws that were made against the Papists in this Queens Reign The Earl of Arund tryed and fined only Camb. Annals f. 330. He was in 1589. tryed for high Treason and Condemned but the Queen spared him Camb. Annals f. 424.429 The first thing I meet with remarkable after the making these Laws forementioned is the fining the Earl of Arundel 5000 pounds in 586. for holding Correspondence with Allen and Parsons the Jesuit the Queens Enemies for that publickly in writing he had questioned the Justice of the Kingdom and that he had intentions of departing the Realm without License The Earl protesting his obedience to the Queen and his Love to his Countrey modestly excused himself by his Love to the Catholic Religion and his ignorance of the Law Confessed his fault and submitted In the * Gifford Savage Ballard and others Plot to kill the Q. Camb. Annals f. 336. Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 5. sec 1. f. 343. Bakers Chron. f. 367. same year a very dangerous Conspiracy was discovered against Queen Elizabeth in the English Seminary at Rheimes there were some who were so bigotted to the Popish Religion that they thought the Pope could by his Authority do any thing and that the aforementioned Bull of Pius Quintus for deposing the Queen was dictated by the Holy Ghost and thought it a Meritorious Act to take away her Life and doubted not of a Canonisation as Martyrs if they fell in the Attempt William Gifford Doctor in Divinity Gilbert Gifford and one Hodgson Priests did so infuse this treasonable Doctrine into the mind of one John Savage a Bastard as was reported that he readily Vowed to kill the Queen One Ballard an English Priest at Rheimes bestirs himself in England and Scotland for carrying on the Design and for that purpose prepares Disciples then goeth into France and treats with Mendoza before named Charles Paget and others about invading of England judging they could never have a fairer opportunity then at that Juncture of time forasmuch as the Pope the Spaniard the Duke of Guise and the Prince of Parma were all resolved to set upon England thereby to divert the War from the Netherlands Having delivered the Message there he returns for England to promote the design here gets to London where in a Souldiers habit under the false Name of Captain Fescue he agitates the Plot. Babington and divers other Gentlemen engaged in this design of taking off the Queen At London he discovered this Affair to one Mr. Anthony Babington of Dethick in Derbyshire a young Gentleman greatly addicted to the Romish Religion and who had in France Commenced an Acquaintance with the Bishop of Glascow the Queen of Scots Ambassador and one Thomas Morgan an English Fugitive and a busie Agent for her Babington at first was of opinion that as long as the Queen lived an Invasion would signifie little or nothing but when he understood that Savage had undertaken to remove that
other offences whatsoever abovesaid In the Act abovesaid as afore is said mentioned and all circumstances of the same and of every of them and thereupon according to the Tenour of the Act aforesaid to give Sentence or Judgment as upon good proof the Matter shall appear unto you And therefore we command you that you do at such certain days and places which you or the greater part of you shall for that purpose set and agree upon diligently proceed upon the premises in form aforesaid c. Mary Queen of Scots Tryed Camb. Annals f. 361. The Commissioners met at Fotheringay Castle the 11 th of October 1586. and Tryed Mary Queen of Scots the substance of the Tryal you may see in Cambdens Annals from Pag. 344 to 361. as he took the same out of the Commentaries and Memorials of Edward Barker principlal Register to the Queen Thomas Wheeler publick Notary Register of the Audience of Canturbury and other persons of Credit which were there present On the 25 th of October all the Commissioners met at the Star-Chamber at Westminster to which place they had adjourned except the Earls of Shrewsbury and Warwick which were both of them sick at that time Sentence was pronounced which Sentence was this The Sentence By their unanimous assents and consents they do pronounce and deliver this their Sentence and Judgment at the day and place last above mentioned and say that since the conclusion of the aforesaid Session of Parliament in the Commission aforesaid specified namely since the first day of June in the 27 th Year aforesaid and before the date of the said Commission divers Marters have been compassed and imagined within this Realm of England by Anthony Babington and others with the Privity of the said Mary pretending a Title to the Crown of this Realm of England tending to the hurt death and destruction of the Royal Person of our said Lady the Queen And also that since the aforesaid first day of June in the 27 th Year aforesaid and before the date of the Commission aforesaid the aforesaid Mary pretending a Title to the Crown of this Realm of England hath compassed and imagined within this Realm of England divers Matters tending to the hurt death and destruction of the Royal Person of our Soveraign Lady the Queen contrary to the form of the Statute in the Commission aforesaid specified The Parliament 29. Eliz. Cap. 1. Rast Stat. 2. Part. f. 334. The twenty ninth of October following the Parliament met and the first Act they made was an Act for the confirmation of the Proscription of Thomas late Lord Paget Charles Paget Francis Englefeild Francis Throckmorton William Shelley Anthony Babington Thomas Salisbury Edward Jones Edward Abbington Charles Tilney Chidiock Tichbourn Robert Barnwell John Charnock and John Travers The Preamble of which Act of Parliament strengthening the Credit of the former History I have here incerted An Act of Parliament for proscribing Babington and the Rest In most humble wise beseecheth your Royal Majesty the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and all other your most Loving and Obedient Subjects the Commons of this your most High Court of Parliament Assembled That where Thomas Paget late Lord Paget late of Drayton in the County of Middlesex Francis Englefeild late of London Kt. Charles Paget late of London Esq Francis Throckmorton late of London Esq William Shelley late of Clapham in the County of Sussex Esq Anthony Babington late of Dethick in the County of Derby Esq Thomas Salisbury late of Lleweny in the County of Denbygh Esq Edward Jones late of Cadogan in the same County of Denbygh Esq Edward Abbington late of Henlippe in the County of Worcester Esq Charls Tilney late of â—â—ndon Esq Chidiock Tichbourn late of Port-Chester in the County of Southampton Esq Robert Barnwell late of London Gent. John Charnock late of London Gent. and John Travers late of Prescot in the County of Lancaster Gent. Having no fear of God before their Eyes have most falsely and Treacherously committed perpetrated and done many unnatural detestable and abominable Treasons to the most fearful peril and danger of the destruction of your most Royal Person and to the utter loss disherison and destruction of this your Highnesses Realm of England if God of his infinite goodness had not in due time revealed and given knowledge to your Highness of their Trayterous intent of and for the which said Treasons being manifestly and plainly proved the said Traytors and Offenders before named have been lawfully indicted and some of them have been and are lawfully and by due process Out-Lawed and thereby justly attainted and some other by Tryal of the Country and their own confessions and judgment thereupon given lawfully and justly convicted and attainted according to the Laws of this your Realm as by the Records of their several attainders more plainly it doth and may appear and for the which several Offences some of the same Offenders have suffered pains of Death according to their demerits And then the Parliament Confirms their attainder and confiscates their Lands and Tenements Goods and Chattels The next thing this Parliament did was by their Votes to approve The Tryal and Condemnation of Mary Queen of Scots approved and Her Execution desired by the Parliament and their Reasons for it D' Ewes Journal 392 393 395 400 401 405 408. Camb. Annal. l. 3. f. 363. and confirm the Sentence given against the Queen of Scots and desired it might be published the Reasons whereof were delivered in divers Speeches made in the House of Commons upon this occasion and which are to be seen in Sir Simon D' Ewes his Journal at large They were drawn from the dangers that threatned Religion the Queens Person and the Realm by means of Mary Queen of Scots who having been bred up in the Popish Religion and sworn a confederate in the Holy League for the extirpation of the Protestant Religion had now for a long time Arrogated unto her self the Title of Queen of England while the Queen lived whom as being excommunicate she held it lawful to do mischief to as far as lay in her Power and to take away her life a thing meritorious One who had over-thrown and ruined sundry flourishing Families in the Kingdom and cherished all the Treasonable designs and Rebellions in England to spare her therefore were nothing else but to spoil the People who would take impunity in this Case much to heart and would not think themselves discharged of their Oath of Association unless she were punished according to her deserts and lastly they called to her remembrance how fearful the examples of Gods vengeance were upon King Saul for sparing Agag and upon King Ahab for sparing the Life of Benhaddad These Reasons were strongly inforc't by a Petition presented by the Parliament to the Queen and by her answer it appears what a great straight she was in D' Ewes Journal f. 400. Queen Eliz. in a great
streight Camb. Annal. f. 363 364 365. between her Natural inclinations to mercy backt with the consideration of the near Relation the Queen of Scots stood in to her and the danger her Person and the Protestant Religion were in sufficiently evidenced by an Oath which she her self said she had seen wherein some had bound themselves to kill her within a Month. By which she said she saw her Subjects danger in her Person which she would be careful to prevent she told them she had not forgot the Association they had entred into for her safety which was a thing she never somuch as thought of till a great number of Hands and Seals to it were shewn her that it had laid a perpetual tie and obligation upon her to bear them a singular good Will and Love That she had no greater comfort then in the Common-Wealths respect and affection towards her and promised them that whatsoever the best of Subjects might expect at the hands of the best Princes they might expect from her to be performed to the full After this she sent to the Lords by the Chancellor and to the Commons by their Speaker Puckering to enter anew into the consideration of this Matter A message from Qu. Eliz. to the Parliament Camb. Annal. l. 3. f. 365. and to find out a more pleasing expedient whereby both the Queen of Scots Life might be spared and her own security provided for They Concur again in their former Opinion for these Reasons The Parliament Concur in their former Opinion their Reasons for it the Queens safety they said could no ways be secured so long as the Queen of Scots lived unless she should either seriously repent and acknowledge her offence or were kept with a closer or stricter Guard and sufficient security given by Bond or Oath for her good Demeanour or delivered Hostages or else departed the Realm They proved by invincible Reasons that neither by expectation of Reformation in the disposition of the Queen of Scots if the Queens Majesty should spare her Life Nor yet by safer or stronger Garding of her Person nor by her promise upon word or Oath D' Ewes Journal f. 405. nor by the Hostages of other Princes or Allies nor by her Banishment nor by the revocation of the Bull of Pope Pius Quintus nor yet by the Bond or Word of a Prince or of any or all the Princes her Allies nor by any other way or means whatsoever other then by the speedy Execution to Death of the said Scottish Queen the safety or continuance of the true Religion of the most Royal Person of the Queens Majesty and all the peaceable State of this Realm could in any ways be provided for and Established As for her repentance they were out of all hopes of it considering that she had so ill requited the Queen who had saved her Life yet would not acknowledge her fault as for a surer Guard stricter Custody Bonds Oaths and Hostages they esteemed them all as nothing worth because if the Queens Life were once taken away all these would presently vanish and if she should depart the Realm they feared least she should presently take up Arms and Invade the same therefore they pressed hard that the Sentence might be put in Execution because as it were injustice to deny Execution of the Law to any one of her Subjects that should demand it so much more to the whole Body of her People of England unanimously and with one Voice humbly and Instantly suing for the same The Answer to this Speech will I hope give the Reader great satisfaction as to Queen Elizabeth's proceedure in this weighty concern and therefore I have here inserted it verbatim as I find it in Cambden which is as followeth The Queens Speech in Answer to the Parliaments Reasons Camb. Annal. f. 366. Very unpleasing is that way where the setting out Progress and Journeys end yield nothing but trouble and vexation I have this day been in greater conflict with my self then ever I was in all my Life whether I should speak or hold my peace If I should speak and not complain I shall dissemble if I should be silent all your Labour and Pains taken were in vain and if I should complain it might seem a strange and unusual thing Yet I confess that my hearty desire was that some other means might have been devised to provide for your security and my own safety then this which is now propounded So that I cannot but complain tho not of you yet to you since I perceive by your Petition that my safety dependeth wholly upon the ruin of another If there be any that think I have spun out the time on purpose to get commendation by a seeming shew of Clemency they do me wrong undeservedly as he knoweth who is the searcher of the most secret thoughts of the Heart or if there be any that are perswaded the Commissioners durst pronounce no other Sentence for fear they should displease me or seem to fail of their Care for my preservation they do but wrong me with such injurious conceits for either those whom I have put in Trust have failed of their Duties or else they acquainted the Commissioners in my Name that my will and pleasure was that every one should act freely according to his Conscience and what they thought not fit to be made publick that they should communicate to me in private It was of my favourable inclination towards her that I desired some other way might be found out to prevent this mischief But since it is now resolved that my security is desperate without her death I find a great reluctancy and trouble within me that I who have in my time pardoned so many Rebels wincked at so many Treasons or neglected them by silence should now seem to shew my self cruel towards so great a Princess I have since I came to the Government of this Realm seen many defamatory Libels and Pamphlets against me Queen Elizabeth foresaw she should be reflected upon for this Action but by the Papists only She could not suspect the Protestants would judge hereby of her or censure her taxing me to be a Tyrant wellfaret he Writers hearts I believe their meaning was to tell me News and News indeed it was to me to be branded with the note of Tyranny I would it were as great news to hear of their wickedness and impieties But what is it which they will not venture to write now when they shall hear that I have given my consent that the Executioners hands should be embrewed in the Blood of my nearest Kinswoman But so far am I from cruelty that though it were to save my own Life I would not offer her the least violence Neither have I been so careful how to prolong mine own Life as how to preserve both hers and mine which that it is now impossible to do I am heartily troubled I am not so void of sence and
Vsurper Obstinate and Impenitent and so no good to be expected unless she be deprived Therefore Pope Sixtus Quintus moved by his own and his Predecessors Zeal and the vehement Desire of some principal English-men hath used great Diligence with divers Princes especially with the Spanish King to use all his Force that she might be turned out of her Dominions and her Adherents punished And all this for good Reasons Because she is an Heretick Schismatick is excommunicated by former Popes is Contumacious Disobedient to the Roman Bishop and hath taken to her self the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over the (a) No such thing Souls of Men. Because she hath against all Law and Right usurped the Kingdom seeing none forsooth must be Monarchs of England but by the Leave and Consent of the Pope Because she hath committed many Injuries Extortions and other Wrongs against her Subjects Because she hath stirred up Sedition and Rebellion between the Inhabitans of Neighbouring Countries Because she hath entertained (b) What did the Pope and Spaniard do Fugitives and Rebels of other Nations Because she sent and procured the (c) A Slanderous Vntruth Turk to invade Christendom Because she persecuted the English Romanists Cut of the (d) And very justly as appears by the Relation before given Queen of Scots and abolished the Roman Religion Because she hath rejected and excluded the Antient Nobility and promoted to Honour obscure People (e) A damn'd Lye. and also useth Tyranny Wherefore seeing these Offences some of them rendring her uncapable of the Kingdom others unworthy to live His Holiness by the Power of God and the Apostles reneweth the Censure of Pius V. and Gregory XIII against her excommunicates and deprives her of all Royal Dignity Titles Rites and Pretences to England and Ireland declares her illegitimate and Vsurper of the Kingdom and absolves all her Subjects from their Obedience and Oaths of Allegiance due to her So he commandeth all under Pain and Penalty of Gods Wrath to yield her no Obedience Aid or Favour whatsoever but to employ all their Power against her and to Joyn themselves with the Spanish Forces who will not hurt the Nation nor alter their Laws nor Priviledges only punish the wicked (f) Protestants he means Hereticks Therefore by these Presents we declare that it is not only Lawful but Commendable to lay Hands on the said Usurper and other her Adherents and for so doing they shall be well rewarded And lastly to all these Roman Assistants is liberally granted a Plenary Indulgence and Remission of all their Sins The Queen to defend her self set forth a good Fleet of Ships Queen Elizabeths Preparation to defend her self Camb. Annal. f. 405. under the Command of Charles Lord Howard of Effingham Lord High Admiral and Drake Vice-admiral she prepared two Armies one of one thousand Horse and twenty two thousand Foot under the Command of the Earl of Leicester The other of thirty four thousand Foot and two thousand Horse under the Command of the Lord Hunsdon And the Nation being jealous of the Papists the Queen was perswaded to commit divers to Wisbich Castle but could not be prevailed upon to execute any one not so much as a Priest notwithstanding the severe Laws then in being against them and this great Preparation made against her for the Conquering of England and the bringing in of Popery The Papists seeing such Preparations made by the Queen A Trick of the Spaniards Camb. Annals l. 3. f. 407 408 409 410. set on foot a Treaty for Peace and in February Commissioners went into Flanders and the 12 th of April 1588 the Spanish Commissioners met the English near Ostend and the Treaty was carried on by the Spanrards with design if possible to make England secure and so to surprise them for they dallied with the English till the Spanish Fleet was come upon the Coast of England and the Thundring of the Ordinance was heard from the Sea. The 21 st of May 1588. the Spanish Fleet set sail out of Tayo The Spanish Fleet at first disperst by Tempest Camb. An. from 411. to 418. The Fleets engage The Spaniard beaten and was totally scattered and disperst by a very great Tempest but being come together again the 12 th of July the whole Fleet set Sail again and the 21 st both Fleets engaged and after four several Sea-fights the First the 21 st the Second the 23 d. the Third the 25 th and the Last on the 27 th or 28 th of July thy Spanish Fleet the last Day of the same Month was driven Northwards and machischeir Escape by Flight This great Armada which had been three Years in Riggâ—â—g and Preparing with infinite Expence was within a Months space four times fought with and at the last overthrown with the Slaughter of many Men not an Hundred of the English being missing and but one Ship lost and after it had been driven round about all Brittain by Scotland the Orcades and Ireland grievously tossed and very much distressed impaired and mangled by Storms and Wrecks and indured all manner of Miseries at length returned Home with Shame and Disgrace The Prince of Parma never joyned them for which he was sufficiently reviled by the Spaniards As for Cardinal Allen he was born in Lancashire of good Parentage Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 6. f. 351 352. Camb. Annals f. 490. Bakers Chron. f. 381. was bred up at Oxford in Oriel Colledge where he was Proctor was prefered to a Cannonship in York In Queen Elizabeths Days he quitted England became a Pensioner to the Spaniard to carry on whose Designs against his Queen and Country he was very industrious for which Service Sixtus V. created him a Cardinal 1587. and he died at Rome 1594. Oct. 16. He hath told us himself who were the chief Promoters of this Invasion as Mr. Foulis tells us and quotes for it Quodlibets Pag. 40 41 57. his own Words as he relates it are these The King of Spain at length as well by his Holiness's Authority and Exhortations as by his own unspeakable Zeal and Piety moved also not a little by my humble and continual Suit together with the afflicted and banished Catholicks of our Nation of all and every Degree who have been by his special Compassion and Regal Munificency principally supported in this our long Exile hath condescended at last to take upon him this so holy and glorious an Act c. And then proceeds to encourage nay and threaten too the English to take up Arms against their Queen and to joyn with the Spaniards and other Invaders If you will avoid the Popes the Kings and other Princes high Indignation let no Man of what Degree soever obey abet aid defend or acknowledge her c. Adding That otherwise they should incur the Angels Curse and Malediction and be as deeply excommunicated as any because that in taking her part they should fight against God against their Lawful King (a)
How cometh Philip to be lawful King of England against their Country and notwithstanding withstanding all they should do they should but defend her bootless to their own present Destruction and eternal Shame What Mr. Foulis relates out of Clark a Secular Priest is so remarkable with relation to this Invasion that I cannot omit it saith he and quotes his Author As for the Jesuits you shall hear what (c) C. W. A Reply to Father Parson's Libel f. 64 65. Clark the Priest saith who with Watson suffered afterward for Treason against King James First It is most certain that all the World had very admirable Expectance of that Army and the Jesuits more than any Secondly It is plain by the Cardinals Book if (d) They would hint to us as if Parsons were the Compiler of the Admonition but its certain that Allen was the Author of it and Parsons with the other Romanists confess Allen to be the Author it were his writen as a Preparative to that Account that he was made Cardinal on purpose for that Exploit and to have been sent hither presently upon the Spaniards Conquest But Father Parsons saith that he laboured to set forward at that time the Cardinals Preferment if you will believe him which maketh it evident à primo ad ultimum that Father Parsons was a Dealer in that Account Thirdly It is certain that the Jesuits in Rome were great with the Spanish Ambassador Leger there and had great recourse unto him when the Matter was on foot doth not this then urge them to be Concurrers thereunto Fourthly It is likewise most certain that the English Jesuits in Rome appropriated certain Pallaces in London to themselves to fall unto their Lots when the Matter was in handling to wit Burghley-House Bridewel and another which I have forgot makeing themselves cock sure of their already devoured Prey This all the Students that lived in the (e) Viz. The English Colledge at Rome Colledge at that time will witness with â—e now would I demand of you what reasons they might have to be their own Carve◠〈◊〉 if they had not some Interest in that Affair Fifthly We know that they were more forward in Rome concerning this Matter than the Cardinal or any other insomuch as at the first News of the Spaniards coming down into the narrow Seas they would have had Te Deum sung in the Colledge for joy of Victory if the Cardinal had not stayed it And to conclude Doth not the posting of Father Parsons into Spain presently after the Overthrow of this Army for further dealing with the Spaniard for the time to come and his better information in English Affairs and Father Holt posting into the Low-Countries for the like Purpose to keep the Spaniard still in hope of future times that this Mishap might not withdraw him from ever enterprizing the like afterwards shew that they were Dealers in the former Doubtless all these Circumstances cannot but sufficiently prove it that they were in the Judgment of wise Men. Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 7. f. 354. This Grand Invasion of the Spaniards so contrived and carried on by the Pope Spaniard English Fugities Priests and Jesuits being ruined and brought to nought England might now afford it self some ease her Enemies not being able on a sudden to recruit their great Losses this Defeat in a manner breaking their Back and cracking the Credit of Philip. But as by degrees he recovered so by the Instigation of the English Fugitives was he perswaded to carry on the same ill Will towards the Queen of England Camb. Annals f. 457. Bakers Chron. f. 379. the first step that is set is to send over English Priests who crept every day privately into England in great Numbers from the Seminaries of Rome France and Spain for the Spaniard had lately founded a Seminary for the English at Validolid who laboured to draw the Subjects from their Obedience to the Queen and to unite them to the Spaniards Party which being discovered the Queen put out a Proclamation that none should harbour any man whatsoever but upon Enquiry first made who he was whether he came to Prayers in the Church upon what Means he lived where he dwelt the Year before and other like Circumstances that they who could not answer these Interrogatories should be sent to Commissioners appointed in every Shire least the Common-wealth should receive any Damage Notwithstanding this Proclamation and the severity of the Laws one Hesket who was set on by Sir William Stanley before named undertook to persuade Ferdinand Lord Strange who a little after by the Death of his Father Henry Heskets Plot to depose the Queen and set up the Lord Strange Fowlis Hist l. 7. c. 7. f. 354. Camb. Annals l. 4. f. 477. became Earl of Darby to depose the Queen and take upon him the Title of the Crown making pedegrees for him drawing his pretended right from Mary his great Grand-mother Daughter to Henry the 7 th And for a better encouragement they gave him large promises of assistance of Men and Mony from the Spaniard but withal threatning him with assured destruction unless he would undertake the design and conceal it but the Earl far contrary to their expectation discovers Hesket who confessing all is executed This failing we have another more dangerous Lopez his Treason against Queen Eliz. Camb. Annals l. 4. f. 484. Fowlis l. 7. c. 7. f. 354. Bakers Chron. f. 381. set on by persons of the highest Rank but it seems not unworthy the basest Action of whom any Religion might be justly ashamed As a Prologue to this we may understand that Don Sebastian the forward King of Portugal having ruined himself in the Affrican Expedition and his great Uncle Cardinal Henry succeeding him in the Kingdoms and Dying unmarried several made claim to the Portugal Crown Amongst the rest Don Antonio Prior of Crato natural Son to Lewis Brother to Henry To him being a Portuguese many of the People bare an affection so that at last the rest let their Titles sleep and the quarrel only remained between Philip the II. of Spain and this Antonio But Philip having the longest Sword under the Conduct of Alva wan the Kingdom so that Antonio was forced to flee for refuge to our Queen Elizabeth who afforded him some assistance and favour by which means and protection many Portuguese Ship't themselves for England where they were received as friends with all respect and honour Amongst the rest was Roderigo Lopez a Jewish Physician whom the Queen entertained in her own Service making him Physician to her Houshold and Stephano Ferreira de Gama with Emanuel Loisie These three were enticed by the Spaniard to undertake the Murther of the Queen for which they were promised great rewards but Lopez was to be the main instrument Lopez confessed that of late years he had been allured to do service secretly to the King of Spain which he did by means of one
Manuel Andrada a Portugal Lopez his Confession an Agitator under Don Bernardino Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador in France 2. That the said Andrada brought him from Christophero de Mora a Portuguese but a great favorite of King Philips and an especial instrument for reducing Portugal under the Spanish Crown a Rich Jewel an encouragement from Philip himself 3. That he was informed of the King of Spains hopes of him not only by Andrada but by Roderique Marques a Portuguese also but employed by the Spaniard on such wicked designs 4. That he the said Lopez did assent to these wicked Councels 5. That he did secretly advertise the Spaniards divers times of such affairs of the Queens as he could learn. 6. That he did also assent to take away the Queens Life by Poyson upon a reward promised him of 50000 Crowns 7. That he sent Andrada to confer with Count Fuentez about it 8. That he directed Stephano Ferreira de Gama to write Letters to Stephano Iberra that he would undertake as he had promised to destroy the Queen by Poyson provided that he might have the said 50000 Crowns 9. That he sent these Letters by one Gomez Davilla a Portugal that the reason why the Murther was not Executed according to promise was because he perceived the delivery of the 50000 Crowns defer'd tho promised him from day to day That to take away this delay of the Execution Count Fuentez by the King of Spains Order did sign and deliver Bills of Exchange for the said Mony. A Nunnery founded with the very Mony that was given to Poyson Queen Eliz. Tho Robinsons Anatomy of the Nunnery of Lisborn p. 9. * This Mony or part of it for security to Lopez was delivered to the Custody of the English Nuns then at Roan in France which Money the Plot failing and Lopez Executed was given to the said Nuns who carried it with them to Lisbon in Portugal where they settled themselves in a Nunnery as appears by their Register Book These Plots and Conspiracies against the Queens Person and for the Extirpating Heresie as they called the Protestant Religion moved the Queen to call a Parliament which she did in the thirty fifth Year of her Reign A Parliament called to secure the Queens Person and the Protestant Religion against the Plots and Conspiracies of the Papists and recommended the preservation of her Person and the Protestant Religion to them that they would put her into a posture of defending her self and these Kingdoms against any further attempts that might be made by the Pope the Spaniard or any other which was done by giving her large supplies and making an additional Act to the many that had been before made against the Papists which is Intituled an Act for restraining of Popish recusants to some certain places of abode The preamble runs thus For the better discovering and avoiding all Traiterous and most dangerous conspiracies and attempts as are daily devised and practised against our most Gracious Soveraign Lady the Queens Majesty 35. Eliz. c. 2. Rast Stat. part 2. f. 399. Papists not to remove above 5 miles from the place of their abode and the happy State of this Common-weal by sundry wicked and seditious Persons who terming themselves Catholics and being indeed Spies and Intelligencers not only for her Majesties Foreign Enemies but also for Rebellious and Trayterous Subjects Born within her Highnesses Realms and Dominions and hiding their most detestable and divelish purposes under a false pretext of Religion and Conscience do secretly wander and shift from place to place within this Realm to corrupt and seduce her Majesties Subjects and to stir them to Sedition and Rebellion Then it is enacted that every Papist Convict dwelling or having a place of abode should repair to such his dwelling house or place of abode and not remove above five miles from thence upon the penalty of forfeiting his Goods and Chattels absolutely and his Lands Tenements and Hereditaments and his Annuities during his Life and they that have none are to repair to the places where they were Born or where their Father or Mother should be living upon the same penalty Popish Coppy-holders convict to forfeit their Coppy-hold to the Lord if he be not a Papist if he be a Papist then to the Queen Papists shall notifie their coming within Twenty days after their coming and present themselves and deliver their true Names in writing to the Minister or Curate and Constable c. which is to be certified to the Sessions and Inrolled there All Persons not being Feme Covert and not having Free hold Lands of twenty Marks per annum above all charges or Goods and Chattels above the vallue of Forty Pounds If they do not obey this Act by repairing to their places of abode c. shall abjure the Realm and the abjuration shall be entred on Record and certified Refusing to abjure or after abjuration not going away within the time appointed is made Felony A Jesuit Seminary or Massing Priest refusing to Answer directly whether he be so or no shall be imprisoned till he do make Answer There is a saving in the Act to Persons Licensed or Commanded by the Kings Process or bound to yield their Persons to the Sheriff Vpon open submission the offendor is to be discharged the submission to be entred into a Book by the Minister he that relapseth shall be in the same condition he was before such submission Married Women are bound by this Act save in the Case of abjuration Cullens Treason Foulis Hist l. 7. c. 7. f. 356. At the same time that Lopez was dealing withal about the Queens Murther the Papists to make more sure persuaded one Patrick Cullen an Irishman and a Fencer to commit the same Villany against her Royal Person In this Treason Stanley was very active who with Sherwood and Holt two Jesuits confirmed him in the lawfulness of the action giving him thirty Pounds towards his Journey into England being then in the Low-Countries but he was taken confessed all and is Executed York and Williams Conspiracy to kill the Queen Fouils Hist l. 7. c. 7. f. 356. Camb. Annals f. 495. Bakers Chron. 382. Their Confession The English fugitives beyond Seas persuaded one Edmund York and one Richard Williams with others to kill the Queen And this wicked Treason was agitated the same time that Lopez and Cullen were consulting about theirs But these Traytors were also seized on and suffer'd The truth of which Conspiracy appears from their own confession which take as followeth 1. They confessed that for an encouragement Hugh Owen a noted Traytor at Bruxells had an assignation subscribed by Ibara the Spanish Secretary of 40000 Crowns to be given them if they would kill the Queen 2. That the said assignation was delivered to Holt the Jesuit who shewed also the same to York and produced the Sacrament and kissed it swearing that he would pay the said Monies when the Murther
was committed 3. That Stanley did earnestly persuade York to undertake it animating him with the example of his Uncle Rowland 4. That to forward the Plot there were several consultations Holt the Jesuit sitting as President 5. That Holt said if the design failed they would then employ no more English but Strangers 6. That at these Consultations there used several to be present as Thomas Throgmorton Charles Paget Hugh Owen Dr. William Gifford the finisher of Calvino Turcissimus of whose Treasons we have heard formerly Dr. Thomas Worthington the chief promoter of the Doway Bill adding some notes to it He also turned Bristowes Motives into Latin and in his Old Age turned Jesuit at Rome 7. It was also confessed that there were designed to come into England to attempt her Death one Tipping an Englishman one Edmund Garret at Ensign with a Walloon and a Burgundian 8. That one Young had undertaken a Treasonable action too 9. It was also confessed that these three York Williams and Young determined at their coming to England to have put themselves into the Service of some great Noblemen of the Queens Councel thereby to have free access to the Court and every one of them to seek their opportunities 10. That Williams through zeal to the Cause had wished his Sword in the Queens Gutts 11. That they had vowed come what will of it to be the Death of Her And how furious and abominable James Arthur the Irish Jesuit and others were in this parricide (a) Antilogia c. 8. f. 116 to 121. Dr. Robert Abbot a little after Bishop of Salisbury hath abundantly from their Confessions confuted the impudent Andraeas Endaemon-Joannes and satisfied all Foreigners (b) There were three Brothers of Norfolk all Jesuits viz. Henry Michael and Richard Walpools Robert Abbot Antilog f. 122 123. Walpool a Jesuit meets with one William Squire in Spain and procures him Walpools Conspiracy with Squire against the Queens Life as an Heretick to be put into the Inquisition where with afflictions and fair Speeches he drew him to be a Zealous Romanist This done he persuades him to kill the Queen commends the Action to him as pious and meritorious offers him large promises and at last Squire is fully persuaded and undertakes the Murther At this the Jesuit Walpool rejoyceth hugs and encourageth him binds him by several Oaths under pain of Damnation to be secret and perform his promises and not to fear Death for said he What doth it profit a Man to gain the whole World and loose his own Soul Assuring him if he did but once doubt of the lawfulness and justness of the Action that mistrust would be enough to Damn him such a sin being seldom pardoned This said he embraceth him then throwing his left Arm about Squires Neck so hugging him with his right-hand he makes the sign of the Cross upon Squires Forehead thus Blessing him God Bless thee my Son and strengthen thee be of good Chear I will pawn my Soul for thine and thou shalt always have the benefit of my Prayers and whither thou livest or dyest thou shalt enjoy a full pardon and remission of all thy Sns. And another time thus encourageth him There is one thing necessary which if thou prefer before all other things and dost fulfil it I have my desire and thou shalt be a glorious Saint in Heaven Squire thus divelishly resolved gets into England goes to Greenwich where the Court then was watcheth opportunity and being inform'd that the Queen was to Ride abroad goeth to her Horse holdeth him according to his place and cunningly puts strong Poyson upon the pumel of the Saddle yet saying with a loud Voice as she mounted God save the Queen But such was the providence that her Majesty neither in getting up riding or going down once touched the Pumel yet he doubted not but that in time it would work the intended ruin fully persuaded the Queen had laid her hands on it Of this Poyson being great expectation amongst some and seeing no signs of any such effect they became incensed against Squire thinking that he had left them and the Cause in the lurch and meerly deluded them Thus jealous and enraged a revenge is resolved on and Squire cunningly accused of some design against the Queen Squire upon the noise is Examined and wondring how any thing should be known against him yet suspecting Walpool his confession and believing all was fully discovered freely confesseth all as above is said so as a Traytor is Condemned and Executed I shall close my account of the History of making the Penal Laws in this Queens Reign with the words of the secular Priests in their important considerations relating to what the Papists did and writ from 1588 to the end of her Reign whereby they justyfie the Queen and lay blame on the Jesuits But now we are come to the Year 1588. and to that most Bloody attempt not only against Her Majesty and our common Enemies but against our selves all Catholics The Secular Priests confess all the matters before related to be true Collection f. 46. Nay against this flourishing Kingdom and our Native Country The Memory of which attempt will be as we trust an ever-lasting monument of Jesuitical Treason and Cruelty Then reckoning up the Treasons from 1580. to 1590. Let us consider say they how we our selves all this while have been dealt with such or us as remained in Prison at Wisbich and were committed thither 1580. and others not long after committed also thither Collect. f. 94. to the number of about thirty three or thirty four continued still in the several times of all the said most wicked designments as we were before and we were never brought into any trouble for them but lived there Colledge-like without any want and in good reputation with our Neighbours that were Catholics about us It is true that towards the number of 50. as our Memory serveth us Priests and Catholics of all sorts within the Compass of the said ten Years were put to Death we say upon our knowledges concerning the most of them for their Consciences but our Adversaries as they think do still affirm for Treason Such Priests as in their Examination were found any thing moderate were not so hardly proceeded with insomuch as 55. to our remembrance that by the Laws we acknowledge might have been put to Death Camb. saith 70. Annals f. 295. were in one Year viz. 1585. what time great Mischiefs were in hand spared from that extremity and only banished which fact howsoever some have written of it the Parties themselves accounted it for a great benefit and so would they also have done we doubt not of it if they had been of that number Whereas therefore Mr. Parsons as we think exclaimeth in a Pamphlet set out shortly after saying where are now the Old Tyrants of the World Nero Decius Dioclesian Maxentius and the rest of the great Persecutors of the Christians Where is
People had possest our Souls in meekness and humility honoured Her Majesty born with the infirmity of the State suffered all things and dealt as true Catholic Priests If all of us we say had thus done most assuredly the State would have loved us or at least born with us where there is one Catholic there would have been ten There had been no Speeches amongst us of Racks and Tortures nor any cause to have used them for none were ever vexed that way simply for that he was either Priest or Catholic but because they were suspected to have had their hands in some of the said most Traiterous designments None of Her Majesties Enemies durst so really have attempted her State and Kingdom we had been in better friendship with those that seek now most to oppose themselves against us and to all Men as we are persuaded Bonus odor Christi odor vitae ad vitam Whereas by following the said new violent Spirits quasi turbae impellentes parietem we are become odor Mortis ad mortem non solum iis qui pereunt sed etiam iis qui salvi fiunt And therefore let us all turn over the Leaf and take another course then hitherto we have done CHAP. VIII K. Ja. I. AND now a Man might reasonably suppose that after the first Plottings of the Papists with the Guises the French King and the Pope on behalf and by the instigation of the Queen of Scots after Harding Saunders and S. P. busily exercising their Episcopal Power in England in 1568 after Ridolph's exciting Queen Elizabeth's Subjects to Rebellion sent hither by Pope Pius Quintus for that purpose after the Rebellion in the North fomented by Morton sent hither by the same Pope to that end headed by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland who were incouraged thereto by a Letter from the same Pope After Dacres his Rebellion in Cumberland after the Earl of Ormonds Brethren the Boâ—telers Rebellion in Ireland after Pope Pius Quintus his Bull declaring the Queen Excommunicate and her Subjects absolved from their Allegiance after the Earl of Twomonds Rebellion in Ireland after Storys Treason â—ir Edward Coke Attorny General to King James â—e First in oâ—ening the fact â—f the Gun-Powder-Plot at â—he Tryal of â—arnet the Jeâ—ite mentions â—â—ese Treasons â—nd Conspiraâ—es The Relaâ—tion of the â—ryal was Prinâ—â—d Anno â—606 which â—eing taken neâ—ce of whilst â—hings were â—resh in memoâ—y gives the â—reatest confirâ—ation to the â—ruth of them after the Spaniards the Pope and the Guises contrivances to kill the Queen and set up Mary Queen of Scots and introduce Popery after I say these things had occasioned the making the 13 Eliz. cap. 12 And after Stukelys Plot to invade Ireland and England at once After Fitz Morris his Rebellion in Ireland carried on after his Death by Desmond after another conspiracy in Ireland for the destruction of the Protestant Relligion after the erecting Seminarys abroad for the educating and bringing up Priests to be sent hither to alienate the Hearts of the Subject from their Soveraign and the Actual sending of Campian Parsons and others into England for that purpose who were detected in their attempts to compass such their wicked designs and Executed for Treason after I say these things had raised a greater jealousy of the Papists in the State and caused them to make the 23 El. cap. 1. And after Somervills Conspiracy to kill the Queen after Francis Throgmortons Conspiracy to depose the Queen by Foreign Force after a further design of the Pope the Spaniard and the Guises for invading England in order to destroy the Protestant Religion after Parry's Treason all which Conspiracies and Treasons extorted from the State the 27 Eliz. cap. 1. and 2. after Gilford Savage Babington and others design to kill the Queen and set up Mary Queen of Scots who was at the Bottom of this design her self and promised to reward the Actors in it for which she was Tryed Condemned and Executed after Staffords Conspiracy and Yorks Plot which Treasons occasioned the making the 29 Eliz. cap. 6. and after the Pope and the Spaniards design in 1588. to invade England and thereby destroy the Protestant Religion with its defender by a Force by them called the Invincible Armada and this begun and carryed on by English Priests and Lay-Papists after Heskets Plot to depose the Queen and set up the Lord Strange After Cullens Conspiracy to murther the Queen after Lopez his Conspiracy to poison the Queen for which the Spaniard was to pay 50000 Crowns which Treasons did as it were compel the State to make the 35 Eliz. cap. 2. for confining Papists with in five Miles of their dwelling I say after all these Plots Conspiracies Treasons and open Rebellions invented begun and carryed on by the Papists and all with so little Success and after their own Confession of the whole to be true and their own advice to turn over a new Leaf a man might reasonably suppose that they should have ceased any further Attempts by Treason Rebellion Plot or Conspiracy to introduce the Popish Religion into England But such is the inveterate Malice and implacable Hatred of the Pope and all that are of the Communion of the Church of Rome if I may call it a Church that even before the peaceable James the First of England and the Sixth of Scotland was placed upon the Throne by the unanimous consent of all the Protestant Subjects of England as appears by the Act of Recognition made in the first year of his Reign there were several Plots for the taking away his Life and in one Plot even Watson and Clark two secular Priests of the Romish Church the former whereof joyned with Bluet the Secular Priest in writing the Impotâ—nt considerations before mentioned wherein they acknowledge all the Plots Conspiracies Treasons and Rebellions before mentioned to have been committed by Papists but insinuate it to be done by the instigation of the Jesuits are found in a Plot against the said King James and Executed for it but before I mention any thing of that Plot I shall give a short Account of what designs were on foot against the said King James his Life before his accession to the Crown Queen Elizabeth being old and weak and as they thought The Papists plot against James the First before his coming to the Crown could not live long the Papists thought it needless to make any more attempts against her person least her death should anticipate their quickest Designs But she and the Kingdom having their Eye upon the said King James being a Protestant to succeed her their main drift was to prevent him if possible from succeeding Queen Elizabeth In order to this in the Year 1601. there was one Francis Mowbray Mowbray's Plot against King James the First Fowlis Hist. li. 10. cap. 1. f. 498. Son to the Laird Barnbowegal who had lived some while in the Infanta's Court at Brussels he they say
which it appeared that Bates was resolved for what he undertook in this Powder-Treason being therein warranted by the Jesuits Also that Hamond the Jesuite the 7 th of November after the Discovery confest and absolved them The Confessions of Watson and Clark Seminary Priests upon their Apprehension was also taken notice of who affirmed that there was some Treason intended by the Jesuits and then in hand After the reading their several Examinations Confessions Their Conviction Condemnation and Execution and voluntary Declarations as well of themselves as of some of their dead Confederates they were all found guilty and having nothing to say for themselves were comdemned and executed Sir Everad Digby having likewise confest the same was found guilty condemned and executed for the same Treason Garnets Arraignment Tryal and Confeson Proceedings printed in 1606. Foulis l. 10. c. 2. f. 514 517. Henry Garnet Superior of the Jesuits in England was arraigned and tryed for the same Treason on Friday the 28 th of March 1606. at Guild Hall in London before Sir Leonard Holiday Lord Mayor the Earl of Nottingham the Earl of Suffolk the Earl of Worcester the Earl of Northampton the Earl of Salisbury the Lord Chief Justice of England the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer Sir Christopher Yelverton Knight one of his Majesties Justices of the Kings-Bench Lords Commissioners for that purpose He was a grand Agitator in this Plot and did himself at last confess thus much That Catesby had told him of the Plot but not by way of Confession that Greenwel had told him of this not as a Fault for how could they do so that approved it as meritorious but as a thing that he had Intelligence of and told it him by way of Consultation that Catesby and Greenwel came together to him to be resolved that Tesmond and he had Conference of the Particulars of the Powder-Treason in Essex that Greenwel asked him who should be Protector Garnet said that was to be deferred till the Blow was past that he ought to have revealed it to the King that nothing deterred him from the Discovery so much as his Unwillingness to betray Catesby that he had greatly sinned against God the King and the Kingdom in not revealing it of whom he heartily begged Pardon and Forgiveness Garnet Condemned and Executed Foulis Hist lib. 10. cap. 2. f. 514. Proceedings And for this Treason he was condemned and after his Condemnation he himself said That the Sentence was justly passed on him The third of May following he was executed at the West End of St. Paul's Church-Yard where he appeared in a troubled and amazed Condition still prying and peeping about for a Pardon although Henry Montague Recorder of the City pitying his Perplexedness assured him there would be none granted And thus died this Garnet after he had confirmed the Matters contained in the Confessions of them that had been before executed by this Confession of his own And that none that are willing to receive Truth as it is which ingenuous Men always are may remain in doubt take the true reason of his Confession from himself at Foulis relates it The reason of Garnets Confession Foulis Hist lib. 10. cap. 2. f. 515. The Jesuits being not a little offended that he should any way confess himself guilty which with some might be a Blot both to himself and their Order Garnet to vindicate himself to them and to shew the Folly of denying any longer thus writes to them What should I do First of all the rest of the Confederates have accused me Secondly Catesby always made use of my Authority amongst them whereby most of them were perswaded to have a good Opinion of the Enterprize so that all knew I was in it Thirdly two set on purpose heard me discourse the whole business with Oldcorn and tell him how I thought to answer all Objections Fourthly My Letters writ with the Juice of Orange to Mrs. Anne Anne Vaux are I know not how fallen into their Hands whereby I plainly enough discovered my Knowledge of it Whence I gather that the Jesuits did sufficiently tamper with him to conceal his Guilt and that he would have concealed it if he could and all that have writ in Justification of him are sufficiently answered by his own Confession and the four Reasons above mentioned that induced him thereunto to which add his further Confession That he had often vowed both by Words and Writings to the Lay Conspirators that he would never discover or betray any of them and his acknowledging his Offence wishing it were in his Power to undo that which was done and that if the whole World were his he would willingly give it to quit himself from the Guilt of Treason which now troubled his Conscience Moreover he himself owned in a Letter to Mrs Anne Vaux That he was sorry he could not die for Religion but for Treasons These Instances are certainly sufficient to convince any unbyassed Reader but to put the Matter out of doubt and if it be possible to convince even the Papists Thuanus himself one of their own Communion Privy-Councellor to the French King and President of the Supream Senate of that Kingdom was so fully convinced of the Truth of this Conspiracy and that all the Conspirators before named were ingaged in it that he writ a most ingenuous Narrative of the whole in Latin which was in the year 1674. faithfully rendred into English and printed where the Papists that do not understand Latine may if they please receive ample Satisfaction So detestable it seems this Conspiracy was to some of the English Colledge at Rome that being informed of the Discovery of this Plot sixteen of them abhorring such jugling and bloody Designs forsook the Colledge slipt into France Translation of Thuanus f. 1. and thence some of them came into England and turned Protestants But nothing will convince some Papists for notwithstanding all the Confessions aforesaid and Convictions Foulis Hist l. 10. cap. 2. f. 510. and Executions upon those Confessions there are not a few who would perswade the World to believe that all this was but a mear Cheat a Trick of Salisbury the then Secretary And Foulis saith he once heard a Story very gravely told that one lurking under the Council-Table concealed by the long Carper heard much of the Contrivance a Tale so absurd and ridiculous that after what hath been already said to endeavour to confute it would argue more impertinence then they were guilty of who broached the Story This Conspiracy being discovered in so wonderful a manner and the Deliverance attended with so many amazing Circumstances the Parliament took the same into their Consideration and in the first place made a Law for keeping an Anniversary Day of Thanks-giving on the Fifth of November and enacted the same Law should be read in the Churches publickly upon the same Day and then made an Act for the Attainder of the Offenders Which Acts
provide and furnish the Horses and partly in Pensions to be employed upon some such as were to be prepared for that Service all which the said Thomas VVinter did relate to the said King of Spain who the said Kingdoms of England and Spain then standing in Hostility took that Offer in very good part saying that he would respect and account of the Catholicks of England meaning the Papists as of his own Castilians and thereupon agreed that he would make Invasion and set foot in England about the Spring then next following and would by way of Exchange send over unto the Papists of England one hundred thousand Crowns to be paid at two several Days agreed upon all which particulars are extant in the Confession of some of the chief Offenders at which time sundry Papists of England did extraordinarily furnish themselves by the traiterous and wicked Perswasions and Means of sundry Iesuits both with Horse and Armour But before these things could be effected Almighty God called the said late Queen to his mercy Immediately after whose decease that is to say in the same Month of March wherein she departed out of this World Christopher Wright late of London Gentleman was imployed by the said Robert Catesby Francis Tresham Henry Garnet and others into Spain to Negotiate with the said King of Spain by the means of the said Creswel the Iesuit and others to proceed in that Invasion which the said Thomas Winter had before Negotiated with him And afterwards on the two and Twentyeth day of June in the first Year of your Majesties Reign over this Realm of England Sir William Stanley Kt. Hugh Owen Esq William Baldwin Iesuit and others did by and with the Traiterous procurement and consent of the Offendors aforesaid from and out of Handers in the parts beyond the Seas under the Government of the Arch-Duke Traiterously employ and send Guy Fauks sate of London Genelman unto the said King of Spain to Negotiate with him on the behalf of the said Papists of England for Invasion to be had against this Realm of England to the same effect as was committed to the said Christopher Wright as is aforesaid And the said Guy Fauks and Christopher Wright though they had all the furtherance of the said Creswel the Iesuit that he could give yet finding no such entertainment with the said King who as by the sequel appeareth grew into detestation with the said Propositions and Negotiations as they expected or desired But being wholly disappointed of all their hopes concerning that Matter the said Robert Catesby and divers other Persons within this Realm did send over the said Thomas Winter into the said Country of Flanders to procure the said Guy Fauks a Natural Born Subject of this Realm and yet a most Traiterous desperate and cloudy minded Person then serving as a Souldier in the Low-Countries to come over into this Realm and by and with the Traiterous conspiracy and consent of the said Henry Garnet Oswald Tesmond John Garrard and other Iesuits and Thomas Pearcy late of London Esq John Wright late of London Gent. the said Christopher Wright Francis Tresham Robert Winter late of Huddington aforesaid Esq John Grant late of Norbrook in the County of Warwick Esq Ambrose Rookwood late of Staningfeild in the County of Suffolk Esq Everard Digby late of Gorehurst in the County of Buckingham Kt. Robert Keys late of London Gentlman and Thomas Bates late of London Yeoman to undertake the Execution of the most wicked Barbarous execrable and abominable Treason that ever could enter into the Heart of the most wicked Man by blowing up with Gun-Powder the House of Parliament at such time as your most excellent Majesty and your dearest Consort the Queen and the most Noble Prince Henry together with the Lords Spiritual and Temporal the Iudges of the Realm and the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of Parliament should be in said Parliament-House Assembled for which most Traiterous and Barbarous purpose there were secretly laid in a Vault or Cellar under the Parliament-House Thirty six Barrels of Gun-Powder or thereabouts to the utter overthrow and subversion of the whole State of this flourishing and renouned Kingdom If God of his infinite Mercy had not most Miraculously by your Majesties blessed direction Discovered the same in finding out the said Barrels of Gun-Powder in the said Vault or Cellar but few hours before the time appointed for the Execution thereof All which most Heinous Horrid and Damnable Treasons are most manifest and apparent by the voluntary confession and acknowledgments of the Offenders themselves Of which most Barbarous Bloody and detestable Treason for Conspiring and preparing to blow up the Parliament-House with Gun-Powder The said Robert Winter Thomas Winter Guy Fauks Robert Keyes Ambrose Rookwood John Graunt and Thomas Bates have been lately indicted and during this present Sessions of Parliament Arraigned convicted by Verdict and thereupon attainted And the said Sir Everard Digby Kt. hath likewise been indicted and during this present Sessions of Parliament Convicted and Attainted by his own confession of Record upon his Arraignment according to the Laws of this your Majesties Realm as by the Records of their several Indictments and Attainders it doth and may more plainly appear and for the which Offences the said Sir Everard Digby Robert Winter Thomas Winter Guy Fauks Ambrose Rookwood John Graunt Robert Keyes and Thomas Bates have suffered pains of Death according to their demerits And the said Robert Catesby Thomas Piercy John Wright and Cristopher Wright were Slain in open Rebellion by them and others the said most wicked Traytors moved and stirred within divers Parts and Counties of this Realm shortly after the Discovery of their most detestable and Damnable Treason in Conspiring and preparing to blow up the said Parliament-House as aforesaid and the said Hugh Owen doth of purpose and for fear of condign punishment according to his demerit reside and kéep himself beyond the Seas by means whereof he cannot in respect of such his voluntary absence be Arraigned and publickly by due Tryal of Law upon apparent Testimony and proof against him be proceeded with for such his hainous and abominable Treasons and the said Francis Tresham being one of the said most detestable Traitors and being apprehended and imprisoned in the Tower of London having by sundry his Examinations confest himself a principal Traytor in all the said most abominable Treasons Dyed in the Tower during the time of his said imprisonment and before he could be Indicted of the said Treasons They therefore desired that the King of his blessed care and disposition to and for the continuance of Gods true Religion and Service and for that preservation and safety of his Person the Queen the Prince and the rest of the Royal Progeny and for the intire Love and Affection that his Majesty had always thentâ—fore born and did then bear to the Common-wealth and safety of this Realm of England to the end that all others might then
afterwards another Treaty was set on foot for Prince Henry with a Daughter of Spain What Religion the Spaniard was of is well known and what effect the Crown of England Matching into Popish Families abroad hath had is more to be lamented then remembred any other ways then to avoid the like mischiefs for the future In the 12 th Year of his Reign there were a generation about the Court Camb. f. 77. A Parliament called and dissolved because they complained of grievances and particularly of the increase of Papists that undertook for the calling such a Parliament as the King would have these were Men that presumed they had friends in every County and Borough who by their power among the People could make Election of such Men for Knights and Burgesses as should comply solely with the Kings desire and Somerset was the head and chief of these undertakers but these projects against the Fundamentals of the English Government proved an abortive for the Parliament meeting such Faces appeared there as was no ways pleasing to the Court who instead of contributing to the Kings wants lay open his wasts especially upon the Scots with whom they desire a share of Favour The Bread by our Saviour's Rule properly belongs to the Children of the Kingdom and they beseech his Majesty to stop the Current of future access of that Nation to make residence here having enough to eat up their own Crums they enquire into the Causes of the unexpected increase of Popish Recusants since the Gunpowder Plot the detestation whereof they thought should have utterly extinguished them and they attribute it to the admission of Popish Nobility into his Councels the silencing of many watchful and dilligent Ministers the divers Treaties his Majesty had entertained not only for the Marriage of Prince Henry but for Prince Charles with the Daughters of Popish Princes which disheartned the Protestant and encouraged the Papist they laid open with these many other miscarriages in Government the King desirous to conceal these Matters dissolves the Parliament and Committed to the Tower and other Prisons such as were most active for the common good and who can deny but that this must needs give encouragement to the Papists In the 15 th Year of his Reign he put out a Book to Tollerate Sports on the Lords Days this Book came out with a Command injoyning all Ministers to read it to their Parishoners and to approve of it A Book of Sports obtruded and those that did not were brought before the High Commission Imprisoned and Suspended This was a contrivance of the Papists and their adherents to trap the most Conscientious Men of the Church of England who were in all other matters exactly conformable and to lay them aside and good reason the Papists had for this because no Nation will ever receive their innovations in Matters of Religion where there is a Sound Orthodox Learned and Pious Clergy Wilsons Hist. f. 105. Wilson says that some of the Ministers that were Suspended said that they would Preach the Gospel in a Fools Coat rather then be silent for a Surplis and the Conjuring of them with the Cross in Baptism and the Circle of the Ring in Marriage could not make a well composed Reason and a sound Conscience then start at it But when so frighful an Aparition as the Dancing Book appeared some of the Ministers left all for fear others by force they were so terrified by it This I have set down in Willsons own words because it appears by this that the Men that were suspended were proceeded against not for Puritanism or Nonconformity to the discipline of the Church of England but for non-complying with things obtruded on them by right down Papists or those who whether they saw it or no I cannot tell were carrying on the Popish designs The King having all along had a design of Matching his Son Rushw Col. 1. part f. 11. either to Spain or France it is no wonder that the Priests and Jesuits swarm here and much less a wonder that they endeavour to promote their own Religion for if they will do it when the Edge of Justice is sharpned against them much more when he that should make use of the Sword is so merciful that let them do what they will he will not or so fearful he dares not strike As Prophanness by reason of the Book of Sports crept in by their means so did Idolotry and Superstition for their was now more enmity against Ministers of the Gospel then Popish Priests and no wonder for let a Peoples Morals be once throughly debauched and 't will not be very difficult to make them outwardly of what Religion you will. The Jesuits Jugling with the Boy of Bilson Wilsons Hist. f. 107. The Popish Priests and Jesuits having now more liberty then they had had for above fifty Years resolve to make much of their time and because they cannot much boast of real holiness pretended Miracles must recommend them to the People for this purpose the Boy of Bilson was set up by them as he himself afterwards confest to Act the part of one possest with a Divel and they were to come and disposes him that so it might appear how much Gods Power was exprest in their weakness and to difference the truth and holiness betwixt the Catholic Religion and the Heresie profest among Protestants such Godly cheats are they always making use of to deceive the Hearts of the simple This Boy Bishop Morton discovered to be an imposture and when he had made the discovery and the Boy found he was detected he confest the whole Matter to be thus That he was inticed to one Mr. Giffords House in Stafford-shire where there were four Romish Priests who gave him Mony and many fair words promising him great matters if he would be conformable to their instructions In three days time they had taught him to practice his tricks so well that they ventured him home to his Fathers to exercise them publickly He came home in a very distracted manner to his Parents amazement and in a short time the thing was noised and a great deal of Company coming to see him his Parents got Money by it which was an incouragement to him to persist so that when the Priests came to disposes him he would not be disposest but went on and as they had instructed him accused a poor Old Woman of Witchcraft for which she was Tryed and Condemned and had been Executed had it not been for Bishop Morton detecting this imposture The whole story you may read at large in Wilson from f. 106. to 111. Wilsons Hist. f. 130. Henry Earl of Northumberland who was Sentenced in the Star-Chamber Thirty Thousand Pounds and Imprisoned in the Tower for harbouring in his House the aforenamed Thomas Piercy his Kinsman who was one of the Plotters of the Gunpowder-Treason was in the Seaventeenth Year of this Kings Reign set at liberty The
and to employ the Power he left him to restablish him in the Estate and Dignitys of his Father on the 27th of March in the Twenty third Year of his Reign he gave up the Ghost From what Account I have given of Matters relating to the making the Penal Laws and the Reasons of not putting them in Execution in this Kings Reign I gather these things 1. That there is no heed to be taken to any promises made Advice given nor Oaths taken by Papists for if the Interest of the Popish Religion Intervenes the Promises Advice yea even the Oaths themselves must give way and 't is Meritorious too 2. That when it is to serve the Popish Interest they are allowed to deny the plainest truths although confest by Men in Articulo Mortis at the very point of Death 3. That whenever they are detected of any Conspiracy or Treason they immediately set their Wits to work to throw the odium of it upon some sort of Protestants or other nay sometimes they make it an essential part of the Conspiracy it self 4. That when they found themselves lost as to more private Conspiracies they involved Christendom in War to destroy the Protestant Interest upon the Colour of the Elector Palatines having Usurped the Crown of Bohemia notwithstanding he was legally Elected and made use of the Cowardise of King James to carry on that Design 5. That they want not Arts to deceive even Protestants themselves if they look not narrowly to them so much can they transform themselves into the likeness of Truth 6. That the loss of the Palatinate the differences between King James the first and his Parliaments the Spanish Treaty and at last the compleating the French Match were all carried on by Popish Intregues and to serve the Popes turn Certainly then there was good reason for the making the Penal Laws in this Kings Reign and the Parliament are greatly justified in pressing an Execution of them which had it been granted a Man may with good reason believe all the Civil Wars in the succeeding Reign had been prevented And this might lead me to show the share the Popish Party had in the beginning managing and carrying on that unhappy and ever to be lamented War but my design being only to show the reasonableness of making the Penal Laws against the Papists and there being but one Law made against them in this unfortunate Princes Reign I shall only give the grounds of making that Law and pass on to the Reign of his Son King Charles the Second CHAP. IX K. Ch. I. King Charles 1. His Accession to the Crown Bakers Chron. f. 451. Rushw Coll. 1 Pt. f. 165 167 170. KIng James the First being dead King Charles the First was immdiately Proclaimed he buried his Father the 7th of May 1625. The 13th of June in the same Year the Match between him and the French Kings daughter was consummated here in England A Chappel at Sommerset House was built for the Queen and her Family with conveniences thereunto adjoyning for Capuchin Fryers who were therein placed and had permission to walk abroad in their Religious Habits Thence forwards greater multitudes of Seminary Priests and Jesuites repaired into England out of foreign Parts then before The Parliament meet The 18th day of June the Parliament opened they after the usual Proceedings at the first sitting down Petitioned the King concerning Religion and against Papists he by his Answer gave them assurance of his real performance of what they desired in every particular Papists Pardon'd contrary to promise Rushw Coll. 1 Pt. f. 280. But notwithstanding this soon after his Majesty granted a Pardon to one Alexander Baker a Jesuite and unto ten other Papists which was gotten as there was information given by the importunity of some Foreign Ambassador and passed by immediate Warrant and was recommended by the Principal Secretary of State without the payment of the ordinary Fees. And divers Copys of Letters and other Papers found by two Justices of Peace in the House of one Mary Estmonds in Dorsetshire were stifled by the Secretarys means The Commons upon these passages made observations First that the Pardon was dated the very next day after his Answer to their Petition Secondly That the Pardon dispensed with several Laws as 21. and 27. Eliz. and 3. Jac. provided to keep the Subjects in due obedience Thirdly That the Pardon was signed by the Principal Secretary of State. The Commons therefore declared that these actings tended to the prejudice of true Religion his Majesties dishonour the discountenancing of Ministers of Justice the grief of the good People the animating of the Popish Party who by such Examples grew more proud and insolent and to the discouragement of the High Court of Parliament The Petition concerning Religion and the Kings Answer take as they are printed in Rushworths Collection First Part f. 281. To the King 's Most Excellent Majesty Most Gracious Sovereign IT being infallibly true that nothing can more establish the Throne and assure the Peace and Prosperity of the People then the unity and sincerity of Religion we your most humble and Loyal Subjects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons of this present Parliament assembled and hold themselves bound in Conscience and Duty to represent the same to your Sacred Majesty together with the dangerous consequences of the increase of Popery in this Land and what we conceive to be the principal cause thereof and what may be the Remedies The Dangers appear in these Particulars 1. In their desperate ends being both the Subversion of the Church and State and the restlessness of their Spirits to attain these ends the Doctrine of their Teachers and Leaders perswading them that therein they do God good Service 2. Their evident and strict dependency upon such Foreign Princes as no way affect the good of your Majesty and this State. 3. The opening a way of popularity to the Ambition of any who shall adventure to make himself head of so great a Party The Principal Cause of the increase of Papists 1. The want of the due Execution of the Laws against Jesuits Seminary Priests and Popish Recusants occasioned partly by the Connivency of the State partly by defects in the Laws themselves and partly by the manifold abuse of Officers 2. The interposing of Foreign Princes by their Ambassadors and Agents in favour of them 3. Their great Concourse to the City and frequent Conferences and Conventicles there 4. The open and usual resort to the House and Chappels of Foreign Ambassadors 5. the Education of their Children in Seminaries and Houses of their Religion in Foreign Parts which of late hath been greatly multiplied and enlarged for the entertaining of the English 6. That in some places of your Realm your People be not sufficiently Instructed in the Knowledge of the true Religion 7. The Licentious Printing and Dispersing of Popish and Seditious Books 8. The Employment of Men ill affected in Religion in