against our brethren Priests that had beene of the same Colledge and Vniuersitie here in Rome and had gone hence into England iointly to labour and aduenture our liues for the same cause of the Catholike faith though before them and were quickly wearie thereof yet their maner of proceeding had been and was so preiudiciall to common peace these good Proctors were 12 yeeres before or there about gone out of England and vnion and so scandalous to all good and honest men that either we must oppose our selues against them in the name of our head they meane the Archpriest who was not their head they liuing at Rome and of all the rest of our Catholike body in England and abroad they wil make their foresayd head a yong Pope or els we should seeme to betray the same cause impugned by them O scrupulous conscience who would thinke that all his tale were onely an imagination what might haue been sayd neither he nor his fellow Proctor hauing as yet vttered one word But let vs heare this saint make an end of this lewde and lowde lie Wherefore wee prayed their Graces in what language not to be scandalized to see this diuision amongst vs for that these were the moaths O gentle mouthes speake that did breed in the best clothes and the wormes O noble Proctor that were commonly found vnder the barke of euery tree if they were not looked to in time and that this happened also in the verie primitiue Church permitted by God for the better proofe and exercise of good men And that this was a very heresie in maners actions as th' other in Protestants was in faith and Religion that this would breake into that in time if that it were not looked into as in diuers of the Iesuits darlings it had done already and must needs doe For that it was contention founded vpon the same grounds of emulation euery ambition hatred couetousnes and libertie of life as the other heresie was and wrought a spirit conforme to that in all respects c. This letter being written 3. or 4. dayes after that the priests had appeared before the Cardinals and after a friendly composition demaunded by the Proctors and pretended by the Cardinals Can it be an argument of any other thing then a desire to continue strife and diuision Could the most hatefull professed enemy in the world haue disgorged his filthy stomache in more spitefull termes Had this bene vttered by the Proctors before the Cardinals against the two priests with shame ynough it had bene written into England but without the least â—ot of honesty the Proctors themselues hauing most humbly desired a friendly composition But the Proctors not hauing vttered one word much lesse in these most vile termes who may not iustly iudge that when this letter was written which was after the apparance of the two priests as appeareth by the date that it was not meant by that side that euer there should be peace But marke I pray you yet a most wicked relation and which may conuince more euidently if it be possible that these fellowes would not haue peace And then saith he we gaue vp a writing which before had bene exhibited vnto his Holines was remitted hither as it seemeth it seemed so indeed for D Haddocke had it ready to giue vp to the Cardinals so soone as F. Parsons had told his tale that these men came hither onely to trouble the peace of England and to reuiue stirres in Rome and that of their owne heads as it seemeth for that they had brought no one letter of credence with them of Superior or other to his Holines Protector or other man in Rome c. wherefore we desired remedy in this behalfe and exhibited diuers letters of the doctors of Doway and M. Wright the deane of Cortrac and of other graue men of our nation to this effect All these letters here said to haue bene exhibited by the Proctors were no other then one letter from the D of Doway and an other from M. Wright which are set in the Apologie fol. 125 126. whereof the first beareth date the 25. of Octob. 1598. and the second 10 Nouemb. 1598. and they were both to the Protector Yet must M. Martins friend beleeue that he and his fellow Protector did vpon the 17. of February exhibit many other letters to the Protector who was chiefe Iudge notwithstaÌ„ding the exceptions taken against him at this time But how were these letters exhibited In no other sort then as a part of that writing for they were inserted in it as may appeare by the writing it selfe of which I haue seene a copy But let this passe let vs heare what he saith was answered by the priests to all these grieuous accusations Against all which saith he the Ambassadors were able to say little and willing to say lesse but onely excused their owne intentions and asked pardon if they had giuen scandall by their maner of proceeding more then they euer meant But put the case indeed as it was and as the Card. Burgesius without doubt will acknowledge and the Iesuits with all the rest of that faction then present must auouch it one day against their owne soules will they nill they that Fa. Tichborne the Iesuit who here also supplied the place of a publique Notary and read this Libel had no sooner done reading it then M. Bishop required that the Proctors might take their othes that the Libel contained nothing but trueth To which when the Card. Caietan would not consent he requested that a copy of the Libel might be deliuered vnto him his fellow that they might make their answere vnto it as most false and iniurious whereat D. Hadd who had giuen vp the writing stepped to the table requested that it might not be deliuered vnto them but that all things rather should be peaceably concluded To which the Card. Caietan presently consented the sooner perchance for ioy that both the Proctors were not dumbe for before this acte of D. Haddocke it is most certaine that neither of them spake one word howsoeuer that his fellow vanteth of his workemanship when he was bidden to speake like a Proctor Now would I aske of an indifferent Iudge whether it were possible that there could be any desire of peace in fellowes who in cold blood and after three nights rest if rancor and malice would suffer them to rest would write thus into England cleane contrary to all trueth in a matter of such moment as was the handling of the cause concerning which all the diuision was which was or was like to be in England And if this were necessary to be done lest that they should seeme to betray the cause impugned by the two priests as this fellow saith in this letter must not consequently this cause be a most fowle cause which must be vpholden with such shamelesse falshood could these fellowes thinke that Master Bishop or Master Charnocke should euer come to
if he would haue couered himselfe he would not haue set his name downe at the end of the letter Yours Thomas Bluet But of this we will say no more vntill we come to answere the 13. Chapter of the Apologie when it shall be further examined The second demonstration which this Apologie maketh of deceit falshood and slander is out of this same place cited And as for their oppression saith he it is none but such as they list to imagine when they cannot haue their owne licentious will in all things What the oppression is I leaue it to any indifferent man to iudge when Catholike priests leauing all other liuelihoods which either in England they might haue had before they tooke vpon them this state of life or otherwise out of England as many haue at this day in requitall of many yeeres hazard of their liues to saue mens soules without any Ecclesiasticall liuing or other meanes for their maintenance then the charitie of such to whom they minister the Sacraments are turned out to goe picke sallets and all Catholikes who will be accounted pious and zealous are forbidden their company vnlesse the priests wil yeeld to their owne most vniust diffamations and damne their owne soules in following the licentious will of the Iesuits and Archpr. who would haue them to accuse themselues that they haue liued and ministred the Sacraments in schisme And if any thing be brought in the 1.5.6 or 7. chapter as here is promised contrary to this it shal be conuinced of deceite falshood or slander Out of the fourth page in the Latine booke there is deceit falshood or slander prooued in these words Cogimur c. We are forced to fly to the feet of his Holines c. But this matter is sufficiently answered by the Priests presence in Rome which was with as much speed as conueniently they could make And if they had neuer gone their sending of this book to his Holines would iustifie as much as is here set downe by them and if notwithstanding those means which the priests did vse their appellation and consequently this booke wherein the appellation is neuer came to his Holines it is made more euident how necessary the printing of these bookes was that some one by one meanes or other might by good chance light into his Holines hands And by this is answere made to the next place taken out of the 5. page where this deceit falshood and slander is found Haecautem c. Wee are forced to diuulge these things in print where diuers other causes are also giuen of the printing And to this purpose there was the last yeere a little booke printed at Paris and dedicated to the Nuntius there residing entituled Rationes redditae proimpressione c. Out of the 6. page where there is no one worde spoken of Card. Allen but how he was a common father to all the Priests and how by his wisdome he kept all things in quiet there is gathered by this Author a certaine principall deceit falshood or slander which is proued because he was opposite vnto the Priests and their factious proceeding especially against the Fathers of the society as by his owne letters appeareth a litle before his death c. See Apol. cap. 4. and 7. See the finenesse of this fellowes wit how hee can discouer a deceit falshood or slander The priests doe not say in that place that hee was either with them or against them or with the Fathers or against them but only make a plaine narration of his wisedome and the reuerence which all did beare vnto him And as for the 4. Chap. to which wee are here referred there is nothing of Card. Allen his writing concerning our matters neither could there well be he being dead before these begun In the 7. Chap. there is a certaine remembrance of a letter of his to M. Mush which for so much of it as is set downe in the second Chapter it condemneth the priests no more then the Iesuits betweene whome belike hee had heard there was some priuate questions of which what his iudgement was it is very well knowen to some and hath beene confessed by other namely Doct. Haddocke that the Card. before his death had such disgust of the Iesuites their actions as this good Doctor being tolde by M. Charnocke what was reported in England to haue proceeded from a Iesuite tooke vpon him perchance to saue then the Iesuites credit for now they say hee denyeth it againe that it was hee himselfe who had vsed these words after the Cardinals death He is well dead for if he had liued he had greatly dishonoured himselfe and his countrey In the 7. page there is a principall deceit falshood or slander noted in these words Desudantibus c. While Seminary Priests did sweat in the haruest of England which haruest was then well manured and almost ripe some Iesuits were called in by Doct. Allen to helpe them c. But what are these falshoods and how are they prooued Forsooth for first sayth this good fellow how well manured and ripe the English Cath. haruest was 22. yeeres agoe when the Iesuits were first sent there being then but few Priests in England as hauing had but one onely Seminary vntill that time and fewe knowen Catholikes also in respect of the number that after had ensued this we say is knowen to all men that vnderstood our case We are not here to stand vpon the encrease of Catholikes which hath beene within these 22. yeeres for no doubt there haue bene more knowen then were before And if the Iesuits will take it vpon them that they haue beene greater encreasers of Catholikes then the Secular priests they will discouer in themselues too much both falshood and vanitie And as for the exception which is taken against that which is saide of the good manuring of the haruest in England and that it was almost ripe before the Iesuits came in hee might as well haue taken exception and prooued falshood and vanity in our Sauiour his words when he said Ioâ—… 4. Leuate oculos vestros videte regiones quia albae suntiam ad messem c. Lift vp your eyes and behold the countrey how ready it is now for haruest And this was spoken by Christ onely vpon the disposition which he saw in the Samaritanes to receiue his doctrine And as the number of Priests was not so great as now it is so was it not so small as this fellow would it should be thought and both the Priests and laity had suffered long before the Iesuites set foot into England and there was perchance more true sincere religion in the least houshold then now is in a wider compasse what faire shewes soeuer are outwardly made to delude the world And whereas it is here said that when the Iesuits came into England there was but one onely Seminary it is as false as the other was foolish For as it is set downe in the
that subordination Thirdly with what stomacke and auersion from all Christian peace the Iesuites proclaimed after that the peace was made that they all incurred the censures of holy Church who should dogmatizando mainteine that those Priests were not schismaticks who forbore to subiect themselues vnto the auctoritie before they saw his Holines letters in confirmation thereof and the Archpriest published that he had receiued a resolution from the mother City which afterwards hee explicated himselfe to some that it was from a paire of yong Iesuits to wit F. Warford F. Tichborne or from one of them The contents whereof were that these priests were schsmaticks which is now the true state of the question as none but most impudent companions can deny and the original of these present stirres And this the Archpriest his fact the author of this Apologie in the 11. chap fol. 168. calleth an angry Epistle and challengeth the priests in termes best fitting his Religious humor that for an angry Epistle they would breake out into such scandalous tumults and so leaueth the matter without telling what this angry Epistle was and that it was a proclamation that the Priests had liued a long time inschisme and what other matters must thereupon necessarily insue not onely to the discredit of those priests but also to the disturbance of many deuout Catholicks whose ghostly fathers they had bene during that time But since that this author hath proposed the true state of the questiō as he saith to be an opposition of a few against the whole streame of other Catholicks deuising particuler wayes for their preferring and there causing some to leape and slide Let vs do him the fauor to heare how he proceedeth with this his imagination And this saith he is the true state of the question let vs declare briefly the way and path how they came into this pit Thus he beginneth this declaration Wee haue vnderstood by Card. Allens letters before mentioned written to M. Mush the yeere that he died how he had vnderstood of a certaine emulation and deuision begun in England by some priests against the Fa. of the Societie and perhaps hee perceiued the same by no meanes more then by himselfe his speach and behauiour while hee was at Rome with him the very same yeere I doe nothing marueile that this good fellow would faine haue his Reader conceiue that the Priests began a diuision against the Iesuits For if he could perswade this he would not doubt but to deale well ynough with such fooles as cannot thinke that the Iesuits can giue any iust cause why the Priests should breake with them I marueile much that he is not ashamed so often to inculcate this letter of the Cardinall which if it make any thing in this matter it maketh against the Iesuits as we haue often shewed For first cōcerning the diuision the Fathers want of good correspondence is first placed the cause of discontentment not knowen and M. Mush a Secular Priest put in commission to be peremptory aswell with the Iesuits as the Secular Priests with whō the Cardinall knew he might be bold especially in so good an action as was the furthering of a peace where he was informed there was want And for the better satisfaction of such as will be satisfied we will once againe repeate the Card. letter as it is set downe in the second Chap. of Apologie fol 11. I haue heard saith he to my great griefe that there is not that good correspondence betweene the Fathers other Priests I cannot tell vpon what discontentment c. But whereof soeuer it commeth it is of the enemie and with all possible discretion and diligence by the wiser sort on both sides to be rooted out or els it will be the ruine of the whole cause c. And therefore in this point especially M. Mush be earnest and peremptory with all parties and euery one in particular and tel them that I charge and aduise them by the blessed Blood and bowels of Gods mercie that they honour loue and esteeme one another according to euery mans age order and profession And then he exhorteth those of the Secular order which is an argument that what went before did principally concerne the Iesuits The maner also of the Cardinall his writing doeth shew that what he conceiued of the diuision here supposed was by other meanes then by M. Mush For had he vnderstood it as this Author saith perhaps by no meanes more then by himselfe his speech and behauiour while he was in Rome without perhaps the Cardinall would not haue written vnto him after his departure in this maner I haue heard to my great griefe that there is not that good correspondence between the Fathers and other Priests I cannot tell vpon what discontentment but rather haue put him in minde what he had tolde him and would not haue bene left ignorant of the true cause or some colour of cause if M. Mush had discouered any such matter vnto him And whereas here is mention of M. Mush his behauiour while he was in Rome with the Cardinall we may verely beleeue that it was such as became an honest priest and that he gaue very great satisfaction not onely to the Cardinall Allen but also to many other hauing those graces and fauours at his returne which no man euer had before him to wit authoritie not onely for himselfe in diuers reserued cases but to giue to a certaine number of other priests whom he would name at his returne into England But marke I pray you what moueth this author to say that the Cardinal writ his letter vpon M. Mush his behauiour when he was with him at Rome the very same yeere For albeit saith he this man gaue out euery where that he went to Rome to enter into that order which many yeeres before he had pretended yet others that knew him better did soone discouer his alienation from them and that he pretended perhaps by his iourney to Rome to get some other dignitie Here there is another Perhaps to helpe the former For first it was perhaps that the Cardinall perceiued a certaine diuision by no meanes more then by M. Mush his behauiour and speech at Rome and now it is perhaps that he went to Rome for to get some other dignitie Good meditations for such spirituall guides and very charitable We will not here cite M. Blackwell his letter which was written in the yeere of our Lord 1596 which was two yeres after the Cardinals death wherein hee taketh on marueilously against all those who did affirme at Rome that there had bene strife or any falling out here in England which was worth the talking of although neither he nor any man els can denie but that the scandalous separation in Wisbich was begun by the Iesuits and their faction long before and is not to this day ended We wil onely request the religious spirit of the author of this Apologie to let vs
vnderstand what reason he had in this place to make this note in the margent How this last sedition in England began shewing nothing in the text but his general conceit of an emulation and diuision begun in England by some Priests against the Fathers of the Societie and bringeth no other proofe therof then the Card Allen his letter aboue mentioned wherein there is no more mention of any diuision by Secular priests against the Iesuits then by the Iesuits against Secular priests as hath bene shewed And if by this note we are giuen to vnderstand How that this last sedition in England began before this letter of the Car. Allen was written then at the latest this last sedition must haue his beginning in the yere of our Lord 1594 or before For in that yeere the Cardinal died as it is here confessed in the Apol fol. 6. Now then if this last sedition in England did begin in the yeere of our Lord 1594 or before what was the secret intention which this Religious spirit had when in the 9. Chap. of this Apologie fol. 131. it made this marginal note The first beginners of the sedition M. Collington and M. Charnocke by his owne confession how could these men be the beginners of this sedition by an acte done in the yeere of our Lord 1598 at the soonest for so the letter constitutiue beareth date about which this confession is said to haue bene made when this author affirmeth that this last sedition was begun in the time of Card. Allen who died in the yeere of our Lord 1594. But as the good-wife of an Ordinary saith A ioynt is a ioynt so with this good fellow A booke is a booke And it is no great matter how one piece is patched to another the fooles who are deuoted vnto him wil take al with blinde obedience and for the rest there wil be some other deuise as to stand stoutly to the auerring of any thing which may further his cause or the denying whatsoeuer may hinder it Hauing thus farre presumed vpon the simplicity of his Reader he proceedeth in his declaration of the way or path or the supposed true state of the question and continueth his tale of M. Mush his negotiation But returning saith he into England as he went foorth and the Cardinall soone after dying he ioyned with an other of his owne humour that had left another religion namely the Carthusians and in the margent he setteth M Iohn Collington and they two with some few other determined to make a certaine newe Hierarchie of their owne calling it an association of Clergie men with two Superiours as it were Archbishops the one for the South and the other for the North with certaine Rules and deuises impossible to be obserued in England while times and matters doe remaine as they doe c. It is very well knowen that M. Mush returning into England imployed himselfe in more offices of charitie then all the Iesuites in England And all the North parts of England will affirme it especially those who were in durance for their conscience And when the spirit of the Iesuits mooued them vnder pretence of reformation in Wisbich to make their scandalous separation and schisme he went thither accompanied with M. Dudlie where after that they had spent some dayes and perceiued that there was no hope of any accord but by the cōmandement of him who was Superiour to F. Weston who canuased in Wisbich for a superioritie vnder the title of an Agent he came to London where he found this Superiour and after long conference with him about it as one who was loath the matter beganne should go backward he promised at the length to send such letters vnto Wisbich by them that at the sight thereof his subiect Fa. Weston should surcease from that intended Agencie and all should bee well But M. Mush and M. Dudlie were compelled to send for these letters and if they had not vrged the matter in such sort as this Superiour could not any longer halt with them they had departed with such letters as had bene to no purpose and the time was differred vntill it was so late as he hoped they would not haue stayed for any other The peace being in the ende made such as it was and not without this vnder-hand condition that the Iesuits their faction might afterward breake off when they would M. Mush and M. Dudley at their next returne to London if not before delt with M. Iames Standish for the erecting of an Association of such priests as would voluntarily subiect themselues to liue vnder such a superior and such rules as they should among themselues agree vpon M. Standish communicated this matter to other priests who liked well therof as yet M. Colington not being neere Lōdon knew nothing of this intent howsoeuer it hath pleased this author now to except against it there will be good proofe made that the Superior of the Iesuits was so farre from speaking against it as he did seeme to take great ioy in it vntill he perceiued that he was not likely to haue the gouernment thereof as his fellow had in Wisbich of the greater part of the Catholike prisoners And if the vnited priests were the authors of this Apologie how ridiculously are sixe of them brought in here to credit it as though there were more honestie in these 6. alone taken singly from the rest then 16. in the whole company of those vnited brethren when those sixe also are among them but it shal be well seene in a particular answer to their letter here cited that whosoeuer were the authors thereof those sixe who subscribed vnto it had smal cause to doe so or to thanke them who eased them of the labour to pen it But now remitting the reader for M. Collington his iust causes of leauing the order of the Carthusians in which he neuer was but onely in probation which argued a most religious minde in him and was crossed onely by the disablements of his body to the last point handled by himselfe in his late booke of Reasons intituled A iust defence c. And for M. Mush his leauing the Iesuits to the eleuenth Chapter of the Apologie fol. 170 where it is plainely said that they would not admit him we will see how this Apologie fitteth his Reader First by this narration in the Apologie it is euident that the association of which here is mention was not deuised by such as thought their designements frustrated by Fa. Parsons dealing at Rome in the yeere 1597 as the author of this same Apologie affirmeth cap. 1 fol. 6. 7. Secondly it is vntrue that these two determined vpon any such matter Thirdly there was neuer any determination to haue two Superiors much lesse as it were Archbishops For as may appeare by the rules made in the North the very first rule De rectoribus is this There shall be chosen euery yere one Father and two assistants by the consents
interteine the two priests kindly in his owne chamber They confesse they were interteined after a long difficultie But what authenticall proofe is there that he did it kindly or that it was done without difficultie He told them that they might not talke with any of the schollers and no one of the schollers can say that euer they did talke with any of them but one whom M. Bishop was very desirous to see and he was brought to M. Bishop by the Confessarius of the Colledge who stood by and heard al which passed M. Charnocke did know that there was one in the Colledge whose mother is his cousen germane and neuer coueted to talke with him The quarrell which was against these two priests was for talking with such as were appointed by Fa. Parsons to attend them in the hospitall whereof he who is here said to be the vertuous priest was a Iesuit in a Secular priests coat and shortly after wore a Iesuits coate and died among them And the occasion of this talke was ministred by this vertuous priest and it was not of this present controuersie but about M. Edward Tempest concerning whom it was said that he was hardly dealt withall in regard that such as vsed to intertaine priests at their first arriuall in England were perswaded not to intertaine him And that some of his neerest friends were told that in conscience they could not relieue him An other was a ieast which had chanced about 20. yeeres since in the Colledge of Rome which because it concerned one who was chosen in England for an assistant the matter was taken hainously yet was the occasion hereof also ministred by thaâ— vertuous priest and the matter it selfe was but a mery tale And this is al which was alledged by F. Owen the Iesuit in the name of F. Parsons against the two priests yet doeth this author most shamelesly relate that the two priests had talked that which might raise or renew sedition among the schollers But this and all which foloweth is doubtlesse brought in this place that this author might shew how he could gall his reader with his owne tale as an authenticall testimony for other testimony there is not That also which is here gainesaid of Cardinal Bellarmines letter was said vpon the relation of those who saw it although they haue not the copy to shew And for so much as concerneth the principall point of F. Bellarmines letter to wit the imprisoning of the two priests it is confessed in his Apologie Cap. 4. fol. 120. out of the same letter The priests there being imprisoned in the Colledge is reputed agreat benefit vnto them They thought it not so but onely in this respect that they thought their liues were more in safety in the Colledge then in a common prison But in respect of the common cause without doubt it had bene a great preiudice had they had any hope of iustice But their hope was small when they saw that they were to be infamously caried away to prison before they could get audience But it troubleth this author much that Fa. Parsons should be termed a Iaylor especially there being another who had the keyes of their chambers to bring them meat and all other necessaries but he telleth not who had the keyes all the rest of the day If F. Parsons had not bene seene to weare them at his girdle this matter might haue bene somewhat clenlier caried but it was too open to be excused Next followeth a defence of F. Parsons for his shewing of M. Charnocks handkerchiefs and night coyfes which this author saith were so wrought with silke and gold lace is they might seeme to serue for any Secular prince in the world and the socks for his feete were of so fine Holland as the Commissary said he was well assured that his Holines neuer woare such for his shirts You must imagine that this relation is very authenticall although M. Charnock had neither handkerchiefe nor night coife that any Iesuite in England would vouchsafe to weare they were so meane I haue seene the night coife and it is wrought in deed with silke For it hath a border of blacke silke about it 3. fingers broad and all the rest of the cap is plaine Holland it hath some 6. pennie-worth of gold and siluer edging and as many as haue seene the cappe wonder at the impudencie of this Author who perchance did thinke the cappe would not haue bene kept The conceit which is made of his handkerchiefes is much more ridiculous And by the tale of his sockes this Author bringeth into my minde a tale of a preacher who tolde his parish that Christ fed fiue hundred with such a small quantity and being told softly by the Clarke that they were fiue thousand he bad him hold his peace like a foole and told him that if he could perswade the people that they were fiue hundred he had done a good dayes worke I vnderstand that the Commissary sayd how that his Holines did not weare so fine cloth in his bands But this author thought this was too much to be beleeued and therefore he set it downe the Popes shirts Whereupon saith he conferring with M. Charnocke himselfe in the presence of Fa Parsons and M. Bishop vpon the 8. of Aprill when they were to haue the first fauour to speake together and to walke at libertie in the College at certaine times when answere was made that priests now a dayes for dissimulation are forced to vse such things in England he replied that at the leastwise it was not needefull to bring such strange delicacies to Rome and that albeit in some externall apparell dissimulation might be tolerable in English Priests at home in respect of the times yet in such thinge whereof their vse was onely in secret as night-coifes and sockes and the like he saw no neede of excesse or dissimulation And this was all that passed in this matter vpon the faith of such an honest man as writ this Apologie But now sir one tale is tolde the other is not told which is that M. Charnockes answere was to this effect that Priests traueiling vp down in England were to vse such things as were fit for such persons as they bare in their trauaile especially when they lay not in Catholike houses where they were knowen but in common Innes where neither night-coifes not socks were vsed in secret And for his bringing those things to Rome his answere was that hee had necessary vse of them at his comming out of England making account to returne againe he had little reason to throwe those things away after that they had the first time serued him And if it had pleased them at Rome to haue left his Truncke vnsearched the cap had neuer ben seene in Rome And M. Bishop being requested to say what he knew of this strange delicacie affirmed that he had neuer seene it before But if M. Charnocke had either worne it by the way as he
Censures when the priests submitted themselues vpon the sight of his Holinesse Breue which censures he had vsed against three priests because they had appealed from him to the pope as it is set downe in the booke to the Inquisition And I doubt not but that the Archpriest would be as glad now that all were well accorded as he was at the first attonement and be as ready perchance to breake out againe as then hee was as it is prooued in the bookes to his Holinesse and to the Inquisition neither is there any man that is in his wittes but will thinke that the Iesuits and Archpriest would haue peace that is power to vse the Secular priests at their pleasure and that the priests should suffer all manner of indignities both in fame and otherwise and not to stirre for anie thing which may be done against them least the Iesuites peace be broken which they loue so dearely and cloake it with extraordinary pietie in this place fol. 221 where they are sayd to haue stoode with the Archpriest and the rest in defence of his Holines ordination as though the priests had euer resisted his Holines ordination and not rather yeelded themselues presently at the sight of the Breue before which there was no Popes ordination And to this the Iesuites their standing in defence of his Holinesse ordination are ioyned most absurd positions of their desire not to meddle in the priests affaires whereas it hath beene shewed that they haue been the chiefe of this sedition against the priests And their interpretation that their dealing proceedes of loue is to men of vnderstanding an argument of a factious disposition and desiring of gouerning all sortes of people whosoeuer must play the Apes part to take away the enuie for their misdeedes from them They intend not sayeth hee to preiudice them in any preferment for the time present or to come Hee were worse then madde that would trouble himselfe with our Iesuites intentions which varie as often as their tongues moue and turne their intentions to serue best their owne turnes Let the Iesuites their hinderance of all our nation beyond the Seas from al promotion speake for their intentions since that no place or preferment there can be had without degrees in schooles which they haue induced his Holinesse to debarre all the English nation vnder this other intention that young men must not take the degrees when they depart from the Seminaries And that their intention may be the more euident that they will hinder euery mans preferrement they haue put into the Popes Breue a barre not onely for the proceeding in Diuinitie the knowledge whereof they haue now also cleane taken out of the Colledge at Doway but in either of the Lawes also Ciuill or Canon which are not taught in any of our Seminaries Yet must all their intentions bee most excellent and must not be thought to preiudice any for the time present or to come As for the time to come were it in their hands to preiudice any man all their protestations and oathes would carie little credite but with such as know them not In which as in all other their dealings especially in this action the priests doe most willingly forgiue them their falshood and doe pray for them that God will giue them and their adherents his grace to amende what they cannot chuse but see is amisse in themselues To which they may make a good steppe if they will enter into their owne consciences and consider of what great scandals and harmes in Gods Church they haue beene a very faulty occasion by that most wicked imputation of schisme to most Catholicke priestes and their obdurate standing in that sinfull opinion without admitting any equall triall of the cause in question which the priests did offer in most humble wise before they tooke the course that now they take and was onely left vnto them to cleare themselues of so damnable a slander ¶ A REPLY TO THE Appendix of the Apologie by J. B. THE author of the Apologie hauing seene other two bookes beside those against which he writ his Apologie maketh an answere such as it is vnto them which answere he calleth An Appendix to the Apologie by the Priests that remaine in due obedience to their lawfull Superior As though an Appeale made from a superior vpon iust causes and a lawfull prosecution thereof could not stand with due obedience But somewhat must be said and if it haue no pith in it as euery indifferent reader will soone discouer that want in this Appendix it must be ouercharged with bigge words which the blinde obedient must imagine would not haue bene vttered without iust cause although they see none After a long conflict then as it should seeme in this author whether hee should take notice of these two latter bookes to which he hath made it knowen both in this Appendix and other two scurrilous Libels set out since this Appendix came forth that he cannot make any answere he hath aduentured to say somewhat of them and that it might not bee made too apparant to the world how little the poore man had to say herein hee stuffeth these few leafes with exceptions against those bookes to which he pretended an answere in his Apologie enlargeth himselfe somewhat by way of a preface wherein he telleth his reader how vnwillingly he put his pen to paper for the defence of our Superiors and their lawfull doings and proceedings against the intemperate impugnations by tumult and Libels of a few discontented brethren c. And no man can but beleeue him that it was sore against his will that he had such cause as he had to vse his pen although he neuer made daintie of his paines and pen where hee thought he might discredit those priests which he could not bring to his lure And as for the priests their doings or proceedings they haue shewed themselues ready to giue accompt thereof and to proue both the lawfulnesse and the necessitie which was in withstanding the exorbitant proceedings of such as hauing neither any Christian wisdom nor honestie abused our Superiors and procured that al the priests should be brought into these streights to wit either to yeeld to the wicked designes of others or to be made infamous all the world ouer And to this effect was the treatise of schisme written by the Iesuits and sent abroad not onely in England but into remote places beyond the seas to perswade such as would be blinde that Catholike priests who had liued in a long most dangerous persecution for defence of the sea Apostolike were now become schismaticks and why because they did not contrary to the lawes of Gods Church yeeld their obedience to a creature of the Iesuits intruded vpon them as their Superior without any warrant from the Sea Apostolike which hath commanded that no such superior be accepted without a speciall warrant or letters from the same Sea as may be seene in that extrauagant
those so hudling one vpon another especially where the controuersie in question is handled that it is a very hard matter to find a trueth in it And doubtlesse this permissu superiorum was not set here to any other end then that the Reader might see howe the Author could lye by authoritie which that it may appeare more euident I haue drawen out of the Apologie some of such falshoods as are conuinced to be such in the Apologie it selfe or otherwise publikely knowen to be such without medling with those which otherwise are to be proued as occasion shall serue I haue also noted a fewe so apparant shifts as no man of any iudgement can chuse but finde them and be throughly satisfied how this game doth goe CHAP. 2. A note of some notorious falshoods and shifts which are contained in the Apologie IN the title of this Apologie it is said to be written and set forth by the Priests vnited in due subordination to the R R. Archpriest which is prooued to bee false Cap. 8. Apol. fol. 108. where it is confessed that these Authours are those concerning whom this question was asked in the English booke entituled The Copies of discourses pag. 5. why should they be so vnwilling to procure or suffer to bee procured c. which question euery man who can vnderstand English may see that it was asked concerning not the secular Priests but the Iesuits and consequently the Iesuites are to be taken for the authours of this Apologie and not the vnited Priests as here is sayd 2 In the title of the Table of certaine principall deceits c. he telleth his Reader that it is a Table of principall deceits c. contained in two Libels which is prooued to be false both by the eye and by this which he sayth himselfe in the latter end of the Table As for the second booke set out and intituled The copies of discourses c. wee meane not to cite any thing thereof in this place c. 3 In the Table number 5. he affirmeth That the Priests did exercise Card. Allen when he liued as now they doe other good men he being opposite vnto them and their factious proceeding especially against the fathers of the societie And this also is a notorious falshood the Cardinal beeing neuer opposite against the Priests or any their proceedings how opposite soeuer he might be against some other kinde of proceedings of some beyond the seas neither was there any faction in England against which he might oppose himselfe The Apologie contradicted by M. Blackwels letter as may appeare by the testimony of M. George Blackewell in his letters to Card. Caietane in the yeere 1596. which was long after Card. Allen his death And the letter which is here cited in confirmation of Card. Allen his being opposite to the Priests doth shew no more opposition against the Priests then against the Iesuites as may be seene where it is Cap. 2. Apol. fol. 11. 4 Ibid. num 6. it is said that when the Iesuits were first sent into England which was in the yeere 1580. as appeareth Apol. fol. 181. the Priests had but one only Seminary which is proued false Cap. 1. Apol. fol. 3. where it is saide that the latter beganne in the yeere 1578. 5 Ibid. num 13. A very malicious imposture It is said that the good and quiet Cath. prisoners in Wisbich are compared by the Priests to Donatists for that they retired themselues from the tumultuous scandalous life of the other and put themselues vnder rule which is apparantly false as may be seene in the place quoted where the Priests doe not onely not accuse any of Donatisme but shew how F. Weston of whom the speech is principally in that place by yeelding to stand to arbitrement declared himself not to be Tyronius that Donatist 6 Ibid. numb 14. It is fathered vpon the Priestes that they should say that one in Wisbitch Castle fell out of his wits by reason of opprobrious letters written vnto him which is very false as may be seene in the place quoted by this Author The Priests there doe affirme that one in Wisbich fell out of his wits vpon griefe which these Authors leaue out taken of certaine letters written which were written by himselfe and as he confessed sometime that his writing of them was such a corrosiue vnto him as he should neuer recouer it and these words vnto him are added by these fellowes for their purpose and for a braue florish that they might the boldlier charge the Priests with a falshood 7 Ibid. num 16. Hee shifteth off the assertion of the Priests that M. Standish had giuen his name to be a Iesuite which was a thing to be considered of he being the man who was said to haue solicited this subordination in the name of the Secular Priests and it is so also confessed in this Apol. Cap. 8. fol. 98. A palpable shift The shifting of it is in this manner All are Iesuits with these men who are not of their faction the Archpriest and all And thus hee runneth away with the matter which as is saide ought to be thought vpon as much as any thing here handled for the discouerie how and by whome this subordination was wrought 8 Ibid. num 23. The Priests are charged to call the authority of their superiour instituted by Christs vicar a masking vizard which is prooued false in the same place where the Priestes words are cited For there as any man may see they doe only affirme that the Iesuits thought to procure dominion to them selues vnder the maske of another mans person which is no impeachment to authoritie or immodestie against it euery man knowing that such authoritie as they doe acknowledge most iust may be abused and the man who hath it and made no better then a masking vizard vnder which men goe and doe many things vnseene and vnknowen 9 In the list of principall persons that are iniuried num 11. it is said that the most Reuerend Father in God the Bishop of Tricarica Nuntius to his Holines in Flaunders appointed viceprotector and iudge of English Ecclesiasticall affairs is refused by the Priests which is most false as their going vnto him long before this booke was set out will make euident Ad Clerum Anglicanum 8. deâ—…mb 1601. and his letters doe testifie as much and of their acknowledging of him in all dutifull sort 10 In the Epistle to his Holines num 14. it is said that the Priests had obtained libertie for foure vnder the Queenes letters patents to ride vp and downe c. which will appeare euidently to bee an egregious falshood if the records be sought vpon which all such letters are to be kept at the L. Keepers perill 11 A whetstone In this place also is another notable falshood that fewe Catholikes dared to deny them money lest they should detect them to the Counsell 12 The Iesuits play at in and out as
they list In the first Chapter of the Apol. fol. 2. this author affirmeth that the principall or onely ground of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie is an emulation partly of lay men against Priests and partly of Priests against religious men especially the Fathers of the societie And in the 11. Chap. fol. 161. he sayth that the whole world knoweth that this cōtrouersie is of Priests with the Archpriest and that the stomacke against the Iesuits is for standing with the Archpriest By which besides the contradiction it appeareth how this poore mans memory doth faile him euen in the deciding betweene whome the controuersie is which hee vndertaketh to handle and determine 13 In the same Chapter fol. 6. and 7. the beginning of the association of secular Priests is attributed to the Priests vpon their comming into England A malicious deuise for to discredit the association intended by the priests after they were frustrated of their designments by F. Parsons dealing at Rome whereas his comming to Rome was in the yeere 1597. and not before as appeareth in this place and the association began in the yeere 1595. and F. Parsons was tolde thereof before hee came out of Spaine for Rome 14 Cap 3. fol. 20. The Iesuites care for pure stuffe to make priests of The bookes which are set out by the Priests are sayd to be done by such as went ouer Seruingmen Souldiers and wanderers which is most apparantly false if those were the authors which in the beginning of this Apologie are held to be 15 Fol. 21. It is sayd That the whole bodie and name of Iesuites is impugned which is most false as may appeare in the booke to the Inquisition pag. 5. 16 Cap. 6. fol. 27. D. Norden is saide to haue bene striken by God with a strange accident of repressing his tongue by dumbnesse vntill hee died which is most false hee dying no more strangely then all persons vse to die according to the maner as the sickenesse doth take them It is well knowen that he died of a Lethargie and that he spake many times after he was first taken therewith and died in all points as became a Catholike priest as there are many to witnesse who were present 17 Cap. 8. fol. 98. His Holines is sayd to haue resolued to yeeld to the erecting of a gouernment in England vpon a mature deliberation taken of certaine letters which by the date there set downe were written in England after that this gouernment was erected Conferre them with the date of the Card Caietanes letters of the institution of the Archpriest Martij 7. 1598. and the first of these here cited wil be seene to haue bene written in England about a moneth before 18 Fol. 109. The falsehood which is layd to M. Blackewel in his proposing false instructions and affirming them to haue been annexed to his Commission is shuffled ouer with an assertion that his instructions came with his letters which no man euer doubted of The exception was against those which were proposed for such and were not such 19 In the same leafe M. Blackewell his persisting in this error that we could not appeale from him to his Holines is shifted first in this maner We are sure he did not say it in the sense they take it Secondly thus Many men in the world might say this in diuers cases wherin Appeale is cut off by his Holinesse consent and order A couple of good ieasts The first is common to that sort of people to flie to secret senses to iustifie any thing whatsoeuer passeth them And it were not altogether so intolerable if they would vnder the pretence that sometime men may aequiuocate by the example of our Sauiour other his saints onely vse it to saue themselues from being taken for such as they are but they will pleasure their friends with the like and be as ready to giue a sense of other mens words as their owne but with this difference that if they can possibly deuise how to draw other mens words to an euill sense they will peremptorily affirme that those men spake their wordes in that sense And this their frowardnes towards others is sufficiently discouered cap 2. Apol fol. 16. where the priests assertions that authority is not an infallible rule of trueth and that but one vpon earth is warranted from error and not he in all things are called in question by this author vpon some his imaginary senses But in the late spritish manifestation of spirits cap. 1. hee discouereth himselfe egregiously in this kinde where confessing that Statutes haue bene made both by our ancient kings of England and by our protestant princes by which they haue forbidden prouisions from Rome of dignities Benefices he telleth his Reader very peremptorily that they priests do conspire and iumpe with the protestant and in a false and hereticall sense obiect the statute of Praemunire Which also he would seeme to proue by giuing a reason why the olde statutes were made as though neither the statute were to bee interpreted according to the contents thereof whatsoeuer was the cause of the making thereof nor the absolute prouision of dignities from Rome forbidden because the motiue of that statute was to keepe the treasure of England within the land which was raised by the benefices at that time annexed to the dignities But to make this his cauill more plaine the dignity of a legate had no spirituall liuing annexed vnto it and yet did those Catholike princes hold him to haue incurred the penaltie of the Statute of Praemunire who would exercise a power Legantine in England without the Soueraignes consent as may appeare by the answere of Card. Wolsey when they endighted him in a Praemunire vpon those statutes constrained thereunto sayth the history to intitle the King to his goods and possessions Iohn Stow 21. Hen. 8. My Lords iudges the Kings highnesse knoweth whether I haue offended his Maiestie or no in vsing of my prerogatiue Legantine for the which I am indited I haue the Kings license in my coffers vnder his hand and broad Scale for the exercising and vsing thereof in the most largest wise the which are now in the handes of my enemies Therefore because I will not stand in question with the King in his owne cause I will here presently confesse before you the inditement and put me wholly to the mercy and grace of the King trusting that he hath a conscience and a discretion to consider the truth and my humble submission and obedience wherein I might right well stand to the tryall thereof by iustice c. By which it appeareth that although his Maiesty who then was were mooued by some of his counsell infected with Luthers doctrine to condemne the Cardinal for vsing his power Legantine yet it is euident by this that when the King was most Catholike and the Cardinal also the Cardinall would not exercise his authoritie Legantine without the Kings license and
the King gaue it to him vnder his hand and broad Seale which conuinceth that whatsoeuer was the motiue of making those statutes all prouisions of dignities from Rome were forbidden and not those onely which had temporall liuings annexed vnto them And hereby also may it be seene how ready these fellowes are to interprete other mens words in the worst sense which they may affirme most peremptorily that the speakers or writers had those senses which it most pleased their aduersaries to giue them And thus much for this point Onely this is to bee added that although this new manifester of spirits hath in this place recanted somewhat of his rashnesse vttered in the Apol. cap. 2. fol. 15. concerning the chiefe purpose of those statutes of Praemunire yet he hath left somewhat in this manifestation of spirits which he must in some other place recant or shew himselfe a very obstinate impostor that is concerning the time of the enacting those Statutes which were long before the time in which hee here sayth they were made as may appeare by the booke of Statutes The second shift is as apparant as this For although many men in the world may say as much as the Archpriest said in diuers cases wherein Appeale is cut off by his Holinesse consent and order yet no man in the world who professeth to be a Catholike will say it and stand peremptorily in it without some warrant by this clause in their Commission appellatione remota or to that effect which is not to be found in the Commission which M. Blackwell had as may appeare to those who will reade ouer the Cardinall Caietane his letters by which he made him an Archpr and Superiour ouer the Seminary priests residing in England and Scotland 20 Cap. 9. fol. 123. There are letters of the 18. of March 1598. from Flanders brought out against the two Priests that went from England to Rome about an authoritie not then knowen in England as by the date of the letters of institution it may be euidently gathered which was at Rome 7. Martij 1598. 21 Fol. 125. 126. 127. There are letters brought out to proue that his Holinesse was prouoked by them to imprison the two priests whereas the date of the first of them is after the date of F. Bellarmine now Cardinall his letter to F. Parsons wherein he signified that his Holines had that resolution if they came to Ferrara for his letter beareth date the 17. of October 1598. as appeareth fol. 120. Apol. and the first of the other letters are from Doway 25. Octobr. 1598. as appeareth fol. 125. 22 Fol. 132. A most audacious imposture It is said that M. Charnocke said and swore before that their onely comming was to supplicate c. whereas there is no such matter said or sworne by M. Charnocke as may appeare fol. 129. where his oath is put downe without this word onely which is here thrust in by the author for his purpose 23 Fol. 128. F. Parsons exhortations were the students onely informations The whole English Colledge is said to haue knowen what passed at Rome in this matter when the two priests were there deteyned prisoners which no one being present at any thing which passed is a most grosse and impudent imposture 24 Cap. 10. fol. 141. It is affirmed That the two Priests who were deteyned as prisoners at Rome were presently set at libertie vpon the sight of the Breue and assurance that neither they nor any of their side in England would euer stirre more in these affaires Which may euidently appeare to bee most false for the Breue was brought vnto them within two or three dayes after the date thereof which is 6. Aprilis and the whole Colledge will witnesse that one of them was not set at libertie vntill the 6. of May following although the other had this libertie vpon the 22. of April 25 Fol. 143. A marucilous presumption of the blinde reader his dulnesse There is very good vse made of the false dating of the Breue which is knowen to haue bene vpon the sixth of April 1599. and not long before that is fol. 140. it is twice so cited Yet here for the credit of F. Parsons the Reader must take the Breue to beare date the 21. of the said moneth 26 Fol. 154. This Authour should haue shewed what meanes M. Char. had to liue in Lorraine It is sayd that M. Charnock being at Paris it was there resolued that he should go into England vnder pretence of lacke of meanes to liue abroade and that onely for fashions sake hee should aduise Card. Burghesius which is very false as the principall of our Nation then liuing in Lorayne can testifie M. Charnock hauing been there almost a yeere and neuer receiued any thing from them who confined him there nor from England notwithstanding he had written diuers times both to Rome and into England for some maintenance as some of them haue testified in their letters to the Archpr. dated the 11. of April 1600. from Liuerdune 27 Fol. 168. A shameles disseâ—…ling of the cause of these present controuersies This Author inueigheth bitterly against the priests and would haue his Reader most ridiculously to thinke that the priests had no iust cause to stirre as now they doe but that they tooke occasion as hee sayeth vpon an angry Epistle of the Archpriests vnto them and most impudently quoteth a place in the priests booke to his Holilines pag. 62. where his Reader may see that the contents of that Epistle was a publication that they were schismatiks and that hee had receiued such a resolution from Rome which we leaue to any indifferent man to iudge whether it was a iust cause for the priests to stirre for the purging themselues of this wicked slander 28 Fol. 177. This Author boldly demaundeth touching the two priestes who were imprisoned at Rome among other questions all which will bee answered in their places had they not licence after all examinations made to goe and speake with his Holines if they would Whereas all the English Nation then in Rome wil testifie that they were kept close prisoners long after their examinations were made and the one not dismissed out of prison vntill two dayes after that the other was departed from Rome by which it appeareth that they were not together at liberty after their first imprisonment nor licensed to goe to speake with his Hol. 29 Cap. 13. fol. 201. It is affirmed that M. Bensted was pursued so narrowly vp and downe London soone after conference with D. Bagshaw as he was taken neere the Tower and soone after made away in recompense of this his contradiction to the D. A most malicious suggestion For so good friends saith this fellow in this place are the persecutors vnto them as none that dissent or disagree from them shall finde any fauour And to make this Narration seeme the more probable the priest himselfe is brought
first Chapter of the Apol. fol. 2. the first English Seminary began at Doway in the yere 1568. and neuer as yet failed although vpon occasion it hath beene translated from thence into France and backe againe now to Doway so there is also mention in the same Chapter fol 3. of the beginning of the English Colledge at Rome in the yeere 1578. which was before the Iesuits entrance into England as may be prooued out of the 12. Chapter of the same Apologie fol. 181. where F. Parsons is said to haue come into England betwixt Easter and Whitsontide in the yeere 1580. where he must needs heare of some priests who had beene sent from that Seminary before him T.W. in his disgression from 16. Martyrs in one yere pag. 52. sayth that the Colledge of Rome was founded in the yeere 1575. which was fiue yeeres before F. Parsons entrance into England And as I thinke no man doubteth but that Fa. Parsons and Fa Campion were the first Iesuits which were sent into England to labour in that haruest As for those generall letters which follow in reproofe of these supposed falshoods they shal be answered where this Author setteth them downe in perticular In the 8. page F. Heywood the Iesuit is said to bee falsly and malitiously belied in these words Ostentansse c. A certaine Iesuit vaunting himselfe among our people as though he had bene Legate to the Sea Apostolicke c. But you must go for proofe hereof to the 3. chap. where there is nothing to this purpose and to the 11. chap. where fol. 164 F. Heywood is thus cleared from this pretended false and malitious lye Onely it is true that some 16. or 17. Priests whereof one chiefe man is said to be of their faction at this day met together with him that is F. Heywood and would haue had all the Nationall customes of England about fasting for some little diuersitie and difficulties which they found in them to be reduced to the common order of the Romane Church which D. Allen F. Parsons M. Blackwell and others did not allow and F. Heywood yeelded vnto these mens opinions And thus much perchance should not haue bene said here had Fa. Parsons and Fa. Heywood bene friends but they being otherwise and the good Fa. Heywood reclayming himselfe and seeking reformation of manythings in men of his order for which cause notwithstanding his learning and other gifts he was made to liue and die very obscurely the Author of this Apologie is content to say somewhat of him in this case in question although so farre as it might touch the credit of the societie the blame is layed vpon the Secular priestes And because perchance it is too well knowen that some of those priests otherwise zealous men as by their death they made euident remonstrance did long after breake those fasts vpon the warrant of this Prouinciall Councell it is said that F. Heywood yeelded vnto the contrary opinion lest the societie should beare the discredit of so rash an attempt And thus is the calumniation answered which was made against F. Heyw. and no otherwise as the reader may see if he will turne to the places whither this Author sendeth him And it cannot but argue great want of shame in this Author to run with such fowle termes vpon men for saying that which when he cōmeth to salue he knoweth not almost how to deliuer otherwise with any likelyhood of trueth In the 9 page the principall deceit falshood or slander is noted in these words Parietiam modo c. In like maner the Rectors of our English Romane Colledge did goe about many things that were grieuous and asperous to our youthes But for this point you must see it handled at large cap. 5. Apol. where also it is to be answered or the Reader referred to some particuler treatise of this matter But in the same page there is an other slander that is Conspectis c. Card Allen after he had considered and discouered the endeauors of the Iesuits was wont to say that they sought more their owne good then either that of our Countrey or Colledge The proofe here of must now stand vpon the honesty of the Relators but how iustly he or any other might speake it I refer me to any indifferent mans iudgement when the Iesuits would neuer suffer any to be in rest in the College who would not suffer thēselues to be drawne to the societie either by them or their Agents who liuing in the Colledge as the other students did had secret vowes to be Iesuits and perswaded as many as they could to take the same course And England hauing more need to be furnished with such as were most fit to take vpon them the care of soules who can doubt whether the Iesuits in seeking the most towardly youthes to leaue their vocation and become of their order sought more their owne good then either that of our Countrey or Colledge And to the question here foolishly proposed what priuate good can the Iesuits pretend for themselues worth their labors and perils in England more then in the Indies except the good of soules and seruice of God As though they sought somewhat els in the Indies then the good of soules and seruice of God or at the least not so much as in England We answere both according to their proceedings and F. Parsons platforme of Reformation that whatsoeuer they pretend they seeke to keepe not onely the Secular priests in a seruile subiection vnto them but the Bishops also and all the whole State of England hauing already in their platforme or Councell of Reformation set downe all Ecclesiasticall men as pensioners at the discretion of some Iesuits and some Secular priests no doubt of their choosing for auoyding of cōtention diuision And whereas good man he talketh of the Iesuits labours and perils in England who knoweth not how deliciously they fare how gorgeously they are attired how quietly they sleepe in the best and safest houses in England insomuch as it is a marueilous wonder when any Iesuit is in perill And there hath not wanted among the Lay gentlemen that for these respects haue wished themselues Iesuits notwithstāding they haue liued with wife children great friends and as great contentment as this world can yeeld to wealthy protected Catholicks In the 11. page is this falshood noted or slander against Card. Tolet in that he is said to haue bene a fauourer of the Troublesome against their superiors the wordes are these I am tum c. At that time both the Colledge and al the schollers had bene vndone if Car. Toledo had not opposed himselfe as a wall for the said schollers This is iustified by many and in the particular discourse of the troubles in Rome it will be shewed notwithstanding this vant here of all Rome and his Holinesse as though they would witnesse the contrary In the 12. page this Author hath noted great falshood in the narration of the
left out so memorable an abridgement of so many impertinent and false matters and so well suting with the Apologie I call all that impertinent which concerneth any diuision either of Iesuites and other Catholikes of the Clergie or of the Laitie before the comming of the Cardinall Caietans letters for the institution of the Archpriest in the yeere 1598. or the ambitious attempt of the knowen and couert Iesuites in the scandalous diuision in Wisbich For vpon the not yeelding of some secular Priestes to subiect themselues first to the Iesuites in direct termes and the not admitting of an authoritie procured by them afterward for their indirect soueraintie this present controuersie began and being once ended at the sight of a Breue it was renewed againe by the rashnesse of the Iesuites and the indiscretion of the Archpriest as it is prooued at large in the bookes set out by the Secular priests and promulgated in the latter Breue dated the 17. of August 1601. as shall hereafter be shewed I affirme the rest to be false because so it shal be proued for so much as is touched thereof either in the Apologie or in this Epistle Omitting therefore what is here propounded to his Holinesse concerning the Catholikes their going to the Protestants Churches at the beginning of her Maiesties raign who now is a thing which would not haue bene published to the world by any who tendered their honour vnlesse there had bene some greater cause for it the subornation of some by the Counsell to poyson D. Allen afterwardes Cardinall and the Students raising of sedition among the Catholikes beyond the Sea the euill successe which some had about the Queene of Scots and diuers Gentlemen which is here attributed to their secret keeping of their practises from Fa. Parsons and other the inducing of two Priests to write two bookes in fauour of heretikes as it were by reason of State and to become spies the one in France the other in Spaine Lastly to let passe that which is here said that Car. Allen perceiued that there was a faction begun in England by the same acte of the Counsell against the Fathers of the Societie and writ most earnestly against it that Card. Sega had found out that a few vnquiet spirits were set on craftily by the subtill instruments of the Counsel were the cause of many troubles in that Colledge at Rome we wil here only touch such points as do concerne our selues and the matter now in controuersie Your Holines therefore saith this Author seeing prudently these causes and effects and hauing put a finall end to the long and fastidicus troubles of the English Romane Colledge giuen your straight commandement by words of mouth to such persons of the tumultuous as departed into England in that yeere 1597 to be quiet for the time to come to haue peace with all but namely with the Fathers of the Societie and hearing notwithstanding the next yeere after by diuers letters out of England that this was not obserued but new meanes rather deuised of further diuision and sedition your Holines did vpon these considerations and vpon the letters and requests of diuers of the grauest Priests of our nation which after we shall cite ordaine by the Card. Protector his letters an easie and sweet subordination c. If wee had no other proofe of this fellowes falsehood then might be made apparant in this second point of the Epistle it would giue euery honest man sufficient satisfaction His Holines is here put in minde of such strange matters and his wisedome very highly commended vpon so false grounds as if this Epistle had bene euer deliuered vnto him hee would speedily haue discouered a notable sycophancy He is here told of two principall motiues for his ordaining our easie and sweet subordination The one were certaine letters which signified that betweene the tumultuous who departed into England in the yeere 1597 and the Fathers of the Societie there was not that peace which he had commanded but new meanes rather deuised of further diuision and sedition The other were other letters and requests of diuers of the grauest priests of our nation which after saith he wee shall cite Concerning the first least there should be any error in Iudgement what those new meanes of further diuision should be there is this note in the margent The new association which conceite is deliuered in plainer termes and more at large in the first Chapter of the Apol. fol. 6. in this maner But the reliques of those that had bene troublesome and vnquiet before their comming into England and conferring againe with their consorts of their former actions and designments frustrated as they thought by F. Parsons dealing at Rome resolued to begin againe but after another fashion To wit by deuising a certaine new Association among themselues c. And in the 2. Chapter fol. 13 his Holines hearing of certaine new Associations begun in England soone after the tumults ended in Rome c. These to omit other places in the Apologie are sufficient to shew that his intention is to make the Pope beleeue that the Association which was begun in England by the Secular priests was a new deuise of those who were sent from Rome in the yeere 1597 as tumultuous and vnquiet persons That this is a meere deluding of his Holines all who were then in England can very well testifie yea F. Parsons himselfe will doe vs the fauour I am sure to say this is a very false tale who vnderstood at his first comming to Rome by M. Iames Standish that such an Association had bene long before intended and consequently could not bee a deuice of such as thought themselues frustrated of their designments by his dealing in Rome The 6. assistants in their letters of the 2. of May 1601. doe testifie that this association began foure or fiue yeres since Cap. 7. Apol. fol. 90. and that must needs be before those priests came into England on whom it is fathered if it be true which is sayd Cap. 2. Apol. fol. 12 that they were not gone from Rome at the beginning of September 1597. It may also be gathered out of the same Chapter fol. 89. that this association very probably was begun long before by others for there we finde this storie But M. Mush returning into England as he went forth and the Cardinall soone after dying in the yeere 1594. as appeareth Cap. 1. Apol fol 6. hee ioyned with another of his owne humour c. And they two with some few other determined to make a certaine new Hierarchy of their owne calling it an association of Clergie men c. The truth is that M. Mush and M. Dudley hauing made the peace at Wisbich in the yeere 1595. as appeareth Ca. 6. Apol fol. 79. returned to London and there dealt with M. Iames Standish a man growing in deed into that humor to wit of being a Iesuit which M. Mush was then leauing and not with
them In which this Apologie fayling as it must needes doe the author hath alreadie giuen iudgement against himselfe that he is a notorious libeller and that he hath brought all his followers and furtherers herein whether consenters or spreaders of it abroad into a heauie case God amend them But let vs I pray you examine the cause why this Apologie was written the authour thereof blaming so often the Priests for writing Diuers points saith he you know already and some more you are like to perceiue by this our Apologie being driuen thereunto but not all for auoiding further scandall which respect of scandall should haue withheld vs wholly from putting pen to paper in this cause if the intemperance of some persons giuen ouer as it seemeth to choler and reuenge and forgetting both themselues and others and the times wherein they liue had not broken foorth of late to such excesse as we are forced against our wils to put some stop or bridle to so licentious and scandalous proceedings lest it infect euen the good and trouble the strongest when they see such enormous matters passe without controlement In this iustification of his setting foorth this Apologie we gather first that scandall is not alwayes to be auoyded For as he saieth The respect of scandal should haue withheld him wholly from putting pen to paper in this case if the intemperance c. so that the intemperance belike of some persons may excuse a man doing that whereupon scandall may arise Note I pray you how this fellow can change his hew when it shall make for his purpose When hee will write himselfe then the intemperance of some persons is a sufficient excuse for him although scandall arise thereon And when he would haue others blamed who were more grieuously iniured and prouoked thereby to write then he is he can preach vnto them that S. Paul was of a spirit and iudgement contrary to theirs 1. Corinth 8. who doth so greatly exaggerate the danger of scandalizing any one of our brethren for whom Christ died as he sayd that he would rather neuer eate meate then doe it Thus saith this Apologie-maker in his Appendix fol. 16. And there he goeth on also and sheweth what Christ himselfe said Matth. 18. That it were better suffer death in most hideous manner to wit with a milstone at our neckes to be cast into the sea then to scandalize the least of them that beleeue in him that be our Christian and Catholike brethren And then he concludeth in this maner So as this other diuinitie that it may be done for sauing of our credites mainteining our good names and other commodities was not then knowen and commeth now downe from a contrary spirit and Master to Christ and S. Paul By this then it followeth that howsoeuer the Priests can auoid blame this Apologie-maker is in the lurch who hauing so great skill not onely in the sayings of S. Paul but of Christ also and in diuinity and the true meaning of it notwithstanding he thought that some scandall would growe by this his acte aduentured contrary to true diuinitie to write this Apologie The diuinitie which the priests doe professe teacheth them that the scandall of little ones is to be auoided and the scandall of Pharises is to be contemned And as they reade in one place Matth. 16. Qui scandalizauerit c. Whosoeuer shall scandalize one of these little ones which beleeue in mee it were better for him that he had a milstone hung about his necke and he drowned in the bottome of the sea So in another place they finde that Christ when his disciples told him that the Pharises were scandalized at that which he said answered Matth. 15. Sinite illos c. Let them alone they are blind and guiders of the blind There are diuers reasons set foorth by the Priests to iustifie their publishing of their bookes but to an indifferent Reader this place of the Preface is warrant inough since that in this authors opinion there needeth no other caufe then to put some stop or bridle to so licentious and scandalous proceedings least it infect euen the good and trouble the strongest when they see such enormous matters passe without controulment Was there euer any so licentious and scandalous proceedings as haue beene against the Priestes Can Fa. Listers the Iesuites treatize of Schisme be matched for excesse and passion against Catholike priests was there euer such an outrage committed in Christendome by any Catholike to another as this is Harken O ye factious ye are Rebels yee are Schismatikes and fallen out of the Church and spouse of Christ yee haue troden vnder your feete the obedience which yee owe to the highest Bishop yee haue sinned against all humane faith and authoritie by reiecting a moral certainty in a morall matter yee haue violently run into excommunication irregularitie ye haue lost your faculties by which you should haue gained soules to Christ ye haue so scandalized all the godly as now yee are generally become infamous What shall I say more ye haue sinned against Christ his chiefe Vicar and Christ himselfe the Iudge and Iusticer by your disobedience that with Samuel the Prophet we may say Quasi peccatum c. as a thing of southsaying it is to repugne and as the offence of Idolatry not to be willing to be quiet See I pray you that ye are nothing better then Southsayers and Idolaters And because yee haue not heard the Church while she spake vnto you by the chiefest Bishop yee are as Ethnickes and Publicans And here I make an end earnestly desiring the very mightie God that he will yet at the last giue you his grace lest that being thrust into sempiternall destruction with Ethnicks and Idolaters you suffer immortall paines for this your disobedience and scandall Thus farre F. Lister the Iesuite And was it not necessary that there should be some stop put or bridle to this licentious and scandalous proceeding was there not danger that the good might hereby be infected nay is it not euident that many a good soule hath bene infected and many also of the strongest troubled hereby and had not then the Priests iust cause to declare vnto the world how the case stood with them in England and to publish some reasons of their actions especially when after the peace made and all iniuries forgiuen by them the Archpriest did not onely not checke these licentious and scandalous proceedings of the Iesuits broched afresh by them but gaue them his hand in this action and incontinently published this licentious and most scandalous libell which neither hath the authors name nor is likely euer to be iustified We haue receiued a resolutiō from our mother citie that the refusers of the appointed authoritie were schismatikes And surely I would not giue absolution to any that should make no conscience thereof c. And therefore my direction is that they make account thereof and doe make
liuely represent the knowen old medicine to kill fleas by putting dust in their mouthes If but halfe of these matters here alledged were proued against the Priests doubtlesse they were to be auoyded by Catholicks as such as wanting no faults in themselues would hardly instruct others in vertue But this Author being not as yet setled to his Apologie without doubt discouereth that hee is not free from all those vices which he hath reckoned if he want any of them who vpon so smal or rather no cause or euidence would haue his Reader to enter into so rash and vile a iudgement of the Secular priests as though his Apologie were to no purpose vnlesse his Reader would carry such an vncharitable conceit of them as there should be no need of any Apologie or defence of those who are their aduersaries But now to his ground of this present contention The principall or onely ground saith he of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie is the very same disease of emulation partly of Lay men against Priests and partly of Priests against religious men especially the Fathers of the Societie with whom at this time they haue to doe c. We haue before shewed that the emulation of the Laitie against the Cleargie of which he speaketh before was for that the Cleargie were thought to be an hinderance to some designments of the Laitie and thereupon some few deuised how to indomage the Cleargie The emulation also which was said to haue bene in the Cleargie against the religious Ioâ—… Stow in Edw. 3. Anno 13â—7 hath bene shewed not to haue bene in the Cleargie but in Wickliffe and his societie surnamed by the people Lollards And if any of the Cleargie may be said to haue ioyned with Wickliffe in that his insolent and heretical attempt they were of the Religious cleargie and not of the Secular And this emulation was against the religious who had possessions Now then good sir if the principall or onely ground of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie is the very same disease of emulation you must shew what like cause the Lay men haue found in the Cleargie or the Priests in the Religious especially the Fathers of the Societie who by their rule haue no properties nor can possesse any thing T.W. in his Diâ—resâ—…on from the 16. Martyrs pag 63. as M T.W. would haue vs to thinke We haue giuen a cause before of the contrary part why the Lay men who follow the Iesuits and the Iesuits also may be thought to stirre vp themselues against some Secular Priests to wit because that some of the Secular Priests cannot bee brought to like of such plots as the Iesuits haue layd for the inuasion of our Countrey in which they haue imployed themselues oftentimes and thrust also some Secular Priests into the action although most grieuously against their wills namely in the yeere 1596. And if this Author had not vsed this parenthesis speaking of Religious men especially the Fathers of the Societie with whom at this present they haue to do we should neuer haue dreamed that this digression from hurts done in this Queenes dayes had bene made against the Priests who stand vpon their defence against the impostures of the Iesuits and their adherents because so small a number of the Laity doe stand with those priests and the priests themselues are so few by this good fellow his accompt as he disdaineth much that they are called the priests And in the 11. Chap. of the Apol. fol. 162. he alledgeth it for the second abuse sleight or shift which was vsed towards his Holines in the title of the booke dedicated vnto him wherein it is said that the troubles were betweene the Iesuits on th' one side with the Archpr. c and the Seminary priests on th' other side But no doubt herein this fellow his memory did faile him as also in another matter there mentioned For whereas here he affirmeth that the principall only ground of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie is the very same disease of emulation partly of Lay men against priests and partly of Priests against religious men especially the Fathers of the Societie In the 11. Chap fol. 161. 162. hee affirmeth that the Priests their controuersie is with the Archpr. c. and that their stomacke against the Iesuits is for standing with him and for him So as by this reckoning the case is plainely altered For if the principall and onely ground of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie be the very same disease of emulation partly of Laymen against Priests and partly of Priests against religious men especially the Iesuits to which of these two members will this Author bring this controuersie which in the 11. Chap. he saith is betweene Priests and their Archpriest he cannot bring it to the first which is of Lay men against Priests for then hee must accompt the Priests betweene whom and the Archpr. the controuersie is or the Archpr. among Lay men which I trust he will not He cannot bring it to the second which is of Priests against Religious For then the Archpr. betweene whom and the priests is the controuersie must be confessed to be religious which also as I weene he will not say especially that he is a Iesuit as hee expoundeth himselfe or a Father of the Societie with whom at this present as he saith here they the priests haue to doe For at this he laughed Num. 16. in his table of falsehoods But perchance his strayning to disgorge himselfe caused a lightnes in his head that he knew not well what hee said The filth then before shewed being now out of his stomacke For better declaration of this matter saith he I shall goe forward with the narration of those hurts and difficulties which vpon emulation haue fallen out in this our English cause vnder the Queene that now is especially concerning the Seminaries and the reduction of England by that way and meane procured for these 20. yeeres and more to wit since the beginning of the Romane English Colledge which was in the yeere 1578. at what time a contention beganne betweene M. Doct. Lewis then Archdeacon of Cambray but after B. of Cassana and the English schollers about the maner of gouernment and gouernors of that house erected especially by his procurement and industry He hath shewed you before what hurt came to England by the emulation which some Catholicks had against the restoring of a new English Clergie at Doway which notwithstanding the Seminary there florished and afterward also at Rhemes in France in such sort as England thankes be to God did not feele that hurt vntill new Lords came who were of the Iesuits faction and were forced sometime to runne with them for some respects how smal soeuer their inward deuotion was vnto them Now he will giue you to vnderstand what great hurt our English cause hath had by emulation which was at Rome
publique submission and in expresse words acknowledged his errour in that he had not so long a time obserued that saying Qui nescit dissimulare nescit viuere he that knoweth not how to dissemble knoweth not how to liue How farre foorth M.D.B. noted in the margent was a cause of that visitation I know not but if we doe not mistake the man hee was sent into England long before this visitation came to the College And as for the other two Priests whose names are set in the margent in this sort G G.E.G. who are said to haue conspired with the Councell in England and for more grace and gratification haue writ two mischieuous bookes the one saith this authour against D. Allen the other against F. Parsons and the Iesuites giuing them vp to Walsingham the Queenes Secretarie affirming also among other points to make the parties more odious as our men their successours doe at this day that these men depended of Spaniards and were enemies to their Countrey We heartily wish that this authour may liue in as good credit as the one of them liueth after all his trouble in Italy or elsewhere and die as penitent as the other died after his troubles in France He who writ against the Iesuites was too priuie to their actions aswell in England as elsewhere to be deceiued in them And if the Appellants be the men whom here this authour meaneth by these words their successors they may purge themselues very well from any offence in hauing the like thought For it is well knowen that Fa. Parsons in Spaine caused many aswell others as Priestes to subscribe as priests to the title of the Infanta now Dutches of Burgundie Fa. Tancard also hath made many to set their handes to three blanks although some refused to do it as they haue themselues reported at their returne into England We haue moreouer vnderstood that Fa. Parsons was a chiefe dealer in the sending of those Armadoes which the Spaniards haue set out for the inuasion of our Countrey and there are in England with whome hee dealt most earnestly to goe in the Nauie which was set out in the yeere 1596. who refusing to be imployed in any action against their Countrey were for that cause sent away from the College told that it was not conuenient that they should stay in the College where they had giuen example of such repugnance There is moreouer sufficient proofe that after the euill successe of the Spanish attempts Fa. Parsons carried a youth to the king of Spaine who pronounced a certaine speech for the purpose which being ended Fa. Parsons began to vrge the king to giue one attempt more affirming that he silly fellow would write his letters into England and nothing doubted to effect what should be to the great furtherance of such a iourney We haue also certaine intelligence that the Iesuites had deuised a meanes to haue had the tower of London seazed into their hands and how they would haue it held vntil the Spaniard came to rescue them Diuers of their letters haue bin shewed to diuers prisoners for proofe against them when they haue answered in defence of the Iesuites that they thought them free from such stratagems And amongst the rest there is one of the 10. of Iune 1596. wherein there are these wordes It may be if the kings faintnesse and pusillanimitie hinder vs not as heretofore it hath the Armado will be with you about August or September This is one good helpe Ireland wil be onely for vs. The Earle of Tyrone and Odonell would gladly haue helpe from hence and they are well contented to let the Spaniards haue certaine holdes and forts for their vses This will greatly pleasure to trouble and disquiet England and in the mean time serue for harbour for the ships that shall passe that way c. It were necessary you should make it knowen aforehand that no Cath. man or woman shall take harme either in body or goods Let euery man be quiet till the Spaniards be landed then shall there presently proclamation be made of all securitie There were 200. copies of these proclamations printed in Spaine Certaine other letters also haue bene seene of Fa. Parsons to his fellow Iesuits in England wherein he hath wished that the Catho would vnite themselues together set vp a king of England And in his letters of the 24. of Ianu. 1600. to the Earle of Anguise he confesseth that he dealt in such matters for 8. or 10. yeeres But if all these and many other as infallible proofes did faile vs F. Parsons booke of Succession would so farre conuince his dealing in State matters in the behalfe of Spaine as the Appellantes may without scruple charge him with it yet without any intention to make him more odious knowing it a thing very impossible if they were so minded And thus much concerning this authour his folly in indeuouring to gall the Appellantes with the name of Successors to such as affirmed that the Iesuites depended of the Spaniards and were enemies to their Countrey The next fit of emulation here mentioned is against D. Allen when he was to be made a Cardinall and it is set out with a very rich margent and much to our present matter in controuersie I warrant you But not beeing able to preuaile in this against the Card himselfe sayth this author they began to set more earnestly against the Iesuits his chiefest friends and constant defenders as well in stirring vp the schollers in Rome against the Fathers that gouerned them as also to make a faction against them by Secular Priests in England as may appeare by a letter of the Cardinals owne written most earnestly not sixe moneths before his death to a priest named Mush c. There is a speciall Treatise comming forth of the troubles of that Romane English Colledge to which I am to referre the Reader and to note no other thing in this place then that the misdemeanours of the Iesuits was the cause of all those troubles But concerning this foolish assertion that there was a faction against the Iesuits by Secular priests in England the cōtrary is most cleare as all England may witnesse and there is a letter extant of M. George Blackwell the now Archpriest wherein hee inueigheth mightily against those who had made the report that the priests and Iesuites were at strife Ianuary 1596. to th◠C. Caietane And this letter is kept in the English Colledge at Rome registred as an Oracle although perchance not for this clause so much as for the immoderate but false extolling of the Iesuits in doing infinite deeds of charitie out of the profits of their patrimonies nam minima sunt c. sayth M. Black it is not worth the speaking of which they receiue of almes c. And whereas the Card. Allen his letter is here brought to testifie a faction of either the schollers at Rome or the Secular priests in England against the
discouered in his imploying of Hesket who was executed at S. Albones for his seruice done to the same F. Holt the Iesuit and other the plotters of the raising of the noble Ferdinand Earle of Darby to the Crowne of England by the assistance of Sir William Stanley and other such like After which the good Earle likewise enioyed his life but a little while but died an vntimely death in the prime of his age How farre forward this Owen also mentioned here might be in these actions we leaue it to men of vnderstanding he being pew-fellow with F Holt in the English affaires as it should seeme by this Author And certaine letters of his of the 5. of April 1596 doe shew euidently that he was a dealer with the Spanish faction against England And whereas this Author among other his impertinent stuffe doeth here gird at the dimission of M.D.B. out of the English Colledge at Rome to quit perchance the story of that infamous expulsion of F. Parsons out of Baliol Colledge in Oxford he hath made his answer to this and set it to M. D. Ely his notes vpon the Apologie But this is also here to be noted that he was sent into England very honourably and was admitted into the sodalitie of our Lady which was at that time a fauour so ioyned with those who were esteemed well of by the Iesuits as if any of that sodalitie had bene factious or behaued themselues contrary to their liking they were expelled or reduced to a kinde of Nouiceship as some Iesuits in England can testifie This also is certaine that the visitation of which there is mention made in this Apologie to haue bene about that time was long after his departure vpon an open breach and parts-taking in the Colledge betweene the Iesuits and many of the Students And thus much concerning Iohn of Gaunt Iohn Wickliffe the dissolution of Abbeyes in the time of King Henry the 8 the Q. Mary Priests the going to Church the emulation against the institution of the Seminaries the dealings of the Counsell by spies to further the diuision begun in and for the Seminaries the parting of some Gentlemen from D. Allen F. Parsons Sir Frances Englefield and the whole body of Catholicks vnited in certaine affaires of our Countrey more matters against the Seminaries the writings of G. G. and E. G. against D. Allen F. Parsons and the Iesuits the hinderance of D. Allen when he was to be made Cardinall and the setting vp of his emulator and the breaking foorth of all factions against the Iesuits in Rome Flanders and England Now we shall come to more domesticall affaires And first of all we must vnderstand that Fa. Parsons comming to Rome in the yeere 1597 made an end of those stirres which were betweene the English students and the Iesuits which we are not here to examine but referre the Reader to the particuler discourse which is made thereof That which concerneth vs here is the bold and vnshamefast assertion of this Author who to make a lewd entrance into a like relation he telleth his Reader that the association which was begun in England by the Priests was deuised by the relicks of the troublesome which F. Parsons had after his comming to Rome acquieted These are his words But the relicks of those that had bene troublesome and vnquiet before comming into England and conferring againe with their consorts of their former actions and designements frustrated as they thought by F. Parsons dealing at Rome resolued to begin againe but after another fashion to wit by deuising a certaine new Association among themselues with offices and prelacies of their owne institution where unto meaning to be chosen by voyces of such as they would procure to fauour them his Holines should be inforced afterward to confirme them c. What is it vpon which this audacious companion will not aduenture who so shamelesly will report a matter controllable by all the Catholicks in England who can witnes that this Association was begunne long before the yeere 1597 and consequently before Fa. Parsons came to Rome as may apparantly be gathered out of this place of the Apologie Yea Fa. Parsons himselfe as good proofe will bee made had vnderstanding of this Association when he was in Spaine and M. Iames Standish who was one of the first dealers therein was at Rome before Fa. Parsons came thither And could this fellow without a vizard publish that it was deuised by the relicks of those troublesome as hee termeth them whose designements were frustrated as they thought by Fa. Parsons dealing at Rome Is it not easily seene with what spirits assistance this is written when as this very same Author in the same booke Ca. 7. fol. 89. turneth this matter to M. Mush and an other vpon his returne from Rome the death of the Card. which was in the yeere 1594 and fol. 90. bringeth witnes of his owne that it begun about 4. or 5. yeres before a letter dated the 2. of May in the yeere of our Lord 1601 And fol. 96. the examination of Fisher conuinceth most plainely that it was begun before his being returned backe out of England in the yeere 1597 as appeareth fol. 93. Moreouer that which here in generall termes he calleth offices and prelacies of the Priests institution in the 7. Chap. fol. 90 he calleth a superioritie as it were of Archbishops the one for the South the other for the North which if it had bene so was no prelacie of these Priests institution as all Christendome will witnes But there was no such matter as M. Blackwell his pen will witnes which was vsed to proue how inconuenient it was for one to haue so great a charge neither can this Author proue that euer there was any thing intended but an order or rule vnder which who would might liue and those who would not might chuse And there is asmuch confessed in this Apologie Cap. 7. fol. 90 where wee finde in the letters of the sixe Assistants to the Nuntius in Flanders of the 2. of May 1601 that there were Chapters in the new constitutions of the Association of those that are to bee admitted or expelled Which is a demonstration that this fellow enlargeth himselfe too farre beyond the trueth in this point as also when he affirmeth that those relicks of the troublesome at Rome deuised a new Association in England with offices and prelacies of their owne institution as if they were Archbishops the one for the North the other for the South as Cap. 7. he explicateth himselfe and addeth here in this place a stranger conceit then was in all the rest that is that his Holines should be inforced afterward to confirme them For how this force should be offered to his Holines we do not vnderstand especially if it were true as it is as far from the trueth as that which we haue already shewed which fol. 90. is said that this Association was to the preiudice of others And
any money for them onely they must pay for the sawce which according to the custome of the faire they must haue or els they must haue no goose O happy day wherein that faire was first instituted and a secret discouered which no Catholike Kings or Prelats could euer attaine vnto And thrice happy are they who by the light as it should see me of that day did see to make that Statute in the third yere of the Archipres byterie of M. George Blackwell vidi preuaricantes c. 18. Octob. 1600 wherein al right to appeale to Rome being most Catholikely conserued the penalties therein conteined doe onely light vpon such as haue set their hands to that which is prefixed to the Appeale which is nothing els but the causes thereof without which according to the custome and Canons of holy Church the appeale is of no force and are therefore by name to be expressed as we haue before shewed out of the Clementine Appellantide Appellationibus Now it remaineth that we shew when and vpon what occasions the Statutes were made by which the prouisions from Rome and some Appeales to Rome were forbidden First concerning these prouisions there was a statute made either in the 30. or 35. or as some other affirme 25. Edward 1. which was aboue 300. yeeres since wherein it is agreed and established that they should not be suffered There was also the like statute made in the 25. yere of Edw. 3 to the like effect by which it was forbidden that any should be placed in any dignitie without the assent of the King The same is also forbidden in the Parliament holden in the 38. of the same King The occasions of enacting these statutes are set downe as well in that of the 25. of Edw. 1. as elsewhere the iustice of those which were made in the time of Edw. 3. is the more apparant by a letter which hee and his nobles sent in the 17. yeere of his reigne to his Hol. to haue redresse for such defaults as were in that kind committed The Letter was to this effect King Edward and his Nobles perceiuing the derogation that was done to the Realme by such reseruations prouisions and collations of benefices as the Pope practised here in England wrote to him requiring him that sith the Churches of England had beene founded and endowed by noble and worthy men to the end the people might be instructed by people of their owne language and that he being so farre off could not vnderstand the defaults yet his predecessors and hee more then had been vsed by diuers reseruations prouisions and collations made to diuers persons some strangers yea and some enemies to the Realme whereby the money and profits were carried forth their Cures not prouided for according to the founders minds they therefore vpon due considerations thereof signified vnto him that they could not suffer such enormities any longer and therefore besought him to reuoke such reseruations prouisions and collations wholly to auoid such slanders mischiefes and harmes as might ensue and that the Cures might be committed to persons meete for the exercises of the same beseeching him further without delay to signifie his intention sith they meant to bestow their diligence to remedie the matter and see that redresse might be had Giuē in full Parliament at Westminster 18. of May Anno Dom. 1343. Thus far out of Iohn Stow 17. Edw. 3. where he also citeth Auesburie and Honingford Secondly concerning the forbidding of the appeales to Rome we find a Statute made in the 27. of Edw. 3. against those who shall drawe any person in plea out of the Realme of a thing whereof the knowledge appertained to the Kings Court or of such things whereof iudgement was giuen in the Kings courts or should sue in any other courts to defeate or let the iudgements giuen in the Kings Court. To these and other Statutes to the like effect the author of the Apologie affirmeth that the Catholike Bishops neither did nor could assent But whatsoeuer may be said for or against this position concerning the appeales no man can in reason think but that they both might very well and did assent to those statutes which were made against the prouisions or bestowing of dignities in England without the kings consent the causes are so apparantly layd downe by the King and the Nobles for that abridging of his Holines his promoting whom he would and to what dignities hee would in England And thus much may be alledged in the behalfe of the consent of the spirituall Lords to the statute against those appeales That in the new great abridgement printed Anno 1551. there is this clause set to the end of some statutes But the spirituall Lords assented not to this statute And there is no such note set to any of these Statutes which we haue here cited It is also euident that these statutes were not made vpon any heate of emulation against the Clergie for as we finde that in the 38. yeere of King Edw. 3. the statutes against those prouisions made in the 25. and 27. of the same King are confirmed although there be some fauour giuen to the Lords and Prelats offendors so in the 39 yeere of the same King which was the next yeere after we find that the Clergie in England was in as great honour as any Clergie in the worlde as may be shewed by the offices which the Bishops and Priests had then in England For the Bishop of Canterbury was Lord Chancellour of England the Bishop of Bath was L. Treasurer the Archdeacon of Lincolne was Lord priuie Seale the Parson of Somersam was master of the Rolles ten beneficed Priests were masters of the Chancerie the Deane of S. Martins le grand was chiefe Chancellour of the Exchequer Receiuer and Keeper of the Kings Treasure and Iewels the Archd. of Northampton was Chancellor of the Exchequer a Prebendarie of S. Martins was Clerk of the priuie Seale a Prebendarie of S. Steuens was Treasurer of the Kings house the Parson of Auon or Oundell was master of the Wardrobe the Parson of Fenny Stanton was one of the Chamberlaines of the Excheq and Keeper of the Kings Treasury and Iewels Other of the Clergie are noted to haue ben in office also in France in Ireland as well as in England Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the fourth sonne of King Edward 3. hauing the gouernement of England committed vnto him in the time of his fathers last sickenesse which was in the 50. and 51. of his reigne disposed so farre of matters and offices as he conceiued some possibility to attaine to the Crown and to depriue his nephew Richard of Burdeaux who was sonne to the Blacke prince Edward the eldest sonne of King Edward the third But perceiuing that it would be hard for him to obtaine his purpose so long as the Church stood in that estate it did and the citizeens of London enioyed their liberties hee laboured to ouerthrow them both
For the ruine of the Citie liberties he deuised that it should no more be gouerned by the Maior and Aldermen but by some Captaine appointed for the purpose And that the Marshall of England who then was a trustie friend of his and placed in that office by him should vse his authoritie as well in London and the liberties thereof as els where which the Commons taking in euill part rose together in great multitudes and in heate of emulation to vse this authors words sought the Duke and the Marshall with such fury as if the Bishop of London had not happened to appease them the Duke and the Marshall had not escaped them But when all was quiet and the best of the Citie for the common sort would not obey it had giuen such satisfaction as the king commanded the Duke tooke exceptions thereat affirming that they knew his minde and were not ignorant how to make satisfaction with which words sayth the historie the citizens were much troubled for quoth they among themselues hee would haue vs to proclaime him King but this shall neuer be done The way which hee tooke to ouerthrow the estare of the Church was by countenancing Iohn Wickliffe who by reason of an hypocriticall demeanour among the Common people had gotten an opinion of holinesse Hee had liued as a secular priest but afterward hee changed his habit and conuersed with the Friars mendicants Hee and his company went bare footed and in course russet garments down to the heeles They preached especially against Monkes and other religious men that had possessions and for this cause got in some fauour with the Religious who had no possessions and were assisted by them in that cause This Wickliffe being called before his Ordinary to answere for certaine wordes spoken by him was brought in by the Duke and the Marshal into S. Pauls Church in London and was bidden by them to sit downe as hauing much to answere which when the Bishop Courtney of London vnderstoode hee countermanded it Whereupon the Duke and the Marshall tooke occasion of anger against the Bishop and the Duke threatned to pull downe both the pride of him and of all the Bishops of England He had before caused all the goods of the Bishop Wickham of Winchester to be seized on and would not suffer him to make his answere and had persecuted others who had bene most vsed by his father in the gouernement of the Realme But shortly this Bishop had his temporalties restored vnto him by king Edward against the Dukes will and presently after the Duke and he were made friends at the very beginning of the reigne of King Richard the second who succeeded King Edward the third And this accord was not onely made betweene them but also betweene the Duke and the citie And thus ceased that heate of emulation so soone as it was begun and yet it began not vntill the 50 or 51 yeere of K. Ed. the 3 in whose 17 25 27 38 yeres of his reigne the statutes before cited were begun to be treated of made concerning the abridging of prouisions for dignities from Rome and the forbidding of Appeales in some cases to Rome besides what we brought concerning the first of these two points out of a statute made aboue 300 yeres since to wit in the 25 of Ed. the first By which it may appeare that it was treated concerning these points before Wickliffe rose how deceitfully these matters are layd vpon a heate of emulation against the Clergie And although in the 9 yere of the reign of K. Rich. the 2 there was a Bil put vp in the Parliament against the Clergy for their temporalties the King hearing sayth the story the inordinate cryings out of the Laity the iust answeres of the Clergy cōmanded that the bil should be cancelled such inordinate petitions to cease affirmed that he would preserue the church during his time in as good state as he foūd it or in better And the king being then not past 20 yeeres of age no doubt but his nobles counselled him in this his answere which is an argument that at that time the aduersaries of the Clergy did beare no great sway in England In the 18. yeere also of his reigne the Clergie and religious men being oppugned by certaine fauourers of those hypocritical Lollards the King being in Ireland certified therof hastened home and threatned those fellowes that if they did from thencefoorth fauour the Lollards or in any wise comfort them he would extreamly punish them By which it is euident that what was enacted or confirmed by him in the 16 yeere of his reigne which was two yeres before this or at other times concerning those points cannot bee construed to haue bene done by heate of emulation against the Clergie King Henry also the fourth who was sonne of Iohn of Gaunt and succeeded King Richard the second was so great an enemy to these Lollards as in the beginning of his reigne at a Parliament held in London he made a statute against them wherein it was enacted that they should be apprehended and deliuered to the Bishop of the Diocesse and if they were found obstinate they should be degraded and committed to the secular iurisdiction to be executed And in the fifth yere of his reigne when some to relieue his want made a motion in the Parliament to haue the Clergie depriued of their temporalties and Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterburie had giuen his reasons to the contrary the king and his Nobles stood for the Bishops and those knights of the parliament who were actors against the Clergie were brought to confesse their offence and to aske forgiuenesse thereof To conclude no one of these statutes were euer repealed by any of our princes Catholike or other which concerned those prohibitions of prouisions from Rome or pleading of matters out of this Realme the knowledge whereof did appertaine vnto the kings Court although some particular clause concerning the punishment of the offenders hath been repealed As for example where it was lawfull for any man or at the least not punishable by our lawes to kill such as were out of the kings protection or to be taken as the Kings enemies by offending against these statutes And in the first yeere of Queene Mary whom the Author of the Apologie will bee ashamed to number amongst the worst kings for according to the statutes of our Realme what prerogatiues soeuer any kings haue had they are to be vnderstood to be fully and wholly in the Queenes who come by succession to the Crowne when no doubt these statutes were in minde it was enacted that all offences made felonie or limitted or appointed to be within the case of Premunire by any act or actes of Parliament statute or statutes made sithence the first day of the first yere of the raigne of the late king of famous memory King Henry the eighth not being felony before nor within the case of Premunire
and also all and euery branch article and clause mentioned or in any wise declared in any of the same statutes concerning the making of any offence or offences to be felony or within the case of Premunire not being felonie nor within the case of Premunire before and all paines and forfeitures concerning the same or any of them should from thenceforth be repealed and vtterly void and of none effect King Henrie the eighth also when he was so deuoted to the Catholike faith and particularly to the Sea of Rome as he gaue monethly 60000 angels towards the pay of an Armie vnder Mounsieur de Foy for the deliuery of Pope Clement the 7 when he was holden prisoner in the Castel Angel in Rome by the Duke of Bourbon his Armie and the prince of Oringe Yea when Pope Leo the the tenth esteemed of him as of the best prince in Christendome and either to his deserts or vnder them gaue him this glorious title Defender of the faith he did so far foorth execute the law of Premunire against all forraine prouisions of dignities and authority to be practised within his Realme without his assent as the Cardinal Wolsey notwithstanding an extraordinary affection in the king towards him dared not to exercise his power Legantine vntill he was licenced therunto by the king vnder his hand and broad seale Io Stow. 21. Hen 8. which he pleaded that he had when he was indited afterward in a Premunire for his exercise thereof And yet was the king himselfe a sutor to the Pope to giue that authority to the Cardinal as may be seene in the tenth yeere of his reigne which was about three yeeres before he was intituled Defender of the faith But all aswell princes as other must stand to this good fellow his checke and if they displease him it is enough to haue them accounted in the highest degree of badnesse how pious and godly soeuer hee esteemed them before with the same breath But now concerning that which is sayd by the Priests of Bishop Watson that he refused vpon these statutes all externall iurisdiction offered him ouer his fellowe prisoners this good fellow sayth that it is most contumelious and false Whome shall we beleeue in this case those who were Priests and fellow prisoners with him and were present at the offer and his refusall and are eare witnesses therof or this peremptorie fellow who careth not what passeth him But perchance his reason may ouerpeaze the relation of these witnesses although for many respects most reuerend For sayth hee that had bene to deny his Holines Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in England Marke I pray you this reason and weigh it with that which is before saide and shewed concerning this point Card. Wolsey would not exercise his power Legantine in England vntill he had licence of his Maiestie as appeareth by his plea before cited and yet neither the king nor he denied his Holines Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in England as appeareth by that the king of England made request to Pope Leo to constitute Card. Wolsey his Legate in England and behaued himselfe so Catholikely as hee was called Defendor of the faith Also the most Catholike Bishops who liued in the times of many and those most Catholike Princes without al doubt obserued the law yet no way were to be touched as this peremptory companion would haue them with a deniall of his Holines iurisdiction in England And in the Parliament holden 16. Rich 2. the Bishops doe make a difference betweene authoritie in the Pope to excommunicate and the execution thereof in England Moreouer this Doctor Watson when he was made a Bishop hee had licence of her Maiestie who then was before he would take vpon him to vse his Episcopall iurisdiction in England as he related himselfe to some yet liuing of credit And no doubt this was done vpon the same ground that lawe of Praemunire standing in full force in her time as being neuer repealed but rather suffered voluntarily to stand in full force as may be gathered by an acte primo Mariae yet no Catholike doubteth but that her Maiestie did acknowledge the Popes authoritie in England as appeareth by her repealing diuers statutes made by her father to take away the Popes authority in England Anno 1. 2. Philip. Mariae So that the folly of this fellow is exceeding great in giuing this reason why the Bishop could not refuse all externall iurisdiction offered him from his Holines Againe although Doctor Watson were Bishop of Lincolne and had vsed his iurisdiction in that Diocesse by the licence or permission of Queene Mary yet he was neuer Bish of Ely in which Dioces these prisoners liued who offered him that externall iurisdiction so that his refusing all externall iurisdiction ouer his fellowe prisoners is no way to be brought within the compasse of denying his Holines Ecclesiastical iurisdiction in England And if his Episcopal iurisdiction were so inlarged by his Holines that he might haue vsed it ouer all England yet might he most iustly haue refrained from the present exercise thereof in that ample maner hauing neuer had any such license or assent from his Soueraigne according to that Statute which was made 25. Edw. 3. wherein it is enacted that first the Kings license to chuse was to be demanded and after election his royall assent was to be had And as he was not to expect that a Prince of a contrary Religion should legitimate any such authoritie in him so he was to assure him selfe that a Prince of a contrary Religion would take hold of that Statute against him seeing that Princes who were of the same Religion did both enact it and cause it to be most strictly obserued and yet they neuer denyed his Holines Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in England And by this it is made most manifest how Bishop Watson might acknowledge his Episcopall iurisdiction from Rome and yet refuse to exercise the same without deniall of the Popes Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in England any more then for 200. yeeres together al the Catholike Bishops in England did before him But I cannot a little marueile that this authour would compare the association intended in England with this Archipresbyterie which is so pontificall or maiesticall as the Title which by vertue thereof he vseth is enough to make such meane men as his fellowes are not to know which way to looke For thus he writeth himselfe George Blackwell by the grace of God and the ordinance of the Sea Apostolike Archpriest of England We will put the case that the association intended had gone forward but then how sayth he would that haue stood without externall turisdiction seeing that one of these two points they must confesse that either they would haue asked confirmation thereof from Rome and consequently it would haue beene an externall iurisdiction as well as this of the Archpr. or else they would haue gouerned absolutely of themselues without any dependance or approbation of his Holinesse And
the Pope as Fa Parsons saide to M. Charnocke at Rome Why can they not now do aswell without it as heretofore Or some other perchance might put into the Popes head that which some Iesuites put into some of the Catholikes heads in England it cannot last long now the next yeere we shall haue Masse openly in Paules or as a Iesuite hauing once promised a gentleman in recompence of an iniurie done vnto him to get him a dispensation to marry his kinswoman and being sued vnto to remember his promise answered that he vnderstood that the Card. Allen was now vpon his cōming into England and would be here shortly and dispatch by him selfe this and many other such cases Vpon how many motiues may a thing from one small time to an other bee deferred which notwithstanding might bee thought necessary Can any Catholike thinke that amongst all Countries christened onely England must be depriued of the benefite of this Sacrament and that the Sacrament which is as properly instituted to strengthen Christians in persecution as Baptisme is to make Christians must not be granted to the English as their case standeth For what els can these his words imply albeit his Holinesse and predecessors hitherto haue not thought the vse of this Sacrament necessarie in England during the time of our persecution Belike then it is necessary in time of persecution but we in England must not haue it Hath he not well holpen the matter and as for that foolish parenthesis as in deede to no man in any time it is absolutely necessary to saluatiō to what end is it here brought who hath euer said that it is at any time absolutely necessary to saluation Baptisme by water is not absolutely necessary to saluation as some Martyrs haue prooued and yet our Sauiour saith Iohn 3. Vnlesse a man be borne againe by water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of God The like phrase of speech implying necessitie is vsed by our Sauior concerning the receiuing of the Sacrament of his bodie and yet no man doth say Iohn 6. that it is absolutely necessary to saluation This question was not whether the Sacrament of confirmation was absolutely necessary to saluation for this must haue set a stint vpon the power of God but the question was whether that confirmation were necessary in time of persecution in Spaine if you will when God shall suffer it or in Italy if in England and in the English persecution it be not thought necessary And if it can be prooued that at the least somewhere this Sacrament is necessarie in the time of persecution the proposition which the priestes did make is neither scandalous nor temerarious nor false doctrine it being euident to all men of sense that the one part of a disiunctiue proposition being true the whole proposition is true As for example if a man say of a Swanne this Swanne is either white or blacke His proposition is so true as no man of any sense can deny it although it were a most ridiculous assertion to say that the Swan were blacke If then we can proue that confirmation is most necessarie in time of persecution he would be prooued to haue bene ouer hastie who snatched so greedily at this proposition It is either most necessary in time of persecution or a vaine and superfluous ceremony in Gods Church The necessity thereof in time of persecution is thus proued That by which onely a speciall grace is giuen to strengthen a Christian against the assaults of the persecutor is most necessary in time of persecution The Sacrament of Confirmation is that by which onely a speciall grace is giuen to strengthen a Christian against the assaults of the persecutor Therefore The Sacrament of Confirmation is most necessary in time of persecution The first proposition is euident by light of nature The second proposition is so generally receiued of all Catholike Diuines as they doe anathematize whosoeuer denyeth it and it is made plaine by induction For in Baptisme wee receiue grace for remission of originall sinne and all other if we haue any at the receiuing of that Sacrament but we doe not receiue any speciall grace to resist the persecutor and so likewise doe wee receiue grace to such and such particular end by all the other Sacraments But the grace by which wee are strengthened to combat with the persecutor is only giuen vnder this name by the Sacrament of Confirmation And for this cause doeth Pope Vrbane as he is cited de Consecra dist 5. cap. 1. affirme that all Christians must be confirmed and in the same place Melchiades the Pope is cited who affirmeth that the helpes which wee haue by Confirmatiō are necessary for those who liue for in his time all Christians liued in persecution Hosius citeth this Epistle of Melchiades more at large in his booke entituled Confessio Catholicae fidei Christianae cap. 38. where the Pope compareth the Sacrament of Baptisme to the admission into a warrefare and the Sacrament of Confirmation to the furniture for the battaile And to shew further how necessary this Sacrament is in time of persecution he applyeth to it that saying Nisi Dominus custodierit ciuitatem c. vnlesse the Lord keepe the citie he watcheth in vaine who keepeth it And afterwards to this doubt what did the comming of the holy Ghost profit the Apostles after the passion and resurrection of Christ He maketh this answer that thereby they were made able to that to which they were not before for that before the comming of the holy Ghost the Apostles for very feare denyed Christ but after that the holy Ghost was come vnto them they were armed to suffer martyrdome And to conclude this Pope telleth vs that by this sacrament we obtaine amongst other gifts that gift of vnderstanding of which it is said Intellectum tibidabo c. I wil giue thee vnderstanding and instruct thee in this way in which thou goest The same Hosius in the same Chapter citeth S. Clement who succeeded S. Peter and Cornelius who attributeth the fall of Nouatus the heretike to the want of this Sacrament of Confirmation for Nouatus falling dangerously sicke after that he was dispossessed was baptized but not confirmed as he ought to haue bene according to the rule of the Church This Epistle is in the 6. booke of Eusebius his Ecclesiasticall historie cap. 43. By these and other the like doth Hosius prooue that baptisme is for those that come in confirmation for those who fight King Henry the 8. in his book against Martin Luther hauing discoursed vpon this Sacrament citeth those wordes out of Hugo de S. Victore Illic gratia tribuitur adremissionem peccatorum hîc gratia datur ad confirmationem Quid autem prodest si à lapsu erigeris nisi ad standum confirmeris That is There that is by baptisme is grace giuen for the remission of sinnes here that is by confirmation is grace giuen for
there is a scornefull speech of the degree of Doctour in Diuinitie where speaking of Master Doctour Bagshaw thus he saith and all this stirre to make roome to his Doctourship a degree wont to be honoured among honest Catholike priestes which God knoweth in what corner of the worlde he got it and how worthily but certaine it is as farre as we are informed by ordinary commendation of his Superiours he had it not God and the world knoweth that he had his Doctorship at which this silly fellow gybeth in no corner of the world vnlesse one of the most famous Vniuersities in Italy be to be tearmed a corner of the world For it is well knowen that hee tooke his Doctourship in Padua and hee tooke it so woorthily as this poore fellow might come learne diuinitie of him these many yeeres although his grauitie perchance would thinke much thereof And it is certaine also howsoeuer this fellow is informed that he had it by the ordinary commendation of his Superiour who at that time was no other then his Holinesse who in his predecessours time admitted all into the degree of Doctourship who should be iudged worthy thereof by such as were in office for that purpose in that Vniuersitie aswell as in all others and the most iniurious Breue which afterwardes the Iesuites procured against all Englishmen aswell Diuines as Lawyers was not as yet procured by them But this fellow his griefe is that he or any other should take degrees vnlesse they would become of their faction which maketh them to haue so many venerable Doctours for them and so forward as some of them haue not blushed to take vpon them to heare and determine the matters of such learned men as were iudged most worthy of that degree and had it and other honourable places in Gods Church when these were blockheaded boyes and cannot but mooue wonder and also laughter to those who knewe them to thinke in what corner or how they came to be made Doctours But they were the fittest subiects for Iesuites to worke vppon and stood most in neede of extraordinarie commendations from such Superiours as here this Authour would that M. D. Bagshaw should haue had for the taking of his degree As for the other points touched in this sixt chapter concerning the stirres in Wisbich I am to referre the Reader to a relation set out thereof before this Apologie appeared and to that which M.D. Bagshaw hath set foorth already at the ende of M. D. Ely his notes and what others now touched here shal hereafter say of these matters CHAP. 12. How this present controuersie is dissembled and fetched from a head in Flanders by the Apologie-maker Apol. ca. 7. IN the seuenth Chapter of the Apologie the Author intendeth to shewe the generall troubles and disquietnesse which were raised among the English Catholikes in Flaunders and England during the former stirres in Rome and Wisbich and how the one gaue hand vnto the other that all proceeded from different members of the selfe same faction And this his narration of the Flemish troubles he beginneth at the yere of our Lord 1588. and continueth it with many idle discourses and altogether impertinent to the present controuersie But when he hath told his tale of those matters then he patcheth thereunto the stirres in England with an As in the cōtrouersie against F. Holt others in Flanders these few had against them all the body of our Cath. nation c. So fareth it now in England where a very few at the beginning partly vpon stomacke and auersion or rather discontentment partly of ambition vnquietnes of spirit and desire of contention as by their doings may appeare they began to oppose themselues against the whole streame of other Catholikes deuising particular wayes for their owne preferment The admirable mildnesse of this Apologie-maker and his true religious pietie But it is great pitie to interrupt him for he meaneth to shewe his reader the true state of the question and thus hee proceedeth And since that time haue drawen in diuers other one vpon one motiue another vpon another some for preferrement some for discontentment some for other occasions to take their parts and being once engaged to leape with them from an inch to an ell from a little slide to a headlong precipitation A godly procession but where is the true state of the question Forsooth and this is the true state of the question Happie is he who can vnderstand it A few discontented vpon such causes as this author affirmeth began to oppose themselues against the whole streame of other Catholikes but you must goe looke wherein and those fewe made some other to leape from an inch to an ell and this is the true state of the question How haue we hitherto bene deceiued in taking the true state of the question to be in matters principally between the Secular Priests and the Iesuits as sometime we are told in this Apologie namely in the first Chapter fol. 2. or betweene the Secular Priests and their Archpriest principally as other sometime we are tolde in the same Apologie cap. 11. fol. 161 Now we must beleeue that the true state of the question is betweene some fewe and the whole streame of other Catholikes But what skilleth it since that euery thing is vsed in his place to some good purpose for the bringing about that which is principally intended by the authors of the Apologie The opposition then against the whole streame of Catholikes and particular deuises for preferment with the making diuers other to leape or slide must here be suggested to be the true state of the question which how deeply it may touch the Iesuits and their factious adherents is or will be declared elsewhere to wit with what ambition they sought their owne preferment in the castle of Wisbich and with what scandall they wrought it by a most wicked separation or schisme at what time the true state of the question was whether the Iesuites and their fellow-factious committed any sinne or did like Christians in making that diuision in Wisbich from their fellow prisoners and priests as they were suffering all vnder that name of Catholikes and Catholike priests Secondly with what ambition vnquietnesse of spirit and desire of contention the Iesuites began to oppose themselues against other Catholike priests when they writ that wicked and senslesse libell of schisme omitting no name of disgrace which a Iesuits malice could deuise at what time the true state of the question was whether the priests were bound to subiect themselues to an authoritie procured by falshood as the letters of institution shewed proposed with falshood as then the Archpriest being taken in the manner could not deny put in execution contrary to the tenour thereof hauing no letters from his Holinesse besides whom the Priestes had no knowen Superiour either for the erection of that authoritie nor any testimonie that any other had power giuen vnto them by him to make
and how it was ordained and intimated by the Protector called in question by some discōtented brethren without reason or authoritie and how great troubles haue ensued thereof And first he beginneth to declare the motiues or causes of this Subordination in this maner When his Holines heard the former state of matters in England Flanders and other places and of the murmurations of some against the Fathers of the Societie set downe as well in the aforesaid contumelious Memoriall as by diuers other letters and relations which came to the Protectors sight and by him was related to his Holines and namely when he receiued great store of priuate and publique letters out of England against the said Memoriall of Fisher and some one with aboue 100. hands at it other with 40. and 50. all in fauour and commendation of the Fathers their labours and behauiour in England against the said slanderous Memoriall And in the margent there is this note See the letters of the Northern Priests 24. Martij 1598. and others 20 of April and others after 30. Iuly And others of the South in great number 18 of May and of the quiet sort of Wisbich 27. of March 1598. it followeth in the text and many other in seuerall letters of principall men which are yet extant but are not yet to be seene when also diuers of these did expresly demand some subordination and gouernment of Secular Priests to take away this emulation of some few against the Fathers as though all but a few would haue had them to haue bene their masters and that two lately came out of England at this very time one a Iesuit the other a Secular Priest bate me an ace quoth he for M. Standish had giuen his name before to become a Iesuite and therefore a vassaile of theirs although he retained still the habite of a Secular priest that vnder that habit he might the more cunningly deceiue his Holines each of them vrging the same in behalfe of the one and other order a couple of fit Proctors for the purpose But when all this was done What then Forsooth his Holines after mature deliberation resolued to yeeld thereunto hoping hereby to quiet all as well for that the Secular priests should by this meanes haue gouernours of their owne as also for that the Fathers by all likelyhood should remaine free from all matter of calumniation about gouerning Secular priests for the time to come How currant would this tale be if one of the most necessary matters there were not that the Archpriest must aduise still with the Iesuits in his greatest affaires for so he is commanded in his instructions and consequently the Fathers by all likelyhood do not remaine free from all maner of calumniation as he termeth it about gouerning Secular priests And doubtlesse if it be a calumniation to say the Fathers do gouerne the Secular priests what is it when they are not said to gouerne but doe really gouerne by order as is said from his Holines in great matters and of their owne great deuotion in all other by the Archpriest his blinde obedience vnto them But now to the maine motiue of this Subordination and that which caused his Holines to consult for some moneths and to seeke for informations out of England of the quiet at the least for the fittest men for gouernment as this author immediatly suggesteth we must conceiue some such strange miracle as that there was some extraordinary day weeke or moneth in which this motiue was made consultation had and information giuen In this chapter fol. 102. it is confessed and if it were not it would bee otherwise prooued that the Cardinals letters by which the authority was instituted did beare date the seuenth of March in the yeere 1598. This then being dispatched at that time what time would a reasonable man haue allowed for the trauailing of the motiues thereof out of England to Rome How many wil he gesse those moneths to be which are here said by this author that his Hol. tooke to consult and to haue intelligence from the quiet in England of the fittest men for gouernment and could heare but of seuen in all England wherof one was dead to wit M. D. Henshaw The sunne who kept his course in England and saw how the Iesuites were calumniated as men that would gouerne the Secular priests stayed his course at Rome for the space of fiue or sixe moneths And whereas the Romanes had gotten the start of vs in England for some tenne dayes in the course of the yeere now the English had gotten the start of them and made their seuenth day of March come many moneths after ours For as it is sayd this authoritie was made at Rome vpon the seuenth of March 1598 and it was made vpon certaine informations as appeareth here in the margent fol. 98. which were sent out of England some the 24 of March some the 27 some the 20 of April some the 18 of May some the 30 of Iuly in the same yere 1598 to which if we should allow a time for the motiues to trauaile to Rome and some moneths for his Holinesse to consult and send backe againe into England for informations of the fittest men for gouernment I trowe the same would haue rested himselfe well at Rome howsoeuer hee laboured elsewhere to haue an authoritie instituted vpon these motiues consultations and informations vpon the seuenth of March at Rome in the same yere 1598. And least that they should bee idle at Rome any time of this long day In Rome also saith this Author the opinions were asked by the Protector of the principall English that resided there and could best informe as namely Father Parsons that had often aduice from thence from his fellow Iesuits and therefore could the better informe for his owne purpose Fa. Baldwin lately come from England a iolly bold yong fellow but a Iesuite and therefore a principal man M. D. Haddocke M. Martin Array whose fayrest game was to please the Iesuits M. Iames Standish who had giuen his name to the Iesuits to become one of their Order and others that had laboured in the English vineyard perchance Fa. Warford who was become also a Iesuite and helped to make vp a very fit Iurie to passe vpon the priests as also M. Thomas Allen nephew to the late Cardinall and diuers else not worthy the naming yet might very well be of the Councell the plot was so wisely cast who concurring with the opinion of letters comming out of England hee hath before told you what letters and when they were written some of them in Aprill some in May some in Iuly as also with diuers other principall men that wrote thereof from Spaine Flanders and other places some diuine intelligencers both of the necessitie of some Subordination to be made they had belike vnderstood of the Iesuits their ambitious humor wherewith they had begun to trouble all England namely about their insolent Agencie in Wisbich
vnlesse we take omission so generally as it may include all the sinnes in the world for that by sinning a man omitteth to fulfil that which he is commanded In which sense there is no sinne but there is an omission as a condition included in it as Gregory of Valentia speaketh of materiall disobedience in the place cited Quae-materialis inobedientia nihil aliudest quà m transgressio cuiuscunque praecepti in materia cuiusuis virtutis atque ita non distinguitur ab alijs peccatis sed est conditio quaedam generalis inclusa in omnibus peccatis hoc ipso quod peccatum omne est contra praeceptū Materiall disobedience is nought else but a transgression of euery precept in the subiect or matter of euery vertue insomuch as it is not distinguished from the other sins but is a certaine generall condition included in all sinnes in that euerie sinne is against the commandement Therefore although there be an omission included in euery sinne and the sinner may iustly be said to haue omitted as there is a disobedience in euery sinne and the sinner may be said to haue disobeyed yet is he no more to be said to haue sinned by omission then by disobedience but by doing this or that for example by theft or murther and such like This part then of materiall disobedience as our author calleth it or as Gregory of Valentia sayth of formall disobedience is shewed not to haue place in the sinne of Adam Achan Saul let vs see how handsomely their sinnes will be deduced to the other branches of materiall disobedience which here this author spreadeth or doe sayth he some other thing contrarie thereunto that is contrary to that which is commanded Now we are to aske how or in what sort a man is said to doe some other thing contrary to that which hee is commanded If a man be bidden to goe vpon the right hand hee is properly said to doe some other thing contrary to that hee is commanded if he goe vpon the left hand for it is another thing and it is contrary to the commandement Likewise if a man be bidden to stand still and not mooue if he doe runne he doth some other thing contrary to the commandement or if any other man can better explicate what it is to doe some other thing contrary to a commaundement I will willingly learne of him This authour then when he would reduce the sinne of Adam to this kind of materiall disobedience who is to doe some other thing contrary to that which was commanded in my vnderstanding he knoweth not what he saith Adam was commanded that he should not eate the apple now I would know what was Adams disobedience This author fol. 111. affirmeth that Adam did simply disobey by eating the apple which was forbidden But now what will hee say for hee hath brought Adams offence in the roll of doing some other thing contrary to the commandement And if Adams sinne were nothing but a simple disobedience by eating the apple as he sayth fol. 111. then was not Adams sinne a materiall disobedience in that kind which here he putteth because he did no other thing contrary to that which was commaunded but did the very same thing which he was commanded he should not doe Such likewise was the sinne of Achan who being cōmanded not to touch any thing which belonged to the Amalekites he did the very same thing which he was commanded he should not doe and so did Saul likewise the very same thing which he was forbidden to doe So that the sinnes of Adam Achan or Saul were not materiall disobedience vnlesse this authour can finde better meanes to prooue it or to reduce them to some other braunch thereof then here is specified to wit that hee committeth a materiall disobedience who onely doeth either omit that which was commaunded or doth some other thing contrary thereunto And thus doeth he leaue the sinnes of Adam Achan and Saul and neither will haue them to be sinnes of formall disobedience nor is able to shew how they were sinnes of materiall disobedience And yet he goeth on and talketh what diuines doe hold Mary if you will haue this fellowes fauour you must alwayes remember with S. Thomas before cited that it is sufficient the superiors will doe appeare quocunque modo by what meanes soeuer that is according to this authors conceit if you be told it although it be in such sort as you are not bound to giue any credit vnto it which hath beene prooued very often to haue beene in our case and also that by an insufficient testimonie the will of a Superiour cannot by any meanes appeare And thus much in defence of M. Champneys definition of disobedience with which he and his fellowes were charged The author of the Apologie being as it should seeme driuen to a desperate point beginneth to aduise the priests in this maner Well then all this being presupposed a hote piece of seruice and all heate of partialitie and passion layd aside wee would aske our brethren in their consciences before God and as at the day of iudgement they will and must answere truly and sincerely when they had seene and read ouer Car. Caietans letters patent wherein vnder his hand and seale hee testified to them and the whole world that in respect of the diuision and dissension raised in England betweene priests and Iesuits I pray you bid the Iesuites welcome into the listes although they seeme to haue stolne in here at the latter ending of the fray or priests and priests vpon that or other causes and for continuation of discipline vnion and concord his Hol. had resolued to make a subordination and had by a speciall commandement enioyned the same to him to be performed by his letters And knowing further that his Hol. not many moneths before which the Card. repeated in his letters had told the very same tale vnto diuers of them at their departure from Rome about these diuisions exhorting and charging them most straightly to haue vnion and peace with all namely with the Fathers of the Societie making the very like exhortation to them which now the Cardinall did All these things wee say concurring and many others as well letters from Rome as men that came from thence testifying this acte and meaning of the Pope and the very probabilitie and morall euidence it selfe being so cleare that no Card would euer dare presume to doe or attempt so publique an act vnder letters Patents and that expresly in the Popes name without sure commission Here wee say let our brethren tell vs sincerely and without passion was this morall certainty of the Popes will or not or was this sufficient knowledge to binde vnder sinne to obedience or no Was a Card. Protectors letters Patents testifying his Hol. commaundement therein ynough to the condition required by S. Tho. vt superiorū voluntas quocunque modo innotescat That our Superiors will doe any waies appeare But we will not vrge
was written the sixt of Iuly 1597. but what doth or can this concerne the priests comming to his Holines toward the later end of the yeere 1598 to deale about a matter which was not before the 7 of March in the same yere 1598 as appeareth by the date of the Cardinals letter Apologie ca. 8. fol. 104 There is also a piece of another letter of the same man to to the Cardinal Protector of the first of May 1598 which although it were written after that the Subordination was instituted yet it was written before that it was knowen in England for to our remembrance we had no knowledge thereof vntill it was May here with vs. But howsoeuer this was it was impossible that it could concerne the two priests their comming to his Holines for this was not so suddenly determined in England although vpon the first sight of the Cardinals letter the Archpriest was told that there was iust cause for them to goe to his Holinesse By this then it appeareth that D. Stapletons letters which were to Fa. Parsons and to the Protector could not induce his Holinesse to imprison the two Priests who came to deale about the Subordination Let vs now see what the second testimony auaileth him This testimony was of principall men who writ some moneths saith this author fol. 124. before these two messengers came ouer into Flanders he sayd France 120. but their negotiations in England were heard of and knowen and these principall men of whom the most principall standeth for the priests and is ioyned with them in affection and action in Rome at this present writ their letter to the general of the Iesuites vpon this voice which they heard when you doe iustice you shal make also peace a heauy saying for such as will bee prooued to haue done as great an iniury as may be by a publike diffamation of schisme and what not against Catholike priests without iust cause But what is this to the purpose how was his Holinesse vpon this letter resolued to imprison the two priests who were in the way to him for and concerning the Subordination which was made the Generall perchance of the Iesuits did shew this letter to his Holinesse and thereby the negotiations of these two and their fellowes came also to be knowen to his Holines all this goeth very currant But what if those men now become principall neither heard of these 2. priests as dealers in this action nor of any other not onely not in particular but neither in general What if they could not possibly heare that there was any Subordination knowen in England and much lesse that any did delay to admit thereof when they writ this letter to the Generall of the Iesuits How shamelesse will this author be iudged who would bring these principall men their letters as a motiue to his Holinesse to imprison these two priests before he would heare what they had to say This Subordination was made at Rome the seuenth of March in the yere 1598 and if the messenger had stridden a blacke horse to bring it into Englād yet could there not be any negotiations in England conueniently either by these two priests or others concerning the same in so short a time as that these 17 principall men vnlesse they were altogether attending as it were to haue entertained the same messenger in Flanders considered maturely of the negotiations which were in England could burnish vp a letter and dispatch it vpon the eighteenth of March in the same yeere 1598 as here is cited in the margent fol. 123. Now follow the letters of diuers zelous men When as this author saith these messengers were in their way indeed for the other were written especially those of the 17. principall men when the priests were in their negotiations before they set forward as it is said fol. 124. these men writ indeed very sharply and with such confidence as they might giue some suspition to a wise man that all was not well in England but yet there is no perswasion to haue the messengers cast into prison vntill they were heard a duetie which they might challenge if in no other respect yet at least for their trauaile in Gods Church for which they deserued a good opinion of the gouernours thereof The first here cited are from Doway 25. Octob. 1598. to the Protector to which some haue acknowledged their error in subscribing These letters doe not cleare Fa. Parsons for being the cause of his Holines resolution to imprison the two priests for in this Apologie it is confessed fol. 120 that his Holines was resolued vpon the 17. of October 1398. to cast them into prison for such date doeth the letter beare which F. Bellarmine now Cardinal is said to haue written to Fa. Parsons to informe him that his Holines so greatly misliked their troublesome fact that hee had told him that if they came to Ferrara he would cause them to be imprisoned If these then of the 25. of Octob. came too late to put such a resolution into his Holines head what shall wee say of these which came after for the next letters are from M. D. Worthington to the Protector and these beare date the 30. of October from Bruxels Next March D. Peerse who was the first in the ranke of the 17. principall men but now God knoweth what place he shall haue and among whom for that he is ioyned with the priests in Rome and in that action D. Caesar Clement that succeeded D. Stapleton in the office of assistance-ship to the Nuntius in Flanders in all English affaires a man that was neuer in England but to giue him his right the fittest man for that purpose as matters go and worthy to succeed D. Stapleton or any farre greater man then he in that kinde of managing English affaires D. Richard Hall three doctors but what these or other writ most earnestly and grauely to the same effect as the other did by al likelyhood this author knoweth not For as he saith he had not the copies of their letters when he writ this Apologie but hee met with a letter of M. Licentiat Wright deane of Cortrac in Flanders to the Protector which is here set downe in the Apologie wherein this deane hath litle cause to thanke this author who would discredit him so much as to set downe his iudgement of two priests whom he neuer saw And although his letter doe exceed the limits of all modestie yet doeth it not any whit auaile this author for proofe of that for which it is brought that is that his Holines was thereupon resolued to imprison the two priests for this letter beareth date 10. Nouembris 1598. as appeareth here fol. 126 which was a faire while after his Holines had that resolution as appeareth by F. Bellarmine now Card. his letter of the 17. of Octob. 1598. cited by this author fol. 120. yet goeth this fellow on very smoothly and not without great applause of the
of their liues and one of them had suffered imprisonment for the Catholike faith which sentence sayth this author they accepted and confirmed also by a corporall oath This fellow forgetteth himselfe This sentence he sayth was by way of a letter to F. Parsons who was Rector or to the Vicerector and by F. Parsons onely was this sentence shewed first to M. Charnocke who was yet in prison then afterwards to M. Bishop who was at liberty and had ben so some certaine dayes And neither did F. Parsons exact any oth of them neither did they take any vnto him And in the tenth Chapter fol. 155. it is vrged that this oath was exhibited by the immediate Commissarie or Delegate of his Holines which titles belonged not to F. Parsons to whome this letter was directed by the two Cardinals as shall hereafter appeare The truth of this story and how this letter lay hid as was pretended in F. Parsons chamber for certaine dayes as he told M. Charnocke is set downe in the booke dedicated to the Inquisition pag 88. and it goeth vncontrolled and vntouched which in the iudgement of any indifferent man it should not if any iust exceptions could be takē against it Yet must his Reader be told that this author proceedeth no otherwise then in such sort as must satisfie all men for this he sayth fol. 126. speaking of himselfe offering for proofe either the publique testimonies of his Holines the two Cardinals Protectors Acarisius the Popes Fiscal and other parties that were actors or priuie to the cause or else the depositions of the said messengers themselues vnder their hands and oaths or finally the witnesse of the whole English Colledge and nation that knowe what passed in this matter which is another manner of proceeding then to publish things in corners by way of libels without any further ground of trueth then the will or malice of the publisher But these testimonies so much vanted of are loth to come to light or are caried into some farre countreys as disdaining to be in corners such as England Flanders France and Italy for these were the corners in which the priests books were published and in these corners haue the priests iustified their bookes which this poore fellow calleth libels to shift them off by one meanes or other And the priests were neuer so daintie of their bookes but that they who opposed themselues against them might haue Gods plenty for their comfort whereas contrarywise this miserable Apologie had a quartane euery time that it came to any of the priests hands and when it was to be seene by them it was by stealth and but for an houre or two so did it quake for feare of being found to be such stuffe as since it hath bene sufficiently discouered Yet to encourage the blind-obedient it telleth them of Popes and Cardinals testimonies and authenticall matters and bringeth nothing which can please these blinde affectioned but some railing words against Catholike priests as though if it could perswade the reader that they were most wicked by often inculcating it vnto him the cause were wonne and a railing word of this authors mouth would be of more weight to determine a controuersie then all possible right in the part oppressed But the indifferent reader will weigh his reasons and not his foule words and iudge of matters not as they are said to be but as they are prooued And thus much in answere to the ninth Chapter CHAP. 15. How this Apologie-maker shuffleth off the true cause of this present controuersie and layeth the blame thereof vpon the Secular priests Apol. cap. 10. IN the tenth chapter of the Apologie the author thereof intendeth to shew how that all controuersies were ended vpon the publication of his Holines Breue and how that a new breach was made He promiseth also to handle some excesses of his brethren and of their dealings with the Counsell The first point he handleth very slenderly as it should seeme for he forgetteth often that euer the controuersies were ended The second he layeth falsly to the priests as shall be shewed and in the rest he onely sheweth his merchandize And thus he beginneth this Chapter After that his Hol. had well considered the little waight of reason which these two former messengers had brought in the behalfe of their partners in England for raising so great a sedition against the Protectors letters and Archpriests incitation and had giuen some due reprehension to the sayd messengers as by their restraint aswell in Rome as by that they were not permitted to returne presently into England he thought conuenient to confirme the sayd Protectors letters c. In these few lines it is to be noted first how that his Holinesse is sayd to haue restrained the priests who went to Rome vpon consideration of the little waight of reason which they brought and permitted them not to returne or as we say in English banished them not onely England but Scotland also and Ireland yea and confined them to seuerall Countreys without allowing them any thing for their maintenance Secondly how his Holinesse confirmed the Cardinals letters Touching the first it is knowen to all the world or at the least in those parts which this author calleth corners those are England Flanders France and Italie where their bookes haue been published or sent that the two priests were restrained before they deliuered any reasons of their forbearance to subiect themselues to the Archpriest and as yet no one part of their relation hath been prooued faulty They haue layd downe an orderly narration of their messengers disorderly restraint through the false wicked suggestiōs of their aduersaries before that they had any audience and thereby haue made it euident that his Holines did not restraine them vpon any consideration of their reasons because he heard them not nor any cause else before they were restrained Secondly it is at large related both in the English booke pag. 97.98.104.105 and els where as also in the booke to the Inquisition pag 77. how that when the priests came to their answere before the Cardinals Caietane and Burghese they were not suffered to haue a copie of their accusations brought against them although it were most earnestly demanded by them that they might make their answere thereunto but a dissembling shew was made to haue all matters taken vp in peace and quietnes And this author not being able to gainesay any of this how shamelesly doth he here tell his reader that his Holinesse had well considered the little weight of their reasons and had therefore not onely restrained them but banished them or as he tearmeth it not permitted them to returne presently into England And although it be true which this author affirmeth that his Holines confirmed the Card. letters yet it is euident that he did not vpon consideration of the little weight of the messengers their reasons for they were neuer suffred to deliuer them as the custome of God Church was
there was an egregious faction meant because the Appeale was made in the names of the present Appellants and all others that should ioyne themselues vnto them which clause was after the Appeale and onely in a postscript as it is set downe in the booke to the Inquisition pag. 52. And to colour this matter the better the date of the Appeale is transported to the postscript which he citeth which is saith he against the nature of iust Appeales for which you must take his credit But let vs grant that these Appellants had mistaken Panormitane explicating the rubricke of the chapter Olim de occasionibus had put in this clause into their Appeale which as is said is in a postscript after the Appeale how is it prooued that there is an egregious faction meant thereby How much better might it be sayd that there was a marueilous contempt of the Sea Apostolike committed by the Archpr. in suspending the Appellants from the vse of their faculties after this Appeale made to the Sea Apostolike Againe if we shall consider the backwardnesse of the Appellants to doe or attempt any thing which might be offensiue to any which they sufficiently shewed in that they hereupon refrained to vse their faculties and the forwardnes of the Archpr. who would vsurpe such an authoritie before he was confirmed by his Holinesse sufficiently declared by this irreuerence to the Sea Apostolike in taking away from the Appellants the vse of their faculties for Appealing it will be euident to the indifferent iudge which part was more likely to haue a bad meaning for factiō or disturbance of the Church But this was deuised perhaps saith he vnderhand by the persecutors themselues c. and so hee falleth into that point of the standing of matters betweene the priests and the Counsel which I will leaue a little and trie whether besides this coniecture already giuen of the Archpriests meaning and his factious adherents I can alleage any other matter whereby it may be coniectured that the Iesuits and Archp. did meane an egregious faction whatsoeuer shew they would make of peace first occurreth a letter which was written from Rome by M. Martin Array one of the two Proctors appointed by the Archpr. and the Clergie vnited vnto him and allowed by his Holinesse as in this letter he affirmeth Which letter being a pretended relation of such principall matters as you shall heare was eyther penned by Fa Parsons or not without his priuitie being as all Rome can testifie the principall agent against the priests and one who thought nothing could be well done to his minde vnlesse he were himselfe at the doing therof as appeared by his apprehending them his keeping them his examining them and such like his charitable offices This letter beareth date the 20. of February 1599. And herein is his deere friend certified that the matter about which the two priests went to Rome was committed by his holinesse speciall commission to Card. Caietane and Burghese to be examined and heard by way of congregation at the English Coll. it selfe And so it was sayth he vpon Wednesday the seuenteenth of this moneth when after sundry informations had from Acarisius Fiscal of his Hol Congregation of reformation that had taken their seuerall examinations by his attourney Fa. Parsons vpon their oathes And after they the Cardinals had read and viewed such letters memorials and papers as the Ambassadours had brought with them they came ioyntly together to the Colledge vpon the foresayd day and with them the sayd Fiscall And there hauing a conuenient tribunall prouided in fourme of iudgement a couple of chaires set at a table couered with a greene cloth they heard the whole cause but God knoweth who pleaded it And first each of the Ambassadours confession and declaration that is as much and what pleased Fa Parsons seuerally read by the Notary of the cause Fa Henry Tichborne a Iesuite which were long and euer◠one of them more then an houres reading And therefore perchance to auoide tediousnes there was a little read here and there where Fa. Parsons had turned downe a lease and his fellow Iesuit the foresaid Notary of the cause was made acquainted therewith and read accordingly And then was each of them willed to say if he had any thing to adde to his declaration more then hee had set downe M. Bishop would say nothing for which as was sayd the Cardinals were offended with him M. Charnocke deliuered somewhat vntill Fa. Parsons did breake him off And after this their letters and papers brought with them were seene againe by the aforesayd iudges whereof the most part were translated into Latine Is it likely that the priests would write to his Holinesse in English for the petitions were to him which were brought by the two priests to Rome and concerned their businesse And besides that were also Fa. Parsons Rector of the Colledge and Fa. Henry Tichborne Prefect of the studies willed to be present These were besides themselues for as hath been sayd Fa Tichborne the Iesuit was the foresayd Notary and Fa Parsons the man that had takē their examinations to interpret any thing that should be needfull both the Iudges and the two priests spake both Italian and Latine And after this againe were both Ambassadours called in ioyntly for M. Bishop was locked vp againe as soone as he had heard his examinations read as also M. Haddocke and my selfe as procurators of the Archpresbyter and of the Clergie vnited to him appointed by letters from them and allowed here by his Holinesse with whom we had been and had audience particular about this affaire before And being come in we were willed as procurators to speake what wee had to say in this behalfe But you must vnderstand that this charge was so secretly giuen by the Iudges as the two priests there also present did not heare it And these procurators being willed to speake like Proctors sayd not one word but Fa Parsons at their entrance began to declare vnto the Cardinals that those two were Proctors for the Archpr. and that one of them was a Doctor of Diuinitie and the nephew of a Cardinal and the brother of a Martyr agnominations able to credit the best Proctors in the world After this preamble hee told the Cardinall what a perillous diuision was made in England and that these proctors although they were very loth to deale against their brethren there present yet for the loue of Iustice they were contented to be imployed in this action against them and that they had a libell or bill of complaint against them At which words D. Haddocke without any word speaking himselfe deliuered vp a libell to the Card. But let vs heare what M. Array certifieth his friend of his speeches or his fellow Proctors when as he sayth they were bidden to speake as Proctors Our speech in effect was sayth he when they sayd not one word that albeit it grieueth vs much to be driuen to accuse or pleade
the societie but some particular men as may be seene in their preface to the booke dedicated to the Inquisition pag 5. where they make this protestation Neque quae de societate hîc dicentur in vniuersam societatem dicta velimus cui tantum tribuimus quantū eius virtus doctrina postulant hic tantum particulares quorundam actiones conquerimur c. Neither will we that what is said here of the society be said of the whole society to which we doe attribute as much as their vertue and learning deserue we doe complaine here of the particular actions of some onely c. And as it should seeme this matter troubleth the authour of this Apologie much more as it is against a fewe Iesuits then as it is against all the rest which causeth himselfe still to forget himselfe or his matter rather when any occasion occurreth as it doth often to speake of the Iesuits and here he runneth along after them with these admirations what manner of people they bee for diuers respects that are here discouered although they were not the same men which are here discouered and of what account with our very enemies themselues of what other then hypocrites matchiuilians and traitors to their Countrey some of them being Superiours as euery parish in London hath scholemasters yea and some in hier offices some of singular merit towards the common cause such cause perhaps as to which the infamie of Catholike priests must bee iudged most necessary others notorious for their knowen vertues how gladly would blind Hugh see some of them here in England for then neither should the good haue cause to grieue nor the bad bee conformed in their naughty course who seeing the supposed best to be so bad they doe rashly coniecture that there is none good for which folly of theirs they and their bad guides must answere at the last day and smart long before vnlesse they repent themselues while they haue time to repent Thus much concerning this authours conceite of the sinne of libelling retorted vpon himselfe and his partners in this Apologie and other his Libels which he will neuer be able to iustifie Now follow his exceptions against the two bookes which he termeth Libels wherin he purposeth to discouer foule faults to haue bene as falshood deceite malice and slanderous calumniations Alwayes prouided that whereas the Reader hath still expected and liued in hope to see somewhat to the purpose now he must take this colde comfort to be remitted backe to the Chapters before handled for a larger proofe of what is to be sayd First hee beginneth with the latine booke which is dedicated to his Holinesse whose title is Declaratio motuum c. A declaration of the sturres and troubles that haue risen in England betweene the Iesuits on the one side together with M. G. Blackwel Archpriest in all things fauouring them and the Seminary Priests on the other side from the death of Cardinall Allen of pious memory vnto this yeere 1601. In this very title saith he and first page 5. or 6. abuses and sleights and shifts may be noted to be vsed towards his Holinesse c. for first whereas the whole world knoweth that their controuersie is with the Archpriest as appeareth by their Appellation to his Holines an 1600. 17. Nouemb. and others before and that their stomacke against the Iesuits is for standing with him and for as by the whole discourse of both these bookes appeareth here they change the whole controuersie and do say that it is with the Iesuits and M. Blackwell that fauoureth them so as he is put here but as an Appendix in the cause which is plaine falshood This is the first fault which is found in the Latin booke all things considered it wil not proue a fault much lesse so foule as this author would it should seeme to be the appellation was made from the Archp. not from the Iesuits because appellations are made from such only as are and take vpon them to be superiors Such are not the Iesuits ouer the Secular priests neither doeth the appealing from the Archpr. cleare the Iesuits who in the appellation it selfe are proued to be the chiefe fountaines of all these broyles as all the world may see in the Appeale And he doeth very falsly affirme that the whole discourse sheweth no other as himselfe can remember when he listeth Namely in his table prefixed to his Apologie num 23. where he citeth this sentence out of his Latine booke pag. 30. Iesuitae c. The Iesuits dispairing to be able to get superioritie to themselues by way of voyces or suffrages of the priests and on the other side hating and flying to admit episcopall dignitie into England thought to procure dominion to themselues vnder the maske of an other mans person c. Hath this fellow now forgotten what his owne iudgement was there of the priests their conceit of this matter hath not he perswaded his reader that the principall and onely ground of this our present contention and scandalous controuersie is the very same disease of emulation partly of Lay men against priests and partly of priests against religious men especially the Fathers of the Societie with whom at this present they haue to doe Apol. cap. 1. fol. 2. And would he now haue his reader beleeue that the whole world knoweth the contrary and that it is not principally against the Iesuits And whereas it is here said that the Archpr. is put as an Appendix some indeed doe thinke that he hath bound himselfe Apprentice to the Iesuits but I doe not heare that the priests do talke of th' one or th' other The second foule fault which here is found is that the priests of the Seminaries residing in England are put for the opposite part of which saith he these contentions are not the twentieth part and this is proued by their owne confessions in the former chapter Perchance this fellow hath relation to the question made to M Bishop and M. Charnocke How many they did certainely know to approue this their mission and to be priuie to the matters that should be proposed c. Chap 9. Apol. 131. To which these priests made their answere according to their owne certaine knowledge which answere is there deceitfully inserted as hath bene shewed and is here as deceitfully againe brought by him for his purpose their confessions being that there were Quà m plures sacerdotes Very many priests as appeareth where M. Charnocks examination is set downe fol. 130 which he there proued by certaine letters which he brought with him which testified as much And by their answer of their certaine knowledge which they could not haue but by present or particuler letter this fellow taketh a silly aduantage to proue that they were not the 20. part by their owne confession The priests did call themselues priests of the Seminaries because they were so and by this name are distinguished from the Iesuits who are
The reader may imagine that it is not worth the stooping for which this man letteth lye if it be not too hot or too heauy for him as here also he excepteth against the priests their printing of their bookes notwithstanding the scandall which may grow by the comming abroad of these dissensions to which answere is made that they must looke to it who driue the priests to this course hauing no other way left for them to recouer their fame which was most iniuriously taken away from them Hee excepteth also against that which is said of Card. Allen his fauour towards the priests which hee sayth he hath refuted in the third and fourth Chapter in which this author hath committed as often he doeth in this kinde a more grosse fault then if he had said that his booke had beene printed at Roane in France for this would haue troubled none but some cauilling foole and these trickes to referre his reader so often to such places where he shall find nothing of that matter for which he is sent hither may trouble euen his gentle readers patience Well yet you must goe looke in the third Chapter for a matter which is not there touched by him there is in the fourth Chapter some proofe that the Cardinal disliked some actions in which were some temporall men and some priests long agoe many yeeres before these stirres began which belong nothing to the controuersie now in question which is whether the priests were schismatickes who deferred to accept the Archpr. before they did see the Breue or to these priuat quarrels of which it seemeth by a letter of his set in the second Chapter he was informed before his death or thirdly to the stirres which the Iesuits began in the Colledge about the same time To conclude there is nothing recited there which is here affirmed neither is that which is laid to Fa. Heywood his chalenging of legantine power in England any way solued but in this manner and this is all the difference that euer was betweene F. Heywood and F. Parsons as if the question had beene which is the way to Poplington yea there is as much confessed as F. Heywood was charged with for the particulars as any man may see in this 164. leafe The readers must go looke here and there for diuers other matters but D. Haddocke and M. Martin Array are here to be defended by the author for that poore resistance which they made vnto the two priests Indeede these good Proctors came vnto the two priests within two dayes or three of their arriuall at Rome and were so hote with them as M. Martin Array stirred not out of his chamber aboue a fortnight after he had bene all that while possessed with an ague which some of his friends said that hee had before hee tooke that heate but a sudden ioy perchance that the two priests were that day to be apprehended put life and health into him vpon the seast day of S. Tho. of Canterbury and made him come abroad and what these Proctors did after at the apparance of the two priests I haue before shevved and vvhat M. Martin vvrit into England thereof The particulars which touch these Proctors their persons I know not and therefore I leaue it vnto them to declare who thought it expedient to make them know in this cause yet doe I not well vnderstand how there was any affinitie between Cardinal Allen and D. Haddocke which this fellow will needes haue for the Doctors credit neither of them hauing bene at any time married and I haue heard that M. Martin Array was extraordinarily fauoured by Sir Francis Walsingham by whom he was admonished to depart out of England before some matters should chance which would shortly chance and would be some let to his passage which kinde of vsage at that time to wit when the great trouble was in the yeere 1586. being layd together with his being then set at liberty might giue suspition to some that all was not as it should haue been although in times of lesse trouble some men haue found the fauor by extraordinary meanes to haue their liberty at the intercession of some great men or some highly fauoured friends Now followeth his defence of M. Standish and diuers other And whereas the priests haue set downe in their bookes that Master Standish had giuen his name to become a Iesuite and therefore no fit man to deale for them in the procuring of this subordination which is pretended to haue been made to take vp controuersies which were between Iesuits and priests as cap. 8. fol. 124. this author affirmeth or priests and priests and yet was the principall instrumentas is wel knowen to all men and it is confessed in the same chapter fol. 98. and 99 this author letteth that goe without any word to the contrary for intrueth he cannot denie it and taketh occasion to say somewhat touching that which the priests affirme of M. Standish that is that he did vse the name of the priests as if he had been sent by the priests whereas indeed he was not and that he himselfe sayd at his returne in the hearing of diuers priests who will iustifie it that he had their interpretatiue consent and that hee presumed that they would consent to that which he did But when this author commeth to prooue that M. Standish did nothing without the priests their consent in the procuring of this Subordination he returneth his reader to the eighth Chapter for diuers priests letters which already I haue shewed were all written after that this Subordination was made which argueth a notable impudencie in this authour that hee will so peremptorily affirme whatsoeuer may sound any way in the eares of those whom affection blindeth to make for his purpose although in the Iudgement of the indifferent hee worketh his confusion For other disproofe also of M. Blackwels and the Cardinall Caietans ignorance in our English affaires his Reader must goe backe to the eighth and ninth Chapter he sendeth also his Reader to the third Chapter to see how falsly the Iesuites are sayd to seeke their owne and that they trouble the peace of England and persecute more then heretikes To the which it hath been answered that they doe seeke their owne in some sort for so much as pride and what els followeth thereon may be called theirs and that also it might bee sayd that they seeke quae Iesu Christi as this author doth there challenge those things which are belonging to Iesu Christ for so much as the almes of Catholikes for reliefe of priests and other Catholikes may bee saide to belong to Iesu Christ and that they labour by infamie to seduce the Catholike Laitie from that loue and reuerence which they owe vnto Catholike priests which is a persecution against the priests more grieuous then any that hath been raised by any heretikes against them For whereas there hath been a most charitable correspondence betweene the Catholike Laytie
there is ouer much possibility to deserue a farre worse death then stoning may say with Christ himselfe and to his imitation multa bona opera ostendi vobis propter quod eorum opus me lapidatis They haue returned me hatred for my loue toward them they haue hated me with vniust hatred they haue payed me euill for good I haue procured them many benefits for which now they goe about to stone me And when poore fooles doe see such a conglomeration to vse his owne word of Scriptures they neuer reflect how the deuill himselfe and other to his imitation doth cite Scripures and set a better shew of matters then these men yet haue done who neuer came to the point of this controuersie but beare off still And when they say any thing concerning it they fetch it so farre off as a thing done in this moneth must stay to be thought vpon by occasions offered many moneths after as is shewed in the eighth and ninth Chapters which this author here quoteth in the margent for his readers great comfort and edification But he will passe to the particulars The first particulars are that Fa. Parsons is called Parsons alias Cowbucke And this is taken in very euil part notwithstanding diuers in England are called so alias so And this being so ordinary a matter in England many do doubt that this author knoweth some cause why he should winch at it as hee doeth And whereas he saith that no one of the kinred were euer so called it is certaine that a brother of his who liued in a house with M. Brinkly here mentioned fol. 183. was called Cubbucke And whereas it hath been said that by occasion of his dealing in some matters the capitall lawes were made in England his letters are shewed of the 24 of Ianuary to the Earle of Anguise which doe testifie how he busied himselfe in State matters vpon his first comming into England although he would cloake his dealing with Religion The second imputation as hee calleth it that Fa. Parsons came away is euident neither is it to be excused by his generall care of the cause for as the priests say and M. Do. Ely confirmeth it in his notes vpon the Apologie pag. 211. the two elder Seminaries did send into England more priests and nourished in them greater numbers of schollers at one time as hee thinketh then these new Seminaries with the old now decayed will furnish to send into England in diuers yeeres And for the number of students priests and proper youthes there were moe for many yeeres together so long as D. Allen gouerned in these Seminaries at one time then are now or hereafter like to be in all the Seminaries put them all together I haue seene sayth Do. Ely fiftie priests in one yeere sent out of Rhemes and yet fiftie other priests remaine in the Colledge stâ—ll Haue all the Seminaries so many in them now no no. And the Catholicks in Scotland haue had more increase by the Seminary priests then by the Iesuits whatsoeuer this author affirmeth fol. 185. For the Iesuits taught the Scottish nation how to keepe their consciences locked vp and to goe without any conscience to the protestants Churches as good proofe will be made But after all Fa. Parsons good deeds for which for so much as they may be called good he hath and shall haue many thankes this author enlargeth himselfe very farre when he sayth that without these good deeds it is like that the priests had not now bene priests neither without nor within England And why so you shall find that many of them were sent in by him This is true and more then a good many haue beene sent by him And if we would wrangle with him wee might say that he sent some to disgrace the whole body of Secular priests or els they had neuer ben made priests by him he being told before such particulars of them as if hee had had any care of the Church hee would not haue made them priests But put the case that the Seminarie of Rhemes had not decayed by the erection of the new Seminaries why might not these and many more then now are be priests both within and without England Can this author say so much of all the new Seminaries together with the olde also as M. Doct. Ely hath testified for that of Rhemes onely But if this author can deceiue his reader it is as much as he desireth which hee thinketh will take best effect if hee could perswade him that the Seminaries haue more flourished since F. Parsons going out of England then before although nothing so many priests haue come into England as did before according to the rate of the time The third accusation against F. Parsons is sayth this authour that after his going out of England hee neuer ceased to exasperate the chiefe magistrates with libels and factious letters This accusation dependeth in the proofe vpon the testimonie of such as to whome his letters haue beene shewed and by his Greenecoat and such like pamphlets but especially his booke of Titles wherein he discouereth his intention for the translation of the crowne of England to the Spaniard which also his trecherous attempts in Spaine among the students haue made more manifest by hauing them to subscribe to that title and by thrusting them into the inuaders ships and all which heere is saidin commendation of that booke is and will be sufficiently answered by those who haue vndertaken to answere it And thus also is satisfactioÌ„ giuen to the fourth matter against which this author taketh exception as against a manifest calumniation for his letters haue ben intercepted and shewed to diuers although they are not put in print And in a late booke entituled A Manifestation of spirits there is some feare shewed that his letter to the Earle of Anguise is intercepted The fift calumniation hee sayth might be diuided into many parts But to quit the accusers hee telleth his readers that the Temporall magistrate doeth not presse the priests but fauour them rather which of late is very true since they haue knowen the difference betweene priests and Statists although the fauour be not so great as it might be and may be when her Maiestie may be throughly informed of the priests their trueth and loyaltie to her person crowne estate and dignity yet haue not the priests vsed this little fauor which they haue had to the afflicting any of their Catholicke brethren in durance as here it is most maliciously suggested but to the comfort of many For answere to the sixt accusation against F. Parsons the reader must goe looke in the eight Chapter whither wee also doe referre the Reader for answere to what is there brought by this author Now followeth a defence of Father Parsons against what is related in the Latine booke of the vsage of the two priests that went to Rome And this fellow sayth all out of authenticall informations As first that Father Parsons did
they are here challenged to M. Blackwels owne conscience where this poore shift will not helpe him neuer sayd that M. Blackwell had such a shift at that time but being taken in the falsifying his instructions or propounding other instructions in place of such as he said were annected to his Commission simply confessed the fraude adding that indeed some of them were of his owne making and all this story of a vertue from Rome was deuised afterward and set out for a poore satisfaction for his former falshood For if he had had al the authoritie in the world by vertue whereof hee might haue made instructions yet was it a false tale to say that instructions made in England were made in Rome or annected to his Commission which he pretended to haue receiued from Rome In the 7. leafe this fellow raileth at the hope of peace because there are not other accusations mentioned against the Archpr. as though the poore man had not ynough of one and in this his absurditie of spirit and speech he telleth in a parenthesis a most egregious knowen fitten for saith he it seemeth they M. Collington and M. Charnocke were sent to him M. Blackwell of purpose to catch him in his words And all the towne rung of it that M. Blackwell had conuented M. Collington and M. Charnocke vpon which speech M. H. H. one of the first Lay factious was called the Sumner for that he was the man who by M. Blackwels appointment hunted vp and downe to bring M. Collington and M. Charnocke vnto him as after two dayes seeking he did but the new illuminates must beleeue all things which this companion vttereth And this much for his parenthesis Now concerning the principall matter here handled this fellow is as false in repeating it For thus he telleth his tale About an hereticall proposition said to be vttered by him in that he told them that they could not appeale from him in some points The priests haue affirmed that M. Blackwell notwithstanding that he was diuers times admonished by M. Collington and M. Charnocke of the danger thereof persisted in this proposition that the Priests could not appeale from him to the Sea Apostolick and these wordes in some points are foisted in by this author and kindnesse threatned vpon the priests that they should say that hee said so whereas if he had he had said more then trueth hauing no colour therefore because he had no cause subdelegated vnto him nor he put in any authoritie to iudge any matter with this clause Appelatione remota But this helps to gall the new illuminated as also that contemptible conclusion and laying all other arguments proofes and probabilities aside will ponder onely but the difference betweene the accused and the accuser in this case shall quickly satisfie himselfe for M. Collington and M. Charnocke were then knowen to be two honest priests and M. Blackwell was but one at the most and it will be apparantly knowen that they haue patiently suffered much iniury for their mainteyning a iust quarrell and he will be conuinced to haue bene a long time an intruder or an vsurper and afterward an abuser of his authoritie when he had it against them without iust cause when they shal be cleared from Schisme rebellion and disobedience which he and his adherents haue most malitiously if not ignorantly obiected and caused them to be persecuted therefore In the same leafe this poore fellow inculcateth his Hol. confirmation of this authority as though that were a conuincing argument that there was trueth vsed either for the setting vp thereof or the mainteyning of it whereas it is well knowen to those who will know ought in these matters that his Holines may be misinformed and thereupon do that which may be afterward recalled as no doubt this will be which is vrged in the same lease out of the second Breue of the 17. of August 1601. Sanè vestro superiori vos submittere atque ei obedire debeatis Truly you ought to haue submitted your selues to your Superior and to haue obeyed him For as I haue before shewed he was at that time no other then an intruder vntill he had his confirmation from the Sea Apostolicke and he was to be punished for his audaciousnes and al who receiued him at that time and since the matter hauing bene examined by the Cardinals of the Inquisition 20. Iuly 1602 the priests are cleared from disobedience In the 8. leafe he citeth two sentences out of the hope of peace which tend to this effect that the testimony of one Cardinall doeth not bind in conscience to beleeue a thing preiudiciall to a third but he answereth not one of those authors which are there cited for proofe hereof pag. 32. and 33. He telleth also his reader that when the first Breue came the priests seemed to accomodate themselues for a time yet soone after they brake forth againe and fell to writing and examining the said Cardinals letters more then before reiecting and discrediting the same with all maner of contempt and so they doe now in these later Libels as though his Holines had neuer allowed or confirmed them But he concealeth the cause of his writing which was the Iesuits reuiuing the slander of Schisme and the Archpr. his furthering thereof with a resolution pretended to come from Rome to that purpose which wickednes of theirs did driue the priests to declare the state of the question as it was before the Breue came and to proue that they were not Schismatickes in that time in which they were falsly said to haue bene such and in this doing they were to abstract from the Popes Breue whose after comming could not make the former cause better or worse except only in this respect that it conuinced that the Archpr. was an intruder who would exercise any authoritie to which he was elected or deputed by the Sea Apostolicke before he had his letters from the said Sea in confirmation thereof And it may appeare very euidently because in that Breue there are not any such wordes as the Iesuits and Archpriest doe often vrge Valida ab initio that is that these things concerning the authority were of forâ—e froÌ„ the beginning but valida existere saith the Breue fore That is to say now and hereafter to be of force as may be seene in the first Breue which beareth date the 6. of April 1599. In the ninth leafe he citeth a sentence out of the 34. page out of the which he noteth a restraint of the protectors authoritie to the court of Rome and also authoritie to demurre vpon the Popes letters for the first sayth he they say that the office of a Protector stretcheth not it selfe any further then the Court of Rome which they prooue by the wordes of the Popes Breue it selfe Nationis Anglicanae apud nos Apostolicam sedem Protector that is Protector of the English Nation with vs and with the Sea Apostolike And to helpe