raigne rule and authoritie as containing in it all three sorts of gouernment scil Monarchicall Aristocraticall Democraticall in matters of counsell and managing of common wealths causes but not in points of regaltie honor inheritance For there shal be neither title nor name nor honor giuen taken or done to any Prince Duke Marquesse Earle Vicount Lord Baron or the like all the Iesuiticall gouernors being puritan like seniours elders prouincials rectors ministers c. neither shall there be any succession by birth or blood to any honor office or magistracy from the monarch Pater Generall to the minor Pater minister but all shall goe by election and choice neither shall any title clayme or right of inheritance be made chalenged pretended intended or diuolued from the father to to sonne but all shall rest in this Presbyter Iohn or Pope-Monarchiall-Generals gift No noble knight Esquier or swayne possessing more then the monarch shall bestow vpon him as tenant at will for the time nor for terme of life iust like to the Turkes distribution of lands and honors And if any thinke that this is but a surmise let them reperuse what here passantly is written in these Quodlibets and confer if possibly they can get them Fa. Parsons bookes of titles together with his high counsell of Reformation and other passages in manuscripts and then doubtlesse they will be of my minde THE X. ARTICLE VVHether then seeing their intended gouernment is most Antichristian Tartarian Turcicall and Tyrannicall do they maintaine this their paradoxall pragmaticall and stratagemicall doctrine by any law reuelation or other authority saue onely their owne bare word will and commaund to haue it so or what is the ground of all these their strange courses THE ANSWERE STabat pro ratione voluntas was the chiefe ground of the disciplinary lawe why poore Todde was beaten in Rome vntill his bones aked knowing no cause in the world for the Iesuits to haue vsed him so And if any seeme so peremptory as to aske a Iesuite what authoritie he hath either concerning these or any other exorbitant extrauagant exlegall and extra ordinarie lawes rules customes or orders set downe obserued and kept amongst them let him looke for none other but a thunderbolt of excommunication or sharpe censure irremissibly to bee throwne against him they being such Lords lawlesse Sirs and legifers as cannot erre in any act word or thought of a matter of fact to be formed framed and fashioned by them and therefore high blasphemy to contradict these Demigods in any thing But if you aske them why such a law doctrine or order is set downe by way of submission admiration or humble acknowledgement of their powerable dignitie and woorthines aboue all other persons liuing on earth then to breede a greater reuerence dutifull regard and respectiue feare in you towards them they may happily tell you that they haue it by reuelation that as by speciall commandement from God their order or societie was miraculously instituted for this end so father Parsons was and is the prophet appointed to prophecie vnto vs a dismall change that the time is come wherein all lawes customes and orders must be altered and all things turned vpside downe and that they being the onely men that haue the name office and authoritie of Iesus by them it is that this maruellous change and alteration shall be wrought in such sort as from the beginning of the world was the like neuer heard of before to this present of the Iesuits precedencie Mary yet if you aske other men dispassionate vnpartiall and not speaking of affection by what law or authoritie they doe attempt and teach these things they will tell you they haue neither law diuine nor humane so to doe but a law irregular made by an exlegall legifer father Parsons by name who hath preiudiced iniuried and wronged by his infamous libels all lawes and lawyers customes states and orders For first he hath preiudiced the lawes common pontifical of nations of nature of God himselfe as in the premisses of sundry precedent Quodlibets may appeere Then he hath preiudiced the lawes municipiall of this noble Isle laboring to foist in to outward shew the lawes ciuill Romane of Caesar abolished aboue a thousand yeeres agoe by authoritie of the See apostolike at the instant sute of king Lucius with the general consent of all his noble Lords the woorthy Britaines then peeres of these two realmes He hath abused the law custome and order obserued in humanitie in fawning vpon the Austrian line vnder pretence to bring in the imperiall lawes of Caesar into this land but intending in very deede to thrust a law vpon vs neuer heard of before throughout the vniuersall world nor I think euer shall be put in execution vntill the comming of Antichrist that all run vpon wheeles with alteration and change He hath preiudiced the lawe of propertie in instituting gouernment gouernors and hereditarie princes to be ad beneplacitum populi and all other priuate possessiants ad beneplacitum suum He hath preiudiced the lawes ciuill and imperiall of Caesar bringing them in falsly alleged and one thing for another as a comment for a corps a code for a digest a glosse for a text a memoriall for a principle and a note of some allegation vpon a sute past on the behalfe of a client for a maxime in the lawes either vnauthentically defined or remaining litigious pliable to any opinion or else interpreted as father Parsons pleaseth to the most disgrace he can deuise to all Ciuilians applied by him against proximitie of blood to breede a diuorce of friendship and kinred by disturbing the lawfull course of succession by birth and consanguinitie prouided by lawes for passage of lands and inheritance after the law of propertie began in all nations Which violent intrusion of Caesars lawes thus abused and bolsterd out to the vtter ruine of many noble families irreuocably he hath no shift to ratifie and get it allowed of but to delude simple people to confirme it by sundry examples of banckrupt common wealths or rather disordered multitudes He hath abused and preiudiced all states common wealths nobles and gentiles of this and all other Christian nations by a temporized popularitie thrust in vpon them accomodating himselfe as he saith to the conditions manners and minds of the common people which euer do delight in noueltie and change Otherwise as he seriously noted had the Iesuites neuer bene so admired at in England as they are at this day But omnia rara sunt preclara amongst the mobile vulgus who seising quickly vpon this popular doctrine it presently imprinted a fauourable opinion and liking both of the man and the matter in their wauering harts as all the world seeth it and perceiuing they might by this popular doctrine of father Parsons controul disthronize and ouerthrow their soueraigne the state their landlords and all other nobles and gentiles as they listed and liked best hereupon then they inferd
attainment of euerlasting happinesse Whereupon the party hath time to consider with himselfe whether he wil be a Dominicane Benedictine Iesuit or what he list And yet thus far well But that time expired the holy father entreth into a new stratageme The sayd party exercised as is before expressed comming thus vnto his electioÌ„ hath peraduenture determined to be a Dominicane or to take some such other course as he himselfe hath thought of So as when the said holy father commeth vnto him if he find him bent to any other profession then to be a Iesuit he beginneth to cast many doubts and collecteth at his pleasure by something that he hath confessed vnto him that his said choice is not agreeing to such godly motions as the spirite of God wrought in him in the time of his exercise and therefore aduiseth him to consider with himselfe better of his choise that the same may be sutable to the said motions of the holy Ghost The conclusion is that the holy fathers by this meanes hauing sundry poore soules in their hands to worke them by turnes deuises and perswasions as they list neuer leaue or suffer them to be quiet vntill if it be possible they make choise to be of the society of Iesus if in all these practises with them they find them fit men for their turne Howbeit sometimes it commeth to passe that the said deuout fathers do meete with such persons as will rather chuse to be of some other order do what they can then to be Iesuits for that spiritus vbi vult spirat In which cases when their practises to win the parties for their learning strength of wit paretage other good parts more then ordinary do faile they desist from dealing with them by litle and litle so in the end giue them quite ouer meaning nothing lesse then by such their paines to increase the number of any other order of religious persons and leaue them to take what course they list But yet with this fruit of their exercises that they will neuer loue or endure them afterwards but raile on them and plague them so much as is possible Those they vndertake for their wealth and large possessions although such things be an hinderance from entring into any religious profession at all yet do the Iesuits so farre preuaile as for the most part they either allure them to be Ecclesiasticall Iesuits if they haue any tollerable gifts besides their riches and then all that they haue must be sold and the mony committed to the fathers discretioÌ„s or at least they draw theÌ„ to be lay brothers finding none other good stuffe in them In which case they get from them either all or most part of their riches and turne them either to be some of their officers or leaue them at large to be practisers for them in such matters as they thinke fit to employ them in abroad as to be soliciters for them and to stirre vp the peoples charitie to that societie not ceassing to perswade so many as they can to follow their example This was the effect of one M. Gilbert and M. Druries exercises vz. that they got from them all that euer they had and then employing them in maner aforesaid procured the Popes blessing for them for the better approuing vnto them their new calling as appeareth in the faculties granted to Fa. Parsons Campian Heywood c. about 20. yeares since The euent of which proceedings with the said Gentlemen was so apparant that diuerse greatly disliked of such exercises in somuch as some in iest would say such a one is Gilberted and such a one is Druried And others againe would say to the like effect they shall neuer Gilbert me nor Drurie me nor cousin me with such their holy sleights Another young Gentleman not long since entring into this exercise vnder a young Iesuit here in England was found by his meditations to haue lands yet vnsold amounting in value to a 100. markes a yeare whâ—â—h because it hindred his iourney to heauen he offering the same to the said yoâ—g Iesuit the good young father allowing well the offer said that if he should receiue the land her Maiestie would take it from him but quoth he sell it and then I am capable of the mony By which ghostly counsell the gentleman set his land to sale and was offered 900. pounds for it but the holy father insisting vpon a thousand the Gentleman died ere euer a Chapman could be gotten and so the good father lost all I could here recite many cousening parts plaid by sundrie of theÌ„ through the abuse of giuing this holy exercise but I will only enlarge my selfe with a few golden threedes of Fa. Iohn Gerrards web worke and weauing whoÌ„ as I haue often pitied in my heart by reason of a good disposition in nature which I euer taking him to be of haue sundry times hartily wished that he would forsake them and liue like a secular Priest so finding Vâ—â—gils Eclogue truly verified in him scil Torua leaena lupum sequitur lupâ—s ipse capellam Florentem cythisum sequitur lasciua capella c. Therefore to the end none that readeth these Quodlibets vnlesse they be wilfully blinded shall euer feare cousinage of him or his company hereafter and for that it shall well appeare he is not the man as but a simple man God wot whom fame reports him to be I will here set downe part of the cousining gaines he hath made of this exercise First he was the man that caused Henry Drurie to enter into this exercise and thereby got him to sell the Mannor of Lozell in Suffolke and other lands to the value of 3500. pounds and got all the mony himselfe the said Drurie hauing chosen to be a lay brother Afterwards he sent him to Antwerpe to haue his Nouitiat by the Prouincial there by name Oliuerius Maâ—erius for at that time Fa. Garnet had not his full authoritie to admit any where after twelue or fourteene dayes he dyed not without suspition of some indirect dealing Fa. Holt the Iesuit ascribed it vnto the alteration of his diet saying that he might haue liued well enough if he had remained at home and not haue come thither Two other had the exercise giuen them at that time by Fa. Gerrard vz. Maister Anthony Rowse of whom he got aboue 1000. pounds and Maister Thomas Euerard of whom he had many good bookes other things Also he gaue the exercise to Edward Walpoole whome he caused to sell the Mannor of Tuddenham and had of him about 1000. markes He dealt so in like manner with Maister Iames Linacre his fellow prisoner in the Clinke from whome he drew there 400. pounds And afterwards got a promise of him of all his lands but was preuented thereof by the said Linacres death Furthermore vnder pretence of the said exercise he cousined Sir Edmond Huddlestones sonne and heire by sundrie sleights of aboue 1000. pounds And so he dealt with
Maister Thomas Wiseman and by giuing him the exercise he got his land and sent him to Antwerpe where he died He also gaue the exercise to the eldest sonne of Maister Walter Hastings And he hath drawne Maister William Wiseman into the said exercise so oft as he hath left him now very bare to liue He hath so wrought with Maister Nicholas King lately of Grayes Inne as he hath gotten most of his liuing and sent him to Rome Maister Roger Lee of Buckingham shire hath bene in this exercise likewise and is also by him sent to Rome In like manner he dealeth with such Gentlewomen as he thinketh fit for his turne and draweth them to his exercise as the Ladie Louell Mistresse Haywood and Mistresse Wiseman now prisoner of whom he got so much as now shee feeleth the want of it By drawing Mistresse Fortescue the widow of Maister Edmond Fortescue into his exercise Maister Garnet had the dealing with the Tremain◠and not maister Gerrard he got of her a farme worth 50. pounds a yere and paid her no rent Another drift he hath by his exercise of cousinage which is to perswade such Gentlewomen as haue large portions to their mariage to giue the same to him and his companie and to become Nuns So he preuailed with two of M. William Wisemans daughters of Broddocke with Elizabeth Sherly borne in Leicestershire with Dorothy Ruckwood M. Richard Ruckwoods daughter of Suffolke who had a great portiō giuen vnto her by the Lady Elizabeth Drurie her Grandmother with Mistresse Mary Tremaine Maister Tremaines daughter of Cornwall she hauing a large portion with Mistresse Mary Tremaine of Dorcetshire of whō he had aboue 200. pounds with Mistresse Anne Arundell of whom he got a great portiō with the Lady Mary Percie who is now a Nun at Bruxels Thus you see by these deuises how mightily the Iesuites haue increased their riches and enriched their coffers expecting a time no doubt when to draw foorth their treasure to their most aduantage and will offer largely when they thinke to get some principall man on their side or otherwise to worke his ouerthrow as was manifest by their sundrie practises against the Lord Dacre to whom a Priest set on as was supposed by Father Holt the Iesuit after all their many grosse abuses offered vnto his Lordship which with honour he can neuer put vp at their hands made offer of a large annuall summe of money so as he would be ruled you must imagine by a Iesuit in profession or faction But this is enough for this time of their practises by Fame and Report THE ARGVMENT OF THE fourth Generall Quodlibet FOrasmuch as it doth seeme by the last Quodlibet of Fame and Report that the Iesuits direct all their intents indeuors and studies to the aduancement of their societie they care not which way by hooke or by crooke and by consequent that they make religion in generall and therein their holy exercise in speciall but a meere Machiuilean deuice of pollicie onely to make strong themselues in their busie preparations for a spirituall Monarchie therefore shall the next Quodlibet be of plots by Atheisme to examine throughly how farre wit conscience honestie and religion may runne together and not be discredited by one the other in their worldly politicall affaires THE FOVRTH QVODLIBET of Plots by Atheisme THE I. ARTICLE WHether politia be a vertue or a vice and whether lawfull or vnlawfull to be vsed THE ANSWERE POlitia is like to a nose of waxe which may be turned what way soeuer a man listeth and is plyable at all times as fit to receiue all impressions fresh and faire or foule and filthie But to speake properly of it agreeing to the Etymologie of the word it is alwaies a vertue a speciall head prime or maister braunch of prudence And yet againe take it agreeing to the cōmon acceptance in speech vse and practise of it now adaies and it is a vice And so by consequent pollicie is lawfull or vnlawfull good or bad a vertue or a vice according to the intention of the subiect wherein it is inherēt and the matter occasion and other circumstances which do concurre or may occurre and are or may be in hand THE II. ARTICLE VVHether Maister Nicholas Machiauell or Father Robert Parsons excelled one the other in pollicie or whether any be in England this day to be preferred before either of them or any other Iesuit whosoeuer THE ANSWERE IF any will beleeue Father Parsons or other Iesuit there neither is neither was there euer any borne in this land that could equall that prudent Polipragmon or else can be able in any respect to be compared with him nay nor with the veriest dunce that peepes out of his Nouitiate in a Iesuites schoole In so much as in their deepe Iesuiticall court of Parliament begun at Styx in Phlegeton and suggested thence into Fa. Parsons sconce was ended and compiled into a full complete volume by him and his Generall intituled The high court of reformation for England There was therein sundrie acts enacted to this intent and purpose whereof we speake which were to take place be in force when the Catholike conqueror of Spaine or Austria should be inuested with the scepter royall of our noble Elizaes and sit enthronized in her princely seate as sole Monarch of all the Albions or great Britaines Isl s. And to giue you a tast of their intent by that base court of a tribe of traitors sawcily like to Cade Iacke Straw and Tom Tiler vsurping the authoritie of both states Ecclesiasticall and temporall in their rebellious enterprises these were principall points discussed set down and so decreed vpon by them Note here these Anabaptisticall heretickes how boldly they dare censure of all others and auouch themselues predestinates First that no religious order should resort into this land or be permitted to liue within the Britaines Ocean saue onely Iesuits and Capouchines And their reason was as alwaies a reason must be giuen for a prouiso whē it seemes extraordinarie contrarie to a statute law or former act enacted because the holy Ghost hath forsaken all the rest of religious orders and is onely in the Capouchines and Iesuites But if you would know further how this good fortune falleth so out to the Capouchines to be exempted from this generall irregularitie and to be consorted with these predestinates the reason is for that as a good Capouchine once answered to the like question they sute best with the Iesuits humour by an Antipathie not of nature but of nurture which consists in this that the Iesuits drift is to rule and will haue all and their profession is to haue nothing nor to rule at all in anything And now although these Iesuits professe voluntarie pouertie and to renounce the world with all that belongs thereto as all other religious orders do yet because they are homines secundum cor meum so throughly mortified in the world
Althogh it might haue bene in some sence a speciall point of vncharitable pollicy for the Iesuits to haue reiected that friendly offer to haue brought vp 30. of our English youthes as at Rome because that probably many of those would haue bin Benedictines and haue frustrat the Iesuits hope of hauing al here for themselues without copartners yet was it no pollicie in thē to beate a Priest almost to death for but making the motion of receiuing one into the Benedictines order for that foule fact did openly bewray their vnmortified passionate humours pride ambition malice auarice and other shamefull vices too too bad to be spoken of but most of all to be in any religious person that with the worlds weapons they make their vaunt that they can conquer the world Therefore dare they attempt to bid battell liuing in the world to religious men liuing out of the world and still themselues be no worldlings Herein then consists the miserie which being discouered any man may reade the riddle plaine scil that for asmuch as the Benedictines had all or the most part of the Abbey lands in England bequeathe vnto their Monasteries by sundry deuout holy and vertuous Catholike men and women in times past liuing in this Realme and for that the Dominicanes haue the chaire of authoritie for reading in the schooles especially in Salamanca in Spaine which grieues these pure spirited soules at the very heart and what banding brawling and quarrelling they haue made with them about it were too long to recite and also to them belongs of due right the soueraigne authoritie of the sacred Inquisition and withall to be called Predicatores preachers where euer they go with an higher prerogatiue then euer any Iesuite could or I hope euer shall haue for it were daungerous and great pitie that euer such ambitious men should obtaine such ample priuiledges And lastly for that the Scotists Franciscanes especially the Obseruants haue also had sundrie Frieries here in England as also the Carthusians commonly called the Charterhouse Monkes haue had the like in some sort Therefore was there bona causa cur none of all these or any other religious order that had euer enioyed either house or land in Albions Ile should euer come there again or any other religious order that might liue without the Iesuits for their sakes But all of them as reprobates and of God forsaken must be banished hence and a statute made in that high Councell that none such should euer come within this land after it is conquered by Spaniards and Iesuits sicut placuit Iesuitis The second Act enacted or statute made in that high infernall Consistorie was concerning the Church and Abbey lands scil That forasmuch as there be an hundred Bishoprickes great and small in these three kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland with well nigh 20000. Parsonages and Vicariges and how many Monasteries Nunneries Frieries and other religious houses it is hard to tell the number Notwithstanding there was a booke brought into Paules Churchyard in written hand to be bound vp and sent God knowes where into Spaine as it may be thought because the partie that brought it was a sideman of the Iesuits the collection wherof as it was there reported stood the party in foure hundred pounds In which booke of a huge volume in a small hand there were set downe all the religious houses that euer haue bene in this Realme what land was giuen vnto them where it yet lyeth who gaue it how long since vpon what condition and prouiso when by whom how much and wherein altered diminished or increased and in whose possession it is at this present These with other circumstances and particulars being set downe no man can iudge otherwise but it was a worke fit for that Synodicall court to haue the perusing and censuring of it And there if any where is their nūber of religious houses like these to be found All which as also nothing else belonging either to the Ecclesiasticall or Monasticall state must be any longer in the hands of Bishops Abbots or other secular or religious persons as heretofore they were accustomed and incorporated vnto their seuerall orders But all must be vnder the holy society of Iesus presently vpon the establishing of the spiritual monarchy Which done their father General or Prouinciall must call out foure Iesuits two secular Priests who must be also demy Iesuites else all were naught These sixe Vicars I pray God not of hell for of heauen they are not they smell so ranckly of Cartwrights and Bruses pure synodall ministery like sixe Dutch Peeres of whom the Prophecies talke or so many mighty Lords shall haue the lands mannors Lordships parsonages monasteries and what soeuer else belonged to Church or cloister resigned ouer into their hands allowing to the Bishops Parsons and Vicars competent stipends pensions to liue vpon according as Bishops Suffragans Montseniors haue allowance in other Catholike countries or rather as the Turkes Bassaes Ianizaries vnder him are maintained And all this sicut placuit Iesuitis as the Romanes in their leagues were wont to write or rather iuxta decretum Medorum atque Persarum à quo prouocare non licet as king Darius sayd Liuery and seisen thus taken by these sixe Tribunes or popular Nobles all the rest must be imploied in pios vsus as father Generall of Rome shall thinke good The Colledges in both Vniuersities must be likewise in the power of these mortified creatures No Bishop nor Parson nor Vicar nor fellow of any Colledge must be so hardy as once to demand an account what is become of their reuenues lands and Lordships If they do this shall be the answer mirantur superiores c. or in plaine tearmes how dare you seeme to inquire how a Iesuite disposeth of any thing being peculiarly guided by the Spirit c. The third Statute was there made concerning the Lords temporall and other of the Nobility Gentry of this land And this Statute did consist of this point especially sci That euery Noble or Gentleman of special account and liuing such as to omit others Sir Robert Cicill Sir Iohn Fortescue Sir Iames Harington Sir Robert Dormer Sir Iohn Arundell now his sonne maister Iohn Arundell called great Arundell of Cornwall Sir Iohn Peter Sir Mathew Arundell of Warder his sonne and heire Sir Henry Constable Sir Iohn Sauage with sundry other Knights and Esquires all which were there limited by that blind prophane Parliament what retinue they should keepe when time came of inhauncing how much should be allowed them to spend yearely and what diet they should keepe at their tables The fourth Statute was there made concerning the common lawes of this land and that consisted of this one principall point that all the great charter of England must be burnt the manner of holding lands in see-simple free-taile franke Almaigne c. by Kings seruice soccage or villanage brought into villanie scoggerie and popularitie and in
sense with it that poore that simple that meane that ignorant men and women go sooner to heauen then rich then noble then learned then such wise wisards as you Iesuites are The reason whereof can be none other then this For that these three vertues faith hope and charity being the gifts of God and not to be gotten by Aristotles wit nor Caesars might nor Cresus his wealth the simple meaner and poorer sort suffer God Almighty ordinarily to worke more freely firmely sweetly in their harts vtpote suauiter disponens omnia abundantly supplying their other defects then in theirs who thinking themselues to be iolly fellowes will contend by reason or otherwise with the giuer of all things and so striue to giue God checke mate or to be halfe with him in their proud Nemrodian aspires Which is the cause that they often suffer a Luciferian fall which other that seeke not to clime so high are free from And for this cause it is and hath euer bene in vse saue amongst you Iesuits that those who did take themselues to a religious course of life did it in simplicitate cordis voiding their thoughts of all promotions popular applause or other gaine to accrue vnto them thereby Therefore do I conclude that by all probable coniecture there is not one amongst a hundreth that goes to be a Iesuit that hath any true religious intent in him but a proud ambicious vaine glorious aspiring mind For what hath pouerty to do with riches what contempt of the world with worldly honours what an abiect life with birth and parentage what originall innocency with sinfull policy what solitarinesse with panigeries of praises what mortification with popular applauses what religious renunciation with fame and renowne what perfect humility with vaunting arrogancy what Cels and Cloisters with Courts and Pallaces what true obedience with controlement of Princes what Monasticall exercise with Ecclesiasticall nay with temporall mechanicall mundane affaires Is this your profession of so high perfection O that all states in Christendome would follow Cardinall Boroneus his example either in banishing of you quite out of Europe or at least in pulling in your hornes vntill you were brought into some better order moderation knowledge of your selues For my part I confesse vnto you that as I haue hitherto alwayes prayed and enioyned others to do the like for peace vnity and concord betwixt you and the seculars so shall it be my continuall prayer hereafter that howsoeuer other states do it may please God of his mercy to looke vpon our afflicted countrey and to moue the hart of his Holinesse to call you out from amongst vs here vntill your insolency be abated and withall to remoue all Iesuites for euer out of the English Colledge at Rome where there are other manner of practises then were euer attempted by any Iesuit in the territories of Millan nay or I thinke in the Christian world besides many reuerend vertuous secular Priests being sent home into England loaden till their backes crackt with the Iesuits calumniations and slanders and none but such as will be Iesuiticall wholly and not perfunctory may find any fauour there Therefore cursed be the houre that euer they got entrance in that Colledge and cursed be the time that euer they set foote on English ground and a triple curse vnto them all that to maintaine their ambition pride and seditious factions haue scandalized the whole world brought our nation into reproch and obloquie and heaped the hote coales of furious burning nay consuming flames of fire famine and sword vpon afflicted Catholikes with their owne and their natiue countries ruine destruction and desolation so much as in them lyeth And sure he or she hereafter that shall send their children or go themselues to become students at Rome or elsewhere vnder their gouernement do either by cōsequent cast themselues into a voluntary slauery as bad as if vnder the great Turke or else must they change the true nature of an English heart and become traytors or sautors of conspiracies against their Prince countrey and dearest friends THE II. ARTICLE VVHether then seeing the Iesuites are so infest enemies to all that are not Iesuited and that it is a destruction to our English youth to be brought vp vnder them as farre more fitting to haue secular Priests to be gouernours ouer them at Rome and other places do they intend if they preuaile in England to aduance any secular or other English Priest to Ecclesiasticall dignity or else some seculars of other nations or none at all THE ANSWER I Told you before if you remember that they haue made a Puritanian diuision of the Ecclesiasticall state in their high Councell of Reformation for England wherein amongst other things a statute is made for abrogation of all Episcopall dignity and that iust like to the Puritanian or the Cartwrightian or the Brownistian or the Geneuian or the Gehenian platforme there shall a new order or gouernement be brought into the Church whose gouernors shall consist of sixe seniors or elders in the congregation of Bedlems or Dutch Peeres or what you will call them whereof the seculars shall be as it were Chaplins to the Iesuits as Pater Rector and Pater minister that is father Parsons and his minister So as cleare it is that the Iesuites will alwayes haue some seculars amongst them either to vse as asses to lay their load vpon if any thing happen amisse amongst them or else as Iebusees in this land of promise made vnto them by the king of Spaine as they report left for these choice people of God to worke vpon But howsoeuer it happen I find no mention made in that statute whether the seculars must be aliens and strangers or of a natiue brood that shall be put to these meane offices For it were an indecent thing that the great fathers should desist from preaching dealing with Princes and high affaires ministrare mensis No fie God forbid their honours should so basely be stained and the matter I thinke is disputable whether they shall be all Spaniards or all English or of a mixt hotch potch of all or so many sundry nations But I thinke sure the last for it were no pollicy to haue them all of one nation but rather like the Turkes Bassaes and Ianissaries of omnium gatherum So that if any of the English Priests be admitted to that seruile dignitie it is very like to be the Archpriest were it not that more probable it is that father Parsons will haue about with him for old done deedes or Doctor Worthington or Doctor Turner or some hote spurre of the assistants or such one or other as may be fittest to serue their turne for the time Mary for any of our nation to be in the highest roomes saue onely Iesuites that is not a thing to be looked for as too arrogant a part for any to thinke of it Yea Doctor Allane troubled them much with thought and care where to haue
Article proposed after so many reasons in confirmation of what I speake with that most famous Vniuersitie of Paris which spite of their malice hath a better authoritie to define of such matters then any Iesuit hath deciding the case to be cleare that the seculars committed neither schisme nor sinne in resisting or but onely indeed not consenting at the first to the Archpriests authority For to say troth they resisted him in nothing but onely of desire to be satisfied sent to Rome liuing in the meane while without willing offence giuen to him or any of his And yet the peeuish felow could not be quiet to suffer thē to winke at him vnlesse they either put out both their eyes or stared him full in the face So hard a matter it is to stay the impotent violence of an ambitious heart where it comes to be in any conceit of neuer before cōceited Soueraigntie And so by consequent seeing they neuer might nor ought to haue accepted of him to gouerne them who knew not how to gouerne himselfe it was an act of iustice in the secular Priests and al others to resist his cousining foisted in banded intruded vsurpate tyrannicall vnnaturall Atheall barbarous mocke authoritie THE V. ARTICLE WHether seeing by the precedent Articles the chiefe daunger for the present incurred by the Archpriest came to Catholikes by this occasiō scil that it was procured from the Pope Sea and Court of Rome and that by a Bull and in such maner as not only a premunire was incurred therby by ancient lawes of this land as before I sayd but also and much more by recent statute lawes there being treason vpon treason committed in this action may then the seculars appeale to the same prohibited court against this Archpriest and these Iesuits and yet be in no danger of a premunire at least by so doing or not THE ANSWER THe case is quite altered in the Iesuites procurement of a Bull for establishing the Archpriests authoritie and the seculars appeale to the same Sea against it vz. First cui enim iniuria fit ei accreuit ius vindictae But the Pope his Holinesse was iniured by their suggestions in obtaining the Bull ergo Secondly the Iesuits in procuring that Bull and authority made it a matter of state in preiudice of regall maiesty But the seculars in appealing made it a matter of conscience thereby to refell infringe and abrogate all such premunireall treachery Thirdly the pretence was made outwardly by the Iesuits to be wholly for matters pertaining to the Catholike Church religion and order in workes of charity piety deuotion c. ergo the seculars approuing the contrarie that they neuer had such a meaning neither did the Archpriest practise any such matter meddle no way in any thing by their appeale whereby a premunire can be incurred no not so much as interpretatiuely Fourthly the Iesuits bolster out and build aswell the intruded vsurpate authority of the Archpriest as also their owne treasonable attempts plots and practises vpon the sayd Bull and his Holinesse authority ergo none other to appeale vnto for iustice against them Fiftly the seculars by their appeale clearly exempt redeeme and keepe out themselues from acknowledging any obedience to that already premunirized Archpriest and by consequent from all danger of incurring a premunire Sixtly they labour by their appeale for security to her Maiesties person for quiet to the State for auoidance of all inuasions for cutting off all conspiracies State tamperings exasperating libels c. and for an assurance of relaxation and freedome from their heauie persecution procured by the Iesuits against them aswell by false suggestions to his Holinesse as also by stirring vp other Princes against our Soueraigne and nation and thereby bringing warres and feares vpon all and hart-breaking frownes to be cast vpon the innocent ergo so cleare and farre from all danger of any offence committed by appealing from the Archpriest to the Sea of Rome as most dangerous vniust vnnatural indiscrete irreligious preiudicial to all both Pope Prince Church common-wealth and all estates if they had not appealed but let the matter lye dead in discontent obloquy and danger of forest trials THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether any daunger for the appellants to side wholly with the Archpriest hereafter by making a generall peace vpon his assurance made and giuen of a non partiality hereafter and so let the appeale faile and the pursuite cease or not THE ANSWER IN two cases it were no danger but a happy yeeld to the great content comfort and quiet of many a deuout soule whose tender harts lye a bleeding to heare and see into what pickle we all are brought by the wicked Iesuits seditious brables broiles made and raised amongst vs. The one case were thus if that his Holinesse her Maiesty and the whole realme wherein I take partē meliorem pro toto excluding all Iesuited or Puritanized neither of which will euer like of or consent to any good that to our whole nation in this case would be should make a generall attonement league and peace together vpō such conditions as in their sacred wisdomes princely prudence should seeme meete with mutuall consent to expell and call all the Iesuits and other seditious persons out of the land or otherwise to haue iustice done vpon thē where they shall be taken The other case might be this to wit If the Archpriest could wold cleare himselfe shake off these turbulent Iesuits and vtterly renouncing them their counsell aduice and company sticke fast hereafter to the seculars which as it were his best and surest way to deale for his owne quiet safety and security both of body and soule letting passe these brablings medlings in matters aboue his reach thrust vpon him by the Iesuits of purpose to make a gull a stale a laughing-stocke and but an officious instrument of him to serue their turne withall so if the vaine conceit of honor to be of due right belonging vnto him by his place office and title of Archpresbitery do still second his former course in proceeding against the seculars on the Iesuits behalfe then may there no condition be admitted of by the appealants for peace with him and them but with the indangering of themselues to incurre a Premunire and be in the same state wherein the sayd Archpriest and all that seditious faction now stand which is to be all hanged for traytors if the lawes be suffered to passe against them as now they are and as the case stands Yea the seculars by putting vp the matter with a colourable peace betwixt them and the Archpriest before any order set downe by his Holinesse for courbing the insolencie of the Iesuits would be preiudiciall not onely to themselues but also to his Holinesse on whom they will vndoubtedly father all their wicked practises hereafter and so by consequent this yeeld would also turne to the preiudice of the Catholike Church the common-wealth of this land and
titlet customes and ancient rights of birth and blood to lands liuelyhoods and other inheritances and make them of no validitie but that euery one of most might may lawfully possesse what they may lay hands on dispossesse the olde tenant yea ancient inhabitants at their pleasure and dispose of goods lands and inheritances as they thinke good For admit that a crowne and kingdome may be thus handled as Master Parsons in his booke of succession affirmes they may then à fortiori all other fee simples fee tailes franke almaines or what other estate soeuer is most sure being depending of a kingdome and subiect to a crowne are of no force effect woorth or value more then an ordinarie tenant at will hath of his farme bartin or cottage It was oracled from those diuine lips to which it were blasphemie to impute any possibilitie of a lie that necesse est vt haereses and in another place vt scandalum veniat But to this necessitie was giuen such a gird as might euen haue made a reprobate appalde to thinke that the euill which of necessitie must come to passe should be acted by his infortunate plottings For vae homini illi was straightwaies added to the definitiue sentence per quem scandalum venit as far better and more tolerable to haue had a milstone tied about his necke and himselfe bound hand and foote cast headlong into the sea rather then euer to haue been author agent plotcaster current or contriuer to so great a sinne Parsons is that wretch to whom with his Iesuiticall plotcasters of faction this speech of scandall is applied If he therefore haue thus farre medled and further as in more particular manner shall in the next Quodlibet be shewed by his seditious libels practises and conspiracies against the English state if all men iudge these vnchristian vnnaturall vncharitable dealings of his to haue occasioned such a general iealousie to be had of all priests and catholike recusants as the sequele thereof presageth a ruine subuersion conquest captiuitie and bondage of our deere countrie natiue land people nation and friends were it not that God of his mercie in whose hands are the harts of princes had inclined her Maiesties princely hart to conceiue of her poore catholikes so as not to condemne all for some priuate mens attempts and practises which if any thing preuent these generall ensuing calamities to the whole realme it must be that or nothing else at all the whole state being otherwise brought into such iealousie of one the other by Parsons agents as all and euery of them of necessitie constraind must seeke for their securitie to make friends where and as best they may if he the said Parsons haue taken vpon him to promulgate these prodigies to foreshew our ensuing calamities to be the genius of his owne and all our hard fortunes and to make knowne to all nations the enormous dealings of priuate persons vnder our soueraigne still concealing his owne and his associats and to stir vp yea put forraigne powers in hope of a conquest nay full assurance of a rightfull title to our English crowne if he in his bookes in his platformes in his secret perswasions in his agents tongue works will labour to make all our royall and imperiall heroicall princes our nobles our gentils our commons and the whole realme odious by reason of some priuate and particular persons offences if he will seeke to confederate himselfe in a Spanish or Iesuiticall league with those against whom he hath written most bitterly and shewed by demonstration that all the realme in his iudgement and censure hath iust cause to curse hate and spit at them if he haue offered himselfe like an impudent base fellow to be a spie to colour thereby his treason for her Maiestie to fill all the whole realme with state practisioners to tamper one while with this noble Heroes another while with that roiall lady and get by his agents some or other of his Iesuiticall tribe and consistorian order to insinuate his drift euery where If by his meanes there be not one noble familie in this land but the Iesuits haue been tampering withall to come within it one way or other the nobles themselues both Lords and Ladies often dreaming of nothing lesse then that any of a Iesuiticall faction came within their doores or sat at table with them much lesse that so smooth a creeper into their bosome intended to sting them at the hart at time appointed for their purpose neither the Marquisate of Winchester nor the house of Oxford for as for the house of Arundell Westmerland and Northumberland how he and his associats haue tampered with them all the world knoweth especially the first against which notwithstanding he hath written most bitterly in Philopater and other bookes affirming the infortunate Howard of Norfolke to haue been one and the chiefe cause of the ouerthrow both of the Church and common wealth yet with whom he and his hath had I will not say haue videant ipsi more inward close dealing for aduancement to the crowne by marriage of Lady Arbella c. and other means then with any other house familie within the land nor the house of Lincolne nor the houses of Cumberland of Shrewsbury of Penbrooke of Darby of Hartford of Huntington of Warwike of Leicester of Worcester of Bathe of Kent of Sussex of Nottingham of Mountague c. together with all and euery of the nobles Barons of this land none I say hath beene free from danger of intrapping of whatsoeuer religion they were by some one fine fingerd fig boy or other cosin of his kinde alwaies obseruing this for a generall rule that looke where any of the blood royall ly most there and in those places are the Iesuits most frequent and their faction is hottest so in London in Derbyshire and whiles Earle Ferdinando liued in Lancashire though God be thanked there are not so many of that faction there now as earst haue been c. Finally if he in all his said Philopater and elsewhere haue shewed what miserable endes those Archmurtherers of the Church and common wealth haue made together with their posteritie before the fourth generation hath been past if he haue presumed to accommodate these examples to our countries nobles and taken vpon him the person of a wise man southsaier or prophet to foretell a sorrowfull visitation of our nobilitie with like misfortunes if they that take part with the wicked in their wickednes must of equitie and reason looke to be partakers of their punishments paines and miseries what should I say more religion mooues me yet much more to speake conscience bindes me to cleere true catholike harts zeale of Gods house and honor constraines me to detect this wicked impe of cursed kinde affection to my deere countrie makes me tedious in discourse loue and loyaltie faith and dutie feare and affection striue for a supremacie in a troubled spirite and all resolued into a sea of
that the gift of the Bishoprickes in England as well by ancient catholike as also by recent lawes are in the prince to bestow where her Maiestie pleaseth And therfore committing the controuersie of religion succession and calling to silence in points of pacification and humble suite for release of affliction they yeelding to them the honor of Earles or Barons as their place by gift of the prince doth inuest them withall there is no cause moouing them to disswade from toleration but rather in truth both states and persons ecclesiasticall and temporall in respect of the premisses for the safer continuance in their present interest may conceiue iust cause and many weightie reasons moouing them on the seculars and other catholike recusants behalfe against the Iesuiticall and puritanian faction to commence their humble suite to her highnes for libertie of conscience with a repeale or at least a gratious milde and comfortable mitigation of former sharpe penall lawes made aswel against the seminarie priests themselues as also against all those that receiue or relieue them any manner of way Fiftly to the catholike recusants themselues there is none sanae mentis vnles bewitched with the Iesuiticall vaine hope of future aduancements but may and no doubt but doe and will daily more and more easily perceiue it that this betwixt the seculars and Iesuits was the happiest contention that euer rose and that all discreet vertuous and sound catholikes in deede haue iust cause especially if of a naturall humane breede and not mungrels nor bastards to giue God thanks euery day vpon their knees for this so sweete vnexpected extraordinarie comfortable and to be admired at meanes to all posteritie scil how euer such hart-breaking broiles should haue turned to so great a good on all sides as doubtlesse if the diuell play not the knaue too too egregiously and preuaile more then ordinarie these cannot choose but turne vnto First in receiuing hereby a holesome mithridate or antidotum to the spirituall health and recouerie of many a deuoute soule against the most dangerous infections and by all other meanes irremedilesse poyson of the Iesuiticall doctrine then by banishing out of their mindes this vnsauorie comparison and distinction of persons in bestowing of spiritual graces with ego sum Pauli ego Apollo c. after that by breeding in euery vertuous sincere religious catholike hart a more reuerend regard to priesthood in generall and to their ghostly fathers in speciall then now they haue by the Iesuiticall policies and most Machiuillian perswasions And last of all there would be then the woonted ioy at meeting of priests and catholikes together whereas now and so long as the Iesuits remaine in this land there is none other to be expected but mutinies brabbles detractions defamations watchings intrappings betrayings of one another and nothing but a mournefull blacke sanctus in steede of a ioyfull Alleluia at the conuersion of any soule or furtherance of any good catholike and charitable action THE III. ARTICLE VVHether any religious person may or ought to meddle or haue any dealings in state matters or secular affaires as other ecclesiacticall persons or as now the secular priests do deale or not and if any other may then why not the Iesuits THE ANSWERE TO this interrogatory I answere First that Ex officio de iure no religious person one or other ought or may lawfully deale either in state or any other secular affaires bicause the worde secular à fortiori stat are wordes resumed into wordly actions in their practise and therefore as farre from a religious profession to meddle withall in regard of their vowe of pouertie whose essentials are humilitie silence solitary life renuntiation of the world and a ciuill voluntary monasticall death as for them to breake out of their cloisters and take a benefice without leaue in regard of their vowe of obedience or to take a wife in regard of their vow of chastity c. Secondly as notwithstanding their vow of voluntary pouertie they may haue and possesse lands and all other things in common so may they also carry a kind of state amongst themselues and thereupon being subiects also to their prince and members incorporate to the common wealth wherein they liue their Abbots Priors Guardians and other superiors chosen amongst them to rule ouer them may be admitted by the two states ecclesiasticall and temporall to deale in secular affaires and matters of state as other Bishops and Parsons ecclesiasticall may and so was the custome of old in this land that commonly the Abbot of Westminster was Lord Treasurer of England the Archbishop of Yorke Lord president of the North and sometimes one Bishop and other while an other was Lord Chauncellour of the realme Thirdly yet was neither this a freedome to the monkes of their cloister to liue secularly neither was it allowed of as generall to all religious orders to be aduanced so bicause some are bound by vow to the contrary and as repugnant to their profession they beare no state amongst themselues but liue all in humiliation without possessiōs lands or any thing that smels of the world saue onely a house to shrowde them from cold a church to serue God in and meate and drinke to keepe life and soule together as of almes shal be giuen them c. Fourthly of all other religious orders the Iesuites by profession should be furthest of from all secularity statising or other worldly dealings and yet on the contrary they of all the rest are become not onely most secular and ecclesiasticall but also most laicall temporall and prophane yea most treacherous ambitious seditious and daungerous both to themselues and all others where they liue as these articles here shall discouer of our owne countrey Iesuites more at large THE IIII. ARTICLE VVHether any clergy person of what religion profession or sect soeuer he be for I take it to be all one when we talke of state affaires whether the statist be catholike protestant or puritane euery one thinking his owne course to be best may or ought to labour for planting of his owne religion or onely ought he to seeke the temporall good of his country letting religion goe where and how it pleaseth God it shall THE ANSWERE THere is no question in it but abstracting in this point of statizing from a matter of faith to a matter of policy all men of what religion soeuer supposing they haue and thinke in conscience that they haue the truth on their side are bound to propagate plant and establish the religion they are of to the vttermost of their power yet so as all may be ad aedificationem non ad destructionem And whosoeuer thinkes his religion best must thinke this withall that the meanes of restoring it be it the puritanes amongst protestants or protestants amongst catholikes or catholikes amongst either of these or any other must not be by treasons conspiracies and inuasions The conuersion of any country by such attempts did
England were Catholicks and those of the bloud royall so in esse with all yet were her title as good as the best saith he and by consequent concludes with this bobbe giuen to all our nation that the gift of the crowne of England was in the oldking Catholiks hands who perhaps quoth this patch Parsons may be perswaded as also his sonne the now king may be to the like set to giue ouer his claime and surrender vp his whole interest and right thereunto to his daughter Clara Eugenia Isabella yeelding her aide for atchieuing of the same to her and some such chatholicks Noble as his Maiestie shall thinke fit for a husband to a Lady of so high parentage Who being now the Archduke Albert late Cardinall c. if followeth that he is the Peere must be our Prince by Coruester Parsons designements And seeing he there insinuates as much and that the foresaid Cardinall Allan had dealt with the king of Spaine as he would make the world beleeue to that intent and purpose the case then and therein is cleere that this same booke here mentioned and that Appendix were both of Parsons owne doing as birds of one nest feather and wing hatched by the vnnaturall heate of his ambitious hart Secondly I obserue both heere there that there was great difficultie and doubts put in perswading the king of Spaine to this exploit for the conquest of England and that there was much adoo to draw him vnto it had not the parties mentioned importuned him to our countries ouerthrow Thirdly they account the intended massacre of her Maiestie and of so many thousands of her good subiects as must haue died if the Spaniard had preuailed as before I prooued it vnto you by the words of the Duke of Medina and other testimonies to that purpose a holy and glorious acte and to haue beene vndertaken of an vnspeakeable zeale and pietie c. Loe Nobles and Gentiles you deere catholikes of both sexes and all degrees Medina vowes he will spare none be he or she Catholicke Protestant or whosoeuer this booke affirmes the massacre intended is an acte of zeale what case are you now in if your Soueraigne forsake you also and who shal can or will defend you if she giue you ouer to the persecutor what haue you to say in your owne defence to saue your liues if her highnes draw the sword of iustice and lay it vpon you Truely nothing at all but so many of you as are loyall subiects your religious catholicke consciences reserued being as innocent as ignorant of those practises whereof I dare boldly speake it in the worde of a priest many thousands in England neuer heard of before the publishing of these Quodlibets might iustly haue fed your dying soules with hope of Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iustitiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum But for other hopes you could haue none Fourthly the false harted Cateline inuolueth all the catholicks that were then beyond the seas in that his most Turkish Iesuitish Puritanian and barbarous designements Fiftly he intangleth such as receiued so great fauors at her Maiesties hands and the state heere as that where by the lawes they might all haue beene put to death they were onely banished Yet notwithstanding he forceth them to become intercessors both for the destruction of her Highnesse and of her kingdome Sixtly what iust cause is heere giuen to her Maiestie and the state of seuere proceeding against all such catholicks as were then beyond the seas when they should come home in that they all sought and thirsted after the blood of their countrey vos iudicate But I hope and in part I know it that the false bastard Iesuits pen when he writ those words did but expresse the traitorous harts of himselfe and some fewe of his consorts and that he hath most egregiously belied many For of the Lord Dacres and sundrie others as well of the cleargie as laitie it is well knowne they were euer most opposite to those traitorous practises and therefore most mightily persecuted by Parsons and his confederates notwithstanding they still helde and do holde out as loyall English subiects vsque ad sanguinem as obedient catholicke children vsque ad aras and as seruiceable in hart to both God and man Pope Prince and to the catholicke Romish church and the English common wealth as soule and body in one person can affoord or faith fealtie religion and loyaltie diuine loue and naturall affection can expect or demaund at their hands And for the rest if any were so sotted and bewitched with Iesuitisme or infected with the Spaniards as I doubt too many were I wish for my owne part euen from the bottome of my poore but resolued catholicke loyall hart so many of them as remaine obstinate with Parsons in that vnnaturall combination faire and well buried in their graues Thus hauing made the first part of the Interrogatory most apparant and manifest I wil now prosecute the answere to the second in as briefe and plaine a method as I may Say then for the present which yet is more then I would willingly put to mainteine the time and our afflicted state considered that his Holinesse and the king of Spaine might lawfully haue taken armes against her Maiestie and this her kingdome our natiue land yet it was shamefull part of father Parsons his companions to be the contriuers or instigators of it as it is to be prooued by many memorable examples agreeing to this purpose scil First out of holy writ it is manifest and apparant that the Iebusites and other inhabitants of the land of behest were permitted there to liue euen after the Israelites had obteined the land as their owne ancient inheritance ergo a forreine people of a natiue broode are not to be by Gods lawes subiected in their natiue soyle by strangers of an alien land Secondly Gregorius magnus when he might haue ridde the parts and coasts of Italy from the tyranny of the Gothes and other sauage peo-people if he would haue intermedled in matters of blood refused so to do accounting it to be a course not fitte for a man of his calling to deale in Thirdly by the lawes customes and practise of all kingdomes such persons as shall machinate and deuise to execute such outragious designements against their prince and countrey haue euer beene iustly condemned and detested of all honest men and good subiects yea and euen of those same princes inuadors or vsurpers that comming to sway the scepter royall of a kingdome by such meanes neuer suffred such traitors to passe vnpunished nor without the iust guerdon of treason deducere canes ad inferos as by sundry examples in the Antiperistasis to Parsons Doleman I haue prooued it true Fourthly it had beene Parsons dutie and so also the dutie of all other priests Iesuits and religious persons to haue praied for her Maiestie and their countrey and by preaching to haue sought the reformation
faith in England And if so that they be sent then how should her Maiesty and the state here be satisfied or moued to mitigate the former seuerall lawes made against them and all catholikes for their Iesuiticall crimes THE ANSWERE THis Interrogatorie is indeed a very doubtfull Dilemma in a sequell to great sense respecting what hath bene said in the last article For kings haue euer bene iealous of their estates haue and doe orderly take any occasion to preuent the worst and none hath euer had greater cause then her Maiestie hath had to suspect her catholike subiects loialtie in generall for some priuate and peculier Iesuiticall treasons wrought against her roiall person and state in speciall they still practising and we still punished they onely faultie and we commonly smarting for their offences they still attempting and the catholikes cause daily more and more indaungered and hindered by them And againe the iealousie had of vs all is greatly increased by these three heads viz. One in that it is apparant that the Seminaries in Spaine were intended by father Parsons of purpose to cause a conquest and to bring this land into bondage and slauery of the Spaniard An other in that he being Rector of the Seminary at Rome all that come there must dance after his pipe or els woe be to them c. The third for that all schoole Diuinity being banished out of the Seminary at Doway bicause saith Parsons Scientia inflat his subiect Doctor Woorthington must teach them to practise what he will haue them in England els get they no faculties Which things occasionating a meruailous great suspition to be had of all catholikes by the state and thereby withall increasing our manifold dangers on euery side it makes the case very doubtfull what to thinke of continuance of the Seminaries being all now vnder these blody cruell harted traiterous and most vnnatural irreligious and consciencelesse Iesuites tirannicall gouernment Therefore to the article thus I answere First that I am not of their opinion who hold that the said English Seminaries at Rome and Rhemes were ordained of purpose to traine vp seditious youths as our aduersaries say and after some time to send them into England to moue rebellion Secondly I am fully perswaded that his holinesse Pope Gregory the thirteenth and some others had very sincere harts in the erecting of them and were far from any intent to haue the Seminary priests of England brought vp there in any treacherous or traiterous manner but in a most holy religious and vertuous course of life study and exercise as Cardinall Allane in his apollogie doth demonstrate Thirdly no man shall be able to write that commendation of their doings therein whereunto I will not most willingly subscribe and auowe whiles breth is in my body or life doth last in me Yet all this notwithstanding as the case is now with the said Seminaries I am of opinion setting aside the said holy intent and godly institution that no catholikes ought to send their children or friends thither First bicause they are greatly degenerated though the time be not long since they were erected from their primitiue foundation and intent of the founders Secondly they were ordained for the training vp of the best wits to be secular priests but now they are abused to the increasing of the number of the Iesuites Thirdly true cases of conscience schoole diuinity positiue exercises for matters of controuersie in religion and other studies of humanitie besides were there taught but now their heads must be filled with treacheries equiuocations dissimulation hipocrisie and all kind of falshood otherwise they are not fit disciples of Iesuiticall traitors nor fit for to be of the Spaniards faction Fourthly the Iesuites haue gotten into their hands the gouernment of the same Seminaries who being very odious men to diuers states will bring likewise a detestation of all such priests as shal be brought vp vnderneath them Fiftly we find by experience that the Iesuites here in England doe therefore chalenge superioritie and precedency of the secular priests bicause whilest they were in the Seminaries they were brought vp and trained by them which tendeth to the great derogation of the secular priesthood Sixtly although her Maiesty and the state hitherto haue not dealt so roughly either with priests or other catholikes as they might haue done yet knowing now that our english students being brought vp by Parsons direction chiefly and that in their missions hither his manner is to bind them to set out the said Infantaes title as is before expressed it cannot chuse but that the state will proceede against them as they shal be taken with greater seueritie Seuenthly whereas heretofore it was made onely subiect to a pecuniary mulet for any catholike to send their sons or friends beyond the seas if hereafter a lawe be made to inflict the same punishment vpon such as sende youths thither who can iustly take exception to it And the rather can they not take exception to such a law bicause of the punishment that is already ordained for those that shall receiue priests from thence Now for the last point in the article my opinion is and I verily thinke that all catholike English subiects priests or lay persons that are not to too much bewitched with Iesuitisme are of my mind that all faithful catholikes the premisses considered are bound in conscience to become most humble sutors to his holines for the remoouing of all Iesuits not onely out of England where they haue already wrought all our woes but euen also from intermedling in any sort with the said Seminaries in any place beyond the seas Or if they cannot be heard through the Machiuilian practises of the Iesuits as questionles what the malice of the diuell or wit of his fowle instrument Parsons can inuent shal be vrged to the vttermost to stop this course then they are to fall to their praiers that God himselfe will thrust out laborers into this vineyard and draw the harts of the students in our owne vniuersities here in England to receiue and embrace the catholike faith if not in generall which we hartily wish and pray for yet in some certaine colledges either in the one or the other And withall for the better hope thereof to commence our humble sute vnto her Maiestie ioyning thereunto our hartie prayers that God of his mercy would vouchsafe to incline her princely hart to grant vs some colledge or other house fit for that purpose with free leaue to teach and reade such lectures as may be fitting for our profession and for to withdraw and take away all occasions or necessities of sending any of our friends beyond the seas In which most pious politike and honorable acte fitly agreeing to her Maiestie and magnificencie and graunted euen of heathen princes to christian priests and prelats her Highnes should not onely merite lasting fame renowne and memorie to all posteritie but euen also thereby cut off occasions of
others or else deny it so you shal see in time that although our worshipfull Archpriest hath done nothing but by fahaer Garnets direction yet when his ridiculous vniust vncharitable dâ—ttyrannous proceedings shall come to the scanning father Garnet will doe the best he can to pull his necke out of the coller and master Blackwell shall be the Asse that must beare all the burden So father Parsons that holy man by his practise doth giue father Garnet a pregnant example In the most of those seditious bookes which he the said father Parsons hath published he hath either concealed his name or giuen them such names as it hath pleased him to deuise And one of his said bookes being set out by him vnder the name of master Dolman now that many exceptions are taken vnto it he good man was not the author of it his name is not Dolman and gladly he would shift and wash his hands of it but all the water betwixt this and Rome will not serue his turne so to do although by the common principle of the Iesuits he may by lying and equiuocating make a faire shew But of this enough is said before As concerning the second point I will now make it plaine vnto you that the Iesuits being charged as in the former question is set downe are not therein slaundered any way vniustly For First it is plaine that father Parsons and his company diuide it amongst them how they list haue laide a plot as being most consonant and fitting to their other designments that the common lawes of the Realme of England must be forsooth either abolished vtterly or else beare no greater sway in the Realme then now the ciuill lawe doth And the chiefe reason is for that the state of the crowne and kingdome by the common lawes is so strongly setled as whilest they continue the Iesuits see not how they can worke their wils And on the other side in the ciuill lawes they thinke they haue some shreds whereby they may patch a cloake together to couer a bloodly shew of their treasons for the present from the eies of the vulgar sort And certainly I could not choose but smile when I read this point in father Parsons booke to see how prettily this fine fingred figgeboy conueigheth his matter how the common lawyers must waite vpon the Ciuilians to beare their bookes after them and how they are to applaud to all that the doctors will auerre to be lawe vpon their bare words vnto them Secondly the said good father deeming of all men it seemeth by himselfe hath set downe a course how euery man may shake off all authoritie at their pleasures as if he woulde become a newe Anabaptist or king Iohn of Leyden to draw all the world into a mutinie rebellion or combustion And this stratageme is how the common people may be inueigled and seduced to conceit to themselues such a libertie and prerogatiue as that it may be lawfull for them when they thinke meete to place and displace kings and princes as men may doe their tenants at will hirelings or ordinarie seruants Which Anabaptisticall and abhominable doctrine proceeding from a turbulent tribe of traiterous Puritanes other heretikes this treacherous Iesuite would now foist into the catholike church as a ground of his corrupt diuinitie And sure it is strange to consider how the caitiffe handleth this point giuing aduantage thereby to all nations to reuolt from the See apostolike if any catholike prince would take holde or build vpon this absurd fellowes word or authoritie For that amongst other arguments he insisteth vpon certaine rebellious most traiterous examples how some kings in this Island haue beene dealt with As if a man should take vpon him to prooue murther lawfull bicause many examples of murther may be produced or as if this were a good argument England Scotland Ireland Denmarke Swethia many states in Germany many men in France and else where haue reiected the authoritie of the Pope his holines the See of Rome therefore Italy France Spaine other catholike countries may do the like Fourthly the said good fathers with their ringleader and muster-master father Parsons do take vpon them in the saide booke and in other treatises to deale with matters of succession and titles of the crowne as if their bare words were of higher authoritie then either Court Parliamentall Prince or Pope and bicause as it seemeth their said ringleader is a bastard himselfe it is woonderfull to see what very small account he maketh of succession by inheritance title of descent birthright or bloud Now tell me in this case A gentleman or substantiall yeoman hauing one heire and many seruants dieth were he not an asse that would affirme that the right of the saide heire should depend vpon the pleasure of his fathers seruants If they thought meet he should haue his fathers lands or otherwise they would bestow them as they thought good I am sure you would account it vniust vnnaturall indecent and ridiculous And all that this traitorous Iesuite writeth of this point is grounded vpon the like folly whilest he laboureth so giantlike in opposing himselfe against succession by inheritance to fight most impudently with all lawes nay with nature and with God himselfe Hereunto it also appertaineth how after he hath contriued the meanes as he thinketh how to depriue kings and heires from their inheritance he then taketh vpon him to appoint how others may and are to succeede in their roomes and possesse their ancient right And he proceedeth herein as grauely and substantially as he hath done in the premisses For except this may carrie a shew of a good argument fiue hundred or a thousand yeeres since the ancestors of the king of Spaine the king of Fraunce and of diuers other kings had no interest to the kingdomes which now they enioy therefore some others must be found out to be preferred to those kingdomes the good father saith nothing There is one who hath written a booke of the Bathes in England and as I remember for it is long since I saw the booke the author of it the rather to extol the first finder out of the said Bathes that therby he might prooue him to be an ancient gentleman doth set downe his petigree and neuer leaueth it I assure you vntill he come to these words which was the sonne of Seth which was the sonne of Adam It were not amisse in my poore opinion that Master Parsons should carefully seeke out for this maÌ„s kinred It is not vnlikely but that by his skil he might intitle them to very many kingdomes distributing this to one and that to another as in his omnipotentencie he should hold it most conuenient The man if he liue long will prooue mad in the end without question except you can imagine that these and such like vanities are sober conceits And yet that which he saith against the blood royall of England to aduance a pretended interest to the Infanta
doctrine of the Iesuits touching equiuocation hath already bewitched so many of them But principally what are all catholike priests that are Iesuited to looke for vpon the broaching of this desperate and diuelish conceite when the catholikes are in number sufficient they must rebell and the innocent priests are sent ouer to increase this number Into what perplexities are they hereby cast How can they expect any fauor when they are taken none caÌ„not deny that their comming ouer is to increase the number of catholiks and that father Parsons raigneth and hath the whole direction at this day for all the missions that are for England How then alas how may her Maiesty the state conclude against them what lawes can be too extreme to keepe them out of the land or if they will needs come in what seuerity for the execution of lawes against them can be more then sufficient Into what gulfe are we plunged nay into what an obloquie are we plunged nay into what an obloquie must the catholike church of Rome grow in that the execution of priesthoode and treason are now so linked together by the Iesuits in England as we cannot exhort any to the catholike faith but dogmatizando in so doing we draw him in effect to rebellion For the mitigation therfore both of her Maiestie and the state and that they may deale more mercifully with poore secular priests I doe heere professe both for my selfe and those that are not Iesuited as too many are that we loath and detest this point of Iesuitisme that if we finde that we can not otherwise preuaile and that such as are catholikes will needes runne into these Iesuiticall courses of rebellion and treason we will surcease from the execution of our functions and from the increasing of that number that will will not be aduised by vs with patience and suffering to expect the Lords leisure for the restitution of the catholike faith and in the meane time to obey her Maiestie as they did in Tertullians time and as Saint Augustine doth teach vs in lawfull commandements and points perteining to ciuill gouernment and temporall lawes THE V. ARTICLE VVHether seeing this BuchananiaÌ„ doctrine of stirring vp subiects to rebell against their Soueraignes when they are of force is so greedily snatched vp of the Iesuits as it seemeth they would scorne not to be holden or accounted of as the first author or at least practisioners of it in their owne sense and meaning is it then the whole monarchie of all these northerne Isles of England Scotland and Wales that they shoote at or else do they aime at the crowne monarchiall of England onely or otherwise at none at all directly but onely for a superioritie ouer the ecclesiasticall and secular state THE ANSWERE THey doe questionles cast at all both ecclesiasticall temporall and monarchical states as may be demonstrated by sundry arguments conuincing them of their no lesse treacherous and ambitious then Pharisaicall and irreligious intents attemptes practises and proceedings therein First for that in precise termes they and theirs haue giuen it out for England by name that it should be made an Island of Iesuits and that they were assured of it that the king of Spaine vpon the conquest would bestow it vpon them Secondly before the Lady Infantaes title marriage or placing in the Lowe countries was dreamed of the chiefe speeches was of the king her fathers title and for hers it was but then coldly handled And if you marke well the tenor of his discourse throughout his whole Dolmanian coyned succession you shall not finde him absolute in his opinion for Spaine And he frameth all his passages to perswade as well all our English nation that it will be fittest and for the most aduancement of our nobles and augmentiue florish of the whole common wealth as also most secure and to the greatest both merite and renowne of the king catholike neuer to offer to come hither himselfe or to enthronize his maiestie or royall issue within the Britons coasts as a diminution of his honor princely regalitie so to doe considering our countrie is so base obscure and beggerly and the blood royall together with all the heroeces nobles and gentles of these northerne Isles so abiect meane and ignominious forsooth where his Spanish paragons with their Mercurian gilded Caduceus come in place Loe deere Catholiâ—es and all you deeâ—â—ly affected 〈…〉 countries 〈◊〉 thiâ—ke 〈◊〉 not bâ—â— that 〈…〉 you 〈…〉 Ladies 〈…〉 sh◠〈…〉 beâ—â—◠〈…〉 Paâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 the rest of 〈…〉 its 〈…〉 great 〈◊〉 â—â—gher adâ—aâ—ceâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 you 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 the Spaniard 〈◊〉 â—oâ—â—aigne â—aâ—â—â—s c. But the best most conuenient and contentiue course to be taken for all parties is by this exlegall legifers lawes set downe for the Spaniards to bring this whole monarchiall Isle from the name honor and title of successionall regality to be vnder a Viceroyes gouernment charge there withal reduced into the forme fashion and proportioned order of a Prouince to send the peeres other nobles natiues of this land that shall take the Spaniards part into forraigne countries as Sicily Naples Peru India c. to make them Vâ—ceroyes there and then to commit this Prouince to the gouernment of the fathers of the society of Iesus sci to our petty king father Fa. Parsons and the rest as I said before Which assertion if it seeme absurd to be but a surmise then tell me I pray what gouernment can you gather out of all his bookes that we shal haue or who shall be our king oâ— sway the scepter royall of this land For the king of Spaine himselfe it is to meane for him and therefore holden of Fa. Parsons for a dishonor if he should leaue Spaine to keepe heere his royall Court. For his daughter the new Archdutchesse of Austria Dutchesse of Burgundy Lady of Netherlands her grace was but then glauncingly spoken of Yea when Fa. Parsons had vrged the subscription and consent to her title afterwards to sundry of our nation as before is said amongst the rest a reuerend priest and anncient gentleman old Master Midleton being roughly handled by Fa. Parsons and indangered in Spaine before his departure to Rome for not consenting to his vnnaturall motion vnlesse it might haue beene by marriage of the said Lady Infanta to some noble or peere of our land This cosening mate protesting at the first that it was meant no otherwise but she should afterward when partly by force and feare partly vpon hope to haue gotten all his money out of this fathers hands who by your leaue vnder Benedicite be it spoken cosened him at the last cast of three hundred pound at least as we haue beene credibly informed by reuerend priests then there which he neuer could get out of his handes he consented vpon that condition to giue his name to that charter of subscription And then loe what the good father added quoth he I could wish her Ladishippe
right stampe hath be laboured with his pen to winne vnto his byace and to bring her Ladiship in dislike of the secular priests as others haue sought but all alike preuayled she being both too wise constant and vertuous to be carried away with gloses you would maruell that euer any bearing the face of a religious man would write so exorbitantly as he there hath done to his vtter shame and discredit as you shall well perceiue when it once comes foorth in Print with the discouery of his arrogancy ignorance lies on the one side and of his malice slāderous toong contēpt of the secular priests on the other side But to returne to our former speech These circumstances of Parsons actions and names giuen to offenders demonstrating a soueraigntie or superioritie in cheefe to be in Master Blackwell it followeth that he being notwithstanding all this subordinate or for feare or want of wit experience and knowledge due to such a superior as he takes vpon him to be at the command of Fa. Garnet betwixt whom by a priest of their owne faction it hath been told that there is continuall intercourse once in euery 24. howers at least there can no lesse be aymed at by the Iesuits in this Isle then a supreme power imperialty and dominion ouer all And so I conclude that they ayme at the succession themselues to rule vnder the Spaniards or rather to cloake their intended ambitious aspires vnder the Spaniards wings a while vntill they haue gotten all subiected vnder them Sed caueat Hispania praelio partu venditur proelis fides THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether then seeing they shoote at the whole monarchie of great Britanie together with Ireland Doe they intend any thing against Fraunce or not Or whether their practise for England may hinder or further their attempts for Fraunce more then their like practises for Scotland one while and for Ireland another while may do or no THE ANSWERE ENgland is made the maine chaunce of Christendome as our countries heauie case is at this present by seditious factions tampering and aspiring heads Wherefore we haue iust cause so many as loue to liue in quiet to pray hartely for the preseruation of her Maiesties life For afterward great calamities are we sure to see so many as liue to that wofull hower by all probable coniecture And by consequent then it followeth that England is the onely butte marke and white they aime at as well in intention as in execution of their pretended expedition exployte and action Which failing farewell a Iesuits monarchie for euer But holding their plots cast for England then haue at all Fraunce and other nations by peece meale in succeeding turns of conquests And therefore standes it both the state ecclesiasticall and temporal vpon of England in chiefe of Fraunce next and so of all other states and princes to looke to them in time and to ioyne in aide fauour and assistance of the Seminarie and secular priests in this their appeale This conclusion needes no further better nor other proofe then a relation with aduisement of this discourse Quodlibeticall First for that as you may gather by the second reason in the last Article and perceiue more at large if you read father Parsons Dolemanian succession he bringeth all his chiefe and strongest arguments for intituling the Lady Infanta to the English crowne from that head scil for that she is the right heire of Brytaine and France c. Now then if she be the heire of France and Brytaine as in precise termes he calleth her in his Appendix and that thereby she be intituled to our English crowne then questionles if once she get or I should haue said they get possession of this Isle in her right which they aime at in chiefe their title therunto comming by this meanes it standes with no sense that they shoulde giue ouer their clayme on her graces behalfe to that kingdome whereof they say she is already heire hauing obteined that monarchy whereunto she is intituled by the foresaide claime of heritage and whereby withall reciprocally she is againe reintituled to the same French kingdome and crowne Neither will the law Salique keepe them out from aduauncing her royall ensignes in the middest of them For I holde it but for a kindly canuase banding bob or taunting effect to confront with France for Burgundy Britany and other states and seigniories of old depending vpon the French crowne affirming as father Parsons doth in Doleman that though by the law Salique the Lady Infanta may be defeated and put from her rightfull title of inheritance and lawfull claime to the whole kingdome of France in concreto or in sensu composito as a man may terme it yet no reason saith he there but that so many states prouinces as came to the crowne of France by heires generall or women but that the same should diuolue vnto the Spaniard by women heires againe Which if he can bring to passe for all those seigniories come by women then shall the French be so fleeced in abstracto or in sensu diuiso as let them rest assured to be distracted out of their wits ere the Spanish Iesuiticall faction haue left them vnlesse they surrender vp the whole into their hands and yeelde perforce to abrogate the authoritie of their Salique lawes it holding no way either in piety or policie with father Parsons principles that taking vpon him in his said booke of titles and high counsell of reformation to abolish vtterly the auncient municipall lawes of this lande which were established by highest authoritie then the lawe Salique of France and that before euer the saide lawe was heard of amongst them that they should not tender thrust vpon and compell the French to chaunge their forme of gouernment lawes customes and all at his designement Secondly although during the time of their I meane the Iesuits rebellious practises conspiracies against the last king Henry the 3. of France of the house of Valois and this king regnant Henry the 4. before king of Nauarre it was not directly knowne that the Iesuits had cast at the crowne and whole kingdome of France in those warres then maintained by aide of the Spaniard but as a great part of catholikes heere in England in former broiles and conspiracies as well by the dukes of Norfolke and of Guise as also by captaine Stukeley and doctor Saunders aided with Italians and Spaniards c. and finally by the attempt in the yeere 1588. did thinke that the Iesuits and their faction had done all of zeale though indiscretely and for the aduancement of Gods glory and the catholike cause pretended by them to be religion So the French catholikes many of them of ignorance folowing the parts of Spaine and other rebels against their Soueraigne and country by Iesuiticall perswasion hauing had the like good opinion of these religious men and thereupon following their direction at an inche yet since their expulsion thence for their treasons and
Iesuites and neuer to trust a word they speake in commendation of the Spaniard and discommendation of other people or nations compared with them as also vpō the said kings Queenes and Archduke and Duchesse c. When they pretend any thing either on the catholike church or the Iesuites behalfe and by consequent shall doe an act of high merite iustice prudence and policy if they I meane all other christian princes and states expell these seditious factions turbulent irreligious persons out of all their territories seigniories regalties and dominions that haue pesterd the Church of God with such wicked doctrine as the proiect of that booke imports As none will iudge otherwise of them but as of most conscienceles careles and bloody minded men when they shall heare first of one booke set out as Greenecote is wherein the Author doth manifestly demonstrate that no different religion be it heresie or whatsoeuer ought to depriue a lawfull heire in fee simple of his fathers inheritance being but a subiect and a forraigner then in princes rights titles to kingdomes it must and ought to hold saith father Parsons in that place bringing in sundry examples how that neither in England catholikes by that name were debard of their lawfull inheritance vnder her Maiestie since the change of religion here neither the Puritanes in Scotland vnder the Queene Regent a catholike there neither in Fraunce Germany or else where was it euer heard of that any were disinherited for religious causes c. and then againe of an other as Parsons Doleman is together with his Appendix Philopater and others that quite discard all heretikes as he termes them from all interest pretend or title to any crowne Noe not if in case hereafter they should be catholike at the attempting of such an exploit or when they should see there were no remedy This last conceite with these hote spirited Puritanian Iesuiticall faction is holden so farre wide and contrary to the former as if the parties be not catholikes euer at the instant when their fatherhoods would haue them be you fully assured for no zeale of religion but of meere machiuilian policy either thereby to exasperate them against others or others against them and so to bring all a flote in fire and sword which is the onely thing they long for they must be censured iudged and condemned presently for reprobates atheists impostors to be conuerted and men be they Princes or whosoeuer vtterly of God forsaken This doctrine when princes and other men of learning iudgement and experience in such pragmatical platformes do perspicuously looke into and withall perceiue that religion is abused and Gods holy name blasphemed as being not his honor but their owne vnder a maske of catholike zeale they wish for they enter further into a deepe detestation of their Pharisaicall proiects iealously had of their owne naturall subiects and princely feare of their royall estates When they heare a man pretend as father Parsons doth on Spaniardes behalfe make a claime neuer heard of in any age to another mans lands in whose actuall quiet and apparantly rightfull possession by lineall discent from the father to the sonne for many hundred yeeres space times and ages past it hauing continued is now diuoluted to the present incumbent or prince regnant from his auncesters whose state title and regall honour he hath possesseth and peaceably enioyeth that so ancient renowned indubitate a right should now be called in question and that vpon the bare worde of a claymorous claime exceeding al meane modestie and measure made by an arrant traytor to God his Prince his countrey and to all lawes of God of nature of nations or of man and generally misliked of by all graue discreete prudent learned wise religious true harted catholikes especially for this his sodaine camelion vnexpected vndeserued vngrounded exorbitant passionate apostrophall change of a foisted in pretend audaciously presuming without buls breue billet ticket worde or warrant of any authoritie to charge all men to allow admit ratifie and confirme without all gainesay controlment or contradiction such a Soueraigne as he the said father Parsons will appoint them otherwise to be noted for Atheistes fooles rebels malicious politikes and aduerse to his catholike Maiestie and forsooth the common cause this this is that most odious scandalous irreligious treacherous erronious doctrine which is so preiudicial to the king catholike and his pretended cause as whiles Spaine is Spaine England England Fraunce Fraunce and Rome Rome will it neuer be forgotten nor forgiuen nor the iealousie thereof put out of all princes harts So as iustly father Parsons may be pointed at for woorse then a fabling libeller and were woorthie were he not a priest to be set vpon the pillorie and that euen by his catholike Maiestie for bearing the world in hand that he was set on to write those libels by warrant and priuitie of the said surmised pretendor whereas all circumstances both in the same bookes and scheduls together with those plotcasters speeches in secret to their friendes and the many dangers damages indignities discommodities accrewing to the king and his royal estate doe argue quite contrarie This is that venemous law will pearce the king catholike to the very naked hart if his Maiestie permit it to passe currant without due punishment inflicted vpon the presumant scribe and speedie abolishment of so polypragmaticall a platforme no lesse dangerously cast then traitorously laide to intrap all princes in Christendome in a Templars snare and as preiudiciall if not more in chiefe to the crowne and safetie of his royal person to his family in esse and to his successors for euer hereafter as to any other prince or monarch whosoeuer For let his Highnes winke at this doctrine and seeme to authorize it and then what better warrant or more plausible can be deuised when minds of people in all nations as ruefull experience doth tell vs are now a daies so quickly exulcerated with grieuous sores of gustes and discontent easily corrupted with maladies of contention and hastely set on horsebacke with superfluous humors of nouelties innouations ambition disdaine reuenge thirsting after bloud desirous of liberty and greedily affecting soueraignty then thus to authorize all and euery Prouince vnder his gouernment to rebell against him at their pleasure and auouche maintaine and defend for lawfull all their outragious insurrections malepert mutinies and contagious crimes against his highnes and soundest part of his nobles and subiects euery where but especially in the Low countries vnder this counterfeited conference holden at Amsterdam amongst the States there Yea by this colourable doctrine of Fa. Parsons hotch potch prodigious common wealthes authority when it comes to reasoning standing the premises without the kings controlment they may lawfully auerre al their practises proceedings and deeds past they may admit his maiestie peacebly to gouerne and raigne ouer them with this condition that he shall mantaine the course by them begun for gouernment