in other countries as in Spaine constrained to carie their meat with them otherwise to fast for three or foure daies space In Scotland but poore lodging God wot and little better then Spaine affoordeth In Fraunce Flaunders not that ciuill order for bed or boord as England yeeldeth and in all other nations compare their diet their lodging their intertaine with the English and certainly you shall finde a stately difference no where to be in all this realme vnlesse vpon the wasts or borders and scant there but you shal haue lodging and intertaine sit for any noble or state within ten miles of that place where euer it be you are in yea the common Innes on LondoÌ„ way through Watlingstreete or the fower forced waies on euery side east west north and south being sit furnished to giue better intertaine to any prince in Christendome then most nobles are in other nations Therefore respecting worldly pompe and pleasure happie were the Iesuits faction but vnhappy all others besides if they might once bring this florishing English kingdom to be a defamed Spanish prouince had euer beene noted in former ages betwixt the soueraignes and subiects of this land And that howsoeuer some princes had tyrannized ouer some fewe stumbling blocks that stoode in their way as impediments to their quiet raigne at least in their conceite and other priuate persons had proued traitors rebels yet in general you shal not find that euer the subiects of England sought the death of their kings or that the kings did tyrannize ouer the multitude but the battell once ended were they ciuill broyles as the Barons warres and the contention for the crowne betwixt the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster c. or forraigne hostilitie as those betwixt the Empresse and king Stephen and betwixt king Iohn of England and prince Lewes of France and others Now then seeing neuer any soueraigne regnant in this land was euer holden to be of a more princely magnificall mercifull flexible sweet louing compassionate and tender inclination then her Maiestie is of to take pitty and pardon to receiue into grace and fauor and to winne the harts of subiects by lenitie and gentle meanes And againe for as much as neuer was the multitudes and subiects in generall of this land I speake it of catholikes to mine owne knowledge of many loyall harts as well as of the rest more seruiceable loyall faithfull and affectionate nor more willing to die at their princes feete or in their Soueraignes iust quarrell and cause any where then they haue beene hitherto vnder her Maiestie and are still to this present That all this notwithstanding so sore an affliction so long imprisonments so continuall searchings so many sessions assises arraignments losses of landes goods liues and all should be by lawes penall made against catholike Recusants many are mooued on both sides scil as well on the behalfe of her Maiesties mercy as of her truest subiects loyaltie to woonder at it Secondly they had read the last will testament of king William the Conqueror and what his first passage of speech was in his last passage of life to king Henry the first and duke Robert Curthoys his sonnes to wit that the English natures were noble generous and gentle in themselues fierce hot and valiant in the field louing loyall seruiceable and faithfull to their prince Alwaies prouided that their Soueraignes vsed them as children not as slaues for free borne denizens they are with enioying their Franchises and liberties they will performe more then the most on their prince and countries behalfe whereas the Normane said he againe being a proud stubborne but yet a seruile lasâ—e people not carrying those generous mindes which the English carrie in all their actions must be curbed holden in and still kept short otherwise they will do nothing nor regard either their prince his honor or their countries weale The councell of this prudent prince caused a like respect in gouernment to be had of these two nations agreeing to their naturall dispositions of all the succeeding kings and Queenes that euer hitherto haue raigned in this land no nation vnder heauen bearing the porte and countenance in generall which the English carry The retinew of our English nobles is comparable in pompe and shew of honor with princes courts in forraigne countries our gentles are their nobles equals in seruice offices belonging to noble bloods generous harts Yea many knights and esquires in England are able to dispend more then sundry Lords Barons Vicounts and Earles in other countries And our Frankelings Gentlemen vntriall or substantiall Yeomen may be compared with the greatest Gentles in other nations as their fellowes for intertainment either respecting the multitude of seruants seruice and attendance giuen to guests at their table or in their chamber or the great good cheere with varietie of dishes and those well and clenly dressed and serued in with great and many ciuill ceremonies or conueniences either of lodgings within or walks without their houses or other commodities attendant on pompe and port that either may yeeld content delight or recreation to their friends yea in sundry farmers houses in England you shall finde better intertainment then the most part of ordinary Nobles in most kingdomes of the world is able to affoord This then being so their liberties and immunities being so many their loyaltie so firme their seruice so faithfull their education and bringing vp so free their inheritance freehold demeasnes and rents so great and extraordinary duly considered And aswell the high wisedome of her Maiestie on the one side as the free education of her subiects on the other side well weighed especially in that an English nature euen in the meanest member of the bodie politicall scil in the communalty is in this respect noble free of high courage and not able to endure lingring deathes torments gusts and greefes as other people are that notwithstanding her loyall subiects as well noble as ignoble should be put to those exigents that catholiks haue a long time bin put vnto the world hath mused and admired at it Thirdly they looked backe somtime into the ages acts and raignes of Nero of Dioclesian of Commodus of Probus of Heliogabal of Maximilian the Emperor and others and read the histories and apologies of Damascen of Iustine of Athenagoras of Tertullian of Epiphanius of Eusebius and others wherein they found sundry reasons and motiues as they thought not a litle to mooue these heathen Emperors to lenitie mercy which bookes and apologies often tooke effect as written to that end but not as father Parsons Philopater or father Creswels Scribe or father Southwels Epistle to her Maiestie are written alwaies in accusing or reproouing some one or many or all her highnes nobles and ciuill magistrates a very indiscreete part in them how true soeuer the reports had beene our frownd on state considered and that we were to seeke the fauor of all not to exasperate
For who doth not see what a generall calamitie and extreme want and misery all catholikes as well secular as lay persons liue in that are not Iesuited what huge summes of money they collect euery yeere as before hath beene touched in part what bankes they haue in other countries and yet no pittie no reliefe no respect had of any that are not of their corporation or as brokers dependent vpon them to serue their turnes withall vsed as bondslaues to inrich themselues with that they haue or can gaine by them Fourthly I heere omit their officious enterprises for the conuersion of their countrey their seeking of superioritie ouer the seculars their barres put into all the bloud royall of this land to disinherite them their diuision made of all both ecclesiasticall monasticall and temporall states corporations and houses of any reckoning within the land their deuises to preuent as much as they can possibly that no other religious order especially no Benedictine nor Dominican shall come within the realme In fewe looke into their whole course manner of proceedings for their countries conuersion and you shall finde nothing but a large exchequer of a charter of policies how to bring by exchete the whole church common-wealth to be vnder their priuate corporation societie and so quite altering the course of conuersion of countries into a profession of a kinde of Lumbards Senselesse be that man or woman holden for euer heereafter that shall iudge any sinceritie fidelitie naturall and humane affection or other good meaning to be in them for reestablishing of religion or planting the catholike faith in their countrey if they may haue the swing and beare the sway THE II. ARTICLE VVHether the seculars or Iesuits haue had heretofore or haue now more secret intercourse and dealings inwardly and vnderhand with all or any of the Lords or other magistrates vnder her maiestie here in England or king Iames in Scotland c. THE ANSWERE THe answere to this article pertaines directly to a matter of state and therefore shall it be handled more peculiarly in the next generall Quodlibet of statizing against Parsons the Archstatist of the Iesuits For the present the question here intended is as of a matter of religion scil whether of them being both catholikes haue more close dealings with the common aduersaries in religion to them both The cause of which question doth rise vpon these Zoilists enuious aemulation that some few seculars whom they thought either to haue depriued of their liues or puld them downe so lowe as neuer after to haue risen haue by Gods prouidence found grace fauour and iustice at her Maiesties hands by opening their innocencie and loyall harts towards her royall person and their natiue countrey to those in authority vnder her Highnesse as master doctor Bagshaw whose death they most treacherously sought and others whom now they seeing to haue cleered themselues of al state medles and thereupon to haue found extraordinary fauour these most malicious restles slanderers inuent a new deuise that seeing they cannot preuaile with the aduersaries against the innocent to bring them to the gallowes they will spit out their gaule against them to catholikes to make them to be holden and accounted of as spies atheistes irreligious and such as haue forsooth extraordinary intercourse with some Lords or others in authoritie for the state and thereupon more fauour then others haue or then any sound catholike can haue or should seeke for or accept of In regard of which viperous speech fitter for a feinde then faithfull soule the question heere is mooued if it be an offence to haue any secret dealings with the ciuill magistrate then whether the seculars or Iesuits haue offended more therein To which I answere heere in briefe that if any offence be in that action the Iesuits will ouerweigh as farre the seculars in that as a horse load will a pound weight as the practises and dealings of their Parsons their Heywoods their Holts their Holtbeis their Creswele their Garnets c. will testifie it by sundry letters and witnesses against them to be brought foorth and shewed at time conuenient Yea doe they thinke it is vnknowne vnder whose wings the Archpriest liues shrowded or to and from whom the letter was sent on father Gerards behalfe to wish her after some fewe complements and thanks for the token she sent him to keepe her iewell the saide Gerard well c. or who they be that plie and plead for the Iesuits vnderhand and to whom in speciall intelligence is giuen from time to time of all that euer they know that may not touch the Iesuits or somtimes by accusing some of their owne company to contriue some vnhonest or sluttish part they are about more handsomely then otherwise they could or by whom they are backt to be so bold as they are both in prison and abroad to make their vaunt that they haue moe and greater friends both in the English and Scottish Court then the seculars haue more then halfe naming some particular nobles and others in high esteeme and authoritie vnder her Maiestie that are secretly entred into league with them forsooth on the Spanish behalfe Nor noe it is but a base feare of that seruile Parsons minde least by this fauour shewed of her Maiestie her honorable Counsell and other magistrats to those tried to be innocent and guiltlesse of the generall iealousie for conspiracies had of all for their sakes his treasons and treacheries should boult out more speedily and not haue so safe close and secret meanes to tamper with any to deale on his behalfe with her Highnes to accept of him for a spie as earst he offered himselfe to be so with deepe protestation and many vowes and circumstances that he would yea and no doubt but in matters for his owne aduantage he doth by his agents giue intelligence to the state of all things that euer he should heare of to be intended any way against her person crowne or kingdome working in the meane while notwithstanding vnderhand with the late Earle of Essex to be the king of Spaines close Pensioner for furthering of the inuasion yet againe at the same time dealt so as it should haue beene bewraied to the late Lord Treasurer Cicill and thus the cogging mate neuer deales with any of this lande but it is to worke their greater heauier and more speedy ruine So as I conclude that the Iesuits haue more secret close and inward dealings vnder hand with the ciuill magistrate then the seculars haue who go speake and deale openly not afraid nor ashamed of any thing they do or treat of with whomsoeuer it shall please God to mooue the harts to listen vnto or fauour them and by consequent the Iesuits close tamperings sheweth them to be most pernicious dangerous irreligious infest and enimies to the church and common-wealth of this and all other lands their owne guiltie consciences accusing them by their words and actions For true
well of the Basilians Antonians and other amongst the Greekes as of the Benectins Augustines Franciscans c. amongst the Latins Which are first in place taking of one the other for neuer did any religious person but a Iesuit seeke accept or looke for any place before a secular Priest how they follow in order according to the time of their originall institution and beginning one after another Of all which approued confirmed and allowed of orders seeing the Iesuit is the last by consequēce inferior to all other before it then doth it necessarily follow that their society or any of thē ought least of any other to incroch vpon secular Priests or the state Ecclesiastical in place taking or expectation of any honour or preferment before the secular Cleargy to be due vnto them And this might seeme to serue for that matter But now because their insolency herein is intollerable their audacious boldnesse maruellous extreame in contempt both of Princes and Priests ◠distinct dignities which intitle the inuested with them with a preheminence aboue all other persons so as they may not be spoken of with contempt nor touched with violence because both annointed and further for asmuch as these holy fathers not knowing how to vse honor when they had it without desert and therby ouerweighingly valuing their owne worth at too high a rate in the erronious opinion of their excellency haue fallen into presumptuous comparisons with both Prince and Priest as fiered in the ambitious mounts of Phaetons Chariot by contempt of all Ecclesiasticall and monasticall state together with Monkes Friers Hermits Cannons Regular secular Priests Doctors Sorbonists other teachers yea the very orders of all Vniuersities which are not vnder them the gouernement of all Princes that will not be ruled by them the estate of all Nobles Gentles of both sexes that will not follow them and the publike affaires of all common-wealths and kingdomes that will not yeeld them some speciall peculiar publike or priuate gaine and commoditie iust Templar-like in all things and of all other matters but especially in this point of superiority Therfore you shall heare how they giue a reason of their ambitious aspires They say forsooth they are the chosen what Puritanes if any thing illuminates who for asmuch as they haue a more neare familiarity with God a more speciall grace and prerogatiue giuen them for gouernement and guiding of soules and in all things a degree of perfection aboue all other persons be they secular or religious Hereupon it is say they that the honor point of superiority in place-taking c. is giuen to them ex mirito condigno Which assertion if it were true then were the sequell tollerable But because the titles of honour are deriued from God to man by participation of the diuine attributes whereof mercy and iustice being the chiefe the former applied to Christ his eternall Priesthood the latter to his Regall power therefore is it that if a Iesuit or any other person had as neare great extraordinary and often inward speech conference and familiarity with God as euer had the Seraphicall Francis a more blessed Saint and in a higher place in heauen as I verily beleeue then any Iesuit is as yet or like to be hereafter or as had blessed Saint Mary Magdalen or Saint Katherine of Sene or sundry other blessed Saints yet were he neuer to be compared with the meanest Catholike Priest that liues on earth If he go to comparisons of nearnesse and familiarity with God perfection of state honour esteeme and regard to be had of the person and the like arrogant speeches which the Iesuits vse in arrogating that vnto them which none that loues them but will blush to thinke of their extreame pride and vaine glory grosly shewed therein Here I will tell you of one thing which I haue obserued and often noted especially since these broiles begā to be hote betwixt the secular Priests and the Iesuits Hauing conuersed and at sundry times bene in company with diuerse sorts of people of Nobles Gentles and other meaner persons I neuer yet to speake in generall termes came in any place but the more honorable or generous bloud the party Lord or Lady maister or mistresse was and that whether Catholike Schismatike or Protestant though in a different manner and respect had in them the more reuerent regard had they alwayes of Priests and vsed them with more peculiar esteeme And againe the baser meaner more rude vnciuill and low birth the parties were of the lesse respect they had to any Priest Cleargy scholler or other person o qualitie Many such meane persons or but Gentlemen vntrial hauing made me oftē remember old Pinny the Inkeeper of Brodway in Sommersetshire who would alwaies haue taken the highest place at the vpper end of the table whosoeuer had bene his guest which though in some sort his old age and other circumstances might excuse him A golden meane is best in al thing for as the Northerne Prouerbe 1. to saty seemes not nor ouer iolley dow not It is an act of great humility yea and of ciuility at solemne times especially amongst a mans familiar friendes for to giue good example to others to be euē amōgst his or her inferiours tanquā vnus ex illis neither to striue for the last or first word or place taking amōgst not much vnequals but rather winke at their rudenesse that will not giue it them Yet when the honour of the person doth concerne not himself but the place or office wherein he then is resident in publike not priuate amongst his friends or whē the honour or worship deuoluted vnto him by bloud creation consecration annointing or other calling is cōtemned or not acknowledged then is it a dastardly part and a great iniuty offered by that Priest or other person to his order house office or calling that shall suffer such an indignity to passe vncontrolled if he may helpe it For herein we must note a great difference betwixt accompanying our Sauior to Hierusalem with Osanna following him vp mount Caluary with crucifige and by consequent howsoeuer we suffer with patience to be deiected and Priesthood abused by our aduersarie yet to permit euery ordinary Gentlemā or any that is not a Knight yea comming as an Apostle a Priest is spiritually Princely and his title honorable But let that passe if he be a Catholike to take place aboue him peremptorily he may not without dishonor to his Priesthood mary what he is to do if the sayd Esquire or meane Gentleman do rudelie and contemptuously take place before him as many do Nay who of the Iesuits seditious faction doth esteeme of any secular Priest more then of any ordinary seruingman or so much as of a base lay brother of their society then herein and from henceforth the matter being now called in question he is not bound to resist vntill the party may be made to know his
and quake Marry afterwards finding store of game fawconers and spaniels innough at becke and command to discouer the Couee and spring the Partridge at their pleasure and withall taking an extraordinarie delight in preying vpon such sweet yong birds and tender flesh and herein no one nation vnder the coape of heauen yeelding more nor of greater pleasance of both sexes then England doth then loe they begin cantare nobis canticum nouum with non sicut erat in principio sed vt est nunc semper erit vntill a better aduantage come for another change And thus play they Madge good cow as earst I told you scil they giue a good messe of milke and when they haue done throw it downe with their foot They preach sound doctrine giue wholesome counsell draw many backe from a loose dissolute life but after they haue once gotten firme footing they cast all downe with three lofty capers of pride ambition and arrogancie Which three makes them forget both God and all good Saints and turne their religious piety into sacrilegious pollicy stil tampering about kingdomes monarchies common-wealthes and temporall states how to bring them into mutinies contentions seditions rebellions and vproares that thereby whilest two dogs are a snarling together about a boane perhaps but a brabble de lana caprina they like a company of ours may come in and snatch away the boane from both of them For euen so is the Iesuits vaine hope of the English monarchy as in the Antiperistasis I haue set out more at large THE V. ARTICLE WHether then seeing the Iesuits must in pollicy preferre some temporall Lords and great persons for a time at the least if they preuaile do they fauor seeke or wish for the preferment of any of the bloud royall of England borne vnder English allegiance or not THE ANSWER THey wish no more nor so much for the preferment of any English be he or she of the bloud or no for all is one in that case as hereafter shall be proued against theē as they do for a Scot or a Spaniard or a Flemming or Germaine or any other marry yet in a different maner vsing the helpe and aide of euery natiō to coūteruaile the one or the other withal So that in pollicy none must beare too great a sway vnder them least they keepe all from the rest and so thrust them out also And therefore shall their authorities be limited and the number set downe how many English how many Spanish how many Scots how many Irish how many Flemmings how many Germaines and no doubt but there shall be some Italians French Polonians Bohemians Portugals c. THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether then labour they for the establishment of this their gouernement more by the meanes of England or Scotland or Spaine or Austria Burgundy and what nation is it they hope and affie most in the intended conquest THE ANSWER THey labor in esse directly for the Spaniard and Burgundian in spe for any that they thinke for the time present may sted thē most which hope being past of one then for another againe as one while for Parma another while for Darby c. But in re they labor for none at all more one then another saue only as I said before to make a hotchpotch of all together setting the subiects of each nation by peecemeale against their Soueraignes this famous I le to be a Scot to them all that is a collection flocking or gathering together of all nations people languages throughout the world that haue any Iesuit of or in the country where they liue THE VII ARTICLE VVHether then haue they any wish or intent of mariage for any of the bloud royall of England or whether for any one more then another or none at all THE ANSWER THey could wish no question of it as hereafter shall be proued that there were not one of the bloud of England left on liue either within or without the land as a speciall helpe and meane if it were so to further their popularity thereby But as now it is they could wish them all bestowed in opposition one against another to make the title more doubtfull and the rightfull claime more difficult and dangerous as those that care not which way the game go so they go not out or who be preferred so the English state common-wealth be not strengthened in it selfe thereby against the intended Allobrogicall gouernement which is the only thing they feare as by all their practises it is apparant to be seene and especially by their trayterous speeches and disgracings of all the English bloud royall in publike writings and yet couertly vnder hand working now for one and then for another as chance and change affoords them hope and fauour THE VIII ARTICLE VVHether then their chiefe pretence being religion and setting vp and aduancing and restoring of the Catholike Romane faith as in all father Parsons bookes and other of his and his fellowes writings conferences and speeches it may appeare do they seeke willingly absolutely and sincerely the conuersion of all or any of the bloud royall of England or of none at all but for a fashions sake to blind well meaning Catholikes with a pretended colour of religious zeale THE ANSWER THey are wholly sicke of the fashiōs in these their seditious factions But yet for fashions sake they haue a new fashion by which is fashioned all their fashions follies and deceits and that is to haue a new tricke of a viridary post or current of time to gaine time withall in keeping Nobles State and all the people in suspence of euents vntil they haue what they looke for And this is a practise of very high importance I cannot tell what to say to thē they haue so many Machiuilean deuises as euerie plot drift seemeth to be an infallible rule of falshood and a principle in chiefe whereby father Parsons his adherents do so square their actiōs as neuer a Prince in Christendome nor any man liuing can tell where to find them or how to trace or trust them they are so vncertaine so full of formes fashions turnings doublings as neuer wild March hare had moe For they hold out only as time serueth now filling all their sailes then launching forth with a faire gale of wind againe within a ken casting anchor with a breath in a plausible calme yet presently after with a whirle-wind for another purpose haile in the bol and hoyst vp saile pumpe amaine and cast all vpon the starboord but tooke for a time Time thē being the length change the breadth cōformity the rule they square by I can iudge none otherwise of their intent for cōuersiō of any one then as of their like meaning in other practises which is that if they haue any vse of a mā who yet perhaps is not altogether for their purpose in al things they make faire weather with him for the time and
afterward lest he shold expect some extraordinarie fauor or benefit at their hands they haue twenty dog-trickes new waies deuises by detracting which by their maxime is called gaining or winning of time how to shake him off verie Iesuitically and he neuer the wiser of it Of this principle obserued amongst the Iesuits for winning of time father Cryton a Scot. Iesuit I thinke ouerslipping himselfe at vnawares in his words told the Lord Dacre being then in Spaine put in hope of great matters but impatient in delayes that it was their manner when they had one of his account and calling that although they could not or at least would not performe what they promised or put the party in hope of yet was it in pollicy for them to draw him on without giuing him any resolute answer to the contrary as the onely way to gaine time so that by keeping him there put off with lingring hope in delayes they might the easier either act some other action by him to serue their turns withall which vpon the sudden could not be in readinesse to be enterprised or else preuent some inconuenience which might happen vnto them by his present departure or absence in another place Notwithstanding the Lord Dacre hauing had sufficient warning giuen him before aswell by the Noble Dutches of Feria halfe sister to Sir Robert Dormer nephew to the sayd Lord by mariage who hath often shewed a true naturall English Ladies heart euen liuing in a Spanish soile against these vnnaturall Parsonian practises as also by the said father Criton who bid his Lordship in effect looke for none other then to haue father Parsons his mortall enemie for euer by reason of his refusall to fauour or further the title of the Lady Infanta and for his free and liberall speech on the behalfe of his Prince and countrey against all forraine pretenders c. expected no lesse as since he hath found then most iniurious calumniations against him euerie where Yet vsed Parsons often dalliance with his Lordship either to make him breake off friendship some with his dearest friends or else to feed him with hopes or gifts to colour other guiles or to remoue some old stooles to make him breake his shinnes vpon them c. It was a pretie iest to heare how they cogd with maister Cecill after he had gottē his protection here in England how by gaining time of putting him off with hope of present parley this day that day and at such a place now then at another they made him trudge course both tide Thames and time with crosse encounters vntill he was weary of it But of all the rest they vsed a faithfull seruant of theirs Doctor Barret president at Doway most vnthankfully which because it is the very Anatomy of all the Iesuits base gained time I will set it out word for word as it is in the originall wherein I found it yet very briefly there deliuered This maister Barret was for a long time one of the Iesuits chiefe darlings and a speciall instrument to many purposes whom they requited in the end with all manner of disgusts and disgraces euen to his last breath For being sent for vp to Rome about the breach of the students with the Iesuits Cardinall Tolet hoping he would haue taken part with the seculars intended to haue made him Rector there and to haue cast out all the Iesuites as he did cast out sixe of them But Maister Barret contrarie to the Cardinals expectation became wholly Iesuited and did what he could in fauor of them against the students Whereupon Cardinall Tolet reiected him as an vnworthy man The Iesuits afterwards sent him downe to Doway to his old charge and father Parsons the archcousiner craftily made him purchase a house which cost 1200. crownes and withall stopt at Rome the Popes pension for the Colledge the space of two yeares By these occasions Doctor Barret in behalfe of the Colledge fell in debt 3000. crownes the Iesuits all this while keeping from him the annuall pensions With this the Doctor at length being moued sending to Rome to cōplaine and require the mony gentle father Parsons went to the Pope and accused him of excesse and euill husbandry in disposing the Popes Pensions And so by this meanes through gaine of time suffering the house to fall in extremitie father Parsons gained two commodities thereby one was thereupon to send into England for collections to be made and that none should come ouer vnto Doway without twenty pounds or a good large sum in their purses by reason of the great want that the Colledge was in another that hereupon through tract of time he got aduantage of the poore President as though the Colledge had decaied through his default and so intended vpon that occasion to haue cast him out and haue thrust in Iesuits in his place sauing that his death preuented it But other matters falling out here in England contrarie to their expectation about their Atchpresbiter it was thought necessarie for gaining of time a while longer not as yet to place there the Iesuits but one Doctor Worthington for a time to be a stickler to gaine time by for them Thus you see the Iesuits axiome of winning redeeming or gaining of time is nothing else in effect then to runne withall times in altering their positions by three generall rules or propositions vsed now one way and thē another as a medius terminus for euery doubtfull argument one is tempora mutantur ergo nos mutamur in illis Another is omnia pro tempore ergo nihil pro veritate The last is diuide imperia at all times so as the deuision of the spoile being in thine owne hands thou mayst make it serue thy turne to win by time thy desires The practise of which ground is in no Iesuites affaire so manifest as in this verie point and platforme for their English gouernement labouring to outward shew to set vp now one then another intending it for none at all in very deed as by conferring of one thing with another may be easilie discouered in their practises For it is not vnknowne to all the Christian world as I verily thinke that in Rome in Spaine in Flaunders and euery where but especially here in England Scotland and Ireland they labour to stirre vp all men vnder colour of religion and zealous desire in them of our countries conuersion against our Soueraigne the present State and aboue all against the seculars accusing them to be fautors of heretikes furtherers of heretikes titles to the English Crowne and a faction forsooth we must be tearmed by a company of Montebankes that haue put this phrase into ignorant peoples heads that when they talke of any that is opposite to these seditious Iesuits damnable courses they must say ô he is one of the faction when like a company of asses if they knew what a faction meant they might easily discerne that these their new maisters did ride
ecclesiae as all doe grant it and experience of all ages hath approoued it true the latter not for that surceasing excepts against heretikes in such proceedings who by authoritie of holy writ may iustly be constrained with force of the temporall sword to receiue the faith of Christ and his catholike Romane Church wherein they were baptized and out of which they are now most pernitiously fallen to their damnation To this the former againe makes reply that that is in a case of lawe and strategeme of warres when the plaintif as a soueraigne hauing right on his side may haue strength and power at hand sufficient to defend his iust quarrell and Gods cause but where and when the poore afflicted catholikes are the weaker part and in subiection vnder their natiue prince they must not tempt God with miracles sed in patientia possidebunt animas suas expecting the time that God hath appointed either to ease the afflicted of their heauie persecution by calling them to his mercie or else to mooue the aduersarie as here he did king Cyrus c. Here againe the latter doth vrge very vehemently against the former that it is their fault if they be not of strength ynough For if all would side one way run one course ioyne together of one part they were able to match their aduersaries at all assaies but bicause they fauor heretikes and their titles more then catholikes as some the Scots king others the house of Derbie others that of Huntington others of Hartford and others the Lady Arbella c. therefore is Gods cause weakened and the catholiks quarrell quailed But to this yet againe the former makes reioinder professing that if they had millions on their side for thousands on her maiesties yet they hold it were not lawfull for them by force of armes to gaine the garland that they run for as afterward it shall appeere and vtterly denying that they fauor any heretike as an heretike or their titles vnder that pretence but as remembring how diuers princes and great monarches haue been conuerted to the catholike Christian faith and withall considering that neither the king of Scots nor yet any of the rest were euer any speciall persecutors of vs or our religion but rather fauorable to many catholikes as is well knowne not forgetting this besides that it were an act of iniustice in vs especially being priuate persons either to manage a false title as the Spaniard hath none other or impugne a knowne right as all the world knoweth it rests confined within the Albion I le But admit it were reuealed to any priuate man that the Spanyard or any other forraigne prince should preuaile and cary away our English crowne out of the land so as we should neuer haue king regnant ouer vs hereafter as some old prophecies many say haue foreshewed that our deere countrimen brothers sisters and friends the flower of Englands youth the beautie of our Ladies Widowes Wiues Virgins of all degrees should be prostituted prophaned rauished and led captiue into strange lands the sore persecution of Gods seruants the blasphemies heresies execrable schismes of this age and our owne sinnes in generall vrging Gods wrath against our whole Nation to take so sharpe yet ordinary reuenge for such offences as some say also hath bene spoken of long agone to come to passe in this our vnfortunate age or that we should haue such a change of state gouernment common wealth and all as the chiefe soueraigntie should be in an alien prince Spanyard or Burgundian Netherlandian or the like and the Lords spirituall and temporall gouerning ouer vs for the time to be of that foraigne prince his Nation and the Iesuits or fathers as they terme themselues of the societie to be their Interpretors for our English Welsh Irish and Stots nation as both letters and witnesses besides inuincible probats otherwise are extant to shew that Master Parsons and his confederates goe about such a matter and a sermon himselfe once made at Rome insinuates no lesse but that by tyrannicall subiecting the Seminary there to be vnder his societie he expounded the prophecie he there spoke of in his intent and meaning to be directly vnderstood of himselfe and his company that they should be those long gownes which should raigne and gouerne the whole Isle of great Britaine Of which societie there being some of all or the most part of all Christian Nations hauing once this land giuen them by and vnder the Spaniard as they hope for to make it a Iapponian Island of Iesuits but stay they haue not yet Iapponia in their handes then should we haue as many languages in this Isle and the auncient Inhabitants dispersed into as many countries as there should be prouincialls of that societie for it were no policie to let vs all liue here together nor yet leade all captiue into one prouince or kingdome Yet let God worke his will in these things be it true or false that any such heauines be reuealed what then Shall I therefore be the bloodie instrument to worke it of mine owne head without Gods speciall designement so to doe Shall I shew my selfe so vnnaturall inhumane and cruell harted as to write bookes to perswade to vse all possible meanes to bring my natiue country into bondage and slauerie Shall I of a grudge or desire of reuenge vpon some particular person or persons or for some priuate gaine to my selfe or my owne peculiar company banish from my hard nay stonie nay flintie nay adamantine hart all pittie compassion charitie remorse and naturall affection to that which next to my maker and his spouse I am by all lawes in chieefe to esteeme of the bond of loue loyaltie and dutie being greater to my prince and countrie then to my parents or deerest friends And whereas euen tyrants in such like cases haue been mooued to lenitie shall I haue no conceit of the wringing of hands of the sighes and teares of the weepings and wailings of the skrikes and cries of so many sweete yoong and tender babes of both sexes Shall I haue no feeling of so many mothers bleeding harts of so many noble ladies and other yoong maides of generous birth gentle blood and free education for all rare parts indowments and abilities of nature and fortune fit to be princes peeres now to be left desolate or bestowed on euery base fellow not woorthy to be their seruant Shall I take vpon me to be an actor an orator or a broker in laboring to bring that old blinde prophesie to effect which saith When the blacke fleete of Norway is come and gone then lords shall wed ladies and bring them home Shall I be the efficient instrumentall cause or causa sine qua non of so many great worshipfull honorable and princely heires to be disinherited of so many vpstart squibs of forraigne nations to start vp in their places of so many false textes forged glosses fained lawes of God of nature and of man to disprooue all
sadnes command me now to a sorrowfull silence and so concluding this long article that whatsoeuer the end of our countries calamities happen to be for subiection captiuitie bondage desolation or the like yet if Parsons say and affirme that they who were the originall cause and occasion of our heauie and iust downefall be sure to beare the greatest burden and to abide the sorest triall if he haue been that infortunate Saians iade vpon whom whosoeuer hath sitten haue come to a sorrowful and wretched end as all his tampering platformes with this and that noble haue declared if he haue hitherto euer ioyned most with those whom himselfe hath euer iudged most infortunate and iustly to haue merited these plagues which he threateneth on Gods behalfe to fall vpon them and their posteritie Then what mad man or woman is he or she that to second his owne sorrowes will consort him or her selfe with the Iesuiticall faction to side with those of whom their Polypragmon hath prophecied the destruction Therefore happy say I is he or she that setting all priuate respects aside for their owne gaine seeke the conuersion of their countrie as the seculars doe For that although there neither is neither can there be any assurance of either side to wit whether euer our countrie shall be againe conuerted all wholy to the catholike faith or no either by secular or Iesuit or any other yet more hope questionles there is of conuersion of it by the seculars then by the Iesuits course bicause the seculars is more apostolicall and directly tending to the preseruation of all c. THE X. ARTICLE VVHether any certaintie or possibilitie of conuersion of any of the Lords of her Maiesties honorable Counsell or other magistrates or officers in speciall authoritie vnder her highnes whom the seculars deale withall and if none then whether they may trust them in other matters and proceedings as D. Bagshaw M. Bluett and others doe or no without offence scandall or other danger either to themselues or their friends THE ANSWERE THis question is sufficiently debated before to wit That although all or any one appointed by her Maiestie to deale in these affaires meant fraudulently and with intent to intrap the seculars one way or other to worke their greater discredite disgrace and vtter ouerthrowe thereby which yet were very ingrateful vnciuill and inhumane for any so to iudge and censure without cause for as it is said it is sinne to lie of the diuell and sure this calumniation and slaunder raised of these men for their intercourse with those in authoritie vnder her Maiestie declares a most malitious Iesuiticall spirite there being no question to be made of it to the contrary bicause former examples of other Iesuites haue proued it true and led the seculars first the daunce in seeking of fauours at ciuill magistrates or others hands but that if either Master Blackwel or Father Garnet or any Iesuite of them all that deale now in hucker mucker and therefore more daungerously and pernitiously as I said before might haue free accesse and either were as cleere in their owne conscience as these seculars are or else might haue imputatiue iustice by conuiuence from her Maiestie on their side to obtaine so much fauour by as these haue obtained there is not the purest of them but would come with his hat in his hand to the Bishop of London or to any other in authority for to be shrowded vnder them and so by consequent to ingrate thus iniuriously both vpon her Maiesties officers the secular priests as the Iesuites doe bicause they haue not the like fauour deserues the challenge to a combat if they were other men then they are yet howsoeuer although as I said there were euill intended seeing notwithstanding that there is no way possible to worke any euill to the seculars or their friends thereby vnlesse they count it euill for a man condemned to the gallowes to be deliuered and set free and his life graunted him or for him that is condemned in a premunire or otherwise to perpetuall prison to be deliuered thence or for him that is in daunger to be searched and ransackt euery hower to haue a breathing fit of safetie and securitie to sleepe one weeke or fortnight a sounder sleepe then he had slept in twenty yeeres before or for him that hath by statute lawes forfeited his life lands goods and all he is worth to haue some mitigation and find an ease not onely in pardon of his life but also in releasement of the confiscation of his goods and sauing of his lands c. And if any litle ease to languishing harts be comfortable if lawfull it be for any redimere iniustam vexationem if all men be bound to cleere themselues and to liue without exasperating of any nor giuing offence no not to Infidels if for these and the like causes sundry secular priests haue vpon sufficient approbation and triall had of their innocency found extraordinary fauour and others also by their meanes And if a Sebastian could court it out with his Lord and Emperor and yet keepe a religious hart to God ward helpe and saue many a mans life that otherwise had died if a Daniell could obtaine so speciall fauour at a kings hands as not onely to be deliuered out of prison yea and from out of the lyons den but also to be made liefetenant generall princeps exercitus and Emperor of the field euen amiddest those amongst whome he and all his countrimen liued captiue If both a Peter and a Iohn could be like deerely accounted of to their Lord master Christ and yet euen he who was rather of the two yea or most of all the rest in greatest danger bicause by his royall blood and alliance to the king his maker and his master a iust cause of ielousie was to be had of him but notwithstanding this we finde that Saint Iohn found friendship when and where Saint Peter could not at the high priestes hands and amongst other inferior officers and yet none euer spake against it or thought the woorse of him for it Yea if S. Peter although he had better haue vsed his friend in another matter but that it was oracled so to be vsed Saint Iohns helpe to come in amongst the thickest of his masters enimies Then say I it is the most enuious malitious and pharisaicall part that these prowd disdainfull sycophants could possibly play and doth as much discouer their vile and base mindes as any one thing could possibly doe to maligne slaunder and backbite men of better deserts then themselues But the diuell is euer enuious An enuious man is alwaies murmuring grudging and repining at an others good fortunes and to heare of a Iesuitical fellow to giue a good word of any that is not Iesuited in faction or affection he sure by my consent shall be a king cipher to command the nine figures in algorisme with o rare amongst the rarest illuminates So then to
answere to the Interrogatory which is of many members I say First that it pertaines to all secular and ecclesiasticall persons equally and indifferently be they catholikes protestants or puritanes to deale in state affaires in two cases the one is for the rectifying of mens and womens consciences and instructing all such as are of their flocke and liue vnder their charges how they are to behaue themselues to God their prince and their countrey when and in what cases bound to acknowledge obedience to the one or the other either coniunct or a part and what is to be done in times of persecution ciuill warres or forraigne inuasions and the like the other is for making giuing and promulgating of lawes publishing of bookes and prescribing or setting downe of orders to be obserued and therewithall deliuering a genuine true and literall exposition of the same For although all these thinges be absolutely in the prince who onely may make lawes c. and is the direct legifer to all his subiects and others liuing within his dominions or vnder his allegiance any where as appointed by God himselfe for that purpose when he said Per me reges regnant legum conditores iusta discernunt yet forasmuch as there is a dependencie of lawes and legifers one vpon another as I tolde you before in the 7. Quodlibet and for that it was said in holy writ of olde that Labia sacerdotum custodient sapientiam legem requires ex ore illius quia angeli Domini exercituum sunt which wordes expressely appointing priestes to be expositors of lawes are to be taken as they may concerne Gods honour and what in conscience they doe binde vnto how the so obliged subiects may be dispensed withall therein and how not in any wise Therefore this being the office of the clergie to explane to prince and people what the law of God and man is and how farre a temporall prince may goe in making of lawes without repugnancie to the lawe diuine It followeth that as their knowledge and experience must needes be greater then the Lords temporall in al such cases because it is their direct studie so also if any booke be to be written or lawe made giuen c. their interest vnder their prince is the greatest and most of all other therein and so by consequent in these two cases the secular clergie or eccclesiasticall persons in this sense for instruction of others and by reason of their more learning and knowledge then more temporall persons orderly haue or commonly can haue may be said to deale in state matters of what profession soeuer they be Secondly as for the secular priests heere in England in these heauie times of their frownd on state although they may lawfully deale in the premisses yet must it be with a prouiso which wanting they indanger themselues and those they liue and conuerse withall Yea and bring all other catholikes to be suspected and had in iealousie thereby And that is First not to take vpon them by word or writing to impugne the parliamentall lawes and statutes made Secondly not to controll either peremptorily or otherwise the present gouernment of the state Thirdly not to impeach the dealings or proceedings of any one of her Maiesties honorable Counsel or high commissioners in state affaires Fourthly not to meddle directly or indirectly with disposing of the crowne this way or that way or appointing out of successors thereunto Fiftly not and much lesse to stirre vp further strife as hereafter will be prooued that the Iesuits haue diued too deepe ouer head and eares in all these things Sixtly but a secular priests office being neither of Court nor Counsell is in these cases onely to admonish all good catholikes to beare Christ his crosse with patience Seuenthly not to meddle in writing printing or procuring the publishing of any such booke libell or pamphlet as may mooue exasperate or touch the present state in any of these points before specified Eightly and further their office is by the way of mediatorship and humble sute to procure by all possible satisfaction standing firme and inuiolate their function and faith to her Highnesse and those in authoritie vnder her that those sharpe penall lawes made against innocent and harmeles harts to the cause and shedding of much guiltlesse bloud that hath beene spilt for the Iesuiticall offences may either be abated and infringed by some new prouiso made or else all wholy repealed by parliamentall acte or otherwise dealt in as in her Maiesties wisedome and high prudence of her honorable Counsell shall be thought meetest for mitigation of our generall afflictions Ninthly and besides this the seculars office is to instruct euery catholike what they ought to thinke and what to doe and say in these cases if they shoulde chance to come before the ciuill magistrate Tenthly and last of all if any booke be set foorth of state as those are which concerne succession of the crowne detraction of the present gouernment detection of any publike person in authoritie defamation of the bloud royall of the land blasphemies against regall maiestie and the like or any speech or practise for inuasion of the land excommunication of our Soueraigne and getting consents for aduancement of an alien prince to write acte speake or otherwise to deale against such persons and their treacherous designements to confute their false erronious and seditious bookes of those subiects to conferre or haue intercourse with the aduersaries howe to preuent those mischieues that hang ouer the whole realme In these and all such like cases may seculars statize that is deale in state affaires how to preuent mischieuous statizers of their purpose and practises but no further and so farre onely by conniuence for the good of our common cause and safetie of our countrey Thirdly now for the Bishops and others of the clergie heere in England they no question representing the ecclesiasticall state may deale in moouing instructing expounding diuulging or doing any the like acte perteining to prime-membred numbred and accounted on state as much and so farre as the same state doth authorize them vnder that title and name to deale in Fourthly the like might be said in some sense for the Puritanean Consistorie representing the ecclesiasticall state in Scotland were not that their grounds rules and principles of their gouernment Oglogerchian iust like to the Iesuiticall platforme did vtterly ouerthrowe both states ecclesiasticall and temporall and brought both head and members of the body politicall to be a plebeian hotch potch of popularitie voide of all name nurture or nature of any state And by consequent the puritanes in England are in the same predicament for state matters that the Iesuits are in both nought vnlawfull detestable and directly to be called statists or rather statizers against the present state That this is so of the Iesuits shall be treated of in all the ensuing articles and for the present that it is none otherwise to be conceiued of
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
thing against any prince or king vnder what pretence soeuer yet necessitie will alwaies excuse their subiects for not obeying his holines buls in temporall duties and for performing their said duties and seruices vnto their soueraignes The Schoolemen doe make sundry kindes of necessities as necessitas adesse suppliciter adesse secundum quid ad bene esse c. which I will not trouble you withall You shall see the very point it selfe set downe in expresse termes concerning the catholikes of England that liue at this day vnder her Maiestie The faithfull of England and Saxonie saith Bannes are to be excused qui se non eximant à potestate superiorum nec bellum contra illos gerunt quoniam communiter non habent facultatem ad haec bella gerenda contra principes imminent illis grauia pericula who doe not exempt themselues from the power of their superiors nor beare armes against them bicause generally they haue no abilitie to wage such wars against their princes and great danger doth hang ouer their heads if they should attempt it And a little before he saith that subiects are not bound to warre against their soueraigne or to exempt themselues from their subiection cum periculo mortis amissione bonorum with the danger of their liues and losse of their goods and so endeth his resolution with an caetera as if he should haue said there are also many other such like exceptions to be allowed of And G. de Valencia agreeth with Bannes For saith he when the Popes holines doth absolue subiects from their othes of allegiance that they may not be bound to performe their duties to their Lords that are excommunicated and doe forbid them likewise so to doe they are thus to be vnderstood scil that they are not otherwise bound to obey them in those cases but si nimirum negare obsequium dominis suis possint absque notabili suo detrimento ita enim hoc est intelligendum sicut recte notauit Bannes that is When they may refuse to obey their Lords and masters without any notable hurt or losse to themselues for so these kindes of absolutions and forbiddings are to be vnderstood as Bannes hath well obserued And Master Parsons of his goodnes striketh this matter dead For in his said Admonition he is pleased to tell the catholikes of England and all other her Maiesties subiects in these words following that in cases of euident danger the censures of the Church so farre as they concerne onely temporall matters by the meaning of him that gaue the sentence doe not binde Now it might peraduenture prooue a very probable position as the world standeth at a gaze whether it may easily be conceiued by a man of a dull conceit that any king will be euer so negligent or carelesse of his owne estate or if he should whether any counsellors of any kingdome will euer be so improuident for the safetie of their soueraignes authoritie kingdome and life as that it shall not alwaies be dangerous for their subiects to rebell and take armes against them And then euery man may see what followeth that as Saint Paule said Multa mihi licita sunt quae tamen non expediunt so questionles I am of that minde that it will not be expedient for the Popes holines to intermeddle with the excommunicating of princes in these daies For assuredly it wil seldome fall out if euer that subiects without danger shall be able by rebellion to put such a sentence in execution besides the incertainties before specified that it cannot well be imagined how they should in these dangerous times take sufficient notice of it when so great and generall a iealousie on the one side is had of all princes and so manifest signes of intollerable abuses falshood and malepertnes on the other side in the Iesuiticall faction to procure whatsoeuer may serue their owne turnes for the time without all or any respect had of God or man Pope or prince church or common wealth catholike or heretike And sure it cannot be but that all princes as well spirituall as temporall will more narrowly looke into the Iesuits doings then heretofore they haue when they shall duly consider what daunger they all do stand in yea euen those that now fauour these seditious busie headed bodies most if these factious companions may procure excommunications at their pleasure and prouoke his holines to strike with ecclesiasticall censure whatsoeuer offendeth any of them nay whosoeuer doth not please and content them in all things nay more whosoeuer hath that which they haue a minde to and that they cannot otherwise haue their wish and vnlawful desire out goeth a slaunder that he or she are of lewd demeanour not established in the grace of God and in few are reprobates of God forsaken and then straightwaies must his holines strike them with excommunication c. or else shall he also be holden for a Lutheran or fautor of wicked persons and heretikes In confirmation of the premises here it offereth it selfe fitly to this purpose what father Criton the great Scots statist said to an honorable person in talke of these matters concerning the excommunication of his Maiestie king Iames. This noble Lord hauing heard some speeches against the Scots king blowne abroad by fa. Parsons his vnder Agents at Bruxels such be like as that base fellow Verstegen who hauing no more gentlemans blood in his body then in a coupers son nor scant so much of such a breed may the couper be yet tooke vpon him to cotize our English nobles and gentles there affirming that there were not past three or fower in those coastes of all our nation that were of any noble or generous blood coate armour and ancestrie scil the Earle of Westmerland the Lord Dacres and as I remember the next was himselfe or sir William Stanley I know not whether but either sir knight or sir knaue was in the third place Whereupon followed a fowle adoe in the Flemmish court for a while sundry of noble and generous blood being mightily disgraced by this base companions information giuen to the prince in derogation to our English gentrie And this vntriall gentleman was one of that nobleman father Parsons spies intelligencers and blazoners of what infamies as were to be conueyed thence abroad into Italie Spaine Fraunce and other countries adioyning Amongst other things that might be thought to indanger his royall person most one passage was this that father Parsons with others of the zealous illuminates and more resolute wise religious learned and graue fathers and other catholikes had dealt very seriously with the Popes holines about excommunicating of the said king which was expected euery hower to come foorth and to be promulgated against his highnes c. Whereof the foresaid Lord being desirous to knowe of father Criton whether any such thing were or not and withall whether his owne subiects or others that wished well vnto him might lawfully defend his
be so much the more probable that they both aspire ayme and shoote at an absolute imperial marke and withall will be able to giue a greater assault pushe and put for it when time comes then euer any of the fower monarches or other vpstart imperiall states gaue before them to this day by how much as they are more dispersed and haue greater fatours in all Christian kingdomes then any other rebels or aspires to soueraigne dominions had in any one of these regions where they first began tyrannically to rule For if Ottoman alone could passe out of Persia with other vacabonds and in the end become so mighty a Lord in a strange land vanquishing in short space the rest of his fellowes all great princes by fortune of wars and other meanes that now his successor called Imperator Turcarum is the most powerable Emperor of the world yea aboue the Spaniards by reason that his dominions are vnited together round about him whereas the Spaniard is rather hindered and his strength diminished by multitudes of kingdomes intituled subiected and gouerned by him then otherwise by reason that they lye so far a sunder disioynted by intercurring countries betwixt him and home on each side then considering what manner of men they are none can deny but that there is great likelyhoode of the Iesuits aduancement to soueraigne dominion with inlargement of their territories further then euer it was like that the Turke should haue enlarged his vntill the effects did demonstrate it vnto the worlde that so it was Secondly this is confirmed not onely ab inductione for euery particular Nation how many great potentates side with them to second their aduersaries euery where but also by the meanes they haue to worke that feate withall scil to increase their faction by winning inueigled single harts vnto them which they do sundry waies but especially by three deuises that are the cheife aides and hopes of conquests none of which the Ottomans had when they began their enterprise One is wit practise experience and policie for in vaine are warres abroad nisi sit consilium domi neither Matchiuel nor any that euer yet was in Europe comming neere vnto the Iesuits for Atheall deuises to preuent the stoppels of their stratagems and to further their owne proceedings An other is pretended piety whereby through helpe of the former to put their rules and principles in execution in due time and place respecting the person and other circumstances and occasions offered they haue and do not onely allure multitudes vnto them dayly encreasing the number of their faction but withall there can be nothing done nor almost intended against them or for the strengthening by counterplots of their aduersaries where euer they liue but presently know it and thereby hauing their spials in euery princes court and place of most intelligence that may informe their Generall as they doe once a moneth ordinarily from all parts of Europe what is there done or intended with or against them they haue the aduantage by being thus dispersed to saue themselues from all vniuersall or any notable danger And if possibly it can be preuented or their aduersaries ouerthrowen in their owne courses taken against these fathers they haue the meanes for it else it is not in the world to be heard of or found The last is plenty of money which Ottoman also wanted And seeing to speake morally there is not that exploite to be done which money cannot compasse then consider what huge masses of money and infinite treasure the Iesuits haue euery where It is credibly reported by some reuerend priests as I told you once before that they lost at their expulsion out of Fraunce three millions at the least Adding hereunto what large collections they make yeerely here in England which is the least they haue in any other Nation vnlesse Scotland c. where they are resident little or nothing at all sometimes comming to any afflicted Catholike so mercilesse hard and cruell harts they haue of many 1000. l. which some one of them hath reeceiued as before is touched in part and more at large in other bookes written of their conni-catching deuises to get money is to be found Then I say none euer had fairer meanes or greater helpes and likelyhoods of preuailing in their ambitious aspires and affecting of soueraigne dominion in an absolute monarchiall state then they haue Thirdly that the Iesuites practise is as well against Spaine and by consequent against the whole house of Austria and the Empire as against any other Nation it is apparant by that I told you of in part before concerning Fa. Parsons winding twinding doubling and boutgates in intituling the Lady Infanta to the English crowne meaning it directly for himselfe and his societie as is manifest also by his said books of succession c. which here you may please to confirme as wel by general collections out of the same bookes as likewise by the common report giuen out by him and his faction that not onely the said king catholike was priuie to the setting forth of that luckles labour but also patronized it as a speciall worke and peece of seruice done on his maiesties behalf to the greatest preiudice that could euer haue been offered to the king catholike as well ancient as recent and now regnant in esse For first he makes his maiestie the author in a sort patron and protector of all the conspiracies treasons and treacheries that are or can be brought against himselfe or any other soueraigne prince built vpon the erronious principles and grounds there laid downe by the many wide open gaps made through his popular doctrine For all rebellious multitudes in euery prouince court or countrie liuing vnder the Spanish gouernment or else where to enter and claime authoritie ouer him if in any thing they take pepper in the nose by least conceited dislike and all this vnder pretence of glorious stiles titles of common wealths and states Then he insinuateth as though the right title as well to the crowne of England as also of Fraunce and by consequent to the crowne and kingdome of all Europe there being not one but his title to it is as good if not better then it is to England were wholy in his highnes guift and free for him to bestow where he pleaseth And out of this grosse conceit he bringeth for an assured assertion for concatenation of the catholike religion and king catholike together as bellum sacrum hath beene euer since made odious euen to a Christian catholikes eares and the Spaniard had in suspition of all other Christian princes that he aspireth to a sole absolute monarchicall gouernment despition whereas it is this said father and his societie that aime at it in very deed Which no indifferent valorous or wise man hearing of but will thinke that all princes in christendome haue iust cause to looke hereafter to their stand and to haue a iealous watchfull restlesst eye aswell vpon the