to beare of his Majesties prosperous and victorious proceedings was not greater then the sorrow and griefe received since although I doe not beleeve one word that they say being all or the most part of our nation that live here most damnable traitors and rebels they have reported that the Scots have taken New-castle and Yorke and are masters of the North that my Lord of New-castle is retired to Oxford that Sr William Waller hath given my Lord Hopton a great overthrow and beat him into Salisbury and that this Summer they will pluck the Crowne from his Majesties browes which God defend I admire that his Majestie doth not prevaile with the King of Spaine to seise upon all these accursed Rebels estates and ships He undertake that if the King of England could procure so much favour of his brother the King of Spaine this next vintage for that is the best time to seize upon all such ships and estates as doe belong to any Rebels he might thereby furnish himselfe with a brave fleet and mony to set it out I would I were in Commission against them first to shew my zeale and great desire to serve my Sovereigne and secondly to chastise such base ill-borne villaines that dare open their mouthes and much more take up armes against their naturall King and so good and vertuous a Prince and that hath so many yeares protected them in such great prosperity but this is my passion and folly to give counsell to them that are able to give it to the whole Vniverse since it hath been my ill fortune not to serve him with my bloud I have still shal assist him with my prayers I advised you in my last Letters of the small hopes of gaine and the great adventure and perill of the trade to Bristow in wines I have a far better trade here to the Indies and hope thereby to raise my selfe to an estate I wrot you likewise in my last giving you light of a way to raise me to great preferment and honour in this Countrey which I trust if you received my Letter you have put in execution I hope there will be no delay in a businesse of so great importance and where there will be no other expence but of time and solicitude The businesse is this That you and my brother Henry use all diligence by friends and favour and lying to procure from the Queene of England a Letter of favour to her sister the Queene of Spaine in this manner That Don Briano I anson the bearer of this is son to a noble Gentleman and servant of hers who by reason of the great persecutions in England of the Romane Catholiques an horrible untruth travailed into Spaine and there married a Gentlewoman naturall in Cadiz And that all his parents and kindred have and still doe preserve themselves in the Catholique faith An horrible lie and more horrible it is because he belies the dead his owne deare Mother in the grave he knowes and all that knew her That she detested Popery and died a faithfull servant of the Lord Jesus Christ And for his Father and Brother they were Protestants too at large and so they would be accounted still They never turned themselves to the Church of Rome till the King turned his hand and sword there against the Church of England And for his Uncle M. John J anson his Fathers eldest Brother he abhorreth Poperie and detesteth his brothers and Nephewes wayes And therefore the younger Brother the Knight hath begged the lands of his eldest Brother the Gentleman as I am informed And the King hath given all his Right to him against law But M. John J anson holdeth his Right still by the Tenour of the law and that is a strong hold But this is enough to informe all that will be informed The manner of Papists they will blaspheme their dearest friends for advantage and to promote their Catholique Faith In conclusion desire the Queen her sister to favour me as a servant of hers and that I being a younger brother have but small meanes and in that regard desire ber Majestie of Spaine first to honour me with a habit without any costs or charges which are great and secondly to bestow some office upon me whereby to maintaine my selfe and I make no question but by this meanes to raise my selfe to good preferment Let the Letter be sent directly to me ly some good ship and if you can conveniently procure a Letter from my Lord Hopton to his brother my Lord Embassadour in Madrid d Observe we have an Hopton in Spaine soliciting the cause there as well as an Hopton in England fighting here True Spanish both to favour and assist me to his power upon any occasion it would not doe amisse but the chiefe matter is Her Majesties Letter which being penn'd in the manner that I have advised will questionlesse stand me in great stead I hope that my former Letter came to your hands and that you have put in action this my desire and that with all brevitie I shall heare from you as also of the health of all my brothers and Sisters for whom with your selfe my prayers shall never be wanting So at present I commit you to God and rest Your obedient and dutifull son BRIAN I ANSON ☜ IHS Cadiz the 12. April 1644. Dearest Brother I Wrote to you by the way of Bristow about a moneth past which I trust you have received because it doth very much import mee which if you received I make no question but you have with my Father put in action the procuring of the Queenes Letters of favour in my behalfe to the Queene of Spaine her sister that thereby I may raise our Name in this Country to honour and meanes for unlesse I may freely enjoy the Roman Catholique Religion without any danger of my person or estate there is no reason I should leave a place where I enjoy liberty of conscience and live in very good esteeme But I make no question but after the King hath subdued his rebels be will at least give freedome of conscience to the Roman Catholiques that maintaine the Religion of all our Ancestors as well as he doth and hath done to so many sorts and Sects as are this day in England brought up and invented by particular moderne and light-pated Apostates But I trust in God that these warres will redound to his honour and to the * Observe with all observation what the Papists now so furiously drive after The Setling c. I had enlarged upon their Trust and set the Churches Trust against it but there was no place for it setting once againe of the true Catholique and Apostolique faith in that blessed Country that deserved for the great devotion of the inhabitants once to the Mother of God the name of the Dowry of the blessed Virgin Queene of Angels and I trust in God to be an eye witnesse of so great a blessing and to lay my
NEVVES OVT OF SPAINE Of infinite concernment to ENGLAND IN TWO LETTERS From Mr Brian I anson a sonne of the Church in Spaine to his father Sr BRIAN I ANSON and brother D. HEN I ANSON of the Church of ROME in England both now in the Kings Army there to promote the Rightes and Liberties of the same Holy Church Published thereby to give clearer intimation to all the Inhabitants of England 1. What that Church is and the sons thereof 2. What is the But and White there whereto the Papists hands heads and hearts stand ready bent now 3. What their Religion is what their devotions are for know one Papist and know all The mind of all Papists is seene clearely read and understood by the mind of one I Have perused these two Letters from a son in Spaine to a Father and brother in England I find them of publike concernment as the Publisher of them hath amply and usefully shewed besides A divine Providence hath appointed it so Therefore I cannot but affixe unto these Letters and the Publishers Observations my Imprimatur Ia. Cranford Aug. 12. LONDON Printed by G. Miller in the yeare 1644. The Publisher of these Letters bespeaketh the Reader and greets him in these words VNderstand Good Reader That these Letters were caught-up by the way betwixt Calize in Spaine and Bristoll in England then sent unto me by a pretious and honourable Friend a Minister a M. Will. Addertâ—y in the Ship wherein he has a Captaine like himselfe one I hope that feares GOD above many b Captaine Rob. Moulion I received these with this injunction To make them publique and as usefull as I could By Gods helpe I will endeavour it Because God commands it so To learne wisedome from the unjust and in imitation of my pretious Friend whom God hath taught this Art To turne poyson into an Antidote It is easily learnt when God will reach it and very Nature shall helpe us here for the greatest Balsomes doe lye enveloped in the Bodyes of powerfull Corrisives And poysons as a great Physitian sayes containe within themselves their own Antidote In the head of a Toad some tell us is a pretious stone but who found it there I cannot tell This I can tell That it is our wisedome and it should be our worke To gain instruction from every thing Now Reader this must be the worke at this time whereunto I will be as helpefull unto thee as I can That thou maist informe thy judgement and understanding from these Letters touching grave and weighty questions and be able to give short but cleare resolutions thereunto Then thou shall see what use to make of all this in the close For the informing of thy judgement this is the first question Concerning the Church of Rome or of Spaine both are one and the same Q. What Church is it A. A malignant Church wasting and destruction are in their paths the wayes of peace they have not knowne Q. What her sons and daughters are A. As their Mother alwayes hath been and now is but now more enraged then ever like a she-beare robbed of her whespes mad upon their idols evermore and now mad with rage and drunke with the bloud of Gods faithfull ones Q. How doe their hands and heads and hearts stand bent now A. To destroy a Mother Church in England nay all over the world Q. What is their Religion A. More brutish then the Pagans is now adayes They have many petty-gods but I doe not know That they have one Goddesse among them all Q. Who is the father of their Religion A. The Pope Q. Who their God-father A The stocke when they have lavished gold upon it he undertakes for them sure as their surety for to it they bow we see and aske blessing I thinke Qu. Whom doe they conceive is the hearer of Prayers and giver of all Blessings A. Queen Mary the Queen of Heaven Q. What is the scope of their devout Prayers A. It is double from a double eye and a cloven heart 1. That they may rise at Court grow rich great and high in the world 2. And that their Countrey may fall into ruines And Gods Servants all into their owne bloud and wallow therein so they pray Q. By what meanes will they compasse all this A. By the mediation of the Queen of the earth and by the sole intercession of the Queen of Heaven into whose hands the matter is referred for the transacts all their affaires in Heaven and earth Q. What way doe they take for the effecting of all this A. The old path the path of the Destroyer wherein they have stood these 1000. yeares up to the knees in bloud where you must note all along That they make lies their refuge too under falshood they will hide themselves horrible lies they will tell for advantage so to promote their suit with the Queen on earth and Queen in heaven Q. Who are the most bloudy and implacable enemies to our Church and Kingdome A. They that were friends once and are Apostates now who had the forme of Godlinesse only and cared for no more These are the most implacable adversaries against God and good men as it is at this day where we should note That the most horrible impieties iniquities outrages all these will stand with the forme of Godlinesse as is most legible 2 Tim. 3. from the first verse to the 6. Q. What counsell give they to their Prince A The very same which Athaliab gave to her son Abaziah To doe wickedly so to hasten the destruction of his owne house and of his Kingdome whereby it appeares That their Lord and master has the worst servants of any lord in the world for their work is To make themselves miserable and their Lord as he was whom Seracides cals the foolishnesse or shame of the people Eccles 47.23 Q. What subjects are they A. The Devill hath no better in the world no more right-handed men or to speake in two words as he doth KINGS-MEN saith he DIVELS-MEN say I for they will spend their bloud for their King so be he will hath his sword in Heaven The true Church make it drunke with the bloud of Gods pretious ones Now Reader proceed to the Letters and hear what the man saith when thou hast so done thou shalt thereby see That the Questions and Answers before cited are all the result from the Letters and having observed that thou shalt heare more from me ☜ IHS Cadize the 12. of April 1644. Deare Father MY last unto you was about a moneth past by a Bristow ship under covert of me to Colonell Collon which I hope is come in saâ—ety to your hands wherein I advised you of the receit of three from you and one from my brother Henry I could not then procure c. I sent it meaning his Tobacco to Colonell Coâ—â—n desiriar him to send unto Oxford by the first safe conveyance The joy I received by yours
had his brother his Father also these were well principled they had the forme of godlinesse that they had I know it no man better And for the first the second brother the Scribe he went into Spaine because of persecution saith he an abominable lye say I but after the manner This is a truth that thither he went and there sold his Birth-right I meane the true Religion the Crown and diadem of a person and people this he sold for a wise he thought good of the price and they gave him the price like to that which is meant by Thirty pieces of silver Zech. 11. And the Lord of glory tooke it so ill now as once he did because He is dealt with so unworthily so ingloriously that he commanded now as once he did cast it to the potter let him make earthen gods of it And so God hath left him to his own hardnesse It is so with the Father the Knight and his eldest son the Doctor They went for true Protestants and held on their profession untill they went to the King to serve him And now if we may beleeve the Letter they are as the younger brother is who hath the Pope for his Father his Church for his Mother The stock on earth and the Queen of Heaven for his Godfather and Godmother these must undertake for him therefore he asketh the stock blessing worshipping it and he expects all good from the Queene of Heaven she is his God-mother sure Therefore fifthly Aske thy soule this question What love hast thou to the Truth A weake faint waterish love God knowes Looke to it to strengthen it else it will never carry thee-up to the work of Christ nor can it keepe thy heart close to it so as to fulfill all His wils b Acts 13.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is an hot service thou art engaged upon now it will put thee to cost but if thy love be not strong as strong as death and that overcommeth all thou wilt never be at cost about it That thou mayest not faint in thy mind Looke to that Affection it is the great Centurion the commander in the soule Aske thy soule inrice over Doest thou love Christ And cease not till thou canst in uprightness of neart appeale unto Him as Peter did LORD Thou knowest that I love Thee Then certaine it is nothing will be too hard to doe nothing too much to suffer for Him but if this be wanting all is wanting I knew theâ—â—â—ne when the fore-mentioned made profession that they loved Christ they did not they hated Him for remisse love is called hatred and as it is called so it is and accounted And now it is so with them the wages of iniquity was tendered to their eye they embraced it and have blundered-on as Balaam did against the drawne sword And so reade the judgement they aâ—e delivered up to beleeve lies and to a sense reprobate Let the Word of GOD and then the love of God dwell richly in you Amen In the last place that it may be first and last remembred I will put to thee and my own soule these two questions and let us labour to put both out of question 1. Doe I put forth my selfe does my soule run-out in as earnest desire and pursuit to rise in Gods favour as the men of the world doe to rise in the favour of the world O let us labour to put this out of question And to help our consideration and that we may doe as afore-said let us compare favour with favour preferment with preferment the favour of a man with the favour of a God preferment in the Court of Kings with that in Heaven to be there as the Lord Christ is in glory And let us remember with-all or else all is nothing 2 Cor 59. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the favour of God that is to be accepted of Him is the greatest preferment But it must be laboured for with the same labour of love as men have had who have laboured after a Bishoprick or if you will a Crowne of gold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Al. Stro. 1.7 p. â—00 A Crowne of Glory must be so laboured after The Kingdome of God also suffers violence and the violent take it by force let us put this out of question 2. Doe I put forth my selfe am I as active for GOD for CHRIST and His cause as are the enemies of all Righteousnesse active for Anti-christ the promoting his cause If we are but as active it sufficeth And then our hands heads hearts will be all a work for God only this we must not doe not lie for God not doe wickedly for God we must doe as they doe with the same activity of spirit for CHRIST as they for Anti-christ We are for God we must work as God doth in our measure holily righteously there is no unrighteousnesse in Him Worke so and worke on Let head worke and tongue worke and hand worke heart soule and spirit worke it is for our Master in Heaven and His Cause a good Master and as good a Cause He will plentifully reward the work is done for Him seven fold into our bosome Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the works of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. FINIS