the Match with Spayne wherof there is now great speech and good apparence we must resolue that it resteth most in the disposition of God in whose power is the disposing of all thinges For myne owne part I dare confidently say that I do not think there can a more Great or Honorable Match be found for that Prince in all the world And let passionate men say what they will certayne it is that the continuance of peace and friendship with Spayne is as commodious to England as the keeping of peace friendship with any Countrey whatsoeuer And this the prudent King Henry the seauenth his Maiestyes Ancestour well saw when he matched his sonne and the heyre of his crowne Prince Arthur with the Lady Catharine the Kinges daughter of Castilia when there was no such greatnes added vnto it as now there is And the sayd Prince fayling for he was sickly when he marryed dyed before the mariage in all respects was consumate the sayd King Henry neglected not to procure by dispensation the match to be made with his Son Henry who now was become his heyre insteed of the other and reygned after him by the name of King Henry the eight and albeit this King did put this his marryed wife and most vertuous Queene from him after he had had her about twenty and two yeares for the loue of Anne Bullen yet was it without any iust cause and his match with Anne Bullen proued not honorable vnto him for he caused her to be beheaded for her abhominable adultery of the truth whereof if any doubt there is among other testimonies yet a letter extant of the Lord Cromwells wherein so much is signifyed I know the Puritans and Puritanly affected haue no liking of this new match with Spayne and that their friendes the Hollanders can in no case endure to heare of it the one in regard of reason of State the other in regard of a long wished Puritanicall discipline according to the Holland Reformation Concerning the Hollanders who can thinke his Maiesty obliged to forbeare this match for the giuing of them satisfaction whose greatest desyre indeed is that the Prince should not match at all for their more assurance of bringing the House of Nassow to Domineere in England seeing the Prince Palatine by his mothers side being of that House and coming in the right of his wife to that Crowne England should then become Hollandes buckler against Spayne then might come with this Prince into that Realme I know not how many land-lesse Lords of the same House and he bringing also with him as a Puritan Messias their long desired Reformation how fit would Bishops liuings fall for his Kinsmen and perhapps they would be aswel also contented to beare the names of Bishops or Administrators as the Lutheran Lord that hath gotten by his demeanour the Reuerend tytle of the mad Bishop of Halberstat and as other the like doe in Germany that gallantly ryde vpon their great horses in their apparell of all colours of the raynbow with their rapiers by their sides and huge feathers in their hattes and looke as like Bishops as Owles looke like Apes which goodly Ecclesiasticall state and dignity English Puritans for Reformation sake would perhaps be very well content to commend as well as their Puritan brethren in Scotland haue liked and alowed such like state and tytle to Lords and Gentlemen there and especially when they medled with no more but only with the displaced Bishops liuings and leaue all businesses belonging to the Word wholy in the handes of Puritan-Ministers and Consistory discipline But as the Hollanders and their correspondent-brethren our English Puritanes doe for their seuerall designes desire nothing more then the not going forward of this Match and in very deed no match at all for this Prince as before I haue noted so to the contrary all true and louing subiects to his Maiesty and bearers of dutifull affection to the Prince and countrey ought to desire it and to desire that vpon the accomplishment thereof issue may speedily follow because heerin consisteth both his Maiestyes and the Princes safety And this is all I can say vnto you fore present concerning the match with Spayne As concerning your obiection about difference of Religion The Lady being as you say a Papist and to haue the free exercise of her Religion and consequently the vse of her Chappell and Masse in the Court which you say wil be an ey-sore to the professours of the Ghospell c. Vpon these your wordes I shal be occasioned to open my selfe further then els I should haue byn willing to doe because of giuing you some vnexpected disgust when in making answere vnto your speeches I shal be brought if I must deale directly and playnly as with a friend to declare this eye-sore to be but a miscōceaued sorenes for heerupon I know you will straightways censure me to be turned Papist and condemne me of leuity for being so soone swarued from the light of your Ghospell to the liking of a Religion so generally misliked in England wherby I may stand in danger to loose your loue which very loath I would be to do considering how sincere I haue alwayes found it and what reciprocall correspondence I haue vsed for conseruation of the same The esteeme wherof being indeed the greatest cause that moueth me to be so carefull to endeauour so to excuse myselfe that you may think me the lesse blame-worthy and consequently the lesse breach may be made in your good affection towardes me seeing in myne towardes you notwithstanding difference of iudgmēt in Religion-matters there is none at all for I can see no reason to the contrary but that men may beare themselues in amity and Ciuill cōuersation with one another though the one be inclyned in conscience to serue God in a different manner from the other seeing euery man oweth his honest behauiour vnto men Well then good Sir vpon hope of reseruation of your loue that when you shall haue vnderstood how thinges haue passed you will consider before you condemne me of leuity whether I had any sufficient motiues or no to bethinke my selfe in matter of Religion more then I did before I knew there was so great cause why I should I will heere endeauour to be accomptable vnto you how things haue passed with me in this matter since my coming out of England Whiles I liued in Englād I was as you know as feruēt in our Protestāt religiō wherin I was brought vp as eyther your selfe or any in the Coūtrey can be I was a great reader of Scripture a great frequenter of Sermons and a great hater of Papists I often heard our preachers tell that the Church of Rome was a lienated from her first purity that it had entertayned many grosse errors and corruptions that forsooth the preachers of their Ghospell did restore and teach the very same doctrine that was taught in the tyme of the Apostles and
THE COPY OF A LETTER Sent from an English Gentleman lately become a Catholike beyond the seas to his Protestant friend in England In answere to some points wherin his opinion was required concerning the present busines of the Palatinate marriage with Spayne And also declaring his reasons for the change of his Religion M.DC.XXII VERY VVORTHY AND VVELVVISHED FRIEND Whereas in your letter which I last receaued you desire to be by me informed of the present state of thinges touching the Palsgraue or Prince Palatine As also what opinion we haue in these parts of the Match between England Spayne I must answere you that I dare not presume to extēd my own ignorāce so farre as to penetrate into the depth of such important matter or so to deliuer you my conceyt as that thereon you might settle a resolued opinion of the future euent But if you will be pleased to vnderstand what I heare in these partes where speach hath more freedome then in England and that therunto I may a little adde my priuate opinion I can be content to enthrall vnto you my thoughts from their priuiledged liberty seeing you can so much command me First then as touching the Prince Palatine it should seeme by that I heare and the sequell of thinges thereunto also according that he is more enclined to harken vnto the directions of the Hollanders then vnto the graue aduice of our King his Father-in Law vnto whome besides obligation of affinity he ought both in regard of Maiesty as also of Counsell more worthy to be followed to haue harkned For at the very time that his Maiesty was so prouident and carefull for him as to send his Embassadour Sir Richard Weston to treate with the Archduchesse at Bruxells about some agreement in his behalfe then did the Hollanders as more powerfull ouer him post him away into Germany there to set on foot actions of hostility wherunto he obeyed as not seeming to regard the prudent course intended by his Father-in-Law to his greater good but endeauouring to satisfy the desires of those who care not whose house be on fire so they may warm thē by the coales Also whereas his Maiesty being regardfull of iustice and equity hath shewed his dislike of this Prince his great errour in accepting at the hands of Rebells the Bohemian Crowne which appertayned vnto his owne soueraygne Lord the Emperour vnto whome he being a subiect it maketh the case so much the more dishonorable and vniust and notwithstanding that he is driuen out of the sayd Kingdome and hath lesse reason to retaine the title then when he was in it yet the Hollanders still giuing it him vpon hope that some other Crowne may befall him that therfore the title of Kingly dignity shall not in the meane tyme leaue him his ambitious blindnes is pleased to retayne it and perhaps to make it the cause of his totall Ruyne And lastly wheras it seemeth that eare is giuen vnto his Maiestyes desyre about a Truce or perhaps an absolute Peace and Reconciliation betweene the sayd Prince and the Imperiall Maiesty to the accomplishment whereof there ought in all reason to follow a submission from the inferiour and offending syde yet appeareth it not that this Prince is willing to relinquish the aforesayd Tytle and to yield vnto due submission by humbly asking pardon and acknowledging his offence but rather to remayne obstinate and follow the counsell of the baggage Hollanders who only dispose of him to their owne endes and purposes not caring at all to what calamityes they expose him so their owne turnes be serued nor whether in the end he sinke or swimme Me thinkes I can compare the state of the Hollanders as now it standeth vnto the state of a Merchant inclyning vnto Banke-breaking They doe owe as I haue byn giuen to vnderstand by such as seeme well to know it about eight milliōs of florins for which they pay interest Their trade trafike is exceedingly decayed Their charges so great with their Exercito and Presidies c. that they are forced to disburse euery day some hundreds of pounds more then their comings in do extend vnto Their good carriage hath byn such that they haue almost out-liued all their friends that were ablest to haue holpen them The meanes they haue to continue the warres they are constrayned to presse out of the harts of their subiects by most grieuous exactions and being driuen vnto desperate tearmes themselues they haue drawne this Prince into action in as bad a cause as their owne and in such a dependance with theirs that if the one of these fall both may fall togeather for company for it cannot be otherwise when the one draweth downe the other with him while he is falling and no wonder it is that this may happen where good counsell is despised and that men will needes be left to their owne folly and to bake as they haue brewed You must also vnderstand that the Hollanders posting away the Palatine into Germany was not vpon assurance of preferring him to the recouery of that which he had forfayted and lost but only to keep the forces of the King of Spayne there occupyed to the end they might not returne to the Netherlandes agaynst them But how euer it be it is in the meane time sufficient for the honour of his Maiesty to haue let al the world see that he hath done his endeuours to haue ended these broyles with peacefull security for the sparing of much bloud and auoyding the danger of depending in warre vpon the good will of fortune which now is not like to fall out so happily As for the willingnes of the Puritans and Puritanly affected in England to contribute as in your letter you signify towardes the maintenance of some thousands of men to the assistance of this Prince they do without all doubt reckon without their host little imagining what a charge it is to maintayne an army so farre of and what a burthen the continuance thereof would proue to be vnto the Realme for it could not but proue a warre of long continuance wherof the sequell would be the impouerishing of the people by drawing away the welth of the Realme by so long lasting transportes of money which would neuer come in againe nor euer bring the Realme any benefit to recompence it all which his Maiesty as a most prouident Prince wisely foreseeing besides the great effusion of bloud it moued him to resolue vpon a sweeter more conuenient course if the enemyes of peace and quietnes had not interrupted it And if so be his Maiesty shall now leaue this Prince vnto himselfe seeing he hath followed his owne selfe will the sinister counsell of turbulēt spirits that accompt their fishing best in a troubled water who cannot but thinke that his Maiesty hath serued him right And this is all I can deliuer vnto you of the opinions of such as I haue discoursed withall about this matter Touching
course of nature When he said that it was as easy for a camell to goe through the eye of a needle as for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heauen whereupon his disciples asked him who could then be saued he answered that with God all thinges were possible If then it be possible for a Camel or for a cable-rope to go through the eye of a needle it is possible for the body of Christ to be in the Sacrament and the more possible when he that is God himselfe hath sayd it When he had sayd that with God all thinges were possible the Apostles were silent and belieued it for they replyed not to the cōtrary or by asking how it might be So belieued they him also when taking the bread at his last supper and blessing it he said it was his body els had they also asked him as they did of the Camels going through the eye of the needle how it was possible Manifest also it is that all the ancient Christians of the world besides those of the Church of Rome haue euē from the originall of their Christianity belieued this If now Anabaptists and Caluinists that are but risen vp in our dayes must be belieued in the deniall thereof not only agaynst their precedent competitours in Reformation Husse and Luther but agaynst the Church of Rome the Church of Greece and all other ancient Christians resyding in the farre and remote partes of Asia and Africa who can belieue when he hath well reflected vpon these thinges and aboue all vpon the foundation of this fayth which standeth vpon the very wordes of Christ his owne mouth and from no where els is deriued that he can heerin be deceaued Seeing Christ in no iustice or equity can condemne any man of misbeliefe for belieuing that which himselfe telleth him so to be yea albeit it were not so which cannot be seeing himselfe is all truth and that vnto him being also God there is nothing impossible and seeing also that none of his Apostles did euer after declare vnto the world that he meant not as he sayd that notwithstanding he speake those wordes it was but the figure or signe of his body and not his very body indeed as Caluinists Anabaptists now more then fifteene hundred yeares after do teach vs. I am no Deuine as you know yet could I not heere conteyne within the compas of a Letter if I should enlarge my selfe with so much more as I could say concerning this matter and with proofes of Scriptures Fathers and the successiue vniuersall fayth and practise of Chtistians throughout the world euer since the tyme of Christ This haue I done to let you see whether I had reason or no comming to so much knowledge and vnderstanding of differences among so many late pretenders of reformation of Religion truly to vnderstand what the Catholike religion holdeth and professeth indeed to remayne still a protestant seeing if so I had done it must haue byn for fashions sake only and to runne in cry among the rest as some doe that will know no better and others that can discerne no better because they come not where may they or are idiots and want capacity to apprehend it Iudge now I pray you hauing well considered of the premisses whether there appeareth reason for my excuse or not and whether Protestants may haue reason to be so picquant and hatefull vnto Catholikes as they are and not quietly to let them liue among them enioy their Ciuill conuersation seeing Catholikes are no intruders vpon protestants or bringers in of any nouelties among them but the imbracers only of that fayth from which Protestants are falne and all the rest of their competitors in pretending discordant reformations and wherein vnto this day the maiesty of Christendome in fight of all the world yet remayneth I meane the greater and the better part therof Wheras Caluinisme for by that Name our Protestant Religion of England passeth throughout all Christendome among all Religions except themselues being but new begon is already splitted and deuided into foure partes within it selfe to wit Protestants Puritans Brownistes and Arminians declining to decay and chiefly supported by rebellion Be not offended with me I beseech you I only speake this in regard of truth because the truth is so as the whole world can heerin beare me witnes and not because I would in speaking thus go about to vexe you And to let you see my indifferency in speaking as vnpartially of the rest you shall please also to vnderstand That the Hussytes and the others want not their diuisiōs among them aswel as ours for there are the old and the new Hussytes the rigide and the soft or myld Lutherans And the Anabaptists being fullest of all the others of Scriptures are also fullest of all of diuisions for I haue counted among them fifteene seuerall sorts my selfe and how many more there are I know not But as sor the Hussytes and the Lutherans I haue exceedingly meruayled at the cogging of M. Fox our English Martyrologian and of our Preachers in England who for their Ghospells pouerty haue so much extold Iohn Husse for a blessed martyr and Martin Luther for a blessed confessour the one disliking the doctrine of the other and both being contrary vnto theirs and to dissemble and hyde from the knowledge of their audience what the Hussytes and the Lutherans do preach and write of them and how farre they are from fynding any Ghospell affinity between them but contemne scorne their society to the full and haue no other esteeme of them then of a company of cocks crowing on their owne dunghills In Conclusion I must say vnto you that if it please God the Match with Spayne do succeed I trust it will proue to the great good tranquillity of our countrey and will make England continually participant of the wealth of Spayne and the Countreys thereon depending which seeing the rebellious Hollanders cannot enioy they enuy that our Nation should If the Match with Spaine succeed not yet seeing Englishmen cannot liue pen'd in within the compasse of their countrey as those of China between the sea and a huge wall but must trauayle and traffique abroad in so many flourishing Countreyes and places of Christendome as are Catholike they must needes be hatefull and odious to those Nations if it be knowne vnto them that they doe hate and persecute Catholikes at home they being members with them of one same body to wit of one same Catholike fayth and Church which is sole and entiere and consisteth not in splitted partes and diuisions and hath lasted and continued in the world when the world was vnacquainted with Protestants and will remayne in it when Protestants may happen to returne agayne to inuisibility from whence they pretend with as much reason to be assured as either Hussytes Lutherans or Anabaptistes may do the like and may also fynd as good allowance to be belieued without being laughed at as any of these how late or sooner before they crept out of the like obscurity Heere will I make an end of this letter which I leaue vnto your good consideration and myselfe in all the dutyes of affection at your commaund From the place of my aboad this 25. of Iuly 1622. You know the Hand the louing Hart of the VVriter AFTER I had ended this letter there came vnto my handes a few verses from a friend of myne which because they somwhat concerne the purpose wherof I haue spoken I heere send you also Vpon the hopefull Match betweene Prince Charles his Highnes of Wales and the Princesse Mary Infant of Spayne ON fames report Hope hath fixt expectation That in good time the great match may succeed Wherof the world now stands in admiration And it estemeth as a heauenly deed For earths repose Because a peacefull King Is now so great an Actor in the thing And his great Highnes doth his worth discouer And makes his Princely honour higher fam'd By choosing such a Phenix for his louer As to whose selfe no equall can be nam'd Since none there is on earth of Adams race That for all worths may chalenge better place N. Crynes Vnto her Greatnes witnes giues the Sunne Tasked no houre to shine at any hand As he his course about the Globe doth runne But on some part of her late Fathers land An homage which he neuer did before To any Prince nor like to do no more And for her feature such it doth appeare That Rubens the Apelles of our dayes Vnable to approach this beauty neere Dares not attempt to paint his owne disprayse But of this worke of Nature wondring standes And lets his pensill fall from out his hands As for her Vertues I referre their prayse Vnto the Heauens who best know how to do it Knowing I cannot from the low earth rayse Their altitude so high as longs vnto it Nor yet how to begin or to intend A worke wherin I see not any end FINIS