regard or esteeme to be had of him aboue a Seminarie or secular Priest or no. Thirdly the authoritie of the See Apostolike is here made doubt of sci whether the Priests might lawfully appeale from this mock-powerable audacious blind authority of the Ies Archpriest or no. Fourthly the inextinguible inexpugnable indelible vertue of the sacraments of Christs church is here weakned and made scruple of scil whether it be of equall force and validity in a secular Priest as in a Iesuit c. Fiftly the temporall state and common-wealth of this land especially all Catholike subiects vnder her Maiesty are indangered by running of the Iesuits fatall course as hereafter shall be proued Sixtly the innocent laitie of the simpler but well meaning harts are already seduced by the Iesuits factioÌ„ moe will be nay vtterly ouerthrown and led away in errour aswell against the Catholike church as their natiue countrie and common wealth if the seculars let the play fall and now sleep in silence Seuenthly the life maners good name all that is in priesthood in religion in conscience to be respected stands now vpon to be tried betwixt the Iesuits and the seculars Therefore I say that for these and many other waighty reasons they ought in bounden dutie to prosecute so laudable memorable and spiritually heroicall an act begun to the vttermost and nothing to doubt of aiders throughout all parts of Christendom to assist theÌ„ to the pulling downe of these seditious Templarian Iesuiticall sectaries THE VIII ARTICLE VVHether then is not the former charity zeale feruor of Catholikes on all sides much hindred by these vnsauorie contentions or no how it comes and whether the like haue euer bene before amongst Catholike Priests THE ANSWERE FIrst whosoeuer was Catholike a 20. yeares or but 16. yeares agone about which time there was a muttering of this Allobrogical gouernmeÌ„t of Fa. Westons my selfe being one though minimus fratrum meorum of 22. Seminarie Priests and so many moe of the Catholike laitie of honorable worshipfull and meaner calling all prisoners together in the Marshalseas he should there haue seene so palpable a difference betwixt the loose Catholikes that were then the strictest that are now as the first might haue bene patterns of pietie to the second for all religious charitable and Catholike actions Secondly no question there is in it but that the like contentioÌ„s haue bene in Gods church heretofore and will be to the worlds end otherwise could not the church Catholike be called militant here on earth nor be fitly coÌ„pared to a ship tossed vpon the sea one while in danger of sinking another while of splitting and then again of running vpon some rock or on ground and still interchangeably fleeting betwixt stormes and calmes nor yet parabolized with a net cast into the sea gathering containing in it all kinds of fish and frie or with new sowne seed which growing vp is intermixed with weeds Thirdly although it be rather to be accounted of as a miracle that all this while there hath not then to hold it as a scandale that now there hath fallen out such coÌ„tentions amongst Gods seruants Priests seeing that in heauen and that in a second instant of time or third of angelicall existence there was high ambition in paradise and that as some learned Diuines do hold within 3. houres space there was too much curiositie in the Apostles schoole and that within 3. yeres space there was too deep emulation contention auarice and treason wrought against the supreame Maiestie What should I say more if in the Catholike Roman church and Apostolicall chaire of Peter there haue bene already 23. schismes past although then no wonder to heare see the like contentions to these of ours yet that the first brochers of any such went away scotfree it was neuer yet heard of without a curse as Lucifer as the serpent as Iudas or else that they were the beginners of some new heresie or other in the end as Nicholas as Arius as Donatus as Nouatus all as rare men as great shew of zeale in theÌ„ as Catholikly bent and as many deuout graue and learned men to side with them at the first as either Fa. Parsons or Maist Blackwel hath Fourthly it is cleare that the Iesuits contempt of priesthood and irreligious doctrine was and is the originall cause before God and man of the decay of charitie piety and deuotion And therefore wo to the first brochers of these mischiefes Sed nunquid in aeternum irascetur Deus no God forbid THE IX ARTICLE VVHether then all religious zeale being turned into temporized platformes to cast omnia pro tempore nihil pro veritate all Christian charitie counterfetted all iustice violated all pietie decayed and gone and that spirit of humilitie innocencie and simplicitie of heart which earst was in the late Primitiues of English Catholikes being lost expelled and almost quite extinct amongst vs. Is it not the cause of withholding others that would come into Gods church or is it no let at all and if it be then by whose meanes THE ANSWERE IT is questionlesse the hinderance to some and rock of scandale to many that otherwise wold be members visibly of the Catholike church militaÌ„t on earth though not one soule is nor can be kept out thereby that is of God chosen though to vs vnknowne to be of the same church triumphant in excelsis and all this by the slie deuises and Machiuilean practises of the Iesuits as is manifest First for that sundrie Schismatickes and well willers to the Catholike church and religion standing out hitherto vpon worldly respects as being more prudent in their mundane muddy generations said our Sauiour then the children of light and feares of losses troubles and the like are now brought into a fooles paradise of conceit that they are in a better state or at least more secure for the time then those that are alreadie catholike Recusants by reason of these daungerous contentions they heare of to be betwixt the secular cleargie and this should be Monasticall now mock-religious whilst the Catholike laitie following the parts of this and that faction contend with Ego sum Pauli ego Apollo for a supremacie And thus thinke worldlings to haue a good excuse to hold out and so be of neither side but be as neuters or impersonals in terra Secondly amongst many Atheall Paradoxes taught in the Iesuits conclaue or close conuenticles I remember an honorable person and Lord of high degree It was a flat Atheall doctrine secretly taught in Scotland where these three things are common to eate flesh as company occasioneth to reade al kind of bookes indifferently and to go to the masse in the forenoone and to a Puritans serâ—on the afternoone All 3. acts indispensable of the Pope himselfe respecting persons time and place once obiecting vnto me that the Seminary Priests were too scrupulous nice and precise in state cases of conscience said that herein the Iesuits
tooke a farre better and more polliticke course in that they sought by disputation setting out of bookes and other priuate conferences to make as many close Catholikes which you quoth he call schismatickes as they can and yet not bring any of these into the Church vnlesse here one and there one as may seeme in pollicie conuenient for keeping a memorie of Catholike ceremonies and vse of sacraments and sacrifice To the same effect were the words of their great Polipragmon Fa. Parsons who audaciously durst presume to affirme that it stood not with pollicie to haue libertie of conscience graunted neither did he wish it that persecution should cease in England in afflicting of Catholikes which passages of speech drawne into one proposition setting Atheisme for a medius terminus betwixt that honorable Lords opinion and this disgracefull Iesuits censure all English hearts may conceiue in these words foure points of importance one that the Iesuites make religion a matter of State and pollicie to draw people vnto them by plausible hypocrisie and shew of zeale not a matter of conscience to direct them aright another that they care not how many soules perish so they may winne their hearts and affections vnto them for the time present either by admiring them for rare prudence learning and gouernment or adoring them for peerelesse pietie perfection and holinesse a third that in stead of meekenesse mercie and compassion which of all other ought to shine out most clearely in a religious heart these men haue put on a sterne harsh and cruell hardnesse void of all pittie mildnesse or remorse saue onely Cateolinian carrying their countenance in their hands to sob and smile in a trice and so care not what miserie affliction or persecution fall vpon poore distressed Catholikes in these heauie times of our common sadnesse whilest they liue secure who are the chiefe workers of our generall incestant calamities by their figure-flingings plot-castings and libellings against their natiue countrie and present state of English gouernment in other countries And the fourth and last is their mischieuous bloudie and vnnaturall practises in that it is apparant that the onely cause why they wish persecution of their poore afflicted country-men and brethren to continue and no relaxation leaue or libertie to be graunted them is of purpose to make our Soueraigne her honorable Councell and Peeres of the present State seeme more odious tyrannicall and hatefull to all Christian nations and thereupon to publish libels and other seditious pamphlets of conspiracies for conquests and inuasions And this is that good reuerend religious esteeme which the Iesuits brokers should indeed haue cried with an O yes in euery street court and corner that they haue merited of the Catholike church Englands commonwealth since their first comming into this land Thirdly I might adde as of all other articles so of this many sundry causes reasons and proofes of the Iesuits impietie but I must infringe my speech perforce to dispatch other matters onely this whosoeuer knowes the Iesuits practises as none liuing knowes them all and few but know too few of them may easily coniecture that where any of their faction may be heard speake and be beleeued there must needes be a stop stay and hinderance of that soules conuersion For they that haue the art to inchaunt the already conuerted to make them refuse the benefite of the sacraments to the endaungering of their soules rather then to come at any Seminary or secular Priest that is not a current of their damnable doctrine thinke you they haue not the same skill of figure-flinging to withdraw all those that want the serpeÌ„ts wit to auoid their charmes from comming at any such as are opposite against them Noâ— questionlesse they want neither art nor euill will nor yet malicious meanes to effect it as hauing vsed from the beginning more Machiuilean deuises Atheall practises in secret conference by their inferior Agents with Schismaticks yea and with our common aduersaries then with Catholiks they that can delude any one Catholik put him or her in feare and to haue a scruple of conscience to receiue any Catholike Priest that is not of their faction or at least not against them it is wonder if all Schismatickes be not ouertaken and misse-led in conceit by them THE X. ARTICLE VVHether then the case standing so as in all these 9. precedeÌ„t Quodlib articles it appeares most plaine that the Iesuits haue raised much sedition wrought great mischiefe occasionated sundrie afflictions of all Catholike Recusants and most mightily and daungerously eclipsed the Churches glorie Is it like that these contentions the premises considered will be any way beneficiall to Catholikes and the whole Church of God or else hurtfull c. THE ANSWERE This Quodlibeâ— deciphering the extreme malice and mischieuous intent of the Iesuits in the former Quodlibets discouered doâ—â— closely insinuate here what greaâ— griefe it will be hereafter to many deuout Catholikes to remember how mad and senselesse they were to beleeue that such and such Priests were suspended excommunicated c. and that none might come at them and onely vpon the bare word of a Iesuit or one of his faction Wherupon perceiuing that it was spoken of meere malice sacrilegious consinage of these hypocrites those that are now deluded by them will be readie to eate their owne nailes for anger that they should haue bene so credulous and vnkind in beleeuing their enemies false reports against their dearest friends and spirituall fathers that yet still are ready to spend their bloud on Gods behalfe for them ALthough for the time it may seeme hurtfull yet questionlesse when these masqued religious Iesuits are once made knowne what and who they are there can no harme come thereof but on the contrarie to euery one it will be very beneficiall in the end and as great a comfort to all true Catholike harts as now it is a griefe First for that it was neuer yet seene but that presently vpoÌ„ such deadly coÌ„tentions risen amongst Gods seruants and Priests there appeared some blazing starre comet or light of a rare bright shine of the Churches wonted glorie So was it in the coÌ„tention amongst the Apostles when they stroue together for a supremacie euen in our Sauiour Christ his presence So was it in the time of the Arrian heresie when the whole Church and chiefe prelates seemed to be at daggers drawing with infamous libels put vp by Bishops against Bishops Priests against Priests one religious against another before that pious Emperor of all worthie memorie Constantine the great and so hath it euer bene no doubt but now so it will be God sweetly so disposing Secondly of all Axiomes in Philosophie this is holden for one of the truest most certaine and infallible rule that nullum violentum est perpetuum VVherupon Christian Philosophers haue defined that though there were no Scripture nor Catholike church authoritie to confirme it yet by this phisical position of causes it is not possible but the world shold make an end and a stay made of the planets course and heauens motion by reason that primum mobile in a tergiuersed violence of opposite race to the rest runs a course against the haire And of like sort by an argument of induction vel ab exemplo vel à comparatione it must needs follow that it is impossible for the Iesuits to hold out long running a most violent course in opposition against the whole Church of
God and all the 3. estates ecclesiasticall temporall and Monasticall as will appeare at large by induction of particulars of their seditious and wrangling disposition faction and opposition against Popes Cardinals Bishops and other prelates and priests in the state ecclesiasticall against Kings Princes Peeres Nobles Gentles and all sorts of ciuill Magistrates in the State temporall against Canōs regular Monks Friers all other religious orders in the state Monastical that haue any liuelyhoods which they want for as a Capouchine once said his order liued quietest of any other with the Iesuits because the Iesuits would willingly haue all and the Capouchines would willingly haue nothing but euen to keepe soule and life together Thirdly when our Sauiour Christ imposed a necessitie to the coming of heresies he meant not onely to the end that hypocrites might thereby be deciphered and lewde seducers of others made knowne to the world for he knew them full well himselfe long beforehand but withall that thereby his spouse might appeare more beautifull sweet amiable and glorious For seeing none can be called properly an hereticke but such as first haue bene catholike either by birth of baptisme or after conuersion and education and none such draw any multitudes after their fall vnto them vnlesse during the time of their stand abode in Gods church they had gotten by a counterfeited holines an admiration of inconstant people to be had of them Therefore to the end that those who by their corrupt life and manners in the Church would not onely damne themselues but also draw many thousands by their externall shewes and pretences of pietie to hell with them should be stopped and preuented of their wretched course it hath euer pleased the Diuine goodnesse whose prouidence is neuer enough to be admired at nor his iustice trembled at nor his mercies magnified to let be cast a stumbling blocke in the way of reprobates whereby they might take an occasion to leape out of Gods church thereupon God shew his iust iudgements vpon them and all that leape out with them and his mercies vpon the remainder that after their impietie discouered would no longer be seduced by them And so in the rise and fal of euery one God is alwaies honored his church glorified and all Catholikes hearts greatly comforted and benefited Were it not the feare I haue to be too tedious I might here enlarge my selfe with a long discourse of all the principall heresies and Archheretickes that euer haue bene For had not Arius many worthy prelates all sound Catholikes at the first to take his part So had Donatus so had Nouatus so had Eutiches so had Dioscorus so had many hundreds of Arch-heretickes aswell as he yea and such stood on their side as before euer the contention was decided had glorified heauen with Saints beautified the earth with Martyrs reliques And yet we see it was neither an argument of their pietie because so many holy Ciprians and other blessed men and women sided on their side at the first neither yet a confirmation of their error at the last because one and he a Priest was of power to vexe trouble and torment the whole church of Affrick and another the Catholike church of Asia in his abortiue Primitiues after the whole christiā world infected with his heresies in many millions of his followers And howsoeuer it happen hereafter or whether the time be yet come of reuealing the full mistery of iniquity or that these contentions may minister occasion before all matters be decided of another sacred Apostolicall O Ecumenicall synode to be called or howsoeuer it may fall out hereupon to man vnknowne yet do I verily thinke it was Gods holy will and prouidence diuine that the Seminary Priestes should once come on the behalfe of the whole Church of God to buckle before Saint Peter with the Iesuits againe And they sooner then any other Ecclesiasticall Monasticall or temporall order society or company of none of all which they neede doubt at length but to haue a ioyfull furtherance comfort and assistance in their iust quarell because they of all other hauing merited most at the Iesuits hands as admitting of them to be readers in their Colledges receiuing them especially to be coadiutors with them in Christ his haruest yeelding to them nay seeking to subordinate themselues in a sort vnto them and that onely to win the peoples applause and a name fame and praise of them to passe aboue themselues notwithstanding they were not ignorant that they had farre their betters amongst them for euen a Sherwin Seminary Priest yeelded to tread a Iesuiticall path and yet he did farre surpasse a Campion Iesuit as all the world knew it and in few they were so obseruant or rather seruiceable vnto them in all things as what was there but a Iesuit might commaund in England euen if they would haue had a Priest his crowne to haue troden vpon there were then that would haue obeyed who now like angry sleeping dogs vnwillingly awaked by them will both barke bite and leape in their faces for a lesse audatious presumption And then on the other side considering the Iesuits great ingratitude insolency cruelty and inhumane tyrannie like storkes amongst frogges not contented with an vndeserued soueraignty vnlesse all were made their bondslaues to vse innocent harmelesse hearts as they haue vsed the Seminarie and secular Priests that possessed no earthly riches that had no worldly ioyes that sought no setled state in mundane mansions caducall that neuer dreamed of other dignities conquests or triumphes but ouer sinne schisme and heresie death hell and damnation how to make their vocation sure by seruing their Lord God with all feare and trembling in ministring of Sacraments to deuout soules This being their whole study and care ah here how can the sorrowfull sequels be remembred without Apostrophees of inconsolable griefes that now poore wormes they should be troden vnder foote in their owne corne-fields in the heate of their haruest and euen by those that they admitted to be their coadiutors and fellow-laborers and that in their owne natiue countrey hauing no other place certaine to relye vpon whereas the Iesuits haue their peculiar houses and Colledges in euery kingdome almost throughout the world And therfore of all other if to to greedy desire of soueraignty had not made them starke blind they would and might wel without their losse or hinderance haue permitted the Seminary other secular Priests
and least of all merited any thing at Englands hands vnlesse it be the guerdon of traitors for their conspiracies against both Prince State and Peere And a happy thing it had bene to this land and especially to all Catholikes if neuer any of them had bene borne THE VIII ARTICLE VVHether any other order of religion be so mightily impugned of all professions as their society is or no THE ANSWERE I Thinke none at all at this present What mischiefe falshood heresie or other impiety but hath bene bolstered oâ—â— with authority of Scripture and examples to confirme 〈◊〉 with all which being turned backe vpon the wicked sets them rightly forth in their proper colours Yet notwithstanding non quia res agatur apud Graecos impetrabunt Demosthenem Let them not thinke that all goeth wholly on their sides because they are repugned on all sides as they vainely make their vaunt of nor thinke their cause to be any whit the better because Catholikes aswel say they as heretikes do speake and write against them No no let father Parsons recall his vaine vaunt and ostentation made in his Ward-word to Sir Francis Hastings Watch-word Let him cease from comparing himselfe with his and our Lord and maister Christ for his comparison is odious if it had bene but in that sense he there sets it downe in with a meere mortall man of Christ his rare indowments abstracted from his diety Let him returne vpon his owne turbulent seditious irreligious head and heart all his allegations and examples out of Saint Paules Epistes and other places falsly applied by him to the secular Priestes and Catholike laity that are in opposition against the Iesuites For if he esteeme euery Catholike to be a Diotriphe that is against him vtterly dislike of his course and condemne in his best thoughts many of his assertions as heresies or at least most grosse and impudent errors he must esteeme so not onely of the secular Priests in England with the whole Cleargy here The Iesuites reprochfull speeches against all Catholikes in generall built vppon these 2. erronious principles scil one that it is a testimony of their sanctity holinesse rightfull cause c. because they are persecucuted of all men most the other that it shewes all those to be inclined to heresie that speake or write against theÌ„ because all heretikes do so These 2. proud Luciferian assertions in arrogating a preheminence of all excellencie to themselues with contempt of all opposites vnto them declare a most dangerous downefall of theÌ„ all into some horrible blasphemous heresie it being morally impossible otherwise but that what peculiar order society corporation of company soeuer should follow singularly in opposition and controlment of all other orders fellowship yea and the whole state of Gods Church as the Iesuits do affirming all to be amisse erronious and out of order but where they are and goâ—â—â—nâ— must consequeÌ„tly become heretikes the very proporsion of arrogating all vnto themselues in this sort necessitating these sequels following scil ergo the truth is onely with them ergo the Church only theirs and where they are ergo no truth nor Church without them ergo all the secular Priestes are schismatikes and heretikes ergo no Catholike amongst them ergo no faith no religion no Church no Pope but a Iesuit an indubitate piller of truth in all things but the Sorbonists in Fraunce with the whole Cleargy there yea and throughout Christendome all for the most part disliking of them the Dominicans in Spaine with al religious orders there the Franciscans in Italy with all Friers obseruants there the Benedictines in Cicily and Naples with all the religious Monkes there In few name me that nation people profession or order that I may omit here to recite the temporall state or to name King Prince or other Noble in Christendome that is not a Iesuit in affection or faction but mightily dislikes of them but doth impugne them but wisheth either their amendment or speedy downefall ere they bring all to ruine and destruction with them Therefore neuer let them boast of this that it is a testimonie of their vertue of their holinesse of their religious zeale of their painfull indeuors and of twenty odde cogging trickes they haue to bewitch the people with all in making themselues famous their quarrell good and their cause iust against the secular Priestes For if the Zuinglians rising vp in armes in Germany though they had many moe thousands to take their part against the Lutherans then I hope the Iesuits shall euer haue against the secular Priestes could not thereby iustifie themselues or perswade any but their owne faction that they had right on their side because not onely all the Catholikes in Christendome spoke and wrote against them but also all the Protestants and others that were departed from the Catholike Romane Church aswell as they if the Mahumetanes in Turkey howsoeuer they flatter themselues cannot make others beleeue that they haue the right because they are not onely impugned of all Christians throughout the world but also and most bitterly by the Persian Mahumetane and diuerse others so deadly a contention being amongst them about the body of Mahumet and rightfull heires of Ella as in the open streetes they haue fallen together by the eares and murthered one another in the strife and contention about that matter One saying this was the heire of Ella and another this And yet who is ignorant of it that they are moe Mahumetanes then Catholikes and then à fortiori many moe then there are Iesuits If finally it were no argument worthy the answering that because during the time of the Arrians the Donatists the Sabellianists the Manichees the Nouatians or other Arch-heretikes there rising vp some fine fingerd figge-boyes in the Church that would teach a new tricke which neither the Catholiks whom they seemed and did to outward shew in all things side with all neither yet those heretikes gone before out of the Church could either allowe or like of that therefore the same new maisters should thinke all men would bee bewitched by them Or if in case they could winne moe vnto them then either the former Catholikes or other sectaries could as ordinarily it hath fallen out so cum sit natura hominum nouitatis auida that therefore that was an argument of the truth to be in all things on their side But rather quite contrary that they comming in with new innouations did directly prepare the way to some new heresie as the experience of all ages doth make apparant Then let the Iesuites take vp in time and vaunt if vaunt they will of some thing else more to their credit and driuing of suspition iealousie and irremoueable conceit to be had of some monstrous heresie to be in brewing amongst them the common saying being not more old then true that that which one or two reports may well be false but that which all men say must needes be true And
them like fooles as they are and made them become a most seditious infamous pragmaticall treacherous diabolicall faction to set vp and defend a bastardly fellow in all his mischieuous plots and deuises and that the seculars are of no faction at all vnlesse they will call it a faction to ioyne against these vsurpers with the whole Church of God and so may they as probably like right heretikes they will do so one day say that all Catholike nations throughout Christendome are of the faction there being no Catholike countrey people or nation in the world this day but doth dislike of them and is against their wicked proceedings or else for speaking in defence of their Prince and countrey I meane in matters of gouernement succession and state affaires clearly abstracted from points of faith and religion and then and therein also if they say the seculars are of the faction they may aswell say that her Maiestie and honorable Counsell and in few all that are exempted from trayterous attempts and conspiracies either within or without the land are so And then by consequent all are of the faction throughout the world that will not yeeld to a Iesuiticall supremacy in the state Ecclesiasticall and to their Monarchy in a state temporall and in both to make father Parsons a king Cardinall Concerning this matter it is worthy the noting to see how this Camelion Iesuit Parsons hath banded off and on with time like a Protheus His and his fautors ostentation in outward shew is wholy for religion and that they do most earnestly desire the conuersion of their countrey and of such and such particular persons by name yea they would I marry would they all follow and prosecute the king of Scots title if he would become Catholike but if not they would all dye one after another against him And yet contrary to this ostentation made both in a letter of father Parsons to the Marques Huntley whom they account to be a speciall fautor of their faction as also contrarie to sundrie other of their writings schedules and passages they haue dealt both priuatly and openly to the contrarie In somuch that omitting particular practises as with the late Earle of Essex to whom father Parsons sent a Iesuite Priest to haue had him to take a pension of the king of Spaine priuatly for aduancement of his designements neuer mentioning any Religion to him off or on but be as he be would and so with others hath he dealt besides the viper shewed his malice most in the treatie of peace betwixt the kings of Fraunce and Spaine For at that time there was a rumour runne abroad that the Queene of England would enter into that league and so graunt a tolleration of religion But this father Parsons vtterly disliked of saying that either they would haue all or none that they would admit of no conditions His reason was this because quoth he a tolleration would make the Catholikes of England dull and without spirit c. But the reason indeed was this and in good faith when I first did see the Articles here drawne out in England of the conditions for peace before euer any newes came of this great Statists censure I sayd to a very friend of mine that it would cost the Iesuits a brace of a thousand pounds to stop it for that it stood not with father Parsons platforme to haue any relaxation of persecution in England so long as either her Maiestie liued or yet after vntill he were ready to come with Montioy Saint Iames of Spaine and Parsons for the Britons Monarchy because a tolleration for religion would breed these inconueniences all making against him and his faction First he could not then haue any colour to set out bookes or anticke shewes as he hath or to blaze it abroad in all nations how cruell tyrannicall and inhumane the persecution of Catholikes is in England Secondly he could no longer after haue blowne the infamous blasts that course both sea and land he affirming England to be the nurcery of faction sedition and of all mischiefe wrought throughout the world setting all Princes Monarches and States together by the eares liuing in league with one to make warre against another and maintaining of rebels against their Soueraignes Thirdly he could not by al likelihood haue had any Catholike Prince or other in Christendome to haue banded on his side For with what colour could either Spaine or Austria or any Catholike Prince haue inuaded England if Catholikes might liue here as freely as they did in France or as the Hugonites do now liue there and the Protestants in Germany and the Christians in Turkey and the Mahumetanes in Tartary the Pagans in Presbiter Iohns dominions Fourthly he could neuer after haue gone forward with this platforme for aspiring to the Monarchy For whereas now all Catholikes must depēd vpon the Archpriest the Archpriest vpon father Garnet Garnet vpon Parsons Parsons vpon the diuel the author of all rebellious conspiracies treasons murthers disobedience heresies all such other diabolicall bloudy designements as this wicked Iesuit hath hitherto deuised then and in that case this dependency had bin vtterly voide For we should haue had Catholike Bishops as Suffragans or such like that might haue giuen holy orders cōsecrated holy oiles ministred the Sacrament of Confirmation exercised their Episcopall authority in all things necessary priuatly as it was in the Apostles time and Primitiue Church without either any the least incōbrance or perturbance of the state or present incumbents the Bishops Archbishops that now are or admittance of any seditious Iesuit or other factious person to come within the lād Fiftly his malitious deuises cruel hard hart towards al Catholiks had herby bin discouered as neuer able hereafter to haue stirred vp her Maiesty or incensed her honorable Counsell against all her loyall and most dutifull subiects for his treacheries treasons cōspiracies Because al in that case wold haue bin ready to haue reuealed the least thought of any cōfederacy against her royall person kingdome and state Sixtly his baits had bene worth nothing for enticing and alluring of any subiect to rebellion either for the time present or to come because a league being once made with the French and Spanish nation all Catholikes of England being withall naturally inclined to loue and loyalty of and to their Prince and countrey all promises or hopes of preferment vnder forreine Princes would haue bin and seemed hatefull ridiculous and senslesse vnto them No nation vnder heauen affording greater honors comforts and content then England and our Soueraignes both are able do affoord to the inhabitants that liue in grace and fauor as in this case vtcunque the afflicted Catholikes should Seuenthly this tolleration or liberty of cōscience wold quite haue cut off two bloudy hopes which Parsons hath in al his practises to wit aswel the indāgering of her Maiesties royall person as also the fauoring furthering cōsenting
Portingals and Spaniards continued kept the honours point for Martiall exploits these latter yeares but who shall carie away the price in the cadences of the Spaniards God only knoweth Thus came the foure Patriarkes of Hierusalem Antioch Alexandria and Constantinople by succession of honor wealth and fame in Gods Church to rise and fall one after another and now all decayed dead and gone from their auncient state renowne and dignitie in the Church of God here militant on earth Thus came all Monasticall Heremiticall and religious orders of Saint Anthony of Saint Basill of Saint Augustine of Saint Hierome of Saint Benedict of Saint Bernard of Saint Dominicke of Saint Frances of Saint Clare of Saint Briget and sundrie other religious orders of men and women to haue their generation and corruption by the freedome left of God in humane actions and mans choise to be good or bad vertuous or vicious and to rise and fall by succession one after another by merited fame and iust desert of their life manners and graces giuen and employed by them to Gods glorie In few thus came the spirituall Knighthoods of the Templers the Knights of Saint Iohns the Knights of Rhodes and now of Malto by a lineall succession of fame renowne and worthinesse to haue panigericall histories set foorth of their prayses And the like is of later orders and societies of Carmelists Carthusians Capouchians Theatines Iesuits Bonhommes c. all which set vpon the worlds Theater represent a mournfull tragedie of mans miserie how like to flowers they haue now one and then another order companie or societie burgened blossomed bloomed and flourished and yet subiect to the fates of free-will in all humane wights their deriuatiues are strayed abroad haue left and are gone from the obedience deuotion pietie pouertie chastitie charitie humilitie patience and religious zeale which was in the primitiues and founders of their Orders What shal we say more the whole body mysticall of Christ consisting of the three estates Ecclesiasticall Temporall and Monasticall do auerre the Peripateticall Prince his principle to be true in all things depending vpon chance and chaunge concerning the conuersion of countries people and nations to the Catholike faith For was not the generation or beginning of the Mosaicall law a plaine corruption fall and decay of the law of nature all the Gentiles presently vpon the Orient rise bright shine and flourish of the Israelites Church and their Hebrew Monarchie being giuen ouer into infidelitie and Idolatrie contrarie to the law of nature vnder which the faithfull had liued aboue two thousand yeares without distinction of Iew or Gentile vntill this Mosaicall law began And when for the Iewes sinnes and offences the period of their Monarchie and end of their synagogues and temples honour and religion came did not then the primitiues of the East Church amongst the Christians carry away the auriflambe of all religious zeale After that when the heauie cadens of the East Church came did not also then the Sonne of iustice tanquam sponsus procedens de thalamo suo spread abrode the bright beames of his spouses glorie in a transparant light throughout these our West Ocean cloudes of heathenish darknesse and giue to these Northren Isles the prerogatiue regall of Prime-birth to his inheritance if the Britons and afterwards the English Saxons could haue kept it When by succeding turnes the most part of Asia and Affricke was corrupted and fallen away and all Europe conuerted to the sacred Apostolicall Romane faith when Monasteries began in this North Christian world to be built and great multitudes of Monkes Friers Canons regulars Nunnes and other sacred Saints and holy persons to consort themselues together when Emperors Kings Queenes Princes Lords and Ladies of all degrees fled from their regall Palaces to priuat Cels and left the triumphes of their conquests the trophees of their loues and pompes and pleasures of their Courts to who so would possesse them when here an Anchoresse there an Hermit and in euery wood wild and desert some sacred virgine valed inuested interred dead to the world was to be found when all fertile soyles all places of pleasure profite and content all earthly wealths and reuenues of most woorth were turned into Abbey and Church lands liuings and liuelyhoods when holy emulation was who might giue most all gaue of the best and made this flourishing Isle our Ladies dower when Kings and Queenes Priests and Prelates Lords and Ladies Monkes and Friers sacred Virgins and chast Matrons and all sorts of persons knew their duties first to God to his Church to her Priests then to their Prince to the Commonwealth and to her Peeres and lastly each one to another how when and where to commaund or obey when all things sorted to so sweet a sympatheall harmonie in English hearts as England by a prerogatiue royall of grace diuine merited to be called Anglia chara Deo gens when flying fame of their rare Angelicall conuersation had fronted the coasts of furthest countries and occupied with great admiration of mind the mouthes of most men in the world when England Fraunce and Flaunders Italy Bohemia and Germany Spaine Portugal and Hungary Sicilie Naples and Cyprus Denmarke Poland and Sweden Scotland Ireland and Norway did striue for a supremacie to carry away the garland of vertue deuotion and religion on all sides Then inimicus homo enuying at mans felicitie to conforme by permission diuine Gods concurrence with secondarie causes to the Philosophers prescript of generation and corruption in tract of time corrupting all these Northren and Westerne parts of the world with contention ambition Turcisme heresie and Pharisaisme a new generation of Catholike truth and religion begins to labour and bring soorth their children amongst the Indians Antipodies and new found world before vnknowne vnto these Northren and Westerne parts discouered first by Portingals and Friers and after proceeded in by Spaniards and Iesuits And now listen what followed Amongst many other cadences and fals the heauiest of all the rest hath bene iudged by many to haue bene our English calamities begun at first by the ambitious aspires of Cardinall Wolsey who affecting the highest Soueraigntie in causes Ecclesiasticall on earth made a great breach by his contrarie plotting betwixt King Henry the eight of famous memorie and the Sea Apostolicke And afterward when vnder her Maiestie Queene Elizabeth our Soueraigne now regnant sundrie persons of rare indowments graces and abilities had retired themselues to places of studie and seruice of their Lord God beyond the seas where they liued in diuerse Seminaries and Colledges leading there a right Monasticall and religious life in a most perfect state of religious profession calling and order as both all other religious Orders and Ecclesiasticall persons that conuersed with them or knew their manner of life and whereunto their whole studie tended did acknowledge somtimes in teares proceeding after their returne hither in simplicitate cordis with all humilitie patience
affliction and calamity then any of these their young maisters euer yet tasted of And last of all the fire bursting out there first though first enkindled at Rome as earst I sayd then began the like of fresh at Rome againe where it burst out into so furious and mercilesse a consuming flame for fire and water haue no mercy as sundry reuerend Priests burnt therewith haue deepely protested they would rather chuse if it were in their choise to liue captiues vnder the Turke for security of their soules then vnder the Iesuits gouernement or rather indeede captiuity the temptations suggested by them are so many dangerous intricate and difficult which way to ouercome them And so by succeeding turnes Spaine Fraunce Flanders and all England became infected with these Iesuiticall contentions and garboyles the grounds originals causes and continuance whereof were onely wholly and absolutely the Iesuits ambitious aspires fallen downe now vpon their heads to their owne destruction that were the first plotcasters of their innocent brethrens ruines THE II. ARTICLE VVHether the Seminarie Priests or the Iesuits haue giuen greater scandale by publishing of matters abroad in proiects to the worlds theater concerning these contentions before in secret at the first vnknowne to the Catholike Laity and much lesse to any Protestant or other of a contrary Religion and which side part or faction was the first beginners of spreading abroad infamous letters and libels against the opposits to their designments THE ANSWERE THe Iesuits were both the beginners of the contentions as before is shewed the fewell cariers to the seditious fire-feedings and the first brokers breathers and brochers of them abroad both to Catholikes Protestants Cleargy Laity men women children home-borne and foreyners as by sundry of their letters libels and other infamous seditious and inuectiue writings is yet extant to be seene aswell in printed bookes as in many manuscripts of maister Blackwell father Parsons Creswell Currie Gerard Martin Array Baldwin Lyster and sundry others whose false malitious and most exorbitant dealings to detect defame and vtterly exterminate the name fame and memory of the Seminarie Priests and Cleargy aswell in generall as in speciall will be brought out in deposition against them when competent iudges may be had and the cause iustly tried Nay when did euer any Priest write and much lesse commit to the impression of a pamphlet any one word against them The most part euen of those that had suffered most longest and greatest disconsolation and wrongs put vp at their hands accounted that the touch of any Catholike Priests good name was tangere pupillam oculi sui so dainty nice and precise a conscience had they to detract defame or speake euill of any man or woman yea though the reports were true And vntill all was in an vprore all Priests that sided not with the Iesuits in all things were brought into obloquie contempt and disgrace all shunned auoided and such slanderous speeches raised by the Iesuits faction against them as they knew not possibly how to liue quiet or to liue in truth at all by them Vntill then I say they winkt kept silence and let passe all their letters libels and iniurious slanders vnanswered They sayd little or nothing to those erronious and yet to the Iesuits most plausible bookes of choise of ghostly fathers They let passe that erronious speech in the Wardword to Sir Francis Hastings watchword making Iesuits Christ his equals in a way of absurd comparison and insinuating Seminarie Priests and other Catholikes to be but the Churches refuse They friendly admonished the Author of the 3. farewels of the soule giuing to the Iesuits that which no religious order would accept of or durst desire to cease from publishing such grosse errours which otherwise had gone to the presse and print as extolling the Iesuits therein to the skies aboue all possible humane deserts vnder the title of religious persons distinguished thereby from meere secular Priests as they tearme the rest but neuer did they publish anything against it They suffered with patience that long lowd lye to passe vnrecalled wherein the Cardinals and by Cardinall Caietane the Popes Holinesse was informed that the cause of sending to the Sea Apostolique to haue superiours appointed ouer the English Priests was grounded vpon great and dangerous contentions risen vp betwixt the Seminary Priests and the Catholike laity in that nation knowing in their owne conscience there was no contention mouing thereunto but betwixt the Seminarie Priests and themselues and those of their and the Spanish faction They sought not to controule that seditious false infamous booke intituled Against the factions in the Church applied directly by the Archpriest to the secular Priests and those that sided with them on the Catholike Church and their natiue countries behalfe They labored not to call in question those stained records with all falshood impiety and arrogancy on the Iesuits behalfe of the memorable acts done by their society forsooth here in England viz. how that they onely were persecuted and not the Seminary Priests how such and such and in generall all that opposed themselues against their proceedings had suffered disgrace and shame and came to miserable ends notwithstanding and they cannot deny it neither are they ignorant thereof that there be a whole browne dozen twice ouertold of glorious Martyrs all Seminary Priests all defamed by them all noted for malecontents as opposits to their proceedings These indignities calmuniations iniuries lies and irreligeous vanities with many the like vnchristian practises did they let passe and neither did neither euer would haue set hand to paper to write of these contentions betwixt them vntill their long silence condemned them all as guiltie and the Iesuits preuailed and did what they list by backbiting and writing most opprobriously against them THE III. ARTICLE WHether the Seminarie Priestes gaue any scandale or committed any sinne or incurred any danger of falling into schisme by resisting the Archpriest after the first sight or hearing of the Cardinals letters and now of late since the generall admittance of him vpon sight of the Popes Holinesse his Briâ—fe whether they incurred the like offence by writing Apologies in their owne defences or was or is it no sin scandale nor offence at all in them so to do THE ANSWERE IT neither was nor is any more sin schisme scandale nor offence in the one or the other they being in iustice charitie loyaltie and obedience for defence of Christs church and their countrie bound to both then for a guiltlesse man condemned to say you do me wrong or for an appellant against a knowne Rebell in act word or thought conuinced by demonstration vel à priori vel à posteriori i. either of the cause or of the effect to haue intent to say thou art a traitor For who of common sense would not haue bene touched with scruple if but hearing of a plaine simple man vnexperienced either in the Church or his countries affaires as liuing
and sellers of their deare countriemens bloud they go about busily to perswade such a reciprocation to be betwixt the King Catholicke of Spaine and the faith Catholicke of Rome that as reall relations the latter relatiue cannot be without his former correlatiue which must giue him his being and essence in nature Insomuch as it is become a point of necessitie or as they absurdly and heretically would make men beleeue a thirteenth Article of our faith that either all Catholicke Christians must endeuour to put all Europe into a Spaniards hands or otherwise that the Catholicke religion will be vtterly extinguished and perish and so by consequent all runne Hysteron Protheron a milne horse a King Pope a Curch Spaniard and the faith of S. Peter and his successours must hang vpon the monarchie of King Philip and his heires And how long forsooth Mary euen so long as the Iesuits shall please which is vntill they may be able to pull him and all other Princes downe from their thrones by causing popular rebellions as hereafter shall be proued Well well these fellowes must be talked withall in time and made to know themselues and their grosse errours against al diuinitie philosophie policie pietie and order Meane while we leaue them to chop logicke in barbarisme and feede their chimericall conceits with Relatiues of Ens rationis or rather Ens insensibile insensatum irroale infatuatum fictum and so passe on to the next point of plot-casting by Fame and Report of the vnworthie heroicall matchlesse magnificall Mecenates THE ARGVMENT FOR THE THIRD GENERALL QVODLIBET ONe naile driues in another the first partie prouokes a reioynder by a second encounter and vpon occasion of plots cast by doctrine principles rules and obseruations of practise doth necessarily follow a Quodlibet of new plots cast by Fame and Report and how the Iesuits come to be enriched honoured and regarded with preferments aboue their deserts by that meanes THE THIRD GENERALL QVODlibet of plots by Fame and Report THE I. ARTICLE WHether the Iesuits or any other religious order be to be preferred before secular Priests or not or if not whether the said Iesuits are to be preferred before all other monasticall or religious orders or which and how many are before them THE ANSWERE IT is neuer enough to be admired at that religious men being by vow and profession dead and buried to the world should be blinded with a conceit Note here a simple coÌ„ceit of good father Gerard to inferre a Iesuits place to be aboue a secular Priestes because forsooth an old Queen Marie Priest told him that he had seene religious men sit aboue other priests at Table Well poore man I pitie his simplicitie in that being otherwise of a good nature he is much blinded and corrupted in his life maners by being a Iesuit which societie would God he did and would forsake considering how it is now corrupted as any one amongst them But for his author God wot many Priestâ— other men women were and are too submissiue at somtimes to their inferiors though in carresie a religious person as a stranger be placed aboue a priest as an ordinarie guest or friend or in his owne house which is ciuilitie so to do yet it is no way of due right nor euer was so taken that they can possibly simul semel sub vno eodem subiecto be dead and aliue mortified and made liuely yea and that spiritu carne simul for to be mortificatos quidem carne viuificatos autem spiritu is no lesse then euery Christian Catholicke may and should be to be wholy sequestrate from the world in body and mind and yet withall al wholy substantially actually plodding in it with bodie and soule ouer head eares Yet we must beleeue that such is the Iesuits rare calling and state that forsooth they are wholy dead and wholy aliue absolute spiritual men and yet meere worldlings which if they can make good and go through with it I say it is a greater miracle to speak ad homineÌ„ for in respect of Gods omnipotencie miracles admit not maius minus then to raise a triduane Lazarus from death to life againe yea onely to the patible and withall impatible body of our Sauiour Christ was this priuiledge left as a prerogatiue royall reserued to his sacred Maiestie diuine that it should be simul semel dead and aliue And this only by reason of the hypostasis or hypostaticall vnion of his deitie to his humanity By meanes whereof restraming infringing and holding in the impregnable force of the first in the time of his bitter death and passion for otherwise he could not haue suffered in speech of miracles we say it was more miraculous because more seeming impossible how that euer he could suffer death then for him to rise from death to life againe suffering the same power diuine to haue his yet limited force againe after that fearefull and last gaspe in giuing vp his blessed ghost vpon the crosse it followed that the same tres-sacred bodie or totum compositum Christ himselfe was both dead and buried and yet the same Christ aliue both in soule descending into hell vntouched and also in body lying three dayes and nights in his graue and yet not corrupted as powerably preserued per concomitantiam diuinitatis so as no corruption of mans mortality could then take place And therefore the Iesuits striuing for a superiority aboue seculars would go an ace aboue both their and our Lord and maister Iesus the circumstances considered in this their miraculous working of wonders in themselues by their spirituall death and temporall resurrection Here may be well remeÌ„bred a merry iest of a Gentlewoman in Fetter-lâ—ne who talking of one maister Edward Cossin a sorry fellow god-wot but who is so bold as blind Bayard and none more arrogant in place taking then this punie father a Priest gone then ouer to be a Iesuit yea quoth she is he gone now truly then I see he will seeke to a state of more perfection Well yet pure Lady by her leave this thogh a Iesuiticall fond perswasion was quite contrary to a solemne protestation made by a chiefe father at Rome in excuse of inticing the English youth who said that â—f hee were to chuse a state of perfectioÌ„ he would sooner chuse to go as a Seminary Priest into England theÌ„ to enter into or be of the strâ—ctest order of religion whatsoeuer Of this matter I haue written a peculiar Treatise which is one of the 10. volumes or bookes I meane to set out against these new masters the Iesuits and their especially father Parsons errors as time place approbation and other occasions shall permit perswade allow me wherein I haue made an historicall discourse or chronicle of the conuersion of all countries to the Christian faith the beginning progresse end and fall of such and so many as are gone of euery religious order as
yet any one wise man no nor sound Catholike or good Christian in the world vnlesse he were either a Ieseuit in re or in spe or a broker for them THE VII ARTICLE VVHether any other profession or religious order haue done like good for instructing of youth or conuerting of countries to Gods Church or reformation of life and manners of such as liue in the Church as the Iesuits haue or not THE ANSWERE LIke as I told you before the Iesuites intrude themselues into both secular religious and temporall Princes affaires and must euery one of them be Rector chori Dominus fac totum and an absolute superlatiue in all things or else all is naught So herein they challenge a prerogatiue royall to themselues alone so farre beyond all measure of copartnership with any other as they haue bene bold to affirme that religion had vtterly quailed if they had not bene yea the Catholike Church in eminent danger to haue bene quite extinct and ouerthrowne In so much as they haue not feared to affirme that the Pope erred de facto in the reconciliation of the French King which great no lesse impudency and insolency then arrogancy and impiety in them as it may be put amongst others of their malepart errors and vsurpate censures so know they to their owne perdition shame and confusion that the Church of God hath no need of them But let them all as I pray God for their wretched soules sakes that too many of them do not proue ranke heretikes yet for the Catholike saith and Church of God neither they neither portae inferi preualebunt aduersus eam and that he qui potens est ex lapidibus suscitare filios Abrahae can raise vp better more learned prudent and perfecter and purer then any pure illuminate amongst them out of the very ashes and dust of seculars or other religious bodies when they are all dead and gone to the place prepared for them And therfore in answer to the Article I say First that as it hath alwayes bin seene hitherto in Gods Church at the rising of any new and extraordinary sect or opinion in religion that God hath stirred vp some certaine person or order of religion to be a curbe to that new sect or heresie as is cleare by S. Benedict by S. Dominicke by S. Augustine by S. Thomas Aquinas and sundry others and yet not these such as without whom the Catholike faith had bin extinct or the Church of God ouerthrowne So reâ—rend a regard was alwaies had of both secular and religious persons as no Noble or other Peere of highest honor in this laÌ„d but would haue had their childreÌ„ yea their heires brought vp in Bishops pallaces or Abbots monasteries vnder those spirituall guides before euer any Iesuit came within ken of humane knowledge Yea some Bishops in England are recorded to haue had 7. or 8. Earles with other Noble mens sonnes attending vpon theÌ„ at one time not that any Bishop did expect seruice at their hands but that it was thought fit to traine them vp these in their youth c. So no question of it but the Iesuits at the first institution of their society did much good in these dangerous times of heresies sects and innouations wherewith the Christian world was and is yet intangled more is the pitty but yet being far inferior to the aboue named religious orders as the church of God could theÌ„ haue bin without theÌ„ so now much more without these yet done aswel perhaps better as now the case staÌ„ds theÌ„ she hath done by their helpes meanes Secondly for their instructioÌ„ of youth c. I haue told you inough before it is but a double diligence like to a Beares loue to his whelpes to pray for his owne paunch And yet take it in best sense there haue bin are wil be youths brought vp better then they do both by secular religious teachers wheÌ„ they shal be far to seeke Mary that it is so now for the present it proceeds of one of their former trickes of gaining credit fame as by alluring sweet natured youths vnto them withall in stopping by disgracing speeches other meanes that none whom they can hinder shal be gouerned taught or instructed by any but themselues Yea was not this one speciall cause of foisting in the Iesuites readers into the Romane Colledge and other places was not this one speciall cause to hinder the Benedictines religious intent charitable designments when they offered to haue brought vp and maintained 30. English youthes from time to time to prepare them for their natiue country Which these Momists Zoilists Aristerkists and enuious Iesuits could not endure to heare of was not this the cause of their Archpriests late command that no youth should go ouer to any Colledge without his approbation testimony giuen of him to the fathers Yea and withall hath not this bene the cause that many fine yong Gentlemen haue lost their wits haue bene made vncapable of all gouernment either in the Church or common-wealth euer after Let one William Tempest as fine a youth one who had as many signes of a generous hart and gentle bloud in him as any that euer went out of England in this age be a heauy spectacle as it cannot chuse but be so to all his friends for all others to looke vpoÌ„ wheÌ„ they are moued to send their children to be brought vp vnder Iesuits Thirdly concerning their paines taken in conuersion of countries I pray you what nation is there that is wholly conuerted by their only meanes They entred Polony and streight there followed vpon it a rebellion against their Soueraigne in conclusioÌ„ the Danskers wold not admit him to be their King vnlesse he wold cast off that seditious society that had raised such mutinies against the Cleargy They pierced India thrust out the Dominicans Augustinians other poore religious Friers in fine made the Spaniards become odious to that straÌ„ge people natioÌ„ They ruled the rost ouer al in France And wherunto tended all their seeming religious indeuor but treason to the king rebellion in his subiects population ruine destruction of their natiue country common-wealth They came here into England and no sooner had they set foote on shore but presently their harts were inflamed with flashes of conspiracies how to top the highest place They haue residence in Spaine and how mightily haue they labored to wring the bucklers out of the Dominicans haÌ„ds for possessing the chaire to teach at Salamanca And with the like busie turbulent seditious heads is Germany Bohemia Cicily Italy and Rome it selfe molested pestered and disquieted Therefore as they haue neither conuerted any countrey directly and by their owne only labours but peruerted many a deuout soule by sinister dealings so neither haue they done halfe that good in any place wheresoeuet they yet came as sundry both secular religious Priests haue
into your society Was heauen made did Christ suffer his bitter death and passion left he an order in his Church that none should be admitted into a state of perfection but either rich folkes or Philosophers or Princes for howsoeuer you teach to the contrarie openly yet your practise sheweth it to be your meaning priuatly No no seditious Choristes Dathanians and Abironistes there is no such text of Scripture nor Cannon of Apostle nor Decree of ecumenicall Synode nor Tradition of the Church nor consent of Doctors nor rule nor principle nor any the least clause in the foundation of your society or confirmation of the same by the Apostolicall Romane Sea that makes for you in this point of singularity election and choice The doctrine of the Catholike Church consists of three speciall principia or causes rightly so tearmed in Christian Philosophie the one supplying locum materiae scil fides the other formae vel efficientis scil charitas and the last finalis scil spes called of Diuines the three Theologicals because they are all infused and none of them acquisite vertues The first is faith as the gate without which none can enter into Gods house either here militant on earth or triumphant in heauen for accedentem ad Deum oportet credere c. The second is charitie as the way by which poore sinners walke in their iourney towards heauen which whosoeuer wants if he haue faith able to remoue mountaines giue all he hath to the poore and his body to the fire yet without charitie shall he neuer come there Si charitatem non habuero nihil sum The third is hope as the finiall end of our entrance into the Church of God and cause of our progresse in a vertuous course of life therein which is to be partakers of a glorious resurrection and to enioy eternall blessednesse for if it were not in hope of this miserabiliores essemus omnibus hominibus Of these three the Apostle sayth manent tria haec fides spes charitas maior autem horum est charitas as much to say as this it is hope that moues vs to trot and trudge and take such paines to come to heauen it is faith that openeth the way thither without which God can neuer be pleased but charitie is the forme and cause efficient and therefore as a golden meane and chiefe of three she giues the Crowne to King and Queene and remaines in heauen for euermore Now tell me you illuminates of high aspires wherein doth your familiaritie and approximation to the inaccessible light consist I know you will not be Solifidians because you smell more of Familians And if you will be neither of both but beleeue as the Catholike Church beleeues then why doth not your words and deedes agree in one You know our sweete Sauiour died for all alike and yet neither all nor halfe nor third nor tenths of all shall be saued You know the merits of Christ Iesus extended on his part equally to Iew and Gentile Christian and Heathen faithfull and infidell Catholike and Heretike and aswell to those that liued in the time of his death and passion as to those that died in Noes time or are now or shall be borne hereafter to the worlds end and yet but one kind to wit the faithfull liuers members of the Catholike Church for vnus Deus vna fides vnum Baptisma vnica est columba mea and would God all of that one company and body mysticall might be saued You know it is not Gods will absolute but permissiue that any one soule should perish and yet herein is an insoundable deapth which a nearer friend of Gods then any of you are calling to mind the Prophets speech Iacob dilexi Esau autem semper odio habui durst neuer define vpon but concluded with nescit homo vtrum odio vel amore dignus sic You know that infirma elementa huius mundi elegit Deus vt fortia quaeque confunderet that Christ chose for his Apostles innocent plaine and simple men without gust or gaule welt or gard and that he confessed vnto his heauenly father humbly acknowledged it as a speciall fauor quia abscondisti haec sayth he à sapientibus prudentibus reuelasti ea paruulis Which paruuli I can neuer be perswaded was meant of the Iesuiticall elated spirite but rather of a Seraphicall Frier whose patron sweete S. Francis hath iustly for his innocency and true humility abounding in his charitie that Ghospell appointed for his day In few you know that if heauen were onely prepared for rich men then beggers might go abegging indeede If for Gentles Nobles and great Princes then boores pesants carters and plow-men might well intreate Peers Penilesse to make a supplication for them to the diuell If for Academickes Peripatetickes Stoickes Epicures and other Philosophers or else if for Samothists Solonists Licurgions and other Lawyers or otherwise if for Petrists Thomistes Scotists and other schoolemen learned wise and profound Clearkes then poore soules what should become of simple men and silly women they might all go hang themselues in deepe despaire If all these three be required in one person as commonly you Iesuites hunt after such buckes of the first head but yet with a veluet pawme then alas for woe how shall euer those come in heauen that haue neither qualitie of body to get it nor gift of mind to gaine it nor quillet of land to buy it nor quidditie of wit to keepe it No no proud Pharisees you are deceiued Non est personarum exceptio coram Deo neither hath he left the kingdome of heauen to be giuen to one more then to another for any humane gift or qualitie in them Sed qui potest capere capiat It is layd open to all alike and onely the truest louers carrie away the greatest trophees and charitable emulation who may loue their Lord God most deerely that is the onely spirituall strife for heauen amongst all those that euer come thither regnum caelorum vim patitur violenti rapiunt illud It is neither gotten by poyse of words by pregnancie of wit by bragge of birth by boast of wealth by dint of sword or pricke of speare Onely such a pricke doth pricke it as prickes the heart of God and man and no humane creature is exempted but all admitted to haue that heauenly Caduceus striken into their hearts Not the poorest begger nor simplest soule nor basest body that liues but hath the touch of loue and affections as naturally inserted in his will as hath the greatest Monarch vnder heauen and therefore all alike neare to God by creation by redemption by natures incline in euery one Loue diuine which we call charity making no distinction of persons but by the measure of their affections And so true it is dimissa sunt ei peccata multa quoniam dilexit multum Et qui plus diligit ei plus dimittitur Hereupon riseth the common opinion to carry
the purpose to make an end of this Quodlibet I say First that there is more assurance and haue beene more perfect and true tokens of constancie wisedome pietie religion learning vertue and gouernment in all these whom the Iesuits doe most kicke at and spurne against for familiarity or intercourse by writing accesse personall parlee and other meanes with those in authoritie vnder her Maiestie then in the prowdest spirited Iesuit in this land whosoeuer that may freeliest say Non sum sicut caeteri homines nor like these Publican seculars Yea neither master Clarke master Barneby nor master Champney who are the yoongest of these thus extraordinary fauoured but a priestly behauiour hath merited vnto them by their constant sufferance before it came to this gratious conniuence to fauour them so reuerend a respectiue opinion to be had of them by all men as that their yoong yeeres ouer-shadowed with venerable grauitie of hoariest haires might in their milde conceits with modest blush mooue them to take S. Paules words to Bishop Timothie as spoken vnto euery one of them apart nemo te contemnat propter inuentutem yea euen master Barneby the yoongest as I take it a most sweete natured faire conditioned and humble harted gentleman of good abilitie might well haue merited that grace and fauour at the Apostles hands And for the rest scz doctor Bagshawe master Bluet master Mushe and master Colington with others but those especially had of the Iesuits faction nowe in chase I am fully perswaded that howsoeuer some surly syres or mincing outraiers doe scorne and scoffe at them behinde their backes yet woulde their very presence countenance and conuersation put them to silence or at the least dash them from euer entring into so contemptuous speeches as now they vse against them Not one of these fower but being any Iesuits auncient as a Iesuite in England this day they woulde be iudged of all indifferent persons to be more fit to gouerne both master Blackwell and all his puny Fathers then to be gouerned of all or any of them Secondly the Iesuiticall arrogancie is most egregious in this point when they say I pray God master Bluet be not ouertaken hee trusts and tels the Bishop of London too much and doctor Bagshaw he doth the like with master Waade and so others of them and I pray God they stand saith one and they are but weake men saith another and vnfit to deale in such matters and O that such or such a father had had the managing of the matter he could and would I mary would he haue handled it more substantially and to the purpose whereas like vaine glorious Pharisees as they are many of those of whom they vaunt most knew neuer what imprisonment nor any triall meant but riding to and fro in their coaches like Sur-le-boyes mount-segniors or other men of state as vnwoorthie the name of a Iesuite vnlesse withall a statist they lie pampering themselues heere and there surfeiting in sedition ambition and deepe disdaine and when they haue put on the cap of maintenance amongst their admirabliers then they begin to descant vpon al mens actions and fyle their tongues agreeing to their auditors fancies Thirdly there neither is neither can be any offence committed or danger incurd or scandall giuen in these fauours receiued vnlesse it be Iewish Pharisaicall otherwise now rightly called a malitious Iesuiticall scandall which to refraine from were the most simple indiscrete vncharitable vniust vnciuill and immodest part that euer was plaied Therefore let these newe Pharisees choose whether they will be scandalized or no it is nothing to the purpose For if they finde a Haggard readie to baite at euery bush or an eyeese ready to crie at sight of euery cricket or a scrupulous tender and timerous hart readie to feare offending in euery worde he speakes then haue these master Faulconers that which they looke for these great Burgo-masters the thing they seeke for and the Iesuiticall tribe their treacherous harts desire Fourthly there is no assurance of any one catholikes perseuerance to the end that liues on earth For who that had seene Lucifer the day star glistring in excelsis but would haue honoured him before Saint Michaell the Archangell and yet in ictu occuli he became a fowle fiend and loathsomest creature to looke vpon that euer God created Who that knew king Salomon to haue had the rarest and chiefest gift that euer was giuen to man besides that the gift of prophecie also a more neere familiarity with God then I thinke any Iesuite dare presume to affirme he euer had and yet I cannot tell they are so arrogant as for to walke and talke with him be it mediate or immediate all is one face to face who then that had seene him in his highest pompe royallest Maiestie and greatest glory would not haue come with the Saban Queene to admire him and adore him who that had seene Iudas chosen by God himselfe who could not be ignorant of what was in the man to be a priest an apostle yea and one of the twelue that our Sauiour chose out of the whole worlde but would haue kissed the ground where he went c who of like sort that had heard the holy Ghost speake it and consecrate designe and single out seauen Deacons whereof Nicholas was one would euer haue thought he would haue prooued a puritane or one infected with the family of loue or rather the first beginner and brocher of the same who that had read Apollonaris workes in 33. huge volumes against the heretikes of his daies would euer haue censured or thought he would in the end haue become a ranke heretike yea and a father and author of most blasphemous heresies who that had seene the Chanon or Doctor of Paris liuing a life irreprehensible of any man would not haue beene ready to come and kissed his feete gone on pilgrimage to his shrine or done any worship vnto him on earth and yet with horror to thinke of mans heauy state not one of these but are knowne to be condemned vnlesse it be king Salomon of whom some doctors doubt who yet I thinke would not be in his place for a myriades of millions of massie golde ergo qui stat videat ne cadat Fiftly as our stand in Gods church is vncertaine and knowne onely to God alone So there is not the hottest of our aduersaries in religion that a man can say or iustifie and bide by it that it is impossible or no possibilitie nor likelihood in the world that euer such or such a one should become a catholike for we haue to the contrary innumerable examples in this age Many of our owne knowledge hauing been noted and knowne to all the world for most lewd prophane and bad liuers yet haue come afterwards to giue manifest signes tokens and testimonies of their true repentance rare graces and extraordinarie amendment Yea euen Parsons a lewder body then whom was not I verily thinke of any
women will giue vs thanks for that we haue done in seeking your amendment and riddance of you out from amongst them THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether seeing that all the Iesuits seeme to be of one minde for the conquest of England in generall and that they differ onely in the particulars vpon their owne priuate ambitious respects had for euerie mans particular aduancement wherein father Parsons beareth downe the rest did then the foresaid Parsons meddle directly at any time in state matters in a case detestable I meane whether did he and his complices euer sollicite any forraigne inuasion of Spaniard or others to take armes against her Maiestie their naturall soueraigne especially in the yeere 1588. And not onely excited the said king to depose her highnes but also to bring this realme into subiection of the Spaniards vnder pretence of restoring the catholike faith And if so then whether did they well or not THE ANSWERE VVOuld God the wretch had not been borne that hath forced vs for our free discharge before God and man to enter into these fiue bloodie articles here ensuing to expostulate with one another what hath been the cause of our daily increased persecutions and heauie calamities at home and abroad Well howsoeuer it fall out iacta est alea. Poore catholikes both clergie and laitie hurried hailed and tossed from poste to piller from wigge to wall by a restles course of miseries feares dangers running per circulum nunc cui neque apud Danaos locus est atque insuper ipsi Dardanidae infensi poenam cum sanguine poscunt We come to encounter this Hispanized Camelion Parsons with all his Africanian phalanges and Iesuiticall forces Against whom maugre all their sophistry aequiuocating and clenchiall doublings to the comfort of all true catholike harts for their better instruction in time to come and to make knowne to all the world how that the seculars were euer free of themselues from these state practises and that onely the Iesuits are the men who with their followers fautors and seditious faction haue been the instigators suggesters prompters actors and vrgers of these vnnaturall wicked and traitorous courses I say then and I am bound in conscience to speake it that though it greeue and gall their guts out that are of the Iesuiticall humor as those who can indure nothing worse then to heare of their owne lewdnes especially when they are preuented of their purpose which will force them in that case to deny any thing be it neuer so true yet it cannot be denied but that in the yeere 1588. There was neuer honest man as I thinke that pend such a treatise as this booke heere mentioned to haue gone vnder the good Cardinals name who sure would neuer haue lent his name to it as he did not but foâ— the vehement vrging of this Machiauâ—llian Iesuites persuasion which full sore repented him afterwarde in so much that when he hearâ—e and well perceiued what they went about for destroying and ruinating of his natiue countrey he wept tenderly not knowing how to remedie it nor much lesse how to bridle the Iesuiticall insolencie Cardinall Allan compiled a booke at the importunate suite of father Parsons impudently vrging his Grace thereto to haue been published when the Spaniards should haue arriued for the same intent premised in the article The first part of which booke was intituled A declaration of the sentence c. the second An admonition to the Nobilitie and people of England c. Of these bookes a great number were printed but presently vpon the ouerthrow of the great inuincible Armado vnder their heroicall Adlantado father Parsons for shame of the world and to the end that it should not be knowne how the expectation of the false prophet was frustrate procured the whole impression to be burnt sauing some few that had been sent abroad before hand to his friends and such as had otherwise been conueied away by the Printer and others in secret wise Some whereof ferrying ouer the maine were wafted into the south Ocean shores and cast on land came to diuers their hands that durst not auouch their harbor One father Currey a Iesuit speaking in a faint brauado of that booke to a secret friend of mine who durst not be knowne to fauor me said that it was a worke of that woorth as it would yet bite in time to come and that if by coniuration or otherwise the Queene or the Councell especially the Lord Treasurer whom he named in chiefe could haue any inkling where it were they would not leaue one stone standing vpon another in the house where it should happen to be heard of but blowe it vp or burne and consume it all to ashes before they would misse of it Wel as for that I vnderstaÌ„d the Counsel hath got a sight of it without any such extraordinarie search made for it And like ynough by some Iesuites meanes now that the matter fadges not as they would to haue the fault laid wholy vpon the Cardinals necke if possibly they could But howsoeuer yet great pitie it was that the bookes and the burner the woorthles worke and the wretched father were not both made a burnt sacrifice or offering combust together Amongst other seditious pestilent and craftily inueigling propositions set downe in that booke one was this in the second part thereof scil That the king of Spaine at length as well by his holines authoritie and exhortation as by his owne vnspeakeable zeale pietie mooued also not a little by my saith he humble and continuall sute together with the afflicted and banished catholikes of our nation of all and euery degree Who haue beene by his speciall compassion and regall munificency principally supported in this our long exile hath condescended at last to take vpon him this so holy and glorious an acte c. Hitherto the Cardinall by father Parsons suggestion and prompting him what he should write for to allure the Spaniard as master Charles Paget hath beene informed Out of which words I gather these Corolaries following First that they are of the same tenure and carrie the selfe same sense with them that the like speech doth in a passage of father Parsons Appendix to the succession fathered also vpon the saide Cardinall after his death notwithstanding that Doctor Gifford one of whose bookes no English Iesuit of them all is woorthie to carrie after him hath a letter to shew that the same discourse was wholly of this Polypragmons owne doing very vnhonestly put vpon the dead But bastards haue euer one dogge tricke or other of the corruption they come of and so hath he for forgerie cogging and lying as a notorious a signe of a gracelesse wretch as any in this age His wordes in the Appendix are these scil After a long circumquaquam locutionem of the impediments infringing all and euery pretenders title borne within this famous isle and as long a peroration on the Lady Infantaes behalfe who though all
that we all desire and not to haue taken this course that he did to flie away like false shepheards from the flocke of Christ and to become trumpetors of inuasion blood crueltie and destruction Our weapons ought to be spirituall praeces lachrymae praiers and teares preaching and sufferings for Christs sake according to the practise of all vertuous religious pious and catholike priests in all ages I know what father Parsons hath written of this point in an other treatise of his but his examples do not warrant him nor his fellowes to deale in this sort as he hath done Fiftly to rebinde this againe with authoritie of our omnipotent legifer Christ Iesus when the Samaritanes refused to receiue Christ did not Saint Iames and Iohn speake thus to our Sauiour and I dare say in verbo sacerdotis with a more sincere true and religious zeale then euer Parsons had in all his practises Domine vis dicamus vt ignis descendat de coelo consumat eos but Christ turning towards them What said he mary increpauit illos dicens nescitis cuius spiritus estis They thought as a good catholike noteth vpon this place that they might haue done as Elias did they imagined that they were ledde with the spirite of zeale and of their masters honour but indeed ducebantur spiritu vindictae terrestri non caelesti Sixtly father Parsons and his companions with the rest of the seditious Iesuits taking vpon them to be viri apostolici Iesuitical or rather Ignatiā apostles who by their calling forsooth are to preach throughout all the world and ought to be tied to no speciall place longer then they list it should haue beene more agreeable to their dignities and estimation to haue come amongst vs hither into England as the Apostles did name whither so euer they went and by signes and woonders to haue conuerted their countrey to the catholike faith seeing they take vpon them a perfection aboue priesthood and will be called new Apostles illuminats and extraordinarie Rabbies that haue more neere familiaritie and acquaintance with God then any other And this had beene apostolicall dealing indeed Mary yet perhaps the case may be altered if they can perswade vs that their founder first father hauing beene a captaine and a man of warre had some particular illuminations and priuiledges from heauen that although Christs Apostles proceeded with mildenesse and patience as we reade in the Gospell their master Christ did which was a longer course then a Iesuiticall humour is able with patience to endure yet his the said Ignatius disciples should haue leaue to take a shorter way and that by fire from heauen or hell if they could or by any treacherie cruelty treason or what mischiefe soeuer so it were propter bonum societatis or ordine ad deum they were to omit no oportunitie or villany that might further such their intents But by their leaues this being a new and ruffinly course neuer heard of for conuersion of any nation they must shew some better testimonie then either Angel from heauen or feind from hell can affoord them or els we wil not beleeue them to be any other then the forerunners of Antichrist as cōsorts of Puritans in this their rebellious doctrine Seuenthly if father Parsons and his fellowes haue any such large commission from their founder for from Christ they haue it not as that by force thereof they might haue sollicited the Popes holines and the king of Spaine by all false and slanderous suggestions as they did to vndertake that glorious and woorthie acte forsooth yet considering that they only pretend therby the good of their country the restitution of the catholike faith they might haue sollicited some other prince to haue taken in hand that enterprise and not to haue sought to haue put their prince country into the hands of the Spaniards who are at this day reputed throughout all the world to be the most cruell and bloody nation that liueth vpon the earth The treatise of that woorthy Bishop Bartholomeus Cusaus a Spaniard borne dedicated to the last king of Spaine hath laid the Spanish proceedings amongst the west Indians so plainely out in their colours how many millions of men women and children they haue there murthered and that with such inhumane barbarousnesse and much more then Phalericall cruelty as vntill they do repent them and are become a new generation all kingdomes and countries in the world are to pray at the least to be deliuered from them But none could or would I am perswaded serue their turnes but the Spaniard whose pride ambition and crueltie hath so possessed their harts as father Ignatius was not a righter Spaniard by birth then our English Iesuits are by imitation Eightly besides by framing themselues with all trayterous practises and fury to assist and set forwrad the Spaniards designements they haue a stronger conceit or rather a ful perswasion that when the king had subdued this realme neither he his sonne or his daughter would make their residence heere for then the Infantaes title mariage or placing in the Lowe Countries was not dreamed of but that this kingdome should haue beene reduced to a Prouince and committed to the gouernment of their societie scil to father Parsons our pettie Coruine knight the rest of his superintendēcie or societie Which passage though it may seeme very strait yet if euer you see father Parsons booke of intended Reformation you will finde roome ynough to put in more odious stuffe then I haue handled or am willing to smatter my pen withall And therefote thinke it no maruell if they professe themselues the very vowed vassals in effect of the Spaniard for I am perswaded in my conscience that they haue consecrated themselues more deuoutly to aduance the now king of Spaine or his sister to the scepter royall of this land then they haue to promote the catholike faith Neither make I any question of it at all but that if heereafter any Pope shall crosse the Spaniards plots and purposes as like inough they may England and Fraunce with other nations hauing hitherto beene euer more respectiue to the See Apostolicke and taken the defence of Saint Peters chaire more faithfully vpon them then euer Spaine did till now of late yeeres which God of his goodnesse may alter againe and grant to his church in these nations their woonted florish the Iesuits will haue such a figge in store for his Holinesse that shall do so as no Ruebarbe Angelica Mithridate or other medicine or antidote shall expell the venime poison and infection from his hart nor any bezar pearle golde or vnicornes horne long preserue his life after it And if there be as there are shrewd suspitions in Rome concerning the death of two Popes two Cardinals and one Bishop already but for breaking or rather intending to breake the Iesuits a little of their obstinate will and vnbridled insolencie and onely to reforme them in their order then
it and wish either it had been vndone or in this or that manner otherwise then it was denounced and executed That which hitherto I haue said of the first point of this article doth in some sort confirme my assertion concerning the second For if the excommunication of kings be inconuenient then what shal we thinke of those men being subiects in times so dangerous as neuer any were more then we now liue in that did seeke either to procure the said excōmunication against her Maiestie or to renew it As touching the first procurers of it were it D. Harding D. Stapleton D. Morton D. Webbe all or any of them they were yet by their leaues with reuerend regard to their priesthood and doctorship be it spoken but simple men out of their positiue diuinitie and did mightily ouershoote themselues in it diuers waies First there being a rash affection or zeale if you will haue it so called in some of the catholike Bishops when her Maiestie began to raigne to haue imitated Saint Ambrose by excommunicating her highnes and diuers others yet as Master Saunders noteth prudentiores Episcopi vel certe mansuetiores The wiser sort of thē or surely the milder were of another opinion and preuailed Indeede he further saith that they altogether thought it meete to referre the consideration of that matter to the Popes wisedome to doe therein as he thought conuenient but it appeereth not that they did afterwards sollicite his holines thereunto But the contrarie will easily be prooued by some that are aliue who can testifie that they were farre from that minde especially afterwards when they had better considered what was likely to ensue if any such excommunication should be procured And it will likewise be iustified sufficiently that Bishop Watson was exceedingly grieued when he heard that Pius quintus had been drawne to that course as in his wisedome seeing the great inconuenience of it Secondly the same reasons ought to haue hindered the said Parsons and any other from solliciting the Pope to that censure which mooued those catholike Bishops to forbeare it themselues They considered saith M. Saunders that they were the Queenes subiects and that such a fact might peraduenture haue procured some tumult and scandall and trouble of the whole Ecclesiasticall state and order and also might probably haue stirred vp some persecution Thirdly if it were true that some Iesuites haue lately written but with great Machiuillian sleights to curry fauor for the better furtherance of sundry their intended mischieuous designements that her Maiesty was in effect cōstrained to take the course for the alteration of religion that she did when she came first to the crowne then dealt they therein contrarie to the reasonable construction of sundry canons of the Church and consequently very rashly and vniustly Fourthly it may be gathered as I suppose out of Saint Ambrose by his dutie to the emperour otherwise signified that it was farre from his hart to thinke of the deposing of him from the empire or of absoluing his subiects from their obedience if the emperor had withstood him But these men were of another humor they knew that their sute to Pius Quintus did tend to her highnes deposition from the crowne so far as the Bull would reach and to the raising vp of such a garboyle in the kingdome as any true catholike hart may iustly quake to thinke of it Fiftly S. Augustine as S. Thomas obserueth would not praecipitare sententiam whether is woorse a catholike of an euill life or an heretike against whose conuersation no iust exception may be taken Now it is well knowne to all the world and acknowledged in Spaine what manner of person a certaine king was that once bare a great sway there and with how many most notorious and hainous enormities he might truly haue beene charged but yet the Spanish Iesuits and catholikes were farre from the violent humor of our men they did neuer presume or once indeuor to seeke or sue to haue their soueraigne excommunicated Whose example of forbearance therein doth argue the inconsiderate rashnes of our said Iesuited catholiks and Iesuits that haue dealt in such sort as all the world seeth with her Maiestie Sixtly whereas diuers kings and absolute princes haue reiected the authoritie of the See Apostolike as well as her highnes and doe still so perseuere yet we finde not that any hitherto of their subiects priests Iesuits or what other soeuer haue sought their ouerthrow deposition and destruction as our English Iesuits by profession and some other priests in affection and faction Iesuited haue sought for It is true that in Fraunce there are publike monuments of Iesuiticall tyrannie For first they procured Henry the third to be excommunicated and then by degrees they murthered him The like course they also held for a long time with the king now regnant sauing that to their intollerable greefe the blowe which they procured to be giuen him prooued not mortall though still their malice and hatred towards him appeereth manifestly to be as extreme as euer it was and therefore their good wils to be considered of accordingly For all which and many moe most traiterous practises the Iesuits are at this day an odious and detestable generation in that kingdome and with great prouidence and iudgement are banished thence for euer Whereby we may see what all such persons doe deserue who haue amongst vs prosecuted her highnes with little lesse malice and treason in seeking to haue her Maiestie excommunicated which is made by such miscreants but an entrance to all further disloyaltie crueltie and mischiefe Seuenthly it is apparant by the iudgement of S. Augustine that when excommunication cannot be denounced against any but with the inconueniences that are in the point before touched and are therefore in such cases to be forborne those counsellors that shall notwithstanding sollicite and labor for to procure any such excommunications are to be vtterly reiected and condemned as being persons whose counsels are inania pernitiosa atque sacrilega quia impia superba sunt plus turbant infirmos bonos quam corrigunt animosos malos vaine pernitious and sacrilegious bicause being wicked and proud counsels they bring greater trouble to weake good men then amendment to those that are euill and stoute For in such cases he saith that those things must be borne with patiently that cannot be reformed without the said inconueniences and that it is the dutie of good men in the meane while cum dilectione with loue and charitie to mourne and lament and not to take such desperate and wicked courses against all dutie faith and allegiance as these men we speake of did and our Machiuillian Iesuits doe still pursue and indeuour Eightly wheras excōmunication is termed by the learned sort of catholikes medicina a medicine that is such a censure as tendeth to reforme the party censured this their traiterous indeuour for I can terme it no better aimed at nothing but
of a lyon becom a lambe In few we see in Polony in Sweden in Scotland in Flaunders and euery where that catholikes are together with those of other professions sects and opinions vnlesse it be where onely the Consistorian Caluinian Cartwrightian puritans rule the rost and that a company of ministers or exorbitant superintendants ouertop both Prince prelate and all as in Scotland and at Geneua c. Otherwise all kings and princes of this age haue iudged it in pollicie the fittest wisest safest and most honorable and princely course they could haue taken to graunt libertie of conscience to their subiects Which seeing our soueraigne Queene Elizabeth hath not granted and yet is knowne to be in her owne high towring princely wisedome of as high a pitch sound and deepe conceite censure and iudgement in reach not to be seconded of any of these adding heereunto that for gouernment of her land for policie in her state for noblenes in her court her Highnes hath the choice of as fine delicate and daintie breed of gallant graue quicke wits as Europe nay as Afrike nay as Asia nay as the world this day enioyes The Italian the Spaniard the Polonian the Sweden the Moscouite the Turke the Persian and who not is willing to aduaunce her Maiesties meanest sort of subiects sometime to the highest types of honor to winne them wholy to be theirs to learne witte sleight and pollicie out of their practise and experience These Boreas blasted lads borne vnder the Britaine Ocean able to fire with their wits the hotte climatical Southerne Sages witnes our Stukeleyes our Candishes our Furbishers our Drakes our Hilles our Sherleys our Parsons c. All these circumstances duly weighed that this heauie yoke should be laide by so mercifull wise and prudent a prince vpon the weake neckes of her poore subiects with weight importable for them to carry vnlesse her highnes should stretch foorth her accustomed Atlantike armes of clemencie to support them before they sinke downe right vnder their burthen That this seueritie should be more vsed against catholiks in England then either any catholike king or prince of other professions either Christian or heathen vse against either subiects or forrainers of contrary religions vnto the said princes throughout the worlde this day This is the point which many stande vpon in admiring how euer things should haue come to that passe they are at in England concerning the affliction of catholikes and cannot finde out the causes This then to make manifest to all the world by an historicall discourse and that howsoeuer we haue matter enough against our aduersaries euen for religions sake yet neither to aggrauate more then is necessarie nor to accuse further then is expedient nor to excuse more then is conuenient nor yet to lay the fault of any that is faultlesse therefore shall it be made knowne that as the affliction of catholiks in England hath beene in very deed extraordinary as is heere set downe and many an innocent man lost his life so also hath the cause thereof beene extraordinary and so farre beyond the accustomed occasions of persecution giuen to any prince in christendome or monarchie that is or euer was in the world to this hower vnlesse the Puritanes of Scotland which may in some sort equall the offence heere to be set downe as rather it is to be woondred at all things duly considered that any one catholike is left on liue in England then that our persecution hath beene so great for name one nation I know none can vnder heauen where the subiects especially if they were catholikes euer sought the death of their Soueraigne though of a different religion frō them the conquest of their natiue land the subuersion of the state the depopulation of the weale publike the alteration change of al lawes customs orders in few the vtter deuastation desolation destruction of al the ancient inhabitants of their land in so vnnatural vnchristian vncatholike a maner as the Spanish faction haue sought it in our owne flesh and bloud against this realme which treacherous courses although they were but some fewe and those priuate persons offences and by consequent in a court of conscience and in rigour of iustice the rest neither acting nor concurring nor consenting to their conspiracies were innocent and no way to be vsed with that seueritie as many catholiks haue beene Yet forasmuch as the pretences of such practises were generall and common to all catholikes alike all maintaining one and the same opinion concerning what might be done by apostolicall power and authoritie and neuer talking of what was necessarie therefore was it that her Maiestie and the state standing on the other side affected in religion as they did had both cause to iudge secundum allegata probata in foro externo and also can not otherwise be thought of but that the circumstances on all sides considered as well making for her owne securitie as also for a Non-knowledge what catholiks were guiltie and who were free her Maiesties lawes and proceedings against catholikes haue beene both milde and mercifull And as we are to thinke in deed our happe now to be hard if no mitigation nor prouisoe should be made for the innocent now that the way and meanes is knowne for discouery of traytors distinguishing betwixt state catholiks catholike loyall subiects so also are we to giue her Highnes humble thanks for our liues that we were not al cut off whiles no difference was made put nor knowne betwixt the secular priests Iesuits that we haue been permitted to liue to this happy houre of manifesting our catholike cōstancy obedience to the See apostolike in al our actions and our naturall loyaltie and seruiceable harts to our Prince and countrey in all our proceedings in neither stayning our catholike religion with vnnaturall treason nor priestly function with factious dispositions and state affaires But of this matter I will heere be silent referring you to a treatise lately set out by my brethren intituled Important considerations c. whereunto I haue prefixed an Epistle By both which you may see at large what statizing by acts wordes and writings in most treacherous and treasonable manner hath beene against her Maiestie against the present state against the whole common-wealth against vs all without exception her Highnes loyall and naturall subiects of what religion soeuer we be which seeing her Princely hart hath forborne as no Soueraigne on earth would euer haue suffred the like to haue past vnpunished as she hath I must conclude and end as we began that her lawes and proceedings haue beene both milde and mercifull THE X. ARTICLE VVHether then the premisses considered is it fit that Catholiks should send their children and friends to be brought vp in the Seminaries beyond the seas or not If not then how should the salt of the earth be kept vncorrupted or the seede of priesthood be continued for restoring of the catholike Romane
infection with Iesuiticall conspiracies euer heereafter when as such seditious rotten weedes should be rooted out which both indanger her royall person and present state and bring vs all her faithfull subiects to be suspected by their meanes And as for study learning and other catholike exercises let this good motiue deere catholikes be no waie heauily taken nor rashly censured as though there were no learning nor method of teaching nor any gouernment or vertuous exercise but where a Iesuite beares the stroke For know you this that as there are their betters in England and out of it that are no Iesuits euen of our owne nation this day in all things required in teachers masters and gouernors so before euer any Iesuits came or were in rerum natura the Vniuersities of Oxford and Cambridge florished amongst the most famous schooles in Christendome either for schoole method or positiue doctrine in Diuinitie Philosophie or any other studie And seeing it cannot be denied but that for all the Iesuits boast of their learning gouernment method of teaching and I can not tell what yet still haue the seculars Seminarie priests beene the chiefe Readers profoundest Clarks either in Diuinitie or philosophy that haue gone out of our Nation in these daies witnesse our Allans our Stapletons our Giffords our Hardings our Parkinsons our Elyes our Kellingsons with sundrie other Doctors schoolemen to omit those that are in England at this present togither with diuers religious Englishmen of S. Benedicts of S. Dominicks of S. Fraunces and of other religious orders al of them to be preferred before our new illuminates these vainglorious vanting men Besides we see that for al our Seminaries vnder the Iesuits yet the most famous men from time to time haue beene brought vp vnder the secular clergie or the Dominican preachrers and teachers in all nations Also it is well knowne that there is nothing wanting in our Vniuersities heere in England for making profound clarks and learned men in deede saue onely that sound catholike doctrine and schoole method which was vsed in Gabrell Beoll in Alexander of Hales and in Iohn Scots daies For otherwise neuer was there a finer breed of wits nor brauer Orators nor more pleasant Poets nor perfecter Grammarians nor more copious Linguists nor riper men in all studies of humanitie then are brought vp in our English Vniuersities Therefore seeing that which is wanting might be supplied by catholike doctors and teachers of our owne nation any Iesuits equals and that we see sundrie of the finest wits resort to our side daily notwithstanding all these either contentions betwixt vs and the Iesuits or yet the present affliction and danger we all do liue in of our common aduersaries then thinke deere catholiks as true it is that there can no question be made of it to the contrary but that where one commeth now vnto vs there would then come ten of all sorts by such carefull diligence and choise of tutors as vpon this so gracious a grant O happie who may liue to see it of her Maiestie might be vsed both in Oxford and Cambridge as that you might haue your children there inclined and trained vp with some such good conceits of the catholike faith and religion as nourished and cherished therein by you that are their friends in natural loue and affection and confirmed by vs that are priests as in christian charity and catholike dutie we are bound there would quickly follow a ioyfull forgetfulnes of the Iesuits exile as the perturbers of both the catholike church and Englands common-wealth and ruine of vs all if they remaine amongst vs. And thus hauing brought this long tedious intricate and most dangerous difficult and doubtfull Quodlibet of plots by statizing to an end in some sort though not halfe so much said heerein as both the waight of the matter it selfe doth require and also as willing I was and am to haue written thereof as well in respect of iustice as of charity both mouing me to speake were I not infringed vpon other considerations iustly compelling me to silence Therefore vnwilling to holde you any longer in this so discomfortable a party as necessarily the talke of these matters must needs be to many deuout soules which no doubt will be assaulted with variable cogitations in the peruse of this discourse wo be to them who haue occasioned such straite passages of our heauines I now end in harty praier vpon my knees that God may turne all to his glory as well for religion as state and so proceed to other matters in hand THE ARGVMENT OF THE NINTH GENERALL QVODLIBET HAuing said more in the last Quodlibet then I shall haue thanks for at the Iesuits hands but that I am Iohn Indifferent and a Wilfull Will that wil neuer force a friend nor feare a foe in an act of publike iustice as I hold it for such that a greater act both of iustice of chatity could not be then if my poore cōceits by pen expressed can do it to defend Gods cause quarrell my prince countries right the gaulelesse catholikes innocent harts and to firret these cony-catching Iesuits out of conceit from all English berries or warrens that carrie either oile of perfect charitie in their lampes or fire of true catholike zeale within their breastes or naturall affection to their prince their countrie their parents children flesh and blood their deerest friends Hereupon there doth occurre to my memorie two generall Quodlibets which make as much for our purpose as any we haue hitherto handled scil to make knowne to the world the surmised forme but in deede very weake foundation the Iesuits haue laied especially this most Atheall Polypragmon father Parsons to perfect the platforme of statizing mentioned in the last Quodlibet precedent for the ouerthrowe of all that are not as they And therefore shal the first of these two Quodlibets be of plots by succession the second of plots by presages The former then consisting of such deuises engins and baites as the Iesuits haue cast abroad into euery mundane puddle◠pond and poole of Christendome to fish for an absolute monarchie that as there is but one God and Sauiour Lord and king Iesus in heauen so but one sole regiment by Iesuits on earth the articles concerning that point are these 10. following THE NINTH GENERALL QVODLIBET OF PLOTS by succession THE I. ARTICLE WHether is the practise of the Iesuits agreeable to christian charitie and the dutie of true subiects to interprete euery thing that their Soueraigne and the state of the countrey doth in the woorst part to slaunder depraue and calumniate the king their Lord and his proceedings by libels and sundry sorts of chartals bookes and pamphlets of purpose both to make his highnes his gouernment and his whole kingdome as much as in them lieth offensiue to other princes now and odious heereafter to all posteritie or not THE ANSWERE THe Quodlibets of state and succession hauing such an affinity by
Iesuites and neuer to trust a word they speake in commendation of the Spaniard and discommendation of other people or nations compared with them as also vpō the said kings Queenes and Archduke and Duchesse c. When they pretend any thing either on the catholike church or the Iesuites behalfe and by consequent shall doe an act of high merite iustice prudence and policy if they I meane all other christian princes and states expell these seditious factions turbulent irreligious persons out of all their territories seigniories regalties and dominions that haue pesterd the Church of God with such wicked doctrine as the proiect of that booke imports As none will iudge otherwise of them but as of most conscienceles careles and bloody minded men when they shall heare first of one booke set out as Greenecote is wherein the Author doth manifestly demonstrate that no different religion be it heresie or whatsoeuer ought to depriue a lawfull heire in fee simple of his fathers inheritance being but a subiect and a forraigner then in princes rights titles to kingdomes it must and ought to hold saith father Parsons in that place bringing in sundry examples how that neither in England catholikes by that name were debard of their lawfull inheritance vnder her Maiestie since the change of religion here neither the Puritanes in Scotland vnder the Queene Regent a catholike there neither in Fraunce Germany or else where was it euer heard of that any were disinherited for religious causes c. and then againe of an other as Parsons Doleman is together with his Appendix Philopater and others that quite discard all heretikes as he termes them from all interest pretend or title to any crowne Noe not if in case hereafter they should be catholike at the attempting of such an exploit or when they should see there were no remedy This last conceite with these hote spirited Puritanian Iesuiticall faction is holden so farre wide and contrary to the former as if the parties be not catholikes euer at the instant when their fatherhoods would haue them be you fully assured for no zeale of religion but of meere machiuilian policy either thereby to exasperate them against others or others against them and so to bring all a flote in fire and sword which is the onely thing they long for they must be censured iudged and condemned presently for reprobates atheists impostors to be conuerted and men be they Princes or whosoeuer vtterly of God forsaken This doctrine when princes and other men of learning iudgement and experience in such pragmatical platformes do perspicuously looke into and withall perceiue that religion is abused and Gods holy name blasphemed as being not his honor but their owne vnder a maske of catholike zeale they wish for they enter further into a deepe detestation of their Pharisaicall proiects iealously had of their owne naturall subiects and princely feare of their royall estates When they heare a man pretend as father Parsons doth on Spaniardes behalfe make a claime neuer heard of in any age to another mans lands in whose actuall quiet and apparantly rightfull possession by lineall discent from the father to the sonne for many hundred yeeres space times and ages past it hauing continued is now diuoluted to the present incumbent or prince regnant from his auncesters whose state title and regall honour he hath possesseth and peaceably enioyeth that so ancient renowned indubitate a right should now be called in question and that vpon the bare worde of a claymorous claime exceeding al meane modestie and measure made by an arrant traytor to God his Prince his countrey and to all lawes of God of nature of nations or of man and generally misliked of by all graue discreete prudent learned wise religious true harted catholikes especially for this his sodaine camelion vnexpected vndeserued vngrounded exorbitant passionate apostrophall change of a foisted in pretend audaciously presuming without buls breue billet ticket worde or warrant of any authoritie to charge all men to allow admit ratifie and confirme without all gainesay controlment or contradiction such a Soueraigne as he the said father Parsons will appoint them otherwise to be noted for Atheistes fooles rebels malicious politikes and aduerse to his catholike Maiestie and forsooth the common cause this this is that most odious scandalous irreligious treacherous erronious doctrine which is so preiudicial to the king catholike and his pretended cause as whiles Spaine is Spaine England England Fraunce Fraunce and Rome Rome will it neuer be forgotten nor forgiuen nor the iealousie thereof put out of all princes harts So as iustly father Parsons may be pointed at for woorse then a fabling libeller and were woorthie were he not a priest to be set vpon the pillorie and that euen by his catholike Maiestie for bearing the world in hand that he was set on to write those libels by warrant and priuitie of the said surmised pretendor whereas all circumstances both in the same bookes and scheduls together with those plotcasters speeches in secret to their friendes and the many dangers damages indignities discommodities accrewing to the king and his royal estate doe argue quite contrarie This is that venemous law will pearce the king catholike to the very naked hart if his Maiestie permit it to passe currant without due punishment inflicted vpon the presumant scribe and speedie abolishment of so polypragmaticall a platforme no lesse dangerously cast then traitorously laide to intrap all princes in Christendome in a Templars snare and as preiudiciall if not more in chiefe to the crowne and safetie of his royal person to his family in esse and to his successors for euer hereafter as to any other prince or monarch whosoeuer For let his Highnes winke at this doctrine and seeme to authorize it and then what better warrant or more plausible can be deuised when minds of people in all nations as ruefull experience doth tell vs are now a daies so quickly exulcerated with grieuous sores of gustes and discontent easily corrupted with maladies of contention and hastely set on horsebacke with superfluous humors of nouelties innouations ambition disdaine reuenge thirsting after bloud desirous of liberty and greedily affecting soueraignty then thus to authorize all and euery Prouince vnder his gouernment to rebell against him at their pleasure and auouche maintaine and defend for lawfull all their outragious insurrections malepert mutinies and contagious crimes against his highnes and soundest part of his nobles and subiects euery where but especially in the Low countries vnder this counterfeited conference holden at Amsterdam amongst the States there Yea by this colourable doctrine of Fa. Parsons hotch potch prodigious common wealthes authority when it comes to reasoning standing the premises without the kings controlment they may lawfully auerre al their practises proceedings and deeds past they may admit his maiestie peacebly to gouerne and raigne ouer them with this condition that he shall mantaine the course by them begun for gouernment
very peremptorily that when they list they might pick a quarrel at their lawfull king cast him downe out of his throne and call for an election of a new king againe Bicause forsooth this good father hath authorized them so to doe and tels them that as his so their pleasure must stand for a law and vox populi vox Dei And for any other law warrant or authoritie the Iesuites haue none to take vpon them as they do in these state cases and succession to princes crownes THE GENERALL ARGVMENT OF THE TENTH AND LAST QVODLIBET IN the argument of the ninth generall Quodlibet we noted vnto you how that the same together with this had their dependency vpon the seuenth and eight precedent and so one depending vpon an other in this disputatiue pursuite hauing reuersed retriued and firrited these religious statesmen out of all catholike Christian morall honest mens good conceites by demonstrating to the world how all their religious pietie in shew is but a rainebow cloude of atheall policie in action drawne vp in vaporous dewes of cold congealed deuotions interchangeably mixt with exhalated smokes of sparkling hote inflamed dispersed sublimed aspires It resteth onely in this tenth and last Quodlibet of the Iesuites variable plots deuises to shew vnto you what their hope is or rather what the grounds are of that broken hope they haue of attaining at length vnto an absolute monarchy ouer all the world And this being the great marke they shoote at Vt ad causam finalem vel effectum As to the primary principall and finall effect whereunto caetera agentia all their acts intents drifts and deuises are directed to produce by actuall forme the gouernment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aforesaid Now the hopes causes or motiues mouing them to these desperate attemps strange courses and rarest practises premised that in a world can be found or euer hitherto was heard of amongst mortall men are built vpon presages prophecies and prediction of things to come And therefore shall this last be termed a Quodlibet of plots by presages contayning ten articles as the rest haue a peece But for as much as it is a discourse of great dangerous and waighty consequent as a discouery of many mysteries yet to the vtter disgrace of the Iesuites and Spanish faction for euer as also for that the time place and other occasions doe hasten me to make an end I will therefore craue pardon at this time from proceeding any further therein as minded God willing to set out a whole Booke of this last Quodlibet a second part by it selfe at time conuenient In steede whereof I haue thought good to exhibite vnto you this Appendix following AN APPENDIX TO THE QVODLIBETS AFter I had compiled this Quodlibeticall discourse into a briefe method before it came to the presse I was informed of the variable opinion had of my writings by occasion of an Epistle to a little pamphlet intituled Important considerations c. Which bicause I owne it as mine owne and for that the Iesuites and their fautors according to their common custome and practise in the Art of Calumniation haue driuen sundry weake but otherwise deuout men and women into a quotidian feuer or shaking palsie in assaulting them with an erronious misconceite of that subiect I must therefore in all humble wise as an obedient child of the catholike Romane Church and in all charitable manner as wishing no worse to any then to mine owne soule craue patience of the catholike Reader in this peruse First then deare catholikes be pleased to heare thus much from me Note by this insinuation a notable tricke of a Machiauilian which is this that if an act or actor of any action by deed word or writing be for a Iesuits purpose then before euer the person book or other practise by him be discouered or knowen abroad in the world there shal a speach goe in secret as thus do you not heare of such a man or book or attempts c. ô the worthiest man the rarest booke c. and so extolling of euery thing to the skies though vnworthy the naming this speach passing currant ouer all the next that followes when the men or matters are tried and found ridiculous with the wiser sort shall neuer possibly be able to ouertake this passage or to perswade the mobile vulgus to the contrary And againe if the said persons or booke be opposite to the Iesuits then they knowing thereof by their spials ere euer it be knowen abroad a speech caried ouer all by fame of a most infamous person booke c. is past ouertaking with a true reâ—ort when the trueth is knowen And euen so iust is the case concerning the late bookes so mightily but most falsely disgraced by the Iesuits ere euer they came to open viewe that euen the innocent haue beene in danger to applaude vnto their guilty feares and many ignorantly refused at all to reade them as too too credulous and not considering the Iesuits drift therein A notable policy of the Iesuits to get some Neuters to spread abroad a detraction or what they would haue odious knowing that fame is irreuocable and a word once spoken can not be recalled that I expected no lesse before euer I set pen to paper then to heare the matter to be made seeme so odious by a tricke of Machiauell as now it is come to passe Yea they that knew how some of my brethren of a tender soft mild nature did feare before hand I would be too sharp if once the Northerne blood were vp they the Iesuits had neuer been worthy the name of Matchiauelians Polititians or masters of their crafty sly deceitfull occupation if they would not haue fished so far before the net knowing by their spials that the said booke was come out I promise you ere euer I knew it my selfe as to preoccupate by anticipation deuout minds of men and women with a conceite of monsters of prodigies of wonders in a sense detestable to be contained in that pamphlet aswell bicause by W. W. it seemed to be mine and therefore conceited straight to be bitter as gall as also for that the title of milde and mercifull by a wrangling sophisticall Iesuites interpretation imported a condemnation of all catholikes in generall and these with other perticulars applyed in very deed and meant onely wholy and absolutely of the Iesuites and their followers of the Spaniardes faction but wrested by them to the secular and seminary priests together with all other catholikes in generall gaue such light to that watchfull crewe how to frame a cogging argument to make both the worke and Author seeme odious as the simpler sort yea some in other respects wise ynough though they dearely affected the seculars and their cause and deeply detested the Iesuites and their faction yet were they amazed appald and greatly affrighted with the sudden feare these Polypragmons had put into their heads by a company of neuters or