after they haue raised tumults in all Countries that theyr designements sort to effect CHAP. 17. ¶ That the Pope hath not power to translate the Crowne of Fraunce from one to another against the dangerous position of the Iesuits and some other discourse tending to the same effect THe Iesuits not content to haue offered violence to our King in time of the troubles doe at this day in the time of peace by theyr pennes offer violence to the Royaltie it selfe Hee that maintaines in Rome that the Pope may transfer Empires and Kingdomes from hand to hand at his pleasure deserueth a Cardinals hat as Father Robert Bellarmine the Iesuite he that maintaines the same position in Fraunce is worthie of a hat of that colour but not of that kinde as the Cardinals Kings die whē it pleaseth God to call them the Roialtie neuer dies Which is the cause that the Parliament Court of Paris when they accompanie the funerall obsequies of our Kinges are not in mourning weedes but in Scarlet the true marke and ensigne of the neuer dying maiestie of the Crowne or Royaltie One of the chiefe flowers of our Crowne is that our Kings cannot incurre the censures of the Church of Rome nor their realme be interdicted nor consequently transposed It is a law not made but bred with vs which we haue not learned receiued or by long instruction imprinted but a law which is drawne inspired and deriued into vs out of the very breasts of our Mother Fraunce wherein we are not nurtured but nursed that if any thunderbolts fortuned to be sent from Rome against the maiestie of our Kings so as in consequence thereof the realme might fall vnder the sentence of Interditement we are not bound to yeeld obedience thereunto Neither yet for all this did our kings euer loose the title of Most Christian nor wee of the Eldest sonnes of the Church The Iesuit hath beene condemned by a decree of the Court he drawes his chaine after him still yet will hee not cease to be a Iesuit that is a Seminarie of diuisions factions and dissentions within our country Let vs then heare what he saith who vnder the name of Montaignes hath publisht the booke of the Truth as hee intitles it but of the forged and lying Truth After hee had discoursed that the Temporall state onely appertained to the King and the Spirituall to the holy Father who claimed no interest in their souerainties hee affirmes that if the king happē at any time to transgresse God hath put a rod into the Popes hand to chastise him and depriue him of his kingdome And this is for the behoofe Mont. cap. 15. of the Truth defended for the good of Princes saith he who most commonlie are reclaimed and brought to their duties rather for feare of their Temporall estate which they euer-more hold deer though otherwise ill giuen then of their Spirituall which they set not by vnlesse their conscience be the better which is not generall to all of them But the Pope is no God no more was Samuell who executed that sentence against Saul So as God had annointed Saul King by the Prophet so doth he send the sentence of his deposition by him and by him translate the kingdome annoint Dauid king In the time of Osias king of Iuda the high priest no more a GOD then Samuell gaue the kingdome from the father to the sonne he being strooken with leprosie for his presumption This transposition of the Crowne was doone by the appointment of the high Priest according as by the Law was ordained and consequently the deposition of the Father Iehoiada was no God but a priest and Gods Lieutenaunt when after he had caused Athalia the Queene to be put to death for her tyrannous gouernment hee put the scepter into the handes of Ioas a prince of the blood and lawfull successor to the Crowne All those were but Gods ministers to execute his decrees as the Pope likewise is And seeing God hath infinite meanes to translate a kingdome by the force and weapons of Pagans as of Moores Turks and other strange Nations making the Assyrians conquerours ouer the Greekes the Greekes ouer the Assyrians both of the Iewes and the Romans of both what milder course could he haue ordained among Christians what way more reasonable or more secure then by the mediation and authoritie of the head of the Church and the common Father of all Christians who beeing specially assisted by God and by men both learned and religious will in likelihood doe nothing preiudiciall to the right of the lawfull successors and will proceede without passion and withall moderation and mildnes in a case of that importance hauing an eye euermore to the honour of God and vnto the publique and priuate good In conclusion by this learned position which our pernitious Iesuit maintaines the Pope hath authoritie to transferre kingdoms frō one hand to another when he seeth cause so to doe and dooing it hee is subiect to no mans controule inasmuch as if God himselfe may doe it then is it lawfull for his Vicar to doe the like the Pope hauing no lesse preheminence ouer Kings in these times of Christianity then the Prophets had in the time of Moses law This fond opinion of thine brings mee to a meruailous straite forcing mee to combate against the authoritie of the holie Sea First if you will argue this position morallie where shall you finde that a King constituting his Lieuetenants generall in Prouinces giueth them in all poynts as ample authoritie as himselfe hath ouer his subiects And to say that God hath transferred his omnipotent power into any man whatsoeuer is a poynt of blaspemie against the Maiestie of GOD. Besides tell mee Sophister where finde you that you ought to beg such examples out of the old Testament to transplant them into the new But with such illusions doe you and your associats surprise the consciences of the weake ignorant multitude For if that reason of yours were of any value or consequence we should by the same bring Circumcision into vse againe at this day because it was vsed vnder the Law of Moses And by the same pretext it shall be lawfull for the subiect to lay violent handes vppon his Soueraigne Iudges 3. because Ehud murthered Eglon King of Moab vnpunished Seeing you terme your selfe a Iesuit let vs follow the footesteps of Iesus Christ for to this marke ought all our cogitations to leuell whereunto restraining our discourse I will make it appeare that I am a true Cathotholicke liegeman to the Pope and thou a true Catholique Impostor VVee consider the power of our Sauiour Christ in two different times one was vvhen for our Redemption hee descended from heauen into the earth the other vvhen after his death and passion hee ascended from earth into heauen The first was the time of his humilitie in respect whereof hee professed that his comming was not to be an vmpire of their
controuersies which they would haue referred to him at what time he distinguisht the power of God from the power of the Romane Emperour saying That wee must yeeld vnto God that which belonged vnto God and vnto Caesar that which was due vnto Caesar And being demaunded of Pilate whether he were a king or no he made him aunswere that his kingdome was not of this inferiour world The second was the time of his glorie whereunto all those excellent sayings of the prophet Dauid are to be referred as when he said that the earth was the Lords Aske of mee and I will giue thee nations and heritages and they shall be vnto thee for a possession vnto the vttermost bounds of the earth And in another place that hee was Lorde of Lordes and King of Kings Let vs not falsifie the holie Scripture For the more you ambitious Iesuits apply out of it to the Pope to authorise not his greatnes but your owne the more you take from him At what time did Christ assigne Saint Peter to be his Vicar Surely while hee was yet on earth and at the poynt to finish his pilgrimage that he might represent his person heere below in his estate of humilitie and so gaue him the keyes of heauen not of earth to signifie vnto vs that he gaue him the charge of spirituall matters without mingling there-withall temporall busines And certainly our auncient Popes were very ignoraunt if giuing them-selues the title of Seruus seruorum they meant to represent Iesus Christ as hee is in the fulnesse of his glorie and after hee ascended into heauen to sit on the right hand of GOD his Father In like manner was it an heresie in Luther to teach his folowers that the Pope was wrongfully termed head of the church Vicar general to Iesus Christ no lesse heresie was it in Ignacius when to oppose Luther hee affirmed that the Pope was Christs Vicar not onely in his estate of humility but euē in his estate of glory likewise Hee then is a true Catholique liegeman to the Pope who doth acknowledge and approue his authoritie according to the originall institution thereof without any augmentations or additions from men Iesuit I now come vnto thee let vs weigh how ful of danger this position of thine is Our Kings know best what is expedient for the maintenance preseruation of their estate and like skilful Pilots are faine somtimes to strike sayle in a tempest This course the Pope being carried away with other respects will not like of will perhaps summō our kings to cōform their proceedings to his mind After some two or three admonitiōs if they obey not he wil proceed to censure thē consequētly to make a diuorce between them their subiects or if not so to interdite the Realm expose it for a pray to any Prince that shal be first able to possesse himselfe of it Good God! into what a confusion dost thou bring our State Iesuit learne this lesson of me for I wil not suffer either our countrimē to be infected with thy poysonous propositions or straungers that shal read this booke of thine to conceiue that the Maiestie of our kings is by thy comming any whit empayred First we maintayne and vphold it for an article inuiolable in Fraunce that the Pope hath no authority to be liberal of our Realme for any mans aduantage whatsoeuer what fault soeuer our king shall be found culpable of none excepted The Pope hath no power but what is giuen him by commission from God he is neither that Samuel nor that Iehoiada who were commaunded by God to doe what they did vnder the olde law for vnder the new which we call the new Testament there is no mention of any such matter The Pope cannot by the power of his spirituall sword controule the temporall I say not therefore that any king of Fraunce should forget himselfe eyther in the Catholique Religion or in the gouernment of his subiects to whom he ought to be a second father for if he doe let him be assured that God will sooner or later forget him and auenge himselfe by some meanes vnexpected and vnthought of but that we are to seeke this redresse at Rome I flatly denie For this first position I hold it to be cleere that which now I will deliuer may seeme more questionable We hold it for another article firme and indubitable in this Realme of Fraunce that our kings are not subiect to the Popes excommunication A thing which we haue receiued from all antiquitie I remember I haue read that Lothaire king of Austracia deceasing left Lewes his brother who was Emperour and King of Italy to be his successor King Charles the Bald vncle to them both seazed on it by right of occupation as lying fit for his hand Lewes had recourse to Pope Adrian who vndertooke the quarrel for him and summoned Charles to do his nephew right vpon payne of excommunication but Charles would giue no eare to him By reason wherof the Pope went on to interpose his censures with bitter curses and comminations and knowing the high authoritie which rested in Hingmare Archbishoppe of Reims he enioyned him not to admit the king to communicate with him vpon paine himselfe to be depriued of his Holinesse his communion There was neuer Popes Iniunction more iust holy then this For what colour could there be for an vncle to intercept his nephewes right in succeeding his owne brother Yet neuer was I niunction worse entertayned then this For Hiagmare after he had imparted the letters Apostolical to diuers Prelats and Barons of France to be aduised by them how to carry himselfe in the matter he wrote backe to Pope Adrian what he had drawn and collected out of their aunsweres namely that all of them were much offended agreeued with that his Decree alledging that the like proceedings had not beene seene no not when the kings were Heretiques Scismatiques or Tyrants and maintayning that kingdomes were purchased by the edge of the sword and not by the excommunications or censures of the Sea Apostolique or of Prelates And when I vrge them said Hingmare with the authoritie which was delegate by our Sauiour to Saint Peter and from him deriued by succession to the Popes of Rome they aunswere me Petite Dominum Apostolicum vt quia Rex Episcopus simul esse non potest Et sui antecessores Ecclesiasticum ordinem quod suum est non Rempublicam quod regum est disposuerunt Non praecipiat nobis habere regem qui nos in sic longinquis partibus adiuuare non possit contra subitaneos frequentes Paganorum impetus nos Francos iubeat seruire cui nolumus seruire Qua istud iugū sui antecessores nostris antecessoribus non imposuerūt Quia scriptum in sanctis libris audimus vt pro libertate haereditate nostra vsque ad mortem certare debeamus That is Tell our Apostolicall Lord that he
weake Aegyptian whom Dauid toke vp to fight the battels of our Lord and addeth that therefore as the souldiers cried Haec est praeda Dauid this is the pray of Dauid Ita nunc societas Vniuersa quae a munds tyrannide liberata est non praeda Ignatij sed Dauidis dicitur non societas Ignatij sed societas Iesu nuncupatur so now the whole Societie being deliuered from the tyrannie of the world is not called the pray of Ignatius but of Dauid not the Societie of Ignatius but of Iesus And the reason followeth Quia eos in socios Christus admiserat because Christ had admitted them to be his fellowes Afterwards also Nemo ergo dicat ego sum Pauli ego sum Apollo sed ego sum Christs Let no man say I hold of Paule I of Apollo but I hold of Christ And let vs call our selues the fellowes not of Ignatius but of Christ Also the same great Father affirmeth that the Iesuits in Portugall haue alreadie obtained the name of Apostles and that this Societie hath so worthly laboured in Christ his vineyard Vt Catholici omnes Iesuitae dicantur eo quod Iesuitae eorum omnium duces ac Magistri sint As that in these Northren parts of the world al Catholiques are called Iesuits because the Iesuits are the leaders of them all and their Maisters In like sort he is of opinion that the fathers of this Societie are the Angels Clouds and Doues whereof the Prophet Esay writeth saying Qui sunt isti qui vt nubes volant quasi columbae ad fenestras suas What Angels are these that flie like Clouds and as Doues to their windowes And againe he saith They are called Angeli Angels that is Messengers Eo quod maximaruÌ„ rerum legatione fungantur because they are Ambassadors of the greatest things or affairs amongst mortall men Nubes Clouds for their swift obedience and Columbae Doues quia fellis acerbitate caret haec pacifica societas Iesu quo nihil admirabilius for that this peaceable Societie of Iesus hath no gall asmuch to say as it wanteth all bitternes of gall splene rancour malice and reuenge which is as great a wonder as may be But you will say quorsum haec what of all this are you sillie men the persons that eyther wil or dare take vpon you to confute these things thus published in print by a Spaniard nay by so worthie a Iesuit and preached for an introâ—â—ction to make Ignatius a Saint or at the least to paint him out for a man fit to be a Saint Surely whatsoeuer we can or dare doe if these follies doe not confute themselues sufficiently we will not at this time expresse as not intending to deale with many of them But how true it is that the name of Christians is abolished in these Northren Regions and that we are all now termed Iesuits and whether all other orders of Religion that retaine the names of their founders are not here verie shrewdly taxed and brought to be within the Apostles prohibition we leaue it to your further consideration Onely for the present we say thus much that let the Iesuits be trumpets Dauids pray Iesus companions Angels and Clouds or what else this fellow of theirs the Spanish Iesuit would haue them we much regard not so as againe for our sakes he will be pleased to strike out the word Doues For notwithstanding all the Texts we doe not find them men of such Doue-like mindes and speciall mortification as they doe make shew of but haue their passions and distempered humors aswell as some others haue Marke we beseech you Ma. Lister how one of these Doues if you will needs haue them so termed doth write against vs in a little treatise not past two sheets of paper because we onely forbore our obedience to our R. Arch-Priests verie straunge authoritie as we then thought till we might be further informed of his Holines pleasure He calleth vs Schismatikes and men by one of his inferences to be cast into hell factious persons deiected with the griefe of our owne ruine and saith that we haue lost our places amongst Priests that we are banished from the holy alter and ministerie of the Sacraments that our iudgements are to be contemned and that we are condemned of the holy Apostolique Church He termeth vs triflers younglings in Diuinitie fooles not to be regarded what we say men that gather not with Christ Newters that doe belong to the diuided kingdome which shall be destroyed and rebels against the kingdome of Christ He affirmeth further that we are become Ethnicks and prophane laicall persons that we ought to be shunned and auoyded as the Iewes did shunne in times past the publicans notorious knowne sinners and that we are infamous persons nothing better then south sayers wisards Idolaters And whereas amongst other things we alleadged that his Holines in erecting our Arch-Presbitership was misinformed O mendacium O notable lie saith this milde Doue and therwithall comes vpon vs againe Quid What saith hee Numquid factiosis istis licebit in re grauissima tam impune tamque impudenter mentiri Shall it be lawful for these factious persons in a matter of most importance to lie so impudently and go vnpunished There are also diuers other Pidgeons of this flight that out of question eyther haue galles or some other verie bitter matter in them that is equiualent to any gall whatsoeuer Frier Holthy in his long and tedious letter to a verie vertuous Catholique Ladie written against vs Frier Garnet in sundrie of his letters both to some of vs and also to others Also Frier Parsons in his late Apologie but especially in his as we take it last booke intituled A manifestation of the great folly and bad spirit of certaine Secular Priests c. Some little taste we will giue you heere of these good Fathers mortified humour and verie meeke spirit out of the said last booke You haue heard the title of it whereunto that the whole discourse might be sutable he insinuateth directly in this preface That we are in a sort possessed with many wicked spirits And to seeme to haue some authoritie for it hee applieth these words of our Sauiour Christ vnto vs where he saith thus The vncleane spirit went forth brought with him seuen other spirits more wicked then himselfe and all entring dwelt there and the ending of those men was worse then the beginning Of sixe of these diuels the chiefe substance of all his booke doth consist and therefore he nameth them directly before he commeth to his discourse and setteth them downe in expresse words for the contents of his treatise Wherein his whole drift is to slaunder more honest men then himselfe and to misleade and seduce you as though whatsoeuer the Secular Priests haue written in such bookes as they haue beene inforced this yeere past to publish for their owne iust defence against the Iesuits calumniations and bad dealings with them
au verba dei sed fulgura tonitrua vomunt dicteria sâ—oÌ„mata gladios ignes furores Megaras cruenta neces debacchantur vt potius maledicos furiosos dementes coniuratores seditiosos inuidos pacis christianae milites praedones latrones quam Euangelicae veritatis predicatores et enarratores dixeris similes pastoribus ijs qui austeritate imperare volunt qui putant oues potius necandas quam adgregem cum lenitate reuocandas cum tamen dictum sit de eodem Euangelio cuius se enarratores esse mentiuntur eadem superbia quod ea sit lex gratiae et cuÌ„misericordia Christique beneficio et bonitate publicata Sed nihil est impudentius arrogantiae rusticorum qui garrulitatem Authoritatem putant et parati ad lites tumidi in subiectos intonant Hoc habet proprium doctrina arrogantium vt humiliter nesciant inferre quod docent et recta quae sapiunt recte ministare non possint c. Atque statutum seditionarios nunquam ordinandos clericos et ordinatoi deijciendâ—s Wherein that is to say both against the prophets and Apostles doctrine certaine new smattering Diuines now adaies doe verie greatlie offend who falslie pretend that they are led by zeale who in their pulpits Lectures cast out not words of modestie or of the word of God but lightnings and thunderings who as outragious men in rayling vtter nothing but taunts scoffes swords fires rages furies of hell matters of blood and murtherings So as a man may rather terme them cursed speakers furious persons mad men traytors seditious declamers enemies of Christian peace souldiers robbers the eues then preachers and expounders of the Euangelicall truth being like those pastors that will commaund with seueritie that rather think it meete to haue their sheepe killed then to haue them with mildnes recalled to the flocke VVhereas notwithstanding it is saide of the gospell whereof lyinglie they call themselues expositors with the same pride that it is a lawe of grace and published with the mercie bountie goodnes of Christ But there is nothing more impudent then the arrogancie of base companions who account their prating a kind of authoritie and being readie to quarrell they tyrannise ouer such as are subiect vnto them The doctrine of arrogant persons hath this property that they cannot deliuer with humilitie those things which they teach nor minister rightly their honest conceits Now there is a statute that stirrers vp of sedition should not be made Clergie men and that such as are made alreadie should be degraded And thus Peter Gregorius Whereby you may see that wee are not the onely men that haue whetted their penns against the Iesuits nor yet that we haue written halfe so bitterlie as others haue against them It is to be wished that you woulde take these thinges to hart apply them to the Iesuits proceedings vnderhand in England but more apparantlie in Ireland There is an old lesson which children learne among their rules in Schoole and is fit for all persons times and seasons Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cantum happie are they whom other mens harmes doe make to beware Maister Arnold and Pet Gregorius haue saide sufficient to make all the states in Europe that are not hispanized to take heede of these fellowes and of their designements And yet such is their plotting and Fox-like wilines as by swearing and forswearing by fawning and flattering by a thousand other sleights they so inueigle men and women that be of any good or honorable disposition that an other very singuler wise man of high authoritie and a sound Catholick hath thought it very necessarie to adde much to that which Maister Arnold and Pet Greg. haue written that thereby all men especiallie of state and action may be inexcusable if either they themselues or the state wherein they serue doe euer heereafter take harme by the Iesuits The treatise which hee hath written to this purpose is intituled THE IESVITS CATECHISME so termed as wee thinke to distinguish their newe deuises instructions plottings from the sinceritie of the auncient and approued forme of Christes Catechisme which the Church of Rome hetherto hath taught In this discourse the Iesuits and their proceedings are more throughlie sifted and that ab incunabilis from their verie cradle By reason whereof all these things falling out at the beginning so badly and sorting still from worse to worse the Author of this Treatise is driuen oftentimes in the heate of his zeale to lay aside his skill in Rhetorick which is very excellent and for the discharge of his conscience to God and the dutie he oweth to his countrey as also for a caueat vnto all other countries to deale very plainly calling men and matters by their owne names without any circumlocution or ambiguâ—ie He that hath eates to heare let him heare This gentleman is farre from the said Spanish Iesuits conceit either of Ignatius himselfe or of his Order As touching Ignatius he saith that although for his learning hee was but an Asse Fol. 42. yet otherwise he was one of the cuÌ„ningst worldlings that this our latter age hath brought sorth in deed a very Imposture And vvhereas great account is made of his illuminations Fol. 39. visions inspirations extasies wherein the blessed Virgin and Christ himselfe talked with him diuine instructions opening to him the mysteries of the blessed Trinitie and of the holy Scriptures all these conteÌ„plations saith he Were meere mummeries or illusions of the diuell Fol. 29. who desired to present vs with such a man as might by his ignorance trouble the whole state of the Church The said Osorius the Iesuit hauing in the largest size commended Ignatius his founder ascribeth it as a speciall point of appertayning to his further praise that he left behind him schollers of his owne mould who like waxe frame themselues to beare his expresse image To which purpose there is a verie fit Text sought out in these words Mortuus est pater eius Eccles 30. quaesi non est mortuus similem enim reliquit sibi post se His father it dead and yet he is as if he were not dead because he hath left bebind him one like to himselfe According to which Text the said Gentleman in his sense sheweth very apparantly the great resemblance betwixt Ignatius and his ofspring and writeth of them their whole order their qualities and proceedings as heere in part it insueth They are of the Societie of Iesus as Iudas was amongst the Apostles so many Iesuits so many Iudases Fol. 23. readie to betray their Princes or their countries whensouer occasion serues to doe it What will you giue vs will be the burthen of their song to those Princes that haue most money and we will deliuer our Liege-Lord into your hands or trouble his State that it may be yeelded to you Iesuitisme breeds many complaints among the people many iarres Fol. 13. dissentions contentions
atque alijs diligenter examinatis perpensis Haec societas videtur in negotio fidei periculosa pacis Ecclesiae perturbatiua monasticae Religionis euersiua magis ad destructionem quam act aedificationem I will not iuggle with you it may bee some of thys company vnderstands no Latine therefore this censure beeing the foundation of my discourse I will put it into French apparrell that euery man may know it In the yeere of our Lord 1554. the first of December the most sacred facultie of the Diuines in Paris after Masse of the holy Ghost was celebrated in the Colledge of Sorbons Chappell according to their custome this fourth time by oath assembled together to determine of the two Bulles which two holy Fathers the Popes Paulus the third and Iulius the third are sayd to haue graunted to these men that desire to be honoured with the societie of IESVS Which two Bulles the Senate or Court of Parliament of Paris sent by Hostiarius to the said Facultie to be perused and examined Before they entreated of so high and weightie matters all and singuler our Maisters in pubique with open mouth protested that they decreed deuisd and intended nothing against the authoritie and power of the Pope but all and euery of them like obedient Chyldren as they euer acknowledged and confessed him to be Christes chiefe vniuersall Vicar and generall Pastor of the Church whom all sorts of both Sectes are bound to obey to honour his decrees and euery one to defend them to his power So nowe also they doe sincerely faithfully and willingly acknowledge confesse the same But because euery man especially Diuines ought to be readie to giue an aunswere to euery one that asketh them of matters appertaining to fayth manners and edification of the Church the saide Facultie hath thought it meete to satisfie the request commaundement and entreatie of the Court. Therefore all the Articles of both Bulles beeing often read repeated and conceiued for the greatnes of the matter many daies monthes and houres according to their custome first verie diligently discust and examined at last with one consent but with great reuerence and humilitie submitting all to the controlement of the Apostolike sea they gaue this doome This new Societie chalenging to it selfe the rare title of the name of Iesus so licentiously and hand ouer-head admitting all sorts of persons how wicked illegitimate or infamous soeuer diffring nothing from secular priests in outward apparrell tonsure canonicall howers either priuately to be said or publikely to be sung in churches in cloistures and silence in choise of meates and daies in fasts and other ceremonies whereby religious orders are distinguisht and preserued endowed with so many and sundrie priuiledges grants and liberties especially in administration of the Sacraments of penance and of the Eucharist that without difference of place or persons as also in the office of preaching reading and teaching to the preiudice of the Ordinaries of the Hierachicall order to the preiudice likewise of other religious men nay euen of Princes temporall Lords against the priuiledges of the Vniuersities and to the great griefe of the people appeares to defloure monasticall religion it cuts the sinewes of the painfull holy and necessarie exercise of vertues of abstinence ceremonies and austeritie it opens a gap to Apostacie from other religious orders it takes away due obedience from the Ordinaries it vniustly depriues the Lords spirituall temporall of their right It breeds a garboile in both gouernments many complaints among the people many iarres discords contentions emulatiōs rebellions sundry schismes Therfore all these and other things of like nature thorowly examined and waighed This Societie appeares to be in matter of faith daungerous to the peace of the Church troblesome to monasticall religion ruinous and more apt to pull downe than to build vp Was there euer a better sentence mixt with a truer prophecie than this And why There was no banding then in the field euerie man slept safe in the sinceritie of his conscience towards God there were no tumultuary assemblies but for foure daies togither by them that had determined of it long before Much lesse minded they to oppose themselues against the authority of the holy Sea as we gather from their humble protestation For this cause the holy Ghost after their deuout inuocation of him by their sacrifice spake thorough the organe of this sacred facultie And thus am I perswaded that for these thousand yeers there was neuer any worke of the holy Ghost greater and more apparant to our eies than was this censure The Court of Parliament of Paris sent those Buls onely of Pope Paulus dated the yeere 1543. And that of Iulius the third dated the yeere 1550. The Iesuites kept all the other close bearing date of the yeeres 43.45.46.49 Vpon the sight but of those two ends of their ware they iudged wisely what the rest of the whole peece might be Without any more a do remember those three lines It breeds many complaints among the people manie iarres dissentions contentions rebellions and sundrie schismes and conferre them with your discouery of their order you shall find the Sorbons speech true The diuine seruice of their Church is diuided from ours their priuiledges make a deuision betweene the Bishops and them the Monasteries and them the Vniuersities and them the Diuines of Paris and them Their propositions also make a diuision betweene the holy Sea and Princes But how be these priuiledges maintaind By their Colledges their confessions their preaching Their Colledges are traps to catch youth their confessions subornations their Sermons Mounte-banks Markets If you beleeue this Iesuite here he will say we haue no preachers but them to defend the olde Church It is not yet aboue threescore yeeres since they were set a foote What preachers haue we had of them in Paris One Aimond Auger and Iames Commolet I remember none but these On the other side how many hath the facultie of the Vniuersitie in Paris bred of learned and holy men neuer tainted with innouation Againe did euer any man in our time heare a Iesuite handle or expound in Pulpit or open assembly any one text of Scripture either to vphold the Apostolike Sea or lay heresie in the dust What is the summe of their preaching To bite them that are absent not to edifie them that are present except it be to scandale kings and princes And that which is most admirable in this censure is that our diuines saw the rebellions these new masters would raise vp in time to come against our king Therefore while I now embarke my selfe against them it is neither giddinesse malice nor folly that caries me with wind and tide I set the venerable facultie of the diuines of Paris before mine eies for my Vice-admirall to carie the light in my nauigation CHAP. 4. ¶ How at what time and by what sleights the Iesuites crept into Fraunce WHen God is determined
name which they had once giuen as they thought vnto the truth Nay the matter proceeded so farre that this name grew to be imposd vppon the rest of that societie almost throughout all Portugall Trust me this passage is of such desert that I should deceiue these good men if I should not translate it into French to discouer with howe great pietie they haue purchast this title For Fraunces Xauier is honoured for a great Saint among all the Iesuits Was there euer any impietie or imposture greater then this that these two hypocrits to be counted Apostles bruted it abroad that two new supplies were added to their Sect to make vp the number of twelue Apostles and that vpon this false alarum they were called Apostles This was against theyr will saith Turcelline belieue the reporter For Xauier tooke speciall care not to loose his tytle when hee came into the Indies Tincel 2. booke of Xauiers life cap. 3. Therefore as before in Portugall so in India he began to be commonly calld an Apostle and the same title afterwards flowed from Francis as from the Head to the rest of his fellowes Tell me I beseech you whether this be not to renue the heresie of Manes whose followers were cald Manichees he naming himselfe the Paraclet had twelue Disciples whom he cald Apostles and for such he sent them abroad one by one to other prouinces to spread abroad the poyson of his heresie through their preaching To say the truth Ignace neuer tooke on him the name of Paraclet yet was he willing inough to be accounted for another Iesus by his company As I wil discourse to you in his proper place when I come to speak of their blind obedience He did not only take this authority power vpon himselfe But resigned it ouer also to all the Generals of his order that succeeded him who in like manner haue embraced the title of Apostles wherewith their inferiours were endowed in Portugall This is apparant in Rome and yet no man sees it but quite contrarie this Family is there had in honourrable regard vpon a wrong conceit men haue entertained touching their absolute obedience whereof these my Maisters make semblance vnto the Pope And shall we hereafter haue any maruaile to heare a barking at the holy Sea by diuersities of new opinions that fight against it Pardon me I beseech thee O holy Sea for it is the heat of my zeale deuoted to thee that inforceth me to vtter this speech Great and vnspeakable are Gods iudgements to suffer that in the Citie of Rome in your sight and knowledge there should bee a Manes continued by successions from one to another which hath not twelue onely but infinite Apostles dispersed here and there God will reuenge it early or late though it be by his enemies The Aduocate as a man much wounded in heart was desirous to prosecute this in a chafe when the Iesuit interrupting him said Verie well sir you are in daunger to be drawen drie Marking your discourse you put me in mind of those young Historiographers which imputed it for folly to Alexander the great that he would haue all men thinke him to be Iupiters sonne they attributed this to his immoderate ouer-weening neuerthelesse it was an excellent wise drift of his Can you imagine why so long as the country of king Darius was the marke he shot at he was too wise to take that title vpon him and chose rather to thrust forward his fortune by ordinarie meanes of armes But as soone as he plotted to passe into India a kind of new world deuided from ours he would haue the people perswaded by the great Priest of Aegypt that he was Iupiters sonne and from that time he would be adored as such a one not by the Macedonians his natural subiects bred in the liberty of a Greeke spirit But by the barbarous people with such respect and beliefe that from that time forward they should take him not to be a meere Prince but a great God that came to the conquest of the Indies this deuice tooke so good effect that he made himselfe Lord of the country without striking stroke The Kings Potentates and common people saying that their countrey was first vanquished by Bacchus then by Hercules both sonnes of Iupiter and that the whole rule and Dominion was reserued for the comming of Alexander a third sonne of his Thinke you our Societie followes not this plot you see we neuer tooke the name of Apostles any where but in Portugall but when we were to go to the same Indies where Alexander had beene we thought as he did that it was fit we should be authorized beyond others by a more ample sacred and maiesticall title which was to be called Apostles It had beene ill for vs to challenge it in Portugall if Xauier had not continued it by an entercourse of his companie after his arriuall in the Indies to the end he might be reputed another Saint Thomas sent thither after the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ And it were impossible to recount what conquests of soules we made there vnder this holy perswasion Ha quoth the Aduocate verily if this be your fashion I haue nothing to do with you for as when you entred Italy you borrowed I know not what of their Mountebanks so would you do the like of Machiauell in Portugall and the Indies Meane while you my maisters that haue bragged much of your knowledge in Diuinitie haue verie ill turnd ouer the history of the kings in the the Bible from whence you gather by a continued ranke that God tooke away the crownes of all the Kings of Israel as oft as they became Idolaters eyther while they liued or in all time to come neuer suffered them to descend vnto their children How thinke you I pray ye that God hath left the true Kings of Portugall without heires and that their Realme came into the hands of the first Prince that caught it That one Don Anthonio a bastard one Katherine de Medices Queene-mother of our King pretended title to it and last of all that one Philip King of Spaine became maister of it without any great resistance I will not discourse in partriculer of the goodnes of his title for mine one part I thinke that the best title he had was the iustice of God whō it pleased in reuenge of the giddie Idolatrie and blasphemie of the kings and people to make this realme without triall of the cause passe from one family to another by this holy title of Apostles attributed to these hypocrites And I perswade my selfe that the King of Spayne now raigning will one day fall into the like mischiefe if he suffer this impietie CHAP. 10. ¶ The impieties of William Postell a Iesuits BVt why should we thinke this blaphemie strange in them if within few yeeres after they tooke the title of Apostles on them some one of them was found so abhominable in the sight of God and man
1534. and of Salmeron and Codury which came after them in the same degree in the yeere 1535 for both our Historiographers agree that in the moneth of Nouember 1536. they forsooke Paris to tender themselues in Italy to their Maister Ignace As for Ignace himselfe you cannot tell how to giue him aboue three yeers time of studie in Diuinity at the most and much of that lost by a lingring sicknes for which the Phisitians councelled him to chaunge the ayre whereupon he returned in o Spayne in Nouember 1535. yet did these great Clarkes promise by their learning to conuert heretiques and infidels to our religion Thinke you that if the three Cardinals put in commission by the Pope to examine them had sounded the bottome of them they should not haue descried that vpon their comming into Italy they had euen with the ayre drunke downe I know not what manners and dispositions of the Mounte-banks who vtter their Triacle in euerie towne take vp their standing in the market place with a long Oration promising to heale al manner of griefes and diseases with their oyntments pouders oyles and waters faire shewes that commonly come to nothing CHAP. 13. ¶ That we haue great likelihood to proue that the approbation of the Iesuits sect made by Paule the third is nothing worth THe aduocate hauing ended his discourse the Iesuit replied and said Why haue you held vs so long with this friuolus matter I see our first Fathers the founders of our order were not all Maisters of Arts in Paris I see some of them were no Graduates I see neuer a one of theÌ„ was Bacheler much lesse Doctor of Diuinitie I see none of them studied it Briefly if it may pleasure you I grant all you would haue me What of all this I pray you sith Pope Paule the third authorized them ten yeeres after Iulius his successor confirmed our new profession Popes that deserue to be beleeued aboue all the rules of Lawe by reason of their absolute power and dignitie Let me tell you freely that though our good Fathers were but simple Schollers men should hardly finde you match them sith you indeuour by your curious speech to call their state in question after it was allowed You must vnderstand that the Pope supplies by the scroule of his thoughts whatsoeuer wants either in law or action This had beene well spoken quoth the Aduocate if the Clarks of the Court of Rome coppying out the Bull had by some expresse declaration put in a clause derogatorie to the truth of the matter Yet is not this proposition altogether approued as for my selfe I will take good heed that I neuer doubt of the authoritie of the holy Sea confirmed by infinite places as well of holy Scripture as of the works of the auncient Doctors of the Church Yet the case standing as it doth in that which followes we haue great reason to be perswaded that the approbation Paule the third made of their Sect is of no force not for lacke of authoritie in him but by reason of a plaine surreption vsuall among you Marke I beseech you what I shall say vnto you assoone as euer Ignace forsook the warres to betake him to another kind of life he had a purpose to become a Captaine of our Church militant The first shew he made of it was about the yeere 1536. in the Vniuersitie of Alcala where he drew three Spanish Schollers to him Artiague Calliste Cazere Maff. lib. r. cap. 17. Rib. lib. 1. cap. 14. and from that time had he a motion of Iesuitisme in his head He had heard that Saint Iohn the Baptist pointing to our Sauiour Iesus Christ in the sight of the Iewes cald him the Lambe of God that came downe from heauen to take away our sins Hereupon this wise man taking the barke from the sappe thought he could not immitate our Sauiour Christ more truly then by wearing a wollen garment that was neuer died but of the same colour it hath when it is taken from the sheeps back thus were his three companions and hee sutably clad in Say Quos propterea saith Ribadiner 〈◊〉 panni similitudine Cap. 14. Ensaialados vulgó Hispanico vocabulo appellabant that is Men in Say And before him Maffee reported that Natiui coloris lanea veste cuncts vtebantur Marchants ordinarily call it cloath serge or wooll bearing the colour of the beast These foure were all of one companie and among other things they made a shew of studying Diuinitie Imagine you what a pretie maske it was to see these foure great Clarkes in the Diuinitie Schooles without gowne or cloake onely suted in Say of one colour One Francis ioynd himselfe to these who had no leasure to apparrel himselfe like the rest This new kind of habit cast them into the Inquisition Maff. lib. 1. cap. 17. from whence they were brought before Master Iohn Figuero Vicar generall to the Archbishop of Toledo who charged them to change their habit commaunding Ignace and Artiagu to go in blacke Callist and Cazere in tawny as for Francis he altered not his at all A few moneths after perceiuing Ignace to be vnlearned 〈◊〉 lâ—b 1. cap. 14. he forbad him to catechize the people for the space of foure whole yeeres in which time he might grow capable of that office His Disciples being vnwilling to come within the compasse of law any more forsooke him vtterly and he spying his affaires go backward after the same manner that a little before certain hipocrits called the Illuminates were suppressed in Spaine he determined to come into France hoping to haue better successe here and that he must be singular in some point whatsoeuer it were if he would preuaile I haue told you what his cariage was in Paris At the last he Faure Xauier Laniez SabacroÌ„ Bobadilla Roderic made a vow in the Church of Monâ—marter in the yeere 1534. vpon the day of the AssumptioÌ„ that as soon as they had proceeded Doctors in Diuinitie they should go to Palestine at the Popes pleasure to conuert the Infidels as I told you of late and if any thing fell out crosse to hinder this enteprize they should put the matter into the Popes hands to giue such order for it as he thought meet There must be much time to furnish them for the accomplishment of this vow For by the order of the facultie of Diuinitie in Paris after the degree of Maistership there was a surcease of fiue yeeres which was afterward reduced to foure before a man might begin his Diuinity course Of the seuen first three last compamoÌ„s there were but two that according to this graue order were sit to begin this course that was Peter Faure and Francis Xauier Maisters of the yeere 1529. and so were not to be admitted before the yeere 1535. As for all the rest not one of them had made his fiue yeeres preparation after his Maistership and one of them Pasquier Troet was no Maister
haue any possibilitie of agreement vvith our Church of Fraunce let vs forget all the miseries and calamities that haue been brought vpon vs by their means in our last troubles and let vs not enuie theÌ„ their aboade in the principall Cittie of Fraunce It is no small aduantage for them that would plant and spread a new religion to be placed in the chiefe Cittie of a kingdome by the authority of the soueraigne Magistrate They cast in our way two great words to stoppe our mouth altogether the name of Iesus to which euerie knew must bow and the name of the Pope which wee must receiue with all submission and honour But to whom doe they sell theyr trash Are wee any other but followers of Iesus Are we any other then the children of the holy Sea 1. All of vs acknowledge by a common and generall faith that we are a part portion of the church of Iesus by the merit of his passion euer since that we haue been regenerat by the holy sacrament of Baptisme They by an arrogant name applyed entitle themselues and their sect Conference at Poissy 1561. Act of parliameÌ„t in the same yeere the societie of Iesus a title forbidden them both by our Church of Fraunce and by the Court of Parliament at Paris in the yeere 1561. 2. Wee in this country of Fraunce auow with all humilitie and readines our holy Father the Pope as Primate but not as prince of all Churches In this fayth we liue and die vnder him renewing the oath of allegiance from the day of our baptisme to the day of our death Part 7. of their const c. 1. arti 2. The Iesuit as a vassaile peculiar aboue others acknowledges him for his prince to whom hee specially renewes the oath of his allegeance at the change of euerie Pope 3. Our church of Fraunce holds that our holy father the Pope is vnder a generall oeconomicall counsell so we haue learned of our great diuine Gerson so of the councell of Constance and so when in former times any decree came out from his holines to the preiudice of our Kings or their realme our auncestors appeald from it to a generall Councell to be held afterward Cap. Noui de iudie. ext cap. ad Apostolicae de re iudie. capit vnam sanâ—tam de maior et obed The Iesuit maintaines a cleane contrarie opinion that in the same sort as the courtiers of Rome doe 4 With what dissimulation soeuer the Iesuit cloakes his writings now a dayes hee acknowledgeth the Pope prince of all kingdoms as well in matters temporall as spirituall because the Popes haue acknowledgd themselues for such in their decretall sentences and namely of late in their Bull of the great Iubile publisht for the yeere 1600. S. Peter and S. Paule whose successors they are called princes of the earth if the Iesuite doubt of this article he is an hereticke in his sect Our church of Fraunce neuer belieued that the Pope had any power ouer the temporal estate of our Kings Looke the chap. of this book where wee entreat of blindfold obedience 5 The Iesuit obayes the Pope by an obedience which he calls blindfold a proposition of a hard consequence for the King and all his subiects A proposition also which we obserue not but stoutly improue in our Church of Fraunce 6 By an auncient tradition which wee hold as it were froÌ„ hand to hand froÌ„ the Apostles euery Dioces hath his Bishop ouer whoÌ„ it is not lawful to vsurp any authority Bellam. lib. 1. de indulg cap. 11. The whole sect of the Iesuits is nothing els but a generall infringing of the authoritie of Archb. and Bish yea the hold that the Bishop hath no other iurisdiction or power then that which he holds of the Pope 7 The administring of the word of God and of the Sacra appertaines principally to the Archb. Bishop after to the Curats within their parishes to none other except a man haue permission of some of them within their charges By the Buls of 1540. 1550. The Iesuit giues to himselfe full power to preach the word of God and to administer the holy sacrament of Pennance and the Eucharist wheresoeuer it please him to the preiudice of the Ordinaries 8 Only the B. in his dioces can dispence with the vse of meats forbidden according as necessitie requires The Buls of Iulius the 3. 1552. The Iesuit acknowledges herein none but the Superiors of his order 9 We admit not to the order of priest-hood any that are borne in adultery or incest The Buls of Paule the 3. 1546. The Iesuit admits them without difference 10 By our ancient canonicall constitutions Church-men may not say Masse but before noone The Buls of Paule the 3. 1545. The Iesuit may sing Masse after none if it please him 11 Our priests are forbidden to say Masse any where but in our Churches except for the succouring of them that are sick and that by the permission of the Curat The Iesuit may make a particular oratory within his house and in all places where soeuer he comes there say Masse and haue an Altar to carry about with him 12 One of the auncientest parts of deuotion that we haue in our Church Teâ—t lib. 2. ad vâ—oâ—em Sib. Apul. lib. 5. epist are the Processions for euen Tertullian makes mention of them and we find that Mamercus Bishop of Vienna brought in the Rogation which wee obserue euery yeere in the weeke of the Ascention of our Lord Iesus Christ The Puls of 〈◊〉 13. 1576. The Iesuit doth not onely disalow of them but maintaines that they are forbidden him 13 We celebrate Anniuersaries in our Church in the remembrance of them that lately bestowed any goods on vs by way of almes The Iesuit receiues a pace what soeuer almes are giuen him to this end Part 6. of thâ—â—r const ca. 3. art 6. but yet he admits not of the Anniuersaries nor the Obits 14 We haue in our Church a certaine place neer the Altar which we call the Quire where our priests say diuine seruice Part 6. coÌ„st ca. 3. art 4. Iâ—b lib. 3. cap. 22. The bull of Gre. the 13 â—â— of Octo. 1576. apart from the common people The Iesuit hath no such place 15 We say our canonicall houres aloude in our churches of ordinary that euery man may pertake thereof The Iesuit is not bound but that he may say them in a low voyce 16 As our country of Fraunce hath alwaies abounded in deuotion aboue all other Nations so it hath had speciall priuiledge of God that all the heads of religious orders that haue been graffed vpoÌ„ the ancient orders of S. Austin S. Benet haue vowed theyr perpetuall houses amongst vs French men as the orders of Clugnie the Cistercians the Premonstratenses and Gramont There is neuer an order but that of the Charter-house Monks The Plea of the
A Cleargie mans goods may be confiscated by an ecclesiasticall Iudge in such cases as a Lay-man may be so punisht by the law 38 A Cleargie man may not be punisht by a Secular Iudge for a false testimonie giuen before him 39 A Clergie man being smitten by on of the Laitie may sue him before an ecclesiasticall Iudge 40 A Cleargie man may vse the custome and statute of Lay-men for his owne profit His meaning is that the custome binds him not vnlesse it please himselfe 41 A Bishop may constraine men vpon paine of excommunication to bring in the Testaments of the dead and see they be executed 42 A Bishop may charge a benefice which hee bestowes with a yeerely pension for the maintaining of a poore scholler or Clarke 43. A woman is not vsually to haue succession in Fee 44. A Cleargie man dying intestate and hauing no kinred the Church which he serued must be his heire but now perhaps the chamber of the Apostolique Sea inherits 45. A prisoner going to execution is not bound to confesse that which before he vntruly denied vnlesse otherwise some great harme may ensue 46. A prisoner is not to be compelled by his confessor to confesse his fault All which Propositions directly derogate from those which we obserue by the common law of Fraunce And yet that which is more mischieuous intolerable is that which he hath in two other Articles written in this sort 47 The rebellion of a Cleargy man against his Prince is not high treason because he is not subiect to the Prince 48 If a Priest in confession haue intelligence of some great daunger intended to the state it is sufficient to giue a generall warning to take heed He also against whom euill is intended may be warned to take heed to himselfe at such a place and time so that the penitent be not in daunger to be discouered thereby Good God Can we abide this order in our countrey of Fraunce I know that although God be thanked our kings were neuer tyrants yet the Iesuits propound two Maximes which if they should take place euerie soueraigne Prince must stand to the mercie of his people 49 A King may be deposed by the State for tyranny and if he do not his dutie when there is iust cause an other may be chosen by the greater part of he people Yet some thinke that tyrannie onely is the cause for which he may be deposed 50 He that gouerns tyranously may be deposd by the peoples sentence yea though they haue sworne perpetuall obedience to him if being warned he will not amend If these two Articles take place there is no Prince be he what he will that can be assured in his estate And I pray you suppose that this confessionary was printed in the yeere 1589. that is to say to confirme authorize that which was purposed against the King deceased in the beginning of the yeere when certaine ill disposed persons would haue declared him to be a tyrant 51. We haue in this countrey of Fraunce an appeale as it were a writ of Errour of the thundring of the Apostolike Buls when they are found to enterprize anie thing eyther against the maiestie of our Kings or against the auncient Councels receiued and approued in our Church of Fraunce or against the liberties thereof or against the authoritie Royall or Acts of the high Courts This appeale as from the abuse I tell you is one of the principall sinewes of the maintenance of our estate The Iesuit will not acknowledge it for many causes which touch him neere which I will not here discouer 52 The Iesuits acknowledge none for their Iudge but the Pope or their General desiring by this means to fend vs backe againe to that old labyrinth of Rome wherof our good Saint Bernard complaind to Pope Eugenius in his bookes of consolation And thereof we saw a notable example in Burdeaux when Lager Rector of the Colledge of the Iesuits declared that he would not obey the Maire and Iurats who had sent for him for the preuenting of a certaine sedition saying that he acknowledged them for ciuil Magistrates ouer the Burgesses of the Citie but that neither they nor any other Iudges of what nation qualitie dignitie and authority soeuer had any power ouer their societie but onely our holy Father the Pope or the Generall of their order And shall we then suffer this family to liue in the midst of vs That were indeed to receiue in a vermine which at length will gnaw out the heart of our estate both spirituall and temporall Then said the Iesuit to the Aduocate I will not be long in aunswering your curious collections Sess 25. ca. 16. de regular For against all that you haue said I oppose in one word the generall counsell of Trent by which we are approued and authorized 53 Whereto the Aduocate aunswered I grant that you haue thirtie on your part but we haue 45. aboue you This Councell concerning the doctrine is an abridgement of all the other auncient Councels therfore it is in that regard to be embrast by all deuout soules but wholy to be reiected concerning discipline as well Secular as Ecclesiasticall as that Councell by which our whole Realme of Fraunce would be set on fire if it should be receiued And they that can sent well smell that all which was then decreed came from the Iesuitish soules I meane as concerning matter of gouernment If there were no other respect but this ye were to be banisht out of Fraunce because we cannot allow of you without allowing of this Councell and the approuing of it were to make a great breach both into the Maiestie of our Kings and into the liberties of our Church of Fraunce CHAP. 2. ¶ That the Popes authorizing the Iesuit at his first comming neuer had any perswasion that eyther he could or ought to inhabit in Frannce WHen the Aduocate had made an end of this discourse the Iesuit thinking he had some great aduantage against him began to speak thús to him Let vs lay aside the counsell of Trent though it be a strong fort for the confirming of our order At the least you cannot deny that we are assisted with an infinite number of the Buls of diuers Popes Paulus and Iulius the third Pius the fourth and fifth and Gregorie the thriteenth by all which they do not onely approue vs but gratifie vs with many great priuiledges such as neuer were granted to any other order of religion as you might vnderstand by me yesterday Whereupon it followes that you and all other that set themselues to fight against vs ought to be held for heretiques Aduoc. A great obiection forsooth for you could not possibly fight against me with any better weapons I am right glad that my whole discourse begins continues ends according to the authority of the holy sea Abs Ioue principium Iouis omnia plena The holy Sea hath approued of you say you I
the great Canonist Nauarre It is a new Lawe as also the simple vow of Chastitie is which this Societie makes vvhich hinders marriage to be contracted and disanuls it after it is contracted But it ceaseth not to be right by beeing newe as long as it is ratified by the Prince and head of the Church who made the Lawes of other religious Orders and the rest of the Canon Law The newnes of a thing hinders not the nature of it The newe Raisins are Raisins as well as those of the Vine that Noe planted All right was nevve in the beginning and yet ceast not thereby to be right Sixteene hundred yeeres hence this will bee more auncient then the Canons of the Apostles are at this day which were as young fifteene hundred yeeres a goe as this is now The other lye which is also refuted by this discourse is that the Iesuits cast men off when they are spent with trauaile For as they are not retayned for hope of theyr goods so are they not cast off by reason of theyr pouertie but for some other iust cause Otherwise at the last they must needes dismisse all that make profession because they are depriued of all their goods and they should receiue none that is not rich neither of which they doe If there be any of so obstinate a nature that he wil not be amended after that he hath beene lookt to and medicind a long time it is reason that hee should beare the punishment of his stubbornnesse and that the societie should vse their right VVhich notwithstanding is not done but very sildome and that by the authoritie of the Generall onelie and almost alwaies with the liking of them that are dismist whom we haue not so much emploied as endured and waited for their amendment 10. and sometimes 20. yeeres With such griefe of hart doe they vse this remedie and so deerely loue they the saluation of those that are damageable to thē And so it is plaine that you are in all things altogether vniust to the Iesuits in slaūdering thē that they seduce men by receiuing thē into their society dismissing them out again Some man more scrupulous Chap. 51. of better vnderstanding then you will demaund vvith what conscience they can be dismist and absolued that haue once made vow of religion since the vow is a bond to God which he onely can release as a right belonging properly to him To that I aunswere that a vow binds according to his intent that makes it If any make a vow to fast after the order of the Chartehouse Munks he binds himselfe to fast as the Charterhouse Munks do not as one of an other order who obserueth no such fast They that make vowes in this Societie make them according to the intent and fashion thereof the intent is that they should be in such sort bound to abide in it as that when there shall be any iust occasion they may be dismist and acquited of their bond Wherefore hee that is bound hath no wrong done him if he be constrained to keepe his promise or if hee be dismist because he cannot or will not doe his endeauour to amend himselfe and accomplish it For he hath made his vowe with such a condition volenti non fit iniuria and he that forsakes the Societie without leaue is an Apostata and beares reproach and the marke of his sinne But he that departs by the aduise or good pleasure of his Generall who thinks it meete vpon some necessitie of minde or bodie or of his parents or for the publique good or for some other iust cause that hee should be licenced to giue ouer is thereby absolued from his vowes CHAP. 10. That it cannot be excused but that there is heresie and Macchiauelisme in the Iesuits simple vow THus much the Iesuit Montaignes Now I instantly beseech out holy Father the Pope and adiure all Kings Princes Potentates and Lords which fight vnder his banner in our militant Church that they would open their eies and euerie one particularly examine his conscience for the good of our Christian world With whom haue I here to do with the Iesuits who making aunswer to Arnaults Plea would haue thought they had wrongd their holinesses if according to the ordinary simplicity of others they had intitled their discourse thus A defence against Arnaults Plea but with a proud title they haue set on the front of their booke The truth defended for the Catholik religiō in the Iesuits cause against the Plea of Anthony Arnault I take them at their word wil labour for the Catholike religion with them there is nothing more commaunded vs by God his Church then the performance of our vowes I should abuse both the time my pen if I would proue this by texts out of the old and new Testament and by the authorities of the auncient Doctors of the Church sith deuotion first brought into our Church the orders of Religious Monasteries by which wee enter the three substantiall vowes of Pouertie Chastitie and Obedience This rule hath beene so strictly obserued that the Pope himselfe though hee haue fulnesse of power ouer our consciences yet neuer gaue liberty to himselfe to dispense wholly with a religious person vnlesse it be in fauour of some soueraigne Prince for the succouring of some verie vrgent necessitie in his estate And our Lord being desirous to shew that such dispensations please him not sometimes interposes the rigour of iustice verie manifestly That was seene long since in the Realme of Naples where when all the royall line was ended in Constance who had beene a long time a professed Nun the publique necessity seemed to claime that she should be disuayld that the blood royall might be renewed by her She was absolued from her vow by the holy Sea and presently married to the Emperour Fredericke the second of which marriage Manfrey was borne and of him Conradin But neuer marriage brought greater ruine to Italy then this because the Pope and the Emperour were thereby in continuall diuisions vnder the names of the Guelfes and Gibbilins which lasted an infinite while And as for the children that came thereof Manfrey was slaine in a pitcht field afterward Conradin his sonne taken by Charles of Aniow king of Naples who causd him to be beheaded vpon a scaffold I haue purposely toucht this example to shew how little God likes these vnmunkings what authoritie soeuer he haue giuen to our holy father the Pope who also hath beene drawne thereto with an infinite number of respects before be yeeld But aboue all it is a generall rule in Rome that in all other families not soueraigne the Pope neuer makes a religious man lay but only changes the rigour of the first vow into an other more easie to beare as we saw of late in this our country of France When as the Lord of Bouchage comming of a verie noble house had made himselfe a Capuchin and that after
the death of all his bretheren the necessitie of the time seemnig to call him again to worldly affairs all that his friends could obtaine at Rome was the chaunging of his vow into that of Saint Iohn of Ierusalem It was neuer permitted a religious man in our Church that had made the vowe of pouertie to succeed his parents much lesse to be releast out of his Monasterie to enter againe into a secular life The Pope giues not himselfe this libertie And shall wee suffer in our Church a religious Iesuit to succeed and his Generall to giue him leaue to doo so when it pleaseth him Dij talem terris auertite postem This is no priuiledge this is a new monster Montaig ca. 50. 5â— which is brought into our Christian profession For all this the Iesuit thinkes to bee acquitted by God of this heresie when hee saith that there is no more in anie vowe then a man puts into it hee should say there is no more in the play For by rendering this reason of simple vow hee playes with God and is one of those scorners of whom Dauid speaketh in in the first Psalme In summe the Iesuits would say that there simple vow is a vow of a pettie dissimulation and that they thinke to deceiue God by the same Sophistrie which the old Pagan vsed when he said Iuraâ—â— lingua mentem iniuratam habeo Which protestation was condemned by them of the time though they were not Christians So saith that Iesuit I vowed pouerty with my tongue but in my mind I had a bird that sung an other song And thinking by this shift to make vs like of their new doctrine hee playes three parts at once the Iesuit the Heretique the Macchiauelist And whereas they say that the great Canonist Nauarre calleth their simple vow Nouum mirabile Saint Bernard reprouing Abelards heresie said no lesse that Ambulabat in maguis et in mirabilibus CHAP. 11. ¶ Of the Iesuits engaging the aut horitie of the holy Sea to excuse the heresie of their simple vow BVt these two priuiledges saith Montagnes are granted vs by the Head Prince of the Church See how these honest men wrong the authority of the holy Sea and into what disorder they bring it by making it a defence of their heresie I will neuer abide that this come to the ears of the enemies of our Church but that withal they shal vnderstand how al things haue past The truth is that before Gregorie 13. neuer any Pope was of aduise to grant them these priuiledges and yet euer since the comming of Ignace they haue practised this simple vow as we may see by the same Gregories Bull 1584. Whereupon euerie good Catholique will maintaine that it was a new heresie brought in by them against the holy and auncient decrees Tell me honest men what is become of the soules of your Saints Igâ—arius Loiola Iames Lainez Frances Borgia Euerard Morouie the foure first Generals of your Sect Where is Frances Xauier that was canonized a Saint amongst the barbarous Where is Peter Faurs Nicholas Bobadilla and Pasquier Broet In briefe where be the soules of all them of your Sect that liued from the yeere 1540. vntill the yere 1584. and died in this herefie In which yeere you obtaind permission for the time to come not absolutioÌ„ for that which was past so that it came too late for theÌ„ that died before In the meane while we haue these for Maisters Lecturers of our youth in their Colledges for holy fathers Diuines in our Church to preach to vs. And yet as profest heretiques in steed of establishing againe our afflicted religion by establishing their owne greatnes they haue wholy ouerthrowne ours altogither and haue had no other foundation of their heresie but their owne detestable couetousnes This indeed might haue beene obiected against vs heretofore will the Iesuit say but not now by reason of this new Bull. This answere at the first sight may seeme verie sufficient to stop our mouthes but when you shall vnderstand how at what time and by what cunning it was gotten you shall find nothing in it but sauours of a Iesuit They haue diuers vowes but I find none so solemne as that which I will presently declare to you which is to put in execution their deuises be they good or euill of their own priuate authoritie without any respect had of the holy Sea and when they haue a long time vsed this verie ill they spy out occasions of troubles for the authorizing of that their practise as men most necessarie for the maintenaunce of our religion By doing wherof they giue law to him of whom they make shew to receiue law The fisherman fishes in a troubled water and the Iesuit in our troubles In this sort began their Societie and after many refusals was confirmed by Pope Paule the third in the yeeres 1540. and 43. in consideration of the troubles that were at that time in Germanie betwixt the Catholiques and the Lutherans In this sort they obtained of Pope Pius the fourth their great priuiledge to disturbe the ancient discipline of all Vniuersities in the yeere 1561. That is to say when the troubles began to rise in Fraunce betwixt the Catholique and Hugonot The fame was practised by them in 84. when father Claudius Mathew their Prouinciall of France stirred the humours of Rome not only against the Hugonots but also against the most Catholik King deceased as if he had fauoured them And feeding Pope Gregorie with an infinite sort of vaine hopes they thought they might without daunger pull of their maske and get that approued by him which they neuer durst discouer to any Pope before namely the dishonestie of their simple vow In such sort that in Iune 1584. they obtaynd the confirmation of this vow and fiue moneths after the deceased King Henrie the third who wanted not his spies made a Commission to be publisht in open Parliament against them that practised any league in straunge countries If there were nothing but the opposition of this time it were sufficient to deface the memorie of that Bull of Pope Gregorie and also many decretals of Boniface the eight which was a profest enemie to Fraunce But I haue yet stroÌ„ger reasons on my side for I see not that any man thinks that Pope Gregorie euer gaue any sufficient consent thereto And that it is so after he hath briefly discourst of the Nouiceship he saith that the religious making their first simple vow In SocietateÌ„ cooptanour ac quantuÌ„ est ex parte ipsoruÌ„ perpetuò ex parte verò Societatis IVXTA APOSTOLICA INDVLTA ET CONSTITVITIONES PRAEDICT AS tamdiu obligati sunt quaudiu Praepositus Generalis eos retimendos censuerit Quod ad Societatis consernationeÌ„ maxime est necessariuÌ„ ID QVE AB ILLIVS EXORDIO PROVSVIM post experimento coÌ„probatum est Idque initio ingressus illis explicitè manifestatur atque ipsi conditioneÌ„
qualitie of them whom he hath drawne vnto him Let vs put case that there are a doozen Gentlemen of good houses that haue made themselues Iesuits and that some ciuill or forraigne warres hath taken away all their brethren who now but the Iesuits of the simple vow shall succeed in their inheritance and so being admitted to their first solemne vow shall enrich their order therewithall And in time they will become Monarches But let vs leaue this point of goods I am content that it be permitted their Generall to dismisse them and to beleeue that he will not enrich himselfe with the spoiles of great houses See I pray you of what consequence this dismissing is to send into the midst of vs a man that hath beene trained vp 10. or 20. yeeres in the hypocrisie doctrine of the Iesuits or to speake more truly in their more then barbarous impieties such as that I will declare to you in their place Is not this by indirect meanes to infect our countrey of Fraunce as we see by the effect For how many are there in this Realme that onely by hauing beene their Schollers and Disciples foster opinions of murthers massacres watch-words and rebellions against their Prince What may you then looke for of them that hauing biâ— brought vp 10. or 20. yeeres in their houses returne againe to vs in their owne countrey Further I would note vnto you that in this simple vow there is lodged a race of men which make expresse profession of ignorance whom they call temporall Coadrutors by whose meanes they may people a Towne and make it full of Iesuits I conclude that this simple vow contains vnder it Heresie Machiauelisme Cooznage and aboue all a grosse deceiuing of the Sea Apostolique All which tend to the ruine of the Familes and common-wealths where the Iesuits inhabit CHAP. 13. ¶ That the Iesuits Prouincials take vpon them to discharge their inferiours of the simple vow in the same sort that their Generall doth IN all that I haue hitherto discoursed vnto you I see not that the Iesuits haue any thing at all to alleadge in excuse of their simple vow And yet that no man may thinke that I am stirred against them vpon any particular quarrell I shall be very willing to excuse them if none but the Generall of their Society may grant dismission especially when he is constrained to doe it by some great vrgent necessitie Let vs grant him this omnipotency ouer them of his order which our holy Father the Pope dooth not giue to himselfe ouer any other religious of our Catholique Church But to permit a Prouinciall to doe it for and in his prouince not vpon necessity which hath no law but to pleasure him that requires absolution from his vow I beleeue that how much soeuer we can be content to winke at their doings there is no good Catholique that in any sort can beare it This was practised in the yeere 1594. in the Iesuits Colledge in Paris There was in â—at Colledge a Iesuit of the simple vow promoted by them to the holy orders of Priesthood and who for many yeeres had ruled at Bourgesse Neuers Pontá-Mousson and then had their first forme at Paris This man being wearie of the hypocrisies and other euill fashions which he saw raigned in all this Societie not able to beare this water any longer in his stomacke presented himselfe to Father Clement du Tuits Prouiciall of Paris and besought him that he might be dismist because it was not his intent to abide any longer with them Father du Puits perswaded him to the contrarie shewing him that although he had not made profession by the great vow yet hauing made the simple vow of Pouertie Chastitie and Obedience he was bound to the keeping of that so long as he liued there as well as the religious of other Monasteries and that he might not go from it without the consent of his Superiour Hereto the Iesuit replied That he neither meant nor would goe from it of his owne authoritie but that his Superiour might not denie him leaue as long as hee requested it That herein there ought to be a mutuall consent of will and power and that as the Superiour might dismisse the inferiour without his liking so the inferiour might compel the Superior to discharge him though he were not well disposed to do it that their was as much irrigularitie in the the first proposition as in the second and that if there were iustice in the one there was like in the other This question surely was one of the hardest that belongs to their Societie and if the obedience that they all vow to their Generall bee such as I will shew in this place this doubt had need to to haue beene cleered by him and his assistants Notwithstanding Father du Puits being long practised and throughly instructed in the statutes of his order without sending to Rome gaue him of his owne priuate authoritie his Letters Pattents of such tenour as followeth Clemens Puteanus Praepositus Societatis Iesu in Prounicta Franciae omnibus quorum interest in quoruÌ„ manus hae litter a venerint S. in Domino nostro Iesu Christo. FideÌ„ facio N. quamuis in Societate nostrae aliquandiu vixerit professionem tamen in ea non emisisse quin potiùs ex causis rationi consonis ipso petente liberum ab omni erga ipsam obligatione esse dimissum Testamur etiam eum ad omneis sacros ordines in eadem fuisse legitimè promotion nec vllum scimus impedimentium quò minus eis Domino ministrare possit In cuius rei testimonium eidem N. has litteras maru nostra scriptas sigillo Societatis nostra obsignatas dedimus Parisiis vigefimo quarto Augusti 1594. That is to say Clement Puteanus Prouost of the company of Iesus in the prouince of Fraunce to all persons to whom it may appertaine and to whom these presents shall come greeting in our Lord Iesus Christ I giue you to vnderstand that although the bearer hereof haue liued a certaine time in our companie yet was he not professed but vpon some good considerations mouing him to request it we haue franke and free dismist and set him at libertie from any thing that might tie him to our Societie Furthermore we certifie that he hath with vs beene promoted to all holy orders and that we know no impediment why he may not exercise his function In witnes whereof we haue made him this Pasport vnder our own hand writing and sealed it with the Seale of our Socieitie Giuen at Paris the 24. and 25. of August 1594. I name him not to you in fauour of whom these letters were graunted He is a man of excellent learning and knowne for such a one in the Vniuersitie of Paris A man I say that had spent not onely some but many yeeres among the Iesuits and had taken holy orders and read in diuers Colledges of their Societie Yet not being one of the
profest fathers but onely of the simple vow he procured letters dimissorie as you haue heard wherein though it be said for iust cause yet if you talke with him he will tell you that there was no other but onely this hee would continue with them no longer as I haue learned of himselfe and you see it was at his owne request that he came away and not at the motion of the Superiour And surely sith Clemēt du Puits vsed the matter thus I assure my selfe he might doe it by some mysterie that is kept secret amongst them without seeking the authoritie of the Generall and if he might I doubt not but the like authority is graunted to all the other Prouincials Good God what a discipline is this What respect and obedience sheweth it to the holy Sea The General may now defend himselfe by the Gregorian Bull of 1594. but in what Buls will the Prouincials find that this power is graunted them If that vpon the importunitie of an inferiour he may dismisse him to the preiudice of the 3. religious ordinary vowes of all substantial orders Pouertie Chastitie and Obedience What a Religion is this wherein all things are permitted him against our Religion Are not all these iolly Maisters verie coozners liuing in the midst of vs But you shall find other manner of stuffe in the rest of their vowes if it please you to giue me audience as hitherto you haue done CHAP. 14. ¶ How the Fathers Iesuits voning pouertie by their great and third vow make a mocke of God YOu haue vnderstood of the Father Iesuit here present that after the simple vow they make a solemne vow by which they adde nothing to the former but onely that by making this second they cannot any more inherit nor be dismist by their Generall There remaines now the third which is the vowe of three steps by which besides Pouertie Chastitie and Obedience vowed by them they make a particular vow of Mission to our holy Father the Pope which is to goe to the Indies and Turkie for the winning of soules if they be commanded by his holines But aboue all I make great account of that precise Pouertie which is enioyned them by their constitutions Runne through all the orders of religion there is not one of them in which Pouertie is so recommended as among the Capuchins which liue from hand to mouth and put ouer the care for to morrow to the onely goodnes of God Buls of the yeere 1540. and 1550. The foundation of the profest which are the Iesuits of the great vow is to vow pouertie as well ingenerall as in particular as it is in all the orders of begging Friers But because their pouertie had need to be expounded let vs see the commentaries they bring vs by their constitutions Part. 3. constit ca. 1. Art 27. They haue three sorts of houses one for their Nouices another for their religious bound by their solemne vowes which they call the house where there Church is and another which they call a Colledge for the religious that are bound only by the simple vow wherof some are schollers probationers others coadiutors some spiritual some temporall In domibus vel ecclesiis quae à Societate ad auxilium animarum admittentur redditus nulli ne Sacristiae quidem aut fabricae applicati haberi possunt sed nec vlla alia ratione Part. 6. constit ca. 2. Art 2. ita vt penel Societatem eorum sit vlla dispensatio sed in solo Deo cui per ipsius gratiam ea inseruit fiducia constituatur sine reditibus vllis ip sum nobis profecturum de rebus omnibus conuenientibus ad ipsius maicrem laudem gloriam Professi viuant ex eleemosynis in domibus cum aliquò non mittuntur nec officium Rectorum ordinarium in Collegiis Art 3 vel vniuersitatibus Societatis habeant nisi ipsarū necessitas vel magna vtilitas exigeret nec reditibus aorum in Domibus vtantur Parati sint ad mendicandum ostiatim Art 10. quando vel obedientia vel necessitas id exiget Et sit vnus vel plures ad elecmosinas petendas quibus personae societatis sustententur destinati quas eleemosinas simpliciter amore Domini nostri petent Non solum redditus sed nec possessiones habeant in particulari Art 5. nec in communi Domus vel Ecclesie That is to say In those houses and Churches which the Societie shall accept of for the saluation of soules there shall be no reuenewes proper eyther to be applied to the vestrie or to the frame and buildings or for any other purpose whatsoeuer That the Societie may haue nothing to dispose of but onely depend vpon God whom by his grace they serue trusting that without reuenewes he will prouide things necessarie for vs to his praise and honour They that are professed that is men of the last great solemne vow shal liue by almes in their houses when they are not sent forth to any countrey nor take the ordinarie charge of Rectors of Colledges or Vniuersities except it be vpon necessitie or vrgent vtilitie require it neither shall they vse the Colledges reuenewes in their houses They shall be readie to begge from doore to doore when obedience or necessitie requires it And to this purpose let there be one or two or more appointed to craue almes for the sustenance of the Societie which shal begge the almes simply For the loue of our Sauiour Iesus The houses and Churches of the Societie shall not onely haue no rents or reuenewes but no possessions or inheritance in generall or particular Gather all these particulars together was there euer pouertie more obstinately vowed then this And therefore it was that first Pius 5. and after Gregorie 13. ordained that this Societie should be placed among the orders of Mendicants If they would obserue that which heere is enioyned them I would excuse them with all my heart of the heresie of their first vow And that because that after they had a long time enioyed goods during the time of theyr simple vowe at the last to make satisfaction to GOD for it being come to the period of their great vow by reason whereof they haue the name of Fathers aboue the other religious yet not onely they vow from thence forwards a beggery but also so themselues to become treasurers thereof I would honour them as the true followers of S. Peters repentance after he had denied his maister would esteeme them aboue all the other orders of Mendicants But when saw you thē goe with a wallet vp and down the towne For all this they liue richly and plentifully not with the Manna of God for they are not children of Israel but by a notable poynt of Sophistrie see how By the Bul of Pau. 3. 1540. and that of Iulius 1550. The houses where these holy Fathers dwell are not permitted to haue any goods
assembly some laboured harde to make immortall mercilesse war against the Hugonots yet demaunded an abatement of Subsidies a proposition ill sorting with the former those Subsidies hauing heen introduced of purpose to further the warres By means whereof the man of whom I speake taking first aduise of the Iesuits propounded a third course to league thēselues against the Hugonots and that such as willing lie enroled themselues vnder the League should be bound to contribute vnto the charge of this new warre These instructions receiued and published the Deputies did nominate a certaine Prince to be their head The last King knowing of what consequence this practise was and that succeeding it would make 3. parties in France his owne which was not one properly that of the League another of the Hugonots to breake this blow discreetly affirmed that he approued well this League but that be would be chiefe thereof which was to the end the League should flie no further then he was pleased to giue it wings The first stone of our ruine beeing cast in this manner the Prouosts of the Merchants and the Sheriffes of Paris returning home and loath that thys opinion of a League which they held most holy should miscarie sent theyr Commissions throughout all the Wards to to the end that such as would contribute should subscribe their names The Constables bare them vnto euerie house some hardier then the rest opposed themselues the greater number fearing worse subscribed The Commission was brought to Christopher le Tou chiefe Iustice whose memorie vvee cannot honour too much this good Lord refused not onely to subscribe but detayned the Commission it selfe and the next day in open Court detested this vnhappy innouation as an assured desolation to our state His authoritie his honestie his reasons wrought so great effect that euery one allowed and followed his aduise From thence-foorth this opinion of the League did weare away or rather vvas remitted to another season that better might befit the purposes of such as broached it Suddainly after the Parliament was ended Father Aimon Auger a Iesuit got the King to giue eare vnto him through his plausible hypocrisies And after him Father Claudius Matthew of Lorraine both the which had so great part in his good fauour that as Montaignes testifieth hee some-times caused them to ride along with him in his owne Coach At length this good King founde that these coozeners were desirous to incroach vppon the managing of State-matters about him Auger especially whom for that cause hee gaue order to his Embassadour at Rome to get him remooued out of Fraunce by Letters of obedience from his Generall The King departing from the Parliament pacified his subiects by an Edict of the yeere 1577. the which hee sayd was vvholly his owne and yet had by his wisedome cleane dashed the reformed Religion without bloodshed if the Iesuits would haue vouchsafed him the leisure to finish what he had begun Wageing in the midst of peace a gentle warre against the Hugonots gentle but more forcible in great mens oppinions then any weapons could haue made it For although that the Edict of 77. gaue some libertie vnto them yet the king neither called them to places of iudgement nor vnto offices in his Exchequer nor to the gouernments of Prouinces and Townes Hee had moreouer deuised the order of the holie Ghost reserued wholly for Catholicke Princes and Lords as also that of the Hieronimitans of our Lady of Vincennes where none were to appeare but Apostolicall Romane Catholiques and with whom laying aside his most high authoritie he fraternized in all kind of deuotion Nowe the presence of these causing the others absence belieue it was no small meanes to force them into the right way For there is nothing which the French Nobilitie affect so much as to be neere theyr King nor any thing that afflicts the common people more then to be kept from Offices this is a disease of minde that spoyles the Frenchman As soone as a Lawyer or Marchant haue by theyr endeuours stuffed theyr Closets and Storehouses with siluer the thing they chiefely ayme at is to bestowe it on places of Iudgement or roomes in the Exchequer for theyr Children so that the newe Religion beganne alreadie to dissolute and it grieued not the Auncients thereof vvho for shame and to auoyde the imputation of lightnes stucke vnto it to suffer their chyldren to be instructed in our Schooles and consequently to learne there the principles of our Religion All matters in this sort proceeded from ill to well from well to better the Countriman plyed harde his plough the Artificer his trade the Merchant his traffique the Lawyer his practise the Cittizen enioyed his reuenew the Magistrate his stipend the Catholick his owne religion throughout all Fraunce without impeachment The remainder of those Hugonots that liued being sequestred into a backe corner of the kingdome when our Iesuits seeing themselues remoued frō theyr Princes fauour beganne to lay this snare to intrap him Euen as the Societie of Iesuits is composed of all sorts of people some for the pen others for practise so had they amongst them one Father Henry Sammier of Luxembourge a man disposed for all assayes and resolued vnto any hazard This fellow was sent by them in the yeere 1581 towards diuers Catholicke Princes to sounde the Foorde And to say truly they could not haue chosen one more fit for he disguised himselfe into as many formes as obiects one while attired like a soldiour another while like a Priest by and by like a country Swaine Dice cardes and women were as ordinarie with him as his prefixed houres of prayer saying he did not thinke he sinned in this because it was done to the furtherance of a good worke to the exaltation of Gods glorie and that hee might not be discouered changing his name together with his habite according to the Countries wherein he purposed to negotiate He parted from Lorraine and thence went into Germany Italie and Spaine The summe of his instructions were that foreseeing the eminent danger of our Catholick religion the seeming conniuence which the King gaue to it and secret fauour hee yeelded on the other side to the Hugonots whereof the Duke his brother had made himselfe an open Protector in the Lowe-Countries their holie societie had resolued to vndertake this quarrell vnder the leading of a great Prince making sure account of Gods assistance seeing that it was directed to the aduauncement of his holy Name and good of his Church Thus Sammier got intelligence from each part and tooke assurance on all hands but presently to manifest their proiects the season fitted not because the Duke was aliue and the two brothers forces once vnited were sufficient to swallow all such as had made head against them And this was but the preamble vnto our Troubles In the yeere 83. he died That let remoued the Iesuits imbarqued in their quarrell such Lords as they thought good and
not by his silence condemned our Accusers and giuen most assured testimonie of our innocencie If since that time it haue condemned vs that proceeded not of the due and formall pleadings of the Aduocates or of any aduantage of law which our aduersaries had against vs it is an inconuenience vvhich hath condemned vs in costs but not ouer-throwne our cause And vvithin a fewe leaues after In Iuly 1594 at what time the processe was reuiued by two pleading Aduocates they charged vs with Barriere and framed many like imputatiōs to agranate this crime against our credite and reputation But all these were but blunt assertions not sharpe proofes proceeding frō the tongue and not from the truth the Court made no reckoning of them and by their silence cleered acquited vs. Rene de la Fon followeth his steppes and goeth about to proue in like manner that the cōdemning of Chastell is the acquiting of all their Societie in as much as hee being racked and tortured appeached none of them But theyr intelligence was very bad in this matter For albeit this wretched fellow by his aunswers and interrogatories to him ministred spared the names of particulers yet did he accuse the whole Order in generall as I wil verifie hereafter more at large Moreouer these Iesuits seeme to be both of them altogether ignorant in the course of Iudgements pronounced by those high Courts The Court saith the first hath not forthwith proceeded to iudgemēt in this cause notwithstanding the sharp accusations wherewith we were charged Ergo by his silence it pronounced vs guiltlesse Furthermore Barriere his fact was laid to our charge yet the Court would not presently condemne vs Ergo the Court intended by silence to acquite vs thereof I beseech you seeing you professe your selues to be Logicians to haue the start of all men in scholasticall Diuinitie by what principles can you make good these conclusions Yet are they not strange to proceede from a Iesuits pen. For these reuerent Fathers are in place and authoritie to cōdemne Kings without hearing them and to abandon their realmes and lay thē open for a pray to him that can possesse himselfe thereof◠as they did to the last King High and soueraigne Courts obserue another manner of proceeding They heare the Counsell on both parties yet rest not thereupon but in such important causes as this especially they remit their iudgement or sentence to their better leysure and to theyr second thoughts The like course was held in their cause Arnauld and Dole vrged in their Declarations the tragical historie of Barriere the Court gaue no credite therevnto and not without good consideration In as much as it was requisite for them to view Barriere his triall or processe which was made at Melun by Lugoly that they might be throughly informed of what had there passed But alas Iesuit what is become of thy wit Thou doost acknowledge this Court to consist of the greatest ornaments of the Law which the world yeeldeth as elsewhere also that referring both parties to counsell they had proceeded without passion or partialitie and yet in the instant thou changest thy note challenging it to haue done iniustice in grounding their sentence against you vpon Chastell who had not accused you Iudges proceede indirectly when eyther they want skill to iudge or that their iudgements are corrupted by hatred fauour or other such partial affections Neither of these defects can be shewed in the managing of your cause as your selfe confesse therefore it is presumption in vs both in you to assay by Sophistrie out of your shallowe braine to elude this sentence in mee to endeuour by reasons and arguments to maintaine and vphold the fame Let it suffice vs that it is a Decree or Arrest and it is our part therefore to rest our iudgements there-vppon In all causes especially in those of weight and importance like this GOD is in the midst of the Iudges to inspire and direct them Many times a man that hauing heard a case pleaded on both sides prepared himselfe in his minde either to acquite or condemne this or that partie yet when hee heares the first Iudge deliuer his opinion hee changeth his mind yea oftentimes it falleth out that one word vttered by the first giueth new light to him that secondeth when as happely he that spake it dreamt not thereon and when it cōmeth to the casting of the Bell for by that by-word doe the Lavvyers terme the vp-shot or conclusion of all they gather and collect out of the precedent opinions a generall ayre or abstract whereuppon this sentence is built Doost thou think that Chastells fact was the sole occasion of your fall thou art deceiued The Court had wisely referred the cause to counsell giuiuing thereby to vnderstand that it meant not to proceed therein eyther with passion or rash hastines two great enemies of iustice In the meane time hapned this damnable act committed by one of your schollers the principals which were before disposed to your condemning were taken in hand a fresh in the handling of Chastels cause your cause is adiudged all vnder one The indignitie and detestation therof awaked iustice in the hearts of the Iudges which in your cause might peraduenture haue slept had it not beene thereby stirred and excited And in all this there is nothing wrought by man but by a speciall iudgement of God which wee ought to proclayme through the whole world It is well knowne that your Colledge was the fountayne and seminarie of all those calamities which we endured during the last troubles There was the rebellion plotted and contriued there was it fully and wholly nourished and maintayned your Prouincials your Rectors your deuout Superiours were the first that troad that path they that first and last dealt with this merchandise Your Colledge was the retreat or Randeuous of all such as had vowed and sold themselues aswell to the destruction of the State as to the murther of the King in which your doings you at that time gloried and triumpht both in your Sermons and Lectures The true hearted subiects who had the Flower de Luce imprinted in their breasts beheld this tyranny and sighed in their soules for they durst not giue breath to their sighes all their recourse was to God that it would please him to haue compassion on their miserable estate God suffered you to raigne fiue yeeres and more swaying both people Magistrate and Prince to trie whether there were any hope of your amendment in time The King was no sooner entred into Paris but the iust hatred of the people towards you brake forth the Vniuersitie of Paris stirreth against you and reuiueth their former suite which had beene referred to Counsell in the yeere 1564. the occasion thereof was founded vpon your owne fresh practises and lewd misdemeanours the cause is pleaded by two worthie Lawyers Arnauld and Dole heard with patience discreetly not iudged forthwith by reason of the waightines besides the heat and
compared with the Generalls is lesse For after his holinesse hath confirmd a Bishoprick or any other promotion his hands are bound he cannot displace them of his owne absolute authoritie they are not Tenants at will as the Prouincials Rectors Iesuits Our holy Father by the ancient Cannons and constitutions cannot giue power to Bishops and Abbots to alienate their temporalties without speciall cognisance of the cause There is required an especiall assemblie to giue aduise and after consent obtained one presenteth himselfe to the Superior who appointeth a Proctor for the Church to see if such alienation be necessarie Theyr Generall may sell morgage allienate and dissipate the goods of the Church and is not accountable when he hath doone And that which is a tyrannie the like whereof was neuer heard hauing deputed such as shall please him to make his sales he may frustrate and disanull any act of theirs although they haue not exceeded the limits of their commission Our holy Father assumeth no such authoritie to permit such as haue vowed Chastitie Pouertie or Obedience to recouer theyr possessions much lesse to marry except Kings souerainge Princes and that in cases of very vrgent necessitie The cleane contrarie is practized by the Iesuits in their first vow which they call the simple vow is not this to attribute more to theyr Generall then our holie Father will assume I told you yesterday that in matter of Missions the Generall may send all vnder him whether hee will not onely of the last vowe but of the first and the second This you may finde in the ninth part of their Constitutions chap. 3. Artic. 9. Heere I desire to knowe from whence hee deriueth this power for from the holy Sea he hath it not search all the Bulls of their Order Well I know that in that of 49 of Paul the third it is lawfull for the Generall to send as well as the Pope into diuers countries for the propagation of our fayth But this clause is to be vnderstood of Fathers in the last solemne vow for the mission of the holy Sea extendeth onely to them Then this must proceede from some particular dutie the other Iesuits owe vnto theyr Generall But where is that For neither in their simple vow nor in theyr first solemne vow they binde themselues eyther to the Pope or their Generall to the vow of Mission but onely to the three substantiall vowes of other religious Orders Where then is this bond where lieth this dutie hid I belieue in the tyrannie of their Generall and in their blinded obedience And that which is strange this same blinded obedience is by all them promised and sworne vnto the Pope yet doth hee not exercise it but vppon the Fathers of the great and the last vow onely Whence springeth this diuersitie the reason is at hand In a vvorde our holy Father hath not so much power ouer the Iesuits as their Generall whom theyr soueraine Pope and in their irregular gouernment they acknowledge ours but for fashion sake Let vs goe a little further looke a little into their other behauiours They say they are subiect to the ordinances of the holy Sea I rather think they impose lawes vpon it That so it is before the Bull of the yeere 1540 first foundation of their Order they exercised of theyr owne authority their assemblies in the Charter house of Paris they opened since theyr shops to all coÌ„mers Before the permission they obtained in the yeere 1561 they exercised fortie and foure yeeres their simple vow which is contrarie to all the constitutions of the church before Gregory the 13. had giuen a safe conduit And as they wrought our Popes still to second theyr greatnes so this same remissnes relenting of the holy Sea hath giuen meanes to theyr Generall to equall himselfe vnto him Let vs consider our holy Father the Pope ordained of GOD such as he is when hee is chosen by the Colledge The Cardinalls bow themselues before him honour him and kisse his handes I thinke this honour is proper to his holines Part. 8. Constit cap. 6. art 6. The Generall of the Iesuits hath the selfe same kneeling and hand-kissing when hee is chosen And yet I will not wrong him for I must confesse that in some Monasteries this likewise is obserued specially in publique ceremonies but to take this homage of others it is inexcusable I will goe no further for an example then Father Claudius Aquauiua their present Generall After that he was chosen in the yeere 1581 and after all his schollers had done their homage and he had taken his chamber Inde pater saith the first of their Letters annuall for that yeere cubiculum ascendens eo die salutanti turbae omnis generis hominum exosculandas manus praebuit Which is to say After that the Father had taken his Chamber hee offered his handes to kisse to all manner of persons which came to salute him What newe idolatrie is this Is not this to erect a newe Pope in Rome triumphant ouer the true auncient We haue in our Church but one head whom we acknowledge to be about all other Prelats the Vicar of God The Generall of the Iesuits arrogats the same title In al the vowes which the Iesuits make before him they terme him Gods Lieuetenant Part. 5. constit cap. 3 part 6. cap. 1 betwixt Lieuetenant Vicar the difference is so nice that I see none And in one place of their Constitutions the glosse made by a Iesuit termeth him expresly Gods Vicar Nay they are so shamelesse Gl. part 4 Const cap. 3. that they are not content their Generall should assume this state but forsooth theyr Superiours may exact likewise of their inferiours Omnibus itidem commendatum sit vt multum reuerentiae praecipuè in interiore hominis Part. 6. Constit cap. 1. suis superioribus exhibeant Iesum Christum in eisdem considerent reuereantur That it is likewise to all in generall enioyned to giue great reuerence inwardly in their harts to their Superiours and that in them they reuerence and acknowledge Iesus Christ The Iesuit Montaignes speaking of the reuerence they vow vnto theyr Generall without disguising goeth plainly to the poynt If they promise saith hee to obey their Generall Montag cap. 27. it is in regard that he is Gods Vicar ouer his company If hee had said Vicar of our holy Father appoynted by him ouer his companie he had committed lesse incongruitie But as the Iesuits neuer want pretences to make their shifts more salable they force a place or two of Scripture to make good the vsurpation of their Generall the Popes riuall they say Qui vos audit me audit In the Plea of the Collâ—dge of Clairmont the yeere 1594 Fol. 61. Mont. cap. 27. qui vos spernit me spirnit And they allude to the place of Dauid speaking of the Iudges Vos dij estis Deus stetit
verò Collegiorum eorundem extra Vniuersitatis existentium studiorum suorū cursu absoluto ac rigoroso examine praecedente à dicto Praeposito Generali vel de eius licentia à quouis ex Praepositis vel Rectoribus huiusmodi Collegiorum cum duobus etiam vel tribus Doctoribus vel Magistris per eosdem eligendis quoscunque Baccalaureatus Magisterij Licentiaturae ac Doctoratus gradus accipere Praepositis vel Rectoribus cū Doctoribus huiusmodi vt eosdem Scholares ad gradus ipsos promouere eisdemque scholaribus vt postquam promoti fuerint in eis legere disputare ac quoscunque alios actus ad haec necessarios facere exequi omnibus singulis priuilegijs praerogatiuis immunitatibus exemptionibus libertatibus antelationibus fauoribus gratijs indultis ac omnibus singulis alijs quibus alij in quibusuis Vniuersitatibus studiorum huiusmodi rigoroso examine praeuio ac alias iuxta inibi obseruari solitos requisitos vsus ordinationes ritus ac mores pro tempore promoti de iure vel consuetudine aut alias quomodolibet vtuntur potiuntur gaudent ac vti potiri gaudere poterunt quomodolibet in futurum non solùm ad ipsorum instar sed pariformiter aequè principaliter absque vlla penitus differentia vti potiri gaudere in omnibus per omnia perinde ac si gradus huiusmodi in eisdem Vniuersitatibus non eorum Collegijs accepissent They that haue been brought vp in the Latine tongue shall finde that Iulius speakes onely of Iesuits schollers It is a clause that hath relation to all other the former Bulls wherin there hath been speech of their Colledges and in this particularly it is ordained that although the schollers of this Order haue been students in Vniuersities or out of them if after they haue been well and duly examind they be found fit they should be freely admitted to the degrees of Practitioners and Doctors a word which cannot reach to strangers and that if any man would make them pay duties it should be in the power of their Generall to creat them or to cause them to be created and after they haue taken their degrees they may read dispute and keepe all other acts heerunto requisit in short that they may receiue the same prerogatiues that others doe What will you stretch this worde read to all goers and commers as in other Colledges of Maisters that are Secular No truly For what power soeuer is here granted them it was graunted as to persons that were Regular for so they haue termed themselues and therefore it was to giue these new Maisters and Doctors leaue to read to theyr schollers allowed as if theyr degrees had beene giuen them by the Vniuersities Let the Iesuit according to his good custome bring all the shifts of Sophistrie hee can this passage if a man read it from the beginning to the end can not be otherwise vnderstood If Iulius had meant that the Iesuit graduated might read to all goers commers as the Seculars doe assure your selfe hee would not haue forgotten to make expresse mention of it But you see will some man say to mee howe manie termes he hath giuen to the Iesuits Lectures to authorize them Doe you thinke that strange how could he doe lesse sith that by a new deuise neuer seene before hee ordained that vpon the simple credit of the Generall of this Order the Iesuits might read Lectures to them of their order This pollicie that so weakens all the auncient sinewes of the Vniuersities could not be sufficiently exprest for the authorizing of it I haue hitherto declared vnto you what as then was the estate of their Buls concerning their Colledges you shall now vnderstand their historie to this purpose Although neither by the auncient custome of the Vnuersities nor by the new grant of their Buls they were permitted to set open their schooles to all sorts of schollers nor to haue in their Colledges any other but of their seminarie yet finding themselues to be supported by Maister William du Prat Bishop of Clairmont they setled themselues in one of the Townes of his bishoprick called Billon where they opened their Colledge not only to them of their order but also to all other the students O singular obedience of French-men to the Church of Rome They bragge that they haue Buls from Iulius the third permitting them so to doe At this word we thought that the onely alledging of the title ought to be held for a good and sufficient title And yet they had no title but of their owne Villaine quoth I to a Gentleman of Gascoigne who aunswered me very readily that he be beleeued it because they had chosen for their chiefe Colledge in Fraunce the Town of Villon They vsed this word for Billon as the Gascoigns are wont to pronounce V. for B. and B. for V. To which I replyed that we need not to make any change of the letter because by our lawes we were commaunded to bring into Bullion all false and counterfait moneyes and that the Colledges of the Iesuits were of that stampe In the Towne of Billon this villanie tooke beginning which afterward they spread abroad first to Tolosa thē to Paris by meanes of the great legacies that du Prat had giuen them Neither durst any of vs make head against any of their vnlawful enterprises so much did our coūtry of France honor the Sea Apostolik vnder which they shielded themselues though falsely We are indeed reuerently to yeeld obedience to that Sea but cooseners are not to be suffered to abuse it for their aduantage and there is none whom it more concernes to looke to this then our holy Father the Pope if he meane to preserue his authoritie ouer all and against all Good God where are our eies Let vs runne ouer all their Buls of 1540. 43.45.46.49 if you find that they are permitted to hold and open their Colledges in such sort as others of the Vniuersities I will yeeld my selfe to any sentence that shall be giuen against me All their worthie actions are but coosinages and if you speake of them in secret to them they will tell you that they are the miracles which God hath wrought by their Saint Ignace When they first presented themselues to Paul the third to be admitted they termed themselues Maisters of Arts proceeded in the Vniuersitie of Paris and at this day Maffee flouting the whole consistorie of Rome is of opinion that three of them had proceeded Maisters in Spaine and that himselfe and Ribadinere would not giue any place of maistership to Broet Iaye and Codury And setting open their Colledges in Fraunce they did but shroud themselues vnder the authoritie of the Sea Apostolike an authoritie falsely supposd by them Whence came these illusions From the miracles forsooth of great Ignace who blinded all mens eies I will now returne againe to the course of their Buls that you may vnderstand when this
power to read Lectures to all schollers was graunted them After this ensued the troubles in Fraunce 1561 about diuersitie of Religion in the beginning whereof the Iesuits finding this a fit time for their aduantage not by reason of any fauour to theyr sect but because of displeasure against that ciuill warre obtayned by a manifest forgerie newe Bulls of Pope Pius the fourth the tenure whereof is this Insuper tibi moderno pro tempore existenti Praeposito Generali dictae Societatis vt per te vel illum vel aliquen ex Praepositis vel Rectoribus Collegiorum vestrorum tam in Vniuersitatibus studiorum generalium quam extra illas vbilibet consistentium in quibus ordinariae studiorum artium liberalium Theologiae lectiones habentur cursusque ordinarij peragentur vt dictae Societatis Scholares pauperes externos qui dictas lectiones frequentauerint etiam diuites si officiales Vniuersitatum eos promouere recusauerint cùm per examinatores vestrae Societatis idonei inuenti sint solutis tamen per diuites suis iuribus Vniuersitatibus in vestris Collegijs Vniuersitatum quarumcumque alijs extra Vniuersitates consistentibus Collegijs vestris alios quoslibet Scholares qui inibi sub eoruÌ„ obedientia directione vel disciplina studuerint ad quoscunque Baccalauriatus Licentiariae Magisterij doctoratus gradus IVXTA IVLII PRAEDECESSORIS NOSRI TENOREM promouere ipsique sic promoti priuilegijs alijsque IN EISDEM LITERIS contentis plenariè vti potiri gaudere liberè ac licitè valiant authoritate praefata coÌ„cedimus amplianius nec non praesentes literas in eis contenta de subreptionis vel obreptionis aut nullitatis vitio seu intentionis defectu puouis praetextu quaesitóue colore nullo vnquam tempore notari vel impugnari possint This decretall was the first opener of their Colledges to all manner of schollers but whereupon was it grounded Vpon the Bull of Iulius the third as it is twice repeated Was there euery any greater forgery or more craftie conueiance then this For Pope Iulius neuer had any such thought and that is the reason why these Sophisters haue caused to be added in the end of Pius the fourths Bull that no man may accuse them of obreption or surreption or of any wilfull fault being desirous that euery one of vs should shut his eyes and blindfolde his vnderstanding that wee might not take any knowledge of that apparant shame which is brought in a new against the auncient honour of the Vniuersities by which our Church hath alwayes beene kept in strength But the Pope hath added this word Ampliamus will some Iesuite of the lowest forme say to me Was there euer any poynt either of state or Religion more important or of greater consequence then this I let passe that these newe Maisters were permitted to be Graduats in all faculties as it was graunted by Iulius his Bull. I graunt that by this last Bull of Pius there Colledges were opened to all commers and goers both the one the other notwithstanding being new schismes in our Vniuersities But who can abide this that theyr schollers must be admitted to practise whether they be Iesuits or strangers vpon the testimonie of two or three of their order so they pay their duties to the Chauncellours Rectors Presidents vnder-Gouernours of the Vniuersities Is not this to make the Superiors of Vniuersities no better then Registers to the Iesuits theyr schollers Is not this to disgrace the Gouernours of the Vniuersities without desert Is not this by submitting them to the conscience of their Generall and two or 3. of his to bring in a Chaos hotch-potch and confusion of all thinges in our Vniuersities And to say the truth there is no better meanes then that by making a Seminary of Iesuits to make altogether a nurserie of Hereticks by committing the Doctorships Maisterships of schollers to the iudgement of these new Templars Sith this depends vppon this one word Ampliamus which was craftilie foysted in by these maister workmen in such tricks of legerdemaine we shall admit this new disorder thereupon the Pope shall stop his owne eares and our mouthes that the shifts obreptions and surreptions of these reuerend Fathers in God may not be discried all because this last clause was added by a Clark of the Court of Rome that copied out the graunt Read all the 7. former Buls ye shall find no such clause in any of them Why did they cause it to be added in this Because they knew in their conscience that this last Bull was obtained by obreption contrarie to all reason If I should appeale to their consciences they would make a mocke at me For the same yeere that they got this Bull at Rome which was 1561. they promist in a full assembly of the Church of Fraunce that they would renounce all the extraordinarie priuiledges that had beene graunted them at Rome This abiuration they confirmed by publique oath in a full Court of Parliament but they neuer performed it And that which is especially to bee considered they lookt to themselues verie carefully for presenting the Popes priuie Buls either to our Cleargy or to our Parliament For if they had shewed them they had beene not only derided but also abandoned as men that had no wit Hitherto you haue descried in them good store of the Foxes craft now you shall see how they haue playd in Lions For the yeere 1571. they got other Buls of Pope Pius the fift of this forme and substance Decernimus declaramus quod praeceptores huiusmodi Societatis tam literarum humanarum quam liberalium artium Philosophiae Theologiae vel cuiusuis earum facultatuÌ„ in suis Collegijs etiam in locis vbi Vniuersitates extiterint suas lectiones etiam publicas legere dummodò per duas horas de mane per vnam de sero cum lectoribus Vniuersitatum non concurrant liberè licitè possint quodque quibuscumque scholasticis liceat in huiusmodi Collegijs lectiones alias scholasticas exercitationes frequentare ac quicumque in eis Philosophiae vel Theologiae fuerint auditores in quauis Vniuersitate ad gradus admitti possint cursuum quos in eis 〈◊〉 fecerint ratio habeatur Ita vt si ipsi in examine sufâ—â—â—ientes inuenti fuerint non minus sed pariformiter absque vlla penitus differentia quam si in Vniuersitatibus praefatis studuissent ad gradus quoscumque tam Baccalaureatus quà m Licentiariae Doctoratus admitti possint debeant eisque super praemissis licentiam facultatem concedimus Districtius inhibentes Vniuersitatum quarumcumque Rectoribus alijs quibuscumque sub excommunicationis maioris alijsque arbitrio nostro moderandis infligendis imponendis poenis ne Collegiorum hutusmodi Rectores Scholares inpraemissis quouis quaesito colore molestare audeant vel praesumant Decerrentes quoque praesentes litteras vllo vnquam tempore de subreptionis