doctrine of the Iesuits touching equiuocation hath already bewitched so many of them But principally what are all catholike priests that are Iesuited to looke for vpon the broaching of this desperate and diuelish conceite when the catholikes are in number sufficient they must rebell and the innocent priests are sent ouer to increase this number Into what perplexities are they hereby cast How can they expect any fauor when they are taken none caÌ„not deny that their comming ouer is to increase the number of catholiks and that father Parsons raigneth and hath the whole direction at this day for all the missions that are for England How then alas how may her Maiesty the state conclude against them what lawes can be too extreme to keepe them out of the land or if they will needs come in what seuerity for the execution of lawes against them can be more then sufficient Into what gulfe are we plunged nay into what an obloquie are we plunged nay into what an obloquie must the catholike church of Rome grow in that the execution of priesthoode and treason are now so linked together by the Iesuits in England as we cannot exhort any to the catholike faith but dogmatizando in so doing we draw him in effect to rebellion For the mitigation therfore both of her Maiestie and the state and that they may deale more mercifully with poore secular priests I doe heere professe both for my selfe and those that are not Iesuited as too many are that we loath and detest this point of Iesuitisme that if we finde that we can not otherwise preuaile and that such as are catholikes will needes runne into these Iesuiticall courses of rebellion and treason we will surcease from the execution of our functions and from the increasing of that number that will will not be aduised by vs with patience and suffering to expect the Lords leisure for the restitution of the catholike faith and in the meane time to obey her Maiestie as they did in Tertullians time and as Saint Augustine doth teach vs in lawfull commandements and points perteining to ciuill gouernment and temporall lawes THE V. ARTICLE VVHether seeing this BuchananiaÌ„ doctrine of stirring vp subiects to rebell against their Soueraignes when they are of force is so greedily snatched vp of the Iesuits as it seemeth they would scorne not to be holden or accounted of as the first author or at least practisioners of it in their owne sense and meaning is it then the whole monarchie of all these northerne Isles of England Scotland and Wales that they shoote at or else do they aime at the crowne monarchiall of England onely or otherwise at none at all directly but onely for a superioritie ouer the ecclesiasticall and secular state THE ANSWERE THey doe questionles cast at all both ecclesiasticall temporall and monarchical states as may be demonstrated by sundry arguments conuincing them of their no lesse treacherous and ambitious then Pharisaicall and irreligious intents attemptes practises and proceedings therein First for that in precise termes they and theirs haue giuen it out for England by name that it should be made an Island of Iesuits and that they were assured of it that the king of Spaine vpon the conquest would bestow it vpon them Secondly before the Lady Infantaes title marriage or placing in the Lowe countries was dreamed of the chiefe speeches was of the king her fathers title and for hers it was but then coldly handled And if you marke well the tenor of his discourse throughout his whole Dolmanian coyned succession you shall not finde him absolute in his opinion for Spaine And he frameth all his passages to perswade as well all our English nation that it will be fittest and for the most aduancement of our nobles and augmentiue florish of the whole common wealth as also most secure and to the greatest both merite and renowne of the king catholike neuer to offer to come hither himselfe or to enthronize his maiestie or royall issue within the Britons coasts as a diminution of his honor princely regalitie so to doe considering our countrie is so base obscure and beggerly and the blood royall together with all the heroeces nobles and gentles of these northerne Isles so abiect meane and ignominious forsooth where his Spanish paragons with their Mercurian gilded Caduceus come in place Loe deere Catholiâ—es and all you deeâ—â—ly affected 〈…〉 countries 〈◊〉 thiâ—ke 〈◊〉 not bâ—â— that 〈…〉 you 〈…〉 Ladies 〈…〉 sh◠〈…〉 beâ—â—◠〈…〉 Paâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 the rest of 〈…〉 its 〈…〉 great 〈◊〉 â—â—gher adâ—aâ—ceâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 you 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 the Spaniard 〈◊〉 â—oâ—â—aigne â—aâ—â—â—s c. But the best most conuenient and contentiue course to be taken for all parties is by this exlegall legifers lawes set downe for the Spaniards to bring this whole monarchiall Isle from the name honor and title of successionall regality to be vnder a Viceroyes gouernment charge there withal reduced into the forme fashion and proportioned order of a Prouince to send the peeres other nobles natiues of this land that shall take the Spaniards part into forraigne countries as Sicily Naples Peru India c. to make them Vâ—ceroyes there and then to commit this Prouince to the gouernment of the fathers of the society of Iesus sci to our petty king father Fa. Parsons and the rest as I said before Which assertion if it seeme absurd to be but a surmise then tell me I pray what gouernment can you gather out of all his bookes that we shal haue or who shall be our king oâ— sway the scepter royall of this land For the king of Spaine himselfe it is to meane for him and therefore holden of Fa. Parsons for a dishonor if he should leaue Spaine to keepe heere his royall Court. For his daughter the new Archdutchesse of Austria Dutchesse of Burgundy Lady of Netherlands her grace was but then glauncingly spoken of Yea when Fa. Parsons had vrged the subscription and consent to her title afterwards to sundry of our nation as before is said amongst the rest a reuerend priest and anncient gentleman old Master Midleton being roughly handled by Fa. Parsons and indangered in Spaine before his departure to Rome for not consenting to his vnnaturall motion vnlesse it might haue beene by marriage of the said Lady Infanta to some noble or peere of our land This cosening mate protesting at the first that it was meant no otherwise but she should afterward when partly by force and feare partly vpon hope to haue gotten all his money out of this fathers hands who by your leaue vnder Benedicite be it spoken cosened him at the last cast of three hundred pound at least as we haue beene credibly informed by reuerend priests then there which he neuer could get out of his handes he consented vpon that condition to giue his name to that charter of subscription And then loe what the good father added quoth he I could wish her Ladishippe
durst euer haue done so before them Secondly if these new illuminates take their perfection from this principle Quia maius est illuminare quā illuminari then must they by necessarie sequele herein also be pleased to heare it that maius est dare quà m accipere and therefore if the State Ecclesiasticall secular Cleargie giue them this authoritie wherby they come to this peerelesse perfection à fortiori yet stil the secular Prelats as the giuers thereof must be before thē in that degree of perfection Thirdly in order of perfections this hath euer bene an auncient Canonicall obseruation and rule of none denied that any religious person may passe into an other order of religion that is stricter then his owne is whereunto he hath vowed himselfe at the first intending therein to liue and dye and all this in regard that the said stricter order is holden to be a state of more perfection and nearer familiaritie or intercourse with God and his holy Angels and Saints But now admit the Iesuites order or rather societie for they are such straunge men as all must consist of innouations nouelties and new names amongst them were so strict as in regard of this point of perfection none might passe out of their societie into any other religious order yet as out of all other religious orders there haue passed some in all ages to take secular charge curam animarum vpon them so also out of the Iesuites societie there haue passed diuers that haue bene Cardinals c. And if they denye Cardinals to be seculars or to take charge of soules vpon them once I am sure they are not Monasticall and by consequent the farther secluded frō seculars or ecclesiastiques the more temporall and laicall must needes their liues be But yet seeing all this notwithstanding they may come out of the societie to be Cardinals and then à fortiori to be Bishops or other Prelats and Pastors more directly taking curam animarum vpon them it followeth that alwaies their state of perfection is inferior to the secular Fourthly that thing wherein the merit is either counted greater in seeking for it or in accepting of it being offered or the sinne greater in neglecting to take it or refusall being commaunded is euer of more perfection then any other wanting those circumstances But as no man is bound neither may he leaue his Bishopricke or other pastorall office void without dispensation of his superiour So on the contrarie any religious person Iesuit or other may lawfully yea and oftentimes is bound to leaue his Cell Cloyster or Colledge though by his departure the doores must and may be shut vp for any comming there euer after and take curam animarum vpon him Vtpote quia is qui episcopatum desiderat bonum opus desiderat c. Et bonum vt supra dixi quo communis eo melius Therefore still is a secular life of more perfection then a religious by that principle of illuminating others Fiftly if they vrge their perfection of life by illuminating of soules to consist of this that it is done vnder obedience to their superior which vertue of obedience being in holy Scripture prophetically defined to be better then sacrifice it followeth that of all other signes of perfection Christian renuntiation mortification and denying of themselues this is the greatest most manifest and chiefe in that by reason hereof be they neuer so well setled to their content wish and desire hauing all things that may please or delight them and freed preserued and defended from all things that may molest them yet must they keepe such a strait hand and strait watch ouer their will and all their senses continually as volens nolens their will must not be theirs but their superiors to go or runne thence in change of a thought or turne of a hand and repaire out of England or other Northerne region into Ethiope Egypt or India or else wheresoeuer they shall be commaunded yea though it be morally certaine they shall neuer come thither or else there to be murdered or slaine And this is the point indeed whereupon they stand as a precious mirrour of all perfection and attributed to their societie alone To which I answer first that I could wish with all my heart and so could many thousands in England wish the like that their obedience were tried and themselues mortified to perfection aboue all seculars in their quiet departure out of this land and go and liue where they list afterward according as they and their superiours shall thinke fittest for them to make this their state of perfection secure But I doubt if they should by neuer so powerable authoritie be called out hence yea if it were from his Holinesse they would call him a Protestant for so doing as now they do all seculars or others that wish it both for their owne and the generall good quiet and securitie of our Prince countrie present State and all Catholikes in generall borne vnder English allegeance And againe if they should be thrust out and expelled by force as like enough they are to be so by some sudden vprore rebellion or inuasion procured by them as a Gent. of the Spanish faction and an entire friend and follower of one Father Ouldcorne seemed to say no lesse of late vz. That these contentions must end with bloud and I verily beleeue he said true bloud must and will end it indeed if they be not thrust out in time but cursed be these bloudie massacrers that are the procurers of it Then doubt I on the other side these perfectly mortified ghostes will be so farre out of patience as they will loose all their merite without recouerie and the rather am I so perswaded by reason of the great murmuring sorrow execrations and curses they vsed so pathetically passionatly and extreame outragiously against the King of France and his honorable Councell for expelling them thence notwithstanding their liues were all in his hands so that whereas he might iustly haue put them all to death for traitors arrested vpon high treason yet granting them their liues gratis and also giuing of them three French crownes a peece with a certaine time of leaue to prouide for themselues to depart they most ingratefull of all other a vice to be plaine with you which is generally noted in them all as a natiue braunch proper to Nicke Machiuels crue neuer to be thankfull longer then they are in hope of a greater benefite thereby forgetting or rather not any way acknowledging any benefite mercie or lenitie but all extremitie tyrannie and crueltie shewed towards them by the King fell into such tearmes of malitious speeches against his Christian Maiestie as some English Priests being thē in the low Countries confines of France at the time of their expulsion did note and report vnto me in verbo sacerdotis that the common people hearing it and how vehemently they spoke against the peace then in hand betwixt these two
Priest preacher If euery Priest shold take place agreeing to their Vice-gerencie vnder Christ there could be no order kept all being of equall power in respect of Priesthood therfore was it well prouided by the lawes and proceeded of institution deuine as may appeare by our Sauiours giuing of preheminence to Saint Peter aboue the rest of the Apostles that were as well as he all equally Priests that the power of iurisdiction should be a note to take their place by aswell amongst themselues as amongst others abroad in the world or Doctor of Diuinitie before a Knight c. And finally although in regard of the same order a Nobleman or his sonne take place of all these yet alwaies Ioels sentence stands inuiolate ratified confirmed and augmented with many sacred sanctions priuiledges and prerogatiues due to the priesthood now which were not so before in regard whereof the highest honour temporall on earth is no whit dishonoured but rather hath an augment of honour by his Priesthood which to confirme that holy Bishop Saint Ambrose was bold being moued by the Emperour and in his princely presence to drinke to the best man at the table to take the cup with a wassall to his Deacon saying all peace health honour and happinesse to you my Lord Emperour your Maiestie knoweth that a Priest represents the person of Christ and his Deacon supplies the place of an Angell and seeing the lowest Angell in heauen is farre to be preferred before the highest dignitie on earth pardon my dread Soueraigne if I haue done your Highnesse command and preferred my poore Deacon in the cup before the Imperiall Regalitie of Caesar Yea what else but onely this doth it meane that the poorest Priest on earth if admitted to heare the Popes Emperours or any other King or Prince his confession sits couered in his chaire while the other kneeles bare headed at his foote to receiue absolution at his hands But enough of this matter THE VI. ARTICLE WHether may or ought a man to seeke the like praise preferment or aduancement for another of his societie or company equally as for himselfe or whether fitter in pollicie if he seeke it for himself or his speciall friends to do it per se vel per aliam scil quartam vel tertiam personam c. THE ANSWERE IN matters wherein there is some difficultie daunger losse reproch or shamefastnesse a man may and a true friend will often attempt act and performe that for his friend which he would neuer dreame of nor wish to himselfe and then by consequent it is cleare that a man may do equally and as much for another as for himselfe in the case proposed in the former article And a simple politician is he that will do it either immediatly for himselfe or his friend For alwaies the farther off it is contriued by a fourth fifth or tenth person and that a thousand miles a sunder the more cleanely politically Machiuilean-like coÌ„ueied it is An example wherof that ignoble Polipragmon father Parsons though to the condemnation of his Atheall proud aspires yet to the high commends of his naturall ingeny may be to all posterity in his practise for a Cardinals hat The deuice for which was as followeth After many practises of father Parsons and his fellowes against her Maiesty and the English Crowne Kingdome and State whereof we will speake anone aswell by his agents in England it selfe as also in Italy Spaine and Flanders finding the secular Priests at Rome and in England alwayes opposite to his wretched designements most vnnaturall attempts and treasonable practises Cardinall Allane being now dead and Doctor Worthington homo secundum cor Parsoni ruling all the rost in the Low-countries amongst the Seminaries as that couertly sullen surly Prelate father Holt did amongst the souldiers and other pensioners there hauing deuised many shifts for father Parsons aduancement and all failing at length the King of Spaine was made acquainted therewith and how that the students others of our nation were bent against the fathers for his sake forsooth in that they sought the establishing of the English Crowne to his royal issue whereupon his Maiesty wrote earnestly to his Holinesse Pope Clement that now is A very â—â—kâ—â— lâ—t to this is their now proceedings here in England to get bowes and giâ—les vagrant fellows and such as â—ee by these scolâ—â—â— â—â—ilings against seculars 〈◊〉 it euery 〈…〉 what a part waâ— it for the 〈◊〉 to write 〈◊〉 â—â—â—terly against such blessed men as the Iesuits are whâ—â—only vphold religion amongst â—s he 〈◊〉 England whâ—â—h otherwise 〈◊〉 â—quaâ—le c. and to other Cardinals that in any case they should support beare out and mainaine the credite of the Iesuits against the complaints of the English who without all cause reason and sense but by being seduced by the Queene of England did greatly calumniate these holy fathers that sought their countries good and happinesse as he affirmed Whiles this was a hammering in drawing the kings affection from all the English seculars to the Iesuites in generall the aboue named agents like gallant states men father Holt and Doctor Worthington drew a very formall letter petitionall or supplicatiue in the names of all the common souldiers laborers artizens and pentioners aswell men as women equally without difference yea the yery scullians landresses and seruants were not omitted in that pitifull complaining shewing to his Maiesty the king of Spaine the present calamities that England stood in most humbly beseeching his Catholike Maiesty in regard of the great affection and care of our country and the afflicted English he would vouchsafe to deale most earnestly with the Pope to preferre that vnworthy dishonorable Prelate father Parsons to the dignity of Cardinall affirming it to be the only way to bind and vnite the English to his Maiesty Miranda canunt sed non credeÌ„da portae But what was the issue nunc spectatum admissi risum teneatis amice In expectation of the same preferment and for what causes else is to himselfe best knowne are not much material this good father went to Rome on pilgrimage you may please to imagine out of Spaine very deuoutly or rather directly in the yeare 1597. Where he no sooner arriued but presently he was visited or rather courted with two Cardinals at his lodging to wit Cardinall Baronius and the other a Spaniard This extraordinary curtesie and honor done vnto the poore man gaue present occasion of some speech in the city that out of all doubt father Parsons should be made a Cardinall But the conceit begun thus in Rome ended there also with a merry iest For father Parsons being counselled by the Phisitians to keepe his stomacke warme sent his brother for scarlet to make him a stomacher who of likelihood so soone as euer he heard the name of scarlet he was possessed vpon the sudden with so affectionate an opinion of his brothers aduancement that forgetting his intent to haue
them like fooles as they are and made them become a most seditious infamous pragmaticall treacherous diabolicall faction to set vp and defend a bastardly fellow in all his mischieuous plots and deuises and that the seculars are of no faction at all vnlesse they will call it a faction to ioyne against these vsurpers with the whole Church of God and so may they as probably like right heretikes they will do so one day say that all Catholike nations throughout Christendome are of the faction there being no Catholike countrey people or nation in the world this day but doth dislike of them and is against their wicked proceedings or else for speaking in defence of their Prince and countrey I meane in matters of gouernement succession and state affaires clearly abstracted from points of faith and religion and then and therein also if they say the seculars are of the faction they may aswell say that her Maiestie and honorable Counsell and in few all that are exempted from trayterous attempts and conspiracies either within or without the land are so And then by consequent all are of the faction throughout the world that will not yeeld to a Iesuiticall supremacy in the state Ecclesiasticall and to their Monarchy in a state temporall and in both to make father Parsons a king Cardinall Concerning this matter it is worthy the noting to see how this Camelion Iesuit Parsons hath banded off and on with time like a Protheus His and his fautors ostentation in outward shew is wholy for religion and that they do most earnestly desire the conuersion of their countrey and of such and such particular persons by name yea they would I marry would they all follow and prosecute the king of Scots title if he would become Catholike but if not they would all dye one after another against him And yet contrary to this ostentation made both in a letter of father Parsons to the Marques Huntley whom they account to be a speciall fautor of their faction as also contrarie to sundrie other of their writings schedules and passages they haue dealt both priuatly and openly to the contrarie In somuch that omitting particular practises as with the late Earle of Essex to whom father Parsons sent a Iesuite Priest to haue had him to take a pension of the king of Spaine priuatly for aduancement of his designements neuer mentioning any Religion to him off or on but be as he be would and so with others hath he dealt besides the viper shewed his malice most in the treatie of peace betwixt the kings of Fraunce and Spaine For at that time there was a rumour runne abroad that the Queene of England would enter into that league and so graunt a tolleration of religion But this father Parsons vtterly disliked of saying that either they would haue all or none that they would admit of no conditions His reason was this because quoth he a tolleration would make the Catholikes of England dull and without spirit c. But the reason indeed was this and in good faith when I first did see the Articles here drawne out in England of the conditions for peace before euer any newes came of this great Statists censure I sayd to a very friend of mine that it would cost the Iesuits a brace of a thousand pounds to stop it for that it stood not with father Parsons platforme to haue any relaxation of persecution in England so long as either her Maiestie liued or yet after vntill he were ready to come with Montioy Saint Iames of Spaine and Parsons for the Britons Monarchy because a tolleration for religion would breed these inconueniences all making against him and his faction First he could not then haue any colour to set out bookes or anticke shewes as he hath or to blaze it abroad in all nations how cruell tyrannicall and inhumane the persecution of Catholikes is in England Secondly he could no longer after haue blowne the infamous blasts that course both sea and land he affirming England to be the nurcery of faction sedition and of all mischiefe wrought throughout the world setting all Princes Monarches and States together by the eares liuing in league with one to make warre against another and maintaining of rebels against their Soueraignes Thirdly he could not by al likelihood haue had any Catholike Prince or other in Christendome to haue banded on his side For with what colour could either Spaine or Austria or any Catholike Prince haue inuaded England if Catholikes might liue here as freely as they did in France or as the Hugonites do now liue there and the Protestants in Germany and the Christians in Turkey and the Mahumetanes in Tartary the Pagans in Presbiter Iohns dominions Fourthly he could neuer after haue gone forward with this platforme for aspiring to the Monarchy For whereas now all Catholikes must depēd vpon the Archpriest the Archpriest vpon father Garnet Garnet vpon Parsons Parsons vpon the diuel the author of all rebellious conspiracies treasons murthers disobedience heresies all such other diabolicall bloudy designements as this wicked Iesuit hath hitherto deuised then and in that case this dependency had bin vtterly voide For we should haue had Catholike Bishops as Suffragans or such like that might haue giuen holy orders cōsecrated holy oiles ministred the Sacrament of Confirmation exercised their Episcopall authority in all things necessary priuatly as it was in the Apostles time and Primitiue Church without either any the least incōbrance or perturbance of the state or present incumbents the Bishops Archbishops that now are or admittance of any seditious Iesuit or other factious person to come within the lād Fiftly his malitious deuises cruel hard hart towards al Catholiks had herby bin discouered as neuer able hereafter to haue stirred vp her Maiesty or incensed her honorable Counsell against all her loyall and most dutifull subiects for his treacheries treasons cōspiracies Because al in that case wold haue bin ready to haue reuealed the least thought of any cōfederacy against her royall person kingdome and state Sixtly his baits had bene worth nothing for enticing and alluring of any subiect to rebellion either for the time present or to come because a league being once made with the French and Spanish nation all Catholikes of England being withall naturally inclined to loue and loyalty of and to their Prince and countrey all promises or hopes of preferment vnder forreine Princes would haue bin and seemed hatefull ridiculous and senslesse vnto them No nation vnder heauen affording greater honors comforts and content then England and our Soueraignes both are able do affoord to the inhabitants that liue in grace and fauor as in this case vtcunque the afflicted Catholikes should Seuenthly this tolleration or liberty of cōscience wold quite haue cut off two bloudy hopes which Parsons hath in al his practises to wit aswel the indāgering of her Maiesties royall person as also the fauoring furthering cōsenting
England were Catholicks and those of the bloud royall so in esse with all yet were her title as good as the best saith he and by consequent concludes with this bobbe giuen to all our nation that the gift of the crowne of England was in the oldking Catholiks hands who perhaps quoth this patch Parsons may be perswaded as also his sonne the now king may be to the like set to giue ouer his claime and surrender vp his whole interest and right thereunto to his daughter Clara Eugenia Isabella yeelding her aide for atchieuing of the same to her and some such chatholicks Noble as his Maiestie shall thinke fit for a husband to a Lady of so high parentage Who being now the Archduke Albert late Cardinall c. if followeth that he is the Peere must be our Prince by Coruester Parsons designements And seeing he there insinuates as much and that the foresaid Cardinall Allan had dealt with the king of Spaine as he would make the world beleeue to that intent and purpose the case then and therein is cleere that this same booke here mentioned and that Appendix were both of Parsons owne doing as birds of one nest feather and wing hatched by the vnnaturall heate of his ambitious hart Secondly I obserue both heere there that there was great difficultie and doubts put in perswading the king of Spaine to this exploit for the conquest of England and that there was much adoo to draw him vnto it had not the parties mentioned importuned him to our countries ouerthrow Thirdly they account the intended massacre of her Maiestie and of so many thousands of her good subiects as must haue died if the Spaniard had preuailed as before I prooued it vnto you by the words of the Duke of Medina and other testimonies to that purpose a holy and glorious acte and to haue beene vndertaken of an vnspeakeable zeale and pietie c. Loe Nobles and Gentiles you deere catholikes of both sexes and all degrees Medina vowes he will spare none be he or she Catholicke Protestant or whosoeuer this booke affirmes the massacre intended is an acte of zeale what case are you now in if your Soueraigne forsake you also and who shal can or will defend you if she giue you ouer to the persecutor what haue you to say in your owne defence to saue your liues if her highnes draw the sword of iustice and lay it vpon you Truely nothing at all but so many of you as are loyall subiects your religious catholicke consciences reserued being as innocent as ignorant of those practises whereof I dare boldly speake it in the worde of a priest many thousands in England neuer heard of before the publishing of these Quodlibets might iustly haue fed your dying soules with hope of Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iustitiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum But for other hopes you could haue none Fourthly the false harted Cateline inuolueth all the catholicks that were then beyond the seas in that his most Turkish Iesuitish Puritanian and barbarous designements Fiftly he intangleth such as receiued so great fauors at her Maiesties hands and the state heere as that where by the lawes they might all haue beene put to death they were onely banished Yet notwithstanding he forceth them to become intercessors both for the destruction of her Highnesse and of her kingdome Sixtly what iust cause is heere giuen to her Maiestie and the state of seuere proceeding against all such catholicks as were then beyond the seas when they should come home in that they all sought and thirsted after the blood of their countrey vos iudicate But I hope and in part I know it that the false bastard Iesuits pen when he writ those words did but expresse the traitorous harts of himselfe and some fewe of his consorts and that he hath most egregiously belied many For of the Lord Dacres and sundrie others as well of the cleargie as laitie it is well knowne they were euer most opposite to those traitorous practises and therefore most mightily persecuted by Parsons and his confederates notwithstanding they still helde and do holde out as loyall English subiects vsque ad sanguinem as obedient catholicke children vsque ad aras and as seruiceable in hart to both God and man Pope Prince and to the catholicke Romish church and the English common wealth as soule and body in one person can affoord or faith fealtie religion and loyaltie diuine loue and naturall affection can expect or demaund at their hands And for the rest if any were so sotted and bewitched with Iesuitisme or infected with the Spaniards as I doubt too many were I wish for my owne part euen from the bottome of my poore but resolued catholicke loyall hart so many of them as remaine obstinate with Parsons in that vnnaturall combination faire and well buried in their graues Thus hauing made the first part of the Interrogatory most apparant and manifest I wil now prosecute the answere to the second in as briefe and plaine a method as I may Say then for the present which yet is more then I would willingly put to mainteine the time and our afflicted state considered that his Holinesse and the king of Spaine might lawfully haue taken armes against her Maiestie and this her kingdome our natiue land yet it was shamefull part of father Parsons his companions to be the contriuers or instigators of it as it is to be prooued by many memorable examples agreeing to this purpose scil First out of holy writ it is manifest and apparant that the Iebusites and other inhabitants of the land of behest were permitted there to liue euen after the Israelites had obteined the land as their owne ancient inheritance ergo a forreine people of a natiue broode are not to be by Gods lawes subiected in their natiue soyle by strangers of an alien land Secondly Gregorius magnus when he might haue ridde the parts and coasts of Italy from the tyranny of the Gothes and other sauage peo-people if he would haue intermedled in matters of blood refused so to do accounting it to be a course not fitte for a man of his calling to deale in Thirdly by the lawes customes and practise of all kingdomes such persons as shall machinate and deuise to execute such outragious designements against their prince and countrey haue euer beene iustly condemned and detested of all honest men and good subiects yea and euen of those same princes inuadors or vsurpers that comming to sway the scepter royall of a kingdome by such meanes neuer suffred such traitors to passe vnpunished nor without the iust guerdon of treason deducere canes ad inferos as by sundry examples in the Antiperistasis to Parsons Doleman I haue prooued it true Fourthly it had beene Parsons dutie and so also the dutie of all other priests Iesuits and religious persons to haue praied for her Maiestie and their countrey and by preaching to haue sought the reformation
there must be another shift or deuice that is at the coming into any Catholike country pretending by a charitable indeuor in them to teach young youth gratis their principal drift is to single out the finest wits or at least fittest for their purpose with whom they take extraordinary pains to work them in by kindnesse and cunning allurements if they be of good parentage vntill they get them to promise that they wil be of their societie or somwhat to that purpose which is sufficient to seaze vpon them do their parents and friends what they can vnlesse they will incur a slaunder of inclination to heresie or to some other impiety for so they calumniate all that any way crosse their designmēts or proceedings wherin if they find any vnready or impossible to be wonne or drawn vnto them they shal be loaden with detraction vntil their backs be broken Of the wofull experience whereof the English Colledge at Rome hath left a mournfull testimony to all posteritie all Europe talking of the iars there by reason of the Iesuits tyrannicall gouernment none but such as will be wholly Iesuited finding any fauour rest or quiet in that place 11 Hauing by these deuises mentioned in the premises brought all to that passe Who so hath read Actiones Tullij Cic. in C. Verrem of the meanes that proud Proconsul vsed in pilling poulling and spoiling of cities if they be conferred by and with the Iesuits shall find that Verres was not more odious amongst the Romanes then the Iesuites sleights cousinages frauds thefts and apparantly vnhonest and shamefull courses are odious to all that know them according to Machiauels rule of diuide impera which is as cunningly practised by the Rectors of the English Colledges euery where as in any place of the world I verily think this day they taking all vpon them as great men indeed that were to be employed in matters of greater importance then the seculars were ordained or appointed vnto for to that effect is Fa. Campians letter out of England to their Generall their driftes were deeper thē to say the truth the seculars euer dreamed of for mysteries are difficult to be rightly vnderstood vntill the effects do interpret them and therefore it was necessarie to maintaine what they had begun with a magnificencie agreeing to the maiestie they carried that great summes of mony where was no man-rents nor other annuall reuenues should be had to that intent and purpose The drift and deuice to bring this to passe was that though their faire gloses pretences of zeale hauing blinded bewitched both cleargie and laitie so far as all gaue way vnto them suffered thē euen to do what they list they being throughly instructed by their principle vti scientia in the first point of hawking like Ma. Falconers of the game knowing well how to ceaze on a pray and then to hold fast got by their cunning cariage with the people by litle and litle so to carry all before them as no almes was thought sufficiently meritorious vnlesse it were sanctified by a Iesuits distribution Who pretending they were but religious collectours for prisoners and other distressed Catholikes haue so fleeced their fauourers as ouer and aboue their owne expenses which is knowne to be so exceeding great as one of them hauing got 500. pounds at times giuen to Priests prisoners at Wishich consumed all at his owne pleasure and spendeth more then would maintaine 20. imprisoned secular Priests they haue bene able of late to send ouer 2200. pounds towards the Low countries as was pretended the prisoners in Wishich being then in great want I speake not here of Parry first defrauding the prisoners of seuen fiftie pounds seuenteene shillings and after spending 27. pounds of the common monie by consent of his fellow Iesuits Yea their accounts to the prisoners haue bene so vniust as the false steward mentioned in the Gospel may be thought to giue place to them In few they haue dealt so vnconscionably in these mony matters that whereas before Priests were honored for their priestly function and labours agreeing to our Sauiors definitiue sentence dignus est operarius mercede sua and had many ghostly children depending vpon them as vpon their spirituall fathers shepheards and guides of their soules they are now through the Iesuits falshood calumniations and vntrue suggestions to their superiors and to all estates brought into such high contempt as their ghostly children forsaking thē none otherwise then if they were stepfathers shew their charitie so coldly towards them as many are in extreme want few or none but are scarce able to liue The mischiefe of these men is great their impiety so extreame and all their actions so irreligious that to recount from point to point the stratageme of all the mortal strifes and wicked contentions begun made and managed by them euery Quodlibet nay euery Article would make vp a large Volume of more matter then time will permit me to contriue within the compasse of this worke now taken in hand But to be as briefe as I may by these eleuen Principles or deuises you may see that in all tyrannicall Turkish and Machiuilean gouernment there is none goes beyond them any where THE V. ARTICLE WHether any do equall the Iesuits in wit learning and profoundnesse of knowledge or no THE ANSWERE THis Quodlibet may be answered as the former was scil that for craftie slie cousinage and such points rules and principles of learning profoundnesse and knowledge as pertaine to cony-catching and other Machiuilean deuises there is none goeth beyond them Marry for that such base qualities are not to be numbred amongst vertues or graces either gratis datas or gratos facientes nor yet they habituated therewith to be accounted of amongst honest men much lesse amongst generous hearts and least of all amongst Priests Therfore I conclude that the Iesuits are slie but nothing wise they are craftie but nothing learned they are cunning but not profound they are practicall but of no knowledge and in all these gifts and excellencies of wit learning profoundnesse and true knowledge there are of both the seculars and religious that farre surpasse them euery way THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether then if both secular and religious do surpasse the Iesuits in wisedome learning c. do or haue they or the Iesuits written or set out mo and more learned bookes and if they haue then how is it that the Iesuits beare the bell away and that we neither see of their works here in England especially neither of any either secular or religious to be of any fame saue the Iesuits alone It is a very mean occupation and but course stuffe that the Iesuits can and will not make a commoditie of one way or other For who knowing what number of learned there are in the world of Dominicanes Franciscans Augustins Benedictines Carthusians c. that I may omit sundrie Cardinals Bishops Deanes Canons and others
for euen so they deemed nothing lesse of him then their wordes imported but what they did said therein was to hinder the Bishop from the preferment they feared would be laid vpoÌ„ him And thus like Pharises do they deale Sed pece â—â—ori dixit Deus quare tu enarras iustitias meas sedeÌ„s aduersus fratrem tuum loquebaris a luersus filium matris tuae poâ—ebas scandâ—lam c. and loued his memorie in their hearts as a holy shrine how beneficiall his Grace had bene to their Colledge how highly he was esteemed of and respected of all princes in Europe that either knew him by sight or else had heard of him by any passage of memorable speech how dearely accounted of and deepely affected of sundrie Popes aswell his Holinesse then in supreme esse as his predecessours of all holy memorie How all his whole studie chiefe endeuours and greatest care was euer bent for the good of his countrey for reducing of the same to the Catholike faith and for the comfort of the afflicted here and there and euery where To what high dignities he was aduanced how well he merited his place and calling and how greatly honoured in the Court of Rome how much admired at by the rest of the Cardinals in what possibilitie to haue beene Pope and how reuerenced by themselues the Iesuits c. Thus charitably they dealt with the good Cardinall after he was dead and that they were sure their praises giuen out of him could not then obfuscate obscure nor abolish one iot of their preheminence or mirificall designements The like example to this might be a correspondent and euident fauour shewed to the said Bishop after his death as the former was after the Cardinals death For according to the philosophicall Axiome as contraria iuxta se posita magis elucescunt so vertue and vice hauing such a dissocietie by consequence of kind that the one followes the other like form and priuation Hereupon it comes that faith and hope failing charitie neuer dieth but goeth to heauen with the happily possessed therewith so his opposite vice enuie neither euer dieth but goeth to hell with the cursed soule infected therewith at her death For this cause then it is plaine that as these men neuer spoke well of the Cardinall after his death for any loue they bare vnto him so neither did they vse the like good speech of the Bishop for any entire affection towards his Lordship but that which they did was thereby to hinder and discountenance the said Bishop of Cassanaes nephew Montseigneur Hugh Grissin Which to performe stratagemically they commended his said Vncle exceedingly to insinuate thereby that he did farre degenerate from his Vncles vertues And a very like canuasse is all the whole discourse of Fa. Parsons in Doleman conferred with his practise about the bequest of the English Crowne now extolling Scotlands title to the skies and then abasing it in the presence of Spaine To day all wholly for the house of Austria to morrow as forward for the house of Parma Now fawning vpon Derbie to bring Earle Ferdinand to destruction and then vpon Essex to stirre vp Earle Robert to rebellion and still in the meane by entercourse of parlee with anie who either by their greatnesse may comport with his ambition or whom he by his platforme may couple withall to bring this whole Isle to a popular confusion In all which treasonable practises seeing he hath alwaies vsed one to anothers disgrace by praise and dispraise as time and occasion pricke him forward with affiance in one more then in another for his societies aduancement not sparing Spaine it selfe when any hope was by any other meane but to insinuate in plaine tearmes that his aduice was for the mobile vulgus in England to choose and set vp a Soueraign it made no matter who amongst them when oportunitie should be offered affirming boldly that he liked not of the Spaniard as heretofore he had liked neither saw any hope to come by their meanes Yet making the royall issue of King Philip still his dogbolt when all other hopes did quaile and helpes did falle him there is none that reades his libels and conferres them with his practise but shall easily discerne that he would not be improuident of setting downe this statute of Retractation of slaunder as a prouiso in that high Councell of Reformation for England that being the maister trump he had to play for the maine chaunce of his conceited Monarchie and the onely bolt that would serue his turne if anie could in time of neede to driue the bunting to the baye I might here adde a fourth example of this prouiso out of the practise of that simple mis-led man Maister George Blackwell the new Archpriest of England nay the Subuiceroy rather of all the Isles of Albion Maister Blackwell a plaine simple man alwaies full of sentences in his writings as one who hath very probably flores sententiaruus tum PhilosophoruÌ„ c. by reason wherof wanting a head for inuention discourse or iudgement his sententious letters are ofteÌ„ euill couched in deliuerie of his mind by a long passage written togetherward of one matter But of nature being at the first for many yeares together by report of those that knew him very humble scrupulous and affable became some 3. or 4. yeares before his miraculous aduancement so testie peremptorie c. I will leaue it there that there was no ho with him no seruant could dwell in the house with the widow questionlesse a vertuous Gentlewoman otherwise where he liued no nor yet her owne children haue but what he iudged meete for them c. was not so hot against the Iesuits especially Fa. Parsons in time of his naturall and priestly secular mildnesse but now is become as furious against the said seculars since his heart was smitten by Mercuries melancholie yet Iesuitically guilded caduceus Thus times go by turnes honores mutant â—ores sic transit gloria mundâ— to men of no deserts This plaine Polipragmon as none more elated in conceit of their owne proper excellencie then an ignorant body aduanced to immerited vnexcepted and inconceited dignity hauing either heard of or belike had receiued this statute of Retractation sent froÌ„ Rome by hart or a like vnto it taught him per coeur For before that time none seemed to mislike more of the Iesuiticall course proceedings then he nor spake more suspiciously against some of them in particular especially against Father Parsons by name whose comming into England being knowne Maister Blackwell bewailed the same very tenderly to a friend of his then in prison saying that the President at Rhemes meaning Doctor Allane played a very vndiscreete part to send him hither as being an vnfit man to be employed in the causes of religion And being asked why he was vnmeete for that employment he answered because his casting out of Baliol Colledge and other articles and matters depending vpon it
honor est in honorante say Deuines in exposition of the princely Prophets speech Omnis honor regis ab intus in fimbrijs aureis c. And for that the questioÌ„ is not of admittance into the nuÌ„ber of nobles or geÌ„tles but being once matriculated cataloguated registred in that KaleÌ„der whether that then being but a Gentleman of proper merite onely and not of bloud coat-armor or auncestrie the foresaid wants and defects do more disable the subiect wherein they are inherent to aduancement ecclesiasticall or ciuill that is whether a Priest by function or an Esquire by creation ought more to conceale and hide his faults and which of them may be soonest hindred from preferment to higher dignities as from an ordinarie Priest to be a Pastor Vicar Deane Archdeacon Bishop c. and from a Gentleman of coat-armor to be a Knight Baron Lord baron Vicount and Earle c. Wherein because it is presupposed that they are both in the way to preferment the one as a consecrated Priest by his spiritual the other as a created Esquire by his temporal gentrie the difference by consequent must needes follow thereupon to be this that being once admitted by dispensation legitimation c. those things most in request with a Priest afterward must be learning vertue gouernment c. None of which in our speech of meanes to aduancement are so exactly required in a temporall Gentleman and on the other side the graces and abilities expected at a temporall mans hand must be parentage valor comelinesse of person and wealth sufficient to maintaine his estate c. which may cause his good fortune by marryage and otherwise none of which are required so precisely in a Priest and perhaps not at all necessities his preferment standing not vpon mariage or ostentation of his wealth friends and temporall abilities but vpon the managing of the thing he hath or is to take in hand wherein wisedome prudence and other ciuill politicall and morall vertues are required And so by consequent it followeth that as both are to maintaine their honour renowne and credite to the vttermost so both may conceale such defects as may hinder the same preferment which otherwise might and would accrew vnto them alwaies respecting time place person and other circumstances as may preiudice either one or other thereby which to explane how that may happen I will set the case downe in these few examples following Saint Augustine rightly called the Apostle of England because sent hither by blessed Saint Gregorie the Great to conuert as he did this countrie to the Catholike Romane faith sending for the Welch or Briton Priests fallen into Apostacie and Pesagianisme to come to conference with him concerning sundrie of their heresies and grosse errors obseruing well his actions and behauiour towards them vpon the speech of a false prophet or Pelagian Hermit they all that came to parlee presently left him before the first encounter because he did not rise and giue them the chaire place or honor point at their meetings mightily condemning him for an arrogant proud man But yet was it no pride in him at all because he both came in all humble wise submitting himselfe to the meanest in all Kent vntill he had conuerted them and also for that he should by giuing them place coming as he did an Apostle haue preiudiced the See Apostolike and the Popes Holinesse from whence as an ambassadour with Legatiue power he came and also he should therein haue preiudiced the Regall Maiestie of King Ethelbert of Kent by name who then hauing receiued the Catholike Romane faith at Saint Augustines hands whom for that cause his Maiestie had highly priuiledged they did not send for him but he sent for them by authoritie from the said King who afterward also compelled them to receiue the same faith and to renounce their heresie with the death of two thousand Monks of Bangor Abbey at one time procured by the King of Kents exciting the King of Northumberland and others to warre vpon them c. Conformable to this example in another kind may very well be the secular and Seminarie Priests comming into England with like Apostolicall authoritie as did Saint Augustine and therefore as they are to humble themselues in all respects wheresoeuer they come in England as he did in Kent vnder any ciuill magistrate vnder her Maiestie and not to contend for a cappe or a knee where is readie prepared for them a racke and a halter by course of lawe in this land through the Iesuites mischieuous practises bringing all the rest to be had in iealousie thereby so are and ought they to stand vpon points when they come in place where their priesthood is called in question Aâ—â—â—e 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 weâ—l â—e two â—â—â—â—ble â—â—â—â—â—â—es of 〈◊〉 N◠〈…〉 boâ—â— hâ—â—â—â—â—d aâ—â—bâ—â—h 〈◊〉 â—â—all men Th◠〈◊〉 was aâ—â—oâ—re shewâ—â— by the Lord â—â—d Dâ—cre â—o Capt. Stukeâ—â—y whâ—ch Stukeâ—â—y tak ng vpon him to be â—n extraordinary gâ—â—aâ— person desireâ—â—he â—â—â—le Dacre is 〈◊〉 on a time to gâ—ue him countenance and the place of 〈◊〉 where eâ—â—â— hâ— staâ—â—◠〈…〉 checks 〈◊〉 it told hiâ— â—oâ— and further if he once esteâ—ed to take either place or titlâ— of honor vpon him in his presâ—nce he would maâ—â— him know him selfe as too â—reat â—n indignity 〈◊〉 so highly â—â—scenâ—ed of that honor he was of 〈◊〉 hâ— bloud to be suffered thâ—t be should well know that honour consisted not in popular applause nor yet 〈◊〉 excesse furâ—â—it of worldly â—ches The other example was of a Noble mans son who being prisoner to a Knight fâ—r that the said Knight had enâ—red into some â—â—aiâ—â— with 〈◊〉 concerning hiâ— Noble bloud be tooke him by the sleeâ—e as they wâ—re in goâ—â—g ouer a stile passing ouer before him said Know you Sir H.B. I am W. sonne of W Lo. S. and though I gaue you place before yet hereafter I will not neither can I without preiudice of my house and honour do it c. and vsed with contempt either of their function or of the Sea Apostolike by whose authoritie they pleade Marrie yet herein also with a different respect had to an aduersarie of an other profession and religion whom in these times to contend withall it were in vaine and but an occasion of moe dangers many blasphemies greater sinnes and to one that is of the same religion the secular Priest is of A verie fit example agreeing whereunto was of late shewed by one secular Priest to three sundry persons all Catholikes and one a Priest Iesuited to the first being a Gentleman but yet meaner of calling then either of the other he gaue place at table hand wall and stile because he saw it proceeded of simplicitie inciuili lâ— rudenesse in him though perhaps entermingled with some spice of sâ—lâ— conceit and sawcinesse and withall there came no contempt of Priesthood direâ—tly thereby The second hauing also before time alwayes giuen place because he was
the dorter of Gods Church waking readie to barke at euerie passe-by out of the way thereby rowzing the Lionesse the sweete spouse of Christ who sleepes with open eyes day and night beholding what is done or said euery where being noted of singularitie and suspected of innouation by sundrie tergiuersations equiuocations sophistications windings twindings tracings and doublings being often driuen to repeale recall recant renounce and deny all their doings speeches practises and proceedings in seducing of the innocent at length when they could colour their malice ambition lewdnesse no longer then lo they burst out into open warres against the Catholike church and deuiding themselues from all other Catholikes as in a sort the Iesuits at Wisbich first and now since throughout England do beginne pretily well to ominate what they ayme at affirming that the Catholike church was onely and wholly amongst them and that all others that were not of their company were Schismatickes or Heretickes they then aduanced their dismall banners and so many thousands otherwise vertuous deuout and religious persons were thus seduced by them became absurd heretickes in following of them and in the end died many thousands loosing their liues and many hundred thousands of soules perishing in defence of them and their hereticall doctrine sects and opinions And euen like to all other hereticall proceedings is this course that the Iesuits take God amend them or cut them off that no Catholikes be euer seduced in the end of their downefall by them THE ARGVMENT OF THE fifth Generall Quodlibet BY reason of the great obloquie hatred and disgrace that the English nation is brought into by the Iesuits practises as in the last Quodlibet appeareth and especially concerning the English Students at Rome most cruelly handled by the seditious faction of the Iesuits it followeth sitly in this place to put foorth a Quodlibet of Gouernement to search out what may be the Iesuites drift in plotting for the sway sword and authoritie euerie where to be in their hands Therefore shall this fifth generall Quodlibet be of their plots by gouernement and rule in manner following THE FIFTH QVODLIBET of Plots by Gouernement THE I. ARTICLE WHether the Iesuites or the Seminarie Priests be fitter for Gouernment in the Colledges beyond the seas and whether of the two is more necessarie either respecting Gods church or the weale of our countrey to haue the bringing vp of English youths there THE ANSWERE IF Cardinall Boromeus whose rare vertues all Europe talked of had had the hearing of this disputation and bene vmpier moderator or iudge paramount of this question he would sure haue bene on the Seminarie and secular Priests side For this good Cardinall obseruing well the pride of the Iesuits their practises for inriching aduancing bringing of themselues to be admired at of all men right Lucifer like as much as to say am I not the chiefe and their conicatching deuises for alluring of the finest wits children of most towardnesse and those of rarest aspects and greatest hopes to their spiery hauing intelligence how they held in diuerse Seminaries within the Duchy of Millan the like course and state taken vpon them vnder colour of teaching and bringing vp of youths there as they did in other countries and prouinces about him and where euer they came he thought them no fit men to remaine within his iurisdiction Wherupon he banished them out of all these places esteeming it farre more necessary to haue such apt men and those of the finest wits quickest spirits and likeliest to proue great clerkes to become secular Priests as those appointed by institution diuine to take vpon them the care of soules and therefore woe vnto them if they be ignorant in the law they are to giue and expound to their flocke and charge This he prudently conceited as it was more conuenient yea of bounden dutie for those that were indifferent what state of life they tooke them vnto in the Church of God rather to haue them secular Priests then intruded into any order of religion or monasticall life whatsoeuer which intermedleth not ex professo with any such charge but liue after the prescript rules of their orders priuate to themselues as their vow and profession bindeth them vnto and none more then the Iesuites if they say true or as they would sometimes for a deuice make people beleeue they do So as it cannot be otherwise which this worthy Cardinall well noted in them but that the Iesuites in all their practises plots and pretences shadowed ouer with neuer so condensate a bright colour of religious zeale aime at a higher marke in the apple of the worlds eye then to do all things gratis and of poore pure deuotion charitie humilitie obedience and I cannot tell how many Academicall vertues and perfections which must forsooth be attributed vnto these perfect states-men and religious illuminates For how is it possible if they had any good religious Catholike or bare Christian meaning with them that they should make exceptions of persons in admitting none into their company or society but such as either by his wit wealth birth or other meanes may bring some gaine helpe and meanes to their further preferment and aduancement here on earth You progenie of vipers to vse our Sauiours words against you the offals of the old Scribes and Pharisees who hath taught you to eschue iram venturam to sequestrate your selues from the world to take vpon you a state of perfection and to include and exclude to chuse and refuse to force whom you list or otherwise to raile vpon them and condemne them to hell on liue in your arrogant censures and to thrust backe whom you like not of that gladly would enter in no doubt but of a religious conceit they haue of you though happie those that are so thrust out from among you Is this your holy societie Is this your perfection of life Is this your zeale of soules Is this your freedome from errour Is this your skill of gouernement Is this your doctrine of reformation Is this your familiaritie with God Is this your neerenesse by illuminated admittance to know secrets to others vnknowne that you dare put out and put in whom you please to haue this familiarity and to be illuminated as you vainely vaunt of No fie blasphemous wretches you preiudice Christ our Sauiour his sweete spouse and his sacred annointed Priests Nos talem consuetudinem non habemus neque Ecclesia Dei Neuer was there any religious order that tooke your course nor held such phantasticall extrauagant exorbitant irregular opinions as you do It is flat singularitie innouation and absurdity of your idle braines without any authoritie either of the Catholike Church or Scripture for you to single out any one soule in this sort Did our Sauiour teach did his Apostles practise did the Church deliuer by tradition vnto you that you might or ought to admit none but wise but wealthy but of great parentage or busie headed bodies
sense with it that poore that simple that meane that ignorant men and women go sooner to heauen then rich then noble then learned then such wise wisards as you Iesuites are The reason whereof can be none other then this For that these three vertues faith hope and charity being the gifts of God and not to be gotten by Aristotles wit nor Caesars might nor Cresus his wealth the simple meaner and poorer sort suffer God Almighty ordinarily to worke more freely firmely sweetly in their harts vtpote suauiter disponens omnia abundantly supplying their other defects then in theirs who thinking themselues to be iolly fellowes will contend by reason or otherwise with the giuer of all things and so striue to giue God checke mate or to be halfe with him in their proud Nemrodian aspires Which is the cause that they often suffer a Luciferian fall which other that seeke not to clime so high are free from And for this cause it is and hath euer bene in vse saue amongst you Iesuits that those who did take themselues to a religious course of life did it in simplicitate cordis voiding their thoughts of all promotions popular applause or other gaine to accrue vnto them thereby Therefore do I conclude that by all probable coniecture there is not one amongst a hundreth that goes to be a Iesuit that hath any true religious intent in him but a proud ambicious vaine glorious aspiring mind For what hath pouerty to do with riches what contempt of the world with worldly honours what an abiect life with birth and parentage what originall innocency with sinfull policy what solitarinesse with panigeries of praises what mortification with popular applauses what religious renunciation with fame and renowne what perfect humility with vaunting arrogancy what Cels and Cloisters with Courts and Pallaces what true obedience with controlement of Princes what Monasticall exercise with Ecclesiasticall nay with temporall mechanicall mundane affaires Is this your profession of so high perfection O that all states in Christendome would follow Cardinall Boroneus his example either in banishing of you quite out of Europe or at least in pulling in your hornes vntill you were brought into some better order moderation knowledge of your selues For my part I confesse vnto you that as I haue hitherto alwayes prayed and enioyned others to do the like for peace vnity and concord betwixt you and the seculars so shall it be my continuall prayer hereafter that howsoeuer other states do it may please God of his mercy to looke vpon our afflicted countrey and to moue the hart of his Holinesse to call you out from amongst vs here vntill your insolency be abated and withall to remoue all Iesuites for euer out of the English Colledge at Rome where there are other manner of practises then were euer attempted by any Iesuit in the territories of Millan nay or I thinke in the Christian world besides many reuerend vertuous secular Priests being sent home into England loaden till their backes crackt with the Iesuits calumniations and slanders and none but such as will be Iesuiticall wholly and not perfunctory may find any fauour there Therefore cursed be the houre that euer they got entrance in that Colledge and cursed be the time that euer they set foote on English ground and a triple curse vnto them all that to maintaine their ambition pride and seditious factions haue scandalized the whole world brought our nation into reproch and obloquie and heaped the hote coales of furious burning nay consuming flames of fire famine and sword vpon afflicted Catholikes with their owne and their natiue countries ruine destruction and desolation so much as in them lyeth And sure he or she hereafter that shall send their children or go themselues to become students at Rome or elsewhere vnder their gouernement do either by cōsequent cast themselues into a voluntary slauery as bad as if vnder the great Turke or else must they change the true nature of an English heart and become traytors or sautors of conspiracies against their Prince countrey and dearest friends THE II. ARTICLE VVHether then seeing the Iesuites are so infest enemies to all that are not Iesuited and that it is a destruction to our English youth to be brought vp vnder them as farre more fitting to haue secular Priests to be gouernours ouer them at Rome and other places do they intend if they preuaile in England to aduance any secular or other English Priest to Ecclesiasticall dignity or else some seculars of other nations or none at all THE ANSWER I Told you before if you remember that they haue made a Puritanian diuision of the Ecclesiasticall state in their high Councell of Reformation for England wherein amongst other things a statute is made for abrogation of all Episcopall dignity and that iust like to the Puritanian or the Cartwrightian or the Brownistian or the Geneuian or the Gehenian platforme there shall a new order or gouernement be brought into the Church whose gouernors shall consist of sixe seniors or elders in the congregation of Bedlems or Dutch Peeres or what you will call them whereof the seculars shall be as it were Chaplins to the Iesuits as Pater Rector and Pater minister that is father Parsons and his minister So as cleare it is that the Iesuites will alwayes haue some seculars amongst them either to vse as asses to lay their load vpon if any thing happen amisse amongst them or else as Iebusees in this land of promise made vnto them by the king of Spaine as they report left for these choice people of God to worke vpon But howsoeuer it happen I find no mention made in that statute whether the seculars must be aliens and strangers or of a natiue brood that shall be put to these meane offices For it were an indecent thing that the great fathers should desist from preaching dealing with Princes and high affaires ministrare mensis No fie God forbid their honours should so basely be stained and the matter I thinke is disputable whether they shall be all Spaniards or all English or of a mixt hotch potch of all or so many sundry nations But I thinke sure the last for it were no pollicy to haue them all of one nation but rather like the Turkes Bassaes and Ianissaries of omnium gatherum So that if any of the English Priests be admitted to that seruile dignitie it is very like to be the Archpriest were it not that more probable it is that father Parsons will haue about with him for old done deedes or Doctor Worthington or Doctor Turner or some hote spurre of the assistants or such one or other as may be fittest to serue their turne for the time Mary for any of our nation to be in the highest roomes saue onely Iesuites that is not a thing to be looked for as too arrogant a part for any to thinke of it Yea Doctor Allane troubled them much with thought and care where to haue
bestowed that silly simple man if the Spaniard had preuailed in the yeare 88. For to haue made him onely a Pater minister they could not with honestie because he was then a Cardinall and to haue made him Archbishop of Canterbury or Yorke or Bishop of London these were all too high places for him as not a man of sufficiencie to gouerne or deale in such affaires as these places did require And againe the Spaniards should haue bene our Bishops for a time and the English Iesuits their Interpreters So as it was a very difficult and doubtfull case what should haue become of the poore Cardinall till at length considering he could not liue long they determined to haue bestowed some of the meanest Bishoprikes in the land vpon him as Carlile or some such like Sed parturiant montes nascetur ridiculus mus all turned to a iest there was no such matter THE III. ARTICLE VVHether then do the Iesuits intend in that case the preferment of any temporall person seeing they intend no secular of England or not in the temporall state THE ANSWER THey do questionlesse intend it for the preferment of some for a while at the first otherwise they had no pollicy in them for I doubt not of their ingratitude further then to serue their turnes withall First for that some of their greatest aduersaries of the temporall Lords as the Lord Dacre c. are no way to be bearded out but by their ioyning with some such honourable persons as may and will make the Iesuites quarrell theirs against him for their owne aduantage Secondly for that it cannot otherwise be but that there are many secret promises with bonds vowes and protestations deepely made of sundry great and high preferments to those that now are sticklers for them Thirdly for that they haue receiued large summes of sundry great persons alreadie and therefore must repay them vpon other mens lands c. Fourthly for that they are not able to win nor yet keepe this so mighty a Monarchie but by the ayde of such c. But yet shall none of these be so aduanced but that they shall stand at the Iesuites deuotion as now the Archpriest doth to continue so long and no longer then is for their turne and that they shall be ruled and subiected vnder them THE IIII. ARTICLE WHether then seeing it appeares plaine we shall haue a change if the Iesuits preuaile do they intend a change of gouernement in the Monarchy onely or therewithall in the Vniuersities Innes of Court Chancery and in all other Colledges corporations companies and societies also or do they onely aime at some few chiefe houses c. THE ANSWERE NOw when you talke of societies you make me remember the new buildings in Edenborough called the Colledge or society house of the City where the Puritanes haue many prety orders obseruations and rules set downe amongst them for gouernement not much vnlike the orders of the Iesuits society For all these new illuminates must haue one tricke or other of innouation and singularity in euery thing And so I make no question of it but if the Iesuites preuaile they intend and will turne all things topsie turuie vpside downe sincke shal vp and sice shall vnder a dead man shall rise and do great wonder not so much as the society drinke but shall quite be changed and a lacke what ailes my minnie at me heigh hoe In Parsons high Councell of Reformacion wherein as those report that haue seene it this whole monarchicall Ile containing England Scotland and Ireland is made a Prouince depending vpon Spaine and Iesuitisme all the whole state must be changed as I told you before and the lands and seigniories of Cleargy and Nobility Vniuersities Colledges what not must be altered abridged or taken quite away Yea these popular Francklines great rich farmers or muckle carles of the countrey these Kentish yeomen vntriall Gentlemen the Iesuites officers must be authorised to confiscate certaine houses of speciall note in particular as this ignoble bastard Parsons in his vaine childish but arrogant hope hath already in conceit confiscated Cecill house to be Casa professa and another there by it to be Nouitiatum and so of others all must be changed into noua vitia yea such vices as were neuer heard of before For it is an imagined principle amongst the Iesuits which infatuates them to aduenture credit conscience and all that where they once set footing they must preuaile Vpon which vaine conceit their tormenting and troubling euery nation where they come causeth religiō to be blasphemed neuer any thing prospering in Gods Church where they come haue anie medling or dealing France abounded with Hugonites a kind of Puritanes and was neuer quiet so long as they were there yet now we see the Catholike religion hath maruelously increased since they for their sedition treacheries conspiracies were iustly banished thence How mightily Polonia was pestered and troubled by them it appeares in a booke intituled Equitis Poloni in Iesuitas anno primo Yea the Danskers made it an obiection of not admittance of the Sweden king to be their Soueraigne without condition of expelling the Iesuits from his Court and Counsell what fruite the Indians haue reaped by them the Spaniards shall themselues report it But so it is that by the crueltie of the Iesuits and Spaniards together let them take it betwixt them they are brought into that hatred as there is expected rebellions and reuolts from vnder King Philips allegiance euerie houre The like is of their garboiles in Italy Spaine Germany and other places and for England we haue said inough already all the world seeth it what mischiefe they haue brought and wrought amongst vs. Neither I will warrant shall you heare of one Iesuit that euer will acknowledge himselfe faulty nor say with Ionas Si orta sit haec tempestas propter me proijcite me in mare no it stands not with their lofty humilitie nor Atheall obedience nor Pharisaicall zeale to do so sed ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos Name me that nation that euer prospered in those actions wherein the Iesuits dipt their fingers in the fat or had any speciall commoditie or gaine in re or in spe thereby What good haue they done in the Low-countries or in Germany or in Scotland or in any other place where they come Onely this they haue done they come in with gloria patri euery where and vntill they haue like great fawcons or hawkes of the Tower firmely seazed vpon the pray kild at randon wing or souce they proceed forward with filio holding the panting heart fast in their talents for euery puny Iesuit though he be scarse able to say boe to a goose yet must he be as a correlatiue to his admired at holy father his Iesuit predecessor that went before him and so by consequent a rauening bird of pray to make poore foules I should haue sayd silly fooles sweet soules to tremble
afterward lest he shold expect some extraordinarie fauor or benefit at their hands they haue twenty dog-trickes new waies deuises by detracting which by their maxime is called gaining or winning of time how to shake him off verie Iesuitically and he neuer the wiser of it Of this principle obserued amongst the Iesuits for winning of time father Cryton a Scot. Iesuit I thinke ouerslipping himselfe at vnawares in his words told the Lord Dacre being then in Spaine put in hope of great matters but impatient in delayes that it was their manner when they had one of his account and calling that although they could not or at least would not performe what they promised or put the party in hope of yet was it in pollicy for them to draw him on without giuing him any resolute answer to the contrary as the onely way to gaine time so that by keeping him there put off with lingring hope in delayes they might the easier either act some other action by him to serue their turns withall which vpon the sudden could not be in readinesse to be enterprised or else preuent some inconuenience which might happen vnto them by his present departure or absence in another place Notwithstanding the Lord Dacre hauing had sufficient warning giuen him before aswell by the Noble Dutches of Feria halfe sister to Sir Robert Dormer nephew to the sayd Lord by mariage who hath often shewed a true naturall English Ladies heart euen liuing in a Spanish soile against these vnnaturall Parsonian practises as also by the said father Criton who bid his Lordship in effect looke for none other then to haue father Parsons his mortall enemie for euer by reason of his refusall to fauour or further the title of the Lady Infanta and for his free and liberall speech on the behalfe of his Prince and countrey against all forraine pretenders c. expected no lesse as since he hath found then most iniurious calumniations against him euerie where Yet vsed Parsons often dalliance with his Lordship either to make him breake off friendship some with his dearest friends or else to feed him with hopes or gifts to colour other guiles or to remoue some old stooles to make him breake his shinnes vpon them c. It was a pretie iest to heare how they cogd with maister Cecill after he had gottē his protection here in England how by gaining time of putting him off with hope of present parley this day that day and at such a place now then at another they made him trudge course both tide Thames and time with crosse encounters vntill he was weary of it But of all the rest they vsed a faithfull seruant of theirs Doctor Barret president at Doway most vnthankfully which because it is the very Anatomy of all the Iesuits base gained time I will set it out word for word as it is in the originall wherein I found it yet very briefly there deliuered This maister Barret was for a long time one of the Iesuits chiefe darlings and a speciall instrument to many purposes whom they requited in the end with all manner of disgusts and disgraces euen to his last breath For being sent for vp to Rome about the breach of the students with the Iesuits Cardinall Tolet hoping he would haue taken part with the seculars intended to haue made him Rector there and to haue cast out all the Iesuites as he did cast out sixe of them But Maister Barret contrarie to the Cardinals expectation became wholly Iesuited and did what he could in fauor of them against the students Whereupon Cardinall Tolet reiected him as an vnworthy man The Iesuits afterwards sent him downe to Doway to his old charge and father Parsons the archcousiner craftily made him purchase a house which cost 1200. crownes and withall stopt at Rome the Popes pension for the Colledge the space of two yeares By these occasions Doctor Barret in behalfe of the Colledge fell in debt 3000. crownes the Iesuits all this while keeping from him the annuall pensions With this the Doctor at length being moued sending to Rome to cōplaine and require the mony gentle father Parsons went to the Pope and accused him of excesse and euill husbandry in disposing the Popes Pensions And so by this meanes through gaine of time suffering the house to fall in extremitie father Parsons gained two commodities thereby one was thereupon to send into England for collections to be made and that none should come ouer vnto Doway without twenty pounds or a good large sum in their purses by reason of the great want that the Colledge was in another that hereupon through tract of time he got aduantage of the poore President as though the Colledge had decaied through his default and so intended vpon that occasion to haue cast him out and haue thrust in Iesuits in his place sauing that his death preuented it But other matters falling out here in England contrarie to their expectation about their Atchpresbiter it was thought necessarie for gaining of time a while longer not as yet to place there the Iesuits but one Doctor Worthington for a time to be a stickler to gaine time by for them Thus you see the Iesuits axiome of winning redeeming or gaining of time is nothing else in effect then to runne withall times in altering their positions by three generall rules or propositions vsed now one way and thē another as a medius terminus for euery doubtfull argument one is tempora mutantur ergo nos mutamur in illis Another is omnia pro tempore ergo nihil pro veritate The last is diuide imperia at all times so as the deuision of the spoile being in thine owne hands thou mayst make it serue thy turne to win by time thy desires The practise of which ground is in no Iesuites affaire so manifest as in this verie point and platforme for their English gouernement labouring to outward shew to set vp now one then another intending it for none at all in very deed as by conferring of one thing with another may be easilie discouered in their practises For it is not vnknowne to all the Christian world as I verily thinke that in Rome in Spaine in Flaunders and euery where but especially here in England Scotland and Ireland they labour to stirre vp all men vnder colour of religion and zealous desire in them of our countries conuersion against our Soueraigne the present State and aboue all against the seculars accusing them to be fautors of heretikes furtherers of heretikes titles to the English Crowne and a faction forsooth we must be tearmed by a company of Montebankes that haue put this phrase into ignorant peoples heads that when they talke of any that is opposite to these seditious Iesuits damnable courses they must say ô he is one of the faction when like a company of asses if they knew what a faction meant they might easily discerne that these their new maisters did ride
ex illis and not a Raphael of another order c. And as the Chapter of Cannons chuse their Deane and not the Priests dispearsed in parishes the Deane Chapter and Priests of each Bishoprike their Bishop and not the inclused Monkes of that Dioces the Dominicans their Prior and not the Franciscans the Iesuits their prouincial and not the Benedictines the Aldermen and City of London their Maior not the Iustices c. and onely in hell amongst heretikes ordo negligitur ergo the Iesuits appointing vs a superior do imitate one of these 6 His letters to Rome against his brethreÌ„ egor defence of the Iesuits coÌ„uince him to be vnus ex vel subditus illis ergo coÌ„tra ius imponitur nobis c. 7 He publickly professeth partiality as in his bitter letters to maister Benson to maister More and to sundry others and that he maintaines them in all things ergo vt iniquus iniustus iudex deponendus 8 His authority was vnhonestly procured because we were neuer made acquainted therewith hauing è contrario formerly imparted our minds vnto them c. vnlawfully confirmed because by the Cardinal at Parsons suite both our enemies and vniustly executed because by Iudges of their owne cause and therefore all three Cardinall Parsons and Blackwell intrusers into our haruest vsurpers of his Holinesse authority and tyrants ouer vs and our countrey 9 That it was directly a plot cast of Parsons by and for the Iesuits to expell or bring all Priests vnder them patet ex bulla qua instituitur praecipue vt pacem habeant cum Iesuitis ergo ad interitum omnium aliorum c. 10 That it was foisted in by Parsons procurement only vpon a point of extremity to colour his impiety and to stop the discouery of his treacherous mind towards his countrey appeareth For it came iumpe at that time when both in Spaine Italy the Low-countries his dealings began to be odious for his tyrannie against all Priests and lay persons that consented not to his Iaponian kingdome and in England his bookes and all his and their dealings being by Catholikes generally disliked and by secular Priests condemned and reiected as full of ambition bloudshed infamy and ruine intended to our whole countrey it was time to set vp such an Archiprate or else had the Iesuits faction bene quite pulled downe for euer which though he haue but a blind name of authority yet it serueth to hold tacke till by inuasion or otherwise the Iesuits may worke their feate for inhauncing of kingdomes c ergo vtterly by all English to be deiected 11 That setting M. Black priuate life aside which now I omit he is vnfit if such authority were lawfully graÌ„ted to be chosen for a head ouer so great a multitude of fine wits many more graue ancient and learned then himselfe especially in times of so many dangers and full of diuersities and differences in al things besides religion learning and this is most plaine for that he is wel knowne to be a man of no reach only he hath read studied sundry positiue authors whereby he can speake or write sentences euill couched together God wot out of others But of himselfe he neuer knew what discourse writing to great persons or of matters of weight or what ciuill conuersation or gouernment meant For hauing a charge onely of a widow Gentlewoman with whom he liued he neuer conuersed with any to learne either wit knowledge or experience in any thing or how to behaue himselfe in company discourse or otherwise to sift out any matter or yet to know how to do iustice in his office further then his booke told him which often causeth error through want of practise and experience to know the custome of times and places c. which may alter quite his book cases as applyed by a correspondencie to another purpose Which grosse ignorance a man shall find almost in euery letter he writes wresting this and that sentence Canon author and authoritie quite contrarie to another act matter sence and meaning then euer thereby was intended which I should rather thinke came of his simplicitie then of wilfull error were it not that he is become so proud peremptorie and scoffing contemptuous in his exorbitant letters words and all his other actions since this immerited authority came vpon him ergo by Parsons rule of deposing or chusing gouernors M. Blackwell is vnfittest of an hundred and consequently to be deposed for his insufficiencie though otherwise he had absolute authoritie 12 That M. Blackwels simplicitie and vnaptnesse to gouerne sheweth plaine the great mischiefe and ruine of our countrie intended by chusing of him is manifest For who in pollicie would attempt that which the Iesuites go about by any but such as wanting wit to enter into their drift should thinke euery word to be an oracle or else to be the Gospell that they speak and then vpon this ground Catholikes hauing tender consciences must thinke it a sinne irremissible to resist c. 13 That the Iesuits pollicie was maruellous dexterous in choosing one by profession a secular Priest and not a knowne Iesuite and consequently none fitter then M. Blackwell vz. First otherwise they had opened their own ambition to all the world Secondly they could not in honestie and with any face haue spoken for themsâ—lues as others may do for them Thirdly they may hereby colour all their trecherie for if it fadge not well the head is a Seminarie or secular Priest if it hap to their wish he is by them set vp ergo at their appointment Fourthly they may as they do more stoutly defend him then themselues 14 That a greater persecution is and must ensue by M. Blackwels Archpresbitery then euer came to Catholikes by the ciuill magistrates vz. First for that it opens the way to all rebellion freeing euery one to speake or do what they list or can against any except Iesuits all vnder pretence of zeale in taking forsooth the Popes part by defending M. Blackwels authority and esteeming of all that resist it to be Schismaticks or worse Secondly wheras before som few were infamed by priuat oppositions against the Iesuits now all that obey not M. Blackwell are so persecuted by these Parsonians railing and slaundering toungs as none can liue free Thirdly it breeds that contempt as euery boy and girle are in manner of esteeme of priesthood become Haywoodists Wisemanists and I could tell you what worse perdee to put no difference but all secular as well laitie as clergie c. Fourthly it makes vent for inuasion both of England and Scotland the Archpriests twelue assistants being dispersed in euery corner with the laity to worke by North and by South perswading it to be for the Scots good to ioyne with Spaine ergo mightily he is to be resisted 15 That the plot was laid long ago for the Archpriest videl by their olim dicebamur and other forgeries of theirs First
ecclesiae as all doe grant it and experience of all ages hath approoued it true the latter not for that surceasing excepts against heretikes in such proceedings who by authoritie of holy writ may iustly be constrained with force of the temporall sword to receiue the faith of Christ and his catholike Romane Church wherein they were baptized and out of which they are now most pernitiously fallen to their damnation To this the former againe makes reply that that is in a case of lawe and strategeme of warres when the plaintif as a soueraigne hauing right on his side may haue strength and power at hand sufficient to defend his iust quarrell and Gods cause but where and when the poore afflicted catholikes are the weaker part and in subiection vnder their natiue prince they must not tempt God with miracles sed in patientia possidebunt animas suas expecting the time that God hath appointed either to ease the afflicted of their heauie persecution by calling them to his mercie or else to mooue the aduersarie as here he did king Cyrus c. Here againe the latter doth vrge very vehemently against the former that it is their fault if they be not of strength ynough For if all would side one way run one course ioyne together of one part they were able to match their aduersaries at all assaies but bicause they fauor heretikes and their titles more then catholikes as some the Scots king others the house of Derbie others that of Huntington others of Hartford and others the Lady Arbella c. therefore is Gods cause weakened and the catholiks quarrell quailed But to this yet againe the former makes reioinder professing that if they had millions on their side for thousands on her maiesties yet they hold it were not lawfull for them by force of armes to gaine the garland that they run for as afterward it shall appeere and vtterly denying that they fauor any heretike as an heretike or their titles vnder that pretence but as remembring how diuers princes and great monarches haue been conuerted to the catholike Christian faith and withall considering that neither the king of Scots nor yet any of the rest were euer any speciall persecutors of vs or our religion but rather fauorable to many catholikes as is well knowne not forgetting this besides that it were an act of iniustice in vs especially being priuate persons either to manage a false title as the Spaniard hath none other or impugne a knowne right as all the world knoweth it rests confined within the Albion I le But admit it were reuealed to any priuate man that the Spanyard or any other forraigne prince should preuaile and cary away our English crowne out of the land so as we should neuer haue king regnant ouer vs hereafter as some old prophecies many say haue foreshewed that our deere countrimen brothers sisters and friends the flower of Englands youth the beautie of our Ladies Widowes Wiues Virgins of all degrees should be prostituted prophaned rauished and led captiue into strange lands the sore persecution of Gods seruants the blasphemies heresies execrable schismes of this age and our owne sinnes in generall vrging Gods wrath against our whole Nation to take so sharpe yet ordinary reuenge for such offences as some say also hath bene spoken of long agone to come to passe in this our vnfortunate age or that we should haue such a change of state gouernment common wealth and all as the chiefe soueraigntie should be in an alien prince Spanyard or Burgundian Netherlandian or the like and the Lords spirituall and temporall gouerning ouer vs for the time to be of that foraigne prince his Nation and the Iesuits or fathers as they terme themselues of the societie to be their Interpretors for our English Welsh Irish and Stots nation as both letters and witnesses besides inuincible probats otherwise are extant to shew that Master Parsons and his confederates goe about such a matter and a sermon himselfe once made at Rome insinuates no lesse but that by tyrannicall subiecting the Seminary there to be vnder his societie he expounded the prophecie he there spoke of in his intent and meaning to be directly vnderstood of himselfe and his company that they should be those long gownes which should raigne and gouerne the whole Isle of great Britaine Of which societie there being some of all or the most part of all Christian Nations hauing once this land giuen them by and vnder the Spaniard as they hope for to make it a Iapponian Island of Iesuits but stay they haue not yet Iapponia in their handes then should we haue as many languages in this Isle and the auncient Inhabitants dispersed into as many countries as there should be prouincialls of that societie for it were no policie to let vs all liue here together nor yet leade all captiue into one prouince or kingdome Yet let God worke his will in these things be it true or false that any such heauines be reuealed what then Shall I therefore be the bloodie instrument to worke it of mine owne head without Gods speciall designement so to doe Shall I shew my selfe so vnnaturall inhumane and cruell harted as to write bookes to perswade to vse all possible meanes to bring my natiue country into bondage and slauerie Shall I of a grudge or desire of reuenge vpon some particular person or persons or for some priuate gaine to my selfe or my owne peculiar company banish from my hard nay stonie nay flintie nay adamantine hart all pittie compassion charitie remorse and naturall affection to that which next to my maker and his spouse I am by all lawes in chieefe to esteeme of the bond of loue loyaltie and dutie being greater to my prince and countrie then to my parents or deerest friends And whereas euen tyrants in such like cases haue been mooued to lenitie shall I haue no conceit of the wringing of hands of the sighes and teares of the weepings and wailings of the skrikes and cries of so many sweete yoong and tender babes of both sexes Shall I haue no feeling of so many mothers bleeding harts of so many noble ladies and other yoong maides of generous birth gentle blood and free education for all rare parts indowments and abilities of nature and fortune fit to be princes peeres now to be left desolate or bestowed on euery base fellow not woorthy to be their seruant Shall I take vpon me to be an actor an orator or a broker in laboring to bring that old blinde prophesie to effect which saith When the blacke fleete of Norway is come and gone then lords shall wed ladies and bring them home Shall I be the efficient instrumentall cause or causa sine qua non of so many great worshipfull honorable and princely heires to be disinherited of so many vpstart squibs of forraigne nations to start vp in their places of so many false textes forged glosses fained lawes of God of nature and of man to disprooue all
any especially so neere her Maiestie as those were c. But amongst many woorthy examples and reasons alledged by these ancient fathers to the heathen emperors in the primitiue Church why they should grant libertie of conscience to Christians arguments deduced from policie ciuilitie humanitie and their owne princely benignitie for they not accustomed with matters of faith religion conscience being infidels onely morall ciuill politicall and humane respects such as some sparks of Synderesis the lawes of reason of nature and nations are in man were motiues to moone them to surcease from persecution or else nothing Of all the rest Athenagoras in his Apologie to the emperor Commodus on the behalfe of the Christians frameth his speech to the best construction and fitliest agreeing to the matter now in question to the iudgement of many on the English catholikes behalfe to our Soueraigne For the summe of Athenagoras speech consisting as it doth in this that one and a chiefe reason why the emperor should grant free vse and libertie of conscience to the Christians was for that his Maiestie together with all his predecessors freely granted the same freedome to all other sects sectaries professors of religion and worshippers of sundry gods and goddesses as far different in the worship done to and derogating from the Maiestie and honor of Caesar as the God of the Christians or worship done vnto him did or could any way differ or derogate And seeing that euery particular prouince countrie and people had their peculiar gods to themselues whom they worshipped with a kinde of singularitie vsed in one thing or other towardes them that others wanted where euer they went or liued either in the prouince of their birth or else transported to some region further of or nearer hand and yet neuer once examined nor asked the question why they did so then ab inductione Athenagoras did conclude euen iure gentium that the Christians throughout the emperors dominions ought to haue the like libertie tolleration and conniuence granted them Whereupon our catholikes in England bringing in an argument à simili that if there wâ—re reason why the Emperor should permit the Christian religion as well as other religions opposite to the Romane rites in gentilisme that were then allowed of with all their pluralities of like sort then say ours seeing her Maiestie permitteth Puritanes Brownists or Barowists Familians c. to liue quiet within her dominions it were agreeing as well to mercy suited alwaies best with maiestie as also to if not our iust yet our lawfull desires for to haue the like libertie or at least not to bee haunted with continuall searchings hazard of life ordinarie taxations and losses of lands and goods taken from them as the catholike recusants are and haue beene long in these vexations troubles and dangers from whence all other are free Amidst this argument they vrge further for that the emperors in those daies were heathen our Soueraigne a Christian their 's often strangers to the Romanes yea alwaies strangers to one nation or other ouer which they gouerned especially during the raignes of some thirty emperors euen vntill Constantine the great his time by reason that the emperiall crowne of Caesar went by meere election that while whereupon followed so many bloodie murthers massacrings and open warres against one another for aspiring to the emperiall soueraigntie Here one proclaimed emperor in the field by a rabble of vnruly soldiers there another denounced installed and crowned emperor by the Senate and he sometimes an Italian otherwhile a Spaniard otherwhile a Frenchman then a Britane borne in this lande and after that perhaps a Grecian c Whereas now our Lady and Soueraigne is of our owne nation birth blood education naturall incline and all things to mooue to lenitie Againe their pluralities of gods and diuersities of worships sacrifices and ceremonies tended onely to points of religion sects and opinions amongst themselues no way otherwise derogating to the imperiall crowne of Caesar But these in England which yet as I said are permissible differ not onely all of them in generall from the present church of England yea and one from another in matters of faith and points of religion besides as much as the catholikes do differ from the Protestants if not more but euen also in matters of state in the highest degree the Puritans as eagerly seeking and wishing the death of her Maiestie and both writing and speaking as boldly vnto her as any traytor euer did or durst speake to his prince and yet they are permitted to liue and enioy their liberty whereas the catholiks can not be any way endured which to nations abroad giueth no little cause of admiration Fourthly they otherwhiles turnd ouer their bookes wherein they had registred the imperiall decrees of Caesar and finding amongst other points of importance belonging to this great cause of our heauines and woonder how that euer so sore an affliction of catholikes should haue fallen out in our infortunate age and that in our natiue countrey and amongst our owne deerest and neerest friends by all coniunctions of lawes orders motiues they had there quoted how that in time of Arrianisme other afflictions persecutions of the church vnder Iulian vnder Valens vnder Constans vnder Constantius vnder Theodoret and others the like when the same emperors were fautors yea and earnest persecutuors protectors and patrons of the catholikes aduersaries and that all the Christian world was infected with those heresies which continued 400. yeeres ere they were quite extinct yet were these great Monarches and mighties of the world so far from inflicting such a generall affliction vpon all catholikes in those daies as now the English catholikes do sustaine that they thought it enough to haue them and that but in some places for to be depriued of their Benefices Bishopricks and other as well ecclesiasticall as temporall dignities and offices suffragating Arrian Bishops and others in their places without further taxes laide vpon them or other troubles and vexations in generall For what was done in speciall against Saint Siluester and Saint Siluerius martyr against Saint Basill and Saint Martin martyr against Saint Iohn and Saint Donatus both martyrs against Saint Athanasius Saint Chrysostom and others it was of priuate grudge and no generall cause Nay which was more euen those same emperors that persecuted the catholikes most yet often of their owne princely benignity and meere motion proceeding of their innate clemencie they would and did authorise graunt and make offer from their imperiall throne to sundrie catholike Bishops and other prelats euen vnder their hands For as I said before in places prouinces and countries further of though subiect to the Romane empire there was no question made of hauing catholiks or Arrian Bishops equally alike as the number of the one or other religions did sway most that they might vse their Episcopal iurisdictions and other rites and ceremonies agreeing to the custome of the catholike
infection with Iesuiticall conspiracies euer heereafter when as such seditious rotten weedes should be rooted out which both indanger her royall person and present state and bring vs all her faithfull subiects to be suspected by their meanes And as for study learning and other catholike exercises let this good motiue deere catholikes be no waie heauily taken nor rashly censured as though there were no learning nor method of teaching nor any gouernment or vertuous exercise but where a Iesuite beares the stroke For know you this that as there are their betters in England and out of it that are no Iesuits euen of our owne nation this day in all things required in teachers masters and gouernors so before euer any Iesuits came or were in rerum natura the Vniuersities of Oxford and Cambridge florished amongst the most famous schooles in Christendome either for schoole method or positiue doctrine in Diuinitie Philosophie or any other studie And seeing it cannot be denied but that for all the Iesuits boast of their learning gouernment method of teaching and I can not tell what yet still haue the seculars Seminarie priests beene the chiefe Readers profoundest Clarks either in Diuinitie or philosophy that haue gone out of our Nation in these daies witnesse our Allans our Stapletons our Giffords our Hardings our Parkinsons our Elyes our Kellingsons with sundrie other Doctors schoolemen to omit those that are in England at this present togither with diuers religious Englishmen of S. Benedicts of S. Dominicks of S. Fraunces and of other religious orders al of them to be preferred before our new illuminates these vainglorious vanting men Besides we see that for al our Seminaries vnder the Iesuits yet the most famous men from time to time haue beene brought vp vnder the secular clergie or the Dominican preachrers and teachers in all nations Also it is well knowne that there is nothing wanting in our Vniuersities heere in England for making profound clarks and learned men in deede saue onely that sound catholike doctrine and schoole method which was vsed in Gabrell Beoll in Alexander of Hales and in Iohn Scots daies For otherwise neuer was there a finer breed of wits nor brauer Orators nor more pleasant Poets nor perfecter Grammarians nor more copious Linguists nor riper men in all studies of humanitie then are brought vp in our English Vniuersities Therefore seeing that which is wanting might be supplied by catholike doctors and teachers of our owne nation any Iesuits equals and that we see sundrie of the finest wits resort to our side daily notwithstanding all these either contentions betwixt vs and the Iesuits or yet the present affliction and danger we all do liue in of our common aduersaries then thinke deere catholiks as true it is that there can no question be made of it to the contrary but that where one commeth now vnto vs there would then come ten of all sorts by such carefull diligence and choise of tutors as vpon this so gracious a grant O happie who may liue to see it of her Maiestie might be vsed both in Oxford and Cambridge as that you might haue your children there inclined and trained vp with some such good conceits of the catholike faith and religion as nourished and cherished therein by you that are their friends in natural loue and affection and confirmed by vs that are priests as in christian charity and catholike dutie we are bound there would quickly follow a ioyfull forgetfulnes of the Iesuits exile as the perturbers of both the catholike church and Englands common-wealth and ruine of vs all if they remaine amongst vs. And thus hauing brought this long tedious intricate and most dangerous difficult and doubtfull Quodlibet of plots by statizing to an end in some sort though not halfe so much said heerein as both the waight of the matter it selfe doth require and also as willing I was and am to haue written thereof as well in respect of iustice as of charity both mouing me to speake were I not infringed vpon other considerations iustly compelling me to silence Therefore vnwilling to holde you any longer in this so discomfortable a party as necessarily the talke of these matters must needs be to many deuout soules which no doubt will be assaulted with variable cogitations in the peruse of this discourse wo be to them who haue occasioned such straite passages of our heauines I now end in harty praier vpon my knees that God may turne all to his glory as well for religion as state and so proceed to other matters in hand THE ARGVMENT OF THE NINTH GENERALL QVODLIBET HAuing said more in the last Quodlibet then I shall haue thanks for at the Iesuits hands but that I am Iohn Indifferent and a Wilfull Will that wil neuer force a friend nor feare a foe in an act of publike iustice as I hold it for such that a greater act both of iustice of chatity could not be then if my poore cōceits by pen expressed can do it to defend Gods cause quarrell my prince countries right the gaulelesse catholikes innocent harts and to firret these cony-catching Iesuits out of conceit from all English berries or warrens that carrie either oile of perfect charitie in their lampes or fire of true catholike zeale within their breastes or naturall affection to their prince their countrie their parents children flesh and blood their deerest friends Hereupon there doth occurre to my memorie two generall Quodlibets which make as much for our purpose as any we haue hitherto handled scil to make knowne to the world the surmised forme but in deede very weake foundation the Iesuits haue laied especially this most Atheall Polypragmon father Parsons to perfect the platforme of statizing mentioned in the last Quodlibet precedent for the ouerthrowe of all that are not as they And therefore shal the first of these two Quodlibets be of plots by succession the second of plots by presages The former then consisting of such deuises engins and baites as the Iesuits haue cast abroad into euery mundane puddle◠pond and poole of Christendome to fish for an absolute monarchie that as there is but one God and Sauiour Lord and king Iesus in heauen so but one sole regiment by Iesuits on earth the articles concerning that point are these 10. following THE NINTH GENERALL QVODLIBET OF PLOTS by succession THE I. ARTICLE WHether is the practise of the Iesuits agreeable to christian charitie and the dutie of true subiects to interprete euery thing that their Soueraigne and the state of the countrey doth in the woorst part to slaunder depraue and calumniate the king their Lord and his proceedings by libels and sundry sorts of chartals bookes and pamphlets of purpose both to make his highnes his gouernment and his whole kingdome as much as in them lieth offensiue to other princes now and odious heereafter to all posteritie or not THE ANSWERE THe Quodlibets of state and succession hauing such an affinity by
sequell of proper kind as we now handle them that the one followeth the other as the shadow doth the body there is nothing said in the last generall Quodlibet of state but it hath a relation to this of succession So as it can not be otherwise imagined but that the Iesuites haue a further drift and intend a greater mischiefe then all the world dreames of to make princes state gouernment and all authoritie seeme odious to the multitude Therefore I affirme and say absolutely as in my hart I thinke it that their proceedings therein are neither religious catholike christian nor dutifull but very barbarous impious and dishonest which I prooue first by testimony of holy writ Thou shalt not speake euill of the prince of thy people said the wise Salomon amongst his many Prouerbes Secondly Curse not the king no not in thy thought said the great Preacher in his ecclesiasticks and to the same purpose are the two great princes of the earth Saint Peter his words in his first Epistle and Saint Paule his speech by an Epistle to Titus Thirdly againe if any action can beare two constructions charity bindeth a man to take the best But princes haue neuer had more cause then now they haue by the Iesuites practises to be iealous of their estates ergo it ought to be construed in the best sense a man may if their gouernment be contrary to our likings Fourthly besides kings proceedings are oft aboue the capacity of the subiects and are not by them to be scanned or sifted much lesse to be slaundered and depraued Fiftly furthermore kings being the fathers of their country if they should haue in their proceedings any nakednes their subiects shew themselues to be of the generation of Cham that will not rather couer then detect them But such are the Iesuits vnnatural harts and greedie desire of soueraignty as it seemeth nothing doth more delight them then to find in a prince or priests coate some thing to make them seeme odious to their subiects or ghostly children Sixtly also the honour of our countrie ought to be more deere vnto vs then our owne credites or estimation nay oftentimes then our liues themselues ergo how can it be chosen but that the Iesuites being so ambitious in seeking their owne glory so greedy of their owne praises and so deeply affecting soueraigne dominion should not condemne themselues in their owne consciences in detracting and calumniating their soueraignes It is therefore most manifest and true as I haue often said and must haue often cause to repeate the same that of long time the grauest sort of the secular priests in England haue vtterly disliked such pamphlets and railing treatises and bookes as haue bene set out to the dishonour of her Maiesty and state here The booke that Doctor Saunders writ De schismate and his other De visibili Monarchia we wish with all our harts that they had neuer seen light Diuers of father Parsons books letters and treatises we haue and do from our very harts vtterly condemne them as conteining many seditious and trayterous points and being very full of slaunderous speeches and impudent calumniations Andreas Philopater being the fruits of father Parsons and father Creswell we hold to be fraught till it almost burst againe as some of my brethren elsewhere haue noted with all Iesuiticall pride and poyson And as touching the Exhortation before mentioned printed 1588. it is so detestable a treatise as all posterity cannot choose but condemne father Parsons for a most scurrilous traytor If he had beene brought vp amongst all the ruffians and Curtizans in Christendome he could not haue learned to haue writ more vilely prophanely and heathnishly Furthermore in that father Parsons and his fellow father Creswell do glory in their said booke that they haue caused not onely it but also master Saunders treatise De schismate to be translated into the Spanish toong and do reioyce that thereby the Spaniards are brought already into a greater detestation of her Maiestie her gouernment proceedings then they had before I thinke they glory in their owne shame and that they are to be accounted by all true catholikes to be most vile and trayterous persons that they dishonor priesthood and are as right Iesuits as insolencie and hatred can make them And so I conclude that the Iesuits practises and intents in wresting their Soueraignes and the state affaires in euery politicall morall and humane action to the worst sense is neither agreeing to Christian iustice catholike charitie nor bounden dutie of true subiects but like rebellious traytors to bring all into vprore that they may haue al crownes kingdomes gouernments succession state inheritance and all at their pleasure THE II. ARTICLE VVHether may not Iesuits although they are religious men and therefore excluded from dealing in publike secular affaires yet for all that which hath beene said imploy themselues in matters of state thus farre scil to direct and appoint the forme of the ciuill gouernment to set downe who ought to succeed to alter the ancient lawes of their countrie to decide and determine difficulties that may rise concerning all and euery competitors title in way of succession by birth blood c. to the crowne and to innouate all things vnder the pretence of gods glory and the promoting of their owne societie Or whether are not all these imputations so many vntruthes and calumniations THE ANSWERE I Hold it as I said before altogether vnlawfull for them to deale so in state matters and by consequent indecent First for that it is against the rules of their orders and very presumptuous for any of them to medle with the succession to the crowne at all Secondly it doth repugne from the very nature of all religious profession which is a seperating of men from the actions of the world Thirdly it tendeth to that which we most condemne in our common aduersaries For the consequence will be hardly denied it is lawfull for cleargy men to mannage ciuill causes ergo it is lawfull for temporall men to manage causes ecclesiasticall For wrest it and wring it aswell and which way soeuer we can possibly deuise yet will it alwaies be iudged of our aduersaries an assertion most euident and absurd to be denied that temporall men should not haue as great authoritie in church causes as Iesuits monks or friers at least if not also as other secular and ecclesiasticall persons should haue in causes ciuill Fourthly I shall not much need to trauell in this point bicause the Iesuits themselues do digest nothing woorse then to heare themselues charged with it for it is a practise with them to do all things vnder hande and to be as little seene in them as possiblie they can deuise And therefore as I haue often told you no lesse for the most part that which they go about they do it by other men or by feined names that if any inconuenience should happen they might either lay the blame vpon
others or else deny it so you shal see in time that although our worshipfull Archpriest hath done nothing but by fahaer Garnets direction yet when his ridiculous vniust vncharitable dâ—ttyrannous proceedings shall come to the scanning father Garnet will doe the best he can to pull his necke out of the coller and master Blackwell shall be the Asse that must beare all the burden So father Parsons that holy man by his practise doth giue father Garnet a pregnant example In the most of those seditious bookes which he the said father Parsons hath published he hath either concealed his name or giuen them such names as it hath pleased him to deuise And one of his said bookes being set out by him vnder the name of master Dolman now that many exceptions are taken vnto it he good man was not the author of it his name is not Dolman and gladly he would shift and wash his hands of it but all the water betwixt this and Rome will not serue his turne so to do although by the common principle of the Iesuits he may by lying and equiuocating make a faire shew But of this enough is said before As concerning the second point I will now make it plaine vnto you that the Iesuits being charged as in the former question is set downe are not therein slaundered any way vniustly For First it is plaine that father Parsons and his company diuide it amongst them how they list haue laide a plot as being most consonant and fitting to their other designments that the common lawes of the Realme of England must be forsooth either abolished vtterly or else beare no greater sway in the Realme then now the ciuill lawe doth And the chiefe reason is for that the state of the crowne and kingdome by the common lawes is so strongly setled as whilest they continue the Iesuits see not how they can worke their wils And on the other side in the ciuill lawes they thinke they haue some shreds whereby they may patch a cloake together to couer a bloodly shew of their treasons for the present from the eies of the vulgar sort And certainly I could not choose but smile when I read this point in father Parsons booke to see how prettily this fine fingred figgeboy conueigheth his matter how the common lawyers must waite vpon the Ciuilians to beare their bookes after them and how they are to applaud to all that the doctors will auerre to be lawe vpon their bare words vnto them Secondly the said good father deeming of all men it seemeth by himselfe hath set downe a course how euery man may shake off all authoritie at their pleasures as if he woulde become a newe Anabaptist or king Iohn of Leyden to draw all the world into a mutinie rebellion or combustion And this stratageme is how the common people may be inueigled and seduced to conceit to themselues such a libertie and prerogatiue as that it may be lawfull for them when they thinke meete to place and displace kings and princes as men may doe their tenants at will hirelings or ordinarie seruants Which Anabaptisticall and abhominable doctrine proceeding from a turbulent tribe of traiterous Puritanes other heretikes this treacherous Iesuite would now foist into the catholike church as a ground of his corrupt diuinitie And sure it is strange to consider how the caitiffe handleth this point giuing aduantage thereby to all nations to reuolt from the See apostolike if any catholike prince would take holde or build vpon this absurd fellowes word or authoritie For that amongst other arguments he insisteth vpon certaine rebellious most traiterous examples how some kings in this Island haue beene dealt with As if a man should take vpon him to prooue murther lawfull bicause many examples of murther may be produced or as if this were a good argument England Scotland Ireland Denmarke Swethia many states in Germany many men in France and else where haue reiected the authoritie of the Pope his holines the See of Rome therefore Italy France Spaine other catholike countries may do the like Fourthly the said good fathers with their ringleader and muster-master father Parsons do take vpon them in the saide booke and in other treatises to deale with matters of succession and titles of the crowne as if their bare words were of higher authoritie then either Court Parliamentall Prince or Pope and bicause as it seemeth their said ringleader is a bastard himselfe it is woonderfull to see what very small account he maketh of succession by inheritance title of descent birthright or bloud Now tell me in this case A gentleman or substantiall yeoman hauing one heire and many seruants dieth were he not an asse that would affirme that the right of the saide heire should depend vpon the pleasure of his fathers seruants If they thought meet he should haue his fathers lands or otherwise they would bestow them as they thought good I am sure you would account it vniust vnnaturall indecent and ridiculous And all that this traitorous Iesuite writeth of this point is grounded vpon the like folly whilest he laboureth so giantlike in opposing himselfe against succession by inheritance to fight most impudently with all lawes nay with nature and with God himselfe Hereunto it also appertaineth how after he hath contriued the meanes as he thinketh how to depriue kings and heires from their inheritance he then taketh vpon him to appoint how others may and are to succeede in their roomes and possesse their ancient right And he proceedeth herein as grauely and substantially as he hath done in the premisses For except this may carrie a shew of a good argument fiue hundred or a thousand yeeres since the ancestors of the king of Spaine the king of Fraunce and of diuers other kings had no interest to the kingdomes which now they enioy therefore some others must be found out to be preferred to those kingdomes the good father saith nothing There is one who hath written a booke of the Bathes in England and as I remember for it is long since I saw the booke the author of it the rather to extol the first finder out of the said Bathes that therby he might prooue him to be an ancient gentleman doth set downe his petigree and neuer leaueth it I assure you vntill he come to these words which was the sonne of Seth which was the sonne of Adam It were not amisse in my poore opinion that Master Parsons should carefully seeke out for this maÌ„s kinred It is not vnlikely but that by his skil he might intitle them to very many kingdomes distributing this to one and that to another as in his omnipotentencie he should hold it most conuenient The man if he liue long will prooue mad in the end without question except you can imagine that these and such like vanities are sober conceits And yet that which he saith against the blood royall of England to aduance a pretended interest to the Infanta
be so much the more probable that they both aspire ayme and shoote at an absolute imperial marke and withall will be able to giue a greater assault pushe and put for it when time comes then euer any of the fower monarches or other vpstart imperiall states gaue before them to this day by how much as they are more dispersed and haue greater fatours in all Christian kingdomes then any other rebels or aspires to soueraigne dominions had in any one of these regions where they first began tyrannically to rule For if Ottoman alone could passe out of Persia with other vacabonds and in the end become so mighty a Lord in a strange land vanquishing in short space the rest of his fellowes all great princes by fortune of wars and other meanes that now his successor called Imperator Turcarum is the most powerable Emperor of the world yea aboue the Spaniards by reason that his dominions are vnited together round about him whereas the Spaniard is rather hindered and his strength diminished by multitudes of kingdomes intituled subiected and gouerned by him then otherwise by reason that they lye so far a sunder disioynted by intercurring countries betwixt him and home on each side then considering what manner of men they are none can deny but that there is great likelyhoode of the Iesuits aduancement to soueraigne dominion with inlargement of their territories further then euer it was like that the Turke should haue enlarged his vntill the effects did demonstrate it vnto the worlde that so it was Secondly this is confirmed not onely ab inductione for euery particular Nation how many great potentates side with them to second their aduersaries euery where but also by the meanes they haue to worke that feate withall scil to increase their faction by winning inueigled single harts vnto them which they do sundry waies but especially by three deuises that are the cheife aides and hopes of conquests none of which the Ottomans had when they began their enterprise One is wit practise experience and policie for in vaine are warres abroad nisi sit consilium domi neither Matchiuel nor any that euer yet was in Europe comming neere vnto the Iesuits for Atheall deuises to preuent the stoppels of their stratagems and to further their owne proceedings An other is pretended piety whereby through helpe of the former to put their rules and principles in execution in due time and place respecting the person and other circumstances and occasions offered they haue and do not onely allure multitudes vnto them dayly encreasing the number of their faction but withall there can be nothing done nor almost intended against them or for the strengthening by counterplots of their aduersaries where euer they liue but presently know it and thereby hauing their spials in euery princes court and place of most intelligence that may informe their Generall as they doe once a moneth ordinarily from all parts of Europe what is there done or intended with or against them they haue the aduantage by being thus dispersed to saue themselues from all vniuersall or any notable danger And if possibly it can be preuented or their aduersaries ouerthrowen in their owne courses taken against these fathers they haue the meanes for it else it is not in the world to be heard of or found The last is plenty of money which Ottoman also wanted And seeing to speake morally there is not that exploite to be done which money cannot compasse then consider what huge masses of money and infinite treasure the Iesuits haue euery where It is credibly reported by some reuerend priests as I told you once before that they lost at their expulsion out of Fraunce three millions at the least Adding hereunto what large collections they make yeerely here in England which is the least they haue in any other Nation vnlesse Scotland c. where they are resident little or nothing at all sometimes comming to any afflicted Catholike so mercilesse hard and cruell harts they haue of many 1000. l. which some one of them hath reeceiued as before is touched in part and more at large in other bookes written of their conni-catching deuises to get money is to be found Then I say none euer had fairer meanes or greater helpes and likelyhoods of preuailing in their ambitious aspires and affecting of soueraigne dominion in an absolute monarchiall state then they haue Thirdly that the Iesuites practise is as well against Spaine and by consequent against the whole house of Austria and the Empire as against any other Nation it is apparant by that I told you of in part before concerning Fa. Parsons winding twinding doubling and boutgates in intituling the Lady Infanta to the English crowne meaning it directly for himselfe and his societie as is manifest also by his said books of succession c. which here you may please to confirme as wel by general collections out of the same bookes as likewise by the common report giuen out by him and his faction that not onely the said king catholike was priuie to the setting forth of that luckles labour but also patronized it as a speciall worke and peece of seruice done on his maiesties behalf to the greatest preiudice that could euer haue been offered to the king catholike as well ancient as recent and now regnant in esse For first he makes his maiestie the author in a sort patron and protector of all the conspiracies treasons and treacheries that are or can be brought against himselfe or any other soueraigne prince built vpon the erronious principles and grounds there laid downe by the many wide open gaps made through his popular doctrine For all rebellious multitudes in euery prouince court or countrie liuing vnder the Spanish gouernment or else where to enter and claime authoritie ouer him if in any thing they take pepper in the nose by least conceited dislike and all this vnder pretence of glorious stiles titles of common wealths and states Then he insinuateth as though the right title as well to the crowne of England as also of Fraunce and by consequent to the crowne and kingdome of all Europe there being not one but his title to it is as good if not better then it is to England were wholy in his highnes guift and free for him to bestow where he pleaseth And out of this grosse conceit he bringeth for an assured assertion for concatenation of the catholike religion and king catholike together as bellum sacrum hath beene euer since made odious euen to a Christian catholikes eares and the Spaniard had in suspition of all other Christian princes that he aspireth to a sole absolute monarchicall gouernment despition whereas it is this said father and his societie that aime at it in very deed Which no indifferent valorous or wise man hearing of but will thinke that all princes in christendome haue iust cause to looke hereafter to their stand and to haue a iealous watchfull restlesst eye aswell vpon the
it must needs follow that silence hath mightily disaduantaged our cause it is the only point the Iesuits doe and must if they will be holden for politikes stand vpon to suppresse all writings to death and seeing they cannot shew their extreme hatred neuer merited by any of vs at their hands towards vs more then they haue already shewed it be we silent or speake we out then conceiue deere Catholikes of our cause and case directly as it is that these bookes do onely the Iesuits not vs nor any of you the harme if any be in publishing them abroad and it proceedes of great simplicity in you to conceiue otherwise yea or not to see that it riseth of a Iesuiticall deuise to put such a conceit into your heads But be you fully assured when we are all dead and gone these bookes will worke good in your posterity to the extirpation of al Iesuitisme puritanismout of England for euer they are so throughly discouered therin Fiftly admit all were true that their brokers haue set a broache concerning that booke and those matters and that it were such odious stuff as they would beare you in hand yet will you be so simple deere catholikes as to beleeue them in this that they haue gotten any aduantage thereby against vs or that they laugh in their sleeue to see vs at varience amongst our selues about it as they say but falsly as shal be shewed anone For what aduantage shall they get by it when they are detected for seditious turbulent factious persons ambitious aspirers traitors the secular seminary priests cleered of their conspiracies Wil this bring good men to be hated to haue irreligious persons made knowne or if they say the word will all others run riot with them and so to hell for company No no deere catholikes I wil tel you what the mistery meaning is of al that blazon Nothing doth more torment an enuious man then to haue others liue prosper by him And so when the Iesuites saw that the priests found more fauour at the ciuill magistrates hands then they could find bicause they had cleered themselues of all state meddles which the Iesuites to death can not doe then enuy burst out as all the world may see it in them Againe nothing is more duly obserued in Machiauels schoole thē alwaies to cast plots by cōtraries As for example if you would haue any thing done or said by your enemy for your aduantage then put on a cowardly face of feare least such a thing should happen that seeming kind of trembling vnwillingnes shewed in you wil make him more eager in despite to prosecute it But if you feare such words writings or other acts indeed and that it be so as possibly you cannot stop nor hinder it then laugh at it make it seeme odious or ridiculous and in disgrace of the actor or author seeme to make small or no account of it and retort it if it be possible by hooke or crooke vpon your aduersary or at least band it out with outward shew of aduantage on your part against him to as many as you can come or send vnto and especially those such as are or may be thought to side on his side against you And this is iust the Iesuits crafty drift and your ignorance in not seeing into their policy For whether any thing make for vs or not it is not the question but would they trowe you be so carefull and diligent by their neuters to haue vs know before hand how mightily we are disaduantaged by our writings if it were so No no we neuer yet could find that charity in them and so letting it passe for an ordinary cog amongst them a halfe witted man may see there is nothing makes for them nor their aduantage Sixtly you deere Catholikes by this your childish compassion and womanlike lenitie goe against the principles grounds and rules of all arts sciences lawes customes and orders you goe against that Generall maxime in the lawes which is that fiat iustitia ruant coeli For wherein deere Catholikes should iustice take place in the case proposed if we keepe silence in concealing the Iesuits great impiety together with their and the rest of the Spanish faction their fautors and followers vniust calumniation irreligious abuses and high contempt of priests and all ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and state together with their vnnatural attempts practises and confederacies against our Prince and countrey and vs all that are not of their faction You goe against all custome and order For what is more innouate preposterous and beyond all gods forbid then this new fanglenes in you to prefer a company of Iesuits whose society began but yesterday in respect of many other religious orders not onely before all other monasticall persons but also euen before all secular priests and the state ecclesiasticall whereupon they and all others doe and must depend in soule points and not onely so but you forestall vs in iudgement you condemne vs you iustifie them you take vpon you to be paramount to censure of vs both before you heare our case and cause nay you will not heare nor reade nor vnderstand what points we stand vpon but as blinde affection leades you so wilfull ignorance eggeth you forward to censure vs at your pleasure And this deer catholikes is out of all order farre from all ancient catholike custome voide of all reason conscience or religion in you running headlong vpon your ruines through your simplicitie wilfulnes and follie You goe against the diuine rules and principles of charitie wherein per legem Talionis oculus pro oculo an eie for an eie a tooth for a tooth a tongue for a tongue a hand for an hand is giuen on the one side to defend for you know vim vi repellere licet and on the other to make satisfaction To perswad a Iesuit to make satisfaction were as hard a matter as to wreest the club out of Hercules fist to wring water out of a flint or to drinke vp the Thames at a haust To put them to silence by our silence it were a thing impossible for the more silent we were the more fiercely like false harted cowards they insulted ouer vs. To liue disgraced defamed and contemned for atheists apostataes and reprobates as they accounted vs was a crueller death then to haue beene torne in peeces and eaten vp aliue amongst Anthropophagies What should we doe then To escape their tongue torments yea and hand tortures we could not and yet againe common charitie commands vs our legifer preached it his apostle affirmed it that he who is carelesse of his good name is woorse then an infidell and carelesse should we be as hitherto we haue beene as too too scrupulous in these points God forgiue vs for it if we should still sleepe with a broken head with a wounded hart with a mangled conscience torne in peeces by them and neuer seeke redresse nor for
hoping that the more they haue to side with them against vs the greater feare they will put the state in and make it more ready and willing to pardon and accept of them vpon any condition at their pleasure For to that sense doth tend their banding it out with friends their threatening of opposites their vaunt made of moe honorable and great persons in cour◠and countrie that fauor their Spanish faction and cause then we haue that labor to withdraw all English harts from such vnnaturall intents attempts and proceedings To the third obiection of our common aduersaries disgracefull speeches giuen out against vs more then against the Iesuits it is a senselesse forgerie and smels of a Iesuiticall spirit whose Luciferian pride is such as it delighteth to be counted famous in mischiefe extraordinary in suffering of torments and to haue none to equall him in impietie but all base and meanely esteemed of compared with himselfe in villanie Which proude conceit seeing the Iesuits haue it much good or mischiefe whether they more delight in may it doe them I will promise them we will neuer compare with them mary to say that any honorable person should haue vs in contempt and them in grace and fauor for our opposite courses taken that is as far from sense to thinke it as neere to sottishnes to beleeue it vnles they could make vs beleeue that all the state or those honors they meane of are throughly spanified and entred into a trayterous league confederacie against their Prince and countrey And the like answere may serue to the fourth obiection of making one of vs cut one an others throte c. which are childish arguments and but bugges bulbeggers or hobgoblins fit to feare babies withall as these patches by their cogging foysting and deuises make you all deare catholikes none other and yet you will not see into it For what can the councell or state get out of vs more then is in our harts and inward intents and meanings and what is inwardly in vs which outwardly we doe not professe and make knowne to all the world to wit a catholike resolue for our Romane faith church and religion an English resolution for our natiue Prince state and countrey and a resolute intent euer God before assisting vs with his grace in well and in woe to remaine constant loyall seruiceable and faithfull to both to death And more then this neither Angell man woman nor deuill can get out of vs bicause more then this we haue not in vs and if this will cut our throts or make one of vs vndoe an other or vrge the state against vs or cause vs to be euil thought of and in the end cut off when they the said state haue gotten out of vs what may steed them and the like vos iudicate Of this I am sure we shall dye for religion and not for treason and this is also morally certaine that the state will neuer in policie if we would like Iesuites conceite them full of all impietie seeke the secular priests destruction who labour wholy for the preseruation of our Countrey and in excuse of their law made so farre as is possible to excuse them against vs all in generall for some priuate persons offences and on the other side leaue them scotfree whom they know for professed enimies against them and all the world seeth how vnnaturally they haue sought the destruction of our countrey This also is probable that if the Iesuites haue so many great persons in Court of the Spanish faction and their fautors as they make boast of they may vnder hand preuaile so farre as to get vs all cut off together with them without daigning vs any notice to be taken of our loyalty more then theirs but if such an extremitie should happen as questionlesse no one thing that craft of deuill or wit of man or waight of Mammon can afford shall be left vntried to effect it yet what then shal we for that cōsent to the desolation of our countrey and vtter extripation of all your deare catholikes posterity only to reuenge our selues of so inhumane cruelty and extreme wrong offered vs no certainely we will all rather dye in miserie one after an other and leaue our innocent blood to crie for vengeance to him who both can and will take vengeance on those should so afflict vs knowing as they doe our intent and harmeles harts And last of all for the preachments of some at Paules crosse and other places against vs equally as against the Iesuites that first doth manifest that we are accounted of as opposite to our aduersaries in points of Religion and therefore no such yeelde as the Iesuiticall faction report we haue made Secondly it is no maruaile though they preach against vs seeing those who are most noted to haue done so are knowne to be Puritanes by common report and also by their inueighing against sundry great persons in authority who are thought nothing to fauour their Allobrogicall gouernment And no doubt the more earnest and outragious they are against vs by reason that they heare alredy of these Quodlibets wherein they and the Iesuits are coupled together in matters of state medles sedition faction and trechery Thirdly who so looketh into the ticklish state of things as by these turbulent persons meanes they now do stand euery one being already brought into such iealousie and suspition of one another as hard to tel whether more dangerous to speake or keepe silence in these nationall contentions and factions it is easie to be seene from what spirit such preachmēts do proceed euen none other questionles then from the like blowen abroad in the Court to the same effect scil that these bookes haue done the secular priests great harme hindered our common cause giuen great aduantage to be taken against vs and that it makes the Iesuits laugh in their sleeue c. which is nothing else but an old stale principle of Machiauel or a new Atheall canuasse of Iesuitisme which you please and in very deed but a ridiculous iest to see what poore shifts these polititians are driuen vnto to packe and sacke vp sackes of money to bring and binde mens toongs therewith to preach and prate in Court countrey and pulpilt what they will haue them to keepe themselues in that they be not banished the land or put to exquisite deathes And if any hurt come to vs or hinderance to our cause by these bookes it is this No maruell though the Iesuits faction stop all waies meanes of making knowen their impietie being forced by this discouery to pay lay out their euill gotten gold whiles many a catholike starued for want to keepe in that they be not vtterly cast out on all sides as well amongst catholikes as Protestants and schismatikes None vnlesse it be puritanes and such like factious statisers that begin already to discouer themselues by storming against these bookes and the authors in open pulpit but
potent Kings Christian and Catholike did verily thinke they would haue pulled them downe and stoned them in the streete Thus you see what perfection these mortified men are come vnto and whereunto their ostentation of obedience to their superior doth tend Obedience indeed is a speciall vertue but one swallow makes no Sommer one vertue makes no creature perfect in his life one onely defect makes a priuation but all helpes must concurre to euery perfection Vnitas est principium numeri sed vnus vel vnitas non est numerus nisi abusiuè sumptus The fiue foolish virgins they did watch they liued chast they were obedient they were diligent they were carefull they carried lampes with them burning with indiscreet fire of zeale but they wanted oyle of charitie to keepe in the heate and make it perfect and therefore were they reiected with nescio vos Well yet admit this obedience of the Iesuits to weare the garland of perfection and merite the crowne of glorie what then Is there none hath equall part with them or may none be as perfect as any of them by this same meanes Yes questionlesse Saint Augustine our Apostle was sent by Pope Gregorie surnamed the Great for his many rare excellencies and graces into this flourishing Isle of England nolens volens with commaund not to returne vntill he had conuerted this people and nation to the Christian faith or else lost his life in defence of the same And he came by vertue of his Holinesse commaund and vnder obedience worthily perfourmed the same to his great merite How many Monks and Friers and other both secular and religious persons haue gone and do go continually with like authoritie when occasion is offered and vnder the same vow of obedience which these Iesuits make their vaunt of It were too long to stand to number them with what authoritie and vnder what other obedience vnlesse a more perfect kind do Seminarie Priests come into England saue onely this alone Where is then the difference of this great perfection which is in the Iesuits aboue all other Priests or orders of religion Where it is I know not but where the contrarie is I can giue a shrewd guesse at it It was said of old Cucullus non facit monachum It is not the death but the cause that makes a Martyr And we say now that meate makes and cloth shapes and manners makes a man and that all these faire shewes and flourishes in Academicall vertues may be without impeachment in their causes and yet stark nought in the effects produced by them And because saith the Philosopher that ex effectibus cognoscitur causa therefore by demonstration à posteriori it wil be proued that the Iesuits state of perfection is starke stinking nought and their ostentation of obedience meere hypocrisie and a seditious arrogant vaineglorious deluding of simple people with their vsurpate authoritie Is it alwaies a vertue and merite in those qui trans mare currunt to hazard their liues in forreine lands going either voluntarie or vnder obedience by commaund of their Superior If the Iesuites say it is not as it is not indeede then it followeth that they must graunt O that men wold but giue now and then an impartial glaunce vpon the Iesiu s protects and principles of their absurdities then should they see it luce clarius thâ—â— they abâ—â—e euery vertue grace and meane left vs to worke our saluation by cum â—â—more tremore simplicitate cordis who doth or can deny but that the three Euangelicall vertues of chastitie pouerty and oâ—eâ—ience are of counsell onely not of precept a in the Gospel and of precept not of counsell after a vow 〈◊〉 God hath past of them and yet â—oth wâ—ies they 〈◊〉 be and are often abus d to â—uâ—ll eâ—â—â—â—â—s apâ—â—eâ—â—â—â—â—â—ne in 〈…〉 seâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—ons that 〈…〉 it is the intention not the action that occasioneth the merite In respect whereof we say and true it is by generall opinion of all men that two Christians going into the warres together against the Turke and both of them there slaine the one may die a blessed martyr the other be damned to hell without redemption and then by consequent they must needes graunt that though the cause seeme neuer so iust yet the intention may mar all that that which is known only to God alone during the time of hanging the same cause the same is known to man after the effects haue discouered it And so their ostentation of mortification obedience perfection of state and I know not what is in pollicie by them to be kept silent for burst it out once into the effects it will proue nothing but auarice extorsion cousinage trecherie and treason If they affirme which were grosse that the very act of going vnder obedience be meritorious and makes the habituated therewith perfect then I inferre that vpon such a generalitie Mithridates filling all the Adriaticke seas with Pirates to molest the Romane Nauies and to breake their forces did cause a high merite to redound by that act to his couragious souldiers for feare makes cowards couragious in extremities though questionlesse many of them went for obedience which had rather haue wished themselues halfe hanged to haue sit still at home slept in a sound skin amongst their wiues and children So a merchants factor going by commandement of his maister into Turkie Barbarie Persia or elsewhere committing himselfe to Neptunus mercie to winds and waues and all aduerse fortunes of sea and land yet because those that are bound they must obey and perhaps though vnwilling to haue taken that voyage in hand of himselfe yet going on his maister his cost and charges he takes it vpon him with great alacritie and ioy of mind and by consequent meriteth greatly thereby if this principle hold true with the Iesuits And a number of the like examples may be brought to shew their grosse errour or rather the fond opinion of many that thinke vpon their inueigling perswasions that a Iesuite hath taken vpon him the most perfect state and vocation of life of any other whosoeuer Whereas in very deede it is especially as now they vse it the most imperfect of all other a very platforme canuase and deuise how to strengthen and enrich themselues with wealth friends and insinuating of theÌ„selues into Princes Courts and affaires and thus forsooth for obedience sake these humble soules must passe into India Turkie England Scotland and all nations and be remoued sent for and posted euer like merchants indeede that trafficke where most gaine is to be made by interchaunging of merchandize from one Mart hauen promontorie or Monopole to another and so another sent in his place thither againe or perhaps none at all if no commoditie be to be reaped thereby either by holding in of some friends that would slip from them or else by meanes of giuing intelligences of affaires in those coasts necessarie to be made knowne And thus much for these pure
Campian and Fa. Parsons they were but counted as their assistants and that only in administring of sacraments for Fa. Heywood durst presume to forbid preaching c. Seuenthly vpon this intollerable pride hypocrisie and immunitie arrogated vnto theÌ„ whereby no Prince or prelate liuing can escape their tongs pens yea nor fists if it come to banding vntill these mortificats haue their wils nothing being well done nor any gouernment well managed without their direction as wanting discretion zeale learning or something which these illuminates made of a more excellent mould must perfect and reform in the grosse headed seculars there followeth then presently after it another deuice plotted of purpose to make it seeme meet to the ignorant multitude afterwards to others for note this that popularitie is the rouer they ayme at in all their proceedings the mobile vulgus being euer wauering and readiest to run vpon euery change that all the whole Cleargie both Ecclesiasticall and Monasticall throughout all nations should be subiect to theÌ„ And to put this deuice in execution England is made the maine chance of Christendome this day For effectuating whereof hauing brought all things to that forwardnesse as all the Colledges and Seminaries at Rome Doway Siuill Valledolid and elsewhere beyond the seas are vnder the Iesuiticall gouernment or rather vsurpate tyrannie the contention being about Father Westons supremacie forsooth ouer the rest of the reuerend auncient and worthy Confessors the secular Priests in prison and Fa. Garnets soueraigntie ouer the rest abroad hauing alreadie appointed a silly man for an Archpriest as substitute vnder him and he as Prouinciall here vnder Fa. Parsons nostri fundi calamitas there is now wanting nothing but to bring this platforme to perfection But for the deuice it selfe in contriuing this Luciferian aspire it is this They beare the people in hand that the secular Priests besides their want of learning and zeale which occasionated their immunitie ouer theÌ„ are forsooth more subiect to error heresie Apostacie more infirme fraile weake and readier to fall then they are c. What Princes wil endure such person in their â—â—ngâ—omes as vnder pretence of religion shal infect their subiects wâ—â—h such hateful coâ—â—eâ—ts so daungerous to their State or who can be seâ—uâ—e of his stand if this populâ—â— dâ—â—trine take to â—e in rebellious subiects harts and what â—â—n be expected thâ—reby but wheâ—e rebels can not haue their wâ—â— presently to make hâ—mocke of the common wealth and inuest 〈◊〉 with the Crownes 8 From this freedome of the Iesuits doth issue out a fresh a faire seeming but mischieuously poisoned fountaine of zealing christall streames deuided into two armes or riuals from the head the one is called ordo ad Deum the other obedientia By meanes of which two there is nothing can go or be done amisse by any Iesuite for that alwaies it is either in ordine ad Deum if an act of a superior or propter obedientiam if done by a inferiour So as this seditious odious blasphemous and sacrilegious abuse of Gods diuine graces vertues and benefites bestowed is a dogbolt in euery bow and shaft in euery quiuer to draw out for the managing of any impious fact whatsoeuer By this the popular multitude may depose their Princes and choose others at their pleasure By this no difference shall be put in their choise vpon any right or title to Crownes or Kingdomes by birth or bloud or otherwise then as the Fathers forsooth shall approue it By this all things must be wrought and framed conformable to oportunitie of times and occasions as verbi gratia The people haue a right and interest in them to do what they list in choise of a King marry yet limited by reason of the times and occasions now offered to one of these two scil the King of Spain or the Lady Infanta And then againe the times and occasions changing after a Spaniard is setled in the Crowne it must be holden for a mistaking yet such as seeing it cannot be holpen the people must beware hereafter of euer attempting the like againe It is manifest to any that knowes the Iesuits course that although they pretend all their designmeÌ„ts to be ordine ad Deum as directed to the common good of the Church yet their chiefest care is how to aduance increase their owne socie ie hoping of likelyhood by their number to bring one day some great matter to passe after once they haue firmly established their new Hierarchie which being perimpleshed who so then liues shall heare other news then euer yet were heard of either of Antichrist 〈◊〉 some other â—onster By this a checke must be giuen to the publishers of such Paradoxes after that a dispensation procured for restoring the offender and then shall all be well euer after c. 9 Out of this directing and doing of all things in order ad Deum and for obedience sake they frame a new deuise how to make themselues not only aboue seculars in authoritie but also more mundane then any temporall worldling in practise And this deuise is grounded vpon a principle amongst them called vti scientia that is a rule prescribed vnto them if you please to know it in plaine English how to learne to shift and liue by their wits And therefore they as knowing better then any Cadger Graser MerchaÌ„t Farmer Artizan Broker or Vsurer where and how a commoditie is to be raised and to be disposed euery way in ordine ad Deum must command rule all the rest in euery Noble and Gentlemans house where they reside In so much as no lease must be let nor fine taken nor peece of bread giuen but by their aduice The tenant must please them or grease them or else repent it a part of the fine must be employed at their appointment the Maister or Mistresse can scarcely rule or do any thing without their approbation the children and seruants are set in opposition against their parents and maisters if the least dislike be had of these Rabbies Yea I tremble to write what they haue not feared to worke and daily practise vpon this sacrilegious and arrogant abuse of vti scientia wherby they knowing aswell by the seruants maisters mistresses confessions as also by the wiues against their husbands husbands against their wiues and the seruants confessions against theÌ„ both all the secrets in the house how they haue abused that sacred seale which neither by word nor signe nor by any other means nor vnder what pretence soeuer may be opened to death and all of purpose to tyrannize ouer poore soules as getting thereby occasion to intrude themselues for disposing and managing of their worldly causes I leaue it to sundrie reports woful experiences wherof Mistresse Wibur in Kent together with her husband can and will be witnesses another day against Father Cur. the Iesuite vnlesse his repentance were great for it ere he died 10 To helpe this forward