the second or third day after his beeing at Wisbich he much disliked the violent proceeding of fa Westons part and complained of the impatience and importunity of some of them saying that they were ready to pull his cloake from his backe because hee would not heare their clamors Howsoeuer he grew afterwards to fauour them and their proceedings let him looke to it It is true that since that time hee hath prosecuted some matters further then any man in conscience could doe so hath affection blinded or ouer-ruled him as by a letter written by him in the Iesuits behalfes I haue shewed in the first chapter Concerning Fa Garnets politick dealing in those affaires then and in diuers other since I referre you also to the first chapter of this Reply to the Relation it selfe and to all those bookes that haue beene written of our late troubles Wherin if you finde not store of policies and such as I thinke may beseeme a right cunning politician blame my iudgement as very meane and weake And therefore as in the beginning I said so say I still that no wise man will measure euery man by euery good action that proceedeth frō him or euery good word he vttereth but measure his actions and words by their sequels circumstances Because euery defect diminisheth the good and corrupteth the best morall deed of man Otherwise we might truly say hypocrites were the best men because commonly they do at the least publiquely the most morall good deedes VVee may not omit heere the great humilitie hee also noteth in this Fa Weston for his promiscuall sitting at the table sometimes heere sometimes there as it pleased him leauing his proper place which was beneath Ma. Doctor Bagshaw and Ma. Bluet which in the Relation is iustly condemned For before this there was much murmuring amongst his associates that he was not preferred vnto the highest place before the foresaid two priests which because hee could not obtaine hee framed that new fashion of sitting as nouelties alwayes follow pride thereby vnder a colour forsooth of humility to take away the note of his minority to the aforesaid Doct and M. Bluet And let not Fa Parsons after his accustomed manner say that this is a malitious interpretation of his humble act for nouelties neuer follow humility but pride and disdaine Neyther can he auoyd the note of nouelty in this action of fa Weston because religious men vse such manner of sitting in their Monasteries For to introduce into the secular Clergie those things which may be fitly vsed of Friers and Monkes in their Monasteries were both a nouelty and ridiculous And so we account of this particuler action of promiscuall taking place at meales resembling the Puritans consistories where there must be no Bishop nor degree but a democraticall brotherhood all alike which the Church of GOD hath euer detested in her Clergie But if this humble Father would haue shewed true and sincere humilitie indeede he should haue betaken himselfe to his true place in that hee was a religious man haue set himselfe beneth all the priests there at the nether end of the table Neither could bee in iustice challenge any higher place beeing a priuate religious man in his order and no prelate as Father Parsons would haue him to be because he had beene his substitute in England ouer the Iesuits but neuer Prouinciall though wee termed him so in that he was his delegate For his said substitution surceasing hee was but as before a priuate religious man whereas the other priests were are verè pastores And euery man knoweth that the place of a pastor is aboue any priuate religious man though of curtesie somtimes they may vpon opinion of their sanctitie giue such a place vnto them In the 22. leafe hee talketh of wonderfull folly in vs and passionate proceeding in telling you of the greatnes of that societie through all Christendome that many great men both of the Laïtie and Clergie were Iesuits Iesuited and that fa Parsons was an especiall man with the king of Spaine the Pope and Cardinals All which make against vs as hee saith and shew fa Parsons vertues and good parts and the great reuerence esteeme of the whole Societie A strange folly sure this is Cardinall Wolsey was a great man with King Henry the eyght with the Emperour Charles the fift vvith the King of Fraunce and other great Princes and for a time he could doe great matters with them all ergo Card Wolsey was a vertuous and holy man Stay there Ma Parsons you will not say so Frier George in Hungarie was a great man with the Emperour sometimes and with other Princes other times and ruled all the country at his pleasure ergo a good vertuous man It dooth not follow Fa Parsons is or hath beene a great man with the King of Spaine deceiued the Pope abused Cardinall Caietane and other princes many great men haue had a better opinion of him then hee deserued whereby he hath been reputed for a more honest man then he proueth ergo fa Parsons is a Frier George or Wolsey Doth not this conclusion follow as fitly as the other Haue not many times bad lewd men wonne great fauor and credite both with Popes and other Princes What great folly I pray you was it to tell you that father Parsons could doe much with the Pope or other great men with his iugling or that he was great with the king of Spaine by reason of his practizing vnnaturally against his owne Country in his behalfe or what folly is it to tell you that his Order is very powerfull in all Christendome Indeed it is a bugge to many faint-harted Catholicks yea and to some of our brethren to who seeing their greatnes are afraid to encounter with them though their cause be neuer so iust But let them be as great as they can the greatnes of their order power thereof gaineth not sanctitie to euery member I pray God that the conceit thereof make not some of them be bold in going still forward with their most wicked designements which howsoeuer they shall presume to attempt they shall by Gods grace find such as both dare and will to theyr powers withstand those their indeuours notwithstanding all their greatnes As for the auerring of some great men to haue beene Iesuits or Iesuited it is certaine that many great men haue too much fauoured them through an opinion of their sanctitie VVhereby some times they haue beene the easier drawne to like of their proceedings But that euer any of vs said that Cardinall Allen was a Iesuit it is an vntruth of a Iesuit and the same I thinke of Doctor Saunders and Doctor Bristow though they might be too much affected towards them vppon such an erroneous opinion But as for Don Bernardino Mendoza it is known that he was wholy affectionate to thē and it is but an ordinary course with the Iesuits to bind both noble men
our greater persecution at home by reason of Fa Parsons trecherous practises thereby to promote the Spaniards tytle for our Country and his hatefull stratagems with such scholers as are there brought vp enforcing them to subscribe to blanks and by publike Orations to fortifie the said wrested tytle of the Infanta which courses cannot but repay vs with double iniuries and wrongs for the benefits receaued If they had been sincerelie giuen vs for Gods cause without any such vniust conditions we should haue cause to thank him and euer pray for his regall prosperity But being otherwise as we haue said we cannot thinke it a poynt of ingratitude not to respect his liberality therein And whereas Fa Parsons in the 31 page laboureth to perswade vs that the King of Spaines intentions against our Country were principally for the aduauncement of Cath Religion and that he neuer meant or pretended in his life any temporall interest for himselfe to the crowne of England he both iugleth with vs and also speaketh against his owne knowledge and conscience First he iugleth by a notable equiuocation in that he sayeth he neuer pretended interest for himselfe to the crowne of England because forsooth he meant it for his daughter the Infanta a prety shift to play bo-peepe with I pray you what ease should haue come more to vs by pretending it for his daughter then if he had pretended it for himselfe And as touching his intention principally as you say for Religion did not you Fa Parsons affirme to diuers Scholers in Spaine who are yet ready to iustifie the same against you that if the Duke de Medina had preuailed in 88. he had made no regard of Cath and that the state of our Country was not knowne vnto the Spaniards before you came to Spaine and made them there-with acquainted and that it was Gods doing to preuent that attempt for our Countries good Haue not you deliuered the like speeches to the same effect since to diuers Scholers in Rome Did not Fa Southwell comming ouer to Wisbich vse the like speeches there of that attempt Haue not our Scholers in Spaine diuers times heard the religious Preachers in open pulpit condemne their intentions as not principally for Gods cause but for ambition the like How can you then assure vs of his principall intention for Religion Haue not you in the hearing of diuers Scholers vsed these speeches in talking of the Spaniards attempts against our Country viz It is no matter let them alone when they haue once subdued our Country and setled the same we will quickly thrust them out againe A prety perswasion to children but sottish and ridiculous in the eares of wise men Yet did it shew your great regard eyther to one thing or other so you might draw all to your desire You haue certainlie a very factious braine and so that you may set men together by the eares you care not But to leaue these Spanish intentions let vs proceede with you to other matters From the Archpriest Iesuits king of Spaine he cōmeth vnto the Popes and fourthly hee reckoneth that wee should haue abused his holines that now raigneth whom wee haue made as he saith our aduersarie And why forsooth Because we did not admit the Archpriest at his first institution by the Card protectors letters and that we affirmed that a Breve might be procured out of some office without his holines knowledge and that wee said our two messengers Ma. Doctor Bishop and Ma. Charnocke were ill handled by Fa Parsons procurement in Rome and that his holines beeing moued by the French Embassador or Agent was once determined to heare our said two Agents but afterwards disswaded by the Spanish Embassadour and other meanes wrought by fa Parsons These forsooth are the great matters that haue made his holines our aduersary which things because they are childish obiections and meere Pageants of folly in fa Parsons scanned answered and iustified so oft in our seueral writings I wil omit to be wrapped vp amongst other his follies But concerning the other three Popes viz. Pius Quintus Gregory the 13. and Sixtus quintus whose actions against our Country by the inducements principally of the Iesuits and such like wee both dislike and wish neuer had beene I see no how he can draw vs to any inconuenience in the vvorld vnlesse it be vnlawfull to dislike any particuler action done by any Pope For otherwise I am sure that by those actions came no good but much hurt and I assure my selfe that if the aforesaid Popes had foreseene the inconueniences that haue ensued such actions they would neuer haue been drawn thereto But they were deceiued seduced by diuers Stukeley the Iesuits and the Spaniard who should haue been named first as beeing the first and the last in plotting of all mischiefes against our country Neither is it strange to haue Popes drawne to inconuenient courses by the aduise coūsell of others For in these matters they are but as other princes depending vppon theyr counsell and aduise which may erre as in the attempt of Paule the 4. against Naples But it may be lawfull for the Iesuits to tax Popes actions in higher points a great deale without danger and yet we may not say this or that particuler fact in a Pope had beene better omitted What folly if not insolencie is this Did not the Iesuits generally condemne Sixtus quintus and publiquely one of them preach against him in Spaine because hee would haue changed theyr name to Ignatians after the manner of other religious orders taking their name of their first founder and haue brought them to the Quire And for his dealing in the behalfe of the King of Fraunce that now is did they not say that his holines Clement the eyght erred in absoluing the said King of Fraunce beeing therein deceiued by his Diuines These are matters of a little more consequence then our dislikes of particuler actions against our country or resisting a Cardinalls Letter Yet ours argueth great folly and must needes procure the Popes to be our enemies theirs great wisedome meriting much at the Popes hands for their good seruice done therein What is this but to arrogate infallibilitie to theyr proceedings and to draw all states Popes and Princes both to be directed and ruled by them But by the way I may not omit his cunning leauing out of halfe a sentence in the 52. page where relating our wordes out of the Important considerations which are these If the Pope had neuer beene vrged by them to haue thrust the King of Spaine into that barbarous action against our Realme hee leaueth out the first halfe and citeth them thus If the Pope had not thrust the king of Spaine c. which maketh the sentence to sound more odious against the Pope as proceeding of his owne proper motion and desire of our Countries ouerthrow where by our words we shew him to haue beene induced and vrged therto
or the right of the States it as little importeth considering that he was put in trust with it by her Maiestie and vpon his alleageance to her should haue discharged the trust and fidelity reposed in him in that charge To dispute the case whether hee might in conscience or ought in danger of mortall sinne deliuer vp the Towne to the King of Spaine is not necessary to our purpose yet this I will say that all which Fa Parsons hath said in proofe thereof is not worth a rush vnlesse hee proue two points first that her Maiestie is the person that hath giuen the first cause of breach of the league with the Spaniards which I think if matters be well examined will proue contrary as you may see by the attempts made by the Spaniard both secretly and publiquely against her Highnesse and state before aleadged nothing being attempted by her against his Maiestie of Spaine or any his Countryes Which being true then might she iustly and in conscience iure gentium make warre against him win his Townes and Countries from him and in right and iustice detaine them Secondly he must proue that Sir William Stanley knowing in his conscience that she had no iust cause of warre against the Spaniard which I think he could not know might deliuer vp the said Towne without a greater mischiefe to follow vpon such restitution for a man is not bound to make restitution of goods euill gotten or possessed mala fide when without imminent danger of his owne or other mens liues he cannot doe as all Canonists will confesse because the life of a man is dearer then goods and the lesse euill must be preferred before the greater As for example if I should haue vniustly taken away the weapons of another man and had beene malae fidei possessor yet if I should perceaue that the true owner were paratus ad homicidium and thereby eyther my owne life or others might be endangered if I should restore his weapons vnto him which erst I had taken vniustly from him in this case it is euident that I were not bound to make restitution although I were as I haue said malae fidei possessor So in this case of Sir William Stanleyes if greater mischiefe might probably ensue thereof then the deteyning of the Towne could be he was not bound thereto Which case Fa Parsons hath not handled Now will I referre the censure to other men whether greater euill did not grow vnto our common cause in England by this particuler fact of Sir William Stanlies in that the state was thereby exasperated against all cath for his fact which great damage and common hurt of his Country-men and Cath he was in charity bound more to regard then the restitution of one Towne to the Spaniard And therefore waying and considering the auersion and alienation of our state from Cath for such facts as these of Sir William and the like wee haue often wished that if his conscience had felt any touch or scruple concerning those warres he had otherwise quietly left them off or with-drawne himselfe without giuing any such open occasion of complaint vnto the state But his not onely deliuering vp of that Towne but also ioyning himselfe with the Spaniard in field against his Soueraigne and Country may not be approued by any good subiect And therfore I wish that so worthy a martiall man had conuerted his sword against the Turke or other common enemies and not against his owne Soueraigne and Country that by his actions our Prince might haue had no iust cause to haue beene offended with vs at home Aliens and strangers may doe what they will and wee yet remaine blamelesse if wee haue no part with them because they are strangers but when naturall subiects of our owne Country and Cath shal in these iealous and suspicious times practise or conuert their weapons against their Prince and Country it cannot but incense their wrath and indignation against all Cath at home as by experience we haue felt Touching Fa Parsons vrging of an Epistle writ by Card Allen in defence hereof what might be his reason or whether he did it of himselfe or vrged there-vnto by reason of the great expectance of the Spanish intention anno 1588. immediatly following which we suspect I cannot tell but I wish with all my hart it had beene vnwritten considering the little good hath come thereby Neither is this to dishonour the worthy Card as Fa Parsons would make it but contrariwise to shew our loue and honour we beare towards him in that we hartily wish such ouer-sights or inconuenient actions as the best man in this life is not without imperfections nor the wisest in his iudgement without errors had neuer proceeded from him And whereas such things as the book written in the yeere 1588. this Epistle are too too euident and publiquely knowne to our state and all men else we seeke to excuse the same as much as in vs lyeth that the fault or rather the errour may by circumstances seeme more tolerable which no man of wit or discretion can deny to be an euident demonstration of our loue and affections towards him as our dearest and worthiest Father Which cannot be odious and offensiue in vs to our Prince state as we trust in that duty and nature bindeth euery man extraordinarily to loue their parents and founders eyther naturall or spirituall And therefore to excuse them is but a shew of filiall loue and affection but obstinatly to defend and maintaine that in a parent which is no way approueable were meere sycophancie not loue meere peeuishnes not any tolerable affection Now come we to the great attempt made by the Spaniards in the yeere 1588. out of which action Fa Parsons exempteth all English Iesuits because he saith himselfe fa Holt and fa Creswell were then in Rome with Cardinall Allen and that no English Iesuit at all was residing at that time eyther in Spaine or in the Low-countries But all this proueth not that therefore the Iesuits had no part in this action Neither can it be probable to any man of iudgement or vnderstanding that the Iesuits beeing so great with the King and so forward in attempts against our Country hauing had their fingers in matters precedent as you haue seene would now sit still hauing so faire an offer made and so good opportunity to be dooing I confesse that there was no great respect made to the English beyond the Seas in that action nor in any other of the Spaniards will be if euer matters come to issue nor perhaps were the English Iesuits called to be counsellers therein as since they haue beene because indeede the Spaniard intended a most bloody conquest and translation of our state and people But to thinke that the Iesuits were not vrgers thereto and setters forwards to theyr power of that attempt were to contradict all reason and probabilities For first it is most certaine that all the vvorld had very
could finde a stomack to eate 3. meales ordinarily in one day and those sound ones too As for Fa Parsons insulting vpon Ma Bluets speech to Fa Weston concerning th' vse of Sacraments and his diuers comments there-vpon It is but the superfluitie of his owne vanity Ma Bluets speech was both graue and iudiciall in any reasonable mans iudgement For if the sacrament and good counsell of the Confessarins would not or could not reforme a Priest liuing in prison for conscience Religion how should we thinke that Ma Westons Agencie was like to effect it vvhere-vnto no man could be tyed in these times by force but of free will so might refuse those remedies at his pleasure his Agencie hauing neyther power of life nor death imprisonment nor chaines and therefore not to be compared as wise Ma Parsons seemeth he would haue it with a common wealth or publique authority where iustice may be executed in foro contentioso But you will yet happily call me to reckoning further for my first assertion wherein I affirmed that the Iesuits intended a generall dominion ouer all the priests of England by their attempt at Wisbich for the truth of which assertion although I haue alreadie giuen you sufficient reason yet wil I further satisfie you heerein by obseruation of that which hath followed since You know I suppose how the Priests were about a Sodalitie amongst themselues which was chiefly intended as by the rules thereof you may gather for the prouision of such as came newly and rawly ouer for the disposing of them abroad to their better securitie for the prouision of prisoners in durance for the better reliefe to Cath abroade in matters spirituall for the particuler good of euery priest and for the checking of some exorbitant and vnnaturall courses taken by the Iesuits against their Prince and Country to abolish such medlings in those affaires as impertinent to our function and vocation and to strengthen and inable our selues in these matters by a mutuall vnion this I say was the end of our sodalitie which we imparted vnto the Iesuits that they should see our sinceritie and honesty in those proceedings but we were too sincere and plaine to deale with such craftie crowders for they well perceiued that this course would discouer much of their iuglings in matter of state also put an euerlasting blocke or bulwarke against their intended superioritie So that although openly they seemed to like of the course because for shame they durst do none other yet they thought it high time to worke some cunning meanes to delude our indeuours Whereupon they secretly addressed Ma Standish one that had been most forward for the association but a secret Traytor vnto all the rest vnto Rome and there by the working of Fa Parsons he was brought before the Pope as hauing great affaires concerning the Clergie of our Countrie Wherein an oration furtiue vniustly and vntruly in the names of all the Priests of our Countrie he desired a gouernment and subordination Which false office being by him performed Fa Parsons himselfe busily folowed the matter with many vntrue suggestions vnto his holines of great discord betweene the Priests and Catholicks in England and we wot not what for the suppressing and reformation whereof some subordination gouernment was forsooth necessary Vpon these and many other such like vntrue suggestions his holines referred as sithence wee haue learned the whole disposition of this affaire vnto Cardinall Caietane theyr Protector Whereby Fa Parsons had in effect as much as he desired or could haue wished For the Cardinall euer stood at the Iesuits direction in all matters concerning our affaires as all the world knoweth Thus vvas Ma Blackwell by the Card commaundement and through Fa Parsons practicall deuises inuested in his authoritie a man wholy prostrated at the feete of Fa Garnet and standing meerely at his deuotions and directions in all matters of moment as by all his violent courses against vs in their behalfe the world may see But to manifest this point more palpably vnto you that you may see wee speake not of passion or emulation against the Iesuits but directly as the truth is In the instructions sent vnto the Archpriest concerning the execution of his office one and the chiefest prouiso was that hee should in all matters of weight be aduised by the Prouinciall of the Iesuits Fa Garnet Doe but thinke hereby how matters were like to be managed heere when all the controuersie was onely betweene vs the seculer Priests and the Iesuits not between Priests and Catholicks as falsly Fa Parsons suggested and that our Archpriest must be taught by the Iesuits Prouinciall what he shall doe in any matter of moment Iudge indifferently I beseech you whether this was not a trick to keep the managing of all matters in their owne handes and hold the Priests in slauerie and subiection vnto them Which because they saw by experience they could not obtaine imediatly to themselues they deuised to procure it more cunningly by a third person hauing a Secular priest in a corner wholie depending vppon them So that our superiour beeing to be directed by their superiour all the soueraigntie gouernment should indeed haue rested in the Iesuits Adde vnto this fa Garnets owne words deliuered before Ma Mush Ma Dudley when they came vnto him about the appeasing of the broyles in Wisbich vnto whom shewing himselfe discontented that they had not cōcurred to the confirming of fa Westons Agencie he vsed these or the like words to this effect That hee saw no reason why the priests in England should not as well be gouerned by the Iesuits here as they were and had beene in the Colledges beyond the Seas Now let any man that is not ouermuch blinded with affection towards the Iesuits of which sort I know there be many who will belieue nothing that maketh against any of thē indifferently iudge whether all their indeuours and intentions from the beginning were not to attaine vnto a monarchiall gouernment ouer the Clergie of England And yet this inference seemed strange vnto good Fa Parsons Beleeue me I thinke he so much presumes vpon his wit and policies together that he thinketh he may walke in a Net and not be seene But softly good Fa other men haue eyes aswell as your selfe and can discerne such grosse colours especiallie when the sunne shineth so cleerely But yet before I proceed any further I cannot let passe an admirable shew of a detracting spirit in Fa Parsons who in the close of his quipping carping against the foresaid discourse of the stirrs raised at Wisbich is not ashamed to note certaine particuler accusations as whoredome drunkennesse dycing pewter stolne which Mary the maide found in ones Chamber c. spoken of in the foresaid Relation Which he so cunningly shuffleth vp and leaueth hanging so suspiciously as if they were things euident without controle condemning the parties accused Whereas in the aforesaid discourse and
by them Secondly you are not ignorant that euen against that pretended inuasion he was aduanced vnto the honour and dignity of a Prince which might moue a right good man And that he had an opinion of a moderate course to haue been taken by the Spaniards in that attempt his owne words in the said treatise doe plainly shew saying that he was made Card for the sweeter managing of things in our Country after the conquest Yet I cannot but much wonder at this honest Fa that in his marginall notes vpon this point he was so blind or so bold as to cite Doctor Saunders works de visibili Monarchia and de schismate Anglicano which works containe so many irreuerent speeches and the divulging of such odious matters against her Maiestie and her noble progenitors as the vntruths of some and the incertainty of others considered could not but irritate the most Christian Cath and patient Prince in the world But because the things are not meete to be repeated yea are scandalous to proceede from an English man I referre my selfe for proofe heereof to euery man that hath read the bookes I would to God so worthy a man had not stayned his works with such stuffe in these times then would I dare to say that he had beene the greatest honour to his Country and the worthiest man of the world The like I may say of Didamus veridicus For it is well knowne that although the man was most worthie and one of the most famous Clarks of this age yet was he very cholerick and would sometimes bite more then was conuenient But as for Philopater and Perni I scorne to think of such foolish stuffe hatcht by this Fa and Fa Creswell And this shall serue in aunswer of the first point leauing euery man of indifferencie to iudge whether such proceedings in matters of state to the ruine ouerthrow of our Prince and Country daily practised by the Iesuits wherewith they are charged in the treatise of Important considerations be sufficiently iustified by the example of such like proceedings in other men whether there be any wrong done by vs in disliking of such courses in those worthy men whereof some of themselues afterwards disliked Although I was purposed to haue omitted that point because I thinke you shall shortly see a particuler Treatise therof yet will I now say a word or two briefely of it And the rather I will so doe in that I see Ma. Doctor Ely in his notes vpon the Apologie somewhat distasting the mention thereof induced as I verily thinke by this onely respect that our state being onely Protestants and in nothing consenting vnto the authoritie of the sea of Rome therefore there should be no reason why the Pope should in any thing necessarie or conuenient for our Church stay or respect the consent or permission of our Prince notwithstanding the pretence of the said law of Premunire But to satisfie in part Ma. Doctor and whosoeuer els in this point I thought good to add this consideration or motion which drew mee and others of vs to make the matter more weighty vrgent then it seemeth Ma. Doctor Ely and others apprehend You must therefore vnderstand that the chiefest occasion of this law at the first was to preuent many mischiefes inconueniences which happened heere in our Realme by diuers priuiledges and indults that were procured from Rome by surreption vniust fauours and false informations by vertue of which indults and priuiledges many contentions arose aswell amongst the seculer Clergie as the religious yea often times to the spilling of blood To auoyde these so great inconueniences our Cath Kings with the free and full consent of all the Clergie and temporalty enacted that no such graunt procured from Rome should be executed within the dominions of England vppon the penalties specified in the said statute vntill the Kings consent thereto were first obtayned Now then to the purpose if his holines had instituted any vsuall authoritie heeretofore accepted by our Kings Clergie and in vse in Cath times amongst vs and by the ordinary course of law to wit by election or otherwise ex plenitudine potestatis so that we had had sufficient notice thereof to bind vs to obedience it may be said that heerein the offence vnto the Cath law of premunire had been onely a materiall offence if any at all because we may iudge all Princes to be bound in conscience to become Cath and to accept and concurre with such ordinances of his Holinesse as are vsuall or necessary for the vpholding of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie of Christes church As now her Maiestie being a Protestant and so perswaded in conscience is bound to concur accept of such Ecclesiasticall subordination as is both vsuall and necessary for the preseruing of the Protestants Church and Clergie But to accept and admit of an extrauagant iurisdiction vnusuall not only in the Church of England but also in the whole church of Christ from the tyme of Christ himselfe vnto these dayes and such an one as was altogether vnnecessary for our Church yea very hurtful both to our poore afflicted Cath and state also as wee will shew at large hereafter if occasion be offered could not in my opinion but draw after it the penalties of the law aforesaid iustly For if that law were iust when it was first instituted it not beeing abrogated is still iust and in force Well then this authoritie of the Archpriest being such an exorbitant vnusuall and inconuenient iurisdiction therefore such an one as could not in conscience bind any Catho Prince to admit thereof or consent thereto were the times Catholick I doe not see why the same reason doth not hold now with vs in these times and how any man can be excused from the penaltie of that law in admitting an externall iurisdiction without the knowledge of theyr Prince and against her consent vnto which if shee were a Catholick shee were not bound to consent but contrariwise to repugne This I say is wilfully without all reason or necessity to contemne her princely prerogatiue and therfore no excuse of religion conscience or the like can in my conceit free any man thus accepting of this authority at the first but meere ignorance of the law and case which I thinke was invincible in most The third point of the argument of this worke of Important considerations is so falsly so maliciously related by him that belieue me it doth not a little amaze me to consider so strange boldnes in a man of his coate First hee saith that in the said booke we affirme that neither the Pope nor any other Ecclesiasticall power hath authority to restraine punish or represse by way of force or armes immediatly or by others any christian temporall Prince whatsoeuer for anie delict of heresie Apostasie impugnation of Christian fayth extirpation of religion or other crime whatsoeuer though neuer so much danger or damage should ensue by
it and reforme it if he can if hee cannot but findeth him obstinate in his opinions he executeth the spirituall law vpon him by the sword of excommunication whereby hee is spiritually slaine and cut off from Christes flock Which if hee still continue then doth the Church iudge him not onely withered in the branch but also dead in the roote and therefore as a dead tree deliuereth him vp vnto the seculer power to execute law iustice vppon him Where note that the Church taketh not away his life but contrariwise deliuering him vp vnto the seculer power intreateth for him and then doth the Prince or seculer Magistrate execute the sentence of death vppon him as a person dangerous to the state of his Realme and his other good and loyall subiects for the reasons aboue-said These kinde of proceedings in Gods church shew how far shee hath euer been from so violent courses as to plant religion and fayth by blood and that vnto a Clergie person as he is a Clergie person the power of life and death belongeth not neither doe such proceedings in deede imitate the clemencie of Christ whom the Church and Clergie framed vnto him should imitate Neither did the Bishops in the primitiue church put to death such hereticks as fell from theyr fayth and taught false doctrine as they might haue doone many times no doubt especially if priuate murmurings in such cases had beene tolerable S. Bernard a religious man dealing with S. William Duke of Aquitaine a great persecuter of gods people at that time did not seeke to poyson or murder him secretly to rid the world of him and yet hee had him priuately for some time together in his Monasterie where hee might with great facility haue done it neither did he seeke to suggest practises against him in his owne country or invasions from the King of Fraunce or other Princes adioyning but to win him by wholsome instructions spirituall conferences and the like Neither did the Pope at that time seeke his subuersion but his reformation sending perswasiue messages vnto him to desist yea and embassages by the said holy Saint Bernard to moue him to better courses and by these kind wholsome means praying continually for his conuersion with patience and expectance they won him from a persecuter and a very wicked man to become the rarest penitent and strangest paterne of austerity in the world Whereby of a vessell of ignominie and reproch he became a vessel of glory and of a bad man a Saint VVhy should wee not haue delt so with our prince and state by prayers and supplications if they had beene neuer such cruell persecuters which all occasions that haue beene giuen them beeing well considered wee cannot iustly affirme who knoweth whether God by such prayers and meanes would not haue conuerted their harts to other courses sith the harts of Kings are in the hands of God But saith Fa Parsons this paradox tasteth of Lutheranisme Anabaptisme We answer that by Gods grace we are as far off from either Luthers or the Anabaptists doctrine as hee or any of his Societie Neither doe we either denie externall force or ciuill Magistrate or dispute as Martin Luther is said to haue done to proue that it is not lawfull to wage warre against the Turk We haue not in all this discourse once gone about to affirme much lesse to proue that any one king may not vpon iust causes make warre against another Nay we did neuer say that cause might not be giuen of such iust warre euen in some case of religion but leaue that as a matter not pertinent to be handled of vs at this time This onely wee haue said and doe say that religious men or priests haue not to doe with kingdoms and those of our owne Nation which haue dealt in such affaires against their prince and country we do therein condemne their actions and disclaime from them as vndutifull and vnpleasant to all true English natures And we wish also with all our harts that no Pope or other Clergie person had euer medled therein to exasperate our prince state against vs at home Yet if we had generally kept our fingers from such matters howsoeuer they had been attempted by forrainers wee are perswaded that the wisedome of our prince and state would not haue imputed their actions vnto vs in whom wee could not haue had so much interest as to infringe either their wils or indeuours But it beeing otherwise too euident that some haue intermedled in such matters though sore against our wills we can doe no lesse but acknowledge it to be a fault and woorthy of punishment humbly prostrating our petitions at the feete of her Maiesty that it will please her to make distinction of the innocent and such as neuer haue offended in this kinde from those that haue intangled themselues in such monstrous and vnnaturall attempts that poore harmelesse innocents and such as with their soules loue her person and with their blood are ready to defend her estate and their countrey as I am perswaded all the Catholicks in England are which remaine vntainted with Iesuitisme may not perish for the offences of others Another falshood of this Fa is in relating another place in the 38 page of the aforesaid Treatise of Important considerations which he thus reporteth viz. The word of the spirit and not the sword of the flesh or any arme of man is that which giueth life and beautie to the Cath Church and that the promise made to Saint Peter is a sure and sufficient ground to defend Catholick religion without armes Thus he relateth our words and then exclaimeth against the paradox forsooth How sincerely truly he setteth our words downe you shall see and thereby iudge of his honestie Our words are no other then these The Catholicke fayth for her stabilitie and continuance hath no neede of trecherie or rebellion The promise made to S. Peter is her sure ground and is more dishonoured with treasons wicked policies of carnall men then any way furthered or aduaunced The word of the spirit and not the sword of the flesh or any arme of man is that which giueth life or beautie to the Cath Church Confer I beseech you this speech deliuered as it was by vs as Fa Parsons relateth it and see whether he hath plaied the part of a faithfull and honest relator First therefore before we enter into his false dealings herein it is most euident in the iudgement of wise men that armes weapons neuer beautifie Gods Church or the Catholick faith howsoeuer they may be necessary or conuenient sometimes to defend the same frō incursions of aduersaries or oppressions of Infidels Turks or Hereticks as in some sort is before expressed For all beauty of the Catho Church consisteth in vnitie and consent of doctrine true and reuerend administration of Sacraments true and sincere preaching of Gods word holy obseruations of the rights and ceremonies thereof and the
betters the worthy congregation of the Inquisition vnto whom it is dedicated and presented And as for his carping at the similitude of the man casting out deuils in Christes name I will let it passe for him to take his aduantage as he list and make his owne exposition For I verily thinke that euery wise man that readeth his interpretation thereof will discouer more folly in him for his applycation not intended by the Writer in that sence but onely a simili then in him that first alledged the example And for our accepting or seeking of fauour at the hands of Protestants and our Gouernours in temporalities I think no man can condemne vs therein vnlesse he will also condemne the practizes of all times of persecution both in the time of the law of Moses and also since Christ In the 28. page he citeth certaine words of the Epistle to the Important considerations wherein it is affirmed that there is no sinne arising vpon infirmitie and frailty of man committed by an Apostata an Infidell an Hereticke a Schismatike an Atheist cast out of the fauour of God and accursed out of his Church but a Cath may fall into the same and yet remaine constant in his religion to death This father Parsons affirmeth to be a false assertion And therein say I that fa Parsons manifesteth more folly then all the follies hee noteth in all our writings put theÌ„ all together to say nothing of his ignorance or simplicitie For it is a matter certaine and de fide that a man hath free wil vnto all kinde of sinnes and it is no lesse manifest that sinnes of infirmitie and frailty neuer cut a man off from Gods Church Neither can infidelitie heresie or schisme be termed sinnes of infirmitie or frailtie but of malice For no man can be an Infidell heretick or schismatick without obstinacie and pertinacity of will which cannot be called frailtie Therefore may a Catholicke commit of frailty any sin that an Infidell hereticke or Schismaticke committeth remaining still a resolute catholick And this we see daily by experience all Catholicks being not saints See therefore vvhat learning fa Parsons dropped out heere and what store of wisedome hee shewed in contradicting so manifest a truth Now will I leaue the Reader duly to consider whether our follies in relating such things as heere and in the first chapter fa Parsons obiecteth being vrged thereto vpon necessity in defence of our innocencie be greater or his in cunning iugling and shifting alwaies flying the true and reall poynt of controuersie and carping at by-matters and for his aduantage reporting our words and speeches falsly and otherwise then they were deliuered by vs. Whereby we haue been enforced as you see to take him tripping to his eternall disgrace if he haue any grace left which we had not done if his ouermuch boldnesse had not made him run himselfe out of breath forgetting all truth honestie and sinceritie An aunswer to the third â—â—â—pter concerning our pretended follie and presumptuous spirit in making to ur selues such aduersaries as we doe IN father Parsons handling of this chapter I cannot but wonder at his exceeding ouersight in that he admiring so greatly our follies would so palpably discouer his owne For what man I beseech you of wit or vnderstanding would vrge the contradicting of our Archpriests vniust oppressions our exclaming against the Iesuits vncharitable courses against our selues and condemning their vnnaturall practises against their prince and state our resisting of the King of Spaines attempts against our Country our displaying the cruelty of Spanish Souldiers the tyrannie of their gouernment to auert the minds of all naturall English men from all vaine and mad expectations of any good by their inuasions as foolish occasions giuen by vs to make to our selues enemies of our Archp the Iesuits and the King of Spaine What great potent person is Ma. Blackwell in the world that he may not be contradicted when hee doth amisse Is it lawfull to resist and appeale from a Bishop an Archbishop a Patriarch and is it not lawfull to appeale from an Archpriest Must iustice be afraid of bugges If any irreuerent speeches haue beene vttered where they should not haue beene we are sorry for it and let your payment made to the full in the same kind cancell ours But otherwise for our proceedings against Ma Blackwell our Archpriest wee doe and will defend them and you in all your discourse in his behalfe seeme to draw more from vs vnto him then euer was due to any subordinate Superiour in the world vnlesse you would put infallibility in euery gouernour without the which no such bands can be but that iust exceptions may be taken against them and appeales there-vpon framed prosecuted as you see in our case is admitted Concerning your potent order such vizards are for children and temporisers and not for men of our profession who should in euery cause preferre iustice and right before potencie and might We know many in your order to be apt to remember old quarells and to pay home when aduantage time serueth and we looke for no other at your hands But what then Shall we therefore desist to prosecute iustice and hinder your exorbitant endeuours Shall I hold my tongue because Fa Parsons may worke me a shrewd turne if I come into Spaine or Italy No no non confundar pro anima mea dicere verum I will God willing vtter nothing but truth and necessary truth and that shall out let Fa Parsons threat what he can And touching the Spaniards they are professed enemies to our Prince and Country and seeke nothing more then our subuersions As they are Cath in Christian charity we wil loue them but as enemies to our Country we contemne them and will with our bloods resist them And as I suppose we haue not onely right so to doe in respect of our Countries defence but also iure gentium in that they were the first breakers of the league betwixt vs and them as by their attempt in Ireland in the yeere 1579 may appeare to omit the plot of Robert Rodulphi some yeeres before But in this Fa Parsons plainly discouereth his loue and affection towards his Country and what a treacherous minde he carieth towards his true and naturall Prince in that he seeketh to draw her naturall subiects to keepe amity and beare affection towards her professed aduersarie and the onely enemie of our Country Howsoeuer false harted he be yet was it a point of exceeding great folly for him so openly to discouer the same that now no man of wit or discretion and loue to his Prince and Country which euery naturall borne English is bound to haue can iudge other of him then as a professed enemie vnto them both And touching the Colledges and Pensions that are maintained and giuen by the Spaniard which he so oft inculcateth we no whit thanke him for them as things are handled and occasions thereby ministred of
by his solliciting some of the Priests brought vp there to come in hostile manner against their Country So he dealt with Ma. Thomas Leake and others and such as refused he fell out with them Now he reckoneth his comming backe to Rome and sauing of that Colledge but in very deede he was the destruction thereof as in the History of that Colledge at large you shall see Yea he is so voyde of shame that he is not afraid to recount his procuring of vs a Superiour the Archpriest which with an impudentlye he saith was our owne petition as also his proceeding with Ma. Doct Bishop Ma Charnocke in Rome as great benefits vnto vs and merits in himselfe Beleeue me when I read this I was amazed with wondering at this mans brazen visage Neuer did I in my life I protest reade or heare so notorious wickednes and iniustice so impudently recounted for iust nay and which is more for benefits vnto vs and meritorious in himselfe Iesu whether wil this man goe or what wil he not iustifie and commend Doth not all our little world know that the erecting of the Archpriest was the cause of all our dissensions How then was hee procured at our owne petition Did not Ma. Standish most falsly by his meanes suggest vnto the Pope in our names a desire of such a thing wee neuer dreaming thereof Did any one priest in England send his hand or consent with Ma. Standish to sollicite any such matter Were not the Iesuits constrained cunningly to extort Ratihabitions from the priests themselues by subscriptions vnto a congratulatory letter after that they had by forgery erected him and saw him impugned Diabolus est mendax et pater eius God send father Parsons more shame more honesty and more truth Pardon my plainenes curteous Reader for the matter is most palpably grosse and such as I thought could neuer haue proceeded from a Christian much lesse a religious man And for the vsage of our two Agents in Rome the heauens themselues cry out against his barbarousnes therein Euen some of his owne faction yea and as we haue heard him selfe hath since wished he had not dealt so with them Reade what is written of this matter in the copies of discourses in the censure vpon fa Parsons letter in Ma. Doctor Bishop his letter to fa Parsons there and in Ma. Doctor Elyes aunswer to the Apologie After these notorious vntruths poured forth hee bringeth yet another ranck to wit such as haue died Martyrs whom he saith we condemne as traytors and there hee calleth vs in doubt of betraying our brethren and thereby making of Martyrs But I wonder not now at any thing he saith for I well see he hath wholy giuen himselfe ouer to the trade of Fittening with the which it seemeth hee hath made sale of his conscience how could he els call vs into question for such bloody practises in whom he neuer saw the least inclination to such villanies Which of the Iesuits hath hetherto been in danger of apprehension by our meanes and yet wee know all or most of theyr residences in England and theyr walkes I am sure he will say that if we were so lewdly disposed we would begin with them first What malignant spirit is this in him to call our names in question for such treacheries And touching such as haue died in these times in whom such practises haue not beene found wee defend them for true Martyrs notwithstanding whatsoeuer imputation of treason layd vpon them by any But others vvhich haue been tainted heerewith whether priests or Iesuits vvee cannot so affirme of them but leaue them to Gods mercie as Ma Ballard amongst the priests and this is defended euen in the booke of Important considerations Now concerning Ma Sherwin his words or deferring to aunswer are not brought in to derogate from his martyrdome as fa Parsons falsely gathered but to shew what iealousies such doubtfull speeches or refusing to speake directly did put into the Queene or States heads of generall concurrence in those matters of state against them Which made them more earnest in their proceedings for feare of after-claps as not knowing at that time the difference betvvixt the affections of the Seculer priests and the Iesuits towards theyr country It is euident that in the beginning some were scrupulous concerning Pius quintus his Bull which might make Ma. Sherwin to desire that the questions propounded vnto him might not be vrged Neither doth the story written by Cardinall Allen proue that in his priuate examinations he made no such aunswer for hee had not the Register of theyr examinations but by relation in which that might be omitted Nor doth it follow that if he had said those words they would haue beene vrged at the barre or execution For that euery thing spoken in euery priuate examination is not produced alwaies at the barre and whether it was or no I know not But sure I am that such delayings of aunswers in that case concerning the excommunication and the Popes inuading vnder pretence of religion did much irritate the State Yet doe wee not thereby condemne them as not Martyrs as most falsly Ma. Parsons accuseth vs neither is there any word in our Treatise to that effect And therefore hee might vvith more charity a great deale haue denied that wee rather imputed those taciturnities and ambiguous aunswers vnto scrupulositie and feare what they might doe in such cases as doubtlesse it was then to any inward trecherous affections towards their Prince country And for Ma. Haywoods forbidding of acta Martyrum they that informed it will auouch it in place and time conuenient Touching his running vppon designed Martyrs it might please him to remember that there is a little difference betweene a man designed for a Cardinall in his owne conceit and our brethren that are in prison subiect by the lawes of the Realme euery day to be put to death But to satisfie the good father let him know that for the name hee so playeth with it is not arrogated by any imprisoned to themselues but attributed to them by theyr brethren abroad as an vsuall name to constant Confessors in prison S. Cyprian whom he so much citeth about that phrase calleth such not only designed Martyrs but Martyrs indeede And the Church celebrateth some for Martyrs that neuer shed theyr blood but onely died in prison For his vaunting of Martyrs that fauoured his faction and proceedings where one hath liked them of such as haue died of late I thinke 3. haue disliked and disclaimed them Witnesse Ma. Fran Iones Ma Iohn Pibush Ma. Barkworth and diuers others I could name if I were disposed Concerning Cardinall Baronius that hee should terme our brethren refractarij I verily think he abuseth him and that the wisedom of that man would neuer vtter such words of men addressed vnto Christes vineard But I may not omit the aduantage Fa Parsons taketh at our saying that some of our brethren were sometimes as forward
we know to be setled enemies against our Prince and Countries safety as Fa Parsons and some other Iesuits are and euer haue beene as by the practises following you shall euidently see if you be not ouer blind with affection towards them with which no man of wisedome in matters apparent will suffer himselfe to be seduced If you will excuse their intentions vpon affection be it at your pleasures but denie not that the sunne is vp when it is noone for so I shall think you to be eyther too much affectionate or starke blind But what if Fa Parsons haue falsified both our words and our meaning In deede he hath so done very notoriously For page 14. of his book where wee seemed to ascribe all the said mischiefes to our English Iesuits wee did presently preuent this cauill by a parenthesis in these words Wee meane both them and others of that societie with some of their adherents Now this plaine fellow leauing out this parenthesis runneth ryot ridiculously with open mouth against vs. In deede the parenthesis was left out by negligence afterwards page 24. which was not greatly materiall it being apparant that wee ascribed all the treacheries and treasons we there spake of not onely to the Iesuits but likewise to some of their good friends that were then Iesuited in those desperate designments But now let vs come to particulers since their comming into England which was in the yeere 1580. And first we will begin with William Parryes action which happened in the yeere 1584. his araignment was the xxv of Februarie and his execution the second of March following This William Parry departing England in the second yeere after the entrance of the Iesuits as appeareth by his examinations araignment and letters writ with his owne hand vpon record conferred in Venice with a Iesuit named Benedetto Palmio of the hard state of England concerning Cath and by him was resolued that he might lay violent hands vpon her Maiestie and commended in that resolution and encouraged there-vnto Cōming afterwards to Lyons in Fraunce and communicating the same againe with some of the Iesuits there he was also resolued in diuers points And vppon these practises after his returne into England being attached arraigned conuinced condemned he confessed the whole matter at his arraignment and by letters writ with his owne hand Now let the world iudge by this whether the Iesuits haue not medled in matters concerning her Maiesties person and state This fact of Parry Fa Parsons shuffles off with asking whether it was by the plotting of any English Iesuit not daring to aske the question of Iesuits in generall because he knew them to be guilty therein yet so hansomly was the question demaunded with a clearing of himselfe afterwards by Parries confession that you would haue sworn I dare say that no Iesuit had intermedled in that action See by this as at the beginning I told you how he fastneth vppon circumstances of English Iesuits shuffling of the substantiall accusation that the Iesuits practised with Parry in that action Neither was it said in the Important considerations that Parry dealt or plotted with English Iesuits but with the Iesuits Nor that we thinke English Iesuits to haue had their fingers in all matters but the Iesuits in generall or some other infected with Iesuitisme and their practises And that Fa Parsons had not his hand in this matter was not for want of will as may be presumed by other actions since or that he could not talke with the said Parry in Paris as he saith but because Parry refused to conferre with him as you may see by his confession euen as Fa Parsons hath set it downe But by his leaue I smell a Rat. Shall we thinke that any Iesuit in Paris would haue dealt with Parry Fa Parsons being then in the Citty but that he would first haue acquainted him there-with Are Iesuits so sparing to impart such matters one to another It is well knowne they are not Besides is it likely that any man would haue offered that Fa Parsons should haue conferred with Parry to haue confirmed him in his most villanous plot except hee first had knowne his minde and that hee was ready for such a hellish conference Shrug shufflle good father Parsons as you list I feare that all the water in the Thames will not wash you cleane from this so barbarous a designement Now will we come to Frauncis Throgmorton the next after Parry though fa Parsons preposterously putteth him in the first place for hee was conuicted the 21 of May following First his practises were all communicated and plotted with Bernardino Mendoza the Spanish Embassador wholie Iesuited if not a Iesuit and therefore it was not like that these things should passe without their knowledge priuitie and consent Besides the plot was about one and the same matter with that of Parries especially concerning the Queene of Scots in which as I haue shewed they were practizers Add to this Mendoza his words concerning fa Parsons going to Rome about the matter and that the Spaniard the Duke of Guise were partners in these plots with both whom all men know the Iesuits were very great As for Mopp alias Spring whom he saith to be Ma. Charles Paget Ma. Thomas Morgan cleered him by letters to Francis Throgmorton frō dealing to moue any man in this attempt but that he came onely to view the country By which it seemeth altogether fained by fa Parsons that hee should deale with the Earle of North and Ma. Shelley whereby followed as hee saith their ouerthrow But in this I leaue the farther aunswer to Ma. Charles Paget himselfe assuring my selfe that he is abused heerein although whatsoeuer hee dealt in this affaire or any other that might be preiudiciall to her Maiestie or state if he haue dealt in any it seemeth to haue been by the Iesuits perswasions as you may see by his answer to the Apologie where he hath these wordes If I had dealt saith he in any matter of practise for our country besides you as I neuer did but that you were the inuenters of the same and the perswaders of me therunto the more vnfortunate that I had such directors By which words you may see that if Ma. Charles Paget were any dealer in this matter of Throgmorton hee was vrged thereunto by the Iesuits So that fa Parsons bringing in Ma. Paget must of necessity bring in himselfe or other Iesuits Add also vnto this that Sir Frauncis Inglefield had been vrging Ma. Throgmorton for almost two yeeres together vnto this plot as by his confession appeareth all men know that Sir Frauncis Inglefield was wholy at the Iesuits deuotion And fa Parsons in the first chapter of his Apologie the third leafe confesseth that this Sir Frauncis Inglefield and hee were ioyned in the affaires of our Country by which it is more then probable that fa Parsons was a dealer in this action likewise As touching the Earle of Northum
all the probability we haue that fa Parsons was a stickler therein or some other Iesuits is this that in the Romane Colledge before diuers of the students there hee could deliuer the plot and euery circumstance thereof so exactly that all men which heard him adiudged him to haue beene in the very bosome of that designement In which discourse he deliuered some particulers as that it was plotted that the Earles sonne should trauaile vpon licence out of England and comming into Millaine should haue been staied vnder I know not what pretences that thereby the Earle himselfe might haue been lesse suspected in England about his plot and intentions This fa Parsons deliuered there as diuers yet will witnes which could not but demonstrate him to haue been inward with that plot in that also this intention concerning the Earles sonne vvas vnknowne vnto the Queene and state as I vnderstand vntill by this his discourse it was made publique Note still gentle Reader how all circumstances bring in the Iesuits to be accessary to all plots and deuises As concerning the plot of Babington and the other gentlemen it is not ascribed vnto the Iesuits directly but onely alledged as an vndutifull practise and treacherous against her Maiestie and state by those gracelesse Iesuited gentlemen whereby great hurt and preiudice arose vnto the Catholicks and catholicke cause in our Country And the matters beeing so apparently treasonable fault is found with Ma. Southwell for that he excuseth it in his supplication going about to lay all the blame thereof vppon the Secretary Sir Frauncis Walsingham as though he had beene the inuenter and layer of the plot and perswader or drawer on of the Gentlemen thereunto Which is both false and ridiculous to imagine that he durst practise in laying such dangerous plots of state without her Maiesties priuitie howsoeuer his intentions were to breake the necke of all in the end with the ouerthrowing of the dealers therein Neither could the Gentlemen be excused if he had been the first author and perswader thereof for that no mans perswasion may excuse an euill act that in it selfe is euill for so might a man lay all his sinnes perhaps vpon the deuils backe But howsoeuer Ma. Secretary Walsingham entertained the plot after it was reuealed vnto him by some of the confederates to bring it vnto the ful perfection wherein perhaps he did more then hee had thanks for of her Maiestie yet can it not be denied but that the plot practise proceeded from themselues and theyr owne confederats and was by them really intended as appeared manifestly by theyr owne confessions And therefore to be excused afterwards by a Iesuit could not but yeeld suspition vnto her Maiestie and the state of hollow loyaltie in Catholicks towards her who would goe about to excuse apparant treasonable practises against her person thereby to perswade her subiects and others that such as were iustly put to death for theyr treasons were not guilty therein but that they vvere onely plots and inuentions of the state themselues which is to defame the publique iustice of a Prince theÌ„ which a greater wrong cannot be done especially when matters are apparant to the contrary And that this fact of Ma. Southwell was iustly condemned and disalowed as inconuenient to omit iniuries to her Maiestie and state the effects since haue demonstrated as much the state hauing been more exasperated there-with then with any pamphlet writ these latter yeeres as hath appeared by the execution of three seuerall persons for onely medling therewith and divulging it Thus you see that what hath been said concerning Anthony Babingtons matter hath beene spoken with great reason and moderation without any accusation at all of the Iesuits therin but onely touching our dislike of the excuse of this foule fact afterwards made by Fa Southwell by which the inconueniencies specified arose as all men will witnes But sith Fa Parsons is agreeued with that little sparingly set downe in some fiue lines onely he must giue vs leaue to deliuer you some probabilities where-vpon we could haue taxed them with suspition of dealing therein The plot was but a continuance as it were of Parryes deuise and Throgmortons practises in which as you haue seene they and their fauourites were Counsellers perswaders and abetters and therefore not improbable that they would prosecute the same when any opportunity should be fitly offered and a fitter theÌ„ this wherein so many resolute Gentlemen were combined they could not haue That the Iesuits were not taxed of this at the arraignments of these Gentlemen or accused by their confessions imports little For you must know that the Iesuits are wise and cunning politicians and can tell how to manage matters by secondary or third meanes lying aloofe off themselues and being least seene or suspected such as haue beene acquainted with their dealings know this which I say not to be voyde of truth Hauing then had some experience in the faile of Parry his plot and Throgmortons in which especially the first they were neerely touched it behoued them to be more warie and deale with more cunning and secrecie then they had done That Fa Parsons Fa Holt and Fa Creswell were at Rome and Naples is little to the purpose the intercourse of letters and intelligences from all places being so speedy familier and common with them wheresoeuer they remaine as it is knowne to be Besides at that time Fa Darbishire lay in Fraunce and vnlesse I be deceaued in Paris a man fit by the reports of men of iudgement to deale in such affaires and with cunning enough And to all this the conference which Ma Ballard had with their most entirely Iesuited friend Mendoza and the sequell also of Fa Southwells defence or excuse This haue we related not to accuse the Iesuits directly with this plot of Babington and his confederates but onely to shew you that lesse was said thereof in the Important considerations then might haue beene if the author had vttered those matters of malice against the Iesuits as Fa Parsons affirmeth Some thing further might be said heereof concerning Fa Weston that worthy wight his inward acquaintance and familiarity with Ma Babington that sommer â—hat he was executed But thereof wee will be silent at this time neyther would I now haue made any mention of 〈◊〉 but that I finde our common aduersaries to be acquainted with it Now are we come to Sir William Stanlyes yeelding vp of Dauentry condemned in the Important considerations as a cause also of exasperating our Prince and state against Cath at home Father Parsons after his accustomed manner carpeth at his knighthood giuen by Sir William Drury in Ireland and not by the Earle of Leister in Flaunders which being a by-matter from our purpose little importeth being that he receaued that degree by her Maiesties authority and therefore it forced not by whose hands he receaued it And for his holding the towne in the right of her Highnesse
see the miseries and oppressions that fell vpon the English with the slaughters murders and expulsions of all the nobility almost and gentry of the Realme and doubtlesse he will detest the conceits of fa Parsons herein hold him for the most deadly enemie that the English nation hath this day liuing But to passe ouer this poynt let vs now come to his excuse concerning Irish matters which is but a meere euasion and to little purpose For whether his finger were not in the last practise as may be somewhat probably coniectured by the former attempt for Ireland in which he was an actor or whether it were not it is euident that the Iesuits were dealers therein and Ma. Archer an Irish Iesuit a chiefe moouer thereto as appeareth by Letters written by Don Iohn d' Aquila intercepted by the Lord Deputie There is a most trayterous letter of his extant which in time may come to light But should I labour to light a candle at noone-tyde whose positions good Fa are these The Catholicks in Ireland may fauour the Earle of Tyrone in his warres idque magno cum merito et spe retributionis aeternae and that with great merit and hope of eternall reward ac si bellum contra Turcas gererent as though they warred against the Turks 2. All Catholicks doe sinne mortally that take part with the English against Tyrone nec possunt aeternam salutem consequi and can neither be saued or absolued from theyr sinnes by any priest vnlesse they repent and leaue the English 3. Idem censenduÌ„ est c. They are in the same case that shall helpe the English with any victuals vel quid simile tribuunt or any such like thing 4. The most worthy Prince Hugh O Neale and other Catholicks of Ireland that fight against the Queene are nullo modâ— by no construction Rebels How say you Frier Robert out of what forge came these warlike engins They were hammered in Salamanca the 7. day of March 1602. and are as you see red hot But vvhat Vulcan was the workman of them You shall heare euerie one of them speake for themselues Sic ego c. So I Iohn de Sequenza professor of Diuinitie in the Colledge of the societie of Iesu in the famous Vniuersity of Salamanca censeo do thinke Idem conseo ego I Emanuell de Royas professor of Diuinitie in the same Colledge of the societie of Iesu am of the same opinion Et ego c. And I Iasper de Mena professor of Diuinitie of the sacred Scripture in the same Colledge doe assent to these Fathers sentence tanquam omninò certae as to an assured truth Ego c. I Peter Osorio Preacher in the Colledge of the societie of Iesu at Tire am altogether in iudgment with these Fathers Now Fa Parsons speake out man haue any of your company been practicioners in the treasons of Ireland The Catholick Author of the Iesuits Catechisme telleth vs that all the late rebellious treacheries murthers he there mentioneth were plotted contriued in the Colledges of the Iesuits in Fraunce And doe not these Iesuiticall professors tell vs as much of their owne proceedings in their Colledges of the societie of Iesu in Spaine for our treasons rebellions and murthers in Ireland May I be so bold as to imitate these Spanish Diuines style Ego F. B. doe professe in the sight of almighâ—â—e God and to the whole Catholicke Church that I do veriâ—â—e thinke in my conscience the said foure Propositions to be most false and vnchristian and that howsoeuer certaine Iesuits and theyr followers doe dissemble and equiuocate for the time vvith some men heere in England who shew too much weakenes in beeing so greatly led by them and what vaine and childish euasions soeuer this foxed Father of ours deuiseth to shift of matters from himselfe and his societie not of Iesu in these points yet if euer they be able to procure another inuasion or to stirre vp any Tyrone in England these trayterous positions hatched in hell will be againe reuiued amongst vs by them If this concerne the state to be considered of it vvere well it were looked into in time I can be but sory that the auncient Christian faith and religion of Christ should thus be scandalized by Machiauillians vnder pretence of the blessed name of Iesu As concerning Fa Parsons letter to Fa Holt here cited out of the which he onely noteth what pleaseth himselfe but yet in such sort as if his wits were breeched or that the man had been building Castles in the ayre In one part of that letter hee talketh of a Catholicke Prince to be thought of after her Maiesties death whether Spanish Scottish French or other Is it not strange that a Frier should thus bestir him In any wise mans iudgement it includeth much folly great ignorance no small pride and a world of factious garboyles and mutinies His folly and pride appeare in that hee will intermeddle in matters so farre beioynd his reach as though hee could dispose of kingdoms and successors to Crownes We shall sure haue a Neuell Earle of Warwick of him to erect and depose Kings at his pleasure His ignorance is also as manifest in that he is so simple as to thinke that his plots or dissignements shall be like to take effect in those times or that the Catholicks if they would follow his Chimericall conceits should be able to make a King at their pleasures and dispossesse the right successors or frustrate the designement of the whole Common-wealth And it is cleere that his hart is possessed with a world of tumults in that therby he would make our couâ—â—â—y a perpetuall Campe of hostilitie For doth he thinke that â—ny true Competitor will loose his right for his invasions or â—â—at his Maiestie our neighbour Prince will sit stil while he createth Kings Or that the CoÌ„monwealth will yeeld the dispose of the scepter to his worships designement See what blood-shed this fellow would draw vpon vs with his Machiauillian deuises to the vtter ruine and subuersion of the whole Besides his folly I say which appeareth in this letter as himselfe citeth it and tendeth to the ruine of our Country and Common-wealth as you see wee haue noted to him other Letters writ to Master Thomas Fitzharbert into Spaine concerning the Kings preparation against England which sufficiently discouereth his affections towards his Prince and Country And we can alledge his Letter written to the Earle of Angus the 24. of Ianuary 1600. wherein he confesseth that he had laboured eyght or tenne yeeres for his Maiestie of Scotland and the preferment of his title with the summe of twelue hundred Crownes a yeere for 2. yeeres together from Spaine which were as hee saith disbursed in the yeere 83. 84. As also 4000. crownes procured to the same effect from Pope Gregory the 13. by bill of exchange which he confesseth he brought to Paris and there deliuered it And hee saith the same had
continued if any correspondencie of gratitude or hope had continued from Scotland with no small assurance of farre greater matters aduancement to the Kings person if the enemies since of both our Realmes as he saith had not ouerthrowne and altered that course This he hath in that Letter and much more Whereby you may perceiue what his practises haue been from time to time against her Maiestie and state seeking first as you see by large pensions got from Spaine to worke with the Scots and others for the vntimely aduauncement of his title which must haue beene with the ouerthrow of her Maiestie or otherwise you know it could not haue been And here I request the Reader to note these labours of father Parsons for the affaires of Scotland to haue beene in the yeeres 1583 1584 in which selfe same yeere happened the trayterous plots of Parry Fran Throgmorton and the Earle of Northumberland and the practises with the Duke of Guise Spaniard and other English abroad about the deliuery of the Queene of Scots and ouerthrow of her Maiestie and shortly after the treasons of Babington and his complices Which I note that you may see how fa Parsons courses concurred at the same instant with their attempts and by this you may gesse whether it be not more then probable that hee was inward with all those deuises perhaps some of that mony was imploied to the setting forward of those attempts though hee vvould seeme cleere in all things But it is Gods will that his ovvne Letters and writings should discouer his dealings There want not other Letters of his and his complices which shew his good will towards our Soueraigne country but these shall be sufficient at this time Now will we come to the obiections made against him concerning his intituling the Spaniards to the Kingdoms of England Fraunce and Scotland and of the Students subscribing in Spaine to the Lady Infanta her title as also concerning the Lord Dacres and diuers of our nation discredited by fa Parsons to the losse of some of their liues and lastly of the booke of Titles or succession to all which wee will aunswer in order To the first of intituling the Spaniard vnto England Fraunce and Scotland it is plaine euident in it selfe that by intituling them to England consequently he intituled them to Ireland and all her Maiesties dominions and to Fraunce because of the right wee pretend to that Crowne Touching Scotland it may follow by a sequell of neighborhood because you know the Spaniards creepe euer forwards louing rather to gaine by theyr neighbors an ell then lose an inch For by reason of the imminent danger of that Crowne and the rather because that King is a Competitor to England and therefore sustayning great wrong by his inuading of vs would no doubt stirre and make warre against him which happily might occasionate his ouerthrow and losse of that Kingdome likewise So that fa Parsons falsly intitling the Spaniard vnto the Crowne of England doth also in effect intitle him to Scotland likewise in that hee could not possesse the one quietly without the other considering the wrong that of necessity must be done to the Scot which would make him stirre so long as he were able to leauie but a thousand men or procure ayde from neighbours adioyning I doe not take vppon mee to determine of any mans right or title praying with my hart that her Maiestie may long cōtinue amongst vs but do note in a word what bloodie mischiefe fa Parsons doth breathe out in his famous libell of succession For the proofe of the second obiection of the schollers beeing vrged to subscribe to blankes and to confirme the Infanta her title to the Crowne of England is a matter very notorious and euident VVee haue diuers priests yet aliue in England to confirme the same by othe aswell of them that were inforced to subscribe against theyr wills as others that openly refused the same I doe therefore wonder to see the mans vnshamefast deniall of so manifest and apparant a truth As touching the fained matter of the Cardinalls deuise for certaine courses to be held in our country after her Maiesties time and his proposing of the same to diuers it is a most egregious calumniation against the deceased Cardinall all men may easily see it to be but a meere inuention of fa Parsons in naming onely two persons deceased Sir Frauncis Inglefield and Doctor Stillington for witnesse knowing vvhat proofe a dead witnes may carry eyther in Court or country Besides there were diuers men of wealth of ou◠nation with whom hee was as like or more like to haue communicated the same as with the two dead persons named who for ought I can learne neuer heard of any such speeches from him Whereby you may see by whom the worthy Cardinall is disgraced and dishonoured now hee is dead beeing by Father Parsons drawne into all foolish and fond deuises as an actor with so factious creatures in matters by themselues deuised But they which disgraced him liuing in his latter dayes will not suffer him of likelihood to rest quiet now hee is dead Concerning his proposing the booke of Tytles to haue been reade in the Refectory in Rome in steed of a spirituall Lecture vsed to be reade at such times there be diuers yet that will depose the same against him and Ma Lowbery now a reuerend priest was the man should haue read the same but he reiected it vtterly refusing to meddle with such stuffe To the third poynt concerning the L. Dacres vsage amongst them we will referre the relation thereof to Ma Charles Paget best acquainted there-with who hath promised if Fa Parsons surcease not to discouer his vsage with others To the fourth matter of diuers disgraced by him and his complices it would make a huge volume to set downe the particularities of euery one that hath beene abused by them in this kind And therefore we will reserue it for a particuler treatise of purpose if occasion inforce vs heereafter to discouer more at large their particuler dealings against particuler men Onely at this time I will note vnto you one or two notable examples The first shall be of Ma Barkworth now I trust in heauen This Ma Barkworth being a priest in the Colledge of Vallidolid was by the Iesuits suspected to be a furtherer and concurrer with certaine youths that entred into the order of S. Benedict Whereof Fa Parsons hauing intelligence did write to the Rector of that Colledge that he should be dismissed presently shewing in his letters some anger that he stayed so long Where-vpon the Minister of the Colledge came vnto him one morning being sicke of a feauer and not well recouered and bad him to arise and make himselfe ready to walke with him saying that it would be wholsome for him to walke and shake off his Feauer and not to yeeld thereto When they were departed out of the English Colledge he led
him into the Colledge of the Iesuits and leauing him in a paued roome he tooke occasion to depart from him vpon some affaires to speake with one of his fellow Iesuits in that house And comming back againe vnto him hee brought the Rector of the Iesuits Colledge with him who entred into an inuectiue and bitter discourse against him and the conclusion was as followeth He commaunded him to put off his Scholers robes to put on a sute of ragges which they offered him to depart the Colledge and Citty and to shift for himselfe saying that he was not worthy to stay longer there neither should and that for a viaticum to helpe himselfe in his trauaile he should not haue so much as a Spanish reall which is but sixe pence English Ma Barkworth perceauing their intentions told them that he would not depart with such disgrace hauing not offended in that if he had concurred with the fore-said youths for their entrance into Religion yet was it not such a fault as could deserue such expulsion their wills being not in his power to rule or commaund The Rector seeing he would not dispoile himselfe and put on those ragges to depart called in certaine of his lay brethren strong fellowes to deale with him by violence and to enforce him to change his habite Whereof two comming vnto him catched him by the legges and pulling them from vnder him vpon a suddaine threw him backward flat vpon the pauement with such violence being then sicke and weake with a Feauer that hee was much brused there-with and in a great maze presently vpon his fall the rest of the lay brethren apprehended some a legge some an arme and so drew him into another roome paued in like manner as in those hote Countries all roomes for the most part are He being as I say thus amazed and perceauing them to pull and hale him fearing belike that they would murder him vsed these words but in the Spanish tongue What will you kill me will you kill me let me first confesse me When they had thus dragged him into the other roome with strugling and striuing he got vpon his feete No sooner was hee vp and recollected but that one of them gaue him such a stroke with his first vpon the face that hee felled him down backward againe With this blow he was so brused in his face that when he was cold afterwards he was not able to vtter his words that one though neere him might well vnderstand him what he spake Whilst this was in hand and the Rector of the Iesuits Colledge and the Minister of the English Colledge Fa Blackfan being spectatour of this cruell and inhumaine tragedy in came a Spanish Iesuit of a noble house in Spaine and finding them in this sort abusing so outragiously this priest he reproued them for it and told them it would be a great shame vnto them if the world should be witnes thereof Heere-vpon they left off and hauing better bethought themselues of this fact so outragiously committed they intreated him to keepe silence thereof and not to make the other Scholers acquainted heere-with and they would kindly intreate him heere-after he should haue large faculties a good viaticum when he went for England and all the friendship they could shew him else Heere-vnto he seeming to yeeld they priuily conuayed him backe to the English Colledge brought him to a sequestred chamber where he lay vntill his recouerie But some of the Scholers that then were in the Colledge as there were then not aboue 9. or 10. the rest being sent away to another place for feare of the plague at that time in the Citty seeing him come in all brused began to suspect some ill measure So that notwithstanding their secret conuaying him into a sequestred chamber they found him out and resorted vnto him which one of the Iesuits perceauing spake vnto them saying Take heede come not neere him for we verily think he hath the plague This speech they gaue out to feare the Scholers from resorting vnto him that they might not see into what pleight they had brought him But for all they could doe they could not hinder them but that they would did see him The Physician being sent for vnto him and feeling of his pulse not knowing what had happened sayd that hee had suffered great violence by which you may gesse how strangely hee was handled in this combat I know there be diuers that wil thinke this History strange and incredible but if it chaunce that Ma Charles Paget doe but set downe the actions of Fa Holt especially concerning Ma Godfray Foulgeam the very cause of whose death hee was you shall see more strange matters then this And for the proofe of this History of Ma Barkworth my selfe haue heard it related of three or foure seuerall parties witnes thereof and such as desire more certainty heerein I referre them vnto those that were then in the Colledge of Vallâ—dolid and saw him in this extremity and heard him afterwards deliuer the whole course of their proceedings with him in the Iesuits Colledge as heere it is set downe Of which number some are priests who haue vppon their faith and fidelity deliuered the story thus vnto me as from his owne mouth and their owne eyes being witnes to part of it Another example of their vncharitable dealing was with Ma Fixar one of the most famous men of our Nation for diuers good parts in him whom first heere in England they disgraced with the note of espiall most vniustly And afterwards he being in great credite in Lisbone in Portugale with the Bishop if I be not mistaken was by Fa Parsons meanes with-drawne thence vnder colour of greater preferment And when they had him thence into Spaine they confined him into an out place with such disgraces disgusts that he shortly died These two I thought good to set down omitting infinite more examples of his and other English Iesuits their vncharitable dealings against diuers yea most part of our Country-men especially the Gentlemen abroad in banishment Beleeue me it were farre more ease and tolerable for any Cath to liue at home and endure the afflictions of our Country for their consciences then to liue abroad in Spaine Italy or the Low-countries and to suffer that at the Iesuits hands which I know diuers to haue done To the fift and last point of accusation concerning the booke of Succession put out in the name of one Dolman a secular priest whatsoeuer his friuolous excuses may be of vir dolorum it may haue a fitter construction from dolus then dolor in that the whole worke is naught else but a deceitfull conference and treatise to bring an old rotten fayned title neuer dreamed of before this vir dolorum coyned it out of a whole Tessaradecades of genealogies and generations so long agoe that the very Iland it selfe might haue beene turned topsey turuy since the first spring or roote of that title and many a
said that neither his holines nor any other competent Iudge euer heard of the coggery preiudice and blasphemy done against the sea Apostolicke and the sacred Maiestie of our Prince not that their imprisonment was either coggery preiudice or blasphemy to her Maiestie but that by their imprisonment his holines could not heare of their preiudiciall dealings against our Prince and state nor of their coggery and blasphemy against the Sea Apostolicke all Princes and Prelats in the world being in a sort abused by such dealings As touching fa Parsons returne into Spaine whether by Mendoza his commendations or not which little importeth we will omit as not much to the purpose All the world by experience seeth that his going thether was not for any good to our country but to procure inuasions and to raise a new bloodie title to the Crowne of England I will note but two circumstances in this fathers discourse of this matter not to be omitted the first is that no letter or message passed for many yeeres together betweene Mendoza and him to wit after the desastrous affaire of Ballard and Babbington By this you see that Letters and messengers were wont to passe between them before this desastrous affaire and so it is very probable that fa Parsons was made acquainted with all those practises wherein Mendoza had dealt concerning Throgmorton Babington by those letters and Messengers The second obseruation is that when Mendoza some yeeres after returned to Madrill there passed great expostulation betweene them two about that affaire of Babbington and some other such matters Wherein the said Embassador had beene thought to haue beene ouer-much ledde by the forward men and their mates Doth not this shew first that Mendoza was a subiect to the Iesuits by some hand or other or else why should Father Parsons a Iesuit expostulate matters with a Duke a Prince an Embassador to so great a King How durst he otherwise haue noted by way of expostulation which sheweth an authority his beeing ouermuch misled by the forward men which insinuateth a dislike or checke for following too much the aduise and directions of such men blaming the manner and circumstances but not directly the matter Doe not these circumstances leaue a suspicion of Fa Parsons consent to that plot though he disliked that Mendoza was ouermuch ledde therein by the forward men See how God will that father Parsons should bewray himselfe An aunswer to the fift Chapter concerning our pretended folly and malignant spirit in obiecting certaine bookes to father Parsons which tend to his commendation and of his confutation of a little Treatise in answer to his booke of Succession NOw are we come at length to the fift chap of bookes obiected to Fa Parsons which he will haue to increase his credite Of these bookes he citeth 4. in number vrged by vs to wit Philopater the ward word the high counsell of Reformation or Memoriall as hee termeth it and the booke of Titles or succession to the Crowne These hee nameth but leaueth out the scurrilous pamphlets of Perneus and Greene coate or Leisters common-wealth with such other of that rabble full of exasperations against the Queen state and very scandalous as conteyning infamous slaunders against both and in particuler against some of the counsell which could not but giue occasion to incense them beeing in power and authoritie against all Catholicks and priests in England And all England knoweth that the booke against the Earle of Leister did mightily auert him from all Catholicks in generall But it is a true saying which often I haue heard spoken of father Parsons that hee will rather lose his friend then his iest it is verified in all his proceedings For if once he apprehend a course he wil thorow with it though all the world smart for it of so violent and pernicious and head-strong a nature he is But to come to the bookes which by himselfe are cited Of the two first viz. Philopater and the Ward-word he saith no more but that they be in defence of the Catholicke cause the first against the rigorous Edict the second against a bloody-minded Knight As for the first it is full of most bitter rayling arrogant exasperations as euery man that hath read it can tell besides foolish scoffings against great persons which no man of wisedome and charitie would haue vsed in these times vnlesse he had meant to whet a double edged sword to cut Catholicks throats The second was a fond and foolish reuiuing of a dead matter not worth a rush no man either thinking or regarding the follies of such a pamphlet But by his raking againe in the old forgotten dunghill he hath raised vp such new stirres and drawne such persons into the matter that as euery man may see the dead matter is now new on foote and aliue againe and in a more hurtfull sort then before Let him see what the Deane of Exceter Ma. Doctor Sutcliffe hath written in aunswer of his Wardword and iudge whether the wound be not worse then before The Knights obscure toy no man regarded but I dare not say so of Ma. Doctor Sutcliffs booke And this was the wisedom of this good Fa in aunswering the Watchword needes he must haue his iest though it cost him deere As touching his third pamphlet of Reformation it is a world to see the pride of the man to take vpon him to meddle with all estates and giue rules and directions what must be done as well in the Court as Country Clergie as Laïty And when forsooth must this be done Mary when our Country is reduced againe to Catholicke religion But when or how must that be doe you know Presently forsooth by a Spanish conquest For you must vnderstand that this worke was hatched about the same time or immediatly after the booke of Titles if not before so that you see the booke of Succession was for the conquest and this for Reformation to follow What simplicity was it for a man of wit or vnderstanding to thinke that after a Spanish conquest hee should haue the managing of matters for our Country to prescribe orders lawes as though the Spaniard would haue deliuered all matters into Father Parsons hand and hee must haue beene Lycurgus to direct all Alas poore man or rather mad man how great a conceit soeuer you haue of your selfe and how much so euer you presume of your greatnes with the Spaniard you must giue me leaue to thinke that when that time had come as God forbid it euer should Ma. Spaniard would haue as little regard to Fa Parsons in those affaires as to any of vs. I will omit his fond supposall of easie reformation because both our Clergie and Catholickes hauing liued in persecution all this time would willingly concurre to a holy and perfect reformation as who would say that all difficulty in that point should remaine in the priests and Catholickes of our owne nation and not rather in the
Spaniards who then must be our good Maisters and of like the greatest number at the least in all authorities both in Court Country as in conquests happeneth and all men know the Spaniards to be the most licentious people in Europe especially the souldier Where is now your ground fa Parsons of an easie reformation but commonly great folly and blindnes followeth pride euen in the wisest men And if father Parsons say that this Treatise of Reformation was not intended vppon any conquest although it is euident that it was yet is it both foolish and arrogant Foolish in that hee buildeth Castles in the ayre knowing neither when by whom nor how the reduction of our country shall happen and therefore an hundreth to one that his foolish Chimeras will be either forgot or coÌ„temned when that time happeneth Arrogant in that thereby he seemeth to think that at such times our couÌ„try should want men of wisedome or piety or both to see what will be then conuenient and put the same in execution vnlesse he prescribe them before hand tell them what they must do But to open a little more in particuler his great folly heerein such as haue read the said Treatise beeing priests and men of credite vnto some of whom Fa Parsons himselfe shewed the said booke as secretly as now it is kept doe report that his directions are that the municipall lawes of our Country shall be so altered that the Ciuill lawes must beare the sway And this is the more probable because hee shuffleth it of saying little or nothing to this obiection nor bringing in one word of the Memoriall in proofe hereof or of the disposition of the Innes of Court how they should be imploied though he toucheth both but so as if he were afraid to shew what he hath written thereof for shame For our Clergie also they say that all men should be put to pensions in the beginning and the Colledges both in Oxford and Cambridge in the same sort depriued of theyr lands and reuenues and becom pensioners And this hath beene maintained to my selfe by some of his fauourites as a thing necessary with great vehemencie both for edification as also the disposing of the ouerplus to other good vses in the behalfe of the Church And that which is sayd heere to this purpose in excuse hereof is so little and nothing at all of Colledges that it is apparant he was vnwilling to manifest his follies therein VVhat he sayth of the King and Counsell hee will not tell you for doubtlesse it is good stuffe Of the nobility hee leaueth out what he hath said concerning theyr pompe traine reuenues and diet concerning the inferiour nobility which is our gentry as Knights Esquires and Gentlemen he noteth her Maiestie indirectly with oppression and contempt thereof to her dishonour which sheweth his pride and carelesse cariage towards all sorts Touching religious orders which hee noteth as a member of his diuision of the Clergie in his Epistle he sayth not one word at all but shuffleth it off as forgotten because therin he should haue discouered his loue and affection to all orders of religious people besides his owne All which orders one order onely excepted he excludeth out of England as they affirme for the first seauen yeeres or more that Maister Iesuits in the meane time might haue the sway of all and enter into the houses liuings and possessions of other religious orders if they could Thus he shuffleth and cutteth sparing no estate and yet heere he citeth you some fragments of the best stuffe he could picke out of that proude pamphlet to make you belieue that his indeuours therein were holy and zealous meerely for the good of Gods church his country Sometimes he calleth them excellent notes and obseruations and so proudly extolleth himselfe therein as he dareth to affirme though like a stage-player he taketh vppon him an other person then his owne that the contradictors of this his fantasticall worke haue neither vertue nor ability to imitate him Certainly the man hath a great conceite of his owne dooings and is too much ouercarried with partialitie and ouerweening of himselfe For otherwise let any man of iudgement and indifferencie duly weigh euen that which he hath cited himselfe in the best manner out â—f the aforesaide Treatise and hee will iudge it to be but pâ—oude and foolish stuffe and meere Chimericall conceits â—owsoeuer they carry a shew of religious reformation for that some of them are inconuenient and all without his sphere But to leaue these his foolish vanities let vs see what hee sayth in the behalfe of his booke of Succession First in excuse thereof he sayth that it came forth with the consent of Cardinall Allen and his liking and approbation which we assure our selues to be a malicious calumniation of the worthy Cardinall deceased For is it like that hee who so mightily disliked the Oration made by a young scholler in Valledolid wherein the title and right of England was offered vp into the Kings hands together with themselues and theyr parents is it like I say that he would approue this seditious booke wherein all right to the Crowne of our country is cast vppon the Infanta of Spaine Who in the world will belieue this But it is a fashion with father Parsons to father his sedicious practises and foolish actions vppon other worthy men commonly such as are dead as you may see by the multitude of dead mens Letters cited in the Apologie Howsoeuer he would draw the Cardinall into this work wee knowe that his affection in his latter dayes was not so great towards him as to concurre with him in any such fond intentions Adde to this that Fa Parsons hauing written this treatise and shewing the same to two reuerend priests when it was but in papers one after another both of them disliking and disswading him from the publishing thereof hee promised that it should not be printed But you will easily think that if he had obtained the Cardinalls approbation he would little haue regarded their opinions or promised to haue suppressed it as he did but would quickly haue satisfied them with his good liking and applause And where he saith that some of our selues at the first shewed liking thereof howsoeuer some one or other not seeing into the drift of it might ignorantly like the discourse sure I am that none of iudgement looking into it seriously euer liked it And I am sure that both my selâ—â— and diuers others of more experience vtterly disliked and condemned it from the beginning as diuers know But 〈◊〉 Parsons wise and graue iudgement esteemeth our heads greene and therefore he saith we carpe at that we vnderstand not Indeede it is to walke in a maze and a labyrinth of cares to follow his turbulent braines in all his sedicious intentions And yet by his leaue this was but a proud speech of his for all the world knoweth that some if not the