man might doe in this case is but to be sorrie at the iniustice rather abide the fortune of his countrie for the fault what God shall award then be a traitour to it therefore and it is innocence enough in him not to be guiltie of his countries sinne howsoeuer hee rue it in her shame And who can tell whether happilie the next age may raise vp an English Soueraigne whose amity with Spaine may more auaile Spaine then these pretended domages come to At least wise Chronicles doe tell how that Spaine hath of auncientie more then once or twice beene beholding to English fauours farre aboue these trespasses which we neuer read it requited yet till now that England payes it selfe All the requitall that may be so tearmed is the two Seminaries which at this day it maintaines to our Church as aforesaid if at least he disparage it not with an vsurping intention whereof the Armado of 88. and the Iesuits practises whom he hath deputed ouer those Seminaries make too palpable shew But howsoeuer these his Seminaries may be thought requitals to Englands former fauours sure I am they are no benefits so of worth as for which English Catholickes should be traitours to their Prince and countrie in Spaines behalfe much lesse the kings pensions to our people in his dominions which being greater in title theÌ„ they are in truth I do not see but their farre sleighter seruices may deserue them then the sale of their deere countrie and their honours I speake this by proofe good cosin both in my selfe as you know and too manie my good friends that yet are in his and his sisters seruice the more was my fault when as it was though therby the more my experience in dislike of that nation Furthermore thus much I assure yee of my certaine knowledge that in the action of 88. against our countrie the king of Spaine made no such shew or countenance to our nation then seruing him in his armie in the Low-countries as also in the Armado as to make vs thinke â—ee came either in loue or religion against it as the Iesuits here suggest both in that and in the next pretended but the cleane contrarie that is reuenge and rapine For besides that neither in the one nor in the other there was anie Briefe of his holines promulged ne as afore is showne ought to haue beene promulged in allowance of that action whereby the Catholicke-subiects of this land to haue beene bound to concurre thereunto the Spaniard in ech part notoriouslie deserud the cleane contrarie at our hands My eye was a witnesse of a notable affront done by a Spanish captaine vnto my Lord of Westmerland in Bruges at the verie instant of the Armadoes being on our coast the Duke of Parma then lying with all his Court there and his Campe there abouts namelie vpon his shew of disgust that he was no more regarded the seruice being for his countrie In like manner did I not then see after our firing the Spanish-fleet in the narrow seas the young Prince of Ascoli at his fugitiue-arriuall to Dunkerke the morrow after where the Duke of Parma entertained him on the strond him I say in answere to the Dukes question what newes of the Armado vncap himselfe and grinning toward heauen sweare by it that he thought not onlie all the foure elements were Lutherans that night and all that morning but also God himselfe so blasphemous was his Spanish-spirit much lesse religious as to come to conquer a countrie for religion Better yet of the two merrier was the Duke of Ossuna who at this present serues the Infanta before Ostend his representation and answere to the then king of Spaine within a while after who being the first maÌ„ that arriued at the Court with the successeles newes of the Armado stucke a distaffe at his side a spindle at his backe in steede of rapier and dagger and so shewd himselfe to the king while he was at Masse Whom the king after Masse asking what successe God had sent he merrilie pointed his maiestie to those his armes saying and swearing that since they had fought so woman-like and that a woman had foiled them they were worthy before God and man to weare from thence forth none other Whereupon the king hastilie stept to the altar and taking a siluer candlesticke from off the same swore a monstrous oth that he would waste not only al Spaine but also all his Indies to that candlesticke but he would be auenged of England such was the Catholicke-kings religion forsooth toward our countrie or rather his prophane ambition despite for which it hath pleased God who neyther allowes conquests for religion as may appeare by the successes wars of Christians in the Holie-land of yoare much lesse for meere ambition to speed his two like attempts since as bad as that first This latter newes of Ossuna in the manner said came reported into the Low-countries from the Court of Spaine and confirmed by sundrie letters to gentlemen in the Spanish regiment where I then serued I will not tell yee for I cannot how many vnthrifts came to the Duke of Parmaes campe from out all the Prouinces of Christendome in hope and vaunt to make themselues whole by England what waging for our noblemens heads what questioning Sir William Stanlies souldiers where the riches of our countrie most lay what lust after our women-kind yea our Ladies by euerie raskall souldier and what villanie not I saw and heard all this cosin and a great deale more and worse and therefore I may safelie say it and sweare it for a certaine vnto you Moreouer to confirme this assertion of Spanish-impietie toward our countrie I will giue you a Flemmish instant for the same My father was the man whom I haue often heard tell how that the morrow after the Spaniards entring the towne of Mastreicht in Brabrant by assault hee there saw in cold blood a Spanish souldier to whom a poore Burgar of the towne came suppliant on his knees in the open street and besought him for his life protesting that hee euer was a Catholicke from his cradle the said wretched Spaniard to murder him neuerthelesse saying oh Flemming then wil thy soule goe the white way and much good may it doe thee I conclude then that if the Spaniard be such toward Flemmish Catholickes also no kinder then is said toward English as yet in the pursute of his dominion ouer vs when in all wisedome he should vse vs most benignelie though but dissemblingly whereby the rather to vvin our affections vvhich is the easiest and surest conquest of all other vvhat other may both Protestant and Catholicke expect at his hands here in England another day vpon his atchieuemeÌ„t by armes No lesse vnworthilie haue the Iesuits carried themselues in those parts and els-where in the kings dominions toward our gentlemen doing them so many indignities and disgusts as I shame to tel though meete they vvere to be
from S. Peter to this day beene such that euer I reade Ignem veni mittere in terram quid volo nisi vt ardeat being a fire that Christ neuer meant as out of two flints by repercussion or out of steele by hard-edge but such a fire as hee sent downe in forme of disparted tongues ouer his sacred mother and the Apostolike assemblie at Pentecost and that which Saint Augustine our countries Apostle brought ouer to Eleutherius our king from Saint Peters sea Such is the fire that burnes in Iesus name and such the fire that flames from forth the Seminaries amōgst vs at this day Volentes trahit saith S. Paul of the holie ghost hauing his spirit nolentes non cogit The Iesuits mistake groslie if they thinke that God is to come to his spouse in turbine tonitru for such shall be the comming of Antichrist another day but in leui aura quasi susurrans Saxonie that was subdued to the Catholicke faith by armes how short time continued it therin being the last of all the Germaine-Prouinces that receiued it and the first that forsooke it In like manner at this instant hath not the Poland king receiued notable domage and daylie doth both in his owne and the Churches estate at the hands of his natural subiects the Sweathlands vnder the conduct of his vncle Fredericke whom they haue chosen their Protector and as now the newes is their king against him comming at the Iesuits instigation to conquer them to the Catholike faith Hath hee not lost not onelie all that his naturall heritage this of Poland being his kingdome but by election from euer being by all likelihood Catholicke againe it being now by meanes of such his prouocation the rather rooted in heresie but also part of Liefeland too which before was Catholicke besides his honour and all his charges of warre Such forsooth was the Iesuits religion in this case and so set they on the king to reuenge their wrongs rather then his or Gods and the irreuerence those people did them as they informd comming to take place and to preach amongst them by vertue of the kings letters-patents And thus if the Popes holinesse had anie such commission as is said the Iesuits doe vsurpe it they hauing I am sure no Breue of his to shew whereby thus to set kingdome against kingdome for religion as Poland against Sweathland and Spaine against vs. The knights of the Temple of Rhodes those of Malta at this day though they be the vowed souldiers of Christ his church neuer bore so quarrellous and irreligious spirits neither yet the Iesuits founder though hee were sometimes a souldiour left them any such rule But least of all is the Spaniard so peaceable a man amongst his neighbours as that hee neede to be nowd on to quarrels by the religious Howsoeuer that is not the way cosin the spirit of Christ being meeke and humble and what manner of Ghospelling he propounded to his Apostles and what armes viz. a scrip and a staffe you may read in the Acts. Moreouer if propter iniustitias c. as in 2. Reg. God to deliuer a nation ouer to the hands of another nation be his curse to that nation so giuen ouer and not his blessing is it meete that the Patriotts of the same should exhibit themselues instruments thereunto all people being bound to complie with their countrie as with their mother in all Gods blessings and not his maledictions Now then seeing it doth or may appeare vnto you that the king of Spaine neither de facto hath nor de iure can haue anie autenticke title or colour of title from the sea-Apostolicke to the royall Crowne of this land as for religion which of all pretences is most forceable much more easilie and iustlie may you condemne the Iesuits for perswading amongst vs a Spanish title thereunto in blood which the Spaniard himselfe neuer to this day yet pretended either in himselfe or his predecessors and lastlie if such their supposed title together with the aforesaid from the church faile then forsooth the benefit of Spaines conquering vs which of all other positions is most absurde Touching their title in blood then were it neuer so new and so true it is sufficient answer therunto to say that in respect they are meere straungers and of another nation I meane the king and his sister both such their title is voide and of no effect as well as for Fraunce to impleade their Sallicke-law in barre against Englands title vnto it Againe prescription were also a competēt estopple vnto them they pretending from king Iohn and Edward the third and yet neither their ancestors nor they themselues hauing layed in their claime to this day which during the deuision of the houses of Lancaster and Yorke at what time it continuing long and the whole land likewise therevpon deuided in ciuil warres it was a fit season for the Spaniard to haue done set in foote considering that vis diuisa debilis and also being then neerer the stemme of this pretended title which would haue made the better show Briefe if titles so farre fetcht might take place for a Crowne I wisse there are in this land a manie poore persons at this houre that might be serud before Spaine And as for king Iohn though hee were not the best Prince either to the Church or our Countrie but vnfortunate to ech and to him selfe most yet will we not hold him so vnblest of God and vnhappie as that from his loyne should be intituled a forraine-pretender to this realme ne euer built hee London bridge for a Spanish Conqueror to trample on as I haue often heard that nation bost of such a day Much lesse king Edward that our victorious king may his ghost abide to see England vnder a forraine rule who subdued forraine powers and Crownes to it Be this enough said and more then needs touching Spaines title in blood to England seeing that euen a meere English pretendant to deduce a title so farre off and after so manie changes amongst vs without making claime any time betweene were absurd much more so meere strangers present enimies as both they are to our state for which as little reason wee haue as for their religious pretence aforesaid to be any way parties to their raignes ouer vs. Touching their conquest then and the vtilitie therof to our countrie which is the last point the Iesuits perswade the other two fayling they doe well verilie to suggest it vtill at least if so seeing that vulgus amicitias vtilitate probat rather then honest and honourable which at all it would not be but contrariwise a meere wrong in them to attempt and slauerie in vs to endure So noble an Iland as this which to vse the Spanish Chronographers owne words was one of the 3. prime plumes in the helme of the Romaine Empire at her greatest the other two quoth he being Spaine and Fraunce an Iland which
before anie of them was able to free it selfe from that Empire hauing euer since all but the time of the Heptarchie stood selfelie-Monarchike and in paragon with either Fraunce or Spaine and other the greatest Monarchies of christendome as well for the honours of warre as of peace a nation which hath twice conquered Fraunce and as for Spaine was able to free her neck from the Danish yoke the Dane being a nation full of valour within one 24. yeeres the Spaniard not performing his like freedome from the Moore being a base and obscure nation vnder 700 a nation which was able to bring in a Dolphin of Fraunce with all the martiall-flower of that kingdome to make vse of here at home euen in ciuill warres amongst our selues and that done safelie to acquite it selfe againe of him them which what nation in christendome but England would haue aduentured a nation whose Empire hath extended from the I le of Thule to the Pirenean-mounts simul semel and that in setled peace as we may read in the raigne of king Henrie the second a nation which hath beene able to send forth armies and Armadoes as farre as the holie land and performed more seruice for God and his church there then any other nay then all other christian people concurring in the same a nation that hath made other countries both afraid and beholding to it and as we read great Princes yea and an Emperour her Pensioners a nation that hath furnisht Saint Peters sea with two excellent good Popes and the Catholicke church with as manie Saints and deepe learned men and at this day doth as anie countrie in christendome besides it being the first begotten childe of the same our Ladies Dowre briefe a nation which at this day euen vnder a woman and as the Spaniard and Iesuits pretend in her vniust vndertakings hath hitherto bin able to make her partie good against all the world maintaining it selfe in peace when all her neighbour-states round about her are on fire such a nation I say to cease now at length her Monarchicke-honour and become vassall to Spaine or any nation in the world be it by title or conquest or whatsoeuer pretence yea of religion oh how dishonourable and abominable were it to true English-nature and valour and scandalous to all the world Prouinciall I say for so should it be were it either vnder the brother or the sister of Spaine seeing that neither of their states Spaine or Flaunders would agree his or her throne to be out of them and in faith for England to be ruled by a Prince out of the land which neuer yet was seene since England was England as little reason it hath as well for her profit as for her honour If in Spaine it is too farre off if in Flaunders neither yet is that neere enough besides that all those Prouinces make but an Archduke which is farre vnder the honour of a realme such as England is whose Crowne is and euer was Emperiall both for waight and fashion Then to be gouerned by their deputies say vice-royes which the Infanta cannot afford being her selfe no Queene how displeasing that were on the otherside the calamities of Flaunders may any time these 30. yeers and yet at this day teach vs. For what cutting off of the Nobilitie of the land came in with the Duke of Alua and what oppression of the commons and with and for them both what warres and waste of those estates to this houre The like perhaps may be alleaged of Ireland vnder her Maiesties deputies at least the Irishrie so pretend iustifiying their present rebellion vpon their harsh hand ouer them though questionles herein they haue little reason but rather doe bite and whine at once are turnd rebels for not knowing in their sauagerie when they are well who were it Queene Maries dayes how ere they herewith pretend religion as little would they be loyall They want but to haue tasted the Spaniard a while to become true againe to England As for the Infantaes estate here if of the two that be it the Iesuits had rather and that withall her own countrie would assent to her residence here besides the absurdities and inconueniences hereof alreadie cited this is another and not the least to wit the vnlikelihood of her euer hauing issue being issue-lesse at these yeeres whereby would remaine the same vncertaintie of an English heire after her that now is In lieu whereof what factions were it not likelie shee would during her raigne ouer vs maintaine for her brother his heires succession to the Crowne what ielousies nay perhaps what not ciuil wars she being a partie alreadie aggreeued for the supposed wrongs done by England both to her father and her brother for which she would happilie thinke by this meanes to make them full amends or at least if such her practise should not preuaile to shew her selfe in so assaying a verie louing sister It is not her laying open her Low-countries and her brothers dominions no not his Indies to our trafficke in the meane time which aswell is like to come to passe ere long God willing through their inforced amitie with vs can counteruaile this hazard alone muchlesse all the aforesaid Nor is it yet halfe an age since the Spanish nation being admitted into our countrie in al loue and in the greatest knot of amitie that may be imagined to wit by the mariage of their Prince with ours at what time and that in how short a time we were as willing to be rid of thē through their ill deseruings as some of our countrie men with the losse of their liues shewed themselues alittle afore vnwilling of their comming we may yet verie well remember We may yet very well remember the chargeable vse they then made of our coūtry in their own wars both by land sea our losse of Caleis the while We may yet remēber their insolence amongst vs proude misgouernance to the contempt of our nobilitie much more of our commons for which no sooner was that knot between the two nations broken by the death of that blessed Queene but straight they were made to know how great disgust they had giuen vs with the losse of some of their liues for a farewell If then comming in as friends they deserued as foes at our countries hands how much more comming in as foes though nere somuch vnder the couert of religious friends may wee thinke to find them cruell and tyrannous namelie hauing had since so much matter of reuenge ministred them from hence as they assume Or why did they not then if their title were such to the Crowne of England as the Iesuits suggest make vse of that oportunitie for their subiecting vs But sure it seemes t was not the will of God both for that they tooke no such counsaile then and also if they meant anie such matter Gods sequestring the Spanish Prince from out the realme and taking away the Queene
parts of Christendome ex professo and in particular are banisht for such out of all the most Christian Kingdome of France as also for their Spanish faction there where for all their great meanes and flattering Ballades of late made and exhibited to the King they are not like to get in againe this yeare nor yet the next hee hearing of their turbulent carriage here in England Onely they holde in here and there with the good Capuchines being at oddes with all other orders and oftentimes among themselues which is their greatest credit and which they may easily doe for that as one of those good Friers on a time confest they couet to haue all and these nothing Vpon this grounde likewise it was that the excellent good Bishop of Bamberge in Germanie being laboured vnto some fewe yeares agoe by the importunat commendations of the house of Austrich and other Catholicke-states of the Empire for their admittance into his most reformed diocesse he answered no I brooke no such Quiddits To conclude then with that I began to say seeing the Iesuits are a societie so inferiour to all other religious Orders and yet ambitioning aboue them all in the bare name of Iesus scorning belike in their singularitie to bee called after their founder hee being as yet no canonized Saint as aforesaid and namely an Order farre inferiour to the Seminaries both for institution and merit to our Church and Countrey as alreadie is partly proued though not in priuiledges from the Sea Apostolicke wherein howsoeuer otherwise they come short in merits to other orders it will be sure to be neuer a whit behinde to any it is I say great pusillanimitie in the brothers of the same cedere suo iuri so much as to giue them the preheminence in our Countrey for ecclesiasticall rule either in their owne name or to their vse as Maister Blackwels is much more to suffer themselues to be so infamed by them as by flat libell and which worse is by their owne partaking therewith Is it not enough that the Iesuits disgrace and supplant them with their zizaniaes in their owne Colledges liuing vnder their Ferrule that they expell them thence at their pleasures that they beate them almost to death but also in their Countrey they will assay the like and euen not there manumize them from their wrongs Pharao himselfe being no longer cruell to the Israelites then whilest they liued in his land saue once when in reuenge thereof the red Sea miraculously deuoured him and all his host Is it not enough that for euery one Martyr of those Fathers there haue been twentie at least of these Brothers to our Church and yet they to vsurpe the honour of all like the Spanish-Souldiour in the Lowe-countries who hath been alwaies the least part in his Lieges seruice there and yet the most in the praise Is not all this I say and a great deale more of the Iesuits vnkindnesses and vndeseruings both of our Seminaries our Church and Countrey enough but needes to al this they must adde libelling vpon them too forgetting that Qui dixerit fratri suo Racha is reus gehennae ignis I could wish and I verily hope they will valew themselues aboue the Iaponian and other Indian Clergie who know no other Pope then the Iesuits and take their bare words for Canons At least I could wish that in this case of so reall reproch to their whole bodie and preiudice to their Apostolike-haruest in our vineyard here they would as I hope in God they will abiuring Mammon and all other sinister allure and adiure of both Iesuit and Iesuited Arch-priest ioyne with their wronged brethren in a confident and vnanimous defence and not suffer their honours which is also their owne so basely to be bandied out of our Church and Countrey namely by an intruding societie were it but in honour of their excellent Founder our late Cardinall a man no whit inferiour to their Father Ignatius but rather afore him in all manner of rare desert to the Sea-Apostolicke for which hee was worthie to die a Peere of the same à fortiore then they being the naturall broode of our English Church ex traduce from Saint Augustine and Mellitus continued rather then founded by the said good Cardinall to our Countrey in all this age of persecution Surely Cosin rather then this shall come to passe through the indiscreete obedience or rather pusillanimitie of the Seminaries themselues toward the Iesuits there will not want amongst the Catholicke-laitie spirites to vndertake the defence in honour both of our Church and Countrey and namely of the Appealants our so reuerend Patriots and ghostly Fathers who though they for their parts haue all this while been content in their exceeding charitie but to holde the buckler to their eares against the Societies blowes yet these haply will not sticke to returne them in their behalfes a sound venny at least Yea seeing those Fathers haue thus presumptuously broken quarter with ours and that in our owne Countrey they being meere Spanish let them either yet make amends if at least it be not too late or else be sure that they sit fast for that saluo the Appeale they are like to carrie as good as they bring for all our good Cardinall be dead and gone such being Lex talionis dens pro dente oculus pro oculo and againe a meere morall iustice that Quisquis quae non licet loquitur quae non lubet audiat We Catholickes standing as yet on the one side of the Riuer the Appeale depending and the Iesuits on the other I doe not doubt but God will giue vs the day when once we come to closing or if not at least God shall lose no honour by our foyle so humbly will we all with our Appealant-Fathers yeeld vs obedient to the disgrace and the Apostolicke Sea which spirite I pray God they beare The Societie hath giuen scandals enough and daily doth throughout all the parts of Christendome which if they were but halfe made into a nosegay would I doubt not yeeld so vnsauorie sent vnto English noses that we should esteeme such flowers not worth the setting in Englands garden But this debt they may yet forestall if they will and all harder measure that may therewith befall them by licking out their Racha so irreligiously written and more impudently maintained against our Fathers and withall absolue themselues in so doing from their reatus gehennae ignis Well ipsi viderint They know very well that Non dimittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum and that confession of a fault is the least part of Pennance saue letting the wrong fall which we see they would now gladly doe if that would serue the turne but it will not for that as the French man saith Desbender l'arque ne guerit pas le play To vnbend the bowe heales not the wound More charitie were it in them by a penitent confession though with the lesse satisfaction which once our
being vnder so sharpe affliction you partly see alreadie and may imagine more whether partie so euer preuaile For what knowe we what vse the State wil make therof whether rather not to extinguish both by the meanes then to tolerate any All our comfort is to thinke that the hand of God whereunto no good thing is impossible can and will in honour of the much blood of his Seminary-Saints that hath ascended vp to him now these fortie yeeres out of our Church stint extreames and turne all to the best who perhaps permits the Societie and Arch-priest to be thus obdurate in their Schisme both to their finall shame to the greater good of our Church and countrey then yet we are worthy to apprehend For I assure yee Cosin as touching the latter latet anguis in herba which but by this meanes could not well be descried And though it seeme to vs but a matter vpon the By to the Appeale yet I doubt not but it is a principall in the eye of God and needing his especiall interuention It is Cosin at a word the whole state of our Countrey which the Iesuits labour whether in zeale to their Founder who was a Spaniard or in gratitude to Spaines benefits and generally of the house of Austrich to their societie to subiect to Spaine and in such faction and in such hope haue vnder pretence of Catholicke-Religion alreadie wonne vnto the Spaniard much ground in our Countrey which now that the plot is growne to a head in the Arch-priest they stronglie maintaine and daily gaine more and more in the hearts of Englishmen A shame that either Religion should be so profaned or English nature so stained grace neuer vsing to preuaricate nature but to accomplish it First therefore as touching the Bull of Pius 5. and the same since confirmed by Gregorie the thirteenth against her Maiestie as neither the Spaniard nor any other forraine power is either by expresse or implyed tearmes thereof incited to dominion ouer this land as little are English hearts thereby disallegeanced so from her Maiestie as to concur with any forraine Inuadour For though the said Buls vpon her Maiesties Excommunication therein promulged doe de facto assoyle the subiects of this Realme from their homage vnto her it therefore followes not that they must and ought to be parties against her Maiestie and their Countrie to a forraine power howsoeuer pretending euen Religion or other ciuill good thereunto for that were to conster the Popes act so ouer-much in religion and grace as to the destruction of nature which were against the Maxime aforesaid For a man to goe against his owne Countrey is and euer was holden in the ciuill part of the world an act Contra ius gentium and also vnnaturall yea and against all grace Besides that Christ neuer did delegate any such power to Saint Peter as Tradere gentem in gentem that being a meere temporall reuenge and he but his Viccar spitituall Yea he expressely rebuked him for drawing his sword and cutting off Malchas his eare Christ saying vnto him Tibi dabo claues regni caelorum and Pasce agnos meos pasce ones meas sounds cleane in another sence Moreouer Mihi vindictam ego retribuam saith our Sauiour to all à fortiore to the Cleargie and by his Prophet else where Iustitia iudicium correctio sedis eius Ignis ante ipsum praecedet inflammabit in circuitu inimicos eius c. So as Saint Peters Commission against transgressing Kings and kingdomes is no more then only to denounce by Excommunication and other the like Ecclesiasticall censures Gods displeasure against them for their transgression and not to exercise the secular sword at all namely in such a manner of reuenge as is said but leaue that to him who only hath power ouer Princes and Principalities to conuert and subuert at his pleasure And euen the Sea Apostolike it selfe hath been subiect to transmigration sundry times vnder the hand of God and as it hath seemed his angrie hand too as well as prophane states the supreme Pastors hauing themselues been often forced to forsake Rome whilest it was a sacking and euen at one clap were away at Auignion almost 80. yeares which if translation of States were so absolutely in the Popes holines power it is not likely he would neither yet God haue permitted his owne Sea to bee so disparaged ne would the demesnes thereof be so small as they are at this day And whereas it may be obiected that the Prophet Samuel elected erected and consecrated Dauid King of Israel in priuation of Saule for his preuarication ergo the Popes holines may tradere gentem in gentem that followes not for that neither this act of Samuel was such a tradition Dauid being a Patriot of Israel and no forrainer as also forasmuch as Dauid did not execute that his Royaltie in any such manner as might argue blood and conquest he hauing him sundrie times in his power might easilie haue slaine him if he had would but as wee read expresselie in the storie did bemone yea and reuenge the death of Saul and all because he was Gods annointed such as her Maiestie is ouer vs at this day by the hand euen of a Catholicke Bishop So likewise the translation of the Romaine Empire by Leo the fourth to Charlemaine and his successors which was the greatest translation of temporall state that euer was done by the Papall hand for that of Constantines was of himselfe in bountie to the Church that I say of Leo was no such tradition as gentis in gentem it being but titular onlie and not in defeazance of the Grecian Empire either in her Emperiall title or demesnes the said Empire continuing certaine hundred yeeres after in ech till in the end vindicta diuina dissolued it giuing it ouer for heresie in verè alienam gentem both for rites and language viz. the Turke who to this day is Lord of it all I inforce not thus much vnto you cosin touching the Popes holinesse ciuill sword as to derogate any whit from it or presumptuouslie to take vpon me to dispute his Commission otherwise then vnder correction and in all submission to holie Church if I mistake but onlie in aduancement of S. Peters chaire and his keyes vnto which I professe a full and firme beleeuing soule in reuerence and reference whereunto as also in loyall loue to my Prince and countrie and zeale to the Seminaries fructification hitherto by the word being likelie to performe it in time to a wished end continuing as they haue begun and with what els may happen Englishlie to the same end vpon the bie I say againe I doe not see how that that chaire those keyes to be imbrude in blood and to atchiue Conquests especially such a tradition as of England to Spaine by the sword can any waies stand eyther with Christs or his said vicars honour Againe neither hath the practise of the supreame Pastours
be so vn-Catholicke or vn-English I protest I had rather neuer eate bit of fish or flesh whiles I liue And such is also my opinion of you knowing you to be a gentleman such as though the Iesuits haue or may seduce your religious nature vnder colour of religion in inferiour matters yet in this so capitall an honour to your name and nation I dare say you will neuer forget your selfe Neither doubt I but wherein they haue hitherro distrayed you in the matter of the Appeale against the Priests my loue whereof you are and may be euer certaine together with these my reasons which you haue read will reclaime you or else truelie cosin you doe your selfe a great deale more wrong then me I haue in my loue to you already exceeded the limits of a letter neuerthelesse to the end that plenariè conuersus confirmes fratres tuos against these Fathers vnchristian and vnnaturall impostures against our church and countrie I will say a little more vnto you of thē in general and also of some of them in especiall whereby you may the better discerne their vndeserts as well of all Christendome as of vs here at home whatsoeuer they say thēselues their deseruings to be in Indie Which forasmuch as wee haue no authenticke credence of eyther from the Sea Apostolicke or otherwise so much as morrall that such their owne reports of their well doings there are true I doe not see but the same are as Gerunds that want Supines wherby their fatherhoods to stand to the readers curtesie to beleeue them especiallie farre traueilers being naturallie vaine-glorious and vaine-glorie very apt to tell a lie A kinsman of mine of good worship in the North whom you know as well as I hath done them the honour not onlie resolutelie to beleeue them himselfe but more to translate their tre-annuarie relations from Iaponia into our English whereby he hath purchast them a good opinion amongst manie his friends to whom he hath imparted the same which zeale certes I cannot greatlie blame in the good old gentleman he doing it in a religiousnes and the matters tending to Catholicke-edification whether they be true or false Neuerthelesse their vanitie I cannot but condemne if they haue written ought other then truth as being such manner of men as partlie you haue alreadie read and now I le shew you more it is not vnlikelie but they haue done though not in most yet in manie things from thence which also the rather wee haue cause to suspect for that diuers other religious Orders doing daylie their Euangelicall endeuours in those East-parts as farre forth if not farther then they as we may read in the historie of China and else where yet they report not one word thereof but all of their owne which such their concealing a truth importing so highlie Gods honour to be knowne as anie thing they doe report is sure a priuatiue lie in them and they that will not sticke to lie so it is to be feared they wil as little doubt to tell a positiue a reall vntruth if it be either for their honour or aduantage especiallie hauing as they haue by meanes of the farre distance the pas-port of vncontroule to patronize them And so by their leaues it is to be more then presumed in manie things they haue done so vnlikelie and incongrue are sundrie of their relations And yet in all the Legend of their glorious exploits in Quabucondonoes Island we finde no mention of anie Iesuit that euer offred himselfe slaue to a Chinez for his transport ouer to that continent in zeale to preach Christ there nor yet of 41. Martyrs of them at one clap neither yet of two hundred thousand heathen soules baptized by them in I wot not how short a time all which and a great deale more we reade of Saint Augustines Order in the Phillipines faire afore euer any Iesuit came into the Indies Besides neither is Iaponia or other the countries of Indie where they are such as doe stand at this day in competence or Paragon with Spaine as ours and other Nations here in christendome doe for which the Iesuits should there like as here sow factions for Spanish-State neither is it there amongst those Barbarians that they care to erect their tabernacles as here in Europe whereof they are naturals for which I inferre they may the rather deserue well in Indie then in Europe hauing there nothing to intende quae sua sint but onlie quae dei and the propagation of Christian beleefe as true religious men ought Graunt we therefore saluo all exception to the vnautenticknesse of their relations that they are good Indians please God they were but halfe as good English it followes not therefore that to be true which a certaine wise man here amongst vs in his vnwise treatie asseuers that they are so excellent mē aboue all excellence that in choise of our Ghostlie Father wee are bound if anie of them be in place to goe to them afore any other and that forsooth vpon paine of a deadly sinne Who euer would haue thought a wise man though but nomine tenus could haue beene so verie a dottard as to publish such a tract so absurde as well in sundrie others as in this one point in fuper-exaltation of the Iesuits Oh were the Iesuits men of due modestie how could they endure so grosse a flatterie it being an attribute more then meete to Christs vicar himselfe But they haue a number of such od Pensionarie-spirits throughout all the parts of Christendome to grace them to the people they seeeming to professe their kingdome wholie of this world which Iesus neuer did that oftentimes with ouer-gracing them they disgrace them and so likewise doe the Iesuits themselues in such their singularitie of spirit As for exmple is it not notable singularitie in them to leaue to be called after their Founders name Ignatians or Loyolians which all other orders are but by the high name of Iesus a name which no christian creature was euer yet christned by but in for reuerence sake but by other his Saints and seruants names Also is it not singularitie in them they professing themselues so singular religious and taking vpon them the 3. vowes as farre forth as any other religious men not to rise at midnight to the Quire which all other orders doe Also to goe so distinctlie habited that is to say vncould from all other religious men likewise to fare so far more daintilie in their diet then they And which is most singular of all to put themselues into the Letanies to be praide for by name afore all other orders of the church yea and afore Domnum Apostolicum too whom they haue expresselie left out and in his steed put in these words viz Vt societatem nominis Iesu and then after Et omnes Ecclesiasticos ordines in sancta religione conseruare digneris so mount-Goddardian-high they are in their owne vaine-glory and yet so moulhill-low in