the Church nor being authorized to rule their Cleargie or to dispose of their liuings Secondly that they held that poore halfe of their kingdome which remained at the Popes pleasure and no further as appeared by the insolent dealing of the Pope with King Henry the second and King Iohn out of whose hands the Pope had almost wrested the scepter of their royall authoritie But her Maiestie abolishing the 〈◊〉 power of the Pope fréed her selfe and her successors from his tyrannie and restored that power and iurisdiction to the Crown that was by his craft and fraudulent dealing long vsurped She found that it belonged to godly kings to make lawes for religion to rule their subiects to dispose of the affaires and goods of the Church according to right So did Constantine the great and other godly Emperors So did Charles the great and Lewes kings of France So did Alfred and S. Edward Kings of England as the lawes of the Code and Nouell constitutions the constitutions of Charles and Lewes and of the auncient Kings of England declare Neither before Pope Heldebrand or rather that firebrand of hell did any Pope take vpon him to giue out lawes or decretals for the gouernement either of the whole Church or the Churches of other kingdoms For this matter therfore Quéene Elizabeths name deserueth to be had in perpetuall remembrance for that she fréed her selfe and her subiects from the Popes wicked lawes and vsurpations and restored the auncient priuiledges and dignities to the Crowne The which had bene much in a man but in a woman was much more glorious With her also peace which by the practises of the Spaniards had bene exiled to our losse and shame returned again into this land For finding this land at variance with France and forsaken of Spaine she 〈◊〉 meanes to compound with France and begā to settle matters at home According to the Prophets admonition she sought peace and followed it And such successe hath it pleased God to giue her that although the Pope by diuers practises hath sought to raise discord and rebellion within England yet maugre his head we haue enioyed peace this 〈◊〉 and fortie yeares to the great contentment of her subiects and the wonderment of the world For who wondreth not that France and Flanders and other our neighbor countries being in a flame and the Pope desiring nothing more then to set our country on fire that the moderation of a woman should maintaine her State in peace when great Kings could not kéepe their state from being consumed with warres 〈◊〉 great this benefite is both the commodities of peace and the miseries of warres may teach vs. Et nomen pacis dulce est saith Tully ipsa res salutaris The name of peace is sweete and the thing it selfe safe and commodious Neither doth a people more desire any thing then peace as he saith in another place and in peace not onely those to whom nature hath giuen sence but also houses and fields seeme to reioyce Quid est tam populare ac pax qua non modo ij quibus natura sensum dedit sed etiam tecta atque 〈◊〉 videntur Contrariwise warres worke destruction of men cities countries and as Tully saith haue vncertaine euents and nothing is more execrable then ciuill warres Tully 〈◊〉 him vnworthy to liue among men that delighteth in ciuill discord and warre By meanes of long peace this land is also growne to great wealth The country is better cultiuated trade is much increased all arts and occupations growne to greater 〈◊〉 then in time past Noblemen and Gentlemen haue doubled their reuenues Yeomen and Merchants aspire to the degrée of Gentlemen and diuers men of occupation do exceed men of their sort in former times Whosoeuer compareth the common people of England with men of their qualitie in Spaine Portugal and Italy must néedes confesse that in wealth and meanes our country men do farre excéed them Finally neuer was England so populous and strong in men as in our late Quéenes dayes Spaine and most places of Italy séeme desolate in comparison That these are great blessings it cannot be denied For God promiseth increase of substance and men to his people as a blessing Deut. 28. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body saith Moyses to the people of God and the fruite of thy land the fruite of thy cattell the flockes of kine and sheepe And the multiplication of Abrahams posteritie Gen. 17. and in diuers other places was accounted to him as a great blessing Wherefore as oft as we looke backe to former times we cannot choose but call to mind those graces which we haue long enioyed by Quéene Elizabeths meanes and be thankfull vnto God for them If any be either vnmindfull or vnthankfull if he be English I doubt not but he will proue a traitor to his Prince and country if a stranger then he will shew himselfe an enemie In the the first ranke I place Robert Parsons in the second certaine malicious Italian and Spanish Friers But their discourses wherein they would denigrate her glorie are so fond and 〈◊〉 that they do rather illustrate the same To shew that her Maiestie had no power in forreine countries Parsons alleageth that since Calice was lost we had not one foot of our owne beyond the seas As if none could haue power or credite in forreine parts but such as haue cities and dominions of their owne beyond the seas or as if it were not a signe of great power that her forces by sea and land haue alwayes bene able to 〈◊〉 the ambitious aspires of the Spaniard and the cruel rage of Antichrist and that her authoritie hath swayed much in forreine parts both with friends and enemies Againe that the English haue lost their footing beyond the seas and were shamefully driuen out of Calice which was reputed the key of the kingdome of France and a doore whereby the Kings of England were wont to enter into that kingdome it was not our fault but of that vnfortunate woman Quéene Mary that lost all and had no good successe in any thing and of her butcherly Clergy that were murthering of Christs lambes at home while forreine enemies oppugned the state abroad and would suffer no succor to be sent ouer in time He talketh also very idly of large Prouinces possessed by the English liuing vnder popish religion and of the losse we haue sustained by chaunge of our old mightie and honorable allies as he calleth them For the relikes of those large Prouinces were lost not by Queene Elizabeth but by that vnhappie woman Quéene Mary and her bloudy and butcherly priests Moreouer if King Philip fell at variance with vs the same was not the Quéenes fault that kept good correspondence with him albeit he betrayed her to the French at her first comming to the crowne and succored the rebels of the North anno 1569. and conspired with that louzie Frier Pius the fift to
vpon his throne 〈◊〉 him as we reade 1. King 3. Was not then this 〈◊〉 Queene iustly punished with barrennesse for inaking so many childlesse Without cause she fell at variance with the French entring into her husbands quarrell But she spent her labour and treasure in vaine left the 〈◊〉 in debt and lost all she did aduenture for At the sea she was most 〈◊〉 losing a goodly shippe called The great Harrie by 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 no successe in any thing And so it appeareth that she liued and died 〈◊〉 leauing 〈◊〉 memorie behind her but of cruell persecution of Spanish slauerie and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and losse to our nation Neither doth any accompt otherwise of her then as of a woman vnhappie in her mariage cruell in persecuting Gods Saints vngratefull to those that were her best friends vnkind to her subiects 〈◊〉 in all her enterprises The like successe had those kings of England that were most forward in the Popes seruice Before king Henry the seconds time the Popes agents had litle to do in England He was the first that gaue them grace But see his reward The Pope maintained Becket and other his rebellious subiects against him and forced him to most disgracefull and base conditions of agréement Furthermore the Popes agents in his time found such fauour that vntill the raigne of king Henry the eight this Land could neuer be ridde of them 〈◊〉 Richard the first for the Popes pleasure crossed him selfe for the holy land and went thither with great forces of men and royall prouisions But nothing he gained beside a vaine name of a valiant man On the other side his losses and disgraces were excéeding great For first he lost most of his 〈◊〉 then he lost the best part of his men Thirdly he lost diuers good townes in France where his enemies tooke aduantage of his absence Fourthly he was taken prisoner in his returne Fiftly he impouerished himselfe and his countrie in leauying money for his ransome And lastly was vnnobly slaine before a litle castle in France by a base fellow So litle did the Popes pardons and blessings auaile him Neuer did any king of England more for the Pope then king Iohn For he resigned his Crowne into his Legates hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also as much as in him lay to make his kingdome tributarie to the Pope Let vs then 〈◊〉 what fruite he reaped of his deuotion to the Pope First he liued in continuall iarre with his 〈◊〉 Secondly he lost Normandie and 〈◊〉 townes of great moment to the French Thirdly in his 〈◊〉 the French made warre 〈◊〉 him in England and 〈◊〉 him 〈◊〉 at his owne doores Fourthly he suffered his kingdome to be pillaged by the Pope Finally he died of poyson ministred to him by a Monke of Swinsted Abbey as Caxtons Chronicle reporteth King Henry the third was flatly 〈◊〉 by Innocent the fourth and deluded with a promise of the kingdome of Naples for his sonne Edmond But for this vaine title he payed full deare not onely suffering the Pope to spoile his countrie but also paying himselfe great summes to the Pope King Henry the eight for the deliuerance of Clement the seuenth spent 〈◊〉 treasure vainely And that was the successe of all the kings of England that did seruice to the Pope Generally all those that liue vnder the Popes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most miserably being neither secured for their 〈◊〉 nor liues nor liberties either from their neighbour princes or from the Pope First they serue two kings wheresoeuer they liue that is their King or Duke and the Pope If they offend the Pope they are 〈◊〉 heretickes and are deemed worthie of death yea albeit the controuersie be no matter of Religion Lewis of Bauier and his followers were reputed 〈◊〉 he for taking on him the 〈◊〉 without the Popes allowance these for yeelding obedience to their lawfull prince The like censure was 〈◊〉 against all that followed the Emperour Henry the fourth and Fredericke the second If they offend their Princes either in word or 〈◊〉 the penaltie is death Poggio sheweth that a rich man being accused of treason answered that he had not offended but if his goods had offended he would not consent with them And thus by renouncing that which he 〈◊〉 he escaped The lawes are very rigorous both of Pope and popish 〈◊〉 the executions 〈◊〉 cruell and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of the times of Alexander the sixt saith that there was neuer more outrages committed by 〈◊〉 and cut throates that the people of Rome had neuer lesse freedome that there was a great number of priuie promoters and that euery euill word was punished with death But this is common to all Italian princes Murthers and spoiles are litle regarded euery word nay euery thought against them if it be knowne is 〈◊〉 most 〈◊〉 The Spanish inquisitors in 〈◊〉 passe most sauage beastes Upon euery light surmise they procéed against most innocent persons and some they racke some they samish some they burne some they cut 〈◊〉 The very Papistes themselues could neuer endure it nor would suffer it but by force The Venetians will none of it The Neapolitans refusing the same yéeld this reason quia per simplicem alicuius maleuoli accusationem nullis requisitis probationibus nullisque defensionibus acceptis posset quisque in carceres detrudi vita honore facultatibus priuari Because by the single accusation of one malitious fellow neither proofes being sought nor exceptions receiued any man might be thrust into prison and depriued of his honors goods and life Are they not then miserable that liue vnder the danger of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The people of the Low countries do affirme that 〈◊〉 Inquisition was the originall ground of the troubles and tumults of the Low countries and that the Cardinal Granuelle endeuouring to bring in the same was the ruine of his countrie At the first the 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 principally against Turkes and Moores Who then doth not detest the Spaniards and Italians that practising the same against Christians do plainly declare that they hold them to be no better then Turkes and Moores The common forme also of inquisition against Christians is very cruell odious and intolerable considering first that the Romanists take all for heretikes that 〈◊〉 them for their villanies superstitions and heresies and next for that they neither obserue forme nor order of 〈◊〉 nor respect young nor old men aliue nor dead oftentimes 〈◊〉 mens bodies most cruelly and spoiling their goods most gréedily and punishing any that dissent from the synagogue of Rome in matter of the Sacraments as if they had conspired the destruction of their prince and countrie By this cruel procéeding in the raigne of Charles the 〈◊〉 the bloudie popish tormentors in the low countries put to death fiftie thousands as the Histories of the Low countries 〈◊〉 In England like sauage wolues they spoiled the flocke during the raigne of Queene Marie How many haue bene executed in Spaine Italie France and
A True Relation Of ENGLANDS Happinesse Vnder the Raigne of Queene ELIZABETH And the miserable Estate of Papists vnder the Popes Tyrany By M. S. Printed 1629. TO THE MOST RELIGIOVS AND VERTVOVS PRINCE KING IAMES by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Jreland Defender of the true 〈◊〉 and Catholike faith AS Kings receiue their kingdomes and authoritie from God so most gracious and dread Soueraigne they prosper and flourish most when they empoloy their royall authoritie for the aduancement of the true seruice and honour of God Of Hezekiah the holy Scriptures giue testimonie That he did vprightly in the sight of the Lord according to all that Dauid his father had done and that he tooke away the high places and brake the grauen images and cut downe the groues and brake in peeces the brazen serpent that Moses had made And againe 〈◊〉 he claue to the Lord and departed not from him but kept his commandements Therefore it followeth So the Lord was with him and he prospered in all things that he took in hand The same we likewise find verified in your 〈◊〉 predecessor Queene Elizabeth of glorious memorie At her first coming to the Crowne she brake downe grauen and molten Images she tooke downe high altars and remoued away all monuments of superstition out of the Church she feared not the malignitie of men but claue to the Lord resoluing to keepe his holy commaundements and to see God worshipped according to the prescript rule of his sacred word She was all her life long a harbor to the distressed children of God a refuge to the oppressed a protector of the persecuted for the testimonie of Christ Iesus a nursing mother of Gods Church Therefore God maruellously 〈◊〉 her both against the force of foneine enemies and also against the 〈◊〉 of domesticall traitors and caused her to prosper in all her affaires She liued raigned long and happily and dying left behind her a sweet memory of many blessings by her meanes bestowed vpon her people Contrariwise such as either know not or did not remember from whence they receiued their kingly honor but either neglected the worship of God or else for Gods worship established superstition and idolatrie in the Church haue seldome long raigned or prospered in their kingdomes Ieroboam forgetting what great fauor God had done him aduancing him from low estate to the kingdome and renting it from the house of Dauid to giue it vnto him receiued a threatning message from the Lord by the hand of the Prophet Ahijah 1. King 14. The same also was shortly after accomplished For God brought euill vpon the house of Ieroboam and cut off his posteritie because he did euill in the sight of the Lord and erected idolatrie at Bethel Likewise Queene Mary who brought this land not onely vnder the commaund of Spaniards and Italians but also vnder the heauie yoke of Antichrist burdensome both to mens ciuill estates and also to their consciences erected superstition and idolatrie which before had bene banished and persecuted the Saints of God that would not bow their knees to Baal had a short troublesome and vnhappie raigne and left behind her nothing but hatred for her crueltie and infamy for her vnnaturall dealing with her subiects and misgouernement In both we find that accomplished which the Lord speaketh by the Prophet 1. Sam. 2. Them saith he that honor me I will honor and they that despise me shall be despised For neither will the Lord faile his inheritance nor hath the throne of iniquitie fellowship with God Dagon could not stand before the Arke of God nor shall the worshippers of Dagon preuaile against the seruants of God The which although both particularly in the diuers gouernement of Queene Elizabeth and Queene Mary and also generally by the examples of all that either fauoured or disfauoured true religion it appeareth most euidently yet because Robert Parsons an Apostate somtime from religion and now an vtter enemie to the state and a renegate Englishman for hatred to the truth and loue to Poperie in a large discourse doth endeuour to disgrace the proceedings of Queene Elizabeth in reformation of religion especially and to commend the State of the realme vnder Queen Mary and of all Papists vnder the Romish gouernement I haue thought good particularly to demonstrat I haue also wiped away both his malicious imputations encountred him in his railing inuectiues defending the honor of our dread soueraigne whose memorie shall neuer die in the minds of her louing subiects and answering for true religion calumniated by the slanderous tongues of the supposts and slaues of Antichrist This discourse although not of that perfection that it may seeme worthy to be presented to so great a King yet for that it containeth a defence of your Maiesties predecessor which you honour and of that religion which you professe I am bold to consecrate to your Maiestie as the first fruites of my loyall affection towards you Therin also your Maiestie may see not only a precedent to follow but also a reward proposed to those that studiously and couragiously seeke to aduance pietie and true religion The aduersarie by all meanes seeketh to suppresse truth and to aduance idolatrie and popish errors misconstruing things well done imputing crimes to innocents excusing offenders denying things manifest forging and deuising matters neuer done nor imagined But while he hath sought to bring disgrace not onely vpon true religion but also vpon the restorers and defenders thereof he hath giuen vs iust occasion to shew that the doctrine religion and practise of Papists is not only repugnant to truth but also enemie to Princes and States grieuous to Christians and profitable to none but to the slaues and adherents of Antichrist Further I haue made it apparant that the state of popish Religion is no way to be maintained but by trecherie and massacres by lying railing and forgerie being hatefull both to God and man and the cause of many miseries and calamities Vouchsafe therefore most worthy and noble King to reade this discourse ensuing It shal declare vnto your Maiestie plainely by what meanes you may establish your estate Queene Elizabeth in her latter dayes was made beleeue that remisse dealing in matters of religion would assure her life often sought for by Papists and her State that they by all meanes haue sought to ouerthrow But this her remisnesse gaue her enemies oportunitie to practise against her life and to make a strong partie against Religion and the State as your 〈◊〉 very well knoweth For the same is lately broken out to the hazard of your royall person and the indangering of the State and God knoweth whether those that haue intended mischiefe against your royall Maiestie that neuer offended them did not worke mischiefe against her whom they tooke to be the obstacle of all their plots and desseines Your Maiestie I doubt not will wisely consider of these plotters and their
they imposed extraordinarie subsidies as oft as themselues listed The English did make a grieuous complaint against the Popes court in a certaine Synode at Lyon in the dayes of Henry the third as Matth. of Paris testifieth The 〈◊〉 man affirmeth that the Romish Court did swallow vp like a gulfe euery mans reuenues and tooke almost all that Bishops or Abbots possessed Quae curia saith he instar barathri potestatem habet consuetudinem omnium reditus absorbendi imò ferè omnia quaecunque Episcopi possident Abbates Bonner in his Preface before Stephen Gardiners booke de vera obedientia speaking of the spoile made in England by the Pope saith it did almost amount to as much as the kings reuenues Prouentus regios ferè aequabat saith he In Fraunce king Lewis the ninth complaineth that his kingdome was miserably brought to pouertie by the Popes exactions and therefore he expresly forbiddeth them Exactiones saith he onera grauissima pecuniarum per Curiam Rom. Ecclesiae regni nostri impositas vel imposita quibus regnum nostrum miserabiliter depauperatum existit siue etiam imponendas vel imponenda leuari aut colligi nullatenus volumus In Spaine euery one of any qualitie is inforced to pay for two ordinarie pardons whereof the one is for the dead the other for the liuing Beside this the Pope vpon diuers occasions sendeth cruciataes and general pardons by which he procureth great commoditie Iosephus Angles in 4. sent cap. de 〈◊〉 signifieth that the king sometime payeth an hundred thousand duckats for one pardon and afterward remburseth himselfe playing the Popes broker Adde then vnto this reckening whatsoeuer the Pope getteth out of Spaine by dispensations licences priuiledges contributions and other trickes and the summe of his collections will appeare a very great matter The Germaines in their complaints exhibited to the Popes Legate affirme that the burthens laid on them by the 〈◊〉 Church were most vrgent intolerable and not to be borne Vrgentissima at que intolerabilia penitusque non ferenda onera Generally all Christians complains of them Matth. Paris in Hen. 3. speaking of the times of Gregory the 9. and of the couetousnesse of the Romish Church saith That like an impudent and common whore she was exposed and set to sale to al men accounting vsury for a litle fault symony for none Permittente vel procurante Papa 〈◊〉 adeo inualuit Ecclesiae Romanae insatiabilis 〈◊〉 as confundens fas nefasque quod deposito rubore velut meretrix vulgaris effrons omnibus venalis exposita vsuram pro paruo symoniam pro 〈◊〉 inconuenienti reputauit Theodoric à Niem nemor vnion tract 6. ca. 37. speaking of the Popes Exchequer sayth It is like a sea into the which all flouds run and yet it floweth not ouer He sayth further that his officers do scourge poore Christians like Turkes or Tartarians Ipse Romanus pontifex saith Ioannes Sarisburiensis lib. 6. Polycrat cap. 24. omnibus ferè est intolerabilis Laetatur spolijs Ecclesiarum quaestum omnem reputat pietatem prouinciarum diripit spolia ac si the sauros Croesi studeat reparare The Pope to all men is almost become intolerable he delighteth in the spoyles of the Church he esteemeth gaine to be godlinesse he spoyleth countries as if he meant to repaire Croesus his treasures Ioannes Andre as in 6. de elect elect potest c. fundamenta in Glossa saith that Rome was built by robbers and yet retaineth a tack of her first originall Baptista of Mantua sheweth that in Rome Churches priests altars and al 〈◊〉 of Religion are sold. And yet he forgot to tell of the great reuenue the Pope getteth by common whores It is shame to consider how many benefices the Pope bestoweth on one man Quae vtique abominaetio saith Gerson tractat de statu Ecclesiae quod vnus ducenta alius trecenta beneficia occupat What an abominatiō is this that one should possesse 200. another 300. benefices We may imagine what spoiles are committed in other things when the Pope selleth so many 〈◊〉 to one and one man spoyleth so many Churches Therefore saith the Bishop of Chems oner eccles cap. 19. that as in the Romaine Empire so in the Church of Rome there is a gulfe of riches and that couetousnes is encreased and the law perished from the priest and seeing frō the Prophet Heu saith he sicut olim in Rom. Imperio sic hodie in Romana curia est vorago diuitiarum turpissima Creuit auaritia perijt lex à sacerdote visio à Propheta Petrarch calleth Rome couetous Babylon L'auara Babylonia ha colmo il sacco de l'ira de Dio. And this is the common crie of all men that are subiect to the synagogue of Romes tyrannie Is it not then a great fauor of God that by the gouernment of Quéene Elizabeth we were so happily deliuered from the Popes manifold exactions against which so many haue complained and exclaimed and yet neuer could find conuenient remedie Is it not an ease to be deliuered from intolerable burthens and a great contentment to be fréed from such vniust pillages Robert Parsons Encont 1. cap. 11. would gladly haue the world to say no as hauing some share in the spoile and like a begging Fryer liuing on the labors of others But his exceptions are such as may greatly confirme our yea First he saith There hath not bene so many exactions in time past as since the yeare 1530. and for proofe he referreth vs vnto the exchequer bookes But both his exceptions and his proofes 〈◊〉 ridiculous For albeit much hath bene paid to the king yet it doth not therefore follow that we are to pay much to the Pope Againe it is ridiculous to séeke proofes of the Popes exactions in the Exchequer bookes being so many that they can hardly be registred in any bookes Beside this it is false that the people of England hath paid more to the King then to the Pope as may appeare by the conference of particulars But suppose we should pay more to the king then to the pope yet these two contributions are euill compared together For to the king we owe dutie and tribute to the Pope we owe nothing but many bitter execrations for all our charges and troubles For his malice is the root of all our troubles and the cause of all our payments He saith further that notwithstanding the exactions of the Pope the Clergie in time past did farre excell our Clergie in ease and wealth But that is no great commendation if ours excell them in vertue and pietie Beside that Matthew of Paris in Henry the third doth in diuers places expresse the miserable estate of the prelacie in those times by reason of the Popes gréedinesse As for the common sort of priests that liued vpon sale of Masses and the begging Fryers that liued vpō almes Robert Parsons hath 〈◊〉 reason to extol thē for wealth lesse certes for other
seruile and wretched 〈◊〉 of the English nation vnder the raigne of Queene Mary and generally of all people liuing vnder the Popes lawes and religion HAuing at full discoursed concerning matters Ecclesiasticall it followeth now that I speake of matters teuching the state politike beginning first with our owne nation vnder the vnhappie raigne of Quéene Marie sometime Quéene of England and then touching other Princes and States that are subiect to the thraldome of the Pope and his Babylonish religion First then it is apparent that she brought her selfe and her people into danger by reason of her match with king Philip and no question but she had brought this kingdome into subiection if not into seruile bondage if God had not crossed the deseignes of man and dealt mercifully with vs both taking away the Quéene in the strength of her age and preuenting the wicked counsels of bloudie traitours and persecutours who as Iohn Hales saith meant to haue brought this land vnder strangers and altering the State before y e Spaniards had taken any firme footing in England How great danger this land stood in those that then liued may well remember and we cannot chuse but acknowledge if we looke backe and consider the working of Quéen Marie of the popish prelates and of the Spaniards The Quéene sought by all meanes to put the kingdome into the hands of king Philip. The popish prelates sought to suppresse religion which could not be without the oppression of our libertie The Spaniards ruled insolently and went about to make themselues strong aduancing those which were of their faction and thrusting backe all that were studious of their countries libertie The bulwarkes or blocusses that were made for defence of the land against strangers they suffered to fall they brought in strangers they put the commaund of the kingdome into the hands of such as were best affectioned to themselues and least carefull of their countries libertie What would haue ensued of this it is an 〈◊〉 matter to coniecture by the deportment of Spaniards in other countries that are subiect to their gouernment In the Indiaes they rule not like men but rather like barbarous tyrants and sauage beasts Contemning all iustice saith Bartholomaeus à casas writing of the cruel vsage of the Spaniards towards the Indians they delight to see streames of mans bloud which they haue shed and seeke with infinite slaughter to depriue those great countries of the naturall inhabitants thereof In short space they killed diuers hundred thousands onely in one Iland called Hispaniola the women they abused the treasure and commodities of the countrie they spoiled The people of Naples were in the time of Charles the fift who otherwise was a good prince so vexed and oppressed by the Spaniards as an Ambassadour of the people of Siena said to Henry the French king that for release of their extreame bondage they seemed desirous to liue vnder the Turke Vt Turcarum imperia ad tantarum miseriarum refugium exoptare videantur He saith further that the Spaniards laid so many grieuous tributes vpon the people that diuers auncient townes were thereby deformed and left desolate The Dutchie of Milan also by the Spanish tyrannie as those that haue trauelled that countrie do know is brought to great pouertie The tares and customes are grieuous the oppressions wrought by the souldiers many the lawes vnsupportable Neither doth it auaile them to complaine For that remedie they haue often tried but all in vaine But no people was euer more oppressed then the Flemmings Brabansons Hollanders and other nations of the Low countries Their liberties they haue disanulled their lawes they haue litle regarded their townes they haue spoiled their countrie they haue almost wasted By the fundamentall lawes of the countrie they might neither place strange gouernours ouer them nor bring in 〈◊〉 forces among them But the Spaniards haue done both By the lawes the king of Spaine could neither impose taxes vpon the subiect without the consent of the States nor condemne any man but by the lawes of the countrie But he hath both done the one and the other The Duke of Alua without the consent of the States or order required the hundreth part of that which euery man was worth and the tenth of all things bought and sold in the countrie The noble 〈◊〉 of Egmont and Horne and diuers Noble men of the countrie that had done him great seruice he caused to be done to shameful death The prince of Oranges eldest sonne contrarie to the lawes of the Uniuersitie of Louain and countrie he caused to be caried prisoner into Spaine Finally contrarie to the lawes of the countrie he altered the ecclesiasticall State making new Bishops and erecting new offices of inquisition in diuers places of the countrie And this the king did hauing sworne to obserue the lawes and priuiledges of the countrie I will not here recount the murthers rapes robberies 〈◊〉 spoiles and wrongs which the Spanish souldiers and officers haue committed For that would require a great volume and it would be said that these are the calamities of warres and wrongs of priuate persons Yet if Spaniards bring warres and calamities with them and sée not these wrongs redressed it sheweth how much their tyrannicall gouernement is to be auoided and detested But that is made apparant by the lawes and procéedings which are publikely auowed The Portingals may be an example to all nations sufficient to make the Spanish gouernement odious For although they be neare neighbors and agrée with the Spaniards in Religion language lawes and humors yet haue they not found any more fauour at their hands then other nations Their Nobilitie is almost ouerthrowne the Merchant decayed the Commons spoyled The exactions are intolerable and yet farre more tolerable then the wrongs offered by 〈◊〉 from whom neither the husband can kéepe his wife nor the father his daughter nor the citizen or countriman any thing he hath Adde hereunto the violence that is offered to mens persons and the iniuries of words that they dayly sustaine and then you will confesse that the Portingals liue in great misery and bondage In England also the Spaniards albeit but few began to play their partes offering violence to diuers mens persons and attempting the chastitie both of matrons and virgins In the parliament which is the foundation of the libertie of our nation they attempted the ouerthrow of our libertie not onely by 〈◊〉 king Philip with the Quéene but also leauing out the Quéenes title of supreme authoritie in the summons and taking away the frée electiō of the Commons in chusing their Burgesses and thrusting out Bishop Watson Alexander Nowell and diuers Burgesses out of the parliament Nay such is the rigor of the Spanish gouernement that the Spaniards themselues cannot well like it The priuiledges of Aragon the last king abrogated vpon pretense of disorder in the fact of Antony Perez Escouedoes sonnes could neuer haue iustice for the death of their
Alberto regi subijcit He did also indeuour to put his sentence in execution and percase had done it but that Philip by the industrie of Sciarra Colonna and Nogaret preuented him and apprehended the furious Pope Ferdinand king of Spaine had no other pretence to inuade the kingdome of Nauarre but onely to execute the sentence of Iulius the second that had excommunicated him for taking part with the French No doubt therefore but one time or other the French king that is the king of Nauarre also will require satisfaction of the Pope and Spaniard that did him this wrong But in the meane while we may sée in this fact of Iulius the arrogance of the Popes that take vpon them to depose kings at their pleasure and to giue away their kingdomes This seditious course of the Pope in sentencing kings was also the sole pretence almost of the Leaguers rebellious stirres against Henry the third in France For when the Iebusites and their faction had declared that the king was iustly deposed then did the rebels take armes against him and ceassed not to pursue him to the death The Spaniards also for the same cause ayded them and concurred with them Likewise the execution of the Popes sentence against Henrie the fourth of France was the cause both of the reuolt of his subiects and of the warres made against him by the prince of Parma and the Spaniards Such a firebrand of warres do we find the Popes sentence to be No sooner was Henry the eight king of England pronounced excommunicate by Paule the third but he sent Cardinall Poole to stirre vp the French King to inuade his kingdome Afterward when he saw that the French could not be stirred to execute his pleasure he caused diuerse rebellions to be raysed against him by the seditious clamours of Masse-priests Monkes and Friars both in York-shire and Lincolne-shire and other parts of England Sanders 〈◊〉 that he commanded the Nobilitie and chiefe men of England by force and armes to oppose themselues against the king and to cast him out of his kingdome Principibus viris ac Ducibus Angliae 〈◊〉 Nobilitati praeeipit vt vi armis se Henrico opponant illumque è regni finibus eijcere nit antur The like course held Pius Quintus that wicked Pope against Quéene Elizabeth of pious memorie for he did not onely declare her depriued of her kingdome but by all meanes sought actually to depriue her of it and that first by dealing with the French and Spanish by force of arms to inuade her realmes and afterward stirring vp and comforting Malcontents and Rebels to set the realme in combustion by ciuill warres Hierome Catena in the discourse of the life of this impious Pius sheweth how he perswaded the Spaniard that he could not otherwise better secure the Low-countries then by ouerthrowing the Queene of England He declareth further how he induced the French to take part against her Likewise did Gregorie the thirtéene send forces into Ireland together with his legate Sanders Sixtus Quintus by all meanes hastened the Spanish fléete that came against England anno 1588. Neither haue they and others ceassed vpon all occasions to séeke her hurt and destruction This therefore is a most cleare case that no Christian king can be in safetie as long as he suffereth Iebusites and Masse-priests to aduance the Popes authoritie and to preach seditiously that the people hath power to put Princes out of their royall seate It is very dangerous also to foster any man within the Realme that beléeueth this seditious doctrine True it is that Papists cast many colours to hide the deformities of this doctrine but these colours are easily washed away as not being able to abide any weather First they alleage that diuerse popish Princes haue enioyed their kingdomes quietly without molestation But we are able to shew more Princes of late time troubled by the Popes practises then they are able to shew to haue liued peaceably by them Furthermore the reason why Popes do not trouble all is because it were not safe for them to fall out with too many at one time and not because their ouer large authoritie is not preiudiciall to all For 〈◊〉 the Pope may depose all kings vpon cause then all kings stand in like danger séeing no man can auoide all causes of quarrell Bellarmine lib. 5. de pontif Rom. cap. 6. saith that the Pope doth practise this power for sauing of soules But experience teacheth vs that through his excommunications and sentences of deposition pronounced against diuers kings he hath ruined kingdomes and brought infinite people to destruction both of bodie and soule Theodoric of Niem speaking of the deposing of the king of Hungarie by Boniface the 9. saith There followed of it great slaughter of innumerable people destruction of churches and houses of religion the burning of cities townes and castles and infinite other mischiefes which follow long warres because kings without the hurt of many cannot be deposed His words are these Vndè clades hominum innumerabilium Ecclesiasticorum piorum locorum Monasteriorum enormis destructio incendia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non infinita alia mala quae guerrae secum producunt diu vigentia 〈◊〉 quia non sine multorum dispendio 〈◊〉 deponuntur Emanuel Sa in his 〈◊〉 for confessaries doth signifie that this doctrine holdeth against tyrants only But what doth this reléeue the Papists when those which fall out with the Pope and yeeld not ê¯to his most vnreasonable requests are presently by Friers and priests proclaimed tyrants The very Papists themselues cannot deny but that Quéene Elizabeth was much renowned for her rare clemencie and that not without cause seeing she spared alwayes those that would not haue spared her if it had lien in their power to haue hurt her and yet they accuse her of tyrannie In the resolution of certaine cases of conscience set out by Allen and Parsons for instruction of English traytors Non gerit se vt Roginam say they sed exercet 〈◊〉 She doth not behaue her selfe as a Queene but doth exercise tyrannie The like words they gaue out against the French king now raigning albeit he hath shewed mercie to many 〈◊〉 none 〈◊〉 Ernest sending away one that vndertooke to kill the Count Maurice amazzate said he quel 〈◊〉 that is kill me that tyrant Others alleage that the Pope procéedeth onely against heretikes and notorious offendors But that is a most notorious and palpable vntruth for no man is more eagerly prosecuted then religious pious and godly Christians as the executions of France and Flanders do shew And if they will not confesse it true in Christians of our time yet can they not deny it in the times of the Emperors Henry the third fourth and fifth of Fredericke the first and second and of Lewis of Bauier who made such confessions of their faith being declared heretickes as the Popes theÌ„selues could not contradict and yet did the
Popes excommunicate them and sought to depose them as heretikes and tyrants Likewise did they prosecute other kings and Emperours albeit consenting with them in matters of faith Henrie the third of France of late was cruelly persecuted and murdred by the popish faction and yet was he very superstitiously addicted to popish religion Suppose then that the Pope would 〈◊〉 against none but heretickes and tyrants yet it is an easie matter and very vsual for him to picke quarels and to impute heresie and tyranny and great crimes to most innocent men Finally they may say that the Pope is alwayes assisted by Gods holy spirit and cannot erre in his sentences of excommunication and deposing of Princes especially for matters of religion But this allegation is most brutish ridiculous and refuted by euident experience and most euident proofes that teach vs that he is rather led by the spirit of Sathan who was a murtherer from the beginning and is the author of rebellions and troubles then by the spirit of God that is the God of peace and author of concord among Christians Wherefore let all Princes that liue vnder the Popes obedience consider well the former reasons and examples and look into their owne danger and slippery estate For albeit now the Pope 〈◊〉 his hands full and cannot or dare not offer them wrong yet many occasions may be offered of falling out betwixt them and the Pope And in that case either they must confesse as we do that the Pope is a false prophet and Antichrist or else yéeld vp their Crowne at his pleasure or else defend their right without lawful title and that both against rebels and forreine enemies which will be a matter hard for them to do CHAP. IX That no King or Prince can secure his person against the attempts of traitors if he suffer any in his kingdome that teach or hold the Popes doctrine concerning the deposing and killing of Kings THis corollary or conclusion is necessarily deduced frō the doctrine of Papists concerning the Popes power in deposing of Kings and Princes For if it be lawfull for the Pope to depose a Prince frō his royall throne then is it lawfull for the Pope to command any assassin or cutthrote to murder him séeing it is not likely that a magnanimous King wil yéelo to so base a companion as the Pope nor giue vp his Crowne without force and compulsion The same is also proued by the general practise of Popes by the wordes of the Popes bulles by the doctrine of their principall followers and by diuers particular facts and attempts both of Popes and their wicked instruments and agents For first we find that those Popes that haue gone about to depose Kings haue also vsed all meanes to destroy thē 〈◊〉 to cut their throtes The which may be verified by the procéeding of Gregory the seuenth against Henry the Emperor of Paschalis and Vrban against his sonne of Alexander against Fridericke Barbarossa of Innocent the third against Philip and Otho of Gregory the ninth and Innocent the fourth against Fridericke the second of Clement the fift against Henry of Lucembourg whom he caused to be poysoned in the sacrament Of Iohn the 22. and Clement the sixth against Lewis of Bauier of Paul the third against Henrie the 8. King of England of Pius the fift Gregory the 13. and Sixtus Quintus against Quéene Elizabeth and finally of the Popes that fauored the rebellious leaguers of France against the French Kings Henry the third and fourth and diuers others For why did they raise rebellion moue warres and suborne secret traitors to attempt against the persons of Kings but that they meant to giue leaue to desperate cutthrotes to kill them Secondly the words of the Popes buls and the doctrine of their wicked agents doth notoriously manifest their leud and damnable purposes touching this point Gregory the 7 doth 〈◊〉 depriue Henry the Emperor of his Empire and forbiddeth his 〈◊〉 to obey him Next he commaundeth all to accept of Rodolph as their King and to obey him But neither could he be deposed without armes nor might Rodolph be suffered to raigne during the life of the Emperour Henrie Paul the third in his seditious bull against Henry the 8. king of England commaunded the Nobles and other principall men of the countrey to oppose themselues with force and armes against him and to cast him out of his kingdome But armes are taken in hand for no other purpose then to kil such as resist and a weake conceit it is to thinke that King Henry could be thrust out of his kingdome vnlesse he were also depriued of his life That impious Pope Pius the fift also that sent Nicholas Norton to moue an insurrection against Quéene Elizabeth in England and his legate Sanders to do the like in Ireland did intend no lesse then the 〈◊〉 of her person if the rebels had preuailed In his bull against her he declared that he had authoritie to pull vp and to destroy and forbiddeth her subiects to obey her which could not be executed without her destruction Sixtus the 5. in his declaration anno 1588. against the same Quéene hauing at large rayled with his foule and filthy mouth against the Lords annointed exhorteth all her people to lay hands on her to arrest her and to 〈◊〉 to her punishment That is also the end of that traitor Cardinall Allen his seditious exhortation to the Nobilitie and people of England and Ireland But because the Papists had no better successe an 1588. therefore they suppressed this discourse for very shame least their dealings for the destructiō of princes should be made manifest and least the mysteries of Romish Babylon should be reuealed Parsons that bastardly English renegate in his booke of succession part 1. cap. 3. alloweth the deposition of 〈◊〉 Iohn of King Edward the second King Richard the second King Henry the sixth and of diuers violent attempts made by 〈◊〉 against their lawfull Kings Thereby it appeareth also that he approueth warres and rebellions made to depose Kings and to destroy them Nay allowing the violent death of Caesar in the Senate he seemeth directly to perswade the murder of princes which is the rather to be 〈◊〉 leeued for that he was an agent in the printing and as his consorts the 〈◊〉 priests say in making the libell set out by Allen against Queene Elizabeth proclaiming reward to all that could lay 〈◊〉 vpon her nay that could kill her Now least any man should doubt of the doctrine of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this point Emanuel Sa in his aphorismes for confessaries doth thus instruct all Masse priests Tyrannice gubernans iustè acquisitum dominium non potest spoliari sine publico iudicio lata verò sententia potest quisque fieri executor That is he that gouerneth tyrannically his state which he hath gotten instly cannot be spoyled of it without publicke sentence of the Pope but sentence being passed euery man may execute the
quoteth Durand lib. 4. in sent dist 2. for dist 20. A litle after he cauilleth with me for saying that the Pope hath power to absolue and pardon men that haue liued most filthily and abhominably and sayth that absolution belongeth to the sacrament of penance and not to indulgences But therein the asse bewrayeth his owne grosse ignorance For as some Papists say indulgence is absolution others say it is absolutio solutio as Bellarmine disputeth lib. 1. de indulg ca. 5. and might haue taught the same to Parsons if he would haue looked on him The Pope therefore may do wel to lash this asse and to graunt him no pardon that knoweth not the grounds and first principles of his owne foole or as some call it school diuinitie Nay he remembreth not the common formes of pardons Gregory the 13. anno 1578. granting a pardon to those cutthrotes that came with D. Iuan d'Austria into the Low countries for to such are his indulgences granted giueth them indulgence and remission or absolution from their sins after confession and communion Confessione communione peracta sayth Gregory impetretis omnium peccatorum vestrorum indulgentiam O holy Pope that granteth pardons to such cutthrotes O patch Parsons that knoweth not the forme of his holy fathers blessings Wherefore as the Apostle sayth of the idolatrous Gentiles that when they professed themselues wise they became fooles so we may say of the idolatrous hereticke Parsons that while he professed himselfe a teacher of others he hath shewed himself an ignorant 〈◊〉 Likewise as the heretikes called Gnostici professed themselues great clerks Imperitiae suae nomen scientiae vendicantes that is challenging to their ignorance the name and title of knowledge as Hierome sayth in Isaiae c. 44. So the illuminate Iebusites professe arts and learning and Parsons is as arrogant as the best of them But if he looke downe vpon these so many and so grosse errors committed within one of his volumes whatsoeuer he thinketh of himselfe I hope hereafter he will not contemne others CHAP. VI. Parsons his singular patcheries and fooleries THis is but a base argument may some suppose to discourse of patcheries and fooleries But how can we do withall hauing to deale against a 〈◊〉 and base fellow who vrgeth vs to make a register of his 〈◊〉 Stultitia gaudium stulto that is Foolishnesse causeth a foole to reioyce sayth Salomon Prouerb 15. But séeing this Patch would néedes make a scorne of religion and the professors thereof it was necessary to lay his notorious fooleries open First then he sheweth himselfe a notorious sot to sée curiously into others and not at all to looke into his owne faults Est proprium stultitiae sayth Tully aliorum vitia cernere suorum obliuisci But for men to accuse innocents when them selues are guiltie is not onely simplicitie but also madnes and impudency Cùm protuis erubescere debueras innocentes Catholicos accusas that is when thou shouldest blush in regard of thine owne fellowes thou accusest innocent Catholikes sayth Optatus to Parmenian lib. 2. In the Epistle to the reader he chargeth sir Francis Hastings with writing a most bitter and bloody pamphlet who onely stirreth vp his countrimen to defend themselues and their country against forreine traitors and home-borne traitors and yet himselfe published and as is said holpe to write that bloudy Exhortation to the Nobility and people of England and Ireland whereby Allen and he endeuour to perswade all Papists to take armes against their Prince and countrey and to ioyne with forreine enemies And this is the end of his own and his consorts writings and practises for the most part Neither can any write more moderately then Sir Francis or more immodestly and doggedly then himselfe Likewise he is not ashamed in diuers places to accuse me of malignity intemperate writing and bitternesse And yet himselfe like a gull casteth out nothing but gall and bitter reproches He chargeth vs both with flattery lying falshood and diuers other faults which are most rife in him and not any way to be forced vpon vs. Most singular folly it is also for any writer to vtter things that either make against himself or at least nothing for him Quae nihil attingunt adrem nec sunt vsui ea saepe profert aduerso tempore sayth Plautus of a certain foolish fellow But this is a common fault of Parsons and committed in his discourses In his Wardword he 〈◊〉 to scrape a litle fauour of the late Quéene of the Lords of her Councell and of his countrimen And yet like a sot euery where he endeuoreth to disgrace her Maiesties procéedings an̄d commendeth forreine enemies and traitors and that not without great reproch to the whole State and to the English nation In the Warneword his purpose is to speake of the church and state of England and yet is he still running out into by-matters of France Germany and other countries Nothing can be deuised more odious then the tyranny exactions and pillages of the Pope and his adherents and yet is Robert Parsons still braying out the canonists asinine commendations of the Popes kingdome Fooles haue their confidence in their tongues Stultis thesaurus in lingua situs est sayth Plautus So doth Parsous rely on his libels pamphlets and discourses and hopeth to pay vs all our debt with euill language But come to trie his words in the ballance they are as light as feathers In his Epistle to the Reader A Spanish inuasion saith he was then sayd to be vpon the seas for England But if he had not bene a puppy or at least such a one as could not speake English he would haue sayd that a fléete was sayd to be on the seas with forces to inuade England 〈◊〉 he might as wel say that an inuasion was marching on the land as floting on the sea But his mind was so much vpon inuasions that he forgot both the loue and the language of his countrey In the same place he saith he wrote a Ward-word to a Watch-word Whereby a plaine Englishman would suppose that he meant to send this Ward-word as a letter to a gentleman called a VVatch-word Forasmuch as to a Watch-word in good English doth not signifie against a Ward-word Againe we Englishmen thinke strange to heare these strange words VVarne-word and Ward-word in our tongue and wonder that there should be an opposition betwixt watching and warding that are commonly ioyned together But this forging Friar forgeth new words as fast as his putatiue father was went to forge horseshooe nayles Talking of his braue bookes which if they were all bound together were not worth a léeke he nameth his Epistle of Persecution which seemeth to be some new cut and deuise contrary to all formes of former Epistles But speaking English we no more call letters of that argument Epistles of Persecution then we call discourses of Parsons his ribaldry and bastardy Epistles of ribaldry and
therefore is like to those which dig pits for others but fall into them themselues He hath prepared weapons for vs but like a mad lot hath hurt himselfe with the same Finally Captaine Cowbucke like a noble woodcocke is caught in his owne springes CHAP. IX A catalogue of certaine principall lies vttered by Robert Parsons in his late Warne-word THe Spirit of God as the Apostle sayth speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heed vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lyes through hypocrisie and haue their 〈◊〉 burned with a hote yron Which prophecy as in other heretikes so especially in y e 〈◊〉 we may sée most plainely and euidently to be fulfilled For they departing from the auncient and Catholike faith taught by the holy Apostles and Prophets and recorded in holy Scriptures haue giuen héed to spirits of error and beléeued the trash of vnwritten traditions and lying legends and therupon haue founded their prohibitions of certaine meates and mariages and such like doctrines of diuels confirming their opinions with grosse lies vttered with seared consciences and brazen faces contrary to all shew of truth They take to themselues the name of doctors and fathers but are false teachers and vnkind traitors And as Theodoret saith of certaine heretikes Christianorum sibi appellatione imposita apertè docent contraria Calling themselues Christians or Catholikes Catholikes they openly teach contrary I could specifie it by Caesar Baronius and 〈◊〉 by Sanders Stapleton and diuers other principall authors of the popish sect But I will not match any man of note with so notorious a dolt and so base a swad as Robert Parsons is of whom we are now to speake though not much to his commendation The onely example of Parsons and y e in one of his fardles of lies which we are now to rip vp shall shew them to be notorious and bold lyers The diuellish and erronious doctrine of friars we haue touched before and shall haue often occasion to mention In the front of his booke he promiseth the issue of three former treatises and in the second page talketh of eight encounters But he falsifieth his promise and lieth grossely For of the thrée former treatises he toucheth onely two chapters and of eight encounters entreth onely vpon two Further he declineth the true issue of matters and runneth bias like a warped bowle of dudgeon into impertinent idle questions Doth he not therfore as Hierom saith of one make shipwwracke in the port In his Epistle to the Reader taking vpon him to deliuer the summe of the controuersie betwixt him and vs he wracketh himselfe like wise thinking to wreake his malice vpon vs and beginneth with á grosse lie There hapned saith he some few yeares past he noteth 1599. in the margent as often also before a certaine false alarme of a Spanish inuasion then said to be vpon the seas towards England Where I néed not to note the idiotisme of Parsons speech that talketh of a Spanish inuasion vpon the sea towards England being elsewhere noted but only I wil touch his impudencie in lying and denying that about this time the Spaniards were ready with forces at the Groyne for the inuasion of England And the rather for that this was the occasion that moued Sir Francis Hastings to giue warning to his countrey and also because the same sheweth that Parsons is very sorie that any man is acquainted with the 〈◊〉 of the Spanish King and that he could not take vs sléeping and so closely and priuiliy cut his countrimens throtes I say then it is a lie most notorious to affirme that the alarme giuen vpon occasion of the Spanish preparations anno 1598. for an inuasion of some part of England was false And proue it first by the words of the King who recouering out of a trance and comming to himself asked if the 〈◊〉 were gone for England Secondly by the prouisions of ships and men made at the Groyne and Lisbone and which coming thence shaped their course for England albeit they were by wether beaten back Thirdly by the testimony of one Leake a Masse priest that was dealt with all to come for England Fourthly by the testimonie of the Secular priests in their reply to Parsons his libell fol. 65. sequent who directly charge Parsons to be a solicitor of these pretended attempts anno 1598. Fiftly by Parsons his letters from Rome to Fitzherbert wherein he desireth to vnderstand the successe of the fleete that anno 1598. was to go for England Finally by the 〈◊〉 proclamation made at the Groyne and whereof diuers printed copies were to be dispersed in England vpon his arriuall here The which for that it discouereth the pride of the Spaniard and the malice of the English traitors I haue thought it not amisse to set downe the whole tenour of the proclamation with some animaduersions in the margent Considering saith the Adelantado the obligation which his catholike 〈◊〉 my Lord and master hath receiued of God almightie to defend and protect his holy faith and the Apostolicall Romane church he hath procured by the best meanes he could for to reduce to the auncient and true religion the kingdomes of England and Ireland as much as possibly hath bin in his power And all hath not bene sufficient to take away the offence done against God in dommage of the selfesame kingdoms with scandale of whole christianity yea rather abusing the clemency and benignity of his Catholike Maiestie the heads and chiefe of the heretikes which litle 〈◊〉 God haue taken courage to extend their euill doctrine with the oppressing of Catholikes martyring them and by diuers wayes and meanes taking from them their liues and goods forcing them by violence to follow their damnable sects and errours which they haue hardly done to the losse of many soules Which considered his Catholike Maiesty is determined to fauour and protect these Catholikes which couragiously haue defended the Catholike faith and not onely those but such also as by pusillanimity and humane respects haue consented vnto them forced thereunto through the hard and cruell dealing of the said Catholikes heretical enemies And for the execution of his holyzeale he hath commaunded me that with force by sea and land which be and shall be at my charge to procure al meanes necessary for the reduction of the said kingdomes vnto the obedience of the Catholike Romane church In complement of the which I declare and protest that these forces shall be employed for to execute this holy intent of his Catholike Maiestie directed onely to the common good of the true religion and Catholikes of those kingdomes as wel those which be already declared catholikes as others who wil declare themselues for such For all shall be receiued and admitted by me in his royall name which shall separate and apart themselues from the 〈◊〉
howsoeuer closely Parsons wold séeme to cary matters that he doth confesse more in shifting and concealing then he doth deny disputing Ita opertus ac tectus incedis sayth Hierom to one epist. 6. vt plus confitearis tacendo quà m renuas disputando This we may truly say of Parsons that his shifts and answers which he bringeth to couer the wounds of his cause do make the matter far more suspicious then before What then are we to think of such a shifting and iugling fellow Will you heare Parsons giue sentence in his owne cause If he do I hope you will say we do produce no witnesse that wil deale partially in fauor of our cause But he in his 2. encon c. 9. fol. 62. saith that he which vseth a trick of legierdemain but once of known and set malice to deceiue is neuer to be trusted againe What then remaineth now but that such a shifting trecherous companion be rather trussed then trusted haltred then harbored baffulled then beléeued CHAP. XIII Parsons his patcherie in begging things in controuersie discouered THe very name of an aduersary and often mention of controuersies if nothing else me thinkes might haue moued Robert Parsons to looke better to his proofes and to haue presumed lesse of his begging For albeit he be of the Ignatian sect and by profession a mendicant friar yet hath he no reason to beg of his 〈◊〉 nor to take as granted things that hang in controuersie Nor haue we cause to maintaine of almes such vagarant sturdy roging beggars as y t laws iudge worthy of hanging It may be he wil stand vpon termes and sweare like a hackster that he is no beggar bestowing many thousands of crownes vpon spies and cutthrotes But the truth will appeare by the sequele of his doings Fol. 1. b. he accuseth me of deportment against all kind of Catholike men though neuer so learned vertuous worshipful or honorable But he shold haue proued himself his traitorous consorts which are y e men that I do meane to be both Catholikes and learned vertuous worshipfull and honorable We of the plainer and simpler sort could yet neuer learne that it was a thing either honorable or commendable to betray his prince or countrey or to take part with Italians or Spaniards against his owne nation Fol. 7. talking of priests put to death in England he calleth them and others seruants of Christ and sayth they suffered for auncient religion But we looked for proofes and not for bare and beggarly affirmations For the seruants of Christ came neuer to depose Princes from their thrones Nay our Sauior Christ saith plainely that his kingdome is not of this world But these Massepriests as appeareth by records and by their confessions and the Popes faculties granted to them came for that purpose Secondly we haue proued in our challenge that their religion as it differeth from the faith which we professe in England is neither Catholike nor anciēt Lastly we haue there also declared them to be culpable of treason and to haue died for that not for their religion though otherwise very louzy and beggarly vellacos and as beggarly defended by this begging and 〈◊〉 companion In the same leafe also he affirmeth that Christ is the Masse-priests captaine and master and that he 〈◊〉 them on his honour and power that no one haire of their head shall perish In the end he doubteth not to call thē martyrs But to proue his matters he alleageth neither testimony of scripture nor sentence of fathers Nay where y e 〈◊〉 Church teacheth that no man can be certaine of his saluation without speciall reuelation yet this disciple of Antichrist affirmeth that Christ vpon his honor hath assured Campian Ballard Babington and I thinke Lopez too that they shall not perish For of these I thinke he speaketh To shew them to be no martyrs I haue alleaged diuers reasons Reason then would that if he would haue wonne credit he should haue either answered our reasons or proued his owne cause by argument In his obseruations vpon my Preface and in diuers places of his book he giueth the name of Catholikes to papists And yet he knoweth that this is a maine controuersie betwixt vs. What punishment then doth he deserue that wittingly and wilfully wil beg or rather steale that which belongeth not vnto him Fol. 14. most impudently he giueth the title of the Catholike Christian church and the vniuersall body of Christs commonwealth vnto papists that are neither the whole church nor part of the Church Unto vs he giueth the title of Protestants Puritanes and Lutherans which we renounce professing onely the faith of Christ Iesus He doeth also match vs with Arrians and other sects which we detest But these are points in controuersie to be proued Fol. 17. he sayth that the Councel of Trent was gathered by like authoritie as that of Chalcedon was A matter utterly denied by vs and not any way proued by him Nay it is most absurd to compare that reuerend synod assembled and moderated by the Emperors authority and proceeding according to scriptures to a conuenticle of slaues sworne to Antichrist and assembled by his writ and doing all according to his pleasure Fol. 20. a. he sayth It cannot be proued that any one Pope impugned his predecessor in matters of faith As if al our pleading were not that the later Popes do impugne and ouerthrow the faith of the first bishops of Rome Themselues also deny not but that Agatho condemned his predecessor Honorius for a Monothelite In the same place also affirming that all the Popes and Bishops of Rome from Iohn the first to Leo the tenth held one faith he saith that this demonstration is as cleare as that three and foure make seuen But this seuen and seuen yeare he shall neuer proue that which with a light fingar he taketh as granted is clearely false For the instruction giuen to the Armenians in the synode of Florence and the decrees of the Conuenticle of Constance were neuer holden of Popes before them Nor did former Popes beléeue the doctrine of the Conuenticle of Trent Fol. 77. b. he taketh as granted that a hundred haue bene put to death for being priests and for being ordained to that function beyond the seas and for defending the faith belonging to that function and that great numbers are dayly apprehended arraigned and condemned for standing in their fathers faith and resisting nouelties Both which are notorious vntruths For neither in the arraignement of priests or others is any question made of faith nor is that louzy patched religion that Papists hold ouer and aboue our faith the faith of the Apostles or Fathers nor are priests executed simply for being priests but because they come from forein enemies and are combined with them which alwayes hath bene accounted treason Fol. 80. he talketh idly of sending money out of England for defence of heresie for he beggeth of vs that which he shal neuer obtaine that
saith a certaine masse-priest must depend vpon Garnet and Garnet vpon Parsons and Parsons on the deuill Doe not you thinke then that this is a braue dependance and that the warneword is braue stuffe that is calfreted and deuised by a dependant vpon the deuill but may his friends say this was spoken out of choller Heare then what the archpriest said when he heard that Robert Parsons was first come into England This man sayd he will shame vs all he is for his expulsion and manners so infamous Howsoeuer he hath shamed others himselfe he hath shamed by his leud loose and discomposed patcheries Of his cruell disposition he hath giuen vs many arguments While he was yet in Bailioll colledge he prosecuted seuen young men of farre better parentage then himselfe and gladly would haue had them hanged for taking certaine puddings from a pupill of his called Himmes He endeuoured to draw Himmes his father into bond that hée should not cease to prosecute the fellonie and would haue proceeded further had not the councell taken order to stay his violence it may be he thought that taking of puddings was a great matter considering especially that the wealth of the tripewife his mother consisted in tripes puddings and souce but sée Gods hand against this prosecutor of takers of puddings he is now so swollen like a blacke pudding that the memory of Parsons puddings will not lightly be forgotten A man shall hardly find a fitter fellow to play Ballio the baud then Parsons being a baudy burley pudding growne fellow and very like the baud in Plautus cum collatiuo ventre oculis herbeis that is with his bumbasted and barrellike bellie and eyes greenish like grasse In Rome he hath long bene the tormentor of the boyes of the English colledge although his friends in his excuse say he loueth them but too well and namely one Fisher a fine youth that sometime was a Ganymedes to Edward or as he called himselfe Odeward Weston sometime reader of Sodomiticall diuinitie at Doway although now for his beastly loue they say he hath lost his place and lecture and is sent to Antwerpe to loue wenches there Prouided alwayes that he meddle not with boyes especially scandalously As for Fisher he is now at Rome as they say to do penance with Robert Parsons Protonotarie of Sodome if he be not fishing in the sea Whē Bishop and Charnocke agents of the secular priests in England were sent to Rome Sir Robert handled them very rudely These priests doe exclaime mainely against his crueltie He tooke away their writings and valists he caused them to be imprisoned and hardly examined and at the length sent them away re infectissima But what should I neede to stand vpon prooues of his bloody and cruell disposition when it is apparent that diuers wayes he hath sought to destroy the Queene whom he should haue honoured as his most gracious soueraigne He sought also to deliuer vp his countrimen to haue their throats cut by the Spaniards nay by Italians Marans and infidels One William Browne alias Ch. P. in a letter dated the 16. of August anno 1599. affirmeth that he hath a letter of Parsons his owne hand dated 1598. wherein he confesseth that he knew of Parries practise for the killing of the Queene and that the said Parsons kept backe a gentleman that intended to discouer the same A certaine other papisticall fellow in a treatise concerning the practises of Iesuits for killing of Princes doth charge Parsons for aduancing the practise of Parry and Sauage against the Quéens life for dealing with the Duke of Guise to enter into England with 5000. men to surprize the Quéene lying at Greenewich and the citie of London Neither haue the Spaniards made any attempt against England without the priuitie and solicitation of Parsons the arch-plotter of treasons William Browne alias Ch. P. doth charge Parsons to be a common detractor and saith that he detracteth without respect of religion truth or common honestie If then he detract from his owne fellowes 〈◊〉 vpon such as himselfe pleaseth though in the generall cause ioyned with him we may not maruell if he play his parts with vs whom he taketh to be his enemies by whose detractiō he hopeth to merit and to winne a Cardinals hat Finally the mans traitorous practises against the Queene and his countrey in many volumes cannot sufficiently be desciphred His first comming into England was to make a side and to moue rebellion And that is prooued by his faculties graunted anno 1580. Petatur saith he a S. domino nostro c. that is Let it be desired of our most holy Lord the Pope that the bull declaratorie of Pius the fift against Elizabeth and her adherents be vnderstood in this manner that the same bull shall alwayes bind her and all heretikes but not Romish Catholikes as matters doe now stand but onely then when the bull may publikely be put in execution By this facultie being granted then it appeareth that the bull of Pius Quintus was in 〈◊〉 against the Quéene and her subiects and that Parsons came to stirre vp false Catholikes or rather false traitors to put it in execution as soone as occasion should be offered Now according to the tenor of his faculties the fellow ceased not to rake in the coles of mens discontented humours and to make a partie against the Queene The papists saw he dealt so openly that they feared least if the fire tooke a number of them should be burned in the flames Such was the feare of the wisest of them that they told him plainely that if he retired not himselfe they would discouer him to her Maiesties officers Being thus forced more then halfe against his will to depart out of England yet ceased he not to procure vs troubles from Scotland as the king now raigning can tell and his libell against the Earle of Leicester that seemeth to fauour the kings title doth manifestly proue Nay in a letter to the Earle of Angus he doth plainely confesse that at that time he was for the kings title and sought presently to set it on foote without longer staying for the Queenes death In France he encouraged the D. of Guise to come with an army into England not forgetting in the meane while to aduance the treason of Parry Sauage There also he was acquainted by the meanes of Ballard with Babingtons conspiracie Neither is it to be doubted but he knew of friar Sammiers comming to the kings mother of which ensued the ruine of her as the authour of the Iesuits Catechisme testifieth It is said also that he caused 500. crownes to be deliuered to Ch. Paget to come ouer into England to treat with the Earle of N. whereof his destruction ensued not long after In Flanders he sought also to draw the D. of Parma into quarrell with the Queen of England offering him the Lady Arbella and the crowne of England for his sonne But he was no
more able to performe his offer then the deuill that promised to giue all the kingdomes of the earth to Christ. That packe being broken he solicited the preparations of the Spaniard against England anno 1588. ayding Card. Allen to make that most execrable libell which he titleth an exhortation to the Nobility and people of England and Ireland which containeth all the disgrace that could be deuised both against the Quéene her subiects Whatsoeuer he did in deuising of that traitorous libell one W. Br. aliâs Pag. chargeth him that hee holpe to print it and gaue diuers copies to his friends Departing out of the low countries he committed the managing of matters to one Holt a man of his owne societie and confrairy of traytours If then Holt was acquainted with the practises of Yorke Williams and Daniel for killing the Quéene as he is charged by W. Br. aliâs Ch. Pag. or with Heskets trecherous agency with the Earle of Darby then no doubt but R. Parsons was made priuie therewith also seeing he was but as an inferiour sphere concurring with Parsons that like primum mobile drew with him all inferior traytors and made all matters of treason to be taken in hand Residing in Spaine his onely purpose was to set this land in combustion To worke a detestation of her Maiestie and of the English nation in the mindes of the Spaniards he caused a most slanderous libell set forth before in Latin to be translated into Spanish by one Ribadineira a man of his owne trayterous order adding thereunto diuers slaunderous and most vntrue reports of his owne auouching his owne lies vpon the credit of Sanders being now dead And that this is true not onely his owne conscience doth witnesse but that ribald Ribadineira must acknowledge if he be aliue and will testifie truth For to draw the king of Spaine into the party he set out a most fond booke of 〈◊〉 to the crowne of England casting the same with all 〈◊〉 of his wit vpon the Infanta of Spaine séeking to depriue the right heires and endeuoring to bring vs vnder the captiuitie of strangers to which end also he caused diuers of the English nation residing in Spaine to subscribe to that title With the helpe of Creswell and others his adherents he caused diuers trecherous inuectiues to be published against her Maiesty the State and that partly vnder the names of Andreas Philopater Didimus Veridicus and such like counterfet names and partly without names By his and other his traitorous consorts solicitation King Philip the second sent forth a fléet to sea of which two attempts followed the one about the yeare 1598. in which diuers ships by stresse of wether were wracked on the coast of Spaine 〈◊〉 the Rocke and Cap. finis terrae the second followed not long after The first is proued by D. Stillingtō and other Massepriests perswaded by Parsons to come with publike enemies against England the second is mentioned in a letter of the said Parsons to Th. Fitzherbert and publikely diuulged by the Adelantadoes proclamation of which hereafter we shall haue occasion to speake And so earnest was the king of Spaine in setting forth this fleete against England that at one time returning to himselfe out of a trance the first words he spoke were Whether is the Adelantado gone for England At another time being at his 〈◊〉 he said He would spend the furniture of his chappell but he would be reuenged vpon the English The Secular priests in their reply to Parsons libell fol. 65. do also mentiō these preparations Neither is it to be doubted but that Parsons concurred in the solicitation of them The author of y e Reply speaking of these preparations for England These two preparations sayth he are so euident to haue proceeded with his concurrence and cooperation as he no way can deny it without the note of impudency so many witnesses and his owne letters bring in testimonie against him He doth likewise affirme that the vrging of diuers to subscribe to the Infantaes title is a matter notorious and euident and to be proued by the othes of diuers priests In his letters to a certaine Earle of Scotland Parsons plainely confesseth diuers practises set on 〈◊〉 by himselfe against England and that he sought to aduance the Spanish Infantaes title as being of his religion The resolutions of cases of conscience set out by A. P. that is Allen and Parsons for direction of their traitorous schollers are nothing else but resolutions to proue them both traitors and enemies to their countrie declaring the Queene to be a tyrant and no lawfull Queene and her officers no lawfull officers and ayming wholly at the ouerthrow of the State Finally it is auerred by the secular priests that Parsons had a finger in the rebellions of Ireland Neither is it to be doubted but that he his agent Creswel were acquainted with the enterprise of D. Iuan d'Aquila in Kinsale many traitorous English being that time in companie with the Spaniards If then this be one of the chiefe pillars of Romish faith certaine it is that the Romish faith standeth vpon 〈◊〉 and trechery or atleast vpon a wicked disloyall traitor 〈◊〉 Papists wold consider these his practises they wold not so much esteeme his directories libels discoueries inuectiues wardwords or rather a 〈◊〉 of knauery and villanie his Warnewords such like odious fardles of idle words which rather direct men to the gallowes then to religion and vertue which shall further appeare in the answer following This in the meane while I thought to relats for ease of his holy father if percase he list to saint this horse-holy Frier And if in the meane while he be not created Cardinall by reason of his infamous bastardie and foule vellaquerie too open playing aboue boord yet let him be a Cardinall and a card excarnificable vested with Cardinals robes of yellow blew and gréene like the Knaue of Clubbes CHAP. II. Of the title Warne-word and other matters promised and prefixed in the front of Parsons his booke A Goose they say may be knowne by a feather If men will not beléeue me yet may it be verified by the goose Parsons For by his most foolish title being the first fether of his gooseships worke we may assure our selues we shall haue a great péece of foolerie For albeit he promise vs but one Warneword yet hath he sent vs a whole fardle of idle words and fantasticall fooleries Secondly as admonitions and warnings are sent to friends and not to enemies so might he haue done well to haue giuen some admonitions to the bougerly boyes of the English seminaries that suffer themselues to be abused too shamefully by the bougeronicall Masse priests to the dishonor of their nation and not to vs that regard not witlesse admonitions a straw The tragicall poet might haue told this comicall admonitor if he had but had any one graine of wit that a wicked mans offers and gifts are