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A00908	A defence of the Catholyke cause contayning a treatise in confutation of sundry vntruthes and slanders, published by the heretykes, as wel in infamous lybels as otherwyse, against all english Catholyks in general, & some in particular, not only concerning matter of state, but also matter of religion: by occasion whereof diuers poynts of the Catholyke faith now in controuersy, are debated and discussed. VVritten by T.F. With an apology, or defence, of his innocency in a fayned conspiracy against her Maiesties person, for the which one Edward Squyre was wrongfully condemned and executed in Nouember ... 1598. wherewith the author and other Catholykes were also falsly charged. Written by him the yeare folowing, and not published vntil now, for the reasons declared in the preface of this treatyse.	Fitzherbert, Thomas, 1552-1640.	1602 (1602)	STC 11016; ESTC S102241	183,394	262

state I wil signifie hereafter Thirdly it is not vnlikely that the deuisers of these fayned conspiracies seeing themselues employed by your Lordships otherwhyles in some matters of state take themselues for so great statists that they make no doubt to extend their care further then your Lordships meane they should do to wit to the whole state and gouernment yea to the person of her Ma tie though litle to her good or comfort holding it a high point of policy and necessary for the comon welth that her Ma tie be kept as a man may say in aw with thease bugbeares of imaginary attempts against her person to the end shee may bee the more plyable and easy to be gouerned for as the poet saith res est imperiosa timor feare is an imperious thing Furthermore the end which they may haue for their owne particular commoditie is to make themselues and their seruices more gratful to her Ma tie and to your Lordships by their pretended discouerie of so many daungerous treasons against her Ma tie and the state Whereto I wil ad that it also importeth your honours to consider whether any of those that are taken to be the cheife discouerers of these supposed treasons may be thought to fauour the title of any particuler pretender to the crowne after her Ma tie for in such case they may perhaps vse this artifice to shadow some designemēt of their owne no lesse daungerous to her Ma ties person then this which they feigne and lay to our charge to the end they may the more assuredlie and securely execute the same that afterwards the suspition and blame therof may rest vpon vs which we read was the practise of Seianus in the tyme of Tiberius the Emperour who aspiring to the Empyre and determining to make away Agripina that was a great mote in his eye first suborned some to put into her head that the Emperour meant to poyson her and after made rumors to be spred all ouer Rome that some had conspired her death I say not this my Lords to charge any man particularly for I know not who they are that are the forgers of these false coynes but because I see that the lyke practises haue beene vsed to the destruction of Princes and may with reason think that those which haue so litle conscience to procure the spilling of so much innocent blood by such damnable deuises as these wil make lesse scruple to break all lawes humayn and diuine when there is question of a crowne I therfore insinuate this to your honours as matter worthy of your consideration especially feing it cannot be thought that they beare any good and loyal affection to her Ma tie knowing that she cannot but be much afflicted with the vehement apprehension of these supposed treasons and yet neuer ceasing to torment her therwith framing dayly new fantasies of fayned feares as though heauen and earth had conspired against her the concept wherof accompagnied with other cares incident to the gouernment of such a potent state might suffise to procure the vntymely death of the most couragious prince that liueth and what it may woork in her Matie no lesse timorous of nature by reason of her sexe then decaying now in bodilie vigeur by reason of her declining yeares any man may easely iudge THAT THESE PROCEEDINGS of our aduersaries which they hold for polityke are against all pollicy and true reason of state CHAP. XVIII BVT put the case that her Ma tie be so inuincible of courage that there is no feare of any such effect to follow yet let it be considered whether in other respects it stand with true reason of state to incence her Ma tie against her subiects by lyes and slaunders and them against her by insupportable wrongs and cruelties which were no dout the next way to put all in combustion yf the Catholykes loyalty obedience and patience were not such as God be thanked yt is and I hope euer wil be such I say as neuer hath ben red nor heard of in any people so opprest so long tyme together so many in number so honorable in quality and condition and so frended abroad as they might bee in respect of their religion yf they would seek the remedy that other discontented people haue sought in former tymes whereby the state of England hath ben changed and turned vpsyde downe twyse or thryse already since the conquest for how were the two Kings Richard the 2. 3. disposessed of their crownes and lyues but by their owne subiects malcontent succored with smale forces from abroad yet no such cause geuen them as is to vs who are esteemed for no better then opprob●ium hominum abiectio plebis the skorne of men and outcasts of the people as saynt Paule sayth peripsema mūdi the very scūme of the world contēned trodē vnder foot derided of all men depriued of all priuiledge of natural subiects of hon●ors dignities lādes lyues for no greater offences then our auncient the vniuersal fayth of Christendome made treason yea for fayned crymes neuer meant nor dreamt of To this purpose it is to be considered that no force nor power is so great as Cicero sayth that can resist the hatred of a multitude neyther any empyre so potent that can long stand by rigour oppression and cruelty therefore amongst the causes of the ouerthrow of empyres and Kingdomes Aristotle worthely reckoneth hatred and feare of the subiects exemplyfying the same with the smale continuance of all the tyranical states that had ben in his tyme or before and Caesar confessing that he neuer knew any cruel man that could long conserue him-self and his state but only Sylla which yet was not long he wysely added that he would not follow his example wherein he had great reason for one swallow as they say makes no sommer neyther can the example of a few which escape counteruayle a common experience that teacheth what euident daungers do accompany cruelty oppression which no humain power nor pollicy cā make secure as it is euident enough to all wyse men that wil consider how litle securitie Kings and Princes that haue incurred the hatred of their people haue found in the remedyes and defences that humain pollicy hath inuented I meane in their treasures fortresses gards armies multitude of spyes wisdome and vigilance of councellours and such lyke for haue not a number of them notwithstanding all this ben by their subiects chastised and reformed deposed expelled imprisoned killed and those that haue escaped best haue they not commonly liued a miserable lyfe afflicted and tormented with continual feares ielousyes and suspitions of their best friends for as Seneca sayth he that is feared of many must needs feare many what did all the welth power and force of the Roman empyre auayle the Emperour Claudius poysoned by his raster and Nero so pursued by the people that he

to make others of the ●emples of the Idols which saint Gregory ordayned shuld ●e donne with casting holy water therin buylding altars ●nd placing relikes of saynts commaunding further that ●easts should be celebrated in the dayes of the dedication of ●he sayd Churches in the natiuity of the martyrs whose ●elykes should be kept there besyds that he appoynted saynt Augustin to be Metropolitan of England and sent him holy vessels and vestiments for altars and Priests and relyckes of the Apostels and martyrs and granted him the vse of the pal ad sola missarum solemnia agenda only for the celebration of solemne masses and further gaue him order to ordayne 12. Bishops vnder himself and to make another Metropolitan at Yorke who when those parts should be cōuerted should haue as many vnder him and be himself after saynt Augustins dayes dependant only vpon the sea Apostolyk and receiue the Pal from the same furthermore saynt Augustin caused King Edelbert to buyld a Church from the ground in honour of the blessed Apostles S. Peter S. Paule and a monastery not farre from Canturbury whereof the first Abbot called Peter was of so holy a lyfe that after his death it was testified from heauen by a continual light that appeared ouer his tombe Also King Edelbert caused S. Paules Church to be buylt in London and another in Rochester dedicated to S. Andrew the Apostle Hereto may be added the exercise of the Popes autority not only in the dayes of King Edelbert but also after in the raygne of other Christian Kings vntil the tyme that saynt Bede ended his history Pope Boniface sent the Pal to Iustus fourth Archbishop of Canturbury after saynt Augustin Honorius the Pope sent also the Pal to Honorius that succeded Iustus and to Paulinus Archbishop of York ordayning at the request of King Edwin and his wyfe that the longer liuer of them should consecrate a successor to the orher that should dy first to excuse so long a Iourney as to Rome The two Kings Oswy and Egbert the one of Northumberland and the other of kent sent Wigard to Rome to be made Primat when both the seas of Canturbury and Yorke were vacant and Wigard dying there Pope Vitalianus made Theodore a grecian primat in his steede Wilfrid Byshop of Yorke being twys vniustly expelled from his Bishoprik appealed both tymes to Rome first to Pope Agatho and after to Pope Iohn and being cleared by their sentences was restored to his Bishoprik and heer I wil ad a woord or two concerning the exceeding great zeale and deuotion of the Saxon Kinges to the sea Apostolyke in those dayes King Oswy determined to goe to Rome in Pilgrimage and had donne it yf death had not preuented him King Ceadwald wēt thether to be baptysed dyed there King Hun his successor after he had raygned 37. yeares wēt thether also in Pilgrimage as many sayth saynt Bede in those dayes both of the layty and clergy as wel women as men were wont to doe King Coenred did the lyke had in his company the sonne of Sigher King of the east Saxons and both of them entred into religion in Rome about the yeare of our Lord 709. not past 22. yeares before S. Bede ended his history which was almost 900. yeres a goe wherto may be added out of later historiographers the lyke examples of the extraordinary deuotion and obedience of our English Kings vnto the sea Apostolyke in ●uery age vntil after the conquest King Inas shortly after S. Bedes tyme about the yeare of our Lord 740. went to Rome and made his Kingdome tributary to the Pope ordayning the Peter pence the lyke did also afterwards Offa the King of the Mercians in the yeare of our Lord .775 Etheluolph King of England went to Rome in Pilgrimage about the yeare of our Lord 847. and made that part of England which his father Egbert had conquered tributary also to the Bishop of Rome King Edward being threatned with excommunication by Pope Iohn the tēth for that he was carelesse to prouide the English Church of Bishops caused Pleimund the Bishop of Canterbury to make many and after to goe to Rome to purge him selfe of his negligence about the yeare of our Lord 920. King Edgar obtayned of Pope Iohn the 13. with licence to giue certayne liuings of secular Priests to Monkes about the yeare of our Lord .965 Canutus King of England went to Rome in Pilgrimage about the yeare of our Lord 1024. S. Edward King of England hauing made a vow to goe to Rome procured the same to be commuted by Pope Leo the nynth into the buylding of a monastery of S. Peter he also confirmed the payment of the yearly tribute to the sea Apostolyke about the yeare of our Lord 1060. which was not past 5. yeares before the conquest after the which there were no lesse notable examples of this matter King Henry the second who by Pope Adrian was first intituled Lord of Ireland sent legats to Rome to craue pardon of Pope Alexander for the murder committed by his occasion vpon saint Thomas of Canterbury where vpon two Cardinals were sent into England before whome the King lyke a publike penitent a priuat person submitted himselfe to the Ecclesiastical discipline in a publik assembly of the cleargy and nobility When King Richard the first was kept prisoner by Frederick the Emperour his mother wrote to Celestinus the Pope calling him the successor of Peter and the Vicar of Christ quem Dominus constituit super gentes regno in omni plenitudius potestatis whome our Lord had placed ouer nations and Kingdomes in all fulnesse of power and willed him to vse the spiritual sword against the Emperour as Alexander his predecessor had donne against Frederick his Father whome he did excommunicate King Iohn being excommunicated by the Pope was not absolued before he tooke his crowne of frō his owne head and deliuered it to Pandulfus the Popes legat promising for himselfe and his heyres that they should neuer receiue it afterwards but from the Bishop of Rome I omit others of later tyme seing no mā I think doubteth but that all the successors of King Iohn liued in the communion and obedience of the Roman Church paying the old yearely tribute called the Peter pēce vntil the tyme of King Henry the 8. her maiestyes father who being maried to his brother Arthurs widdow by dispēsation of the sea Apostolyke continued many yeares after in the obedience therof and in defence of the autority of the sayd sea wrote a learned book agaynst Luther for the which the honorable title of defender of the fayth was giuen him by Pope Leo which tytle her maiesty also vseth at this day so that no man can deny that our country was conuerted by S. Gregory to the Roman fayth or that it hath continued therin vntil K.

with matter of state CHAP. XXII IN the third page yow appeale Sir Pamphleter to the knowledge of your frend in Padua for the distinction moderation of the proceeding in England in ecclesiastical causes with what lenitie and gentlenes it hath beene caryed except where it was mixed with matter of state for such are your owne wordes Hereto I answere that by your restriction exception of state matters yow ouerthrow your general proposition of clemency and proue that ther is no moderation lenitie nor gentlenes vsed at all for where is not matter of state mixed with religion now a dayes in England are not so many essential poynts of Catholyke religion made treason as no man can do the duetie of a Catholyke but he is ipso facto a traytour seing no man can be so much as absolued of his sinnes nor receyue any Sacrament of Gods Churche by the only true ministers thereof I meane Priestes but he committeth treason besydes the other captious lawes about the Supremacie the exacting of the oth and the vrging of Catholykes to come to haeretical seruice communion vnder colour of temporal obediēce to the Prince is not in all this state mixt with religion yea and to no other end then to persecute vs vnder co●our of treason and matter of state while ye persecute religion and for religion Was not this the very practise of Iulian the Apostata who to couer his persecution of Christians sometymes caused his picture to be set with Iupiter or other fais Gods and sometymes made himselfe to be paynted with their enseignes and resemblance therby to make such mixture of religion and matter of state that those which should refuse to commit Idololatry might be punished vnder colour of contempt of his emperial person Hereof sayth Sozomenus Nam sic cogitabat c. for so Iulian thought that if he persuaded thē to that he should more easely bring them to his wil in other points of religion also and if they resisted in this he might punish them without mercie as offenders against both the common wealth and the Empyre It not this now practised in England in effect for what other thing is it to annex the keyes of Peter with the Princes crowne the deuine power with the humain the supremacy spiritual with the gouernment temporal dignities no lesse distinct in nature then incompatible in lay persons and especially in women sexe what other thing is it I say then to ioyne Iulian with Iupiter and to paynt the Prince with the enseignes and resemblance of deitie and to what other end then vnder colour of treason matter of state to make away all those that shal refuse to acknowledge this pretended ecclesiastical supremacy Such then is your mixture of religion with matter of state as whiles yow pretend to punish none for Catholyke religion yow persecute cruelly all Catholykes for no other true canse then religion yea and as the pharises did yow persecute and crucifie Christ agayne in his members as an enemy to Caesar and for the same reason of state that they did cry to Pilate si dimittis hune non es amicus Caesaris if yow let him scape yow are not Caesars frend for that his fault is not religion but matter of state against Caesar and agayne si dimitiunus hunc venient Romani c. yf we dismisse this man the Romans togither with Spaniards wil come and take from vs both our place and people and wil conquer spoyle destroy vs for which respect yow haue already killed some hundreths of Catholykes vpon lyke suspitions and ealumniations by vertue of your new statutes besydes many murdred for fayned conspiracies and fals imputed crymes and an exceeding multitude of others consumed and wasted with imprisonment others pyned a way in banishment others empouerished ruined with taxes impositions and penalties and an infinite number dayly languishing in captiuity penurie and miserie for that they wil not yeeld as yow cal it temporal obedience in comming to your seruice and communion yet forsooth yow trouble none for religion But yf it please yow and your frend in Padua that knoweth as yow say this matter so wel to consider it a litle better yow wil easely see that the distinction that yow and your fellowes make is confusion your moderation persecution your lenity seueritie your shew and talk of mercy nothing els but a mere mockerie and playne cosinage of the simple reader for to preache one thing and practise an other is I trow the highest point of cosinage that may be But what maruaile is it if yow draw our religion to matter of state seing your owne religion hath no other rule nor ground but reason of state for albeit the substance of religion which now yow professe different from ours be patcht vp of old and new heresies especially of these last of Luther Zwinglius and Caluin yet that which is properly yours and the key and stay of all the rest and maketh yow a bodie and part different from other Sectes of Lutheranes Zwinglians and Caluenists Puritanes Brownists Anabaptists and the lyke is the obedience that yow acknowledge in ecclesiastical causes to a lay head which although it was first introduced into England by King Henry the S. only vpon animositie against the sea Apostolyke because thesaid sea would not allow his deuorce from Queene Catherine which King in all other poynts detested your religion yet being abolished by Queene Marie her Ma ties syster and last praedecessour it was returned agayne in the beginning of her Ma ties raigne that now is only vpon reason of state as all the world knoweth and so hath hyherto byn continued For those polityke statistes of ours that had the vse of her Ma ties eares in the beginning considering that the Queene of Scotland being then maried vnto the French King pretended title vnto the crowne of England and fearing that the sea Apostolyk would fauour her pretence in respect of the mariage of her Ma ties mother yea and that the people would also incline that way if they remayned stil in the obedience of the said sea they hadrecourse to Hieroboams pollicy and abusing the facilitie of her Ma ties good nature and yong yeares persuaded her to change the religion then publikly professed and not only to banish the authority of the Pope but also to follow her father and brothers example in taking the title of ecclesiastical supremacy vpō her self a thing absurd ridiculous vnnatural impossible therefore worthely reiected impugned and derided by Luther and Caluyn themselues and by their folowers and the Puritaines at this day in England and all other sectaries abroad as a matter without all praesident or example in any Christian common wealth or colour of Scripture except of some few texts that treat of obedience to Princes in general no lesse to Heathen Kings then Christian and therfore can not with any shew of reason be vnderstood

A DEFENCE OF THE CATHOLYKE CAVSE CONTAYNING A TREATISE IN CONFVTATION OF SVNDRY VNTRVTHES AND slanders published by the heretykes as wel in infamous lybels as otherwyse against all english Catholyks in general some in particular not only concerning matter of state but also matter of religion by occasion whereof diuers poynts of the Catholyke faith now in controuersy are debated and discussed Written by T. F. WITH AN APOLOGY OR DEFENCE OF HIS INNOCENCY IN A FAYNED CONSPIRACY against her Maiesties person for the which one Edward Squyre was wrongfully condemned and executed in Nouember in the yeare of our Lord 1598. wherewith the author and other Catholykes were also falsly charged Written by him the yeare folowing and not published vntil now for the reasons declared in the preface of this Treatyse Psalm 118. Redime me à calumnijs hominum vt custodiam mandata tua Redeeme me o Lord from the slanders of men that I may keep thy commandements Imprinted with licence 1602. THE VNTRVTHES AND SLANDERS CONCERNING matter of state some particular persons confuted in this Treatise and in the Apology following THE first concerning the conquest of Englād which O. E. in his late lybels falsly chargeth the English Catholykes to seek and s●i●●t Treatise Chap. 1. The second touching the Catholyke Kinges late attempt in Ireland which the English Catholykes are also falsly supposed to haue procured Treatyse Chap. ● The third concerning Sir VVilliam Stanley his deliuering Dauenter to the king Catholyke Treatse Chap. 1. The fourth touching father Parsons his great labours in Gods Churche peruersly interpreted shamefully slandred by the heretykes Treatise Chap. 2. The fifth an impudent malitious vntruth auouched by O. E. in his late challenge to wit that no Catholykes are put to death in England for religion but for treason and attempts against the state Treatise Chap. 3. Apology Chap. 10. 22. 23. The sixt the improbable absurd fixtion of Squyres conspiracy against her Maiesties person imputed to father Richard walpole of the holy-Society of Iesus as principal contriuer to father Creswel of the same Society to the author of this Treatise as abetters Apology Chap. 1. 2. 6. 7. 8. 9. 20. 21. The seuenth a slanderous vntruth published as wel in these later as some former libels concerning VVilliams York Patrick Cullen executed at London some yeares past and falsly supposed to be employed by the English Catholykes then at Brussels against her Maiesties person Apology Chap. 15. The 8. an impertinent vntruth publyshed in a pamphlet concerning the fayned conspiracy of Edward Squyre wherein it is affirmed that there is great moderation lenity vsed in causes of religion Apology Chap. 22. 23. The 9. a foolish inuectiue of the author of the sayd pamphlet against the Iesuits Apology Chap. 24. VNTRVTHES AND SLANDERS CONCERNING MATTER OF RELIGION DISCOVERED confuted vpon diuers occasions in this Treatise the Apology following A False impudent assertion of a shameles minister who being present at the death of two martyrs at Lincolne in the yeare 1600. affirmed publikly that England receiued the protestants religion when it was first conuerted to the Christian faith vnder the Popes Eleutherius and Gregory the first Treatise Chap. 4.5 6. An other slanderous vntruth of the heretykes charging Catholykes with Idolatry in the reuerend vse of holy Images Treat Chap. 11. 12. The lyke slanderous impudent vntruth touching the Catholikes opinion of merits of workes published lately in a pamphlet concerning the conuiction of my lord of Essex Treat Chap. ●9 A ridicul●us miracle fayned by the author of the pamphlet aboue said that concerned Squyres ●ayned conspiracy Apolog. Chap. 25. The table of the chapters followeth in the end of the Treatise THE PREFACE VVHEREIN THE AVTOR DECLARETH HIS INTENTION IN THIS TREATISE AND THE CAVSE why he wrote the same and why the Apology concerning Edward Squyre being written three yeres since was not published vntil now IT is now more then three yeres gentle reader since that one Edward Squyre hauing bin sometyme prisoner in Spayne and escaping thence into England was condemned and executed for a fayned conspiracy against her Maiestyes person wherto my self some others were charged to be priuy for as much as it seemed to mee that this fraudulent manner of our aduersaries proceeding against Catholykes by way of slanders and diffamations authorised with shew of publik Iustice and continued now many yeres did beginne to redound not only to the vndeserued disgrace discredit of particular men wrongfully accused but also to the dishonour of our whole cause I thought it cōueniēt to write an Apology in my defēce to dedicate the same to the Lords of her Maiesties priuy counsel as wel to cleare my self to their honours of the cryme falsly imputed vnto mee as also to discouer vnto them the treacherous dealing of such as abuse her Maiesties autority and theirs in this behalf to the spilling of much innocent blood with no smalle blemish to her Maiesties gouernment and the assured exposition of the whole state to the wrath of God if it be not remedied in tyme. This Apology being written by me in Spayne and made ready for the print now almost 3. yeres past it seemed good as wel to me as to other of my friends to stay the impression of it vntil we should see the issue of the treaty of peace betwyxt England and Spayne then expected with no smalle hope conceaued of many that liberty of conscience or at least some toleration of religion might ensue therof to the Catholikes of Englād therfore seeing my principal intention was no other but with the occasion of my owne purgation to seek remedy of the wrongs donne vnto vs by discouering to the lords of the councel the vnchristian and pernicious proceeding of our cheef persecutors it seemed to mee that yf the desyred effects of toleration and consequently our remedy did follow of the treaty the labour charges of printing my Apology should be needlesse And although after many moneths expectation and the meeting of the commissioners at Bullen there appeared no lykelyhood at all eyther of peace betwyxt the two kingdomes or toleration of Catholyke religion in Englād in which respect it seemed conuenient to some that my apology should be published yet for as much as so long tyme was then ouer past that the matter of Squyre seemed to bee forgot and that therfore the defence of my innocency might eyther be to litle purpose or at least seeme out of season I resolued to suppresse the same and the rather for that I vnderstood that howsoeuer some simple men might be deceaued in Squyres cause yet the wysest considering the weaknes and inualydity of the proofes and his denial of the fact at his death did take it for an inuention and a stratageme of state conforme to dyuers other of like quality which many wyse

to seek the conquest of England wee haue donne sufficient diligence to diuert them from all cogitation therof But whatsoeuer may be thought of their maiesties intentions in this behalf which is not my intention here to defend nor treat of but to signify what hath ben our treaties or dealings with them sure I am that their Ma ties haue vpō dyuers occasions assured vs that their meaning was no other but only to seek reparation of wrongs dōne vnto them with the aduancement of Catholyke religion howsoeuer the quarrel should end eyther by extremity of warre or composition of peace for though the prosecutiō of the warre should proue more prosperous vnto them then wee imagined it could do yea and that the crowne of England might therby fall to their disposition yet they affirmed that theyr intentiō was no other then to restore and assure Catholyke religion there by establishing a Catholyke king with whome they might renew and perpetually hold the ancient leagues so long continued in tymes past betwyxt the two kingdomes of England and Castile to the mutual benefit of both And if it should so fal out that they should grow to treatyes of peace which was most lykely would be the conclusion of this warre sooner or later they promised to make instance to her Maiestie eyther for liberty of cōsciēce for Catholikes or at least for relaxsatiō of penal lawes ease of the present persecutiō Now then this being the resolution of their maiesties as they signified vnto vs consisting on two poynts the one no doubt in their owne opinions vncertayne and in ours altogeather vnprobable if not vnpossible as before I haue declared and the other most lykely in tyme to ensew especially considering the frequent ouertures these later yeres to a treaty of peace and the continual reports of her Maiesties propension nor only therto but also to giue some toleration to Catholikes any indifferent man may iudge which of these two poynts wee were more lyke to expect and solicit though wee should be as i● affected and vnnatural to our country as our aduersaries imagine who measuring our charity and zeale in religion by their owne fury and malice against vs persuade themselues that because they would if they were in our case wish and procure by all meanes possible our vtter ouerthrow ruin wee therfore do the lyke by them whereas wee following the doctrine and example of out Sauiour and his saynts in forgeuing our enemies and hartely wishing the conuersion of sinners do dayly and instantly pray to almighty God for them that it may please him of his infinit mercy to forgiue and illuminate them And although we desyre nothing more in our countrey then the extirpation of heresy and the restitution of the Catholyk fayth yet wee wish that it may please God to woork it by such sweet meanes that not only our monarky may stil retayne the former liberty dignity and honour that heatherto it hath had but also that no mannes finger may so much as ake for the same And whosoeuer doth note and regard with an indifferent eye the proceeding of such Catholykes as haue laboured most in our cause and especially of him whome our enemies do moste maligne and calumniate at this day I meane the proceeding of father Parsons in the erection and careful mayntenance of Seminaryes doth further consider the fruits therof and the progresse of Catholike religion in England of late yeres he can neither think that the fathers intentions tend to force of armes or violence of cōquest nor yet that our cause is in such desperat tearmes that wee neede to vse the swoord seing the force of the woord and apostolical preaching woorketh so good effect that wee may wel hope that heresy decaying dayly as it doth wil fall of it self within a whyle and that in the meane tyme our wyse gouernours noting the special woork hand of God therin how litle humain policy or rigour preuayleth against true religion wil not only moderate the rigorous cours hetherto held with Catholikes but also willingly receaue the light of truth for the which wee dayly pray to almighty God dayly wil. This then is the conquest that wee desyre and expect in England to wit a conquest of soules to God with the suppression of heresy iniquity to the end that the force of truth and piety may so captiuate and subdue the harts of all our countrymen that they may be freed from the bondage of the deuil wherin they liue and that the Catholyke Churche and our country withall may florish in the old manner to the glory of God saluation of infinit soules that dayly perish and thus much for this poynt Now forasmuch as I vnderstād that rumours are spred abroad and a conceyt or suspition bred thereby in the heades of many that the english Catholykes haue also solicited the Catholyke king to the late enterprise of Ireland I think good also to say somewhat concerning that point that I verely think no English Catholyke was acquainted therewith otherwise thē by comō fame or opinion seeing that neither F. Creswel nor my self both residing at the same tyme in the courte of Spaine nor Sir William Stanley who was also come thether vpon occasion of busynes were made priuy thereof which I ascrybe partly to the prudent manner of proceeding of those councelers who neuer impart any matter of impottance to any whosoeuer except to such as are necessarily to be employed therin partly to the circumspection that the Irish vse in their treaties in that court who considering that their affayres do no way perteyn to vs are wont not only curiously to conceale the same from vs but also to desyre the Kings ministers not to communicate them with vs. Of which smalle correspondence betwyxt vs and them in matters that concerne their country there muay now be sufficient testimony taken of Hugh Buy who hauing ben one of the most principal agents for Oneal Odonel in the court of Spayne and most gratful there as appeared by the reward giuen him at his departure thens passed neuerthelesse shortly after his returne to Ireland to the seruice of her Ma ie and therfore may testify if he be demaunded whether he treated with any Englishman in Spayne or was willing wee should be trusted with his affayres sure I am I think he wil witnes it that during the tyme of his negotiatiō there which was some moneths we neuer conferred togeather nor so much as saluted one another And veryly for our further purgation of all suspition in this matter I may wel say that if we had ben as badly affected in that cause as is conceaued and had ben consulted withall or list to haue intruded our selues to speak our opinions wee could neuer haue aproued the plot that was executed which any man may beleeue at