any money for them onely they must pay for the sawce which according to the custome of the faire they must haue or els they must haue no goose O happy day wherein that faire was first instituted and a secret discouered which no Catholike Kings or Prelats could euer attaine vnto And thrice happy are they who by the light as it should see me of that day did see to make that Statute in the third yere of the Archipres byterie of M. George Blackwell vidi preuaricantes c. 18. Octob. 1600 wherein al right to appeale to Rome being most Catholikely conserued the penalties therein conteined doe onely light vpon such as haue set their hands to that which is prefixed to the Appeale which is nothing els but the causes thereof without which according to the custome and Canons of holy Church the appeale is of no force and are therefore by name to be expressed as we haue before shewed out of the Clementine Appellantide Appellationibus Now it remaineth that we shew when and vpon what occasions the Statutes were made by which the prouisions from Rome and some Appeales to Rome were forbidden First concerning these prouisions there was a statute made either in the 30. or 35. or as some other affirme 25. Edward 1. which was aboue 300. yeeres since wherein it is agreed and established that they should not be suffered There was also the like statute made in the 25. yere of Edw. 3 to the like effect by which it was forbidden that any should be placed in any dignitie without the assent of the King The same is also forbidden in the Parliament holden in the 38. of the same King The occasions of enacting these statutes are set downe as well in that of the 25. of Edw. 1. as elsewhere the iustice of those which were made in the time of Edw. 3. is the more apparant by a letter which hee and his nobles sent in the 17. yeere of his reigne to his Hol. to haue redresse for such defaults as were in that kind committed The Letter was to this effect King Edward and his Nobles perceiuing the derogation that was done to the Realme by such reseruations prouisions and collations of benefices as the Pope practised here in England wrote to him requiring him that sith the Churches of England had beene founded and endowed by noble and worthy men to the end the people might be instructed by people of their owne language and that he being so farre off could not vnderstand the defaults yet his predecessors and hee more then had been vsed by diuers reseruations prouisions and collations made to diuers persons some strangers yea and some enemies to the Realme whereby the money and profits were carried forth their Cures not prouided for according to the founders minds they therefore vpon due considerations thereof signified vnto him that they could not suffer such enormities any longer and therefore besought him to reuoke such reseruations prouisions and collations wholly to auoid such slanders mischiefes and harmes as might ensue and that the Cures might be committed to persons meete for the exercises of the same beseeching him further without delay to signifie his intention sith they meant to bestow their diligence to remedie the matter and see that redresse might be had Giuē in full Parliament at Westminster 18. of May Anno Dom. 1343. Thus far out of Iohn Stow 17. Edw. 3. where he also citeth Auesburie and Honingford Secondly concerning the forbidding of the appeales to Rome we find a Statute made in the 27. of Edw. 3. against those who shall drawe any person in plea out of the Realme of a thing whereof the knowledge appertained to the Kings Court or of such things whereof iudgement was giuen in the Kings courts or should sue in any other courts to defeate or let the iudgements giuen in the Kings Court. To these and other Statutes to the like effect the author of the Apologie affirmeth that the Catholike Bishops neither did nor could assent But whatsoeuer may be said for or against this position concerning the appeales no man can in reason think but that they both might very well and did assent to those statutes which were made against the prouisions or bestowing of dignities in England without the kings consent the causes are so apparantly layd downe by the King and the Nobles for that abridging of his Holines his promoting whom he would and to what dignities hee would in England And thus much may be alledged in the behalfe of the consent of the spirituall Lords to the statute against those appeales That in the new great abridgement printed Anno 1551. there is this clause set to the end of some statutes But the spirituall Lords assented not to this statute And there is no such note set to any of these Statutes which we haue here cited It is also euident that these statutes were not made vpon any heate of emulation against the Clergie for as we finde that in the 38. yeere of King Edw. 3. the statutes against those prouisions made in the 25. and 27. of the same King are confirmed although there be some fauour giuen to the Lords and Prelats offendors so in the 39 yeere of the same King which was the next yeere after we find that the Clergie in England was in as great honour as any Clergie in the worlde as may be shewed by the offices which the Bishops and Priests had then in England For the Bishop of Canterbury was Lord Chancellour of England the Bishop of Bath was L. Treasurer the Archdeacon of Lincolne was Lord priuie Seale the Parson of Somersam was master of the Rolles ten beneficed Priests were masters of the Chancerie the Deane of S. Martins le grand was chiefe Chancellour of the Exchequer Receiuer and Keeper of the Kings Treasure and Iewels the Archd. of Northampton was Chancellor of the Exchequer a Prebendarie of S. Martins was Clerk of the priuie Seale a Prebendarie of S. Steuens was Treasurer of the Kings house the Parson of Auon or Oundell was master of the Wardrobe the Parson of Fenny Stanton was one of the Chamberlaines of the Excheq and Keeper of the Kings Treasury and Iewels Other of the Clergie are noted to haue ben in office also in France in Ireland as well as in England Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the fourth sonne of King Edward 3. hauing the gouernement of England committed vnto him in the time of his fathers last sickenesse which was in the 50. and 51. of his reigne disposed so farre of matters and offices as he conceiued some possibility to attaine to the Crown and to depriue his nephew Richard of Burdeaux who was sonne to the Blacke prince Edward the eldest sonne of King Edward the third But perceiuing that it would be hard for him to obtaine his purpose so long as the Church stood in that estate it did and the citizeens of London enioyed their liberties hee laboured to ouerthrow them both
contempt of temporall goods his conuersation was with those Religious that had no possessions and ioined himselfe vnto the begging Fryers approouing their pouertie and extolling their perfection Euident tokens that hee had left the state of a Secular Priest and ascended to some higher degree of perfection But as it should seeme he was neither Monke nor Frier but talis qualis such as he was or as other perchance who came after him although they follow him not in all things For as it appeareth in our Chronicles hee preached against Monkes and other religious men that had possessions and taught such doctrine as hee was condemned for it in the Council of Constance as an heretike and his bones were taken vp and burned as is beforesaid Whereby also this authour is proued to forget himselfe very much to number him amongst the Clergie which is generally taken for such as are not onely in Orders but liue also in vnitie of the faith Wherefore purposing to tell a tale of emulation in the Clergie against the Religious he should haue taken some other to haue prooued it then Wickliffe who also by his pretence no doubt of greater perfection had forsaken the state of a Secular Clergie man as appeared by his habit and conuersation To these falshoods and couert calumnies against the Secular Priests this deceit of this author may be added That whereas the Chronicles doe mention that not only Iohn Wickliffe but foure doctors of diuinitie also one of euery Order of the begging Fryers ioyning with him were imployed by Iohn of Gaunt in his grudge against Bish Wickham of Winchester in whose defence the B. of London not Arundell as this author affirmeth but Courtney speaking as became him to doe Iohn of Gaunt threatned him also and swore that he would pull downe both the pride of him and of all the Bishops in England this author mentioneth onely the Secular Priest as he termeth him without any mention of the orders of Religion which were also imployed Moreouer it soundeth very foolishly that Iohn of Gaunt would set Iohn Wickliffe against the Monkes vpon an emulation which hee had against the Bishops their estates depending so little vpon the estate of the Monkes as when all the Abbyes in England were put downe the Bishops remained in as great honour as euer they did And wheras it is further said that the Abbey lands were taken from the Monkes and giuen to the maintenance of the crowne by the same emulation of the Clergie against the Religious in the time of K. Henry the eight it is most false the Abbyes being then put downe by a change of Religion which had not the beginning vpon any such emulation as this author affirmeth but vpon the perswasion of Longland B. of Lincolne the Kings confessor fortified by Card. Wolsey viz. that his Highnesse mariage with the Lady Katherine his brother Prince Arthurs wife was vnlawfull and against the word of God whereby the King being induced to seeke a diuorce but crossed therein with the Pope by Charles the fift nephew of the Lady Katherine and some others as well of the Laytie as the Clergie both Secular and Religious here in England it wrought in the King such a dislike of his Holines and others as it procured not onely the ouerthrow of the Abbyes but such a change in Religion as since the world hath seene Of this alteration therefore if any emulation were the beginning it was an emulation in the Cardinall who dealt with B. Longland to perswade the King as is mentioned and afterward did second him with all his might himselfe against the Emperour for hindering him of the Popedome and neither the sister nor the mother to ambition as this author would haue it but her daughter But the greatest folly committed by this author in this his exordium is not yet touched and that is that among all other histories impertinent to the cōtrouersie in question he would make his choyse of one wherein himselfe if we are not deceiued is notoriously disciphered Iohn Wickliffe was a Secular priest being a priest and neither Monke nor Friar and no Secular priest as differing from them in habit and conuersing with the religious Mendicants vnder pretence of greater perfection His followers tooke no name of him as both Monkes and Friers do of their founders and Sectaries of their Masters but went vnder the name which the common people gaue them to wit Lollards He was vsed as an instrument by Iohn of Gant to bring that to passe which this Duke had long conceiued in his mind For he saw saith the Historie Ioh. Stow. sup that it would be hard for him to obtaine his purpose the Church standing in his full state c. Wherefore he laboured first to ouerthrow aswell the liberties of the Church c. And to this end did Iohn Wickliffe bestow his talents for he was not onely eloquent saith the historie but also seemed to contemne temporall goods for the loue of eternall riches c. This authour being in a state which once was of Secular priests now no state of Secular priests not because he will be taken for either Monke or Frier or goe barefoote as Iohn Wickliffe did and his followers or basely clothed for these are outward mortifications which of what edification soeuer they are yet are not worthy of that honour which is due to the inward mortifications which lie hid and are not seene by the corporall eye But because Pope Gregorie the 13. hath so declared it yet so as he being filius populi as people say hath no other name but what the people giue him he is imployed not by Iohn of Gant himselfe in his owne person for this great Duke died aboue 200 yeeres since but by Iohn of Gant in some of his posteritie who hath somewhat to bring to passe which he hath long conceiued in his mind for the effecting of which this godly Father is busied in the corrupting the Cleargie of England or the vtter ouerthowing it which at this present he and his doe worke by taking from them their good name and fame and making them odious without iust cause to the people And to the end that he would be knowen not to haue spent his time idlely in Wickliffe his schoole he hath not onely imployed his tongue but his pen also and in his first platforme of Reformation hath ordeined that none of the Clergie shall possesse any temporall liuings but shall liue vpon such pensions as shall to certaine of his company and some secular Priests ioyned with them in their wisedome seeme necessary for their maintenance But let vs now see whether this authour can fit himselfe better in the next point In the beginning also saith he of this Queenes dayes the little affection which the Laitie did beare vnto the Clergie procured by some vnquiet spirits as also the small vnion of diuers Clergie men among themselues some holding with the heretikes and politikes by beate of faction
discouered in his imploying of Hesket who was executed at S. Albones for his seruice done to the same F. Holt the Iesuit and other the plotters of the raising of the noble Ferdinand Earle of Darby to the Crowne of England by the assistance of Sir William Stanley and other such like After which the good Earle likewise enioyed his life but a little while but died an vntimely death in the prime of his age How farre forward this Owen also mentioned here might be in these actions we leaue it to men of vnderstanding he being pew-fellow with F Holt in the English affaires as it should seeme by this Author And certaine letters of his of the 5. of April 1596 doe shew euidently that he was a dealer with the Spanish faction against England And whereas this Author among other his impertinent stuffe doeth here gird at the dimission of M.D.B. out of the English Colledge at Rome to quit perchance the story of that infamous expulsion of F. Parsons out of Baliol Colledge in Oxford he hath made his answer to this and set it to M. D. Ely his notes vpon the Apologie But this is also here to be noted that he was sent into England very honourably and was admitted into the sodalitie of our Lady which was at that time a fauour so ioyned with those who were esteemed well of by the Iesuits as if any of that sodalitie had bene factious or behaued themselues contrary to their liking they were expelled or reduced to a kinde of Nouiceship as some Iesuits in England can testifie This also is certaine that the visitation of which there is mention made in this Apologie to haue bene about that time was long after his departure vpon an open breach and parts-taking in the Colledge betweene the Iesuits and many of the Students And thus much concerning Iohn of Gaunt Iohn Wickliffe the dissolution of Abbeyes in the time of King Henry the 8 the Q. Mary Priests the going to Church the emulation against the institution of the Seminaries the dealings of the Counsell by spies to further the diuision begun in and for the Seminaries the parting of some Gentlemen from D. Allen F. Parsons Sir Frances Englefield and the whole body of Catholicks vnited in certaine affaires of our Countrey more matters against the Seminaries the writings of G. G. and E. G. against D. Allen F. Parsons and the Iesuits the hinderance of D. Allen when he was to be made Cardinall and the setting vp of his emulator and the breaking foorth of all factions against the Iesuits in Rome Flanders and England Now we shall come to more domesticall affaires And first of all we must vnderstand that Fa. Parsons comming to Rome in the yeere 1597 made an end of those stirres which were betweene the English students and the Iesuits which we are not here to examine but referre the Reader to the particuler discourse which is made thereof That which concerneth vs here is the bold and vnshamefast assertion of this Author who to make a lewd entrance into a like relation he telleth his Reader that the association which was begun in England by the Priests was deuised by the relicks of the troublesome which F. Parsons had after his comming to Rome acquieted These are his words But the relicks of those that had bene troublesome and vnquiet before comming into England and conferring againe with their consorts of their former actions and designements frustrated as they thought by F. Parsons dealing at Rome resolued to begin againe but after another fashion to wit by deuising a certaine new Association among themselues with offices and prelacies of their owne institution where unto meaning to be chosen by voyces of such as they would procure to fauour them his Holines should be inforced afterward to confirme them c. What is it vpon which this audacious companion will not aduenture who so shamelesly will report a matter controllable by all the Catholicks in England who can witnes that this Association was begunne long before the yeere 1597 and consequently before Fa. Parsons came to Rome as may apparantly be gathered out of this place of the Apologie Yea Fa. Parsons himselfe as good proofe will bee made had vnderstanding of this Association when he was in Spaine and M. Iames Standish who was one of the first dealers therein was at Rome before Fa. Parsons came thither And could this fellow without a vizard publish that it was deuised by the relicks of those troublesome as hee termeth them whose designements were frustrated as they thought by Fa. Parsons dealing at Rome Is it not easily seene with what spirits assistance this is written when as this very same Author in the same booke Ca. 7. fol. 89. turneth this matter to M. Mush and an other vpon his returne from Rome the death of the Card. which was in the yeere 1594 and fol. 90. bringeth witnes of his owne that it begun about 4. or 5. yeres before a letter dated the 2. of May in the yeere of our Lord 1601 And fol. 96. the examination of Fisher conuinceth most plainely that it was begun before his being returned backe out of England in the yeere 1597 as appeareth fol. 93. Moreouer that which here in generall termes he calleth offices and prelacies of the Priests institution in the 7. Chap. fol. 90 he calleth a superioritie as it were of Archbishops the one for the South the other for the North which if it had bene so was no prelacie of these Priests institution as all Christendome will witnes But there was no such matter as M. Blackwell his pen will witnes which was vsed to proue how inconuenient it was for one to haue so great a charge neither can this Author proue that euer there was any thing intended but an order or rule vnder which who would might liue and those who would not might chuse And there is asmuch confessed in this Apologie Cap. 7. fol. 90 where wee finde in the letters of the sixe Assistants to the Nuntius in Flanders of the 2. of May 1601 that there were Chapters in the new constitutions of the Association of those that are to bee admitted or expelled Which is a demonstration that this fellow enlargeth himselfe too farre beyond the trueth in this point as also when he affirmeth that those relicks of the troublesome at Rome deuised a new Association in England with offices and prelacies of their owne institution as if they were Archbishops the one for the North the other for the South as Cap. 7. he explicateth himselfe and addeth here in this place a stranger conceit then was in all the rest that is that his Holines should be inforced afterward to confirme them For how this force should be offered to his Holines we do not vnderstand especially if it were true as it is as far from the trueth as that which we haue already shewed which fol. 90. is said that this Association was to the preiudice of others And
For the ruine of the Citie liberties he deuised that it should no more be gouerned by the Maior and Aldermen but by some Captaine appointed for the purpose And that the Marshall of England who then was a trustie friend of his and placed in that office by him should vse his authoritie as well in London and the liberties thereof as els where which the Commons taking in euill part rose together in great multitudes and in heate of emulation to vse this authors words sought the Duke and the Marshall with such fury as if the Bishop of London had not happened to appease them the Duke and the Marshall had not escaped them But when all was quiet and the best of the Citie for the common sort would not obey it had giuen such satisfaction as the king commanded the Duke tooke exceptions thereat affirming that they knew his minde and were not ignorant how to make satisfaction with which words sayth the historie the citizens were much troubled for quoth they among themselues hee would haue vs to proclaime him King but this shall neuer be done The way which hee tooke to ouerthrow the estare of the Church was by countenancing Iohn Wickliffe who by reason of an hypocriticall demeanour among the Common people had gotten an opinion of holinesse Hee had liued as a secular priest but afterward hee changed his habit and conuersed with the Friars mendicants Hee and his company went bare footed and in course russet garments down to the heeles They preached especially against Monkes and other religious men that had possessions and for this cause got in some fauour with the Religious who had no possessions and were assisted by them in that cause This Wickliffe being called before his Ordinary to answere for certaine wordes spoken by him was brought in by the Duke and the Marshal into S. Pauls Church in London and was bidden by them to sit downe as hauing much to answere which when the Bishop Courtney of London vnderstoode hee countermanded it Whereupon the Duke and the Marshall tooke occasion of anger against the Bishop and the Duke threatned to pull downe both the pride of him and of all the Bishops of England He had before caused all the goods of the Bishop Wickham of Winchester to be seized on and would not suffer him to make his answere and had persecuted others who had bene most vsed by his father in the gouernement of the Realme But shortly this Bishop had his temporalties restored vnto him by king Edward against the Dukes will and presently after the Duke and he were made friends at the very beginning of the reigne of King Richard the second who succeeded King Edward the third And this accord was not onely made betweene them but also betweene the Duke and the citie And thus ceased that heate of emulation so soone as it was begun and yet it began not vntill the 50 or 51 yeere of K. Ed. the 3 in whose 17 25 27 38 yeres of his reigne the statutes before cited were begun to be treated of made concerning the abridging of prouisions for dignities from Rome and the forbidding of Appeales in some cases to Rome besides what we brought concerning the first of these two points out of a statute made aboue 300 yeres since to wit in the 25 of Ed. the first By which it may appeare that it was treated concerning these points before Wickliffe rose how deceitfully these matters are layd vpon a heate of emulation against the Clergie And although in the 9 yere of the reign of K. Rich. the 2 there was a Bil put vp in the Parliament against the Clergy for their temporalties the King hearing sayth the story the inordinate cryings out of the Laity the iust answeres of the Clergy cōmanded that the bil should be cancelled such inordinate petitions to cease affirmed that he would preserue the church during his time in as good state as he foūd it or in better And the king being then not past 20 yeeres of age no doubt but his nobles counselled him in this his answere which is an argument that at that time the aduersaries of the Clergy did beare no great sway in England In the 18. yeere also of his reigne the Clergie and religious men being oppugned by certaine fauourers of those hypocritical Lollards the King being in Ireland certified therof hastened home and threatned those fellowes that if they did from thencefoorth fauour the Lollards or in any wise comfort them he would extreamly punish them By which it is euident that what was enacted or confirmed by him in the 16 yeere of his reigne which was two yeres before this or at other times concerning those points cannot bee construed to haue bene done by heate of emulation against the Clergie King Henry also the fourth who was sonne of Iohn of Gaunt and succeeded King Richard the second was so great an enemy to these Lollards as in the beginning of his reigne at a Parliament held in London he made a statute against them wherein it was enacted that they should be apprehended and deliuered to the Bishop of the Diocesse and if they were found obstinate they should be degraded and committed to the secular iurisdiction to be executed And in the fifth yere of his reigne when some to relieue his want made a motion in the Parliament to haue the Clergie depriued of their temporalties and Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterburie had giuen his reasons to the contrary the king and his Nobles stood for the Bishops and those knights of the parliament who were actors against the Clergie were brought to confesse their offence and to aske forgiuenesse thereof To conclude no one of these statutes were euer repealed by any of our princes Catholike or other which concerned those prohibitions of prouisions from Rome or pleading of matters out of this Realme the knowledge whereof did appertaine vnto the kings Court although some particular clause concerning the punishment of the offenders hath been repealed As for example where it was lawfull for any man or at the least not punishable by our lawes to kill such as were out of the kings protection or to be taken as the Kings enemies by offending against these statutes And in the first yeere of Queene Mary whom the Author of the Apologie will bee ashamed to number amongst the worst kings for according to the statutes of our Realme what prerogatiues soeuer any kings haue had they are to be vnderstood to be fully and wholly in the Queenes who come by succession to the Crowne when no doubt these statutes were in minde it was enacted that all offences made felonie or limitted or appointed to be within the case of Premunire by any act or actes of Parliament statute or statutes made sithence the first day of the first yere of the raigne of the late king of famous memory King Henry the eighth not being felony before nor within the case of Premunire
in Babylon saluteth you and no man doubteth but that he was then in Rome and meant no other then to write from Rome And shall wee say that hee gloried in vttering an vntrueth But whereas this fellow affirmeth that this booke was printed in London by the fauour of the Bishop and permission of his Purseuants he discouereth that which was neuer known vnto him who paid for the printing thereof as I haue beene before very credibly informed But to let passe these friuolous toyes and foolish exceptions which might be quitted with a reall falshood commonly vsed by the author of this Appendix in publishing his libels vnder the name of the vnited priests who poore fooles must beare all the blame thereof and runne thereby into perpetuall infamie I will shew what exceptions this absurd fellow taketh at the preface of the booke which he impugneth Out of the Preface hee hath picked a fewe sentences out of which hee gathereth certaine notes worthy himselfe as first that they are called the priests as if they were either far the greater part or the most eminent priests of all England Secondly that they affirme how that they haue set foorth two bookes in the necessarie defence of their good name and fame which necessitie he affirmeth to be no other then the force of their owne passions and telleth a tale of King Edward as he sayth or some former King Thirdly he noteth a comicall veine in the beginning of the Preface and that the priests doe descrie a stage spirit by mentioning fooles and physicians and morning and euening meditations which hee affirmeth that they did vse when they were vnder the Iesuits Fourthly he noteth more of this kind mingled also with some sauour of impietie in these words of the Preface The Iesuits might haue played with their Canons vpon such as resisted the Apostolicall decrees c. And a little after Fa. Lyster being alwayes ready with his Canon nullifas est c. Here loe who seeth not that these men sayth he by scoffing at Canons which are nothing els but Ecclesiasticall rules meane to liue vnder no rule at all c. Fifthly hee noteth that the same Fa Lyster who cited that Canon read both Philosophie and Diuinitie with great commendations in other countreys Sixtly hee citeth a sentence of which he misliketh both the style and the phrase Concerning the first note or exception sufficient hath bene said and how that the greater part in a communitie may be mislead and the part which hath iustice for it deserueth the title of the whole for that in Courts of conscience and iustice the faultie although otherwise far exceeding in number is accompted either the lesser part or no part at all but onely as a faction against them who haue the trueth on their sides which hath bene declared by the Cardinals of the Inquisition and his Holines also to be with the lesser part of the priests To the second exception it is replied that no man of any sense can deny but that the most impious slanders which the Iesuits the Archpr. and their seditious adherēts did raise against the priests were a great necessitie for the priests to set out their books yea after their appeale was made vnto his Holines because these fellowes desisted not from their wickednes but persecuted the Appellants and the more eagerly for this fact of their appellation labouring in all places to defame them and abridging them of their charitie as they call it which otherwise such of the Appellants as either in prison or elswhere are in want were wont to receiue for their reliefe And as for his tale of King Edward the Confessor or some former King it is not his fortune as I thinke to thriue with his tales First because how commendable soeuer a touch of a comicall vaine may be in serious or graue matters yet it is absurd in him who shall vse it and yet finde fault therewith in the very same matters as this fellow doeth in his thirde exception which I haue noted Secondly because his tales are returned vpon himselfe much more fitly then he deliuereth them against his aduersary He remembred a story that is recorded in one of our ancient writers either of King Edward the Confessor or some former King who being complained vnto by a certaine woman with great vehemencie that an other had called her skold she being conuented and not able to proue it she was cōdemned to prison but she replyed saying well then I must to prison not for that I haue spoken vntrueth but onely for lacke of a witnes Wherewith the king being mooued saide In good scoth I thinke you haue reason and that in this matter I may bee your witnesse for that this woman in accusing you and defending herselfe hath prooued her selfe a very skold in deed Thus saide the King and the parable needeth no great application for mee thinke euery man will vnderstand it and our brethren are like to haue the same successe in the ende if wee bee not deceiued which wee leaue to the euent and triall Thus farre the tale of the skold and in the very next wordes he blameth a Comicall veine in so graue a subiect as this is But to the skold This Authour leaueth the parable as he termeth it to euery man to vnderstand it and if it be not vnderstood as he would it should he is to blame himselfe would propound such parables and would not expound them This skold I take to be Fa. Lyster the Iesuit and in him his fellow Iesuits and the Archpr. with his faction who mainteined that treatise of schisme and infinite other slanders and wicked actions against the other priests who being many wayes put to silence as hauing their complaint by appellation not admitted and commanded not to name it wherein they had bene most iniuriously slandered do somewhat resemble therein the woman who could not proue the skolde to be a skolde But if king Edward the Confessor or any other king if not so saint-like yet not altogether senselesse would take that treatise Of schisme and attentiuely reade it he cannot but see a singular president for all the skolds which should for euer after succeed First the very title of the treatise doth shew that it was made by a skolde for this it is Aduersus factiosos in Ecclesia Against the factious in the Church and this word factious is often vsed but because it is not significant enough in the third paragraffe toward the end thus he proceedeth Sed adeant nugaces isti ac in theologia homunculi vllam rempublicam c. that is But let these triflers and pigmies in diuinitie goe to any common wealth c. Who would haue thought that F. Lyster a Iesuite would haue growen to such an insolencie against priests whereof some were his fellowes in studies some so farre his ancients as they might haue bene his Masters in diuinitie and many more of them might haue excelled him were he a
Iesuits it is a meere mockery as may appeare by the letter it selfe for so much as is set downe to this purpose in this Apologie cap. 2. fol. 11. where we find these words I haue heard to my great griefe that there is not that good correspondence betweene the Fathers and other priests I cannot tell vpon what discontentment c. But whereof soeuer it commeth it is of the enemie and with all possible discretion and diligence by the wiser sort on both sides to be rooted out or els it wil be the ruine of the whole cause c. And therefore in this point especially M. Mush be earnest and peremptory with all parties and euery one in particular c. By which we vnderstand not how it may rather be gathered that there was a factiō by the Secular priests against the Iesuits then that there was a faction by the Iesuits against the Secular priests neither is here any relation to any former speech had with him as doubtlesse there would haue bene had M. Mush giuen any such information to him but rather the contrary as may be gathered by these wordes I haue heard to my great griefe c. which argueth that this was put into his head by some other that this being before layd for a groūd they might afterward build thereon to their owne best liking nothing at any time being accounted so much their honor and glory as others falling out which howsoeuer they doe vnderhand nourish it while they would seeme to remedy it maketh them wise and charitable purueyours for the common cause and what not good men beeing as innocent of these broyles and diuisions as Sinon was of the betraying of Troy Moreouer it may appeare by this letter that the Car. had a very great good conceit of M. Mush who would employ him in a matter in which lay the ruine of the whole cause and therefore willed him to be earnest yea and peremptory with all parties His good affection was also shewed in that at his cōming into England he perswaded the Pope to giue vnto him very speciall faculties and power to name at his returne into England to a certaine number who hoc ipso should haue the like And yet this author is not ashamed in this place to set downe to his discredit these words Hauing bene with the Cardinall at Rome and hauing done some euill offices as is presumed c. the Card. perceiuing his humour wrote most effectually to him and by him to others against this diuision and faction but little preuailed And in the margent there is a note of the aboue cited letters which as they are set downe in the Apologie are a most absurd instance to proue thus much as is here presumed of the Cardinals sinister conceit of M. Mush as that it was farre from trueth which was auowed that the Cardinall was disunited from the Fathers before he died For thus this author maketh his tale hang together But it litle preuailed as now appeareth onely it may serue to prooue how false and farre from trueth it is which he M. Mush and others of his faction doe auow in their bookes that the Cardinall was disunited from the Fathers before he died for that he said as they relate that when he should be dead farre greater troubles and oppositions would fall out against the Iesuits which may be true for that he saw so much emulation against them by Libertines and factious people already begun in his time which yet were reteined somewhat from breaking forth by this authoritie while hee liued But the Cardinall liuing yet sixe moneths longer what proofe could this letter be that hee was not disunited from the Iesuits before he died Or what proofe is it of any such vnion to the Iesuits when he writ it as it could not be likely that hee was disunited before he died he willeth Master Mush to be earnest and peremptory with all parties in which words the Iesuites are included aswell as the Secular priests and consequently the Cardinall was peremptorily conceited that somewhat was amisse in the Iesuits or else hee would not haue bene so bold with them as he might vpon any small occasion with the Secular of whom he had a particular charge To our remembrance also the words of the Cardinall related vnto vs were not those which are here cited to wit that when he was dead farre greater troubles and oppositions would fall out against the Iesuits but that there would be very great troubles by the Iesuits their ambitious courses bad carriages towards the Secular priests And this gloze that he foresaw so much emulation against them by Libertines and factious people is piously made by this authour that the reader should be out of doubt what spirit it is which doeth assist him in the making of this his necessary Apologie But the good Cardinall being dead in the yeere 1594 all factions saith this fellow brake out together against the Iesuits destitute now of the Cardinals assistance c. This Author mistaketh the matter For after the Cardinals death the Iesuits began their raigne in euery place where any English were resident as at Rome and in England especially at Wisbich where through the folly of the Lay Catholicks they had greatest hope to preuaile first and afterward to haue an easier conquest of the rest The stirres troubles of Rome are particularly to be set downe in a discourse thereof whither wee are to referre the Reader The stirres in England began at Wisbich by the insolencie of the Iesuits there in durance F. Weston F. Buckley F. Bolton and others who had deuoted themselues particularly to their order or passed their vowes in secret And to effect this the better the Lay gentlemen by whose charitie the Castle had bene relieued were dealt withall by the Iesuits or their factious adherents to withdraw their charitie from all those who would not subiect themselues to F. Weston the Iesuit by whose instructions it is most falsly here auowed that the company had liued a Collegiall and religious maner of life for before hee came thither they liued indeed in such sort but after his comming his ambitious humor disturbed the whole house as it is set downe in a booke already published of The stirres at Wisbich And as for the stirres which were in the Low-countries the cause is here in patt set downe by the Author of the Apologie to wit that Fa. Holt and M. Hugh Owen were deemed partiall against some and did not further them for the getting of their pensions But as it should seeme these two had some intent in which because those other would not ioyne with them they were accompted as factious and not worthy of the Spanish charitie F. Holt was sufficiently knowen to haue bene a notorious actor in the yeere 1588. and was not without cause thought through his folly to haue bene the cause of the death of the duke of Parma His treacherie was afterward better