heard them say that it was lawfull to kill the king for that hee was out of the Romish church and that it was not lawfull to obey him nor holde him for king vntill he shoulde be approoued by the pope Hée affirmed the same likewise in his second examination and for that wicked attempt was executed Ghineard did not onelie allow and praise the execrable murder committed by Iames Clement a Dominican frier vpon Henry the third but also affirmed That Henry the fourth if hee were not killed in the warres must bee killed otherwise and in diuers bookes and papers written by him prooued That it was lawfull to kill kings declared by the Pope to bée out of the church Finallie for this wicked doctrine the Iesuites were b In the monument erected in Paris banished France As a pernitious sect teaching that it was lawfull for any to kill kings and as it is conteined in the arrest against them As perturbers of peace and enimies of kings Christ neuer taught subiectes to breake their faith giuen to their princes nor to rise in armes against them nay the ancient Christiās albeit they neither c Tertullian apologet ad Scapulam wanted meanes nor opportunity yet did they neuer go about to take away the crowne from eyther infidels or apostataes or heretickes but rather obeyed them and prayed for them But Iesuites they hould that it is lawfull for subiectes to take armes and to rebell against their princes and teach that the pope hath power to loose them from the bond of their allegiance This doctrine Parsons and Campian meant to haue practised in England And Claudius Matthew anno 1585 did practise in France being a principall worker of that rebellion that was made against Henry the third The rebelles of Paris that held out against their kings were principally directed and comforted by Comolet and other Iesuites Nay when mony victuals grewe scarce in Paris yet woulde not the Iesuites suffer the rebelles to giue ouer but rather came into the trenches and brought with them of their owne store to giue to the soldiers By the practises of this seditious sect the cities of Perigueux Agen Tholose Verdun and diuers others tooke armes against the king In Scotland all late stirres haue béene raysed by the practise of Crichton Gourdon and Haies Iesuites Neyther is any thing doone in the rebellion of Ireland but by their direction and counsell Christ neuer taught children to shew themselues vnnaturall and vnkinde to their parents or women froward and rebellious to their husbandes But these steale children from the parentes and conuey them where they are neuer more heard of as is apparent by the example of Airault of Angiers his sonne and infinite others In Friburg they perswaded the women to deale with their husbandes to entertaine a practise against the cantous of contrary religion and when they could not otherwise obtaine it by the counsell of Iesuites they refused to lye with their husbandes The first Christians were examples of méekenesse bounty liberality to the poore of gentlenesse and clemency and all virtue These counterfeit Christians that call themselues Iesuites are proud hauty disdainfull couetous cruell vindicatiue While they perswaded the Duke of Bauier to go on foote to visite the reliques of some saint these gallantes road in wagons The princesse of Tyrole built the Iesuites a house hard by hers but it was not long before they had gotten into the princes palace and thrust her into their owne meane house Likewise did they exclude the bishop of Herbipolis out of a church which himselfe had built for them They encroch not onely vpon the liuinges of secular priestes and take away their tithes and prebendes but also vpon all other regular orders They aduance themselues and despise others those that confesse themselues to other priestes they accompt litle better then Atheistes In Milan they onely beare the sway in hearing womens confessions and did the like at Venice vntill they were forbidden By meanes of their confessions they haue drawne to themselues excéeding great riches empouerishing many rich houses and leauing little to the widowes and orphanes Maldonat a Iesuite of Paris caused the president Monbrum S. Andrè through his perswasions in confession to giue the Iesuites all his mooueables and halfe his reuenues The president Goudran of Dijon making his testament by their practises gaue onely halfe a crowne to his sister and to the colledge of Iesuites seuen thousand pounde French money in rent In Bordeaux they haue ruined the house of Bollans and impaired the state of the house of Large baston They haue gotten into their societie the onely brother of the Marques of Canillac lieutenant of the king in Auuergne In the countrey of Grisons they haue perswaded a seely old man called Lamberting to sell all hée had and to take their habite who gathering twentie thousand duckats ment to giue all to them from his onely daughter So cruell they are that they spare none that is repugnant to their purposes Maffaeus complained that the elder Iesuites managed all matters absolutely but hée was sent for his labour into Portugall They brought Harbort and Glisel two famous preachers in Vienna in danger onely enuying their excellencie How many they haue vpon small causes brought into the Inquisition the recordes testifie It is death to speake a word against them One Lupus a Franciscane in Milan calling them False prophets escaped hardly with his life Cardinal Borrhomeus restreining their encrochments was by them accused before the pope Of their forced chastitie what fruites insue I referre me to the report of Hazenmyller and others that haue liued amongst them I hope they do no otherwise then other monkes before them And if they had béene so chaste as they pretend the Venetians woulde not haue dissolued the colledge of yoong gentlemen in Padua where these fellowes were teachers and regents for auoiding of publike scandale Neither hath the Noddy our aduersary either iust exception to auoide this accusation or witte to cleare his Clients Gretzerus hath long trauailed to purge his companions of this slaunder but all in vaine And therefore small reason hath this petit companion to attempt that wherein his betters haue failed But séeing he hath gone about to face out matters let vs consider of his allegation In defence of the Iesuites of Paris charged with the allowance of the act of Iohn Chastel that attempted to murder king Henry the fourth he saith That the said Iohn Chastell examined vpon the torture constantly denied that any Iesuite liuing was priuy to his intention of killing the king or had giuen him therein counsell courage or instruction and that his father beeing examined did likewise deny it But the recordes of his examination which are yet to be séene do affirme flat contrary as before I haue shewed And the sentence of the court of parliament of Paris doth plainely porport that this fact was attempted by the Iesuites counsell and instruction
Fourthly after the decay of the Romaine empire for a while Christian religion began to flourish in Rome and that citie of a wicked citie became the church of God But after the desolation of Babylon or new Rome it shall be made The habitation of diuels and the hold of all foule spirits and a cage of vncleane and hatefull birdes Which must néedes be vnderstoode of the destruction of Rome vnder the pope Diuers other reasons also are alleaged in a late treatise a Lib. 5. de pontif Rom. siue eius apost c. 11. De apostasia Pontificis Rom. that most apparently shewe that Rome as it is the seate of the pope is that Babylon and that beast with seauen heades of which Saint Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation Hauing talked his pleasure of Rome and Babylon b P. 94. the Warder with many idle wordes returneth backe to talke of his déere father the pope which sheweth that Babylon and antichrist are of néere affinitie and cannot well bée sundred But what hath hée to say of the pope Forsooth it gréeueth him much that hée shoulde bée called The proud priest and arch-prelate of Rome And yet sir Francis hath therein done him great fauour For if wée will rightly estéeme hée neither deserueth the name of priest nor arch-prelate nor bishop hauing giuen ouer all priestly and bishoplike function and occupying himselfe about worldly affaires and his terrestriall kingdome which to erect hée ouerthrew the empire the whole strength of Christendome and gaue leisure to the Turke to rauage so many christian prouinces and to maintaine it hée hath caused the destruction of infinite Christian people And calling him Proud and Ambitious yet he doth him no wrong For hee taketh to himselfe diuine power and authoritie in his commandements and iudgements and aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God Hée taketh on him also power to canonize saints and to giue diuine honors to others and beareth himselfe as lord of the Calendar of saints Hée is borne high on mens shoulders and maketh great princes to attende on him like squires or pages giuing his toe to kisse for a speciall fauour Neither doth hee content himselfe to bée called lord of lordes and Christes Vicar but will néedes bée called c C. satis dist 96. God at the least honored as God on the earth Hée aduanceth himselfe high aboue all earthly princes and presumeth to depose them and take away their kingdomes at his pleasure Oh that Christian princes woulde open their eies and consider how by his pride he hath abused the honor of kinges and troden the maiestie of the emperor and other christian magistrates vnder féete Hée is also greatly offended that the pope is called Bloody monster and in great sadnesse telleth vs That wee must not speake euill of the prince of the people and alleageth the law that condemneth him to death that spoke euill of his father But the â—eely fellow shoulde haue remembred that wée haue shewed him to bee neither the prince of Gods people nor a friend of Gods people And hee himselfe hath declared howe vnwoorthie hée is of the name of father that seeketh to murder and ruinate his children Nay hée is the father of lies heresies wicked practises and of all that either by wicked doctrine or trecherous practise seeke the destruction either of the church or of this state When William the conquerour came against England the pope a Matth. Paris in Wâ—llelm conquest blessed his banners Another pope sent his blessing to the French that in king Iohns time inuaded this countrey Paule the third by all meanes hée could sought the ouerthrow of our nation in king Henrie the eights daies stirring vp forreine enimies abroad and wicked rebels at home to hurt vs and to destroy our countrey Of late time Pius Quintus Gregorie the thirtéenth and Sixtus Quintus haue not onely brought the Spaniards vpon vs but also wrought diuers rebellions in England séeking if they could vtterly to ruinate this state And as they haue done in England so haue they procéeded in France and in the Lowe countries and by their rebellions and practises haue brought to destruction diuers millions of Christians In summe if wée please to read histories we shall finde that the popes are the onely firebrands and enflamers of all the warres of Christendome which Machiauel in his b Lib. 1. Florentine historie doth in plaine termes confesse And haue not wée then reason to call the pope bloodie monster c In Gregorio 6. Platina calleth thrée popes for their cruelties shewed one to another and for their wickednesse Tria teterrima monstra And shall not wée that haue farre greater cause to doe so call them by their names But saith hée More bloud hath beene shedde in London for religion in one yeere then in all the popes territories this twentie It is also maruell that hée saith not that lambes are more cruell then woolues For hée is ashamed of nothing This which hée héere writeth is a most shamelesse and impudent slander For hée cannot shew that for popish religion any at all hath béene executed to death Papists I confesse to the number of some fiftie or thréescore haue béene executed but they were such as either practised treasons at home or came from forreine enimies abroad to the entent to worke mischiefe against the state Who albeit they were woorthily put to death for their offences yet the pope that sent them and set them on is to answere for their blood Compare then the number of those that haue béene massacred in France and executed in Flaunders and that haue by the crueltie of Inquisitors béene done to death in diuers places of Christendome and you shall sée that the pope and papacie is that bloodie purple whoore whose vestures are redde with the blood of saints and whose cruelties haue farre surmounted all other tyrants Now least he should séeme to speake without booke he layeth on his aduersary with textes of scriptures and saith That euery soule should be subiect to higher powers and that there is no power but of God and how he that resisteth power resisteth Gods ordinance And of this he would inferre that those stand in bad tearmes That resist and reuile the pope But all this maketh much against the pope that hath shaken off his princes yoke and stirreth vp rebelles to resist lawfull princes promising them his blessing for their wicked and cursed treasons For the pope this allegation is most fond and sencelesse For it canne neuer be prooued that the popes tyrannicall gouernement both in church and common wealth is of God Let any learned papist for our aduersary is but a séely Noddy shew that the popes gouernement and fulnesse of power which he claimeth ouer all churches is of God Let him also prooue that God hath giuen him an earthly kingdome and authority to depose princes to translate kingdoms to raise warres and rebellions and to cut the throte of Christians
Peter descended to the pope of Rome Fourthly the aduersaries themselues cannot prooue this succession by any such infallible and certaine deduction as is pretended Wherefore vnlesse this Noddy can shew first that the pope hath succéeded Peter in the generall charge of apostolicall gouernment and teaching throughout the worlde and secondly that the pope is a true bishop pastor and successor of Peter and thirdly that neither the bishops of Antioch nor Caesarea nor Ioppe nor Lydda where Peter taught nor any saue the bishops of Rome succéeded in Peters seate and fourthly that the popes authoritie in giuing lawes in censures exactions dispensations iudgements was generally allowed and neuer contradicted and finally that he still holdeth the apostolike doctrine and faith intirely and admitteth no heresies nor false opinions in religion vnlesse I say he prooue all this he is at the end of his reckoning for the popes authoritie and sheweth himselfe to bée but a vaine babler and a foolish challenger that euen in the midst of danger conueieth himselfe out of the steccato And I do much woonder that all true Christians do not suspect this manner of procéeding and detest the pride and vanitie of this discourser that leaueth his miserable disciples more perplexed then before For he teacheth that vpon paine of damnation they must subiect themselues to the popes authoritie and yet when it commeth to the iumpe he is neither able to iustifie the popes authoritie in making and dissoluing lawes nor in ordering bishops throughout the worlde nor in iudging of controuersies nor authorizing the scriptures nor in dispensing in cases reserued nor in deposing princes nor in raising warres and handling both the swords and such like matters Nay he is not able to prooue that he is Peters true successour or a lawfull bishop He teacheth subiects to rebell and setteth princes to murder Christians and blinde papists blindely obey and yet no warrant can the popes proctor bring to iustifie the popes strange desseines and dooings Onely he endeuoureth in the last end of his pleading for the pope to shew That this land ought especially to respect the sea of Rome for beeing twise conuerted from paganisme to Christian religion and that first by Eleutherius then by Gregory the first which were both bishops of Rome And here he triumpeth and thinking that he hath satisfied his reader with an exquisite and delicate dish at the ending of his papall banquet he taketh away the table and biddeth all his guests Proface and à dieu But if his readers be not more wary while they thinke to be fed with holesome meat they are like to be gulled which googeons This gull certes in this his catastrophe séemeth to haue no other purpose For first it is a méere fable to say that this land was conuerted from paganisme either by the one or by the other of these two For Christianity was in England long before Eleutherius time and stories say he did onely and that by his deputies christen king Lucius And when Augustine the monke came to the Saxons the Britons long before that were Christians Secondly neither did Eleutherius nor Gregory preach the faith here nor giue much aide to the conuersion of the people of this land Onely Eleutherius sent Eluanus and Meduinus two Britons otherwise called Fugatius and Damianus to king Lucius and Gregory sent Austin the monke hither But the Saxons were conuerted by certaine Britons and French that could speake the Saxon language and not by Austin that could do nothing but hould the crosse like a crosier-clerke whiles others preached Thirdly albeit this land had béene conuerted by Eleutherius and Gregory yet this is but a personall fauour rather making vs beholding to those two then to those that succéeded them To prooue that we owe any obedience to the sea of Rome for that cause this argument is all too weake For the church of Rome was first conuerted by those that came from Ierusalem yet doth not Rome yéelde any obedience to the bishops of Ierusalem Nay they haue forgotten Saint Paul whome we are assured preached at Rome and do all depend of Peter Likewise the Phrysons and Germanes were conuerted by Saxons out of England yet do they not subiect themselues to the church of England Fourthly the late popes of Rome haue béene alwayes beholding to the kings and people of this country One king gaue the tribute of peter pence others gaue them great priuiledges and authority by which meanes they drew out infinite treasure out of England Bonner a In praefat in lib. de ver obed saith that the reuenues of the pope out of England were equall to the kings reuenues In requitall whereof the popes haue b Matth. Paris sent to our princes either glasses or feathers or rotten bones or paper lead and such like toies Adrian the fourth gaue to our princes a title to Ireland which he had no power to giue Innocent the fourth to king Henry the thirdes sonne gaue a bare title to the kingdome of Naples which cost infinite treasure in the end prooued a méere mockerie Other popes haue shewed theÌ„selues alwaies opposite to the English nation to the kings of this realme No sooner had the pope intelligence that William of Normandie was purposed to come with a puissant armie to conquer this lande which coulde not be done without great waste wracke and slaughter but hée c Matth. Paris caused his standard and ensignes to bée halowed and blessed So much did it please him to heare of an inuasion of our countrey and so holy a thing did warre and waste of this kingdome séeme vnto him Another pope did vpholde Thomas Becket and his rebellious consorts against king Henry the second fauored his professed enimies and in the end forced him to a most shamefull penance d Matth. Paris in Ioanne Innocent the thirde thundred out his excommunications against king Iohn and stirred vp forreine enimies against him Neither did he euer cease to pursue him vntill such time as he had made both the king himselfe and as much as in him lay all his people tributarie to forreiners At which when the Nobilitie and people of England repined the furious pope in great choler e Ibidem sent out his interdictions excommunications and curses against them and neuer ceased to pursue them as long as he had meanes to hurt them In the warres which the kings of England made in France for the obteining of their right in that kingdome the popes crossed them by all meanes possible and declared themselues vtter enimies to our nation being glad of any calamitie that hapned to vs and sorrowfull for our good successe But neuer did anie declare more malice against any of our kinges then Paule the third against king Henry the eight the Quéenes most noble father as appéereth by his most execrable a D. Sanders de schâ—sm lib. 1. bull which he published against him For therein hée doth not onely curse
by the popes demandes to the king that could not be effected without greater authority by the propositions made by king Philip to the counsell to enlarge his power and release the rigour of the conditions whereto he was tyed by the kings secret working to draw ouer Spanish soldiers and his practises to possesse himselfe of the nauy and the principall portes and fortresses of this kingdome by wordes commonly giuen out by the testimony of Sir Francis Englefeld if he were aliue and would say truth and also of diuers others of the nobility by the ambitious humors of the Spaniard and finally for that otherwise his aduancement by this mariage would haue amounted to nothing And if in the low countries where he is but duke or earle he hath sought to be an absolute king we may not doubt of his purpose in England where he had the title of king and possessed the Quéene Where the letter saith That king Philip meant to haue altered the counsell to possesse the hauens to make new fortes to furnish them with his owne men to change the common lawes to bring in the Spanish inquisition and Spanish lawes and to impose strange taxes vpon vs after the fashion of Spaine he thinketh it sufficient to answere first That no such thing was attempted by him and secondly That all this was prouided for in the conditions of his mariage with the Queene But his slender surmises are all too weake to crosse such violent purposes For albeit béeing preuented by the hand of God that tooke away the Quéene he could not put matters in execution yet doth it not follow that he neuer had any such purpose or intention Againe it is a fond thing to imagine that the king could be tyed with wordes and conditions when experience teacheth vs that neither promises nor othes nor lawes of God nor lawes of nations could bridle his ambition He was a Guicciardin de paesi bassi precisely sworne to obserue the priuiledges and lawes of the low countries Yet did he obserue none but contrary to all order change the councell of estate bring in the inquisition and enlarge the authority of the ecclesiasticall state erect citadelles place garrisons and impose strange taxes vpon the people And if the Duke of Alua did this by his direction in the low countries no doubt but he would haue doone the same himselfe in England if he had atteined his purpose and had not béene crossed by the Quéenes death And that this was his full intention we haue already shewed by diuers argumentes beside the testimony of the letter These therefore are no bugges nor imaginations but true collections grounded vpon principles of state and the kings actions Héereby also we may gather that we were happily deliuered from the thraldome of the Spaniard more grieuous then the thraldome of Egypt as their rigorous dealing with them of the low countries may plainely enforme vs. Where among strange taxes imposed by the Spaniards one is mentioned most strange That the subiect payeth for euery chimney and others are noted as not common that some pay by the poll and all pay for their victuals so that a man cannot eat but the king must be paid as if he were a common host as indéede he kéepeth a common tauerne in his court after a base fashion that a man cannot drinke but the king will gaine somewhat our aduersarie wondreth That any should publish such childish toyes But the Spaniardes and the kings subiects in other places do find that the burthens are so heauy that neither children nor yet men are able to beare them And albeit there is percase some error in the particulars yet the sum is not much mistaken For throughout the kings dominions a tribute or taxe is paid for all things bought and sould in the market Neither is any marchandise exported or brought into the country or passed from place to place but there is a custome paid Of late there is a tribute exacted not onely for euery Hanega of corne ground at the mill but also for salt Neither are the countries of Biscay Arragon Nauarre Catalonia or Valentia so frée as our aduersary pretendeth In Flanders according to the Spanish stile the duke of Alua imposed a tenth and twentieth part vpon all the kings subiectes a tribute neuer exacted in the Turkish dominions Now then if the king exact such payments vpon his owne frée subiectes in what case are they like to be that he shall vanquish with his sword Where it is declared in the letter That the king purposed to roote out the nobility of England and to bring the commons to beggery and to sell all not aboue twentie yeeres ould for slaues our aduersary doth terme this narration sottish and impudent and asketh How this beeing contriued in England could be discouered by one in Spaine But whatsoeuer termes the relation doth deserue certaine it is that this manner of procéeding is most inhumane and barbarous and not so improbable as the warder would make it For first we may not thinke that the haughty minde of the Spaniard could either be content with a simple reuenge of wrongs or conteined within the boundes of common lawes and customes Secondly we know that the popes malice is so great against such as spurne at his authority that he stirreth vp all the world against them and Giueth them for slaues to those that canne take them as a Sander de schism lib. 1. Paule the third did giue the English in Henry the eight his daies Thirdly it is most notorious that in the Indiaes they haue practised all these barbarous cruelties so that they haue almost dispeopled diuers countries that were very ful of people at their first comming thither Fourthly the example of our neighbours of the low countries that liue vnder the Spanish yoke and haue their nobility eyther extinct or debased and their liberties abolished and liue in great slauery may shew vs some part of their purposes and as it were the plot of their gouernement Lastly in their fléete that came against vs anno 1588. beside store of halters and fetters prouided to bind our poore countrymen that should be taken prisoners and were already taken in conceit there were found in Don Pedro de valdez his ship diuers engines and irons to marke such as should be taken for slaues Adde héereunto the testimony of him that wrote the letter out of Spaine mentioned by Sir Francis and did vnderstand by good intelligence the resolution of the Spaniards in this point and wée shall not néede to make question but that this was indéed intended and resolued against our nation Neither coulde hée reueale this secret vnlesse it had come to his notice which might by diuers meanes come to passe For albeit the king hatched this purpose first within his owne brest yet was the same communicated to others and so made knowne in Spain to those that shoulde concurre in the execution of it Such abominable treasons God would
the subiects from their oath of obedience and forbiddeth his adherents any longer to obey her And I thinke no papists dare refuse to obey him if he vrge them and commaund them vnder paine of his curse Secondly Campians and Parsons faculties do shew that whensoeuer the popes Bull can be put in execution then all papists are bound to concurre in the execution of it Thirdly Morton was sent to stirre a rebellion in England and effected his purpose The like was done in Ireland first by Nicholas Saunders and lately by Archer and other Priests Which sheweth that they will do the like in England whensoeuer occasion and meanes shall be offered Nay they apparantly professe in a treatise called aduertisment des catholiques Anglois that they committed a great fault in submitting themselues to her Maiestie pour s'estre soubsâ—â—is à vne princesse heretike and in that they did not take armes against her Fourthly Cardinall Allen as the Spaniards came by force so went about with his wicked letters and perswasions to worke a rebellioÌ„ in which act Parsons Holt other priests also coÌ„curred Fiftly Parson by setting forth first the Scottish title then entitling the Earle of Darbie last deceased and lastly in his Treatise set out in Dolâ—â—ans name for the Infantaes right endeuoureth nothing els but to worke sedition and rebellion as a a A discouerie of a counterfeit conference priest of his own side doth charge him calling his worke a bloody deuise and as his dealing with the yoong priests that come ouer into England doth plainly declare And albeit they be not acquainted with the particulars yet can they not be ignorant that some generall mischiefe is intended against the state being commanded so ofteÌ„ in their deuotions to say pater noster and aue Maria for the furthering of some good intention or rather treason of the recâ—or of the Romish colledge Nay b The discouery of Campian his fellowes Monday doth directly charge Parsons for preaching openly in the colledge seditiously against the Quéen and saith that their coÌ„mon argument is how mischief may be wrought against the state Sixtly the doctrine of Iesuites is notoriously knowne viz that it is lawfull for the Pope to depose princes and for subiects to rebell against them Lastly the rebellion of Leaguers in Fraunce much sharpened and furthered by English papists doth sufficiently teach vs c AduertismeÌ„t des catholiques Anglois A treatise tending to perswade the French to embrace the league what Iesuites and priests will do here if order be not taken Cardinall â—olet that well knew their purposes and was sometime a Iesuite said that Iesuites would set all Christendome in coÌ„bustion if they were not preuented But his libertie of spéech cost him his life as some popish priests sticke not to d In their discourses against the Iesuits affirme 9 It is also most notorious that they haue stirred vp forraine enemies against the prince and state Sixtus quintus in his declaration published against her Maiestie doth openly professe that at the earnest solicitation of certaine principall cacolike Englishmen he proceeded against her maiestie and had enioyned the Spanish king to execute his Bull and to come with great forces against England Allen also in his most traiterous letters to the Nobility and people of England and Ireland doth confesse so much Neither did the Spanish king any thing but at the motion of Englefeld Allen and Parsons and vpon the exclamations of their consorts To draw him on the rather a Testified by his owne consorts Parsons put him in mind that he was called Philip Norwey and how that according to a prophecie Betwixt Bostons bay and the pile of Foudray the blacke nauie of Norwey should come and doe wonders He confesseth also in a letter of his to a Nobleman in Scotland that he had beene with most princes in Europe to stirre them against vs. The Emperour likewise vpon their informations and solicitations hath shewed himselfe enemy to her Maiestie and our nation Anno 1586. and the yeare following Cardinall Allen and his consorts were verie busie with the Duke of Guise and other Frenchmen to induce them to concurre with the Pope and Spaniards in the warre against England And so seditiously did Morgan behaue himselfe that the king commanded him to be coÌ„mitted to the Bastil of Paris The English b Aduertissement des catholiques Anglois aux François catholiques papists that then were in Fraunce doe plainly tell the French that they were iustly plagued because they did not oppose themselues against the Quéene Le crime d'endurer Iezabel ta voysine say they Plonger au sang Chrestien te destruit peu à peu And of themselues they giue out that they are scorned of all nations for that they c Ibidem p. 89. suffered an hereticall Quéene to reigne Nous sommes c See heere a plain testimony of the loyalty of papists say they esclaues sous vne Izabel pire cent fois que Iezabel bref pour auoir souffert vne royne heretique nous sommes auiourdhuy le mespris la fable le iouet des heretiques Ad hereunto D. Stories practise with the D. of Alua the oration of Allen not yet Cardinall to Gregorie the 13. Saunders his perswasions to the same pope Parsons his negotiation with certaine princes néere adioyning to vs William Critons plots for inuasion and their clamorous and lying discourses dispersed throughout the Christian world and consider the summe of their practises with forraine nations and then thou néedest not doubt but that their principall deseignment was to stirre vp forraine nations to make warre vpon vs 10. Finally the whole scope of Seminarie priestes and their consorts is First to make a number in England to put the popes Bull in execution next to bring in the pope and Spaniardes which cannot bee done without the vtter desolation of the lande The first is prooued by experience For that their consortes began to attempt in England and haue in part effected in Ireland and for this purpose haue they erected Seminaries and sent into England Ireland whole troupes of priestes and deale both with forreine princes and domesticall malcontents Neither may wee doubt but that al these seditious fellows come with one purpose and resolution not daring to attempt any thing beyond their commission Secondly the facultie graunted to Parsons and Campian doth plainly shew that when the Bull can bée executed then all the Romanistes are bounde to do it Thirdly the popes wordes are plaine Hee l Bulla Pij 5. Sixti 5. commandeth all his adherents To execute his sentence vnder paine of excommunication Fourthly the doctrine of Iesuites doth plainly allow the popes power to depose princes and all that faction holdeth that his sentences are to bée obeied vnder paine of excommunication Fiftly neither woulde the pope nor Spaniard bestowe such charge in maintaining these fugitiues but that they hope againe to bée requited Finally the
worke the destruction of her maiestie and this state and all because wee doe publikely maintaine this truth And although you will not confesse it that shut your eies against the light of truth yet I hope all the world shall perceiue both the wrongs of the pope and Spaniard and of your selfe and other rinegued English that adhere vnto them and also the iustice of our defence that are forced sometimes to take armes and vse our best meanes for the sauegard of our countrey our Prince our wiues our children our libertie our lawes our friends most violently and wickedly oppugned vnder the pretence of restoring Romish religion This discourse it may please you to accept as proceeding from him that is desirous to enforme you of a truth And well can you not refuse it seeing it is an answere to your challenge and containeth a reply to your eight trecherous encounters and your bold and shamelesse petitions Seeing you are come into the fielde you may not refuse to defend your selfe Seeing you present vnto vs your petitions and are become an humble sutor at the court you cannot refuse your answere and dispatch I doe also desire answere in my new encounters and protest that if you come not forth you shall be baffuld for a coward vnwoorthie to beare armes in this kinde of warfare If you be not at leysure by reason of your treasonable negotiations against your countrey let Creswell or some other trecherous babling Iesuite stand foorth and try his skill It standeth you much vpon If you cannot without rayling and calumniation make an answere then I hope that all such as you haue abused will forsake you as rayling heretikes false teachers and false traytors to your countrey and that they will also abandon the new deuises wicked heresies and strange religion which the popes and papists most wrongfully called catholikes vnder the colour and false maske of catholike religion and the catholike church haue defended and maintayned At the least they will take heed how they either runne wilfully into dangerous treasons and rebellions or ignorantly admit into their countrey forrein enimies vpon the popes warrant or vpon pretense of religion which they are neuer able to maintaine to be either ancient or catholike or true And this I thinke will sufficiently cleare Sir Francis Hastings both of adulation and of calumniation and all other odious imputations which you haue layde to his charge if not in your eies nor iudgement yet certes in the eies of all indifferent men As for others we neither force their might nor weigh their malice Let the ire of forrein princes be neuer so implacable and course of home traytors neuer so desperate as you do threaten vs we shall by the grace of God haue meanes to withstand their force proceeding from notorious iniustice and I hope that our superiours according to lawes will encounter with the desperate courses of traytors Doe you leaue your threats and your facing and forging and calumniations and raylings and in a moderate course prepare your selfe to iustifie your chalenge and with substance of matter to answere that which we haue obiected against you or else you will plainely declare your selfe a wrangling traytor that haue nothing to accuse vs of but that we loue true religion our Prince and countrey nor to hate vs for but that we hate your abominable faction and false religion and meane manfully to encounter both Italians and Spaniards and English traytors and all the world that shall beare armes against vs. If you shall happen to keepe silence we cannot chuse but proclayme your disgrace as abandoning that quarrel which your selfe began In the meane time while you are buckling on your armes I haue some words to speake to the by standers or readers Be not offended I pray you It shall not be long before I come into the steccato and buckle with you againe THE PREFACE TO the Reader WHat singular clemencie hath been shewed towards the papistes in this land I thinke no man of meane knowledge and iudgement can be ignorant a Lib. histor Genuens 23. Petrus Bizarus an Italian writing the historie of Genua and vpon occasion mentioning her Maiestie doth compare her to Alexander Seuerus a most famous prince for his clemencie and other vertues and testifieth that for twenty yeeres she gouerned her kingdome without blood not suffering any to be punished but by lawfull triall and sentence of iudges The which is testified by as many as then knewe her gouernment and by euidence of things then passed For so long as papists did content themselues with their popish conceites and opinions although many of them were false absurd and blasphemous yet neither did she seeke to ensnare them by new lawes nor execute the rigour of olde lawes against heretikes yet in force against them In the meane while Thomas Harding b Anno 1567. obtained a bull from the pope to exercise episcopall iurisdiction in England to dispense with irregularities and to receiue all that would be reconciled to the pope Which was nothing else but the beginning of a rebellion which broke foorth two yeeres after For all that were reconciled to the pope renounced their obedience to the prince as their actions did declare In the yeere 1569. Nicholas Morton was sent into England to stirre the earles of Westmerland and Northumberland and as many as he could to an open rebellion which c By Sanders his confâ—ssion it appeereth that popish priestes come into England to stir vp rebellion Sanders in his booke de visibili monarchia plainly telleth that we should not be ignorant why fugitiue priestes come ouer into England These seditious firebrands did make no small flame in the north partes and laide plots to stirre other partes of England to discontentment had not God crossed their desseines All this notwithstanding albeit popish religion and the proper marks of it began now to be made marks of faction and that her Maiestie saw by diuers practises in England and Ireland that papistes did seeke her life and the destruction of her kingdome and that the Iesuites and priestes that were sent from Rome came for no other purpose then to practise against her life and the state yet did she giue life to diuers rebels and traitors refusing mercie to none but such as refused to accept her fauour and mercie At Rishtons apâ—ndix to Saners one time she caused twenty of this faction to be sent away and at another time two and twenty and at another thirtie most of them condemned the rest guiltie of treason or other capitall crimes And now she keepeth diuers aliue that if they had either her Maiestie in their power or others whom they finde contrarie to their purposes would not spare their liues one hower nor content themselues with ordinarie reuenge As for obstinate recusants which no doubt for the most part This appeath by diuers â—tters of popish iests ready to shewed are secretly reconciled to the pope
whatsoeuer his superior commandeth If then the pope commaund as no doubt but hée hath and will there is no question but he must also come togither with his consorts with fire sword oppugne this lande and destroy the prince Fiftly it is ridiculous to dispute of his intention when wée may sée his hostile traytorous minde by his actions He hath abandoned his prince and country he adhereth to her Maiesties professed enemies In times past he and Campian came into this country with instructions and authority from publike enemies with a resolution to sée the popes pleasure executed and to make a side for his holy father Let him deny any part of this if he canne Nay let him but answere first whether he brought not a faculty from the pope giuing leaue to papists to obey her Maiestie so long as the state stood in tearmes as then it did and vntill the popes bull could be executed and next whether the popes sentence béeing declared and published he and all papistes were not purposed and bound to do their worst against her Sixtly he was among the Spanyardes that in the yéere 1588 came in hostile aray to cut her Maiesties throte and to destroy her people if they had could Lastly he alloweth the dooings of Cardinall Allen that the same time stirred vp all papistes to lay hands on her Maiesty and perswaded them to take armes against her and to assist the Spaniards Hée also knew a certaine Englishman that came into England with full resolution to murder her Maiestie and neuer reuealed so much If then hée take the Queene for his mother and the mother of her countrey as this discourser signifieth then must Parsons confesse that he is a parricide that séeketh to lay violent handes vpon his mother And if hée call this an odious and heinous crime as indeed it is then is hée guiltie of a most odious crime and is a most odious rebell This being his charge let vs sée his defence Let the examinations saith hée of Parry Sauage and such others be viewed ouer and see whether any of them do accuse father Parsons As if none were guiltie of these treasons but such as were named by their consorts Beside that suppose Parsons were no open stickler in these actions yet it is sufficiently knowne that such subtile practisers do deale by second and third persons Furthermore albeit hée coulde cleere himselfe of Parries Sauages and Ballards treasons yet can hée not so easily auoide the suspicion of Heskets practise For hée is charged by a A discouery of a counterfeit conference c. one of his owne religion to bée a practiser to set a foote the late Earle of Darbies title in which Hesket and others were agents Neither can hée answere his treasonable purpose in b Ibidem Dolmans booke Where he endeuoreth to conuey the crowne to strangers and his practises with priestes come into England to aduance the Infantaes title Nor can hée cléere his handes of the most execrable treasons contained in Andreas Philopaters discourse either written or published by him and Creswell his factor in the court of Spaine Secondly hée telleth vs How Parsons protesteth that hee was neuer giltie nor priuy to any attempt made against her Maiestie But his owne friendes as himselfe confesseth in a letter to bée shewed trust him not saying hée is a Machiuilian and a In the discouerie of a counterfâ—ct conference p. 34. one chargeth him That hee vseth dissimulation doubling and redoubling And the faction of priestes opposite to Iesuites now in England doth vtterly condemne the trickes equiuocations and coloured dissimulation of Iesuites as is noted in seueral notes and letters to be shewed against them If then his owne fréendes trust not his promises and othes how shall we beléeue his protestations Certes hée that will most wickedly practise such wicked actions he will also boldly denie them Yea and this foolish Noddy where he woulde cléere him doth cléerely conuict him For he denieth not but that Parsons was acquainted with a gentlemans purpose that resolutely ment either to take away the Queenes life or to loose his owne So it appéereth that such matters are consulted vpon which is the thing we say and that Parsons was acquainted withall which is by our aduersarie denied Indéede I confesse that wée are tolde that Parsons disswaded the foresaide murdrer But that are not wée bounde to beléeue Nay albeit hée had so done yet that is not sufficient to excuse him For such treasons are to bée detected and not onely hindred by all honest men Againe it may bée that Parsons either in regard of the gentleman that shoulde haue executed this murder or because such executions woulde bring domage to their cause not for loue to her Maiesty did disswade this shameful murder and assassinate For it appéereth both by his dealing with Hesket about the Earle of Darby and also by his practises with the yoong priests that come ouer out of Spaine for the preferment of the Infant of Spaine to the crowne of England and by his most scandalous writings vnder the false names of Dolman and Philopater which shall bée prooued to his face by witnesse to bée his dooings that hée séeketh nothing more then her Maiesties dishonor and destruction And that in treason hée is not inferior to Allen the Cardinall or any traytor these many yéeres executed at Tyborne Finally he a P. 71. compareth her Maiestie to Saul whom God declared vnwoorthy to reigne and from whom hée gaue the kingdome to Dauid Which sheweth plainly what a leude conceite this generation hath of her Maiesties title and gouernment But that they woulde spare her as Dauid spared Saule is a matter most vnlikely For it appéereth that the pope and the Iesuites and priests his agents and al their consorts haue by secret assasinors and empoisoners and also by open murdrers and cutthrotes sought her death and destruction And shall such agents of the pope and Spaniard as these bée still suffred to liue and bée still maintained in diuers principall places of this lande to practise Shall not wée take a course with Iesuites and priestes and their consorts that are thus bloodily minded against the prince and all that loue her or stande well affected to true religion Shall wée suffer them through our remissenesse or rather stupiditie to make a head as they haue done in Ireland where they are the onely originall causes of the reuolt albeit other matters are pretended and so to bring all in combustion héere as they haue done there alreadie Consider the sequele of these matters my déere countrymen and looke well to your owne safetie and if you respect not your selues nor your owne particular yet haue regard to the church of God and his true religion which you professe and shoulde defende if you bée truelie religious Respect the honour of your prince your nation your countrey Will you abandone your selues to the spoile of proud enimies that séeke
your destruction Will you giue credence to those that are by the Italian and Spaniard hired to speake Behold your wiues and children and déerest friends that depend vpon the valor of your harts Will you giue them as a praie to the cruell enimies Represent to your selues the miserable estate of this lande if once the forreine enimie getteth footing Your lawes shall bée abolished your yoong men shall bée slaine the rest shall bée vsed as slaues to serue the conquerors pleasure Who then will not haue care to preuent these dangers Who will not beware of those false rinegued English fugitiues that séeke to bring these troubles vpon vs Who had not rather die then either suffer or see these calamities to happen to his country and nation In Iuliers and the borders of Germany not long since the Spanish soldiers entred as friendes yet such barbarous cruelties and outrages they committed that they excéeded all enemies How then do you thinke they would behaue themselues if they should set foote and beginne to dominéere in England that haue so rauaged countries that eyther were friendes or neutrales The onely way is to secure your selues of false harted Iesuites priestes and their consorts These Iesuites are vntollerable in states that professe popery much more therefore ought they to be suspect and odious to vs. The parliament of Paris by a solemne arrest or decrée did a Records of parliam of Paris banish the whole society or rather verminaille of Iesuites out of France As corrupters of youth perturbers of publike peace and enemies to the king and to the state The colledge of diuines in Paris by a solemne act of all the company did condemne this order as dangerous both to church and common wealth Haec societas say the doctors of Sorbone videtur in negotio fidei periculosa pacis ecclesiae perturbatiua magis in destructionem quà m aedificationem The reasons why they descended to pronounce this hard sentence against them deserue much to be considered The first reason was Because they admitted bastardes a matter much for Parsons his aduantage the second For that they obserued no rules of auncient religions nor canons of the church The third For that they yeelded no obedience to ordinaries the fourth For that they depriued as well ecclesiasticall Lords as temporall of their rightes and troubled both ecclesiasticall and ciuill pollicie The last For that they raysed diuers quarrels contentions and schismes among the people The senate also of Venice perceiuing their encrochements in Padua b The decree of the senate of Venice Forbad the Iesuites to read publikely commaunded them onely to read to their owne societie and that within the walles of their owne colleges Monsieur de Matignon perceiuing that the Iesuites vpon the rising of the league or rather rebelles that conspired against king Henry the third went about to stirre sedition and to deliuer vp Bourdeaux to the leaguers draue them like a packe of seditious rebelles out of the city For their seditious and mutinous behauiour they were lately expulsed out of Transyluania and had béene out of Poland had their side not béene stronger And yet all these that thus procéeded against them were men of the same religion and acknowledged the authority of the pope How seriously then ought we to procéede against them and their adherentes that do know not onely their treasons and seditious practises but also the manifold corruptions and abominations of their hereticall and false doctrine Shall their owne sort and companions driue them out of their states and shall any honest man make question whether it be lawfull to make lawes against them and to procéede against them Why do we not looke vpon Scotland and sée both the mischieuous plots of Iesuites there and their condigne punishments If that Iesuites and priests had not béene suffered to range vp and downe Ireland without punishment neither had this rebellion béene there raised nor woulde it so long haue continued And who doubteth but that this is their deseignement in England if they may be suffred to execute it This I doubt not but our superiors sée and consider and will remedie and therefore fewe wordes may serue This I thought good to speake to iustifie sir Francis Hastings his accusation and more shall bée said as occasion serueth Some priuate men percase thinke the Iesuites to be no such dangerous beasts and some sticke not to recount many fauors done by Parsons to English prisoners in Spaine But if wée consider that the Iesuites do not suffer any man of meane spirite to returne before they haue either entangled him in some trecherous practise or tainted him with the leuen of their heresies or both we shall easily perceiue that this milde course and enlargement of prisoners was rather to worke a correspondence with vs and a remissenesse in our soldiers and mariners that they shoulde not aduenture as in times past knowing that they should bée sent for England and also a maine mischiefe to the state then to do our people any fauor or kindnesse And thus much of the Iesuites crueltie and trecherie Of their false doctrine and heresie this Noddy shall heare sufficiently in some other place CHAP. VI. What is either to be expected or feared in Recusants and practising papists and what credite is to be giuen to the aduersaries sixt encounter ALthough true Christians finde small fauour when they come within the danger of our professed enimies the papists yet do wée not thinke it fitting to follow them in their bloodie crueltie Nay wée had rather learne of a Matth. 11. Christ that was most méeke and gentle as a lambe then of these sauage men that in their crueltie excéed woolues and shew themselues most vnlike to Christ or catholike Christians God forbid therefore that we should perswade or like any rigorous course to bée taken with such papists as offend onely of simplicitie neuer knew any other religion but poperie and neither practise against her Maiesty nor the state nor true religion nor adhere to those that doe it Howbeit if any abuse their libertie and this rare clemency of the state to maintaine a faction and either séeke to stirre vp sedition or to oppresse true religion and those that maintaine it or else adhere receit and fauour such it shoulde not onely not sauour of clemencie to fauour such but also worke a dissolution both of ecclesiasticall and ciuill gouernment to suffer them For to suffer gods worship to be abrogated and idolatrie and false religion to bée established and Christs people to bée seduced by false teachers is plaine impietie to giue way to rebellious and seditious practises against her Maiestie or the state or to winke at them or neglect them is plaine disloialty and vnnaturall trecherie to nourish in our bosomes such as either woulde bring in strangers vpon vs or else séeke opportunitie to cut our throtes themselues is brutish stupidity For the first point wée haue these
Dei cum idolis God was much offended with the bishop of Pergamus for winking at false teachers and their leud doctrine Habeo saith g Apocalyps 2. hée aduersus te pauca quia habes illic tenentes doctrinam Balaam qui docebat Balac mittere scandalum coram filijs Israel edere fornicari Ita habes tu tenentes doctrinam Nicolaitarum And shall wée endure the Balamiticall priestes of antichristes synagogue and more damnable heretikes then the Nicoloitans The h Apolalyps 2. bishop also of the church of Thyatira was sharpely reprooued for permitting one that pretended to bée a prophet to teach and seduce gods seruants Habeo saith hée aduersus te pauca quia permittis mulierem Iezabel quae se dicit prophetem docere seducere seruos meos fornicari manducare de idolothytis The prophet Dauid woulde not suffer any strange worship of God within his kingdome neither coulde hée endure so much as once to mention the names of idolaters Their offrings of blood saith he z Psal 16. I wil not offer nor make mētiō of their names within my lips That was likewise the zeale of godly emperors Omnes vetitae legibus diuinis imperialibus constitutionibus haereses perpetuò quiescant say the a L. omnes Cod. de haereticis Emperors Gratianus Valentinianus and Theodosius Nowe to suffer contrarie religions was euer condemned Salomon greatlie offended in suffring his wiues to erect idolatrie yet were they his wiues And when the Israelites serued God and Baal Elias greatly reprooued them How long b 1. Reg. 18. saith hée halt you on both sides If God be God follow him if Baal bee god follow him Nay it is punishable in matters of religion to winke at idolaters as appéereth by the example of Salomon before rehearsed and of those kings that did not cut downe groues and destroy hill altars He that serueth God saith c Lib. 5. ep 30. Ambrose must bring no dissimulation no conniuence but faithfull zeale and deuotion he must giue no consent to the worship of idols and other prophane ceremonies for God will not be deceiued which searcheth all things euen the secrets of mens harts Now besides these reasons that make against all false worshippers and abused Christians there are speciall lawes against teachers of heresies such as the Iesuites and other friers and priests are d Deut. 13. God cōmandeth False prophets that would turne vs away to worship other gods to be slaine God e Apocal. 16. he powreth out his wrath against those That haue receiued antichristes marke or worship his image Helias caused Baals priestes to be slaine f L. Cuncti Cod. de haeret Manich. Arcadius and Honorius tooke away all churches from heretikes least they shoulde teach or do the exercises of their false religion in them Such as haue béene zealous in remoouing all monuments of idolatrie and aduancing Gods true worship haue receiued manifold blessings at gods hands and are well reported of in holy Scriptures and their memoriall and name is blessed Such were Hezekiah Iosiah Iosaphat and others mentioned in holy Scriptures Constantine Theodosius Martian and other famous princes in the church of God mentioned in Ecclesiasticall histories Contrariwise not onely open idolaters but such as shewed themselues colde in promoting Gods seruice haue béene punished by God and accounted infamous among godly men The g 4. Reg. 17. Samaritanes were content to serue God but they woulde worship idols too Fuerunt gentes timentes dominum sed nihilominus idolis suis seruientes Therefore were they hatefull to gods Church a Nicet Choniat lib. hist 7. Manuel Comnenus remooued out of the church certaine tables conteining both the articles of Christian faith and certaine anathematismes of Turkish impieties and Mahomets false gods and substituted in their places other tables and articles of doctrine not so directly contrarie to Turcisme and this he did for feare to offend the Saracens But his fact neither pleased God nor men Neither did he satisfie those whom hée sought to please Let all those therefore that séeke to mingle contrary religions or feare to maintaine true faith diligently looke to the examples of the b 4. Reg. 17. Samaritanes and of c Nicet Choniat lib. 7. Manuel Comnenus This course would be dangerous to her Maiesty and the state Now the pope béeing publikely hence excluded hath not those meanes to worke her Maiestie displeasure as he hath to worke against princes in countries of his obedience and should haue héere if popery might be tolerated And this to be true Sixtus Quintus in his bull published against her Maiesty anno 1588. and translated by Cardinall Allen doth himselfe in plaine wordes testify Not hauing saith he in these parts the ordinary meanes which by the assistance of Christian princes we haue in other countries to remedy disorders and keepe the people in obedience for that Henry the eight late king of England did of late yeeres reuolt from the sea apostolike Likewise it appeareth by the d Vita di Pio 5. Girol Catena example of the pope Pius the fiftes Nuntio Vincentio Lauro who not daring to passe into Scotland to practise but staying at Paris was depriued of meanes to effect his wicked purpose Likewise the Iesuites and priests not daring now publikely to shew themselues nor to deale with all persons publikely and without danger loose many opportunities to set forward the popes cause The recusantes also though they come not to the church yet hauing no liberty to conuerse with Iesuites nor to learne their seditious doctrine kéepe themselues in better termes then otherwise they would do if it were lawfull for them to professe their religion openly But admit once Iesuites and seminary priestes to reenter into the land or to liue among vs the pope first will haue more opportunitie and meanes to worke his purposes Neither is it likely that he will euer desist from prosequuting her Maiesty hauing by so many sentences disabled her excommunicated her and deposed her Secondly the Iesuites and priests would haue better meanes both to peruert the simple and to worke their treasons against the prince and her most loyall subiects And if they do much hurt now when they are restreined because they are suffered to liue in prisons what would they do if such woolues were let loose amongst Christes lambes That they will alwaies be ready to execute the popes commaundements against her Maiestie there is no question séeing they holde it damnation not to obey him Thirdly the Recusants hauing such teachers what woulde they not do when Hall coulde perswade Somerfield and Ballard Babington and so many gentlemen desperately to aduenture to kill the Quéene How dangerous this may bée to good subiects we may consider if wée do but looke into their wooluish practises in France and Flanders and other where Did not the papists of Orleans being admitted thither according to the edict after the