upon a false rumor being spread that His Majesty intended to grant a Tolleration to Papists he commanded all the Judges with divers of the greatest Nobility viz. Lord Chancellor Lord Treasurer and to Assemble in the Star-Chamber to receive their opinions upon these and other points at which time the Lords severally declared how the King was discontented with the said false Rumor and had made but the day before a protestation unto them that he never intended it and that he would spend the last drop of Blood in his Body before he would do it And prayed that before any of his Issue should maintain any other Religion than what he truly professed and maintained that God would take them out of the World Vide Sir George Crokes Reports part 2. ter tr Anno 2 Jac. Reg. in Banco Regis § When a Match with Spain was propounded to King James for Prince Charles and there with an Article desired for a Tolleration of the Popish Religion which when King James had propounded to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury 1623. the Arch-Bishop did write his Sentiments to King James in which Letter He besought His Majesty to take into his consideration what your Act is and what the Consequence may be by your Act you labour to set up the most Damnable and Heretical Doctrine of the Church of Rome the Whore of Babilon How hateful it will te to God and g rievous to the good Subjects the professors of the Gospel that your Majesty who hath often disputed and learnedly written against those should now shew your self a Patron of those wicked Doctrins which your Pen hath told the World and your Conscience tells your self are Superstitious Idolatrous and Detestable Besides this Tolleration which you endeavour to set up by your Proclamamation cannot be done without a Parliament unlessl your Majesty will let your Subjects see that you will take unto your self ability to throw down the Laws of the Land at your pleasure c. prout King James not long after viz 23. Ap. 1624. returns this Answer to a Petition of his Parliament touching Recusants viz. What my Religion is my Books declare my profession and my behaviour do shew and I hope in God I shall never live to be thought otherwise sure I am I shall never deserve it And for my part I wish that it might be written in Marble and remain to posterity as a mark upon me when I shall swerve from my Religion for he that doth dissemble with God is not to be trusted by Man My Lords Ip rotest before God my Heart hath bled when I have heard of the increase of Popery and God is my Judg it hath been so great a grief unto me that it hath been like Thorns in my Eyes and Pricks in my sides so far have I been and ever shall be from turning any other way And my Lords and Gentlemen you all shall be my Confessors if I knew any way better than other to hinder the growth of Popery I would take it and he cannot be an honest man who knowing as I do and being perswaded as I am would do otherwise The Romish Catholicks for want of this liberty and tollerance in the time of Queen Eliz. and since have made and written many bitter Complaints and Invectives against the Rigour of our Penal Laws c. Rex Talionis I could requite them by commemorating the flames they kindled in England to burn their Brethren to dust How Pius Quintus conferred England on Philip II. King of Spain and approved as an Act lawful by Azorius Instit Mor. part 2. lib. 11. c. 5. And how many Princes they have displaced poisoned and murdered The Holy House which the Friars have planted in Spain resembling the Torments of Nero his Garden the Massacres of Provence Piedmont of old and of late and of Paris where they murdered Men Women and Children by Thousands against the very Grounds of all Equity Piety Charity and Humanity without Convicting Accusing or so much as Calling them before any Judg to hear what was misliked in them And when was any of this put in Execution some of it even the 24 Aug. 1572. the very Year that Charles IX the French King pretending great kindness to the Protestants had in Testimony thereof desired a Confederacy at Blois with Queen Eliz. and the Princes of Germany in favour of them whom notwithstanding he had secretly and treacherously designed to the slaughter For no sooner were the Articles of Confederacy agreed on which was the 11th of April and confirmed by Oath by the Queen at Westminster 15. May in the presence of Montmorency stiled the first Christian Prince and accounted the most Noble Family of all France who also again earnestly sollicited the Marriage with the Duke of Anjou but f or that they could not agree about the Exercise of Religion he hasted into France to the Marriage of Henry of Navarre and Madam Margarite the French Kings Sister To this Marriage in pursuance of the said Bloody Design were invited the Queen of Navarre and all the choicest of the Protestants and also Burleigh and Leicester out of England pretending Honour to them and the Palatine Elector's Sons out of Germany that being brought into the snare both they and with them the Protestant Evangelical Religion might with one stroak if not have had their Throats cut yet at least receive a Mortal Wound For no sooner was the Marriage Solemnized but that barbarous Massacre of Paris and the Bloody Butchering of the Protestants throughout the Cities of France upon men of all Estates was cursedly put in Execution and that within Two days after Mota Fennelon the French Ambassador had propounded the Marriage between Queen Eliz. and the Duke of Anjou at Kenelworth Camb. Elisab 162. Which considered I cannot but wonder to hear you thus complaining at the Fatherly Chastisement wherewith this Realm seeketh your amendment and sucketh not your Blood Compare the penalties which you fret at with the Laws of former Emperours and you will see how easie they are in respect of their ancient Edicts which restrained such as did forbear to communicate with the Church of Christ from buying selling disposing bequeathing Goods or Lands by will or otherwise yea from receiving any Legacies or enjoying their Fathers Inheritance the place where Schismatical Service was said Chappel or House to be forfeited and the Bishop and Clergy-man to pay 16 l. weight in Gold or to be banished Cod. l. 1. Tit. 5. Mamcheos Ibid. 8. Cuncti St. Augustin Ep. 48. When it was expected by reason of the goodness of his Nature that he should mediate for some of these penalties to be released gave this quick and smart answer Nay marry let Princes in Gods Name serve Christ in making Laws for Christ § It was in the days of Queen Eliz. objected That for want of the Exercise of a Religion many sorts want things necessary to Salvation and many are forced to things which Bring
infatuated as ever to put power into their Hands who have so often given such palpable Demonstration and Testimony how they have used it already and such pregnant presumptions how they would use it again could they obtain it Even they that run may read what the Papists like Jehu drive so furionsly at even to make England once more Issachar like to couch and carry the Saddle Vah Papae shall it ever be again the style and reproach of England Glorious England that is scituate among the Rivers whose Rampart is the Sea and whose God is the Lord to carry the Saddle again God forbid But if so unhappy so unfortunate I 'le prophesie that not the Pope only but the Devil will ride her Pardon these Expressions I have encouragement from St. Jerome Neminem volo patientem esse in causalaesae fidei and from Moses the Mirror of meekness who knows no patience in Israels Idolatry Numb 12.3 Exod. 22.19 26 27. Idem manens idem semper facit idem THE REAL MERITS OF THE PAPISTS SUch hath the Confidence of the Papists of these latter times been as to claim a Right unto the Kings Majesties favour for a tolleration of their Religion upon the account of their great Merits as having best deserved of His Majesty because of all they were the most faithful to him and his Father The purport of this hath not only been averred by the generality of them in their ordinary discourses but also set out in print by several of them P. W. R. P. J. S. H. M. and others At which confident Assertion of theirs when I consider how boldly and feircly the contend for meritorious works nay for works of super-errogation even with God himself I do not so much wonder that such Merit-mongers broach it so confidently now as that they have not done it all this while § He that is first in his own Cause seemeth just but his Neighbours cometh and searcheth him Prov. 18.17 Which that we may the better do we will only a little look back into our own Chronicle without cloying the Reader with like Foreign Stories which would fill Volumes and first see how true and trusty Trojans the Papists have been to the Kings of England no Protestants but Papists and if they shall be found to have been neither true nor trusty but Traytors and Rebels to the Kings of their own Religion can it then ever be believed or hoped that they ever will be Loyal and Faithful to Protestant Princes when a neat opportunity offers the contrary and that Maugre all Roman Mandates to the contrary what Prince or other Sovereign foberly considers the new founded Society of Jesuits erected by Pope Paul the 3d. about 1540. who although at first but 10 in Number yet so wonderfully encreased since that they bragged not a few years ago that they were 1300010. they lived in Colledges and places of residence besides those that trotted up and down that they had 359. Colledges or Schools 18 Domus professae 40 Domus probationis 8 Seminaries 1010 Residentiaries Vide speculum Jesuiticum Runninge Register And what their Principles and Doctrins are and what their practices have been for the destroying of all Princes quacumque Arte that will not become Vassals to the See of Rome and and acknowledg a Spiritual Monarchy in that Roman Chair paramount all temporal Crowns and Scepters and how strict and of what extant their vow of Obedience is to the Roman Bishop and how it is decreed by several Popes that the Institutions and Doctrins of the Jesuits must not be contradicted or disputed by any Ordinary Delegate Judg or Magistrate and how vastly that society is enlarged both in their Clergy and Layety since these great brags of theirs will be sufficiently convinced that neither their persons or their Kingdoms can ever be secure where either one sort or other are suffered to flourish § Let us now see matter of Fact Did not Pope Alexander the 3d. by violence and tyranny force King H. the II. to surrender his Crown Imperial into the hand of his Legate and afterwards be content with a private Condition for a while to the great regret and Indignation of his Subjects Did not Innocent the 3d. stir up the Nobility and Commonalty of this Kingdom against King John and gave the Inheritance and Possession of all his Dominions unto Ludovicus the French King What were those 52 000. but Papists that rebelled against Richard the I. Anno 1196. And all those that rebelled against Edward the II. Anno 1316 1317 1321 1322 1326. Amongst whom was Robert Baldock Bishop of Norwich and Lord Chancellor of England And all those that consented to the Murder of Edward the Third's Father and fought to kill john of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster Edward the Third's Son Anno 1330.1372 And those in Richard the Third's time Anno 1381. Annimated by John Ball a Priest who at his Execution refused to ask the King forgiveness and despised him so peremptory was he Jack Straw confessing that when he sent for the King to Black-Heath they purposed to have murdered all Knights Esquires and Gentlemen that should have come with him and when they had got sufficient force they would suddenly then have put to death in every County and Lords and Masters of the Common people in whom might appear to be either Council or Resistance one Argument used by some of the late Protectorians for the death of our Glorious King and Martyr that he was too knowing and too intelligent to be suffered to live and especially they would have killed the Knights of St. John and all Men of any Possessions only Begging Fryars should have lived that might have Administred the Sacraments throughout the Realm and lastly the would have killed the King himself and made Kings in every Shire Thomas Arrundel Arch-Bishop of Canterbury traiterously practiced the deposing of the said Richard his lawful Sovereign § It were no very mild conjecture to Divine that our late Generation of Levellers Major Generals Quakers and Phanaticks were spawned from them and that they are still but Badgers plotting and digging Holes for Romish Foxes to lie couchant and covertly in for their more subtile contrivances § What were those but Papists that rebelled against H. the 4th designing to Murder him under the colour of Justinge and other pastimes pretended 1399. And also those who raised Arms against him among whom was John Madelyn a Priest who had been Chaplain to King Richard and impudently personated the King They were Priests and Friars that suborned a False Richard whereof 8 being Miners were hanged at Tyburne Oswald Bishop of Galloway was the chief Plotter against Richard the 2d in the Year 1403. A Priest of Warwick and also Walter Waldock a Prior of Laud in Leicester-Shire and one Richard Freseby a Dr. in Divinity was Executed in his Religious Habit and Weede and not long after 10 Grey Fryars were executed all for Treason In the year 1404. Tho. Percy
Imperial Crown and Scepter I shall not trouble you with the repetition of many store of the disguised and dark Actings of the Papists against the King and Crown of England they being already extant in several Treaties viz. In hidden works of darkness brought to light Jus Patronatus Mr. Prinne his Speech in Parliament his Memento his Epistle to a reasonable and legal vindication c. Quakers unmarked In which and other Books many particulars may be seen of their secret undermining Actings In the Year 1638. when the Kings had great need both of Men and Money and the Hearts of all his Subjects and their contributions whether Popish or Protestants his Holiness gave directions to his Catholicks in England whereof these following were part viz. You are to command the Catholicks of England in general that they suddenly desist from making such offers of Men towards his Northern Expedition as we hear they have done little to the advantage of their direction And likewise it is requisit considering the penalties already imposed they they be not forward with Money more than what Law and Duty enjoyns them to pay without any Innovation at all or view of making themselves rather weaker Pillars of the Kingdom than they were before Declare unto the best of the Peeres and Gentry by word of mouth or Letters that they ought not at this time to express any averseness in case the High Court of Parliament by called nor shew any discontents against the Acts which do not point blank aim at Religion being in general the most sundamental Law of this Kingdom Advise the Clergy to desist from the foolish nay rather illiterate and childish Custom of distinction in the Protestant and Puritan Doctrin and especially this Error is so much the greater when they undertake to prove that Protestanisme is a Degree nearer to the Faith-Catholick For since both lye without the verge of the Church it is a needless Hypocrisie yea it begets more malice than it is worth All busie Inquirers are defended but especially into Arcanes of State It is affirmed by in a printed Speech before a great Assembly 4. September 1654. p. 16 17. That he knew very well that Emissaries of the Jesuits never came over in those Swarms as they have done since these times That divers Gentlemen could bear witness with him that they had a Consistory and Council abroad that Rules all the Affairs of the things of England That they had fixed in England in the limits of most Cathedrals of which he was able to produce the particular Instruments an episcopal power with Arch-Deacons and other persons to perverâ—◠〈…〉 the midst of all our sad Distractions And I presume it will not be denied Inde quod nuper veteres comgravere Coloni that very many of them have been sent or come over from Forrein Seminaries into England under the disguises of Converted Jews Phisitians Chyrurgians Independants Quakers Fifth Monarchy Men Agitators Mechanicks Merchants Factors Travellers Souldiers that they might the more unsuspectedly have an Influence on the Committees Agitators and Officers of the Army It was confessed to one of the English Nobility at Rome by the English Provincial there that they had then above 1500. of their Society in England able to work in several professions and Trades which they had there taken upon them the better to support and secure themselves from being discovered Who ever considers the fore-mentioned Plat-form laid subtilly by F. F. Parsons and othes to work insensibly our Ruine Vide Smiths Preface fo 12. the Swarms of Papists here ready to joyn Heads and Hands and Hearts on all occasions and opportunities to bring it to pass the new printing about the time of that horrid matchless Murder of thier Dolman that Infamous and Traiterous Libel against our Kings under a new Title of several Speeches delivered at a Conference concerning the powers of Parliaments to proceed against their Kings for mis-government together with what is averred for truth and offered to be justified when ever called thereunto by that learned and worthy Divine Du Moulin in his Vindication Se. 58 59 60. c. will easily conclude that their Merits have not been of that Nature as to be used as Arguments for a Tolleration no nor yet for the least of kindness viz. When the business of the late bad times are once ripe for an History and time the bringer of Truth to light hath discovered the Mysteries of Iniquity and the depths of Satan which have wrought so much crime and mischief it will be found that the late Rebellion was raised and fostered by the Arts of the Court of Rome That Jesuits professed themselves Independent as not depending on the Church of England and Fifth Monarchy Men that they might pull down the English Monarchy and that in the Committees for the destruction of the King and the Church they had their Spies and their Agents § The Roman Priest and Confessor is known who when he saw the fatal stroke given to our Holy King and Martyr flourished with his Sword and said Now the greatest Enemy we have in the World is gone When the News of that horrible Execution came to Roan a Protestant Gentleman of good credit was present in a great company of Jesuited persons When after great Expressions of Joy the gravest of the Company to whom all gave ear spake much after this sort The King of England at his Marriage had promised us the re-establlshing of the Catholick Religion in England and when he delayed to fulfil his promise we summoned him from time to time to perform it we came so far as to tell him That if he would not do it we should be forced to take those courses which would bring him to his destruction We have given him lawful warning and when no worning would serve we have kept our Word to him since he would not keep his Word to us That grave Rabbies Sentence agreeth with this certain Intelligence which shall be justified whensoever Authority will require it That the Year before the Kings death a select number of English Jesuits were sent from their whole party in England first to Paris to consult with the faculty at Sorbon then altogether Jesuited to whom they put this Question in writing That seeing the state of England was in a likely posture to change Government whether it was lawful for the Catholicks to work the change for the advancing and securing the Catholick Cause in England by making away the King whom there was no hope to turn from his Heresie which was answered affirmatively After which the same persons went to Rome where the Question being propounded and debated it was concluded by the Pope and his Council That it was both lawful and expedient for the Catholicks to promote the alteration of State What followed that Confultation and Sentence all the World knoweth and time the bringer forth of Truth will let us know But when that Horrible Paricide committed on
Articles of Marriage between Arch-Duke Charles his Son and Queen Eliz. both Father and Son did require That a publick Church might be allowed wherein Divine Service might be celebrated to him and his after the Romish manner When this would not be granted then that in some private place in the Court he might peaceably use his Service of God as was permitted to Popish Princes Ambassadors in their Houses and that with these Conditions That no English Man should be admitted thereunto and neither he nor his Servants should speak against the Religion received in England or favour those that did speak against it That if any displeasure should arise in respect of Religion he should be present with the Queen at Divine Service to be celebrated after the manner of the Church of England Unto this the Queen answered That if she should grant this she should offend her Conscience and openly break the publick Laws of her Realm not without great peril both of her dignity and safety The same Princely Pious and immovable Resolution she held when in the like Treaty of Marriage between her and the Duke of Anjou where Tolleration of the Roman Religion being much pressed and insisted on both by the Queen his Mother and by Charles the 9th King of France his Brother Queen Eliz. though it were suggested that the Romish Religion was not deeply rooted in the Dukes mind being but young and for that he was Educated under Carnlette a person not averse from the Protestant Religion and that by degrees he might be brought to the Protestant profession and many other and great advantages would thereby accrew to the good of the Reformed Religion answered as well became Gods Vice-gerent in her Dominions That although the outward Exercise of Christian Religion might haply be tollerated with different Rites and Ceremonies amongst the Subjects of one and the same Kingdom yet a different yea a flat contrary Exercise between the Queen who is the Head of her people and her Husband might not only seem perilous but also altogether absurd she prayed them to consider with equal Ballance on the one side her own hazard and on the other side the Duke of Anjou's Honour By Tollerating his Religion she should break the Laws established give offence to her best Subjects and encouragement to her worst which things would certainly over-weigh the Duke of Anjou's Honour If the Duke would water more plentifully the Seeds of the purer Religion already sown and suffer more to be sown he should soon see that it would be unto him a most high Honour At length it came to this Issue That if so be the Duke would be present with the Queen at the Celebration of Divine Service and not refuse to hear and learn the Institutions of the Protestant Religion she would assent that neither the Duke nor his Family should be constraned to use the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England nor molested for other Divine Rites not openly and manifestly repugnant to Gods Word so as it were done in a certain private place and no occasion given to the English to break the Laws established Foix stuck at the Word the WOrd of God for whose satisfaction the Queen commanded instead of Gods Word to put in Gods Church which when it liked him worse and for it would have had to be put in the Catholick Church the Queen flatly and stoutly refused it and so by degrees it cooled Her religious care herein was also so great and steady that Walsing ham her Ambassador had secret Instructions That if the Duke of Anjou should be content to omit in that Treaty that point concerning Tolleration of Religion yet would the Queen bind him in such sure caution that he should not require it at any time after § Of the same opinion was King James Anno 1596. in the Case of Huntley Angus and Arrol Popish Lords who though they would have betrayed the Kingdom to the Spaniard yet the King being willing afterwards to have them return though Guilt had made them Fugitives and being returned the King writ thus to Huntley viz. My Lord I am sure you consider and do remember how often I have incurred Skaith and hazard for your cause therefore to be short resolve you either to satisfie the Church betwixt that day that is appointed without any more delay or else if your Conscience be so Kittle as it cannot permit you make for another Land betwixt this and that day where you may use freely your own Conscience your Wife and Barnes shall in that Case enjoy your Living but for your self look never to be a Scottish Man again deceive not your self to think by lingring of time your Wife and your Allys shall ever get you better Conditions And think not that I will suffer any professing a contrary Religion to dwell in this Land Afterwards when His Majesty came to the Crown of England which was May 14. 1602. he declared to his Parliament there 19. May 1603. Li. c. p. 1 That the popish point of Doctrin is that Arrogant and Ambitious Supremacy of their Head the Pope whereby he not only claims to be Spiritual Head of all Christians but also to have an Imperial civil power over all Kings and Emperors dethroning and decrowning Princes with his Foot as pleaseth him and dispensing and disposing of all Kingdoms and Empires at his appetite The other point which they observe in continual practise is the Assassinates and Murders of Kings thinking it no sin but rather a matter of Salvation to do all Actions of Rebellion and Hostility against their natural Sovereign Lord if he be once accursed his Subjects discharged of their fidelity and his Kingdom given a Prey by that Three Crowned Monarch or rather Monster their Head Which Positions of theirs the Gun-powder-traitors within Two Years after made good after which time be was not only willing whilst he lived that we should pray to God as was done in the days of Great Eliz. that he would keep us from all Papistry and that he would preserve us from the Pope as well as from the Turk in as much as the Pope laboured to dethrone Christ as well as the Turk did but he required further of us That we should pray God to strengthen his Hands and the Hands of his Nobles and Magistrates in the Land to cut off the Papists In the Prayer to be made 5. Novemb. for the Gun-powder-treason to root them out of the Confines and Limits of the Kingdom protesting in Parliament that he could not permit the increase and grown of Popery without betraying the liberty both of England and Scotland and of the Crown in his posterity and did declare in his Speech in Parliament 1605. That none of those that truly know and believe the whole Grounds and School-Conclusions of their Doctrins can ever prove good Christians or good Subjects Vide his Works 504. Nay farther in the Second Year of his Reign ter ' tr '