land must be coursed and canuassed with their letters postes and messengers in the passe and repasse out of England into Fraunce and from Fraunce to Flaunders and thence into Italy Germanie Rome Spaine Portugall and Ierusalem to blaze it abroade of the weakenesse loosenesse scandale badde and corrupt life of all Seminaries and secular Priestes in generall and how vnfit they are to come into England or for any of them to take the charge of soules vpon them for one mans offence or miscariage And he vnhappie man whose life death good name for euer after must hang in the blast of their mouths though he repent with S. Peter or recant with S. Marcelline yet shall his first fault be laid in his dish euer after with Pharisaicall vpbraiding of him whensoeuer occasion is offered of a malitious reuenge to betaken Nay what is more common with these precise pure illuminates then thus to censure of the most constant Martyrs and Confessours if not wholy Iesuited of this age Who though they neuer could be touched with any act word or thought of reuolt from Gods Church or stepping any whit awrie yet these diuellish spirites of a Luciferian pride and conceit of their owne proper excellencie will touch them to the quicke with these speeches I pray God he may stand he is but a weake man such a father had bene fitter then he to haue managed such a matter c. THE IX ARTICLE VVHether in regard of the premises if the Iesuits be such wicked men and so farre gone astray from the first prescript and institution of their order is there any likelihood of their continuance or if not then of what downefall THE ANSWERE I Told you before that Nullum violentum est perpetuum which is to be vnderstood of all humane and naturall causes acts and motions and that some of the Iesuits themselues haue presaged if not prophesied by manie fearefull signes a heauie destruction ruine and downefall to come vnto their societie by reason of the great pride insolencie heate of ambition and vnquenchable thirst in affecting of soueraigntie which raigneth amongst them But what fall it is they shall haue or where or when it will happen God he knoweth as for me Non sum Propheta nec filius Prophetae neither wish I to be but shal truly rather bewaile to see the genius of their hard fortune that men of so many good talents worthie parts singular abilities and rare indowments as sundrie of them haue should be bewitched as they are and as men inuolued in laberinths of errours drowne themselues in the Stigean lake of their owne folly Well Salomon was wiser more learned of better gouernment fitter to rule had a more peculiar gift and grace in all things and more often secreter and nearer familiaritie with God then euer any of them had to this houre here on earth and yet he became a prophane Idolater And therefore howsoeuer the Machiuilian or rather Mahumetane-like factiō giue it out that it hath bin reuealed vnto their foūder how mightily his societie should be impugned but still shall preuaile c. whereof I will speake hereafter yet am I rather moued to embrace the common opinion scil that their end will be a right Templarian downefall which for to make seeme probable because I am still in euery Quodlibet forced to be too tedious I will refeerre you for this matter to a peculiar worke which I haue taken some paines about in comparing first the Templars and the Iesuits together then the Iesuits and Machiuell after that Cardinall Wolsey and father Parsons and last of all the comtemplatiues of the said Parsons in Greencoate to the actiues of the same man in his practised Doleman for a Monarchy In which booke if it happen to come forth you shall see how all ambitions aspirers haue risen vp at the first and by what meanes how base persons haue attained to highest dignities how a man may insinuate himselfe to become great famous and admired at and what is required to make fortune as thsy say a mans friend In the meane space let it suffise that the Iesuits are and shall be well warned and therefore surely armed if they haue grace to accept of it to look to themselues and alter their course in time lest they be taken napping at vnwares as the Templars were THE X. ARTICLE WHether any danger to Gods Church to erre and vtterly to be ouerthrowne by the Iesuits ruine if it happen or no danger at all THE ANSWERE NO danger at all of either errour or any ouerthrow hurt or inconuenience to come to the Church yea or to the least member thereof by their outcast but rather in verie deede a greater securitie to all to haue such infectious poison burst and stinking weedes rooted out that the good and bad do not perish altogether by their abode amongst vs. So that amongst many other fables of their folly or rather of the ignorant multitudes folly seduced by them this is one to beare people in hand that these gallants courtly rabbies I hill warrant you in their coaches haue such a speciall charge care and authoritie committed vnto them of and ouer the whole Cotholicke Church that faile they or be they once expelled and thrust out of England all pietie deuotion Christian discipline and religion Before euer anie Iesuites came in England to plot conspiracies against our Soueraigne and her Realme to sow sedition amongst Catholicke and contention amongest Priests there was more ioy cōfort and truly Catholickes vnfeined charitie shewed to one another in one day then there is now in a whole yeare will presently quaile perish and play turne Turke into Atheisme Thus said they before and at their expulsion for high treason out of France but yet they proued false Prophets Gods Church hauing flourished more since their exile thence then euer it did whiles they were amongst thē Nay what haue they said more and auerd auouched and confirmed the same by writings preachings and other passages all their endeuours tending to this end forsooth they haue not bene scrupulous to affirme that he could not be a sound Catholicke and therefore father Parsons in Philopater is bold to call great Henry the now most Christian King of France a verie reprobate and one impossible to be a sound Catholicke nor yet the whole Realme of France euer soundly to be conuerted and so of others that should anie way dislike of the Iesuits proceedings against England But for any directly to oppose himselfe against those mens holy designements as sundrie Catholickes did in France mary sir that were matter enough to make him burne at a stake the like it were to impugne the king of Spaine or Archduches his daughters pretended title to the English Crown Nay which is a most odious and lothsome breath of bloudie broiles garboiles and cruelties threatned to all Nations by these Ascismists for what are they all say some that know them but massacring butcherly buyers
for euen so they deemed nothing lesse of him then their wordes imported but what they did said therein was to hinder the Bishop from the preferment they feared would be laid vpoÌ„ him And thus like Pharises do they deale Sed pece â—â—ori dixit Deus quare tu enarras iustitias meas sedeÌ„s aduersus fratrem tuum loquebaris a luersus filium matris tuae poâ—ebas scandâ—lam c. and loued his memorie in their hearts as a holy shrine how beneficiall his Grace had bene to their Colledge how highly he was esteemed of and respected of all princes in Europe that either knew him by sight or else had heard of him by any passage of memorable speech how dearely accounted of and deepely affected of sundrie Popes aswell his Holinesse then in supreme esse as his predecessours of all holy memorie How all his whole studie chiefe endeuours and greatest care was euer bent for the good of his countrey for reducing of the same to the Catholike faith and for the comfort of the afflicted here and there and euery where To what high dignities he was aduanced how well he merited his place and calling and how greatly honoured in the Court of Rome how much admired at by the rest of the Cardinals in what possibilitie to haue beene Pope and how reuerenced by themselues the Iesuits c. Thus charitably they dealt with the good Cardinall after he was dead and that they were sure their praises giuen out of him could not then obfuscate obscure nor abolish one iot of their preheminence or mirificall designements The like example to this might be a correspondent and euident fauour shewed to the said Bishop after his death as the former was after the Cardinals death For according to the philosophicall Axiome as contraria iuxta se posita magis elucescunt so vertue and vice hauing such a dissocietie by consequence of kind that the one followes the other like form and priuation Hereupon it comes that faith and hope failing charitie neuer dieth but goeth to heauen with the happily possessed therewith so his opposite vice enuie neither euer dieth but goeth to hell with the cursed soule infected therewith at her death For this cause then it is plaine that as these men neuer spoke well of the Cardinall after his death for any loue they bare vnto him so neither did they vse the like good speech of the Bishop for any entire affection towards his Lordship but that which they did was thereby to hinder and discountenance the said Bishop of Cassanaes nephew Montseigneur Hugh Grissin Which to performe stratagemically they commended his said Vncle exceedingly to insinuate thereby that he did farre degenerate from his Vncles vertues And a very like canuasse is all the whole discourse of Fa. Parsons in Doleman conferred with his practise about the bequest of the English Crowne now extolling Scotlands title to the skies and then abasing it in the presence of Spaine To day all wholly for the house of Austria to morrow as forward for the house of Parma Now fawning vpon Derbie to bring Earle Ferdinand to destruction and then vpon Essex to stirre vp Earle Robert to rebellion and still in the meane by entercourse of parlee with anie who either by their greatnesse may comport with his ambition or whom he by his platforme may couple withall to bring this whole Isle to a popular confusion In all which treasonable practises seeing he hath alwaies vsed one to anothers disgrace by praise and dispraise as time and occasion pricke him forward with affiance in one more then in another for his societies aduancement not sparing Spaine it selfe when any hope was by any other meane but to insinuate in plaine tearmes that his aduice was for the mobile vulgus in England to choose and set vp a Soueraign it made no matter who amongst them when oportunitie should be offered affirming boldly that he liked not of the Spaniard as heretofore he had liked neither saw any hope to come by their meanes Yet making the royall issue of King Philip still his dogbolt when all other hopes did quaile and helpes did falle him there is none that reades his libels and conferres them with his practise but shall easily discerne that he would not be improuident of setting downe this statute of Retractation of slaunder as a prouiso in that high Councell of Reformation for England that being the maister trump he had to play for the maine chaunce of his conceited Monarchie and the onely bolt that would serue his turne if anie could in time of neede to driue the bunting to the baye I might here adde a fourth example of this prouiso out of the practise of that simple mis-led man Maister George Blackwell the new Archpriest of England nay the Subuiceroy rather of all the Isles of Albion Maister Blackwell a plaine simple man alwaies full of sentences in his writings as one who hath very probably flores sententiaruus tum PhilosophoruÌ„ c. by reason wherof wanting a head for inuention discourse or iudgement his sententious letters are ofteÌ„ euill couched in deliuerie of his mind by a long passage written togetherward of one matter But of nature being at the first for many yeares together by report of those that knew him very humble scrupulous and affable became some 3. or 4. yeares before his miraculous aduancement so testie peremptorie c. I will leaue it there that there was no ho with him no seruant could dwell in the house with the widow questionlesse a vertuous Gentlewoman otherwise where he liued no nor yet her owne children haue but what he iudged meete for them c. was not so hot against the Iesuits especially Fa. Parsons in time of his naturall and priestly secular mildnesse but now is become as furious against the said seculars since his heart was smitten by Mercuries melancholie yet Iesuitically guilded caduceus Thus times go by turnes honores mutant â—ores sic transit gloria mundâ— to men of no deserts This plaine Polipragmon as none more elated in conceit of their owne proper excellencie then an ignorant body aduanced to immerited vnexcepted and inconceited dignity hauing either heard of or belike had receiued this statute of Retractation sent froÌ„ Rome by hart or a like vnto it taught him per coeur For before that time none seemed to mislike more of the Iesuiticall course proceedings then he nor spake more suspiciously against some of them in particular especially against Father Parsons by name whose comming into England being knowne Maister Blackwell bewailed the same very tenderly to a friend of his then in prison saying that the President at Rhemes meaning Doctor Allane played a very vndiscreete part to send him hither as being an vnfit man to be employed in the causes of religion And being asked why he was vnmeete for that employment he answered because his casting out of Baliol Colledge and other articles and matters depending vpon it
England were Catholicks and those of the bloud royall so in esse with all yet were her title as good as the best saith he and by consequent concludes with this bobbe giuen to all our nation that the gift of the crowne of England was in the oldking Catholiks hands who perhaps quoth this patch Parsons may be perswaded as also his sonne the now king may be to the like set to giue ouer his claime and surrender vp his whole interest and right thereunto to his daughter Clara Eugenia Isabella yeelding her aide for atchieuing of the same to her and some such chatholicks Noble as his Maiestie shall thinke fit for a husband to a Lady of so high parentage Who being now the Archduke Albert late Cardinall c. if followeth that he is the Peere must be our Prince by Coruester Parsons designements And seeing he there insinuates as much and that the foresaid Cardinall Allan had dealt with the king of Spaine as he would make the world beleeue to that intent and purpose the case then and therein is cleere that this same booke here mentioned and that Appendix were both of Parsons owne doing as birds of one nest feather and wing hatched by the vnnaturall heate of his ambitious hart Secondly I obserue both heere there that there was great difficultie and doubts put in perswading the king of Spaine to this exploit for the conquest of England and that there was much adoo to draw him vnto it had not the parties mentioned importuned him to our countries ouerthrow Thirdly they account the intended massacre of her Maiestie and of so many thousands of her good subiects as must haue died if the Spaniard had preuailed as before I prooued it vnto you by the words of the Duke of Medina and other testimonies to that purpose a holy and glorious acte and to haue beene vndertaken of an vnspeakeable zeale and pietie c. Loe Nobles and Gentiles you deere catholikes of both sexes and all degrees Medina vowes he will spare none be he or she Catholicke Protestant or whosoeuer this booke affirmes the massacre intended is an acte of zeale what case are you now in if your Soueraigne forsake you also and who shal can or will defend you if she giue you ouer to the persecutor what haue you to say in your owne defence to saue your liues if her highnes draw the sword of iustice and lay it vpon you Truely nothing at all but so many of you as are loyall subiects your religious catholicke consciences reserued being as innocent as ignorant of those practises whereof I dare boldly speake it in the worde of a priest many thousands in England neuer heard of before the publishing of these Quodlibets might iustly haue fed your dying soules with hope of Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iustitiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum But for other hopes you could haue none Fourthly the false harted Cateline inuolueth all the catholicks that were then beyond the seas in that his most Turkish Iesuitish Puritanian and barbarous designements Fiftly he intangleth such as receiued so great fauors at her Maiesties hands and the state heere as that where by the lawes they might all haue beene put to death they were onely banished Yet notwithstanding he forceth them to become intercessors both for the destruction of her Highnesse and of her kingdome Sixtly what iust cause is heere giuen to her Maiestie and the state of seuere proceeding against all such catholicks as were then beyond the seas when they should come home in that they all sought and thirsted after the blood of their countrey vos iudicate But I hope and in part I know it that the false bastard Iesuits pen when he writ those words did but expresse the traitorous harts of himselfe and some fewe of his consorts and that he hath most egregiously belied many For of the Lord Dacres and sundrie others as well of the cleargie as laitie it is well knowne they were euer most opposite to those traitorous practises and therefore most mightily persecuted by Parsons and his confederates notwithstanding they still helde and do holde out as loyall English subiects vsque ad sanguinem as obedient catholicke children vsque ad aras and as seruiceable in hart to both God and man Pope Prince and to the catholicke Romish church and the English common wealth as soule and body in one person can affoord or faith fealtie religion and loyaltie diuine loue and naturall affection can expect or demaund at their hands And for the rest if any were so sotted and bewitched with Iesuitisme or infected with the Spaniards as I doubt too many were I wish for my owne part euen from the bottome of my poore but resolued catholicke loyall hart so many of them as remaine obstinate with Parsons in that vnnaturall combination faire and well buried in their graues Thus hauing made the first part of the Interrogatory most apparant and manifest I wil now prosecute the answere to the second in as briefe and plaine a method as I may Say then for the present which yet is more then I would willingly put to mainteine the time and our afflicted state considered that his Holinesse and the king of Spaine might lawfully haue taken armes against her Maiestie and this her kingdome our natiue land yet it was shamefull part of father Parsons his companions to be the contriuers or instigators of it as it is to be prooued by many memorable examples agreeing to this purpose scil First out of holy writ it is manifest and apparant that the Iebusites and other inhabitants of the land of behest were permitted there to liue euen after the Israelites had obteined the land as their owne ancient inheritance ergo a forreine people of a natiue broode are not to be by Gods lawes subiected in their natiue soyle by strangers of an alien land Secondly Gregorius magnus when he might haue ridde the parts and coasts of Italy from the tyranny of the Gothes and other sauage peo-people if he would haue intermedled in matters of blood refused so to do accounting it to be a course not fitte for a man of his calling to deale in Thirdly by the lawes customes and practise of all kingdomes such persons as shall machinate and deuise to execute such outragious designements against their prince and countrey haue euer beene iustly condemned and detested of all honest men and good subiects yea and euen of those same princes inuadors or vsurpers that comming to sway the scepter royall of a kingdome by such meanes neuer suffred such traitors to passe vnpunished nor without the iust guerdon of treason deducere canes ad inferos as by sundry examples in the Antiperistasis to Parsons Doleman I haue prooued it true Fourthly it had beene Parsons dutie and so also the dutie of all other priests Iesuits and religious persons to haue praied for her Maiestie and their countrey and by preaching to haue sought the reformation
right stampe hath be laboured with his pen to winne vnto his byace and to bring her Ladiship in dislike of the secular priests as others haue sought but all alike preuayled she being both too wise constant and vertuous to be carried away with gloses you would maruell that euer any bearing the face of a religious man would write so exorbitantly as he there hath done to his vtter shame and discredit as you shall well perceiue when it once comes foorth in Print with the discouery of his arrogancy ignorance lies on the one side and of his malice slāderous toong contēpt of the secular priests on the other side But to returne to our former speech These circumstances of Parsons actions and names giuen to offenders demonstrating a soueraigntie or superioritie in cheefe to be in Master Blackwell it followeth that he being notwithstanding all this subordinate or for feare or want of wit experience and knowledge due to such a superior as he takes vpon him to be at the command of Fa. Garnet betwixt whom by a priest of their owne faction it hath been told that there is continuall intercourse once in euery 24. howers at least there can no lesse be aymed at by the Iesuits in this Isle then a supreme power imperialty and dominion ouer all And so I conclude that they ayme at the succession themselues to rule vnder the Spaniards or rather to cloake their intended ambitious aspires vnder the Spaniards wings a while vntill they haue gotten all subiected vnder them Sed caueat Hispania praelio partu venditur proelis fides THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether then seeing they shoote at the whole monarchie of great Britanie together with Ireland Doe they intend any thing against Fraunce or not Or whether their practise for England may hinder or further their attempts for Fraunce more then their like practises for Scotland one while and for Ireland another while may do or no THE ANSWERE ENgland is made the maine chaunce of Christendome as our countries heauie case is at this present by seditious factions tampering and aspiring heads Wherefore we haue iust cause so many as loue to liue in quiet to pray hartely for the preseruation of her Maiesties life For afterward great calamities are we sure to see so many as liue to that wofull hower by all probable coniecture And by consequent then it followeth that England is the onely butte marke and white they aime at as well in intention as in execution of their pretended expedition exployte and action Which failing farewell a Iesuits monarchie for euer But holding their plots cast for England then haue at all Fraunce and other nations by peece meale in succeeding turns of conquests And therefore standes it both the state ecclesiasticall and temporal vpon of England in chiefe of Fraunce next and so of all other states and princes to looke to them in time and to ioyne in aide fauour and assistance of the Seminarie and secular priests in this their appeale This conclusion needes no further better nor other proofe then a relation with aduisement of this discourse Quodlibeticall First for that as you may gather by the second reason in the last Article and perceiue more at large if you read father Parsons Dolemanian succession he bringeth all his chiefe and strongest arguments for intituling the Lady Infanta to the English crowne from that head scil for that she is the right heire of Brytaine and France c. Now then if she be the heire of France and Brytaine as in precise termes he calleth her in his Appendix and that thereby she be intituled to our English crowne then questionles if once she get or I should haue said they get possession of this Isle in her right which they aime at in chiefe their title therunto comming by this meanes it standes with no sense that they shoulde giue ouer their clayme on her graces behalfe to that kingdome whereof they say she is already heire hauing obteined that monarchy whereunto she is intituled by the foresaide claime of heritage and whereby withall reciprocally she is againe reintituled to the same French kingdome and crowne Neither will the law Salique keepe them out from aduauncing her royall ensignes in the middest of them For I holde it but for a kindly canuase banding bob or taunting effect to confront with France for Burgundy Britany and other states and seigniories of old depending vpon the French crowne affirming as father Parsons doth in Doleman that though by the law Salique the Lady Infanta may be defeated and put from her rightfull title of inheritance and lawfull claime to the whole kingdome of France in concreto or in sensu composito as a man may terme it yet no reason saith he there but that so many states prouinces as came to the crowne of France by heires generall or women but that the same should diuolue vnto the Spaniard by women heires againe Which if he can bring to passe for all those seigniories come by women then shall the French be so fleeced in abstracto or in sensu diuiso as let them rest assured to be distracted out of their wits ere the Spanish Iesuiticall faction haue left them vnlesse they surrender vp the whole into their hands and yeelde perforce to abrogate the authoritie of their Salique lawes it holding no way either in piety or policie with father Parsons principles that taking vpon him in his said booke of titles and high counsell of reformation to abolish vtterly the auncient municipall lawes of this lande which were established by highest authoritie then the lawe Salique of France and that before euer the saide lawe was heard of amongst them that they should not tender thrust vpon and compell the French to chaunge their forme of gouernment lawes customes and all at his designement Secondly although during the time of their I meane the Iesuits rebellious practises conspiracies against the last king Henry the 3. of France of the house of Valois and this king regnant Henry the 4. before king of Nauarre it was not directly knowne that the Iesuits had cast at the crowne and whole kingdome of France in those warres then maintained by aide of the Spaniard but as a great part of catholikes heere in England in former broiles and conspiracies as well by the dukes of Norfolke and of Guise as also by captaine Stukeley and doctor Saunders aided with Italians and Spaniards c. and finally by the attempt in the yeere 1588. did thinke that the Iesuits and their faction had done all of zeale though indiscretely and for the aduancement of Gods glory and the catholike cause pretended by them to be religion So the French catholikes many of them of ignorance folowing the parts of Spaine and other rebels against their Soueraigne and country by Iesuiticall perswasion hauing had the like good opinion of these religious men and thereupon following their direction at an inche yet since their expulsion thence for their treasons and
Portingals and Spaniards continued kept the honours point for Martiall exploits these latter yeares but who shall carie away the price in the cadences of the Spaniards God only knoweth Thus came the foure Patriarkes of Hierusalem Antioch Alexandria and Constantinople by succession of honor wealth and fame in Gods Church to rise and fall one after another and now all decayed dead and gone from their auncient state renowne and dignitie in the Church of God here militant on earth Thus came all Monasticall Heremiticall and religious orders of Saint Anthony of Saint Basill of Saint Augustine of Saint Hierome of Saint Benedict of Saint Bernard of Saint Dominicke of Saint Frances of Saint Clare of Saint Briget and sundrie other religious orders of men and women to haue their generation and corruption by the freedome left of God in humane actions and mans choise to be good or bad vertuous or vicious and to rise and fall by succession one after another by merited fame and iust desert of their life manners and graces giuen and employed by them to Gods glorie In few thus came the spirituall Knighthoods of the Templers the Knights of Saint Iohns the Knights of Rhodes and now of Malto by a lineall succession of fame renowne and worthinesse to haue panigericall histories set foorth of their prayses And the like is of later orders and societies of Carmelists Carthusians Capouchians Theatines Iesuits Bonhommes c. all which set vpon the worlds Theater represent a mournfull tragedie of mans miserie how like to flowers they haue now one and then another order companie or societie burgened blossomed bloomed and flourished and yet subiect to the fates of free-will in all humane wights their deriuatiues are strayed abroad haue left and are gone from the obedience deuotion pietie pouertie chastitie charitie humilitie patience and religious zeale which was in the primitiues and founders of their Orders What shal we say more the whole body mysticall of Christ consisting of the three estates Ecclesiasticall Temporall and Monasticall do auerre the Peripateticall Prince his principle to be true in all things depending vpon chance and chaunge concerning the conuersion of countries people and nations to the Catholike faith For was not the generation or beginning of the Mosaicall law a plaine corruption fall and decay of the law of nature all the Gentiles presently vpon the Orient rise bright shine and flourish of the Israelites Church and their Hebrew Monarchie being giuen ouer into infidelitie and Idolatrie contrarie to the law of nature vnder which the faithfull had liued aboue two thousand yeares without distinction of Iew or Gentile vntill this Mosaicall law began And when for the Iewes sinnes and offences the period of their Monarchie and end of their synagogues and temples honour and religion came did not then the primitiues of the East Church amongst the Christians carry away the auriflambe of all religious zeale After that when the heauie cadens of the East Church came did not also then the Sonne of iustice tanquam sponsus procedens de thalamo suo spread abrode the bright beames of his spouses glorie in a transparant light throughout these our West Ocean cloudes of heathenish darknesse and giue to these Northren Isles the prerogatiue regall of Prime-birth to his inheritance if the Britons and afterwards the English Saxons could haue kept it When by succeding turnes the most part of Asia and Affricke was corrupted and fallen away and all Europe conuerted to the sacred Apostolicall Romane faith when Monasteries began in this North Christian world to be built and great multitudes of Monkes Friers Canons regulars Nunnes and other sacred Saints and holy persons to consort themselues together when Emperors Kings Queenes Princes Lords and Ladies of all degrees fled from their regall Palaces to priuat Cels and left the triumphes of their conquests the trophees of their loues and pompes and pleasures of their Courts to who so would possesse them when here an Anchoresse there an Hermit and in euery wood wild and desert some sacred virgine valed inuested interred dead to the world was to be found when all fertile soyles all places of pleasure profite and content all earthly wealths and reuenues of most woorth were turned into Abbey and Church lands liuings and liuelyhoods when holy emulation was who might giue most all gaue of the best and made this flourishing Isle our Ladies dower when Kings and Queenes Priests and Prelates Lords and Ladies Monkes and Friers sacred Virgins and chast Matrons and all sorts of persons knew their duties first to God to his Church to her Priests then to their Prince to the Commonwealth and to her Peeres and lastly each one to another how when and where to commaund or obey when all things sorted to so sweet a sympatheall harmonie in English hearts as England by a prerogatiue royall of grace diuine merited to be called Anglia chara Deo gens when flying fame of their rare Angelicall conuersation had fronted the coasts of furthest countries and occupied with great admiration of mind the mouthes of most men in the world when England Fraunce and Flaunders Italy Bohemia and Germany Spaine Portugal and Hungary Sicilie Naples and Cyprus Denmarke Poland and Sweden Scotland Ireland and Norway did striue for a supremacie to carry away the garland of vertue deuotion and religion on all sides Then inimicus homo enuying at mans felicitie to conforme by permission diuine Gods concurrence with secondarie causes to the Philosophers prescript of generation and corruption in tract of time corrupting all these Northren and Westerne parts of the world with contention ambition Turcisme heresie and Pharisaisme a new generation of Catholike truth and religion begins to labour and bring soorth their children amongst the Indians Antipodies and new found world before vnknowne vnto these Northren and Westerne parts discouered first by Portingals and Friers and after proceeded in by Spaniards and Iesuits And now listen what followed Amongst many other cadences and fals the heauiest of all the rest hath bene iudged by many to haue bene our English calamities begun at first by the ambitious aspires of Cardinall Wolsey who affecting the highest Soueraigntie in causes Ecclesiasticall on earth made a great breach by his contrarie plotting betwixt King Henry the eight of famous memorie and the Sea Apostolicke And afterward when vnder her Maiestie Queene Elizabeth our Soueraigne now regnant sundrie persons of rare indowments graces and abilities had retired themselues to places of studie and seruice of their Lord God beyond the seas where they liued in diuerse Seminaries and Colledges leading there a right Monasticall and religious life in a most perfect state of religious profession calling and order as both all other religious Orders and Ecclesiasticall persons that conuersed with them or knew their manner of life and whereunto their whole studie tended did acknowledge somtimes in teares proceeding after their returne hither in simplicitate cordis with all humilitie patience
tooke a farre better and more polliticke course in that they sought by disputation setting out of bookes and other priuate conferences to make as many close Catholikes which you quoth he call schismatickes as they can and yet not bring any of these into the Church vnlesse here one and there one as may seeme in pollicie conuenient for keeping a memorie of Catholike ceremonies and vse of sacraments and sacrifice To the same effect were the words of their great Polipragmon Fa. Parsons who audaciously durst presume to affirme that it stood not with pollicie to haue libertie of conscience graunted neither did he wish it that persecution should cease in England in afflicting of Catholikes which passages of speech drawne into one proposition setting Atheisme for a medius terminus betwixt that honorable Lords opinion and this disgracefull Iesuits censure all English hearts may conceiue in these words foure points of importance one that the Iesuites make religion a matter of State and pollicie to draw people vnto them by plausible hypocrisie and shew of zeale not a matter of conscience to direct them aright another that they care not how many soules perish so they may winne their hearts and affections vnto them for the time present either by admiring them for rare prudence learning and gouernment or adoring them for peerelesse pietie perfection and holinesse a third that in stead of meekenesse mercie and compassion which of all other ought to shine out most clearely in a religious heart these men haue put on a sterne harsh and cruell hardnesse void of all pittie mildnesse or remorse saue onely Cateolinian carrying their countenance in their hands to sob and smile in a trice and so care not what miserie affliction or persecution fall vpon poore distressed Catholikes in these heauie times of our common sadnesse whilest they liue secure who are the chiefe workers of our generall incestant calamities by their figure-flingings plot-castings and libellings against their natiue countrie and present state of English gouernment in other countries And the fourth and last is their mischieuous bloudie and vnnaturall practises in that it is apparant that the onely cause why they wish persecution of their poore afflicted country-men and brethren to continue and no relaxation leaue or libertie to be graunted them is of purpose to make our Soueraigne her honorable Councell and Peeres of the present State seeme more odious tyrannicall and hatefull to all Christian nations and thereupon to publish libels and other seditious pamphlets of conspiracies for conquests and inuasions And this is that good reuerend religious esteeme which the Iesuits brokers should indeed haue cried with an O yes in euery street court and corner that they haue merited of the Catholike church Englands commonwealth since their first comming into this land Thirdly I might adde as of all other articles so of this many sundry causes reasons and proofes of the Iesuits impietie but I must infringe my speech perforce to dispatch other matters onely this whosoeuer knowes the Iesuits practises as none liuing knowes them all and few but know too few of them may easily coniecture that where any of their faction may be heard speake and be beleeued there must needes be a stop stay and hinderance of that soules conuersion For they that haue the art to inchaunt the already conuerted to make them refuse the benefite of the sacraments to the endaungering of their soules rather then to come at any Seminary or secular Priest that is not a current of their damnable doctrine thinke you they haue not the same skill of figure-flinging to withdraw all those that want the serpeÌ„ts wit to auoid their charmes from comming at any such as are opposite against them Noâ— questionlesse they want neither art nor euill will nor yet malicious meanes to effect it as hauing vsed from the beginning more Machiuilean deuises Atheall practises in secret conference by their inferior Agents with Schismaticks yea and with our common aduersaries then with Catholiks they that can delude any one Catholik put him or her in feare and to haue a scruple of conscience to receiue any Catholike Priest that is not of their faction or at least not against them it is wonder if all Schismatickes be not ouertaken and misse-led in conceit by them THE X. ARTICLE VVHether then the case standing so as in all these 9. precedeÌ„t Quodlib articles it appeares most plaine that the Iesuits haue raised much sedition wrought great mischiefe occasionated sundrie afflictions of all Catholike Recusants and most mightily and daungerously eclipsed the Churches glorie Is it like that these contentions the premises considered will be any way beneficiall to Catholikes and the whole Church of God or else hurtfull c. THE ANSWERE This Quodlibeâ— deciphering the extreme malice and mischieuous intent of the Iesuits in the former Quodlibets discouered doâ—â— closely insinuate here what greaâ— griefe it will be hereafter to many deuout Catholikes to remember how mad and senselesse they were to beleeue that such and such Priests were suspended excommunicated c. and that none might come at them and onely vpon the bare word of a Iesuit or one of his faction Wherupon perceiuing that it was spoken of meere malice sacrilegious consinage of these hypocrites those that are now deluded by them will be readie to eate their owne nailes for anger that they should haue bene so credulous and vnkind in beleeuing their enemies false reports against their dearest friends and spirituall fathers that yet still are ready to spend their bloud on Gods behalfe for them ALthough for the time it may seeme hurtfull yet questionlesse when these masqued religious Iesuits are once made knowne what and who they are there can no harme come thereof but on the contrarie to euery one it will be very beneficiall in the end and as great a comfort to all true Catholike harts as now it is a griefe First for that it was neuer yet seene but that presently vpoÌ„ such deadly coÌ„tentions risen amongst Gods seruants and Priests there appeared some blazing starre comet or light of a rare bright shine of the Churches wonted glorie So was it in the coÌ„tention amongst the Apostles when they stroue together for a supremacie euen in our Sauiour Christ his presence So was it in the time of the Arrian heresie when the whole Church and chiefe prelates seemed to be at daggers drawing with infamous libels put vp by Bishops against Bishops Priests against Priests one religious against another before that pious Emperor of all worthie memorie Constantine the great and so hath it euer bene no doubt but now so it will be God sweetly so disposing Secondly of all Axiomes in Philosophie this is holden for one of the truest most certaine and infallible rule that nullum violentum est perpetuum VVherupon Christian Philosophers haue defined that though there were no Scripture nor Catholike church authoritie to confirme it yet by this phisical position
to haue liued by theÌ„ in England to haue past on their time in this vale of teares here during the short time of their transitory life full of all heauinesse and not molested innocent lambes that sought no establishing of houses Colledges sodalities societies or corporations to remaine to posterity which the Iesuits chiefly aimed at This being the grouÌ„d of al their cruell oppression of the innocent crying to heauen for vengeance I vndoubtedly beleeue it was Gods holy will to haue the Iesuits impiety knowne sooner by the Seminary Priests then by any other secular or religious and that no doubt to Gods great glorie and the benefit comfort and reliefe of all true Catholike harts either in England or elsewhere THE ARGVMENT OF THE second Generall Quodlibet I Haue stayed longer vpon the first Quodlibet then time which hasteneth me to depart hence will well allow me the like demurre vpon the rest The next generall Quodlibet followeth very fitly to be of plots cast by the Iesuits doctrine how neare they come to Puritanisme what it is their doctrinals of policies do arme at wherein there are ten Articles to be discussed vpon concerning that matter THE I. ARTICLE VVHether the Iesuites or the Puritanes be more dangerous pernitious and noysome to the common-wealth either of England Scotland or any other Realme where both or either of them liue together or apart THE ANSWERE 〈◊〉 that all Catholikes would seriously weigh the danger that they do occasionate both to the Church and common wealth yea aâ—d to their owne both bodies and soules reputation and present state by siding with these seditiâ—â— and â—actiâ—uâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 many 〈◊〉 will not be â—â—â—med of 〈…〉 nor 〈◊〉 â—â—ed of 〈◊〉 owne folly THe Iesuits without all question are more dangerous not that their doctrine is as yet either so absurd as the Puritanes I meane in matters not of faith for therein I must and will so long as they remaine visible members of Gods Church euer esteeme of the worst and baddest Iesuit better then of the best and sanctliest seeming Puritane that liues but in matters and doctrine pertaining to manners gouernement and order of life nor that their intent is manifested as yet to be more malicious against both Church common-wealth Prince and Peere then the Puritanes are but because the meanes and their manner of proceeding is more couert more seeming substantiall more formall and orderly in it selfe and therefore are they more dangerous because of the two they are more like to preuaile by managing of whatsoeuer they take in hand And the rather for that their grounds are more firme their perswasions more plausible their performance more certaine as hauing many singular fine wits amongst them whereas the Puritanes haue none but grossum caputs many learned men on their sides the Puritanes not one many Gentles Nobles yea some Princes to side with them the Puritanes but few of the first rare to haue any of the second none at all vnlesse it be one of the last on their side And so by consequent if matters come to hearing hammering handling betwixt the Iesuits and Puritanes the latter are sure to be ridden like fooles and come to wracke Whereupon it also followeth that the former are in these respects more dangerous both to the Church and common-wealth as hereafter shall at large more manifestly appeare THE II. ARTICLE VVHether the Iesuites doctrine abstracted from matters of faith and religion come neerer in matters of life and manners to the Protestants or to the Puritanes THE ANSWERE THey are in this respect all wholly Puritanes and therefore do some for distinctions sake call the one Puritane Papists and the other Puritane Protestants To the better vnderstanding whereof a certaine great person is sayd to haue vsed a comparison in way of discourse betwixt Iesuits and Puritanes conferring them together in this manner or to this effect here ensuing Of all sects or religions the Iesuit and the Puritane quoth he come neerest and are fittest to be coupled like cats and dogs together First for that the Puritanes count all to be wicked sinfull creatures but theÌ„selues A reason why some Catholike Gentlemen that liue about London whom I could name and what they haue sayd about those â—arieâ— were discontented when wanting their wiues 3. or 4. or mo dayes and nights together they must bee forsooth in the holy exercise how they haue conceited these matters and whether a new sect of Anabaptists or family of loue be not greatly suspected to be ingendred of some foule monster or other amongst these new illuminated Iesuits I leaue it there the Iesuits will haue none to be counted holy vertuous or religious that are not of their societie or followers Secondly the Puritanes haue their secret conuenticles and meetings which none other must be acquainted withall and so haue the Iesuites Thirdly the Puritanes are entred into secret league of conspiracy against all other professors of the Gospell and so are the Iesuits against all other professors of the Romane faith Fourthly the Puritanes call themselues the sainctly brotherhood deuided from all others that are not of their sect and opinion and the Iesuits call themselues the holy diuision separated from all other that are not of their faction Fiftly the Puritanes haue a secret watchword to know whom to trust or to admitte to be of their confederacy and so haue the Iesuites Sixtly the Puritanes take an oath as it is reported neuer to reueale to death any secret done attempted or intended by them or amongst them and to the same effect is the Iesuits oath or vow of obedience Seuenthly the Puritanes iudge all men bound to tell them what they demaund and yet they bound to tell none any thing but what they please and euen right so the Iesuites Eightly the Puritane holds he may denie any thing before any Iudge whatsoeuer that is not of his fraternitie with iura periura secretum prodere noli and to the same sense is the Iesuites equiuocations to any but to one of their societie Ninthly the Puritanes vse all scoffing scolding and ignominious disgracing speeches that may be with most infamous libels against the Bishops and English Cleargie and euen so so the Iesuits vse the like against all the Bishops and Prelates of the Romane Cleargy Tenthly the Puritanes all wholly affect singularity in gate in countenance in speech in apparell and all their actions and euen so do the Iesuits Eleuenthly the Puritanes cannot endure to heare of any to equall them in any thing and no more or much lesse can the Iesuits Twelftly the Puritanes must haue all men to obey them An◠〈…〉 hereof was iâ— Wâ—â—ch where being all examined by ciuill Magistrates which were Iesuits and which were not not one of those that are knowne and acknowledge themselues to be so indeed amongst then Iesuiticall confederates but did deny it vnto the said iusticâ—rs vnlesse one Irishâ—an c. so must the Iesuits Thirteenthly
Sophister to confound natures freedome in her specificall brood differenced by reason and sense and so leaue quite out the third vniuersale as rationale and irrationale or thus naturall reason and naturall sense the former being naturally as free to change as the latter is naturally bound to his obiect Neither is any so sottish as not to know the distinction of naturall actions in creatura rationali irrationali sensibili insensibili and that by a liberty naturally inserted in the will of man it is as free as common and as fitly agreeing to the law of God and nature that man should be mutable in all his humane actions and by consequent as naturall for him vt creatura rationalis to alter his forme of gouernement and manner of succession as it is of necessity voide of all liberty or choise by the same lawes in him vt homo vel creatura humana sensibilis mortalis to be immutable in his naturall actions as it is immutable by natures law for smoake to ascend vpward and a stone fall downeward and yet God and nature common and all one in their ordinarie concurrence granted to secondarie causes to the one as well as the other But for this and other some halfe score of grosse errours like vnto it you shall see I hope sufficient matter in confutation of things in the Antiperistasis to the first part of Parsons Doleman concerning his many many grosse abuses of both Canon Ciuill and common lawes decrees and customes Another principle or proposicion of a Iesuit concerning their false doctrine contrary to the beleefe of the Romane Catholike Church is that the stewes are in Rome cum approbatione as lawfull as any Citizen Magistrate or order of religion or yet the Pope himselfe Another like hereticall and most dangerous assertion of theirs is that the auncient fathers rem transubstantiationis ne attigerunt A like to this is their scoffe and iest at Priesthood affirming it to be but a toy that a Priest is made by tradition of the Challice patten and oast into his hands c. And a not much vnlike contempt of Priesthood is collected out of the three farewels of the soule made simply God-wot by a wiseman and yet commended to the skies by the Iesuits and their faction because forsooth if that absurd booke might haue taken place none should haue had any ghostly father but a Iesuite or some substitute Priest vnder him Yea the Author of that false doctrine and most arrogant hypocriticall or Pharisaicall errour being friendly admonished in a letter from a reuerend Priest to be warie of his writings and not to be so lauish of his pen nor rash with his tongue as he had bene rescribing backe in a most saucie and peremptorie manner taking it in scorne to receiue any charitable admonition much lesse such correction as he had iustly deserued at anie secular Priestes hands was grosly bold to tell him amongst other things that whereas he acknowledged a dutie and respect to be had to religeous Priestes meaning Iesuits as the tenor of his letter imports yet to him he acknowledged none be being but a secular Priest and himselfe a secular gentleman and no difference vnlesse it were in this that he might minister the Sacraments to him which he could not c. A like to these is there no lesse absurd then erronious doctrine concerning their Generals in fallability of truth for deciding of matters their absurd paradoxes of equiuocation malepert bold and damnable doctrine in preiudice of the Sea Apostolike secretly laboring to infringe the appeale admitting a company of silly women to be the Archpriests and Iesuites graue Counsellors an odde conceit fit to haue bene laughed at by the Romane Senate whiles gentilisme there ruled When the wily wagge told his curious mother the Senators were consulting about pluralitie of wiues c. Well yet our English gossippes thus fawned vppon by these seducing guides and thereby poore soules made fond of them must be set on with a companie of greene heades God wot and some but base fellowes for so their base conditions and vnhonest dealing makes them where otherwise being some of them gentles of auncient houses yet deserue to haue their armes reuersed and their coates pulled ouer their eares for speaking or officiously intruding them selues for bribes and gaine to bee brokers of these seditious Iesuites errours against their owne consciences to conicatch those as ignorant as themselues and to worke as much as in them lyes to make all Catholikes abhorre contemne and loath both Priestes and all or any of the seculars that are in the appeale yea which is most odious and seditious they maintaine a popularitie to set all subiects on against their Princes as hereafter shall be touched at large Which with many the like if they should maintaine in any Catholike countrey they would be burnt at a stake for it as absurd heretikes one after another I shall be too long perforce but for the rest I referre the reader to sundry bookes set out and to be published against them For it is high time for all Christendome to looke to them and either to infringe their insolencie and make them keepe their cloisters and meddle onely with their bookes and beades if they be religious as they would be counted or at least if to teach preach heare confessions and minister Sacraments they would haue leaue yea I say leaue for leaue they must haue how proudly soeuer they looke and submit themselues to Bishops Prelates secular Cleargie and the state Ecclesiasticall though this word I know will make them startle and looke as wild as March hares or rather sauage Canibals as some haue sayd that were they not religeous men I must account to find them if euer they get me within their clooches Well esto quod sic in the meane time yet so it must be in spite of their arrogant vsurpate authoritie or else not allowed of so much as to heare any one confession nor to say Masse abroad at all then let them not presume to take state and iurisdiction Ecclesiasticall vpon them and thereby to censure secular Priestes at their pleasure vnder whom they must perforce liue or else runne out of their order and abiure it as preiudiciall to their preferment THE V. ARTICLE WHether any of them haue stood in defence of any of the premises or of any other error or heresie by them No one thing â—â—â—deth greater â—â—â—ed and danger to all Catholike in England then the Iesuits aâ—â—se of equiuocating making it indeed nothing else but an art of being cogging â—â—â—sting and â—oâ—ging and that without all respect of matter time place person so it be not to a superior Iesuit or other circumstance whatsoeuer All is one vtiscuentia â—â—ra partura secretuÌ„ prodere noli either published in bookes or insinuated openly or taught secretly or not any at all THE ANSWERE THere haue sundrie of them apostataed fallen out of Gods
Philosophari These natural Philosophers or rather plaine naturals indeede admiring what manner of men the Iesuits should be began to descant of a surmised worthinesse to be in them aboue all others and thereupon inferd by a senslesse sequel of their seeming-sound conceit that it could not be but the secular priests were in the wrong would be ouerthrowne and impossible for them to hold out against the Iesuites who had all the greatest chiefest and most part of the nobles and gentles throughout England on their side yea and of the greatest princes in Christendome to take their parts whereas the secular priests had none of any reckoning For these are the vaine vaunts of their brokers abroade yea and of Iesuits themselues as arrogantly made as falsly affirmed and neither way priestly and much lesse religiously But what should a man speak of humilitie pouertie or any religious vow or vertue in them that can draw out a quintessence from the highest dignities of Pope or Prince In ordine ad Deum to make themselues demi Gods on earth whereby a man may gather that amongst manie other sundrie meanes of seducing and drawing of others to their faction one and a chiefe of all the rest is their Pharisaicall hypocrisie Now to the first part of the intertogation To name anie in particular seduced by them I am verie loath for that they are all or most part of them of one of these three sorts and therefore may probably be reclaimed to wit some of theÌ„ are led away of meere simplicitie indiscreet zeale whose wits be on the one side insufficient to discerne by outward actions what is in the inward maÌ„ which is a hard matter for anie to define of and on the other side as insufficient to be practitioners for these statesmen in regard of the same defect and therefore are made onely Parrots Pies or iangling Iayes to prattle vp and downe all that they heare and see where you must note that all which they shall heare or see must be onely of such things as may stirre them vp with zeale forsooth and as an act of spirituall merit to defend these holy Fathers in euerie thing and to be readie to spit in a Priests face to flie from him as from a vowed enemie of Gods Church because an aduersarie to the Fatthers and thinke it to be as horrible a sinne against their conscience to make as great a scruple to come to anie Sacrament or seruice with them or to aske them blessing as if they were Ethnickes Infidels or other damned creatures and alreadie denounced to be so But for anie other secret or point of importance they seldome or neuer impart it to these tittle tatlers whereof I could name you besides simple men a whole browne dozen of silly Gentlewomen about London that course both water and land Citie and Suburbes house and fieldes with these and the like speeches scil Out vpon the Seculars the Seminarie Priests the seditious the factious when as alas good Ladies for two of this holy crue are Ladies indeed they know not what a faction meanes but as I said before like Parrots speake as they be taught so they are to be accounted of accordingly Others are wholy depeÌ„ding on them for their temporall necessities and bodily reliefe and as the common saying is neede makes men of occupation and the Iesuites hauing gotten Iudas his office scil to carrie the mony bag into their substitutes hands disposing of all the wealth and charitie of Catholickes consisting of manie thousand pounds where how and to whom they please though most sinfully irreligiously and abusiuely they conuert these Pios vsus intended by the benefactors where need is most into their own purses these are braue religious men be they not or into their purses at least from whoÌ„ they may coniure it at their pleasures and make it flie ouer the Ocean vnder pretence of relieuing the Colledges or Seminaries to prepare for an inuasioÌ„ Now what would you haue those distressed Catholikes to do that liue in want either by reason that their liuings are takeÌ„ from them or vpon some other accident of fortunes frowne the secular Priests are not able to help them because they receiue not most of them one farthing of the commoÌ„ contribution but liue only vpon relief sent them from their priuat friends to get a dodkin of a Iesuit or his procurator it is impossible vnles they wil run with open mouth in defamation of seminary Priests their very first spirituall fathers oftentimes that begot them in Christ Iesus to Godward and to starue or famish they may not if possibly they can auoide it Therefore must this necessarie relation needes be betwixt the Iesuites and these kind of proctors that if the Iesuits take away their vpper lip they spill their whistling and if they whistle not apace against all the secular Priests with panigeries sounded out of the Iesuits praises then shall they loose their vpper lippe and all their hope of reliefe And thus are these needie persons made another kind of sticklers for them who according to their qualities and abilities to do them seruice with a cleanly conueyance in their actions shall be more or lesse acquainted with some of their secrets driftes and markes they shoote at A third sort of the Iesuits panigerickes or vnskilfull herauldes in this blazon are of those that are men of State in deede A French Iesuit repâ—â—â—ing that the King of Fraunce gained three millions of gold by them at their expulsion thence it cannot be but they haue infinit treasure in store for an exploit when time comes But it will questionlesse be their destruction beare haughtie mindes aspire to high mounts and expect great matters at the comming in of the Spaniards or time of the Iesuits triumphs and conquest made of this Realme through ayde of forreigne powers together with Indulgences granted to the aidors and excommunications thundred out against the resistants wherof I will talke anone leuied at their costs and charges taking vp souldiers euery where for pay if they cannot otherwise preuaile by helpe of Spaine And these are they which the Iesuites boast not a little of And though many of them be not God wot of the wisest for if they were they would neuer be led into a fooles paradise vpon Moone shine hopes of Lucean towers to be built for them by these great Statistes yet by reason partly of the great hope as I said before of receiuing euer an hundred for one and partly of some great enemies they haue in opposition against themselues they do runne the course of the Iesuits In deciding of the controuersie betwixt the two great houses of Arundel Dacre I haue made this point more apparant how the one house that it might the better suppresse the other applaudeth to all the Iesuits vndertake in hope to be strengthened by them herafter whilst the Iesuits in the meane time like greedy caterpillers do pray vpoÌ„ them
potent Kings Christian and Catholike did verily thinke they would haue pulled them downe and stoned them in the streete Thus you see what perfection these mortified men are come vnto and whereunto their ostentation of obedience to their superior doth tend Obedience indeed is a speciall vertue but one swallow makes no Sommer one vertue makes no creature perfect in his life one onely defect makes a priuation but all helpes must concurre to euery perfection Vnitas est principium numeri sed vnus vel vnitas non est numerus nisi abusiuè sumptus The fiue foolish virgins they did watch they liued chast they were obedient they were diligent they were carefull they carried lampes with them burning with indiscreet fire of zeale but they wanted oyle of charitie to keepe in the heate and make it perfect and therefore were they reiected with nescio vos Well yet admit this obedience of the Iesuits to weare the garland of perfection and merite the crowne of glorie what then Is there none hath equall part with them or may none be as perfect as any of them by this same meanes Yes questionlesse Saint Augustine our Apostle was sent by Pope Gregorie surnamed the Great for his many rare excellencies and graces into this flourishing Isle of England nolens volens with commaund not to returne vntill he had conuerted this people and nation to the Christian faith or else lost his life in defence of the same And he came by vertue of his Holinesse commaund and vnder obedience worthily perfourmed the same to his great merite How many Monks and Friers and other both secular and religious persons haue gone and do go continually with like authoritie when occasion is offered and vnder the same vow of obedience which these Iesuits make their vaunt of It were too long to stand to number them with what authoritie and vnder what other obedience vnlesse a more perfect kind do Seminarie Priests come into England saue onely this alone Where is then the difference of this great perfection which is in the Iesuits aboue all other Priests or orders of religion Where it is I know not but where the contrarie is I can giue a shrewd guesse at it It was said of old Cucullus non facit monachum It is not the death but the cause that makes a Martyr And we say now that meate makes and cloth shapes and manners makes a man and that all these faire shewes and flourishes in Academicall vertues may be without impeachment in their causes and yet stark nought in the effects produced by them And because saith the Philosopher that ex effectibus cognoscitur causa therefore by demonstration à posteriori it wil be proued that the Iesuits state of perfection is starke stinking nought and their ostentation of obedience meere hypocrisie and a seditious arrogant vaineglorious deluding of simple people with their vsurpate authoritie Is it alwaies a vertue and merite in those qui trans mare currunt to hazard their liues in forreine lands going either voluntarie or vnder obedience by commaund of their Superior If the Iesuites say it is not as it is not indeede then it followeth that they must graunt O that men wold but giue now and then an impartial glaunce vpon the Iesiu s protects and principles of their absurdities then should they see it luce clarius thâ—â— they abâ—â—e euery vertue grace and meane left vs to worke our saluation by cum â—â—more tremore simplicitate cordis who doth or can deny but that the three Euangelicall vertues of chastitie pouerty and oâ—eâ—ience are of counsell onely not of precept a in the Gospel and of precept not of counsell after a vow 〈◊〉 God hath past of them and yet â—oth wâ—ies they 〈◊〉 be and are often abus d to â—uâ—ll eâ—â—â—â—â—s apâ—â—eâ—â—â—â—â—â—ne in 〈…〉 seâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—ons that 〈…〉 it is the intention not the action that occasioneth the merite In respect whereof we say and true it is by generall opinion of all men that two Christians going into the warres together against the Turke and both of them there slaine the one may die a blessed martyr the other be damned to hell without redemption and then by consequent they must needes graunt that though the cause seeme neuer so iust yet the intention may mar all that that which is known only to God alone during the time of hanging the same cause the same is known to man after the effects haue discouered it And so their ostentation of mortification obedience perfection of state and I know not what is in pollicie by them to be kept silent for burst it out once into the effects it will proue nothing but auarice extorsion cousinage trecherie and treason If they affirme which were grosse that the very act of going vnder obedience be meritorious and makes the habituated therewith perfect then I inferre that vpon such a generalitie Mithridates filling all the Adriaticke seas with Pirates to molest the Romane Nauies and to breake their forces did cause a high merite to redound by that act to his couragious souldiers for feare makes cowards couragious in extremities though questionlesse many of them went for obedience which had rather haue wished themselues halfe hanged to haue sit still at home slept in a sound skin amongst their wiues and children So a merchants factor going by commandement of his maister into Turkie Barbarie Persia or elsewhere committing himselfe to Neptunus mercie to winds and waues and all aduerse fortunes of sea and land yet because those that are bound they must obey and perhaps though vnwilling to haue taken that voyage in hand of himselfe yet going on his maister his cost and charges he takes it vpon him with great alacritie and ioy of mind and by consequent meriteth greatly thereby if this principle hold true with the Iesuits And a number of the like examples may be brought to shew their grosse errour or rather the fond opinion of many that thinke vpon their inueigling perswasions that a Iesuite hath taken vpon him the most perfect state and vocation of life of any other whosoeuer Whereas in very deede it is especially as now they vse it the most imperfect of all other a very platforme canuase and deuise how to strengthen and enrich themselues with wealth friends and insinuating of theÌ„selues into Princes Courts and affaires and thus forsooth for obedience sake these humble soules must passe into India Turkie England Scotland and all nations and be remoued sent for and posted euer like merchants indeede that trafficke where most gaine is to be made by interchaunging of merchandize from one Mart hauen promontorie or Monopole to another and so another sent in his place thither againe or perhaps none at all if no commoditie be to be reaped thereby either by holding in of some friends that would slip from them or else by meanes of giuing intelligences of affaires in those coasts necessarie to be made knowne And thus much for these pure
there must be another shift or deuice that is at the coming into any Catholike country pretending by a charitable indeuor in them to teach young youth gratis their principal drift is to single out the finest wits or at least fittest for their purpose with whom they take extraordinary pains to work them in by kindnesse and cunning allurements if they be of good parentage vntill they get them to promise that they wil be of their societie or somwhat to that purpose which is sufficient to seaze vpon them do their parents and friends what they can vnlesse they will incur a slaunder of inclination to heresie or to some other impiety for so they calumniate all that any way crosse their designmēts or proceedings wherin if they find any vnready or impossible to be wonne or drawn vnto them they shal be loaden with detraction vntil their backs be broken Of the wofull experience whereof the English Colledge at Rome hath left a mournfull testimony to all posteritie all Europe talking of the iars there by reason of the Iesuits tyrannicall gouernment none but such as will be wholly Iesuited finding any fauour rest or quiet in that place 11 Hauing by these deuises mentioned in the premises brought all to that passe Who so hath read Actiones Tullij Cic. in C. Verrem of the meanes that proud Proconsul vsed in pilling poulling and spoiling of cities if they be conferred by and with the Iesuits shall find that Verres was not more odious amongst the Romanes then the Iesuites sleights cousinages frauds thefts and apparantly vnhonest and shamefull courses are odious to all that know them according to Machiauels rule of diuide impera which is as cunningly practised by the Rectors of the English Colledges euery where as in any place of the world I verily think this day they taking all vpon them as great men indeed that were to be employed in matters of greater importance then the seculars were ordained or appointed vnto for to that effect is Fa. Campians letter out of England to their Generall their driftes were deeper thē to say the truth the seculars euer dreamed of for mysteries are difficult to be rightly vnderstood vntill the effects do interpret them and therefore it was necessarie to maintaine what they had begun with a magnificencie agreeing to the maiestie they carried that great summes of mony where was no man-rents nor other annuall reuenues should be had to that intent and purpose The drift and deuice to bring this to passe was that though their faire gloses pretences of zeale hauing blinded bewitched both cleargie and laitie so far as all gaue way vnto them suffered thē euen to do what they list they being throughly instructed by their principle vti scientia in the first point of hawking like Ma. Falconers of the game knowing well how to ceaze on a pray and then to hold fast got by their cunning cariage with the people by litle and litle so to carry all before them as no almes was thought sufficiently meritorious vnlesse it were sanctified by a Iesuits distribution Who pretending they were but religious collectours for prisoners and other distressed Catholikes haue so fleeced their fauourers as ouer and aboue their owne expenses which is knowne to be so exceeding great as one of them hauing got 500. pounds at times giuen to Priests prisoners at Wishich consumed all at his owne pleasure and spendeth more then would maintaine 20. imprisoned secular Priests they haue bene able of late to send ouer 2200. pounds towards the Low countries as was pretended the prisoners in Wishich being then in great want I speake not here of Parry first defrauding the prisoners of seuen fiftie pounds seuenteene shillings and after spending 27. pounds of the common monie by consent of his fellow Iesuits Yea their accounts to the prisoners haue bene so vniust as the false steward mentioned in the Gospel may be thought to giue place to them In few they haue dealt so vnconscionably in these mony matters that whereas before Priests were honored for their priestly function and labours agreeing to our Sauiors definitiue sentence dignus est operarius mercede sua and had many ghostly children depending vpon them as vpon their spirituall fathers shepheards and guides of their soules they are now through the Iesuits falshood calumniations and vntrue suggestions to their superiors and to all estates brought into such high contempt as their ghostly children forsaking thē none otherwise then if they were stepfathers shew their charitie so coldly towards them as many are in extreme want few or none but are scarce able to liue The mischiefe of these men is great their impiety so extreame and all their actions so irreligious that to recount from point to point the stratageme of all the mortal strifes and wicked contentions begun made and managed by them euery Quodlibet nay euery Article would make vp a large Volume of more matter then time will permit me to contriue within the compasse of this worke now taken in hand But to be as briefe as I may by these eleuen Principles or deuises you may see that in all tyrannicall Turkish and Machiuilean gouernment there is none goes beyond them any where THE V. ARTICLE WHether any do equall the Iesuits in wit learning and profoundnesse of knowledge or no THE ANSWERE THis Quodlibet may be answered as the former was scil that for craftie slie cousinage and such points rules and principles of learning profoundnesse and knowledge as pertaine to cony-catching and other Machiuilean deuises there is none goeth beyond them Marry for that such base qualities are not to be numbred amongst vertues or graces either gratis datas or gratos facientes nor yet they habituated therewith to be accounted of amongst honest men much lesse amongst generous hearts and least of all amongst Priests Therfore I conclude that the Iesuits are slie but nothing wise they are craftie but nothing learned they are cunning but not profound they are practicall but of no knowledge and in all these gifts and excellencies of wit learning profoundnesse and true knowledge there are of both the seculars and religious that farre surpasse them euery way THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether then if both secular and religious do surpasse the Iesuits in wisedome learning c. do or haue they or the Iesuits written or set out mo and more learned bookes and if they haue then how is it that the Iesuits beare the bell away and that we neither see of their works here in England especially neither of any either secular or religious to be of any fame saue the Iesuits alone It is a very mean occupation and but course stuffe that the Iesuits can and will not make a commoditie of one way or other For who knowing what number of learned there are in the world of Dominicanes Franciscans Augustins Benedictines Carthusians c. that I may omit sundrie Cardinals Bishops Deanes Canons and others
Althogh it might haue bene in some sence a speciall point of vncharitable pollicy for the Iesuits to haue reiected that friendly offer to haue brought vp 30. of our English youthes as at Rome because that probably many of those would haue bin Benedictines and haue frustrat the Iesuits hope of hauing al here for themselues without copartners yet was it no pollicie in thē to beate a Priest almost to death for but making the motion of receiuing one into the Benedictines order for that foule fact did openly bewray their vnmortified passionate humours pride ambition malice auarice and other shamefull vices too too bad to be spoken of but most of all to be in any religious person that with the worlds weapons they make their vaunt that they can conquer the world Therefore dare they attempt to bid battell liuing in the world to religious men liuing out of the world and still themselues be no worldlings Herein then consists the miserie which being discouered any man may reade the riddle plaine scil that for asmuch as the Benedictines had all or the most part of the Abbey lands in England bequeathe vnto their Monasteries by sundry deuout holy and vertuous Catholike men and women in times past liuing in this Realme and for that the Dominicanes haue the chaire of authoritie for reading in the schooles especially in Salamanca in Spaine which grieues these pure spirited soules at the very heart and what banding brawling and quarrelling they haue made with them about it were too long to recite and also to them belongs of due right the soueraigne authoritie of the sacred Inquisition and withall to be called Predicatores preachers where euer they go with an higher prerogatiue then euer any Iesuite could or I hope euer shall haue for it were daungerous and great pitie that euer such ambitious men should obtaine such ample priuiledges And lastly for that the Scotists Franciscanes especially the Obseruants haue also had sundrie Frieries here in England as also the Carthusians commonly called the Charterhouse Monkes haue had the like in some sort Therefore was there bona causa cur none of all these or any other religious order that had euer enioyed either house or land in Albions Ile should euer come there again or any other religious order that might liue without the Iesuits for their sakes But all of them as reprobates and of God forsaken must be banished hence and a statute made in that high Councell that none such should euer come within this land after it is conquered by Spaniards and Iesuits sicut placuit Iesuitis The second Act enacted or statute made in that high infernall Consistorie was concerning the Church and Abbey lands scil That forasmuch as there be an hundred Bishoprickes great and small in these three kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland with well nigh 20000. Parsonages and Vicariges and how many Monasteries Nunneries Frieries and other religious houses it is hard to tell the number Notwithstanding there was a booke brought into Paules Churchyard in written hand to be bound vp and sent God knowes where into Spaine as it may be thought because the partie that brought it was a sideman of the Iesuits the collection wherof as it was there reported stood the party in foure hundred pounds In which booke of a huge volume in a small hand there were set downe all the religious houses that euer haue bene in this Realme what land was giuen vnto them where it yet lyeth who gaue it how long since vpon what condition and prouiso when by whom how much and wherein altered diminished or increased and in whose possession it is at this present These with other circumstances and particulars being set downe no man can iudge otherwise but it was a worke fit for that Synodicall court to haue the perusing and censuring of it And there if any where is their nūber of religious houses like these to be found All which as also nothing else belonging either to the Ecclesiasticall or Monasticall state must be any longer in the hands of Bishops Abbots or other secular or religious persons as heretofore they were accustomed and incorporated vnto their seuerall orders But all must be vnder the holy society of Iesus presently vpon the establishing of the spiritual monarchy Which done their father General or Prouinciall must call out foure Iesuits two secular Priests who must be also demy Iesuites else all were naught These sixe Vicars I pray God not of hell for of heauen they are not they smell so ranckly of Cartwrights and Bruses pure synodall ministery like sixe Dutch Peeres of whom the Prophecies talke or so many mighty Lords shall haue the lands mannors Lordships parsonages monasteries and what soeuer else belonged to Church or cloister resigned ouer into their hands allowing to the Bishops Parsons and Vicars competent stipends pensions to liue vpon according as Bishops Suffragans Montseniors haue allowance in other Catholike countries or rather as the Turkes Bassaes Ianizaries vnder him are maintained And all this sicut placuit Iesuitis as the Romanes in their leagues were wont to write or rather iuxta decretum Medorum atque Persarum à quo prouocare non licet as king Darius sayd Liuery and seisen thus taken by these sixe Tribunes or popular Nobles all the rest must be imploied in pios vsus as father Generall of Rome shall thinke good The Colledges in both Vniuersities must be likewise in the power of these mortified creatures No Bishop nor Parson nor Vicar nor fellow of any Colledge must be so hardy as once to demand an account what is become of their reuenues lands and Lordships If they do this shall be the answer mirantur superiores c. or in plaine tearmes how dare you seeme to inquire how a Iesuite disposeth of any thing being peculiarly guided by the Spirit c. The third Statute was there made concerning the Lords temporall and other of the Nobility Gentry of this land And this Statute did consist of this point especially sci That euery Noble or Gentleman of special account and liuing such as to omit others Sir Robert Cicill Sir Iohn Fortescue Sir Iames Harington Sir Robert Dormer Sir Iohn Arundell now his sonne maister Iohn Arundell called great Arundell of Cornwall Sir Iohn Peter Sir Mathew Arundell of Warder his sonne and heire Sir Henry Constable Sir Iohn Sauage with sundry other Knights and Esquires all which were there limited by that blind prophane Parliament what retinue they should keepe when time came of inhauncing how much should be allowed them to spend yearely and what diet they should keepe at their tables The fourth Statute was there made concerning the common lawes of this land and that consisted of this one principall point that all the great charter of England must be burnt the manner of holding lands in see-simple free-taile franke Almaigne c. by Kings seruice soccage or villanage brought into villanie scoggerie and popularitie and in
with either in allowing or forbidding the reading or printing of it A third was his presumptuous boldnes in that he would by vertue of his authoritie suppose it were such so great and so inuiolate as he takes vpon him to haue it intrude himselfe to meddle with forbidding bookes to be either read or printed in Scotland without either asking leaue or at least giuing the Catholike Bishop of Glasco to vnderstand thereof beforehand A fourth was the insinuated suspition of a Premunire he hath incurred alreadie he may thank his good fathers for it by his authoritie to be increased hereby as seeking by this inhibition of printing or reading of anie booke that may touch a Iesuite especially that so daungerous a Polipragmon Father Parsons he shewes plainely that he would haue all the treasonable practises concealed not regarding what daunger of both bodie soule and common-wealths wracke happen to anie so as these new Fathers may haue their wicked designements Many other particular points haue I noted as being collected by necessarie sequele to ensue vpon that Letter whereof in the Apologie I intend to imptint of mine owne peculiar purgations I meane to treate at large Onely this for the present he may please to know that I neuer writ nor spake word in my life that I dare not publish in anie Court of Christendome concerning these matters so farre I am from all feare of exasperating anie Prince or Peere or incurring of anie daunger either in England which I am bound in all respects to my dread Soueraigne and natiue land to be most warie of offending or hurting anie maner of way or elsewhere And if as I haue suppressed the printing of that booke and sundrie others for a time let him not thinke it came vpon anie account or reckening I made of his suspension for that cause but for other reasons which he and his may and yet do both misse of though some of his assistants haue taken vpon them to know the causes why And hereupon one of them of a brauado hath made his vaunt since my returne last out of Scotland that he another maner of man then I poore wretch to deale with Princes hath written to his Maiestie King Iames exhorting him to embrace the Catholike faith and religion Were it not that the Iesuits haue a special priuiledge in two things one is to make all things to be beleeued as Gospell be it neuer so fals that they speake or write another to make al things to be iudged false be it as true as the Gospell it selfe that any other shall write or speake without their approbation But if directly against them out vpon it it is not to be heard spoken of or once looked vpon If these were not and withall that the vilest parts that can be played are counted acts of zeale amongst them if done by a Father so as it may be any way couered with either of their two principles scil propter bonum societatis vel ordine ad Deum otherwise I should greatly muse at the faire glose of father Southwell concerning father Parsons birth and education It being most vntrue that Fa. Southwell reports of him scil that hauing placed the vttermost of his ambition in the contempt of honor and the highest of his wealth in voluntarie pouertie will easily acknowledge his birth to haue bene of more honest then great parents Yet were they not so meane but they were able to affoord him such education as might haue made his good parts a way to no small preferment c. All which is most false a bastard he was vnhonestly begot basely borne a Wolsey in ambition a Midas in mundicitie a traitor in action which here I had not touched had he spared his owne Soueraigne and bloud royall of this land which if he do then all all all euery true Catholike should take his part for the English Crowne by this new statists procurement But what answer he had let himselfe report I thinke it will be but a scorne and he laughed at for a stale in shewing his exorbitant audacious folly I may not here forget a fifth Statute which I make no question of but that Father Parsons would be most carefull to haue it throughly perfected in that high Councell of Reformation for England and it is to be thought that it goes also vnder the tenure of a prouiso for legitimation of bastards For we may not imagine that Father Parsons was ignorant of his owne base estate as being a sacrilegious bastard in the worst sense scil a spurias begotten by the Parson of the Parish where he was borne vpon the bodie of a very base queane This then being so and he not so senslesse as to thinke but that he will find the Canon law more strict in dispensatiō with him for his irregularity then the Ciuill or common law wil be for dispensation to inherite c. which may be a good caueat to him to looke to his orders lest otherwise he lose his Rectorship perhaps a better thing besides there is no question to be made of it but that some close statute and prouiso was closely made and couertly foisted in for enabling some bastards in the spitefulle◠sense to be capable of any honour or dignitie either in the Church or Common wealth And true it is that this good Fa. Parsons altas Cowbacke filius populi filius peccati or the verie fiend him selfe might be chosen to a kingdome by his doctrine if any people would be so mad as to chuse him for their king because the said fury can translate himselfe into an Angell of light for an houres space though he turne into his hellish vgly shape within a minute of an hower after c. Happie were some men if they might haue a sight of that statute booke or huge volume of the high councel of reformation for England no doubt but he should find notable stuffe in it that would serue for many purposes But here I make an end concluding out of the premises 1. That the Iesuits would take it in scorne to haue any poore secular or Seminarie Priest cōpared with them in prudence pollicie considering that they dare beard the greatest and highest persons on earth in all things 2. That in generall England for this age were able to set Nicke Machiauell to schoole either in a good or a bad sense of pollicie 3. Yet taking Politia as S. Thomas and Diuines do for a chiefe branch of prudence with relation to gouernment of a bodie politicall or common wealth ciuill there are that excell both Machiauell and the Iesuits their politia being but an extrauagant or apocriphall vertue at the vttermost 4. But take it as a she craftie dissembling wilinesse with a relation to Atheisme or a non religion and then therin the Iesuits do farre passe Machiauell and I verily thinke any whomsoeuer of and in this age THE III. ARTICLE VVHether then if this kinde of Iesuiticall pollicie tend to
some afterwards becoming very holy vertuous and religious persons in another kind and others giuē ouer to such libertie as the obseruation had by them of their superiors behauiour and other rules and principles partly insinuated and taught them partly collected by necessarie sequeles and conferring of things together by them they fall quite away out of Gods Church and become Apostataes from their faith their vow their obedience and all things and so make the former inseparable accident to become separable and quite separated from them Of this kind then of the Iesuits obeysants to leaue the former commandants to purge their Politiques from Atheisme I can say none otherwise then as of inferior subiects petite captaines forragers purueyors and common souldiers to wit that though such be bound to obey their Soueraigne the Generall of the field or Emperour of the warres yea perhaps sometimes in battell vnlawfull in attempts tyrannicall and vniust enterprises which they often neither knowing neither suspecting neither bound to enquire after for Princes affaires are subiects secrets sacramentum regis reuelare nefas est they may intend act and performe without offence vnder obedience that which in the commandant is most criminall offensiue and damnable yet neither doth neither can this excuse them in foro externo and by the law of nature of nations and of armes to be equally guiltie as the other are and being taken in the warres or otherwise by the opposite Prince or aduersarie may be proceeded against as if they were the Generals Coronels and Captaines of whole regiments companies and bands because they as instruments these as principall agents intend the producing of one and the selfe same effect precedent in these causes And conformably hereunto forasmuch as the Generall the Prouincials and the Rectors amongst the Iesuits are those in cuius virtute caeteri operantur although many of the inferiour sort of Iesuits obeisants may be and I verily thinke are vertuous and good men of themselues and so do liue and may no doubt continue so to their liues end yet by reason of this subordination and due obedience required in all inferiours to their superiours and all euery religious or secular order or societie as Friers and Monks to their Abbots Priors and Guardians these againe to their Prouincials and these to their Generall of Benedictines Dominicanes Franciscans c. Also in Cannons of Cathedrals to their Deane Deanes Archdeacons Parsons Vicars and all the rest of the seculars and religious or Ecclesiastical and Monasticall order to their Bishops Bishops to their Metropolitanes and Primates c. and all these againe together with the Lords and other Nobles Gentles and meaner subiects subordinate one vnder another to their Soueraigne Lord Prince and King c. It must needs follow that there is not a Iesuite in all England this day but hath a bitter smacke of Fa. Parsons impietie irreligiositie trecherie treason and Machiuilean atheisme And so by reason of their subordinate obedience they are all tainted with that fowle vice which consists of many Atheall principles all reduced to two monstrous heads to wit exaltation of them selues and downcast of all that side not with them And like as the cutting off of whole bands of common souldiers The Iesuits haue al the three helps of aduancing thē to a Monarchie scil money by cousinage men by false deuises and munition by promise of kingdomes to great persons is a more securitie for the aduerse partie then if but one captaine were cut off alone these three matters money munition and multitude being the strength of all warfare and onely hope of conquest victorie and triumph and againe as the increase and supply of such is the onely helpe and meanes of repairing an annie casseered or bringing a broken battel into rankes orders againe it must needs be a consequent of course that the Iesuits haue no smal drift in collecting conueying and hoording vp so great and many summes of money in creeping in with so many great persons and in flocking together here in England as of late yeres they haue and daily do more more increase And it cannot be otherwise but that so long as there is one Iesuit left in England there will be mutinies treasons conspiracies and factions do what Pope or Prince or any other is able to do or say to the contrarie Therfore do I conclude that their aduancement being the readie downefall of all that are not with them there is not a Iesuit nor a Iesuits fautour any where to be found but hath a fowle taste of Atheisme either directly per se or indirectly or virtute primi principalis agentis The experience whereof halfe witted men may see in England and elsewhere the chiefe obiection in request to make sillie soules to dote on thē being this scil Why is not such a Father a good man I neuer heard him speake an euill word of any creature nor meddle in anie state matter or other worldly affaire but all his speech tends to pietie vertuous life and mortification c. I say if anie be so pure as beleeue it that list now that I haue both heard so much seene so manie letters of Fa. Gerrard to the contrarie of whom of al the rest I euer thought the best that Iesuit of all other doth most hurt as vsed of purpose to win affections and get great summes of money into his hands whereby the societie is backt strengthened and the aduerse partie thereby more weakened euery way And this reason was once alleaged on the Lord Dacres behalfe why none of his should in pollicie giue any extraordinarie countenance to any Iesuite knowing the chiefe was his Lordships mortall enemie and therefore the name of a friend to any inferiour did increase the number of enemies all running one way for obedience THE V. ARTICLE WHether then seeing it seemeth that the Iesuites worke much by inferior agents employing those that are fit for nothing else to winne peoples harts vnto them by gifts bribes plawsible perswasions words of admiration and other meanes in all things rare may then any one mā or other set forth himselfe to the world or not verbi gratia in concealing such things as may hinder his owne aduancement as meannesse of birth insufficiencie of wit want of learning wealth and other fauours of fortune or abilities vertues and graces either attending on the bodie or mind together with hiding such defects as are priuate in himselfe either of nature or otherwise accidentall And if he may then whether to the preiudice of any other or not either in generall or inspeciall THE ANSWERE NO question but he may do so either for a publike or for a priuate good so it be without preiudice of others thereby yet neither may all persons do so alike nor those that may yet not at all times alike nor in all places equally without difference For the better vnderstanding wherof it is to be noted
earth His words are these When I came to Rome saith he I found the Colledge as a field with two hostile campes within it father Generall and his assistants wholly auersed and throughly resolued to leaue the gouernement c. And taking vpon him to shew the causes of those long troubles in the Colledge he saith Some thinke that it is in great part the nature of the place that ingendereth high spirits in them that are not well established in Almighty Gods grace For comming thither very young and finding themselues presently placed and prouided for abundantly This speech had bene fitly applied to father Parsons himselfe and may iustly be returned vpon him and his society and acquainted daily with sights and relations of Popes Cardinals and Princes affaires our youthes that were bred vp at home with much more simplicity and kept vnder by their parents and maisters more then the Italian education doth comport forget easily themselues and breake out into liberty I meane such as haue run astray and lost respect to their superiours in Rome And this opinion of the circūstance of place is greatly increased by the iudgement of strangers both Spanish and French Flemings and other nations who affirme that they try by experience that their people which liue in Rome if they be not men of great vertue do proue more heady afterwards and lesse tractable then others brought vp at home But yet to this other men of our nation adde a second reason for the English Colledge which is at Rome being a place whereunto many young men do resort onely vpon a desire of seeing nouelties When any come thither of the English nation find such a commodity of study and maintenance themselues in want and misery they made suite for that whereunto perhaps they had no true vocation from God nor due preparation in themselues to so holy and high an estate and so being once admitted fell afterwards into disorder and to put out of ioynt both themselues and others c. Thus farre this impious father sheweth it to be the want of grace in some and want of true calling in others that they disagreed with the Iesuits But now to heare his report of the estimation that our English students and Priests haue gotten by their being at Rome I thinke it will make all parents afraid and all our youth abhorre comming at Rome amongst them euer after vnlesse their parents wish or themselues intend to haue them all Iesuits or at least Iesuites bondslaues to sweare to whatsoeuer they say to trot and trudge whither and when they please and to runne their most traiterous race and cursed courses inhumane odious hatefull to God and man In good faith deare Catholikes Lords Ladies Gentles or whosoeuer you be that haue your children or other friends vnder the Iesuits tyrannicall yoke in bondage beyond the seas pardon for Gods loue pardon my vehemencie on your behalfe against these malignant wretches I could not with patience set hand to paper after I had read this letter following but walked two or three turnes vp and downe in my chamber trēbling in anger with my heart as high as my head to thinke on the villany of this bastardly runagate Parsons cursed be the hower wherein he was borne this filius peccati sacrilegij iniquitatis populi Diaboli how euer he durst come at Gods holy Altar after his blasphemies and outragious speeches and writing against the secular Priests and Students most falsly irreligiously and Pharisaically laying his owne sinnes and the rest of the Iesuits seditious vprores and more then heathenish impietie vpon the innocent most cruelly persecuted by them all and by him in speciall aboue al the rest as most cruell Iewish harted vnnaturall His words are these Lo this wretch There is no true humilitie obedience nor other vertue but in a Iesuite or his bondslaue Baconius saith he and that was one of the Cardinals that came comport him at his lodging often told me that our youthes bragged much of their Martyrdome but they were refractarij that was his word had no part of Martyrs spirit which was in humilitie and obedience His Holinesse oftentimes told me that he was neuer so vexed with any nation in the world For on the one side they pretended pietie and zeale and on the other shewed the very spirit of the Diuell in pride All the world knoweth these things rightly to simbolize with Parsons and the rest of the Iesuits contumacie and contradiction c. and euer now and then his Holinesse would put his finger vp to his braine signifying that there stood their sicknesse and so would most of the Court when they talked of them saying the English were indiauoluti and like words His Holinesse added also that he knew not what resolution to take for on the one side to punish them openly would be a scandall by reason of the heretickes and if he should cast them foorth of Rome some had told him that they would become heretickes c. Lo what a long lowd lye this Puritane Iesuite hath brought to a loose end falsely fathered on his Holinesse against the seculars all the world knowing the Iesuits to be the men most like of any other in the world this day to fall into the most blasphemous heresie and apostacie as these that are become alreadie incorrigible of any Prince Prelate or people And againe he saith that I haue heard his Holinesse often and diuerse Cardinals more often report with exceeding dishonour to our nation the headinesse and obstinacie of our youthes So as now many great and wise men begin to suspect that the sufferings of our blessed Martyrs and confessors in England was not so much for vertue and loue to Gods cause as of a certaine choller and obstinate will to contradict the Magistrates there c. O monster of all other for so I may well tearme thee because I imagine thou art an irregulate Priest by reason of thy aspiring hart which probably wold neuer permit thee to seek for dispensatiō of thy bastardly base bloud Sundrie mischieuous practises of impiety are amōg the Iesuites yet of all their maximes this is one of the most inhumane bloudy cruell and mercilesse to wit that whosoeuer doth not approue and aduance Fa. Parsons and some of his fellowes conceits and courses touching our country nation though they be neuer so foolish rash furious scandalous dangerous nay though men be desirous to sit stil and meddle nothing with them nor against them one way or other yet if he do not ayde assist thē yea be currents of their fatall course in al things it is lawfull yea meritorious to haue such persons infamed by casting out any calumniation against them that may discredite them the practise wherof how many poore Priests in England haue tasted nay who hath not there being not one secular Priest whō lesse or more they haue not defamed yea no Prince Prelate Lord
this as an ordinarie kind of blazon for their preferment or no or whether it be in them lawfull so to do or else only a Machiuilean sleight Atheall pollicie THE ANSWER WIthout all question it is a meere Atheall pollicie in their heads as their Prouincials Rectors and others directly and in their inferiour substitutes it is so too but indirectly as doing what so euer they do for obedience sake forsooth to bring great masses of mony multitudes of friends and other helpes vnto them for their better speedier aduancement by pulling downe all others that seek not their preferment or haue any fauor shewed them independeÌ„t vpon them a notable example wherof was a tragicall tricke of Fa. Parsons against one Maister Fixer a secular Priest This very great and reuerend man as good a linguist as the most were of our nation comming into England with one maister William Warford a busie and arrogant stirring headed body and therfore fittest to be a Iesuit as afterwards he became one together with Maister Cecill now a Doctor in Paris hauing all of them a protection from the Lord Treasurer Sir William Cecill Lord Bourghley that died last an odious speech going out against them all at the first for that cause at length they all fled out of the land By these innumerâ—ble the like examples a man may see how dangerous a matter it is to come within a Iesuits daunger for either must he be an impudent copesmate dâ—ponendo conscientiam to act anie thing that the Iesuits will haue acted yea besides this he must if out of credit with their masships do som desperate act or bring some gaine oâ— commoditie to them or theirs or some thing or other must he performe to their honour and credite in testimonie of his loyaltie towardâ— these high conceited perfectiues otherwise non introibit in requiem eorum as was manifest by all these This good Cardinall a worthier then whom they neuer had on in their societie being moâ—â— spâ—â—â—fully infamed by these three Priests though in one preâ—icâ—ment of spâ—eâ—e if any were yet the meanest of the three highly esteemed for his submission to theÌ„ swallowing vp the greatest gaâ—â—geâ—â— they could giue him vnder hand with out once gasping at a haust the other â—wo especially the chief Minister Fixer neuer able to come in credite againe c. mightily persecuted by the Iesuites Maister Cecill went into Scotland where he plaid on both sides as is thought he doth still like to one Maister Tilletson som others notwithstanding that Fa. Parsons had tearmed him a very base fellow a villaine a knaue a consiner and other like speeches he vsed of him of his fatherly zeale to an honourable Earle who told me it The other Maister Warford as ambitious as any which his actions as well in Wales as in sundrie places of the West countrey declared seeing the onely meanes to recouer his credite and thereby to aspire was to make the Iesuites his friends who then ruled the rost and did what they list throughout England He therefore insinuated himselfe so farre and became so officious on their behalfe especially in getting an annuall stipend from certaine Catholikes for Father Parsons mother and sister being otherwise not able to liue and by sundrie of my friends and mine owne furtherance and procurement therein much helped otherwise his accompts had come short that at length he became a young father forsooth pater minister at Rome and what a stickler he was in his new office I leaue it to another discourse how he went skulking in and out in the English Colledge about the time of Cardinall Tolleds death one while abroade with gloria patri when newes came that the Cardinall was dead another while retiring in mournefull wise with non sicut erat in principio when he heard he was againe reuiued whome the Iesuites tearmed an Apostata because this good Cardinal hauing bene earst a Iesuite sought to bring them into order which was thought to haue cost him his life the Rector and his companions denying the Students to come at funerall or come in place of publike prayers made for him And this for his part Well now to the third of that companie Maister Fixer was the man most hated of them because he had spoken most on his Prince and countries behalfe against the Spaniards and their gouernement and rebellious attempts and practises as by a letter of his may well appeare wherein he toucheth some pure spirited Iesuites fautors with infection of the Spanish pippe for these be his words here in England But in conclusion he was so vexed lacerated and calumniated by these Atheall Fathers that he became almost past himselfe he renounced his protection and in bitter teares often bewailing his hard fortune that his innocencie could not saue his credite amongst deuoute vertuous and true meaning Catholikes as holden no better then a spie for the State an Apostata from his profession and an Atheist in his religion yea the good Gentleman that kept him was so belaboured as inuitis dentibus ensibus he was forced to leaue him and yet for that which is past he hath not recouered his credite to this day with that Puritanian Iesuiticall faction In conclusion this reuerend Priest Maister Fixer was constrained to leaue the land went thereupon into Spaine and so into Portugall where he intended to haue bene a Reader in some religious house And being at Lisbon in good credit he procured the release of some fourteene or fifteene English men there taken prisoners willing them to thanke Maister Bluet and Doctor Bagshaw for their libertie Hereof Father Parsons hearing note well the Atheall emulation of this Machiuilean vpon speciall notice and information had of the daunger of impairing the Iesuites credite forsooth if this secular Priest should be in such high esteeme within the King of Spaines dominions he sent for him presently into Spaine vnder pretence of his preferment But when he came he no sooner had him in his cloutches but foorthwith procured him to be laid in prison for a spie where he still remaineth vnlesse he be dead THE X. ARTICLE VVHether then the Iesuites arrogating an immunitie and libertie of speech hand and pen against all the world vnto themselues may it be or is it excusable or otherwise to be holden as Atheall and irreligious in them to suffer their seditious faction and Iesuiticall followers that are lay persons as simple or busie headed men women boyes and girles to defame contemne and talke like ale-benchers at their pleasure of Princes Priests and all sorts of persons as they do and as in the two first generall Quodlibets we haue deliuered their impious dealings therein is it therefore Atheall pollicie in the Iesuits for their owne aduancement and in defence of themselues against all that are not currents of their fatall course to set downe principles and bookes or infamous libels of common places for their brothers to kon per
bestowed that silly simple man if the Spaniard had preuailed in the yeare 88. For to haue made him onely a Pater minister they could not with honestie because he was then a Cardinall and to haue made him Archbishop of Canterbury or Yorke or Bishop of London these were all too high places for him as not a man of sufficiencie to gouerne or deale in such affaires as these places did require And againe the Spaniards should haue bene our Bishops for a time and the English Iesuits their Interpreters So as it was a very difficult and doubtfull case what should haue become of the poore Cardinall till at length considering he could not liue long they determined to haue bestowed some of the meanest Bishoprikes in the land vpon him as Carlile or some such like Sed parturiant montes nascetur ridiculus mus all turned to a iest there was no such matter THE III. ARTICLE VVHether then do the Iesuits intend in that case the preferment of any temporall person seeing they intend no secular of England or not in the temporall state THE ANSWER THey do questionlesse intend it for the preferment of some for a while at the first otherwise they had no pollicy in them for I doubt not of their ingratitude further then to serue their turnes withall First for that some of their greatest aduersaries of the temporall Lords as the Lord Dacre c. are no way to be bearded out but by their ioyning with some such honourable persons as may and will make the Iesuites quarrell theirs against him for their owne aduantage Secondly for that it cannot otherwise be but that there are many secret promises with bonds vowes and protestations deepely made of sundry great and high preferments to those that now are sticklers for them Thirdly for that they haue receiued large summes of sundry great persons alreadie and therefore must repay them vpon other mens lands c. Fourthly for that they are not able to win nor yet keepe this so mighty a Monarchie but by the ayde of such c. But yet shall none of these be so aduanced but that they shall stand at the Iesuites deuotion as now the Archpriest doth to continue so long and no longer then is for their turne and that they shall be ruled and subiected vnder them THE IIII. ARTICLE WHether then seeing it appeares plaine we shall haue a change if the Iesuits preuaile do they intend a change of gouernement in the Monarchy onely or therewithall in the Vniuersities Innes of Court Chancery and in all other Colledges corporations companies and societies also or do they onely aime at some few chiefe houses c. THE ANSWERE NOw when you talke of societies you make me remember the new buildings in Edenborough called the Colledge or society house of the City where the Puritanes haue many prety orders obseruations and rules set downe amongst them for gouernement not much vnlike the orders of the Iesuits society For all these new illuminates must haue one tricke or other of innouation and singularity in euery thing And so I make no question of it but if the Iesuites preuaile they intend and will turne all things topsie turuie vpside downe sincke shal vp and sice shall vnder a dead man shall rise and do great wonder not so much as the society drinke but shall quite be changed and a lacke what ailes my minnie at me heigh hoe In Parsons high Councell of Reformacion wherein as those report that haue seene it this whole monarchicall Ile containing England Scotland and Ireland is made a Prouince depending vpon Spaine and Iesuitisme all the whole state must be changed as I told you before and the lands and seigniories of Cleargy and Nobility Vniuersities Colledges what not must be altered abridged or taken quite away Yea these popular Francklines great rich farmers or muckle carles of the countrey these Kentish yeomen vntriall Gentlemen the Iesuites officers must be authorised to confiscate certaine houses of speciall note in particular as this ignoble bastard Parsons in his vaine childish but arrogant hope hath already in conceit confiscated Cecill house to be Casa professa and another there by it to be Nouitiatum and so of others all must be changed into noua vitia yea such vices as were neuer heard of before For it is an imagined principle amongst the Iesuits which infatuates them to aduenture credit conscience and all that where they once set footing they must preuaile Vpon which vaine conceit their tormenting and troubling euery nation where they come causeth religiō to be blasphemed neuer any thing prospering in Gods Church where they come haue anie medling or dealing France abounded with Hugonites a kind of Puritanes and was neuer quiet so long as they were there yet now we see the Catholike religion hath maruelously increased since they for their sedition treacheries conspiracies were iustly banished thence How mightily Polonia was pestered and troubled by them it appeares in a booke intituled Equitis Poloni in Iesuitas anno primo Yea the Danskers made it an obiection of not admittance of the Sweden king to be their Soueraigne without condition of expelling the Iesuits from his Court and Counsell what fruite the Indians haue reaped by them the Spaniards shall themselues report it But so it is that by the crueltie of the Iesuits and Spaniards together let them take it betwixt them they are brought into that hatred as there is expected rebellions and reuolts from vnder King Philips allegiance euerie houre The like is of their garboiles in Italy Spaine Germany and other places and for England we haue said inough already all the world seeth it what mischiefe they haue brought and wrought amongst vs. Neither I will warrant shall you heare of one Iesuit that euer will acknowledge himselfe faulty nor say with Ionas Si orta sit haec tempestas propter me proijcite me in mare no it stands not with their lofty humilitie nor Atheall obedience nor Pharisaicall zeale to do so sed ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos Name me that nation that euer prospered in those actions wherein the Iesuits dipt their fingers in the fat or had any speciall commoditie or gaine in re or in spe thereby What good haue they done in the Low-countries or in Germany or in Scotland or in any other place where they come Onely this they haue done they come in with gloria patri euery where and vntill they haue like great fawcons or hawkes of the Tower firmely seazed vpon the pray kild at randon wing or souce they proceed forward with filio holding the panting heart fast in their talents for euery puny Iesuit though he be scarse able to say boe to a goose yet must he be as a correlatiue to his admired at holy father his Iesuit predecessor that went before him and so by consequent a rauening bird of pray to make poore foules I should haue sayd silly fooles sweet soules to tremble
and quake Marry afterwards finding store of game fawconers and spaniels innough at becke and command to discouer the Couee and spring the Partridge at their pleasure and withall taking an extraordinarie delight in preying vpon such sweet yong birds and tender flesh and herein no one nation vnder the coape of heauen yeelding more nor of greater pleasance of both sexes then England doth then loe they begin cantare nobis canticum nouum with non sicut erat in principio sed vt est nunc semper erit vntill a better aduantage come for another change And thus play they Madge good cow as earst I told you scil they giue a good messe of milke and when they haue done throw it downe with their foot They preach sound doctrine giue wholesome counsell draw many backe from a loose dissolute life but after they haue once gotten firme footing they cast all downe with three lofty capers of pride ambition and arrogancie Which three makes them forget both God and all good Saints and turne their religious piety into sacrilegious pollicy stil tampering about kingdomes monarchies common-wealthes and temporall states how to bring them into mutinies contentions seditions rebellions and vproares that thereby whilest two dogs are a snarling together about a boane perhaps but a brabble de lana caprina they like a company of ours may come in and snatch away the boane from both of them For euen so is the Iesuits vaine hope of the English monarchy as in the Antiperistasis I haue set out more at large THE V. ARTICLE WHether then seeing the Iesuits must in pollicy preferre some temporall Lords and great persons for a time at the least if they preuaile do they fauor seeke or wish for the preferment of any of the bloud royall of England borne vnder English allegiance or not THE ANSWER THey wish no more nor so much for the preferment of any English be he or she of the bloud or no for all is one in that case as hereafter shall be proued against theē as they do for a Scot or a Spaniard or a Flemming or Germaine or any other marry yet in a different maner vsing the helpe and aide of euery natiō to coūteruaile the one or the other withal So that in pollicy none must beare too great a sway vnder them least they keepe all from the rest and so thrust them out also And therefore shall their authorities be limited and the number set downe how many English how many Spanish how many Scots how many Irish how many Flemmings how many Germaines and no doubt but there shall be some Italians French Polonians Bohemians Portugals c. THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether then labour they for the establishment of this their gouernement more by the meanes of England or Scotland or Spaine or Austria Burgundy and what nation is it they hope and affie most in the intended conquest THE ANSWER THey labor in esse directly for the Spaniard and Burgundian in spe for any that they thinke for the time present may sted thē most which hope being past of one then for another againe as one while for Parma another while for Darby c. But in re they labor for none at all more one then another saue only as I said before to make a hotchpotch of all together setting the subiects of each nation by peecemeale against their Soueraignes this famous I le to be a Scot to them all that is a collection flocking or gathering together of all nations people languages throughout the world that haue any Iesuit of or in the country where they liue THE VII ARTICLE VVHether then haue they any wish or intent of mariage for any of the bloud royall of England or whether for any one more then another or none at all THE ANSWER THey could wish no question of it as hereafter shall be proued that there were not one of the bloud of England left on liue either within or without the land as a speciall helpe and meane if it were so to further their popularity thereby But as now it is they could wish them all bestowed in opposition one against another to make the title more doubtfull and the rightfull claime more difficult and dangerous as those that care not which way the game go so they go not out or who be preferred so the English state common-wealth be not strengthened in it selfe thereby against the intended Allobrogicall gouernement which is the only thing they feare as by all their practises it is apparant to be seene and especially by their trayterous speeches and disgracings of all the English bloud royall in publike writings and yet couertly vnder hand working now for one and then for another as chance and change affoords them hope and fauour THE VIII ARTICLE VVHether then their chiefe pretence being religion and setting vp and aduancing and restoring of the Catholike Romane faith as in all father Parsons bookes and other of his and his fellowes writings conferences and speeches it may appeare do they seeke willingly absolutely and sincerely the conuersion of all or any of the bloud royall of England or of none at all but for a fashions sake to blind well meaning Catholikes with a pretended colour of religious zeale THE ANSWER THey are wholly sicke of the fashiōs in these their seditious factions But yet for fashions sake they haue a new fashion by which is fashioned all their fashions follies and deceits and that is to haue a new tricke of a viridary post or current of time to gaine time withall in keeping Nobles State and all the people in suspence of euents vntil they haue what they looke for And this is a practise of very high importance I cannot tell what to say to thē they haue so many Machiuilean deuises as euerie plot drift seemeth to be an infallible rule of falshood and a principle in chiefe whereby father Parsons his adherents do so square their actiōs as neuer a Prince in Christendome nor any man liuing can tell where to find them or how to trace or trust them they are so vncertaine so full of formes fashions turnings doublings as neuer wild March hare had moe For they hold out only as time serueth now filling all their sailes then launching forth with a faire gale of wind againe within a ken casting anchor with a breath in a plausible calme yet presently after with a whirle-wind for another purpose haile in the bol and hoyst vp saile pumpe amaine and cast all vpon the starboord but tooke for a time Time thē being the length change the breadth cōformity the rule they square by I can iudge none otherwise of their intent for cōuersiō of any one then as of their like meaning in other practises which is that if they haue any vse of a mā who yet perhaps is not altogether for their purpose in al things they make faire weather with him for the time and
them like fooles as they are and made them become a most seditious infamous pragmaticall treacherous diabolicall faction to set vp and defend a bastardly fellow in all his mischieuous plots and deuises and that the seculars are of no faction at all vnlesse they will call it a faction to ioyne against these vsurpers with the whole Church of God and so may they as probably like right heretikes they will do so one day say that all Catholike nations throughout Christendome are of the faction there being no Catholike countrey people or nation in the world this day but doth dislike of them and is against their wicked proceedings or else for speaking in defence of their Prince and countrey I meane in matters of gouernement succession and state affaires clearly abstracted from points of faith and religion and then and therein also if they say the seculars are of the faction they may aswell say that her Maiestie and honorable Counsell and in few all that are exempted from trayterous attempts and conspiracies either within or without the land are so And then by consequent all are of the faction throughout the world that will not yeeld to a Iesuiticall supremacy in the state Ecclesiasticall and to their Monarchy in a state temporall and in both to make father Parsons a king Cardinall Concerning this matter it is worthy the noting to see how this Camelion Iesuit Parsons hath banded off and on with time like a Protheus His and his fautors ostentation in outward shew is wholy for religion and that they do most earnestly desire the conuersion of their countrey and of such and such particular persons by name yea they would I marry would they all follow and prosecute the king of Scots title if he would become Catholike but if not they would all dye one after another against him And yet contrary to this ostentation made both in a letter of father Parsons to the Marques Huntley whom they account to be a speciall fautor of their faction as also contrarie to sundrie other of their writings schedules and passages they haue dealt both priuatly and openly to the contrarie In somuch that omitting particular practises as with the late Earle of Essex to whom father Parsons sent a Iesuite Priest to haue had him to take a pension of the king of Spaine priuatly for aduancement of his designements neuer mentioning any Religion to him off or on but be as he be would and so with others hath he dealt besides the viper shewed his malice most in the treatie of peace betwixt the kings of Fraunce and Spaine For at that time there was a rumour runne abroad that the Queene of England would enter into that league and so graunt a tolleration of religion But this father Parsons vtterly disliked of saying that either they would haue all or none that they would admit of no conditions His reason was this because quoth he a tolleration would make the Catholikes of England dull and without spirit c. But the reason indeed was this and in good faith when I first did see the Articles here drawne out in England of the conditions for peace before euer any newes came of this great Statists censure I sayd to a very friend of mine that it would cost the Iesuits a brace of a thousand pounds to stop it for that it stood not with father Parsons platforme to haue any relaxation of persecution in England so long as either her Maiestie liued or yet after vntill he were ready to come with Montioy Saint Iames of Spaine and Parsons for the Britons Monarchy because a tolleration for religion would breed these inconueniences all making against him and his faction First he could not then haue any colour to set out bookes or anticke shewes as he hath or to blaze it abroad in all nations how cruell tyrannicall and inhumane the persecution of Catholikes is in England Secondly he could no longer after haue blowne the infamous blasts that course both sea and land he affirming England to be the nurcery of faction sedition and of all mischiefe wrought throughout the world setting all Princes Monarches and States together by the eares liuing in league with one to make warre against another and maintaining of rebels against their Soueraignes Thirdly he could not by al likelihood haue had any Catholike Prince or other in Christendome to haue banded on his side For with what colour could either Spaine or Austria or any Catholike Prince haue inuaded England if Catholikes might liue here as freely as they did in France or as the Hugonites do now liue there and the Protestants in Germany and the Christians in Turkey and the Mahumetanes in Tartary the Pagans in Presbiter Iohns dominions Fourthly he could neuer after haue gone forward with this platforme for aspiring to the Monarchy For whereas now all Catholikes must depēd vpon the Archpriest the Archpriest vpon father Garnet Garnet vpon Parsons Parsons vpon the diuel the author of all rebellious conspiracies treasons murthers disobedience heresies all such other diabolicall bloudy designements as this wicked Iesuit hath hitherto deuised then and in that case this dependency had bin vtterly voide For we should haue had Catholike Bishops as Suffragans or such like that might haue giuen holy orders cōsecrated holy oiles ministred the Sacrament of Confirmation exercised their Episcopall authority in all things necessary priuatly as it was in the Apostles time and Primitiue Church without either any the least incōbrance or perturbance of the state or present incumbents the Bishops Archbishops that now are or admittance of any seditious Iesuit or other factious person to come within the lād Fiftly his malitious deuises cruel hard hart towards al Catholiks had herby bin discouered as neuer able hereafter to haue stirred vp her Maiesty or incensed her honorable Counsell against all her loyall and most dutifull subiects for his treacheries treasons cōspiracies Because al in that case wold haue bin ready to haue reuealed the least thought of any cōfederacy against her royall person kingdome and state Sixtly his baits had bene worth nothing for enticing and alluring of any subiect to rebellion either for the time present or to come because a league being once made with the French and Spanish nation all Catholikes of England being withall naturally inclined to loue and loyalty of and to their Prince and countrey all promises or hopes of preferment vnder forreine Princes would haue bin and seemed hatefull ridiculous and senslesse vnto them No nation vnder heauen affording greater honors comforts and content then England and our Soueraignes both are able do affoord to the inhabitants that liue in grace and fauor as in this case vtcunque the afflicted Catholikes should Seuenthly this tolleration or liberty of cōscience wold quite haue cut off two bloudy hopes which Parsons hath in al his practises to wit aswel the indāgering of her Maiesties royall person as also the fauoring furthering cōsenting
neuer come to good effect The old beaten pathes haue euer proued to be the best readiest and surest waies to walke in for the due performance of those designements And the ancient manner of planting the catholike faith hath bene by preaching praier and sacrifice priuate instructions hearing confessions giuing absolutions and exercising of other priestly functions and that done then to commit the rest to God To yeelde all temporall duties and seruices to the Prince vnder whom they liue yea though aliens by birth and strangers to his Nation people and naturall subiects much more then if borne vnder his natiue allegiance And so shall he neither cast of the care and dutifull seruice to his prince and country neither shall nor ought the care feare or respect had thereof discharge him of his duty to God and our holy mother the catholike church and to wish to his neighbour as to himselfe therein Alwaies obseruing the Apostolicall course in conuerting of others to the catholike faith Such a course as Saint Peter tooke first in Hierusalem then at Antioch then at Rome c. As Saint Paule tooke at Damasco at Corinth at Crete at Athens and at and in all countries prouinces and places where he came As Saint Iames the iust called our Lords brother tooke in the kingdome Iuda and Hierusalem and throughout the prouinces of Israell As Saint Iohn tooke at Ephesus and throughout all the churches of Asia vnder him As Saint Philip tooke at Hierapolis in Phrygia and throughout all Scythia As Saint Iames the sonne of Zebedee and brother to Saint Iohn tooke in Spaine As Saint Bartbolomew tooke in India and the great Armenia As Saint Matthew tooke in Aethiope As Saint Simon Zelotes tooke in Mesopotamia As Saint Iude or Thaddaeus tooke in Aegypt As Saint Andrew elder brother to Saint Peter tooke in Scythia of Europe and as Saint Thomas tooke amongst the Parthes Medes Persians Brachmans Hyrcans and Bactrians And in few as Saint Denis tooke among the French Fugatius and Damianus among the old Albion Britaines and Saint Augustine amongst the English Saxons of whom we all came These courses then that these glorious martyrs and blessed Saints tooke for conuersion of countries are for all catholike priests to imitate and to leaue these Iesuiticall seditious rebellious barbarous and preposterous courses to sathan and those infernall spirits from whence they came euer confessing as true sincere and religious catholikes should that innouations are euer daungerous that new fanglenesse in the least point of faith and religion is most pernitious and that nouelties and fine deuises of busie and vnquiet heads are but as May flowers that are gone in Iune carying a faire shew but neuer continue long Therefore let euery catholike priest seeke in the name of Iesus the conuersion of our country but not as the Iesuiticall faction hath sought Let them seeke it by priestly conuersation not by popular deuastation Let them study to teache obedience not rebellion to fill mens harts with inward ioy and peace not feede their eares with outward hopes of inuasions and treacheries to possesse their soules with laments in Apostrophees of compassion with good Saint Gregory who sighed sore for our forefathers being strangers vnto him to see so many soules perish in our Nation euery howre and not puffe vp their harts with preposterous cogitations of moone shine of the water THE V. ARTICLE VVHether doe the Iesuites in this point of Statizacion agree either amongst themselues or with any other priests or lay persons THE ANSWERE TTo this I answere First that it is manifest by the matter it selfe now in question that the secular priests and they doe quite disagree herein Secondly it is to be noted that their agreement amongst themselues concerning state meddles may be taken three manner of waies one way as it concerneth our country in particular and therein questionlesse there is no Iesuite in Christendome but he is of one and the selfe same mind that his fellowes are of scil that they all could wish to haue England Scotland and Ireland vnder them Note by this discourse here following that if the Iesuits had got England we should haue had a gouernment deposition and a Presbyter Iohn penes quem imperium to make these Northerne Iles all one Iesuiticall Monarchy to infeoffe themselues by hooke or by crooke in the whole imperiall dominions of great Britania with the remainder ouer to their corporation or puny fathers succeeding them as heires special in their societie by a state of perpetuity putting all the whole blood roiall of England to the formedowne as but heires general in one predicament together That this is so and that their wish their hope their intents in proceeding their labour in performing their endeuour in perfecting this plot and platforme are equally agreeing to all of them a like though the meanes and manner how to effect be different agreeing to their different natures dispositions qualities and abilities as some to be aulicall others martiall others rurall and againe of those some to be actors others prompters others inuentors or plotcasters c. It is cleere by many generall circumstances As that for one of maintaining the Archpriests authority as all the English Iesuits doe most eagerly whose institutiue iurisdiction is directly proued to extend to this point and practise for their aduancement to the monarchie Then for the Scots Iesuites a man would thinke that if any of that society were against Parsons proceedings they should be the most resolute But notwithstanding this omitting al the rest cōniuing and some most earnestly pursuing auerring imbracing the said Parsons opinion as their speeches to my selfe declared when they were afraid I should haue published my booke in answere to his Doleman for the succession c. Yet euen father Cryton who onely the Scots king did hope well of is proued by Master Cicills booke against him to be as forward as the other on the Spaniards behalfe and most egregiously to mocke flatter dissemble and collogue with his natiue Soueraigne And as for the Iesuites of other Nations it may appeere by the state booke of reformation for England drawne out by Parsons and the generall of the Iesuites in cuius virtute caeteri operantur that they all aime at one marke and one course and conceiue one and the same generall hope to haue England a Iapponian Monarchie as once one tearmed it or an apish Iland of Iesuites An other way their statizing may be taken for their priuate opinions cōcerning the next successor viz. whom this and that Iesuite would gladliest haue their vmpier patron champion to fight the field on their behalfe in bringing the whole realme vnder their subiection And herein bicause arrogancie pride and ambition hath set them all so high on horseback as looke what Prince or Noble can goe away with the English crowne that same they hope to be the aduancer of him most who most did further their pretence and was the greatest
meanes to worke on their behalfe to haue them accepted of as Generall of the armie in that exploit expeditionall against England intended Therefore in regarde hereof they are questionles often at daggers drawing amongst themselues whether some English or Scots or Spanish or German Generall should haue the name of Emperor or Dictator for the time of the conquest The Scots men knowing that if any of their nation should haue the preheminence then should their Critons their Gordans and other Iesuits of their nation be highest promoted the English not doubting but that if any of our owne nation should sway the scepter royall by their meanes that then their Parsons their Creswels their Garnets and others should haue the preheminence ouer the rest of the Iesuits and so if a Spaniard had the honor point then the Iesuits of Spaine if the Archduke then those of Germany should be most aduanced And thus ambition and affecting of soueraigntie doth so tickle them all with vaine and fantasticall hopes of England as quot homines tot sententiae amōgst them for the particular action by whom it should be chiefly acted And I verily thinke the first manner of proceeding as Doctor Cicill insinuates makes it apparant that the hot contentions wranglings brabbles and brawlings betwixt father Parsons and father Criton about the next successor was not absolutely for defeating the Scots title and aduancing of the Spanish which both as it seemeth by Critons speech in Master Cicils apologie did seeke for But the question in secret betwixt them was whether it were fitter to haue the Scots king or some other noble of Scotland preferd as vice-roy vnder the Spaniard or else the Earle of Arundell or Darby or Essex or some other of the English nobles had they title or had they none to the English crowne And so both like traitors against their soueraignes and countrie cogd the one with the other in their ambitious aspires pretending a beares loue each one to his countrie for his owne paunch A third way of the Iesuits agreement in statizing may be taken as it is an humor in these kinde of men that are ambitious to be alwaies loth to liue in subiection vnder any or to acknowledge any superior aboue themselues though of their owne order societie or companie where they liue And this aswell in regarde that they would not be crossed in their designments for any the least touch of contradiction strikes a proud selfe conceited body dead at hart as also for the humorous delight they take in commanding in chiefe where they liue though but ouer three or fower persons at the vttermost for a king of crickets a bedle of beggers and a Pigmay captaine in a conquest of cranes will straight driue pride into a conceit of a supremacie to be in himselfe sance pere And by reason of this naturall inclination in most of those that are Iesuits for amongst these three sorts of men whereof I told you before to wit wise wealthie or worshipfull onely admitted to be of their societie there is a great question which should goe away with the soueraigntie wit wealth and worship being al three incentiues of aspiring And you shal not finde any that hath spirit in him but howsoeuer he vaunt of obedience as the onely way to winne others to be obedient vnto him and doth indeede actually submit himselfe in all things to his superior Iesuit appointed ouer him yet will he seeke so much as is possible to get his necke out of the coller his head out of the halter and his vowed obeisance from vnder the yoke of commandants ouer him by setting foorth himselfe so as he may seeme to be fit either to be a state Counsellor for his grauitie a prouinciall for his policie a rector for his gouernment a courtier for his complements or an intelligent for his impudencie And in all these he must shew himselfe to haue a busie stirring head full of inuentions innouations and nouelties and so comming to aduancement he is freed in a sort from ordinarie controlment That this is a third cause or kinde of statizing wherin the Iesuits doe mightily disagree and are often at open warres by brawlings wranglings contentions and chidings amongst themselues defaming backbiting slaundering and supplanting one an other to omit what I haue heard of their ciuill broiles hatred and emulations in other countries as also what hath beene already saide out of Parsons owne writings and other things handled obiter in this treatise especially whiles Doctor Lewis Bishop of Cassana was visitor generall to whom I told you before how they put vp complaints against one an other I referre you for this time to one or two treatises penned and published by some very learned and graue catholike priestes wherein you shall finde a large discouerie of one of these Rabbies ruffling shuffling flourishing iars and iumblings to exempt himselfe from controlment of any superior and to be an absolute statesman paramount peregall peremptorie to command all others as actor independent of any to act all his actions I meane the great emperor illegitimate irregular abstract quintessence of all coines coggeries and forgeries Parsons the bastarde of Stockersey beyond Cosmage in Sommersetshire How cruelly and Machiuillianlike he ouerthrewe the credit of father Heiwood for presuming forsooth to equall himselfe with him at their being together in England and how flying hence being loden with the spoile of many poore catholikes he practised to be exempted from the checke of the Parisian prouinciall vnder pretence forsooth that the Queene of England had hired certaine persons to murther him there and since that time hath euer giuen himselfe to the studie of state matters This is that famous conqueror who hath bathed all England by his seditious libels in priests blood This is that woorthy excellent that lies dissembles and equiuocates at euery word This is that learned counseler that must rule ruffe range through euery state This is that same Parsons whom pope prince and peere with all true English harts haue cause to hate This is he of whom his owne generall reported that he was more troubled with one English man then with all the rest of his societie This is he of whom Cardinal Alan held this opinion that he was a man very violent and of an vnquiet spirit and of whom M. Blackwell now his darling said that his turbulent head and lewd life would be a discredit to the catholike cause And in few the generall conceit of all that euer haue throughly conuersed with him is this that he is of a furious passionate hot chollerike exorbitant working humour busie headed and full of ambition enuie pride rancour malice and reuenge whereunto through his latter Machiuillian practises may be added that he is a most diabolicall vnnaturall and barbarous butcherly fellowe vnworthy the name nay cursed be the howre wherein he had the name of a priest nay of an irreligious parson nay of a temporall lay man Iesuite nay of
no maruaile at their designements for England much lesse doubt to be made of what they would do in such a case if it came to canuasing for a kingdome THE VII ARTICLE VVHether seeing it is proued that the Spanish inuasion was traiterously procured by father Parsons means did he then also and some others by his procurement mooue her Maiesties subiects to disobey her highnes to take armes against her to surprise her person if they could and to ioine their forces with the Spaniard 1588. affirming that it was lawfull for them so to doe or not And whether might any of her Maiesties subiects lawfully haue followed their counsell therein THE ANSWERE THey did sollicite stir vp and mooue her Maiesties subiects as it is here deduced we cannot denie it greater is our greefe But it was not lawfull for any honest man or true catholike borne vnder English allegiance to haue followed their aduise And this our generall opinion of the seculars is no small comfort vnto many a deuout catholike whose tender consciences haue been by the Iesuits false pretended zeale mightily perplexed a long time with many doubts as not knowing what to doe in this case of obedience to his holines and their soueraigne Therefore I say in few that as concerning the first part of this article it might haue been a sufficient argument of Master Parsons hatred both towards her Maiestie and towards his natiue countrie to haue sollicited the pope and the king of Spaine with so great importunitie to haue assailed this kingdome with their owne forces though he and the rest of his crue had left her Maiesties subiects to haue at the least taken their owne courses as God should haue mooued their harts and not haue troubled himselfe so much in perswading them with great torments of minde in many to haue run with him and such like miscreants as he is into the pit of perdition for companie to satiate his insatiable desires But their malice pride and ambition are so infinite in their actiuitie and operation as there is no mischiefe or villany which they will not attempt to further their most sauage and Turkish designements It was much that one a clergie man possessed and seduced at that time by the Iesuits did iustifie the treacherous dealings of certaine English subiects in betraying the trust committed vnto them by her Maiestie and therewithall vpon Iesuiticall perswasions did also furthermore exhort others her highnes subiects to doe the like Mary the course that was held by them at this time 1588. passeth all Gods forbod as our phrase is But yet will the facing Iesuits so face out this matter as I shall not be credited herein except I make the same as cleere as day at noonetide when the sunne is brightest Therefore to lay open the case in plaine termes you shall vnderstand that in the said Declaration and Admonition before mentioned father Parsons in the good Cardinals name whom he had bewitched doth stretch all his rhetorike to the furthest extent with so great arte and cunning vsed therein as sure great pitie it is that euer so good a wit as his Grace had should haue been so mightily abused by that coosening mate and that they both were giuen ouer so farre at that time as that they should imploy such good gifts to so wicked a purpose For first they make their entrance into their discourse with a most odious and shamefull declamation against her Maiestie thereby to stirre vp her subiects harts to contempt of her highnes and to make her be holden euery where for odious to God to the world and all men I will not trouble you with the particulars but verily I am perswaded that Don Lucifer the wittiest fiend in hell could not haue written more spitefully Secondly they threaten the nobilitie gentrie and all the rest of the inhabitants of this kingdome with losse of all their goods their lands their liues and with damnation besides except that presently vpon the landing of the Spaniards they ioyned themselues and all the forces men munition victuals and whatsoeuer else they could make with that catholike armie forsooth For the words be these If you will auoide say they the Popes the kings and other princes high indignation let no man of what degree soeuer obey abette aide defend or acknowledge her c. adding that otherwise they should incurre the Angels curse and malediction and be as deepely excommunicated as any bicause that in taking her Maiesties part they should fight against God against their lawfull king against their countrie and that notwithstanding all they should doe they should but defend her highnes booteles to their owne present destruction and eternall shame Thirdly after all these and many other such like threats in a high and militarie stile to scarre bugs with then they come to some more milde perswasions and promise the noble men that so they ioyne with the Duke of Parma vpon the receit of their Admonition they will intreate that their whole houses should not perish Parsons did instigate the good Cardinall to sweare by his honor and in the word of a Cardinall that in the furie of their intended massacre there should as great care be taken of euery catholike and penitent person as possibly could be and that he was made a Cardinall of purpose to be sent then into England for the sweete managing of those affaires Fourthly other arguments they vsed â—â—wne from the certaintie of the victorie as that all the protestants would either turne their coates copies armes or flie away in feare and torment of the angell of God prosecuting them that although none of her Maiesties subiects should assist the Spaniards yet their owne forces which they brought with them were strong ynough their prouision sufficient their appointment passing that they had more expert captaines then her Maiestie had good soldiers all resolute to die in the cause which they had vndertaken that the blood of all the blessed Bishops shed in this land and all the Saints in heauen praied for the Spaniards victorie that all the vertuous priestes of our countrie both at home and abroad had stretched foorth their sacred hands to the same end that many priests were in the campe to serue euery spiritual mans necessitie that their forces were garded with all Gods holy angels with Christ himselfe in the soueraigne sacrament and with the daily most holy oblation of Christs owne deere body and blood that the Spaniards being thus assisted with so many helpes though they had been neuer so few they could not loose and that her Maiestie and her assistants wanting these helpe although they were neuer so fierce neuer so proud neuer so many neuer so well appointed yet they could not preuaile feare you not say they to such as would take their part they cannot And thus farre out of their said Iesuiticall Admonition Now what say you reuerend priests and you deere catholikes of all estates to this pernitious booke wherein he
effects we now behold both clergie and laitie highly offending so the succceding occasions of erronious conceipts hath been our owne faultes in treading our forefathers steps in this point of priuate respects selfe conceits and high aspires So as iustly we may say Non sumus digni à Deo exaudiri but rather and most true it is that nostris demeritis meremur puniri and that the fault is not in her Maiestie nor honorable Councell nor ciuill magistrate nor all nor any of our aduersaries but in our selues that England is not yet conuerted and our persecution of long time still encreased scil by reason of some seditious persons and others that followed them with indiscreet zeale and those that were in expectance of great matters by a change conuerting their thoughts from heauenly hopes to earthly hazards imploying their studies how to compasse their owne ambitious aduancements God highly offended to see his blessings and graces lost and taken from amongst vs for our forefathers sinnes to be gone about by the like and woorse proceedings to haue it restored againe It could not otherwise choose but greeuously offend the diuine maiestie and vntill the archplotters of this preposterous course for our countries conuersion were either cut off or otherwise had humbled themselues and surceasing from all ambitious aspires sought sincerely the health of soules not heapes of gold England should neuer be conuerted But we all die and pine away leauing the atchieuement to those that shall succeede in our places when we are all dead and gone That the Iesuits of the more fiery hot and Puritanian humor may not snuffe at the quiet that catholikes are here said to haue liue◠in eleuen yeeres you shall heare the very words of two of their great Rabbies Parsons Creswels speaking to her Maiestie in a Puritanian stile as followeth In the beginning of thy kingdome thou didst deale something more gently with catholikes none were vrged by thee or pressed either to thy sect or to the deniall of their faith All things in deede did seeme to proceede in a farre milder course no great complaints were heard of no extraordinarie contentions or repugnancies Some there were that to please gratifie you went to your churches But when afterwards thou didst beginne to wring them c. Which whensoeuer it was we were the cause as the attempts in Fraunce and Scotland make it manifest This then being the course and cause of humane hopes our harts doe bleede to reade and heare as sundry of vs haue what hath beene printed and published out of Italie in the life of Pius Quintus concerning the indeuors of his holines stirred vp by false suggestions to ioine with the king of Spaine for the vtter ruine and ouerthrow both of our prince and countrie Would God such things had neuer beene enterprised and more that they had neuer beene printed but most of all that they neuer had fronted our natiue shores And if Parsons and his associates had not busied themselues with that they should nor then had we not now medled in this place with that we would not as whereunto for a iust defence of all loyall catholike subiects ignorant of Parsons and his complices drifts we are now constrained to make appeales apologies and replies For what good soeuer the first or againe renewing of the excommunication the printing reprinting of state bookes and other practises may bring hereafter to the Church of God we neither see it neither knowe it But sure we are that for the present nothing hath done vs greater harme nor giuen our common enimies greater aduantages against vs. It is elsewhere set downe how that her Maiestie vsed vs kindly for the space of the first ten yeers of her highnes raigne the state of the catholikes in England that while was tollerable and after a sort in some good quiet Such as for their conscience were imprisoned or in durance were very mercifully dealt withall the state and change of things then considered some being appointed to remaine with such their friends as they themselues made choise of others were placed with Bishops and others with Deanes and had their diets at their tables with such conuenient walkes and lodgings as did well content them They that were in ordinarie prisons had all such libertie and commodities as the place and their estate could affoord them yea euen thus much and more doth Parsons confesse in his Philopater as also father Creswell in his Scribe to the like effect though both very rude peremptorie and sawcie in their speech to her Maiestie with thou didst this and thou didst that c. And Parsons in Grenecoate makes the case cleere especially for state matters though he turne his passage there against the Earle of Leicester to a wanton speech as deliuered from a Lady of the Court how great quiet the state and Court was in for twelue yeeres space no talke of treasons nor conspiracies no iealousies nor suspitions no enuie nor supplantations no feare of murtherings nor massacrings no question of conscience nor religion all liued in quiet content and right good fellowship was amongst them both Lords and Ladies wiues and maidens nobles and gentles knights and esquires married and single of all degrees a ioy it was to haue been in the Court in those daies saith Parsons in that Ladies name whose words mooued much the company where she was as women saith he are potent in moouing where and when they please she did deliuer her mind with so sweete a countenance and courtly a grace c. Now whiles you were say our aduersaries thus kindly vsed of her highnes how trecherously was she dealt withall by you For what had you to doe being catholikes and religious priests as Iesuits terme themselues with spreading pamphlets libels and other fooleries abroad of any misdemeanor in her Maiesties subiects and peeres of the realme You might haue left such scoggerie as Parsons hath set out in Greenecoate to Tarleton Nashe or else to some Puritane Martin Mar prelate or other like companions And for you it was to haue handled grauer higher and more important matters and that concerning soule points not subtilties nor new deuises much lesse to haue dealt against her Maiestie and the state in so traiterous a manner as in a late treatise set out by our brethren doth at large appeere Where to our vnspeakable greefe the world shall see that we our selues who would be termed catholikes and that of all sorts haue beene the true causes of all our owne calamities When I was examined before some of the high Commissioners at the Gildhall about 14. yeeres agone concerning matters of state and especially about the six Interrogatories which we commonly called the six bloodie articles knowing my selfe innocent from the beginning of any the least disloyall thought I haue often since much mused with my selfe what should haue mooued her Maiesties honorable Councell to haue proposed these articles to priests but most of all why
such straite lawes were made for comming into England of Seminarie priests bringing in of Agnus Dei crosses medals graines c. reconcilement perswasions to the catholike faith and the like All which when I saw the bookes of the excommunication of her Maiestie by Pius Quintus diuers others tending to that purpose written since and withall had well considered what the Iesuits dealing had beene how that they had procured these indulgences pardons to serue their owne turne therewith I then wel perceiued vpon what grounds the said six articles were built And Master Bales a blessed martyr shall witnes with me at the latter day how woe my hart was vpon the last speech he and I had together in the house of an honorable person where we met about those and other matters my last words being these vnto him scil that his holines was misinformed and indirectly drawne to these courses by Iesuiticall meanes And therefore of all other orders of religion were I to goe into any I would neuer be Iesuit whiles I liued And this may suffice for the matter in question to conuince any catholikes true meaning hart that the circumstances well considered with all humble obedience to the See apostolike be it spoken there neither was due circumstances in the Bull of Pius Quintus to binde any to withdrawe their allegiance from our Soueraigne neither and much lesse was it conuenient that the same excommunication should haue beene renewed againe THE IX ARTICLE VVHether then seeing her Maiestie and the state knew such practises were by priests and other catholikes vsed and put in execution and yet were ignorant who were of that faction more one then an other till now of late that God hath most strangely and in very deed as it may he termed miraculously reuealed the truth which long hath beene hidden to discerne who are innocent and who free may not then her lawes and proceedings against all catholiks in generall from the beginning of her Highnesse raigne to this present discouery of the treasons and traitors that vrged it be truely counted both milde and mercifull And that howsoeuer of her owne accustomed innate royall disposition benignitie clemencie her Highnesse may and we shoulde wrong our owne conceits in preiudice of her sweete and Princely nature if we should not thinke she would now at length take pittie of such her owne catholike subiects as haue manifested their loyaltie innocencie and ignorance of what was intended against her royall person and state Yet whether in tendring the afflictions which the innocent both secular priests lay persons haue sustained by making such lawes or prouisoes and adding them to the lawes alreadie made as may free both the priests and those that receiue them from the paines and penalties before by statute enacted against them all in generall may not for all that the sayd former statutes penall lawes and actes enacted be thought to stande in force against the Iesuiticall faction and no reason or sense to haue them repealed but both to haue beene made with great moderation and also to stand and remaine with as great pollicie in all or any wisemans iudgement that shall duly consider the Iesuits practises and other her Highnes enimies against her person state and kingdome in the course precedent of all this time THE ANSWERE I Holde directly the affirmatiue part heerein scil that both her Maiesties lawes and proceedings against all sorts of catholikes haue bene milde and mercifull the opinion and iudgement of her Highnesse in religion one way and their foresaid practises against her another way duly considered and also that all the appellants and other priests and catholikes that ioyne with them in prosecuting that appeale as there is iust cause and many reasons which we doubt not of but that to her high prudence and Princely wisedome they will present themselues in laments submissions and teares on our behalfes and in pollicie mercy and iustice on the part of her Highnesse towards vs why some prouisoes should be made for securing of them the said appellants and their associates together with those that do or shall receiue them heereafter from danger of the foresaid penall lawes so haue they and we all that be catholikes in England this day as great motiues causes and reasons moouing vs to admire that euer any of vs are left on liue to make knowne to all posteritie what hath hapned in our daies the like woonders hauing neuer hitherto as yet beene seene as our wretched age hath left recorded to those shall follow vs by succeeding turnes of natures course to the worlds end And by consequent we cannot vrge an absolute repeale of any former statute or penall law so long as any Iesuit or other priest or lay person of their faction which I hope would be very few if any were after they were gone shall remaine within the land but thinke our selues happie and deepely bound to her Maiesty if a prouisoe onely may be made in forme aforesaid to keepe the innocent harmeles though with an other prouisoe also or stricter statute if stricter may be for the vtter expelling of all Iesuits out of the land And for to make this my opinion sinke the deeper into all catholikes heads and harts that either are infected with the Spanish pip or otherwise Iesuited in affection or faction I must and do craue pardon for enlarging my selfe a litle in handling this subiect to the purpose and agreeing to their capacitie Often haue many wise learned and prudent greatly mused what should haue beene the cause in morall sense to speake to men of the heauie and sore affliction of catholiks in England for many yeeres yea it hath beene thought of many great clerkes yet with pardon craued ignorant of our English cases as heereafter will appeere that the circumstances considered as the occurrents came to their minds that their persecution in the primitiue church was not greater if so great respecting the danger of soule-wracke then the persecution in England hath beene for these twenty yeeres space and vpward to wit since the infortunate arriuall of the Iesuits in this land The causes moouing many to admire thereat and in multitudes of vollees in morneful sighes and sorrowes hurled out with wailings one to another greeuing when wise deuout true compassionates of their countries miseries met together that for our owne and our forefathers sinnes so heauie a scourge shoulde be laid vpon our nation our deere countrymen our flesh and blood our neerest linckt vnto vs often times our greatest lothers Amongst others these were the causes of their woonder how it should be First they considered with how great a sympathie all concord naturall incline and reciprocall affection It is no maruell though the Iesuits be so egar of England as they are and that they hazard body soule and all they haue or can be able to make to haue it wholy theirs For considering the poore lodgings scarcity of victuals and vncomfortable trauell
in other countries as in Spaine constrained to carie their meat with them otherwise to fast for three or foure daies space In Scotland but poore lodging God wot and little better then Spaine affoordeth In Fraunce Flaunders not that ciuill order for bed or boord as England yeeldeth and in all other nations compare their diet their lodging their intertaine with the English and certainly you shall finde a stately difference no where to be in all this realme vnlesse vpon the wasts or borders and scant there but you shal haue lodging and intertaine sit for any noble or state within ten miles of that place where euer it be you are in yea the common Innes on LondoÌ„ way through Watlingstreete or the fower forced waies on euery side east west north and south being sit furnished to giue better intertaine to any prince in Christendome then most nobles are in other nations Therefore respecting worldly pompe and pleasure happie were the Iesuits faction but vnhappy all others besides if they might once bring this florishing English kingdom to be a defamed Spanish prouince had euer beene noted in former ages betwixt the soueraignes and subiects of this land And that howsoeuer some princes had tyrannized ouer some fewe stumbling blocks that stoode in their way as impediments to their quiet raigne at least in their conceite and other priuate persons had proued traitors rebels yet in general you shal not find that euer the subiects of England sought the death of their kings or that the kings did tyrannize ouer the multitude but the battell once ended were they ciuill broyles as the Barons warres and the contention for the crowne betwixt the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster c. or forraigne hostilitie as those betwixt the Empresse and king Stephen and betwixt king Iohn of England and prince Lewes of France and others Now then seeing neuer any soueraigne regnant in this land was euer holden to be of a more princely magnificall mercifull flexible sweet louing compassionate and tender inclination then her Maiestie is of to take pitty and pardon to receiue into grace and fauor and to winne the harts of subiects by lenitie and gentle meanes And againe for as much as neuer was the multitudes and subiects in generall of this land I speake it of catholikes to mine owne knowledge of many loyall harts as well as of the rest more seruiceable loyall faithfull and affectionate nor more willing to die at their princes feete or in their Soueraignes iust quarrell and cause any where then they haue beene hitherto vnder her Maiestie and are still to this present That all this notwithstanding so sore an affliction so long imprisonments so continuall searchings so many sessions assises arraignments losses of landes goods liues and all should be by lawes penall made against catholike Recusants many are mooued on both sides scil as well on the behalfe of her Maiesties mercy as of her truest subiects loyaltie to woonder at it Secondly they had read the last will testament of king William the Conqueror and what his first passage of speech was in his last passage of life to king Henry the first and duke Robert Curthoys his sonnes to wit that the English natures were noble generous and gentle in themselues fierce hot and valiant in the field louing loyall seruiceable and faithfull to their prince Alwaies prouided that their Soueraignes vsed them as children not as slaues for free borne denizens they are with enioying their Franchises and liberties they will performe more then the most on their prince and countries behalfe whereas the Normane said he againe being a proud stubborne but yet a seruile lasâ—e people not carrying those generous mindes which the English carrie in all their actions must be curbed holden in and still kept short otherwise they will do nothing nor regard either their prince his honor or their countries weale The councell of this prudent prince caused a like respect in gouernment to be had of these two nations agreeing to their naturall dispositions of all the succeeding kings and Queenes that euer hitherto haue raigned in this land no nation vnder heauen bearing the porte and countenance in generall which the English carry The retinew of our English nobles is comparable in pompe and shew of honor with princes courts in forraigne countries our gentles are their nobles equals in seruice offices belonging to noble bloods generous harts Yea many knights and esquires in England are able to dispend more then sundry Lords Barons Vicounts and Earles in other countries And our Frankelings Gentlemen vntriall or substantiall Yeomen may be compared with the greatest Gentles in other nations as their fellowes for intertainment either respecting the multitude of seruants seruice and attendance giuen to guests at their table or in their chamber or the great good cheere with varietie of dishes and those well and clenly dressed and serued in with great and many ciuill ceremonies or conueniences either of lodgings within or walks without their houses or other commodities attendant on pompe and port that either may yeeld content delight or recreation to their friends yea in sundry farmers houses in England you shall finde better intertainment then the most part of ordinary Nobles in most kingdomes of the world is able to affoord This then being so their liberties and immunities being so many their loyaltie so firme their seruice so faithfull their education and bringing vp so free their inheritance freehold demeasnes and rents so great and extraordinary duly considered And aswell the high wisedome of her Maiestie on the one side as the free education of her subiects on the other side well weighed especially in that an English nature euen in the meanest member of the bodie politicall scil in the communalty is in this respect noble free of high courage and not able to endure lingring deathes torments gusts and greefes as other people are that notwithstanding her loyall subiects as well noble as ignoble should be put to those exigents that catholiks haue a long time bin put vnto the world hath mused and admired at it Thirdly they looked backe somtime into the ages acts and raignes of Nero of Dioclesian of Commodus of Probus of Heliogabal of Maximilian the Emperor and others and read the histories and apologies of Damascen of Iustine of Athenagoras of Tertullian of Epiphanius of Eusebius and others wherein they found sundry reasons and motiues as they thought not a litle to mooue these heathen Emperors to lenitie mercy which bookes and apologies often tooke effect as written to that end but not as father Parsons Philopater or father Creswels Scribe or father Southwels Epistle to her Maiestie are written alwaies in accusing or reproouing some one or many or all her highnes nobles and ciuill magistrates a very indiscreete part in them how true soeuer the reports had beene our frownd on state considered and that we were to seeke the fauor of all not to exasperate
church c. And at Millane at Antioch at Constantinople and elsewhere were sometimes offers and often graunts made to catholikes to haue their churches chappels to themselues apart from the Arrians and other infest enimies of the catholikes suffering them the saide clergie on both sides to do it by dispitions amongst themselues neuer persecuting any catholike for that cause vnlesse some speciall grudge or occasion of high displeasure taken by the emperors against some particular person which for the most part proceeded on the Arrians behalfe and suggestion made by them had mooued them to the contrary Which being so and that the princely disposition and royall hart of our Soueraigne is behinde none of the woorthiest emperors that euer sat enthronized with imperiall crowne for a flexible milde free nature and sweete incline to mercy bountie pittie grace pardon fauour and compassion taken of her subiects be as they be may in different affections of religion aliened from her together with her magnificencie liberalitie and maiestie equalling if not before them either great Alexander or Iulius the woorthy Caesar Of which two although it were said of the former in Greece and of the latter in Rome that Alexander the Conquerour in vsing liberalitie and Iulius Caesar in pardoning of iniuries none euer equald or at least went before them yet was it spoken and so it is vnderstood of precedent ages not of future heroeces we no way yeelding in our heauiest thoughts of hart burning griefes sustained to heare our noble Elizabeth prince peregall paramount and paragon the so admired at Saba of Europes England as all the world hath woondred at her more then ordinary indowments of princely nature otherwise accounted of then as a Sance-pere giuing place to none of former present or future times persons or ages for and in all points attending at the gates of royall honor or throne of regall Maiestie That then notwithstanding all this her Highnesse worne out subiects suppliants poore afflicted catholiks in her prisons in durance dangers and distresse euery where should haue so hard a happe as not onely to be depriued of all ecclesiasticall and temporall dignities offices preferments any manner of way which yet were more tollerable as a thing they nothing lesse expect wish for or desire it being so that both clergie and laitie of the catholikes take it as a sweete chasticement and fatherly scourge sent them from God to be humbled with so heauie a downefall but also which doth grieue them most to liue in sorrow heauines and suspition had of their vnattainted loyalties in generall for some priuate offences in speciall that they of al other should feele the force of these vnaccustomed frownes which pearce those harts the deepest whose faithfull seruices haue beene deerest to their Soueraignes in their owne and their forefathers daies That not one noble will speake for them that no solace should be left them no comfort euer affoorded them no hope at all this long time giuen them of euer receiuing a glympse or glance of those accustomed gracious smyles which ordinarily do flowe in pearld streames from lions hart of truest golde gushing out at siluer lymbecks of egles eies all royall in their rarenes That this should be all catholikes heauie case her highnes a prince and second to none in maiestie mercy and magnificencie her catholike subiects seconded with as fewe for seruice submission and loyaltie and yet that they should be put from time to time to such sore trials and indure so many calamities is a sutable cause with the rest of admiration and woonder Fiftly they sometimes cast their eies aside to Turkes to Persians to all Pagan prouinces to see if they can espie any one sect profession or professors of religion tossed turmoilde and tormented as the English are and throughout all this vaste Macrocosme they finde not one patterne sampler nor example left to posteritie to bee recorded like to ours The Sophy indeede hath a long time had great and mortall wars with the Ottomane race family and successors in the Turkish tribe so hath great Mogor great Cam of Catay Presbyter Iohn and other monarches adioyning and affronting him but yet omitting the generall contention amongst the Mahumetans about the heires of Ella and the body of Mahomet there is a libertie graunted for religion to all men in a sort more tollerable then in England is to be heard of for catholiks to enioy The very Turke who hath the straitest lawes forbiddeth indeed all talke disputation or controuersie to be about religion but yet he permitteth either Christians or any other to liue quiet vnder him vsing their owne rites seruice and ceremonies for paying a certaine yeerely tribute which is not much more then catholikes pay in England euen to their naturall Prince and Soueraigne and yet cannot haue the like securitie safetie and quiet from inferior officers but still in one place or other within her Maiesties dominions they are pild and pold to the vttermost So as when all is quiet at London then are they aloft in Yorkshire and throughout the North when quiet there then vp in Wales and the marches that way And thus persecution running per circulum the lande neuer wholly at rest and quiet these things manie learned men and others haue woondred at not knowing what were the causes Sixtly sometimes those graue and reuerend prelats cast backe their eies to these our latter ages and present times wherein now we liue and to the bordering kingdomes and princes round about vs to see whether any like to these our English miseries and catholike distresses can be found And in Germany howsoeuer there be some slacknes and dislikes at their Diets and election of their Caesar yet in ciuil conuersation one with another and for life gouernment and order the emperour though a catholike findeth as great seruice and concord amongst his subiects and they againe vse and enioy all their immunities freedomes and liberties with as great content and quiet liuing in one Prouince in one citie in one towne in one streete yea and in one house sometimes together of diffrent as if they were all of one minde faith and religion In Fraunce we see what libertie of conscience wrought Did it not as well animate the Hugonites to ioyne with king Henry of the house of Valois then a catholike in shewe howsoeuer the Iesuits censure of his hart as it did of like sort the catholikes to ioyne with the now most Christian and catholike king Henry the 4. then a Protestant yea did they not sticke as sure fast to his christian Maiestie as if he had been of their owne catholike religion profession that with as great alacritie of minde in regard of his present right to that crowne and their future hopes of his conuersion to their church and faith as afterward it hapned God sweetly so disposing that he who could not by rough handling be made flexible by experience of his subiects loyaltie is
life from God our nobility from our parents our kingdome from our subiects our religion from the church of Rome the which if you maligne vs for it we sende you backe againe by these presents then what shall we thinke or can we imagine that soueraigne princes of this our infortunate age will brooke it well to finde his holines to be tam durus Pater towards them But for meane subiects to presume as the Iesuits do neuer was it and now is it least tolerable THE IIII. ARTICLE WHether it is a fitte point of doctrine to be broached and diuulged to the world in these daies by the Iesuites that subiectes are no longer bound to obey wicked Princes in their temporall commandements and Lawes but till they be able by force of armes to resist them THE ANSWERE THat this is a most dangerous doctrine and most vnfit to be published in this age there is no one Catholike in England this day but I thinke will confesse it and therefore I hold it meet before I come directly to answer this Article First to make it apparaÌ„t that the Iesuites and their seditious faction do broach publish such a kind of doctrine for otherwise it might well seeme a slaunder malitiously imputed vnto them Amongst others father Parsons in his admonition before mentioned giueth this reason why the Popes sentence hath not beene put in execution since it was first giuen bicause forsooth her Maiesties forces were so great that they could hardly be resisted by the onely Inhabitants of the Realme without euident daunger and destruction of very many and noble persons c. in which case the censures of the Church doe not binde which is as much to say as if they had beene of might sufficient they had been bound to haue put the said sentence in execution against her highnes and the ouerthrow of the whole state and common wealth of their natiue land The same Iesuite also in his booke intituled Philopater is very peremptorie sly and sawcie as his manner is very boldly affirming that when kings doe deflect from the Catholike religion and drawe others with them Liberes esse subditos c. posseque debere si vires habeant buiuscemodi homineÌ„ dominatuÌ„ eijcere Subiectes are free and both may and ought if they be able to cast such a man out of his dominions Secondly when Henry the third of Fraunce had procured the death of the Duke of Guise and some other whereunto the French writers doe affirme he was compelled except he would haue suffred the Duke to haue puld the Crowne from his head it was not long after but that by the secret practises of the Iesuites he himselfe was murthered And not resting thus contented they writ such a discourse against him being a Catholike as if it had beene hatched in hell intituled De iusta abdicatione H. 3. In which treatise they affirme that it is lawfull for a priuate man to kill a tyrant for so they termed that king though there be neither sentence of the Church or kingdome against him Now in this booke to come to my purpose he propoundeth this obiection how and why it was that in the Primitiue Church the martyrs attempted no such course against the tyrants that then raigned and doth answere it in this sort Vâ—â—d laudable est cum resistere nequeas ita vbi pâ—ssis nolle resistere religionis patriae hosti nefarium ac pernitiosum est As much to say as thus in English As it is laudable to doe as those martyrs did when thou canst not resist so not to resist when thou maist the enimy of Religion and of thy countrey so they terme all kings that they dislike is a pernitious and horrible sinne Thirdly an other at that time with a Iesuiticall spirite doth tell vs his mind in plaine termes so as I shall not neede to proue the matter by any consequence The quarrell for Religion saith he and defence of innocencie is so iust that heathen Princes not at all subiect to the Churches lawes and discipline may in that case by the Christians armes be resisted naming none but speaking in generall termes without exception of persons so indefinitely or rather peremptorily and dissemblingly as all Iesuites doe that as well seruants as souerâ—ignes may by his principle take armes at their pleasure c. And might lawfully haue been redressed in the time of the Pagans and first great persecutors â—hen they vexed and oppressed the faithfull And againe There is no question but that the Emperor Constantine Valens Iulian and others might haue beene by the Bishop excommunicated and deposed and all their people released from their obedience if the Church or Catholikes had had competent forces to haue resisted Loe what doctrine this is to be diuulged in this so daungerous an age I leaue to others to conceite these things in as good sence as may make for our generall safety and common good of the Catholike cause onely I wish such passages had neuer fronted any English Port nor come to our aduersaries eares or knowledge And an other Iesuite to the same purpose saith Quod si Christiani olim non deposuerunt Neronem Diocletianum Iulianum Apostatam ac Valentem Arrianum alios id fuit quia de erant vires temporales Christianis Nam alioquin iure potuissent hoc facere In that Christians in times past did not depose Nero and Dioclesian and Iulian the Apostata and Valence the Arrian and others it was bicause Christians did then want temporall forces for otherwise they might lawfully haue dealt so with them Now what thinke you if such a doctrine had been heard or spoken of in Iulians Neroes or Dioclesians daies what thinke you would haue ensued thereof Questionlesse though the persecution were great yet probably it would haue beene double increased and augmented thereby And as for the scholemen which they alleage for this doctrine one and the chiefe is S. Thomas who hath some such point For Christians saith he obeyed Iulianus Quod illo tempore Ecclesia in sua nouitate nondum habebat potestatem terrenos principes coercendi ideo tollerauit fideles Iulano Apostatae ohedire in ijs quae non erant contra fidem vt maius periculum fidei vitaretur c. Bicause the Church then being in her infancy had not yet power to bridle Princes and therefore she did tollerate the faithfull to obey Iulian the Apostata in those things which were not against faith for the auoyding of a greater daunger which might otherwise haue insued to the Christian faith The other is Dominus Bannes vpon Saint Thomas who alleaging that the cause why catholikes in England do not rebell against her Maiestie is Quia facultatem non habent c. Both whose opinions and words as they may carry a diuerse construction so were they not set downe by either of them as conclusions but as argumentall reasons of doctrine disputatiue in the schooles Which
course taken amongst the English students at Rome that they may not haue their mutuall meetings congratulations recreations and other solaces and comforts of one chamber classe and company with another as earst they haue had and is euery where else to be found where any humanitie religious pietie or charitable wish or desire of either spirituall welfare or corporall health progresse and practise of studie vertue and learning is resident in the Rector Principall or chiefe But Iesuits must needes smell of innouations and singularitie in all things otherwise how should we knowe their rare indowments illuminations and familiar acquaintance with their maker c. And to this absurditie a blasphemie of his may be added wherein he maketh this opposition against the sacred state of regall dignitie and throne triumphant of imperiall maiestie to wit that the title honor and regall dignitie of a crowne is of all other things so irregular and extraordinarie as not onely an vsurper disseizer intruder and impious tyrant but also euen a very infidell a traitor a butcherly murtherer or a most base Assismistial crue if once he may attaine it by the rules of father Parsons common wealth then his title is neuer after to be examined by any except a Iesuit you must alwaies vnderstand but euery one is bound as is aboue said in conscience to obey the same Loe here noble princes and you deere catholikes what you are to learne out of the Iesuiticall doctrine Certainly therein is nothing else but fallacie vpon fallacie error vpon error one contradiction encountring another and all nothing but treacheries treasons and conspiracies The state of a monarchie is of all other gouernments the most perfect and excellent and yet forsooth the tenure of a crowne is imperfect infamous as out of all rule and order The actuall possession of a kingdome or state at the first vsurpation of it must onely guide the right as the most materiall point to lead the inheritance and succession of a crowne which way it liketh best The common wealth is the onely iudge of the possessionar or king regnant to controll him at the pleasure of the people A king was made to rule a common wealth and a common wealth to obey a king and yet carts must leade carthorses schollers guide schoolemasters people teach preachers children rule parents and an vnruly irregular disordered multitude witkout head or of many heads none good like a monster cloaked by a fallacie to abuse simple people vnder the name of a common wealth must gouerne the most irregular and extraordinarie crowne And so lawes must be construed conformable to the sensual appetite of a multitude not the multitude reformed agreeable to Gods lawes Soueraignes must accommodate themselues to the manners and conditions of their subiects be they good or bad and not subiects apply themselues to the arbitrament of their soueraignes be they neuer so good and gracious longer then they list to obey them Soueraignes must raigne vpon sufferance onely de facto ad beneplacitum populi in a bare possession of a crowne but not de iure to continue the same by order of lawe in his owne right longer or otherwise then the varieties of humors altering the dispositions in men may mooue the people to interprete the lawe from time to time vnto them Thus shall neither the king catholike nor the emperor nor any other soueraigne haue assurance of safetie for their person or state one minute of an hower and all by this vnchristian directorie of father Parsons which makes all their actions good and allowable to displace princes at their pleasure And yet still vice must be vertue violence made law wrongs iudged rights hangmen made iudges and traitors crowned kings but deposible alwaies and actually oftentimes must be deposed be there cause or no cause be they capable or incapable be it in the field of warre or in the land of peace Bicause forsooth Fa. Parsons publike state or statisticall doctrine of runnagates called here a Common wealth doth hold it necessary to be so is the onely iudge peramount in all state cases commissions for a crowne king kingdome without appeale to any higher iudge whosoeuer And further euery Precopite Tartarian multitude thus incorporated getting once the stile and title of a publike state in their owne opinion may brook the name of a Geneuian or an Heluetian or a Switherly commō wealth and alter chaunge and innouate the course of inheritance and succession not onely to crownes and kingdomes but also to euery priuate persons heritage holden in Fee simple So as they may beare away the right and true title cast vpon any from the king to the Freeholder by the lawes of Fa. Parsons new common wealth and giue it to whom they list though the party be neither member of that state nor subiect thereunto by nature submission infranchisment or other ordinary and lawfull meanes For if the onely lawful and good tenure of a kingdome diademe and crowne be holden by the king himselfe of the good-will onely of the common wealth that is as much to say as a Tenant at will of the people then followeth it by this hyperbolical fiction against the state of inheritance in regall maiestie that à fortiori all a soueraignes subiects also which haue any lands of ancient demaine or other inheritance must be subiect to the like lawes And so by good or at least necessary sequell is inferd that this they doe to confront the king of Spaine in chiefe points of regal state and to harden the Hollanders Zelanders and others there to mantaine warres in open action against him as also to minister new matter of rebellion in Arragon in Portugall and in all other of his owne dominions for a seditious route to thrust him quite out of his whole monarchiall estate of Spaine and to depriue him of kingdome crowne and life at their pleasure To all this Fa. Parsons hath prepared a ready way to serue his owne turne and his societies not the king nor any of his royall issues therewith for his admittance to the Spaniards much more to any other kingdome being onely by his common wealth and popular applauses neuer so well settled yet holding his crowne but as Tenant at will of the said common wealth who may reuoke their admittance when they list to quarrell it followeth that he hath no estate of nor assurance at all in him for any thing he holdeth Thus hath this great Statist discouered at vnawares his owne and his confederates ambitious aspires treacherous intent Atheall expectation pragmaticall practise and Matchiuilian platforme to make the world beleeue he pleads onely for the Spaniards and that simply and plainely for religions sake when his drift directly is immediately by meanes of conquest intended for England to bring all Christendome into an vprore for common soldiers to examine their soueraignes what title they hold by and thereupon themselues by craft mony and multitudes gathered together through their