most vnwoorthy to possesse land and office that will not serue her Maiestie by whose fauour and clemency they enioy their lands and offices against the Spaniard or other forren enemy that séeketh to depriue both vs and them percase of lands liuing and life It may be that some papists will not beléeue this to be true of the masse priests and their adherents but if they list to read and sée what the secular priests confesse in their treatise of important considerations they will change their opinions argument 5 Howsoeuer they iudge of this point yet they will not deny that it is treason to adhere to forren enemies In the statute of 25. of Edward the third chap. 2. those that adhere to the kings enemies are adiudged traitors By the u El fuero real tit de la guarda del rey lawes of Spaine likewise it is made treason to ioine with the enemie and to yeeld him succour or helpe by any meanes and the like we may gather out of the Roman lawes ad legem Iuliam maiestatis l. 1. Finally reason may teach vs that they can not be our friends that adhere to our enemies and ioine with them but the masse priests and all that haue dealt hitherto in the popes and Spaniards cause haue adhered to forren foes and to the publike and professed enemies of her Maiesty and this state for first it is apparent that the Pope and Spaniard are publike enemies of the prince state Hostes ij sunt saith x ff de verborum signific l. hostes Pomponius qui nobis aut quibus nos publicè bellum decreuimus that is they are publike enemies either which make warres on vs or vpon whom we make warres The Gréeks of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth warre doe call enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sheweth them to be enemies properly that make warres vpon vs. But the Pope and Spaniard from the yéere 1569. haue not ceased to make warres against the English nation Pope Pius the fift hauing a determination to recouer his authority in England and that rather by the sword than as Peter did gaine men by the word stirred vp Philip king of Spaine to ioine with him against our nation both of them sent money to aide the Northren rebels anno 1569. and were determined to haue sent an army into England vnder the conduct of the duke of Alua had not the practise of the rebels béene discouered and had not the rebellion béene suppressed before the succors came to them y Manolessa The Pope also afterward set vp the duke of Norfolke and sent him mony and encouraged him with great promises to execute his sentence and both these points are prooued not onely by the testimony of the letters of Pius Quintus as they are recorded by him that set out the report of his life but also by the testimony of the secular priests in their treatise called important considerations About the yeere 1578. Stukelcy was by the Pope furnished with money and souldiers to make some enterprise in Ireland and had done somewhat if Gods iudgements had not turned him into Barbarie where he made his end correspondent to his life That string being broken Sanders was sent as agent for the Pope to raise a rebellion in Ireland and not long after the Pope sent certeine forces into the same countrey that openly z Let Parsons shew that euer S. Peter did the like displaied his banners against her Maiestie and the English nation Anno 1588. both the Spaniards and Popes fléet came with fire and sword against England The duke of Parma likewise prouided great land forces against vs in the Low-countreys An. 1597. 1598. the Adelantado of Spaine set foorth twise or thrise from Corona with an intention to descend in the port of Falmouth and to take that countrey And lately Don Juan d'Aquila was sent with diuers regiments for the conquest of Ireland Likewise we for our defence haue since made some attempts against the Spaniard in Spaine in the Indiaes and in the Low-countreys And most of these matters are publikely knowen and can not be denied by the aduersarses themselues The secular priests confesse most of these things in their treatise of important considerations It can not therefore be denied but that both the Pope and the Spaniard are publike enemies of her Maiestie and the state The like may be said of Henry the 2. the French king during the warres in Scotland in the beginning of her Maiesties reigne and of the duke of Guise the duke of Alua the prince of Parma and others that at seuerall times haue done hostile acts against her Maiesty and the English nation Likewise it is a thing very manifest that all our masse-priests and their partakers and consorts haue adhered to the king of Spaine to the pope and to other forren enemies Vpon the first comming of the Quéene to the crowne diuers fled to the French king who pretending a right to the crowne of England for his daughter in law the Quéene of Scots proclaimed her in Paris Queene of England and Ireland not without the consent of some traitorous English as it séemeth Mortua Maria saith a De schi◠li. 3. Sanders Henricus Galliarum rex c. nurum suam Scotorum reginam Henrici octaui proneptim parisijs pro concione Angliae Hiberniae reginam declarandam curauit he sent also forces into Scotland to second his claime which no man may surmise he would haue done but that he was promised a party in England that the seminaries of Doway and Rome adhere to the pope and Spaniard it cannot be denied for of them they haue their maintenance and when the priests of the seminaries are déepely rooted in the grounds of vnnaturall disloialty and treason abroad they come with commission and meanes from them two home into England thirdly Sanders was sent by the pope as his legat into Ireland and both he and his consorts that were sent vpon that businesse were furnished with meanes from the pope and did wholly depend vpon him and on the king of Spaine fourthly it appeareth that the priests held the pope for the chiefe lord and did not so much as vouchsafe to call Elizabeth the Queene of England their Quéene petatur à summo domino nostro say Parsons and Campian in their faculties explicatio bullae declaratoriae contra Elizabetham ei adhaerentes let vs beseech say they our most high lord the pope to make an exposition of the bull against Elizaberh and all that adhere vnto her so it appeareth that they declare themselues opposite to the Quéene and all her true subiects and that they adhere to the pope it may out of that facultie also be gathered that all papists adhere to the pope for that these two prouide for them onely and exclude all the Quéenes subiects for the papists whom those two traitors call catholikes desire that the popes bull may binde
tu nos ab hoste protege hora mortis suscipe argument 72 Neither did Christians in olde time chant such Letanies as now are vsuall in the Romish missals and breuiaries saying Sancte Michael sancte Gabriel sancte Raphael nor sancta Maria Magdalena sancta Agnes sancta Agatha nor omnes sancti sanctae intercedite pro nobis argument 73 In ancient f Vid. ordinem Rom. missals the praier memento for the dead is not in the canon the ancient fathers did neuer vse such a form argument 74 In ancient time it would haue bene thought very strange to pray in a tongue not vnderstood especially when the apostle g 1. Cor. 14. teacheth vs that it profiteth nothing argument 75 The psalter of our lady and her peculier offices are not to be iustified by ancient precedents argument 76 If any had bene taken praying to a stocke or stone he would haue bene condemned for an idolater but now papists commonly pray to images of wood and stone and to the crosse they say auge pijs iustitiam reisque dona veniam which although it may be thought sottish and sencelesse yet will they not haue it counted idolatrous argument 77 Christ forbadde vs to vse battologies or often repetitions in our praiers but the papists neither regarding his doctrine nor the practise of the ancient church in their psalter of Iesu repeat the name of Iesu infinit times they reherse also infinit Aue Mariaes and Pater Nosters argument 78 In the Missale of Salsbury the priest saith to the sacrament Aue. he boweth also to it contrary to the ancient churches practise argument 79 The Rosaries and beades of our lady containing 63. Aue Mariaes and 7. Pater Nosters which are now much reckoned of in Spaine and Italy as appeareth by the manuall of Geronymo Campos are but new tricks of late popes and superstitious priests to catch mony argument 80 In time past Christians were wont to entombe holy martyrs and to call vpon God at their tombes and monuments But of late time the blinde papists haue digged the saints out of their graues and thinke it religion to call vpon them and to kisse rotten bones and ragges yea sometimes which belong not to the saints to whome they are attributed argument 81 The papists also worship wicked men as George of Cappadocia an Arrian hereticke Thomas Becket an impure fellow and a traitor to his country h La fulminante Ieames Clement the murderer of his liege soueraine Campian and Sherwin and such as died in England for notorious treasons argument 82 Neither are they ashamed to call the sacrament their lord and god as appeareth by the words of Alane in his treatise de sacrific euchar c. 41. and Bristow in his 26. motiue which they cannot iustifie by testimony of antiquity argument 83 They also worship the sacrament with diuine honour as if God and the sacrament were one person the priest after consecration doth adore it as it is in the rubrike of the i Missal Rom. missal and boweth his knee vnto it they hang the sacrament vpon the altar with light before it and cary it about with lightes and bells and great solemnity all which Robert Parsons will not proue to be practised by the ancient church of Christ nay when he goeth about it he shall finde that the principall authors of this idolatry were Honorius the 3. Vrbane the 4. and Clement the fift men of late time and leud stampe argument 84 To the crosse they say ô crux aue spes vnica and venite adoremus as is proued by the Romish portesse sabbat in hebd 4. quadrages and booke of ceremonies and pontificall in die parasc neither are they ashamed to confesse that latria or diuine worship is due to the crosse albeit all antiquity abhorred such grosse idolatry argument 85 They worship the images of god the father of god the sonne and god the holy ghost and the whole trinity with latria or diuine worship as may be gathered by their practise by the decrée of the conuenticle of Trent the 25. session by the testimony of Suares in 3. part Thom. tom 1. disp 54. sect 4. and of vellosillus in aduertent in 5. tom Hieronym ad 10. quae sit which the ancient fathers neuer did nay the idolatrous second councell of Nice allowed not this supreme worship of Latria to be due to any images argument 86 Gregory the first in a certaine epistle to Serenus declareth that albeit images are not to be broken downe and vtterly abolished out of churches yet they are not to be worshipped Epiphanius vtterly condemneth the hauing of them in churches and to that effect the councell of Eliberis in Spaine made a solemne k Can. 36 act Placuit say the fathers of that councell picturas in ecclesia esse non debere ne quod colitur aut adoratur in parietibus depingatur but now the papists not onely place them in churches but also adore them and worship them argument 87 Antiquity neuer burnt incense to images nor kissed them nor bowed downe to them nor said their praiers before them for that is repugnant to the second commandement and is derogatory to Gods honor but the papists now doe all this and thinke it piously doone also argument 87 In ancient time Christians serued God in spirit and trueth according to the saying of our sauiour Iohn 4. but the religion of papists consisteth in eating of redde herrings and salt fish in abstinence from flesh and white meats in knocking knéeling greasing shauing washing ducking crouching crossing and such like outward ceremonies argument 88 The ancient fathers did neuer take the bishop of Rome to be head or foundation of the church for well they remembred that our Sauiour Christ is the head of the church and Sauiour of his body and l 1. Cor. 3. that no man can lay other foundation then that which is laid which is Christ Iesus and that the church is built vpon the apostles and prophets Christ Iesus being the corner stone but vpon apostles and prophets because they preach vnto vs Christ Iesus but the papists now teach that the pope is both the foundation and the head of the church for that doth Bellarmine teach in his preface before his bookes de Pontifice Rom. and in the second booke chap. 31. of that treatise neither doe I thinke that any papists will denie it argument 89 Neither did they call the pope in ancient time the spouse of the church for that doeth onely belong to Christ adiunxi vos vni viro saith the apostle 2. Corinth 10. ad exhibendam virginem castam Christo but the papists m C. vbi periculum de elect in sexto doe not sticke to call the pope the spouse of the church and Bellarmine of his liberalitie doeth giue the pope that title lib. 2. de Pontif. Rom. c. 31. and the pope like a good fellow taketh the same to himselfe c. quoniam de
the images of our lady of Loreto of the crosse and such like If they say that the image of Christ is to be worshipped with the honour due to Christ improperly as Bellarmine teacheth lib. 2. de imaginib c. 23. It may be replied that the Gentiles were neuer so stupid as to say that properly as much honor is due to the image as to the originall Finally if you méet with any of Bellarmines opinion lib. de imaginibus c. 6. that thought Xenaias to be the first that found fault with the worship of images you may boldely reproue him by the testimony of Lactantius Hierome Epiphanius Augustine and other fathers before cited Vnlesse therefore Robert Parsons and his consorts can well answere our arguments and fortifie their owne simple excuses shifts and distinctions it will appeare both by testimony of scriptures and fathers and also by diuers good arguments that the papists are idolaters nay it will appeare they can no better answere for themselues then the heathen idolaters in ancient time is it not then maruell that such grosse idolatry should créepe in among Christians it is so certes but much more is it to be maruelled that so grosse an abuse being detected should either be defended or tolerated CHAP. VI. That such papists as within the compasse of her maiesties reigne haue bene executed to death haue died for treason and other capitall crimes and not for religion and therefore are to be detested as malefactors and not honored as martyrs HItherto we haue discoursed of matters of religion and I hope so as it may appeare to euery man not altogether either irreligious or possessed with preiudice that the papists are neither true catholicks nor good Christians I haue therein also discouered not only the vanity of Parsons his pleading in his Ward-word that taketh that as granted which is the principall question but also the simplicity of this wooden Oulyglasses dealing that not daring to answere our arguments doth notwithstanding still in his exceptions vsurpe the name of Catholicks Catholicke religion as due to himselfe and his consorts being nothing lesse then either catholicke or Christian now therefore to fill vp this discourse it followeth that we consider a litle the ouâ—ward ciuill cariage of this faction and what we are to thinke either of those that heretofore haue broken their necks in the Popes seruice or else yet continue well affected toward his cause and generally what all true subiects are to looke for either at their hands or the hands of their partakers and adherents and this for that Robert Parsons in the first chapter or incounter of his Ward-word doubteth not most impudently to affirme that many honorable and worshipfull gentlemen haue indured continuall and intolerable affliction for perseuering in their fathers faith and that aboue a hundred priests haue bene tortured hanged and quartered for the same cause the same man also in the conclusion of his encounters doth insinuat that albeit they were charged with treason yet they died as martyrs Allen likewise that perfidious traitor to his prince and country in his a Ad pâ—rsequutores Anglos treatise against the execution of iustice doone vpon diuers priests and friers and their adherents taken in notorious treasons doth exclaime against the state and charge our gouernors with persecution iniustice tyranny and extreme cruelty as for his clients he beareth vs in hand that they were cleare of treason and without all iust cause died for matter of religion and conscience onely and not for treason or practises against the state and concludeth that therefore they are to be esteemed as holy martyrs and not as leud traitors the detector also in his disiointed exceptions is talking of crosses and persecutions where he and most of his consorts liue at ease and in all security in good houses and haue laisure to write and opportunity to print such pamphlets and idle toies as that which he hath of late published argument 1 First then I say that albeit late lawes gaue occasion to detect the Popes agents that of late haue bene executed to death in England yet they deserued death as offending in cases of treason both so adiudged by the ancient lawes of this land and also for the most part by the lawes of all nations for first it is treason to stirre vp forrain enemies against the prince or state the statute of 25. Edward the 3. c. 2. doth so account it condemning all of treason that shall goe about to leuy warre against the kings and queenes of this land Likewise it was adiudged by the Romane lawes Maiestatis crimine tenetur saith Vlpian ad legem Iuliam maiest l. 1. cujus opera consilio dolo malo consilium initum fuerit c. quo quis contra remp arma ferat The same course is now taken in Spaine with such as attempt to leuie warre against the king either within or without the realme as is apparent by the booke called El fuero real Tit. de la guarda del rey those also that counsell or abet such as attempt any such matter are by that law condemned as traitors Neither is the practise of France diuers from other nations in this point Finally no Romane may so much as once attempt to raise warre against the pope albeit he hold nothing but by vsurpation but the popes sergeants and officers seize vpon him as a traitor neither will any pretence or allegation of conscience serue to excuse his treason or to exempt him from punishment But such agents of the pope as haue beene executed hitherto in England for his cause either haue themselues béene persuaders of the pope and Spanish king and others to make warre vpon her Maiesty and their countrey or els haue ioined with Englefield Allen Parsons Holt Owen Morgan and other principall moouers and stirrers for an inuasion and were directed by them and sent into England and other places for that purpose and this may be proued first by the Bull of Pius Quintus procured at the instance of diuers English fugitiues and by them sent abroad into England and sent into the king of Spaines countrey as a motiue for him to inuade England and as it were a trumpet that sounded fire and sword against vs. secondly all the practises and exercises of the seditious seminaries in the Low-countreys Spaine and Rome haue tended to the stirring vp of forren nations against vs as is confessed by diuers priests and testified by scholars and may be prooued by some notes of their exercises which we haue to shew Thirdly Sixtus Quintus anno 1588. in his sentence declaratory or rather declamatory against the Quéene doeth say that at the earnest solicitation of certeine principall English men which he calleth catholikes he had proceeded against her Maiesty and had enioyned the Spanish king to execute his Bull of excommunication and deposition against her and to come with great forces against England fourthly Allen in his traitorous letters to the nobility
Father for the sinnes of quicke and dead 8 that christians are iustified by greasing which they call extreme vnction and by all other Romish sacraments 9 that the Diuell is coniured out by the blasphemous Romish exorcismes 10. that the pope is head and monarch of the Church 11 that it is sinne to eate flesh vpon imbre dayes 12 that the popes decrées are the foundation of the faith and other such like points of popish doctrine 10. If hee be not able really and playnly either to iustifie his owne cause or to disproue ours as he walketh by night himselfe so he may do well to keepe his conceits secret and to talke of them by night rather then by day credit he can winne none by his vaine babling rayling or lying Finally either let him acquit himselfe like a braue fellow or els desist from his odious termes of odious stuffe paued faces desperat dealing treachery legerdermain Pag. 86.87.82 false packing crafty conueyance filthie fardle of fowle lyes and such like And let him not thinke that he shall winne any thing with such courses For nothing can be deuised more odious and desperate then the cause of the wicked préestes of Baal Neither did euer any sect vse more cogging iugling or lewd impostures then the Papistes to conclude this point nothing is more easie theÌ„ to declaime against the Pope and the préestes of Baal and their impostures fraudes vilenyes superstitions trecheries blasphemies and all their abominations I would therefore aduise this paltry fellow to beware that he giue me not iust occasion to take the like course against his consorts I assure him I shall make all the packe of them infamous to posteritie In the second obseruation he saith further that hee will touch one lye of mine and that he saith is knowne to be one both to Spayne and Italy But vnlesse Spayne and Italy doe vnderstand English in which toung I wrote it can hardly be knowne to these two countries vnlesse by Spayne and Italy he vnderstand bastardly and vnnatural rinegat English which are either Italianated or turned Turke or Spanish beside that it must néeds be a strangelye that hath filled two so great contries and not vnlike their phantasticall corpus domini that is really in Spayne and Italy and euery altar as the Papish fansie at one time Let vs therefore heare him tell this wondrous lye and by his testimony the only lye of all my booke set out against these lying and traytorous wardeword Page 84. framed by Robert Parsons He saith that I affirme that Cardinall Allen was in the Spanish armado he should say armada in the yeare 1588 and that I repeat it diuers times and namely as he quoteth in the margent reply p. 61. p. 98. 110. But what if I did not once name the Spanish armada when I talke of Allans comming against his contry was not this lying companion armed with a Vizor of impudency where he talketh of lying to lye so grossely I hope his best frends will not deny it well then let vs sée what my words are that Owlyglasse taketh hold on I say in my reply p. 62. that anno 1588. diuers rinegat English and among the rest Cardinall Allen came with the Spaniardes to fight against their countrie I say againe pag. 98. that Cardinall came with the Spaniardes anno 1588. With fire and sword to destroy this lande In my challenge p. 110. I say cardinall Allen and not so little as a hundred preistes came with the Spanish army And out of these words he gathereth that I say he was in the spanish armada but he was blind that could not sée that there is great difference betwixt an army and an armada that signifieth a fléete betwixt the Spanish forces and the Spanish fléete And a great wonder it is that an hispaniolized english masse préest should no better vnderstand either spanish or English Although then it were true that Cardinall Allen was not in the fléete yet was he to come with the Spanish Armie Neither is there any vntruth in my wordes as appeareth by the testimony of Allen himselfe in his wicked libell to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland where he writeth thus I hope euerie man will beleue Allen himselfe and his owne words before the base fellow our aduersarie that was not priuy to all his treasons Thus much my good Lords and deare friends I haue thought good to forewarne you of the whole cause of these present sacred warres and of his holinesse and Catholike maiesties sincere intention therein both their incomparable affections towards our nation whereof I could giue you farre more comfortable intelligence if I were personally present with you as I trust I shall be verie shortly For that is fully meant by his holinesse and by his maiestie and of me so much desired that euerie short day seemeth a long yeare till I enioy you in our Lord. Note I pray you that by the Popes speciall appointment and the king of Spaines good liking that vnnaturall Cardinal was to come with the Spanish army against his countrey Note also how much this traytor desired this inuasion and howe that he thought euery short day a yeare vntill it was accomplished He saith also that the Pope preferred him to a high function intending to send him as his legat with full commission and commandement to treate and deale from time to time as well with the states of the Realme as with his holinesse and the kings maiestie for the sweeter managing of this godly and great affaire Doe you not sée and is it not plaine by the Cardinals owne confession that this swéete Cardinall was appointed a principall commander in that swéete action wherin he swéetly intended to cut our throates And yet this sowre varlet in sowre termes giueth me the lie for making him one of these inuadors that meant to destroy this our natiue countrey which all honest men of which Owlyglasse is none with all their power ought to defend against such traitors as Allen was But saith Owlyglasse Card. Allen was neuer out of Italy but eyther at Rome or at Grotta Feâ—rata Suppose he were not yet might he be of the party and so farre engaged as I related for the Spanish forces and army was not then drawne togither but part was in the lowe countries and France and no small parts yet remaining in Italy and Spaine And certes if the Cardinal was not come in person to the army yet was he of the army and to come with it as appeareth not onely by his owne wordes but also by the testimony of many others that well knew it and in not comming he was to be taken as a desertor and so to be punished But that he that was in the way towards England and when he heard of the discomfiture of the Spanish fleete turned aside to wéepe at Grotta Ferrata deseruing rather to be strangled as a traytor in Cauea Ferrata then to take the fresh ayre
that wicked city then doth it necessarily fellow that the church of Rome now is not the citie and church of God but rather the malignant church synagogue of Satan adhering to Antichrist and opposite to Christ and his church but that the state of new Rome and of the Romish sect as it adhereth to the pope and is the fountaine and metropolitane citie from whence all idolatry heresie and superstition stoweth is meant by the purple whore Apocalyp 17. and by Babylon Apocalyp 18. diuers arguments may teach vs. first the order of S. Iohns reuelation doth shew it for after that in the 12. chapter and in the beginning of the thirtéenth he had described the state of olde Rome vnder the Romane emperors and foreprophecied the ruine and decay of that empire and the rising of another state out of the ruines of it there is no likehood that he should returne backe againe to describe the flourishing state of that empire in the seuentéenth chapter or that the holy ghost would relate things confusedly or disorderly secondly he representeth vnto vs the decay of old Rome the arising of Antichrist out of the ruines of it in the end of the thirtéenth chapter and therefore whatsoeuer followeth after that chapter the same with good reason may be drawen to Rome after it came to be vnder the pope whose state is wholly built vpon the fall of the empire and can by 〈◊〉 meanes be applied vnto Rome as it was vnder the Romane emperors Thirdly after the destruction of the purple whore and of Babylon the apostle prophesieth of the end of the world and of the last iudgement as if the one were to follow immediately or at the least not long after the other but we sée the Romane empire long since destroied and nothing remaining but a vaine name or title of it and yet the end of the world and last iudgement is not come the ruine of old Rome therefore by the destruction of the whore and of Babylon is not prefigured but rather the destruction of antichrists seat and kingdome Fourthly the beast which saint Iohn saw and vpon which the purple whoore did sit was not then as she should be as he saith non adhuc erat t Apocal. 17. saith he ex abysso ascensura erat but the Romane empire did most flourish in saint Iohns time and therefore that beast must néeds signifie another state and empire which in Rome was to be erected after the Romane empires decay Fiftly those ten kings which are signified by ten hornes Apocalyps 17. did not arise during the time of the old empire of Rome but vpon the decay of the empire and rising of antichrist for we doe not reade that kings did giue their power to the Romane empire nor had that strong empire any néed of their power but we reade that diuers kings haue giuen their power to the papacie and made themselues slaues to make the popes great lords this therefore must néeds be a figure of the papacy and not of the old Romane empire Sixthly we doe read that the kings of the earth committed fornication with the purple whore and may well vnderstand that the purple whore was a figure of one from whom corruption of doctrine and idolatrous worship should be deriued for that is spirituall fornication but from the Romane emperore we cannot vnderstand that any kings receiued any forme of religion or corrupt doctrine or idolatrous worship this therefore must néeds touch the pope and his sée from whence manifolde superstitions idolatries are deriued into all places and not the imperiall state which regarded but little the state of religion Seuenthly the kings of the earth did rather reioice then lament at the destruction of the Romane empire for vpon the ruines thereof they built their own kingdomes and states but diuers kings that are linked with the Pope haue lamented his losses the king of Spaine wept when he heard of the euill successe of English rebels which the pope u Vita de Pio 5. Pius the fift stirred vp hoping by them againe yet once more to recouer footing in England Eightly the purple whore Apocalypse 17. is called the mother of fornications or idolatry which is termed in scripture spirituall fornication this prophecy therefore doeth rather touch the popish idolatry corruption in religion than the ciuill gouernment Ninthly after the empire of Rome began to decay the state of christian religion began to flourish in Rome and therefore that which is said of Rome that it shall after the reuelation of the whore become the habitation of diuels and vncleane spirits cannot be spoken of old Rome after whose decay religion began to flourish but of new Rome vnder the popes which is now become a receptacle of all abominations and filthinesse 10. This Rome that is described Apocalyps 17. shall persecute the saints néere to the end of the world as may be gathered out of saint Iohns reuelation this therefore belongeth to the pope and his bloody inquisitors and not to the old Rome whose persecutions are long since ceased 11. The description of the purple whore and of Babylon doeth best fit the state of Rome vnder the subiection of the pope the great whore is said to sit vpon many waters and to inuegle the kings of the earth with her spirituall fornications she was clad with purple and sclarlet and set out with gold and precious stones she had in her hand a golden cup full of abhominations and in her forhead was written this word mysterium and great Babylon the mother of fornications and abominations of the earth finally it is said she was drunke with the bloud of martyrs Babylon also is called an habitation of diuels and a receptacle of foule spirits and vncleane birds and saint Iohn saith the nations of the earth did drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication and that kings did commit fornication with her and marchants grew rich with trading with her so likewise the pope doeth rule many nations and hath wonne the kings of the earth to like his corrupt and idolatrous doctrine he and his religion also is decked with all precious furniture and nothing séemeth more gallant in externall shew like a woman the pope preuailed by fraud periury and pretence of great mysteries and from him all abominations and corruptions procéeded it is he and no other that for this foure or fiue hundred yeres hath persecuted the saints of God and to him the kings of the earth yéeld their forces and are ready to execute his sentences and excommunications beside that neuer was more vncleannesse nor filthinesse practised by any than by the Romish Sodomiticall and lecherous monks and priests nor was there euer in any place more buying and selling of all things than in the Romish church lastly Arethas and Ambrosius Ansbertus writing vpon the Apocalypse say that new Rome may be vnderstood by Babylon and Petrarch doubteth not in plaine termes to
immunitat in 6. nos iustitiam nostram saith he ecclesiae sponsae nostrae nolentes negligere argument 90 The ancient fathers neuer called the pope vniuersall bishop for n Lib. 4. ep 32. Gregory the first doeth much mislike that title and calleth it sacrilegious and profane and a certeine councell of Africa cited by Gratiam dist 99. c. primaesedis importeth that the bishop of Rome should not be called vniuersall but now euery lousie frier made pope will be called vniuersall bishop and the papists dare not deny him this title argument 91 Ancient Christians neuer called the pope god nor supremum numen in terris but the canonistes doe not sticke to call him and honor him as God as appeareth by the chapter satis dist 96. and by Augustine Steuchus in lib. de donat Constantini and Stapleton in his epistle dedicatory before his booke intituled doctrinalia principia calleth him supremum numen in terris that is the soueraigne god of the world argument 92 In ancient time the church was gouerned by the lawes of councels and Christian emperors as appeareth by the acts of councels and lawes of Iustinians Code it appeareth also that in the time of Charles the great and his sonnes the church was gouerned for externall matters by lawes of princes but now the popes exclude both emperors kings and princes and take on them the sole gouernment of the vniuersall church argument 93 In the councell of Constance it was holden that the councell was aboue the pope the same also appeareth for that diuers popes haue answered and some haue béene deposed by councels but now the papists holde contrary and say that the pope is aboue the councell neither doe they allow any councels to be authenticall but such as are called and confirmed by the pope argument 94 The apostles their successors were subiect to emperors princes and paid tribute vnto them the apostle S. Paul taught all bishops and priests to be subiect to higher powers but now they hold that the pope is aboue all princes and kings whatsoeuer Papa est dominus dominantium saith o In c. ecclesia vt lite pendente Baldus ius regis regum habet in suos subditos and p De pontific Rom. lib. 5. Bellarmine holdeth that the pope hath power to depose kings and to take their crownes from them argument 95 The apostles and their successors in ancient time exhorted subiects to obedience now the popes of late haue exhorted subiects to rebellion as appeareth by their execrable bulles against Henry the 8. king of England and his daughter Elizabeth now reigning against Henry the 3. of France and against diuers emperors argument 96 In ancient time bishops spoke reuerently of kings and princes and in the q C. 83. canons of the apostles the censure of deposition is inflicted vpon such of the clergy as vtter words of reproch against princes but now the popes raile against princes as is euident by their wicked bulles and when railing will not serue by assassins and murdrers hired and aposted they séeke to cut their throates as appeareth by the fact of Iames Clement that murdred Henry the 3. Chastell that assaulted Henry the 4. of France and diuers assassins hired to kill our noble Quéene argument 97 Before Gregory the firsts time the popes made no bishops either in England or France or Germany or Afrike or Asia but al nations and prouinces were frée from his vsurpations neither did any bishops sweare fealty to the pope but now all this is quite changed and the pope claimeth a generall power to ordeine bishops ouer the world and maketh them r C. ego N. de iurtiurando sweare fealty vnto him as to their souereigne argument 98 In S. Cyprians and Augustines time the bishops of Afrike would suffer no appeales to be made to Rome now Bellar. disputeth that it is a point of the popes right to heare appeales out of all the world argument 99 Now also the papists make the pope supreme iudge in all causes and controuersies of faith but the ancient church nâ—uer imagined that such matters could be decided without a councell argument 100 The pope now Å¿ C. vnam extr de maior obed challengeth both swords but our Sauior Christ taught that his kingdome was not of this world and the apostle Paul said that the weapons of his warfare were not carnall The ancient bishops of Rome certes neuer vsed swords nor souldiers but sincerely taught the Gospel argument 101 Vntill Boniface the ninth his time the city of Rome was either vnder the emperors or vnder her owne magistrates as Å¿ Lib. 2. de schism Theodoric à Niem testifieth is it not then strange that the emperor will suffer his imperiall state and empire to be holden from him which is so lately vsurped and by fraud intercepted by the pope argument 102 It is not long since the pope began to weare a triple crown and to be borne on mens shoulders and to tread on princes necks and to make others to kisse his pantofle Let Robert Parsons shew that this was done before Gregory the seuenth and Celestine the third argument 103 Neither is it many hundred yéeres since the pope challenged annates and tooke money of archbishops for their palles argument 104 The popes prouisions reseruations translations and other extraordinary dispensations were vnheard of in the ancient church argument 105 Finally whether we respect the foundations of popish religion or the doctrine of the Law and Gospel or the doctrine and ceremonies concerning sacraments praiers and the worship of God or the gouernment and lawes of the popes chamber chancery and consistory we may boldly say that so much as we reiect in this church is nothing els but a packe of nouelties CHAP. III. That the papists are no true catholikes nor holde the catholike faith if they beleeue the popes decretals and his schoole diuinitie IF false teachers as they secretly broch erronious doctrine so would openly manifest their malicious and wicked natures we should not néed so watchfully to looke to their procéedings nor so earnestly to exhort all Christians to beware of their deceits and entisements but séeing like wolues in shéeps clothing they come abroad with the names of catholiks and catholike religion and abuse simple people I thinke it very necessary to take this maske from their false visages and to shew that they are woluish papists and not Christes shéepe or true catholiks the which that we may with all plainnesse and sincerity performe we will first declare what is meant by the catholike church which we professe in our Creed and next what is the catholike faith which euery Christian is to embrace and with all constancy to mainteine The catholike church therefore is the vniuersall societie of Gods saints and it comprehendeth all the faithfull from the beginning vnto the end of the world This catholike church saith S. a In Psal 56. Augustine is
most lawfull e Theodorick Niem lib. 2. de schismae 36. Vrbane the sixth vpon pretence of a conspiracy against himselfe put diuers of his cardinals to death and proceeded with all rigour against such as were but a little suspected of practising against him neither did his aduersarie Clement vse a milder course against such as were taken practising against his faction f Iouio in vita de Leon. 10. Leo the tenth spared not Cardinall Petrucci but put him to death most cruelly for vttering some words tending to the alteration of the state of Siena although that city was no part of his dominions but onely recommended vnto him finally Clement the fift by the aide of the French king abolished the whole order of the Templars and of late the whole order of the Humiliati was suppressed and dissolued and diuers of them executed to death for a practise against the state of the Romish church and shall the Romish church and her agents be suffered without punnishment to practise against this state or can any reasonable or indifferent man iustly finde fault with the execution of such persons as haue bene taken practising the very aduersaries I thinke albeit very bold yet will not be so impudent to affirme it for hetherto their pleading hath bene that the massepriests and other Romanists are cleare from such practises Let vs sée therefore whether they speake truly or no. and albeit we should greatly wrong the state if we should dispute this point as a matter doubtfull yet let vs I say briefely touch it for satisfaction of the ignorant especially such as are strangers and vnacquainted with the triall of such priests friers and other the popes agents as haue bene executed in England as offending in cases of treason I say then that no one priest Iesuit or other papist in England hath beene executed for treason but he hath bene found guilty of practising against her Maiestie and the state or at the least aiding and assisting and intertaining of such practisers and seditious persons and that diuers of them haue either stood armed against the state in open rebellion or else ioined with the rebells and assisted them to their vttermost power and meanes and this appeareth first by faculties granted to Thomas Harding about the yeere 1567. for the reconciliation of the people to the pope and for the disturning of them from their obedience to the Prince for whatsoeuer the pretence was the end was sedition and rebellion he being appointed for nothing else but to be a forerunner of that filthy friers Impius Quintus his excommunication against the Queene secondly it is proued by the rebellion in the north anno 1569. which was stirred vp by one Nicholas Morton and other seditious priests thirdly by the rebellion and treason of the duke of Norfolke stirred vp by the pope as appeareth by the report of Hierome Catena in the life of Pius Quintus fourthly by the erection of two seminaries of treason the one erected at Doway anno 1569. and another at Rome anno 1579. or thereabout which were receptacles of such scattered and lost priests as had bene in rebellion and open schooles to teach treason to malcontent papists fiftly by the rebellion of the earle of Desmond in Ireland raised by the solicitation of Sanders the popes legat and set forward by diuers seditious priests and friers and other malcontents sixthly by the faculties of Parsons and Campian and their companions which came to make a way for the execution of the Popes bull seuenthly by the iudgement of Sanders and Bristow who commend these rebels and put them into the catalogue of martyrs Sanders in his 7. booke of his visible monarchy saith that the purpose of the earles of Westmerland and Northumberland and their followers in the northren rebellion was to bee praised albeit they had no succcesse nobilium illorum laudanda erant consilia he doth also call the rebellion pium institutum fidei confessionem that is a godly and deuout resolution and a plaine confession of the Romish faith neither doeth hée esteeme of them that were executed for that rebellion otherwise then of holy martyrs Bristow likewise in his fiftéenth motiue putteth the earle of Northumberland the two Nortons and two massing priestes called Woodhouse and Plomptree and others that were executed as principall actors in that rebellion in the catalogue of martyrs for now the pope doeth account rebellion for his cause good religion and celebrateth the memory of traitors for martyrs an eight argument is ministred vnto vs by the most scandalous and traitorous libell set out by Allen and printed not without the helpe of Parsons they say and other English traitors wherein they by all the meanes they can deuise doe exhort her Maiesties subiects in England and Ireland to take armes against her to seaze vpon her person and to deliuer her into the hands of her enemies they endeuour also to perswade them to forsake their allegeance and to ioine with forreine enemies The 9. argument may be drawne from the practise of Charles Paget with the earle of Northumberland anno domini 1583. that by all meanes solicited him to reuolt and to ioine with the French against the State The 10. is ministred vnto vs by the treacherous plot of Parsons and Hesket to draw in Ferdinand the late earle of Darby into action The 11. is grounded vpon the insurrection of Tyrone and the rest of that rascall rout stirred vp by Monford a priest yet lurking in England and diuers other seditious agents of the pope The last is that dangerous attempt of the late earle of Essexe which maketh my heart to bléed in respect of some priuate causes as oft as I remember it and moueth many to woonder that he should be made an instrument by these firebrands of sedition to set vp that religion which I thinke he neuer loued and my arguments are prooued good for that no one of those that haue béene executed for the popes cause can be named but either he was an agent in some of these practises or allowed them or were priuy vnto them nay I doe beléeue that if the question were asked of any Iesuit or Iesuited priest or any of their adherents he would not disallow the popes act or the acts of his agents in stirring vp rebellion in England and Ireland especially for matter of religion what others would doe I know not but hitherto we finde that they speake honorably of Card. Allen as of their foster father yet was he the most notorious and seditious traitor that euer this land bred Robert Parsons onely excepted that Parsons and Campian knew of a rebellion or change intended it is apparent by their petition to the pope wherein they doe onely prouide for their consorts rebus sic stantibus that is so long as the state of things did continue in termes as then it stood a certeine g Quod lib. 9. art 10. secular priest affirmeth that no
papist which he falsly calleth catholike ought to send his children into seminaries abroad and his reason is good for that their heads be filled with trecheries and aequiuocations dissimulation hypocrisie and all falshood sufficient witnesses and confessions of diuers that haue forsaken those nestes of treason declare that the youthes there are mainteined for no other end then to mooue sedition in England and we may well thinke that neither the pope nor Spaniard would be at the cost they are for their maintenance vnlesse they hoped by their agencie to be recompenced againe ten fold whatsoeuer their intent was certeine it is that in the seminaries nothing is more commonly talked of then how to set vp a partie against the state how to trouble her Maiestie or some such like matter and albeit the gouernours doe not acquaint the schollars with particulars yet when any mischiefe is intended against vs then the schollars are willed to say Pater noster or aue Maria for furthering of some good intention as they call it of the Rector of the colledge finally whatsoeuer the priests say or sweare concerning practises of rebellion yet vnlesse they will forsweare the pope they must néeds be rebels and stirre vp rebellion as oft as he listeth for the h Pius the fift his Bull. pope doth excommunicate al those that will not rise vp in armes against her Maiestie and who knoweth not that they will rather venture to breake their necks then loose their soules that they suppose to depend on the popes curses this argument therfore followeth necessarily if a true papist then is he a false hearted subiect for otherwise the pope by his bull hath excommunicated him as well as all other subiects and the same shall vndoubtedly be in force ere it belong if these good fellowes be not tied shorter or if the calues of such bulles be not surely kept vp argument 3 Thirdly it is treason to attempt against the life and person of the prince and euer hath béene so accounted by lawes of all nations among the Romanes it was so hainous that the offender being dead yet the offence was enquired of and punished by confiscation of his goods meminisse oportebit saith i Cod. ad legem Iuliā maiestatis l. meminisse Paulus the lawier si quid contra imperatoris maiestatem commissum dicatur etiam post rei mortem id crimen instaurari solere by the ancient lawes of England it hath alwaies béene adiudged high treason to compasse or imagine the death of the kings or Queenes of this realme as appeareth by the old statute of the 25. of Edward the third c. 2. it is likewise so iudged by the lawes of Spaine reported in a booke called Fuero real tit de la guarda del rey in France it is déemed the highest and chiefest point of high treason to attempt against the life of the prince Bodin in his second booke de la republique c. 5. reporteth how a certeine gentleman in his confession to a priest declaring that once he had an intention to kill the king albeit he neuer did attempt to doe it and was then most sorie that euer he did thinke vpon such a matter was notwithstanding executed to death for his very imagination Peter Barriere was likewise executed at Melun for that being perswaded by one Varade a Iesuite and others that it was an act meritorious to kill the king that now reigneth he did conceiue in his minde a resolution to doe it neither did any papist thinke that he had any wrong in it Ghineard likewise a Iesuite was hanged in Paris for declaring by writing that it was lawfull to kill kings excommunicate by the pope and for oppugning their title for the same cause also and for that they sauored of this trecherous doctrine and were not vnacquainted with the assassinate of Chastell that ment to haue murdred k. Henry the fourth that now reigneth in France all the Iesuits were expulsed by an arrest of parliament out of France albeit the same is not so throughly executed as were to be wished Vrbane the 6. with exquisite torments killed all that were any way to be suspected for conspiring against him Iohn the 22. caused the bishop of Cahors to be skinned aliue and to be slaine with great torments vpon suspicion of a conspiracy made against him omnibus cruciatibus saith k In Iohn 23. Platina coegit vitam cum morte commutare quod in Pontificem coniurasset l In Alexandro 6. Alexander the sixth vsed to put men to death most cruelly for euery word spoken against him as Onuphrius testifieth and this is the resolution of all lawiers they commit treason saith Socinus the yoonger lib. 3. consil 105. which make a practise against the person of their lord and prince and with him agréeth Alciat consil 456. they are also guilty of the same crime which doe consult or practise against the state of the prince or common-wealth as saith Baldus consil 58. seq lib. 1. and Alexander consil 13. lib. 6. and Iason consil 86. lib. 3. Let vs then sée whether those Iesuits and priests that either haue béene executed for treason or else are yet aliue and to be executed if they repent not and flie to the Quéenes mercy be not guilty of this point of treason also and whether their adherents and supporters may not iustly be touched for supporting them first it is apparent that Pius the fift in his execrable bull against her Maiestie doeth excommunicate all such as will not take armes for the execution of his sentence and the actuall deposing of the Quéene but neither can any such thing be executed without violence offered to her person nor may we imagine that the masse priests and their consorts were sent for any other purpose into England then for the execution of the bull m Lib. de schism Theodorike a Niem speaking of a like sentence of a pope denounced against a king of his time doeth signifie that such sentences are not executed without many calamities and great troubles secondly the earles of Westmerland and Northumberland and their adherents the rebels anno 1569. did not entend other matter than the destruction of her Maiesties person as many therefore as either were actors in that rebellion or els approoued the same as did Sanders in his booke of his pretended visible monarchy and all Iesuits and Iesuited papists doe very boldely are guilty in this point of treason Bristow in his Motiues doth no otherwise account of those that were executed for this rebellion then of holy martyrs neither can any priest or papist notwithstanding all their pretenses mislike that rebellion vnlesse in opinion they contradict Bellarmine and other Romish doctors and absolutely condemne the popes sentence that hath so oftentimes bene published which I doubt whether any will doe or no. In Ireland certes we doe not finde any priest that is not consorted with the rebells and that publickely doth not defend their
cause how is it then possible that either they should draw their swords against her Maiestie or allow them that do it and not be guilty of attempting against her person Thirdly Holt the Iesuit Worthington and other priests perswaded first a certeine Irish man called Patricke Collen afterward one Yorke Williams to murder her Maiestie and this the secular priests in Holt his consorts in a certeine treatise intitled important considerations n Pag. 33. doe confesse to be true they do also o Ibidem coÌ„fesse that Edmund Squire was drawen by the perswasion of Walpoole a Iesuite to a like vilanous attempt against her Maiesties owne person Parsons in his Wardword likewise confesseth that he was acquainted with the resolution of a certaine gentelman as he calleth him that came ouer to kill the Queene neither néed we to make any question but that diuers priests and Iesuits and others either p One Bifley a priest confessed that it was lawfull to kill the Queene being excommunicate by the pope and denied not that he himselfe would doe the act if he could his confession is extant to be seene allowed or were acquainted with the most execrable treasons of Parry Sauage Lopez Squire Babington and such like vnnaturall monsters that attempted and intended most cruelly to murder empoison and destroy their liege Souereigne the rest they are scholars and agents of the pope and his wicked consistory and of Parsons and other Iesuits and traitorous priests and combined with them and therefore guiltie as farre as the others in this point of treason Allen in his wicked letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland declareth that there were diuers English priests in the Spanish army ready to serue euery mans spirituall necessitie by confession counsell and all consolation in Christ Iesus and the same is confessed also in diuers treatises set out by secular priests but how could they be in the army of publike enemies and not attempt against her Maiesties person if occasion serued or how can any allow or like of such fellowes or such attempts that wish not the destruction of her Maiesty fourthly cardinall Allen in his most slandrous libel directed to the nobility and people of England and Ireland doth by all his best retoricke endeuour to perswade all papists to take armes against her Maiesty to lay hands on her and to deliuer her into the hands of her enemies but what priest or papist in England did not much depend on him while he liued nay most of them were his scholars and the rest conuersed with him and receiued diuers letters and instructions from him fiftly it is confessed that diuers priests now in England were either in the Spanish army or in their ships or appointed to follow the army anno 1588. and that diuers others were put aboord the Adelantadoes ships that came for Falmouth anno 1597. and 1598. If then they came with forren enemies and were in their troupes it is no question but they meant to attempt against her Maiesties person it is also apparent that all their receiters and abetters and such also as allow their act and this opinion are likewise guiltie of this point of treason Finally in a certeine house where Dauid Engleby a traitourous priest was taken these q They are to be seene in the memorials of the councell of Yorke resolutions were also found that it is lawfull for papists to take armes against the Queene and further that they might doe with her person whatsoeuer pleased them they also resolue in flat termes that it is lawfull to kill the Queene but say the priests as matters now stand it is best not so much as once to speake of that matter so then all that are not blinde may sée the malice of this generation and no question but their followers in their superstitious opinions would not be farre behinde them in their leud and trecherous actions if occasion were offered neither can they otherwise do when the pope vpon whom they build their faith doth r Bulla Pij 5. aduersus Elizabetham excommunicate all that will not fight against the Queene argument 4 Fourthly it is treason in danger of forren inuasion or elâ— in the midst of the battell to forsake the prince or not to defend or mainteine his right Å¿ Liâ—ij lib. 1. decad 1. Metius Suffetius standing aloofe when Romulus encountred the enemy was seased vpon as a traitor and drawen in pieces with horses By the lawes of fees hée that forsaketh his lord in the battell t Lib 2. de feudis de caufis benefic amittendi as a traitor is depriued of his lands qui dominum suum saith the law cum quo ad praelium iuerit in acie periclitantem dimiserit beneficio se indignum indicauit Likewise it is adiudged treason not to declare any harme intended against our lord By the common lawes of England also and lawes of nations it hath béene alwaies accounted treason not only to oppugne the right of the king but also being required not to acknowledge it Suppose then all priests and papists were not actors either in opâ—n rebellions or in attempts made by forren enemies yet all of them denying the Quéenes authority being excommunicat by the pope and that refuse to acknowledge her lawfull title or to take her part against the pope who is now become an enemy and an inuader consorted with the Spaniard are notorious traitors But this is the case of the best of those that haue died for the popes cause Campian and his consorts being demanded whether they tooke the Queene to be lawfull Queene notwithstanding the popes sentence of excommunication and likewise whether Sanders and Bristow that mainteined the popes authoritie and the Queenes deposition to be lawfull was sound or not refused to answere directly and neither would they acknowledge her Maiesty to be their lawfull Queene nor promise to take her part if occasion serued nor would they condemne the popes fact nor disallow the traitorous doctrine of Sanders and Bristow and I do beléeue if our recusants in England were put to the question they would either accord with the priests or make very doubtfull answeres for the Queenes authority in ecclesiasticall causes they vtterly condemne and from the pope that is our enemy and hath displaied his banner iâ— open field against her Maiesty they will not be drawen Sherwin and some others did so answere as euery man might iudge that they meane to the vttermost of their power to defend the popes cause and to oppugne her Maiesties authority In Ireland we finde that papists are the men that vphold the rebellion and that serue her Maiesty very coldly though sometime enterteined in her seruice Were it then nothing els but this that the masse priests and their adherents refuse to acknowledge her Maiesties title and to serue her against forren enemies yet is that sufficient to shew them to be traitors
the Queene and her subiects alwaies but not the papists while matters stand in termes as now they doe but then onely when the bull may be put in execution so it appeareth by the facultie granted to Parsons and Campian that papists are a faction adhering to the pope resoluing to execute his bull assoone as they shal be able fiftly it cannot be denied but that such priests as came with the Spanish forces by sea or land either ann 1588. or ann 1597. or at any other time or that came with the popes or spanish forces into Ireland doe adhere to forrein enemies but of this sort there are diuers as may be prooued by the secular priests confessions in seuerall treatises and by the libell of cardinall Allen that Italienated traitor and alienated fugitiue that signifieth so much Parsons also is charged to haue thrust diuers English priests aboord the Adelantadoes ships being more then halfe forced to come against their country neither doe the rest of the priests and their adherents cease to conuerse with these secret traitors and to interteine them and to hide them sixtly b Deschism l. 3. Sanders doeth testifie that the schollars of the seminary at Doway are protected and maintained by king Philip the same king also caused other seminaries of English schollars to be erected in Spaine which no man doubteth but they adhere to the Spanish king so likewise the Romish seminaries and their schollars adhere to the pope for they take an oth and sweare to the pope and those of Spaine to the Spaniard as is testified by Nauarrus consil lib. 3. de regular consil 1. and Ribadineira de schism part 3. c. 21. seuenthly those that sweare to mainteine the Infantaes title to the crowne of England set downe by Robart Parsons a notorious traitor to the crowne of England must néeds adhere to the Spaniard but that is the case of all the English priests that are now vnder the Iesuits gouernment as appeareth by the testimonie of diuers treatises set out by the secular priests against the Iesuites and by Charles Pagets booke against Parsons the matter also is very euident and notorious to all that know the orders of the English seminaries of traitors fostered in Spaine 8. the Iesuits and their schollars are linked to the pope and spaniard to the pope swearing to goe whether he will send them to the Spaniard for his liberality toward them and for that he is ready alwaies to execute their trecherous deuises 9. diuers fugitiue English are the Spaniards and popes pentioners and sworne seruants 10. the archpriest and his adherents as they are enemies of the state and therefore hide their heads so are they dependents on the pope and Spaniard and professe themselues their clients finally you shall hardly finde either masse-priest or sound papist that will renounce the pope and take an oth to serue the Quéene either against the pope or Spaniard and if any do so they performe their seruice very slackly which if any doe endeuour to excuse because they take the pope to be Peters successor and the Spaniard to séeke nothing but to establish popish religion in England they shew themselues to be ignorant both of religion and matters of state for Peters successors of which number the pope is none haue a commission onely to féed Christes shéepe and not to cut their throtes c Important considerations p. 25. and the Spanish generall anno 1588. said openly that if he once came into England both catholikes and heretikes should be one to him so he might make way for his master and his reason was for that his sword could not discerne betweene them wherefore as the pope and Spaniard are professed enemies to her Maiestie and this state so all that adhere vnto them or fauour them and depend vpon them are traitors to their prince and countrey argument 6 It is also treason to send letters to enemies or rebells or to helpe them with aduise counsell or intelligence Maiestatis crimine tenetur saith d L. 1. ff ad l. Iuliam maicstatis Vlpian qui hostibus populi Rom. nuntium literásue miserit signúmue dederit feceritúe dolo malo quo hostes populi Rom. consilio inuentur aduersus remp the same is also adiudged treason both by Spanish French and the Popes lawes as English traitors if they should be taken writing or aduising the enemies to the Pope or Spaniard or french king should well know but the archpriest and his adherents both send letters and giue aduise to the Pope and Spaniard the best they can they doe also write to Irish and English rebels neither is there any almost of the Iesuited faction but he writeth to Parsons a notorious traitor and Allen while he liued was made acquainted by these fellowes of whatsoeuer passed in England either publickely or priuatly argument 7 Neither can any subiect cleare himselfe of treason that shall receiue letters or directions from forrain enemies as both lawes ciuill and martiall doe teach vs. in what case then is the archpriest Blackewell and his assistants and whole faction that continually receiue letters directions briefs and other instructions from forrain enemies and if these fellowes be so farre engaged in treason then are they not cleare that shall hide them and conceale them and maintaine them argument 8 By the common lawes of England it is treason not onely to take the crowne from the king or Quéene but also to séeke to dispossesse the right heire of his right or to translate the crowne to such as haue no right it is also a great wrong offered to the lawes and state to endeuour by supposed titles to defeat the intent of the law and to ouerthrow the fundamentall lawes of states is it not then to be wondred that no greater poursuit is made after Robert Parsons and the priests that come out of the seminaries of Rome and Spaine who either by oth or promise stand ingaged to promote I know not whether I should call it a title or a dreame of Parsons concerning a title by him cast vpon the Infanta of Spaine to the crowne of England The e Prooued by the treatises of secular priests same man also not long since offered the crowne to the duke of Parma and others neither wanteth he a number to consort with him especially of those that fauour the spaniard argument 9 Neither is it lesse then treason to forsake a mans country and contrary to the princes lawes and commaundement to runne to forrein enemies Paulus the lawyer doth account of such no otherwise then as of enemies Qui malo consilio saith f L. post liminium §. transfugae ff de Captiu postliâ—… he proditoris animo patriam dereliquit hostium numero habendus est neither do I suppose that either the Pope or Spaniard or any prince in the world doth otherwise account of their rinegued fugitiues theÌ„ of traitors which may in part also appeare by the
seuerity of the punnishment by law inflicted vpon such persons transfugae ad hostes saith the g L. si quis §. transfugae ff de paenis law aut viui exurantur aut furca suspendantur by this law it appeareth that our rinegued english Iesuits and priests haue great fauour that hitherto haue escaped the penalty of the law that adiudgeth men in their cases woorthy of such grieuous punnishment and certes séeing our aduersaries thinke it lawfull to burne men for transgressing the vaine traditions of men as for example for reading of an english testament for eating flesh in lent and such like they cannot say but such as seeke the destruction of their country and runne to forrain enemies deserue with all seuerity to be punnished that our masse-priests haue forsaken their countrey to flie to the enemies it cannot be denied nay in the cases of conscience resolued by Allen and Parsons cap. 1. cas 1. cap. 3. they are taught by prety equiuocations to deny their country argument 10 The Roman lawes adiudge him a traitor which fraudulently enforceth a man to to take an oth to doe an act against the state h L. cuiusque ff ad l. Iuliam maiest cuius dolo malo saith Sceuola iureiurando quis adactus est quo aduersus remp faciat likewise i L. quisquis c. ad legem Iuliam maiestatis Arcadius and Honorius pronounce him a traitor qui scelestam cum militibus vel priuatis vel barbaris inierit factionem aut factionis eius sacramentum susceperit vel dederit that is which shall enter into a wicked faction with soldiers with priuate men or barbarous nations or shall either giue or take an othe to maintaine that faction the Romans did therefore call conspirators Coniuratos because those that entended treason against the state did binde themselues one to another by an oth not onely to kéepe matters secret but also to prosecute the intended treason with effect If then the Iebusits and seminary men take an oth to their superior of blinde obedience as they call it to the Pope that they shall goe whether he will send them to the Spaniard to serue him faithfully to Robert Parsons to maintaine the title of the Infanta of Spaine how can they excuse themselues from treason in this point if they deny that they take such othe not onely their owne conscience but also the testimony of Nauarrus consil lib. 3. de regularib cons 1. and Ribadineira lib. 3. de schism c. 21. and the confession of diuers seculer priests in diuers treatises published against the Iesuits and their faction will plainly conuince them argument 11 Likewise as in warre enemies are discerned from friends by the word and some priuy note so traitors in ciuill dissention are knowen from true subiects by this that those haue their words and notes of faction whereby one of them knoweth another and as in warres those are taken for enemies that cary the enemies signal so in ciuill gouernment those are vndoubtedly traitors and enemies that are marked with the priuy signes of traitors and enemies the papists therefore that carie about with them their agnus dei their graines their consecrated beades and such other trash and are shorne and greased for the popes shéepe and Spanish seruants are vndoubtedly by all reason to be taken for traitors And if any reply that it is a ridiculous and strange law that men should be reputed traitors for bringing in or hauing the popes bulles and an agnus dei and blessed graines medalles and such toies it may be answered that not to haue these things simply is treason but to haue them as markes of faction and signes to discerne the heard of anthichrist from others and that doe the papists well know Allen also and Parsons in their hellish resolutions of cases of conscience affirme that such medalles and graines binde men in deuotion to the popes see which they call apostolike haec grana metalla benedicta say k Resolut c. 1. cas 2. they multum conferre possunt ad afficiendos populos erga apostolicam sedem againe to be shorne a priest and greased after the popish maner in it selfe is not so much treason as superstition and false religion but when it is knowen that such greased goates are signed for the popes and Spaniards agents in England to set forward the Spanish inuasion or the Popes cause he is very simple that doeth not vnderstand him to be a traitor whose pole is shorne by the pope and his faction and who carieth with him the marks of the Spanish faction argument 12 It is treason also to conspire the death and destruction of principall men about the prince that are his principall agents in the gouernment of the state and this is not only according to the lawes of England but also according to the Romane lawes l L. quisquis Cod. ad l. Iuliam maiestatis Arcadius and Honorius pronounce them guiltie of treason which shal by faction attempt to murder their principal counsellors or officers and the reason is for that they in doing iustice are but the princes lieutenants and doe nothing but his commandement in this point therefore the Iesuites and priests are no lesse guilty then in the rest the pope he excommunicateth not onely the Quéene but all that doe adhere vnto her and doe her seruice being therefore to execute the popes bull as calues begotten by the bull of Bashan the pope the priests and Iesuites must néeds séeke first the destruction of these principall men then of the rest furthermore we are giuen to vnderstand that one principall point of Parsons and other Iesuites consultations is how to procure certeine principall men to be either made away or disgraced in the meane while being not able to doe worse Parsons and Creswell vnder the title of Andreas Philopater and others haue set out most vilanous libels against her Maiesties principall counsellers officers and agents argument 13 It is also treason to betray her Maiesties armie or any part of her forces into her enemies hands or for a captaine or soldier to yéeld vp any towne deliuered vnto him to kéepe héerein therefore Stanley and Yorke and their followers shewed themselues to be notable traitors to deliuer vp Deuenter and their soldiers into the Quéenes enemies hands Allen also and all his schollars and followers that allowed that fact shewed themselues to be traitors in applauding to their disloialty and wickednesse argument 14 The latter Romane m Extr. feud c. qui sunt rebaelles emperors doe declare them to be rebels and disloiall traitors which either openly or conuertly doe the works of rebels or practise against the prosperity of the state in this case therefore are they that either oppugne or deny the princes right and title or else aduance the right of forrain potentates to dispose of the crowne or els which practise against the person of their soueraigne lord as saith Socinus the yonger lib.
3. consil 105. and Alciat consil 456. or that shall conspire against the state of the prince or common welth as may be proued by the testimony of Baldus consil 58. sequent and Alexander consil 13. lib. 6. and Iason consil 86. lib. 3. or that shall make peace or contract friendship with the princes enemies as saith Decius consil 604. 605. or finally that shall doe any act preiudiciall to the prince or state especially if they be subiects and bound by their naturall allegeance to the prince and state all which points doe nearely touch Robert Parsons Creswel Walpoole and other rectors and scholars of the english seminaries a broad the archpriest Blackewell his adherents and al massepriests and pensioners of the Pope and Spaniard both abroad and at home all that intertaine intelligence with traitors and any way releiue them and finally all factious malcontents that are offended with the present state or present gouernors and practise or endeuour to worke innouation in the gouernment and as for Parsons Creswel Garnet and other Iebusits and cananites that are archplotters of treasons against the prince and state there is no question to be made but they are traitors the n In the epistle before the treatise of important considerations secular priests charge Parsons Creswel Garnet and Blackwell to be wicked members and shew that they haue sought to bring in forrain enemies into England to the ouerthrow not onely of many noble families but also of the whole state The author of the Quodlibets quodlib 8. art 10. confesseth that the English seminaries beyond the seas are greatly degenerated from their primitiue foundation and that now the heads of the scholars are filled with treacheries aequiuocations dissimulation hypocrisie and all kinde of falshood and that now priests in their missions are bound to take an oth for the setting foorth the Spanish Infantaes title but if he had said nothing thereof yet we vnderstand that the seminaries beyond the sea are nothing els but dennes wherein yoong traitors are fostered vp for the restoring of the popes tyranny and the furthering of the Spanish inuasion therein also for many yéeres no other consultations haue béene more rife than how to bring her Maiestie to destruction or to raise a rebellion or to worke some hurt to the state or to some principall gouernors thereof As for the archpriest and his faction wherein I comprehend the prouinciall Garnet and other viperous Iesuites it is méere simplicitie not to vnderstand that they are still working against the prince and state and haue wholly deuoted themselues bodie and soule to serue the Pope and Spaniard To the pope they complaine and from him they receiue not only authoritie and direction but commissions also and faculties grants to sell licences for eating white meat dispensations in diuers cases and to traffike for beads graines and other such like merchandise of Babylon O simple papists that suffer your selues to be abused with these montebanks charlatanes impostors and cousening merchants O vnwise people that prefer these toies and this most vaine trash and other tricks of popish superstition before true religion before your allegiance to your prince and your loue to your countrey and as if you were bewitched run your selues headlong into danger for loue of those vaine toies to ioine with enemies that hate your countrey and care not a straw for you if they may obteine their owne wicked purposes All those likewise that enterteine intelligence with Parsons and such like traitors or with rebels or ioine in any practise to further forren enemies or to hurt the state which are many abroad and at home both priests and others can not cleere themselues of treason Finally whosoeuer is a true papist and according to Bellarmines o Lib. de ecclesia militant c. 2. definition liueth in subiection to the pope must needs be a false traitor to her Maiestie and this countrey as the case now standeth for if euery papist be bound to obey the popes sentence and to hold them excommunicate and deposed whom the pope shall excommunicate and depose as most papists teach and none dare deny that beléeueth the popes power and authoritie then if the Pope haue excommunicated and deposed her Maiestie they are bound to hold her excommunicate and deposed and to concurre with him and his wicked agents as oft as he will command and charge them to make ready for the execution of his sentence Againe if as Allen a notorious traitor in the iustification of Stanley teacheth euery papist in all warres which may happen for religion is bound in conscience to employ his peâ—son and forces by the popes direction viz. how far when and where either at home or abroad he shal be directed then is euery papist bound to be a rebell and traitor as oft as the pope pleaseth and commandeth and this sequele the secular priests also confesse in their p Pag. 24. treatise of important considerations to be good and acknowledge that this is Allens doctrine contrariwise if so be a man do not regard the popes sentence excommunication and direction then he is no papist neither may he euer looke for the popes blessing argument 15 Finally it is treason not onely to practise against the prince and state but also to abet to mainteine to aide to relieue or conceale such practisers and traitors By the common lawes of England all that are accessaries in cases of treason are punished as principals likewise the Romane lawes punished not only the principall actors in treason and rebellion but also their abetters counsellers and aiders as lawyers teach in their commentaries in l. proximum l. cuiusque and l. maiestatis ad l. Iuliam maiestatis the same also may be gathered out of the text of the law Finally this is vsuall in all crimes as both the q L. 16. qui epem ff de furto ibid. dd ciuill and r 11. q 3. c. qui consentit extr de homicidio c. ficut dignum canon lawes doe teach vs. but few papists of any note can be found in England but they haue either consulted with traitorous priests and Iesuites or relieued them or receited them or had intelligence with them let them therefore thanke God for the fauor which this state bestoweth on them without all desert of theirs and beware hereafter that they send no reliefe to seminaries abroad nor receit such traitors at home nor haue any dealing with such as are knowen to depend vpon forren enemies The state hath had excéeding patience in their behalfe hitherto but euen most patient persons by continuall prouocations may be vrged to change their course Å¿ Cicero de legibus lib. 3. Salus populi suprema lex est the safetie of the state is a matter aboue all others to be regarded t L. lex ff de legibus the law also without punishment of offenders is dead Lex saith Papinian est delictorum quae sponte vel
ignorantia contrahuntur coercitio u Ibidem l. legis virtus Modestinus teacheth vs that the life and efficacy of the law consisteth in commanding forbidding permitting and punishing take away execution and punishment and you not only ouerthrow the law but the state also Now if any offence deserue punishment then sure traitors may not thinke to escape that séeke to dissolue both lawes and state Treason saith x Rerum Graec. lib. 2. Xenophon is so much more dangerous by how much it is more difficult to take heed of traitors than of enemies with our enemies we may be reconciled but traitors are neuer to be trusted the offence being so great many extraordinary courses are taken in the repressing of treasons In hoc atrocissimo delicto saith a certeine y Clarus sententiar lib. 5. §. laesae maiest lawyer lex nonnulla specialia introduxit and commonly such persons are most hatefull I haue learned saith z In prometheo Aeschylus to hate traitors neither is any villany more hatefull than treason Traitors are common enemies to all men that loue the state or their liege Souereigne Omnium communis est hostis saith a Lib. 1. accusat in Verrem Tully qui hostis est suorum Who then would not hate them that wickedly consort themselues with the Pope and Spaniard against the state The prince hath principall reason to represse this faction for she carieth not the sword for nothing and if she should neglect the danger in regard of her owne particular yet will shée not neglect their safetie whose estate dependeth so much vpon the saftie of her person further she hath little cause giuen her to extend her clemency to this viperous generation and their adherents that shew extreme malice in séeking the destruction of her kingdome by bringing in forren enemies they haue also slandered her Maiesties noble father herselfe her friends her seruants and the whole state as appeareth by Sanders his booke of schisme by Andreas Philopater Didimus Veridicus and diuers other infamous libels set out by Parsons and other wicked Iesuites Finally no prince can endure such to haue the benefit of subiects that will neither acknowledge his souereignty nor submit themselues to lawes The ecclesiasticall state may not endure either Baals priests to set vp idolatry or false teachers to broch false doctrine and priuily to bring in superstition and heresie Her Maiesties councell assuredly will not winke at any practise or complot against their prince and country but with all seuerity will procéede against the authors of them and all their factious partakers The chiefe officers and nobility of the relme haue no reason to beare with them which by alteration of state séeke to depriue them of their honors and to dispose of their lands and goods at their pleasure neither is it the part of a generous and noble english minde to suffer themselues to be disgraced and ouerruled if not tirannized by Parsons his councell of reformation by Italians and Spaniards and the very scumme of all villany The reuerend iudges will neuer suffer such to escape vnpunished as séeke the subuersion of iustice neither may lawiers endure those that goe about to ouerthrow their countrey lawes and to bring in strange lawes and to rule all by force and violence as may appeare by Parsons trecherous plots and his most infamous councell of reformation All true subiects I suppose will rather die then suffer the tyranny of strangers and therefore I néed not animate either her Maiestie or the ecclesiasticall state or her councell or her chiefe agents or her nobility or iudges or the lawiers or the rest of her subiects to encounter and to resist the plots of these Iebusits and traiterous massepriests that séeke for the establishment of their massing ceremonies and most wicked religion to bring in strangers to cut their owne countrymens throtes to abuse their wiues and daughters and finally to destroy this flourishing kingdome and their owne most deare country the safety of the common welth as all politicks know and b Arist polit lib. 3. c. 3. teach is the common worke of all true citizens and well minded subiects and I doubt not but as all men detest such as oppugne the state so they will all ioine together and haue a vigilant eie to looke to their execrable plots entended against the state Finally reason and experience may teach the papists that howsoeuer some of them hope to win by shuffling of matters of state yet that most of them shall rather loose then winne they may also see that many haue lost their liues and liuings that haue bene practisers in rebellion and treason and forrain aides doe commonly first oppresse those that vse them and finally forsake them examples hereof they may sée in the rebellion of the north and of Ireland if they be not blinde and consider them they may if they will be led with reason Wherefore I doubt not but as all men may sée the treasons of priests and Iesuits and their adherents to be made manifest so they shall shortly sée the execution of lawes against them that such as haue bene executed for practising in the popes cause are no martyrs as papists giue out it may easily be proued for euen the aduersaries themselues will confesse that traitors against the prince and state are no martyrs vnlesse therefore Parsons can cleare his consorts of those points of treason which I haue declared and obiected and shew that they adhered not to forrain enemies nor had intelligence with traitors that sought the destructoon of the prince and state nor offended in any other points of treason before rehearsed he must néeds confesse himselfe and his consorts to be rather in state of treason then martyrdome Secondly martyrs died in time past for the testimony of Christ Iesus but such papists as haue bene executed in England of late yeares haue died for the maintenance of antichrists tyranny and packing with forren enemies and matter of treason against the prince and state and for other offences deseruing death and this is manifestly proued by the enditements framed against them by the depositions of witnesses confessions of the parties and the whole forme of their triall iudgement and execution neither is it materiall that some were accused for bringing in or hauing of medalles or graines others for being made priests by the popes faction others for reconciling men to the pope which are points as the papists say of their popish religion for albeit medalles and graines are not simply of themselues notes of treason yet seeing the pope doeth vse them as marks of his faction it were simplicity not to vnderstand that such as vse them are of his adherents Againe to be a priest simply in it selfe is no treason but if priests that are ordred by the popes faction take an oth of obedience to him that is our enimie and are bound to set foorth his cause for the regaining of England to his
at Grotta Ferrata if that were materiall it will be verified by diuers priests if they be asked on their othes Why any man should beléeue this lying compagnion that speaketh without proofe or probabilitie there is neither colour nor cause He excepteth also against that which I say of the number of Priests that were likewise to come with the Spanish army and thinketh that a hundred Priests could not then bee found there being then but two Seminaries Rome and Rhemes and not aboue fiftie in both But he should be an eloquent fellow that could perswade me to beléeue that lying mate without all proofe Why I should beleeue the contrary I can alleadge good reasons For first this being the ende of the erection of the Seminaries to reduce England vnderneath the Popes yoke we are not to doubt but that all the English of the Seminaries should haue béene emploied in that action and the whole sinke of treason let out Secondly albeit in the Seminaries there were not so many Priests to be found yet might that number haue béene filled vp by diuers other priests that liued here and there dispersed Her Maiesty hauing dismissed and banished aboue fiftie priests that deserued death by her lawes rather then banishment not past two or thrée yeares before These therefore and others should haue come into England Neither would that barking curre Stapleton haue fayled if he could haue séene opportunitie to hurt those against which he had so long barked Thirdly diuers priests now in EnglaÌ„d testifie that many priests were to come with the Spanish forces Finally Allen in his wicked libell reporteth that priests came with the Spanish forces to serue euerie mans spirituall necessities But how could that be vnlesse the number were competent Among the rest I am enformed that R. Parsons should haue come with his assistants and whole councell of reformation and that to auoide idlenesse in the meane time he holpe to write and publish the most wicked declaration of Sixtus quintus against her Maiestie It may be also Owlyglasse had an ore if not in the fléete yet in the army or els was in England to attend the comming of it Let him therefore thanke God that he is not sought out and punished as a traytor that endeuoureth to plead the cause of traytors And let all indifferent men iudge whether I haue not said truely and he most falsely both concerning Allen and the Priests The third obseruation as he saith is that my dealiâ—… doth declare the weakenesse of the cause I maintaine the little conscience I possesse and small learning I am maister of For so it pleaseth our great maister Owlyglasse in a pang of popish zeale to rayle And his reasons are for that a good cause needeth not the helpe of lies and a good conscience will not be strained beyond the limits of truth and sinceritie These venerable sentences the execrable Iebusites and massepriests pare and pole most dispiteously as their poling indexes expurgatorie and their treatises in the Popes cause plentifully declare nor pare nor pole the venerable sentences of antiquitie nor a man of learning frame such arguments as flie ouer his aduersaries and may be driuen backe vpon his owne head And this he speaketh standing vpon his tiptoes and looking vpon himselfe very prowdly and verily beléeuing that he hath spoken very brauely and almost eloquently But if he had better looked vpon himselfe his conscience and cause he would haue extended more fauour to vs his poore friends himselfe being a sot of 24. carats and deuoid of all learning and conscience hauing giuen proofe of his learning in his miserable detection and hauing his conscience grounded on the cases of conscience resolued by Allen and Parsons and Peter Nauarrus that teach men against all conscience to play the villaines and so a man stand for the Pope to sweare and forsweare and finally to doe what a man list so he haue the Popes faculties for it And what face had he to talke of sinceritie his cause standing vpon falsifying of fathers lying of legends counterfaiting traditions rayling vpon innocents cogging of fabulous histories and vpon deuising of fraudes and impostures to abuse the world His want of learning I say is proued by his weake and base talent of writing wherein it appeareth he could not so much as tell how to frame a sentence or how to vnderstand the things he handleth Alleadging but two words of latin pag. 30. he sheweth he can no latin vsing the plurall for the singular saying prope initia where a latinist would haue said prope initium or rather in principio quoting one verse he marreth it pag. 4. his testimonies are Hierom Verdussen and English almanacks such proofes as a man may haue three or foure for a groate his arguments are such as I haue declared in my answere His want of conscience may I say appeare by the most damnable resolutions of cases of conscience of Nauarrus and other Romish casuistes and especially the resolutions of Allen and Parsons Vide resolut casuum conscientiae nationis Anglicanae per A. P. two rather diuels then diuines teaching nothing but how their schollers may forsweare themselues deny their names and profession and play the traitors in which cases of conscience Owlyglasse without conscience séemeth to be well practised The third is made manifest by the fabulous lies of Caesar Baronius lying Romish legendes counterfeit canons and writings lately published and such euidence as I shall in part hereafter discouer and that to the great griefe of this detector if he be not a man stupide altogether and sencelesse This also doth touch the cause of poperie in generall for if a good cause néede not to be supported with lies and fables then is the Popes cause very bad that cannot stande without lies If a good conscience will not be strayned beyond the limits of truth and sinceritie nor pare nor pole the venerable sentences of antiquitie then hath Bellarmine and Parsons no good conscience For Parsons maketh no conscience to tell any lies as I haue prooued in my answere to his woodden wardword and the priestes haue notoriously prooued in all their bookes against him and his trecherous faction Againe then haue the Iebusites no conscience that lie and falsifie according to the rules of their order and that most shamefully Le catechisme de Iesuites as is proued in their Catechisme Thirdly then hath the Pope no conscience that by his lewde and trecherous indexes and by his Talmudicall traditions and peruerse expositions hath taken a course to corrupt both scriptures and fathers If they haue no learning whose arguments conclude not effectually but may be retorted backe vpon the faces of the proponentes then if Owlyglasse be iudge neither hath Bellarmine nor Stapleton any learning For in diuers of our treatises we haue made their arguments to rebound backe vpon them As for my selfe I referre my cause to be tried by any indifferent man that shall reade Owlyglasses obiections
proued against them or that they did any thing more then the lawes of armes enforced them for their owne necessary defence The like slandrous Buls did Paul the third publish against Henry the 8. king of England and Pius Quintus and Gregory the 13. against her Maiesty Wherefore vnlesse Rob. Parsons and his consorts can iustifie these matters to be true it will appeare that the Romish religion is not onely maintained with lies but also grounded vpon a packe of lies For such as these are an infinite multitude of lies may be found in the Popes and the Churches of Romes principall recordes Of which I shall haue occasion if God bee pleased to talke more at large otherwhere CHAP. VI. A taste of Bellarmines vnsauoury falsifications I Would be loth to wrong any especially in writing where all that reade may be witnesses of the wrong if any be offered Wherfore to answere my aduersaries accusatioÌ„ that saith I haue slandered and infamed the worthy prelate Cardinal Bellarmine Praeface where I charged him with falsifications and lies I will nowe godwilling iustifie my saying and shewe that his workes are not as Owlyglasse saith the sworde of Gedeon but rather the sworde of Goliath whereby a man with labour and diligence may cut off both his owne head and the head of antichrist The same is also like a leaden sworde guilted ouer and fayre in shew but nothing trenchant in proofe Hee might more fitly haue compared them to Augias stable that coÌ„tained an infinit heape of dung but to be purged if learned men would take the paines to examine them For my part I doe testifie before God that they haue much confirmed mee in the truth and truly affirme that they are more tedious to read then hard to refute in matters especially that concerne vs. But now to come to the matter I will offer to the reader a taste of his falsifications and lowde leasings purposing to adde more if our aduersaries please to continew this course of examination of ours and popish authors writings I will also ioyne with him his fellow Caesar Baronius with his x. legions of lyes Not doubting but if they vnderstand their errours their faces will turne crimsin And why not their faces as well as their roabes especially if they haue any remaynder of their pretended Virginall modestie falsification 1 First he doth wilfully corrupt the sixt canon of the councell of Nice lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 13. the canon beginneth thus mos antiquus perdurat in Aegypto vel Lybia vel PeÌ„tapoli But Bellarmine maketh the canon to begin far otherwise Obseruandum saith hée in libris vulgatis dâ—esse initium huius canonis quod tale est ecclesia Rom. semper habuit primatum but these last words are playnly forged as may appeare by all the copyes of the actes of the Nicene councel neither can it excuse him that one Paschasius act 16. concil chalced hath these words or that Copus a counterfect câ—mpagnion doth affirme that a certaine Abbot called Dionysius doth so read this canon for Abbots may proue forgers as well as others and little credit is to be giuen to the Popes agente in his owne cause Further Paschasius his words so stand that we may probably coniecture that some latter falsary hath so set down the words of this canon as we read them now in the tâ—mes of councels set out by Papists Finally all authenticall histories testifie that before the councell of Nice the Church of Rome was litle respected and Aeneas Siluius doth in playne termes confesse so much Neither can Parsons deny it vnlesie he put on his visor of impudency falsification 2 In his booke de pontif Rom. c. 31. he falsifieth Hieromes words and peruerteth his meaning to proue that he called Damasus the foundation of the Church Hieronymus saith he in epist ad Dâ—masum de nomine hypostasis super hanc petram ecclesiam aedificataâ— scio vbi Damasum petram ecclesiae vocat But Hieremes words stand thus ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens beatitudini tuae id est cathedâ—ae Petri coÌ„munione consocior super â—am petram ecclesiam aedificatam scio Whereby it appeareth that Hierome meant to follow none but Christ and that he meant Christ when he speaketh of the Rocke For so the pronoune Illam that is referred to that which is further of doth teach vs. But Bellar. to proue the Pope to bée the foundation of the Church leaueth out Christ and for the pronounce Illam writeth hanc like a cunning falsary falsification 3 In the same booke and chapter he falsifieth the actes of the councell of Chalcedon septimum est saith hée caput ecclesiae quo vtitur concilium Chalcedonense in epistola ad Leonem qui but tu veâ—ut caput membris praeeras These words I say are falsely alledged For first it cannot bee prooued that this epistle was written by the councell as Surius hath recorded Act. 3. Concil Chalced. Secondly admit the whole epistle was not forged yet there is no mention made of the heade of the Church as Bellarmine affirmeth for the worde Caput in these words quibus tu velut Caput membris praecras is referred to certeine Priests of Leoes order in which ranke he sheweth himselfe principall Bellarmine therefore to make some shew leaueth out both the words going before and the words following after which playnly shew that the authors of that epistle neuer meant to cal him the head of the Church His falshood may appeare by the words as they follow in that epistle Act. 3. concil Chalced. set out by Surius Si vbi sunt duo aut tres congregati in nomine eius say they ibi se in medio eorum fore perhibuit quantam circa sacerdotes peculiaritatem potuit demonstrare qui patriae labori suae confessionis notitiam praetulerunt quibus tu quidem sicut caput membris prae eras in his qui tuum tenebant ordinem beneuo lenriam praeferens imperatores vero ad ornandum decentissimè praesidebant The Latin is rude and barbarous sauoring of a monkish humor But by the words we may sée that the authors of that epistle made Leo heade of preestes and men of his cote and not of the Church nor councell Wherein emperors most decentely did praeside and sitte as cheefe moderators as the fathers of that councell teach vs. falsification 4 Likewise reckening vp the names and titles of the bishops of Rome he saith that Eusebius in his cronicle anno 44. doth giue them the title of Pontifex Christianorum Which is a mere forgery For not the bishops af Rome but to Peter only is that title giuen if it be not thrust into the text But what belongeth and is peculierly giuen to Peter may not be claymed by euery bishop of Rome For I hope euery one of them will not be called Simon nor an Apostle nor the cheefe or first Apostle Nor will they I suppose write as Peter did in his
Bellarmine which if Parsons doe answere I maruell Whosoeuer list to sée further triall of Parsons his falsifications let him reade his treatise of the discouery of Nicols and other such like pamphlets set out by him wherein I dare be holde to say that euery second place alleadged by him in any matter of controuersie is falsely alleadged Yea sometime to kéepe his forging fingers in vre he alleadgeth fathers and scriptures falsely where he doth not gaine any thing to himselfe by the false quotation and allegation but onely a perpetuall note of a wicked falsary Neither is it a matter much to be maruelled at if Robert Parsons hath committed diuers falsifications seeing in cases of conscience resolued by him and Allen he teacheth that it is lawfull to change a mans name to deny his countrey to equiuocate dissemble and speake vntruth yea to sweare and forsweare most falsely most of which points are counted plaine forgery beside that his putatiue father by his occupation was a forger If then Owlyglasse séeke a paterne of falsifications let him go to Robert Parsons who is the onely master and a more excellent forger then Coobucke his putatiue father albeit all his life long he wrought in a blacksmiths forge Only it were to be wished that he had béen a forger of horshoonailes and not of false writings CHAP. X. A note of certaine notorious lies and vntruthes vttered by Robert Parsons alias Coobucke I Néed not say much to conuince Rob. Parsons to be a most false Iebusite and a most impudent lying compagnion The seculer priests in their reply to Parsons his treatise entituled a manifestation of the folly and bad spirit c. and in their answere to the Iesuites apology haue eased me of that labour for they conuince him plainely of lying cogging and facing and doubt not to affirme that he can say nothing without lying But yet because his woodden scholer Owlyglasse hath begun this course and thinketh to winne some aduantage by scoring vp my vntruthes I will briefly note some vntruthes of the master lye-maker and excellent imitator of him that is the father of lies falsification 1 First then I say that in his most slanderous libels set out vnder the names of Sanders and Rishton of Andreas Philopater of Didimus Veridicus of Allen in his letters to the nobilitie and people of England and Ireland and all those libels which haue béen published within these 20. years against the late Lord treasurer of England of worthy memory against the Lord of Leycester and others all which were either made by him or published by him or by his helpe and counsaile he lyeth in grosse For the bookes from the beginning to the ending are full of notorious and villanous lyes against king Henry the 8. against his principall agentes against Quéene Elizabeth and her counsaile and the whole Church and state of the Realme of England and this if God be pleased I purpose shortly to shew at large Neither néede I to declare any particular seeing there is no man that hath any intelligence of matters of state but he knoweth that the same bée most false and slanderous But to leaue to speake of those bookes that consist of nothing but lyes I wil note diuers particuler leasinges out of other bookes of his wherein notwithstanding he pretendeth more truth falsification 2 In his wardworde pag. 69. he saith it appeareth not that Iesuites sought her maiesties bloud especially not Parsons A most notorious and shamelesse lye For it is not only most true that these wicked assassinors of princes and King killers haue also sought her maiesties bloud but also nowe most apparent For not only Palmio and Codret two Iesuites did resolue Parrie to kill the Queene and that it was an act meritorious so to doe Parries voluntarie confession but also sence that time Holt and Walpoole haue excited diuers to take on them that wicked interprise The first appeareth by the confession of Parrie aboute the yeare anno 1584. the second by the confessions of Squire Yorke Willams Patricke Ocollen and others It appeareth also that Parsons was well acquainted with Parries treason both by coÌ„fessions and witnesses Further this many yeares he hath endeuored to the vttermost of his power to stirre vp forrayne enemies against her maiestye which no man can doe but he must néedes entend her distruction and if hée deny that his owne letters which are to be shewen and the testimony of the seculer preistes In diuers treatises and namely in their answere to Parsons his late apologie and the wicked libell vnder the name of Allen directed to the nobility and people of England and Ireland which he holpe to print and publish and which wholy opeÌ„ly aymeth at her maiesties state and person will conuince him But this poynt I haue discoursed in my reply to Parsons his wardworde at large and the same is diuersly confessed in the seculer préestes bookes And therefore thus much may serue in this place to proue him both a lyar a most wicked assassinor of his liege prince and souereine falsification 3 In the fift encontre of his wardword he saith that those that oppose themselfes against the Iesuites are either Iewes Turkes and Infidels or those that make diuision and say I am of Caluin I am of Luther or those that haue made shipwracke of faith or false bretheren such as loue praeheminence as did Diotrephes or els worldlinges And in these few wordes he telleth diuers notorious lyes For first neither Iewes nor Turkes do oppose themselues against the Iesuites Secondly among all those that professe religion he cannot bring forth one that saith I am of Caluin or Luther Thirdly Parsons himselfe is a Iesuite and a principal stirrer among them and yet like Diotrephes sought to be a cardinall which dignity for his bastardy and vileny he hath missed Fourthly he will not say that Sixtus quintus was a Iewe or Turke nor that the colledge of Sorbona and clergy of France or parliament of Paris are within the compasse of his diuision albeit all these haue opposed themselues against the encrochements of the Iesuites Finally the seculer préestes that deale against the Iesuites are neither Turkes nor Infidels in Parsons his reckening Yet haue they manfully stood against the Iesuites trecherous plots for their contry as Parsons will not deny Doth it not then appeare that he hath told vntruth and that the Iâ—suites are an odious generation contrary to Parsons his assertion falsification 4 Speaking of the alteration of religion in his first encounter he saith that by occasion thereof haue ensued battailes Wardword murthers destructions of countries And that townes cities houses and particular men three princes two Queenes and one King haue thereby beene brought to their bane Hee saith also further that the houses and linages of Hamiltons Douglasses Stuards in Scotland of desmond and other peres in Ireland haue beene thereby ruinated And finally that in France and Flanders there is no ende of
not to frequent their company Salomon though a wise prince was seduced by his idolatrous wiues and Iosaphat hardly escaped danger accompanying and assisting the idolatrous king Achab observation 4 If all that adhere to forrein enemies and refuse to acknowledge the princes right and authoritie and that séeme rather willing and ready to take part with forrein enemies then to stand in defence of their prince and country be no otherwise to be accounted of then as traitors and publicke enemies then are all true subiects to deale against massepriests and their adherents as disloyall traitors and wicked enemies of their prince and country for princes cannot subsist vnlesse they maintaine their authority and lawes nor can subiects liue safe hauing this viperous generation dispersed in euery corner In ancient time treason was accounted the greatest crime that could be committed in matters of state and most seuerely and extraordinarily was the same punished at this day neither will the Spaniard nor French nor the Italian princes endure any subiect that shall either deny his authority or adhere to forrein enemies albeit they pretend religion neuer so much naturally euery man is bound to defend himselfe but the prince is not onely bound by the lawes of nature to looke to his owne safetie but also by the lawes of state for that many mens safety and estates doe depend vpon him as for those that feare or deferre to take a course with traitors they are either stupide or else pusillanimous The Iesuits and their adherents will I know deny themselues to be traitors so they will also deny the Sunne to shine pro bono societatis as they terme it and for their cacolicke cause but I haue by arguments conuinced them to be traitors and if they answere not categorically and directly and without all equiuocations they will by their owne silence prooue themselues to be traitors and for the manifestation of their leud disposition I would pray Robert Parsons or his schollar Garnet or Philip woodward that is so busie or any of the combination of the archipresbiteriall congregation of traitors to answere me directly to these questions ensuing First whether they beléeue the pope by his sentence procéeding without error against the Queene and declaring her to be deposed that they are still to acknowledge her to be lawfull Quéene or no and to obay her notwithstanding the popes commandement Secondly whether in that case the Pope commanding them to take armes against her Maiestie they ought not to doe it and are excommunicate and damned like dogges if the pope commande them to doe it vpon paine of his curse and they refuse it Thirdly whether in that case they will not perswade all papists to take armes against her Maiestie and whether themselues will not concurre with them if the pope excommunicate all that refuse 4 Whether they do not beléeue that the pope hath power to take her Maiesties crowne from her head 5 Whether he hath power to dispence with the subiects othes of allegiance and to command them to rebell 6 Whether they thinke her Maiesty can be deposed without violence offered to her Maiesties person and life 7 Whether the pope commanding them they would not deliuer her into the hands of her enemies or kill her as Allen in his traiterous exhortation to the nobility and people of England and Ireland went about to perswade them 8 Whether they thinke it not lawfull so to doe 9 Whether the Spaniards or other forrein enemies comming to execute the popes sentence against the Quéene they would fight against them displaying the Popes banner and publishing the popes lawfull sentence as they suppose against the Quéene or take part with them 10 Whether all are not excommunicate that disobey the popes sentence or contumaciously stand against him it being not knowen but that he hath procéeded iustly nor they hauing power to dispute of his doings or to determine against him 11 Whether they will allow the fact of the erles of Westmerland and Northumberland that rebelled in England of Sanders and the Earle of Desmond that rebelled in Ireland and such like rebells or not 12 Whether they beléeue that Allen Sanders Bristow Parsons and such as allow such facts of treasons be not traitors and haue published trecherous doctrine 13 Whether they doe take themselues bound in conscience to follow the popes sentences and decrées in deposing of princes and bestowing of kingdomes vpon strangers when hée shall command them vpon paine of his curse 14 Whether they purpose not to mainteine the Infantaes title if the pope doe so command them or other prince that he shall set vp against her Maiestie 15 Whether they haue not receiued the popes breeues and enterteined intelligence with him and his agents and whether they haue not receiued pensions and money out of Spaine and thinke it lawfull so to doe and whether they haue not taken an oth for the Spanish Infantaes title nor brought any notes of their faction out of Spaine and Italie as for example medalles graines reliques agnus Dei pictures crosses faculties and such like 16 Whether hereafter they do not meane to enterteine intelligence with the Pope and Spaniard and their agents and to acknowledge the pope for their superior All which if they answere not they must néeds confesse themselues worthy to be expulsed out of this land and sent backe to the Pope and Spaniard if no worse for thereby they declare themselues friends to them and enemies to their countrey observation 5 If it be a matter very equall that euery man should be iudged by such lawes as themselues practise against others as is apparent by the law Si quis ff quod quisque iuris c. then haue the Romanists no reason to require any fauour at the hands of our superiours They put true Christians to death without all remission if they renounce not the true Christian faith and those that are said to deale most mercifully with them as some popish princes and prelates in Germany yet do they banish all such as they suspect not to hold popish religion Why then do not papists acknowledge the great fauor shewed to them by the state when such notorious idolaters and hereticks are not serued as they serue others and why doe these seditious malcontents exclaime against her Maiesties late proclamation and the state that giueth such traitors and leâ—d practisers so faire warning to be packing They pardon none that commit treason in Rome or Spaine Why then should it be more lawfull for Iesuites and factious masse priests to commit treason in England is not our countrey as deare to vs as Rome or Spaine to them They account it a matter very absurd for any to dispute whether the Italian or Spanish lawes concerning treason be iust or no and whether they be to be executed or not and such prisoners as should except against lawes abroad would be laughed to scorne Why then should Parsons and Allen and their traitorous consorts be
obedience then to be made priest by the popes agents is argument sufficient to prooue a man to be a traitor likewise it is no treason simply to be addicted to the superstitions of the Romish church no more then it is to be Sarracen or Turke yet to bée reconciled to the Pope and to receiue absolution from his agents is treason he being a professed enemie of the state and vsing this reconciliation and colour of religion for a meanes to ouerthrow her Maiestie and this kingdome and to réestablish yet once againe his tiranny in England finally to obey good bishops cannot be euill interpreted but to submit a mans selfe to the pope that pretendeth to haue right to depose princes and to translate kingdomes from one to another at pleasure a matter repugnant to scriptures to the practise of the apostles and primitiue church and as Sigebertus Gemblacensis testifieth speaking of Gregory the seuenth his time a notarious and plaine condemned heresie cannot but preiudice the right of a prince in enmity with the pope prooue flat treason Thirdly the true martyrs of Christ suffered for defence of the trueth wronfully and therefore deserued the honour and title of martyrs and very high commendation that is thankeswoorthy saith saint c 1. Pet. 2. Peter if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffring wrongfully such were the martyrs of times past who suffred death because they would not deny the Lord Christ Iesus nor sacrifice to idoles but the popes martyrs suffer for practising with forren enemies and die for the Popes pleasure and desire nothing more then to set vp idolatry for conscience they cannot say they suffer vnlesse the make treason against their prince and countrey a matter of conscience and rule their conscience by the Popes will and make no conscience of idolatry or blasphemie neither can they say they are punished wrongfully being punished for their treasons rebellions and packings against the state with forren enemies whosoeuer therefore shall entitle and call these fellowes martyrs he shall greatly wrong religion and the state of martyrs and much resemble the Donatistes and other old heretikes Saint d Epist 68. Augustine saith of the Donatists viuebant vt latrones honorabantur vt martyres Alexander also an heretike of whom e Lib. 5. eccles Iust c. 17. Eusebius maketh mention liued as a thiefe and died for his deserts and yet by those of his sect was honored as a martyr such martyrs also are those of the popish sect for whatsoeuer reckoning their consorts make of them they were punished iustly for their offences and died for treason rebellion practising and packing with forren enemies Fourthly true martyrs are charitable and die in charitie for without charitie furious and Iesuiticall zeale to promote the Popes cause auaileth nothing if I giue my body to be burned saith the f 1. Cor. 13. apostle and haue not loue it profiteth me nothing now what charity thinke you had they that were emploied by publike enemies to the hurt and destruction of their liege Lady and most deare countrey Charity saith the g Ibid. apostle is patient gentle humble but these by force of armes sought to returne into their countrey and like fierce lions endeuor by conquest to subdue men to their opinions anno 1588 their common talke was of sharing of lands and liuings In Wisbich also all the stirres among the papists grew about superiority the Iesuits seeking to rule the rest refusing to be ruled by them Parsons they say hath an old prophecy how England must be ruled by certeine men in long blacke gownes and square caps that is by Iesuites and long he hath béene dreaming of a cardinals hat yet none falleth to his share in all the English colledges and seminaries the Iesuits by great stirres haue sought the gouernment h A discouery of Campian and his consorts Cottam an English Iesuite being condemned to die praid God that he would send downe fire from heauen to consume all the people that stood round about him to gaze on him and this is the gentlenesse and charitie of Iesuiticall martyrs when Sixtus quintus told the Iesuites that he wondred that none of their order were canonized for saints some of them answered that they sought honors in the church triumphant and not in the church militant such triumphant martyrs are these of the popes and Iesuits calender Fiftly true martyrs are men of a peaceable disposition and no way desirous of tumults and troubles l Lib. 3. contr parmen si supra memoratos saith Optatus videri martyres vultis probate illos amasse pacem in qua prima sunt fundamenta martyrij aut dilexisse deo placitam vnitatem aut habuisse cum fratribus vnitatem sine qua nullum vel nomine potest vel re esse martyrium his words in effect amount to this that none can be martyrs vnlesse they they be studious of peace and vnity if then the papists neither agrée with vs nor with themselues and are giuen much to contention and continually haue stirred vp warres and hurliburlies in diuers countries and haue like firebrands set most parts of Christendome on a flame as appeareth by their actions in England Scotland France Germany Flanders Suethland and other places why should such men dying rather be accounted martyrs then the contentious Donatists Sixtly the true martyrs of Christ Iesus died in time past for the true faith of Christ deliuered vnto vs in the apostles writings but the popish mastifs died for the popes excommunications for defence of his most vniust and tirannicall vsurpations according to such doctrine as they had receiued out of the popes decretales their masters dictates who then doth not maruell that any should be so bold as to call such obstinat fellowes that died out of the church for no point of faith were so much as once called in question martyrs cum deo manere non possunt saith Cyprian qui esse in ecclesia dei vnanimes noluerūt ardeant licet flammis ignibus traditi obiecti bestiis animas suas ponant nō erit illa fidei corona sed poena perfidiae occidi talis potest coronari non potest if then these good fellowes haue forsaken the church and linked themselues with enemies and traitors die they may for their treasons but crowned they shall not be as martyrs neither is it death but the cause that maketh christians dying to be estéemed martyrs Seuently no true martyr euer séemed more desirous of the applause and praise of men then of the glory of God good of Christes people fi ita martyrium fecerimus saith i In epist ad Galat. lib. 3. c. 5. Hierome vt nostras velimus ab hominibus reliquias venerari si opinionem vulgi sectantes intrepidi sanguinem fuderimus substantiam nostram vsque ad mendicitatem propriam dederimus huic operi non tam praemium quà m paena debetur perfidiae magis