hereticall or an euill prince VVhat can they say to the Bishops and Pastours in the Low countries and the Vniuersities of Doway whom they reckon to be their aduersaries by reason of the great contentions had betweene them about eight yeares ago VVhat to the Vniuersities of Louaine with whome they haue had bickering since VVhat to the whole order of Dominicans letting passe other religious betweene whom and them there hath been of long as is continuall bitter strifes in Spaine as all the world knoweth And all these included in Fa. Parsons ougly beadroll If all these be of bad disposition and gracelesse because they be the Iesuits aduersaries then haue we also good cause to dread but if contrariwise these be reported to be their aduersaries and are indeed no lesse than we and yet knowne to be good Catholick men Vniuersities and orders it is no true cause of disgrace vnto vs if we be reported also their aduersaries for defending our selues against their violent injuries and for resisting their other courses manifestly hurtfull to our whole church Gent. VVhat is the cause that they make these troubles and giue such discontent almost in euery place where they come Pr. Surely not any perfection of vertue that is in them aboue other religious men but their polliticke tampering and their busie stirring both in temporall states and Ecclesiasticall For they being not tied to keepe the quire with diuine offices as other religious orders bee they haue more leisure and libertie than any other to occupie themselues in matters impertinent vnto them It is their glorie to bee euer stirring in the greatest affaires and with the greatest personages where they come yea they delight so much in the actiue life that their young men are no sooner out of their nouiceship or course in learning but if there be ought in them they begin to tamper and to become polliticke and must be thought sufficient to mannage any businesse I remember I haue read in an Italian hystorie written by a gentleman of Genua touching the late king of Portugall Sebastian and the competitors to that crowne after his death how the Iesuits greatly fauoured by that king disturbed not a little the peace of that kingdome by their tampering in the princes affaires where the author noteth how with great indiscretion as vpon a head and suddainely they would haue reformed the corrupt manners of the countrey Againe how by the Cardinals meanes they procured the displacing of some auncient officers about the king and brought in such as depended on themselues to no small discontentment of many And lastly how especially vpon the Iesuits motion and persuasion the king entertained the Affricane affaires and resolued to vndertake that fatall voyage from which yet they could not afterwards dissuade him when it was misliked and thought daungerous by all his friends This Historie is now in English See page 9. 10. 11. c. because they had set him too farre in liking therwith before But at the last they wrought themselues out of fauour with the king as he sayth for they would ouerrule all Gent. I would see that hystorie Pr. I thinke you may haue it in England it is in Octauo and printed in Italie as I remember Gent. By likelyhood then this busie intermeddling of theirs in Vniuersities in kingdomes in the charges of Bishops and Pastours c. is the cheefe cause why they worke these troubles euery where Pr. Verely I thinke it be For among them he is most esteemed that can shew himself most politicke most stirring and vndertaking especially with greatest estates and highest matters Gent. These humours are not in them all For I know diuers of them very good simple and vertuous men which trouble their heads with nothing except their studie and deuotion Pr. There be some of them no doubt such as you say continuing in the simplicitie and good zeale wherewith they first entered and encreasing their spirituall graces These though they must sooth the humors of the rest and in all things defend their actions yet delight not to be busie and stickling in others mens affaires and indeed these be the glorie of their societie and deserue loue and honour aboue the rest But there be few of this sort considering it is a credit among themselues to be actiue and politick and no small contention who may bee thought most to excell in these Gent. Yet many good men thinke much and marvell what should be the cause why you secular priests should be aduersaries to the Iesuits haue contentions with them and especially with Fa. Parsons who is most esteemed of among the Iesuits for his wisdome and other good parts and who also hath wrought great good to our Nation by his booke of Resolution which argueth him to bee a vertuous man and by erecting Semenaries for the education of our yong men And generally the Iesuits seek not their owne temporall benefit but bestow themselues onely for the good of others many say that without them our Church had bene in worse case than it is Againe that it is but a slaunder that they entermeddle in the mattets of you secular priests or that they haue any dealings in the affaires of temporall estates It is no just cause giuen you by them but your own vnmortified passions and disobedient minds to your lawfull superiors which make you to repine and mammer and to exclaime against them Priest For the Iesuits in generall I neuer said nor thought other but that if they keepe themselues onely at these good exercises of preaching of ministring sacraments without prejudice to the ordinarie Pastors of catechising of teaching in schooles of visiting the sicke and liuing as brethren and fellow labourers in Gods worke seeke the estimation of the secular cleargie among their people I neuer thoght I say but that they be very profitable coadjutors in Christs church and deserue loue and reuerence of all sorts But if withall they become officious sticklers in princes affaires Ecclesiasticall or temporall or busie themselues with entermedling in the secular Cleargies matters which belong not to them and seeke to aduaunce themselues in credit and otherwise aboue the priests as in England they haue done I then thinke them very dangerous and noysome members in any church for the subuersion of peace and good order because vpon that disposition forthwith they bring in great deuisions and draw both priests and people into lamentable factions as is manifest in this poore realme At VVisbich you haue heard how they made very scandalous contentions about establishing a superioritie in one of theirs aboue all the other prisoners You haue heard also how they hindered the vnion of secular priests in a confraternitie how they withstood our endeuors touching Bishops or Suffraganes how without our consents or priuitie they procured an Arch-priest to be ordained ouer all English priests in England and Scotland they onely appointing what kind of superioritie and gouernement our Church should haue and
could haue nothing to except against him in all those tumults After he the Irishman and another priest had celebrated abroad in their returne home they went to an English priests chamber in the citie called Master Midleton who had had much bickering with Fa. Parsons both in Spaine and Rome In his chamber they intended to breake their fast but the Irishman would haue them in any case to take it in the cookes house which was at the next dore and at the last he preuailed they had no sooner entered and called for some meat but before they had tasted behold the Isbeces or souldiors come vpon them and apprehend them a strange thing in that towne and the like not heard of before Fa. Parsons was sent for hee seeming vnacquainted with the stratagem lamented their misfortune and in the way of fauour procured they should be imprisoned in the Colledge He shut vp euery one apart in close prison The Irishman seeing his proceedings exclaimed against him but he was charily kept and could neuer after bee spoken with by the schollers least he should tell tales Then began Fa. Parsons and the Iesuits to bestirre them and caused all the students to come each one before his friend Accrisio the Fiscall and himselfe and to confesse how often they had been at the cookes house or eaten abroad and he assured them that they were bound in conscience euery one to accuse himselfe He was the examiner his Iesuits the notaries and when hee had gotten this aduauntage against the yong men he diuulged what pleased himselfe hee incensed the Pope the Cardinals and all the citie against them wrought the vtter discredit of our countreymen which before that day were honoured and highly esteemed of not without great cause in that towne and all the Christian world besides Then brought hee in the orders which the Iesuits had so much desired hee dismissed diuers of the disgraced priests into England with ordinarie faculties and with friendship as then he pretended but recalled their faculties before they arriued in Flaunders and sent infamous libels against them vnto his Iesuits in England containing most vile crimes whereof as the priests protest vpon their saluation they were altogether innocent and not so much as once examined of whiles they were in Rome The priests at their departure fearing that Fa. Parsons bad dealing would haue no end nor measure besought him to let their faults bee knowne in their presence least that after they were gone other things might be laid vnto them than they had either confessed or done This he would not graunt but willed them to depart in peace and to assure themselues that he had no great matter against them except that disorder of eating abroad the greatest offenders were left behind yet after these were once gone he cleared the rest of the greatest crimes and said they touched onely them that were departed Thus this good Father jugled and wrought the shame and discredit of our good countreymen among strangers and prosecuted the vtter subuersion of their good names in England by his infamous libels Gent. These be wofull things to heare but I and others haue noted one wonderfull worke of Gods in this case that is That many of these young priests so disgraced by Fa. Parson and the Iesuits haue fall'n since their comming into England into the hands of our common enemies yet they all haue stood constantly to their profession and indured patiently both prisons and what else hath beene done against them VVhich vertuous carriage could not haue proceeded from them if they had been men of that dissolute disposition as Fa. Parson and the Iesuits would make vs beleeue Pr. This is admirable indeed and their vertuous behauiour in time will recouer them their credit and bring confusion vpon their slandering aduersaries when the world frustrate of I know not what temporall hopes by the Iesuits meanes shall leaue swaying with them But I pray you what other slanderous reports doe they and their dependants giue out against vs The fift Slander Gent. They doe say moreouer that you priests bee the onely Statesmen and not they For you bee Scotists in faction labouring to set vp the King of Scots a knowne hereticke to bee king of England Pr. Thus they slander vs throughout the realme and these be Fa. P. words also in his letters to his associats in England the 18. of Ianuarie 1599. vnder the name of Martine Aray whē he had the two priests we sent to his Ho. fast in prison But to refute the malicious slaunder we need do no more but appeale to his and his associats owne consciences and to the indifferent iudgements of all honest men For first it is so certaine and manifest that Fa. P. with diuers of his brethren haue dealt in the greatest matters of State that may be concerning both the present alteration of all and the future disposition of the crown and kingdome that with any shew of truth or honestie it cannot be denied and yet neither hee nor all his adherents shall be euer able to proue or truly to affirme that those two priests Master Doctor Bishop and M. Charnock or any of vs whome so vehemently they seeke to ouerthrow in our good names by their manifold vntrue slaunders and by this shamelesse letter of his to bring vs in hatred with all Catholicks in the world and to stir vp against vs our own prince and magistrats to bereaue vs of our liues he shall neuer be able to proue that we haue dealt in State matters or liked of his dealings It hath pleased him and his fellows presumptuously to tamper in these affairs which concerned them not They haue set vp their rest vpon the hopes of Spaine procured the emnitie of the king of Scots and of all other competitors to the crowne of England Now of likelyhood Fa. Parsons is sorrie we be not ouer boots with him and fearing the euent he waxeth jealous of all mens actions and specially of ours whom he knoweth to condemne his daungerous and harmefull courses and the zealous father finding vs not to run with him as he would haue vs for Spaine or the Ladie Infanta as truly it becommeth not vs to meddle in these great affaires but to applie our function and to commit the disposing of kingdomes and princes businesses to Gods wisdome and prouidence seeing our intermedling in them may bee offensiue and hurtfull many wayes both to our selues and our Catholick people without any profit at all he imagineth that we be his aduersaries and consequently to fauour the king of Scots whom he hath needlessely made his enemie which king of Scots hee affirmeth for our greater disgrace with all Catholickes to be a knowne hereticke and vs to bee Scotists in faction a thing most offensiue to our present state as he saith In which vncharitable calumnies how Fa. Parsons can acquit himselfe of too bad dealing both with the present State and vs it goeth beyond my capacitie to vnderstand
glorious commendation For it is well knowne that the most of them are poore mens children and neuer had patrimonie able to maintaine themselues much lesse able to relieue the necessities of others Gent. I euer thought it to be a fiction Pr. Let this passe and consider by the premisses whether we haue not good cause to exclaime against the Iesuits As for their report of our disobedience it is reproued before and for our vnmortified passions I will not much stand with them but thinke that neither ours nor theirs are not so mortified I as could wish Now by this which we haue alreadie said it is apparent ynough that they haue but ouermuch dealing in the affaires of our secular Cleargie and for their entermedling in state matters it is needlesse that any accuse them or go about to proue it seeing their owne publicke actions giue assured testimonie against them If they would denie it Fa. P. owne handie worke is extant the booke of succession wherein vnder the counterfeit name of Robert Doleman hee rippeth vp the titles of all competitors to the crowne of England disgraceth and weakeneth in what hee may the claimes of some extolleth and highly aduaunceth others renuing the mortall dissentions betweene the families of Yorke and Lancaster laying perillous grounds for most cruell workes and bloudshead in time to come and drawing all to some particular person whome hee affecteth aboue the rest VVe will not speake of his bitter and disgracefull libels against the deceased L. Treasurer and L. of Leicester nor of his letters and Fa. Creswels intercepted as they were sent into the realme and yet in the Counsels hands for a testimony against him touching inuasions and solliciting of men by these vaine hopes to be in a readinesse against his day and I know not what daungerous follies besides But touch in few words some of his other actions that you may see whether he deale in state matters or no. Did hee not earnestly moue our young students in Spaine to set their hands to a schedule that they would accept the Ladie Infanta for Queen of England after the decease of her Majestie that now is yea and finding them altogether vnwilling to intermeddle with those greatest affaires belonging nothing vnto them and most hurtfull to both their cause and persons vsed he not this cunning shift to draw on the innocent and simple youths to pretend forsooth to them of Valladolid that the students in Seuill had done it already no remedie then but they must follow and hauing thus craftily gotten their names hee shewed them to the students of Seuill for an example of their fact and forwardnesse which he required them to imitate that would bee well taken that they all did thus shew themselues desirous of the L. Infanta for their Queen Some more stout and better experienced than the rest withstood the daungerous attempts and would not yeeld but they felt Fa. P. heauy hand vpon them euer after VVas it not his vsuall persuasion to our students when he would haue them to concurre with him in matters of state That by the laws of England they were alreadie traitors for their religion then for tampering with him about any other the greatest affaires they could be no more Goe to then beeing once ouer shoes be ouer boots also step in as farre as you can and spare not VVhen hee had printed his booke of Succession and was come to Rome would hee not haue it publickely read in the Refectorie at such times as the students minds customarily were fed with spirituall lectures VVhich vaine-glorious and prophane desire when some of the schollers resisted because they thought it very inconuenient and hurtfull vnto them to be acquainted with his plots in princes titles and affaires the good Fa. was exceeding wroth with them and they could neuer after haue his fauourable countenance VVas it not Fa. Pa. and Fa. Creighton Iesuits that with such vehemencie bitternesse contended each against other in Spain about disposing of the kingdome and crown of England Fa. Par. striuing to bring all to the Ladie Infanta and Fa. Creighton to his king of Scotland in which controuersie Fa. Parsons preuailed in that place and frustrated and defeated all the desires plots which his brother Iesuit had laied in his suits VVere they not Iesuits which laied the plot with the late deceased duke of Parma for surprising or stealing away the Ladie Arbella and sending her into Flaunders VVho employed the messenger into England about that affaire but Fa. Holt Iesuit VVho but the same Iesuit was consenting with Sir William Stanley to the sending in of Richard Hesket for solliciting Ferdinando the late Earle of Darbie to rise against her Majestie and to claime the crowne VVas it not the same Iesuit that entertained Yorke and Yong in the plot of firing her Majesties store-houses That set on worke M. Francis Dickonson and others to persuade watermen to flie with ships and all into the seruice of the Spaniard VVho but Iesuits feed the world dayly with fresh newes expectation of warres alteration of the State by forrainers But what is this peculiar only to our English Iesuits or haue not the Scottish fathers also in like manner bestirred themselues in that kingdome VVhereupon were the three Catholicke Earls Anguis Arroll and Huntley conuicted of high treason by acte of Parlement about eight yeares agoe to the confiscation of their liuelihoods and their expulsion out of the kingdome if not vpon certaine plots layde them by father Creighton father Gordon and vpon hopes giuen them of succours from Spaine VVhy was the lard of Fentry executed but by reason of the same designs imparted to him by Fa. R◠Abercromie a Iesuit was it not the principall cause of father Iam. Gordions trauaile to Rome about eyght yeares ago to sollicit the Pope and other princes to assist the king of Scots if hee would enterprise any thing either against England or in his own country in which simple and indiscreet action of his hee both deceiued the Pope pretēding great matters to be in hand which were not was the quite ouerthrower of those three earls in their present estates These politicke courses and this busie and dangerous entermedling by the Scottish Iesuits in Scotland grew odious euen to the best there and ruinated thereby the good estates of many without hope of reaping benefit in any time to come And yet forsooth the Iesuits are falsly slaundered when they are sayd to deale in state matters I know there be some of them which mislike these courses and either through their owne vertuous disposition or for respect of their owne quiet safetie or disabilitie or finally for their studie or a religious life shun in what they can al this kind of profane intermedling yet the vertuous and temperat demeanour of these can no more justifie nor excuse the dangerous stickling of their fellowes than the presumptions of these busie heads can blemish or deface their vertuous
and religious cariage Neyther haue I rehearsed thus much for any other end than to let you know how that the report is to be verefied of them and not of vs secular priests and how vnder the profession of Iesuits all be not mortified but some haue very politicke and stirring heads yea in the waightiest matters that are And for Father Pa sons that he more beats his brains about state matters than about the exercise of a religious life it is euident by this one thing I will now tell you besides all I haue sayd before or may justly bee sayd of him VVhiles he was in Spaine you see how he tossed ouer the Titles and Claims to the crowne of England but besides this he wrot two books of the Reformation of all the states of England There the deuout Iesuit setteth vpon the Court. To rule in it hee maketh orders for reformation of the prince and courtiers and appointeth what they shall obserue in their gouernment and liuing The court of Parliament he will haue brought to better forme Then prescribeth he reformations to the Bishops prelats and pastors they must away with pompe and superfluities and be put to their pensions there he setteth downe obseruances to all the secular states and taketh vpon him to reforme the Counsellors Noblemen the gentrie Yeomanrie and all Then he censureth the Law and appointeth what reformations are to bee made in it and in the Lawyers He commeth to the Vniuersities and Colledges and in them hee will haue strange Metamorphoses He dealeth with Cities also and Corporations Townes Villages Artisans escape not the Censurers rod. No religious orders must be admitted within the realme except Iesuits and reclused Carthusians No Abbey lands must be restored except that of S. Ihones for erecting Colledges and houses for the Iesuits This and much more stirre he maketh as diuers haue told me tampering in all estates and yet Fa. Par. and Iesuits entermeddle not with prophane matters of estate Gent. Surely the Father hath a great conceit of his owne wit that he can rule a kingdome Priest Doubt you not of that and this conceit of his was much encreased when hee saw the Spaniards so to approue and commend his plot and the Ladie Infanta promised him that these bookes of Reformation should be put in execution when she should be Queene of England Gent. Haue you these bookes Priest No. They be in England but imparted to none except the Iesuits trustie friends by whom the hearts of other men are disposed against the day to come Gent. I perceiue that Iesuits are the only statesmen of Christendome Priest They delight to bee tampering but euer they doe rather harme than good thereby As is manifest in Portugall in England and in Scotland in which countrey of Scotland truly I haue heard that a Catholicke Earle hath many times bewayled the state and misfortune of their people aboue ours of England in that the Iesuits Fa. Hawood Fa. Creighton Fa. Gordion Father Abercomie which came first among them endeuoured not so much to plant Catholicke religion nor to bring their people to the sincere and deuout profession thereof as they plotted about state matters how to disquiet and subuert the temporall gouernement VVhereas contrariwise your English priests said he brought in religion and respected only to draw the people to vnitie of the Catholicke Church and to vertuous life whereby you haue religion and the sincere practise therof and our heads are still troubled with state matters and wee know not what religion meaneth Gent. VVhat did those graue Iesuits carry themselues no better in their entrance into Scotland Pr. That good Earle reported so And surely it was much-what as hee said For the good charitable Fathers so greatly respected the temporall states of their countreymen that they tooke a sure course for their safeties for as much as concerned religion Gent. VVhat meane you by this Pr. No more but that they tooke order and prouided that no Catholicke should bee damnified in their temporall estates for cause of their religion Gent. How could they doe this vnlesse there bee not such strict lawes against Catholickes in Scotland as we in England haue Priest They haue as sharpe lawes in this point as we but thus the wise Iesuits preuented all dangers They freely permitted Catholickes to goe to church with protestants and made no sinne nor scruple of this as we doe And thus no law could take hold on them for who could be knowne to be a Catholicke Gent. Did they graunt this libertie to all Pr. In this sort they did it If one were a notorious knowne Catholicke where hee came then they taught it to bee vnlawfull in that place to goe to church by reason of scandale and no otherwise But if one were not certainely knowne to bee such a Catholicke he might goe without offence vpon condition that if he heard any hereticall doctrine preached which mooued him to doubt in any point of faith he should presently come to some of those Fathers to be resolued Gent. This was prettie jugling and they were like to haue good Catholickes by this meanes Priest This in truth they did and their Catholicks were as good for this point as they desire to haue thē For it was an intollerable miserie to see houses ouerthrowne and men to leese their lands and goods for a precise course when so small a matter as this would saue all Gent. Saue all All had better haue been lost than saued in this sort But did they al agree in this course Priest All these auncient and wife Fathers agreed vpon it and practised as I haue told you Two punie Iesuits to wit Fa. Holt at the beginning and Father Oglebie since euer misliked and in what they durst gainestood them in this opinion and practise But these two being young men subject to the old their opposition was rejected and they put to silence Gent. I wonder those men being accounted graue vertuous and learned would take this course to reclaime their countrey from heresie and schisme They seemed to make no other reckoning of going to church with protestants than that it was onely scandalous and daungerous for infection which two sins might in some sort haue been preuented or hindered by the meanes you say they tooke But did they neuer know nor call to mind that it was sinne of it owne nature as being a manifest externall profession of a false religion as we account it Pr. They could not but know it if the ouermuch desire to saue the temporall estates of their Catholickes did not blind their vnderstanding or make them to neglect the due examination of the case which latter I cannot thinke of them because Father Holt and Fa. Oglebie in open words and disputes condemned the fact Gent. But our English Iesuits euer practised and taught the contrary to those Scottish Iesuits Pr. They haue done so for any thing that euer I heard to the contrarie except once that Fa. Bosgraue went
contentions pollicies contempt of priests falshoods in fellowship a distrust or a feare each of other slaunders infamies and a generall decay of vertue and deuotion as now the matter is brought vnto and had neuer ben likely to haue entered if they had not come amongst vs. And sure I am that the cheefe noursey of our church that is the Seminarie of Doway is exceedingly decaied since the Iesuits had the mannaging of things especially of the almes purse in England And for the Seminarie also in Rome no man can reprooue vs of an vntruth if wee say that it in like sort hath suffered no small detriment since the death of Cardinall Allen. Gent. But these losses are recompenced abundantly by the erection of new Colledges in Spaine by Father Parsons Priest It is a vain glorious boast and a fiction The losse receiued in those two Seminaries is not recompenced in halfe by all that Fa. Parsons hath done as by and by I shall declare Touching that part of their report where it is maruelled why we should bee aduersaries to the Iesuits I haue answered it sufficiently before Now it remaineth that wee speake of Fa. Parsons VVhat say you of him Gent. Marry many thinke it strange you should be at dissention with him hee beeing a man so well thought of and esteemed both in his owne order and by the most that know him his booke of Resolution argueth him to be a holy man and his endeuours in erecting Seminaries for our countrey sheweth that he is both a good man and most carefull for the good of our countrey and to bee far from doing any of you wrong in the least thing that may be c. Pr. If Fa. Parsons haue deepely wronged vs men need not to wonder that there should bee contentions betweene him and vs. It is no whit likely that we should stomacke the man or contend with him vnlesse he had giuen vs cause VVee will therefore discusse this point and touch all the rest which you haue mentioned for his commendation but let vs take them in order as you spoke them For the credit and estimation he hath among men of his owne order it is with some of them good and with others very meane and they all generally repute him to be very polliticke and of a busie and stirring disposition more desirous in all things to draw all men to his owne will yea and violently to enforce thereto such as be weaker than hee is to follow any other mans aduise or course I know some Iesuits his seniors in religion men of better talent than he who looking into his peremptorie and headie courses haue often censured thus vpon him That he was too contentious and wilfull and that it were better for their religion and the world also that hee were shut vp for euer in some religious house than to bee stickling abroad and tampering in all matters as hee dooth which must of necessitie in the end turne to the harme of many and to the discredit of their society after his deuises come to light Also I haue credibly heard that others should often complaine and say of him That their societie was more troubled and disquieted yea and discredited by the deuises and importunitie of one Englishman Father Parsons than by all the men of other countries besides for hee neuer ceaseth wrangling and contending with one or other and with many at once I haue my selfe heard a Scottish Iesuit farre his auncient in the societie of a good account to inveigh greatly against Father Parsons violent nature and courses and to condemne his polliticke and cunning entermedling in all matters to the hurt of many and to the discredit of their order Father Holts and Fa. Hawoods opinion of him was these Iesuits I name because they be dead that he was of a violent and imperious disposition in most things and with the most men hee dealt with neuer quiet vnlesse hee ouer-ruled all exquisit cunning with flatterie and fawning to bring others to his bend and if this would not win them then to be most fierce and violent vtterly to breake them that should stand in his way The religious Fa. hath found many occasions and deuised many shifts these twentie yeares and more that hee might liue abroad out of his order and be employed to sollicite affaires in princes courts or to haue rule and commaund in Colledges And the conceit he carrieth of his owne wit and sufficiencie maketh him to attempt any thing and euer to bee vnwilling to condescend to any mans aduise but his owne The men of his owne societie also note this in him That hee hath a speciall regard to haue the whole managing of English affaires and that no other of his bretheren how auncient wise or learned soeuer shall communicat with him in these matters or haue any dealing vnlesse they yeeld themselues in euery point to follow his directions and courses and be wholly at his commaundement And they say this only to be the cause why he hath hindered all the grauest and most sufficient English Iesuits beyond the seas to come into the realme or to entermeddle in the wielding of our Churches affaires least forsooth they should refuse to follow his deuises and by a more discreet and temperate course both win from him the credit and beare away the principal stroke and commaund Thus much for the estimation he hath among many good men of his owne societie Gent. There be very many yet which thinke well of him Priest No doubt but diuers thinke better of him than he deserueth or than they would do when they shall come to vnderstand his vncharitable deuises and what discredit hee hath brought both vpon our English church and vpon his owne societie by his cunning and intemperat dealing In the meane while they will like him well as long as hee standeth them in stead either in England Spaine or elswhere Gent. He is much esteemed in Spaine and in Rome by all the Spanish fauourites Pr. He is so and no marvell it is For what prince would not much esteeme a man that can entitle him and his to the kingdome of England raise vp a broken claime from before two hundred yeares and so handle the matter with a cunning flourish that it must bee made to seeme the best and likeliest of all that haue been since For not onely hee aduaunceth the surmised Spanish Title but disgraceth in what he may and weakeneth all the rest This his plotting about the crowne and kingdome of England and sharing it to the Ladie Infanta with deuising probable meanes as he persuadeth them to effect his plot made him very famous and highly esteemed in that nation and woon to him such singular grace of the old King the Ladie Infanta and all their friends that his word might doe much in any matter either to pleasure his friend or displeasure his aduersary Hence also doth proceed the fauour and credit he hath with the Embassadour of Spaine and
all them of the Spanish faction in Rome the hope wherewith he dayly feedeth them of bringing this to passe by his owne pollicies and the helpes he can procure in England causeth them to admire the man and him to be most highly esteemed among them Gent. It is very ridiculous if they should bee so simple as to think Fa. Parson to be able when the day commeth to set the crowne of England vpon whose head it pleaseth him or that he should haue so strong a partie in England as are of power to beare the best game away and dispose thereof at his pleasure Priest They neuer heard that hee was sonne to a blacke-smiths wife but take him perhaps to be some nobleman and allied with many great ones And indeed for his imperious carriage he may easily seeme to strangers to be better descended than in truth hee is For hee is exceeding bold of great vndertaking and can set out all he hath to the best shew Besides a kingdome is an object of that alluring qualitie as the very simple-wishing of a man thereto procureth liking and fauours much more the entiteling a prince thereto and deuising meanes to compasse the same Gent. It is so but Fa. Parsons is much esteemed of by most Catholickes in England yea and of many Protestants also by reason of his booke of Resolution and the Seminaries hee hath procured for our Nation Pr. As this booke of Resolution was a good work and woon him all the credit which was due to Granado that laid the platforme to Father Parsons hand and gaue him the principall grounds and matter thereof and which also was deserued by maister Brinckley for the penning as diuers report so no doubt the libell he writ against the Earle of Leicester and the other against the old L. Treasurer and this worke of Succession whereby he entitleth the Ladie Infanta to the crowne of England with disgracing all other Titles and Competitors hath got him much hatred and discredit in England and Scotland If the booke were his it was well done and he deserued commendation for it and surely if he had gone forward with the other two parts as he promised hee had spent these twentie yeares and moe both more to Gods honour and the good of his countrey and to his own greater merit than he hath done by all his other polliticke stickling in matters of State or by his cunning his violent his contentious and his vnconscionable proceedings otherwise But his head was too busie and ouermuch prophaned and greatly it is to be feared his dealing considered in Spaine and in Rome also against our students and the two good priests we sent thether about this authoritie again his deceiuing the Pope by false information both in procuring the authoritie by incensing him against the priests that when he finished that booke of Resolution he made an end also therewith of deuotion sinceritie and honest dealing It is no certaine nor probable argument to proue a man to be a Saint or a vertuous and a good man because in times past he hath written a vertuous booke yea or because hee writeth one in the present For this abilitie consisteth principally in the power of a mans vnderstanding whereas vertue and goodnesse as well supernaturall as naturall resteth in the will and affecteth the operations thereof Lucifer that damned fiend was a Cherubin of highest intelligence hee and his wicked angels exceed all men in wit and knowledge and want no skill to contriue and make spirituall bookes of absolute perfection yet this great knowledge of theirs neithet maketh them good nor can argue them to be vertuous spirits as long as their will is peruerted The like we may say of Adam that neither his great graces wherein he was created nor his supernaturall gifts which remain after his fall in both which states he had sufficient skill to deliuer to the world as good doctrine as Fa. Parson hath done could proue him to be a good man when he had cast himselfe out of the state of grace into sinne and the fame is true also in euery learned man beeing in mortall sinne and in Fa. Parson himselfe if at any time since he hath beene in that damnable state by their sinne they are depriued of justifying grace and other supernaturall vertues depending therupon but their faith their hope and knowledge gotten before their fall remaineth still by which they may teach and write as perfect doctrine as before they could Yea I haue heard Doctor Stapleton report of certaine bookes written vpon the holy Scripture by Iohn Caluin that they contained excellent good morall doctrine and if the heresies entermingled therewith were cancelled that they might be read with great profite and pleasure and yet no Catholicke will denie but that Caluine notwithstanding all this was a great enemie to the Romane religion Did not Salomon write many deuine volumnes and yet afterwards he became a bad man Now let Fa. Parsons booke goe with that deserued commendations what hee was good or bad whiles hee writ it for hee might bee either I cannot judge and I will suppose the best but what hee hath been since his owne bad actions yeeld presumptions ouer-pregnant and probable that sometimes he hath been no Saint nor sincere honest man Gent. In my conceit it is a manifest signe of a defect in wisedome judgement and discretion for any so worthely to valew a man for one or many his good actions past that when after the same he doeth euill he will not beleeue or see it or else in manifest faults stand to justifie and defend him by reason hee was once a good man or had done well before For mens judgements should be conformable to the object or otherwayes they cannot be true and in this though the precedēt good actions ought to stay a man from rash judgement and to make euery one suspend his censure vntill he be assured of the fact yet when his euill doing is once apparant a wise man should not let his affection cary him away to judge blacke to be white or a man fall'n to vice to remaine still a saint Priest VVell then you see that Fa. Parsons booke of Resolution made aboue twentie yeeres agoe cannot justifie nor ought not to patronize his naughtie actions committed since no nor in the judgement of any man to prejudice our cause and vs in these contentions we haue with him Gent. In reason it should be so but yet the Seminaries in Spaine saint Omers erected by his means haue gotten him much credit cause men to thinke him the bestfriend our Countrey hath Pr. If men would judicially consider what he hath done in this point perhaps they would thinke worse of him and his actions than they doe For albeit there be now by his meanes moe Semenaries for our yong studients than before yet doublesse our Countrey reapeth much lesse benefit now by all than it did of old by the two onely of Rome and
For how knoweth he that it offendeth the present State her Majestie her honorable Councell and other magistrats that any should affect the king of Scots and preferre him before all others after her Majesties decease The present State maketh no shew at all of any such auersion from the king of Scots and his title Fa. Parsons then vpon his own surmise should not affirme so odious a thing VVhich if it bee true and so conceiued vpon his assertion it may very well be matter of disgust and quarrell betweene her Majestie and that king and perhaps touch the present State with dissimulation of kindnesse towards him And if it bee false it must bee very injurious to the present State and both their royall persons And for vs what temeritie and vncharitable dealing is this in a Iesuite to write That so many Catholicke priests are Scotists in faction and that without any respect of religion at all they are about to set vp the king of Scots a knowne hereticke and this to offend now the present State If wee should goe about such an enterprise no doubt but we should greeuously offend the present State no lesse than the Iesuites haue done by their endeuours to set vp a Spaniard it beeing prohibited by the lawes of the realme vnder a capitall penaltie That none shall meddle with the matter of succession during her Majesties life that now is much lesse attempt the setting vp of any before her Majestie be dead And in this case if it had been true perhaps it had not beseemed Father Parsons to haue beene the first bewrayer of vs and discouerer of our fault and thereby bring vs all in mortall hatred with the State and in manifest daunger of our liues he knowing that it would so mightily offend them But it being altogether vntrue on our parts and no other than his owne jealous imagination hee hath done vs intollerable injurie thus to make vs odious to our owne Prince and State without our ill deseruing I can perceiue no other drift hee should haue in this calumnie than all his other deuises failing by this vntrue fiction to vndoe vs whom he reckoneth his aduersaries He knew when he writ this letter that wee went about to procure a prohibition That no bookes or Treatises of State-matters should be published which might any way exasperate her Majestie and the present State against vs which came onely to plant Catholick religion among our countreymen whosoeuer they were that should gouerne the kingdome this I say hee knew very well How then in a charitable mind could he thinke it likely that we our selues were about to set vp the king of Scots which as he confesseth would most of all offend the present State VVee desired to auoid all occasions of offence and this good Father will neuerthelesse accuse vs to offend in the highest degree It is not conuenient nor safe for vs to follow Father Parsons designes in these matters of princes and kingdomes and therefore he and his associats must pardon vs if we dislike their doings and quite refuse to joine with them Gent. It behoueth you to doe no lesse especially in these daungerous times when a man shall hazard much and loose all ere he be aware But surely Father Parsons had some notable pollicie in his head about these State-affaires when hee procured That the Arch-priest his authoritie should bee extended ouer all English priests in England and Scotland Priest Hee had no other than that by this absurd meane hee might further the Spanish title and hinder the Scots For when he procured this authoritie the Catholicke Archbishop of Glasco was liuing and releeued by the kings consent and graunt out of the reuenues of his Bishopricke And yet was this Archp. authoritie stretched throughout all the kingdome of Scotland without any respect or subordination at all to that Archbishop for no other end but that there should bee no friendship familiaritie conuersation nor communion betweene our priests and the Catholickes of Scotland and thereby the people of both nations be kept still at their auncient mortall enmitie Gent. Mee thinkes this cannot bee but very vncharitable and absurd For the English priests hauing from his Holinesse jurisdiction to minister Sacraments as well in Scotland as in England why should they not as freely if they bee so disposed helpe to saue the Scots as the English Or why should that people for a controuersie about Titles and Crownes be debarred of their spirituall releefe by our priests considering they haue almost none of their owne The worke of God should not be hindered through these vaine respects And againe it seemeth that Father Parsons pollicies in temporall matters blinded his judgement in spirituall For how vnfitting and vnseemely is it That an Archpriest in England should haue his authoritie extended into the diocesse of an Archbishop in another kingdome without any dependance or subordination vnto him VVhat can be more injurious both to the Archbishop and to the Priests than this The priests be free and at their owne choice it is VVhether they will continue and labour in these dangerous workes or leaue them If wearie of England they passe into Fraunce Germanie Spaine or any other part of Christendome except Scotland they are without the Archpriest his jurisdiction the Bishops of those countries may dispose of them but if for their owne safeties or for desire of sauing soules or for any other good respect they depart into Scotland the Catholicke Archbishop there cannot dispose of them not employ them nor hold them otherwise than the Archpriest in London will giue them leaue in his power it is and not in the Arch-bishops within his owne See what authoritie and faculties they shall haue whether they shall vse anie part of their function or no and finally hee may enforce them either to leaue that kingdome how needfull soeuer they be for Christian soules or else to remaine vnable to doe them good with many moe like inconueniences Priest The disorder is exceeding preposterous and shamefull but thus it pleased Father Parsons to frame all to his owne purpose without regard either of Priests or Archbishops or Christian soules or Christ himselfe But to end this point of their slaunder with a manifest confutation and shew of their ill dealing with vs I pray you conferre this That wee be Scotists in faction and that wee deale in matters of State with their other slaunder which wee haue alreadie touched before that was That wee are highly fauoured by the State and maintained by the Councell and Magistrates wee need no more but for a sufficient confutation to set the one against the other For if it be true That we be Statesmen and goe about to set vp the king of Scots and withall that this most of all doth offend the present State as they say it cannot surely be true that we are highly fauoured and maintained by the State and Councell as they report for our disgrace Because the State and Councell will not fauour nor releeue them that so greatly offend them by their dealing in state matters Or againe if this latter be true That the Councel fauour and maintaine vs it must of necessitie bee false That we offend them by tampering for the king of Scots But whiles vndiscreet zeale and vncharitable affections mooue the Iesuits and their adherents to injurie vs by all meanes they can they run themselues headlong into these absurdities to make one of their slaunders to confute another For they all beeing vntruths vttered vpon a mightie stomacke and a vehement desire to discredit vs they hang together and agree like Sampsons Foxes but our innocencie and truth I hope will preuaile in the end against all mallice and iniquitie and cunning shifts FINIS