right stampe hath be laboured with his pen to winne vnto his byace and to bring her Ladiship in dislike of the secular priests as others haue sought but all alike preuayled she being both too wise constant and vertuous to be carried away with gloses you would maruell that euer any bearing the face of a religious man would write so exorbitantly as he there hath done to his vtter shame and discredit as you shall well perceiue when it once comes foorth in Print with the discouery of his arrogancy ignorance lies on the one side and of his malice slāderous toong contēpt of the secular priests on the other side But to returne to our former speech These circumstances of Parsons actions and names giuen to offenders demonstrating a soueraigntie or superioritie in cheefe to be in Master Blackwell it followeth that he being notwithstanding all this subordinate or for feare or want of wit experience and knowledge due to such a superior as he takes vpon him to be at the command of Fa. Garnet betwixt whom by a priest of their owne faction it hath been told that there is continuall intercourse once in euery 24. howers at least there can no lesse be aymed at by the Iesuits in this Isle then a supreme power imperialty and dominion ouer all And so I conclude that they ayme at the succession themselues to rule vnder the Spaniards or rather to cloake their intended ambitious aspires vnder the Spaniards wings a while vntill they haue gotten all subiected vnder them Sed caueat Hispania praelio partu venditur proelis fides THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether then seeing they shoote at the whole monarchie of great Britanie together with Ireland Doe they intend any thing against Fraunce or not Or whether their practise for England may hinder or further their attempts for Fraunce more then their like practises for Scotland one while and for Ireland another while may do or no THE ANSWERE ENgland is made the maine chaunce of Christendome as our countries heauie case is at this present by seditious factions tampering and aspiring heads Wherefore we haue iust cause so many as loue to liue in quiet to pray hartely for the preseruation of her Maiesties life For afterward great calamities are we sure to see so many as liue to that wofull hower by all probable coniecture And by consequent then it followeth that England is the onely butte marke and white they aime at as well in intention as in execution of their pretended expedition exployte and action Which failing farewell a Iesuits monarchie for euer But holding their plots cast for England then haue at all Fraunce and other nations by peece meale in succeeding turns of conquests And therefore standes it both the state ecclesiasticall and temporal vpon of England in chiefe of Fraunce next and so of all other states and princes to looke to them in time and to ioyne in aide fauour and assistance of the Seminarie and secular priests in this their appeale This conclusion needes no further better nor other proofe then a relation with aduisement of this discourse Quodlibeticall First for that as you may gather by the second reason in the last Article and perceiue more at large if you read father Parsons Dolemanian succession he bringeth all his chiefe and strongest arguments for intituling the Lady Infanta to the English crowne from that head scil for that she is the right heire of Brytaine and France c. Now then if she be the heire of France and Brytaine as in precise termes he calleth her in his Appendix and that thereby she be intituled to our English crowne then questionles if once she get or I should haue said they get possession of this Isle in her right which they aime at in chiefe their title therunto comming by this meanes it standes with no sense that they shoulde giue ouer their clayme on her graces behalfe to that kingdome whereof they say she is already heire hauing obteined that monarchy whereunto she is intituled by the foresaide claime of heritage and whereby withall reciprocally she is againe reintituled to the same French kingdome and crowne Neither will the law Salique keepe them out from aduauncing her royall ensignes in the middest of them For I holde it but for a kindly canuase banding bob or taunting effect to confront with France for Burgundy Britany and other states and seigniories of old depending vpon the French crowne affirming as father Parsons doth in Doleman that though by the law Salique the Lady Infanta may be defeated and put from her rightfull title of inheritance and lawfull claime to the whole kingdome of France in concreto or in sensu composito as a man may terme it yet no reason saith he there but that so many states prouinces as came to the crowne of France by heires generall or women but that the same should diuolue vnto the Spaniard by women heires againe Which if he can bring to passe for all those seigniories come by women then shall the French be so fleeced in abstracto or in sensu diuiso as let them rest assured to be distracted out of their wits ere the Spanish Iesuiticall faction haue left them vnlesse they surrender vp the whole into their hands and yeelde perforce to abrogate the authoritie of their Salique lawes it holding no way either in piety or policie with father Parsons principles that taking vpon him in his said booke of titles and high counsell of reformation to abolish vtterly the auncient municipall lawes of this lande which were established by highest authoritie then the lawe Salique of France and that before euer the saide lawe was heard of amongst them that they should not tender thrust vpon and compell the French to chaunge their forme of gouernment lawes customes and all at his designement Secondly although during the time of their I meane the Iesuits rebellious practises conspiracies against the last king Henry the 3. of France of the house of Valois and this king regnant Henry the 4. before king of Nauarre it was not directly knowne that the Iesuits had cast at the crowne and whole kingdome of France in those warres then maintained by aide of the Spaniard but as a great part of catholikes heere in England in former broiles and conspiracies as well by the dukes of Norfolke and of Guise as also by captaine Stukeley and doctor Saunders aided with Italians and Spaniards c. and finally by the attempt in the yeere 1588. did thinke that the Iesuits and their faction had done all of zeale though indiscretely and for the aduancement of Gods glory and the catholike cause pretended by them to be religion So the French catholikes many of them of ignorance folowing the parts of Spaine and other rebels against their Soueraigne and country by Iesuiticall perswasion hauing had the like good opinion of these religious men and thereupon following their direction at an inche yet since their expulsion thence for their treasons and
course taken amongst the English students at Rome that they may not haue their mutuall meetings congratulations recreations and other solaces and comforts of one chamber classe and company with another as earst they haue had and is euery where else to be found where any humanitie religious pietie or charitable wish or desire of either spirituall welfare or corporall health progresse and practise of studie vertue and learning is resident in the Rector Principall or chiefe But Iesuits must needes smell of innouations and singularitie in all things otherwise how should we knowe their rare indowments illuminations and familiar acquaintance with their maker c. And to this absurditie a blasphemie of his may be added wherein he maketh this opposition against the sacred state of regall dignitie and throne triumphant of imperiall maiestie to wit that the title honor and regall dignitie of a crowne is of all other things so irregular and extraordinarie as not onely an vsurper disseizer intruder and impious tyrant but also euen a very infidell a traitor a butcherly murtherer or a most base Assismistial crue if once he may attaine it by the rules of father Parsons common wealth then his title is neuer after to be examined by any except a Iesuit you must alwaies vnderstand but euery one is bound as is aboue said in conscience to obey the same Loe here noble princes and you deere catholikes what you are to learne out of the Iesuiticall doctrine Certainly therein is nothing else but fallacie vpon fallacie error vpon error one contradiction encountring another and all nothing but treacheries treasons and conspiracies The state of a monarchie is of all other gouernments the most perfect and excellent and yet forsooth the tenure of a crowne is imperfect infamous as out of all rule and order The actuall possession of a kingdome or state at the first vsurpation of it must onely guide the right as the most materiall point to lead the inheritance and succession of a crowne which way it liketh best The common wealth is the onely iudge of the possessionar or king regnant to controll him at the pleasure of the people A king was made to rule a common wealth and a common wealth to obey a king and yet carts must leade carthorses schollers guide schoolemasters people teach preachers children rule parents and an vnruly irregular disordered multitude witkout head or of many heads none good like a monster cloaked by a fallacie to abuse simple people vnder the name of a common wealth must gouerne the most irregular and extraordinarie crowne And so lawes must be construed conformable to the sensual appetite of a multitude not the multitude reformed agreeable to Gods lawes Soueraignes must accommodate themselues to the manners and conditions of their subiects be they good or bad and not subiects apply themselues to the arbitrament of their soueraignes be they neuer so good and gracious longer then they list to obey them Soueraignes must raigne vpon sufferance onely de facto ad beneplacitum populi in a bare possession of a crowne but not de iure to continue the same by order of lawe in his owne right longer or otherwise then the varieties of humors altering the dispositions in men may mooue the people to interprete the lawe from time to time vnto them Thus shall neither the king catholike nor the emperor nor any other soueraigne haue assurance of safetie for their person or state one minute of an hower and all by this vnchristian directorie of father Parsons which makes all their actions good and allowable to displace princes at their pleasure And yet still vice must be vertue violence made law wrongs iudged rights hangmen made iudges and traitors crowned kings but deposible alwaies and actually oftentimes must be deposed be there cause or no cause be they capable or incapable be it in the field of warre or in the land of peace Bicause forsooth Fa. Parsons publike state or statisticall doctrine of runnagates called here a Common wealth doth hold it necessary to be so is the onely iudge peramount in all state cases commissions for a crowne king kingdome without appeale to any higher iudge whosoeuer And further euery Precopite Tartarian multitude thus incorporated getting once the stile and title of a publike state in their owne opinion may brook the name of a Geneuian or an Heluetian or a Switherly commō wealth and alter chaunge and innouate the course of inheritance and succession not onely to crownes and kingdomes but also to euery priuate persons heritage holden in Fee simple So as they may beare away the right and true title cast vpon any from the king to the Freeholder by the lawes of Fa. Parsons new common wealth and giue it to whom they list though the party be neither member of that state nor subiect thereunto by nature submission infranchisment or other ordinary and lawfull meanes For if the onely lawful and good tenure of a kingdome diademe and crowne be holden by the king himselfe of the good-will onely of the common wealth that is as much to say as a Tenant at will of the people then followeth it by this hyperbolical fiction against the state of inheritance in regall maiestie that à fortiori all a soueraignes subiects also which haue any lands of ancient demaine or other inheritance must be subiect to the like lawes And so by good or at least necessary sequell is inferd that this they doe to confront the king of Spaine in chiefe points of regal state and to harden the Hollanders Zelanders and others there to mantaine warres in open action against him as also to minister new matter of rebellion in Arragon in Portugall and in all other of his owne dominions for a seditious route to thrust him quite out of his whole monarchiall estate of Spaine and to depriue him of kingdome crowne and life at their pleasure To all this Fa. Parsons hath prepared a ready way to serue his owne turne and his societies not the king nor any of his royall issues therewith for his admittance to the Spaniards much more to any other kingdome being onely by his common wealth and popular applauses neuer so well settled yet holding his crowne but as Tenant at will of the said common wealth who may reuoke their admittance when they list to quarrell it followeth that he hath no estate of nor assurance at all in him for any thing he holdeth Thus hath this great Statist discouered at vnawares his owne and his confederates ambitious aspires treacherous intent Atheall expectation pragmaticall practise and Matchiuilian platforme to make the world beleeue he pleads onely for the Spaniards and that simply and plainely for religions sake when his drift directly is immediately by meanes of conquest intended for England to bring all Christendome into an vprore for common soldiers to examine their soueraignes what title they hold by and thereupon themselues by craft mony and multitudes gathered together through their
England were Catholicks and those of the bloud royall so in esse with all yet were her title as good as the best saith he and by consequent concludes with this bobbe giuen to all our nation that the gift of the crowne of England was in the oldking Catholiks hands who perhaps quoth this patch Parsons may be perswaded as also his sonne the now king may be to the like set to giue ouer his claime and surrender vp his whole interest and right thereunto to his daughter Clara Eugenia Isabella yeelding her aide for atchieuing of the same to her and some such chatholicks Noble as his Maiestie shall thinke fit for a husband to a Lady of so high parentage Who being now the Archduke Albert late Cardinall c. if followeth that he is the Peere must be our Prince by Coruester Parsons designements And seeing he there insinuates as much and that the foresaid Cardinall Allan had dealt with the king of Spaine as he would make the world beleeue to that intent and purpose the case then and therein is cleere that this same booke here mentioned and that Appendix were both of Parsons owne doing as birds of one nest feather and wing hatched by the vnnaturall heate of his ambitious hart Secondly I obserue both heere there that there was great difficultie and doubts put in perswading the king of Spaine to this exploit for the conquest of England and that there was much adoo to draw him vnto it had not the parties mentioned importuned him to our countries ouerthrow Thirdly they account the intended massacre of her Maiestie and of so many thousands of her good subiects as must haue died if the Spaniard had preuailed as before I prooued it vnto you by the words of the Duke of Medina and other testimonies to that purpose a holy and glorious acte and to haue beene vndertaken of an vnspeakeable zeale and pietie c. Loe Nobles and Gentiles you deere catholikes of both sexes and all degrees Medina vowes he will spare none be he or she Catholicke Protestant or whosoeuer this booke affirmes the massacre intended is an acte of zeale what case are you now in if your Soueraigne forsake you also and who shal can or will defend you if she giue you ouer to the persecutor what haue you to say in your owne defence to saue your liues if her highnes draw the sword of iustice and lay it vpon you Truely nothing at all but so many of you as are loyall subiects your religious catholicke consciences reserued being as innocent as ignorant of those practises whereof I dare boldly speake it in the worde of a priest many thousands in England neuer heard of before the publishing of these Quodlibets might iustly haue fed your dying soules with hope of Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iustitiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum But for other hopes you could haue none Fourthly the false harted Cateline inuolueth all the catholicks that were then beyond the seas in that his most Turkish Iesuitish Puritanian and barbarous designements Fiftly he intangleth such as receiued so great fauors at her Maiesties hands and the state heere as that where by the lawes they might all haue beene put to death they were onely banished Yet notwithstanding he forceth them to become intercessors both for the destruction of her Highnesse and of her kingdome Sixtly what iust cause is heere giuen to her Maiestie and the state of seuere proceeding against all such catholicks as were then beyond the seas when they should come home in that they all sought and thirsted after the blood of their countrey vos iudicate But I hope and in part I know it that the false bastard Iesuits pen when he writ those words did but expresse the traitorous harts of himselfe and some fewe of his consorts and that he hath most egregiously belied many For of the Lord Dacres and sundrie others as well of the cleargie as laitie it is well knowne they were euer most opposite to those traitorous practises and therefore most mightily persecuted by Parsons and his confederates notwithstanding they still helde and do holde out as loyall English subiects vsque ad sanguinem as obedient catholicke children vsque ad aras and as seruiceable in hart to both God and man Pope Prince and to the catholicke Romish church and the English common wealth as soule and body in one person can affoord or faith fealtie religion and loyaltie diuine loue and naturall affection can expect or demaund at their hands And for the rest if any were so sotted and bewitched with Iesuitisme or infected with the Spaniards as I doubt too many were I wish for my owne part euen from the bottome of my poore but resolued catholicke loyall hart so many of them as remaine obstinate with Parsons in that vnnaturall combination faire and well buried in their graues Thus hauing made the first part of the Interrogatory most apparant and manifest I wil now prosecute the answere to the second in as briefe and plaine a method as I may Say then for the present which yet is more then I would willingly put to mainteine the time and our afflicted state considered that his Holinesse and the king of Spaine might lawfully haue taken armes against her Maiestie and this her kingdome our natiue land yet it was shamefull part of father Parsons his companions to be the contriuers or instigators of it as it is to be prooued by many memorable examples agreeing to this purpose scil First out of holy writ it is manifest and apparant that the Iebusites and other inhabitants of the land of behest were permitted there to liue euen after the Israelites had obteined the land as their owne ancient inheritance ergo a forreine people of a natiue broode are not to be by Gods lawes subiected in their natiue soyle by strangers of an alien land Secondly Gregorius magnus when he might haue ridde the parts and coasts of Italy from the tyranny of the Gothes and other sauage peo-people if he would haue intermedled in matters of blood refused so to do accounting it to be a course not fitte for a man of his calling to deale in Thirdly by the lawes customes and practise of all kingdomes such persons as shall machinate and deuise to execute such outragious designements against their prince and countrey haue euer beene iustly condemned and detested of all honest men and good subiects yea and euen of those same princes inuadors or vsurpers that comming to sway the scepter royall of a kingdome by such meanes neuer suffred such traitors to passe vnpunished nor without the iust guerdon of treason deducere canes ad inferos as by sundry examples in the Antiperistasis to Parsons Doleman I haue prooued it true Fourthly it had beene Parsons dutie and so also the dutie of all other priests Iesuits and religious persons to haue praied for her Maiestie and their countrey and by preaching to haue sought the reformation
our powers should take vpon vs to giue it vnto another were he neuer so good a Catholike that had no right thereto Iustinus Martyr speaking of the duety of Christians to the ciuill Magistrate in those times of Infidels and persecutors affirmeth that they prayed not onely for the Emperors themselues but also for their sonnes that they might succeede them in the Empire quod aequissimum est which saith he is most agreeable to iustice and equitie were they like to prooue as euill as their fathers there is no exceptions of it The which I rather obserue to shew my dislike of Fa. Parsons in this point who is accustomed vpon euery occasion when he is in his best moode to affirme that he careth not who it is from whence he commeth or what right he hath to the crowne of this kingdome that when the time commeth shall be able to catch it so he be a Catholike But concerning both this point and the former least it should be said that whilest I would seeme to giue a reason of that which I haue in hand I do onely shew my opinion and illustrate the same with similitudes that are of as great vncertainty as that which I propound I will confirme my opinion with the iudgement of a principall man to whom there will no great exception be taken and then that which I haue said will prooue to be an argument ab authoritate Thus he writeth Soloiure naturali diuino non priuatur aliquis Dominio in subditos propter peccatum Apostasiae in fide c. If you goe no further then to the law of nature or to the law of God no king is depriued from his soueraigntie ouer his subiects though it be for the sin of Apostacie from faith And he giueth a very sound reason for this his assertion nam fundamentum dominij non est fides c. For faith is not the ground of dominion but some other politike title hauing force by the lawe of nations of succession by inheritance or of election or of iust acquisition by iust warre Qui tituli possunt etiam manere sine fide neque vnquam extat ius aliquod diuinum quo eiusmodi tituli eneruantur propter defectionem a side which titles may remaine without faith neither is there any lawe of God whereby such titles are impeached for defection from faith 8. I know that iure ecclesiastico by the authoritie sentence of the Popes holines much more may be done then here I will speake of But yet I thinke it wil prooue in the end the best course for men not to do so much as they may Many things be lawfull which are not expedient And this Iesuiticall course of downe with princes when they offend them may peraduenture so prouoke them as they will say as fast downe with priests and of a certainty we shall haue the woorse When they finde that the titles of their kingdomes cannot be touched either by the lawe of nature or by the lawe of God do what they list it may giue them occasion to oppose themselues with greater seueritie against the See Apostolike in that the same should make such extreme lawes voluntarily against them as should tend to the thrusting of them out of their kingdomes And out of question it will be subiect if once they take this course to great iangling whether such lawes as should touch the deposing of a king are not rather to be accounted lawes ciuill and temporall then any matter or subiect fit for ecclesiasticall men or lawes to worke vpon We see already that some kings do take vpon them to deale and make lawes in causes ecclesiasticall denying his holines authority therein within their kingdomes And will it not seeme a thing much more plausible probable if other kings shall stand vpon it and say that his holines hath no interest to make any ciuill or temporall lawes that may touch their freeholds Nay if things should come to this rifling I feare they would in their heat goe further and tell his holines that for ought they finde kings haue as great authority to depose priests as priests haue to depose kings Besides it must be cōfessed that all priests Iesuits and euery other sort of clergie men the Popes holines excepted are borne subiects of kings and princes and it will be an odious assertion to say that the taking of priesthood vpon them should giue them warrant to bristle and make head against their soueraignes Furthermore it cannot be denied shift the Iesuits with all their cunning neuer so prettily but the immunities which priests haue from the temporall lawes of kings doe proceede as Saint Thomas acknowledgeth from their meere fauour and godly zeale towards them Also it is most manifest that as the kings of England haue beene most bountifull to the church and churchmen here within their dominions in so much as all the reuenewes and temporalties with many singular priuiledges which in this realme our forefathers haue enioyed haue proceeded from their most princely liberality and authority so standeth the case of the clergy in all other kingdomes which two points would be duly considered of in time For if princes should by the same meanes seeke to spoyle the church and take from it all her said immunities priuiledges and temporall possessions it will little auaile to bring in our distinctions how parliaments may giue what they list to the church and churchmen but they can take nothing either from them or from the church What the power of a parliament is in England we haue had too great experience and I suppose the states in other kingdomes haue the like And therefore in all pollicie kings and soueraigne princes are not to be ruffled with in this Iesuiticall maner That which they may pretend how in these their discourses they ayme but at some one or two doth indeed touch all kings if they incurre the displeasure of his holines Surely though I humbly acknowledge my selfe to be minimus fratrum meorum and neither arrogate to my selfe to be of such mature iudgement as many are nor will presume to take vpon me so peremptorily on the one side as Father Parsons doth on the other though vnlearnedly God wot yet I finde many great dangers that may happen to the Catholike Roman church if these violent spirits be not in time suppressed Such furious insulting ouer princes will neuer doe good They may be drawen many waies by gentle and milde proceedings with them rather then by such indiscreete and desperate courses whereby they grow to greater resistance For if the Popes holines in times past dealt so sharpely as it seemeth with Baldemarus king of Denmarke that he writ in this sort to the supreme Pastor Notum tibi facimus vitam nos habere à Deo nobilitatem à parentibus regnum à subditis fidem ab ecclesia Romana quam si nobis inuides remittimus per presentes Be it knowen vnto thee that we haue our
Iesuits perfections that bring all the world into admiration of their Pharisaical holinesse and Scribisticall zeale and religion THE III. ARTICLE VVHether seing the Iesuits are of so bad imperfect corrupt a life is their societie a confirmed order of religion or else is it a secular or ecclesiasticall state of life or otherwise a meere temporall profession of companionship as the word societie importeth or none at all or what is it THE ANSWERE IT is as I haue told you before enough for that matter a very hotch potch of al together their founders principles which were good in the originall being quite peruerted corrupted and altered by them in the execution and practise For as you may gather clearely out of the last Quodlibet they are neither secular nor religious and yet they will be counted the latter in name and will be of themselues the former nay more then the former in action Insomuch as to the great discredit of their societie and the reuerend esteeme had at the first of them they runne now such a desperate course as if religion were but a meere politicall and Atheall deuise or practicall science inuented by fig-boyes and men of the Bernard high lawe such like as liue by their wits principles of Machiauell taught by their Arch-Rabbies how to maintaine with equiuocations dissimulation detraction ambition sedition contention surfeiting sorer then euer did Heliogabalus with his many hundred varieties of seruices serued in at euery banquet or feast royall at his Table in setting diuision breeding of ielousie making of hostile strife by opposition of King against King State against State 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 f lowes â—â—â—cap or wnes to â—â—â—â—on â—â—ngdom and to 〈◊〉 Kinâ—â— with Pâ—mphlets in then ambi ious hearts And whâ— is it they cannot do with fâ—cing aloof of but come it once to â—â—ysting they are gone So in their great ostentâ—tion of learning when the secular challenged or rather intreated a dispâ—â—ation to be had about schisme they durst not come to the encounter but like cowards and scolds â—ailed against of for mouing of such a matter Priest against Priest Peere against Peere parents against children sisters against brothers children against parents seruants against maisters wiues against husbands huâ—bands against wiues and one friend against another raising of rebellions murthering of Princes making vprores euery where vntill they make those they cannot winne otherwise vnto them either yeeld to be their vassals for to liue quiet by the or force them to flight or driue them out of their wits or otherwise plague them to death Are these men then to be called religious nay are they to be called seculars or Ecclesiastickes Nay are they worthie the name of Catholike laitie nay of temporall worldly Mechanicall Christians No no their course of life doth shew what their study is and that howsoeuer they boast of their perfections holinesse meditations and exercises whereof we will talke anone yet their platforme is heathenish tyrannicall Sathanicall and able to set Aretine Lucian Machiauell yea and Don Lucifer in a sort to schoole as impossible for him by all the art he hath to besot men as they do as is most manifest by this onely contention betwixt the seculars and them if there were none other proofe For could the foule feend himselfe or all the infernall furies haue put such an odious conceit into Catholikes heades and hearts against their owne ghostly Fathers and deare friends as these worse then wicked spirits haue done Could the Diuell with all the art he hath haue made the laitie to haue condemned and contemned the seculars and with whoups and howbubs made all the world ring of them as of disobedient irreligious Publicanes and Schismatikes for not subscribing to the Archpriest at their becke and command a full halfe yeare before euer he had any authoritie It is maruellous to thinke of this â—â—nding impudencâ—â— of the Iesuits in establishing of then Archpriest and what shamefull and gracelesse shifts they are driuen vntâ— or â—â—â—her vâ—â—untarily fallen into for defence of their intollerable wickednesse and abuse of all estates therein Amongst others of which bald shifts this is one and a chiefe to blind the ignorant withall For that the Pope hauing now confirmed the Archpriests authoritie alâ—hough it were vnlawfully gotten and that he sheweth himselfe partiall vnfit and too cruell therein yet now all men ought to obey it and may no way speake against it yea if he excommunicate suspend c. vniustly or whatsoeuer he do else yet being in authoritie he ought to be obeyed and those whom he so censureth to be auoyded And thus these ignorant see not how that by this meanes murders treasons blasphemies vsurpations extorsions cousinage heresie or whatsoeuer vice or villanie is committed by any inferior officer may not be complained on to a superior But that an excommunication passing from such a grosse vsurper is still of force be there cause or no cause for it they all this while keeping silence and bearing all their reproches with patience And then againe when a forged foisted in authoritie was gotten by cousinage and cogging most egregiously with his Holinesse and so the grant to none effect yet the seculars willing to put all vp quietly and rest with the losse and taking away of their good names which was dearer to them then their liues But not permitted to liue so they being of fresh tormented againe by these most turbulent and malicious men and vrged to make a kind of recantation or satisfaction by way of publike penance with repentance of not yeelding at the first and acknowledging they were in schisme could then all the feends in hell haue driuen into peoples minds a conceit of scandale or any other offence to haue bene giuen or committed by the seculars for either appealing to his Holinesse for iustice against these tyrants in their iust defence and to haue the cause tried there betwixt them or for setting out bookes to declare and make knowne to the world what these wretched men were and how mightily both the seculars were iniured and all others deluded by them No it had bene impossible for any wicked spirit to haue dealt so maliciously and yet haue perswaded the people that the seculars were still in the fault and the Iesuite innocent lambes Saints and free And yet this haue these Machiuileans done and banded it out most impudently yea so farre as notwithstanding the discouerie of their high impietie by bookes and other meanes yet will the people still beleeue them in euery thing They will beleeue that the seculars in time of their long silence did yet deserue to be railed vpon contemned and reuiled as they were They will beleeue that their now writing in their owne iust defence and setting out but in part as they haue deserued is odious scandalous and very euill done of them So as both silence and speech condemnes them and all this by a cogging tricke of Machiauell
And yet again vnderhand vpon this ground of gaining time he laboureth continually for the setting vp now of this man and now of that woman furnishing of euery one with such bald stuffe as he hath to make them beleeue they haue matter sufficient to proue that the right of the Crowne belongeth vnto them For notwithstanding all his faire weather to Spaine yet for winning of time he hath still bene practising from time to time to haue raised vp others whilest the Spaniard was a breathing to haue gotten the Kingdom if he could and so to haue plucked that morsell out of King Philip and his daughters iawes nor caring who nor of what race nor of what nation soeuer that would step in for the Kingdome so he were forsooth a Catholike O good Lord yea a Catholike he must be so her Maiestie were deposed he careth not by whom but yet must make shew that it must be by aduancing some Catholike otherwise he could haue no colour of wishing for it and much lesse any meanes either to exasperate her Maiestie and the present State against Catholikes or yet to stirre vp Catholikes with desire to redeeme themselues out of the heauie persecutions laid vpō them For as he dealt first by his Agents with the Earle of Derby and yet the said Earle was no Catholike so at an other time he writ a discourse sent it into England and it caused to be published to many of the best Catholikes here which was that he would wish and did by those presents aduise them when the commoditie serued that they should make an election of some principal Noble and at last with much ado came out this word Catholike to be their King And all this was but a point of dalliance to gaine time withall And still when no pretender nor people wil be so madde as to follow his designements then hath he euer his recourse to the King of Spaine and at this time insisteth vpon the Infanta whose title though in his Appendix falsly fathered vpon Cardinall Allane he so approueth in conceit as not onely he is bold to call all men fooles malecontent Atheists and fautors of heretikes that labour or wish or but think that any other can haue right being known an heretike and no hope of reconciling them as he saith but besides though Catholikes they all were yet by moth-eaten records found out in an old wall God knowes when where or by whom he will exclude al King Henry the seuenths issue marrie yet alwaies prouided that if the Infanta faile his expectation as I pray God her Grace may faile it then will he be left free and in the mean while also debarred from following of none that will first take armes against our Soueraigne Lady and Queene And thus the case is cleare in answer to the interrogatorie that absolutely the Iesuits seeke the conuersion of no one of the bloud Royall but conditionally onely and for winning of time they seeke for the conuersion of now one and then another as may for the time make most for their purpose But they neuer as you may easily gather by the premises seeke to haue all Catholikes because that would make a generall opposition against them and be an occasion to thrust them quite out of the land So as to conclude this vaine vaunt of their religious zeale perfection and I know not what is nothing else but an elenchiall cloake to couer their pride ambition and trecherous aspires THE IX ARTICLE WHether then in that case intend they absolutely the aduancement of those conditionally conuerted by them or onely legatiuely or as subordinate vnder any verbi gratia as to be Viceroyes or matched to some Alien or home-borne subiects Viceroyes vnder the Spanish or Austrian Monarch THE ANSWER THey intend it only conditionally subordinately and legatiuely vnder another For it were no pollicie by their principles to haue any one absolute Monarch or Soueraigne in esse ouer all England to rule ouer them too no more then it were to haue had an Archpriest that should haue gouerned and haue bene head ouer the Iesuits as well as the seculars Therefore as they got such a fellow for the nonce to be Archpriest as both they might gouerne as they list themselues and make him fare like a Turke tinker or madde man at their pleasure to torment poore soules the ignorant deuout laitie with scruples the wiser sort with infamous libels schedules gallings letters and messages of slaunders and all both men and women cleargie and laitie with threats thunderings and feares that wold not obey a paltrey Iesuite and to be readie to crouch bow and kneele at an inch a nod or a frowne to these new Pharises so of very like qualitie condition and order must be their Viceroy and his gouernement For all this banding on the Archpriests behalf was only you see those vile patches hypocrisie vnder pretence of a legatiue and subordinate power and authoritie vnder his Holinesse whom they most abusiuely impudently and in the intended platforme scoffingly make the maske cloud and cloake vnder which they hide the neuer heard of more impietie And like a company of swaggerers ruffians or bragging braggats of Toledo they take vpon them to defend the Archpriest in all his actions vnder colour of obedience with ô I will yea that I will stand to death in defence of this due obedience to the See of his Holinesse for to defend him say they is to defend the Pope himselfe which might carie some sense if they acknowledged him also to be their superior But seeing they acknowledge no such matter nay quite contrarie that he stands at their deuotion and is but like an Ape a Parrot or a Vice in a play to prate what is prompted or suggested vnto him or like an axe a saw a sword or other dead instrument that moues and workes all things intentione rationalis agentis for he hath no wit nor discretion to do any thing as it seemeth but as their Prouinciall instructs him therefore what is this else to say vz. whosoeuer is disobedient to the Archpriest is disobedient to the Pope then to maintaine that whosoeuer is not obedient to a Iesuite in any thing reus est of disobedience vnto the Pope in all things for he that offends in one offends in all And so by consequent in this subordinate authoritie these corollaries follow one vpon another in this manner the Archpriest must rule all other Priests the Iesuites must rule the Archpriest the Pope must appoint whom and as they list the disobedience to the partie appointed must be holden for a contempt of his Holinesse the action goeth vnder the name of Schisme and irregularitie the Court of Oyer and terminer must be in the Low countries vnder Archduke Albert the Commissioners Iurie and Iudges must be the Iesuites the apeale to the Pope from them must be excommunication suspension and losse of all faculties and authoritie and so Parsons as summus Pontifex
the suite of Daniell to send home his countrimen in peace and quiet or otherwise to harden his and Darius his hart to yeeld to no release but that for euer they should there condemned despised and dispersed remaine In this heroicall disputation the moderators wherein no doubt were full replete with no lesse Cherubinicall knowledge then Seraphical zeale the three great princes Michael Raphael and Vriel with the rest of the Regents and gouernors deputed to the Hebrues monarchie or twelue tribes of Israell taking part with the Iew and Daniell and the prince of the Persian kingdome who had resisted Daniell 21. daies together with all the Lords protectors guardians and gouernors of Mede of Perse of Chaldaea of Babylon and of all the Asiacke monarchie vsque vltra Garamantes and Indos taking the parts of the Gentiles and defending those people princes and nations ouer whom by Gods mercifull designment they had the protection gouernment and charge of patronage Thus began the plea. The guardians of the frontires of Palestine alledged how all that rich countrie à fructu frumenti vini olet multiplicata and abounding with milke and hony in former ages was now become desert wilde laide waste to sacke and spoile with robbers and theeues hauing no repâ—â—â—e of God nor good Saint no soule in that soile but nowe diâ— pâ—râ—sh Whereas before out of euery tribe there past yeerely sundry deuoâ—re soules thence into Abrahams bosome to be in a readines at th Mâ—ssâ—â— his returne into heauen Therefore was it necessarie that Z â—â—ch 〈◊〉 Esdras that Nehemias and others of the Iewes priestâ— Leuites prophetâ— and scribes with the whole multitude should be deliuered to replenish these prouinces with Gods people againe To this was answered by the Gentiles generals and captaines that forasmuch as Nabuchodonosor as Baltasar as Darius as Xerxes and other monarches by secret instinct and often good motions put into their harts by commission giuen vnto them from their heauens king had of their princely benignitie granted vnto the Iewes after triall made of their constancie and that their God fought for them in the cause of religion and sacrifice a free libertie of conscience to serue their Lord God agreeing to their Iewish rites and that euen Daniell who was so desirous to haue his people sent home was in as high authoritie grace and fauour with those Ethnicke princes as any noble of their owne sect in the court and countrie where they and he together liued therefore was that argument for the Palestian empire of no validitie seeing it is not the soile but the soule which God respecteth and whereof they all haue charge and thar no humane wight be he Iew Gentile or Proselite Christian Infidell or Catechumene but hath his good Angell appointed to protect him at his first entrance into the worlds vale of miseries and is bound to continue with him accompanying him where euer he goes so long as he or she remaines in this territorie of teares Then the guardian of Hierusalem and principall of Iudea S. Michaell as it seemed replied and said that though it were the men which liued in the world and not the world it selfe which they all had charge of in chiefe yet because man came of earth and in Salem citie was Adam our protoplast created therefore was the prerogatiue royall giuen to Iebus land to be called Terra sancta for euer after The language also which Adam first did speake and which after some two thousand yeeres continuance of that onely and no moe throughout the world remaining vncorrupted as destinated to the posteritie of Heber in the time of Phaleg amongst 72. distinct tongues cast amongst the Nimrodian rebels in the tower of Babell comming by lineall discent to be called Hebrew after the diuision made was the same which Moses which Samuell which Salomon which Dauid with all the Iewes legifers vsed in their scriptures codes law bookes prophecies and other writings and this tongue of all others is onely called Lingua sancta Moreouer the people of this nation Iewes borne and none but they are called Gens sancta populus electus regale sacerdotium by right of inheritance euen from Adam from Noe from Abraham from Israell from Dauid by lineall succession in a downe-right line And although their ancestors liued in bondage 400. yeeres space vnder the Aegyptian Pharaos during which time seuen mighty nations of sundry warlike people whereof the chiefe being Cananites gaue the name to the whole land inhabited ouer all yet did not that discontinuance any whit disable their rightful title and claime but that at time conuenient by Gods appointment to the number of 1300000. and aboue past ouer the red sea leauing not one Israelite behinde them in Aegypt and vnder the conduct of Moses and Duke Iosue victorious ouer thirty kings and kingdomes besides other states this sacred nation possessed this holy land the holy language still preserued amongst them So as euen to these countries kingdomes and prouinces hath God assigned his Angels protectors of his people therin and by consequent in rigor of his iustice the Iewes ought to returne into the kingdome of Iurie and Hierusalem againe With this answere was not the Angell of Perse contented but held on his plea on the Gentiles side affirming that as it was for their sins that God in his iustice had reiected Israells issue so although it pleased him to manifest his omnipotent power and Maiesty that man might say non in carneo brachio corroborabitur vir and that there was no God but the Lord God of Israell alone yet was not his mercy so tied to their sleeue as after so many signes tokens prodigious woonders and miracles shewed for their sakes in open sight of all their enemies as amongst the Aegyptians before named the Philistines the Tyrians the Moabites the Ammonites the Edomites and all other nations round about them he should still forgiue and forget to punish them agreeing to their demerits as hitherto he had but that the destinies of their daies drawing to an end the fatall web of their woes being at hand and the period of their time now approching there was no expectation to be had of their returne nor in rigor of iustice any motion to be made on that behalfe And euen Daniell Ezechiell Ieremie and the rest of the prophets doe know that the quadrupart monarchie began in Babylon vnder Nabuchodonosor which shall continue to the end by translation from the Chaldeis to the Medes and Persians as now it is and from them to the stout inuicted Macedonian Greeke from whom by reuolution af time it shall descend to the Romanes sacred Senate and whosoeuer be the monarchie vnder that prince power and potentate shall the Iewes captiues liue Therefore the holines of the land the sanctitie of the tongue the purity of the people the sacred vnction of the priest is not to be named when it comes to pleading of Gods iustice and mans deserts Heauen was euer
that we all desire and not to haue taken this course that he did to flie away like false shepheards from the flocke of Christ and to become trumpetors of inuasion blood crueltie and destruction Our weapons ought to be spirituall praeces lachrymae praiers and teares preaching and sufferings for Christs sake according to the practise of all vertuous religious pious and catholike priests in all ages I know what father Parsons hath written of this point in an other treatise of his but his examples do not warrant him nor his fellowes to deale in this sort as he hath done Fiftly to rebinde this againe with authoritie of our omnipotent legifer Christ Iesus when the Samaritanes refused to receiue Christ did not Saint Iames and Iohn speake thus to our Sauiour and I dare say in verbo sacerdotis with a more sincere true and religious zeale then euer Parsons had in all his practises Domine vis dicamus vt ignis descendat de coelo consumat eos but Christ turning towards them What said he mary increpauit illos dicens nescitis cuius spiritus estis They thought as a good catholike noteth vpon this place that they might haue done as Elias did they imagined that they were ledde with the spirite of zeale and of their masters honour but indeed ducebantur spiritu vindictae terrestri non caelesti Sixtly father Parsons and his companions with the rest of the seditious Iesuits taking vpon them to be viri apostolici Iesuitical or rather Ignatiā apostles who by their calling forsooth are to preach throughout all the world and ought to be tied to no speciall place longer then they list it should haue beene more agreeable to their dignities and estimation to haue come amongst vs hither into England as the Apostles did name whither so euer they went and by signes and woonders to haue conuerted their countrey to the catholike faith seeing they take vpon them a perfection aboue priesthood and will be called new Apostles illuminats and extraordinarie Rabbies that haue more neere familiaritie and acquaintance with God then any other And this had beene apostolicall dealing indeed Mary yet perhaps the case may be altered if they can perswade vs that their founder first father hauing beene a captaine and a man of warre had some particular illuminations and priuiledges from heauen that although Christs Apostles proceeded with mildenesse and patience as we reade in the Gospell their master Christ did which was a longer course then a Iesuiticall humour is able with patience to endure yet his the said Ignatius disciples should haue leaue to take a shorter way and that by fire from heauen or hell if they could or by any treacherie cruelty treason or what mischiefe soeuer so it were propter bonum societatis or ordine ad deum they were to omit no oportunitie or villany that might further such their intents But by their leaues this being a new and ruffinly course neuer heard of for conuersion of any nation they must shew some better testimonie then either Angel from heauen or feind from hell can affoord them or els we wil not beleeue them to be any other then the forerunners of Antichrist as cōsorts of Puritans in this their rebellious doctrine Seuenthly if father Parsons and his fellowes haue any such large commission from their founder for from Christ they haue it not as that by force thereof they might haue sollicited the Popes holines and the king of Spaine by all false and slanderous suggestions as they did to vndertake that glorious and woorthie acte forsooth yet considering that they only pretend therby the good of their country the restitution of the catholike faith they might haue sollicited some other prince to haue taken in hand that enterprise and not to haue sought to haue put their prince country into the hands of the Spaniards who are at this day reputed throughout all the world to be the most cruell and bloody nation that liueth vpon the earth The treatise of that woorthy Bishop Bartholomeus Cusaus a Spaniard borne dedicated to the last king of Spaine hath laid the Spanish proceedings amongst the west Indians so plainely out in their colours how many millions of men women and children they haue there murthered and that with such inhumane barbarousnesse and much more then Phalericall cruelty as vntill they do repent them and are become a new generation all kingdomes and countries in the world are to pray at the least to be deliuered from them But none could or would I am perswaded serue their turnes but the Spaniard whose pride ambition and crueltie hath so possessed their harts as father Ignatius was not a righter Spaniard by birth then our English Iesuits are by imitation Eightly besides by framing themselues with all trayterous practises and fury to assist and set forwrad the Spaniards designements they haue a stronger conceit or rather a ful perswasion that when the king had subdued this realme neither he his sonne or his daughter would make their residence heere for then the Infantaes title mariage or placing in the Lowe Countries was not dreamed of but that this kingdome should haue beene reduced to a Prouince and committed to the gouernment of their societie scil to father Parsons our pettie Coruine knight the rest of his superintendēcie or societie Which passage though it may seeme very strait yet if euer you see father Parsons booke of intended Reformation you will finde roome ynough to put in more odious stuffe then I haue handled or am willing to smatter my pen withall And therefote thinke it no maruell if they professe themselues the very vowed vassals in effect of the Spaniard for I am perswaded in my conscience that they haue consecrated themselues more deuoutly to aduance the now king of Spaine or his sister to the scepter royall of this land then they haue to promote the catholike faith Neither make I any question of it at all but that if heereafter any Pope shall crosse the Spaniards plots and purposes as like inough they may England and Fraunce with other nations hauing hitherto beene euer more respectiue to the See Apostolicke and taken the defence of Saint Peters chaire more faithfully vpon them then euer Spaine did till now of late yeeres which God of his goodnesse may alter againe and grant to his church in these nations their woonted florish the Iesuits will haue such a figge in store for his Holinesse that shall do so as no Ruebarbe Angelica Mithridate or other medicine or antidote shall expell the venime poison and infection from his hart nor any bezar pearle golde or vnicornes horne long preserue his life after it And if there be as there are shrewd suspitions in Rome concerning the death of two Popes two Cardinals and one Bishop already but for breaking or rather intending to breake the Iesuits a little of their obstinate will and vnbridled insolencie and onely to reforme them in their order then
no maruaile at their designements for England much lesse doubt to be made of what they would do in such a case if it came to canuasing for a kingdome THE VII ARTICLE VVHether seeing it is proued that the Spanish inuasion was traiterously procured by father Parsons means did he then also and some others by his procurement mooue her Maiesties subiects to disobey her highnes to take armes against her to surprise her person if they could and to ioine their forces with the Spaniard 1588. affirming that it was lawfull for them so to doe or not And whether might any of her Maiesties subiects lawfully haue followed their counsell therein THE ANSWERE THey did sollicite stir vp and mooue her Maiesties subiects as it is here deduced we cannot denie it greater is our greefe But it was not lawfull for any honest man or true catholike borne vnder English allegiance to haue followed their aduise And this our generall opinion of the seculars is no small comfort vnto many a deuout catholike whose tender consciences haue been by the Iesuits false pretended zeale mightily perplexed a long time with many doubts as not knowing what to doe in this case of obedience to his holines and their soueraigne Therefore I say in few that as concerning the first part of this article it might haue been a sufficient argument of Master Parsons hatred both towards her Maiestie and towards his natiue countrie to haue sollicited the pope and the king of Spaine with so great importunitie to haue assailed this kingdome with their owne forces though he and the rest of his crue had left her Maiesties subiects to haue at the least taken their owne courses as God should haue mooued their harts and not haue troubled himselfe so much in perswading them with great torments of minde in many to haue run with him and such like miscreants as he is into the pit of perdition for companie to satiate his insatiable desires But their malice pride and ambition are so infinite in their actiuitie and operation as there is no mischiefe or villany which they will not attempt to further their most sauage and Turkish designements It was much that one a clergie man possessed and seduced at that time by the Iesuits did iustifie the treacherous dealings of certaine English subiects in betraying the trust committed vnto them by her Maiestie and therewithall vpon Iesuiticall perswasions did also furthermore exhort others her highnes subiects to doe the like Mary the course that was held by them at this time 1588. passeth all Gods forbod as our phrase is But yet will the facing Iesuits so face out this matter as I shall not be credited herein except I make the same as cleere as day at noonetide when the sunne is brightest Therefore to lay open the case in plaine termes you shall vnderstand that in the said Declaration and Admonition before mentioned father Parsons in the good Cardinals name whom he had bewitched doth stretch all his rhetorike to the furthest extent with so great arte and cunning vsed therein as sure great pitie it is that euer so good a wit as his Grace had should haue been so mightily abused by that coosening mate and that they both were giuen ouer so farre at that time as that they should imploy such good gifts to so wicked a purpose For first they make their entrance into their discourse with a most odious and shamefull declamation against her Maiestie thereby to stirre vp her subiects harts to contempt of her highnes and to make her be holden euery where for odious to God to the world and all men I will not trouble you with the particulars but verily I am perswaded that Don Lucifer the wittiest fiend in hell could not haue written more spitefully Secondly they threaten the nobilitie gentrie and all the rest of the inhabitants of this kingdome with losse of all their goods their lands their liues and with damnation besides except that presently vpon the landing of the Spaniards they ioyned themselues and all the forces men munition victuals and whatsoeuer else they could make with that catholike armie forsooth For the words be these If you will auoide say they the Popes the kings and other princes high indignation let no man of what degree soeuer obey abette aide defend or acknowledge her c. adding that otherwise they should incurre the Angels curse and malediction and be as deepely excommunicated as any bicause that in taking her Maiesties part they should fight against God against their lawfull king against their countrie and that notwithstanding all they should doe they should but defend her highnes booteles to their owne present destruction and eternall shame Thirdly after all these and many other such like threats in a high and militarie stile to scarre bugs with then they come to some more milde perswasions and promise the noble men that so they ioyne with the Duke of Parma vpon the receit of their Admonition they will intreate that their whole houses should not perish Parsons did instigate the good Cardinall to sweare by his honor and in the word of a Cardinall that in the furie of their intended massacre there should as great care be taken of euery catholike and penitent person as possibly could be and that he was made a Cardinall of purpose to be sent then into England for the sweete managing of those affaires Fourthly other arguments they vsed â—â—wne from the certaintie of the victorie as that all the protestants would either turne their coates copies armes or flie away in feare and torment of the angell of God prosecuting them that although none of her Maiesties subiects should assist the Spaniards yet their owne forces which they brought with them were strong ynough their prouision sufficient their appointment passing that they had more expert captaines then her Maiestie had good soldiers all resolute to die in the cause which they had vndertaken that the blood of all the blessed Bishops shed in this land and all the Saints in heauen praied for the Spaniards victorie that all the vertuous priestes of our countrie both at home and abroad had stretched foorth their sacred hands to the same end that many priests were in the campe to serue euery spiritual mans necessitie that their forces were garded with all Gods holy angels with Christ himselfe in the soueraigne sacrament and with the daily most holy oblation of Christs owne deere body and blood that the Spaniards being thus assisted with so many helpes though they had been neuer so few they could not loose and that her Maiestie and her assistants wanting these helpe although they were neuer so fierce neuer so proud neuer so many neuer so well appointed yet they could not preuaile feare you not say they to such as would take their part they cannot And thus farre out of their said Iesuiticall Admonition Now what say you reuerend priests and you deere catholikes of all estates to this pernitious booke wherein he
thing against any prince or king vnder what pretence soeuer yet necessitie will alwaies excuse their subiects for not obeying his holines buls in temporall duties and for performing their said duties and seruices vnto their soueraignes The Schoolemen doe make sundry kindes of necessities as necessitas adesse suppliciter adesse secundum quid ad bene esse c. which I will not trouble you withall You shall see the very point it selfe set downe in expresse termes concerning the catholikes of England that liue at this day vnder her Maiestie The faithfull of England and Saxonie saith Bannes are to be excused qui se non eximant à potestate superiorum nec bellum contra illos gerunt quoniam communiter non habent facultatem ad haec bella gerenda contra principes imminent illis grauia pericula who doe not exempt themselues from the power of their superiors nor beare armes against them bicause generally they haue no abilitie to wage such wars against their princes and great danger doth hang ouer their heads if they should attempt it And a little before he saith that subiects are not bound to warre against their soueraigne or to exempt themselues from their subiection cum periculo mortis amissione bonorum with the danger of their liues and losse of their goods and so endeth his resolution with an caetera as if he should haue said there are also many other such like exceptions to be allowed of And G. de Valencia agreeth with Bannes For saith he when the Popes holines doth absolue subiects from their othes of allegiance that they may not be bound to performe their duties to their Lords that are excommunicated and doe forbid them likewise so to doe they are thus to be vnderstood scil that they are not otherwise bound to obey them in those cases but si nimirum negare obsequium dominis suis possint absque notabili suo detrimento ita enim hoc est intelligendum sicut recte notauit Bannes that is When they may refuse to obey their Lords and masters without any notable hurt or losse to themselues for so these kindes of absolutions and forbiddings are to be vnderstood as Bannes hath well obserued And Master Parsons of his goodnes striketh this matter dead For in his said Admonition he is pleased to tell the catholikes of England and all other her Maiesties subiects in these words following that in cases of euident danger the censures of the Church so farre as they concerne onely temporall matters by the meaning of him that gaue the sentence doe not binde Now it might peraduenture prooue a very probable position as the world standeth at a gaze whether it may easily be conceiued by a man of a dull conceit that any king will be euer so negligent or carelesse of his owne estate or if he should whether any counsellors of any kingdome will euer be so improuident for the safetie of their soueraignes authoritie kingdome and life as that it shall not alwaies be dangerous for their subiects to rebell and take armes against them And then euery man may see what followeth that as Saint Paule said Multa mihi licita sunt quae tamen non expediunt so questionles I am of that minde that it will not be expedient for the Popes holines to intermeddle with the excommunicating of princes in these daies For assuredly it wil seldome fall out if euer that subiects without danger shall be able by rebellion to put such a sentence in execution besides the incertainties before specified that it cannot well be imagined how they should in these dangerous times take sufficient notice of it when so great and generall a iealousie on the one side is had of all princes and so manifest signes of intollerable abuses falshood and malepertnes on the other side in the Iesuiticall faction to procure whatsoeuer may serue their owne turnes for the time without all or any respect had of God or man Pope or prince church or common wealth catholike or heretike And sure it cannot be but that all princes as well spirituall as temporall will more narrowly looke into the Iesuits doings then heretofore they haue when they shall duly consider what daunger they all do stand in yea euen those that now fauour these seditious busie headed bodies most if these factious companions may procure excommunications at their pleasure and prouoke his holines to strike with ecclesiasticall censure whatsoeuer offendeth any of them nay whosoeuer doth not please and content them in all things nay more whosoeuer hath that which they haue a minde to and that they cannot otherwise haue their wish and vnlawful desire out goeth a slaunder that he or she are of lewd demeanour not established in the grace of God and in few are reprobates of God forsaken and then straightwaies must his holines strike them with excommunication c. or else shall he also be holden for a Lutheran or fautor of wicked persons and heretikes In confirmation of the premises here it offereth it selfe fitly to this purpose what father Criton the great Scots statist said to an honorable person in talke of these matters concerning the excommunication of his Maiestie king Iames. This noble Lord hauing heard some speeches against the Scots king blowne abroad by fa. Parsons his vnder Agents at Bruxels such be like as that base fellow Verstegen who hauing no more gentlemans blood in his body then in a coupers son nor scant so much of such a breed may the couper be yet tooke vpon him to cotize our English nobles and gentles there affirming that there were not past three or fower in those coastes of all our nation that were of any noble or generous blood coate armour and ancestrie scil the Earle of Westmerland the Lord Dacres and as I remember the next was himselfe or sir William Stanley I know not whether but either sir knight or sir knaue was in the third place Whereupon followed a fowle adoe in the Flemmish court for a while sundry of noble and generous blood being mightily disgraced by this base companions information giuen to the prince in derogation to our English gentrie And this vntriall gentleman was one of that nobleman father Parsons spies intelligencers and blazoners of what infamies as were to be conueyed thence abroad into Italie Spaine Fraunce and other countries adioyning Amongst other things that might be thought to indanger his royall person most one passage was this that father Parsons with others of the zealous illuminates and more resolute wise religious learned and graue fathers and other catholikes had dealt very seriously with the Popes holines about excommunicating of the said king which was expected euery hower to come foorth and to be promulgated against his highnes c. Whereof the foresaid Lord being desirous to knowe of father Criton whether any such thing were or not and withall whether his owne subiects or others that wished well vnto him might lawfully defend his
infection with Iesuiticall conspiracies euer heereafter when as such seditious rotten weedes should be rooted out which both indanger her royall person and present state and bring vs all her faithfull subiects to be suspected by their meanes And as for study learning and other catholike exercises let this good motiue deere catholikes be no waie heauily taken nor rashly censured as though there were no learning nor method of teaching nor any gouernment or vertuous exercise but where a Iesuite beares the stroke For know you this that as there are their betters in England and out of it that are no Iesuits euen of our owne nation this day in all things required in teachers masters and gouernors so before euer any Iesuits came or were in rerum natura the Vniuersities of Oxford and Cambridge florished amongst the most famous schooles in Christendome either for schoole method or positiue doctrine in Diuinitie Philosophie or any other studie And seeing it cannot be denied but that for all the Iesuits boast of their learning gouernment method of teaching and I can not tell what yet still haue the seculars Seminarie priests beene the chiefe Readers profoundest Clarks either in Diuinitie or philosophy that haue gone out of our Nation in these daies witnesse our Allans our Stapletons our Giffords our Hardings our Parkinsons our Elyes our Kellingsons with sundrie other Doctors schoolemen to omit those that are in England at this present togither with diuers religious Englishmen of S. Benedicts of S. Dominicks of S. Fraunces and of other religious orders al of them to be preferred before our new illuminates these vainglorious vanting men Besides we see that for al our Seminaries vnder the Iesuits yet the most famous men from time to time haue beene brought vp vnder the secular clergie or the Dominican preachrers and teachers in all nations Also it is well knowne that there is nothing wanting in our Vniuersities heere in England for making profound clarks and learned men in deede saue onely that sound catholike doctrine and schoole method which was vsed in Gabrell Beoll in Alexander of Hales and in Iohn Scots daies For otherwise neuer was there a finer breed of wits nor brauer Orators nor more pleasant Poets nor perfecter Grammarians nor more copious Linguists nor riper men in all studies of humanitie then are brought vp in our English Vniuersities Therefore seeing that which is wanting might be supplied by catholike doctors and teachers of our owne nation any Iesuits equals and that we see sundrie of the finest wits resort to our side daily notwithstanding all these either contentions betwixt vs and the Iesuits or yet the present affliction and danger we all do liue in of our common aduersaries then thinke deere catholiks as true it is that there can no question be made of it to the contrary but that where one commeth now vnto vs there would then come ten of all sorts by such carefull diligence and choise of tutors as vpon this so gracious a grant O happie who may liue to see it of her Maiestie might be vsed both in Oxford and Cambridge as that you might haue your children there inclined and trained vp with some such good conceits of the catholike faith and religion as nourished and cherished therein by you that are their friends in natural loue and affection and confirmed by vs that are priests as in christian charity and catholike dutie we are bound there would quickly follow a ioyfull forgetfulnes of the Iesuits exile as the perturbers of both the catholike church and Englands common-wealth and ruine of vs all if they remaine amongst vs. And thus hauing brought this long tedious intricate and most dangerous difficult and doubtfull Quodlibet of plots by statizing to an end in some sort though not halfe so much said heerein as both the waight of the matter it selfe doth require and also as willing I was and am to haue written thereof as well in respect of iustice as of charity both mouing me to speake were I not infringed vpon other considerations iustly compelling me to silence Therefore vnwilling to holde you any longer in this so discomfortable a party as necessarily the talke of these matters must needs be to many deuout soules which no doubt will be assaulted with variable cogitations in the peruse of this discourse wo be to them who haue occasioned such straite passages of our heauines I now end in harty praier vpon my knees that God may turne all to his glory as well for religion as state and so proceed to other matters in hand THE ARGVMENT OF THE NINTH GENERALL QVODLIBET HAuing said more in the last Quodlibet then I shall haue thanks for at the Iesuits hands but that I am Iohn Indifferent and a Wilfull Will that wil neuer force a friend nor feare a foe in an act of publike iustice as I hold it for such that a greater act both of iustice of chatity could not be then if my poore cōceits by pen expressed can do it to defend Gods cause quarrell my prince countries right the gaulelesse catholikes innocent harts and to firret these cony-catching Iesuits out of conceit from all English berries or warrens that carrie either oile of perfect charitie in their lampes or fire of true catholike zeale within their breastes or naturall affection to their prince their countrie their parents children flesh and blood their deerest friends Hereupon there doth occurre to my memorie two generall Quodlibets which make as much for our purpose as any we haue hitherto handled scil to make knowne to the world the surmised forme but in deede very weake foundation the Iesuits haue laied especially this most Atheall Polypragmon father Parsons to perfect the platforme of statizing mentioned in the last Quodlibet precedent for the ouerthrowe of all that are not as they And therefore shal the first of these two Quodlibets be of plots by succession the second of plots by presages The former then consisting of such deuises engins and baites as the Iesuits haue cast abroad into euery mundane puddle◠pond and poole of Christendome to fish for an absolute monarchie that as there is but one God and Sauiour Lord and king Iesus in heauen so but one sole regiment by Iesuits on earth the articles concerning that point are these 10. following THE NINTH GENERALL QVODLIBET OF PLOTS by succession THE I. ARTICLE WHether is the practise of the Iesuits agreeable to christian charitie and the dutie of true subiects to interprete euery thing that their Soueraigne and the state of the countrey doth in the woorst part to slaunder depraue and calumniate the king their Lord and his proceedings by libels and sundry sorts of chartals bookes and pamphlets of purpose both to make his highnes his gouernment and his whole kingdome as much as in them lieth offensiue to other princes now and odious heereafter to all posteritie or not THE ANSWERE THe Quodlibets of state and succession hauing such an affinity by
others or else deny it so you shal see in time that although our worshipfull Archpriest hath done nothing but by fahaer Garnets direction yet when his ridiculous vniust vncharitable dâ—ttyrannous proceedings shall come to the scanning father Garnet will doe the best he can to pull his necke out of the coller and master Blackwell shall be the Asse that must beare all the burden So father Parsons that holy man by his practise doth giue father Garnet a pregnant example In the most of those seditious bookes which he the said father Parsons hath published he hath either concealed his name or giuen them such names as it hath pleased him to deuise And one of his said bookes being set out by him vnder the name of master Dolman now that many exceptions are taken vnto it he good man was not the author of it his name is not Dolman and gladly he would shift and wash his hands of it but all the water betwixt this and Rome will not serue his turne so to do although by the common principle of the Iesuits he may by lying and equiuocating make a faire shew But of this enough is said before As concerning the second point I will now make it plaine vnto you that the Iesuits being charged as in the former question is set downe are not therein slaundered any way vniustly For First it is plaine that father Parsons and his company diuide it amongst them how they list haue laide a plot as being most consonant and fitting to their other designments that the common lawes of the Realme of England must be forsooth either abolished vtterly or else beare no greater sway in the Realme then now the ciuill lawe doth And the chiefe reason is for that the state of the crowne and kingdome by the common lawes is so strongly setled as whilest they continue the Iesuits see not how they can worke their wils And on the other side in the ciuill lawes they thinke they haue some shreds whereby they may patch a cloake together to couer a bloodly shew of their treasons for the present from the eies of the vulgar sort And certainly I could not choose but smile when I read this point in father Parsons booke to see how prettily this fine fingred figgeboy conueigheth his matter how the common lawyers must waite vpon the Ciuilians to beare their bookes after them and how they are to applaud to all that the doctors will auerre to be lawe vpon their bare words vnto them Secondly the said good father deeming of all men it seemeth by himselfe hath set downe a course how euery man may shake off all authoritie at their pleasures as if he woulde become a newe Anabaptist or king Iohn of Leyden to draw all the world into a mutinie rebellion or combustion And this stratageme is how the common people may be inueigled and seduced to conceit to themselues such a libertie and prerogatiue as that it may be lawfull for them when they thinke meete to place and displace kings and princes as men may doe their tenants at will hirelings or ordinarie seruants Which Anabaptisticall and abhominable doctrine proceeding from a turbulent tribe of traiterous Puritanes other heretikes this treacherous Iesuite would now foist into the catholike church as a ground of his corrupt diuinitie And sure it is strange to consider how the caitiffe handleth this point giuing aduantage thereby to all nations to reuolt from the See apostolike if any catholike prince would take holde or build vpon this absurd fellowes word or authoritie For that amongst other arguments he insisteth vpon certaine rebellious most traiterous examples how some kings in this Island haue beene dealt with As if a man should take vpon him to prooue murther lawfull bicause many examples of murther may be produced or as if this were a good argument England Scotland Ireland Denmarke Swethia many states in Germany many men in France and else where haue reiected the authoritie of the Pope his holines the See of Rome therefore Italy France Spaine other catholike countries may do the like Fourthly the said good fathers with their ringleader and muster-master father Parsons do take vpon them in the saide booke and in other treatises to deale with matters of succession and titles of the crowne as if their bare words were of higher authoritie then either Court Parliamentall Prince or Pope and bicause as it seemeth their said ringleader is a bastard himselfe it is woonderfull to see what very small account he maketh of succession by inheritance title of descent birthright or bloud Now tell me in this case A gentleman or substantiall yeoman hauing one heire and many seruants dieth were he not an asse that would affirme that the right of the saide heire should depend vpon the pleasure of his fathers seruants If they thought meet he should haue his fathers lands or otherwise they would bestow them as they thought good I am sure you would account it vniust vnnaturall indecent and ridiculous And all that this traitorous Iesuite writeth of this point is grounded vpon the like folly whilest he laboureth so giantlike in opposing himselfe against succession by inheritance to fight most impudently with all lawes nay with nature and with God himselfe Hereunto it also appertaineth how after he hath contriued the meanes as he thinketh how to depriue kings and heires from their inheritance he then taketh vpon him to appoint how others may and are to succeede in their roomes and possesse their ancient right And he proceedeth herein as grauely and substantially as he hath done in the premisses For except this may carrie a shew of a good argument fiue hundred or a thousand yeeres since the ancestors of the king of Spaine the king of Fraunce and of diuers other kings had no interest to the kingdomes which now they enioy therefore some others must be found out to be preferred to those kingdomes the good father saith nothing There is one who hath written a booke of the Bathes in England and as I remember for it is long since I saw the booke the author of it the rather to extol the first finder out of the said Bathes that therby he might prooue him to be an ancient gentleman doth set downe his petigree and neuer leaueth it I assure you vntill he come to these words which was the sonne of Seth which was the sonne of Adam It were not amisse in my poore opinion that Master Parsons should carefully seeke out for this maÌ„s kinred It is not vnlikely but that by his skil he might intitle them to very many kingdomes distributing this to one and that to another as in his omnipotentencie he should hold it most conuenient The man if he liue long will prooue mad in the end without question except you can imagine that these and such like vanities are sober conceits And yet that which he saith against the blood royall of England to aduance a pretended interest to the Infanta
of Spaine is more intollerable then these such idle speculations before mentioned For it is grounded not only vpon the said most sottish speculation against all the kings that liue but likewise vpon a most slanderous traiterous lie in making all the kings Queenes that haue been for aboue two hundred yeeres in this land to haue bene vsurpers tyrants traitors and I wot not what And that which doth not a litle moue my patience this bastardly Iesuite doth father this traiterous assertion vpon that worthy person Cardinal Allane from whom I durst be sworn he neuer had them nor so vile a cōceit euer harbored in his brest Whilest I haue bene diuers times thinking of this fellowes writings touching these such like matters I haue wōdred with my selfe how possibly he could be so blind as not to foresee that when kings should vnderstand what a plot he hath laid for the ouerthrow of all authority by setting vp and aduancing a popular furie they should find thereby verie iust cause giuen vnto them to detest both him and all the generation of Iesuits or any other catholikes whosoeuer that should teach or defend such bloodie traiterous doctrine But I haue stood too long vpon this point if you can procure Master Charles Pagets booke against father Parsons you shall finde the foxe so vncased and left so naked of all honestie wisedome or iudgement touching these points as you may well thinke my paines herein to haue beene needlesse except you will remember that my drift is onely to let you vnderstand that father Parsons and his fellowes are great intermedlers with matters of state and succession especially concerning the English crowne which when they shall be out of all hope euer to obtaine I am verily perswaded there will some of them run mad about it they are so extremely egar vpon it and in such a desperate iealousie and feare of loosing it And therefore will I proceede therein a little further by his Masterships leaue For as the said father Parsons hath laide his plot when England shall be Spanish how the ancient lawe of this realme shall be abrogated and the ciuill law aduanced in the place thereof so hath the prouident gentleman another treatise of reformation in store how to establish amongst vs when that time shall come the ancient lawe termed Lex Agraria Bicause that as it seemeth his mastership is of opinion that the nobilitie of England haue too large and great possessions and therefore by one of his rules in the said reformation their abilities and what they shall yeerely spend must be limited vnto them as also what retinue they shall keepe and what their diet shall be The like course he hath also ordained for the Bishops and clergie they must be put to their pensions and the ouerplus is to be at the direction of the Iesuits to be imploied by the appointment of their Generall resident alwaies in Rome propter bonum societatis and ordine ad Deum Of all which follies although I haue told you in part before yet they comming so fitly to hand as best agreeing to this Quodlibet of succession they can doe no harme to be repeated againe But now if any man thinke it impossible that these fellowes should be thus bewitched with these vaine conceits let him but consider the nature of pride ambition and libertie into what a fooles paradise they are able to cast any manner of persons or professions that are possessed with them They can hardly thinke of any thing but they account themselues woorthy of it and able by their wits to effect it euen the very supreme power and church of S. Peter such is their ambition And for their libertie they are men exempted frō the iurisdiction of all the superiors of the clergie sauing to their owne officers whereby as lawlesse libertines they write doe and say what they list and dreame of I know not what Iesuiticall monarchie And thus farre of this generall point that those men doe not slander the Iesuits that charge them to be greater statists then they would be accounted and thereby to transgresse all ancient orders of religious persons and to shew themselues as runnagates and degenerated from their owne profession THE III. ARTICLE VVHether is it profitable or expedient for the church of God that the Iesuits as father Parsons in sundrie of his writings and so generally all the rest in effect of that societie and some other of their humor should oppose themselues so much as they doe against princes in extenuating their authoritie vpon euery occasion and eftsoones by telling the world what small interest and hold they haue of their kingdomes as that in this case and that case or if they doe this or will not doe that then foorthwith dominium amittitur all is lost they cease to be kings and what else if they escape with their liues it shall please their fatherhoods to tell vs. THE ANSWERE I Thinke their course therein to be neither profitable nor expedient for the church but on the contrarie very pernitious and dangerous and especially in these our daies First bicause I doe not finde that the Apostles sent by our Sauiour Iesus Christ to preach the Gospell did inculcate any such matters or points either of doctrine or policie yea in their writings for ought I see there is no such thing expressed neither doe I remember that any historie doth tell vs of any such course but rather the quite contrarie to haue beene held by them Secondly the heathen kings both before the comming of Christ and in the Apostles times did suppose their titles to their kingdomes to bee much more firme and their subiects being both learned and wise men skilfull in all humane knowledge and lawes did thereof assure them terming them to be the verie life and soules of their kingdomes And it was accounted in the primitiue Church a great slaunder to the Gospell catholike doctrine of the church of Christ when some did report that the doctrine of the Christians was iniurious to the empire or ciuill magistracy as tending to the diminishing of their right and authority Thirdly if either the Apostles in those times or their successors afterwards in the Primitiue Church should haue written or preached of these matters as now the Iesuites doe they would out of question haue beene cut off presently It is true that although they tooke a very mild course yet they indured great persecutions and were very many of them put to death But if they had beene of the Iesuites spirit it is not probable that any but the Iewes who had trayterous harts to the Empire would euer haue indured to haue heard them speake We see that if their enimies could but deuise some litle shew though most falsely that they touched Caesars authority it was sufficient to cry out against them that they were not worthy to liue Nay how sought they to haue intangled Christ himselfe by their question of tribute
which he dissolued not like a Iesuite though Caesar was an Infidell but as all true Catholike Priests ought to doe saying in direct termes giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which is his owne of due right Fourthly the Apostles followed the steps of their Master For he being suspected by king Herode to aspire by degrees to the Empire cleared himselfe thereof by paying of tribute and by teaching all other subiectes to giue vnto Caesar that which was Caesars right Then his Apostles afterwards vnderstanding that it was commonly conceiued that the doctrine of the Gospell taught such points and preceps as were very preiudiciall to the state of the Empire and other kings and Princes they to purge that suspition did so oft in their writings commend and extoll the authority of all Emperors kings and Princes shewing the same to proceede from God himselfe and to be his owne ordinance Non est potestas nisi à Deo said Saint Paule to the Romanes And Ciuill Magistrates are sent from God said Saint Peter Ministri Dei sunt thus they taught for the iustifying of the Magistracy of such as were at that time Infidels and persecutors neuer mentioning that thereby they had lost their Empire or kingdomes or that they might iustly be deposed or any such matter as our Iesuites in the like case doe now a daies affirme Fiftly the holy Fathers of the Primitiue Church following the Apostles as they followed Christ when they found that through the malice of Sathan the same obiections amongest many other were still insisted vpon against the Christians and their doctrine as if all had tended to the impeachment of the Monarchy and treachery towards the Emperors they bent themselues to refell those slaunderous imputations Iustinus Martyr Athenagoras and Tertullian succeedingly did write diuers discourses and some to the Emperors themselues wherein they acknowledged as much as the Apostles had taught them And thus these auncient fathers said of the authority of their Emperors being still Infidels and persecutors Noster est magis Caesar vt à nostro Deo constitutus Loe we quoth Tertullian in his Apologie haue more interest in Caesar then the heathen bicause he is appointed Emperor by our God and not by the false Gods whom they worship The name of an Emperor à Deo traditur Dicam plane Imperatorē dominū I will plainely call the Emperor my Lord and Master Inde est Imperator vnde est homo antequam Imperator inde potestas illi vnde spiritus He that made him a man made him an Emperor from him he hath his authority who gaue vnto him life Sciunt c. Christians know who giueth the Emperors authoritie and that they are in their Empires à Deo secundi post quem primi The second person to God himselfe and next him the first With Tertullian the other two fathers before named doe in effect very fully agree whose doctrine you see doth no way sound like the aforesaid tune of Iesuitisme Sixtly I haue not read all the rest of the auncient fathers some of them I haue but neither by mine owne reading haue I found nor euer heard it reported by any of credit that the said fathers did in their times either preach or write any otherwise of the authority of magistrates although Infidels and persecutors nay Apostataes then as you haue heard Christ his Apostles Iustinus Martyr Athenagoras Tertullian did I wil only trouble you with S. Augustine who is most plaine That whether the king be good or bad milde or tyrannous bountiful to the church or a persecutor one that imbraceth the Gospel Cath. Roman faith or is become an Apostata yet they are Gods lieuetenants their power and soueraignty are both from God of him they hold their kingdomes are to be obeyed in all things which are not against the law diuine and Gods church here militant on earth as for their paying of tribute fighting his battels defending their countries and such like Read if you please that which he writeth vpon the 13. Chapter to the Romans and in his fift booke De Ciuitate Dei Cap. 22. and vpon the 124. Psalme in which last place you shal find that he mantaineth in precise termes that Iulian by his Apostacy was not held to haue lost the Empire or his right interest and title that be had before vnto it but obeyed by the Christians propter Dominum aeternum bicause the eternal God would haue it so Now no king be he vitious a schismatike or an heretike can be thought with any reason so euill as an Apostata It is woorse to slide from the faith of Christ totaliter wholy then aliqua ex parte as it is apparant in Saint Thomas Seuenthly I am of his opinion that as the receiuing of the Catholike faith and Gospell of Christ cannot make a priuate man to be a temporall king so the reiecting of the same faith c. cannot make a king a priuate man And indeed to my vnderstanding saluo semper meliori iudicio it were against all reason it should be otherwise As for example à Simili A Farmor being a heathen man and hauing the lease of a mannor which is not good in lawe doth receiue the faith of Christ and so becommeth a Christian Were it not an absurd conceit for any man to thinke that the receiuing of the Christian faith should make the said bad lease to be sound and substantiall Likewise on the other side the said Farmer hauing as sufficient a lease as law can make it of another mannor doth returne againe to Paganisme It would seeme to me as absurd if any person should imagine that the said lease or his right vnto it were thereby any whit impaired Againe when men receiue the Gospell and are baptized be they kings or priuate men it altereth not our case they receiue thereby an interest to the kingdome of heauen but no further right to their worldly inheritance then they had before And so also for the contrary If any king or priuate person being a Christian and withall a Catholike do fall out of the Catholike church and forsake the faith of Christ it is a sufficient punishment for him to loose thereby his inheritance and right to the ioyes of heauen though for his worldly state he be left as the church in puris naturalibus did finde him And the same is in my iudgement in an other like case If the heire apparant of any Catholike king or other prince were either addicted to heresie or should become an Apostata I being borne to be his subiect would vse my vttermost endeuour to reclaime him but if that purpose would not preuaile with him which I know God hath appointed to be the ordinary meanes for mens conuersions I hold it were a very impious part either in me or in any other priuate person being his subiect if we should seeke to preuent him of his right or if it laye in
life from God our nobility from our parents our kingdome from our subiects our religion from the church of Rome the which if you maligne vs for it we sende you backe againe by these presents then what shall we thinke or can we imagine that soueraigne princes of this our infortunate age will brooke it well to finde his holines to be tam durus Pater towards them But for meane subiects to presume as the Iesuits do neuer was it and now is it least tolerable THE IIII. ARTICLE WHether it is a fitte point of doctrine to be broached and diuulged to the world in these daies by the Iesuites that subiectes are no longer bound to obey wicked Princes in their temporall commandements and Lawes but till they be able by force of armes to resist them THE ANSWERE THat this is a most dangerous doctrine and most vnfit to be published in this age there is no one Catholike in England this day but I thinke will confesse it and therefore I hold it meet before I come directly to answer this Article First to make it apparaÌ„t that the Iesuites and their seditious faction do broach publish such a kind of doctrine for otherwise it might well seeme a slaunder malitiously imputed vnto them Amongst others father Parsons in his admonition before mentioned giueth this reason why the Popes sentence hath not beene put in execution since it was first giuen bicause forsooth her Maiesties forces were so great that they could hardly be resisted by the onely Inhabitants of the Realme without euident daunger and destruction of very many and noble persons c. in which case the censures of the Church doe not binde which is as much to say as if they had beene of might sufficient they had been bound to haue put the said sentence in execution against her highnes and the ouerthrow of the whole state and common wealth of their natiue land The same Iesuite also in his booke intituled Philopater is very peremptorie sly and sawcie as his manner is very boldly affirming that when kings doe deflect from the Catholike religion and drawe others with them Liberes esse subditos c. posseque debere si vires habeant buiuscemodi homineÌ„ dominatuÌ„ eijcere Subiectes are free and both may and ought if they be able to cast such a man out of his dominions Secondly when Henry the third of Fraunce had procured the death of the Duke of Guise and some other whereunto the French writers doe affirme he was compelled except he would haue suffred the Duke to haue puld the Crowne from his head it was not long after but that by the secret practises of the Iesuites he himselfe was murthered And not resting thus contented they writ such a discourse against him being a Catholike as if it had beene hatched in hell intituled De iusta abdicatione H. 3. In which treatise they affirme that it is lawfull for a priuate man to kill a tyrant for so they termed that king though there be neither sentence of the Church or kingdome against him Now in this booke to come to my purpose he propoundeth this obiection how and why it was that in the Primitiue Church the martyrs attempted no such course against the tyrants that then raigned and doth answere it in this sort Vâ—â—d laudable est cum resistere nequeas ita vbi pâ—ssis nolle resistere religionis patriae hosti nefarium ac pernitiosum est As much to say as thus in English As it is laudable to doe as those martyrs did when thou canst not resist so not to resist when thou maist the enimy of Religion and of thy countrey so they terme all kings that they dislike is a pernitious and horrible sinne Thirdly an other at that time with a Iesuiticall spirite doth tell vs his mind in plaine termes so as I shall not neede to proue the matter by any consequence The quarrell for Religion saith he and defence of innocencie is so iust that heathen Princes not at all subiect to the Churches lawes and discipline may in that case by the Christians armes be resisted naming none but speaking in generall termes without exception of persons so indefinitely or rather peremptorily and dissemblingly as all Iesuites doe that as well seruants as souerâ—ignes may by his principle take armes at their pleasure c. And might lawfully haue been redressed in the time of the Pagans and first great persecutors â—hen they vexed and oppressed the faithfull And againe There is no question but that the Emperor Constantine Valens Iulian and others might haue beene by the Bishop excommunicated and deposed and all their people released from their obedience if the Church or Catholikes had had competent forces to haue resisted Loe what doctrine this is to be diuulged in this so daungerous an age I leaue to others to conceite these things in as good sence as may make for our generall safety and common good of the Catholike cause onely I wish such passages had neuer fronted any English Port nor come to our aduersaries eares or knowledge And an other Iesuite to the same purpose saith Quod si Christiani olim non deposuerunt Neronem Diocletianum Iulianum Apostatam ac Valentem Arrianum alios id fuit quia de erant vires temporales Christianis Nam alioquin iure potuissent hoc facere In that Christians in times past did not depose Nero and Dioclesian and Iulian the Apostata and Valence the Arrian and others it was bicause Christians did then want temporall forces for otherwise they might lawfully haue dealt so with them Now what thinke you if such a doctrine had been heard or spoken of in Iulians Neroes or Dioclesians daies what thinke you would haue ensued thereof Questionlesse though the persecution were great yet probably it would haue beene double increased and augmented thereby And as for the scholemen which they alleage for this doctrine one and the chiefe is S. Thomas who hath some such point For Christians saith he obeyed Iulianus Quod illo tempore Ecclesia in sua nouitate nondum habebat potestatem terrenos principes coercendi ideo tollerauit fideles Iulano Apostatae ohedire in ijs quae non erant contra fidem vt maius periculum fidei vitaretur c. Bicause the Church then being in her infancy had not yet power to bridle Princes and therefore she did tollerate the faithfull to obey Iulian the Apostata in those things which were not against faith for the auoyding of a greater daunger which might otherwise haue insued to the Christian faith The other is Dominus Bannes vpon Saint Thomas who alleaging that the cause why catholikes in England do not rebell against her Maiestie is Quia facultatem non habent c. Both whose opinions and words as they may carry a diuerse construction so were they not set downe by either of them as conclusions but as argumentall reasons of doctrine disputatiue in the schooles Which
in this point of rebellion and popularitie saith that where Salomon affirmeth By me kings raigne and Saint Paul auoucheth that authoritie is not but of God and therefore he that resisteth authoritie resisteth God these places are to be vnderstood of authoritie power or iurisdiction in it selfe according to the first institution for otherwise when it is vniustly vsed it may be resisted in manie cases euen by the commons or multitude whom in his Appēdix he bindeth in conscience to rebell c. which kinde of shifts we haue euer detested and therefore nowe you shall heare what we thinke of this doctrine To speake plainely my minde in this case with all humble submission to the Catholike church and censure of my opinion herein I hold this doctrine of the Iesuits in these daies to be an open way to Atheisme so to expound the Apostles as that they might be thought to temporize which is a plaine kinde of dissimulation For there being question made concerning the doctrine of the Catholike church and Gospel of Christ as though it had impeached the authority of the ciuill Magistracie the Apostles to cleare themselues of so false an imputation did of purpose propose the contrary and prescribed such obedience and duty to all subiects as was by the lawes of God and all nations due vnto them But if the Apostles had beene of the Iesuits opinion in this matter and would haue dealt truely sincerely and directly as the Iesuits do neuer when such a doubt was made by the States where they preached they should haue answered to this effect scil If you that are Emperors kings and worldly gouernours doe meane to continue your wicked courses in opposing your selues against Christ and vs his seruants we are by the doctrine of our Master Christ and authoritie committed vnto vs to seeke your confusion and to depriue you from your Empires kingdomes and gouernments as soone as we are able to make head against you or if any of you will be content to heare and obey vs we must tell you that wherunto you must trust which is that when once you haue submitted your selues to this our said doctrine If you shall not foreuer afterwards conforme your behauiour and conuersation according to our rules and prescription we must be bold with you and do the best we can to mooue your subiects to rebellion and to depose you likewise as soone as they shall haue competent strength to incounter with you and in default thereof it is our duety to perswade by all the policies we can deuise some of your neighbour princes to take your subiects parts for your vtter ruine Inter bonos bene agere oportet We professe our selues to be teachers of the truth and therefore we cannot chuse being vrged vnto it in this particular but to signifie the truth vnto you after our plaine and direct proceedings with all men Now if such a kinde of answere to haue beene made by the Apostles do seeme most absurd then what wicked and absurd wretches are these good fathers who by their interpretations do impose it vpon them if they had dealt sincerely Or if the Apostles should haue meant indeed as these men would haue them and as it is before expressed then what might the world haue thought of them that to couer such tragicall points of blood and rebellion and to abuse princes they did pretend nothing but prayers paying of tributes honoring of kings and obeying of them for conscience sake But this course was farre from the blessed Apostles It is indeed very well befitting the puritanes the Iesuits such as Parsons Creswell c. who are the mē that teach practise it For it is their doctrine by dissimulation hypocrisie by lying equiuocating to seduce their hearers But what saith Master Blockwood to Buchanan Paulus vtendum fore precepit Laruatam hypocrisin sub persona religionis latere voluit Potestatibus obediendum edixit quia resisti non posset Christianos viribus admotos ad armacessantes ad arma concitat imperiumque frangit Did Saint Paule commaund vs to be time seruers Was it his minde that religion should be disguised with such a visard of hypocrisie Did he command men to obey the magistrates bicause they were not able to resist them Did he prouoke them to armes when their number and strength serued and bad downe with the Emperor This is right Mahumetisme tendeth to the ouerthrow of the Gospel and church Catholike the sweete spouse of Christ and therefore is to be detested cane peius angue Fiftly this Iesuiticall dreame doth derogate so much from the Maiestie of holy Scripture and the churches authority as thereby the vanity of it is very manifest and apparant For what saith Master Blockwood to Buchanan Itan ' diuinas leges vt humanas Aristotelis mensurarum similes esse putas Doest thou thinke Gods lawes as Aristotle speaketh of humane lawes that they are like measures that they should turne with the weathercocke and chaunge with the conditions of times and places No no much more truely and as it were by diuine inspiration doth he expresse the strength and constancie of diuine lawes who saith Non erit c. There shall not one lawe bee at Rome an other at Athens now one and then an other but there shal be one immortall lawe for all Nations and all times Imperator omnium Deus and God shall be Lord and Emperor of all He is the Inuenter the expounder and the giuer of this lawe which he that will not obey is his own enimy maximas poenas luet and he shal neuer escape greeuous punishments And such were Christs and his Apostles precepts not subiect to alteration and chaunge not framed to serue the time not fitted to this or that priuate person or plebian multitude one while commaunding obedience to tyrants and presently after to take vp armes against them but as we are to thinke of the very lawes of God their rules of obedience are permanent and to continue vnchangeable whilest this world endureth Furthermore it is to be supposed that the Church of God in the times of Iustinus Martyr and Tertullian did vnderstand the meaning of Christ and of his Apostles in this point as well as Parsons or any of his crue But it would haue seemed a strange doctrine both to them and all other Catholikes that had the feare of God before their eyes or any sparke of true and vnfained Catholike religion in their harts in those daies to haue heard it set down for positiue Diuinitie that notwithstanding any thing that Christ or his Apostles taught as touching obedience to kings and Princes yet it is to be accounted a pernitious and vnspeakeable sinne for subiectes being of sufficient force and ability not to resist for to that effect are father Parsons words in his Appendix and take armes against them if they be euill and wicked Instinus Martyr as I haue before obserued hauing set downe the duety of
conspiracies vpon more warie and further looking into their dooings drifts and plot castings comparing their infamous libels letters passages practises purposes and proceedings together and conferring one thing with an other heere and there and in all other nations kingdomes and prouinces where they come and can get footing as now in Sweuia the case is cleere how the Polonian king is defeated of that kingdome occasionated only by their treacherous ambitious tampring aspires sundry of sound iudgement and of the grauer more politike and wiser sorte amongst them that are not ledde away with passion or affection further then reason lawe iustice conscience and religion mooues bindes and compels them for to thinke are fully perswaded they escaped as great a danger of comming vnder a Iesuitical bondage when al France was in a furious combustion by them as euer they or anie other nation did at what time as the Templars the sampler of the Iesuits often mentioned by me in sundry places had confederated with the Turks or Sarazens in a general conspiracy for the ouerthrow of the whole christian world of France in chiefe And therefore as that most Christian catholike king great Henrie of France now regnant hath iust cause together with the state of France neuer to admit of the Iesuits againe to come within his borders or to like as the Scots phrase goeth within his bounds so maruell not though all that are Iesuits either in verbo or in voto in re or in spe or in faction or affection do mightily grudge murmur and euen gnash their teeth in the furie of their zeale with most bitter words reuiling as well the Popes holines as the king Christian the state the clergie the catholikes and the whole realme of Fraunce when they heare but the name of that nation or call to minde what a sweete morsell was taken out of their iawes at the reconciliation of the French king to the catholike Romish Church as the onely acte which dashed their hope for the time of that crowne frustrated their ambitious aspires to that mighty monarchie and put them halfe in dispaire of euer obtaining the like meanes of aspiring to soueraigne dominion Yea I am verily perswaded it gaue many of the more ambitious sort amongst them such a frantike phanaticall mad distraction in their wils as seuen yeeres retired exercise of contemplation will hardly bring them to a true mortified religious course and spirite againe For had they gotten Fraunce subiected vnder the Spaniards at that time as the ticklish state of all things stood here and elsewhere the Spanish title and claime to the English crowne rising thence as before is said they would haue had greater possibilitie of aduantage helpes and meanes by size ace and the dice for the conquest of all these northerne Isles then now they haue or are like hereafter easily to be possessed of the whole Christian world beginning now daily more and more to looke into them and their treacherous dealings Thirdly I might here enlarge my selfe with many weightie reasons to conuince the Iesuiticall ambition and aspires to the French crowne and kingdome as well by some suspitious speeches giuen our by their fautors of the causes moouing the marriage betwixt the Lady Infanta Isabella and the Archduke Albert and placing of them both in the Low countries as also by the generall passages and the Iesuiticall faction concerning the house of Burgundy and common applauses giuen on that behalfe how maruellous deepely affected the Burgundians are to the English how hatefull to the French how woorthy warriors of themselues and how that their forces together with the power of England and strength which the Lady Infanta their soueraigne would bring or send vnder the conduct of some Iesuiticall General perchance of Captaine Cubbocke were sufficient to bring both Fraunce and Scotland vnder the English subiection as of right they should These with many other the like perswasions vsed by them both to catholikes and others of our common aduersaries shew plaine if a man ponderate euery point particular and circumstance well with himselfe that the Iesuits aime at all these northerne Isles together with the whole kingdome of Fraunce and by consequent then these once gotten in full possession what kingdome in the world but per nullum tempus occurrens regi may by degrees come vnder their bowe bondage and Allobrogicall gouernment THE VII ARTICLE VVHether then bicause so it seemeth by this your last speech doe the Iesuits if they preuaile in England or Fraunce intend any thing against Spaine and the whole house of Austria and by consequent against the whole Empire and all other Monarchiall states of Christendome or else none but onely these before mentioned to themselues and the rest for the Spanish and Austrian lines THE ANSWERE IT is most certaine apparant and manifest by all coniecture reasons proofes and arguments ad hominem that they most traiterously haue cast the platforme and doe goe about so much as wit of man can deuise to bring all kings princes and states in Christendome vnder their subiection And therefore they haue an intendment against Spaine Austria and the whole empire as well as against England Scotland or Fraunce or any other peculiar prouince though not against all at once for that were meere follie in them but by peecemeale as I said before of these northerne Isles in setting one nation in opposition against an other and euery one to be iealous not only of their neighbour princes but also of their owne subiects each one apart and all this vnder pretence of religion making the Spaniards bicause he hath the best bag in deede though they pretend bicause he hath more religion in him then the rest a great many not knowing or at least not thinking of it how that the Spanish state is as ticklish as any in Christendome this day and as much bad and wicked liuers in it as any where almost is to be found the number of infidels Nueuo Christiano and lewd catholikes considered to be the cloake of their colorable aspires pretending for him alone as best able they thinke to beare them out against all other princes or soueraignes whosoeuer In which kinde of practise policie and matchiuilean deuise doe blinde the eies of the multitude which they chiefly labour for though it may seeme incredible to some that euer they should aspire to an absolute monarchie thereby considering they are so few in number and those dispersed here and there in sundry Nations ouer all the face almost of the whole earth yet who so doth wel consider that the Turkish empire the Ottomans race the Mahumetans state hath spred it selfe abroad vpon no expectation had either of themselues or feare conceiued at first of any other by them like to this platforme doctrine and pretend of the Iesuits they will thinke it neither strange nor impossible but rather very probable vnlesse God do strike them and confound their deuises And this I proue first to
and allow of all their prophane and irreligious orders set downe for succession as to be let in and put out at their pleasure And thus vnder a cloak of a most shamfull heathnish Turkish and ridiculous common wealths authority neuer seene nor heard nor liked nor allowed of by God or man the king regnant should be as the terme goeth to day a man to morrow none Now a king crownd at twelue a clocke at noonetyde and presently disinuested of all his roabes of estate and vncrowned againe by prime if it so pleased the mocke maiestie of the multitude at the kings royall approch to the imperiall throne of regalitie he shall haue the title in words of a king monarchiall with viuat rex in aeternum but like a king of clowts ere euer he take regall state vpon him he shall heare a proclamation from a Democracy with penes nos respublica regimen imperium if the said state popular be strong ynough to beare away the stile and title of a colorable weale publike And thus per circulum one king displaced after an other none being sure of his state but remoueable by law at the good will and pleasure of the mobile vulgus as mutable as the weathercocke the Spanish maiestie and Archgrace of Austria being once in possession of the English French Scots crownes must depend vpon the exorbitant inconstant passionate willes of their owne vnruly vassals to be expeld the next day after if either he displease or an other better conceite them in their rusticke rude ruffling humours And so one after an other must be placed or displaced as these common wealthes humorists fancy best To whom as Master Charles Paget hath well noted king Philip must obey like a poore lacky in a French Ioupe to runne and turne sit and stand raigne and render accept and abiure his crowne and kingdome regality and all as a subiect seruant and poore vassall at their appointment and right serued by his owne acceptance and allowance of a Law and legifer so contemptible disgracefull and preiudiciall to the sacred maiestie of a King But questionlesse if either his late maiestie or present king regnant had vnderstood our English idiome or been truly informed of the contents of those his worthlesse workes or had knowne what absurdities contradictions and spitefull preiudices had lien close cowched betwixt the barke and tree the roote and the rinde the superficiall shew in words and reall proceedings in acts of father Parsons and his confederates bewitching both his and our Soueraignes loyall subiectes together with all the populars of euery Prince in Christendome with this his most dangerous irreligious wretched and rebellious doctrine made for his owne purpose vnder a flattering dissimulate pretence of aduauncing his maiesties title to that he hath no right vnto and thereby to bring both him and all other Princes in subiection to these popular state conspirators for their owne auncient iust and lawfull inheritance he would sure haue reiected him with heue and ho in a strappado vnlesse that his priesthood might happely haue saued him at a pinch of extremitie But yet his maiestie may perhaps cast him into the Inquisition and cause him to be degraded eraced and burnt for an heretike if he obstinately maintaine what he hath begun but that is the spite of it a Iesuite wil stand to nothing though there be a thousand witnesses of it when his bookes and libels shall come in print for these matters translated into Latine or Spanish with perfect annotations of that corrupt text of his taken out of his owne and his confederates workes against himselfe for better information of his highnesse and the sacred Inquisition of many blasphemies foule abuses and grosse errors As first affirming as erst I told you how that all succession gouernment and gouernors or whatsoeuer is included or dependeth vpon the law diuine and of nature is all one without possibility of alteration or change as God and nature saith he are common and one to all alike c. He thereby couertly by a fallacy denies free will in man putting no difference betwixt the lawes of nature generall and specificall or that lawe which is common to man together with brute beastes and that other which is proper to man alone Which latter as that whereupon onely this gouernment dependeth he must grant to be naturally subiect to alteration and change as the former is tyed to immutability and permanent continuance in one and the selfe same state Then hereupon followeth an other absurditie scil a king saith he in plaine termes holdeth his crowne regality and kingdome by the goodwill of the common wealth his vassals where he raigneth Againe an other absurditie or grosser error may be this that he affirmeth this common wealth which he auoucheth to controle regall maiestie in forme aboue recited to place and displace kings and subiectes at their pleasure hath to challendge this priuiledge vnto it that it is commaunded by the holy Ghost in such sort as that in sentence iudiciall it cannot erre And by consequent I inferre first that he meaneth absolutely of a Iesuiticall common wealth squared agreeing to the high Counsell of Reformation For neuer could I heare any other state court or association that they would honor so much as to giue out they could not erre saue only themselues and their society c. And then againe that this supposed of a Iesuitical common wealth scil Quod respublica non potest errare it followeth that rebles traitors may hereupon build what the list and bring in the great Turke or Cam of Catay to rule ouer vs without controlement And this brings in an other contradiction For whereas in one place he holdeth that titles to kingdomes of Princes once settled are not to be examined but absolutely obeyed by priuate men in an other place quite contrarie he presumes vpon his owne head to examine titles of the greatest monarches on earth and to determine them by way of consultation in a publike conference of a wine tauerne authoritie And bicause vno absurdo dato plura sequuntur therefore to make shew that this conference was by authoritie not of priuate but of publike persons therefore must euery wayfaring man traueller tinker pedlar rogue and runnagate tag and rag that is a member of father Parsons common wealth more exorbitant then his former called of many the Earle of Leicesters common wealth or Greencote must be a publike person and not daily and howerly caried away in priuate from his owne opinion nor yet examine the matter priuately before or after he come to conferre thereof with this graue father we may be sure and the rest of the Iesuits appointed for that purpose Iust like to this legifers lawe giuen to his vicegerent the Archpriest to cut off all meetings or conferences to be had amongst secular priests about his authoritie And a very like lawe or rather abuse of all lawe and order is his tyrannicall
Atheall policy bring Spaine and all the rest vnder their subiection Which apparant intendment plots and practises with other like waighty considerations if the late king had liued would haue beene a sufficient warning to him for euer being abused by any Iesuite againe And happily when this king regnant and his sister the Lady Infanta shall know thus much and much more then here is said it will breede the same effect in their princely heads as a fit meane to cut off these turbulent state tamperers and no lesse ambitious aspirers then vngratefull maligners of those princes that haue backt aduaunced and defended them most And either hereafter force them in Spaine and in all other countries to auoide princes courts and medlings with nobles or the state where they liue and so retire themselues to their cloysters as religious men should do and as all do but they only who despise all order or else set them packing out of this Christian world amongst the Antipodes Indians other people to vs here vnknowen For so long as they stay vncontrold as they are the church of God will neuer be in quiet nor suffered to liue vnuexed by them THE VIII ARTICLE VVHether then seeing it seemeth the Iesuits aspire to the whole and absolute monarchie of the world haue they any intent or meaning to put in for a supremacy so to thrust out the Popes holines or haue they no such intended practises amongst them THE ANSWERE IF the question had beene whether euer any possibility or intendment were by them to get a Iesuite to be Pope or no the answere had beene more ready then it is to the former interrogatory For that the generall iealousie which most of that sacred consistory haue of the Iesuits pride ambition greedy affectation of a supremacy hath been cause that of late as some do say there is an order taken that no Iesuits shal euer be admitted hereafter to be Card at least not in that authority as some of them haue bene in least they worke some crafty meanes to get to that worthy dignitie as in tract of time they may bring it about to haue him Pope by that meanes and then questionlesse haue at all Christendome for bothe states ecclesiasticall and temporall Which to make apparant that they aime at no lesse and by consequent that as there was but one onely Iesus who was high priest and king in the Hebrewes Monarchiall Empire or kingdome of the Iewes with his twelue Apostles and the rest of his disciples substituted vnder him so in their intended platforme but one Iesuite Pope and prince Monarchiall like a presbyter Iohn in the kingdome monarchie of the whole Christian world with the fathers and lay brothers of his societie substituted in euery country region and prouince vnder him Although by relection of what hath bene already said there may ynough be gathered sufficient to confirme and demonstrate it against them especially if we conferre our English Iesuiticall practises and proceedings with others of other nations yet in my opinion there is no one thing that discouers their ambitious aspire more herein then father Parsons Doleman in his peremptorie censure of all impugners of his Iesuiticall or popular title for call it no more his Spanish title hereafter seeing he fisheth wholy for his owne societie in as high preiudice to the Spaniards Maiestie as to any other to the English crowne For hauing as I haue said before authorized his subiect Master Blackwell with so ample immunities priuiledges preheminences and substitutiue iurisdiction as neither pope nor prince nor any power or authoritie vnlesse Iesuiticall on earth may as it seemeth by shrewd suspition had of their speech and insinuation giuen by their actions haue to doe with him nor any in England Scotland or Wales appeale from him now by perusing that Quodlibet of plots by authoritie and conferring the same with this of succession you shall finde here the doctrinal decrees intended of that which there is set downe to haue already begun to be in practise Thus then he I meane father Parsons teacheth in his said booke of titles and other manuscripts First that all men liuing vnder the Spanish allegiance are bound to take notice of their kings rightfull title interest and claime to the English crowne c. Secondly that the English our countrymen though of another nation and no way subiect to Spaine at any time since the world began were obliged to acknowledge and subscribe and as some haue informed vs to sweare vnto the rightfull succession of the Lady Infanta Thirdly euery one be he forraigne or home borne subiect are prohibited in expresse words by the king there saith this good father and by an inhibition sent from the Archpriest here to shew their reasonable censure or to deliuer their opinion and conceit touching the contents of the foresaid bookes and writings vnder paine of incurring the churches curse and his maiesties high displeasure c. In these three positions that I may omit sundry others whereof he rankly smelleth of hereticall and rebellious doctrine to the See apostolike you may please to note what he takes vpon him and then compare confer quote the places in the first part of his Doleman making for this purpose and you shall finde that he arrogates to himselfe more then Apostolicall power so as what to make of him for my part I know not vnlesse an Antesignane or immediate forerunner of Antichrist for he taking vpon him authoritie aboue the Pope in this point of succession so farre as he would seeme to make his bloody proiects for performance thereof in a setled conceit as infringible if not more as if they were matters of faith desined by a sacred aecumenicall synode what this his doctrine and threats in compelling to beleeue and imbrace it will breede in time or what it is that he thereby shootes at vos iudicate Onely two things I will say first that a great many and those some of them at least no fooles nor babies are mightily mistaken in their censure iudgement and opinion had of his intended platforme therein another is that whatsoeuer his intent or meaning is or was for that matter yet hath he by that booke and others very suspitiously preiudiced the See apostolike and the popes holines in chiefe whose office he hauing peremptorily forestalled vsurped and preoccupated herein he is to be noted of high ambition great presumption sawcie disobedience and what else you may gesse besides to the Romane See as his chiefe superior without whose warrant graunt and authoritie he hath audaciously presumed to ouerthrowe states to make new kings to forme common wealthes and to frame lawes out of his owne braine-sicke fansie as though he were Monos supreme soueraigne and superior in chiefe vnder God if not equal vpon whom Pope prince peere and all persons of what degree calling or qualitie soeuer they be are to depend and from whom al officers magistrates powers dominations are
to receiue take and accept of for their practise and directions in all causes martiall monasticall spirituall and temporall This grosse error of father Parsons and his no lesse great absurditie then rash foolish presumptuous and most dangerous course where unto his proiects do tend by this his pretence for the Lady Infanta to colour his owne and his societies traitorous aspires doe argue his insolencie and pride to be so great as they blind his iudgement sence and censure from discerning that these his plots drifts and deuises will be not onely condemned and laughed at by a generall applause but he also vtterly reiected and cast off out of all indifferent mens conceites be they of what religion soeuer that beare any loue to their countrie or that wish a preseruation of their auncient nobility and gentry freed by lawes customes and priuiledges from that tyrannie spoile which this hard natured and most cruell harted man seemeth most to desire for his owne priuate respects and commodities And surely when I remember the words of some of his proctors apparators somners pursiuants attornies aduocates soliciters and serieants here in England that neither could neither can yet indure to here that the Popes holinesse should haue any dealing or medling in this matter as a gust which gauleth them to the very guts to heare and see some already of a more gracious sweet mild incline to mercy in her Maiesty towards the innocent on that behalfe then heretofore hath bene or then they can hope for to themselues or any way indeede do desire to any others father Parsons and the rest of his state compartners vrging nothing more then to haue persecution of catholikes increased not diminished at all further then to grant out bulles of excommunication against all those that should impugne the spanish title and withall to send out pardons and graines of indulgence to all those that should fight on the Spaniards side against their natiue countrie both which vnnaturall practises seing the Iesuites haue sought for to be put in execution to the vttermost thereby to torment vs on euery side and by consequent incense the soe oppressed with rage against their soueraigne and the state tell me deere catholikes what moues you to fawne vpon those that thus doe labour for your heauie destruction I cannot but muse with my selfe how euer this disguised vnfortunate stepfather father Parsons being filius terrae by birth an Englishman by education a catholike by externall profession a priest by charecter a religious man by vow and order and taking vpon him by function and calling wholy to aduance Gods cause yea with hallowes and how-hubs with whowbes whowes and outcries against all that tast not on the froth of his zeale hath hitherto refused to take his holinesse for an example and his sacred predecessors the successors of Saint Peter vpon whom he ought chiefly to haue relied as a speciall note of so sound a catholike and perfect religious person as he and his would make the simple people beleeue they are for a paterne to imitate who haue euer held most mild modest and moderate courses towards all but especially towards the kings of great Britaine were they Scots or English not halfe so seuere against any as oftentimes by surreptitiall suggestions of some euill and factious persons they were vrged to haue bene As well appeered in the bull of Pius the fift which though we wish had neuer come out and much more that the other two since that time denounced against her Maiesty had neuer bene seene or heard of in this world yet to speake Gods truth when the Pope his holinesse perceiued what bloody tragedies and massacres on all sides were like to ensue thereupon by commaund of withdrawing our naturall allegiance from our natiue soueraigne vpon wrong information giuen as before we haue touched at large the said Bull was called in againe and all catholikes throughout England left as free to obey her Maiesty in all things due to her princely regalitie as they were before But letting that and other excommunications passe as spoken of before with harty wish they had neuer bene amongst many examples of the deere loue and fatherlie compassion of the Popes holinesse towards the inhabitants and princes of this land in times of eminent common welthes dangers the chiefe since the Norman conquest was shewed in the daies and raignes of king Henry the second surnamed Fitzempresse and of his sonne king Iohn the third Monarche of England of a Plantagenets royall race Against whom hauing vsed his fatherly correction as pastor vniuersall ouer the whole flocke of Christ for their great tyrannie and crueltie vsed towards their naturall subiects yet vpon their repentance mercifully receiuing them into grace and fauour of Gods church againe his holinesse on the behalf of the second did not onely accurse and excommunicate prince Lewis of France with all his adherents forcing him to yeeld vp all the interest right and title that he or his posteritie had or euer should haue to the English crowne but also surrendred vp the said crowne of England frank and free to king Iohn and his heires and successors from of the head of Cardinall Pandulphus hauing sit enthronized three daies therewith in the Popes right of purpose to abate and end the strife for euer to inioy the same in as full absolute and ample manner as any prince or monarche euer enioyed or possessed a crowne And thousands there are in England that desire as much and I verily thinke more vnfainedly and with a better more sincere true and catholike religious mind then any of the Iesuiticall or spanish faction doe desire the conuersion of our countrie who yet will be ready to lay their liues to pledge for it that if as God forbid and I hope it shall neuer happen that any Lancastrian forraigner should get possession of this land with as many oathes homages and fealties made and done vnto him or her whosoeuer as prince Lewis had whom father Parsons brings in for an example in confirmation of the Lady Infantaes title by that house bloud and line of king Lewis of France be like of purpose to vrge the English as he hath to make the like protestation on the said Infantaes behalfe yet would euen this Pope Clement the eight according to his predecessors example reuoke recall repeale and force him or her to retire and withall would of his mere mercie a gift appropriated to Saint Peters chaire in speciall manner grant to our nation the election and choise and set vp a king of our owne natiue soile bred and borne within the confines of great Britaines Ocean vpon the like repentance and submission of former princes in this and all other Christian kingdomes maugre all the Iesuites Spaniards and huff muffes in the world These important considerations should haue touched father Parsons hart with deepe remorse to remember how mightily he hath resisted impugned and violated all lawes diuine and humane whatsoeuer