to them Which can not bee that of Clairmounte except peraduenture for the three Colledges sake founded by the Bishop of Clairmounte It is therefore requisite they should adde the word Iesuists This verie name was afterward in vse in their owne Colledge at Paris when they were expeld It is true that in processe of time the common people for the easier pronunciation discarded the S. and called them Iesuits in steed of Iesuists And when Pasquier printed his Epistles in the yeere 1586. likewise when the Plea was printed in the yeere 94. And that of the Aduocate Mesnil they were termed Iesuists according to the common custome of time Neither was this reformed in Versoris Plea Take it then for certaine that they were called Iesuists as you may better be informed by such as liued in those daies this was done vpon graue consideration for no sparke of true Iesus being in them but hypocrisie only appareld with his name the people branded them with the name of Iesuists In like manner you know that from the Greeke word Sophos which sigfies sage in old time the word Sophister was deriued to decipher such a one as troubled the waters of Wisdom Therfore we do noate by the name of Iesuists these new disturbers of Iesus his Church After this manner in our time from the word Deus some haue wrested a title of men deified which is a new heresie And as God shines in his wisdome so shal it not be from the purpose to couple a Iesuist a Sophister togither because a Iesuist is nothing else but the Sophister of our Catholique religion Here said the Aduocate you haue reason not only I subscribe to your obseruatiō but more I hold him a heauie beast which shal not acknowledge them to be of the Societie of Iesus Verely they are but iust as Iudas was among the Apostles so many Iesuies so many Iudases readie to betray their princes or their countries whensoeuer occasion serues to do it What wil you giue vs wil be the burdē of their song to those princes that haue most money we will deliuer our Leege Lord into your hands or troble his state that it may be yeelded to you Did they not attempt the same in Fraunce and if our famous Henry had beleeued them had they not performed it But thanks be vnto God they met with such a barre as the necessitie of our affaires required CHAP. 9. ¶ That the Iesuits are called Apostles in Portugall in the Indies and with what deceits they haue wrought it QVestionlesse he is much deceiued that makes any doubt of the societie of Iesus for there must of force be a Iesus in theyr companie sithence they haue had Apostles such remaine among them in the Realme of Portugall to this day an impietie certainly shamefull for our Catholique Apostolique Romane Church that vnder cullour of a paynted obedience they say they yeelde to the holie Sea vvee haue suffered these hypocrites to be called Apostles not in Portugall onely but in many other Townes and Citties also of the Indies where they commaund Thys historie howe disgracefull soeuer it be to vs deserues notwithstanding to be vnderstood knowne to all good men that they may be informed how the Iesuits haue not spared for any sleights to rayse theyr reputation by the downfall of the true Church of GOD. I must tell you then that Ignace beeing at Venice with his nine companions Peter Faure which in Latine is called Faber Fraunces Xauier Iames Lainez Alphonsus Salmeron Nicholas Bobadille Simon Roderic Pasquier Broet Claudius Iay and Iohn Codury One Hosius of Nauarre Bachelor of Diuinitie after many doubts cleered vnto him by Ignace Ribad lib. 2. cap. 6. at last ioynd hart and companie with Ignace and was put into the Cataloge with the rest saith Ribadener and vppon the poynt of theyr departure from the territorie of Venice Ribad lib. 7. cap. 5. Maff. lib. 2. cap. 4. after their first returne from Rome Ignatius saith the same Authour Faber and Lainez went to Viceria Fraunces Xauier and Salmeron to mount Celesius Iohn Codurus Hosius late said to be put into their nūber to Tarnisium Claudius Iay Simon Roderic to Bassanū Paschasius Bobadilla to Verona It pleased God that after Ignace was appointed by his companions to goe to Rome Maff. lib. 2. cap. 4. Ribad lib. 2. cap. 12. as hee was saying Masse at Mount Cassin hee saw an Angell carry Hosius soule with ioy to heauen Thus by his death their companie was reduced to their first Cataloge of tenne that number which I say preferd their request to Pope Paule the third and you shall not finde that they soone afterwardes gathered any more to make vp eleuen or twelue as they did with Hosius Now the record tels vs that as they were at Rome attending the Popes pleasure to giue order for their plot Iohn the third of that Name King of Portugall was desirous to haue some one of these new Pilgrims to send him to the Indies where hee possest a great part of the Country The Portugals had by their long and venterous nauigations opened a way to these newe founde Lands for so our Auncestors calld them and they made thēselues maisters of them where the most part of the Commaunders continued in their old idolatry others although they were baptized were but rude Christians By this meanes Ma. Iames Gouea sometime principall of S. Barbes Colledge in Paris aduised the King to choose some one of these new Pilgrimes at Rome to conuert his subiects Gouea by the Kings appointment wrote to Ignace who aunswered him againe by Letters that he had no authoritie in that case but that all depended vppon the Popes pleasure After a little coursing to and fro the charge was committed to Fraunces Xauier of Nauarre and Simon Roderic a Portugall These trauaild to the King which entertayned them verie graciously Vppon their arriuall the Pope enlarged this newe companie to the number of threescore these two men were called Apostles a title deriued from them to their Successors in that Country Horace Turcelin a Iesuit yeeldes this reason of it Last of all saith he speaking of Xauier and Rodoric Turcel lib. 1 ca. 10. of Xauers life the excellencie of theyr vertue and contempt of the worlde was miraculous in the eyes of the whole Cittie It was bruted among the commen people that twelue Priests for two were added to the ten had combined together at Rome Two of the which company liuing among them seemed to carrie I know not what shew of an Apostolicall life This made the people whether it were for the equalitie of the number or for the conformit is of life to begin by too great a title to call them Apostles and continued so to tearme them though much against theyr wills For the Portugalls beeing no lesse constant in theyr dooings then religious in determination they coulde neuer be drawne to recall that
grant it only to pleasure you Therefore they that allow not of your societie are heretiques I denie that The Colledge of Diuines and the Vniuersitie of Paris our whole Church of Fraunce so many societies so many of worth and honour made themselues parties against you in the yeere 64. and disalowed of you yet for all that ye neuer heard that they were decleard at Rome to be heretiques Insomuch that the Popes which authorised you neuer thought that you were to inhabit in France They knew that their dignitie is the mother of vnitie in the Vniuersall Church They were not ignorant of the liberties of our Church of Fraunce wholy contrarie to the profession of the Iesuits and that to settle them in Fraunce had beene to plant a huge sort of schismes and diuisions Whereby you may perceiue the reason why they repeald not the iudgements that had past against these goodly Maisters as well in the conuocation of our whole Cleargie at Poisie as in the Parliament at Paris Following herein by a good inspiration of God and his holy Spirit the steps of Paulus the third to whom when the Iesuits presented themselues at the first faining that they would goe into Palestine and there settle theyr aboade for the coÌ„uerting of the Turkes Masf lib. 2. capit 3. Ribad lib. 2. capit 7. they were not onely fauourably entertaind by him but which is more he caused money to be deliuerd to them for the defraying of the charge of theyr voyage But when they returnd the second time to haue a confirmation of their new determination Pope Paule was two whole yeeres before hee could yeelde to it And why so Because in theyr first proiect there was no danger to Christendome but onely to themselues that were the vndertakers of this matter In the second there was assurance for their persons but great hazard danger to all Christendome And after many denialls refusals although he suffered himselfe to be carried away by Cardinall CoÌ„tarens importunitie yet he was of opinion that not onely they were not to take vp theyr dwelling in Fraunce but not to continue in any other part of Christendome but verie sparingly Howe then Shall wee thinke that this great Pope would leaue desolate this new Order approued by him No truly And if you will examine this storie aright you will rest satisfied If in the yeere 1539. the Iesuits had made promise of no more but the 3. substantiall vowes of other religious orders he would neuer haue admitted them in such a fashion as they presented themselues Munks who by a title appropriated to themselues were termed of the societie of Iesus wearing no religious habite at all Munks that would not tie themselues to their Cloysters there to leade a solitarie life nor reduce themselues to the extraordinarie abstinence from meates and to the fasts of other religious orders Munks that would preach and administer the holy Sacraments without the permission of the Bishop For all these circumstances layd together promise I cannot tell what great dissolution rather then edification What then prouokt him to receiue them First their vow of absolute obedience to the holy Sea afterward that of their Mission by which Ignace and his companions promised that when soeuer they should be commaunded by the Popes they would goe into all heathen Countries to dispeople them as it were of Idolatry to plant Christianitie in them They were a company of Argonautes which promised to embarque themselues not to goe conquer the golden Fleece like â—ason but to transport abroade the fleece of the Paschall Lambe vnder the ensigne of Iesus A goodly profession doubtlesse in fauour whereof Pope Paulus suffred these newe pilgrims which tooke the crosse for the glorifying of the Name of Iesus to terme themselues the societie of Iesus to weare the habits of Priests not of Munks not to shut themselues vp in Cloysters to minister the word of God and the holy sacrameÌ„ts one with another for as much as they vowed themselues to the conquest of those Countries wherein there were no Bishops not Curats a conquest to be made not with materiall armes but only with spirituall Send them to the new found Lands according as they promisd to goe neuer was there order in greater request then this prouided that they acquit themselues of their promise not by word but effect Transplant them into the midst of the Christian Churches especially of this our Church of Fraunce in sted of order you shall make disorder of as dangerous a consequence as the sect of the Lutherans And that no man may thinke I make fantasticall and idle discourses in the Bull of the yere 1540 repeated all at large in that of 1550 they promise to goe without shifting or delay whether soeuer the Pope will send theÌ„ for the sauing of soules and aduauncing our fayth whether to the Turks or to other miscreants euen to those parts which they call the Indies or to any heretikes or schismatiks or to any belieuers If the meaning were to make new seminaries of them through all Christendome it were a ridiculous thing to set the couÌ„tries of belieuing Christians in the last place besides it seemes that these words or to any beleeuers are added but by the way and as it were for a fashion But these great promisers and trauailers forgetting what theyr first institution was haue set vp onely some doozen Colledges such as they be in Countries vnknowne to vs at the least if we must belieue them haue erected an infinite sort in the midst of vs to plant thereby a newe Popedome and to trample vnder foote the old vnder which the Church militant hath triumphed Wee are not out of the Church of S. Peter because we condemne these new Friers in Fraunce but we conforme our selues without Sophistrie to the originall and primitiue wills of the Popes Paulus and Iulius the third and though their wills had been otherwise yet our Ch. of Fraunce hath time out of minde beene accustomed most humbly to make the case knowne to the Popes when they were to be carried away by the vniust importunitie of particuler men to the preiudice of the church So did S. Martine Bishop of Tours an Apostle gardian of our Country of Fraunce so did our good Saint Lewes and yet they were iudgd to be hereticks therefore no more then Saint Paule when hee withstood S. Peter who in that case yeelded vnto him CHAP. 3. ¶ That it is against the first institution of the Iesuits for them to teach all sorts of Schollers humaine learning Philosophy and Diuinitie and by what proceedings deuises they haue seazed vppon this new tyrannie to the preiudice of the auncient discipline of the Vniuersities YE may not thinke Gentlemen that Ignace and his companions when they presented themselues to Pope Paulus made offer to teach the youth in such sort as the Iesuits since that time haue done I haue shewed you what his sufficiencie was in
life of any man lesse ouer the life of the Chauncellour who was a chiefe man in the execution of the iustice of the Land Furthermore hee added that besides hee had no charge from the Prince of Pâ—â—â—â—â— to employ his money in such stade â—â—d Merchandize Matellinus beeing wâ—â—beloued of the King his Maister had two offices to wit the Chauncelloure the chiefe Secretaries of estate that after his death there were two great Lords worse then he to the Catholicke who beeing favoured of the King would part between them the spoyle of the other To be short that for an vncertaine good thing which a man might promise vnto himselfe hee should not accomplish a certaine euill thing no though a man were assured of good to come therby And seeing the question was touching the aduancing of Christian religion this should be the meanes wholie to ruinate the same in as much as men went about to promote iâ— by slaughter and murther and that to the great scandale of all in generall the perpetuall dishonour of the holy order of the Iesuits in speciall And thus spake Bruse in his conscience as one that hauing spent all his youth in theyr Colledges bare them all manner of reuerence And yet Father Crichton would not yeeld for all this for hee his companions haue they common places of antiquitie but yet euil alleaged to prooue that murthers and such like vvicked practizes are permiâ—ted By meanes whereof Bruse being more importuned then before demaunded of him whether in a good conscience hee might consent to that enterprise or whether he could dispence there-withall To which the Iesuit replyed that hee could not but this that the murther beeing committed by him and hee comming to confesse himselfe vnto him hee would absolue him of it Then Bruse replyed in these 〈◊〉 Sith your reuerence acknowledgeth that I must confesse my selfe of it you also thereby acknowledge that I should commit a sinne and I for my part know not whether when I haue done it God would giue me grace and inable me to confesse it And thereto I verilie belieue that the cofession of an euill that a man hath done of set purpose vnder aâ— intent to confesse himselfe thereof to haue absolution of it is not greatly auâ—lable and therefore the surest way for mee is not to put my selfe into such hazard and danger And so my Maister Iesuit missed at that time of his purpose But afterwards hee know verie well to haue his reuenge for it For the Duke of Parmâ— being dead and the Countie Fuentes a Spaniard and Nephew to the Duke of Alua comming in his place Crichtou accused Bruse of two crimes before the said Countie The one that he had ill managed the Kings treasure The other that he was a Traytor because he would not disburse money to cause Metellenus to be slame and thys was the principall marke at which the Accuser aymed A great fruit certainly in the Iesuit common wealth for which hee was worthily kept prisones in Bruxells full fourteene months together For as concerning the first point Crichton made no great account of that but touching the second he to the vttermost stood vpon it and that so much the more because the prisoner demind not the crime The processe had his course At the last after that Bruse had beene a long time troubled and afflicted the prisons were opened to him and he was set free but not with any commaund to that holy Father the Iesuit no not so much as to repayte his good nume or to pay his costs dammages or losses whatsoeuer The reason whereof was as a man may easily belieue it that hauing attempted this deuout accusation he did nothing at all therein but that which might be directly referd to the holy propositions of his owne Order CHAP. 3. ¶ Concerning the murther which William Paâ—â—y a◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man thrust â—â—theâ—â—â— by the Iesuits 〈…〉 against Elizabeth Queene of England in the yeere â—â—84 HE that writ the humble temonsâ—â—ance petition to the King minding to make it appeare that men slaundeâ—ouâ—â—y accused the Iesuits of hauing a purpose to attempt any thing against the Queene of England sayth thus In respect of English people those that 〈◊〉 â—â—rite of these matter 〈◊〉 witnes our faithfulnesse and neuer yet durst accuse vs of attempting any thing against the Queene in her estate those that meant to calumâ—â—â—â— charge vs there with all could neuer fasten their lies and leasings vpon out bâ—bâ—â—â—â—â—s and cause gâ—t of 〈◊〉 selues by any probable or likely reason of truth But now I will shew that this Iesuit is a second Heredotus And let him not thinke but I doe him great honor when I resemble him to that great personage whoÌ„ men say was the first Father of a lying historie William Parry Doctor in the Lawes a man full of vnderstanding but yeâ— more full of his pleasures delights after that â—e had consumed all his owne stocke substance and the greatest part of his wiueâ— also yeâ— charged with a great controâ—â—sâ—e and question against Hâ—gh Hare Gentleman of the Temple purposed in the yeere 1582. to take the mind and to faile into Prâ—â—â—ce where being arriued and come particularly to the cittie of Paris and purposing to be familiar with certaine Enlish Gentleman that â—â—â—â—led ouâ— of theyr Coâ—â—â—â—y for theyr religion they doubted to be familiar with him thinking that he came expresly to them to spy out their actions By meanes whereof hee tooke his iourney to Lyons and from thence to Venice where euen at his first entrance because hee was an Englishman hee was put into the Inquisition but he yeelded so good an account touching Catholique religion that his Iudges found he had a desire and dutie to returne beeing â—â—beloued of all the Catholiques and particularly of Father Bonnet Palmeo a Iesuit of great reputation amongst his owne brother hood After wards he tooke a concâ—t to do such an act as be once did that in old time burned the Temple of Diana at Ephesus that so hee might be spoken of for it Hee plotted to kill the Queene his naturall Ladie and Soueraigne by the same meanes to set fire on and in the foâ—â—e corners and quarters of England making thys the ground vvorke of his practise and enterprise and that as well to deliuer his Countrie from tyrannie and oppression as to aduaunce to the Crowne Marie the Queene of Scots vvho vvas a Catholick Princesse â—erest of the bloud to succeed An oponion and conceit that came from his owne instinct and motion without acquainting the Scottish Queene any whit at all before his departure as hee afterwards confessed when hee was in person But because this enterprise and attempt was verie hawtie and that he vndertooke it with a great blow to his conscience before God he conferred hereof with Palmiâ— the Iesuit who according to the ordinarie Maxim and principle of that Sect did not onely
may seeme to be an enemie of some value yet so it is that by Gods secret iudgement it is more for our profit to haue him our enemie then our friend I will prooue it by fiue or sixe notable examples They went about to make alteration in the State of England and to that end bent all their strength what followed of that their enterprise the ruine of a number of poore Catholiques misse-led by them which before time liued at ease in their owne houses the death of the Scottish Queene the establishing of the Queene of England for a long time both in her Religiō estate I come next vnto Scotland as being next in place to England where Father William Crichton and Iames Gourdon both Scots by birth had their residence Crichton tooke a conceit vpon some discontentment to depart the land he takes his course directly into Spayne by the licence and permission of his Generall Whether he is no sooner come but he practiseth to insinuate himselfe into the Kings fauour and to that effect drawes a tree of the descent and petigree of the Infanta his daughter shewing therein that the Crownes of England and Scotland did by right appertain vnto her and to incite him the rather to take armes against the Scottish King he scattred abroad diffamatorie libels against him Whereunto the King of Spayne giuing no eare Crichton determined with himselfe by letters to sollicite the Catholick nobility of Scotland to the same purpose and to that end wrote letters in the yeere 1592. to Gourdon and other Iesuits remayning in Scotland whereby he gaue them to vnderstand in what grace he was with the King who by his incitement was resolued aswell for the inuasion of England as for the restoring of the ancient religion in Scotland But this mightie Prince desired to haue assurance before hand from the Catholique Lords of their good affection towards him from whom he willed them to procure blanks readie signed to be supplied afterwards by himselfe with deputations in their names which being obtained he had the Kings promise for two hundred and fiftie thousand crownes which should be sent ouer to be distributed amongst them The Iesuits of Scotland vpon this aduertisement drew many blanks from diuers persons which they deliuered to George Ker to carrie who being discouered by the folly and indiscretion of Robert Albercromi a Iesuit was apprehended with his letters and blanks and the Scottish King supposing this aduertisement giuen by Crichton to be true indeed caused the Baron of Fentree a Gentleman endued with many good parts to be beheaded The like had hapned to the Earle of Anguis the chiefe Earle of that country if he had not cunningly escaped out of prison After in continuance of the troubles his Castles were ruinated as also the Earle of Huntlies a man of the greatest power of them all the Earle of Arrols the Constable of Scotland All which since that time haue made profession of the pretended reformed religion as wel to returne into fauor with the king as to liue within their owne countrey in securitie of their goods persons Insomuch as in conclusion Scotland hath lost that small remainder of our Catholique Religion in the yeere 1596. The like fell out as well in the Realme of Portugall as of Arragon I will first speake of Portugall To say that the Iesuits procured the death of King Sebastian as some in their writings haue charged them is hard to beleeue for as Montaignes hath very well declared they were too highly in his fauour But marke the proceedings among all the nations of Spaine there is none so superstitious as the Portugall and of all the kings of Portugall there was neuer any more superstitious then Sebastian The Iesuits being cunning and subtle headed thought this to be a fit soyle for them to plant their vineyard in And to win the more credit they caused themselues at their first comming to be called not Iesuits but Apostles putting themselues in rank with those that followed our Sauiour Christ in person A title thich they hold as yet in that place as being generally assented to The kingdome being fallen to Sebastian these holy Apostles conceiued a hope that by his means it might descend vnto their family dealt with him many times that no man might from thence forward be capable of the Crown of Portugal except he were a Iesuit chosen by their Society as at Rome the Pope is by the Colledge of Cardinals And for as much as he although as superstitious as superstition it selfe could not or rather durst not condescend thereunto they perswaded him that God had appointed in should be so as himselfe should vnderstand by a voice from heauen neere the Sea side Insomuch as this poore Prince thus caried away resorted to the place two or three seuerall times but they could not play their parts so well as to make him heare this voice They had not as yet got into their cōpany their impostor Iustinian who in Rome fained himselfe to be infected with a leaprosie These Iesuits seeing thy could not that way attaine to the marke they shot at yet would they not so leaue it This King being in heart a Iesuit determined to lead a single life Therefore to bring themselues into neerer employment about him they councelled him to vndertake a iourny for the conquest of the kingdom of Fesse where he was slaine in a pitcht field losing both his life and his kingdome together This then is the fruite which King Sebastian reapt by giuing credit to the Iesuits And this which I haue here discoursed vnto you I had frō the late Marques of Pisani an earnest Catholick who was then Embassador for the king of France in the Spanish kings Court I omit all that hath since passed in that Realme as being impertinent to my discourse I come vnto that which hath since hapned within the Realme of Arragon wherein you shall see the like accidents by the indiscreet dooing of the Iesuits The people of Arragon had in their foundation from all antiquitie verie great priuiledges against the absolute power of their kings and the oath of fealty which they tendered their King at his Coronation ranne thus Nos qui valemos tanto come vos y podemos mas que vos vos elegemos Rëy con estas y estas conditiones intra vos y nos que el á vn que manda mas que vos That is We that are as great in dignitie as you and of greater power then you doe elect you our King with this and this condition between you and vs that there shal be one amongst vs who shall commaund aboue you And vnder that they specified all their priuiledges which the King promised by oath to obserue most exactly These liberties hauing beene infringed in the person of Antonio de Peréz their countriman and Secretary of Estate to the late King of Spayne he escaping out of prison wherein he had beene
cannot at once be a King and a Prelate and that his predecessors ordered the Ecclesiastical State which belongeth vnto him and not the temporall which pertaines only to kings Let him not inioyne vs to receiue a King who remayning in a countrie so farre distant cannot ayde vs against the sodain oftē incursions of the Infidels Neither let him commaund vs who of our Franchise and Freedome beare the name of Franks to serue him whom we list not to serue which yoake his predecessors neuer imposed vppon our Auncestors And we finde it written in holy Scripture that we ought to fight to the death for our libertie and inheritance And a little after Propterea si Dominus Apostolicus vult pacem quaerere sic quaer at vt rixam non moueat That is Therefore if our Apostolicall Lord seeke after peace let him so seeke it as he be not an occasiō of war And in conclusiō Hingmare shuts vp his letter with these words Et vt mihi experimento videtur propter meam interdictionem vel propter lingue humanae gladium nisialiud obstiterit Rex noster vel eius Regni primores non dimittent vt quod coeperunt quaniū potuerint nō exequantur That is And as I find by proofe our King or the Peeres of his Realme are not minded eyther for my excommunication or the sword of mans tongue vnlesse some other matter come to stop them to desist from prosecuting what they haue begun By which letters you may vnderstand that the Pope tooke vpon him not onely to censure King Charles the Bald for his disobedience in so iust and rightfull a cause but to make himselfe Iudge also of Empyres and Kingdomes wherevnto neither the king nor his subiects would euer assent auouching that the Pope could not confound Religion with State and that they were resolued to withstand him whatsoeuer it cost them as being a new law which he meant to obtrude vpon the land to the preiudice of our kings It may be some honest meaning man will say How doth this hang together You allow the Pope all primacie and superioritie in spirituall causes and yet limite his general power in your owne king though he should runne astray out of the right way For in respect of temporall matters I grant it but as for this high point of spirituall authority all things make against that position Whom I aunswere thus We acknowledge in Fraunce that the Pope is supreame head of the Catholique and Vniuersall Church yet is it not therefore absurd or inconsequent that our Kings should be exempted from his censures We see that all auncient Monasteries are naturallie subiect to the iurisdiction of theyr Diocesans yet are many of them by speciall priuiledge exempted from the same Our auncient Kings haue beene the first protectors of the holy Sea as well against the tyrannie of the Emperous of Constantinople as against the incursions and inuasions of the Lombards which were dailie at the gates of Rome One king alone Pepin conquered the whole state or Herarchie of Rauenna which he freely gaue to the Pope deliuering their Cittie from the long siege which Astolpho king of the Lombards had held about it And Charlemaine the sonne of Pepin chased out of Lombardie Didier their king and his whole race making himselfe Maister as well of the Cittie of Rome as of all Italie where he was afterwards acknowledged and crowned Emperour of the West by Pope Leo whom he restored fully and wholly to his auncient libertie against the insolencie of the people of Rome who repined and mutined against him And at that time was it concluded that the Popes elect might not enter vpon the exercise or administration of theyr functions vntill they were first confirmed by him or his successors I am certainly perswaded that hee and his posterity were at that time freed and exempted from all censures and excommunications of the holy Sea And albeit we haue not the expresse Constitution to shew yet may it be extracted out of the Ordinaunces of the said Emperour recorded by Iuon Bishop of Chartres Si quos culpatores Regia potestas Epist 123. 195. aut in gratiam benignitatis receperit aut mensae suae participes fecerit hos sacerdotum populorum conuentus suscipere Ecclesiastica communione debebit vt quod principalis pietas recepit nec à Sacerdotibus Dei extraneum habeatur If the king shall receiue any sinner into the fauour of his clemencie or make him partaker of his owne table the whole companie of the Priests and people shall likewise receiue him into the cōmunion of the Church that that which the princes pietie hath admitted be not by the priests held as cast off or reiected If then the table or the fauour of our Kings did acquite and absolute the excommunicated person from the Ecclesiasticall censures wee may well say that our kings themselues were exempt from all excommunications Our kings had right to confirme the Popes after their elections a right which the Popes alledge to haue beene by them remitted then why should we be more enuied then they if the auncient Prelacie of Rome haue priuiledged our kings from all excommunications and censures whatsoeuer Sure I am that Pope Gregorie the fourth going about to infringe that prerogatiue to gratifie the sonnes of king Lewes the Milde the sonne of Charlemaine the good Bishops and Prelats of Fraunce sent him vvord that if he came in person to excommunicate their king himselfe should returne excommunicated to Rome A peremtorie speech I must confesse but it wrought so as the Pope to couer his packing pretended hee came into Fraunce for no other intent but to mediate a peace betweene the Father and the sonnes as indeede he did and had he stood vppon other termes hee would haue gone out of Fraunce greatly displeased So much doe wee embrace this priuiledge of our kings as wee dare affirme that it had his beginning eyther with the Crowne it selfe at what time Clouis became a Christian or at least in the second line within a while after our kings had taken in hand the defence protection of the Church of Rome for so doe we find it to haue beene obserued successiuely in Charlemaine Lewes the Milde his sonne and Charles the Balde his grand-child And since in the third line when our kings seemed some what to forget the right way and that it was requisite to extend the authoritie of the Church towards them the Pope or his Legates were fayne to ioyne the Clergie of Fraunce with them In briefe as long as all thinges were quiet and peaceable betweene the King and his subiects the censures of Rome were neuer receiued against our Kings In our auncient Records wee finde a Bull bearing date from Pope Boniface the eyght the tenor whereof is Vt nec Rex Franciae nec Regina nec liberi eorum ex communicart possint That neyther the King nor the Queene of Fraunce nor theyr
destroy and pull downe the Pyramis for what boote were it for you to be restored vnlesse this stone be taken away whereby you are charged with sundry crimes which you esteeme false and calumnious Seeing therefore your intent was to commence suite against a stone I presumed that the hearing of the cause belonged absolutely to my selfe and to none other And that you may vnderderstand with what diligence and iustice I haue proceeded in the examination thereof I remembred that your cause had been twise pleaded and twise referred to counsell First in the yeere 1564. wherein you were plantiues suing to bee incorporated into the Vniuersitie of Paris Secondly in the yeere 1594. wherein the Vniuersitie of Paris were plantiues requiring that you might be instantly banished and expelled the land To be throughly informed of the first I required a Copie of Pasquier his declaration against you Versoris his Plea for you as also of the latter by Mesmll the Kings Aduocate By all which I found that the onely matter in question at that time was the noueltie and straunge rule of your Order being contrarie to the auncient liberties of the Church of Fraunce And being desirous to be yet further instructed in the matter behold certaine mutinous spirits present me with three bookes on your behalfe In the first were contained the Buls by you obtayned for your commoditie and aduantage In the second were your orders or constitutions diuided into tenne parts In the third the Examen or if I may so terme it the Abstract or abridgement thereof Out of which I collected many poynts which before time were to me altogether vnknowne a simple and absolute vow which your enemies alleage to be full of subteltie and heresie many extraordinarie vsurpations vppon the Ordinaries and Vniuersities a rich kind of pouertie professed by vow a blinded obedience to your Supâ—â—ion for as for that to the Pope I meddle not ther withal your principall Buls wherein it seemes you haue surprised and abused the sanctitie of the holy Sea Whereupon I said that that villaine whatsoeuer he was that brought these bookes out of your Colledges deserued to be hanged for his paynes It is not meet the world should know the secrets of a profest Societie It doth but open mens mouthes to scanne and descant thereupon at their pleasures to the discredit and disgrace of the whole Order But seeing the offender cannot be discouered I thinke it best that these three bookes be sent backe into one of your Colledges there to receiue open discipline for this offence This is not the first time that sencelesse things haue beene dealt withall For in that manner doe we read that the Sea hauing trespassed against Zerxes that wise and prudent king of Persia who had purposed to passe ouer into Greece vpon a bridge of cordes was by him condemned to be whipt As contrariwise the Signiorie of Venice to flatter and infinuate with the Sea is wont yeerely vpon Ascension day to espouse and wed it with a Ring which they present vnto it I assure you when I compared the priuiledges of the Church of Fraunce with yours I stood greatly perplexed what to thinke holding this with my selfe for a law inuiolable that housoeuer all lawes were wauering and vncertaine according to the chaunge and alteration of times yet this stood firme stedfast and immutable that we are to liue according to the lawes of that countrey wherein we defire to liue And finding your Buls and constitutions to goe slat against the liberties of the Church of Fraunce it bred no small scruple in my mind howsoeuer I was inclined or deuoted to fauour your cause Hauing viewed and reuiewed the bookes and euidences concerning the first cause which was referred to counsel I passed ouer to the second instance of the yere 1594. wherin I employed all the powers of my braine Herein you were not called in question for your doctrine or profession any more but for your attempts and practises made aswell against Princes and Princesses as against the seuerall countries wherein you are resident and especially against the Realme of Eraunce A matter full of waight difficultie and of daungerous consequence which caused me for the discharge of my place and conscience to interpose my selfe in this cause contrarie to that custome which I haue hitherto learned and practised For in other cases I receiue such packets as my Vassels and Subiects list to impart giuing credit thereunto vpon their bare relations But in this I haue taken a farre other course For hauing perused your petitionarie booke full of pittie and compassion I sent forth summons to all quarters without exception to come in and speake their knowledge in the matter I directed out Commissions ouer all countries according to the prerogatiue which from all antiquitie hath beene graunted me through the whole state of Christendome to informe me aswell by letters as by witnesses of what I thought requisite for your iustification commaunding all Iudges of what qualitie foeuer vpon payne of a grieuous fine at my pleasure to send me the whole processe aswell criminall as extraordinarie which had passed in your cause being resolued your innocence once verified and confirmed to cast downe this Pyramis and to preferre this sentence into the Inquisition As your selues sometimes caused the censure and determination of the Sorbone pronounced against you in the yeere 1554. to be censured by the Inquisition of Spayne For it is not for euerie man to iustle with your holy Fatherhoods And that which pronoked mee the rather hereunto was your booke wherein reading to my great discomfort the hard measure which hath beene shewen you by the Court of Parliament of Paris yet you acknowledge the said Court to excell all other in knowledge iustice and religion Vpon my summons I must confesse the truth there appeared at the first dash a great troope of French English Scottish Arragonians Portugalls Polanders Flemings Swethlanders who reported much more then I desired to heare And albeit the peoples voyce be the voyce of God if you belieue the coÌ„mon prouerbe yet would not I for the sequell build my iudgment thereon Your owne booke increased my scruple doubt much more then before when for your iustification you say that in the yeere 1593. by a generall Synode holden by your Societie at Rome those of your Order were forbidden to entermeddle henceforward in matters of State which poynt I could not well conceiue They are prohibited said I to entermeddle hence-forward in State matters therefore it is presupposed that heretofore they haue medled therein I cannot be perswaded that these deuout and holie men did euer apply themselues that way because such is the calamitie of our times that in our State affaires wee harbour commonly more impietie then Religion to bring our designements to passe And standing thus in suspence one rounded me in the eare and bad mee be cleere of that poynt for he that made The Defence of the Colledge of Clairmont in