vvould be to your Consistorie vvhole Religion to impose and multiplie penalties vpon vs these offers considered for not doing those things vvhich by your ovvne knovvledge your best learned in diuinitie on vvhose vvordes and vvarrant you hazard your soules cannot nor vvill not take vpon them to maintaine as lavvfull for vs to doe But if so many suites supplications reasons and examples vvill not call you to a contrary minde but you haue set vp your resolution vvithout any ansvvere or defence by vs to be our accusers iudges and executioners and singularly vvithout any example at all in the vvorld either of Christians or others to persist in vehemencie of persecution against our religion let vs finde you so far to harken vnto vs that to retaine the name of lavve-makers you vvill retaine some proportioÌ„ anologie as all so named must doe vvith the most auntient lavve of God of nature nations and this kingdome not to punish tvvice one and the same offence If by strong hand you will haue that to be offence which vve assure our selues is so far froÌ„ that name and nature that the contrary is great and heigh offence to God Non consurgat duplex tribulatio and afflixi te non iterum affligam and againe Deus non punit bis in idipsuÌ„ And as a double punishments is not to be inflicted for one offence so by these lavves pro mensura delicti erit plagarum modus vvhich our auntient lavves in our great charter of England follovve Nullus liber homo amercietur sed secundum modum delicti ipsius saluo tenemento suo Magna Charta cap. 14. Peruse if it please you but the heades of the punishments prouided against vs for sundry respects questionable vvhether any offence or no and shal perceaue that your lavvs do not impose you or prosecute such seuere penalties by many degrees vpon sins that certainly and by al iudgements are confessed and acknovledged to be sinnes yea and great sinnes against the lawe of God nature all nations this Kingdome By this we hope you vnderstand that if you wil haue example either in heauen or earth to follow your persecutions must die or must diminish for we haue yeelded ful satisfactioÌ„ to all your pretended reasons to persecute vs. That which remaineth wee desire you to consider what a resemblance there is or should be betweene yours the heaueÌ„ly court froÌ„ whence the irreuocable law is proceeded with great terror published Woe to theÌ„ that make vniust lawes and writing haue written iniustice that in iudgemeÌ„t they might oppresse the poore and do violence to the cause of the humble of my people that widdowes might be their prey and the spoyle of fatherles So beseeching the almightie that in these and other causes in that heigh Court now in hand you may in such sort proceed as may be to his honor and glory the securitie good of his maiestie his of-spring posterity and this common wealth we leaue you to Gods holy protection Your wel-wishing Countrymen kinsmen alliance frieÌ„ds the Catholike RecusaÌ„ts of this realme of EnglaÌ„d An other also of the like tenure which here ensueth was then with the same assent subscribed with 23. handes of the chiefest Catholike gentlemen of England and presented to the chiefe Secretarie of estate potent in those times in court and councell and as the Catholikes then feared not equally effected towards them though neuer so innocent and wel-deseruing who was one of them who with other of the councell declared to diuers of these gentlemen as they confidently reported vpon their reputation that the Kings pleasure was they should paye no more the penaltie of twentie pounds a month for their recusancie and after when hee had perswaded his maiestie to the contrarie denyed his former assertion of the releace thereof although the gentlemen most sincere and iuste still insisted and maintayned that this messadge was so deliuered vnto them which also the then Earle of Northampton L. Henry Howard did freely confesse acknowledge to be most true And the same Catholiks were more then iealous that this practise of coÌ„spiracie was no great secret to that Secretary long before diuers of them that were actors in it and by him named Catholikes were acquainted with it We may not enter into iudgement where men are not defamed of such inuentions to entrappe those they doe not affect for the rest let M. Howe 's his historie of that matter make relation who it was a great protestant that had more or not much inferiour knowe ledge of it by his relation then some that wer-put to death for concealing it But howsoeuer the petition followeth in these tearmes TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE ROBERT Earle of Salisburie chiefe Secretarie of estate to his Maiestie the petition of the Catholicks of England IF the corrupted and obscured vnderstanding of men not knowing God could among other cloudes and mystes of ignorance be so far blinde in that wherein the lawe light of nature it selfe doth giue sufficient instructioÌ„ to all people and nations that Princes and rulers in authoritie are to be honoured and obeyed yet the heauenly and supernatural illumination doth clearly deliuer all Christians especially Catholikes from such darkenesse and want of dutie giuing knowledge that euerie soule must be subiect to superiour powers that God is he per quem reges regnant and he that resisteth power resisteth the ordinance of God Wherefore vvee your Lordshippes humble suppliants the Lay Catholiques of this Kingdome so long probationers for religious causes haue euer in our hearts wordes and workes abandoned all contrarie proceedings as a Babilonian building and insurrection against the might and commande of heauen damnable and rebellious vnto all regall and princely power peace and vnitie on earth Therefore being admonished by the vvisest King that there is as well tempus loquendi as tacendi and occasions of these times being such as inforce vs to speake least by silence vvee might be censured by some no equall minded-men vnto vs to be suspected criminal in that vvherein as al matters of that nature vve doe and euer did by long-knovvne experience stande most innocent vvee therefore protest concerning the late conspiracie that vvee doe condemne it for a most impious vnnatural barbarous and execrable offence against the lavve of nature the sacred vvord of God and the canons and practise of the holy Catholike Church wherein vvee doe liue to vvhich no pretence of holinesse no petence of Religion no pretence of priuate or publicke authoritie can giue vvarrant to make it lavvful And vvee take God to vvitnesse that vvee vvere neither consenting coÌ„spiring or priuie to that or any such wâ—ked designement but the very remeÌ„brance that any such enterprise should be intended or deuised by any maÌ„ especially bearing the name of a Catholik is the continuall sorrow of our hearts and among al tribulations the obiect of our greatest griefe And for this present and all future times we
antiquities giue warrant to write he in all his life time cōtinued in these doctrines and at his death in his last will and testament protested himselfe to continue in that opinion Bed Henric. Hunt Guliel Malmesb. Roger. Houeden Matth. West Flor. Wigor Camb. Stow. Holinsq Theator c. And for the supremacie it selfe as hath bene prooued in the time of Queene Elizabeth and your protestant historian hath sufficiently insinuated he recanted it Booke intituled Lesters common wealth your Protestants wordes of him these be At his death he was much perplexed spake many things to great purpose but being vnconstant in his life none durst trust him at his death Howes super hist. preface in Henry 8. which relation from a protestant writer can carrie no other construction And I take God to witnesse I haue heard my father then liuing in Courte often make relation that this king Henry the 8. at his death was sorie for his taking that title of supremacie vppon him was willing to relinquish it and laboured to be reconciled to the Church of Rome promising if he liued so far as he could to make restitution But being demanded of him presently to take order therein he was preuented by death and dyed with such burthen and horror of cōscience as chanceth in such cases which this Protestant before aymeth at when he saith he was much perplexed and spake many thinges to great purpose Therefore the Catholikes of England are rather confirmed by this king then weakned by him in profession of their holie faith And though in his life he persecuted and put to death many renowned Catholikes for deniall of his supremacie and sacramentary Protestants such as those in England now are for heretikes yet he neuer recalled this second as he did the first neither made any new lawe by which they were put to death but left their triall to the auntient Canons of the Catholike Church yet put those Catholikes to death only by pretence of his new inacted Edict of his supremacie neuer heard of in England before as Protestant antiquaries haue tolde vs. Therefore this first supreame head of religion in England in all things confirmeth the religion of Catholikes and condemneth that of Protestants and this the more if we adde from your Protestant historians how fraudulently or rather forcebly he obtained his first colourable tytle to that his spirituall supremacie by which he kept such turbulēt sturres in this kingdome A Protestant historian and an Esquire by state as he stileth himselfe thus relateth it William Martine Esq in histor of Henr. 8. pag. 388.389 Cardinal Wolsey being dead the King by his Councel was informed that all the cleargie of England was guiltie of premunire because in al things they supported and maintained the authoritie and power legatine of the Cardinal wherefore to preuent mischiefe before it fell vpon them they gaue to the King for their redemption and for their pardon the somme of one hundreth thousand pounds and by a publicke instrument in writing subscribed and sealed by the Bishops and fathers of the Church they acknowledged the King within his owne kingdomes and dominions to be supreame head of the Church Thus vniustly he procured that vnlawful prerogatiue more vniustly as before made his wicked vse therof I neede proceede no further in his proceedings for they ar dead with him the present protestant state as his owne childrē before by lawes and Parlaments condemne them all Protestants in the worlde reiect them and hee himselfe before his death by the most manerly fashion he could refused his title of supremacie in which he most differed from the church of Rome as I haue brought Protestant witnesses before therefore Catholiks are rather confirmed then weakned in their religion by the proceedings of this King That English catholikes cannot be perswaded vnto but much disswaded from Protestant Religion by the Protestant proceedings in the time of King Edward the 6. NOW let vs come to the next temporall rule that claymed supremacie in spiritual matters in England King Edward the 6. he was but 9. yeares olde when this charge was layed vpon him yet he was elleuen yeares olde whē your religion was first borne in this nation in the second or third yeare of his raigne as all lawes and histories of that time giue recorde Parl. 2. 3. Edw. 6. Stow hist in Edw. 6. Holinsh. Theater and others ibid. So this childe begot it and his sister Q Elizabeth nursed it We knowe for shame you will not tye vs to the censure of an infant king then you must appeale to those that instructed and directed him in so great a businesse These were temporall and spirituall and chiefly those that were of councell and had sworne otherwise to King Henry the 8. during his life liued in his Religion and after his death continued the same vnder this yong king in his beginning and first Parlament Parl. 1. of Edw. 6. Stow. Holinsh. in k. Edw. 6. were executors of the last will and testament of king Henry the eight in which concerning matters of trust in religion they truely executed nothing at all but in the exheredation of his Maiesties holy Mother and himselfe as much as they could they executed it Howe 's historial preface supr Stow Holinsh. Theater in Q. Marie Edward 6. The chiefest of these for spiritual men was Cranmer their Archbishop and the rest of the Bishops of that time that were not Catholikes of which we finde but two onely Hooper and Ferrar put to death for their Religiō by Queene Marie For Cranmer Ridlie and Latimer were condemned for treason Foxe tome 2. Monumen in Q. Marie Godwyne Catalogue of Bishops of K. Edwards time and what can we accompt of the religion of these two changing their profession so often with king Henry and K. Edward and Ferrar to vse your Bishops wordes was thrust out of the Bishoppricke in the beginning of Queene Marie for being married and ended his life in the fyer more for being desperate how to liue then for loue of Religion so far as we can gather Godwyn in S. Daudis 79. Robert Ferrar The other Hooper Godwyn in Worcester 75. Glocester 2. Iohn Hooper a man of such conscience as your Bishop writeth that being made Bishop by the childe king anno 1550. Bishop of Glocester held also the Bishopricke of Worcester in commendam by licence of King Edward the sixt this is his commendation The rest that fled not the Realme for treason which were not of your Protestant religion but Puritanes in forraine countries were depriued in England for being married which by no Religion Bishops might doe such were Bush of Bristow Harley of Hereford Holgate of Yorke and others that became Catholikes Godwyn in Brist Heref. Yorke c. Couerdale was set at libertie by Q. Marie and of so small esteeme with you in the beginning of Q. Elizabeth her raigne that no Bishopricke was allowed him Now let vs come to your chiefe
temporall councellours then these were by their owne creation the Dukes of Sommerset and Northumberland called Protectors to the young king Stow and Holinsh. and Theater K. Edw. 6. and Q. Marie the first basely put to death in that time for felonie the other for treason and open rebellion against Q. Marie And after hee had bene thus with Cranmar the chiefe instrument to ouerthrowe Catholike Religion and set vp Protestancie in the time of that yong king hee plainely recanted his new faith and was reconciled to the Church of Rome And yet among these vnworthie men vnder that yong king there were but 6. Bishops and 6. others that made the Church-bookes of their religion thē Statut. An. 3. Edw. 6. cap. 12. Foxe Stowe and others in Edw. 6. and for religion it selfe they had no Canons articles or decrees of it in all the time of that king Howe 's your historian thus writeth of it Edward at nine yeares of age succeeded his father and then the Church vvas fleest againe the Bishoprickes cut and pared all Chantries supprest the Bishoppricke of Durrham allienated By all vvhich the Kings Exhequer vvas very litle enriched neither vvas the common vvealth eased or benefited nor the auntient nobilitie any vvay dignified onely some fevv preferred The Earldome of Northumberland giuen to the Suttons vvho obtayned the title of the Duke of Northumberland In the first and second yeare of his raigne the Masse vvas vvholly supprest and part of King Dauids Psalmes vvere turned into english verse by Hopkins and Sterneholde Groomes of the Kings chamber and set them to seuerall tunes consisting of galliards and measures The Duke of Sommerset vncle to the King by the mothers side being the Kings Protector did all things in the Kings name and inclyned ouer-much to the subtile counsel of his secret enemie the Duke of Northumberland vvho vvas fully bent to defeat and suppresse the apparant heires of God and nature vnto the Crovvne and to preferre the heires of the Duke of Suffolke according to the iniurious determination of k. Henrie the eight For the better effecting vvhereof they made a combination vvhich had as good suc-successe as so bad a practise deserued The Protector among other things that crossed his greatnesse in popularitie was the spoyling of churches and chappels the defacing of auncient tombes and monuments namely twelue goodly tombes in Christ-church his attempting was to pull downe all the Belles in parish Churches and to leaue but one Bell in a steeple whereat the commonalitie were reddie to rebell Hee raigned seuen yeares mette with a tricke of treason He meaneth that he was poysoned by his protestant Protector Cranmar other protestants of that most wicked combination They that desire to know more of that yong kings times may resort to your Protestant histories of Foxe Stowe Holinshed Speede Foxe tom 2. in king Edw. Holinsh. and Theater ibid. Iniunctions an 1. Ed. 6. and the childish Iniunctions in matters of Religion set out in the name of that Nouice and Nouecins supreame head of your church where he may finde the chiefe care of the councell and executors left by king Henry the eight spiritual and temporal to loade themselues with new and great titles and honours of dignitie grow riche by the last ruines of the Church and to be of no setled religion at all For we doe not finde either in histories or in confession of Protestants diligently collected by them or in any priuate or publike monument any forme fashion shape articles canons or decrees of Religion either vnder king Henry the 8. k. Edward the 6. or Q. Elizabeth vntill her fourth yeare anno 1562. when the booke of the artickles of your religion was first contryued and published to the world Booke of Articles of Religion an 1562. Therefore wee may not ioyne with these men in Religion as neither you doe especiallie with king Henrie the eight but rather maruaile why you and all that clayme title to religion from them do not finde great motiues rather to bethinke what wrongs they did vnto vs then persist in heaping new and more pressures and persecutions vpon the Catholikes of your owne nation and kindred For you haue heard from your Protestants before that they obtayned that their power against the Religeous houses of England onely vpon this motiue to reforme abuses if they could finde them To create and maintaine for the perpetual defence and securitie of this Kingdome 40. Earles 60. Barons 300. knights and fourescore thousand souldiers with skilful captaines and competent maintenance for them all for euer out of the auntient Church reuenewes and yet to leaue for the maintenance of religious parsons professing and liuing in the perfect way of christian Religion chastitie obedience and pouertie watchings fastings prayers and austeritie of life continued maintained here from the comming of S. Ioseph of Aramathia into this Iland by our kings euen the Pagan kings Aruiragus Marius and Caillus and other Christian Princes and holy founders after to these dayes antiq Glaston apud Lel. in assert Arthur Capgraue in S. Ioseph S. Patric protest histor which neither the Religion of King Henrie the 8. King Edward the 6. Queene Elizabeth or King Iames did or doth condemne Neither can any of them as these Protestantes haue before bene witnesses dissallow of their Masses and prayers for the dead but acknowledged the contrarie opinion to be hereticall and damnable yet both to the temporall and spirituall dammage of many thousands frō that time they still perseuer in that estate of iniustice so obnoxious to restitution and are so farre from performing King Henrie the eight his condition to maintaine so many thousand souldiers others and ease their kingdome of taxes and contributions that they are not now able to performe the first nor to maintaine their dignities without the other In all which the Catholikes of England are onely innocent and yet they alone for their innocencie are condemned and persecuted THAT THE PROCEEDINGS OF Q. Elizabeth ar noe warrant for protestants to persecute Catholicks nor noe true conuiction but rather a confirmation of the Romane Catholicke Religion by the writings of English protestants themselues ALl these protestant arguments conclude much more strongely against the proceedings of Queene Elizabeth in these matters for if it was publickly addiuged for lawe in the time of kinge Henry the seuenth our lawes remayning the same That the parlament could not make the king beeing a lay man to haue spirituall Iurisdiction temporibus Henrici 7. How much more an vnpossible thinge is it to entitle a woman and such a woman to that dignitie by such donation for first euen by our protestants it is the Pepuzian heresie to say a woman at all is capable of that spirituall vocatiō shee stooke vppon herselfe and presumed to impart to others Epiphan Aug. in haeres Pepuzian And thereupon your protestants assure vs The Queens maiesties parson was neuer capable of any part of spiritual
yeare of her raigne Queene Elizabeth was so vnmindfull of her promise made in her first parlament before remembred that by degrees shee clambred vp to the heighest pitch of persecution against her Catholike subiects that she imposed twenty poundes for euery moneth absence froÌ„ that her new seruice Parl. of Q. Eliz. tit Recusancy at which to haue bene present had bene damnable sinne and heresie froÌ„ our first conuersioÌ„ to Christ vntil the yeare of K. Edward the sixt a child both by the lawes of the whole Catholike Church and of this kingdome And not content with this proceeded to that contempt of the Priestly dignity of our most blessed Sauiour and Redeemer his holy Apostles and all holy Bishops and Priests since their time that she intended to make it treason and al that willingly receaued such men as Christ our Sauiour commandeth all men to do vnder a great woe and penaltie of losse of libertie lands goods and life also which she after enacted for a law in that Parlament Whereupon and for preuention of so vnchristian proceedings the chiefest catholikes of this nation with the consent and directioÌ„ of their learned secular Priests then onely here remaining and no religious men being at that time or diuers yeares after in England humbly prefered to that Queene in her Parlament time when shee decreed that bloody edict this most christian and more then equall petition following word by word TO THE QVEENES MOST Excellent Maiestie the humble petition of her Catholike subiectes of England in the 27. yeare of her raigne wherein their innocencie is iustified and their Religion offered to be maintained for holy against all Protestants MOST mighty and most excellent our dread Soueraigne Ladie and Queene the necessitie of our lamentable Case hath emboldned yea necessarily enforced vs your Maiesties Catholike and approoued Loyal subiects to present our manifold griefes and miseries to the merciful viewe of your Maiestie We could still haue bene contented as hitherto we haue bene with silence to haue made vertue of exceeding great necessities But now most gratious Soueraigne the Law of God and nature doth Councell vs to appeale vnto your most excellent Heighnes our head-spring and fountaine of mercy for the lightning of some heauy yoakes which by common reporte we haue iust cause to feare are intended shortly to be layed vpon our weakned and wearied neckes To speake to so potent and prudent a Prince as it may be reported boldnesse so not to speake in a poore and distressed subiect may be deemed guiltines Wee doe therefore most deare soueraigne with all humilitie and no lesse sorrow cry out and complaine that our afflicted harts haue conceaued an vnspeakgriefe For what wound can be more mortall to the bodie as treasonable accusations to innocent mindes We your Catholike subiects which hitherto haue bene and euer will be as well carefull to please your Maiestie as not to displease almightie God what lamentable state was euer like to ours that we poore wretches in discharging our conscience towarde God are reported of and that before your sacred Maiestie to be euill affected towardes your Royall person and princely dignities and that vpon the â—yle action and intend of euery lewde person wee must be condemned all for traytors as it appeareth in bookes daily printed against vs wherein we are most odiously tearmed blood-suckers and by vncharitable exclamations it is published that your Maiestie is to feare so many deaths as there be Papists in the land Would God our harts might be layde open to the perfect view of your Maiestie and all the world no doubt our thoughts should appeare correspondent to the expectation of so mercifull a Queene in all louing true and faithful subiection and would giue dewe deserte of mercie for reward For most deare Soueraigne where our greatest accusation ryseth vpon our recusancy or absence from the Church which hath deuoyded vs of all your wonted graces and special fauours wee take almighty God to witnesse that this our refusing and absenting our selues is not grounded in vs vpon any contempt of your Maiesties Lawes or any other willfull or trayterous intent but altogether vpon meere conscience and feare to offende God This God knoweth the searcher of all hearts and to the ende that our sincerity and dutifull meaning may appeare the better we doe protest before the face of the eternall God and Lord of vs all and doe craue his dreadfull indignation in this worlde and sentence of endlesse dampnation to bee our portion in another worlde if wee doe practise speake or write any thinge in this poynte more or lesse in respecte of anie worldlie pollicie but onelie as the duety of euerie good Christian Catholike bindeth him In which opinion if happelie wee bee deceaued yet if wee should doe contrarie to that we thinke in conscience to be right we may iustly be accompted men voyde of all grace and honesty pretending in shew and thinking otherwise in heart false dissemblers hatefull to God and man and in truth the most dangerous and worst subiects that may be in a common wealth as aptest to any wicked or desperat attempt No lesse is verified in the late moste excecrable example of that monster Parry whose detestable endeauours doe giue euidente testimonye that the cruell vypar euer temporising and makinge ship-wracke of all faith and Religion hathe thereby at length loste both taste and habite of the grace and feare of God Let such diabolicall dissimulation and trayterous thirste after hallowed blood sinke according to Gods iudgement to their deserued doome of deepe damnation we for â—ur parts vtterly deny that either Pope or Cardinall â—ath power or authoritie to commande or licence â—nie man to consent to mortall sinne or to comâ—it or intende any other acte contra ius diuiâ—um much lesse can this disloyall wicked and vnnaturall purpose by any meanes be made lawefull to witte that a naturall subiecte maye seeke the effusion of the sacred bloode of his annoynted Soueraigne whosoeuer hee bee therefore spirituall or Temporall that maintaineth so apparant sacriledge wee therein renounce him and his conclusion as false deuilish and abhominable But nowe to returne to our purposed matter wee doe promise that wee will hereafter be reddie and willing to resorte vnto Churches and other places where publicke exercise of prayer is vsed if the learned nowe assembled in conuocations hall bee able by sufficiente groundes of Diuinitie to prooue to the learned of the catholike Church that wee being in Religion Catholike may without committing mortall sinne frequent those Churches where the contrary religion is professed and exercised If conscience onely had not pressed vs in this point those of our Religion would neuer haue suffered therefore so many disgraces impouerishments And if that the mercifull eyes of your clement Princely nature could but see the continual terrours the streight imprisonment the reproach full arraynement making no difference in place nor time betweene murderers felons rogues and betweene gentlemen
of conscience King Iames in Parlament therefore of himselfe he did not thinke vs worthie to be persecuted or inthralled but rather lightned of those miseries as his next wordes a warrant I was so far from encreasing their burdens with Roboam as I haue so much as either time occasion or lawe could permit lightned them And in his censure against Conradus Vorstius the Dutch heretike recounting the differences betweene protestants and vs hee findeth not one for which we may be persecuted but the contrary At his comming in he set the Catholikes and Priestes at libertie gaue free pardons vnto all of them both priests and others that would sue them foorth and paye foure or fiue Nobles at the moste for them to the Lorde Chancellour In those pardons hee remitted both the guilt and danger from priesthood and much more then any of vs had transgressed in he stiled vs as our dignities discentes or callings were gentlemen priestes or of what degree dignitie or preeminence soeuer he were his belooued subiects which wordes and state are incompatible wtth the name of Treason in those pardons hee pardoned whatsoeuer could be in any rigour interpreted to be within the daunger of that Lawe both our comming into England and abyding and remayninge heere so that by pardon being dead they cannot possiblie be reuiued because the graunt is irreuocable Our comming in was but one indiuiall acte and offence in Lawe and so remitted cannot be offence our continuance and remayning so long as we doe not reiterate it againe by going foorth and comming in the second time is also but one particular singular and indiuidual action without discontinuance one ens fluens as all such not interrupted be an hower a daye a weeke a moneth a yeare a life an age and the like This all philosophie common reason whereon our common law is and must be founded teacheth vs. Thus diuers protestāt good lawyers haue answered thus his Maiestie esteemed when hearing of a priest named M. Freeman put to death for his priesthood by the Iudges of Warwicke soone after his Maiesties comming hither with signe of sorrow answered Alas poore man had he not foure nobles to buye his pardon by which he concluded that a priest being pardoned for his priesthood could not after for being a priest be put to death or tearmed a traytour or indanger his friends and receauers but was a free and lawfull true subiect from that imputation His Maiestie also allowed the times of Constantine for times of true Religion and the Roman Church then and after to be the true our mother Church and not to be departed from Then wee may not so vnder-value the learning and iudgement of our learned and Soueraigne in diuinitie and histories but he well knoweth which no learned man is ignorant of that in the time of Constantine the Church of Rome had the same holy sacrifice of Masse and the same holy sacrifycing priesthood which now it hath which I will hereafter demonstrate by the best learned protestant antiquaries of this nation as also that the Church of Rome at the reuolt of King Henry the 8. was the same in all essential things which it was in that prefixed time of Constantine And to be liberal to my needy protestant contrymen in this case I say that the Church of Rome the Religion of the Priests of England their priesthood and sacrifice of the Masse is the same which were in Rome and in this Iland also in S. Peters time in euery age without interruption since then vnto these dayes of Protestants And if we may beleeue Isaac Casaubon the stipendarie champion for the Protestants of England who saith ab ore regis accepi and haec est Religio Regis Angliae c. Isaac Casaubon contra Cardinal Peron Pag. 50.51.52 I haue it from the Kings mouth this is the Religion of the King this is the Religion of the Church of England The fathers of the Primatiue church did acknowledge one sacrifice in christian Religion that succeeded in the place of the sacrifice of Moses The sacrifice offered by Priests is Christs bodie and the same obiect and thing which the Romane Church beleeueth These and such things troubled the heads of some great Protestant persecutors in England their consciences being guiltie of some-what not good that they coulde not enduer the least clemency of his Maiestie towards his loyall and truest catholike subiects but olde stratagems and tragedies of Queene Elizabeths time must needes be renewed and playde againe to bring not only the Catholikes of England but their holy religion if possiblie it could be done into obloquie especiallie with his gratious Maiestie and thereupon an execrable and most damnable treacherie by gunpowder was to be inuented for a few wicked desperatly minded men to doe whom many protestants tearmed papists although the true Priests and Catholikes of England knew them not to bee such nor can any protestant truely say that any one of them was such a one as their lawes and proceedings against vs name Papists Popish recusants or the like What he was papist or protestant rich or poore noble or vnnoble of Courte or countrey that was inuentor of this horrible deuise I will not discusse but referre all indifferently minded men and of iudgement able to discerne the probable trueth in such a cause to the historie and circumstances thereof as they are set downe by the Protestant historian M. Ed. How 's histor of Engl. in King Iames. But to graunt to our Protestant persecutors for arguments sake that which I may not and they will as hardly proue that this wicked interprise was first inuented by Catesby and some of his consorts and that diuers of them were papists and had acquaintance with the chiefe Iesuite then in England who at least in confession knew of this conspiracie did not reueale it that there were foure of this cōpanie arraigned for the conspiracie three gentlemē though two of these Fauxe and Keyes were but seruing men as the fourth Thomas Bates styled yeomā that one Knight and three Esquires concealed it of which the Knight was so ignorant that as the Protestant relator of this matter saith at his death he spake these wordes Howes supr in Sir Edward Digby If he had knowne it first to haue bene so fowle a treason he would not haue concealed it to haue gayned a world Which he could not haue truely said if he had knowne it in particular in it selfe a most horrible damnable thing and the rest as this author writeth dyed penitent and besought all Catholikes neuer to attempt such a bloodie acte being a course which God did neuer fauour nor prosper Those that were vp in tumult with Catesby were as the Protestants relateth Howes supr neuer full fourscore strong besides many of their houshold seruants no doubt papists if their maisters were so forsooke them how erlie yet they diuulged many detestable vntruths against the king state
the protestants condemne some other Iesuits for this matter and among them Father Baldwyne yet hauing him prisoner diuers years vnder their strictest examination they at last dismissed him as innocent and guiltlesse therein that with honour And how-so-euer the case stood with the accused Iesuites we are euideÌ„tly taught by these greatest authorities that both priests and catholikes were vpon this pretence most vniustly persecuted although besides all these reasons wee by publicke consent both of Archpriest best learned cleargie and Catholikes presented and offered to maintaine our cause innocencie in these humble petitions and first to his maiestie in this maner TO THE MOST EXCEL-CELLENT and mightie Prince our gratious and dread Soueraigne IAMES by the grace of God King of great Britaine France and Ireland in the yeare 1605. iustifying the Innocencie of Catholikes and trueth of their holie Religion against all best learned protestant aduersaries Most gratious Soueraigne THe late intended conspiracie against the life of your royall maiestie the life vnion rule and direction to these vnited kingdomes was so heynous an impietie that nothing which is holy can make it legittimate no pretence of Religion can be alleaged to excuse it God and heauen condemne it men and earth detest it innocents bewaile it the nocent and vnhappie delinquents themselues in repentance haue lamented it and your dutiful religious and learned Catholikes Priests and others which haue endured most for their profession holde it in greatest horror and will sweare protest promise and performe to your Maiestie whatsoeuer loyaltie obedience and dutie is due from a subiect to his temporall prince by the word of God lawe of nature or hath bene vsed by the subiects of this kingdome to any your christian progenitors from the first to the last acknowledge and render to your honorable counsel and all magistrates in ciuill causes so much honor reuerence and submission and to all other protestant subiects like amitie and neighbourly affection as if they were of the same Religion which we professe Yet this is the miserable and distressed state of many thousands your most loyall and louing subiectes dread liege for their faithful dutie to God and a Religion taught in this kingdome and embraced by all your progenitors and our ancestors so many hundred yeares that euery aduersary may preach print against vs and make their challenge as though either for ignorance we could not or for distrust of our cause wee were vnwilling to make them answere or come to triall when quite contrarie we haue often earnestly and by all meanes we could desired to haue it granted with equal conditions against the most selected and best learned doctors of that Religion And at this present when your chiefest Protestant Clergie Bishops and others is assembled wee most humblie intreate this so reasonable a placet that although they will not as we feare euer consent to an indifferent choyce opposition and defence in questions yet at the least to auoyde the wonder of the world they will be content that we may haue publike audience of those articles opinions and practise for which we are so much condemned and persecuted If we shall not be able to defend or proue any position generally maintained in our doctrine to be conformeable to those rules in diuinitie which your Maiestie and the protestant lawes of England we can profer no more haue confirmed for holie the canonicall scriptures the first generall councels the dayes of Constantine and the primatiue Church let the penalties be imposed and executed against vs. If we performe it or this petition may not be admitted we trust that both our office to God and dutie to our Prince is discharged in this poynt Your royall person and that honorable Consistory now assembled are holden in your doctrine to be supreame sentencer euen in spiritual busines in this kingdome we therefore hope you wil not in a Courte from whence no appeale is allowed and in matters of such consequence proceede to iudgement or determine of execution before the arraigned is summoned to answere hath receaued or refused trial is or can be prooued guiltie If we be condemned and our cause be iust and religion true it is God not man against whom you proceede in sentence If our profession be erroneous and yet for consent with so manie nations and so long continuance it is lesse vnpunished you onely pardon the frailtie and ignorance of earthly men and fight not with the heauenly Denie not that to vs your euer true and obedient subiects in a religion so auntient which your collegued princes the King of Spaine and the Archduke do offer to the so many yeares disobedient Netherlandes vpon their temporall submittance in so late an embraced doctrine that which the Arrian Emperours of the Easte permitted to the Catholikes Bishops priestes Churches tolleration what the barbarian Vandals often offered and sometimes truely performed in Africke What the Turkish Emperour in Greece and Protestant Princes in Germanie and other places conformable to the examples of Protestant rulers not vnanswerable to your owne princely pietie pittie and promise no degust to any equally minded Protestant or Puritane at home a iubâ—ly to vs distressed a warrant of securitie to your Maiestie in all opinions from all terrours and dangers From which of what kinde soeuer we most humblie beseech the infinite mercie of Almightie God to preserue your Heighnes and send you your Queene and posteritie all happienesse and felicitie both in heauen and earth Amen Another petition of the Catholiks of England to his Maiestie at the same time REmember most worthie Prince not onely howe grieuous but how general the penalties against your catholikes be enacted and yet new threatnings be made that new more strange as nec inter geÌ„tes shall be ordeyned The bodies honors reputations and ritches of the husbands to be punished for their wiues religion and soules to which they are neither husbaÌ„ds nor superiours children to be taken froÌ„ their parents parents to be depriued of their education which Catholike princes doe not and in conscience cannot offer to Iewes themselues though in some opinions the slaues of Christians Children seruants kinsmen and neighbours to be made hired espials to betray their parents maisters kindred in things as vnlawful which the whole catholik world honoreth for holie Commendable arts functions of physicke and which haue no connexion with religion to be put to silence in catholikes The seuere penaltie twentie pounde a moneth for not monethly professing the protestant faith in churches when in all diuinitie the precept of profession of true and vndoubted faith in se ex se bindeth but seldome is to be encreased And others of such condition too many here to be mentioned and too grieuous and vnnatural we hope in your princely opinion to be concluded by a kings consent vnder fauour for all wee instance in one most heauie and generall in those of our deceased Queene All Priestes though neuer
you vvill continue or encrease persecution you must pretend some motiue to doe it and if you desire to cloath or shaddow it vvith any cloake or colour of iustice it must be founded vpon some probable conuiction if our generall deseruing such punishments to be so generally prosecuted against vs vvhich must needs be some vniuersal disobedience or disloyaltie in vs all either temporall to our terrestrial king and contrey on earth or spirituall to God and the heauenly kingdome vve know no thirde to vvhom your Religion vvould vvish vs to performe obedience For our discharge to the first vve haue serued now vnder your vigilant and surueying eyes diuers apprentiships in continuall persecution yet from the first beginning thereof vnto this day you haue not found by all those narrow searches and scrutinies you haue made that vve whom you thus persecute vnder the name of Religion haue bene thus founde disloyal to our temporal prince neither is that pretended in any of your laws against vs. And in this late vngratious and hellish conspiracie if they had bene such as your lawes and proceedings stile Papists and Recusants yet his Maiestie by his publike proclamation King Iames Proclamation in Septemb. an 1605 giueth that testimony of the loyaltie and loue of his Catholike subiects vnto him that you vvhich persecute vs doe not by his regal vvordes cannot accuse vs therein And the number of these certainely knowē conuicted Catholques vvhich you persecute for religion and both by his maiesties declaration and all protestant most diligent searches and examinations thus innocent and vvhich detest all disloialtie are 500. to one of those vvhich you prooue guiltie by your publike Courts and recordes Neither can you finde by anie such proceedings against Catholiques that these malefactours vvere of the number of those vvhich you haue so punished and persecuted for our religion The Archpriest of England and the reuerend priests of his companie vvho best knew vvho be Catholiques by their frequenting holie Sacraments haue by publike vvritings vtterlie renounced thē and condemned their lewed enterprise for most vvicked impietie Therefore in conscience and iustice you cannot vpon this pretence rayse a generall persecution against vs for in so doing you should vniustlie persecute thousāds of those that be as innocent as your selues can be or his Maiestie himselfe by his owne testimony of vs King Iam procl supr an 1605. Wee are by good experience so well perswaded of their loyalties that they doe as much abhorre this detestable conspiracie as our selfe and will be reddie to doe their beste endeuours though with expence of their blood to suppresse all attempts against our safetie and the quiet of our state to discouer whom soeuer they shall suspect to be of rebellious or trayterous disposition This is his Maiesties sentence by good experience of vs his catholique subiects your petitioners Therefore vve are confident vve rather deserue fafauour then affliction at your Court. And yet if contrary to the lavves of this Kingdome you vvould say that the lands goods and liues of delinquents vvhich vve doe not thinke you intende or vve vvill vvish you to spare in these offendours doe not satisfie in such cases you must notvvithstanding to conteine your proceedings vvithin the shaddowe of iustice not impose the offence and punishment of the guiltie vpon those that be so innocent The highest law and rule enacteth anima quae peccauerit ipsa morietur and as a great Counsellour and secretarie of estate hath now published in print for your direction solum necis artifices arte perire sua Rob. Earle of Salisb. in his booke an 1605. Therefore wee stand so cleare in your owne knowledges and cōsciences frō all temporal disobedience that in rigour of iustice it taketh from you all cause and pretence vvhy these or any afflictions at all should be imposed vpon vs in those respects Then you must directlie make your quarrel to persecute for religion or recusancie a dependancie thereof If Religion bee obiected vvee answere as vvee haue euer done and desire no further fauour for our Religion in your ovvne knowledge here so antient then yow obteyned of vs for your owne so new that the examples of Queene Marie her time which many of your professiō accompt notwithstanding tyrannicall may be followed Let a cōpetent number of our learned priests be called to any of your vniuersities or other publick place vvhere the best learned of your religion shal giue them meeting let such questions and propositions as concerne the especiall points in controuersie be proposed sufficient time of consideration allowed and other such equal conditions granted as were to your chiefest Bishops and doctors in the mentioned time And if our catholique disputation shal not be able to iustifie and maintaine our religion and cause to be holy you may at your pleasure proceede against vs if we persist therein You haue long time and with grieuous punishments persecuted vs yet you would neuer vouchsafe vs so meane a trial and iustice in this kinde Execution as you know before conuiction is preposterous and cruel iniustice both by your Bishops and maiesties censure in publick Correction without instructiō is but tyranny D. Matthew now protest Archb. of Yorke Serm. before the K. and parl K. Iames speach in parlament If our Recusancie or refusall to be present at your new church-seruice is alledged a pretence against vs being a practicall acte and profession of religion it dependeth vpon the former question concerning religion for neither catholiques nor protestants do teach that men so far differing therein as we and you can in conscience communicate together in such things And no enemie or persecutor of vs can imagine or inuent any allegation for this our refusall but either obstinacie in our willes or ignorance in our vnderstandings non datur medium we cannot conceaue what you can otherwise deuise Our imprisonmēts losses disgraces and seuerest punishments in so manie yeares being the whole life of a man from time of discretion the knowne bridles of obstinate people will condemne all men of too much will and little iudgement that could charge vs with this former That which wee haue offered in religion freeth vs in the second and condemneth our accusers And to manifest nowe as often wee haue done before that we are neither carryed away by wilfulnesse or ignorance in this debate wee haue at sundry times by most earnest suites petitions desired and offered and still doe that if your best learned Protestant Bishops and diuines can and shall proue vnto the learned of our side that we may repayre vnto your churches and there be present at your seruice without most grieuous offence to God we vvil vvillingly performe it Wherefore vee hope that you vvho in your owne profession vvould bee esteemed zealous and religious vvil iudge this our offer to be such that no Christians can offer more And consequently further reflect and consider hovv dishonorable shameful and sinfull it