Church without euer returne or reformation or recouery and thereupon haue they and other Iesuits that remained as then in the Church written most bitterly one against the other some of whose hereticall bookes my selfe haue seene in print But for those that seduce the English Catholikes of whom now principally these Quodlibets do intreate they neither can neither may iustly be called heretikes because they do not stand obstinate in their opinion of any of these things neither do they neither dare they maintaine anie of these heresies or errours as yet whatsoeuer they intend hereafter when they see an end of the appeale and who will stand to them and who forsake them but all in such slye dissembling equiuocate and couert sort as hard it shall be to fasten any error vpon them For their plots by doctrine like as by al other proiects tending rather in deed to flat atheisme then to any particular heresie they were vnworthy the name of temporised statists wherof they boast or to be readers in Machiuels schoole which is their secret practise in scholerisme if they should not denie all and change their opinions agreeing to time person and place and as a Counsellor at the common law once said rather trusting God with their soules then the world with their bodies he would neither burne for the one nor hang for the other So that as I said as hard it shall be to conuince them of anie errours in matters of faith as it was to haue conuinced Arius who subscribing to the Councels decrees sweare it was true as it there was written meaning in the paper kept close in his bosome or sleeue iust like to the Iesuits absurd equiuocating or counterfeited periuries sacriledges and cousinage in abusing the words of S. Paul with factus sum omnia omnibus vt omnes lucrifaciam as much to say in a Iesuiticall sense as to be a Seminarie Priest amongest Seminaries a Secular Priest amongest Seculars a religious man amongest religious a seditious person amongest seditious a factious Spaniard amongst Spaniards an English traitor amoÌ„gst traitors a Scottish villaine amongst Scots and amongst all these to denie affirme to obiect and answer to sweare and forsweare whatsoeuer may be a gaine to him for his incorporation pragmaticall common-wealth or societie which dissembling and Atheall dealing of theirs to make it manifest to all the world doctor Cicils booke against father Creton the Scots Iesuit may suffise For who doth not know how mightily this Scots father hath stood in opposition in shew of the world at least in presence of Scots and English against father Parsons our English Polipragmon concerning the Scots pretended title to the English crowne Insomuch as report hath gone that his Maiestie King Iames by letters and messages deuised and sent from these Scots religious statists to settle a sound opinion in his Princely heart of this false hearted hypocrite hath said that there was one Iesuit yet good old father Creton that dealt and spoke on his behalfe c. notwithstanding that the same maister Cicile doth clearely proue that this loyall Scots father in the Court of Spaine did runne a quite contrarie course sung Placebo to King Philip then and as a most infest enemie vsed as bitter peremptorie and traiterous or rather irreligious speeches of his owne Liege Lord and King as euer father Parsons had vsed in anie passage of speech or libell against him Therefore do I conclude this article as with an exposition of the former that as probable it is they will stand out euen as the Templars did to death before they will confesse any thing that may discouer their great impietie so questionlesse it were no policie in them to professe themselues as yet open enemies to the Sea Apostolicke much lesse to stand to any one of their innouate new inuented paradoxall doctrines either by word or writing but rather to labour at the first to draw the ignorant multitudes and so by peecemeale others of more grauitie wit and learning vnto them by plausible perswasions making them beleeue that they are the reformed Church for so they say a Iesuite is nothing else but a reformed Priest right Puritans in all things that they seek only to haue all Bishops and Prelats Kings and Princes â—iue in order according to their vocations and calling that all went to wracke in England Scotland Flanders Germanie Polony and where not before they came that Catholike religion Christian discipline and orderly life amongst all Priests and religious persons was euen worne out of vse and memorie vntil they reuiued it that they sought only to reduce all from errors and abuses which were in many old Q Marie Priestes and others and to draw them to the vnion of the Sea Apostolike To which Sea forsooth they onely did and euer would acknowledge an obedience to death this hauing bene the platforme of all other or the most part of heretikes at the first vnder colour of rooting euil out of the Church and that forsooth in the right of and on the Catholike Romane Churches behalfe therby to bring a greater mischiefe vpon it that is more filth into it and as our Sauiour Christ rightly parabolized of such finding the house cleane swept they bring seuen other foule spirits with them worse theÌ„ themselues were before Et sic fiunt nouiss hominis illius peiora prioribus So of very like sort their Pharisaicall hypocriticall and mock-mending doctrine of reformation tends to none other end theÌ„ to be an introduction to the sorie sequels of their arrogancie Whereof we need no better testimonie then Fa. Garnet the Iesuits Prouinciall here in England his forward resolute and zealous ostentation on the behalfe forsooth of the Sea Apostolike O pitiful complaining for institution of the Archpresbiterie vpon Cardinall Caietans surrepted letter of authoritie Which fraudulent institution and violently intruded Archpresbitery being in a sort yet with a reuerend regard of the Cardinals grace and not with that coÌ„tempt it iustly did deserue resisted by the secular Priests this notable companion fa. Garnet in the froth of his zeale foming against the said seculars to make them seeme odious and contemners of the Popes authoritie for so these impudent shamelesse men made it seeme to the ignorant said he would marie would he stand to death in defence of the Popes holinesse his decree and institution of this new renowned Prelate O huge monstrous audacious nay officious intruding boldnesse did you euer heare the like cogging mate who to bleare the peoples eies and to band and bolster out so horrible a fact as to thrust a Iesuit Archpriest vpon vs and that most tyrannically to be flagellum Dei ouer the secular Priests spite of their teeth he would make men beleeue nay women indeed for the most part of their pure spirits are of the female sexe as easiest deluded that he tooke vpon him the defence of the Sea Apostolike in managing with huffe and ruffe this foisted in authoritie
neuer come to good effect The old beaten pathes haue euer proued to be the best readiest and surest waies to walke in for the due performance of those designements And the ancient manner of planting the catholike faith hath bene by preaching praier and sacrifice priuate instructions hearing confessions giuing absolutions and exercising of other priestly functions and that done then to commit the rest to God To yeelde all temporall duties and seruices to the Prince vnder whom they liue yea though aliens by birth and strangers to his Nation people and naturall subiects much more then if borne vnder his natiue allegiance And so shall he neither cast of the care and dutifull seruice to his prince and country neither shall nor ought the care feare or respect had thereof discharge him of his duty to God and our holy mother the catholike church and to wish to his neighbour as to himselfe therein Alwaies obseruing the Apostolicall course in conuerting of others to the catholike faith Such a course as Saint Peter tooke first in Hierusalem then at Antioch then at Rome c. As Saint Paule tooke at Damasco at Corinth at Crete at Athens and at and in all countries prouinces and places where he came As Saint Iames the iust called our Lords brother tooke in the kingdome Iuda and Hierusalem and throughout the prouinces of Israell As Saint Iohn tooke at Ephesus and throughout all the churches of Asia vnder him As Saint Philip tooke at Hierapolis in Phrygia and throughout all Scythia As Saint Iames the sonne of Zebedee and brother to Saint Iohn tooke in Spaine As Saint Bartbolomew tooke in India and the great Armenia As Saint Matthew tooke in Aethiope As Saint Simon Zelotes tooke in Mesopotamia As Saint Iude or Thaddaeus tooke in Aegypt As Saint Andrew elder brother to Saint Peter tooke in Scythia of Europe and as Saint Thomas tooke amongst the Parthes Medes Persians Brachmans Hyrcans and Bactrians And in few as Saint Denis tooke among the French Fugatius and Damianus among the old Albion Britaines and Saint Augustine amongst the English Saxons of whom we all came These courses then that these glorious martyrs and blessed Saints tooke for conuersion of countries are for all catholike priests to imitate and to leaue these Iesuiticall seditious rebellious barbarous and preposterous courses to sathan and those infernall spirits from whence they came euer confessing as true sincere and religious catholikes should that innouations are euer daungerous that new fanglenesse in the least point of faith and religion is most pernitious and that nouelties and fine deuises of busie and vnquiet heads are but as May flowers that are gone in Iune carying a faire shew but neuer continue long Therefore let euery catholike priest seeke in the name of Iesus the conuersion of our country but not as the Iesuiticall faction hath sought Let them seeke it by priestly conuersation not by popular deuastation Let them study to teache obedience not rebellion to fill mens harts with inward ioy and peace not feede their eares with outward hopes of inuasions and treacheries to possesse their soules with laments in Apostrophees of compassion with good Saint Gregory who sighed sore for our forefathers being strangers vnto him to see so many soules perish in our Nation euery howre and not puffe vp their harts with preposterous cogitations of moone shine of the water THE V. ARTICLE VVHether doe the Iesuites in this point of Statizacion agree either amongst themselues or with any other priests or lay persons THE ANSWERE TTo this I answere First that it is manifest by the matter it selfe now in question that the secular priests and they doe quite disagree herein Secondly it is to be noted that their agreement amongst themselues concerning state meddles may be taken three manner of waies one way as it concerneth our country in particular and therein questionlesse there is no Iesuite in Christendome but he is of one and the selfe same mind that his fellowes are of scil that they all could wish to haue England Scotland and Ireland vnder them Note by this discourse here following that if the Iesuits had got England we should haue had a gouernment deposition and a Presbyter Iohn penes quem imperium to make these Northerne Iles all one Iesuiticall Monarchy to infeoffe themselues by hooke or by crooke in the whole imperiall dominions of great Britania with the remainder ouer to their corporation or puny fathers succeeding them as heires special in their societie by a state of perpetuity putting all the whole blood roiall of England to the formedowne as but heires general in one predicament together That this is so and that their wish their hope their intents in proceeding their labour in performing their endeuour in perfecting this plot and platforme are equally agreeing to all of them a like though the meanes and manner how to effect be different agreeing to their different natures dispositions qualities and abilities as some to be aulicall others martiall others rurall and againe of those some to be actors others prompters others inuentors or plotcasters c. It is cleere by many generall circumstances As that for one of maintaining the Archpriests authority as all the English Iesuits doe most eagerly whose institutiue iurisdiction is directly proued to extend to this point and practise for their aduancement to the monarchie Then for the Scots Iesuites a man would thinke that if any of that society were against Parsons proceedings they should be the most resolute But notwithstanding this omitting al the rest cōniuing and some most earnestly pursuing auerring imbracing the said Parsons opinion as their speeches to my selfe declared when they were afraid I should haue published my booke in answere to his Doleman for the succession c. Yet euen father Cryton who onely the Scots king did hope well of is proued by Master Cicills booke against him to be as forward as the other on the Spaniards behalfe and most egregiously to mocke flatter dissemble and collogue with his natiue Soueraigne And as for the Iesuites of other Nations it may appeere by the state booke of reformation for England drawne out by Parsons and the generall of the Iesuites in cuius virtute caeteri operantur that they all aime at one marke and one course and conceiue one and the same generall hope to haue England a Iapponian Monarchie as once one tearmed it or an apish Iland of Iesuites An other way their statizing may be taken for their priuate opinions cōcerning the next successor viz. whom this and that Iesuite would gladliest haue their vmpier patron champion to fight the field on their behalfe in bringing the whole realme vnder their subiection And herein bicause arrogancie pride and ambition hath set them all so high on horseback as looke what Prince or Noble can goe away with the English crowne that same they hope to be the aduancer of him most who most did further their pretence and was the greatest
should be so and that they should obey them not onely for feare but for conscience Sixtly there is an argument that carieth some pretie shewe which may be framed from a good rule of Cardinall Bellarmines It is apparant that the worde of God doth prescribe obedience to wicked princes it is also as apparant that the lawes of the church as in our case do forbid obedience to such princes Now saith the said Cardinal but in another matter Quando ius diuinum ius humanum pugnant debet seruari ius diuinum omisso humano Seuenthly Iustinus Martyr Athenagoras and Tertullian haue notably expressed this dutie of subiects to the ciuill magistrates be what they shall good or bad And though then they were very prophane men and cruell persecutors many of them yet they labored verie earnestly to shew that by the doctrine of Christ himselfe of all his holy apostles and the whole church his sweete spouse it was the dutie of all Christians liuing vnder them and being borne their subiects to serue and obey them in all their temporall affaires and causes of imploiment Vectigalia collectiones c. There are none of your subiects saith Iustinus to the Emperor that pay their tributes customes and collections to such officers as you appoint to collect them sooner then we do that be Christians Sic instituti sumus for we are so taught c. to giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars And againe Nos solum deum adoramus vobis in alijs rebus laeti inseruimus Likewise Athenagoras to the Emperor Antonius pro imperio vestro c. The Christians doe powre out their vowes and praiers to God for your empire that the sonne may succeed the father and the empire may long increase and flourish And Tertullian of like sort saith we pray with all our harts that God will grant to all Emperors a long life a secure empire an obedient family valiant armies a faithfull Senate honest subiects a quiet gouernment and whatsoeuer is acceptable vnto them Eightly but least it should be obiected that there is difference betweene heathen kings and such as being once true Christians and catholikes as al Christians are by baptisme are apostataed out of the church therefore though subiects are boūd to obey the first sort yet it foloweth not that they are so bound to the second To this I answere that although the difficultie be cleered in my second reason before set downe yet S. Augustine shal make the point more manifest Ordinauit sic deus ecclesiā suam c. God hath so ordred his church as all ordinarie authority and magistrates may haue in this world honor done vnto them aliquando à melioribus and sometime from their betters Contigit tibi c. It hapneth that thou art become a Christian hauing a master non ideo Christianus factus es vt dedigneris seruire thou art not therefore made a Christian that thou shouldest thinke scorne to serue thy master still O quantum c. O how much are rich and great men bound vnto Christ who so ordereth their families as if there be in them a seruant that is an infidell Christ doth conuert him non ei dicit and doth not saie vnto him serue thy master no longer bicause now thou knowest him who is indeed thy true Lord and master Yea but such a seruant may say Indignum est vt iustus fidelis seruiat iniquo infideli It is not meete that a iust and faithfull man should serue a wicked master being an infidell Whereunto Saint Augustine answereth non hoc ei dixit sed magis vt seruiat A seruant may say so but Christ neuer told him so but that being a Christian he should the rather continue his seruice to such a one his master If Christ himselfe the Soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth seruiuit indignis did obey wicked rulers praied for them being persecutors quanto magis how much more ought man not to disdaine to serue his Lord and master with all his minde with his whole good will and with perfect loue etiam malo though he be a wicked man Quod autem dixi de domino c. And what I haue said of the master and seruant vnderstand the same of powers and kings and of all other superiors of this world Sometimes they are good and feare God and sometimes they feare not God And so he commeth to the place which I haue all this while aimed at Iulianus extitit infidelis and was he not also an apostata a wicked man and an idolater But Christian soldiers serued the Emperor an Infidell when they came to a cause that touched Christ his honour they acknowledged none but him that was from heauen when he would haue had them to haue serued Idols and haue offred sacrifice vnto them they preferred God before the Emperor But when he said vnto them bring foorth your forces go against such a nation they presently obeied They distinguished their eternall Lord from their temporall Lord and yet they were subiect vnto their temporall Lord in respect of his will who is their eternall Lord. Thus farre Saint Augustine whereby I trust it is plaine that kings are to be obeied by their subiects whether they be wicked persons heretikes apostataes or woorse if woorse could be Besides all these generall reasons before mentioned why no good subiects ought to giue eare to such traitorous counsellors as Parsons and his fellowes were 1588. and so still continue there yet are some more particular and more pertinent respects why her Maiesties subiects ought not to haue regarded any or all their said Iesuiticall perswasions before mentioned for their ioyning with the Spaniards First the excommunication of Pius 5. hauing beene procured vpon false suggestions and so by surreption it hath euer beene thought by the grauer and more learned priests and catholikes in England to haue been void and of no validitie in law from the beginning And the same opinion is held of both the renouations partly in that a renouation of that which is not is voide and partly also for that the instigations as Parsons hath set them downe are many of them false and all exceeding malicious Which opinions being true in what case were they that were animated with the first excommunication to rebellion 1569. and in what case should they haue bene that should haue followed the Iesuits councels 1588 Surely they were and haue beene traytors both before God and man Secondly there are so many questions of the nullities of excommunications as it will alwaies be found a very hard matter for subiects to discerne when they are so farre to regard them as that with safe consciences they may take vp armes against their soueraignes vpon pretence that they are excommunicated Thirdly a great vncertaintie riseth amongst the schoolemen concerning the denouncing of any such excommunication when it may be thought to be so sufficient as that the subiects of any king
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
deuout but indiscreetly zealous and tender hearts in serious reading perusing and canuasing the case cause of contentions betwixt vs and the Iesuits aswell in these ten crosse interrogatories as in others set downe in order one after another in forme following Amongst all which this being a chiefe and common passage of speech where Catholikes Scismatikes and others do meete to wit what great scandale these contentions haue giuen c therefore thus go the articles concerning that matter THE FIRST QVODLIBET OF plots by scandale WHether the Seminarie Priests or the Iesuits were first beginners of these contentions betwixt them and how long hath this thorough burnt coale of scandale lien smothered in the hote imbers of zealous hearts before it did burst out into that hideous flame which like a Babylonian fornace scorcheth and burneth those who first did cast their brethren into it THE ANSWERE THe Iesuits were the first beginners thereof and haue continued on this Salamandrian smoake of vaporous heats euen from their first authority gotten ouer the English Colledge and Seminaries at Rome vntill the foysted in authority of maister Blackwels Archpresbitery was conueied ouer the seas into England At what time the mistie cloudes of long conceited soueraignty did giue a cracke and the lightning flashing ouer all this whole I le of England Scotland and Wales the thunder-bolt fell vpon the afflicted Priests and seruants of God striking all resistants with Ecclesiasticall censures without remorse pity compassion taken or any respect had of either duresse or imprisonment or yet the affliction and daunger which obroad they liued in day and night And if any now be desirous to know more precisely of these generalities in particular manner he may please to reade sundry bookes and records of this matter set out at large what great troubles incessant affliction and extreame miserie all haue endured from time to time and how from point to point one contention did follow vppon another presently after that discord seedes were once sowne in the Romane Colledge by the plotcasters of the diuision betwixt the English and the Welch which was nothing else but a canuas to disgrace that reuerend prelate doctor Lewis a Welchman borne afterwards Bishop of Cassana by putting maister Morrice from the Rectorship of that Colledge whereunto doctor Lewis had preferred him The which Colledge was first founded as an Hospitall by Briton and after English Saxon Kings and Princes of this land for the reliefe of such as went on Pilgrimage to visite those holy places dedicated vnto Gods Saints and seruants by the memorable Martyrdome of 33. Popes betwixt Saint Peter and Saint Siluester the first vnder whom the Catholike Romane Church had peace and perfect quiet This Hospitall being now translated into a Colledge by doctor Lewis meanes then Archdeacon to the Bishop of Cambray and Refrendary to the Pope at that time was enriched with the pention of an Abbacy by Gregory the thirteenth of all holy memorie at what time as Cardinall Allane erected the Colledge at Rhemes in Fraunce for the same end intent and purpose of education and bringing vp of English youth in vertue and learning to do their Lord God and countrey seruice The sincere and religeous designments of this graue learned and reuerend Prelate being thus defeated by the displacing of maister Morrice and a Iesuit Priest made Rector of the Seminarie in his place herehence a Soueraignty being gotten in a sort vnder a colourable excuse of teaching and reading to the English youthes there which was the stroke of flintie heads on steely harts that gaue fire to the seditious match which hath welnigh set all Christendome on fire and flame then followed a pursuite of challenging a superiority by calling of Counsels holding of Courts and deciding of all matters here pell mell of their owne bare word I meane father Heywood though after in disgrace and other Iesuits and Priests that subiected theÌ„selues to his and their summons without any knowne authority in the world so to do to the great discomfort discontent and dislike of many reuerend Priests and other vertuous learned and graue persons of the Catholike Laity in whose high prudence it did euen then appeare that the fire of ambitious aspires and contention begun at Rome was closely conueied ouer the English Ocean and would breake out if not troade out in time of it selfe as not many yeares after it did indeed For the Seminary Priests studying wholly the conuersion of soules and weining their thoughts from all conceits of superiority or gouernement ouer others in that afflicted state wherein all did liue did neuer imagine that any Iesuit or religeous person would euer haue dreamed much lesse haue sought for any such authority ouer indeede their superiours or at least their betters as all Seminarie and secular Priestes are neither were they willing to meddle in opposition against them if in case they sought for it as the wiser sort saw plainely at the first they most greedily did affect it being as desirous to liue peaceably with all as inconsiderate right Englishmen-like with their after wits to foresee what would happen And if some one or moe brake out in termes against them vpon iniuries or wrongs receiued at their hands yet were their complaints and demands of satisfaction and iustice so farre from being listened vnto by any of the rest of their brethren so cunningly had they cast their plots at first all ouercast with a bright seeming cloud of religeous zeale that euen those who felt the griefe of the same thorne which prickt them at the heart durst not once open their lips to speake in the defence of the innocent but rather all with one voyce with generall applause and clapping of hands with whoopes whowes and hoobubs would thrust them out for wranglers discard them for make-bates and hold them for vncharitable malecontents and disordered persons that should seeme to speake a word against a Iesuit nay that should not freely readily and voluntarily consent to whatsoeuer they defined designed or determined Hereupon the fire of contention more and more inkindling conglobed together in the highest cloud of surly minds and thereby giuing greater occasion of bursting out into an vnquenchable flame the next generall conflict to keepe in the smoake was at Wisbich where by Natures course and Philosophers consent in generation of things being vnnaturally growne to a full ripenesse not able to hold in any longer father Edmonds alias Weston was the Champion vnder whose infest banner of factious contention and seditious aspires displayd the sharpe shot of puny Iesuits and their fautous made first their challenge of superiority and then a deuision from their brethren the designed Martyrs worthy confessors and reuerend Priests of and in that place some whereof had endured aboue twenty yeares imprisonment for their religion and conscience sake before euer some of these hot-spurred censurers knew what durance meant as maister Bâ—â—et for one and some others also who had suffered more
spirituall death of sundrie reuerend Priests Fourthly it is but a meere canuas and cauill of the Iesuits put into the Archpriests or some others of their brokers heads that go about the countries with witlesse scrolles of paper to make them beleeue that it is excommunication or a great sinne to reade these bookes and done onely of purpose not of anie high policie but of a slie Machiuilian deuise of the Iesuits to keepe the ignorant still in a blind conceit and opinion of their puritanian holinesse which these bookes would much discouer Fiftly this is one difference betwixt a matter of fact and a matter of faith that the first dependeth vpon reasoning and discourse and therefore is it called Scientia acquisita which by some apprehension may this day erre by some other to morrow be rightly informed againe the second is independent vpon all humane knowlege as a meere gift of God infused into the soule whereupon that knowledge we haue in matters of faith takes his name thereof to be called Scientia infusa which being once inserted in the soule of man by God alone it may afterwards be helped for matters of discourse by natural wit reason Therfore is it that wit will being subiect both to error the vnlearned are iustly and verie necessarily forbidden to to reade hereticall bookes lest wading aboue their heads they be drowned in error but in a matter of fact depending wholy vpon humane causes experience and common knowledge the case is quite altered For that therin euerie one is to labour and seeke to be instructed and to learne experience how in a like case thereafter he is to deale and therefore no excommunication is due for reading of these bookes neither ought any to be debarred from notice taking of them THE VI. ARTICLE WHether the Catholike laitie ought to meddle in these contentions betwixt the Priests the Iesuits or not and what their office is therin THE ANSWERE THey ought to commend the cause to God in their best deuotions to carrie a reuerend opinion of euery Catholike annointed Priest what part or faction soeuer he be of to wish seeke and labour for peace on both sides and to defame contemne or condemne neither partie as the seditious factious and mistaught children of the Iesuits do most irreligiously imitating therein their spirituall fathers examples For true it is such lips such lettuce such meate such sauce and such maisters such schollers in all degrees And if Father Stanney a Iesuit Priest called of the Panigericks the lanterne of England because forsooth he was in a chiefe place of honour vpon occasion of a crosse encounter giuen him by a Seminary Priest who was then in a place of more auncient estimation and honour and of a farre more noble descent on all sides in an honorable assemblie durst speake it openly that the secular Priests were iustly defamed to wit at what time as their Archpriests authoritie was in hammering and that certaine Priests held out and would not yeeld to put to their helping hand in working that grosse mettall to perfection and so said this zealous father they should be still vntill they had submitted themselues to the Archpriest their superiour If one and he their chiefe as being appointed the Prouinciall of the Iesuits here in England haue scoffed â—â—â—er Garnet iested and made a laughing stocke or stale at and of Priests acts writings manners and conuersation and like a peremptorie companion taken vpon him to appoint some Seminarie or secular Priests to teach young schollers onely as fit for nothing else in his scornful conceit others to be but doctors of clowts per saltum and therfore a dishonor to learning to haue such shallow wits mean schollers proceed c. others for want of wit learning and vertuous life and behauiour to be vnworthie the name of anie Priest If another surmized holy father of their societie in whose mouth a man would think butter could not melt did make no scruple of so grosse a lie for to bring a Seminarie Priest into contempt as to affirme to a Ladie in Notingham shire that he was ashamed to heare priesthood so disgraced as it was by that parties simplicitie at whom a certaine great Counsellour made a iest of admiration to see so silly a fellow of no talent nor praise-worthie part in him in the world to be so much talked of saying in a smile of contempt in turning backe from him to his own man is this the states man c. whereas it is well knowne the partie neuer spake with the said Counsellour in all his life Father Lister If an other punie father durst no lesse audaciously then officiously presume as a matter nothing belonging to him nor he of all other being by anie to whom it did belong intreated nor yet hauing anie authoritie so to do to write a most ridiculous euill patched vp shamefull treatise of schisme and therein like a profound master Doctor as a schoole deuine in deede he was which studie being as it seemed aboue his capacitie made his braines idle his wits flie out and his head light euer after define denounce and vpon his lunaticke authoritie declare all to be schismatickes that consented not at the first to the Archpriest and by consequent that they were no better then Ethnickes Publicanes c. so to be censured iudged of If yet another yong father of the society plodding about the same subiect to bring al secular Priests nay priesthood it self in conteÌ„pt disgrace could not hold in the wrath of his zeale but needs he must strike and withall lend to his fellow his hatchet so hotly was this holy societie bent at that time against al secular especial seminary Priests imagining they had had them all on the hippe either to haue throwne ouer boord at their pleasure or to haue thrust downe vnder hatches that they should neuer haue recouered their former stand and therefore published it as a most horrible crime to maintain dogmatizaÌ„do that the foresaid resistance was not schisme in the Resistens what a damnable state they stood in that ministred any sacrament in that case without sufficient contrition coÌ„fession satisfaction made at the discretion of their ghostly Father to whom also he giues a caueat to beware how he receiue anie such vnto him see how sawcie these malapart Iesuits become where they once get but neuer so litle aduantage If the Archpriest not to be behind with his part lest he should be thought witlesse or too fauourable confirmed all these things concerning schisme and the contempts of the Seminarie Priests to be iustly inflicted If he durst commaund none to listen after and others of them made a scoffe and a ieast at the iudiciall sentence of the Vniuersitie of Paris one of the most famous and chiefe of the world and so was alwaies accounted of saue only by this seditious faction that despise all men manners vertue learning
doubt whether any or all the Iesuits words yea or othes that are in England this day wil be accepted of for the value of a straw by any that knows the they are so fraudulent full of equiuocations and doublings Thirdly in the matters here in question the secular Priests speake not in their owne defence alone but defend the whole ecclesiasticall yea and temporall state against these Iesuiticall inuaders corrupters and vsurpers of both authorities Fourthly it is not a more common then true rule receiued of all persons degrees and orders either Christian or Heathen and in and by all lawes nations and ages ratified confirmed and verified that bonum quo communius eo melius but secular priesthood not Iesuitical societies extends it self ouer all estates persons and places being rightly called Seculars because they haue the cure and charge of soules layd on their backes to direct all that liue in a secular worldly or temporal state in matters of conscience soule affaires as christian directories to al humane or moral actions wherin vertue or vice impietie or holinesse good or bad may be included For which cause when the Apostle had commanded all with obedite prepositis vestris c. he gaue a reason with a quia ipsi dabunt rationē pro animabus vestris coram Deo As much to say as neither father mother sister brother or dearest friend neither Prince Peere Lord Ladie Maister or Mistris neither Abbot Prior Canon Regular Monke Frier Iesuit Hermit or Anchorite neither anie other person or persons can or shall be admitted to giue an account before God at the latter day on your behalfe concerning your soules affaires whiles you liued secularly in this vale of tears saue only those appointed ouer you to take this cure and charge vpon them For which cause they are also called Curates and Pastors c. Fiftly the Iesuiticall societie although the order be approued by the Pope his Holines therfore it is to be honored of all good Catholickes they that liue in it agreeing to their first institutiō profession calling are therfore also to be reuerenced if any such be now to be found amongst them yet being in the best sense and construction themselues can make of it a priuate peculiar corporation or an order not common but proper and therefore must needes respect their owne societie most yea grant them herein their principle to be tollerable In ordine ad Deum it followeth then by necessary sequell that all that are not Iesuits should follow beleeue credite trust to and defend the secular Priests as a common corporation in the weale publicke with them not those that euen in their Ordine ad Deum must and will carue for themselues first and leaue to their fautours and ignorant fauorites the off-fals scumme or refuse of their commodities I might here adde a new corolarie of another kind in confirmation of the credit respect and esteem that all secular Priests should and may euen de iure ex merito condigno chalenge to themselues of the Cath. laity before any Iesuit whosoeuer As first for that notwithstanding these seditious most mischieuous men haue bespattered with a most dangerous Gangrene the whole bodie misticall of Christ which vnlesse it be feared vp with hot irons here in Englād wil neuer come at Rome to be soundly cured it hath so venimously infected al flesh they furthermore haue most maliciously inflamed so many both men women and childrens hearts with insulting pride deepe disdaine and such vehement furie outrage and malice against secular Priests as the vnnaturall heate of their cursed zeale hath past already gradum ad octo and passe it any further it is twentie to one it will passe extra spheram actiuitatis and fall into tearmes of Apostacie yet spight of the diuel al Iesuitical Atheisme the secular Priests haue bin reuerenced ere euer Ignatius Loiola the Spanish souldier and first founder of the Iesuits order was borne they are at this present in the middest of these new maisters throughout all Europe and they will be when not one Iesuit shal be left aliue in the world vnlesse they amend their manners and reforme their order but all damned for heretickes or thrust out of Gods Church as Apostataes and Atheists I say the secular Priestes haue bin are wil be after al this these indiscreet misled Catholikes ancient most louing and faithfull ghostly fathers Who all gusts gallings infamies contempts slanders iniuries wrongs other points of vnkindnes set aside do wil loue them stil vnfainedly pray hartily for them day and night are and will be ready to offer their worne out bodies in prison and abroade for confirmation of them in the Catholike faith when these elated Pharisies shall be farre to seeke And further I put this for a second point which the Catholicke Laitie may please to consider vpon thar the power of Priesthood is called in question by these new religious Scribes and Pharises of whom it is not more strange to heare into what credit they are growne with the people especially women then to vnderstand into what obloquie contempt and disgrace the secular priesthood of Christ is brought by their hypocrisie to the worldes eye in alluring the peoples hearts from their auncient true friends and spirituall fathers and by their factious opposition against vs neuer ceasing to calumniate slander and defame all men most iniuriously falsly and perfidiously by their treacherous proiects and treasonable practises nor leauing of to insult triumph and tyrannize first ouer secular Priests and then ouer all others that are not professed Iesuits most proudly maliciously and disdainfully As these things neede not seeme strange much lesse incredible and least of all other impossible because their antesignanes or forefathers I meane the Scribes and Pharises in our Sauior Christ his time discountenanced priesthood with like pretexts to these and were growne into as great admiration with the people then as these new Iesuiticall Scribes are now witnesse Iosephus witnesse all antiquities witnesse Christ himselfe who with great zeale did cast those ietting iugglers out of the temple of Ierusalem So thē no Catholike being so ignorant simple or affectionate but knows must needs confesse that priesthood is the chiefest hold stand stay for them to build vpon it followeth that they must either renounce the Cath. Churches authority in crediting these false hearted seditious erronious Iesuits or els renounce the sayd Iesuitical doctrine credite the secular cleargy Christs church herein THE VIII ARTICLE WHether euer any Iesuit haue Apostataed from his faith and fallen out of the Catholicke Church or no and if there haue whether any such haue euer returned or bene reconciled againe or not THE ANSWERE NAy ask whether any of them do stand firme and remaine sound and liue conformable to the first institution of their order or no considering that euen those who otherwise are of good disposition
and haue many signes of grace in them yet being but of shallow wits simple conceits meane iudgement for casting of plots or statizing they must silly soules be imployed as practitioners in another kind to wit to win affections vnto them and admiration to be had of them either by a vowed silence Quia stultus si tacuerit pro sapiente reputabitur or else by rules giuen them what they may speake and not passe those limits assigned them or otherwise to employ themselues as they find euery one fittest and best agreeing to feede humorists with phantasticall conceits Which points if any either make scruple of yea or thinke it not meritorious for obedience sake or otherwise do not manage it hansomely he is sure to be thrust out for a reprobate or some euill end to come to him one way or other But now for heretikes and Apostataes I haue said enough in the former Quodlibets that there are many of them fallen alreadie out of Gods church without euer returne againe and so they do daily and questionlesse so they will do still there being no more certaintie nor assurance of their stand then of any other either secular or religious person nor in very deed so much as they now liue because they haue made religion but an art of such as liue by their wits and as I said before a very hotch potch of omnium githerum religious secular cleargicall laicall ecclesiastical monasticall spirituall temporall martiall ciuill oeconomicall politicall liberall mechanicall municipiall irregular and all without order And howsoeuer they brag band and boast of their familiaritie with God their rare and special indowments for guiding and gouernement of soules more then secular Priests haue whom Catholickes are admonished to take heed of and beware of all Priests in generall that are not either Iesuites or guided by Iesuites in all things their high contempt of Priesthood their fanaticall dreams of extraordinary inspirations insufflations illuminations or terme them incantations or what you list for all is starke nought yet will they neuer or hardly be able to recouer that credite they haue lost throughout all Christendome by these arrogant vaunts of their holinesse And as for the last point whether any of them haue returned againe into Gods Church after their lapse or no another question might be made whether they haue not brewed a new heresie in a greene fustie vessell or broched an old raised vp ab orco out of a rotten stinking caske in maintaining it in precise termes as they haue viz that after a man is fallen out of the Catholick Church although he returne again be recoâ—â—iled to outward shew yet is he still an Apostata so to be accounted for euer after neuer to be admitted of into the Church of God to beare any authoritie or to be preferred to any ecclesiasticall dignitie as one of God forsaken impossible for such euer to recouer their former grace stand againe Insomuch as hereby you may note that if S. Peter had come vnder a Iesuits censure as he did vnder his mercifull Lord Master Iesus after his relapse with thrise denial forswearing of him he shold neuer to death haue bene head of the Church afterward no nor euer numbred amongst the twelue Apostles nor yet iudged worthie to haue bene one of the seuen Deacons equals but well if he had recouered the name of one of the seuentie Disciples amongst these sharp censurers of all men And this is the cause why it hath seemed so rare amongest the ignorant people to heare of a Iesuits fall out of the church Were it not that al histories Chronicles antiquities dailye examples make it manifest that there is no error so grosse no sect so absurd no hereâ—y so blasphemous no archbroker of any impietie so base but hath had and still will haue millions of folowers yea at the first before they be discouered some very wise blessed and perhaps learned men to folow fauor and defend or allow of them I shold otherwise haue thought it impossible that so many sound Catholickes some wise learned and vertuâ—â—â— should euer haâ—e bene blinded with thesâ—â—â—arisaâ—call Iesuites as they are 〈◊〉 it is â—â—â—oueltie neither â—â—y â—â—â—â—â—ent of a Ieâ—â—â—â— pietie of iust caâ—se Nay whosoeuer should say so or yet that a Iesuit could fal or erre or misgouern himself or others or do any thing amisse you shall haue a yong Iesuitesse ready to flie in his face to cast the house out at the window where she stands and better had it bene for such an infamous detractor forsooth to haue gone an hundred miles on his bare feet then euer to haue spoken such a word as being sure to be accounted of as a spie an heretick or at least an vnsound Catholike attainted in his good name euer after for who can fasteÌ„ such a slander vpon these new illuminates they haue such cogging shifts with them and so many of them as that amoÌ„gst others if any going vnder the name of a Iesuit chance to fall then it shall be giuen out that he was a Seminarie or secular Priest and quite discarded from the societie If it be so manifest as it cannot be denied but he was a Iesuit indeede then shall he either be gotten in and reconciled againe and so secretly conueied out of the land or else the matter hushed vp in hucker mucker so as it shall neuer be after spoken of for you know a wonder lasteth but nine daies and then it is forgotten especially if no reckoning be made of it as though it had neuer bene And this Machiuilian trick they haue by meanes of their spials intelligents in euery country court and corner that so soone as euer any mishap doth happeÌ„ to any one they presently being certified therof set down the conclusion whether such a partie his fall or other euill demeanure be fitter to be blazed abroade or smoothered vp or in what sort it may be handled to their most aduantage and accordingly hereunto if he be one of theirs and that the fact cannot be concealed then to giue it out as a trifle light matter or thing of nothing or else that the partie was one long agone reiected and neuer accounted of amongst them but yet let alone for that they knew what end he would make before hand c. And so the speech going abroade amongst Catholickes as sent first from the fathers there is litle or no talke of it as not worthie of anie memorie or notice and such in a sort was Maister Wrights case though to their shame he hath proued better then anie of them as yet haue proued and farre better since he hath consorted himselfe to liue as other Priestes did then when at the first he had a smacke of their singularitie in his proceedings But let it be of anie Seminarie or secular Priest and then all the belles in the Towne nay in the whole Realme must ring of it nay sea and
Campian and Fa. Parsons they were but counted as their assistants and that only in administring of sacraments for Fa. Heywood durst presume to forbid preaching c. Seuenthly vpon this intollerable pride hypocrisie and immunitie arrogated vnto theÌ„ whereby no Prince or prelate liuing can escape their tongs pens yea nor fists if it come to banding vntill these mortificats haue their wils nothing being well done nor any gouernment well managed without their direction as wanting discretion zeale learning or something which these illuminates made of a more excellent mould must perfect and reform in the grosse headed seculars there followeth then presently after it another deuice plotted of purpose to make it seeme meet to the ignorant multitude afterwards to others for note this that popularitie is the rouer they ayme at in all their proceedings the mobile vulgus being euer wauering and readiest to run vpon euery change that all the whole Cleargie both Ecclesiasticall and Monasticall throughout all nations should be subiect to theÌ„ And to put this deuice in execution England is made the maine chance of Christendome this day For effectuating whereof hauing brought all things to that forwardnesse as all the Colledges and Seminaries at Rome Doway Siuill Valledolid and elsewhere beyond the seas are vnder the Iesuiticall gouernment or rather vsurpate tyrannie the contention being about Father Westons supremacie forsooth ouer the rest of the reuerend auncient and worthy Confessors the secular Priests in prison and Fa. Garnets soueraigntie ouer the rest abroad hauing alreadie appointed a silly man for an Archpriest as substitute vnder him and he as Prouinciall here vnder Fa. Parsons nostri fundi calamitas there is now wanting nothing but to bring this platforme to perfection But for the deuice it selfe in contriuing this Luciferian aspire it is this They beare the people in hand that the secular Priests besides their want of learning and zeale which occasionated their immunitie ouer theÌ„ are forsooth more subiect to error heresie Apostacie more infirme fraile weake and readier to fall then they are c. What Princes wil endure such person in their â—â—ngâ—omes as vnder pretence of religion shal infect their subiects wâ—â—h such hateful coâ—â—eâ—ts so daungerous to their State or who can be seâ—uâ—e of his stand if this populâ—â— dâ—â—trine take to â—e in rebellious subiects harts and what â—â—n be expected thâ—reby but wheâ—e rebels can not haue their wâ—â— presently to make hâ—mocke of the common wealth and inuest 〈◊〉 with the Crownes 8 From this freedome of the Iesuits doth issue out a fresh a faire seeming but mischieuously poisoned fountaine of zealing christall streames deuided into two armes or riuals from the head the one is called ordo ad Deum the other obedientia By meanes of which two there is nothing can go or be done amisse by any Iesuite for that alwaies it is either in ordine ad Deum if an act of a superior or propter obedientiam if done by a inferiour So as this seditious odious blasphemous and sacrilegious abuse of Gods diuine graces vertues and benefites bestowed is a dogbolt in euery bow and shaft in euery quiuer to draw out for the managing of any impious fact whatsoeuer By this the popular multitude may depose their Princes and choose others at their pleasure By this no difference shall be put in their choise vpon any right or title to Crownes or Kingdomes by birth or bloud or otherwise then as the Fathers forsooth shall approue it By this all things must be wrought and framed conformable to oportunitie of times and occasions as verbi gratia The people haue a right and interest in them to do what they list in choise of a King marry yet limited by reason of the times and occasions now offered to one of these two scil the King of Spain or the Lady Infanta And then againe the times and occasions changing after a Spaniard is setled in the Crowne it must be holden for a mistaking yet such as seeing it cannot be holpen the people must beware hereafter of euer attempting the like againe It is manifest to any that knowes the Iesuits course that although they pretend all their designmeÌ„ts to be ordine ad Deum as directed to the common good of the Church yet their chiefest care is how to aduance increase their owne socie ie hoping of likelyhood by their number to bring one day some great matter to passe after once they haue firmly established their new Hierarchie which being perimpleshed who so then liues shall heare other news then euer yet were heard of either of Antichrist 〈◊〉 some other â—onster By this a checke must be giuen to the publishers of such Paradoxes after that a dispensation procured for restoring the offender and then shall all be well euer after c. 9 Out of this directing and doing of all things in order ad Deum and for obedience sake they frame a new deuise how to make themselues not only aboue seculars in authoritie but also more mundane then any temporall worldling in practise And this deuise is grounded vpon a principle amongst them called vti scientia that is a rule prescribed vnto them if you please to know it in plaine English how to learne to shift and liue by their wits And therefore they as knowing better then any Cadger Graser MerchaÌ„t Farmer Artizan Broker or Vsurer where and how a commoditie is to be raised and to be disposed euery way in ordine ad Deum must command rule all the rest in euery Noble and Gentlemans house where they reside In so much as no lease must be let nor fine taken nor peece of bread giuen but by their aduice The tenant must please them or grease them or else repent it a part of the fine must be employed at their appointment the Maister or Mistresse can scarcely rule or do any thing without their approbation the children and seruants are set in opposition against their parents and maisters if the least dislike be had of these Rabbies Yea I tremble to write what they haue not feared to worke and daily practise vpon this sacrilegious and arrogant abuse of vti scientia wherby they knowing aswell by the seruants maisters mistresses confessions as also by the wiues against their husbands husbands against their wiues and the seruants confessions against theÌ„ both all the secrets in the house how they haue abused that sacred seale which neither by word nor signe nor by any other means nor vnder what pretence soeuer may be opened to death and all of purpose to tyrannize ouer poore soules as getting thereby occasion to intrude themselues for disposing and managing of their worldly causes I leaue it to sundrie reports woful experiences wherof Mistresse Wibur in Kent together with her husband can and will be witnesses another day against Father Cur. the Iesuite vnlesse his repentance were great for it ere he died 10 To helpe this forward
and least of all merited any thing at Englands hands vnlesse it be the guerdon of traitors for their conspiracies against both Prince State and Peere And a happy thing it had bene to this land and especially to all Catholikes if neuer any of them had bene borne THE VIII ARTICLE VVHether any other order of religion be so mightily impugned of all professions as their society is or no THE ANSWERE I Thinke none at all at this present What mischiefe falshood heresie or other impiety but hath bene bolstered oâ—â— with authority of Scripture and examples to confirme 〈◊〉 with all which being turned backe vpon the wicked sets them rightly forth in their proper colours Yet notwithstanding non quia res agatur apud Graecos impetrabunt Demosthenem Let them not thinke that all goeth wholly on their sides because they are repugned on all sides as they vainely make their vaunt of nor thinke their cause to be any whit the better because Catholikes aswel say they as heretikes do speake and write against them No no let father Parsons recall his vaine vaunt and ostentation made in his Ward-word to Sir Francis Hastings Watch-word Let him cease from comparing himselfe with his and our Lord and maister Christ for his comparison is odious if it had bene but in that sense he there sets it downe in with a meere mortall man of Christ his rare indowments abstracted from his diety Let him returne vpon his owne turbulent seditious irreligious head and heart all his allegations and examples out of Saint Paules Epistes and other places falsly applied by him to the secular Priestes and Catholike laity that are in opposition against the Iesuites For if he esteeme euery Catholike to be a Diotriphe that is against him vtterly dislike of his course and condemne in his best thoughts many of his assertions as heresies or at least most grosse and impudent errors he must esteeme so not onely of the secular Priests in England with the whole Cleargy here The Iesuites reprochfull speeches against all Catholikes in generall built vppon these 2. erronious principles scil one that it is a testimony of their sanctity holinesse rightfull cause c. because they are persecucuted of all men most the other that it shewes all those to be inclined to heresie that speake or write against theÌ„ because all heretikes do so These 2. proud Luciferian assertions in arrogating a preheminence of all excellencie to themselues with contempt of all opposites vnto them declare a most dangerous downefall of theÌ„ all into some horrible blasphemous heresie it being morally impossible otherwise but that what peculiar order society corporation of company soeuer should follow singularly in opposition and controlment of all other orders fellowship yea and the whole state of Gods Church as the Iesuits do affirming all to be amisse erronious and out of order but where they are and goâ—â—â—nâ— must consequeÌ„tly become heretikes the very proporsion of arrogating all vnto themselues in this sort necessitating these sequels following scil ergo the truth is onely with them ergo the Church only theirs and where they are ergo no truth nor Church without them ergo all the secular Priestes are schismatikes and heretikes ergo no Catholike amongst them ergo no faith no religion no Church no Pope but a Iesuit an indubitate piller of truth in all things but the Sorbonists in Fraunce with the whole Cleargy there yea and throughout Christendome all for the most part disliking of them the Dominicans in Spaine with al religious orders there the Franciscans in Italy with all Friers obseruants there the Benedictines in Cicily and Naples with all the religious Monkes there In few name me that nation people profession or order that I may omit here to recite the temporall state or to name King Prince or other Noble in Christendome that is not a Iesuit in affection or faction but mightily dislikes of them but doth impugne them but wisheth either their amendment or speedy downefall ere they bring all to ruine and destruction with them Therefore neuer let them boast of this that it is a testimonie of their vertue of their holinesse of their religious zeale of their painfull indeuors and of twenty odde cogging trickes they haue to bewitch the people with all in making themselues famous their quarrell good and their cause iust against the secular Priestes For if the Zuinglians rising vp in armes in Germany though they had many moe thousands to take their part against the Lutherans then I hope the Iesuits shall euer haue against the secular Priestes could not thereby iustifie themselues or perswade any but their owne faction that they had right on their side because not onely all the Catholikes in Christendome spoke and wrote against them but also all the Protestants and others that were departed from the Catholike Romane Church aswell as they if the Mahumetanes in Turkey howsoeuer they flatter themselues cannot make others beleeue that they haue the right because they are not onely impugned of all Christians throughout the world but also and most bitterly by the Persian Mahumetane and diuerse others so deadly a contention being amongst them about the body of Mahumet and rightfull heires of Ella as in the open streetes they haue fallen together by the eares and murthered one another in the strife and contention about that matter One saying this was the heire of Ella and another this And yet who is ignorant of it that they are moe Mahumetanes then Catholikes and then à fortiori many moe then there are Iesuits If finally it were no argument worthy the answering that because during the time of the Arrians the Donatists the Sabellianists the Manichees the Nouatians or other Arch-heretikes there rising vp some fine fingerd figge-boyes in the Church that would teach a new tricke which neither the Catholiks whom they seemed and did to outward shew in all things side with all neither yet those heretikes gone before out of the Church could either allowe or like of that therefore the same new maisters should thinke all men would bee bewitched by them Or if in case they could winne moe vnto them then either the former Catholikes or other sectaries could as ordinarily it hath fallen out so cum sit natura hominum nouitatis auida that therefore that was an argument of the truth to be in all things on their side But rather quite contrary that they comming in with new innouations did directly prepare the way to some new heresie as the experience of all ages doth make apparant Then let the Iesuites take vp in time and vaunt if vaunt they will of some thing else more to their credit and driuing of suspition iealousie and irremoueable conceit to be had of some monstrous heresie to be in brewing amongst them the common saying being not more old then true that that which one or two reports may well be false but that which all men say must needes be true And
vt in quo quis peccauit in eodem punietur Now then that this neuer practised nor ordinarily heard of the like crueltie amongst heathen and infidels should be in vse amongst the Christians nay amongst Catholickes nay amongst Priestes nay amongst religious persons and that against their own deare brethren countrimen and friends that suffer for the same cause which they pretend to suffer for that this should be maintained as lawfull by any Iesuit who takes vpon him to be an illuminate an inculpable guider of soules a man come to the highest step of the scale or ladder of perfection that all laws shold bind men to giue of their owne proper goods and treasures for reliefe of captiues and the poore and needie and that these men notwithstanding should withhold not their own which were more tollerable but other deuout and charitable persons both men and womens deuotions and beneuolence and that not from ordinarie captiues or other poore afflicted for Christ his sake but for such as are not without cause of iealousie had of thē all for the Iesuits cursed conspiracies treacherous attempts persecuted imprisoned put to death The very Canibals and Anthropophagies shall rise vp at the last day and condemne this barbarous and sauage generation of Belials brood for this crime And whereas the grace of God deriued to his Church by the sacred priesthood ought to be bestowed gratis as is said Gratis accepistis gratis date the Iesuits haue deuised a false kind of exercise whereby to fleece charitable people and so inrich themselues therin imitating Simon Magus in selling Gods blessings nay in that their precise course is farre more execrable then his was For Simon Magus dealt plainly though villanously and most blasphemously in offering to buy the holy Ghost and gifts of God for money But these ô what shall I terme them deale cousiningly in making people beleeue that the exercises or other graces which they bestow in Gods behalfe are more precious and singular in themselues then if giuen by anie other either secular or religious Priest that is not Iesuited The persecutiō of the Iesuites is so extreme in depriuing of prisoners yea and all others abroade so much as they can possibly of all reliefe that vnlesse her Maiestie and honorable Councell either clearly dismisse her tried most loyall subiects with a gracious conniuence at their secret vse of their function no way seeking to offend any one or else extend her magnificall beneficence in maintaining them as condemned to her Highnes prisons they are not possibly long to continue hold out or liue and so draw them on by litle and little to make it seeme a matter in conscience to giue anie thing from them nay not to giue all a man or woman hath or can possibly make for them in recompence of these so great and extraordinary giftes graces bestowed vpon them As though the least gift of God or drop of grace giuen in and by any sacrament ministred by any though the meanest priest be able to be counteruailed with all the wealth in the world which foule abuse is nothing else but a meere mentall Simonie vsurie sacriledge and most impious hypocrisie That this shamefull theft should not onely passe vnpunished in measure according to the qualitie condition and state of the person who taking vpon him a religious profession it aggrauates at least if it do not alter and change the sinne to be more hainous in him then in any other by many degrees of impiety But withal that the people should be set on to auow it as most iust conuenient to be so scil that no reliefe should be sent to anie opposite to a cursed pharisaicall Iesuites designements yea and that the Iesuits themselues should glory in it make their vaunt of it scil that they wil make all the secular priests leape at a crust ere it be long for so said that good holy father Iohn Gerrard of late to the Ladie Markham in Notingham shire who told it shortly after to Master Atkinson c. and that they will driue the Seculars perforce to yeeld vnto them for meere pouerty want The pillages of the Iesuits both in England and Scotland being so much the more odious by how much as spirituall robberies yea and that committed by religious seeming persons passe al temporall pilferings there are three in chiefe which are generally to be noted First a report of faculties gotten to abstract from what parsonage or vicarige they list all spiritualities for preuenting forsooth of symony thereby to make them meerely temporal and saleable and then being sold at the highest rates vpon pretence of deuiding the mony betwixt S. Peter and poore prisoners one good father or other comes with Dominus opus habet and makes alwaies the best part of it their owne cleare gaines Secondly alike to this is their order set downe for restitution as verbi gratia an vsurer or extraordinary gaine-maker by buying or selling or by anticipation or dilation of payment or a Lawyer taking more of Clients then his ordinary fees or a procurer of any euill cause also a landlord Sherife or other officer or persō whosoeuer that gets any thing falsly or indirectly for which a restitutiō as indeed there ought must be made because the parties often know not how much nor to whom to make it therefore must they compound forsooth with the fathers giuing certa pro incertis to Saint Peter and the prisoners but the fathers swallow vp all or the most of it yearly amounting to a mighty sum of mony some one man hauing giuen 500. pounds to that end Thirdly but amongst al their deuises to enrich increase their order their forme of meditatiō called by thē an holy exercise is worthy the noting for all others to beware of them that haue not felt the smart of it already and this practise is for such as are either for their pregnancie of wit learning or their parentage friends or their wealth possessions fit for the Iesuits purpose cannot otherwise but by the taking of this holy exercise be allured to their society this then is such a barbarous cruelty as I want words to expresse the abhominatiō of the sin Maister Tempest was so canuased amongst them that hauing his faculties taken from him and being thrust out a doores of his owne friends his father in law hiding his face whē he came in place where he was his owne sister not daring to owne nor acknowledge him nor to send him any reliefe and in few his ghostly father denying him to come at the Sacraments at length being thus cruelly dealt withall he was forced to yeeld to whatsoeuer they would vrge him vnto notwithstanding that as himselfe hath since confessed and told some of his friends he neuer to death could or should like of them in his hart knowing their tyranny and extreame cruelty to passe all measure against whomsoeuer they powred out their
for euen so they deemed nothing lesse of him then their wordes imported but what they did said therein was to hinder the Bishop from the preferment they feared would be laid vpoÌ„ him And thus like Pharises do they deale Sed pece â—â—ori dixit Deus quare tu enarras iustitias meas sedeÌ„s aduersus fratrem tuum loquebaris a luersus filium matris tuae poâ—ebas scandâ—lam c. and loued his memorie in their hearts as a holy shrine how beneficiall his Grace had bene to their Colledge how highly he was esteemed of and respected of all princes in Europe that either knew him by sight or else had heard of him by any passage of memorable speech how dearely accounted of and deepely affected of sundrie Popes aswell his Holinesse then in supreme esse as his predecessours of all holy memorie How all his whole studie chiefe endeuours and greatest care was euer bent for the good of his countrey for reducing of the same to the Catholike faith and for the comfort of the afflicted here and there and euery where To what high dignities he was aduanced how well he merited his place and calling and how greatly honoured in the Court of Rome how much admired at by the rest of the Cardinals in what possibilitie to haue beene Pope and how reuerenced by themselues the Iesuits c. Thus charitably they dealt with the good Cardinall after he was dead and that they were sure their praises giuen out of him could not then obfuscate obscure nor abolish one iot of their preheminence or mirificall designements The like example to this might be a correspondent and euident fauour shewed to the said Bishop after his death as the former was after the Cardinals death For according to the philosophicall Axiome as contraria iuxta se posita magis elucescunt so vertue and vice hauing such a dissocietie by consequence of kind that the one followes the other like form and priuation Hereupon it comes that faith and hope failing charitie neuer dieth but goeth to heauen with the happily possessed therewith so his opposite vice enuie neither euer dieth but goeth to hell with the cursed soule infected therewith at her death For this cause then it is plaine that as these men neuer spoke well of the Cardinall after his death for any loue they bare vnto him so neither did they vse the like good speech of the Bishop for any entire affection towards his Lordship but that which they did was thereby to hinder and discountenance the said Bishop of Cassanaes nephew Montseigneur Hugh Grissin Which to performe stratagemically they commended his said Vncle exceedingly to insinuate thereby that he did farre degenerate from his Vncles vertues And a very like canuasse is all the whole discourse of Fa. Parsons in Doleman conferred with his practise about the bequest of the English Crowne now extolling Scotlands title to the skies and then abasing it in the presence of Spaine To day all wholly for the house of Austria to morrow as forward for the house of Parma Now fawning vpon Derbie to bring Earle Ferdinand to destruction and then vpon Essex to stirre vp Earle Robert to rebellion and still in the meane by entercourse of parlee with anie who either by their greatnesse may comport with his ambition or whom he by his platforme may couple withall to bring this whole Isle to a popular confusion In all which treasonable practises seeing he hath alwaies vsed one to anothers disgrace by praise and dispraise as time and occasion pricke him forward with affiance in one more then in another for his societies aduancement not sparing Spaine it selfe when any hope was by any other meane but to insinuate in plaine tearmes that his aduice was for the mobile vulgus in England to choose and set vp a Soueraign it made no matter who amongst them when oportunitie should be offered affirming boldly that he liked not of the Spaniard as heretofore he had liked neither saw any hope to come by their meanes Yet making the royall issue of King Philip still his dogbolt when all other hopes did quaile and helpes did falle him there is none that reades his libels and conferres them with his practise but shall easily discerne that he would not be improuident of setting downe this statute of Retractation of slaunder as a prouiso in that high Councell of Reformation for England that being the maister trump he had to play for the maine chaunce of his conceited Monarchie and the onely bolt that would serue his turne if anie could in time of neede to driue the bunting to the baye I might here adde a fourth example of this prouiso out of the practise of that simple mis-led man Maister George Blackwell the new Archpriest of England nay the Subuiceroy rather of all the Isles of Albion Maister Blackwell a plaine simple man alwaies full of sentences in his writings as one who hath very probably flores sententiaruus tum PhilosophoruÌ„ c. by reason wherof wanting a head for inuention discourse or iudgement his sententious letters are ofteÌ„ euill couched in deliuerie of his mind by a long passage written togetherward of one matter But of nature being at the first for many yeares together by report of those that knew him very humble scrupulous and affable became some 3. or 4. yeares before his miraculous aduancement so testie peremptorie c. I will leaue it there that there was no ho with him no seruant could dwell in the house with the widow questionlesse a vertuous Gentlewoman otherwise where he liued no nor yet her owne children haue but what he iudged meete for them c. was not so hot against the Iesuits especially Fa. Parsons in time of his naturall and priestly secular mildnesse but now is become as furious against the said seculars since his heart was smitten by Mercuries melancholie yet Iesuitically guilded caduceus Thus times go by turnes honores mutant â—ores sic transit gloria mundâ— to men of no deserts This plaine Polipragmon as none more elated in conceit of their owne proper excellencie then an ignorant body aduanced to immerited vnexcepted and inconceited dignity hauing either heard of or belike had receiued this statute of Retractation sent froÌ„ Rome by hart or a like vnto it taught him per coeur For before that time none seemed to mislike more of the Iesuiticall course proceedings then he nor spake more suspiciously against some of them in particular especially against Father Parsons by name whose comming into England being knowne Maister Blackwell bewailed the same very tenderly to a friend of his then in prison saying that the President at Rhemes meaning Doctor Allane played a very vndiscreete part to send him hither as being an vnfit man to be employed in the causes of religion And being asked why he was vnmeete for that employment he answered because his casting out of Baliol Colledge and other articles and matters depending vpon it
betwixt him and Doctor Squire then liuing were very likely to be renewed and so to worke great discredite both to him and the cause Catholike Thus stood the case then with Maister Blackwell now see the canuasse for Retractation of this slaunder giuen out of so stately a Polipragmon This simple man quite altered in nature manners and conuersation by reason of strong drinke priuate close liuing and familiaritie with some fathers of that societie became an officious Agent libeller-like to Rome by writing against his brethren the seculars enticed I make no question of it by some cony-catching deuise of Fa. Parsons thereby intending to be his bane at length as his new magisteriall office at his procurement instituted will be no doubt of it the onely meanes to plague him in reuenge of his former speeches vsed against the said father Who should quite forget himselfe his principles of Machiauell and all his rules of pollicie if Maister Blackwell scape scotfree after all the Iesuits turnes are serued by such a blockish instrument as cannot perceiue their mumbling meaning as resting wholly at their deuotion to stand or fall Yet so it is now as whether drowned in vaine delight of his new supremacie or otherwise inueigled to be a close Iesuit as sundry such there are which going vnder the name of seculars make the said seculars cause seeme more odious weake and exorbitant or howsoeuer it comes to passe Maister Blackwell sings now placebo domino meo Parsonio in terra viuentium for the time and layeth me on loade vpon euery opposite to a Iesuites designement Now he condemneth all as suspended and irregular persons that either directly or indirectly maintaine write or speake in defence of the censure of Paris which cleared the seculars from schisme sinne and all other crime or offence in the first resistance of his Archpresbitership and then againe threateneth all with thundring sentences of Ecclesiasticall censures that speake conferre procure or seeke for any redresse against his ignorant crueltie appointed of purpose and either doth not or will not know it to be slagellum fratrum suorum yea a scourge to himselfe and all England besides It is strange to consider how now he be labors himself in laying about him on all sides to defend the neuer heard of more impudent shamefull and palpably ignominious It is but a signe of a dastardly mind and most vnfit to be in authority to persecute those most whome all men note to be freest froÌ„ offence and yet such as by reason of a humerous tender and scrupulous heart they carry are easi iest ouercome and forced to yeeld For exaÌ„ple whereof get and read all the passage by letters and messages betwixt the Archpriest and Ma. More c. reprochfull and abhominable facts of Fa. Parsons and the rest of the Iesuits And especially he tyrannizeth if he find a sweete nature and mild disposition any way opposite vnto him such a one as Maister Thomas More a very reuerend secular Priest of many good parts and abilities who as I haue heard of late hath fared worse for my sake which I am very sory for though outwardly there was made no shew of it for I could tell perhaps why I can no lesse admire how that euer wise men should be so blinded as not to discerne which many do not then smile in my sleeue to thinke how brauely they haue bobd this double diligent M. Blackwell with this statute of Retractation of slaunder whereby if euer it come to hearing he is as sure to be hoysted ouer the barre for an ambidexter by comparing his former speech to his present proceedings as I am sure to haue written and set it downe here for a looking glasse vnto him with this emprise aboue it tristitia vestra trust to your self good Ma. Blackwell and forsake in time that seditious company who moue you to act write and speake you know not what against your selfe as one day you will find it I could here particulate this statute but it were too tedious to do so more exactly in discouerie of M. Blackwels ignorance simplicitie Who whiles I was in Scotland sent out an inhibition against all such bookes printed per Biennium c. by any Catholikes meanes or procurement within these two Realmes of England or Scotland as either might exasperate our common aduersaries here or otherwise preiudice the worthie labourers in our common causes that had merited so well of their countrey and all Catholikes as Father Parsons had for he was the famous man and I the infamous wretch whom all men iudged that speech to be intended for as no doubt it was and that by instigation of his good spirite Fa. Garnet to stop thereby the answer to Fa. Parsons Doleman of succession to the English Crowne which then they knew I went about A copie of which schedule being sent vnto me by a friend out of England to Edenborough where then I lay I could not tell well whether to laugh or be angrie to see the slinesse craft and pollicie of the Iesuits to put such a sharpe sword of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction into a rawe simple and mad mans hands as if the point had not bin blunted and the edge turned by abuse of his authoritie neuer rightly had and many wayes since iustly lost as wil be proued against him he wold haue kild all that euer came in his I should say the Iesuits way and himselfe vnnaturally therewith as I feare he hath already For amongst other errors committed by him in that inhibition this was one scil that he would suffer all Parsons seditious bookes to passe current as his Philopator speaking most rebelliously against her Maiesty and the whole State and Nobles of this land his Doleman entituling most traiterously the Spanish Infanta to the English Crowne together with his Appendix fathered on Cardinall Allane being dead his Letter to the Marques Huntley to creepe in againe with Scotland but sent through England to be huffed ruffed and vanted of and sundrie other of his confederates libels letteâ—s and messages matter enough to haue moued a Saint to anger much more a mortall wight to be exasperated therby and knowing as he could not chuse but know it that I sought nothing lesse then to exasperate either my Soueraigne or present State but all quite contrary to confute all and whatsoeuer he had written leauing the question vndecided and fault where it was in him his clearely to be seene yet he to forbid both printing and reading of mine and extolling the other to the skies what a man should thinke hereof it may be easily discerned An other error therein was in that his authoritie if he had any and that it were not lost againe did extend onely to the censure allowance of such bookes as were of matters of Religion and Ecclesiastical gouernment and discipline so as this booke I then was thought to be in hand withall was out of his commission to meddle or deale
earth His words are these When I came to Rome saith he I found the Colledge as a field with two hostile campes within it father Generall and his assistants wholly auersed and throughly resolued to leaue the gouernement c. And taking vpon him to shew the causes of those long troubles in the Colledge he saith Some thinke that it is in great part the nature of the place that ingendereth high spirits in them that are not well established in Almighty Gods grace For comming thither very young and finding themselues presently placed and prouided for abundantly This speech had bene fitly applied to father Parsons himselfe and may iustly be returned vpon him and his society and acquainted daily with sights and relations of Popes Cardinals and Princes affaires our youthes that were bred vp at home with much more simplicity and kept vnder by their parents and maisters more then the Italian education doth comport forget easily themselues and breake out into liberty I meane such as haue run astray and lost respect to their superiours in Rome And this opinion of the circūstance of place is greatly increased by the iudgement of strangers both Spanish and French Flemings and other nations who affirme that they try by experience that their people which liue in Rome if they be not men of great vertue do proue more heady afterwards and lesse tractable then others brought vp at home But yet to this other men of our nation adde a second reason for the English Colledge which is at Rome being a place whereunto many young men do resort onely vpon a desire of seeing nouelties When any come thither of the English nation find such a commodity of study and maintenance themselues in want and misery they made suite for that whereunto perhaps they had no true vocation from God nor due preparation in themselues to so holy and high an estate and so being once admitted fell afterwards into disorder and to put out of ioynt both themselues and others c. Thus farre this impious father sheweth it to be the want of grace in some and want of true calling in others that they disagreed with the Iesuits But now to heare his report of the estimation that our English students and Priests haue gotten by their being at Rome I thinke it will make all parents afraid and all our youth abhorre comming at Rome amongst them euer after vnlesse their parents wish or themselues intend to haue them all Iesuits or at least Iesuites bondslaues to sweare to whatsoeuer they say to trot and trudge whither and when they please and to runne their most traiterous race and cursed courses inhumane odious hatefull to God and man In good faith deare Catholikes Lords Ladies Gentles or whosoeuer you be that haue your children or other friends vnder the Iesuits tyrannicall yoke in bondage beyond the seas pardon for Gods loue pardon my vehemencie on your behalfe against these malignant wretches I could not with patience set hand to paper after I had read this letter following but walked two or three turnes vp and downe in my chamber trēbling in anger with my heart as high as my head to thinke on the villany of this bastardly runagate Parsons cursed be the hower wherein he was borne this filius peccati sacrilegij iniquitatis populi Diaboli how euer he durst come at Gods holy Altar after his blasphemies and outragious speeches and writing against the secular Priests and Students most falsly irreligiously and Pharisaically laying his owne sinnes and the rest of the Iesuits seditious vprores and more then heathenish impietie vpon the innocent most cruelly persecuted by them all and by him in speciall aboue al the rest as most cruell Iewish harted vnnaturall His words are these Lo this wretch There is no true humilitie obedience nor other vertue but in a Iesuite or his bondslaue Baconius saith he and that was one of the Cardinals that came comport him at his lodging often told me that our youthes bragged much of their Martyrdome but they were refractarij that was his word had no part of Martyrs spirit which was in humilitie and obedience His Holinesse oftentimes told me that he was neuer so vexed with any nation in the world For on the one side they pretended pietie and zeale and on the other shewed the very spirit of the Diuell in pride All the world knoweth these things rightly to simbolize with Parsons and the rest of the Iesuits contumacie and contradiction c. and euer now and then his Holinesse would put his finger vp to his braine signifying that there stood their sicknesse and so would most of the Court when they talked of them saying the English were indiauoluti and like words His Holinesse added also that he knew not what resolution to take for on the one side to punish them openly would be a scandall by reason of the heretickes and if he should cast them foorth of Rome some had told him that they would become heretickes c. Lo what a long lowd lye this Puritane Iesuite hath brought to a loose end falsely fathered on his Holinesse against the seculars all the world knowing the Iesuits to be the men most like of any other in the world this day to fall into the most blasphemous heresie and apostacie as these that are become alreadie incorrigible of any Prince Prelate or people And againe he saith that I haue heard his Holinesse often and diuerse Cardinals more often report with exceeding dishonour to our nation the headinesse and obstinacie of our youthes So as now many great and wise men begin to suspect that the sufferings of our blessed Martyrs and confessors in England was not so much for vertue and loue to Gods cause as of a certaine choller and obstinate will to contradict the Magistrates there c. O monster of all other for so I may well tearme thee because I imagine thou art an irregulate Priest by reason of thy aspiring hart which probably wold neuer permit thee to seek for dispensatiō of thy bastardly base bloud Sundrie mischieuous practises of impiety are amōg the Iesuites yet of all their maximes this is one of the most inhumane bloudy cruell and mercilesse to wit that whosoeuer doth not approue and aduance Fa. Parsons and some of his fellowes conceits and courses touching our country nation though they be neuer so foolish rash furious scandalous dangerous nay though men be desirous to sit stil and meddle nothing with them nor against them one way or other yet if he do not ayde assist thē yea be currents of their fatall course in al things it is lawfull yea meritorious to haue such persons infamed by casting out any calumniation against them that may discredite them the practise wherof how many poore Priests in England haue tasted nay who hath not there being not one secular Priest whō lesse or more they haue not defamed yea no Prince Prelate Lord
or Iudge Paramount on earth vnder the Diuell in hell must denounce the sentence following out from his infernall seate Forasmuch as the secular Priests durst presume to appeale to Saint Peters chaire against my faithfull seruant George Blackwell instituted at my appointment designements and instructions giuen to the Pope of Rome to make him Archpresbiter and Protonotharius c. in and throughout the great Kingdomes of Albion or great Britaine to do lawe and iustice vpon such rebels against my louing brother the King Catholike of Spaine as in that Imperiall Isle it should seeme meete iust and necessarie in his wisedome to haue sharpely rebuked chastised and punished and for that also I did prescribe the manner how the said Pope was to proceede according to the tenure of my abstract of statutes lawes orders and actes enacted by me and my Generall in the high Councell of Reformation for England with a prouiso that my forenamed seruant Maister Blackwell should haue nothing to do with the fathers of the societie I thought it meete in my experience and wisedome not onely to exempt all my brethren and confatherhoods the Iesuites in England Scotland or elsewhere from being vnder the Archpriest but moreouer and besides to will and commaund my said seruant Maister Blackwell vnder paine of officipard to do nothing without my Prouinciall Garnets counsell designements and decrees who being an especiall illuminate and hauing a more neare familiaritie with God then any of the rest by reason of his place and calling he the said Blackwell thus directed by him shall be so farre and free from error or doing any thing amisse in acting all things vnder obedience to my Prouinciall as whosoeuer should contradict any thing by him decreed I hold it sit that he be noted for an Ethnicke a reprobate and one that was neuer established in the grace of God c. All these lawes statutes and acts with prouisoes thus enacted forasmuch as the seculars contemptuously haue violated infringed and broken the very marrow center and quintessence of their contempt accrewing to the preiudice of the holy societie and therein to Father Parsons in chiefe it stood his Prouinciall Garnet vpon to lay about him on the behalf of Blackwell to make his cause and quarrell his owne and this to be outwardly in shew Clement the eighth his Holinesse the Pope of Romes in managing and menacing and inwardly in intention to be Parsons that bastardly vicar of hell his in the platforme plotcastings and practises And so for all the world neuer imagine nor dreame of any kind of temporall gouernement by a Puritane Iesuit to be otherwise intended then as a Puritane Minister said in Edenborough God and the Kirke against the King and his Councell and outher ney King or ney Minister in Scotland As much to say and as Knoxe that seditious traitor did write to her Maiestie that those Princes who will not subiect themselues to their infernall and damnable discipline yea and submit themselues to be ruled by the Puritanian Ministerie might iustly and shold be deposed and depriued both of Crown gouernement and life at their pleasure Wherein you may please to note by the way that the Puritanian Ministers made the Gospell and the blacke Kirke of Scotland their pretence for aduauncing such a man to the Crowne as should wholly subiect himselfe and sweare and subscribe to the defence of their doctrine And yet all the world knoweth it that they would bring all into a Swisserly popularitie or a Geneuian gouernment void of Prince peere or other Noble or at least will neuer yeeld to accept of any King that shall not be ruled by theÌ„ And euen so the Puritanian Iesuits must needs intend do make shew of aduancing none to the English Crowne but such a one as is conuerted to the Catholike Church of Rome making the Gospell and spouse of Christ their pretence therein But yet their platforme allowes no King power or potentate aboue them and by consequent seeing notwithstanding yet needes they must haue the countenance of some great Monarch for a time to gouerne by in the state temporall as now they make his Holinesse for a while their sconce and buckler in the state ecclesiasticall it were no pollicie in them to haue an absolute Soueraigne to raigne in this land no not euen the Infanta who questionlesse Parsons made choise of before her father or brother the King of purpose to haue her gouernement subordinate either vnder him or the Emperour but as they haue gotten an Archpriest to be as it were a Vicar generall subordinate vnder his Holinesse in causes Ecclesiasticall and yet his said Holinesse onely to be a shadow or cloake but to haue no medlings or dealings nor to know any thing of the affaires of his Church here further then they shall please to informe him of so will they neuer admit of other gouernement but a Viceroy to be as it were a Prorex or King homageâ— subordinate to Spaine or Austria in causes temporall And yet the said Prorex must stand at their deuotion and not be able to informe anie thing to the King absolute further or otherwise then as they shall appoint him which if he do or attempt the contrarie he is sure to be deposed and loose his life for it either such a new King homager chosen by the Prince absolute at their assignement or else no King euer after but a king Cardinall and Pope Iesuit THE X. ARTICLE VVHether then is it dangerous or not to haue any of the English bloud royall either maryed to one of the Iesuiticall or Spanish faction which I perceiue is all one in the generall pretence though not in the intention or practise either within or without the land or otherwise conuerted to the Catholike faith if God so giue them grace by any Iesuite or Iesuited Priest of their faction THE ANSWER THe daunger you make a question of may be two wayes taken one spiritually and the other corporally In neither of which daungers any one can be said properly and directly to be in the act of either mariage or conuersion Because as I said at the first these seditious turbulent factious Iesuites here in England howsoeuer they may be in foro conscientiae and before God excommunicated suspended irregular or otherwiâ—e haue incurred any ecclesiasticall censure by their absurd grosse erronious opinions practises and proceedings yet for that they liue hitherto as visible members of the Catholike Church and neither do neither dare publikely teach much lesse obstinately defend any thing contrarie to the Catholike Churches doctrine and beleefe and further forasmuch as there is no sentence as yet denounced from his Holinesse against them or if denounced yet not here made knowne or if knowne yet no Bull nor Briefe come for assurance thereof or if any such yet not publikely promulgated therefore in foro externo all these circumstances considered and that the Church doth iudge secundum allegata probata as
ecclesiae as all doe grant it and experience of all ages hath approoued it true the latter not for that surceasing excepts against heretikes in such proceedings who by authoritie of holy writ may iustly be constrained with force of the temporall sword to receiue the faith of Christ and his catholike Romane Church wherein they were baptized and out of which they are now most pernitiously fallen to their damnation To this the former againe makes reply that that is in a case of lawe and strategeme of warres when the plaintif as a soueraigne hauing right on his side may haue strength and power at hand sufficient to defend his iust quarrell and Gods cause but where and when the poore afflicted catholikes are the weaker part and in subiection vnder their natiue prince they must not tempt God with miracles sed in patientia possidebunt animas suas expecting the time that God hath appointed either to ease the afflicted of their heauie persecution by calling them to his mercie or else to mooue the aduersarie as here he did king Cyrus c. Here againe the latter doth vrge very vehemently against the former that it is their fault if they be not of strength ynough For if all would side one way run one course ioyne together of one part they were able to match their aduersaries at all assaies but bicause they fauor heretikes and their titles more then catholikes as some the Scots king others the house of Derbie others that of Huntington others of Hartford and others the Lady Arbella c. therefore is Gods cause weakened and the catholiks quarrell quailed But to this yet againe the former makes reioinder professing that if they had millions on their side for thousands on her maiesties yet they hold it were not lawfull for them by force of armes to gaine the garland that they run for as afterward it shall appeere and vtterly denying that they fauor any heretike as an heretike or their titles vnder that pretence but as remembring how diuers princes and great monarches haue been conuerted to the catholike Christian faith and withall considering that neither the king of Scots nor yet any of the rest were euer any speciall persecutors of vs or our religion but rather fauorable to many catholikes as is well knowne not forgetting this besides that it were an act of iniustice in vs especially being priuate persons either to manage a false title as the Spaniard hath none other or impugne a knowne right as all the world knoweth it rests confined within the Albion I le But admit it were reuealed to any priuate man that the Spanyard or any other forraigne prince should preuaile and cary away our English crowne out of the land so as we should neuer haue king regnant ouer vs hereafter as some old prophecies many say haue foreshewed that our deere countrimen brothers sisters and friends the flower of Englands youth the beautie of our Ladies Widowes Wiues Virgins of all degrees should be prostituted prophaned rauished and led captiue into strange lands the sore persecution of Gods seruants the blasphemies heresies execrable schismes of this age and our owne sinnes in generall vrging Gods wrath against our whole Nation to take so sharpe yet ordinary reuenge for such offences as some say also hath bene spoken of long agone to come to passe in this our vnfortunate age or that we should haue such a change of state gouernment common wealth and all as the chiefe soueraigntie should be in an alien prince Spanyard or Burgundian Netherlandian or the like and the Lords spirituall and temporall gouerning ouer vs for the time to be of that foraigne prince his Nation and the Iesuits or fathers as they terme themselues of the societie to be their Interpretors for our English Welsh Irish and Stots nation as both letters and witnesses besides inuincible probats otherwise are extant to shew that Master Parsons and his confederates goe about such a matter and a sermon himselfe once made at Rome insinuates no lesse but that by tyrannicall subiecting the Seminary there to be vnder his societie he expounded the prophecie he there spoke of in his intent and meaning to be directly vnderstood of himselfe and his company that they should be those long gownes which should raigne and gouerne the whole Isle of great Britaine Of which societie there being some of all or the most part of all Christian Nations hauing once this land giuen them by and vnder the Spaniard as they hope for to make it a Iapponian Island of Iesuits but stay they haue not yet Iapponia in their handes then should we haue as many languages in this Isle and the auncient Inhabitants dispersed into as many countries as there should be prouincialls of that societie for it were no policie to let vs all liue here together nor yet leade all captiue into one prouince or kingdome Yet let God worke his will in these things be it true or false that any such heauines be reuealed what then Shall I therefore be the bloodie instrument to worke it of mine owne head without Gods speciall designement so to doe Shall I shew my selfe so vnnaturall inhumane and cruell harted as to write bookes to perswade to vse all possible meanes to bring my natiue country into bondage and slauerie Shall I of a grudge or desire of reuenge vpon some particular person or persons or for some priuate gaine to my selfe or my owne peculiar company banish from my hard nay stonie nay flintie nay adamantine hart all pittie compassion charitie remorse and naturall affection to that which next to my maker and his spouse I am by all lawes in chieefe to esteeme of the bond of loue loyaltie and dutie being greater to my prince and countrie then to my parents or deerest friends And whereas euen tyrants in such like cases haue been mooued to lenitie shall I haue no conceit of the wringing of hands of the sighes and teares of the weepings and wailings of the skrikes and cries of so many sweete yoong and tender babes of both sexes Shall I haue no feeling of so many mothers bleeding harts of so many noble ladies and other yoong maides of generous birth gentle blood and free education for all rare parts indowments and abilities of nature and fortune fit to be princes peeres now to be left desolate or bestowed on euery base fellow not woorthy to be their seruant Shall I take vpon me to be an actor an orator or a broker in laboring to bring that old blinde prophesie to effect which saith When the blacke fleete of Norway is come and gone then lords shall wed ladies and bring them home Shall I be the efficient instrumentall cause or causa sine qua non of so many great worshipfull honorable and princely heires to be disinherited of so many vpstart squibs of forraigne nations to start vp in their places of so many false textes forged glosses fained lawes of God of nature and of man to disprooue all
the purpose to make an end of this Quodlibet I say First that there is more assurance and haue beene more perfect and true tokens of constancie wisedome pietie religion learning vertue and gouernment in all these whom the Iesuits doe most kicke at and spurne against for familiarity or intercourse by writing accesse personall parlee and other meanes with those in authoritie vnder her Maiestie then in the prowdest spirited Iesuit in this land whosoeuer that may freeliest say Non sum sicut caeteri homines nor like these Publican seculars Yea neither master Clarke master Barneby nor master Champney who are the yoongest of these thus extraordinary fauoured but a priestly behauiour hath merited vnto them by their constant sufferance before it came to this gratious conniuence to fauour them so reuerend a respectiue opinion to be had of them by all men as that their yoong yeeres ouer-shadowed with venerable grauitie of hoariest haires might in their milde conceits with modest blush mooue them to take S. Paules words to Bishop Timothie as spoken vnto euery one of them apart nemo te contemnat propter inuentutem yea euen master Barneby the yoongest as I take it a most sweete natured faire conditioned and humble harted gentleman of good abilitie might well haue merited that grace and fauour at the Apostles hands And for the rest scz doctor Bagshawe master Bluet master Mushe and master Colington with others but those especially had of the Iesuits faction nowe in chase I am fully perswaded that howsoeuer some surly syres or mincing outraiers doe scorne and scoffe at them behinde their backes yet woulde their very presence countenance and conuersation put them to silence or at the least dash them from euer entring into so contemptuous speeches as now they vse against them Not one of these fower but being any Iesuits auncient as a Iesuite in England this day they woulde be iudged of all indifferent persons to be more fit to gouerne both master Blackwell and all his puny Fathers then to be gouerned of all or any of them Secondly the Iesuiticall arrogancie is most egregious in this point when they say I pray God master Bluet be not ouertaken hee trusts and tels the Bishop of London too much and doctor Bagshaw he doth the like with master Waade and so others of them and I pray God they stand saith one and they are but weake men saith another and vnfit to deale in such matters and O that such or such a father had had the managing of the matter he could and would I mary would he haue handled it more substantially and to the purpose whereas like vaine glorious Pharisees as they are many of those of whom they vaunt most knew neuer what imprisonment nor any triall meant but riding to and fro in their coaches like Sur-le-boyes mount-segniors or other men of state as vnwoorthie the name of a Iesuite vnlesse withall a statist they lie pampering themselues heere and there surfeiting in sedition ambition and deepe disdaine and when they haue put on the cap of maintenance amongst their admirabliers then they begin to descant vpon al mens actions and fyle their tongues agreeing to their auditors fancies Thirdly there neither is neither can be any offence committed or danger incurd or scandall giuen in these fauours receiued vnlesse it be Iewish Pharisaicall otherwise now rightly called a malitious Iesuiticall scandall which to refraine from were the most simple indiscrete vncharitable vniust vnciuill and immodest part that euer was plaied Therefore let these newe Pharisees choose whether they will be scandalized or no it is nothing to the purpose For if they finde a Haggard readie to baite at euery bush or an eyeese ready to crie at sight of euery cricket or a scrupulous tender and timerous hart readie to feare offending in euery worde he speakes then haue these master Faulconers that which they looke for these great Burgo-masters the thing they seeke for and the Iesuiticall tribe their treacherous harts desire Fourthly there is no assurance of any one catholikes perseuerance to the end that liues on earth For who that had seene Lucifer the day star glistring in excelsis but would haue honoured him before Saint Michaell the Archangell and yet in ictu occuli he became a fowle fiend and loathsomest creature to looke vpon that euer God created Who that knew king Salomon to haue had the rarest and chiefest gift that euer was giuen to man besides that the gift of prophecie also a more neere familiarity with God then I thinke any Iesuite dare presume to affirme he euer had and yet I cannot tell they are so arrogant as for to walke and talke with him be it mediate or immediate all is one face to face who then that had seene him in his highest pompe royallest Maiestie and greatest glory would not haue come with the Saban Queene to admire him and adore him who that had seene Iudas chosen by God himselfe who could not be ignorant of what was in the man to be a priest an apostle yea and one of the twelue that our Sauiour chose out of the whole worlde but would haue kissed the ground where he went c who of like sort that had heard the holy Ghost speake it and consecrate designe and single out seauen Deacons whereof Nicholas was one would euer haue thought he would haue prooued a puritane or one infected with the family of loue or rather the first beginner and brocher of the same who that had read Apollonaris workes in 33. huge volumes against the heretikes of his daies would euer haue censured or thought he would in the end haue become a ranke heretike yea and a father and author of most blasphemous heresies who that had seene the Chanon or Doctor of Paris liuing a life irreprehensible of any man would not haue beene ready to come and kissed his feete gone on pilgrimage to his shrine or done any worship vnto him on earth and yet with horror to thinke of mans heauy state not one of these but are knowne to be condemned vnlesse it be king Salomon of whom some doctors doubt who yet I thinke would not be in his place for a myriades of millions of massie golde ergo qui stat videat ne cadat Fiftly as our stand in Gods church is vncertaine and knowne onely to God alone So there is not the hottest of our aduersaries in religion that a man can say or iustifie and bide by it that it is impossible or no possibilitie nor likelihood in the world that euer such or such a one should become a catholike for we haue to the contrary innumerable examples in this age Many of our owne knowledge hauing been noted and knowne to all the world for most lewd prophane and bad liuers yet haue come afterwards to giue manifest signes tokens and testimonies of their true repentance rare graces and extraordinarie amendment Yea euen Parsons a lewder body then whom was not I verily thinke of any
meanes to worke on their behalfe to haue them accepted of as Generall of the armie in that exploit expeditionall against England intended Therefore in regarde hereof they are questionles often at daggers drawing amongst themselues whether some English or Scots or Spanish or German Generall should haue the name of Emperor or Dictator for the time of the conquest The Scots men knowing that if any of their nation should haue the preheminence then should their Critons their Gordans and other Iesuits of their nation be highest promoted the English not doubting but that if any of our owne nation should sway the scepter royall by their meanes that then their Parsons their Creswels their Garnets and others should haue the preheminence ouer the rest of the Iesuits and so if a Spaniard had the honor point then the Iesuits of Spaine if the Archduke then those of Germany should be most aduanced And thus ambition and affecting of soueraigntie doth so tickle them all with vaine and fantasticall hopes of England as quot homines tot sententiae amōgst them for the particular action by whom it should be chiefly acted And I verily thinke the first manner of proceeding as Doctor Cicill insinuates makes it apparant that the hot contentions wranglings brabbles and brawlings betwixt father Parsons and father Criton about the next successor was not absolutely for defeating the Scots title and aduancing of the Spanish which both as it seemeth by Critons speech in Master Cicils apologie did seeke for But the question in secret betwixt them was whether it were fitter to haue the Scots king or some other noble of Scotland preferd as vice-roy vnder the Spaniard or else the Earle of Arundell or Darby or Essex or some other of the English nobles had they title or had they none to the English crowne And so both like traitors against their soueraignes and countrie cogd the one with the other in their ambitious aspires pretending a beares loue each one to his countrie for his owne paunch A third way of the Iesuits agreement in statizing may be taken as it is an humor in these kinde of men that are ambitious to be alwaies loth to liue in subiection vnder any or to acknowledge any superior aboue themselues though of their owne order societie or companie where they liue And this aswell in regarde that they would not be crossed in their designments for any the least touch of contradiction strikes a proud selfe conceited body dead at hart as also for the humorous delight they take in commanding in chiefe where they liue though but ouer three or fower persons at the vttermost for a king of crickets a bedle of beggers and a Pigmay captaine in a conquest of cranes will straight driue pride into a conceit of a supremacie to be in himselfe sance pere And by reason of this naturall inclination in most of those that are Iesuits for amongst these three sorts of men whereof I told you before to wit wise wealthie or worshipfull onely admitted to be of their societie there is a great question which should goe away with the soueraigntie wit wealth and worship being al three incentiues of aspiring And you shal not finde any that hath spirit in him but howsoeuer he vaunt of obedience as the onely way to winne others to be obedient vnto him and doth indeede actually submit himselfe in all things to his superior Iesuit appointed ouer him yet will he seeke so much as is possible to get his necke out of the coller his head out of the halter and his vowed obeisance from vnder the yoke of commandants ouer him by setting foorth himselfe so as he may seeme to be fit either to be a state Counsellor for his grauitie a prouinciall for his policie a rector for his gouernment a courtier for his complements or an intelligent for his impudencie And in all these he must shew himselfe to haue a busie stirring head full of inuentions innouations and nouelties and so comming to aduancement he is freed in a sort from ordinarie controlment That this is a third cause or kinde of statizing wherin the Iesuits doe mightily disagree and are often at open warres by brawlings wranglings contentions and chidings amongst themselues defaming backbiting slaundering and supplanting one an other to omit what I haue heard of their ciuill broiles hatred and emulations in other countries as also what hath beene already saide out of Parsons owne writings and other things handled obiter in this treatise especially whiles Doctor Lewis Bishop of Cassana was visitor generall to whom I told you before how they put vp complaints against one an other I referre you for this time to one or two treatises penned and published by some very learned and graue catholike priestes wherein you shall finde a large discouerie of one of these Rabbies ruffling shuffling flourishing iars and iumblings to exempt himselfe from controlment of any superior and to be an absolute statesman paramount peregall peremptorie to command all others as actor independent of any to act all his actions I meane the great emperor illegitimate irregular abstract quintessence of all coines coggeries and forgeries Parsons the bastarde of Stockersey beyond Cosmage in Sommersetshire How cruelly and Machiuillianlike he ouerthrewe the credit of father Heiwood for presuming forsooth to equall himselfe with him at their being together in England and how flying hence being loden with the spoile of many poore catholikes he practised to be exempted from the checke of the Parisian prouinciall vnder pretence forsooth that the Queene of England had hired certaine persons to murther him there and since that time hath euer giuen himselfe to the studie of state matters This is that famous conqueror who hath bathed all England by his seditious libels in priests blood This is that woorthy excellent that lies dissembles and equiuocates at euery word This is that learned counseler that must rule ruffe range through euery state This is that same Parsons whom pope prince and peere with all true English harts haue cause to hate This is he of whom his owne generall reported that he was more troubled with one English man then with all the rest of his societie This is he of whom Cardinal Alan held this opinion that he was a man very violent and of an vnquiet spirit and of whom M. Blackwell now his darling said that his turbulent head and lewd life would be a discredit to the catholike cause And in few the generall conceit of all that euer haue throughly conuersed with him is this that he is of a furious passionate hot chollerike exorbitant working humour busie headed and full of ambition enuie pride rancour malice and reuenge whereunto through his latter Machiuillian practises may be added that he is a most diabolicall vnnaturall and barbarous butcherly fellowe vnworthy the name nay cursed be the howre wherein he had the name of a priest nay of an irreligious parson nay of a temporall lay man Iesuite nay of
women will giue vs thanks for that we haue done in seeking your amendment and riddance of you out from amongst them THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether seeing that all the Iesuits seeme to be of one minde for the conquest of England in generall and that they differ onely in the particulars vpon their owne priuate ambitious respects had for euerie mans particular aduancement wherein father Parsons beareth downe the rest did then the foresaid Parsons meddle directly at any time in state matters in a case detestable I meane whether did he and his complices euer sollicite any forraigne inuasion of Spaniard or others to take armes against her Maiestie their naturall soueraigne especially in the yeere 1588. And not onely excited the said king to depose her highnes but also to bring this realme into subiection of the Spaniards vnder pretence of restoring the catholike faith And if so then whether did they well or not THE ANSWERE VVOuld God the wretch had not been borne that hath forced vs for our free discharge before God and man to enter into these fiue bloodie articles here ensuing to expostulate with one another what hath been the cause of our daily increased persecutions and heauie calamities at home and abroad Well howsoeuer it fall out iacta est alea. Poore catholikes both clergie and laitie hurried hailed and tossed from poste to piller from wigge to wall by a restles course of miseries feares dangers running per circulum nunc cui neque apud Danaos locus est atque insuper ipsi Dardanidae infensi poenam cum sanguine poscunt We come to encounter this Hispanized Camelion Parsons with all his Africanian phalanges and Iesuiticall forces Against whom maugre all their sophistry aequiuocating and clenchiall doublings to the comfort of all true catholike harts for their better instruction in time to come and to make knowne to all the world how that the seculars were euer free of themselues from these state practises and that onely the Iesuits are the men who with their followers fautors and seditious faction haue been the instigators suggesters prompters actors and vrgers of these vnnaturall wicked and traitorous courses I say then and I am bound in conscience to speake it that though it greeue and gall their guts out that are of the Iesuiticall humor as those who can indure nothing worse then to heare of their owne lewdnes especially when they are preuented of their purpose which will force them in that case to deny any thing be it neuer so true yet it cannot be denied but that in the yeere 1588. There was neuer honest man as I thinke that pend such a treatise as this booke heere mentioned to haue gone vnder the good Cardinals name who sure would neuer haue lent his name to it as he did not but foâ— the vehement vrging of this Machiauâ—llian Iesuites persuasion which full sore repented him afterwarde in so much that when he hearâ—e and well perceiued what they went about for destroying and ruinating of his natiue countrey he wept tenderly not knowing how to remedie it nor much lesse how to bridle the Iesuiticall insolencie Cardinall Allan compiled a booke at the importunate suite of father Parsons impudently vrging his Grace thereto to haue been published when the Spaniards should haue arriued for the same intent premised in the article The first part of which booke was intituled A declaration of the sentence c. the second An admonition to the Nobilitie and people of England c. Of these bookes a great number were printed but presently vpon the ouerthrow of the great inuincible Armado vnder their heroicall Adlantado father Parsons for shame of the world and to the end that it should not be knowne how the expectation of the false prophet was frustrate procured the whole impression to be burnt sauing some few that had been sent abroad before hand to his friends and such as had otherwise been conueied away by the Printer and others in secret wise Some whereof ferrying ouer the maine were wafted into the south Ocean shores and cast on land came to diuers their hands that durst not auouch their harbor One father Currey a Iesuit speaking in a faint brauado of that booke to a secret friend of mine who durst not be knowne to fauor me said that it was a worke of that woorth as it would yet bite in time to come and that if by coniuration or otherwise the Queene or the Councell especially the Lord Treasurer whom he named in chiefe could haue any inkling where it were they would not leaue one stone standing vpon another in the house where it should happen to be heard of but blowe it vp or burne and consume it all to ashes before they would misse of it Wel as for that I vnderstaÌ„d the Counsel hath got a sight of it without any such extraordinarie search made for it And like ynough by some Iesuites meanes now that the matter fadges not as they would to haue the fault laid wholy vpon the Cardinals necke if possibly they could But howsoeuer yet great pitie it was that the bookes and the burner the woorthles worke and the wretched father were not both made a burnt sacrifice or offering combust together Amongst other seditious pestilent and craftily inueigling propositions set downe in that booke one was this in the second part thereof scil That the king of Spaine at length as well by his holines authoritie and exhortation as by his owne vnspeakeable zeale pietie mooued also not a little by my saith he humble and continuall sute together with the afflicted and banished catholikes of our nation of all and euery degree Who haue beene by his speciall compassion and regall munificency principally supported in this our long exile hath condescended at last to take vpon him this so holy and glorious an acte c. Hitherto the Cardinall by father Parsons suggestion and prompting him what he should write for to allure the Spaniard as master Charles Paget hath beene informed Out of which words I gather these Corolaries following First that they are of the same tenure and carrie the selfe same sense with them that the like speech doth in a passage of father Parsons Appendix to the succession fathered also vpon the saide Cardinall after his death notwithstanding that Doctor Gifford one of whose bookes no English Iesuit of them all is woorthie to carrie after him hath a letter to shew that the same discourse was wholly of this Polypragmons owne doing very vnhonestly put vpon the dead But bastards haue euer one dogge tricke or other of the corruption they come of and so hath he for forgerie cogging and lying as a notorious a signe of a gracelesse wretch as any in this age His wordes in the Appendix are these scil After a long circumquaquam locutionem of the impediments infringing all and euery pretenders title borne within this famous isle and as long a peroration on the Lady Infantaes behalfe who though all
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
are bound to take notice of it And peraduenture if the matter were well looked into there was neuer hitherto any such denuntiation of any excommunication against her Highnesse as by the Canon law it is required So as in that respect it had beene vnlawfull for her Maiesties subiects to haue yeelded to father Parsons traiterous inticements Sure I am that many catholiks do not yet beleeue that there was euer any such an excommunication at all but that it is a meere slaunder deuised by our common enimies to make all catholiks odious Fourthly I cannot easily deuise as matters are nowe a daies handled how it is possible that subiects besides the former vncerteinties should euer take sure and infallible notice of any excommunication saide to be denounced against their king so as they may obey it and with safe consciences disobey their Soueraigne It was either a simple or a most insolent conceite of father Parsons or of the good though maruelously abused Cardinall to thinke that their bare words could in any reasonable mans iudgement be conceiued to be a sufficient warrant for English catholiks to haue armed themselues against her Maiestie And for any other authority or warrant of Xistus the 5. his renouation of the former excommunication I neuer yet heard of it But howsoeuer it were yet sure I am that no other notice was to haue beene giuen of it For after they haue tolde a long and spitefull tale in their said declaration and admonition touching the Popes and the king of Spaines designements against her Maiestie they vse these words scil Of whose proceedings in this action and as well of his holinesse as his maiesties intention and meaning therein we are to aduertise you all by these presents And againe Be it notified to the inhabitants of that countrey c. Likewise be it knowne that the intention of his holinesse c. Moreouer be it knowne by these presents that it shall not onely bee lawfull for any person publike or priuate to arrest the Queene but also be held for very good seruice c. Heere we heare of nothing that his holinesse saith or commandeth in his owne name vnder his pastorall and authentike seale but the credite of these two men should haue carried her Maiesties subiects to the most infamous and inconuenient action that euer hapned in Christendome Whereas in good faith to speake my conscience the Cardinall standing so bewitched with that Machiuilean Iesuite Parsons and they writing thus much both together their testimonies ought not to haue mooued any man to a much lesse mischiefe then this had beene Some late experience we haue had as touching our Archpriest how boldly some Cardinals will aduenture to abuse the See apostolike and the sacred disposition of the Popes holines to serue their owne turnes therewith Yea was not all the whole consistorie and Cardinals of his holines palace vnles it were two most bitterly bent against S. Thomas of Canterburie Insomuch as finding him at dinner with a capon on Saint Markes day they would haue deliuered him vp as a lollard had not God bewraied their malice by a miracle in defence of the holy and innocent man and blessed prelate turning the capon into a carpe to shew that his weakenes was the cause of breaking the Churches orders for abstinence from flesh that day Whereupon followed that in that streete at Rome and here in England within the bishopricke of Canterbury euer since it hath beene dispensed withall to eate flesh as lawfully vpon that day as any other So as you see how the Pope his holines may and often is mightily deluded abused and preiudiced by false informations of some particular persons and that thereupon as I haue told you before he may erre as a priuate man in not knowing the case aright and by consequent excommunicate suspend c. wrongfully which although catholikes are bound to obey in some cases as before is said that may concerne their spirituall punishments in depriuing them for a time of the sacraments of Gods Church yet can I neuer finde that it staid any from their temporall allegeance to their Soueraigne or withdrew them that otherwise were loyall subiects from defence of their natiue countrey against any whosoeuer Nay in the case proposed considering the ticklish estate of things as now they stand and what danger catholikes are in on euery side adding hereunto the Iesuiticall humor I say then to proceede a little further that although the Popes owne Bull had beene so and to haue beene it selfe published in the most authenticall manner that might haue beene well deuised yet such is the falshood of the Iesuits and such is their fauour in Rome and so shamefully they dare presume to informe his holines as certainly it had been no sufficient warrant for her Maiesties subiects to haue entred into that course which father Parsons mooued them vnto And except those false hypocrites be kept in more awe and curbed from daring to intermeddle with his holines actions in such manner of matters of so important waighty and dangerous consequences the authoritie of the Court of Rome will be greatly preiudiced in their proceedings and they will not let his holines be in quiet till they haue set him at a iarre with his best and most faithfull subiects and seruants in Christendome as we see in part already by their indeuouring to bring into disgrace the whole clergie secular priests religious orders bishops and all that they themselues may liue at riot and rule range and raigne at their pleasures Fiftly to confirme then the premises I say then that let the renouation be as it was and father Parsons perswasions goe as they are yet the very lawe agreed vpon amongst all our Canonists doth allow the seruants or subiects of any Lord or king excommunicated to performe in fiue cases their duties and allegeance vnto them nay they are bound vnto it Haec anathema faciunt ne possit obesse vtile lex humile res ignorata necesse First if their seruice be profitable for their Lords or for themselues Secondly the very law of nature I thinke doth allow such duties as of the wife to her husband excommunicated and the same reason is of the seruant to his master or the subiect to his prince Thirdly excommunication doth not deliuer a seruant or a subiect from his former condition it finding him in the state of a subiect or seruant doth not debarre him from doing his dutie Fourthly if the subiect doe not know that his soueraigne is excommunicated then is not he thereby either infected or affected and of the vncerteintie of any such knowledge you haue heard before Nay though the subiects doe know it neuer so assuredly yet any of the former three cases doe serue their turnes for the continuance of their allegiance Fiftly but that which followeth necesse necessitie is without all exception as the saying is necessitas non habet legem though the Pope should attempt in person any
sequell of proper kind as we now handle them that the one followeth the other as the shadow doth the body there is nothing said in the last generall Quodlibet of state but it hath a relation to this of succession So as it can not be otherwise imagined but that the Iesuites haue a further drift and intend a greater mischiefe then all the world dreames of to make princes state gouernment and all authoritie seeme odious to the multitude Therefore I affirme and say absolutely as in my hart I thinke it that their proceedings therein are neither religious catholike christian nor dutifull but very barbarous impious and dishonest which I prooue first by testimony of holy writ Thou shalt not speake euill of the prince of thy people said the wise Salomon amongst his many Prouerbes Secondly Curse not the king no not in thy thought said the great Preacher in his ecclesiasticks and to the same purpose are the two great princes of the earth Saint Peter his words in his first Epistle and Saint Paule his speech by an Epistle to Titus Thirdly againe if any action can beare two constructions charity bindeth a man to take the best But princes haue neuer had more cause then now they haue by the Iesuites practises to be iealous of their estates ergo it ought to be construed in the best sense a man may if their gouernment be contrary to our likings Fourthly besides kings proceedings are oft aboue the capacity of the subiects and are not by them to be scanned or sifted much lesse to be slaundered and depraued Fiftly furthermore kings being the fathers of their country if they should haue in their proceedings any nakednes their subiects shew themselues to be of the generation of Cham that will not rather couer then detect them But such are the Iesuits vnnatural harts and greedie desire of soueraignty as it seemeth nothing doth more delight them then to find in a prince or priests coate some thing to make them seeme odious to their subiects or ghostly children Sixtly also the honour of our countrie ought to be more deere vnto vs then our owne credites or estimation nay oftentimes then our liues themselues ergo how can it be chosen but that the Iesuites being so ambitious in seeking their owne glory so greedy of their owne praises and so deeply affecting soueraigne dominion should not condemne themselues in their owne consciences in detracting and calumniating their soueraignes It is therefore most manifest and true as I haue often said and must haue often cause to repeate the same that of long time the grauest sort of the secular priests in England haue vtterly disliked such pamphlets and railing treatises and bookes as haue bene set out to the dishonour of her Maiesty and state here The booke that Doctor Saunders writ De schismate and his other De visibili Monarchia we wish with all our harts that they had neuer seen light Diuers of father Parsons books letters and treatises we haue and do from our very harts vtterly condemne them as conteining many seditious and trayterous points and being very full of slaunderous speeches and impudent calumniations Andreas Philopater being the fruits of father Parsons and father Creswell we hold to be fraught till it almost burst againe as some of my brethren elsewhere haue noted with all Iesuiticall pride and poyson And as touching the Exhortation before mentioned printed 1588. it is so detestable a treatise as all posterity cannot choose but condemne father Parsons for a most scurrilous traytor If he had beene brought vp amongst all the ruffians and Curtizans in Christendome he could not haue learned to haue writ more vilely prophanely and heathnishly Furthermore in that father Parsons and his fellow father Creswell do glory in their said booke that they haue caused not onely it but also master Saunders treatise De schismate to be translated into the Spanish toong and do reioyce that thereby the Spaniards are brought already into a greater detestation of her Maiestie her gouernment proceedings then they had before I thinke they glory in their owne shame and that they are to be accounted by all true catholikes to be most vile and trayterous persons that they dishonor priesthood and are as right Iesuits as insolencie and hatred can make them And so I conclude that the Iesuits practises and intents in wresting their Soueraignes and the state affaires in euery politicall morall and humane action to the worst sense is neither agreeing to Christian iustice catholike charitie nor bounden dutie of true subiects but like rebellious traytors to bring all into vprore that they may haue al crownes kingdomes gouernments succession state inheritance and all at their pleasure THE II. ARTICLE VVHether may not Iesuits although they are religious men and therefore excluded from dealing in publike secular affaires yet for all that which hath beene said imploy themselues in matters of state thus farre scil to direct and appoint the forme of the ciuill gouernment to set downe who ought to succeed to alter the ancient lawes of their countrie to decide and determine difficulties that may rise concerning all and euery competitors title in way of succession by birth blood c. to the crowne and to innouate all things vnder the pretence of gods glory and the promoting of their owne societie Or whether are not all these imputations so many vntruthes and calumniations THE ANSWERE I Hold it as I said before altogether vnlawfull for them to deale so in state matters and by consequent indecent First for that it is against the rules of their orders and very presumptuous for any of them to medle with the succession to the crowne at all Secondly it doth repugne from the very nature of all religious profession which is a seperating of men from the actions of the world Thirdly it tendeth to that which we most condemne in our common aduersaries For the consequence will be hardly denied it is lawfull for cleargy men to mannage ciuill causes ergo it is lawfull for temporall men to manage causes ecclesiasticall For wrest it and wring it aswell and which way soeuer we can possibly deuise yet will it alwaies be iudged of our aduersaries an assertion most euident and absurd to be denied that temporall men should not haue as great authoritie in church causes as Iesuits monks or friers at least if not also as other secular and ecclesiasticall persons should haue in causes ciuill Fourthly I shall not much need to trauell in this point bicause the Iesuits themselues do digest nothing woorse then to heare themselues charged with it for it is a practise with them to do all things vnder hande and to be as little seene in them as possiblie they can deuise And therefore as I haue often told you no lesse for the most part that which they go about they do it by other men or by feined names that if any inconuenience should happen they might either lay the blame vpon
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-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
no question if they had liued in our daies and withall vnder Englands alleageance they would either haue forborne or that speach haue qualified Touching Bannes though of this age yet a Spaniard he was and therefore his doctrine is lesse strange for this point But let that passe I blame him not for holding what opinion he list disputatiue bicause it is an ordinary matter so to doe yea and that in pointes of very great importance one scholeman holding an opinion in matters that are not directly of faith quite contrary and against one an other And so could I well haue borne with father Parsons if a schooleman as he is not he had beene to haue holden what opinion he listed in the schooles or for disputations sake concerning the conueniency or inconueniency of publishing this doctrine Marry withall I wish from my hart that he had left it there stil buried it in silence vnder his deske that it had neuer come within ken of an English eye nor within the sound of our aduersaries iealous eares But seeing that published it is by them and that in an other worse sense then either S. Thomas or Bannes euer dreamed of as tending wholy to a Puritanes popularity as hereafter shall be proued therefore must it needes follow to be a most pernitious doctrine and very vnfit to haue beene published to the world in these so dangerous times as wherein we all doe liue And by consequent it necessarily must and shall be improued and father Parsons iustly conuinced of treason and error for publishing of it like a right Puritane which I prooue by this discourse following Buchanan that archtraytor of Scotland in his booke De iure regni apud Scotos hath written at length to this very purpose against whom master Blockwood a woorthie man and a sound catholike did very learnedly oppose himselfe and hath at large confuted this monstrous conceite very substantialy All the Buchanans and Iesuits in Christendome will neuer be able to answere him in that point When Saint Paul saith Buchanan as master Blockwood alleageth his words commaunded the Romanes to obey the superior powers appointed by God he writ so In ipsa nascentis ecclesiae infantia cum christiani nec numero nec opibus nec authoritate valerent ac proinde eorum duntaxat ad quos scribebat non autem vniuersorum ciuium rationem habuisse In the infancie of the church saith this sacrilegious traytor to sacred Maiestie euer blasphemous Christians flourished not either in number or in wealth or in authoritie and therefore Saint Paul had onely respect of those to whom he writ that were not able to rebell and ment not that his precept should be held for a perpetuall lawe when Christians should grow afterwards to be of greater force Would not a man thinke he had heard a Iesuite all this while But let Buchanan go forward In those times Christians were faine to shrowd or hide themselues vnder the obedience of princes and magistrates though they were wicked and vnder the shadow of any kinde of dominion whatsoeuer bicause they were poore few of them citizens but strangers and for the most part such as had beene bondmen and the rest trades men and seruants that with great toile susteyned themselues And therefore Saint Paul admonished them vt temrori seruirent that they should dissemble for the time being mindfull of their condition and not peepe out of their holes much lesse seeke to trouble those that were in authority But if Saint Paul liued now adaies when not onely the people but princes do professe Christianitie and when Christians are equall both in number and strength to match tyrants he would command the multitude to inquire into the saide tyrants proceedings and as they saw cause to put them to death Thus far this Scottish bloodsucker and enimie to all regal soueraignty to whom father Parsons and the said Iesuits that writ of the deposition of Henry 3. are exceedingly beholden For he in his booke of succession and the other in their said discourse do follow him vp and downe step by step so directly as if they had purposed to haue professed themselues to be his schollers and to defend whatsoeuer he hath written were it neuer so desperate impious prophane and more then heathenish Thus you heare what the Iesuits doctrine is and how iumpe turne Turke and Puritane like they haue proceeded therein Now follow their grounds For the grounds and foundation of this Iesuiticall and Puritane doctrine of obedience till subiects haue force to rebell you may please to vnderstād that it is built vpon a new fond exposition of the Scriptures as partly you haue heard which is a very dangerous point and will giue our common aduersaries exceeding aduantage against vs in that hitherto we haue pretended to follow in all matters of controuersie with them that sence of the Scriptures which was generally receiued by the ancient fathers and haue greatly inueighed against their new expositions whereby they wring at woorst the written word that it may seeme to speake no other wise then they would haue it And that now the Iesuits in this case doe runne the same course it is manifest In testimonie whereof whereas the example of the Iewes by Ieremies direction vnder Nabuchodonozor hath beene generally held for a president for all christians if euer they shall happen to come into the like bondage so the practise of Christ concurring with it in paying tribute to Caesar a wicked king and commanding all men to do the like and with this precept also the rules of the Apostles fitly agreeing in prescribing all Christians of what calling soeuer generally to obey and performe all duties of subiects to all superior powers and particularly to kings as those being more excellent then the rest the ciuill magistrates being then likewise wicked persons and persecutors adding hereunto the generall expositions of the auncient fathers That the Apostles do speake in those places of such kinde of ciuill gouernors as heere we intreate of and that all Christians if they happen to liue vnder such like kings are to obey them and to submit themselues vnto all their temporall and lawfull commaundements it is cleere yet all this notwithstanding out come these new illuminates the Iesuits and as if they were become Caluinists they take vpon them with their new glosses to auoide and elude the true sence and ancient interpretations of all these places The Iewes say they were commanded diuinitus extraordinarily to obey and pray for Nabuchodonozor which ordinarily bindeth not Christ paide tribute and spake as a priuate person The Apostle Saint Paul ment that his precepts should be generally vnderstoode of obedience to good kings onely and Saint Peter when he commandeth all Christians to be subiect to the king quasi praecellenti that is saith one when the king doth excell in vertue and not otherwise and father Parsons in his booke of titles omit his absurd Appendix wherein he runneth riot
amends at their hands Which redresse and amends let any whosoeuer that thinke themselues most politike most prudent most wise set me downe and approoue it the premises and circumstances of the case and our cause considered the way and meanes how euer to haue wrought or brought it to passe otherwise then by making the Iesuits knowne what wicked men they are and I will be his bondman for euermore And this deere catholikes was another grosse error in the vndiscreet zeale of your deuout follie quite contrary to the rules and precept of charitie which I greatly woonder at in that you seeing vs condemned contemned and reiected for the vilest creatures on earth our companie and presence shunned and auoyded our speech names and persons holden for most odious our sacrifices sacraments and poore deuotions accounted of as schismaticall prophane and damnable damnable oh damnable not onely in secular priests to offer any but also in the laitie to come at any offered by vs our deere brethren reuerēd priests your true ancient catholike louing ghostly fathers readie to shed their best blood for your soules behalfe Was it not monstrous in a Iesuit broker in Fetter lane hearing that Master Clarke a reuerend priest was very sicke in prison and could through the Iesuiticall crueltie get no reliefe to say he is well ynough serued let him die and starue for his disobedience c. what thinke you deere catholiks would these Iesuits and their seditious faction doe if they had the sword in their hands that are thus cruel harted towards afflicted catholike priests Questionlesse should once a Iesuit and Spaniard beare sway in England there is not one of you that now run not with them should be left on liue yea think as true it is that many of their brokers should then be cut off as vnprofitable members in their atheall common wealth c. lying some of them in prison ready to perish for want of foode others tormented with slaunders well nigh to death many forced to yeeld against their conscience to a Iesuits cursed will and proud minde and all brought into obloquie shame and disgrace that would not run when a Iesuit gaue a nod to bid them goe And yet you deere catholikes seeing all this will you or can you in your conscience wish vs to keepe silence If you say you could wish it then you goe flat against the rules of charitie Charitas enim incipit à seipso If needes we must die all lawes allow it to kill before we be killed in our owne defence to suffer the infamie reproch and shame to fall vpon the guiltie rather then the innocent to be condemned to let euery asse beare his owne burthen rather then to lay al vpon the weakest If you thinke we haue iust cause to speake and write in our owne defence but yet not in detecting them then tell me which way the one can be without the other and I will crie peccaui If you admit it necessarie to haue them detected and made knowne but yet not in such bitter termes then tell me what termes deere catholikes doe I vse not agreeing to their deserts yea or halfe so bitter or exorbitant as theirs are against the innocent Doe I call them apostataes or heretikes or schismatikes or southsaiers or reprobates with many such like as odious to the eare though none more detestable to the soule possessed with them which they not onely haue imposed vpon vs but also made you deere catholikes vnder that pretence to refuse to despise to detest vs for such But what doe I call them Mary I call them seditious bicause no companie nor societie nor order in any of the three states ecclesiasticall temporall or monasticall can liue quiet by them I call them factious bicause they band out all their doings by making of parties drawing of companies to side with them threatening of opposites promising of great matters to their fautors and followers and setting all in an vprore with iealousie suspition and backbiting one an other I call them traitors bicause of their many conspiracies attempts and practises against Pope Prince Church common wealth state and all I call them by many such like names but yet by none saue onely such as best doe symbolize with their qualities and lewde deuises And therefore you deare catholikes in this your partiall doome set on by Neuters goe against the lawes and preceps both of God and man which as you doe it of a scrupulous conscience so doth your scruple rise of simplicitie and folly in not seeing it being as plaine as the nose on a mans face that it is the epicine Iesuits which liuing in shew masculine in effect faeminine in esse neuters put such buzzes into your heads and when they haue done they ride you like fooles In fewe deare catholikes you goe against the rules and principles of all Arts and sciences in conceiting these discoueries of the Iesuits treacheries to be a hinderance to our common cause or any way to haue hurt or harmed vs. First Of all wonders soo the world it is the greatest in my conceite that any English catholike should so dote vpon a Iesuite and rage against all priests that side not with them as to thinke it lawfull and to practise it as meritorious in them to leaue nothing vndone vnsaid vnthought of to bring priesthood in contempt and Iesuits to be holden for sanceperes and yet cry out of priests if they doe but cleare themselues and shun the danger both of body and soule wracke that the layty doth stand and liue in by following of them and their traitorous designements But it is a right smacke of a Puritane spirit in them and of a more dangerous infection then a Puritanes wit is able to inuent c. for that if you demaund of politicks which way to vanquish an enimie with most aduantage they will tell you by turning his owne weapon vpon him in that part wherein his strength is most Now to the seminary and secular priests omitting others I doe speake it before God and his holy Angels and Saints I thinke there are not more infest nor deadly enimies this day on liue then Parsons and some other of the Iesuites and the Spaniardes faction are their weapons haue been calumnies infamies and slaunders their strength consists in vaineglory vaunting boasting ambition lying falshood cosenage and a thousand such impious sleights and deuises Therefore is there no way in the world left to encounter them with aduantage but to retort and returne all backe vpon them to their shame and confusion If you aske of the Mathematician how to passe betwixt two periods he will tell you that ab extremo ad extremum non transitur nisi per medium Now that the Iesuits we are in extremes they too lofty and we too lowly thty to ambitious and we to submissiue they to stirring and we to quiet they too seditious and we too peaceable they too clamorous we too